MJ Kim/MPL Communications Ltd.Paul McCartney was in Los Angeles on Wednesday to attend Capitol Music Group's fifth annual Capitol Congress at the Hollywood Arclight theater, Variety reports.

During the event, the former Beatles legend was presented with the Capitol Icon Award by the record label's chairman and CEO, Steve Barnett.

The Capitol Congress is a daylong conference at which employees brings together employees and executives from Capitol and its parent company, Universal Music Group, as well as some of the label's biggest artists. It features a variety of presentations, speeches, performances and interview sessions.

In addition to receiving the Icon award, McCartney was interviewed by comic Marc Maron for what will air as an upcoming installment of Maron's WTF podcast. Among the topics Sir Paul discussed was his reaction to the Fab Four song "Helter Skelter," which he wrote, supposedly being tied in with cult leader Charles Manson's attempts to incite his followers to commit murder.

According to Variety, McCartney said he remembered being "suddenly singled out for being the soundtrack to a murderer." He then explained, "For years I wouldn't do that song. I felt like if I did it, it would be a victory for [Manson]. Then I thought, 'Wait a minute, I wrote it!'"

Paul also was asked about the supposed competition between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones during the early days of the bands.

"They're great," he said of The Stones. "We go back a long way and there was never really a rivalry."

In other news, McCartney has announced three Japanese concerts as part of his Freshen Up tour. The shows are scheduled for October 31 and November 1 at the Tokyo Dome, and November 8 at the Nagoya Dome. Paul's new studio album, Egypt Station, will be released September 7.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9)  The six-month closure of Boracay island, stricter regulations on the mining sector and a stagnant agriculture sector brought Philippine economic growth down to a fresh three-year low.

The Philippine economy grew by 6 percent in the second quarter of 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority announced Thursday. The PSA likewise revised its estimate of last quarter's GDP from 6.8 percent to 6.6 percent on Wednesday.

The last time GDP was at 6 percent was during the third quarter of 2015. The growth rate has been faster since that period.

This GDP also falls short of the government target of 7 to 8 percent, the ideal growth rate in which the economic improvements would be felt by even the poorest of the poor.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the slowdown is partly because of policy decisions undertaken by the government, which are expected to promote sustainable development. This includes the closure of popular tourist destination Boracay for rehabilitation.

"We are referring to the temporary closure of Boracay Island from April to October 2018, which partly made a dent on the economy with growth in exports of services slowing to 9.6 percent in the second quarter from 16.4% in first quarter," Pernia said in a media briefing.

Pernia also noted the stricter regulations imposed on the mining and aquaculture sectors, which made a dent in their productivity.

"We are also referring to regulations in the mining sector - the closure of several mining pits and the excise tax on non-metallic and metallic minerals - so that mining and quarrying sector showed a lackluster performance. It is down by 10.9 percent," Pernia said.

He reiterated that the continued poor development in the agriculture sector remains a concern.

"Today's data on agriculture output strengthens the case for the government, particularly the Department of Agriculture, to urgently conduct a comprehensive review and reform of policies and programs that restrict access to land and the use of land, access to technology and extension services, access to finance, and access to markets," he added.

Nevertheless, the Socioeconomic Planning Secretary said that the government continues to be committed in setting policies that would promote inclusive growth that can be felt by all Filipinos.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President will not apologize for closing Boracay, despite its impact on economic growth.

"We think the closure of Boracay was justified. I don't think we should approach Boracay purely from a financial and economic point of view," he said in a media briefing.

Roque added that protecting the environment takes precedence over meeting economic growth targets.

"If GDP will further fall because of the desire for the President to protect the environment, so be it. We are investing in the future and not just the present," Roque said.

The slow growth in exports of the services sector to 9.6 percent in the second quarter from 16.4 percent in first quarter of 2018 was also a factor that brought down GDP performance.

On the other hand, Japan-based think tank Nomura Global Markets sees a bright spot in the Philippines' construction sector.

"The construction sector was a bright spot, posting an acceleration to double-digit growth in line with faster public sector expenditure disbursements on infrastructure and capital outlays," Nomura said in a statement.

Nomura expects growth to pick up by the second half of the year.

Despite this, the Philippine economy remains the third-fastest growing economy in Asia, behind Vietnam's 6.8 percent and China's 6.6 percent.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 0.39 percent or 30.75 points and closed at 7,820.71, with investors disappointed by the GDP announcement.

CNN Philippines' correspondent Rex Remitio, digital producers Luchi de Guzman and Robert Vergara contributed to this story.
A deal with the owner of Safeway and other grocery brands would have helped Rite Aid by creating food and drugstore combinations, and it would have given the chain better access to financial markets for things like opening new stores or improving existing ones, said Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of the retail consultant Strategic Resource Group. Flickinger has worked with both companies.
The top advisor on the Turnbull government's signature energy plan concedes official forecasts show electricity supplies will remain adequate, even as Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg warned states that blocking the plan risked plunging homes and businesses into blackouts.

The nations energy ministers will convene in Sydney on Friday to decide the future of the contentious policy, the National Energy Guarantee. Labor states including Victoria have expressed grave concerns over the policy and say the deal should not be rushed simply to meet the federal government's timetable.

Official forecasts say electricity supplies will be reliable for at least ten years.

Mr Frydenberg on Thursday said his government was not ceding to Victorias demands to alter the policy.

They are being dictated to by the Greens, they need to stand up for the interests of Victoria and indeed, not prevent a historical national reform," he said.
Every election is a reminder that any political party seeking power will need a phalanx of motivated volunteers to achieve its goal. Money counts but is not enough, because it takes flesh and blood to knock on doors and engage voters at the polling booth.

That is why any step to curb the rights of party members can only weaken the party. Those who think they can do without members will one day find the members can do without them.

Illustration: Andrew Dyson

The Liberal Party now confronts this challenge in its Victorian division after a ferocious debate about party democracy in the NSW division last year. In a sign that ideologies mean nothing when raw power is at stake, the conservatives who crusaded for membership rights in one state now silence those rights in another.

The decision point came one week ago when the Victorian administrative committee chose to endorse every federal MP in his or her seat, leaving no opportunity for local members to choose candidates at a preselection. Critics call this the Kevin Andrews motion because it spares the former defence minister from a challenge, but the problem is bigger than any single MP.
Mounted police patrol the area where over 100 teenagers gathered. Credit:Eddie Jim (The Age)

Violent flare-ups such as this weeks youth brawl in Taylors Hill are manna for the Victorian Liberals.

Just look at the social media feeds of Coalition MPs and Liberal supporters as they pounced on news reports on Wednesday night of a clash between South Sudanese youths while police warned residents to lock their doors and stay inside.

Law and order has been the defining issue of the Coalitions term in opposition. Guy's team will continue beating that drum in a bid to limit the Andrews government to just four years in office.
Bali: A Brisbane man has been arrested by Indonesian police for allegedly possessing nearly 12 grams of cocaine and could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.

Brendon Luke Johnsson, 43, and his partner Remi, an Indonesian national, were arrested last Saturday night in a raid by Balinese police which uncovered cocaine worth about 40 million rupiah (about $3600).

Police officers escort an Australian man at a local police headquarters in Denpasar, Bali. Credit:Nyoman Hendra - AP

Johnsson was paraded in an orange jumpsuit by Indonesian police on Thursday at a press conference announcing his arrest, which is a common practice.

Under article 114 of Indonesia's strict narcotic laws, possession of less than five grams of a category one narcotic like cocaine carries a minimum jail term of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
London: On a bus in Oxford, a drunk man takes a sudden swing at a young Muslim woman, slamming his fist into the seat in front of her. She flees up the aisle. He gets off at the next stop, shouting angrily and incoherently about her "shroud".

This happened this week. And it is exactly the kind of scenario that British Muslims fear former foreign secretary Boris Johnson made more likely on Monday with a contentious critique of the Muslim veil - ridiculing women in the niqab as looking like letter boxes and bank robbers.

Johnson faces a Conservative Party investigation after refusing to apologise for the comments.

This inflammatory language will in fact motivate and fuel hate crimes, particularly towards visibly Muslim women who wear the veil or the hijab, Sajda Mughal, who runs the JAN Trust charity, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Thursday.

She said her group, which works with marginalised women, had taken several calls from hijab-wearing women who reported being called letter boxes.
Gothenburg: A Swedish man with a history of violence and drug abuse has been convicted of murder over the stabbing death of Australian expat Kai Foley.

Richardo Lundberg, 28, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for the killing of the 28-year-old Australian.

Australian expat Kai Foley was killed in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. Credit:Facebook

Mr Foley was found with stab wounds in the early hours of the morning of December 20 in Odinsplatsen, close to the Swedish citys central train station.

Before moving to Gothenburg Mr Foley had studied nursing in Melbourne, and spent some of his school years in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Thursday killed dozens of people, including children travelling on a bus through a market, in Yemen's Saada province, a Yemeni health official and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The Western-backed alliance fighting the Iranian-aligned Houthi group in Yemen said in a statement that the air strikes targeted missile launchers used to attack the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday, killing a Yemeni civilian there.

It accused the Houthis of using children as human shields and said the strikes were carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the coalition showed "clear disregard for civilian life" as the attack had targeted a crowded public place in the city.
New York: US congressman Chris Collins has long had loose lips.

In 2009 Collins' bid to become the Republican candidate for governor of New York was derailed when he compared a Democratic state senator to Hitler, Napoleon and the anti-Christ.

A few months later, two Republican colleagues accused him of telling a woman at a crowded event: "I'm sure if you offer someone a lap dance you can find a place to sit" (an accusation he denied).

Last year he was overhead bragging loudly near the House of Representatives floor about how many millionaires he had created over the past month in Buffalo, a city in upstate New York.
Washington: US Vice President Mike Pence announced on Thursday that the Pentagon has begun planning to create a Space Force, embarking on an effort to create the first new armed service since 1947.

In June, President Donald Trump called for the establishment of a sixth armed service, the Space Force, to join the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.

Thursday's plan, which requires authorisation and funding from Congress, would develop forces to defend satellites from attack and other space-related tasks. China and Russia are the nation's primary rivals in space.

"The time has come to establish the United States Space Force," Pence said.
"Vaginas brought you here. Call me that. I take that. I'm here, for being" a c-word, she continued to cheers from the crowd.

"Now one thing I've noticed, but I haven't spoken about in the media yet, is these people who try to shut us down and try to intimidate us and try to make us scared by calling us" the c-word, Davidson said at a rally against racism in Auckland on Friday.

Washington: At a recent political event, Marama Davidson, co-leader of New Zealand's opposition Green Party, decided to take aim at a "c-word" that had been used to threaten and belittle female politicians - by using the word repeatedly in public.

The c-word in question is generally used to refer to female genitalia or, alternatively, "an unpleasant or stupid person," according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Though it is a long-established word with neutral origins, it has been considered vulgar since at least 1785, according to research by Kate Burridge, professor of linguistics at Monash University.

The term is widely considered among the most taboo swear words, though its use and interpretation varies within different countries. In late-May, comedian Samantha Bee used the word on her TBS show Full Frontal to refer to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the president, during a monologue about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

After the White House complained that her language was "vile and vicious," Bee apologised for using the word. "I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it," she said.

But there has also been an attempt recently - especially among women, who are often the target of the word when it's used as an insult - to reclaim it. Actress Sally Field was among those who criticised Bee for using the word, not because it was vulgar, but because it was "powerful, beautiful, nurturing and honest."
Buenos Aires: The Argentinian Senate has rejected a bill to legalise elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, in a decision that could reverberate around South America.

The issue has divided the homeland of Pope Francis. Lawmakers debated for more than 15 hours and voted 31 in favour to 38 against.

The Argentinian Senate debated the bill all day Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday.

People shout in support of decriminalising abortion, outside the Argentinian embassy in Quito, Ecuador. Credit:AP

Argentina's lower house of Congress already passed the measure, and President Mauricio Macri said he would sign it if approved by the Senate.
New York: The leader of the United Nations has picked Michelle Bachelet, a prominent women's rights advocate and the first woman to serve as Chile's president, to be the organisation's next top human rights official.

Then Chile's president Michelle Bachelet holds the Oscar statuette during a meeting with Sebastian Lelio, left, and Daniela Vega, right, director and actress of the Oscar winning foreign language film "A Fantastic Woman" days before the end of her term in March. Credit:AP

The announcement by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ended the uncertainty over who would replace Zeid Raad al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince and long-time diplomat who became one of the most forthright critics of abuses by governments in many countries, including the United States, during his four years as the high commissioner for human rights.

Loading

Hussein said in December that he would not be seeking an extension of his term, which expires next month. He told colleagues that "to do so, in the current geopolitical context, might involve bending a knee in supplication".
First half-year 2018: Jenoptik increases revenue and significantly improves earnings; outlook for the full year raised

Posted by Publisher Internet

br />



Group revenue was up by 10.4 percent to 384.7 million euros

EBITDA grew by 31.4?percent to 56.3?million euros; EBIT boosted by 46.1?percent to 42.8 million euros

Following the increase in revenue guidance ? Executive Board now also expects higher earnings

?The development of our Group?s business has been very pleasing. All segments contributed to growth in the first half-year. Demand remains buoyant in our key markets. On this basis, and with the successful acquisition of Prodomax Automation in Canada as well as the initial steps taken to reorganize our business in Asia, we look into the second half-year with a lot of confidence. Therefore, we raised our revenue guidance to between 805 and 820 million euros in July. The management now also raises 2018 profit targets for the combined businesses to around 15 percent EBITDA margin and around 11 percent EBIT margin on the higher revenue, including purchase price allocation impacts,? says Stefan Traeger, President & CEO of the Executive Board of JENOPTIK AG.

Revenue up 10.4 percent; strong growth particularly in Germany

In the first six months, group revenue rose by 10.4 percent, to 384.7 million euros (prior year: 348.4 million euros). This increase was due to continuing good demand for optical systems for the semiconductor equipment industry, as well as for systems from the Healthcare & Industry area. The traffic safety area also significantly helped to boost growth in Germany ? thanks to deliveries of toll monitoring systems.

In the German market, revenue increased by a total of 27.4 percent to 125.5 million euros (prior year: 98.6 million euros). A strong revenue increase of 15.7 percent was also achieved in Europe. In total, the share of revenue generated abroad came to 67.4 percent, compared with 71.7 percent in the prior year.

Sharp rise in earnings due to good business development in all segments

In the first half-year 2018, EBIT improved at a markedly faster rate than revenue. At 42.8 million euros, the operating result was 46.1 percent up on the prior year (prior year: 29.3 million euros). In addition to revenue growth, this is primarily attributable to a more favorable product mix and a relatively low increase in functional costs. All of the Group?s segments contributed to this good performance. The EBIT margin of 11.1 percent was significantly higher than in the prior year (prior year: 8.4 percent). EBITDA grew by 31.4 percent to 56.3 million euros (prior year: 42.8 million euros).

Solid order book and strong financial power

Order intake grew by 7.2 percent to 197.9 million euros in the second quarter (prior year: 184.7 million euros). In the first six months of the fiscal year, the order intake came to 397.2 million euros, 2.0 percent lower than in the prior year (prior year: 405.3 million euros), but exceeded revenue in the reporting period. The book-to-bill ratio, that of order intake to revenue, came to 1.03 in the first half-year, compared with 1.16 in the prior year. As of the balance sheet date, the order backlog was worth 454.7 million euros, practically unchanged from year-end 2017 (31/12/2017: 453.5 million euros).

In the first half-year, the free cash flow increased to 28.8 million euros (prior year: 22.1 million euros). The equity ratio, at 59.4 percent, remained at the same good level as at year-end 2017 (31/12/2017: 59.6 percent). In addition, despite a higher dividend payment, the Group remained net debt free at the end of the reporting period, at minus 65.3 million euros (31/12/2017: minus 69.0 million euros).

Revenue growth and improved earnings in all group segments

The Optics & Life Science segment posted a strong increase in revenue of 11.7 percent to 139.5 million euros (prior year: 124.9 million euros) in the first six months of 2018. As in the prior quarters, this development was driven by a continuation of healthy business with solutions for the semiconductor equipment industry and a very positive development in the Healthcare & Industry area. EBIT improved significantly due to a positive product mix and good capacity utilization, by 28.3 percent to 28.7 million euros (prior year: 22.4?million euros). Over the first half-year, the segment thus increased its EBIT margin to 20.6 percent compared to the prior year (prior year: 17.9 percent). The order intake grew 5.7?percent to a value of 157.5?million euros (prior year: 149.1?million euros). Set against revenue, this resulted in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.13 (prior year: 1.19).

Revenue in the Mobility segment saw a year-on-year increase of 17.6 percent in the first six months of 2018, to 138.5 million euros (prior year: 117.8 million euros). Both areas, systems and machines for the automotive industry and traffic safety technology, showed successful growth, in particular due to deliveries of toll monitoring systems. On the basis of a good revenue development, the segment, as expected, again significantly improved the quality of earnings in the first six months, with EBIT of 11.8 million euros (prior year: 2.4?million euros). The EBIT margin rose to 8.6 percent (prior year: 2.0 percent). The order intake in the Mobility segment was slightly down on the prior year, at 140.2 million euros, due to weaker growth in the Traffic Solutions area (prior year: 144.4 million euros), while the business with the automotive industry was further expanded. In the first six months of 2018, the book-to-bill ratio reached a figure of 1.01 (prior year: 1.23).

In the first half-year, the Defense & Civil Systems segment generated revenue of 108.2 million euros (prior year: 105.4 million euros), an increase of 2.7 percent. EBIT improved by 5.7 percent, from 9.0 million euros in the prior year, to 9.5 million euros, in part due to a more profitable product mix. Over the reporting period, the EBIT margin consequently increased to 8.8 percent (prior year: 8.5 percent). At 100.4 million euros, the order intake was 10.2 percent down on the prior year (prior year: 111.8 million euros). In the first quarter 2017 Jenoptik had received several major orders for energy and sensor systems. As expected, however, the order intake rose by 34.1 percent to 56.3 million euros in the second quarter 2018 compared with the same quarter in the prior year (Q2/2017: 42.0 million euro). The book-to-bill ratio in the first six months of 2018 accordingly fell to 0.93, compared with 1.06 in the prior year.

Following an increase in revenue guidance, the Executive Board now also sets higher profit targets for 2018

With closing in July, Jenoptik successfully completed its acquisition of Prodomax Automation Ltd. in Canada. The acquired company, which specializes in process and automation technology, will already contribute to group growth this year. Due to the acquisition and continuing good business performance, the Executive Board increased its revenue forecast in July, from an original 790 to 810 million euros to a new figure of between 805 and 820 million euros and confirms this now. Better than originally anticipated profitability in its ongoing businesses, driven mainly by favorable mix effects, enables management to also raise profit targets for the year. The EBITDA margin is expected to be around 15 percent (previously between 14.5 and 15.0 percent), the EBIT margin to be around 11 percent (previously between 10.5 and 11.0 percent). The new profit targets already include the effects from purchase price allocation in connection with the acquisition of Prodomax of around 5 million euros in EBITDA and 1.5 million euros in EBIT, according to preliminary calculations.

The Interim Report is available in the ?Investors/Reports and Presentations? section of the website. The ?Jenoptik app? can be used to view the Quarterly Report on mobile devices running iOS or Android. Images for download can be found in the Jenoptik image database in the ?Current Events/Financial Reports? gallery.

Jenoptik is a globally operating technology group, which is active in the three segments Optics & Life Science, Mobility and Defense & Civil Systems. Optical technologies are the very basis of our business with the majority of our products and services being provided to the photonics market. Our key target markets primarily include the semiconductor equipment industry, the medical technology, automotive and mechanical engineering, traffic, aviation as well as the security and defense technology industries. Jenoptik has about 3,600 employees and generated revenue of approx. 748 million euros in 2017.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Rain showers this morning with mostly sunny conditions during the afternoon hours. High 69F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Generally clear skies. Low 48F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Elon Musk is an entrepreneur who is best known in space circles for launching SpaceX , a private aerospace design and manufacturing company. His company became the first private one to ship cargo to the International Space Station in 2012. Among Spacex's many accomplishments is its development of a self-landing version of their Falcon 9 rocket, a heavy-lift rocket called the Falcon Heavy, and the Crew Dragon, a crewed spaceship that will fly astronauts to the International Space Station.

A long-time advocate of Mars exploration, Musk has publicly talked about ventures such as building a greenhouse on the Red Planet and, more ambitiously, establishing a Mars colony . He also is rethinking transportation concepts through ideas such as the Hyperloop , a proposed high-speed system that would run between major cities.

The South African-born businessman describes himself as "an engineer and entrepreneur who builds and operates companies to solve environmental, social and economic challenges."

Musk is also the founder of electric car company Tesla Motors. In recent years, the businessman has been criticized for periodic negative comments on social media, such as those he made about rescue personnel after his offer to help Thai children trapped in a watery cave in 2018. The children were rescued, but without Musk's help.

Where did Musk get his money?

Musk grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, and earned degrees in physics and business from the University of Pennsylvania. His first venture after school was co-founding Zip2 Corp., an Internet company that provided software and services for businesses.

"Things were pretty tough in the early going. I didn't have any money  in fact I had negative money [because] I had huge student debts," Musk recalled in a 2003 Stanford lecture.

He showered at a local YMCA and lived in his office, managing to keep expenses very low despite his low revenue stream. "So when we went to VCs [venture capitalists], we could say we had positive cash flow," he said.

After Compaq bought Zip2 for more than $300 million in 1999, Musk turned his attention to online bill payments. That company, later known as PayPal, was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002.

Musk now had a fortune in hand, and at the tender age of 30 was looking to put his energies into something new. He began SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) in 2002 with ambitious plans to launch a viable, privately funded space company. In the face of naysayers, he doubled down and worked on a business plan.

Launching SpaceX

Musk has repeatedly said that humans must be an interplanetary species to combat the threat of asteroids and potential human catastrophes, such as nuclear war and engineered viruses.

What is blocking us from doing that, Musk wrote in a 2008 Esquire piece, is "the ridiculously recalcitrant problem of big, reusable reliable rockets."

"Somehow we have to ... reduce the cost of human spaceflight by a factor of 100," he added. "That's why I started SpaceX. By no means did I think victory was certain. On the contrary, I thought the chances of success were tiny, but that the goal was important enough to try anyway."

The first successful rocket SpaceX flew, the Falcon 1, took four tries to get off the ground before a successful test flight in September 2008.

Musk funded SpaceX through his own money at first, and then gained enough experience to attract millions of dollars from NASA to develop his rockets and spacecraft, and to bring cargo to the ISS.

The company's track record was a factor in NASA awarding it money to develop the Dragon spacecraft for cargo runs to the International Space Station. Dragon won multiple rounds of funding under NASA's Commercial Crew program and made a world-first docking of a private spaceship with the International Space Station in 2012. It is now sending regular shipments of cargo to the station. [Infographic: How SpaceX's Dragon Space Capsule Works]

The SpaceX building at Cape Canaveral, FL. SpaceX has operations at Cape Canaveral but the company's headquarters are in Hawthorne, CA. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

SpaceX is now developing a human-rated version of Dragon, called Crew Dragon , that is expected to take astronauts to the orbiting complex around 2019 or 2020. Like its cargo counterpart, the Crew Dragon spacecraft received money from NASA for development and is now one of two spacecraft types (along with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner) in the final stages of testing for carrying humans.

NASA announced crews for the first Dragon flights in August 2018. Musk was rather emotional after watching Crew Dragon make its first (uncrewed) flight to space in March 2019, en route to a successful docking with the ISS. In the future, Crew Dragon may not only carry astronauts, but paying space tourists as well, Musk has suggested to reporters .

Dragon is hefted using a rocket called the Falcon 9 . Since 2014, SpaceX has attempted to reuse the first stage of the rocket by landing it in various situations. To date, SpaceX has successfully achieved ocean, land-based and barge landings of the Falcon 9's first stage.

In March 2018, SpaceX successfully flew a heavier rocket, the Falcon Heavy , on its maiden flight, carrying a Tesla car and an astronaut mannequin named "Starman." The rocket blasted its cargo to low Earth orbit, and then an upper stage fired to carry the car somewhere toward Mars and the asteroid belt.

SpaceX's Starman mannequin sits inside Elon Musk's red Tesla Roadster with Earth in the background, shortly after the initial launch of SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket on Feb. 6, 2018. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Although its two side boosters landed successfully on twin pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, its center rocket core crashed and burned. All three rockets returned to Earth successfully after Falcon Heavy's second launch, on April 11, 2019, although the central core stage did not survive the journey back to shore from its ocean drone-ship landing pad, due to high sea swells. Falcon Heavy successfully completed its first night launch about two months later, on June 25, landing both side boosters successfully but narrowly missing a soft touchdown with the center rocket core.

SpaceX is also building a large Internet constellation of satellites called Starlink; the first 60 of these vehicles launched successfully into space  on top a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, naturally  in May 2019. Earlier that month, Musk told reporters that if everything goes well with the constellation, Starlink will generate $30 billion to $50 billion each year for SpaceX. (The company's launch revenue, by comparison, is about $3 billion a year.) Musk is busy with projects in several other companies, and has even ventured into artificial intelligence. In July 2019, Microsoft funnelled $1 billion into an artificial intelligence project co-founded by Elon Musk, called OpenAI.

Elon Musk on Twitter

Musk is a frequent user of social media and received the Stephen Hawking Communication Prize in 2019 for his work. Sometimes Musk discusses ideas that are early design thoughts, or philosophical musings (such as the time we said we may all be trapped a simulation ).

Occasionally, however, Musk has attracted negative attention for his remarks. In 2018, Musk made critical comments about a rescuer trying to help Thai boys trapped in a cave. He later apologized for the comments about the rescuer amid worldwide criticism.

That same year, NASA carried out a safety review of SpaceX (as well as Boeing) after Musk appeared to smoke weed on comedian Joe Rogan's podcast in September. Also, Musk paid a fine after the Security and Exchange Commission examined tweets about another of his companies, Tesla.

Will Musk go to Mars?

Musk has said that around 2002, he looked up the schedule for when NASA was supposed to send astronauts to Mars, and was shocked to see there was no timeline. (Today, NASA says it hopes to land astronauts on the Red Planet in the 2030s). That's when he says he came up with an idea to do a simple Mars mission "to spur the national will," Wired reported .

Musk envisioned a revolutionary greenhouse on Mars, but he eventually scratched the idea because of financial concerns.

In 2012, he sketched out plans to establish a Mars colony,, with 80,000 people living on the Red Planet. Musk later tweeted that he meant to say 80,000 people would make the journey per year.

Musk has continued to discuss and revise his plans several times over the years. He unveiled an Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) in 2016 that is intended to take humans to Mars with SpaceX technology. At the time, the ITS booster (a huge rocket not yet built) was expected to carry up to 100 people at a time to low Earth orbit and then send people to Mars in as little as 80 days, as long as Earth and Mars remain close to each other, Musk said. He also warned that some of the first Mars settlers would likely die during the journey.

Mars has long been the goal for SpaceX and its billionaire CEO Elon Musk. Musk has said repeatedly that his goal is to make humanity become a two-planet species. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Since then, he's revised the ITS concept to say that the colonists would use a rocket called the BFR  also known as the Big Falcon Rocket. Then in November 2018, Musk rebranded BFR and announced new names for the spaceship or upper stage (now known as Starship) and the rocket booster (now known as Super Heavy).

SpaceX is now preparing a prototype of the Starship spaceship called Starhopper. Starhopper has made two brief hops while tethered to the ground (as of July 2019) and also survived an incident in which the vehicle was briefly surrounded in flames during an otherwise routine static-fire test of its next-generation Raptor engine.

While Musk is focused on Mars, he has said that he would also willingly participate in a moon base; He even unveiled conceptual designs of a "Moon Base Alpha" (along with a Mars base, of course). In 2018, Musk suggested that the first SpaceX Mars base could be on the Red Planet by 2028 .

Additional resources:
The stunning Perseid meteor shower's peak will appear in skies across the country this weekend, so head to the darkest place nearby and enjoy the show. Meanwhile, I'm traveling to perhaps the best location to watch the shower: the recently accredited Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.

The Perseids reliably occur every year in mid-August as Earth passes through the debris trail left by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet is the largest solar system object that repeatedly passes close to Earth, according to NASA. It completes a full orbit every 133 years. The meteorites from the comet's trail appear to come from the constellation Perseus, which lends the shower its name.

This year promises a spectacular show, especially since the crescent moon will set before the shower gets underway. The shower should be visible from across the country, but light pollution may prevent many skywatchers from experiencing the full spectacle. That's why Space.com is headed to the darkest place we can find to report on the meteor shower. [Perseid Meteor Shower 2018: When, Where & How to See It This Week]

Situated in the heart of the country, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve became the nation's first gold-tier dark-sky reserve last December. The reserve encompasses land in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, as well as some urban area to the south whitch includes the cities of Sun Valley and Ketchum. We're headed to Ketchum, which itself became the state's first dark-sky community last October.

The impact of light pollution is not linear, according to writer and natural navigator Tristan Gooley. So, traveling just a few miles from a bright, urban center can make a world of difference for skywatchers. "The impact doubles as you get 12 miles [19 kilometers] closer, from 62 miles to 50 miles [100 to 80 km], but it goes up by a factor of more than 5 as you near from 12 miles to 6 miles [10 km]," Gooley wrote in his book "The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs" (The Experiment, 2015).

The 2018 Perseid meteor shower will peak overnight on Aug. 12 and 13.The meteors will appear to radiate out from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

In Idaho, we'll have the benefit of 1,416 square miles (3,667 square km) of reduced light levels, and a weekend forecast for clear skies will further diminish the glow that would otherwise scatter from clouds and airborne pollution. We'll meet with local experts to watch the event and learn more about how the people of central Idaho plan to preserve the dark night sky.

So, after you've enjoyed the meteor shower yourself, join us for photos from Idaho and more about the dark sky reserve.

Editor's Note: Harrison Tasoff is heading to the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve on an invitation from Chevrolet as part of an unpaid media preview event highlighting the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the 2018 Perseid meteor shower. If you snap an awesome photo of Perseid meteors that you'd like to share with Space.com and our news partners for a potential story or gallery, send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Harrison Tasoff @harrisontasoff. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Artist's illustration of Astrobotic's Peregrine lander on the surface of the moon.

New and improved moon-landing sensors, systems that can capture reusable space vehicles in midair, and a host of other developing technologies are about to get an infusion of NASA cash.

The space agency will award an estimated $44 million to six U.S. companies to help along 10 "tipping point technologies" that could spur further exploration of the final frontier, NASA officials announced Wednesday (Aug. 8).

"These awards focus on technology collaborations with the commercial space sector that leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA's exploration goals," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. [Incredible Technology for Space Exploration]

"While these key technologies will support NASA's science and human exploration missions in the future, these awards are yet another example of NASA's commitment to our nation's growing commercial space industry today," he added.

The funded technologies run a pretty wide gamut. For example, Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic will receive $10 million to help develop a new, stand-alone "terrain-relative navigation" (TRN) sensor suite designed to enable highly precise landings on the moon and other planetary bodies.

This tech will presumably be integrated into Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, which is scheduled to fly its first moon mission in 2020. But the technology could also aid NASA missions, agency officials said.

Blue Origin, which is run by billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, will get $3 million to advance its own precision moon-landing system, which incorporates TRN sensors and other gear. Blue Origin will test this system at an altitude of about 62 miles (100 kilometers), during flights of the company's suborbital New Shepard vehicle, NASA officials said.

Blue Origin was awarded an additional $10 million to help mature a cryogenic liquid-propulsion system for moon landers. That system will also be tested during New Shepard flights, according to NASA officials.

Colorado-based United Launch Alliance (ULA) will receive three awards, worth a total of $13.9 million. The company will get $10 million to demonstrate the use of rocket fuel  liquid hydrogen and oxygen  to generate power, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for battery power. ULA will also get $2 million for technology to reduce cryogenic fuel boil-off and $1.9 million to demonstrate the midair retrieval of a vehicle coming back to our planet from orbital velocity.

This last technology may make its way into ULA's next-generation rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, which could debut as early as 2020. ULA representatives have stated a desire to snag Vulcan's first stage with a helicopter as the parachute-equipped booster falls back to Earth.

The other three companies set to receive tipping-point awards are California-based Frontier Aerospace Corp. (one award, $1.9 million); Paragon Space Development Corp. of Tucson, Arizona (one award, $1.6 million); and California's SSL (two awards, $4 million).

You can read detailed descriptions of all the funded technologies in this NASA release.

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) will pay out the awards over performance timelines that range from 15 months to 36 months, STMD Acting Associate Administrator Jim Reuter told reporters during a teleconference Wednesday. Each awarded company will have to chip in a minimum of 25 percent of the total cost of each funded project.

The stated award amounts are estimates, because negotiations with each company still need to take place. But Reuter said the final figures should fall in line with the estimates laid out above.

This is the third round of tipping-point tech awards given out by STMD, and the agency plans to continue the funding project every year, Reuter said. STMD received about 90 preliminary proposals for this year's round and selected about two dozen to be fleshed out as full proposals, he added.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Today (Aug. 9), Vice President Mike Pence unveiled a detailed plan for the military Space Force proposed by President Donald Trump in a speech at the Pentagon. If Congress agrees to establish it, the Space Force will be the sixth branch of the U.S. military.

The Department of Defense is expected to release a report later today "outlining the first stages of our administration's plan to implement the president's guidance and turn his vision into a reality," Pence said. "This report reviews the national security space activities within the Department of Defense, and it identifies concrete steps that our administration will take to lay the foundation for a new department of the Space Force." [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever]

During his speech, Pence outlined four specific actions the Trump administration sees as the fundamental first steps in creating the Space Force. Those steps involve the creation of:

a new U.S. Space Command, which "will establish unified command control for our Space Force operations; ensure integration across the military; and develop the space war fighting doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures of the future," Pence said. a military astronaut corps, which Pence called "an elite group of joint war fighters specializing in the domain of space." a Space Development Agency, which will research and develop new technologies and "ensure cutting-edge war-fighting capabilities." new bureaucratic structures that will define "clear lines of responsibility and accountability to manage the process of standing up and scaling up the United States Department of the Space Force."

The Trump administration aims to have the Space Force up and running by 2020, Pence said. "Next February in the president's budget, we will call on the Congress to marshal the resources we need to stand up."

Trump's Space Force has stirred plenty of controversy and debate since the President first publicly entertained the idea during a speech in March 2018, when he told U.S. service members that his "new national strategy for space recognizes that space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air and sea."

On June 18, Trump showed that he was serious about the Space Force by formally directing the Pentagon to create the new military branch. "We are going to have the Space Force," he said during a meeting of the National Space Council.

It's going to take a lot more than a few grandiose speeches from Trump and Pence in order for the Space Force idea to come to fruition, though. Only Congress has the authority to establish a new branch of the military  something that hasn't happened since the U.S. Air Force was founded in 1947. So, before we can "have the Space Force," as Trump put it, the White House will have to convince lawmakers that the U.S. really needs it.

Critics argue that Trump's Space Force would be stepping on the toes of the U.S. Air Force Space Command, which currently oversees the nation's military operations in space. Air Force officials and national security experts have spoken out against the creation of a separate Space Force.

Meanwhile, others have argued that it makes sense to form a separate military branch specifically for space. "It is becoming a contested war-fighting domain, and we've got to adapt to that reality," U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said in his opening remarks before Pence's speech.

"Our nation's armed forces have always been the vanguard of advancing American leadership here on Earth and beyond," Pence said. "The Space Force is the next and natural evolution of American military strength."

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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.
Mary G. Ross, born on this day in 1908, became the known first Native American female engineer, building rockets and missiles.

Google is celebrating the accomplishments of the first known female Native American engineer, Mary G. Ross, today (Aug. 9) on the 110th anniversary of her birth.

We know Ross worked on projects including the Agena rocket and the Poseidon and Trident missiles and on planning missions to targets including Mars and Venus during her career as a mathematician and engineer at what was then called Lockheed Missiles and Space Company. But much of her work goes unrecognized, because it is still classified, according to the Society of Women Engineers, of which she was a member.

"Often, at night, there were four of us working until 11 p.m.," Google reports Ross as having said. "I was the pencil pusher, doing a lot of research. My state-of-the-art tools were a slide rule and a Friden computer. We were taking the theoretical and making it real."

Her talent and dedication ensured that she was recognized by her colleagues even while her work remained unpublicized. "I would unhesitatingly place her in the top 10 percent of engineers of my acquaintance and professional knowledge," a manager at Lockheed wrote of Ross' work, according to the Society of Women Engineers.

The Agena rocket that Ross helped build was used during the Gemini program as the target for early docking practice missions. It appears in the background of Google's commemorative drawing.

Ross belonged to the Cherokee Nation and was the great-great-granddaughter of Chief John Ross, who led the tribe during the infamous Trail of Tears, which saw them forcibly relocated west from their home territory, according to the Society of Women Engineers. She worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs before Lockheed hired her, and she sought, both during her career and after her retirement, to encourage other women and Native Americans to pursue careers in engineering.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe  the space agency's new spacecraft designed to "touch the sun"  is packed up, buckled in and ready to launch during a window opening Saturday (Aug. 11) at 3:33 a.m. EDT (0733 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, according to a NASA news conference today (Aug. 9).

The weather is the team's only lingering concern, agency staff said. Right now, there's a 70-percent chance that the weather will cooperate for a Saturday morning launch, Air Force weather officer Kathy Rice said during the news conference.

Given Florida summer weather patterns, the team is concerned about the potential of thunderstorms, although that risk is lower in the early-morning hours. Rice also said local personnel will monitor the risk that the launch itself could trigger lightning strikes. [How the Parker Solar Probe will 'Touch' the Sun]

Saturday's launch window will remain open for about 65 minutes, Omar Baez, launch director at KSC, said during the news conference. If the launch were to occur after that time, he and his colleagues are concerned that the spacecraft could potentially be damaged while flying through the Van Allen radiation belts that surround Earth.

A launch rehearsal conducted yesterday (Aug. 8) went smoothly, Baez said, and he will receive a final weather briefing tomorrow (Aug. 10) at about 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT on Aug. 11) to determine whether to fuel up the rocket in hopes of targeting Saturday morning's launch window.

An additional window opens Sunday (Aug. 12) at 3:29 a.m. EDT (0729 GMT), Baez added, with daily windows until Aug. 23. As of today, the chances of weather impeding a launch are 40 percent for Sunday and 20 percent for Monday, Rice said.

The $1.5 billion Parker Solar Probe will be the first NASA science mission to launch aboard one of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rockets, and Saturday's launch will be the 10th launch using that type of rocket, according to Scott Messer, NASA's program manager for ULA launches. "This thing goes like nothing has ever gone before," Messer said of the massive rocket, the second most powerful after SpaceX's new Falcon Heavy.

In addition to the two-stage Delta IV Heavy, the Parker Solar Probe will be buoyed by a third stage built by Northrop Grumman that will fire about 37 minutes after the initial launch. Combined, the three stages will ensure the spacecraft can gather the immense speed necessary to successfully orbit the sun.

Assuming all goes well on Saturday, the spacecraft will make its first close pass above the sun in November.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.comor follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Kangaroo loin, shrimp on the barbie, sausage rolls, and Fosters beer-battered fish and chips  it was clear this wasnt an American menu.

A quick scan of the offerings at Flinders Lane, a stylish new restaurant on Summer Street in Stamford, reveals Australian roots. If that isnt enough, the charming down-under accent of managing partner Chris McPherson seals the deal.

This is no fusty faux British-empire pub, though. In the fresh and classy modern space, bands of colorful tiles contrast with dark wood tables, and the chefs put on a show in the open kitchen. Seating is on comfortable upholstered sofas and bentwood chairs. Eclectic details, like the neon rope skipper on the wall and the graffiti-style mural by the bar, hint at the broad scope of the dining experience.

Australia, like the United States, is an immigrant nation. The British, Greeks, and Italians all left their mark on the nations food. Its also an island nation, so theres plenty of seafood. Lamb from the extensive grasslands is the favored meat, and the Pacific rim influences from just over the horizon pop up everywhere. The mashup of cultures makes for some pretty great eating.

Flinders Lane, a branch of a successful New York restaurant with the same name, touches on a lot of the Australian culinary bases. Small plates include flatbread, arancini balls, lamb croquettes, steamed pork buns, tamarind-glazed wings, and salted octopus.

Fish and chips, lamb chops, and the grilled kangaroo loin along with the de-rigueur burger, roast chicken, and strip steak are a sampling of the tempting mains.

There are lots of world cuisines that we dont hear much about. Places like Germany, the Scandinavian countries, eastern Europe and the entire continent of Africa fly below the radar. In our area, the cooking of France, Italy, and Spain is well explored as are the foods from South America, India, and Asia. I never thought about Australian food until now, but like almost everywhere else, theres a rich culinary world here to explore.

Im embarrassed to say that our interest in Australian food was piqued by a costume drama (soap opera) cataloging the deeds and misdeeds of a large family living on their sheep station. Were now in season five on Amazon of A Place to Call Home. As our food came, we discussed the latest travails of the troubled and troublesome Bligh family and imagined ourselves eating like them.

A crisp, refreshing golden-hued Coopers pale ale, from Australias largest brewery, got us off to a good start.

Well-seasoned sausage rolls, like jumbo pigs in a blanket, were wrapped in a golden brown pastry crust. They came with sambal (a chili pepper paste popular in Malaysia) mayonnaise that had some heat along with a bottle of classic HP Sauce  a vinegary concoction described on the label as Englands favorite brown sauce. Im told theyre an Aussie menu staple.

Marshas colorful house salad including celery, radish, and apple was lightly dressed with an orange vinaigrette and sported cheerful pink and blue edible flowers on top.

Wild-caught shrimps on the barbie were well-marked from the hot grill and gently seasoned to let the shrimp flavor shine through. Lined up on the plate shoulder to shoulder with their heads attached, they came with a side of delightful roasted Brussels sprouts sweetened with truffle-honey dressing.

I had to try the braised lamb tagliatelle, since lamb is perhaps the best known Aussie food export. Generous shreds of meltingly tender, assertively spiced lamb were tangled with the pasta and sweet cherry tomatoes.

There was a good selection of Australian wines along with an interesting cocktail menu, but I stuck with the food-friendly Coopers ale.

Pavlova caught my eye on the dessert menu. Its a dessert with French-Russian origins, but, I assume, popular down under. The meringue shell, crisp on the outside and fluffy within, was shaped a little like a volcano, the crater filled with vanilla cream and topped with fresh berries. Looking more like a dessert for two, its sugary decadence was surprisingly light and offset by the puddle of tart passion fruit sauce on the plate.

While we were eating, Marsha and I talked about taking a trip to Australia. After checking the 22-hour flying time, we decided it would be easier to visit Flinders Lane whenever we get the yen to travel down under

Frank Whitman can be reached at NotBreadAloneFW@gmail.com.
To be clear, Anheuser-Buschs craft beer supremacy exists in one very specific metric at the moment; IRI tracks sales in grocery, big box, drug and convenience stores. When factoring in draft and liquor store sales, Beer Marketers Insights estimates that Boston Beer remains ahead of Anheuser-Busch in terms of both volume and dollar sales. But the passing of that torch is all but an inevitability during the next year or so. The method by which Anheuser-Busch is gaining supremacy is also raising eyebrows: phenomenally aggressive  that is, cheap  pricing as needed to build presence.
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.
REDDING  The home at 66 Hill Road has become known as one of the best remaining examples of Greek Revival style in town, but had it not been for a few motivated homeowners in its centuries-long history, its architectural significance might not have survived the years.

The house, built in 1795 by one of the few doctors in Redding at the time, has undergone several renovations since then, including the remodel in the early 19th century that gave it its Greek Revival style exterior.

But it was two major renovations after that, many decades apart, that rescued the home from disrepair and ensured itd be preserved today.

The first earned the house a feature in a 1938 edition of House Beautiful magazine, where architect Frazier Forman Peters described the restoration taken on by homeowner Earle H. Balch.

At that point, the house had not been maintained for so long that the sight of people fixing it up caused a resident riding his bike down the street to crash into a tree, Peters said. But Balch still found the restoration worthwhile because of the houses style, which had become rare by then.

Of course, the house is exceptional, Peters wrote. In the whole countryside for miles around, I have found only two others of approximately the same pattern. This character and background forms the only logical basis on which to buy a building which requires extensive reconstruction or additions.

The article outlines how Peters, Balch and a contractor restored the back porch, repaired the front entrance, preserved the original chimney, fixed the fireplaces and replaced many of the floors and walls, which had become rotted or cracked.

Decades later, though, the current homeowners said the house was again in need of repairs. The Wood family bought it 27 years ago and oversaw another extensive renovation, all while maintaining its historically significant features, Wendy Wood said.

We put a lot of love into this house, Wood said. When we bought it it was in really bad shape. Everything was upgraded, but we have not changed the foot of the house."

The biggest change, Wood said, was creating a large, gourmet kitchen in the section of the house that was added in the 1930s and upgrading its amenities, like the cooling and heating system.

Through that and other renovations the couple preserved original features of the home, such as its three fireplaces, beehive oven, period doors and many of the wavy glass windows.

The features that make the home a Greek Revival  the entrances portico and its decorative detailing  have also been preserved. The features were outlined by the National Register of Historic Places as a prominent example of the style in a guide of Reddings historic district.

The house is on the market for $579,000.

Its an awesome place to live and grow up, Wood said. Its going to be really hard to leave here.

aquinn@newstimes.com
P roperty giant Derwent London on Thursday revealed remarkable confidence in the capital as it agreed to start work on 700 million of new projects following first-half growth.

Chief executive John Burns said his FTSE 250 firm will start work next year on a 500 million redevelopment of the historic Astoria music venue, creating 285,000 square feet of offices, shops and a theatre on the corner of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road.

It will also start construction on up to 200 million of offices in Shoreditch.

Its commitment to invest comes after the value of Derwents property empire rose 1.3% to 5 billion in the six months to June 30.

Net rental income increased 1.6% to 80.6 million and it agreed a number of new office lettings, including to Sony Pictures in Paddington.

Burns told the Standard: The proof is in the pudding. We have done 65 million of office lettings since the Brexit vote. Businesses still want to be in London. He added that the firm would benefit when Crossrail opens.

Derwent acknowledged the retail bloodbath that has seen a number of chains axe sites, but said that represents only a small part of the business.

It is declaring an interim dividend of 19.1p per share, up 10.2%.

Elsewhere on the mid-cap index, property agent Savills posted an 18% drop in first-half pre-tax profits to 26.7 million, after making a number of acquisitions.

Revenues edged up 2% to 727.8 million. Growth came despite a 7% fall in the number of residential properties sold in London.

The firm was upbeat about the London office leasing and investment market.
The firm, which is a provider of tech to predict the effects of cancer treatment, raced ahead as it said it has been awarded a contract by a new European biotech client.
There's good news and bad news about these three beers, each of which relied on bold hops for what made it special. The good news: fresh, all three were outstanding. I remember my first sip of each: Euchred was from a bomber that my buddy John brought over to watch the Super Bowl; The Illinois was a fresh 12-ounce bottle that my nose knew was special the moment I opened it; and Taras Boulba was at a bar in Ghent, Belgium, based on a recommendation from the bartender. The three beers were quite different but shared a fresh, hoppy liveliness. Now the bad news: When I returned to each of those beers later in the year, I was gravely disappointed. Begyle continues to make Euchred, but I've never been as impressed as I was at the fresh bottle John brought over. When I opened a second bottle of The Illinois a week later, it had already degraded to an average beer; a couple of weeks later, I had to pour a third bottle down the drain. (Brief aside: The Illinois was my March Beer of the Month, and I felt bad about that when I realized how badly the beer degraded; however, I'll repeat that it was outstanding when fresh.) Taras Boulba, which I found on tap at a bar in Louisville, was fine but had none of the freshness and wonder that it did 35 miles from the brewery. The lesson is clear: drink those hops fresh 
L ast year I went on patrol in Dayton, Ohio, with an affable police officer called Andy Teague, who told me that until seven years previously he had never seen a victim of a heroin overdose. Yet in the four hours we spent together there were a dozen incidents on his patch.

This middle-American town is at the epicentre of a drug crisis devastating the United States. A toxic tide of opioids  first heroin, now often man-made substitutes  is killing more people than cars or guns. I saw the corpses in Daytons mortuary, where officials logged on to the dark net to see the latest drugs cooked in China. They knew that within months American bodies containing these products would lie in their cold room.

It was shocking stuff. New synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and carfentanyl are so strong that nurses can overdose treating drug-using patients, and dealers have died chopping up supplies. Yet the most chilling fact I heard, underlining the tragedy of addiction, came from a user: deaths serve as an advertisement for dealers since they show strong supplies are in town.

Two months later I heard the same thing in Hull as these same drugs began to carve their cruel course through Britain, killing at least 15 people in the Yorkshire port.

Ian Birrell / PHILIP IDE

Such was the desire to capture that first buzz of heroin, to chase the elusive dragon and blot out mental pain, some actively sought the fatal batch. I dont care about my life, one man who had already overdosed once on fentanyl told me. So I am not surprised to see the rising number of fatalities linked to synthetic opioids in the latest drug-death data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

These figures, which show a slight rise in overall deaths, shame Britain. We have the highest rate in Europe, accounting for almost a third of the continents fatalities and four times that of many neighbouring countries.

This is political failure of epic proportions, a sign of Westminsters neglect of struggling families. It exposes not just a tragedy of wasted lives but also of wasted public resources.

Problem addicts, a tiny slice of the population, carry out half of all acquisitive crime. They frequently end up in hospital emergency departments. They routinely end up in prison, where many non-addicts develop a drug habit.They symbolise the sense of desolation and despair that clings to some parts of our nation, such as the seaside towns and shattered industrial areas that lay behind the Brexit vote.

Police officers prepare to raid an address in Peckham, south London / PA

Yet above all, they prove the mind-boggling stupidity of the backfiring war on drugs, still being fought despite decades of failure and flying in the face of all evidence.

Why do dealers want to sell a product that kills their customers? Simple. Because minuscule quantities can result in vast profits and are safer to smuggle. As one expert told me, why risk a few kilograms of heroin when you can bring in a matchbox of carfentanyl?

This repeats a cycle seen almost a century ago when the US banned alcohol. Drinkers switched from beer and wine to stronger spirits pushed by gangsters. Cannabis has evolved from an innocuous natural weed with a mild high into much stronger skunk, which poses serious psychological risks for younger users. Now it accounts for 94 per cent of the drug sold in Britain.

This spiral of prohibition fostering stronger products has speeded up with the acceleration of globalisation and technological advances. Many new synthetic drugs are being cooked up by chemists in Asia and sold online.

So a nasty synthetic form of cannabis was created  and now spice is wreaking havoc in prisons, proving in undeniable style how new drugs evade detection by traditional methods. If you cant stop drugs getting into prisons, how can you stop them getting into an island nation with 11,000 miles of coastline, 3,000 airports and almost 1,000 ports?

The ONS figures show deaths linked to cocaine rose for their sixth consecutive year to a record level, with 432 fatalities last year compared with 112 in 2011  and just 11 in 1993. Yet it is estimated that all the cocaine used annually in Britain could fit in one shipping container. No wonder the price has crashed while purity has soared, proving there are plentiful supplies and fierce competition for sales.

This market is handed to the countrys most savage crooks, fuelling the explosion in knife and gun crime. Neil Woods, a former undercover policeman, has exposed in two brilliant books how each generation of gangsters grows more vicious fighting over this lucrative trade.

Yet so many drug deaths, so much of this misery, is avoidable if politicians followed the evidence. Look at Portugal. It switched to treating drug abuse as a health problem, not a criminal justice issue, and has slashed deaths and heroin use to a fraction of our rates.

Things are starting to shift. A few police chiefs, frustrated by political inertia, are adopting more progressive policies focused on diversion into treatment rather than punishment. Some MPs are waking up from Westminsters deadly stupor.

Ministers are permitting drug testing at festivals, the use of medical cannabis and a return to sensible policies of heroin prescription. They have accepted the benefits of supervised drug- consumption rooms, even while scandalously blocking their life-saving adoption.

But still they preach the tired rhetoric of a war on drugs. How pathetic to hear the Conservative Justice Secretary, the Labour Mayor of London and even the Metropolitan Police chief condemn middle-class drug-users for the violence scarring UK cities and developing countries.
A fter years of suffering through the torment of endlessly boomeranging children, my parents have gone nuclear: theyve moved. I know. Were horrified too. And perhaps correctly surmising that only a drastic downsizing would rid them of their many devoted daughters, its been quite the undertaking.

In the end, it took 171 boxes to hold three decades worth of accumulated stuff. OK, 171 boxes give or take several thousand trips to the tip, mountains of once-loved detritus sent to charity shops and an endless procession of furniture vans stuffed to bursting dispatched across the country for re-distribution among our extended tribe. But finally last week, after months of sorting and sifting and refining and storing that at times made the simple act of filling a case feel like a Sisyphean task, we closed the door for the last time, posted the keys through the letter box and said an emotional goodbye.

My mother had bought the house shortly before my first birthday and filled it with family. But one divorce, a remarriage and several additional babies later, and seemingly overnight a once buzzing hive of near constant domestic activity was left hushed and empty. While the many return stints in our childhood bedrooms may suggest otherwise, my sisters and I have now mostly managed to accumulate an assorted variety of (rented) places and partners of our own, and so fully accept it would be perverse to insist that our parents remain rattling around somewhere now unsuitable out of nothing more than sentimentality.

And yet Its an odd, unsettling feeling to see your first home dismantled, bit by bit. Forgotten history is laid out in a stark, unforgiving light, told through a procession of objects which are both painfully intimate and yet to an outsider utterly banal. In the dark recesses of dusty cupboards we found bags of old baby clothes. Buried deep in the freezer was the last slice of a sisters christening cake  she turned 34 last month. Hidden school reports, stuffed into desk drawers, were a reminder that either I was once incredibly naughty or teachers used to be really rather unkind  the latter, no doubt.

But the things I will miss are less tangible: the familiar creak of a certain step, the view from an attic window, the corner of carpet mauled by a long-deceased hamster on one of its fortnightly escape missions. The sound of a door handle. The rattle of a glass pane in the front door that had survived the Blitz but was no match for a teenage strop and slam (sorry, guys).

Really, though, the strange sensation comes from the inescapable realisation that the move spells the definitive end of a particularly joyous and carefree stage in our shared lives. Its recognising a new reality in which the kids are, like it or not, meant to be becoming the grown-ups. Were not reeling from the loss of a crash pad but dealing with a rite of passage: the clunk of gear shift being forced  long after its due, I admit, but painful nonetheless.

Once the final crate had gone, we walked around the bare rooms. Without their rightful occupants in situ they felt hollow and oddly unfamiliar. The memories are the people, and theyre in their new pad. Im just waiting for my set of keys. Theyre coming, right?

Figures still dont add up in Hollywood

Jennifer Lawrence on the Oscars red carpet / Getty Images

With apologies to Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, pictured, and the rest of their genetically blessed cohort: a new study has found that female actors are worthless. Apparently their talented male counterparts add 12 per cent to box-office takings. But the ladies? A big fat zero.

It seems the Hollywood gender pay gap is based on pure economics rather than insidious sexism. So Mark Wahlberg, for example, was paid $1.5 million for his reshoots of All the Money in the World, compared to co-star Michelle Williamss $1,000 because he is simply a more attractive financial proposition. Wahlberg has since donated his $1.5 million to the Times Up Legal Defense Fund.

Female stars just dont seem to matter, says the researcher, North Carolina State Universitys Julianne Treme. She also suggests that the results could be because audiences are more critical of female actors. Things are expected of one gender that maybe arent of another. Hang on, isnt there a word for that?

No escape from data mining

In the spirit of sisterly affection, one of my number recently did the decent thing and shared one of these columns on her Facebook page. Cheers, Al  your fiver is in the post. Anyway, no sooner had the likes started flooding her account than the same naff ad started appearing on every site she visited: for that rather natty green patterned jumpsuit you can see me not even a bit awkwardly modelling above. Except its not even your one! Its for a cheap knock- off version, she said. Erm, about that.
T here is a mysterious and inconvenient alchemy in Hollywood that means movies on the same subject always come out at once. The zeitgeist moves unpredictably  irrationally  but cannot be withstood. And right now, the zeitgeist is Christopher Robin.

The boy with the pudding-bowl haircut has inspired two films of late. In the second, out on August 17, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) has grown up in the mould of Robin Williamss Peter Pan  that is, he has responsibilities, goes to work and takes work vaguely seriously.

During the film, as in Hook, characters from his childhood return to teach him a lesson about this  and by the end he has thrown off the bonds of adulthood and learned how to play with toy animals again, much to the secret mortification, one imagines, of his actual children.

The film has generally been received as a bit of harmless fun  except in China, where pudgy leader Xi Jinping has for some reason taken exception to pudgy Pooh bear, and banned it. However, if President Xi doesnt like it, one can only imagine what the real Christopher Robin would make of the film.

Thats because the real Christopher Robin hated his father A A Milnes books. He struggled his whole life to escape them. He did not yearn to go back to a forest of lisping toy animals, he was already trapped there  forever a child with a big imagination and an unflattering haircut, unable to do the one thing he wanted to do: grow up.

Director Marc Forster, actors Ewan McGregor, Bronte Carmichael, holding a stuffed Winnie the Pooh toy and Hayley Atwell at the California premier of Christopher Robin / REUTERS

He first learned to hate them when he was sent to boarding school, where he was  unsurprisingly  bullied. The verse: Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! / Christopher Robin is saying his prayers, caused his tormentors to be particularly unkind.

Later, struggling to carve a path through life  start a career, find love, discover an identity  he found he could not escape his namesake.

It seemed to me, the real Christopher Robin said bitterly, almost that my father had got to where he was by climbing upon my infant shoulders, that he had filched from me my good name and had left me with the empty fame of being his son.

He had seemed to have just about come to terms with it by the time he was 60. Believe it or not, I can look at those four books without flinching, he told a journalist who was interviewing him about  who else?  Winnie-the- Pooh.

However, by that stage he had for many years cut himself off from his parents. When his father died, his mother lived for a further 15 years He saw her once.

So it all seems a little tragic  ruthless, even  for Disney to claim his adulthood too, dragging him kicking and screaming back to the Hundred Acre Wood.
G od, these people who  even into their dotage  go on about school making them who they are. Former Daily Telegraph editor and Margaret Thatcher biographer Charles Moores paean to Eton was one last weekend, and then theres the endless gratitude of a million grammar school alumni.

So a few schools build their pupils up and give them the sort of bottomless confidence that propels them into the upper reaches of Cabinet. Good for them. Most are like my primary school, now closed: literally the opposite. We had the weekly Mark Reading, which involved eight-year-olds being called up one by one to the front of class to stand by the teachers desk and publicly grade themselves on their behaviour. The rare favourites would go for an A-. Beaming Sister Josephine would say: But child, you have been exemplary this week, and bestow blessings and upgrade them to an A. For the rest it was ritual humiliation.

Optimistically, I would pitch mid-range: I think I deserve a B this week, Sister. This incurred in the poor pious woman Exorcist-style wrath. Starting at the top, she would list my crimes  daydreaming, inattention, fidgeting, colouring my nails with blue ink, slouching, doodling, failing to learn all 20 stanzas of Tennysons The Lady of Shalott ... I forget the rest. I was probably daydreaming about running away.

My mark was routinely run down to a D. Most of us were Cs or Ds. Sister Josephine accused us of having holes in the head (where, obviously, our brains had fallen out). She would smack a wooden ruler to make us jump and had a good overarm throw with the blackboard duster.

Eventually all this running down pricked my sense of injustice. One day I stood up and threw my fountain pen at her. My lasting impression of that school? The streak of ink splattered across her habit.

At last I am free (via the front window)

Early Tuesday morning I discovered I was trapped in my house. No, it was not a feverish dream about the suffocating effects of marriage. No, it was not a metaphor for the tight parameters of an undeveloped imagination. I was actually trapped.

The front door has expanded in the heatwave and would not budge, despite much jiggling, pushing, pulling, lifting and shouldering. I panted. I tried it gently.

Then I wrenched it. After 20 minutes I gave up and climbed out of the front window. If it had been a metaphor, I am now either free or out of my mind.

Kay should face up to real burka debate

Kay Burley attends London Evening Standard's Progress 1000 awards in 2016 / Getty Images

What was Skys Kay Burley, pictured, thinking when she asked MP Andrew Bridgen  who decried the burka for hiding womens facial expressions  whether he had a similar issue with Simon Weston, the horrifically burned soldier from the Falkands War whose injuries prevent him from physically emoting?

I understand what she meant: that the physiognomy argument is pants. And it is. Who even spends time extrapolating from the micro-twitch of a strangers mouth muscle, except interrogators? Most Londoners barely lift their eyes from their phones, much less engage in  horror!  any kind of communication.

But back to the point: the Weston example drew Burleys argument down a surreal cul-de-sac. Far better would have been for bold-as-brass Burley  who once emailed colleagues, Yes, Ive had a facelift to stop them whispering  to point at her own frozen visage and say to Bridgen: My face is hoicked to the scalp. Do you have a problem with that?

Keep those pranks coming for Boris

Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to apologise for his comments about the burka / AFP/Getty Images

All this Boris Johnson buffoonery reminds me of the heady days at the Daily Telegraph when colleagues often made him the butt of pranks. Once his keyboard was jammed in such a way that he sent an office-wide email: CAN SOMEONE HELP ME GET THIS THING OFF CAPITALS? IM ON EXT @&*.
The Glory

Where else to start but the Glory? The Haggerston pub is certainly not the oldest, but has made a massive impact due to the sheer volume of drag events. Co-owned by stalwarts of the London queer scene Jonny Woo and John Sizzle, find queens and kings and everyone in between almost every night of the week. They host shows from countless drag performers including Kings of Colour (KOC for short, pronounced as youd expect), BOiBOX and Baby Lame. With the annual Man Up contest for drag kings and the flagship event Lipsync1000, the Glory is always driving the drag train.
T he Royal Albert Hall is to host a club night with leading house and techno DJs in a bid to stay relevant and help quash its intimidating reputation.

The event will be put on by the ground-breaking Innervisions electronic dance music label next month. The label was founded in 2005 by Steffen Berkhahn, known as Dixon, with the group Ame.

They are bringing leading German DJs to the Albert Hall, with sets from Ame and Dixon, as well as Henrik Schwarz with guest Bugge Wesseltoft, Howling and Marcus Worgull.

The artists, who will also put on visual light displays, have created new material for the show, with Croatian visual artist Nina Kurtela also performing a 48-minute live routine.

But in a move perhaps more akin to South Kensington than Ibiza or Berlins Berghain, the event will end at midnight, and the 5,272-capacity venue will be seated.

The Berlin-based producer Kristian Beyer, one half of Ame, who has been in the music business for two decades, said: I have probably played every club in London by now, but this will be very different. To say I am playing the Royal Albert Hall seems almost silly to me.

The most influential DJs of all time 1 /12 The most influential DJs of all time 12. Norman Jay A soundsystem master renowned for his astute, never-not-groovy selections. Getty Images 11. Annie Mac A household name, a powerhouse of Radio 1's dance music output and genuine tastemaker. Getty Images for Advertising Week 10. Logan Sama In terms of bringing grime to the masses, Logan Sama is a standout. Getty Images for Red Bull 9. Skream A progenitor of the dubstep movement that sprung from south London. PA Archive/PA Images 8. Andy C A drum 'n' bass pioneer who is now a stadium-filling superstar. 7. David Rodigan Few DJs can claim to have done as much for spreading the good word of reggae than David Rodigan. Getty Images 6. Derrick May One of the Belleville Three, the famed trio of producers and DJs who forged the world-famous Detroit techno sound. 5. David Guetta The superstar DJ is a common concept now, but no-one has show how to dominate the world with EDM like Guetta has. Getty Images 4. Grandmaster Flash Grandmaster Flash didnt start hip hop but he made it his own and, in turn, inspired countless other DJs after him. Getty Images 3. Frankie Knuckles House music starts with Frankie Knuckles, a true innovator. Getty Images 2. Carl Cox Endlessly versatile and influential, Carl Cox is an unresting champion of underground sounds. Getty Images 1. Paul Oakenfold With an astonishingly wide-reaching influence, Oakenfold is quite simple a titan of dance music.

It is hard to explain what to expect, but we want it to be personal and intimate, despite there being 5,000 people. Each of the acts will make new material and it will be a celebration of its [Royal Albert Halls] history, with lots of references to classical music.

Lucy Noble, artistic director at the Hall, said: One of our aims ahead of our 150th is to open up the Hall to new audiences, and show that its a place for everyone. Because of our royal connection, and some heavyweight classical performances, people might find it intimidating or off-putting, so its about knocking down those barriers.

With our shows in the smaller spaces, and shows like Hacienda Classical and Wizkid, weve been able to attract a younger, more diverse audience. Thats critical to the Halls future  not just in terms of simple economics, but in enabling us to stay relevant.

The Hall has been at the heart of social and cultural life in Britain since 1871, and that has involved being adaptable: open to new genres, new trends, and new ways of experiencing music.
Cub

Cub is the joint venture of cocktail legend Ryan Chetiyawardana and chef Douglas McMaster. The latter earned a reputation for sustainable dining at Brightons zero-waste restaurant Silo, which is moving to Hackney Wick later this month. As well as purchasing their food from renewable sources, Cubs interior is also made from reused materials. The tables are ingeniously crafted from recycled yoghurt pots, while the air inside the venue is filtered through the breathable clay used to construct the walls. The food is absolutely delicious too: fellow Silo alumni Michael Thompson is head chef, and serves dishes such as confit Jersey Royals with fermented potato, whey and mustard, as well as kid goat with spring greens and wild garlic.
F or most people, nothing says summer more than the taste of fresh strawberries.

And so Belgravias Dominique Ansel Bakery is celebrating the summer featuring the British favourite in its seasonal menu.

Here are our top choices from their Strawberry fields desserts:

Strawberry Fields Soft Serve

Strawberry Fields Soft Serve / Dominique Ansel Bakery

This one features a basket full of summer berries, made with their homemade strawberry soft serve, fresh English strawberries topped with white chocolate "leaves," all served in a handmade honey tuile waffle cone bowl.

And as a further refreshing treat and available all summer, the team at Dominique Ansel Bakery London have Insta-friendly delights in the form of What-a-Melon Soft Serve and Pop Fleur. What-a-Melon Soft Serve is made with a slice of real watermelon, filled with the Bakery's homemade watermelon soft serve. The seeds are made out of chocolate.

Made with light and airy whipped yoghurt and Wakamomo peaches (that's unripe baby peaches from Japan to you and me), Pop Fleur's floral effect is inspired by pastry piping methods.

Refreshing summer treats from Dominique Ansel Bakery London

Strawberry Fromage Frais Mousse Cake

Strawberry Fromage Frais Mousse Cake / Dominique Ansel Bakery

We are loving this light mousse cake made with tarragon and fromage frais mousse, a centre of strawberry balsamic gelee, topped with delicate white chocolate inspired by intricate ceramic pottery.

Cronut creator Dominique Ansel delicately hand-carves chocolate

Strawberry Lemon Verbena Tart

With lemon verbena ganache, lemon compote, and soft almond sponge cake in a vanilla sable tart shell, this delectable treat is finished with sliced English strawberries and elderflower blossoms.

Strawberry Gem

It's filled with sparkling Spumante strawberry mousse, homemade strawberry compote, whipped clotted cream, and a soft almond dacquoise centre... nom!

Strawberry Gem / Dominique Ansel Bakery

Eton Mess Lunchbox

Mousse and jam strawberries, mini meringues, microbasil, black pepper, fromage blanc: shake it up and make a mess!

Fresh Strawberry and Vanilla Mascarpone Pavlova

Fresh Strawberry and Vanilla Mascarpone Pavlova / Dominique Ansel Bakery

A light-as-air strawberry meringue filled with fresh strawberries, mascarpone and vanilla ganache, and homemade strawberry jam. Its also gluten free.

Strawberry & Cassis Cronut

Classic Cronut / Dominique Ansel Bakery

Filled with homemade strawberry jam and creamy cassis ganache with blueberry sugar. Yum!
D eath isnt a cheery subject, and of all the routes to oblivion a human being might take, suicide is perhaps the grimmest and most perplexing. For this reason I suspect that many potential readers of Jesse Berings A Very Human Ending will be put off by the subject. This would be unfortunate because Berings book touches upon some deep questions relevant to all of us. Indeed, it is as much about what makes us uniquely human as it is about suicide.

Bering is not only a psychologist but also someone who has experienced suicidal feelings since his teenage years. He instantly grabs our attention by disclosing how a tree he used to stroll past came to be associated with a not altogether displeasing image of his corpse, spinning at the end of a rope.

We are immediately offered a glimpse of what is, for most of us, a totally alien subjective universe in which the prospect of death has acquired almost comforting registers.

At least a million people across the world kill themselves every year  and many more than that try. By the time youve reached the end of the next paragraph another person, somewhere, will have decided to die rather than take another breath.

Almost every aspect of human behaviour can be understood within a Darwinian framework: life is about survival and reproduction. So how do we explain suicide? It seems to stand in stark contradiction to the basic Darwinian imperatives.

Bering summarises some fascinating evolutionary theories that make suicide more intelligible. Under certain conditions, when individuals have poor reproductive prospects and are a burden to their kin, suicide begins to make (mathematical, if not humane) sense. Shared genetic material has more chance of being represented in future generations if unburdened relatives dont have to continue wasting precious resources on a non-reproducing relative.

This is broadly consistent with more general research. People who end up taking their own lives often feel they are a burden to their family, have fewer children, have less sex, and have more financial problems.

Bering is refreshingly direct. He grasps nettles and assiduously avoids cliches. Nowhere is this more evident than when he reports discussing suicide prevention with social psychologist Roy Baumeister  one of the worlds leading experts.

What can we say to someone contemplating suicide? We can tell them  Baumeister suggests  that suicidal feelings are usually temporary and that they can always kill themselves later. Does this cross a line? Is this insensitivity rather than commendable honesty?

There are no simple answers  and this is one of Berings great strengths as a writer. He constantly reminds us that individuals contemplating suicide are in a different place; a place where the usual rules dont apply. It is extremely difficult to determine what should be said  and what shouldnt  to the suicidal.

Well-meaning suicide prevention programmes can sometimes be counter-productive. Vulnerable individuals are highly suggestible and teenagers have a penchant for copycat self-harm. After the Netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why was aired  a drama about young adult suicide  Google searches for How to commit suicide went up by 26 per cent.

Although unsentimental, this is not a cold book refrigerated by statistics, science and balanced arguments. At its heart is a harrowing case study of a

17-year-old woman who jumped to her death from the top of a 10-storey building  her suicide note consisted of only a few lines requesting the termination of life support if she survived as a vegetable.

Seven months later her parents discovered a secret journal on her laptop, recorded over a four-month period leading up to her death. Excerpts from it are employed to illustrate Baumeisters theoretical formulations. There are passages that make uncomfortable and distressing reading: Please fix me or I cant be here. PLEASE MAKE THIS SAD STOP  God, something out there, please make it stop. Just make it stop.

For the suicidal, simply being conscious is intolerable  let alone all the other problems of living. A tipping point is reached where the agony of being alive becomes worse than the prospect of leaping into space and hurtling towards concrete.

Hamlets famous soliloquy  To be or not to be?  has global currency because it presents audiences with the most fundamental of all questions. Albert Camus described suicide as the one truly serious philosophical issue. Before we decide to do anything we have to decide first that we want to exist. Human beings are the only animals on the planet that intentionally kill themselves.

What defines us has been debated among scholars and philosophers since classical times. As strange as it may seem, suicide is probably more defining than love or intelligence.

Suicide is our most unique attribute. A Very Human Ending transcends its own objectives. It is a fascinating, thoughtful, unflinching meditation on one of the most intriguing and curious aspects of the human condition.

A Very Human Ending: How Suicide Haunts Our Species by Jesse Bering (Doubleday, 16.99), buy it here.
I t is such a great time for greedy foodies like us in London right now.

There is a real culinary buzz wherever you look, with ever more attention paid to fresh produce in the independently run local restaurants, delis and cafes popping up around town. The abundance of locally sourced produce at farmers markets and greengrocers is wonderful. It certainly was not the case when we were young. We remember dire salads of boiled eggs and iceberg lettuce, sour vinegar dressings and tasteless tomatoes.

We can now get endless, delicious variations of salads with contrasting crunchy textures from nuts and seeds  and our favourite, fennel-spiced breadcrumbs  and flavours brought together harmoniously with zingy dressings, tart crumbled cheese and herby yoghurts. Yotam Ottolenghi really opened our eyes to the possibilities of the humble salad, showing how it could celebrate the freshest ingredients with beautiful presentation and bold flavours.

Pick me! Lucy hits the veg patch to stock up on supper ingredients

This summer we have been asked by The Mount Street Deli in Mayfair to come up with two salad recipes. One is from our cookbook: a smoky saffron, tomato and labneh dish with crisped chickpeas that will be served from 16 August. But first there is this summery, fresh chicken salad, which is currently on at the deli. We wanted to create something soothing and punchy at the same time that could be put together in advance without losing freshness. This particular dressing only improves with a few hours of marinating, which is perfect for a ready-to-go deli salad. The mixture of herbs, spices, lime, yoghurt and feta has that perfect vibrant tang for a light summer meal.

Green spiced chicken with fresh peas, avocado and pea shoots (serves 3-4)

Ingredients

3 organic chicken breasts

3 bay leaves

For the yoghurt dressing

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Zest and juice of 2 limes

90g feta

Medium bunch of coriander

Medium bunch of mint

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 clove of garlic

1 green chilli

1 tsp honey

For the salad

2 handfuls of fresh podded peas

1 avocado, peeled and destoned

1 baby fennel, very finely sliced

1 shallot, very finely sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 handfuls pea shoots

1 tbsp pine nuts

1 tbsp flaked almonds

For the garnish

1 red chilli, seeded and

finely chopped

Big pinch of mint leaves

Big pinch of coriander leaves

Handful of edible flowers

Method

Bring one litre of water to the boil with the bay leaves in a large, shallow pan. Add the chicken breasts, season and simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the meat to cool in the liquid for up to an hour.

Make the dressing. Dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds over a medium heat for about five minutes until fragrant. Grind to a coarse powder then blitz with the rest of the dressing ingredients in a blender. Season to taste. Shred the chicken and then mix into the yoghurt dressing. Steam the peas for one or two minutes.
But Ron has a plan to infiltrate The Organization, and a few around him like the police chief (Robert John Burke), and two detectives, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) and Jimmy Creek (Michael Buscemi) are at least willing to go along with it for a while. Flip draws the card to be in-person Ron, which turns out to be a headache of its own when one of The Organization's members, Felix (Jasper Paakkonen), starts to suspect that he might actually be Jewish.
I t is 11am, and I have just depleted a richly perfumed G&T.

Ice capturing sunlight, it was poured by Matthew Russell, whose family founded Copper Rivet Distillery in the boiler room of Chatham Dockyards Pump House No 5. It was in such a torrid state I offered 1, which was politely declined, he says of the now handsomely spruced-up, gold and pink-bricked Victorian edifice, which might otherwise have become a casino.

Derelict since the docks closed on 31 March 1984, it took Matthew three and a half years to acquire, and longer to plumb in ultra-efficient stills. These take his grandparents names: copper-clad Joyce for red peppercorn-scented Vela vodka; Janet for spicy Chatham Dockyard gin; and Sandy for succulent Masthouse Kentucky cask whisky  due for release in 2020.

The equipment was made locally so it could get through 2.2m-wide doors and adhere to distiller Abi Baniks requirements. Described as a DIY project on a different scale, the set-up uses condensers formed from reverse-engineered swimming-pool heaters. Abi has also learnt to work round the Chinese characters of the operating panel.
S ummer is not for serious drinks.

Its for neon Aperol spritzes and well-iced rose and slushies; its also for wonderfully trashy cocktails. Londons tip-top bartenders are taking the silly, fun, sugary drinks of hazy Nineties nights past and making them sophisticated. Were talking Pina Coladas and Cosmopolitans, Sex on the Beach and Porn Star Martinis.

See Salvatore Calabrese at the Donovan Bar. Calabrese is the godfather of the serious Martini, head honcho at the legendary Martini bar Dukes for decades. But hes also the creator of the Naughty Corner, a riff on the Porn Star, aka the sickly-sweet, vanilla and passion fruit concoction, served with a shot of champagne on the side, that is truly a desecration of the icy gin and vermouth original.

Sake Bombs

Calabreses version is rather more sophisticated and complex than the Porn Star. He blends white rum, white cacao liqueur, Galliano, pineapple juice and fresh passion fruit: a heady double hit of sweetness  the fudginess of white chocolate, the sharper fruitiness of pineapple and passion fruit  which is tempered by the alcohol burn of rum and champagne. More conversation-worthy is the garnish, which sees the rim dipped in cocoa butter and pink saffron syrup to add buttery complexity  and perfectly mimic lipstick. Rather than you leaving a lipstick stain on the glass, therefore, your Naughty Corner leaves you with coquettishly blushing lips. Ooh matron, indeed.

Its not just Calabrese; all the best places are knocking out trashy cocktails. Coupette, the recent recipient of the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Best New International Cocktail Bar, serves a very snazzy champagne Pina Colada that blends heritage Bacardi, agricole, pineapple and coconut sorbet with Moet. Its fellow award winner Dandelyan knocks out a sustainable take on the height of Sex and the City-era sophistication, the Cosmopolitan: the Canon Cosmo (lemon vodka, pink sour mix, flamed orange and almond).

The Naughty Corner

Over at the Bloomsbury Club Bar, Diplomatico rum has a summer terrace serving gloriously old-school frozen Daiquiris (rum slushies, essentially) and a souped-up version of rum and Coke: charcoal-filtered rum mixed with cola, vanilla syrup and Prosecco.
T he Indonesian island of Lombok has been hit with another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2.

The shock comes a week after parts of Indonesia were hit by a 7.0 earthquake, which left thousands of people homeless.

The latest earthquake is the third the island has suffered in 12 days, bringing the official death toll to 131, although a government-run organisation estimates the death toll to be over 300.

With thousands of tourists being evacuated from the holiday islands and surrounding affected areas, is it safe to travel to Bali, Lombok and the Gili islands? Here's everything you need to know:

Rescue operations under way as powerful earthquake hits Indonesian tourist island

Which areas have been affected by the earthquake?

Bali and Lombok, which are located within 179km of each other, have both strongly felt the impact of the earthquake.

Bali saw damage to two shopping malls and a temple in Ubud, as well as minor damage to its airport.

Whilst the disaster agency is still assessing the full extent of the damage in Lombok, mosques, schools and houses will be among the thousands of buildings destroyed.

In the Gili islands, three small islands on Lomboks north-west coast, officials have said that nearly 8,400 tourists and resort workers have been evacuated.

Reuters

Is there a tsunami risk?

Indonesia's centre for meteorology, climatology and geophysics issued a tsunami warning just minutes after the earthquake hit.

However, the centre has since declared the warning over.

Will there be another earthquake?

There have been over 130 aftershocks since the first quake hit on Sunday, and The Foreign Office has warned of more aftershocks to follow.

Earthquakes are common in Indonesia as it is located in the "Ring of Fire," an area in the Pacific Ocean of intense seismic and volcanic activity.

Are flights still going to and from Bali?

Facilities at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport have suffered minor damage but flights are still operating as normal.

Flights from Lombok International Airport are also operating as normal, despite pictures of tourists scrambling to leave, with some airlines adding extra flights to help tourists leave the island.

AirAsia said in a statement: Flights to and from Lombok and Bali are operating normally following the earthquake.

Lombok struck by third earthquake tremor in 12 days 1 /27 Lombok struck by third earthquake tremor in 12 days Indonesian motorists ride past collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Tanjung in Lombok AFP/Getty Images A crushed car is seen under rubble of a house collapsed after the earthquake in Tanjung on Lombok island AFP/Getty Images An aerial view of Gili Trawangan island following Sunday's earthquake Getty Images West Java governor and West Nusa Tenggara police standing in a field next to a closed public hospital while the building windows rattle during an earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia Reuters An Indonesian search and rescue team uses heavy equipment to search for earthquake victims in Tanjung on Lombok island AFP/Getty Images A rescuer climbs over debris of a collapsed mosque after an earthquake struck northern Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia EPA An Indonesian soldier (right) and an official (centre) try to calm people shortly after an aftershock hits the area in Tanjung on Lombok island AFP/Getty Images Indonesian search and rescue members react shortly after an aftershock hits the area in Tanjung on Lombok island AFP/Getty Images Residents evacuate horses by a boat from Trawangan island after an earthquake struck northern Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia EPA A girl injured in an earthquake is treated in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia AP The location of a 5.9 magnitude earthquake which struck at a depth of 10 km on Lombok Island, Indonesia EPA An Indonesian man tries to calm a woman shortly after an aftershock hits Tanjung in Lombok AFP/Getty Images Rescuers and policemen walk on debris of a collapsed mosque after an earthquake struck northern Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia EPA Indonesian search and rescue members react shortly after an aftershock hits the area in Tanjung on Lombok island AFP/Getty Images A collapsed mosque is seen as the sun set at Kayangan subdistrict in North Lombok on West Nusa Tenggara province AFP/Getty Images A woman walks past collapsed houses in Kayangan in northern Lombok island AFP/Getty Images Villagers pray for their family victims at Kayangan subdistict in North Lombok on West Nusa Tenggara province AFP/Getty Images A family eats outside due to the damage their house suffered in Kayangan in northern Lombok island AFP/Getty Images Resident throw a sack of rice as they distribute it after an earthquake struck northern Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia EPA A girl standing in front of her damaged house in Kayangan subdistict in north Lombok on West Nusa Tenggara province AFP/Getty Images An elderly woman wipes away tears after she prays in front her badly damaged home in Kayangan in northern Lombok island AFP/Getty Images Boxes of beer in front a store at Gili Trawangan island following Sunday's earthquake Getty Images An old woman prays in front her damage house in Kayangan, in North Lombok regency on West Nusa Tenggara province AFP/Getty Images Children raise their hands as a helicopter flies overhead the evacuation tents in Kayangan, in northern Lombok island AFP/Getty Images People carrying their belongings at Gili Trawangan island following Sunday's earthquake Getty Images A collapsed mosque tower is seen at Gili Trawangan island following Sunday's earthquake o Getty Images Damage caused by the recent earthquakes to a Hindu temple is pictured in Pemenang, northern Lombok island AFP/Getty Images

What are the Foreign Office travel warnings?

The Foreign Office has warned against all travel to Lombok's nearby Gili islands.

They said they: "advise against all but essential travel to the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air), off the north-west coast of Lombok. Following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the region on 5 August, there is a risk of aftershocks, which could cause further damage to buildings and pose risks to safety. In the event of serious injury, access to immediate medical assistance on the islands is extremely limited."
L ong have women been pioneers in their industries and over the last half a century, their feats have finally started to gain the recognition they deserve.

In 1975, Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of Britain and became the longest-serving Prime Minister at that. But, there were many women who fought for Thatcher to reach this position including womens suffrage leader, Emmeline Pankhurst.

These women, among several others, have been recognised today by the BBC History Magazine who have released a list of the women who have changed the world.

The magazine asked experts in 10 different fields to each nominate 10 women they believed had the biggest impact to create a list of 100 women their readers could choose from.

The magazines readers voted and today they have released their top 20 influential women  with scientist Marie Curie topping the list.

BBC History Magazine deputy editor Charlotte Hodgman said in a statement: "The poll has shone a light on some truly extraordinary women from history, many of whose achievements and talents were overlooked in their own lifetimes.

"It is fitting that, in a year that has seen the 100th anniversary of the parliamentary Act that gave the vote to many British women, suffrage campaigners Emmeline Pankhurst and Josephine Butler have been voted into the top 20.

"Whilst it is unsurprising to see queens such as Victoria and Eleanor of Aquitaine place high, it is refreshing to see some more unfamiliar names make the top 20, such as 19th-century philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts. I'm sure the full list will provoke conversation and debate."

Below is the complete BBC History Magazine's top 20 women who changed the world:

1. Marie Curie

Getty Images

This Polish-French physicist is synonymous with her work in radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win twice.

2. Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, whose refusal to move to the back of a bus, started the Montgomery bus boycott is fingerprinted by police / AP

On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks boarded a bus that changed the course of the Civil Rights movement in America. When she refused to give up her seat in the coloured section to a white person, she became the centre of a national movement and international icon of resistance.

3. Emmeline Pankhurst

Getty Images

A leader of the British suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankhurst was instrumental in getting women the right to vote in the UK.

4. Ada Lovelace

Getty Images

Ada Lovelace was the first person on record to acknowledge the capability of what computers could do and worked with Charles Babbage the father of computers to translate an article which is considered to be the first instance of computer programming.

5. Rosalind Franklin

Rex Features

After studying at Cambridge and living in France, Rosalind Franklin became a research associate at Kings College in London and became notable for her work on X-ray diffraction images of DNA which would eventually lead to the discovery of the DNA double helix.

6. Margaret Thatcher

PA

Margaret Thatcher was the first female British Prime Minister and she came to power in May 79  61 years after women in the UK got the vote.

7. Angela Burdett-Coutts

Getty Images

A nineteenth century philanthropist, Burdett-Coutts was one of the wealthiest women in Britain during her lifetime and spent the majority of her wealth on scholarships and endowments. She also co-founded (with Charles Dickens) a home for young women who had turned to a life of immorality to help turn their lives around.

8. Mary Wollstonecraft

Getty Images

A British writer, philosopher and advocate for womens rights and is now regarded as one of the founding feminist philosophers.

9. Florence Nightingale

Getty Images

Florence Nightingale established the first secular nursing school in the world at St Thomas Hospital in London, helped to improve healthcare across the UK, advocate for better hunger relief in India, helped abolish harsh prostitution laws for women and helped to expand the acceptable forms of female participation in the workplace.

10. Marie Stopes

Getty Images

Marie Stopes founded the first birth control clinic in the UK. Based in north London, it was run by midwives and doctors and offered mothers birth control advice and taught them birth control methods.

11. Eleanor of Aquitaine

Getty Images

One of the most powerful figures of the Middle Ages, Eleanor led several armies into crusade. She is now known as one of the earliest feminist figures.

12. The Virgin Mary

AFP/Getty Images

According to the Economist, Jesus mother represents the qualities of faithfulness, devotion, humility, purity.

13. Jane Austen

Getty Images

Perhaps one of the first modern-era feminists, Jane Austens literary work is still lauded around the world today. Known for her six major novels - Pride and Prejudice being the stand-out - Austens plots often explore a womans social standing, marriage and economic security.

14. Boudicca

Getty Images

Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the Roman Empire in 60 or 61AD.

15. Diana, Princess of Wales

Getty Images

Before her death, Diana was deeply involved in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines along with dozens of other charities. Diana was a pioneer for women with profiles making a change in the world.

16. Amelia Earhart

Getty Images

The first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart was and still is revered by many. She disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

17. Queen Victoria

PA

Queen Victoria ascended to the throne when she was 18 and remained there for 63 years up until her death. Britain went through a myriad of changes throughout the Victorian Era and Victoria was praised for being a stable figure through such times.

18. Josephine Butler

Getty Images

A Victorian Era womens suffrage campaigner, Josephine Butler also campaigned for the right of women to better education, the abolition of child prostitution and to end human trafficking of young women.

19. Mary Seacole

Getty Images

Born in Jamaica, Mary Seacole is most revered for her humanitarian work during the Crimean War. During the war she set up the British Hotel and treated injured servicemen. In 1991 she was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit.

20. Mother Teresa

AFP/Getty Images

Mother Teresa is considered one of the greatest humanitarians of the twentieth century. Born in Macedonia, she established a hospice, centres for the blind, aged and disabled and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work.

Find the full list below:
F reshers week is just around the corner and if youre heading off to university next month, you may well be curious as to the state of the dating scene in your chosen town.

Fortunately Badoo has done some research for you and just revealed a list of the UK universities which have the most right-swiped men and women on their platform.

According to the dating app, which has 390 million users, it was the University of the Arts London (UAL) that came out on top with the most right-swiped men and women.

The lecture halls are full of potential love interests at UAL / Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

The data also showed that UAL students were particularly active on the app, having sent and received the most messages of all of the universities in the UK last year, exchanging almost 6 million.

UAL is ranked sixth in the world for art and design. It has around 19,000 students and encompasses Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts.

The University of Oxford was home to the second highest number of right-swiped women on Badoo and was fourth by this measure for men, while the University of Leeds is the place of study with the second highest number of right-swiped men on the dating app. Students at Oxford University were also the second most active on the app, exchanging almost 4 million messages in the last year, Badoo says, while Leeds students were third, having sent and received a little under 3 million.

The full list of the top 20 most right-swiped universities for women and men in the UK on the dating app can be seen in the table below.
A s any discerning traveller will know, New York is worth a visit for the food alone. From food markets in Williamsburg to pizza joints in Bushwick and Michelin-starred restaurants in Manhattan, the Big Apple has it all.

Here, we brainstormed with NYCGo.com to put together the ultimate foodie bucket list for you to tick off on your next visit.

1. Red Rooster Harlem

Paying homage to Harlem's culturally rich and diverse neighbourhood, Marcus Samuelsson  whose Red Rooster recently arrived straight from the streets of Harlem to Shoreditch at The Curtain, has created a restaurant that focuses on elevated American comfort food against a backdrop of warm colours, stimulating art and soulful sounds. The 3,400 square-foot space houses a restaurant, a breakfast cafe, a grocery, a horseshoe-shaped bar and a communal table.

We've got our live house band and our chicken and waffles to make your brunchin' plans a success. Photo by @chrisowyoung A post shared by Red Rooster (@roosterharlem) on Jun 11, 2017 at 7:51am PDT

2. Roberta's

Pizza mavens from all over make the pilgrimage to Robertas, a virtual temple to wood-fired thin-crust pizza. One of the first members of the new Bushwick cultural renaissance, now considered one of the neighbourhoods blockbuster businesses, Robertas whips up crispy Neapolitan pizzas, topped with veggies grown in the restaurants own roof garden, or locally sourced meatsall at reasonable prices.

A post shared by Roberta's (@robertaspizza) on Jul 18, 2017 at 1:02pm PDT

3. Mission Chinese Food

It's safe to say that no one does Chinese food like Oklahoma native Danny Bowien, whose iterations of Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco and New York City have hooked obsessive fans from coast to coast. The dark, clubby, bi-level venue takes chances with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns as well as firing up pepperoni pizza. The old-school menu feels like a booklet from a half-century ago, but the offerings are altogether au courant: take kung pao pastrami, for example, or a tray of sea urchin with squid ink naan.

A post shared by Mission Chinese Food NYC (@missionchinesefood) on Jul 14, 2017 at 2:07pm PDT

4. Dirt Candy

Amanda Cohen tapped into the fabulous and vegetarian trend years ago: her first Dirt Candy location opened in the East Village in 2008. Michelin stars and an ardent following among foodies led to a new location on the Lower East Side in 2015 that's more than triple in size (60 seats as opposed to 18). You needn't be a vegetarian to fall in love with Cohen's signature creations, which include jalapeno hush puppies with maple butter, portobello mousse with sauteed Asian pears, cherries and truffle toast (a cheeky take on foie gras), and grilled and smoked broccoli dogs with mustard barbecue sauce.

A post shared by Dirt Candy (@dirtcandynyc) on Jun 24, 2017 at 2:31am PDT

5. Momofuku Milk Bar

This spin-off of David Chang's Momofuku empire is the brainchild of Christina Tosi, who founded the brand's renowned dessert program. She's gone on to write a best-selling cookbook and won the prestigious James Beard Rising Star Chef award in 2012 for creating crazy and delicious concoctions like crack pie, candy bar pie and compost cookies. Cereal milk soft-serve ice cream is another good reason to stop in.

A post shared by NYC FOODISTE (@nycfoodiste) on Jul 25, 2017 at 8:56am PDT

6. Momofoku Nishi

David Chang's Momofuku empire expanded to Chelsea at the start of 2016, with Nishi ("west" in Japanese) becoming the hottest restaurant of the year. Here the noodle dishes are also mostly Asian and always playful. Chang and company like to change things up, but look for main courses like smoked trout with maitake mushrooms, pork shoulder with white kimchi, and moist pistachio bundt cake for dessert.

A post shared by 5 Boro Foodie (@5borofoodieee) on Jul 23, 2017 at 4:45pm PDT

7. Pok Pok

Portland's Andy Ricker is the master of Thai street foodhere he concentrates on authentic varieties of pad Thai. Kuaytiaw khua kai is particularly flavourful, a Bangkok Chinatown specialty of wide rice noodles stir-fried in pork fat with chicken, cuttlefish, egg and scallions on a crunchy bed of chopped lettuce. To drink is Stumptown cold-brew coffee and bracing, fruit-flavoured vinegars shipped in from Portland and spritzed with seltzer to order.

A post shared by Classic Social Media (@classicsocialmedia) on Aug 19, 2016 at 10:24am PDT

8. The Bowery Market

The alfresco, boutique-size Bowery Market debuted in July, a cluster of five cute food kiosks where an auto body shop once stood. Variously trimmed in corrugated metal and thatched roofs, the enclosed stalls offer a few stools and one corner table on the Bowery. Alidoro constructs massive, delicious, Italian-style sandwiches, while The Butchers Daughter deals in health-minded juices and vegetable-focused fare. For great tacos, step up to Pulquerias window.

A post shared by The Bowery Market (@thebowerymarket) on Jul 14, 2016 at 5:53am PDT

9. Russ & Daughters

If bagels and lox had a home address, it would probably be Russ & Daughters. A Lower East Side staple since its founding in 1914, Russ & Daughters has become rightfully legendary for its wide variety of fresh smoked salmonsfrom high-quality basics like nova and gravlax, to more obscure treats like belly loxas well as other smoked and cured fishes (like whitefish and sturgeon), pickled herrings, caviars, cream cheeses, bagels and bialys.

A post shared by Russ & Daughters (@russanddaughters) on Jul 24, 2017 at 8:21pm PDT

10. Jack's Wife Freda

A hip re-imagining of classic Jewish-American comfort food (by way of Israel and South Africa), Jacks Wife Freda offers meals that your grandmother cooked (or you wish she did), with sly updates: gefilte fish is transformed into fried fish balls, half-chickens are served peri-peri style and the Middle Eastern classic breakfast dish shakshuka is baked in spicy green tomatillo sauce.

A post shared by jackswifefreda (@jackswifefreda) on Jul 23, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

11. Edi & The Wolf

Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban, two native Austrians, make up Edi & the Wolf, a heart-warming, casual wine tavern with a firm following, modelled on the Austrian heuriger concept. There is an intimate bar overhung with loops of rope, cozy tables and dark lighting, making it ideal for date night. The menu is divided into small plates (Liptauer cheese spread with paprika and pumpkin seed oil), shared plates (baby back ribs with mustard and pickles) and main courses of schnitzel, steak and sea bass.

A post shared by Edi & The Wolf (@ediandthewolf) on Jul 19, 2017 at 12:14pm PDT

12. Smorgasburg

The dedicated food arm of the Brooklyn Flea (market) has found multiple footholds in NYC. Its a conglomeration of more than 100 vendors, selling nearly everything imaginable: arepas, poke, yakitori, fried chicken, popsicles and so forth. Find it at Prospect Parks Breeze Hill on Sundays through October 23, East River State Park on Saturdays through October 29 and then weekends at Skylight One Hanson from November through March. Theres also a daily version at the South Street Seaport.

A post shared by Smorgasburg (@smorgasburg) on Mar 28, 2017 at 5:34pm PDT

13. Union Square Greenmarket

Among all the action in Union Square, where dog lovers and chess players strut their stuff, activists speak their minds and break-dancers and skateboarders spin and shred, the much-loved Union Square year-round Greenmarket (open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) is a favourite of NYC chefs. If you swing by, youll never be bored  or hungry.

A post shared by Union Square Greenmarket (@unsqgreenmarket) on Jul 13, 2017 at 11:56am PDT

14. Eleven Madison Park

Theres a reason that Eleven Madison Park, holder of three Michelin stars, has stayed in the spotlight. Eleven Madison Park began a major overhaul in June, 2017. Reopening September 2017, the legendary restaurant Eleven Madison Park has been upgraded to feature a brand-new menu with multicourse tasting menus, an expanded bar and redesigned dining room with hints of grey, blue, green and gold throughout the decor.

A post shared by Michelin Guide (official) (@michelinguide) on Jul 23, 2017 at 10:00am PDT

15. ABC Kitchen

No longer the new kid on the block, but ABC Kitchen by Michelin starred Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is standing the test of time with a passionate commitment to offering the freshest organic and local ingredients possible. Located within ABC Carpet & Home and sharing space with its sister restaurant, ABC Cocina (which features seasonal global Latin cuisine by Jean-Georges), this restaurant is a destination for visitors and locals alike.

A post shared by ABC Kitchen (@abckitchen) on Apr 5, 2017 at 11:09am PDT

16. Cronuts

Remember the cronut craze? The unique Cronut pastry (croissant-doughnut hybrid) creation by Chef Dominique Ansel still draws a strong crowd and its worth a repeat visit for the new (only ever one) flavour every month.

A post shared by Valrhona North America (@valrhonausa) on Jul 21, 2017 at 6:16am PDT

17. Reynard at The Wythe

Located inside The Wythe Hotel, a fashionable brick fortress catering to musicians booked at Brooklyn Bowl, Europeans with an artistic bent and intrepid travellers ready to explore boroughs other than Manhattan, is its glamorous restaurant, Reynard. Be sure to check out its rooftop bar, Ides, as well.

A post shared by Reynard Restaurant (@reynardnyc) on Jul 3, 2017 at 2:24pm PDT

18. Eataly

Home to the first food hall of its kind; Eataly, is the largest Italian marketplace in the world. The Citys second Eataly food hall opened last year at the new Westfield World Trade Centre.

A post shared by Eataly NYC Downtown (@eatalydowntown) on Jul 21, 2017 at 8:04am PDT

19. Five Leaves

Five Leaves  the notorious triangle-shaped corner restaurant in Greenpoint was the creation of actor Heath Ledger, who passed away before it opened. The nautical-themed bistro serves New American fare with Australian accents, courtesy of head chef Ken Addington. Expect a line at peak times.

A post shared by Five Leaves NY (@fiveleavesny) on Jul 14, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT

20. The Roof at Whole Foods

Brooklyn's first Whole Foods features plenty of borough-appropriate details. One of these is The Roof, Taproom & Dining, an indoor/outdoor restaurant serving local and ethically sourced spins on casual American fare from local artisans and distributors, as well as 16 different beers on tap.

A post shared by Stasia (@stasiagia) on Oct 13, 2016 at 10:29am PDT

21. Steak at Peter Luger

Peter Luger Steak House. After more than 100 years, this classic is still the boss when it comes to porterhouses.

A post shared by Peter Luger Steak House (@peterlugersteakhouse) on Dec 9, 2016 at 12:56pm PST

22. LIC Flea & Food

Carrying everything from vintage clothing to jewellery to antiques and much more, the LIC Flea & Food is Queens largest outdoor artisan market, operating every weekend from 10am to 6pm, rain or shine. In addition to the one-of-a-kind finds and delicious eats that can be procured here, patrons can enjoy spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.

A post shared by LIC Flea and Food (@licflea) on Jul 18, 2017 at 6:16am PDT

23. S&S Cheesecake

S&S Cheesecake in The Bronx is a must for real New York cheesecake. Known to be dense and creamy (with extra egg yolk in the cream cheese) is what distinguishes it from its Italian cousin.

A post shared by Uma Gopalakrishnan (@uma1989) on May 5, 2017 at 10:05am PDT

New York Restaurant Week runs until August 18; nycgo.com
V ibrant and ever so different, Hotel Indigo Lower East Side was made for travellers wanting to ditch the Manhattan you see in the movies for a more hyperlocal and genuine New York City experience.

With its infectious vibe, views for days and laid back attitude, Hotel Indigo is easily IHG's coolest offering yet.

Where is it?

On Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Oodles of indie cafes, restaurants, clubs and boutiques reign supreme in this part of town and it's just half a block away from the infamously good Katz's Deli - a bonus if you want to get there early and avoid those massive lines for a pastrami sub. Fancy foodie hangouts Beauty and Essex, Stanton Social and Verlaine are minutes away. Walk 10 minutes east and you'll land in the madness of the East Village. For boho chic vibes head west for the trendy shopping haven that is SoHo.

Transport-wise it's very well connected, too. The F and M, J, Z subways are within five blocks and the B and D trains are a zig zag 15-minute walk down Houston Street. In a nutshell, the hotel is perfectly situated for anyone who wants to explore Downtown by foot and avoid Midtown at all costs.

Style

Look around the neighbourhood, and you'll instantly notice that street art is at the heart and soul of Ludlow's identity - something Hotel Indigo designers Tim Horn and Amanda Sullivan wanted to celebrate in all of its public spaces and guest rooms. Their styling is totally industrial, with bare red brick walls, stained concrete floors, reclaimed wood and diamond pattern metallics strewn about the place. The major design sell, however, is the art dotted around each floor, which include politically motivated pieces and an unbeatable collection of objects from the modern era.

The lobby at Hotel Indigo

Dramatic works from French artist Mr. Brainwash, including the stand-out Life is Beautiful Sculpture on loan from the artist's pop-up gallery, as well as a set of bicycle wheels that suspend near the hotel concierge desk on the ground floor, also infuse the hotel with that extra bit of hipster creative charm.

The 14th floor sky mural by celebrated New York City street and graffiti artist Lee Quininones, with its detailed snapshots of significant moments in the Lower East Side vernacular, is also worthy of a spot on your Instagram. Make no mistake, this Hotel Indigo was designed for the cool arty kid trapped inside you.

Facilities

Relaxed, down-to-earth and unpretentious service is king. Staff greet you with beaming smiles and expert knowledge of their city and can't do enough to make you feel welcome as soon as you get through the door. Their ethos is simple: to make you feel calm and comfortable throughout the duration of your stay.

Unlike many other hotels in the city, dining options are far from traditional. Instead, you'll find an all day dining bar/restaurant/nightclub hybrid, which offers everything from flatbreads to light salads and bagels. For breakfast, Balthazar mini croissants, egg sarnies, and steel-cut oatmeal are on the menu.

The rooftop pool at Mr. Purple

Aside from free and very fast complimentary Wi-Fi, on-site valet parking and a fitness centre, the star of the amenity show is ultimately the heated lap pool crowning the outdoor space on the 15th floor. Set parallel to the beautiful bar spot that is Mr Purple, sip Manhattans, dirty martinis and, of course, the Mr. Purple (a tequila, cranberry, apple and lemon punch mash-up) poolside in the inspiring shadow of the Empire State Building.

The only space that might just rival it is the stylish lobby. If you're in the city on business, it's the perfect spot to meet, greet and work in and is ideal for a quick cup of coffee or light bite (go for the Russ & Daughters bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and a garnish of capers, pickled onions, and sliced tomatoes) before you start exploring the town.

Which room?

We stayed in a 14th floor city view king overlooking the grand cityscape of Manhattan. Think unobscured panoramas of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building. If you're lucky, your rain shower will come with a view of the city. For what you pay, all rooms are generously sized and feature a host of amenities including luxe C.O. Bigelow toiletries, Frette linens, the use of a safe, minibar and a Keurig coffeemaker.

Other thoughtful additions include a make your own cocktail graffiti shaker, coffee table books, bluetooth docking stations, scented linens,a sofa conveniently placed by the floor-to-ceiling windows, free copies of local and city magazines and the use of an iron and ironing board.

City view king with Downtown Manhattan cityscape

For those of you who get your hands on a luxury suite, expect plump terry cloth bathrobes, bouncy slippers and fancy terraces donning private and exclusive city views.

Our only criticism is that some parts of our room were a little tired. There were several scuffs on the couch and furniture, and the walls could do with a fresh lick of paint.

What to Instagram?

If you haven't already managed to fill your phone memory with countless snaps of the rooftop pool or the view from your room (pictured above), then we suggest you start simple with a sunrise shot of your bed overlooking the glorious sight of Manhattan. The hotel's beautiful collection of art and dining areas (especially the bar at Mr. Purple) also deserves prime spot on your feed.

Best for?

Arty hipster types, business travellers and those looking to experience a slice of the real New York City.

Details
A murder inquiry has been launched after 18-year-old foster child Natasha Hill died at a property in Greenwich, where she was found unconscious. Scotland Yard had initially treated the death in April as unexplained.

Caroline Shearer, 53, has fostered more than 40 children with her husband Mick, 62. Jay Whiston, Mrs Shearers natural son, was stabbed to death at a party in Colchester at 17. Three years later Jays foster brother Alex Wagner killed himself aged 21.

Mrs Shearer said the three youngsters had been very close. The couple took Natasha in for two years, but she was moved to live with another family after Jays murder at a house party.

She was a lovely girl, said Mrs Shearer. She cared a lot about the family unit we had at the time. She was going to school, getting her education. Her favourite thing was going to see her sister and her mum  she loved them to pieces. They were her world  My condolences to them. What a sad loss of a beautiful girl.

Caroline Shearer, Mick Shearer, Jay Whiston, Natasha Hill and Alex Wagner on a last holiday together at Disneyland Paris in 2012 before the three children died / Caroline Shearer

Natasha moved in with Mr and Mrs Shearer and Jay, who was 15 at the time, in 2010. Alex had moved out the previous year but remained close, regularly visiting the family at their home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

In 2012, Jay was fatally stabbed at a party by Edward Redman, then 18. Alex, who Mrs Shearer said was distraught, took his own life in 2015. We cant believe it, the foster mother added.

Jay was murdered, three years later my foster son committed suicide, and now Tash  Its an awful coincidence, but I also think, well, my three angels are up there together. I know Jay and Alex will look after her up there.

Following Jays death, Mrs Shearer founded a charity that provides workshops to help children understand the dangers of carrying knives. Natasha helped out in the charitys shop and had ambitions to become a vet.

She always wanted to work with horses, Mrs Shearer said. We talked about her going to the college  She loved my dogs and she loved animals. She would just laugh and laugh  she just fitted into our family.

Police launch murder probe over 18-year-old Natasha Hills death in Greenwich

A post-mortem examination gave a preliminary cause of her death as head wounds. More tests are being carried out. A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene on April 15 on suspicion of murder. He has since been bailed to a date in mid-October.

Detective Inspector David Blair said: We would still like to hear from anyone who was in the Sewell Road area between late afternoon on Saturday 14 April and the early hours of the morning on Sunday 15 April.

We would also like to hear from people who knew Natasha, or people connected to her, who have not yet come forward.
T he police cost of investigating the two Novichok poisonings has been estimated at more than 10 million.

Wiltshire Police could be looking to pay the huge sum after dealing with the two high-profile incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury earlier this year.

Officers from 40 other forces were called after they were both declared in the space of four months.

It is estimated that the cost of bringing in officers from other forces will be more than 7 million, with more than 1.3 million being spent on overtime within Wiltshire Police.

This was to ensure that officer numbers could be maintained across the area while dealing with the attacks.

Police in Salisbury cordoned off a section of road near Zizzi / PA

The total also includes 347,000 spent on destroying a number of police vehicles, which had to be disposed of as a precaution.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson has said that he "fully expects" the Government to cover the bill.

He added: "For our force to find itself at the centre of two major incidents in such a short space of time is somewhat unimaginable and we have endured significant costs because of the scale of the investigation.

Emergency services in Salisbury following the poisoning / Getty Images

"I am grateful that the Government has already pledged 4.1 million towards the costs incurred by Wiltshire Police during the investigation into the attack on Yulia and Sergei Skripal.

"I fully expect all costs associated with these unparalleled incidents to be met by the Government."

Wiltshire Police had to cancel officer rest days and put annual leave requests on hold to deal with the incidents and also brought in private security to guard cordons.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: "Our mutual aid arrangements mean that other frontline policing duties have remained unaffected in Wiltshire despite us dealing with two internationally significant incidents in just four months.

New case: A police officer guards a cordoned off rubbish bin on Rolleston Street in Salisbury after two more people were poisoned by Novichok / REUTERS

"I am assured that the Commissioner will continue his dialogue with the Government to ensure that Wiltshire Police and the communities we serve are unaffected by these growing costs."

Mutual aid is a resource that is used when the scale of an incident creates additional pressures and need for support.

The 10 million total does not include the cost of the Metropolitan Police's investigations.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were attacked with a military-grade Novichok in Salisbury in March.

Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley , were subsequently exposed to the nerve agent, believed to have been in a perfume bottle discarded by the attackers.

Ms Sturgess died eight days later.
D esperate Londoners were paying 100 in an attempt to get an In-N-Out Burger today after hundreds queued for hours in crazy scenes at the pop-up restaurant.

Lines up to a mile long started forming at 8am this morning at the American chains a stall in Swiss Cottage, a full three hours before it opened.

Restaurant workers handed out gold wristbands to those guaranteed a burger but others, who were not so lucky, were left frantically paying people to give theirs up.

And some who arrived at 10am and got a wristband said they were still forced to wait over three hours before getting any food.

Long queues: Burger lovers joined five-hour queues to get their hands to sample In-N-Out Burger's offerings / Jamie Bullen

The company, which boasts a cult following, has been forced to apologise after angry and disappointed customers left empty-handed.

Amanda Grundy, 30, who arrived at 10.30am, said: "The burger was good and I glad I came but I wasn't blown away and they definitely should have had fries.

"The line to get in was pretty shocking. There were people offering to buy wristbands for 100.

"The whole thing is crazy but yes I did spend the day in a queue."

Some travelled from as far as Bournemouth to go to the stall despite it only being advertised through a small advert in a local paper.

Jane Wallis, 52, who came from Bournemouth with six friends who all missed out on a burger, described the process as a farce and was furious that customers had not been told about the wristband procedure beforehand.

And music student, Max Scardanelli, 19, added: "I've paid 20 and spent the day travelling up from Brighton only to be told I couldn't eat because I don't have a wristband.

"I'm very frustrated. This wasn't mentioned to me or advertised anywhere.

"This is just bad business. They should have known about the queues and got more stock in."

But Eric Billings, manager of special foreign events at In-N-Out Burger, argued that customers were disappointed because they had been misled.

Food fight: Max traveled up from Brighton this morning to get his hands on a burger

He said: "To the people who didn't get served today we apologise.

"I don't know if they were perhaps misled by a third-party but we were just a four-hour pop-up.

"I will take their comments back with me.

Burger frenzy: Those who turned up at 10am had to wait three hours for food

He also denied there were only 200 burgers in stock at the pop-up, a rumour that had been floating around social media.

The company last made a four-hour appearance in the UK in 2012, with hundreds of people queueing outside a small cafe in Hendon, north London.

However, Roberto Trevisan, general manager of Estancia Brasil, who have rented their premises for the day, said he had not heard of the company.

He said: I know it's an American company who are going to do some type of, well, American food. I have no idea which one.

Timelapse of the queue for burgers in Swiss Cottage

Mr Trevisan said than an events company, who hired the space, had told him to expect crowds.

He added: They said they could get a lot of people in here. I know they'll be a lot of people around, that's what they told me. But they will do everything, security, the newspaper [advert], everything.

The chain offers mountains of fast food including the 4x4 burger which features four beef patties and Animal Style fries - a mound of French fries, burger sauce, cheese and onions.
Six miles beneath the Pacific Ocean surface, a team of oceanographers and experts discover an entire hidden ecosystem laden with species completely unknown to science. But Meg comes calling, attacking the submersible piloted by the ex-wife (Jessica McNamee) of rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham). Years earlier, Jonas lost some men on an undersea expedition when he ran into Meg, freaked out and skedaddled, saving some lives while sacrificing others. No one believed his fish story, so Jonas has fallen into a life of dissolution, drink and backstory. But his ex needs saving, so 
T wo people were rushed to hospital after a large blaze broke out at a flat above a shop in west London.

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters scrambled to the scene on Queensway in Bayswater shortly after 6pm on Thursday.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said two people were taken to hospital and another treated at the scene.

Their injuries are not life-threatening.

LFB said in a statement that half of the first and half of the second floor of the four-storey terraced building was on fire.

Emergency services attend the fire / NIGEL HOWARD 

Fire crews from Kensington, Paddington, North Kensington, Hammersmith and Soho fire stations attended the scene.

The Metropolitan Police had earlier said two people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

The building was evacuated during the blaze.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke billowing into the sky near Paddington this evening.

Lewis Styles said he lives just metres away from the fire and saw it as he was walking home.

The 23-year-old told the Standard he could see a lot of black smoke in the area and that the police, ambulance and fire service were all in attendance.

He said: I was in the area walking and I saw quite a lot of fire engines parked up and I saw two women getting pulled out of the windows.

A spokesman for the Met said: "Police were called at approximately 6.13pm on Thursday, August 9 to reports of a fire at an address in Queensway, W2.

Ten fire engines rushed to the scene / NIGEL HOWARD 

"Officers, London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service (LAS) were in attendance.

"Road closures were in place whilst emergency services were dealing with the incident.

"Two people were taken to hospital by the LAS for smoke inhalation. Their injuries are not life threatening or life changing.

"No other reported injuries.

"Enquiries are underway to ascertain the cause."
A swimmer was horrifically injured after diving into Hampstead Heath ponds where water levels have dropped because of the heatwave.

Paramedics rushed to the Mens Pond following the freak accident on Sunday as temperatures approached 30C.

The man underwent surgery at the Royal Free Hospital after being cut by a sharp object.

Diving boards and jetties have been cordoned off while authorities investigate.

The water level at the ponds, frequented by celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch and Spiderman star Andrew Garfield, is said to be at its lowest for decades due to the hot weather.

Swimmers have now called for more warnings about the possible dangers.

A friend of the injured swimmer told the City of London Corporation, which runs the Heath: My friend dived in from a spot marked for diving and got horrifically injured. I dont know why its open but listen to the guards. Please let people know.

A lifeguard told the Standard that divers were today preparing to carry out a check of the bottom of the pond for anything which could injure swimmers.

He said: The water was 10 inches shallower than usual. The guy was quite tall and did a sort of duck dive straight down. It was his stomach that was injured. It seemed like a freak accident.

Swimmers said the water level had been slowly decreasing since the first burst of hot weather in early June.

Veteran swimmer Jim McAdam, 70, from East Finchley, said: When I came to swim on Monday we were told not to use the jetty or diving board and it was roped off.

Ive never known the level to be this low in the 20 or 30 years Ive been coming here.

Andrew Sawyer, 34, a teacher from Alexandra Palace, said: I saw there was an ambulance parked near the entrance and the life guards looked really worried.

The pond wasnt closed though, people went in afterwards. There were so many people around, the place was rammed all day.

A City of London Corporation spokesman said public safety was its number one priority.

He said: Measures are in place to prevent people from diving off the jetty while an accident investigation is under way.

Signs warning and advising swimmers about diving into the bathing pond are clearly visible.

A man was taken to hospital on Sunday after he dived off the jetty and emerged with an injury to his abdomen.

Hampstead Heath staff gave first aid to the man at the scene and he was later taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service.
B oris Johnson will be probed for a possible breach of the Conservatives code of conduct with his burka letterbox comments, party sources revealed today.

A formal decision to refer the former foreign secretary to an investigatory panel headed by a lawyer is expected this afternoon.

Sources said they were sifting through a considerable volume of complaints from the public about the language used by Mr Johnson.

But party leaders also hope referring the issue to the independent panel will cool the outbreak of Tory infighting that has given Jeremy Corbyn a breather from Labours anti-Semitism row.

The round of Tory infighting has given Jeremy Corbyn a breather from the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) / Getty Images

It is not personal and it has nothing to do with Brexit, it is simply the same rules that apply to everyone in the party, said a well-placed source.

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

The party code sets out minimum standards of behaviour. It says elected Tories must lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance and act in a manner which upholds the reputation and values of the party.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick today ruled out a criminal investigation, telling the BBC Asian Network: I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime  my preliminary view is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence.

But he could face a Whitehall probe into claims he broke the ministerial code by announcing he was taking up the highly-paid Telegraph column before getting consent. A formal complaint to Theresa May was made this morning by ex-Labour minister John Spellar after former attorney general Dominic Grieve said he believed the rules had been broken.

MP Anna Soubry said: I hope this will be investigated quickly. Boris Johnson needs to show more respect" / PA Wire/PA Images

Conservative MP Anna Soubry said: I hope this will be investigated quickly. Boris Johnson needs to show more respect  whether its to important rules governing the conduct of former ministers or the choices women make on what to wear.

Mr Spellar said it appeared to be a clear breach of ministerial code which states ministers leaving Cabinet must seek advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments before taking up a job.

A source close to Mr Johnson conceded he had written to Acoba only after an announcement that he had taken up the column.

Two days after Tory chairman Brandon Lewis ordered the former minister to apologise for the burka remarks, Mr Johnson was maintaining his silence. A Sky News poll found 45 per cent of voters thought he should say sorry, while 48 per cent thought he should not.

Rupa Huq MP imitates Boris Johnson on Channel 4 News
A leading imam has defended Boris Johnson over his controversial comments on burkas amid calls for the former foreign secretary to be kicked out of the Tory party.

Mr Johnson is under increasing pressure to apologise after comparing women who wear burkas to letter boxes .

But Dr Taj Hargey, the imam at the Oxford Islamic Congregation, has said the MP should not apologise for telling the truth.

In a letter to the Times, he wrote: The burka and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim.

Although this deliberate identity-concealing contraption is banned at the Kaaba in Mecca it is permitted in Britain, thus precipitating security risks, accelerating vitamin D deficiency, endorsing gender-inequality and inhibiting community cohesion.

He added that Mr Johnson did not go far enough in his column for the Daily Telegraph on Monday, which sparked widespread outcry.

Lord Sheikh blasts Boris Johnson over burka comments

He has refused to bow to pressure despite Conservative Muslim peer Lord Sheikh joining calls for him to apologise.

It comes after Theresa May said Mr Johnson had "obviously offended" some people and added: "I do think that we all have to be very careful about the language and terms we use.
M et Police chief Cressida Dick has said Boris Johnson did not commit a crime when he described women in burkas as looking like letter boxes.

The Commissioner said on Thursday that while many people have found the former secretarys comments offensive, he "did not commit a criminal offence".

Mr Johnson is under increasing pressure to apologise after comparing women who wear burkas to letter boxes while writing his column for the Daily Telegraph.

He came out against calls for a ban on the face-covering veils in public places, but described them as "absolutely ridiculous" and compared their wearers to "rebellious teenagers".

Boris Johnson rides his bike through London on Tuesday / AFP/Getty Images

When asked what she made of the language the former foreign secretary used, Ms Dick told the BBC Asian Network: "Some people have clearly found it offensive.

"I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. He did not commit a criminal offence."

Protests in Copenhagen on Wednesday after the face veil ban was implemented / EPA

Mr Johnson's comments which were made in response to the introduction of a burka ban in Denmark, sparked an angry response from Muslim groups and MPs who accused him of stoking Islamophobia for political gain.

The assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain Miqdaad Versi said Mr Johnson was "pandering to the far right", while Labour MP David Lammy branded him a "pound-shop Donald Trump".

Pressure is mounting on the Conservative Party leadership to decide whether to take action against the former Foreign Secretary for his controversial comments about Muslim women wearing burkas.

Cressida Dick pictured at Scotland Yard said Boris Johnson had not committed an offence / Lucy Young

Two days after party chairman Brandon Lewis ordered him to apologise, Mr Johnson was maintaining his silence on a holiday break as supporters and critics exchanged blows.

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

The founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, Lord Sheikh, has written to Mr Lewis demanding "serious action", while the call for an apology has been backed by Cabinet ministers including Jeremy Wright and Penny Mordaunt as well as Prime Minister Theresa May herself.

Disciplinary action could lead to Mr Johnson being suspended or even expelled if he was found to be in breach of the Tory code of conduct, but would risk igniting civil war in a party many of whose members see him as the best option to succeed Mrs May as leader.
N eighbours said they face two years of massive disruption from work on a two-storey 12 million basement in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Construction of the 50m extension under the 323-year-old Grade I-listed Queen Annes Orangery  originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren  is due to start within weeks.

The plans, submitted by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), were approved by Kensington and Chelsea Council in September, despite residents protesting that they flout the boroughs ban on two-storey underground extensions.

Minutes from the councils planning committee said a unique set of circumstances applied to the Orangery.

The plans for the proposed basement development at the Orangery at Kensington Palace /  National

The local authority has asked the Palace to draw up a plan to mitigate the impact on residents before work can start at the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Architect Stephen Tsang, 60  who lives near Orme Square Gate in Bayswater Road, where lorries will access the site  said it would be dangerous, adding: A lot of cyclists have been knocked down there.

He said children at Kensington Park independent secondary school, due to open less than 100 metres from the park entrance from August 30, could be at risk: The children will pour out and use this road where the lorries will be coming out.

Diana Peyton, 90, of Orme Square, said she was dead against the whole thing, adding: I go into the park continually and theres already enough traffic thats not meant to be there.

Robert Campbell, 59, said: Why cant the lorries go the other way past the palace? Its a massive disruption. Deliveries from lorries up to 16.5 metres long will take place on weekdays from September until October 2020, the proposals say.

The HRP plans, with construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine, say the extension will provide quarters for HRP staff and a venue for the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.

A council spokesman said plans to mitigate disruption will be approved by mid- September.
A NHS nurse who burned himself to death near Kensington Palace after losing his job over a disciplinary matter was "treated unfairly", an independent report has found.

Amin Abdullah, 41, set himself on fire just yards from the London home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on February 9, 2016, weeks after being dismissed from Charing Cross Hospital.

The Malaysian-born nurse, who became depressed when he was ordered to leave his job, was due to appeal the decision just two days later.

An inquiry into the disciplinary process found the investigating officer had repeatedly raised questions about Mr Abdullah's honesty "on the basis of little or no evidence".

The independent report, commissioned by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, concluded: "It is clear from the evidence that Nurse Abdullah was treated unfairly."

Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of the trust, said: "Above all else, it is now clear that we let Amin down and, for that, I am truly sorry."

Terry Skitmore, the partner of Mr Abdullah, welcomed the findings of the investigation which he said had highlighted "flaws and failures" in the disciplinary process.

He said: "I now only have Amin's ashes and my memories of him to comfort me.

"Nothing can bring Amin back, but I am determined to do all I can to make sure his story is listened to by those who have the power to change things in the future."

Disciplinary proceedings were brought against Mr Abdullah in September 2015 after he signed a document in support of a colleague who had received a patient complaint.

He also wrote a letter for his colleague to use as a basis for her own version, in which he branded the patient a "professional complainer against NHS staff".

Mr Abdullah "should have known that signing the petition was not appropriate", the independent report said, however it noted that none of the other 18 signatories was disciplined for their involvement.

Writing the letter was also "a mistake", according to the report.

"However, the evidence indicates that Nurse Abdullah wrote it for a specific purpose and intending only Nurse X to see it," it added.

"This may have been naive but we found no evidence that it was malicious."

During the disciplinary process, the investigating officer "failed to disclose evidence which was critical of her but which tended to exculpate Nurse Abdullah", the report found.

The trust "should consider the implications for the investigating officer's integrity and, ultimately, her suitability for her role as a senior member of staff", it added.

A disciplinary hearing took place three months later on December 16 - a delay the report described as "troubling" - and Mr Abdullah was dismissed by email on December 21.

The investigation also criticised a report produced by a senior HR manager after Mr Abdullah's death as a "whitewash" which "served to reassure the trust that it had handled the case with due care and attention".

Professor Orchard said the trust accepted the findings and recommendations of the report. It has also commissioned an overhaul of how disciplinary processes are managed.

He said: "I very much regret that Amin is not here to be offered an apology for the mistakes that we made and a personal commitment from me that we will act on all of the learning from his case."
T orrential rain and thunderstorms are set to hit the UK in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby sweeping the Atlantic.

As much as 20mm to 30mm of rain is expected to fall in an hour.

Thunder and lightning could also hit the UK alongside large hail and strong winds, the Met Office said.

Londoners brave the rain on Millennium Bridge / PA

Met Office meteorologist Frank Saunders 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 that have scorched the UK for months have dropped around 10C to the low 20s.

Cooler temperatures are set to continue for the rest of the week, Mr Saunders added.

A surfer embraces waves sparked by high winds in Brighton / PA

Londoners woke to grey skies and showers this morning after basking in highs above 30C over the weekend.

The mercury is expected to hover around 22C today.

Storm Debby pictured over the Atlantic / National Hurricane Center

The American National Hurricane Centre said Storm Debby formed 1,200 miles east of Boston on Tuesday but was not expected to make landfall in the US.

It is currently sweeping over the Atlantic around 1,175 miles off Portugals Azores with high winds of up to 45mph.

UK August Heatwave - In pictures 1 /31 UK August Heatwave - In pictures Two women take a selfie in Trafalgar Square in London, as another blast of hot weather is set to hit parts of the UK PA Birds are seen flying as St Paul's Cathedral and skyscrapers in the City of London are seen at dawn in London REUTERS People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire as another spell of warm weather hits the UK PA A dog under an umbrella at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beaches on the Dorset coast as temperatures continue to increase Rex Features People enjoy the sunshine aboard a boat on the Regents Canal, London, as another blast of hot weather is set to hit parts of the UK PA People sunbath on the clifftop at Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA Girls sunbathe in the hot sunny weather during Bestival at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset PA People in the sea at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA People on pedalos and paddleboards at Nene Park in Peterborough PA People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beachers on the Dorset coast as the mercury continues to rise Rex Features People in the sea at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA People in an inflatable canoe at Nene Park in Peterborough, PA A woman brushes a man's hair under a sun shade on Herne Bay beach Getty Images People relax on kayaks at Nene Park in Peterborough PA People enjoy the hot weather at London Fields in Hackney PA Peoploe enjoy the sunshine at London Fields in Hackney, London PA A couple play catch with a ball while swimming in the River Stour Getty Images Girls sunbathe in the hot sunny weather during Bestival festival in Dorset PA Beach goers enjoy one of the quieter beaches on the Dorset coast Rex Features A canal boat passes along the Regent's Canal in front of Granary Square in King's Cross, London PA Office workers on the steps at Granary Square, King's Cross, London enjoy the continued hot weather PA Early morning on the beach at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside PA Children play in the fountains at Granary Square, King's Cross, London PA People enjoy the hot weather on Gorleston beach near Great Yarmout PA Early morning at St Mary's lighthouse on Whitley Bay, North Tyneside PA Balloons inflate during a ground tether flight after bad weather prevented flying at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at the Ashton Court Estate in Bristol PA People enjoy the sunshine on the beach at Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear. PA People walk along the beach at Whitley Bay PA

Violent thunderstorms hit the UK on Tuesday following the countrys longest heatwave in 40 years.

Record breaking temperatures have been recorded across Europe sparking forest fires in Greece, Portugal and Sweden.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson over one of the devastating wildfires currently raging in California.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, is being held over two counts of felony arson in connection to the Holy Fire, which has ripped through over six square miles in the Santa Ana Mountains.

It has forced several entire mountain communities to flee their homes as hundreds of firefighters continued efforts to bring it under control on Wednesday.

Clark is being held on a $1m (780,000) bail and is set to appear in court on Thursday. He was also arrested on suspicion of felony threat to terrorise and misdemeanour resisting arrest.

Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested in connection with the so-called Holy Fire / AP

A number of other fires continue to burn across the western states of the US, the largest of which is the Mendocino Complex, made up of the River and Ranch fires.

More than 4,000 firefighters battling the blaze have contained 47 percent of it.

TODO: define component type brightcove

The fires became the largest in the state's history earlier this week and have now destroyed more than 400 square miles (more than 300,000 acres) of the state.

More than 4,000 firefighters from California, other US states, Australia and New Zealand, are battling the Mendocino Complex, which is around 100 miles north of San Francisco.

A plane drops fire retardant behind homes as the Holy Fire burned near homes / AP

California fire officials have said they do not expect to gain control of the biggest blaze in the states history until September.

California wildfires pictured from space 1 /9 California wildfires pictured from space German astronaut and geophysicist Alexander Gerst took this image showing wildfires in the state of California from the International Space Station AFP/Getty Images Plumes of billowing smoke from the fires stretch eastwards toward to the Rocky Mountains @astro_ricky Another shot shows the vast trails of smoke stretching across California @astro_ricky A view from space of the 'frightening' fires in California AFP/Getty Images This NASA picture shows what the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASAs Terra satellite captured when it passed over California on July 27 and July 29 AFP/Getty Images Plumes of smoke from a wildfire at the Yosemite National Park reached 5km NASA's Terra satellite took images of raging wildfires in California Huge fires in California's woodland were pictured by NASA's Terra satellite Smoke from the so-called Carr Fire near the town of Redding reached 4.5km

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said 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 said two firefighters were injured but provided no further details.
A panicked mother has been filmed begging cabin crew to open a plane door after her baby appeared to pass out while waiting for take-off.

The woman can be seen screaming at staff on the flight from Paris to Islamabad as concerned passengers gather round and offer her support.

Pakistan International Airlines has launched an investigation after the distressing footage was shared across the world.

In the clip, the mother pleads with flight attendants to open the doors while attempting to cool her baby down by fanning it.

The plane was delayed by at least 30 minutes on the runway amid hot temperatures in the French capital earlier this month.

Other passengers can be heard shouting shame while the staff discuss whether they are able to open the door. They reportedly tried to get permission but were told it was not possible.

The mother eventually returned to her seat after the tense situation calmed down.

The airline has released a statement on the unfortunate incident, saying that the CEO had ordered a detailed inquiry.

PIA always considers passengers safety and comfort as its foremost priority and many times PIA has even diverted its flight to other destinations to provide medical attention to passengers whenever needed, it said.

The doors could not be opened as it would have been a severe safety violation.
I took the book at face value and was rewarded with many things I had not known as well as with a narrative that reads with force and style. Forgive me if I dont now offer the biographical detail on the title characters. Those of you who may not know that Al Capone was a Chicago gangster and that Eliot Ness was a Prohibition agent will really get a kick out of this story. All will appreciate the compelling way in which it is told.
A n Ex-MMA fighter could become America's first lesbian Native American congresswoman.

Sharice Davids, an attorney and former professional mixed martial arts fighter, won a democratic nomination for a house seat in Kansas on Tuesday.

If Ms Davids defeats Republican representative Kevin Yoder in November she could make history by being the first openly lesbian and Native American member of congress.

She would also be the first openly lesbian woman to represent the conservative state of Kansas which currently has a number of bills which LGBTQ advocates view as discriminatory including one which does not allow same sex couples to adopt.

Sharice Davids is an attorney and former professional mixed martial arts fighter / AP

The LGBT advocacy group Equality Kansas endorsed Ms Davids.

Executive director, Tim Witt told CNN: What we see are Kansans getting tired of a lot of politics of division and bigotry.

The Democrats of northeast Kansas want to send a message that Kansans are not all what you think we are."

Ms Davids won the democratic seat by fending off progressive candidate Brent Welder by 2,000 votes.

She was also backed by EMILY's List, which backs Democratic women for political office.

President of female political group EMILYs list Stephanie Schriock congratulated Ms Davids in a statement by saying she was on track to make history as one of the first Native American women in Congress, the first openly gay member of the Kansas congressional delegation, and the first Democratic woman to represent this district."

Ms Davids said she was honoured and motivated by all the support she had received.

She said: I am honoured and deeply motivated by the support I received from across this district.
A uthorities in Alaska have charged two men for allegedly shooting dead a mother bear and her newborn cubs.

Andrew Renner, 41, and son Owen Renner, 18, have claimed they didnt know that the Black Bears were under observation. Their actions were allegedly caught on camera.

Video footage captured by the US Forest Service and Alaska Department of Fish and Game, show the two men approaching the den and shooting the mother. The cubs then begin to shriek before they are also shot dead.

The two men have been charged with multiple counts including the illegal killing of a bear and both cubs.

Under state law, its illegal to kill black cubs or sows with cubs.

The whole incident was caught on camera by the US Forest Service / AP

In a video clip after the bears have been killed, Andrew Renner realises that the animal has a Fish and Game collar.

He says: Im going to get rid of these guys while tossing the cubs carcasses onto the snow.

They then butcher the sow and put it into game bags and ski away.

Two days later, they returned to the scene to dispose of the cubs bodies and the sows collar.

They are seen putting the cubs bodies into bags and ski away.

On April 14, he claimed that he had killed the black bear sow and said he had no knowledge of the sow having cubs.

Authorities confirmed that Andrew Renner falsified documentation about killing the animal when it was his son that did.
T orrential rain has forced French rescuers to evacuate some 1600 people, most of them campers, from parts of southern France.

At least one person, a 70-year-old man, is missing after flash flooding hit campsites on Thursday.

The worst hit areas are Gard, Ardeche and Drome.

Officials said more than 400 firefighters and police - and four helicopters - have been deployed to the regions.

The severe weather comes after the south of France and much of Europe has experienced a heatwave with unusually high temperatures.

Rescuers stand next to a damaged tent in a flooded camping / AFP/Getty Images

Floodwaters turned the Ceze and L'Ardeche rivers into churning waterways that quickly spilled out of their banks.

Nearby regions - all part of the verdant and mountainous Cevennes - also were hit with flooding.

German teenagers from a summer camp stand in front of a rescue centre after being evacuated from a flooded camping site / AFP/Getty Images

The missing man, from Germany, was a monitor at one of the campsites who was feared to have been swept away by flood waters along with his van, BFM-TV reported.

A search is under way for him, the Associated Press reports.

However, Dousset, the top aide of the Gard administration, said no one knew for certain yet that the man was in his van at the time.

France floods - In pictures 1 /8 France floods - In pictures Rescuers walk past damaged bicycles in a flooded camping as storms and heavy rains sweep across France AFP/Getty Images Rescuers stand in a flooded area of a camping as storms and heavy rains sweep across France AFP/Getty Images A rescuer walks in front of a damaged caravan in a camping as storms and heavy rains sweep across AFP/Getty Images A man from Germany is missing following the severe weather AFP/Getty Images Rescuers stand next to a damaged tent in a flooded camping AFP/Getty Images German teenagers from a summer camp stand in front of a rescue centre after being evacuated from a flooded camping site AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A person is looking at a flooded camping as storms and heavy rains sweep across France AFP/Getty Images

The Gard administration also said four German children were hospitalised on Thursday for hypothermia in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, a town on the Ceze River.

They were among 10 people hospitalised with minor injuries, the Gard Gendarmerie said on its Facebook page.

The mayor of Bagnols, Jean-Yves Chapelet, told BFM TV many Dutch tourists were among the 350 campers evacuated in the town.

Authorities also said 119 children in nearby Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas were sent to an emergency shelter.

Hundreds of firefighters, many sent in from other regions, helped in the evacuations, using helicopters to spot campsites and occasionally to perform rescues.

Numerous roads in the area remained cut off as night fell.
R ussia reacted angrily to draconian new US sanctions over the Salisbury nerve agent attack today.

Britain welcomed the action announced by the US State Department - but Donald Trump was silent overnight, fuelling speculation he was avoiding a personal confrontation with Vladimir Putin.

The US decision was a boost for Britains campaign to intensify pressure on the Kremlin.

In a formal determination, the State Department ruled that Russia violated international law by poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the nerve agent Novichok in the Wiltshire town in March.

But Russia branded them far-fetched accusations and accused the Americans of running a sanctions assembly line.

Its embassy in the US said: We continue to strongly stand for an open and transparent investigation of the crime committed in Salisbury.

Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Salisbury along with her father Russian spy Sergei Skripal / REUTERS

The Russian embassy in London said there was no evidence. No substantive answers have been provided to our numerous legitimate and comprehensive questions, it said.

Mr Trump made no initial comment, fuelling speculation that he was not happy about the State Departments decision.

James Clapper, former US director of national intelligence, told Today the split was obvious: There seems to be the presidents policy - and then there is the administrations policy.

He said speculation that Mr Putin had a hold over Mr Trump was casting a cloud over the presidency and over the country.

Under US legislation, the State Department was obliged to take action if it determined that chemical or biological weapons have been used.

Sanctions - due to come into force around August 22 - could include an export ban on sensitive national security technology and goods. Further measures could then be imposed unless the Kremlin gives reliable assurances that it will obey the law in future.

A Government 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 not confirmed reports that it is preparing to submit an extradition request for two Russian nationals wanted in connection with the attack.
A prominent author and US human rights lawyer has claimed he was profiled by US border staff after he returned home from a trip to London.

Qasim Rashid has shared details of his alleged ordeal on Twitter, saying he wants people to know they have rights.

The US citizen has claimed he had his childs chocolate bar screened for explosives and was accused of giving customs officers attitude at Dulles International Airport, Washington.

Mr Rashid tweeted: Today I returned home after a week in London. Customs & Border Protection "randomly selected" me even after I passed passport check.

They threatened me with intimidation tactics & claims I was breaking the law. It was all garbage & among the worst experiences I've ever had.

A spokesman for the airport has said CBP strive to treat all passengers with "respect and dignity".

Because of privacy laws, the airport cannot discuss specifics of Mr Rashid's case, however.

Mr Rashid alleged that after clearing passport control, he headed towards the exit before he was asked to hand over his passport again.

In doing so, Mr Rashid said he was randomly selected and was asked if he had handled livestock and if he was smuggling fruit or vegetables.

Mr Rashid claims he was cleared again after this process, before he was approached again.

He said the Customs and Border Protection officer said You can go, to which he replied OK.

Following this, Mr Rashid said the officer asked why are you giving us attitude, before asking to scan his childs chocolate bar, which he had bought at Heathrow Airport.

After his childs chocolate bar was cleared, Mr Rashid alleges, he said the staff said Sir, were just doing our jobs, before asking for the lawyers Global Entry Card.

Mr Rashid said he complied to this, before being told he was not complying because officers claimed he mocked them for checking your chocolate for explosives.

Mr Rashid claimed the exchange only ended once he told the officers he was a civil rights lawyer with expertise on racial and religious discrimination and profiling.

He said: The whole time no one else was "randomly selected". They never told me what law I "broke" or how I was being "non-compliant".

I get stopped often. Every time I mention I'm a lawyer, they release me immediately. Funny how that works?

They know they're illegally profiling.

I'm a US Citizen, an attorney, I understand American culture, the English language, and the lawand CBP still tries to intimidate me with lies & threats.

Now imagine you're an undocumented asylee who doesn't speak English, after a 2000 mile trip with a babyand you have to face CBP?

A spokesman for Washington Dulles International Airport said: "Privacy laws prevent Customs and Border Protection from discussing the arrivals examination of any specific individual. CBP strives to treat all passengers with respect and dignity while we conduct our dual mission of facilitating the free flow of legitimate travel and trade while we help secure our nation against all potential threats.
T he United States will create a "Space Force" as a sixth, separate military service by 2020, the US Vice President Mike Pence has announced.

Speaking at the Pentagon on Thursday, Mr Pence unveiled plans to establish the new military branch.

He said the force was needed to ensure America's dominance in space - a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested that has now become crowded and adversarial.

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," Mr Pence said.

"The time has come to establish the United States Space Force."

President Donald Trump welcomed the announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

Mr Trump has called for a "separate but equal" space force, a complicated and expensive move that requires congressional approval.

Mr Pence today said that the administration will work with Congress on the plan, and will outline a budget next year.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganise the military's space warfighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching a pricey, new service.

Any proposal to create a new service would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress Thursday lays out plans to consolidate the Pentagon's warfighting space forces and make organisational changes to boost the acquisition and development of leading edge technologies.

The Pentagon's role in space has been under scrutiny because of a recognition that the United States is increasingly reliant on satellites that are difficult to protect in space.

Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the economy.

The US intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China are pursuing "nondestructive and destructive" anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war.
P rotesters clashed with police in violent scenes on the streets of Buenos Aires after the country's senate rejected a bill to legalise abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Lawmakers voted 38-31 against the bill following a 15-hour-long debate on Wednesday.

Currently, abortion in Argentina is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a woman's health. Thousands of women, most of them poor, are hospitalised each year for complications linked to unsafe abortions.

The lower house had already passed the measure with President Mauricio Macri saying that he would sign it should it be passed in the Senate.

As lawmakers debated the bill, supporters gathered outside congress to watch the debate on live screens.

A pro choice activist throws a bottle at a barrier / AP

After the vote, a number of protestors clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades. Police officers responded with tear gas.

Dramatic images from the scene show people throwing bottles and other objects while anti-abortion activists celebrate.

The country's Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as half a million illegal abortions every year with dozens of women dying as a result.

The issue has divided Argentines. On Wednesday, a "Mass for Life" was held in the capital.

Cardibnal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires told churchgoers: "Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State."

A pro-choice supporter shields her face following the result / AP

Feminist groups and doctors held rallies in support of the bill on Wednesday.

Former President Cristina Fernandez, who is now an opposition senator said: "It's a shame that we were not able to reach a consensus because the problem will continue to exist exactly as it did before we began this debate. We need to make an effort to resolve this."

"It's a shame that we were not able to reach a consensus because the problem will continue to exist exactly as it did before we began this debate," said former President Cristina Fernandez, who is an opposition senator.

"We need to make an effort to resolve this," she said.
A t least 29 children have been killed and 30 were injured in a Saudi-led air strike in Yemen after a missile hit a school bus, charity workers have said.

In total some 43 people died and 61 were wounded in the air strike that devastated a market town in Dahyan in the northern province of Saada, according to the health ministry.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had targeted Shia rebels, known as Houthis, saying its actions were legitimate and that it never deliberately targets civilians.

Dramatic images of wounded schoolchildren covered in blood being treated in hospital were aired on Al Masirah TV following the horrific blast on Thursday.

Saada: A boy lies in the hospital after he being injured in the airstrike / REUTERS

Body bags filled the floor of a room in the hospital.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that its team at a hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old.

It also said it received 48 wounded people, including 30 children.

Abdul-Ghani Sareeh, from Saada health department, said: "A bus carrying children was targeted today [Thursday] while they were coming from summer school resulting in 43 martyrs and almost 63 wounded."

Saada province, a Houthi stronghold, lies along the border with Saudi Arabia.

Colonel Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

The coalition said the projectile, fired toward the south-western Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

Smoke rises after the airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen / REUTERS

The statement added that the missile was launched "deliberately to target residential and populated areas".

Col al-Malki insisted Thursday's attack carried out in Saada is a "legitimate military action" and is "in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs".

He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them as human shields.

Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognised government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015.

The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten," the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is "sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx".

Later, air strikes hit the Yemeni capital Sanaa and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the city's southern and western areas.

There was no immediate reports on casualties.

Yemen's three-year war has killed more than 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemen's infrastructure and crippled its health system.

The coalition faces widespread international criticism for air strikes in Yemen that kill civilians.
A work wear staple turned holiday must-have, the shirt dress has been reinvented this season to become a closet cornerstone.

Once reserved solely for the office, the star piece, favoured by the likes of Meghan Markle, has stepped up its game. The shirt dress has been given a contemporary revamp where the classic piece has been embellished with playful elements like stripes and floral prints.

Taking you from your desk to off-duty, the shirt dress is effortlessly chic that can be dressed up with statement details like earrings, red lipstick, knee-high boots or mules, or down with white sneakers.

And while the dress the Duchess Sussex most recent shirt dress will cost you 400 from Club Monaco - back in stock by the way - we've rounded up the best shirt dresses for under 50.

M&S Collection Floral Print Maxi Dress

This M&S floral dress is a trans-seasonal piece that will take you from your summer holidays with trainers or sandals, to the winter worn with tights. The dress has a front button fastening that can be worn slightly undone for a more casual look. The effortlessly stylish piece is available in sizes 6 to 24.

Topshop Stripe Drawstring Shirt Dress

In this seasons favourite shade, a bold yellow hue, this relaxed shirt dress has an all-over white stripe detail with a tie drawstring addition. From holidays, to work, this versatile piece will suit any occasion.

39 | Topshop | Buy it now

Zara Shirt Dress with Belt

This Zara shirt dress is an office-ready staple. The polo shirt collar and long-sleeves are further embellished with contrast details such as the black tie waist and oversized buttons on the front and cuffs.

29.99 | Zara | Buy it now

Mango Floral Vintage Dress

A summer staple, a floral dress should be in every person's seasonal wardrobe and this option from Mango combines two of our favourite trends. The black and white stripe shirt dress has a flowy, relaxed fit with an elastic waist and front slit. It is also available in an all-black option.

49.99 | Mango | Buy it now

Topshop Leopard Print PJ Shirt Dress

For a bold take on the trend, look no further than this leopard print option from Topshop in a pyjama style.

The luxe dress is a closet cornerstone that can be further embellished with a pop of colour like a red lipstick and matching red shoes. You may have noticed animal print has been selling hotter than ice cream in a heatwave this season but a classic cut like this will last for years to come.

39 | Topshop | Buy it now

Floral Print 3/4 Sleeve Shirt Maxi Dress

This maxi shirt dress has a flattering fit and a relaxed style. The black dress youve been looking for, it is embellished with a floral print. The shirt dress can be dressed up or down with heels or flats depending on the occasion and season - we're thinking black riding boots for winter will look fab.

Black Plunge Ruched Shirt Dress

This black shirt dress puts a more evening twist on a classic piece. The dress features retro-inspired ruched shoulders with puffy sleeves and an elasticated waist. Available in size 4 to 16, it can be accessorised with layered jewellery to complete the ultra-glam look.

30 | PrettyLittleThing | Buy it now

Warehouse D-ring Shirt Dress

For a contemporary take on a shirt dress, this Warehouse number is the ideal office-appropriate attire that ensures you are dressed for success. Offered in navy or khaki, the streamlined silhouette is cropped at the knee and cinched with a D-ring fastening. The dress is available in sizes 8 to 16.

42 | House of Fraser | Buy it now

Plus Red Midi Shirt Dress

This shirt dress from River Island proves simplicity is key. The dress is offered in a bold red hue with a button-front detail, three quarter sleeves and a tie front. It is available in sizes 18 to 28.

45 | River Island | Buy it now

Bee Midi Shirt Dress

This dress gives us serious summer vibes without being a typical floral print number. It has a cute all-over bee print that adds an interesting touch to the statement orange piece. The dress is sleeveless with a button front and tie detail.

46 | Warehouse | Buy it now

Shirt Dress

Effortlessly chic, this shirt dress from Monki will take you seamlessly from the office to the party. The versatile piece has a front button fastening with a tie front. It is also available in a leafy print with parrot embellishments.

15 | Monki | Buy it now

Cotton-blend Shirt Dress
F ormer One Direction star Liam Payne has no one to blame but himself for his latest online mocking after he attempted to turn himself into a meme.

The 24-year-old was ridiculed by fans after he called on them to make a quote on his most recent Instagram story.

The seven second clip shows him darting his eyes before the camera zooms in as a mans hand pushes his face.

He tweeted: Make a quote and repost my last IG story ... lets see what we get today.

But Payne became the butt of the joke as many mocked his terminology with one posting the story alongside the tweet: When Liam calls caption this a quote.

Payne replied: Im learning.

Others accused him of being vain with one tweeting: When you realise Liam just likes to see his meme face many times on his timeline.

Another posted: You're desperate to become a meme arent ya.

It comes months after he was ridiculed for bragging about travelling in private jets, telling fans jet lag only exists for those who can use the luxury travel, for those he can't he claimed its called plane lag.

He posted a picture of himself flipping a middle finger to the camera alongside the caption: You can only get jet lag from a jet the rest of yall have got plane lag #NOF****.

Ridiculed: Liam Payne was savaged hard / Instagram/ Liam Payne

Fans mocked the post with many deeming it cringe while others branded Payne an angry man-child.

Payne, who recently split from Cheryl, is gearing up for the release of his debut solo album.

He has yet to disclose the title but opened up about it during an interview on Good Morning America. It is out on the 14th of September, I can tell you that much, he revealed. Im really happy with it, its come out really nice.
Some point to studies that find that appropriate take-home work in the right amounts can enhance younger students learning and prepare them for a routine of studying as they get older. But others say homework has little to do with academic achievement in elementary school and can get in the way of other life experiences like spending time with family and much needed downtime for often over-scheduled kids.
T he death of actress Margot Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane in the Superman films in the 1970s and 1980s, has been ruled a suicide.

Kidder, 69, was found dead by a friend in her home in Montana on May 13. Her manager said at the time she had died peacefully in her sleep.

But a coroner ruled on Wednesday that the actress died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose".

Maggie McGuane, Kidder's daughter by her ex-husband Thomas McGuane, said 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.

Margot Kidder, pictured in 2000, committed suicide, a coroner has ruled / AP

"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.

Ms 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," she 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 Christopher 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 and received a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding performer in a kids' series in 2015 for that role.

Kidder, from Yellowknife, Canada, was a political activist who was arrested in 2011 in a Washington 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 after 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.
L ove Island winners Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer have left fans fuming after failing to post any pictures of Danny Dyers meeting with his future son-in-law.

The pen salesman, 26, met the EastEnders hardman for the first time at Danis 22nd birthday on Wednesday.

Dani posted several pictures of Fincham meeting members of her family including her younger siblings Sunnie, 11 and Arty, five.

Fincham also posted a snap of Dani sitting on his lap alongside the tribute: Lovely evening round Dans for her bday , happy birthday beautiful I hope you have had a lovely day love you loads xxx @danidyerxx.

But fans were desperate for a picture of Finchams face-to-face meeting with Danny after they previously bonded via video call in the Love Island villa.

One asked: Wheres daddy Dyer??

Another wrote: WHERE IS THE PHOTO WITH DANNY DYER.

Margot Robbie is 'obsessed' with Dani Dyer

A third posted: Still waiting to see him meet Dad.

But others praised Danny for not stealing the limelight from his daughter on her big day, claiming he clearly opted to stay out of the pictures, with one user commenting: I think it's been pretty obvious, big Danny dont want to take the shine away from his daughter, what a dad.

Fincham opened up about his meeting with Danny, whose old film poster he has on his bedroom wall, saying he was looking forward to it.

Father-daughter duo: Danny and Dani Dyer / @danidyerxx Instagram

Speaking on Good Morning Britain he said: Im looking forward to it, its Dani's birthday tomorrow so were going out for a meal tomorrow, Ive met the rest of her family.

Im looking forward to it, I love meeting new people so it should be fun.

Fincham and Dani won over the nation with their Love Island love story and are currently planning to move in together.

Love Island 2018: Series 4 Reunion - In pictures 1 /8 Love Island 2018: Series 4 Reunion - In pictures Dani and Jack get a warm reception ITV Dani and Jack tour Jack's work ITV Laura and Paul ITV Laura and Paul ITV Dani and Jack get to work ITV Kaz and Josh ITV Laura and Paul take a trip to sea ITV Kaz and Josh meet the friends ITV

But Danny previously voiced his concerns for the couples life outside of the villa saying Fincham may get caught up in the whirlwind of fame and struggle to cope with their relationship.

He has no idea. When he comes out hes from South East London and hes going to be the nations sweetheart and so his mates are going to want a bit of that, Dyer told the Mirror.

Hell get caught up in the whirlwind of it. And of course they have got the added pressure of being in a public relationship which is again really difficult, really difficult.
M edical cannabis has been all the rage in the UK of late.

Headlines about two young epilepsy sufferers, Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingely, who were denied access to cannabis oil that helped keep their conditions under control, sparked a debate that led to the home secretary Sajid Javid's decision to allow medical cannabis to be available on prescription in the UK.

Whilst the wonders of cannabis have been touted for conditions such as cancer and arthritis, relatively little is known about the green leaf and its supposedly magical properties.

Thats where Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies (OCT) comes in. The bio-tech start-up, founded by Kingsley Capital Partners, has been launched in partnership with the University of Oxford to research the potential benefits of the plant.

OCTs chairman, and managing partner at Kingsley, Neil Mahapatra, became interested in the medical cannabis market after seeing the growth in the UK following its legalisation there.

However, it wasnt until he lost his mother to lung cancer, that he began to really research the impact cannabis could have on diseases.

Whilst there is something to suggest cannabis can help with cancer, nowhere near enough research is being done, he tells the Standard. Yet, in the regions where cannabis is legal, it is under the guise of having medical benefits.

Mahapatra, who studied his undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Oxford, decided to turn to his old biology professor to discuss it. I said: The medical cannabis market is opening up, no one understands how it works, why dont we design a research programme with Oxford?

With that, OCT was born.

Neil Mahapatra, managing partner at Kingsley Capital Partners and chairman of Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies / Kingsley Capital Partners

How can cannabis be a medical product?

If you take apart the cannabis plant, it is full of different molecules, known as cannabinoid molecules. The THC molecule is the psychoactive molecule that gives you the head high, whilst much has been written about CBD, the molecule that forms CBD oil which Billy Caldwel and Alfie Dingley use to treat their epilepsy.

Beyond CBD, there are loads of minor cannabinoids that have not been looked at yet. They could have huge medical potential, explains Mahapatra.

It sounds radical to turn to a plant for medicine but Mahapatra explains that this is how the pharmaceutical industry has worked in the past. In the 1970s and 1980s, companies were mining natural products such as plants, bacteria, and fungi in order to generate medicine. Yet, cannabis was ignored because of its social stigma, he says.

OCT is hoping to change this. It will start with research on the other cannabinoids, focusing on four major areas: pain, cancer, inflammation and neurological disease. Depending on where this research goes, the company could look to develop its own drugs or collaborate with pharmaceutical firms to take products to market.

It will be funding researchers at Oxford, as well as other universities throughout the UK. Further international partnerships will be announced later this year.

Yet due to the stigma around cannabis, it hasnt been easy to get OCT off the ground. When we started looking at the market, a lot of people in London questioned what we were doing, says Mahapatra. We took a fair bit of reputational risk on it.

Collaborating with Oxford certainly helped in legitimising the venture. As well, OCT has recruited a former pharmaceutical executive Dr John Lucas as its CCO and former head of strategic development for Barts and the London School of Medicine, Dr Jutta Roth, as its CSO to demonstrate that it is serious.

In order for this market to become legitimised and accepted, the actors have to be utterly professional, he explains.

The legal challenge

With Oxford involved and a team on board, the next stage in OCTs development was receiving sign off from the Home Office.

The start-up needed a license to be able to research cannabis, a long and expensive process. Even the security of the transportation of the plants needed to be signed off and checked before the license could be issued.

Mahapatra commends the Home Office for taking this approach. It was long but it was right to be so long, he says. The wrong people trying to get into this market and get a license might be dis-incentivised by that process and thats a good thing.

He also thinks the departments approach to allowing cannabis prescriptions is a positive one too. Though this wont necessarily impact OCTs research, it will help businesses that are bringing medical cannabis products to market, something Kingsley Partners is hoping to do in the future.

If this announcement leads to more companies embarking on medical cannabis research, Mahapatra says he welcomes the competition.

The more people looking into the medical benefits of cannabis, the better it will be for all of us. This plant has the potential to save so many lives.

Following a Series A fundraising of $10 million, OCT also announced that a famous face would be joining its board as a patron, Sir Patrick Stewart, who is very supportive of the companys mission. As well, Baroness Meacher, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform is part of the Advisory Board.

They are very supportive of the initiative, says Mahapatra. We will announce more members of the advisory board in the future but its an exciting time, we have the right team and the right skillsets around the table.

And whilst OCT is very positive about the potential cannabis has, there is always the fear that the research could throw a spanner into the works.

If we discover cannabis can cause cancer and we find that, we will have to report it to the medical authorities, he says. But right now, the evolution of the market, without any knowledge to the evolution of the molecular actions of cannabinoids, is something that is happening.
Wrong wings: Man allegedly shoots at father after disputed food run

FARMINGTON  A Bountiful man brought home the wrong variety of chicken wings and his son allegedly tried to shoot him, police said in charging documents. The Davis County Attorneys Office on Tuesday filed a first-degree felony attempted-murder charge against Alika Suliafu, 31, stemming from the Thursday incident. When (Suliafu) discovered the wings were not the variety he liked, he became upset and began to argue, a Bountiful police probable cause statement said. Suliafu went to another room and returned with a firearm, allegedly pointing it at his father. The father begged ...
I have read the regulation, as well as the experiences of dozens of other travelers, and firmly believe I am due the same $738 compensation. I've been polite and professional. United has offered no fewer than three different  and inaccurate  reasons EU 261 doesn't apply. The airline says the flight was canceled. Then it says it diverted the flight. And finally, it claims the crew needed rest time.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  In his introduction to The Complete Stories of Franz Kafka (1995), John Updike said it is a testament to the Czech writers skill that his most famous work The Metamorphosis appears impervious to any visual adaptation. That novella, on a traveling salesman who wakes up one day transformed into a giant bug, derives its power, he said, from an amorphous terror that vanishes the moment the vermin is rendered in any straightforward way. Thus, the only way to truly experience the text is to read it and imagine it, for Updike the highest test of literariness.

But Kafka didnt live at a time when peoples senses are so thoroughly bombarded by stimuli: from television and billboards and cinema, from relentless advertisement and hyperlinked realities and the broad commodification of images, resulting perhaps in a way of imagining that is increasingly  and productively  visual.

This is the kind of reality that literature and writers need to attend to in one way or another, and clearly some works are more suited to this way of imagining than others (language play, for instance, can be lost in a medium highly contingent on narrative). Even so, theres something primally joyful in thinking about ones favorite fictional characters as real breathing people and seeing something youve imagined unfold before your very eyes. The pleasure can be more visceral and the impact, more absorbing.

Here are some Filipino books that would make for great film or T.V. adaptations.

Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891) by Jose Rizal

Mandating every Filipino high school student to read Rizals novels may have been the books own undoing; the two works, on young ilustrado Crisostomo Ibarra returning from his studies in Europe and witnessing a society brutalized by friarocracy and miseducation, are exciting, sarcastic, and darkly humorous, with a cast of memorable, well-drawn characters who collectively offer a glimpse of late 19th-century Philippines.

For many high school kids, however, the Noli and the Fili, because they are required reading, are reduced to names and factoids and plot points to be memorized, their lessons on elite rule and state-sanctioned abuse fossilized when they in fact remain horrifyingly relevant.

Its due for an update (there are movie adaptations by National Artist for Film Gerry de Leon in 1961 and 1962, as well as a thirteen-part T.V. series by Eddie Romero, another National Artist, for the CCP in 1993). Good acting can capture Rizals ear for satire and irony  a classic vehicle for social critique  and his brand of realism  the attention to telling details, penchant for set pieces, well-paced plot  should translate well onscreen.

America is in the Heart (1946) by Carlos Bulosan

The Trump era makes Bulosans magnum opus eerily prescient. This personal history of immigrant Allos, first in impoverished Pangasinan then in Depression-era America, is filled with absolutely violent episodes of poverty and racism, riots and strikes, a lot of booze and gambling. Its blurring of fiction and nonfiction lends it an unflinching clarity, and its also, in Hollywood parlance, action-packed. Something is happening all the time.

But for all its dramatic episodes, its greatest wisdom perhaps lies in its salient exploration of the intersection between labor and race, the potency of organizing in battling systemic oppression, and the still-complex relationship between the Philippines and America. The development of Allos as an individual would make for a dramatic arc, either in a stand-alone film or over episodes in a miniseries.

The Forest (1963) by William Pomeroy

One of the best shows in recent memory is the absolutely riveting Cold War espionage thriller The Americans. I had waited for a Philippine tangent while watching it, but alas there was none. It did confirm to me how history becomes most alive when recounted not in grand political narratives but in private agonies, in this case that of a typical American husband and wife who are actually Soviet spies.

The anti-imperialist struggle is also at the heart of American-born soldier-turned-Huk William Pomeroys memoir The Forest. It is an account of his and his wife Celias journey to the Sierra Madre mountains in southern Luzon as part of the guerilla movement from 1950 to when they were captured in 1952. Like The Americans, it is fitting material for a thriller, by turns gripping and poignant, depicting a secret world that very few have access to and a movement that dominant narratives routinely demonize.

Gapo (1988) by Lualhati Bautista

The prolific Lualhati Bautista is perhaps best known for her novels that had been adapted into the big screen, including Dekada 70 and Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? But my favorite from hers is Gapo, which might be interesting to revisit in light of the administrations supposed pivot away from Washington even as things like the Visiting Forces Agreement remain in effect.

Set during the heyday of the bases, Gapo offers a cross-section of the bustling titular city but at its heart is as a coming-of-age tale for the blonde and feisty Mike Taylor, the son of an American GI who abandons him and his mother. His story is at once personal and collective, a portrait of an individual crusading against an increasingly brutal society.

A weekly miniseries featuring Joel Torre aired on RPN 9 in the 1990s, but the material seems better suited to a movie in the social realist tradition of Brocka and Bernal and Romero and De Leon, among others.

Cubao series (1992 to 1995) by Tony Perez

I cannot think of another oeuvre more keenly, more tenderly attuned to the psychogeography of the city as Tony Perezs. His Cubao is both darkly erotic and murderous, cloying but also a source of liberation. Here, high school boys roam the streets toward a rude sexual awakening, displaced entities upend the construction of the Aurora underpass, a woman grows obsessed over news that a serial rapist is at large in the vicinity, and grownups with a dark past make sense of childhood traumas in strange ways.

No one details urban space, populates it with deeply recognizable characters, and lends it a palpable atmosphere like Perez. That his prose is reliably hypnotic also helps. Because the area changes so quickly, recreating 1980s Cubao might prove to be a challenge (though pockets of such period persist), but the rewards of bringing such a unique vision to the screen should make any effort worth it.

Feast and Famine (2003) by Rosario Cruz Lucero

It is rare for a short story collection to be so evenly superior and cohesive, with no single work out of place or of comparatively subpar quality. But thats precisely the achievement of this book, the authors second. The five stories in the collection all revolve around some aspect of Negrense life and history, but its modes range from realism to metafiction and its scope meanders from the Spanish to the contemporary period.

In its pages are summary executions and assassinations, spurned lovers, sexual tension (between a friar and a babaylan!), small town hypocrisy and feudal violence. All are delicious material for standalone episodes in an anthology miniseries a la Black Mirror. What might prove challenging to render  and where Black Mirror can perhaps serve as a model  is the sense of tenuous reality in the stories, an imagining that defiantly draws from indigenous worldview and knowledge.

Trese (first independently published in 2005) by Budjette Tan and Kajo Balidisimo

I take the recent outcry over local shows inspired by Western mythologies to mean that theres appetite for more offerings that adeptly tap into indigenous lore (I cant wait for the Janus Silang series in the works, for one). If theres any work that makes use of this heady wealth and appears most overdue for an onscreen adaptation, its probably the graphic novel series Trese.

Originally a radio show, it follows club owner slash police consultant slash babaylan Alexandra Trese as she solves weird crimes in a familiar but also strange Metro Manila. In this world, the line that divides hard reality and the so-called supernatural is porous, if it exists at all. The aswang, tikbalang, and manananggal brush elbows with gang leaders, corrupt cops, and politicians. Trese herself is in possession of ancient wisdom and powers, uses a magical kris called sinag, and fights alongside an enigmatic demigod set of twins and other figures from local myth.

Initially episodic and self-contained, its accumulative mythology makes it suitable to a format perhaps similar to the BBC series Sherlock. A noir treatment can also serve its trademark black-and-white rendering well.

elsewhere held and lingered (2008) by Conchitina Cruz

There is something uniquely fascinating about projects that directly or indirectly engage with poetry as a source material. Il Postino, for instance, which features a Pablo Neruda character, or the harrowing South Korean drama Poetry, or the James Franco-starrer Howl.

A contemporary Filipino poet with a body of work that I think may translate well onscreen is Conchitina Cruz. In particular I can imagine an exciting Il Postino treatment for her sensuous sophomore collection about desire and infidelity elsewhere held and lingered.

As in the Italian film, a loose adaptation can play around with the real-life poet as a character, or recurring images and motifs in the book, or its narrative line. Most crucially, however, it should find a way to incorporate the poems themselves, to me among the finest written in Philippine literature in recent memory.
Hybels was the subject of a series of inquiries overseen by Willow Creeks elders, including one conducted by an outside law firm. He was cleared of any wrongdoing in those inquires. With the elders knowledge, he continued to counsel the woman who alleged, then retracted, her story of having a 14-year affair with Hybels. When members of the Willow Creek Association board questioned that conflict of interest, elders said he was fulfilling his pastoral duty because the woman was suicidal and had kept them informed every time the woman reached out to him.
Countries & Areas

Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe
Police have often used bait vehicles to catch people in the act of committing a robbery or a theft. Susan Terpay, a spokeswoman for the Norfolk Southern Railroad police, which worked with Chicago police on the investigation, defended the Englewood investigation, noting these sting operations are tactics used by law enforcement to crack down on patterns of thefts in certain areas.
The legend of Manole the craftsman, Miorita, the Romanian garb, traditions and churches, Bran and Peles Castles, were presented on Thursday to the members of the China Young Cultural Ambassadors (CYCA), within an event at the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR).

"We talked to them about these things because they are the foundation of our soul, they are tied to the way we view life's events - wedding, death, etc. I hope that now they will better understand the way we think and the way we want to be perceived by those around us," declared for AGERPRES, Sinologist Adrian Lupeanu, who held a lecture in Chinese, about Romania.

He mentioned that he chose to speak to them about the tradition of "Martisor". "I thought about presenting to them a Romanian traditional holiday and I chose "Martisor" because they will not meet it in other cultures, only perhaps in the Balkan area. I presented to them our castles, our churches, the Table of Silence and the Endless Column of Brancusi. I told them to visit as much as possible in Romania. To go and see our churches, to better understand the Romanian soul," the scholar said.In his turn, the head of the Programs General Direction through Representations and in the Historic Communities within the ICR, Irina Ionescu, the host of the event, reminded that the Romanian Cultural Institute has had, since 2015, in Beijing, a very "active representation which hosts numerous cultural events.""This visit is yet another piece of evidence that the purpose of having our country, civilization and culture known in China has been fulfilled and we are still on the right path. We want our projects in China to attract as many people as possible, and the collaborations, like today's, with these very young ambassadors of Chinese culture, to bring results that are at least as good as until now. For 2019, ICR Beijing prepared numerous projects of promoting Romanian music, theatre and film, alongside the yearly programs, namely the Romanian Cinematheque, Greater Romanians. The culture, art and national identity will continue to be promoted in China within the Beijing International Book Fair, where Romania was appointed the country of honor next year," said Irina Ionescu.A delegation of the Organization of China Young Cultural Ambassadors visited the ICR headquarters on Thursday. The delegation comprised 10 children from 3 cities - Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzen, with ages ranging from 8 to 14 years, the ICR headquarters of Bucharest being the last stage of a tour of Romania which included visits to Oradea, Cluj Napoca, Sibiu and Bran.Within the event in the Capital, the children took part in a concert in both Chinese and Romanian language, performed by the "Allegretto" choir.ICR Beijing presented projects in partnership with the Organization of China Young Cultural Ambassadors from the beginning of the institute's inauguration, in July 2015. Through the means of the Organization of China Young Cultural Ambassadors, ICR Beijing presented to the children and teenagers information about Romanian culture, the members of the organization thus being a loyal audience of the events of the institute in China's capital.
The military cooperation between Romania and Slovakia was on the agenda of the meeting that Defence Minister Mihai Fifor had in Bucharest on Thursday with the new Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Romania, Karol Mistrik, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defence (MApN).

According to the quoted source, the discussions at the MApN headquarters focused mainly on bilateral cooperation within the initiatives and projects carried out at the level of the North-Atlantic Alliance and European Union, as well as through the dialogue format "Bucharest 9" (B9).

"In terms of cooperation within the Alliance, the importance of implementing the decisions of the recent NATO Summit in Brussels was highlighted. In the context, the usefulness of the B9 dialogue platform in coordinating the positions of the allied states on the eastern flank was appreciated, given the need to continue the joint effort to combat threats to regional security and North Atlantic space, in general," the MApN press release reads.At the same time, the two officials expressed their interest in intensifying the cooperation between the two states at the defense level, appreciating Slovakia's contribution to the Command of the South-East Multinational Division, an allied command and control structure, located on the territory of Romania.
The deputy chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL, opposition) Raluca Turcan says that the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (main ruling PSD) sent Olguta Vasilescu, the Minister of Labor, to announce the Pension law prior to diaspora's meeting (August 10, ed. n), just like Nicolae Ceausescu did in 1989.

"Liviu Dragnea sent Mrs. Olguta Vasilescu to announce the Pension Law now, prior to the meeting. We've seen this before, in 1989, when Ceausescu thought that by raising pensions he could quench the thirst for justice and freedom of Romanians. Just like in '89, the meeting will not be influenced by messages such as this, because it represents the expression of revolt towards the Government and those that invested everything in Romania: youth, hope, work, ideas, money... and were cheated. This meeting is the outburst of those that wish to work, of those who want just laws, of those who want respect from the state's institutions and its representatives. They did not receive this and they left. Others will leave too if the ruling class won't understand that the people want a country, not a charity. They want leaders, not convicts. They want respect, not mockery. They want a bright future in a clean Romania for their children," Raluca Turcan wrote on Thursday, on Facebook.

She says hopeful that after this meeting the Prime Minister Viorica Dancila will step down."The meeting of the Diaspora and the people who want an efficient, corruption-free political class, makes me optimistic. I hope that the message and the strength of their shouts be so strong, so deafening, that we will see the following day the resignation of the most embarrassing Prime Minister in Romania's history. The resignation of the most brownnoser and incompetent ministers that Romania has had up until this point," added Turcan.
Investment in Romania's real estate market was 27 pct down in H1 2018 from the same period of 2017 to 386 million euro; despite that, the local market was more active than Hungary or Slovakia's, a specialist report released on Thursday informs.

According to calculations and estimates by real estate consultancy company Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, this decline occurred against the backdrop of a substantial number of transactions not having been effectively signed by June 30, but which would boost the market to a level comparable to the one-billion euro achieved in 2017, should they materialize by year-end.

"The volume of investment in H1 2018 was of approximately 386 million euro, down 27 pct from the same period of the previous year, when investment deals on the local market amounted to 530 million euro. (...) In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the local market attracted 7.6 pct of the aggregate 5.1 billion euro worth of investments recorded in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Poland is at the top of the list with 3.2 billion euro and a share of 64.1 pct, followed by the Czech Republic with 910 million euro (18 pct). Romania came in third in CEE, with a share higher than Hungary (7 pct) and Slovakia's (3.3 pct)," the report notes.On the local market, the office sector was the most active, accounting for 66 pct of the total volume, followed by retail with 29 pct. Hospitality and industry only made a low contribution of 3 pct and 1 pct, respectively.According to report data, Lion's Head Investments - a joint venture between Old Mutual and South African financial services company AG Capital - struck the biggest deal with the acquisition of Oregon Park that features 70,000 sqm of lettable area in Bucharest's Barbu Vacarescu - Floreasca neighborhood. In its first transaction in Romania after almost 10 years, CA Immo bought the Campus 6.1 office building from Skanska, for 53 million euro.In the retail sector, the most relevant deal was the acquisition of the Militari Shopping retail park in Bucharest for 95 million euro by another group of South African investors - Prime Capital and MAS Real Estate.Real estate consultancy company Cushman & Wakefield Echinox is the exclusive affiliate of Cushman & Wakefield in Romania, owned and operated independently.
About 7:10 a.m., Park was riding a bicycle in the northbound lanes of Halsted Street near Madison Street, just west of the Interstate 90/94 interchange, when a dump truck hit her as the driver tried to make a right turn, according to Chicago Police.
The lawsuit filed by del Valle and others seeks to force the Police Department to notify those listed in the databases, so they can challenge their inclusion. It also demands stricter limits on how to label someone a gang member, even requiring a sworn declaration by at least two detectives. The superintendent or general counsel would ultimately have to sign off on the designations.
As he rose through the ranks of the Outfit in the 1970s and 80s, Lombardos off-the-wall stunts garnered almost as much attention as the mob hits. After a 1981 court appearance, Lombardo walked out with a newspaper in front of his face  with a hole cut out so he could see.
Franklin was arrested after he was identified as the person on a video who was involved in a shooting Aug. 4 in the 3900 block of West Madison Street. Shortly before 3:30 p.m. that day, a 26, year-old man was shot in the foot at that location, police said.
Emanuel does not have $20 million this election cycle  at least not yet. To date, the mayor has raised more than $10 million toward his bid for a third term, according to state campaign finance records. As for special interests, about $2.4 million of that money has come from unions and another $186,000 from other political action committees, including the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, AT&T employees, Exelon and Ford Motor Company.
The United States Department of Justice would apparently have you believe that the Kremlin sought to subvert the five-million-member strong National Rifle Association (NRA) by having two Russian citizens take out life memberships in the organization with the intention of corrupting it and turning it into a mouthpiece for President Vladimir Putin. Both of the Russians  Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin  have, by the way, long well documented histories as advocates for gun ownership and were founders of Right to Bear Arms, which is not an intelligence front organization of some kind and is rather a genuine lobbying group with an active membership and agenda. Contrary to what has been reported in the mainstream media, Russians can own guns but the licensing and registration procedures are long and complicated, which Right to Bear Arms, modeling itself on the NRA, is seeking to change.

Maria Butina, a graduate student at American University, is now in solitary confinement in a federal prison, having been charged with collusion with Torshin and failure to register as an agent of the Russian Federation. It is unusual to arrest and confine someone who has failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, but she has not been granted bail because, as a Russian citizen, she is considered to be a flight risk, likely to try to flee the US and return home. It is to be presumed that she is being pressured to identify others involved in her alleged scheme to overthrow American democracy through NRA membership.

Indeed, in any event, it would be difficult to imagine why anyone would consider the NRA to be a legitimate intelligence target. It only flexes its admitted powerful legislative muscles over issues relating to gun ownership, not regarding policy on Russia. In short, Butina and by extension Torshin appear to have done nothing wrong. Both are energetic advocates for their country and guns rights, which they appear to believe in, and Butinas aggressive networking has broken no law except not registering, which in itself assumes that she is a Russian government agent, something that has not been demonstrated. To put the shoe on the other foot, will every American who now travels to Russia and engages in political conversations with local people be suspected of acting as an agent of the US government? Once you open the door, it swings both ways.

One might dismiss the entire Affair Butina as little more than a reflection of the anti-Russia hysteria that has been sweeping the United States since Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election, but that would be unfair to those remaining honest FBI agents who may have investigated Butina and Torshin and come up with what they believed to be a plausible case for an indictment. There were possibly suspicious money transfers as well as email intercepts that might be interpreted as incriminating.

But two important elements are clearly missing. The first is motive. Did the Kremlin seriously believe that it could get anything substantial out of having a gun totin attractive young Russian woman as a life member in the NRA? What did the presumed puppet masters in Moscow expect to obtain apart from the sorts of group photos including Butina that one gets while posing with politicians at the annual NRA convention? Sure, the photo might even evolve into a cup of coffee together, but what is the end game?

Second is the lack of any of the hallmarks of an intelligence operation, which is referred to in the business as tradecraft. Spies meet secretly or at least outside the public eye with prospective agents whereas Maria operated completely in the open and she made no effort to conceal her love for her country and her desire that Washington and Moscow normalize relations. Spies also communicate securely, which means that they use encrypted systems or various cut-outs, i.e. mis-directions, when maintaining contact with those who are running them. Again, Maria did none of that, which is why the FBI has her emails. Also spies work under what is referred to as an operating directive in CIA-speak where they have very specific information that they seek to obtain from their contacts. There is no indication that Maria Butina in any way sought classified information or intelligence that would relate either to the security of the United States or to Americas political system. And finally, Maria made no attempt to recruit anyone and turn them into an actual controlled Russian agent, which is what spies eventually seek to do.

It has come down to this: if you are a Russian and you are caught talking to anyone in any way influential, there is potentially hell to pay because the FBI will be watching you. You are automatically assumed to be part of a conspiracy. Once evidence is collected, you will be indicted and sent to prison, mostly to send a message to Moscow. It is the ultimate irony that how the old Soviet Unions judiciary used to function is now becoming standing operating procedure in the United States.
Back in February, we warned about the prospect of Israel selling F-16s to Croatia, a state in which WWII revisionism and Holocaust denial are running rampant, and memories of the Nazi puppet Independent State of Croatia are routinely glorified. In the meantime, that has become a done deal. But there is more. Not only will Israel sell half a billion dollars worth of fighter jets to Croatia, but on August 5, three Israeli F-16s, crewed by Israeli pilots, took part in a parade to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the Operation Storm, in which more than 2,300 Serbs were killed, including more than 1,200 civilians, among which more than 500 women and 12 children, and which forced the exodus of a quarter million Serbs from their ancestral homes in this former Yugoslav republic, reducing their numbers from the pre-war 600,000 to fewer than 190,000 today.

As the Serb civilians retreated, Croatian fighter planes bombed and strafed the refugee columns, killing many, even those that had already crossed into neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina (B-H). Some of the refugees were met by Croatian mobs hurling rocks and concrete at them. Compiling accounts from various, mostly Western news reports, Gregory Elich put together a harrowing account of the Croatian military operation, with full US and NATO support:

A UN spokesman said, The windows of almost every vehicle were smashed and almost every person was bleeding from being hit by some object. Serbian refugees were pulled from their vehicles and beaten. As fleeing Serbian civilians poured into Bosnia, a Red Cross representative in Banja Luka (B-H) said, I've never seen anything like it. People are arriving at a terrifying rate. Bosnian Muslim troops crossed the border and cut off Serbian escape routes. Trapped refugees were massacred as they were pounded by Croatian and Muslim artillery The Croatian rampage through the region left a trail of devastation. Croatian special police units, operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, systematically looted abandoned Serbian villages. Everything of value  cars, stereos, televisions, furniture, farm animals  was plundered, and homes set afire. A confidential European Union report stated that 73 percent of Serbian homes were destroyed. Troops of the Croatian army also took part, and pro-Nazi graffiti could be seen on the walls of several burnt-out Serb buildings.

Massacres continued for several weeks after the fall of Krajina, and UN patrols discovered numerous fresh unmarked graves and bodies of murdered civilians. The European Union report states, Evidence of atrocities, an average of six corpses per day, continues to emerge. The corpses, some fresh, some decomposed, are mainly of old men. Many have been shot in the back of the head or had throats slit, others have been mutilated Serb lands continue to be torched and looted.

Following a visit in the region a member of the Zagreb Helsinki Committee reported, Virtually all Serb villages had been destroyed. In a village near Knin, eleven bodies were found, some of them were massacred in such a way that it was not easy to see whether the body was male or female.

Croatias then president, notorious WWII revisionist Franjo Tudjman, triumphantly celebrated the expulsion of the Serbs and the fact that they disappeared as if they have never lived here They didn't even have time to take with them their filthy money or their filthy underwear! This was the same man who had stated in 1990, at the beginning of his presidency, that he was glad my wife is neither Serb nor Jew, and, as the renowned Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal charged, claimed that only 900,000 Jews had perished in the Holocaust.

But this did not much faze Israeli officials playing their own version of the Art of the Deal. On August 5, 2018, as the Croatian daily Vecernji list gleefully announced, Operation Storm has at last been given the stamp of approval of its allies  the USA. and Israel, adding that the overflight by Israeli F-16s carrying the Star of David represented a symbolic act of international recognition of the ethical soundness of military operation Storm, which Croatia had been seeking since August 1995. Obviously, half a billion dollars buys quite a lot these days, Star of David and all, even for Holocaust deniers.

In a statement to the Times of Israel, Serbias ambassador in Tel Aviv said that his country was deeply disappointed about the participation of Israeli pilots and fighter jets, stressing that Operation Storm was a pogrom and the biggest exodus of a nation since the Second World War, and that Israels participation in Croatias victory celebration is not a friendly gesture toward Serbia.

On the other hand, according to the same report, Brigadier General (Ret.) Mishel Ben Baruch, head of the Israeli defense ministrys International Defense Cooperation Directorate, said that it was an honor to be able to participate in the 23rd anniversary of Operation Storm. In addition, the Israeli embassy in Belgrade defended the participation of its warplanes in the celebration, stating that it was entirely connected with the announced purchase of the planes, that it carried no political elements or any connection to the historic relations between Serbia and Croatia, and that the solid friendship between Israel and Serbia will never be jeopardized in any way.

Serbian foreign minister Ivica Dachich was, however, not impressed, referring to the participation of Israeli jets as immoral to their own people, the Jewish people, because so many Jews had perished in the Jasenovac [death camp], and the Croatian regime relativizes the Jewish victims, adding that he could not understand the presence of the Israeli flag at the celebration, and that it would be a mark that the Israeli state would henceforth carry.

The Belgrade Jewish Community issued its own statement, saying that the celebration of Operation Storm was neither the time, the place, nor the destination for Jewish pilots, that Jews remember their horrible suffering from World War II, when, just like the Serbs, we were victims of a terrible pogrom, and that absolutely no concession should be given, not even a thousandth of a millimeter, to the rehabilitation of either that or, unfortunately, the present-day glorification of the success of Croatian soldiers.

Efraim Zuroff, the chief Nazi-hunter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, tweeted the following just before the event: Very upset that Israeli AirForce jets will be flying in event to mark Operation Storm during which Croatia expelled 250,000 Serbs from their homes in Croatia. Until today no foreign country has ever participated!!

Ironically, just days before the Israeli pilots joined in the celebration of Croatias final solution to its Serbian problem, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin paid an official visit to Croatia and, during a visit to the notorious Nazi-era death camp, Jasenovac, often referred to as Croatias Auschwitz, urged Croatia to deal with its past and not to ignore it, (not so) subtly referring to, as Zuroff put it in a recent Jerusalem Post column, Croatias failure to sincerely and honestly confront the crimes of its Nazi-collaborating Ustasha movement and regime, which has plagued Croatia since it obtained independence in 1995.

Strangely, instead of continuing to hold Croatia to account, the Israeli government and armed forces have chosen to legitimize that countrys glorification of slaughter and ethnic cleansing, built on a foundation of Holocaust relativization and WWII revisionism. While helping fortify modern Croatias foundations, Israels leaders have just managed to shake their own.
Click the image above to watch the video

In today's forecast, we are expecting increasing fine spells and fresh westerlies dying out overnight.

It's a three-clothing layer day today with a high of 17 and an overnight low of 7 degrees. Humidity is 92 per cent.

Low tide is at 10.20am and high tide is at 4.50pm. There's a sea swell of 1.3m with a sea temperature of 15 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 5.30pm.

If you're going fishing today the next best fish bite time is between 9 and 11pm.

In NZ history on this day in 1908 sixteen American battleships from the US 'Great White Fleet' arrived in Auckland with much pomp and ceremony.

In 1930 George Nepia played his last All Blacks test. Nepia was one of the stars of the 1924-5 All Blacks, playing in all 32 matches on the team's tour of the British Isles, France and Canada. He played the last of his nine tests in 1930, against the British Lions.

In world history on this day in 1549 England declared war on France. In 1892 Thomas Edison received a patent for a two-way telegraph. In 1910 the first complete, self-contained electric washing machine was patented. In 1936 at the Summer Olympic Games Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal.

In 1945 Nagasaki was devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, was dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. Thirty-five thousand people were killed outright.

In 1973 Mars 7 was launched from the USSR. In 1974 as a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon became the first President of the United States to resign from office.

Today is the birthday of P.L.Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books. Born in 1899 she once said about curiosity "For me, there are no answers, only questions, and I am grateful that the questions go on and on."

To get involved in some of the many activities happening around the Bay, please check out our What's on page.

Have a great day!
Cale Borell, a rangatahi from Te Puna, is more determined than ever to achieve great things having begun a mentoring and leadership programme with Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber.

Cale, 19, from Pirirakau hapu in Te Puna, was selected earlier this year to work alongside Mayor Webber in the 2018 Tuia Te Here Tangata leadership development programme.

The year-long programme aims to develop leadership in young Maori across all communities and involves one-on-one mentoring with mayors.

Cales whakapapa connections are to the Tauranga Moana Iwi of Ngai Te Rangi and Ngati Ranginui and the Pirirakau and Ngati Hangarau hapu  an allegiance of which he is extremely proud.

When he started the programme in February, Cale was at a crossroads in his life.

He had completed the first year Bachelor of Health Science, progressing into pharmacy, at the University of Auckland in 2017. But he was struggling to settle, still coming to terms with the death of his mum Paula Heke, who was killed in a car crash in 2016 when Cale was in his last year of Tauranga Boys College.

So Cale returned home to Te Puna for a break to focus his attention on helping his community and finding more direction in his personal life.

Cale says the work he has done with the Mayor and attending leadership wananga with like-minded young people from throughout New Zealand has refreshed his desire to return to Auckland University and alter his studies to a business degree and possibly law.

He is also determined to continue work within the Te Puna community and improve the lives of young Mori by setting an example of strong work ethic and positive living.

Mayor Webber says he is impressed by Cales growth in confidence and self-esteem through the local government mentoring programme.

When he began he had some self-doubt but is now committed to continuing his university study, says Garry.

Its also encouraging that the Te Puna community is supportive of Cales journey and has appointed him on to the Pirirakau Incorporated Society Committee and now he will also resume a position as a Pirirakau representative on the Te Puna Heartlands Group. Cale has also recently been employed by a local Te Puna business.

Garry too is finding personal value from mentoring Cale.

One benefit for me is that if you connect with the younger generation, the learning experience goes both ways.

Cale initially caught the Mayors attention as a potential nominee for the mentoring programme through his record as an outstanding student at Tauranga Boys College.

Cale had excelled in his college studies, and gained seven scholarships to attend university.
Bay of Plenty residents will be digging deep into their pockets from this week on, to benefit children within their own communities.

The Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal kicks off today for the 12th consecutive year, raising much needed money for childrens wards throughout New Zealand hospitals.

This years appeal aims to raise $1.3m, and all proceeds will go towards purchasing much-needed items from the wish-lists of 19 District Health Boards across New Zealand.

A percentage of these funds will go towards fulfilling the wish-list of Tauranga and Whakatane Hospitals.

As part of their wish-list Tauranga Hospitals Community Adolescent Mental Health Service has indicated it is in desperate need of a therapeutic outdoor space for the children and young people in their care.

Mental Health and Addiction Services acting nurse Anja Theron says a space like this could make all the difference for patients.

Our therapeutic spaces are our only equipment, she says.

Our DHB, the Bay of Plenty, is over represented in its youth suicide rates and every dollar raised through this appeal is going to contribute towards helping to lower these rates.

Currently, the space consists of rough concrete and an old wooden picnic bench. Tauranga Hospital recognize that a safe and inviting outdoor space is a necessary element to the treatment they offer.

A lot of their clients benefit from moving around in the fresh air as it helps to calm and regulate their mood.

Whakatane Hospital has indicated it is looking to create an outside play area for their young patients.

Their wish is to provide a space that encourages outdoor play and is inviting and practical for the Tamariki and whanau of the ward.

Clinical nurse manager Sharon Powley says they are hoping to create an area thats pleasant and has lots of sunshine.

We have a lovely outdoor grass area, but thats all it is, grass. Children need to be able to play and go outside.

Sick children dont just come by themselves either, they come with family and other siblings, so we want an area that makes all of them feel welcome.

Last year Countdown stores in the Bay of Plenty region managed to raise more than $881,000 dollars, and this year theyve upped the stakes.

Countdown Bay of Plenty group manager Phil Guilford says hes proud to play a small part in helping so many people.

In previous years some of our staff members have been on tours throughout the hospital to see exactly how this money has been spent.

This is extremely valuable because it brings us back to why we are doing it. We can see not only are children benefitting from our appeal, but it also makes all of the hospital staff members lives a little bit better too.

His comments resonate with Countdown Ferry Springs manager Steve Green who says hes proud to see how the appeal has morphed.

Because we have been doing this appeal for so long, were finding now that a lot of hospitals actually have the equipment they need to take care of patients, the focus is now on bettering their overall health and wellbeing.

The annual appeal has raised $11.6 million since it first began in 2007. This year it runs until October 28.

To donate:

 Visit any Countdown and donate at the checkout

 Buy an Appeal wristband or raffle ticket in-store

 Get involved in your local stores fundraising activities

 Donate while you're doing your shopping online by selecting Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal as a product

For more information on the Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal visit www.countdown.co.nz/countdownkids
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...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz
Additionally, the 26-percent income tax hike represents a bill offering graduated tax rates that was sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Robert Martwick of Chicago. The bill was never intended to be voted upon, let alone pass, but was offered by Martwick as an example of a comprehensive bill dealing with all of Illinois financial problems and overreliance on property taxes.
DeWitt, N.Y. -- Bigname Commerce plans to move its printing and e-commerce business from Long Island to a former Carrier Corp. building in DeWitt.

The company plans to create 24 full-time jobs at the former Carrier building at 6304 Carrier Parkway (Route 298), while retaining 107 jobs at its headquarters in Amityville, Empire State Development, the state's economic development arm, said Thursday.

Bigname, a maker of envelopes, bags and folders of all types, plans to hire people who are unemployed or underemployed for the new jobs, supporting regional anti-poverty efforts, ESD said.

"The company had considered moving its operations to Pennsylvania or Florida but elected to move to Central New York thanks to support from New York State," ESD said.

An aerial view of the Carrier Corp. campus in DeWitt. (Onondaga County Office of Real Property Services)

"This is a great example of how the state and private sector are working together to foster real change," ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky said in a statement.

Bigname Commerce CEO Seth Newman said Bigname is a growing company that is looking forward to expanding in DeWitt.

ESD said it will provide up to $425,000 through the Excelsior Tax Credit Program in exchange for the company's job creation commitments. The total project cost is estimated to be a little more than $1.4 million.

Renovation work on the 100,000-square-foot building, which Bigname is leasing from Carrier, is already underway. The company said it expects to be operating out of what it is calling its new "warehouse/fulfillment center" by the end of the year.

The Carrier Corp. sign sits in front of the air conditioning equipment maker's research and development center off Carrier Circle in DeWitt. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)

Founded as Action Envelope, Bigname Commerce is a collection of e-commerce businesses specializing in customized products for businesses, organizations and consumers worldwide.

Backed by private equity firm TZP Group and led by Newman, an e-commerce veteran, the company's brands have a shared e-commerce platform, a core marketing engine and shared back office operations, according to the company's website.

Carrier ended manufacturing of air-conditioning products in DeWitt in 2004. It continues to employ approximately 1,300 people in research and development at its campus off Carrier Circle, but its physical footprint within the campus has shrunk considerably since 2004.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
SULLIVAN, N.Y. -- Two antelopes escaped from a property near The Wild Animal Park in the Town of Sullivan on Thursday, according to New York State Police.

At approximately 2 p.m., state police responded to 7591 Lakeport Road about two "personally owned, domesticated" Eland antelopes escaped from the property, state police said.

An employee at the property accidentally left a gate open, which allowed the antelopes to escape, police said.

Troopers checked for the antelopes but couldn't find them, police said. Employees are now looking for the antelopes, which are not a danger to the public, police said.

The property at 7591 Lakeport Road is owned by Jeffrey Taylor, according to Madison County property records.

Taylor is also the owner of The Wild Animal Park.

In 2009, a wallaroo escaped from Taylor's property and was hit by a car on the Thruway.

If you've seen the antelopes or taken a picture, email citynews@syracuse.com or clibonati@syracuse.com.
MANLIUS, N.Y. -- A North Syracuse woman was charged recently with driving drunk with five children in her minivan, according to New York State Police.

Melissa M. Romano, 27, was charged July 29 as she entered Green Lakes State Park in the town of Manlius, state police said Thursday. Romano had 1-year-old twins, two 7-year-old children and an 11-year-old child in her minivan, state police said.

Romano's blood alcohol content was 0.19 percent, state police said.

Romano was charged with five counts of aggravated first-degree driving while intoxicated, felonies, and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, misdemeanors, state police said.

Trooper Nathaniel Seifried was working a joint seatbelt enforcement detail with the New York State Parks Police on July 29 at the entrance to Green Lakes State Park in Manlius. Seifried observed a Dodge minivan enter the park and saw there were unrestrained children inside. He spoke with the female driver, who confirmed that neither 7-year-old child was properly restrained in a booster seat.

During the investigation, Seifried smelled an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. He asked the driver to exit the vehicle and submit to standardized field sobriety tests, which she failed, state police said. She also did not have a valid driver's license.

The father of the children responded to the scene to take custody of the kids and the vehicle.



Romano was issued an appearance tickets for Manlius Town Court.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two teenage boys have been charged with stabbing each other early Thursday morning during a fight in Syracuse.

Antwan McGee, 16, and an unnamed 14-year-old boy were arrested by the Syracuse Police Department. The boys were charged with assaulting each other in the city's Skunk City neighborhood.

Officers rushed to the 200 block of Herriman Street at 1:34 a.m. When officers arrived, they found the two wounded boys.

McGee had picked up a kitchen knife during a fight and stabbed the 14-year-old boy in the hand, said Sgt. Julie Shulsky, a police spokeswoman. The 14 year old then took a knife and stabbed McGee in the back, she said.

American Medical Response transported the boys to Upstate University Hospital. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening, Shulsky said.

McGee was charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child. He was held in custody pending his arraignment.

The 14-year-old boy was charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon. He was given an appearance ticket and released to a parent.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- You're on the Thruway with your golden doodle, and you want to grab some food but don't want to leave your dog in a hot car.

There's an app for that: It's called DogSpot, and it lets you put your dog in a climate-controlled, temporary dog house just outside the service center doors while you grab a bite.

The service, founded in Brooklyn three years ago, launched nationally this summer and now has deployed 50 of the crate-sized houses in nine states. Almost half of those were installed just a couple of weeks ago at 10 New York state Thruway service centers.

"We're outside of places that don't allow dogs, like grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, libraries, pharmacies and rest areas," said DogSpot communications director Rebecca Eyre.

In this promotional photo, a dog owner displays use of a DogSpot temporary dog house. They are now available at 10 New York State Thruway service centers.

The huts rent for 30 cents a minute, and a typical stay is 15 to 20 minutes, Eyre said.

The plastic huts have a window in front, and you can even watch your pet on your smart phone through the "puppy cam" inside each unit. The houses lock, have air holes, and are heated and air-conditioned.

Each house -- DogSpot calls them "sidewalk sanctuaries" -- has ultraviolet lights that kill viruses and bacteria between uses, Eyre said.

She said one of the most common questions DogSpot gets is: What if a dog poops in one of the houses? During a two-year trial in Brooklyn, Eyre said, that never happened.

"The reality is dogs don't tend to go to in small spaces they occupy," she said.

If a dog did make a mess, she said, that house would be locked remotely until its daily cleaning by a DogSpot employee. From the company's Brooklyn headquarters, DogSpot monitors every house in real time via microphones and cameras.

It's also unlikely that a dog would pick up fleas from a previous occupant, she said.

"Fleas wouldn't transfer from a warm body to nonporous surface," she said.

Most dogs stay calm in the houses, which Eyre said are the size of a crate designed for German shepherds. If a dog is barking excessively or shows signs of stress, though, DogSpot can immediately notify the owner.

To use the houses, dog owners have to download the DogSpot app or sign up at the company website, then provide an email and credit card. Owners must also confirm that their dog is vaccinated.

DogSpot is on the Thruway because they got a call from HMS Host, the private company that runs the service centers, Eyre said.

"They were having an issue with dogs being left in hot cars, and they can't allow dogs inside because it's a food facility," she said.

Thruway Authority spokesman John Dougherty said the Thruway has no direct involvement with the DogSpot houses, but that officials supported the idea.

"We support as many amenities as we can for all types of travelers," he said. "We we don't just see human travelers, but we see our four-legged friends as well."

Doughterty said each of these Thruway stations has two huts: Ardsley, Chittenango, Clifton Springs, Junius Ponds, New Baltimore, Oneida, Pattersonville, Plattekill, Sloatsburg and Ulster.

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A legal battle that could decide whether Charter Communications, the largest cable company in New York, leaves the state or stays may hang on a single sentence in a key document.

The sentence appears on Page 53 of a 69-page New York State Public Service Commission order approving the merger of Charter with Time Warner Cable in 2016:

"In order to ensure the expansion of service to customers in less densely populated and/or line extension areas within the combined company's footprint, the commission will require New Charter to extend its network to pass ... an additional 145,000 'unserved' (download speeds of 0-24.9 Mbps) and 'underserved' (download speeds of 25-99.9 Mbps) residential housing units and/or businesses within four years of the close of the transaction."

In an unprecedented action, the commission on July 27 ordered Charter to leave the state within six months, pay a $1 million fine and file within 60 days a plan to transition its Spectrum-brand network of cable television, broadband and telephone service to another provider.

It was a drastic step. The commission ruled that Charter has repeatedly failed to meet its requirement to extend its network to rural areas with little to no high-speed internet service. Charter has instead been performing much of its build-out in New York City, entirely served by one or more broadband providers already, the commission said.

But this is where the sentence comes in: Charter's lawyers contend that the wording of the commission's merger approval didn't exactly require the company to extend its network in rural areas.

In documents, the lawyers argue the words "less densely populated" in the opening clause of that sentence simply explain its motivation for requiring, later in the same sentence, that the company extend its network past 145,000 more premises. Hey, there's a comma there, they seem to be saying.

The company said the reference to less densely populated areas is "merely prefatory language explaining that the commission believed that the expansion of service to unserved and underserved homes and businesses would yield benefits to such areas because that is where many such homes and businesses are located." That's why the commission started with "in order to," the company argued.

Charter said many, but not all, unserved and underserved homes and businesses in New York are in rural areas. But it said the commission did not specify rural areas.

If the commission wanted to limit Charter to certain areas, it should've spelled it out in the second half of the sentence or somewhere else in the order, the company said.

"Indeed, as a matter of policy, an explicit geographical limitation would have prioritized some unserved and underserved New Yorkers over others, suggesting that New Yorkers in urban environments who lack access to high-speed broadband services are somehow less deserving of the commission's concern," the company said.

Charter has vowed to fight a years-long legal battle, if necessary, to stay in New York. It's likely that any lawsuit it files will use the same arguments it made in its filing with the commission.

In response to the filing, the commission said the company's arguments are merely an attempt to avoid its build-out obligations in rural areas. It said the "plain text" of its order makes it clear that Charter was required to extend its network in less densely populated areas.

The commission could potentially impose $9 million in additional fines against the company, on top of the $3 million in fines it has already imposed. But it said that prospect does not seem to be much of an incentive when Charter "stands to save tens of millions of dollars by failing to live up to its build-out obligations in New York."

Further, it said New York City could not possibly be considered an unserved or underserved area of the state, calling it "one of the most-wired cities in America."

Editor's note: Advance/Newhouse Partnership, which has an ownership stake in Charter Communications Inc., is part of Advance Publications, owner of Advance Local. Advance Local owns Syracuse.com, NYUP.com and The Post-Standard.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
John D. Brule, 91, of Syracuse, died Monday, August 6, 2018. According to his obituary, he was born in Hancock, Michigan, and had been a resident of Syracuse for more than 60 years. His life was spent educating himself and others around the world on how to achieve peace and justice. His travels took him to Selma, Alabama, the Philippines, China, Buenos Aires and many other destinations. He worked tirelessly to build a better world for all. He also was a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Syracuse University, and was frequently recognized for his superlative teaching skills. He brought computer technology and email to the Philippines, and robotics to China. He was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of San Carlos in the Philippines as recognition for all the work he had done supporting that school over the course of four decades.

> See all of today's obituaries from syracuse.com



> View local and national obituaries on syracuse.com



> See a list of previous feature obituaries





If you have a suggestion for a feature obituary, please email the link and any other information you'd like to share to Brenda Duncan at bduncan@syracuse.com
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the agreement merely ended the latest round of violence, in which Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of airstrikes in Gaza. He said Egypt, which often serves as a mediator between the sides, would continue the more difficult task of brokering a long-term cease-fire.
Groups opposed to Donald Trump's agenda plan to protest Monday when the president arrives in Utica for a private fundraiser with Rep. Claudia Tenney that costs up to $15,000 per ticket.

Indivisible Mohawk Valley is organizing what it calls an "epic protest" from 4 to 7 p.m. at Liberty Bell Park at LaFayette and Genesee streets in Utica, which is near at least two downtown hotels that could host Tenney's event.

Tenney, R-New Hartford, and the White House have not disclosed the location for the fundraiser. An invitation says the time and location will be disclosed only to those who RSVP for the event. Trump's New York campaign chairman, Carl Paladino, told Syracuse.com the fundraiser will be at 4:30 p.m. in Utica.

Indivisible Mohawk Valley encouraged supporters in a Facebook post to keep the protest non-violent, and their actions and signs appropriate.

Tenney's opponent in the 22nd Congressional District election, state Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica., is planning his own fundraiser during the same time as Trump's visit.

But unlike Tenney's $1,000-minimum for entry to a reception, Brindisi said he is hosting a "people-powered" fundraiser for $10 per person at the Chesterfield Restaurant in Utica.

Tenney's tickets cost $5,000 to $15,000 for supporters who want to have their photo taken with Trump. Brindisi said Thursday he'll pose for free photos with supporters.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Danielle Mercuri took over the Rise N Shine Diner in 2012. Then she did something sugary and brave, considering the place already had a loyal following from the nearby traffic on Interstate 690, the New York Thruway and Carrier Circle.

She scrapped the menu, introducing funky, offbeat takes to classic diner dishes. Her lineup of pancakes, waffles and French toast combined to create an entirely different meal: dessert breakfast.

Consider the pancakes for a moment. You can get plain buttermilk pancakes ($2.29 for one, $3.29 for two and $4.29 for three) the size of the plate on which they are served. But why would you, when there are a dozen other varieties featuring fresh fruit, candy and other add-ins? The bananas and cream pancakes ($3.29 for one, $5.29 for two) feature sliced bananas in the batter, as opposed to a compote on top, and a generous helping of whipped cream. The pancakes we had were sweet and springy with a bronze exterior studded by banana slices. The fruit was warm and soft, nearly to the point of melting.

Other pancake selections include s'mores (crushed graham crackers, miniature marshmallows and chocolate chips topped with chocolate syrup), black forest (chocolate chip pancakes with cherry compote and whipped cream) and cinnamon roll (cinnamon, brown sugar and butter swirled in the pancake batter and topped with cream cheese frosting).

The Big Daddy Pancake Wrap ($8.99) is Rise N Shine's calling card, dubbed on the menu as its signature. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and cheese are rolled into a pancake like a burrito. Measuring about 4 inches across and packed with meat, potatoes and eggs, the Big Daddy was much easier to lift and eat with hands, rather than with a knife and fork. The most impressive part of the dish was the elastic pancake that never split or broke during preparation or while being handled. Inside the Big Daddy were a lot of flavors that could have used some extra salt and pepper.

We chose the Irish Benny ($7.29) from the seven different takes on eggs Benedict. Two English muffins were topped with corned beef hash and poached eggs; hollandaise sauce was offered on the side. The grainy, gritty hash was full of flavor, but the uniformity of the cubed meat, onions and potatoes made us think that it was not homemade. The soft egg was poached perfectly and its yolk filled in the nooks and crannies of the hash and muffin when split. We were glad the hollandaise was on the side; it had the flavor and feel of gravy without much of the lemony, buttery flavor one expects.

The only holdover from Rise N Shine's previous life are the home fries ($2.98). Listed on the menu as "our signature home fries," they are some of the best breakfast potatoes we have ever eaten. The soft, savory potatoes came in their own miniature cast iron pan. Caramelized onions were soft and sweet, balancing the spice blend and a sharp black pepper kick.

Rise N Shine brews Recess Coffee ($1.99) and serves the Syracuse roaster's cold brew on tap ($3.99), the latter of which was perfect for an exceedingly hot morning where the restaurant's air conditioning was malfunctioning.

Meal portions are large; the single pancake and side of home fries were the only items we finished. Equally as generous is the service. Our waitress went out of her way to tend to parents of infants in her section, while juggling plates and orders. The diner also has a lengthy list of burgers, sandwiches and salads for lunch.

The logic behind our Sunday morning visit to Rise N Shine Diner, which has a Syracuse mailing address but is located in the town of DeWitt, was to test the service and kitchen on during one of the busiest periods of the week. Sunday's post-church exodus blends with the brunch crowd, filling diners across Central New York. The diner certainly justifies its long wait times and we look forward to returning when the HVAC is functioning as well as the rest of the establishment.

The Details

The Restaurant: Rise N Shine Diner, 6393 Thompson Road, Syracuse, N.Y. 13206 (it's located in the town of DeWitt, but your GPS will likely associate the address with Syracuse); 315-432-5510

Reservations? No

Access to Disabled? Yes, though the dining room is very tight for space

Credit Cards? Yes

Vegetarian Options and Allergy Information? A number of items on the menu are both vegetarian and allergy safe.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Cost: Two people could eat breakfast for $10 to $15 each. For our visit, we sampled as much of the menu as was reasonable. Breakfast for two with tax and 20 percent tip was $44.53.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Collins of New York was arrested Wednesday on charges he fed inside information he gleaned from sitting on the board of a biotechnology corporation to his son, helping family and friends dodge hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses when one of the company's drugs failed in a medical trial.

Collins, a staunch supporter of President Donald 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 son's 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 Ltd., a biotechnology company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in Auckland, New Zealand. Collins was the company's 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 company's 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 Collins, and, after several missed calls, they spoke for more than six minutes.

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 company's stock price plunged 92 percent.

Prosecutors said the son passed the information to a third defendant, Stephen Zarsky. Their combined trades avoided more than $768,000 in losses, authorities said. They said Zarsky traded on it and tipped off at least three others.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman, a Republican, said 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."

Collins, a conservative first elected in 2012 to represent parts of western New York between Buffalo and Rochester, has vehemently denied wrongdoing. When the House Ethics Committee began investigating the stock trades a year ago, his spokeswoman called it a "partisan witch hunt."

All three defendants pleaded not guilty and were freed on $500,000 bail.

In his Buffalo news conference, Collins acknowledged being disappointed that Innate's drug trials didn't go well.

"We firmly believed we were on the verge of a medical breakthrough," he said.

But he said that even after learning of the setback, "I held on to my shares rather than sell them" as the law required.

He said the decision not to sell cost him millions of dollars.

"That's OK," he said. "That's the risk I took."

Collins has remained a vocal Trump supporter, most recently calling for an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into possible campaign collusion and blaming Barack Obama's administration for failing to push back on Russia.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said he was removing Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, calling insider trading "a clear violation of the public trust."

In a written statement Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the charges against Collins "show the rampant culture of corruption and self-enrichment among Republicans in Washington today."

Collins ran unopposed in the Republican primary and holds what's largely considered a safe Republican seat in a state that went to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. He's being challenged in November by Democrat Nate McMurray.

McMurray said Collins has brought shame to the region, but he stopped short of saying he should resign.

"That's his decision to make. I'll leave it up to him, but I know what I would do if I was in his place," said McMurray, the town supervisor in the Buffalo suburb of Grand Island.

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.

Tom Price, who was Trump's first secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, also came under scrutiny for his purchases of Innate stock while he was a Republican member of Congress from Georgia.

Democrats made an issue of Price's purchase at his Senate confirmation hearings in early 2017, after the Wall Street Journal reported that company officials had said Price was allowed to buy the stocks at a low price. Price, who bought about 400,000 shares of the stock, said he'd learned of the firm through Collins but said the price he received was available to any investor.

Price resigned as health secretary last September under criticism for taking pricey charter flights at taxpayers' expense.
Syracuse- The weather in Central New York this weekend will get off to a nice start. How the weekend ends, however, is less certain.

High pressure over Canada will build into Central New York on Friday and will spend the weekend trying to fend off moisture and unsettled weather from the south.

At first, the high pressure should have a good deal of success. Saturday will start out cool and comfortable with a mix of sun, clouds, and some valley fog. Morning lows will mostly be in the upper 50s.

Throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, some thin overcast will gradually work in from south to north. The clouds will cover the sky but should not completely block out the sunshine.

There could be some showers that attempt to cross from Pennsylvania into New York, but for the most part, these should have little success in having rain actually reach the ground thanks to low humidity values.

Afternoon high temperatures should be at or above 80 degrees from Syracuse northward, while areas to the south remain in the upper 70s.

Temperatures will be warmer Saturday night thanks to the cloud cover and slowly increase humidity levels. Expect morning lows Sunday in the mid 60s.

The high pressure system will start to loosen its grip on Central New York during the day Sunday. Rain will continue to creep further north, but how far north it goes remains to be seen.

For Sunday, expect at least a few showers during the afternoon, but realize it could end up being rather rainy. If the region is lucky though, the rain may fail to make it in, leaving another day similar to Saturday.

Anticipating at least a few rain showers, look for highs to mostly be in the mid to perhaps upper 70s.

While Saturday's weather should hold out and be nice, Sunday is much less certain for Central New York as rain tries to push in from the south.

Here is a look at each day's forecast details:

Saturday

Morning Lows: Upper 50s

Afternoon Highs: Upper 70s-Low 80s

Cloud cover: Filtered sunshine.

Precipitation: Rain unlikely.

Winds: East 3-5 mph, gusting to 15 mph.

Confidence: Slightly Below-Average

Sunday

Morning Lows: Mid 60s

Afternoon Highs: Mid-Upper 70s

Cloud cover: Mostly cloudy.

Precipitation: At least a couple showers, possibly rather rainy.

Winds: East-Northeast 3-7 mph, gusting to 20 mph.

Confidence: Well Below-Average
Switzerland To Hand Over HSBC Data To India

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

09 August 2018

India is to receive bank account information from HSBC, after Switzerland's highest court ruled that the bank is obligated to provide data requested where the leaked data has not been purchased.

The information was leaked in 2008 by Herve Falciani, who worked for HSBC's Swiss private bank. The Indian authorities sought bank account data relating to two Indian citizens, who opposed its release on the basis that evidence of their alleged non-compliance with Indian tax laws had been the result of data theft.

Reuters reported that the Court ruled India should be given the data requested, providing the data was not purchased. The latest ruling could lead to other countries privy to the leaked data to request details of their resident taxpayers' affairs in Switzerland where they have not purchased leaked information.

Last week, Switzerland's Federal Administrative Court turned down a request by the French authorities for data on UBS bank accounts. It said that the French request had failed to "deliver grounds for assuming that the taxpayers involved have failed to comply with their obligations" and that "simply having an account in Switzerland is not sufficient."
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Courtesy: PR Newswire

Palarum PUP smart patient sock technology was at the centre during visit of Bruno Le Maire, France's minister of Economy and Finance, to Texisense, the French company that made fabric pressure sensors and leads for the sock. It has patented technologies woven into conductive fabric, enabling real-time monitoring to prevent falls and enhance physical therapy.The PUP smart patient sock technology also enhances rehabilitation. Le Maire was touring textile firms located in the Coriolis area.Keith Planner, Palarum's European representative, explained to Le Maire how the PUP sock works and the innovative technology woven into the sock's material by Chausettes Perrin, another French company. "Minister Le Maire was intrigued with the sock and understanding how the material invented by and woven by two French companies was changing patient safety by significantly reducing patient falls in the hospital. He also acknowledged the positive business relationship forged around new technology between the French companies and Palarum in the United States. He held the sock and felt the fabric. He especially liked the idea that this revolutionary new product was possibly saving lives.""In addition to the minister, Texisense welcomed six Parliament members, three senators, one European deputy, and ten regional and local representatives during the visit," said Marc Barsoum, commercial director for Texisense. "The minister emphasised that innovation and the traditional workforce needed to work together to provide enough workers to produce the products of the future like the PUP sock. He cited the partnership between Palarum, Texisense, and Perrin as an example of integrating innovation with value added, with Palarum and Texisense bringing innovation to the table and Perrin producing the revolutionary socks.""The PUP smart patient sock is truly an international collaboration that started in 2015," said Patrick Baker, president and CEO of Palarum. "Palarum is the exclusive licensee of the Texisense technology and Perrin knits the socks to our proprietary specifications and design. Then, the socks are shipped to Ohmatex in Denmark where the fabric connector and sensor/transmitter module are manufactured and assembled. The completed socks are then shipped to us in the US where we are rapidly expanding the number of evaluation studies occurring in acute care hospitals across the country."Palarum has signed agreements with acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities across the United States to conduct evaluation studies of the effectiveness of the PUP sock with patients judged to be high risk for falls. Early results are promising with studies from evaluation sites demonstrating dramatic decreases in falls among patients who are enrolled and wearing the PUP sock. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Recap: In August last year, Disney revealed that it would be launching its own streaming service in 2019, putting it in direct competition with Netflix. A month later, the company announced the inevitable: it would be pulling its Marvel and Star Wars movies from the streaming giant. We now know what the last Marvel movie released on Netflix will be: Ant-man and the Wasp.

Currently being shown in theatres, Ant-man and the Wasp will appear on Netflix once its theatrical run comes to an end. But it will be the last Marvel picture to do so. As per the New York Times, Disney is allowing its licensing deal with Netflix to expire, meaning that, starting with the release of Captain Marvel next year, all Walt Disney Studios releases will move from theaters to the companys streaming platform instead of Netflix.

All this has left a question mark over the Marvel TV series shown on Netflix, such as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Would these also migrate to Disneys rival service? Last year, a Netflix rep said it would continue to do business with Disney on many fronts, which includes the ongoing deal with Marvel TV, and its seems thats still the case. A spokeswoman for Disney told the Times that there are no current plans to remove the Marvel shows from Netflix, so fans can rest easy for the time being.

We still dont know an official name or possible pricing structure for Disneys streaming project, though it will reportedly lack R-rated content of any kind. If true, that will probably put a lot of people off, but with Disney also looking to buy back the rights to current and future Star Wars movies, the service could offer plenty of compelling exclusive content.
A hot potato: City residents in Newark, New Jersey are questioning whether it is worth offering Amazon and other businesses billions of dollars in tax incentives to make the city a new headquarters location. Some argue that new jobs and long-term investments will help the city, but others believe the incentives will wipe out any benefits that would have been gained.

Newark, New Jersey is one of the 20 remaining cities still entertaining the idea of being home to Amazon's second corporate headquarters. Incentives being offered by state and local governments are ranging from unique to flat out massive tax breaks.

In Newark, several ordinances have recently been passed by the city council. Up to $1 billion in additional tax breaks have been added to its offer, bringing the total package deal to a value of approximately $7 billion.

Even though Amazon could be the main recipient of such benefits, the Newark Community Economic Development Corp. says that any company that brings in 30,000 new jobs and makes investments exceeding $3 billion over a 20-year time span is eligible for the benefits.

Out of the subsidies being pitched to Amazon, Newark's is definitively the largest that has been publicly disclosed. Newark has made an offer exceeding that of Boston, Denver, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and three different areas within Washington, D.C. Numerous other candidate locations have kept their offers private.

One reason that Newark could be an attractive location for Amazon is that it already is home to subsidiary Audible Inc. Additionally, Newark has four major highways, two rail stations, a large port, and a significant international airport.

According to nonprofit group Good Jobs First, such a massive financial incentive could leave New Jersey with little to gain from welcoming Amazon into the area.
Aid agencies on Thursday demanded an independent and thorough investigation into the airstrike and other recent attacks on civilians. "We have seen a worrying rise in these incidents and no action has been taken to hold the perpetrators to account," said the aid group, Save the Children in a statement. The group's Yemen director of advocacy, Sylvia Ghaly, said Thursday's attack was "yet another example of the blatant violations of international humanitarian law that we have seen in Yemen over the past three years.
Facepalm: Controversial anti-virus pioneer and arguably the most entertaining character in the tech world, John McAfee, is making headlines again. This time, its related to his unhackable Bitfi wallet, which a 15-year-old managed to break into before running the original Doom on it.

So confident was McAfee in his wallets security abilities that he offered a $250,000 bug bounty to anyone who could compromise the device and steal the crypto coins. But this is the second time the wallet has been hacked after a Dutch security researcher last week claimed to have gained root accessand all without owning or possessing one of the devices.

Security researcher Saleem Rashid was the person behind the latest feat, but the teenager wont be receiving a quarter-of-a-million-dollar reward. The terms of the bug bounty state that to become $250,000 richer, you have to steal the coins that the wallet can access. The crypto isnt stored on the device itself but is somewhere in the cloud.

McAfee has argued that despite getting root access and being able to port the classic FPS to the wallet, these actions do not constitute a hack. He says the definition would only be accurate if Rashid managed to extract the coins.

The press claiming the BitFi wallet has been hacked. Utter nonsense. The wallet is hacked when someone gets the coins. No-one got any coins. Gaining root access in an attempt to get the coins is not a hack. It's a failed attempt. All these alleged "hacks" did not get the coins.  John McAfee (@officialmcafee) 3 August 2018

It's not been a good few weeks for the Bitfi wallet. Security researcher Ryan Castellucci recently called it nothing more than a cheap, stripped-down Android phone. He even made the accurate prediction that someone would soon have Doom running on it, though it took slightly longer than he expected.

Bitfi appears to be exactly what it looks like from the photos - a cheap stripped down Android phone. There's some screenshots of it demanding to be connected to WiFi in order to function elsewhere in @cybergibbons's feed. Someone will probably have Doom running on it by Friday. https://t.co/cC1pZsahJH  Ryan Castellucci [VEGAS] (@ryancdotorg) 29 July 2018
What just happened? Comcast has patched two previously unreported vulnerabilities in its online customer portal that exposed the partial home address and Social Security numbers of more than 26.5 million customers. Fortunately for Comcast, the flaws were reported before they could be exploited by nefarious parties.

Security researcher Ryan Stevenson discovered the flaws according to BuzzFeed News.

One flaw was exploitable by visiting Comcasts in-home authentication page in which customers can pay their bills without signing in. The portal asked customers to verify their account by selecting one of four partial home addresses from a list if it appeared as though the user was connected to the customers home network.

Obtaining and spoofing an IP address is relatively easy and by refreshing the login page, three of the recommended partial addresses would change while the fourth (and correct) address would stay the same. With a partial address and a bit more detective work, it would be possible to determine the city, state and postal code of the partial address.

Comcast has since disabled in-home authentication and requires customers to manually input personal information to verify their account when paying a bill.

The other vulnerability involved a sign-up page on Comcasts website for authorized dealers. With just a customers billing address, it was possible for a hacker to brute-force the last four digits of a customers Social Security number. Comcasts portal didnt restrict the number of attempts possible meaning a user could keep plugging in digits until the correct combination was found.

After being tipped off about the vulnerability, Comcast added a rate limit to the portal.

Comcast spokesperson David McGuire told BuzzFeed News that they quickly investigated the issues and blocked both vulnerabilities within hours, eliminating the ability to exploit them. McGuire added that Comcast has no reason to believe the vulnerabilities were ever used against customers outside of the research described in the report.

Screenshots courtesy BuzzFeed News
Verizon has announced a new and exclusive promotion in partnership with Apple. Unlimited users are now entitled to six free months of Apple Music, which is twice the length of Apple's free trial for new customers.

Subscribers of the Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited, or Above Unlimited plans are all eligible for the promotion, and the good news is that the offer extends to current users of Apple Music as well, not just new ones. In other words, those already subscribed won't have to pay their typical monthly fee for the next six months.

Verizon says the promotion kicks off Aug. 16.

Verizon Partners With Apple For Free Apple Music

It's not exactly clear Why Verizon is offering this all of a sudden, but it could be a ploy to counter the free perks its rival networks are giving to subscribers. For instance, AT&T gives customers WatchTV and their choice of a premium subscription service. T-Mobile offers free Netflix. Sprint's unlimited data package bundles both Hulu and Tidal for free. The only downside to Verizon's upcoming perk is that it'll only last for six months, whereas other networks' shticks have kept on going.

Verizon's VP of marketing, Angie Klein, said in a statement that this is just the start of its partnership with the Cupertino brand. Klein doesn't specify what other promotional gimmicks will come in the future, but it's clear the carrier has more in store.

"This first-of-its-kind offer is just the first step in an exclusive partnership with Apple," said Klein. "It gives our customers exactly what they want: Apple's best-in-class music streaming experience, paired with an unlimited plan tailored to them, on the network they deserve."

Verizon first announced the above-mentioned unlimited plans earlier this year, offering customers unlimited mobile data for a set monthly fee. Why Verizon chose to go with Apple instead of Spotify is unclear, but Apple Music is slowly becoming the top-performing music streaming service in the United States, and reports in July alleged that Apple's service had managed to eclipse Spotify's user base in the country.

Apple Music vs Spotify

Apple Music now has well over 40 million users as it continues to climb toward potentially outperforming Spotify, although that's still quite far from happening considering Spotify is still the top dog when it comes to global numbers. The two services aren't that much different, though. Save for their respective user interfaces and individual music recommendation engines, both are actually very similar. Apple Music does often get exclusive albums, though, which is something to consider if you're trying to choose between the two.

 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
Law enforcement officers from across Acadiana gathered Thursday at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church to honor their fallen comrades and to remembe
A day after the Lafayette City-Parish Council voted 7-2 to send to the voters a proposed series of amendments that would drastically change the legislative branch of local government, both sides of the issue are already gearing up for the next four months of campaigning.

The amendments would keep the Mayor-Presidents office consolidated. However, it would split the City-Parish Council into a council that would oversee matters for the City of Lafayette while the other would oversee matters of importance to the rural areas of the parish.

The debates have taken place, the meetings have happened, all the legal measures have been met. This is the result. Lets move forward, lets build momentum, with the intent to one day get to what has been expressed by quite a few people here today. Never perfect, but lets get to the best thing that we can, Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux said before the final vote Tuesday night.

New Lafayette City-Parish Council charter amendment offers term limit restrictions, new maps The Lafayette City-Parish Council on Friday released highly anticipated revisions to proposed charter amendments that would split the council 

The vote occurred after nearly six hours of debate, and Christie Maloyed, an associate professor of political science at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, said she expects a robust conversation over the subject of partial deconsolidation over the next few months.

This is going to be fun to watch. There are, as I understand it, definite forces that are mounting that are in favor of this. Id also expect groups from the opposing side to start to mount soon as well. Id keep an eye on Lafayette Citizens Against Taxes as they have been active against local tax initiatives, Maloyed said.

Supporters of deconsolidation have already begun mobilizing well in advance of the December 8 parishwide vote.

One of the forces that helped move the proposal along was the Facebook group Fix The Charter. The group, led by Kevin Blanchard, is moving to form a Political Action Committee.

The biggest disappointment weve had over the past few years about debates over votes is the spreading of misinformation like what happened with the school board tax and library tax, Blanchard said. Knowing how important this issue is for Lafayette, both city and parish, we decided to start a positive information campaign for a 'Vote Yes' movement.

We want to make sure that if we have a conversation about this over the next four months, we want it to be factual and contextual, not just the usual political mudslinging.

+5 Confusion, conflict over proposed Lafayette City-Parish Council split Confusion and conflict reigned last week as Lafayette City-Parish Council members struggled to explain proposed fundamental local governance c

Meanwhile, Councilmen Jarred Bellard and William Theriot, the two who voted against placing the amendments on the ballot, said they will urge everyone who asks them aobut it to vote against deconsolidation this December.

Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Bellard said the growing money problem for the unincorporated areas of the parish that has driven much of the deconsolidation effort would be best fixed not by splitting the council, but by everyone working together to annex those unfunded regions.

The financial solution for the unincorporated areas needs to be fixed by having everyone annexed into a municipality. The unincorporated area has no tax base and any time theres anything of value it gets annexed, Bellard said. Wed need the state to step in and have everyone get annexed into a municipality to fix the financial burdens of the unincorporated areas.

Councilman Bruce Conque said he plans to speak to the Kiwanis Club on Tuesday about this and other issues facing the parish in the coming months and said the most important thing for him is to inform the public and let voters decide what they want at the polls this winter.

+4 Robideaux addresses utility privatization controversy Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux says a convergence of events this spring led him to consider privatizing electricity services current

I primarily want to first promote awareness, provide information and encourage people to vote, Conque said. Its important that they cast the vote, and regardless of how they vote that they do so in an informed fashion.

Maloyed said other players may soon surface in the debate. She pointed out One Acadiana supported previous attempts to deconsolidate the council.

The Acadiana Advocate reached out to One Acadiana but was not able to get a comment on its current position.

The proposed amendments were prompted by changes that have occurred since the city and parish governments consolidated in 1996, Conque said. He pointed to the shrinking population inside the Lafayette city limits while neighboring communities like Broussard and Youngsville are booming. Some additional amendments were proposed last week to address some of the major issues opponents had with the proposed split.

One issue that drew concerns from the public in the proposed charter changes was the issue of terms limits. It was addressed by adding that term-limited members of the previous council could not run for the new council. An amendment was introduced by Councilwomen Nanette Cook and Liz Herbert to have the terms of members of the current council roll over to the new councils if they win election to those new bodies.

A few other amendments were proposed by Theriot that had a mix of success. When he proposed for the parish council to have seven members instead of five, or creating a mayor, parish attorneys gave reasons as to why they could not add them in due to planning or maps needing to be redrawn.
Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Your notification has been saved.

There was a problem saving your notification.

{{description}}

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
Collins touted the company to at least one fellow lawmaker when the company was soaring. At his confirmation hearing to be secretary of Health and Human Services last year, Tom Price said he invested as part of a discounted stock offering after Collins told him about it. Price, who served in the House prior to his nomination by President Donald Trump, divested his shares in February 2017, according to a disclosure filed with the Office of Government Ethics.
PORT ALLEN  The City Council is urging Police Chief Esdron Brown to ask an outside agency for help in the investigation of the unsolved slaying of a 28-year-old man in his home nine months ago.

The council's resolution, adopted unanimously Wednesday, was prompted by Fatrell Queen's family and friends who have criticized Brown for failing to communicate with them.

"As discussed in our prior meeting, concerns of reasonable resources, untrained officers and lack of manpower has left many wondering about the safety in our community," Clarice Lacy, a spokesman for the Justice for Fatrell organization, said in a prepared statement to the council Wednesday night.

"The Justice for Fatrell organization would like to continue magnifying certain issues concerning the case such as knowing who the lead investigator or investigators are and has the accountability of responding officers not following procedure and protocol been addressed," Lacy said.

+2 Port Allen man found shot to death inside his home in city's first homicide in four years, police say PORT ALLEN  A 28-year-old man who found shot to death in the closet of his home on Burbridge Street early Thursday is the citys first homici

Queen was found shot to death in his home the morning of Nov. 2, 2017, after authorities received a 9-1-1 call from neighbors concerning multiple gunshots heard coming from inside his home on Burbridge Street.

Queen, who authorities said had an "extensive" criminal history involving drug-related offenses, was discovered by dead in his bedroom closet, where they believed he was trying to hide. Brown said previously there had been no sign of forced entry into Queen's home.

Queen's death was the city's first homicide in four years, Brown reported at the time.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

With lingering questions and no announced arrests, Queen's family launched the "Justice for Fatrell" campaign, posting signs around town urging anyone with information to come forward. His family has also protested outside a City Council meeting recentlys.

In an interview before Wednesday's meeting, Brown said his department has been diligently working the case and already reached to Louisiana State Police and the FBI for assistance.

The police chief said his department is getting leads but hasn't been able to gather enough evidence to make an arrest yet.

"We had no witnesses, no evidence from the crime scene pointing toward anybody," Brown said. "Most people who know about this were probably involved and they're not out there talking to other folks about it."

Brown added, "I know they want it done quicker, but you can't put a time clock on a murder investigation. Some investigations are over it quickly, some take years and some go unsolved."

The city's attorney told the council it could make the request for outside assistance but the authority statutorily lies with the elected police chief.

Queen's mother, Tara Snearl, said she's been patient with Brown but she has grown frustrated with his lack of communication about the investigation.

"I'm asking for assistance only," Snearl said. "This is the only unsolved murder we have in the city. I don't understand what's the problem with just getting some assistance."
An arrest warrant released Thursday morning reveals new details about the evidence Baton Rouge police uncovered against Arthur Alexander, the man accused in a March homicide.

Alexander, 33, was arrested in New Orleans earlier this week. He is accused of fatally shooting Eddie Samuels, 25, outside a Florida Boulevard condo complex the evening of March 5.

Man arrested in New Orleans in March fatal shooting in Baton Rouge, police say A Baton Rouge man arrested in New Orleans this week is accused of fatally shooting a man in March on Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge, police 

Samuels was visiting his uncle there and had arrived that night, according to the warrant. The uncle told police that Samuels received a call and told the caller he was stepping outside. Then within minutes, gunshots rang out.

The uncle ran outside and found Samuels suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the warrant. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

Detectives learned that the last phone call Samuels received was from Alexander. And the suspect's phone records revealed he was in the area of the shooting when it occurred.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Detectives interviewed Alexander's girlfriend, who said he arrived at her home in the early morning hours of March 6 and asked her to go with him to Beaumont, Texas. She said she agreed to go and noticed he had a pistol.

The two drove back to New Orleans soon thereafter because Alexander said he had to meet with his probation officer, according to the warrant. The girlfriend told police she asked him about the gun on the drive back and Alexander said he had left it.

Alexander was arrested in New Orleans by probation and parole officers on unrelated charges just days after the Baton Rouge homicide. Authorities started monitoring his jail calls, in which he told his girlfriend and mother that there's something in the trunk of his car and he wants it to stay parked, according to the warrant.

Detectives later found the car being driven by his girlfriend. They searched the vehicle and found a pistol hidden under the lining in the trunk near the driver's side tail light, which police said was the exact location Alexander described in jail calls.

Analysis from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab showed shell casings from the homicide scene matched the gun recovered from Alexander's car.

Alexander, of 2197 Park Drive, Baton Rouge, was arrested Tuesday on a count of second-degree murder.
The State Police Commission on Thursday drastically reduced the punishment three state troopers received last year for taking a lavish "side trip" to Las Vegas while driving to a law enforcement conference in California.

The commission, which acts as a civil service board for the Louisiana State Police, deemed the discipline too harsh and voted to restore the former ranks of two of the troopers demoted in the scandal, Derrell Williams and Rodney Hyatt, while overturning a letter of reprimand issued to the third trooper, Thurman D. Miller.

The commission also reversed the salary reductions Williams and Hyatt received from Col. Kevin Reeves, the State Police superintendent, but ordered both troopers to serve suspensions as a less severe form of punishment.

Williams, who had been the head of the agency's internal affairs division at the time of the trip, received a 40-hour suspension, while Hyatt will be sidelined for 500 hours.

A fourth trooper on the trip, Alexandr Nezgodinsky, received a letter of counseling, a form of discipline that may not be appealed under State Police Commission rules.

State Police Commission delays action on Las Vegas 'side trip' discipline; troopers say they've been scapegoated Three Louisiana State Police troopers disciplined last year for taking a lavish "side trip" to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon while driving to

The decision marked a setback for Reeves, who testified at length last month about the lasting damage the so-called side trip has had on the reputation of State Police around Louisiana. He had urged the commission to uphold the discipline to send a message to troopers that abusing taxpayer dollars  and the public trust  would not be tolerated.

"We disagree with the outcome but are certainly respectful of the State Police Commission's appeal process and decision," Reeves said Thursday. "I appreciate the commission's work and the careful consideration they demonstrated throughout the process. I will be meeting with my senior staff and (legal advisers) to determine how we move forward."

A State Police investigation determined the troopers improperly charged the public for thousands of dollars in overtime while taking a circuitous route to the California conference, including overnight stays at a Las Vegas casino resort and the Grand Canyon. The internal inquiry made clear that the troopers treated the trip like a vacation and took their time driving to San Diego.

But the commission largely sided with the troopers, who claimed they had been scapegoated for a scandal that embarrassed the State Police and prompted the retirement of Mike Edmonson, the agency's longest-serving superintendent.

The troopers insisted that Edmonson had approved the side trip and even encouraged the troopers to take a scenic route to the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego.

Edmonson claimed he had not authorized the taxpayer-funded journey, but text messages and phone records later emerged showing he remained in contact with the troopers as they traversed the country in a State Police SUV.

Hyatt, who received the harshest discipline, was in touch with Edmonson and at least one other member of the State Police command staff throughout the trip. He told the commission he handled the group's accommodations along the way and that Edmonson encouraged the troopers to have "a good time."

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Can't see video below? Click here.

"This wasn't about us," Miller told the commission during a four-day appeal hearing last month. "This was about Col. Edmonson."

Edmonson stepped down shortly after the internal affairs inquiry found that he had admonished Hyatt to delete text messages from his cellphone  a potentially criminal allegation.

The FBI has been investigating a series of alleged improprieties during Edmonson's nine-year tenure, according to law enforcement sources, but the federal probe has not resulted in any charges.

The troopers, in their appeal, noted that they had reimbursed the state for expenses related to the trip, even as they insisted they had not knowingly violated State Police policy and said they had never been trained on state travel regulations. Williams, for his part, did not claim overtime and testified that he actually worked more hours during the conference than he claimed on timesheets.

Edmonson authorized several State Police representatives to fly to the conference, but he asked Hyatt, Williams, Miller and Nezgodinsky to drive so that he could have a State Police SUV at his disposal in California. He said he believed driving actually would be the cheapest mode of transportation, but a legislative audit determined the journey resulted in several thousand dollars in "unnecessary" taxpayer expenditures.

The commission had the option to uphold, amend or overturn the troopers' discipline.

The discipline Williams received stemmed from his use of a state cellphone for personal communications. Investigators found that, after checking into a Las Vegas hotel, Williams took a photograph of a bed and sent it to a female friend. "Has your name all over it," he wrote. "Look at the bar at the top of the headboard. What do you think that is for?"

The same friend sent Williams a photograph of her genitalia a couple of days later in an email with the subject "No panties Sunday." Two days after that exchange, Williams sent the woman an image of himself "seated in the desert with a cactus protruding between (his) legs," according to State Police records.

Williams testified that he did not realize he had been using his State Police email account during those exchanges. He said he uses both personal and state email accounts on his cellphone.
Voting machines wait to be packed on to delivery trucks as elections signs, machines and materials are loaded out of a Metairie warehouse in preparation for the Jefferson Parish sheriff's race in New Orleans, La., Friday, March 23, 2018.
Carol Patterson wears a New Orleans Saints jersey as she grabs at the megaphone being used by David Duke, center, a former grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan and a candidate for U.S. Senate, as he speaks against a protest of the group Take 'Em Down NOLA, who threatened to take down the Andrew Jackson Statue, top right, in the French Quarter in New Orleans, La. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. Duke later retreated from the Square before the Take 'Em Down NOLA group protest arrived. Patterson was later arrested.
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Central Superintendent Jason Fountain hands Jordan Taylor a "Culture Coin," an award normally reserved for employees that goes to those who make a positive contribution to the character of the school district. An act of kindness by Taylor where he helped Central High student Jack Ryan Edwards was caught on video by the teen's father, Sid Edwards, the head football coach at the high school.
The seemingly endless parade of indigent defendants through Criminal District Court in New Orleans means that asking users to pay is not going to work. Meanwhile, the federal courts are taking notice.

Something has to give, but it's difficult to see what the budget-strapped city government and state Legislature will be able to do about it soon.

Days after a federal judge ruled that the fines and fees system at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court is unconstitutional, a second judge issued a similar ruling against Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell.

Cantrell has an unavoidable conflict of interest when he sets bail amounts that help pay for his court's operations, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon declared Monday in New Orleans. The result is a substantial violation of the constitutional rights of poor defendants who remain behind bars solely because they can't make bail, the judge said.

The problem is hardly unique to Orleans Parish. Across the state, advocates have long argued that Louisianas user pays court system disproportionately punishes the poor. While 80 percent or more of criminal defendants in New Orleans are deemed indigent and are represented by public defenders, large numbers of those in other jurisdictions are in the same boat.

The federal judges are acting on the basis of lawsuits filed by advocates and rules set by the U.S. Supreme Court. A 1983 decision found the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars states from arresting or detaining a defendant solely for failing to pay court costs, without determining if that failure was willful.

It is that last provision that the lawsuits target in Orleans. In the case of Fallon's ruling, it will be up to Cantrell and the judges in criminal court to come up with an alternative scheme for assessing fines and fees.

Although judges and courts use fees and fines to pay court costs, as anyone who has had even a small a violation as a traffic ticket knows, the courts struggle with paying for their operations.

Nonprofit legal organizations brought the recent lawsuits about the court fees and fines.

In New Orleans, for too long we have locked up people just because theyre poor, lawyer Katie Schwartzmann said. What the courts order today does is require a more individualized determination for people so theres a thoughtful, meaningful hearing on what will actually serve the safety of our community more broadly, and whether somebody should be detained.

We disagree with the premise that everyone locked up faces jail time "just because they're poor." In fact, many of the defendants are in court because they did, indeed, break the law

Still, the judges are supposed to follow the rules, and the rules set by the U.S. Supreme Court and reiterated by Fallon and others at the federal courts, require at the least a change in processes in the system.

But that won't alter the ultimate problem of how to pay for necessary public services like courts. And let's not even get into the difficulties jurisdictions like Baton Rouge and others across the state have with funding prisons, another necessity that politicians and taxpayers are reluctant to pay for.
President Donald Trump has a lot on his plate these days, what with the problems any president would face and the many more of his own making. Does he really need to mediate the long-running feud between Gov. John Bel Edwards and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy?

Apparently Kennedy thinks so, or at least believes that the president should pick sides between Edwards, the rare Democratic governor with whom the Republican president has developed a productive working relationship, and the Republican senator who is considering challenging him next fall.

U.S. Sen. Kennedy, Gov. Edwards renew dispute on merits of criminal justice overhaul U.S. Sen. John Kennedy on Wednesday escalated his criticism of Gov. John Bel Edwards' criminal justice overhaul and accused the governor of ta

Edwards is off to New Jersey today to meet with Trump about the states criminal justice reform efforts, which are starting to show the intended results, a drop in the states long-leading incarceration rate. This is a cause that has an unusual level of bipartisan support, both in Louisiana (with Kennedy and another habitual Edwards critic, Attorney General Jeff Landry, as very vocal exceptions) and in Washington, where the presidents son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, has taken an interest.

Yet Kennedy marked the attention to his state by firing off a letter to Trump badmouthing the change, saying it is failing law-abiding citizens in Louisiana, and arguing that it should be cautionary tale rather than a model.

The letter came as Edwards and critics of the law are arguing over recidivism statistics and whether the re-arrest of some former prisoners, including two who were released early and were later charged with murder, negates the laws promise of money savings and second chance for many who were convicted on non-violent charges. Edwards staff responded by accusing Kennedy of playing politics and embarrassing the state of Louisiana.

It certainly wouldnt be the first time Kennedy did either of those things. And the idea of turning an opportunity to showcase his state into a chance to score points is certainly in character.

Yes, the issues raised by criminal justice reform are difficult, which is one reason to celebrate real attempts by members of both parties to grapple with them together. By all indications, Louisiana will be doing so at least through next falls election. Theres really no need to drag the White House into it.

+9 Louisiana sees large drops in prison population a year after historic criminal justice reforms Louisiana officials on Thursday reported significant decreases in the state's prison population, prison admissions, and probation and parole c
When it comes to Hollywood and sequels, never say never  but the SyFy Channel claims that Sharknado 6: The Last Sharknado: It's About Time is the final entry in the self-consciously cheesy series.

It's also the first Sharknado to air since the Lakeview restaurant Pizza Nola  which held an annual viewing party  closed its doors. But owner Will Samuels, who loves a good sharknado, announced today that the "ain't dere no more" pizzeria will hold a viewing party for Sharknado 6 at Howlin' Wolf when the movie airs Sunday, Aug. 19.

+8 'Sharknado' fever hits Pizza NOLA for a day of campy fun It was a day of campy fun focused on the SyFy premiere of the fourth 'Sharknado' film, 'The 4th Awakens.'

"It is still our civic duty to host one last party to celebrate the final Sharknado movie, Samuels said in a press release. Were no longer in Lakeview providing tasty pizza, house-made gelato, hearty weekend breakfasts and family-friendly service, but we still can gather together to celebrate all things Sharknado.

Samuels' previous Sharknado parties featured panels with local media types discussing how to survive a sharknado; shark-related arts and crafts; and even locals who had connections to the Sharknado series.

This year's event is set to include a "Sharknado-cake bakeoff challenge with celebrity judges, prizes, and a major announcement about the next phase of the Pizza Nola Gastronomic Universe!," according to its Facebook page.

According to the network, "In Sharknado 6: It's About Time, the sixth and final installment of the series, Fin will travel back in time in a Sharknado-turned-time-machine to resurrect his family by stopping the first sharknado that started it all. In his quest, Fin will fight dinosaurs, knights, cowboys, and, of course, sharks. This time, it's not a question of how to stop the sharknados  it's when!"

The party and screening will be held 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are free with RSVP.
Gavonte Lampkin already had been targeted twice in shootings blamed on the same man when his burned corpse turned up in the middle of a brush fire in Algiers last month, along with that of a 20-year-old woman.

Christopher Butler, 29, the man accused of gunning for Lampkin twice before, remained free on bond Thursday while awaiting trial in two cases that include other defendants: an attempted-murder charge from the time Lampkin was shot, in 2016, and charges of principal to attempted murder and witness intimidation in the later shooting.

Lampkin, 20, was the lone victim in both shootings. Prosecutors claim the gunfire in the latter assault was meant to silence him as a witness in the prior one.

Butlers trial date for the second shooting was Wednesday, but Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Darryl Derbigny postponed it until Monday.

Butler is free on a total bond of $380,000 from those cases. His attorney, Gregory Carter, maintained his clients innocence in both matters and expressed confidence he will be found not guilty.

He conceded that the death of Lampkin likely doomed the prosecutions case against Butler that was supposed to start this week, but Carter rejected the notion that the client knew about or had something to do with Lampkins killing.

It doesnt do us any good for harm to come to this young man, because the allegations stay out there without us having the chance to disprove it, said Carter, expressing frustration that prior trial dates had been postponed.

Police on Thursday declined to say whether investigators had identified any suspects or a potential motive in the killings.

Orleans Parish District Attorneys Office spokesman Ken Daley said prosecutors still consider both of the earlier cases involving Lampkin as the victim to be open and pending. He declined to comment further.

The Orleans Parish Coroners Office this week said that both Lampkin and Shantrell Parker had been shot before firefighters and police found their bodies while responding to a blaze in a wooded area of the Cutoff neighborhood of Algiers about 11:30 p.m. on July 29.

The corpses of Lampkin and Parker were burned beyond recognition near Maumus Avenue and Bennett Street, less than two miles from where Lampkin lived. The Louisiana State Police crime lab helped authorities identify the victims, who were parents together, according to court records.

Court records detail authorities belief that Butler wanted Lampkin dead.

Butler and three other men are accused of attempted murder in a shooting on June 27, 2016, that left Lampkin injured in the 5600 block of Tullis Drive. Court records show the same address on that block for one of Butlers co-defendants, Elijah Favorite, and for Parkers mother.

Later that day, Lampkin went on Twitter and lamented what had just happened to him. "Nobody know how I feel or what I'm going through," Lampkin wrote, including images of a crying face and a broken heart in his message.

Five months after the first shooting, authorities say, Butler went after Lampkin again  this time, with a man named John Richey in tow.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

On the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2016, a police report says, Butler and Richey, 21, pulled up to Lampkins house on Maple Leaf Drive.

The subject and the victim had a brief conversation about a previous incident between them, the report states. After the conversation, the subject gave a handgun to the passenger in the vehicle, who police say was Richey.

Richey then asked the victim to walk with him to Tullis Drive to get an item, the police report continued. The victim agreed to go with him. While walking through the parking lot of an abandoned car wash, Richey fired the gun at the victim, striking him several times in the body, face and head.

The District Attorneys Office filed charges in March 2017 against both men for attempted murder on Lampkin and threatening a witness with intent to influence his testimony, his reporting of criminal conduct, or his appearance at a judicial proceeding.

Before his death, Lampkin had a criminal history that included charges of domestic abuse, simple assault, criminal damage to property, and aggravated battery from a 2016 case.

In the latter case, Lampkin was accused of trying to sell marijuana to a victim who was then shot in the leg by one of Lampkins companions at the time. Prosecutors portrayed the incident as a botched robbery.

Lampkin ended up pleading guilty to lesser charges in that incident, received five years of probation, and was barred from buying or possessing a firearm.

His attorneys in that case had earlier argued for a reduction in his bail, saying Lampkin was a 17-year-old New Orleans native who had enrolled in GED classes. He worked at Cafe Reconcile, the restaurant jobs program for at-risk youth, to support his then-pregnant girlfriend.

Prior to his guilty pleas, Lampkin had no felony arrests or convictions.

He was still on probation when he was killed, having returned to court in April and agreed to re-engage with (the) domestic violence program. Officials were also trying to link him up to mental health services.

At the time of the April probation hearing, Lampkin was unemployed and on disability, the records show.

The families of Lampkin and Parker could not immediately be reached for comment.

Butler bonded out under an address in the Little Woods neighborhood of New Orleans East. Court records do not indicate whether authorities suspect him of any gang ties.

He is also awaiting trial on an aggravated assault charge following a November 2015 incident involving a different victim. Butler is accused of brandishing a handgun while a companion, armed with an assault rifle, punched the victim in the face at his doorway in Algiers.
Foreign high-rollers are returning in large volumes to gamble at Crown Resorts' flagship casino with the James Packer-backed company revealing a major lift in revenue from its international VIP program.

Crown, Australia's largest casino operator, revealed turnover from its VIP programs had risen nearly 55 per cent to more than $51 billion in the past financial year after being cut in half the year before.

Revenue from international VIP gamblers was up by 73 per cent at Crown's casino in Melbourne. Credit:Fairfax Media

The results released on Thursday represent a sharp turnaround after the number of wealthy VIP gamblers mainly from Asia dropped off dramatically in the wake of the Chinese government's gambling crackdown and high-profile arrests and criminal convictions of Crown Resorts staff in China in 2016.

At its casino in Melbourne's Southbank alone, VIP revenue rose 73 per cent to $591 million in the year to June 30, accounts show.
Transurban has agreed to hand over detailed traffic data about its Sydney toll roads to allay concerns that the company has an unfair advantage over rivals.

The private toll-road operator has made the undertaking to the competition regulator, which is deciding whether to block it from buying a controlling stake in the WestConnex motorway.

Transurban's data on the performance of toll roads across Sydney, such as the M2 and the Lane Cove Tunnel, is more detailed than what is available from the state government.

And the company's rivals in the bidding war for WestConnex have complained that Transurban's incumbency puts them at a distinct disadvantage.
Doubts have mounted about Musk's ability to take the electric-car maker off the market, sending the stock tumbling much as 6.6 per cent to $US345.73 in Thursday afternoon trading, well off the $US420 at which Musk said shareholders would be bought out. The shares have dropped on back-to-back days after having jumped 11 per cent on Tuesday, when Musk vowed that he had "funding secured" at a spectacular $US82 billion ($111 billion) valuation, including debt.

Two days after Elon Musk triggered a frantic rally with a tweet saying he was considering taking Tesla private, the stock erased all of those gains.

Since that initial tweet, though, he has offered no evidence to back up the statement. Nor has anyone stepped forward publicly -- or privately -- to say they're behind the plan. People with or close to 15 financial institutions and technology firms who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they weren't aware of financing having been locked in before Musk's posts.

"I don't really understand the idea of what was suggested in the potential for them to go private," Dick Weil, chief executive officer of $US370 billion asset manager Janus Henderson Group, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

"That's obviously an incredibly large valuation to somehow take into the private market."

Loading

All of which could be problematic as the Securities and Exchange Commission intensifies its scrutiny of the company. SEC attorneys already had been gathering general information about Tesla's public pronouncements regarding manufacturing goals and sales targets, according to two people who asked not to be named because the review is private.

Now, the attorneys are also examining whether Musk's tweet about having funding to buy out the company was meant to be factual, according to one of the people.
So what happens if the NEG does not get over the line this week? We can be sure the political bickering will continue. We can also be certain the energy market and its participants will get on with business as they have for the last 10 years while the energy and environment ideological debate rolls on.

And who will be the losers? Almost certainly consumers. Some of the promised energy price reductions will come regardless of the NEG being law or not, but by how much is far harder to predict as we will be relying on market forces and other interventions that will inevitably come from regulatory bodies. We will probably see more price volatility and significant power outage events.

It will be an opportunity missed and there will be a real risk that the very good work done by Alan Finkel and his team and the Energy Security Board over the last couple of years will not be capitalised upon. It is worth remembering that this is an energy and environment policy that has the backing of the sector itself, the wider business community, as well as key social services bodies.

It is a fact that trust in the energy sector is at an all-time low. The Edelman Trust Barometer shows that the energy and financial services sectors are two of the most distrusted industries by Australian consumers.
No Dancing, No Dancing

Denis Dragovic

No Dancing, No Dancing. By Denis Dragovic.

Odyssey, $23.95

Denis Dragovic, a former humanitarian aid worker, takes us behind the headlines in this reflection on and examination of his experiences in some major disaster-stricken areas: South Sudan, Iraq and East Timor. Central to his thesis is the conviction that aid workers and programmers must liaise with the populations of the countries they are rebuilding: that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to what is a global crisis. It is a conviction founded on years of direct experience: be it buying a convicted man's life in Sudan (condemned to death by tribal law for an accidental killing), dealing with revenge killings in Iraq or slave traders in Syria. To be effective, aid, he tells us in simple, evocative writing, must interact with local traditions, religions and cultures. Timely, given the deplorable state of humanitarian debate in this country.
Michael Ondaatje began The English Patient as a small scene between a burned patient and a nurse. He didn't know what he was writing  a brief novella, perhaps? He didn't know who the characters were, or where the scene was taking place.

That small scene became a 1992 novel that has been voted the best Man Booker Prize winner of the past 50 years. It's beaten finalists from other decades (books by V. S. Naipaul, Penelope Lively, Hilary Mantel and George Saunders) for the title of Golden Booker.

Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche in The English Patient.

The English Patient is one of the highest-profile Booker winners: it was translated into 38 languages and was made into an Oscar-winning film. So quite possibly the 9000-odd voters who chose Ondaatje's novel were remembering Ralph Fiennes as the burned patient Almasy (who was actually Hungarian).

They might also have recalled the other characters: Almasy's Canadian nurse, Hana; his memories of his married lover, Katharine; Hana's lover, Kip; and the wild card, the thief Caravaggio  all coming together in a bombed Italian villa during World War Two.
POLITICS

War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence

Ronan Farrow

William Collins, $29.99

An English diplomat once defined an ambassador as "an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country". Ronan Farrow would beg to differ. It has been diplomats, he argues in this very readable account of their modern downgrading, that have made peace between nations possible. War is what happens when diplomacy is not taken seriously. The resort to military solutions constitutes a "war on peace''. He is partly right and partly wrong about this.

Journalist Ronan Farrow. Credit:Ted Shaffrey

Farrow is right to remind us that this did not all begin under Donald Trump  he accelerated a process already well established by his three predecessors. Diplomacy has been "ailing, if not dying" for several decades. Why? Because, argues the author, "militarisation" offered apparently faster results. Diplomacy is often slow and piecemeal. Emergencies, such as 9/11, needed warriors, not diplomats.

Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan had all at one point served as secretary of state before they served as President. But none, as Hillary Clinton can attest, has become president for more than a century and a half. Farrow has interviewed her and every other living secretary of state for his book.
Lauren's lilting, hybrid accent  not quite English and not quite American  is a result of being born in New Jersey to an American father and English mother, then moving to England when she was 13. "Some people think I'm Australian because they think that's what you get when you put those two accents together," she says with a laugh. It's not surprising the actor herself often grapples with her own identity. "It's weird when you're asked to pick one place over the other but now I've finally realised I'm always going to feel like this  torn between two countries  so there's actually a kind of peace in that realisation." After graduating from the University of Winchester in the UK with a bachelor's degree in drama and English literature, Lauren initially split her time between Los Angeles and London, and her work between film and television. Among her credits she includes the 2005 film Casanova (also starring Heath Ledger), a season in the series Supernatural as the villainous Bela Talbot, a 2010 stint as a 560-year-old vampire in The Vampire Diaries, and a 2011 appearance on the series Chuck as socialite Vivian Volkoff.

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is propositioned by Hilltop leader Gregory (Xander Berkeley) in The Walking Dead season 6 episode 11 Knots Untie. Credit:AMC In 2011, her capacity for playing characters in fantasy-themed programs led to her being cast in a recurring role on the second season of The Walking Dead as Maggie, a farmer's daughter and killer of zombies. She quickly became one of the show's most popular characters, and when the series returns in October, with a oneyear time jump, we find Maggie has become both a powerful leader of the survivors' Hilltop community and a devoted mother who won't be pushed around by anyone. "Having the baby definitely infuses Maggie with a new viewpoint," she reveals. "It's time for her to step up and start making her own decisions. She feels Rick betrayed her by letting Negan [Jeffrey Dean Morgan] live, so she's now speaking up when she's not in line with what Rick [Lincoln] decides and that creates a lot of tension." It's likely that Lauren had to draw on some of her character's feistiness when renegotiating her return for the upcoming season. She initially asked for an enhanced salary, something closer to that of her two male co-stars, Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, and rejected the modest increase that was offered. Making her point, she put herself out there during the US TV industry's pilot season and quickly landed the lead role on the comedy-action series Whiskey Cavalier, sparking rumours of her exit from The Walking Dead. In the end, she successfully landed a significant but undisclosed salary bump for a minimum of six episodes this season, an arrangement which also allowed her to film the new show during The Walking Dead hiatus.

She chooses her words carefully when asked about the pay dispute. "It's what you have to do when disparities don't make sense," she says firmly. "I've always looked up to women who possess quiet strength and power." Credit:Marc Hom/Trunk Archive/www.snappermedia.com "I want to be clear that I'm not bashing the show or anyone on it but I don't want to hide what I did either. It was just time to say that gender shouldn't matter when you have this group of kick-ass people all doing the same work." In Mile 22, she plays Alice Kerr, a member of an elite paramilitary group tasked with trying to smuggle a mysterious police officer out of south-east Asia. Her character is also a mother juggling her responsibilities between family and career. "I've always looked up to women who possess quiet strength and power," she says. "I'm very lucky  I had an amazing mom and other strong female figures in my life, and what I take from that is the knowledge you can balance a lot of different responsibilities at once.

"Women have supreme powers of multi-tasking as mothers and it's great playing the kinds of roles that are finally showcasing this on film." Lauren, who also learnt to speak Indonesian for the role, says the brutal fight scenes in Mile 22 required even more intense preparation than The Walking Dead. "I spent all my days off working with navy SEALs, doing combat training," she says proudly. "We wanted to emphasise her scrappy, caged-animal style of fighting, so I studied ju-jitsu and worked out with Ryan Watson, the man who trained Gal Gadot for Wonder Woman." Juggling three major projects hasn't left much time for romance, Lauren confesses. "It's on the back burner and I am okay with that. I think a good relationship takes things that I don't necessarily have right now, but I don't feel like they are far off. I'm a romantic, so I have to believe there will be a time for that sooner or later." And when asked if she will return to The Walking Dead for a 10th season after filming Whiskey Cavalier, Lauren hesitates. "I don't think Maggie's story is entirely done," she says enigmatically, "but I do know that I'm ready to spread my wings."
In person, Macaigne is friendly and unassuming, yet seems to vibrate at a slightly unusual frequency: he giggles often, whether from nerves or private amusement. While C'est la vie! might seem like a departure from the art films he's best-known for, he argues otherwise, maintaining that Nakache and Toledano are artists in their own right. For me it's not an industry movie, he says.

Macaigne's latest film to be released in Australia is one of his highest-profile to date: the new comedy from the directing team of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, who scored a huge hit in 2012 with The Intouchables. Known in the English-speaking world as C'est la Vie! - the original French title means something like The Point of the Party - it's the story of a wedding planner and caterer played by the veteran actor Jean-Pierre Bacri, and the trials he experiences while staging an elaborate ceremony and reception at a 17th-century castle. Macaigne plays Julien, a mopey teacher turned waiter who turns out to have a history with the bride (Judith Chernia).

Now in his late 30s, he's worked prolifically for the last decade or so, his more prominent recent roles including a club promoter in Mia Hansen-Love's Eden and a Red Cross doctor in Anne Fontaine's The Innocents.

Most fans of recent French cinema will know the actor Vincent Macaigne, if not by name than from his distinctive look: balding, often a little unkempt, with a face that can appear soulful or foolish or both.

His own approach to acting is down to earth: while C'est la vie! gradually fills us in on the details of Julien's past, Macaigne isn't personally inclined to develop elaborate biographies for the people he plays. It's more simple. It's maybe French. I'm not so serious. The more important thing, he says, is to locate the energy and the rhythm of the director. So I'm listening to how he feels and how he thinks, and trying to be the same way.

In this case, of course, there were two directors, although Macaigne says that Nakache and Toledano function smoothly as a directing team. They never fight, they laugh a lot, and they're very funny. For Macaigne, their easygoing attitude defined the experience of making C'est la vie!, which was shot at a real castle just outside Paris. What you feel when you see the movie is the two of them - they have the same mood.

C'est la vie! feels like a tightly constructed farce, but Macaigne says that there was a lot of room for improvisation - for him and for Nakache and Toledano, who would call out new lines of dialogue in the midst of shooting. They write a script, but when they shoot, they are very free. And afterwards, in the editing, they find new ideas. It's like embroidery, almost.

In some ways, I suggest, the film is really about showbusiness: the event being staged happens to be a wedding, but from a behind-the-scenes perspective it could be any kind of spectacle. Macaigne agrees, suggesting this was quite conscious on Nakache and Toledano's part. When you direct a movie, you have to direct people, and people hate you or love you. And so I think they do a metaphor of their own life.

Working on the film, he adds, was very much a group experience, with its own moments of behind-the-scenes chaos. There were a lot of storms and bad weather - trees were coming down, like boom, boom! But nobody was injured. Bacri, by Macaigne's account, stood a little apart from the rest of the filmmaking group, although he was far less grumpy than his character Max, the director figure within the film. He's an old man, but very nice, Macaigne says of his co-star. He's got his own life, and maybe he doesn't mingle that much.
The connections indeed run deep in author Craig Horne's homage to one of rock 'n' roll's most unique and cherished bands, Daddy Cool.

From late 1970 it took just 18 months for Daddy Cool's Ross Wilson, Ross Hannaford, Wayne Duncan and Gary Young to forever stamp themselves as one of Australia's most recognisable groups.

Daddy Cool in 2005 when they came together to play a fundraising gig, with Wayne Duncan at the forefront. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Daddy Who? is not only the most complete story of the band to be written, it's also an up-close account from a writer inspired to play music after first seeing Daddy Cool perform live in 1971, and who later went on to play with Duncan, Young and Hannaford in his own band, the Hornets. "They totally changed my life," Horne told Sticky this week. "So, yes, the book for me is a homage to all that ... it was a thrill to be around them."

The opening few pages alone sets the mood of what it was like to spend some time with a true legend of Australian music, as Horne cheerfully describes Hannaford munching down a dozen mandarines on the way to a show in 2001. Daddy Cool hits Eagle Rock, Come Back Again, Hi Honey Ho! and other gems from the `70s still fill dance floors today and Daddy Who? gets to the heart of both the genius and madness of the band.
Here are some things you may not know about Anwar Hadid, the younger brother of mega-models Gigi and Bella Hadid.

Anwar, 19, is incredibly kind, funny and softly spoken. He is passionate about human rights and has started an artisan jewellery company. His most prized possessions include his mother's gold-and-diamond ring, itself an heirloom from her grandmother, and antique swords from his father's Palestinian ancestors.

Here's not looking at you ... Anwar Hadid in the David Jones show on Wednesday. Credit:AAP

"It's important for me to put something I love out into the world," he told me about his design career during his first trip to Australia this week.

He also wears odd-coloured socks and prefers to be on the "other" side of (that is, away from) the camera.
Howard Carew (Letters, August 6) praises the insight and intellectual leadership provided by the Indigenous women and man on The Drum special from Garma. They so eloquently articulated the call for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament to be instituted. It was in stark contrast to Malcolm Turnbull who continues to pour cold water on any hope that the Uluru Statement might yet be realised. Turnbull seems to be saying that it's Australian voters' fault because we wouldn't accept a constitutional referendum on the matter. He also continues to misrepresent the intent of the Voice, claiming it would be regarded as another tier of Parliament, when it is up to government, through legislation, to ensure that it isn't. No, it's Turnbull's fault because he keeps walking away from his responsibility to develop, with Indigenous consultation, the detail of the constitutional change so that it would be readily accepted by a majority of Australians (that is, if it isn't already).

Turnbull also seems to have forgotten that it was his government that asked Indigenous Australia what they wanted. At Uluru, they answered with one voice, but without even discussing it, Turnbull rejected their call. Yet, this is the man who, only a week ago, told us he listens. Eric Hunter, Cook Libs have gone astray

I am a Fairfax [electorate] voter and nearing 80. I first voted while serving in the army, 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, on overseas service in south-east Asia, Malaysia, in the 1962 federal election. I ceased voting/supporting the state and federal Liberal MPs in 2015 when I emailed them and Turnbull, stating the Liberal Party was failing to support my standards and values. I have been pondering as to how the federal Liberal parliamentary could support the political assassination of Abbott, knowing that Turnbull was a supporter and an active environmentalist who supported the CO2 tax. Blind Freddy could foresee his future decision on the Paris Agreement. Turnbull, for me, had not demonstrated political nous or leadership, and I believe history will record him being the second most non-effective prime minister after Fraser (1975-83). I ask all Liberal MPs "Are you supporting Turnbull because he bought his position by donating a million dollars-plus enabling a possible win by one seat during the 2016 election?"

Robert S. Buick, MM, Mountain Creek, Qld Population debate need Your editorial "Australia is far from full" (August 8, p14) does the paper no credit. A full and frank debate about what a sustainable population for Australia might be is one that every thinking Australian should be keen to have. The debate must concentrate on exactly what the "carrying capacity" of the country will be and not, at this stage, on how this figure will be attained.

How the Editorial can claim this country is "far from full by the standards of the US and Europe" is incomprehensible. This country cannot be compared with them. We do not have the fertile soils they possess, we do not have the water resources they enjoy. Furthermore, what fertile soils we do have are being steadily covered with bricks and concrete, over-grazed, or over-farmed. As for our scarce and dwindling water resources, one only has to look at what has been done to the Murray-Darling Basin to realise the folly of our past practices. It is clear we are going to have serious problems feeding and watering our current population, let alone the vastly increased population now being forecast. It is time we had some real leadership shown by our respective governments.

Murray Upton, Belconnen Scientific view ignored You say "Australia is far from full" (Editorial, August 8, p14). Of course not. The whole world's population could be housed in families on quarter-acre blocks in Queensland (a cautionary note on the use of statistics) quoted by the Australian Academy of Science in the mid-1990s. It was reiterated by Professor Withers at the academy's 1998 Malthus Bicentenary Conference, while tasking Tim Flannery for "frightening the little children" with an assessment that Australia's sustainable population might be as low as 12 million.

The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs commissioned the CSIRO to produce Future Dilemmas: Options to 2050 for Australia's Population, Technology, Resources and Environment (2002). Options provided by science weren't preferred by the department, so have been ignored. How far have we progressed since Judge Coffinhal's "We have no need for men of science" of 1794?" Colin Samundsett, Farrer MacKillop offers an example to all Australians, not just Catholics On August 8 each year Catholics celebrate the feast day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, who gathered women about her to follow Jesus and teach the children of poor people.

The celebrations will continue, with a new and beautiful focus being the second annual pilgrimage to the NSW coastal town of Eden this Saturday, August 11, feast day of Clare of Assisi. Mary visited Eden twice, and tragically, her mother Flora was drowned from a shipwreck aboard SS-Ly-ee-Moon at nearby Greencape on May 29, 1886. The Catholic parish of Pambula has invited pilgrims and admirers of Mary to come to Eden to honour Australia's first canonised saint. The Sisters of St Joseph, her spiritual daughters, have educated generations of Australian children for more than 150 years. Many people believe  and who can blame them  that the Catholic church will never recover from its betrayal of little children, the very ones Jesus loved so much. But that's forgetting about the Holy Spirit. And didn't all seem lost after the death of Jesus? Mary MacKillop is an example not just for Catholics but for all Australians.

Misunderstood, she knew the hurt of being denied holy communion but never once spoke against the Bishop who made that judgment. Now for the first time in history our bishops are asking us  fervent Catholics, those who have walked away in disgust and everyone in between  to pray, and then speak with courage, listen with humility, and share our stories. The question we are discerning together is: "What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?" Mary-Lou Pentony, Hackett Health staff have power

I know people that work in ACT Health and within ACT Hospitals in general. When I catch up with them, invariably some of my conversation may turn to their work, which usually goes pear-shaped. This generally just opens up a can of worms in regard to a number of their work conditions, bullying being one of them, although it's not a word that they commonly use, however you know what they mean. So the Minister Megan Fitzharris dismissed the proposed inquiry as a political stunt? Of course she would. Imagine if an inquiry were held, who knows what would come out of it.

The inquiry may reveal how dysfunctional, ineffective and myopic some of these ACT ministers are and some of the current batch of MLAs as well. One thing I would say to health workers, there are a lot of you, you all have family and friends who also know people and remember the ACT election is coming up. I read the Canberra Times daily. I don't recall ever reading the Times of late where the ACT government has not had some sort of adverse comment or criticism levied against them. J. Bodsworth, Phillip Planning skills ignored

I had several exchanges with Professor Patrick Troy over the past year prior to his recent passing. His depth of knowledge on urban planning and ecology went right back to his strong influence on the Whitlam government through his being Deputy Secretary of the Department of Urban and Regional Development (DURD) at that time. It is ironic indeed that a man with such strong connections to the ALP considered the current state of play in Canberra as a "tragedy" with professional knowledge of planning overshadowed by an ACT government beholden to developer interests. Moreover, the ACT government continues to ignore important research on water and energy issues that shows that increasing density provides no advantage in either regard. Further, he said "we could have had a much greener public transport system", which "would have spared us the experience we've had in trying to insert the silly tram 'thing' into our city". (His email of July 13, 2018).

Murray May, Cook ACCC building empires Bruce Gordon's critique of the ACCC ("East coast gas killed by ACCC", canberratimes.com.au, August 7) is incomplete. Not only has the ACCC facilitated anti-competitive horizontal integration in the upstream gas industry, it also facilitated it in the pipeline industry in the 2012 acquisition of EPIC Energy by APA. This followed the ACCC's authorisation of competition-reducing acquisitions in the privatisation of NSW electricity retailers.

These, and other examples, reveal the true agenda of the ACCC's empire-building bureaucracy: enhancing its own status and promoting its regulatory reach in dictating market structures and pricing. So follows its campaign to regulate gas pipeline pricing in the face of a market structure it engineered. So follows its strident, if ineffective, voice in electricity markets in the face of its own engineering of market structures; and so too its campaign to regulate airports' pricing of car parks by defining "monopoly" very narrowly. As bureaucracies are wont to do, the ACCC misunderstands, and is suspicious of, bona fide commercial market forces and sees market failure everywhere and the dead hand of regulatory failure  especially its own  nowhere. Disclosure: I am a former non-executive director of Epic Energy and of managed funds that invested in Australian airports, and a former chairman of Infigen Energy). Mike Hutchinson, Reid

Labor ignoring costs Labor's climate and energy spokesman, Mark Butler, keeps telling us that the government's renewable energy targets are too low, trumpeting Labor's 50 per cent RET instead, despite the engineering and cost barriers to this policy. A friend suggests this makes him the second RET Butler in our lifetime, and like the first one he will most likely be best remembered for his Gone with the Wind performance. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn how he and his ridiculous policy meet their demise, so long as they do so soon and ignominiously. Doug Hurst, Chapman

Time to co-ordinate Greg Cornwell (Letters, August 6) points out homelessness is a state issue and that ACT Labor hasn't provided enough housing for our homeless. The federal government also has responsibilities. Labor's plans to reform negative gearing and introduce a vacant property tax would result in fewer empty properties. Labor also plans to re-establish the National Housing Supply Council. Just as energy policy needs to be nationally co-ordinated.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston Wait for Husar inquiry It would appear as if Ms Husar jumped before she was pushed under Bill's election bus. I'm looking forward to the inquiry report. M. Moore, Bonython TO THE POINT

JOYCE PRESSED FOR TIME Sue Dyer has a good point (Letters, August 8). When did Barnaby have the time to pen his self-flagellating tome? On his own admission when he was in Canberra he spent his time sitting in the Parliament (at least some of the time), carousing, boozing and musing with a big rock on Red Hill. I can hardly wait to line up to buy one of the first copies of this important contribution to Australian literature from the bargain bin at my local Angus and Robertson's. John Galvin, Weston GROWING PAINS These days 25 million is just a city.

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic HOW ABOUT A HUG HERE? Gordon Fyfe (Letters, August 8) writes of his wishes not to be hugged by the Prime Minister. The Opposition Leader continues to trail the PM in the polls as preferred PM, indicating that his hugs are even less welcome. Perhaps the answer for Gordon is to join the Brumbies, or a local rugby club, where he can hug a rugger bugger. P. Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW DRIVING US CRAZY

Anyone who catches an ACTION bus should check the proposed changes, they may be surprised to learn that long-established suburban routes will no longer exist. And a reasonably short walk to catch a bus is now beyond the capabilities of some patrons especially the elderly. D. Murphy, Canberra ACT OF INFANTICIDE I support Father Peter Day on abortion (Letters, August 8). Before my mother knew she was pregnant with me I had started my long life in the security of her womb. I am genetically the same person now as I was then, but much older. A procured abortion is an act of infanticide  the murder of the most innocent and defenceless of all human beings. Philip Robinson, Bruce

SMART GO MISSING According to Gore Vidal "The United States was founded by the brightest people in the country - and we haven't seen them since". Matt Ford, Crookwell THANKS DUE Thank you Dr Maxine Cooper for your dedicated service which has given us valuable insights into and clear information about key ACT government operations and processes ("Auditor- General farewelled after consistent seven- year stint", canberratimes.com.au, August 7). May your successor be equally resilient and determined.
A Canberra brothel madam accused of immigration offences could face further charges, a court has heard.

Jamaree Suksom, 57, of Dickson, is currently in custody on five counts of allowing unlawful non-citizens to work and allowing a non-citizen to work in breach of a visa.

She has not yet entered pleas.

Ms Suksom appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, where the prosecution requested a five week adjournment so further investigations could be undertaken.

Special Magistrate Ken Cush heard a key witness could not be interviewed until she had completed a five week human trafficking program through the Red Cross.
Rohrs opened the Mother Goose Shop in 1945 in subleased space at the northeast corner of Main and Duane streets in a building that now houses an Einstein Bros. Bagels shop. In 1958, she moved the store to a larger space across the street, at the southeast corner of Main and Duane, in the one-story building that now is the home of the Fire + Wine restaurant.
The ACT government won't commit to giving farmers financial support in line with what is on offer in NSW, despite the territory being surrounded by a state that is now officially 100 per cent in drought.

Drought-stricken farmers in the ACT and across the border are being forced to fork out thousands of dollars to truck in feed from as far afield as South Australia, as the dry conditions that have turned paddocks to dust and created local feed shortages show no sign of abating.

Braidwood farmer Mark Horan walks through one of the 20 dried dams on his property. As a NSW farmer, he is eligible for government transport subsidies that aren't offered in the ACT. Credit:Karleen Minney

In NSW, farmers can apply for a 50 per cent subsidy on transport costs to help them manage the increasing costs involved in keeping their stock alive, but the ACT is still not officially in drought and no such scheme is on offer in the territory.

ACT Rural Landholders Association president Tom Allen said farmers in the territory were facing the same struggles and needed the same subsidies, which are capped in NSW at $20,000 per farm, per year.
A former international university student has escaped jail time over a "sophisticated" health insurance fraud.

However, Borong Liu, 29, has been ordered to repay $11,692 and complete 240 hours community service.

Liu pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday to three charges of dealing with proceeds of crime.

Liu claimed he became involved in the scam after being approached by a woman named, Jennifer.

The fraud involved assuming the identities of international students, who held student health insurance policies, in order to lodge fake claims about visiting three Canberra medical centres.
As an organisation that devotes huge resources to testing the truth of what we publish and ensuring it meets community standards, The Age is delighted that Facebook appears to have finally started to take the issue seriously.

The giant social media company has sent a senior executive to Australia to explain its new policies to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into the impact of digital platforms on news and journalistic content.

Facebook cannot be entirely self-regulating. Credit:AP

As reported on Wednesday, Facebooks head of news partnerships, Campbell Brown, is defending Facebooks place in the Australian media and its fairly recent policy of limiting or removing fake news and hate speech. Facebook was forced to take action after revelations that Russian agents acting under pseudonyms, and the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, manipulated the social media platform to influence the 2016 US election.

In a test case of the policy this month, Facebook took down part of a controversial site called Infowars that promoted conspiracy theories about the attack of September 11, 2001, and the mass shootings at Sandy Hook in the US.
First-time low-range drink-drivers in NSW will be fined $561 and have their licences suspended for three months, while those caught mid-range will have a breath-test device fitted to their car under new legislation before State Parliament.

In NSW, all drink-drivers are required to go before court, so there is no minimum fine, but the average penalty in 2017 for a first-time low-range drink-driver was $482, and $472 for a first-time drug-affected driver.

NSW Police will be able to suspend driving licences and issue on-the-spot fines for drink-driving under new laws. Credit:Marina Neil

Under the proposed laws, introduced into Parliament by the Roads Minister Melinda Pavey on Wednesday, the punishments for low-range drink and drug-driving would be handed out on-the-spot.

Anyone choosing to fight the low-range charge in court risks facing a maximum penalty of $2200 - double the current maximum penalty a magistrate can impose.
Two separate crashes on the M1 caused heavy delays in the evening rush-hour on Thursday.

The first crash happened about 4.30pm on the southbound side of the motorway in Upper Coomera.

Southbound congestion in Yatala about 5.15pm following the crash in Upper Coomera. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads

A caller told police that a motorbike and a car had collided near exit 54.

One patient suffered a wrist injury and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service.
The loved ones of a Melbourne woman may never know the motive for her murder in a "frenzied stabbing attack" by a man she considered family.

On the morning of July 25, 2017, Peter Pavlis  the founder of established food brand The Muesli Company  fatally stabbed his business partner Jennifer Borchardt six times in the kitchen of her Richmond home.

Peter Pavlis arrives at the Supreme Court before an earlier hearing. Credit:AAP

He tried to clean the crime scene and pretended to colleagues that he was concerned about Ms Borchardt's absence from work.

He changed his clothes and lied about the reason he had a fresh knife wound on his thumb.
All Victorian women of reproductive age are being advised to get tested for syphilis after a baby died in the womb when it contracted the disease from its mother.

It is the first fatal case of congenital syphilis recorded in the state in 14 years, and comes amid a resurgence of the dangerous sexually transmitted infection which has seen cases jump 40 per cent since 2015.

The syphilis bacteria under a microscope.

The outbreak, which last year affected a record 1337 Victorians, has mostly infected gay men. Nationwide, the disease has struck Aboriginal communities in Australias far north and South Australia, also causing baby deaths.

A growing number of women in Victoria have become infected (health authorities detected 146 in 2017), putting any unborn children they might have at risk of serious birth defects or death.
The company statement said it would consult with staff affected "to work through the nature of the changes to their role and their options". A staffer who received the news on Thursday said it was shocking and devastating for all involved. "Not only for journalists, but for the communities we cover," they said. "Local newspapers are often overlooked, but they are so important to the communities they serve and journalism as a whole. It's a huge loss."

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance WA regional director Tiffany Venning said coverage of local issues, particularly local council-related matters, rarely got coverage in the states only daily metro newspaper, and this should be "of serious concern to readers seeking transparency of local government within these communities". "It is also a concern for younger journalists, as CNG has been a wonderful training ground. Many WA journalists got their start on the CNG papers, and have gone on to work in national and international newsrooms," she said. The MKR also once split its front pages in better resourced days. Credit:Kaitlyn Offer. Death by a thousand cuts? The company said in a statement that the changes were to ensure the long-term future of community news in Perth. Today's fragmented media market had resulted in more competition and economic pressure than ever before and Community News had to reshape its business to meet the needs of "audiences and commercial partners".

But there has already been radical 'reshaping' at CNG. The company had about 85-90 editorial staff  reporters, subeditors and photographers  in 2012, union records show. It now has closer to 50 after multiple restructures. The latest restructure in 2017 saw all physical branches close except Mandurah. Journalists were pulled from their offices in Kelmscott, Osborne Park, Nedlands, Midland, Joondalup, Myaree and Rockingham and sent to work in the Perth city office, further removing themselves from their local patches.

Independent newspapers The Midland Echo and the Examiner Newspaper Group still stand as the sole newspapers covering the hills, but will no longer be subjected to healthy competition. The Midland Echo's response seemed to stand alone on Thursday in its take on the development. Other responses from industry veterans were very different in their tone. Community to be left 'in the dark' Renowned WA newspaper publisher and journalist Bret Christian said it was a sad day.

Mr Christian, who publishes the independent Post Newspapers, said he felt for the hard-working journalists but the greatest loss would be to communities. People could be left in the dark without an adequate level of quality local media organisations watching the bureaucrats, he said. Newspaper closures were happening around the globe, and a recent international study had found that communities without a local media organisation watching what was going on in their patch meant there was no scrutiny of local government decisions, resulting in council spending increases. Loading The slow WA economy had not helped an already struggling media industry, with local advertising dollars diminished, he said. Curtin University journalism academic and media industry expert, Associate Professor Joseph Fernandez, said the closures were a huge blow.

Job losses were always unpleasant but when they happened in the journalism industry he was particularly concerned about the public impact. The media plays a very important part in not only informing the public, they also play an important part in holding power to account in scrutinising the conduct of the government and public bodies," he said. Not everything that happens in outer suburbs is of sufficient magnitude to interest the big players so once the community loses that ability to communicate with their governance structures then I think we are opening the doors to more problems. You really need to keep a close watch on people performing public duties, the kind of monies that are spent and how they dislike and completely hate the media because they ask uncomfortable questions. This is good news for them. Federal member for Burt Matt Keogh said the loss of the papers was an "absolute travesty" but placed some of the blame on the lack of local content that had followed the restructures.
That passion led him to further study and has taken him around Australia and internationally as a dancer and choreographer.

While Cross did get a couple of dates out of it, he also received something of more lasting benefit from his four years with Quantum Leap: a passion for dance.

Dean Cross joined youth dance ensemble Quantum Leap in 2000 for a reason other than love of dance.

He was one of the alumno who came back to Canberra for Two Zero, a production of new, remounted and reworked dance pieces marking the 20th anniversary of QL Dance (Canberra)'s Quantum Leap project. It opened on Thursday night at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre.

Cross remounted the opening act of fellow Quantum Leap alumnus and current Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer-choreographer Daniel Riley's Where We Gather. Riley came during the final rehearsals to pass on the parts of the piece that came from his body.

"You can't learn that from a video," Cross said.

Members of the ensemble performing Empower at the Canberra Playhouse Theatre. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Quantum Leap's artistic director, Ruth Osborne, said some dancers had been with the company for five or 10 years and many ex-Quantum Leap participants went on to professional careers as dancers and choreographers while new ones kept coming into the company.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will call for Bill Shorten to immediately hand over Labor's internal investigation into Emma Husar to the Department of Finance, as Labor figures prepare for the damaging report to be released to the party's administration committee on Friday.

Mr Shorten said Ms Husar has "had a gutfull" and that it was up the NSW branch of the Labor Party if they wanted to make the report by barrister John Whelan public.

The western Sydney MP announced she will resign at the next election after accusing former employees of orchestrating a witch hunt and denying allegations she misused taxpayer funding or bullied staff.

Wary of setting a dangerous political precedent for any party in opposition, the government hosed down earlier reports that it would launch its own investigation into Ms Husar's office.

Instead, it will encourage staff members to come forward to the department, the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, and Comcare - the Commonwealth workers' compensation scheme.
To the editor: I was distressed to learn of the likely demolition of the Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston. This historic building is an architectural gem, on the National Register, landscaped by Jens Jensen and sitting next to a public beach. It served the public for many years as the Evanston Arts Center. A small group of private citizens have raised funds to tear it down to open the view of the beach. Another proposal is a private hotel on this public site. Those funds could be used to restore it and give it new life for the community, whether as a gallery, a learning center, an event space, or a combination of uses.
Current Sandgate MP Stirling Hinchliffe said he met Mr Warburton many times before he himself decided to stand for the seat. He told of asking Mr Warburton's advice as he first sought preselection. "I sought Nev out to have a talk to him and ask for his blessing, so to speak," Mr Hinchliffe said. "He was long retired and up the Sunshine Coast by that stage and he told me, 'Young man you don't need my blessing if you have the numbers'. "He was very practical in that sense, but he did wish me well and he did encourage me in the party's return in those days of the Newman government when he wanted us to return.

"I remember him being a very approachable and down-to-earth man in the community but holding important offices of state, including police minister in the Goss government. "That was still in the post-Fitzgerald reform time, with the implementation of new practices and standards in the Queensland Police Force, and he took that role very seriously. "He was just a good man, a very good man." Dick Williams was an ETU organiser, later ETU state secretary and ALP state president during Mr Warburton's, or "Warby's", time. "He was one of the most humane people I ever met," Mr Williams said.

"He was a man who was extremely humble, but he was extremely dedicated to his principles and his causes," he said. Mr Williams said Mr Warburton was involved in the early debates about staff contracting and became assistant secretary with the ETU before entering politics. "He led the ALP opposition in the crucial time during the SEQEB strike in 1985," he said. When Labor returned to office under Wayne Goss, Mr Warburton, as employment and industrial relations minister, returned conditions that electricians had before the SEQEB strike, Mr Williams said. "He then repealed all of the anti-worker legislation that the Bjelke-Petersen government had imposed on the electricity industry," he said.

"This is why he was made a life member of the ETU." Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tweeted her respects for Mr Warburton at noon, thanking him for a "lifetime of public service". Goss government attorney-general Dean Wells first met Mr Warburton when the site for a new train station at Carseldine was announced around 1984, when Mr Wells was federal MP for Petrie. "He came up to me and shook my hand and introduced himself  'Hi, I'm Nev Warburton'  as if I wouldn't know he was the leader of the opposition," Mr Wells said.

"He was a very modest man. He was humble and I always had the deepest respect for him." Mr Wells, who later held the nearby state seat of Murrumba from 1986 to 2012, said the news was a "sad passing". "He was a Labor leader and a great man. He cared about those in need and he dedicated his life to making a fairer and more equitable society," he said. "As employment minister, he introduced many humane reforms which enormously benefited the people of Queensland." His son, Ross Warburton, said his father was a champion schoolboy boxer, tennis player and an A-grade rugby league player as a young man, playing for Norths in the 1950s and 1960s. He finished his sports career as a lawn bowler representing Queensland in 1975, 1989 and as a member of the state fours in 1994.

Former Queensland Opposition Leader Nev Warburton in his rugby league playing days in Brisbane. Mr Warburton played for Brisbane in the Bulimba Cup against Ipswich. "He actually played with Clive Churchill, whom they called 'the little master'. Clive played with Norths for a year towards the end of his career and Dad was in that team. "He was always into helping workers' rights, right from when he was an organiser with the Electrical Trades Union," Mr Warburton said of his father. "He was also an alderman in Brisbane City Council. He was elected in 1976 and it was unusual because he had one term and it overlapped with his state politics career," he said. "In those days you could do both, because in 1977 he was elected the Member for Sandgate.
"Infowars" host Alex Jones Credit:Austin American-Statesman This is nothing new, of course. Before the internet, people took their frustrations to TV and radio talk shows. The internet was simply a more accessible, less moderated space. Daniel Ha, a founder of Disqus, a popular internet comment tool used by many websites, said the quality of comments vary widely depending on the pieces of content being discussed and the audiences they attract. For example, there are videos about niche topics, like home improvement, that invite constructive commentary from enthusiasts. But there are others, such as a music video from a popular artist or a general news article, which ask people from all around the world to comment. That is when things can get especially unruly. "You have an airport of people from all walks of life coming together, and they're speaking different languages with different attitudes and they're just saying stuff," Ha said. Comments can be terrible simply because many people are flawed. It is up to the content providers and tech platforms to vet their communities and set rules and standards for civilized discussion.

What about fake comments? Loading Tech companies have long employed various methods to detect fake comments from bots and spammers. So-called Captcha tests, for Completely Automated Procedures for Telling Computers and Humans Apart, ask you to type a word or select photos of a specific item to verify you are human and not a bot. Other methods, like detecting a device type or location of a commenter, can be used to pin down bots. Yet security researchers have shown there are workarounds to all these methods.

Some hackers are now getting extremely clever about their methodologies. When the US Federal Communications Commission was preparing to repeal the nation's net neutrality laws last year, there were 22 million comments posted on its site between April 2017 and October 2017, many of which expressed support for the move. Jeff Kao, a data scientist, used a machine-learning algorithm to discover that 1.3 million comments were likely fakes posted by bots. Many comments appeared to be very convincing, with coherent and natural-sounding sentences, but it turned out that there were many duplicates of the same comments, subbing out a few words for synonyms. "It was like Mad Libs," he said. "If you read through different comments one by one, it's hard to tell that some are from the same template. But if you use these machine learning algorithms, you can pick out some of these clusters." The FCC said in a letter that it planned to re-engineer its comment system in light of the fakes. What can I do?

For the issue of spoofed comments, there is a fairly simple solution: You can report them to the site's owner, which will likely analyze and remove the fakes. Loading Other than that, do not take web comments at face value. Kao said the lesson he learned was to always try to view comments in a wider context. Look at a commenter's history of past posts, or fact-check any dubious claims or endorsements elsewhere on the web, he said. But for truly offensive comments, the reality is that consumers have very little power to fight them. Tech companies like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have published guidelines for what types of comments and material are allowed on their sites, and they provide tools for people to flag and report inappropriate content. Yet once you report an offensive comment, it is typically up to tech companies to decide whether it threatens your safety or violates a law  and often harassers know exactly how offensive they can be without clearly breaking rules. Historically, tech companies have been conservative and fickle about removing inappropriate comment, largely to maintain their positions as neutral platforms where people can freely express themselves.

In the case of Infowars, Apple, Google and Facebook were the ones that banned some content from the conspiracy site after determining it violated their policies. Twitter's chief executive, Jack Dorsey, said Tuesday that the company did not suspend the accounts belonging to Infowars because its owner, Alex Jones, did not violate any rules. "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," he said in a tweet. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment elaborating on the decision. When publishers and tech companies fail to address inappropriate comments, Papacharissi recommended an exercise in self-discipline.
Mataram, Lombok: Rescue efforts have intensified to find people buried in rubble following the earthquake that shook Indonesia's Lombok island, amid conflicting reports that the death toll had risen to 347.

According to local news agancy ANTARA, the Regional Disaster Management Agency of North Lombok Regency has received reports that increased the death toll sharply.

Loading

"The data was reported at a meeting of sub-district heads and the regent today," North Lombok BPBD Head Iwan Asmara was quoted by ANTARA.

However, the national disaster agency is standing by its death toll of 131.
Tokyo: Suzuki, Mazda and Yamaha have admitted using falsified emissions data to inspect their new vehicles after the government ordered the industry to review its procedures.

Japan's transport ministry said on Thursday the three carmakers admitted conducting improper inspections after 23 Japanese auto and motorbike manufacturers were ordered to examine their procedures in July following similar mishandlings being found at Nissan and Subaru in their fuel economy data at final product quality checks.

Suzuki is one of carmakers in the firing line. Credit:Bloomberg

The three companies said they certified products that tested unsuccessfully. Suzuki said nearly half of its 12,819 new car inspections involved improper inspections at its three plants. Improper inspections happened less often at the other two - 2.1 per cent of 335 motorbikes inspected in the last two years at Yamaha and 3.8 per cent of 1875 vehicles inspected at Mazda over the past four years, the ministry said in a statement.

Results at Japanese affiliates of three foreign carmakers - Audi, Volkswagen and Volvo - were pending, while no irregularities were reported by the remaining 17 companies, the ministry said.
Jerusalem: Talk of a long-term cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza was abruptly interrupted by cross-border fire late on Wednesday and early Thursday as the Israeli military traded blows with Palestinian militants, the latest in a series of recent clashes.

Hours into the exchange, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said that a pregnant woman, Inas Khammash, and her 18-month-old daughter had been killed in an airstrike that hit their home in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. An Israeli military spokeswoman could not immediately comment on the report of civilian casualties.

An explosion from Israeli airstrikes hits Gaza City early on Thursday. Credit:AP

Palestinian militant groups fired about 70 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel by midnight, according to the Israeli military. Most landed in open ground, but at least four slammed into the Israeli border town of Sderot, causing several injuries and property damage.

At least 11 rockets headed for developed areas were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system.
San Francisco: An appeals court on Wednesday rejected a former Stanford University swimmer's bid for a new trial and upheld his sexual assault and attempted rape convictions.

The three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose ruled Wednesday that there was "substantial evidence" that Brock Turner received a fair trial.

Brock Turner Credit:AP

The panel had rejected Turner's claim he had engaged only in "outercourse" because clothes were on when two bicyclists saw him thrusting on top of the half-naked, unconscious woman.

In 2016, a jury convicted Turner of sexually assaulting an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside an on-campus fraternity party.
Washington: A 51-year-old man who is accused of making the threat, "This place will burn," for over three years has been arrested and charged with starting the so-called "Holy Fire," causing nearly 10,000 acres to burn and 20,000 people to be placed under evacuation orders at Cleveland National Forest in Southern California.

Onlookers are silhouetted against the reflection of a wildfire burning in the Cleveland National Forest in Lake Elsinore, California. Credit:AP

The arrest was made as more than a dozen blazes across the state continue to endanger the lives of thousands, including hundreds of firefighters and first responders working around the clock. One, the Mendocino Complex Fire, is the largest wildfire in California history. Yosemite National Park has been closed "indefinitely" because of smoke from another fire.

The Holy Fire, which started started in the Holy Jim Canyon area, has been burning since Monday, with more than 600 firefighters assigned to fight it. Two firefighters have been treated for heat-related injuries.

Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan said in an phone interview that he has been flagging problems with Cox for over three years. He alerted the U.S. Forest Service that, "You have to do something or he's gonna kill someone or burn this place down."
Christopher Demos-Brown's American Son is set to make its Broadway premiere at the Booth Theatre this fall, with previews beginning October 6 ahead of a November 4 opening night. The production has just released a new photo of its stars, Kerry Washington and Steven Pasquale. Check out the photo below.

Steven Pasquale and Kerry Washington in American Son.

( Sophy Holland)

Washington returns to Broadway in this new drama after making her debut in David Mamet's Race in 2009 and starring, for seven acclaimed seasons, on the hit television ABC series Scandal. Pasquale returns to Broadway following his starring roles in Junk and The Bridges of Madison County. On television, Pasquale is known for his performances in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and seven seasons on Rescue Me.

American Son is described as follows: "A Florida police station in the middle of the night; a mother searching for her missing teenage son. American Son is a gripping tale of two parents caught in our national divide, with their worst fears hanging in the balance."
Legendary hip-hop artist and mogul Snoop Dogg has announced that he will make his theatrical debut in a new stage musical, Redemption of a Dogg, written, produced, and directed by Je'Caryous Johnson (Set It Off), and costarring R&B superstar Tamar Braxton.

The show will tour through the US, starting at the Hobby Center in Houston (October 5-7) and stopping in Brooklyn, New York; St. Louis; Chicago; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles, among other cities, with more to be announced.

According to a press release, Redemption of a Dogg "chronicles a character built around the persona of Snoop Dogg  a multifaceted character who is a gangsta rapper, family man and man of God. Redemption of a Dogg examines the internal battle one man has between preserving his lifelong legacy and losing the love of his life when he is faced with choosing fame and fortune over faith and family. Redemption of a Dogg is set against a backdrop of Snoop Dogg's greatest hits, as well as, songs from his recently released chart-topping Gospel album, Bible of Love."

The show will premiere on the 25th anniversary of Snoop Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle.
For the next few weeks, the Pilsen bar will host an event series that can help you become better acquainted with the citys suds, called Meet the Makers. Even more appetizing: guests will be able to sample limited and newly released beers from the host brewery.
The Actors Fund has announced that it will host its first Celebrity Paddle Battle, a one-night-only benefit featuring Ping-Pong, a three-hour open bar, and more, at SPiN New York on Monday, August 27, 6:30pm-9:30pm.

Among the Broadway stars scheduled to attend this event are Jelani Alladin (Frozen), Anthony Boyle (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Jessie Fisher (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Timothy Hughes (The Greatest Showman), Laura Osnes (Bandstand), Ashley Park (Mean Girls), Alex Price (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls), Kyle Selig (Mean Girls), and Wesley Taylor (SpongeBob SquarePants). The lineup of special guests is subject to change.

The event is hosted in part by the Actors Fund's Young Professional Committee and will support the programs and services of the Actors Fund. The Young Professionals are socially conscious arts lovers between 18 and 40 years old.
The central figure in Russian Romanticism, Alexander Pushkin really did lead a romantic life: He was descended from an African immigrant who became an important Russian engineer. Exiled by one Tsar for his subversive writing, Pushkin was (for the same reason) drawn into the smothering embrace of another, only to die at the tragic age of 37 from wounds sustained in a duel.

It's rich source material, which is why it is almost impressive how boring playwright Jonathan Leaf manages to make his story in Pushkin, the musty costume drama now playing at the Sheen Center under the auspices of American Vicarious (the troupe behind last season's snoozer If Only...). This is Pushkin's world premiere, but the script has been banging around New York since 2000. Within the first five minutes of this soporific verse play, we know why it has hitherto remained unproduced.

Most of Leaf's lines sound like they belong in a teleplay circa 1955, and the uniformly wooden (until suddenly melodramatic) acting follows suit. We watch Pushkin (Ian Lassiter) suffer through the edits that Tsar Nicholas I (Gene Gillette) makes to his masterpiece, Eugene Onegin. In turn, he attempts to cajole the emperor into freeing the serfs. Meanwhile, he shares secret poems critical of Russian involvement in the Caucasus with his friends, Gogol (Kyle Cameron) and Baron Delvig (Daniel Petzold).

Lexi Lapp, Olivia Gilliatt, Christopher Kelly, Gene Gillette, Jenny Leona, and Ian Lassiter appear in Pushkin.

( Carol Rosegg)

This thrilling sedition is the most interesting aspect of Pushkin's story, but most of the play is preoccupied with the intrigue surrounding the Tsar, imperial guardsman Georges-Charles D'Anthes (Christopher Kelly), and Pushkin's wife, Natalya (Jenny Leona). While everyone suspects Pushkin has been cuckolded by one (or both) of these men, he engages in his own affair with Natalya's sister, Alexandra (Lexi Lapp). All of this leads to his inevitable demise, foretold from the opening moment when Pushkin places a dueling pistol in an ornamental casket.

It's mostly downhill from that arresting first image in director Christopher McElroen's sluggish production. McElroen stages the play in traverse (where one half of the audience faces the other half from across the stage) on Troy Hourie's attractive but poorly utilized set. While this is usually a confrontational layout, here it only allows you to watch fellow audience members nod off. Leaf's short scenes (some of which conclude in rhyming couplets) suggest a Shakespeare history. They might benefit from a fluid staging, with one scene leading seamlessly into the next. Instead, McElroen breaks them up with long transitions during which a crew of serfs needlessly rearranges the furniture.

At least sound designer Andy Evan Cohen gives us something nice to hear with his well-selected transition music. Even anachronistic selections, like the waltz from Khachaturian's Masquerade suite (written a century after the events of this play), offer the aural equivalent of caviar and velvet. Such Russian opulence also comes through in Elivia Bovenzi's richly patterned and well-tailored costumes.

Lexi Lapp plays Alexandra, Ian Lassiter plays Pushkin, and Kyle Cameron plays Gogol in Pushkin.

( Carol Rosegg)

Unfortunately, dazzling kokoshniks and epaulets are not enough to disguise a dreary script, which is heavy in biblical allusions but light in dramatic tension. Leaf has made the ballsy choice to cast his own original verse, cliche-ridden lines that rhyme "love" with "above," in the role of Pushkin's unpublished work.

All of this represents a wasted opportunity when one considers the machine that Pushkin raged against: A system in which an elite few prosper off the backs of the impoverished Russian masses, while an arrogant Tsar pursues adventurism in the Muslim World, convinced that he is the last champion of Christendom in the face of a fallen West. These themes echo into our time, but you wouldn't suspect so after seeing Pushkin, a play that feels as remote and frozen as Siberia.
An evening at Summer Shorts A is like a trilogy of freewriting in post-Trump America. Mercifully, only one of the series' plays actively mentions our sitting President, but race, gender, and the corrupt politics they inspire jump off the stage in all the short stories being presented at 59E59 Theaters.

Robert O'Hara, known for brazenly provoking the audience with racially charged plays like Bootycandy and Barbecue, as well as his dystopian Mankind (about a world in which women have become extinct), is equally unapologetic in his short play, The Living Room, which he also directs. Joel Reuben Ganz and Kate Buddeke play Frank and Judy, the last two white people on earth who have been literally trapped behind the proverbial "fourth wall," forced by their black playwright to act out a generic living room play for eternity. It's a fun, antagonistic riff on the genre, which O'Hara pokes fun at with his pair of stereotypical white characters who sit in their Pottery Barn chairs while eating Chinese food out of takeout boxes (the simple but effective set is designed by Rebecca Lord-Surratt). You can feel O'Hara himself getting some giddy catharsis out of the exercise as he claims control over such a narrative. In the end, it feels like less of a play and more of a promise from O'Hara to his audience about the rules we can expect his work to continue to break.

Mariah Lee, Francesca Fernandez McKenzie, and Stephen Guarino in Kenny's Tavern, written by Abby Rosebrock.

( Carol Rosegg)

Abby Rosebrock follows with her play Kenny's Tavern, directed by Jess Chayes. Laura (Francesca Fernandez McKenzie) and Ryan (Stephen Guarino), a teacher and dean (respectively) of a West Virginia magnet school, meet for drinks at their favorite dive bar just before the 2016 Presidential election. The election initially seems to be a topic unrelated to the complicated relationship dynamics Laura and Ryan have come there to discuss over shots of whiskey. But as the conversation continues, toxic masculinity starts closing in on all sides. The pieces never fully cinch together, particularly when a girl named Jaelyn (Mariah Lee)  a socially awkward local whom Laura rejected twice from her magnet school  enters the conversation. But Rosebrock's honest dialogue and the humor McKenzie brings to her intoxicated heroine is plenty to keep you invested in the direction all of these people are headed after the polls close.

Rounding out the trio is Grounded, the debut play from best-selling novelist Chris Bohjalian and directed by Oscar-winning screen writer (and On Your Feet! book writer) Alexander Dinelaris. Bohjalian profits from his novelist impulse to slowly dole out information, creating the least complicated but most emotionally compelling of the three plays. The scene follows two flight attendants a salty mother of two named Karen (K.K. Glick) and a nervous twentysomething named Emily (Grace Experience)  as they prep for an international flight to London. It turns out Emily is afraid of flying. So why did she become a flight attendant? The answer is gradually unfurled in the story of a toxic romantic relationship, which sweetly brings the two women together while maintaining a sense of humor (particularly when lines are wryly delivered by Glick). When all the information is finally on the table it takes Bohjalian a little too long to (forgive the pun) land the plane, but where it does eventually land is a place that envisions a simple and hopeful horizon.
Academy of Art University's Automobile Museum Appoints Rob Fisher as Chief Executive Officer







San Francisco, Aug. 08, 2018; Academy of Art University is thrilled to welcome Mr. Rob Fisher to the Academy family as CEO of the universitys Automobile Museum. Effective July 2nd, 2018, Mr. Fisher will head the Academy of Art University Automobile Museum and collection located on the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Washington Street in San Francisco.

Currently, access to the museum is available by appointment only. However, Fisher has been brought on to transform the museum into a non-profit, world-class destination that will be open to the public and will proudly represent the legacy of the collection and the Academys long-term commitment to education and the City of San Francisco.

This is truly a dream job for me, said Fisher. Its an incredible opportunity for me to take on the legacy created by Mr. Stephens and begin a new journey that will take the museum to the next level. The Academys auto collection is on par with the finest museums in the worldbut its been a secret! We are going to change that. Watch this space

Combining global Sales leadership and business development for VC-backed and Fortune 500 corporations with a lifelong passion for automobiles, Fisher has a unique combination of diverse business acumen and love for all things automotive. He has an extensive background with collection, restoration, and display of vintage cars and has also been an avid vintage racer. Additionally, Rob recently retired as the Chairman of the Hillsborough Concours dElegance after heading the event for 8 years.

Carrying on my fathers automotive legacy is extremely important to me and my family. I believe Rob has the leadership, vision, and expertise to create an extraordinary facility that will seamlessly synthesize the core elements of history, design, and education said Dr. Elisa Stephens  President of the Academy of Art University.

History of the Academy of Art University Automobile Museum

Richard A. Stephens, former Academy of Art University President, has always had a penchant for cars and their history and design, a sentiment that has been passed down to his daughter and current President of the Academy, Dr. Elisa Stephens. Desiring to offer automotive design as a course at the Academy, Mr. Stephens wanted to give students a design perspective that they would not be able to receive from anywhere else. With access to a museum of rare and classic vehicles, students can study exquisite design and apply that sense of craftsmanship to their own artistic pursuits.

Opened in 2012 and housing some of the rarest and most iconic automobile examples in the world provides a unique experience for students from the Academys School of Industrial Design along with other visiting students, to study automotive design and history in a way that is not replicated anywhere else. Additionally, the school offers classes in automotive restoration that are housed in the Museum buildings. The Academy of Art University Automobile Museum is one of the three car design programs in the country and the only car design program in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The automobile museum preserves and pays homage to these classic fixtures of international automotive innovation and also provides inspiration and a sense of history to students that attend the Academy of Art University. Special guests, student groups and the general public are now able to observe, admire and study this rare collection.

View the Collection
To be clear: Jennifer Vanilla and her creator Becca Kauffman are both pretty cool. Vanilla is an alter ego imagined by Kauffman three years ago as a performance art piece. Vanilla is bold, loves wearing her own name on her clothing, and looks like Fran Fine had a love child with Little Orphan Annie. Shes the distillation of all of my shortcomings turned on their head, Kauffman said. Jennifer Vanilla is my muse and escape hatch. We spoke with Kauffman about neo-pagan chants, Berlin, and the Carpenters.

What is your most-used emoji?

The comedy/tragedy emoji.

What is your favorite holiday?

New Years Eve because of new beginnings and new goals.

If you could spend three months anywhere, where would it be and why?

Im intrigued by Berlin and the club scene there. So I might fantasize about a Jennifer Vanilla fantasy in Berlin.

What superpower would you have and why?

Morphing my physical appearance into an amorphous, environmentally absorbent substance.

Whats the best album ever made?

Chalice of My Becoming, an obscure cassette tape I found at a yard sale in Massachusetts. It features a womens chorus singing neo-pagan chants.

Go-to karaoke song?

Weve Only Just Begun by the Carpenters.

Who do you think is cool?

My friend Elsa Brown, the video poet.

What fictional character would you love to hang out with?

Jem, from Jem and the Holograms.

If you could be a magazine, what magazine would you be?

A combination of Nickelodeon magazine and As Seen on TV.

If you could speak to animals, which animals would you want to talk to?Ive always been curious about what the cat and dog who are constantly fighting in my backyard have to say to one another.

Jeans or sweats?

Sweats, for sure.

Whats something your social-media followers dont know about you?

That Im actually the artist Becca Kauffman.

What was the last website you looked at?

Im always on YouTube.

If you could be outfitted by one designer for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Im contractually obligated to say Jennifer Wear by Jennifer Vanilla.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Breakfast is my favorite meal, so weve got oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, eggs, and smoothies.

If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Chocolate chip cookies, popcorn seasoned in any way, and coconut water.

If you were a color, what would it be?

Deep iridescent turquoise.

Production Credits Photography by Shaniqwa Jarvis

Styling by Diana Tsui

Produced by Liane Radel

Hair and makeup by Stephanie Peterson

Photographed at MILK Studios, NYC. Many thanks to Danielle Rafanan

On Becca Kauffman: Opening Ceremony dress, $425 from Opening Ceremony and Simon Miller x Leonard Urso earrings, $490 from Simon Miller.
Photo: Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

A 41-year-old Honduran woman who was raped and robbed in her home country wanted a better life for her and her 9-year-old daughter; a Guatemalan woman fled her home with her 17-year-old daughter after a gang killed her husband, menaced her for nine years, and finally threatened to kill her; another woman from Central America wanted to escape her abusive husband. All testified before a government court, and all were told their fears were not credible and denied asylum.

Under a new Trump administration policy that severely restricts who can qualify for asylum, people who fear for their lives are being turned away from the border at alarming rates. On Tuesday, the ACLU announced that its suing the U.S. government, arguing that this recent campaign to eviscerate our asylum laws is illegal, and that it betrays our values and flouts our laws.

Under the administrations new guidance, issued by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on June 13, victims of private violence  which includes people who have faced domestic abuse and gang violence  do not qualify for asylum in the U.S. unless they can prove that their government condoned the private actions or demonstrated an inability to protect the victims. They also must prove credible fear of returning home to a Department of Homeland Security asylum officer.

At the time of Sessionss announcement, it was estimated that the new decision would invalidate tens of thousands of pending cases. Its effects are already apparent: According to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, officers denied approximately 13 percent of asylum cases in June, compared to 8 percent in May.

Migrants along the U.S.Mexico border. Photo: GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP/Getty Images

The ACLUs lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 parents and children, all of whom face severe threats of violence in their home countries. The lead plaintiff is a Guatemalan woman, referred to by the pseudonym Grace, who claims that her former partner repeatedly raped her, beat her daughter until she miscarried, and stole the title to their house; when she called the local police, she says they did nothing. As of now, Grace is being detained in Texas and awaits deportation.

Other plaintiffs include a Salvadoran woman whose husband allegedly tried to kill her; a Honduran woman who says she came to the U.S. fleeing gang members who brutally beat her until she could no longer walk and killed her father-in-law; and an orphaned Salvadoran teenager who left her home country after her mother died and a gang moved into her house.

As Daily Intelligencer reports, Central American families who seek asylum in the U.S. must travel many hundreds of miles through the desert, dodging rapists, thieves, and homicidal gangs along the way  the journey is not easy, though its worth it, given the violence many face in their home countries. And while the Trump administration frequently paints migrants as perpetrators of crime, those who seek asylum are simply looking for a better life. Furthermore, native-born Americans commit violent crimes at much higher rates than immigrants, documented or undocumented.

The ACLU nods to this in their complaint, writing that 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.
Keith Raniere. Photo: Youtube/Keith Raniere Conversations

NXIVM founder Keith Ranieres apparent goal was world domination  to build an international following that would live to protect him, his close supporters, and the women who were in his alleged sex cult. In the new book Captive: A Mothers Crusade to Save Her Daughter From a Terrifying Cult, actress and author Catherine Oxenberg writes that Raniere saw an opportunity to get a NXIVM supporter on the worlds political stage in Mexico, where he cozied up to the countrys wealthy and elite in an attempt to infiltrate the government.

According to Oxenberg, whose daughter was branded and subjected to ritual humiliations as part of her involvement in NXIVM, Ranieres most powerful friend in Mexico was Emiliano Salinas, the son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas. Per the Daily Beast, as many as four children of former presidents were involved, but it was Salinas who reportedly led the NXIVM branch. (The self-help organization has also been called Executive Success Programs, and some centers still exist under the name ESP.)

According to ESPs old website, Salinas joined as an executive board member in 2009, and co-owned centers in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Los Angeles. Because of Salinass influence and leadership in NXIVM, Oxenberg writes that Raniere hoped to get him elected to office during Mexicos next presidential election; then, Raniere could use Salinas as his puppet.

Keith had been playing and positioning his devoted follower Emiliano Salinas as his pawn for years while Emis family groomed him to follow in his fathers political footsteps, she writes. From what I heard from high-ranking defectors, the supposed plan was to get Emi into office in Mexicos next presidential election in the summer of 2018 so that a top-ranking Espian and Nxivm devotee would have power on the worlds political stage. His father, Carlos, would use his Machiavellian methods to ensure his sons election win, and then Keith would use Emi as his puppet and rule Mexico.

But Ranieres attempts to accumulate power in Mexico allegedly didnt stop there. In Captive, Oxenberg claims that he sent out members of his harem to seduce various members of law enforcement and public officials so that he could compromise them.

It was in Mexico this past March that the U.S. government eventually found Raniere, who was deported before being arrested and charged with sex trafficking, and soon after, NXIVMs second-in-charge, Allison Mack, faced a similar fate. By mid-April, after watching those around him face consequences for their involvement in NXIVM, Salinas announced that he was out.
The Bud Billiken Parade is one of the citys longest-running cultural events. This year, for the 89th annual celebration, the Parade is going back to its roots, or Back to Bud, as the slogan suggests. What does that mean? Following the parade, festivities will continue in Washington Park (5531 S. King Drive). Those offerings include plenty of activities for the kids, but also booths offering mini hiring fairs, school supplies, blood pressure checks, Zumba in the Park and more, according to the event listing. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Oakwood Boulevard, while the festivities begin at 1 p.m. in Washington Park. All events are free. Details: budbillikenparade.org
2 Dead, 4 Hurt in Philadelphia Shooting: Police

Two people have died and four were injured in a drive-by shooting in North Philadelphia, according to local reports.

The shooting took place on Aug. 8 before 10 p.m. local time on 12th and Huntingdon streets, 6ABC reported.

Reports indicated that a person in a minivan opened fire, NBC Philadelphia reported. From the evidence out here it appears to be a large caliber weapon, possibly a high-powered rifle, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told NBC Philadelphia.

Niesha Cooper, 34, and Averill Davenport, 32, died in the shooting, according to the NBC report.

Four other victims were taken to Temple University Hospital between the ages of 27 and 51. A 30-year-old man was listed in critical condition, said police.

.@FOX29philly Breaking News. Comm Richard Ross on scene where five people shot at 9:50pm. Two dead. Male and female. 3 not serious. #fox29 pic.twitter.com/eV2FrDG36e  Dave Schratwieser (@DSchratwieser) August 9, 2018

We have no idea what this is about, Ross added. All we know is this is another example of senseless violence.

Police havent arrested a suspect in the matter. We have a surveillance video that shows a minivan, possibly gray in color, traveling westbound on Huntingdon, then south on 12th, reached this corner, then fired multiple rounds at a crowd that was standing there, Ross told Philly.com.

This is the United States of America. You shouldnt have this anywhere, Ross said. Its absolutely, utterly ridiculous to see stuff like this on the streets of our city.

According to Philly.com, police dont yet have a motive.

We have no indication of an argument, and so right now we dont know a lot, Ross said.

The commissioner said that one of the weapons used in the drive-by was an automatic rifle that used very scary looking rounds, Philly.com reported.

He said that police are looking for video of the shooting.

Gun Violence Statistics

Gun-related homicide is most prevalent among gangs and during the commission of felony crimes. In 1980, the percentage of homicides caused by firearms during arguments was about the same as from gang involvement (about 70 percent), but by 1993, nearly all gang-related homicides involved guns (95 percent), whereas the percentage of gun homicides related to arguments remained relatively constant. The percentage of gang-related homicides caused by guns fell slightly to 92 percent in 2008, but the percentage of homicides caused by firearms during the commission of a felony rose from about 60 percent to about 74 percent from 1980 to 2005, according to the National Institute of Justice.

In 2011, 467,321 people were victims of a crime committed with a firearm, the agency says. In the same year, data collected by the FBI show that firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 41 percent of robbery offenses and 21 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide, it adds.

But the Heritage Foundation think tank noted that amid the reporting on mass shootings, violent crime is down and has been on the decline for decades.

Gun-related murders are carried out by a predictable pool of people, the think tank says, adding that higher rates of gun ownership arent associated with higher rates of violent crime. Meanwhile, There is no clear relationship between strict gun control legislation and homicide or violent crime rates, it says.
At least 74 people were shot and 11 died in a weekend of violence in Chicago, from Aug. 3 to aug. 5, 2018. (Joshua Lott/Getty Images)

4 Killed, 7 Hurt in Chicago Shootings: Reports

At least four people were killed and seven were wounded in shootings across Chicago on Aug. 8, according to reports.

The Chicago Sun-Times, citing police, reported that someone fired shots into a moving vehicle with five people inside at 3:40 a.m. local time in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The shot-up vehicle crashed into a pillar, police said.

Two people died and one person was injured in that incident, the report said.

A 21-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman died after sustaining gunshot wounds, and they were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where they were later pronounced dead. A 19-year-old man was shot and is in serious condition at Stroger Hospital.

The other two people in the vehicle werent injured, police said.

In another incident, at 12:43 a.m. in the Fuller Park neighborhood on the Far South Side area, a man was shot and killed. Someone walked up to a vehicle the man was sitting in and opened fire, killing him, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office.

The shooter, who had a concealed carry permit, was arrested, police said.

Over the weekend, 66 people were shot and 12 died in shootings across the city, CNN reported, citing police data.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a news conference on Aug. 6 that more needs to be done about repeat offenders. As long as we fail to hold repeat gun offenders accountable for their actions were going to keep having these discussions on Monday mornings, Johnson said, ABC7 Chicago reported.
The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

After Disaster Alert Failures, US Moves Toward National System

LOS ANGELESIn California last month, two young children and their great-grandmother died in a wildfire that family members say they never saw coming.

In January, thousands of people were panic-stricken in Hawaii by a false alarm that a ballistic missile was about to strike the islands.

These and other critical failures have prompted a review of disaster alerts in the United States, which largely operate at a local level, underlining the potential need for a nationwide system, as scientists warn changing weather may bring more hurricanes and wildfires.

For all practical purposes we dont really have a national warning system, Dennis Mileti, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado at Boulder said.

Mileti, a nationally recognized expert on disaster preparedness, is on a panel the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) convened this summer to improve the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, or IPAWS, the platform established a decade ago for all U.S. emergency alerts.

Mileti said the panel will propose to Congress to revamp national warning systems, and in cases such as ballistic missile alerts, take them out of the hands of local officials.

A half-century ago, before 24-hour cable news networks or the internet, the three main television broadcast stations which could be counted on to issue standard emergency messages to the entire U.S. population.

Now, people in the path of natural disasters typically get alerts from a patchwork of state and local agencies, using different platforms and messaging systems, often manned by part-time employees, Mileti said.

For example, in the state of California, warnings are issued by counties that sometimes outsource the job to someone else.

You dont get too many good warnings in local communities where untrained amateurs are in charge, Mileti said.

Human error is another key issue.

Last year, some residents of Californias Sonoma County failed to get timely notice of an approaching wildfire that killed 17 people after authorities, concerned about traffic becoming snarled along evacuation routes, decided not to notify everyone at once.

A community of 10,000 people not in imminent danger from the Carr Fire in Northern California, meanwhile, was evacuated by accident when somebody hit the wrong button, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told the Sacramento Bee.

And in January, many Hawaiians and tourists fled their homes and hotels when an emergency bulletinsent by mistakeblared out: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

A U.S. government report later blamed the false alarm on human error and inadequate safeguards.

Rising Threats

California Gov. Jerry Brown, after touring the fiery calamity near Redding on Aug. 4, called on the state legislature to enact the best alert system we can get  given the rising threats on the changing of the weather, the climate.

Many scientists say global warming is not only causing more extreme weather but more expensive disasters and the need for more sophisticated alerting systems.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria combined with wildfires in the West and other calamities to make 2017 the most expensive year on record for disasters in the United States, costing $306 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

False alarms and human error can pose a problematic cost-benefit equation, said Adam Rose, a Professor at the University of Southern Californias Sol Price School of Public Policy and predictive analysis expert.

Is it better to be safe and have some evacuations that turn out be unnecessary, which can incur some economic costs and even create a slim danger of death or injury? Or is it better to not be safe enough?

Mileti said his panel will recommend standardizing warning messages, so people in harms way can immediately identify the sender, the danger and what action they should take. Improved training of alert system operators can cut down on human error, he said.

Rather than be told simply to evacuate, for example, residents of a community facing flash floods, a tsunami, tornado or flames from a wildfire would be told to leave immediately and to go where they can find safe ground.

Mileti pointed to a National Institute of Standards and Technology investigation into a tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, killing over 150 people. It found residents were given only a five-minute warning the twister was about to strike.

Many of the bodies first responders found were found holding cellphones, trying to get additional information, Mileti said.
Peter Dutton, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection enters the House of Representatives before question time on February 5, 2018 in Canberra, Australia. (Michael Masters/Getty Images)

Australia Strips Citizenship From 5 ISIS Terrorists

Australia has cancelled the citizenship of five individuals due to their involvement with the ISIS terrorist group overseas.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement on Aug. 9 that the five individuals, who were dual nationals, have been acting contrary to Australias interest by engaging in terrorism.

The ISIS terrorist group is opposed to Australia, its people and its democratic rights and privileges, Dutton said in the statement. Fundamentally, citizenship requires allegiance to this country.

Under section 35 of the Australian Citizenship Act, an individual holding dual nationality will automatically lose their Australian citizenship if they act contrary to their allegiance to Australia by engaging in terrorism-related conduct.

This includes any individual who serves in the armed forces of a country at war with Australia or fights for or in the service of a declared terrorist organisation.

ISIS has been declared a terrorist organisation in Australia since May 2016.

These changes came into effect in 2015 and had already been applied to strip identified terrorist, Khaled Sharrouf of his citizenship. Sharrouf became well known after photos of his son holding a severed head of a Syrian soldier began circulating on the internet.

The immigration minister told ABC AM that the five individuals, aged in their 20s and 30s, were involved with serious terrorist-related activity.

Cessation of Australian citizenship for dual nationals involved in terrorism is a key part of Australias response to international violent extremism and terrorism, Dutton said.

The Government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible to ensure that if they do return it is with forewarning and into the hands of authorities.

Dutton told the radio station it is expected that more people could have their Australian citizenship cancelled but didnt specify details.

The determination of the Government is to try and keep Australia as safe as possible and we do that by keeping these people far from our shores so if we can deal with foreign fighters away from our shores we do that, he told the radio station.

If people are coming back here armed with all that knowledge it does provide a significant security risk to Australian citizens so we are very keen to neutralise that wherever we can.

From NTD.tv
File photo: The debris of the municipal school of Bento Rodrigues district, which was covered with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, is pictured in Mariana, Brazil, November 10, 2015. (Reuters/Ricardo Moraes/File photo)

BHP Says Brazilian Court Approves Settlement for Samarco Dam Disaster

Mining heavyweight BHP said on Aug. 9 the federal court of Minas Gerais approved an agreement with Brazilian authorities that settled a 20 billion reais ($5.30 billion) lawsuit over the 2015 Samarco dam failure.

The company said it had separately agreed to pay $50 million as part of a settlement for a class action complaint filed by American depositary receipt holders over the disaster.

Samarco and parent companies Vale SA and BHP had signed a deal with Brazilian authorities in June regarding the 2015 dam failure.

Brazils worst environmental catastrophe killed 19 people. It happened when a dam designed to hold back mine waste burst, leaving a trail of destruction for hundreds of kilometers.

BHP still faces a class action in Australia over the dam failure.

Samarco said on Aug. 8 it expects to obtain all licenses needed to resume operations by next year.

By Ambar Warrick
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks at the China-EU Business Roundtable held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 16, 2018. Li will head a revamped "leadership group" focused on policies to develop China's tech sectors. (Ng Han Guan/Pool via Reuters)

China Amps Up Efforts to Develop Tech Sectors Amid Trade War Pressures

BEIJINGChinas central authorities have revamped a national leadership group charged with planning and studying key technological development strategies, signaling potential policy shifts are underway as the Chinese regimes technological ambitions have fueled a backlash abroad.

The group, formerly called the National Technology and Education leadership Group under Chinas cabinet-like State Council, has been renamed without the mention of education to reflect a focus on technology, according to a circular published on the central governments website on Aug. 8.

The circular said the change was due to relevant arrangements as required by work, without elaborating. Premier Li Keqiang, who had chaired the original group since 2013, will lead the renamed body with vice premier Liu He as deputy.

It is unusual for Chinese leader Xi Jinping not to head this group, as he has been appointed top official in charge of several leadership groups important to the Chinese Communist Partys agenda, such as a group for military reform, finance, and deepened reform. Overseas Chinese media suggest this may be a sign that there are frictions within the Party that caused Xi to lose control.

Meanwhile, more state assistance for Chinas tech sector would mark the latest in a series of growth-boosting measures being rolled out by Beijing as an escalating trade war with the United States puts more pressure on Chinas already slowing economy.

Under a state-backed industrial policy known as Made in China 2025, China wants to catch up with rivals in sectors including robotics, aerospace, clean-energy cars, and advanced basic materials.

The strategy, unveiled by Chinas State Council in 2015, is at the core of Chinas efforts to move up the value chain and achieve Xis vision of turning the country into a global superpower by 2050.

Under the plan, Beijing wants Chinese suppliers to capture 70 percent of market share by 2025 for basic core components and important basic materials in strategic industries.

Such a large-scale plan to dominate global supply chains has alarmed the U.S. administration, which targeted Made in China 2025 as evidence that Beijing has systematically stolen intellectual property (IP) for its own interests by guiding Chinese firms to acquire American tech firms; forcing U.S. businesses to transfer technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market; and other schemes. The U.S. trade tariffs are partly a punitive measure against Beijings IP theft.

Other members of the revamped leadership group include top officials from more than a dozen ministries and key central government bodies, including central bank head Yi Gang and State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission director Xiao Yaqing.

It was unclear how the member composition was different because the State Council did not publish the notice that announced the former groups members.

By Yawen Chen & Ryan Woo. Epoch Times staff member Annie Wu contributed to this report.
A vendor picks up a 100 yuan note above a newspaper featuring a photo of US president-elect Donald Trump, at a news stand in Beijing on Nov. 10, 2016. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas State Media Reverses Course, Criticizes Trump to Flex Muscles in Trade War

After weeks of dealing with the repercussions of the U.S.China trade war, Beijing is switching tactics.

Chinas state media have recently gone on the offensive, with articles aggressively criticizing President Donald Trump and the trade tariffs.

On Aug. 6, the Chinese Communist Partys mouthpiece Peoples Daily published a strongly worded editorial, calling Trumps trade tariffs a 21st-century street fighter-style game of extortion and intimidation. The article accuses Trump of turning international trade into a zero-sum game and threatened that China will fight back.

When it comes to matters of national interest and national dignity, China will never surrender to blackmail and will definitely rise up in response, it read.

Another editorial, by the hawkish state-run newspaper Global Times on Aug. 6, blasted Trump for using business tactics to govern a country, which not only pulls down Americas standing, but also severely damages the United States reputation.

Meanwhile, an article originally posted on popular social media WeChat and reposted by the state-run news site Guancha, called out Trump for being bad at mathematics.

Such rhetoric was repeated in the regimes English-language mouthpiece, China Daily, with an Aug. 8 opinion article explaining How futile a trade war with China is, and how trying to corner China publicly with economic pressure will backfire.

Another attack went beyond the trade war, with an Aug. 8 article in the state-run Xinhua news agency suggesting that Trumps Iran sanctions are an example of playing with fire in the Middle East.

The attacks signal a sharp reversal of government directives sent to state media last month, when they were instructed not to inflame trade tensions by openly commenting on the trade war or criticizing Trump directly.

When exposing and criticizing American words and actions, be careful not to link it to Trump and instead aim it at the U.S. government, according to a memo to state media seen by Reuters.

Similarly in June, central authorities issued instructions that Chinese media were not to report on comments made by Trump, U.S. government spokespeople, or other U.S. officials. They also were not to report on commentaries made by American media.

Why did Chinese state media suddenly make an about-face?

Heng He, a China commentator for The Epoch Times, believes that the change in tone is mainly to serve as an internal publicity campaign for citizens, to convince them that China is still confident in winning the trade war.

China has run out of tactics to challenge the United States, but it must put up an appearance that it will not lose, so it is fighting a war of words, Heng said.

Since the first batch of tariffs went into effect in early July, Chinas financial markets have suffered, while the yuan continues to depreciate and foreign manufacturers have shifted their supply chains out of China to avoid the levies.

Faced with the harsh economic consequences and citizens displeasure at how the Beijing leadership has handled the trade waras evidenced by netizen comments and rare open criticisms circulating onlineChina is attempting to flex its muscles about the subject.

Many state media articles in recent days have threatened retaliation, while calling on citizens to support the state. But some Chinese netizens are expressing support for the United States instead.

Amid recent revelations that Chinese pharmaceutical companies may have distributed expired vaccines across the country, many netizens turned to the Weibo (a platform similar to Twitter) account of the United States embassy in Beijing to plead for help.

Please, Mr. President, save these children in China, read one post. Many of the vaccines were typically administered to children to inoculate them against serious illnesses.

Please increase the punishments on China through trade, read another post.
The Rise of Conservative Art and Poetry

Commentary

When Jon McNaughton unveiled his new painting, Crossing the Swamp, on July 31, he probably wasnt expecting to get as much attention as he did, which included more than 14,000 Twitter comments, 20,000 likes, and news coverage from major outlets like Fox News, USA Today, and ABC News. What the incident reveals is a new awakening in the artistic world.

McNaughtons painting is conservative art. It depicts the Trump administration in a positive light: The president and his Cabinet navigate the swampy waters of Washingtons bureaucratic corruption. In classical fashion, it is realistic and is directly modeled on the 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze.

The award-winning poet Bruce Dale Wise wrote a poem describing the painting:

Don Trump with lantern in his hand

is standing in the boat,

with rowers working hard

to keep the nations soul afloat

Today, news on fine art is usually reserved for the extra-weird art that tears down boundaries and disrupts traditional aesthetics, like a giant bamboo art installation at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston that visitors can climb and robot-made art that is judged by public voting. Such works do make for an interesting news story and public spectacle, but they fall short when judged based on the aesthetic standards that people around the world have held for thousands of years.

Instead of disrupting traditional aesthetics, McNaughtons Crossing the Swamp crosses a new boundary into uncharted territory: contemporary conservative art. Generally speaking, these two words conservative and art do not go togethernot if you want to be taken seriously or receive any kind of funding, anyway.

As dance artist Shawn Lent wrote in an article for the Clyde Fitch Report, As I look around in my artist circles, I wonder, are all artists liberal? She warned against the growing echo chamber surrounding left-leaning art and outlined four reasons that conservative art needs more consideration.

The rise of conservative art is also seen in a battle that is being waged in Washington over the future of the long-delayed Eisenhower Memorial. One side, led by the likes of classical sculptors Sabin Howard and Michael Curtis, favors classicism that builds on past traditions such as the accurate and ennobling depiction of the human form. The other side favors a gigantic sort of geometric playground designed by contemporary architect Frank Gehry. The new conservative art trend usually favors tradition while the liberal establishment usually favors progressiveness.

The debate over the Eisenhower Memorial is exceptional because it is a debate that simply wouldnt have happened in the past few decades. It highlights the rise of conservative art.

In the giddy days of the Progressive era, Americas progressive architects and theorists wished to replace the eternal classical with a presumed zeitgeist, spirit of the times, Curtis writes in his newly released book on Washington architecture. The giddiness of the post-World War II era, peaking in the 1970s, has turned to artistic languor and is now being uprooted by conservative art, Curtis writes.

Poetry

In the realm of poetry, conservative art seems stuck in the shadows. New York Times poetry editor David Orr wrote in his 2012 book: Almost all poets, including myself, lean left. There are maybe five conservative American poets, not one of whom can safely show his face at a writing conference for fear of being angrily doused with herbal tea.

Within the poetry establishment, Orrs words are true enough but beg the question: Are conservative poets being (ironically) oppressed and persecuted? Replace the word left with white and the word conservative with black and you get: Almost all poets, including myself, lean white. There are maybe five black American poets, not one of whom can safely show his face at a writing conference for fear of being angrily doused with herbal tea.

The takeaway here is that no one should be treated this way, and the establishment is oppressive and due for a change. People love an underdog, and conservative art is the underdog of today.

As president and editor of the Society of Classical Poets, I have published poetry from different political leanings and, most often, poetry that is about beauty and not at all political. However, I have seen in the public a huge yearning for conservative poets who cherish tradition and do not agree with the angry left-leaning establishment described by Orr.

When we published a poem by the acclaimed poet Joseph Charles MacKenzie on the occasion of President Donald Trumps inauguration, it spread like wildfire. Like McNaughtons painting, it received an unusually high volume of comments and was covered by major media in the United States and the UK.

Most recently, a poem we published last month on the jailing of conservative journalist Tommy Robinson in the UK received an outpouring of positive comments from across the world. To add to the positive outcome, shortly after the poem was published, Robinson was indeed released.

Whether its visual art, poetry, dance, or any other art form, the newest and freshest perspective is a rediscovery of the traditional and conservative, and the general public is starting to realize that.

Sound strange? It shouldnt. It was the Renaissance, or rebirth, in Europe that also reached into the past and reshaped the establishment. In conservative art, we look now upon nothing less than a second rebirth.

Evan Mantyk is president of the Society of Classical Poets. He teaches literature and history in upstate New York.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A border wall on the Southern Texas border of Mexico on May 30, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Congressman Introduces Bill That Trims Foreign Aid to Help Fund USMexico Border Wall

An Arizona congressman has introduced a measure that would help fund the construction of President Donald Trumps promised border wall by trimming foreign aid to the home countries of those who illegally enter the United States.

Republican Rep. Andy Biggs says the legislation, dubbed the Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act, would penalize countries $2,000 in aid for each illegal alien caught crossing onto U.S. soil. Money from these penalties would then be redirected into a border wall fund.

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, Biggs said in a statement. We must fund, start, and complete the border wall without further delay.

In addition, a new fee for international money transfers would be added, and foreign travelers filling out I-94 application forms would see an increase in fees, to $25 from $6. Biggs said these higher fees also would help fund salaries for Border Patrol employees.

On March 23, Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that included $654 billion in defense funding but only $1.6 billion for work on the border wall, which was one of his centerpiece campaign promises.

The $1.6 billion is far short of the estimated $25 billion needed to complete the wall and came with strings attached, prohibiting Trump from building the kind of structure he wants. The importance of the wall was made clear when Trump briefly threatened to veto the spending bill because of the low funding.

The newly introduced act also restores overtime pay for Border Patrol employees at the same rate as all other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law-enforcement agencies. In addition, it instructs the DHS to take action in installing physical barriers and technology to prevent illegal crossings, as deemed necessary.

In an interview with Fox News, Biggs hit back at some who criticized his bill for stealing money from other governments.

Its foreign aid, its not stealing money. Its money that we have been providing and many of these people are not crossing at ports of entry. They are not coming though legally trying to get into our countrythey are breaking into our country, he said.

In July, more than 31,300 illegal aliens were caught by Border Patrol between ports of entry on the southwest border, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics. In June, about 34,100 were caught.

In a July 3o post on Twitter, Trump voiced his frustration on the slow-moving border wall construction.

We must have Border Security, get rid of Chain, Lottery, Catch & Release Sanctuary Cities  go to Merit based Immigration, he wrote. Protect ICE and Law Enforcement and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL!

In 2017, about 303,916 people in total were apprehended by Border Patrol. Using those numbers, the new measure could essentially raise about $600 million annually. The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the new legislation.

A barrier already exists in some places along the U.S.Mexico border. Most illegal crossings occur in Texass Rio Grande Valley, where the winding Rio Grande River acts as a natural border between the United States and Mexico.
Ebola Death Toll Climbs to 36 in Congos Latest Outbreak

The content is not available due to expiration.
France Reopens MH370 Investigation, Claims of Malaysian Cover-Up

France has reopened the investigation of MH370, after Malaysia was accused of a cover-up after releasing its final report (pdf) on July 30. It gave no explanation for the disappearance of the 242 foot long aircraft and the 239 lost souls aboard.

France is the only country now trying to uncover this mystery. Due to the four French citizens who were on board MH370, France is allowed to conduct their own investigations. Air Transport Gendarmerie, a branch of the national police force, is conducting the investigation. They plan on verifying the transmitted data to understand the route that the aircraft eventually took, Le Parisien reported.

Voice 370, the group of the victims families, accused the Malaysian government of withholding data and information. The data on the military radar was said to be of primary importance in tracking the flight route, Loop Samoa reported.

The Cover-Up

What adds to the suspicion of a cover-up is the legislation of Act 765 (2015) (pdf). It allows the administrator of Malaysia Airlines Systems Berhad (MAS) to postpone any legal action (moratorium) for a minimum of 12-months and a maximum of 24-months from the year 2015.

Voice 370 tweeted a document in response to the Malaysian governments protection of MAS, saying that by postponing legal actions, MAS can successfully transition into their new name Maylasia Airlines Berhad (MAB) and avoid giving compensation by moving all wealth and assets into a new name, making the lawsuit pointless. Voice 370 accused MAS of using Act 765 as a way of shielding themselves from being sued by anyone inside or outside of the country and they criticized the Malaysian government for helping them.

They claimed that selective payments were made to people the MAS or Malaysian government deemed to be relevant, but none of those people were the victims families. They concluded that since MAS was able to avoid responsibility, the Malaysian government was going to do what it could to end the investigation.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT February 23, 2016

MAS Administration  Act 765

A STATE SPONSORED ABUSE OF WORLD CITIZENS' RIGHTS? pic.twitter.com/KKCMcrN8So  voice370 (@cryfortruth) February 23, 2016

The French March On

In spite of the final report and what Le Parisien called, the Malaysian governments imprecise and ambiguous conclusions, the French continue to investigate.

When Flight MH370 diverted from the planned route, both civilian and military radars saw the aircraft turning slightly to the right first and then to the left toward Peninsular Malaysia, followed by another right turn afterward.

The French hypothesized that the voluntary turns the aircraft took may be an indication that when they flew past Kota Bharu International Airport and Penang Island International Airport, they could have been trying to land due to damage. It is also possible that they may have suffered a major power failure that resulted in a loss of communication, Le Parisien reported.

Latest: France has now opened its own investigation into missing Malaysia Airlines flight #MH370, amid controversial claims of cover-ups & failures by Malaysian investigators.  Investigators are keen to verify data from @InmarsatGlobal  @cryfortruth echoed French concerns pic.twitter.com/jV43Niqj8G  Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) August 8, 2018

Attempts to contact the aircraft before the disappearance failed, communications were lost 40 minutes after takeoff.

The MH370s transponder signal also disappeared from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) display, while the transponder signals of other aircraft were still able to be seen.

Radio communication was also lost. Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero was the last message spoken by the Pilot-In-Command (PIC), but he didnt relay back the assigned frequencywhich goes against the protocol of radio communication. The voice transmission showed no signs of stress, fear, or anxiety.

One finding concluded that the possibility of a malfunctioning communication systems (transponder and radio) cannot be ruled out, but because of the lack of evidence available, there are three possible conclusions. The most likely causes of a loss in communication are: the systems being manually turned off, a power interruption, or the VHF and HF radios intentionally or unintentionally not being used.

Malaysia also couldnt confirm whether the aircraft was flown by someone other than the pilots. Repeated flight simulations have determined that the turns were likely done manually and not via autopilot.

Xavier Tytelman, a French aviation expert and aeronautical consultant, said that a slow depressurization can go unnoticed by the pilots. Slow depressurization causes a loss a of oxygen, which slowly leads everyone into a coma and finally a crash.

When the Australian Maritime Safety Authoritys (AMSA) surface search was done, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) conducted an underwater search that spanned 120,000 square kilometers. After spending approximately $150 million on searching for the main body of MH370 aircraft, nothing was ever found.

The ATSB released their own report (pdf) on the incident, a year before Malaysia released their final report.

The reasons for the loss of MH370 cannot be established with certainty until the aircraft is found, stated the report, It is almost inconceivable and certainly societally unacceptable in the modern aviation era  for a large commercial aircraft to be missing and for the world not to know with certainty what became of the aircraft and those on board.
Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) outside a New York court house after being charged with insider trading on Aug. 8, 2018 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Rep. Collins Vows to Fight Insider-Trading Charges, Will Remain on Ballot After Indictment

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) says that hell continue to represent the states 27th Congressional District and will run for re-election, after being arrested on insider-trading charges on Aug. 8.

In a press conference the same day, Collins said he plans to clear his name for what he calls meritless accusations that involved his investment in an Australian biomedical company.

I am proud to represent the people of #NY27. 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  Chris Collins (@CollinsNY27) August 8, 2018

Collins was a board member and majority shareholder in Sydney-based Innate Therapeutics, which was developing a drug to treat multiple sclerosis.

As a board member, Collins received news ahead of the public that the companys signature drug had failed its 12-month test.

Prosecutors allege that directly after he received the news, he made five phone calls to his son, who also had shares in the company, before finally reaching him on the sixth try.

They spoke after trading had closed for the day, and the next day, the son started selling off his stock, as did his fiancees father, who is another defendant in the case, according to the indictment.

The three men were charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements to the FBI during interviews; all have pleaded not guilty. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also suing the three in Manhattan federal court.

Six others are mentioned in the indictment as co-conspirators, but none of them are named or face charges.

Collins and his lawyers have maintained that he is innocent, and point to the fact that he didnt sell his shares after he learned of the news as evidence of his innocence.

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, his lawyers said in a statement.

STATEMENT: Attorneys for Rep. Collins Respond to Charges Filed Today https://t.co/rzNnUmyJDd  Rep. Chris Collins (@RepChrisCollins) August 8, 2018

His decision not to sell, however, could be due in part to logistics.

According to the indictment, Innate Therapeutics ordered a halt to trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) starting June 22, 2017, the same day Chris Collins allegedly received the news of the test results. Trading didnt resume on ASX until June 27, 2017, but trading continued on the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Chris Collins shares were not held at a U.S. broker where they could be traded in the domestic OTC market. Accordingly, he did not trade his own stock, and instead tipped [his son] Cameron Collins, the indictment alleges.

Between June 26 and June 27, the date the test results were made public, Innates shares fell from $0.46 to $0.04 per share, causing Chris Collins, who had an almost 17 percent stake in the company, to lose millions.

Cameron Collins was able to avoid $570,900 in losses by selling his stock before the news became public, and his fiancees father, Stephen Zarsky, avoided losses of about $143,900, according to the indictment.

In addressing the charges, Chris Collins said he started investing in Innate years ago after watching a close family member suffer from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which is about the most debilitating disease known to mankind, he said.

Without my investments in steadfast financial support, the company would have gone under, bringing with it a premature end to a drug I truly thought would revolutionize treatment options for secondary progressive MS.

For that reason, he said, he decided not to sell his stock when he learned of the news.

I believe I acted properly and within the law at all times with regard to my affiliation with Innate. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have followed all rules and all ethical guidelines when it comes to my personal investments, including those with Innate, he said.

Today I addressed the false charges that are being brought against me. Its an honor and a privilege to serve the people of #NY27 and I will continue to work hard for you every day as I fight to clear my name. https://t.co/9q363y6dfx  Rep. Chris Collins (@RepChrisCollins) August 9, 2018

Collins started his career in business before moving to politics. He bought a small industrial part manufacturer that made speed increasers and decreasers for things like bridges and train cars, and sold it in 1997. He first ran for Congress in 1998 and lost. He again entered the private sector, investing in bankrupt or failing companies. In 2007, he became county executive for Erie County, but lost to Democrat Mark Polonkarz in 2011, after which he said he would not run again.

Im going back to the private sector, he said, according to Buffalo Business First. I know how to create jobs.

However, he did run again in 2012 and won a seat in the House of Representatives, a post that he has held since then.

Before the indictment, he served on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, but was taken off by Rep. Paul Ryan (RWisc.), pending the outcome of the case.

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.

Collins, his son, and Stephen Zarsky have all been released on $500,000 bond.
Illegal alien Juan Ramon Vasquez was convicted of raping a child after being released from custody in Philadelphia, despite a request from ICE to take custody. (Philadelphia Police)

Illegal Immigrant Rapes Child After City Refused to Hand Him to ICE

WASHINGTONUnder a sanctuary policy, an illegal immigrant walked free from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and went on to rape a child, according to the Department of Justice.

While Juan Ramon Vasquez, a citizen of Honduras, was in custody in 2015, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on himrequesting that the prison transfer custody to the agency. ICE had information that Vasquez had been deported in 2009 and had illegally re-entered the United States in 2014, a felony.

Philadelphia Department of Prisons refused to honor the detainer and released Vasquez.

Those of us in the law enforcement business should be doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable children from predators like Vasquez, said U.S. Attorney William McSwain in a statement. Instead, this defendant received a free pass from the city of Philadelphia,  headed straight back into our community, and committed a heinous crime.

Vasquez is currently serving a sentence of eight to 20 years in state prison for the rape and will be sentenced in November after pleading guilty to illegal reentry.

The mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, has been an outspoken proponent of his city being a sanctuary for illegal aliens.

A short clip of the mayor doing a victory dance and singing, We are a sanctuary city, yeah, went viral on June 6 after a federal judge ruled that the Justice Department couldnt block federal funding to Philadelphia over its noncompliance with immigration authorities.

The video has since been dredged back up by critics who are calling the mayor complicit in the rape of the child.

On July 18, six so-called sanctuary states filed a joint lawsuit against the Justice Department, saying they are being coerced into compliance with immigration laws. The states are New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

At issue are the federal funds awarded through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which the Justice Department oversees. Philadelphia received more than $1.6 million through the program for public safety initiatives in fiscal 2016.

The Justice Department sent a letter to all recipients of the funds in July 2017, saying they could be cut off if they do not comply with federal law, allow federal immigration access to detention facilities, or notify federal immigration authorities before releasing an illegal alien.
An employee at a flag-making company weaves cotton yarn in Tulasigeri village in the southern state of Karnataka, India, on May 9, 2018. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images)

India Boosts Tariffs to Protect Local Textile Makers From Cheap Chinese Imports

Fallout from the U.S.China trade dispute is being felt in India, with the country recently putting measures in place to blunt an influx of cheap Chinese textile imports that could threaten domestic production.

On Aug. 7, India, the worlds biggest producer of cotton, doubled the import tax on 328 imported textile products to 20 percentthe second such increase in less than a month. In mid-July, India had doubled import duties to 20 percent on more than 50 imported textile products, including fiber, jackets, suits, and carpets.

The duty increases are expected to provide relief to Indias domestic textile industry, which has been hit recently by cheaper imports. Indias total textile imports jumped by 16 percent to a record $7 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March. About $3 billion of that total was from China.

The Indian government didnt specify which products would be targeted by the most recent increase.

Rising imports drove Indias trade deficit with China in textile products to a record $1.54 billion in the most recent fiscal year. That set off alarms with industry officialsas India had been until recently a net exporter of textile products to China.

The tariff measure is to shield Indian [textile] manufacturersfrom a bitter Sino-U.S. trade war, according to an Aug. 9 opinion article published on The Tribune, an Indian English-language daily newspaper.

The article pointed out the problem India is facing now: Blocked by Americans, China may swamp the Indian [textile] market with cheap goods that would destroy the domestic industry.

The textile industry is vital for India because it is the second largest job provider after agriculture. It also accounts for 15 percent of the countrys total exports, according to the article.

Aside from the new tariff rates, the article called on the Indian government to close a loophole that China has been exploiting. China has bypassed Indias textile duties by exporting goods to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam firstcountries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with India. In other words, indirectly been exporting to India without paying duties.

Rules of origin need to be implemented for textile products. Otherwise, Chinese products will land from other countries, an unnamed Mumbai-based garment exporter told Reuters in an article.

Indias Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), a trade group, welcomed the new tariff rates. The decision would help millions of people get employment in the manufacturing sector of the various segments of the entire [textile] value chain, CITI said in a statement, which was cited in an Aug. 8 article by Indian newspaper The Indian Express.

Sanjay Jain, president of CITI, told Reuters he did not expect China to retaliate in response to the duty increases, as China still has an overall trade surplus with India. Jain predicts Indias textile product imports could fall to $6 billion by the end of fiscal 2019 as a result of the tariff hike.

The most recent 20 percent duty will not be applicable to products sourced from countries that have FTAs with India, Jain said.

Jain said Indias textile and garment exports may rise 8 percent to $40 billion by the end of fiscal 2019 because of a weak rupee, and the governments plans to introduce incentives to boost overseas sales.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla speak with the media after holding a closed meeting at the Vice President's office, Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 9, 2018. (Antara Foto/Wahyu Putro A/via Reuters)

Indonesian President Picks Cleric as Running Mate for Election

JAKARTAIndonesian President Joko Widodo said on Aug. 9 he had chosen 75-year-old Islamic cleric Maruf Amin as his running mate in next years presidential election.

The two will be challenged by former general Prabowo Subianto and his vice presidential candidate pick, the deputy governor of Jakarta, Sandiaga Uno.

Indonesia, the worlds third-largest democracy and biggest Muslim-majority country, goes to the polls in April.

The contest, at least in terms of the presidential candidates, is shaping up as a repeat of the 2014 election, when political outsider Widodo defeated Prabowo, who has deep ties to Indonesias business and military elite.

Widodo is a popular moderate who has had mixed success with his reform agenda. Prabowo is a charismatic nationalist with strong links to Islamists who frequently rails against foreigners.

On a dramatic day of political maneuvering and intrigue, Widodo made a surprise decision to pick Amin, just hours after former chief justice Mahfud MD appeared to confirm he was the vice presidential choice of Widodo.

Amin is the influential head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), who issued a statement condemning Widodos political ally, the ethnic Chinese Christian former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, as a blasphemer for insulting the Koran in the middle of a heated Jakarta election campaign.

Prabowos candidate for Jakarta governor won the election, which analysts and rights advocates condemned for inflaming sectarian sentiment.

Amin had been a presidential adviser and had served in local and national legislatures in the past.

Maybe there are questions from the people all over Indonesia why Professor Dr. Maruf Amin was chosen. Because he is a wise religious figure, said Widodo.

I think we complete each other, nationalistic and religious.

But Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono explained, Amin, as head of the MUI, had overseen a rise in religious intolerance across Indonesia, a pluralist country with significant minority communities.

He issued fatwas condemning religious and gender minorities like the Ahmadiyah and LGBT individuals at a time they were subject to violent assaults, he said.

Divisions

He also oversaw the creation of so-called religious harmony forums across the country. These forums replaced the principle of religious freedom, stoked divisions and favored the majority Sunni Muslim community.

Prabowo said his candidacy was supported by three political parties but left out the Democrat Party in his nomination speech in an apparent sign of rifts in the opposition coalition.

It is not easy to build a coalition because many things have to be brought together, Prabowo said.

The Democrat Party views the choice of Uno as a betrayal. Just last week, chairman of the party, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Prabowos Gerindra party announced an alliance.

Agus Yudhoyono, a 39-year-old retired soldier, and the ex-presidents son, was expected to be the vice presidential candidate after the deal.

An hour before Prabowos near-midnight announcement, the Democrat party threatened to quit the coalition unless Prabowo went with the younger Yudhoyono or reconsidered his pick for running mate, party secretary-general Andi Arief said on his Twitter account.

Arief had earlier tweeted a stream of derogatory comments about Prabowo.

Former investment banker Uno said he would work with Prabowo to present a strong government  build the economy and stabilize food prices.

Uno played a pivotal role plotting the campaign to oust then-incumbent governor Purnama. After the victory, Uno said it was regrettable race and religion had dominated the campaign.

By Tom Allard & Wilda Asmarini
Israel Hammers Gaza After 200 Rockets Hit Israel

Israeli aircraft bombed a multi-story building in Gaza City on Aug. 9, local residents said, a few hours after Palestinian militants fired a long-range rocket at Israels largest southern city.

At least four people were hurt in the air strike, health officials said. An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment. The explosion shook buildings in Gaza City as dust and grey smoke filled the air, a Reuters witness said.

At least three Palestinians died in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in a CNN report.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that more than 180 rockets and mortars were launched from Gaza toward Israel, sparking rocket alarms in the country. According to the Jerusalem Post, more than 200 rockets and mortars were launched since Aug. 8, leaving 28 Israelis injured.

Israels Iron Dome defense system intercepted more than 30 rockets, and others landed in open areas in southern Israel, said the IDF. In response, the IDF targeted over 150 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said on Twitter.

Since last night:

?Approx. 180 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel.

?The Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted over 30 launches. The majority of projectiles landed in open areas.

?In response, the IDF targeted over 150 terror targets in the Gaza Strip pic.twitter.com/BQtxfaT8Gn  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

No country would let the security of its citizens be harmed. It is legitimate for the country to conduct negotiations, but there must be red lines. It is likely that well need to take more drastic and aggressive action, Mayor of Beersheba Ruvik Danilovich said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

We are prepared for any scenario and we will continue to do everything necessary to maintain and strengthen the sense of security of the local residents. I am sure the residents of the Gaza border communities are strong and we call on them to continue to listen to the instructions of the Home Front Command, Head of the Southern Command Maj.-Gen.Herzi Halevi said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
File Photo: Japan Ground Self Defense Force members take part in their joint exercise, named Northern Viper 17, with U.S. Marine Corps at Hokudaien exercise area in Eniwa, on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, August 16, 2017. (Reuters/Toru Hanai)

Japan to Raise Maximum Age for New Recruits to Boost Dwindling Military Ranks

TOKYOJapans military plans to raise the maximum age for new recruits in a bid to cope with a shrinking pool of potential soldiers due to the countrys low birth rate and fast-aging population.

The maximum age for enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officer applicants will be raised to 32 from 26 from Oct. 1 to secure a stable supply of Self-Defense Forces (military) personnel amid a declining pool of recruits due to the recently declining birth rate, the defense ministry said on Aug. 8.

The number of Japanese people aged between 18 and 26 years oldthe current age band for recruitsis forecast to fall below eight million by 2046 from 11 million this year and a peak of 17 million in 1994.

The declining numbers, along with competition from the private sector due to a labor shortage, mean the SDF has been unable to fulfill recruitment quotas for the past five years, with the navy facing an especially tough time.

Due to the declining birthrate and greater advancement into higher education, the environment of recruiting SDF personnel is increasingly severe, the ministry said in its 2017 white paper, echoing a lament heard for several years running.

The personnel pinch coincides with Prime Minister Shinzo Abes push to bolster Japans military capabilities and seek a greater global security role.

The military is also trying to lure more women to its ranks to make up for the dearth of male recruits and aims to increase the percentage of women to nine percent from six percent by 2030.

Japans fertility rate, the average number of children a woman bears during her lifetime, fell to 1.43 in 2017, above the record low of 1.26 hit in 2005 but far below the 2.1 needed for a stable population.

By Linda Sieg
Siraj Ibn Wahhaj (L) sits next to public defense attorney Aleks Kostich at a first appearance in New Mexico state district court in Taos, N.M. on Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

Man Arrested at New Mexico Property Is Son of Imam With Possible Link to WTC Bombing

One of the men arrested after authorities found 11 hungry children living in filthy conditions in New Mexico last week is the son of an imam who has a possible link to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj shares a name with his father, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who heads the Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn, a mosque that has attracted radical speakers over the years, reported the Associated Press.

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, the outlet reported.

Prosecutors named the elder Wahhaj, who was born Jeffrey Kearse, as an unindicted co-conspirator in the bombing, reported the New York Post.

Police search on the ground in a parking garage underneath the World Trade Center on Feb. 27, 1993, after a car bomb exploded the day before, killing six people and injuring scores more. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

He was a character witness in the trial of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, an Egyptian Muslim leader known as the Blind Shiekh who was convicted for the bombing and served a life sentence in the United States before dying in 2017.

The eldest Wahhaj also has links to Muslim rights groups such as the Center for American Islamic Relations.

Compound Searched

Court documents filed on Aug. 8 said that the younger Wahhaj was training children to carry out school shootings.

Authorities searched the compound, near the border with Colorado, on Aug. 3 to search for missing 3-year-old Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, Wahhajs son.

They found the elder Wahhaj armed with multiple firearms and uncovered a suspected firing range on the property.

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.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe previously said that officials found the occupants were most likely heavily armed and considered extremist of the Muslim belief.

Another man and three women identified as the mothers of the children, two of whom are children of Imam Wahhaj, were also arrested.

Search Launched in December

Officials in Georgia launched the search after the toddler went missing in December; officials said they had reason to believe the boy was at the compound, and human remains that were found there have been sent off to be analyzed.

The boys mother told officials that the boy suffered from seizures and had other severe medical issues that required constant attention from adults.

She told police officers in December that Wahhaj had taken the boy for a trip to a park and never returned, reported WSB-TV. A missing persons bulletin said that Wahhaj was traveling through Alabama with six children, including his son and two other adults. It was the last time he was seen before the arrest.

The trooper who wrote the report in Alabama, after Wahhajs car overturned, said that Wahhaj told him the group was traveling from Georgia to New Mexico to go camping. The trooper found no camping equipment but did find three handguns, two rifles, a bag of ammunition, and a bulletproof vest. Wahhaj said that he had a permit from Georgia to carry concealed weapons.

Mr. Wahhaj seemed to be very concerned about his weapons and stated several times that they were his property and that he owned them legally, the report said.

From NTD.tv
Mendocino Fire Burns 300,000 Acres, Firefighters Gain Ground

Although by Aug. 8, 7.00 a.m. the Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California had burned at least 300,086 acres, firefighters had brought it to 47 percent containment, up from 34 percent the night before, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Fire officials say they expect to completely extinguish the flames by September. The blaze, which has scorched an area as large as Los Angeles, is currently active in Colusa, Lake, and Mendocino counties.

#CarrFire [update] northwest of Anderson (Shasta County) is now 172,055 acres and 47% contained. Evacuations and road closures in place. Unified Command: @CALFIRESHU, Redding City Fire and Whiskeytown National Park. https://t.co/QmhauhZj9m pic.twitter.com/OKs4HQTtW8  CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) August 8, 2018

Infamous Record

The Mendocino Complex Fire, first reported on July 27, became the largest fire in California history on Aug. 6. No one has died, but two firefighters have been injured while on duty.

The blaze consists of two separate wildfires that started some miles apartthe larger Ranch Fire and the smaller River Fire. More than 4,000 firefighters continue to battle the two fires, which continue to threaten 10,300 structures, and have already destroyed 143 structures.

Firefighters have been working to stop the Ranch Fire, which has been burning actively, from reaching surrounding communities at the southern areas of the Mendocino National Forest, about 161 k.m. (100 miles) north of San Francisco.

Cal Fire said firefighters have made progress on the smaller River Fire, which had no overnight movement. As of Aug. 8, 7 a.m. it was at 81 percent containment.

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.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Aug. 8 directed federal agencies to use any water that was needed to protect life and property threatened by California wildfires.

With reporting from Reuters

From NTD.tv
Scharron Dingledine was arrested Aug. 3, 2018, by Lawrence police in the drowning death of her 5-year-old daughter. (Douglas County Sheriff's Office)

Mom Drove 2 Children Into Kansas River, Killing 1: Police

A Missouri woman is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder after driving her vehicle into the Kansas River with her two children inside, according to reports.

On Saturday morning, members of the Douglas County Search and Recovery Dive Team recovered the body of a five-year-old child that was believed to be the third passenger in the vehicle that entered the river yesterday, said the Lawrence Police Department in a statement on Aug. 4. The incident occurred on Aug. 3.

Officers were able to locate the mother, Scharron Renea Dingledine, 26, of Columbia, Missouri. Shes currently being held at the Douglas County Jail without bond, officials said on Aug. 4.

Local media reports said that her 1-year-old son was rescued from the river.

Dingledine had no known connection to Lawrence, according to the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper.

She Didnt Want Anybody to Have Her Kids

Clinton Bradley, the father of the slain 5-year-old girl, named Amiyah, told the Kansas City Star that Dingledine had recently been released from a 24-hour hold in a mental institution. She was sent there following a domestic violence dispute with the 1-year-olds father, her current boyfriend, said Bradley.

She didnt want anybody to have her kids, he told the Star. She thought someone was going to take them from her.

Upon her release, she was slated to have a meeting with Kansas Social Services officials, Bradley told the paper. She could have reached out, he added.

Bradley said that the 1-year-old boy, Elijah, is fighting to survive in a Lawrence hospital, and he added that if he does survive, he will never be the same kid physically or mentally, the newspaper reported.

The Lawrence Police Department said on Twitter that it is still seeking more information in the case. We are asking anyone who had contact with Scharron Dingledine on August 2nd or August 3rd to please contact our Investigations Division at 785-830-7430, the department tweeted.

In a court hearing on Aug. 7, the womans newly appointed attorney, Carol Cline, said, What were going to do first is Im going to file a motion to evaluate competency, according to the Journal-World. The judge scheduled Dingledines next hearing for Aug. 28.

A funeral for Amiyah was scheduled for Wednesday, and Bradley set up a GoFundMe page for funeral costs.

According to the Star, he hadnt seen Amiyah in over a year because he could never reach Dingledine, saying that she moved often and didnt have a working phone.

Im just trying to do everything I can do for her funeral to make up for everything I missed out on, he told the paper. I figured she would grow old enough to say, I want to see my dad. But she didnt grow old enough to ask those questions.
Firefighters monitor a back fire as they battle the Medocino Complex fire on August 7, 2018 near Lodoga, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

More Out-of-State Firefighters Join Californians in Fighting Wildfires

As the largest wildfire in California history spread to over 300,000 acres of land on Wednesday, more firefighters from other states and nations headed to the Golden State to prepare to battle its massive wildfires.

Around 14,000 fire crews are fighting at least 18 wildfires in California fueled by heat waves coming one after another.

The Mendocino Complex Fire, which started on July 27 and is located at Northern California, charred an area larger than Los Angeles County within 11 days. CalFire reported on Aug. 8 that 46% of the fire was contained; however, its estimated that the fire wont stop burning until September.

With fires still burning out of control and more resources needed in California, other states reached out to help. On Wednesday, 90 firefighters with 25 fire engines were on their way from Texas to California, where they were told they could be working on a 24-hour on and 24-hour off schedule for 14 days, according to KHOU 11.

Firefighters from Porter and Galveston Fire Department at @HobbyAirport getting ready to fly to #California to help Battle the largest wildfire in that states history. Help us wish them a safe journey. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/T6D1azNcd8  David Gonzalez (@DavidGonzKHOU) August 8, 2018

This is the first time that weve ever been out of the state to assist another state with an assignment. Pretty much going over and making a difference, Brandon Shafer with the Porter Fire Department said to the station.

Arizona sent crews to California back in July to help with the Ferguson Fire raging near Yosemite National Park, which is now indefinitely closed due to the fire.

The Ferguson Fire has been burning for almost four weeks with two people killed, 13 injured, nearly 95,000 acres of land scorched, and 43% containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Nealy 400 firefighters and 80 pieces of fire equipment from Arizona have also been deployed to forests and mountains in California, according to AZFamily.com.

Firefighters from Florida, Utah, Maryland and several other states provided their assistance and resources to California over the past weeks.

In addition, 53 fire crews from Australia and New Zealand joined in fighting the Carr Fire at Redding, California last Friday, according to KRCR News. The Carr Fire has killed two people and destroyed more than one thousand houses. By Aug. 8, the fire burned over 170,000 acres with 47% containment.
Multi-State ICE Operation Targets Businesses Cheating Illegal Immigrants

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a series of criminal arrest warrants on Aug. 8 as part of a multi-state operation targeting businesses that hired and exploited illegal immigrants across the Midwest, officials said.

The 15-month operation led by the investigative arm of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicted 17 individuals connected to an alleged criminal conspiracy to cheat illegal workers for profit, fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in Nebraska and Minnesota.

Of those individuals, 14 were taken into custody on Aug. 8 while three are yet to be arrested, according to a statement.

Along with the business owners, 133 illegal workers from various businesses were also arrested for immigration violations. Some of the workers will be issued notices to appear before a federal immigration judge and be released on humanitarian grounds, such as health or family considerations. The remaining workers will be detained in ICE custody and be processed in a nearby facility pending immigration court proceedings.

Law enforcement alleged the 17 business owners and managers colluded to create a workforce made up of illegal immigrants in their respective businesses, which authorities say created an unfair advantage over their competition businesses.

The business owners were also suspected of exploiting the illegal immigrants through force, coercion, or threat of arrest and/or deportation. The illegal immigrants were allegedly required to cash their paychecks at an illegal remittance business for a fee, have tax money deducted from their pay even though the money was never paid to the government, and were told to remain silent about the criminal behavior, the statement said.

The job magnet in the United States is primarily what draws illegal aliens across our borders, Special Agent in Charge Tracy J. Cormier said in the statement.

This HSI-led criminal investigation has shown that these targeted businesses were knowingly hiring illegal workers to unlawfully line their own pockets by cheating the workers, cheating the taxpayers, and cheating their business competitors.

Authorities said illegal workers often use the stolen identities of legal U.S. workers to work in the country. The identity-theft can usually cause significant damage to a victims credit, medical records and other aspects of their life.

Back in May, ICE said the number of worksite enforcement investigations doubled over the last year. From Oct. 1, 2017 to May 4, 2018, the HSI opened 3,510 worksite investigations compared to 1,716 in the previous fiscal year. Over the same 2017 to 2018 period, they also initiated 2,282 I-9 audits and made 594 criminal and 610 administrative worksite-related arrests compared to 1,360 I-9 audits, 139 criminal arrests and 172 administrative arrests related to worksite enforcement in the previous fiscal year.

From NTD.tv

Watch Next:

Texas Sheriff Talks About Why Sanctuaries Dont Help Public Safety
NEG Update: Vic Lists Demands for Energy Guarantee

Days before the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on August 10, the Victorian government has set a list of demands for the Federal government before they agree to the National Energy Guarantee (NEG).

Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily DAmbrosio wants to ensure that NEG will keep energy prices low, protects local jobs, and that the Victorian Renewable Energy Target is met.

The Victorian government made a commitment in June 2016 to reach the renewable energy generation target of 25 percent by 2020 and 40 percent by 2025.

On August 8, the Victorian government stated that the emission reduction targets must increase as time goes on without going back down. These targets must be set by regulation every three years, three years in advance.

In addition, a transparent registry must be set up so regulators and governments can ensure that the NEG works in the best interest of the consumers.

According to the Chair of the Energy Security Board (ESB) Dr. Kerry Schott, households can save up to a total of $550 a year between 2020 and 2030, $150 of those savings are because of the Guarantee itself.

Once implemented, the Guarantee will produce a clear investment signal so the cleanest, cheapest and most reliable generation can get built in the right place at the right time, said Schott.

The NEG was created in response to the commitment Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott made in the 2015 Paris agreement to reduce carbon emissions between 26 to 28 percent by 2030.

DAmbrosio believes that they can only get things right if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stares down the climate-crazies in his party and lays down a plan that will protect local jobs and households.
You got to take your time with it, manager Joe Maddon said after watching Darvish throw 33 pitches in a live batting practice session to Tommy La Stella and Victor Caratini. You dont go zero to 60 mph. You always look for 75 pitches, (if) hes capable of 75 before that first start in the minor leagues.
Obama Policies Aided Muslim Brotherhood in Infiltrating the Clinton Foundation

Former President Obamas policy of collaborating with the Egypt-based terrorist organization known as the Muslim Brotherhood appears to have helped the notorious group infiltrate Bill and Hillary Clintons long-embattled public charity.

One apparent beneficiary of that policy was Gehad el-Haddad, a Muslim Brotherhood operative who worked at the Clinton Foundation in Egypt for five years. After the regime he was part of was overthrown, the Islamic terrorist leader received a life sentence in Egypt for sedition.

Haddad is not the only Clinton Foundation employee tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Sunni Islamist organization.

Hillary Clintons top aide, who in recent years has followed her from job to job, is Huma Abedin. Abedin worked in the Bill Clinton-era White House and for Hillary Clinton at the State Department. She also worked at the Clinton Foundation and helped to run Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. As previously reported, Abedin has generational ties to Islamic terrorism and to the Muslim Brotherhood in particular.

Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state in Barack Obamas Cabinet from Jan. 21, 2009, to Feb. 1, 2013. The so-called Arab Spring and the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 that removed longtime U.S. ally and anti-Islamist Hosni Mubarak from power in Egypt, and cleared the way for the brutal Islamic supremacist Mohamed Morsi to become Egypts head of state, took place on her watch and while Haddad worked for the Clinton Foundation.

The U.S. Department of Justice launched a fresh inquiry earlier this year into whether the Clinton Foundation participated in pay-to-play politics while Hillary Clinton headed the Department of State, The Hill newspaper reported at the time.

But the question remains: Did officials at the Clinton Foundation know about Haddads radical, anti-American political affiliations? We may never know with perfect certainty. Several messages seeking comment from the foundations headquarters in New York City went unanswered.

No official investigations of Haddad, or of the extent to which the Muslim Brotherhood penetrated the Clinton Foundation, appear to have been conducted in the United States.

This doesnt surprise Clare Lopez, vice president for research and analysis at the Center for Security Policy, a think tank in Washington.

Both the Clinton Foundation and the Obama administration worked closely with the Muslim Brotherhood, Lopez said, and none of this was investigated.

It was U.S. policy at that time to support the Muslim Brotherhood both domestically and abroad. The Obama administration was riddled with such influences, Lopez said.

Obamas ambassador to Egypt, Anne W. Patterson, worked with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood hand-in-gloveso did the Clinton Foundation, Lopez said. Obamas White House and Hillary Clintons Department of State intended, wanted, supported the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt and in select countries, she added.

In 2010, Obama and Clinton laid out their policy of support for the Muslim Brotherhood in a still-classified document titled Presidential Study Directive-11, or PSD-11. The objective of the policy, according to leaks, was to help the Muslim Brotherhood come to power in Tunisia, Libya, Syria, and Egypt. In a March 6, 2011, Washington Post column, David Ignatius wrote, This is the president as global community organizera man who believes that change is inevitable and desirable, and that the United States must align itself with the new forces shaping the world.

Official Spokesman

Haddad remains politically active.

He had been the principal English-language spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, a position he claims to still hold despite his current confinement. Even now, Haddad is trying to create the conditions needed for his group to return to power in Egypt, after its allies were ousted by the Egyptian military in a popular coup in mid-2013.

The New York Times published an op-ed on Feb. 22, 2017, bearing Haddads byline. In it, he was identified as the official spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood. He denied the group was a terrorist organization, claiming it was a morally conservative, socially aware grass-roots movement that has dedicated its resources to public service for the past nine decades.

Haddad was one of more than 35 Islamist defendants to receive a sentence of life imprisonment for anti-government activities from an Egyptian court in April 2015. Haddad reportedly sought to spread chaos across Egypt, in defiance of the government, that replaced the now-deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as then-U.S. President Obama. Morsi, like Haddad, remains imprisoned, and the briefly legal Muslim Brotherhood is once again banned in the Arab republic.

Back in his Clinton Foundation days, Haddad served as city director, a senior communications position at the charity, from August 2007 to August 2012.

The Clinton Foundations Climate Initiative, on which he worked, taught Haddad about managing [a nongovernmental organization] and the role that civil society takes between the state and private sector, lessons he is applying to the Renaissance Project, according to the online newspaper Egypt Independent.

But in his final year at the Clintons eponymous charity, Haddad also simultaneously worked for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian political party it backed.

Haddad officially became a senior adviser for foreign affairs in Morsis Freedom and Justice Party in May 2011, when he was still claiming to be employed by the Clinton Foundation, the news website reported.

Haddads time at the Clinton Foundation overlapped with his official work for the Muslim Brotherhood, which began in Cairo in February 2011 when he assumed control of the Renaissance Project, a Brotherhood-backed economic recovery program.

Despite the innocuous description of the Renaissance Project, Egyptian media have reported it is actually a program aimed at implementing the radical Islamization of Egyptian society.

Renaissance is far more than the electoral program of President Mohamed Morsi or the Brotherhoods political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, the Egypt Independent reported. It is a 25-year project to reform state, business and civil society, rooted in the Brotherhoods Islamic values but conditioned by the experiences of the projects founders in the modern economy.

A month after Haddad left his Clinton Foundation job for a full-time position with the Brotherhood in 2012, then-President Morsi was invited to make a major address at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), a high-profile project of the foundation. Morsi gave the speech on Sept. 25, 2012, at a CGI conference in New York City.

Other Haddad family members worked for the Muslim Brotherhood. Haddad himself is the son of Essam el-Haddad, who was foreign affairs adviser to then-President Morsi. Gehads brother, Abdullah el-Haddad, was a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood in London.

Matthew Vadum is an award-winning investigative journalist and recognized expert in left-wing activism. He is the author of Subversion, Inc.
A man rides a camel through the desert oil field and winter camping area of Sakhir, Bahrain, in a file photo. Canadian health officials are evaluating the fallout of 800 Saudi medical residents and fellows leaving the health care system across the country. (The Canadian Press/AP/Hasan Jamali)

Questions Remain About Impact in Canada as Saudi Doctors Recalled

Saudi-Canada diplomatic row escalates

While the full impact of the diplomatic row between Canada and Saudi Arabia remains to be seen, Canadian health officials are evaluating the fallout of 800 Saudi medical residents and fellows leaving the health care system across the country.

The spat started after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland criticized Saudi Arabia in a tweet for arresting and detaining two female bloggers and activists, asking for their release as well as the release of other human rights activists.

Saudi Arabia said the tweet was an attempt by Canada to interfere with the countrys internal affairs, and suspended trade and diplomatic ties with Canada. Retaliatory measures include the recalling of Saudi students from Canada, including medical students and residents.

In Toronto, out of the 3,600 residents and fellows in the health care system, 216 are Saudis.

So 216 people is not insignificant, but weve got a pretty big network, said Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, vice-dean of post-MD education at the University of Torontos faculty of medicine.

Were in the process now of really sitting down with our hospital partners, site by site and program by program, and figuring out what the impact will be if September 1, these folks arent around.

Todd Coopee with Resident Doctors of Canada believes there could be very negative consequences if Saudi students are forced to leave, although it is still too early to judge the outcome.

While were definitely concerned about the potential implications, we feel that at present we do not have enough verified information to comment, Coopee said.

No apology from Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rebuffed requests from the Saudis to recant Canadas criticism, saying that while diplomatic ties with the country continues, there will be no apology from Canada.

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 on Aug. 8.

Saudi Arabia expelled Canadas ambassador on Aug. 5, and has ruled out any new trade with Canada. Flights between Saudi Arabia and Toronto will also be suspended.

Conservative foreign affairs critic Erin OToole said his sources have said what led to the Saudis getting so upset was the patronizing language in the Arabic translation of the Canadian tweet. He criticized the governments use of social media rather than person-to-person communications as part of the problem, but said he finds the Saudi authorities response to be over the top.

Shuvaloy Majumdar, Munk senior fellow with the think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said the deteriorating relation between the two countries is worrisome.

If the objective is to advocate for the rule of law and human rights, how does this collapse of relations accomplish those ends? he wrote in a statement.

Given Saudi overreach through its online troll farms, such as the plane infographic invoking 9-11, there presents an opening to say: Things have gone too far, he said, referring to a tweet by a pro-government Saudi Twitter account that showed a plane flying toward Torontos skyline in a digitally altered image. The tweet was later deleted, and the account said in a later post that the image was not intended to refer to 9/11 and apologized for the inappropriate tweet.

With files from The Canadian Press
US Representative Chris Collins (C), a Republican from the of the 27th Congressional District of New York, leaves US Federal Court in New York on August 8, 2018 after being indicted on insider trading. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Rep. Chris Collins Indicted on Insider Trading Charges

Chris Collins, a Republican for New Yorks 27th Congressional District, was indicted on insider trading charges involving an Australian biotechnology company for which he serves as a board member, federal prosecutors announced on Aug. 8.

The indictment also named two others: the congressmans son, Cameron Collins, and the father of his fiance, Stephen Zarsky. Prosecutors accused the congressman of passing sensitive drug-test results from the company, Innate Immunotherapeutics, to his son in June 2017, so that he could trade on Innates stock.

The congressmans son also allegedly passed on the inside information to Zarsky, who then traded on it and tipped off others.

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.

The indictment charges all three defendants with multiple counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and other crimes. Each of them will also face civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Aside from being a member of the board of directors, which gave him access to the nonpublic material, Collins was also Innates largest stockholder, holding approximately 16.8 percent of its stock.

Collins, the defendant, violated the duties he owed to Innate by passing material; nonpublic information regarding the Drug Trial results to his son, the indictment stated.

Two attorneys representing the congressman maintained Collinss innocence and said he would have more to say later in the day.

We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name, the attorneys said in a statement on Aug. 8. 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.

Prosecutors said the trading took place before the public release of drug trial data that would have negatively impacted the defendants.

All of the trades preceded the public release of the negative Drug Trial results, and were timed to avoid losses that they would have suffered once that news came public, the indictment stated.

The insider trading allowed the defendants to avoid over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred if they had sold their stock in Innate after the Drug Trial results became public.

On Aug. 8. House Speaker Paul Ryan removed Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee until the allegations were settled.

Collins has served in New Yorks congressional district since 2013.

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. Insider trading is a clear violation of the public trust, Ryan said in a statement. Until this matter is settled, Rep. Collins will not be serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Women enter the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada August 8, 2018. (Reuters/Chris Helgren)

Saudi Trainee Doctors Set to Head Home From Canada in Diplomatic Row

TORONTOSaudi Arabia has told hundreds of trainee doctors to leave Canada with only weeks notice in the midst of a diplomatic spat, a move that could disrupt Canadian hospitals and end a 40-year-old program to train specialists for the kingdom.

Angered by Ottawa calling for the release of arrested Saudi civil society activists, Saudi Arabia retaliated this week by freezing new trade with Canada, expelling the countrys ambassador and blocking imports of Canadian grain.

Riyadh ordered all Saudi students in Canada to return home by the end of the month, creating a logistical nightmare for the students and for top teaching hospitals in the country.

Saudi Arabia is the largest source of foreign-trained medical residents and fellows, or trainees, in Canada, and was set to occupy 95 percent of international residency spots in the coming academic year.

In 2016, nearly five percent, or 765, of Canadas trainee doctors came from Saudi medical schools, according to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.

We will have to cover any holes in the schedule with either our own trainees or our staff physicians, said Gillian Howard, a spokeswoman for the University Health Network, which operates four Toronto hospitals that stand to lose 86 doctors.

It will be stressful, but we have to do it.

The order to return home affects about 12,000 Saudi students and family members, Saudi officials said on state television.

University of Ottawa law and medicine professor Amir Attaran said a Saudi student he did not know knocked on his door on Aug. 7, pleading for help to stay in the country.

Where do you go with that? he said. Of course theres nothing I can do.

Saudi students were worried and looking for more directives from their government on what to do, said Aseel Ameen of the Saudi Students Club in Ottawa. Some are looking at how to get out of leases on apartments, sell furniture and buy flights. National carrier Saudia, which said it will suspend service to Canada from Aug. 6, set up a hotline for students to call and make arrangements to fly home.

We hope that everyone will be quick to end all ties and apply for a return ticket to the Kingdom within one month, the Saudi education ministry tweeted on Aug. 7.

The association representing Canadas resident doctors said in a statement that the Saudi students forced departure could have very negative consequences on the Canadian healthcare systems ability to provide timely care.

The Saudi medical trainees are part of a four-decade-old Riyadh-funded program that has trained Saudi graduates to eventually practice medicine at home.

In 2012, a Canadian government release said more Saudi doctors were training in Canada than anywhere else in the world.

The quality of care in Saudi Arabia has been criticized by many Saudis, and the government is under pressure to address a shortage of doctors.

Only 27 percent, or about 24,000, of the countrys doctors and dentists were Saudi nationals in the year 1437 AH, which covers parts of 2015 and 2016, according to Saudi government statistics. The kingdom relies heavily on foreign-born doctors, with specialists in particular commanding high salaries.

Many of the (Canada-based) trainees are fairly senior, doing fellowships, getting subspecialty experience, said Salvatore Spadafora, a vice dean with the University of Torontos medical school, where 216 students are affected.

You just know theyre going to go back and do so many great things for their country, and that potential loss is unfortunate.

The Saudi government has said it will relocate citizens studying in Canada to other countries. But it is not clear when or how medical fellows will resume their specialized training.

Moving countries in the midst of a medical fellowship is not a common pathway, Spadafora said.
Julian Assange speaks to the media from the balcony of the Embassy of Ecuador on May 19, 2017 in London, England. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Senate Intelligence Committee Calls on Wikileaks Founder to Testify

The Senate intelligence committee sent a letter to the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, requesting that he appear to answer questions from lawmakers at a closed-door session.

In the Aug. 1 letter, signed by Republican Sen. Richard Burr and Democrat Sen. Mark Warner, the lawmakers indicate that the testimony is part of the committees inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The WikiLeaks legal team said they are considering the offer but testimony must conform to a high ethical standard. The organization also pointed out that Warner was among 10 senators who demanded in June that Assanges asylum be revoked in violation of international law.

Wikileaks published emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the runup to the 2016 presidential election. The emails, which suggested that Hillary Clinton colluded with the DNC to oust then-candidate Bernie Sanders, were an embarrassment to the Clinton campaign.

Assange claims to have proof that Russia was not involved in hacking the DNC and that he has information about it that has not yet been made public.

Assanges claims run contrary to the Senate intelligence committees findings that Russia was behind the hacking of the DNC. The committee concurred with the Intelligence Committee Assessment on July 3, concluding that Russian intelligence gained access to the DNC networks in July 2015 and maintained access until June 2016.

Despite Assanges central role in the release of the DNC emails, the Senate intelligence committees testimony request appears to be the first time that investigators reached out to the Wikileaks founder.

Neither Robert Muellers team nor the US Senate Intelligence Committee has bothered to contact WikiLeaks or me, in any manner, ever, Assange wrote on Twitter in September last year.

Neither Robert Mueller's team nor the US Senate Intelligence Committee has bothered to contact WikiLeaks or me, in any manner, ever.  #FreeAssange! (tweets by campaign) (@JulianAssange) September 20, 2017

Special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers in July accusing them of hacking the DNC. The indictment does not indicate that Mueller interviewed Assange.

Assange has also hinted that there is a link between the death of Seth Rich, the director of voter expansion data for the DNC, and the publication of the DNC emails. Days after announcing a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Richs killer, Assange brought up Rich when discussing the risks whistleblowers take to expose corruption.

Whistle-blowers go to significant efforts to get us material and often very significant risks, Assange told Dutch television program Nieuswsuur in August 2016. Theres a 27-year-old, works for the DNC, who was shot in the backmurderedjust two weeks ago for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington.

When the host pressed Assange on whether Rich was the leaker, Assange said that Wikileaks does not reveal its sources. Rich died 12 days after Wikileaks released the emails.

Assange has been residing as an asylee at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for the last six years. He fled to the embassy seeking asylum as he faced possible extradition to the United States.
Senior DOJ Official Secretly Tried to Connect Ousted Spy Steele With Mueller, FBI

A senior Department of Justice official secretly attempted to re-engage the author of the infamous anti-Trump dossier with the FBI and the team of special counsel Robert Mueller, months after the bureau terminated the former UK spy for leaking to the media.

Newly released messages between Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr and Christopher Steele show that the pair maintained frequent contact as late as Nov. 27, 2017, more than a year after the FBI cut ties with Steele for disclosing to the media his association with the FBI, in violation of the bureaus rules for confidential human sources.

The communications raise questions about Ohrs intentions, because the FBI prohibited Steele from collecting intelligence on the bureaus behalf. Meanwhile, Ohr had no role in the TrumpRussia investigation and apparently kept his relationship with Steele secret from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, his boss at the DOJ.

In the messages, Ohr indicated that he took concrete steps to connect Steele with Muellers team, although his attempts appear to have failed.

Regardless, Ohr became a conduit for funneling information from Steele to the FBI less than three weeks after the bureau terminated Steele in early November 2016. Ohr met with FBI officials Lisa Page and Peter Strzok less than three weeks after Steele was terminated. He continued to funnel information to the FBI throughout 2017, according to House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.). Page, Strzok, and Steele all expressed intense biases against Donald Trump.

Hi Bruce, is there any news on reengagement yet? Anything we could do to help from this end? Grateful for an update, Steele wrote to Ohr on June 22, 2017.

I will inquire and let you know, Ohr responded the same day.

Still in progress. My colleagues have made the request but will inquire again, Ohr wrote two days later, on June 24, 2017.

Steele repeated his overture three weeks later.

I spoke to my old colleagues last week and they assured me they would not stand in the way of our reengagement with the Bureau. They thought the admin would take a few weeks but we seem good to go. Please pass this on as appropriate. Crazy week over there just past! Steel wrote to Ohr on July 16, 2017.

By August, Steele said he was frustrated with how long the FBI and Mueller were taking to re-engage.

Whenever convenient I would like a chat, theres a lot going on and we are frustrated with how long this reengagement with the Bureau and Mueller is taking. Anything you could do to accelerate the process would be much appreciated. There are some new, perishable, operational opportunities which we do not want to miss out on, Steele wrote to Ohr on Aug. 6, 2017.

Chris, good to hear from you. Would tomorrow morning at 9 am D.C. time work for you? Thanks! Ohr responded the same day.

By October, Steele began to grow worried about congressional investigations into his work with the FBI.

Just seen a story in the media about the Bureau handing over docs to Congress about my work and relationship with them. Very concerned about this. Peoples [sic] lives may be endangered. I shall also reach out to my other (SC) contacts on this issue tomorrow, Steele wrote to Ohr on Oct. 26, 2017. With SC, Steele is likely referring to the special counsel.

Chris, my apologies, just saw your message. I am available for a call tomorrow am, Ohr responded the next day.

Congressional investigators stumbled onto Steeles activities while investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. They discovered that the Clinton campaign ultimately paid Steele to dig for dirt on then-candidate Trump during the 2016 presidential election, and also that the dossier that Steele compiled became the core of an application for a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page.

By mid-November, Steeles frustration turned to disappointment, and he expressed anxiety as media continued to reveal the details of his involvement with the FBI. The former spy also said he was under legal pressure, likely referring to a defamation lawsuit by a Russian businessman whose companies were named in Steeles dossier.

Its been another tough week here under the media spotlight and with legal pressures bearing down on us. I am presuming youve heard nothing back from your SC colleagues on the issues you kindly put to them from me. We have heard nothing from them either. To say this is disappointing would be an understatement, Steele wrote to Ohr on Nov. 18, 2017.

Certain people have been willing to risk everything to engage with them in an effort to help them reach the truth, Steele continued in the same message. Also, we remain in the dark as to what has been briefed to congress [sic] about us, our assets and previous work. I know you understand the importance of all this and have done your very best to support us, but we would be grateful if you could continue to communicate these sentiments to them.

Ohr responded the same day: Chris, thanks for reaching out. I understand the difficulties and uncertainty you are experiencing. I havent heard anything but I will reach out again and ask for an update.

Steeles suggestion that Ohr has done his very best to support Steele and his unidentified colleagues is especially problematic since the FBI knew as early as March 2017 that Steele was still digging for dirt on Trump for the same firm, Fusion GPS, and that the spys efforts were being privately funded by a group of wealthy donors primarily from New York and California, who paid nearly $50 million for the effort.

Investigative journalist John Solomon was the first to release the text messages between Ohr and Steele. The documents are marked with HPSCI (House Permanent Committee on Intelligence).

According to Solomon, who reviewed more documents than were made public on Aug. 9, Ohrs boss at the DOJ, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, had no knowledge of Ohrs communications with Steele. Rosenstein also wrote in a private letter that Ohr was not assigned to the Russia investigation and he was not in the chain of command.

DOJ declines comment, Justice Department spokesman Devin OMalley wrote.

The specials counsels office declined to comment. Steeles intelligence firm in the United Kingdom didnt respond to a request for comment by press deadline.
Sicily Gang Busted for Crushing Limbs in Insurance Fraud

Willing victims recruited from among destitute and vulnerable

Gangsters in Sicily have been busted for crushing the arms and legs of victims and then collecting huge insurance payouts for injuries claimed to have been sustained in car accidents.

Police in Palermo arrested 11 suspects on Aug. 7, following an investigation into an alleged crime ring that involved complicit hospital staff and targeted individuals desperate enough to willingly submit to gruesome mutilations.

They were both accomplices in the scheme and victims, said the head of the Palermo police operations squad Rodolfo Ruperti, referring to those who agreed to have their arms and legs broken.

Recruits in the elaborate racket included drug addicts, alcoholics, and the mentally disabled.

Ruperti said the suspects would scour Palermos train station for the destitute and desperate.

They were attracted by the mirage of a lot of money, Ruperti told RAI state TV.

But in reality those who agreed to participate in the scheme by having a leg or arm or both smashed, generally received only a few hundred euros, while the gangsters kept hundreds of thousands of euros in insurance payments, the authorities said.

A smashed arm and a leg could bring as much as 150,000 euros ($170,000) in claim payments, Ruperti told the Associated Press in a phone interview.

After their limbs were smashed using 25-kilo (55-pound) cast-iron weights, the injured were taken to hospitals in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, where employees in on the scheme processed paperwork that let alleged gangsters collect insurance proceeds.

Investigators have yet to determine how much money the suspected crime ring managed to defraud by means of the racket, and how long the scheme was in operation.

In total 60 people are under investigation in the case, including 11 women, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The investigation has established that about 70 individuals are known to have been mutilated as part of the scheme.

In January 2017, the disfigured body of a Tunisian man was discovered on a Palermo street. Initially presumed to be victim of a road accident, he was later determined to have died of a heart attack suffered after having his limbs deliberately smashed. The incident sparked the investigation and led detectives to what they say was an organized criminal endeavor.

Ruperti said the racket employed a network of accomplices, including those who agreed to falsely say they had witnessed a car hitting someone.

One of the suspects detained in the bust included a hospital nurse who investigators say procured mild anaesthetics from her workplace to dampen the pain.

Ice, however, was sometimes the only measure to cope with the agony of smashed limbs.

Investigators are trying to determine if the Sicilian Mafia had a hand in the fraud racket. Cosa Nostra, one of the three main Italian mafia-style groups alongside the Camorra and Ndrangheta, is known to have accomplices or associates in local institutions, including clinics.

According to Europol these organized crime groups have a penetrating reach, and can even manipulate elections and install associates in administrative positions.

These crime syndicates operate worldwide, Europol says, but keep a very low profile outside Italy, making them difficult to detect and counteract.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Singapore started eye scanning at some of its border checkpoints. It's on trial of expensive technology that could one day replace fingerprint verification, says officials on August 6, 2018.

Singapore Test Eye Scans at Immigration Checkpoints

SINGAPORESingapore has started scanning travellers eyes at some of its border checkpoints, its immigration authority said on Aug. 6, in a trial of expensive technology that could one day replace fingerprint verification.

It is the latest in a series of high-tech initiatives in the city-statesome of which have stoked privacy concerns among rights advocatesaimed at improving efficiency and security as the threat of militancy in the region has ratcheted up.

Iris-scanning technology, which has been used in other jurisdictions like the United States and the United Kingdom with varying degrees of success, can cost five times more than existing fingerprint systems, according to experts.

The trials will help us in our consideration of whether and how we should implement such technology at our checkpoints, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in an emailed statement.

The move will be implemented at two checkpoints on its northern border with Malaysia and one at a ferry terminal running services to nearby Indonesian islands.

The ICA has been collecting iris images from Singaporean citizens and permanent residents when they apply for identity cards or a passport since January 2017.

Singapores Changi Airport is considering using facial recognition systems to find late passengers and the country also plans to use facial recognition capabilities in a project to fit cameras and sensors on over 100,000 lampposts.

Singapores government says these measures are pragmatic ways to improve peoples lives and safety and has pledged to be sensitive to privacy.

The cosmopolitan financial hub says it has been the target of militant plots for years, some stemming from its Muslim-majority neighbours, and that it is a matter of when and not if militants will strike.
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.
Syrian Military Preparing for Huge Battle With ISIS

The Syrian military is preparing to push out remaining ISIS terrorist fighters, who still control a small piece of territory in the south.

ISIS has ramped up its violence as its forces dwindle. Last month ISIS killed more than 200 civilians and abducted more than 30 people, mostly women and children in Syrias southeastern Suwayda Province, Fox News reported. The attack is considered the deadliest to hit the province. Most of the victims were of the Druze ethnic minority, who are about 700,000 in number.

The extreme bloodshed is presumed to be an effort by ISIS to force an exchange of their captives for detained ISIS terrorists and to force negotiations for ISIS to have a way to get to other parts of Syria without resistance, Fox reported. Russia is reportedly involved in the negotiations to free some of the hostages ISIS captured. ISIS kidnapped and beheaded a 19-year-old a week ago.

In the last few days, U.S.-led coalition forces conducted 15 strikes on ISIS targets near the border with Iraq. The Syrian regime also launched airstrikes against ISIS forces in Suwayda, and local reports indicate the regime is deploying ground troops to the same region, according to Fox.

A U.S. Department of Defense news release describes strikes against ISIS targets by Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve between July 30 and Aug. 5, in which joint forces conducted 20 strikes in 27 engagements. Strikes took place in both Syria and Iraq. Targets in Syria included ISIS vehicles, supply routes, an explosives factory, and a command-and-control center.

From NTD.tv
The Welfare States Road to Serfdom

Infinite demand for services leads to financial ruin

Many people regard the welfare state as a great achievement of civilization. Yet, few recognize that the larger the welfare state becomes, the more the beneficiaries themselves must bear the growing costs.

The beneficiaries must pay for what they receive and also bear the administrative expenses. Further, taxpayers in general must pay for the rent-seeking of special-interest groups that exploit the system for their own benefitnot to mention the inevitable waste incurred due to negligence or mismanagement.

Traditionally, the relatively wealthy have cared for the poor and the aging. Voluntary charity has been a feature of all societies. Yet, when the state expands into the welfare state, charity loses its meaning. The more the general population falls into the hands of the welfare state, the more diffuse the definition of need becomes and the larger the number of contributors grows. In the end, all pay more than they get.

Many of the evils that voters attribute to capitalism are actually the result of the fact that these very same citizens demand from political parties in elections what they lament after the elections. The public supply of goods that was expected to come for free through the so-called social state turns out to be more expensive than it would be under a private system.

When individuals have no direct obligation to pay for public goods, the demand for these goods rises. Because of the individuals assessment of utility and cost, and because the supply appears to be free, the demand for goods and services increases.

An avalanche of costs is the necessary consequence of such a system. Prices continue to increase even when the benefits of the goods and services sink, as is the case in many developed nations.

The Moral Hazard

In the welfare state, moral hazard is pervasive. The wider the scope of social protection and the higher the benefits, the stronger the incentives become for those who produce the goods and provide the services to cater to the specific needs the social policies cover. The largest profiteers from the relentless expansion of the welfare state are those individuals.

The welfare and social-benefits industry ranges from the medical-pharmaceutical complex to the university system to the employment opportunities of social workers. With health, the profiteers are the health-care providers: medical doctors, hospital employees, and the pharmaceutical complex. With public education, the main beneficiaries are not the students, but those who run the schools and universities. The more the system expands, the larger the benefits for the providers and the higher the costs for those who are said to be the prime beneficiaries of the free public goods.

Since the inception of the welfare state, dissatisfaction has increased at the same pace as the costs. Since its beginning, Social Security has been sold to the public as a service that apparently would come to the old, sick, and needy free of charge. This illusion still rules regarding the modern comprehensive welfare state.

Consequently, the demand for social policies systematically exceeds the supply, even as the dissatisfaction with the performance of the system rises. Insurance, when organized as a collective systemas is the case with health careimplies that the insured will ignore the principle of marginal utility and marginal cost. The gates are open to the avalanche of costs because demand rises to the saturation point.

Growth Without Limit

Without a fundamental change, the health-care Moloch in advanced industrialized countries will absorb more and more of the income of the population. The system will continue until its complete financial ruin. The absurd prospect looms that hardly any disposable income will be left beyond the expenditures for health, old age, social welfare, and taxes.

Data show that health-care expenditures that exceed $2,000 per capita a year do not increase life expectancy. In the United States, which spends almost five times this amount ($9,892), life expectancy is actually lower than in countries that spend less. Perverse incentives are in place that drive up the costs, without an increase of benefit.

This trend becomes fully insane when medical science itself says it isnt expenditure on health care that determines health and longevity, but lifestyle.

Both education and health care are so-called superior goods, for which the demand increases more than proportionally to a rise in income. This would be no problem if the beneficiaries of the goods were to bear the costs themselves. Yet, as the link between individual demand and personal payment is cut, excessive demand results.

Overconsumption occurs in both health care and education. With education, a host of indicators suggest that most public education isnt about learning but about signaling. Students want a degree mainly to rival their cohort in the job market.

Goods such as education and health care have saturation points far beyond any reasonable limit. Demand tends forever to outstrip supply. Even if each patient had a personal physician, there would be further demand for health care.

This is also the case with education. Demand shifts from the optimum to the maximum and questions such as why society should not give all students their own teachers to prepare for a doctorate no longer appear absurd. When health care, education, and social justice become declared objectives of public policy, supply always will fall short of demand.

Despite the broadening and deepening of social programs, social problems have not diminished. In America, the poor have been losing ground because of the social justice and welfare expansion that came with the launch of the Great Society in the 1960s. In Europe, the talk is about the new poverty.

Political parties try to outdo each other with new and better designs for social security, and welfare, and justice for all. In politics, however, better means not an improvement but more spending and higher costs. Therefore, these proposals come down to nothing more than higher taxes, contributions, or public debt.

A free, capitalist system would abolish the collectivism that prevails in the education and health care sectors. Disposable income would rise, and people could spend it according to their personal preferences. That contrasts with the present system, in which people must pay, with little, if any, say.

Antony P. Mueller is a professor of economics at the Federal University UFS in Brazil. This article was first published by AIER.org

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Anibal Antonio Guevara (L), Jonathan Steven Guevara (C) and Giovani Antonio Herrera (R) were sentenced to years in prison on Aug. 8, 2018. (Houston Police Department)

Three MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced to Decades in Prison For Brutal Slaying

Almost three years ago, police arrested three dangerous MS-13 gang members in connection to the fatal shooting of a man in Houston, Texas.

The Harris County District Attorney office described the early morning slaying in November 2015 as brutal. They said two of the three suspects ran a man, which they suspected of being a rival, down in a parking lot at 8000 Harwin. They then took turns to relentlessly shoot him in the head and stomach with a .40 caliber handgun.

The pair then jumped into a waiting getaway car and fled the scene.

The 27-year-old victim Hector Diaz, a construction worker, was pronounced dead in an ambulance as he was being transported to the hospital.

Fast forward to 2018 and the three MS-13 gang membersknown by their aliases of Dusty, Despiadado and Little Boyfaced a jury decision that altered their lives forever.

After an eight-day trial, on Aug. 8, prosecutors announced that the three killers, all from Central America, were sentenced to prison.

Jonathan Guevara, 21, was convicted in February this year and sentenced to 99 years. His fellow gang member Giovani Antonio Herrera, 23, admitted to his crimes and was sentenced to 40 years after making a plea deal. The getaway driver, 32-year-old Anival Guevara, was convicted on Aug. 3 and sentenced to 27 years.

We will never know what Hector said in those final moments of his life to these three killers, but the violent way in which they chose to take his life after only a brief conversation with him is what makes this gang so dangerous, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Collins said in a statement released on Aug. 8.

They showed a complete disdain for the value of human life.

The MS-13 gang is also known as Mara Salvatrucha and was initially formed by Salvadoran immigrants that fled to Los Angeles during the civil war in their home country. The gangs motto is kill, rape, control.

The gang has built up a barbaric reputation in the United States for engaging in unspeakable brutal murders and horrific acts of violence.

The gang is ranked by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Tier 1 gang, in the same class as The Texas Syndicate, Texas Mexican Mafia, and Tango Blast, according to the district attorney office statement.

From NTD.tv

Watch Next:

What is MS-13?
A view of New York City from a plane on March 31, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

US Says 700,000 People Overstayed Their Visas Last Year

WASHINGTONMore than 700,000 foreign visitors to the United States overstayed their welcome in fiscal 2017, according to a new report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The report looked at non-immigrant visitors who entered by air or seaand excluded overstayers from Mexico and Canada.

Student and exchange visitors overstayed at double the rate of other visitors and totaled around 70,000. Of those, 40 percent came from four countries: China, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. More than 15,000 students from China overstayed. Eleven countries had overstay rates of more than 30 percent.

Within the visa-waiver program, the worst offenders by sheer numbers were the United Kingdom (almost 26,000 overstayers) and France (more than 16,000). While the overstay rate for all visa-waiver countries was 0.58 percent, Portugal and Hungary both had overstay rates that topped 2 percent.

Of the non-visa waiver countries, Brazil and Venezuela led the list, with 33,700 and 30,400 overstayers, respectively. The overstay average for this category was 2.06 percent, with several countries recording rates that went beyond 20 percent, including Chad, Eritrea, Liberia, Djibouti, and Solomon Islands.

Overall, the fiscal 2017 overstay rates are lower than those of fiscal 2016, according to DHS.

While, at this time, there is no specific cause that can be directly attributed to the decrease in overstay rates between FY report years, its believed that some contributing factors are: improvements in immigration enforcement, and border security operations, and country specific changes to political, infrastructure, or humanitarian conditions, the report states.

Although overstayers made up a fraction (1.3 percent) of the 52.6 million non-immigrant visitors in fiscal 2017, they outnumbered (700,000 to 304,000) the number of illegal aliens who were apprehended crossing into the United States between ports of entry.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has started several initiatives to track visitors, and biometrically document their exit more efficiently.

In 2017, CBP began to email visa-waiver program travelers who had overstayed their period of admission, t0 alert them to the ramifications of their violation.

This year, the agency began emailing an alert to visitors before their time period expired.

Countries within the visa-waiver program that have an overstay rate at 2 percent or higher are required to implement an awareness campaign to educate their nationals on the importance of abiding by the terms of their admission to the United States, according to DHS.

While the process for incoming passengers is much more stringent than for outgoing passengers, CBP started testing facial-recognition technology for internationally departing air passengers at Atlanta/Hartsfield International airport in fiscal 2016.

In fiscal 2017, CBP expanded its biometric exit projects with airports and airlines, and DHS said it is moving to a seamless biometric exit collection process.

The agency is investing heavily in facial-recognition technology. This year, at Miami International Airport, it started providing incoming passengers with expedited passport screening via facial-recognition technology, which verifies a travelers identity by matching them to the document they are presenting.

In Boston, JetBlue passengers dont need a boarding pass; facial recognition is used to confirm identities.
US to Give Colombia $9 Million to Help Venezuelan Migrants: Haley

CUCUTA, ColombiaThe 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 Aug. 8.

We really have to question how long can this be sustainable, said Haley, who was in Colombia for the inauguration of Colombian President Ivan Duque on Aug. 7.

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.

Venezuelas 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. Were happy shes here to see what its 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 importantthe baptism of his granddaughter Celeste.

By Julia Symmes Cobb
Woman Gives Birth While Overdosing on Heroin in Ohio Burger King Bathroom: Police

A baby was born in the bathroom at a Burger King in Ohio, and police alleged that the mother gave birth while she was overdosing on heroin.

Chillicothe police told ABC6 that police initially responded to a report of a man who had passed out inside a car and that a woman had overdosed.

Zachary Frey, 26, was found passed out behind the wheel of a running car. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Sanders, 26, was found sitting on the toilet in the Burger King restroom with a suspected ball of heroin near her.

She told officers that she thought she had suffered a miscarriage. But the officer noticed that the infant was alive, the Chillicothe Gazette reported.

A medic then grabbed the newborn child, who was still breathing. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Apple, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Chillicothe Police Capt. Larry Bamfield told the Gazette that the child is expected to survive. Its unclear who will get custody of the child.

Frey was taken to the Ross County Jail and was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a vehicle while impaired.

Frey was drooling, slurring his speech, kept nodding off, and had pinpoint pupils, according to the ABC6 report.

After Sanders was released from the hospital, she was arrested on an outstanding warrant for theft, ABC affiliate report stated.
NORWALK  Lynne Moore was removed from her job as West Rocks Middle School principal Thursday and reassigned as one of five house masters at Norwalk High without salary protection.

The long and contentious battle between Moore and her ardent supporters and school officials has caused a divide in the education community, and illustrated how thorny such personnel matters can be.

Moores supporters  armed with internal emails obtained as part of a lawsuit in a separate defamation case  say she was placed on a hit list. A former Board of Education chairman and current member Michael Lyons says she was part of an obstructionist group hindering reforms.

We know it was all marching orders, Moore told a group of supporters outside City Hall after her meeting Thursday. The group had rallied outside during three previous meetings, holding signs and shouting encouragements at the administrator.

This is a vendetta, said Tony Ditrio, a former Norwalk principal and vice president of the Norwalk Association of School Administrators, the union to which Moore belongs, days before the final meeting. If you read the emails, its stated right there.

Lyons denies the allegation.

I never gave Dr. Adamowski a hit list, Lyons said, referring to Superintendent of Schools Steven J. Adamowski. But I did identify people within (Norwalk Public Schools) who were the leading obstructionists trying to block desperately needed reforms.

The emails stem from a defamation case filed by former Special Education Director Christina Fensore against Lyons, which resulted in a $150,000 settlement paid out by the city.

In one, Lyons refers to Moore as one of Four Horsemen, along with former School Climate Officer Bruce Morris, whose position was cut in 2016, Ditrio, the former Kendall Elementary principal who retired in 2016, and former Deputy Superintendent Anthony Daddona, who retired in 2015. Daddonna did not respond to a request for comment, but Ditrio and Moore allege that the Four Horsemen moniker is, in effect, a slate of school personnel the board hoped to oust.

I have no idea how I earned that distinction. I knew that I had been targeted. But I didnt know that I had been called one of these four, said Morris, a state representative in the 140th District. Youve got the emails that make it very clear that Dr. Moore was going to be targeted.

In an earlier, July 25, 2015, email, sent roughly a month after Adamowskis hiring, Lyons used the subject line Adamowski, in a message to current board members Mike Barbis, Heidi Keyes and Bryan Meek, and then-board member Artie Kassimis.

In it, Lyons recalls a meeting he had with Steven the day prior, apparently about the perceived poor performance of Daddona, who had recently retired.

Chief among Daddonas indiscretions, according to Lyons, were the 19 exemplary reviews he is said to have given to all principals that year, including Moore, whom Lyons specifically names.

Steven says that the reviews effectively will prevent Steven from doing anything to any of these principals for at least two years (of REAL reviews), Lyons wrote.

Adamowski did not respond to requests for comment.

In the Four Horsemen email, dated Feb. 9, 2016, and written to Bruce Kimmel, then the Common Council Finance Committee chairman and now a Board of Education member, Lyons expresses a desire to change things within the district, referring to the nest of self-interested old-timers NPS is. He described the the need for a strong superintendent in the wake of Manny Riveras departure, to shake up the status quo.

Sandwiched between the Four Horsemen (Daddona, Ditrio, Morris and Moore) and (sic) one hand and the Trio (Murray, Rivas and Mosby) on the other, he just gave up and left. Now we FINALLY have the pieces in place  Daddona gone, Ditrio leaving 6/30, Morris on life support, Moore isolated, Murray and Rivas gone, Conner and Costanzo in place, a new SPED director soon  to break the decades old log-jam and move forward, Lyons wrote, referring to former Board of Education members Rosa Murray, Migdalia Rivas and Shirley Mosby, former Chief Academic Officer Michael Conner and Chief of School Operations Franz Costanzo.

The attention via email paid to schools personnel such as Moore could have been based on valid reports of misbehavior that required disciplinary action. But, according to Vincent Mustaro, senior staff associate for policy services at the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, board members are normally instructed not to get involved in personnel matters, including discussing evaluations.

The advice that we provide in our training with board of education members is that they really should not be involved in the evaluation of an employee. Thats the responsibility of the superintendent. We make it clear that the reason they should not be involved in a preliminary fashion is that they do have to act as judge and jury and therefore they need to go into the process without any predetermination, without any bias, Mustaro said.

A former superintendent himself, Mustaro recalled a situation where a board member in his district asked him to see teacher performance evaluations. Mustaro declined.

I cited the reason is that you may have to act on any recommendation I bring forward against these people and therefore you must be unbiased, Mustaro said.

When asked about the emails and the current proceedings, Board of Education Chairman Mike Barbis stressed that the Board of Education did not have a role in the review of Moores position.

We hire the superintendent, we evaluate the superintendent and we set policies. We do not micromanage. At the end of the day, this is not our call. We are not part of the process at this point in time, Barbis said. Asked if, given the content of Lyons emails, he felt the board could act objectively in the event that a termination vote for Moore came before them, he said, I dont see why not.

Meek, who like Barbis received the July 2015 Adamowski email from Lyons, said that anytime the school is forced to review an employees position, there is acrimony.

We have 1,300 employees in 20 buildings. This idea that anyone is entitled to begin and end their career in the same building isnt in line with reality, said Meek, who said he believed his privacy rights were violated when the Fensore emails, which came from personal accounts, were subpoenaed.

That whole thing was an invasion of privacy. I dont care what the law saws, morally and ethically its wrong, Meek said.

Barbis also pointed to the fact that Moore had been reprimanded many times in her career, by more than one superintendent.

The fact is that shes been severely reprimanded by five different superintendents  if you were reprimanded five times at work, do you think youd still have a job? Barbis said.

But for Morris, and other Moore supporters, those reprimands are evidence of something else entirely.

It seems like this continuing vindictive and harassing behavior, that no one would reasonably determine is coincidental, said Morris, who is in the middle of his own suit against the city, the public schools and board of education for racial discrimination. He cited the July relocation of Moores longtime vice principal, Joe Devellis, to Roton Middle School, as evidence. As of Thursday, West Rocks principal and vice principal positions are vacant.

Ditrio believes Moores confrontational style made her a political enemy of some on the board.

Shes a hard working lady dedicated to kids, but shes got a cantankerous way about it sometimes, Ditrio said. She crossed the wrong politicians and this is get-even time.

Moore will file a grievance contesting the demotion, Ditrio said Thursday. The complaint will first go to the superintendent and, unless he reverses the decision just made to transfer Moore, would pass to the Board of Education to adjudicate, Ditrio said.

Lyons, meanwhile, believes identifying the obstructionists to the superintendent was within his rights as a board member.

Board of Education members are not required to hold no opinions and to have no priorities, Lyons said. We have far more important responsibilities than adjudicating an occasional personnel matter. Note that in the almost seven years Ive been on the Board, not a single such jury matter has come to the Board. What HAS come is a long-needed, wholesale, successful reform of our school system. I am proud to have been a major contributor to that success.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
NORWALK  After years of inertia, Norwalk Hospital is moving ahead with a redevelopment plan for the historic Norwalk YMCA property  a hybrid health center and assisted living facility financed by a Westport firm that has built several senior communities in southwestern Connecticut.

Maplewood Senior Living is working with Norwalk Hospital and parent Western Connecticut Health Network to build the five-story center that will cost more than $100 million and total some 250,000 square feet. The Norwalk YMCA property is at 370 West Ave. a few blocks from Norwalk Hospital, on a prime piece of real estate just across Interstate 95 from the SoNo Collection mall currently under construction.

We want to build something that would be an example of almost a rebranding of the entire Norwalk Hospital campus, Maplewood Senior Living CEO Greg Smith told Hearst Connecticut Media on Thursday. We are excited about the potential of this project.

Targeting a 2021 opening date and requiring state and city regulatory approvals, the new center is expected to create a few hundred new jobs in addition to the 2,300 people Norwalk Hospital employs directly today, according to hospital president Michael Daglio, who also holds the role of chief strategy officer for Danbury-based WCHN under CEO John Murphy.

One of the things we feel we are lacking at this point are contemporary facilities in places where we treat patients, Daglio said. Health care is moving into a space where you are going to see many interesting partnerships between different kinds of health entities.

Norwalk Hospital bought the YMCA property after the facility closed in November 2012, with the hospital itself acquired the following year by WCHN, which also owns Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital.

This building has been in disrepair for many years, and the redevelopment plans will help beautify one of the critical gateways into Norwalk, stated Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling in an email response to a Hearst Connecticut Media query. I am glad the building will be put to good use and provide much-needed services to the community.

How creative they could get

Late last year, the head of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency told Hearst Connecticut Media his belief the site would get no shortage of interest from private-sector developers if WCHN were to put it up for sale.

It was Westport-based Maplewood that stepped up, but with the goal of working in tandem with Norwalk Hospital to create a combined treatment center and residence for those wanting access to around-the-clock assistance. The new building would include 72 apartments, including a suite reserved for those battling Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. And additional space would be reserved for an independently operated fitness center  possibly to include a small pool for rehabilitation purposes  and retail space for a cafe and other conveniences.

Under CEO Greg Smith, Maplewood Senior Living has built assisted-living homes in Norwalk, Danbury, Bethel, Darien, Newtown, Orange and Fairfield, as well as New York City. His brother Chris Smith leads Maplewood Healthcare, which focuses on medical offices, including a new development in Bethel.

The West Avenue center would be Norwalk Hospitals second major project in the past several years, after the 2015 opening of the $125 million Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw Jr. Center that was the largest expansion in the history of Norwalk Hospital dating back to 1893.

The McGraw Centers development delayed Norwalk Hospital from any immediate development of the Norwalk YMCA facility, according to Daglio, as well as the impact of a hospital tax levied by Connecticut in recent years that was cut heading into the current fiscal year. The project would require the approval of state regulators.

In talking to some of the developers in the area and talking to Maplewood, people started coming to us with different kinds of (financing) structures that did not put the health center at risk, in a shared model, Daglio said. We asked different developers to respond and share how creative they could get, to get this project off the ground.  To us, Maplewood had a very tight proposal and had everything lined up from a funding standpoint. It was a very strong proposal.

New concept for health care?

According to Greg and Chris Smith, Maplewood plans to borrow design elements from its Manhattan center that emphasize an organic feel, to include wood exterior finishes and extensive use of light and greenery to brighten interiors. They envision the new center serving as a gateway to Norwalk Hospital and a bookend to West Avenue, which in addition to the SoNo Collection has also seen the construction of the Waypointe mixed-use development that encompasses several buildings.

Chris Smith said Maplewood has experience in building on hospital campuses or adjacent to them, including an early development close to Danbury Hospital and another in Princeton, N.J. But a single facility for living and treatment is a new concept for the Maplewood entities  and they think it is one that could catch on in the wider health industry.

Theres going to be a lot of inter-generational activity, he said. Our challenge ... is to create an environment that is synergistic and not siloed.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
EDWARDSVILLE - HomeGoods is planning to open a discount home furnishing store at Edwardsville Markeplace on Troy Road.

The city is also welcoming a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, and at least a couple of new businesses at the Montclaire Shopping Center: Trusty Chords Record Shop, and Arch Flooring Co.

HomeGoods, based in Framingham, Mass., has more than 700 locations in the U.S. The city recently issued them a sign permit for a store at the site of the old Sears Hardware Store, near the Schnucks and Target stores. The company has yet to sign a lease, and a spokesperson for the company said recently that HomeGoods is not yet ready to announce a move to Edwardsville.

The new location would be next door to MOD Pizza, which has not yet announced an opening date for its store.

Kyoto Steakhouse & Sushi Bar will be opening at 441 Route 157. At Tuesday evenings meeting of the Edwardsville City Council, aldermen approved the companys request for a Class B liquor license.

Trusty Chords Record Shop will be the first record store in several decades to operate a store in Edwardsville. Co-owner Colin Anderson said Tuesday that the store plans to buy and sell vinyl records, CDs and even cassette tapes. They will also be selling music memorabilia. The store has been undergoing extensive renovation in recent weeks and Anderson said they are shooting for a mid-November opening.

Arch Flooring Co. has plans to move into the space formerly occupied by The Bike Factory, which has since moved down the road to Franklin Avenue. Arch Flooring, based in Wilmette, Ill., was started in 1994 and is a Chicago hardwood flooring provider of quality hardwood installation and refinishing, according to information on the Arch Flooring web site.

The company did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Plans for Trusty Records and Arch Flooring come as the Montclaire Shopping Center is in the midst of a major facade project. The work should be completed by September or October, according to Economic and Community Development Director Walt Williams.
World Elephant Day, observed globally every year on Aug. 12, is designed to celebrate the worlds largest land animals and bring attention to critical threats elephants are facing as well as to support conservation efforts.

Saint Louis Zoo visitors can meet members of the Zoos three-generation Asian elephant family, participate in interactive elephant-themed activities and talk with their caretakers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12, at Rivers Edge. Keeper chats will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. To learn more, visit stlzoo.org/elephants and follow #savingspecies on social media.

The Saint Louis Zoos support for elephant conservation begins at home with the elephants in our care, says Martha Fischer, Curator of Mammals/Ungulates and Elephants at the Saint Louis Zoo. We have a highly trained and devoted elephant care team who dedicate their lives and careers to the care of the elephants. Our care extends all the way to Asia and Africa to ensure a future for elephants worldwide.

SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) collaborative effort to save the worlds most vulnerable animals from extinction, is being led by Fischer. The Zoo is an active partner in the initiative.

Ninety-six elephants are illegally killed for their ivory (tusks) every day in Africa. According to the AZA, there are currently 162 African elephants and 142 Asian elephants in the AZA Elephant Species Survival Plan. That means that there are more elephants killed in four days than are living in all of the AZA-accredited zoos combined.

The illegal ivory trade is pushing elephants to the brink of extinction, said Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D., Dana Brown President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo. Each year, over 35,000 African elephants are killed for their ivory. No species can withstand this kind of loss and survive. We care for Asian elephants at our Zoo. In the wild, Asian elephants also are under siege. There are fewer than 50,000 left.

The Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Elephant Conservation Program is dedicated to partnering with others globally to support wild Asian and African elephants and their fragile habitats. In Asia, the WildCare Institute supports elephant conservation through the International Elephant Foundation, which fosters partnerships to provide long-term support to wildlife programs around the world. Support is also provided to Elephant Response Units, which work to mitigate human-elephant conflict, protect wild Sumatran elephants and engage members of the communities in and around Way Kambas National Park. In Africa, the WildCare Institute supports the elephant protection and anti-poaching efforts of the Northern Rangelands Trust, a community-led initiative that forms a true union of Kenyan communities through field conservation, community development and educational programs.

In 2017, the Saint Louis Zoo and other zoos and aquariums accredited by the AZA contributed over $220 million to field conservation projects benefitting over 860 species in 128 countries. Between 2013 and 2017, 96 AZA-accredited facilities reported providing $13.3 million in support of elephant conservation projects.

About the Saint Louis Zoo

Chosen as Americas Top Free Attraction and Best Zoo in USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Awards, the Saint Louis Zoo is widely recognized for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research and education. One of the few free zoos in the nation, the Zoo attracts more than 3,000,000 visitors a year. For more information, visit stlzoo.org, facebook.com/stlzoo, twitter.com/stlzoo, instagram.com/stlzoo, Snapchat (saintlouiszoo), youtube.com/stlzootube and pinterest.com/stlzoo.

About SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction

SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction combines the power of zoo and aquarium visitors with the resources and collective expertise of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and partners to save animals from extinction. Together we are working on saving the most vulnerable wildlife species from extinction and protecting them for future generations. To learn more, visit aza.org/aza-safe.
Ad Investing Trends

Get In On This Crisis Investment While You Can

The headline screamed "Amazon, Google and Netflix are fighting over this rare gas," which is helium, nonrenewable, and running out. When it's gone it's gone. That's a huge crisis for medicine, the military, and computer chips that run the 21st century's gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. But, a couple small companies have a solution.
They are both to the south of Meijer and are part of the Meijer subdivision. They are north of Yorkshire Plaza, which is due to be renovated into Pacific Square, an Asian-themed shopping and residential plaza.
Fermilab is at the frontier of particle physics, he said. A lot of the science that happens here is revolutionary and exploring the unknown. We understand not all students are interested in particle physics, but Fermilab does so much more.
Klingel said in animal sightings, officers go out and try to find the animal, and will call the Department of Natural Resources about the situation. In this case, nothing was found, police said.
Court sentences disgraced jet-setting monk to 114 years

BANGKOK: A Thai court sentenced a disgraced former monk to 114 years in prison today (Aug 9), a court official said, more than a year after he was extradited from the United States.

crimereligiontransport

By AFP

Thursday 9 August 2018, 02:19PM

Disgraced ex-Buddhist monk Wiraphon Sukphon speaks to officials in Bangkok, on July 20, 2017. Photo: AFP

Wiraphon Sukphon made headlines in 2013 when footage emerged of him wearing designer aviator sunglasses with a Louis Vuitton bag on a private jet.

The 39-year-old fled to the US but was sent back after he was accused of raping a minor and deceiving donors who gave him money to build the worlds largest emerald Buddha image.

A further probe revealed he owned luxury cars and multiple bank accounts valued at about $700,000 (B23.22 million).

Wiraphon was convicted of money laundering, fraud and violating the Computer Crime Act for raising funds online, a Bangkok court official said.

Judges convicted him and sentenced him altogether to 114 years, the official said, adding that under Thai law Wiraphon would not serve more than 20 years for the convictions.

Wiraphon was also required to return B28.6mn to 29 donors who filed complaints.

The ruling on the rape charge is expected in October, a public prosecutor said.

The monk is accused of having sex with an under-age girl around a decade ago and fathering a child with her. He faces the prospect of an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted.
Navy rescues 161 tourists stranded on island off Phuket

PHUKET: A Navy vessel from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command was sent to Koh Racha yesterday after it was reported that almost 200 tourists were stranded on the island due to poor weather conditions.

militarymarinetourismweather

By The Phuket News

Thursday 9 August 2018, 10:06AM

The Narathiwat Navy vessel returned to Phuket with 161 tourists at 10:30pm yesterday. Photo: Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command

The Narathiwat Navy vessel returned to Phuket with 161 tourists at 10:30pm yesterday. Photo: Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command

The Narathiwat Navy vessel returned to Phuket with 161 tourists at 10:30pm yesterday. Photo: Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command

The Narathiwat Navy vessel returned to Phuket with 161 tourists at 10:30pm yesterday. Photo: Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command

At midday yesterday (Aug 8), officers from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command were informed by business operators at Koh Racha that there were about 200 tourists stranded on the island because of strong winds and waves.

Vice Admiral Somnuk Preampramot, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, sent the Narathiwat vessel to pick up the tourists who wanted to go back to the mainland.

The boat arrived at Koh Racha at 5:30pm and returned to the Phuket Seep Sea Port with 161 tourists at 10:30pm.

Adm Naris Pratumsuwan, Commander of Royal Thai Navy, has ordered agencies to help tourists at all times and added that the navy will always be beside the people.

Adm Naris said he would like the public to trust the operations of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command adding that that they would always do their best to help tourists.

However, tourists and tour operators who travel to islands must check the weather conditions prior to departing for their tours because at this time of year the area has the southwest monsoon making the winds and waves in the Andaman region strong.

The Operation Centre of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command is available 24/7 for any marine assistance via 076-391598 or hotline 1696.
Weather warning remains in effect for Phuket, small boats banned from leaving shore

PHUKET: Despite patches of blue sky breaking through the clouds this morning, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued its 20th consecutive Strong Wind Wave in South and Heavy Rain in upper Thailand weather warning.

tourismmarineSafety

By The Phuket News

Thursday 9 August 2018, 10:14AM

The Marine Dept has banned all small boats travelling to nearby islands, and Phi Phi Island, until next Wednesday (Aug 20). Image: via Phuket Tourist Police

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 TMD yesterday (Aug 8) issued a special weather warning specifically for the Andaman coast.

The warning was issued to remain in effect until next Wednesday (Aug 15).

Residents of Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun were warned to beware floods and landslides, and that waves along the coast would reach two to four metres tall.

In storm areas, waves were predicted to reach more than four metres tall.

The Marine Department yesterday banned all small boats from leaving shore.

All boats travelling to Phi Phi Island or to the nearby islands of boats to Koh Mai Thon, Koh Hei, Koh Lone or Koh Racha must be more than 12 metres long, the order stated.

Any boats travelling to any other islands must exercise caution, the warning read.

The notice was issued by Wiwat Chitchertwong, who is the Chief of the Marine Office in Ayutthaya but also currently serving as the Phuket Marine Chief.
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.
Nevsun Resources Ltd. is recommending shareholders reject a takeover attempt by Lundin Mining Corp., opting instead to look for other buyers.

To ensure we have left no stone unturned, the board has commenced a strategic review process to consider all alternatives available to Nevsun to maximize value  above and beyond the proposals already generated by Nevsuns recent strategic investment process  including a potential acquisition of Nevsun as a whole, Dave Smith, who heads a special committee of independent directors, said in a statement.

The Vancouver-based company has already begun talking to other buyers, he added. Discussions are ongoing with several parties that have expressed interest in value-enhancing alternatives to Lundins hostile bid, and we fully expect that superior offers or other alternatives will emerge from this process.

Read more:

Supreme Court decision on Vancouver mining company could have international human rights impact, expert says

Vancouver-based mining company granted Supreme Court appeal in conscripted labour case

Last month, Toronto-based Lundin formally launched a hostile takeover bid, arguing deep pockets will be required to develop its Timok copper-and-gold project in Serbia and its Bisha mine in Eritrea. Lundin has been trying to acquire the company since October.

In addition to undervaluing the portfolio, Lundins latest bid is lower than previous transactions it proposed, Nevsun said. Its also lower than other alternatives which are expected to emerge, the company said.

Nevsun has been looking at financing alternatives for development of Timok since March 2017, and has received four proposals from major and midtier mining and smelting companies to buy as much as a 19.9 per cent equity interest in Nevsun, as well as various proposals to partner on Timoks development. Three of these are at a premium to the per share price offered by Lundin, it said.

Under Lundins bid, Nevsun shareholders would receive C$4.75 in cash for each Nevsun share tended. That represents an 82 per cent premium to the closing price of C$2.61 on Feb. 6, the date it first proposed taking over the company. Nevsun shares closed in Toronto at C$4.93 on Wednesday, giving it a market value of C$1.49 billion.

The board urged shareholders to take no action on Lundins bid. They have until Nov. 9 to tender shares.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATESSaudi Arabias diplomatic dispute with Canada over its arrest of womens rights activists will not affect the ultraconservative kingdoms oil sales to Canadian customers, the Saudi energy minister said Thursday.

The remarks by Khalid al-Falih show the limits of the ongoing quarrel and may calm some of the bluster surrounding the dispute that suddenly erupted Monday over Canadian diplomats tweets asking the kingdom to release the detained activists.

A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted al-Falih as saying oil sales are not affected by politics as there is a firm and long-standing policy that is not influenced by political circumstances.

The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramcos relations with its customers in Canada, the statement said, referring the state-run oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Canada, itself one of the worlds five top energy producers, gets some 10 per cent of its oil imports from Saudi Arabia. Bilateral trade between the two nations is $3 billion a year.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze all new business with Ottawa over its criticism of the kingdoms arrest of womens 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.

Read more:

Prospect of Eastern Canada losing oil from Saudi Arabia dredges up Energy East debate

Saudi Arabia reportedly planning a sell-off of Canadian assets as diplomatic dispute intensifies

Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that his nation would continue diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia but wouldnt back down on raising human rights issues.

Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights, he said.

Saudi Arabia plans to pull out thousands of students and medical patients from Canada over the spat. Since the crisis began, Saudi state-run television and other channels backing the kingdom have been airing programs criticizing Canada and accusing it of jailing prisoners of conscience.

The sudden decision bore the hallmarks of Saudi Arabias assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also was the architect of the countrys war in Yemen and involved in the ongoing boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations.

Read more about:
CALGARYProblems with public opinion polling during the 2017 municipal election in Calgary exposes the need for changes to media and polling standards, a report says.

The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) tasked three academics with the investigation, which points to issues with Mainstreet Research polling commissioned by the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun, two Postmedia newspapers.

The panel released the report independently this week because the MRIA will soon be defunct, said the University of Manitobas Christopher Adams, one of the authors.

The report specifically examines three polls Mainstreet did for Postmedia that suggested Mayor Naheed Nenshi, at the time running for his third term in office, was trailing candidate Bill Smith. At one point, Mainstreet reported Smiths lead at almost 17 percentage points.

Two other polls by an interest group that supports Calgarys Green Line LRT project and a group of academics conducting research for the Canadian Municipal Election Study suggested that Nenshi had a large lead over Smith. While the panel notes that neither of these polls were close to the actual result, they correctly identified Nenshi as being in the lead.

But most of the attention during the campaign focused on the Mainstreet polls because of the surprising news they carried that Nenshi was losing and losing badly, which was amplified by Postmedia coverage, according to the report.

The panel wrote that the polls significantly affected the course of the campaign by putting Nenshis camp on the defensive. They also possibly doomed the prospects of former city councillor Andre Chabots campaign, which the polls put far behind Nenshi and Smith.

The campaign was subsequently often dominated by controversy around the polls, according to the report, and debate led to bitter and highly charged exchanges on social media. Adams said he thinks the result was a chill to public dialogue.

We heard some commentators saying they would never comment on polls again as a result of what happened, he said.

Nenshi won the mayors seat with 51.4 per cent of the vote to Smiths 43.7 per cent. Those drastically different results compared to projections before election day raised significant questions from the media and the public about the polling industry, according to the report.

After the election, Mainstreet conducted an internal review of its methodology and commissioned an external review of its communications.

Adams said part of the problem with the polls was Mainstreets attempt to ensure their sample adequately covered all 14 of the citys municipal wards. After their first poll, they implemented quotas in each ward, meaning all the samples needed a postal code associated with them.

By only including records or sample items that they could identify the ward in which they lived, they inadvertently stripped out their cellphone records, he said.

The result, the report said, was that the data seems to have greatly under-represented younger voters.

The panel also found that Postmedia was not critical enough in its reporting of the polls.

Postmedia did not participate in the review, with Lorne Motley, the editor-in-chief of the Calgary Herald and Sun, writing that a legal action citing Postmedia in a separate matter will prevent us from being able to take part in this review by the MRIA.

Motley also declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday.

Adams said the review highlights the need for journalists to closely scrutinize polls, even if theyre working with a company to get the data.

We had a concern that when a media provider has an official polling firm doing its polling, it has to be sort of critical of the poll, he said.

Madeline Smith is a reporter/photographer with StarMetro Calgary. Follow her on Twitter: @meksmith

Read more about:
According to the humane society, an estimated two to four million puppies that are sold each year in the U.S. come from mills. The majority of those puppies are bred at facilities in the Midwest and then distributed to pet stores for sale, the society stated.
CALGARYTwo days after the death of a 49-year-old foreign national who had an altercation with two Canada Border Services Agency officers, Calgary police say theyre not expecting to lay charges.

Were not anticipating any charges to be laid based on the information we have right now, Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm said Thursday.

Chisholm said the man, whose nationality he didnt reveal, was on KLM airlines flight 678 bound for Amsterdam. He was set to be deported out of Canada by the two CBSA officers on Tuesday afternoon.

His identity hasnt been released because his next of kin have not been notified.

At about 3 p.m., CPS airport unit members responded to an aircraft that had been returned to the gate after (he) had an altercation with two CBSA officers prior to takeoff, the staff sergeant said.

During the altercation, the 49-year-old went into medical distress and had to be taken to hospital, Chisholm explained. The man was declared dead by about 4:30 p.m.

Chisholm said an autopsy is finished but he doesnt expect to know the cause of death or release details of the autopsy report for approximately six months.

The incident is very unique, he said. We rarely come across an incident where we have an in-custody death that we investigate, especially on an airplane.

The man was in Calgary for at least years but was not known to police prior to the incident, Chisholm said.

He also noted that no weapon discharged; (we have) no information that a weapon was used.

After the 49-year-old was taken to hospital, the plane took off for Amsterdam. Thats forcing Calgary police investigators to try to contact witnesses who are no longer in the country, Chisholm said.

Were in contact with the authorities in the Netherlands to assist us in carrying out those interviews, he said.

He asked anyone who has information about the incident to contact the police service at 403-266-1234 or to call Crime Stoppers.

He added that the border services officers were also taken to hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries; theyve since been released.

With files from The Canadian Press

Read more about:
EDMONTONThe prospect of losing oil imports from Saudi Arabia has left industry observers asking why Canada should be importing oil from the regime in the first place when Alberta could supply the market.

Saudi Arabia has engaged in a campaign of retaliation since Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted about the Middle Eastern nations human-rights record on Aug 2. In the last week, Saudi Arabia has frozen future trade deals with Canada, ejected Canadas ambassador and suspended around 16,000 Saudi students scholarships.

The conflict has residents of Eastern Canada wondering if they will have to find other sources for oil if the dispute escalates further. The potential hit to the region, which imports around 75,000 to 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Saudi Arabia, could open the door for Alberta to fill the void  though not in the short-term.

We are still export constrained here in Alberta and dont have the capacity to ship additional oil to Eastern Canada, the U.S. or Western Canada, said University of Alberta economics professor Tilman Klumpp.

Meanwhile, theres already substantial oil infrastructure between America and Canada in the east.

Its much more likely that any interruptions of Saudi deliveries to Eastern Canada will be filled by the U.S., said Klumpp.

Yet the idea of one day shipping oil from Alberta to Eastern Canada has its champions.

Read more:

Saudi Arabia reportedly planning a sell-off of Canadian assets as diplomatic dispute intensifies

Diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia escalates as flights, barley and wheat exports scrapped

University of Calgary professor and Suncor Energy chair Harrie Vredenburg has been raising the question for years, even before the Energy East Pipeline debate got into full swing in 2014.

Had the Energy East pipeline gone through a couple of years ago, and not been blocked by Quebec, then the oil would, if not be completely flowing by now, it would be very close to flowing from Alberta, Vredenburg said.

The project was shut down by TransCanada last year. It would have seen an estimated one million barrels of oil flowing each day from the western provinces to the east by converting an existing natural-gas pipeline into an oil pipe. The infrastructure has been transporting natural gas for decades, he said.

Vredenburg said he was puzzled by the cancellation because, while he accepts environmental concerns about fossil fuels, oil isnt going anywhere while the world still consumes it.

In fact, if Canada stopped producing oil entirely, the country would have to be supplied by regimes like Saudi Arabia, which has a history of human-rights abuses, he said.

Vredenburg related the situation to consumers aversion to blood diamonds  minerals procured through rebel or security-force activity in parts of Africa that may perpetrate human-rights abuses. Back in 2014, Parliament began debating the Conflict Minerals Act, which required Canadian companies to practise due diligence in the mineral trade. The act was eventually defeated, but Vredenburg said it sparked a desire among Canadian consumers for ethically sourced diamonds. Local businesses reacted, he said, and as a result the Canadian diamond industry is now seen as an exemplary industry as having the best human rights.

Canada could seize this opportunity to build more infrastructure, becoming a country the world could rely on for ethical oil, said Vredenburg.

It makes a lot of sense for Canada to take control of its own destiny and say, Were not going to be at the whim of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and we will use our own oil, he said.

Many environmentalists argue that Canada should wean itself off oil completely, but Vredenburg counters that wont happen. Instead, Canadians should pressure oil companies to produce cleaner energy, he said.

If oil production were to be halted, that oil would be supplied from other less attractive places than Canada, he said.

With files from The Canadian Press

Read more about:
EDMONTONWhile temperatures in the city are on a record-breaking track this week, a part of Edmontons plan to adapt to future hot streaks could lie in seeing the forest for the trees.

According to an Environment Canada forecast, the temperature in Edmonton could hit 36 C on Friday  the highest the city has seen since July 22, 2006, when it reached 35.1 C.

Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said that while the end of July and beginning of August are typically the hottest times of year for Edmonton, daytime temperatures usually sit at about 25 to 26 C, placing Fridays forecast in the range of extreme weather.

If we do see that 36 C, that will be considered very extreme, Proctor said. Those are more typical of the temperatures wed see in southern Alberta or the southern interior.

While he credits this hot streak to warm, desert air flooding in from the American southwest, and a high pressure system locking the heat in the prairies for the next few days, Environment Canada senior climate scientist Greg Flato said this high is part of a trend due to increasing temperatures worldwide.

But hot temperatures arent the only condition plaguing the city at the moment. Smoke from forest fires blazing in British Columbia have wafted into the city, raising the air quality index to a moderate risk level on Wednesday.

The fly in the ointment from a temperature point of view will be the amount of smoke we get across from British Columbia, Proctor said. The more smoke we get impedes the incoming solar radiation  the energy coming from the sun  and it can lower those temperatures down significantly.

(Tuesdays) temperatures were expected to be close to 30 C but only really saw 27 C at that point in time, due to the effect of all that smoke.

The effects of climate change, extreme heat in particular, has been on the citys radar for a while. Chandra Tomaras, an environmental program manager for the City of Edmonton said that climate modelling conducted by researchers for the city gives clearer figures for dangerously hot days that lie in wait.

Between 2040 and 2070, the city could see anywhere from five to 23 days per year where daytime highs exceed 30 C, Tomaras said. For the 30-year period after that, that range could increase to 10 to 40 days and reach temperatures between 33 and 38 C.

But Edmonton isnt taking those numbers lying down, Tomaras added. In consultation with climate scientists, the city is in the middle of working on an adaptation strategy to help mitigate those risks going forward and plans to present an action plan to city council later this year.

While Tomaras couldnt get into the details of the plan, University of Alberta researcher Jeff Birchall suggested that part of the answer to the problem could be in the trees.

A specialist in urban adaptation to climate change, Birchall said that cities like Edmonton could see the increasing temperatures as an opportunity instead of a problem.

Cities need to expand their green ways, so to speak, to increase the tree canopy so that a lot of that heat is absorbed within the trees instead of people, Birchall said. The idea, when youre planning a city in a climate change world, is that you want to decrease the urban heat island effect as much as you can.

Concrete and asphalt surfaces, he explained, have a tendency to absorb and hold on to heat instead of reflecting it back into the atmosphere. The shade afforded by trees could act as a reflective barrier that not only provides shade but other benefits, such as improving air quality.

If you increase green cover and green corridors, this also helps move water through the system and get it to the river faster, so youre not getting as much overland flooding, as much erosion or things of that nature, Birchall said, adding that another symptom expected for the city includes heavier bursts of rain.

But its not enough to just add more trees. If Edmontons temperatures are due to look more like southern Albertas, trees accustomed to a typically central Albertan climate are also at risk, which means that Edmonton needs more variety to help weather warmer conditions.

Tomaras said that the citys plan is taking biodiversity into account, recognizing the economic and health value of trees as temperatures climb.

Right now, the trees that we have help provide services to us through cleaning our air, through shading for keeping us cooler, she said. If youre losing services from those trees, and youre getting hotter on top of that, that makes those conditions worse.

Read more about:
HALIFAXNova Scotia says it is ready to mitigate any impacts if it loses more than 50 Saudi medical residents because of an international diplomatic row.

The residencies, through Dalhousie Universitys medical school, are funded by Saudi Arabia, which plans to pull thousands of students from Canada.

Nova Scotia has a shortage of doctors, and Health Minister Randy Delorey said Thursday losing the residents would be possibly linked to some inconveniences.

But he said the residency positions are funded by the Saudis for Saudi students, and the province expects it could handle the loss.

In a statement, Doctors Nova Scotia concurred.

While this news is unfortunate for these medical residents, there doesnt seem to be a direct impact on our provinces ability to recruit and retain physicians, it said.

While the Saudi residents are here doing their training and/or fellowships, they do provide clinic care, but for the most part, they all leave Nova Scotia as soon as they have completed their training to practice medicine elsewhere (in other countries).

Read more:

Nova Scotia universities stand to lose hundreds of students, millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia

The loss of hundreds of Saudi medical residents will put a lot of strain on Canadian patients, experts say

Prospect of Eastern Canada losing oil from Saudi Arabia dredges up Energy East debate

Delorey said Dalhousie, the provinces health authorities and the Health Department are assessing the impact.

This is a developing situation, he told reporters after a cabinet meeting. Work is ongoing to complete that assessment, but while they provide services through the residency, the preliminary information Im getting is its not critical impacts.

Efforts will be made to mitigate any impacts that do occur, he said.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic ties with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her department issued tweets criticizing the arrest of social activists and asking for their immediate release.

Read more about:
SCARBOROUGH

Location: 53 Knowles Dr.,

Finch Ave. E. and Morningside Ave.

Asking price: $779,000

Selling price: $772,000

Previous purchase price: $465,000 (2013)

Size: about 1,500 sq. ft.

Lot: 31-by-89 feet, built-in single-car garage

Taxes: $2,910 (2017)

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Sold: June 15/18. Closed: July 31/18.

This two-storey detached home sold for 99 per cent of the asking price in under three weeks on the market.

This family home features an interlocking brick driveway and walkway, a sitting room with a hardwood floor and large windows, and an open-concept kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and ensuite, and the basement comes complete with a wet bar, says listing agent Joanne Bolte.

The home is close to a large park, schools, a mall and Hwy. 401.

Main floor has: combined living/dining room with hardwood floor; family room with hardwood floor and California shutters; updated kitchen with centre island; breakfast area with ceramic tile floor and sliding door walkout; and powder room.

On the second floor are: master bedroom with bamboo floor, walk-in closet and four-piece bathroom; second and third bedrooms with bamboo floors and closets; four-piece bathroom.

Basement has: recreation room with ceramic tile floor and bar sink.

Listing agent: Joanne Bolte, Royal LePage Connect Realty, Brokerage, 416 284 4751; www.joannebolte.ca

BEDFORD PARK

Location: 209B Glengarry Ave.,

Lawrence Ave. W. and Avenue Rd.

Asking price: $2,279,000

Selling price: $2,250,000

Previous selling price: $1,650,000 (2015)

Size: about 2,000 sq. ft.

Lot: 20-by-106 feet, single-car built-in garage, private drive

Taxes: N/A (not assessed)

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms 4

Sold: May 24/18. Closing: Aug. 17/18.

This modern new home on a cul-de-sac sold in under a month for 99 per cent of the asking price.

This contemporary home features an open-concept layout and basement with over 13-foot ceilings. The kitchen has custom lacquered cabinets and high-end appliances, and the master bedroom features a large walk-in closet and a huge ensuite bathroom, says listing agent Andre Kutyan.

The home is a short walk to Avenue Roads shops and restaurants. It is also walking distance to schools, parks and Lawrence subway station.

Main floor has: foyer with porcelain floor and pot lights; living room with hardwood floor and bay window; dining room with hardwood floor; kitchen with centre island; family room with gas fireplace; powder room.

Second floor has: master bedroom with walk-in closet, hardwood floor, six-piece ensuite; second and third bedrooms with hardwood floors and double closets; four-piece bathroom.

Basement has a recreation room with heated floor, gas fireplace and walkout to yard; laundry room.

Listing agent: Andre Kutyan, Robert Greenberg Team, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage, 416-441-2888 ext. 614; www.andrekutyan.com.
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.A professor accused of espousing anti-Semitic views is retiring from the University of Lethbridge in southern Alberta.

In a brief statement, the university says Anthony Hall will be retiring in the fall and will not be teaching any classes during the 2018 academic semester.

Hall was suspended without pay in October 2016 following comments he made in online articles and videos suggesting that Israeli and U.S. Jews staged the 9/11 attacks and that the events of the Holocaust should be up for debate.

Hall, a tenured professor who has taught Native American studies, liberal education and globalization over his 26 years at the university, was reinstated last November, but officials didnt say why.

At one point the university filed a complaint against Hall with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Michael Mostyn, CEO of Bnai Brith Canada, applauded news of Halls departure.

This is a monumental and precedent-setting victory for human rights in Canada, Mostyn said Wednesday in a release.

Students should not be subjected to Halls brand of hatred and xenophobia, which clearly have no place in an academic setting.

Read more about:
OTTAWARelations between Canada and Saudi Arabia are likely to be frosty for a considerable time in the wake of this weeks bruising diplomatic meltdown and it will take determined fence-mending to restore the relationship, experts say.

I think its going to take a cooling-off period, perhaps a significant cooling-off period for this brouhaha to pass over, said Peter MacKay, who served as foreign affairs minister in the previous Conservative government.

Roland Paris, a former foreign affairs adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said Saudi Arabias extraordinary, fierce and impetuous reaction this week makes it tough to quickly get things back on an even keel.

I think the chances of normalizing the bilateral relationship in the short term are quite low. The Saudis seem to have made a decision to turn Canada into an example for other countries, said Paris, a University of Ottawa professor.

Thursday passed with no further apparent recriminations from Saudi Arabia, which this week has enacted a series of measures to underscore its anger at Canadas criticism of the detention of several activists in the country, comments it branded as blatant and unacceptable interference.

Read more:

Opinion | Thomas Walkom: Stakes are low in Canada-Saudi Arabia squabble

The loss of hundreds of Saudi medical residents will put a lot of strain on Canadian patients, experts say

Justin Trudeau vows to speak out on human rights, refuses to back down in Saudi Arabia dispute

Those measures include booting Canadas ambassador from Riyadh, returning its own envoy home, ending the studies by more than 15,000 Saudi students at Canadian universities, halting the purchase of Canadian wheat and barley, suspending flights by its national airline to Toronto and freezing future trade and investments.

There has been no word whether a $15-billion contract inked in 2014 to supply Saudi Arabia with Canadian-made light armoured vehicles could also be in jeopardy.

It started when Freeland and her department took to social media to protest the Saudi detention of rights activists, including Samar Badawi. Her brother Raif was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam in his blogging. Ensaf Haidar, his wife, was given Canadian citizenship last month.

MacKay framed Saudi Arabias reaction as unreasonable, adding, theyve really gone over the top. But he said the original Twitter comments were a misstep that Freeland likely wishes she could take back.

Taking to Twitter to chastise a country like Saudi Arabia is probably ill-advised. Not the wrong subject matter, not even the wrong words. But Twitter is a blunt instrument, said MacKay, who said the tweets were done in a hectoring, cavalier, righteous way.

The more important question, how do we get out of this, said MacKay, now a partner in the Toronto office of the law firm Baker McKenzie.

MacKay said that Freeland has already started what he called the necessary subtle, behind-the-scenes work to resolve the crisis, noting her Tuesday telephone conversation with her Saudi counterpart.

Short of a complete climb down, which I dont see happening. I think its going to take some serious diplomatic stroking behind the scenes, he said.

Saudis foreign minister has called on Canada to fix its big mistake but publicly offered no specifics on what Riyadh seeks to make amends.

Trudeau on Wednesday refused to back down, stating that the federal government would always speak clearly and firmly on human rights issues. But he did offer some potentially appeasing language, saying that Saudi Arabia is making some progress when it comes to human rights.

Paris said that the federal government now needs to keep its powder dry to avoid ramping up tensions.

Whats important is that Canada not recant its defence of human rights but signals to Saudi Arabia that it wishes a more stable relationship and that Canada not escalate this dispute any further, Paris said.

The Saudis need to understand that Canada is not going to abandon its advocacy of human rights. If their position is well talk to you when youre ready to apologize, thats not the basis for a constructive conversation, Paris said in an interview.

He said that there are risks to Saudi Arabia too and that its arbitrary reaction could spook international investors at a time when the country is seeking billions of dollars in foreign investment to support domestic reforms.

He said the reaction of other countries to the dispute  that has seen some like Jordan, Russia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates side with Saudi Arabia while others like the U.S. and U.K. avoided taking sides  is a significant symbol of how global politics is changing.

The stance of the U.S. government is not surprising, Paris said, given that the Trump White House has shown little interest in addressing Saudi human rights issues.

More disappointing was to see European nations sitting on the sidelines, which Paris called a very uncourageous stance.

What were getting is a glimpse of what the world looks like without the United States advocating for human rights. Its a darker world in which autocrats feel emboldened and liberal democracies seek shelter, Paris said.

Read more about:
SASKATOONThe family of an Indigenous man shot to death on a Saskatchewan farm has filed lawsuits against the RCMP and the farmer who was acquitted in the killing.

Colten Boushie was killed after being shot in the head on a farm near the community of Biggar in August 2016.

Gerald Stanley, the landowner, was found not guilty of second-degree murder after testifying that his gun went off accidentally as he was shooting to scare away young people he thought were stealing from him.

The claim against Stanley, filed in Saskatoon court, argues that the farmer caused Boushies death through negligence, recklessness, or by an intentional act.

This lawsuit will prove that the death of Colten Boushie was wrongful and that the Boushie family suffered a profound and devastating loss the night Colten was fatally shot, lawyer Eleanore Sunchild said in a statement Thursday.

This lawsuit will hold the person responsible for Coltens wrongful death accountable. Nothing can return Colten to his family, yet the Boushie family will continue its relentless pursuit of justice for Colten.

Read more:

Family of Colten Boushie speaks at UN forum

Gerald Stanley, farmer acquitted in shooting of Colten Boushie, pleads guilty to gun charge

B.C. Indigenous leaders deeply troubled by tearful testimony of shooting victims families

None of the allegations have been proven in court. Stanleys lawyer did not immediately return requests for comment.

The suit argues that Stanley or his family members never attempted to contact police when they saw the young people on the property. It also says that Stanleys wife, Leesa, is a registered nurse and didnt take any action to provide life saving measures.

Boushies mother, Debbie Baptiste, is seeking $30,000 for herself, $20,000 for funeral expenses, $60,000 in expenses, $100,000 because she was unable to work after her sons death, and $200,000 in damages.

Boushies family is also suing the attorney general of Canada and individual RCMP officers over the way they were treated on the night Boushie died.

The claim says that officers didnt present a search warrant when they arrived at the familys home at Red Pheasant First Nation when they were looking for Cassidy Cross-Whitstone, who was in the vehicle with Boushie at Stanleys farm.

The family says no consent was sought to enter the home and that one officer grabbed Baptiste by her wrist and told her get herself together as she was on the ground, inconsolable.

The search officers who attended the home deliberately engaged in discrimination by subjecting three proud members of the Red Pheasant First Nation to ridicule, unlawful searches, and humiliating breath tests, the claim says.

Chris Murphy, another lawyer working with the Boushies, said in a statement that he expects the lawsuit will make the force look deep within itself and examine the manner in which the RCMP interacts with the Indigenous citizens of Canada.

The RCMP said in a statement that its sympathies remain with the family and friends of Boushie. The Mounties said that they are fully co-operating with an independent review of what took place.

As this matter is currently under independent review and is now before a civil court, it would be inappropriate to comment publicly at this time, the RCMP said.
OTTAWAA collective of human rights groups and refugee advocates is raising urgent concerns about the Trudeau governments minister of border security and organized crime reduction. They say the new cabinet role creates more confusion about Ottawas handling of refugee claimants and risks fanning prejudice toward asylum seekers crossing into Canada from the United States.

This development stands to deepen public fears, misunderstandings and stereotypes, the groups wrote in an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that was signed by Amnesty International Canada, the Canadian Council for Refugees, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and six other organizations.

The letter takes particular aim at the name of the new portfolio, arguing it unjustly associates asylum seekers with crime. This inescapably risks feeding the very dangerous narrative that people who are fleeing for their lives are breaking the law, the letter says.

The new portfolio was created July 18 when Trudeau shuffled his cabinet and named former Toronto police chief Bill Blair as his governments minister for border security and organized crime reduction. At the time, the prime minister praised Blairs public security experience as a reason he could look at the question of irregular migrants, which until then had fallen under the shared auspices of Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.

Blairs office said the new minister was not available for an interview Thursday, but provided an emailed statement that said the government is committed to upholding our international obligations and will continue to call out inflammatory rhetoric which creates fear and division.

Spokesperson Hilary Peirce added that Blair is meant to tackle irregular migration, organized crime and illegal guns, as well as the legalization of cannabis. Blairs mandate letter, which will outline his role in more detail, will be out this month, she said.

Read more:

Trudeau reveals a newly shuffled and expanded election year cabinet

Is Canada in the midst of a refugee crisis? Experts say its important to keep things in perspective

G20 policing fiasco left a permanent emotional scar, former police chair writes in new book

Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, said Blairs appointment has baffled refugee advocates who still dont know how responsibilities for asylum seekers will be divided between the three ministers. The Prime Ministers Office has not published a mandate letter for Blairs new role, which would outline what Trudeau expects him to accomplish.

Neve said the lack of clarity is a problem because rights groups and refugee advocates dont know which minister to speak with.

The question that hangs there is the probability that this was mainly done for political reasons, Neve said.

Canadian Council of Refugees President Claire Roque said Blairs appointment could also fuel misconceptions that the number of refugee claims is out of control and requires a new ministry to handle the situation. Government figures show police have intercepted tens of thousands of people who have avoided official ports of entry over the past two years. The surge spiked in August 2017, when more than 5,500 asylum claimants were intercepted in Quebec. In the first six months of 2018, police have intercepted 10,744 irregular border crossers, with totals dropping by several hundred each month since April.

The mood in so many parts of the world  and sadly in some parts of Canada  is increasingly hostile and suspicious when it comes to refugees, Neve said. And this very much stands to contribute to that mood rather than to address and alleviate it.

Read more about:
Premier Doug Ford says he is against a council-requested ban on the sale of handguns and their ammunition within Torontos boundaries.

I wouldnt support a ban on handguns, Ford said Thursday. Theres a lot of legal, responsible handgun owners.

We have to refocus all our resources going after the bad guys, not the good guys.

Read more:

Toronto voters have public safety, gun crime on their minds, poll says

Gun violence a significant concern for Canadians, Bill Blair says

Call for Toronto handgun ban after Danforth shooting reignites passionate gun control debate

Council made the request of the federal and provincial governments at a meeting last month. A motion from Councillor Joe Cressy passed 41 to 4 (Councillors Jon Burnside, Michael Ford, Stephen Holyday and Giorgio Mammoliti were against).

The federal government has jurisdiction over gun sales and the province is responsible for the rules around the sale of ammunition.

Ford pointed to Chicago  where the Ford family business, Deco Labels, operates  where he claimed there is a ban on handguns but still a high number of shootings.

What are your thoughts?

You look at Chicago  you all know that I spend a ton of time in Chicago  and they have a ban and guess what, last week they had 72 shootings, 72 or 76 shootings. Imagine that.

But there has not been a ban on legally possessing handguns in Chicago since 2010 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a nearly 30-year ordinance, stripping the city of some of the strongest gun controls in the country. According to Chicago police, there were 70 shooting incidents reported citywide between July 30 and Aug. 5.

In Canada, most people cant legally possess a handgun. Licences for this restricted class of firearm are limited to those who are collectors, target shooters and who qualify for their job, such as trappers.

Chief Mark Saunders told council during a debate on gun violence on July 24 that 50 per cent of firearms used for crimes were lawfully obtained in Canada and then, typically, resold.

Cressy said there is a direct link around the world to the number of guns and the number of shootings  Its not rocket science.

Coupled with community-based policing and investments in community building, rigorous gun control is part of a comprehensive solution, Cressy said.

As usual, Doug Fords logic fails to manifest itself in anything that will solve the issue of gun violence.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called Fords opposition to a handgun ban disturbing.

Increased gun violence in the GTA has devastated lives. Children have been among the victims. And survivors, and the families, friends and communities of victims and survivors are facing the lifelong impacts of trauma, she said in a statement.

There is an urgent need to address the sale, possession and use of handguns and ammunition within densely populated urban areas and municipalities. There is an urgent need to stop the gun violence from going from bad to worse.

Mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat tweeted following Fords news conference that Toronto residents are rightly worried about the gun violence that has plagued our city this summer and before.

Handguns shouldve been banned long ago in this city, but a ban isnt enough on its own, her tweets said. We must engage communities to work collaboratively to address the root causes of this violence. We know we need to do a better job of developing local programming and economic opportunities that drive people away from violent paths.

Torys acting spokesperson in the mayors office said: The federal government has made it known they are considering a handgun ban in addition to other gun control measures . . . The mayor supports the ban of ammunition sales, as he voted for at city council. Our expectation is that, with a federal ban on handguns, ammunition will become a moot point.

With files from Kristin Rushowy

Read more about:
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8)  The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred an elderly Australian professor from entering the country for his alleged violation of the agency order prohibiting foreign visitors from participating in rallies in the country.

Gill Hale Boehringer, 84, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 from Guanhzhou, China on Wednesday, but was held by authorities.

"He was excluded for being blacklisted," Immigration Spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval confirmed in a statement Thursday.

She said Boehringer violated a BI order "prohibiting foreigners in engaging in political activities in the Philippines." The BI said the Australian was found to have participated in a November 2015 rally.

"Inclusion in the blacklist means that the subject is a threat to public order and safety, and blacklisting minimizes that risk," Sandoval said.

She said the ban could be lifted if the foreigner could present sufficient evidence warranting such reversal.

The group Health Action for Human Rights said the BI's move was "heartless," adding that it is not safe for Boehringer to travel again due to health reasons.

"He is 84 years old and has a history of an almost fatal pulmonary embolism. Aside from his risk of having deep vein thrombosis, he is currently suffering from cellulitis on both legs," Dr. Geneve Rivera-Reyes said in a statement released by Karapatan.

The group said the law professor was held at NAIA Terminal 1 overnight and was instructed to board an 8:30 a.m. flight on Thursday. The whereabouts of Boehringer now is not immediately known.

Boehringer's deportation comes after that of Sister Patricia Fox, a 71-year-old Australian nun whose missionary visa was revoked in April also for participating in rallies. She was ordered to leave the country by the end of May, but the Justice Department nullified the Immigration order. The BI, which is under the DOJ, upheld its order to deport Fox on July 19.

President Rodrigo Duterte admitted he was behind the BI probe into Fox's "disorderly conduct," adding that she has a "foul mouth."

Fox's camp maintained she did not violate any laws and her participation in assemblies was part of missionary work.
In recent years, however, young male cougars in western states have found nearly all suitable habitat taken by other cougars, Dufford said. Some males are starting to disperse east from South Dakota and Nebraska. Very few make it all the way to Illinois; those that do typically leave for more fitting habitat.
It was one of the most striking images of Tuesday nights flood: a streetcar stuck under a tunnel as water levels rose inside it, above the seats, threatening passengers.

Merissa Tse, animation editor at Brown Bag Films, was among a half-dozen passengers heading west on King St. W. at about 11 p.m. when the streetcar failed to push through the flood of water under the bridge just after Sudbury St.

I started noticing water gushing up from manhole covers, said Tse, describing how the streetcar operator slowed down and hesitated before deciding to proceed through the tunnel.

Ive seen this place flood before and so I was thinking, like, this is not a good idea.

Minutes after being stopped, the streetcar operator assured passengers everything would be fine and that he was calling emergency services for help.

Tse and other passengers had already started noticing water flowing inside the streetcar. At first they thought it was funny and just kept moving through the car, snapping pictures to post on social media.

Read more:

Toronto reeling after rain, flash floods wreak havoc Tuesday night with more showers on the way

Everything you need to know to prepare for Torontos next flash flood

Bike journey through flooded Toronto offers glimpse of the future

But then water kept getting higher and higher, and it got really scary. I think I had a panic attack, she said, noting one of the other passengers calmed her down.

At some point we were trying to balance ourselves on the very top of the seats. Everybody was screaming.

By the time the water reached her chest (shes about five feet, three inches tall) they couldnt take it any longer and had to find a way to get out, she said.

The operator and one other passenger eventually managed to push open the front door and we all had to dive in, she said.

Outside, Tse said she was able to keep her head above the water and hold her bag in the air, but her shoulders were fully submerged.

The water was very cold and black. It smelled awful, like sewage, she said. But we had to swim through it. There was no other choice.

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green told the Star they found a quantity of human waste inside the car when it was towed.

This leads us to believe the floodwater was a combination of storm and sanitary sewer overflow, he said.

Green said the TTC was assessing how much damage was done to the streetcar and what types of repairs will be needed. He wouldnt say if the operator was at fault or if he would face any disciplinary action.

Tse said a number of cars were also stuck in the tunnel with their occupants apparently refusing to get out, unwilling to abandon their cars.

It was still raining when Tse made it to the other side of the flooded street and she took refuge in a nearby condo lobby. She later called Uber and eventually got home safely.

Im still a little shaken up, she said on Wednesday afternoon. Had we not managed to get out of that streetcar, I dont want to think about what could have happened.

Streetcars werent the only vehicles flooded by the storm.

Laura Maitland was driving on Ennerdale Rd. in York when the quiet residential street turned into a river.

I had already been driving through a lot of water, so I didnt realize how deep it was, Maitland said. And then all of the sudden, my tires lifted up and the car just nosedived into it.

The car began to fill with water. The door wouldnt open, so Maitland began pounding on the drivers window with her cellphone, trying to break the glass.

Within minutes, neighbours rushed to her rescue. They tried the passenger door and sunroof with no luck.

Because I was on my drivers side, I was able to push and they were able to push, Maitland said. But as soon as they opened the door, all the water rushes in, right?

Its like you see in the movies or on the news  theres neighbours, theyre all holding hands to help me through the water to get onto the sidewalk.

Maitlands waterlogged car isnt working, but she says she feels lucky and thankful.

If the neighbours werent there, I dont know how I would have gotten out of my car.
In a move meant to curb the violent criminals who think they own our streets, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced $25 million in funding over four years to address gun crime and gang activity in Toronto.

We are sending a clear message to the thugs, Ford said at an announcement Thursday that drew fiery criticism from policing and legal experts.

We are sending a message that were coming for them, that we are giving our police the tools they need to hunt them down.

The lions share of the money will be an $18-million cash injection over the next four years to the Toronto police, to be spent as police Chief Mark Saunders sees fit, Ford said.

The remaining $7.5 million will go toward establishing what Ford called legal SWAT teams at every Toronto provincial courthouse tofocus exclusively on ensuring violent gun criminals are denied bail and remain behind bars.

Among the concerns raised by experts and Fords political opponents are the potential problems with handing over cash to a police service for unspecified purposes, while the root causes of crime are not addressed.

Much more than that has to be done to deal effectively with the issues of crime in our cities, the NDPs Gilles Bisson told reporters at Queens Park on Thursday. Gun crime is a serious problem in our cities, and we need to take a look at a number of issues, including access to guns as well as poverty.

In an emailed statement, Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray reiterated that Saunders has endorsed policing efforts that are focused and strategic so our members can target the right people at the right time.

These funds will allow us to improve our analytical capabilities, leading to more intelligence-led policing and will allow us to penetrate gun violence.

Michael Tibollo, the minister of community safety and correctional services, said in the legislature that the money will allow Toronto police to purchase equipment and innovative technologies for their important task of tackling gun and gang violence.

Ford told reporters Thursday that his government has faith in consulting with the chief and letting them decide.

We are going to hand over the money, they are going to be accountable, and they are going to be able to tell us: This is where we think the money should go,  the premier said.

Have your say

During the provincial campaign, Ford expressed his support for the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS), the now-defunct provincially funded police unit created in the wake of 2005s so-called Summer of the Gun. The unit attained notoriety for its high rate of carding  stopping, questioning and documenting people not suspected of a crime  and was disbanded in 2017.

But Ford said Thursday the money would not go toward TAVIS-style policing, adding there would be no TAVIS, no carding.

Im from the old school. I love boots on the ground, I love having police in neighbourhoods. But again, thats not up to the premier to decide, thats up to the police chief to decide, Ford said.

The premier also called on the municipal and federal governments to match the funding announced Thursday, stressing in particular the need for the city to follow through on its commitment to hire more officers, saying its critical we hire more police officers.

The service, alongside Mayor John Tory, has agreed to hire 200 more officers to replace a higher than expected number of retirements and departures  though in general, the police service is attempting to decrease the number of officers.

Jooyoung Lee, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto whose research includes policing and gun crime, said there is a problem with old-school policing: its been shown to be not very effective.

At worst, it has led to the dissolution of entire communities and turned them into places where young folks of colour are being arrested and mass incarcerated. Its a place where communities are essentially destroyed by the surveillance by police.

Despite Fords comments that the money would not be used for TAVIS-style policing, Lee says, given Fords comments about having boots on the ground, he worries the funding will come back in the form of policies and practices that look a lot like TAVIS but are called something else.

The law-and-order approach, Lee said, has never been linked to long-term, sustainable reductions in gun violence. Though it may lead to a short-term drop in violent crime, a lack of investment in communities means there will continue to be generations of young people being drawn into gang and gun activity.

In a statement, Mayor John Tory thanked the province for the investment and said city officials have already indicated they have the delegated authority from council to provide the funding that would let the city match the provincial contribution for 2018.

The decision as to whether to match the balance of the funds will be up to the next council following our election, Tory said in the statement, adding that should he return as mayor, he would request matching funds at council at the first available opportunity.

The move to tackle gun crime comes during a summer of high-profile shooting incidents, including last months mass shooting on the Danforth, which killed two people. According to statistics released by Toronto police this week, the number of shootings is up over this time last year  241 over last years 229  but virtually on par with 2016s 240 occurrences.

Similar results can been seen examining fatal shootings: there have been 30 so far this year, up from last years 23 at this time, but not far off 2016s 26 fatal shootings in early August.

Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto who researches race, justice and policing, said its important to remember that there is a lack of clear evidence that there is a year-over-year trend showing an increase in gun crime.

He called the Ford governments move short-sighted, saying he doesnt think handing over millions to a police service with a billion-dollar budget will make much in the way of difference, and certainly not a long-term difference.

The remaining amount of the funding will go toward establishing what Ford called a legal SWAT team at each Toronto provincial courthouse. A Crown prosecutor will lead the teams, and have a mandate to focus exclusively on ensuring violent gun criminals are denied bail and remain behind bars.

There will also be new bail compliance officers to monitor people convicted of gun crimes who are out on bail.

Attorney General Caroline Mulroney told reporters at Queens Park that the bail team is to ensure that were putting together the best possible case.

Evidence involved in guns-and-gang crimes are very complicated and time-consuming, so were dedicating more resources to this, and its up to the judges and justices of the peace to make this determination, Mulroney said.

Michael Lacy, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, said there was a significant disconnect between Fords understanding of how bail works today and the proposed changes.

As it is now, Crown prosecutors independently exercise their discretion to oppose bail where its appropriate in cases that involve alleged gun violence, Lacy said. Thats due in part to the concept of presumption of innocence and also the 2017 Crown policy manual that states that in all cases involving firearms, the Crown must seek a detention order, absent exceptional circumstances.

Its a very unusual or exceptional circumstance where the Crown does not oppose bail in cases involving serious gun violence where theres objective evidence that the case against the accused is strong, Lacy said.

This idea that the premier is now going to direct Crowns to oppose bail in each and every circumstance involving alleged gun crime is entirely inappropriate; it undermines the independence of the Crown to assess each case on a case-by-case basis, Lacy said.

According to a 2013 study by the federal Justice Department, 98 per cent of bail violations are administrative offences  such as an accused person breaching release conditions or failing to appear in court  while just two per cent are related to substantive new offences.

Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy

Read more about:
At least six Ontario families are launching a human rights case over the provinces plan to use an outdated sex-ed curriculum, saying it will harm their children  the first legal challenge amid a growing backlash over reviving the two-decade-old lessons and the impact on LGBTQ youth.

While the main applicant is an 11-year-old trans youth from rural Ontario, a number of families from Guelph, Toronto, Sudbury and other cities will support the case with evidence of how the new curriculum  which the Ford government said it will suspend this fall  helped support their elementary school children.

All of the kids involved in the case are younger than 13.

Weve been in conversation with parents of trans and queer youth, currently in Grades K to 8  and these families are very concerned about the planned changes, said lawyer Marcus McCann, who along with colleague Mika Imai will be announcing the human rights challenge Thursday at Queens Park.

Our belief is that shelving the curriculum is raising red flags from a human rights perspective.

Imai said they will request an expedited hearing, and may seek an interim order to keep the updated curriculum in place this fall.

Read more:

Health-care professionals speak out against changing Ontarios sex-ed curriculum

Ontario school boards will be given materials to teach old sex-ed curriculum, education minister says

Education minister returns with no clarity on sex-ed curriculum

While the families were going to hold off until the government officially ordered boards to revert to the 1998 curriculum, with school just weeks away we just cant wait, added McCann. The stakes are too high.

On Wednesday, another public school board issued a statement of concern about reviving the old curriculum, which was used from 1998 to 2014 and contains no mention of same-sex families, gender identity, cyberbullying or sexual consent.

Education Minister Lisa Thompson said her government is fulfilling a campaign promise by holding public consultations on the new curriculum, in use since 2015, after hearing from some parents who complained they were not consulted and that the material is not age-appropriate.

What do you think?

The government will begin consultations this fall, although no specifics have been released.

Thompson has said the ministry will work with boards to provide resources for the 20-year-old curriculum and that theres ample room to discuss issues not covered in it.

Jake Somervilles child began transitioning in kindergarten and we found that the school, the teachers, played a really big role, said the Guelph father, helping her socially and working with children in the classroom who had a lot of questions about what she was going through.

The teachers brought in books and would talk about boys wearing dresses or wanting to, and rather than separating boys from the girls for classroom groupings, teachers would find other ways  not related to gender  to do so.

That was in 2015, Somerville said. The (new) curriculum had already started. We found the teachers  were so knowledgeable about what needed to be done  we didnt have very much exposure to the trans community, so it was refreshing to go into the school system and be supported.

By using the old curriculum, it leaves it open for every single school to have a different climate, all across the board, said Somerville.

For families outside of Toronto, the worry is greater because they are fewer supports available outside of school, said Sudbury mom Sylvie Liard, who has one young child she describes as gender non-conforming.

Going back to the older curriculum, where nothing was addressed, is unfathomable, she said.

NDP Health Critic France Gelinas, who represents Nickel Belt, said in northern Ontario, you are lucky if you have a family physician. If you can see your family physician within six weeks, you are doubly lucky.

That means schools are the only way for families to get information, she added. There is just no other infrastructure for that kind of knowledge to be shared in a way that is positive, in a way that is factual, in a way that gives you hope.

Some school boards have said they will continue to be inclusive and promote equity, and talk about same-sex families, consent and other issues not covered in the old lessons.

A Toronto mom involved in the human rights case said her 11-year-old, who does not want to be labelled, was targeted at his elementary school, called names and beaten by a bully.

But a new principal and teachers helped turn things around, she said.

Now he wears what he wants to school, and has his hair the way he wants to and has a strong support system among teachers and classmates.

Having this education at school has taught him to have a voice and acknowledge theres nothing wrong with him, she said. Hes totally okay and the rest of the world needs to catch up to him.

Parents are creating an online fundraising campaign to help cover their legal costs.

McCann, of law firm Symes Street & Millard, said other organizations are also expected to launch legal challenges in the coming days.

Read more about:
When Margot Kidder died in May, she was remembered as the actress who brought the fictional reporter Lois Lane to life in a series of blockbuster Superman movies in the 1970s and 80s.

Her obituary in the New York Times did not specify a cause of death. But on Wednesday the Park County Coroners Office in Montana, where she lived, revealed that the cause was suicide. A statement provided by the coroner to The Associated Press said that Kidder had died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.

Kidders daughter, Maggie McGuane, said she knew that her mother had taken her own life.

Its a big relief that the truth is out there, she told the AP. Its important to be open and honest so theres not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.

In the month after Kidder died at age 69 on May 13 in Livingston, Mont., designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain took their own lives, prompting widespread conversations about how to prevent what has become a national public health crisis.

In a recent report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the suicide rate in the United States was steadily rising. It is now the 10th leading cause of death and one of only three leading causes that are on the rise, the report said.

Kidder was born in Canada and spent decades acting in movies and television shows before and after Superman, including Some Kind of Hero, The L Word and Smallville. She was also a political activist who was arrested in Washington in 2011 at a protest over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

And she was known for her work as a mental-wellness advocate, in part because of her own struggles with mental health.

A serious car accident in 1990 left Kidder temporarily unable to work, putting her in debt. And after a public breakdown in 1996, she was found to have bipolar disorder.

She spoke openly about how she had wandered around Los Angeles for days during that episode, and she said in 2008 that she did not like the words mental illness.

They are a stigma and recall times when it was thought those with a disorder were possessed by the devil, she told the Edmonton Journal. I hope someone can come up with new words.

McGuane, who could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday night, told the AP that she urged people with mental illness to seek help.

Its a very unique sort of grief and pain, she said. Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them.

If you or someone you know need help, call Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566. If you require emergency assistance please go to the nearest hospital or call 911.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is stepping up the governments preparations in case Brexit negotiations break down and the country crashes out of the European Union without a deal.

May is planning a top-level meeting of her Cabinet ministers early in September specifically to discuss how to ready the U.K. for a no-deal Brexit, according to people familiar with the matter.

Separately, a working group of senior government officials is being convened to devise ways to keep the Irish border free of customs checks and police even if theres no withdrawal agreement, one of the people said.

Our negotiations on our future relationship have reached an impasse, May told Tory party members in a letter on Wednesday, published on the ConservativeHome website. She said the two options on offer from the EU  a standard free-trade deal or membership of the customs union plus an extended version of the European Economic Area  are not acceptable to me, or to the United Kingdom.

The U.K. is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 but talks between the two sides are making painfully slow progress. Politicians on both sides have warned theres a risk that negotiations could break down, and the pound has fallen to its lowest level against the euro since October on fears of a no-deal exit.

The negotiations are stuck over two key issues: Mays proposals for a new free-trade area spanning the U.K. and the EU; and how to avoid a hard land border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Ensuring theres no return to hard border infrastructure and customs checks at the frontier is seen as politically vital to maintain the peace on the island of Ireland.

In July, Mays Cabinet agreed at a meeting at her Chequers country retreat to step up preparations for departing from the bloc without an agreement and shes reorganized the Brexit Department to focus on the task. At the same meeting, they finalized her blueprint for Britains trade ties with the bloc.

This vision for our future relationship with the EU will be very challenging for the EU, May said in the letter. It is in no sense a concession to their demands.

Over the coming weeks, the government aims to publish 70 documents detailing what will happen to different sectors of the economy if negotiations fall apart. On Sunday, Trade Secretary Liam Fox became the first member of Mays cabinet to openly warn that no deal is now more likely than reaching an agreement with the EU.

Some officials and ministers inside the government are growing increasingly pessimistic about the chances of getting a deal.

One of the people familiar with the planned Cabinet meeting said it could be held at Chequers, but another said this is unlikely.

The difficulty May is facing is that she needs to keep competing audiences happy. Her own party is split between passionate Brexit campaigners, such as Fox and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, and committed pro-Europeans, such as Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and former attorney general Dominic Grieve.

To make matters worse for May, she has no automatic majority in Parliament and must strike a deal with the EU that will satisfy both wings of her party, or appeal to members of the opposition Labour party. If she fails, the chances of a chaotic no-deal exit increase.

The U.K. is aiming to finalize the terms of the divorce later this year, and Mays team now believes November is a likely month for concluding the negotiations with the EU. If talks drag on much longer, there might not be enough time left to get the deal ratified in the EU and U.K. parliaments before the country leaves the bloc in March.

Read more about:
WASHINGTONThe 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 U.S. President Donald 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 (U.S.) 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.

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.

Read more:

Trump may want a Space Force but the Pentagon has a different idea

Final U.S. defence spending bill expands pushback against China

North Korea accuses U.S. of making unilateral demands in nuclear talks

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 Association, an independent non-profit 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 favours 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 adviser, with new powers to co-ordinate 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.

Read more about:
SANAA, YEMENAn airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels hit a bus driving in a busy market in northern Yemen on Thursday, killing least 50 people including children and wounding 77, Yemens rebel-run Al Masirah TV said citing rebel Health Ministry figures.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdoms south on Wednesday, killing one person who was a Yemeni resident in the area.

Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that its team at an ICRC supported hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children, it said.

The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

There was no breakdown in the casualties and it was not immediately clear how many of the victims were on the bus itself and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it. It was also unclear if there were other airstrikes in the area.

Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack in Saada targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdoms south, killing one person and wounding 11 others. The coalition said Wednesdays projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, also said the missile was launched deliberately to target residential and populated areas.

Read more:

Saudi-led coalition escalates conflict in Yemen port city

Al-Malki insisted Thursdays attack carried out in Saada is a legitimate military action and is in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs. He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them in the battlefields to cover for their actions.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. officials cant confirm all the details about the attack, but are concerned about reports of civilian deaths.

We call on the Saudi-led coalition to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident, Nauert said. We take all credible accounts of civilian casualties very seriously.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the coalition airstrike and called on all parties to spare civilians and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the fundamental rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The secretary general calls for an independent and prompt investigation into this incident and urgently renews his call for a negotiated solution to the Yemen conflict, Haq said.

Saudi Arabia backs Yemens internationally recognized government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten, the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx.

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the citys southern and western neighbourhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

Yemens stalemated, three-year war has killed over 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemens infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for its airstrikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

Last week, Yemeni medical officials said the coalition conducted airstrikes in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, killing at least 28 people and wounding 70. But the coalition denied carrying out any attacks in the city, saying it follows a strict and transparent approach based on the rules international law.

The fight for the port of Hodeida, a key lifeline for supplies and aid for Yemens population on the brink of starvation, has become the latest battleground in the devastating war.

The Iran-aligned Houthis regularly fire into Saudi Arabia and have targeted its capital, Riyadh, with ballistic missiles. They say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition.

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing to bring the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemens warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 to hold the first round of consultations.

Read more about:
WASHINGTONPointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American publics long fascination with space  but with a military focus. The plan faces daunting hurdles and requires congressional approval. Military leaders and experts have questioned the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice-President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has extolled in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation, Pence said.

Trump marked Pences announcement with a tweet: Space Force all the way!

Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes potential aggression rather than any offensive U.S. military effort.

Read more:

Unclear path for Trumps space force proposal

Trump may want a Space Force but the Pentagon has a different idea

Trump announces plans for Pentagon to create U.S. Space Force

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years U.S. adversaries have pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground.

As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge, he said.

In June, the president directed the Pentagon to create a separate but equal space force, a complicated and expensive move that could take years to gain Congress approval and become operational. On Thursday, Pence said the administration will work with Congress on the plan and will outline a budget next year. The last time the U.S. created a new uniformed military service was in 1947, when the Air Force was launched after World War II. It joined the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the militarys space-warfighting forces and create a new command, but he previously opposed launching an expensive new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Asked about the cost, Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters the Pentagon doesnt have a number yet but will when the legislative proposal is finished by the end of the year.

I would assume its billions, he said. Shanahan said Mattis opposition to a separate service last year was rooted in concerns about spending more on overhead while under strict budget caps  implying that those worries may not be as great now.

Deborah James, who served as Air Force secretary for the final three years of the Obama administration, estimated it would be five to 10 years before a separate service would be fully formed.

Eventually, itll settle out, but you will go through years of thrashing. And is that thrashing going to slow your momentum or is it going to help you achieve your goals and address the real challenges that we have on our plate? she said at Brookings Institution last week. I dont think so. I dont. I wouldnt vote in favour of it.

The militarys role in space has been under scrutiny because the United States is increasingly reliant on orbiting satellites that are difficult to protect. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the national economy.

U.S. intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China were pursuing nondestructive and destructive anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war. And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress on Thursday lays out plans to consolidate U.S. warfighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of technologies.

It says the department will establish a Space Command to develop warfighting operations, a Space Development Agency to more quickly identify and develop new technologies, a Space Operations Force of leaders and fighters and a new support structure. In the second phase, the Pentagon would combine all the components into the new sixth branch of service.

In the meantime, the Space Command would be led by a four-star general, and Pence said a new high-level civilian post  assistant defence secretary for space  would also be created.

We are glad that the Pentagon is finally taking these steps in enhancing our space strength, Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., leaders of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a statement. They said the Pentagon report was the start of a multi-year process that we think will result in a safer, stronger America.

Much of the militarys current space power is wielded by the Air Force Space Command, which has its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command has about 38,000 personnel and operates 185 military satellite systems, including the Global Positioning System and communications and weather satellites. It also oversees Air Force cyberwarfare.

Under the new plan, space elements that are now scattered across the department would be gathered under one command, which Pence said would better ensure integration across the military.

Read more about:
OMAHA, NEB.A large federal law enforcement operation conducted Wednesday targeted businesses in Nebraska and Minnesota that officials say knowingly hired  and mistreated  immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

The investigative arm of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  Homeland Security Investigations  led the operation that saw about a dozen businesses and plants raided and 17 business owners and managers indicted for fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Of those, 14 were taken into custody Wednesday and three were still being sought. Authorities also arrested more than 130 workers at various businesses, busing them to Grand Island, Neb., to be questioned and processed.

Most of the arrests occurred in northern Nebraska and southern Minnesota. Several of the businesses were in ONeill, Neb., a town of about 3,000 about 260 kilometres northwest of Omaha. Officials said they were still looking to take three owners or managers into custody as part of the operation.

Special agent in charge Tracy Cormier described the operation as one of the largest in Homeland Security Investigations 15-year history. Between 350 and 400 federal, state and local law enforcement officers worked together on the arrests, she said.

Read more:

Migrant toddler reportedly dies after leaving ICE facility

U.S. senators want investigations into allegations of immigrant abuse

1,820 separated children have been reunited with their families, says Trump administration

The focus of the operation is unusual in that it targeted business operators for arrest. Most immigration raids have targeted workers suspected of being in the country illegally.

The whole investigation was initiated, basically, because we knew that these businesses were cheating these workers and cheating taxpayers and cheating their competition, Cormier said.

The businesses engaged in a scheme that used fraudulent names and Social Security numbers to employ people in the country illegally, she said. The businesses used force, fraud, coercion, threat of arrest and/or deportation to exploit the workers, Cormier said. The business that hired out the immigrants also forced the workers to cash their paychecks with that business for an exorbitant fee, officials said, and withheld taxes from workers pay without paying those taxes to the government.

It kind of reminds us of the revival of the old company store policy, where it used to keep the coal miners indebted to the company for all kinds of services ... like check cashing, she said.

Also arrested were 133 workers suspected of being in the country illegally, according to ICE. Some will be issued notices to appear before an immigration judge and released, while those with criminal backgrounds will remain in ICE custody.

The raids come as U.S. President Donald Trumps administration has been carrying out high-profile immigration enforcement actions against employers.

Dozens of workers were arrested at a meat packing plant in rural Tennessee in April, followed by agents rounding up more than 100 employees two months later at an Ohio gardening and landscaping company.

Immigration officials have also beefed up audits of companies to verify their employees are authorized to work in the country. Officials opened nearly 5,300 employer audits since January, many after audits at 100 7-Eleven franchises in 17 states in January.

On Wednesday, investigators served warrants at Elkhorn River Farms, hydroponic tomato grower ONeill Ventures, La Herradura restaurant and grocery store El Mercadito, all in ONeill. A private ranch outside ONeill also was searched.

No phone number could be found for El Mercadito. Calls to the other businesses went unanswered or messages left were not returned.

Pork producing giant Christensen Farms saw search warrants served at its headquarters in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, its truck wash facility in Appleton, Minnesota and a producer plant in Atkinson, Nebraska. Spokeswoman Amber Portner said the company was co-operating with agents. She said she knew of no arrests at any of the companys locations Wednesday.

Other businesses raided were in Stromsburg, Ainsworth, Bartlett and Royal, all in Nebraska.

Civil rights organizations in Nebraska were quick to denounce Wednesdays operation.

The ACLU condemns this ongoing campaign of misery that targets immigrants, disrupts local businesses and separates families, Rose Godinez, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, said in a written statement released Wednesday morning after news reports of the raid at ONeill Ventures.

The effect of such operations are the same whether they target businesses or immigrants, said Jeff Sheldon, spokesman for advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed.

This is going to leave widespread fear and damage in the community, he said. You got businesses that are directly affected. Youve got neighbourhoods that are directly affected. Youll have kids tonight coming home to a house where one or more of their parents are gone. This is pain that can last for generations.
WASHINGTONA federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration endangered public health by keeping a widely used pesticide on the market despite extensive scientific evidence that even tiny levels of exposure can harm babies brains.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to remove chlorpyrifos from sale in the United States within 60 days.

A coalition of farmworkers and environmental groups sued last year after then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt reversed an Obama-era effort to ban chlorpyrifos, which is widely sprayed on citrus fruit, apples and other crops. The attorneys general for several states joined the case against EPA, including California, New York and Massachusetts.

In a split decision, the court said Thursday that Pruitt, a Republican forced to resign earlier this summer amid ethics scandals, violated federal law by ignoring the conclusions of agency scientists that chlorpyrifos is harmful.

The panel held that there was no justification for the EPAs decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children, Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in the courts opinion.

Michael Abboud, spokesman for acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, said the agency was reviewing the decision. EPA could potentially appeal to the Supreme Court since one member of the three-judge panel dissented from the majority ruling.

Read more:

Scott Pruitt, scandal-plagued EPA head, steps down

Former EPA aide testifies chief Scott Pruitt asked her to find work for his wife

Health Canada recommends phasing out common pesticide that may harm bees

Environmental groups and public health advocates celebrated the courts action as a major success.

Some things are too sacred to play politics with, and our kids top the list, said Erik Olson, senior director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defence Council. The court has made it clear that childrens health must come before powerful polluters. This is a victory for parents everywhere who want to feed their kids fruits and veggies without fear its harming their brains or poisoning communities.

The attorneys general of California and New York also claimed victory.

This is one more example of how then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt skirted the law and endangered the health of our children  in this case, all because he refused to curb pesticide levels found in food, Attorney General Xavier Becerra of California said in a statement.

Chlorpyrifos was created by Dow Chemical Co. in the 1960s. It remains among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with the chemical giant selling about 5 million pounds domestically each year through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences.

Dow did not respond to an email seeking comment. In past statements, the company has contended the chemical helps American farmers feed the world with full respect for human health and the environment.

Chlorpyrifos belongs to a family of organophosphate pesticides that are chemically similar to a chemical warfare agent developed by Nazi Germany before World War II.

As a result of its wide use as a pesticide over the past four decades, traces of chlorpyrifos are commonly found in sources of drinking water. A 2012 study at the University of California at Berkeley found that 87 per cent of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of the pesticide.

Under pressure from federal regulators, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. EPA also placed no-spray buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning the pesticides use on food. A risk assessment memo issued by nine EPA scientists concluded: There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos.

Federal law requires EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption  especially children, who are typically far more sensitive to the negative effects of poisons.

Shortly after his appointment by President Donald Trump in 2017, Pruitt announced he was revering the Obama administration effort to ban chlorpyrifos, adopting Dows position that the science showing chlorpyrifos is harmful was inconclusive and flawed.

The Associated Press reported in June 2017 that Pruitt announced his agencys reversal on chlorpyrifos just 20 days after his official schedule showed a meeting with Dow CEO Andrew Liveris. At the time, Liveris headed a White House manufacturing working group, and his company had written a $1 million (U.S.) check to help underwrite Trumps inaugural festivities.

Following APs report, then-EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said that March 9, 2017, meeting on Pruitts schedule never happened. Bowman said the two men had instead shared only a brief introduction in passing while attending the same industry conference at a Houston hotel and that they never discussed chlorpyrifos.

However, internal EPA emails released earlier this year following a public records lawsuit filed by The Sierra Club suggest the two men shared more than a quick handshake.

Little more than a week after the conference and before Pruitt announced his decision, the EPA chiefs scheduler reached out to Liveris executive assistant to schedule a follow-up meeting.

Hope this email finds you well! wrote Sydney Hupp, Pruitts assistant, on March 20, 2017. I am reaching out today about setting up a meeting to continue the discussion between Dow Chemical and Administrator Scott Pruitt. My apologies for the delay in getting this email into you  it has been a crazy time over here!

Subsequent emails show Hupp and Liveris office discussing several potential dates that the Dow CEO might come to Pruitts office at EPA headquarters, but it is not clear from the documents whether the two men ever linked up.

Liveris announced his retirement from Dow in March of this year.

Pruitt resigned July 6 amid more than a dozen ethics investigations focused on such issues as outsized security spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease for a Capitol Hill condo linked to an energy lobbyist.

Bowman, who left EPA in May to work for GOP Sen. Joni Ernest of Iowa, declined to comment on her earlier characterization of the March 2017 interaction between Pruitt and Liveris or what discussion the internal email was referring to.

I dont work for EPA anymore, Bowman said.
Every show they played within reach Id buy tickets and go see them every night. Even the last couple of tours, we went and saw them. My wife and I took my then-4-year-old daughter to her very first concert in San Diego. I saw him in Anaheim and went to see him at the L.A. Forum.
VANCOUVERDuring the federal NDP leaders long-awaited announcement that he will be seeking a seat in Parliament by running in the Burnaby South riding, Jagmeet Singh displayed an awareness that votes wont come down to pipeline politics alone, says a British Columbia pollster.

Singh only mentioned the Trans Mountain pipeline near the end of his speech on Wednesday, saying a shift to clean energy was necessary. Instead, he focused on calling out the current Liberal government for floundering on proper funding for housing and pharmacare in the constituency.

Singh said he was fully committed to the riding, with plans to relocate to the West Coast with his wife if elected.

Hes looking at the demographics, said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. In a byelection, you cannot make anybody mad at you. ... Its ultimately about knocking on doors and making sure your base can be motivated to vote.

Turnout in byelections can be as low as 15 per cent, he noted, where voters 55 and over show up the most at the polls. That makes predicting the results particularly difficult.

Their No. 1 issue on a federal basis is health care, Canseco said. Thats more than housing, the economy, jobs and the environment. Hes trying to connect with that element.

Housing is a pressing issue for other demographics. Over the last few years, residents opinions about developers have dropped significantly, he added.

But pipeline politics will still have a role to play.

Burnaby is ground zero for those actively fighting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Canseco said. And Singh is running for a seat where he has an established connection with voters who are opposed to the project.

Burnaby South resident Khalid Boudreau was one of many young NDP volunteers holding up Jagmeet Singh signs at the event  held outdoors at a large film studio in the riding.

Its ridiculous to expect to get away with paying almost $10 billion for a leaky old pipeline, he said in an interview, referring to the price Ottawa paid to purchase the pipeline from Kinder Morgan, plus future project costs. The federal government doesnt expect to pay a political price for it.

The 19-year-old said that failure to have a spill response plan is unacceptable, adding that its hard not to be political at this time.

Thats why Canseco said Singhs reputation for bringing out the youth vote may fare well in the British Columbia riding. When it comes to the pipeline, women and 18-to-34-year-olds are the most consistently opposed in the polls.

Singh may also have the charisma to bring them to the ballot box.

Critics say that parachuting a candidate into an election  based predominantly on local issues, such as the housing crisis  is near impossible. They also point to the 2015 federal election, where former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart scraped by a win with roughly 550 votes over his Liberal counterparts.

But that was a rarity and things are different now, Canseco said. Three years ago, many voted strategically, choosing the Liberals in the riding to get rid of the Conservative government headed by Stephen Harper.

While it may not be a slam-dunk win for Singh, Canseco said, the Liberals are hindered, since Trudeau is not as popular as he used to be. Meanwhile, the NDP has traditionally had a stronghold in the riding.

There is a sense of dismay from the environmental crowd and part of that vote wont be there when the byelection happens, he explained.

The question becomes: Can he recover the votes?

At the announcement, Singh said having a national leader in the riding will provide better representation on those issues that touch the people of Burnaby.

Canseco said that will be Singhs biggest challenge  effectively running two campaigns.

Though its a tough undertaking, he said, Singh stands a lot to gain. Getting the federal leader a seat in the House of Commons is key.

We saw how important it was for (former NDP leader) Tom Mulcair to be the one person criticizing the Harper government nearly every night, he explained. It got to a point where the NDP was in first place nationally, around 33 per cent, and these are numbers they havent seen again.

Singh served as the Ontario NDPs deputy leader before he ran to replace Mulcair in Ottawa. The party needs to figure out how to mount a national strategy to get more seats than the Liberals, Canseco said.

No date has been set for the byelection  and the date will play a role in the outcome, Canseco said, adding it is now up to the Liberals and Conservatives to strategize.

If Singh is unable to win more seats, there is a risk to his leadership, he added.

The federal NDP leader responded to questions about potential challenges to his leadership by saying, We need to have action now.

The people of Burnaby cant wait, he said. Canadians cant wait.

Read more:

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to run in B.C. byelection

Jagmeet Singh nears judgment day as announcement to run in byelection expected

For Jagmeet Singh, a byelection bid without a net

Read more about:
EDWARDSVILLE  The population at the Madison County Jail was a hot topic at Fridays Judiciary Committee meeting, with discussion about some of the specific reasons for those numbers and what various agencies are doing to deal with the problem.

A dramatic increase in felony cases in Madison County over the last 10 years is blamed for continued overcrowding in the jail and judges, public defenders and prosecutors all say theres no clear remedy.

During Fridays Judiciary meeting, official contend that, with few exceptions, all current inmates must remain locked up until their cases run the course.

The jail is certified for 312 inmates, but often holds more. On Aug. 1 the population was 329, and the monthly average is 315 so far this year.

According to a report from the Madison County Sheriffs Department the number of felony admissions in 2017 was 4,543, up more than 500 from the previous year and just under 1,200 more than in 2008.

At the same time the number of misdemeanor admissions decreased by about 1,400 between 2008-2017.

Public Defender John Rekowski started the discussion, noting that Madison County Lead Assistant States Attorney Jennifer Mudge contacted his office several days ago, and they were able to get together and move 10 cases out of the jail.

Everybody is trying to work faster, Rekowski said. Were literally moving as fast as we can.

We are now at the point in our jail where the people in our jail need to be there, he added. With low level felonies we are at the point of catch and release.

However, both Chief Circuit Judge David Hylla and Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli, who heads up the criminal courts, said that while they are working with the others to reduce the backlog and move cases, that is not their primary focus.

The focus is justice, not speed, Hylla said.

He also noted specialty courts like the countys Drug Court, Veterans Court and the Domestic Violence Accountability Court are helping move cases and keep people out of jail.

Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons pointed to the ongoing opioid crisis and other drug-related issues as one of the reasons for the increase in felony cases, noting that drug addiction leads to thefts, as well as more serious violent crimes.

Committee Chairman Mike Walters, R-Godfrey, noted it was important that lawmakers and others know why the jail population is so high.

The issue will become especially critical toward the end of the year, when renovation work begins in the cell blocks as part of the $14 million project. At that time, those blocks under construction will have to be emptied.

Madison County Sheriffs Department officials said they are working on a plan to deal with the issue, including moving some inmates to other facilities, but numbers are expected to remain high.

That brought some criticism at last weeks Finance and Government Operations Committee, when committee Chair Lisa Ciampoli, R-Collinsville, questioned what some of those agencies were doing with extra resources given to them in this years budget to combat overcrowding.

There was also a brief discussion about an ongoing feud between the Madison County Sheriffs Department and some of the other law enforcement agencies and the countys Information Technology Department, but Walters cut off discussion, noting that there was nobody at the meeting from IT to present their side of the story.
GODFREY  In an effort to promote workforce development, presidential adviser Ivanka Trump visited the welding program Wednesday at Lewis & Clark Community College.

The visit by Trump, who is the presidents daughter, was part of an effort to promote the presidents Council for the American Worker. The visit came shortly before fall classes are scheduled to begin at the education center.

Accompanying Trump was U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville. Godfrey is in Davis district.

Trump was scheduled to tour the welding facilities at the education center and participate in a roundtable discussion with business leaders, students and administrators to promote workforce development programs, such as the one at the community college, the White House said.

Classes are scheduled to begin Aug. 20 in the $4.5 million, 16,000-square-foot facility, which the college started building in 2016. It has 30 welding stations, which doubles the community colleges welding capacity to help meet demand in the industrial workforce.

Among those in attendance were Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler and Mike Babcock, who is running for state representative in the 111th House District.

Jim Nelson, vice president of external affairs for the Illinois Manufacturing Association, also was among those attending. He said there are more jobs available than candidates to fill the openings.

In manufacturing and some of the career and technical occupations, weve had a serious problem trying to find qualified applicants, of what is now mass manufacturing and transitioning into digital manufacturing, Nelson said.

Cathy Keller of Godfrey, a special education resource teacher at Alton High School, also attended.

I see a lot of students that need an option, because a lot of them are not going to be able to attend a two-year or four-year college for general education studies, Keller said. There will always be a need for people to work as car mechanics or plumbers. What are you going to do when those all dry up? So youve got to have that.

The average age of welders is 56, meaning there will be an additional need in coming years.

The need for welders is expected to grow by 26 percent by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The visit to the 13th Congressional District comes as Davis is being challenged by Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan of Springfield. The Illinois 13th Congressional District is a target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The White House said this was an official trip and wouldnt comment on the political aspect, but did acknowledge the 13th District is an important district for the administration.

Nearly two weeks ago, Davis also attended President Donald Trumps visit to Granite City.

The trip to Lewis & Clark is one of several trips Ivanka Trump is taking across the country during the next several weeks as she highlights the Council for the American Worker.

The White House said there are 6.1 million unfilled jobs in the United States, and training is needed to help people fill future jobs.

Also scheduled to attend were state Rep. John Cavaletto, R-Salem; Godfrey Mayor Mike Cormick; and Jerseyville Mayor Billy Russell.
ST. JOHNS UMC WELCOMES NEW PASTORS

EDWARDSVILLE  St. Johns United Methodist Church welcomes Pastor Grant Armstrong, senior pastor, and Pastor Mary McQuilkin, associate pastor, who recently began their pastoral leadership at the church.

Pastor Armstrong started in broadcast journalism with a degree from Illinois State University, and attended Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis for his Masters of Divinity. He enjoys spending time with his family, wife Amy and children, Lilli, Clara and Theo. He shares the love of Jesus Christ with everyone he meets.

Sometimes he does that while playing the guitar and riding a motorcycle.

Pastor McQuilkin comes to St. Johns as associate pastor with a focus on children, youth, and family ministries. Sheattended MacMurray College where she majored in sign language interpretation and business administration. She worked as a freelance sign language interpreter for several years, before finally responding to the call to ministry.

McQuilkin attended the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, where she graduated with a Masters of Arts in Missional Christianity. She has always had a heart for children and youth, and finding ways for them to be active in the life of the church.

St. Johns UMC has a long-standing history in Edwardsville and is active in serving all of the surrounding communities through mission-center partnerships with local groups and organizations to spread the love of Jesus Christ to all the world.

Pastor Armstrong and Pastor McQuilkin are committed to upholding the mission of St. Johns. To connect with either pastor, contact St. Johns UMC by calling 618-656-1853, via e-mail at stjohnsemail@gmail.com, or online at thenewstjohns.com.
Lockport area residents can experience this kind of event without going to a C2E2 or a Comic-Con and its all free to the public, said Lockport library director Patricia Jarog. The art tells a story and the library is all about telling stories and making sure those stories are available to the public. An event like this in aligned very well with our mission.
To the editor:

In response to Chicago declaring itself a sanctuary city, it is defying federal laws dealing with illegal aliens.

Twenty-six downstate counties are now gun sanctuary counties. By this action, they are sending strong a message to Illinois government, expressly Cook County and Chicago, not to infringe on the rights of law-abiding downstate citizens.

The measure may be symbolic, but we, as law-abiding citizens, must do everything within our power to ensure all our rights, especially the Second Amendment, are not infringed upon by upstate politicians who cant get seem to get their house in order.

Forcing more laws on law-abiding citizens will not solve the gun violence issues Cook County and Chicago are having. Lawbreakers, by their actions, have proven laws mean nothing to them.

The gun violence we all hear about on the news is not a gun issue, but a drug issue. Drug cartels are fighting over territory to increase profits for the drug lords. Criminals in Chicago have resorted to the drugs, gambling, prostitution, terrorizing neighborhoods and other illegal activities. Much the same as the Al Capone days in Chicago, only substitute drugs for alcohol.

Like the old Al Capone days, the the police complain about the lack of support by city officials, district attorneys and judges  often complaining the arresting officer would still be filling out the paperwork and the arrested criminal would be walking out the door.

Yes, Chicago has a major problem, but inflicting more laws on law-abiding citizens is not the answer. As a mater of fact, the lawless scum would like nothing better than to have the average citizen to be unable to defend themselves. This would give the criminal total control over the law-abiding citizens and their families without fear of retaliation.

We, the people of downstate Illinois, cannot and must not let Chicago and upstate politicians legislate our rights away and make us defenseless sheep.

I cannot express enough the importance for the county commissioners all over the state pass a resolution to make their county a gun sanctuary county. The safety of the residents of downstate Illinois and for the preservation of our rights to protect ourselves and our families is in your hands.

Charles Pine

Bluffs
All candidatesshould send their applications to: Jobs@Uganda-sanitation.org with theircurrent curriculum vitae (CM), cover letters, and three professionalreferences. Please include the title and location of the position for which youare applying in the subject field of the email.
Headquartered inRiga, Latvia, Mogo Finance operates in 10+ countries across European Union andCIS region. We offer finance lease, leaseback and instalment loan services withthe most customer-centric borrowing process. Our loan portfolio has grown to EUR100m+ and our ambition is to continue rapid expansion. Successful developmentof Mogo is underpinned by robust capital structure together with strongmanagement team, highly sophisticated IT platform and industry-leading dataanalytics capabilities.
United NationsCapital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UNs capital investment agency for theworlds least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor peopleand their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investmentcapital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia andthe Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict orcrisis. It provides seed capital  grants and loans  and technicalsupport to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and smallbusinesses, and local governments finance the capital investments  watersystems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes  that will improve poorpeoples lives.
Community members came out with their families and friends for the vendors and activities, and to talk to the police officers and law enforcement officials in attendance. Orland Park resident Nikki Hoyt came to the event with her two children, Hailey, 8, and Mason, 6.
The United NationsChildrens Fund (UNICEF) is mandated by the UN general assembly to advocate forthe protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and expandtheir opportunities to reach their full potential. Together with our partners,we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment intopractical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable andexcluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
In the era of selfies, likes, and #hashtags, the tobacco industry has adapted its marketing strategies and embraced social media to promote its addictive and deadly products to a young and online-savvy audience.

In Australia, tough government regulations have stopped tobacco companies from promoting smoking in mass media. But, in Indonesia, one of its closest neighbours, its an entirely different story. The tobacco industry can still advertise cigarettes on television, radio and billboards. And now, its using popular social media channels to market its products too.

PT HM Sampoerna/Philip Morris International (PMI) is one of the biggest tobacco companies operating in Indonesia. It has systematically linked a music concert series, SoundrenAline, that it sponsors, to internet-based marketing activities. These activities target young people to associate smoking with music, creativity, and self expression.

A staggering 225,700 deaths are attributed to tobacco use every year in Indonesia. Two out of three adult men in Indonesia smoke daily.

Young Indonesians are also smoking. Nearly 20% of Indonesian junior high school students (aged 13 to 15 years) smoke. But nothing epitomises Indonesias addiction to smoking better than the notorious news story of the toddler who smoked up to 40 cigarettes a day.

Public health stakeholders around the world agree to curb the tobacco epidemic, especially among young people, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship must be banned.

In 2012, the Indonesian government adopted a tobacco control regulation that includes some limitations on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Under the regulation, tobacco companies are banned from sponsoring events that are covered by the media. If they sponsor events not covered by the media, they are banned from using brand names and logos at those events. But outdoor advertising is permitted, except for designated smoke-free areas and main roads. The maximum size for outdoor ad is a generous 72 m2.

For print media, few meaningful restrictions apply, except that tobacco ads are banned from front cover of publications.

Online ads require age verification the viewer is above 18, and posted images and content should not encourage smoking.

TV can broadcast tobacco ads between 9.30pm and 5.00am. Indonesia is one of the only countries in the world that still allows tobacco commercials to be broadcast on television. All tobacco ads are required to have a pictorial health warning. In print ads 15% of the surface area and 10% of the total time of broadcast ads.

This patchwork, and only partial ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, coupled with weak enforcement, offers an ideal opportunity for Indonesian tobacco companies to evade and circumvent tobacco control regulations

In 2017, PMI launched a global campaign announcing that the company was committed to a smoke free future. As part of this effort, PMI funded the Foundation for a Smoke Free World claiming that it serve[s] as a convener of research, dialogue and ideas to reduce smoking globally.

It seems this worldwide campaign doesnt apply to Indonesia, or other low and middle income countries where PMI operates.

In Indonesia, PMI still aggressively advertises cigarettes to young people. PMI spent US$94 million on television advertising alone in 2016. Since 2002, PMI has been sponsoring a long standing concert series SoundrenAline. In 2016, it held a contest to redesign the package of one of its flagship brands, the A bran.

We conducted a case study to document the use of conventional and new media to promote PMIs A brand. We looked at how the company evades the regulation on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

In 2016, the marketing strategy of the A brand included four key approaches:

1) sponsorship of the SoundrenAline music concert series

2) a competition to create a limited edition A Mild cigarette package

3) creation and hosting of an A brand-centered social networking website

4) posts on popular social media channels that leveraged the SoundrenAline event promotion.

In 2014, PMI removed the brand name of A Mild from its concert series. It renamed the A Mild SoundrenAline concert series to simply SoundrenAline.

At the 2016 concert, four different stages offered a variety of music genres and in addition to Indonesian acts, featured three high profile international bands: The Temper Trap from Australia, Block Party from the UK and Simple Plan from Canada.

Concert goers were addressed from the stages by the emcee and performers encouraged to go ahead people  a direct link to the A brand tagline.

A celebrated young Indonesian artist Leonard Theoshabrata won the limited edition A Mild pack design competition. His design was a red finger print. A special tagline go ahead x leo was developed as part of the pack.

The pack, printed on a special metal case with a cartoon-like back cover, contained a description of the design and how it endorsed the A brand image. The pack was also featured at the SoundreAline concert.

PMI created an online social networking community for A brand enthusiasts and future customers. At goaheadpeople.id registrants can click on links and find activities where they can learn, meet, create and sell creative products and get involved in projects or challenges.

Just like popular social media platforms, registrants can post comments, give likes and interact with other registrants and participate in off-line meet up events.

This creativity and empowerment message was not just shared with concert goers or members of the goaheadpoeple site, but also to the wider public through the social media channel Instagram. More than 65,000 Instagram posts marked with an A brand marketing #hashtags were found.

PMI evaded the regulation by simply changing the concert name, placing the health warning Smoking Kills on promotional material and supposedly restricting concert goers and promotional website users to age 18+.

PT HM Sampoerna director of corporate affairs Elvira Liania to The Conversation said that they market and sell their products to adult smokers (18 years old and above) and that they warn consumers about the health effects of their products. Elvira added that Sampoerna cooperates with 40,000 retail partners in Indonesia to place messages about banning cigarette sales to minors.

However, cigarette sales to children is high and thats the reality on the ground. Data from Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2014 shows 64% of school age children can buy cigarettes easily.

As to the concert, its true that they only allow people 18 years of age and above to enter. However, the use of Instagram in the marketing of the concert eliminates that age boundary in the exposure on the promotion for the concert thats sponsored by the tobacco companns

Public health is always playing catch up with tobacco industry tactics. However, low-cost and easily applied actions could prevent high profile events, like the SoundrenAline concert, from going ahead.

For example, local governments in Indonesia have the authority to reject permits of any tobacco-sponsored event. Local governments could also designate all concert venues as smoke free, this would include prohibiting all tobacco promotions at the venue.

Banning online tobacco promotions will require the actual development of concrete actions, rather than the vague and unenforced notions currently in place.

Finally, Indonesia must join the rest of Southeast Asian region and sign the WHO global health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to demonstrate its true commitment to a smoke free world.

Putu Ayu Swandewi Astuti, Phd Candidate in Public Health, University of Sydney and Becky Freeman, Sr Research Fellow/ Sr Lecturer, University of Sydney

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
The Oscars academy, in what is seen as an attempt to prop up sagging numbers, has announced some major changes, starting with a shorter three-hour ceremony and the addition of a popular films category. The changes were intimated in an email to the members of the Academy, said John Bailey, the newly re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and film Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, reported Reuters. The previous edition, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, had witnessed an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers, an almost 19 per cent dip when compared to the previous year. "We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world," Hudson and Bailey wrote in the mail.

In addition, the awards will be presented both live and during commercial breaks, with the winning moments edited and aired in later broadcast, reported Reuters. While the 2019 ceremony will air on February 24, the 2020 date will be earlier, on February 9.

But, critics are questioning how the nominations for the popular films category will pan out. How much difference will there be, between the popular and the arthouse offerings? According to Reuters, The Shape of Water grossed $57.4 million in the United States by the time the awards aired and $63.9 million total. The biggest Academy Awards audience on record came in 1998, when the blockbuster Titanic was named best picture.

Detractors on Twitter said the award was a second-tier honor and mocked it as "the Black Panther award." "This is desperation," wrote Kristopher Tapley, awards editor for Hollywood trade publication Variety. "Here comes the Academy, establishing a corner to which voters can banish (Black Panther) and other films like it with a pat on the head and a thanks for playing. The Academy could have waited to see the impact on the best picture race from its push to diversify its membership, said Allison Wilmore, awards critic for Buzzfeed News. "There's a lot of reasons to believe that would have shaken up the hidebound ideas of what an Oscar movie is," she said.

-Inputs from Reuters




India has repeatedly assured Bangladesh that the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) that was released recently in Assam is only a draft list, which was prepared under the directions of the Supreme Court, said ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

"Bangladesh, too, says that the NRC is an internal matter of India and it will have no impact on the bilateral relationship between the two nations," Kumar added.

The same assurance was also given to a visiting Member of Parliament Al Haj Maizvandary, who met minister of state for home a few days ago.

The NRC draft released recently leaves out about 40 lakh people residing in the state. Assam has borne the brunt of illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the NRC draft was a much delayed attempt at establishing the legal residents of the state. The cut off date for this was 1971.

While officials say that those whose names do not feature on the list will be given chance to prove their credentials, it is not clear what happens to those who cannot.

Indications are clear that Bangladesh may not accept these people as the country is already battling the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
The bandh called by the Maratha groups on Thursday has had minimal impact in Mumbai and Thane. Aapli buses go off the road in Nagpur leaving people stranded.

Places in Marathwada, western Maharashtra, Thane and Navi Mumbai had witnessed maximum violence during bandhs called by Maratha organisations in late June to press the community's demand for reservation. Old Pune-Mumbai highway at Kanhe Phata and Vadgaon Maval blocked by protestors. complete bandh in Hinjewadi village which is home to Rajiv Gandhi IT park. Buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, not plying as a precautionary measure in Pune. Isolated incidents of attacks on buses have been reported in Pune, Kolhapur and Beed.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, one of the groups leading the agitation, has declared that the bandh would exclude Navi Mumbai and Thane. The bandh organisers also claim the agitation would not affect the functioning of schools, colleges and essential services. However, educational institutions were reported to be shut in Navi Mumbai. Some media reports claimed that Maratha leaders had stated there won't be any disruption to life in Mumbai.

Maximum number of police personnel will be deployed across the metro cities and at sensitive locations in Aurangabad Rural, Pune Rural and western Maharashtra, a police official said. The bandh by Maratha groups is expected to end at 6pm.

District authorities in Pune ordered the closure of schools and colleges and cautioned IT companies to either declare a holiday or enforce contingency measures such as early arrival and departure of employees on account of the bandh by Maratha groups. Approximately 15,000 police personnel have been deployed in Pune Rural and City areas. Some local bus services in Pune have been suspended or routes altered on account of the Maratha bandh.

The 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.

(With PTI inputs)
In its lawsuit filed in February 2014, Alarm Detection Systems alleged that the district and Tyco had conspired to restrain or monopolize trade in the market for fire alarm monitoring.
In an effort to rid the opposition of reasons to protest against the triple talaq bill, which has been stuck in the Rajya Sabha, the Union cabinet on Thursday approved amendments in the proposed legislation, which include a provision to allow the magistrate to give bail to the accused.

The cabinet cleared three amendments to the bill, the most important of which is that while triple talaq will continue to be a non-bailable offence, it will be up to the magistrate to decide if the accused can be granted bail.

It has been made compoundable. If the wife and the husband desire to settle their differences then the magistrate can compound the offence on appropriate terms and conditions. Magistrate can grant bail after hearing the wife, said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law and Justice.

Another amendment to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 will now ensure that an FIR against a husband who gives triple talaq instantaneously and breaks marriage, shall only become cognisable when it is filed by the victim or somebody in a blood relation or a relation by marriage.

The bill, which was introduced after the Supreme Court declared instant triple talaq unconstitutional and hence illegal, makes the practice a criminal offence. It was passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2017, after a number of amendments sought by opposition parties were rejected.

By bringing in amendments to the bill, the government has made an effort to soften the opposition to it by BJP's rival parties. The bill is stuck in the Rajya Sabha, where the opposition has a substantial presence. A number of parties had expressed serious reservations with the bill, especially with the provision to make triple talaq a criminal offence and providing for jail term for those found guilty of it.

Referring to the political backdrop of the bill, Prasad said he wanted to appeal to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to support it. I want to appeal to Sonia Gandhi to clearly state her party's stand...like your party did not vote against the bill in the Lok Sabha, we expect the same from you in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said.

Our government has strengthened the bill as much as possible, and we have also now allayed all the apprehensions that were there with regard to the bill, Prasad said.
When it comes to delivering a political riposte, no one does it better than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He artfully blunted Congress attack on him for being in cahoots with a few rich businessmen by saying even Mahatma Gandhi shared a relationship with the Birlas, and he has nothing to hide. But the Modi government needed something more to prove that it was not ignoring the marginalised. As elections near, and the pressure from certain communities mounting across the country, the government brought in two legislations which would impact 70 per cent of the countrys population (OBCs and the dalits put together).

The parliament passed The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, and The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017, which gives constitutional status to the OBC commission. The national backward commission would get empowered to include different castes as backward category thus passing them the benefit of reservation, apart from addressing the complaints of the atrocities against them.

These two bills come with immediate political ramifications. Whatever, maybe the reasons, it would certainly give the saffron party bragging rights in the elections. All the opposition parties supported both the bills.

The politics of mandal and kamandalcombining social justice with Hindutvawhich delivered handsome gains to the BJP in 2014 is back with these two bills.

Many feel that if the BJP had its way, it may not have opposed the Supreme Court order on the SC/ST Act which redefined the penal provisions to prevent its misuse. The core constituents of the party, the upper castes, were the ones who felt that the Act was draconian in nature. That was until on April 2, when dalits erupted in protests across the country. Violence claimed over a dozen lives. The dalit MPs within the BJP expressed their apprehensions over the judgment, while allies like Ramvilas Paswan and Ramadas Athawale went public with their demands.

The final trigger came when NDA government appointed Justice A.K. Goyal, who had delivered the judgment, as chairperson of the National Green Tribunal on his superannuation from the SC. The dalits saw this as a provocative step and NDA allies, Paswan and Athawale, whose politics is based on the dalits, were left with no choice. A new date of nationwide agitation on August 9 would have consolidated the opposition against the government.

We are happy. It's a historic moment. Modi government has brought the bill. A perception was being created that he was not in favour of dalits. We also come from the same community. It is an answer to those people. I had said earlier also it took less than a year to change (former PM) V.P. Singh's image from being a raja to a faqir (as he brought Mandal commission). He (Modi) is born as one (faqir). He will not have trouble clearing this air (of him being pro-rich), Paswan who was the key minister to raise voice for the bill told THE WEEK.

Now, the Dalit anger is gone. We are getting the feedback. I would now travel across the country to tell the people and the dalits what this government has given them by overturning the Supreme Court order, he said.

Minister of social justice, Thawarchand Gehlot, admitted that the accused could have got away after the exemptions given by the Supreme Court in the penal provisions. The government brought in a new section in the bill which said no preliminary enquiry shall be required for registration of an FIR; or approval needed by the investigating officer for the arrest of the accused. This effectively overturns the apex court order. Gehlot said even if there were allegations of people hoisting fake cases, that percentage was merely around 10-12, and at least 88 per cent of the people were getting justice.

But the opposition is not ready to buy government's arguments, even though they supported the bill in both the houses of the Parliament.

This was not part of their conviction. Neither Babasaheb Ambedkar nor social justice and communal harmony was part of their agenda. Only RSS ideology matters to them. Gandhi does not matter to them. They are the kamandal, only we are the mandal. They do only votebank politics, Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav, RJD MP, told THE WEEK. The anger of dalits is still there. They know that it was the BJP government which used police against them.

His Lok Sabha colleague from the NCP, Tariq Anwar, concurs, The bill was brought under compulsion. This was brought after April 2 agitation. It was only when government felt it can no longer push away the issue that it brought it in with an eye on elections.

CPI Rajya Sabha MP D. Raja told THE WEEK that the government should have put the bill under the ninth schedule so that no one could temper with again. It is too little and too late. Already many people are still facing cases and arrest after the April 2 protests, he added.

A large section of dalits had voted for the BJP during the 2014 elections. But they appeared to return to their traditional camps in the BSP and other parties as BJP latched on to aggressive Hindu nationalism. BJP hoped that after this bill is passed, the dalits votes would not impact them so much in upcoming polls in Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which saw the maximum protests in April.

The significant initiative in extending the reservation to different communities through the national commission for backward castes fits into the caste politics played across the country. It was only after the BJP tried to sew a rainbow coalition involving parties representing different castes that it could do so well in the Hindi heartland especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Politically, this commission could hit at the very politics of some parties like the RJD and the SP which have Yadavs as the dominated group. As more communities will be brought under the umbrella of the reservation, they will feel empowered too, and thus assert their individuality. The government has already set up a panel for sub-categorisation of the OBCs.

There was a demand from the OBC community. And even the standing committee of the parliament had recommended the Bill. The 27 per cent reservation of OBC will address inclusion and empowerment. We wanted to bring this bill much earlier, two years ago, but Congress played the minority vote bank politics and tried to derail it as they had the majority in Rajya Sabha.

We believe over 10,000 communities in the country will be benefitted by this commission, BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav told THE WEEK. Yadav also headed the select committee of the upper house which studied the bill.

Congress MP and Punjab state party president, Sunil Jakhar, told THE WEEK, It is the compulsion of the 2019 elections. It is not part of their ideology. Their aim is to steer the debate away from issues of demonetisation, implementation of GST. Did Modi speak on issue like Muzafarpur shelter rape case?
A senior BJP leader has reiterated the party's demand that it be allowed to deploy drones to monitor security for a much-awaited rally at Kolkata on August 11 that will be addressed by party chief Amit Shah.

Kailash Vijayavargiya told mediapersons on Thursday that drones were essential as lakhs of people were expected to gather at the rally venue at Gandhi Statue on Mayo Road in Kolkata on Saturday. The rally featuring Shah is expected to start around 11am and stretch into the afternoon.

On Wednesday, the BJP had first raised the demand for it to be allowed to use drones to monitor Shah's rally. BJP West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh also sought that BJP members be allowed to carry walkie-talkies to coordinate security at the event.

Reacting to the BJP's demand, an official of the Kolkata Police had said, "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 build-up to Shah's rally has been accompanied by controversy, including claims the Kolkata Police had denied permission for the event. Shah had declared his intention to address the event and reportedly dared the Trinamool Congress government to arrest him. The BJP has billed the Shah rally as a show of strength ahead of the coming general election. The party had threatened street protests if permission was not granted for Shah's rally.

The demand for increased security for Shah comes after over 90 people were injured when a tent collapsed over them at a rally being addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Midnapore in July. The BJP had claimed the Mamata Banerjee government had ignored its security concerns about the event.

(With PTI inputs)
The article was first published in THE WEEK issue dated October 1, 2000.

Gangland killings are not unusual in Thailand, where the trade in drugs, guns and illegal immigrants flourish under the nose of the authorities. So, when seven nattily dressed men got out of a limousine at 9 p.m. on September 15, the night guard at the Sawan Court in Bangkok's fashionable Sukhumvit area did not suspect anything. To his surprise, two of them held guns to his head even as the other five walked briskly up to the second floor of the luxury condominium. They headed straight for Flat C3, where Indian jeweller Michael D'Souza and family lived. All that Sombat Kansompien, the unfortunate night guard, could recollect was hearing several gunshots and the assailants speeding away in the limousine.

When the police eventually arrived on the scene, they found the bulletridden body of D'Souza and his injured wife Sikandi Hama. Their Indian guest for the night was found on the first floor of the building, with bullets in his arms and stomach.

He had broken his legs when he jumped from the second-floor balcony in his attempt to escape the assailants. The police also found 48 spent cartridges. No valuables were missing; the killers did not even touch the 300,000 baht (Thai currency) that was lying around.

The two survivors of what seemed a professional hit-job were rushed to Samitivej Hospital further down Sukhumvit Road. The police had no trouble identifyingthejeweller couple, but their guest turned a problem. He was too badly wounded to be able to speak. However, his passport and subsequent inquiries at Bangkok's immigration office revealed that his name was Vijay Daman, and that he was a 'house guest', staying with the D'Souzas in their Sukhumvit flat. Daman had entered Thailand from either Malaysia or Australia, concluded the police. But the violent and well-organised nature of the crime prompted the authorities to involve the Special Branch.

Apparently, they also sought the help of the Indian embassy in Bangkok, as the shooters seemed to be Indians. Slowly, the truth came tumbling out: Vijay Daman was, in fact, Rajendra Sadashiv Nikhalje, better known as Chhota Rajan, a Mumbai underworld don who was lying low in Bangkok following a crackdown on his activities in Australia. Michael D'Souza turned out to be Rajan's ace marksman and confidant Rohit Verma. Fearing another attempt on Rajan's life the police tightened security around the Samitivej Hospital and asked the authorities not to entertain any queries on the condition of the injured. The police themselves were reluctant to talk about the incident. This resulted in an informationstarved media giving out confusing news about the attack and the aftermath.

First it was reported that Rajan was killed along with Verma. Then came the news that Rajan was shifted to his former base, Kuala Lumpur, for safety reasons. All of which were found to be false. The police now claim that Rajan and Verma's wife are recovering in the Samitivej Hospital and that Verma was the only person killed in the shootout. It was later reported that Bharat alias Raju Nepali, another Rajan man, was in the sitting room when the shooting took place. He reportedly escaped.

In their attempt to track down the culprits, the police released a 'wanted' poster, with sketches of four of the seven gunmen. Help was also sought from the Mumbai Police to solve what appeared to be a mystery killing. The two 9mm guns, believed to have been used in the shootout and which were found near the General Post Office in Bangkok, were sent to the Scientific Crime Detection Division for examination. Police said the killers had used three 9 mm pistols in the shootout, one of which is yet to be recovered.

A more down-to-earth investigation would perhaps have instantly unearthed the motive for the killing. The cheap restaurants and guest houses around Bangkok's General Post Office have for years been popular hang-outs of people from the subcontinent, mainly Muslims. Rajan's rival Davvood Ibrahim has his main power base in Bangkok in the area. Dawood's other base in Bangkok is the Nana area near the Pakistani Embassy, where Sukhumvit Road begins.

Dawood's men have for years had a presence in Bangkok, where they are involved in drug smuggling and the procurement of arms from the black market in Thailand and the Thai-Cambodian border. The possibility of Pakistani involvement for, or protection of, these activities cannot be ruled out, given the close relationship between Dawood's gang and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The Thai Police achieved a breakthrough when they arrested three Pakistanis and a Thai national in connection with the shootout. Mohammad Yousuf, 48, was arrested a day after the killing from Sukhumvit Soi 5. (Soi is a lane off the main road. The flat where the shooting took place was on Sukhumvit Soi 26.) Soi 5 is a well-known hangout for people from the Middle East and is full of shops and restaurants owned by Muslims from the Middle East and Africa.

The other two Pakistani nationals, Muhammad Salim, 33, and Slier Khan, 36, were picked up from the Robinson Department Store in downtown Bangkok on September 19). The naturalised Thai of Pakistan origin, Chavalit alias Rajif Arunkiat, 51, was arrested from his apartment in northern Bangkok soon after. Chavalit, a Thai Muslim who hails from Narathiwat in the Muslim-dominated south, is the only Thai citizen in the 11- member team (four Pakistanis and six Indians apart from the Thai) Chhota Shakeel sent to kill Rajan.

Four people who formed part of the actual assault team are still at large. They have been identified as Farid Khan, Muhammad Salim, Muhammad Salem, and Majid Iyaz. While three of them have reportedly fled the country, one of them is still believed to be in Thailand. Yousuf was supposed to leave on September 22 but had the misfortune of losing his passport in a taxi. Before he could get a fake passport he was caught. All the foreigners entered Thailand on a Thai International flight on September 14, but the police are clueless as to where they boarded the flight.

Those arrested confessed to the police that Dawood's most trusted lieutenant, Karachi-based Chhota Shakeel, offered to pay them 40 million baht ($1 million) to kill Rajan. The office of Major-General Krisda Phankongchuen, Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, confirmed to THE WEEK that Chhota Shakeel had sent the gunmen to kill Rajan. "Shakeel wanted to take revenge on Rajan because he killed Shakeel's 17 associates," said the commander's office. "Rajan, who might be involved in the narcotic business, was seriously wounded along with Rohit Verma's wife."

Chavalit arranged shelter, weapons and food for the killers in Thailand. The police claim that they made the arrested men telephone their Indian contacts and ask the rest of the killers to surrender. The Thai police are confident that they have nabbed "the right guys", but that is far from certain. The main gunmen seem to have got away; those arrested may be only minor aides.

Rajan apparently came to Bangkok to finalise a dubious business deal involving the sale of a ship. Rajan was operating from a ship in the international waters off the Malaysian coast factory in Cambodia. Police said Verma was extremely rich and led a flashy lifestyle. The factory and the company, they said, might have been covers for hanging around in Bangkok, far away from Mumbai. But there is nothing so far to indicate that he was involved in illegal activities in Thailand and Cambodia.

Bangkok is an ideal hide-out for criminals and political extremists as long as they do not settle their internal disputes in Thailand. The LTTE, Sikh militants, Thuingaleng Muivah's National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the Russian Mafia as well as various European and North American terrorist organisations are known to have been using Thailand for years as a base for rest and recreation.

Dawood's hitmen broke the golden rule of staying quiet in Thailand, which may be the reason why the Thai Police have given top priority to this case. Rajan and Verma may have also overstepped the boundaries of what is permissible in Thailand, and, therefore, attracted the attention of the Thai police as well as his own business rivals. Rajan is said to have been involved in the lucrative trade in illegal immigrants from Sydney, where he lived. Sydney was safer than any other place for him since the D Company's presence is limited there.

Verma's "jewellery business", said the police, may have to do with the diamond trade. Since civil wars broke out in Namibia, the Congo and Sierra Leone, sending diamonds to cutting centres in Europe or South Africa has become both dangerous and expensive. Bangkok, with its lax regulations, has emerged as a convenient alternative, and the upper end of Sukhumvit, where the Dawood gang often hangs out, is a centre of such activities. Indian intelligence agencies are reportedly looking into the possibility of having Rajan extradited to India as soon as he recovers. However, Indian embassy sources revealed that the government is yet to put in an extradition request. Thailand and India do not have an extradition treaty, which means Rajan may be as lucky as Muivah. After all, he is less guilty than Muivah as he has not committed any crimes in Thailand. Being a Mumbai don, and being the target of an assassination attempt, are not crimes in Thailand.
Days after media reports highlighted that OnePlus had become the leader in the premium smartphone segment in India in June by garnering nearly 40 per cent market share, another Chinese brand has declared its interest in the segment.

Xiaomi, which has been known in recent years for its popular Mi and Redmi series of affordable smartphones, is now eyeing the premium smartphone segment. A smartphone is typically labelled as being 'premium', if its price exceeds Rs 25,000 and has advanced camera and other user interface features.

Xiaomi vice president Manu Jain told reporters on Wednesday the time has now come to launch phone above the price of Rs 20,000. He was speaking at the India launch of the Mi A2 smartphone that uses Google's Android One platform; the Xiaomi Mi A2 is currently priced at Rs 16,999.

Xiaomi's highest-price smartphone is the Mi MIX2, which is currently priced at Rs 29,999.

Ironically, both OnePlus and Xiaomi arrived in India around the same time in 2014, but competed in different market segments.

Jain explained that the average price of smartphones in India has risen from Rs 5,500 to Rs 9,000 since when Xiaomi arrived in the country. He argued Xiaomi was looking to offer customers upgrade options.

According to Counterpoint Research, OnePlus had a market share of 40 per cent in June, ahead of both Samsung and Apple. In addition to offering attractive features on its eponymous series of smartphones, OnePlus has also relied on aggressive pricing and social media promotions to expand its market share in India. OnePlus's most expensive offering in India is the OnePlus 6, which is priced at Rs 39,999 currently.

Both Xiaomi and OnePlus have also attempted to stress that India has become more than a market for them, highlighting efforts to show investment in research and development and manufacturing in the country.

In addition to OnePlus and Xiaomi, other Chinese majors such as Vivo and Honor (owned by Huawei) are also eyeing expansion in the Indian market.

(With PTI inputs)
A Thailand court has ruled in favour of India's request for extraditing gangster Chhota Shakeel's close aide Mudassar Hussain Sayyed alias Munna Zingada, whom Pakistan was trying to claim as its national, an official said on Thursday.

The order was passed by a court in Bangkok on Wednesday and is in Thai language, he said, terming it as a "victory" for the Mumbai Crime Branch in an international court.

The court's ruling is being seen as a setback for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as Zingada's extradition could help India's claim about Ibrahim's presence in Pakistan.

Dawood Ibrahim is the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that left nearly 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.

The Thailand court ruled in favour of India's request for extradition as Zingada is an Indian national, the official of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.

The court has given one-month time to Zingada to challenge the order, and in the meantime authorities at the Indian embassy in Thailand will issue a warrant against him to start his extradition process, he said.

Read more: When Chhota Shakeel paid $1million to get Chhota Rajan killed

Zingada, 50, a native of the Jogeshwari area in Mumbai and a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, had gone to Bangkok in 2000 to eliminate gangster Chhota Rajan at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Rajan had survived the attack but his close aide Rohit Verna was killed.

After the attack, Zingada had fled to Pakistan and returned to Thailand in 2001 with a Pakistani passport.

He was then arrested in Thailand and convicted in the case of attack on Rajan.

Zingada served 16 years in a Thailand prison after the conviction, the official said, adding that India was constantly trying for his extradition since last few years.

Pakistan was also trying to take his custody through the diplomatic channel by submitting his Pakistani passport and school leaving certificate to the Thai authorities.

However, the Indian authorities provided a strong proof of Zingada's nationality by submitting his finger print details, ration card, voter identity card and DNA samples of his kin, the official said.

In 2016, the Crime Branch team had travelled to Thailand to expedite the process.

The police team had submitted in a Thai court a dossier on Zingada, mentioning his crime record in Mumbai during his stay between 1994-97 along with his personal details, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Trump administration said on Wednesday it would impose new sanctions against Russia to punish Moscow for the use of a nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK.

The State Department said in a brief statement that the sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in March".

The US, on August 6, determined that the Russian government "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The statement said that following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect around August 22.

Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that Moscow was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 that had left Skripal and his daughter hospitalised in critical condition.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which "requires the president to make a determination with respect to whether a country 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.

The Washington Post quoted a State Department official as saying that the sanctions could have a significant impact on trade with Russia, including prohibition of licenses on sending some US goods there, such as electronic devices.

"But unless Russia agrees within 90 days to stop all use of chemical weapons and permit inspections to confirm their elimination, additionally mandated measures could cut off almost all trade between the two countries, prohibit landing rights for Russian airlines and lead to a suspension of diplomatic relations," the Washington Post report said.

In March, the Trump administration had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russians from the US, following similar actions taken by other countries in the wake of the allegation by the UK that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack.

Of the 60 Russians expelled, 12 are intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission to the United Nations who have been accused of abusing their privilege of residence in the United States.

"After a review, we have determined that the 12 intelligence operatives engaged in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. Our actions are consistent with the UN Headquarters Agreement," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said.

Russia had responded with a similar number of diplomatic expulsions and ordered the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.
Bengal holds roadshows to promote MSME Conclave

Kolkata, Aug 9 (PTI) To boost the micro, small and

medium enterprises (MSMEs) which have been doing well in the

state, the West Bengal government is trying to aggressively

promote a two-day 'Synergy State MSME Conclave' on August

20-21, 2018.

State MSME Secretary Alapon Bandhyopadhay today held a

roadshow at Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry

to woo MSMEs to participate in the conclave apart from

conducting district-level meetings.

West Bengal has the highest number of MSMEs in the

country with 52,69,814 units, accounting for 11.62 per cent of

the overall number.

In 2017, the state recorded the biggest bank credit

flow to the MSME sector in the last five years at USD 15

billion.

The conclave, scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief

Minister Mamata Banerjee, is expected to be attended by over

5,000 MSMEs besides experts from various fields.

The conclave will focus on lean manufacturing, rural

entrepreneurship, and sensitise alternate bank financing

routes like initial public offering. PTI BSM

JM JM

JM
Will County is known for its problem solving courts because we offer so many adjunct services to make sure our people are successful, McCabe-Sterr said. I hope the county steps up to the plate if it does get a pot of money.
Srinagar, Aug 9 (PTI) The Srinagar airport was "technically" cleared for night operations after first night landing and taking off of a commercial aircraft was undertaken here this evening, officials said.

A GoAir Airbus with nine members of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indian Air Force personnel and the crew took off from the Sheikh-ul-Alam airport this evening at 1935 hours, the officials said.

After being airborne for over 30 minutes, the aircraft successfully landed at the airport at 2015 hours after making third approach towards the runway, they said, adding that "technically it has been cleared but a final decision will be taken soon".

Director of the Srinagar International Airport Aakash Deep Mathur said, "Everything went off smoothly and now the DGCA will meet in the national capital and discuss other modalities."

"We are looking for a date anytime after August 15 to start the night operations," he said.

The test flight was carried out to assess the feasibility and allied issues pertaining to landing of the aircraft during night, the officials said.

The DGCA team took off from the airport after holding a meeting at the Srinagar airport.

So far, only GoAir has opted for night slots, Mathur said.

At present, the last flight from the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir takes off at 5.45 pm. Once night flying operations begin, this is expected to be extended till 10 pm.

The Srinagar airport, which was given international status in 2005 and is the main airport in the Kashmir Valley, handles 38 domestic flights a day. The only international flights operating from the airport are during the Haj pilgrimage.

The proposal for night flights in Srinagar was mooted by the Omar Abdullah-led government in 2011 but was kept in abeyance as the strategically located airport is also used by the Indian Air Force.

The Centre recently decided to finalise the operations and asked the IAF to clear the decks for night flights after state Governor N N Vohra took up the matter with the ministries of defence and civil aviation, officials said.

The increase in flying hours is likely to boost the tourism sector in the state. However, airport authorities may not allow night flights during winters as part of safety measures against snow and fog, officials said.

The Jammu airport has been designated as an alternative airport in case of exigencies, they said. PTI SKL GVS

GVS
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) John Abraham says at a time when the world is getting polarised, it is important that one community is not blamed for everything that goes wrong in the society.

The 45-year-old actor, who has made a number of films dealing with patriotism, including his next release "Satyamev Jayate", was asked about the lynching incidents in the country and how religion has become a controversial topic today.

"The whole world is getting polarised and by polarised I mean that it is going against a particular community right now. It has become our mind-set that if there is something wrong, then that particular community is causing all the harm. I think we should first get that out of our heads because only then you can judge people rightly," Abraham said in a group interview here.

The actor, whose film tackles the issue of corruption, said communalisation creates more problems.

"If you are communalising them, then they become fringe elements and after that they become extremists. You are creating the terror. So I think the world is kind of a dangerous place to live in right now," he added.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who stars with Abraham in the Milan Zaveri-directed film, said he had also undertaken a 'Kanwar Yatra' at the age of 17 and has wonderful memories of that journey.

He, however, said he did not identify with what he was reading about 'Kawariyas' in the news, hinting at the widely circulated video in which a group of Kanwar pilgrims were seen wrecking a car in the middle of the traffic in Delhi.

"When we are not sure about who we are, we try to rely on something to establish our identity. Religion is the easiest way to do that. I also took 'Kanwar Yatra' from Sultangunj to Baidyanath temple at the age of 17... I have wonderful memories of that time. I would like to keep those memories with me and not the ones that I am reading about in the newspapers.

"People like us, who are aware, we have to decide what we identify with and what we don't. We are not protecting the religion, we are making it a thing of ridicule. We should not let that happen. Religion means trust. How can I let my trust be a thing of ridicule? It is our duty to stop that."

""Satyamev Jayate" is releasing on Independence Day. PTI RB BK

BK
Dhaka, Aug 9 (PTI) A former British-Bangladeshi teacher today walked out of jail following his acquittal in the 2016 Dhaka cafe attack case nearly two years after his arrest in the brazen terror assault in which 22 people, including an Indian girl, were killed.

Former North South University teacher Hasnat Rezaul Karim and his family were at the Holey Artisan Cafe and Bakery on July 1, 2016 when five militants with assault rifles and machetes stormed the popular cafe in the capital's posh Gulshan neighbourhood. Hasnat, a 49-year-old British national of Bangladeshi origin, was among the several other diners released by the terrorists in the early morning of July 2 before the army stormed it.

Hasnat, though apparently a hostage during the attack, had been kept under close watch since the day.

Police detained him in August 2016 under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows making arrest without a warrant.

One of the five attackers killed in the raid to free the hostages was also found to be a student of North South University.

However, investigators found no evidence against Hasnat and his name had been left off the charge sheet, the bdnews reported.

An anti-terrorism tribunal in Dhaka yesterday issued arrest warrants for two fugitives after accepting the charges

against eight suspected Islamic State militants in the cafe attack case.

The tribunal ordered the release of Hasnat after police investigation found no evidence of his terror link.

The authorities at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur released him this afternoon after court documents reached the prison last night.

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.

None of those arrested alive named Hasnat. His involvement was not found during any stage of investigations. Thats why we have not included his name in the charge sheet, Monirul Islam, chief of polices Counterterrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit, said after filing the charge sheet.

Hasnat had tried to secure bail several times but failed as the court agreed with state lawyers that he might be named in the charge sheet.

After his detention, Abdul Baten, who was a joint commissioner of the Detective Branch, said the former university teacher was shown arrested in the cafe attack case because specific evidence of his involvement in the attack was found.

Hasnats wife had denied the allegation, saying they had to act on orders from the militants.

The Islamic State group said it had carried out the cafe attack -- a claim rejected by Bangladesh.

Law enforcers in Bangaldesh have blamed the revived faction of home-grown militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Neo-JMB for the attack in which 22 people including an Indian girl and 17 foreigners were killed. PTI PMS AKJ PMS

PMS
Colombo, Aug 9 (PTI) A hydrographic survey ship of the Chinese Navy has arrived at the port of Colombo on a four-day goodwill visit, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

'Qian Weichang, the ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lankan Navy in accordance with the force's traditions upon its arrival yesterday.

During the ship's stay in the country, the crew will participate in events organised by the Lankan Navy as well as visit places of tourist attraction in the island nation.

The 129-metre-long and 17-metre-wide vessel which has a displacement of 4,900 tonnes is manned by 158 officers and sailors.

The arrival of the Chinese naval ship assumes significance in the wake of the communist giant recently gaining control of the Hambantota port in Lanka, raising concerns that China could use the harbour for military purposes.

Several media reports suggested that the deepwater port, which is near a main shipping route between Asia and Europe, is likely to play a major role in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI, also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt, is a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government which focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.

The Chinese government calls the initiative "a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future". However, other nations see it as a push by China to take a larger role in global affairs with a China-centred trading network. PTI CORR/SCY SCY

SCY
\R Dhaka, Aug 9 (PTI) An Indian national has been arrested by the Bangladesh Custom officials at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here for allegedly smuggling gold bars worth Tk 6.15 crore (Rs 4.7 crore), said a media report today.

Arshad Ayaz Ahmed arrived in Dhaka from Thailand on a Thai Airlines flight last Thursday, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

On the basis of a tip-off, the Custom House preventive team followed the passenger and intercepted him at the green channel of the airport around 1 am, Dhaka Customs House Deputy Commissioner Othello Chowdhury said.

On searching the body of Ahmed found 22 gold bars from his possession whose market value was Tk 6.15 crore (Rs 4.7 crore).

While the address and other personal details of Ayaz has not been revealed, he has been handed over to police for further action. PTI RUP

RUP

RUP
Peshawar, Aug 9 (PTI) In an unusual punishment, the tribal council in a district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province today demolished two houses of alleged criminals and imposed Rs 1.5 million fine on them for flouting an agreement.

The houses of Mukamil and Latif were demolished by tribal Jirga (council) in Orakzai tribal district.

They had killed four persons, including two brothers, over a property dispute in Sheikhan area of central Orakzai few days back, officials said.

They were punished for flouting an agreement reached between two tribes of Central and Lower Orakzai tribal district.

Tribal council is authorised to demolish houses and impose other penalties on people who violates the agreement and found guilty.

Jirga is centuries old institute in Pashtun culture and has been the most important mechanism for resolving disputes. PTI AYZ MRJ AKJ MRJ

MRJ
Bhopal, Aug 9 (PTI) The director of a hostel here was arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year-old deaf and mute tribal girl, a senior police official said today.

Ashwini Sharma, director of a hostel for deaf and mute persons in Awadhpuri area, was arrested last night based on the complaint of an inmate who is a resident of Dhar, Bhopal Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dharmendra Choudhary said.

The complainant alleged that the accused raped her repeatedly during her stay at the hostel over the past three years, the DIG said.

She lodged a complaint with Dhar police yesterday and the case was then transferred to Awadhpuri police station, he said.

Sharma was arrested under sections 376 (rape), 354 (outraging modesty), 344 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the DIG added.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress claimed the hostel was aided by the MP government's Social Justice Department and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident and a social audit of all such hostels.

The party drew parallels with the Muzaffarpur (Bihar) and Deoria (Uttar Pradesh) shelter home rape cases which have rocked the nation after being unearthed in April-May and August respectively.

Inspector General (Intelligence) Makrand Deuskar told reporters today that police will talk to all inmates of the hostel.

He said the accused ran two hostels, one for boys and another for girls.

Addressing a press conference, Congress media cell chairperson Shobha Oza told reporters that the party had found that the hostel was funded by the state government.

"The incident that occurred in the hostel at Awadhpuri is like the one which has taken place in Muzaffarpur and Deoria. It's shocking that deaf and mute girls are not safe in hostels," Oza said.

She hit out at the state government claiming that there was a 532 per cent increase in cases of rape of children in the past 15 years.

Oza claimed that a social audit of such hostels would unearth more such cases. PTI ADU MAS BNM IJT

IJT
Dave Gaydula, of Minooka, shared how deteriorated pavement along I-80 changed his familys life. He told the group how he and his wife, Kim, were heading out to dinner on March 20, 2016. They were eastbound on I-80 near Houbolt Road when a semi-truck in front of them kicked up a large piece of loose concrete, he said.
Violence, arson marks Maratha quota bandh in Maharashtra

(Eds: Updating with latest details)

Mumbai, Aug 9 (PTI) The pro-quota bandh called by some

Maratha groups today was marked by sporadic violence and

arson, disruption of road traffic and rallies in various parts

of Maharashtra.

The day-long agitation began on a relatively peaceful

note in the morning but turned violent in the afternoon.

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.

Violence and arson was witnessed today despite the appeal

by the Maratha community leaders for carrying out the protests

in a peaceful manner.

The Maratha groups organised the bandh despite the

assurance by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that his

government was working on providing reservation in a legally

sustainable manner.

Pune was one of the worst hit by today's agitation, with

a mob vandalising property at the district collectorate and

violence being witnessed at some other places.

Authorities had ordered closure of schools and colleges

and suspended internet services in Pune to prevent rumour-

mongering.

Plants of many companies also remained shut.

"According to my information, the main gate of the

administrative building and the security cabin's glass were

damaged," Collector Naval Kishor Ram said.

According to sources, the protesters also damaged some

light bulbs in the premises.

Authorities had taken precautions to prevent any untoward

incident and suspended internet services in seven tehsils of

the district to check rumour-mongering.

In the evening, some miscreants resorted to stone pelting

at the police in Chandni Chowk area of Pune.

"After the agitation, some anti-social elements started

pelting stones at the police and even tried to block the

Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway," Shivaji Bodkhe, joint commissioner

of police (law and order) of Pune police said.

"When the policemen tried to stop them from blocking the

highway, they started pelting stones, prompting the police to

chase them and resort to mild lathi charge in order to

disperse them," he said.

He said the police was in the process of detaining all

such people who are "not agitators but miscreants".

"The vehicular traffic on the highway has been resumed

now and the situation is under control," he said.

Chakan, an industrial hub about 40 kms from Pune which

saw violence on July 30 during a similar agitation, remained

peaceful, the police said.

In Aurangabad city, a mob pelted stones on the police and

set ablaze four vehicles, including a police vehicle, the

police said.

Some industrial units in the area were also targeted by

the mob, he said.

The police lobbed tear gas shells on the protesters and

tried to disperse the mob, he said.

Two groups of protesters clashed when someone allegedly

shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at

Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district, a police official said.

"One person was injured in the incident but we brought

the situation under control. We separated the two groups and

dispersed their members," a police official said.

The internet service in some parts of the city was

temporarily suspended for some time, the official said.

In Hingoli district of Marathwada, the protesters torched

a godown of the Panchayat Samitee in Sengaon area, an official

said.

The protesters also created road blockades and staged

sit-in protests in Hingoli city and rural area, he said.

The violent protesters vandalised a toll plaza at Manvat

in Parbhani district, he said.

A railway gateman was thrashed by the protesters at

Purna railway station, he said.

In Latur, Congress MLA Trimbakrao Bhise faced the ire of

Maratha protesters, who surrounded him pushed him away, police

said.

Protesters targeted the former chief minister Ashok

Chavan-controlled Satyaprabha newspaper in Nanded. They broke

window panes of the office, police said.

A mob approached the newspaper office and pelted stones

at it, they said.

Stones were also allegedly pelted at the office of

another Marathi daily Pudhari, located in the same area,

police said.

Protesters held a sit-in outside the residence of NCP

chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati tehsil of Pune, and were joined

by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the Maratha community's

demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in

Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the

Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No. 9

(Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said.

Some agitators burnt tyres on roads in Jalna and

Ahmednagar districts, a police official said.

The call for bandh was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an

umbrella body of Maratha groups, but excluded Navi Mumbai,

which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during

protests by the community.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh,

the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe in

the densely populated township decided to remain shut today.

Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai, with

deployment of city police personnel along with a company of

the Rapid Action Force and the Reserve Police Force.

The public transport buses and local trains were

running normal in the town. Heavy security was deployed on the

Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli,

a police official said.

Even though Maratha groups excluded essential services

from the purview of the bandh, supply of vegetables was

affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC

officials said.

A traffic department official said the number of

vehicles on National Highway number four (Mumbai-Pune) and on

the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to

other days. PTI ND DC VT SPK GK

AKK AKK

AKK
Jhargram (WB), Aug 9 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the BJP of trying to disrupt peace in the erstwhile Maoist-affected areas of Jhargram district.

She also alleged that the saffron party was creating a divide among people on the basis of religion, caste and creed.

Banerjee asked people to repose faith in her, saying she would never allow anybody to act against their interests.

During a visit to Jhargram district, her first after the panchayat polls in May this year, the Trinamool Congress chief urged the people to stay united against communal forces and stop them from entering the district.

The BJP had fared well at the rural polls in the tribal-dominated district.

The BJP, on the other hand, accused Banerjee of "throttling democracy" in the state and supporting infiltrators from Bangladesh after the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was updated in Assam last month.

BJP national general secretary P Murlidhar Rao said Banerjee was "supporting infiltrators" to secure her vote bank.

The BJP, he said, will never "tolerate" infiltrators.

"Mamataji is supporting infiltrators from Bangladesh ... She is touring the entire country to garner support for infiltrators just to secure her vote bank. She is trying to communalise the issue," Rao told reporters here.

Meanwhile in Jhargram, Banerjee directed the MLAs, TMC leaders as well as the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police to help solve people's problems. She also inaugurated a number of health care projects for the district.

Accusing the BJP of trying to disrupt peace in this erstwhile Maoist-affected area, she said, "In the last seven years, we have not let anybody disrupt peace in this region. We have not allowed the Maoists to enter this place. A few people are bringing in Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand to create bloodbath in Jhargram."

"If you (people) have faith in me, I will ask you not to trust anybody else other than us (TMC). Till I am alive, I will never let anybody to act against the interests of the people. You are my family. I love the Adivasis (tribals)," she said at a public meeting here.

Banerjee claimed that during the Left Front government, around 300 people were killed in Jhargram in a year, while it was almost nil now.

Hitting out at the BJP, she said, "I do not create any division among people. I do not create division among the Hindus and Muslims, nor among the other communities. It's the ruling BJP at the Centre which does that. We are not with them (the BJP)."

"They (BJP) want the poor to face problem. They do not want them to get rice at Rs 2 a kg, free education, job and health care," the TMC chief alleged.

Calling upon people to stay united in the fight against communal forces, Banerjee said, "Let us strengthen the unity. Let us take oath today that there would not be no place for communalism in our state. We will stay together and create a new Bengal," Banerjee said.

Against the backdrop of the BJP making inroads in Jhargram district, the TMC had made some organisational changes last month at block level in the district.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee tweeted that her government has ensured all-round development for the tribal people in the state. PTI SCH SUN JM GVS

GVS
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Several BJP members stayed away today from a parliamentary panel meeting that was to adopt a report on "Sino-India relations" in wake of the Doklam stand-off and the border situation, resulting in a lack of quorum, sources said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has prepared the draft report but it could not be adopted as most of the BJP members were not present and the quorum could not be reached, sources present in the meeting said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also member of the 31-member panel, where a majority of the members are from the BJP.

The panel had also met on Tuesday to adopt the report but some members complained of not receiving the draft therefore meeting was postponed for today.

The committee had also travelled to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to take stock of ground situations and meet senior officials there.

It has been briefed several times on the issue by the former and current foreign secretaries and other officials.

The foreign ministry officials had informed the panel that Bhutan was firmly with India on the issue.

During discussions, Rahul Gandhi had questioned foreign ministry officials on Chinas objective and why Beijing chose Doklam to create a confrontation, sources had said.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped construction of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. PTI JTR JTR BJ

BJ
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) India today said it was in touch with Bangladesh on the issue of the draft citizens' list rolled out in Assam with an aim to detect illegal immigrants in the state.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has repeatedly assured the Bangladesh government that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and the process to identify the citizens is still underway.

"We have been in very close touch with the government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issuance of draft NRC," Kumar told reporters.

He said the Bangladesh government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India.

"We do not apprehend any impact on bilateral ties with Bangladesh which remains excellent," Kumar said.

The draft NRC, released last week, excluded over 40 lakh people in Assam. The NRC is an outcome of nearly a six-year-long agitation All Assam Students Union, demanding deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state. PTI MPB ZMN

ZMN
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, and offered all possible assistance to those affected.

"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity," the PM said in a tweet.

At least 22 people have died in the state due to incessant rainfall and flooding in the past two days, the Home Ministry said today.

Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons told the media earlier in the day that personnel from the the army, the navy and air force will reach Kerala shortly to assist in the rescue and relief operations.

An inter-ministerial team of the central government is also visiting the flood-affected areas in Kerala, while Army troops are being mobilised from Bengaluru for deployment in the rain-battered southern state.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted into localised flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

The flood water also triggered landslides at some places. PTI SAN

GVS

GVS
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Ahead of Independence Day, two suspected arms peddlers were arrested with arms and ammunition, police said today.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Azim, a resident of Malda in West Bengal and Aas Mohammad, a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

Aas Mohammad was arrested yesterday while Azim was arrested earlier this week, the police said.

Two carbine, 50 pistols and as many as cartridges were recovered from their possession by the Special Cell of Delhi Police.

The accused were involved in supplying arms to Delhi-based criminals for the last four-five years.

With the Independence Day round the corner, the Special Cell has been keeping a tight vigil on the movement of arms suppliers and those with suspected terror links, said a senior police officer, adding that during their vigil, they found the trail of the accused duo. PTI AMP/SLB SLB RCJ

RCJ
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) A parliamentary panel has urged the ministries of external affairs, labour and employment, and home, along with state governments, to develop a strong mechanism to protect overseas Indian workers from exploitation and punish the unregistered agents who lure them.

The Standing Committee on Labour, in its report, tabled in Parliament on overseas employment of women workers including nurses and maids, issues and regulatory framework, said it has come to light that thousands of workers are lured in the name of overseas jobs by illegal agents and are exploited in foreign countries.

The panel, headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, said the government departments in India, including state governments, state police, ministries of home and external affairs, do not "proactively" accept the complaints of such people, thus leaving them helpless in a foreign land.

Some of the major complaints of overseas workers are non-payment of salaries, denial of legitimate labour rights, longer working hours, non-provision of medical and insurance facilities, confinement or abandoning of maids, it noted.

The Committee said it has observed that in a large number of cases, unregistered or unscrupulous agents send uneducated and semi-educated persons on tourist and other such visas, and not on the legal work visas/permit, to foreign countries by promising lucrative employment opportunities upon extracting substantial sums from them.

Thereafter, these workers, including women, are left in the foreign soil at the mercy of private employers, it said.

The panel said it has felt that a strong mechanism for grievance redressal and penalties or punishment to unscrupulous agents needed to be developed immediately in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Home Affairs, along with state governments.

The committee said it has strongly recommended that such a mechanism should be developed and made public to save overseas workers from exploitation and to take strong action against those unscrupulous or unregistered agents who lure them.

It also recommended setting up of cells as well as appointment of a nodal officer for the purpose by all state governments, the report added.

PTI ASK SRY

SRY
Mumbai, Aug 9 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has allowed Wadia Group chairman Nusli Neville Wadia to replace his late mother Dina Wadia as a petitioner in a case she has filed to claim the ownership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's house here.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai allowed yesterday an application filed by Nusli Wadia seeking to replace his mother as the petitioner following her death last year.

The Union government had opposed Nusli Wadia's plea.

'Jinnah House', a seafront bungalow on Malabar Hill in south Mumbai built by Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, has been at the centre of a prolonged legal battle between Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia and the Indian government.

Dina Wadia had in August 2007 approached the high court claiming that being the sole legal heir of Jinnah, she should get the possession of the house.

After she passed away on November 2, 2017 in New York at the age of 98, Nusli Wadia sought to replace her.

The industrialist relied on his mother's will dated April 16, 2009, where he was appointed as the executor.

Union government's counsel, Adwait Sethna, opposed the application, arguing that Nusli Wadia had not obtained probate of the will (probate is certification of a will as valid by the high court), so he could not substitute his mother in the case.

In yesterday's order, the high court had said it is keeping this issue open, and it can be raised at the time of the hearing of the main petition about Jinnah House's

ownership.

For now, it was allowing Nusli Wadia to be substituted as the petitioner, the court said.

Dina Wadia was the only child of Jinnah and his Parsi wife Rattanbai Petit.

According to her petition, the erstwhile state of Bombay took over the property after Jinnah's death, as his sister Fatima Jinnah was the custodian of his will and she was declared an evacuee (one who migrated to Pakistan post-partition) in 1949.

The petition claimed that Jinnah's will was never probated by the Bombay high court, and therefore "had no effect".

Fatima Jinnah, therefore, could not be the legal owner and so the house should be handed over to his (Muhammad Ali Jinnah's) legal heir, Dina Wadia contended.

Dina Wadia was the sole legal heir of Jinnah both under the Hindu Law (applicable to the Khoja community, to which Jinnah belonged, before Independence) or the Shia Muslim law, the petition said.

The Union government opposed the plea, stating that the Jinnah House belonged to the Indian government and only Fatima Jinnah or her legal heirs could claim any rights over it. Fatima Jinnah died in 1967.

The government also raised the issue of delay in filing of petition by Dina Wadia.

The hearing of the petition will resume in due course. PTI SP KRK DIP

DIP
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) In a setback to the Jaypee group, the Supreme Court today asked the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Allahabad, to deal with the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) and barred the group or its promoters from participating in the fresh bidding process.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the limitation period of 180 days to conclude the insolvency proceedings will commence from today.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said the Rs 750 crore deposited by the JIL in the apex court shall be transferred to NCLT Allahabad.

The top court also allowed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct the banks to initiate separate insolvency proceedings against JIL's holding company Jaiprakash Associate Limited (JAL).

The bench said home buyers should be included in the committee of creditors in accordance with the amendments made in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

The bench disposed of all the petitions and applications pending before it.

The apex court had earlier reserved its order on "interim reliefs" sought by various stakeholders, including the home buyers of JIL, JAL, banks and financial institutions and the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP).

IDBI bank had moved the Corporate Insolvency Resolution application before the NCLT against the debt-ridden realty firm, JIL, after it allegedly defaulted in paying back a loan of Rs 526 crore.

The ASG had earlier said that, according to the amended IBC, now home buyers are financial creditors in a firm. Hence, the committee of creditors, which usually included banks and FIs, will have to consider the views of home buyers while deciding the resolution plan of a company.

Lawyers, representing the home buyers, opposed the submission that JAL be allowed to complete the housing projects, saying that it was barred under the law to do so.

Taking note of the enormity of the situation, the bench said it was thought that the liability of the firm was to the tune Rs 2,000 crore and it has now gone beyond Rs 30,000 crore.

Earlier, JAL had said it would deposit Rs 600 crore more to refund the home buyers if it was allowed to dispose of its identified assets, including a cement plant at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.

JAL had said Rs 750 crore has been deposited by it with the apex court's registry and Rs 600 crore more would be required for paying the principal sum to the home buyers.

The home buyers had moved the apex court stating that around 32,000 people had booked flats and were now paying instalments. PTI ABA SJK RRT MIN

MIN
New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today asked the JNU not to enforce an undertaking taken from the students that they would abide by University rules on attendance or face consequences, till it decides the pending issue of 75 per cent mandatory attendance.

Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as to what was the need to take the undertaking from students when the issue was already pending in the court, and added if the regulation of 75 per cent mandatory attendance for students was upheld, it would be automatically enforced.

JNU's counsel told the court that they were not taking any coercive action against the students.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by several JNU students alleging that by taking an undertaking from the students at the time of registration or re-registration into a course, the university authorities were in a willful and deliberate disobedience of the July 16 order of the high court.

On July 16, the court had directed the JNU not to take coercive steps against the students with regard to any matter under its policy on mandatory attendance, till further orders.

The students claimed that in the registration or re-registration form, the authorities asked them to give an undertaking that they shall abide by the attendance rules of the university and if they do not fulfil the attendance requirements, the university will take actions as per rules. The admission process had commenced on July 16 and had to go on till July 23.

The contempt plea claimed that by committing these acts, "it was apparent that the alleged contemnors (JNU, vice chancellor and registrar) have taken coercive steps against the students which is a willful, deliberate disobedience of the order dated

July 16 of this court, and as a result, contempt proceedings ought to be initiated against them."

The court's July 16 interim order had come while hearing a petition by five professors of JNU's different disciplines challenging the December 12, 2017 decision of the varsity's Academic Council (AC), making 75 per cent attendance mandatory for students. PTI SKV HMP SKV RT

RT
Mayor Rahm Emanuel now boasts that his agenda has lowered our huge budget shortfall from $636 million down to a mere $97.9 million He says there's no need for another tax increase but then adds, "we may have small recommendations from departments on revenues here or there, but I don't anticipate any large ones that will move heaven and earth." This should remind everyone of 2015's huge tax increase that followed right after he won re-election.
Jammu, Aug 9 (PTI) The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) today appealed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to direct the authorities concerned to include Kashmiri Pandits in voters list for the forthcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a meeting here, the members of AIKS flayed the state government for "denying" the community their democratic right.

"The AIKS appeals to the election authority of J&K and the Election Commission of India to direct the authorities concerned to include Kashmiri Pandits in voters list immediately," said Col Tej Tikoo, the president of AIKS.

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 municipal elections were last conducted in January-February 2005 and the elected bodies had completed their five-year term in March 2010. PTI AB SNE

SNE
Par passes bill to restore original SC/ST atrocity law

(Eds: With additional details of debate)

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Parliament today passed a bill to

overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards

against arrest under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe

law, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopting it amid din.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention

of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Rajya

Sabha by a voice vote, had got the nod of the Lok Sabha on

August 6.

The bill rules out any provision for anticipatory bail

for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs,

notwithstanding any court order.

It provides that no preliminary inquiry will be required

for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law

would not be subject to any approval.

The legislation 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.

Replying to the debate on the bill in the Upper House,

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand

Gehlot said all those who spoke on the bill have supported it.

He said that after the implementation of the law, people

belonging to SC/ST communities were able to get justice and

relief.

"However, some people went to court due to some reason.

On 20 March 2018, Supreme Court gave some decisions which put

brakes on the Act implemented by us," he said, referring to

the provisions related to filing of FIR and arrest.

"Due to these controls, the criminals started getting

protection and the affected families stopped getting justice

and relief," Gehlot said.

The minister said there was also scope of interference in

the police procedures and therefore the government filed a

review petition, which was accepted.

He said the members have expressed some apprehensions

about the rights of the deprived classes. "Prime Minister

Narendra Modi has assured his government's commitment towards

(the interests of) backward classes. I today say that we are

committed towards safeguarding their interest."

"Some members have suggested constitution of special

courts for the Act. We have made a provision for this

in the bill. As many as 14 states have constituted 195 special

courts for deciding cases related to SC and SC Act. Some

states have declared District and Session Courts as special

court for the purpose," he said.

Elaborating on the bill, he said "we have provided for

presenting a challan in the court within two months of first

information report with complete investigation. We have also

provided for disposal of the case with two month of presenting

challan in the court."

The minister also maintained that the amendment in this

bill was not brought due to "any pressure" because it was the

Prime Minister's commitment.

During the debate, some members were of the view that the

government has brought amendment bill under pressure from the

opposition and coalition partners ahead of 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.

These groups have been asking the government to overturn

a Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying it had "diluted"

and rendered "toothless" the law against atrocities faced by

the weakest sections of the society by putting additional

safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Supporting the bill, Abir Ranjan Biswas (Cong) said "we

are supporting the bill but the genuinity of feelings of the

government are fake. They have brought the bill only after 9

people were killed and many injured in a nation wide protest

against Supreme Court judgment."

He alleged that the government brought the bill due to

pressure of the opposition and its coalition partners. He also

said the conviction rate in cases of atrocities against SCs

was 1.4 per cent and in case of STs, it was 0.8 per cent.

Sarojini Hembram (BJD) also supported the bill saying all

the ministries of law, social justice and law should

coordinate properly to implement the law.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JD-U) too supported it but

suggested that the cases should be investigated by an officer

of DSP and above level, while K Keshava Rao (TRS) said this

law will again be challenged in the court.

K Somaprasad (CPI-M) supported the bill and said that the

apex court judgment had diluted the law, while Manoj Kumar Jha

(RJD) said the government could have brought an ordinance to

overturn the judgment.

Kumari Selja (Cong) accused the government of not being

'pro-Dalit" and said otherwise, it would have brought the law

under the Ninth Schedule.

She alleged that every 15 minutes, a crime was committed

against Dalits and atrocities against them have been rising

even as the conviction rate was low in such cases.

Selja also alleged that the government had rewarded the

Supreme Court judge who delivered the judgement (diluting the

provisions of the SC/ST Act) by appointing him Chairman of a

crucial tribunal after retirement.

Kirodi Lal Meena (BJP) claimed that the Supreme Court

crossed its 'Lakshman Rekha' on the issue.

He objected to the collegium system, saying it promoted

casteism and dynasty and called it "unconstitutional".

Meena demanded that the collegium system should be

abolished and replaced by the Indian Judicial Sevice so that

SC/ST and other backward communities get an opportunity to

occupy higher positions in courts.

He also urged the government to seriously consider

introducing the Indian Judicial Services.

As Meena started naming opposition-ruled states where

atrocities against SC/ST communities have taken place oin the

recent past, members from the opposition objected noisily.

Amid the disruptions, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned

the House for ten minutes till 2:43 PM.

Later, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) supported the bill and said

it seemed as if the Supreme Court has become the third chamber

of Parliament as it was framing legislations.

Vijila Sathyananth (AIADMK) said the conviction rate

under the SC/ST Act was low at just 15 per cent as per the

National Crime Records Bureau. She said a comprehensive anti-

discrimination law was needed as crimes against SC/ST are

manifested in various forms like social boycott.

Rajaram (BSP), Narendra Jadhav (nominated), Sanjay Raut

(Shiv Sena), V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP), D Raja (CPI), Ram

Kumar Kashyap (ind) and Wansuk Syiem (Cong) also supported

the measure. PTI KKS RSN

ARC ARC

ARC
Rao asks officials to draw up detailed project report

Hyderabad, Aug 9 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister

K Chandrasekhar Rao today asked officials to prepare a

detailed project report for developinga regional ring road on

the other side of the existing outer ring road in Hyderabad.

Rao, who held a meeting with officials, said the

proposed ring road should bedeveloped on par with

international standards, a release from his office said.

He also said he would speak to central government

officials concerned for obtaining funds for the construction

of the proposed ring road, it said.

There will be increase of commuters from every nook

and corner regularly to Hyderabad, the release quoted Rao as

saying.

As the existing outer ring road will not be adequate

for the floating traffic in future, government decided for

constructing the regional ring road,it said.

The regional ring road would be laid at a stretch of

338 km covering SangareddyGajwelChowtuppal-MalKadthal-

ShadnagarChevellaKandi (on the outskirts of Hyderabad), it

said.

"The width of the road will be 500 feet. The proposed

regional ring road should surpass the existing Mumbai-Pune,

Ahmedabad-Vadodara express highways.The junction roads

connecting Vijayawada, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Nagpur are to be

developed," it said.PTI SJR BN

BN BN

BN
How Karuna used films, Tamil to promote Dravidian ideology!

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) M Karunanidhi used the medium of films and his command over Tamil language to reach out to the people and promote the Dravidian ideology, according to two books related to the late DMK patriarch.

"Tamil was his 'uyir moochu' (life breath) in more ways than one. It dominated his politics and his political career. Over time, as the first-generation leaders of the Dravidian movement passed away, Karunanidhi attempted to take over the mantle of the 'protector' of Tamils worldwide," the book "Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics" by journalist Sandhya Ravishankar says.

Karunanidhi discovered early that his gift was language. Wit, clarity of thought and a firm grasp over Tamil history dominated his writing - whether as editor of "Maanava Nesan" (Friend of Students), a handwritten newsletter started by him during those days in school, or as the founder of DMK organ "Murasoli" (Drum roll), or as contributor to "Dravida Naadu" (Dravidian Land), a magazine started by Annadurai.

The other book "The Dravidian Years: Politics and Welfare in Tamil Nadu" by S Narayan, who was the economic adviser to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Karunanidhi also talks about the phenomenal reach of Karunanidhi through the media and films.

The people of Tamil Nadu have always been avid cinema fans. Up to the 1980s, 'touring theatres', basically thatched sheds with a screen, used to be the hallmark of all small towns. The DMK transformed the medium of films into a platform for reaching out to the Tamil people about their Tamil and Dravidian identities.

Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay of over 70 films including hits such as "Parasakthi", "Manthiri Kumari", "Malaikallan" and "Manohara".

"The frequency of people going to the cinema in Tamil Nadu has been very high, and Annadurai and Karunanidhi used films as major propaganda vehicle for promoting Dravidian ideology," Narayan writes in the book, published by Oxford.

Karunanidhi's love for the written word perhaps stemmed from the nature of the Dravidian movement itself.

Karunanidhi began his autobiography in 1975. Called "Nenjukku Needhi" (Justice for the Heart), its five volumes cover in great detail his life and experiences until 2002. Even during his stints in between this period as chief minister, Karunanidhi continued to write.

In the late 1930s, when there was a move to make the learning of Hindi in schools compulsory, there was furore among the intelligentsia of Tamil Nadu.

By 1938, at the age of 14, Karunanidhi had cobbled together a band of boys as well as a cycle rickshaw.

"This ragged gang roamed the streets of Tiruvarur with the Tamil Thaai (Tamil mother) flag perched on a pole atop the vehicle. A picture of Rajaji stabbing the Tamil Thaai with the dagger of compulsory Hindi was soon added to the melee. Karunanidhi composed little ditties that his gang shouted as they went along," says the book "Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics", published by HarperCollins India.

When he was 15 years old, Karunanidhi first put his writing skills on display. He founded the fortnightly magazine for students called "Manava Nesan". The manuscripts were handwritten and 50 copies were made by hand and distributed by him and his friends. PTI ZMN BK

BK

TRK TRK

TRK
Power tariff concessions to textile industry in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Aug 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister

Devendra Fadnavis today announcedconcessions of Rs 370 crore

in power tariff to the textile industry in the state.

It will help revive sick textile mills and generate

jobs, the chief minister said at a review meeting of textile

department officials here.

He also directed officials to provide interest and

capital grants to the industry, the chief minister tweeted.

The land belonging to the Maharashtra State Textile

Corporation, which is struggling financially, should be sold

and the proceeds should be transferred to the textile

department, he directed. PTI MR

KRK KRK

KRK
Aaditya urges Centre to bring pre-primary admissions under RTE

Mumbai, Aug 9 (PTI) Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray

today urged the Union government to bring pre-primary

admissions under the purview of the Right To Education (RTE)

Act.

The Sena leader today met Union ministers Nitin

Gadkari and Harsh Vardhan in Delhi over a range of issues.

In a letter addressed to Union HRD Minister Prakash

Javadekar, Thackeray demanded that the pre-primary admissions

be brought under the purview of the RTE, as young parents find

it daunting to pay donations for their wards.

"The little child and parents are interviewed for

admissions. The child is expected to know poems and parents

are expected to have a certain educational or economic status.

Such pre-conditions prevent many families from attaining the

quality education in our country," he stated.

"There should be a law that covers the pre-Primary

education and should include minimum quality and safety norms

each pre-primary school needs to have," Thackeray demanded.

Referring to rising incidents of sexual assaults on

young girls, the Thackeray scion urged Javadekar to make it

mandatory in all the schools across the country to teach all

kids from standard fifth the meaning of "right and wrong

touches".

He demanded that pre-primary schools should have a

common syllabus.

Thackeray also demanded that all schools should have a

lesson on gender sensitivity and on treating each other as

equal.

Further, he demanded that girls of class 8, 9 and 10

be taught self-defence in schools compulsorily.

Thackeray requested Harsh Vardhan to take steps to

curb plastic pollution and ban the production, possession and

sale of single-use disposable plastic by 2019.

He requested Gadkari to install solar panels on both

outer sides of highways which will act as barriers for grazing

animals as well as generate electricity.

The Yuva Sena chief also recommended that rain water

harvesting system running alongside the roads or median which

could help government harvest large amounts of fresh rain

water for agricultural purposes. PTI MM

NSK NSK

NSK
Jaipur, Aug 9 (PTI) Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot today accused the BJP-led state government of exploiting the people during its tenure and said the ruling party will be pitted against them in the upcoming assembly elections.

Pilot was speaking at the culmination of the 'Tiranga Yatra' taken out by Congress Sewa Dal to commemorate the 'August Kranti Diwas' (Quit India Movement) launched in 1942.

Pilot said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is undertaking a pre-poll tour 'Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra', but the people have already rejected her, adding that the BJP will not get the mandate in the state this time.

He exuded confidence that the Congress will emerge victorious and form the government in Rajasthan.

The 'Tiranga Yatra' was flagged off from Albert Hall by AICC general secretary and party affairs for Rajasthan Avinash Pande and Pilot. It culminated at Shahid Smarak at MI road.

Hundreds of party workers participated in the march. PTI SDA DIV

DIV
The aim was to try to make the new direction an intrinsic motivator for everyone, Wade explained. Like, yes, you know its happening  but youve got time to figure out how to use it. And its really been feedback from students and staff and some of the administrators who are using it  it really helped us make those decisions about what do we want that learning environment to be.
ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

Read More
 American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257

MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.



Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information



 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.
The following companies are subsidiares of Valero Energy: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC..
Red Hat, Inc. provides open source software solutions to develop and offer operating system, virtualization, management, middleware, cloud, mobile, and storage technologies to various enterprises worldwide. It offers infrastructure-related solutions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, an operating system platform that runs on hardware for use in hybrid cloud environments; Red Hat Satellite, a system management offering that helps to deploy, scale, and manage in hybrid cloud environments; and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, a software solution that allows customers to utilize and manage a common hardware infrastructure to run multiple operating systems and applications. The company offers application development-related and other technology solutions, such as Red Hat JBoss Middleware, a solution for developing, deploying, and managing applications; integrating applications, data, and devices; and automating business processes in hybrid cloud environments; The company's application development-related and other technology solutions also includes Red Hat cloud offerings, a software solution that enables customers to build and manage various cloud computing environments; Red Hat Mobile, a software development platform that enables customers to develop, integrate, deploy, and manage mobile applications for enterprises; and Red Hat Storage, a software solution that enables customers to manage large, unstructured, or semi-structured data in hybrid cloud environments. It also provides consulting, support, and training services; and realtime operating system, distributed computing, directory services, and user authentication. Red Hat, Inc. has collaboration with Juniper Networks Expand to provide a unified solution for enterprises designed to manage and run applications and services. The company was formerly known as Red Hat Software, Inc. and changed its name to Red Hat, Inc. in June 1999. Red Hat, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Read More
Christopher & Banks Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of private-brand women's apparel and accessories in the United States. The company designs and sells women's apparel and accessories to customers ranging in age from 40 and older. Its stores offer women's apparel consisting of casual clothing, everyday basics, wear-to-work, leisure/active wear, and sleepwear in missy, petite, and women sizes, as well as jewelry and accessories. As of December 4, 2018, the company operated 461 stores, including 314 MPW stores, 80 Outlet stores, 35 Christopher & Banks stores, and 32 stores in its women's plus size clothing division CJ Banks in 45 states. It also operates christopherandbanks.com, an e-commerce Website for its Christopher & Banks and CJ Banks brands. The company was formerly known as Braun's Fashions Corporation and changed its name to Christopher & Banks Corporation in July 2000. Christopher & Banks Corporation was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Read More
It's just before 9 p.m. and you want to continue socializing with a group of friends in Albany, Rensselaer or Schenectady counties, but the home bar is bare or thinly stocked with the evening's desired wine or spirit.

You have mere minutes to pop into a liquor store if you want to buy a bottle to take home. Or you have about seven hours to continue to buy booze in a bar.

State law allows liquor stores to be open from 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Counties are permitted to have more restrictive laws if they wish, and three of the Capital Region's four core counties do, limiting retail sales to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saratoga County has no such laws of its own, meaning the broader state regulations apply. Columbia, Warren, Washington and Greene counties also allow liquor stores to be open from 8 a.m. to midnight. Very few maintain such expansive hours, but they are permissible.

The early closing time is fundamentally unfair and ought to be changed, for the benefit of consumers and shop owners. The only reasons for restricted hours seem to me based on outdated, prudish, blue-law notions about the propriety of selling alcohol.

If wine and liquor can be sold in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady county bars from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. six days a week, and beer can be sold at retail anytime except from 3 to 8 a.m. Sunday, then it's nonsensical to restrict wine/liquor stores to far shorter hours, especially when they're already subjected to onerous rules precluding them from selling essentially anything but wine and spirits; even complementary items like cheese and crackers are banned. In contrast, a convenience store that sells beer may have up to 2,000 other individual products for sale, and supermarkets may have 30,000 to 50,000 items in nonbeer stock.

Make no mistake: Under current laws, consumers are inconvenienced, and businesses are losing money.

I'd also argue that early closing times for liquor stores are detrimental from the perspective of public safety: Someone buying a bottle at a shop at 8:45 p.m. is most likely going to consume it at home, but people drinking in bars for seven more hours by definition still have to get home afterward, and some of them are going to drive. It's also significantly more expensive to drink in bars. Let's say a bottle of tequila retails for $20 and provides about 16 shots at 1.5 ounces apiece. In a bar, a group of eight that has two rounds at $5 per shot will likely spend $90 to $100 after tax and tip.

All of the liquor-store owners I spoke to in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties say they would like the option of staying open later than 9 p.m. None wanted 4 a.m.; most said they likely wouldn't go past 10 p.m., but, again, having the option to sell until midnight would be welcome.

Craig Allen, owner of All-Star Wine & Spirits in Latham, estimates his large, busy store would bring in an extra $2,500 to $3,000 weekly just from being open an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights. That's up to $150,000 a year more in gross sales, which represents $6,000 extra apiece to the county and the state in sales tax  from one store. Allen tells me he doubts he'd stay open past 10 p.m., but during the holidays he'd likely see demand until at least 11 p.m. some nights. All-Star currently is open the maximum allowed hours on Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; it opens at the state-mandated time of noon on Sunday, with a posted closing time of 6 p.m., though the shop on occasion stays open later as warranted by business.

Mark Brogna, owner of Capital Wine & Liquor  located on Lark Street in the heart of Albany's walkable, residential Center Square neighborhood and its vibrant nightlife  projects staying open until 10 p.m. weeknights, or 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, would boost sales by 15 to 20 percent. He says the store gets a rush starting after 8:30 p.m. nightly, especially on weekends.

"I'm absolutely in favor" of expanding permissible hours, Brogna tells me.

Liquor stores in counties that allow stores to follow maximum state hours report good late business. At Monty's Discount Wine & Liquor in Queensbury, clerks answering the phone say, "We're open till midnight" as part of their greeting. The store has maintained the late closing hour six days a week since it opened seven and a half years ago, owner Monty Liu tells me.

"Most days it's worth it (to stay open), some days not," says Liu. "But I come from the restaurant business, where taking care of the customer is important, and a lot of people in that industry don't get out until 10 or 11 p.m. I do it for them."

Sam Thakur, owner of Jefferson Heights Wine & Liquor in Catskill, keeps his shop open until 9 p.m. Sunday, 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. He estimates 20 percent of his weekend sales happen after 9 p.m. Thakur tells me, "For people who work late or who just know the store is open, it's important that they know they can come to me."

Not everyone I spoke to would expand hours if allowed, at least not regularly. Brad Junco, owner of Empire Wine & Liquor in Colonie, says he does more business between 9 and 10 a.m. than 8 and 9 p.m., and he doubts extended night hours would produce sales to warrant the extra labor cost. Further, a number of his staff use public transportation, which would likely present a problem in catching a bus if they weren't getting out until 11 p.m. or later, after finishing post-closing duties. But, Junco says, during the holidays, when Empire swarms with customers from open to close, being able to extend an hour or two in the evening would be welcome.

"I'd have to see," says Mike Simone, owner of the 72-year-old Phil Englebardt's Liquor Mart in Schenectady. "There are some nights when people are definitely coming in right until closing and probably would come in later if we were open, but there hasn't been much from customers asking about it."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Chris Higgins, an Albany County legislator whose Fifth District includes Center Square and Lark Street, says he would be in favor of legislation expanding county-permitted closing hours for liquor stores  but no one has asked him about it.

"I would have no problem with it," Higgins tells me. "There's probably a lot of benefit to it, especially around the holidays."

New York's liquor laws still desperately need an overhaul. For example, two years ago, after a long fight, bars and restaurants were finally allowed to start serving alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sunday instead of noon, and there is a provision allowing them to apply for a permit to start serving at 8 a.m. Sunday up to 12 times a year. Liquor stores still can't open until noon on Sunday. That, too, is nonsensical, but it's far harder to change things on the state level.

On a county basis, however, "This is easy," says Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association.

Wexler explains the process: "All they have to do is have the County Legislature pass a resolution requesting the State Liquor Authority change the hours. Upon such a request, the SLA is required to have a public hearing, and then they'll adopt the changed hours. Whenever a county makes such a request, whether to restrict or expand hours, the SLA follows suit."

Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy was noncommittal, saying through a spokeswoman, "At this point, the designated operating hours for liquor stores in Albany County is not an issue that has been brought to my attention by the general public or members of the industry."

Let's change that. Use these links to find and communicate with your county legislator:

albanycounty.com/legislature/legislators.aspx

rensselaercounty.org/Legislator%20Page%202018.htm

schenectadycounty.com/node/153

Make those calls or send those emails. It's time to put an end to the 9 p.m. last call for liquor stores.

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping  @Tablehopping  facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
Albany

When Robert Hoatson read that Bishop Edward Scharfenberger had called for a commission of Catholic lay people to investigate other bishops, he almost ...

Well, I'll let Hoatson tell you.

"I almost jumped through the screen with delight," he said. "I was thrilled."

Hoatson, a former priest, is the founder of Road to Recovery, a nonprofit that assists victims of sexual abuse. As such, he has grown accustomed to secrecy and obfuscation from institutions where abuse has occurred. In case after case, it is the depressing norm.

Scharfenberger's move, which came as a statement posted to the diocese website, was something different. It was an acknowledgment that the leaders of his church have lost credibility on the topic and need to do better to regain credibility.

"He's basically admitting what victims and advocates have been saying for decades now  the church cannot police itself," Hoatson said. "It's like he's stepping outside the box and saying, 'We need a whole new approach to this.'"

Scharfenberger's call, issued Monday, was in response to the latest scandal roiling the church: Allegations that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a former archbishop of Washington, for decades sexually abused minors and adult seminarians. As with so many cases, it is widely believed that McCarrick's alleged crimes were known but ignored.

Pope Francis has removed McCarrick from ministry and has ordered him to live a secluded "life of prayer and penance."

In response to the scandal, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who succeeded McCarrick in Washington, proposed that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops create a panel of bishops to look into allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the organization. Scharfenberger rightly said that would not suffice.

"Bishops alone investigating bishops is not the answer," the Albany bishop said. "To have credibility, a panel would have to be separated from any source of power whose trustworthiness might potentially be compromised."

Scharfenberger's move earned him national attention and praise, at least in the explicitly Catholic news media. He has also been praised for encouraging the Rev. Desmond Rossi, a priest in Glens Falls, to speak out about his abuse by McCarrick decades ago in New Jersey.

"He has been incredibly supportive of him," Hoatson said.

Hoatson has a connection to McCarrick from when he was archbishop of the Newark archdiocese. A former priest there, Hoatson said officials were made aware that McCarrick was sexually attracted to young priests and seminarians, but the church looked the other way.

Mary DeTurris Poust, communications director for the Albany diocese, also has a McCarrick connection. In the 1980s, she worked for the communications office of the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J., where McCarrick was the bishop.

In a recently published (and remarkably honest) blog post on McCarrick allegations, Poust says she's feeling betrayed, shocked and outraged.

"I am grappling with this in the deepest of ways," she writes. "Not only am I disgusted by the knowledge of what Cardinal McCarrick has done, but I am devastated by the realization that friends and co-workers I respected and trusted there had to have known and kept silent either out of fear or ambition or plain old weakness."

Poust also writes that many Catholics who haven't drifted from the church are wondering how much more will come and how much more they can take before they leave in disgust and exhaustion.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

"It's death by a thousand cuts," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a senior analyst with the Religion News Service. "People want the truth and they want assurances that these things won't happen again."

The McCarrick scandal has been called a #MeToo moment for the church because it so many of his victims were men under his authority. There will certainly be other church leaders exposed for similar abuse of power in the years to come.

The church isn't alone  #MeToo has stained the reputation of many other institutions, of course, revealing that sexual abuse was more widespread than many of us believed. The scandals have deepened our distrust of institutions and the people who run them.

Polls show that Americans don't trust anything. They don't trust religious leaders. Or schools. Or the media. And certainly not corporations and the government.

The feeling is understandable because we have been failed so many times. Trust, if it comes, will only be rebuilt slowly, as institutions and leaders show, step by step, move by move, that they deserve our faith.

That's why Scharfenberger's call is so important, even to non-Catholics. His plea for transparency acknowledges the vanishing trust. And it's a step toward rebuilding it.

"We bishops want to rise to this challenge, which may well be our last opportunity given all that has happened," Scharfenberger wrote. "We must get this right."

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
ALBANY -- The state Health Department improperly designated an employee's main workplace for several years  resulting in $93,338 in improper travel reimbursement, a recent state Comptroller's audit says.

James Wyzykowski, a Johnstown resident, put in expenses for about 4 1/2 years for traveling to his job at the Oxford Veterans Home in Chenango County because the state had designated Albany as his main work station, Comptroller's Office officials and the audit said.

But according to an audit from April that looked at 2013 and 2014, Wyzykowski spent less than 20 percent of his time at that designed office at the Empire State Plaza. The comptroller's office said his main place of business should have been at the Oxford facility, where he spent 61 percent of his time in 2013 and 72 percent in 2014.

The issue continued in 2015, 2016 and through May 2017, according to the audit released on Thursday.

"The department could have avoided these costs if officials had properly designated the employee's main work location (in Oxford) as his official station," reads a July 26 letter from the comptroller's office to Health Commissioner Howard Zucker.

The report does not accuse Wyzykowski of any wrongdoing.

Wyzykowski, who is the health department's director of Health Institutions Financial Administration, began the multiyear stint in 2013 as the interim administrator of the Oxford Veterans Home, according to the department.

"To achieve high-quality care, Licensed Nursing Home Administrators need to maintain in-person oversight," DOH spokesman Gary Holmes said. "In 2017, the position of administrator of the Oxford Veterans Home was filled and Mr. Wyzykowski has since focused exclusively in his important role as director of Health Institutions Financial Administration."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

The health department did not address why his designated work station wasn't changed during this period, and the department disagreed with the premise that the official station was ever incorrect, department spokeswoman Erin Silk said Thursday.

"As of September 2017, the referenced employee is only responsible for one position, and the current official station clearly aligns with the current work assignment," Silk said.

The Health Department initially declined to identify Wyzykowski as the subject of the audit, and also didn't address whether other employees regularly collected travel reimbursements for work at their main place of employment.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87
ALBANY  A former Capital Region television host who spent 13 days in jail for depositing a forged check will not spend any more time behind bars, an appeals court said Thursday.

Paula Gretzinger, 43, of Clifton Park, was convicted by a jury in 2016 of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony. Saratoga County Judge James A. Murphy III sentenced her to four months in jail and five years of probation after noting the unusual nature of the case and that Gretzinger appeared to show sincere remorse.
ALBANY  The state agency that oversees local economic development entities will have a new rule that will make tax breaks transparent to the public.

The state Authorities Budget Office will require that applications made by developers to local industrial development agencies be posted on the IDAs' websites.

The regulation, the first the Authorities Budget Office has enacted since the agency was granted oversight powers a decade ago, is meant to counteract continued complaints about tax breaks being handed out with little to no data provided to residents.

"One of the major criticisms is that the public doesn't know what's being given away," said ABO director Jeffrey Pearlman. "This regulation will ensure if the public is curious about these deals, they can go to the website and find them."

State legislation in 2015 required that IDAs have an application for developers to fill out, and that they list job creation goals in exchange for reduced property taxes or the sales and mortgage recording tax breaks they would receive. The new disclosure requirement will be added to the wording of that legislation.

"Not only do (the IDAs) have to create these forms, but they have to make them available to the public," Pearlman said.

Some Capital Region IDAs, such as those in the City of Albany and town of Guilderland, already post the applications of proposed projects on their websites.

But most IDAs still only provide elemental information online, such as the board's meeting schedule, and require state Freedom of Information Law requests be filed if members of the public want to see tax break applications.

Even in the case of one of the region's most anticipated projects, the proposed Amazon warehouse in the town of Schodack, the application was not readily available on the day of a public hearing on the possible $13 million package.

The one-million-square-foot distribution center, with developer Scannell Properties as a co-applicant, had no completed application filed before an IDA meeting held on the project last month.

The application had to be requested by the Times Union to be viewed  and it was missing job creation figures and other data relevant to the $100 million project.

Robert Pasinella, executive director of the Rensselaer County IDA, said Wednesday that the Amazon application problem was specific to that project in that Amazon was not ready to fill out its portion concerning job numbers. He said there will be no more IDA meetings on the Amazon warehouse until the application is completed in full, and he has no problem with posting developers' applications going forward.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

"I think the transparency is good  we have no problem with that," Pasinella said.

Obfuscation of project details, however, has come up in other local cases.

For example in Colonie, the Times Union had to file a Freedom of Information request last year to see Ayco Co.'s application for nearly $7 million in combined tax breaks to build a new headquarters at the old Starlite Theatre site. The Colonie IDA has since posted its cost-benefit analysis concerning the economics surrounding Ayco's project.

The Authorities Budget Office's new requirement of online posting will be vetted before a public hearing, and go through a two-month public comment period before being enacted.

Pearlman said he hopes the IDAs do not provide much pushback on the new requirement.

"It shouldn't be a chore to see what your IDAs are doing," Pearlman said.

Times Union Staff Writer Larry Rulison contributed to this report.






TROY  Enforcement of the Collar Citys nuisance abatement law is concentrated in the neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of minority residents and poverty, according to a report released Thursday morning by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

More Than A Nuisance: The Outsized Consequences of New Yorks Nuisance Ordinances reviewed the laws in 15 cities, towns and villages across the state. Rochester and Troy reported the most nuisance incidents of the communities reviewed between Nov. 1, 2012 and Feb. 1, 2018.

"These laws have adverse impacts for people who need assistance," said Scout Katovich, a legal fellow with NYCLU and author of the report.

The nuisance abatements laws assign a varying amount of points per incident that when enough accumulate over a defined time span can lead to the municipality taking action against the property owner, including shutting down a residential building or closing a business. In Troy, action will be taken if 12 or more points accumulate in 12 months or 18 or more points in 24 months.

Troy assigned nuisance points 1,065 times with the highest concentrations of incidents occurring in three neighborhoods -- Lansingburgh between 108th and 118th streets; North Central; and South Troy  which have the most minority residents and concentrated pockets of poverty, Katovich said. Rochester reported 3,392 incidents where points were assigned.

From 2012 to 2018 in Troy, 21.1 percent of the nuisance incidents were for controlled substances; 18.7 percent of the nuisance point assignments were for violating the citys housing and property management code; 15 percent for other, not specified; 13.1 percent for littering, 12 percent for noise violations; 10.3 percent for building violations; and 9 percent for marijuana offenses.

All of these offenses resulted in letters being sent from the police department to property owners warning them that their properties may be a public nuisance, the report said.

It could not be determined from the data obtained from Troy how many different properties were assigned points or whether the structures were residential or business buildings, Katovich said.

The NYCLU report said the nuisance laws may violate tenants civil rights including seeking government assistance that may be prevented due to being subject to a nuisance violation for making a complaint; due process; the imposition of harsh punishments due to steep fines or loss of housing; may discriminate against domestic violence victims; and may be racially discriminatory.

The NYCLU advised Troy and other communities in January that their nuisance abatement laws are unconstitutional and should be rescinded. This followed court action in 2017 striking down the nuisance law enacted by the village of Groton.

Its their opinion our law is unconstitutional. It hasnt been adjudicated, Mayor Patrick Madden said.

The mayor said he hasnt seen the report, but that the city is not trying to hurt tenants. Its nuisance abatement law is designed to get landlords to properly maintain their properties.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

It is almost exclusively absentee owned property, Madden said about buildings racking up points The goal isnt to shut down a property or make someone lose their home. The goal of the nuisance abatement statute is to get people to change their behavior so theyre good neighbors.

The NYCLU recommends that the municipalities examine their nuisance abatement ordinances to ensure calls for police assistance dont result in points; not close buildings that results in tenants losing their homes; and make sure nuisance laws arent disproportionately enforced in neighborhoods with larger poor and minority communities.

The NYCLU also released a report, Behind the Badge, in July about policies police departments have regarding police officer conduct and activity. The entire report will cover 23 departments statewide including Albany, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady and Troy. In the Capital Region, so far only the information on Albany has been released. The details regarding Troy and the other departments are expected to be released later this year.

Data on Albany is included at the NYCLU's website: https://www.behindthebadgeny.org/

The numbers in Albany highlights racial disparities in the number of residents stopped by police from January 2012 and May 2015. On average, one of every 20 white residents were stopped by police, versus one of every eight black residents.

Albany's population is 38 percent black, but for those arrests, black residents accounted for 63 percent, 76 percent and 78 percent respectively for those violation level offenses.

The NYCLU data shows black residents make up more than half the number of residents stopped by police between 2012 and 2014. Whites made up between 36 and 42 percent of the stops while Hispanics made up around 4 percent, with the rest unknown.
QUEENSBURY -- Two business owners admitted to a fraud scheme that one official called an "elaborate scam and outright thievery" against 60 customers from across the country and beyond.

For their guilty pleas in Warren County Court on Wednesday, Robert J. Mirel and Debra Burnett also face prison terms and payment of $1.3 million in restitution, state Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood said.

The pair ran Arlington Equipment Corp., one of the only glass manipulators in North America. Those are used by glass and glazing companies to help install heavy glass in high-rise buildings and other custom uses.

But over at least five years, Mirel and Burnett took advantage of a near monopoly and stole over $1.3 million from almost 60 customers across the country, as well as defrauding the state labor and tax and finance departments and several employees who were not fairly compensated, state prosecutors said. As well as victimizing New Yorkers, the customers ripped off included those in states as far away as California and residents of Germany and Australia, authorities said.

"In some instances, smaller companies that depended on receiving services from Arlington Equipment Corp. were unable to recover from the theft, and ultimately went out of business," according to Underwood's press release.

According to the indictment, by 2012, customers purchasing manipulators from Arlington Equipment Corp. provided a down payment of at least 50 percent but never received a finished product. By April 2013, Arlington had terminated almost all of their employees. Nevertheless, Arlington continued to take dozens of orders for manipulators through at least 2016.

"The elaborate scam and outright thievery committed in this case left a wide swath of destruction, victimizing unsuspecting customers, businesses, employees, and ultimately all New Yorkers," said Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Nonie Manion.

The Attorney General's investigation, dubbed "Operation Bob the Builder," showed the two used bank accounts of shell and shelf companies that they set up at financial institutions to launder the proceeds of their criminal enterprise through at least eight bank accounts.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Mirel and Burnett paid themselves and employees with payroll checks from Paychex, Inc., as well as corporate checks and cash, giving their employees the impression that their W2s would reflect their tax withholdings, when in fact that money was not being withheld.

According to statements by the Attorney General's office, by 2016, Mirel and Burnett also created a prospectus showing an estimated cash flow of over $11 million, in an attempt to sell Arlington and attract investors to provide funding necessary to continue perpetrating their scheme.

Both pleaded guilty to grand larceny, money laundering, scheme to defraud and criminal tax fraud. Mirel will be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in state prison and Burnett will be sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison on Sept. 27, prosecutors said.
WATERFORD - Police said Thursday evening that they have recovered the body of a missing 14-year-old from the Mohawk River after a search that started Wednesday night.

Police at a press conference said Anthony Blaauboer's body was found at 5:45 p.m., in seven feet of water and about 200 feet from where his clothes were found. Divers found the teen two hours after they began searching in the river, just north of Peebles Island State Park.

No cause of death has been determined yet and police aren't ruling out foul play. An autopsy was scheduled.

Family members of Blaauboer burst into tears just before the press conference was to begin at 6:15 p.m. The family began to run toward the street and around the corner. "Why God why?" someone cried as they huddled together.

Blaauboer, who was autistic and lived nearby the search scene, was last seen at about 12:15 p.m. Wednesdat at his home. He disappeared close to the 4th Street Bridge. Waterford police said searchers found pieces of clothing that belonged to the boy. Police said surveillance cameras show the youth walking on a causeway near the Visitor Center Wednesday, but there was no specific time given.

Waterford Police Sgt. Robert Van Bramer said everyone in town knew Anthony, so the disappearance, and now the loss, is tough on the community.

"It unfortunately did not come out the way we wanted," Van Bramer said at the press conference, later adding, "most of the guys in this (search) party know Anthony and see him around."

That was evident in the turnout of volunteers helping the effort in many ways Thursday -- there were 60 to 80 of them in a half-mile search radius, on Peebles Island State Park as well as the shoreline around the town park.

State Police used a helicopter to see the waters around the island that is near where the Hudson and Mohawk rivers meet the Erie Canal. State forest rangers and Waterford firefighters searched the waters in boats with sonar as well.

"We're focusing our efforts on the banks and on the shoreline," said Ranger Lt. John Solan earlier in the day. "We'll talk about transitioning to the water later."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Kimberly Kennedy, a friend of Blaauboer, said she had been helping with the search since she heard he was missing.

"Him and I, we hang out a lot," she said. "Since they found his stuff by the water we've just been wondering, where would he be."

The Saratoga County Sheriffs office, New York State Police, Parks Police, Canal Corp, as well as Waterford, Halfmoon and Northside fire departments assisted with the search. Volunteers were asked to sign in at the Waterford Welcome Center.

The teen lived near the river, but a friend says he was always told not go in the water and did not like the water.
Washington

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.

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.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

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 Salisbury in March. Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin denies.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9)  Brace for more rains over the next couple of days due to two weather disturbances, weather officials reported.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the most affected areas are the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.

In an 11 a.m. update Thursday, PAGASA said these places will experience scattered light to moderate and at times heavy rains due to tropical storm "Karding" and a low pressure area that will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or Habagat. Karding will not make landfall, and is expected to leave Philippine territory Friday evening, it added.

In the weekend, residents of the western section of Northern and Central Luzon will experience scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rains, weather officials advised.

PAGASA also issued a gale warning over Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, the western coast of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan which means sea travel is risky in these areas.

Karding was last spotted 1,200 kilometers (km) east of Basco, Batanes at 10 a.m. carrying center winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph), and gusts of 80 kph. It is currently moving northwest at 10 kph. Meanwhile, the low pressure area, was located 950 km west of Northern Luzon, outside of Philippine territory.
Entrepreneur Gaile Hayes has over 22 years experience in the hospitality industry as well as running a thriving business in event and outdoor catering through the Arch Bar in the heart of Thurles.

Born and bred in Kilsheelan, South Tipperary, Gaile completed a four year degree in Hotel Management and Catering from Cork Institute of Technology before cutting her teeth at Actons Hotel, Kinsale where she led a large team as Conference and Banqueting manager.

After leaving Cork, Gaile and her husband Pat spent time in Australia before she took up a position at Dundrum House Hotel. In the early 00s she returned to Thurles to help run her husbands family business, the Arch Bar, which has been in the Hayes family since 1947.

Here her natural affinity with customers flourished and Gaile says she was embraced by the community of Thurles.

Spotting an opening in the market, and using her banqueting background, Gaile decided to set up an adjoining deli business on Liberty Square in 2006 to extend the food business in the pub while also branching out into providing outdoor catering for events of up to 300 people.

Despite facing a challenging economic backdrop, Gaile says the business strived to succeed throughout the recession and has now emerged stronger than ever. Thanks to ongoing reinvestment, Gaile says the Arch is continually focused on meeting customer needs, most recently in the opening of a new outdoor area.

Today the business supports five full time employees and another five part time staff. Gaile has three daughters and lives in Thurles with her husband Pat.

For more information on the Arch Bar visit their Facebook page.
Barnardos, with the kind support of Dell, today launched their local call for volunteers in Tipperary. The childrens charity, who work with more than 15,300 children each year and has four centres in Tipperary, need valuable volunteers for their National Collection Day, kindly supported by Dell, on September 14th. By shaking a bucket or joining an instore bag pack for just two hours, each volunteer can raise up to 100 for vulnerable children in their community. People can register here: www.barnardos.ie/buckets

Barnardos seeks to transform the lives of children in Ireland by providing services to help them meet their milestones and get ready for school; by providing family supports to those facing challenges such as poverty and homelessness; and by helping parents to create a better home life for their children.



What: Barnardos National Collection Day, kindly supported by Dell

When: Friday 14 September

Time: 8am - 9pm (any 2 hour shift)

Locations in Tipperary include:

Tesco Clonmel

Tesco Nenagh

Dunnes Tipp Town

Dunnes Stores Nenagh

Showgrounds Shopping Centre Clonmel

Tesco Roscrea

Newport College Bakesale

Supervalu Clonmel

Dunnes Stores Davis Road

Dunnes Stores Roscrea

Dunnes Stores Oakville

To volunteer on Friday 14 September please call 01-7080418. For more information, email buckets@barnardos.ie or visit www.barnardos.ie.



Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said: Each year I am overwhelmed by the surge of support we receive in counties and communities across Ireland. A sea of green volunteers, each coming together at a bag pack or shaking a bucket with a friend. Everyone who takes part makes a real difference for the children in their community, and enjoy the benefits and feel good factor that volunteering can bring - weve had volunteers return year after year and who have a ball on the day themselves. But we always need more, and I hope the people of Tipperary get behind us this year. This will be our second year with Dell EMC, who are an incredibly driven partner and who want to support us to make this year the most successful yet. Join us on September 14th to help a child in your community www.barnardos.ie/buckets



Denis Kelly, Site Leader, Dell EMC Cherrywood Campus, said: Last year was the first year for Dell to be an official partner of Barnardos and as a company we were inspired by the impactful work that Barnardos undertook to ensure the wellbeing of children across Ireland. With the National Fundraising Day approaching on the 14th of September our employees in Dublin, Limerick and Cork are busy planning a series of fundraising events to support this deserving cause and enthusiastically working with Barnardos to ensure the campaign is the great success it deserves to be. Today as a company focused on leaving a legacy of good in communities throughout Ireland, were encouraging others to join us in supporting the childrens charity in whatever way possible.



How you can help:

To volunteer please call 01-7080418 or visit www.barnardos.ie.
The Gardai in Nenagh have urged boat owners in the Lough Derg area to be vigilant following the discovery of a number of outboard engines in a car at Rathcabbin, Lorrha, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Local gardai are following a definite line of inquiry in relation to the incident.

The theft of outboard engines on boats around the lake and other inland marinas and marine ports in Ireland has been an ongoing problem over many years.

Meanwhile, the Gardai in Nenagh are looking for information following the theft of a trailer from a farm premises at Bawn on Tuesday of last week.

And bicycle owners are being urged to lock their bikes following the theft of a cycle in Kenyon Street, Nenagh, on the same date.

Gardai are investigating what they believe may be an attempted burglary of goods from a vehicle at Brookville Green, Nenagh, in recent days. The culprits fled the scene when the Gardai were alerted.

A woman shopping in the Euro Giant store in Roscrea had her purse stolen on Friday of last week.

A vehicle was broken into at Kilboy, Dolla at around 1pm last Saturday and a handbag stolen from the vehicle.

The Gardai are investigating the theft of a handbag from a car at Dunkerrin occurred at around 3pm last Saturday.
Visitor restrictions at University Hospital Limerick are likely to continue while the hospital battles an ongoing outbreak of CPE, Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacterales).

There have been 21 new positive cases detected since June linked to this current outbreak. There are currently three CPE-positive inpatients at University Hospital Limerick and all necessary infection prevention and control measures are in place to manage this current outbreak. All cases detected since June relate to patients colonised with and not infected with CPE.

Until further notice only one visitor per patient is allowed and during visiting hours (2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 9pm) only. Members of the public are reminded not to bring children on visits anywhere in the hospital. Parents visiting children are unaffected by the restrictions but are advised not to bring siblings.

With high volumes continuing to present to UHL, these restrictions, while regrettable for patients and their loved ones, have been deemed necessary in the interests of patient care. All infection control measures are in place and every effort is being made to manage the situation with CPE-positive patients and CPE contacts being isolated and cohorted as appropriate.

A number of measures have been taken to deal with the current outbreak. These include

- twice weekly incident meetings convened for all affected areas

- isolation of all positive patients with strict high level contact precautions

- all CPE contacts are screened for a period of 28 days with four negative swabs. These patients are isolated/cohorted with contact precautions

- extensive environmental cleaning and hydrogen peroxide decontamination is underway

CPE is recognised as being endemic in the MidWest Region and UL Hospitals Group has developed comprehensive control measures to deal with Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms.

UL Hospitals Group is proactive in screening patients for CPE in line with national and international best practice and guidance. This helps identify at risk colonised patients asymptomatically carrying CPE, allowing for the appropriate control measures to be put in place. Screening protocols that have been in place at UHL for a number of years have been the template for the development of the national screening policy for the National Public Health Emergency Team on CPE.

There has been strengthened governance in relation to CPE across the UL Hospital Group including the establishment of a CPE Strategic Committee. Information on CPE is shared with senior management and clinicians and escalated nationally through the appropriate channels.

CPE are a group of antibiotic resistant bacteria that are becoming more common all over the world, especially in hospitals. The term CRE (Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae) has also often been used to mean much the same thing as CPE.

The first case in Ireland of CPE was detected in University Hospital Limerick in February 2009. The microbiology team at the hospital raised an alert at the time by telling colleagues in other hospitals of this new problem.

Since then CPE has become more and more common in Ireland and several different kinds of CPE have appeared around the country.

This has become such a problem that the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, established the National Public Health Emergency Team, as a public health response to the CPE/CRE threat in October 2017.

CPE are able to resist the killing effect of a very important group of antibiotics known as carbapenems. This means infection caused by CPE is harder to treat. CPE are carried in the gut.

They are often resistant to a lot of other antibiotics as well as being resistant to meropenem. They are shed in the faeces and spread to other people through contact with hands, surfaces and other things that are contaminated.

Most people who pick up CPE get no symptoms and no illness because the CPE stays in their gut. This is called CPE colonisation or CPE carriage. About 1 in 20 people who carry CPE develop infection at some time

CPE can spread from people that carry it to other people. We know that at the moment most CPE spread happens in hospitals. CPE spread can easily happen below the radar which is why hospitals are testing patients for CPE.

Most of the people who are carrying and shedding CPE are not sick with CPE.
[August 08, 2018]

Duos Technologies Sets Second Quarter 2018 Earnings Call for Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. ET

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 ime. 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




[August 08, 2018] GrafTech Announces the Pricing of Secondary Offering and Concurrent Share Buyback

GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE: EAF) (the "Company") today announced the pricing of a secondary offering of its common stock, which was upsized from 20,000,000 shares to 23,000,000 shares. The shares have been offered by the majority stockholder, an affiliate of Brookfield Business Partners LP, a publicly listed business services and industrials company of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., at a price to the public of $20.00 per share. The offering is expected to close on August 13, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. In connection with the offering, the selling stockholder has granted the underwriters a 30 day option to purchase up to an additional 3,450,000 shares of common stock. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC have acted as joint lead book running managers and as representatives of the underwriters for the offering; Citigroup Global Markets Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and BMO Capital Markets Corp. have acted as joint book running managers for the offering. CIBC Capital Markets, National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and TD Securities (USA) LLC have acted as co-managers for the offering. A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective as of August 8, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Cmmission. The offering is being made only by means of the written prospectus forming part of the registration statement. When available, copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or via telephone: 1-866-803-9204; or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, or by telephone at (800) 221-1037, or by email at newyork.prospectus@credit-suisse.com.



In addition, the Company has entered into a share repurchase agreement with the selling stockholder pursuant to which it will repurchase 11,688,311 shares from Brookfield. The price per share to be paid by the Company is equal to the price paid by the underwriters in the offering, net of underwriting commissions and discounts. The Company expects to fund the share repurchase from cash on hand. The share repurchase will be consummated concurrently with the offering. Although the share repurchase is conditioned upon, among other things, the closing of the offering, the closing of the offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the share repurchase. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

GrafTech International Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of high quality graphite electrode products essential to the production of electric arc furnace (or EAF) steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release regarding the Company that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005883/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Introducing Meizu 16th: Captivating New Features Coupled with Powerful Performance

The latest flagship smartphone by Meizu, the Meizu 16th, boasts face recognition, under screen fingerprints, and gesture operation, among other innovative new features. BEIJING, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated release of the Meizu 16th smartphone is finally here, having already garnered over 1 million pre-orders ahead of its release. The latest flagship phone by leading smartphone manufacturer Meizu is packed with an array of new and standard features, along with Flyme 7, their popular customized Android OS. "The release of Meizu 16th marks our biggest increase in performance yet," said Meizu CEO Jack Wong. "We hope our users will enjoy the exciting array of new specs we've added. We are very proud of this new flagship release and believe it demonstrates our strength in creating a delightful user experience." Innovative Hardware Meizu 16th is being presented with groundbreaking new features such as: Under screen fingerprints, gesture operation, Super mBack, single-hand operation, and Face Recognition 2.0. With a 6.0-inch symmetrical Samsung screen paired with 2160x1080 resolution, 430cd/m brightness, and 10000:1 contrast ratio. The newest addition to the Meizu family is set to deliver the sharpest and brightest display yet. The Four curved 3D glass body and custom-made ultra narrow left and right side frame give the Meizu 16th its sleek, clean design. The Meizu 16th will come in both 6+64GB and 8+128GB capacity, and will be available in Midnight Black and Moonlight White color options. Cutting Edge Camera Equipped with Sony's flagship double-camera, it's the perfect phone to capture the moment with a crisp video or a charming selfie. The Meizu 16th's Sony IMX380+OIS+IMX350 rear camera boasts a whopping 12 MP+20MP, 6-LED round flas, /1.8+ /2.6 wide aperture blurring, continuous capture mode, panorama mode, professional mode, time-lapse photography, and slow motion. All the while its front-facing lens features 20 MP, /2.0 wide aperture, 5P lens, ArcSoft AI intelligent beauty, and lightning fast face recognition.





Striking Specs With Attention to Details One of Meizu 16th's premier features is its mTouch sensor capability, with a 360 recognition angle, capacitive touch sensor, and 5-fingerprints memory. In addition, the front camera has Face Recognition 2.0 capabilities that unlocks the phone with advanced AI processing in just 0.25 seconds. Meizu 16th has also added mCharge, an updated rapid charging capability that can bring battery life from 0% to 67% in just 30 minutes. Further specs include: 150.5 x 73.3 x 7.3 (mm) dimensions

152g weight

3010 mAh battery

Qualcomm dragon 845 flagship CPU platform

Hexagon 685 AI processing core

Hardware level AI scene recognition

mEngine haptic feedback

Music Link ringtone vibration Inventive New Flyme 7 Android OS It's not just the outside that makes the Meizu 16th a knockout smartphone. The phone's custom Flyme 7 Android OS will give users what they've come to love and expect from Flyme, and then some. The 7th reiteration of the OS features many optimized details, including a new interface layout, richer colors, and softer desktop icons with a sleeker look. All while keeping access to content simple, without sacrificing the visual experience. Flyme 7 will also offer refined animations, such as realistic visuals in the weather app that illustrate various forecasts. To keep with the animation theme, a new notification bar has been designed to present content in engaging sequences. Users will also have a choice from custom themes, including the beloved Kumamon character. On the accessibility front, the new Flyme also gives users a global night mode, smart light perception, a new eye protection mode, and a smart hearing protection mode. Unlike other operating systems that only offer dimness options, the global night mode provides a system-wide experience. About Meizu Established in 2003 with more than 1,000 employees and 600 retail stores and headquartered in Zhuhai, China, Meizu designs and produces smartphones created to provide a simple, intuitive mobile experience. Availability Meizu 16th will be available globally in China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Media Contact: Alexander Twibill

Global Marketing & PR Director

Email: alexander@meizu.com

Phone: +86-199-268-19350

Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meizu

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meizutech

Twitter: https://twitter.com/meizu View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/introducing-meizu-16th-captivating-new-features-coupled-with-powerful-performance-300694584.html SOURCE Meizu Technology Company

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Basilea starts clinical phase 3 study with antibiotic ceftobiprole in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB)

Basel, Switzerland, August 09, 2018 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today the start of a clinical phase 3 study with its antibiotic ceftobiprole. The registration study evaluates the safety and efficacy of ceftobiprole in the treatment of patients with bacteremia (bloodstream infections) caused by Staphylococcus aureus. David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are very pleased to have started the SAB study. This is the second of our two phase 3 studies that are required to potentially gain a U.S. marketing authorization. SAB and associated complications cause significant morbidity and mortality, in particular if caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. With its broad spectrum of activity, including MRSA, ceftobiprole has the potential to become an important treatment option for patients with these serious hospital bacterial infections." The randomized, double-blind, multi-center study aims to establish the safety and efficacy of intravenously (i.v.) administered ceftobiprole versus i.v. daptomycin (plus optional aztreonam for Gram-negative infections) in the treatment of SAB. The FDA-agreed primary endpoint is to demonstrate non-inferiority of ceftobiprole to the comparator regimen at the post-treatment evaluation visit 70 days after randomization. The study is anticipated to enroll approximately 390 adult patients. Additional information on this clinical study is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT03138733). A first phase 3 study was started in February which evaluates ceftobiprole in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The two phase 3 studies are designed to be cross-supportive for a potential U.S. registration and are conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the FDA. Basilea's ceftobiprole phase 3 program is funded in part (up to USD 118 million, which is approximately 70% of the total estimated program costs) with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under Contract No. HHSO100201600002C. About ceftobiprole

Ceftobiprole is a cephalosporin antibiotic for intravenous administration with rapid bactericidal activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including methicillin-susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, MRSA) and susceptible Pseudomonas spp.1 Ceftobiprole is approved in major European countries and several non-European countries for the treatment of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).1 Basilea has entered into license and distribution agreements for the brand in Europe, Latin America, China, Canada, Israel, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is currently marketed in major European countries, Argentina, Canada and Saudi Arabia under the brand names Zevtera and Mabelio. The drug received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation in the U.S. from the FDA for the potential treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Based on the QIDP designation ceftobiprole would be eligible for priority review of a future New Drug Application (NDA) and market exclusivity of ten years upon approval in the U.S. Ceftobiprole is currently in a phase 3 clinical program for registration in the U.S. under an SPA with the FDA. The SPA provides agreement between Basilea and the FDA that the design and planned analysis of a clinical study adequately address the objectives necessary to support a regulatory submission for the approval of a drug in the U.S.



About Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB)

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is a leading cause of bloodstream infections, responsible for a broad variety of complications and has been associated with significant morbidity and a mortality of 20 to 40%.2, 3 Several studies have demonstrated that MRSA bacteremia is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate compared with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia.4, 5 Infections of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves (infective endocarditis) and bone infections (osteomyelitis) are common complications of SAB. About Basilea

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address the medical challenge of increasing resistance and non-response to current treatment options in the therapeutic areas of bacterial infections, fungal infections and cancer. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Additional information can be found at Basilea's website www.basilea.com.

Disclaimer

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD

Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

+41 61 606 1102

media_relations@basilea.com

investor_relations@basilea.com This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. References

1 UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) Zevtera: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/ [Accessed: August 08, 2018]

2 A. G. Jensen et al. Treatment and outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a prospective study of 278 cases. Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 (162), 25-32

3 J. L. Wang et al. Comparison of both clinical features and mortality risk associated with bacteremia due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2008 (46), 799-806

4 S. I. Blot et al. Outcome and attributable mortality in critically Ill patients with bacteremia involving methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Archives of Internal Medicine 2002 (162), 2229-2235

5 S. E. Cosgrove et al. Comparison of mortality associated with methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a meta-analysis. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2003 (36), 53-59 Attachment Press release (PDF).pdf

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Asia's First Google Learning Center to be Located at "True Digital Park" in Thailand, the Largest Digital Innovation Hub in Southeast Asia that Fully Supports Digital Lifestyles

BANGKOK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Google announced partnership with True Digital Park, Southeast Asia's largest digital innovation hub, to help people and businesses in Thailand keep up with digital transformation to deliver sustainable success through digital capability. As a technology partner, Google brought support to fulfill True Digital Park with a complete ecosystem of a learning programs designed to embed digital innovation in digital marketing and entrepreneurs through collaborative trainings, workshops and networking activities. In addition, Google is establishing "Academy Bangkok -- A Google Space." When completed in late 2018, it will be Asia's first and the world's second center located at True Digital Park on Sukhumvit 101, Bangkok.



Mr. Ben King, Country Director, Google said that "Google's partnership with True Digital Park in Bangkok will provide Thai people with a good opportunity to build the skills and capabilities they need to stay ahead in the rapidly changing digital world and transform the way their businesses operate, driving change as individuals, in teams, or across the entire organization. Academy Bangkok -- A Google Space will serve as a training center for digital related knowledge. The center is designed to accommodate up to 200 participants at a time." According to Dr. Kittinut Tikawan, President (Co) of True Corporation Plc., "The partnership with Google in establishing the Academy Bangkok -- A Google Space at True Digital Park originated from a mutual vision and commitment to promoting digital education and skills development among Thais to further support the country's business sector, resulting in boosting digital innovation to benefit both Thailand and the world. This will also support the Thai government's digital economy policy by developing and enhancing the country's competitiveness as well as supporting different economic sectors."

Mr. Thanasorn Jaidee, President of True Digital Park added, "The Academy Bangkok -- A Google Space was designed to be Google's first digital incubation center in Asia and the second in the world. Google's decision to set up its digital incubation center in Thailand offers Thais a tremendous opportunity to learn and improve their digital literacy and competencies, and to be more compatible with the fast-moving world of digital technologies through training programs and activities that will be launched jointly with True Digital Park. Additionally, this will help build a community that is fully equipped with the relevant knowledge, exchange of ideas, and inspiration that contributes to digital innovation. This, in turn, will emphasize True Digital Park as a global destination for the digitally savvy under the concept of Digital Lifestyle-Connecting Possibilities in a complete startup ecosystem." Strategically located on thriving Sukhumvit Road, with direct access to BTS mass transit line via a skywalk, True Digital Park conveniently connects to all major business districts across uptown and downtown Bangkok as well as at easy access to Suvarnabhumi international airport. Academy Bangkok -- A Google Space will be located on the 6th floor of True Digital Park. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180809/2208255-1 SOURCE True Digital Park

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Yext Puts Businesses In Control of Event Information with Yext for Events in Summer '18 Product Release

NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yext, Inc. (NYSE: YEXT), the leader in Digital Knowledge Management (DKM), today announced that Yext for Events, Yext's new solution that allows businesses to manage and publish event information on their own digital properties and across the web, has exited beta and is now available to Yext customers and partners for general access. The Summer '18 Release also includes several new features of the Yext platform available for early access starting today. "Businesses of all types use events to engage prospective customers and deepen their connections to their communities, but event information can be extremely time-consuming and difficult to manage across teams, on a business's own website, and across the many services that consumers use to find things to do," said Marc Ferrentino, Chief Strategy Officer of Yext. "We created Yext for Events to give businesses a powerful tool to control event information, and to deliver it to consumers across platforms. Yext for Events is a first-of-its-kind central source of truth for digital knowledge about events." Yext for Events allows businesses to create, update, publish, and measure events across the digital ecosystem. Yext provides a central source of truth for businesses to manage key details like event start and end times, locations, and descriptions, and create Event Pages, add them to the business's website, and publish events broadly to event discovery sites like Facebook and Eventful, as well as event ticketing platforms like Eventbrite. One of the first businesses to employ Yext for Events in beta was Ben & Jerry's, which used Yext for Events to manage and publish event information for Free Cone Day. Using Yext for Events, Ben & Jerry's was able to create 200 events and 800 events listings for Free Cone Day across 8 services, including Facebook, Eventbrite, Eventful, and Locanto, siply by uploading the event data into the Yext Knowledge Manager. One staff member accomplished in two hours what Yext estimates would have taken store managers collectively more than 200 hours to do manually.



"It was a way for us to actually scale individual shop events across our scoop shop system. So instead of having shops do it manually or individually on their end, we had one place to set up and then execute and push out," says Jay Kasparian, Associate Brand Manager  Scoop Shops. "It's become much easier to manage." In addition to allowing businesses to publish and update events to their own websites and calendars  and update those calendars with the click of a button  Yext for Events publishes across leading events sites.

The Summer '18 Release includes the following features, now available for early access:



11 New Knowledge Assistant Skills : The Knowledge Assistant  Yext's conversational user interface  can now nudge Yext customers to make updates to their information, so consumers and services like Google, Alexa, Bing, Facebook, and more always have the most current data. In addition, Yext customers can now ask the Knowledge Assistant, "Show me reviews that I haven't responded to" or "How many phone calls have I received from Google?" to engage with customers and learn about their performance as easily as texting a friend.

: The Knowledge Assistant  Yext's conversational user interface  can now nudge Yext customers to make updates to their information, so consumers and services like Google, Alexa, Bing, Facebook, and more always have the most current data. In addition, Yext customers can now ask the Knowledge Assistant, "Show me reviews that I haven't responded to" or "How many phone calls have I received from Google?" to engage with customers and learn about their performance as easily as texting a friend. Publisher Suggestions on Facebook : Businesses can now view suggestions that Facebook users make to their Facebook location Pages inside the Yext dashboard, and can choose to accept or reject those suggestions.

: Businesses can now view suggestions that Facebook users make to their Facebook location Pages inside the Yext dashboard, and can choose to accept or reject those suggestions. Google User Photos : Businesses can now monitor photos that Google Maps users post from their stores or locations, directly inside the Yext dashboard. They can also see analytics, like photo views, and can set up notifications for any time new content is posted by a customer. Ferrentino added, "As AI transforms the way we search for everything from nearby businesses to things to do, businesses are discovering the growing variety of types of digital knowledge their customers are looking for online. Events are one of the fastest-growing areas of investment for businesses today, and Yext for Events brings that investment the last mile to consumer discovery, decision, and action."



For more information on the Summer '18 Product Release, visit the Summer '18 Release Notes.



About Yext

Yext (NYSE: YEXT) is the leading Digital Knowledge Management (DKM) platform. Yext's mission is to give companies control over their brand experiences across the digital universe of maps, apps, search engines, voice assistants, and other intelligent services that drive consumer discovery, decision, and action. Today, thousands of businesses including brands like Taco Bell, Rite Aid, and Steward Health use the Yext Knowledge Engine to manage their digital knowledge in order to boost brand engagement, drive foot traffic, and increase sales.



Yext has been named a Best Place to Work by Fortune and Great Place to Work as well as a Best Workplace for Women. Yext is headquartered in New York City with offices in Berlin, Chicago, Dallas, Geneva, London, Paris, Tyson's Corner, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Tokyo. For more information, visit www.yext.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yext-puts-businesses-in-control-of-event-information-with-yext-for-events-in-summer-18-product-release-300694461.html SOURCE Yext, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Lorex Introduces 4K Zoom Cameras with 4x Optical Motorized Lens

Lorex introduces a series of innovative cameras equipped with 4K Ultra HD resolution, motorized optical zooms and Color Night Vision MARKHAM, ON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Lorex Technology, a global leader in home and small business video surveillance solutions, introduces new and innovative Motorized Zoom Lens Security Cameras (otherwise known as Varifocal Security Cameras) that are equipped with state-of-the-art lenses that are capable of easy FOV (field of view) adjustments. These cameras can zoom in on a narrow FOV to focus on specific object or area in its view, like a doorway or cash register, or zoom out to a wide FOV for maximum coverage, or anywhere in between. The majority of security cameras in the market today are limited to a static Field of View. These security cameras have what is called a fixed or prime lens. This type of lens has a limited focal range, which means the field of view is always the same. Security cameras with a varifocal lens from Lorex, on the other hand, can zoom in and out, allowing users to customize the field of view for their purposes. To achieve a customizable field of view, Lorex varifocal cameras use a powerful optical zoom lens. This type of lens is capable of moving within the camera, alterng the distance between itself and the image sensor. As a result, the further the lens moves from the sensor, the more magnified the field of view will become. Optical zooms do not degrade the quality of the video unlike a digital zoom, which basically just creates an "artificial" close-up by cropping up and magnifying (or blowing up) a portion of the image.



Unlike zoom lens security cameras of the past, which would make users break out the ladder to adjust the zoom and focus on the actual camera, the new Lorex varifocal security cameras are fully motorized. This allows for customers to make FOV adjustments right from a connected smartphone or from the security recorder. The camera will also automatically focus, so images are always sharp and crisp, regardless of focal length. Lorex offers a wide range of zoom lens security cameras, in both bullet and dome varieties. The latest varifocal offerings are equipped with 4K Ultra HD resolution recording, a 4x optical zoom lens, and Color Night Vision. Zoom lenses can also be found in advanced PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) security cameras, which can be programmed to use their 12x optical zoom capabilities as part of a set "tour" or "pattern." A new "Zoom and Focus" feature for varifocal PTZ cameras is also coming soon. This feature means that the camera will not only detect motion but will also automatically zoom in and focus on it.

"Lorex security cameras with motorized varifocal lenses can add a new level of versatility to your property's surveillance system," said Sufi Sulaiman, Vice President of Digital and Commerce of Lorex Technology. "With the most innovative features, such as the highest resolutions, the most advanced zoom lens technology, and Color Night Vision, you will have peace of mind, knowing that your home or business is monitored by the best tools in the industry." About Lorex Technology Established in 1993 in Markham, Ontario, Lorex Technology is the authority in the home and small business video surveillance solutions. For over 25 years, the company has provided top-of-the-line video technology products to its customers in North America and around the world. Today, Lorex prides itself as a leader in do-it-yourself (DIY) and professional-grade home and business security solutions and continues to develop sophisticated and user-friendly technologies aimed at helping customers protect their loved ones and property. Find out more about Lorex Technology at www.lorextechnology.com or on Facebook and Twitter. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lorex-introduces-4k-zoom-cameras-with-4x-optical-motorized-lens-300694575.html SOURCE LOREX Technology Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Teledyne LeCroy Extends Lead in 24G SAS with Industry-First Dynamic Channel Multiplexing (DCM) Analysis Capability

(Flash Memory Summit 2018) - Teledyne LeCroy, Inc., the worldwide leader in protocol test solutions and a business unit of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), has advanced its leadership in the 24G SAS market with the addition of an industry-first analysis capability for Dynamic Channel Multiplexing ( DCM (News - Alert) ) from Microsemi Corporation. This new cost-effective testing feature simplifies the DCM verification process for users of Teledyne LeCroy's Sierra T244 protocol analyzer. Following several major milestones by Teledyne LeCroy in the 24G SAS (News - Alert) arena, including the introduction of the first 24G SAS analyzer, jammer and exerciser system, Teledyne LeCroy has now assembled the most complete line of protocol layer test tools for storage vendors targeting 24G SAS development. "Today's announcement demonstrates Teledyne LeCroy's commitment to providing our customers with a full-suite of cost-effective solutions in support of their 24G SAS development," said Kevin Prusso, vice president of sales and marketing for Teledyne LeCroy's Protocol Solutions Group. In collaboration with Microsemi (News - Alert) , a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc., Teledyne LeCroy developed the new DCM testing capabilities to support the efficient deployment of Microsemi DCM technology, which increases storage performance and improves 24G link utilization. Microsemi DCM technology is built upon 24G SAS and enables storage subsystems to harness the full performance capabilities of PCIe Gen 4 enabled systems by enabling extremely efficient aggregation of transactions to lower speed drives (6G and 12G). Fully interoperable with existing SAS and SATA infrastructure, DCM can extend the lifecycle of legacy rackmount storage by aggregating throughput within the SAS fabric. "Storage and server OEMs using Microsemi DCM technology to aggregate throughput within the SAS fabric will require an effective platform to test all the new features DCM provdes," said Joe Mendolia, vice president of marketing at Teledyne LeCroy's Protocol Solutions Group. "This verification effort will be greatly simplified for users of Teledyne LeCroy's Sierra T244 protocol analyzer who can now take advantage of the new DCM test capabilities to automatically detect, capture, and analyze both DCM and standard SAS-4 protocol traffic."



"Microsemi has collaborated with Teledyne LeCroy to develop test tools for DCM, ensuring our partners can efficiently deploy this innovative technology," said Pete Hazen, vice president of Microsemi's Data Center Solutions business unit. "24G SAS with DCM removes bottlenecks in storage infrastructure even when utilizing SATA and SAS-3 drives, enabling greater performance and ultimately better storage utilization in the data center." Availability

The Sierra T244 platform began shipping in January 2017 and the DCM option is available now for immediate shipment. Engineers and technicians who would like to learn more can contact their regional Sales Engineer at 1-800-909-7211 or 408-653-1262, or protocolsales@teledynelecroy.com. For more information, visit the Teledyne LeCroy protocol analyzer web page (http://teledynelecroy.com/protocolanalyzer/) and select Serial Attached SCSI. About Teledyne LeCroy Teledyne LeCroy is a leading manufacturer of advanced oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and other test instruments that verify performance, validate compliance, and debug complex electronic systems quickly and thoroughly. Since its founding in 1964, the Company has focused on incorporating powerful tools into innovative products that enhance "Time-to-Insight". Faster time to insight enables users to rapidly find and fix defects in complex electronic systems, dramatically improving time-to-market for a wide variety of applications and end markets. Teledyne LeCroy is based in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. For more information, visit Teledyne LeCroy's website at teledynelecroy.com. About Teledyne Technologies Incorporated Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne Technologies' operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne Technologies' website at www.teledyne.com.  2018 by Teledyne LeCroy. All rights reserved. Specifications are subject to change without notice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005219/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] VATC Promotes Tim Creighton to Vice President of Operations

Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting Inc., a leader in delivering military operational support and realistic training environments to government and commercial customers around the world, has announced that its former program manager, Tim Creighton, has been promoted to vice president of operations. "We're very excited for Tim to be transitioning into this new role," said Sara Moola, president and CEO of VATC. "Tim has proven himself as a key member of the operations team and the overall company. His background and experience will continue to greatly assist our work and services moving forward." Tim's primary responsibilities will be to provide direction to the company's operational activities, lead and manage company functions, maintain a cohesive team structure, and maximize growth and profitability while upholding VATC's high level of customer satisfaction. Before joining VATC as a program manager, Creighton served 28 years in the U.S. Army, first in infantry and then in Special Forces. His most recent past assignment was as chief, Joint Exercise Branch in US. Special Operations Command, where he created and is the original plank owner of the biennial International Special Operations Demonstration that takes place in downtown Tampa, Florida. Creighton's broad range of military experience has provided the company with keen insight into the demands of the industry as well as of VATC's customers.



Creighton attended Rhode Island College, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration. He also holds a master's degree in business management from Webster University. About Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting Inc.

For more than a decade, Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting Inc. (VATC) has combined its joint training experience, innovative engineering talent and intelligence expertise to pioneer the development of the most advanced Distributed Missions Operations (DMO) training environments available anywhere in the world. Combining the latest open geospatial data standards with an integrated suite of innovative DMO training solutions, VATC offers a legacy of proven performance, leading subject-matter expertise and the most innovative technological solutions to the modern military's growing challenges. For more information, visit us at www.vatcinc.com or on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005123/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Publix Super Markets Charities Donates $5 Million to Help Alleviate Hunger

Publix Super Markets Charities announced today it will donate $5 million to more than 240 nonprofit organizations, including Feeding America member food banks, focused on alleviating hunger across Publix's operating area. The donation will provide funding to assist these nonprofit organizations in the nourishment of children, seniors and families in need. Over the past four years, Publix Super Market Charities has contributed more than $17 million to hunger-related programs. This generous donation continues Publix Super Markets Charities' commitment to meeting the basic needs of the communities it serves. Food banks and other nonprofits are in need of funding to support feeding programs such as backpack programs, mobile and school pantries and senior meal programs. Refrigerated trucks are also needed to transport perishable items that are donated by food retailers. To help meet these needs, Feeding America and the following 32 member food banks within its network will receive a gift of $20,000 - $150,000 from the Foundation:







Food Bank Location Donation Alabama Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Birmingham $150,000 Feeding the Gulf Coast Theodore $100,000 Food Bank of North Alabama Huntsville $80,000 Montgomery Area Food Bank Montgomery $150,000 Florida All Faiths Food Bank Sarasota $150,000 America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend Tallahassee $100,000 Feeding Northeast Florida Jacksonville $150,000 Feeding South Florida Pembroke Park $150,000 Feeding Tampa Bay Tampa $150,000 Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida Fort Myers $150,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida Orlando $100,000 Treasure Coast Food Bank Fort Pierce $75,000 Georgia America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia Savannah $100,000 Atlanta Community Food Bank Atlanta $150,000 Feeding the Valley Midland $50,000 Food Bank of Northeast Georgia Athens $75,000 Golden Harvest Food Bank Augusta (News - Alert) $80,000 Middle Georgia Community Food Bank Macon $100,000 Second Harvest of South Georgia Valdosta $50,000 North Carolina Action Pathways Fayetteville $25,000 Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina Raleigh $100,000 Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Raleigh $50,000 MANNA FoodBank Asheville $50,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina Charlotte $150,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina Winston-Salem $50,000 South Carolina Harvest Hope Food Bank Columbia $150,000 Lowcountry Food Bank Charleston $150,000 Tennessee Chattanooga Area Food Bank Chattanooga $75,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee Maryville $50,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Nashville $100,000 Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee Greeneville $20,000 Virginia FeedMore Richmond $50,000

This funding will assist more than 11,000 agencies served by the member food banks. Feeding America will also receive a $25,000 donation. "For more than 50 years, we have been nourishing the communities in which Publix operates," said Carol Jenkins Barnett, president of Publix Super Markets Charities. "Through these efforts, we've supported the plight of the hungry and homeless, recognizing the importance of proper nutrition and the access to food. Children, seniors and families should never have to wonder where they will find their next meal. Our Foundation is dedicated to providing more meals and giving more hope to our communities." According to the USDA, more than 41 million Americans live in food insecure households, including nearly 13 million children and 5 million seniors. Although food insecurity is harmful to any individual, it can be particularly devastating for children and seniors due to their increased vulnerability. "Feeding America is thankful to Publix and Publix Charities for their long-standing commitment to fighting hunger in communities across the southeast," said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America. "One in eight Americans are at risk of hunger. This investment in programs and infrastructure will help food banks and their agency partners provide millions of meals to children, seniors and families who need them most." Publix's Perishable Recovery Program Since 2007, Publix has had an in-store perishable recovery program to benefit the Feeding America network of food banks. Fresh departments across the store, including deli, meat, produce and dairy, gather perishable, wholesome foods that are safe for consumption, but unsalable, to donate to member food banks. To date, the company has donated more than 337 million pounds of perishable food to food banks, representing over 281 million meals. Due to these efforts, Feeding America named Publix an inaugural Visionary Partner in 2015. "As a food retailer, our single biggest opportunity to give back is in alleviating hunger," said Maria Brous, Publix director of media and community relations. "Our perishable recovery program is just one example of our associates' commitment to make our communities a better place. By donating much needed wholesome foods, we're helping our local food banks and nonprofit organizations meet the needs of children, seniors and families in our communities." About Publix Super Markets Charities George Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets and affectionately known as "Mr. George" believed in giving. From the day he opened his first Publix, he made sure his associates, customers and community were taken care of. In 1966, Mr. George established the Foundation with the vision it would continue giving long after he was gone. Under the leadership of Carol Jenkins Barnett, Mr. George's daughter, Publix Super Markets Charities remains committed to serving the communities in which Publix operates. To learn more, visit www.publixcharities.org. About Publix Super Markets Publix is privately owned and operated by its more than 190,000 employees, with 2017 sales of $34.6 billion. Currently, Publix has 1,191 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The company has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for 21 consecutive years. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company's website, corporate.publix.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005386/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Comviva Wins Three Awards at CMO Asia Awards 2018

NEW DELHI, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Comviva's ' A Decade of Transforming Lives' campaign wins Best Use of Social Media in Marketing and Best Digital I ntegrated Campaign

Brand Excellence in Telecom Services Sector award for content marketing initiatives Comviva, the global leader in providing mobility solutions, today announced that it has won three awards at the 9th edition of the CMO Asia Awards held recently in Singapore. The company won the awards in the categories 'Best Digital Integrated Campaign', 'Best Use of Social Media in Marketing', and 'Brand Excellence in Telecom Services Sector'. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/721519/Comviva_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728792/CMO_Asia_Award.jpg )



Comviva's cohesive marketing campaign - A decade of transforming lives was critical in establishing the company's leadership position in the mobile financial space both in the online and offline world. The campaign leveraged offline medium as well as digital channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for establishing the company's leadership position in the mobile financial solution space and garnered relevant leads and case study downloads. The campaign garnered wins in two categories - the 'Best Digital Integrated Campaign' and the 'Best Use of Social Media in Marketing'. The third win for Comviva was in the category 'Brand Excellence in Telecom Services Sector' for the content marketing initiatives for the year 2017. The objective of the year-long overhauled content marketing strategy was to leverage content marketing in an optimal manner, to establish Comviva as thought leader in its areas of function. Speaking on the occasion, Rajat Dayal, Vice President, Marketing at Comviva said, "We are extremely privileged to win such a prestigious international recognition. These awards are indeed a true acknowledgement of Comviva's innovative campaigns towards achieving excellence in the field of marketing and branding."

The 9th CMO Asia Awards is a premium forum bringing elite marketers, brand custodians, advertising, and creative honchos together under one roof. The program offers top marketing professionals, agencies, and consultants an intimate environment for recognizing and rewarding excellence. The awards will bring the best industry professionals who have made the outstanding contributions in the Branding and Marketing fraternity. The awards aim to reward the best in the industry and enhance reputations. For further enquiries, please contact:

Sundeep Mehta

PR & Corporate Communications

Comviva Technologies Ltd.

Contact: +91-124-481-9000

Email: pr@mahindracomviva.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Former CIA Associate Director of Military Affairs and SOCOM Deputy Commander, Retired LTG John F. Mulholland, Jr., Joins Klas Telecom Government as Board of Directors Advisor

Klas Telecom (News - Alert) Government, a company that specializes in providing the U.S. Department of Defense and federal agencies with lightweight and man-portable tactical communications systems, announced today that retired Lieutenant General (LTG) John F. Mulholland, Jr., United States Army (U.S. Army), has joined the company as a special advisor to the Klas Telecom Government Board of Directors. LTG Mulholland will provide strategic guidance to the company's directing board, lending from his extensive experience advising and leading some of the nation's most elite military forces. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005402/en/ LTG John F. Mulholland, Jr., U.S. Army (ret.) joins Klas Telecom Government, a company that specializes in providing the U.S. DoD with lightweight, tactical communications systems, as Board of Directors Advisor. (Photo: Business Wire)



th Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. LTG Mulholland led special operations task forces in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and served his final tour on active duty as Associate Director of Military Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency. "We are honored to welcome LTG Mulholland as an advisor to the board and very much look forward to his expertise in providing a strategic vision for our organization," Klas Telecom Government President and CEO Dave Huisenga said. "His unique perspective as a former operator will help Klas Telecom continue to develop the best products for the warfighter."

About Klas Telecom Government Klas Telecom Government provides rugged, low size, weight and power (SWaP) deployable communications solutions to meet the needs of government and military communicators in any operational environment. Klas Telecom Government enables customers to communicate more and carry less by delivering tactical and executive communications systems specifically designed for ultimate flexibility, scalability and portability. Klas Telecom Government's capabilities include product design and configuration, network management, solutions development, fielding and training. The company employs dedicated personnel who offer engineering and support 24/7/365. Klas Telecom Government is a U.S. subsidiary of Klas Telecom and was founded in 2009 to manage and effectively address U.S. government and federal requirements at all classification levels. Klas Telecom Government employs staff across two offices located in Herndon, VA and Tampa, FL with corporate offices located in Washington, D.C. and internationally in Dublin, Ireland. www.klastelecom.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005402/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The changes would stop there under a nine-school model that would continue operating seven elementary schools and two middle schools following the closing this year of Lincoln Elementary and Elm Place Middle schools. However, the district cautions that school boundaries may be adjusted to better balance enrollment at Edgewood and Northwood middle schools, which could impact all feeder schools in the district.
[August 09, 2018] Medical College of Georgia Foundation Selects TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services to Manage $240 Million Endowment

TIAA today announced TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services has been selected as Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) for the $240 million endowment of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation. TIAA was selected for its solution that incorporates sophisticated risk management and spending policy optimization, as well as a portfolio that is diversified across traditional and high quality alternative asset managers. The investment performance and extended suite of services within TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services also played a key role in the decision. "We were seeking a solution to build upon our success," said Ian S. Mercier, President and CEO of MCG Foundation. "Our endowment plays a vital role in helping to support many future generations of faculty, students and scientists and the advancement of education, research and patient care at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta (News - Alert) University." "We are committed to supporting the mission of the MCG Foundation to improve quality of life for the people of Georgia and beyond," said Kevin O'Leary, CEO of TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services. "Our investment expertise and experience serving nonprofit clients will be an important factor as they seek to advance their long term goals." More information about TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services is available at www.tiaa.org/teps. About TIAA With an award-winning1 track record for consistent investment performance, TIAA (TIAA.org) is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and government fields. TIAA has $1 trillion in assets under management (as of 6/30/20182) and offers a wide range of financial solutions, including investing, banking, advice and education, and retirement services. About MCG The Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University's founding school, is the state's leading provider of physicians, graduating the largest number of physicians of the five medical schools in Georgia. More than 51 percent of MCG graduates remain in Georgia to practice, well above the average retention rate of 39 percent. In 2016 MCG graduated more than two times the physicians going into primary care and core specialties - like family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine and general surgery - than any other medical school in the state of Georgia. TIAA offers endowment management ("TIAA Endowments") and planned giving services ("TIAA Kaspick") through subsidiaries of TIAA including TIAA Endowment & Philanthropic Services, LLC, an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and TIAA, FSB a federal savings bank. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The material is for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any product or service to which this information may relate. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons. Past performance does not guarantee future results. 2018 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, New York, NY 10017 505291







1 The Lipper Large Fund Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years' Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 (36 fund companies), 11/30/13 (48), 11/30/14 (48), 11/30/15 (37), 11/30/16 (34) and 11/30/17 (34) with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Note this award pertains to mutual funds within the TIAA-CREF group of mutual funds; other funds distributed by Nuveen Securities were not included. From Thomson Reuters Lipper Awards,  2018 Thomson Reuters (News - Alert) . All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Certain funds have fee waivers in effect. Without such waivers ratings could be lower. For current performance, rankings and prospectuses, please visit the Research and Performance section on TIAA.org. Nuveen Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. 2 Based on $1 trillion of assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams as of 6/30/18.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005405/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] EXTEN Recognized as Storage Software Industry Leader with "Best of Show" Award for Most Innovative Technology

After officially launching just days ago, EXTEN Technologies, Inc. announced today that its HyperDynamic NVMe over Fabrics high-performance storage software, in conjunction with the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA), won the Best of Show Technology Innovation Award at the 2018 Flash Memory Summit (FMS) currently being held in Santa Clara. "Cloud and other large data centers typically prioritize their selection criteria for storage solutions as those that can achieve the highest possible performance while avoiding proprietary vendor lock-in," said Jay Kramer, Chairman of the Awards Program and President of Network Storage Advisors Inc. "We are proud to recognize SNIA for creating an open storage management specification and EXTEN HyperDynamic storage software for being the first industry production product to implement Swordfish and Redfish standards while setting new levels of high performance." "We congratulate EXTEN Technologies for its innovation and well-deserved accolade," said Don Deel, SNIA Storage Management Initiative Governing Board Chair. "By integrating SNIA Swordfish into its solution, EXTEN Technologies' customers will benefit from a standards-based API that does not require learning the intricacies of storage infrastructure to handle day-to-day storage needs." "Congratulations to EXTEN Technologies for receiving this award," said Jeff Hilland, president, DMTF. "By capitalizing on SNIA's Swordfish - which extends the local storage management capabilities in DMTF's Redfish to address enterprise storage servics - solutions tap into a powerful standards-based holistic data center management experience. We are happy to see support continue to grow with this award-winning adoption."



About HyperDynamic The EXTEN patent-pending HyperDynamic storage software disaggregates storage by moving non-volatile memory, including Flash and 3D XPoint solid-state drives (SSDs), from traditional storage and server systems to fabric-attached enclosures like JBOFs (just a bunch of flash) connected using low-latency and high-bandwidth NVMe over Fabrics technology. The HyperDynamic software runs on a flexible hardware ecosystem, including industry standard Intel x86 and AMD (News - Alert) x64 servers and custom SoC-based enclosures, providing the freedom to design highly-optimized solutions using components from diverse manufacturers that balance cost and performance. Solutions based on HyperDynamic software are extensible using a RESTful API and custom microservices to facilitate the development of advanced data management and other capabilities.

"I want to take this opportunity to recognize the incredible work by our engineering team and the groundbreaking open standard solution they developed which won the FMS 'Best of Show - Most Innovative Technology' award. Our team represents the world leaders in this space, so this is a significant achievement," said Craig Gilmore, CEO of EXTEN. EXTEN is demonstrating and showcasing its award-winning HyperDynamic storage software at the annual Flash Memory Summit (FMS) currently being held in Santa Clara, California. FMS attendees can learn more at EXTEN partner booths that include AIC, Broadcom, Celestica, Mellanox (News - Alert) , and Solarflare. About EXTEN EXTEN Technologies is a pioneer in NVMe over Fabrics software applications. The EXTEN HyperDynamic storage software solution is a fully compliant protocol implementation that provides the highest performance available with less than one microsecond of overhead latency to the most demanding data centers in the world. The EXTEN architecture is the first open standards NVMe solution with no proprietary hardware or software lock-in and includes Redfish and Swordfish support in its REST API offering frictionless integration to both partners and end-users. EXTEN Technologies was founded in 2012 and is based in Austin, Texas. Visit www.exten.io online to schedule a demonstration and learn more about how EXTEN HD software can solve your most pressing problems. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005165/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] More Than 600 Great American Annuity Customers Share What Makes Their Lives Great

Great American Insurance Group, a leading provider of fixed and fixed-indexed annuities, recently celebrated the completion of its second Live Your Life Great campaign. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005480/en/ A photo submission for the Live Your Life Great campaign. (Photo: Business Wire) Great American recently invited its annuity customers to submit photos of what makes their lives great, showcasing the unique experiences that Great American's retirement solutions help make possible. Photo submissions included safari rides with grandchildren, swimming with dolphins, gondola rides in Venice and exploring the Everglades by airboat, among others. Donna Carrelli, Vice President of Annuity Marketing, shared her thoughts on what it means to see these customer experiences first-hand. "We appreciate the opportunity to connect with our cusomers on a personal level and to see what's important to them," said Carrelli. "We take great pride in helping our customers plan for a secure retirement - seeing the experiences we are helping to make possible through our annuity products is incredibly rewarding."



Carrelli noted how well received last year's Live Your Life Great campaign was, and she spoke of the continued participation and success. "This campaign has been a hit among customers. We were pleased to have received over 500 submissions during last year's campaign, and we are thrilled to have topped that this year. The success of this program has enabled us to incorporate these photos into our product materials, giving them a more personal touch that resonates with new customers."

About Great American Insurance Group The annuity operations of Great American Insurance Group (GAIG) offer retirement solutions through the sale of traditional fixed, fixed-indexed and variable-indexed annuities in the retail, broker-dealer, financial institutions, registered investment advisor and education markets. Annuity subsidiaries include Great American Life Insurance Company and Annuity Investors Life Insurance Company. GAIG's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company. The members of GAIG are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG). AFG's common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFG. AFG is a Fortune 500 Company with assets of $61 billion as of June 30, 2018. Learn more at GAIG.com. *S&P rating affirmed February 23, 2018. "A+" is fifth highest of 21 categories. A.M. Best rating affirmed August 11, 2017. "A" (Excellent) is third highest of 16 categories. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005480/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Rite Aid Foundation Donates $50,000 to American Red Cross to Assist With Wildfire Relief Efforts in Northern California

The Rite Aid Foundation announced today a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to help the victims, families and communities in Northern California affected by the devastating wildfires. "Spanning nearly 300,000 acres and showing no sign of containment, the Northern California wildfires have officially been designated the worst in state history," said Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives. "While the full effect of the wildfires is not known today, it's clear that the need will be great. The Rite Aid Foundation is proud to support the American Red Cross in its efforts to help the people and communities most affected." "Thanks to the generosity of The Rite Aid Foundation, the Red Crss is able to shelter, feed and provide emotional support to the people affected by the California wildfires as they work to rebuild their lives," said Elizabeth Penniman, vice president of communications at the American Red Cross.



Since its inception in 2001, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded nearly $39 million to non-profit organizations. Additionally, Rite Aid, through the efforts of its customers, supplier partners and associates, has also raised $87 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the country since 1994. Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with fiscal 2018 annual revenues of $21.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005496/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Pre-order Your Samsung Galaxy Note9 at U.S. Cellular and Get $150 Back

U.S. Cellular (News - Alert) will kick off pre-orders for the new super powerful Samsung Galaxy Note9 on Aug. 10, and anyone who purchases it on a new line of service will receive $150 back in bill credits1. U.S. Cellular will offer the Galaxy Note9 in Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple, and it will be available to purchase in-store and at uscellular.com on Aug. 24. Additionally, anyone who pre-orders the Galaxy Note9 between Aug. 10 and Aug. 24 can receive either AKG noise cancelling wireless headphones ($299 retail value) or a unique Fortnite Galaxy Skin and 15,000 V-Bucks($150 retail value) for free - or get both for just $99 ($449 retail value) 2. This promotion will last for a limited time only, while supplies last, and consumers can visit www.samsung.com/us/promotions for more information. The Samsung (News - Alert) Galaxy Note9 is the best Galaxy Note device yet, with a new S Pen with Bluetooth connectivity for the first time ever and the largest battery, display and storage of any Note smartphone. To help ensure customers get the most out of their purchase, for a limited time and while supplies last, U.S. Cellular is offering up to $70 off Samsung Gear Wearables with the option for zero percent financing for 12 months. "For anyone who wants to increase productivity both in and away from the office, the Galaxy Note9, with its array of upgraded features, is the device for you. Its fast processor gives you rapid response, gaming, streaming, loading and downloads, making it the perfect multi-tasking device," said Mark Vitale, senior director of product management and device strategy at U.S. Cellular. "We want our customers to be able to use their Galaxy Note9 however and wherever they want, so we provide an award-winning network and unlimited plans with no hidden fees, ensuring that there are no surprises when they receive their bill." Key features of the Galaxy Note9 include: New S Pen: The S Pen gives you an entirely new way to use your Note and now features Bluetooth connectivity. Advance through digital presentations, take group photos, play and pause music and more.

The S Pen gives you an entirely new way to use your Note and now features Bluetooth connectivity. Advance through digital presentations, take group photos, play and pause music and more. Intelligent Camera: Galaxy Note9's rear camera identifies elements, like scene and subject, to instantly optimize phots. Paired with Flaw Detection that immediately notifies users of common errors like lens smudge, blurry images or closed eyes, the new features take the work out of getting the perfect picture.

Galaxy Note9's rear camera identifies elements, like scene and subject, to instantly optimize phots. Paired with Flaw Detection that immediately notifies users of common errors like lens smudge, blurry images or closed eyes, the new features take the work out of getting the perfect picture. All Day Performance: Galaxy Note9 includes an all-day battery that's the largest ever on a Galaxy Note phone. You need a phone that can keep up - stream, surf, talk and text from morning to night .

Galaxy Note9 includes an all-day battery that's the largest ever on a Galaxy Note phone. You need a phone that can keep up - stream, surf, talk and text from morning to night . Ultimate Storage: Store more and delete less with 128GB or 512GB of base storage for your favorite photos, videos and apps. Galaxy Note9 supports expandable memory 3 and is 1TB ready.

Store more and delete less with 128GB or 512GB of base storage for your favorite photos, videos and apps. Galaxy Note9 supports expandable memory and is 1TB ready. Premium Experiences: The device has stereo speakers tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos, a 6.4-inch edge-to-edge Infinity Display and the ability to transform into a PC-like experience with Samsung DeX using an HDMI Adapter. Galaxy Note9 also has fast wired and wireless charging4, IP68 water and dust resistance5 and Samsung services such as Samsung Health and Samsung Pay.



News - Alert) on a single unlimited line with the company's Total Plans with No Hidden Fees - no activation fees, no monthly device connection charges, no phone upgrade fees and no data overage fees. Additionally, customers who refer their friends to U.S. Cellular can earn up to $200 per account when their friends activate a smartphone on a Total Plan. 1Offer requires new qualifying smartphone line and Device Protection+. Discount comes via a monthly bill credit. Credit approval required.

2Offer ends 08/23/18. Requires online registration on the Shop Samsung application. Visit www.samsungpromotions.com/workplay for more information. Ships from Samsung. While supplies last. Restrictions apply. See in-store materials for details. AKG Headphones ($299 RP) Game Bundle ($150 RP) Both ($449 RP). 3sold separately 4Charger sold separately 5Based on test conditions for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry if wet. Unlimited Data Plan(s) will stream at speeds of up to 3 Mbps and will automatically shift to 2G when each line reaches 22GB. Taxes and charges such as USF and RCRF apply. Additional terms apply. See uscellular.com for details. About U.S. Cellular U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don't and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers' lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. For the fifth time in a row, U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance, according to J.D. Power's twice-annual U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE (News - Alert) speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005032/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Knightscope to Showcase at The MoneyShow

Knightscope, developer of advanced physical security technologies focused on enhancing U.S. security operations, announced today that it will be showcasing its fully autonomous security robots at The MoneyShow in San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) (Aug 23-25, 2018) at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and in Dallas, Texas (Oct 3-5, 2018) at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005561/en/ (left to right): K3 Indoor, K5 Outdoor, K1 Stationary and K7 Multi-Terrain Autonomous Data Machines (Photo: Business Wire) CALIFORNIA: The MoneyShow San Francisco - register to attend for free here. TEXAS: The MoneyShow Dallas - register to attend for free here. NEW YORK: "Red Meat and Robots" - additionally, on August 15, 2018 in New York City, there will be a private dinner with Knightscope CEO, William Santana Li. If you are a verifiable accredited investor and can attend a 6:00pm early dinner, please email invest@knightscope.com for a private invitation. Knightscope is offering up to 6,250,000 Series S Preferrd Shares at $8.00 per share targeting to raise up to $50 million in growth capital. For more information on Knightscope, including investment opportunities in purchasing shares in the Company's latest stock offering, please visit www.knightscope.com.



Knightscope is a private company and its stock is not freely tradable. The Company does file certain periodic reports with the SEC (News - Alert) under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, which are available on the EDGAR website and which provide additional information about the Company, including its financial statements. These filings may be found here. About MoneyShow

Founded in 1981, MoneyShow is a privately held financial media company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. As a global network of investing and trading education, MoneyShow presents an extensive agenda of live and online events that attract over 75,000 investors, traders and financial advisors around the world. We are proud to bring together individuals, top market experts, analysts and media in dynamic, face-to-face and online learning forums that include highly acclaimed investment shows, conferences and cruises. To learn more about the MoneyShow, including upcoming events, or to read the daily articles on investing and trading, please click here. About Knightscope Knightscope is an advanced security technology company based in Silicon Valley and builds the ultimate in security guards. Our security robots deter, detect and reportautonomously. Our long-term ambitious goal is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world, changing everything for everyone. Learn more at www.knightscope.com. Legal Disclaimer Knightscope and www.knightscope.com are operated by Knightscope, Inc. Investment opportunities are "private placements", are subject to long hold periods, are illiquid investments and investors must be able to afford the loss of their entire principal. There are other risks associated with investing in Knightscope such as competitive, execution, market acceptance and technology risks. Offers to buy or sell any security can only be made through official offering and subscription documents that contain important information about risks, fees and expenses. You should conduct your own due diligence including consultation with a financial advisor, attorney, accountant, or other professional that can help you to understand the risks associated with the investment opportunity. Security transactions are administered by WealthForge Securities, LLC, a registered broker/dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Knightscope and WealthForge Securities, LLC are not affiliated. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements regarding projected business performance, operating results, financial condition and other aspects of the company, expressed by such language as "expected," "anticipated," "projected" and "forecasted." These statements also include estimates of the pace of customer adoption of the Company's products, engineering developments and prototype capabilities. Please be advised that such statements are estimates only and there is no assurance that the results stated or implied by forward-looking statements will actually be realized by the company. Forward-looking statements may be based on management assumptions that prove to be wrong. The Company's predictions may not be realized for a variety of reasons, including due to competition, customer sales cycles, and engineering or technical issues, among others. The Company and its business are subject to substantial risks and potential events beyond its control that would cause material differences between predicted results and actual results, including the company incurring operating losses and experiencing unexpected material adverse events. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005561/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Circa Reports Stronger Sales and Operating results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2018

CALGARY, Aug. 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Circa Enterprises Inc. (CTO-TSXV) (the "Company" or "Circa"), a manufacturer of equipment for the telecommunication, electrical utility, and construction industries, reports results of operations for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Summary of second quarter operating results: Q2 2018 consolidated sales of $7.6 million , representing a 14.0% increase over the Q2 2017 sales of $6.6 million

, representing a 14.0% increase over the Q2 2017 sales of Profit for the period from continuing operations for Q2 2018 of $449,000 , or $0.05 per share compared to profit from continuing operations of $223,000 , or $0.02 per share for Q2 2017

, or per share compared to profit from continuing operations of , or per share for Q2 2017 EBITDA of $755,000 for Q2 2018 compared to EBITDA of $384,000 for Q2 2017 (see below for explanation and calculation of EBITDA)

for Q2 2018 compared to EBITDA of for Q2 2017 (see below for explanation and calculation of EBITDA) Working capital of $7.8 million Summary of year-to date operating results: Consolidated sales of $14.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 , an increase of 23% compared to sales of $12.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017

for the six months ended , an increase of 23% compared to sales of for the six months ended Profit for the period from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018 of $779,000 , being $0.08 per share compared to profit for the period from operations of $273,000 , or $0.03 per share for the same period in 2017

of , being per share compared to profit for the period from operations of , or per share for the same period in 2017 EBITDA of $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to EBITDA of $462,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 (see below for explanation and calculation of EBITDA) EBITDA is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measures and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards and, therefore, may not to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Management believes that EBITDA is a useful supplemental measure, which provides an indication of the results generated by Circa's primary business activities prior to consideration of how those activities are financed, amortized or taxed. Readers are cautioned, however, that EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to comprehensive income determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of the Company's financial performance. EBITDA is calculated by the Company as follows:



















(unaudited)

Six months 30 June 2018 (unaudited)

Six months 30 June 2017 (unaudited)

Three months 30 June 2018 (unaudited)

Three months 30 June 2017

$000's $000's $000's $000's Profit for the period from operations 779 273 449 223 Income taxes 196 79 106 106 Interest 45 - 23 - Depreciation and amortization 411 110 177 55 EBITDA 1,431 462 755 384

Circa's consolidated sales in the second quarter of 2018 were $7.6 million -- a $1.0 million or 14.0% increase over the second quarter in 2017. Telecom segment sales increased $0.6 million overall as the Company recorded $0.9 million of sales from the Guardian Telecom product line (which was acquired in the third quarter of 2017) plus growth from the cable and connectivity products of $0.1 million on stronger OEM wiring harness activity, offset by a decline in lightening and surge protection products for copper-based infrastructure systems. Sales in the Circa Metals segment were up $0.3 million on strong OEM custom sales activity and market share gains for Hydel branded sales in the quarter, compared to the same period in 2018. As a result of the strong second quarter sales, the Company posted after tax profit of $449,000 in the second quarter of 2018 compared to profit of $223,000 in the second quarter of the previous year. This earnings improvement was primarily due to revenue growth from the Guardian acquisition, increased sales in Metals and improved gross margins from the completed integration of the Guardian acquisition and as fixed costs are spread over greater sales volume. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased in the Telecom segment as the Company absorbed the sales and administrative expenses of the Guardian Telecom business, including a non-cash amortization charge associated with the acquisition. The Company relaunched its Guardian Telecom brand with a new website and other promotional materials in the quarter to support its revenue growth. Grant Reeves, Circa's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "The Company is pleased to report another strong quarter with both operating divisions achieving growth on the top line and bottom line. Since the acquisition of Guardian Telecom a year ago, we have strengthened our Telecom division with a solid product line that has been accretive to earnings and that can drive future growth. We recently relaunched the Guardian Telecom brand with a modern new logo and website to bolster our image and support our sales initiatives. At our Metal's division, Hydel branded sales are growing and gaining market share, with revenues up 11% year-to-date from a combination of new markets in the west, new meter socket products and new sales channels."

CIRCA ENTERPRISES INC.







Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

















Unaudited









Six months

ended 30 Jun 2018 Six months ended 30 Jun 2017 Three months

ended 30 Jun 2018 Three months ended 30 Jun 2017

$000's $000's $000's $000's









Sales 14,858 12,117 7,560 6,632 Freight 368 329 182 178 Net sales 14,490 11,788 7,378 6,454 Cost of sales 10,011 8,824 5,097 4,722 Gross profit 4,479 2,964 2,281 1,732 Selling, general and administrative

expenses 3,450 2,612 1,693 1,403 Operating profit 1,029 352 588 329 Loss on disposal of assets 9 - 10 - Finance costs 45 - 23 - Profit before tax 975 352 555 329 Income tax expense 196 79 106 106 Profit for the period from operations

attributable to shareholders of the

Company 779 273 449 223 Other comprehensive income







Exchange differences on translating

foreign operations, net of tax 128 78 56 79 Total comprehensive income for the

period attributable to shareholders of

the Company 907 195 505 144









Earnings per share (in $'s)







Basic 0.08 0.03 0.05 0.02 Diluted 0.07 0.03 0.04 0.02 Circa Enterprises Inc. is a public company with operations in Alberta, Ontario and Florida. The outstanding common shares of Circa Enterprises Inc. are listed and trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol CTO. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Company's quarterly financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis have been filed with certain securities regulatory authorities in Canada and may be accessed electronically through the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. SOURCE Circa Enterprises Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] A.M. BestTV at VCIA: Soaring Risk - Panelists Explain How They Launched a Hang-Gliding RRG

In this A.M.BestTV episode from the annual Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) conference in Burlington, VT, risk professionals behind a risk retention group devoted to covering hang gliders and their associations describe how they crafted their own risk solution after losing traditional coverage. Click on http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=hanggliding2818 to view the entire program. For full video coverage of the VCIA 2018 conference, including exclusive executive interviews, visit http://www.ambest.tv/vcia18. Jason Stubbs, an actuary with Risk International Actuarial Consulting, said that the formation of the Recreation Risk Retention Group was crucial to keeping the sport alive. "I think the entire sport was at risk of going away," said Stubbs. "There's a liability issue there. If they couldn't get that insurance, they wouldn't be able to fly." Also appearing in this episode: Patricia Henderson, Director, Strategic Risk Solutions; and

Tim Herr, Risk Management Officer, Recreation Risk Retention Group. Other VCIA-related episodes of A.M.BestTV include: Traditionally Low Profile, the Captive Sector Draws Increasing Scrutiny: Executives say captive insurers are drawing increased attention from regulators, tax authorities and their own sponsors: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=vcia1818.

Executives say captive insurers are drawing increased attention from regulators, tax authorities and their own sponsors: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=vcia1818. Rated Captive Insurers See Strong Performance Compared With Commercial Peers: A.M. Best Associate Directors Susan Molineux and Fred Eslami say the performance of rated captive insurers once again outperformed their counterparts in the commercial casualty segment: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=vciaadvance818.

A.M. Best Associate Directors Susan Molineux and Fred Eslami say the performance of rated captive insurers once again outperformed their counterparts in the commercial casualty segment: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=vciaadvance818. Rated Captives, RRGs Hold Their Own in Competitive Market: Highlights of an A.M. Best webinar on the captive insurance industry include participants discussing pricing trends, plentiful capacity how risk retention groups have fared in the competitive market: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=captivehighlights818.



A.M.BestTV covers exclusive A.M. Best information and reports, targeted topics and key developments in the (re)insurance industry every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sign up for alerts of episodes at http://www.ambest.com/multimedia/ambtvsignup.html. View A.M.BestTV episodes at http://www.ambest.tv. A.M. Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information.

Copyright  2018 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005691/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee Educates Children and Adolescents for Mental Wellness

I.C. HOPE, ambassador for Tennessee's Erasing the Stigma program, is ready to help students kick off a new school year and to help children and adolescents become their own mental health advocates. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005697/en/ I.C. HOPE, ambassador for Tennessee's Erasing the Stigma program, visits more than 20,000 students annually to address mental health wellness. (Photo: Business Wire) Annually, I.C. HOPE visits more than 20,000 students in Middle and West Tennessee schools to promote mental health wellness. The age appropriate curricula cover topics such as ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, body image and eating disorders, bullying, risky behaviors and substance abuse, mental helth and wellness, stigma and mental health, stress and depression, suicide prevention, worry, grief, and test anxiety.



"The goal of the Erasing the Stigma Program is to educate children and youth about their own mental health and teach them how to identify their feelings by giving them skills to handle their feelings in positive and safe ways. Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee also provides information and resources on how and where to seek help for mental health problems," said Desiree' Kelly, DrPH, Erasing the Stigma Coordinator. At least one in five Tennesseans suffers from a mental illness. In Tennessee, statistics show that mental illness begins around age 14 and is often undiagnosed until the mid-20s.

"Through evidence-based research, we know that if people have 4-6 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) before age 18, they will most likely be diagnosed with a mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Tennesseans aged 10-19, which is why educating our students is so critical to developing healthy young people," Dr. Kelly said. Thanks to support from partner organizations, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, KidCentral Tennessee, Nashville Predators Foundation, and the Assisi Foundation, all presentations are offered free of charge. Each presentation lasts 40-55 minutes. For more information regarding what the program offers or to schedule a presentation for your school, please email Dr. Kelly at (dkelly@mhamt.org). For more than 72 years, Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee has been serving all 95 Tennessee counties with resources that cover suicide prevention, school-based curricula, and aging and Alzheimer's programs. To learn more about MHAMT or to take a free mental health screening, visit www.mhamt.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005697/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Absentee Ballots for Maine General/Referendum Election Now Available to Request via Online Service

The Online Absentee Ballot Request Service is now available for the Nov. 6, 2018 General and Referendum Election, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap notified voters today. Any registered Maine voter may choose to vote absentee, either via mail or in person at their town hall prior to Election Day. Voters do not need to provide a reason to vote absentee. Voters can request an absentee ballot by completing and submitting their request form online at www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl. The form can also be printed out and mailed or hand-delivered to their municipal clerk. On the General Election ballot, Maine voters will elect one of Maine's two United States Senators, Maine's Governor, two Representatives to Congress, members of the Maine Legislature, and certain county officers. The Referendum Election ballot will include one citizens' initiative question and four bond questions: Question 1: "Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to provide home-based assistance to people with disabilities and senior citizens, regardless of income, funded by a new 3.8% tax on individuals and families with Maine wage and adjusted gross income above the amount subject to Social Security taxes, which is $128,400 in 2018?"

Question 2: "Do you favor a$30,000,000 bond issue to improve water quality, support the planning and construction of wastewater treatment facilities and assist homeowners whose homes are served by substandard or malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems?"

Question 3: "Do you favor a $106,000,000 bond issue, including $101,000,000 for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, piers, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails, to be used to match an estimated $137,000,000 in federal and other funds, and $5,000,000 for the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings?"

Question 4: "Do you favor a $49,000,000 bond issue to be matched by at least $49,000,000 in private and public funds to modernize and improve the facilities and infrastructure of Maine's public universities in order to expand workforce development capacity and to attract and retain students to strengthen Maine's economy and future workforce?"

Question 5: "Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue to improve educational programs by upgrading facilities at all 7 of Maine's community colleges in order to provide Maine people with access to high-skill, low-cost technical and career education?"



Elections Division website. Voters must submit absentee ballot requests or vote in-person absentee at least three days prior to the Nov. 6 Election. Ballots will be made available to civilian voters beginning 30 days before the election. (Ballots for uniformed service and overseas voters will be available at least 45 days before the election.)

The online service provides an email notification with a confirmation number. When the request is processed and accepted by the municipal clerk, the voter will be sent an additional notification and the ballot will arrive by mail. All Maine municipalities are required to accept electronic requests for absentee ballots. If you have questions about the absentee voting process, visit http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/index.html or call the Division of Elections at 624-7650. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005705/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
FSF stands for Fill South First, a message some residents of Hinsdale Souths attendance area have been promoting to the school board since at least 2016. They believe before more classrooms are built to relieve overcrowding at Central, some students should be shifted from Central to South, which has room for more students.
[August 09, 2018] ImageWare Systems Reports 2018 Second Quarter and Six-Month Financial Results

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY), a leader in mobile and cloud-based, multi-factor, multi-modal biometric identity management solutions, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Q2 Summary of Results Revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018 increased 78% to $1.9 million from $1.1 million in the second quarter of 2017. The increase reflects increased product revenue from the Veterans administration and several of our law enforcement customers.

Gross profit for the second quarter was $1.6 million (84%) as compared with $810,000 (76%) in the second quarter 2017. The higher gross margins are due to higher software licensing revenue in the quarter.

Net loss was $2.3 million in the second quarter compared with $2.5 million in the second quarter 2017. Six Months Summary of Results Revenue for the six-month period ended June 30, 2018 increased 31% to $2.6 million from $2.0 million in the same six-month period in 2017.

Gross profit for the six months was $2.0 million (79%) as compared with $1.5 million (74%) in the same six-month period in 2017.

Net loss was $5.9 million in the six months compared with $5.3 million in the same six-month period in 2017. Recently Announced Significant Events In Q2 we showcased our FDA-cleared pillphone  application for patient engagement and medication adherence using biometric authentication for the healthcare industry.

application for patient engagement and medication adherence using biometric authentication for the healthcare industry. In July we signed a distribution and integration partnership (including an initial order) with TwoFive, Inc., a leading Japanese security solutions provider - and opened a sales office in Tokyo.

Also in July, through two partners, three financial institutions (Canada, New York, and Philadelphia) initiated multi-modal biometric security for their employees.

Four Points Technology LLC received a multi-year $3.6 million award from the Veterans Administration (VA) for biometric licensing and support http://www.fedhealthit.com/2018/06/va-awards-3-6m-imageware-software-maintenance-task/.

ImageWare had direct sales totaling approximately $280,000 to existing US law enforcement agency customers for new projects. Jim Miller, Chairman and CEO of ImageWare Systems said, While all of the pending major sales in our pipeline are taking time, they are all moving forward. Because the migration from pins and passwords to our biometric technology is so significant, all parties are moving deliberately. We are making forward progress and have every reason to remain highly optimistic as we expect more substantive announcements in Q3. Second Quarter and Six-Month Results Investor Update Call

The Company will host an investor update call on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 1:30pm PT (4:30pm ET).The Participant Dial-In Number for the conference call is Domestic/International 1-631-891-4304. Participants should dial in to the call at least five minutes before 1:30pm PT (4:30pm ET) on August 9, 2018. The call can also be accessed live online at http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=130864. A replay of the recorded call will be available for 90 days on the Companys website (https://iwsinc.com/about/investors/). You can also listen to a replay of the call by dialing toll-free 1-844-512-2921 (international only - 1-412-317-6671) starting August 9, 2018, at 7:30pm ET through August 16, 2018 at 11:59 pm ET. Please use PIN Number 10005361. About ImageWare Systems, Inc.

ImageWare Systems, Inc. is a leading developer of mobile and cloud-based identity management solutions, providing patented biometric authentication solutions for the enterprise. Biometric technology uses unique physical characteristics to authenticate a persons identity. The company delivers next-generation biometrics as an interactive and scalable cloud-based solution. ImageWare brings together cloud and mobile technology to offer multi-factor authentication for smartphone users, for the enterprise, and across industries. ImageWares products support multi-factor, multi-modal biometric authentication including, but not limited to, any individual use or combination of face, voice, fingerprint, iris, palm, and more. All the biometrics can be combined with or used as replacements for authentication and access control tools, including tokens, digital certificates, passwords, and PINS, to provide the ultimate level of assurance, accountability, and ease of use for corporate networks, web applications, mobile devices, and PC desktop environments. ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, California, with offices in Portland, Oregon, Ottawa, Ontario, and Mexico City, Mexico. To learn more about ImageWare, visit https://iwsinc.com/ and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, plan, project, predict, if, should and will and similar expressions as they relate to ImageWare Systems, Inc. are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. ImageWare may from time to time update publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so. Any projections of future results of operations should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see Risk Factors in ImageWares Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. Investor Relations Contact Harvey Bibicoff, CEO Bibicoff + MacInnis, Inc. 818.379.8500 harvey@bibimac.com

SELECTED COMPARATIVE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS In thousands, except share and per share amounts Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenues Product $ 1,182 $ 407 $ 1,279 $ 680 Maintenance 703 653 1,322 1,309 Total Revenues 1,885 1,060 2,601 1,989 Cost of Revenue Product 139 36 165 90 Maintenance 167 214 390 423 Gross Profit 1,579 810 2,046 1,476 84 % 76 % 79 % 74 % Operating Expenses General & administrative 987 965 2,190 1,934 Sales and marketing 816 702 1,680 1,463 Research and development 1,865 1,556 3,664 3,096 Depreciation and amortization 11 17 24 38 Total Operating Expenses 3,679 3,240 7,558 6,531 Loss from operations (2,100 ) (2,430 ) (5,512 ) (5,055 ) Interest (income) expense, net 184 164 356 264 Other (income) expense, net 0 (50 ) 0 (50 ) Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes (2,284 ) (2,544 ) (5,868 ) (5,269 ) Income taxes 0 3 1 7 Income (loss) from continuing operations (2,284 ) (2,547 ) (5,869 ) (5,276 ) Net income (loss) $ (2,284 ) $ (2,547 ) $ (5,869 ) $ (5,276 ) Preferred dividends (720 ) (514 ) (1,489 ) (1,021 ) Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (3,004 ) $ (3,061 ) $ (7,358 ) $ (6,297 ) Per share data - basic Net income (loss) from continuing operations $ (0.02 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.06 ) $ (0.06 ) Preferred dividends (0.01 ) (0.00 ) (0.02 ) (0.01 ) Basic income (loss) per share available to common shareholders $ (0.03 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.08 ) $ (0.07 ) Basic weighted-average common shares 95,161,570 92,539,230 94,749,904 92,203,567





CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS June 30, December 31, 2018 2017

Assets: Cash $ 2,213 $ 7,317 Accounts receivable, net 672 458 Inventories 19 79 Other current assets 203 163 Property and equipment, net 31 43 Other assets 35 35 Intangible assets, net 87 93 Goodwill 3,416 3,416 Total Assets $ 6,676 $ 11,604 Liabilities and Shareholders' Deficit: Current liabilities $ 2,514 $ 2,658 Convertible line of credit to related party net of discount 5,871 5,774 Pension obligation 2,039 2,024 Shareholders' equity (deficit) (3,748 ) 1,148 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) $ 6,676 $ 11,604





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Intrinsyc (TSX: ITC and OTC: ISYRF) Reports Quarterly Revenue of US$6.4 million for Growth of 40% over Prior Year

EBITDA1 of US$450,091 (CDN$581,112) in FY18 Q2 Representing a 377% Increase from Prior Year

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intrinsyc Technologies Corporation (TSX: ITC and OTC: ISYRF) (Intrinsyc or the Company), a leading provider of solutions for the development of intelligent connected devices, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Intrinsyc achieved year over year revenue growth of 40% in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, with EBITDA of US$450,091 (CDN$581,112). The strong revenue growth was a result of increased revenue from both embedded computing hardware and product development services. Revenue was US$6.4 million (CDN$8.3 million) which was an increase from US$4.6 million (CDN$6.2 million) in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. "Our Q2 financial results show exceptionally strong growth year-on-year, stated Tracy Rees, Chief Executive Officer, Intrinsyc Technologies Corporation. We also had record booked sales during the quarter in excess of US$8.0 million; increasing the Companys backlog and setting a solid base for future revenue performance. Backlog was further strengthened with the material order of $5,431,000 announced subsequent to the quarter end, on July 31. Rees added, Continuing the buildout of our embedded computing platforms, we recently announced the Open-Q 2500 Development Kit and production-ready System on Module (SOM) targeted at wearable and tracking applications. These products were also mentioned in a news release from our strategic technology partner and at their partner event at Mobile World Congress Asia. In a significant expansion of our relationship with our partner, we signed a patent license that will enable Intrinsyc to build computing modules that contain an integrated LTE cellular modem. The first product powered by a combined processor and modem chip will be a version of the Open-Q 2500 SOM. We believe having the capability to build cellular based embedded computing modules for IoT markets provides the Company with compelling differentiation and will expand our market opportunities. Business Highlights - Second Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Announced the receipt of orders from two existing and two new clients, that are in aggregate valued at US$700,260. Orders for the Companys Open-Q embedded computing modules and related hardware components are valued at US$426,800. The Company also received orders for software and product development services from clients valued at US$273,460.



Announced the receipt of an order valued at US$940,000 for the Companys Open-Q 410 embedded computing modules. The order is a follow-on production order from an existing IoT client. Shipment of the modules is expected to occur in the second half of 2018, and first quarter of 2019.



Announced the receipt of orders totaling US$1,877,000. Orders include embedded computing modules from an existing Global 500 client, valued at US$1,104,000, and development platforms and modules from a new client that is building electric vehicles valued at US$119,000. The Global 500 Client also signed agreements earlier in the month for product development services valued at US$654,000. Hardware shipments and product development services are expected to be provided in the current quarter, through the end of 2018.



Announced that two Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) have selected Intrinsycs Open-Q SOM to power their innovative medical devices. One of the design wins involves a medical device with an integrated camera and will utilize Intrinsycs Open-Q 626 SOM. The other client will be using a custom version of the Companys Open-Q 820 SOM designed by Intrinsyc specifically to the clients unique requirements. The total value of the services agreements is approximately US$642,000.



Announced that two companies have selected Intrinsycs Open-Q 820 SOM to power their IoT devices; one a medical diagnostic device, and the other an Industrial IoT (IIoT) device. In addition to these new design wins, the Company received orders that are in aggregate valued at over US$1.0 million.



Made a strategic equity investment in Stream TV Networks through the conversion of the subordinated, secured promissory note and interest accrued for a total amount of US$1,661,384 into 415,346 common shares. The agreements between the parties also include Stream TV providing a commitment of US$1,500,000 in services to be purchased directly or through connected party referrals during the eighteen (18) month period beginning May 1, 2018.



Announced the introduction of the Companys Open-Q 2500 SOM and its companion Open-Q 2500 Development Kit. This product was also featured in a press release issued by our key partner and announced at their wearable technology event at Mobile World Congress Asia.



Introduced the Connected Card Application Reference Design (CCARD); a reference design and software development platform for automotive telematics platforms. The CCARD provides a near commercial-grade Telematics Control Unit (TCU) that provide high-speed wide area networking (WAN) connectivity from an automobile.



Introduced a Cellular Vehicle to Everything (CV2X) Development Platform. The CV2X Development Platform enables demonstrations of V2V/V2I/V2P (vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to infrastructure, vehicle to pedestrian) functionalities. CV2X or Cellular Vehicle to Everything is the latest, cutting-edge technology aimed at collision avoidance and value-added services. CV2X will enable vehicles to communicate critical messages with everything around them, including other vehicles and infrastructure.



Signed a 3G/4G patent license agreement with the Companys key technology partner. Under the terms of the agreement, Intrinsyc was granted a royalty-bearing patent license, to develop, manufacture and sell embedded modules for use in complete terminals; including M2M, Telematics, and IoT Devices. With this agreement, Intrinsyc will be able to expand its product lineup to include modules that incorporate the industrys leading cellular technology. In June, George Reznik, Chief Financial Officer, presented and met with investors and analysts at the MicroCap Conference in Toronto, ON. The MicroCap Conference is an exclusive event dedicated to connecting small and micro-cap companies with high-level, institutional and retail investors.



Design wins remained constant at 53, as new designs were offset by attrition in other programs, and production clients increased from 24 to 26, during the second quarter. Financial Highlights - Second Quarter of Fiscal 2018 Three Month Comparative Results The Company reported second quarter revenue of US$6.4 million (CDN$8.3 million), up 40% over the same period in the prior year of US$4.6 million (CDN$6.2 million) and up 6% over the prior period of US$6.1 million (CDN$7.7 million). The increase in revenue over the comparative periods was due primarily to increased revenue from the sale of hardware products. Gross margin2 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was 34%, which was slightly higher than the 32% gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and the 33% gross margin for the three months June 30, 2017. Increase in gross margin over the three months ended March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2017 was due to an increase in service revenue which has a higher gross margin. EBITDA was as follows: Three months ended

June 30, 2018 Three months ended

March 31, 2018 Three months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)3

US$

CDN$

US$

CDN$

US$

CDN$

Operating income (loss) $265,104 $342,274 $148,980 $188,416 ($40,939) ($55,059) Add: revenue recognized as interest income as per IFRS - - - - 33,750 45,390 Add back: Other operating expenses 184,987 238,838 158,651 200,645 101,457 136,451 EBITDA $450,091 $581,112 $307,631 $389,061 $94,268 $126,782



Six Month Comparative Results

The Company reported revenue of US$12.5 million (CDN$16.0 million), up 38% over the same period in the prior year of US$9.1 million (CDN$12.1 million). The increase in revenue over the comparative period was due primarily to increased revenue from the sale of hardware products. Gross margin for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was 33%, which was slightly lower than the 34% gross margin in the same period in the prior year. The decrease was due to an increase in sales of hardware products. EBITDA was as follows: Six months ended

June 30, 2018 Six months ended

June 30, 2017

(Restated)3 US$

CDN$

US$

CDN$

Operating income (loss) $ 414,084 $ 530,690 ($ 26,288) ($ 35,664) Add: revenue recognized as interest income as per IFRS - - 67,500 90,068 Add back: Other operating expenses 343,638 439,483 165,986 221,874 EBITDA $ 757,722 $ 970,173 $ 207,198 $ 276,278 The Company had net income of US$209,641 (CDN$276,055) or US$0.01 (CDN$0.01) earnings per share during the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared to net income of US$84,534 (CDN$109,706) or US$0.01 (CDN$0.01) during the same period in the prior year. Financial Position as at June 30, 2018 Working capital4 as of June 30, 2018 was US$10.8 million (CDN$14.2 million) inclusive of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of US$7.4 million (CDN$9.8 million). This is compared to net working capital of US$12.5 million (CDN$15.7 Million) as of December 31, 2017 inclusive of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of US$7.3 million (CDN$9.1 million). Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis Please see the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) for more details. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2018 and related MD&A have been reviewed and approved by Intrinsyc's Audit Committee and Board of Directors. Intrinsyc recognizes that the majority of its investors are now accessing Intrinsyc's corporate and financial information either through pushed news services, directly from www.intrinsyc.com or SEDAR. Thus, Intrinsyc has prepared this truncated news release to alert investors to its results and that a more detailed explanation and analysis is readily available in the MD&A. These reports have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and also posted at www.intrinsyc.com. Conference call The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its fiscal second quarter of 2018 financial results at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time) today. On the call, Tracy Rees, Chief Executive Officer and George Reznik, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the financial results announced. This conference call may be accessed, toll-free, by dialing 1-800-273-9672, and internationally by dialing 1-416-340-2216 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. This conference line is operator assisted and an access PIN is not required. The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet and available for replay on the Companys Investor Relations Conference Calls web page (http://www.intrinsyc.com/company/investors/). Analysts and investors are invited to participate on the call. Questions may be submitted to invest@intrinsyc.com prior to the call. Financial information is reported in United States dollars and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Non-IFRS Measures The following and preceding discussion of financial results includes reference to Gross Margin, EBITDA and Working Capital, which are all non-IFRS financial measures. The measure of gross margin is provided as management believes this is a good indicator in evaluating the operating performance of the Company. EBITDA is defined as operating income (loss) inclusive of revenue reclassified as interest income (as per IFRS) less other operating expenses. The measure is provided as a proxy for the cash earnings from the operations of the business as operating loss for the Company includes non-cash amortization and depreciation expense and share-based compensation which are classified as other operating expenses. The measure of working capital is provided as management believes this is a good indicator of the operating liquidity available to the Company. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements which, to the extent that they are not recitations of historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements or information may include financial and other projections as well as statements regarding the Company's future plans, objectives, performance, revenues, growth, profits, operating expenses or the company's underlying assumptions. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements or information. Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements or information are only predictions, and that the Company's actual future results or performance may be materially different. Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the need to develop, integrate and deploy software solutions to meet the Companys customer's requirements; the possibility of development or deployment difficulties or delays; a customers decision to cancel or fail to proceed with a commitment to purchase units of the Companys products contained in an executed purchase order; the dependence on the Companys customer's satisfaction; the timing of entering into significant contracts; customers continued commitment to the deployment of the Companys solutions; reliance on products manufactured by other companies for resale or distribution and reliance on third-party suppliers; the performance of the global economy and growth in software industry sales; market acceptance of the Companys products and services; the success of certain business combinations engaged in by the Company or by its competitors; possible disruptive effects of organizational or personnel changes; technological change, new products and standards; risks related to international expansion; concentration of sales; international operations and sales; dependence upon key personnel and hiring; reliance on a limited number of suppliers; industry growth; competition; intellectual property; product defects and product liability; currency exchange rate risk; and other factors described in the Companys reports filed on SEDAR, including its Annual Information Form and financial report for the year ended December 31, 2017. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Companys forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by this cautionary statement and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Other Disclosure The Company has agreements with certain technology partners that prevent the use of their name and trademarks without pre-approval. It is not practical to get such approval due to time and other constraints and therefore company names and product trademarks are excluded from this release. About Intrinsyc Technologies Corporation Intrinsyc Technologies Corporation is a product development company that provides comprehensive and tailored solutions that enable the development and production of next-generation embedded and IoT devices. Solutions span the development life cycle from concept to production and help device makers and technology suppliers create compelling differentiated products with faster time-to-market. Intrinsyc is publicly traded (TSX: ITC and OTC: ISYRF) and is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada. For more information, please contact: George W. Reznik, CPA-CA, CBV, CFE

Chief Financial Officer

Intrinsyc Technologies Corporation

Email: greznik@intrinsyc.com

Phone: +1-604-678-3734 1 Non-IFRS measure that does not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. The closest comparable IFRS financial measure is Operating Income (Loss). EBITDA referenced here relates to operating income (loss) inclusive of revenue reclassified as interest income (as per IFRS) less other operating expenses. 2 Gross Margin is a non-IFRS measure that does not have a standard meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. Gross margin referenced herein relates to revenues less cost of sales. 3 These numbers have been restated to account for the impact of IFRS 15. Additional details on IFRS 15 are discussed in the Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates section of the MD&A and Note 3 to the Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. 4 Non-IFRS measure that does not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. This measure does not have a comparable IFRS measure. Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] WOW! Reports Second Quarter 2018 Results

WideOpenWest, Inc. ("WOW!" or the "Company") (NYSE: WOW), a leading, fully integrated provider of residential and commercial high-speed data, video and telephony services to customers in the United States, today announced financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Second Quarter 2018 Highlights (1) Total Subscriber net additions of 1,600 were the best net subscriber metrics for a second quarter in the last four years

Second quarter subscriber churn was the best subscriber churn for a second quarter in at least two years

Achieved HSD RGU net additions of 3,900, representing the best net subscriber metrics for the second quarter in the last four years, and organic HSD RGU net additions, which exclude net additions from Edge-Outs, were 1,600

Total Revenue of $291.3 million; Net Income of $25.2 million; and Diluted Earnings Per Share of $0.31

Adjusted EBITDA of $102.2 million, up 6.1% sequentially; Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share of $0.39

Business Services Subscription Revenue, Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, grew 15.6% over the second quarter of 2017

Total Edge-Out projects have extended the network to 116,600 homes passed; 2017 Edge-Out Nodes have achieved 25.3% penetration and 2016 Edge-Out Nodes have achieved 32.5% penetration

Launched Whole Home WiFi offering across the majority of WOW!'s footprint in July

Launched first phase of new wowway.com website in July

Completed previously announced $25.0 million common stock buyback, acquiring almost 2.5 million shares Financial Highlights For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, WOW! reported Total Revenue of $291.3 million, down $6.2 million, or 2.1%, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The Company reported second quarter 2018 Net Income of $25.2 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $102.2 million. "I am heartened by the continued efforts throughout the Company to execute on our vision," said Teresa Elder, chief executive officer of WOW! "WOW! achieved its second consecutive quarter of positive organic HSD RGU growth in the face of second quarter seasonality and our rate increase which was implemented at the beginning of the quarter. The impact of our investments in customer care are showing in continued churn improvement. The launch of Whole Home WiFi and the re-release of our wowway.com website are substantial milestones to drive the growth trajectory of our business." "Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter was in-line with our expectations," said Rich Fish, chief financial officer of WOW! "The second quarter results were the best second quarter performance in multiple years for total RGU and RGU segment net additions and demonstrate that WOW! can successfully win, and retain, customer relationships in our footprint."







(1) Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Metrics," "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures," and "Unaudited Transaction Adjusted Condensed Consolidated Financial and Subscriber Information" in this Press Release for definitions and information related to Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted financial information, reconciliation of such non-GAAP measures to the closest comparable GAAP measures and why our management thinks it is beneficial to present such non-GAAP measures.

Revenue On a reported basis, for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, Total Revenue was $291.3 million, an increase of 2.0% on a sequential basis compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2018, driven primarily by HSD RGU net additions and increases in Video ARPU. Total subscription revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $269.8 million. Residential Subscription Revenue was $237.2 million, and Business Services Subscription totaled $32.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Business Services Subscription Revenue, including the impact of Acquisitions and Dispositions, increased $4.4 million, or 15.6%, compared with the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Other business services revenue totaled $6.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, down $3.8 million compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2017, primarily due to decreased revenue generated by network construction activities associated with the Chicago network sale to Verizon. Other revenue totaled $14.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, down $12.2 million compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2017, primarily due to the reclassification of franchise fees to residential video subscription revenue. Costs and Expenses Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) totaled $157.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Selling, general, and administrative expenses were $39.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Net Income and Earnings per Share Net Income for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $25.2 million, compared to Net Income of $5.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Earnings per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $0.31, compared to earnings per share of $0.07 for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. The year-over-year improvement in Net Income is primarily attributable to a reduction in interest expense and lower income tax expense. Adjusted Diluted Earnings per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $0.39. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, was $102.2 million, an increase of $5.9 million, or 6.1%, on a sequential basis compared to Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 35.1% in the quarter ended June 30, 2018, an increase of over 135 basis points on a sequential basis. Customers WOW! reported Total Subscribers of 800,100 as of June 30, 2018. Total Subscribers increased by 1,600, or 0.2%, compared to March 31, 2018, which was the best second quarter result in the last four years. HSD RGUs totaled 747,800 as of June 30, 2018, representing an increase of 3,900, or 0.5%, compared to March 31, 2018. Excluding net additions from Edge-Outs, HSD RGU net additions were 1,600. Video RGUs totaled 419,900 as of June 30, 2018, representing a decrease of 9,100 compared to March 31, 2018, which represents the best second quarter Video RGU result in the last three years and an improvement in video losses of 6,700, or 42%, as compared to the second quarter of 2017. Edge-Outs As of June 30, 2018, Edge-Out projects reached 116,600 homes passed as part of the Company's Edge-Out growth efforts started in 2016. Edge-Out projects begun in 2016 ("2016 Edge-Out Nodes") include 41,500 customers on such nodes, which represents 32.5% penetration with an average of 678 days in active service. The Edge-Out projects begun in 2017 ("2017 Edge-Out Nodes") include 16,700 customers on such nodes, which represents 25.3% penetration with an average of 376 days in active service. The Edge-Out projects begun in 2018 ("2018 Edge-Out Nodes") now reach 9,200 homes passed, an increase of 7,100 homes passed compared to March 31, 2018. The 2018 Edge-Out projects include 700 customers on such nodes, which represents 7.6% penetration with an average of 30 days in active service. Capital Expenditures Capital Expenditures totaled $77.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, representing a $4.2 million increase compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2017, on a reported basis. Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures totaled $70.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $3.5 million, or 5.2%, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Transaction Adjusted Strategic Capital Expenditures, defined as Edge-Out Capital Expenditures and Business Services Capital Expenditures dedicated to expansion of the Company's network, were $14.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, which represented a decrease of $9.2 million over the Transaction Adjusted Strategic Capital Expenditures in the quarter ended June 30, 2017. Excluding Transaction Adjusted Strategic Capital Expenditures, Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, totaled $56.0 million, which equates to 19.2% of Total Revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Liquidity and Leverage As of June 30, 2018, the total outstanding amount of long term debt and capital lease obligations was $2.280 billion, and cash and cash equivalents were $17.1 million. Total Net Leverage as of June 30, 2018, was 5.4x, on a LTM Transaction Adjusted EBITDA basis, and undrawn revolver capacity totaled $279.6 million. Stock Purchases In May of 2018, WOW! announced a $25.0 million common stock repurchase program. The Company completed the common stock buyback program, having repurchased almost 2.5 million shares of the Company's common stock in the open market. Conference Call WOW! will host a conference call on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern to discuss the operating and financial results contained in this press release. The conference call will be broadcast live on the Company's investor relations website at ir.wowway.com. Those parties interested in participating via telephone can use the conference call information as follows: Call Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018 Call Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Dial In: (877) 541-5069 International: (443) 842-7607 Conf. ID: 6636968 A recording of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call until September 9, 2018. The dial-in number for this replay is (855) 859-2056. The following unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations summarizes information in the Company's Form 10-Q for the periods indicated, as filed on August 9, 2018, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). For ease of use, references in this release to "WOW!" means WideOpenWest, Inc. and its subsidiaries: WideOpenWest, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) ($ in millions, except for per share data) Three months ended Six months ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue Residential subscription $ 237.2 $ 231.3 $ 469.3 $ 463.7 Business services subscription 32.6 28.7 64.0 56.8 Total subscription 269.8 260.0 533.3 520.5 Other business services 6.8 10.6 14.0 21.7 Other 14.7 26.9 29.5 55.3 Total Revenue $ 291.3 $ 297.5 $ 576.8 $ 597.5 Costs and expenses Operating (excluding depreciation and amortization) $ 157.3 $ 157.4 $ 315.2 $ 317.2 Selling, general and administrative 39.7 32.5 79.4 62.8 Depreciation and amortization 46.4 50.8 92.7 101.1 Impairment loss on intangibles and goodwill - - 256.4 - Management fee to related party - 0.5 - 1.0 $ 243.4 $ 241.2 $ 743.7 $ 482.1 Income (loss) from operations $ 47.9 $ 56.3 $ (166.9 ) $ 115.4 Other income (expense) Interest expense (32.7 ) (44.1 ) (61.8 ) (89.8 ) Gain (loss) on sale of system dispositions - (0.3 ) - 38.4 Loss on early extinguishment of debt - (1.0 ) - (6.0 ) Other income, net 1.2 - 1.2 1.4 Income tax benefit (expense), net 8.8 (5.9 ) 50.0 18.0 Net income (loss) $ 25.2 $ 5.0 $ (177.5 ) $ 77.4 Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common shares Basic $ 0.31 $ 0.07 $ (2.13 ) $ 1.10 Diluted $ 0.31 $ 0.07 $ (2.13 ) $ 1.10 Weighted-average common shares outstanding Basic 81,868,508 74,309,106 83,159,949 70,413,415 Diluted 82,652,715 74,333,425 83,159,949 70,437,734 About WOW! WOW! is one of the nation's leading providers of high-speed internet, cable TV and phone serving communities in the U.S. Our vision is connecting people to their world through the WOW! experience: reliable, easy, and pleasantly surprising, every time. For more information, please visit www.wowway.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and we caution you not to place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," "project," "continue," or the negative of these words, or other similar words or terms. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available in the future or if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied in such statements will not be realized. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expected because of various risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including the wide range of competition we face in our business; competitors that are larger and possess more resources; dependence upon a business services strategy; conditions in the economy, including potentially uncertain economic conditions; our ability to secure new businesses as customers; demand for our bundled broadband communications services may be lower than we expect; our ability to respond to rapid technological change; increases in programming and retransmission costs; a decline in advertising revenues; the effects of regulatory changes in our business; our substantial level of indebtedness; certain covenants in our debt documents; programming exclusivity in favor of our competitors; inability to obtain necessary hardware, software and operational support; strain on business and resources from future acquisitions, or the inability to identify suitable acquisitions; and other factors that are described from time to time in our filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Metrics We have included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release, including Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Residential Subscription Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Business Services Subscription Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Adjusted EBITDA, Transaction Adjusted EBITDA, Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures, and Adjusted Diluted EPS. The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"). We believe that these non-GAAP measures enhance an investor's understanding of our financial performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful financial metrics to assess our operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide investors with useful information for assessing the comparability between periods of our ability to generate cash from operations sufficient to pay taxes, to service debt and to undertake capital expenditures. We use these non-GAAP measures for business planning purposes and in measuring our performance relative to that of our competitors. We believe these non-GAAP measures are measures commonly used by investors to evaluate our performance and that of our competitors. Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Residential Subscription Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Business Services Subscription Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions, and Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures give effect to certain acquisitions and divestitures made by WOW! and are included herein because they are key metrics used by management and our Board of Directors to assess our financial performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are appropriate measures of operating performance because they are meaningful to investors by showing how certain acquisitions and divestitures might have affected our historical financial statements. The presentation of these measures is not made in accordance with GAAP and our use of these terms herein varies from the use of similar terms by other companies in our industry due to different methods of calculation and therefore are not necessarily comparable. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered as an alternative to revenue, capital expenditures or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is included herein because it is a key metric used by management and our Board of Directors to assess our financial performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of operating performance because it eliminates the impact of expenses that do not relate to business performance, and that the presentation of this measure enhances an investor's understanding of our financial performance. Transaction Adjusted EBITDA makes certain additional adjustments to the historical financial information that WOW! believes is meaningful to investors by showing how certain acquisitions and divestitures might have affected WOW!'s historical financial statements. Adjusted EBITDA is defined by WOW! as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (including impairments), impairment losses on intangibles and goodwill, management fees to related party, the write-up or write-off of any asset, loss on early extinguishment of debt, integration and restructuring expenses and all non-cash charges and expenses (including equity based compensation expense) and certain other income and expenses. Transaction Adjusted EBITDA represents Adjusted EBITDA after giving effect to the impact of acquisitions and dispositions that were completed during the relevant periods as if they occurred at the beginning of the period presented. The presentation of Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted EBITDA is not made in accordance with GAAP and our use of the terms Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted EBITDA may vary from others in our industry. Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance, operating cash flows or liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted EBITDA have important limitations as analytical tools. For example, Adjusted EBITDA and Transaction Adjusted EBITDA: exclude certain tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us;

do not reflect any cash capital expenditure requirements for the assets being depreciated and amortized that may have to be replaced in the future;

do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; and

do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt. Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share (EPS) is included herein because it is a key metric used by management and our Board of Directors to assess our financial performance. Adjusted Diluted EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure that eliminates the effect of management fees to related party, loss on early extinguishment of debt, gain (loss) on sale of assets, impairment losses on intangibles and goodwill, non-recurring professional fees, M&A integration and restructuring expense, non-cash stock compensation, and other (income) and expenses. We then add or subtract an estimated incremental income tax effect applicable to those items. We believe that this measurement is useful to investors as an additional way to analyze the underlying trends in our business consistently across the periods presented. The presentation of Adjusted Diluted EPS is not made in accordance with GAAP and our use of the term Adjusted Diluted EPS herein varies from the use of similar terms by other companies in our industry due to different methods of calculation and is not necessarily comparable. Adjusted Diluted EPS should not be considered as an alternative to Diluted EPS or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance. See "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures" and the accompanying tables below for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to our net income (loss), which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and a reconciliation of Adjusted EPS to Diluted Earnings Per Share, which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. In addition, we use the following subscriber information in this release: Homes Passed - We report homes passed as the number of serviceable addresses, such as single residence homes, apartments and condominium units, and businesses passed by our broadband network and listed in our database.

- We report homes passed as the number of serviceable addresses, such as single residence homes, apartments and condominium units, and businesses passed by our broadband network and listed in our database. Subscribers - Because we deliver multiple services to our customers, we report Total Subscribers as the number of subscribers who receive at least one of our HSD, Video or Telephony services, without regard to which or how many services they subscribe. We define each of the individual HSD subscribers, Video subscribers and Telephony subscribers as a revenue generating unit ("RGU"). While we take appropriate steps to ensure subscriber information is presented on a consistent and accurate basis at any given balance sheet date, we periodically review our policies in light of the variability we may encounter across our different markets due to the nature and pricing of products and services and billing systems. Accordingly, we may from time to time make appropriate adjustments to our subscriber information based on such reviews. Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures The following table provides unaudited reconciliations of GAAP measures to non-GAAP measures used herein for the periods indicated: WideOpenWest, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited) ($ in millions, except for per share data) Three months ended Six months ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Net income (loss) $ 25.2 $ 5.0 $ (177.5 ) $ 77.4 Depreciation and amortization 46.4 50.8 92.7 101.1 Impairment loss on intangibles and goodwill - - 256.4 - Management fee to related party - 0.5 - 1.0 Interest expense 32.7 44.1 61.8 89.8 Loss on early extinguishment of debt - 1.0 - 6.0 (Gain) loss on sale of system dispositions - 0.3 - (38.4 ) Non-recurring professional fees, M&A Integration and restructuring expense 3.3 2.0 7.4 3.9 Non-cash stock compensation 4.6 2.6 8.9 3.1 Other income, net (1.2 ) - (1.2 ) (1.4 ) Income tax (benefit) expense (8.8 ) 5.9 (50.0 ) (18.0 ) Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 102.2 $ 112.2 $ 198.5 $ 224.5 Three months Six months ended ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2018 Per Share Per Share Diluted earnings per share $ 0.31 $ (2.13 ) Impairment loss on intangibles and goodwill - 3.08 Non-recurring professional fees, M&A integration and restructuring expense 0.04 0.09 Non-cash stock compensation 0.06 0.11 Income tax applicable to adjustments, net(2) (0.02 ) (0.59 ) Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share $ 0.39 $ 0.56 (1) See "Unaudited Transaction Adjusted Condensed Consolidated Financial and Subscriber Information" below for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Transaction Adjusted EBITDA for the respective quarters giving effect the divestiture of a portion of our Chicago Fiber Network in December 2017, and our divestiture of the Lawrence, Kansas, system in January 2017, as if such transactions had been completed at the beginning of the respective periods presented. (2) The income tax impacts are determined using the applicable rates in the taxing jurisdictions in which expense or income occurred and includes both current and deferred income tax expense (benefit) based on the nature of the non-GAAP performance measure. Unaudited Transaction Adjusted Condensed Consolidated Financial and Subscriber Information The SEC requires that pro forma financial information be presented in a registrant's periodic filings when events occur for which disclosure would be material to investors, including significant business combinations or the disposition of a significant portion of the business. The significance of an acquired or disposed business is determined based on the "significant subsidiary" tests specified in Regulation S-X, Article 11, Rule 1-02(w). Although the Company has made certain acquisitions and divestitures, such transactions do not meet the "significant subsidiary" tests and, accordingly, the Company's historical financial information as filed with the SEC does not contain pro forma financial information relating to those transactions. Nevertheless, we make certain adjustments in this release to the historical financial and subscriber information of the Company as filed with the SEC ("Transaction Adjusted") because we believe such information would be meaningful to investors by showing how such transactions might have affected the Company's historical financial statements. The unaudited Transaction Adjusted financial and subscriber information in this release has been prepared giving effect to the divestiture of a portion of our Chicago Fiber Network in December 2017, and our divestiture of the Lawrence, Kansas, system in 2017, as if such transactions had been completed at the beginning of the respective periods presented. The unaudited Transaction Adjusted financial and subscriber information is for informational purposes only and does not purport to represent what our results of operations, financial or subscriber information would have been if such transactions had occurred at any date, nor does such information purport to project the results of operations for any future period. The unaudited Transaction Adjusted condensed consolidated financial and subscriber information in this release was prepared based on our books and records for the respective periods presented for the Lawrence, Kansas system and the portion of the Chicago Fiber Network that was divested. Such historical unaudited financial and subscriber information has been adjusted to give a Transaction Adjusted effect to events that are directly attributable to such transactions, factually supportable and expected to have a continuing impact on the results. The unaudited Transaction Adjusted financial information herein does not reflect non-recurring charges that have been incurred in connection with the transaction including legal fees, broker fees and accounting fees. The following table provides an unaudited reconciliation of our residential subscription revenue to residential subscription revenue including Acquisitions and Dispositions, business services subscription revenue to business services subscription revenue including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Total Revenue to Total Revenue including Acquisitions and Dispositions, Adjusted EBITDA to Transaction Adjusted EBITDA and Capital Expenditures to Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures for the periods indicated: WideOpenWest, Inc. Transaction Adjusted Condensed Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited) ($ in millions) Three months ended Six months ended June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Residential Subscription Revenue $ 237.2 $ 231.3 $ 469.3 $ 463.7 Acquisitions and Dispositions: Residential Subscription Revenue related to the Lawrence system - - - (1.1 ) Residential Subscription Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions $ 237.2 $ 231.3 $ 469.3 $ 462.6 Business Services Subscription Revenue $ 32.6 $ 28.7 $ 64.0 $ 56.8 Acquisitions and Dispositions: Business Services Subscription Revenue related to the Lawrence system - - - (0.3 ) Business Services Subscription Revenue related to the Chicago fiber network - (0.5 ) - (0.9 ) Business Services Subscription Including Acquisitions and Dispositions $ 32.6 $ 28.2 $ 64.0 $ 55.6 Total Revenue $ 291.3 $ 297.5 $ 576.8 $ 597.5 Acquisitions and Dispositions: Total Revenue related to the Lawrence system - - - (1.5 ) Total Revenue related to the Chicago fiber network - (3.2 ) - (7.1 ) Total Revenue Including Acquisitions and Dispositions $ 291.3 $ 294.3 $ 576.8 $ 588.9 Adjusted EBITDA $ 102.2 $ 112.2 $ 198.5 $ 224.5 Transaction Adjustments: Adjusted EBITDA related to the Lawrence system - - - (1.0 ) Adjusted EBITDA related to the Chicago fiber network - (1.7 ) - (4.2 ) Transaction Adjusted EBITDA $ 102.2 $ 110.5 $ 198.5 $ 219.3 Capital Expenditures $ 77.0 $ 72.8 $ 133.5 $ 152.0 Transaction Adjustments: Capital Expenditures related to the Lawrence system - - - (0.1 ) Capital Expenditures related to the Chicago fiber network (6.4 ) (5.7 ) (12.3 ) (31.6 ) Transaction Adjusted Capital Expenditures $ 70.6 $ 67.1 $ 121.2 $ 120.3 The following table provides an unaudited summary of our subscriber information: June 30, March 31, December 31, 2018 2018 2017(1) Homes Passed 3,149,200 3,129,300 3,108,500 Total Subscribers 800,100 798,500 791,500 HSD RGUs 747,800 743,900 735,200 Video RGUs 419,900 429,000 436,700 Telephony RGUs 214,000 218,300 222,600 Total RGUs 1,381,700 1,391,200 1,394,500 (1) Statistical reporting was standardized to a single reporting methodology beginning in the first quarter of 2018. Previously, the data was maintained and accumulated separately through independent processes and procedures. The standardized reporting had the following increase/(decrease) on December 31, 2017 homes passed and subscriber numbers, which are reflected in the table above: homes passed (700); total subscribers 14,200; HSD RGUs 2,500; Video RGUs 4,100; Telephony RGUs 2,700; and Total RGUs 9,300. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005539/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[August 09, 2018] Foresters Offers Emergency Assistance to Members in California

Foresters Financial:







Who: Foresters Financial, an international financial services provider committed to doing more for families and communities, is offering assistance to its members affected by wildfires in California. What: Eligible members living in the affected area who are experiencing significant personal hardship as a result of the wildfires can receive grants to help with immediate needs. Disaster relief assistance is one payment per household. Members who are directly affected by the wildfires can contact Foresters toll-free at 800 828 1540 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, or e-mail Foresters at service@foresters.com.

About Foresters Financial Foresters Financial is an international financial services provider with more than three million clients and members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and total funds under management of $45.1 billion1. With a history of more than 140 years, we provide life insurance, savings, retirement and investment solutions that help families achieve their financial goals, protect their families and improve their communities. For more information, visit foresters.com. Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries. Products offered vary by country. Not all products are available for distribution in all jurisdictions. In the United States, products are offered by The Independent Order of Foresters and its subsidiaries, including Foresters Financial Services, Inc. a registered broker-dealer. Securities, life insurance and annuity products are offered through Foresters Financial Services, Inc. or independent producers. Insurance products are issued by Foresters Life Insurance and Annuity Company, New York, or The Independent Order of Foresters. Investment advisory products and services are offered through Foresters Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. 1in Canadian dollars as of December 31, 2018 416589 US (08/18) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005787/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation on Behalf of Sealed Air Corporation Investors

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of Sealed Air Corporation ("Sealed Air" or the "Company") (NYSE: SEE) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.







On June 25, 2018, Sealed Air received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting documents concerning the Company's accounting for income taxes, its financial reporting and disclosures and other matters.

If you purchased Sealed Air securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley F. Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005802/en/
SharePlay secrets  6 things you may not know about Apple's latest FaceTime feature

Now that SharePlay is available, we're learning more about how it works and what it can do on your iPhone and iPad. Here's some of the coolest SharePlay capabilities we've found.
Get the Note 9 if you want a big-screen phone with a pen and strong cameras. But you may want to splurge on the Note 10 for all the bells and whistles.

Get the Note 9 if you want a big-screen phone with a pen and strong cameras. But you may want to splurge on the Note 10 for all the bells and whistles.

The Galaxy Note 10 is here, but last year's Note 9 is worth a look if you're looking for a powerful Android phone, especially when that are plenty of good Note 9 deals.

We expect to see huge savings on the Note 9 over the holidays, so check out our Samsung Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to stay up-to-date on the latest prices.

The Galaxy Note 9 (starting at $899) has plenty of things going for it, including an S Pen that doubles as a remote control. After spending some time with Samsung's new flagship, most of the key highlights this time around feel more like refinements of a great phablet than bold steps forward, but this is still one of the best Android phones and best big-screen phones you can buy.

If you're not sure which Samsung phone to get, check out our Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 10 face-off and Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 20 comparison to see which of Samsung's most recent phablet generations is worth buying.



Cheat Sheet: What's new with the Note 9?

S Pen is a remote control: The stylus now has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it for taking selfies, giving presentations, skipping music tracks and more.

The stylus now has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it for taking selfies, giving presentations, skipping music tracks and more. Huge battery: The 4,000 mAh battery is the biggest ever in a Samsung handset, which is a big step up from the Note 8 and its 3,300 mAh power pack. However, our testing has produced only marginal improvements so far.

The 4,000 mAh battery is the biggest ever in a Samsung handset, which is a big step up from the Note 8 and its 3,300 mAh power pack. However, our testing has produced only marginal improvements so far. AI camera: The dual camera on the Note 9 can automatically recognize more than 20 different types of scenes (food, plants, etc.) and adjust the settings to get the best shot.

The dual camera on the Note 9 can automatically recognize more than 20 different types of scenes (food, plants, etc.) and adjust the settings to get the best shot. DeX without the dock. You only need an adapter and an HDMI cable to turn the Note 9 into a mini PC rather than a $69 accessory. The phone doubles as a touchpad.

You only need an adapter and an HDMI cable to turn the Note 9 into a mini PC rather than a $69 accessory. The phone doubles as a touchpad. Water cooled. The Note 9 uses a water carbon fiber cooling system to prevent overheating and deliver sustained high performance, though our testing didn't yield impressive results.

Pricing and availability

When it debuted in August 2018, the Note 9 cost $999 for the 6GB model with 128GB of storage. Several months after its initial release, though, it's not hard to find discounts on the Note 9. As of this writing, Samsung is offering $100 to $200 off the phone depending on which carrier you opt for; the unlocked version of the Note 9 is $100 off at Samsung, too.

The 512GB Galaxy Note 9 costs $1,249, with those same $100 to $200 discounts available at the moment.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Xfinity carry the Galaxy Note 9. You can also get it through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Sams Club, Straight Talk Wireless, Target and Walmart, as well as Samsung.com.

MORE: Best Galaxy Note 9 Deals



Design: Mostly unchanged

The boldest thing about the Note 9's design is that it now comes in more vibrant hues. The deeper Lavender Purple model pops more than the Ocean Blue version. However, the Ocean Blue comes with a yellow S Pen, which writes in yellow on the display in Screen-Off memo mode, a nice, subtle touch.

Shortly after the phone's release last year, Samsung announced the availability of new Cloud Silver and Midnight Black versions of the Note 9. Cloud Silver is exclusively sold through Best Buy and Samsung's own website, while the Midnight Black variant will be carried at all retailers.

If you can tell the Note 8 and Note 9 apart at a glance, kudos to you: The differences between them are so slight as to be imperceptible.

The Note 9 and Note 8 have identical bodies  both are 6.4 inches long and 0.34 inches deep. The Note 9s display is a smidge larger at 6.4 inches to the Note 8s 6.3-inch panel, which makes it the largest screen Samsungs ever put in a Note device, but youd be forgiven for not noticing.

The new phone is a tiny bit heavier than the Note 8 (7.1 ounces versus 6.9 ounces), but I couldnt feel the difference when holding both devices.

The biggest change is the fingerprint sensor, which Samsung wisely moved from beside the dual-lens camera to beneath it. This makes it easier for those of us with small hands to easily unlock the phone without straining our stubby fingers. Just be aware that the back of the new phone smudges easily.

Galaxy Note 9 specs

Debut Price

$999 (128GB), $1,249 (512GB)

Display 6.4 inches Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440) OS

Android 8.1 Oreo CPU

Snapdragon 845 RAM

6GB, 8GB Storage

128GB, 512GB microSD

Up to 512GB Rear Camera

Dual 12 MP Cameras (f/1.5 and f/2.4) Front Camera

8 MP (f/1.7) Battery

4,000 mAH Battery Life (Hrs:Mins)

11:26

Size

6.3 x 3 x 0.34 inches Weight

7.1 ounces Colors

Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, Cloud Silver, Midnight Black



Display: Another winner

If theres one thing Samsung excels at, its stunning smartphone screens. The same Super AMOLED panel with quad-HD resolution that you find in the Note 8 and Galaxy S9 is what you get with the Note 9, but then again, its pretty hard to improve upon perfection.

I havent had time to catch up on the second season of Jessica Jones, which I would prefer to watch on my 55-inch TV in the comfort of my living room. But the Note 9s screen is massive, and OLED lends itself to deep, rich colors (moreso than LED panels, which are brighter). Catching up on my favorite Marvel anti-hero series was fully immersive, though I still prefer a TV for my streaming needs.

MORE: Galaxy Note 9 Specs - What You Get

OLED panels are now rivaling LED screens when it comes to brightness, at least when in direct sunlight. Thats definitely true of the Note 9, which hit 604 nits on the light meter in our lab tests. That easily beats the Pixel 2 XLs 438 nits and the iPhone Xs 474 nits, though the S9+ edged out the Note 9 at 630 nits, and nothing really approaches the LG G7 ThinQ, which can clear 900 nits when you max out is brightness settings.

The Note 9 is also incredibly colorful: It reproduces 224 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which is better than the Note 8 (204.8 percent), the Galaxy S9 (220 percent), the Pixel 2 XL (120 percent) and the iPhone X (128.6 percent). But the S9+ proves it has the panel to beat, covering an eye-popping 231 percent of the color spectrum.

When it comes to the true-to-life nature of those hues, the Note 9 notched a 0.34 on the Delta-E rating (numbers closer to 0 are more accurate). The Note 8 scored a 0.5. The iPhone Xs OLED panel isnt quite as rich or colorful as the Note 9s, but its colors are more true to life with a Delta-E score of 0.27 (or 0.21 when the iPhones True Tone setting is toggled on).

Overall, the Note 9s display is one of the best around. At its size and price, it should be.



S Pen: More than a stylus

The Notes S Pen seems to get better with every new version of the Note, and the Note 9s iteration is the best yet. Samsung added Bluetooth connectivity so the new S Pen can be used as a remote control for your phone instead of just a simple stylus.

I was surprised at how much I liked using the S Pen remote button. The feature is endlessly customizable and should become even more so now that third-party app developers have access to an S Pen Remote SDK (though Samsung has done a lackluster job at promoting any third-party S Pen improvements that have come out since then). A long press of the stylus button can open any app you choose in the S Pen Remote settings, and then you can assign actions to a single click and double click of the button for any app thats compatible with the S Pen. There are few to start, but we expect a variety of apps to add support for S Pen actions in the future.

I found myself using the S Pen primarily as a camera remote, because pressing the shutter when taking a selfie is a constant struggle for me, especially on a phone as big as the Note 9. With the S Pen in hand, I could hold the Note at any angle and and capture a great photo without dropping the phone just by pressing the remote button.

I also never worried about the S Pens battery, because the pen is usually slotted into the bottom of the phone, which keeps it charged up. If it does die (which it didnt during my use), then sliding it back into the Note for 40 seconds juices it back up to 100 percent.

The Note 9s S Pen offers all the other great little features that the Note 8s version does, including the ability to write notes while the screen is off, translate languages by highlighting text and turn your notes into animated GIFs with the Live Message tool.

As soon as developers are on board with the S Pens remote feature, that might be the best reason to buy a Note 9.

Camera: AI makes photos pop

The Note 9s rear camera is essentially the same 12-megapixel dual-lens shooter Samsung put in the Galaxy S9+, which means you can capture portraits with blurred backgrounds. The camera also sports a dual aperture, which can automatically open at either f/1.5 to f/2.4 for brighter low-light images or crisper shots, depending on your shooting conditions.

But Samsung added artificial intelligence to the Note 9s camera software to set it apart from the other Galaxies. And it really makes a difference.

Samsung isnt the first company to make its camera smart  LG and Huawei flagships both have intelligence baked in for automatically configuring the camera settings depending on what youre shooting. The Note 9 recognizes 20 scenes, including snow, sunsets, beaches and backlit subjects, and adjusts the contrast, brightness, saturation, white balance and other settings youd normally have to manually configure in the cameras Pro mode. You can turn off Scene Optimizer if youd rather take photos without its intervention.

The good news: The Note 9s Scene Optimizer takes your photos to the next level compared to images shot without the feature turned on. In each photo we took, Scene Optimizer increased the contrast and saturation significantly, which made almost every photo look better.

For instance, a dimly lit shot of the gold clock in the center of Grand Central Station looked more vivid with the AI setting, which categorized the train station as nighttime. (An icon appears on-screen in the camera preview to tell you when the Note has recognized the scene type.) The gold clock gleamed in contrast to the window behind it, like a scene out of a Harry Potter film.

In a photo of foliage in Bryant Park, Scene Optimizer brought out the details in the leaves cascading over the planter. The pink petals were more sharply contrasted against the shrubbery in the AI-assisted image.

But sometimes the AI camera goes overboard, like in a photo of a cinnamon-filled pastry. The twisted dough appeared almost orange in the photo, which the camera recognized as food, and the image was overall flat. The pastrys sheen was more accurately captured in the non-optimized image, and you could see the rivers of cinnamon more clearly.

Now, the bad news: Even with AI, the Note 9s camera still falls short of not only Googles Pixel 3, but the previous-generation Pixel 2 as well. In a photo of backlit buildings in midtown Manhattan contrasted against a lawn filled with people relaxing after work, the Pixel 2 XL captured the shade variation in the sky and the light reflected in the building windows, and more accurately painted the deep green trees.

In a photo of me taken using Pixels Portrait mode and the Note 9s version of Portrait mode, called Live Focus, the Pixel picked up the freckles on my shoulders and the detail in my face moreso than the Note 9, which smoothed out my skin but made it look cooler than it is in real life.

The Note 9's camera shines when shooting at night, thanks to the Dual Aperture feature that automatically widens to allow more light in when shooting in dim settings. I took a photo of a rose in my garden at 8:30 p.m. using the Note 9, Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X, and the Note 9's result was the clear winner. The pink petals are saturated and bright, despite the lack of light, and contrast crisply against the green of the leaves. You can also see water droplets from the storm earlier that day. I took the same photo with the Note 9's Scene Optimizer turned on and off, and found the AI didn't improve the detail or saturation in the flower. This is noteworthy because the Galaxy S9+ has the same exact camera as the Note 9, but doesn't have the AI-assisted software in its camera. Turns out you don't need that to capture great nighttime shots.

Since the Note 9 released, Google has introduced a new flagship of its own, as well as a revolutionary new feature called Night Sight. This mode  which is reaching the Pixel 2 as well  improves low-light shooting to rival the Note 9s own capabilities in the dark, even with the AI Scene Optimizer switched on. In the Winter Village at New Yorks Bryant Park, Samsungs handset failed to properly illuminate the trees, the walkway and the side of the New York Public Library. The Pixel 3s Night Sight mode delivered a more impressive image overall, though it did blow out the lighting in some of the storefronts.



Here we see a comparison with Apples iPhone XS, where both devices employed 2x optical zoom to crop in on this picturesque winter scene on the banks of the Delaware River at New Jerseys Washington Crossing State Park. The Note 9s attempt is better exposed overall but cooler, while Apples handset opted for a warmer white balance and did a slightly better job with the highlights, as illustrated by the green traffic light. One notable difference is the way each handset dealt with the falling snow. The iPhone automatically adopted a faster shutter speed, suspending the snowflakes in midair. Meanwhile, the Note 9s slower-acting shutter blended everything together, making the precipitation more reminiscent of rain.



The Note 9 has one smart feature that other AI-assisted cams dont: Flaw Detection. This feature tells you as soon as you snap a pic if something is wrong with it. The camera recognizes if a subject is blinking, if theres too much blur, if your lens is smudged, or if the image is backlit, so you can quickly reshoot in the moment instead of cursing yourself afterward. This really worked  we were able to reshoot a blurry portrait that, at first glance, seemed perfectly fine.

Overall, the Note 9s camera is solid, but its not the best around, even with Scene Optimizer activated. However, being able to ditch AI and shoot in Pro mode when you want to is a nice touch for professional photogs who dont need a boost.

Performance: Fast, powerful, but not any cooler

Like all Android flagships these days, the Galaxy Note 9 packs a Snapdragon 845 processor, but Samsung ups the ante with 6GB of RAM on the standard configuration of the phone, which also offers 128GB of storage. If you want more memory and storage, you can order a Note 9 with 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of storage. But that's not the most interesting part.

Samsung says it's employing a water/carbon fiber cooling so the Note 9 can deliver faster performance over extended periods without throttling, such as when you're playing games. There's a 3x bigger thermal spreader (or heat sink) than in the Note 8, which is designed for better cooling performance. We put that to the test  four tests, to be exact  to see how the addition of water/carbon fiber cooling performs in real life. The verdict: It doesn't. There was no noticeable temperature difference between the Note 9 and Note 8, which has a smaller thermal spreader and lacks water/carbon fiber cooling. We reached out to Samsung for comment on our results, and we'll update this review if they respond.



In terms of how that translates to performance, our test results prove the Note 9 is indeed a powerful phone, though not the fastest Android device around. We ran Geekbench 4, which measures a phone's general performance, on the 6GB version of the Galaxy Note 9 and came up with a multicore score of 8,876. That's a definite improvement over the Note 8 and its Snapdragon 835 processor, which produced a 6,564 score, and the Note 9 outperformed the Galaxy S9+ (8,295) as well.

But the Note 9 didn't match the OnePlus 6 model with 8GB of RAM remains the fastest Android device, with its 9,098 score. We haven't tested the 8GB model of the Note 9, which comes with 512GB of storage and costs $1,249, but it's possible the more expensive Note can rival the OnePlus 6.

As for the iPhone X, which runs on Apple's blazing-fast A11 Bionic CPU, it remains a no-contest. The iPhone X scores 10,357 on Geekbench 4. Its single-core result of 4,055 also tops the 2,452 single-core score turned in by the Note 9. Android phones continue to lag behind Apple's offerings in terms of performance, and the Note 9 doesn't change that.



When it comes to graphics performance, the Galaxy Note 9 pulled ahead of the Galaxy S9+ on 3DMark's Slingshot Extreme 3.1 benchmark with a score of 4,639 compared to 4,634. However, the Note 9 lagged behind the iPhone X (4,994) and the OnePlus 6 (5,124) with 8GB of RAM.



The Note 9 should offer some of the fastest LTE speeds around, as it sports a Cat 18 modem from Qualcomm. This is the same modem in the Galaxy S9 that ran circles around the iPhone X on downloads and uploads, but we'll put the Note 9 through its paces to see if it achieves the same speeds.





Battery: Good, but short of expectations

Samsung put a giant 4,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy Note 9, which means it should last much longer than the companys other phones.

But the Note 9 didnt turn in the best results on the Toms Guide Battery Test (continuous web-surfing over T-Mobiles LTE network until the phone dies) initially lasting 11 hours and 16 minutes. We turned off the phone's adaptive display feature, and retested: the Note 9 lasted an extra 10 minutes on the test.

Dont get me wrong, thats solid enough to land the device on our list of longest-lasting smartphones, where its best time of 11:26 lands it in the top 20. Its also 90 minutes better than the average smartphones battery life (9:48).

However, the Note 9 lasted just 15 minutes longer than the Note 8, which has a much smaller 3,300 mAh battery. The Pixel 2 XL lasted 12:09 on our test, more than a half-hour longer than the Note 9's best time (and Googles flagship has a better camera, to boot). The Galaxy S9+ hits 10:59.

Bixby: Can't rival Siri, let alone Alexa

Samsung is improving its Bixby voice assistant by integrating with more third-party apps and making it more aware of context.

But Bixby is still playing catch-up with rival assistants, such as Amazons Alexa, Google Assistant and even Apples Siri, which still balks at tasks like setting multiple timers. Bixbys new additions, which include the ability to make a restaurant reservation and call an Uber without installing those apps or pressing any buttons at all, are still buggy at this point.

Bixby couldnt understand my requests to book reservations at the popular new bistro Frenchette or an udon noodle shop in midtown. Specifically, Bixby didnt understand the name Frenchette, which it heard as French at or friendship, or the word udon, which it heard as wood-on  instead, it showed me nearby furniture stores. When I asked Bixby to make a reservation for lunch at 2 p.m. nearby, plenty of restaurants close to my office popped up, but most of them were fast-casual spots that dont take reservations.

I tried a different approach: Make a reservation tonight for French.

French restaurants in midtown Manhattan popped up. Bixby asked which one I wanted. At the top of the list was Per Se, so I said, Per Se. Bixby heard, Persei, and I still was no closer to making dinner plans.

Eventually, I mustve overwhelmed the assistant, because an error message popped up: Cant talk to Bixby right now.

Fine. I didnt want to talk to Bixby anyway.

MORE: Alexa vs. Google Assistant vs. Siri

Calling an Uber was much more seamless. After connecting my Uber account to Bixby, I had the assistant hail an UberX to JFK Airport with no issues, and I even knew how much it would cost in advance.

But there are still bugs to be worked out. Bixby doesnt respond quickly, and often mishears what you ask about (as in the restaurant kerfuffle above). If Bixby is going to be the foundation of Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Home speaker, its gonna need a whole lot of work to compete with Alexa.

Bottom line

Samsung has been an innovator with the Galaxy Note lineup, with past models setting the bar for productivity powerhouses with huge screens. But these days, nearly every flagship phone is now giant. Having a cutting-edge processor, pro-level camera and lengthy battery life is no longer special.

Where the Note 9 shines is as a high-performance phone. If your productivity depends on a device that has a giant display and the ability to get more work done with the powerful S Pen, Samsungs latest phone is the one for you. And its ability to connect to an external display with just a cable makes ideal for power users.

The Note 9 is an excellent phone, to be sure, but its not breaking any molds. The battery life is good, but not industry-leading. The camera is good, but Googles 10-month-old Pixel 2 XL is still better, and phones released after the Note 9 came out have raised the bar even higher. Bixby still needs serious work, though no one is buying a Samsung device for its assistant

So, unless you love the idea of using an S Pen, you may want to wait until this fall to compare all of the latest flagships before you buy-including the expected trio of new iPhones. But if you need a big-screen phone, the Note 9 should not disappoint.

Credit: Tom's Guide


Now that Samsung has revealed the Galaxy Note 9 with its new, more-productive S Pen, AI-powered camera and whopping 4,000 mAh battery, it's time to see which wireless carriers are selling the phone, along with who's got the deal that best fits your budget.

You can pre-order the Note 9 at midnight ET on Aug. 10  that's 9 p.m. PT today (Aug. 9) if you're on the west coast. Most of the retailers selling the Note 9 are also featuring Samsung's pre-order offer of either a pair of AKG noise-cancelling headphones or a Fortnite Galaxy skin with 15,000 of V-bucks. (That's the in-game currency for Fortnite, which is making its Android debut as a Samsung exclusive.) Samsung is also letting you opt for both pre-order offers for $99. The Note 9 hits retail shelves later this month on Aug. 24.

MORE: Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy S9: Which Should You Buy?

Since each carrier taking pre-orders on the Note 9 is offering different monthly pricing and select discounts, let's break your options down.

Verizon

Verizon will sell the $999 128GB Note 9 model for $41.66 per month (paid off over 24 months), while the $1,249 512GB model will be available for 24 monthly payments of $52.08.

Image Galaxy Note 9 View Deal

Verizon has a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal, though, offering a free 128GB Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 or S9+ to anyone who buys a 128GB Galaxy Note 9. That deal comes with some caveats, though: you have to open a new line of service, and pay for both devices up front. (You'll get your rebate on the free phone in the form of monthly bill credits.)

Verizon Up members with an active Samsung smartphone on their account will save $10 on Samsung accessories. For pre-orders before Aug. 23, Verizon offers the choice of AKG headphones or the Fortnite bundle mentioned above, and yes, you can opt for both if you pay an extra $99.

MORE: Galaxy Note 9 Specs - What You Get

AT&T

AT&T's monthly payments are lower, but they're also spread out over 30 months. You can get the 128GB Note 9 for $33.34 per month (or $999 outright). is also opening pre-orders at midnight tonight, and expects handsets to deliver on August 24. The company is selling the $999 128GB Note 9 for $33.34 for 30 months on its AT&T Next installment plan. AT&T doesn't list a price for the 512GB model at this time.

Image Galaxy Note 9 View Deal

Just like Verizon, AT&T is offering a buy-one-get-one deal for Note 9 buyers, who can then get a Galaxy Note 9, S9 or S9+ for free, though that deal also requires a new line, so you can't upgrade a family member who already has a phone line, as I tried to do last year.

AT&T is also offering the AKG noise-cancelling headphones ($299) or 'Galaxy' Fortnite skin plus 15,000 V-bucks ($150) offer, with the option to get both for an extra $99.

T-Mobile

At T-Mobile, the 128GB Note 9 will cost you $30 per month over the next 24 months, or $999 if you buy the phone outright; you'll need to make a down payment of $279.99 if you're paying off the phone in installments, though. You'll pay the same $30-a-month for the 512GB phone (which costs $1,249 outright) but you'll need to make a $529.99 down payment first. The Uncarrier will offer 50 percent off the Note 9 to anyone trading in a qualifying Samsung smartphone, in the form of credits towards monthly bills over 24 months.

Image Galaxy Note 9 View Deal

If you'd prefer to lease the phone through T-Mobile's Jump On Demand (JOD) service, you can get the 128GB model with a down-payment of $279.99 and 18 monthly payments of $29. The JOD plan for the 512GB Note 9 is comprised of a $529 down-payment and 18 monthly payments of $26 per month.

Samsung's free AKG headphones ($299) and/or Fortnite V-bucks ($150) offer will be available from T-Mobile as well.

MORE: Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 8 - Whats New?

Sprint

Like the other carriers, Sprint starts taking pre-orders when the clock strikes midnight. But it's promising the earliest delivery time of any carrier  Aug. 22. Other carriers say the Note 9 arrives Aug. 24.

Image Galaxy Note 9 View Deal

Sprint is offering a 50 percent-off deal with its Sprint Flex Lease plan, that lowers the Note 9's price to $20.83 per month over 18 months. The discounts come via a $20.84-a-month bill credit. You'll need to add a new line of service to your account to qualify. Under Sprint's Galaxy Forever program, you can upgrade to a new device after 12 monthly payments.

If you prefer to own the phone rather than lease it, the Note 8 sells for $999 at Sprint.

For those who pre-order, Sprint is also tossing in either $299 AKG noise-cancelling headphones or the Fortnite Galaxy skin with $150 in V-bucks for free, with the option to get both for $99  the same as with other carriers.

Comcast Xfinity Mobile

Comcast's Xfinity Mobile service will also offer the $999 Note 9, though there's no information on monthly payments if you buy the phone in installments yet. If you switch your phone line to Xfinity Mobile while buying the smartphone, Comcast will throw in a $300 prepaid debit card.

Image Galaxy Note 9 View Deal

Comcast's press release doesn't mention the AKG Headphones/Fortnite deal, but we'd be surprised if it weren't available from this carrier as well.

Sam's Club

Sam's Club members who pre-order the Note 9 before Aug. 19 (provided they purchase and activate an installment or 2-year subsidy plan) will not only get their choice of the $299 AKG headphones or the $150 Fortnite package (with the $99 extra option for both), but they'll also get a $200 Sam's Club gift card.
Samsung is about to take the wraps off its next smartphone, and you don't want to miss a second of the Galaxy Note 9's big reveal today (Aug. 9). Fortunately, Samsung's got you covered.

Samsung plans to stream its Galaxy Unpacked event on its website. The live stream begins at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on Aug. 9, the same time the event itself will be kicking off in New York. Tom's Guide will be on hand at Unpacked to share our impressions on whatever Samsung announces.

So what are you likely to see when you tune in for the Aug. 9 event? The safest bet you'll ever make is that the Note 9 figures prominently on the agenda.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Rumors: Release Date, Specs and More

Leaks about the Galaxy Note 9  many of them from Samsung itself  have told us a lot about what to expect with the new phone. The Note 9 should look a lot like the Note 8 with an Infinity Display that stretches from edge to edge. The AMOLED screen could squeeze in more space, though.

It's all but certain the Note 9 will run on a Snapdragon 845, the Qualcomm mobile processing platform found in most flagship Android devices these days. Samsung will reportedly offer up to 8GB of RAM and could even include up to 512GB of storage for its new phone. A video teaser about the new phone from Samsung suggests that the Note 9 will offer plenty of on-board storage, at any rate.

Several rumors anticipate a bigger battery than the 3,300 mAh power pack in the Galaxy Note 8, and longer battery life appears to be one of the promised features in Samsung's next phone, again courtesy of one of those teaser videos.

Samsung announced earlier this year that Bixby 2, an update to its digital assistant, would debut on the Note 9. Other rumors suggest that Samsung will tinker with the S Pen that ships alongside its Note smartphone, adding Bluetooth compatibility to the new version of the stylus.

Really, the biggest question mark surrounding the Note 9 is whether it will come in at the same $930 to $960 price range that the Note 8 debuted at, or if Samsung will up the price on its latest phone. Samsung has tipped its hand on when we can expect the phone to hit stores. A page that lets you reserve a space for preordering the phone says you'll get the Note 9 by Aug. 24.

Another big question: will the Note 9 will be the only product to take the stage at Samsung's events? Samsung reportedly has other devices close to shipping, though it already revealed one  the Galaxy Tab S4.

Samsung is reportedly working on a new smartwatch, but instead of calling it the Gear S4, this model would be known as the Galaxy Watch. Rumors suggest 38mm and 42mm sizes along with a bigger battery than what shipped in the Gear S3. Samsung could showcase this watch alongside the Note 9 this week, though it could just as easily wait until the IFA trade show in Berlin at the end of this month, where the company is holding an Aug. 30 press conference.

Another gadget in the works is Samsung's entry into the smart speaker space, with a Bixby-powered device. If Bixby 2 is indeed part of the Note 9's launch story, then a speaker featuring that same updated assistant could be a complementary product. In July, the Wall Street Journal said a Bixby Speaker would launch in the "next month or so," with an expected price tag of $300.

One product that could share the stage with the Note 9 has nothing to do with Samsung. Multiple reports suggest that Fortnite, the very popular multiplayer shooter game, will make its long-awaited Android debut on Samsung's new phone. If true, it seems fitting that Fornite would share in the Note 9's spotlight this week.
Today Intel finally revealed its new roadmap at its Data-Centric Innovation Summit in Santa Clara, CA. Intel's recent admission that its 10nm process is delayed until 2019 will obviously have an impact on its long-term roadmaps, but the company hasn't shared details about how it will adjust its future plans to accommodate the delays.

Intel's Cascade Lake is coming to market in 2018. The 14nm processors support the long-overdue Intel Optane Persistent Memory, which was originally slated for release with the Skylake Xeon family. Intel integrated a new memory controller in Cascade Lake to support the new Optane DIMMs. This will also be the first generation of Xeon processors with in-silicon mitigations for the Spectre/Meltdown vulnerabilities. So these chips will likely spur a healthy refresh cycle in the data center.

Intel also says Cascade Lake will have an optimized cache hierarchy, but it didn't provide further details there. Intel's current-gen Xeon Scalable processors already have a "re-balanced" cache hierarchy, so it will be interesting to see what changes the company has made to further optimize the hierarchy. Intel has also added support for DLBoost, which is a new AVX-512 optimization for machine learning applications.

The Cooper Lake-SP processors will come to market in 2019, with the most notable addition being Intel's adoption of Bfloat 16, which is Google's new floating-point format. This exciting development should provide tangible boosts to machine learning operations. The 14nm Cooper Lake processors are widely considered a stop-gap measure by Intel to bridge between current 14nm and the overdue 10nm processors. This generation of processors will likely come with the 14nm++ process, which is yet another iteration of Intel's mature 14nm node.

Intel's Navin Shenoy, the executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group at Intel, said that the Cooper Lake-SP platform will be compatible with the forthcoming 10nm Ice Lake-SP processors that will arrive in 2020. That means the new Cooper Lake platform will arrive with the LGA4198 socket on the rumored Whitley platform.

Intel's decision to provide forward socket compatibility between Cooper Lake and Ice Lake processors is a welcome announcement, because Cooper Lake should arrive not long after--especially by the standards of this market. The capability to simply update server platforms from 14nm to 10nm processors should help assuage customers who are reluctant to adopt short-lived product generations.

We're here at the event for technical sessions for the rest of the day and will update this article if we learn more.
What's next for KCMO's new rental inspection initiative KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Health inspectors have a new way to go after bad landlords, thanks to a ballot initiative passed by voters Tuesday night. The Healthy Homes ordinance allows the Kansas City Health Department to conduct random inspections and respond to complaints of dangerous or unhealthy conditions in rental units in the city.

Elections have consequences and whilst it's hard to nail down the concepts of "social justice" into specific policy . . . Local renters will notice that they're at least 20 bucks poorer thanks to this bit of legislation that still might not lift the po'folk out of their misery.Read more:




Page Six: Karlie Kloss converted to Judaism to marry Josh Kushner





Celebrate Luxurious Kansas City Boozy Accommodations

In Kansas City, You'll Soon Be Able to Sleep in a Former Brewery It doesn't get much more 'Heartland' than that. Kansas City is so hot right now. On the heels of the Queer Eye news (the Fab Five will film season three there) and the 21C opening, Aparium, one of the boldest American hotelier groups out there, has announced that they, too, are moving into Missouri's largest city.

Local Tech Talk Lineup Debuts

Techweek KC speaker lineup spans blockchain and 3D printing to fintech and inclusion Techweek KC has released a diverse docket of events, panels and speakers that aim to inspire and mobilize the area's tech and entrepreneur community. Now in its fourth year, Techweek KC returns Oct. 8-12 with national tech, venture capital, nonprofit and blockchain leaders, said Drew Solomon, senior vice president of business development at the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City.

Kansas Teen Political Prank Worked

Kansas City Money Pit Feeding Time

'Zoo View:' Feeding Kansas City's hippo KMBC 9 brings you "Zoo View," a behind-the-scenes look at what's happening this summer at the Kansas City Zoo. Our 11th edition allowed us to go behind the s...

EPIC Home Team Debut

Fillmyer earns first major league win as Royals topple Cubs 9-0 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Heath Fillmyer allowed three singles over seven innings for his first major league win, Adalberto Mondesi and Drew Butera each drove in three, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 9-0 Wednesday night.

We start the morning by catching up with one of our favorite Internets-focused hotties who joins Team Trump by proxy.Checkit:Closer to home we offer glimpse of the top morning news links to start the day . . .is the #TBT song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
Shawnee Police say they have turned the investigation into Wednesday morning's homicide over to the Kansas City area Metro Squad. The victim has been identified as, 57-year-old, Shawnee resident David J. Paterno Major Sam Larson of the Shawnee Police Department says officers were called to an address in the 21900 block of West 51st Place on reports of a physical disturbance shortly after 1 a.m.
Kris Kobach Gives Fraud a New Meaning If Donald Trump has a Midwestern avatar, it is almost certainly Kris Kobach. A former George W. Bush official infamous for, among other things, toting a "shocking" fake machine gun in a city parade, Kobach made his name as an early opponent of illegal immigration, an issue he believes is closely tied to voter fraud.

Honestly curious about the opinion of our blog community over this tough bit of strategy . . . He might not make it to the general if he hands over the recount . . . But even if he manages it fairly . . . Critics will create doubt in the minds of independent voters and it'll be hard to defend his actions.Already, the national media is calling him out on his refusal to back off so far . . .
We got the idea from a similar project in the city of Chicago. It takes advantage of the focal point of the fountain and is a great way to bring people of all ages together, said Nancy Cummings of the La Grange Business Association, which sponsored the piano along with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.
Dubai is known for a lot of things, but for enthusiasts like us, its all about exotic cars and excellent roads. However, there are some people who get carried away by this high, and end up getting famous for the wrong reasons. Add this British bloke to the list, who racked up roughly $47,000 in fines within four hours while driving a rented Lamborghini Huracan. According to The National , the 25-year-old British tourist was snapped by speeding cameras 33 times in just over four hours!

Thats A Big Sum

The accused is said to have committed a total of 33 offenses, of which 32 of them came on the busy Sheikh Zayed Road

The accused is said to have committed a total of 33 offenses, of which 32 of them came on the busy Sheikh Zayed Road where he was caught driving between 78 mph (126 km/h) and 142 mph (230 km/h). The other offense occurred on Garn Al Sabkha Road. All the offenses occurred between 2:31 am and 6:26 am on July 31 and were often just minutes apart. The speeding fines were to the tune of $20,900, while an additional $27,000 will be needed to retrieve the car if its impounded by police.

Heart Of The Matter

The tourist paid just over $1600 to rent the car for two days and left his passport as a guarantee.

The tourist rented the Huracan from Saeed Ali Rent a Car. According to a partner at the dealership, Faris Iqbal, the tourist paid just over $1600 to rent the car for two days and left his passport as a guarantee. After committing the offenses, the tourist does not want to pay the fines, and the Huracan is still in his possession. The rental dealership, on the other hand, still has his passport. The dealer requested a travel ban on the tourist, but it was rejected.

Wondering why the dealer wont take the car back? If he does, hell have to surrender it to the cops immediately and pay the fines and impound charges to retrieve the car. Its still with the tourist, parked at his hotel. I wont be trying to take it back, because once I do, I know I have to surrender it to police, Iqbal said. Then who pays the money for the impound? We shouldnt do so for sure. Its his fault, and he should pay that amount. he added.

Is This Law a Loophole, or a Blessing In Disguise?

The dealership now has no option but to continue fighting, which is possible because the UAE and the UK have a treaty on judicial assistance

In UAE, speeding fines are issued in the name of the vehicle owner, which allows tourists to rent the vehicles, misuse the car, and leave the country. The dealership now has no option but to continue fighting, which is possible because the UAE and the UK have a treaty on judicial assistance, so its possible that the dealership could file for the ruling to be carried out in the UK. The question now is will the dealership go ahead with fighting overseas, which could prove to be a costly affair? Its hard to say at this point, but we sure want to know the outcome of the whole situation!

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Lamborghini Huracan.

Source: The National
Ever since electric cars started appearing on our roads, naysayers warned that our electricity grids couldn't cope with the strain. Utilities and grid operators don't appear too worried howeverin fact, many see it as a rare bright spot of new business in a world of otherwise declining demand.

That said, managing who charges, how and when will be critical for balancing supply with demand. And Honda are now rolling out a pilot program called SmartCharge to incentivize California Honda Fit EV drivers to move their charging to times when the grid has surplus to share. Here's how it works according to the company press release:

Using the vehicle telematics system and Enel X subsidiary eMotorWerks' JuiceNet software platform, Honda SmartChargeTM computes the best time to charge a vehicle from the electric grid, dynamically taking into account the driver's daily schedule, the amount of renewable energy being generated, and the amount of CO2 emitted from power plants on the grid. By recording the customer's desired charging times, the system enables the vehicle to be fully charged when the customer needs it next without impacting their use of the vehicle. As the Demand Response Provider (DRP) for Honda SmartChargeTM, eMotorWerks interfaces with the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to allow for real-time control via cloud to cloud communication, enabling EVs to participate in demand response events to support the grid.

After receiving utility approval, and after completing five charging sessions, SmartCharge participants earn a $50 monetary sign-up reward, with additional $50 rewards to follow based on a customer's participation rate over each two-month period. Honda will apparently be monitoring the success of the program and will consider rolling it out to other plug-in cars too.


editorial@tribune.com

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, August 8

A vigilance team, led by DSP Tejinder Singh, on Tuesday took into custody the record of the Batala Municipal Committee (MC) pertaining to some development works and the hiring of a private vehicle by MC chief Naresh Mahajan.

Rumours that financial irregularities had been committed by the MC president had been abounding for some time. DSP (Amritsar range) Tejinder Singh led the team that conducted the raids.

We had received complaints following which we have seized some documents. We have also asked Mahajan and other officials to provide the complete set of papers pertaining to developmental works carried out recently. The documents will be provided to us soon and action will be taken against the guilty once we get possession of the relevant papers, said the DSP.

The team also questioned officials as to how a tender for establishing street lights had been floated despite the fact that these lights had already been installed.

Former MC vice-president Harinder Singh Kalsi had submitted a written complaint to the vigilance authorities a few months ago in which he had claimed that lakhs of rupees had been embezzled by the MC staff.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, August 9

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has arrested Bhushan Steels erstwhile promoter Neeraj Singal for allegedly siphoning off funds worth over Rs 2,000 crore, according to officials.

This is the first time that the SFIO has arrested a person for fraudulent activities, said a senior official. Singal was arrested in the national capital and has been sent to judicial custody till August 14.

The probe agency, which comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry, got powers to arrest people for violations of company law last year.

The Finance Ministry said Singal is accused of siphoning off over Rs 2,000 crore from the loans availed by Bhushan Steel Limited using more than 80 companies.

The companies were used for fraudulent rotation of funds through bogus loans and advances, and investments, among others, it said in a tweet. The ministry said fraudulent activities contributed to the company becoming insolvent.

Bhushan Steel Ltd is one of the 12 big cases that had been referred for insolvency resolution by banks. Tata Group has taken over management of the company from the Singals. SFIO investigation is on-going, it said.  PTI
If youd prefer to get out on the water, stop by Barnacle Bobs (42125 N. 4th Ave., Antioch; 847-395-2046; www.barnaclebobs.com), open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, to rent a pontoon boat or set your kayak or canoe into Lake Marie. You can find lots of places in the Antioch region to rent boats, but this ones a bit off-the-beaten path. Thomas Cahill runs the small family business, which has been there since 1922, with his wife, Claudia.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9

Haryana is now among the top five states of the country in exports, replacing Uttar Pradesh by registering exports of $2,401 million in the first two months of the current financial year. Gujarat tops the list with exports of $13,780 million followed by Maharashtra ($12,622 million), Tamil Nadu ($4,858 million) and Karnataka ($2,566 million).

Major exports from Haryana include engineering goods, automobiles, handloom products, carpets and basmati. The increase is mainly due to exports of automobiles and auto components from the state. Other sectors have also performed well, said SC Ralhan, former president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Haryana is the fifth largest exporter with 4.42% share in the pie during April-May 2018 as compared to 4.37% in 2017-18 and 3.88% in 2016-17. Haryana has emerged as a major auto cluster with investments flown into the engineering, automobile and ancillary industries. The increase in exports is primarily due to auto and components exports, said Dr Ajay Sahai, Director General and CEO of FIEO.

According to experts, the result of investments in electronics sector is expected to come soon that is expected to catapult Haryana into the fourth position as the gap between Haryana and Karnataka have narrowed to only $165 million. Haryana has been progressing consistently. It was at the sixth position in 2017-18 and seventh in the previous financial year.

This year, Haryana has taken a lead as compared to Uttar Pradesh, whose exports share has slipped from 4.55% in 2017-18 to 4.39% in the two months this year.

Haryanas neighbour Punjab is far behind and does not figure even among top 10 exporting states. It is at the 13th position with total exports of $1,002 million. Its contribution in total exports has decreased from 1.91% in 2017-18 to 1.84% in the first two months of the current financial year.

Even in the GST collection, Haryana holds fifth position in the country after Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Haryana is, however, far behind Gujarat and Maharashtra in terms of its contribution to Indias exports. Gujarats share in the national pie is 25.4% while Maharashtras share is 23.23%.

It is important to note that it is export of manufactured goods and not of services. When services like software are exported, there is hardly any ancillary benefit, but when manufactured goods are exported, it helps several other sectors like transport and also provides employment to local people, a state government official said.
Aryan Khan will have to spend one more night in jail, could be released on Saturday

Lawyers await HC order copy on his bail to secure his releas...
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9

Just about a week after the Indian Air Force expressed safety and other concerns regarding the Chandigarh international airport, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday asked all stakeholders to put their heads together for resolving the issues.

They have been asked to hold a meeting at 2 pm on Saturday at the UT Guest House. The issues to be discussed primarily include extension of the runway, lighting and installation of the CAT-II and CAT-III systems. TATA Power SED, the company involved in the installation of the CAT-II system, will also attend the meeting.

The stakeholders, during the course of the meeting, are expected to give undertakings on the completion of their part of the task. An affidavit on the meeting would then be placed before the Bench.

The meeting assumes significance as the High Court can bind them down in terms of the undertakings. The stakeholders include the Airports Authority of India, GMADA, HUDA, the states of Punjab and Haryana, the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Union of India.

Taking up the matter this afternoon, the High Court Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli made it clear that senior advocate Manmohan Lal Sarin, appointed amicus curiae or the friend of the court, would coordinate and ensure the taking up of all issues. You are the representative of the court. You be there, Chief Justice Murari asserted.

Appearing before the Bench, Assistant Solicitor General of India Chetan Mittal reiterated the pending issues, including lighting, drainage concerns and illegal constructions. The Bench was told that the airport, as of now, was functional till about 5.30 pm to 6 pm in the absence of lighting. It was expected to be operational 24X7 by February next year.

A joint-user airfield, it turned into an international airport only recently. The IAF is carrying out its transport fleet operations from the base. Chandigarh is considered an important base for the IAF and the Army as the deployment and maintenance of troops for the forward area is supported by it.

Referring to a survey carried out by the Patiala drainage department, the IAF had earlier told the court that its report revealed that all outlets leading to the main rain drain outside the airfield were blocked due to unauthorised construction and non-clearance of drainage.

The survey team also ruled out the possibility of re-routing the outlets and connecting these with the international airport main drainage system due to ground level differences. After due deliberation, it was found that the only solution was to connect airfield drains to the main drain via an underground drain.

What they will deliberate upon

They have been asked to hold a meeting at 2 pm on Saturday at the UT Guest House. The issues to be discussed primarily include extension of the runway, lighting and installation of the CAT-II and CAT-III systems. TATA Power SED, the company involved in the installation of the CAT-II system, will also attend the meeting.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 9

Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly snatched a 38-year-old womans chain in Sector 4 on Thursday morning. In her complaint to the police, Ajeta, a resident of Sector 4 here, said she was on her way back home after paying obeisance at a local temple around 7.30 am.

As I was on the outer road to my house, two men on a motorcycle came from behind and snatched my chain and fled in no time. They were wearing helmets and I failed to note down the vehicles registration number, she told the police. Sub-Inspector Ishwar Singh, Sector 2 police post in-charge, said, A case has been registered.

2 snatchers in police net

Chandigarh: Almost two weeks after two car-borne miscreants snatched a mobile phone from a man outside the ISBT Sector 43, the UT police have arrested the accused.

The complainant, Parveen Bhandari, a resident of Khuda Lahora, reported that two miscreants, who were in an i10 car, snatched his mobile phone near the main gate of the ISBT during the wee hours of June 24.

A team, led by Inspector Ranjodh Singh, SHO of the Sector 36 police station, arrested the two accused, identified as Vinayak, a resident of Zirakpur, and Kamal Verma, a resident of Sector 40.

The police recovered the snatched mobile phone and the car used in the crime. We have also recovered another mobile phone, which was snatched by the accused from someone in Mohali, said a police official.

The police said both accused were drug addicts.
Maj-Gen Ashok K Mehta (Retd)

Maj-Gen Ashok K Mehta (Retd)

A meeting of the External Affairs Committee on Doklam was held on August 9, 2018. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last month in Parliament spoke assertively on two inter-related issues  Doklam and Wuhan, the first summit between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. The Doklam standoff, she said, was resolved with China through 'diplomatic maturity and without losing any ground', adding 'status quo had been maintained.' The facts are somewhat different.

At a US Congressional Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on this on July 25, Congresswoman Ann Wagner referred to the faceoff and said: 'Although both countries backed down, China has quietly resumed its activities in Doklam.' She added: 'Neither Bhutan nor India had sought to dissuade it and China's activities in the Himalayas were reminiscent of its fait accompli in South China Sea.'

Minister of State of External Affairs and former Army Chief, Gen VK Singh, said: 'Since disengagement of Indian and Chinese personnel in Doklam on August 28, 2017, there have been no new developments at the faceoff site and its vicinity.' Here, too, the facts are different.

The US Congresswoman's report calls for a more serious investigation. Firstly, the claims that the faceoff was resolved without 'losing any ground' can be interpreted differently. India did not lose any ground because Doklam is on the Bhutanese territory. Bhutan has not said a word more than a press handout on June 29, 2017, hoping that the status quo in the Doklam area will be maintained as before June 16, 2017. India intervened to prevent Chinese intrusion on Bhutanese soil which is also claimed by China. India let China off the hook in Doklam where it was militarily disadvantaged by seeking a pullback enabling Beijing to conduct the BRICS summit at Xiamen as well as the 19th Communist Party Convention.

Though Swaraj had said in Parliament that the resolution of Doklam would be through mutual and simultaneous withdrawal, it was a sequential withdrawal, with the Indian troops withdrawing first followed by the PLA after declaring victory and hoping India had learnt the lessons. India had thus snatched psychological defeat from the jaws of a victory.

As for the military build-up, the PLA constructed military fortifications, helipads, and logistics wherewithal for more than a battalion strength from scratch during the 73-day stand-off, with a further creep into the Bhutanese territory. Not a single Bhutanese soldier came out to join hands with Indian troops when they were locked in the face-off.

The Indian Army, as it is its wont, has downplayed reports of heightened Chinese activity in the Doklam area, saying that the PLA has not crossed the Torsa Nullah, which is India's red line to reaching the strategic tri-junction Gympoche, as claimed by China against the Indian version of the disputed tri-junction Batangla, 7 km to the north. No territory on the 100 sq km Doklam plateau belongs to India. Diplomatic maturity is a euphemism for concessions enabling PLA to strengthen its defences in the area.

On the Wuhan summit, it would have been in conformity with parliamentary practice had Modi, who was present in the House, chosen to speak about it as requested by Members of Parliament. Instead, Swaraj said: 'I may not have been there, but I am capable of replying the question', adding, 'the summit was to ensure mutual comfort, mutual understanding and mutual trust and we have achieved success in all three objectives.'

What is less known is that like the disengagement from Doklam, Wuhan too was sought by India for securing the necessary comfort on the China front of the two-front scenario to ensure no military distractions develop in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

Again, substantial concessions were made to Beijing to establish New Delhi's bona fides in seeking the summit. To recap, serious back-channeling was done by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, NSA Ajit Doval and Ambassador Gautam Bambawale with their Chinese counterparts.

The post-Doklam reset with China was begun by relocating the Dalai Lama's 'thank you for 60 years of Indian support' function from New Delhi to Dharamsala and an advisory from the Cabinet Secretary directing all government officials to skip the ceremonies. The inter-faith ceremony at Rajghat on the 60th anniversary was postponed.

The seventh World Parliamentary Convention on Tibet was shifted from New Delhi to Dharamsala. The Dalai Lama's visit to the Indian Science Congress in Manipur was cancelled.

The 20th annual International Asian Conference at the IDSA, New Delhi, which was to cover the BRI and be attended by delegates from the RoC, Taiwan, was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to fear of China-bashing. Australia was dropped from the annual Malabar Naval Exercise. Air India renamed its flight to RoC as Taipei, China.

On the upside, India and China are to work jointly on a capacity-building project in Afghanistan. The Mansarovar pilgrimage has been resumed as has the sharing of hydropower data on the Brahmaputra river.

The military exercise, Hand in Hand, is likely to be resumed in December. The hotline between Indian and Chinese DGMOs pending since 2013 is stuck as the PLA wants it to terminate at the Western Theatre Command, not in Beijing, as India wants. The Chinese Defence Minister will visit India and so will his Indian counterpart, Nirmala Sitharaman, travel to China.

The 21st round of Special Representative (SR) talks between Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi are to be held in Beijing, but the border question has been on the backburner since 2013 when it hit a cul de sac over the Mutually Acceptable Political Framework. After Wuhan, the two leaders urged the SRs to intensify efforts to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question. This is simply diplomatic verbiage, considering Xi rebuffed Modi when he sought clarification of the LAC in 2014.

In an unprecedented three-day visit, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kon Xuanyou, accompanied by a delegation, slipped into Bhutan last month and met King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. Like they have done in Nepal, the Chinese want to liberate Bhutan from Indian hegemony, says the Global Times. Elections are due in Bhutan in October.

Article 2 of the India-Bhutan Treaty reads: 'Both countries will cooperate closely on issues relating to national interest. Neither will allow use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.' This is the de facto defence agreement that former Defence Minister Arun Jaitley spoke about during the Doklam standoff at an India Today conclave.

Why is India coy about it?
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

The signs have been ominous for the past four years. By the time PM Modi arrived at his Barack moment, Russia had read South Blocks signals of apathy and inked an agreement on defence cooperation with Pakistan. Meandering through a naval agreement and sale of Mi helicopters, the Russia-Pakistan security relationship has moved well past Cold War hostilities to enter a more intimate phase of training Pakistani troops in Russian institutes. Pakistan may have taken the plunge because the US, its steady pole of security cooperation, is more interested in a settlement in Afghanistan rather than shoring up Pakistan armys arsenal.

But for Indias policy planners this is a moment of reflection. Russia is not just a consistent supplier of cheap and sturdy military equipment. Both sides have taken comfort in the others company at times of international distress  India backed Moscow to the hilt on Afghanistan while Russia bailed out India on Kashmir with its vetoes. There was also a healthy dose of self-interest involved: Russia backed India in the 1971 war to pay back Pakistan for arranging a secret summit between Nixon and Mao. For India, Moscow provided a reliable hedge against geopolitical arm-twisting by the West during the Cold War.

Indian diplomacy may be on the wrong side of history if it is steering away from Russia. Along with Iran and China, Russia has lately become indispensable in the region. In addition, much is going on with Russia to permit it to drift away. Moscows mediation, in fact, can prove useful in bringing together Pakistan and India on Afghanistan, which could lead to the breaking of the Indo-Pak diplomatic ice. PM Modis informal meeting in May with Vladimir Putin would have attempted a course correction, reflecting the unease in the Indian establishment over the current state of affairs. Russia is currently in a spot of bother; a helping hand at this juncture is likely to be more than appreciated.
editorial@tribune.com

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 9

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has stated that they could give tips on good governance to the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana without charging any fee.

The BJP government in Haryana has spent almost four years in office, but has failed to perform on all fronts. It indicates that the state leadership either does not know how to work, or it has no intention to work, Kejriwal said during a visit to Rohtak on Thursday.

Kejriwal asserted that they had revolutionised the health and education sectors and streamlined the provision of water and electricity in Delhi, though it did not have full statehood and the Central leadership tried to create obstacles.

If we could still perform in Delhi, why cant the BJP regime perform in Haryana? We will contest the coming Lok Sabha as well as Assembly elections in Haryana on the basis of the Delhi model of governance, he stated.

On being asked about the grand alliance of the Opposition parties against the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal maintained that he did not believe in the politics of alliance, but in service of people.

Regarding the construction of SYL canal, he said AAP was of the view that both states should get justice and the Supreme Court could ensure this. He accused the BJP, the Congress and the INLD of playing politics over the issue.

The Delhi CM, who was accompanied by AAP Haryana president Naveen Jaihind, offered Gangajal and paid floral tributes at the state-level martyrs memorial here on Thursday.

He demanded that the Haryana Government should also give monetary compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of the martyrs of the armed forces and the police.

On being asked about the chaos in the Punjab unit of the party, AAP leader said it was a matter of their family and would be sorted out.
editorial@tribune.com

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, August 9

Thousands of people bid a tearful adieu to Lance Naik Vikramjeet Singh (26) of 36 Rashtriya Rifles at his native village Tepla on Thursday. He was martyred in a gunfight along the Line of Control in the Gurez sector of north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Tuesday. The martyr was cremated with full military and state honours.

He is survived by his wife Harpreet Kaur, father Baljinder Singh, mother Kamlesh Kaur and younger brother Monu Singh, who is also in the Army.

The martyrs body had reached Ambala air force station on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, the body was taken to the martyrs house in a decorated Army vehicle. People queued up on both sides of roads to pay tributes to the martyr. Vikamjeets grandfather Kartar Singh had also served in the Army.

Vikramjeet had joined the Army in 2014. He was posted in Srinagar for more than one-and-a-half years. Vikramjeet got married on January 15. His wife is expecting.

Enraged villagers and relatives of the martyr raised anti-Pakistan slogans at the cremation ground. The villagers said they were proud of Vikramjeet. He was a brave son of the soil who sacrificed his life for the motherland, one of them said.

Baljinder Singh said: I am proud of my son,

Health Minister Anil Vij, Minister of State Nayab Singh Saini, Ambala City MLA Aseem Geol, Mullana MLA Santosh Sarwan, Congress leader Nirmal Singh, and officials from the Army, police, and district administration were among those who paid tributes to the martyr.

Vij said, Tepla is a village of bravehearts. More than 200 youths from the village are in the Army and Vikramjeet is the fourth martyr from the village. Earlier, Major Gurpreet Singh, Vinod Kumar, and Harjinder Singh sacrificed their lives for the nation.

The state government has transferred Rs 50 lakh in the bank accounts of the Vikramjeets wife and parents. His wife has received Rs 23.34 lakh, while the parents have received Rs 26.66 lakh.

Vij said Deputy Commissioner Sharandeep Kaur and Zila Sainik Board secretary Col VM Sharma (retd) had been directed to complete the formalities so as to provide the martyrs wife with a job.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Chandigarh/Rohtak, August 9

The Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW) on Thursday took suo motu notice of the murder of a woman and a policeman accompanying her in Rohtak. It also offered to carry out cremation of the alleged honour killing victim.

The panel recommended a probe preferably by a special investigation team and allowing the victims husband, in jail on rape charges and forgery, to attend the cremation.

In Rohtak, commission chairperson Pratibha Suman said the HSCW would recommend the death penalty.

The Rohtak SP said some persons, including members of the victim womans family, had been rounded up.

Meanwhile, the family members of the Dalit youth whom the victim had married maintained they had warned him against marrying the Jat girl as the consequences could be dire.

They said the girls father had been threatening them with dire consequences after the couple eloped.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9

Centuries-old revenue records in Haryana will soon be available at the click of the mouse with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approving an ambitious Rs 76-crore project to digitise record rooms in revenue offices across the state.

Under the new project, two modern record rooms in Chandigarh and one each in all districts would be digitised soon to pave the way for getting old records within a few minutes.

Currently, revenue records comprising lakhs of files and dating back to 1870 are being maintained manually by the Revenue Department. However, termite has taken its toll on old records in some of the revenue offices in the state leaving important documents in a damaged condition.

Under the new initiative, important revenue records would be scanned, catalogued and put in the digital box in the modern record rooms. These records could be retrieved at the time of need which would save time and money of the department and the general public, sources told The Tribune.

On June 25, Khattar had inaugurated the first digital record room at Kaithal. As many as 1 lakh revenue files are set to be digitally stored in the record room which has the capacity to digitally store around 2 lakh files.

In fact, buoyed by the success of the experiment at Kaithal, another digital record room at Sonepat, where files dating back to 1870 are being stored, is almost ready. The experiment will later be replicated across the state.

The sources said after the completion of the digitisation project, the general public would able to access any revenue record by feeding any of the parameters such as name, village and file name in matter of a few minutes.

Chief Ministers media adviser Rajiv Jain claimed the digitisation of the record rooms would go a long way in preserving the revenue records. This will save time and money of both the Revenue Department and general public as the records will be available at the click of the mouse, he added.

The new initiative

Under the new initiative, important revenue records would be scanned, catalogued and put in the digital box in the modern record rooms. These records can be retrieved at the time of need which would save time and money of the department and the general public.
I don't think there should be any P-cards for elected officials, Rummel said. I don't have one. We're not the ones who have to go out to buy paper and ink. If we have a large expense we should fill out a requisition ahead of time. If its travel we pay for the airfare and hotel.
gspannu7@gmail.com

HOUSTON: While getting enough sleep is vital for staying healthy, snoozing for over nine hours a day could increase the risk of developing heart problems and early death, a study has found.

Researchers from the American Heart Association recently conducted a study to evaluate the association between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease by reviewing 74 studies, which observed the quality and length of sleep of more than 3.3 million participants.

After analysing the results, they found those who slept for 10 hours were 30 per cent more likely to die prematurely, compared to those who slept for eight hours.

Longer sleepers were also about 50 per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Those who slept less than seven hours did not have a heighten risk of early mortality or heart disease.

"We found a significant association between deviations in sleep duration and both mortality and adverse cardiovascular outcomes," researchers said.

"The greater the divergence from the recommended durations of sleep, the greater the association for cardiovascular harm and mortality," they said.

The scientists do not know why longer sleepers are more at risk, but they noted sleeping too long and sleeping too little can both have effects on the body.

"Short sleep duration has been shown to increase levels of leptin and ghrelin, which leads to increased appetite and facilitates the development of obesity," they said.

Depressive symptoms, low socioeconomic status, unemployment, and low physical activity are also associated with long sleep duration. Although this study advises people not to snooze excessively, others have suggested sleeping in may actually be good for your health.

Indian American CBS News medical contributor Dr Tara Narula said the study leaves "a lot of questions that we still have to answer."

It may mean that people who sleep longer have underlying medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, depression and anaemia, she said.

It could indicate that changes in the circadian rhythm by sleeping longer is causing increased inflammation and weakening their immune system, Narula said.

"It could be that they have other adverse health behaviours, so people who sleep longer, maybe they don't exercise as much."

She noted that socioeconomic factors like unemployment could also play a role in people's sleep habits and health.

Most people try to catch up on sleep on the weekends, but Narula said this study is really focused on those who are sleeping long amounts of time day after day, and it's important to focus on creating healthy sleep patterns for the long term.

"Really what you need to remember is consistent and regular sleep health patterns are important," she said.

She recommends a sleep hygiene regimen that includes going to bed and waking up at the same time, sleeping in a cool, quiet, dark room, putting digital devices away, and abstaining from drinking caffeine or alcohol right before bed.

Narula said that for people ages 18 to 64, seven to nine hours of sleep per night is recommended.  PTI.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 9

AICC in-charge Rajni Patil has lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking refuge in secrecy for not divulging details of the Rafale fighter plane deal.

Addressing party workers at the district convention at Chamba on Thursday, Patil said the nation was keen to know the money spent on the deal and not the technology that is used in this defence equipment. She kickstarted the second phase of her tour of all the parliamentary segments in the state in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. AICC Secretary and Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari and former MLAs Thakur Singh Bharmouri and Kuldeep Pathania were also present on the occasion.

The PM owes an answer to the people as to why the NDA struck the deal for purchase of Rafale fighter planes for Rs 1,670 crore when Defence Minister AK Anthony in the UPA regime was making the purchase for Rs 500 crores, she quipped. She said Modi, when he became PM, had made tall claims that he would end corruption but now questions were being raised on all such deals which would result in huge loss to the exchequer.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 9

In what may set the alarm bells ringing for security agencies, the number of local youths picking up arms in the Kashmir valley in the first seven months of this year has already surpassed the figures for the entire 2017.

Police figures suggest that at least 128 youths have so far joined militant ranks this year. Last year, 126 youths had picked up arms, then the highest since 2010.

While security forces are trying to woo back local militants, it seems to have had little impact on the ground. The highest number of recruits, nearly 90 per cent, has come from volatile south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag.

Nearly two dozen new militants, mostly ill-trained in warfare, have been killed in various operations, a police officer said.

J&K Polices two wings  intelligence and zonal police  separately keep count of militancy-related data. Once a youth goes missing, either the family approaches the police or his picture with a gun surfaces on the social media. The police then crosscheck with sources before listing the youth as a militant.

Twin districts of Shopian and Pulwama account for nearly 70 new recruits.

The spurt in militant recruitment in south Kashmir follows two major gunfights on April 1 that left 13 local militants, including top local commander Saddam Paddar and professor-turned-militant Mohammad Rafi, dead. This year, the security forces have killed nearly as many militants in hinterland and the Line of Control in various operations. We have carried many successful operations this year, but youths continue to get lured to militancy, which is worrisome, a police officer said.

The local recruitment started picking up after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in 2016.

A majority of these youths have joined Hizbul Mujahideen, followed by Lashkar-e-Toiba. The Azhar Masood-led outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad has taken in at least 25 new recruits.

At least nine have joined Al Badr, which was almost defunct, a police officer from south Kashmir said.

Educated being lured
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 9

One more unidentified militant was killed in a gunfight at Rafiabad forests in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Thursday morning taking the death toll in the operation to five.

Officials said the gunfight resumed this morning when a hiding militant opened fire at the forces combing the forest area.

The fifth terrorist fired in the morning. He was neutralised soon after, J&K Police chief Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted.

An Army spokesman said in all five militants were killed.

Weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the gunfight site, he said.

The police said all five militants were associated with the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

The gunfight had erupted on Wednesday morning at the dense Doniwari forest in Rafiabad, nearly 90 km from Srinagar, when joint teams of forces intercepted a group of heavily armed infiltrators. In the initial exchange of fire, a para commando was injured, who was shifted to 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar.

Sources said the combing operation was underway in the dense forces area. The security forces have also launched search operation in the nearby areas to check if any more militant was hiding.

In the past three days, there have been two major gunfights in north Kashmir that have left four soldiers, including an officer, and seven militants dead.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Mumbai, August 9

Kangana Ranaut might have an opinion about the country's politics but the actor says she is does not see it as a career option.

During her interaction with yogi Sadhguru last evening, Kangana addressed a range of topics, including lynching.

When a reporter asked if she sees herself joining politics in the future, the actor told reporters, "Politics shouldn't be a career. I feel if someone like me wants to join politics, then first of all they have to achieve detachment."

The 31-year-old actor said one should give up one's family, home and children to best serve the country.

"Right now, I am so successful (in films) that I don't want to make career anywhere else. But if I want to serve my land then I can't do it if I have some vested interest in some other department. That becomes conflicting then. So, if people want to pursue politics they should, but they need to achieve some kind of renunciation," she said.

Last week, she attended a screening of a film, based on the childhood of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where she spoke highly of him, calling him the rightful leader of the country.

The actor also spoke about how it's unfair that her contemporaries in Bollywood shy away from speaking about politics.

"Artistes always say that we should not talk about it (politics), we get into trouble but if (someone), who is so successful and has 25 cameras and mediapersons covering him or her, doesn't talk then who else will? Then why are you successful?
gspannu7@gmail.com

Los Angeles, August 9

"Crazy Rich Asians" may be the first Hollywood movie in 25 years with an all-Asian cast but the film-makers hope it will be enjoyed by moviegoers of all backgrounds.

The romantic comedy about an Asian-American New Yorker who goes to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's wealthy and tradition-bound family of Chinese descent is based on the 2013 best-selling book of the same name by Kevin Kwan.

"It's been way too long since we had an all-star Asian cast in a Hollywood studio movie, but at the same time, this movie is for everyone," Kwan told Reuters at the red carpet premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

"My books are read around the world in 20 languages, and in the US 80 percent of my readers are Texan, Oklahoman, Kansas - like, white people - and they love my books. So it's a movie that everyone can enjoy and appreciate," he said.

The movie stars established actresses like Michelle Yeoh, from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and Constance Wu from US television comedy "Fresh Off the Boat" along with newer faces like New York rapper and actress Awkwafina and Henry Golding, who was raised in Britain.

Director Jon M. Chu said no single movie could represent all the Asian people in the world but he hoped the plot and the array of actors in "Crazy Rich Asians" would show that "we're layered and complicated and not just the token computer guy or the sex kitten."

"All these things just help get people more information about who we are as a people and help differentiate that we're not just one blob being Asian," Chu said.

The last Hollywood studio film featuring a large Asian cast was "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993. "Crazy Rich Asians" starts its worldwide roll out on August 15.  Reuters.
editorial@tribune.com

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 9

A Nepalese servant employed just 10 days ago by a businessman in a posh area of Gurdev Nagar, Ludhiana, decamped with 100-gm gold ornaments, Rs10 lakh and even a Toyota Etios car of the owner.

The cops are likely to register a case against the house owner for not getting the mandatory police verification of the servant done. The family has been maintaining distance from the media and refused to share any detail about the theft or about the Nepalese servant.

However, in a complaint given to the police, they have revealed about the loss of ornaments, gold and car.

Inspector Jatinder Kumar, SHO police division number 5, said in a complaint submitted with the police, house owner Madhu said they own a tractor parts manufacturing factory in the Industrial Area.

In a statement to the police, Madhu revealed that around 12.45 pm, he went to attend the bhog at the house of some person and the servant was left alone at home. Around 3 pm, when his daughter-in-law came home, she found the main gate open. When she entered, she found the entire house ransacked. She immediately called Madhu and informed him about the theft, following which the police were informed.

As per the preliminary probe, it came to the fore that the family had employed a Nepalese servant just 10 days ago. He introduced himself as Vikram (18). The family had not done the verification of the servant, which is mandatory as per the recent orders of Police Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill and now, the owner may face a case under Section 188 of the IPC.

The servant had reportedly cut the CCTV cables to prevent the recording of his crime.

Not the first time

Unlisted servants, mainly from Nepal, have been committing thefts one after another at houses where they were employed as domestic helps.

On May 21, 2017, at the house of one Yogesh, a hosiery owner in Gurdev Nagar, their servant Ramesh Nepali was alone when the family was out at a marriage. They left him home for supervision. When some of the relatives reached home, they found the servant missing and the entire house ransacked. The loss was said to be around Rs 10 lakh.

Two similar incidents of thefts, involving Nepalese servants, were also reported in the past.

On May 4, 2017, a servant Jaiveer Singh, along with his two accomplices, decamped with one licenced revolver with 24 live cartridges, two diamond sets, three gold bangles, Rs 25,000, arms license and a set-top box of the cable TV and this case was cracked by the police after two months.

On April 20, 2017, the servant at a house in Arya Enclave in Thrike village fled with gold, cash and other valuables worth several lakhs from the house.

Man who introduced servant to the family also underground

As per the police probe, the man washing the house owners car, introduced the servant to the family and got him employed. Now, the mobile number of the car cleaner is also switched off. The police suspect his connivance with the Nepalese servant.

Servant called owner to inquire if he was coming home for lunch

The police said the servant called his owner at 1:28 pm to inquire if he was coming home for lunch. Since the owner did not go home for lunch, the servant got ample time to commit the crime. Sources said a neighbour saw the servant going in a car, but did not stop him from thinking he might have been sent by the owner for some work.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Betul (MP), August 9

An 18-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide after being raped at Bothia village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.

According to police, the tribal woman was kidnapped by two men and sexually assaulted by one of them outside her village on Tuesday night. She returned home next morning and consumed poison after narrating her ordeal to her mother. She died at a hospital on Wednesday evening.

"Two men, residents of Jhallar town, abducted the woman while she was washing utensils in the backyard of her house in nearby Bothia village on Tuesday night. They took her to an isolated place outside the village," Jhallar police station in-charge Nepal Singh Thakur said.

"While one of the accused, Pravin Rathore, raped her, his unidentified accomplice filmed the act on his mobile phone," he said.

After the crime, the accused threatened her that if she told about the incident to anyone, they would make the video public.

"The woman returned home around 5 am on Wednesday and narrated her ordeal to her mother. After some time, she consumed a poisonous substance," Thakur said.

As she started vomiting, the family rushed her to a nearby hospital. When her condition worsened, she was admitted to Betul district hospital in the afternoon. She died during treatment on Wednesday evening, the officer added.

According to Thakur, the police could not record her dying declaration.

A police team has been formed to nab the accused, who were booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 366 (kidnapping), 306 (abetment of suicide) and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim's mother told the police that Rathore also called the woman's fiance over phone and informed him that he had raped her and filmed the act. They also allegedly threatened to kill him.

The victim's post-mortem report is awaited, the officer said. PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 9

Three youths, who posted a video of themselves performing the Kiki challenge on board a local train, have been arrested after the footage of the incident went viral on social media.

According to the Government Railway Police, Nishant Shah (20), Shyam Sharma (24) and Dhruv Shah (23) were arrested and produced before the railway court at Vasai near Mumbai.

As part of their punishment, the court ordered the three youths to clean the Vasai Road railway station from 11 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 5 pm for three days this week. They were also asked to spread awareness about the dangers of Kiki challenge before the commuters at that station.

Police said the footage showed the youths jumping in and out of running trains to dance on the platform as part of the challenge. They also performed this stunt from an ambulance, according to police.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, August 9

Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on Thursday said a missing labourer from Rajasthan would be released after 36 years from a Pakistani jail on August 13.

Gajananad Sharma had gone missing in 1982 from a small village of Maharkalan in Jaipur's Samod area.

Singh assured Jaipur's LS MP Ram Charan Bohra and family member of Sharma, who met him in his office at Parliament House in Delhi. Bohra was accompanied with Sharma's wife Makhani Devi and elder son Mukesh, according to a release by the MP here.

Seventy-year-old Makhani Devi had lost all hope to see her husband Gajanand alive after he disappeared 36 years ago.

Makhani and her two sons left stunned in May this year when a cop approached for the verification of nationality of Gajananad who is in a Pakistani jail.

"We do not know when and how my father disappeared from village. My mother, who is 70, is illiterate and approached police stations, but to no avail. She practically did not lodge any FIR anywhere. Slowly we accpeted that he might not return," said Mukesh, a class 4 employee in Family Welfare Department.

On May 1, following a query by the Ministry of External Affairs to confirm the nationality and whereabouts of Gajanand Sharma, the State Intelligence (CID) marked the inquiry to the Samod Police Station to verify the details.

In the meantime, Sharma's family left the village abd moved to Jaipur's Brahampuri area. Police finally traced his family and confirmed that it is Gajanand Sharma who is presently lodged in a Pak jail.

On May 18, SP (Jaipur Rural) Rameshwar Singh verified Gajanand's nationality and also the present location of family in Jaipur's Brahampuri area. Now IB has marked the inquiry for further verification to DCP-North here. After receiving it, a report would be submitted to the MEA.

The reason of Gajanand's disappearance and lodging in Pakistan Jail are not known to Rajasthan Intelligence department and IB.
Randy Swopes remains in Lake County jail with bail set at $750,000. He has also asked to file a motion for bond reduction, but Levitt said no motions can be heard in his case until the evaluation is completed and Levitt has determined whether Swopes is fit to continue with the case at the present time.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

The election of Harivansh Narayan Singh (JD-U) as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha reflected the sober manner in which both candidates went about their task in a low-key manner and with humility.

There was no high-pitch campaign by both contestants. Soon after the announcement of the result, in line with good democratic practice, BK Hariprasad (Congress) gracefully walked down to Harivansh Narayan Singh and congratulated him.

The felicitation speeches across the aisle also appropriately noted that after the contest, he is now the Deputy Chairman of the House and all members promised cooperation while those in the Opposition sought his benevolence during the proceedings of the House.

A little later following tradition, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley escorted the new Deputy Chairman to his designated seat, adjacent LoPs seat on the Opposition side. Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the House and walked across the aisle to congratulate Harivansh Narayan.

Jaitley made his first public appearance after his May 14 renal transplant, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu requested members to avoid going to meet him personally. The Union Minister has remained in a sanitised zone since his return from the hospital.

Jaitley responded with folded hands, the gesture of PM Modi extending his hand towards him, which the latter quickly understood that it was an act of medical precaution.

Humble contestants
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

Amid the row with the UK over a pro-Khalistan rally to be held at Trafalgar Square on August 12, India has sent out directives to select missions to keep a close watch on similar developments in countries where separatist Sikh elements are active.

Sources said the MEA has instructed the Indian missions in countries such as Canada, Australia and the US, having large Sikh diaspora presence, that radical outfits could try to hold similar events there to fan secessionist sentiments. The directives include asking the missions to be alert and sensitising the host countries about Indias grave security concerns.

This even as London turned down Indias three demarches and a note verbale asking to deny permission to Sikhs For Justice for holding the London rally. It cited right of people in the UK to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.

Anti-referendum UK protest today

Peaceful protests have been planned outside the British High Commission in New Delhi on Friday. Led by Chairman MS Bitta, activists of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front will protest against the referendum campaign. Bitta will also hand over a memorandum addressed to High Commissioner Dominic Asquith condemning the malicious intent to mislead the Sikh community and spread disharmony.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, August 9

The government on Thursday approved inclusion of a provision of granting bail to men accused of giving instant triple talaq to their wives. The approval came at the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While the offence will remain non-bailable, the latest provision makes it permissible for a magistrate to grant bail to the accused.

Instant triple talaq will continue to be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

The Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill, cleared by the Lok Sabha, is pending in the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks numbers and the provision of bail was one of the demands of the Opposition.

The Bill aims to set aside the centuries-old practice of instant divorce by men.

The government drafted the Bill last year after the Supreme Court called the practice un-Islamic.

The proposed law would be applicable on instant triple talaq and would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and minor children.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had last month written to the PM to ensure passage of the Womens Reservation Bill in the monsoon session. A day later, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responded with a new deal of equality by joining hands to pass the Bills on instant triple talaq and nikah halala too.  TNS

Other changes
rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, August 9

The Supreme Court on Thursday commenced hearing on pleas seeking to bar persons facing serious criminal charges from contesting elections saying criminalisation should not enter our political system.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, also referred to the doctrine of separation of power and said the courts should not cross Lakshman rekha and venture into the law-making power of Parliament.

It is the Lakshman rekha to the extent that we declare the law. We dont make the law, which is in the domain of Parliament, the Bench also comprising Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra said.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, opposed the petitions saying the issue squarely fell under the domain of Parliament and moreover there is a concept that a person is innocent till proven guilty.

The bench referred to the constitutional provision relating to oath of a minister and asked whether a person facing a murder charge can still take the oath that he/she will uphold the Constitution of India.

There was nothing in the oath which can establish that a person facing criminal charges will not uphold the Constitution and moreover there are provisions of right to fair trial in the Constitution and a person is presumed to be innocent till proven guilty, Venugopal said.

At the outset, senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi, appearing for NGO Public Interest Foundation, claimed that there were 34 per cent lawmakers with criminal background in 2014 and it was quite impossible that Parliament would make any law to stop criminalisation of politics.

He exhorted the apex court to deal with criminalisation of politics.

The hearing will continue after lunch.

A three-judge bench, on March 8, 2016, had referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench.

While referring the issue to the CJI, the court had said that 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?

BJP leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay 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-criminalisation and de-communalisation of politics and for eradication of corruption, casteism and nepotism from electoral system.

Earlier, the apex court had set a deadline of a 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 said that lower courts would have to give an 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.

The apex court had said that the period of one year could 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 period.

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 continued to be Members of Parliament and Assembly for a long time due to delay in proceedings.

The court had taken note of the Law Commissions 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 criterion of disqualification upon conviction is incapable of barring criminals from electoral politics. PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Raipur, August 9

The engine of an empty rake of the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger train derailed after Naxals uprooted railway tracks near Kamaloor railway station in Chhattisgarhs Dantewada district, police said.

No casualties had been reported in the incident, they said.

The incident took place at around 10.50 pm on Wednesday 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 the Naxalite arson in one of the areas falling in the route.

Earlier on Wednesday, 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 passed through Bhansi area, he said.

As the train reached Kamaloor, located around 450 km 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 had safely reached Dantewada.

It would take time to restore train services as it was raining heavily in the area and the spot is located deep inside the 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. PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

Amid the row with UK with a pro-Khalistan rally to be held in Trafalgar Square on August 12, India has sent out directives to select missions to keep a close watch on similar developments in countries where separatist Sikh elements are active.

According to sources, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has instructed the Indian missions in countries like Canada, Australia, US, with large Sikh diaspora presence that radical outfits could try to hold similar events on those countries aimed at fanning secessionist sentiments. The directives include asking the missions to be alert and sensitising the host countries about Indias grave security concerns.

We are aware that something similar is being planned in some other location. We have written to our missions to take it up with foreign offices of respective countries. Investigative agencies have to looking into issues of funding of such groups, said Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson.

This even as London turned down Indias three demarches and a note verbale asking to deny permission to Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) from holding the London rally citing right of people in UK to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.

We have drawn attention to the fact that the event in London is a separatist activity which impinges on Indias territorial integrity. We have said it seeks to propagate violence, secessionism and hatred. We expect them (UK) to take into account the larger perspective of the relationship when they take a decision in such matters, said Raveesh Kumar underlining Indias objection to the SFJ rally that is aimed at shaping up the London Declaration On Referendum 2020 campaign.

Meanwhile, on Friday peaceful protests have been planned outside the British High Commission in New Delhi. Led by Chairman MS Bitta, activists of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front will protest outside the UK High Commission against the Referendum 2020 Campaign. Bitta will also hand over a memorandum addressed to High Commissioner Dominic Asquith condemning the malicious intent to mislead the Sikh community and spread disharmony across the world.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

Days after the White House confirmed that an official invitation has been extended to US President Donald Trump to be the chief guest at Indias Republic Day parade in 2019, Indian official sources now say it was not a specific invitation for January 26.

They stress it was a generic invitation for the US president to visit India.

There was an invitation handed over to President Trump by PM Narendra Modi during his DC visit last June. The invitation that stands is a generic one where we are trying to work out dates and President Trump will have to decide when he visits India, said an official.

However, in early August, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked a specific question by a journalist if the invitation for Trump to be the chief guest at Indias next Republic Day parade had been received.

I know the invitation has been extended but I dont believe a final decision has been made. I do know that both Secretary Matis and Secretary Pompeo will be traveling to India next month and will begin the dialogue and process and potential discussion for a presidential visit later in the year, Sanders had replied.

Sources now suggesting that the invitation is not Republic Day specific could be damage control in a likely scenario where the White House turns down the invitation.

Barack Obama was the first ever US President bestowed the honour in a surprise move by PM Modi in 2015.

If Trump accepts the invitation it will be for the first time that head of state of a same country becomes the chief guest for the second time in four years.

New Delhi, which has so far officially refused to comment on media stories that reported about the invitation, is now signalling this different position even as Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale is in Washington DC for regular foreign office consultations.

US Defence Secretary James Matis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be in New Delhi on September 6 for the twice postponed inaugural 2+2 dialogue with their counterparts Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj.

Discussions on a possible Trump visit are expected to take place among other pressing bilateral issues during the talks.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

Taking serious note of people with criminal antecedents becoming members of Parliament and state assemblies, the Supreme Court on Thursday said the problem can no longer be ignored by the legislature.

"It is the duty of the legislature to respond to the collective cry of the citizens. Today the citizens are saying please don't let such people contest electionsIt can't be ignored by the legislature It's a national thinking," said a five-judge-Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

"Under Article 102 of the Constitution you have an obligation to make law to prevent criminals from entering politics," the Bench told Attorney General KK Venugopal.

"Corruption is a noun but becomes a verb when it enters the political arena. It is infective and resistant to antibiotics," Justice Misra commented.

The bench, however, wondered if it could be done by a judicial order in a writ petition as it was a question of adding certain disqualifications in the Representation of People Act, 1951 for candidates to contest elections which fell in the domain of Parliament.

"How to inject that through a writ (petition)?" asked, the bench, which also included Justice Rohinton F Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, even as it said something needed to be done.

The bench said in the past when it issued guidelines in cases such as Vishakha or euthanasia, the fields were unoccupied by any law. Here there was a law and adding something would be difficult, it noted.

At one stage Venugopal agreed with the court that something needed to be done but he said at best the court could recommend to Parliament to do the needful.

As Venugopal said it should be left to Parliament to amend the law else it would amount to violating the doctrine of separation of power, the Bench too talked of 'Lakshman Rekha'.

"It is 'Lakshman Rekha' to the extent that we declare the law and Parliament makes the law. We don't make the law, which is in the domain of Parliament," said Justice Nariman.

During the hearing, the bench asked if a person facing murder charge could be allowed to take oath of protecting the Constitution. The Attorney General said every accused is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty and only conviction would be a disqualification.

Senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi - who represented Public Interest Foundation - submitted that the collective need of the hour was to ensure that lawbreakers did not become lawmakers. He sought to emphasise that parliamentary democracy was the most important part of basic structure of the Constitution and the Supreme Court must protect it.

Dwivedi said despite the Law Commission and Election Commission repeatedly asking the government to act on the issue nothing had happened. There were 34% lawmakers with criminal background in 2014 and it was impossible that Parliament would make any law to stop criminalisation of politics, he submitted.

The petitioners wanted the bench do something to debar those against whom charges have been framed by courts in serious criminal cases. Under Representation of People Act, 1951, only conviction leads to disqualification. The bench is considering if prior to conviction at any stage of a criminal trial, a person can be debarred from entering the electoral process to clean up legislature from criminal politicians.

Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, representing Bhartiya Matdata Sanghathan, suggested that it could be done by putting the electoral offence under Section 125A of RPA for filing of false affidavit by a candidate on a higher pedestal. At present, the maximum punishment under this provision is only a jail term of six months which does not lead to any disqualification.

On behalf of Delhi BJP Leader Ashwini Upadhyaya, senior counsel Krishnan Venugopal submitted that the bench could consider directing the political parties not to give tickets to those facing serious criminal charges. He also said the EC could be asked to frame guidelines on the issue using its plenary powers under Article 324 of the Constitution regarding conducting of polls.

As the arguments remained inconclusive, the Bench posted the matter for hearing on August 14.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

The NDA nominee and JD (U) leader Harivansh Singh was elected to the post of Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha by defeating Opposition nominee and Congress leader BK Hariprasad by 20 votes.

Singh got 125 votes against the Opposition nominees 105. While two members abstained, 12 members did not come to vote.

The present effective strength of the House is 244 on account of one vacancy.

Singhs win is a setback to the opposition as he mustered votes higher than the present BJP-led NDA strength in the House.

The AIADMK, BJD and TRS are understood to have voted in favour of Singh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to the House after the voting, congratulated Singh on being elected.

Hailing Singh for his dedication to work for the public, especially as a journalist, Modi hoped the members would get guidance from him.

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley who attended the House after ailment also congratulated Singh, so did Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Azad hoped Singh would give due attention to the Opposition benches.

The post of Deputy Chairman is important as he conducts affairs of the House in the absence of Chairman.

The post has been lying vacant since July 1 when PJ Kurien retired.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Mumbai, August 9

Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra on Thursday as part of their statewide protests over reservation demand, while Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour mongering.

Despite an appeal from Maratha community leaders to observe a peaceful bandh, protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some places, a police official said.

Two groups of protesters clashed when someone allegedly shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district, a police official said.

According to him, a group led by Sena district chief Ambadas Danve objected to the slogans, following which members of both the sides beat up each other.

One person was injured in the incident but we brought the situation under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed their members, the police official said.

Agitators attacked the gate and a cabin at the Pune district collectors office and damaged some light bulbs in the premises, a police official said.

Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour-mongering.

Protesters held a sit-in outside the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati tehsil of Pune, and were joined by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the Maratha communitys demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No. 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said.

Some agitators burnt tyres on roads in Jalna and Ahmednagar districts, a police official said.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, who was denied permission to enter the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in support of the Maratha communitys quota demand, sat outside the gate of the legislature complex in protest.

A call for bandh was given by the Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, but excluded Navi Mumbai, which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, had said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today.

Another Maratha faction, however, gave a call to hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collectors office.

The authorities had yesterday ordered closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe in the densely populated township decided to remain shut today.

Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai, with deployment of city police personnel along with a company of the Rapid Action Force and the Reserve Police Force.

The public transport buses and local trains were running normal in the town. Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said.

Even though Maratha groups excluded essential services from the purview of the bandh, supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbais Dadar area said the bandh was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause. Protesters took out silent marches in Mumbais Ghatkopar suburb and in the neighbouring Thane district.

A traffic department official said the number of vehicles on National Highway number four (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.

In Satara, all petrol pumps and vegetable markets were closed while all state transport busses were kept parked at the central bus stand.

Pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today, while in in Latur, they blocked roads from midnight and disrupted traffic.

There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said.

The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

The bandh is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assurance that his government was working on providing reservation to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutes, one that is legally sustainable.

Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota.

Senior state minister Chandrakant Patil had yesterday said that nothing can be done on their demand till November 15.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the states population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation.

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. PTI
We moved from the city for that, to see kids playing at the park. Thats why National Night Out is so special. People feel comfortable being outside and letting their kids run free. We got a gorgeous night. I love seeing the neighbors I dont see every day. Everyone is mingling. I think we might bring in some fun (organized) games next year, like water balloon races and community bonding events. Id love to have some local bands, like high school kids playing.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

New Delhi, August 9

A senior bureaucrat has alleged "racial discrimination" and "rude behaviour" by the British Airways, which deplaned him and his family from a flight to Berlin from London last month minutes before take-off because his three-year-old son was crying on board.

The bureaucrat, in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on August 3, has alleged that another Indian family, sitting behind them, was also offloaded as they offered biscuits to the child to console him.

The incident took place on July 23.

The bureaucrat alleged that the crew got the plane (BA 8495) to return to the tarmac, where the security personnel took their boarding passes away.

The customer care service manager did not give reasons for offloading them, nor did the management take action against the crew despite lodging a complaint, he claimed.

"We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a hefty amount," he said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though.

The bureaucrat is a joint secretary-level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

When contacted, a British Airways spokesperson said, "We take such claims very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started an investigation and are in contact with the customer."

Narrating his family's ordeal in the two-page letter to Prabhu, the officer demanded a thorough investigation and strictest possible action against the British Airways staff.

He said while his wife managed to calm their son, an "aggrieved" crew member approached them and started scolding the boy, asking him to get back to his seat. The boy had a window seat, but the mother had taken him into her arms to console him.

"With this unusual behaviour of the male crew member, my son got terrified and started crying intensively. My wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat-belt, even though he kept on crying being in a terrified state of mind due to the scolding by the male crew member," the officer wrote to Prabhu.

He alleged that when the plane started moving towards the runway, the crew member came back, shouting, "You bloody keep quiet, otherwise you would be thrown out of the window." PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 9

The one-day Maharashtra bandh called by organisations representing the Maratha community for reservation in educational institutions and government jobs saw sporadic incidents of violence across the state though life was normal in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, police and other officials said.



According to state government officials, schools and other educational institutions were shut in most parts of Maharashtra as a precautionary measure. A state-wide bandh called last month saw large-scale incidents of violence and the administration did not want to take any chances, officials said. Even the Maharashtra State Road Transport Department kept its state transport buses off the roads across the state.



State police officials said incidents of stone throwing were reported in Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Nagpur and other places in Maharashtra. Private vehicles were torched at many places in Maharashtra, police said. Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a halt after protesters blocked the road in the morning itself.

The protests took a violent turn in the IT hub of Pune's Hinjewadi when protesters barged into some Information Technology offices and smashed equipment. Employees at the premises were forced to leave their offices, police said.

Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai were peaceful as the Maratha organisations stuck to holding protests outside government offices. The city's local trains and BEST buses plied normally. Most schools and colleges were open and offices reported regular attendance.

However, in many areas shops remained closed in the mornings but opened by afternoon, police said. However, the Navi Mumbai Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) market was shut and supply of vegetables and fruits to Mumbai, Pune and Thane was affected.



State government sources said mobile Internet services were suspended in Pune and surrounding areas to prevent rumour mongering.



The administration said they had called out companies of the State Reserve Police Force, the Rapid Action Force and the Central Industrial Security Force across the state to prevent incidents of violence.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, August 9

A video of Uttar Pradesh Police ADG showering rose petals from a chopper to welcome Kanwariya pilgrims has gone viral on the social media.

The video, however, did not paint a rosy picture of the top cop and has earned him the Twitterati's wrath.

Many Facebook and Twitter users have decried the act saying it was a waste of public money.

The video of the Additional Director General (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar showed him showering rose petals from a chopper on Wednesday to welcome the Kanwariya pilgrims.

Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials were also seen showering rose petals on Kanwariyas from the chopper. The ADG had tweeted the video, but later removed it following the backlash.

In defence, on Thursday, he said, "No religious angle should be given to this, flowers are used to welcome people. The administration respects all religions and actively takes part even in Gurpurab, Eid and Jain festivals."

The incident comes two days after Kanwarias were caught on camera creating a ruckus in west Delhis Moti Nagar after a car allegedly brushed past one of them and a case was registered against the woman driver.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, August 9

The official Twitter handle of the Punjab Police has also taken the witty route to highlight a serious issue. In recent tweets, Punjab Police have campaigned against ragging by posting photos of Nokia, Thumps Up and Mcdonalds slogans with witty captions.

A college or school is a great place for "connecting people". Let's not spoil that with ragging.#NoRagging #CallForHelp #PunjabPolice pic.twitter.com/TZ3uWvs6HA  Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) August 9, 2018

A college or school is a great place for "connecting people". Let's not spoil that with ragging. (sic), says one photo Ragging ko No Kia, Punjab Police Protecting People.

Want to do something Toofani today? Save someone from ragging or report it to the authorities!#NoRagging #StopRagging #PunjabPolice pic.twitter.com/52RPTMKSAo  Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) August 8, 2018



Want to do something Toofani today? Save someone from ragging or report it to the authorities! (sic), says another message with a Thumps Up logo, If you indulge in ragging, taste the thunder.

People who experience ragging are never 'loving it'. Make college a Happy experience for everyone (sic), another message with a Mcdonalds logo with words Say no to ragging, we are watching it, was posted.

People who experience ragging are never 'loving it'. Make college a Happy experience for everyone.#WeAreWatchingIt #NoRagging #PunjabPolice pic.twitter.com/8LFjQ66m57  Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) August 7, 2018



It seems Punjab Police have also learned from their Mumbai counterparts in using social media and memes to target the youth and bring awareness on serious issues.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Jalandhar, August 9

Even as the incidents of anti-drug vigilantism are already making news in Punjab, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday asked the youth not to remain completely dependent on the government and rather take to activism against drugs.

Sidhu was speaking at a student-interactive session organised by the Youth Congress at a college here. Though the Punjab government has launched a major campaign to counter drug abuse, the menace cannot be curbed without your active participation. So was the case during the dark days of terrorism, which could be tackled not because of police action, but because of the people who became vigilant and took things in their stride, Sidhu told the students.

The minister said he felt pained whenever he came across horrific experiences of elderly Punjabis daily taking their grandsons to hospitals for de-addiction.  TNS
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 8

With an eye on the next General Election, the BJP and SAD want to smoothen their relationship through better coordination in Punjab.

A state level coordination committee, consisting of senior leaders of both parties, will be constituted soon. Similar committees will be constituted for each of the 13 Lok Sabha segments.

Sources said there was no formal mechanism to address the differences between the two parties.

A top leader of SAD said here on Wednesday that the committees would be constituted by the end of next month. The Monsoon Sessions of Parliament and Punjab Assembly would be over by then. The issue of better coordination between the two parties has been discussed between BJP president Amit Shah and former state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The relationship between the two parties is better placed especially after SAD lent support to the government during the recent no-confidence motion against it in the Lok Sabha. It is also standing with the BJP with regard to the election of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson, scheduled for Thursday.
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

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, August 8

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Jagdeeshwar Kumar Chopra has urged the J&K Government to provide him security as directed by the Supreme Court (SC).

Both Chopra, who is also the Pathankot district attorney, and Gurdaspur-based criminal lawyer Santokh Singh Basra have been appointed SPPs by the J&K Government to contest the Kathua gangrape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl.

The trial is being presided over by Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh. On Wednesday, Basra said, I dont need any security. God is protecting me. No security cover in this world is over and above Gods protective cover. Last month, the apex court had directed the J&K Government to provide security to the SPPs as and when asked for.

After the SC directive, Chopra had met Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni, who asked him to redirect his request to the J&K crime branch. Chopra wrote a letter to the IG, J&K (crime branch), to provide him adequate security as per orders of the Supreme Court dated July 9. Basra declined to comment on his colleagues request.

Chopra has asked the IG that keeping in view the sensitivity of the case and orders of the Supreme Court, adequate security be provided to him. All seven accused, who are lodged in the Gurdaspur central jail, are escorted to Pathankot by personnel of both Gurdaspur and Pathankot police districts.

The crime branch is already providing protection to the prosecution witnesses who come to the court from Kathua or other parts of J&K.

Meanwhile, the SPPs asked the judge to register a case against people who threatened prosecution witnesses Darshan Singh and Mohammad Hafiz, both revenue officials working with the J&K Government. The judge disposed off the application without taking cognisance.

The officials had claimed on Tuesday that they had been receiving threats from the kin of some of the accused to depose in the court according to their directions. The judge, however, disposed off our contention to register a case, said Basra.
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Ottawa, August 9

Naseem waited three years to be accepted to a Canadian postgraduate programme. With two years left before she would receive her PhD, the Saudi students plans have been upended, thanks to a diplomatic spat.

The kingdom this week suspended all scholarships to Canada as part of a rupture between the two countries over Ottawas criticism of Riyadhs human rights record. Saudi students will be relocated to other countries.

For Naseem, that could mean she and her husband, who is studying to be a medical doctor, may never earn their degrees. And she feels totally lost, having left Saudi Arabia just after her father passed away in 2017 to pursue her academic dream, 6,500 miles (10,500 km) away from home. Everything is gone, said the mother of two, who lives in Toronto but spoke to AFP during a family visit to Riyadh.

I still have two years to get a PhD, and my husband needs two years to graduate as a doctor. We had the perfect plan. Now we might have to start from zero, she said.

In Ontario, where one in five of all Saudi students are enrolled, the recall could cost tens of millions of dollars, according to the Council of Ontario Universities. Were still trying to sort out the situation, the University of Ottawas Veronique Vallee told AFP. Our main concern is the wellbeing of the students. The school has 246 Saudi students, the majority of whom are enrolled in medicine, science or engineering programmes. Medical students will be hit hard, with 800 Saudis being trained by Canada.  AFP

In numbers

192,000

International students in Canadian universities, colleges from 200 countries

8,000

Saudi students alone

$15.5 bn

International students contribution to Canadian economy last year

$30,000-$80,000

Annual loss of fee to universities

What prompted the dispute?

A tweet issued by Canadas Global Affairs Ministry decrying arrest and detention of two women bloggers and activists, and urging Saudi authorities to immediately free them.

Saudi reply

The Saudi Foreign Ministry took exception to the wording of the tweet, calling it an attempt by Canada to interfere with the countrys internal affairs. Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending future trade with Canada and severing diplomatic ties.

Whats affected?

Saudi Arabia has cancelled scholarships of 16,000 of its students studying in Canada, also ordering them to leave the country and find academic programmes elsewhere. Saudi Arabia has also cut diplomatic ties with Canada, frozen all new trade and investment and cancelled flights via its national carrier to Toronto.
Tom Poupard, the villages director of development and planning services, said Northbrook officials are pleased to welcome a new Lurie Childrens Hospital facility in the village because it will benefit local patients and families. The new facility will likely encourage visitors to dine or shop in Northbrook while they are in town, Poupard said.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Aden, August 9

Air strikes killed dozens of people, including children, in Yemen's Saada, Yemeni medical sources and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.

The ICRC said one attack hit a bus driving children in Dahyan market, in northern Saada, adding hospitals there received dozens of dead and wounded.

It was unclear how many children were killed and how many air strikes were carried out in the area. Abdul-Ghani Nayeb, head of a health department in Saada told Reuters that the death toll rose to 43, with 61 wounded.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10," Johannes Bruwer, head of delegation for the ICRC in Yemen, said in a twitter post.

Saudi Arabia and Sunni Muslim allies have been fighting in Yemen for more than three years against the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of north Yemen including the capital Sanaa and drove a Saudi-backed government into exile in 2014.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition.

Reuters
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

United Nations, August 9

Michelle Bachelet, Chiles first woman President and prominent rights advocate, was on Thursday nominated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to be the global bodys next human rights chief.

Bachelet, 66, will succeed Jordanian diplomat Zeid Raad al-Hussein, who had been one of the most outspoken critics of alleged abuses by the governments in many countries.

Following consultations with the Chairs of the regional groups of Member States, Guterres informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Bachelet as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her name now goes forward for consideration and approval by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Bachelet, a womens rights champion, ended her second four-year term as President earlier this year, having already held the post between 2006 and 2010.

She was imprisoned and tortured during Chiles military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

She was the first woman to be elected to Chiles highest office. After her first term, she came to New York as the first-ever Executive Director of the UN gender equality office, UN-Women. She also held ministerial portfolios in the Chilean Government as Minister of Defence (2002-2004) and Minister of Health (2000-2002).

The UN Human Rights High Commissioner is the principle official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system, strengthening human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality; fighting discrimination in all its forms; strengthening accountability and the rule of law; widening the democratic space and protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuses.

Al-Hussein will step down from his role at the end of this month. He served a single term, beginning in 2014.

During his tenure, al-hussein had been outspoken in his criticism of abuses in dozens of countries from Myanmar and Hungary to the US.

At a farewell news conference at UN headquarters this month, he had said he does not regret speaking out against human rights abuses as silence does not earn you any respect  none.

In June, he released the first-ever report on Kashmir in which he called for a commission of inquiry by the Human Rights Council to conduct an independent, international investigation into the human rights situation.

India had rejected the report, terming it as fallacious, tendentious and motivated and a selective compilation of largely unverified information.

In a strong reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs had said the report is overtly prejudiced, seeks to build a false narrative and violates the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Headquartered in Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is mandated to promote and protect the universal exercise and full realisation of human rights across the world as established in the UN Charter.

Bachelets nomination received cautious reactions from diplomats and human rights organisations.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the US had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council in part because of the Councils consistent failure to address extreme human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere, in Venezuela and Cuba in particular.

The failures of the Human Rights Council make the Secretary-Generals selection of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights all the more important, the Indian-American top diplomat said.

Haley said that the Human Rights Commissioner can have a strong voice on these critical issues, even when the Human Rights Council fails to live up to its name. It is incumbent on the Secretary-Generals choice, 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. The United States will, she said.

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth said that if selected, Bachelet will be taking on one of the worlds most difficult jobs at a moment when human rights are under widespread attack.

As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defence of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful, he said.

The Trump administration withdrew from the Human Rights Council in June. Haley had called the Council a cesspool of political bias that disproportionately takes aim at Israel and protects many rights abusers.

Al-Husseins office had also criticised the White House over the separation of young children from parents at the countrys borders amid a government crackdown on illegal immigration. PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Bogota, August 9

Colombias new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos decision, which was detailed in an August 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law, new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

Santos decided to recognize Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbors, the letter said.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota said it was surprised and disappointed.

We ask the Colombian government to reverse the decision made by the previous administration in its last days, which contravenes the close relations, extensive cooperation in vital areas and interests of both countries, it said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

The decision came to light during a visit to Colombia by United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She attended Duques inauguration on Tuesday and on Wednesday visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

The United States, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the US mission to the United Nations said.

We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East, the Palestine representative said in a statement on Wednesday.

Palestine has been recognized as a sovereign state by the U.N. General Assembly, the International Criminal Court and at least 136 countries.

Palestine seeks to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

US President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favour.  Reuters.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

United Nations, August 9

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he welcomes the ongoing talks between the US and North Korea to achieve total denuclearization and also supported the Japanese initiative of dialogue with Pyongyang.

As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I am obviously totally committed to the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions on North Korea, he told reporters in Tokyo yesterday.

He said he fully supports the negotiations taking place between the United States and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) with the objective that we all share to see a total denuclearization that is verifiable, that is irreversible, to make sure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region. The UN extended its full support for the Japanese initiative of dialogue with North Korea.

In June, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in Singapore, signing a joint statement which included a pledge to end DPRKs nuclear weapons programme. Days after conducting its sixth nuclear test last September, a North Korean ballistic missile flew over mainland Japan, drawing condemnation from the Security Council, which had just ratcheted up sanctions.

Flanked by Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, Guterres went on to express his support for Japans willingness to hold fresh talks with the North Korean leadership, following Prime Minister Abes offer of a high-level summit with the country.

The UN chief hailed these developments as timely, coming in the wake of a United Nations disarmament initiative, launched in May of this year. The new agenda, Securing Our Common Future, sets out his bold new vision for a world without nuclear arsenals and other deadly weapons. It focuses on three priorities  weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons and new battlefield technologies.

He said that the North Korea and the Iran situations are two central aspects of our concerns to make sure that we preserve non-proliferation, but also recognizing that non-proliferation needs to be accompanied by effective disarmament, progressive disarmament measures in the nuclear dimension. And, at the same time, the full implementation of the ban on chemical weapons and biological weapons.

He added that the agenda represented disarmament to save lives, taking into account the devastating impact of conventional weapons on civilian populations in urban centres and disarmament for the future generations, namely to make sure that we do not develop arms, systems of arms, that fully escape the control of human beings and responsibility of human beings.

The Secretary-General travelled to Nagasaki later on Wednesday, where he was due to meet Mayor Tomihisa Taue, and other local officials, as well as with some hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bombs. He would also visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, before taking part in the 73rd Nagasaki Peace Ceremony. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, August 9

The US is set to impose more sanctions on Moscow over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter using a Soviet-era nerve agent in the UK earlier this year, the State Department announced here.

In a statement on Wednesday, Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US had made this decision on Monday and accused Russia of violating international law, reports CNN.

The statement anticipated that the sanctions would go into effect around August 22 in line with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

Sanctions under this Act have been applied in the past against Syria for its 2013 use of chemical weapons and against North Korea for its use of VX nerve agent during the assassination of Kim Jong-uns half brother in Malaysia.

Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia were hospitalised and treated for the nerve-agent attack in March. Yulia was discharged from the hospital in April, and her father in May.

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law.

Unless Russia takes certain steps, a second set of penaltiesmore stringent than this first roundmust follow, according to the law.

The first set of sanctions target certain items the US exports to Russia that could have military usesso-called dual use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported.

With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied.

The items to be included in the second tranche are yet to be confirmed.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, dismissed the sanctions in a tweet late Wednesday responding to the news, CNN reported.

The theater of absurd continues. No proofs, no clues, no logic, no presumption of innocense, just highly-liklies. Only one rule: blame everything on Russia, no matter how absurd and fake it is. Let us welcome the United Sanctions of America! Polyanskiy tweeted.

The UK welcomed the move.

In a short statement, a government spokesperson said: 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. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously denied that Russia was behind the Skripals poisonings, saying in March that it was unthinkable that we would do such a thing.

Later that month, Trump ordered 60 more Russian diplomats expelled from the US as part of a global response to the attack.  IANS
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Moscow, August 9

The US on Thursday said it would impose tough new sanctions on Russia after determining that Moscow used a deadly military-grade nerve agent to kill a former Russian double agent and his daughter in the UK.

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia Skripal were hospitalised and treated for a nerve agent attack in March. While Yulia was discharged from a British hospital in April, her father recovered and left the hospital in May.

The State Department said in a statement that the sanctions were in response to the use of a Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen and his daughter on March 4.

Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that it was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury.

The US, on August 6, determined that the Russian government has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. The statement said following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect around August 22.

Meanwhile, Russia condemned the new round of US sanctions as illegal after news of the measures sent the rouble tumbling to two-year lows and sparked a wider asset sell-off over fears that Moscow was locked in a spiral of never-ending curbs by the West.

Moscow has been trying with mixed success to improve battered US-Russia ties since Donald Trump won the White House in 2016, and Russias political elite was quick to chalk up a summit last month between Trump and Vladimir Putin as a victory.

But initial triumphalism swiftly turned sour as anger over what some US lawmakers saw as an over deferential performance by Trump and his failure to confront Putin over Moscows alleged meddling in US politics galvanised a new sanctions push.

In an early reaction, the Kremlin said the sanctions were illegal and unfriendly and that the US move was at odds with the constructive atmosphere of Trump and Putins encounter in Helsinki.

The Kremlin said the new sanctions were illegal and do not correspond to international law.  Agencies

Curbs to come in two tranches
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.
PBN invites interested attorneys to attend one of our open houses in Oak Park or Oak Brook to learn more about how they can get the support they need to use their law license to assist those in need. The first is on Aug. 23, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Oak Park Public Library. The second is on Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Oak Brook Public Library. PBN will also be conducting training for specific projects in mid-September.
Hey Saurabh, My Family and I just returned from a memorable 16-day Australian vacation last week. To give you a basic idea, we flew from Delhi to Sydney, then Cairns, then Gold Coast and finally to Melbourne. From Melbourne airport we proceeded straight to the Great Ocean Road where we spent 2 nights, and then spent the remainder time in Melbourne.

1. Some popular off-city places are Byron Bay (from Gold Coast), Port Douglas (from Cairns; we actually stayed here instead of Cairns as it has fabulous resorts), Yarra Valley (from Melbourne), and the Great Ocean Road if you haven't already included that in your Melbourne time.

2. If I were you, I would skip Hobart and add 1 day each to Cairns and Melbourne. Cairns has 3 main activities requiring 1 day each- Kuranda Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, and Daintree Rainforest. In the Melbourne area, you should spend at least 2 nights on the Great Ocean Road, and the remaining in Melbourne city.

3. Self-drive is definitely an option and the Indian Driver's License works fine. No additional permits are required. We rented a car in each of the 4 cities we visited and had no problems.

4. Great Ocean Road was the highlight of our trip and you shouldn't miss it! Don't opt for a tour, rent a car!
-:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:-

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.

To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Hello All,

You have been so helpful in helping us format our trip. We are getting down to a final itinerary and could use some help with the details.

We are arriving in HCMC on September 29 and flying home on October 13th. We are trying to decide in which direction to do this itinerary.

Arrive and stay overnight in HCMC

Fly to DaNang and head to Hoi An for 3 nights

Get a car/driver for a half day tour on our way to Hue and stay 1 night in Hue. Fly Hue to Hanoi

2 nights in Hanoi, then driver to Mai Chau/Pu Luong/Ninh Binh - Tam Coc.

On last day in Ninh Binh, have driver take us to Ha Long/Hai Phong for 2 nights on Dragon Legend

Return to Hanoi and stay one night, then fly to HCMC for one night before flight home.

We have thought about doing Hanoi portion first in case we purchase clothing in Hoi An. If we leave Hoi An until the end, we will have less to carry. Not sure if that is a good reason for changing the direction.

Suggestions would be most welcome.
Hi Japan DEs,

We will be coming to Japan for our second visit in December. We are flying to Osaka on 5th Dec night & flying back to Singapore from Tokyo on 20th Dec.

Our rough itinerary is as follows :

6th to 8th - Osaka (booked hotel near USJ)

6th - USJ

7th - Kobe

8th - Osaka

9th morning flying to Okinawa

11th morning flying to Tokyo

11th to 14th - Tokyo

14th to 17th - Takayama-Shirakawago-Kanazawa

Booked ryokan in Shirakawago for 15th night

17th night train back to Tokyo

18th & 19th - Tokyo

We have covered Kyoto, Nara, some parts of Tokyo & a bit of Osaka in our last visit. We will try to cover some of what we missed in Tokyo & Osaka in this trip.

I need guidancd to decide which travel option & pass is best for us for the Takayama-Shirakawago-Kanazawa stretch. Also is it worth going to both Takayama & Kanazawa or should we stick to only one & use an extra day in Tokyo? Or do a day trip to Kamakura?

I also need help in area where we should stay in Okinawa as we have only 2 days there. My husband wants to go to Aquarium & my children will want to see the World War sites.

TIA.

Warm Regards,

Alpana
Do you want to hike between Kibune and Kurama? There is a hiking trail between Kibune and Kurama (not Kamare). It is in the north of Kyoto, the opposite direction from Fushimi Inari.

But, you can go to Kibune from Fushimi Inari by taking the Keihan Railway Main Line from Fushimi Inari to its Demachi-Yanagi Terminal (@20 min.), then transferring to Eizan Dentetsu(Electric) Kurama Line to its Kibune-guchi(entrance) station (@30 min.). Then, take a bus from Kibune-guchi station to Kibune(160 yen). Hike from Kibune to Kurama.

Take the Eizan Dentetsu Kurama Line from its Kurama Terminal to Demachi-Yanagi Terminal, transfer to Keihan Railway Main Line to Sanjo(3rd Street) or Gion-Shijo(4th Street) to come back to Gion.

It's better to visit Fushimi Inari at first in the morning to avid the crowds there.
In addition to its live viewing parties, OPRF High School will host a special community screening and conversation about the series at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St, though the schools Facebook page noted that tickets for the public were no longer available and were gone within an hour. The screening includes a panel discussion with James and OPRF representatives.
Hi,

First of all - thanks so much to everyone who gave us advice before our most recent trip to Japan, (Tokyo-Kawaguchi-ko-Matsumoto-Osaka-Tokyo).

I thought I would give some feedback on a few of my pre-trip issues:

Re: Booking a Michelin star sushi restaurant from the UK. I managed to book Sushi Fukumoto in Tokyo via OpenTable (no booking fee) and the event went ahead without a hitch, (my experience of OpenTable in the UK has been a bit mixed, so that was a relief).

Re: Mandarin Oriental restaurant booking in Tokyo: Their reservation booking service via email was very good - again our reservations went off without a hitch.

Re: Requesting vegetarian meals in advance - the two hotels we stayed at in Kawaguchi-ko (Mizuno) and in Matsumoto (Tamanoyu) were both brilliant about providing vegetarian meals, because I had entered into an email correspondence with them beforehand to check out the possibility.

The heat this time was far worse than during our visit in the same period last year - we had to curtail some of our activities due to heat-related exhaustion but still enjoyed ourselves.

Due to travelling by shinkansen quite a lot, we sent our luggage from Tokyo to await our arrival in a few days' time in Osaka - we would never have managed rush hour trains and heat, etc. with large cases so thank goodness we used the luggage transfer service via our hotels.

Finally - buying an extra suitcase in Shibuya 109 on a hot Sunday morning of our last day in Japan, (surrounded by what felt like every teen in Tokyo), and then attempting to continue with my sightseeing in intense heat was a big mistake, (good bag, though!) I had to give up and go back to the hotel!

We had a fantastic time and I was glad I made the effort to go further afield on this, our second trip to Japan. (I went on my own to Hiroshima and Miyajima for the day from Osaka, for example, when the rest of the family were too tired to move!) My favourite places this time were Miyajima and Kawaguchi-ko - definitely on the list for a return visit!

We will be back - although not in July/August, I think!

Thanks again to everyone who responded to my many queries over the last few months.

:)
Hi!

Is Hakone good to visit during last week of March based on average weather on those days? Ill be there on March 24. Are there great chances to see Mt. Fuji in late March based on average weather data or travelers experiences?

For those who visited Hakone, please share your experiences, the weather and view of Mt. Fuji when you were there. It will be better if someone shares their experience there in late March.

Are there ways to know in advance if you can see Mt. Fuji in Hakone before you visit it?

If ever the weather or the view is not good, what alternative day-tours from Tokyo can you recommend?

Is Hakone really worth it during Spring? Thanks!
Please print and use these maps for trains and subways and for walking.

Tuesday: North Higashiyama

Take a morning Shinkansen to Kyoto. If your hotel is near the Manga Museum, it's not close to this route: it's must be close to Karasuma-Oike Station.

Then, take Subway Tozai (east-west) Line from Karasuma-Oike eastbound to Keage Station. And walk North Higashiyama area from Keage Incline, Nanzenji Temple, and also don't forget to visit Eikando Temple in the Autumn Color season, then walk Philosopher's Path to Ginkajuki.

I think you don't have time to visit South Higashiyama Area (visit it in Thursday), but if you have some time left, visit Heian Jingu and its nice garden in the back.

Wednesday-Nara and evening in Osaka and return to Kyoto.

Thursday: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Sake Museum, Sanjusangendo Temple, Kiyomizu-dera, South Higashiyama, Gion, Pontocho Alley.

To go to Fushimi Inari Shrine, take Subway Tozai Line from Karasuma-Oike to Sanjo(3rd Street)-Keihan, walk 1-2 min. to Sanjo(3rd Street) Station of Keihan Railway Main Line, take the line to its Fushimi Inari Station. Then, take the Keihan again to its Fushimi Momoyama Station to visit the Geikkan Sake Museum.

After the Museum, take Keihan again northbound to its Shichijo(7th Street) Station, and walk the steep road up for 5 min. to Sanjusangendo Temple, the artistic highlight of Kyoto. Please read my reviews here.

Then, take a bus or a short ride of Taxi (@1,000 yen) from Sanjusangendo to Kiyomizu-dera(Temple).

Walk the historic Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka Steeps, see Yasaka Pagoda and Ishibe Alley, visit Kodaiji Temple and its nice garden, walk through Yasaka Shrine, and head to Gion Hanamikoji where Geisha and Maiko Girls are walking in the evening and Gion Shirakawa River Area. Have a dinner at Pontocho Alley.

Better to book a restaurant from your hotel.

Friday: Northern Kyoto (Kinkakuji and Ninnaji Temples) and Arashiyama.

Take Subway Karasuma Line from Karasuma-Oike to Kitaoji and take a bus or short ride of Taxi (@1,000 yen) to Kinrakuji Temple. Then, take a bus or a short ride of Taxi (@700 yen) from Kinrakuji to Ninnaji Temple. After the Temple, walk 5 min. to Omuro-Ninnaji Station of the Tram-like Randen (Arashiyama train of Kaifuku Railway) and take the line to its Arashiyama Terminal.

Visit Tenryuji Temple, exit from its north back exit, and walk leftward for a few min. and you will be in the Bamboo Grove. Then, visit Jojakkoj, Gioji, Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, Otagi Nenbutsuji, Daikakuji. Then, walk back to Arashiyama, walk over the Togetsukyo Bridge, and visit Iwatayama Monkey Park.

Then, take the Randen bound for Shijo-Omiya (NOT to Kitano-Hakubaicho) from Arashiyama and get off at Randen-Tenjingawa, where you can transfer to Subway Tozai line by walking 1 min. to its Uzumasa-Tenjingawa Terminal. Take the Subway to Nijo-Jo Mae (Nijo Castle Front) and visit the Nijo Castle.

Saturday:

You can visit Suntory Yamasaki Distillery this day. Leave your luggages at the hotel after you check out, and take Subway Karasuma Line to JR Kyoto Station, transfer to JR Kyoto Line to JR Yamasaki (@15 min.) and walk to the Distillery.

Return to Kyoto for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Sunday and Monday in Tokyo. Home on Monday evening.

Here is my article for what to see and the merits of different transportations in Kyoto, for your reference.
We are visiting New York for the first time (From Toronto) - Any recommendations for good food ?

Please note that I am not looking for fine dining options, Also we have plenty of good Italian, Chinese and Indian food options in Toronto area so I am looking for suggestions about American style food trucks, NY style Pizza's, Best selling Burgers etc. We are staying in North Bergen, But will spent most of the time in downtown, Manhattan, Central park and all those touristy areas.

Thanks !
A hot and steamy Wednesday meant: beach day! Despite the best of intentions for an early start, it was almost 10 am before we headed to the train, a takeout double cappuccino in hand. (Id caffeinated myself earlier, but cadged a few sips). We took the 2 train to the end of the line at Flatbush/Brooklyn College, then caught the Q35 bus for our two very different beach destinations: Dead Horse Bay, across from Floyd Bennett Field, and Fort Tilden on the Rockaway peninsula.

Dead Horse Bay is famous for the accumulation of bottles, broken crockery and assorted other trash that accumulates there, washed up from an uncapped landfill. For maximum effect, you need to go at low tide. I actually didnt think it was as impressive as on past visits, but daughter was entranced by the light glancing off all the glass on bottle beach. Our most interesting find was a childs plastic model airplane, intact, that Id guess was from the 60s or 70s. Needless to say, do NOT wear flipflops if you go here; its not that kind of beach.

We hopped back on another Q35 bus (unlimited Metrocards, how we love you!) to go one stop on the other side of the Marine Parkway bridge, to Fort Tilden. This is a beautiful, wild, sandy beach, amazingly uncrowded. We walked barefoot for a mile or so, looking at shorebirds, gulls and terns and cooling our feet and legs in the surf. Just beautiful! (The larger park also has an extensive brushy/wooded area, and some interesting old bunkers from WWII  but the mosquitos were brutal, so we stuck to the beach.)

Lunch: what do you know, our fave pizzeria (Pizza Moto) has a pop-up summer location in Rockaway to feed all the hipsters! We shared a $13 marinara pizza (anchovies, olives, basil and a great tomato sauce  delicious) at a (shaded) picnic table before trudging back to the bus stop, the sun getting hotter and the air thicker with each step away from the beach.

After taking the Q35 back to the 2/5 train by Brooklyn College, we decided on a whim (have I mentioned how great it is to have an unlimited Metrocard?) to hop off at the next stop, Newkirk Av, to get ice cream from Taste the Tropics on Nostrand. (Id been there before, daughter hadnt.) The shop specializes in Jamaican flavors, like soursop, sea moss, eggnog and rum nut. We got two very generous scoops to share ($3.95), mixing grape nut (yes, like the cereal  its a classic Jamaican ice cream flavor) and Guinness. We agreed it was a great combo.

After resting up at the apartment, I headed up to Prospect Park to put in a half-hearted effort at my running clubs every-other-week 5K race series. The heat and humidity were still horrific, so it wasnt a pretty race, or a fast one, but I finished. Daughter met me at Lakeside with a bag of much-needed dry clothes, and we headed out to meet my husband for dinner in Prospect Lefferts.

Id been wanting to try this relatively new restaurant, Risbo, for ages. So glad we finally made it! Delicious food (rotisserie meats, creative salads, interesting sides), reasonably priced (a full dinner platter is $20, cocktails are $10-$12 . . . the total tab for the three of us, including two cocktails and a beer, came to about $85). The front of the restaurant is a giant garage-style door that opens to the street, so its hard to tell where the scene outside ends and that inside the restaurant begins (theres a quieter garden area in the back). Its modern and artsy, fun and informal, with counter service and seating at communal tables. The big hit of the dinner, believe it or not, was the kale salad. Yeah, I know, but hear me out: it had a harissa-sesame dressing, roasted potatoes, chevre, pickled cranberries, pepitas, and I dont know what all else. Daughter couldnt stop exclaiming over it. (Everything else was good, too, but it was the salad we fought over.)

Daughters pick for the highlight of the day was our beach walk at Fort Tilden, but it was a tough call.

(P.S. to Warmwinds - daughter lives in Chicago, also a great city to visit. I feel lucky to have both her and one set of in-laws there.)
The Kenyan market is flooded with so many smartphones that come with different features, prices, shapes and sizes, which makes it challenging to separate the good from the bad. Furthermore, you will agree with me that just because a phone is expensive, doesnt guarantee that it has great features that will meet your needs for a lifetime. Read down below to know all about the Sony Xperia z5 price in Kenya and about its features.

Well, it turns out over the years that SONY has been able to stay at a competitive advantage by releasing new unbeatable smartphones with a ton of great features that will change the way you use and see phones.

SONY Xperia Z5 packs many impressive features in both the hardware and software. The phones work great even when youre multitasking, and its easy to maneuver around all the apps. While Sony Xperia Z5 price in Kenya is Ksh.29,000 the best part about this phone is the excellent interface setting for the fingerprint sensor and the 23MP camera.

Overview

By now youre probably wondering: what makes SONY Xperia Z5 such a great phone is it worth the stated price and what differentiates it from the rest of the other phones available in the market? Well, here is a comprehensive look at the SONY Xperia Z5 specifications including, performance and its price in Kenya.

Pros

Boasts of a 24MP camera

Fingerprint sensor inside the power button

The phone is both dustproof and waterproof

Cons

It gets too hot

The rim extends past the glass at the back making the phone a bit uncomfortable to hold

SONY Xperia Z5 Specs at a glance

Screen size: 5.2 inches

Screen Resolution: 1,080 x 1,920, pixels 428ppi density

Battery: Non-removable 2900 mAh

OS: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Rear camera: 23MP

Front camera: 5.1MP

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810

Memory: 3GB RAM

Storage: 32GB expandable via microSD up to 200GB

4G LTE YES

Bonus features Fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi standards supported, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, USB OTG, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

SONY Xperia Z5 design

When it comes to design, SONY has stuck with the same sleek design seen on all Xperia series including Z3 and Z2. The sides which are straight blend seamlessly with the rounded corners. Unlike previous Xperia phone that had a circular metallic power button, Xperia Z5 has flatter longer design located on the side. The camera button is also on the side which makes launching the camera app and taking photos easier. The volume key is located between the camera button and the power button.

Fingerprint sensors are a big hit nowadays, and most phones have them. But with each phone design comes the need to position fingerprint reader in a perfect place. SONY Xperia X5 side mounted fingerprint sensor is easy to reach, flawless and makes sense.

The volume keys are situated on the right-hand side closer to the power button. Other SONY Xperia Z5 specs that will impress you include the phone is slim measuring 7.3mm has a shutter button, and the power button also functions as a fingerprint reader. The phone is both water and dust resistant, but the manufacturers caution against immersing it fully in water; while the main body is glass and accents are made using the metal material.

Display

SONY Xperia Z5 review shows that the phone has a vibrant 1080pixel (full HD) resolution and the 5.2 inches display provides a fantastic presentation of accurate detail. The viewing angles are great on the 5.2-inch screen, and even when using the bright light, you will not experience any glare issues. The colors are vivid, images are clear, and both the front and back is covered with frosted glass with a matte finish. The frosted glass fees like plastic which solves the problem of worrying about wiping smudges or dropping the phones and having to deal with scratches.

Processor, storage, and performance

SONY Xperia Z5 specifications that are hard to miss is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, and 3GB Ram. The android interface is easy to learn as the apps can be arranged in alphabetic order. Unlike Xperia Z3+ that had problems with 4K recording, the Z5 is a better performer as it comfortably allows the user to record a 4K video without crashing or making the phone hot.

It doesnt suffer from lag, and you can quickly switch through the apps. For users who love to play games on their phones then Z5 has a combination of Adreno 430 graphics processor and snapdragon 810 for a better gaming experience.

The Xperia Z5 Smartphone has a storage capacity of 32GB. What features of SONY Xperia Z5 lack in internal storage it makes up in the ability to offer a larger microSD space of up to 200GB in which a user can fill lots of different media and apps without having to worry about running out of space. This is an added benefit as phones such as Galaxy S6 lacks the microSD expandable option.

Battery

Battery life and how much is SONY Xperia Z5 in Kenya are some of the most important factors that buyers need to consider.

Heres the deal:

While Xperia Z5 has a non-removable battery of 2900mAh, they have shrunk the size to complement the slim design. The trend has been the same with other latest Xperia phone such as Xperia Z3 which has a 3100mAh battery and Xperia Z3+ whose battery life was lashed to 2930mAh. And now the Xperia Z5 has an even lower mAh, but the Qualcomm's QuickCharge 2.0 is a welcome feature as it will quickly juice up your battery.

Speaker and call quality

The front-facing speakers can do a lot to convince you to buy SONY Xperia Z5 because it eliminates the need to struggle to hear audio files.

Want to know the best part?

The dual speakers are well concealed within the phone and give a clear natural tone. Furthermore, the digital noise cancelation makes phone calls clear and crisp. It also supports high-resolution audio files so you can enjoy music, podcast or any other high audio quality.

Software

OS and features

This Smartphone has Android 5.1 Lollipop. However, users can also update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Here is the tricky part:

Even with the update, some users have been getting error messages while others have been complaining that they cant access the Play Store.

So whats the solution?

Rebooting the handset and reinstalling Marshmallow from the SONY PC Companion are some of the solution to the update issue.

One feature that makes Xperia Z5 stand out is the fingerprint scanner. Although it can be hard to miss since its not mentioned during phone set up, its found on the power button on the right-hand edge of the device. The phone also comes with some preinstalled apps such as Kobo books and AVG protection

Camera, video and image quality

From the time SONY unveiled the Z1 all the other releases afterward have had the same camera hardware set up. Xperia Z5 has the same 5.1 MP front camera for selfies. What makes SONY Xperia Z5 better is that it packs a massive 23mp and SONY Exmor sensor exclusive only to the Z5.

Apart from the high pixel resolution, thanks to the new hybrid system, this phone has the fastest autofocus of 0.03 seconds. SONY has also incorporated SteadyShot software for reducing blurriness and focusing on capturing plenty of details in the images. As a result, SONY Xperia Z5 photos have excellent details, excellent image quality and impressive across all lights level.

Review

When youre considering how much SONY Xperia Z5 is, you might be surprised to learn that the price is worth it as the phone can record videos in 4k using the rear camera. Apart from SONY Xperia Z5 specifications and price in Kenya, other impressive features on the camera include phase detection autofocus, LED flash and HDR.

The zoom is also improved as compared to Xperia Z3+. The pictures taken using this phone camera are fantastic with immense detailing, and the clarity doesnt depend on taking them on a well-lit surrounding.

Verdict

When comparing how much SONY Xperia Z5 is with Xperia Z3 Plus the price difference is less than Ksh.3,000. However, unlike the Xperia Z3+ which you can purchase at Ksh.27,500, Xperia Z5 whose price in Kenya is Ksh.29,000 has better battery life. The autofocus, new fingerprint sensor, and improved zoom features are other improvements that make the SONY Xperia Z5 worth it. The frosted glass at the back is nothing short of impressive.

Review of SONY Xperia Z5 focuses on both the good and bad aspects of the phone. The only major problem that you will have to deal with when using this SONY Smartphone is overheating especially when you play games or keep many high-end apps running in the background. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 inside this SONY handset has a reputation for overheating. The tendency to overheat can also drain the battery life so keep all that at the back of your mind when considering purchasing the Xperia Z5.

With all the great features that this phone packs, if youre an avid fan of SONY products, then Sony Xperia z5 price in Kenya is very good compared to other phones in the Kenyan market.

READ ALSO

Latest Infinix phones in Kenya and their prices 2018

Types of Huawei phones in Kenya and their prices 2018

Infinix phones in Kenya shops and prices 2018

Source: Tuko News
- Sonko called on all tenants living in buildings put up on public lands to vacate immediately

- He highlighted a number of areas where demolitions will be carried out to reclaim public land

- His tough talk came after NEMA took down South End mall, Shell Petrol station and Java said to have been build on wetlands

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has issued an ultimatum to land grabbers in the city that they face forceful eviction from public land if they fail to vacate.

While noting he would rather serve one term but leave a legacy, Sonko urged tenants occupying buildings marked for demolition to vacate with immediate effect.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Nduguye Rais Uhuru, Muhoho Kenyatta, afichua siri iliyomfanya kuwa bilionea

Sonko talks tough on city land grabbers as ex-governor Kidero spends night in police cells

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Patient mysteriously disappears from Nakuru Level Five hospital

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, August 8, Sonko stated all illegal structures erected on public land and on sewer lines would be brought down.

"Better be a one term governor and leave a legacy than entertaining grabbing of public land, remove all your valuables from the under mentioned public utilities with immediate effect," the governor said.

He further issued a directive any county or National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) officials who will conspire with land grabbers to approve building plans on public utilities to be prosecuted alongside the said suspected individuals.

READ ALSO: Ex-Nairobi governor Evans Kidero arrested

Sonko talks tough on city land grabbers as ex-governor Kidero spends night in police cells

Source: Twitter

"Proposed land for Gigiri and Ruaraka fire station, Highridge Hospital in Parklands, New Muthaiga Thigiri ridge county dispensary and Nursery school, grabbed Pumwani hospital...All grabbed land in all the estates within Nairobi reserved for playgrounds, public social halls, including houses constructed on sewer line," Sonko listed the number of areas to be reclaimed

The tough talk came hours after NEMA took down the South End Mall on Mbagathi Road-Langata Road roundabout just days after it brought down Shell petrol station and Java House restaurant in Kileleshwa area on Monday, August 6.

READ ALSO: Nema demolishes KSh1 billion South End mall on Langata road

Sonko talks tough on city land grabbers as ex-governor Kidero spends night in police cells

Source: Facebook

The environmental body officials justified the demolitions by claiming the businesses were built along a road reserve and wetlands.

It also followed the arrest of Sonko's predecessor, Evans Kidero, by anti corruption detectives following corruption allegations during his term in office as the Nairobi governor.

Prior reports indicated Kidero was arrested when he presented himself at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) headquarters in Integrity House.

He spent the night in police cells and was to be arraigned on Thursday, August 9.

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.

NYS Scam probe | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko
Babu Owinos challenger in the 2018 General Election is shocked to learn his accounts in all banks have been blocked by a government agency under unclear circumstances.

Francis Mureithi who is also a businessman is said to have learnt of the development on Wednesday, August 8, as he went to withdraw cash as usual.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens.

READ ALSO: Nduguye Rais Uhuru, Muhoho Kenyatta, afichua siri iliyomfanya kuwa bilionea

Francis Mureithi (c) successfully challenged Babu Owinos win at the High Court but lost at the Court of Appeal. Photo: Francis Mureithi

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Babu Owino eats humble pie and apologises for disrespecting Uhuru's mom

TUKO.co.ke has reliably learnt that the politician applied to withdraw a huge sum of cash at one of his bank account along Mombasa road on Tuesday, August 7, and was asked to come for the cash the following day only to be told he cannot access his money.

Our attempt to get a response Mureithi were unsuccessful as one of his aides said the politician was unwell.

READ ALSO: Babu Owino in narrow lead with 77 polling stations yet to be recounted in Embakasi East

It is not unusual for the politician to withdraw huge sums of cash from many of his accounts spread across several banks, our source said.

To withdraw huge sums of cash, say above KSh 1 million from most local banks, one first has to make an application to the bank early enough before accessing the same in the evening.

READ ALSO: Uhuru responds to Babu Owino after his insult

The development comes at a time Mureithi has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against Owinos election as Embakasi East MP.

He successfully challenged the MP's win at the High Court but lost at the Court of Appeal.

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.

Babu Owino threatens to arrest Matiang'i once he becomes Interior Cs. On TUKO TV

Source: Tuko
The bike tour, which is expected to last about 90 minutes, will highlight a number of Sears Catalog homes that still exist in Park Ridge, as well as other noteworthy houses, according to the Historical Society. The tour will stop at each home, where a description will be provided.
- China is the heaviest lender to Kenya accounting for nearly over 70% of gross debt

- World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently warned Kenya to check on its borrowing

- Kenya has now turned to borrowing from Asian banks like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

The National Treasury is seeking to recruit a team of economic experts in a move meant to help government manage the ballooning public debt.

This move comes amid concerns from citizens, financial pundits and even international financial institutions on the governments ability to repay the impending debt that has now surpassed the KSh 5 trillion mark.

READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

Among the reasons that have seen a surge in Kenyas appetite for foreign loans, according to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is mega infrastructural development like the SGR. Photo: CS Rotich

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Nduguye Rais Uhuru, Muhoho Kenyatta, afichua siri iliyomfanya kuwa bilionea

In a notice seen by TUKO.co.ke, Treasury Principal Secretary (PS) Kamau Thugge invited interested candidates to apply for the vacancies which will absorb 20 applicants.

The candidates will provide guidance in determining borrowing ceilings of national and county governments. They will also oversee the formulation of debt management policies and strategies, reads the notice.

READ ALSO: Kenya among countries with people living in extreme poverty

TUKO.co.ke earlier reported the country was in a borrowing spree which according to experts, saw even unborn babies with a debt of KSh 105,000 each.

China turns out to be the biggest lender to Kenya as the government now owes the Asia country to a tune of KSh 534.1 billion.

READ ALSO: Kenyan's appetite for quick mobile loans is shocking - New study

Among the reasons that have seen Kenyas appetite for foreign loans according to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is mega infrastructural development like the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

The other functions which the recruits will undertake will be analysing effects of changes in economic variables on debt and make appropriate recommendations.

READ ALSO: Over 50 bank accounts belonging to Babu Owinos rival frozen by government agency

They will also monitor and supervise debt performance against sent benchmarks.

Even as the government fast-tracks repayment of its accrued loans, citizens are agitated by the fact that most of the borrowed money is plundered through fraud schemes that have recently been unmasked.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenya News Latest: Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- Uganda Communications Commission urged citizen to use electronic airtime instead

- The move was made to curb environmental crisis and fraud

- The ban came just a month after the Ugandan Parliament passed a new law requiring Ugandans to pay taxes for using social media

The Ugandan government through Uganda Communications Commission has banned the use of mobile phone airtime scratch cards.

Ugandans have instead been urged to use electronic airtime from registered vendors.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

The public notice was officially shared by Uganda Communications Commission. Photo: NileUg

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Photos of Diamond Platinumz at Hamisa Mobetto's son's birthday party light up social media

In an official public notice printed on Ugandan dailies and seen by TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, August 9, the government advised citizens to return airtime scratch cards in their possession to telecom operators for them to be replaced with electronic airtime.

''The Uganda Communications Commission(UCC) and telecommunication operators have phased out the use of airtime scratch cards and replaced with electronic airtime. From August, 1 2018, all telecommunication operators will adhere to dispensation of airtime through electronic platforms,'' the notice read in part.

READ ALSO: Churchill show comedian MCA Tricky asks for Akothee's daughter's hand in marriage and its hilarious AF

According to the Ugandan government, the move was made to conserve the environment since scratch cards contribute to environmental waste.

Fraud and other criminal activities perpetrated using airtime scratch cards were also listed as part of the reasons behind the ban.

The Ugandan government also held that manufacturing cost for the scratch cards are high hence the imposition of steep charges on airtime purchase.

The ban took effect as from August 1 2018. Photo: Yoweri Museveni/Twitter

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Sibling rivalry: Late Mama Oliech's children disagree on her burial date

The ban on airtime scratch cards came barely days after the country's Parliament passed a new law requiring Ugandans to pay taxes for using social media.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Willy Paul Interview for Tuko Buzz: Willy Paul Reveals it All | TUKO TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest
- Betty flew herself to Dubai to unwind before reporting at her new workplace

- The TV personality called it quits at KTN on Friday, August 3

- Photos of her eating life with a big spoon in Dubai are perfect proof she blew a considerate amount of money on her holiday

Beautiful TV news anchor Betty Kyallo called it quits at KTN on Friday, August 3, after hosting her last Friday Briefing on the station.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, Betty was said to have been poached by rival TV station K24, who have gone out on a massive poaching spree.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

READ ALSO: If you called me here, you have to listen to me - Granny tells NTV's Amina on live TV

She however did not make an official confirmation on her possible new home but sources privy to her intimated she was headed to Mediamax.

READ ALSO: Lilian Muli shares recent photo of her face after delivery and she looks fine AF

Well, having worked for KTN for a number of years that got her all tired, Betty decided to take some time off after her resignation to reboot.

Like a boss, she flew herself to Dubai on Wednesday, August 8, for an exotic holiday to unwind as she looks forward to reporting to her new workplace.

Photos of the mother of one eating life with a big spoon accessed by TUKO.co.ke are a perfect proof the TV girl splashed some considerate amount of money for her holiday.

READ ALSO: Jalang'o shows off his Nairobi mansion and we are all impressed

Well, it should be noted that Betty's holiday's expenditure did not really affect the balance on her bank account since she is arguably one of the most successful media personalities in Kenya.

The lass boasts of a five star beauty parlour located in Kilimani, Nairobi and a number of other ventures.

BONUS: The last time Betty was in Dubai, she was with her ex-hubby Dennis Okari on their honeymoon. I thought you should know!

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Willy Paul Interview for Tuko Buzz: Willy Paul Reveals it All | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest
- The coastal political bridges continued to be rejuvenated as tourism CS Najib Balala met Joho and Kingi

- Together, the leaders agreed to form a tripartite partnership

-The meeting came amid reports of a rift between Joho and Kingi

Amid the scramble for coast political supremacy between Mombasa governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi, the two have been brought together by Tourism CS Najib Balala.

Governors Joho and Kingi on Wednesday, August 8 heeded to a call by Balala at his office where they agreed to form a tripartite partnership with a priority focus on tourism improvement in the coast region counties.

Send News' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

Joho, Kingi in symbolic handshake with Balala as coast succession politics gathers steam

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Uhuru nominates Dalmas Otieno to plum job after Raila denies him ticket for Migori senate seat

The meeting comes amid emerging political speculation that governor Joho and Kingi have parted ways as each was garnering for support from elected leaders to reign in the once opposition bedrock.

Last week governor Kingi held a meeting with 21 legislators at the Coast and blamed the ODM leadership for summoning two of its members for allegedly backing deputy president William Ruto ahead of 2022.

Joho, who is the deputy ODM party leader, has also called for a meeting with over 200 members of county assemblies from the coast this Friday in what looks like a move to counter governor Kingi.

Governors Joho and Kindi on Wednesday heeded to a call by Balala at his office where they agreed to form a tripartite partnership

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Cabinet secretaries Henry Rotich, Adan Mohamed safe as MPs reject dirty sugar report

Both Joho and Balala agreed to jointly work towards ensuring that major events are held in the two coastal counties, so as to boost the businesses and livelihoods of the people.

They also planned to develop joint digital marketing strategies to promote the coastal areas and their attendant tourist attractions. The CS also said he will next week visit Kilifi to witness the migration of whales at Watamu in Kilifi County.

The National Government will, in conjunction with the Mombasa City government, launch the Mombasa Regeneration Programme  similar to the ongoing one for Nairobi City  in September to ensure the coastal city regains its lustre and glory, Balala said.

CS Balala encouraged international hotel brands, which have set up and heavily invested in Nairobi, to also diversify and open establishments in other areas of Kenya, particularly the coastal region.

"We have agreed with Governor Joho that both levels of government shall fully support and facilitate the 79th SKAL Congress, which will be held from 17th to 21st October 2018 in Mombasa, CS Balala said.

READ ALSO: Uhuru ends long Mombasa tour amid Cabinet reshuffle reports

However section of MCAs has voiced their different opinions with some asking Joho to stop Chest Thumping and forge a common agenda with the Kilifi governor if he, Joho is indeed willing to vie for presidency.

Its true MCAs have been invited by Joho.We dont know the agenda of the meeting but it looks like he wants to counter governor Kingi. But what we know is that Joho will face a lot of rebellion, said Ndoro Mwerupe a jubilee MCA from Kwale county.

Dawa Ngome an ODM MCA from Puma Ward in Kwale County says without unity in coast Johos dream to ascent to presidential power may end up being just a dream.

Ngome says if Joho will be able to convince the MCAs to rally behind him he will have an upper hand.

We dont know why he has called us for but our wish is that he will heed to our proposals that they work together with Kingi for the benefit if the region. Joho has an upper hand in this because MCAs connect with the people at the grassroots, he said.

Story by John Karisa

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Kenya News Latest: Kenya Marks 20th Anniversary of Embassy Bombing | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko News
- Noordin directed the DCI boss to establish procedures and the persons who irregularly authorised the constructions

- Nairobi Regeneration team has intensified crackdown on illegal structures build on riparian land

- Property owners have maintained they got all the requisite approvals to put up the structures

The office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is now targeting government officials who illegally approved construction of buildings on riparian land.

In a press statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, Noordin Haji directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to pore through every piece of information to establish procedures and the persons who irregularly authorised the constructions.

READ ALSO: Nyota wa Machachari - Almasi - amejiunga na illuminati? Hebu tazama picha hizi

The DPP Noordin Haji has called for a comprehensive investigations to establish circumstance under which government agencies approved buildings on riparian land. Photo: Noordin Haji/Facebook.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: NEMA to demolish multimillion house in Riara estate where former MP lives

"I have noted the press reports the proprietors of the said buildings and structures have maintained the requisite approvals before the commencement of the constructions of the said buildings were granted by relevant government agencies," he said.

Noordin's tough directive comes just few hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered arrest of crooked officials who made approvals for those properties which have been earmarked for demolition.

READ ALSO: Westgate and Ukay are on riparian land but Sonko cannot demolish them and this is why

On Wednesday, August 8, bulldozers ripped apart the South End Mall on Langata Road off T-Mall roundabout leaving tenants searching through the debris. Photo: Fredy Citrus/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

"We will continue to demolish properties constructed on riparian lands, equally punish officials who made approvals for those properties," said Uhuru.

A multi-agency task force of Nairobi Regeneration project has intensified a crackdown to demolish buildings sitting on riparian land.

READ ALSO: Another danger: Government issue warning of possible Masinga Dam spill over

On Wednesday, August 8, bulldozers ripped apart the South End Mall on Langata Road off T-Mall roundabout leaving tenants searching through the debris.

This came two days after the team took down Shell petrol station and Java House restaurant in Kileleshwa area.

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.

Gikomba's Biggest Fire Destroys Property Worth Millions of Shillings - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News
On the dinner tip, theres plenty of wonderful Mexican restaurants in Valpo  La Cabana and Ricochet Tacos (55 Franklin St.; 219-531-8888; ricochettacos.com) come to mind. But if you want to get exotic with your Latin food, head on over to Don Quijote Restaurante and Imports (119 E. Lincolnway; 219-462-7976; donquijotevalpo.com), Northwest Indianas first-ever place dedicated to Spanish cuisine. The restaurant serves tapas as well as full entrees, and anyone interested in getting the paella marinera, a big vat of just about every favorite type of seafood and saffron rice, should plan first to share it and second to order it ahead of time since they make it to order.
A security officer is dead.

He was shot and killed as bandits pounced on cigarette delivery van, in Valencia.

Another person, who was also shot in the robbery, is now hospitalised.
A "deputy" of the so-called "LPR People's Council" has been sentenced to eight years of imprisonment in Luhansk region, according to a statement released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

"Law enforcers established that a resident of Khrustalny joined the ranks of illegal armed units in 2014. The offender actively supported Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, facilitated the establishment of an occupation administration in ORLO [certain areas of Luhansk region], and voted for the adoption of a number of separatist 'laws' of the pseudo-republic. Security Service officers involved in the Joint Forces Operation detained him when he attempted to cross the contact line in order to receive a pension on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities," the report says.

Lysychansk City Court found the culprit guilty of committing crimes under Part 1, Article 109, Part 2, Article 110 and Part 1, Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The verdict has come into force.

op
The launch of the production of large-caliber artillery ammunition will mark the beginning of their mass production in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this while opening a line for the production of large-caliber artillery shells at the Artem plant in Kyiv on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have drawn our own conclusions from Russia's aggression against Ukraine and from the events that happened ten years ago [in Georgia]. On my instructions, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has drafted a program to launch the new production of Ukrainian artillery shells," Poroshenko said.

He emphasized that the launch of a new line for the production of large-caliber artillery shells for the Hiatsynt artillery system at the Artem plant would mark the beginning of the mass production of ammunition, which is extremely important to Ukraine.

According to the president, today many countries in the world supply Ukraine with unique equipment, which is used by enterprises of the Ukrainian defense industry, and well-known Ukrainian universities prepare the best personnel for them.

"We not only restored the production of ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but also made them more accurate, more effective, increasing the strength and efficiency of the Ukrainian army. In the near future we are ready to launch the mass production of scarcest ammunition," the head of state said.

op
Justice Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko and Justice Minister of Brazil Torquato Jardim signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil Matters.

"We continue to expand a circle of partners and establish friendly relations between Ukraine and other states. Within the framework of a short-term working visit to Brazil, we signed with Justice Minister Torquato Jardim the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil Matters," Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko wrote on Facebook.

According to him, "henceforth the judgments of the courts in administrative, civil and commercial disputes will be recognized by our states equally, that is, they will be executed without obstacles in their territories."

In addition, Petrenko said that Ukraine would receive support from Brazilian counterparts during the collection of evidence and the receipt of documents in relevant cases.

ish
Uran at his monthly talk at Pops Beef Tuesday told attendees that by late 2019, the section of 109th between Broadway and the Interstate 65 corridor will be widened though a public-private partnership between the city and Indiana Department of Transportation. Currently, construction is being done on a road cut at Broadway and Summit Street, and a right-turn lane at Superior Drive will be installed and opened in September, he said. INDOT will then coordinate the stoplights on that stretch of road.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir is concerned about the deteriorating health condition of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov illegally imprisoned in Russia and calls on Russia to immediately release him.

"Very alarmed by the deteriorating health of Crimean writer/filmmaker #OlegSentsov, on hunger strike in a Russian prison. I repeat my call for his release. It is urgent now," Desir wrote on Twitter.

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.

ish
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has sent seven trucks with humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas.

The press office of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service reported this on Thursday. "Seven trucks carrying building materials, sand, hygiene and medical kits, with a total weight of over 103,500 tonnes, crossed the Novotroitske control entry and exit point and headed to the temporarily occupied territories," the report says. ish
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has established the facts of killing of wounded and captured Ukrainian soldiers, as well as the use of torture and ill-treatment against them during the Ilovaisk tragedy in August 2014.

Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Fiona Frazer said this, presenting a thematic report on human rights violations and abuses and international humanitarian law violations, committed in the context of the Iloivaisk events in August 2014, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"OHCHR received allegations of the killing of three Ukrainian soldiers after they surrendered on 29 August 2014. Allegations also suggest that some Ukrainian soldiers wounded in combat were subsequently killed despite being hors de combat," Frazer said.

OHCHR also documented the enforced disappearance of a male military doctor, which may have led to his death.

According to Frazer, during the morning of 29 August 2014, Ukrainian forces began to leave Ilovaisk in a southerly direction. Ukrainian soldiers maintain that as they retreated, they were attacked by regular troops of the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian soldiers, including those wounded, who were captured on 29 and 30 August 2014 during their retreat from Ilovaisk, were kept for two days in makeshift collection points located in open fields near the zone of hostilities. At least four wounded Ukrainian soldiers died due to the non-provision of adequate medical assistance.

On 31 August and 1 September 2014, some 300 captured Ukrainian soldiers were placed in three detention facilities in Donetsk city and in one in Snizhne, under the control of the armed groups. The conditions in all detention facilities in Donetsk city and Snizhne were inhuman due to overcrowding, lack or absence of mattresses, absence of day light, lack of fresh air, inadequate sanitary conditions, insufficient and inadequate food, and lack of medical aid, reads the report.

ol
Privacy statement

Commitment To Privacy

University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University (University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) or University) is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of any collected confidential or highly sensitive personal information. This policy has been adopted to address the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information by the University. This policy is subject to change over time, as the technologies utilized to provide services via the Internet continue to develop and evolve. Despite changes in technology, any alterations to this policy will not affect the Universitys commitment to privacy.

General Statement

This policy applies to all information digitally collected by or submitted to University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) receives information via two primary methods:

Information collected automatically via websites

Information voluntarily provided by the user in order to receive information and/or services (via web forms and email).

Information Collection

3.1 Automatic Collection

If a user has not taken specific steps to anonymize their personal web traffic (e.g. apply mechanisms such as the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on that disable the collection of data for analytical purposes), official University websites may collect certain information automatically. This information includes, but is not limited to:

Users Internet protocol (IP) address

Internet service provider

Operating system

The time and date of the visit

Browser

The site from which the user visited

Cookie information (if applicable)

Any information collected automatically is not associated with any other information held by University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) (i.e. not linked with information voluntarily provided to University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM)) unless University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is required to do so by law.

3.2 Voluntary Submission

In order to provide information and/or services, University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) may request users to provide personal data, some of which may be personally identifiable information. Information such as name, date of birth, email address, etc. can be collected via voluntary submission of an email or web form to a University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) entity.

Information Use

Website information that is gathered automatically is utilized to improve the understanding of how University-provided websites are being leveraged by the user community. For example, some University websites use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses cookies (i.e. files used to track website activity) to determine how users navigate University sites. Google uses this cookie data for various purposes, including the evaluation of website use, reports on website activity, and other services. Please visit the following pages for more information on Google Analytics terms of use and Googles privacy practices.

Any information submitted to University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) voluntarily in order to receive services and/or information will only be utilized to conduct official university business. University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) may disseminate voluntarily submitted information to third parties and offices/departments within the University to the extent necessary in order to provide the requested services and/or information. University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) may also disseminate such information if required by applicable international, federal, state and/or local laws.

University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) will not disclose any information submitted voluntarily for reasons other than mentioned above, without clear notice and the opportunity to opt-out or otherwise prohibit such uses. University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) will never sell or trade voluntarily submitted information to other entities unless a prior consent has been obtained and/or such information is being shared in response to a subpoena, court order, or legal process.

There is no legal requirement for a user to provide any information to the University. However, without certain information, University websites and services may not function as intended and features may be inaccessible.

Use Of Cookies

Some University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) websites use cookies (beyond cookies utilized by Google Analytics), which enable University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) to further tailor its web services to the needs of the user community. Cookie data assists the University in improving both web content and distribution. Users have the right to refuse the use of cookies by implementing technical configurations in their web browsers; however, functionalities of certain sites may be impacted if such configurations are implemented.

External Links

Some University sites may contain links to external websites not owned by, or officially affiliated with, University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) in any way. If a user decides to navigate to external links, he/she will leave the University website and thus, the University is not responsible for privacy practices or the content of such websites. Navigating to external links is done at the users own risk and users should be aware that University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM)s policies no longer apply. University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) recommends that users review the privacy policy and applicable terms of all sites they visit.

Data Security

In addition to complying with all applicable laws and regulations, the University strives to implement and maintain systems and policies to protect the confidentiality and integrity of personal information provided by users. Despite these security measures, the University does not represent or warrant that personal information will be protected against loss, misuse or alteration by third parties. Any information transmitted to University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) by the user is done so at the users own risk. Once the information is received by University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM), the University will make every effort to ensure the security of data on University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM)s systems.

GDPR Notice

The purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is to protect all European Union (EU) citizens from privacy and data breaches by allowing citizens to maintain control of the personal data kept and processed by organizations. The GDPR also protects the personal data of individuals, regardless of citizenry, in the EU.

University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University is committed to safeguarding the privacy of personal data. This GDPR Notice outlines the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information provided to the University by students, faculty and staff, alumni and other members of our community to which the GDPR applies. When information is submitted to University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University, or you use the Universitys websites and other services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information as described in this GDPR Notice.

8.1 University Use of Information

University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University collects and processes personal data (Information) from individuals only as necessary in the exercise of the Universitys legitimate interests, functions and responsibilities as a public institution of higher education. For example, University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University also collects and processes Information from individuals who are applicants for employment positions. Information collected from students or student applicants is used to register or enroll persons in the University, provide and administer housing to students, manage a student account, provide academic advising, develop and deliver education programs, track academic progress, analyze and improve education programs, recruitment, regulatory reporting, auditing, maintenance of accreditation, and other related University processes and functions. University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University also uses Information to conduct general demographic and statistical research to improve University programs, to identify appropriate support services or activities, provide reasonable accommodations, enforce University policies or comply with applicable laws. Finally, Information may be shared by University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) University with third parties who have entered into contracts with the University to perform functions on behalf of the University, subject to the obligation of confidentiality and safeguarding from unauthorized disclosure.

8.2 Third Party Use of Sensitive Information

We may disclose your Sensitive Information and other Information as follows:

Consent: We may disclose Information if we have your consent to do so.

Emergency Circumstances: We may share your Information when necessary to protect your interests and you are physically or legally incapable of providing consent.

Employment Necessity: We may share your Information when necessary for administering employment or social security benefits in accordance with applicable law or any applicable collective bargaining agreement, subject to the imposition of appropriate safeguards to prevent further unauthorized disclosure.

Public Information: We may share your Information if you have manifestly made it public.

Archiving: We may share your Information for archival purposes in the public interest, and for historical research and statistical purposes.

Performance of a Contract: We may share your Information when necessary to administer a contract you have with the University.

Legal Obligation: We may share your Information when the disclosure is required or permitted by international, federal, and state laws and regulations.

Service Providers: We use third parties who have entered into a contract with the University to support the administration of University operations and policies. In such cases, we share your Information with such third parties subject to the imposition of appropriate safeguards to prevent further unauthorized disclosure.

University-Affiliated Programs: We may share your Information with parties that are affiliated with the University for the purpose of contacting you about goods, services, charitable giving or experiences that may be of interest to you.

De-Identified and Aggregate Information: We may use and disclose Information in de-identified or aggregate form without limitation.

8.3 Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information when you transmit it to us and when we store it on our information technology systems.

8.4 Retention and Destruction of Your Information

Your information will be retained by the University in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, and the Universitys applicable retention periods. Your information will be destroyed upon your request unless applicable law requires destruction after the expiration of an applicable retention period (See Policy 1306  Records Retention and Disposition). The manner of destruction shall be appropriate to preserve and ensure the confidentiality of your information given the level of sensitivity, value and criticality to the University.

8.5 Your Rights

Through the GDPR, You have the right to request access to, a copy of, rectification, restriction in the use of, or erasure of your information in accordance with all applicable laws. The erasure of your information shall be subject to applicable state and federal laws, and the applicable retention period. If you have provided consent to the use of your information, you have the right to withdraw consent without affecting the lawfulness of the Universitys use of the information prior to receipt of your request.

Information created in the European Union will be transferred out of the European Union to the University. If you feel the University has not complied with applicable foreign laws regulating such information, you have the right to file a complaint with the appropriate supervisory authority in the European Union.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this privacy statement or if you would like to report an issue or complaint, please contact the University at privacy@ulm.edu.
Manafort very much wanted to work on Poroshenko's campaign and had come prepared with an elaborate strategy, polling numbers, and projections.

Before he became the victor in Ukraine's 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 Manafort's 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 Poroshenko's administration on August 2, which read: "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."

RFE/RL inquired about the meeting between the teams of Manafort and Poroshenko after an email surfaced this month ahead of Manafort's 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.

Read alsoMueller says Manafort earned US$60 mln from Ukraine consulting

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 Manafort's 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.

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 Poroshenko's presidential campaign. He claimed the plan never came to fruition.

"Manafort was trying to offer his services and his strategy for Poroshenko's 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 Poroshenko's 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 Manafort's ideas were suitable for the strategy he masterminded as Yanukovych's political consultant in 2009-2010, but not for the post-revolutionary period of 2014.
The statement anticipated the sanctions would go into effect around August 22.

The Trump administration will impose more sanctions on Russia under a chemical and biological warfare law following the poisoning of a former Russian agent and his daughter in the UK earlier this year, the State Department announced Wednesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had made this decision on Monday, and accused Russia of violating international law. The statement anticipated the sanctions would go into effect around August 22 in line with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, CNN said.

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia Skripal were hospitalized and treated for a nerve-agent attack in March. Yulia Skripal was discharged from the hospital in April, and her father was discharged in May.

Read alsoSkripal Novichok poisoning suspects 'identified'  media

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law. Unless Russia takes certain steps, a second set of penalties more stringent than this first round  must follow, according to the law.

The first set of sanctions targets certain items the U.S. exports to Russia that could have military uses  so-called dual use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported. With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied.

A senior State Department official said there would be carve-outs however.

The U.S. would then require Russia to assure over the next 90 days that it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons and will not do so in the future. Additionally, the criteria in the law call for Russia to allow on-site inspectors to ensure compliance.

The official said that if Russia did not meet the demands, the U.S. "will have to consider whether to impose a second tranche of sanctions as specified by the statute."

A former Defense Department official, Mark Simakovsky, said a second tranche would target Russian exports to the U.S. and theoretically could include flights by the state airline Aeroflot as well as a downgrade of diplomatic relations. Simakovsky said he was highly skeptical a second round would be applied. That said, he added, "I don't think this is the last shoe to drop" because of political pressure, criticism from Democrats and the looming midterm elections.
Poroshenko recalled representatives of 19 NATO Allies and other partners had taken part in Sea Breeze 2018.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says it is planned next year to increase the number of military participants and expand the geography of the Sea Breeze 2019 multinational exercises.

He recalled representatives of 19 NATO Allies and other partners had taken part in Sea Breeze 2018.

Read alsoFlexing muscles: Why Russia is tightening grip over the Sea of Azov

"The assessment by mentors from eight member states is clear and unambiguous  thanks to the exercises, a big step was taken to improve the level of interaction and coordination of the Ukrainian Navy and the Allies' military forces. The Sea Breeze 2018 military exercise is not only about an increase in such compatibility, but also about an increase in the level of maritime and field training and coordination of multinational units," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

"Our cooperation shows unity and readiness to protect the world and common values. Next year, we are planning to increase the number of military participants in the drills, especially the naval forces, and expand the areas of the Sea Breeze 2019 exercises," he said.
The Russian Orthodox Church and Constantinople said the problems with visas for Russian priests are related to the process of granting a tomos on autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The priests of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) are facing problems obtaining Schengen visas through the Greek consulate due to the conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople over the issue of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

"This is the policy of the Greek government. Now the priests of the ROC are perceived as potential spies and agents of influence," a source close to Constantinople said, the BBC's Russian Service reports.

Read alsoExpert explains Moscow Patriarch's upcoming meeting with Bartholomew

At the same time, the ROC and Constantinople said the problems with visas for Russian priests are related to the process of granting tomos to the UOC.

"The Patriarchate of Constantinople is struggling with the Russian Church for influence in the Orthodox world. The Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates are in tense relations today because of Ukraine," a source close to the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Greek government expelled two Russian diplomats, and banned from entry two more diplomats, accusing them of interference in domestic affairs and illegal actions against Greece's national security.
Today, August 9, is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Ukraine continues its struggle for de-occupation of Crimea so that Crimean Tatars could observe unique traditions of their ancestors in Ukraine's free Crimea.

"Today, the world celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. For Ukraine, this date is a reminder of the fate of the Crimean Tatars, who now live in conditions of Russian occupation, and are experiencing harassment and bullying. Ukraine continues its struggle for de-occupation of Crimea, as well for the rights and freedoms of the Crimean Tatar people," the president wrote on Facebook, adding that diplomats were instructed to prepare for the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly a new resolution on Crimea to stop any speculation about Crimea's status.

Read alsoRussia confronted at UN over torture in occupied Crimea

"The General Assembly has repeatedly supported the position of Ukraine, in particular regarding the violation of the Crimean Tatars' rights [by Russia]. Therefore, the position of the civilized world remains unchanged: 'Crimea is Ukraine!' We are doing our utmost to bring closer the time when the indigenous people  Crimean Tatars  will continue to observe unique traditions of their ancestors in Ukraine's free Crimea," the president stressed.
Denisova says an ambulance plane is required to save Sentsov's life.

Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Liudmyla Denisova, has asked Russian human rights commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova to transfer Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony, to Moscow for treatment.

Denisova says an appeal of Sentsov's mother to the Russian president with a request to pardon her son has already been referred to a special commission, according to her Facebook post following talks with Moskalkova.

According to Ukraine's Ombudsperson, the two discussed Sentsov's swap for a Russian national Alexei Sedikov. However, the negotiations failed, as Moskalkova said Russia considers the Ukrainian director its own citizen, claiming the exchange is not on the table.

"However, the situation requires a quick response, as Oleh has refused from treatment in a hospital of [a distant Arctic] town of Labytnangi [in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area]. But there are no specialists who can take him out of the starvation process. The withdrawal is much more dangerous than starving, and any error can become fatal. There are relevant specialists at a Moscow-based Institute of Professor Nikolayev and a Kyiv State Institute of Gerontology. Therefore, I asked Tatiana Moskalkova to arrange Oleh's transfer to the institute in Moscow, or to a hospital where experts on endogenous nutrition work. I told her that he would not survive a railway or road trip. So, an ambulance plane is needed to save his life," Denisova wrote.

Read alsoCrimea, Sentsov, peacekeepers: Poroshenko holds phone talks with Pompeo

The official added that she had asked Moskalkova to expedite consideration of pardon for Sentsov in view of his critical condition.

Later, Denisova reported that she had received a call from Moskalkova, during which the latter told about Sentsov's "stable condition" and his refusal to be transferred to a hospital in Labytnangi. "I'm quoting her as saying: 'We have a free country, so a person takes own decision which hospital to choose," Denisova added.

"However, I insisted that human rights commissioner in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area Anatoly Sak visit Oleh, take a picture of him and record their conversation on video, to assure us that Oleh's condition is actually stable. Now she [Moskalkova] is to organize this visit," the Ukrainian ombudsperson said.

Read alsoSentsov's cousin Kaplan on his condition: "Things are catastrophically bad"

As was earlier reported, Sentsov's health condition is now critical. His cousin Natalya Kaplan says her brother practically stays in bed, failing to get up, and refuses hospitalization.

Administration of Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area claims that Russian doctors assess Sentsov's condition as satisfactory. The Ukrainian prisoner has been on hunger strike since May 14, 2018.
The man said he was walking his dog in the 400 block of Bridge Street when he saw two vehicles turn north on Bridge Street from Fourth Avenue shooting at each other, Hamady said. The man was struck in the leg and taken to the hospital for treatment, the release states.
Desir has repeatedly urged the Russian authorities to release the Ukrainian filmmaker.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir has once again called on Russia to free illegally convicted Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony since May 14.

"[I'm] very alarmed by the deteriorating health of Crimean writer and filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, on hunger strike in a Russian prison. I repeat my call for his release. It is urgent now," Desir wrote on Twitter on August 9.

Very alarmed by the deteriorating health of Crimean writer/filmmaker #OlegSentsov, on hunger strike in a Russian prison. I repeat my call for his release. It is urgent now. See my previous statements: https://t.co/b99spNhgEn @OSCE_RFoM  Harlem Desir (@harlemdesir) August 9, 2018

Sentsov, who was illegally imprisoned in Russia, began a hunger strike on May 14, 2018, in protest against the politically motivated jailing of dozens of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation.

Sentsov was arrested in Russian-occupied Crimea in spring 2014 and in August 2015, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison following an unfair trial where he faced "terrorism" charges stemming from his opposition to Russia's occupation of Crimea. He has been serving his term in a penal colony in the town of Labytnangi, Russia's Yamal.

Sentsov's cousin, Moscow-based journalist Natalya Kaplan says his condition is critical and things are "catastrophically bad."

The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Liudmyla Denisova, in turn asked her Russian counterpart Tatiana Moskalkova to arrange the transfer of Sentsov to a Moscow hospital with experts on endogenous nutrition. Also, Denisova asks the head of the Putin administration to help with the consideration of a petition calling for pardoning Sentsov.
Sentsov's letter was brought by the lawyer, who has recently visited him.

Moscow-based journalist Natalya Kaplan, a cousin of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony, says his condition is critical and things are "catastrophically bad."

She wrote on Facebook on August 8 that she had received a letter from him through a lawyer who visited Sentsov the previous day.

"Things aren't just bad, they're catastrophically bad," Kaplan wrote.

Read alsoUkrainian film director Sentsov on hunger strike in Russian prison: "Not going to stop"

"Oleh handed the letter over to me via the lawyer. He is almost confined to bed. He wrote that the end is near  and it's not about his release," she added, suggesting he meant his death.

According to her, Sentsov asks whether people have been following up his hunger strike, as he is not given any information and does not get letters. "He says he has got no information and is not aware what is going on," Kaplan said.

According to her, the ECHR insists on transferring Sentsov to a civil hospital, closer to the place of residence. "Oleh refuses, he says he simply won't make it through transportation, and in the civil hospital in Labytnangi, where he has already been to the intensive care unit, he is treated even worse than in a prison hospital. This is Russia, baby ... and I cannot imagine what else can be done and how to bail him out of trouble... things get really bad," Kaplan added.
Separatist organizations in southern Ukraine are complicit, the document says.

An attempt on the official of the Kherson City Council and prominent local activist Kateryna Handziuk was ordered by law enforcers, according to a posting on Facebook by Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko.

According to a photocopy of the case file memo on transferring the materials to the Security Service of Ukraine, posted by Mr Lutsenko, the attack had been carried out with the "assistance of separatist organizations in the south of Ukraine" and aimed at "destabilization of socio-political situation" in the region.

According to the document, the case was handed over to the SBU's Kyiv-based Main Investigative Directorate.

Read alsoKherson acid attack: Suspect's identity revealed

As UNIAN reported, on July 31, adviser of the Kerson Mayor, civic activist Kateryna Handziuk was assaulted just outside her house. The attacker poured sulphuric acid on the woman's face. The chemical substance eventually affected some 30% of Handziuk's body.

Having suffered 2-3-degree burns, the woman was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Kherson Regional Clinical Hospital to be later transferred to a Kyiv clinic on a medical plane. Doctors assessed her condition as difficult.

The police qualified the attack as murder attempt committed with special cruelty and also detained a man who is believed to be one of the suspects in the case. The detainee goes by the name of Mykola Novikov, 39, who is a Kherson local.
According to the activist, some people in the camp "realize what a nightmare it is to live in those conditions but they also have no other options."

Temporary modular settlements built in 2015 for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Donbas have turned into dysfunctional isolated ghettos.

The Novoe Vremya weekly's article looks into the situation in the Kharkiv modular town built for temporary accommodation of IDPs in the winter of 2015. There used to be a landfill on the site of today's settlement.

The town, consisting of multi-modular German trailers, was built for the funds of the German government and the German Society for International Cooperation GIZ.

The settlement was designed to serve for a short period time: the period of its operation expired a year ago. The roof leaks in some places, while some household appliances are failing. But people are not in a rush to move out as such housing, initially offered as a temporary option for three to six months, became permanent for most of its residents.

There are 249 people living in the Kharkiv modular town today. Sociologists would say 90% of them is people of socially vulnerable categories  disabled persons, pensioners, and large families.

There are seven such settlements in Ukraine  in Zaporizhia, Pavlohrad, Kryviy Rih, Nikopol, Kamianske, and Dnipro. In total, they cost EUR 25 million to open. Almost the identical problems are observed in all these settlements.

Head of the Board of NGO Kharkiv Station, Alla Feshchenko, says that residents of the Kharkiv settlement cannot fully integrate into society.

Read alsoFour years of Ukraine conflict leave 4.4 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance

"People have been living with the same problems for years. What kind of integration can we talk about if they don't reach out to the outside world?" she said.

According to the activist, some people in the camp "realize what a nightmare it is to live in those conditions but they also have no other options."

Feshchenko notes that own hierarchy and "rules" have been formed in the town for three years. "They might even beat their own neighbors if they don't like something," she says of local customs.

Charitable organizations and local authorities provided IDPs with everything they need and continue to provide assistance, albeit on a smaller scale. Volunteers say many people are used to getting this humanitarian aid and cannot do without these "humanitarian crutches" anymore.

"The worst thing is that a kind of ghettos are beginning to form in certain towns," said Hryhoriy Selyshchuk, Director of Humanitarian Programs Department of Caritas Ukraine Charitable Foundation, which helps people affected by the war in Donbas.

According to him, residents of these settlements are unhappy, and perceive their temporary housing as evil they have to put up with.

After talking with residents of the Kharkiv settlement, the journalists conclude that a closed system is an ideal breeding ground for all sorts of conflicts. The atmosphere is tense while IDPs experience not only psychological, but also physical discomfort.

Amid summer heat, plastic trailers are unbearable. Therefore, contrary to the regulations, it was allowed to install air conditioners in the Kharkiv settlement.

Journalists quote experts as saying that the idea of modular towns is good as an emergency response and completely fails as a long-term project.

Read also"Shocking" 97% shortfall in humanitarian funding for Ukraines conflict-affected  IOM

At the same time, the Kharkiv site is considered to be the most successful one  the situation is much worse in other settlements.

"Even taxi drivers refuse to drive you there," Ruslan Kalinin, Head of the All-Ukrainian Association of IDPs recalls his experience of visiting the modular town in Kryviy Rih. "People who live there are not encouraged to work. These are troubled, often large, families. They receive assistance from the state, there is no work around, but they don't want to leave either. Alcoholism and drug addiction are growing there."

As reported earlier, about two million people have become internally displaced persons in Ukraine since the beginning of war with Russia.
The Russian ombudsperson claims Sentsov is active, watches TV and reads books.

Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has shared latest photos of illegally convicted Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian penal colony since May 14.

Denisova posted the three images on Facebook on Thursday evening, saying that the pictures were provided by her Russian counterpart Tatiana Moskalkova.

"The photos of Oleh Sentsov have just been provided by the Russian Federation's commissioner. As she was told, Oleh is active, comes to watch TV, reads books, writes something from time to time. All, I quote, are surprised how he keeps up, his condition is satisfactory," Denisova said.

"When asked if I could publish the photos, they told me when they asked [Oleh] about permission to take the photos, Oleh [agreed as he] is aware that people are worried about him," the ombudsman added.

Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was illegally imprisoned in Russia, began a hunger strike on May 14, 2018, in protest against the politically motivated jailing of dozens of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation.

Read alsoUkrainian film director Sentsov on hunger strike in Russian prison: "Not going to stop"

Sentsov was arrested in Russian-occupied Crimea in spring 2014 and in August 2015 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison following an unfair trial where he faced "terrorism" charges stemming from his opposition to Russia's occupation of Crimea.

He has been serving his term in a penal colony in the town of Labytnangi, Russia's Yamal.

Sentsov's cousin, Moscow-based journalist Natalya Kaplan says his condition is critical and things are "catastrophically bad."
Two enemy troops were reportedly killed and another four were wounded in fighting with Ukraine's Joint Forces.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 44 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another three as wounded in action (WIA).

The Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the defenders of the towns of Maryinka, Avdiyivka, Krasnohorivka and Zolote, and the villages of Krymske, Novozvanivka, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Novoselivka Druha, Novomykhailivka, Hnutove, Lebedynske, Pavlopil, Vodiane and Shyrokyne. In certain areas, the enemy engaged Ukrainian troops from infantry fighting vehicles.

Read alsoVolker: Russia wants to hide humanitarian and economic disaster it causes in Ukraine's Donbas

The enemy also shelled Joint Forces' positions near Krymske and Avdiyivka, using 82mm mortars.

Another skirmish wa reported near the village of Maiorsk, where contact was lost with one of Ukrainian soldiers. Searches for the missing troop are underway.

"Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces have mounted seven attacks on the Ukrainian positions near Novozvanivka, Luhanske, Maryinka, Krasnohorivka and Lebedynske," the report says.

At 06:25 Kyiv time, the enemy started firing from small arms toward the Maiorsk entry-exit checkpoint. The "red" protocol has been enforced. Crossing at the said checkpoint is suspended.
In the past 24 hours and after midnight, Russian-occupation forces violated the ceasefire 10 times along the contact line in Luhansk region.

An enemy missile got into a car with Ukrainian military near the town of Zolote in Donbas on Wednesday evening, killing a Ukrainian soldier and injuring another three troops.

"Last night, a Ukrainian military vehicle was hit from an anti-tank grenade launcher near the town of Zolote. According to the updated data, one soldier was killed and three others were wounded," the press service of the Luhansk Civil and Military Administration wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoJFO: Ukraine reports 36 enemy attacks in Donbas in last day

In addition, as noted, during the past 24 hours and after midnight, Russian-occupation forces violated the ceasefire 10 times along the contact line in Luhansk region. In particular, they used 82mm mortars, infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank and automatic grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms in the direction of the village of Krymske. Moreover, they opened fire from anti-tank and automatic grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Novozvanivka.
Occupation forces are planning to use damaged equipment marked as Ukrainian to provoke anti-Ukrainian sentiments on the eve of Independence Day.

Crews of leading Russian TV channels are shooting scenes in the occupied Donbas near the settlement Debaltseve, where the militants' damaged heavy weapons and armored vehicles are towed to, marked as Ukrainian, press-secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a Khyiv briefing on Thursday, citing Ukraine intelligence reports, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

According to the intelligence service, from the beginning of August, under the guidance of the Center for Information and Psychological Warfare (Novocherkassk) of the Southern Military District of the Russian armed forces, videos are being shot in the areas of advanced positions of Russian occupation forces.

Read alsoSowing discord: Russia spins fake staged video of "SBU raid against volunteer troops in Donbas"

"TV crews of leading Russian TV channels are involved as well as personnel and equipment of enemy units. For the filming of staged scenes in the vicinity of the settlement of Debaltseve, enemy forces have been towing into the area damaged weaponry and equipment with identification marking of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he said.

According to the spokesman, some of the footage is edited to appear as if was shot on mobile phones by local residents and personnel of illegal armed formations.

Read also"Glory to Ukraine!" to become official military greeting in Ukraine's army

"Fake news created in this way will be imposed on the Russian population, residents of the occupied territories and the world community as 'reliable information' in order to provoke anti-Ukrainian sentiments on the eve of the 27th anniversary of Ukraine's independence," the Defense Ministry spokesman said.
WikiLeaks, a central figure in the 2016 election and the recipient of an email trove stolen by Russian intelligence, is "considering the offer."

The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committees probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election wants to talk to a potential blockbuster witness: Julian Assange.

Assange, the driving force behind WikiLeaks, remains in Ecuadors embassy in London, where he has lived since seeking asylum in June 2012 following a now-dropped rape investigation in Sweden. His presence in the embassy means that the Senates requested interview is packed with geopolitical and legal complicationslike much about WikiLeaks circa 2018, according to the Daily Beast.

WikiLeaks tweeted Wednesday morning that the U.S. Senate panel, in an August 1 letter, sought an interview. The Senate Intelligence Committee declined comment.

The self-styled radical transparency group, which U.S. intelligence believes is a catspaw of Russian intelligence, quoted its legal team to say it is considering the offer but testimony must conform to a high ethical standard, presumably meaning on the part of the Senate staff who would conduct the interview.

Read alsoDNC Hacker "Guccifer 2.0" slips up, reveals he is Russian intel operative  Daily Beast

WikiLeaks is a central player in Russias 2016-era active-measures campaign and surreptitiously interacted with Donald Trumps successful presidential bid.

In the summer and fall of 2016, WikiLeaks published thousands of emails and documents from the Democratic National Committees servers and from Hillary Clinton senior aide John Podesta, which were pilfered by Russian intelligence. An online personae calling itself Guccifer2.0and posing as a lone hackersaid publicly that it provided the material to WikiLeaks, which released it during politically critical moments.

But according to Daily Beast reporting and special prosecutor Robert Mueller, Guccifer2.0 was a fictitious entity created by the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

Assange publicly suggested that Guccifer2.0 was not his source at all. He argued that any attempt to associate WikiLeaks with Guccifer 2.0 was pernicious spin, as the New Yorker put it, and intimated that his source might have been a DNC staffer named Seth Rich who had recently been shot and killed in Washington.

Read alsoDonald Trump Jr. communicated with WikiLeaks during 2016 campaign

It is unknown if and how the Senate will be able to interview Assange. While Assanges supporters are expecting Ecuador to evict him from its embassy, that hasnt happened yet, and Assange continues to fear extradition to the United States, even after Trump publicly declared that he love[s] WikiLeaks. (His secretary of state, not so much.) WikiLeaks tweet suggested that Assange is concerned that the Senate request might hasten the UK, after an Ecuadorean eviction, to provide him to Washington. Despite an Obama-era grand jury looking into WikiLeaks after the Chelsea Manning leak, the organization has never been accused of a crime in the United States.
Moscow would start to work on retaliatory measures "in the same spirit" as any U.S. restrictions, the Foreign Ministry said.

Russia condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions as illegal on Thursday and said it had begun working on retaliatory measures after news of the curbs pushed the rouble to two-year lows over fears Moscow was locked in a spiral of never-ending sanctions.

Moscow has been trying with mixed success to improve battered U.S.-Russia ties since Donald Trump won the White House in 2016, and Russia's political elite was quick to chalk up a summit last month between Trump and Vladimir Putin as a victory, Reuters said.

But initial triumphalism swiftly turned sour as anger over what some U.S. lawmakers saw as an over deferential performance by Trump and his failure to confront Putin over Moscow's alleged meddling in U.S. politics galvanized a new sanctions push.

Read alsoCNN: Trump administration slaps more sanctions on Russia after Skripal poisonings

Having bet heavily on improving ties with Washington via Trump, Moscow now finds that Trump is under mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers to show he is tough on Russia ahead of mid-term elections.

In the latest broadside, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it would impose fresh sanctions by the month's end after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain, something Moscow denies.

The Kremlin said the sanctions were illegal and unfriendly and that the U.S. move was at odds with the "constructive atmosphere" of Trump and Putin's encounter in Helsinki.

Moscow would start to work on retaliatory measures "in the same spirit" as any U.S. restrictions, the Foreign Ministry said.

The new sanctions come in two tranches. The first, which targets U.S. exports of sensitive national-security related goods, comes with deep exemptions and many of the items it covers have already been banned by previous restrictions.

The second tranche, which can be selectively activated after 90 days if Moscow fails to provide "reliable assurances" it will no longer use chemical weapons and blocks on-site inspections, is potentially more serious.

According to the law, it could include downgrading diplomatic relations, suspending national flag carrier Aeroflot's ability to fly to the United States and cutting off nearly all exports and imports.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had not yet received any official U.S. request to open up sites once linked to chemical weapons for inspection.
Over the last few weeks, Highland Police have taken several reports about people scammed out of money by others calling them claiming to either be a family member who was arrested and in need of bond money or by people claiming to be a utility company collecting overdue utility bills, Commander John Banasiak said in a news release.
(@mahnoorsheikh03)

Zaid Ali had said he prays every night to never end up with an ex like Reham Khan.

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  9th August, 2018) Maheen Taseer, the wife of Shehbaz Taseer, has jumped into the ongoing Twitter war between Imran Khans ex-wife Reham Khan and comedian Zaid Ali Tahir.

Pakistani-Canadian comedian and social media star Zaid Ali T had earlier took to Twitter saying that he prays every night to never end up with an ex like Reham Khan.

"So this guy started off as a really funny comedian. Slowly hes becoming more of a preacher. Women shaming is not cool no matter who you are bashing. Be grateful for the wife you do have and stick to what people love you for. Your comedy," she said quoting Zaid Ali's tweets.

Maheen Taseer was then called out for supporting Reham by the PTI trolls.

To this, she said, "Why do #PTI trolls go psycho and obsessively start trolling and abusing? Are they that insecure? One tweet changes their world. I hope all these so called supporters preaching hate can perhaps shed some light towards tolerance also. Now that would be a Naya Pakistan."

"My tweet was not pro reham or defending her. It said exactly what I believe in. Dont talk about any woman in a derogatory manner. Set a better precedent, especially if you have that platform. If you hate reham for spewing hate against IK. How are you any different?!" she clarified.

"So according to that logic. Because Reham did it now each one of you has the right to do the same. Abusing and attacking people is justified? You have no moral standing of your own to be a better human being? Have you not been taught as a man to respect women," she responded to someone calling these women 'pathetic'.

Reham Khan often comes under fire for her criticism against her ex-husband and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. Now with Imran Khan set to become the next prime minister of the country, Reham has opened a Twitter war against him with his posts targeting ex-husband.

This came to Zaid Alis attention who took to Twitter and said, The only dua that I make before going to sleep is that I never end up with an ex like Reham Khan.

Reham also had a perfect reply to this as she prayed that Zaid never gets to live with a drug abuser and a cheat.

My sincere dua is that you never have to live with a drug abuser & a cheat. I did & covered up until I found out he was cheating those who had voted him. Pakistan comes first, she said.

But it did not stop there, Zaid Ali had an even wacky reply to it as he said Reham accuses Imran of taking drugs but it seems like they are affecting her.

"You claim that Imran Khan takes drugs.. but it seems ke un drugs ka asar ap pe ho raha hai," he wrote.

Reham Khan deleted her tweet later but the tweet trigerred Maheen Taseer to give her two cents on the ongoing debate.

Guess the Twitter war is not going to end anytime soon. Let's see how Zaid Ali responds to Maheen Taseer now.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Aug, 2018) H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, attended the graduation ceremony of the 31st Summer Course of Police Friends held on Thursday morning at the Culture Palace in Sharjah.

The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Salem bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler's Office; Dr. Saeed Musabah Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Sharjah Educational Council; Brigadier General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, senior officers and general managers of the Sharjah Police Headquarters, as well as the families of the graduates and their parents.

The ceremony began with the national anthem, which was followed by the recital of verses from the Quran and the screening of a documentary film that included the teachings of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in a number of languages.

The ceremony also included a film highlighting the activities of the summer session, the efforts made by the organisers, and the concepts of the national values taught during the course.

The Police Friends presented operetta performances and paintings that embodied the values of Sheikh Zayed, amid applause and admiration from the audience.

The Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, accompanied by the Deputy Commander of the Sharjah Police, honoured the winners of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished education for the discovery of the gifted and course holders, as well as those who contributed to its support and success.

At the end of the ceremony, Sheikh Abdullah received a commemorative gift from the Sharjah Police. He also took commemorative photos with the graduates of the Police Friends.
Four Kashmiri students studying at a Benguluru college in Indian state of Karnataka have been barred from attending their nursing classes for growing beard.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Four Kashmiri students studying at a Benguluru college in Indian state of Karnataka have been barred from attending their nursing classes for growing beard.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the students, three from the first year, B.Sc (Nursing) and one from second-year faced the discrimination after Priyadarshini joined the college the Adarsh College of Nursing in Mariyappana, Mallathahalli as the new principal nearly a month ago.

Media reports said the principal has cited 'hygiene', to bar the students from taking their classes. "The students were told by the principal that if they fail to shave off their beard, their internal marks would be affected and they could face expulsion," the reports said.

"For the last one week, we are being sent out of class on instructions from the principal for not shaving our beards. The management was fine with our beards when we got our admission at the college. All of a sudden, the principal, who joined just 20 days ago, asked us to shave our beards and barred us from attending classes. The beards are part of our religion and I don't understand why it should bother the principal. Even on Wednesday, we could attend only two classes and when the principal got to know of it, she asked the lecturers to send us out," the students told the media.

Justifying her decision, the college principal told the media that there was a need for students to be 'disciplined and maintain hygiene'.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Director General Anti Narcotics Force Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik HI (M) visited Regional Directorate Anti Narcotics Force, Balochistan on Thursday.

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Director General Anti Narcotics Force Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik HI (M) visited Regional Directorate Anti Narcotics Force, Balochistan on Thursday.

He was welcomed by Force Commander ANF Balochistan, Brigadier Aqib Nazir Chaudhry and other senior staff officers of ANF Balochistan.

Force Commander ANF Balochistan briefed the Director General on counter narcotics achievements of ANF Balochistan, current drug situation and major challenges being faced with regard to trafficking of narcotics, precursor chemicals and psychotropic substances, said a press release issued here today.

During the briefing, Force Commander highlighted that during 2018, ANF has surpassed all previous records of its successes.

Further DG ANF visits along with Force Commander ANF Balochistan to Police Station ANF Dalbadin, Girdi Jungle, Brabcha and Afghan Border.

Force Commander ANF highlighted that Pakistan is sharing over 2600 Kms porous border with Afghanistan and has become the major victim and transit country for Afghan Opiates and Hashish. However, Pakistan has enforced a very effective Drug Supply and Demand Reduction Mechanism despite massive challenges with limited resources.

DG ANF was also informed about the organizational requirements of ANF Balochistan with respect to enhancement of manpower, development of infrastructure, acquisition of latest technology.

The Director General appreciated ANF Balochistan achievements, its role in combating trafficking of illicit drugs at National, regional and global level. DG ANF assured his all-out support to Force Commander ANF Balochistanfor addressing the inadequacies of the force to tackle the menace more
The inaugural Asma Jahangir Scholarship was awarded on Thursday to Sana Gul by the British High Commissioner Thomas Drew.

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :The inaugural Asma Jahangir Scholarship was awarded on Thursday to Sana Gul by the British High Commissioner Thomas Drew.

This annual scholarship, which was launched earlier this year, honours the legacy of the late human rights champion Asma Jahangir. Each year the scholarship will be awarded to the top-ranking female applicant in the competitive recruitment process, a press release issued by the British High Commissioner here said.

The Chevening scholarships are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year Masters programme at any UK university.

The scholarship programme provides a unique opportunity to future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, to build networks, to experience UK culture, and to form lasting positive relationships with the UK. This year, 62 Pakistanis have been awarded Chevening scholarships including 23 women. Presenting the new scholarship,British High Commissioner Thomas Drew said: "It is an honour to mark the extraordinary legacy of Asma Jahangir by awarding this new scholarship to the top Pakistani female Chevening scholar. Asma Jahangir was a remarkable woman. She was a champion of human rights and fought for the rights of women, children and oppressed people.

"Congratulations to Sana Gul for being the first winner of this prestigious award. It is an honour that Asma Jahangir's family has joined us today and I am grateful for their support in the creation of a scholarship in her name as part of the UK Chevening Scholarship Programme." Speaking at the event, Sana Gul said: "I still remember the words of Asma Jahangir: "through hardships, strong people find their strength and you are the chosen one".

Thank you Chevening for the journey of living my dreams to reality by continuing her noble missions of empowering women through education." Munizae Jehangir said: "As the family of Asma Jahangir we congratulate Sana Gul for receiving the best female Chevening Scholar 2018/19. We thank the British government for starting this new scholarship award to honour Asma Jahangir who always said "It will be women of Pakistan that will bring about real change. This scholarship will empower women to improve the lives of others." This year 64 Chevening scholars and fellows will go to study in diverse fields including law, communications, public service, technology, development and public policy.Chevening alumni consist of over 1,650 alumni which includes senior journalists, civil servants, professionals, politicians, and members of society from all walks of life.

Applications for the 2019/2020 Chevening Scholarships can be submitted through the online application system from 6 August 2018 until 6 November 2018.

Chevening Scholarships are the UK Government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The scholarships support study at UK universities mostly one year master's degrees for individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers, and opinion formers.

Chevening began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international awards scheme.

There are over 50,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.
(@FahadShabbir)

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai on Thursday inaugurated two newly established blocks including Admin and Veterinary in Lasbella University during his visiting.

Addressing at ceremony of inauguration newly branches of University, he said a lot of development work have been completed in same varsity during last five years in order to ensure improving of quality education at district level, He said the University of Lasbella was providing standard educational in different fields which was accepted as professional and national level in the country, saying that there was no doubt this institution provides affordable along with standard education.

Governor said the geographical significance of the University has situated between Karachi and Gwadar could become the center of International attention, especially in context of China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Governor said Central Asian countries and Afghanistan are landlocked regions which would open for all countries, saying that CPEC could help people of Balochistan in different fields which result would bring prosperity and sustainable development.

"In this regard, I believe that professors of University would play their active role in the development of economic", he said and adding that the investment was important for development of any nation and new generation.

He said our youth have capabilities but weather, and poverty are major obstacles in their way and I believe that provision of standard education in Lasbella University would be helpful in changing of the district.

Vice Chancellor of Lasbella University Professor Dr, Dost Muhammad Baloch said the University has achieved major success in educational fields in shot time.

He said more than 55 Phds are serving their services in same institution and other teachers of University had gone to different foreign countries for completing their higher education.

He said the development works was being continued on rapidly at the University, few building of construction were completed and some of them are in final stages of construction.

"Qualified students of Lasbella Univesity are performing their services in various fields with pleasures environment", he added.

He said the University of Lasbella has opened its campuses in Tehsil-Wadh area of Khuzdar district, while University also would soon start educational activities in College of Dera Murad Jamali.

Commissioner Kalat Division Saeed Jamali, Deputy Commissioner Lasbella Zeshan Sikandar, Faculty of Veterinary Dr, Nasrullah Bangulzai, professors, officials, tribal elder were present on the occasion.
(@rukhshanmir)

A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) constituted to hear a petition challenging the Avenfield property reference verdict, got dissolved on Wednesday after its head refused to hear the case.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) constituted to hear a petition challenging the Avenfield property reference verdict, got dissolved on Wednesday after its head refused to hear the case.

Following Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza's refusal, the matter was referred to the LHC chief justice for formation of a new bench. Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem were other members of the bench.

Lawyers Foundation for Justice had filed the petition through AK Dogar Advocate submitting that the NAB Ordinance had become non-existent as it expired in 2010 after passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and no case could be proceeded under the ordinance.

He submitted that former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was convicted by an accountability court which had no jurisdiction as the NAB Ordinance no longer existed. He pleaded the court to suspend the operation of the Avenfield verdict.

It is pertinent to mention here that the accountability court in its judgment on Avenfield reference had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to 10 years imprisonment with fine of 8 million pounds, his daughter Maryam to eight years imprisonment with fine of 2 million Pounds and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar to one-year sentence.
(@FahadShabbir)

Metropolitan Commissioner (MC) of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Dr. Saif ur Rehman has said that efforts are on to resolve the problems of Karachi on permanent basis.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Metropolitan Commissioner (MC) of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Dr. Saif ur Rehman has said that efforts are on to resolve the problems of Karachi on permanent basis.

He said this while addressing a programme in the NED University of engineering and technology on Wednesday organized by the department of urban and infrastructure engineering, said a statement.

Chairman Urban and Infrastructure Engineering Adnan Qadir was also present.

The Metropolitan commissioner said this programme would create awareness in people about the urban engineering and better management in civic life.
North Ko rea's media on Thursday emphasized the role and responsibility of ranking government and party officials in attaining the goals of its five-year strategy for national economic development.

SEOUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :North Korea's media on Thursday emphasized the role and responsibility of ranking government and party officials in attaining the goals of its five-year strategy for national economic development.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said that officials at the cabinet and other economic guidance organs should embrace a revolutionary perspective and abandon all kinds of ideological ills to help implement the five-year economic growth plan.

"Economic guidance workers should not seek out the causes for things that do not work well from external factors. Instead, they should reflect on their standpoints on party policy and incinerate all kinds of ideological ills, such as defeatism, expediency and formalism," the paper said in its front-page editorial.

"The cabinet, as the nation's economic command, should decisively upgrade its economic guidance capabilities," it said, calling for a revolutionary perspective.

The paper's commentary came amid the Pyongyang regime's ongoing campaign to increase its economic output.

The paper made a similar argument in a separate article on the progress in the construction of a new large-scale hydroelectric power plant in South Hamkyong Province, while another editorial of the same newspaper stressed self-reliance in its economic development.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently increased his economic field inspections, apparently in line with the Pyongyang regime's campaign to boost economic output.

Cho Bong-hyun, an analyst at the IBK Economic Research Institute in Seoul, said that North Korea appears to be making efforts to find an internal breakthrough for its economy amid little signs of international sanctions being eased.

In July, North Korean media outlets carried extensive reports on Kim reproaching officials for their incompetence during his inspection of the construction site for the Orangchon hydroelectric dam and other economic development projects in the country's northeastern province of Hamkyong.

Kim leveled his criticism at ranking Workers' Party officials in charge of the economy and organization guidance, accusing them of engaging in "paper administration" without making in-person visits to the field.

In a separate on-site inspection of a chemical textile factory in Sinuiju in early July, Kim expressed deep concern about the cabinet's abilities to guide economic projects, as well as about the situation faced by the North's chemical industry.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi Wednesday Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) in Karachi to apprise business community regarding country's blue economic potentials and to encourage them to play their role in development of maritime sector.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi Wednesday Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) in Karachi to apprise business community regarding country's blue economic potentials and to encourage them to play their role in development of maritime sector.

The naval chief was invited by KATI president, a press release issued here by Directorate of Public Relations of Pakistan Navy Wednesday said.

Addressing the representatives of business community, the chief of the naval staff highlighted the role of economic security in overall security construct of the country.

He said robust and strong national economy was a fundamental driver for national security.

Underscoring the strategic importance of the oceans and the maritime domain for progress and prosperity of the nations, he said our geostrategic location, at the cross-road of world energy routes offers us a unique opportunity to achieve economic affluence by initiating economic activities in maritime domain.

Pakistan has huge maritime potentials and there is a dire need to explore and tap these resources by boosting local industry and creating opportunities of undertaking joint ventures, he added.

Highlighting the importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the naval chief said it would act as a catalyst to boost Pakistan's economy.

KATI president, Tariq lauded the role and efforts of Pakistan Navy in making Sea Lanes of Communication safe and defence of sea frontier.

He further acknowledged Pakistan Navy's initiatives to enhance maritime awareness in the country. He specifically appreciated PN's efforts in undertaking socio-economic uplift projects which include establishment of schools and colleges, hospitals, job opportunities for local populace in the coastal areas of Pakistan. He assured requisite participation of business community in development of country's maritime sector.

On this occasion, the director of Maritime Policy and Research also briefed the members of KATI regarding the role and functions of Pakistan Navy. The presentation also focused on potentialand opportunities to develop national economy through maritime sector.
All three were home the entire evening, and Mr. Hill did not leave the residence, King said. Hill's relatives could have testified to that, but one died in 1996 and the other in 2008, King said.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Like elsewhere in the country, overwhelming enthusiasm is being witnessed in all seven tribal districts recently merged in Khyber Pakthunkhwa ahead of 71st Independence Day

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Like elsewhere in the country, overwhelming enthusiasm is being witnessed in all seven tribal districts recently merged in Khyber Pakthunkhwa ahead of 71st Independence Day celebrations of Pakistan as all major buildings and vehicles have been decorated with national flags to express their love for their motherland.

All cities, towns and villages 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, Ladha, Azam Warsak and Wana in South Waziristan have been decorated with colourful buntings and national flags on occasion of Jashin e Azadi.

Tribal youth are showing immense enthusiasm by purchasing national flags, badges and stickers carrying photos of heroes of Pakistan Movement.

Preparations have reached its peak in tribal districts as different programmes have been chalked out by political, social circles and education institutes in connection with the day.

This year the Independence Day celebrations coincided with formation of the new government in the centre on August 14 in the wake of July 25 general elections.

Flag hoisting ceremonies would be held in headquarters of all tribal districts where Deputy Commissioners would hoist national flags on August 14 following by national anthem and patriotic songs by schools children.

In Islamia College Peshawar, flag hoisting ceremony would also be arranged on August 14 where the speakers would highlight the role of tribesmen during creation of Pakistan.

Pro-Vice Chancellor, Islamia College University, Professor Dr Naushad Khan told APP that tribal people had played key role in completion of Quaid-e-Azam's mission for Pakistan and considered them a front line force during Pakistan Movement.

"Tribal people had never accepted foreign domination as leading life without any subjugation is part of their nature. Tribesmen welcomed Quaid-e-Azam whenever he visited KP and former Fata by giving him warm welcome," Dr Naushad Khan said.

"Quaid-e-Azam had an immense love and admiration for tribal people because of their strong loyalty, supreme sacrifices and determined support for Pakistan," he explained.

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 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 Jirga 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 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 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.

Quaid-e-Azam 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.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2018 ) :A five-member delegation of China System Machinery Inspection Services (SMIS) is currently on a visit to Pakistan to explore the areas of bilateral cooperation in promoting eco-friendly products.

The eco-friendly concept aims at manufacturing the products in a way that it does not harm the environment, rather contributes to green living practices, a press release said on Wednesday.

The SMIS delegation including Tang Jiping, Shen Tao, Sun Zhenshang and Jian Shang held a briefing-session here at the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP).

Those who addressed the session included Khalid Mahmood, Dr Ashraf Sheikh, Syed Ahmed Ali Shah and Sharjeel Farooq. Capt. Engr. Najamuddin of IEP, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Center conducted the session.

The members of the delegation said they would work with the Pakistani companies to help in launching Green Product Certification in Pakistan.

Recently, China has made "green development" one of the five guiding principles in its Five Year Plan, calling for a more eco-friendly development of the economy to solve severe pollution problems.

One of the key measures has been to integrate "green" industry and encourage consumption of "green products".

In furtherance of these objectives, the State Council has decided to establish a comprehensive, integrated green product certification and labeling scheme to replace the existing system.

The goal of the reform is to develop a new structural and legal framework to support a voluntary, unified scheme for the certification and labeling of green products.
(@mahnoorsheikh03)

TV channels advised to allocate one minute in every hour to public service messages for dams fund

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  9th August, 2018) The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has ordered the tv channels to allocate airtime for public service messages for fund raising for the construction of dams.

All satellite TV channels licensees are advised to allocate one minute in every hour during the morning shows and repeat this during the prime time from 7pm to 12am, for public service messages for fund raising for the construction of dams, the notification issued by PEMRA read.

The TV channels are also required to provide schedule for playing the spot one day, in advance, for appealing their viewers/general public to donate generously for this noble cause to PEMRA for onwards submission to the office of Additional Attorney General for Pakistan, it further said.

Furthermore, TV channels are also directed to hold telethon with celebrities appealing the general public to donate generously for this noble cause public of fund raising for the construction of dams, the order added.

The dams fund was started by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar for the construction of Daimer Basha and Mohmand Dam.The fund has been established by the SBP on the directions of the Supreme Court. The fund may receive donations from both domestic, international donors and contributions from abroad which will be received at all branches of above mentioned banks where such branches exist.
In a video, a mother was seen arguing with the PIA personnel to either switch on the AC or open the window so her baby could breathe.

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  9th August, 2018) The authorities of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have taken notice of the video of an agitated mother pleading to open the doors of the plane that went viral on mainstream and social media yesterday.

In his video message, President & CEO PIA Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan said that he had ordered an inquiry on the unfortunate incident that took place on PK750, and if any negligence is identified on the part of PIA, immediate appropriate action will be taken. We are in touch with the family and are happy to report that the baby is fine and doing well, he added.

In a statement issued by the PIA spokesperson later on Wednesday evening, he said that as per initial reports for flight PK 750 Paris Islamabad of August 3rd 2018, while before the take- off at Paris Airport, there was a delay of 30 minutes. The aircraft doors were closed, and it was ready for push back, however clearance from Air Traffic Control was not given and hence the aircraft engines could not be started as it was still parked at the jetty. Also the doors could not be opened as it would have been a severe safety violation.

PIA always considers passengers safety and comfort as its foremost priority and many times PIA has even diverted its flight to other destinations to provide medical attention to passengers whenever needed, he said.

Further to the preliminary investigations the inconvenience of infant was taken care of by shifting him to other portion of the aircraft.

The aircraft flew back to Islamabad with the satisfaction of the passengers. The spokesperson said that as the issue was resolved and probably due this the matter was not reported which however, is being investigated too.

PIA spokesman further said that on the matter of inconvenience caused to passengers CEO PIA Mr. Musharraf Rasool Cyan has ordered detailed inquiry into the matter. PIA is touch with the family which travelled on this flight. Explanation notices have been given to the Captain in Command, Ground Handler at Paris Airport and the airlines Chief Operating Officer, he added.

A video circulating on mainstream and social media showed the ordeal of PIA passengers as the national flag carrier PIA switched off air conditioning and closed the doors for about two hours after all the passengers were on-board, including infants.

This left the infants struggling for fresh air to survive. In the video, a mother is seen arguing with the PIA personnel to either switch on the AC or open the window so her baby could breathe.

Watch here:

Moreover, PIA flight PK-750 Paris to Islamabad was scheduled to depart from Paris at 9pm on Friday, Aug 3, but was delayed for two hours and 39 minutes without giving any reason to passengers on-board.

The video had sparked an outrage on social media.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) continued its crackdown on substandard food businesses in the region and its teams sealed seven more food outlets on Thursday.

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) continued its crackdown on substandard food businesses in the region and its teams sealed seven more food outlets on Thursday.

The food safety teams imposed Rs 180,000 fine on various food points and served notices for improvement in quality and cleanliness.

The crackdown was carried out in Multan, Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and other areas.

The PFA sealed Milk Drink Corner and Bakers, Food Snacks in Multan, Ching Bakers in Rajanpur, Dil Lagi Paan Shop in DG Khan, Royal Taaj Hotel in Rahim Yar Khan and Chicken Plus Restaurant in Bahawalnagar.

The raiding teams destroyed of 370-kg unhygienicsweets and other items.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Sindh government Thursday imposed ban on establishment of cattle markets/mandis within the local limits/ jurisdiction of the Karachi division except at the Super Highway

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :The Sindh government Thursday imposed ban on establishment of cattle markets/mandis within the local limits/ jurisdiction of the Karachi division except at the Super Highway; Malir 15, Asoo Goth; Cattle Mandi Landhi; Rice Godown, Landhi near Babar Market; Hamdard University near Manghopir; Moach Goth, Baldia Town; cattle market permitted by Station Commander Karachi in the limits of Clifton Cantonment board and Cattle Mandi permitted by the President Karachi Cantonment Board in the limits of Karachi Cantonment Board.

The government has imposed the ban in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 144 (6) Cr.

PC.

The government also imposed ban on establishment of cattle market for sale/ purchase of sacrificial animals except in the cattle market specified/ notified by the Home Department on the recommendation of respective Commissioners/ Deputy Commissioners with immediate effect till 12th ZilHajj, 1439 Hijra.

The Station House Officers (SHOs) of concerned police stations are authorized to register complaints under Section 188 PPC in writing for the violation of Section 144 Cr. PC against the violators.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

At least three students attempted suicide among which two were killed while one critically injured after they obtained less marks in FSc exams here in district the other day.

CHITRAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :At least three students attempted suicide among which two were killed while one critically injured after they obtained less marks in FSc exams here in district the other day.

Local police sources said two female students jumped into Chitral River while another male student shot himself after they obtained mark less to their expectations.

In Rej area of the district, a female student of FSc jumped into Chitral River to commit suicide. Her body was later recovered by the rescue workers and handed over to heirs.

Her parents said, she was an intelligent student and was so upset after obtaining less marks in FSc exams.

Police further informed that in Garam Chashma area another female student jumped into river and committed suicide owing to her fewer marks in exam. Search for her body was still underway in river.

In Loatkoh area, a male student shot himself with a pistol and was shifted to hospital. The student was later shifted to Peshawar owing to his critical condition.
National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA) daily monsoon situation report has stated one death, 20 houses damaged due to heavy, dusty rains and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA) daily monsoon situation report has stated one death, 20 houses damaged due to heavy, dusty rains and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The report on Thursday depicted the significant events occurred during last 24 hours. It said on August 8, due to heavy rains following incidents were reported in KP where two houses fully damaged at District Buner, one death and one house fully damaged at Tehsil Makhuzi, District Shangla, 1 house fully damaged at Tehsil Alpuri, District Shangla, 41house fully damaged at Tehsil Lahor, District Swabi, eight incidents of wall collapse of houses and 1 wall collapse of masjid in District Swabi were reported.

In AJK, due to torrential rains on August 8, one cattle shed damaged in District Sudhnoti while in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) on August 8, flash flooding was reported in Kurid Nullah in UC Gulapur, District Shigar as three houses were evacuated and shifted to safer places.

The condition of roads and railway routes across the country were reported as the following roads on August 8, TimergaraChakdara Road at Kalash Bazar was blocked due to riverine overflow now cleared for general traffic.

The following roads are in GB were blocked on August 8 due to mud flow and landslides, Karakoram Highway (KKH) was blocked at different locations in District Gilgit, Hunza and Chilas area.

Work is in progress to clear the road by FWO and District Administrations. The Shimshal Valley Road at Phurjrik and Road to Batswat village, Tehsil Ishkoman, District Ghizer work is in progress to restore the roads by district administration.

All other roads and railway routes across the country are clear, the report said.

Significant rainfall reported during last 24 hours was reported as Palandri 41 mm, Garhidupatta 39 mm and Besham 38 mm.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast for next 24 hours predicts, "Scattered thunderstorm / rain with moderate falls at isolated places are expected over the upper catchments of all the major Rivers alongwith Peshawar, D.I.Khan, Hazara, Malakand, Kohat, Bannu, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur & D.G. Khan Divisions, Kashmir, East Balochistan and South Sindh".

The report further said scattered thunderstorm rain from 11 August with heavy falls at isolated places and very heavy falls at one or two are expected over the upper catchments of Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej along with Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore Divisions and Kashmir.

The catchments forecast predicts scattered thunderstorm and rain with heavy falls at isolated places and very heavy falls at one or two are expected over the upper Catchments of Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej.
(@FahadShabbir)

Data from several international organizations' reports show that around 70% of young people in Albania seek to emigrate to an EU country.

Tirana, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Data from several international organizations' reports show that around 70% of young people in Albania seek to emigrate to an EU country. Young people face a lack of opportunities, social and economic policies and participation in the decision-making institutions, issues which affect their lives.

These alarming indicators are included report made public by Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania (CRCA) and the Albanian National Youth Network (ANYN) ahead of International Youth Day ? August 12.

Altin Hazizaj, CRCA President, said that reports shows that 70% of the young people want to emigrate in the EU as they face a lack of opportunities, social and economic policies.

According to the report, one of the major challenges for young people in? the country remains unemployment. About 81% of youth organizations reportedly did not have Government support for the promotion and empowerment of youth promotion programs.

The latest data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) show that Albania is ranked number one in Europe for youth unemployment.
Director General of the Belarusian mail service company Belpochta Vladimir Matusevich and Director General of ZAO China Merchants CHN-BLR Commerce & Logistics Company Du Baozhong signed a cooperation memorandum on 8 August, the Belpochta press service told BelTA.

MINSK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Director General of the Belarusian mail service company Belpochta Vladimir Matusevich and Director General of ZAO China Merchants CHN-BLR Commerce & Logistics Company Du Baozhong signed a cooperation memorandum on 8 August, the Belpochta press service told BelTA.

The memorandum provides for comprehensive interaction in the area of postal, financial, and logistical services. The sides mentioned the importance and promising nature of mutual cooperation and the implementation of joint projects in the area of mail delivery and mail transit.

The Chinese company's delegation visited Belpochta?s air mail processing division in the Minsk National Airport where the delegation was made familiar with the technologies used for receiving and processing international packages.
The 15th annual Active Living Fair at Wolf Lake, featuring a bike ride in the morning and a nature walk in the afternoon, will be held Sept. 3 at the Environmental Education Center, 2405 Calumet Ave., Hammond, and at shelters at the William Powers State Fish and Wildlife Area, 12949 S. Avenue O, Chicago. Sign up for the 20-mile bike ride will be at 8:30 a.m. at the Environmental Education Center. Sign up for the 5-mile nature walk will be 2 p.m. at the visitors center. Registration deadline for both the bike ride and nature walk is Aug. 24 at www.wolflakeinitiative.org. The Active Living Fair will feature free health screenings, a donation-based farmers market, hikes, a bike tour, presentations and demonstration on healthy eating, and discussions on nutrition, obesity and childhood diabetes. More information is at 219-933-7149 or 312-220-0120.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

An exhibition of 60 photos on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) kicked off in Targu Jiu, the capital city of Gorj County in southwestern Romania, featuring the outcomes the initiative has achieved so far as well as landscapes of participating countries.

TARGU JIU (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :An exhibition of 60 photos on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) kicked off in Targu Jiu, the capital city of Gorj County in southwestern Romania, featuring the outcomes the initiative has achieved so far as well as landscapes of participating countries.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is the Silk Road of the new era. Today, the initiative proposed by China, which is experiencing rapid economic development, will undoubtedly benefit the economic development of the countries along the route, promote humanities exchanges between countries, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results," Gheorghe Nichifor, vice chairman of Gorj County Council, told the opening ceremony held in the Alexandru Stefulescu County Museum.

On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Romania, Cultural Counselor Zhao Li told the audience that the Belt and Road aims to align development strategies and support infrastructure construction and connectivity of the related countries in joint efforts to address challenges in the global economy.

According to Zhao, the Chinese initiative belongs to the world and will promote policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds of all participating countries.

Vice-mayor of Targu Jiu, Adrian Tudor, told Xinhua after the ceremony that the new exhibition opened a window to the local citizens to understand China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"The new Silk Road not only bridges the economic development of countries along the route, but also creates opportunities for cultural and personnel exchanges," he added. The exhibition is scheduled to continue by end of August.
High levels of anxiety are being found in autistic children as young as 5 in Australian schools, with the feelings increasing with age, according to a study touted as the first of its kind.

SYDNEY, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :High levels of anxiety are being found in autistic children as young as 5 in Australian schools, with the feelings increasing with age, according to a study touted as the first of its kind.

"We're now finding that almost three-quarters of children with autism are impacted by high anxiety levels," Griffith University researcher Dawn Adams, lead author of the findings, said in a statement on Thursday.

The researchers from the university's center focusing on autism, a developmental disorder including difficulties with social interaction and restricted behavior, analyzed anxiety symptoms of more than 90 children aged 5-12 years in mainstream and special schools.

More than a quarter of children with autism were scared of making mistakes at school and almost a third hesitated in starting a task or worried about understanding it first, which can "impact upon their learning experience and reduce their self-esteem", reported the researchers, whose findings were published in the Journal of School Psychology.

Still, there is "scant research exploring anxiety in children with autism at school and almost no work looking at how anxiety might differ in a school setting to that at home", said Adams.

"Understanding anxiety in children on the autism spectrum within the school context is critical to develop support and identifying strategies to minimize the impact on education, learning and health." About one in 200 Australians are affected by autism and most of them are boys, according to health industry figures. The symptoms may be noticeable from the age of 2 but a firm diagnosis usually cannot be made until a child is 3.

"We know that anxiety can impact upon a child's educational performance, affect recall of academic knowledge and result in poorer academic grades and lower overall school performance," said Adams.

"Working together across home and school to identify, recognize and support anxiety in children with autism should therefore increase academic outcomes and success."
Eleven Montenegrins who hid more than 20 tonnes of hashish worth up to 200 million euros ($232 million) in a rescue ship's diesel tanks have been arrested, Italian police said Thursday.

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Eleven Montenegrins who hid more than 20 tonnes of hashish worth up to 200 million Euros ($232 million) in a rescue ship's diesel tanks have been arrested, Italian police said Thursday.

The Guardia di Finanza (GDF) finance police said they arrested the suspects early Thursday in Palermo after escorting the Panamanian rescue boat to the Sicilian capital.

They raided the boat at sea after observing suspicious activity near the north African coast, the GDF said in a statement.

The drugs were found hidden in two of the boat's diesel tanks after the police emptied all 400,000 litres (100,000 gallons) of the fuel held in the ship's 18 tanks, purportedly meant for migrant ships in distress.

The diesel was also confiscated.

Colonel Francesco Mazzotta from the Palermo branch of the GDF told AFP that the drugs were most likely destined for the European market.

He could not say whether the diesel was also being smuggled for sale on the black market.

"The boat is one that is used to offer help to other ships in difficulty, that's why they have so much fuel storage capacity and why the crew used the tanks to hide the drugs," Mazzotta said.

"Had they been subject to checks at sea it would have been impossible to find the drugs because it is too dangerous to empty the tanks when the boat is not docked.

" Mazzotta could not say whether the suspects had links to the Sicilian Mafia or other Italian organised crime groups.

The GDF descended on the vessel overnight on July 31 five days after it set sail from the Canary Islands port of Las Palmas.

They had noted that the on-board transmitter that allows the boat's movements to be tracked was switched off repeatedly over the course of its voyage.

Once on board, the GDF said, the captain and 10 crew members could not state the purpose of their trip or say where they were going, despite having declared Tuzla, Turkey, as their destination via the Egyptian city of Alexandria when they set off.

In Palermo, where the GDF was able to safely empty and inspect the diesel tanks, they discovered 650 jute bags containing hashish of 13 different qualities estimated to be worth between 150 million and 200 million euros.

Mazzotta said the haul was one of the "biggest yet" for the Palermo GDF as part of the international anti-drug trafficking initiative "Libeccio International", which has seized 139 tonnes of narcotics worth more than 1.4 billion euros in the past four years.

Europol, the anti-drug trafficking Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre in Lisbon, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and Montenegran police cooperated in the bust.
Bamako, Aug 8 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Aug, 2018 ) :Mali's Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to the first round of voting in presidential elections, confirming August 12 as the date for the runoff between President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and opposition leader Soumaila Cisse.

The president of the court, Manassa Danioko, also delivered the definitive results of the July 29 first round.

Keita, 73, was credited with 41.7 percent of the vote, a small increase compared with 41.42 percent in the provisional results announced on August 2. Cisse picked up 17.78 percent, very slightly down compared to the 17.8 percent in the initial tally.

The three main opposition candidates on Sunday had announced they would petition the nine-member court over alleged ballot-box stuffing and other grievances.

Keita's spokesman Mahamadou Camara said the president's camp was happy with the way the election was going.

Support rallies will be held throughout the country on Thursday and Friday to push the message home, he added.

Meanwhile a member of Cisse's entourage said the constitutional court's decision was "no surprise".

"We will continue to denounce the clear fraud in the first round", he said, calling on the "majority" in favour of change to mobilise and rally.

The Cisse camp also called on the international community to "assume its responsibilities in the face of this electoral hold-up".

The second round will see a rerun of the 2013 elections, which Keita won with more than 77 percent of the vote.

Mali is a linchpin state in the Sahel, a sprawling, poor region that has been wracked by jihadism, ethnic attacks and crime. The international community is hoping the outcome of the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord.

The government on Monday published a list of 871 polling stations which were unable to operate during the first round due to outbreaks of violence.

Almost a quarter of a million people -- mainly in northern Timbuktu region, central Mopti and Segou in the south -- "were unable to vote for various reasons," it said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9)  A whale shark was found dead in the shores of Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Monday.

Environmentalist Darrell Blatchley posted the photos on his Facebook page, showing the 14-foot whale shark surrounded by locals off-shore.

Blatchley claimed some plastic residues from Philippine products were found lodged in its gills.

"The large plastic cup and jello plastic blocking the gills. Had to be pried out. The rest (were) inside the stomach blocking the fine filters of the intestines," Blatchey said.

He added the whale shark was underweight and emaciated.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will keep a sample of the fish for study.

"DNA samples (will be) kept for national BFAR the rest of the remains buried as the skeleton is cartilage and almost impossible (to be used) for preservation," Blatchley said.
Judge Diane Boswell went through what happened the night of Dec. 12, 2013: Yost and Oxley, who did not know each other, got into an argument at a union meeting in Merrillville. During a social hour, Oxley gave Yost moonshine but hit the glass and the moonshine spilled on Yost.
Argentines rally in Buenos Aires in favor of life (AFP or licensors)

Argentinas Senate voted on Thursday against legalizing voluntary abortion into the 14th week of pregnancy, rejecting the bill 38 to 31, as the Catholic Church continues to provide assistance to pregnant women in difficulty.

By Devin Watkins

In a victory for pro-life advocates in Argentina, the countrys Senate rejected a bill on Thursday to legalize voluntary abortion into the 14th week of pregnancy.

Hours of heated debate and impassioned pleas ended with a 38 to 31 vote against the measure. The bill had narrowly passed the lower house in July.

Senators from Argentinas northern regions led the charge against legalizing voluntary abortion, while representatives from the Buenos Aires region and those in the south pushed to pass it.

Ahead of the Senate vote, President Mauricio Macri said he was personally against abortion, but added that the debate itself was a win for democracy.

Current Argentine law only permits abortions if the mothers life is at risk, or in cases of rape.

Listen to our report

Catholic pro-life advocacy



Pro-life advocates from the countrys Catholic Church likely helped swing the vote in favor of life.

On the day of the vote, Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli celebrated Mass to pray for the votes positive outcome. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires appealed to Senators not to interrupt the honorable and praiseworthy tradition of legislating for the common good and for a culture of life, protecting the weakest and most defenseless, who are waiting to participate in history.

At the same time, Cardinal Poli called on Catholics to find space in their communities to allow pregnant women in difficulty to share their fears and to feel the embrace and tenderness of women who had the joy of giving birth to a child, despite all difficulties.

Helping pregnant women in difficulty



Following Thursdays vote against voluntary abortion, the Catholic Church in Argentina seeks to remain a place of welcome for mothers facing difficult, unforeseen, or unwanted pregnancies.

Local priests in the poorest parts of the Buenos Aires region have created a network of Houses of the Maternal Embrace. These centers provide food, medical assistance, psychological counseling, and legal advice to pregnant mothers in difficulty.

One pro-life activist, Victoria Osuna, told Reuters the Senates vote against abortion showed that Argentina is still a country that represents family values.
Marking the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples the Church speaks up in an attempt to crush indifference and climate change and to promote human rights.

By Francesca Merlo

Thursday marks the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples, a day which has been celebrated by the UN every 9th of August for the last 24 years. The commemoration seeks to help people commit to fully realizing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the rights to self-determination and to traditional lands, territories and resources.

Global poverty but cultural richness

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people spread across 90 countries in the world  making up less than 5% of the worlds population yet accounting for 15% of its poorest. They represent 5,000 different cultures and speak a majority of the worlds estimated 7,000 languages.

Vulnerable group led by strong woman

Amongst the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people, Indigenous peoples have sought for the recognition of their identities, way of life and right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources for years, according to the UN.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, 33 year-old Chadian Indigenous woman from a Mbororo pastoralist community, representative of the Sahel territory at the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating committee and President of the Association des Femmes Peules Autochtones du Tchad, which she founded, spoke to Vatican News.

Listen to our report

Climate change, does it affect some more than others?

Ibrahim says that there are three groups of nomads in Chad who travel different distances, usually leaving during the dry season and returning for the rain. She talks about the life-altering effect that climate change has on them  perhaps underestimated by those who live outside of these communities.

They live off the nature that surrounds them, regardless of what form of nature that may be, sand or ice. Global warming is scarcening these resources, making their traditional movements more difficult.

Whilst travelling for long periods of time they must find areas in which to settle, as passers-by. They use their cattles manure to fertilise the land and often then return to their previous settlement - perhaps during their journey back - and find that it has been taken over by another community. This causes conflict as they must find another way to access the water and resources that the now occupied land had previously provided for them.

In order to obtain natural resources, communities need to fight between each other for them. An alternative solution would be to pay the government authorities, in order to then gain access to them. This, of course, is a huge violation of the communitys rights.

Applying Spiritual Exercises to the rights of Indigenous People

Msgr. Fernando Chica Arellano, the Holy Sees Permanent Observer at the FAO, urges everyone to follow three points that Saint Ignatius Loyola proposes in his Spiritual Exercises and apply them to the Indigenous people:

 See people. Referring the 2019 Synod on Indigenous peoples, he says that one of the goals of the Synod will be to create a church which reflects the face of the indigenous people  one that sadly is not idyllic, but one that reflects suffering and is marked by deep wounds.

 Listen to what the Indigenous communities say. He says that Pope Francis urged us to listen to the rights of the people who have had their words removed from them and silence forced upon them.

 Consider what they do. Pope Francis believes in a care for our common home, so Msgr. Arellano says that we have a lot to learn from Indigenous peoples and their traditions. He says we admire them for being communities who live well when they live together  something he wishes upon the rest of mankind: to live in harmony amongst each other.
The Irish consulate in Pakistan explained that their decision was based on applicants' family circumstances, economic situation and social conditions.

Ireland has decided not to grant visas to thousands of Pakistani Christians planning to travel to the country for the upcoming 9th World Meeting of Families of the Catholic Church, UCANEWS.com has reported.

The consulates in Karachi and Islamabad have turned down applications by families for visa to attend the World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Dublin from 21 to 26 August. Pope Francis is expected to join the last two days of the meeting.

10,000 visa applications



About 10,000 families from around Pakistan had applied; 600 from the Archdiocese of Karachi alone. All requests were rejected, including by clergymen.

Father Anthony Abraz, parish priest at the Good Shepherd church in Karachi was denied a visa because he had not participated in such events in the past. The priest said that families were denied visas because the visa officer found insufficient evidence of strong family, social, economic or other obligations to return home the event.

The Irish consulate in Karachi said that it analyzed the reasons for going to Ireland and other criteria, including family circumstances, financial situation, employment details, travel reasons and accommodation in Ireland.

However, according to 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 Cardinal 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 issue was handled.

Samuel Sarfraz, who works at a pharmaceutical company in Multan (Punjab), sold a residential plot to raise 300,000 rupees ($420) for non-refundable visa applications and registration fees for his family of three children to attend the Dublin World Meeting of Families.

World Meeting of Families



The World Meeting of Families is an international event that takes place every 3 years in a venue chosen by the Pope and with the presence of the Pope .

St. Pope John Paul II began the tradition in 1994, asking the Vaticans Pontifical Council for the Family to establish an international gathering of prayer, catechesis and celebration to help strengthen the bonds between families and bear witness to the crucial importance of marriage and the family to society. The meeting fosters the process of accompaniment of families in their mission and encourages gestures of solidarity for families in difficulties. The first WMF was held in Rome in 1994.

At the end of the last WMF in Philadelphia, USA, in 2015, Pope Francis decided that the 9th WMF would be in Dublin on the theme, The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World.

The theme is inspired by Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), which was the fruit of a 2-part synod of bishops on the family in 2014-2015. (Source: UCAN)
The Saudi-led coalition said it targeted the Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south the previous day, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen hit a bus in a market in the north of the country on Thursday, killing at least 20 people, including children, and wounding as many as 35, Yemeni tribal leaders said.

The airstrike hit the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold, along the border with Saudi Arabia.

According to Yemeni elders, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, the bus was ferrying local civilians, including many school children.

Johannes Bruwer, head of delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen, said in a twitter post, "Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10."

The Saudi-led coalition said it targeted the Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south the previous day, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

Yemen's rebel-run Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers. According to the TV, 39 people were killed and 51 wounded, mainly children.

Yemens 3-year conflict



Saudi Arabia and Sunni Muslim allies have been fighting in Yemen for more than three years against the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of north Yemen including the capital Sanaa and drove a Saudi-backed government into exile in 2014.

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the city's southern and western neighborhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

Worst humanitarian crisis



Already one of the regions poorest nations before the start of the war in 2015 , Yemen today is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people, or 75% of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has left 2 million people displaced from their homes.


Karma And Luck a Las Vegas-based modern spiritual lifestyles brand  designed to unify cultures, celebrate diversity and introduce the West to the beautiful spiritual customs of the Middle East and Far East through jewelry and home decor, opened its doors at Fashion Show Las Vegas this week.

Karma And Luck connects fashion, jewelry and exquisite home decor with meaning and purpose. The message of uniting cultures has been present since the brands inception under the direction of founder and entrepreneur Vladi Bergman, who has traveled the world seeking customs, rituals, and spiritual unity in vast regions for the purpose of bringing these items to the West. A seven-year resident of Las Vegas, Bergman has spent his life traveling around the globe, connecting with cultures and diverse worlds and creating Karma And Luck and its extensive line of jewelry, home decor and spiritual retail components.

Bergmans passion for global travel has lead him to some of the most amazing, secret hideaway locations in the Far and Middle East, where he has located eclectic decor pieces and natural stone jewelry. It was traveling throughout different worlds that he discovered a passion for learning and sharing his knowledge of cultures deeply rooted in metaphysics  Feng Shui, Meditation, Intention & Manifestation, and Pseudoscientific Alternative healing in crystals and raw gemstones and combining it with his fashion-forward and a detailed retail expertise richly immersed in diversity and ritual meaning.

With its unique retail lines of fashion and latest mod styles of jewelry and home decor, Karma And Luck has set itself apart by blending Far East and Middle East with the West on a mission to unite cultures and showcase diversity. By using spiritual and unity as a platform, and locating the most distinctive retail from many corners of the world, Karma And Luck provides healing and a calm sense of purpose with every item it presents. The signature line of relic and symbolic jewelry  charms and iconic symbols (Evil Eye, Hamsa, Om, Tree of Life, etc.)- strikes a deep cord in the heart of spiritual sensibility. Karma And Luck offers an extensive mens, womens and childrens line of jewelry, and has recently expanded to include gifts, home decor such as Turkish chandeliers and floor lamps, Buddha statues, Monk and Celedon tabletop ceramics, Bonsai Trees of Life using Feng Shui map, and stones and symbols, Standing Bells, also known as Tibetan mediation singing bowls and a new line of yoga mats and more.

Uniting cultures has been the heart of our brand since we opened and we will continue to travel the world searching for unique symbolic fashionable jewelry and home decor that will provide elegance with meaning and spiritual connection for our customers, said Vladi Bergman, founder of Karma And Luck. Every piece of jewelry and sacred decor we select for Karma And Luck is hand-crafted, the finest quality and distinctive. Not only is our retail line spiritual, but we hope to spread an important message of unity, peace by manifesting gratitude and sharing it with our Las Vegas locals as well as visitors from around the globe, he said.


Viva Mexico! Cabo Wabo Cantina, located inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, will celebrate Mexican Independence Day by serving an authentic Mexican platter offered exclusively from Friday, Sept. 14 to Sunday, Sept. 16 (Pictured: Cabo Wabos Parrillada Platter).

Executive Chef Tacho Kneeland has created a traditional Mexican grilled platter, parrillada, made with BBQ pork ribs, carne asada, achiote chicken and chorizo, served with grilled onions, jalapenos, rice, beans and flour tortillas, priced at $28.95 for an individual serving and $46.95 for a shareable serving for two people. The barbecue platter can be paired with Cabo Wabos original fundido de queso con chorizo, made with a trio of Mexican cheese, melted on a skillet with Cabos house chorizo.

Drink selections include Cabo Wabos house margaritas, including the CW Margarita, made with Cabo Wabo tequila and grand mariner, priced at $13; the Cocorita, made with Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila, lime juice, creme of coconut, rimmed with freshly toasted coconut, priced at $14; and more.
The most recent commission formed by the Myanmar government to try and bring a solution to the issues in Rakhine State has come under criticism from international and domestic actors, highlighting the complexity of dealing with challenges in the beleaguered state.

Last month, the Presidents Office announced the formation of a new independent commission of inquiry which is tasked with investigating allegations of human rights violations and related issues in Rakhine.

The four-member commission is comprised of two international members, Rosario Manalo, former deputy foreign minister of the Philippines, and Kenzo Oshima, Japans former ambassador to the United Nations. The two Myanmar members of the commission are lawyer Mya Thein and economist Aung Tun Htet.

Aung Tun Htet has already been involved in previous commissions on Rakhine  which have largely denied any wrongdoing on behalf of Myanmar authorities  and he has previously dismissed accusations that ethnic cleansing has taken place in the state, home to the countrys Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar has come under considerable criticism for its handling of the crisis, which was triggered by attacks from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, leading to a brutal army crackdown that saw 700,000 mainly Rohingya flee over the border into Bangladesh.

Myanmar has already formed numerous commissions regarding the crisis, but these have been criticized for lacking independence from the military, which is accused of some of the gravest abuses, a charge it denies.

A government spokesperson couldnt be reached for comment about the new commission.

In December 2017, then-president Htin Kyaw established a ten-member Advisory Commission Board on Rakhine State to advise the government on implementing the recommendations of another commission, the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which was headed by former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan and submitted its findings to the government last August.

Two international members of the December-formed commission have already resigned, saying it lacks independence.

Credibility questions

Laetitia van den Assum, who was a member of the Annan-led commission, said that questions remain regarding the independence and mandate of the new body.

She said it appeared to have been established as an alternative to earlier investigations by Myanmar to investigate alleged crimes in Rakhine State.

Those earlier investigations lacked credibility, she told VOA.

Van den Assum said that for a commission to be credible it must have a clearly defined legal mandate to investigate allegations of crimes, demonstrable independence from all authorities, and sufficient resources and adequate support capacity.

She acknowledged that some members of the international community, including the U.N. Security Council, had pushed for an international committee to be established.

But if minimum standards for a credible inquiry are not met, the situation and thus the impunity are at risk of deepening further, she said.

Myanmar analyst Yan Myo Thein said some people in Myanmar, in particular the military, were critical of the commission because of what they regard as foreign intervention in Myanmars internal affairs.



However, he acknowledged that some people in Myanmar would view the commission positively, because they recognized the need for help from members of the international community to deal with the crisis.

Key to whether or not the commission would be a success was whether or not the military would cooperate, he said.

They may cooperate, but their primary concern will be for there to be no foreign participation in resolving the domestic and internal affairs of Myanmar, he told VOA.

Slow implementation

Earlier this week, a statement from the United Nations urged Myanmar to step up implementation of an agreement it signed in June regarding the repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh.

The statement from the U.N.s Refugee Agency and the U.N. Development Program said they were still waiting for the government to approve travel authorization requests for international staff members in northern Rakhine.

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 statement said.

The statement said some encouraging steps had been made since the agreement was signed in June, including the formation of a tripartite Technical Working Group, but said substantial progress is urgently needed in three areas: granting effective access in Rakhine, ensuring freedom of movement for all communities, and addressing the root causes of the crisis.

It also urged the government to implement the recommendations of the Annan commission, including a clear, voluntary and equal pathway to citizenship for all eligible individuals.

Myanmar insists it is ready to begin the repatriation process, but Rohingya living in Bangladesh have said they will not return without guarantees.

If we come back, we must be guaranteed our citizenship and our safety, said Nay Lin Aung, a Rohingya man who fled Myanmar last year and is now living in an area known as No Mans Land between the two countries. Our houses were burned, and we lost everything. Thats why we havent come back.
A senior Pentagon official has criticized the handling of Cambodias election process and the widespread crackdown on the opposition and civil society.

Randall G. Schriver, the assistant secretary of defense for Asia Pacific Security Affairs, was speaking at an event on the insights of U.S. strategic policy in Southeast Asia when he made the comments.

In Cambodia, we are also concerned about the trend. After Cambodias sham election last week, the White House expressed, quote, profound disappointment and caution that set steps may be taken in response to that election, Schriver told the audience at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday.

In the meantime, Cambodia should immediately release the opposition leader Kem Sokha. Hun Sens wrongful imprisonment of Kem [Sokha] is causing great stress and leading to his deteriorating health, he added

The Cambodian military is being used to threaten the people of Cambodia who are seeking a voice for their political future, Schriver said.

The comments followed previous statements from the Trump administration on the election, which saw the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party win all 125 seats in parliament after it dissolved the countrys main opposition party last year.

In June, the U.S Treasury Department placed sanctions on Hing Bun Heang, the head of Hun Sens bodyguard unit, for his alleged involvement in rights abuses.

Schriver, a Trump appointee, has a history of support for Taiwan and Japan, having previously held senior positions dealing with the Chinese military and Taiwan.

Beijing is Hun Sens most powerful backer, with China becoming Cambodias most important ally and financier.

Before assuming the Pentagon role in January, Schriver was the chief executive officer of the Project 2049 Institute, which primarily studies security and military strategies in Asia.

Council of Minister's spokesman Phay Siphan denounced Schrivers remarks, saying they exposed U.S. strategic interests in the region.

The remark by [Schriver] does not only stand on no particular grounds of integrity but also stands in a paranoid and fearful state by perceiving that Cambodias close ties with China would make the U.S. an enemy, he said.

Citing democratic decline, the U.S. House of Representatives last month passed the Cambodia Democracy Act, urging the White House to take action against 17 top government officials, including Hun Sen and the countrys military apparatus.

Sophal Ear, an associate professor of diplomacy and global affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said U.S. Government institutions were consistent in their stance against Cambodias crackdown.

I think the days of thinking we can play the White House against Congress are over. Everyone in Washington, DC, agrees with respect to Cambodia and China's involvement, there's no light between the decision-makers, Ear wrote in an email.

It's really remarkable. No-one is arguing go easy on them, you're being too extreme. The United States stands united in condemning the sham election in Cambodia and demanding the release of Kem Sokha, he added.

Everyone knows it's not paranoia if it's really happening. And to call Cambodia's relationship with China increasingly friendly is like saying a husband and wife with 10 kids between them are just getting to know each other.
Superman actress Margot Kidder's death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said Wednesday that it was 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 had died peacefully in her sleep.

A statement released Wednesday by Park County coroner Richard Wood said Kidder, 69, "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 had 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.

4 Superman films

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, Northwest Territories, 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 had taken 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 included 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.''
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for nine million dollars to provide emergency aid to some 80,000 survivors of two devastating earthquakes that have flattened large swathes of Indonesias picturesque tourist island of Lombok. The death toll from Sunday's quake now stands at 347, according to Indonesia's Antara news agency, as a smaller quake hit Lombok Thursday.

Red Cross teams are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake. Sundays quake, which followed a smaller one July 29 has caused widespread devastation, affecting an estimated 600,000 people.

The Red Cross describes the damage in north Lombok as exceptionally destructive, with 75 percent of the buildings in some villages damaged or turned into rubble.

Red Cross Federation spokesman Matthew Cochrane said some of the more remote areas of the island are cut off and have not yet been visited. He said it will take many days for the full Impact of the disaster to emerge.

One of the interesting things coming in from our teams is the psychological toll of the earthquake. Teams speak of coming across ghost towns, of villages that have been essentially abandoned. People have left their homes. They are fearful of living, of staying inside or perhaps fearful of another major earthquake and a possible tsunami.

Cochrane said these emotional scars and the concerns of the remote communities will have to be addressed in addition to providing survivors with emergency shelter and other basic relief.

The Red Cross reports some of the thousands of families forced to flee their homes are staying in evacuation centers or in makeshift camps in open areas. The agency says its appeal will provide emergency shelter supplies, as well as materials for repairing and rebuilding damaged houses.

Over the coming 18 months, the Red Cross says its emergency operation will focus on creating livelihood opportunities for the survivors. It also will provide health, water and sanitation, protection and information on disaster risk reduction.
After four years of sharp increases, hate crimes in most major American cities fell during the first half of 2018, preliminary police data show.

The total number of hate incidents in the countrys six most populous cities declined by nearly 15 percent from January through June, according to police department data collected by Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the California State University at San Bernardino.

Among the six major cities, four  New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Phoenix  posted sharp declines, while Houston and Philadelphia reported higher numbers. Hate crime data collected from eight other large cities showed a similarly mixed picture, with an overall slight downward trend.

The declines are significant if they hold, because they follow four years of increases in hate crimes in the nation's top 10 cities, an uptrend many experts expect to continue amid an increasingly polarized political environment and a rise in white nationalism, among other factors.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said it was too early to predict whether the multiyear uptrend in hate crimes would be reversed in 2018.

The bottom line is were quite happy that in some cities hate crimes are down, but theyre not down in all of them and you cant really make a full-year prediction, particularly at a time when were so polarized with only the half year in, Levin said.

Levin said there is a cyclicality to hate crimes, with the latter quarters of the year showing a larger number of incidents. He also noted that while overall hate crimes fell in major cities, those involving violence, including assault and aggravated assault, rose.

Hate crime laws might be making a difference, at least in the sense that some of the more minor types of hate crimes are decreasing in certain areas, while the more hard, violent ones are going up, he said.

Cities with declines

Among the cities that saw declines in Levin's report, the number of hate crimes in New York fell to 164 incidents from 197, a decline of 17 percent. In Los Angeles, the number slipped to 124 from 134, down 7.5 percent. In Chicago, it dropped by 23 percent, from 39 incidents to 30 incidents.

Washington, D.C., reported a 17 percent increase in the number of incidents, from 72 to 84.

Julie Justicz, director of the hate crime project at the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, downplayed the significance of the reported decline in Chicago and elsewhere, noting that hate crimes are notoriously underreported.

"We have continued reports of hate crimes and hate instances from people throughout the city of Chicago and surrounding suburban areas," Justicz said in an interview with VOA.

The FBI defines a hate crime as a criminal offense motivated by race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity. Federal and state hate crime laws impose additional penalties on criminals committing offenses motivated by bias.

The surge in hate crimes in recent years has brought heightened attention on the problem, spurring federal and local officials and law enforcement authorities to promise action.

Last year, after a deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, more than 200 mayors joined the Anti-Defamation League in signing a compact to fight hate and extremism.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made combating hate crime part of his campaign against violent crime, saying in November the Justice Department is committed to ensuring that individuals can live without fear of being a victim of violent crime based on who they are, what they believe or how they worship.

In June, a year after it held a hate crime summit, the Justice Department reported it had indicted 32 individuals involved in hate crimes and secured the convictions of an equal number of defendants for hate crimes since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres selected Chile's former President Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday to be the next U.N. human rights chief, a high profile and often controversial job that has sparked criticism from governments targeted for rights abuses.

Guterres sent a note to the General Assembly announcing his choice of Bachelet and urging approval by its 193 member states. Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak followed up, sending letters to all U.N. ambassadors saying a meeting will take place Friday morning to vote on her nomination, which is virtually certain to be approved.

WATCH: Former Chile President Confirmed as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Bachelet is no stranger to human rights abuses.

The daughter of an air force general, she was a medical student when Marxist President Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup in September 1973. Her father, Gen. Alberto Bachelet, was imprisoned for treason for opposing the coup and then-23-year-old Michelle and her mother were tortured in a secret prison for two weeks before they fled into exile. Following months of torture, her father died of cardiac arrest in March 1974.

Bachelet has also been a pioneer for women and women's rights as a pediatrician, a moderate socialist politician, and a single mother of three.

She was the first female president of Chile, in 2006-2010, and was tapped by then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to be the first head of U.N. Women, an agency that was created in July 2010 by the General Assembly to combine four U.N. bodies dealing with gender equality and the advancement of women under a single umbrella.

In 2013, Bachelet returned to Chile to run for president again and was elected and served a second term in 2014-2018.

Before Guterres' announcement, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said: "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."

"As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defense of human rights," Roth said in a statement. "People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful."

If confirmed by the General Assembly, Bachelet would replace Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, a Jordanian diplomat and member of the country's royal family whose four-year term ends Aug. 31.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which Bachelet would head, leads U.N. efforts to protect and promote rights and speak out against violations around the world.

Outgoing Zeid

Zeid defended his outspoken criticism of abuses in dozens of countries from Myanmar and Hungary to the United States and Syria at a farewell news conference here last week, insisting that his office doesn't "bring shame on governments, they shame themselves."

In his Geneva-based job as U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Zeid said, "silence does not earn you any respect  none."

He said he will give his successor the same advice that his predecessor, Navi Pillay, gave him: "Be fair and don't discriminate against any country" and "just come out swinging."

Zeid has faced criticism from many quarters for being too outspoken.

Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, welcomed Zeid's impending departure, saying in a statement Wednesday that Zeid "never missed a chance to invent falsehoods and lies when it comes to Israel."

During Zeid's four-year tenure, Danon said, the 47-nation Human Rights Council "became a theater of the absurd, with hypocrisy and double standards rampant among its proceedings and reports."

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Human Rights Council in June citing its obsession with Israel, said Bachelet should "avoid the failures of the past."

She said the council also failed to address "extreme human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere, in Venezuela and Cuba in particular," or "major human rights crises" in Iran, North Korea and Congo.

"It is up to Ms. Bachelet to speak out against these failures rather than accept the status quo," Haley said in a statement. "We hope that she does. The United States will."
Republican Congressman Chris Collins says the federal insider trading charges against him are without merit and vows to run for re-election in November.

I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name. I look forward to being fully vindicated and exonerated, Collins told reporters in Buffalo Wednesday night.

Collins, who was one of Donald Trumps earliest supporters in the 2016 presidential race, turned himself in to the FBI and was arrested Wednesday.

Family members also charged

He has been accused of insider trading, an illegal practice in which an investor receives information about a company that is unavailable to the public and uses that information to buy or sell stock, usually at a huge profit.

Collins, his son Cameron, and Stephen Zarsky, who is the father of Cameron Collins finance, are charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud and making false statements to the FBI. They also face civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The case centers on the Australian biotechnology firm, Immunotherapeutics (Innate).

Prosecutors say Collins served on the companys board of directors and owned nearly 17 percent of the companys stock. Cameron Collins was also a substantial shareholder.

Details of the allegations

According to the indictment, Collins allegedly learned in an email from Innates chief executive that a promising new drug to treat multiple sclerosis was a failure.

Collins allegedly passed that information on to his son and Zarsky, who also allegedly tipped off others. The group was able to avoid losing nearly $770,000 as a result.

According to the indictment, Collins was precluded from dumping his Innate stock, in part, because he was already the subject of a congressional ethics probe.

I am proud of my 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 in his defense Wednesday night.

But U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman 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.

Innate, which is based in Sydney, Australia, said it has cooperated fully with U.S. investigators and said the company and its directors are not under investigation.
In an extraordinary breach of the Islamic State's culture of unquestioning obedience, an IS writer calling himself Ibn Jubayr has penned a series of five scathing articles leveling direct and unprecedented criticism at the militant group's leadership, according to a respected monitoring group.

The articles come amid a growing number of dissident social media posts by apparent IS members, a stark change in a group where any suggestion of disobedience or criticism normally has been met with harsh punishment, including whippings, torture and often, execution.

The latest articles, monitored last month by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), were published on the Al-Nasihah channel on Telegram, the heavily encrypted phone messaging and social networking application used by IS supporters to communicate with each other.

Ibn Jubayr is believed to be a member of a dissenting circle of IS scholars and clerics, who have been sidelined by power struggles and are dissatisfied with the leadership. They are especially angry at the domination of the upper ranks of the terror group by Iraqis.

In his attack, Ibn Jubayr decried the "Iraqization" of the leadership and questioned whether the militants caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, is powerless and effectively excluded from decision-making.

MEMRI researchers say over the past year, the group Ibn Jubayr belongs to  all members of the organizations so-called Bureau of Studies and Research, which is in charge of issuing religious rulings  has become embroiled in a dispute with the organization's leadership and its media department over the esoteric but theologically significant issue about who can declare apostasy in Islam.

But that obscure dispute appears to have morphed into a broader range of complaints.

This is a series of articles from inside the Islamic State in which we try to expose the men who hold power in it, who have violated the path of the prophecy in their policies in order to attain benefits for themselves and to remain in their positions, announced Ibn Jubayr.

Throughout the series, he suggests Al-Haj Abdallah, head of ISs Delegated Committee, the top executive body, has pushed al-Baghdadi aside, reducing him to being merely a symbolic figurehead.

Reports of infighting

Complaints have surfaced in recent months from other quarters within IS with accounts of clashes between different factions in Syrias eastern province of Deir el-Zour, where IS supporters have called for al-Baghdadis ouster and replacement. One of the reasons given was the powerhold Iraqis have on the organization, which is the subject, too, of Ibn Jubayrs first article.

He decries Iraqi leaders for ensuring that their countrymen maintain positions of power within IS. According to Ibn Jubayr, the policy of Iraqization has ensured that positions of administration and control throughout the Islamic State are held exclusively by Iraqis, while everybody else simply carries out their directives and is subject to only their orders.

The Iraqis claim non-Iraqis are less trustworthy, but Ibn Jubayr maintains their hold on power has caused large internal splits in the ranks of the soldiers, to the extent that some of the jihad fighters consider the Iraqi governors to be a nationalist gang and an Iraqi mafia.

Ibn Jubayr complains that many of the Iraqis appointed as judges or in leadership positions are unqualified, with some not knowing how to read and write, and include criminals who embezzle IS funds to enrich themselves.

As for the caliph [Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi], may Allah protect him, he is one of two things: Either he is kept in the dark, or he knows about this but was convinced of the necessity of this policy, said Ibn Jubayr.

The scathing attack is reminiscent of some semi-public criticism by IS supporters in early 2016 when the terror group first started to come under serious military pressure from its foes  including U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces  that eventually led the self-declared caliphate being rolled up territorially in both Syria and Iraq. IS retains a significant presence in remote and rugged areas along the Syrian-Iraqi border.

In February 2016, the widow of an IS fighter voiced rare open criticism of the terror group's leaders, complaining about the treatment of widows and families of dead fighters. Her protest letter, posted online, was circulated widely on pro-IS social media sites, and she clearly had some sympathy within the organization, according to analysts, as her online complaints werent deleted.

The woman calling herself al-Muhajirahm, apparently a Westerner, lamented the meager support given to some widows.

Imagine that youve helped a sister who requested zakat [charity] two days ago, but you have ignored the sister who has been waiting a month before, she writes. She cries every night, concerned about how to feed her children as her husband is martyred. The tears that roll down her cheeks and the pain she suffers will be something you will be asked about and accountable for, she added.

In early 2016 with battlefield setbacks mounting rapidly, there were signs of increasing dissent and defections from IS, especially by North African recruits who complained they were treated unequally, receiving less pay and a poorer share of spoils and enslaved women. The groups leadership responded with brute force, and there were reports of ever more gruesome executions and massacres.
For some, a 'Cruiser' is a symbol of the American Dream, it's the toy they couldn't afford to buy as a kid. For others, it's a reminder of another time, both in the island and in Chicago, where the Schwinn company, which produced many of the most storied Cruisers, was born.
While U.S. lawmakers press Twitter and Facebook to better police their platforms against Russian social media trolls and ponder tougher sanctions against Moscow, American voters remain vulnerable to divisive messaging and misinformation before midterm elections in November, experts told VOA.



"All of us, left and right [politically], are all very susceptible to being fooled by disinformation," said Claire Wardle, director of First Draft News, a project at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy that provides tools to fight false content on the Internet and social media.



"There are many people who are trying to spread misinformation.We all have to be much more skeptical of the information we are consuming and to be aware, particularly if it's content that makes us have an emotional reaction," Wardle added.



Last month, Facebook shut down 32 fake accounts that posted polarizing messages on race, gender, and fascism. In 2016, Russian trolls flooded Facebook, Twitter and other platforms with similar content, reaching millions of Americans.



One Russia-linked Twitter handle, 4MYSQUAD10, now deactivated, posted: "White America Does The Crime, Black America Gets The Time. WTF? #BlackLivesMatter #racism."



Another, TEN_GOP 2545, posted: "Muslim bus driver throws all passengers out of the bus, so he has space and time to pray."

"As humans we respond to fear," Wardle said. "A lot of disinformation is driven by fear  other people you should be fearful of and then wanting to protect yourself, our family and your community."



Last week, social media researchers told the Senate Intelligence Committee Russian efforts to polarize the American people are as pernicious as ever.



"Russian manipulation did not stop in 2016. After Election Day, the Russian government stepped on the gas," New York-based Graphika CEO John Kelly said.



"Foreign actors will continue to aim future disinformation campaigns at African-American voters, Muslim-American voters, white supremacist voters," Oxford University researcher Philip Howard told the panel. "I expect the strategy will remain the same: push disinformation about public issues and prevent particular types of voters from participating on Election Day."



Political scientist Keneshia Grant may have had a firsthand brush with Russia's use of social media to inflame racial tensions in the United States before the 2016 election, and believes American voters are still in Moscow's crosshairs for malign messaging.



"There were minority communities targeted. I believe that targeting is still happening and that it has been getting more sophisticated over time," said Grant, who teaches at Washington's Howard University, a predominantly-African American institution.



In 2016, Grant noticed her Twitter account suddenly gained a group of mysterious and silent followers. She believed they were studying her posts to learn to craft messages to effectively target black Americans.



"There were 20-30 accounts of individuals who were trolling to see what I might say and, I suppose, to use that information to seem credible with other black users of Twitter," she said. "I was one of the people who got an e-mail [from Twitter] saying you have interacted in some way with someone we believe to be fraudulent."

Weeding out fake accounts



Social media companies have trumpeted their efforts to weed out fake accounts and bad actors. While commendable, Grant said it's not enough.

"Americans have a responsibility to know that Russians are attempting to interfere in elections, and then to take the additional steps to figure out where information comes from that they are consuming.Not just consume it, but think about it," she said.



Wardle concurred, but noted that social media trolls exploit a basic human tendency: giving credence to information or messaging that supports one's outlook or ideology.



"People want to believe information that supports their worldview, whether that's a belief on gun control or immigration or whether you're more a dog person than a cat person," she said, adding that counteracting that tendency will require holding people to account when they wittingly or unwittingly spread erroneous content.



"If we want to drive on roads that aren't covered in garbage, we have to take responsibility for not throwing Coke cans out of the window," she said.

"I want to see people recognize that when they click share' [on social media], they have a responsibility for the information they are putting out," she added. "So when crazy Uncle Bob is sharing false information, rather than saying, 'well, that's just crazy Uncle Bob,' we should call him out and say that it's not healthy for us to live in a society where we are sharing false information."



The Harvard researcher noted that other regions of the world, like Eastern Europe, have been grappling with false information campaigns for far longer than the United States.



"After the election of 2016, when Americans all of a sudden woke up to misinformation, I think the rest of the world did a slow hand-clap and said 'welcome to the party, America.'"



Some American schools have introduced curriculum to teach students to think more critically about the information they receive and to identify propaganda and malign messaging. Such classes should become standard, according to a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.



"We are asymmetrically vulnerable [to disinformation campaigns] because of the First Amendment and democracy, our whole system is based on information," Maine independent Senator Angus King said.

"Our kids are growing up with these [high-tech] devices," he added, "but not necessarily taught how they can be manipulated by their devices. I think there ought to be standardized courses in high school called digital literacy' and increasing the public's awareness that they are being conned."
A Massachusetts man has been charged with offering $500 to anyone who would kill a federal immigration officer.

Federal prosecutors in Boston on Thursday said 33-year-old Brandon Ziobrowski is charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat to injure another person.

Authorities say on July 2 the Cambridge man tweeted: "I am broke but will scrounge and literally give $500 to anyone who kills an ICE agent."

Ziobrowski also allegedly tweeted repeatedly that he wanted to "slit" U.S. Sen. John McCain's throat.

Ziobrowski was arrested Thursday in New York and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court there before being transported back to Massachusetts.

It could not immediately be determined if he has a lawyer.
Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel and the Israeli military carried out scores of air strikes as fighting near the Gaza-Israel border intensified overnight into Thursday.

Air raid sirens sounded almost nonstop in southern Israel from sundown Wednesday, warning residents to stay in shelters as more than 80 rockets were fired in their direction. At the same time, Israeli aircraft struck 140 targets belonging to the Hamas Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip.

The flare-up came after officials on both sides had talked about potential progress in U.N and Egyptian efforts to broker a truce to end months of simmering violence.

Israeli media reported several residents of Sderot and other border towns were wounded by rocket fire.

In Gaza, one Hamas militant was killed in the air strikes, as was a Palestinian woman and her 18 month old child, Palestinian officials said. At least five other civilians were also wounded.

I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by todays multiple rockets fired towards communities in southern Israel, said U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov in an overnight statement.

The U.N., he said, has engaged with Egypt in an unprecedented effort to avoid serious conflict, but warned the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people.

Gaza has been controlled by Hamas for more than a decade, during which time it has fought three wars against Israel, most recently in 2014. Though neither side appears keen on another full-blown conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off a trip to Colombia this week to attend to the Gaza truce talks and was to convene his decision-making security cabinet Thursday to discuss the situation.
By all appearances, Richard is a strong, confident, middle-aged man. But unless you know his story, it would be hard to guess how hard he has worked to get his life back.

Tent city

On this rainy summer morning, Richard, who asked us not to use his last name, treks quickly through a densely wooded area just off a busy roadway in northern Virginia, and begins to tell his story

Well, as you can see, this was my tent, he says as he comes to a stop and gestures to a crumpled tent lying on the muddy ground. It's a stark reminder of his former life.

Richard lived in that tent in the woods for two years after losing his job.



I wound up getting evicted, one thing led to another, and here I was, he says in a somber voice.



The worst thing about it was the summertime, he adds, cause it gets really hot then. It was the heat, and the mosquitoes, but also the loneliness, he says. Its not just food or material items; its having someone around to talk to.

Why are they homeless?

But Richards story has a happy ending. He got housing -- and a job -- through StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries in Woodbridge, Virginia. StreetLight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the poor and homeless in the region.



Executive Director Rose Powers says there are many factors that can lead to homelessness, but first and foremost is the lack of affordable housing. Many of the people we work with, who are literally homeless, actually work, but they do not have the job skills or the educational level to command a job that pays an affordable wage, she explains.



Thats the situation for Frankie, a U.S. veteran who still lives in the woods with her two dogs. Frankie works, but doesnt make enough money to afford the high cost of rent in the area.

Shes hoping to find a better paying job so she can afford a permanent place to stay, but in the meantime is exploring her options with StreetLight and other agencies that are offering her assistance with housing and other support services.

Shelter from the storm

StreetLight makes regular visits into the woods, looking for people like Frankie. The organization leases six apartments and owns three houses for clients to live in, and can help with other housing alternatives.

Larry lived in the woods for four years, but now shares a cozy home with three other men. The house looks immaculate inside and out; a point of pride for the formerly homeless man.

I feel very grateful to be here, he says as he stands in the spotless kitchen. I was hit by a truck. StreetLight took me in. They looked out for me. I feel totally blessed.

The non-profit also works with the county government to provide temporary shelter and other supportive services. That includes a 48-bed shelter thats open year-round, serving both men and women in search of a safe refuge.

Collaborative effort

The public-private collaboration has helped reduce the number of homeless people in the region from 400 (in 2016 and 2017), to 377 today, says Tony Turnage, Homeless Services Division Chief with the county's Department of Social Services.

That number can be reduced even further with longer-term housing options, he notes. If we can start putting programs together such as affordable, permanent supportive housing projects, I think we can significantly make some inroads in reducing the number of persons we see homeless on an annual basis.



Long-term solutions

And that is well on its way to happening, thanks to a large parcel of land that was recently donated to StreetLight by a local congregation, All Saints Church. While its just an open field right now, there are major plans for its development, says Rose Powers.

Our goal is to build a multi-unit facility offering permanent supportive housing in an upscale apartment-style complex," she says, adding that the facility would offer "wraparound case management services addressing the multiple issues that have led to homelessness.

That 24/7 support is crucial, Powers says, since many homeless individuals suffer from mental and physical health ailments. We participated in a survey in 2010 and found that 30 percent of all the homeless were medically fragile -- they suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease.

Its all a matter of raising money. StreetLight is funded by private funds, and county, state and federal grants and has been growing exponentially since its inception in 2004.

Those funds assist the needy with full-service initiatives, including a team of social workers and volunteer mentors who help clients navigate the job market and locate medical services. The ministry also provides a clothing closet, runs a generous food pantry offering fresh meats, fruits and vegetables and offers a free, lavish buffet at the church once a week.

Community dinners

The weekly dinners feed the needy, Powers explains, but theyre also designed to promote a sense of community.

When we first started reaching out, way back in the mid-90s, we realized so many of the homeless were completely alone and they didn't realize that there were many others also living in the woods and so it helped them to connect.

The homeless need more than just a roof over their head, she reiterates. They need love, they need a chance to have dignity, they need to know that they have value, they need to know that people care about them.

1.6 billion people do not have access to adequate shelter around the world, according to UN-Habitat. In the U.S. alone, nearly 554,000 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017. And that number is growing.

Richard, Frankie and Larry are just a few examples in a sea of staggering statistics. But organizations like StreetLight are crucial to their wellbeing, especially since they systematically seek out at-risk individuals one person at a time.

Inspiration

Today, Richard is keenly aware  and appreciative -- of the support StreetLight has provided him.



I went from living in a tent in the woods to living in my own place, having a purpose. I have a job. I dont have to worry about my necessities in life. They basically helped me get back on my feet and give me more self-confidence, he says.



Today, Richard works for the organization, helping out where he can, and using his craftsmans skills on restoration projects within the ministry and its various dwellings. He also acts as mentor and friend to others who have been where he once was. He hopes that by sharing his story, they too will be inspired to make a better life for themselves.

People have a stereotype where they look down on homeless people and think that we don't want to work, that we're useless and were all drug addicts and alcoholics, which is really not the case" he says. "Most of us are just people who want to get back on our feet.
Joshua Okumu's wife, Mary Mwanja, died during childbirth 18 years ago at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi. But their daughter survived.

When he picked up his newborn baby at the nursery, grief-stricken and shocked, Okumu was not entirely sure how to feed her.

"So when I reached home, I started feeding her with a packet of milk called Tuzo," he said. "By that time, Tuzo was not diluted like nowadays. So, that is what I was using to feed the small baby when I took her from the hospital. If the mum was there it would have been healthier to be fed by her mum."

For Kenyan widowers like Okumu, there will soon be another option: human donor milk.

Pumwani is getting Kenya's first breast milk bank, which will be only the second of its kind on the continent. The other one is in South Africa.

The bank is a joint initiative by Kenya's Ministry of Health and PATH, a U.S.-based nonprofit health organization. It will open in September for donations and offer free breast milk by prescription for babies who cannot get it from their mothers.

'Next best option'

Dr. Elizabeth Kimani Murage, head of maternal and child well-being at the African Population and Health Research Center, is behind the project.

"The World Health Organization recommends that if the mother's own breast milk is not available for the baby for any reason, the best next option would be the donor milk," she said. "So the recommendation is to make donor milk available to such vulnerable babies."

The milk bank aims to help orphaned and malnourished babies get the nutrients essential to healthy development.

Murage said mother's milk has an enormous impact on child survival, especially during the first month of life.

"Despite improvements in infant mortality, neonatal mortality is reducing at a very slow rate, so those are the children we want to target," she said. "According to the Every Newborn Action Plan [from the World Health Organization and UNICEF], we should actually reduce neonatal mortality to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births. But, you see, we are very far [from that goal]. We are at 22."

There are misconceptions and concerns about hygiene and the spread of disease to newborns in the use of donated milk. Murage noted that all donors' health would checked at the hospital and that the milk would be pasteurized to ensure that only safe and healthful breast milk is given to babies in need.
Opposition politicians reactions are mixed regarding South Sudan President Salva Kiirs decision to give amnesty to rebel leader Riek Machar and other groups who have been fighting to topple his government for years.

One official with the National Salvation Front said his group did not recognize the amnesty offer, calling Kiirs administration illegitimate.

Peace talks continue

Speaking from Khartoum where the South Sudan peace talks continue, General Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, head of the SPLM-IOs governance committee, told South Sudan in Focus that Kiir must also free political opponents.

"We want this to be accompanied by the release of all political detainees, the release of all prisoners of war. We will only believe that there is a change in attitude if we see all these South Sudanese who are currently under detention by the regime go free and unconditionally, Oyet told VOA.

He also called on the government to release hundreds of detained SPLM-IO supporters, including civil society activists.

"We have those who were abducted from Nairobi, Kenya. We have our former spokesperson, James Gadtet. We have Samuel Dong Luak. We have Agrrey Idri. We have Marko Lotpiyo. ... We have Peter Sule. We have all these under government detention, Oyet said.

Amnesty offer in place

The presidents amnesty offer went into effect as it was being announced on state television and radio Wednesday night.

Kiir reiterated his order that the army observe the permanent cease-fire that was agreed to in the security arrangement signed in Khartoum last month and to fight only in self-defense. In addition, Kiir ordered the army and all other military forces to allow aid workers unfettered access to people in need of humanitarian assistance across South Sudan.

Yien Mathew, a senior member of the National Salvation Front, or NAS, said the government lacks authority to pardon NAS.

We can only believe in a government which is people-centered, which is answerable. There are so many civilians in the camps today, even around Juba. If there is a peoples government, why should people still stay in the camps, even in their state capital? This at least is a good signal that the government is not people-centered, and the people are fearing the government itself, Mathew told South Sudan in Focus.

Much to be decided

Kiirs amnesty offer followed the recent power-sharing and governance deal in Khartoum, which paves the way for a final peace agreement by all parties, to be decided in the future.

Some opposition groups bracketed parts of the power sharing they did not agree with, such as the number of states and positions of power at the state and local levels.
Helen Aguirre Ferre, one of the most prominent Latinos serving in the White House, has left her job as director of media affairs.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Thursday that Aguirre was taking up a new position as director for strategic communications and public affairs at the National Endowment for the Arts. She said Aguirre would start her new job in the next two weeks.

In a statement, Aguirre said she looks forward to continuing to advance the Presidents agenda in support of American communities through the National Endowment for the Arts which provides support to nonprofit cultural institutions nationwide.

Aguirre had held the White House job since the start of the Trump administration after serving as the Republican National Committees director of Hispanic communications. During her tenure, the White House removed the Spanish-language content from its website, a departure from the two previous administrations.

President Donald Trumps engagement with Latinos has been complicated. During his campaign, Trump turned off many Latinos with his harsh anti-immigration rhetoric, including disparaging Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. He criticized rival Jeb Bush for answering a reporters question in Spanish, saying the former Florida governor should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States.

Aguirres departure follows that of another high-profile Latino, Carlos Diaz-Rosillo, who in June left his job at the White House as deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and interagency coordination to become a senior deputy chairman at the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Before joining the administration, Diaz-Rosillo had taught at Harvard in the Government Department. He did not reply to a message from the AP requesting comment.

The recent changes leave these Latinos serving closest to Trump: Mercedes Schlapp, White House director of strategic communications; Jennifer Korn, special assistant to the president and deputy director for the Office of Public Liaison; Juan Cruz, senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council.
A second year of martial law in parts of the Philippines is squelching any comeback by violent Muslim insurgents after a civil war, despite earlier fears that the order would also curb common peoples freedoms, witnesses say.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte extended martial law through 2018 after declaring it in May 2017 so troops and national police could fight rebels in Marawi, a mountainous, largely Muslim city in the south. The law covers all of Mindanao, home to Marawi and about one-fifth of the Philippine population and a hotbed for armed insurgency since the 1960s.

A network of road checkpoints outside major cities, permission for authorities to frisk people without warrants and evening-to-morning curfews have helped troops throttle further violence by Muslim rebels without routine harassment of common people, said Eduardo Araral, a Mindanao native and associate professor at the National University of Singapores public policy school.

That (law) could slow down the plans of the terrorists or even small wildcat operations, he said. They couldnt just enter the cities without being frisked at the borders by the military, and they needed martial law for that, he said. So, I think it also calmed down the nerves of the city residents. My relatives who live in Mindanao are very happy with this.

Fear of a Marcos-era repeat

When Duterte declared martial law in 2017 to help quash the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group in Marawi, some Filipinos worried it would erase their personal freedoms by letting police or military units do as they pleased without due process. Troops declared victory over the Maute Group in October after more than 1,100 people had died in the fighting.

Some locals remembered the harsher measures taken by authoritarian former-president Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. The law then called for curfews, bans on public assembly and military arrests of people who were suspected of plotting against the government.

New rules for Mindanao

Martial law in Mindanao has restricted the movement of armed rebels, including possible Islamic State operatives, largely by keeping them out of the cities. Cities in turn empty after dark because of the curfews.

Rural military and police outposts established under martial law are freer now to track rebel movement by stopping and interrogating suspects.

Authorities at road checkpoints in the 800,000-population city of Zamboanga, for example, have required that anyone entering the city to show some identification. Checkpoints near Iligan, a city that absorbed war refugees from Marawi because of its proximity, make almost everyone get out of their cars for inspection.

In Davao, the second largest city in the Philippines, the mayor once declared a lockdown blocking all entries into town.

Squelching rebels, drug trade

Martial law is widely accepted for now as a tool for squelching rebels as well as the illegal drug trade, said Habib Macaayong, president of the Mindanao State University system based in Marawi.

Martial law is very helpful because it is an instrument for controlling various elements, and it is very good for the meantime, he said.

Muslim insurgents on Mindanao believe the Philippine Catholic majority has taken an unfair share of resources despite five centuries of Muslim settlement. Rebel-linked violence has killed about 120,000 in Mindanao since the 1960s and even after apparent military victories, insurgencies have tended to resurface.

This year, troops used airstrikes to kill 44 Mindanao rebels during an attack in March. Troops and suspected Maute Group remnants fired at each other near Marawi in June, but a presidential spokesperson said martial law would stop the rebels from expanding.

A suspected suicide bomber, possibly from abroad, killed 11 people including himself July 31 by blowing up a van on a Sulu Sea island near Mindanao, local media reported.

Return to normal routines in war-torn city

Today in Marawi, people freely go to classes at the wooded Mindanao State University campus and sit outside classroom buildings chatting with classmates afterward. In town, except for a cordoned-off tract of the city destroyed by the war, merchants sell bananas from roadside shops and tend to small farms. Soldiers inspect cars at two checkpoints on the main highway just north of the city.

In Mindanaos cities with little history of violence, checkpoints are few and curfews unenforced.

My first impression of martial law was, martial law in the time of Marcos, it was very brutal, but this martial law is not the same, said Annajar Aminnajar, a 20-year-old university graduate from Marawi who still lives nearby. He said soldiers now detain people out past 9 p.m. but just ask most to go home.

Its different because even though theres martial law, we can still walk freely, he said. Right now, martial law, but in terms of better security, security for Marawi and in Mindanao.
The parents of U.S. first lady Melania Trump have been sworn in as U.S. citizens, an upgrade from their previous status as permanent residents.

Viktor and Amalija Knavs took the citizenship oath Thursday in New York City, according to an attorney for the Slovenian couple. The attorney, Michael Wildes, told reporters the couple applied for citizenship "on their own." He did not specify whether this meant the Knavses had been sponsored by their daughter.

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out against family-based immigration, the process by which a family member living legally in the United States may sponsor another family member who wishes to move to the U.S.

Trump has said the process, which he has called "chain migration," allows potential terrorists to enter the United States.

In response to a terror attack in New York City on October 31, 2017, Trump tweeted:

In January, in the president's annual State of the Union address, Trump said, "In recent weeks, two terrorist attacks in New York were made possible by the visa lottery and chain migration. In the age of terrorism, these programs present risks we can no longer afford."

Wildes told ABC News on Thursday that the Knavses had engaged in "a wonderful journey like most have  millions have  in getting citizenship and waiting the requisite period of time. ... The application, the process, the interview was no different than anybody else's, other than security arrangements to facilitate today."

The Knavses took their oath of citizenship at a federal building guarded by police from the Department of Homeland Security.

The Knavses raised daughter Melania in the city of Sevnica, while Slovenia was under communist rule. Viktor was a car dealer; Amalija worked in a factory.

Melania changed her name to Knauss when she began modeling. She met Donald Trump in New York City in 1998.
When Iraqi forces announced the recapture of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) militants in July 2017, the joy of victory and the hope for a return to normalcy echoed across the country. But for Sana Ibrahim, who lost all of her children during IS rule, things would never be the same again.

Now, at 61, Ibrahim has to take care of 23 grandchildren left behind from her three sons and two daughters killed in the brutal conflict.

"IS destroyed us and left us nothing," said Ibrahim, surrounded by her grandchildren. "They assaulted my home and killed my children."

Before IS took control of Mosul in June 2014, Ibrahim and her family lived in the city's densely populated district known as Old Mosul. She said her house was now among thousands of other buildings destroyed by war.

Mosul is Iraq's second-largest city, with a population of more than 1 million, and the largest city once controlled by IS across Iraq and Syria.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the city free of IS in July 2017. The jihadist group has since been routed out of all territories it once controlled in Iraq, and it struggles to hold the remaining small pockets of territory it has in eastern Syria.

'Now, I am in pain'

"Before IS, I was living at peace. True, I was worried for my children, but at least I was feeling comfortable. Now, I am in pain, and I have to take care of the young and the old in my house," Ibrahim told VOA.

She said her two older sons were killed by IS in 2016 after the group found they were members of the Iraqi security forces. Her younger son, 20, was shot by a sniper. Her two daughters were hit by airstrikes as they were fleeing the city in 2017.

Her children's bodies are still missing, and local officials have told Ibrahim that they are still searching for them.

The nine-month campaign to recapture Mosul came at a great cost for its residents. An Associated Press investigation has estimated that about 11,000 people were killed in the battle. The Norwegian Refugee Council last month revealed that around 54,000 houses in the city and surrounding areas are still uninhabitable, and 383,934 people remain displaced.

Iraqi officials have said reconstructing the city is beyond their capacity and requires an international effort.

An international conference in Kuwait earlier this year collected about $30 billion, mostly in credit and investments, to help rebuild Iraq's economy and infrastructure. However, that amount fell far short of Iraq's hope for $90 billion for post-IS recovery.

No longer willing to wait for help, many residents have started borrowing money to rebuild their homes, especially in Mosul's historic Old City, which has suffered the most damage.

Return would be difficult

Ibrahim, who is renting a house in a Palestinian neighborhood, said she wanted to go back to her home in the Old City. But settling there will not be easy for her in a patriarchal community where women faced restrictions even before IS jihadist rule.

Her husband, Mouafaq Hamid Ibrahim, 71, cannot help because he is suffering from Alzheimer's. Her 23 grandchildren, ages 2 to 16, are still young and depend on donations from some of Mosul's wealthy families to pay for their education.

Despite the difficulties, Ibrahim told VOA she was proud that all her grandchildren were passing their exams this year.

"I don't want my grandchildren to get on Mosul streets and turn into beggars. I want them to one day enter colleges and find prestigious jobs," she said.
Outside attorney will help determine if mayor violated code of ethics

Pueblo City Council voted 6-0 in a special meeting Oct. 28 to find an outside attorney to give their opinion on if the mayor violated ethics codes.
The Pentagon is taking new steps to create a space force by 2020 in order to "meet the emerging threats on this new battlefield," U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday.

Speaking at the Pentagon, Pence announced, "Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield. ... The time has come to establish the United States Space Force."

President Donald Trump repeatedly has called for the creation of a space force as a new military branch that he says is needed to ensure U.S. dominance in space.

In a posting on Twitter, Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, called a space force "a dumb idea."

The Pentagon submitted a report to Congress on Thursday detailing its space management changes.

The report details the creation of Space Command, which will oversee a Space Operations Force made up of space experts from different military branches.

Officials say this structure lays the foundation for a new military branch in the next 18 to 24 months, should Congress approve it. Congress is the only branch of government that has the authority to approve the creation of a new military division.

Trump shared his excitement after the announcement on Twitter:

In a letter to Congress last year, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis opposed the creation of a new military branch and cautioned against creating "organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint war-fighting functions."

On Thursday, though, Mattis endorsed the space management changes that would utilize members of existing military branches.

"We've got to be able to compete, deter and win," Mattis said.



WATCH: Pence Says Proposed Space Force Needed to Meet Threats on 'New Battlefield'

Threats

The space report, seen by VOA, points out that China and Russia "are explicitly pursuing space war-fighting capabilities to neutralize U.S. space capabilities during a time of conflict."

"As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a war-fighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge," Pence said Thursday.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan, who wrote the space report, told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday that once established, the new military branch would allow the military to move faster in the space domain.

About 18,000 people across the Department of Defense work in the field of space, with tasks that include protecting about 140 military satellites that generate trillions of dollars of economic output, according to Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Selva added that the creation of a new service branch would "nurture" the group that "guards that national treasure in space."

The creation of the new force "is what the president has asked us to do, and it's our obligation to deliver to him a set of legislative proposals that make some sense, so we have to get at that," he said.

Seen as vital step

The last time a new branch was created was in 1947, when the military established a new Air Force following World War II after realizing the strategic importance of air power. Proponents of a space force say it's the next logical step for the military.

"I think we are approaching that point for space  that space has become so important to our military, to our overall economy, that we're going to need a cadre of professionals that eat, sleep and breathe space, that that's what they focus on," Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA.
Puerto Rico has conceded that Hurricane Maria killed more than 1,400 people on the island last year and not just the 64 in the official death toll.

The government acknowledged the higher death toll with no fanfare in a report submitted to Congress this week in which it detailed a $139 billion reconstruction plan for the island.



That quiet acknowledgement was first reported Thursday by The New York Times.



Puerto Rican officials have admitted that more than 64 people likely died from the powerful storm that knocked out the power grid and caused widespread flooding that made many roads impassable. But a more exact number has been a matter of debate that the government has sought to end by commissioning an academic study due out in coming weeks.
Montenegro on Thursday issued an international arrest warrant for a former CIA agent for alleged involvement in what the government said was a failed pro-Russia coup designed to prevent the Balkan countrys NATO membership.

Montenegros state TV said that prosecutors want the extradition of Joseph Assad, a U.S. citizen born and raised in Egypt, on charges of participating in a criminal enterprise led by two Russian military spy agency officers.

The Russians and 12 others, mostly Serbs, are on trial in Montenegro over the alleged election day plot in October 2016 that included plans to assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, storming parliament and taking over power. The Russians are being tried in absentia.

Montenegros prosecutors are investigating whether Assad was hired to help the 14 suspects on an escape plan. He was named during testimony by another former CIA agent at the trial.

Assad has reportedly refused to testify and denied wrongdoing.

Assad and his wife, Michele, both former U.S. counter-terrorism officers, gained international attention when U.S. media said they helped more than 100 Iraqi Christians to escape Islamic State group violence and flee to Europe as refugees in 2015.

Assads whereabouts are currently unknown. He is said to be heading an Abu Dhabi-based security agency.

Montenegro joined NATO last year despite strong opposition from its longtime Slavic ally Russia. Moscow has denied accusations that it took part in the plot.
Russia said Thursday new sanctions the United States imposed in connection with the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain are illegal and that Russia had nothing to do with the March incident.

The U.S. State Department announced the sanctions Wednesday, saying Russia broke international law by using a lethal nerve agent against its own nationals. The measures are set to take effect August 22 and generally involve U.S. licenses for exporting sensitive national security goods to Russia, such as electronics.

The Kremlin blasted the move as "unacceptable." "The restrictions are absolutely unlawful and don't conform to international law," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

WATCH: US Imposes New Sanctions on Russia for Poisoning Former Russian Spy in Britain

A policeman found Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, slumped on a bench and unconscious in the British city of Salisbury. They were sickened by Novichok  a Soviet-era nerve agent. Both survived but spent weeks in the hospital.

The Russian Embassy in Washington said Wednesday the sanctions are based on "far-fetched accusations" and that Russia supports a transparent investigation of what happened.

"We grew accustomed to not hearing any facts or evidence," the embassy said in a statement.

More sanctions possible

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.

The sanctions announced Wednesday are mandatory, triggered by a 1991 law, The Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

Britain welcomes US move

The British Foreign Office said it welcomes the U.S. sanctions.

The string of 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 also denied having anything to do with the June poisoning of a British couple near Salisbury who picked up a bottle that also contained Novichok, which left 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess dead. 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.

VOA's Arya Hodjat and Jamie Dettmer contributed to this report.
Faced with a new round of U.S.-sanctions over alleged chemical weapons use, Russia denounced the move as an illegal gesture that undercut attempts by President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to improve relations during a recent summit.

Of course, such decisions taken by the American side, are absolutely unfriendly, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in discussing the new sanctions with reporters in Moscow Thursday. And its unlikely theyre in any way associated with the complicated but constructive atmosphere of the last meeting between the two presidents.

WATCH: Analyst Says New US Sanctions on Russia Are 'Real Deterrent'

The U.S. State Department announced the penalties Wednesday, a response to the poisoning last March of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, in the British town of Salisbury.

While both Skripals survived the attack, the U.S. sided with Britain in determining Russia was responsible after investigators concluded the would-be assassins used a Soviet-era nerve toxin known as Novichok.

The attack prompted an initial wave of diplomatic expulsions between U.S. and British allies, and Russia, including the tit-for-tat exits of 60 Russian and U.S. diplomats in March.

The poisoning case gained further traction in June when a British couple with no apparent ties to Russia were sickened after an accidental encounter with the same nerve agent in the nearby British town of Amesbury.

One of them, Dawn Sturgess, 44, later died in the hospital.

Kremlin outcry

The Kremlin has vehemently denied any involvement in the Salisbury and Amesbury incidents, and it did so again after the new sanctions were imposed.

In a statement issued by its embassy in Washington, Russia called charges that Moscow employed chemical weapons far-fetched, arguing the U.S. lacked evidence, and repeating demands for a new investigation into the poisoning.

While Kremlin spokesman Peskov suggested the Kremlin was still weighing how to respond to the sanctions, other Russian officials were less circumspect.

The theatre of the absurd continues, wrote Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russias first deputy permanent representative to the U.N., in a post to Twitter.

No proofs, no clues, no logic, no presumption of innocence, just highly-likelies. Only one rule: blame everything on Russia, no matter how absurd and fake it is. Let us welcome the United Sanctions of America!

In turn, Russias Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakahrova promised Moscow was preparing retaliatory measures.

Shaky ruble

Above all, Kremlin officials have sought to assure the public that the Russian economy is well primed to absorb additional penalties. Its a benefit, they argue, of policies put in place amid a raft of Western sanctions imposed over Russian actions in Ukraine and alleged interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections.

The financial system is rather robust. Thats obvious to everyone, said Kremlin spokesman Peskov.

WATCH: Russian Currency Plummets Following New US Sanctions

Despite assurances, the ruble has fallen to a two-year low, and shares of Russian companies likely affected by the sanctions, including several banks and Russias national air carrier Aeroflot, have dipped in value.

Looming behind the skid, the prospect of what U.S. officials warn could be more draconian measures should Russia fail to assuage U.S. government concerns over chemical agents that Moscow insists it never used.

Two Russia policies?

The latest U.S. sanctions against Moscow are all but certain to raise questions about the continuing gap between President Trumps open pursuit of detente with Russia and the often tougher stance taken by his own administration.

President Trump repeatedly has insisted nobody is tougher on Russia than I am. Yet the American leader was roundly criticized by members of both parties in Congress for what many perceived as an overly conciliatory performance at a summit meeting with Putin in Helsinki last month. This included siding with the Russian leader against U.S. intelligence assessments regarding alleged Kremlin interference in the 2016 elections that brought Trump to the White House.

Even as rumors of impending new sanctions swirled in the media, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a supporter of Trumps efforts to engage Russia, announced he had delivered a letter from President Trump to Putin during meetings with Russian officials in Moscow earlier this week.

According to a statement issued by Paul, Trumps letter focused on increased cooperation between the former Cold War rivals, calling on the U.S. and Russia to work together on countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges.

In turn, U.S. State Department officials insisted the new sanctions were triggered automatically by longstanding U.S. policy regarding the use of chemical weapons by state actors.

Few in Moscow seemed to believe that, though, asserting that U.S.-Russian relations were now fully captive to internal political fighting over the 2016 election and multiple investigations into possible wrongdoing by the Trump campaign and Kremlin-linked officials.

In the American internal political conflict, Russia is not so much a reason, as an instrument, insisted Fyodor Lukyanov, a foreign policy analyst, discussing Washingtons continued use of sanctions, during an interview on Echo of Moscow radio.

In this situation, building relations is impossible to even speak about.
Life has found a way to survive in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. Now, scientists believe they might have found a new habitat for hardy microbes  inside garnets.

New research found unusual patterns of tunnels in Thai garnets with deposits of fatty acids in the burrowed pathways, indicating a microbe caused the damage.

Magnus Ivarsson, lead researcher on the study at the University of Southern Denmark, said the research started with an exchange student from Thailand who was studying the gem quality of the garnets. She discovered the tunnels that branched and changed directions, unlike previously described environmental weathering, and consulted Ivarsson.

"When I first saw these structures, these tunnels, I was sort of intrigued by the complexity of them," Ivarsson told VOA. "I have previously studied other microbial boring in minerals and materials, but I've never seen anything with this complexity."

The garnets are an unexpected habitat for microbes because of their hardness. In fact, according to Ivarsson, this is the hardest mineral yet discovered to be bored by microbes.

"Who knows what we'll find next. Maybe a diamond bored by microbes. Who knows?" Ivarsson said.

Researchers are careful to point out that no living organisms were discovered within the gemstones.

Dawn Cardace, a researcher in the department of geosciences at the University of Rhode Island, studies how geology and biology interact. She told VOA that while this study didn't find any DNA of the organisms, "This wasn't troubling to me, largely because they chose to work with the sample set they have at a very close, submicroscopic scale." She said they would have needed at least a thousand gemstones in order to collect a DNA sample.

About the research

The researchers relied on several technologies to come to their conclusions.



First, the scientists used microscopy to make 3D maps of the tunnels on the scale of microns. A human hair is about 50 microns wide, but the tunnels in the garnets were generally smaller, hence the need for high-powered microscopes.

The scientists focused on how the tunnels spread and changed directions, and when they converged at crossing points called "anastomosis." Although environmental weathering can cause cracks and fissures in hard minerals, Ivarsson said weathering processes can't explain the complexity of the tunnels they observed.

The second step to demonstrate that microbes most likely created the tunnels required analyzing the interior of the boreholes.

"The organic content tells us that there's been life living in there," said Ivarsson.

In particular, they detected lipids and fatty acids, which are organic compounds common among bacteria and fungi.

Ivarsson and his colleagues compared these biological traces to hematite and quartz grains found in the same location as the garnets, in the river sediment of the Chiang Mai stream. Neither of the comparable stones showed signs of fatty acids, indicating the biological traces were unique to the garnet tunnels.

When asked about the results, Ivarsson said, "At this point we can say at least that biology has been involved. I would suggest that it's fungi that has been involved in this. But at the same time, I think we should be really cautious because there might be other processes [at work] that are not known today."

More studies needed

Cardace agrees that while microbes were certainly living inside the gemstones, further research is needed to prove how the tunnels were created. She said she would like future studies to show "a set of experiments done with candidate microorganisms that could do the metabolic work" the researchers proposed in their paper.

Ivarsson and his colleagues did, however, consider why microbes like fungi might be making the garnets their home. They sampled garnets from river sediment in Thailand, as well as within granite upstream.

Ivarsson told VOA, "When we studied these garnets in the granite, we could see that there were no tunnels. But when we looked at the garnets further down the river, we could see that these tunnels structures had evolved. So, something happened along the way, along the transport in the river system."

The researchers argue that the microbes bored into the garnets while they were in the river bed. Microbes in the sediment of the river lack access to chemical energy sources like iron, which is contained in the garnet crystals. Perhaps, researchers propose, the microorganisms created the filaments within the gemstones to access this resource.

Monetary value

Such changes to the garnets, however, decrease the value of the stones.

Shane McClure, global director of colored stones at the Gemological Institute of America, told VOA that when it comes to determining the value of garnets, "If there's only one or two [tunnels] and they're very small, it doesn't affect the value at all. But if there's a whole bunch of them and they're very visible, well then it's going to affect it quite a bit from a gemstone perspective."

These gemstones might not be usable for flashy jewelry, but they do demonstrate that life finds a way in all sorts of inhospitable and unexpected locations.

As Ivarsson told VOA, "When we look for life on Mars, we need to know what to look for. And this is one type of biological signature that is definitely interesting in the search for life on Mars or any type of extreme environment."
Floridas Democratic senator said Wednesday that Russian operatives have penetrated some of his states election systems ahead of this years midterms, but state officials said they have no information to support the claim.

They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about, Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times.

Nelson, who is running for re-election, declined to identify which counties have been penetrated, saying it was classified.

The threat is real and elections officials  at all levels  need to address the vulnerabilities, he said.

Bipartisan letter

Nelson, the ranking member of the cyber subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and his Republican colleague, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is on the Senate intelligence committee, wrote a letter last month to all 67 of the county election supervisors in their state.

We were requested by the chairman and vice chairman of our intelligence committee to let the supervisors of election in Florida that the Russians are in their records, Nelson said, adding that the letter also urged the county officials to seek help from the Homeland Security Department.

This is no-fooling time. Thats why two senators  bipartisan  reached out to the apparatus in Florida to let them know that the Russians are in the records and all they (the Russians) have to do  if those election records are not protected  is to go in and start eliminating registered voters.

You can imagine the chaos that would occur on Election Day when the voters get to the polls and they say: Im sorry, Mr. Smith. Im sorry, Mr. Jones, youre not registered. Thats exactly what the Russians want to do.

Florida officials puzzled

The Florida Department of State said it had received zero information from Nelson or his staff that supports the claims of Russian interference, something national intelligence and homeland security officials have repeatedly warned was likely ahead of the midterms.

Additionally, the department has received no information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that corroborates Sen. Nelsons statement and we have no evidence to support these claims, the Florida Department of State said in a statement. If Sen. Nelson has specific information about threats to our elections, he should share it with election officials in Florida.

The department said state and local election officials have taken significant steps to ensure the security and integrity of Florida elections.

Counties are using $1.9 million to purchase a network monitoring security system that provides automated alerts about threats, the department said. Moreover, counties are using $15.5 million in funding to make significant investments in election security before this years midterms.

Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement Wednesday evening saying: While we are aware of Senator Nelsons recent statements, we have not seen any new compromises by Russian actors of election infrastructure. That said, we dont need to wait for a specific threat to be ready.

Senators reaction

The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rubio and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, declined to comment.

The ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, issued a statement, but did not confirm or deny Nelsons claims.

Russian activities continue to pose a threat to the security of our elections, as Sens. Nelson and Rubio rightly pointed out in their letter, Warner said. I hope all state and local elections officials, including Floridas, will take this issue seriously.

Administration critics

White House critics have harshly criticized President Donald Trump on the issue of election security. They say his administration lacks a clear national strategy to protect U.S. elections from foreign interference by Russia or any other adversary. In response, top national security officials appeared together at the White House last week to insist there is a vast, government-wide effort to safeguard a cornerstone of American democracy.

John Bolton, the national security adviser, wrote in a letter to Senate Democrats that President Trump has not and will not tolerate interference in Americas system of representative government.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States.

Their rare appearance during a White House briefing came weeks after Trump publicly undermined the conclusions of American intelligence agencies regarding Russian interference. After suffering a bipartisan outcry, Trump later said he accepted those findings.
A new South African political party wants the government to expel all foreigners, claiming they bring crime into the country and are responsible for high unemployment. While it's unlikely the African Basic Movement party will win big in next year's general elections, its emergence is a sign, analysts say, that the global wave of nationalist, populist politics has come to the Rainbow Nation.



Party leader Thembelani Ngubane says his party, which he started last year, has gained tens of thousands of members and signatories to its petition to deport all foreigners by years end. Those numbers could not be verified.



The party recently registered to compete in next years elections, but critics question whether its platform adheres to South Africas progressive, inclusive constitution, and whether the party's position leans dangerously towards hate speech, which is illegal in South Africa.

We should get rid of all foreigners who are here, they are taking South Africas jobs, Ngubane told VOA. They sleep with our sisters, they give them children, they get married to them, so that they get South African citizenship. When they get that, they abandon them.... So South Africa is like chaos. And they are criminals, we cant catch them, they have no fingerprints, because they are from other countries.

Dangerous direction

About two million foreign nationals live in South Africa, most from neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe, according to the most recent census. However, the actual number, which includes undocumented residents, is thought to be higher.



This rise in xenophobic politics is extremely worrying, says Sharon Ekambaram, who heads the refugee and migrant rights program for Lawyers for Human Rights. She warns it could spur yet another outburst of xenophobic violence, given that South Africa periodically sees such violent, deadly clashes between disillusioned citizens and foreign nationals.

I cant even articulate how dangerous this is for our democracy, she said, talking about the emergence of Ngubane's party. This is clearly a group that is racist, theyre xenophobic. And I dont think theres a place for those kinds of people in our country. And I think that its serious that the electoral commission needs to investigate, if they have actually registered as a political party, whether that is constitutional for a party, because it makes space for someone whos a fascist, or a racist to form a party."

Moreover, Ekambaram adds, the party's premises are flawed: researchers have found that foreign nationals are often job creators, and are not disproportionately responsible for violent crime.

ANC opens the door



Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says he, too, is concerned, but not that the ABM will beat the juggernaut ruling African National Congress at the polls. What worries him, he says, is that their extreme views are opening the window for other nationalist beliefs to enter the mainstream. Mathekga believes the ANCs numerous corruption scandals and its inability to reduce unemployment and poverty during its two decades in power also make it easier to challenge them.

Im not surprised, he told VOA about the partys rise. South Africas politics is going in that direction, of populism. You have always had that level of leftist populism that has been there within South African politics. But the thing that is very, very different is the emergence of nationalist populism. Usually, these are the thoughts that you could just dismiss as the thoughts by loonies. Each and every society has those people on the outlier (fringes), who push these kinds of ideas. If the center of your politics have got legitimacy, if the party that is in power has got legitimacy, is accountable, it is doing things properly, that does not allow that kind of populism to try to compete, to be at the center.



Mathekga added the global rise of populist politics makes it easier for groups like the ABM to emerge.

Pointing to the United States, ABM leader Ngubane praises U.S. President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance illegal immigration policy, saying he shares the American leader's views.



Donald Trump is putting Americans first, he said. Here, we are putting South Africans first. You see, you cannot let your child sleep on an empty stomach and feed your neighbors child. That is the problem. Here in South Africa, our children sleep on empty stomachs. Our neighbors like Pakistanis, Chinese, they sleep on full stomachs. We dont want that.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has granted a blanket amnesty to rival Riek Machar and other rebels.

The decree, announced Thursday on South Sudan's state-run radio and television, took effect Wednesday, just three days after Kiir and Machar signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum aimed at ending a five-year civil war.

South Sudan gained independence from neighboring Sudan in 2011, but in late 2013 erupted into violence over a power struggle between Kiir and Machar, the vice president. The fighting has left tens of thousands of South Sudanese dead and forced millions of the country's citizens to flee their homes.

The new pact will see Machar return from exile in South Africa as the first of five vice presidents under a transitional government of national unity.
A political crisis that started in April is forcing Nicaraguans to seek asylum in neighboring countries like Costa Rica. Thousands are leaving their country. Meanwhile, the White House and U.S. Congress have warned the government to respect human rights and democracy. And as Cristina Caicedo Smit reports the U.N. Human Rights Commission is in Nicaragua, observing.
A former Buddhist monk infamous for a jet-set lifestyle was sentenced Thursday to more than 100 years in prison in connection with funds he fraudulently raised from followers.

Wirapol Sukphol caused a scandal when he appeared in a 2013 YouTube video in his monk's robes aboard a private jet wearing aviator sunglasses with a Louis Vuitton carry-on by his side. He was defrocked amid accusations that he had sexual relations with several women  a major violation of the precepts guiding monks' behavior  and had impregnated one. There were also allegations he had sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Because of the furor, he fled to the United States, where he was arrested in 2016 and extradited last year.

The Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok sentenced him Thursday to 114 years in prison, although legal technicalities capped the actual time he must serve at 20 years. He was found guilty of fraud, money laundering and violation of the computer crime act for spending money he had solicited for Buddhist statuary and temple improvements instead on cars and luxury goods.

The court also ordered that Wirapol pay 28.6 million baht ($864,000) in compensation to 29 people who filed lawsuits saying he had cheated them.

The same court will deliver a verdict on October 17 on a child molestation and child abduction case against Wiraphol.

Critics say Wirapol is an extreme example of a wider crisis in Thai Buddhism, which has become marginalized by a shortage of monks and an increasingly secular society.

At the court Thursday, a smiling Wirapol was joined by around 10 followers whom he told to relax.

Prison is comfortable, there are people always buying you food and there's plenty of space. Anyone want to join me? Wirapol said. If I have to spend many years in prison but can accept it, then it's comfortable. If you can't accept it, just one day in prison can feel like a thousand years.

The court's decision noted an earlier civil court ruling that ordered the confiscation of 43.5 million baht ($1.3 million) from Wirapol.

According to Thailand's Department of Special Investigation, Wirapol at one point had accumulated assets estimated at 1 billion baht ($30.1 million). During a shopping spree from 2009 to 2011, he bought 22 Mercedes Benz cars worth 95 million baht ($2.9 million), the department said.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake rocked Indonesia's Lombok island and the neighboring island of Bali on Thursday, causing instant panic after Sunday's quake in the region killed more than 300 people.

People at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport were seen shouting and running down escalators, streaming out the exits and across the main hall.

Officials said the epicenter of the aftershock was on land and there was no risk of a tsunami.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Sunday's devastating earthquake on Indonesia's Lombok Island has risen to 347, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), told the news agency Wednesday that another 1,447 people were injured and more than 165,000 have been displaced.

The numbers have 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

Most of the displaced residents are in the islands northern region, which was most severely affected. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are living in plastic tents erected in empty lots, yards and rice fields. Very few people are staying at the refugee centers.

BNPB reported that as of Wednesday afternoon 42,239 housing units has been declared damaged.

In Pemenang County, the area hardest hit, Muhammad Ulil Huda, a resident volunteering at the refugee command post, criticized the government's response.

"The problem is that many of our residents, victims of this earthquake, have received very little assistance, he said. So we must act and find and give them assistance they need."

Among the displaced are Fauzi, his wife, sons, daughters-in-law and a baby. As of Wednesday night, all seven family members jammed into a small roadside hut, a few kilometers from the tourist area of Senggigi Beach. For their family dinner they ate rice, instant noodles, tempeh and fried fish, freshly caught from the sea.

"These are from private individuals, Fauzi said of the meal pieced together from contributions from Chinese-Indonesians, Arab-Indonesians and westerners. Random strangers are giving us food. But no aid from the government yet.

On August 6, the morning after the first earthquake President Joko Widodo said that "As for logistics, last night I have instructed to send assistance to West Nusa Tenggara province, including medical doctors."



But the people the Indonesian Service interviewed have not yet seen action from the government to assist them.

Kusmayadi from the volunteer organization Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT, or Fast Response Team) said The province of West Nusa Tenggara has never been hit by a major disaster, so when this happened, the government is almost paralyzed. On top of that, the earthquake destroyed a large part of the infrastructure and the government itself was affected so much of the response infrastructure isnt working.

Thousands of tourists have been evacuated from Lombok and the Gili Islands.

Nugroho says the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue crews reach more affected areas and begin 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 due to 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.
In U.S. politics, President Donald Trump and Republicans are claiming victory in a special congressional election in Ohio seen as a possible bellwether for the November midterm elections. While the race officially remains too close to call, both major political parties see encouraging signs in the results, as we hear from VOA National correspondent Jim Malone in Washington.
President Donald Trump and his Republican supporters are claiming victory in a special congressional election in Ohio, even though officially the race remains too close to call. The race was seen by many as a possible bellwether for the midterm congressional elections in November.

Republican Troy Balderson leads Democrat Danny OConnor by about 1,700 votes, but a few thousand provisional ballots remain to be counted.

Even if the Republican eventually emerges victorious in the Ohio race, opposition Democrats also see plenty to be optimistic about as they look ahead to the November midterms, when all 435 House seats will be at stake along with 35 of the 100 U.S. Senate seats.

Tipping by Trump

President Trump held a rally in Ohio a few days before the voting on behalf of Balderson, and many analysts believe that may have tipped the election in Baldersons favor.

Trump was quick to take credit on Twitter Wednesday, claiming that Baldersons fortunes took a big turn for the better after his speech Saturday night. In a second tweet, the president boasted that As long as I campaign and/or support Senate and House candidates (within reason), they will win!

Trump also promised to campaign on behalf of Republican candidates in the midterm elections and predicted, We will have a giant Red Wave!

In remarks to his supporters Tuesday night, Balderson was quick to pay tribute to the president for his last-minute help.

Id like to thank President Trump, Balderson said to cheers. America is on the right path and we are going to keep it going that way.

Democratic surge

Balderson benefited from large campaign contributions from the Republican Partys campaign arm to offset heavy Democratic spending in the race on behalf of Danny OConnor.

For the most part, OConnor tried to stay focused on economic issues and health care and was less interested in making Trump the central issue in the race.

I heard over and over again that the people of central Ohio are sick and tired of the same old Washington politics, OConnor told supporters Tuesday night. Folks want new leadership.

OConnors strong showing came in a district that Republicans have held for more than three decades and which Trump carried in the 2016 election by more than 11 points.

In his rally Saturday on behalf of Balderson, Trump laid out a template for future campaign attacks as he strove to take the focus off of him and aim squarely at opposition Democrats.

If the Democrats get in, they are going to raise your taxes, you are going to have crime all over the place and you are going to have people pouring across the border, Trump told supporters. So why would that be a blue wave? I think it could be a red wave, really I think it should be a red wave.

Warning signs

The fact that Democrat OConnor ran a close race in a strongly Republican district, however, strikes experts as yet another warning sign for Republicans in November.

It is more evidence that in race after race throughout this year, Republicans have been underperforming the levels that they were at in 2016, which has to spell trouble for them moving forward, said Brookings Institution analyst John Hudak.

Balderson also received help from Ohio Governor John Kasich. On Sunday on ABCs This Week, Kasich predicted a narrow Republican victory in the election, but he also warned that Trump remains a polarizing figure for the broader electorate.

The chaos that seems to surround Donald Trump has unnerved a lot of people. So suburban women in particular here are the ones who are really turned off, Kasich told ABC.

Double-edged weapon

So on one hand, the Ohio results suggest the president can tip a close race into the Republican column.

Oh, I believe the president does think that his ability to weigh in and endorse a candidate can have an effect, said analyst Hudak.

But Hudak also argued that in addition to motivating his own base, Trump also is proving to be a turnout motivator for Democrats who want to show their displeasure with him.

While his intervention or maybe Governor Kasichs intervention or someone elses intervention may well have made the difference in this 1,700-vote margin in Ohio, the president has probably also played a significant role in the shift from Republicans toward Democrats in a race like this.

No matter who is declared the eventual winner of Tuesdays special election, Balderson and OConnor are expected to face off again in November when it is likely that Trump will once again be the pivotal issue for voters in midterm elections where the control of Congress is at stake.
Amid reports of shelling and bombing by Syrian government forces of rebel positions in Idlib, a senior U.N. official warns of a bloodbath if a full-scale war breaks out in this northwestern province.



Idlib is the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria. President Bashar-al-Assad has announced his interest in retaking the area. The United Nations is deeply worried about the prospect of war breaking out in Idlib, which shares a border with Turkey.



The province is packed with 2.5 million residents, and hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people who have fled there as a place of refuge of last resort. Jan Egeland, senior adviser to the special envoy for Syria, warned that in case of war, everyone will be trapped in Idlib because there is nowhere else to go.



"This area is screaming for diplomatic solutions," he said. "It is yearning for the best diplomats, the best military negotiators to sit down between each other and come to agreements knowing that there would not be another Idlib to be evacuated to."



Egeland conceded that among the many armed groups in Idlib, there are a number of people designated as terrorists by many countries and the United Nations. But he said they constitute a small minority and it would be indefensible to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of women, children and other civilians in the name of fighting terrorism.



"We cannot allow war to go to Idlib," he said. "We must learn from eastern Ghouta, from Aleppo, from Homs, from Raqqa and elsewhere. It is no way to liberate an area by leveling everything to the ground."



Egeland is urging Russia, Turkey, Iran, western powers, and Gulf countries with influence to put pressure on the armed opposition groups to stop their reckless, violent behavior. He said this war must not end in a bloodbath, but with an agreement.
U.N. Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov urged Israel and Hamas to step back "from the brink" after both sides exchanged rocket fire Wednesday.

"The situation can rapidly deteriorate, with devastating consequences for all people," Mladenov said.

Militants fired around 70 rockets into Israel from Hamas-controlled Gaza. Israel responded with airstrikes, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding five others, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The violence came even while both sides expressed some optimism that a truce could be worked out to help avoid another war between Israel and Hamas.

"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," the deputy Hamas chief for Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, told Al Jazeera television.

A senior member of the Israeli parliament said he "very much hopes we are on the brink of a new day on the matter of Gaza."

Palestinians have held weekly protests along the Israeli-Gaza border since March, when Israel began preparations for marking its 70th anniversary as a state.

Israeli soldiers have killed at least 158 demonstrators, many of whom were militants that Israel said were trying to sneak across the border.

Israel accused Hamas of organizing the protests as a cover for terrorism, a charge Hamas denies.
Officials in the U.S. capital of Washington and in the neighboring state of Virginia are bracing for the first anniversary of a white nationalist rally that exploded in deadly violence.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday she signed an order to escalate emergency operations in preparation of the rally that is scheduled to take place Sunday in a park across the street from the White House.

WATCH: Charlottesville White Supremacist Protest Recalled One Year Later

"It means that I'm making available every resource ... to ensure that we have safe events," she said at a news conference that was held at a Washington synagogue.

"We have people coming to our city for the sole purpose of spewing hate," Bowser added. "We denounce hate. We denounce anti-Semitism, and we denounce the rhetoric we expect to hear this Sunday."

Washington police chief Peter Newsham reminded demonstrators that carrying firearms without a license is prohibited in the city.

"Officers will be on high alert for anyone who will be carrying a firearm," he warned.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, and city officials in Charlottesville, Virginia  where the rally was held a year ago  announced a state of emergency would be in effect Friday through Sunday in that city and parts of Northern Virginia, outside Washington.

Northam described the state of emergency as an "administrative tool" to quickly mobilize resources, including the Virginia National Guard, if there are violent outbreaks.

Virginia State Police Superintendent Gary Settle said more than 700 troopers will be on duty over the weekend and will be "fully prepared to act" to prevent violence.

The "Unite the Right" rally in a Charlottesville park was organized in 2017 by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups to protest plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate States Army during the U.S. Civil War.

The rally attracted counter protesters, and clashes quickly broke out between the two groups. Thirty-two-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed by self-described white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr., who rammed a car into a crowd at high speed.

Two Virginia state troopers who were monitoring the rally were later killed in the line of duty when their helicopter crashed.

U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy criticized the performance of Charlottesville officials and the state police, saying they "failed to 'stand up' to protect human life."

Several events are scheduled in Charlottesville to observe what happened last year and promote racial healing.

The organizer of last year's rally, Jason Kessler, had vowed to hold a rally in a park near the White House on Aug. 12 after Charlottesville denied him a permit.

Charlottesville is nearly 187 kilometers from Washington, but officials and opponents of the white nationalist rally fear some protesters may travel to Washington or parts of nearby Northern Virginia.

"If something happens in Washington, it can easily affect Northern Virginia," Northam told Richmond-based WRVA radio station on Wednesday.

"We are treating this as a statewide event," said Virginia Department of Emergency Management coordinator Jeff Stern.
Zimbabwean police took former finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti into custody Thursday after Zambian authorities rejected his bid for asylum and deported him, his lawyer said.

Police in Zimbabwe were looking for Biti and eight other opposition figures for allegedly fomenting violence following a disputed national election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.

An hour ago Biti was handed over to Zimbabwean law enforcement officers and as we speak he is on Zimbabwean soil, Bitis Zambian lawyer Gilbert Phiri told Reuters by phone.

Six people were killed last week in an army crackdown on postelection protests against the victory by Mnangagwas ruling ZANU-PF party. Mnangagwas main rival, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, has accused the government of clamping down on members of his party.

Nkululeko Sibanda, a spokesman for the MDC, told VOA Wednesday that many of its senior officials had gone into hiding, fearing arrests or abductions since the election.

Biti, whose Peoples Democratic Party had formed an election alliance with Chamisas Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been in hiding since last week and had feared for his life, his Zimbabwean lawyer Nqobizitha Mlilo said.

The postelection turmoil is reminiscent of contested elections during the long rule of Robert Mugabe, who was toppled last November in a de facto military coup.

He was replaced by his former intelligence and defense chief Mnangagwa, who pledged to hold free and fair elections.

Phiri said the Zambian High Court had Wednesday night issued an order to stop Bitis deportation but Zambian immigration and police refused to accept the court papers.

Biti had sought asylum when he tried to enter Zambia through the Chirundu border post, 350 km (220 miles) north of the capital Harare, but his application was rejected.

He was then moved to a school near another border crossing in Kariba before being handed over to Zimbabwean police, Phiri said.

We tried to serve the court order on the immigration officers who were keeping him at a school under police protection but they refused to take it, Phiri said.
A Zimbabwe opposition leader, who had fled the country to seek political asylum in neighboring Zambia, has been freed on bail after being deported back to Zimbabwe. But his lawyers say their client was abducted.

Movement for Democratic Change Alliance senior official Tendai Biti was taken in handcuffs by police Thursday to the Harare Magistrates Court. "[Spirits] are very, very high. We keep on fighting," he told VOA.

Prosecutor Justin Uladi read the charges against Biti and accused the politician of announcing false election results, saying opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won Zimbabwe's July 30 polls. The state said Biti took part in the violence that rocked Harare during last week's opposition protest and destroyed property worth $345,000.

After the state and the defense finished their statements, Magistrate Francis Mapfumo granted Biti $5,000 bail. He was supposed to surrender his passport. On top of that, Magistrate Mapfumo ordered Biti to report to police twice a day.

Even though her client was granted bail, attorney Beatrice Mtetwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said she would challenge Biti's arrest in court on Friday.

"Because there is a court order from a Lusaka court where he is supposed to have been today if he had not been abducted," she said. "He was not brought here in terms of the country's extradition laws or SADC [Southern African Development Community] protocol on extradition or Zimbabwe's Criminal Mutual Assistance Act. He was not brought in terms of the law. You will hear tomorrow what happens in court."

Biti, who fled to Zambia Wednesday and was deported Thursday, is one of the several senior opposition officials Zimbabwe police say are wanted in connection with election related offenses.

On Friday the opposition is expected to challenge the outcome of Zimbabwe's July 30 general elections, which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said was won by incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
A Zimbabwean lawyer travelling with one of the principals of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, Tendai Biti, who fled to Zambia to seek asylum following alleged threats to his life, says contrary to reports that Biti was denied bail, they have not yet heard directly from Zambian authorities on the matter.

The application was done in the morning, and up to now, we have not had formal communication as to what the position of the Zambian government is on the application, said Nqobizitha Milo, who is with Biti at a police station at the Chirundu Border Post, on the Zambian side of the border with Zimbabwe.

According to Human Rights Watch senior researcher Dewa Mavhinga, the two are among several other MDC Alliance activists seeking political asylum in Zambia. They include civil society activist Zachariah Godi, and opposition activists Tawanda Chitekwe, Kudakwashe Simbaneuta, and Clever Rambanepasi  who lodged their application for asylum at the Chirundu border post. They are represented by attorney Gilbert Phiri, who was not reachable for comment.

Various media, including the Washington Post, have reported that Biti, who arrived in Zambia in the early hours of Wednesday morning, was denied asylum because the application did not have merit.

The Post and Lusaka Times quoted Zambias Foreign Minister Joseph Malanji. The Times reported that Zambian authorities were planning to deport Biti back to Zimbabwe, which has charged Biti with public violence and unlawfully and unofficially declaring opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa the winner of the July 30th elections, prior to the official announcement of results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Mlilo said Biti was not under arrest and that the Zambian police are in fact protecting him from suspected members of Zimbabwes state security agency.

He is not under detention, Mlilo said, adding that the Zambian authorities were treating his him very well. So where he is right now is at a police station and the police officers on the Zambian side have been extremely helpful in providing him with security.

Mlilo said in the event that Biti is denied asylum, Zambia is mandated under international law to send him where he chooses, where he feels safe.

If what we are hearing in the news and social media is anything to go by, if the Zambian government is of the opinion that they are not willing to offer him asylum, international law provides that he must be given right of free passage, said Mlilo.

Biti must then indicate which country he wants to go to and then the Zambian government must then facilitate that he goes to that country and seek asylum in that country, Mlilo elaborated.

Amos Chanda, spokesman for Zambian president Edgar Lungu, said Biti was in safe hands.

He (Biti) has not been turned over (to Zimbabwe authorities) as I am telling you. Hes within Zambian territory, on the side of the Zambian border in safe custody because circumstances under which hes being pursued are not well known. So, the Zambian authorities have to establish whether those pursuing him as Zimbabwe authorities are a militia, or are a group of people who are not identified. It is the responsibility of the Zambian security services to act swiftly, especially if hes at the Zambian border.

As we now understand, the Zimbabwe authorities are looking for Mr. Tendai Biti to answer to charges of public disorder, something of that sort, inciting violence. If indeed that is the charge for which hes being looked for, the Zambian authorities will required a secured guarantees that he will face a fair justice; he will be tried before a fair tribunal in a court of justice, and he will not be subjected to any inhuman treatment. If those guarantees are given, a consideration might be given to turn him over. As I am speaking to you, hes not.

On Bitis asylum request, he said, Those papers have not been launched. When that has been done, the Zambian authorities are going to inform the international community, will inform the Zimbabwe authorities, the sister Republic of Zimbabwe that that request has been made. As for now, no formal request has been made.

Biti, a former finance minister and also head of his own political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, which is part of the MDC Alliance, has not spoken publicly since the issuance of the warrant for his arrest last week on accusations of declaring Chamisa, without releasing figures, the winner of the presidential election.

ZEC says it is illegal to release results of an election before its own official announcement.

He is also accused of being the brainchild of protests in Harare last Wednesday over delays in releasing presidential election results. Incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa won the presidential poll after amassing 50.8 percent of the votes cast compared to Chamisas 44.3 percent.

Mlilo, however said his clients life is clearly in danger, and that they saw evidence of that in Zambia when Biti arrived, after driving from Zimbabwe.

It appears some that some elements of the Zimbabwean officials got to know about it and attempted to abduct him at the border. Fortunately the Zambian authorities were quite helpful and they managed to get him into the offices to speak to him, said Mlilo, while describing a dramatic scene at the police station. There was a big scuffle that happened outside the border post and ordinary people and women, who were going into Zambia helped in ensuring that he was taken into the office. They offered basically human security to him, and that explains how he was able to get into the offices of the Zambian officials.

VOA Zimbabwe Service failed to reach Zambian or Zimbabwean officials for comment. However, Gadzira Chirumanzu, a Zanu-PF activist said there is no basis for Biti to seek asylum in Zambia, if he has done nothing wrong.

There is nothing that our brother Tendai Biti is running away from, said Chirumanzu. The courts are there. If he knows that he has done nothing, completely nothing, he has to come and face the law.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa, says he has been putting pressure of the U.S. authorities to address the issue.

What we are trying to do is raise the necessary international alarm bells, to keep attention focused on his case because I think his case personally is not isolated, it is part of a wider crackdown on dissenting voices, on political opposition, and certainly on civil society with reports weve seen coming in of people going into hiding, said Smith.

Zimbabwe is under pressure from various international countries, including the United States, to address the issue of post-election harassment and intimidation.
A Zambian attorney representing opposition leader Tendai Biti, who has been deported following the rejection of his application for asylum, says the country has violated refugee, immigration and international laws protecting foreigners fleeing persecution.

In an interview, Gilbert Phiri said the nation is surprised by the Zambian governments refusal to grant Biti asylum as his life was in danger back home where he was facing charges of inciting violence and prematurely announcing results of the just-ended presidential election.

Phiri said, The Zambian authorities have violated the Refugee Control Act of Zambia and the Immigration and Deportation Act because first of all, ordinarily any Zambian or Zimbabwean does not need a visa to go to either country. So, Mr. Tendai Biti by coming into Zambia did not break any law, assuming that he never even applied for asylum. He could have been in Zambia even for a month.

Now, when he sought asylum the law is very clear, the Refugee Control Act as read with the Immigration and Deportation Act of Zambia, that he should be given a leverage of seven days within which he can decide what to do, either move to another country, regularize his stay or make an application. But for them to insist to return him to a place of danger is infact in violation of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) protocol and extradition because you cannot return, and Zambia and Zimbabwe are signatories to that protocol  You cannot return a person to a place where you face political persecution, thats very clear in the SADC protocol.

He noted that police and or immigration officials refusal to receive a court order for the judicial review of Bitis status in Lusaka following the initial rejection of his application for asylum by Zambian authorities, was a flagrant violation of the law.

The court order was disobeyed by the police. This is a very serious thing that has happened in Zambia. Its also a violation of international law and rights of Mr. Biti  This is a very sad day in the legal history especially of Zambia that such a thing where a court order, a duly issued court order by a well-constituted court issued and brought to the knowledge of law enforcement officers can be defied in the fashion it has. Zambia has always been a haven of peace, a haven for people that have been running away from persecution.

Throughout the 27 year reign of the first president of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda into even the era of the second president (Frederick) Chiluba and the subsequent presidents Zambia has been a place of refuge from people in South African when there was apartheid even as far as Rwanda where there was genocide, Congo with instability, Zambia hosted massive numbers of refugees.

Now, this is the lowest point to reach where you can now hand over a person that has requested refuge in your country when you all know that there is instability and he is being persecuted. What was wrong with allowing Mr. Tendai Biti to proceed to a third party country say Malawi or Botswana? If Zambia didnt want him, what really caused Zambia to return him to Zimbabwe? Therein lies a serious mischief and is really very worrying situation.

Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka refused to comment and referred all questions to Foreign Affairs Minister Malanji, who did not respond to calls on his mobile phone.

Biti was accompanied by several political activists in Zambia, who were also handed over to the Zimbabwean authorities.

Spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Babar Baloch, said, UNHCR remains gravely concerned about the reported incident of a Zimbabwean asylum seeker who was seeking safety in Zambia (senior Zimbabwean politician Tendai Biti) that has been deported from Zambia back to Zimbabwe, and this has unfortunately happened despite UNHCR interventions and our strong objections.

"Forcibly returning refugees and asylum seekers to a place where their life is in danger is a violation of the international refugee law, and this has happened against the Zambian national laws as well. So, we are calling on Zambia to investigate how this happened. People who seek safety and, in this case, this individual was coming to Zambia with a clear intention of applying for asylum."
The United States government says it is gravely concerned by credible reports of numerous detentions, beatings, and other abuses of Zimbabweans over the past week, particularly targeting opposition activists.

In a statement, U.S State Department spokesperson Heather Nuaert said there should be no role for violence, intimidation, or harassment in the new Zimbabwe.

We are also deeply concerned that Zambia chose to hand over former Minister of Finance Tendai Biti to the Zimbabwean authorities, and in the face of a reported Zambian court order blocking his expulsion from Zambia.

This decision is particularly disheartening given the courage that Zambia showed in sheltering thousands of Zimbabwean freedom fighters from Rhodesian aggression in the days of Zimbabwes independence struggle. We will be discussing this matter with Zambias leaders and reviewing certain aspects of our cooperation with the Zambian government.

The United States said the Government of Zimbabwe is now responsible for Tendai Bitis safety and welfare.

We call on Zimbabwes leaders to guarantee Mr. Bitis physical safety and ensure his constitutional and human rights are respected, consistent with the rule of law and Zimbabwes international obligations and commitments. In Washington, the United States has convoked the ambassadors of both Zimbabwe and Zambia to register our gravest concerns.

While Zimbabwe had a historic opportunity to move the country toward a brighter future for all its citizens, an electoral process marred by violence that does not respect constitutional rights and procedures is not a step toward that future.

President Donald Trump has just signed into law the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Bill, in an attempt to pave the way for a new democratic nation based on holding free, fair, credible and transparent elections and related issues.

America and its allies imposed targeted sanctions on Zanu PF officials following claims of election rigging and human rights violations.
Stratovolcano 1536 m / 5,039 ftKamchatka, 54.05N / 159.43E(4 out of 5)1771, 1830, 1852, 1854, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996 - ongoingDoninantly explosive, construction of lava domes, near constant activity.(volcano expedition to Kamchatka)

If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online:

Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, which is located immediately south of Karymsky volcano. The caldera enclosing Karymsky volcano formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the Karymsky stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

See allthat happened in the last 24 hours

News and updates about the new eruption at Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador, that started on 14 August 2015

Keep up to date about specials, new destinations, tour offerings about our tours and travel news site.

Support us - Help us upgrade our services!

Maintaining our website and our free apps does require, however, considerable time and resources.

We're aiming to achieve uninterrupted service wherever an earthquake or volcano eruption unfolds, and your donations can make it happen! Every donation will be highly appreciated.

Improved multilanguage support

Tsunami alerts

Faster responsiveness

Earthquake archive from 1900 onwards

Detailed quake stats

Additional seismic data sources

Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online:

Android | IOS to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online:

We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently:
But the monumental task of standing up a new military department, which would require approval by a Congress that shelved the idea last year, may require significant new spending and a reorganization of the largest bureaucracy in the world. And the idea has already run into fierce opposition inside and outside the Pentagon, particularly from the Air Force, which could lose some of its responsibilities.
Todays Headlines

The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.

Email address

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
I did a reader poll recently to test my theory that nothing our mercurial president might do or say  however absurd or outrageous  would be truly surprising. So I wrote that President Trump was planning to dismantle the Statue of Liberty  or at least sandblast away Emma Lazaruss poem on the base  on the grounds that we no longer want to welcome wretched refuse. I asked readers if they thought it was or might be true. Twenty-five percent said yes.
Aug. 12, 1995 On this day, Shannon Faulkner joined the freshman class at The Citadel, in Charleston, S.C., ending its all-male status after 152 years. In the wake of death threats, Faulkner, the first woman admitted to the state-supported military school, was accompanied by four U.S. marshals as well as her parents as she pulled up to the walled campus about 7:30 a.m., Mike Clary wrote in The Washington Post the next day. Faulkner, then 20, had fought a 2 -year legal battle to be admitted. The day before she was to start, the school made a last-ditch appeal to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who rejected it. Faulkner immediately fell ill, and after spending multiple days in the infirmary, she resigned. But more female cadets followed in her footsteps. Today, according to the schools website, 8.6 percent of the student body is female. Faulkner went on to become a high school English teacher. In March, she returned to The Citadel for the first time since she left in 1995. This time, the school invited her.
I researched transitions and learned they are not inherently difficult or easy. It just depends on our mind-set. Accepting that change is a part of life, and viewing it as a challenge rather than a threat can help us navigate transitions and grow from them. Perhaps I had accepted the empty nest as a part of lifes journey, or maybe I was tired of cooking dinner. Either way, as I grew used to our new routines, I ventured out of my comfort zone: I went zip-lining (Im terrified of heights), did a guest appearance on a podcast and took up hot yoga. Letting go of old habits and seeking new adventures helped me embrace the transition.
You might notice the rest of the audience cheering loudly for Ralph Macchio, and not understand exactly why. Yes, his opponent is bigger and more aggressive  but theyre both trying to compete. Theyre both fighting in the same ring. Since youd missed the first 123 minutes, you wouldnt know Billy Zabka and his friends spent most of them torturing Macchio. That the movie was basically two hours of how cruddy it was to be Macchio, followed by a solitary hard-fought win.
A lot of people in the shelter just want to be placed in stable housing, and they dont even care whats going on around them, said Marbley, 25. But for people like myself, who still care about residents who are still there, and for the health risks, I think that its great they are trying to postpone the demolition before it makes anything else worse.
Using a messaging app that helped hide her identity, Kristall urged demonstrators to bring helmets and shields, to use things like flagpoles as weapons. Apparently bold enough to organize violence and to use a handle referring to the deadly 1938 violence against Jews known as Kristallnacht, Kristall is apparently terrified of using her real name. But she may not have choice after a federal judge in California ordered the app to disclose her identity.
Eunice Lee, who is co-counsel for the plaintiffs in the case and co-legal director at the University of California at Hastingss Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, said: It must have been absolutely terrifying for them to think they would be returning to a country where they raised very credible claims of persecution and death. Its outrageous to me that while we were working around the clock, filing briefings for this cases early morning hearing, that people in the government were actively arranging for Carmens deportation.
Leggett, who has pointedly not endorsed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous, repeatedly praised Hogans leadership Thursday. He said people too often think that human trafficking would not be a problem in a state that is as affluent and highly educated as Maryland.
Hollow Wind Way, 13900 block, 3 p.m. July 26 to noon July 27. Clothing, cash and keys were stolen from an apartment entered by force. A vehicle was also stolen; it was later recovered in the District.
Very, very few of our visitors share the views that will be expressed in Lafayette Park on Sunday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said. We have people coming to our city for the sole purpose of spewing hate. It didnt make sense last year, and it doesnt make sense now. . . . While we are opposed adamantly to what we are going to hear, we know what our responsibility is  to protect First Amendment events, to protect Washingtonians and to protect our city.
Paho then stopped his car and threatened to call police to report the damage. As Smith tried to pedal away, the driver grabbed the bike while trying to call 911. Smith then repeatedly called the driver the racial slur, police said, and struck him in the head with the U-lock.
His mother, Darlene Rainey, said her son was a basketball enthusiast who played at any opportunity he got. The only thing he loved more than basketball, she said, was his 11-month-old son.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9)  Days after President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at errant cops, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said there would be no let up in rooting out "misfit" and 'scalawag" members of the force.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' On the Record Thursday, PNP Spokes person SSupt. Bong Durana said it was these officers who were giving the police force a bad name.

Durana said there were over 6,000 PNP personnel who have already received sanctions or have been punished.

"Out of that 6,401, we have dismissed 1,828 and that's excluding something like 353 personnel we have dismissed for their involvement in drugs," he said.

The sanctions meted out were suspensions, demotions, and forfeiture of pay.

National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Vice Chair Rogelio Casura said his agency last year dismissed 154 , demoted 112, and suspended 80 police personnel.

From this data, Casurao said most of the decisions resulted in dismissals, showing there was "firm resolve to rid scalawags from the ranks of the police."

Durana said less than 10 were cleared of charges.

"You can see right from the data I stated, that we are really serious of ridding our ranks of misfits and scalawags," he told CNN Philippines.

Earlier, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said there would be "zero mercy" and there would be no tolerance for police involved in illegal activities  particularly for those who "recycle" illegal drugs or who participate in its sale.

It was these errant officers, Durana said, who were "destroying the good reputation of the entire 190,000-strong Philippine National Police."

Durana added cops accused of wrongdoing were given due process.

"If we can give due process to criminals, then we can likewise give due process to our people," he said.

The NAPOLCOM, he said, made sure it was observed.

Duterte's anger understandable

Talking about the tongue-lashing errant cops received Tuesday, Casurao said the President's anger was understandable.

"There is no mercy, really, for errant cops," he said.

Duterte spoke harshly, saying, "Kayong mga pamilya nakikinig ngayon, nandito itong mga p****** i** mga asawa ninyo kapatid, anak. Huwag tayong magsisihan. 'Pag namatay itong mga p****** i** 'to, huwag kayo pumunta sa amin at magsisigaw kayo ng 'human rights, human rights, due process.' Wina-warningan ko na kayo eh."

[Translation: The families listening now, here are your bastard husbands, siblings, children. Let's not blame each other. If these bastards die, don't come running to us shouting human rights, human rights, due process. I've been warning you.]

Casurao said the President was expressing his anger at cops on the wrong side of the law.

A special task force has proposed that police scalawags also be put under "tokhang" or knock and plead operations.

Counter Intelligence Task Force Chief Romeo Caramat said, "My advice to our fellow policemen who are doing illegal activities to stop immediately, otherwise I can see that their days are numbered."

Durana said they were hopeful that erring policemen would change their ways, but that they would be "relentless and surgical" in the counter-intelligence efforts.

Watch the full episode here:

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles and senior digital producer Pia Garcia contributed to this report.
Koenig said it is possible that she may have started out breeding the cats and then trying to sell them, but that it got away from her. He said having so many cats in confined spaces created an ammonia-like odor of feces and urine that was dangerous for investigators.
Even though he has seemed to live a very positive life and seemed to have turned things around, Lee began saying of Cole, and there are other aspects of his life he seems to have evolved out of . . . the facts in the case suggest perhaps  perhaps, that he did not evolve completely from that.
These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriffs Office and the Maryland State Police. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-535-2800 or 301-855-1194, the Crime Solvers line at 410-535-2880 or the state police Prince Frederick Barrack at 410-535-1400.
What can be done: During every significant transition, reassess needs and how youre going to get them met  with the help of an experienced social worker or care manager, if possible. Who are the people who can help you? What resources are available? What alterations need to be made in the home and care arrangements? Youll need a new plan of action, Hodgson said.
It is not yet clear what threat an 11-year-old girl may have posed to an off-duty officer as she walked away from him. Or how many steps she took before he unholstered his Taser.
There is certainly more wear and tear on the boats. You are hitting more rocks and sliding over more gravel bars, said Alex Mickel, president at AAMs Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Trail Tours in Durango. Simple math makes each trip more costly, he added. We have to take less people per boat since the water is moving lower so they are lighter and more maneuverable.
A former top CIA clandestine officer explained to me what the agency would do if it had recruited the driver of a senior official such as Feinstein. We would have the driver record on his phone all conversations that Feinstein would have with passengers and phone calls in her car. If she left her phone, iPad or laptop in the car while she went to meetings, social events, dinners, etc., we would have the driver download all her devices. If the driver drove for her for 20 years, he would probably would have had access to her office and homes. We would have had the source put down an audio device in her office or homes if the opportunity presented itself. Depending on the take from all of what the source reported, we would use the info to target others that were close to her and exhibited some type of vulnerability.
When the Russians launched their invasion, the United States focused first and foremost on protecting the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and the duly elected Georgian government. In that regard, U.S. military transport returned Georgian armed forces from Iraq so that they could defend their homeland. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told his Russian counterpart that we were doing so and not to interfere. And, as Saakashvili recounted in his own op-ed Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal, we launched a humanitarian convoy, escorted by U.S. warships. This was a signal to the Russians.
On August 3, 2018, the State Council announced that residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau (THKM) will no longer require work permits to work in mainland China.

In effect, this means that  at least for employment purposes  residents from these three regions will be treated the same as local mainland Chinese residents.

However, THKM residents will continue to be treated differently than mainland Chinese residents in a number of employment-related areas, including social insurance benefits.

Nevertheless, the policy reform cuts administrative red tape for THKM jobseekers, and simplifies the hiring process for employers.

What is the change?

Previously, under the Administrative Regulations on Employment of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Residents in Mainland, residents from THKM regions were required to obtain a work permit (known as the ) before working in mainland China.

A THKM resident was required to submit up to 10 items of paperwork (e.g. employers business license, employees health certificate, valid travel documents) in order to obtain a work permit.

While the process for THKM residents to acquire a work permit was already significantly less onerous than that required of foreign applicantsgenerally taking only 1-3 weeks to completeunder the new legislation, the process of applying for a work permit has been removed completely.

Related News Shanghai's New Startup Visa

Additionally, the work permit system meant that THKM residents were required to apply for a new permit when switching employers and would be subject to the permits two-year renewal period.

In lieu of the work permit system, THKM residents can now use their business license, labor contract, wage payment documents, or social security payment records as evidence of employment in mainland China. Additionally, they will now be eligible to register for unemployment benefits.

Separately, the State Council announced that further measures will be released to guide the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security to facilitate these new measures and to strengthen its supervision of employment services, social security, unemployment registration, and labor rights protection.

Incentives for THKM workers

The policy change is part of the Chinese governments ongoing efforts to establish a unified China, by encouraging THKM residents to work in the mainland.

The changes were praised by Hong Kongs pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which said that it made Hong Kong residents more employable. The party stated that the measures will prevent mainland enterprises from refusing to recruit Hongkongers due to complicated procedures.

Related services Recruitment Assistance

Despite the elimination of work permits for THKM residents, they will still be treated differently than mainland Chinese workers in certain areas, such as for access to healthcare and pension benefits. For example, THKM residents will still have to pay for medical services in public hospitals in full before seeking reimbursement for social insuranceif provided by their employers.

In addition to increased working rights, the Chinese government offers a variety of incentives to attract THKM residents. For example, in July, the Guangdong provincial government announced measures providing Taiwanese residents with the same investment, employment, and study rights as mainland Chinese residents in a number of areas.

The administrative measures on THKM work permits were one of eleven abolished by the State Council last week, in efforts to cut the red-tape and streamline approval processes. Amongst the 11 other measures scrapped by the State Council last week were: business registration for enterprise group, preliminary approval for overseas investment by domestic companies and registration for subsidiaries.
The politicians and power brokers who helped Hitler become chancellor believed they could deploy him to destroy the left, but also keep him under control. They achieved the first, but not the second. The consequences were catastrophic to those slaughtered in Hitlers genocide, and to Germany as a whole. German conservatives had no desire to see their country pulverized by war and shrunken in size afterward. But their choices during the 1930s brought about exactly this outcome.
One factor slowing a U.S. response has been sympathy for Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the state counselor of Myanmar, also known as Burma. She is the de facto head of state, who once symbolized all that is admirable about resisting tyranny. Aung San Suu Kyi has limited powers and does not control the generals . But empathy for her current situation  and sentimentality about her past  must not stand in the way of urgent action to defend the Rohingya, a long-persecuted minority. After a militant group attacked Myanmar security posts, the military responded with a wave of 27 army battalions and three police battalions , a force of about 12,000, a scorched-earth campaign against the Rohingya civilian population. The Rohingya fled to Bangladesh and remain stuck there in ramshackle refugee camps. If Aung San Suu Kyi had encountered such a tableau of suffering in her earlier role as a champion of the downtrodden, she would have been apalled.
Consider the revelation last month that officials in the Interior Department dismissed evidence that national monuments boosted tourism before deciding to shrink a few of them, pleasing Republicans who have complained about federal control of the land. Or consider the complaints from economists that the administration underestimated the economic benefits of clean-water regulations before revoking them last year. Or the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services last year to reject a study showing the economic benefits that refugees bring to the United States.
CALIFORNIA, THE nations most populous state and the worlds fifth-largest economy , is on fire. In a state already known for monster conflagrations, the past month has been unusually destructive. The Mendocino Complex fire north of San Francisco is now officially the largest in Californias history, having burned an area about the size of Los Angeles, and it is just one of the major blazes the state has had to face since last October.

President Trump tried to lay the blame on bad environmental laws and wasted water, claims that experts quickly debunked. The 14,000 firefighters on the ground do not lack for water; they are battling blazes next to big lakes and other major bodies of water. The states big rivers have not been diverted into the Pacific, as Mr. Trump claimed; they flow into the ocean as they always have, though with large amounts sent to cities and farmland for human use.

Should even more of that water be taken to keep wild plants and soil moist, and therefore more resistant to fire? That wouldnt work. Even if you built a massive statewide sprinkler system and drained all of our natural water bodies to operate it, it wouldnt keep up with evaporation from warmer temperatures from climate change, University of California at Merced professor LeRoy Westerling explained to NPR.

As much as the president might prefer to point fingers elsewhere, it is impossible to talk about Californias blazes without considering the role of climate change. Four of the five largest conflagrations the state has had to battle have come since 2012 , according to the Los Angeles Times, and that is probably no mere coincidence. Droughts, storms and heat waves have occurred throughout history, of course, and it is hard to attribute any single event to climate change. But scientists have concluded that climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather and will continue to do so.

In California, a half-decade-long drought was followed by swamping winter rains in 2016 and 2017, which encouraged rapid plant growth. Then, intense heat last summer dried out the land. That resulted in massive fires last October. Come July, triple-digit heat once again fueled huge blazes, as arid land served as an ideal tinderbox. The state may offer an alarming taste of the troubles to come.

Even after major periods of rain, uninterrupted high heat can produce arid conditions quickly, and arid conditions lead to big fires. A 2016 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that human-caused climate change is responsible for about half the additional drying that researchers have found since the 1970s, resulting in a doubling of the area forest fires have consumed since 1984. Climate change may also increase lightning strikes, which are a major source of wildfires, and generate the high winds that can drive big blazes. Meanwhile, earlier springtime melting means that the land has more time to dry out over the warmer months. Global warming will increasingly prime the environment for spectacular disasters.

Addressing global warming and hiring more firefighters are obvious responses; the federal government should also prepare to spend more money in disaster relief. Yet, pumping cash into ever-more firefighting is in part how forest fires got so bad in the West. So much of the U.S. Forest Services budget has gone to firefighting that too little has been left for care and restoration. Lawmakers should examine the many ways they can help prevent another summer like this one  or worse.
Platts book upends these stereotypes, showing first that the drug trade to China constituted an efficient partnership between Westerners and Chinese. The vast majority of opium that arrived on Western ships off Chinas coast before 1839 was moved into China by Chinese with the support of bribed Chinese officials. Platt also shows that China was anything but closed to Western influences. Yes, starting in 1740, the Qing court restricted trade with the West to Canton, then the third-biggest city in the world behind London and Beijing. But Western goods were the rage among Chinas elite. Western furs, glass, clocks and clothes connoted status  much as they do today. The trade was also enormously profitable. Tariffs from the trade bankrolled both the imperial court in Beijing and the British government, becoming especially critical to Westminster during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. Profits, too, enriched not only British and Chinese businessmen, but Americans and traders from the Indian subcontinent as well. Platt notes that some of the first American fortunes were made in the China trade at a time when the worlds richest man was a brilliant Chinese merchant named Houqua, who became a household name in the West, a figure at Madame Tussauds wax museum, and an early investor in U.S. real estate and railroads.
This is the most anti-immigration administration probably in the history of the country, except when it comes to this family, and the hypocrisy is just stunning, said David Leopold, an immigration lawyer in Cleveland. He and his administration are on a crusade to rid the country of immigrants, particularly immigrants of color. What can you say when the first lady and her family have such an easy time?
No supermarkets: Being in the country and near places to hike, kayak and canoe drew Lauren Greenberger to Barnesville while she was still married. We wanted to be in the country. We love outdoor sports, she said. She knew Sugarloaf Mountain from hiking there when her children were young. Now divorced and working in landscape technology, Greenberger, 61, is president of the Sugarloaf Citizens Association and committed to her farm with 50 Black Angus cattle. She said she enjoys potluck dinners and moonlit paddling by canoe and kayak with friends and neighbors.
Correction

An Aug. 11 Real Estate story on sea-level rise incorrectly attributed a quote about the impact of beach erosion on homes to Josh Posner, president of the Siaconset Beach Preservation Fund. The following quote should have been attributed to Phillip Johnson, executive director of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition: Homes on the beach are no match for this kind of erosion. Its a losing battle, no matter how much money you have. Also the story incorrectly reported that some areas of Nantucket have lost nearly 100 feet of beachfront over the past few years. The areas actually have lost more than 10 feet of beachfront.
An exhibition to explore the role of empresses in China's last dynasty-the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)-will be on view from Aug 18 in the Untied States.

The Empresses of China's Forbidden City, which runs through Feb 10, 2019, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, includes nearly 200 artworks such as imperial portraits, jewelry, garments, Buddhist sculptures and decorative art objects from the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The exhibition is being organized by the Palace Museum in conjunction with the 219-year-old PEM and the Smithsonian's Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries in Washington, DC, to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of US-China diplomatic relations.

The exhibition focuses on three key figures-Empress Dowager Chongqing, Empress Xiaoxian and Empress Dowager Cixi-who shaped the long history of the dynasty. Their life experiences revolve around six core themes: imperial weddings, power and status, family roles, lifestyle, religion and political influence.

An international team of experts spent four years in the Forbidden City to investigate the largely hidden world of the women inside. Some of the rare treasures showcased in this exhibition have not been on view in the United States before, while some have never been publicly displayed at all.

Visitors will also discover in-gallery interactive experiences, such as being able to create an empress's robe. Other programs include immersive videos and opera performances, as well as English and Chinese language labels, text and guided tours.

In November 2018, halfway through the six-month exhibition at PEM, an additional 30 artworks from the Palace Museum will be introduced in the galleries, including magnificent paintings and imperial robes.

Founded in 1799, PEM, located just north of Boston, is the oldest continuously operating museum in the nation. Its architecture collection of 22 noted historic structures includes Yin Yu Tang, the only complete antique Chinese house located outside China.

The Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and the adjacent Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located on the National Mall in Washington, together comprise the nation's museums of Asian art. The Freer/Sackler is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education and research complex.

Established in 1925, the Palace Museum is located in the imperial palace of the consecutive Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties. The magnificent architectural complex, also known as the Forbidden City, and the vast holdings of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and antiquities of the imperial collections make it one of the most prestigious museums in China and the world.

In 1961, the State Council designated the former imperial residence as one of China's foremost-protected cultural heritage sites, and in 1987 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bolivian President Evo Moraless plane, forced to land in Austria because of suspicions that American fugitive Edward Snowden was on board, was permitted to fly home Wednesday, Bolivian and European authorities said.

The search for Snowden turned into a major diplomatic fiasco, with Bolivia, Venezuela and several other Latin American countries lashing out at the United States and accusing it of having strong-armed European countries into redirecting the official Bolivian presidential plane.

The U.S. government had no immediate comment.

Snowden, who revealed secret U.S. surveillance programs and fled to Hong Kong, then Moscow, to stay beyond American reach, was not aboard the plane, an irate David Choquehuanca, Bolivias foreign minister, told reporters after the Bolivian delegation landed in Vienna.

We dont know who invented this lie, he said from Bolivias capital, La Paz.

Moraless plane, ferrying him home from a conference in Moscow, was redirected to Vienna late Tuesday after France and Portugal refused to allow it to enter their airspace, Bolivian and Venezuelan officials said.

Authorities in Austria confirmed that the plane was searched and that Snowden, 30, was not on the flight. There was no indication that he had left Moscow, where he has been in diplomatic limbo for more than a week.

Our airport staff have checked it over and can assure you that no one is on board who is not a Bolivian citizen, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger told reporters at the Vienna airport, Reuters news agency reported. He called it a voluntary examination. But Morales had told reporters that no Austrians had been on board.

Bolivias government responded angrily to the incident. Vice President Alvaro Garcia announced that the ambassadors of France and Italy and the consul for Portugal would be summoned to the Foreign Ministry in La Paz on Wednesday to explain what he called the abuse of redirecting Moraless plane.

He said the representatives of those countries need to explain these disagreeable, terrible and abusive events.

The incident also raised the ire of governments and organizations across Latin America, which cast Moraless troubles as a dire violation against a small country orchestrated by Washington. Even Colombias leftist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), called the rerouting of the plane an infamy.

Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the Organization of American States, which is based in Washington and is made up of governments across the Western Hemisphere, called for an explanation from the European countries that Moraless government accused of blocking his planes flight path.

Nothing justifies an action of such disrespect from the highest authorities of a country, said Insulza, who is from Chile.

Choquehuanca said Moraless plane was an hour from French airspace when it was told it could not enter. Portugal has to explain to us, he said. France has to explain to us why they canceled flight authorization.

The Portuguese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Portugal informed the Bolivians on Monday afternoon, a full day before Moraless flight, that it would not allow the Bolivian plane to land in the country for unspecified technical reasons but that it would allow an overflight.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that two officials with the French Foreign Ministry said that Moraless plane also had authorization to fly over France. They would not comment on why Bolivian officials said otherwise. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named, according to ministry policy.

The wire service, citing an unidentified official in Vienna, reported that the flight crew on Moraless aircraft asked controllers at the Vienna airport for permission to land because the plane needed more fuel to continue its journey.

The aircraft took off from Vienna shortly before noon Wednesday, AP reported. Spain said the plane would be allowed to refuel in the Canary Islands, although a Foreign Ministry official declined to comment on a claim by Bolivia that the permission was contingent on allowing authorities to search the plane, the wire service said.

The White House, CIA and State Department all declined to comment on the situation involving the Bolivian aircraft. But the latest twist seemed to signal that U.S. authorities have been able to marshal support from European countries in what has been a feverish pursuit of the former National Security Agency contractor.

It also underscored how Snowden has settled still deeper into isolation as one country after another has rejected his appeals for asylum since his disclosure of a trove of highly secret documents.

The diverting of Moraless plane is sure to fan anger against the United States, which is trying to play down new revelations of spying against European allies while trying to win support to corral Snowden even from countries such as Russia, Bolivia and Venezuela, which are sharply at odds with the Obama administration.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua called the incident over Austria an attempt on Evo Moraless life. He said it was a sign of how far the empire  a reference to the United States  and its lackeys would go to hunt down a young man who has only said the truth.

Bolivias defense minister, Ruben Saavedra, who was on the flight, also blamed the United States, telling Bolivian media that this proves with clarity an attitude of sabotage and plotting by the United States, pressuring European government. He said that Italy, too, had barred Moraless plane from its airspace.

For the United States, Bolivia clearly emerged as a possible sanctuary for Snowden, who was stuck in Russia after the United States revoked his passport before his arrival in Moscow on a flight from Hong Kong on June 23.

In an interview earlier Tuesday in Moscow on the state-financed RT news channel, Morales said he would consider asylum for Snowden. Yes, why not? he said. Bolivia is there to welcome personalities who denounce  I dont know if its espionage or control. But we are here.

After living unseen in the transit zone of Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport for a week, Snowden sent out 19 asylum requests Sunday night, according to WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy organization that has been advising him. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he could stay here if he stopped leaking information harmful to the United States, an odd offer that Snowden refused, a presidential spokesman said Tuesday morning.

That left a list of countries, from Austria to Venezuela, to which Snowden had sent appeals. By Tuesday evening, at least eight of them  including Ecuador and Iceland, which had been asked earlier  had said an applicant must be in the country to be considered. At least three had said no, and others had not replied.

Some countries avoided him out of friendship with the United States, others for political or economic reasons. Ecuador, which at first had appeared enthusiastic, grew less so after Vice President Biden made a call to the president. To be granted asylum, Snowden would have to count on a country to defy the United States. Of those on his list, Bolivia and Venezuela were looking like the best possibilities. Both are hostile to the United States, and the presidents of both countries have heaped praise on Snowden.

Morales, who said his government had not received a formal request for asylum, in 2008 expelled the U.S. ambassador from his country and ended anti-drug cooperation with Washington.

Bolivia, as well as Venezuela and Ecuador, he said, are exposed to constant surveillance from the U.S. empire.

Venezuelas president, Nicolas Maduro, was also in Moscow, which had convened a meeting of gas-exporting countries, and Russian media speculated that he would take Snowden to Venezuela on his official plane.

Maduro smiled at that suggestion. We will take with us numerous agreements on investments in the oil and gas sector, he said. He defended the former National Security Agency contractor, however, saying that Snowden had neither killed anyone nor planted a bomb and that he deserved protection. He only told the world a large truth to prevent war, Maduro said. The U.S. capitalist elite are trying to control the world and are spying on friends, foes and the entire planet.

The Obama administration on Tuesday acknowledged contacting foreign governments on Snowdens asylum list, but a State Department spokeswoman dismissed the leakers claims that Washington has mounted a campaign to pressure anyone against offering him sanctuary.

We have been in touch, as we have been for several days now, with a broad range of countries that could serve as either transit spots or final destinations, said the spokeswoman, Jennifer Psaki. And what weve been communicating is, of course, what weve been communicating publicly  that Mr. Snowden has been accused of leaking classified information. He is somebody that we would like to see returned to the United States.

Late Tuesday, Maduro was preparing to fly on to Belarus  without Snowden, a member of his entourage told the Interfax news agency. Nothing could be done, the official told Interfax  the Venezuelan plane was at a different airport.

After his nine days in limbo, Snowdens situation looked desperate. Officials here have portrayed themselves as powerless in the case because Snowden is outside their jurisdiction in the transit zone and needs a passport or other document before he can travel onward, but some Russians find that disingenuous. Russian officials always find a way to do exactly what they want, they say.

And that has raised questions about what is going on behind the scenes. Pavel Felgenhauer, a longtime military analyst and observer of the KGBs successor, the Federal Security Service, or FSB, offered this speculative scenario: Russia must be trying to see whether it can recruit Snowden.

In an interview Tuesday, Felgenhauer said that when Putin told reporters that Snowden could stay if he stopped talking about the United States, Putin was saying that Snowden had to make a choice. Putin was telling Snowden that he would be working for Russia, not for one of the newspapers publishing his leaks, Felgenhauer said.

The reason Snowden has not been seen is that border guards, who stand at the door when an international flight lands and who work for the FSB, would have hustled him off to a safe room in the airport, or even a safe house elsewhere, Felgenhauer said. Snowden probably did not use a ticket he had to Havana on June 24, the analyst said, because his minders told him the United States would force the Aeroflot flight down when it flew over U.S. territory.

Hes cornered psychologically, Felgenhauer said. You bring the guy to the breaking point to see if hes real. By now hes probably afraid of everything, convinced hell be hunted down like bin Laden if he leaves here.

As Felgenhauer put it in a Novaya Gazeta article this week, Snowden remained in Sheremetyevo like a suitcase with a broken-off handle: a pain to carry and a shame to throw away.

Forero reported from Bogota, Colombia. Joby Warrick in Washington contributed to this report.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative member of Parliament, however, told Nigel Farage on his radio show on Thursday that May was wrong. Hes completely entitled to say it, and theres nothing to apologize for, said Rees-Mogg, who  like Johnson and Farage  favors a hard and fast Brexit.
All this suggests a dramatic change in attitudes. But critics wonder whether it will lead to much of an overhaul of the continents collections. They note that governments are talking less about returning artifacts with sincere apologies and more about long-term loans and joint-custody agreements. They bristle at the idea that European institutions should get to determine which claims are valid and whether other countries have adequate facilities and curatorial expertise to get back objects that were taken from them.
The United States is helping the coalition, the only party in the conflict to use warplanes, with refueling, intelligence and billions in weapons sales. The coalition mostly uses U.S.- and British-made fighter jets. Human rights groups and Washington Post journalists have seen remnants of U.S.-made bombs at attack sites where civilians were struck. The U.S. assistance has come under sharp criticism from some members of Congress and the international community as civilian deaths have continued to multiply, even as the coalition promises not to target civilians.
We only slept an hour, said Naomi Zolberg, 34, a resident of the Israeli city of Sderot who said four projectiles hit very close to her home on Wednesday evening as she was inside with two of her children. People were freaking out. It is not normal to live like this, under the will of the other side.
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.
The Pentagon suspended the program in 2016 after judging that its procedures presented an unacceptable risk of insider threats including espionage and terrorism. The department ordered that those service members who enlisted through the program be subjected to enhanced security screening  a procedure that would be impossible for many of them to pass.
Her career has been marked by a tendency to take on most challenging roles in most challenging areas of our border, and our agency, he said. Shes come up through the ranks, earned each new role with hard work, perseverance and a willingness to do whatever the Border Patrol asks of her to advance the mission.
The jury is very sensitive to what it perceives, correctly or not, to be the judges view of the case, Gillers said. A jury of lay people is going to be encouraged to reach a belief which could well be incorrect  that the judge knows who should win, and through his behavior hes telegraphing that belief. And thats why its critical that any judicial admonition, even mild ones, occur outside the jurys presence.
The aftershock  the third since Sundays quake  had a magnitude of 6.2, according to Indonesias geological agency. It did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, the agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 5.9.
San Luis Potosi is not alone in weathering NAFTA uncertainty surprisingly well. The value of the Mexican peso has risen more than 10 percent in the past two months. The countrys stock index is up more than 5 percent in that time. Those increases are due in part to the stance of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist whose support of NAFTA has quelled some concern about the future of the automobile industry.
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.
On Monday Energy Australia almost trebled its June-half earnings. AGL has now increased its full-year underlying earnings by 28 per cent. Origin Energy will no doubt follow suit when it reports in a weeks time.

For those results shareholders can thank, and customers blame, the abrupt closure of the Hazelwood power station in Victoria by Frances Engie last year and the earlier shutdown of Alintas Northern plant in South Australia.

The former Hazelwood power station. Its closure provided a big boost to generators' profits. Credit:Eddie Jim

Those closures had a dramatic impact on wholesale energy prices, which spiked, and triggered a massive community backlash, political recriminations and likely regulatory interventions.

Oddly, AGL  responsible for neither of the closures  has found itself in the eye of the political storm because of its earlier decision to announce, with a five-year lead time, the planned closure of its ageing Liddell power station in NSWs Hunter Valley.
It's a classic Sydney property dilemma: Claims that the NSW government has sold the same view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House twice are about to be tested in court.

The view buyers that claim to have been effectively duped are James Packers Crown Resorts and one of the countrys largest property developers, Lendlease.

A view from Pyrmont of Crown Casino being constructed at Barangaroo. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Both are trying to injunct the NSW governments Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) from allowing other developers to increase the height and density of projects adjacent to Crown and Lendlease and impede the view they say they have already paid for.

They say the BDA is attempting to raise more money for the NSW government. The way Crown and Lendlease describe it, the BDA has engaged in a bit of view-based bait and switch.
The actress at the centre of a defamation case involving Geoffrey Rush has alleged in a statement that he touched her on the breast and lower back and traced his finger across her lower back, a court has heard.

Rush, 67, is suing Nationwide News - publisher of The Daily Telegraph - and journalist Jonathon Moran over two front-page stories and a newsagent poster published in late 2017, which detailed allegations that Rush engaged in "inappropriate behaviour" during a theatre production of King Lear.

Geoffrey Rush outside court in Sydney last month. Credit:AAP

Rush has vehemently denied the allegations.

Eryn Jean Norvill, who played Cordelia in the production, allegedly made a complaint to the Sydney Theatre Company but did not wish for it to be brought to the attention of Rush.
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.

Loading

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?
Swedish carmaker Volvo has warned about layoffs at its US plant in South Carolina due to the Trump administration's tariffs on China. It was a warning which was also made by German auto giant BMW. Now a TV maker in the state says it is closing its plant due to the tariffs.

Element TV Co will let 126 workers go, mostly on Oct 5. It will keep eight employees at the Fairfield County plant amid hopes it can reopen in three to six months, the company said in a letter to state employment officials on Monday.

The Trump administration imposed a 25 percent import tax in July that included Chinese components for TVs and video equipment.

"The layoffs and closure are 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's Department of Employment and Workforce in a letter obtained by The State newspaper in Columbia.

Element opened around five years ago. Nikki Haley, South Carolina governor at the time and now the US ambassador to the United Nations, did a live video feed from the plant to mark its opening.

"We want to make sure that government is the first group to help you, not hurt you," Haley said. She promised 500 jobs, or about a quarter of the employees currently at the plant.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, one of US President Donald Trump's earliest supporters, said state and federal officials had 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 told The Associated Press.

The Element plant is around 50 kilometers north of Columbia, the state capital. It is one of Fairfield's largest remaining employers, according to The State newspaper.

The county lost about 5,000 jobs last summer when construction was halted on two nuclear reactors. That ended a promised economic boon to the poor, rural county, according to the newspaper.

The state's automakers have warned that tariffs could lead to more job losses.

Volvo of Sweden has said tariffs could prevent it from reaching its goal of 4,000 workers by 2021 at its just-opened auto plant near Charleston.

German automaker BMW has warned Trump administration officials that some if not many of its 10,000 workers at its plant near Spartanburg and 35,000 at BMW suppliers could have their jobs at risk if tariffs continue.
Emergency services have attended the scene after a car crashed into a gym in East Perth on Thursday afternoon.

The crash at Stadium Fitness on the corner of East Parade and Kensington Street happened just after 3pm.

A car has crashed into a gym in East Perth. Credit:Kate Hedley

The crash has now been cleared for westbound traffic on East Parade.

One of the gym's staff spoke to Oliver Peterson on 6PR Radios Perth Live, saying it was lucky no one was hurt in the incident.
"I am opposed to President Trump's imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods," said Bill Jones, the Washington Bureau Chief of Executive Intelligence Review magazine, in an exclusive interview via e-mail with China.org.cn on Tuesday. If the current policy continues, it will be devastating for both economies and for the world economy at large, he said.





On June 15, when the first official announcement was made regarding imposition of an additional tariff on Chinese goods, the White House released a statement by President Donald Trump declaring that the tariffs would "protect American jobs" and "serve as an initial step toward bringing balance to the trade relationship between the United States and China."

Jones said he did not believe the White House could achieve what it seemed to be expecting by playing tough, because what it is doing is in effect political blackmail. It underestimates China's will to continue on the successful economic path it has chosen.

"These tariffs are of a clearly punitive nature, rather than based on any clear-cut economic rationale, and are aimed at forcing China into making drastic concessions in their trade relationship with the United States," he said.

Jones said that the administration in Washington was failing to tackle the problem at its roots. "The tariffs are a big mistake since the problem of the U.S. economy has very little to do with trade, but rather with years of failed economic policy on the part of the U.S. government," he said.

The lop-sided belief that the market would resolve any problems should be taken as the root cause of the current problems, Jones said.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the United States shut down much of its industrial capacity, eliminated programs for retooling aging industries, and shuttled high-quality industrial workers in manufacturing into menial jobs in the retail sector.

The country also had no science-driven program for the economy since the Kennedy administration in the early 1960s. At one point, the U.S. Congress even considered eliminating the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the only real mechanism available to the government for expanding American exports.

Calling such actions "shooting ourselves in the foot industrially and economically," Jones said Washington was "seeking a scapegoat" for American problems, with fast-developing China the obvious candidate.

He said it is too early to predict the result of the tariff imposition, but the present period could be seen as "the calm before the storm," as the impact would only be felt when the third and fourth financial quarter results became available.

He said the current flurry of economic activity in the United States was the result of purchases made before the tariffs kicked in, which created "a grand illusion" that the U.S. economy was improving.

One of his concerns is the expected big effect the tariffs would have on California, as well as on many other states.

"The strict controls Washington has put on all high-technology export to a number of countries, particularly to China, have seriously cut the country off from one of the most important export markets it could have," he said.

"Since the U.S. tariffs target the Chinese IT industry in particular, restricting their ability to buy from U.S. companies, this will have a tremendous effect on the U.S. IT sector, much of which is located in California," he said.

Agricultural exports would also be affected because of the counter-tariffs China had been forced to impose in retaliation, he said.

China is California's third largest export destination, with approximately US$14.4 billion in goods sent to the Asian giant.

Early this year, Californian Governor Jerry Brown, speaking at the second ChinaWeek California-China Business Summit, said he hoped to further advance California-China business ties during his term.

Jones said he was sure the state government would do everything in its power to legally protect an important trade partner, and to protect Chinese investment in California.

He also believed that probably every state of the Union would do likewise, readily being aware of the effect the tariffs would have on their own economies.

However, the power of the Federal government in the U.S. system was quite sweeping, so the margins for the state and local governments are not great. "The biggest hope is that the growing discontent at the state level will have an effect on the decisions at the Federal level. And the upcoming mid-term elections may reflect some of that dramatically," he said, hoping that "reason will prevail."
According to critics, several hurdles are in the way of an effective clampdown on money laundering in Canada. Among them are strict privacy rules that make getting warrants difficult, a reluctance to prosecute, and some failures at banks to report suspicious transactions.

Canadas financial regulators, money-laundering specialists add, either dont have enough muscle or arent flexing it enough. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, for example, cant fine banks. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, or Fintrac, has the ability to do so, but uses it sparingly.

Since December 2008, Fintrac has raised 3.5 million Canadian dollars from 95 penalties handed down. Over the same period, the US has issued US$28 billion in fines, while the UK levied US$409 million in penalties.

There have also been instances where regulators spotted problems, but took insufficient action. In a 2011 letter to the BMO, OSFI found that the banks anti-money-laundering and antiterror finance program is not where it needs to be to meetregulatory requirements, and is still lagging behind its peers, according to the Journal. Two years later, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the US announced it had also found unsafe and unsound practices at BMO with respect to anti-money-laundering compliance.

In 2009, the agency alerted CIBC to deficiencies in similar areas; a 2013 letter said that the deficiencies were unacceptable. People familiar with the matter told the Journal that CIBC has received at least two other letters, including one as recently as last year.
The first step of major development aimed at revitalizing the East End of Bridgeport is under way, with more expected to follow.

City officials and developers broke ground on what will the neighborhoods new library, kick-starting what many view as a long-awaited project for a neglected part of the city. Construction of the Newfield Library has begun as developers plan to transform the deteriorating building along Central Avenue into a state-of-the-art library and tech center for the community.

This is a long time coming, said City Council member Ernie Newton, who represents the neighborhood. This will be the anchor that would be a major development for our city in the East End.

The $6 million project is the product of state and city funding with $5 million coming by way of city capital with the balance obtained through a grant from the states Library Board.

The project will renovate and preserve the existing 5,000-square-foot building fronting Central Avenue along with the addition of a 12,000-square-foot building in the back, which architect Paul Antinozzi, of Antinozzi Associates, said will house the tech center along with other amenities. The Bridgeport-based firm was commissioned to design the project.

Originally, officials had wanted to tear the building down, but following input from the residents they opted to preserve the historic structure, which officials said was one of a series built across the nation at the beginning of the last century with money donated by industrial titan Andrew Carnegie.

People who did use the building (in the past) when they were young will see the inside of this building as they remembered it when they were children, Antinozzi said.

Developer Anthony Stewart of Bridgeport-based Ashlar Construction is running construction of the building, which he expects to complete by March.

It will also serve as the anchor development for a larger project geared toward transforming the site into a retail plaza.

The latest plan calls for roughly 25,000 square feet of retail space including a 15,000-square-foot grocery store. The city is also looking to attract a pharmacy, bank and restaurants as well as other retail.

It was important that when we did the (proposals) we wanted to make sure that this was the presence that people saw, and this was the important aspect, said Tom Gill, the citys development director. Whether it be from Stratford Avenue or no matter where, this (library) was going to be the anchor.

Jordan.grice@heasrtmediact.com
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
Chinese popular question-and-answer website Zhihu announced it has completed a US$270 million E-round financing, the biggest in the company's history, The Paper reported.

Zhihu didn't disclose the investors list or the valuation. But some sources said this round of financing could value the company at almost US$2.5 billion.

The purpose behind fundraising was not just to raise funds, but also to find partners, said Zhou Yuan, founder and CEO of Zhihu. Zhou set up the Quora-like Q&A website in 2010. In classical Chinese language, the name translates as "Do you know?"

In January last year, Zhihu raised $100 million in a D-round financing, which gave it a "unicorn valuation" of more than US$1 billion. The investors included Tencent Industry Win-Win Fund, Capital Today, Sinovation Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners.

Since 2017, the company has established two important departments: commercial advertisement and knowledge service, which are also Zhihu's two income modes. During the first half of this year, revenues from commercial advertisement jumped by 340 percent from a year ago.

By the end of June, the number of Zhihu's registration users reached 180 million, more than double that from the year-ago period. Zhihu has accumulated more than 110 million answers.

Zhihu said that after this round of financing, the company will speed up the construction of knowledge platform, invest more in artificial intelligence, content ecosytem, knowledge service and commercialization. The company also plans to set up an intelligent algorithm team.
The remarkable 93 year-old Peter Brook's latest piece is The Prisoner, which he created with his long-term collaborator Marie-Helene Estienne for Theatre des Bouffes du Nord. Brook took over Theatre des Bouffes du Nord in 1971 and has been making theatre in that beautiful space ever since. The company are resident at the International Festival this year, and Brook answered our questions about The Prisoner, which runs between 22 and 26 August in Edinburgh before heading to the National Theatre in September.

How do you feel about coming to the Edinburgh International Festival with The Prisoner?

The whole of theatre is about being together, and that's the meaning of the Edinburgh Festivals as well. In a good audience, the more varied the audience is, the better, and so I'm looking forward to bringing The Prisoner to Edinburgh for this.

How long did The Prisoner take to create and could you take us through some of your research processes?

With Marie-Helene Estienne, and others, we made different moments but none of them really corresponded with what we thought the story demanded. About a year ago we decided that now was the moment for The Prisoner. As for the process of preparing, it is always a discovery and the only answer is to be found within a performance.

Where did you research or take inspiration from for the piece?

The source of The Prisoner is precisely narrated in my book Threads of Time, and it started with a real-life story that I lived myself about 40 years ago in Afghanistan. I saw a man who had been condemned to not sit inside, but to sit outside, of the prison for his whole sentence, staring at it. I never found out what this man had done but the questions surrounding his situation led me to feel that I couldn't leave this story, because it doesn't leave me.

The Prisoner

 Simon Annand

How would you describe what happens in the play?

The Prisoner looks at mysterious themes and questions, which relate to everyday aspects of our lives. It's like a myth coming from a Greek tragedy, far far away, but at the same time, it's a detailed story for us today about our situation, here and now.

What's the most exciting thing about theatre today?

The fact that our shared work can be useful and meaningful to others.

What's the most depressing thing about theatre today?

Our main fight is against the monstrosity of excessive seat prices. This was the secret of the Bouffes Du Nord when it first started, under the guidance of my invaluable co-director, Micheline Rozan.
The story of Artemisia Gentileschi is one of the most inspiring in art history. A talented and significant painter in the 17th century, she worked at a time when women were not meant to be artists, yet she became the first woman to be admitted into the Florence Accademia, her magnificent depictions of powerful women hanging on the walls of princes and kings.

She was also, when she was 15, raped by another young artist called Agostino Tassi  and in 1612 took him to court to accuse him. The transcripts of that extraordinary seven-month trial in Rome inform the basis of this compelling play by Breach Theatre.

The words, echoing from the past, make you shudder. Despite her repeated protestations of her innocence and her detailed description of how Tassi had attacked her, repeated consistently even under torture, it was Gentileschi's reputation that was on trial, with the woman whom her father asked to guard and protect her when he was out of the house, joining the slanders against her.

Under the bully-boy tactics and the lies you hear the reason she is so traduced. "She's 15 years-old and thinks she can paint." Gentileschi really could  the National Gallery in London has just spent 3.6 million pounds buying one of her paintings to add to its collection  and her belief that she had something to say, her determination to fulfil her talent, is as profoundly inspiring as her defiance in the face of the slurs set against her.

What's brilliant about Breach Theatre's production, directed by Billy Barrett, is the way it uses a bare-bones aesthetic  steel decorators' stools, rich lighting  not only to tell the story with fierce passion, but also to recreate significant moments from Gentileschi's art. Her paintings of Judith Beheading Holofernes and of Susanna and the Elders gleam down the years, helping us to understand just how different her view of the world was from that of her male contemporaries.

The three performers, Ellice Stevens, Kathryn Bond and Sophie Steer, pass the narrative between them. Stevens plays Gentileschi with a calm fury, an absolute conviction of her rights and a shining bravery, while Steer brings to the arrogant, brawling Tassi  a man who is keen to let the court know how much work he does for the Pope  exactly the right blend of entitlement and fear, and Bond makes us squirm as the men and women who betrayed her. Terrific stuff.
China Southern Power Grid (CSG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) over feasibility study on cooperatively developing and building Laos' national power grid in the Lao capital Vientiane.

With the witness of Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, visiting CSG Board Chairman Li Qingkui signed the document on Wednesday evening with Lao Minister for Planning and Investment Souphanh Keomisay and Managing Director of Electricite du Laos (EDL) Boun Oum Syvanpheng.

According to the MOU, CSG will cooperate with the Lao side, with combined advantages and mutual benefits, to build a national integrated backbone power grid as to improve power transmission capacity and electricity supply reliability in Laos, and support the country's sustainable socio-economic development.

At the same time, the CSG also donated 1.2 billion kip (some 142,000 U.S. dollars) to the Lao government at the singing ceremony, to help the flood-hit victims in southern Laos to rebuild their homes.

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.

An CSG official told Xinhua that as the first Chinese power grid company going global, CSG actively implements the Belt and Road Initiative by enhancing power cooperation with Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries.




Include a visit to The Dark Side of F Street in your Halloween hauntings! Take some canned foods and grocery ...

When you see the flags flying at schools, you dont generally think about who put them up or how they...
Reports that Saudi Arabia will stop accepting Canadian grain as part of the diplomatic spat between the two countries come as more bad news for producers who have been on the wrong end of disruptions.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reports that Saudi Arabia will stop accepting Canadian grain as part of the diplomatic spat between the two countries come as more bad news for producers who have been on the wrong end of disruptions.

The grain shipments have become collateral damage in the dispute that arose after Global Affairs Canada tweeted concerns about the arrest and detention of a female blogger and activist in Saudi Arabia.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is adamant that Canada will not step back from its comments on human rights.

The sheer volume of Canadian grain exports to Saudi Arabia is not necessarily significant  less than 70,000 tonnes of wheat and about 135,000 tonnes of barley this year  but it is troubling for an industry that is encountering more numerous tariff and non-tariff trade disruptions around the world.

"We are seeing a significant rise in protectionism and trade is becoming more difficult," said Cam Dahl, president of Winnipeg-based Cereals Canada, the national not-for-profit group that represents farm organizations, grain handling and export firms and crop development and seed companies.

"It seems like every second week there is a new country added to the list of countries where we have market-access issues," he said.

"If you would have asked me last week if there was any contract risk or market risk into Saudi Arabia, the answer would have been no."

(Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press files)

Canadas durum wheat sales to Italy  about one million tonnes  have virtually disintegrated over the past year. There have also been new trade barriers that Canadian exporters are facing in India, Peru and Vietnam.

Japan, one of the largest importers of Canadian grain recently shut down its marker for a few weeks over an issue regarding genetically modified grain.

A spokesman for International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr said the extent of the trade freeze with Saudi Arabia is not yet clear.

"It seems like every second week there is a new country added to the list of countries where we have market access issues." Cam Dahl, Cereals Canada

"Right now, we are very much seeking clarity on the Saudis intentions on a number of issues," he said. "We have seen the reports. We are looking for confirmation and clarity."

There are also reports that Saudi entities are being ordered to divest Canadian assets.

In 2015, a new company called G3 Global Holdings Limited Partnership was formed in Winnipeg as the successor to the Canadian Wheat Board. G3 is a partnership between Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) Canada Ltd. and Bunge Canada, a division of U.S.-based Bunge Ltd.

After the original investment of $250 million, SALIC increased its stake in the company that operates a growing network of grain-handling elevators across Western Canada.

The company is also in the process of building a state-of-the-art grain terminal in North Vancouver, the first new grain terminal constructed at the Port of Vancouver since the 1960s.

Bloomberg has reported that a G3 company spokesman said it continues to operate as "business as usual."

(Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press files)

It is not clear how much, if any, of the Saudi exports had been handled by G3. One industry officials who was asked said, "If I was guessing, I would say they did handle some."

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

But considering there are 16 million tonnes of Canadian wheat exported, the diversion of 200,000 tonnes from Saudi Arabia is not a particularly large hit.

Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevators Association  an organization that G3 is in the process of applying for membership in  said there is an impact.

"But really, in the grand scheme of things, it is small potatoes given the size of the different markets we ship into," he said.

"We dont like it any time that a potential competing stream is removed from those that we can trade with to try to get as much value as we can for the grain that farmers grow."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
The picturesque North Mountain Forest Park in Xining is a popular destination for both tourists and locals, with white clouds rolling endlessly over the green and high mountains, twittering birds and fragrant flowers dotted in the thick forests that spread around the grassy slopes. A river, gurgling from the uplands, runs along pavilions and bridges, then into a deep blue lake in the distance.

The scene may be common on the plains in southern China, but the setting is in fact the capital of Qinghai province, the largest city on the arid and freezing Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The city has gone through a sea change over two decades, as its green coverage ratio surged from 7.2 percent in 1989 to 75 percent today.

"Once, the mountains were all yellow; now, you see that they are green," Wang Zhi said as he gazed into the sea of trees. The director of the Xining Forestry Administration has had a front-row seat to the city's dramatic green transformations, right from when Xining launched its afforestation campaign in the north and south mountains in 1989.

"People in Xining rely on the weather for their livelihoods," Wang said that frequent sandstorms, brought by severe wind and soil erosion in the mountains, severely impacted the residents' quality of life and social-economic development. The pollution and depletion of the nearby Huangshui River beginning in the early 1990s caused further environmental degradation.

Thus, planting trees, as one of the best ways to preserve water and soil, has been high on the agenda of the government's plans. Wang said the government invested 13.5 million yuan (US$1.98 million) on the afforestation campaign of the two mountains in 1989  a large sum for an environmental project at a time when many provinces in the country were focusing on trade.
A low dose of Aspirin, the same over-the-counter medication cardiac patients take, may prove to be an inexpensive way to ward off HIV, a University of Manitoba medical study has concluded.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A low dose of Aspirin, the same over-the-counter medication cardiac patients take, may prove to be an inexpensive way to ward off HIV, a University of Manitoba medical study has concluded.

"If so, this could be a strategy for HIV prevention that is not only inexpensive but easily accessible globally," said Dr. Keith Fowke, lead author of a study that touts the benefits of Aspirin against the virus that causes AIDS.

TNS FILES Taking Aspirin once per day was found to reduce HIV target cells in Kenyan women.

"People living in poverty are disproportionately at risk of acquiring HIV. We need prevention approaches that are affordable and immediately available," he said.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The study, published Thursday in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, found an Aspirin a day may help keep HIV away.

"These are highly promising results," said Fowke, head of the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba.

The study team, which included researchers from the universities of Manitoba, Waterloo and Nairobi and the Public Health Agency of Canada, tested the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin) and other anti-inflammatory drugs on HIV target cells in a group of Kenyan women who have a low risk of HIV.

Researchers found Aspirin was the most effective anti-inflammatory drug. It reduced the number of HIV target cells in the female genital tract by 35 per cent, approaching the same level found in Kenyan women at high risk for HIV infection who have remained uninfected for years.

The anti-inflammatory aspect of Aspirin is thought to be effective because HIV needs a susceptible host with immune cells that are activated to fight off an infection. As cells become inflamed, they are prime targets for HIV.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
WEST ST. PAUL -- The Pallister government has awarded a $380-million contract to Bell Mobility Inc., to replace Manitoba's crumbling emergency mobile communications service.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WEST ST. PAUL -- The Pallister government has awarded a $380-million contract to Bell Mobility Inc., to replace Manitoba's crumbling emergency mobile communications service.

The 15-year agreement will see the establishment of a new, digital two-way radio system that will improve coverage over a more secure system, Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires said Wednesday.

It replaces the FleetNet system currently used provincewide by fire, ambulance and police services, conservation officers and forest firefighting crews.

The current system has deteriorated to the point where its users are experiencing "frequent service failures," Squires said. Certain equipment parts are no longer being manufactured, and have had to be sourced on eBay, she said, blaming inattention by the former NDP government for the predicament.

The new equipment will include radios with GPS technology, which will track the location of first responders to improve their safety.

"It will enable them to work more effectively together. It will make their jobs safer. And it will save lives," Squires said at one of several simultaneous news conferences held by Premier Brian Pallister and his ministers throughout the province Wednesday to trumpet the new deal.

The BCE Inc. subsidiary is receiving the large tendered contract at a time when questions are being asked about the quality of its cellphone coverage in some parts of Manitoba -- including the Rural Municipality of Alonsa, where an EF-4 tornado Friday evening destroyed homes and killed a 77-year old man.

BCE, via another subsidiary, Bell MTS Inc., has also been asked for an accounting of its commitment two years ago to spend $1 billion in Manitoba over five years on wireless, internet and TV services.

Gary Semplonius, senior vice-president, business and marketing sales with Bell Canada, said the new emergency communications system will also allow Manitoba officials to hookup with counterparts in other parts of Canada, as well as neighbouring states.

He said Bell already provides the same service in several other provinces. Manitoba is believed to be the last province to upgrade its emergency mobile communications system.

Municipalities and first responders welcomed the new service, which is expected to be fully implemented by 2021.

Chris Goertzen, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, said his organization has been pushing for system improvements since devastating wildfires struck the RM of Stuartburn and other southeastern Manitoba communities several years ago.

ANDREW RYAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Gary Semplonius, Senior vice-president of business and marketing for Bell Canada

The FleetNet system failed when emergency responders needed it most, Goertzen said. Firefighters and volunteers were unable to communicate with each other while battling the fires.

"This situation should never have happened. The safety of area residents should never have been jeopardized due to obsolete technology," Goertzen said.

Brent Bekiaris, chairman of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba, said the new system will allow dispatch centres to deploy paramedics more efficiently and effectively provincewide.

The new technology will also allow for various emergency service agencies to communicate with one another during floods, wildfires and other emergencies.

There are times when "critical information" needs to be shared among fire, paramedic and police services to protect citizens, Bekiaris said.

"Historically, there have been barriers in relaying this important information," he said. "But with this new technology, many of these challenges should be eliminated going forward."

He said the GPS data will also be valuable to paramedics in remote areas of the province who face long patient transports, often under adverse road conditions.

Semplonius said Bell Mobility is partnering with Motorola Solutions Canada and Broadband Communications North Inc. in launching the new service. The coverage network consists of 213,000 square kilometres, he said.

Five new towers will be built in the province's north to expand service. The network currently consists of 153 towers.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Semplonius referred questions about the company's promise to invest $1 billion in Manitoba over five years to another subsidiary, Bell Media Inc.

"I don't have the details of where we stand in our total spend on infrastructure in the province," he told reporters Wednesday.

Both he and the province noted the $380-million emergency communications service contract does not count towards the fulfillment of the company's pledge.

Michelle Gazze, a spokeswoman for Bell MTS, sent the Free Press a list of some of the system improvements the company has made in Manitoba over the past two years. But she balked at providing an updated spending estimate.

"We wouldn't provide a competitive figure like that," Gazze said in an email.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
An up to seven-month wait for court transcripts in Manitoba is slowing down the justice system and creating a legal catch-22 for those who need the written records to fight against other court delays.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An up to seven-month wait for court transcripts in Manitoba is slowing down the justice system and creating a legal catch-22 for those who need the written records to fight against other court delays.

Rohit Gupta recently waited nearly four months for the paperwork he needed to launch a legal challenge. The depths of winter had turned to impending summer by the time the court transcripts he'd ordered in February arrived in June. He needed them to file a motion arguing his client's case had already been unnecessarily delayed.

"Because theres such a significant delay in obtaining transcripts, it essentially deters many people from even wanting to advance the argument to have their matter reviewed before the court," said Gupta, a Winnipeg-based defence lawyer who also practises in northern Manitoba.

As national research pushes for systematic access to transcripts from court proceedings across the country, Manitoba is dealing with a significant backlog and too few typists to meet the demand.

A regular-service transcript now takes six to seven months to complete, and a request for an expedited transcript -- which is normally done within a week -- now takes about 20 business days.

"It slows everything down. Transcripts are integral to our job," said Scott Newman, spokesman for the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba.

Requested by lawyers, judges, self-represented litigants, correctional institutions and interested members of the public, transcripts are crucial to the court process. They provide an official written record of what happens in court, and are necessary to move certain cases forward and launch appeals.

"Its got a short-term effect on people who are stuck in jail and unable to access the courts to complain about their unjust detention, and its got a longer-term impact on people who want to proceed to trial, people who want to do appeals of their sentences, who say their sentences are too long or people who want to appeal their convictions," Newman said.

Transcripts are completed by transcribers who type, word for word, the digital audio recordings captured in court. Much of the work used to be done by a transcription firm, but Manitoba Justice now relies on individuals who are contracted to produce transcripts as they're ordered  and the demand is outpacing the supply.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "It slows everything down. Transcripts are integral to our job," said Scott Newman, spokesman for the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba.

Manitoba Justice arranged for transcription of more than 166,200 pages of court proceedings, representing more than 3,600 requests, in 2016-17, according to its annual report.

In a statement, a justice department spokeswoman acknowledged the backlog, and said the province is working on it.

"In the past, the bulk of Manitobas transcripts were produced by a transcription company that is no longer under contract. We currently have contracts with several individuals, and are in the process of finalizing other options to address the backlog in transcription services," the emailed statement reads, in part.

"We need a national system. I think its really unfair and confusing that people have to go through different systems in different provinces."  NSRLP director Julie Macfarlane

Manitoba Justice doesn't have any transcription contracts that are in excess of $10,000 and thus need to be publicly disclosed, the spokeswoman said.

However, Manitoba was making annual payments to an out-of-province transcription company up until last year. Regina-based Royal Reporting Services received $572,173 from Manitoba Justice between 2012 and 2017, according to the province's public accounts.

An employee of Royal Reporting Services, who didn't provide a full name to the Free Press, confirmed the company was handling court transcripts for Manitoba, but is now "in negotiations" with the province.

Transcript fees in Manitoba are regulated under provincial law, capping the regular cost for requesters at $3 per page. Newman said he has heard concerns the rates for contract transcribers are too low.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project studied access to court transcripts across Canada, and found it varies widely from each province and territory. The study, released in June, found Manitoba's transcript-ordering process is straightforward, but the research didn't consider backlogs.

"We need a national system. I think its really unfair and confusing that people have to go through different systems in different provinces. I mean, that just doesnt make any sense. It should be something thats systematized, but I dont think anybodys really thought about this before," said NSRLP director Julie Macfarlane, a law professor at the University of Windsor.

Macfarlane said the demand for transcripts has increased along with the numbers of self-represented Canadians appearing before the court.

"We have to find ways to get this record of what has happened to people (in court) in a much more efficient and less costly way. Sending it to someone who then types everything up word by word, page by page, I mean, there has to be technological alternatives to that that are a little more 21st century," she said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
A legal dispute over construction of the Winnipeg Police Service's headquarters building continues, as the project's contractor fights back against the city's allegations of negligence.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A legal dispute over construction of the Winnipeg Police Service's headquarters building continues, as the project's contractor fights back against the city's allegations of negligence.

Caspian Projects Inc., contractor for the $210-million construction of the WPS building at 245 Smith St., is now taking legal action against the City of Winnipeg and the project's consultant, Ottawa-based firm Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Limited (AAR). Caspian denies there are any problems with the headquarters' construction, but argues if the court finds there are, it is AAR's fault.

Seeking undisclosed financial damages for alleged problems with the HQ's drainage, air distribution, concrete structures, fire proofing and more, the city claimed Caspian and AAR were negligent in their duties. Both parties are defending themselves against those allegations, according to statements of defence filed in Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench.

On Aug. 1, Caspian filed a document asking the court to dismiss the city's allegations of problems with the construction and design of the police headquarters at 245 Smith St. Caspian launched its own counterclaim and crossclaim against the city and AAR.

It is seeking $6.4 million in damages from the city over alleged project delays, and would place blame on AAR if the court finds there's proof to the city's claims.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"Caspian says that if the plaintiff suffered loss and damage as alleged, which is not admitted but denied, same was caused or contributed to by the negligence of AAR," the crossclaim says.

Meanwhile, the city had a duty to Caspian "to provide timely, proper and complete designs, plans and specifications for the construction of the WPS headquarters, and a duty not to delay design and construction of the WPS headquarters by its fault or negligence," the counterclaim says.

The city sued contractor Caspian and consultant AAR in May, over what the city claimed were defects in the construction and design of the former Canada Post building at Smith Street and Graham Avenue that was opened as the police service's new headquarters in 2015.

Although the city's lawsuit doesn't put a dollar figure on the claims of structural problems and building damage, City of Winnipeg chief administrative officer Doug McNeil previously told the Free Press they amount to more than $10 million.

Both Caspian and AAR signed on with the city in 2011 to refurbish the former post office building into the new police headquarters. The project was completed two years late, and about $75 million over budget.

The city took legal action after attempting arbitration with the two parties and later saying that process was stonewalled by AAR.
An increasing number of syphilis cases, including the diagnosis of newborns for the first time, has public health officials worried an outbreak in Manitoba has reached a tipping point.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An increasing number of syphilis cases, including the diagnosis of newborns for the first time, has public health officials worried an outbreak in Manitoba has reached a tipping point.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority confirmed 120 cases of the sexually transmitted disease between January and June. Since 2015, cases had spiked to 120 new infections per year.

In this file photo, the organism treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, is seen through an electron microscope. (Associated Press archives)

"In the first six months of 2018, weve seen that number, so if that pace continues, we will see over 250 cases this year  more than double what we saw in the last three years," said Dr. Pierre Plourde, the medical official of health with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

"Its a very rapid rise and were trying for figure what is fuelling (it)," he told reporters Thursday. "If you go back to 2008, we had less than a dozen (cases)."

Syphilis has been on the rise since 2012. Edmonton and Winnipeg appear to be the hardest hit cities in Canada.

"Why this year and not last year? Probably a certain tipping point," Plourde said.

Some 20 per cent of new cases involve the homeless or inadequately housed, and 20 per cent are crystal-meth users. Anecdotally, the hardest-hit areas are downtown and Point Douglas.

The infection appears to have rooted itself in marginalized populations.

"The general public, at large, is really not at risk," Plourde said.

Brain damage is not uncommon in advanced stages, but in the early stages, there are often no signs of the infection, adding to official concerns about the upward trend.

"You get to a point where there are enough people who are key people in the network, whether its the injection-drug-using network or a sexual network, who are infected and not accessing testing or treatment  or who are but are going back and getting re-infected because theres no immunity  (and) that creates a curve that rises exponentially," Plourde said.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

For the first time, syphilis has been diagnosed in newborns. It was transmitted by their mothers during pregnancy, after the infection reaches the stage where it is blood-borne, the same reason injection-drug users are at higher risk.

"Theres been a handful (of newborns) in the province over the last couple of years, one or two in Winnipeg," Plourde said, estimating half a dozen cases provincewide in the past two years, including one or two this year in Winnipeg.

"In the history of recording syphilis in Winnipeg and Manitoba... we cant find any cases." Plourde said. "This is brand-new."

In the past, the disease was more commonly reported among homosexual men. Public education has been effective and Winnipeg is one of the few Canadian cities to see a decline in those numbers.

The issue is how to get the message out to marginalized sectors and women at risk from unprotected sex or needle use. The WRHA is working with Indigenous agencies with tighter ties to the street to get the word out.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
A 19-year-old Manitoba man is set to serve about 20 months in jail, after he admitted to stealing a homeowners guns and shooting a family pet.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 19-year-old Manitoba man is set to serve about 20 months in jail, after he admitted to stealing a homeowners guns and shooting a family pet.

Isaiah Flett was sentenced Thursday to three years in custody, and credited for the time hes already spent behind bars since his arrest, which happened at RCMP gunpoint near Teulon in September.

As provincial court Judge Julie Frederickson delivered her decision, she said an appropriate sentence was 3 years for the theft of the guns and the shooting of a dog, named Boomer, which died. But the judge reduced the total sentence after taking into consideration Fletts mental health issues.

He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which was worsened by his abuse of marijuana. His defence lawyer had argued the teen never would have broken into a strangers home if not for his mental health concerns.

The judge ruled Flett is prohibited from using marijuana, even after it becomes legal in Canada. During his sentencing hearing last month, court heard that doctors had noted marijuana use seemed to worsen his symptoms of psychosis and he hadnt been taking his medication because he didnt like the side-effects.

"What is clear from the forensic report is that Mr. Flett can no longer safely consume marijuana," Frederickson said.

On Sept. 26, 2017, Flett was trying to hitchhike from his home in Winnipeg to Peguis First Nation, where hed grown up. Hed been dropped off in the Teulon area and decided to walk the rest of the way  a journey of more than 100 kilometres.

While he was in the Teulon area, he peered into the window of a home, saw a gun rack and decided to break in. It was around 2:15 p.m., and only the family dog was at home.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Court heard Flett shot the dog once because he believed it would attack him, then fired two more shots in a failed attempt to put the dog out of its misery. The homeowner returned a short time later, reported the break-in and rushed the dog to a veterinarian, where it died.

Flett was arrested in a nearby field. He told police he thought he would sell the guns for quick cash.

The Crown had asked for a 4-year sentence, while the defence sought 18 months in jail and probation.

Frederickson imposed two years of probation on Flett, to be completed after his jail sentence, plus a restitution order of more than $18,000 to repay the damage he caused during the break-in, including water damage that happened after he tried to wash away the dogs blood and left a faucet running.

The condition to abstain from alcohol and drugs, including marijuana, is included on Fletts two-year supervised probation order.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay
The rural municipality of Alonsa is hiring security officers to keep looters away from the local campground hit by a deadly tornado over the weekend.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The rural municipality of Alonsa is hiring security officers to keep looters away from the local campground hit by a deadly tornado over the weekend.

During the first council meeting following the twister that killed Alonsa resident 77-year-old Jack Furrie on Friday, a half-dozen officials from the rural region gathered at the municipality's office to talk about rebuilding the community. The agenda items included post-tornado clean-up and security measures to prevent theft.

Environment Canada said the level four tornado  the second-highest ranking on Fujita scale, the natural disaster's severity index  was on the ground in Alonsa for 20 minutes Friday night and left a swath of damage 800 metres wide. The twister tore through Alonsa, Silver Ridge and the Margaret Bruce Beach area.

Following the tornado, the beachfront and surrounding campground on the northwest shore of Lake Manitoba was littered with pieces of campers and cabins damaged in the storm. Vehicles and trash remain in the water, after being tossed there by the swirling winds.

Many people left their campers behind after Friday's tornado and councillors in the area are concerned thieves might nab valuables from the site. (Vanessa Whyte / Facebook)

Since many people have left their campers (or what's left of them), councillors told the Free Press there are concerns thieves might nab valuables from the site. Barriers indicating the road to the beach is closed have already been ignored, one councillor said.

Coun. Logan Dumanske, who oversees the Amaranth area located 30 kilometres southeast of Alonsa, said he's heard there have already been looters roaming around the grounds in search of treasure.

"It's pretty bad when some people have to gain on other peoples' misery," he said. Everyone at the meeting  four councillors, the reeve and the chief administrative officer of Alonsa  was pro-security, Dumanske added.

Neither he nor Edward Waczko, councillor for the McCreary area, located 40 kilometres west of Alonsa, could confirm the costs or further details of the security officers, but they confirmed council has decided to hire two security officers to protect the area.

The chief administrative officer was in charge of hiring security, they said. She did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Motor homes and other vehicles were tossed around during Friday's tornado. (Melissa Verge / Brandon Sun)

"Everything's scattered all over the bloody place and we don't want people coming in and taking whatever's valuable," Waczko said, adding they hope to get the two officers on site as soon as possible.

Although one area camper said she's happy to hear council is taking extra precautions, she said it's also disappointing to hear it's necessary. Valerie McInnes and her husband own a camper on the Margaret Bruce Campground and fled the grounds Friday night when their neighbour warned them about a looming storm.

"When disasters happen, no matter where they are, there are those that take advantage of the situation," she said during a phone interview from her home in Dauphin. "It's just really sad."

McInnes said she doesn't keep anything of great value at the camper, besides their boat, which is locked up, so she's not worried about anything getting stolen. However, she said she is a little worried about someone breaking into their camper and doing more damage.

"At this point, I'm more concerned about the well-being of others and their property. I'm also hoping that in the time (since the tornado), people have been able to get into their areas and get anything of significance out," she said.

This photo of Friday's tornado was taken 13 kilometres south of Silver Ridge in the RM of Alonsa, looking north. (Clint Robertson)

Before the tornado, she said she never even considered thieves would raid their vacation spot. "(The campground) is very much like a community. It's like family."

Proof of the tight-knit community is visible in the response to the disaster, she said. After the storm cleared, she and her husband returned to the site. Her husband, who is a firefighter in Dauphin, started looking for survivors in all the campers as she started collecting and burning debris in a fire.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"Everybody's coming together. People are looking out for one another," said Dumanske, the Amaranth area councillor.

That includes the local Mennonite church. Under the leadership of a team from Christian Aid Ministries, over 20 volunteers, including members of the church, showed up to help clear debris both Monday and Tuesday.

The relief efforts will cost the organization between $5,000 to $10,000, CAM general administrator Ronald Jantzi said Wednesday. Jantzi said he suspects their team will be working in Alonsa until late Thursday or Friday. "The goal is to bring hope back to individuals, victims and encouragement," he said.

As for the oil and vehicles in the lake, Waczko said the area councillors are waiting to hear from Environment Canada about how to safely deal with those issues.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Set aside all the bluster, threats of tariff retaliation and incessant political noise. It is now time for the real NAFTA renegotiations to begin.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Set aside all the bluster, threats of tariff retaliation and incessant political noise. It is now time for the real NAFTA renegotiations to begin.

Under U.S. Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the Congress is granted some 90 days to approve or reject any new North American Free Trade Agreement. In other words, members of Congress would need to have a NAFTA agreement in hand by the end of August in order to ratify it before the "new" Congress returns in January 2019 after this falls midterm U.S. elections.

This three-month window is also significant from the Mexican standpoint; on Dec. 1, the new Mexican government of left-leaning Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will be officially sworn in.

So, if both the U.S. and Mexico want a trade deal before these two trigger points, it needs to be pulled together in the next few weeks.

Most significantly, it now looks to me like the Trump White House desperately wants a "win" on the turbulent trade front. The administration is obviously getting some serious pushback about the damaging "tariff wars" from his political base (especially farmers), corporate America and nervous Republican congressional candidates.

The major stumbling block, of course, has always been automobiles (content rules) and auto parts. Trump wants a victory: that auto jobs and investment under any revised NAFTA will be staying in the U.S.

He hopes to accomplish this by raising the North American content of vehicles entering the U.S. (duty-free) to a higher figure than it currently is (perhaps to 75 per cent from 63 per cent). In addition, he wants wages in Mexicos auto sector to rise  from $4 to something like $15 an hour  as a way of discouraging jobs and capital from flooding into Mexico.

The Mexicans seem willing to deal on higher wages (or at least incoming Mexican President Obrador sees political value in doing so) around automobiles. But they are probably demanding a longer phase-in period for the wage hikes so as to stave off the anticipated closure of several car factories.

At the same time, Trump recognizes that Mexicos substantial trade surplus with the U.S. (some US$65 billion annually) needs to be reduced significantly. Indeed, he absolutely needs to be able to make this claim to his base for mostly electoral reasons. By increasing U.S. content in cars and pushing wages higher in Mexico, he can then argue that "fair and balanced trade" with Mexico has been achieved.

Furthermore, with Republican politicians facing a stiff Democratic party headwind, and things not looking well in terms of retaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, the pressure on Trump to cut a deal  any deal  is building. And Im sure that House Republicans would dearly love to campaign on a "reciprocal" NAFTA deal, along with tax cuts and the broader economy, in the fall midterms.

That, in turn, gives Ottawa some leverage and puts it in a much stronger negotiating position.

Indeed, there is no need for Canada to fold like a cheap suit at the bargaining table. It should hold firm and stick to its guns about playing defence and not surrendering on Chapter 19, a sunset clause, and agricultural supply management.

But it could also put Canada, if it plays its cards well, in a place where it could actually go on the offensive. Here, Ottawa could try to squeeze the Americans on permitting expanded Canadian business participation in U.S. infrastructure projects (and thus get around those dreaded "Buy America" provisions), adding new chapters on gender and Indigenous rights or perhaps even securing a major commitment from Trump to conclude a bilateral agreement on softwood lumber.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

What Canadian trade negotiators need to be careful about is not jeopardizing the overall deal, which Canada certainly covets, by making demands that the U.S. side cannot agree to. This will obviously require great skill and deft negotiating judgment.

Still, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in a strong position politically vis-a-vis the Trump administration. The Canadian public is not in any mood for its government to bow to U.S. pressure or to "sell the store" just to get any NAFTA deal.

At the same time, Trudeau knows that a challenging federal election is just around the corner. And having no NAFTA deal, or even a poor NAFTA agreement for Canada, would be a tough sell on the campaign hustings.

With an upgraded and modernized NAFTA, however, the prime minister could repair the pivotal Canada-U.S. relationship.

More importantly, he could use it to his advantage against his political opponents in the fall of 2019.

Peter McKenna is professor and chair of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
This week, Premier Brian Pallister undertook the politically perilous journey between the hypothetical and the actual.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 8/8/2018 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This week, Premier Brian Pallister undertook the politically perilous journey between the hypothetical and the actual.

In the wake of last week's deadly tornado in southwest Manitoba, Pallister is fielding questions about whether the province could, or should, use taxpayer resources to help extend full LTE cellular phone service -- necessary to receive a text message from a government emergency alert network -- to rural communities.

Not long after the category-4 storm ripped through the area near the tiny community of Alonsa, killing one man, it became clear many residents did not receive texts warning them of the impending storm because cellphone coverage was inadequate.

ANDREW RYAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister

After touring the affected municipality earlier this week, Pallister was asked: would his government be willing to underwrite some of the cost of expanding the LTE (long-term evolution) network in rural areas?

"I think that's a premature suggestion," he said.

Premature, perhaps. But not unprecedented.

Two years ago, while Pallister was on hand at a news conference to celebrate the acquisition of MTS by BCE Inc. -- and the expansion of LTE coverage on Highway 75 -- he was asked a hypothetical question about whether his government would consider providing taxpayer support to further expand cellular coverage in other rural areas.

At that time, with no natural disaster lurking in the background of the question, he said, in theory, it was certainly possible the province would help out.

MELISSA VERGE/BRANDON SUN A cabin was reduced to piles of rubble on Friday after a tornado struck Margaret Bruce Beach near Alonsa.

It's rare anything good happens to politicians when answers to hypothetical questions are dragged kicking and screaming back into the realm of the actual.

With the issue of cellular coverage very much back in the news, the premier's office was forced to issue a statement that more or less disowned his 2016 comment: given wireless communication is federally regulated, "the federal government is best positioned" to address the issue.

The change in positions did not go unnoticed by opposition critics. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont issued a news release Wednesday morning alleging Pallister "has abandoned his commitment to... help Bell MTS pay for improved service in rural Manitoba."

Pallister's mild flipflop is useful in revealing the true, underlying problem: no level of government wants to take responsibility for forcing wireless providers to do something high on cost and low on returns.

Lamont is not alone in harbouring the belief Pallister, in one way or the other, should be taking point on finding a solution.

Association of Manitoba Municipalities president Chris Goertzen said although he agrees Ottawa has a legal obligation to regulate the telecommunications industry, the province is best positioned to deal with this issue.

"We want to see the (provincial) government sit down with the private companies and see what it would take to ensure that all Manitobans have access to this service," he said.

Pallister has only himself to blame for these heightened expectations. Still, there are mitigating factors that should, in fairness, dampen concern he is breaching a solemn promise.

First, this was a reasonable but hypothetical question posed to a first minister who had only been on the job a matter of weeks. It's fair to offer him a mulligan considering the circumstances.

Most importantly, it's important to remember the issue of rural cellphone coverage is really too big and too complex for any one province to solve on its own. We know this because, well, no other province has found a solution.

Across the country, wireless providers concentrate their networks in areas with dense populations. It only makes sense; more people in an area means more customers, which means more revenue to pay for the technology necessary to deliver reliable wireless service.

The result is while providers regularly claim they provide service to more than 90 per cent of Canadians, they are still only reaching 20 per cent or less of Canada's land mass.

If nothing else, Pallister's mild flip-flop is useful in revealing the true, underlying problem: no level of government wants to take responsibility for forcing wireless providers to do something high on cost and low on returns.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the federal telecommunications regulator, supports the concept of equitable access to wireless broadband internet and phone service. A December 2016 policy decision concluded "modern telecommunications services are fundamental to Canada's future economic prosperity, social development and democratic discourse."

Unfortunately, according to Greg Taylor, associate professor of communication, media and film at the University of Calgary, the CRTC has largely failed to take any meaningful action to make those high ideals a reality.

Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Taylor said Ottawa has made progress in offering $500 million to help private broadband internet providers extend service to rural and remote locations. The current federal Liberal government could take a similar approach with cell coverage, providing incentives to help providers do the right thing, he added.

However, another possible route to explore is simply setting new demands on providers as a condition of licensing.

"The federal government is currently reviewing the telecommunications act and could use that as an opportunity to build in requirements for things like a mandatory access to emergency notification systems," Taylor said. "If that was the law of the land, carriers would have to obey."

A more concerted and focused federal policy tack would certainly come as a relief to many, including Pallister.

It might also help him remember, as many politicians like to say, it's never a good idea to answer a hypothetical question.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
An escort convoy will begin a one-month journey in the next few days to protect pregnant Tibetan antelopes that will travel hundreds of kilometers from Qinghai province to the Tibet autonomous region to give birth.



The team, organized by the Qumalai management office at Three-River-Source National Park in Qinghai province, consists of 40 experienced workers who have been involved in Tibetan antelope protection work for years.

Every summer, 5,000 to 6,000 pregnant Tibetan antelopes travel along fixed routes from the Lechi grassland in Qinghai to Hoh Xil in Tibet to give birth.

The rich variety of food and a relatively safe environment are favorable for breeding and raising baby antelopes. Soon afterward, the females make the return journey with their calves.

Gasang, director of the management office, said that a single trip on the mass migration is typically about 260 km.

"To minimize human influence on the migration, the convoy escort will ride motorcycles and keep a distance from the group," he said.

According to Gasang, Tibetan antelopes are at risk of being attacked by wild animals and human poachers during the migration. Since 2006, local people have organized a volunteer association to protect the rare species.

The convoy escort will follow the migration group back and forth between Qinghai and Tibet. "During the trip, they will also record the antelope's daily activities and the number of newborns to build a database for further studies," said Han Jianwu, deputy director of the management office.

In the future, Han said, the team will be equipped with high-tech facilities to better monitor the migration. Experts will also be invited to train team members who might need to give emergency medical treatment to injured or sick antelopes.

The Tibetan antelope is timid by nature. It can run in bursts up to 80 kilometers per hour. In 2008, it was listed as an endangered species on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

According to a report released by the State Council, the population of wild Tibetan antelopes in China has increased from 60,000 in 2000 to more than 200,000 in 2016, thanks to the protection work.

Last year, the central government announced it was setting aside 2 percent of the country's land to protect giant pandas, Siberian tigers, leopards and Tibetan antelopes in four approved national parks, including Three-River-Source National Park, which covers 215,000 square kilometers at the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers.
China's largest national forest park has reopened to the public after being closed for the last six years, thepaper.cn reported on Wednesday.



The Wawu Shan National Forest Park in Meishan, 180 kilometers away from Chengdu city in Sichuan province, it home to the world's second-largest table mountain. "The view of the Wawu Shan table mountain is even better than God's dining table," said National Geographic of China magazine. It is also said to be one of the birthplaces of Taoism.

No more than 3,500 people per day are allowed to visit the site, in order to protect its natural environment. Tourists can visit a variety of scenic spots in the park, such as Yanu Lake, Lanxi Waterfall, Shuangdong Brook, and Yuanyang Lake.
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 food  Chinook salmon  is 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 Gov. Jay Inslee announced his decision to convene a task force to assess the factors that have depleted this population  called the southern resident population  and 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 disturbance  and 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 whale  a very rare and highly protected species  and 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 painful  but powerful  moments 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 quarter  in Brazil or anywhere else on earth  when it comes to the defense of these majestic marine mammals.

As Tahlequahs story reminds us, the life of every whale counts.

The post Every whale counts appeared first on A Humane Nation.

Related Stories

Every whale counts

Every whale counts - Enclosure

Government says Indonesia will ban dog meat trade
WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today!

WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today!

Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today!
KY Wins GEAR UP Money to Help Kids Graduate

KY Wins GEAR UP Money to Help Kids Graduate FRANKFORT, Ky.  New money soon will be flowing into the Commonwealth to help close the achievement gap. State leaders announced Tuesday that Kentucky is one of six states to win a $24.5 million GEAR UP grant from the U.S. ...
Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Read More
Chinese scientists have folded DNA molecules in an origami-like process to make a nano "Trojan horse", which is thinner than 1/4000 of a hair and can release "killers" to fight cancer tumors.

Cancer cells need a lot of nutrition to multiply, but they don't produce nutrient substances, said lead researcher Nie Guangjun, of China's National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST).

All the blood, oxygen and energy are conveyed to cancer cells through blood vessels, so many scientists are trying to create blocks on the blood vessels feeding tumors.

Through precision control, researcher Ding Baoquan folded a single-strand DNA of a phage (a type of virus) into a rectangular sheet. Then he put four "killers" -- molecules of thrombin (a clotting enzyme in blood plasma) -- on the sheet and rolled them up.

At the interface, "locks" made by fragments of nucleolin protein DNA were installed, forming a tube-shaped nano "Trojan horse" or nanorobot, which is 90 nanometers long and has a diameter of 19 nanometers.

After injection, the "Trojan horse" travels in blood vessels and only tumors have the "key" to open the "locks." Once unlocked, the killer thrombin molecules are released, attracting platelets and fibrinogen protein to form a large thrombus, or clot, in the blood vessel within hours to cut off the blood supply and "starve" the tumor to death, Nie said.

The nanorobot can be cleared out of the body after it has finished its task.

Researchers have conducted controlled experiments on more than 200 mice with melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and primary lung cancer, and found the nanorobots are effective in strangling the tumors, Nie said.

In one experiment on eight mice with melanoma, the tumors in three mice totally disappeared. The average survival life of the mice was prolonged from 20.5 days to 45 days. No metastasis was found, according to Nie.

The incidence of malignant tumors has been rising in China in recent years, becoming a major health threat. Interventional embolization therapy has become the first therapeutic choice for patients with advanced liver cancer. About 600,000 to 800,000 Chinese with liver cancer receive interventional therapy every year.

However, patients face anesthetic risks in this therapy and doctors face exposure to X-ray radiation, so a safer, more effective and convenient treatment is a priority, and nanotechnology has opened new opportunities, Nie said.

The research began five years ago, when NCNST researchers first looked at cutting off the tumor blood supply by using DNA-based nano carriers.

Shi Quanwei, another member of the research team, said laboratory verification of the nanorobot idea has been completed, but industrial production and application of the nanorobot is still a long way off.

"We hope to attract investment to improve the production technique and enlarge the manufacturing scale of the nanorobot, and conduct further research on its effect and safety before application for clinical trials," Shi said.

"We need to make breakthroughs on technical bottlenecks, and hope to transform the basic research into practical therapy to benefit patients with tumors."

The research was recently selected as one of 30 winning projects at a contest of innovative future technologies in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. The contest encouraged young Chinese scientists to conceive groundbreaking technologies and trigger innovation.
DArr Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mechanical and plant engineering company worldwide. The company's Paint and Final Assembly Systems segment plans, builds, and modernizes paint shops and final assembly lines for the automotive industry; and supplies products and processes for various process stages in paint shop technology. It also provides supply control and conveyor systems, as well as air supply and exhaust-air systems; consulting services; and assembly and test systems for medical devices. The company's Application Technology segment offers technologies for the automated spray application of primers, and base and clear coats; and systems used for paint supply, quality assurance, and process control and evaluation. It also provides sealing technology for sealing seams, underbody protection, and injecting insulating materials in cars; glueing technology for fitting windows, glass roofs, cockpits, and tanks; and technology for paint application products. The company's Clean Technology Systems segment offers exhaust-air purification for the chemical, pharmaceutical, carbon fiber production, printing/coating, woodworking, mining, energy, oil and gas, and packaging industries, as well as to vehicle and lithium-ion battery manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and decentralized power plant operators. Its Measuring and Process Systems segment provides balancing and diagnostic systems; and systems for the automated filling of refrigerators, air-conditioning systems, and heat pumps with refrigerants. The company's Woodworking Machinery and Systems segment offers woodworking machinery and systems, such as panel cutting systems, through-feed saws and drilling machines, sanders, edge-banding machines, CNC processing centers, and handling and storage systems for use in furniture industry and woodworking trade, and timber house construction. DArr Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

Read More
Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands. In addition, Greene King plc engages in the employment, financing, pension trustee, and property businesses. As of April 30, 2018, it operated 2,855 managed, tenanted, leased, and franchised pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Greene King plc was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, the United Kingdom.

Read More
Hannover RAck SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment offers specialty lines comprising marine, aviation, facultative and direct business, credit, surety, and political risks reinsurance products; and treaty, catastrophe XL, and structured reinsurance, as well as insurance-linked securities. This segment also provides risk solutions for agricultural, livestock, and bloodstock businesses; aviation and space business; and marine and offshore energy business. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment offers group and individual credit life, enhanced annuities, group life and health, and Sharia-compliant Takaful reinsurance products. This segment also provides risk solutions in the areas of critical illness, disability, health, longevity, long term care, and mortality and morbidity, as well as underwriting services. In addition, it offers various financial solutions, including new-business financing; monetization of embedded value; reserve and solvency relief; and divestiture of non-core businesses. The company was formerly known as Hannover RAckversicherung AG and changed its name to Hannover RAck SE in March 2013. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. Hannover RAck SE is a subsidiary of Talanx AG.

Read More
The Bank of New York Mellon pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.33%. The Bank of New York Mellon does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio of The Bank of New York Mellon is 33.92%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, The Bank of New York Mellon will have a dividend payout ratio of 29.44% next year. This indicates that The Bank of New York Mellon will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View The Bank of New York Mellon's dividend history.
Located at 2 South Main St., the Vintage occupies one of the major corner parcels of Market Square  already a mecca for the weekend dine-out crowd. River Falls Restaurant and Ye Old English Fish & Chips  among the citys most popular restaurants  share the turf.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
On its Twitter account, WikiLeaks yesterday reported that its founder Julian Assange was considering a request by the US Senate Intelligence Committee to provide its staff with a closed interview about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

The Twitter post published a copy of the purported letter of invitation, dated August 1. But there was no immediate confirmation from the committee or the letters two signatories, committee Chairman Richard Burr, a Republican, and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat.

The letter, as posted, states that the committee is conducting a bipartisan inquiry into the allegations against Russia and calls on Assange to make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location.

The exact form such an interview would take, and by whom it would be conducted, remains unclear. However, the letter specifies that it would be closedthat is, kept from public scrutinynot any type of public testimony.

The Twitter post added: WikiLeaks legal team say they are considering the offer but the conditions must conform to a high ethical standard.

The post reported that the letter was delivered to Assange via Ecuadors embassy in London, where he was granted political asylum in 2012 to protect him from extradition to the US to face concocted espionage-related charges that could carry the death penalty.

Since then, the WikiLeaks editor has been trapped, in increasingly intolerable conditions, in a tiny room inside the embassy. That is because of the insistence of the British authorities that they will arrest him as soon as he steps outside the building. Although he would be detained ostensibly for breaching bail, he could be imprisoned for months, pending extradition to the US.

An accompanying WikiLeaks Twitter post yesterday said it was of note that a month before the Senate committee letter arrived, ten Democratic senators sent a petition to US Vice President Mike Pence demanding that he press the Ecuadorian president, Lenin Moreno, to revoke Assanges asylum. Those signatories included Warner, who is now asking Assange to assist the committees inquiry.

The petition said the prominent Democratic senators were extremely concerned that Ecuador still provided asylum to Assange. It was imperative that Pence object to Ecuadors asylum for Assange at a time when WikiLeaks continues its efforts to undermine democratic processes globally.

Pence visited Ecuador shortly after the petition and met with Moreno to pursue that demand as part of the price for Washington to fully restore economic and military relations with Ecuador.

Since then, Moreno has issued repeated public threats to terminate the asylum, describing Assange falsely as a hacker and branding him a problem that he inherited from his left-posturing predecessor Rafael Correa.

Moreno made a further such statement yesterday, as the news of the US committees invitation emerged. In an interview with national TV channel NTN24, he said Ecuadorian authorities are currently in talks with Assanges lawyers to work out an agreement that would terminate Assanges political asylum in line with the norms of international law.

If we come to an agreement, well be happy to ask Mr. Assange to leave the embassy and surrender himself to legal investigation, Moreno said.

In other words, despite the token reference to international law, Morenos government is preparing to hand Assange over to the British authorities, who are working in close collaboration with their US counterparts.

In recent statements, Moreno has said that the only condition for a deal would be a worthless pledge by the British and US agencies that Assanges life would not be threatened, that is, that he would not be assassinated or face execution.

Any such agreement would violate the very principle of political asylum and therefore international law, not to speak of Assanges fundamental legal and democratic rights. Both a UN human rights committee and a Latin American human rights tribunal have ruled that Assanges treatment breaches the law of asylum.

To this day, the WikiLeaks founder has not been charged with a single crime in any country. Instead, the Trump administration, together with the US Democrats, is intent on silencing him and WikiLeaks for good because of the hundreds of thousands of top-secret files that WikiLeaks has published from whistleblowers exposing the atrocities, anti-democratic political interventions, mass surveillance and war plans of the US and its allies.

These documents have provided the people of the world with a revealing picture of the operations of the US military machine and deep state agencies, such as the CIA and National Security Agency, to subvert or overturn democratic process globally.

In the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks performed another invaluable public service. It published documents apparently leaked from Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons campaign.

The documents proved that Clintons campaign, backed by the Democratic National Committee, was underhandedly sabotaging the campaign by her rival Bernie Sanders, who had won millions of votes by presenting himself as a socialist, and that Clinton gave speeches on Wall Street assuring the financial elite that she would protect their interests, regardless of what she said on the campaign trail.

Without providing any verifiable evidence, US intelligence chiefs and the Democrats have blamed Russia for the alleged theft of the documents, which they say was part of a deliberate attempt to hurt Clintons chances. They claim WikiLeaks knowingly acted in concert with Russian intelligence, despite repeated denials by WikiLeaks, whose system for receiving leaked information is designed to ensure that the sources remain anonymous, unknown even to WikiLeaks itself.

The World Socialist Web Site, which is fighting to develop the widest possible political campaign throughout the working class to demand Assanges freedom, strongly urges him not to take part in any such closed-door Senate committee interview.

Any in-camera proceedings will inevitably be exploited to further and legitimise the hysterical anti-Russian campaign now being waged by the US military-intelligence, media and political establishment without a shred of evidence.

It would be legitimate to testify before a congressional committee only if the proceedings were public, both in order to protect Assanges interests and advance the broader interests of defending democratic rights.

In our opinion, Assange should also insist that American authorities clarify his legal position in the United States and make public the secretive plans to extradite and charge him.

The author also recommends:

Resolution of the SEP (US) Fifth National Congress: Free Julian Assange!

The Campaign to Free Julian Assange
404

This page could not be found .
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with a broad assortment of other federal, state and local police agencies, carried out a massive, coordinated series of raids in northern Nebraska and southern Minnesota Wednesday to detain and deport immigrant workers on the fraudulent pretext of defending workers from exploitation and abuse by their employers.

The operation, targeting primarily agricultural workers, represents a significant escalation of Trumps reign of terror and comes in the midst of ongoing efforts by the Democrats and the bulk of the corporate media to play down the administrations war on immigrants. Instead, the Democratic Party continues to focus its efforts on seeking to whip up hysteria against Russia and attack Trump as a stooge of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

All workers must be warned that the ongoing and escalating series of workplace raids are test runs for attacks on native-born as well as immigrant workers, as the government builds its repressive apparatus in preparation for mass working-class struggles. The entire working class must mobilize to demand a halt to the attack on immigrants and the dismantling of the Gestapo-like immigration agencies ICE and Border and Customs Protection (BCP).

Beginning Wednesday morning and lasting into the afternoon, between 350 and 400 agents of various security agencies arrived at roughly a dozen workplaces in full military-style gear, demanding immigration documents before detaining at least 14 employers on fraud, wire fraud and money laundering charges, along with 134 workers. The raids were concentrated in the town of ONeill, Nebraska, located 160 miles northwest of Omaha.

The operation was one of the largest in the 15-year history of the Department of Homeland Security, which claimed the raids were the culmination of a months-long investigation into a scheme involving identity fraud, wage theft and physical abuse inflicted on the workers by the business owners, whom DHS claimed were targeted in the operation. Workers swept up in the raids were supposedly going to be processed and released unless prior criminal convictions warranted the initiation of deportation proceedings, in which case they would remain in ICE custody.

Tracy Cormier, the special agent leading the investigation, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The whole investigation was initiated, basically, because we knew that these businesses were cheating these workers and cheating taxpayers and cheating their competition.

According to Cormier, the businesses had engaged in a complex scheme to knowingly and illegally employ undocumented workers, using fake Social Security numbers to get around federal laws mandating verification of legal residency.

The claim that the raids and mass arrests of workers were carried out to defend these and other workers who are in the country legally does not withstand a moments scrutiny.

Since taking office in January of last year, Trump has launched a series of military-style raids against foreign-born workers in California and Ohio, in which native-born co-workers defending their immigrant brothers and sisters have also been detained. These police-state actions have been carried out without regard for democratic rights or due process.

Wednesdays raids came amid mounting opposition by broad sections of the US and world population to Trumps policies and his fascistic rants against immigrants, as well as a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn the family separation policy it has implemented to terrorize immigrant communities.

The latest such lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), hopes to overturn the removal of gang and domestic violence as legal bases for granting asylum, forcing families and children to return and face persecution, or even death, in their home countries.

However, the experience of the judicially-mandated end to the family separation policy should dispel any illusions that the Trump administration will abide by the rule of law or fundamental legal rights. Today, hundreds of children remain separated from their families in child prisons or foster care, with little prospect of ever seeing their parents after being arbitrarily labeled ineligible for reunification due to crimes supposedly committed by their parents or other flimsy pretexts.
Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed went down to a double-digit defeat Tuesday in the Democratic primary, overwhelmed by the near-unanimous support of the Democratic Party establishment for former state senator Gretchen Whitmer. The daughter of former Blue Cross/Blue Shield CEO Richard Whitmer won every county in the state and will go on to face Republican State Attorney General Bill Schuette in the November general election.

In a tweet to his supporters, El-Sayed declared: The victory was not ours today, but the work continues. Congratulations to @gretchenwhitmer on her primary win. Tomorrow we continue the path toward justice, equity and sustainability.

When tomorrow came, however, that path led to a unity luncheon at which El-Sayed and the third candidate in the race, self-funding millionaire Shri Thanedar, pledged their full support to Whitmer. Today we all retool and figure out how we make sure that Bill Schuette does not become governor. Im super committed to that, El-Sayed said. Never has it been more important to have a Democrat lead state government.

Thus ends another episode in the seemingly interminable serial, Bernie Sanders Tries, and Fails, to Put a Progressive Coat of Paint on the Democratic Party. Since he rocketed to political prominence in 2016 in his challenge to Hillary Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, Sanders has played this role again and again.

First, he appeals to the idealism of young people and the economic grievances of working people, claiming to represent a genuine alternative to the domination of American politics by the oligarchy of millionaires and billionaires. Then he diverts those who have responded to his campaign back into the existing political framework, endorsing whatever right-wing hack emerges from the Democratic wing of the corporate-controlled two-party system.

In 2016, this involved appealing to his supporters to back Hillary Clinton, the candidate of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus. The Clinton campaign refused to make the slightest appeal to the working class in order to preserve its support within corporate America and, in the process, drove millions of desperate workers to stay home on Election Day or vote for Trump, allowing the billionaire demagogue to eke out an Electoral College victory.

In the 2018 campaign, where he is not a candidate except for reelection in Vermont, Sanders has endorsed and campaigned for a number of supposedly left-wing candidates in the Democratic primaries, always based on the same pretense, that the Democratic Party can be reformed and pushed to the left, that this party of corporate America can be transformed into an instrument of social reform and popular politics.

The requirements for receiving Sanders support and that of Our Revolution, the political operation formed by many of his 2016 campaign staffers, are not very demanding. The self-proclaimed socialist does not demand that his favored candidates oppose capitalism or pay lip service to socialismand almost none of them do.

Their platforms usually include such demands as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, implementing Medicare for all, interpreted in various fashions, establishing free public college education for families earning less than $150,000 a year, and enacting universal pre-K education. They usually promise not to accept corporate money and to support campaign finance reform.

These Sanders-backed candidates, like Sanders himself in 2016, have very little to say about foreign policy and make no appeal whatsoever to the deep anti-war sentiment among American youth and workers. There is no discussion of Trumps threats of nuclear war. As for trade war, most, like Sanders himself, embrace the economic nationalism that is the foundation of Trumps trade policy.

In other words, Sanders uses the image of radicalism and opposition to the status quo that surrounded his 2016 campaign to lend support to very conventional, pro-capitalist candidates, whose policies are well within the mainstream of the Democratic Partya party whose leadership has embraced most of the measures cited above, secure in the knowledge that it will not keep a single one of these promises and can always blame the Republicans for blocking them.

In Michigan, Sanders spoke at rallies for El-Sayed, and his supporters were quite active on college campuses and on social media, mobilizing support among young people. But as in 2016, there was little effort to reach the working class, particularly minority workers in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw and other devastated industrial cities.

Sanders and the supposedly left Democrats he promotes all fervently support the trade union bureaucracy, which is working overtime this year to prevent strikes by angry and militant workersas at United Parcel Serviceand to isolate, terminate and betray them where they break outas with the state-wide teachers strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona earlier this year.

The real attitude of Sanders and El-Sayed to genuine socialism was made clear when they sought to ban supporters of the Socialist Equality Party and SEP candidate for Congress Niles Niemuth from distributing leaflets and holding discussions outside campaign rallies for El-Sayed.

This year, Sanders has been campaigning with a sidekick, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who won the Democratic congressional nomination in the 12th District of New York, defeating incumbent Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking member of the Democratic leadership in the House.

Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for El-Sayed in Michigan and also for several congressional candidates, including Brent Welder in Kansas and Cori Bush in Missouri, who also went down to defeat on August 7. Like Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez claims that the Democratic Party can be transformed into a genuinely progressive party of the people that will implement social reforms.

But at age 28, Ocasio-Cortez has less practice in performing the song-and-dance of pretending to be independent of the Democratic Party establishment while working to give it a left cover and prop it up. She was clumsier in her execution, attracting notice as she walked back a campaign demand to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and sought to downplay her previous criticism of Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people.

After her campaign swing through the Midwest, Ocasio-Cortez traveled to the Netroots Nation conference in New Orleans, an annual assemblage of the left flank of the Democratic Party. She told her adoring audience that her policies were not radical at all, but firmly in the Democratic mainstream. Its time for us to remember that universal college education, trade school, a federal jobs guarantee, a universal basic income were not all proposed in 2016, she said. They were proposed in 1940, by the Democratic president of the United States.

The reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt was inadvertently revealing. Roosevelt adopted reform policies, including many of those suggested by the social democrats of his day such as Norman Thomas. He was no socialist, but rather a clever and conscious bourgeois politician who enacted limited reforms in a deliberate effort to save the capitalist system.

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez likewise seek to save the capitalist system, but under conditions where no such reforms are possible. The American ruling class no longer dominates the world economy, but is beset by powerful rivals in both Europe and Asia. It is pouring resources into the military to prepare for world war. And at home, even the most modest measures run up against the intransigent opposition of the super-rich, who control both parties and demand even greater wealth for themselves at the expense of working people.

Under these conditions, the Democratic Party is not a party that can or will can carry out social reforms in order to save capitalism, as in Roosevelts day. It is a party that will carry out the dictates of the ruling class for war and austerity while using the services of left politicians like Sanders to confuse and disorient working people and youth.

Thus, at Netroots Nation, the assembled left Democrats gave a loud ovation to Ocasio-Cortez, but also to Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democratic nominee in the 23rd Congressional District of Texas, also young, nonwhite and female. Ortiz Jones has another characteristic, however. She is a career Air Force intelligence officer who was deployed to Iraq, South Sudan and Libyaall the scenes of US-instigated bloodbaths.

Ortiz Jones is one of nearly three dozen such candidates chosen to represent the Democratic Party in contested congressional districts around the country. Another such candidate is Elissa Slotkin, who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday in Michigans Eighth Congressional District. Slotkin served three tours with the CIA in Baghdad before being promoted to high-level positions in the Pentagon and the Obama-era National Security Council.

The fake leftism of Bernie Sanders in alliance with the CIA: That is the formula for the Democratic Party in 2018.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
 Flash

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.
 Flash

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.
 Flash

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a world free of nuclear weapons when meeting with representatives of atomic bombing victims on Wednesday.





"When we see a lack of commitment to (nuclear) disarmament, to amplify the voice of the surviving victims becomes more and more important," Guterres told representatives of the atomic bombing victims.





He said that the UN would make joint efforts with these victims of atomic bombing to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.





The UN chief arrived in Japan on Tuesday for his second visit since he took the current portfolio. He had a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo Wednesday morning.





To accelerate Japan's surrender in WWII, the U.S. forces dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945. Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces on Aug. 15, 1945, bringing an end to the war.
Ohio special election too close to call, GOP claims victory; Primary results come in for Michigan, Missouri originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

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.

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

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.

Story continues

In the Missouri U.S. Senate primary, the AP is projecting Josh Hawley to win the Republican nomination and Claire McCaskill the Democratic nomination.

(MORE: Trump takes credit for Ohio special election win, but race remains too close to call)

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.

History is likely to have been made in the Michigan 13th District, where Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic primary, the AP projected. She would become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress if she wins the heavily Democratic district with no Republican or independent running.

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.

PHOTO: Sen. Claire McCaskill speaks to a group of supporters in Columbia, Mo., Aug. 7, 2018. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican candidate for governor, speaks during a campaign stop in Lansing, Mich., July 31, 2018. (AP)

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.

PHOTO: From left:Troy Balderson appears at a rally in Newark, Ohio, July 30, 2018.|Danny O'Connor attends an event at the Democrat Party office in Delaware, Ohio, July 19, 2018. (AP)

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.

PHOTO: Michigan Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer addresses the 37th United Auto Workers Constitutional Convention on June 14, 2018 in Detroit. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

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

(MORE: Whitmer, Schuette emerge victorious in Michigan gubernatorial primary)

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.

PHOTO: Cori Bush poses for a photo in St. Louis on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. (Jim Salter/AP)

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.

PHOTO: Dino Rossi, a Republican candidate for Washington's 8th congressional district, speaks with reporters and editors at Roll Call's Washington, D.C. offices, Jan. 29, 2018. (Photo by D.A. Banks/CQ Roll Call via Newscom)

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.

PHOTO: Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer delivers a speech after his swearing in on Jan. 31, 2018, becoming the 47th governor of Kansas. (Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle via Getty Images)

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.

PHOTO: House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee chairman Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., is seen during a Committee markup of the FY 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill on July 25, 2018, Washington. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)

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.

PHOTO: Sen. Debbie Stabenow talks with reporters following the Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, Aug. 1, 2017, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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.

PHOTO: Fayrouz Saad campaigns for a congressional seat in Michigan's 11th district. (Fayrouz Saad)

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.

PHOTO: Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., walks down the House steps after voting in the Capitol, Nov. 3, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/AP)

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.

PHOTO: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) speaks on a proposed protection plan for people with pre-existing health conditions, during a news conference on Capitol Hill July 19, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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.

PHOTO: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers walks to a vote on Capitol Hill, June 25, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

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.
'Juvenile' shark bites girl at North Carolina beach originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A girl in North Carolina was bitten on her calf by a shark Sunday morning, authorities said.

According to 911 call logs released to ABC News by Brunswick County dispatchers, the girl was in the water off Bald Head Island Beach. The 911 caller, who identified herself as a surf instructor, said she heard the girl scream.

"I work on the beach here as a surf instructor, so I just saw it happen," the caller told the 911 dispatcher. "She was on the sandbar and she screamed and her dad automatically picked her up."

PHOTO: Bald Head Island Beach in North Carolina is pictured in this undated stock photo. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

(MORE: Massachusetts beaches shut down after great white shark sightings)

The girl, who wasn't identified, was brought to shore on a surf board and taken to a local hospital.

"We were sitting there and looking out and people were swimming and we saw a girl and her dad, and the girl screamed, and then the dad, like, picked her up and then they started going in as fast as they could and they yelled, 'Shark!' and then everyone got out of the water," eyewitness Rebecca Kenney told ABC News.

The Bald Head Island Department of Public Safety said in a statement to the Associated Press that the girl was "bitten by something believed to be a juvenile shark" and that the wound wasn't life threatening.

(MORE: Sharks are changing where they swim, breed and hunt along American coasts: Experts)

Bald Head Island Village Manager Chris McCall said first responders identified the bite as that of a shark based on the type of wound sustained, Wilmington ABC affiliate WWAY reported.

"I knew something was wrong because you could, she wasn't profusely bleeding, but you could see the blood from the shore," Kenney said.

"People are really freaking out about it, but sharks live in the ocean and we never have any problems. This is just a freak accident," she added. "We see sharks all the time, but we've never had any problems with bites."
Virginia governor declares state of emergency for anniversary of Charlottesville protests originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville have declared a state of emergency ahead of the anniversary of the violent Unite the Right rally.

The first iteration of the group's rally took place in the sleepy Virginia town last August. On the anniversary on Sunday, large protests and parades are planned in Washington, D.C., as well as smaller memorial events in Charlottesville.

On Aug. 12, 2017, Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when she was struck by a car that had plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters. Two Virginia State troopers were also killed that weekend when their helicopter crashed into woods nearby.

PHOTO: Peter Cvjetanovic marches with white nationalists and far right extremists as they encircle the base of a Thomas Jefferson statue after marching through the University of Virginia campus with torches in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 11, 2017. (Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Several events are planned in the Charlottesville area beginning Friday through Sunday to mark the anniversary of the rally, Northam's office said.

(MORE: How Richmond is addressing the debate over Confederate monuments 1 year after Charlottesville)

Northam asked residents to "make alternative plans to engaging with planned demonstrations of hate."

"Virginia continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago," Northam said. "We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully."

PHOTO: White nationalists, neo-Nazis, the KKK and members of the 'alt-right' attack each other as a counter protester (R) intervenes during the melee outside Emancipation Park during the Unite the Right rally, Aug. 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE)

Resources from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Health and Virginia National Guard will be present in Charlottesville over the weekend. The declaration, which was issued Wednesday, will also allocate $2 million to pay for the response, according to the governor's office.

(MORE: Driver accused of killing 1 in Charlottesville rally to appear in court)

The 2017 event in Charlottesville stemmed from a gathering of white nationalists and alt-right supporters who formed the "Unite the Right" rally. The outward purpose of the rally was to protest the city's plans to remove a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate army during the Civil War, from a local park.

Story continues

Hundreds of counter-protesters clashed with the rally attendees, causing violent brawls to break out in the street, prompting then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency.

PHOTO: A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Va., on the day of the Unite the Right rally, Aug. 12, 2017. (Ryan M. Kelly/Daily Progress via Pulitzer.org, FILE)

Heyer, a counter-protester, was killed and several others were injured when a driver plowed through a crowd of people.

(MORE: $3 million lawsuit filed against organizers of Charlottesville rally)

What is expected to happen this weekend?

In addition to the events in Charlottesville, much attention will be paid to the "Unite the Right" parade and rally, which is slated to take place in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

Permits for protests have been granted in different parts of the nation's capital with the organizers of the original "Unite the Right" rally planning to march from a nearby Metro station to a demonstration in Lafayette Square Park, directly opposite the White House.

Counter-demonstrations have also received permits, including groups like Black Lives Matter and an individual who plans to burn a Confederate flag in Lafayette Park.

More details about the demonstrations are expected to be released in the coming days.

ABC News' MEGHAN KENEALLY contributed to this report.
Cambodia just had a major election, but there wasn't much suspense involved. The outcome of the Cambodia election 2018, as expected, was declared a win for authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for over 33 years. This was the 6th general Cambodia election since the UN sponsored the country's free and fair vote in 1993, but some analysts say that the more elections that have been held, the more authoritarian Hun Sen has become. Journalists and human rights groups say Cambodia is sliding into a full-fledged dictatorship. We spoke to an expert on authoritarian regimes and democratization in Southeast Asia who says the country is already there. In this episode of NowThis World, Versha will be exploring Cambodia news and the question: how did Cambodia and the Cambodian people get here? But before we look at the latest Cambodia election, we will need to understand who Hun Sen is. Hun Sen first came to power in 1985, but was a political figure in the country years before that. A series of twists and turns in the Cambodian power structure eventually landed him in the right place at the right time. In the past year, the Cambodian election crackdown and the crackdown on human rights has escalated. In addition to eliminating the major opposition party, major independent newspapers have been forced to close, in order to silence critical reporting. Hun Sen has committed to staying prime minister for at least another decade, and he's also reportedly been grooming his sons to take over when the time comes. But as the younger, more educated generation grows increasingly disillusioned with Hun Sen's authoritarian rule, could a mass protest reasonably overthrow the government? This video, "Cambodia's Corrupt Election: How Did We Get Here?", first appeared on nowthisnews.com.
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.

Story continues

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.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




New Yorkers are camped out outside of New Red Apple Nail Salon in East Flatbush in Brooklyn after video of a fight between employees and clients went viral.

According to the New York Post, a fight broke out in the salon on August 3 after a customer named Christina Thomas complained about her eyebrow waxing. According to the Post, Thomas was visiting the salon with two family members, and after she informed them that she did not want to pay after the unsatisfactory service, the employees turned violent toward them. Washington Post reports that the employees hit them with broomsticks and threw acetone at them. Mercy Maduka, who was a customer in the salon at the time of the incident, captured the whole thing on video and posted it on Facebook.

"So Im at the nail salon and they f*cked up a lady eyebrow and she refused to pay then a fight broke outttt," Mercy captioned the post. She went on to say that the salon employees were "hitting [the customers] like animals."

"She said she didn't like it and doesn't want to pay for nothing," salon manager Michael Lin told NBC New York. "I said 'sit down, let me call the police. If the police say you can go, you pay nothing. [If the] police say you pay for the pedicure, then you pay for the pedicure. No eyebrow, no problem.'"

News 12 reports that salon employee Huiyue Zheng was charged with assault and weapon possession, and the customer, Thomas, was booked on misdemeanor assault and other charges. Both were released on their own recognizance.

Madukas video has since gone viral, racking up more than 800,000 views at publishing time. As a result, people are calling for the salon to shut its doors permanently. Some protesters have gone to the salon's Facebook page to leave negative reviews in a move designed to bring their recommendation rating down, as reported by Yahoo Lifestyle. Others, like Brooklyn resident Jasmine Johnson, have decided to physically stake out the business. Since the incident, Johnson has been very vocal about her mission to shut the nail salon down, posting videos from outside the business on Twitter and Facebook.

Story continues

"We, as black people, need to be out here shutting this business down,"Johnson says in the video. "If [the police is] not going to arrest [the employees] for what they're doing to our grandmothers, then we need to be out and make sure that we financially castrate them and make sure that they cannot continue in our community." She continued, "They need to be shut down. Not just today  forever, into infinity."

Other clips show Johnson surrounded by people carrying signs, chanting "Black dollars matter!" The incident has sparked a conversation on Twitter about supporting black-owned businesses, with people asking for links to black-owned nail salons.

"Its time for queens to start opening your own chain of nail shops," one user tweeted in response. "Black women have innovated many of the styles yall getting from these people. They are jocking your innovations and taking your money. No more." Other people tweeted links for directories to help find black nail techs, in addition to using the hashtag #BlackDollarsMatter on social media to discuss and keep track of black-owned businesses. According to Johnson, there is currently a petition to get New Red Apple Nail Salon shut down permanently that people can physically sign at the protest site.

We have reached out to the New Red Apple Nail Salon and will update this story as more information becomes available.

More on nail salons:

Now watch Ruby Rose try nine things she's never done before:

Follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter for daily beauty stories delivered right to your inbox.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  Paul Manafort and Rick Gates shared a long business partnership that took them to the helm of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Now the former mentor and his protege are facing off 10 feet apart in a packed federal courtroom as Manafort, Trump's onetime campaign manager, stands trial on financial fraud charges, with Gates the government's star witness against him.

Some scenes from the courtroom:

THE TRIAL

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. Gates pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate in Mueller's investigation of Manafort in what prosecutors say was an elaborate offshore tax evasion and fraud scheme.

The criminal case isn't about Trump or either man's work for the campaign. Still, Trump hovers over the trial  literally at one point, when prosecutors magnified a portion of a memo that included Trump's name. And Trump has shown interest in the proceedings, tweeting support for Manafort.

__

THEY MET AT 1995 CHRISTMAS PARTY

Gates said he first met Manafort at a Christmas party in 1995 when Gates was an intern at the lobbying firm, Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, where Manafort was a partner. Gates said he didn't know Manafort well then, but a decade later, the two started a close business relationship that he says morphed into a criminal scheme.

The two came face-to-face in U.S. District Court on Monday. Clean-shaven and attired in a dark blue suit, Gates avoided eye contact with Manafort as he matter-of-factly described how they had committed crimes together  and how Gates had embezzled hundreds of thousands dollars from his former boss.

Manafort's gaze bored into his former protege from just a few feet away.

Even as he testified against him, Gates still praised Manafort, describing his former boss as "one of the most politically brilliant strategists I've ever worked with."

Story continues

The scene was less tense Tuesday when Gates resumed his testimony and Manafort's lawyers prepared to grill him on cross examination. This time, as Gates fielded questions from prosecutor Greg Andres, Manafort sometimes looked at Gates but also appeared to stare intently at documents displayed for the jury.

When the trial broke for lunch Tuesday, Manafort looked, smiled and winked at his wife, Kathleen, in the front row.

__

2016 TRUMP CAMPAIGN

Their partnership took them to the Trump campaign in 2016, with Manafort as chairman and Gates as his deputy. Gates was copied in on Manafort's emails, attended events in Manafort's place and generally carried out his boss' wishes.

After Manafort left the campaign, Gates stayed on in an under-the-radar role, even helping to organize Trump's inauguration festivities.

But that was a short-lived success. A federal investigation was soon to come.

Before the campaign, according to Gates' testimony, the two had quietly committed crimes in a scheme spanning continents and featuring faked invoices, fancy suits and at least one Ukrainian oligarch.

Gates testified that Manafort was paid for Ukrainian political consulting work, but that the money was classified as loans instead of income to decrease taxable income. Gates says he didn't report the money as income.

___

TRUMP

Trump's name surfaced  in a subtle way  during Gates' testimony.

Prosecutors introduced a March 2013 document that Gates said was a business agenda for a weekly meeting he had with Manafort, his boss at DMP International, Manafort's consulting firm.

One subheading was titled "Yanks"  a reference to Manafort's New York Yankees season tickets  and said "tickets going to Trump next week."

Prosecutors put the memo on the screen for jurors to see, and the portion with Trump's name was blown up for less than a minute. It was unclear if the document referred to the president or to his namesake tower in Manhattan where Manafort owned an apartment.

__

ZZZZZZ

The nuts and bolts of this case can be, well, tedious.

Despite the obvious import and public interest in the trial, a fair number of spectators nodded off during some of the testimony. That's probably because prosecutors are trying to build their case against Manfort on dry-sounding stuff like tax documents, tax law, company ledgers, emails and other records.

___

Associated Press Writers Eric Tucker, Chad Day and Mathew Barakat contributed to this report.
 Flash

Israel on Wednesday carried out large-scale airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, targeting "12 terror sites," a military spokesperson said in a statement.





Israel struck Hamas sites in Gaza, bombing a concrete factory and a maritime assault tunnel shaft, after at least 36 Gaza rockets hit Israel, the army said.





The airstrikes came after an eight-rocket barrage hit the southern city of Sderot, lightly injuring at least six people, the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon said in a statement.





Afterward, sirens continued to wail throughout southern Israel in the night, warning of more projectiles, as residents took shelter inside their homes.





On Tuesday, two Hamas snipers were killed in Gaza in an Israeli artillery attack, which Israeli forces said was carried out under the misconception that Hamas had shot toward them.





On Wednesday, the Israeli military raised the level of alert along the Gaza border. The military warned Hamas that it "will not tolerate any aggression against Israeli civilians or Israel Defense Forces soldiers, and is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios."





The recent incidents are expected to distance the chances of a quick Egyptian-brokered cease-fire. Egypt has been taking efforts to achieve a deal between Israel and Hamas, the group that runs Gaza, but has yet to achieve an agreement between the two.





The recent round of violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave has claimed the lives of at least 140 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Fifteen states are siding with Nevada in a state Supreme Court fight against drug companies suing to prevent the use of their products to execute a condemned inmate.

In what a national death penalty expert on Tuesday called a setup for a showdown, documents filed with the Nevada Supreme Court argue that drug company Alvogen's effort to block the use of its sedative midazolam in the stalled execution of Scott Raymond Dozier in Nevada is part of a "guerrilla war against the death penalty."

"The families of these victims deserve justice," Arkansas' state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a statement Tuesday. Arkansas is leading the 15 states that include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

"If Alvogen is allowed to succeed," the Monday friend of the court filing said, "there is a substantial risk that pharmaceutical companies  prodded by anti-death penalty activists and (defense attorneys)  will flood the courts with similar last-minute filings every time a state attempts to see justice done."

The states' brief points to an Arkansas Supreme Court decision that overruled a state court judge and allowed executions to go forward in what the states now argue is a nearly identical case involving the drug company McKesson Medical-Surgical and stocks of its drug vecuronium bromide. At the time, Arkansas was on track to execute eight men in an 11-day span. It ultimately put four men to death over eight days.

Alvogen in Nevada, like McKesson in Arkansas, argues that it doesn't want its drugs used in executions and that prison officials improperly obtained its products for a lethal injection.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, a maker of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, has joined Alvogen in a bid to stop the use of its product as the second of three drugs in a lethal combination never before tried in any state.

Story continues

That was over a Nevada state attorney's objection that it was ironic the maker of a drug blamed for illegal overdoses every day was claiming its reputation would be hurt by being associated with a lawful execution.

A judge in Las Vegas who is due to hear arguments Sept. 10 is expected to decide Thursday whether Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, maker of the third drug, the muscle paralyzing drug cisatracurium, can join Alvogen and Hikma in the Nevada case.

That could pit at least three prominent pharmaceutical firms in a Nevada court against more than half the 31 states in the U.S. with the death penalty.

"I think states are attempting to make this a showdown," said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.

Nevada, which hasn't executed an inmate since 2006, has become a model of the trouble that death penalty states have had in recent years obtaining drugs for lethal injections.

Dunham characterized the states backing Nevada as, "for the most part a gathering of states that have engaged in the most questionable practices in efforts to obtain execution drugs."

A judge blocked Dozier's execution just hours before it was scheduled in July so she could hear Alvogen's claim that Nevada improperly obtained midazolam.

Nevada state Attorney General Adam Laxalt has asked the state Supreme Court to quickly overrule the judge so that Dozier's twice-postponed lethal injection can be put back on track for mid-November.

Dozier, 47, is a twice-convicted killer for drug-related slayings in 2002 in Phoenix and Las Vegas. He has not responded to email and messages through his attorney from The Associated Press.

He told the Reno Gazette Journal for a Monday report that he wants the sentence he received in 2007 carried out rather than spend life in prison. He called the uncertainty of his fate "torture."

____

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Las Vegas and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, alleging the evisceration of asylum protections in refusing to consider domestic and gang violence as worthy criteria for granting asylum.

A group made up of mostly women and children is challenging Trump administration policies that unlawfully deprive them of their right to seek humanitarian protection. Specifically, the implementation of expedited removal policies has meant that most domestic and gang violence asylum claims get denied, a decision Sessions made when ruling on an individual asylum case, Matter of A-B, in June.

The Trump administrations effort to eliminate that protection betrays our values and flouts our laws, the ACLU said in a statement. The courts must step in to stop it.

BREAKING: Were suing Jeff Sessions for illegally denying asylum protections to immigrants fleeing domestic violence and gang brutality.



These policies undermine the fundamental human rights of women and violate decades of settled asylum law. https://t.co/nzRhkIm7r2  ACLU (@ACLU) August 7, 2018

Our nations immigration laws provide for asylum to be granted to individuals who have been persecuted, or who have a well-founded fear of persecution, on account of their membership in a particular social group, but most victims of personal crimes do not fit this definition  no matter how vile and reprehensible the crime perpetrated against them, a DOJ spokesman told Politico in defense of its policy. The Department of Justice remains committed to reducing violence against women and enforcing laws against domestic violence, both in the United States and around the world.

Sessions asylum decision came after the administration rolled out its zero tolerance policy, detaining migrants at the border and separating thousands of children from their parents. Almost 600 migrant children have yet to be reunited with their parents even weeks after the deadline has elapsed.

Story continues

The ACLU has also sued the Trump administration in an attempt to halt the family separations.

Related...

Immigrant Parents Unwittingly Signed Away Right To Reunite With Children, Lawyers Say

Nearly 600 Migrant Kids Are Still Separated From Parents A Week After Court Deadline

Also on HuffPost

Undocumented immigrants who turned themselves in after crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018.

Families who crossed the border near McAllen, Texas, on May 9, 2018.

A U.S. Border Patrol spotlight shines on a mother and son from Honduras on June 12, 2018, in McAllen, Texas.

Central Americans seeking asylum wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take them into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran mother stands with her family at the U.S.-Mexico border fence on Feb. 22, 2018, near Penitas, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take a Central American family into custody on June 12, 2018 near McAllen, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take a father and son from Honduras into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border on June 12, 2018, near Mission, Texas.

A Central American family waits to be taken into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

Central American migrants wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take people into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

Two women and a child who crossed the border on Feb. 22, 2018, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran child who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her family on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants, including this young child, into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

A Honduran woman and child on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks birth certificates while taking Central American immigrants into detention on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

Adults and children await processing near McAllen, Texas, on April 2, 2018.

Guatemalan immigrant families turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas, on May 8, 2018.

U.S. Border Patrol agents take Central American immigrants into custody on Jan. 4, 2017, near McAllen, Texas.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
After Apple, YouTube, Facebook and other companies removed or banned some of Alex Jones and Infowars content this week, both conservatives and many well-meaning progressives popped up to say that allowing these companies to define certain speech as hateful or unacceptable is a dangerous precedent and a potentially slippery slope. As private companies, these platforms have no legal obligation to give Jones a platform. Yet if we value freedom of speech as a broader value in our society, these claims are not without their merits. We have seen these platforms use their terms of service or community guidelines to stifle discourse and minimize the ability of people to organize and engage around pertinent issues.

However  and I cant say this strongly enough  Jones is not the hill any free speech advocate should want to die on.

In a purely academic conversation, protecting free speech regardless of content seems to make sense. But free speech absolutism ignores the fact that, in reality, speech is not supported equally across all topics and platforms for everyone. This lens fails to consider the actual power dynamics at play and how society works in favor and support of those who uphold white supremacy and white fragility.

Often free speech concerns arise, as with Jones, in the context of those who want the freedom to express viewpoints that are not merely odious or unpopular but are also directly tied to the dehumanization and subjugation of others.

Through his lawyer, Jones has argued that he is a performance artist simply playing a character for money. He spends time selling random products and supplements in addition to spewing crazy theories and lies. He has victimized immigrants, Muslims and black Americans with conspiracy theories and misinformation, often stoking his followers to harass his targets online and in real life. Most famously, Jones is being sued for defamation by parents of a child killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The parents have had to move repeatedly because of him, and his lawyer is still trying to publicly reveal personal information about them, including their addresses. Up to now, the tech platforms said there was nothing they could do to stop him.

Story continues

Meanwhile, we have seen numerous instances of progressive activists suspended or banned from these sites for far less than Jones is guilty of. Right-wing trolls have figured out that they can cynically exploit the regulation  or lack thereof  of these platforms to harass and silence minority viewpoints. Apparently, Twitter doesnt consider hate speech to be harassment or a violation of its terms of service. How many times on Twitter have you seen people pleading with @Jack to reinstate the accounts of individuals who were merely defending themselves from targeted harassment?

When ProPublica reported that Facebooks internal guidelines protected white males more than any other group, it reaffirmed the experiences of many on the platform, as well as those on Twitter, who had been suspended for commentary that addressed valid issues but were viewed as targeting white people or as hate speech itself. Last summer, activist and writer Ijeoma Oluo was attacked on Twitter and Facebook over her tweets and posts detailing a racist incident while on a road trip with her children. Instead of addressing those attacking Oluo, Twitter and Facebook took action against her instead. Independent media actors, activists and even casual users who reflect on structural inequities and engage in dismantling systemic oppressions have often been met with labeling, censorship and constraints on our expression. And because these companies fear endless accusations of anti-conservative bias, we have consistently seen the highest premium placed on protecting freedom of speech only when the speaker is white and conservative. In those cases, the harassment and civil rights abuses that are rampant across these platforms and are the natural result of these decisions are of secondary concern.

Commentators spill endless ink on protests against white conservatives on college campuses but raise no concerns about the harassment of journalists or death threats to progressive academics. This notion that we have to hear and defend all ideas to ensure the rights of others without any concern for the harms being done to marginalized communities is stupid.

Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey. (Photo: Bloomberg / Getty Images)

Addressing this issue in the context of clashes between the alt-right and anti-fascist protesters in Berkeley, California, last year, Meleiza Figueroa wrote in The Nation, This battle is emphatically not about free speech. This is about the ability to shape consensus in a time of rising mass anxiety and political extremism. The power of framing, as linguist George Lakoff puts it, is everything.

Writer and activist Devyn Springer further explained it in Medium last year:

Color-blind, non-contextual or language-specific approaches to social media censoring by corporations like Twitter allows for the same consequential racial disparity. By perpetuating absolutist notions of free speech, it inherently positions hate speech by white supremacists as equal to or extremely similar to the speech and actions of marginalized communities. Whereas one might be inclined to see online censorship as separate from the laws and policies of real-life interactions, we must begin to see the ways they feed off of one another and create a persistent silencing of marginalized voices.

Springer argued that we need to shift beyond this purely academic discourse of absolute free speech and look at the real material conditions that end up reinforcing the status quo  a status quo that disproportionately regulates and limits the actions of marginalized communities.

Considering how crucial social media platforms have become as alternative sources of building power and information, we cannot ignore how these entities determine who is permitted access. It is unsurprising that Twitter has decided to let Jones have a refuge on its platform. The site is perhaps the worst example of enabling the targeted harassment of vulnerable people while banning others for far lesser infractions. When pressured to actually do something about the hatred on the site, Jack Dorsey and his company have so far come up empty.

Yet the message has been clear: They prioritize the right of people like Jones to broadcast misinformation and invective to their audiences over the right of marginalized people to be able to participate in the public discourse without threat or harassment. There is no value in this brand of free speech advocacy that will fight tooth and nail on principal for the unprincipled but stay silent about issues of platform and access that effectively deny equitable free speech to marginalized communities.

The protests over Jones banning arent about freedom of speech and making sure everyone has a say. This is about maintaining and sustaining white supremacy and power. This is about Jones and his ability to earn ridiculous amounts of money peddling falsehoods, inflaming hatred and selling junk. There is no absolute right to be a hateful grifter without accountability.

Jones and his ilk have built a media empire solely focused on maximizing wealth and opportunity without regard for the impact on society and marginalized communities. Those defending him disregard the attacks that have taken place against independent progressive voices and platforms.

Defending Alex Jones right to exist on commercial platforms is about protecting white fragility and a mediocre extreme. It has nothing to do with supporting the masses and our freedoms that may be compromised.



Anoa Changa is an activist and attorney in Atlanta. She hosts the podcast The Way With Anoa and is a co-managing editor of The Progressive Army Blog.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION

Stacey Abrams' Campaign Is A Road Map For Democrats In Red States

How To Actually Talk To Racists, Starting With The One In The Mirror

Brett Kavanaugh Is Rigged Justice

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued Wednesday that Congress seems to have no money when it comes to paying for Medicare for all but plenty to support unlimited war and tax cuts for billionaires.

In an impassioned interview with Chris Cuomo, the Democratic congressional candidate said people are too heavily focused on the sticker shock of Medicare for all but we do not talk about the sticker shock of our existing system.

Health care for everyone in this country is not a pipe dream. Every other developed nation does this  why cant America? the 28-year-old asked on CNNs Cuomo Prime Time.

"We only have empty pockets when it comes to the morally right things to do, but when it comes to tax cuts for billionaires and when it comes to unlimited war we seem to be able to invent that money very easily," Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says. https://t.co/cgpyxY7z1g pic.twitter.com/dgVgv8EMRb  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 9, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez went on to criticize lawmakers who poke holes in her platform but completely ignore the cost of the massive tax cuts the Republican Congress passed.

We write unlimited blank checks for war. We just wrote a $2 trillion check for that GOP tax cut and nobody asked those folks how they are going to pay for it, she said, before asking a few frank questions.

Why is it that our pockets are only empty when it comes to education and health care for our kids? Why are our pockets only empty when we talk about 100 percent renewable energy that is going to save this planet and allow our children to thrive? Ocasio-Cortez asked.

We only have empty pockets when it comes to the morally right things to do. When it comes to tax cuts for billionaires and when it comes to unlimited war, we seem to be able to invent that money very easily. To me, it belies a lack of moral priorities that people have right now, especially the Republican Party.

Story continues

Her statements to Cuomo prompted praise from many people on Twitter:

This is the way you answer a question. Damn.

(Quibble: Slow down!) https://t.co/lXwYq83EyK  Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) August 9, 2018

My question: Why are our pockets only empty when it comes to education and healthcare?



GOD BLESS @Ocasio2018!!! https://t.co/15YdrAzjiu  Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) August 9, 2018

Totally stunned @cnn didnt cut @Ocasio2018s mic when she pointed out the unlimited amount $ we have for war and tax cuts for the rich. We may never see that kind if truth on cable news again. Kudos to @ChrisCuomo https://t.co/xGnkBNIEwE  Jordan (@JordanChariton) August 9, 2018

AOC is amazing at messaging. She's calling health care premiums a tax, which is true per SCOTUS. I don't think I've really heard Sanders or Warren or anyone do this. https://t.co/pHjaCyUy6c  Alex Kotch  (@alexkotch) August 9, 2018

I am not a fan of hers, but this is a very nice answer. https://t.co/oh7E7HnAX3  prof. goat (@ProfGoat) August 9, 2018

This young woman is speaking my language. The U.S. has been mislead on healthcare for decades to protect corporate profits. There is no valid reason the U.S. cannot provide universal healthcare. https://t.co/Tbw8rdHpOZ  Scott Calkins (@ScottCalkins3) August 9, 2018

The member of the Democratic Socialists of America has been making waves since she beat 10-term incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in New Yorks 14th Congressional District Democratic primary in June. Ocasio-Cortez is expected to win the heavily Democratic district when she faces Republican Anthony Pappas in November.

Previously, Ocasio-Cortez has cited a lack of moral courage as the reason education and health care havent been prioritized by the government. Just last month, she told Trevor Noah: A lot of what we need to do is reprioritize what we want to accomplish as a nation. Really, what this is about is saying, health care is important enough for us to put first. Education is important enough for us to put first. And that is a decision that requires political and moral courage, from both parts of the aisle. Period.

Also on HuffPost

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Tom Perez

Tom Perez, outgoing U.S. labor secretary and the former head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, has been all but endorsed in the DNC race by President Barack Obama.

Keith Ellison

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has the support of top Senate Democrats and the AFL-CIO.

Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is an openly gay Afghanistan veteran whom Obama has praised.

Sally Boynton Brown

Sally Boynton Brown, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, announced her candidacy for DNC chair on Dec. 16, 2016.

Jehmu Greene

Jehmu Greene, a progressive media strategist and Fox News contributor, announced her DNC candidacy on Jan. 13, 2017.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
All four sitting justices of West Virginias Supreme Court of Appeals are facing possible impeachment over allegations that they misused public money. (Photo: Thorney Lieberman via Getty Images)

A stunning corruption probe into West Virginias Supreme Court of Appeals has led to 14 articles of impeachment against its four sitting members.

The West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee adopted the articles on Tuesday, highlighting unchecked spending that included nearly $4 million in renovations to the justices chambers and the use of public vehicles and credit cards.

A fifth justice, Menis Ketchum, has already resigned. The other four have refused to do so, leaving the fate of the states highest court in question.

When did this all begin?

Charlestons WCHS first uncovered the extravagant spending in November 2017, noting that Justice Allen Loughrys chambers contained a $32,000 sofa and $1,700 in throw pillows paid for with taxpayer money. Loughry initially said a former administrative director for the court procured the items, but the director clarified that the purchases were ultimately Loughrys decision.

Delegates get an up-close view of controversial Supreme Court renovationshttps://t.co/IiqYuClMhr pic.twitter.com/Cj0udwIHKj  Brad McElhinny (@BradMcElhinny) August 6, 2018

Loughry faced an impeachment resolution in February over the renovations. He was suspended on June 8 and later hit with a 22-count federal indictment, but has refused to resign, despite calls from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R).

What happens next?

The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against the four sitting justices this week. The full House will consider them next week, and if the majority votes to adopt them, the articles will advance to the Senate for review, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

If at least two-thirds of the Senates elected members vote to adopt the articles, an impeachment trial will be set up to determine whether the justices are guilty of the presented offenses. Any justice found guilty would be removed from the bench and banned from seeking public office in the state.

Story continues

Who might replace them?

Under state law, if a justice with more than two years left in their term resigns or is removed from office at least 84 days before the next general election, the governor will appoint an interim judge until a new judge can be elected. But its unlikely the four remaining justices will leave by Aug. 14, which is 84 days prior to the states general election in November.

The more likely scenario is that the judges wont resign by Aug. 14, so whoever the governor appoints to replace them will remain in power until at least May 2020, when the next special election can take place, according to the Gazette-Mail.

However, voters will be able to replace Ketchum in November, since his resignation came before the August deadline.

Why is their replacement raising concerns?

If the four judges are impeached, the governor will ultimately select their replacements, raising concerns that the states top judicial branch may lean overwhelmingly to the right.

West Virginia Delegate Mike Pushkin, a Democrat, attempted to block Justice from handpicking Loughrys replacement by introducing an impeachment inquiry in February so that there would be ample time for his removal before the August deadline. Pushkin and other Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee have suggested that Republicans have purposely dragged out impeachment efforts to avoid the timely election of the judges successors.

Here we are 6 months after I filed my resolution, more than a month after we convened this impeachment proceeding, and nothing has happened, Pushkin said in a statement. Our concern always was that the House Republican Leadership would drag their feet, and try to pack the court with appointed Justices, rather than having a Court composed of Justices voted on by our citizens. It turns out our fears were justified.

Who are the justices?

Justice Allen Loughry was suspended without pay in June after being indicted by a federal grand jury on nearly two dozen federal counts. (Photo: COURTSWVGOV)

Justice Allen Loughry

Loughry, who was elected to the court in November of 2012 and formerly served as the chief justice, is the subject of eight articles of impeachment. (Some of the same articles apply to multiple justices.)

In June, he was suspended without pay after being indicted by a federal grand jury on nearly two dozen federal counts that included numerous fraud, false statements and witness tampering offenses.

The allegations include using a government vehicle for personal use and submitting mileage claims for reimbursement, as well as taking home a historical piece of furniture from the courthouse for personal use. Like the other four justices, he is also accused of spending thousands of dollars on renovations to his chambers.

According to WCHS-TV, the $363,000 that went into Loughrys office renovations included a $32,000 sectional sofa and a wooden map of West Virginia inlaid in his chambers floor. Each county is cut from a different type of wood. His home county is granite.

Loughrys 22-count indictment is made up of 16 counts of mail fraud, which carry a penalty of up to 20 years each; two counts of wire fraud, which carry a penalty of up to 20 years each; three counts of making false statements to a federal agent, which carry a penalty of up to 5 years each; and one count of witness tampering, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years.

If convicted on all counts in the indictment, he faces a possible sentence of up to 395 years in prison, a fine of $5.5 million and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

Loughry has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has refused to resign. His trial date is set for Oct. 2.

Prior to joining the states highest court, Loughry was a reporter. In 2006, he published a book about West Virginias history of political corruption, titled Dont Buy Another Vote, I Wont Pay for a Landslide.

Chief Justice Margaret Workman is the subject of four articles of impeachment. (Photo: COURTSWVGOV)

Chief Justice Margaret Workman

Workman, who was elected in November 2008 and replaced Loughry as chief justice in 2017, is the subject of four articles of impeachment. The articles highlight $111,035 in renovations to her chambers, according to WCHS-TV. Her purchases reportedly included an $8,892 sofa that was paid for with state money.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Justice Robin Jean Davis is the subject of four articles of impeachment. (Photo: COURTSWVGOV)

Justice Robin Jean Davis

Davis, the most senior member of the court, was elected in 1996 to an unexpired term and re-elected in 2000 and 2012 to full 12-year terms. She is the subject of four articles of impeachment.

Her chambers reportedly underwent the most expensive renovations, costing $500,278.

Justice Beth Walker is the subject of two articles of impeachment. (Photo: COURTSWVGOV)

Justice Beth Walker

Walker, who was elected to the court in May 2016, is the subject of two articles of impeachment. Her chamber reportedly underwent $131,000 in renovations.

Former West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Judge Menis Ketchum retired just before being charged with federal wire fraud. (Photo: COURTSWVGOV)

Former Justice Menis Ketchum

Ketchum, who was elected to a 12-year term in 2008, retired in late July, removing himself from the impeachment proceedings.

Three days after announcing his retirement, he was charged with one criminal count of federal wire fraud and accused of using state-owned vehicles and fuel cards for personal use.

He has agreed to plead guilty to the charge later this month as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported Wednesday. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

As of Wednesday, the four remaining justices have not released statements regarding the articles of impeachment, a public information officer for the courthouse told HuffPost.

Related Coverage

It Sure Looks Like The Courts Are About To Get Tougher On Black People

Federal Judge Questions Constitutionality Of Trump Hotel's Profits

Democrats File Freedom Of Information Act Requests For Brett Kavanaugh Documents

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls This Supreme Court Term 'Much More Divisive Than Usual'

Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh To The Supreme Court

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Scott Squires BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine senators rejected a bill to legalize abortion after an impassioned debate ran into the early hours of Thursday, pushing back against a groundswell of support from a surging abortion rights movement. The Senate voted 38 to 31 against the proposed measure, which would have legalized a woman's right to seek an abortion into the 14th week of pregnancy. The bill had narrowly passed in the lower house in July. Families and clergy in baby-blue bandanas gathered outside the congressional palace as the result came in just before 3 a.m., waving Argentine flags in support of the Catholic Church's anti-abortion stance in Pope Francis' home country. "What this vote showed is that Argentina is still a country that represents family values," anti-abortion activist Victoria Osuna, 32, told Reuters. Current Argentine law only permits abortions in cases of rape, or if the mother's health is at risk. Abortion rights supporters, clad in green bandanas that have become a symbol of the movement, danced to drum lines and swarmed the citys streets to the end, despite a biting wind and cold rain. Many had camped in front of Argentina's National Congress since Wednesday night. "Im still optimistic. It didnt pass today, but it will pass tomorrow, it will pass the next day," said abortion rights supporter Natalia Carol, 23. "This is not over." Uruguay and Cuba are the only Latin American countries that now have broadly legalized abortion. In Brazil, the Supreme Court is set to consider whether current law, which allows terminating pregnancies only in cases of rape, fetal deformation or when the mothers life is in danger, is unconstitutional. But passing a pro-abortion law will face hurdles in Brazil's increasingly conservative Congress, with a growing Evangelical Christian caucus that is staunchly opposed. Women's rights advocates, however, hope that a more liberal judiciary in Brazil will at least decriminalize abortion to help avoid deaths from botched terminations in a country where hundreds of thousands of women resort to clandestine clinics each year. Ahead of the Senate vote in Argentina, President Mauricio Macri called the debate "a win for democracy." Macri said he was personally against abortion, but would sign the bill if it passed. Argentina's abortion rights movement, backed by feminist groups galvanized in recent years to stop violence against women, argued that the bill would end unregulated abortions that government data show as the leading cause of maternal deaths. There are at least 350,000 illegal abortions in Argentina every year, the Ministry of Health estimates, though international human rights groups say the number may be higher. The move to legalize abortion in Argentina is a "public health and human rights imperative," said New York-based Human Rights Watch. "Just because the bill got shot down, it will not stop the movement," said Paula Avila-Guillen, a director of Women's Equality Center, an abortion rights advocacy group. "We will be there at the next legislative opportunity." (Reporting by Scott Squires; Additional reporting by Anthony Boadle; Writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Diane Craft and Clarence Fernandez)
By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in Ecuador's London embassy for six years, is considering an offer to appear before a U.S. Senate committee to discuss alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, his lawyer said on Thursday.

WikiLeaks published a letter from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday which asked Assange to make himself available to testify in person at a closed hearing as part of its investigation into whether Moscow meddled to help Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election.

Russia rejects the claims and Trump has denied any collusion.

"The U.S. Senate Select Committee request confirms their interest in hearing from Mr Assange," lawyer Jennifer Robinson said in a statement.

"The inquiry has asked for him to appear in person at a mutually agreeable time and place. We are seriously considering the offer but must ensure Mr Assange's protection is guaranteed."

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy since he was granted asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questions about allegations of sex crimes, accusations that were later dropped.

However, he would be arrested by British police for breaching bail conditions should he leave the building, and he has always said he fears being extradited to the United States for having published a huge cache of U.S. diplomatic and military secrets on the WikiLeaks website.

There were no details about how any interview with the U.S. senators would be carried out, and a spokesman for Assange said: "Anything is possible with this".

"'In person' hasn't been ruled out," he added.

Ahead of the 2016 election, WikiLeaks published emails hacked from the Democratic Party and the personal email account of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman.

Last month, a U.S. federal grand jury charged 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking the Democratic computer networks as part of Moscow's meddling in the election to help Republican Trump.

Story continues

The U.S. committee's request comes at a time of growing speculation about Assange's future and his possible ejection from the embassy after six years.

On a visit to Madrid last month, Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno confirmed that Ecuador and Britain were in talks to try to end his stay at the embassy.

Days earlier, a source close to Assange told Reuters that the diplomatic impasse was coming to a head.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Story continues

"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.
 Flash

Saudi Arabia refused on Wednesday any mediation to solve the political disputes with Canada, Al Arabiya local news reported.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said that there is no room for mediation in the kingdom's escalating diplomatic dispute with Canada, and that Ottawa knew what it needed to do to "fix its big mistake."

Saudi Arabia asked on Monday the Canadian envoy to leave the country and recalled its ambassador from Canada. It put on hold all new business and investment transactions with Canada.

The kingdom also planned to shift Saudi university students studying there to other countries such as the United States and suspended all flights by its national carrier to and from Canada.

The dispute was over statements from the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Embassy in the kingdom, urging Saudi authorities to immediately release civil society activists who have been detained.

The kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada, said Jubeir, without further explanation.

He said that charges against the Saudi citizens who were arrested would be made public once the cases reach the courts, repeating that they had been in touch with foreign entities.
Bill Hybels, founder of Willow Creek Community Church, stepped down from leadership of the church in April. (Photo: Chicago Tribune via Getty Images)

A popular evangelical Christian author has chimed in to support several women accusing Chicago-area megachurch pastor Bill Hybels of inappropriate sexual advances.

Lee Strobel, a former teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church who went on to become a best-selling writer, said on Twitter that he never saw any hint of misconduct by Hybels during his time at the church. However, Strobel said he believes the women who have come forward with accusations against the influential pastor.

I know these women and they are Godly and credible, Strobel wrote on Twitter Monday. I believe them and weep for them.

My heart breaks for Pat Baranowski and all victims of Bill Hybels at Willow Creek. I never saw any hint of misconduct when I was there. Still, I know these women and they are Godly and credible. I believe them and weep for them. Scot McKnight is right: https://t.co/bH3q6HYKde  Lee Strobel (@LeeStrobel) August 6, 2018

Strobel was part of Willow Creeks staff from 1987 to 2000.

A former atheist and journalist, Strobels books about converting to Christianity have become widely read within the genre of Christian apologetics. His best-selling book The Case for Christ was made into a movie last year.

Leslie Strobel and Lee Strobel attend the film premiere of "The Case for Christ" in Chicago on April 6, 2017. (Photo: Jeff Schear via Getty Images)

Hybels is known in the evangelical world for his ability to bring skeptics and seekers back to church. Under his guidance, Willow Creek Community Church grew from a small community that worshipped in a rented movie theater to a multicampus megachurch that boasts more than 25,000 attendees.

But his legacy  and the legacy of the church he founded 42 years ago  was thrown into question this year after at least 10 women came forward with allegations against the pastor of various forms of sexual harassment.

In March, the Chicago Tribune published accusations from several women who claimed Hybels made unwanted sexual advances toward them during encounters that date back to the 1990s. The behavior allegedly included extended hugs, lewd comments, and in one case an unwanted kiss and an invitation to a private hotel room.

Story continues

On Sunday, The New York Times published new allegations against Hybels from his former executive assistant, Pat Baranowski. The woman said the pastor sexually abused her while she lived at the Hybels family home in the 1980s  reportedly subjecting her to back rubs, groping and one incident of oral sex.

Hybels has denied Baranowskis allegations and the accusations of the other women who have spoken out against him. He retired from leadership at Willow Creek in April, six months ahead of schedule. At that point, he acknowledged that he had made people feel uncomfortable at times. But he claimed the allegations brought by the women were misleading or entirely false.

Bill Hybels was once a close adviser to President Bill Clinton. The two are seen on the North Portico of the White House after a morning jog on June 6, 1995. (Photo: LUKE FRAZZA via Getty Images)

The Rev. Steve Carter, one of two pastors Willow Creek had tapped as Hybels successors, resigned from his post on Sunday in protest over how the church has handled the accusations.

Carter, who has been on staff at Willow Creek since 2013, wrote in a blog post that he could not in good conscience continue as Willow Creeks lead teaching pastor when my soul is so at odds with the institution.

Since the first women came forward with their stories, I have been gravely concerned about our churchs official response, and [its] ongoing approach to these painful issues, Carter wrote.

Church leaders at Willow Creek have known about the allegations against Hybels since at least 2014, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Elders conducted an internal investigation of the reports, which claimed to clear Hybels of the accusations. Another investigation by an outside lawyer, completed last year, also found no wrongdoing on Hybels part. The church defended Hybels when the allegations were first published in the press this March. Elders have since apologized for the churchs initial response.

On Monday, Willow Creek announced to its members that a council of outside Christian leaders was going to conduct a new independent investigation into the allegations.

The remaining lead pastor, Heather Larson, said the council will have full autonomy and authority to investigate the allegations, the Chicago Tribune reports. The investigation will be funded by an outside donor.

Larson, who has worked at Willow Creek for about 20 years, told The New York Times that it was heartbreaking to read about Baranowskis allegations against Hybels.

The behavior that she has described is reprehensible, Larson said.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

Willow Creek Community Church is an influential evangelical megachurch in South Barrington, Illinois. (Photo: John Gress / Reuters)

Victims advocates are questioning whether the churchs leadership is able to conduct a truly independent investigation.

Boz Tchividjian, founder of a nonprofit that seeks to raise awareness of sex abuse in church communities, told the Chicago Tribune that the only way a credible independent investigation could occur is if the current leadership steps down.

Theyve eviscerated any trust that any victim would have with regard to Willow, Tchividjian said. For such an investigation to work, to gain the trust of the very people you want to speak with, the leadership should step down and let others who have not been involved step up.

UPDATE: Aug. 9  Larson announced late Wednesday that she is stepping down from her role as lead pastor. The nine members of the churchs current board of elders will follow suit by the end of the year.

Trust has been broken by leadership, and it doesnt return quickly, Larson said during a special congregational meeting at the churchs main campus. There is urgency to move in a better direction.

Larson said that Steve Gillen, currently lead pastor of the churchs North Shore campus, will serve as interim lead pastor of the entire congregation. Hell be tasked with setting up a new pastoral team.

Missy Rasmussen, one of the churchs departing elders, apologized to the women who came forward with allegations against Hybels. She said the elder board had been blinded to the pain and suffering of these women and asked for forgiveness.

We have no reason to not believe any of you. We are sorry that our initial statements were so insensitive, defensive and reflexively protective of Bill, Rasmussen said. We exhort Bill to acknowledge his sin and publicly apologize.

Also on HuffPost

Saint-Michel dAiguilhe chapel

Le Puy-en-Velay, France

The Church of Hallgrimur

Reykjavik, Iceland

Air Force Academy Chapel

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Cathedral of Maringa

Parana, Brazil

Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut

Ronchamp, France

See-Through Church

Brussels, Belgium. A see-through church is pictured on a hilltop in Borgloon, 50 miles east of Brussels, on Feb. 20, 2013. The church, designed by Belgian architectual duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, is made with 100 layers of steel and weighs 30 tons.

Thorncrown Chapel

Arkansas, USA

Chapel of the Holy Cross

Sedona, Arizona

Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Rio de Janeiro's cathedral on July 27, 2013.

Church of Paraportiani

Mykonos, Greece

Zipaquira Salt Cathedral

Cundinamarca, Colombia

Metropolitan Cathedral

People walk in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Brasilia, Brazil, on Oct. 5, 2011. The cathedral is lit in pink to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

St. George's Church

Visitors walk past Bete Giyorgis, also called St. George's Church, on March 19, 2013, in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Lalibela is among Ethiopia's holiest of cities and is distinguished by its 11 churches hewn into solid rock that date back to the 12th century. Construction of the churches was begun by Ethiopian Emperor Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, who sought to create an alternative pilgrimage site after the Muslim occupation of Jerusalem. Lalibela was the capital of Ethiopia until the 13th century.

Borgund Stave Church

Lrdal, Norway

Cardboard Cathedral

Christchurch, New Zealand

Las Lajas Cathedral

Colombia

Harajuku Church

Tokyo, Japan

Christ Cathedral/Crystal Cathedral

Garden Grove, Orange County, California

St. Basil's Cathedral

Moscow, Russia

Catedral de Nuestra Senora del Pilar

Mejorada del Campo, Spain

Chapel of St. Gildas

Brittany, France

Santuario della Madonna Lacrime

Sicily, Italy

Jubilee Church

Rome, Italy

Snow Church

Visitors stand inside a church made entirely of snow and ice in southern Bavaria on Jan. 14, 2012, in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. Local enthusiasts built the church at the end of December in an effort to relive a tradition dating back over 100 years. In 1910 the residents of Mitterfirminsreut were cut off from their local parish by a heavy snowstorm, and since the village was without its own church, they were unable to attend Christmas mass. In January 1911, in an act of protest against local authorities whom they felt had forgotten them, the residents built their own church out of the material they had most in abundance at the time: snow.

Grundtvigskirken

Copenhagen, Denmark

Inflatable Church

Father Michael Elfred, a church minister from Tadworth, Surrey, stands outside the world's first inflatable church, erected on May 13, 2003, in Sandown, England. The church stands 47 feet tall from floor to steeple, comes complete with inflatable organ, candles and stained glass windows, and can hold up to 60 people.

Evry Cathedral

Exterior view of the Roman Catholic cathedral in Evry, south of Paris, the first cathedral to be built in France in over 100 years. The structure, made of red brick, covers 1,074 square meters.

Basilica de Higuey

Dominican Republic

Felsenkirche

Idar-Oberstein, Germany

Stykkisholmskirkja

Iceland

Cattedrale Vegetale

Bergamo, Italy

Pilgrimage Church

Neviges, Germany

Sagrada Familia

Barcelona, Spain

Stone Church Ruins

Goreme, Turkey

San Francisco de Asis Church

Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - An Israeli strike flattened a building in Gaza City on Thursday after a rocket landed deep inside the Jewish state, but tensions appeared to lessen following a deadly flare-up of violence over the previous day.

Gaza militants had earlier Thursday declared a halt to rocket fire and the lack of a strong response to the strike on the building later in the day suggested they were returning to it.

A source familiar with the negotiations said Egypt and the United Nations had negotiated a return to calm starting shortly before midnight Thursday, seemingly bringing an end to the upturn in violence.

If confirmed it would be the third such indirect truce agreement between Hamas and Israel in a month, with tensions remaining high.

Late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet issued a statement following a meeting saying it had instructed the military "to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements".

More sirens rang out in southern Israel on Thursday night and there were reports in the Israeli media of at least two rockets landing in open areas.

The strike on the building in Gaza City wounded 18 Palestinians. The rocket that hit an open area outside the major Israeli city of Beersheba caused no damage or injuries.

It was the first time since a 2014 war that a rocket had hit that deep inside Israel, according to Israeli media. Beersheba is some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Gaza Strip.

Gaza militants had at around noon halted fire after targeting Israel with some 180 rockets and mortars beginning Wednesday night and into Thursday.

The rocket fire provoked a wave of Israeli strikes across the enclave overnight that killed three Palestinians, including a toddler.

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.

Story continues

The Israeli strike later Thursday, after the rocket landed near Beersheba, hit a building that Palestinians say housed a cultural centre and other offices in the middle of the city.

Israel's military said the five-storey building was used by Hamas's "interior security forces for military purposes."

The Said Meshal Cultural Centre confirmed on its Facebook page the offices in Gaza City had been destroyed, saying the building also hosted offices for the Egyptian community in Gaza.

The building was not publicly known to include facilities for Hamas.

- 'Never leave' -

Beginning on Wednesday night and into Thursday, fireballs and explosions shook the Gaza Strip while plumes of smoke rose from the enclave.

In nearby Israeli communities, residents were sent scrambling to bomb shelters.

Most of the rockets fired by Palestinian militants landed in open areas, but at least two hit the Israeli town of Sderot and sirens sounded throughout the night.

Medics reported at least four wounded taken to Israeli hospitals, including a seriously injured 30-year-old Thai woman.

Israel's military reported seven civilians wounded.

Those killed in the Gaza Strip included Enas Khammash, 23, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

They were killed in an air strike in Jafarawi in central Gaza, the ministry said, while her husband was injured. The ministry said Khammash was also pregnant.

A Hamas militant was also killed in the overnight strikes and at least 12 others injured, the health ministry said.

"Bayan was sleeping with her mother and father. The rocket hit their house and smashed it, you can see the damage," said Abdullah Khammash, 31 and a cousin of the woman and child killed.

In Sderot, the Israeli city near the Gaza Strip, a gaping hole could be seen in front of a small, three-storey building. A car parked nearby was smashed.

"I will never leave, never," said Hagit Shetreet, 45, who had to run to a shelter due to the rocket fire.

- 'Deeply alarmed' -

Israel's army said it targeted more than 150 Hamas military locations, including militant compounds and weapons manufacturing sites.

Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said he had no information on the woman and child killed, but noted a pregnant Israeli woman was taken to hospital Wednesday night after a rocket landed nearby.

"What I can say is that we targeted by definition only military targets that were clearly used by Hamas where there was an active presence of Hamas and nothing else," he told journalists on Thursday morning.

The military said 30 of the some 180 rockets and mortars fired at Israel were intercepted by air defence systems.

The three flare-ups since July, which follow months of tensions due to protests and clashes along the Gaza border, have raised fears of a fourth war between the two sides since 2008.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN envoy for the Middle East conflict who has been seeking to negotiate a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas, said he was "deeply alarmed".

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called on the international community to "immediately and urgently intervene".

Protests and clashes along the Gaza border began on March 30.

At least 165 Palestinians have killed by Israeli fire since then. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

az-jlr-jod-cmr/mjs/hkb/dl
Beirut (AFP) - The Islamic State group is looking to recapture lost power by reverting to the grisly tactics that first propelled it to global notoriety, analysts say, including executions and kidnapping minorities.

IS last week beheaded a 19-year-old student, one of more than 30 Druze Syrians it kidnapped in late July during a spate of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings in Syria's southern Sweida province.

While official IS media quickly claimed responsibility for the attacks, the propaganda channels have made no mention of the kidnappings.

Instead, local sources and war monitors say the jihadists were in talks to swap the Druze hostages for IS commanders and other fighters held by Syria's government.

"On one hand they are publicly killing people, but then behind the scenes they can take hostages and swap," says Hassan Hassan, senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

"That's key -- the whole thing is part of an attempt to revive its cells, bring back some of its resources, and replenish some leadership and ranks with people who have been kidnapped or held in prisons," says Hassan.

IS has fallen far since declaring a so-called "caliphate" across Syria and Iraq in 2014, where it implemented its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, including public executions.

Last year, the group lost its twin seats of power -- Mosul and Raqa -- and a few months ago was ousted from its foothold in Syria's capital Damascus.

Many of its top commanders have been killed, and regime and US-backed forces are separately detaining IS members -- including its infamous foreign fighters -- across the country.

But even as its wings get clipped, IS will likely keep using "swift hit-and-runs to kidnap people".

"The government is stable and secure, but the communities bear the brunt," says Hassan.

- 'Crosses all red lines' -

IS has used similar tactics in Iraq and in Syria's northeast, where in 2015 it abducted 220 Assyrian Christians that it ultimately traded for a large ransom.

Story continues

Negotiations for the remaining Druze hostages -- 14 women and 15 of their children -- are taking place through Russian coordination with Syria's government, according to a top Druze religious leader.

The student beheaded by IS last week was taken hostage alongside his mother.

Relatives received footage of the young man speaking before he was killed, as well as his decapitation and images of his lifeless body.

It was the latest episode of the traumatising saga that began with the July 25 attacks, which killed more than 250 people -- most of them civilians.

The violence has left Syria's Druze reeling after seven years of being relatively cocooned from the war.

Analysts say that brand of shock and terror has also long been a part of IS's modus operandi.

"They need a soft target in the same way when they attack the West -- a soft target maximises their reach, the pain, it damages the support system, it's a divide-and-conquer strategy," says Hassan.

Perhaps IS's most infamous attack against a minority community was its raids against Iraq's Yazidis in 2014, when it forced tens of thousands from the tiny religious group to flee and captured girls and women as spoils of war.

Khattar Abou Diab, a Paris-based expert on Syria, says raids on the Druze evoked those dark times.

"The actions and abuses waged against the Druze civilians since that Black Wednesday (July 25) very much resemble those carried out by IS against the Yazidis in Iraq," says Abou Diab.

"For this ancestral community, taking female hostages crosses all their red lines," he adds.

- 'Create anarchy' -

The Druze, who made up three percent of Syria's pre-war population, follow a secretive faith seen as an offshoot of Islam but cast by IS as heretical.

Their leaders have sought to maintain a precarious arrangement with the regime: in exchange for maintaining their loyalty, Druze men would not be conscripted and sent to fight far from home.

By targeting the Druze, IS wants to rupture that relationship, according to Pieter Van Ostaeyen, a Belgian expert on jihadists.

"An attack on the Druze community in Sweida is aimed to create unrest, and an attempt to make them rebel against the regime," he says.

"After all, this is the old tactic of IS in all of its incarnations: to try to create anarchy, unrest and ultimately take control over the chaos."

IS perfected the strategy in its early years, when it was just the Islamic State in Iraq, and will pursue it to recapture the territory and global infamy it once had.

"IS and other terrorist groups will continue to perpetrate attacks in Syria, and minorities will always be the main targets," says Fabrice Balanche, an expert on Syria.

"Even though IS has no territory, it remains clandestinely in Syria."
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Bangladesh is accusing Myanmar of failing to tackle the concerns of over 1 million Rohingya Muslims who fled the country and is urging the U.N. Security Council to take action to ensure their safe return home.

Bangladesh's U.N. ambassador, Masud Bin Momen, said in a letter to the council circulated Tuesday 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 in Myanmar."

"Nor has Myanmar taken any demonstrable effort to address the concerns of the Rohingyas and the international community," Momen said in the letter.

The Rohingya face official and social discrimination in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, which denies most of them citizenship and basic rights because they are looked on as immigrants from Bangladesh even though the families of many settled in Myanmar generations ago. Dire conditions led more than 200,000 to flee the country between 2012 and 2015.

The latest crisis began with attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Myanmar security personnel last Aug. 25. The military responded with counterinsurgency sweeps and a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages. It was accused of widespread human rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have died and about 700,000 fled to Bangladesh.

The U.N. human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, has insisted that the possibility of genocide against Rohingya was real and has called for the issue to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

Momen urged the Security Council to adopt a resolution and take "concerted and determined action to address the Rohingya crisis" so the refugees in Bangladesh can return to Myanmar.

He accused Myanmar of attempting to play down "the catastrophic scale of the crisis and its grave impact on Bangladesh" by saying the number of people who fled the country can't be higher than a half million.

Story continues

Momen also called Myanmar's claim that Bangladesh is violating a 1998 demarcation treaty by building bunkers within 150 feet of the border "false and baseless." He said the closest bunker is 654 feet from the border line.

The Security Council is planning to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Myanmar's violent crackdown on the Rohingya at an open meeting Aug. 28 to be addressed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has called the Rohingya crisis "ethnic cleansing."

British Ambassador Karen Pierce, this month's council president, said the U.K. wants the meeting to focus on gaining "unconditional access" to Myanmar for the U.N. refugee and development agencies so they can work with the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments "to make a credible plan to get the refugees back home in safety, dignity and security."

Momen said Bangladesh wants the council to ensure those conditions in Myanmar so the Rohingya can return.

He called the framework for cooperation between the U.N. and the Myanmar government "a step in the right direction."

"There is, however, a need for transparency and a demonstration of concrete deliverables so that the Rohingyas can gain the required trust and confidence that, upon returning to their homes in Rakhine State, they will not be subject to further discrimination and violence," Momen said.

He also stressed that "it is of the utmost important" that the Rohingyas still in Rakhine "are guaranteed unconditional protection" through the creation of United Nations-administered "safe zones."

Momen said Bangladesh would welcome assistance from the U.N. to house Rohingya refugees in shelters that can withstand the current monsoon rains, to protect victims of "grave human rights abuses including sexual violence" from traffickers and exploitation, and to provide basic education and skills.
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected an antitrust challenge by 23 beer drinkers to Anheuser-Busch InBev SA's <ABI.BR> $107 billion purchase in 2016 of SABMiller Plc, which they claimed would thwart competition and raise prices in the U.S. beer market.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon said SABMiller's agreement with antitrust regulators to divest its U.S. beer business, by selling its stake in the MillerCoors joint venture to Molson Coors Brewing Co <TAP.N>, would prevent increased concentration in the industry.

It also rejected as speculative the argument that the merger violated the federal Clayton Act because it gave Molson Coors an incentive to adopt Anheuser's distribution practices, to combat its rival's newly increased size.

That law requires consumers to properly allege that a merger "creates an appreciable danger or a reasonable probability of anticompetitive effects in the relevant market," Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown wrote for a three-judge panel. "[The] consumers' allegations do not belly up to this bar."

Anheuser-Busch InBev's brands include Budweiser and Bud Light, Beck's, Corona, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, the craft beers Goose Island and Blue Point, and many others.

Joseph Alioto, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview he would ask the panel or an 11-judge appeals court panel to revisit the case.

"The court overlooked the elephant in the room: that the 72 percent of the market that was occupied by ABI, SAB and Molson is now occupied by two," Alioto said. "Is the elimination of the second-largest brewer in the world from the U.S. market a lessening of competition? I don't think there is any doubt."

A spokeswoman for Anheuser declined to comment.

Wednesday's decision upheld an October 2016 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Eugene, Oregon.

The case is DeHoog v Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV et al, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-35912.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
More men are entering the nursing profession. The industry continues to see higher demand with aging baby boomers who are living longer.

Being a nurse in the U.S. is a lucrative gig.

In the U.S., a nurse earns an average annual salary of $63,000, more than double the global average of $26,698, according to CapRelo, a firm that specializes in global relocation. The U.S. led in average salary for nurses among 43 countries. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) earn, on average, $140,934 per year, making it the top paying nursing speciality, according to PayScale.

It may very well be the best time to be a nurse in the U.S.. The jobs strong demand, relatively high pay, rewarding nature and low-risk of automation are all compelling incentives to pursue the career.

The demand for health care workers

The landscape looks rosy for anyone looking to become a nurse. A recent study by HR consulting firm Mercer found that the U.S. needs to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025 to aid the countrys aging population.

While the U.S. added fewer jobs than expected last month, health care employment grew by 286,000 over the year. Hospitals added 7,000 jobs in July, according to BLS numbers.

The business services sector added 51,000 jobs and the manufacturing industry added 37,000 jobs in July, coming in distant second and third for top industry job creators.

If you look at the employment projections, health care occupations in general are going to be high in demand over the next decade. Nurses do appear to be really satisfied with their jobs  more than one might expect, said Martha Gimbel, research director for Indeeds Hiring Lab.

While the nursing field has a wide range of professions, registered nurses make up the largest segment of health care workers.

Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 15% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. In addition to Baby Boomers higher demand for health care services as they live longer, BLS cites an increased emphasis on preventive care and growing rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity as core reasons that are fueling the nursing industrys growth.

Story continues

Passion-driven profession

Nurses often work three 12-hour days (which translates into 13- or 14-hour shifts). The difficult hours, especially the graveyard shifts, are emotionally and physically draining and take a toll on the body. But nursing is the standout profession when it comes to career longevity, according to Indeed.

After java developers, nurse practitioners and registered nurses are the least likely to leave their jobs. Of the top 10 jobs that have the lowest turnover rate, four are in the field of nursing: nurse practitioner, registered nurse, charge nurse and licensed practical nurse.

Overall, the higher salary leads to less career-switching. But many nurses pursue the profession because they want to be a caregiver and value meaningful interactions and outcomes that they can offer patients.

In analyzing clicks on jobs site Indeed, Andrew Flowers, the companys economist, found that only 29% of clicks by licensed practical nurses were searches for jobs outside of health care. Only 23% of clicks by registered nurses were to look for jobs outside of the medical field.



But even when nurses search for jobs outside the specific category of health care delivery jobs, theyre still interested in jobs that could be health care related, such as a case manager, administrator, or educator, Flowers noted.

Pathway from nursing school

The path to becoming a nurse is fairly straightforward and streamlined. Nursing resource portal NurseChoice reports that a nursing degree represents job security in the current labor market.

There are lots of positions out there, Meredith Wallace Kazer, dean and professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, told NurseChoice. She said 100% of the universitys new grad nurses find jobs.

Laura Author, director of career services at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, also told the publication that the schools graduates are having no trouble finding jobs.

There is such high demand for nurses that hospitals and private medical practices are offering five-figure signing bonuses and perks like free housing and college tuition.

Overall, nearly anyone who wants a job in the U.S. has a job. So its that much tougher for medical employers to lure talent. According to CNN, West Virginias WVU Medicine will start offering tuition reimbursement for employees and their children.

Male nurses & the threat of automation

While nurses have long been stereotyped as a job for females, men have been steadily infiltrating the industry over the past decade. According to a 2017 paper from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, more men are becoming nurses in their 20s and early 30s.

Elizabeth Munnich of University of Louisville and University of Notre Dames Abigail Wozniak list educational attainment, rising health care labor demand, and liberal gender role sentiment as the primary drivers of men gravitating toward nursing.

Men and women make up nearly equal shares of some specialized subfields, like nurse anesthetist. This shift has unfolded over a period in which workers in traditionally-male occupations have faced increasing competitive pressure from automation and

trade, they write.

The nursing industry remains unscathed amid a wave of automation that threatens to swallow jobs across every sector of the economy  from construction to retail.

Given these long-run trends, there have been calls to encourage young workers  men in particular  to move into high growth occupations that require some post-secondary training but less than a four-year degree. We view the movement of men into registered nursing as a useful case study from which much can be learned about how young workers in the middle of skill distribution choose non-traditional occupational paths, they add.

As the industry sees more demand, we could expect more men  and women  to pursue a career in nursing.

Melody Hahm is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.

Read more:

What its like to glamp on New York Citys Rockaway peninsula

26-year-old launches Instagram-fueled fast fashion brand

Inside the exclusive supper club in a 1-bedroom NYC apartment

A father-son duo is revolutionizing this $20B industry one BBQ at a time

Womens-only club The Wing opens its doors for a special occasion

25-year-olds startup is making fast fashion even faster
Sao Paulo (AFP) - Brazil has hit another grim record of 63,880 homicides in 2017, or the equivalent of more than seven murders an hour, according to figures released Thursday.

Although nearly all the victims were men, the annual report from the non-profit Brazilian Forum for Public Security also found a six percent increase in murders of women.

These included 1,133 deaths as a result of femicide, or victims being deliberately targeted because they were female. The 60,018 rapes were up more than eight percent compared to 2016.

Outrage over mounting violence against women has heated in the last few days after the widely publicized release of security camera footage showing a brutal beating of a woman by her husband in southern Brazil -- minutes before he allegedly threw her to her death from a window.

The wider issue of murders, especially in the north of Brazil, has contributed to anger at the authorities which is expected to play heavily in the just-started presidential campaign.

According to the authoritative annual study, which only includes figures through 2017, there were an average 175 killings a day, up 2.9 percent over the previous year.

The average national homicide rate of 30.8 killings for every 100,000 people shot up to 68 per 100,000 in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, while dropping to 10.7 in Sao Paulo state, despite containing Latin America's biggest city.

Reflecting the deep inadequacies of the country's justice system, the report said there are 729,463 people incarcerated in penitentiaries with room for just 367,217.

Police killed 5,144 people on duty in 2017, a 20 percent increase, the study said, while 367 officers were killed -- down nearly five percent.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia over the Sergei Skripal poisoning (Rex)

The Government has welcomed new US sanctions on Russia for using a military grade nerve agent on a former spy in Salisbury.

The US State Department issued a formal determination that Russia poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok in the Wiltshire town in March.

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.

Downing Street has welcomed the sanctions on Russia (Rex)

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March (Rex)

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.

New sanctions are expected to come into effect on or around August 22 following a 15-day Congressional notification period.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK TODAY

Venice cafe defends charging tourist 38 for two coffees and some water

France re-opens MH370 disappearance probe after claims of Malaysian cover-up

British van man drives around Europe spelling out Stop Brexit on map with GPS

Australia suffers worst drought in decades as farmers get increased powers to shoot kangaroos

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.

Britain had already accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.

Russia has criticised the new sanctions as draconian (Rex)

In response to the US announcement, the Russian Embassy in the US issued a statement referring to far-fetched accusations and saying Russian officials had yet to hear any facts or evidence and that the US had refused to answer questions.

Story continues

Russia, however, again tried to throw the spotlight on the Governments defence laboratory in Porton Down.

In a series of tweets, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: As Russians suffered in #Salisbury, it is principally important for us that the British authorities conduct a truly independent, unbiased & transparent investigation into both incidents. Russian law enforcement agencies are ready to provide the necessary assistance.

The #PortonDown chemical laboratory should remain in the focus of investigations. We insist that the British authorities disclose data on the labs work to synthesise chemical warfare agents, incl. the gas labelled #Novichok in the West | #SkripalCase #Salisbury.

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
MILAN (Reuters) - The brother of a Polish man convicted of kidnapping a British model in Milan will also stand trial in connection with her abduction, an Italian judge ordered on Thursday. Michal Konrad Herba, who had been living in Britain, is accused of taking part in the kidnap of Chloe Ayling, who was held captive for six days after being lured to a photo shoot in Italy in July last year. In a number of media interviews, Ayling, 21, said she was drugged, gagged, bound, stuffed into a bag, put into a car boot and driven to a small town close to the northern city of Turin. According to her account, four or five men were involved in the kidnapping. Lukasz Pawel Herba, Michal's brother, was sentenced in June to serve 16 years in prison and pay 60,000 euros ($69,500) in damages to Ayling, who was a civil plaintiff in the trial. Michal was extradited to Italy after being arrested by British police in Birmingham, acting on a European arrest warrant issued by Italian authorities. His trial will start in Milan on Oct. 24. ($1 = 0.8632 euros) (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, writing by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
In the past few decades, wildfire season in California has expanded from a few months each year to a year-long phenomenon. This summers Carr and Mendocino Complex fires  which together have burned more than 400,000 acres of land in Northern California  follow a string of smaller but still disastrous blazes earlier this year and last.

From a scientific perspective, this new reality is made much more likely by climate change, which raises temperatures and makes drought more persistent. But climate policy experts say the law hasnt caught up when it comes to people, businesses and communities on the ground who need to recoup the billions in damage caused by the fire.

In California, government investigators say the local electric utility Pacific Gas & Electric is responsible for 12 fires that caused billions in damage late last year because the fires were sparked by power lines, in most cases, coming into contact with trees. The utility points to climate change as the true culprit: the warming planet created conditions that makes such fires all but inevitable.

This is about more than PG&E. And its about more than one bad fire season, said PG&E CEO Geisha Williams in May. Climate change makes wildfires and other extreme weather events more likely.

The situation in California offers a window into an increasingly relevant legal question as the signals of climate change appear more frequently: who should bear the responsibility when climate disaster strikes? Its a question that climate change activists have floated in courthouses, negotiating rooms and legislative halls across the globe in recent years, but the answer is still yet to be determined.

The wildfires and other extreme weather events across the globe have made the question an immediate concern. In May, the states Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined that 12 devastating fires that struck Northern California late last year were the result of trees coming into contact with power lines or other failures by PG&E. Thanks to a policy known as inverse condemnation the utility will be on the hook for those damages, which the company says could easily surpass $10 billion, even if the company is not found to be negligent.

Story continues

In the past, PG&E has paid the bills when the company was blamed for fires and other damages. But the company now says it cannot continue to foot the bill so long as climate change continues to increase the likelihood of fires. Millions of trees have died across California after years of intense drought, creating vast quantities of fuel that allow fires to burn faster and over greater distances. Combine that with higher temperatures and theres a recipe for disaster  one that the company argues will be difficult to keep up with despite its best efforts.

The problem is only going to get worse with time. A May report from the state described climate change as a real, immediate, and growing threat to Californias future and highlighted the link between rising temperatures and wildfires. Fire season used to be a five, six-month proposition, says Kurt Henke, former Sacramento fire chief who now heads AP Triton, a fire consulting firm. Its now year round due to drought and the fact that climate is changing.

To keep utility companies out of bankruptcy, which utilities in California said they could face without a rule change, officials are pushing a change in the law. Late last month, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed a new plan that would allow a court to decide whether the utility acted reasonably before forcing the company to pay claims. Costly wildfires and natural disasters have the potential to undermine the system, Brown told legislators, leaving our energy sector in a state of weakness at a time when it should be making even greater investments in safety.

PG&E has also pushed to raise electricity rates to pay for damage rather than collecting from shareholders and risking their bankruptcy. That would allow the companies to continue normal operations without bankruptcy, which would lead to higher electricity prices in the state.

The debate over liability is nothing new. As early as 1991, a group of small developing countries facing devastation as a result of sea level rise and flooding called on rich countries to pay for loss and damage. That topic has been a sticking point in recent climate change negotiations, with developing countries arguing that the countries that have emitted the most greenhouse gases  namely, the U.S. and other developed countries  should pay the cost of damages. Discussions on that topic remain ongoing as a significant rift remains even among governments committed to addressing global warming.

Within the U.S., that debate has taken several different forms. Proactive policymakers have pushed to rework the National Flood Insurance Program, which pays people to rebuild their homes after floods even in areas where climate-related damage is likely to strike again. That program, which is $25 billion in debt, puts the burden of climate change-related natural disasters in the hands of the federal government and the taxpayer by extension. Infrastructure experts have also pushed the federal government, without much positive reception, to rethink its disaster assistance dollars to incorporate climate change preparedness.

A group of pioneering cities and states have sought to address the question of who pays the costs of climate change differently, pushing the oil and gas industry to pay for climate-related damages. A series of lawsuits across the country have blamed the companies for years of polluting the planet while concealing evidence that emissions would contribute to devastating climate change. The authorities behind the lawsuits, brought by officials everywhere from San Francisco to New York state, hope that courts will force the industry to pay up to cover the costs of damage and adaptation.

Because of climate change we are incurring costs, whether its the decision to raise a sea wall or installing air conditioning in schools, says Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator now an adviser at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. Were looking for them to pay their fair share.

But courts have thus far expressed skepticism  not necessarily at the fault of oil and gas companies, but at the ability of the judicial system to deal with it. The problem deserves a solution on a more vast scale than can be supplied by a district judge or jury in a public nuisance case, wrote William Alsup of the U.S. District Court in Northern California as he dismissed a suit from the cities of San Francisco and Oakland.

That may be. But as the situation in California shows, figuring out who pays for the devastation brought by climate change could not happen fast enough.
Lagerhaus/WireImageDrake may be ruling the music world, but he's having a little bit of trouble with the world of transportation.

Drizzy kicks off his Aubrey and the Three Amigos Tour with Migos Friday in Kansas City, Missouri, but reportedly, his tour bus was toured early Thursday morning.

The bus was towed away from a hotel parking lot around 3 a.m., according to TMZ.

It's not known why the bus was towed, but Drakes rep tells TMZ that if its being repossessed because of missing payments, the bus company is responsible, not Drake, because it's a rental.

Following Fridays show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Drake's next show will be St. Paul, Minnesota on Sunday. The tour wraps up November 17 in Atlanta.

The tour was originally scheduled to start July 26 in Salt Lake City, but was pushed back after Offset was arrested for gun and drug possession on July 20.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
(CNN)  It may take until September to contain the largest fire in California history, which is now nearly the size 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 300,086 acres and were 47% contained as of Wednesday morning.

The colossal fire altogether has destroyed 116 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 currently battling 15 large fires.

Arrest made in connection with Holy Fire

A man is facing charges in connection with the Holy Fire. Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was being held at the Orange County Jail Wednesday on two counts of felony arson, a count of felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest, the Cleveland National Forest said via Twitter.

Clark, who is being held on a $1 million (53 million) bail, was expected in court on Thursday. The fire at Holy Jim Canyon 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 that 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 about 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.

Experts cite hotter temperatures causing lengthier fire seasons that burn up dry, dead vegetation as factors for more wildfires.

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 173,522 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.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Record-breaking California fire may take until September to contain"
 Flash

South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Thursday to hold high-level talks on Aug. 13 at the border village of Panmunjom, according to the Unification Ministry.

The DPRK offered to hold the senior-level dialogue with South Korea at Tongilgak, a DPRK building in Panmunjom, to implement the Panmunjom Declaration.

The South Korean side accepted the dialogue overtures to review the implementation of the declaration, which was signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un at their first summit on April 27 in Panmunjom.

The two leaders met again in Panmunjom on May 26 before the DPRK-U.S. summit on June 12 in Singapore.

The DPRK side also proposed to discuss preparations for the next inter-Korean summit meeting, which Moon and Kim had agreed to hold in Pyongyang this fall, during the upcoming high-level talks between the two Koreas.

The South Korean delegation will be led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, the Unification Ministry said.

The ministry said South Korea planned to make an in-depth discussion with the DPRK side over issues to successfully hold the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang and ways to speed up the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration.

Local media speculated that another inter-Korean summit might be held as early as late August or early September to facilitate the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula.

The ministry noted that the South Korean government will make best efforts to speedily implement the declaration via continued dialogue and cooperation, while pursuing a sustainable development in inter-Korean relations and building a permanent peace regime on the peninsula.
Ottawa (AFP) - Canada is quietly nudging allies including Germany and Sweden for help with resolving its row with Saudi Arabia, a government source confirmed Thursday.

The senior official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had spoken with her counterparts in the two European nations.

Germany and Sweden previously were targets of Saudi backlashes for calling out the kingdom over human rights abuses.

Freeland sought to understand how they resolved those disputes, and asked for their support, the official said. Ottawa also planned to reach out to regional heavyweight the United Arab Emirates and Britain, which has strong historical ties to Saudi Arabia.

Women's rights advocates, charitable organizations, and civil rights groups, meanwhile, urged the international community "to join Canada in calling for the unequivocal respect of women's rights in Saudi Arabia."

They also called for Riyadh to "immediately release" women activists in detention, and commended Freeland "for her uncompromising stand for human rights, and for her bold leadership in walking the talk on women's rights globally."

"We join Canada in urging Saudi Arabia to release women's rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada," said the statement signed by 22 non-governmental groups and individuals, including the Nobel Women's Initiatve, Oxfam, and Lawyers without Borders.

Tensions have been high since Monday, when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments after Ottawa denounced a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying: "Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights ... at home and abroad, wherever we see the need."

"Canadians expect that, and indeed people around the world expect that leadership from Canada," he said.

Story continues

Trudeau noted that Freeland had "a long conversation" on Tuesday with her counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to try to resolve the dispute.

"Diplomatic talks continue," he said.

Canada has been disappointed that Western powers including the United States -- a key ally of Saudi Arabia -- did not publicly support Ottawa.

"Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them. They need to resolve it together," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing on Wednesday.

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.
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 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 programs 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. 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)
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)
White nationalists and members of the 'alt-right' exchange pepper spray with counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The governor of Virginia and city of Charlottesville have proactively declared a state of emergency ahead of the one-year anniversary of a deadly white supremacist rally.

Hundreds of far-right activists descended on the quiet college town last year for the Unite the Right rally, to protest the removal of a Confederate monument. The rally attracted national attention after one woman, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, was killed when a car ploughed through a crowd of counter-protesters.

Two Virginia state troopers were also killed in a helicopter crash after monitoring the violence on the ground.

Virginia continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago, Governor Ralph Northam said in a statement announcing the state of emergency on Wednesday. We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully.

Mr Northam said the state of emergency would ensure the state and city had all available resources ready to support emergency responders if necessary. The declaration allocates $2m in state funds for response, and authorises the Virginia National Guard to assist in security efforts.

Charlottesvilles Interim City Manager Mike Murphy said the city, surrounding county, and nearby university were working with law enforcement agencies around the state to plan for potential events.

Meanwhile, primary Unite the Right organiser Jason Kessler was planning an anniversary rally for outside the White House on 12 August  the same day as last year's event. The white supremacist blogger initially planned to hold the rally in Charlottesville once again, but was denied a permit by the city.

Mr Kessler and other Unite the Right participants have also signed on to a court agreement barring them from any militia-style, armed activity in the city in the future.

Documents released by the National Park Service, and obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, show speakers at the rally will include former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke and neo-Nazi Marine veteran Patrick Little, among others. Approximately 400 people are expected to attend.

Story continues

A coalition of 22 different activist groups like Black Lives Matter DC and Smash Racism DC have also planned a counter-protest over the weekend. The protest, titled "Shut it Down DC," will take place all weekend, with a special "Rally Against Hate" scheduled for 12 August.

This is for Heather Heyer, ICE abolition, open borders, dismantling the prison industrial complex, and ending the settler colonial system, the activists wrote on their website.

Still here, and still strong against against hate. We'll show that fascists are not welcomed here and we won't allow DC to be their playground.
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 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.

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.

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.

Story continues

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.

Photographer Ryan Kelly at his office at Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond, Va., April 17, 2018. Kelly left journalism shortly after shooting his Pulitzer-winning photo to work at the brewery. (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

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.

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.

Marissa Blair and Marcus Martin dance together during their wedding reception on May 12, 2018. (Photo: Ryan M. Kelly)

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, two police officers lost their lives, Kelly says.

The officers  Virginia state troopers Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates  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, Kelly adds. 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.



_____

Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
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.

Story continues

"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)
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 world's 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.

China's 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 China's 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.

Story continues

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office could not immediately be reached for comment on China's retaliation announcement or whether this would trigger Trump's 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. That's 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)
On Aug 8, China declared that it would retaliate against fresh tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese imports. The countrys ministry of commerce announced that China has decided to impose a 25% tariff on U.S. goods worth $16 billion.

This follows the U.S. Trade Representatives move to impose tariffs on Chinese goods worth the same amount. The latest exchange in a simmering trade conflict was one of the reasons for stocks closing largely in the red on Wednesday.

With bitterness increasing between the United States and its trading partners, defensive stocks have grabbed investors attention. These stocks offer slower but stable growth during periods of uncertainty. Since they also hold out the promise of higher-than-average yields, investing in defensive stocks looks like a prudent option at this point.

China Retaliates With Fresh Tariffs

On Wednesday, China said that it is imposing a 25% tariff on U.S. goods worth $16 billion. Chinas ministry of commerce has characterized the Trump administrations decision to levy a 25% tariff on U.S. goods of an identical value as very unreasonable. This is why it feels that China should retaliate to protect its legitimate interests.

These tariffs will come into effect from Aug 23 and are targeted at 333 goods. This list of U.S. goods includes large passenger cars and motorcycles. A wide variety of fuels and fiber optic cables also feature on the list. China is also targeting asphalt, Vaseline, coal, grease, plastic products and recyclables.

Trade Tensions to Continue

With the United States and China imposing tit-for-tat tariffs, there seems to be no end to the trade war in sight. Fresh U.S. measures mean that $50 billion worth of U.S. goods now face a 25% tariff. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is thinking about imposing a 10% duty on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

This rate could even be raised to 25% after a comment period ends on Sep 6. In such an event, China would likely impose tariffs on a further $60 billion of U.S. goods. Analysts feel that the point of no return hasnt been reached but it is getting closer. In fact, Trump has indicated that he could impose duties on all Chinese imports, which exceeded $500 billion in 2017.

Story continues

Defensive Picks in the Limelight

Given this backdrop, defensive sectors, such as real-estate, consumer staples and utilities will likely gain popularity among investors. These stocks grow at a slower pace than the rest of the economy. However, they are more stable in nature and safer during periods of economic uncertainty.

These also offer dividend yields that are higher than the overall market. Such a characteristic had actually decreased their attractiveness during a year when treasury yields have peaked. But with trade tensions cropping up, they may prove to be popular, especially among risk-averse investors.

Our Choices

Chinas decision to impose retaliatory tariffs indicates that trade tensions with the United States are likely to continue. Several more rounds could be played out before the countries reach a point of no return. However, that point is inching ever closer with Trump determined to expand the scope of his protectionist measures.

Investing in defensive stocks, which offer a safe and stable choice during periods of uncertainty looks like a good option at this point. Further, they carry the promise of above-average dividend yields. We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks based on a good Zacks Rank and other relevant metrics.

NRG Yield, Inc. NYLD, along with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of contracted renewable and conventional generation, and thermal infrastructure assets in the United States.

NRG Yield has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The company has expected earnings growth of 38.9% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 16.8% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 6.7%.

Archer Daniels Midland Company ADM is one of the leading food processing companies in the world.

Archer Daniels Midland has expected earnings growth of 35.1% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 6.2% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 2.7%. It has a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Sutherland Asset Management Corporation SLD is a commercial mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT).

Sutherland Asset Management has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The company has expected earnings growth of 16.6% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 2.2% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 9.8%.

DTE Energy Company DTE is a holding company with subsidiaries engaged in regulated and unregulated energy businesses.

DTE Energy has a Zacks Rank #2. The company has expected earnings growth of 10.1% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 6.7% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 3.2%.

City Office REIT, Inc. CIO focuses on acquiring, owning and operating office properties in the United States.

City Office REIT has a Zacks Rank #2. The companys expected earnings growth for the current year is 17%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 0.9% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 7.4%.

Matthews International Corporation MATW is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products & brand solutions.

Matthews International has a Zacks Rank #2. The company has expected earnings growth of 8.3% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 0.3% over the last 30 days. The stock has a dividend yield of 1.5%.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



DTE Energy Company (DTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Matthews International Corporation (MATW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Sutherland Asset Management Corp. (SLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



NRG Yield, Inc. (NYLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



City Office REIT, Inc. (CIO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Bogota (AFP) - Three off-duty soldiers were kidnapped by suspected ELN guerrillas on Colombia's northeastern border with Venezuela, authorities said on Thursday.

The news comes a week after Marxist ELN rebels offered to release six other hostages, including three policemen and a soldier, taken the day before in a jungle area.

The soldiers "were on leave, wearing civilian clothes and unarmed," the military said in a statement.

Colombia's ombudsman called for "respect for life, integrity and the release of the soldiers," on its Twitter account.

Having owned up to last week's kidnappings, the ELN demanded an end to military operations in the northwestern Choco department in exchange for the release of the prisoners, one of whom was suffering from a tropical disease and in need of "urgent treatment," according to the army.

The ELN, or National Liberation Army, has around 1,500 guerrillas and is the last recognized armed group fighting government forces in Colombia following the 2016 peace accord signed with left-wing FARC rebels.

Last week, ex-president Juan Manuel Santos admitted falling short in his bid to sign a ceasefire with the ELN before handing over power to Ivan Duque, who assumed office on Tuesday.

Hard-right Duque has called for a tougher stance in peace negotiations with the ELN while also vowing to "deploy corrective measures" to the FARC deal.
 Flash

Zambian foreign minister Joseph Malanji said Zambian police has denied senior Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti asylum.

Malanji was quoted by the state-run Herald newspaper Thursday as saying that Biti's grounds for asylum were not meritorious.

Biti, who was being sought by Zimbabwean police on allegations of inciting public violence last week which killed six people, had fled to the neighboring country to seek political asylum.

He, however, was briefly detained at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Chirundu border before he was later released and proceeded to Lusaka to formally apply for the asylum.

"He came here trying to seek asylum, but the grounds on which he wanted to apply for asylum did not meet the requirements as required by the law," Malanji was quoted as saying.

Biti fled to Zambia a day after a Zimbabwean court released on bail 27 suspects that were arrested last week in connection with the post-election violence.

The opposition MDC Alliance, which is alleging a state-sponsored crackdown on its officials and supporters following the violence, has rejected the results of the July 30 polls won by incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa and has vowed to challenge the results in court.

The opposition party has up to Friday this week to file the election challenge.




As the granddaughter of a Pentecostal preacher, Kaya Gravitter still faces criticism for converting to Islam. (Photo: Getty Images; art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

American Beauty is a new series in which Yahoo Lifestyle takes a virtual cross-country journey to discover what beauty means  reimagining the American flag through the diverse group of faces that make up the United States of America. For our first installment, were focusing on Muslim-American women, highlighting what makes this group unique while showcasing the common threads that bring us together. In this first-person essay, Kaya Gravitter clears up misconceptions about her journey to Islam.

While I was growing up as the granddaughter of a Pentecostal preacher from Kentucky who started a church in northern Wisconsin, the teachings of the Church were drilled into my brain. But from a young age, I had a lot of questions that most Christians or the Bible could not answer. I asked my Bible teacher at 7 years old, Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25? (I recently learned that there is scientific evidence Jesus was not born on Christmas.) I also asked questions like, Why was the Trinity introduced after Jesus died?

I later left the Pentecostal religion at 10 to be a Lutheran. Aside from my discrepancies with Christianity, I went to church every Sunday, read the Bible (still do), taught vacation Bible school, and sang at church. I even went to leadership camp every summer during high school, where we would focus on the Old and New Testaments.

When I was 16, I had some inclination to start praying directly to God. I was around family, who would say in prayer, Dear Jesus, thank you , I would say under my breath, Dear God. I felt upset that people were not praying directly to God. (This is before I knew about Islam or that Muslims dont pray to Jesus, Mary, or Mohammed but rather directly to God.)

Fast-forward to when I started college in 2011 and I had many Muslim friends. One of them told me that our religions have the same prophets. Then I started researching the similarities between the Abrahamic religions. I never told anyone about the research I was doing. To be honest, I wanted to prove that Islam was grotesque and that the media was right about Muslims. My hope was that I would try to get them to convert to Christianity.

Story continues

In the fall of 2013, after studying the religion for more than a year, I took an Introduction to Religion class, and my teacher, an ordained minister, taught us that the Bible had missing books. It upset me because I had put all my faith in the Bible, but it wasnt even 100 percent there. I learned that the Quran had never been changed. So my trying to learn about the truth of Islam to convert my Muslim friends ended up having the opposite effect. The more I studied Islam, the more my questions about science, God, Jesus (Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet, born of the virgin Mary) were answered. One of those was Could God really create the world in six days or how was the world created if there was nothing? According to the Quran, God created the earth in six days (Quran 41:9-12) and theres no mention of rest or the seventh day. Keep in mind one of Gods days is an eon for humanity. (Quran 22:47). Islam teaches that God created the universe out of nothing. I dont know if thats the same as the Big Bang.

During the holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, I decided to read an actual Quran (not something from the internet). I asked my convert friend, who invited me to Iftar (breaking of the fast during Ramadan), if I could borrow her religious text. That night, I got home and started to read. My heart became full of light as I read the first sentence. I hid this feeling from everyone because I was scared of how my friends and family would react.

There was not just one thing that made me want to convert to Islam but many things. But the push I needed was when I first read the Quran.

Reading the Quran in English was not enough because to really understand the meaning and its context, it is ideal to read and understand it in Arabic. I decided to take Arabic in college so I could read the untranslated Quran. I can now read it in Arabic, though I cannot understand it all.

When Kaya Gravitter began studying Islam, she had hope of converting her Muslim friends to Christianity. But she was in for a profound religious awakening. (Photo: Courtesy of Kaya Gravitter)

I converted to Islam in January 2014, taking the shahada, or declaring my faith in God only and that Mohammed was his prophet. I felt like I was doing the right thing by saying it, though it didnt feel all that different because I did it by myself, in the privacy of my own home. It was my own little secret between me and God.

I didnt realize until years later that it was life-changing because I didnt change much after becoming Muslim, but I did become a better, more giving person. I donate to charities now and do community services. My way of thinking or values did not change. I was always religious. My moms side of the family are Seventh Day Adventist and do not eat pork. My parents never drank when I was growing up. I still pray to the same God (Allah is only the Arabic word for God). The only thing that is different is I dress more modestly. I used to dress in modest clothing because it is mostly cold in Wisconsin. Now I choose to dress modestly because I get to decide what society sees of me, not based on everyone elses beauty standards.

When I converted, only a few people knew about it. I confided in some of my Muslim friends and my best friend Lindsey (she is Christian). She was the only one who really supported me. It was hard having to keep this secret from the world, which I kept because I was scared of how my family and friends would react. With keeping this secret, I always felt I was living a lie and not being who I truly wanted to be. It was not until my last year in college that I started to let more people know that I had converted. The more that people would say bad things about Islam, the more I would feel required to speak up about it. That is also when I chose to wear a hijab. My family in particular didnt like me putting on the hijab at all because they wanted to see my hair in public and they thought I was wearing it for someone, but I was only wearing it for myself.

The most common question I get from Muslims and non-Muslims is, Did you convert for a man? No! I, like many other converts that I know, did not convert because we fell in love with a Muslim. Being asked this makes me feel like they think less of me, or that I am stupid. Why would I have risked all that bad treatment Ive received from my family (and society  I live in the South now)? People stare at me with disgusted looks on their face and mutter hateful things like Stupid Muslim under their breath. I get asked many of the same questions that used to cross my mind before I met a Muslim. Why do you wear that thing on your head? I typically say the way I dress is between me and God. I even say I wear a veil because, Mary, the mother of Jesus did. Im often worried that a white supremacist might attack me or tear off my hijab, but that makes me all the more unapologetic about my faith.

I tried to talk to my family about Islam before converting, but they never had anything nice to say about the religion. Why do they have arranged marriage? This is one of many popular misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. Arranged marriages, in fact, are not Islamic. Women and men have the right to say no to whomever they want. Questions like this is why I was scared to tell my parents about my conversion and stopped talking about the religion altogether. I never outright told my parents to their face, though I would try to give them hints. They eventually found out that I became Muslim after I posted about it on YouTube. My familys initial reaction was to take the next plane down to Florida to take me home. They came and were disappointed to find out that my religion and lifestyle were not scary.

Which leads me to another question I get asked often: How does your family feel about you converting? I feel non-Muslims ask me that to smite me, by thinking I deserve to be treated badly by my parents. Of course, my family was not happy with my conversion, but becoming Muslim made me love them more. I cannot fathom the amount of times Ive had hate-filled conversations with my family. (Especially, my Pentecostal dads side, who labeled me a terrorist or crazy on their Facebook pages.) Unfortunately, my family cannot see past my religion. Even if we are no longer talking about my religion, there is still a tension I feel in the room.

If you would have told me when I was 16 that I would one day convert to Islam, I would never have believed you. Before college, I thought all of the stereotypical things about Muslims were true. I thought none of them were nice. I thought they were hateful people and all terrorists. I was an ignorant bigot who believed everything the media said, since Id never met a Muslim or went searching for what I believe the religions core values really are: peace, love, and generosity.

Read more about Muslim-American women in our American Beauty package:
Mataram (Indonesia) (AFP) - The death toll from a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok jumped to 319 Thursday, as strong aftershocks triggered panic among traumatised survivors waiting for aid in the worst-hit regions.

The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake Sunday levelled tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok, with relief agencies only just starting to reach survivors in some of the worst-hit areas four days later.

"Our latest update is that 319 people died," said Indonesia's chief security minister Wiranto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing and complicated by aftershocks.

The number forced from their homes in the disaster has soared to 270,000, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, with around 1,000 people severely injured.

Most of the displaced are sleeping under tents or tarpaulins near their ruined homes or in evacuation shelters that are short of food, clean water and medical help.

Makeshift medical facilities have been set up to treat the injured.

Survivors of the quake have also been shaken by hundreds of aftershocks, including a shallow 5.9-magnitude quake Thursday which caused people to flee evacuation shelters crying and screaming.

Motorcycles parked on the street in northern Lombok's Tanjung district toppled over and the walls of some nearby buildings collapsed.

"We were stuck in the traffic while delivering aid, suddenly it felt like our car was hit from behind, it was so strong," witness Sri Laksmi told AFP.

"People in the street began to panic and got out of their cars, they ran in different directions in the middle of the traffic."

Twenty-four people were injured by falling debris in the tremor, Nugroho said.

- 'Exceptionally destructive' -

Authorities and international relief groups have begun organising aid, but badly damaged roads have slowed efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake.

Story continues

Aid had begun trickling into some of the most isolated regions by midday Thursday, officials said, but many displaced people still lack basic supplies.

In some parts of northern Lombok, survivors can be seen standing on the road with cardboard boxes asking for donations and food.

"It is already clear that Sunday's earthquake was exceptionally destructive," Christopher Rassi, the head of a Red Cross assessment team on Lombok, said in a statement.

"I visited villages yesterday that were completely collapsed."

Workers with heavy machinery are searching the rubble of homes, schools and mosques, with hope of finding any survivors fading.

There are fears that two collapsed mosques 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 one mosque in Lading Lading village, while at least one body has been spotted under the rubble in Pemenang.

Authorities are gathering information from family members with missing relatives to determine how many more people may have been in the buildings when they collapsed, national search and rescue agency spokesman Yusuf Latif told AFP.

- Waiting for aid -

Across much of the island, a popular tourist destination, once-bustling villages have been turned into virtual ghost towns.

Evacuees in some encampments say they are running out of food, while others are suffering psychological trauma after the powerful quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

There is a dire need for medical staff and "long-term aid", especially food and medicine in the worst-hit areas, government officials said.

About 200 cars packed with food, medicine and basic supplies were sent to heavily impacted regions in the north and west Thursday morning, Agung Pramuja, a spokesman for Mataram mitigation disaster agency, told AFP.

But some evacuees have complained of being ignored or experiencing long delays for supplies to arrive at shelters.

At a shelter in hard-hit Kayangan, new mother Rusnah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said she needed basic supplies for her children.

"I'm still in pain from giving birth," she told AFP. "I need diapers, I need milk."

Other evacuees said they were subsisting on a diet of instant noodles and needed clean water and bedding.

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.

Aid groups say children are particularly vulnerable, with many sleeping in open fields and suffering illnesses from lack of warm clothing and blankets.
MINSK (Reuters) - Journalists detained in Belarus this week on suspicion of hacking the computer systems of state-run news agency BelTA have been released, state investigators said on Thursday. Several journalists, including one from German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, were detained on Wednesday and Tuesday. Investigators also searched the newsrooms of privately-owned online news portal Tut.by and independent news agency BelaPAN as part of the same probe. "After carrying out a set of urgent investigative and other procedural actions as part of the criminal case, the investigation has decided to release ... the persons connected to the case," investigators said in a statement. Local rights groups have said the arrests were part of a government drive to muzzle independent media - an allegation the Belarussian Foreign Ministry has denied. 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 towards political opposition, but opponents say their freedom to operate remains severely limited. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; writing by Maria Kiselyova; editing by Andrew Roche)
Monday evening, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones begged Donald Trump to come to his rescue, after a slew of large tech companies began to ban the personality from their platforms based on their hate speech policies. Directly appealing to Trump, Jones asked him on air to make the censorship the big issue before the midterms, or risk losing the country.

For a noted proponent of fake news and wild conspiracies, it normally would have been a far-cry, but a tweet from Donald Trump Jr. Tuesday morning showed that Jones ask didnt fall on deaf ears in the Trump family. Using Jones own rhetoric, of a purge and censorship, Trump Jr. rushed to InfoWars defense, framing the moves against it as part of a larger campaign of censorship that Jones himself posited in an address last night.

A Democrat Senator openly admitting that Big Tech's censorship campaign is really about purging all conservative media.



How long before Big Tech and their Democrat friends move to censor and purge @BreitbartNews, @DailyCaller and other conservatives voices from their platforms? https://t.co/sFS7mr8Pco  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 7, 2018

Trump Jr.s tweet echoed Jones monologue from Monday, where he suggested that big technology companies, at the behest of the Chinese government, were beta-testing new means of censorship on Jones, which they planned to role out across conservative media in the future.

The nod to Jones conspiracy theory isnt the first time Trump Jr. has hopped on InfoWars train to jumped conclusions. In February, Trump Jr. liked two conspiratorial tweets about the Parkland, Florida school shooting, one of which suggested that Parkland activist David Hogg was some sort of government plant because his dad is a former FBI agent.

Story continues

In April, Trump Jr. tweeted that a shooter at YouTube headquarters had her videos pulled down more quickly because she held certain progressive viewpoints.

You think theres any chance whatsoever that a mass shooters hateful Instagram and YouTube channels would be pulled immediately if they were NRA members as opposed to liberal Vegan PETA activists? Asking for a few million friends in the @NRA  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 4, 2018

During the 2016 election, Trump Jr. quickly turned into his fathers ambassador to the alt-right fringe, tweeting and supporting statements and theories that might be too toxic for his father, but that resonated with some members of Trumps base. Perhaps most famously, Trump Jr. posted a photoshopped image of himself, Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, Pepe the Frog (who has become a mascot for the alt-right and white nationalists), and other key members from his fathers campaign.

Given Trump Jr.s history and role as his fathers fringe liaison, it may not be surprising that Trump Jr. is speaking out about big techs decision to finally silence InfoWars, but its no less disturbing. Alex Jones and InfoWars have consistently peddled racist (birtherism), homophobic (gay chemical warfare), and disgusting (Sandy Hook was staged) conspiracy theories that have basis in almost zero fact. The idea that the presidents son, who played an active role in Trumps campaign and continues to engage in the conservative movement, supports such ideas should terrify us.

Photos via Instagram / Donald Trump Jr.

More From Inverse
When Mount Pinatubo violently erupted in 1991, the volcano blasted millions of tons of gas well over 20 miles into Earth's atmosphere. After condensing into little droplets, the particles reflected sunlight back into space and cooled the planet by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for over a year.

Nearly three decades later, some scientists wonder if humans could effectively do the same thing  by using blimps, rockets, or planes  in the name of combating the increasingly ruinous consequences of global warming.

This geoengineering concept, however, may carry some unintended consequences  particularly when it comes to the world's future food supply.

SEE ALSO: California's Mendocino Complex fire just became the largest wildfire in state history

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers examined how massive volcanic eruptions like Pinatubo's affected the growth of crops. The scientists found that while edible plants grow much better when it's cooler, the diminished sunlight stymied the growth of wheat, rice, corn, and soy.

In short, artificially cooling the planet might not save vast croplands imperiled by accelerating, human-caused climate change.

"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," Jonathan Proctor, a study coauthor who researches the potential impacts of geoengineering on agriculture at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a press call.

Mount Pinatubo's ash cloud, in 1991.

Image: usgs

There are different ideas of how to geoengineer, or intervene in, Earth's climate. And one of the most studied concepts is solar geoengineering. That idea hinges on reflecting sunlight into space, keeping the Earth cooler.

The most realistic way to accomplish this is to try to mimic the effects of volcanoes and repeatedly send reflective particles, or gases that become reflective particles, into the high atmosphere.

Story continues

However, the science around solar geoengineering  and how it might affect the planet  is not nearly settled.

Engineering our climate is a largely conceptual, almost science fiction-like idea, at least for now.

"Different people have talked about this technology as if it's something of a last resort," Solomon Hsiang, also a study coauthor, said in an interview. "I think we really dont know how risky it might be."

To better understand the risk of intentionally reflecting sunlight back into space  which reduces the amount of heat that enters Earth  Hsiang's team looked at wheat, rice, maize, and soy production in over 100 countries between 1979 and 2009. Then, they used satellite measurements of the reflective particles spewed from volcanoes, known as sulfate aerosols, to determine that the blocked sunlight canceled out any benefits crops receive from growing in cooler conditions.

That said, the way volcanoes cool the planet are quite different than how human-engineered cooling would likely impact the climate, said David Keith, a physicist at Harvard University's Solar Geoengineering Research Program.

"Yet, this study implies in its introduction and conclusion that volcanic eruptions are more or less synonymous with geoengineering. That's false," said Keith, who wasn't involved with the new study.

An animation of aerosol particles from Mount Pinatubo shrouding portions of Earth between June 1991 and September 1993.

Image: Jonathan Proctor and Solomon Hsiang

For one, unlike a volcanic eruption, geoengineering would involve a continuous loading of aerosols into the atmosphere, which will have substantially different climatic consequences, Keith added.

Volcanoes cool the land much more quickly than the oceans, leading to a global temperature imbalance that has significant effects on rainfall. Secondly, volcanic eruptions like Pinatubo's often don't spread reflective particles evenly around the globe, so the dimming might be concentrated in one hemisphere, which brings other shifts to global weather and rainfall.

"Bottom line: Solar geoengineering will produce a different climate response than a volcano making it difficult to use this volcanic data to directly assess the agricultural impacts of possible solar geoengineering," said Keith.

Hsiang makes clear that they're not in support of or opposed to geoengineering, but that they're attempting to reveal the realities of sending clouds of reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.

Geoengineering, emphasized Hsiang, is by no means the best, nor easiest, solution to combating a global disruption of Earth's climate, which has been stoked by human emissions of potent greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

"The surest way to deal with that [climate change] is to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions  that's a matter of simple science," said Hsiang.

Geoengineered sulfate particles would be loaded miles up in the atmosphere, well above the clouds.

Image: nasa

This largely means generating electricity with renewables, like solar, wind, and geothermal energy, rather than fossil fuels, and driving vehicles that don't run on gasoline.

"I would say these results suggest that both warming and geoengineering pose risks to the global food supply," Nathan Mueller, an assistant professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine who had no role in the study, said in an interview.

"I would say that the best way to ensure a food secure future is to invest in reducing emissions and supporting farmers as they adapt to a warming climate."

The climate is already loaded with the highest concentration of carbon dioxide than at any time in the last 800,000 years, meaning that Earth's climate is already locked in for future warming, well beyond this century.

This is why solar geoengineering might one day be seriously considered by governments, even as renewables become more prevalent, and solar panels are fitted on millions of rooftops.

"The intuition we think about is that it [geoengineering] is a parachute," said Hsiang, referencing geoengineering as a last-resort option. "You want to understand that you have a parachute, and know you can use it."
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union on Thursday called for a "comprehensive and transparent investigation" into a drone "assassination" bid on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.

A spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement the bloc rejected "any form of violence and expects that a comprehensive and transparent investigation of Saturday's drone attack is conducted to establish the facts, in full respect for the rule of law and for human rights.

"In this regard, the EU expects the recognition of the National Assembly's constitutional powers, including the full respect of its prerogatives concerning the parliamentary immunity of its members, in line with established constitutional rights, legislation and procedures," she added.

Maduro, who has systematically sidelined the opposition as he tightens his grip over his troubled nation, accuses the opposition and Colombia of being behind Saturday's "attack".

The embattled president says he was targeted by two drones carrying C4 explosives.

Live images on Saturday showed Maduro halting his speech at a Caracas military parade following a detonation that prompted dozens of soldiers in front of him to run away in panic.

A super-legislative body loyal to President Nicolas Maduro revoked the immunity of two Venezuelan opposition lawmakers Wednesday, in order to put them on trial for allegedly masterminding the drone "attack" bid.

Maduro has singled out two lawmakers: Julio Borges, former speaker of the opposition-dominated legislature who now lives in exile; and Juan Requesens.

Requesens has been seized by intelligence officers, while Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Borges' arrest.

The Constituent Assembly -- a body set up last year by Maduro to arrogate powers from the elected legislature -- followed up by stripping Borges and Requesens of their immunity.

"The EU reiterates its support for a negotiated, democratic and peaceful solution for the multiple crises affecting the country as the only way forward," the EU statement added.

"This needs to encompass a return to constitutional normality restoring democratic process and the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, release of all political prisoners, and addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of the population."
NEW YORK (AP)  Major tech companies have begun to ban right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from their services, reflecting a more aggressive enforcement of policies against hate speech following protests on social media.

Facebook has taken down four pages belonging to Jones, including two featuring his "Infowars" show, for violating its hate speech and bullying policies. Over the past several days, Apple, YouTube and Spotify have also removed material published by Jones. Twitter, which hasn't banned Jones, has also faced similar calls.

Facebook has also suspended Jones' account for 30 days because he repeatedly violated the company's community standards against hate speech that "attacks or dehumanizes others," it said in a statement Monday. Facebook did not immediately respond Monday asking what would happen after the 30 days are up, and why it hadn't taken action earlier. The 30-day suspension of Jones himself appears to have gone into effect in late July.

Twitter would not comment on Jones.

"We've been banned completely on Facebook, Apple, & Spotify," Jones wrote on Twitter. "What conservative news outlet will be next?"

Jones has amassed a large following on the right while promulgating conspiracy theories that claim terror attacks such as 9/11 were actually carried out by the government. Among his claims is that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, which left 20 children and six adults dead, was a hoax.

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.

Story continues

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.

Facebook is the latest tech company to take action against Jones following social-media backlash. BuzzFeed News reported Sunday that Apple has removed five of Infowars' six podcasts from its iTunes and Podcast apps for violating hate speech guidelines.

In response to a query from the Associated Press, Apple said only that it "does not tolerate hate speech" and referenced its guidelines for creators and developers, but did not name Jones or comment further. As of Monday, iTunes searches for "Infowars" or "Alex Jones" turned up no podcasts created by Jones. Entering the web addresses for specific shows brought up a notice that the content is not available.

Last week, music streaming service Spotify removed some episodes of "The Alex Jones Show" podcast for breaching its hate content policy.

And as of Monday, Alex Jones's channel was not available on YouTube, with a notice that the account "has been terminated for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines." The Infowars YouTube channel was also labeled as "terminated."

Jones says his shows, which are broadcast on radio, and online platforms, reach at least 70 million people a week. It's unclear how the latest bans have affected his reach.

YouTube said in a statement that when users violate its policies against hate speech and harassment, "we terminate their accounts." But the company did not give specifics on Jones or Infowars.

"What it reflects is a slow realization that the platforms are megaphones to fuel extremist ideas," said Keegan Hankes, research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, who focuses on far right extremist propaganda online. The decision to enforce policies, he added, "has been a long time coming."

Hankes added that he is "not surprised" that Twitter continues to allow Jones on its platform.

"If they were to ban Alex Jones," he said, he'd question why the company doesn't ban "outright white supremacists, including those who have participated in violent rallies."

Families of some Sandy Hook victims have sued Jones for defamation, and he now acknowledges that the shooting occurred but says his claims were free speech.

Last month, the parents of one of the children killed in the shooting wrote an open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling on him to ban "conspiracy groups and anti-government provocateurs" that use social media to call the massacre a hoax and harass and threaten the families of the victims.

"Our families are in danger as a direct result of the hundreds of thousands of people who see and believe the lies and hate speech, which you have decided should be protected," wrote Lenny Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, the parents of Noah, who was six years old when he died at Sandy Hook.

Brent Bozell, the president of the nonprofit Media Research Council, whose stated mission is to "to expose and neutralize the propaganda arm of the Left: the national news media," called the crackdown in Infowars a "slippery slope."

"(It's) a dangerous cliff that these social media companies are jumping off to satisfy CNN and other liberal outlets," Bozell said in a statement. "Social media sites are supposedly neutral platforms, but they are increasingly becoming opportunities for the left and major media to censor any content that they don't like."

__

AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed to this story from London.
Sao Paulo (AFP) - Fernando Haddad has the oddest job in Brazilian politics: standing in for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as his far more popular mentor tries to win the presidency from a prison cell.

The former Sao Paulo mayor was picked Sunday by the leftist Workers' Party as running mate on Lula's presidential ticket in October elections.

But as VP to a political giant who leads opinion polls yet is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption, Haddad finds himself in a peculiar position.

"Haddad has the role... at this moment to be the voice of the president in the day-to-day campaigning. He's a representative of Lula," Workers' Party president Gleisi Hoffmann explained.

Or as political blogger Fernando Brito wrote: "Lula is the man. And Haddad has to be the man of the man."

Lula, who served two terms as president from 2003-2010, has not only been put behind bars. He has lost an appeal and under clean slate laws that might be enough to keep him off the ballot.

The Workers' Party still insists that Lula will take part and his lawyers say they can persuade the courts to offer an escape route.

With around 30 percent support in the polls -- far ahead of his nearest presidential rivals -- fervent supporters basically believe that Lula is too big to fail.

If Lula does somehow get confirmed on the ballot, Haddad's VP adventure would come to an abrupt end.

According to the party's plan, a younger up-and-coming female politician from Brazil's communist party, Manuela D'Avila, would take Haddad's place.

However, if Lula were definitively banned -- the more likely scenario -- humble Haddad's journey might be just beginning.

The placeholder would suddenly become number one and D'Avila would be his running mate.

Brazilians would now be considering the possibility of a President Haddad.

- Lula's coattails -

At 55, Haddad has a solid political resume. But he's always been riding the coattails of his party's 72-year-old founder and guru.

Story continues

A trained lawyer and longtime academic, he served as education minister under both Lula and Lula's handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff, who won the presidency in 2011.

This put Haddad at the nucleus of the Workers' Party machine that dominated Brazil for more than a decade. But even then he never left Lula's considerable shadow.

"Haddad only spoke when asked a question," a former Lula aide told Gazeta do Povo.

In 2012, then president Lula helped him become mayor of Latin America's biggest city. During Brazil's 2016 municipal elections, Haddad tried to get a second term, but times had changed.

Lula was in legal difficulties and Dilma had been ejected from office in an impeachment vote. The Workers' Party took a pounding nationwide as Brazilians revolted over recession and a wave of corruption scandals -- including Lula's.

Haddad got trounced by multi-millionaire businessman Joao Doria, getting knocked out in the first round.

Today, though, Lula's magic touch might be working again.

On his own, Haddad polls at a meager two percent in the presidential election. Present him as being backed by Lula, however, and he shoots to 13 percent, according to an Ipespe poll released last week.

While there's a 3.2 percent margin of error, that would put him ahead of environmentalist Marina Silva and establishment center-right candidate Geraldo Alckmin, each with nine percent.

It would mean Haddad going into a second round runoff against right-wing ex-army captain Jair Bolsonaro, who was projected to get 20 percent in the first round.

And Haddad believes that as a Lula surrogate he might actually win.

"I'm Lula's... lamp post," he reportedly said back in 2012. That's a Brazilian idiom used when one politician is so influential that his backing would get even a lamp post elected.

According to the newspaper Gazeta do Povo, Haddad's telling friends today: "I'm going back to my role of lamp post."
Paris (AFP) - In August 1968 Soviet tanks rolled into communist Czechoslovakia to crush a burgeoning democratic reform movement known as the Prague Spring.

Here is a recap of the shock intervention that reined in the Soviet satellite state, its aspirations for democracy warded off for another 20 years.

- Explosive context -

"At 11:00 pm, Soviet, Polish, East German, Bulgarian and Hungarian troops crossed the Czechoslovak border," AFP reported early on August 21, picking up Radio Prague's announcement of the overnight invasion.

Tensions had been mounting between then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and the reformist government that had taken over in the Central European state.

In January, Moscow's pointman was replaced by Alexander Dubcek, who became head of the powerful Communist Party. General Ludvik Svoboda became president in March.

Driven by Dubcek, reforms aimed at achieving "Socialism with a human face" were introduced. They included the abolition of censorship, freedom of assembly and association, and cautious economic reforms.

Moscow responded with warnings and an ultimatum.

- Tanks in the cities -

At 4:59 am Radio Prague announced that the capital and the rest of the country had been occupied.

Moscow and its communist allies poured 200,000 soldiers into Czechoslovakia that day, their numbers rising to 600,000.

The government urged citizens to "remain calm and not to take up arms against the foreign troops."

Many learnt of the invasion of their country only via their radios.

In Prague, the Soviet troops were concentrated around three nerve centres: the headquarters of the Communist Party's Central Committee, Prague Castle and the radio headquarters.

From dawn, hundreds of Prague citizens gathered in front of the radio building which was surrounded by tanks. Soldiers fired bursts of machine-gun fire at the building and nearby houses with people shouting insults at them like "Gestapo", or "Long live Dubcek".

Story continues

Around 100 people were killed in the first days of the offensive.

- Leaders arrested -

Russia's Tass news agency said the intervention followed a request from "Czechoslovakian statesmen".

Historians would later establish that one was Vasil Bilak, a member of the Communist Party's politburo.

In the early hours of the invasion, the Soviet Red Army arrested Dubcek, prime minister Oldrich Cernik and others.

They were taken to the Kremlin on August 22, joined a day later by another group that included the president, Svoboda.

All were forced to sign the Moscow Protocol, a diktat which formalised the Soviet occupation, cooperating after four days of fraught talks.

Dubcek was kept in power but he was deliberately and progressively weakened.

- The people resist -

The population, in the dark about the Moscow talks, had meanwhile mobilised non-violent resistance to the occupation.

Street signs were taken down to confuse the invaders. In the countryside, where farms flew the Czechoslovak flag at half-mast, road signs went up that showed a single arrow for "Direction Moscow".

Twelve free radios continued to operate, despite Soviet attempts to take them off air.

Car horns, factory sirens and church bells regularly sounded in unison in a sign of support for Svoboda and Dubcek, whose return was awaited restlessly.

- Prague Spring extinguished -

On the morning of August 27, alerted by the radio of the imminent return of their leaders, jubilant crowds lined the road leading from the airport to the castle, where the national flag was flying again.

But their relief was short-lived.

In an address to the nation, Svoboda announced that the departure of the "occupiers" was conditional on a "normalisation of the situation".

"Freedom will be restricted for a time, to allow a return to normal," Dubcek added in "a broken voice... as if to take his breath or overcome his emotions," AFP wrote.

An agreement on the temporary stationing of Soviet troops was signed in April 1969.

Dubcek was ousted as head of the Communist Party in April 1969, and massive purges followed.

Democracy would not return until the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Four years later, the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
 Flash

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Wednesday night granted amnesty to rebel leader Riek Machar, a few days after warring parties signed a power-sharing deal in Sudan.

In a republican order aired on state-owned radio in Juba, Kiir said the pardon which came after nearly five years of conflict will take immediate effect.

Kiir also said the amnesty applies to all the other estranged groups that waged war against the country since the conflict broke out in mid December 2013, till the time the security and power-sharing deal was signed in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Sunday.

"Republican order number 14 for the year 2018 for the grant of general amnesty to the leader of SPLM-IO Riek Machar Teny and other estranged groups who waged war against the Government of the Republic of South Sudan from 2013 to date," Kiir said in his order.

Kiir reiterated his full commitment to the peace agreement which was signed in Khartoum including the cease-fire and its implementation. He also instructed the army to remain vigilant in their bases and only fight in self-defense.

The South Sudanese leader called on the army and all other organized forces to allow access to humanitarian relief convoy without hindrance.

The latest move by President Kiir came after the regional mediating body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development lifted Machar's house arrest in South Africa in June in order to negotiate with Kiir to end the conflict.

President Kiir was strongly opposed to participation of the rebel leader in the transitional period but yielded to regional pressure to appoint Machar as First Vice-President.

He also pledged to incorporate warring factions into the government after he met with Machar and an alliance of opposition leaders.

The deal that was inked in Sudan will lead to the formation of a unity government which will run for three years in South Sudan.

The Khartoum agreement was signed collectively by the two leaders as well as all political parties in South Sudan, signaling their desire to end the conflict that has caused a lot of suffering and displacement of people.

South Sudan's conflict erupted in 2013 after forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar engaged in combat.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was violated in July 2016 when rival factions resumed fighting in the capital, Juba, forcing Machar to flee into exile. Millions of South Sudanese civilians have sought refuge in neighboring countries as the conflict rages on.
Mendocino (United States) (AFP) - 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.

"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.

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.

Story continues

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.

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.

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.
Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil stages its first presidential election debate Thursday with eight of the crowded field locking horns but also one notable absentee -- jailed frontrunner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Thirteen candidates have officially entered the election, which starts with a first round October 7 and is almost sure to go to a runoff two weeks later.

With deeply unpopular President Michel Temer not seeking a new term and Latin America's biggest country in a deep funk after years of recession and corruption scandals, it is the least predictable election in decades.

The debate on TV Bandeirantes will not feature four of the candidates, who have too small a presence in Congress to qualify.

But the real missing piece in the puzzle will be former two-term president Lula, who leads in opinion polls but is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption and looks almost sure to be barred from the ballot.

A court rejected his request to take part in the debate by jail cell video link.

So far, TV Bandeirantes has not responded to requests from Lula's leftist Workers' Party to mark his absence with an empty chair at the debate, or to allow his vice presidential pick, former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad, to take his place.

But for the Workers' Party, even an absent Lula is a powerful weapon. With around 30 percent in the polls, he would lead a first round and easily win a runoff.

Because he has lost an appeal to his corruption conviction, he in theory will be barred under the Brazilian clean slate law.

But Lula's lawyers are pushing for an escape route in the courts.

The main candidates due to appear during the debate include right-winger Jair Bolsonaro, who is polling in second place after Lula, and his next biggest rivals: center-right former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin and environmentalist Marina Silva.

- Pessimism -

The October polls will also see elections for 27 governors, all 513 congressional lower house deputies and two thirds of the 81 senators.

Story continues

But so far voters appear hardly enticed by the prospect.

A poll published this month by the National Confederation of Industries showed 45 percent of Brazilians "pessimistic or very pessimistic" about the elections. While voting is obligatory, a third plan to cast spoiled ballots, the poll found.

Other polls point to between 33 and 41 percent of the electorate defying the law to skip voting.

"Unlike in other countries, there has been no new leader appearing in Brazil who is able to surf the wave of discontent," political analyst Matias Spektor told AFP. "Brazil's political system continues to generate a lot of frustration."

If Lula is barred, as expected, Bolsonaro from the conservative PSL party and Silva would be the main beneficiaries, according to current polling.

They stand out among the crowd with platforms "very focused on social discontent over socioeconomic factors and corruption and (in Bolsonaro's case) violent crime in the big cities," said Thiago Vidal, a political consultant.
My problem with Donald Trump sitting down is that Donald Trump talks in such loopy ways, and hes constantly contradicting himself and saying things, Ari Fleischer said. (Photo: Fox News)

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Wednesday that an interview between President Donald Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller would be calamitous due to the presidents loopy ways of talking.

Theres a massive amount of risk, Fleischer, who served in the administration of President George W. Bush, said on Fox Business Network. The risk of losing his office. Thats the risk. The risk is they trip him up over something innocuous. Where he says something that is contradicted by something, and they call it perjury. And that goes to Congress, and then Congress goes to the Democrats in the fall and he gets impeached.

Trumps legal team is still negotiating with the special counsels office, which has sought a sit-down interview with the president for months as part of Muellers ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The presidents lawyers have repeatedly urged Trump to reject the request, concerned that hell go off-script and perjure himself.

The New York Times reported last week, however, that Trump is again pushing his attorneys to let him speak with Mueller, hoping he can clear his name and convince the special counsel that the investigation is a witch hunt. The presidents attorney Rudy Giuliani said Trumps legal team had rejected Muellers latest offer for the interview on Wednesday, instead proposing a narrow scope of questions as a counteroffer.

Fleischer said on Fox that he didnt think the interview was going to happen, saying he just cant imagine something that would be this calamitous for the president moving forward.

My problem with Donald Trump sitting down is that Donald Trump talks in such loopy ways, and hes constantly contradicting himself and saying things, Fleischer said.

Mueller has threatened to subpoena Trump if his lawyers eventually refuse the request, although such an attempt could lead to a prolonged legal battle. Fleischer said he thinks that would be the safer course.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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 about how things have changed over the past 12 months. To read the rest of their stories, click here.

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.

Story continues

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.

Then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is embraced by a state trooper after the funeral for Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates in Richmond, Aug. 18, 2017. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The weekend after Charlottesville, McAuliffe spoke at the funerals for both Cullen and Bates.

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, McAuliffe told more the than 1,200 mourners at his funeral.

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.

He was a real character, McAuliffe recalls before relaying his favorite story about Bates.

My son had been deployed to Iraq. 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. T

The care package was delivered, but the bottle never quite made it.

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.

To lose their lives because of an incident, because people came in to spew hatred  it has to be a learning moment, he adds. How do we go on? How do we go forward from here?

_____

Read more from Yahoo News on Charlottesville, one year later:
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.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK TODAY:

German couple jailed for selling son, nine, to paedophiles on dark web

Heartbreaking moment girl embraces boyfriend moments before his life support is switched off

Shocking note left on volunteers van after parking in wealthy neighbourhood

Will Boris say sorry? Now Theresa May calls for Johnson to apologise over burka comments

Venice cafe defends charging tourists 38 for two coffees and some water

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.

Story continues

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.
Conakry (AFP) - Guinea's opposition cancelled a protest planned for Thursday, after reaching an agreement with the government in a bid to end six months of deadly protests.

The West African country's opposition had led strikes and demonstrations against the official outcome of local elections in February, in which the ruling party, RPG, had won.

The vote was the first of its kind since a military dictatorship ended a decade ago. Opposition leaders say the process was unfair and fraudulent.

At least a dozen people were killed in post-election protest violence, before talks started between the opposition and the government.

The talks were disrupted several times by protests and strikes across the country -- while a hike in oil prices on July 1 led to more unrest.

The opposition said an agreement was signed late on Wednesday between the minister of local government, Boureima Conde, ruling party chief Amadou Damaro Camara and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo.

Following the agreement, the UFDG opposition party will pick 22 district chiefs as well as mayors for the rural towns of Ouende Kenema, Bignamou, Thiasso, Thindoye, Manfara, Bissikirima and for Kindia, an urban settlement in the west.

The ruling party, on the other hand, will choose the mayor of the town of Dubreka, near the seaside capital of Conakry.

The negotiating parties agreed to set up a fund to assist the victims of the protests, Camara, a member of parliament, told reporters.

The government also promised to assess the situation of those arrested during the post-election crisis, he said.

There has been no agreement between the government and protesters on oil prices.
President Trump speaks during a meeting with state leaders about prison reform, Aug. 9, 2018, at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

For months now, President Trumps legal team has been locked in negotiations about whether the president will agree to sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating his 2016 presidential campaigns ties to the Russian government and whether Trump sought to obstruct justice.

Fearing that such an interview would place the president in legal jeopardy, many Trump defenders have floated interesting explanations as to why sitting face-to-face with Mueller and his team and answering questions should not be required of the commander in chief. Here are some of the justifications they have offered:

Prone to hyberbole

In a Thursday interview with CNNs Wolf Blitzer, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci was asked why, if the president has nothing to hide, he doesnt simply tell the truth and get it over with.

Well, what I would say to that, if you understand the presidents communications style, and this is going back for 45 years, hes prone to some levels of hyperbole and hes prone to some levels of you know, what my grandfather would say  we sometimes remember things the way we would like to remember them as opposed to how they actually happened, Scaramucci replied. And so, what would be at risk there is you put him in that room, he believes in his heart and in his brain that hes done absolutely nothing wrong, he wears everything on his sleeve, and he misstates a few things and he gets nailed for perjury as opposed to obstruction of justice or collusion. So I think thats the worry I think a legal team would have in a situation like that with somebody like the president and his personality.

Pressed by Blitzer on whether Trumps lawyers were concerned that he might commit perjury, Scaramucci continued, His personality is such that he likes to embellish stories.

You are trying to trap him into perjury

On Wednesday, Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared on Sean Hannitys program on Fox News and reiterated his belief that Mueller would set a perjury trap for the president by having him testify under oath about his role in the 2016 meeting at Trump Tower as well as his motivation for firing former FBI director James Comey.

Story continues

Why do you want to get him under oath? Do you think were fools? You want to get him under oath because you want to trap him into perjury, Giuliani said, referring to the special counsel, adding, Stop the nonsense. You are trying to trap him into perjury, because you dont have a case.

A perjury trap is a maneuver by prosecutors to force a target to choose between admitting to incriminating behavior and lying under oath. An example is the investigation of President Bill Clinton by independent counsel Ken Starr, during which Clinton in a sworn deposition falsely denied a sexual encounter with intern Monica Lewinsky, which became an article in his impeachment. But its unclear why Muellers questioning of Trump would constitute a perjury trap, unless Trump had something to hide.

During a Wednesday phone interview with CNN, Giuliani floated another reason why the president would forestall testifying to Mueller: Doing so might help Republicans in the midterms.

When I first got involved, I would have told you not testifying would be the right legal strategy but then hurt politically, Giuliani said. Now Im thinking the continuance of the investigation would actually help because people are getting tired of it, and [the president] needs something to energize his voters because the Democrats look like theyre energized. Nothing would energize [Republicans] more than, Lets save the president.

Serious constitutional implications

Jay Sekulow, another member of Trumps legal team, argued Wednesday on Hannity that Trump testifying to Mueller would itself violate the U.S. Constitution.

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 thats what history will remember.

Over the weekend, Sekulow tried a different tack, telling ABCs This Week that Trump was absolved from being grilled by Mueller by what Sekulow portrayed as a simple fact.

Its hard-pressed to see why they need the presidents testimony, Sekulow said.

He spoke gibberish

In her forthcoming book, Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House, former White House official Omarosa Manigault-Newmans account of the presidents interview with NBCs Lester Holt may offer more insight as to why Trumps legal team may not want to let him testify.

According to Manigault-Newman, White House staffers prepped the president to say that he had fired Comey solely based on a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. But when the cameras began taping, Trump veered off-course, telling Holt that his decision had more to do with the Russia investigation.

Donald rambled. He spoke gibberish. He contradicted himself from one sentence to the next, Manigault-Newman wrote, adding, While watching the interview I realized that something real and serious was going on in Donalds brain. His mental decline could not be denied.

Of course, the president has said for months that he would like to talk to Mueller.

I am looking forward to it, actually, Trump told reporters in January. Here is the story: There has been no collusion whatsoever. There is no obstruction whatsoever. And I am looking forward to it.

In May, the president still sounded eager to speak with the special counsel. Nobody wants to speak more than me, Trump told reporters.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Want to help President Trump achieve his biggest goal on trade? Well, you can, by doing one simple thing: buy less and save more.

One of Trumps top priorities is reducing the U.S. trade deficit, which was $552 billion last year. Trump has singled out China in particular, since that one country accounts for the bulk of Americas trade deficit with the world. In 2017, Americans bought $524 billion worth of Chinese stuff, while the Chinese bought only $188 billion worth of American goods and services. So the U.S. trade deficit with China was $336 billion.

Most economists say theres nothing inherently wrong with a trade deficit. Americans pay dollars for stuff they want, and foreigners get dollars that they must invest somewhereoften, in U.S. assets like Treasury or corporate securities. But Trump sees it differently, and has made it a priority to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China and other countries.

We benefit from trade, says economist Desmond Lachman of the American Enterprise Institute, a former deputy director at the International Monetary Fund. The problem is there are people around Trump telling him that trade is a zero-sum game, that if you win, someone else loses.

[Check out our Trump trade war scorecard.]

Thats why Trump has imposed tariffs on about $52 billion worth of Chinese imports, and threatened further tariffs on another $400 billion worth of Chinese stuff. Trump thinks taxing Chinese imports, and making them more expensive, will force Americans to buy more American-made merchandise and lure more producers to the United States. But thats not the way trade works. He is unlikely to achieve any of these objectives, Dartmouth economist Douglas A. Irwin wrote recently. His policies will likely be an exercise in frustration.

President Donald Trump and Chinas President Xi Jinping (Thomas Peter/Pool Photo via AP, File)

There are ways to reduce the trade deficit, it turns out. But Trump isnt pursuing them. The trade deficit exists because America as a whole spends more than it produces, and must therefore buy foreign products to meet domestic demand. Trade is complicated, but in general, countries with relatively low savings rates tend to have large trade deficits, while countries that save a lotsuch as China, Germany and Japanhave surpluses.

Story continues

As the following two charts show, the net savings rate in the United States has been on a downward trend since the mid-1960s, while the trade deficit has been generally rising. (Trade data are only available going back to 1992.)

Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, St. Louis Federal Reserve

Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, St. Louis Federal Reserve

National savings consists of three sectors: government, business and household. The federal government has been running annual deficits since 2002, and the Trump tax cuts that went into effect this year are pushing the annual shortfall close to $1 trillion per year. So U.S. government savings is solidly negative.

Business saving is a net positive, but its been declining since 2010, even as corporate profitability has steadily improved. And personal saving in the United States is low, with Americans banking just 6.4% of after-tax disposable income.

In a consumption-based economy such as Americas, less buying and more saving might sound like a bad thing. But saved money typically becomes investment, which generates economic activity, and, if done right, nets a positive return that helps build wealth. China, by contrast, has one of the highest savings rates in the world, in part because there are minimal safety-net benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. So the Chinese sock money away to pay for their own retirement needsand buy relatively few foreign products. The International Monetary Fund has actually lobbied China to implement policies that would reduce savings and boost consumption, to even out imbalances such as its huge trade surplus with the rest of the world.

Trumps policies, ironically, may actually push the trade deficit higher, since the tax cuts and spending increases he signed will add substantially to deficits and push national saving lower still. What Trumps doing is just crazy, says Lachman. If hes serious about wanting to reduce the trade deficit, he cant then go and increase the budget deficit, because thats reducing savings, which is going to increase our trade deficit. Its just not going to work. Trumps not hearing it.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Click here to get Ricks stories by email.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
 Flash

At least 43 civilians, mostly children, were killed on Thursday when Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit buses in Yemen's northern province of Saada, head of Saada Health Office Yahya Shayem told Xinhua.

"A total of 43 people, mostly pupils under the age of 10, were killed and 64 injured when two Saudi-led airstrikes hit buses in Dhahyan popular market," Yahya Shayem said.

Meanwhile, head of delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen said on a twitter that "scores were killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10."




Reykjavik (AFP) - Icelandic conservationists have asked prosecutors to probe whether the killing of a rare hybrid whale was illegal, a lawyer said on Thursday.

The mammal which was harpooned and slaughtered by the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf on July 7 was a hybrid of a blue whale and a fin whale.

Iceland is the only country where it is legal to hunt the fin whale, despite an international moratorium on whaling.

"According to the (hunting) licence, whaling is limited to fin whales and there is no exception," Ragnar Adalsteinsson, the lawyer representing the wildlife and nature conservation group Jardarvinir, told AFP.

He said the group had asked that Iceland's public prosecutor look into whether the nation's whaling laws had been violated.

"The request is that the matter should be investigated and if criminality is confirmed, the company should go before a court," Adalsteinsson said.

The killing of what was first believed to be an endangered blue whale triggered outrage among anti-whaling groups as the animal has been protected by the International Whaling Commission since 1966.

But a DNA test later showed that the butchered mammal was in fact a hybrid of a fin whale and a blue whale.

Scientists say such hybrids are very rare, possibly even rarer than the blue whales.

Since 1983, five such whales have been observed in Icelandic waters and they are known to be infertile.

All whales killed in Iceland undergo DNA tests after the hunting season.

Hvalur hf had initially argued that the whale was a fin whale. Contacted by AFP, they were not immediately available for comment.
Gholamali Khoshroo argues in Guardian that by imposing sanctions the Trump administration is reneging on UNSC resolution 2231

Gholamali Khoshroo speaks during a security council meeting after a vote on the Iran resolution at the UN headquarters in New York on 20 July 2015. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

The US is making history not just by violating a United Nations security council resolution it voted for three years ago, but also by penalising countries who stick to the same unanimous resolution, the Iranian ambassador to the UN has claimed.

Gholamali Khoshroo argues in a commentary published by the Guardian on Wednesday that by abrogating a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal and imposing new sanctions on foreign companies doing business with Iran, the Trump administration is also reneging on UNSC resolution 2231.

The resolution, unanimously adopted six days after the nuclear deal was signed in Vienna, calling on UN member states to refrain from actions that undermine implementation of commitments under the Vienna agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA).

The new US sanctions, imposed on Tuesday, target Irans access to dollars and its ability to trade in gold and other precious metals. Donald Trump claimed they were the most biting ever imposed and warned that in November, sanctions would ratchet up to yet another level with an embargo on Iranian oil and blanket sanctions on Iranian banks.

The EU has revived legislation intended to insulate European companies doing business with Iran from US sanctions, instructing them not to comply with Washingtons demands, and providing a mechanism to sue the US in European courts.

However, the EU blocking statute is thought unlikely to do much to stem the outflow of European investment from Iran driven by firms worried about losing access to US money markets. The Trump tactics have deepened an already serious economic crisis in Iran, fuelling protests around the country.

For the first time in the history of the United Nations, the United States  a permanent member of the security council with veto power  is engaging in penalising nations across the entire world; not for violating a security council resolution, rather, for abiding by it, Khoshroo wrote.

Story continues

The US withdrawal from JCPOA and re-imposition of its sanctions is a serious breach of its legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, which entails its international responsibility. The international community must act in the face of this international intimidation and affront towards the international legal order.

Trump has said he is ready to hold talks with Iranian leaders, without preconditions but meanwhile, his administration has vowed to press on with its pressure campaign.

Today, the regime in Iran is at odds with world peace, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said in a tweet.  We urge our allies and partners to join the US and deny Irans leadership the funds to oppress the Iranian people and to foment terrorism around the world.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, said the country has nothing to be concerned about, a report on his official website said on Wednesday in an apparent reference to the imposition of strict U.S. sanctions this week. 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," Khamenei said recently, the website reported. "They can be sure. There is no doubt about this," Khamenei was quoted as saying in comments that appeared only a day after the new U.S. sanctions took effect. 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 programs and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq. "These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero will not succeed, according to the Iran 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 U.S. attempted to stop the Islamic Republics oil exports. U.S. President Donald 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. 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 Islamic Republic 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, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean)
J. Michael Cole

Security,

Who will dominate the wars of the future?

Killers: 5 Futuristic Super Weapons That Could Change Warfare Forever

As the 1998 example shows, global strike can serve multiple purposes, from decapitation attacks against heads of state, command-and-control systems and other high-value targets to surgical attacks against mobile terrorist groups under short timeframes offered by on-the-ground actionable intelligence. The extraordinary speeds achieved by hypersonic cruise missiles and the terrain-hugging nature of cruise missiles, meanwhile, will pose additional challenges in efforts to intercept them using existing air-defense systems, thus giving them an extra advantage in conventional-warfare scenarios.

Predicting which five weapons will have the greatest impact on the future of combat is a problematic endeavor, as the nature of warfare itself is fluid and constantly changing. A system that could be a game-changer in a major confrontation between two conventional forcessay, China and the United Statescould be of little utility in an asymmetrical scenario pitting forces in an urban theater (e.g., Israeli forces confronting Palestinian guerrillas in Gaza or Lebanese Hezbollah in the suburbs of Beirut).

(This first appeared in 2015.)

The worlds best fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft might be a game-changer in some contexts, but its tremendous speed and inability to linger makes it unsuitable to detect and target small units of freedom fighters operating in a city, not to mention that using such platforms to kill a few irregular soldiers carrying AK-47s is hardly cost effective. Special forces equipped with hyperstealth armor and light assault rifles firing intelligent small-caliber ammunition would be much more effective, and presumably much cheaper.

Recommended: What Will the Sixth-Generation Jet Fighter Look Like?

Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber

Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico?

Story continues

Another challenging aspect is choosing how we define revolution in the context of weapons development. Do we quantify impact using the yardstick of destructiveness and casualty rates alone? Or conversely, by a weapons ability to achieve a belligerents objectives while minimizing the cost in human lives? What of a weapon that obviates kinetic warfare altogether, perhaps by preemptively disabling an opponents ability to conduct military operations?

Keeping in mind the scenario-contingent nature of warfare, we can nevertheless try to establish a list of weapons systems, most of which are already in the development stage, that will, if only for a brief instant, change the nature of warfare. By trying to strike a balance between conventional warfare and irregular operations, our list is inherently incomplete but shows trends in the forms of warfare that are likely to affect our world for decades to come.

5. Hyper Stealth or Quantum Stealth

Using naturally occurring metamaterials, scientists have been designing lightwave-bending materials that can greatly reduce the thermal and visible signatures of a target. The science behind it is relatively straightforward, though skeptics remain unconvinced and say they will believe it when they dont see it: The adaptive camouflage renders what lies behind the object wearing the material by bending the light around it.

The military implications of such developments are self-evident, as invisibility cloaks would make it possible for fightersfrom ordinary soldiers to special forcesto operate in enemy territory undetected, or at least buy them enough time to take the initiative. Such capabilities would reduce the risk of casualties during military operations while increasing the ability to launch surgical and surprise attacks against an opponent, or conduct sabotage and assassination.

A Canadian firm has reportedly demonstrated the material to two command groups in the U.S. military and two groups in the Canadian military, as well as to federal counterterrorism teams.

Of course, this technology would also have a serious impact on operations should it become available to nonstate actors like guerrilla forces and terrorist groups.

4. Electromagnetic Rail Guns

EM rail gun launchers use a magnetic field rather than chemical propellants (e.g., gunpowder or fuel) to thrust a projectile at long range and at velocities of 4,500 mph to 5,600 mph. Technology under development has demonstrated the ability to propel a projectile at a distance of 100 nautical miles using 32 megajoules.

The extended velocity and range of EM rail guns provides several benefits both in offensive and defensive terms, from precision strikes that can counter even the most advanced area defense systems to air defense against incoming targets. Another advantage of this technology is that it eliminates the need to store the hazardous high explosives and flammable materials necessary to launch conventional projectiles.

A naval EM rail gun system has been in development since 2005 by the U.S. Office of Naval Research. The current phase of the project, initiated in 2012, seeks to demonstrate sustained fire, or rep-rate capability.

The U.S. Navy hopes to eventually extend the range of EM rail guns to 200 nautical miles using 64 mega-joules, but as a single shot would require a stunning 6 million amps (bigger than the currents that cause the auroras), itll be years before scientists find a way to develop capacitors that can generate such energy, or gun materials that will not be shredded to pieces at every shot.

Not to be bested, the U.S. Army has been developing its own version of the EM rail gun. China is also rumored to be working on its own version, with satellite imagery emerging in late 2010 suggesting ongoing tests at an armor and artillery range near Baotou, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

3. Space Weapons

Despite international pressure against the weaponization of space, major countries continue to explore technologies that would turn the sky above us into the next battleground. The possibilities are as limitless as they are outlandish, from moon-based missile launchers to systems that would capture and redirect asteroids towards a target on the surface of the Earth. Evidently, not all scenarios are technically feasible and will forever remain the stuff of science-fiction novels. But some breakthroughs are within the grasp of current science and would have a deep impact on the nature of warfare as we know it.

One possibility is the arming of space orbiters with nuclear or non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons. By detonating a satellite-launched EMP weapon at a high altitude, a belligerent could initiate a decapitation attack against an enemys electrical grids, satellites, as well as the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) architecture that are necessary to conduct military operations. Depending on the size of the EMP weapon utilized, the attack could blanket an entire country, or be more surgical, targeting an area of operations. An assassins mace weapon of this type could theoretically end war before a single shot is firedat least against a heavily information-reliant adversary such as the U.S. (much less so against, say, the Taliban or Hamas).

EMP weapons fired from lower-altitude platforms or via land-based missile systems (e.g., ICBMs) are vulnerable to intercepts or preemptive strikes. Satellite-mounted EMP weapons, on the other hand, would be beyond the reach of most countries, except those with ground- or air-to-space-based antisatellite capability or space-based weaponized orbiters. Furthermore, the reaction time to a space-based blackout attack would be much shorter, which diminishes the ability of a targeted country to intercept the EMP weapon.

Another technology, interest in which has waxed and waned over the decades, is the use of high-energy space-based lasers (SBL) to target ballistic missiles fired by an enemy during the boost phase (known as boost-phase intercept, or BPI). The advantage of BPI is that the attempt to deactivate a ballistic missile occurs during its slowest phase, thus making a successful intercept likelier.

Unlike the theater defense systems currently used for BPI (e.g. Aegis), which must be deployed close to enemy territory, space-based laser platforms can operate at altitudes that, as discussed above, are well beyond the ability of the targeted country to shoot down or deactivate prior to a launch. As more countries and rogue states acquire the means to deliver long-rangeand possibly nuclearballistic missiles, interest in SBL interceptors, and the willingness to fund such costly programs, will likely grow. However, challenges remain in developing chemical megawatt-laser systems for orbiters.

2. Hypersonic Cruise Missiles and Prompt Global Strike

Had hypersonic cruise missiles existed in the mid-1990s, the U.S. might have rid itself of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden much earlier than it did, and would have accomplished the feat in Afghanistan rather than in Pakistan.

With their ability to accurately deliver warheads over long distances, cruise missiles have had an extraordinary impact on modern warfare. But in an age where minutes can make a difference between defeat and victory, they tend to be too slow. It took eighty minutes for land-attack cruise missiles (LACM) launched from U.S. ships in the Arabian Sea to reach Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan in 1998 following the terrorist attacks against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Using hypersonic missiles cruising at speeds of Mach 5+, the same targets would have been reached within as little as 12 minutes, short enough to act on intelligence which had placed the terrorist mastermind at the location.

The desire to be able to strike anywhere, and to do so quickly, has led to the creation of a program known as prompt global strike, which the U.S. military initiated in 2001. Efforts have centered on the X-51A hypersonic cruise vehicle (HCV) under a consortium involving the U.S. Air Force, Boeing, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and the USAF Research Laboratorys Propulsion Directorate. Russia, China and India have made strides in developing the technology to achieve similar feats using conventional warheads, leading some defense analysts to warn of a looming global strike arms race.

The U.S. Navy is now reportedly exploring the possibility of developing submarine-launched hypersonic missiles.

As the 1998 example shows, global strike can serve multiple purposes, from decapitation attacks against heads of state, command-and-control systems and other high-value targets to surgical attacks against mobile terrorist groups under short timeframes offered by on-the-ground actionable intelligence. The extraordinary speeds achieved by hypersonic cruise missiles and the terrain-hugging nature of cruise missiles, meanwhile, will pose additional challenges in efforts to intercept them using existing air-defense systems, thus giving them an extra advantage in conventional-warfare scenarios.

1. Sentient Unmanned Vehicles

Perhaps the single-most important development in the defense industry in the past decade is the emergence of unmanned vehicles. As the technology evolves, drones, as they are often called, are quickly taking over duties that have traditionally been the remit of human beings. Such has been their rise that some commentators have argued that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could one day render human pilots obsolete.

But todays drones, from bomb-removal buggies to undersea mini-subs, from ship-based surveillance helicopters to high-altitude assassination platforms, remain dumb and for the most part require a modicum of human intervention. Not only are most platforms piloted remotely by human beings (though with increasing automation), but key mission elements, such as target acquisition and the decision to fire a Hellfire missile at a target, continue to necessitate human supervision.

This could soon change as scientists push the boundaries of artificial intelligence, which could one day open the door to drones that make independent decisions that have life and death implications. Of course, unmanned vehicles, or robots in general, are not intelligent in the human sense of the word, nor can they be said to be sentient. But advances in computing power are giving machines greater situational awareness and adaptability. As those capabilities continue to improve, drones could one day become fire-and-forget weapons, with much greater attention spans and durability than human beings, capable of lingering over a target for several hours and making split-second decisions to strike when an opportunity occurs. Moreover, the incentives for giving combat roles to machines and endowing them with life-and-death decisions will continue to increase as the costs associated with training and retaining soldiers continue to rise (another disadvantage of using soldiers: they have grieving families and loved ones).

Giving robots license to kill is only the logical next step in the increasingly videogame-like nature of warfare. Their deployment adds yet another a layer of distance between the perpetrator of violence and the victim, which lowers the psychological threshold for using force. Once the decision is made to give drones combat duty, the incentive will be to make them as free as possible, as the side that acts the quickest, with the least decision chokepoints and human input, will likely prevail in a confrontation.

J. Michael Cole is a Taipei-based journalist, a Senior Fellow at the China Policy Institute University of Nottingham, a graduate in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada and a former analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Read full article
A knife-wielding man who jumped out of a freezer and threatened employees at a New York City restaurant before going into cardiac arrest and dying was a suspected cold-case killer, officials said.

Carlton Henderson had only been released from a Boston jail four days earlier when he rushed out of a walk-in freezer toward unsuspecting employees Sunday at the Manhattan eatery Sarabeths, police said.

Henderson, 54, reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife and screamed Away from me, Satan! as he charged at the workers, who were able to take away the weapon and wrestle him to the ground.

On the floor, Henderson went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Henderson was facing murder charges in the 1988 fatal shootings of 26-year-old William Medina and 22-year-old Antonio Dos Reis, who were killed while sitting in a parked car in Boston.

Investigators suspected the killings were connected to a violent drug-trafficking ring based in San Diego that extended to other parts of the U.S., including Boston, according to court papers obtained by The New York Times.

Henderson apparently made statements to police and prosecutors suggesting his involvement in the killings during an interview in 1993, and was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri in June 2017.

But on July 31, Judge Janet Sanders released Henderson on his own recognizance after ruling the statements were inadmissible because he and investigators had an agreement that they couldnt be used against him, The Times reported.

Henderson was reportedly intending to trade the information for a reduction in his 15-year prison sentence on gun charges, and as such, was treated as a cooperating witness and not a suspect or target of the investigation.

Though prosecutors argued that such an informal immunity agreement would have been made in writing and no corroborating paperwork had been found, Henderson was released from jail. He promised to return to court Aug. 14.

Story continues

It was not immediately clear how he wound up in New York.

His attorney told The Times there was nothing to indicate his client struggled with mental health issues.

"Thats very foreign to my experience with the guy, and I represented him for over a year and met with him many times, John Amabile told the Times. My impression of him was that he was a very intelligent person who was very engaged as a client. I did not get the sense that he was psychotic or mentally ill or physically ill."

RELATED STORIES

Cold Cases That Have Seen Breaks After Years of Unanswered Questions

A Look at the DNA Tech Company Helping to Solve Cold Cases

DNA in Genealogy Database Leads to Man's Arrest in 1986 Murder of 12-Year-Old

Related Articles:
A South Carolina plant that assembles televisions using Chinese parts plans to shut down and lay off nearly all its employees because of new tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration, the company announced this week.

Element Electronics  which describes itself as the only assembler of televisions in the U.S.  plans to lay off 126 of its 134 permanent full-time employees and close the Winnsboro, S.C. plant on Oct. 5. Notably, there are still at least two smaller companies that continue to assemble speciality televisions in the U.S.

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, Carl Kennedy, Elements vice president of human resources, said in a letter to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce on Monday.

Kennedy said he hopes the closure will be temporary and the company is advocating for its parts to be removed from the tariff list. We remain hopeful that the closure of our South Carolina factory will be avoided, Element said in a statement shared on social media Tuesday.

President Donald Trump often lamented on the campaign trail that the United States doesnt make television sets anymore. At the time, it was already true that there were no U.S. factories making televisions from scratch  just a few that assembled televisions using imported parts. But with the closure of Elements plant, the United States will no longer assemble mass-market television sets anymore, either.

Trump has defended his escalating trade war with China as necessary to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and bring back American jobs. But U.S. companies have complained about rising business costs, and trade experts have warned that the tariffs could hurt the U.S. economy. An analysis by the right-leaning Tax Foundation last month predicted Trumps trade policy could lead to the loss of nearly 365,000 jobs in the long run.

Story continues

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican and a Trump supporter, told reporters on Wednesday that he is doing every single thing we can to find a solution that would not harm Element Electronics and its employees.

We believe South Carolina has great economic prosperity in its future, McMaster said. And we dont want to hurt it by any tariff or any tax or any regulation or anything else, so we are fighting with all we can, all thats possible to be done, to see that these tariffs and proposed tariffs do not, in the end, hurt South Carolina.

McMaster defended Trump, and said he has spoken with both the President and Vice President about implementing an exemption for Element Electronics.

This is a difficult issue. Its a difficult time. The President is right that there are countries out there that have been treating trade from the United States unevenly, McMaster said. Hes correct about that, and he is trying to fix it. What we want to do is be sure that the fix doesnt hurt South Carolina.

Meanwhile, James Smith, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee running against McMaster in November, said he spent the day in Winnsboro discussing the loss of jobs due to job-killing tariffs.

These tariffs are not helping anyone in our state who are hurting from the loss of these jobs and many to come, Smith said at a press conference on Wednesday, calling on McMaster to tell this President when hes doing whats wrong for the people of our state.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP)  The Latest on primaries in Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Washington state and a congressional special election in Ohio (all times local):

1:20 a.m.

Ohio's elections chief says more than 8,000 potential votes are yet to be tallied in a congressional special election that ended too close to call.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO'-sted) released the information after Republican Troy Balderson ended Tuesday with a razor-thin lead of about 1,800 votes over Democrat Danny O'Connor.

Husted says 3,435 provisional votes were cast and 5,048 absentee ballots are outstanding. That's enough for O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, to potentially pick up enough votes to force a mandatory recount in the 12th Congressional District.

Election boards can't begin to count those votes until Aug. 18.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races that go to automatic recounts.

Balderson, a two-term state senator, was backed by President Donald Trump. Trump declared Balderson's victory on Twitter though the race was too close to call.

___

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."

___

12:25 a.m.

A Kansas official says long lines at polling places delayed election results in the state's most populous county as Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach were locked in a tight race for the Republican nomination for governor.

Story continues

State elections director Bryan Caskey said Tuesday night that some polling places in Johnson County in the suburbs of Kansas City remained open until about 8 p.m. to accommodate people who were in line to vote when polls officially closed at 7 p.m.

He says that led local officials to delay reporting their first results, from votes cast in advance.

Johnson County has nearly 408,000 registered voters, or almost 23 percent of the state's total of 1.8 million.

___

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.

___

11:40 p.m.

Democrat Danny O'Connor is trying to rally his supporters as he's locked in a close race with Republican Troy Balderson in Ohio's congressional special election.

O'Connor says, "We're not stopping now."

The candidates were locked in a razor-thin contest Tuesday night. There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount.

Balderson, meanwhile, was celebrating, saying he's ready to get to work in Congress. He says, "America is on the right path and we're going to keep it going that way."

The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take another job.

___

11:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump is already taking credit for helping elect his favored candidate in a special House election in Ohio, though the race is too close to call.

In a tweet Tuesday night, Trump declared "a great victory" for Republican Troy Balderson over Democrat Danny O'Connor.

While Balderson has a slight lead, the race is close enough that there could be a mandatory recount. There are also at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed.

Trump says 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."

Trump offered another prediction  that Balderson will "win BIG" in November's general election.

___

11:30 p.m.

Republican Susan Hutchison has gained 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.

___

11:25 p.m.

Sen. Maria Cantwell has advanced 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.

___

11:20 p.m.

The last special election of the year for the U.S. House is too close to call.

With election officials in Ohio done counting Tuesday night, Republican Troy Balderson has a slight lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor in the special election in the state's 12th Congressional District.

But there are at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a mandatory recount.

The Associated Press does not declare winners in races that go to an automatic recount.

The race in suburban Columbus was one of the most-watched contests in Tuesday's primaries as O'Connor tried to pick up a seat long held by Republicans.

___

11 p.m.

The deadline has passed for turning in primary ballots in Washington, a vote-by-mail state.

The contest getting the most attention is a U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture in November for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980.

Voters began receiving their state primary ballots in the mail weeks ago, and Tuesday was the last day to get them in or postmarked for mail delivery. In some of the more competitive races, results may not be known for days as most counties will update vote counts only once a day.

In Washington's 8th District, Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade.

Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator, is expected to advance along with one of three Democrats.

___

10:40 p.m.

Missouri voters have rejected a right-to-work law banning mandatory union fees in workplace contracts.

The vote Tuesday marked a major victory for unions, which poured millions of dollars into a campaign to defeat Proposition A.

The right-to-work law originally was enacted in 2017 by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature and governor. But it never took effect, because unions gathered enough petition signatures to force a public referendum on it.

Unions argued the measure would have led to lower wages, while business groups claimed it could have led to more jobs. Economic studies showed mixed and sometimes conflicting results.

Twenty-seven other states have similar laws against compulsory union fees, including five Republican-led states that have acted since 2012  Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Kentucky.

___

10:20 p.m.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) and Gov. Jeff Colyer are locked in a close Republican primary race for governor.

Colyer and Kobach topped a seven-candidate GOP field in Tuesday's election. President Donald Trump tweeted a full endorsement of Kobach on Monday.

Kobach is nationally known for advocating tough policies on illegal immigration and strict voter identification laws. He served as vice chairman of Trump's now-disbanded commission on election fraud after advising Trump's 2016 campaign and the White House.

Colyer had endorsements from Kansas political icon Bob Dole and the National Rifle Association in his quest to remain in office after becoming governor in January.

In the Democratic primary, state Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka held a lead over former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and ex-Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty.

___

10:15 p.m.

A veteran Kansas legislator has won 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.

___

10:05 p.m.

Detroit-area businessman and Iraq War veteran John James has won 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.

___

9:55 p.m.

Gretchen Whitmer has won 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 (shree TAN'-eh-dahr) and ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday's primary. She will face Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee), 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.

___

9:50 p.m.

U.S. 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.

___

9:30 p.m.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has won 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.

___

9:25 p.m.

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri has won 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.

___

9:20 p.m.

State Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee) has won 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 p.m.

Polls have closed in Kansas and Michigan primary elections that are testing anew President Donald Trump's political clout.

Tuesday's races, like dozens before them, are pitting the strength of Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results will help determine the political landscape before the GOP defends its congressional majorities across the nation.

One of the top races is in Kansas, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) is trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer. Should Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall.

In Michigan, three mainstream Democrats are among those vying for a chance at retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott's seat. The field includes Fayrouz Saad (fay-ROOZ' sahd), who would be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

___

8:10 p.m.

Democrat Danny O'Connor has jumped out to a significant lead over Republican Troy Balderson in early returns in Ohio's congressional special election.

Voters on Tuesday were choosing between Balderson, a state senator, and O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race is a test of voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O'Connor will battle again for the full two-year term.

President Donald Trump campaigned for Balderson, arguing Republicans need to control Congress and casting the midterms as a referendum on himself.

A Balderson victory would buoy Republicans concerned about how Trump might be playing in political battleground states. An O'Connor win would elate Democrats hoping for a Trump backlash.
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.

___

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.
VALHALLA, N.Y. (AP)  The Latest on a shooting at a hospital outside New York City (all times local):

5 p.m.

Police say a woman shot to death in her hospital bed outside New York City was killed by her husband, who then killed himself. The man left a note in their home saying he wanted to end her suffering.

Authorities on Wednesday identified them as 71-year-old Richard DeLucia and 70-year-old Ann DeLucia. The couple was from Yorktown.

Westchester County police say Ann DeLucia was in her room at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla when her husband came in and shot her. He then killed himself.

Authorities say each person died from a single gunshot wound.

Investigators found a note from Richard DeLucia at the family home that said his wife had been suffering from illness, and that he was distraught over it.

No information on Ann DeLucia's medical condition had been released.

___

Noon

Authorities say a man shot a patient to death in her suburban New York City hospital bed, and then killed himself.

Police converged on Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla on Wednesday morning after a report of gunshots inside the building.

Police say the female patient was in a hospital room when the gunman entered and shot her. The gunman was on the floor when officers arrived. They are still trying to determine the relationship between the victim and shooter.

Police said armed security is on duty 24 hours a day and they responded immediately. It's unknown how many shots were fired.

Photos posted on The Journal News and social media show police blocking the entrance to the hospital and workers in lab coats and scrubs gathered outside it.

___

11:45 a.m.

Authorities confirmed that there has been a shooting at a hospital north of New York City, but said the incident was "contained to a single room" and that there is "no ongoing threat."

Police converged on Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla on Wednesday morning after a report of gunshots inside the building.

Story continues

Police released little information about what had happened. They wouldn't say who was shot or how many people were injured.

But Westchester County's executive said in a statement that the threat from the shooting was over. A briefing was planned shortly.

Photos posted on The Journal News and social media show police blocking the entrance to the hospital and workers in lab coats and scrubs gathered outside it.

___

11:20

Gunfire has been reported at a New York City suburban hospital and police are at the scene.

Westchester County Police told WCBS Radio that there had been an "active shooter situation" Wednesday but it is now under control.

Little information was immediately available from authorities regarding what happened.

Photos posted on The Journal News and social media show police blocking the entrance to Westchester Medical Center as hospital workers in lab coats and scrubs gathered outside it.

There was no immediate word on any injuries.

___

10:25 a.m.

Police are responding to a report of gunfire at a hospital in New York City's northern suburbs.

The Journal News reported that county and state police were outside Westchester Medical Center, blocking the entrance.

Hospital workers in lab coats were seen gathering outside the hospital in pictures posted on social media.

Police officials didn't immediately respond to requests for information.

There was no immediate word on any injuries.
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP)  The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):

9 p.m.

A wildfire south of Los Angeles is growing rapidly as it plows through the Cleveland National Forest.

The blaze that erupted Monday has scorched 6 square miles (16 square kilometers), destroyed one building and prompted evacuations of two canyons and some campgrounds.

It's the latest of nearly 20 large fires that are burning in California.

The largest is a twin-fire system north of San Francisco that has burned 75 homes and more than 440 square miles (1,100 square kilometers) of forest and rural lands, making it the largest fire in recorded California history.

A wildfire last December in Southern California previously held the record. The Thomas Fire also killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

___

7:20 p.m.

Authorities say twin blazes rapidly spreading in Northern California have become the state's largest wildfire in history.

The fires burning a few miles apart and known as the Mendocino Complex ignited July 27 and encompass an area the size of Los Angeles. It's the second straight year that California has recorded the state's largest wildfire.

Officials said Monday that the flames about 100 miles (259 kilometers) north of San Francisco grew to 283,800 acres (443.4 square miles or 1,148.4 square kilometers).

That surpasses a wildfire last year in Southern California that burned 281,893 acres (440.5 square miles or 1,140.8 kilometers). That one killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings.

The new fire has burned 75 homes. It is mostly burning in remote areas but has forced thousands of people to evacuate.

___

3:30 p.m.

Authorities have evacuated cabins in two communities in the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County because of a fast-moving wildfire.

Jeanna Smith with the U.S. Forest Service says firefighters are attacking the fast-moving Holy Fire with a DC-10 air tanker and helicopters.

She says crews are "hitting it hard with everything we've got" in hopes of stopping the fire at the top of a ridge and keeping it from reaching homes a couple miles away.

Story continues

The fire began around 2 p.m. Monday and quickly grew to more than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers).

Smith says about a dozen people have been evacuated from weekend cabins in the communities of Holy Jim and Trabuco Canyon.

___

1 p.m.

The owners of a historic Northern California resort say it has been damaged by a wildfire tearing through the Stanislaus National Forest.

The Sacramento Bee reported Monday that the near-century old Dardanelle Resort has sustained massive structural damage from a fire that erupted last week. The extent of the damage was unclear.

The rustic lodge 180 miles (290 kilometers) east of San Francisco is nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It offers cabin and motel rentals along with RV sites, a store and restaurant. Its Facebook page says it was established in 1923.

The U.S. Forest Service reported that the fire crossed Highway 108 Sunday evening, forcing crews to retreat from the fire's edge.

The resort owners said in a Facebook post that they are heartbroken by the news.

___

11:30 a.m.

Authorities say three men tending to a marijuana grow were arrested after they refused to leave a fire evacuation zone in Northern California, hindering firefighters' efforts against a massive blaze.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office says deputies on Saturday found the men watering a marijuana crop about 20 yards (18 meters) from the fire line.

The office says firefighters had to divert three very large air tanker passes as they worked to stop the fire from reaching the town of Lucerne because the "hostile" men wouldn't leave. They called authorities.

It says 59-year-old Steven Bell, 29-year-old Travis Bell and 41-year-old Gary Wertheimer were arrested on suspicion of interfering with firefighters and not having authorization to be in an evacuation zone.

They were released with citations.

___

10:30 a.m.

The Army is sending 200 active-duty soldiers to help battle wildfires in the Western U.S.

The National Interagency Fire Center said Monday the soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, will get three days of training starting on Thursday and will all be deployed to the same fire. The fire hasn't been chosen.

The fire center requested the soldiers from the Defense Department, which agreed to send them.

More than 127 wildfires are burning in 11 Western states, taxing civilian resources. At least three states have mobilized National Guard troops to help, and five military aircraft are assisting.

The fire center says active-duty personnel have been mobilized to help firefighters 37 times since 1987, most recently in September.

___

8 a.m.

Twin wildfires fueled by dry vegetation and hot, windy weather have continued to grow in Northern California.

California fire officials said Monday that the two fires about 100 miles (161 kilometers) north of San Francisco were 30 percent contained and have scorched 428 square miles (1,108 square kilometers).

The two fires are burning about 14 miles (22 kilometers) apart and have destroyed 75 homes. Another 9,000 buildings are threatened.

The two fires cover an area larger than a deadly wildfire burning near Redding, California.

That blaze has killed two firefighters and five civilians and destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

The wildfire started two weeks ago by sparks from the steel wheel of a towed-trailer's flat tire. It is 45 percent contained.

Related Video: Mendocino Fire Now the Largest in California History

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.
Months after being criticized for saying she felt sorry for Harvey Weinstein, Lindsay Lohan is under fire again for controversial comments she made about the #MeToo movement.

In an interview with the U.K.s the Times, the 32-year-old even acknowledged in advance that her viewpoint would be a little controversial. I cant speak on something I dont live, right? Look, I am very supportive of women. Everyone goes through their own experiences in their own ways, she said. But then she had this to say: 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 these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women. 

Logan then cast doubt on some allegations that have surfaced as a result of the movement. 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.

People on Twitter were not impressed about her comments:

Like WTF is Lindsay Lohan an activist for when she slams one of the BIGGEST MOST MEANINGFUL MOVEMENTS IN the History of Women around the world?? You cant say that the #MeToo movement makes women weak Im disgusted ahshdrbrhdycuc WOMEN ARE STRONG INDIVIDUALS WITH POTENTIAL! pic.twitter.com/9YASjebweE  SavEl (@elia_savvas) August 8, 2018

Hey @lindsaylohan If I'm weak for being in the #metoo movement and speaking against my abuser, what does it make you look like? A moron who has no idea what it's like to survive sexual abuse. Please, shut up and stay home from now on.https://t.co/8dEGbuPbcw  CM Peters (@CharlieMPeters) August 8, 2018

Lindsay Lohan has defended Trump & Weinstein and now says #MeToo victims should not speak up. Lindsay Lohan everyone.  David Oakes Music (@kotowZer0) August 9, 2018

Every 98 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted, according to data from RAINN (the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), and only 310 out of every 1,000 rapes are reported to police. After a sexual assault, its hard to know how to react, Sara McGovern, a spokesperson for RAINN, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. It can be extremely difficult for survivors to share their stories, even with their closest family and friends.

Story continues

Survivors often stay silent because its difficult for them to process what happened, Donna Polomba, founder of Jane Doe No More, a nonprofit that works to prevent sexual violence and re-victimization, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Many victims experience misplaced blame and shame, thinking it was somehow their fault, she says. They are often embarrassed and humiliated and uncertain about what to do. On top of that, when victims do tell someone, they are met with skepticism and may not receive the support they need.

And while some people do file police reports in the aftermath of a sexual assault, many dont. Going to the police can be extremely difficult, McGovern says. Survivors are often reluctant to report sexual violence, so its critical for institutions to make them feel comfortable doing so, and help them find support, medical care, and justice.

Lohan is far from the first person to make comments like these, but this viewpoint is dangerous in that it blames the victim, McGovern says.

Lindsay Lohan gets shady on #MeToo. (Photo: @lindsaylohan/Instagram)

The only person responsible for sexual harassment and assault is the perpetrator who committed the crime, McGovern says. Placing blame on the victim is never okay, and runs the risk of discouraging others from speaking out. Its important to believe and support survivors.

Lohan has not publicly responded to the backlash.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




LSU suspended LB Tyler Taylor indefinitely after reportedly learning that the was the alleged getaway driver in a pawn shop robbery of several guns. (AP)

LSU has suspended sophomore linebacker Tyler Taylor after learning he was allegedly the getaway driver during a January pawn shop robbery in Georgia, The Advocate reports.

The Advocate obtained reports from the Cummings Police Department that four people broke into a pawn shop early on Jan. 8 and stole firearms before fleeing in a vehicle allegedly driven by Taylor. Eight shotguns, three rifles and a semi-automatic rifle were stolen, according to police records.

Police arrested Taylor in May for alleged role in January robbery

Police arrested Taylor on May 27 on an arrest warrant for conspiracy to commit a crime, party to a crime and theft by receiving stolen property, all felonies. He was booked and released from jail after posting a $33,550 bond, The Advocate reports.

One of the men arrested for the robbery told police that Taylor was involved, and Taylors phone pinged at the pawn shop on the morning of the burglary, the report states.

Taylor started last year as a freshman

Taylor played in all 13 LSU games last year as a freshman, starting five. He recorded 32 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. Taylor took part in spring practice and has participated in training camp, The Advocate reports.

The school confirmed to The Advocate that Taylor has been suspended. The Forsyth County Clerks Office told The Advocate that a court date has not yet been set.

More from Yahoo Sports:

 Aaron Rodgers says LeBron ignoring Trump is absolutely beautiful

 Jayson Werth blasts Scott Boras: Teams didnt know that I wanted to play

 Jay Busbee: The city that hated its NFL team

 Jarvis Landry goes on profane tirade on Hard Knocks



More college football from Yahoo Sports:


BEPPU, Japan (AP)  Malaysia's leader called Thursday for more international exchanges among young people as a way to prevent war and terrorism, as he received an honorary degree from a like-minded university in Japan.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that eradicating terrorism requires more than a good defense.

"I believe that merely fighting against terrorism will not put an end to terrorism," he said at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in southern Japan. "We must know the reason why these people resort to terrorism, and if we know the reason, and we deal with the reason, then there is a chance that we can stop the acts of terror."

More broadly, he said that greater mutual understanding would provide opportunities to resolve conflict through means other than violence.

To that end, he praised Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University for its multinational student body, saying that should be the trend at all universities. The school was founded in 2000 as a place for future global leaders to study together and develop an understanding of each other's cultures and ways of life. It has many students from elsewhere in Asia, as well as other parts of the world.

"If we are going to have good relations between different countries, we must know each other," said Mahathir, an honorary member of the school's advisory committee.

Mahathir is wrapping up a four-day visit to Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. He earlier gave the keynote address at a seminar for future Japanese leaders and visited a training center at JR Kyushu, a railway company that operates the high-speed bullet train.

It is his second visit to Japan since becoming prime minister in May for the second time.
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - The Malaysian government came under fire Thursday for ordering the removal of two LGBT activists' portraits from an exhibition, with campaigners labelling it an attack on the "dignity" of the gay community.

The photos of Nisha Ayub and Pang Khee Teik were taken down from display at an arts festival in the northern state of Penang this week following the government order, festival organisers confirmed.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia often take a dim view of homosexuality, and the country retains its colonial-era ban on sodomy.

Officials have been criticised for introducing programmes directed at the LGBT community, such as a competition launched last year by the health ministry offering cash prizes to whoever could create the best video explaining how to "prevent" homosexuality.

In the latest controversy, Mujahid Yusof Rawa, a minister overseeing Islamic affairs, said he had ordered the portraits' removal as they promoted LGBT activities, the Star newspaper reported.

"I have consistently repeated in parliament that we do not support the promotion of LGBT culture in Malaysia," he was cited as saying.

The portraits at the annual George Town Festival showed Nisha, a transgender woman, holding the Malaysian flag, and Pang, a gay man, with the Malaysian flag draped over his shoulders, holding the rainbow gay pride flag.

Nisha told AFP she feared the portraits' removal could lead to people who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender being targeted more.

"A lot of the community out there, especially trans women, they're exposed to a lot of violence," she told AFP.

Thilaga Sulathireh, co-founder of transgender activist group Justice for Sisters, said that LGBT people should be protected under Malaysia's constitution.

"We should be able to live with dignity and personal freedoms," she told AFP.

Mujahid has attracted much controversy recently.

Story continues

Earlier this week, he sparked anger by announcing the government was working on a plan to introduce a dress code for Muslim women in the private sector. It will comply with Islamic principles, although no details were disclosed.

Female civil servants in the multi-ethnic country are already subject to guidelines which typically require them to dress modestly.

Rights group the Women's Aid Organisation slammed the plan as "extremely sexist".
Bamako (AFP) - Opposition candidates who fell short in Mali's presidential election have refused to back either of the frontrunners who will contest a runoff vote on Sunday.

Two of the losing candidates, businessman Aliou Boubacar Diallo and former prime minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, who came in third and fourth place respectively, said on Thursday they would not rally behind anyone.

The second round vote will see a rerun of the 2013 election between President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita -- widely known as IBK -- and opposition hopeful Soumaila Cisse.

Cisse had called for a broad opposition coalition as he prepares to take on the incumbent, but that now appears to be off the table.

"Neither matches our ideals. Replacing Ibrahim Boubacar Keita with Soumaila Cisse is not a change," Diarra, who won seven percent of the July 29 first-round vote, told reporters Thursday.

A few minutes later, Diallo said he "could not do more than to invite Malians to think about their future," without suggesting a preferred second-round candidate.

Mali's Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to the first round of voting in the presidential election, confirming August 12 as the date for the runoff.

Keita, 73, was credited with 41.7 percent of the vote while Cisse picked up 17.78 percent.

- Keita now favourite -

With no voting instructions from the main opposition candidates, President Keita is seen as clear favourite to win Sunday's vote.

But mounting accusations of fraud and ballot box stuffing marred the days following the poll.

Last week, Cisse urged the 22 candidates eliminated in the first round to create a "broad democratic front against fraud and for political change," adding he believed that a majority of people backed change.

Violence disrupted polling in several areas beset by ethnic and jihadist unrest despite the deployment of 30,000 security personnel for the vote.

Cisse said the official outcome was a travesty and urged beaten rivals to swing behind him.

Story continues

The government on Monday published a list of 871 polling stations which were unable to operate during the first round due to outbreaks of violence.

Almost a quarter of a million people -- mainly in northern Timbuktu region, central Mopti and Segou in the south -- "were unable to vote for various reasons," it said.

The only female candidate, Djeneba N'Diaye, said that her 11,600-strong support, equivalent to a 0.36 percent vote share, would now plump for Keita.

Mali is a linchpin state in the Sahel, a sprawling, poor region that has been wracked by jihadism, ethnic attacks and crime. The international community is hoping the outcome of the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord.

Teams from the European Union, the African Union, the regional ECOWAS grouping and the Francophonie organisation sent observers to the poll.
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.

"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.

Story continues

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.

___

Hudetz reported from Albuquerque. Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta, and Russell Contreras in Albuqerque, N.M., contributed to this report.
Man found with 11 children on filthy New Mexico compound was training them to commit school shootings, prosecutors say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The man who was arrested on a filthy New Mexico compound with 11 abused children was training the children to commit school shootings, according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

The documents allege that 39-year-old Siraj Wahhaj was conducting weapons training at the property in Amalia, near the Colorado border. A foster parent of one of the 11 children allegedly stated to law enforcement that Wahhaj had "trained the child in the use of an assault rifle in preparation for future school shootings," according to a criminal complaint.

Law enforcement was aware of a short-distance shooting range that had been installed at the compound, Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

A defense attorney for Wahhaj is disputing the claims made by prosecutors in court documents that the children were being trained to commit school shootings, the Associated Press reported.

Aleks Kostich of the Taos County Public Defender's Office said the allegations were not explained and the information came from the foster parent of a child removed from the compound, according to AP.

The attorney doubts the credibility of the source and believes prosecutors feel the same way, Kostich told AP.

PHOTO: A 'no trespassing' sign outside of the location where people camped near Amalia, N.M., Aug. 5, 2018. (Jesse Moya/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)

Wahhaj was heavily armed with an AR-15, semiautomatic rifle, five 30-round magazines and four handguns last week when sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant and swarmed the property to look for him and his young son, whom authorities believe was kidnapped by Wahhaj.

Prosecutors filed the documents Wednesday and asked that Wahhaj be held without bail because he "has proven to be a danger to the community."

"Should the defendant be released from custody, there is a substantial likelihood defendant may commit new crimes due to his planning and preparation for future school shootings," the criminal complaint read.

Story continues

Wahhaj did not enter a plea when he appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. A judge ruled that he be held until a no bond hearing takes place within the next five days.

(MORE: Remains of young boy found on filthy compound where authorities rescued 11 children)

The 11 children, who "looked like third-world country refugees" and were wearing rags for clothes, were found on the compound last week, as were five adults, Hogrefe said.

All five adults -- including Wahhaj, another adult male and three adult women -- have been arrested and charged with 11 counts of felony child abuse, Hogrefe said. Wahhaj was also charged with child abduction, while the other adult male, Lucas Morten, was charged with harboring a fugitive, Hogrefe said.

The four other adults also appeared in court Wednesday. Morton and two of the women pleaded not guilty, while a third woman did not enter a plea.

The remains of a young boy were found on Monday on an "inner portion" of the compound, Hogrefe said. The remains have not yet been identified, and Wahhaj is under investigation in the death of the child.

The three female adults would only provide names of themselves and the children, but would not give any information as to the whereabouts of the child, except to say that "he is not my son and I (we) am not allowed to talk about him," court documents alleged.

PHOTO: From left: This Aug. 3, 2018, photo released by Taos County Sheriff's Office shows Lucas Morten.|A handout photo made available by Taos County Sheriff's Office shows the booking photo of Siraj Wahhaj issued on Aug. 05 2018. (EPA/AP)

PHOTO: Hujrah Wahhaj along with Jany Leveille and Subhannah Wahhaj were arrested without incident in Taos believed to be mothers of eleven children that were rescued from filthy living conditions. (Taos Adult Detention Center)

Wahhaj "intentionally or recklessly" placed a child "in a situation that may endanger life or health," according to the criminal complaint. This environment allegedly included "no food, clean water, leaking propane gas, filthy conditions, hazardous wood and broken glass, no hygiene or medical care," the complaint states.

"Trip hazards, wood with nails sticking up, broken glass, bottles, and open trenches littered the property," court documents said.

The "makeshift property" is surrounded by tires and an earthen beam and lacks electricity and running water, Hogrefe said.

Wahhaj was found to be "in control of the property," according to the complaint.

(MORE: 11 children rescued from filthy compound looked like 'third-world country refugees')

The three adult women are believed to be the mothers of all 11 children, Hogrefe said.

"These children were hungry, they were thirsty, they were filthy," Hogrefe said. They are now being cared for by the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department.

Eleven children were held with little food or water in a makeshift compound in Amalia, N.M., for an unknown period of time before police raided the location on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018. (Taos County Sheriff's Office)

"It's obvious to me that they were brainwashed and feel great intimidation from the men that were in control of this facility," Hogrefe said of the women and children.

(MORE: 13 captive siblings forced to shower once a year, strangled, subject to frequent beatings: Prosecutor)
A Florida man has died after being punched by a driver whose car window he knocked because he mistakenly thought the vehicle was his Uber.

Sandor Szabo, 35, was visiting New York City for a wedding from his home in Boca Raton, Florida.

Mr Szabo had reportedly knocked on a number of car windows in Long Island City, a neighbourhood in the Queens borough, at 1am on Sunday, to see which was his Uber ride.

His family reported he was leaving the hotel where his brother was staying and making his way to his own at the time of the incident.

The suspect got out of the vehicle and allegedly punched Mr Szabo so hard he fell, hitting his head on the concrete pavement.

The tourist was then rushed to hospital where he remained on life support for the early part of the week.

Mr Szabo worked for the What If Media Group in Florida for the past two years. The companys CEO Josh Gillon issued a statement calling Mr Szabo friendly and incredibly smart.

He was well known and well respected in the digital marketing industry. Sandor was a super-outgoing, friendly and incredibly smart businessman. He was always upbeat, positive, kind and caring. He was fun to be with, interesting and always interested. He was a really good person, Mr Gillon said.

The suspect left Mr Szabo unconscious on the pavement and drove off in a white SUV. Police have released surveillance camera footage of the vehicle and of the suspect walking down the street, but it has not yet led to his identification.

Police have described him as bald, last seen wearing a light-coloured, long-sleeve shirt and jeans, and ask anyone with information to contact NYPD.
(TAOS, N.M.)  The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday.

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.

Prosecutor Timothy Hasson filed the documents while asking that Wahhaj be held without bail after he was arrested last week with four other adults facing child abuse charges.

Prosecutors did not bring up the school shooting accusation in court on Wednesday during an initial appearance by the abuse suspects.

Authorities say the remains of a boy also were found at the compound but have not been positively identified by medical examiners.

The child, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, went missing in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

Authorities say his father had told the boys mother that he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child. He later said he was taking the child to a park and didnt return.

For months, neighbors worried about the squalid compound built along a remote New Mexico plain, saying they took their concerns to authorities months before sheriffs officials raided the encampment, described as a small camping trailer in the ground.

Authorities said during the raid Friday 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.

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 the newcomers 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.

Anderson did not recall seeing the Georgia boy who was missing. But he said some of the smaller children from the compound turned up to play with children at neighboring properties after the group first arrived.

Story continues

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid, said Anderson.

As the months passed, however, they stopped seeing the smaller children playing in the area. They also stopped hearing guns fired off at a shooting range on the property, he said.

___

Hudetz reported from Albuquerque. Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed to this report.
After three days of dramatic testimony in the trial of Paul Manafort,, prosecutors returned on Thursday to the nuts and bolts of their case against Donald Trump's former campaign chairman as they sought to show he obtained millions of dollars in bank loans under false pretenses.

Attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller also got a rare  and narrow  acknowledgement from Judge TS Ellis III that he likely erred when he angrily confronted them a day earlier over whether he had allowed a witness to watch the trial.

The judge's comments and detailed testimony about Mr Manafort's loans opened the eighth day of his trial as prosecutors began presenting the bulk of their bank fraud case against him after spending days largely on tax-evasion allegations. Mr Manafort denies all the charges against him.

On Thursday, a bank employee told jurors how she discovered discrepancies in the information he put on his loan application, including holes in his claims about a New York City property. Melinda James, a Citizens Bank mortgage loan assistant, testified that Manafort had told the bank that the property would be used as a second residence, but she found it listed as a rental on a real estate website.

In another instance, Ms James said Mr Manafort maintained that there were no mortgages on a separate New York property when there actually were. All the while, Mr Manafort signed paperwork indicating he understood that he could face criminal or civil penalties if he lied to the bank.

Airbnb executive Darin Evenson also told jurors that one of Mr Manafort's New York City properties was offered as a rental through much of 2015 and 2016  a direct contradiction of the documents the longtime political consultant submitted to obtain a $3.4 million loan. Another bank employee said the distinction matters because the bank caps loans for rentals at $1 million.

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load

Meanwhile, attorneys for Special Counsel Robert Mueller say in a court filing that substantive evidence of the investigation was discussed out of earshot of the jury or the public during the testimony of longtime Mr Manafort deputy Rick Gates earlier in the week.

Story continues

Prosecutors say the conference involved Mr Manafort's attorneys attempting to pursue a line of questioning with Mr Gates. The filing does not identify the line of questioning, but one bench conference during Mr Gates' testimony was prompted by Mr Manafort lawyers asking whether he had spoken to Mr Mueller about his work on the Trump campaign.

Mr Mueller is investigating Russian election interference and any possible coordination with Trump associates - although the charges against Mr Manafort do not relate to collusion.

Mr Manafort's trial continues.

Related Video: Meet Rick Gates, Who Could Sent Manafort to Jail

Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



Associated Press
Rick Gates, the star witness in Paul Manaforts fraud trial, concluded his testimony Wednesday, with a defense attorney suggesting that his secret life included multiple extramarital affairs. Defense attorney Kevin Downing questioned him for only eight minutes before a prosecutor asked him questions designed to restore his credibility in the eyes of the jury. Downing then dropped a bombshell question.

Gates finished his testimony Wednesday after admitting that his secret life of cheating on his wife was more extensive than he had indicated earlier.

Gates, Manaforts right-hand man in the consulting business and in the Trump campaign, acknowledged Tuesday that he had an affair aided by money he stole from his boss and that he rented an apartment in London for two months. Gates said it was a mistake a decade ago that he regretted.

But on Wednesday, Downing suggested that Gates had withheld the extent of his philandering from prosecutors working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Downing asked Gates whether he had told prosecutors that he had four extramarital affairs.

Prosecutor Greg Andres immediately objected and U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III met in a sidebar conference with lawyers. The judge appeared to sustain the objection because Gates never answered the question. Downing had made his point.

Downing then asked whether Gatess secret life spanned the four-year period from 2010 to 2014, when he was embezzling from Manafort.

Ive made many mistakes over many years, and I regret them, Gates said.

Downing pressed again on whether that secret life covered those four years, Gates said it did.

After questioning Gates for two hours on Tuesday, Downing finished in less than 10 minutes on Wednesday. Andres sought to rehabilitate Gates with a series of rapid-fire questions about financial machinations underpinning the tax- and bank-fraud case against Manafort. He also asked Gates about his initial admission of the affair in London.

Story continues

Gates said that relationship lasted five months and that he told his wife and Manafort about it. On Tuesday he had indicated that the affair lasted just two months.

Was he supportive? Andres asked, referring to Manafort. Gates said yes.

Did he fire you? Andres asked. Gates said he didnt.

Gates, who pleaded guilty and is cooperating with Muellers prosecutors, spent less than 70 minutes on the witness stand on Wednesday.
Shoppers Drug Mart has secured supply deals with several major suppliers, including Aurora and Aphria. (Motley Fool)

Shoppers Drug Marts announcement they will be advising those who qualify for Manulifes enhanced medical marijuana insurance coverage is being hailed by cannabis business owners and those already in the medical marijuana field as a major step forward in access for patients and mainstream public acceptance.

In July, Manulife Financial announced that Shoppers Drug Mart will be partnering with them to offer enhanced medical marijuana insurance coverage. Policyholders will be able to consult with Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists at one of Ontarios patient care centres about different strains of marijuana and different ways to take it. The policyholder can then choose a treatment covered by their policy and receive ongoing case management from a Shoppers care centre pharmacist.

More information on the enhanced coverage will reportedly be revealed when the program becomes available in Fall 2018, but for now, Canadas cannabis community is celebrating the increased access to cannabis for patients, even while they remain skeptical of Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacists abilities to truly provide informed advice in this area.

Fantastic that people have easy access to medicine  amazing! But what do pharmacists actually know about cannabis? asks Abi Roach, owner of The Hot Box Cafe, a pot-positive vape lounge and head shop in Torontos Kensington Market neighbourhood.

From pills to pot

Yahoo Canada Finance reached out to representatives of both Shoppers Drug Mart and Manulife to find out the answer to Roachs question, but have yet to respond as of publication time.

What is known is that Shoppers Drug Mart applied to be a licensed producer of medical marijuana in 2016 as an administrative requirement to be able to distribute the plant to patients. They then entered into a deal with Ontario-based supplier Aphria Inc. (APH.TO) the next year.

We believe that allowing medical marijuana to be dispensed through pharmacy would increase access, safety, quality and security for the thousands of Canadians who use the drug as part of their medication therapy, a Shoppers spokesperson said in 2016.

Story continues

That same year, the Canadian Pharmacist Association called for their members to play a front-line role in patient management and dispensing of medical marijuana, a reversal of its stance in 2013 when Health Canada included pharmacy distribution in its Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations [MMPR].

Though Roach says she remembers the Canadian Pharmacist Association being against medical marijuana much more recently.

The Pharmacist Association was against medical marijuana I think up until last year. I remember going to a city council meeting about a year and a half ago where their representative screamed hell and high water about how cannabis is not medicine, she says.

In this Feb. 20, 2015, file photo, Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene prepares to roll a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

Andrea Dobbs, co-owner of Vancouver medical cannabis dispensary The Village Bloomery, recalls Shoppers Drug Mart having a similar stance in the past:

I think right now theyre excited. Theyre nervous because [Shoppers Drug Mart] did come out for a long time saying they absolutely wanted nothing to do with cannabis  that it was a drug. They fought against having any mention of medical cannabis or even having any coverage or access through them, but then they had a change of heart.

With that change of heart comes a steep learning curve, one that Canadas cannabis community agrees will take a complete overhaul of the way Shoppers Drug Mart typically assists its pharmacy customers.

Different tokes for different folks

Though Shoppers Drug Mart has yet to reveal what the knowledge base of its pharmacists is regarding medical cannabis, those in the dispensary business agree that they will have to allow their patients much more latitude than they are used to giving for experimentation and exploration.

There is no baseline prescription that they can fill that is going to react the same way with every person, says Dobbs.

Its going to change their style of interface. Theyre not just going to be able to be that pharmacist who says, Okay, your doctor says this. Take this and go about your day. Its going to be, Oh, I came back that was scary, or That made me feel funny, so those relationships are going to be a little more intricate than the ones they are used to having.

Theyre going to have to ask a lot of questions and have much longer, more intimate conversations with their patients than the pharmacy counter at Shoppers Drug Mart traditionally allows.

Medical cannabis is still a new enough treatment that some doctors who prescribe it overestimate the amount that is appropriate for a given ailment afflicting a given person. Its not uncommon for dispensary employees to have to dial dosages back or adjust a cannabis delivery method for a patient. They are used to tweaking dosages or delivery methods over multiple visits.

Its an iterative process of trying something, seeing if it works and trying something else, says Jeremy Jacob, president of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries and co-owner of The Village Bloomery.

It becomes a pretty complicated thing and the personal connection, the interaction and the feedback has been invaluable for people to help them navigate, especially new consumers who are looking for an alternative, he says.

Until doses are truly standardized, what is allowable under the current legal framework will set the parameters for what can be prescribed and in what amount. Shoppers will be able to prescribe oils with a concentration no higher than three per cent THC, in addition to dried flowers. The available tools will be relatively limited, so pharmacists will have to dig deep in ways they havent before to find the right dose for their patients.

It really depends how open [pharmacists] are and how willing they are to access the expertise that already exists in the cannabis space. The people whove been on the front lines talking with patients about potential benefits and side effects have developed strategies, says Jacob.

It will also force Shoppers pharmacists to start learning herbology since plants are one of the current allowable delivery methods for this medication.

Does a pharmacist know better than an herbalist with the same education? Probably not, says Roach.

Theres a lot of people who arent pharmacists who have been studying the effects of medical cannabis for a very long time. They may not have medical degrees, but they do have knowledge and studies, so maybe the very idea that only pharmacists can do this is wrong. Maybe there should be a whole course just in pharmaceutical cannabis and how to dispense it that isnt just for pharmacists, she says.

Increased access, mainstream acceptance

Despite the hurdles still in front them, Shoppers Drug Marts entrance into the medical cannabis arena is a huge step forward in the access to and acceptance of the herb as a treatment method in Canada.

What theyve got is a lot of reach to seniors in suburban and rural areas and they create a nice bridge for the brand newbies, says Dobbs.

I deal with a lot of people who are very new, they have a lot of questions and they really want to run parallel to pharmaceuticals and its really hard to switch them from Take this pills three times a day, youll be fine, which you cant do with cannabis, so this is going to give them that bridge: theyre going to feel like they trust the pharmacist because theyve got that relationship with them already and it will help them make the transition from pharmaceuticals to this natural alternative.

With Shoppers Drug Mart in the mix, the companys foray into the medical cannabis industry opens the door for the first serious mainstream conversation around medical cannabis and pharmaceuticals.

The people who are most at risk are still the ones who are least able to afford cannabis because not everybody has a job that allows them to afford extended medical, so what we really want to see in the bigger picture is coverage at the federal medical level, says Jacob. Cannabis should be part of universal health care.

If we can subsidize prescriptions for Oxycontinanti-anxiety meds, anti-depressants and anti-seizure medication, certainly we should have support for people who want this non-toxic alternative, but dont have extended medical insurance coverage, he adds.

Its good were seeing this get into the public eye, but we really need to see this access as a bottom-line right for all Canadians.

Even if cannabis never becomes part of universal health care coverage, the cannabis community agrees Shoppers Drug Mart supporting it is still an amazing first step.

People will point fingers and say theyre in it for the money, which may or may not be the truth, but when it comes down to the front-line people who work at the shop, its not going to matter what the companys mandate is, says Dobbs.

People getting access to cannabis through insurance is wonderful, so if they can facilitate that thats great.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN - Getty Images

From Town & Country

Viktor and Amalija Knavs, the parents of First Lady Melania Trump, have been sworn in as United States citizens, the Associated Press reported Thursday. The couple, who had been living in the U.S. as permanent residents, took the oath of citizenship in New York City, their lawyer said.

Just months ago, on May 2, the couple was seen at a federal building in New York with their immigration attorney, Michael Wildes. They had no comment at the time, but the building where they were spotted holds offices where federal immigration officials process applications for citizenship.

Photo credit: Drew Angerer - Getty Images

Back in February, the Washington Post reported Melania's parents had become legal permanent residents, had obtained green cards, and were awaiting scheduling for their naturalization oath. Their immigration process was under scrutiny, as President Trump has been cracking down on immigration through his policies.

Its unclear when they obtained their green cards, but usually, permanent residents have to hold green cards for five years before applying for citizenship. By 2007, Viktor Knavs reportedly listed his residence as Mar-a-Lago in Florida. President Trump has decried the policy that allows U.S. citizens to sponsor their parents and siblings for legal residency. Opponents of the process call it chain migration, but Melania Trump may have used the policy to sponsor her parents.

The couple met in Sevnica, Slovenia in 1966, and Melania was born in the same town. They made their first trip to America in 2004. Viktor and Amalija are reportedly hyperinvolved in Barron Trumps life, and attend events at the White House regularly.

('You Might Also Like',)
A child who was among a group of youngsters being held inside a rural New Mexico compound, said they were being trained by their captors to conduct school shootings.

Five suspects were arrested after police found 11 starving children between the ages of one and 15 inside a makeshift structure with a nearby shooting range. One of the children's foster parents told prosecutors "the defendant had trained the child in the use of an assault rifle in preparation for future school shootings", according to court filings.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe described the five suspects charged with child abuse as "[extremists] of the Muslim belief".

In a news release, the sheriff said police intercepted a message from someone within the Amalia, New Mexico, compound saying "we are staving and need food and water", causing the authorities to raid the site last week.

"I absolutely knew that we couldn't wait on another agency to step up and we had to go check this out as soon as possible," he said. "So I began working on a search warrant right after I got that intercepted message  it had to be a search warrant and 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 five suspects  who are all held in jail without bail include Siraj Wahhaj, his two sisters Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhannah Wahhaj, as well as Lucas Morten and Jany Leveille. Several of the women are thought to be some of the children's mothers, if not all.

Tyler Anderson, a 41-year-old mechanic who lived near the compound, told the Associated Press he helped the group instal solar panelling on the site.

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid, Mr Anderson said.

Mr Wahhaj's son, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, was reported missing by his mother in November 2017. Authorities later ordered a warrant for his arrest after he failed to tell his wife where he had taken their child.

Story continues

"My husband said he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park, and didn't come back," Hakima Ramzi told CNN. "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."

Police found the body of a dead child inside the compound, though it remained unclear as of Thursday whether it was that of the missing four-year-old boy. The site was squalid, lacking plumbing and electricity, and loaded firearms were located near the shooting range.

Prosecutors urged the suspects remain jailed during court proceedings due to their "planning and preparation for future school shootings". Other information surrounding the training children allegedly received in the compound wasnt yet provided.

All five suspects have pleaded not guilty, and are expected to attend a pretrial detention hearing on Monday.

Now, questions are arising as to why police did not investigate the compound sooner. Tanya and Jason Badger, a couple who owned the property where the makeshift site was built, told reporters they repeatedly attempted to kick the group off their land.

"We had told them several times that you know they're not tenants, they're not paying this rent, they're squatters, they're there illegally, I don't want them there," Mr Badger told CNN.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The alleged leader of a Mexico City gang that is blamed for drug dealing, extortion and killings in the capital has been arrested, authorities announced Thursday.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said at a news conference that the suspected head of the Tepito Union gang known as "El Betito" was detained Wednesday in a southwestern neighborhood. He didn't give a full name, but local media reported it as Roberto Moyado Esparza.

Sales said "El Betito," 37, had used hair implants and lost more than 66 pounds (30 kilograms) through gastric bypass surgery to try to escape recognition.

Sales said the suspect is presumed to oversee the Tepito Union gang's drug sales, extortion and protection rackets in upscale neighborhoods, as well as robbery and money laundering, especially in the central borough of Cuauhtemoc. He is also being investigated in connection with various murders.

He was previously arrested in 2008 and sentenced for robbery.

The Tepito Union takes its name from the notoriously gritty Tepito neighborhood just a few blocks north of the main square known as the Zocalo, the political, cultural and social heart of the capital and the country.

"El Betito" was detained after anti-drug agents identified him on a street and launched an operation to capture him. He was arrested in possession of 10,000 U.S. dollars, drugs and a handgun, and along with his 50-year-old brother.

Sales said the suspect had apparently moved among a number of homes and apartments in fancy neighborhoods to try to avoid detection by police and gang rivals.
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico's North American Free Trade Agreement negotiators looked to move toward settling the most complicated issues at hand Wednesday as they resumed talks with US officials in Washington.

Foreign minister Luis Videgaray, economics minister Ildefonso Guajardo and his successor Jesus Seade met with their US counterparts for the third week running -- and said talks would continue Thursday morning.

US and Mexican officials have said they aim to conclude discussions this month.

"We are definitely going to keep on working covering all the items that we have to cover, and we added a list of things that we will be talking tomorrow," said Guajardo.

"We go from less complex things to more complex things," he said.

When pressed on the thornier topics facing negotiators -- such as the so-called "sunset" clause backed by US President Donald Trump, and changes to the auto industry -- Guajardo added that "nothing is agreed on until everything is agreed on."

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last month suggested he still favored a sunset clause in US trade agreements, requiring parties to renew them every five years.

US insistence on that provision helped derail the NAFTA talks earlier this year after both Canadian and Mexican officials rejected it.

Talks on the trade agreement were first launched last year after Trump demanded an overhaul of the "terrible deal," and he has threatened to pull out and then negotiate separate bilateral accords.

Canada has not participated in the talks in Washington which have been focused on resolving bilateral issues between Mexico and the United States.

However, Canada's chief negotiator and foreign minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday that she has been in contact with her partners.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  A former legislative leader with the Democratic establishment's backing and the state's Republican attorney general are hoping to emerge from crowded fields in the primary for Michigan governor.

The winners in Tuesday's election will compete this fall for a seat that is opening due to the coming departure of GOP Gov. Rick Snyder, who has reached his term limit.

Utility crews were working to restore power at 14 polling places in the Detroit area after storms hit Monday night.

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, the first-ever female leader of a state Senate caucus, faces challenges from her left in former Detroit health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and chemical-testing entrepreneur Shri Thanedar. In the Republican contest, Attorney General Bill Schuette  an ally of President Donald Trump  is running against Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, conservative state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

"We have so many elected officials with no political background. You have to understand how things work to get things done," said Karen Rozanski, 67, of St. Clair Shores, who voted for Whitmer. "She's not promising the moon."

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.

Steve Lauer, 75, a retired business consultant from Traverse City, said he backed Schuette because of his experience and conservative beliefs. He likes Trump but said the president's endorsement didn't sway him.

"I like balanced budgets. I like lower taxes," Lauer said.

In the frantic closing days, Whitmer campaigned with union leaders, members of the state's Democratic congressional delegation and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who said she is the party's best chance to retake the governorship in November. El-Sayed got a boost with a visit from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who predicted that El-Sayed would defy polling like Sanders did in narrowly upsetting Hillary Clinton in Michigan's 2016 presidential primary.

Story continues

Both El-Sayed, who could become the country's first Muslim governor, and Thanedar  an immigrant from India who spent at least $10 million of his fortune to run  highlighted their support for a "Medicare-for-all" health care system and opposition to accepting corporate political action committee money. Whitmer said she supports getting everyone covered but stopped short of embracing a single-payer plan, instead promoting her work to help expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of adults through former President Barack Obama's health care law while also promising to fix deteriorating roads.

"We must be the change we want to see in the world, and that starts with this election on Tuesday," Whitmer said at a brewery in Warren, a Detroit suburb.

At a rally with Sanders near Ann Arbor, El-Sayed said he was "done waiting" for clean water in Flint and health care for all.

In the Republican battle, Schuette  a veteran politician who has served in Congress, the Legislature and as an appellate judge  emphasized his endorsement from Trump and a proposal to cut the state income tax from 4.25 percent to 3.9 percent. Calley, who is supported by Snyder but withdrew his support for Trump in 2016, touted economic gains under their watch and accused Schuette of illegally misusing his office to advance his political career and wrongly prosecuting top state officials for Flint's water crisis.

Colbeck, a former rocket scientist who hoped to offset lower fundraising with enthusiasm from grassroots volunteers, proposed initiatives such as eliminating the state income tax. Hines self-funded his campaign with $2.7 million, hoping voters would elect another outsider like they did in backing Snyder in 2010.

Voters in Michigan are also deciding two other primary races. John James and Sandy Pensler square off in a GOP primary for the chance to face Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November, and several Democrats are vying for the congressional seat that was vacated by John Conyers in January.

___

Ed White in Detroit and John Flesher in Traverse City contributed to this story.

___

Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert .

___

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
A mother is getting grief on social media for practicing extended breastfeeding. (Photo: Getty Images)

A mother of two who nurses her children beyond the typical age is getting dragged for extended breastfeeding.

The unnamed mother, who has daughters ages 3 and 4, shared her story with the website Love What Matters, which on Wednesday, Instagrammed a photo of the family. I tandem nursed until my oldest was 4.5 years old, she wrote. My youngest is 3.5 years old and is still happily nursing. She will wean when she is good and ready. Sometimes when people hear that my children nurse for much longer than what is seen as normal, they get weird and disgusted. This is exactly why we are so passionate about these photos and normalizing breastfeeding.

Under the image, one follower wrote, I do think its kind of gross, but thats my opinion. Another person wrote, I am all for nursing but this is disturbing. The photo was further dismissed as Disgusting.

On the publications Facebook page, a large number of people agreed with the notion of extending nursing, writing, Guess what? Im not so arrogant that I think I have the right to an opinion on how another family parents their children. We all do what we think is best, and Why do people have to be so judgmental and outspoken? Youre not the one breastfeeding or feeding these children, I think we should empower women no matter what their decisions are formula or breast, 6months of feeding on breast or 4 years, as long as the child is well fed. WHO CARES!

Story continues

On the Love What Matters website, the mother in the photo further explained: When my first daughter was 16 months old, I became pregnant with my second daughter. My first was still nursing and I had no plans to stop just because I was pregnant. My plan was to nurse my children full term until they chose to wean on their own. I ended up tandem nursing for two and a half years until my oldest was 4 and a half and she weaned. My youngest is 3 and a half and is still happily nursing a couple of times a day. She will wean when she is good and ready.

This is exactly why my friends and myself are so passionate about these photos and normalizing breastfeeding. From a newborn to a big kid, every mother and child duo should feel love and support for choosing this way of [nurturing]. One of the special things about breastfeeding is that everyones experience is unique. We all start out and end up a little bit differently from each other, but we all do it out of the love we have for our children, she wrote.

The photo, taken by Sammi Snaps Photography (a representative of which did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment), is part of an artistic series celebrating breastfeeding, just in time for National Breastfeeding Month, which runs through August.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that mothers nurse for a babys first six months of life and up until a year if combined with solid foods. Breastfeeding beyond that time frame is considered extended breastfeeding and per the AAP offers boosted immunity and enhanced nutrition.

The organization does state that mothers who engage in extended nursing may experience shaming. Worldwide, babies are weaned on average between ages 2 and 4, per the website. In some cultures, breastfeeding continues until children are age 6 or 7. In other parts of the world, however, this is less common and can sometimes provoke uninformed, negative reactions.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




Thursday, August 9, 2018

What to watch today

Thursday comes with the July producer price index report (+0.2% estimated, +0.3% ex-food and energy estimated) and the latest weekly tally of initial jobless claims (220,000 estimated). On the earnings front, well get second quarter financial results from media giants Viacom (VIAB) and News Corp. (NWSA).

Top news

.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Rite Aid and Albertsons terminate $24B merger: Drug store chain Rite Aid Corp. (RAD) and U.S. grocer Albertsons Companies Inc. agreed to terminate their merger agreement, the companies said on Wednesday, a little over 10 days after a shareholder advisory firm opposed the deal. [Reuters]

Fox tops estimates as Deadpool 2, cable earnings drive gains: Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.s (FOXA) quarterly profit and revenue topped Wall Street targets on Wednesday, thanks to the popularity of edgy superhero movie Deadpool 2 and as the companys cable unit earned higher fees from distributors. The results come as the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media conglomerate prepares to sell the bulk of its film and TV assets to Walt Disney Co. (DIS) in a $71 billion deal. [Reuters]

Elon Musks Tesla tweet brings the Reed Hastings rule into play: Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent markets into a tizzy on Tuesday when he tweeted that he may take the company private. Many are now wondering whether the tweet opens up Musk to lawsuits from the very short-sellers he has long complained about. The issue brings to mind a little-known 2013 SEC report that determined, in the SECs own wording, Social media OK for company announcements if investors are alerted. The SEC has already made inquires to Tesla (TSLA) about Musks tweet. [Yahoo Finance]

US imposing new Russia sanctions over chemical attack: The United States says 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 Trumps 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. [AP]

Story continues

NYC votes to cap Uber, Lyft vehicle licenses: 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. [Reuters]

For more of the latest news, go to Yahoo Finance

Rescuers continue to search for victims at Jamiul Jamaah mosque collapsed by an earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 9, 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. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Yahoo Finance Originals

Every Wells Fargo consumer scandal since 2015: A timeline

Heres your Trump trade war scorecard

Papa Johns is getting a $50 million makeover

What the Les Moonves and Urban Meyer investigations say about #MeToo

How somebody stole $7,800 out of my wifes checking account



Like what you just read? Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. And feel free to share it with a friend!

The Morning Brief provides a quick rundown on what to watch in the markets, top news stories, and the best of Yahoo Finance Originals.
Israeli forces and Hamas militants exchanged fire overnight on Wednesday, August 8, and into the early hours of the next morning.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported missiles from Gaza hit the Israeli border areas of Sderot, Hof Ashkelon and Eshkol. An IDF spokesperson tweeted that roughly 70 missiles were fired, mostly into open areas, of which 11 were intercepted by Israels Iron Dome missile defense system. At least two Israelis were injured by glass shards, medical organization Magen David Adom reported.

The IDF confirmed they responded by firing at 140 targets in Gaza. Palestinian media reported airstrikes continued through the night into Thursday morning. Schools were closed on Thursday morning in Gaza, as warning sirens continued to blare.

At least three Palestinians were reportedly killed by the strikes, including 23-year-old Inas Khamash, who was pregnant at the time, and her one-year-old daughter, Bayan Khamash. At least 12 others were injured, local news reported. This video, taken on the morning of August 9, shows the home of the Khamash family in Gaza.

As Israeli forces responded, an emergency meeting was being held by Israels security cabinet in the early hours of Thursday, August 9.

Wednesdays escalation comes amid attempts by Egypt and the United Nations to broker a five-year ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hamas, Turkeys Anadolu news agency reported. Credit: Hassan Eslayeh via Storyful
Nagasaki after the atomic bomb The flight crews of two planes go over planes for the dropping of the first atomic bombs. The middle-aged man in the center is Lt. Col. Payette. On the left, in the foreground in profile is Lt. Ralph Devore. The man looking over Payettes shoulder is Major Chuck Sweeney. Sweeney commanded and Devore flew with the mission to drop the second bomb on Nagasaki. To the right in profile are Lts. Thomas Ferebee (in cap, with mustache) and Morris Jeppson, both of whom flew with the first mission to bomb Hiroshima. (Photo: Corbis via Getty Images)

At 11:02 a.m. on Aug. 9, 1945, the bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, exploded approximately 500 meters (1,640 feet) above Nagasaki, Japan. It instantly killed an estimated 70,000 of the citys population. Three days earlier, on Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 Superfortress bomber called Enola Gay dropped a uranium-235 bomb on Hiroshima, eventually killing at least 140,000 people. These were the only times nuclear weapons have been used. Their destructive power was unprecedented, incinerating buildings and people and leaving lifelong scars on survivors, not just physical but also psychological, and on the cities themselves. Days later, World War II was over.

On the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the first U.N. chief to visit Nagasaki, said that fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that the attacks should never be repeated. He raised concerns about slowing efforts to denuclearize, saying existing nuclear states are modernizing their arsenals.

Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt, Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki Peace Park. Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency. Guterres added that nuclear weapons states should take the lead. Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on earth to suffer nuclear devastation, he said. (AP/Getty images)

Heres a look back at that fateful day.

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.
Nasa's Parker Solar Probe - NASA/JHUAPL

Nasa's new solar spacecraft is so indestructable that parts of it will be circling the Sun until the Solar System ends, eight billion years from now, scientists have said.

The US space agency launches its Parker Solar Probe on Saturday, which will travel closer to the Sun than any mission before, to unlock the secrets of fierce radioactive storms which threaten Earth.

Earth, and all the other objects in the Solar System are constantly ploughing through what is known as the solar wind - a constant stream of high-energy particles, mostly protons and electrons, hurled into space by the Sun.

These radioactive storms are so powerful they are able to knock out satellites, disrupt services such as communications and GPS, threaten aircraft and even interfere with electricity supplies.

The mission is to reach Suns outer atmosphere, or corona, the closest any man-made instrument has ever got to a star. For seven years it will orbit at around 3.38 million miles from the star's surface, where temperatures reach 1,400C.

Why Nasa's daring mission to 'touch the sun' will be 'the next jump in knowledge'

The probe is relying on a 4.5 inch carbon heat shield which has taken 10 years to develop and which is so strong it will survive for billions of years even when the rest of the spacecraft has disintegrated.

Speaking at a briefing ahead of the launch, Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe Programme Manager from Johns Hopkins University, said: "At four million miles the Sun is very hot, so we need to bring an umbrella with us.

"Its a carbon heat shield. It took 18 months to fabricate it and a decade to develop it.

"Eventually the spacecraft will run out of propellant and will leave altitude control and parts of it will transition into the Sun. But hopefully in 10 to 20 years there is going to be this carbon disc and that will be around to the end of the Solar System."

Story continues

The Parker Solar Probe Credit: Ed Whitman Johns Hopkins APL/NASA

The spacecraft also holds a memory card containing the names of more than 1.1 million members of the public who were asked to write in to support the mission.

London-born professor Nicky Fox, project scientist from Johns Hopkins University, said: "I think the spacecraft will break up into parts and form dust, and then those names will orbit the Sun forever."

The nearest a spacecraft has previously come to the Sun was the Helios 2 mission in 1976, which flew to within 27 million miles.

The Parker Solar Probe will go closer to a star than any mission has ever gone Credit: Nasa

Once inside the corona, sensory equipment will attempt to taste and smell electronic particles while they are still moving slowly enough to be measured.

Professor Mathew Owens, space scientist at the University of Reading, said: It's an incredibly hostile environment in which to do science, so the spacecraft has faced enormous engineering challenges. But everything is looking positive for Saturday.

The thing we really don't understand about the Sun, and therefore stars in general, is why its atmosphere gets hotter further away from the heat source.

We've been trying to solve this mystery for more than 50 years, by taking measurements from a nice, safe distance, and it's left us in an unusual position. We've got a bunch of theories that seem to work, but don't know which ones actually explain the Sun.

Currently, solar activity is monitored by a network of satellites, but scientists still have a poor understanding of how radiation builds up in the stars outer atmosphere and then accelerates towards Earth.

A better understanding of space weather is also considered crucial for protecting astronauts and their equipment for any future endeavours to colonise the Moon or Mars.

The Parker Solar Probe, which weights 1,400lbs, will travel faster than any craft ever before at 430,000 mph, and during its seven-year mission will make 24 orbits of the Sun.

The spacecraft will carry instruments to measure bulk plasma, described as the 'bread and butter' of solar waves, as well as a full package of magnetic measuring equipment.

Eugene Parker, who the mission is named after Credit: AFP

It will also carry a white light imager, dubbed 'Whisper', which can photograph solar waves.

Where does the solar wind come from? What causes flares and coronal mass ejections? We still dont understand these processes, said Justin Kasper, professor of climate and space sciences and engineering at the University of Michigan, mission principal investigator on the Parker Solar Probe.

The Parker Solar Probe will help us do a much better job of predicting when a disturbance in the solar wind could hit Earth.

The mission was named after Eugene Parker, the solar astrophysicist who first discovered the solar wind, and has been in the works for more than half a century. The memory card on board also contains a copy of his first scientific paper outlining his work.

It was conceived before a space programme, or even Nasa, existed.
Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change has fiercely rejected the result of last week's elections, the first to be held without long-serving despot Robert Mugabe.

Here are some of the questions facing party leader Nelson Chamisa after being declared runner-up in the poll that saw his rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa elected with 50.8 percent of the vote:

- Will the MDC appeal the results? -

The MDC needs to challenge the results in court in order to mollify its support base, according to Chipo Dendere, politics professor at Amherst University.

"This is something that the MDC didn't do in 2008 and a lot of their supporters and people around the world were saying, 'well why didn't (former MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai go to the courts?'"

The party has until Friday to launch a legal challenge, after which the Constitutional Court would have up to 14 days to issue a verdict.

"I doubt they'll need that length of time, I expect they'll give the petition fairly short shrift," said Derek Matyszak, Zimbabwe analyst at the Institute for Security Studies.

Dendere said that the absence of MDC elder statesman Tendai Biti, who dramatically tried to seek asylum in Zambia before being deported and detained, could frustrate the party's challenge.

"Biti is one of the leading opposition figures and also a lawyer himself," she said of Biti, reportedly sought by police for questioning over opposition protests last week where troops opened fire, killing six.

"I would assume that for the court case he must have been very influential in some ways and his departure probably caused some issues for the opposition."

- What evidence does the MDC have? -

Though Chamisa has told AFP he is "significantly happy" that a legal challenge on the basis of alleged voting rigging would succeed, it is unclear what smoking gun evidence the opposition has.

Story continues

"They have been claiming that the numbers have been manipulated... and that the figures put out by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) are fraudulent," said Matyszak.

"I'd be very surprised if that's the case. Shortly after the MDC made these claims, in order to preempt them, the ZEC issued a spreadsheet showing all the results for the presidential election right down to polling station level.

"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."

- Are protests likely? -

Dendere warned that if Zimbabwe's disastrous economic situation does not improve, the challenge for the government "is not going to be Nelson Chamisa -- it's the next guy who's going to put himself on fire on the street".

"It's not going to be the opposition that can be negotiated with -- it's people who are going to come down to Harare and burn down buildings, we've seen this before in Zimbabwe," she said.

But Matyszak suggested that last week's opposition street protests against alleged poll fraud, when six people died under army gunfire, are unlikely to be repeated.

"Historically Zimbabweans are reluctant to take to the streets -- they don't really have that tradition or culture of big demonstrations," he said.

"And of course we've seen the very heavy-handed response by the military which is certainly a disincentive to anybody thinking about taking to the streets."

- Will the MDC survive? -

"Nelson Chamisa will certainly have his work cut out for him keeping the party together," said Matyszak.

"The party is seriously underfunded because they don't look like a prospective government, they don't get that much in the way of donor funding.

"Nelson Chamisa himself took over the leadership of the party in very controversial circumstances," he said of the 40-year-old pastor and lawyer.

Chamisa took control of the MDC despite bitter opposition from factions within the party, following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February.

"Now that he's lost the election those wounds might re-open and there might be further in-fighting within the party," Matyszak said.

"I see stormy waters ahead for the opposition."
Thousands of years ago, humans in Eurasia were cut off from the Americas by ice. But when the ice began to melt and humans crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia, the fate of humanity changed, and the Americas were transformed. Still, one major problem at the heart of this great migration has the scientists involved in a new Science Advances study locked in a stalemate. Who got there first, and how did they get there?

There are two competing premises: the ice-free corridor route and the North Pacific Coast route. The former, which postulates that humans traveled along an ice-free corridor that began in Alaska and then extended into the high plains of North America through a land-locked path, was seen as the only option for decades. But more recently, the coastal route theory, which posits that the first Americans migrated down along the Pacific Rim shorelines from the Bering Strait to South America, has gained traction. Some scientists even argue that it renders the old theory moot.

In the new study, an international team of researchers acknowledges the existence of an intellectual standstill. The two competing theories for how humans populated the Americas, are, for now, equally viable, they argue.

What we say is that the history of human dispersal into and through the Americas is more complex than people like to conclude today, explains co-author and University of California, Santa Cruz ancient DNA specialist Lars Fehren-Schmitz, Ph.D., to Inverse. We think that we should wait and gather more evidence, especially in regions of critical importance for the different scenarios, before we simply say one model is the winner.

A map following early American migration.

The stalemate is remarkable because these theories seemed to present different timelines when they were first presented. The ice-free, land-locked corridor theory was at first tied to the settlements of the Clovis people, who lived across North America about 13,000 years ago  hence, it was known as the Clovis first theory. Meanwhile, the the coastal route suggests that people may have migrated south between 20,000 and 15,000 years ago.

Story continues

But more recently, new evidence, like ancient human feces found in Oregon and stone tools found in Texas, showed that people were in the Americas 16,000 years ago, suggesting the Clovis first theory is wrong. Still, it doesnt rule out the idea that people traveled through the ice-free corridor.

Evidence supporting both the ice-free corridor theory and the coastal route theory poses a bit of a conundrum, but Fehren-Schmitz says theres at least one way to settle the debate: We must accept that people voyaged into the Americas along multiple routes.

If people eventually dispersed into the continent from Beringia, it is very likely that they simply did not all run at once when the first possibility opened up, he says. Some might have directly followed the coastline, while others that remained in Beringia took the inland route 500 or 1,000 years later.

A representation of the ice free corridor theory.

Fehren-Schmitz is a big supporter of the coastal route, but the work of other scientists led her and her co-authors to acknowledge in the new paper that coastal travel is a prematurely narrow interpretation of current evidence. The studys primary author, University of Alaska, Fairbanks anthropology professor Ben Potter, Ph.D., explains to Inverse that we cant definitively side with the coastal route theory because we lack data on the northern part of that route. Furthermore, if the coastal route theory is correct, he wonders, then how could a culture accustomed to hunting mammoth and bison transition so quickly into a maritime society? He concludes that theres a lack of evidence were we should expect to see evidence and that more research is necessary.

We make it clear that we cannot rule out either possibility, says Potter. Our criticisms are intended to provide issues that need to be resolved in future iterations of the coastal migration hypothesis. We conceded that even with these issues, a coastal route remains a viable hypothesis. I even suspect both routes may have been used quite early, but that remains speculation.

Clovis spearheads found in Iowa.

But one of the reasons there appears to be a lack of evidence for the coastal theory is because its a new area of study, notes University of Oregon professor Jon Erlandson, Ph.D. Erlandson is a proponent of the kelp highway hypothesis, which some scientists consider a sub-theory within the coastal migration theory. He tells Inverse that archaeologists have extensively searched the 1,500 miles of the ice-free corridor for pre-Clovis evidence, but theyve just barely begun searching for similar sites along the Pacific Coast.

Fehren-Schmitz isnt a fan of the kelp hypothesis because he believes that it more or less avoids the possibility that people inhabited terrestrial Beringia and that theres enough evidence to prove people lived there. But that doesnt mean we have to throw out that theory. In his mind, just because one model fits an observation doesnt mean its the only model that can explain things. Science, he concludes, should be based on verification and falsification.

Photos via Potter et. al., Wikimedia Commons (1, 2), National Park Service

More From Inverse
John Bolton called for performance rather than rhetoric when it comes to North Koreas denuclearisation (Picture: Reuters)

North Korea has not taken the necessary steps to denuclearize following the historic summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in June, White House national security adviser John Bolton has said.

In an interview on Fox News, Bolton called for performance, not rhetoric when it comes to North Korea getting rid of its nuclear weapons.

He said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was prepared to return to North Korea for another meeting with Kim Jong Un, saying: What we really need is not more rhetoric. What we need is performance from North Korea on denuclearization.

The two leaders agreed to work to end North Koreas nuclear weapons programme, but no detailed agreement has been made so far.

According to North Koreas state media, it has made goodwill gestures including dismantling nuclear sites and returning remains of US soldiers killed in the Korean War and has urged the US to take steps in return, including dropping sanctions.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK TODAY:

German couple jailed for selling son, nine, to paedophiles on dark web

Heartbreaking moment girl embraces boyfriend moments before his life support is switched off

Shocking note left on volunteers van after parking in wealthy neighbourhood

Will Boris say sorry? Now Theresa May calls for Johnson to apologise over burka comments

Venice cafe defends charging tourists 38 for two coffees and some water

It has urged Washington to take reciprocal steps including officially declaring an end to the war and dropping sanctions.

According to Washington-based 38 North think-tank, recent satellite images suggest North Korea has been working to dismantle a key missile launch facility, though it cant be ruled out that it is actually being modified for other uses.

Deal  at the historic summit with Donald Trump in June, Kim Jong Un pledged to denuclearize (Picture: Reuters)

In his interview, Bolton said the United States had kept its side of the deal.

Its just North Korea that has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize, he said, adding that relaxing sanctions was not something that was being considered.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani receives North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho during their meeting in the capital Tehran - AFP

The arrival of North Korea's foreign minister in Tehran just hours after Donald Trump had reinstated sanctions against Iran was no coincidence, analysts believe, and is designed to send the message that Pyongyang is reinforcing its alliances as denuclearisation talks with the US stall.

Ri Yong-ho held talks with Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, on Tuesday, the same day that economic sanctions went back into force against Tehran. The meeting was held at North Koreas request, Iranian media reported, and the two officials used the two-day visit to express their satisfaction with existing bilateral relations and seek better ties in the future.

The fact that they are meeting at all comes as no surprise, and of course the timing of these talks is no coincidence, said Rah Jong-il, a former diplomat who previously served as South Koreas ambassador to London and Tokyo.

The relationship between the two nations - described in January 2002 by President George W. Bush as two of the three states that made up the axis of evil - goes back to the Iran-Iraq war, when Pyongyang sided with Tehran and provided its forces with weapons. That subsequently grew into exchanges of increasingly more sophisticated weapons systems, including missiles, and nuclear technology, Mr Rah said.

Hidden trillions: What if North Koreas economy opened up?

And with talks with the US apparently deadlocked, Pyongyang looks to be returning to its historical allies to underline that it still has friends and will not be bullied, Mr Rah added, pointing out that the Norths foreign minister has also recently visited China, Russia and Cuba.

The North Koreans were quite optimistic after Mr Kim [Jong-un] met Mr Trump in Singapore because they believed that he would be manageable and that they would be able to get what they wanted from him, Mr Rah told The Telegraph.

That included rewards for phased denuclearisation and the lifting of sanctions, although the US has since stiffened its position and is demanding that the North completes the abolition of its atomic arsenal before sanctions are removed.

Story continues

Now Mr Trump has put the sanctions back on Iran, the two countries find themselves in the same situation, so Mr Ris visit is likely to be an opportunity to coordinate on policies and emphasise their joint front against Washington, Mr Rah said.

It may also be an opportunity to exchange information on military hardware and technology, he added.

At a glance | US sanctions against Iran

Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, agreed with that assessment, telling The Korea Herald that, As North Korea does not hold many cards in negotiations with the US, it appears to be diversifying its diplomatic partners and strengthening its alli2ances with them to increase its leverage.

The timing and content of Mr Ris visit to Tehran will not go overlooked in the US, however, and could serve to further stiffen Washingtons resolve to bring Mr Kims regime to heel. That, in turn, could provoke a backlash that negates any progress on the future of the Korean Peninsula made to date.

Yet Mr Rah believes that North Korea still sees Mr Trump as its best hope of being accepted as an equal by the international community and even, potentially, retainings its nuclear weapons.

Mr Trump is the most favourable opponent they have faced in the White House, he said. They still believe they can make progress with him and even though Washington has been firmer recently, the North will be working out ways that they can manipulate him for their own purposes.
A 71-year-old Sikh man was violently assaulted in Northern California during his morning walk on Monday  and a police chief later identified his own estranged son as one of the perpetrators.

Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister penned a heart-wrenching open letter to his community on Wednesday, saying he was disgusted to share that his 18-year-old son, Tyrone Keith McAllister, is a suspect in the crime.

Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now, McAllister wrote in a letter posted on Facebook.

Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values. Crime has never been an element of our household, our values, nor the character to which we hold ourselves.

Footage of the attack, caught on a nearby security camera, shows Sahbit Singh Natt walking along Greystone Park in Manteca, California, when two individuals confront him. One of them, suspected of being McAllisters son, can be seen kicking Natt to the ground and then kicking him repeatedly.

According to McAllister, Natt suffered minor physical injuries.

Police said the incident was a suspected robbery, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported that detectives are also trying to determine if the attack was motivated by hate. Manteca is located about 60 miles east of Union City.

Dr. Rajwant Singh, co-founder of National Sikh Campaign, said he was appalled and disturbed by the recent attacks on Sikh Americans. A 50-year-old Sikh man was brutally attacked in California last week. That incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

McAllister described how he and his wife helped Manteca authorities track down his son and arrest him on Wednesday.

Despite having the desire any parent would have in wanting to protect their child, my oath is (and always will be) to the law and my vow of integrity guides me through this horrendous difficulty, McAllister wrote. He shared details of his sons journey over the past few years, which involved running away, associating with a bad crowd, participating in theft-related crimes, serving a stint in juvenile hall and another 3-month sentence in adult jail. McAllister says his son has not returned home in several months.

Story continues

Its difficult for us to comprehend how one of three kids who grew up with the same parents, under the same roof, with the same rules and same values and character could wander so far astray, McAllister wrote.

Within a few hours of the chiefs posting, the letter received overwhelmingly positive feedback from commenters for its honesty.

Read the letter in its entirety below.

America does not do a good job of tracking incidents of hate and bias. We need your help to create a database of such incidents across the country, so we all know whats going on. Tell us your story.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP)  Police in South Florida fatally shot a man who started a fire inside his home and confronted officers who had responded to the scene.

WPLG-TV reported that a man called the television station about 3 a.m. Wednesday and requested a reporter be sent to his home in Hollywood because something was about to happen. Newsroom employees alerted police. Another call to the station indicated that the man had a shotgun on his lap.

The Hollywood Police Department tweeted that officers heard gunshots when they arrived.

Police spokeswoman Miranda Grossman told media outlets that the man lit a paper bag and set the house on fire. Smoke began billowing from the home about 9 a.m.

Grossman says the man then left the house and confronted officers, who fatally shot him.

The man's name hasn't been released.
A forest fire continued to burn in the Portuguese tourist region of the Algarve on Wednesday, August 8, for a sixth consecutive day.

High winds hampered efforts to control the blaze in Monchique, in northwestern Algarve, according to Portuguese newspaper Publico.

Patricia Gaspar, the deputy national operational commander for Civil Protection, told the newspaper the fire continued to present great complexity and extremely aggressive behaviour.

More than 1,200 firefighters remained at the scene to tackle the wildfire, which prompted the evacuation of at least 230 people.

This footage shows the red sky beyond a highway near Monchique in the district of Faro as the fire burned. Credit: Francisco Martins via Storyful
Lisbon (AFP) - Hundreds of Portuguese firefighters and soldiers battled ferocious forest fires that threatened to engulf an Algarve resort town Tuesday as meteorologists warned of "significant winds" to come.

Sweltering temperatures 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.

Fire crews struggled to extinguish wildfires around the mountain town of Monchique of 6,000 inhabitants that have left 30 people injured, one seriously.

Hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes while British and other tourists were evacuated from a luxury hotel.

Images released by the European Space Agency appear to show the fires are visible from the International Space Station.

Interior minister Eduardo Cabrito said the relief effort was being coordinated at a "national level" which will "allow greater mobilisation of resources" as meteorologists predicted "significant winds in the coming hours".

However, firefighters criticised the lack of coordination.

Fernando Curto, the president of the National Association of Professional Firefighters told Radio Renasceneca: "I spoke to one of my colleagues who is in the Algarve to fight the fires and he told me that it was totally disorganised. In certain aspects, nobody understands each other."

Responding to firefighters' calls to meet the interior minister, Cabrito said: "We do not take stock in the heat of battle. Our priority now is to fight this fire."

- 'Extremely aggressive' -

Around 250 people were evacuated on Monday evening from villages around Monchique, which is known for its spa and is located in the mountain range of the same name, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Lisbon.

On Sunday night, a group of mainly English guests were evacuated from a five-star resort high in the hills to other hotels in the area.

Story continues

But Fernando Rosa, the owner of a restaurant in the nearby village of Foia, said he would stay put "otherwise all of this will burn."

"I work here! It is the restaurant my parents opened 46 years ago, I am not going to let it burn," he told AFPTV.

Fire crews used planes and helicopters as well as several hundred vehicles Tuesday in a fresh attempt to contain the blazes, which have raged since Friday, stoked by the strong winds.

Lower overnight temperatures and higher air humidity levels could help in the battle against the blaze, which has been "extremely aggressive", Patricia Gaspar, a civil protection service spokeswoman, told a televised news conference.

The wildfires, which have consumed some 15,000 hectares (76,000 acres) of forest, crept closer to the enclave overnight, leaving behind a blackened path of charred houses and incinerated cars.

"There are several main homes affected. But for the moment we are not yet able to make an assessment," said Monchique mayor Rui Andre, according to local media.

By Tuesday afternoon the flames were about 500 metres (550 yards) from a fire station and a 17th-century convent. The blaze has also damaged about 40 kilometres (25 miles) of power lines.

- Tourists' favourite -

Meanwhile a 76-year-old woman has been sent to hospital in Lisbon for treatment due to the fires, which took hold last week around Monchique at the highest point of the Algarve tourist region.

The difficulty in bringing the fires under control has raised eyebrows after the Portuguese authorities brought in various measures in a bid to avoid a repetition of fires that killed at least 114 people last year.

Despite significant resources, the fire continues to "destroy homes" and threaten an "urban perimeter," the National Association of Professional Firefighters and the Union of Professional Firefighters said in a joint statement.
(Reuters) - Puerto Rico submitted a recovery plan to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that carries an estimated price tag of $139 billion, which is 47 percent more than the bankrupt U.S. commonwealth requested in November. The economic and disaster recovery plan allocates the money to housing, water and energy systems, education, transportation, public buildings, communications, planning, municipalities, as well as to the economy and environment, according to Governor Ricardo Rossello's office. Puerto Rico's severe financial problems, which led to bankruptcy court in May 2017 to restructure about $120 billion of debt and pension obligations, were compounded by destructive hurricanes that hit the island in September. Puerto Rico has a unique opportunity to innovate and rebuild in order to become that Puerto Rico we all want," Rossello said in a statement. He added that the initiatives were aimed at "making us stronger and resilient, while guaranteeing a long-term economic recovery. Last November, Rossello requested $94.4 billion from Congress to rebuild the island's infrastructure, housing, schools and hospitals devastated by Hurricanes Maria and Irma. That so-called Build Back Better plan contained a preliminary assessment of damages and an initial estimate of money the island needs to rebuild, according to the statement. The final plan, which was submitted on the deadline day set in the 2018 U.S. budget act, expanded the scope of the November request and was developed with input from federal agencies, the governor's office said. It was also posted on the internet and subjected to public hearings prior to its submission. Near-term priorities for the money include restoring Puerto Rico's ailing electrical system, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria, improving emergency preparedness, and repairing public facilities. Long-term objectives include stopping emigration and boosting economic growth. (Reporting By Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Daniel Bases and Alistair Bell)
Sometimes local news isnt as local as you might expect.

I spent a week during the winter of 2015 in Paris, on a work assignment. Walking back to my hotel one evening, I stopped at a small bistro for some dinner. It was a real neighborhood joint, so I joined a conversation already in progress, which was nice. The server was Italian, one of the diners was Syrian and another was from somewhere near Lyon. They graciously included me by speaking in English. Where are you from? New York, but I live in St. Louis now. Have you met Barack Obama? Kind of, but not really. How about Beyonce? Uh, no. What do think of Robert McCullough?

The last one threw me for a loop. Until last night, Bob McCullough was the long-time St. Louis Countys elected prosecutor, a man who was locally known for his controversial handling of, among other things, the grand jury inquiry into the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

But three complete strangers from different parts of the world, with no ties to the Ferguson zip code, knew the St. Louis prosecutors name without Googling it.

I think of that question, and the conversation that followed, often. It was a chance for them to get any insights into a story that had clearly shocked them, and a reminder for me that all sorts of people from around the world closely monitor Americas ham-handed soul-searching around race and justice.

For the record, I was unable to name-check a single local elected official in Syria, Lyon, or Italy. (Ive since upped my international news game.)

McCulloughs reign as St. Louis County prosecutor came to a stunning end last night when he lost his re-election bid to Wesley Bell, 43, a Ferguson councilman who ran on a promise to reform the criminal justice system. It was nearly four years to the day since Michael Brown died.

Its a system in dire need of fresh thinking. McCullough had served as a tough-talking law and order man since 1991 but had increasingly alienated both constituents and criminal justice reformers due to his draconian drug-war tactics, eagerness to prosecute protesters, and use of cash bail and similar measures. His unwillingness to prosecute Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson was, for many, the last straw.

Story continues

I spent a few hours with Bell in 2016 and came away impressed. A former public defender, he had then become a municipal court judge, operating in a system known for its punitive fees. It was there that he had already begun executing ideas about nuts-and-bolts reforms, and he was optimistic. Turns out, he had reason to be. I was the first court after 2014 to essentially do a universal warrant recall. I sent an order giving everyone a new court date, he told The Nation before the election.And, a few months later, I dismissed every single case that was over three to five years or older that didnt involve violence or a victim. Hes since become a prosecutor and has been working in a variety of capacities on reform initiatives.

Now, hes been handed the entire mess. Its a sign of changing times. As Mother Jones reports, some eighty-five percent of the more than 2,400 district attorney incumbents run unopposed for reelection, and McCullough had become unaccustomed to any real opposition. Reformers hope that district attorney races across the country will get the kind of attention this one has.

People realize the need for change, they realize the need for criminal justice reform, Bell told the Appeal. When we talk about reforming the cash bail system or ending mass incarceration, I wouldnt call those radical. I would call those policies that work and help people.

You can read more about his victory here.

For any pub-dwelling politicos, heres what I have for you: I think Bell is the real deal. He seems earnest, qualified, and unflappable; he believes in direct but iterative change, and the people who are most affected by criminal reform inaction seem to trust him. Next time I see him, Ill let him know the world is watching.

And if the now-retiring Robert McCullough has any plans to travel overseas, he should be prepared to meet some new friends. Hes more famous than he thought.

On Point

Helping Silicon Valley retain black, female talent The Kapor Center and the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State University are partnering with Melinda Gates venture capital firm Pivotal Ventures, to launch a new research initiative designed to increase the representation and retention of women of color in tech. It would be an important contribution both to have comprehensive data on women of color and to also understand their variances and obstacles in pursuing computing, both degrees and careers, says Allison Scott, the chief research officer at the Kapor Center. Less than 2% of the employees at the largest tech firms in Silicon Valley are black or Latina. Reveal News

Helping Silicon Valley fix the messes theyve made Yes, its true, big tech needs a lot of help these days: Their hoodie-wearing heroes have scaled their inventions into hate-speech and bias-reinforcing monsters that they should have seen coming. A new guidebook called Ethical OS is making the case that its possible to predict how technological changes will effect humans, thereby mitigating the likelihood of future bad outcomes. The project is a collaboration from the Institute of the Future, a Palo Alto-based think tank, and the Tech and Society Solutions Lab, a still newish initiative from the investment firm Omidyar Network. The guide includes checklists, thought exercises and 14 near-future scenarios based on real-world developments  like facial recognition technology  that might threaten a companys business. [W]e felt helping companies develop the imagination and foresight to think a decade out would allow more ethical action today, says Jane McGonigal the director of game research at the Institute of the Future. Wired

Baking diversity into your start-up from the beginning Many thanks to longtime reader Sally Fay for flagging this delicious tidbit written by venture investor Heidi Rozen, a board member of Memphis Meats, an ag-tech outfit developing real meat from the cells of livestock. Besides the benefits to the environment and health, the company has achieved full gender parity at the staff level (leadership is 40% women) and is working toward increasing their ethnic and country-of-origin diversity as well. Click through for the nuts and bolts of their recruiting philosophy  they built their talent development engine when they had less than a dozen employees, for one thing  and they learned to retool the way they write their job descriptions. Theyre also evolving their interview process. Candidates begin with a 30-minute talk on any subject. The talks let us have a really relevant, organic conversation and put the candidates resume to the side for a moment, says Megan Pittman, Director of People Operations. Heidi Roizen

The Woke Leader

Understanding black fatherhood One of the most persistent and damaging myths about black men is that they are inadequate or deadbeat fathers. It remains an unexamined talking point, and now that weve lost Cosby forever, there are not enough examples of black fatherhood in media. Thats why this new photo book from Robyn Price Pierre, Fathers, is such a necessary response. She initially drew from a series of photos from men of color in her life and social feed, then ultimately, the broader world. They were fathers, vulnerable and present, and their lives were full and important, she tells The New York Times.None of this fullness, however, was reflected in mainstream media or the broader culture. Enjoy. New York Times

If you saw something, would you really say something? This is the premise of a deeply affecting social experiment and accompanying three-minute video created by the Miami office of David, the agency partner for Burger King. Called Bullying Jr., it was originally created in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month last year, but given the epidemic of people calling the police for non-transgressions, it now makes an even more chilling point. The David team hired teen actors to harass another kid in a real Los Angeles-area BK restaurant. The premise was simple: Would customers be more likely to stand up for a bullied junior human or a bullied Whopper junior? YouTube

Algorithm accurately reconstructs human faces from the brain waves of monkeys This is a fascinating piece with a lot of implications for a world thats increasingly driven by algorithms and other magical tech. A group of researchers from the California Institute of Technology have successfully recreated human faces by studying groups of specialized neurons in the brains of macaque monkeys that appear to work together to recognize an individual face. The monkeys were shown photos, while their brains were being scanned. With each neuron encoding a different aspect of a face, researchers were able to recreate the faces the monkeys saw by using signals from just 205 neurons with astonishing accuracy. NPR

Quote
Mr Paul, centre, meeting with Russian officials in Moscow: AP

A prominent Senate Republican says that he delivered a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on President Donald Trumps behalf, and that he opposes any retaliatory sanctions against Russia for its meddling in the 2016 election.

Senator Rand Paul announced the delivery on Wednesday following meetings with various leaders in Russia. who he has since said should visit Washington to hold discussions and ease tension between the two countries.

I was honoured to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putins administration, Mr Paul wrote in a tweet. The letter emphasised the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges.

Mr Paul is one of Mr Trumps most vocal supporters in Congress, and said on Monday that he plans on doing everything he can to obstruct further sanctions on Russia, a measure that Democrats have pushed for.

A White House spokesperson, after Mr Paul's announcement, later confirmed the president had written a letter to his Russian counterpart: "At Senator Paul's request, President Trump provided a leter of introduction. In the letter, the President mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin".

Video: Sen. Rand Paul Invites Russian Lawmakers to Visit the Capitol

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

The senator from Kentucky indicated he thinks that diplomacy with Russia  a country that has disagreed with the US on issues such as Syria and Ukraine  is a top priority.

I am pleased to announce that we will be continuing this conversation, Mr Paul said Monday after a meeting with Konstantin Kosachyov, the chairman of the upper house of the Russian parliaments foreign affairs committee. He also met with former Russian ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak.

Story continues

We have agreed and we have invited members of the foreign relations committee of Russia to come to the United States to meet with us in Washington, he continued. I think this is incredibly important. And those who believe in either country that we should not have diplomacy are greatly mistaken.

Mr Pauls visit to Russia marks the second time that a US political delegation has been dispatched to the country in the past month.

There is sanctions hysteria in the United States at the moment. I represent the minority. All Democrats are now happy that new sanctions are being introduced, Mr Paul said, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

I can tell you I will try not to allow them to do this with ease, he continues, according to that Russian news agency.

Mr Paul was one of Mr Trumps most vocal supporters last month after the president came under bipartisan fire for appearing to say that he trusted Mr Putins word over American intelligence agency analysis of meddling in the 2016 election.
Heres a look at some of the companies the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

Revlon (REV) just reported second quarter results and they were a miss, with lower revenue and a much bigger loss than the street expected. CEO Debra Perelman says they are focused on strengthening their brands and increasing growth in e-commerce.

21st Century Fox (FOX) is riding high after a very big quarter. The company reported a beat on its top and bottom line with double-digit growth in all areas. That includes its movie studio, tv stations and cable networks. Fox is gearing up to sell off many of those assets to Disney in a $71B deal.

Comcast (CMCSA) says its patched a security flaw that may have exposed personal information for 26 million customers. Buzzfeed news first reported the flaw which let people enter their home addresses or social security numbers on an unsecured website to pay their bill. Comcast says its turned that feature off, and that it takes customer security very seriously.

Some new competition is coming to the supermarket aisle. German grocer Aldi is rolling out new products for its US stores, as it expands locations across the country. Among the offerings, new easy to prepare foods and more refrigerated space for fresh meat and produce. Aldi is in the middle of a $5B plan to remodel and expand its US stores.
Moscow (AFP) - The Kremlin on Thursday vowed to retaliate against "unacceptable" new US sanctions against Russia over its alleged role in a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain, which prompted the ruble and Russian stocks to tumble.

The action by the US State Department is the latest salvo in a series of disputes between the rival powers and comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.

The State Department said Wednesday the new sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal" -- who was a Russian double agent -- and his daughter Yulia on English soil in March.

They were aimed at punishing Putin's government for having "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

But the punitive measures triggered a furious reaction from Moscow.

Russia will "work on developing retaliatory measures," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists.

"Whatever the sanctions against Russia are, the retaliatory measures will be the same," she said.

"If they dream up some (measures), we will answer -- it's not our choice."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was equally emphatic.

"We consider categorically unacceptable the linking of new restrictions, which we as before consider illegal, to the case in Salisbury," he told journalists.

He said Moscow felt it could now "expect anything at all from Washington" but nevertheless retained "hopes of building constructive relations."

The announcement of sanctions caused Russian stock markets to drop dramatically on opening and the ruble reached its lowest point since November 2016. The markets and the currency rebounded slightly over the day while remaining sharply down.

Finance minister Anton Siluanov assured Russians that the government and the central bank have "all the necessary tools to ensure financial stability," saying the economy has become more resistant to external shocks in recent years.

Story continues

Vladimir Vasilyev, a senior researcher at the Institute of the US and Canada in Moscow, said the Americans were strengthening sanctions "from an element of pressure into an ultimatum."

He said the countries were now in a state "balancing on the verge of war."

- Threat of wider sanctions -

The move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia, said a senior State Department official on condition of anonymity.

The official told reporters the administration decided to impose a "presumption of denial" for the sale to Russia of "national security sensitive" US technologies that require federal government approval.

Such technologies have often been used in items including electronic devices as well as calibration equipment. The exports were previously allowed on a case-by-case basis.

In the event of non-compliance, the official added, a second round of "draconian" sanctions would be given a green light. These could go as far as a ban on Russian airlines using US airports.

The latest US action follows the treasury's imposition of sanctions in March against 19 Russian citizens and five entities for interfering in the 2016 US election -- the toughest steps against Moscow since Trump took office.

Also in March, Washington ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, and the closure of Russia's consulate general in Seattle.

Moscow ordered 60 American diplomats expelled in a tit-for-tat response.

- 'Provocative, reckless behaviour' -

Britain said it welcomed the US response to the chemical attack in Salisbury, the English town where the Skripals were poisoned.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the sanctions would send "an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged."

This week, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported that London was preparing to ask Moscow to extradite two Russian citizens suspected of carrying out the Salisbury attack.

The Skripals survived but one of two people poisoned by the same Novichok agent in a nearby town, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, subsequently died.

Moscow has angrily rejected any involvement in the poisoning, plunging diplomatic relations with London into crisis.

The Russian economy is still reeling from international sanctions imposed on Moscow in 2014 over its actions in Ukraine and a crash in oil prices the same year.

While Russia returned to growth in 2017 after two years of recession, it pales in comparison with growth figures seen during Putin's first two terms in office from 2000 to 2008 thanks to soaring oil prices.
Saudi-led airstrikes kill dozens in Saada province, Yemen Yemenis gather next to the destroyed bus at the site of a Saudi-led coalition air strike, that targeted the Dahyan market the previous day in the Huthi rebels stronghold province of Saada on Aug. 10, 2018. (Photo: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)

The remains of victims and childrens clothing were strewn across a market in northern Yemen on Friday, as the U.S. and UN called for an investigation into an air strike the previous day by a Saudi-led coalition that killed 29 children on a bus.

Thursdays strike on a bus filled with children at the Dahyan market in the Huthi rebel stronghold of Saada injured at least 48 others, including 30 children, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross. (AFP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council called for a "credible" investigation Friday after at least 29 children were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in northern Yemen.

The appeal followed the coalition's announcement that it had ordered a probe of Thursday's raid in the northern rebel stronghold of Saada.

Britain's Ambassador Karen Pierce, whose country holds the rotating Security Council presidency, said after a closed-door meeting on Yemen that "if any investigation that is held is not credible, the council will obviously want to review that" and decide "if more is necessary."

The raid hit the bus at Dahyan market in Saada, injuring at least 48 others, including 30 children, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross.

The bus was turned into a mass of twisted metal, and remains of the victims and personal items were still scattered across the ground on Friday.

The coalition, which has been fighting Yemen's rebels since 2015, claimed the bus was carrying "Huthi combatants."

It initially said the coalition had carried out a "legitimate military action," targeting a bus in response to a deadly missile attack on Saudi Arabia by Huthi rebels on Wednesday.

At a press conference in Dahyan, Huthi health minister Taha al-Mutawakel put the death toll from the "horrible crime" at 51 people, including 40 children.

"This toll is not final... a lot of people are missing and the remains are still scattered around the crime scene and nearby," he said.

The Red Cross could not immediately confirm the new figures.

- Children 'excited' for trip -

At the time of the attack, the children were on a bus heading back to school "from a picnic," the Save the Children charity said, quoting its staff.

"The mothers told me that their children did not sleep for two days because they were too excited to take part in this trip," Yahya Hussein, one of the children's teachers, told AFP.

Story continues

The Huthis' Islamic affairs ministry said the children were from a Koranic school.

As international outrage over the attack mounted, the coalition said it would open an investigation.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the images of the strike that killed children were "appalling" and called on the coalition to quickly complete its investigation, release the findings and take accountability measures.

The Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the attack, at the request of five countries that are non-permanent council members.

"We have seen the images of children who died," Dutch Deputy Ambassador Lise Gregoire-van Haaren told reporters. "What is essential at this moment in time is to have a credible and independent investigation."

But the council did not request an independent investigation -- as demanded by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who condemned the attack.

Human Rights Watch criticised the council's failure to demand an impartial investigation.

"The sad truth is the Saudis have been given a chance to investigate themselves and the results are laughable," said HRW's deputy UN director Akshaya Kumar.

Out of 75 cases of civilian deaths investigated by the coalition, only two have resulted in an admission of fault, she said.

- Rebel missile attacks -

The coalition, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in Yemen to try to restore the government after the rebels drove it out of the capital Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said claims by aid organisations that children were inside the bus were "misleading," and that "the elements inside the bus were Huthi combatants."

Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by the Huthis on Wednesday, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, the coalition said.

The missile was fired from the rebel-held Yemeni province of Amran towards the Saudi city of Jizan, the coalition said.

The coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two more ballistic missiles fired by the Huthis from Saada towards Jizan. No damage or injuries were reported.

The war in impoverished Yemen has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has invited the warring sides to talks on September 6 in Geneva.
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.

Story continues

"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.
Beirut (AFP) - A second hostage has died after being abducted by the Islamic State group in southern Syria last month, a journalist in the area and a monitor said Thursday.

The 65-year-old Syrian woman was among more than 30 people seized by IS two weeks ago as it unleashed a violent attack against the Druze minority of Sweida province.

IS has been in talks with Syria's government and its ally Russia to swap the hostages for jihadists held by the regime.

The ultra-conservative group beheaded one of them, a 19-year-old male student, last week.

On Thursday, the negotiating delegation received images showing the lifeless body of a second hostage, said Nour Radwan, who heads the Sweida24 news outlet.

"After cutting off communication for several days, IS corresponded with the negotiating delegation of Sweida to tell them she died of illness," Radwan told AFP.

Relatives told Radwan the woman suffered from heart problems and diabetes, but they had no way of verifying if they had caused her death.

There is little information on what conditions the hostages are being kept in, including whether they are subject to torture or other abuses.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, also said one of the female hostages had died under "mysterious circumstances."

Sweida province is the heartland of the country's Druze minority, which made up around three percent of Syria's pre-war population -- or around 700,000 people.

On July 25, IS waged a series of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings that left more than 250 people dead across the province, most of them civilians.

It later emerged the jihadists had also kidnapped more than 30 people -- mostly Druze women and their children -- during the attack.

While IS claimed responsibility for the violence, it has made no mention of the abductions on its usual channels.

The group had reportedly requested the hostages' families send any medication that the kidnapped may need, Radwan said, but negotiators feared it was a ploy to abduct whoever delivered the treatments.

Story continues

After the two deaths, there remain at least 13 women and 15 children in IS custody.

The hostages were being moved among different locations to avoid Syrian government shelling, Radwan said.

Regime troops on Sunday began fierce bombardment of IS positions in the northeastern sliver of Sweida province, which falls in the vast desert known in the country as the Badiya.
Sharice Davids defeated a Bernie Sanders-backed candidate in Tuesday's Democratic primary. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Sharice Davids, a former MMA fighter and White House fellow, won the Democratic nomination in Kansas 3rd Congressional District in Tuesdays primary, setting up a November matchup with GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder in a swing district.

Davids has a chance at becoming one of the first ever Native American women to serve in Congress, alongside Deb Haaland, who won the primary in New Mexicos 1st District earlier this year and is almost assured a victory in November. Davids would also become one of the only openly lesbian members of Congress.

She defeated progressive labor lawyer Brent Welder, who had the backing of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and history teacher Tom Niermann, a relative moderate with the backing of local elected officials, to win the primary.

Shell now face Yoder, who is running for a fifth term. The 3rd District, which includes Kansas City, Kansas, and the wealthy suburb of Johnson County, is wealthy and highly-educated. Voters there have swung away from Republicans  and especially President Donald Trump  in recent years.

Davids victory comes with the backing of EMILYs List, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads backing her. The group, which helps elect female Democrats who support abortion rights, was drawn to her astonishing resume: The daughter of a single mom, she worked her way from community college to Cornell Law School to a White House fellowship while also mastering martial arts and competing in two professional MMA fights.

Shes fierce, shes progressive, shes a fighter, a female narrator said in an EMILYs List ad backing Davids.

Democrats were confident any of three major candidates in the district could defeat Yoder. Trump is deeply unpopular there, with an approval rating in the mid-30 percent range.

Trump endorsed Yoders re-election bid earlier last month, praising his work to increase funding for border security.

Thank you to Congressman Kevin Yoder! He secured $5 BILLION for Border Security. Now we need Congress to support. Kevin has been strong on Crime, the Border, the 2nd Amendment, and he loves our Military and Vets. @RepKevinYoder has my full and total endorsement!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2018

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has issued a decree offering a blanket amnesty to rebels, including his bitter rival Riek Machar, state radio reported Thursday.

The announcement comes days after the two men signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at ending a nearly five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions.

"President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree... pardoning Dr. Riek Machar and other groups that took up arms against the government since 2013. The decree comes into effect on the date 8, August 2018," State Radio Juba said, reading the decree.

Kiir also reiterated a call for his forces to observe a ceasefire agreed in June by both the government and Machar's rebels.

Sunday's power-sharing agreement paves the way for Machar to return to South Sudan as one of five vice-presidents, a role he occupied until shortly before the conflict erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused him of plotting a coup.

A final peace accord must now be signed, under the auspices of regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), followed by the formation of a transitional government that will hold power for three years until elections can be organised.

The last time a peace deal was signed returning Machar to the capital was in 2015, but the agreement collapsed during days of heavy fighting in Juba after which the rebel leader fled into exile.
Irun (Spain) (AFP) - With migrant arrivals to Spain's southern shores on the rise, more of them are heading north to the border town of Irun, some sleeping rough as they wait to cross into neighbouring France, locals and officials say.

Residents and associations in the northern Basque city joined forces last month in an informal network to bring food and clothes for the migrants after they were alarmed at the increase, said Bibi Liras, an activist.

She said that as a border town, Irun has always seen a drip-drip of migrants waiting to cross into France.

But there has been a marked increase since last month, she said Thursday, the same day as 87 migrants rescued off Libya arrived in the southern port of San Roque on board an NGO charity ship.

"It started to be unusual when we saw they were starting to sleep in the train station or in places where cars were parked," she told AFP.

Liras said Irun now sees an average of around 40 migrants a day, from just four to five previously.

The Red Cross says it manages a shelter in Irun that takes in 24 people, as well as three other such establishments in the rest of the Basque Country.

Altogether, they have room for 177 people, a spokesman said, and they are allowed to stay three nights, sometimes four.

He added the Red Cross attended to nearly 1,600 people in the region over the past two months.

- Marked rise but manageable -

Those in Irun who don't find a place in a shelter, or don't want to stay there, are taken care of by the network of volunteers who cook them meals and give them clothes, said Liras.

A dance institute also lends its showers to those who need it.

But they have nowhere to stay, and many sleep rough at the railway station.

A source with the Basque government, who refused to be named, said the number of migrants coming to the northern region had "risen a lot in the past two weeks."

But he cautions the numbers are still manageable.

"We're not talking about hundreds."

Story continues

Many of the migrants are heading to France or Belgium where they have family or friends, he said.

They come from sub-Saharan Africa, from countries like Ghana or Guinea.

But crossing into France is tough.

Authorities there have an agreement with Spain that they can quickly return any migrants they catch on the border, or who have been in France less than four hours, the Basque government said this week in a statement.

This has been criticised by associations that argue they should be allowed to move freely within the European Union.

Those who have been in France longer than four hours are entitled, by law, to a lawyer and the process to return them to Spain will take longer, said the government source.
Alexandria (United States) (AFP) - 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?"

Story continues

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.

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.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry gave a blunt assessment of Donald Trump Tuesday ahead of his participation in the Ellie Mae Classic golf tournament. (AP)

Donald Trumps tweet last week questioning LeBron James intelligence drew widespread condemnation from the NBA community and was even challenged by First Lady Melania Trump.

Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isnt easy to do. I like Mike!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018

Stephen Curry: Trumps rhetoric based in racism

Stephen Curry took part in the initial wave of support for James and provided perhaps the most blunt assessment yet of Trumps stance during a Tuesday interview ahead of his appearance in this weeks Ellie Mae Classic golf tournament.

That rhetoric is all based in some longstanding racism in terms of black men with a voice in power, Curry told The San Jose Mercury News. Unfortunately, thats being revealed more and more as the days go on.

Curry has swiped at Trump before

Its not the first time Curry has taken on Trump in the media. In 2017, Curry all but called the president an ass after Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank applauded Trump as an asset for the country.

Curry sided with James in June on the decision of athletes choosing to eschew the traditional White House visit after winning championships while Trump is in office. Currys Golden State Warriors did not attend the White House after winning the last two NBA championships.

Athletes continue to challenge Trumps role in racism

Currys Tuesday statement is the latest example of athletes and coaches overtly referring to the latent racism in America that has risen to the surface under Trumps presidency.

In 2016 San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich described the Trump campaign as xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown spoke openly in January about his experience with racism and called out Trump by name for his role in making bigotry a more accepted part of the American fabric.

Story continues

Trumps attack on James was a reaction to the NBA superstar telling CNN that Trump was using race and sports to divide Americans.

And now Curry, perhaps James fiercest on-court rival, has once again aligned with James on an off-court issue of significance.

The NBA and its most visible figures clearly have no intention of backing down from Trump as long as hes in office.

More from Yahoo Sports:

 Aaron Rodgers says LeBron ignoring Trump is absolutely beautiful

 Jayson Werth blasts Scott Boras: Teams didnt know that I wanted to play

 Jay Busbee: The city that hated its NFL team

 Jarvis Landry goes on profane tirade on Hard Knocks


LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP)  Wildfires tearing through trees and brush, rampaging up hillsides and incinerating neighborhoods: The places and names change, but the devastation is showing signs of becoming the new normal in California.

On Monday, twin fires in Northern California being treated as one became the largest wildfire in state history, destroying 443 square miles (1,148 square kilometers)  nearly the size of the city of Los Angeles.

The Mendocino Complex fire north of San Francisco was still growing this week as it broke the record set eight months ago. In December, the Thomas Fire killed two people, burned 440 square miles and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings in Southern California.

The Mendocino Complex, which is 30 percent contained, has been less destructive to property than some of the other wildfires in the state because it is mostly raging in remote areas. But officials say it threatens 11,300 buildings and some new evacuations were ordered over the weekend as the flames spread.

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 say. But they also blame cities and towns that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas.

More than 14,000 firefighters are battling more than 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.

Crews made progress over the weekend against one of the two blazes in the Mendocino Complex with help from water-dropping aircraft, Cal Fire operations chief Charlie Blankenheim said in a video on Facebook.

But the other one is growing after spreading into the Mendocino National Forest.

Meanwhile, a new fire erupted south of Los Angeles in Orange County on Monday and quickly spread through the chaparral-covered ridges of the Cleveland National Forest. Campgrounds and homes in Holy Jim Canyon were ordered evacuated. The fire sent up an enormous pillar of smoke and ash.

Story continues

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 about 225 miles (360 kilometers) north of San Francisco started more than two weeks ago by sparks from the steel wheel of a towed-trailer's flat tire. It killed two firefighters and four residents and displaced more than 38,000 people.

The fires in Northern California have created such a haze of smoke in the Central Valley that Sacramento County health officials advised residents to avoid outdoor activities for the entire week.

Another blaze that ignited last week in the Sierra Nevada has damaged a historic Northern California resort in the Stanislaus National Forest. The nearly century-old Dardanelle Resort has sustained massive structural damage, though the details were unclear, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported.

___

Follow AP's wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires
Jordan McDowell, a premed student, was buying candy at a convenience store when the clerk called the police on him for being arrogant and black. (Photo: KRQE via YouTube)

A clerk at a convenience store in Santa Fe, N.M., reportedly called 911 on a 22-year-old premed college student because he was arrogant and black.

The student, Jordan McDowell, went to the store to buy candy at around 8 p.m. last Friday when he realized that the clerk was watching him before she called the police. McDowell, who attends Xavier University in New Orleans, said the woman called him sketchy, according to local station KRQE.

McDowell started to film the clerk while she was on the phone with the police. She can be heard saying, And I want him out of the store right now. Because hes being arrogant, because hes black.

Theres nothing right about this, theres nothing right to call the police on someone just because of their skin tone, McDowell told KRQE.

McDowell admitted that when he heard the womans comments, the only thing he felt was rage. But at the same time too, he said, I understood that racism in America never truly died.

Police spoke to both McDowell and the employee but did not take any action.

The student is currently in Santa Fe to study Native American culture for a summer class.

This is far from the first instance of authorities being called on a black person for, seemingly, just existing. On July 31, a student at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., had college police called on her because she looked suspicious while reading and eating her lunch in a common room. Earlier in July, an employee at a Dollar General store in Buffalo, N.Y., called the police on a woman who was attempting to use a store coupon. Also in July, a black man was at the pool in his own apartment complex in Indianapolis when the police were called.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




Margot Kidders death has been ruled a suicide. Park County (Mont.) Coroner Richard Wood confirmed to the Associated Press that Kidder died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose. The actress was found by a friend in her Livingston, Mont., home on May 13. She was 69.

Kidders daughter, Maggie McGuane, told the AP, Its a big relief that the truth is out there. McGuane, an only child, noted that Montana has one of the highest suicide rates, adding, Its important to be open and honest so theres not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.

McGuane continued, Its a very unique sort of grief and pain. Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them.

Margot Kidder attends Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con 2011. (Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

Kidder is best remembered for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the Superman films. The Canadian-born actress had long been open about drug and alcohol addictions, which she said partially triggered her very public breakdown in 1996. The screen icon was equally open about her bipolar diagnosis.

When speaking about her lifelong struggle with mental illness, she told the Los Angeles Times, I knew I was different, had these mind flights that other people didnt seem to have. And I had deep depressions. Kidder became one of Hollywoods first and most prominent mental health advocates.

Hollywood has been rocked by suicides this year, with Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain also taking their own lives.

Watch: How 1984s Supergirl is relevant again in #MeToo era:



Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Qamishli (Syria) (AFP) - Syria's Kurdish minority, hailed as an indispensable Western ally during the war against the Islamic State group, faces hard bargaining with Damascus to save its hard-won autonomy.

Early last year, President Bashar al-Assad's government held just 17 percent of Syrian territory and was unable to do anything about the autonomous institutions the Kurds have set up in areas under their control.

But a succession of Russian-backed victories over the jihadists and a range of rebel factions has transformed the balance of power.

Assad's government now controls nearly two-thirds of Syria and is determined to reassert its authority over Kurdish-held territory which forms the lion's share of the rest.

Recognising their weakened position, Kurdish leaders and their supporters last month opened talks with Damascus, desperate to salvage what they can of the institutions they painstakingly built over the years.

"We are trying to preserve everything we built in terms of the autonomous system, the institutions, the democracy," said leading Kurdish figure Saleh Muslim.

"But there's a mentality that won't accept this right away, so it has to happen gradually," Muslim told AFP.

Before the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the Kurds were an oppressed minority in what was effectively a one-party state with an Arab nationalist ideology that had no tolerance for Kurdish traditions or the Kurdish language.

Hundreds of thousands did not even have Syrian citizenship.

But after government troops withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas in 2012, local authorities began forming their own security forces and institutions, including a Kurdish-language school curriculum.

Trying to reconcile those institutions with the system in force in government-held areas will be a formidable task.

"Syria will not go back to what it was. There needs to be decentralised democracy," Muslim said.

"We have our project, which we believe will be a model for all of Syria -- and we're holding onto it."

Story continues

- 'Everything recalculated' -

In late July, Damascus hosted the first round of talks with the Kurdish administration. Joint committees were formed to discuss economic issues, politics, military affairs and public services.

The ultimate goal was "drawing a roadmap that leads to a decentralised Syria," says the political arm of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led alliance which Washington backed against IS.

Between them, the SDF and its allies control around 30 percent of Syria, including several of its largest oil fields.

"The government and Kurdish-led SDF are the two players that control the vast majority of Syrian land," said Mutlu Civiroglu, an analyst in Kurdish affairs.

"One way or another, these two forces will find a solution. Either they fight, or they do it peacefully."

The Kurds are ready to negotiate because of President Donald Trump's repeated pledges to end the US troop presence in northern Syria that has been their principal protection.

In late May, Assad gave the Kurds a stark choice, warning that if talks fail, "we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force."

Nonetheless, the Kurds feel they have a strong negotiating position.

"We had never been part of the equation, but today, everything has been recalculated... We will defend what we established," Muslim said.

- 'Red line' -

As momentum builds, the talks' main stumbling block remains how much power Damascus will have over areas that have been under Kurdish administration for as many as six years.

Other points of contention include whether to retain Kurdish-language education in the north and the fate of the SDF and other Kurdish armed groups.

"They are not going to agree to go back to the old days. This is the red line from the Kurdish point of view," Civiroglu said.

Ilham Ahmad, who headed the Kurdish delegation to Damascus last month, told AFP self-rule was one of "the things we won from fighting Daesh (IS) and confronting tyranny."

But the central government will not relinquish control over nearly one-third of its territory so easily, and wants state institutions to return in force.

"The Syrian state will not accept an autonomous administration," said Damascus-based analyst Bassam Abou Abdallah.

Instead, the Kurds should content themselves with the provisions of an as yet unimplemented law granting more powers and responsibilities to municipalities, he told AFP.

Abou Abdallah said Syrian Kurdish armed groups would eventually be "dismantled."

The head of the SDF delegation denied the subject was even discussed.

With such entrenched opposing views, the talks are likely be drawn out, said Haid Haid, of London-based think tank Chatham House.

"Emboldened by its recent military gains, the regime appears more determined than ever to prevent the establishment of parallel centres of authority in Syria," Haid recently wrote.

"The huge gap between what the two sides are trying to achieve makes it difficult to imagine they will be able to reach a substantive agreement any time soon."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee carried out the execution Thursday of a man condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty in nearly a decade.

Inmate Billy Ray Irick, 59, received a three-drug injection at a maximum-security prison in Nashville and was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., authorities said. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting.

The blinds between a witness room and the execution chamber were opened at 7:26 p.m. and Irick could be seen through glass windows strapped to a gurney, an IV stuck in his arm and leading back through the wall to a room hidden by a mirror-window, where someone administered the drugs. Asked if he had any words before the chemicals began flowing, Irick at first appeared to sigh and say "no." But then he said, "I just want to say I'm really sorry and that, that's it."

Then the execution proceeded. A minute later, his eyes closed. Snoring and heavy breathing were heard. At 7:34 p.m., there was coughing, huffing and deep breaths. An attendant began yelling "Billy" and checked the inmate and grabbed his shoulder, but there didn't seem to be any reaction. Minutes later, Irick let out a cough or choking sound, as his face turned dark purple. Then he appeared to stop making noise and was soon after pronounced dead.

Hours earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution, denying Irick's request for a stay. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent, recounting details from a recent state court trial of a case brought by inmates contesting Tennessee's execution drugs.

Irick's attorney, Gene Shiles, said his client was stoic in his last hours and accepted what would happen with "a lot of grace." Irick ordered up a burger, onion rings and a soft drink for his last meal, and spoke with chaplains, Shiles said.

Story continues

It was the first execution in Tennessee since December 2009, when inmate Cecil Johnson received a lethal injection for the 1980 killings of three people during a Nashville convenience store robbery. Since then, the state has endured legal challenges and difficulties finding execution chemicals, including its previous drug, pentobarbital.

On Monday, the state Supreme Court also had refused to block Irick's execution, saying the lawsuit filed by inmates involving the execution drugs wasn't likely to succeed. That case is continuing in a state appeals court.

In a ruling late last month, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle wrote that attorneys for 33 death row inmates, including Irick, didn't prove that there is a substantially less painful means to carry out an execution or that the drugs the state planned on using would cause the inmate to be tortured to death.

Tennessee's execution protocol called for use of midazolam as a sedative, the muscle-relaxer vecuronium bromide and then potassium chloride to stop the heart.

At question is whether midazolam is actually effective in rendering someone unconscious and unable to feel pain from the other two drugs. Federal public defender Kelley Henry said at trial that inmates were tortured to death, feeling like they were suffocating, drowning, and utterly confused.

Henry said in a statement Thursday night that witness observations suggest the midazolam didn't render Irick fully unconscious, and those accounts were "indicative of pulmonary edema" from the drug.

Attorneys for the state have said the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of midazolam in a three-drug series. Once Irick was dead, Attorney General Herbert Slatery said justice was delayed too long for the little girl killed and her family.

A small group of the victim's family members watched in a separate viewing room. They opted against speaking at a news conference afterward.

"I hope tonight's lawful execution in some way eases the heartache Paula's family has lived with and brings a degree of closure to a chapter of their lives that has been indescribably difficult," Slatery said in the statement.

In Nevada, the drug company Alvogen has sued to block use of midazolam in a stalled execution. Tennessee is one of 15 states siding with the state of Nevada against the company, though Tennessee is planning to use a version of the drug that is compounded, not directly purchased from a manufacturer.

Supporters and opponents of the death penalty turned out Thursday evening in places around the state.

The Tennessean newspaper reported death penalty opponents gathered around Tennessee in several churches and outside the prison before the execution. About 50 protesters were outside the prison, while others who support the death penalty also showed up as authorities kept the two groups apart.

The execution comes a week after Pope Francis revealed new Catholic church teaching that deems the death penalty "inadmissible" under all circumstances.

Prior to the pope's emboldened stance against the death penalty, three Catholic bishops in Tennessee wrote Gov. Bill Haslam, telling him that "the death penalty contributes to the growing disrespect for human life."

Haslam declined on Monday to intervene in Irick's case.
Monchique (Portugal) (AFP) - Wildfires which have blazed along a stretch of Portugal's Algarve for a week died down on Thursday, but fears remained that winds could reignite the flames.

"It's calmer and we do not have active flames any more, and that gives us some peace of mind," said Rui Andre, the mayor of Monchique close to where the fire broke out last Friday.

Hundreds of firefighters have been battling to control the blaze that has menaced the popular tourist region in southern Portugal for a week as sweltering temperatures and strong winds fanned the ferocious fires.

Dozens of people were injured and a blackened trail of seared forest, charred homes and incinerated cars was left in the wake of the wildfires.

Aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop onto the fires earlier Thursday, as firefighters continued to douse the flames, which have consumed some 27,000 hectares (67,000 acres) of forest in the region -- one of Europe's top tourism destinations.

Weaker winds, with speeds of less than 15 kilometres (nine miles) per hour, combined with lower temperatures and higher air humidity levels were helping firefighters to get the upper hand against the wildfires although the "risk of reactivation" of the flames during the day on Friday remained high, said national civil protection agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar.

"It is a very different scenario," she told a news conference.

Maximum daytime temperatures in the region have dropped from around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) at the weekend to 24-26 degrees Celsius.

- 'Very nerve-wracking' -

The fires have left 39 people injured, one seriously, with 21 of those hurt firefighters, according to Gaspar.

On Thursday more than a thousand firefighters and soldiers were tackling the blazes in the affected zone, which is planted with pines and highly-flammable eucalyptus trees and scored by difficult to reach valleys and ravines.

Story continues

Fire crews and police conducted an urgent evacuation overnight of homes around the historic town of Silves.

Images broadcast on Portuguese TV showed a man wearing a face mask running with a dog in his arms as police knocked on doors in the background to urge people to leave.

Gerry Atkins, an 80-year-old Briton who lives in a house in the countryside some 12 kilometres from Silves, packed his car with some clothes, his passport and other important documents in case he also needed to flee.

"It was very frightening because we had police cars flying up past up our little road. We kept our eye on the fire. It is all very nerve-wracking," he told AFP.

The slight respite Thursday afternoon enabled local people to leave the schools, gymnasiums and reception centres where they had taken refuge and venture back to their homes.

- Endangered lynx evacuated -

A Europe-wide heatwave sent the mercury above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas of Portugal at the weekend, intensifying wildfires that began last Friday.

Hundreds of residents and tourists have been evacuated from around Monchique, a popular spa town of 6,000 people some 160 kilometres from Lisbon, where the blazes began.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Wednesday warned the blaze would continue to rage "during the coming days".

The difficulty in bringing the fires under control has raised doubt about 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.

The spreading blaze has even necessitated the evacuation of some 29 endangered Iberian lynx to Spain from the national reproductive centre, according to a statement from the country's conservation institute.

In Spain, where more than 700 firefighters continued to battle wildfires in the province of Valencia, authorities said they were hopeful of bringing an end to the threat.

The blaze "has been stabilised", said Valencia emergency services chief Jose Maria Angel, adding the hope of an improving situation over the course of the day.

Authorities have established that the fires were started by lightning during an electric storm on Monday.

A sizzling heatwave across Spain has left 10 people dead in a week.
Tom Hardy is giving Robert De Niro a run for his money as the new cinematic face of Al Capone.

For 1987s The Untouchables, De Niro gained weight, wore a padded bodysuit, and fashioned his hair to give himself a more rounded appearance to play the notorious Chicago gangster. Now its Hardys turn to lose himself in the role.

Tom Hardy plays Al Capone in the upcoming Fonzo. (Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

The British actor  regarded as a master of disguise thanks to his roles in Peaky Blinders and The Dark Knight Rises  is unrecognizable in a new film still released by Fonzo writer and director Josh Trank.

Fonzo  which also stars Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, and Kyle MacLachlan  is a biopic focusing on the end of Capones life, when he was weakened by dementia and a lengthy prison sentence.

Its the first official look at the transformed Hardy, though paparazzi shots from the films New Orleans set have previously surfaced. The 40-year-old star has also shared photos of himself looking heavy and balding, with Capones famous scars.

Chasing Fonzo A post shared by Tom Hardy (@tomhardy) on Mar 24, 2018 at 10:55am PDT

Its not just a physical makeover; according to a new interview with Esquire, Hardy developed one of his signature vocal tics for the character. The result: Bugs Bunny with a severe case of vocal fry, interviewer Eric Sullivan reports.

No release date has been set for the film, though its expected to hit screens in 2019.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:




Washington (AFP) - A senior Turkish diplomat held talks Wednesday at the State Department to try to defuse the crisis between Washington and Ankara that erupted over the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, who sat down with Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, did not speak to reporters before or after the visit.

In a brief statement, the State Department said only that the pair "discussed a range of bilateral matters including Pastor Brunson."

The row between the NATO allies is seen by analysts as one of the most severe bilateral spats since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and comes on top of a host of other issues causing strain.

The two sides have slapped reciprocal sanctions on two senior officials on each side over the case of Brunson, who was first detained in October 2016 on terror-related charges.

Two weeks ago, Brunson -- who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir -- was moved from jail to house arrest, but President Donald Trump called for his immediate release.

The tensions have pushed the already battered Turkish lira to new record lows, and Ankara seems keen to work on a solution.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Singapore last week, and the pair spoke again by telephone on Monday.

The Hurriyet newspaper reported that Turkey and the United States had reached a preliminary agreement over "certain issues" in the crisis and the details would be finalized in the delegation's visit, but Washington threw cold water on the idea.

"If we had reached any type of agreement, I think you'd see Pastor Brunson back here at home," department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday.

"The kind of progress that we want is for Pastor Brunson, our locally employed staff, and our other American citizens to be brought home. That's the real progress that we're looking for, and obviously we're not there just yet."

Nauert was referring to the detention of two local employees of US missions in Turkey on terror charges.

Other issues that have complicated US-Turkish ties include: US support for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Turkey sees as a terror group, and the US refusal to extradite US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes masterminded a failed coup attempt in July 2016.
Canadian PM declines to withdraw calls for the release of jailed civil rights activist, suggesting diplomatic spat will continue

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir speaks to reporters in Riyadh on 8 August. Photograph: Nasser Al-Harbi/AFP/Getty Images

Justin Trudeau has defied Saudi Arabias demand to withdraw Canadas calls for the release of jailed civil rights activists and insisted that Canada will continue to defend human rights around the world, suggesting that the escalating diplomatic row between the two countries is set to continue.

In his first public comments since the spat began, Canadas prime minister said his government has been speaking directly to the kingdom in an effort to resolve what he called a diplomatic difference of opinion.

Trudeau said Canadas foreign minister had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but offered no details as to what the pair had discussed.

We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the government of Saudi Arabia, Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. We have respect for their importance in the world and recognise that they have made progress on a number of important issues.

He insisted, however, that his government would continue to press Saudi Arabia on its human rights record. We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.

Trudeaus comments came hours after Saudi Arabias foreign minister described the row as a matter of national security, telling reporters that the kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada. He did not elaborate on what these measures could entail.

Canada needs to fix its big mistake, Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh. There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected.

In recent days, several countries have expressed support for Saudi Arabia, including Egypt and Russia, which both told Ottawa that it was unacceptable to lecture the kingdom on human rights.

We have always said that the politicisation of human rights matters is unacceptable, Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russias foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday. What one probably needs in this situation is constructive advice and assistance rather than criticism from a moral superior, she added.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the United States  one of Canadas closest allies  has so far refused to wade into the row, describing both countries as close allies in a written statement from the state department.

Its up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out, said Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the state department, on Tuesday. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cant do it for them.

The United Kingdom was similarly muted in its response, with a foreign office spokesperson 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.

When asked whether Canada was prepared to apologise to Saudi Arabia, Trudeau  who in recent years has come under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh  skirted the question. Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly and firmly, clearly and politely, about the need to respect human rights around the world. We will continue to do that, he said.

He also dodged a question about the perceived reluctance of the US administration to back Canada in the dispute. We recognise that every country has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to diplomacy and international relations, he said. Im never going to impose on another country what their reactions should be or what their response should be.

The spat appeared to have been sparked last week when Canadas foreign ministry expressed its concern 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

Saudi Arabia shot back on Sunday, expelling the Canadian ambassador and freezing new trade with Canada.

In the days following the kingdom has continued to pile on measures against Canada, including plans to remove thousands of Saudi students and medical patients from Canada and the suspension of flights to and from Canada on Saudi Arabias state airline.

Saudi Arabias main state wheat buying agency, the Saudi Grains Organization, has also told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin grains in its international purchase tenders, while the Saudi central bank instructed its asset managers overseas to dispose of Canadian equity, bonds and cash holdings, regardless of the cost, according to the Financial Times.

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.

As Saudi-Canadian trade hovers around $4bn, the country was likely seen as an easy fall guy in the kingdoms bid to reinforce this message, said Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canadas University of Waterloo. Canada is an easy target because our bilateral economic ties are limited.

Saudi Arabias actions likely had the tacit support of Washington, particularly as they targeted Trudeau  a self-declared feminist who has loudly championed progressive policies, she said. And lets be honest, the Trump administration, particularly Donald Trump, who has shown animosity to Justin Trudeau, is probably not too sad to see having this government be in the international limelight and be rebuked by the Saudis.

Others have contexualised the kingdoms actions as part of a bold new foreign policy unleashed by the countrys powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

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.

Meanwhile state-run media in Saudi Arabia said the country had executed and crucified a man from Myanmar convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes.

When asked on Wednesday about its decision to arrest the activists at the heart of the diplomatic row, Saudi Arabias foreign minister said that charges against them would be made public once their cases reach the courts and repeated earlier allegations that they had been in touch with foreign entities.

This article contains material from Reuters
(Reuters) - Conservationists on Wednesday notified the Trump administration that they would sue over its reversal of a 2014 decision prohibiting bee-killing pesticides and genetically modified crops on U.S. wildlife refuges. The reversal, issued on Aug. 2 in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service memo, suggested that neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics, were needed for "farming practices in refuge areas where that was allowed. Cultivation of biotech crops, engineered to resist pests and withstand herbicides, has helped maximize crop production on dozens of wildlife refuges. A certain amount of agricultural activity has been permitted on some refuges, where typically a share of the crops is harvested by farmers for profit while another share is left as food or habitat for animals. Conservationists said in Wednesdays notice of a pending lawsuit that neonics and pesticides to which biotech crops are immune are known to injure and kill imperiled creatures that rely on refuges whose fundamental purpose is wildlife conservation. Its shameful that the government is promoting agents that its own scientists say harm threatened and endangered species, Hannah Connor, attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, told Reuters. The notice by the Arizona-based group and the Center for Food Safety to U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, an Interior agency, said the lawsuit would be filed in federal court in 60 days unless the new policy is rescinded. A spokeswoman for Zinke referred inquiries to the U.S. Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2014, amid lawsuits by environmentalists, the head of the system that oversees the nations 560 refuge units ordered phasing out of GM crops and the use of neonics since they could harm non-target animals and plants and since they were not needed for wildlife management goals that had been successfully met in their absence. (Reporting by Laura Zuckerman in Pinedale, Wyoming; Editing by Bill Tarrant and James Dalgleish)
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!"

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.

Story continues

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.
Satellites make much of modern warfare possible, through GPS systems, wireless communications and sophisticated weather forecasting. This makes satellites tempting military targets. The U.S. Air Force is now responsible for defending American satellites and spacecraft and wants to continue to do so. But President Donald Trump says the perils require a new military branch, which has come to be known as the Space Force. Critics say this would just add bureaucracy and costs. Supporters say a new military branch is needed to prioritize U.S. defenses for the next battlefront.

1. Is there a true military threat in space?

Yes, but not in the Hollywood sense of alien invaders attacking lower Manhattan. The main threat is the ability to disable or destroy an adversarys satellites from the ground. In 2007, China first used a ballistic missile to destroy its own old weather satellite orbiting 535 miles (861 km) above Earth in 2007; Russia has been testing a missile that could be used to strike and destroy a satellite or ballistic missile. Its likely that other nations wont be far behind. If you destroy a spy satellite, the flow of real-time intelligence from a particular spot in China or Iran could stop. A communications satellite thats jammed from the ground could mean ground troops suddenly find themselves operating blindly. And because existing international treaties governing space are unclear, even civilian satellites could be targeted by nations looking to contain or punish their enemies.

2. Was the Space Force Trumps idea?

No, though he is the first president to publicly call for a separate military branch for space. The debate over space militarization dates to at least the Cold War, when the U.S. and Soviet Union first realized that controlling space could give them an edge in a conflict. In 1982, the investigative arm of Congress urged the creation of an aerospace force or space force to develop laser battle stations in space that could defend against a Soviet ballistic missile attack. The following year, President Ronald Reagan called for such a system, the Strategic Defense Initiative, which critics nicknamed Star Wars. (It never advanced beyond the research phase; its successor, the Missile Defense Agency, uses Earth-based systems like Thaad to destroy missiles at high altitudes.) In early 2001, a commission led by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld concluded that the U.S. wasnt prepared to defend its enormous dependence on satellites. In 2017, House of Representatives members led by Representative Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican, began pushing for a new  space corps.

Story continues

3. Why take space away from the Air Force?

The argument for a new military arm rests on the notion that Air Force brass focus their budgets  and priorities  on conventional air superiority, and manage space as only an ancillary theater of conflict. But the Air Force considers space defense as one of its core missions and has had a Space Command since 1982. Air Force officials  and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis  have argued that setting up a separate space branch would add bureaucratic layers and slow down existing research and programs. A Space Force might cause Congress to pare the Air Force budget, or other parts of Pentagon or overall spending, to help pay for the new branch. The Air Force gets more than $11 billion for its space programs  the bulk of the Defense Departments unclassified national security space programs, according to the Pentagons fiscal 2019 budget request.

4. What would a Space Force mean for NASA?

It wouldnt cut into its budget, according to NASAs new administrator, Jim Bridenstine, who addressed that topic in a July interview with Bloomberg News. And the civilian space agency would still lead the way in space exploration and scientific endeavors.

5. What would a Space Force do?

The U.S. military doesnt want to provide specifics, but is working on ways to protect satellites from threats like jamming, blinding sensors by pointing lasers at them, and destruction by kinetic objects, such as missiles or other satellites. The U.S. Air Force has a top-secret aircraft, the X-37B, that has orbited Earth for expanded periods; its military purpose is unknown. And Congresss proposed Defense Authorization Act mandates that the Defense Department come up with a space warfighting policy; some lawmakers have called for the military to return to the Star Wars ideas and develop weapons that could destroy ballistic missiles from space. On a more workaday level, the Space Command currently tracks the worlds active satellites to make sure they dont collide with one another or with space debris, and it notifies owners to reposition their satellites if it anticipates an impact.

6. Would the U.S. also have offensive space weapons?

Probably. The 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which bans weapons of mass destruction in space, prohibited orbiting nuclear weapons. But it didnt prohibit other weapons. In an interview with Bloomberg in October, the head of the Air Force Space Command, General John W. Jay Raymond, said that our goal is not to have conflict in space. But, he added, space is a war-fighting domain and we need to treat it as such.

7. When would the Space Force start?

Congress would need to authorize it first, something it declined to do last year. With Trump fully on board, the prospects for a sixth service branch  joining the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard  could change. Even before a congressional decision, there are reports that the Defense Department is already laying the groundwork to create a Space Force.

8. Do other countries have military space forces?

Yes. Russia created its Aerospace Forces in 2015. Chinas space program was always part of its military; in 2015 the Peoples Liberation Army added a Strategic Support Force in part to coordinate all the militarys space-related capabilities.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Immigration hardliner Kris Kobach and Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer were awaiting the outcome of their tight Republican primary race Wednesday in a key test of whether President Donald Trump's late endorsement would prove decisive for Kobach.

The two campaigns for governor sent their supporters home from election night watch parties with the race still too-close-to-call and results still trickling in from the state's most populous county in the Kansas City area  where Colyer initially was leading.

Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, built a national reputation as a conservative agitator for both tough immigration policies and strict voter identification laws. He was an early supporter of Trump in the presidential race, advised him during the campaign and in the White House, and served as vice chairman of a now-disbanded presidential commission on election fraud.

But Colyer  who only became governor in January, succeeding Sam Brownback  raised more in campaign contributions than Kobach, received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, and had the backing of Kansas political legend, former U.S. Senator Bob Dole.

Kobach and Colyer were virtually tied atop a seven-candidate field early Wednesday with most of the outstanding results from Johnson County, which has nearly 23 percent of the state's voters.

Kansas has no automatic recount procedure and if a recount is requested it must be paid for by the candidate requesting it.

Some Republicans worried that if Kobach won, his aggressive personality would make it harder to appeal to a broader electorate and give Democrats an opening in a red state that has been willing to elect Democrats as governor in the past. Democrats nominated veteran state Sen. Laura Kelly, of Topeka, to settle their first contested primary for governor since 1998.

Trump intervened in the race less than 24 hours before polls opened, endorsing Kobach in a tweet. Kobach told reporters that the endorsement "came just in time" and that he expected it to help him, as it has helped other candidates in other races. Trump's tweet backing Georgia Republican governor hopeful Brian Kemp vaulted him to an easy primary runoff win two weeks ago. Trump also on Tuesday boasted that his rally over the weekend for the Republican in an Ohio House district had helped, even though that race was too-close-to-call.

Story continues

Richard Cronister, a 73-year-old retired construction company owner from Topeka, said that Trump's endorsement was important to him as he voted for Kobach. He said he thinks Trump's tax cuts have helped the economy and likes Trump's stance against illegal immigration. As for Kobach, Cronister said, "He is doing his best to stop immigration and the illegal voting. The ACLU and all those organizations are against him."

But Bruce Underwood, a 59-year-old engineer, said he voted for Colyer because he believes Kobach is "detrimental" to Kansas. He said he would likely vote for a Democrat in the general election because Republicans aren't standing up to Trump.

"Trump is supporting Kobach and I just can't stand Trump, he is not good for our country," Underwood said.

Like the president, Kobach promises a no-apologies style, telling voters repeatedly: "I don't back down. I double down." His use of a Jeep with a replica gun mounted on top during campaign stops at local parades this summer prompted backlash. Kobach called his critics "snowflakes" and continued to use the Jeep.

Kobach's penchant for provoking outrage could serve him well in a crowded seven-candidate Republican primary Tuesday. Kansas does not hold runoff elections so the winner in the primary will move on to November.

Kelly, a 14-year veteran of the Legislature, defeated former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, who had sought to be the first-ever black nominee, and ex-Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty, who had stressed his youth and potential rural appeal.

The mild-mannered Colyer is seeking a full four-year term after moving up from lieutenant governor in January when the unpopular Brownback took an ambassador position in Trump's administration. Colyer's defeat would mark the first primary loss by a sitting Kansas governor since 1956 and the first nationally since Hawaii's Neil Abercrombie lost a primary in 2014.

Besides Colyer and Kobach, the other major GOP candidates, Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer and former state Sen. Jim Barnett, were far behind.

While the marquee race in Kansas this year is for governor, voters also were picking candidates to contest two House seats that Democrats are hoping to flip in November.

___

For the latest information on the Kansas primary election: https://apnews.com/cb6342773a6145d18863036e3d67e92f

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

___

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
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)
GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations aid agencies called on Myanmar on Wednesday to improve conditions in Rakhine state for the safe return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and provide a clear pathway to citizenship for those eligible. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) said in a joint statement that they needed full access to Rakhine state and were still awaiting permission for international staff to be based in the town of Maungdaw following requests made on June 14. There was no immediate response from the Myanmar authorities to a Reuters request for comment. The United Nations signed an outline deal with Myanmar in early June aimed at eventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice. But the secret agreement, seen by Reuters, offers no explicit guarantees of citizenship or freedom of movement throughout the country. The U.N. agencies said that substantial progress was 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". More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's western Rakhine state after a military crackdown that started in August last year in response to attacks by ARSA, a Rohingya armed group, on security posts. Myanmar has rejected accusations of ethnic cleansing and dismissed most accounts of atrocities, blaming Rohingya "terrorists". It says it is ready to accept back those who fled. The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship. The U.N. said that Rohingya remaining in Rakhine are under local orders that severely restrict their freedom of movement, preventing them from reaching jobs, school and health care, and called for these to be lifted. (Clarifies headline, with no changes to story) (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
By Phil Stewart and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday announced an ambitious plan to usher in a new "Space Force" as the sixth branch of the military by 2020, but the proposal was scorned by opponents and may struggle to get liftoff in a divided Congress. Trump has strongly championed the idea of creating a space-focused military service with the same stature as the Air Force and the Army, turning his dreams of a "Space Force" into a rallying cry for supporters at political events. His 2020 reelection campaign sent a fundraising email on Thursday asking supporters to vote on their favorite Space Force logo for future Trump campaign merchandise, offering a choice of six. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, in an address at the Pentagon, described the Space Force as "an idea whose time has come." "America will always seek peace in space, as on the Earth. But history proves that peace only comes through strength, and in the realm of outer space, the United States Space Force will be that strength in the years ahead," Pence said. He added that Congress must now act to establish and fund the department. Trump tweeted: "Space Force all the way!" The Space Force would be responsible for a range of crucial space-based U.S. military capabilities, which include everything from satellites enabling the Global Positioning System (GPS) to sensors that help track missile launches. But critics view its creation as an unnecessary and expensive bureaucratic endeavor, a vanity project that simply strips away work already being done effectively by services like the Air Force. Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, who is on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said the Space Force was a "dumb idea.""Although 'Space Force' won't happen, it's dangerous to have a leader who cannot be talked out of crazy ideas," Schatz said on Twitter. MILITARIZING SPACE? Democratic Senator Bill Nelson has said such a move would "rip the Air Force apart." Senator Bernie Sanders said via Twitter "maybe, just maybe" the government should guarantee healthcare "before we start spending billions to militarize outer space." However, although Pentagon leaders, including U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, once opposed the idea of a Space Force, they lined up on Thursday to offer their support. A Pentagon report released on Thursday included interim steps toward the creation of such an organization. A unified combatant command known as the U.S. Space Command would be formed by the end of 2018, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters. In a nod to the Air Force's current role, the Pentagon report recommended that the Space Command be led initially by the commander of Air Force Space Command, who would be dual-hatted. One of the arguments in favor of devoting more resources to a Space Force or Space Command is that American rivals like Russia and China appear increasingly ready to strike U.S. space-based capabilities in the event of a conflict. "It is becoming a contested war fighting domain and we have to adapt to that reality," Mattis said. The United States is a member of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bars the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in space and only allows for the use of the moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes. Former astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly on Thursday said that while Pence was right about the threats in outer space, the military was already handling them. "There is a threat out there but it's being handled by the U.S. Air Force today. (It) doesn't make sense to build a whole other level of bureaucracy in an incredibly bureaucratic Department of Defense," Kelly told MSNBC. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Bill Trott and Rosalba O'Brien)
New York (AFP) - 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.

Story continues

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."
The Puerto Rican government's death count has been increasing ever since it initially reported just 64 people had been killed in Hurricane Maria: REUTERS

Flanked by Puerto Rican officials at a conference nearly two weeks after disaster struck the island, Donald Trump told locals to be "thankful" for Hurricane Marias death count.

"Every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina and you look at the tremendous  hundreds and hundreds of people that died," he said. "Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud. Everybody watching can really be very proud of what's taken place in Puerto Rico."

The US government has quietly walked back the presidents statements since then, adding onto an ever-increasing number of deaths related to the catastrophic hurricane.

However, the actual number is far higher than the government's official count of 64, according to a draft report the Puerto Rican government submitted to Congress this week, which puts the total amount of deaths over 1,400.

The report acknowledges 1,427 people were killed after Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico, while detailing a $139bn reconstruction plan for the island that has yet to fully recover.

"The hurricanes' devastating effects on people's health and safety cannot be overstated," the Puerto Rican government writes in its report. "Although the official death count from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety was initially 64, the toll appears to be much higher."

"According to initial reports, 64 lives were lost. That estimate was later revised to 1,427," the report continues.

The draft report is one of several studies and reviews currently underway to determine the most accurate number of deaths related to Hurricane Maria. A Harvard University study has put the death toll anywhere between 800 and 8,500. George Washington University school of public health study commissioned by Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello is expected to be published later this month.

Pedro Cerame, a spokesperson for the Puerto Rican governments Federal Affairs Administration, described the draft report death count as realistic in an interview with the New York Times.

Story continues

We dont want to say it out loud or publicize it as an official number, he said. The official number will come, and it could be close. But until we see the study, and have the accuracy, we wont be able to recognize the number as official.

Numerous victims were killed in the storm, along with hundreds who likely passed away while lacking access to medical services and other necessities.

The vast majority of the island lacked power and basic resources in the days and weeks following the hurricane.

Now, the island is requesting $26bn to overhaul its outdated energy grid, as well as $15bn towards the Department of Education and $6bn to repair public buildings. The draft report also details how at least $3.9bn will be used towards environmental restoration projects.

In a statement, Mr Rossello said Puerto Rico has a unique opportunity to innovate and rebuild the Puerto Rico that we all want.

For now, it remains unclear whether the federal government will accept the new figures and update its official death count. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Washington (AFP) - The United States said Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia over Moscow's involvement in the use of a "lethal" nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former spy 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" -- who was a double agent -- and his daughter Yulia in March.

The action is aimed at punishing President Vladimir Putin's government for having "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The new sanctions were to take effect following a 15-day Congressional notification period, she said.

Another senior State Department official told reporters that the administration decided to impose a "presumption of denial" for the sale to Russia of "national security sensitive" US technologies that require federal government approval.

Such technologies have often been used in items including electronic devices as well as calibration equipment. The exports were previously allowed on a case-by-case basis.

The move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia, said the official, who requested anonymity in order to speak about the sanctions.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce, who had pushed months ago for Trump to take action over Russia's use of banned weapons, applauded the move as "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.

Sanctions waivers are in place for certain key sectors, including space flight activities and commercial aviation safety, the official said.

The action follows the US Treasury's imposition of sanctions in March against 19 Russian citizens and five entities for interfering in the 2016 US election -- the toughest steps against Moscow since President Donald Trump took office.

Story continues

Also in March, Washington ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, and the closure of Russia's consulate general in Seattle.

Moscow ordered 60 American diplomats expelled in a tit-for-tat response.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, England, on March 4, having been poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

They were critically ill, but survived after spending weeks in the hospital.

Russia has strongly denied playing a role in the attack.

On June 30, a British couple were poisoned by Novichok in a nearby town -- 44-year-old mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess subsequently died.

London and its allies have accused Moscow of trying to kill the Skripals and says the two cases are likely linked.

- Tougher sanctions loom -

The new announcement could bolster Trump's claim that his administration is taking a tough stance on Moscow, even as he denounces special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe as a "witch hunt" that ought to be halted immediately.

Trump caught flak from Democrats and Republicans alike for what many saw as his unsettling embrace of Putin last month at their Helsinki summit, when Trump appeared to disavow his own intelligence agencies' assessment on Moscow's election interference.

The new US sanctions come amid increasing frustration with Trump's handling of Russia, and how he apparently needed congressional prodding to impose the new penalties.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which says the US president shall tighten the penalties within 90 days unless Moscow provides "reliable assurances" that it no longer engages in such activities, and allows on-site inspections by United Nations observers.

The second round of sanctions could cut far deeper, including blocking all American bank loans to Russian entities, an outright ban on US exports to Russia, and suspension of diplomatic relations.

The announcement in Washington was likely to intensify troubles for the ruble, which took a hit Wednesday along with the stock market over rumors of separate new tough US sanctions over election meddling.

But the Russian finance ministry, quoted by Ria-Novosti news agency, sought to allay fears, saying the measures ultimately might not be put in place, though it acknowledged that markets were "once again under pressure."

The latest mixed messages over Russia involve a letter from Trump that Republican US Senator Rand Paul delivered to Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.

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 Trump provided "a letter of introduction" at Paul's request, and that the president "mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin."
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.

"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.
SEATTLE (AP)  Experts are preparing rare emergency efforts to administer antibiotics or feed live salmon to try to save a young emaciated orca that's part of a critically endangered pod of killer whales.

But veterinarians haven't spotted the 3-year-old female killer whale in several days. They are waiting for her to show up again in Washington state waters so they can zip out on a boat to do a health assessment, said Teri Rowles, marine mammal health and stranding coordinator for NOAA Fisheries.

The whale known as J50 is underweight and may have an infection.

"It is very possible that she has succumbed at this point and that we may never see her again," Rowles told reporters Tuesday. "We are hopeful that there's still a chance that we will be able to assist her with medical treatment to give her enough time to get nourishment and treat infections, if indeed that is what is causing her decline."

The orca, which was last seen Friday, is part of an endangered population that has dwindled to just 75 whales. Another female orca from the group that spends time in U.S. Northwest waters attracted global attention as the grieving animal tried to keep her dead baby afloat.

Veterinarians in the field will decide whether to give the ailing orca antibiotics, which would last between 10 and 14 days, using either a dart injector or a long pole syringe.

"If it's determined that antibiotics would be useful, then antibiotics through injection is going to be our best course rather than antibiotics through food, because we recognize that we won't able to treat her every day," Rowles said.

If things go well, she said, the team could move ahead with feeding the orca live salmon from a boat. The whale would initially get just a few fish to see whether she takes it and how she and members of her pod respond before deciding whether to give her salmon dosed with medication.

Rowles said injections of antibiotics or sedatives have been given to other free-swimming whales or dolphins that were injured or entangled but it hasn't been done for free-swimming whales in this area. What would be unique is giving the orca medication through live fish, Rowles said.

Story continues

Whale experts have been increasingly worried about J50 after a researcher last month noticed an odor on the orca's breath, a smell detected on other orcas that later died.

Researchers took breath samples, and a drone flown above the whales Wednesday showed that J50 is much skinnier and her body condition has gotten worse.

Rowles said such imagery has shed more light on the whales' overall body condition and growth over time. That data has documented orcas that declined and then disappeared.

She said it became evident that "we needed to intervene to determine potentially what was the cause and whether there was anything we could do to assist her."

The efforts come as a task force called by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee met Tuesday to come up with solutions to help the whales. It was hearing initial recommendations focused on three main threats to the orcas: lack of food, toxic contamination and boat noise and disturbance. A final report is due in November.

The recent images of the mother orca pushing her dead calf and trying to keep it afloat in Northwest waters has given greater urgency to the fate of the whales, said Les Purce, co-chair of the task force.

"The big question is, can we craft public policy that can make a difference in the future of the orca, and by doing so make a positive difference in how we live in Puget Sound," Purce said in an interview Monday.

The group will prioritize short-term and long-term actions, many of which are certain to focus on recovering the prized salmon that the fish-eating whales like to eat.

The whales prefer Chinook salmon but many of those runs are endangered or threatened.

Initial actions being discussed include ramping up hatchery production, restricting fishing in areas that are important to the orcas, offering financial compensation to recreational and commercial fishermen to stop or reduce fishing in certain areas and killing sea lions or birds that eat certain runs.

Others are pushing to tear down four dams on the lower Snake River.
New York (AFP) - "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.

Story continues

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.
Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday that the White House was moving forward with its plans to establish a Space Force. But it will be awhile yet before uniformed rocket jockeys will be skirmishing outside atmosphere.

The Space Force debate has hinged on whether or not the existing Air Force Space Command is capable of protecting American satellites in orbit and handling other military challenges in space. This debate flared up last fall during the crafting of the National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., senior members of the House Armed Services Committee, included language that would have mandated the Air Force to create a United States Space Corps.

That language passed in the House but failed in the Senate, where it was opposed by Defense Secretary James Mattis, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and senators on both sides of the aisle. But the final version of the act did include concessions to Rogers and Cooper, with management and procedural changes meant to streamline the existing space programs and language calling for a study on the creation of a separate branch.

Related: NASA chief on Space Force, Mars and extraterrestrial life >>>

Mattis has reversed his initial opposition; he introduced the vice presidents speech. Pence declared that the plan was to establish a Space Force by 2020. Although the White House can alter some policy via the Department of Defense, the establishment of the Space Force will require legislative action.

What the Vice President unveiled today is a set of interim steps the Department of Defense will begin to take immediately to start building the foundations for a Space Force, said Todd Harrison, a director and aerospace expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ultimately, Congress will need to create the Space Force in legislation, so this is what the administration can do on its own in the meantime.

Story continues

Vice President Mike Pence (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Pence said that the Space Force would serve as the sixth branch of the military, comparing it to how the Air Force grew out of the Army Air Corps following World War II. The Trump team went into campaign mode shortly after the announcement, sending out an email to supporters asking them to vote on a logo for the planned military division.

We have been warning for years of the need to protect our space assets and to develop more capable space systems, said Rogers and Cooper in a joint statement following the announcement. We are glad that the Pentagon is finally taking these steps in enhancing our space strength. This new report was required by last years [National Defense Authorization Act] legislation and will be helpful in speeding up acquisitions of more advanced systems, as well as giving our space professionals more clout. This report is a step in a multiyear process that we think will result in a safer, stronger America. We particularly appreciate Deputy Secretary Shanahans leadership on these issues and look forward to the establishment of a much-needed independent Space Force, as called for by President Trump.

What sort of things would a Space Force  which will be independent of NASA, the civilian space agency  focus on? Mainly satellites, which are expensive and critical to the U.S. military, providing global positioning data, reconnaissance, communications and early detection of missile launches. But theyre also difficult to maneuver, almost impossible to repair and would likely become key targets in any future war. A 2000 report assessing the countrys space capabilities warned of the danger of a potential Pearl Harbor in space.

Missiles  of the surface-to-space, air-to-space or space-to-space varieties  could be used to take out satellites, but there are other options. Intelligence officials have raised the possibility of jamming transmissions or using a laser to temporarily dazzle or permanently blind reconnaissance satellites, burning out sensitive optical sensors. Earlier this year, an anonymous Russian official said the country had developed a plane with a laser system on top capable of blinding enemy satellites, a potential danger described by Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in 2017 Senate testimony.

Not everyone supports the idea. Retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly called it a dumb idea in a Thursday interview with MSNBC.

The Air Force Space Command already does this at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, said Kelly. They do this with about 20,000 people, which might sound like a lot but compared to the other branches of the military its relatively small and its sized the way it needs to be for the threat.

Kelly agreed with Pence that theres a threat, referencing a 2007 incident in which the Chinese blew up one of their own satellites with a surface-to-space missile. (The United States shot down one of its own satellites a year later using a modified missile from the USS Lake Erie to take out an inoperative spy satellite in decaying orbit.) But he said it was redundant and would simply create more bureaucracy.

Im a Navy guy, said Kelly. Im not usually out there commending the Air Force for anything  theyre a rival service  but they do a really good job at this and theyve done it for a long time, they understand it really well and to remove this from the Air Force. First of all, I dont think theyre going to like it and its a little bit of an insult to them. It is an area where we should continue to focus on, China especially is a rising threat in space, weve got to protect our capability there, but we can do this within the U.S. Air Force, we can do it today.

Twitter

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
In June, President Trump called for the creation of an additional branch of the military, saying, When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space, so important. Very importantly Im hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces, thats a big statement.

Thursday, Vice President Pence took one small step in what will be a giant leap toward creating that new Space Force by 2020. At the Pentagon Pence said, Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces to prepare for the next battlefield, where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation.

The vice president then outlined the proposal, which is being delivered to Congress because the creation of a new military branch requires congressional action. No new service branch has been established by Congress since the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947  over 70 years ago. What does the report propose?

Establish a Space Command, a new unified combat and command structure for space.

Form a Space Operations Force made up of an elite group of joint warfighters specializing in the space domain to form the backbone of the new service.

Create a new Space Development Agency to develop new space capabilities.

Create a new position  assistant secretary of defense for space  that will help oversee the Space Force transition.

What would the U.S. Space Force do?

Like the other branches of the military, which oversee the domains of air, ground and sea, a Space Force would oversee the potential battlefield of space, but not like fighting aliens in sci-fi movies.

It would involve defending U.S. space-based military assets like satellites and new technologies from foreign adversaries. The Air Force is currently in charge of the U.S. militarys space capabilities. That includes everything from satellites enabling the Global Positioning System to sensors that help track missile launches.

While Defense Secretary Jim Mattis rejected the idea of creating a Space Force within the Air Force in 2017, it seems hes changed course, but stopped short of promising a new branch. When asked if he supports establishing a new combatant command for space, he told reporters, Absolutely. We need to address space as a developing warfighting domain, and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish. It is a process were in. Were in complete alignment with the presidents concern about protecting our assets in space.
Lusaka (AFP) - Zambian authorities on Thursday defied a court order stopping them from deporting top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti, handing him to police across the border, his lawyer said.

"They have defied the court order to allow him to seek asylum and as I am speaking to you right now he has been handed over to the Zimbabwean police," lawyer Gilbert Phiri told AFP.

Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), fled to Zambia on Wednesday claiming asylum, reportedly facing charges at home of inciting post-election violence.

Zambian authorities swiftly refused him asylum, but Phiri said Biti's legal team had managed to challenge the decision, keeping Biti in Zambia.

But authorities have ignored the ruling and deported him, Phiri said.

He is on the Zimbabwe side," he confirmed. "This is really embarrassing."

A hearing at Zambia's High Court, where Biti was supposed to appear, will go ahead Thursday in his absence, Phiri added.

The MDC were defeated in last week's historic first elections since Zimbabwe's military ousted Robert Mugabe in November, ending 37 years of iron-fisted rule.

Mugabe's successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner on Friday by a narrow margin -- results the opposition has furiously contested, alleging fraud.

Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government, had proclaimed a victory for the opposition before the results came in.

According to Zimbabwe's state-run Chronicle newspaper, he is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests over alleged rigging which turned deadly.

The army opened fire with live ammunition on the opposition protesters, killing six people and prompting an international outcry.

The election has been marred by accusations of a crackdown on opponents, with arrests and beatings, as well as the deadly violence and rigging claims.
Harare (AFP) - Western governments and the UN expressed alarm Thursday as top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti appeared in court after a dramatic attempt to flee to neighbouring Zambia and claim asylum.

Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence as well as the illegal declaration of election results.

"We survive," Biti said after he was released on bail of $5,000 (4,330 euros) on the condition that he surrenders his passport and does not address any political gatherings or news conferences.

"It's a pity that in most of Africa we don't respect the rule of law," added Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's 2009-2013 power-sharing government.

Biti made a dash across the border on Wednesday, facing allegations of inciting protests last week by proclaiming victory for the opposition in Zimbabwe's first elections since the downfall of Robert Mugabe in November.

Mugabe's successor at the head of ruling party ZANU-PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was later declared the winner according to the official results, but the MDC claims the election was rigged.

Zambian authorities rejected Biti's plea for political asylum and handed him back to Zimbabwean police on Thursday morning, in defiance of a Zambia court ruling, according to his lawyers.

- 'Deeply disturbed' -

The UN refugee agency said it was "gravely concerned" that Biti had been deported while trying to claim asylum.

"Forcibly returning refugees and asylum-seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law," the UNHCR said in a statement.

It urged Zambia to investigate the incident, which comes after accusations that Zimbabwe's authorities are pursuing a heavy crackdown on the opposition as it pursues its claims of electoral fraud.

Story continues

Zambian government spokeswoman Dora Siliya said authorities had only received the ruling from its own court blocking Biti's expulsion after he had been returned.

"His asylum was denied on the basis that in his country there is no breakdown in the rule of law," she told AFP, adding that Biti himself was "running away from the due process of the law" as he was wanted by authorities.

Western nations said they were "deeply disturbed by continuing reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces".

In a joint statement, the EU, US, Canadian and Australian missions to Zimbabwe urged authorities to guarantee Biti's safety and human rights.

- 'The new Zimbabwe' -

Biti is accused of encouraging protests on August 1, when opposition demonstrators took to the streets in Harare angrily claiming ZANU-PF had stolen the election.

Troops opened fire on the protesters, killing six people and sparking an international outcry.

Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter that Biti was released after he intervened personally in the case.

"At such a crucial time in the history of the new Zimbabwe, nothing is more important than unity, peace and dialogue," he posted.

"Equally important, however, is an adherence to the rule of law," he said, adding that proceedings against Biti would continue "due to the serious nature of the allegations".

Mnangagwa, who is seeking to reverse Zimbabwe's economic isolation and attract desperately needed foreign investment, had vowed the elections would turn a page on Mugabe's repressive 37-year rule.

But the aftermath of the polls has been marred by allegations by rights groups as well as the MDC of a crackdown on opposition members, including beatings and arrests.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to launch a legal challenge against the results, and must do so by Friday.

Mnangagwa won the July 30 election with 50.8 percent of the vote -- just enough to avoid a run-off against Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent.

The Zimbabwe Election Commission -- synonymous with fraud under Mugabe -- insists the elections were free and fair this time around.

International monitors praised the conduct of the election itself, although EU observers said Mnangagwa benefited from an "un-level playing field" and a degree of voter intimidation.
By MacDonald Dzirutwe HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's former finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti appeared in court on Thursday to be charged with stoking post-election violence in a case watched around the world as a test of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's treatment of opponents. Biti, whose People's Democratic Party had formed an election alliance with Nelson Chamisa's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), sought asylum in neighboring Zambia on Wednesday but was deported back to Zimbabwe in a move condemned by the United States. He was also charged with falsely and unlawfully announcing results of the July 30 election, which Chamisa rejected as fraudulent and is set to challenge in the Constitutional Court on Friday. If found guilty, Biti could face up to 10 years in jail, a cash fine or both. He was released on bail and will appear in court again on Friday. "It's been an ordeal, but we survive. We live to fight another day, I am glad to be home," Biti told reporters soon after his release. The United States said it was concerned about reports of detentions, beatings and other abuses targeting opposition activists. It singled out the case of Biti and signaled that Zambia could face consequences for its role in handing him back. "We will be discussing this matter with Zambias leaders and reviewing certain aspects of our cooperation with the Zambian government," the State Department said in a statement. The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it would be a serious violation of international law if Zambian authorities had handed Biti over despite a court order to the contrary, which his lawyer said had indeed been issued by the Zambian High Court. The European Union, Australia and Canada also said they were "deeply disturbed by continuing reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces". PRESIDENT INTERVENES Most Zimbabweans had hoped the parliamentary and presidential elections would end the country's pariah status and help usher in an economic recovery. Instead, it has plunged into turmoil reminiscent of contested votes during Robert Mugabe's 37 years of rule until he was ousted by the military last November. Biti had been in hiding since last week, when six people were killed in a widely condemned army crackdown on protests over the declaration of victory by Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party. State prosecutors did not oppose bail for Biti, which was set at $5,000. He was ordered to surrender his passport and title deeds to his house, and banned from addressing political rallies or news conferences until the case is over. Aware of the potential damage to Zimbabwe's image, Mnangagwa said he had intervened to ensure Biti was released. But he also said that Biti faced serious charges and that the legal process should be allowed to take its course. "At such a crucial time in the history of the new Zimbabwe, nothing is more important than unity, peace and dialogue. I call on all parties to immediately cease from all forms of incitement to violence," Mnangagwa wrote on his official Twitter page. Some fear the post-election turmoil will derail the chances of mending an economy facing acute shortages of cash and desperate for foreign investment. Speaking in court to lawyers and the media, Biti said he had feared being abducted by the security forces. "They wanted to abduct me. I was terrified," he said. The outspoken politician was also arrested in 2008 for announcing that the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won a presidential vote. Official results later showed Tsvangirai beat Mugabe but not by enough votes to avoid a runoff. (Additional reporting by Tom Miles in Geneva and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
A senior IDF official said on Thursday that "Hamas has violated the agreements made after Operation Protective Edge and will pay a heavy price."

The official added that "Hamas will understand either the easy way or the hard way that it must return to the agreements."
One long-range rocket fired from the Gaza Strip on Thursday afternoon hit Be'er Sheva, the largest city in southern Israel, for the first time since Operation Protective Edge four years ago. The rocket landed in an open area in the city shortly after 3pm.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



More than 100 rockets have been launched by Hamas into Israeli territory since midnight Thursday in the most significant round of escalation since the 2014 summer war in Gaza.

Overall, since the beginning of the current escalation on Wednesday evening, more than 180 rockets have been launched from Gaza, as well as the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon, with Iron Dome intercepting 30 of them, the IDF reported.

Rockets in Be'er Sheva

X

The IDF said it will deploy more Iron Dome batteries in southern Israel following assessments that Hamas might expand the range of rocket fire.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Israel had "ground troops that are ready to deploy. We are reinforcing the southern command and Gaza division." He wouldn't comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF chief Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman and head of the National Security Council Meir Ben Shabat ar the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Following the consultations, a government official said that "Hamas has suffered a serious blow. Israel will continue acting with strength."

According to the official, the prime minister and defense minister instructed the IDF to prepare for any scenario.

Israel's Channel 10 TV said Netanyahu delayed the Security Cabinet meeting that followed these consultations by two hours to allow the Egyptians to press forward with their mediation work.

After a four-hour meeting, the Cabinet issued a short statement, saying it had directed the army "to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements." It did not elaborate.

Damage in Ashkelon following rocket fire (:   )

X

At least seven people were wounded as a result of the rockets. A Thai woman who works at a packaging factory was seriously wounded, shrapnel wounds to her stomach, from a mortar shell that landed in the Eshkol Regional Council.

The Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon reported that 23 people had been admitted to the hospital during the night, including a patient with a shrapnel wound to his hand who needed an immediate operation, four pregnant womenwho were admitted for observationtwo who were hospitalized with chest pains, and the rest were treated for shock.

Wounded woman arrives at hospital (:  )

X

Mortar shells and rockets also hit the entrance of a residential home in Sderot, a house in Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and a building in an industrial zone of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council.

Damage to a building in Sderot following rocket fire (Photo: Avihai Marciano)

One senior IDF source asserted that the escalating tensions that have beset the Gaza border might lead to a broader military operation in the Gaza Strip. "We are closer to a wide scale operation in Gaza than weve ever been. We will send reinforcements to the south. If it becomes necessary, the residents of the Gaza border communities will be evacuated, said the source.

Damage in Sderot following rocket fire (Photo: Avihai Marciano)

Hamas responded to the IDF's claims by threatening Israel with further violence. "The increasing bombardment of Gaza and the harming of our civilians has been pre-planned  Israel will bear responsibility for the consequences and pay for its crimes  Israel will not succeed in imposing any equation on us," said a statement by the terror group.

Damage in Sderot following rocket fire (Photo: Radio Darom)

UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said he was "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."

The United Nations, he said, has engaged with Egypt in an "unprecedented effort" to avoid serious conflict, but cautioned that "the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people".

'Government destroyed deterrence'

Be'er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich demanded the government to treat "a mortar shell fired at the Gaza border area the same as a missile fired toward Tel Aviv."

"The State of Israel cannot continue holding back; balloons, kites, mortars and missiles," he said. "We don't wish for battle, and no one wants another campaign and another war... If the State of Israel can resolve this with the Egyptians and bring back the quiet, it'd be better. But if there is no choice and this continues, with our brothers and sisters on the Gaza border staying in shelters and hearing sirens every few minutesthis is a reality we cannot accept. We demand the State of Israel to do something."

Shrapnel from rocket that landed in Be'er Sheva (Photo: Israel Police)

After the rocket on Be'er Sheva, the Soroka Medical Center in the city decided to move its NICU to a shelter at the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay and Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni visited Sderot on Thursday afternoon after a building in the city suffered damage from the rocket fire.

"We see a government that has the best and strongest military in the Middle East, but unfortunately has failing politicians who don't know how to negotiate, don't know how to deter," Gabbay charged.

"They created a situation in which Saleh al-Arouri, one of the ugliest and most disgusting terrorists in the Middle East, got into Gaza a week ago and put on a show for the cameras. Those who allow such things to happen show weakness against Hamas," he added.

"The Israeli government has eliminated our deterrence against Hamas. For a year it has allowed Hamas to decide when it begins the round of fighting and when it ends it. So it's no wonder two hours after al-Arouri left Gaza, they fired the rockets," Gabbay charged.

Gabbay and Livni in Sderot (Photo: Roi Rubinstein)

He went on to note that "those threatening to get back at Gaza are threatening themselves. We believe in properly negotiating."

"It's clear today this government cannot provide security to the residents of Israel, particularly not to the residents of the south," Livni said. "This thing of 'let the IDF win' and 'military, military, military,' doesn't work without a supplementary diplomatic effort."

"The current Israeli government prefers the State of Hamastan here near the south's residents, which is why it eliminated any possibility of dialogue with the moderate elements. This will condemn residents of the south to live alongside a place ruled by an Islamist, religious, extremist terror organization, with no hope in the long-term," Livni added.

She said while a ceasefire must be reached in the short term, a change must be created in the long-term, "something the government doesn't know how to do, but we do."

That changed, she said, is based on the moves she made during Operation Protective Edge four years ago. "I created international agreements Hamas had to accept, who in the long-term would lead to disarmament, and in the short term would prevent military buildup and allow the Gaza population a reasonable life. This was on the table, but Netanyahu stuttered," she accused.

GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi also visited Sderot along with GOC Home Front Command Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai.

"Over the past 24 hours, we carried out very significant attacks against the Hamas terror organization, which chose to disrupt the peace of the border residents. We're prepared for any scenario and will continue doing all it takes to maintain the residents' security. I'm confident in the steadfastness of the border residents," Maj. Gen Halevi said.






IAF has renewed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning following a continued barrage of rocket fire into the Gaza border communities.
Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi called on the government on Thursday to immediately stop all negotiations with Hamas.

"This is a terrorist organization whose sole purpose is to harm us, and we have to respond  We did it during Operation Protective Edge and this is what we have to do today," he claimed in an interview with Ynet.
BOGOTA - Colombias new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos decision, which was detailed in an August 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law, new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, right, with former Colombia president Juan Manuel Santos (Photo: AFP)

Santos decided to recognize Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbors, the letter said.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota said it was surprised and disappointed.

We ask the Colombian government to reverse the decision made by the previous administration in its last days, which contravenes the close relations, extensive cooperation in vital areas and interests of both countries, it said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

The decision came to light during a visit to Colombia by United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She attended Duques inauguration on Tuesday and on Wednesday visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

Minister Tzachi Hanegbi attend the swearing in ceremony of new Colombia President Ivan Duque

The United States, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the US mission to the United Nations said.

We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East, the Palestine representative said in a statement on Wednesday.

Palestine has been recognized as a sovereign state by the UN General Assembly, the International Criminal Court and at least 136 countries. Prior to Santos' decision, Colombia was the only Latin American nation that did not recognize Palestine.

The Palestinians seek to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. US President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor.
A Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that armed groups in Gaza would stop the latest round of fighting if Israel ceased its attacks on the enclave.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The official, at a joint command centre in Gaza, said the groups, in cross-border violence over the past two days, had been "responding to crimes" by Israela reference to the killing on Tuesday of two gunmen from the Hamas militant organisation.

Damage in Gaza following IDF attacks (Photo: AFP)

"Factions of the resistance consider this round of escalation over as far as we are concerned, and the continuation of calm depends on the behaviour of the occupation," the official said, using militant factions' term for Israel.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the official's remarks.

Earlier, a pregnant Palestinian woman with her 18-month-old child, and a Hamas terrorist, were killed in the Israeli attacks, and at least five civilians were wounded, local medical officials said.

The Israeli military said at least 23 people were wounded in southern Israel. One was identified by her employer as a Thai agricultural worker.

The flare-up came after officials on both sides had talked about potential progress in an effort by the United Nations and Egypt to broker a truce to end months of violence and alleviate deepening humanitarian and economic hardship in the Gaza Strip.

The latest fighting has stayed within familiar parameters. The rocket fire from Gaza has not targeted Israel's heartland and the Israeli military said its air strikes were limited to Hamas installations.

Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner cabinet, told Israel Radio before the Palestinian officials comments that Israel was "not eager for war" but would make no concessions to Hamas.

Netanyahu was due to hold a security cabinet meeting later in the day after consultations with security officials.

Rocket warning sirens sounded almost non-stop in the southern Israeli town of Sderot and other border communities from sunset on Wednesday. Many residents took shelter in safe rooms in their homes. The military said more than 180 rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza.

Ambulance sirens echoed through the night in Gaza, where families huddled at home as powerful explosions shook buildings. The Israeli military said its aircraft struck more than 150 facilities belonging to Hamas.

UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in an overnight statement: "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."

The United Nations, he said, has engaged with Egypt in an "unprecedented effort" to avoid serious conflict, but cautioned that "the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people".
The rocket and mortar shell fire to the western Negev on Wednesday night and Thursday morning proves once again that Hamas is no longer deterred. On the contrary, it's trying to force its own deterrence equation on us.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The reason for this: The State of Israel has managed to convince Hamas that it would do almost anything to avoid sending the IDF into the Gaza Strip for another large-scale military campaign. Government and Cabinet conduct in recent months, IDF actions on the ground, the negotiations with the Egyptians by the Shin Bet director and through the Israeli mediahave all made it clear to the Hamas leaders, beyond any doubt, that Israel is willing to take a lot, so long as it doesn't have to launch a wide scale operation.

IDF bombardments in Gaza overnight (Photo: EPA)

This desirejustified in and of itselfhas in practice become the main objective of Israeli strategy and tactics recently. The government in Jerusalem and the heads of the defense establishment at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv may be constantly declaring that their objective is to reach a stable, long-term calm that provides security and the sense of security to the residents of the western Negevand they mean what they're sayingbut what's happening on the ground makes it absolutely clear to Hamas that the immediate Israeli objective is to prevent another Operation Protective Edge or an even bigger and longer campaign in the strip.

Hamas and the other Palestinian factions see proof of that in the restraint shown by the Cabinet and the IDF in the face of the "incendiary terrorism" and in the responseslimited in scope, time and damageof the IDF to sniper and rocket fire from the strip, including to incidents in which an IDF soldier was killed and civilians and soldiers were wounded. The IDF doesn't hesitate to shoot at Gazans trying to infiltrate Israel, but shows restraint and great caution when responding to other actionsfrom burning fields to rockets and mortar shells, whether Hamas is responsible for them or the "errant" groups are behind them.

Damage to a home in Israel from Gaza rockets (Photo: AFP)

It's important to note that the aerial blows and tank fire the IDF has been hitting Gaza with in recent months in response to fire at Israel are aimed solely at "assets" of the terror organizationsHamas's military wing and at times also the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing. The attacks on the military infrastructure both above and below ground cause great damage to the "resistance" organizationsas the Palestinians call themand at times fatalities as well. It undoubtedly hurts them. But the heads of Hamas and Islamic Jihad's military wings see this as a bearable and legitimate price to the military and psychological achievements.

They see on TV how Gaza border residents are running for shelter at the sound of the Code Red rocket alert sirens every few nights and days, and how the western Negev residents are unable to have a normal daily routine; on the radio they hear the complaints of Israeli residents about how the government is not doing anything; and with their very own eyes they see the smoke billowing from the fields and nature reserves being burned in Israel, hundreds of meters from the border fence. After all, the job of a military wing of a "resistance" organization is to fight and cause damage to the enemy (meaning us) and suffer blows back. It's normal.

Destruction in Gaza following IDF bombing (Photo: Reuters)

Other than the pleasure and excitement at the damage and suffering they cause, Hamas leaders' take from this ongoing state of affairs is that eventually the Israeli government will give in to the pressure and have to meet all of its demands, without it having to make any concessions.

Hamas also realizes from the statements in the media by the prime minister, defense minister, Cabinet ministers and the IDF chief that it is not facing any immediate threat of a large military campaign in the strip, and so it allows itself to let the Palestinian youths continue sparking several fires every day in Israeli border communities using kites and helium balloons. What's graver is that it continues with the deterrence policy of "(Israeli) fire is met with (Hamas and Islamic Jihad) fire."

All of the IDF's recent attempts to make it clear to Hamasusing painful aerial responsesthat this equation does not pay off (it mostly harms Hamas's military wing's ability to deal with the IDF in the next big campaign, and to the Hamas regime in general) did not change Hamas's behavior. On the contrary, Hamas takes it and keeps going. And if the Israeli retaliation is particularly painful, it always has the Egyptian intelligence head and UN envoy Mladenov to mediate a ceasefire before the damage becomes unbearable.

IDF bombardments in Gaza overnight (Photo: AFP)

And that's not all. As a result of this conduct, Hamas has reached the conclusion that in the negotiations over a long-term ceasefire agreement that it is conducting with the Egyptians and the UN envoy, it has all of the best cardsat least when it comes to Israel.

The organization's leadership, which recently convened in Gaza, left for Cairo on Wednesday to tell the Egyptians it will accept their proposal in principle. At the same time, the heads of Hamas are behaving and talking as if they're doing Israel a kindness by agreeing to give it a truce. This is exactly why they're unwilling to make any significant concessions.

Despite the clear distress of both Hamas and the Gaza residents, and despite the fact the organizations has lately been greatly weakened militarily, Hamas is so kind as to accept humanitarian aid and help in the rehabilitation of the strip, but is unwilling to agree to a compromise that would be acceptable to Israel on the return of the Israeli citizens and the remains of soldiers, or on stopping its military buildup. It appears Hamas also believes Israel will pressure Abbas to release the money he stopped transferring to the strip.

Destruction in Gaza following IDF bombing (Photo: AFP)

In return, the heads of Hamas are offering a five-year calm that would ease the terrible suffering of the Gaza residents and the organization itself. Just as important, it would allow Hamas's military wing to regain strength, make preparations underground, and prepare naval and aerial surprises for Israel for the next campaign. All of this while the Cabinetmostly Prime Minister Netanyahuand the IDF's top brass are giving out the clear impression in the media that they have been waiting with bated breath in recent days for Hamas to finally agree to calmof course, on its own terms.

It's possible the IDF's overnight and morning attacks, which have been more extensive and more serious, will cause Hamas to reconsider and change its assumptions. The price these overnight aerial bombardments have exacted is graver than ever before, and more importantlynot just Hamas military attacks were hit, but also economic targetssuch as concrete factorieswhich set back the efforts to rehabilitate the strip. Maybe Hamas will understand after last night what the IDF has been trying to hint to it all this timethat it can cause irreversible damage to its regime in the strip even without sending Israeli tanks and APCs into the alleyways of Gaza.

IDF bombardments in Gaza overnight (Photo: AFP)

For example, Hamas might see burning buildings after incendiary balloons were flown out of them. The residents of those buildings will be forewarned to leave, but their property will burn just like the property of Israelis on the Gaza border. Targeted killings of those responsible for the arson terrorism and rocket launching are also an option for Israel. And at the end of the day, if all of this doesn't help, the Cabinet will send the IDF to a defensive war in the strip.

On this matter, we must beware of the catch. The defense minister's combative rhetoric could give the impression that in the next big round of fighting in Gaza, the IDF will go into the strip and, along with the Shin Bet, stay there for many months until it brings down the Hamas regime. It's important to know this would not necessarily be the case.

Israel can also defeat Hamas by using tactics, fighting methods and accurate and effective weapons that will achieve results fast. If necessary, we could repeat these measures until the Hamas leadership understands Israel and the IDF's strategic paradigm has changed, and that a ceasefire requires concessions and compromises from them as well. Maybe then Cairo and Ramallah will also realize the Israeli Cabinet is not a rubber stamp for the Egyptian intelligence head and the UN envoy.
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid, said on Thursday that Hamas must not be allowed to fire the last shot in the current round of hostilities.

A massive and disproportionate force must be used against Hamas  We need to use all possible tools, including targeted assassinations. Hamas will not be able to write a new equation in which it is able to fire the last shot," he claimed in an interview with Ynet.
The IAF has been bombing the Gaza Strip incessantly since Wednesday evening in retaliation for intense rocket fire from the strip, with dozens of fighter jets striking more than 150 Hamas targets.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Early Thursday evening, the IDF destroyed a multi-story building at the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. The explosion shook buildings as dust and gray smoke filled the air, a Reuters witness said.

At least 18 people were hurt in the air strike, health officials said.

IDF attacks building in al-Shati camp

X

The five-story building, which is officially defined as a cultural center, was used by Hamas's interior security unit, which is responsible for all security operations carried out inside Gaza and is considered to be an executive branch of Hamas's political leadership.

The building served as the office of active unit members. A significant part of the unit's members are also Hamas military operatives.

IAF bombs building (:  ")

X

Witnesses said the air force fired several warning missile at the building before the actual strikea tactic that Israel uses to get people to evacuate buildings that are about to be targeted.

Hamas said that "Israel's targeting cultural centers, such as the Said al-Mishal Cultural Center, is a wild action that belongs to eras in which culture was fought against with fire and gunpowder."





"The attack on the al-Mishal center, which includes the offices of the Egyptian community in Gaza, is a Zionist attempt to destroy all of Egypt's efforts in the Gaza Strip. This is proof that Israel is the enemy of all elements of the Arab nation," Hamas added.

A source inside the strip also rejected claims Hamas used the building for its internal security forces, telling Ynet Hamas's internal security forces are housed in a nearby structure.

IAF missile dropped on building (Photo: AP)

Bombing tunnels

Before noon on Thursday, the IAF fighter jets attacked several terror targets up and down the Gaza Strip, including a military complex belonging to the East Rafah Battalion, an attack tunnel shaft east of Jabalia, and two Hamas attack tunnels near a beach in the central Gaza Strip.

The attacks, the army said, were "part of an ongoing effort to destroy underground terror infrastructure, which the IDF has been leading in recent years."

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Over 20 sites attacked overnight

Overnight Wednesday, IAF jets targeted over 20 terror sites in military compounds and a Hamas training camp. Among the sites targeted were a weapons manufacturing and a storage facility, a complex used for the Hamas' naval force, and a military compound used for rocket launching experiments.

Additionally, five training camps were targeted as well as a main warehouse and a meeting point used by the senior commanders of the Khan Yunis Brigade.

Damages from IAF strikes in Gaza (: )

X

The IDF Spokesperson's Office has also released exclusive footage showing an IAF aircraft striking a terror cell that launched several rockets into Israel only a few minutes earlier.

 "

X

Palestinian officials said at least three people were killed in the Israeli attacks: Hamas fighter Ali Ghandour, 23-year-old Enas Khamash, who was pregnant, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan. At least five civilians were wounded. Gaza's Health Ministry said the militant and the civilians were killed in separate incidents.

Kamal Khamash, brother-in-law of the killed woman, said the family was asleep when the projectile hit the house. The mother and daughter died immediately and the father is in critical condition, Kamal said.

"This is a blatant crime and Israel is responsible for it," he said.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

"The timing of the escalation in Gaza and hurting members of the resistance while the Hamas delegation is in Cairo prove the Israeli enemy wants to sabotage the Egyptian and UN effort to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip," Hamas spokesman Fauzi Barhum charged.

He said Israel was responsible for everything happening in the strip, "and the resistance's response is naturala response to the Israeli crimes an effort to force it to honor the ceasefire understandings from before."

Barhum called on decision makers in the region and the world "to intervene in order to stop this escalation and the harm to the residents and the members of the resistance."

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri also blamed Israel for the escalation, citing the killing of two Hamas gunmen on Tuesday in northern Gaza which he described as unprovoked.

Israeli media reports said fire from the gunmen had apparently been part of a Hamas exercise and not directed at Israel. However an Israeli military spokesman said Hamas operatives had shot in the general direction of Israel's border.

The incident occurred while a group of senior Hamas leaders from abroad were visiting Gaza to discuss the ceases-fire efforts with local leaders.

A top Hamas official told The Associated Press that the group waited for the delegation to leave Gaza before responding with rocket fire late Wednesday.
TEHRAN - Former hard-line Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked President Hassan Rouhani to resign.

In a video published on his Telegram account Thursday, Ahmadinejad said that Iranians do not trust Rouhani. He says: "Your continued presence is at the expense of the country."
GENEVA - The Swiss government regrets the "deteriorating" situation regarding sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran, but recommends Swiss firms pursue their business relations with the Islamic Republic on an informed basis, it said on Thursday.

"US decisions on sanctions do not affect the legal situation in Switzerland with regard to Iran," said Fabian Maienfisch of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Renewed US sanctions may affect Swiss firms that have business relations with Iran, however.

"Switzerland regrets that the sanctions situation in relation to Iran is again deteriorating," he said.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday it was "surprised" by reports in the media that Colombia had decided to recognize the State of Palestine.

We are awaiting explanations from the new government, which is examining the issue, the ministry said.
An Egyptian source said Thursday that Cairo has been making great efforts to stop the escalation in the Gaza Strip, noting that talks are in progress with both sides in an effort to bridge the gaps.
Israel urged Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council on Thursday to condemn Hamas for "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel in the last 24 hours.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in excerpts from a letter to the UN chief and council and distributed to news organizations by Israel's UN mission that Hamas was solely responsible for launching more than 180 rockets from Gaza that injured civilians and damaged factories and homes.

"Alarms have once again shattered the hope of the children of southern Israel for a quiet summer vacationno country would tolerate such a situation," Danon wrote.

He said the international community "must condemn Hamas and place the responsibility for this unacceptable onslaught on the terrorist organization."

Danon added that "Israel will continue to take all necessary measures to prevent harm to civilians and to protect its sovereignty."
Shalev Levi, 13, from Sderot, was the first on the scene to treat his father, who was moderately wounded on Wednesday when a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed near him.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"I was in my room when the Code Red rocket alert was sounded, and my father shouted from outside, telling me to stay in the safe room. He was in the backyard, and then we heard another Code Red siren, and then an explosion," he told Ynet.

"When I went to check what had happened, I saw fire from my sister's room. I went to the living room, where all the windows were shattered, and then I saw that dad was bleeding from his hand," Shalev recounted. "We went outside and he told me, 'Hurry, look for something to tie around my arm.' I saw a cloth on the floor and wrapped it around his arm."

Shalev, left, and his father after he was hurt

"Afterwards we asked our neighbors for help. He was semi conscious. Then the ambulance came. It was a frightening experience, he explained.

Shalevs father, Avraham, 54, praised his son. "Just as I went down the first step, there was Code Red again. I didn't have time to turn around when my arm flew back and was caught on something," he recalled.

"I could not lower it, and then blood started coming out. My body was getting warm, and then Shalev came and took a cloth quickly and made me a tourniquet. He saved me," explained Avraham.

Another Israeli wounded was Caroline Boniel, 31, from Sderot, who is five months pregnant with twins. While running to the safe room, she fell forward on her stomach.

"It happened at about 7:30-8am. I heard the Code Red siren and then a launch by Iron Dome, which made a frightening sound, and that's why I ran to the safe room. I fell on my stomach and also hurt my leg," she told Ynet.

Caroline Boniel

She said doctors are still running tests, and she was still in pain, but that otherwise she and her babies were okay.

Boniel also has a six-year-old daughter and a 15-months-old baby girl. "The baby doesn't really understand what's happening, but the girl does. Every time there's a siren, she runs to the safe room, afraid, crying. It's not easy."

Dr. Iris Harel from the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon said four pregnant women arrived at the hospital seeking treatment since Wednesday.

"Two were suffering from shock, mostly mental stress. Two others fell while running for shelter," she said.

Ofer Hayat from Sderot, whose home suffered a direct hit, told Ynet that "We're tired, hurting and scared. We had a real miracle here. The shrapnel went over my wife and daughter's heads in the living room."

"I have a nursery school here, and it's a miracle this didn't happen in the morning when they (the children) were here," he added.

Direct hit to Sderot home (Photo: Israel Police)

A Thai woman who works at a packaging factory was moderately-to-seriously wounded from a mortar shell that landed in the Eshkol Regional Council. The woman, in her 20s, is suffering shrapnel wounds to her stomach.

The mortar shell landed at the opening of a residential structure near the packing house. "It fell near the entrance, and she must have been outside," said Rafi Ben-David, who used to work at the factory as a foreman.

The agricultural settlement hit in Eshkol (:   )

X

"They have a safe space inside, but it's a matter of seconds" between the Code Red siren and the mortar shell landing, he explained.

Fourteen other workers lived there, but because it happened in the early morning hours, no one else was outside.
WASHINGTON - The United States is watching developments in Gaza closely and believes the situation is very concerning but said Israel has a right to defend itself, the State Department said on Thursday.

"It's a very concerning situation that has taken place in Gaza," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at a news briefing. "Overall, we condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel and call for an end to the destructive violence."
MOSCOW - The Russian military has downed a drone targeting the Hmeimim air base in Syria, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday.

The drone, launched from territory controlled by Syrian rebels, was detected on August 9, RIA reported.
BEIRUT - Syrian military helicopters on Thursday dropped leaflets over parts of the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib, calling on residents to reconcile with the government as warplanes pounded the region, opposition activists said.

The message came as a top humanitarian adviser to the UN warned that "war cannot be allowed to go to Idlib."
Israel and Hamas reported reached a ceasefire on Thursday night, which went into effect at 10:45pm, according Al Jazeera.
Israel and Hamas have reportedly reached a ceasefire under Egyptian mediation, which went into effect at 10:45pm Thursday, according Al Jazeera.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



A source in Gaza confirmed the ceasefire to Ynet, while two Israeli officials denied a truce had been reached, in line with Israel's policy of ambiguity.

An Israeli official said Hamas has been asking for a ceasefire since Thursday morning, but the IDF continued attacking significant targets.

Iron Dome intercepts Gaza rockets (Photos: EPA, Reuters)

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV channel reported late Thursday that a ceasefire has taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm." It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other regional players.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the deal would formally go into effect at midnight.

He said the agreement merely ends the latest two-day burst of violence between Israel and Hamas and added that Egypt would continue efforts to broker a long-term cease-fire.

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said Friday that the reported ceasefire is a mistake.

I understand the desire of the government to enter into negotiations, but Israel must end the terror with military assistance. This on and off war is unhealthy, Davidi said.

Over 180 rockets have been fired from Gaza over the past 24 hours, with the IDF retaliating with heavy bombardments in the strip, destroying a 5-story building, as well as several terror tunnels, military complexes and other targets.

At least seven Israelis were wounded from the Gaza rockets, with one landing as far as Be'er Sheva. Mortar shells and rockets also hit the entrance of a residential home in Sderot, a house in Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and a building in an industrial zone of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. The Iron Dome intercepted at least 30 rockets.

Palestinian officials said at least three people were killed in the Israeli attacks: Hamas fighter Ali Ghandour, 23-year-old Enas Khamash, who was pregnant, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan. At least five civilians were wounded. Gaza's Health Ministry said the militant and the civilians were killed in separate incidents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF chief Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman and head of the National Security Council Meir Ben Shabat ar the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon.

Following the consultations, a government official said that "Hamas has suffered a serious blow. Israel will continue acting with strength."

According to the official, the prime minister and defense minister instructed the IDF to prepare for any scenario.

Channel Ten said Netanyahu delayed the Security Cabinet meeting that followed these consultations by two hours to allow the Egyptians to press forward with their mediation work.

After a four-hour meeting, the Cabinet issued a short statement, saying it had directed the army "to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements." It did not elaborate.

Situation assessment at the Kirya base (Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Israel had "ground troops that are ready to deploy. We are reinforcing the southern command and Gaza division." He wouldn't comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Despite the animosity, the enemies have signaledthrough their contacts with Egyptthat they want to avoid another war.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gaza's economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two Israelis believed to be alive and held by Hamas.

At the United Nations, Israel's ambassador, Danny Danon, urged the secretary-general and UN Security Council to condemn Hamas militants for what he called "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Mideast envoy, said he was "deeply alarmed" and appealed for calm. He said the situation "can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said US officials were concerned by the situation in Gaza.

"Overall, we condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel, and call for an end to the destructive violence. We've seen reports that 180 or so rocket attacks have taken place, shot from Gaza into Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to defend itself, and to take actions to prevent provocations of that nature," Nauert said.

Tension along the Israel-Gaza border has escalated since late March, when Hamas launched what would become regular mass protests along Israel's perimeter fence with Gaza. The protests have been aimed in part at trying to break the blockade.

Israel and Hamas have engaged in several bouts of fighting this month. The latest round erupted Tuesday, when the Israeli military struck a Hamas military post in Gaza after it said militants fired on Israeli troops on the border. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed after taking part in a gunfire parade inside a militant camp.

The incident occurred while a group of senior Hamas leaders from abroad were visiting Gaza to discuss the ceases-fire efforts with local leaders.

A top Hamas official told The Associated Press that the group waited for the delegation to leave Gaza before responding with rocket fire late Wednesday.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - As thousands of Arizona Western College students head back to campus, theyll experience the dreaded ritual of buying textbooks and course materials. Its the second-leading cause of stress for students after paying the tuition bill, according to a new Morning Consult survey.

This year, students finally have a better option: an all-access subscription for course materials for one price, no matter how many they use. Its called Cengage Unlimited.

A subscription can save students up to half of what they currently pay for textbooks (the average student spends about $580 a year, with some spending significantly more). A subscription to Cengage Unlimited costs about $120 a semester or $180 a year.

Other survey highlights:

Nearly half of students (43%) of students say theyve skipped meals to afford course materials

A whopping 85% of students say buying textbooks is financially stressful  more so than housing, health care and food

Minority students are more likely to say they take fewer classes to save money on textbooks

African American students are 35% more likely to skip a trip home to save money for books

64% of Hispanic students have opted not to buy the required textbooks to save money
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
8 hours ago

In the middle of a crisis, Facebook Inc. renames itself Meta

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Like many companies in trouble before it, Facebook is changing its name and logo. Facebook Inc. is now called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the  metaverse. But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

Read Article
McDermott International, Inc. provides engineering, procurement, construction and installation, and technology solutions to the energy industry worldwide. It operates through five segments: North, Central and South America; Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian; the Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Technology. It designs, engineers, and constructs upstream offshore oil and gas facilities, downstream oil and gas facilities, gas-fired power plants, liquefied natural gas import and export terminals, atmospheric and refrigerated storage vessels and terminals, water storage and treatment facilities, pipe and module fabrication, hydrocarbon processing facilities, pipe fabrication and manufacturing, and refining and petrochemical facilities. The company also provides gas processing, refining, petrochemical and coal gasification technologies, as well as a supplies catalysts, equipment, and related engineering services. It serves national, integrated, and other oil and gas companies, as well as producers of petrochemicals and electric power. McDermott International, Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read More
Westpac Banking Corp. engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Bank, Business Bank, BT Financial Group (Australia), Westpac Institutional Bank, Westpac New Zealand and Group Businesses. The Consumer Bank segment covers consumer banking products and services under the Westpac, St. George, BankSA, Bank of Melbourne and RAMS brands. The Business Bank segment involves in sales and customer service of small-to-medium enterprise, commercial and agribusiness customers under the Westpac, St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA brands. The BT Financial Group (Australia) segment manages wealth and insurance division. The Westpac Institutional Bank segment delivers a range of financial services to commercial, corporate, institutional, and government customers. The Westpac New Zealand segment comprises sales and service of banking, wealth, and insurance products for consumer, business, and institutional customers. The Group Businesses segment treasury which is responsible for the management of the Group's balance sheet, group technology which includes functions for the Australian businesses, and core support which covers

Read More
Thursday, August 2, 2018, marked the birthday of the younger sister of GHOne TV newscaster and presenter Joyce Serwaa Amihere.

To mark the occasion, Serwaa, as the broadcaster is simply called, took to her Instagram account to celebrate the younger sister.

Sharing photos of Maame Gyamfua, as her younger sister is called, Serwaa described her as a best friend and the best sister anyone could ask for.

READ ALSO: Obinim lists Ken Agyapong and 5 other people whose riches are divine (Video)

"My best friend, I love you! Happy birthday, Mami...Youre the best sister anyone could ask for! I love love love you!! @mamiohmyhair @oh_my_hairr Gown: @sima_brew," she posted.

Since Serwaa shared the photo, many of her fans have congratulated Maame on her new age.

READ ALSO: Latest hot video of the SHS leaver in viral 'adult' video with 3 guys shows she's a very wild girl

But of particular interest is the striking resemblance the two share.

For some of them, like Fella and Pinamang, the resemblance was such that Serwaa and Gyamfuaa could pass as twins.

@therealrhonkefella "Happy Birthday to your Twin"

@adwoapinamang "Its crazy that you guys arent twins"

Others described the resemblance as incredible like @asamoahpriscill who said: "Eeii the resemblance is incredible... Nice"

And @solaakinboye who chose to describe the birthday girl another Serwaa"Happy birthday 2anoda u-ur beautiful sis"

@sistadziffa came in with a funny one saying: "I see you serwaa jeeeezzz yur mum n dad cousins them? "

Serwaa was not the only one who celebrated Maame Gyamfuaa on her special day as another GHOne TV broadcaster, Nana Aba Anamoah, who is like a big sister to Serwaa, also had shared gorgeous photos of Maame.

READ ALSO: Top Nigerian monarch has just declared himself richer than Dangote and here's why

"Isnt she lovely? Its a special day for @oh_my_hairr CEO . Love you Maame Gyamfua ," she captioned the photos.

Interestingly, Nana Aba's followers also saw the striking resemblance between Maame and Serwaa even though the post did not state clearly who she was.

READ ALSO: Where did you pass? - Fan says Nana Aba Anamoah is not beautiful after seeing photos of her younger sister

@_elenita7_ said: "She resembles Serwaa "

@dat_chique also said: "She looks like serwaa....she is pretty "

For @esawaa she could not differentiate between Serwaa and her sister:"Happy birthday my lovely news anchor. God bless your new age and age with grace. @oh_my_hairr"

Much is not known about Maame Gyamfuaa but she is known to be the owner or 'Oh My Hair', one of the leading hairline shops in Accra.

She is said to be a frequent visitor to the United States.

Judging from her photos, there is no doubt beauty runs in the family.

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Is Everyone Talking About It? | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- YEN.com.gh has been interacting with some SHS students about the double-track system for SHS

- The system divides the student body and staff for each given school into two different tracks will allow for an alternation arrangement.

YEN.com.gh has been speaking to a section of students to test their understanding of the double-track SHS system.

The system will divide the student body and staff for each given school into two different groups with an alternation arrangement.

Teacher motivation will in consequence, be increased from 20 hours for the year to 70 hours for the year.

A group of SHS students (Photo credit: supplied)

READ ALSO: 5 reasons why President Akufo-Addo sacked Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko

The arrangement has attracted divergent opinions from the Ghanaian populace.

Whereas some are optimistic that the system will help tackle the challenges confronting the current single-track system, others think otherwise.

Amidst the controversies surrounding the imminent implementation, senior high students seem to be uninformed on the subject.

Some of the students YEN.com.gh has been speaking to seem not to have a clear understanding of the system.

READ ALSO: Election 2020: I rejected $1 million from NDC - Owusu Bempah drops revelation

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook or Instagram page.

Source: Yen
- Chinese locals raised concerns about a move by the atheist ruling Community Party to control Christianity and other religions

- Residents lamented that they are facing serious religious persecution

- Experts stated the government is waging the most severe systematic suppression of the religion since 1982

There are outcries in China as the ruling Communist party continues to intensify its control over religious freedom in the country.

Daily Mail reports that churches were raided and demolished, Bibles and other holy books were confiscated and new laws were established to monitor religious activities in the country's province of Henan, which has one of the largest Christian populations in China.

NAIJ.com gathered that under President Xi Jinping, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms reduced even as the country undergoes a religious revival.

READ ALSO: Ex-NEMA boss, sacked for corruption joins PDP Kaduna race

Experts and activists say that the president is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982.

Guo, a 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 Guo, who gave his last name only from fear of retribution.

The crackdown on Christianity is reportedly part of President Xis strategy to 'Sinicise' all the nation's religions by infusing them with Chinese characteristics such as loyalty to the Communist Party.

Over the last several months, local governments across the country have reportedly 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.

According to Daily Mail, a dozen Chinese Protestants described gatherings that were raided, interrogations and surveillance, and one pastor said hundreds of his congregants were questioned individually about their faith.

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.

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, the pastor said.

He added that his congregants faced veiled threats 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.

A lot of our flock are terrified by the pressure that the government is putting on them, he said.

It's painful to think that in our own country's capital, we must pay so dearly just to practice our faith.

In Zhengzhou, Henan's 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.

The church inside a commercial building had reportedly 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.

Protestant churches are not spared

Even Protestant churches already registered with the state have not been spared greater restrictions.

Five Protestant churches recently visited in Henan all bore notices at their entrances stating that minors and party members were not allowed inside, Daily Mail reports.

A banner above one church door exhorted members to implement the basic direction of the party's religious work. Another church erected a Chinese flag at the foot of its steps.

Islam, other religions also face repression

Elsewhere in China, religious practices and activities remain strictly controlled.

In Xinjiang, the newspaper reports that Muslim-majority region in the country's far west, millions of ethnic Uighurs face repression and torture as authorities claimed to rule out potential separatist movements.

Former inmates have told of the horror after being detained in what the Chinese government calls political re-education camps, where they were physically and mentally tortured and as punishment, were forced to eat pork and drink alcohol.

In late July, children in traditionally Buddhist Tibet were required to sign an agreement to 'not take part in any form of religious activity' during the summer holidays, according to the Global Times.

The policy appears to reflect increasingly harsh restrictions on the Himalayan region's traditional Buddhist culture, largely aimed at reducing the influence of the region's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India.

On Tuesday, August 7, state media reportedly announced that all religious institutions across the country are now required to fly the national flag, in a move to assimilate religions into the socialist society.

Xinhua claimed the rule is necessary to strengthen awareness of respect for the flag - a symbol of the country's embrace of communism in 1949 - and preserve the flag's dignity, adding that the practice can enhance the public's national consciousness and civic awareness.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that Chinese authorities in Central Henan province issued a warning forbidding any Christian gatherings in the area and placing Christians under house arrest.

China Aid reported that Chinese officials are also tearing down couplet door decorations that use Christian language.

According to an anonymous source in Shangqiu, Henan, Christians in the province have been placed under house arrest without charge, with police officers watching their residence

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System:

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos.

Source: Yen
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

Have national and human interest issues to discuss?

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: Yen.com.gh
Tracy Sarkcess, the newly-wedded wife of award-winning rapper, Sarkodie, has come under siege on social media over comments she made regarding the ongoing spat between the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and Menzgold.

The BoG had faulted Menzgold, a gold trading company belonging to the owner of Zylofon Media owner, Nana Appiah Mensah, for engaging in banking activities which include deposit-taking.

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, parts of the notice read.

READ ALSO: You're 'sizeless' - Hilarious throwback video of Nana Ama McBrown in Sony Achiba's music clip excites fans

Tracy Sarkcess, while commenting on the notice which had been posted on Instagram by Nana Aba Anamoah, told the BoG to leave Menzgold alone and rather focus on banks that were squandering people's monies.

Going on to 'educate' the BoG, she explained there is a difference between those squandering money and those helping others to make money.

She wrote: 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.

But her comments seems to have landed her in trouble as many Ghanaians have found them inappropriate.

For many of them, Tracy was not competent enough in the field she was delving into and must therefore be in her lane and leave the experts to do their work.

READ ALSO: 5 people who are weeping most over Boakye Agarkos sacking

In what could be described as the biggest backlash of her life, Tracy Sarkcess has been subjected to tons of attacks by social media users.

Vi Vy threw a serious jab at Tracy:

Abass thought Tracy did not know what she was talking about:

Nana Amoah also described Tracy as ignorant:

READ ALSO: Otiko Djaba kicked out of gov't in latest reshuffle; Alan Kyeremanteng moved to Health Ministry

Nana Aba thought Tracy should emulate celebrity wives like Stonebwoy's wife, Loiusa, and John Dumelo's wife, Gifty, and be quiet about certain things:

Takyi disputed Tracy's claim:

Maame thought Tracy was behaving like Shatta:

READ ALSO: 5 rich man who got turned down 3 times by a lady after he disguised himself as a truck driver shares story

But it was not all attack as Tracy had a good number of people defending her. For every attack on Tracy, there was an equal response.

Henry responded to Takyi:

Abena also had word for Maame:

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, August 6, sacked the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the head of communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin.

"President Akufo-Addo has asked Mr. 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," parts of the statement read.

The decision to fire Boakye Agyarko comes after reports that the president was misled when he approved the controversial new Ameri deal for parliamentary consideration.

Though the sack letter did not communicate exactly why he was axed from government, it is believed that these 5 key factors may have been part of the reasons.

YEN.com.gh has compiled a list of people who will be most affected by the sacking.

1. Boakye Agyarko himself:

Boakye Agyarko (Photo credit: Supplied)

There is no need saying the sacking of Boakye Agyarko as the Energy Minister will come as a big blow to he, himself.

READ ALSO: Otiko Djaba kicked out of gov't in latest reshuffle; Alan Kyeremanteng moved to health ministry

Firstly, as someone with a vast experience in banking, his credibility has been virtually shattered and would be difficult for him to recover.

Secondly, his presidential ambition (he contested the NPP flagbearership in 2007) has effectively been extinguished

2. Family and immediate friends:

Boakye Agyarko's brother, Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko

Boakye Agyarko's family, especially his wife and children, will be very much affected as himself for obvious reasons.

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

For friends, Agyarko will be out of office for some time and it may affect expenditure or the help he could offer them.

His brother, Emmanuel Agyarko, who happens to be the NPP MP for Ayawaso-West-Wuogon, may also suffer a bit because his name.

3) His staff and aides:

Nana Damoah (Photo source: Facebook/Nana Damoah)

Agyarko worked with a some staff and aides. Some of these people would have benefited politically and materially, if he had remained in office.

READ ALSO: Handsome rich man who got turned down 3 times by a lady after he disguised himself as a truck driver shares story

With him going, these people will lose the potential benefits.

Already, there is a casualty in Nana Damoah, the PRO of the Energy Ministry who has announced that he will be stepping down.

4. President Nana Akufo-Addo:

President Akufo-Addo (Photo credit: Supplied)

President Nana Akufo-Addo and Boakye Agyarko are known to have been very close friends.

READ ALSO: Wild throwback video of Nana Ama McBrown in a music video with Sony Achiba cracks ribs of Ghanaians

Agyarko was the chairman for AKufo-Addo's 2016 campaign nd the president has often spoken highly of him even in power.

In fact, in his first State of the Nation Address (SoNA), Akufo-Addo singled Agyarko out for praise for the way he handled the 'dumsor' crisis.

It must therefore have been very painful for him to sack such a close friend, confidante and political strategist.

5. His supporters both in the NPP and outside:

Some NPP supporters at an event (Photo credit: Supplied)

When he contested for the NPP flagbearship in 2007, he garnered some votes meaning there are people who want to see him as president.

READ ALSO: Abronye quits NPP; accuses party of being unfair

It must therefore be painful for them to see such a thing happen.

Apart from his supporters in the NPP, there are neutrals or even NDC people who would have loved him to stay on because he has been able to banish 'dumsor'.

Ghana News 2018: John Mahamas Salary - Why Is Everyone Talking About It? | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.gh
It has always been said that love is a beautiful thing and that falling in love is the best thing to happen to anyone.

It goes without saying that women tend to be more inclined to love and expressing their love when they eventually fall for their Mr. Right.

Some of these ladies who have had the chance to date and even marry men who are all over the place, have ended up becoming their significant others number 1 fans.

These women who are not usually all over the place but are married to some of Ghanas top male celebrities have started coming out of that bubble and have started flaunting their love.

READ ALSO: Efia Odo flaunts her 'forever young' mother in stunning photo

Many of these women have capitalized on technology and social media and have started expressing their love for their husbands.

Today, YEN.com.gh brings you 4 women who have flaunted and heaped countless praise on their celebrity husbands.

1. Tracy Sarkcess

Tracy and Sarkodie. Credit: Supplied

The wife of Ghanas fastest award-winning rapper, Michael Owusu Addo has stuck with him for over a decade and got married in 2018. The two have dated for a long time and have a daughter, Titi, together.

She has supported her husbands talent from his broke days to days he signed multi-million dollar deals.

READ ALSO: Tracy Sarkcess under attack on social media over Menzgold-Bank of Ghana saga

2. Annica Nsiah-Apau

Annica and Okyeame Kwame. Credit: Supplied

Annica who happens to be the wife of Okyeame Kwame is among the ladies who have flaunted and heaped praise on her husband. Annica has also taken time to pose in photos and flaunt her children in most of their pictures.

In many wide-ranging interviews she has granted, she used most of the time to gush about her husband and family.

3. Louisa Satekla

Stonebwoy and Louisa. Credit: Supplied

The dentist wife of the multiple award-winning dancehall act has taken time to flaunt her man and also heap praise on him. In a recent video, she was seen in a video chopping love with her man in a moving vehicle.

4. Shatta Michy

Shatta Michy and Shatta Wale. Credit: Supplied

Known in real life as Diamond Michelle Gbagonah, Shatta Michy and Shatta Wale can be considered as one of Ghanas top power couples. They have been through thick and thin and are currently having some issues in their relationship.

In many interviews, she has gushed over the fact that she was madly in love with her award-winning boyfriend and father of her son.

READ ALSO: Throwback video of Nana Ama McBrown in a music video with Sony Achiba pops up

Watch: Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh

Have national and human interest issues to discuss?

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: Yen
YEN.com.gh can confirm that popular Ghanaian actress and Instagram model, Moesha Bodoung is currently in the United States for a vacation.

This is according to Moesha's recent activity on the social media network.

Posting a photo of herself in on Wednesday evening, Moesha wrote: "Summer vacation "

A look at the picture which was tagged to have been taken at the Kotoka International Airport suggests the actress was sitting in an aeroplane.

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

Wearing a kente-designed black t-shirt designed over a pair of blue jeans Moesha look excited as she smiled for the picture.

While this picture (post) looked very regular and got a lot of Moesha's followers wishing her well, many others are raising concerns over how she got the funds for the vacation.

READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo, 4 other people who will be pained most by Boakye Agarkos sacking

For them, Moesha could not afford such a trip herself and does must reveal her sponsor.

@nanayaw4real_ started it all with this claim: "Where is ur sponsor? I know u cant afford such vacation ur self"

@mira_ugo also expressed similar thoughts with an even punchy "This ashawo girl whr r u going to? And whose father or husband is sponsoring it?"

@decker055 asked if it was a 'sugar daddy' who sponsored the trip:"The sugar daddy sponsor anaaa?"

For @addo718 Moesha just did not deserve to go on a vacation:"How many hours have you worked to deserve a vaca???"

@sexyayew also wondered why Moesha will be travelling to the US for summer vacation when made summer was almost ending: "Summer is almost over lol"

READ ALSO: Otiko Djaba kicked out of gov't in latest reshuffle; Alan Kyeremanteng moved to health ministry

Many of the sentiments shared by Moesha's followers is likely stemming from the fact that Moesha recently suggested that many Ghanaian ladies rely on 'sugar daddies' to survive the harsh economic conditions.

In an interview with CNN in April, she confessed to depending on a married man for survival.

According to her, Ghanas economy is so hard that women cannot survive on their own unless they depend on men  married ones.

But after being bashed on the social media for her comments, Moesha seemed to have toned down and she recently revealed that she would be getting married soon.

Meanwhile, Gambian actress, Princess Shyngle, who is also known to be one of friend of Moesha has also come under attack on social media over a video from her vacation in Amsterdam.

This follows an observation by a social media user that Shyngle's legs are too skinny for her humongous backside.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- An NPP Constituency Chairman, Dr. Gabriel Afotey, has stated that Boakye Agyarko was fired because he wanted to be president of Ghana

- He went ahead to question the decision to sack Agyarko, claiming that everyone has ambitions in life

- He also disclosed that his constituents haven threatened to vote against the NPP in the next general election

The Yilo Krobo Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Part (NPP), Dr. Gabriel Afotey, has revealed the reason for which Boakye Agyarko was removed from office.

According to him, some key members in government plotted Agyarkos exit because he wished to be president in future.

He revealed that Agyarko hails from his constituency and his removal from office has sparked a protest among his constituents.

Boakye Agyarko was removed from office as Energy Minister Source:Supplied

READ ALSO: Otiko Djaba kicked out office in latest reshuffle

In that regard, he went on, he has received information to the effect that his constituents will vote against NPP in the next general election.

Nana Addo doesnt want our good. Are they trying to tell us Boakye Agyarko did not follow the rightful processes? We dont want to go deep into this issue.

They shouldnt paint him black because he has a presidential ambition. Who on this earth doesnt have an ambition? He quizzed in an interview on NEAT FMs morning show dubbed Ghana Montie.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, as the acting Minister of Energy, until a substantive appointment is made.

READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo and 4 others who will regret Boakye Agyarko's exit

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos

Source: Yen
- The aviation minister, Cecilia Dapaah, is likely to be the sanitation minister

- The choice to move her to the Sanitation Ministry is due to her capacity as a minister

- The government reshuffle will see some ministers kicked out of government

YEN.com.gh has learned that Madam Cecilia Dapaah, the aviation minister, is likely to be assigned to the Sanitation Ministry to oversee issues of poor sanitation in the country.

Barring any last minute changes, Madam Cecilia Dapaah will now be wearing her gloves to fight the issues of poor sanitation in the country.

Already, Cecilia Dapaah is feared as the "Iron Lady" at the aviation ministry. Her radical reforms there, have seen massive development and expansion of the sector.

The latest being the T3 expansion of the airport which has gained Kotoka International Airport a reputation as one of the most modern airports in the country.

The likely to be moved or sacked sanitation minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, has come under wild criticism over the poor sanitation crisis in the country but the minister says it takes time to keep Ghana clean.

According to him, "the overnight solution people are expecting to get from the Sanitation Ministry will not happen just like that. It will take some time."

The minister says his ministry inherited a country heaped with rubbish across towns and cities and that it takes a long time for Ghana to become a clean city.

"As a minister, my role is not to go round with a broom and wheelbarrow to sweep and collect rubbish. I can assure you by the end of the year you will see Accra very clean, the minister assured Ghanaians during an interview with Starr FM.

The issue of sanitation continues to be of grave worry to the government. President Akufo-Addo recently engaged the services of major sanitation firms on best ways to tackle issues of sanitation in the country.

Ministerial reshuffle:

YEN.com.gh has learned that the minister of gender and social protection, Otiko Djaba, has been kicked out of office in the latest reshuffle list.

This is based on some unconfirmed information from close sources to the presidency.

In fact, MyNewsGh.com has claimed that barring any last minute changes, other ministers as the trade minister, Alan Kyeremanteng, will also be moved from the Trade Ministry to the Health Ministry.

READ ALSO: Abronye quits NPP; accuses party of being vicious and unfair

Also, the minister for lands and natural resources, John Peter Amewu, has been moved to the Energy Ministry following the sacking of Boakye Agyarko.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System:

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos.

Source: Yen
- Abraham Attah is ready to star in Ghanaian movies

- According to Abraham Attah, he would only star in Ghanaian movies that would be online

Ghanaian young actor, Abrham Attah, says he is ready to star in Ghanaian movies, but he has given out his condition before making that move.

The 17 year-old gained international fame with his role in Beasts of No Nation.

However, in Citinewsroom.com report sighted by YEN.com.gh, the affable actor told broadcaster Abeiku Santana in an interview that he would only star in Ghanaian movies that would be on online streaming network, Netflix.

READ ALSO: Moesha Boduong shares photo of her going on vacation in the US

I havent gotten any script from any Ghanaian director but if they want me to feature in a local movie, that movie should have a future and should be on an international platform like Netflix. I have a manager in Ghana and in USA who send me scripts if only the movie is good, Abraham Attah said.

Attah got into the limelight after starring in Idris Elbas award-winning movie Beasts of No Nation.

The movie shot in Ghana starred Ama K. Abebrese, Fred Amugi and Grace Nortey.

Abraham Attah received the Marcello Mastroianni Best Young Actor Award at the 2015 Venice Film Festival. Source: Ameyawdebrah.com

READ ALSO: Boakye Agyarko was kicked out because he wished to be president  NPP Chairman

Beast of No Nation was the first fictional feature produced and distributed by Netflix.

In 2015, Abraham won Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at Venice Film Festival, won Best Male Lead award at the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards, and also Rising Star Award at the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC).

In 2017, he was appointed by the Ministry of Education as an ambassador for the Free Senior High School programme.

READ ALSO: Princess Shyngle under attack over latest video of her dancing in Amsterdam

About Netflix

Netflix is an American over-the-top media services provider which offers online streaming of a library of films and television programmes.

Netflixs initial business model included DVD sales and rental by mail, although Hastings jettisoned DVD sales about a year after Netflixs founding to focus on the DVD rental business.

In 2007, Netflix expanded its business with the introduction of streaming media, while retaining the DVD and Blu-ray rental service.

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale accepts Hammer's request to sell 1m copies of his 'The Reign' album

The company expanded internationally, with streaming made available to Canada in 2010 and continued growing its streaming service from there; by January 2016, Netflix services operated in over 190 countries  it is available worldwide except Mainland China, Syria, and North Korea.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page:

Source: Yen
- Ibrah One has supported the Bank of Ghana in their saga with Nana Appiah Mensah's Menzgold

- This is because Ibrah One believes the source of Menzgold's high returns on investments is not legit

Ghanaian rich kid, Ibrahim Dauda, popularly known as Ibrah 1, has thrown a shade at Nana Appiah Mensah over the recent controversy between the latter's Menzgold company and the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The BoG had faulted Menzgold, a gold trading company belonging to the Zylofon Media owner for engaging in banking activities which include deposit-taking.

This was contained in a notice issued and signed by the secretary of the Central bank, Mrs Caroline Otoo.

Ibrah One (Photo credit: Supplied)

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, parts of the notice read.

READ ALSO: Moesha Bodoung in trouble after sharing photo of her going to US for vacation

In a subtle mockery of Nana Appiah Mensah's fate, Ibrah 1 posted a screenshot of the notice on his Snapchat with some interesting comments.

Ibrah One shared a photo of BoG's notice (Photo credit: Snapchat/Ibrah One)

"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 returns. You can fool the whole Ghana but not me, Ibrah One," he posted.

READ ALSO: Top Ghanaian actress narrowly escapes death in Nigeria (Video)

Ibrah One's first comment (Photo credit: Snapchat/Ibrah One)

Ibrah further went on to post that "only time will tell. It's not right for me to make a statement now..."

READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo finally declares Ghanas position on homosexuality

Ibrah One's second comment (Photo credit: Snapchat/Ibrah One)

Judging from Ibrah's post, it is obvious that he knows much more than the ordinary Ghanaian.

READ ALSO: Sunyani girl's "wicked" photos and videos leak as they fall into wrong hands

But it should not surprise us Ibrah comes out to state that his claim was just for hype as he has done before.

It will be recalled that Ibrah once labelled some prominent people including Nana Appiah Mensah as money launderers during one of his many social media rants in May.

But after some time, he disclosed in an interview that he did it all just for the HYPE and even had the guts to blame bloggers for not distinguishing between when he was making a joke or being serious.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.gh
- The vice-president has come out in defence his party is doing on the economy

- But the majority of YEN.com.gh's followers on Facebook feel Dr Bawumia is not being honest

The vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has dramatically incited the anger of Ghanaians after praising the work his government has done since coming to power. Respondents on Facebook largely disagreed with the vice president and were not shy to say.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaigned in 2016 on the back of doing a better job for Ghanaians on the economy. As such, in December of that year, it seems the electorate trusted them and gave power to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

But since assuming power, it seems some of the problems from the time of National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been harder to solve. Apart from that, many of the bigger campaign promises of the NPP have not happened.

READ ALSO: The 10 most popular songs among "sakawa" boys

Clearly, many are not happy with the government and they are expressing it in no uncertain terms. Dr Bawumia is the head of the NPP's Economic Management Team so some feel he is actually praising himself on the economy.

As follows are some the some of the comments YEN.com.gh picked up.

User Markus Zoore Kuutege does not seem to trust Dr Bawumia very much and he replied as such.

Gmatim Justice was more philosophical. The user compared the language of Dr Bawumia in opposition and his language now.

Facebook user Paul Medicine was not to be left out. The user described the the vice-president's comments in very strong language.

READ ALSO: Moesha Boduong shares photo of her going on vacation in the US

And lastly, Bright Kantah was more patient because he feels the next general elections are just two years away.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook.

Source: Yen.com.gh
- The vice-president was one of the most influential people for the NPP in the lead-up to the elections of 2016

- It seems the greater majority of the people believe Dr Bawumia's NPP are failing Ghanaians

The attempt by vice-president Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to make the case that the Ghanaian economy is in a better shape than when his party came to power seems to have backfired miserably.

This is because as YEN.com.gh put out the statement from the vice-president, angry Ghanaians could not take well to his defence. This anger spilled into rather bizarre, mean and sometimes funny responses to Dr. Bawumia.

The one which caught our eye was from Facebook user Yaw Oduro Sarpong. Sarpong had strong words for the vice-president who he felt was out of touch with reality.

READ ALSO: Social media lashes out at Dr Bawumia on his defence of economy

Earlier, YEN.com,gh carried initial social media responses to the the statement by the vice-president. As well, there was very little sympathy or understanding for the former deputy of the Bank of Ghana.

Dr Bawumia apart from his role as vice-president, is the head of the Econnomic Management Team (EMT) of the Akufo-Addo government. He has been marketed by his New Patriotic Party (NPP) as an economic guru.

In the course of the campaign in 2016 for the presidency, Dr Bawumia was one of the most influential people who damaged the Mahama-government's brand. His periodic lectures on the economy was popular among Ghanaians.

READ ALSO: These are the biggest business tycoons in Ghana

It is therefore not surprising that a man who was highly trusted is now the target of jokes and insults because the people believe he is failing. It seems to be a case of "to whom much is given, much is expected".

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook.

Source: Yen News
- President Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghana will never legalize homosexuality

- He passed the remark at the Global Evangelical Churchs 2018 SYNOD

The president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has ruled out the possibility of legalizing same-sex marriage in Ghana.

Speaking at the Global Evangelical Churchs 2018 SYNOD on the theme, Effective Discipleship; The Cross and our Commitment, the president assured that the church has no reason to be worried that his government will legalize the phenomenon in Ghana.

He further noted that his government does not have the authority to legalize homosexuality, and even if it did, it will never exercise the authority to do same.

READ ALSO: Photos of NPP supporters at war over an MCE leak online

His assurance was in response to caution by the Rt. Rev Setorwu Kwadzo Ofori, the Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church, to him not to under any circumstances, bow to international pressure calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Ghana.

Touching on the calls for churches to be taxes, President Akufo-Addo argued that some members of the clergy display excessive affluence.

He revealed that this tempts one to conclude that there is no immediate intent to focus attention on the poor and vulnerable in society.

He went on to say that it is no surprise that the issue has come, as the church avails itself to the possibility of taxes once it steps out of the charity sphere, education and healthcare.

READ ALSO: Seven songs that will always get slay queens dancing

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- Ghanaian actress Ella has suffered a robbery attack in Nigeria

- The attack which happened on Tuesday in Lagos saw her being robbed at gunpoint

Ghanaian actress Ella Mensah has shared a story of how she narrowly escaped death in Nigeria earlier this week after she was robbed at gunpoint.

According to Ella who is currently in Lagos, she suffered the unfortunate accident on Tuesday.

Sharing a video of the car she was riding in on Instagram, Ella disclosed that it was really scary experience.

She was, however, thankful to God for seeing her through.

READ ALSO: Moesha Bodoung in trouble after sharing photo of her going to US for vacation

She wrote on Instagram: Never been afraid of my life until this past Tuesday Never seen a real gun,until this past Tuesday, never prayed for my life as hard as I did until this past Tuesday God!! I thought I was going to die n never see my son again Im grateful they spared my life Thank u Lord n a another Thank You to everyone who reach out to me even though I didnt even have a fon cus they took everything Im good n I will be better soon.

Born on June 16, 1987 in Accra, she was officially christened Emmanuella Gifty Mensah.

READ ALSO: Photo of Jackie Appiahs ex-husband looking all fashionable at their wedding hits the internet

She made her acting debut in the movie, 'Crime to Christ' and has been featuring in both Ghanaian and Nigerian movies since that time.

Ella often shuffles between Ghana and Nigeria for her movie roles.

Often described as a controversial person for her radical views, she was in the news recently for attacking Akosua Vee, wife of musician turned politician, A-Plus.

Ella Mensah had disclosed at the wedding of Bibi Bright that she was dating a married man and that she is happy with him.

Taking to Facebook to criticise her for publicly saying that she was happily dating a married man, Akosua Vee reminded Ella that 'karma' was going to deal with her.

But the actress did not take it kindly attacked Akosua Vee saying she had no right to criticise her for dating a married man because she also did the same before getting married to Kwame A-Plus.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh?

Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen
- An International court has slapped a $160 million judgement debt on the University of Ghana

- This was with respect to a $64 million contract with Africa Integras Project to construct beds for students

- The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

An International court has reportedly awarded a judgement debt of $160 million against the University of Ghana, Legon.

Information available to YEN.com.gh shows that this is in respect of a contract with Africa Integras Project to construct 1000 new students hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus.

The University of Ghana was charged with unfairly terminating a contract that was started during the tenure of its former Vice Chancellor, Professor Ernest Aryeetey.

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, Legon

READ ALSO: I will never legalize homosexuality - President Akufo-Addo

The ruling dismissed the two claims by University of Ghana and awarded termination costs of more than $160 million to the project developers, Africa Integras Project.

The University, in the year 2014, entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus.

The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

But after the change of leadership in 2016, the new university council raised questions about the deal, particularly relating to the overall cost to the University.

Prof. Aryeetey however insisted the processes leading up to the signing of the agreement with Integras were transparent, with all relevant stakeholders being kept informed of all developments.

The Arbitrator, however, did not accept the universitys argument that the Concession Agreement signed by the two parties was not enforceable.

University of Ghana had sought to present the agreement as not being enforceable, claiming that its own procedures followed in preparing the Concession Agreement were flawed and did not follow due process.

The Arbitrator however found nothing wrong with the process followed in preparing the Concession Agreement.

READ ALSO: Top Ghanaian actress narrowly escapes death in Nigeria

Ghana news: President Akufo Addo Asked For More Prayers | Yen.com.gh

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via Instagram or on YENs official Facebook page.

Source: Yen
- Ebony died in a motor accident earlier this year

- But the South African artiste believes Ghanaians did not appreciate Ebony enough

South African musician Babes Wodumo has paid tribute to late Ghanaian dancehall artiste Ebony as and inspiration. At a show in South Africa, Wodumo said that she saw Ebony in herself and is actually modelling her career in Ebony's style.

Wodumo's real name is Bongekile Simelane. She is a 24 year-old who does among among other kinds, South African rap music.

She was a nominee in the BET International Act 2017 Award category. Wodumo also has a song on the music album of hit Hollywood movie, Black Panther.

READ ALSO: The 10 most popular songs among "sakawa" boys

Ebony tragically died in a car accident on February 8, 2018. She was with a friend, Franky Kuri as well as a police officer.

Her death caused national outcry for road safety. Ebony's talent and obvious appeal brought her fans from low and high with even politicians paying numerous tributes to her.

Internationally, Nigerian artistes also mourned with their Ghanaian counterparts. But according to Wodumo, Ghanaians did not appreciate Ebony enough.

READ ALSO: Insults rain down on Bawumia as he seeks to make government's case

She said in an interview: I dress, sing and behave just like her, I was so much in love with her but its unfortunate her own Ghanaians didnt show her love, but here my people love me because this is who I am, and they love me for that, and so was ebony.

Ghana News Today: Students Confused About The Double Track System | Yen.com.gh:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook.

Source: Yen News
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
Updated : 2018-08-09

(chinadaily.com.cn)

A cultural exchange activity between Toyama prefecture in central Japan and Liaoning province in Northeast China was held in Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning, Aug 7.

More than 100 specialties from Toyama were introduced to Liaoning residents, such as traditional handicraft works and costumes.

The activity was hosted by the Foreign Affairs (Overseas Chinese Affairs) Office of Liaoning Provincial Peoples Government, Liaoning Provincial Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the government of Toyama prefecture, with participation of representatives from Japan and Liaoning province, including officials and entrepreneurs.

The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and the 34th anniversary of the founding of friendly relationship between Toyama and Liaoning.

Tang Yijun, governor of the Liaoning government, said that during those 34 years, both sides have deepened relations and effectively promoted economic, cultural and social development in both places.

Takakazu Ishii, governor of Toyama, said he expects his prefecture will strengthen economic exchanges and cooperation with Liaoning and achieve win-win development.

Tang and Takakazu Ishii signed a memorandum on further deepening friendly exchanges and cooperation between two places during the activity.

Liaoning will also hold a series of Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges and commemorative activities.

Shenyang hosts a cultural exchange activity between Toyama prefecture and Liaoning province Aug 7. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Performers showcase Chinese qipao (a traditional body-hugging, one-piece dress) at the activity in Shenyang, Aug 7. [Photo/Chinanews.com]
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
Fundatia Est-Europeana anunta lansarea Programului de granturi pentru sustinerea fondurilor de antreprenoriat pentru tineri, inclusiv unul in Gagauzia
WATERFORD, N.Y. >> Excitement is building for the first-ever local Dragon Boat Races, set to take place on the Waterford waterfront.

The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 near the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center, brings a different type of boating to the town waterways.

Already known for its annual Tugboat Roundup in September and the Steamboat Meet in June, Waterford is adding another boating-based event to its summer lineup for 2018 with the all-new Dragon Boat Races.

Were very excited about it, said Town Supervisor John Lawler, who wants the Dragon Boat Races to grow in years to come. Were hoping that this will become an annual event in August.

Along with creating a new community gathering, the Dragon Boat Races has a charitable aspect to it as well. Proceeds from the festival will go to the American Cancer Society.

Were collaborating with the Town of Waterford to help raise awareness about breast cancer, raise funds to fight breast cancer through research, and overall provide a great event for the community in the Town of Waterford, said Jeff Winters, senior manager of community development with the Northeast Region chapter of the American Cancer Society. Its a unique event that doesnt have a lot of comparables here in the Capital Region.

This connection between dragon boating and breast cancer awareness goes well beyond Waterford. Breast cancer survivors dragon boating is an international movement that has raised boatloads of money to help the cause.

Since announcing the Dragon Boat Races earlier this year, the town of Waterford has seen significant support for the new fundraising event. The response from area corporations has been wonderful, Lawler said. Im thrilled at that.

In addition to sponsors and monetary donations the Dragon Boat Races are currently seeking participants.

Both experts and amateurs are invited to test the local waters in a dragon boat race.

The dragon boats and all equipment needed will be provided to teams at the event.

A dragon boat is a 550-pound, 40-foot long canoe-like boat, holding 20 paddlers sitting two abreast on 10 wooden seats. The paddlers use single blade paddles, shorter than most canoe paddles. A steersperson stands in the stern with a long oar and a drummer in the bow faces the paddlers.

Participants must be at least 12 years old.

Were really looking forward to Waterford, said Sheila Platt, a member of the local Dragons Alive dragon boat racing team. Based in Alplaus, Dragons Alive celebrates life and wellness through the ancient sport of dragon boating. The team is made up of multiple crews, including breast cancer survivors, friends and family, and community members who support and respect its mission.

Dragons Alive members often travel hours for competitions, but theyre happy this one is nearby their home base. Geographically were absolutely in love because its 20 minutes for us, said Platt.

The Dragons Alive team has been working to spread the word about this new Waterford event within the regional dragon boating network. Were very happy theyre doing this and we want them to succeed, Platt said, who encourages all to try out dragon boating. I think its going to be fantastic.

The Dragon Boat Races event, which is free for spectators to attend, will also include local food and craft vendors and performances by a Chinese dance troupe.

We think its going to be a fun event, Lawler said. Were trying to make it a real fun kind of day.

More information about the Dragon Boat Races and online registration is available online at www.visitwaterfordny.com/paddlersofhope.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 26 countries and 40+ private sector partners create coalition to fast track climate action across the CaribbeanA Prime Minister of Jamaica , The Most Honourable Andrew Holness , President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) , Luis Alberto Moreno , Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean , Jorge Familiar today announced the launch of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator. A A

, , today announced the launch of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator. A A The Accelerator's ambitious goal is to work with this unprecedented group of partners to make the Caribbean the world's first climate-smart zone.

the world's first climate-smart zone. The Coalition behind the Accelerator has grown to 2 6 countr ies covering a region of 1 million square miles and over 40 million people

covering a region of 8 Times Olympic Gold Medal Winner Usain Bolt , an Ambassador of the Accelerator, announced the Caribbean Accelerator's $50,000 'Speed Award' recognizing leading countries, business and individuals working towards a climate smart zone. A

, an Ambassador of the Accelerator, announced the Caribbean Accelerator's 'Speed Award' recognizing leading countries, business and individuals working towards a climate smart zone. A TheA Inter-American Development BankA announced that it will partner with the Accelerator to program and implement the $1 billion in funds that it pledged at President Macron's Paris One Planet summit.

that it pledged at President Macron's summit. Global music superstar Sean Paul was announced with Bolt as Accelerator Ambassadors. They will be promoting the Accelerator's call for climate-smart action in the region and globally. A ground-breaking partnership to support the Caribbean's ambition to become the world's first 'climate-smart zone' launched today. 8 Times Olympic Gold Medal Winner Usain Bolt was in attendance to help fire the starting pistol for the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, which will be led by the Caribbean leaders to create the world's first climate-smart zone. The Accelerator has created an unprecedented coalition including 26 countries and over 40 private and public sector partners which will implement climate solutions for resilience, renewable energy, development of sustainable cities, oceans and transportation. This climate-smart zone will not only protect the region but create jobs and a new economy in climate-smart infrastructure. Speaking at the event today Sir Richard Branson said: "Our goal is ambitious and bold: we are creating the world's first climate-smart zone. A We have a vision of a Caribbean which is greener, stronger and more resilient than ever before - built on innovation, powered by clean, sustainable energy and accelerated by public and private investment." The coalition was first announced in Paris last December (https://www.caribbeanaccelerator.org/). OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE, IMAGES AND VIDEOS FROM TODAY'S EVENT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD:A http://www.image.net/caribbeanaccelerator A Contacts: Daniella Posner, Daniella@eighty4red.com, +44-(0)7779-034-543. Julian Gregory,A Julian@eighty4red.com,A +44-(0)7980-952-183.A A
Select board members and some municipal staff toured the property last week.

Scarborough Leader

A bond for up to $1.9 million to renovate it will be on the Nov. 2 municipal ballot.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
ADL(NEW YORK) -- Hate and white supremacist propaganda have been at a high level in the year since the streets of Charlottesville erupted in deadly violence, according to the Anti-Defamation League.



On Thursday, the ADL unveiled a first-of-its-kind interactive map documenting extremist and hate incidents in the United States.



The map includes anti-Semitic incidents, white supremacist rallies, extremist shootouts with police, extremist-related murders and extremist plots and attacks.



The ADL documented more than 3,000 incidents of extremism or anti-Semitism in the U.S. in 2017 and 2018. Most of the activity was concentrated in the eastern part of the country.



George Selim is the ADL's senior vice president and a former Department of Homeland Security official who led outreach programs to Muslim-American communities to try to prevent radical extremism.



Selim told ABC News that the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last year was "very significant because its the first time that white supremacy really, since the civil rights movement, entered the public square."



On Aug. 11, 2017, white supremacists descended on Charlottesville for the next day's Unite the Right rally, the stated purpose of which was to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The debate over what to do with Confederate monuments had been brewing across the country, but Charlottesville became a touchpoint.



The weekend devolved into verbal and physical attacks between white supremacist groups and counter-protesters, turning deadly when a 20-year-old Ohio man allegedly accelerated his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and leaving 19 others injured, five critically.



Two Virginia State Police troopers were killed when their helicopter crashed outside of Charlottesville. The troopers, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates, were lending air support in response to the violence in Charlottesville.



James Alex Fields, the alleged driver in the incident, was indicted earlier this summer on federal hate crimes charges. Fields has pleaded not guilty to those charges and has also been charged under Virginia law with murder and other crimes. Fields is currently in jail awaiting trial.



In the months since Charlottesville, white supremacist propaganda has hit an even higher level, the ADL found. So far in 2018, the organization's Center on Extremism has tracked nearly 500 white supremacist propaganda incidents, more than in all of 2017.



Since Aug. 12, 2017, the ADL has tracked 54 public events attended by white supremacists, including a recent demonstration on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and a flash demonstration at the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee.



The ADL also tracked an increase over the past year in white supremacist propaganda efforts, including anonymous visits to university campuses to put up flyers and the draping of banners from freeway overpasses.



"White supremacy in this country is not going away," said Selim. "Weve seen them evolve their tactics and techniques online. Weve seen them effectively use social media to launch and spread their ideas."



But the public outcry over Charlottesville also has resulted in some prominent white supremacists retreating from public view to the safer confines of the internet.



"The best of America comes out in times like this," Selim said. "We see the values and virtues of tolerance and pluralism and inclusion on display in times where we see the most significant levels of hatred and bigotry and anti-Semitism."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Oh bother, it seems that the new Winnie the Pooh movie, Christopher Robin, has just been banned in China -- a move that now puts Pooh Bear in the same league as hardcore political dissidents like Ai Weiwei, Jennifer Zeng, and Peppa Pig.

You might be wondering what the movie did to incur such harsh treatment. Did it introduce a llama character named Dalai? Did Tigger rename his house to Tigganmen Square? Did Owl give a ten-minute-long speech to the camera about the superiority of capitalism and how everyone living under communism should rise up? Nah, it's because Chinese President Xi Jinping wants everyone to stop comparing him to Pooh.

As you can probably guess, life in China can really suck if you don't like the government. Comparing Xi to Pooh Bear allows people to blow off some steam and mock the person most responsible for their misery in a way that's not apparently obvious. In the last few years, however, Xi caught onto this bitchfest, and under the pretense that the comparison was "a serious effort to undermine the dignity of the presidential office," censored Winnie the Pooh references on the Chinese internet. Have they never heard of the Streisand effect?
As Brexiteer-in-chief, Boris Johnson attracts more vitriol than any other British politician  quite a lot of it from people supposed to be on his side.

Following his contribution on the subject of burkas, he has been vilified as a racist. Critics claim that his remarks in a newspaper article were designed to ingratiate him with Islamophobes in the Tory Party rank-and-file, whose support he is allegedly trying to curry.

The picture is painted of a scheming and calculating politician whose every waking hour is spent plotting to increase his chances of becoming our next Prime Minister.

With one exception, this interpretation seems wrong-headed to me. His detractors are right about one thing  namely his burning desire to succeed Theresa May so that, as he would see it, the cause of Brexit can be rescued.

Boris's column in Monday's Daily Telegraph did not reveal a cunning politician but it did show his ambition and burning desire to succeed Theresa May

Indeed, we may take it as a virtual certainty that within a few months he will challenge her for the leadership of the Tory Party, though whether he will succeed is far from clear.

But in almost every other respect the fashionable critique of Boris is up the spout.

His column in Mondays Daily Telegraph did not reveal a cunning politician employing manipulative dog whistle politics to win the support of backwoods Conservative racists.

Any fair-minded person who read the piece would have to conclude it was not one of his best. It bore some marks of having been dashed off. The first half consisted of warm reminiscences about Denmark, which has recently instituted a burka ban.

Having indulged himself at some length, he ambled genially to his main point  which was that he doesnt believe we should follow the Danish example, undesirable though burkas and niqabs may be in several ways.

This is my question. If Boris had really wished to tickle the fancy of supposedly Muslim-hating Tories, why in Gods name did he write a column arguing that a burka ban was a bad idea?

Wouldnt it have made much more sense  if he really was trying to solicit their votes in an impending leadership contest  for him to have congratulated the Danes for banning the burka, and recommended that we should do the same thing?

He didnt do this. And the reason is that Boris has an honourable track record as an anti-racist with generally liberal views. He had no intention of cynically abandoning them for electoral reasons.

It is true that, most ill-advisedly, he drew a comparison between a burka and a letter box, and suggested that a woman wearing such headgear might resemble a bank robber.

But I would contend that he was trying to spice up a column in danger of sagging into mundanity, rather than blowing a dog whistle to attract racists.

Perhaps it is his misfortune, as a journalist who has been observed at very close quarters by other journalists, that Boris's motives have been examined more closely

In short, he momentarily forgot, or at any rate put to the back of his mind, that he is still a senior politician whose every unguarded word will be torn apart by his enemies.

Of whom there are quite a few in his own party. Seasoned Tory Remainers such as Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve, Heidi Allen and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson have laid into him as though he said something truly unforgivable.

Of course they are really seizing the opportunity to discredit Boris as the leading Brexiteer, and the man most likely to replace Theresa May should she prove unable to pursue her version of Brexit based on the so-called Chequers agreement.

I dont recall any of them expressing an iota of indignation when dear old Kenneth Clarke (a Remainer, of course) described the burka in 2013 as a peculiar costume and a kind of bag. Less offensive than Boris, no doubt, but hardly anodyne.

Meanwhile, the Tory hierarchy has jumped on the bandwagon of confected outrage, with party chairman Brandon Lewis calling for an apology, a demand unwisely echoed by Mrs May. I say unwisely because Boris is unlikely to oblige, which may leave her looking powerless.

Isnt all this anger overdone, in view of the comparative lack of gravity of Boriss offence? The furore in Tory ranks suggests to me that this storm has more to do with Brexit, and the partys future leadership, than with unwise throwaway remarks about burkas.

The rest of us would do well to stand back and assess the real Boris Johnson in the cold light of day. I dont think theres any evidence that he is more consumed with ambition than other leading politicians.

Perhaps it is his misfortune, as a journalist who has been observed at very close quarters by other journalists, that his motives have been examined more uncharitably than they would have been had he followed a career far from the scrutiny of fellow hacks.

Contrary to modish opinion, I dont believe he is unusually calculating. In fact  as the brouhaha over the article has shown  his main weakness is carelessness. He doesnt think ahead as cannier politicians do. It would be good for him if he were a bit more calculating.

To some extent his natural tendency to shoot from the hip without considering the consequences was held in check while he was Foreign Secretary because he was surrounded by assiduous minders. But not totally.

Of several gaffes, the most serious was his incorrect assertion to a Commons select committee that a British mother detained in Iran had been training journalists in the region. As a result, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was hauled in front of an Iranian court and threatened with a longer sentence.

In many ways his controversial article about burkas reveals the true Boris Johnson. Not the dark and calculating caricature of his critics but the careless, Tiggerish yet fundamentally decent politician he really is

Then there was his somewhat tactless claim at a Conservative Party conference that the Libyan city of Sirte would have a bright future as a luxury resort once they had cleared the dead bodies away.

More forgivable in my view, though much criticised in bien pensant circles, was his reciting of Rudyard Kiplings imperialist poem Mandalay as he visited a sacred temple in Burma. The accompanying British ambassador had palpitations, and told Boris to stop.

The point is that he says what is on his mind. He is carried away by his own enthusiasms. He does not reckon the cost of his outbursts. Many people are attracted by this rough honesty  as they will have been by his politically incorrect comments about burkas. The more refined are often appalled.

How often, when Boris was Foreign Secretary, did I wish he would press his suit or brush his hair or straighten his tie. It seemed a kind of insult to his hosts to turn out as though he had just emerged from a second-hand clothes shop.

And yet, of course, it is silly to expect him to conform. He never will. If he became Prime Minister, his tie would still be askew. Aides would strive to keep him on message but from time to time he would veer off.

In many ways his controversial article about burkas reveals the true Boris Johnson  not the dark and calculating caricature of his critics but the careless, Tiggerish yet fundamentally decent politician he really is.

Do we want such a man as our Prime Minister? Its a hard question. And one we may have to face soon. All one can say is, his hurriedly penned article has almost certainly not impaired his chances.
Mid-morning at a rented holiday villa in Italy yesterday, and Boris Johnson was about to take a cooling dip when his mobile rang.

Recognising the number of a trusted aide, he broke off to answer it.

The conversation was brief, to the point, and when it ended, a clearly relaxed Johnson dived into the pool and continued with his daily constitutional.

Boris Johnson is subject to a formal disciplinary investigation following his burkas comments

Minutes later, after every Tory MP had received an astonishing text message from party HQ, it was evident what had been discussed during the call: Johnson was being subjected to a formal disciplinary investigation.

The decision was taken on Wednesday by Brandon Lewis, Tory party chairman. In his eyes Johnsons crime is, of course, refusing to apologise for writing in his Daily Telegraph column on Monday that women wearing burkas look like letter boxes and bank robbers.

The article prompted widespread outrage from the usual suspects, particularly the Left, and from Boriss many detractors among Conservative and Labour Remainer MPs, with allegations flying that the former foreign secretary is guilty of encouraging hate crime and racism. Lewis had been calling for an apology since Tuesday.

For the majority of the public, however, the row is an issue of free speech and polls suggest Johnson, who in his column had argued fiercely against a burka ban as introduced by France, Denmark, and Belgium, has widespread support.

Now, by deciding to pursue Johnson, Lewis has re-ignited a political controversy that would, by the end of this week, quite possibly have run out of steam.

In doing so, he has delivered a gift to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party which had been on the rack for more than two weeks over claims of wide spread anti-Semitism in its ranks.

As one despairing former Tory minister told me: Yet again the Tory Party is showing its unerring knack for self-destruction. By setting up an inquiry into a couple of poor-taste Boris jokes about burkas, they are turning him into a martyr to political correctness. The lunatics truly are in control of the asylum. Lewiss aides insist he had no choice but to act after receiving written complaints. But of course Lewis had a choice.

While Tory HQ refuse to say how many complaints there were, or who they were from, there is a question mark about how seriously they should be taken.

Some are from Labour supporters, others from those who will never forgive Johnson for his pivotal role in delivering Brexit in the referendum. Among them are arch-Remoaners Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve, who led the Tory revolt on Brexit in the Commons last month.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has made no secret of her loathing of Johnson either, while ex-Tory party chairman, Baroness Warsi  who has said his remarks are indefensible  has been at odds with the leadership since she was demoted in 2012. All are increasingly desperate to wreck Johnsons chances of replacing an embattled Theresa May.

Which is why the real trigger for yesterdays over-the-top reaction to Johnsons column was last weeks poll of Conservative activists, which saw Johnson soar from fifth to first with a commanding ten-point lead over his rivals as to who they want as next party leader.

If Johnson is disciplined, the party board could withdraw the whip or even expel him for defying his leader, which would exclude him from any leadership contest. So is Lewis doing their dirty work  with one eye on the leadership for himself? Its certainly no secret that he harbours ambitions on that front.

Whats more Lewis, the MP for Great Yarmouth  which voted 69 per cent in favour of Leave  voted Remain himself.

Initially, it was reported yesterday that Johnson would answer to a three-strong panel chaired by a QC or retired judge under a recently updated Tory Party code of conduct. But the panel would have been selected by Lewis in what was a blatant conflict of interest, given that he had already delivered his own guilty verdict on Johnson by demanding he apologise as early as Tuesday.

So in a rapid about-turn, Lewis withdrew from the panel selection  but his influence is pervasive.

Johnson wrote in his Daily Telegraph column that women wearing burkas look like letter boxes and bank robbers.

Now it seems Johnsons alleged crimes will first be looked at by the partys investigations officer, a Tory employee, appointed by Lewis. He also answers to Lewis. If a panel is then set up, its members have the power to recommend only whether there has been a potential breach of the code of conduct. So who would decide if Johnson was guilty? The board of the Conservative Party made up of volunteers, MPs and officials  and chaired by one Brandon Lewis.

No wonder No10 is scurrying to distance the PM from the latest PR disaster to engulf her battered administration. She hasnt helped matters by agreeing with Lewis that Johnson should apologise. In her defence, a Downing Street source said: The PM was put on the spot by journalists. She could not be seen to contradict her party chairman.

But a more skilful PM could just as easily have side-stepped the question.

Lets hope the Tories have good lawyers in place because, I can reveal, Johnson will be represented at any disciplinary hearing by his formidable wife, Marina Wheeler, an accomplished human rights barrister who stiffened his resolve to support Leave in the referendum.

As the Tory Party HQ tried to dismiss allegations that their real aim was to capsize Johnsons leadership ambitions yesterday, the flaxen haired pretender to the Tory crown was swimming up and down the pool with a broad grin on his face, firmly in the political spotlight for a fourth day in succession  and leaving his rivals trailing in his wake.
OH, the indignities and humiliations of ageing! Over the 38 years of our marriage (and counting), I must have driven many scores of times from our home in South London to my mother-in-laws granny flat in Oxfordshire.

But our latest trip along those familiar roads, to celebrate the venerable old ladys 96th birthday, was marked by a first for me. Never before had I felt compelled to break our journey to answer a call of nature.

When the boys were much younger, of course, we constantly had to stop by the side of the road to let them nip behind a hedge and spend a penny, while I barked at them: I told you to go before we set off. (But I didnt need to, then, Dad.)

The new 'Use Our Loos' initiative will the public to locate toilets on an online map. Already, 11,300 loos are shown as having public access.

Now it was my turn to hold everyone else up, wriggling behind the wheel until I could bear it no longer and had to turn off the M40 at Beaconsfield services to take advantage of the facilities. (If youre ever caught short, by the way, try not to make it at Beaconsfield, where the services seem miles from the motorway and the weekend queues for the car park can be interminable.)

Heroes

Indeed, the increasing frequency of natures call  having to get up in the night, always making a mental note of the nearest gents, etc  was a striking omission from Quentin Lettss list in yesterdays paper of Fifty ways you know youre over 50.

The reason he left it out, I suspect, is that, as a mere nipper of 55, Quentin has probably yet to experience any difficulties in that department. It may also be that he is too well bred and discreet to draw attention to such a very basic aspect of growing older.

However, I find one of the consolations of ageing is that we lose our inhibitions about discussing such matters. In my youth, I would almost sooner have cut off my right arm than confess publicly to suffering any weakness of the bladder. Still less would I have devoted an entire column to the need for easily accessible toilets, available to all.

But now that Im 64, I think: What the hell! Its simply pointless to be embarrassed by a problem which is part of the human condition for countless others.

So if younger readers wish to jeer at me for needing the loo more often than they do, then let them. All I will say is: just you wait  your time may yet come, and sooner than you think.

Anyway, my point this week is to hail as national heroes the 11,300 pioneering bosses of shops, cafes, pubs and other firms who have signed up to the new Use Our Loos initiative.

Four in ten public toilets have closed since 2000 as a result of cost-cutting by councils, and a growing number of local authorities have stopped providing them.

Launched by the British Toilet Association, with sponsorship from Domestos, this is the scheme under which participants display stickers outside their premises, advertising that passers-by are welcome to use their facilities, whether they buy anything or not.

Meanwhile, a Great British Toilet Map smartphone app is planned to provide up-to-date information on the whereabouts of clean, publicly available loos.

Of course, we older folk are not the only ones who will benefit. Young mums and dads, too, will welcome the offer of friendly places for emergency nappy-changes and averting small childrens accidents, without having to beg or sneak in on the quiet.

As for why such a scheme is timely, look no further than the mass closure of public lavatories by local authorities facing pressure on their budgets since the credit crunch ushered in this age of austerity.

Over the past two decades alone, according to responses from freedom of information requests, the number of council-run conveniences in the UK has slumped by no less than 39 per cent, from 3,955 in 2000 to 2,414 today.

In England, apparently, the average council runs only 15 public toilets, with each serving more than 12,500 people  while areas such as Bolsover, Milton Keynes, Redditch and Wakefield have no free facilities at all.

Protest

Inevitably, some on the Left have screamed blue murder over the closures, arguing that public loos are a fundamental human right denied to us by heartless Tory cuts. But I reckon these are mostly the same sort of people who never visit a public library except to protest against its closure.

Yes, theyre right that there were many more public toilets in Victorian times. But then, in those days, when a great many fewer homes, shops or other businesses had facilities of their own, they were very much more essential than they are today.

Certainly, we still need them in places such as railway stations, where crowds of commuters can be held captive for hours.

Indeed, it strikes me as monstrous that some, like Waterloo, charge commuters 30p  thats 72 old pennies!  for the privilege of spending a penny. After all, many passengers wouldnt need the loo if they werent kept waiting an age for delayed trains (though all credit to my own daily terminus, Victoria, for abolishing the charge after a public outcry).

But I wonder if in 2018 councils should have a statutory duty (they havent) to maintain public toilets. Isnt the Use Our Loos scheme a near-perfect alternative  a cost-saving example of what David Cameron may or may not have had in mind when he went on about his mysterious Big Society?

The average council in England runs only 15 public toilets, with each serving more than 12,500 people  while areas such as Bolsover, Milton Keynes, Redditch and Wakefield have no free facilities at all (stock photo)

I must say that when I read about the initiative, I thought immediately of the great Tory statesman F.E. Smith. As the famous story goes, he had a habit of dropping in on his way to the Commons for a pee at the National Liberal Club  much mocked in those Edwardian times for the avant-garde brown tiles with which it was decorated.

Welcome

One day he was challenged by a porter, who asked: Excuse me, sir. Are you a member of this club? To which Smith replied: Good God! You mean its a club as well?

But the more Ive thought about the BTA scheme, the more I like it. Yes, I can see it wont suit every business  and I have some sympathy with the staff at the small Italian cafe near the Mails offices in tourist-thronged Kensington, where a forbidding notice by the gents says: Toilet key available on request.

They must be sick to death of tourists tramping in and out, using the place as a public loo (though Im also sorry for those tourists, bursting for relief on the sight-seeing trail).

But for most businesses, surely, its not just public-spirited to welcome passers-by whove been caught short. It also makes sound commercial sense to lure them onto the premises, where they might be tempted to stop for a bite, a drink or a purchase while there.

Speaking for myself, whenever in the past Ive dropped into licensed premises to relieve myself, Ive almost always felt obliged to stay for a pint (a bit of a vicious circle, I grant you). I cant see that changing if the pub happens to display a Use Our Loos sticker. If anything, indeed, Ill feel more inclined than ever to give my custom, as a gesture of gratitude for that selfless welcome.

So let me end with a plea to businesses all over the land. Sign up to this imaginative scheme (details on the BTA website). You wont be sorry  and a great many like me will be hugely relieved.
When Jes Jackson became pregnant at 16 while still in high school, many people regarded it as 'a failure' and told her she would 'amount to nothing'.

Despite enduring a difficult road including an almost fatal birth experience and post-natal depression, becoming a statistic was not an option for this 'teen mum'.

Now a mother-of-three, the Tasmanian native runs her own successful photography studio and was recently nominated as a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards which celebrate Australian mums who successfully balance motherhood and business.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Ms Jackson shared her journey from '16 and pregnant' to success, as well as a message to young mothers around the world.

When Jes Jackson became pregnant at sixteen while still in high school, many people regarded it as 'a failure' and told her she would 'amount to nothing' (pictured in 2005 shortly after the birth of her daughter Adella at 32 weeks)

'The second I announced my pregnancy, it felt like the entire universe had turned against me,' Ms Jackson said.

I wore a mask to cover up how I was really feeling.

'The more I heard negative comments saying I would amount to nothing and that my life was over, I started believing these things and my self-esteem took a really serious hit,' she said.

'I lost sight of hope and the possibilities life could still offer.'

After developing life threatening eclampsia, Ms Jackson delivered her first child Adella via emergency cesarean section at 32 weeks.

'I was having severe seizures and ended up in intensive care. So much of this traumatic experience was down to my total inexperience - my knowledge of birth and warning signs to watch for began and ended with Home and Away!' She said.

Ms Jackson with her eldest daughter Adella (left) in recent times who was born when the photographer was just 16 years old

Ms Jackson had always had a passion for photography, but her high school pregnancy put a temporary hold on her career aspirations; she is now regarded as Tasmania's leading birth photographer

WHAT IS ECLAMPSIA? Eclampsia is a rare but serious life-threatening complication of pregnancy where high blood pressure results in seizures. Source: Healthline Advertisement

Ms Jackson, now 30, felt pressured to prove herself to society and her mental health suffered as a result.

'I had post natal depression, but it wasn't something that was even in my vocabulary.

'Being such a young mother, I felt I needed to do things by myself so I wore a mask to cover up how I was really feeling.'

Breaking social stereotypes, Ms Jackson and her now-husband Jyell went on to grow their family with second daughter Zailee, 9 and son Nate, 5.

Ms Jackson (pictured with her now-husband Jyell and daughter Adella) felt pressured to prove herself to society after becoming a mother at sixteen

Breaking social stereotypes, Ms Jackson and her husband Jyell went on to grow their family with second daughter Zailee (far right) and son Nate

Ms Jackson had always had a passion for photography,and after giving birth to her second child went back to study and started her own business in Hobart.

Now recognised as 'Tasmania's leading birth photographer', her work focuses on photographing once in a lifetime moments during birth.



'It has been an immense journey of self-healing as well as providing mothers with a record of their strength during their most vulnerable time,' she said.

Inspired by her personal journey, Ms Jackson wrote a petition to her local hospital to lift the ban on professional birth photography during caesarean births, an initiative which went on to be a huge success and gained worldwide media attention.

'Society is so quick to throw the negative at young, vulnerable women, and I would encourage anyone in a similar situation to myself thirteen years ago to surround themselves with uplifting and hope filled stories,' she said

'For me, hope and inspiration were such big things to hold on to, because they are really all you need to fulfill your dreams - I had to become my own hero, and you can too!' (Ms Jackson pictured in 2005 shortly before Adella was born)

Asked what message she would give to young mothers today, Ms Jackson urged girls to seek out the positive wherever and whenever possible.

'Society is so quick to throw the negative at young, vulnerable women, and I would encourage anyone in a similar situation to myself thirteen years ago to surround themselves with uplifting and hope filled stories.

'For me, hope and inspiration were such big things to hold on to, because they are really all you need to fulfill your dreams.

'I had to become my own hero, and you can too!'

'For me, hope and inspiration were such big things to hold on to, because they are really all you need to fulfill your dreams,' she said

'As a society we have the opportunity to encourage a young mother one of two ways, and if we can change the way we view and treat young mothers, subconsciously this will change the way they view themselves,' she said

Thanks to her social activism and professional success, Ms Jackson was nominated as a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards which celebrate Australian Mums who successfully balance motherhood and business in a way that suits their life and family.

'Being selected as a finalist means so much to me because I was not born strong, I was made strong.

'As a society we have the opportunity to encourage a young mother one of two ways, and if we can change the way we view and treat young mothers, subconsciously this will change the way they view themselves.

'This award would not only represent how far I have come on my personal journey but could provide the inspiration for the millions of teenage mothers worldwide to join me in smashing the stereotype.'

Voting runs until the end of August with winners announced at a glamorous dinner at White Night Receptions in Melbourne on Friday August 31st.
A woman who took to Twitter to explain the term 'mansplaining' with a clever flow chart has ended up being accused of sexism herself.

Kim Goodwin, an author from California, posted the graphic on Twitter to help men figure out if they're guilty of giving women unwarranted explanations in a patronizing manner.

She wrote: 'I have had more than one male colleague sincerely ask whether a certain behavior is mansplaining. Since apparently this is hard to figure out, I made one of them a chart.'

Kim Goodwin, an author from California, shared a flow chart to help men identify if they're guilty of 'mansplaining'- a term referring to dumbing down unnecessary explanations

Taking to the social media site to address the term, she explained that she had created a chart for a male colleague to help him identify mansplaining behavior

The tweet quickly garnered praise from followers, racking up 3,300 replies, 122,000 likes and 51,000 retweets, but it certainly ruffled a few feather among her male followers, who questioned whether she herself was being 'gender biased'.

Her chart entitled 'Am I mansplaining?' started with the question: 'Did she ask you to explain it?' with arrows leading to the options 'yes' and 'no'.

Those that answered 'yes' were told they were 'not mansplaining', but for those that answered 'no', the next question read, 'Do you have more relevant experience?'

Arrows then pointed to four further options, with three highlighting varying degrees of mansplaining behavior, the last of which asked the reader to identify whether the person they were speaking to possessed 'more relevant experience' and was a 'well known expert' in the matter.

If answered in the affirmative, the conclusion was very clear and simple: 'Just stop talking now.'

But while the chart has been widely praised online, not everyone was impressed, with a number of male followers outraged that a term complaining of sexism was targeting a gender-specific group.

The tweet quickly garnered praise from followers, racking up 3,300 replies, 122,000 likes and 51,000 retweets, however some men were angry that she had made it a 'gendered issue'

One male Twitter user suggested that the chart itself was evidence that ladies should be accused of 'womansplaining' things to men

'Why make this a gendered issue?' one man questioned.

'What you are basically defining here is condescending behaviour that can happen in any human interaction, regardless of gender. I take offence at the sexist implication that this is a male oriented behavior.'

Another claimed: 'To say that the behavior is "predominantly gendered" is a bold and unfounded statement!

'This thread alone is rife with people being condescending towards one another. To base your assertion factually, you would need to accumulate data to support your claim.'

Citing an example of 'reverse' mansplaining, one follower tweeted: 'I think this happens in both genders. I've had women explain parenting things to me assuming because as I male, I didn't know. Things such as discipline and nutrition.'

A man called Chris confessed that his wife had made him realize he was a 'mansplainer', adding that he had taken 'years' before he became aware of his bad habit

And many supported the lively thread, with some women sharing an example of a mansplaining incident she experienced

Agreeing, one wrote: 'Based on this chart girls explain things to me without me asking... So maybe we should start accusing women of #womansplaining.'

But one man confessed that his wife had made him realize he was a 'mansplainer', adding that he had taken 'years' to become aware of the fact that he had been explaining things she already knew.

Many other Twitter users also supported the lively thread, with one woman sharing an example of an incident she experienced when a close friend began mansplaining something to her - revealing the rather blunt way that she dealt with it.

'After a full on ten pin bowling match once my very good male friend was telling me how to hold and throw the ball. I said, "You do know I beat you?" [Then I] turned around and walked off.'

Referring to the viral nature of the thread, another added: 'It amazes me how Twitter can be both stuffed to the brim with this evidence and also stuffed to the gills with people who just d/won't see it.

'Opposable thumbs were really not designed for their agnotological tweets.'
Owners are dumping unwanted dogs at animal shelters because they are 'too ugly' for Instagram, a shocking report has revealed.

A survey of 514 animal rescues and shelters, conducted by the re-homing website dogsblog.com and Direct Line found that celebrities are driving the popularity of breeds such as French Bulldogs, putting 'unfashionable' dogs at greater risk of abandonment.

And they're likely to languish in shelters for longer as potential adopters want 'cute' breeds such as pugs, Labradors and Chihuahuas.

Shelters also revealed some of the most shocking reasons people have given for handing their pet over, including a dog who 'didn't match the furniture' and another former owner who said they were 'upgrading to a younger model'.

Scroll down to see some of the UK's most unloved dogs who have been languishing in shelters for as long as 10 years, struggling to find loving homes as would-be adopters want more trendy breeds.

Staffordshire bull terrier Bluebell, 11, has spent most of her life in a shelter in Liverpool. Rescuers believe her colour counts against her and two previous adoptive families have returned her because she took a while to settle in

Ryan O'Meara, dogsblog.com co-founder, said: 'Not every person who buys or adopts a popular breed or cross-breed will do so having been inspired by celebrities or the Instagram culture that makes some breeds more fashionable than others.

'However, it is evident that changes in the popularity of certain breeds coincide with celebrity and influencer ownership, which often dictates which breeds we are most commonly seeing abandoned to shelters.

'Sadly, dogs that have fallen in numbers, such as Boxers or German Shepherds, are also some of the most common breeds in animal rescue shelters, as owners are more likely to pick 'fashionable' breeds when adopting.

'For those dogs abandoned by their owners, our research showed that the average age of a dog left in a rescue shelter is just two years and two months old, which supports our research showing a correlation between the fast pace of ever-changing social popularity and pet abandonment.'

Shelters reveal owners' most shocking reasons for giving away their pets The dog grew: 'The owners didn't want their six-month-old puppy as it was bigger than when they bought it at eight weeks.' Family conflict: 'My sister doesn't like dogs and won't visit us anymore.' Dog had an accident: 'The puppy did a wee on the carpet.' Furniture issues: 'I want laminate flooring and the dog will damage it' and 'Didn't match the furniture'.' Dislike: 'Just don't like the dog!' Doesn't want to pay: 'Going on holiday and boarding kennels too expensive.' Unable to cash in: 'Dog was no longer able to breed so was of no use to the owner.' Too old: 'Old age, tumours, health problems or upgrading to a younger model.' Not sorry: 'The dog didn't apologise after fighting with another in the house!' Won't take instruction: 'It urinated on the grass and not the paving slabs as instructed.' Can't cope with a puppy: 'Buying an 8-week old puppy and getting rid of it by 10 weeks for behaving like a puppy.' Advertisement

Jude, one-year-old Beagle cross Dachshund

Location: Essex

Reason he hasn't found a home: Too naughty

Jude came into the All Animal Rescue and Rehome when his owners could no longer cope with his behavior.

It is apparent he hasn't had much training or interaction so his adopters need to take him back to basics and treat him like a blank canvas.

He needs owners who understand his breed to understand his little quirks. He is a very clever little boy who is eager to learn and engage.

One-year-old Beagle cross Dachshund Jude's owners rejected him because he was too naughty and he's now living at the All Animal Rescue and Rehome in Essex

Bluebell, 11-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Reason he hasn't found a home: Wrong colour and takes a while to settle

Location: Liverpool

Bluebell has spent 10 years - almost all of her life - in rescue. She has been adopted twice in the past but was returned both times for the same reason - taking a while to settle in.

Her rescue believe her breed and brindle colour are key factors in why she has been overlooked.

Bluebell has many friends, she loves meeting new people. She goes out every weekend with her favourite dog walkers who take her for some chips down at the local pub.

Bluebell who resides at the Freshfields Animal Rescue in Liverpool is a loving dog who likes going to the local pub to meet people and have chips

Odin, two-year-old German Shepherd cross Husky

Location: Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes

Reason he hasn't found a home: Nervous around new people

Odin is a beautiful dog, but is quite nervous around new people and takes a while to warm up to people.

This means that he's a bit trickier to rehome as people need to visit a few times before seeing his true personality and people sometimes put too much emphasis on that 'love at first sight' moment.

He's been at the HULA Animal Rescue Centre since April 2018 and is its longest-standing resident.

He's looking for an adult-only home with no small animals or other dogs.

Odin, two-year-old German Shepherd cross Husky who lives at HULA Animal Rescue in Milton Keynes hasn't found a home as he's nervous around new people and it takes a while for him to show his true personality

Most common pedigree and cross breeds in rescue shelters in the UK Pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terrier Akita Greyhound Jack Russell German Shepherd Rottweiler Bulldog Labrador English Setter Beagle Pedigree cross Jack Russell Terrier cross Chihuahua cross Yorkshire Terrier cross Poodle cross Beagle cross Dachshund cross Shih Tzu cross Pug cross Pomeranian cross French bulldog cross Advertisement

Flash, nine-year-old Greyhound

Location: Manchester

Reason he hasn't found a home: Corns

Flash is Northern Greyhound Rescue's longest stay resident. He has been looking for a new home for over two years and he really does deserve a loving home of his own.

His rescue believe that his corns which need constant treatment put people off.

He loves to play ball and with toys at kennels, he would play for ages outside with toys and loved nothing more than to take toys back and store them in his kennel and his fosterers say he still loves to chase a ball when he's out.

Flash, who has lived at Northern Greyhound Rescue in Manchester for two years because prospective owners don't want to take on a dog with corns, which need constant looking after

Dersu, four-year-old English Setter

Location: Asturias, Spain

Why he hasn't found a home: Not a good hunter

Dersu was left at Setter, Brittany and Pointer Rescue - set up by a British expat - because he wasn't a good hunter.

He has now been waiting for a home since September 2015, meaning he has been in the shelter for most of his life. He is great with people and not at all timid. He is active and loves to chase butterflies.

Dersu, a four-year-old English Setter, was abandoned by his Spanish owner because he wasn't a good hunter

Lou, five-year-old Cross-Breed

Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex

Reason he's not found a home: Not cute enough

Lou has been brought over from a shelter in Spain as she had been there two years and was very withdrawn and depressed.

She has been fostered by the Canine Special Adoption Service since 6th April but no one has asked for her. She's not a cute, popular dog, so her rescue fear she could be in rescue for some time still.

Lou has had a very difficult past but although she needs some patience she's very sweet once she gets to know you.

Rescuers fear that Lou who is being looked after by Canine Special Adoption Service in Sussex will struggle to find a home as she's not cute enough to be popular with prospective families

Jake and Jimmy, nine and five-year-old greyhounds

Location: Stoke

Reason they haven't found homes: Families aren't interested

Since coming into the Hounds First Sighthound and Lurcher Rescue two years ago, neither dog has had any interest from potential new families.

Jake, nine, has never been raced but has also never lived in a home. Despite his age, he is quite a playful cheeky character who is up for most things.

Jimmy, five, came from a horrendous welfare situation within the racing industry.

He is quite an insecure dog whose worries get the best of him at times. As far as greyhounds go Jimmy is a bit special as his favourite thing to do is to play chasing a ball and he will actually retrieve it.

Jimmy, five, was rescued from an abusive situation in the greyhound racing industry and has lived at the Hounds First Sighthound and Lurcher Rescue in Stoke for two years

Nine-year-old greyhound Jake is a resident at Hounds First Sighthound and Lurcher Rescue in Stoke, but hasn't received any interest from adoptive owners in two years

Mr Bean, Barney & Monty, one to two-year-old Lurchers

Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex

Reason they haven't found homes: Too many Lurchers

Mr Bean, Barney and Monty are all various types of Lurcher who have been abandoned in recent months in and around London.

They have all been waiting for new homes for a few months and their rescue, All Dogs Matter, feel that's because of the rising number of Lurchers in the capital and outskirts of London.

Barney, two, is a Greyhound boy who has been stuck at his rescue, All Dogs Matte, for months because there isn't a high demand for Lurchers

Mr Bean, thought to be one or two-years-old came into rescue skin and bones. He's now a healthy weight and is a sweet and affectionate dog, who loves a cuddle and will give you lots of kisses.

Barney, two, is a Greyhound boy who is a sweet and affectionate dog who loves a cuddle. He is house trained, loves his walks, and knows some basic commands.

Monty one is a Saluki cross. He has been friendly with the staff at kennels, enjoys his walks, and walks well on the lead. He's really friendly and would make a lovely companion.

Saluki cross Monty is friendly and loves going for walk on the lead. He's been at All Dogs Matter in Essex for several months

Lurcher Mr Bean was skin and bone when he arrived at All Dogs Matter in Waltham Abbey. Rescuers say there's a high number of abandoned Lurchers at the moment, but less demand for the dogs

Shiloh, Four-year-old Whippet Cross

Location: Cumnock, Ayrshire

Reason he hasn't found a home: Stumpy tail

Shiloh has been in rescue since he was 6 months old. He came into rescue after being abused. He had been beaten and abused. Vets tried to save his tail but were unable to. Still, he is a happy dog and his stump wags happily.

His rescue has no idea why he is constantly overlooked.

He spent a year in training at with the Paws for Progress scheme in Polmont, which saw young offenders and dog trainers teach him how to give his paw, learn agility and more.

Four-year-old Whippet Cross Shiloh, who lives at a shelter in Ayrshire, came into rescue after being beaten and abused. His handlers can't understand why he's not yet been adopted

Benny, seven-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Location: Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire

Reason he hasn't found a home: Unpopular breed

Poor Benny has spent six years in rescue waiting for a new home to come along.

He is very popular at his rescue but a new home has sadly eluded him.

Benny is house-trained and very obedient so he is more than ready for his new home and next chapter; poised is to find a loving place that he can call his own.

Seven-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier has spent six years waiting for a new home despite his friendly nature

Kika, three-year-old Bull Terrier Cross

Location: Norfolk

Reason she hasn't found a home: Nervous of strangers

Kika is a Bull Terrier cross girl, possibly with a Terrier based on her markings.

She has never known life in a home and her rescue centre Terrier SOS genuinely fear that she could spend the rest of her days in rescue as an overlooked breed.

Kika is smart and active and has certain Collie traits. She can be wary of strangers but once she knows you are okay, she loves you

She loves her Kong and activities that use her brain/nose, she is brilliant at scentwork. She would make an excellent companion, and really needs one-to-one attention.

Kika, a three-year-old Bull Terrier Cross, has been at Terrier SOS in Norfolk all her life and has never known a normal home. She's nervous at first around strangers, but would make a great companion

Scrappy, six-year old Terrier

Location: Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire

Reason he hasn't found a home: Needs a gentle introduction to strangers

Scrappy has been waiting for his new forever home for four years.

He is a very friendly and affectionate young chap with those he knows, but is territorial so needs proper introductions to strangers or new people when at home.

Six-year old terrier Scrappy has been waiting at the Lizzie's Barn Sanctuary in Wales for four years.

Pepe, six-year-old Beagle

Location: Liverpool

Reason he hasn't found a home: Feels insecure after living in different homes

Pepe was originally rehomed from Freshfields in 2013. He then came back into rescue in 2015 when his owner got ill and could no longer look after him.

He's already had three homes and it's not surprising that he's beginning to feel insecure and experiencing some behaviour issues.

Pepe is a typical Beagle who loves his walks and will therefore need a very active home. He walks well on the lead and is generally clean. He loves to play with toys and spends most of the day snoozing in his bed.

He needs someone that understands him and is willing to work with him to overcome any problems and help him to settle down.

Pepe, a six-year-old Beagle from the Freshfields centre in Liverpool feels insecure after having three different homes in his short life

Flo, 20 month old Saluki Cross

Location: Scotland

Reason she hasn't found a home: Too energetic

Flo has been with the Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary since September 2017 and has been in a few different foster homes but a forever home has eluded her.

Her owners couldn't cope with typical bouncy puppy. She had no boundaries so a lot of work is being done with her in foster.

She can live with cats but her ongoing training needs mean she would do better in an experienced home.

For more information on any of the dogs featured about visit dogsblog.com
An Australian mother has recalled the shocking moment doctors prescribed Coca Cola for her two-year-old son to dislodge a shell that had become stuck in his abdomen.

Kristie, a mother-of-two from Queensland, said her young son had been playing with his older brother when he put a shell into his mouth and swallowed it.

Panicked, she unsuccessfully tried to retrieve the shell from his mouth herself and to make matters worse, she had no idea what kind shell he'd swallowed or how big it was.

The Queensland-based mum revealed how her young son had been playing with his older brother at the time when he popped a shell into his mouth and swallowed it (stock image)

'I spoke to his older brother then looked back at him - and realised he had something in his mouth and asked him to spit it out and he said: "I ate it all" and put his hand in his mouth,' Kristie told Kidspot.

Although she said her son didn't appear phased by the incident, she took him to the hospital where he was promptly X-rayed.

Following a tense half hour wait, it was revealed a shell, measuring 39.2mm long and 0.8mm wide, was sitting lengthwise at the very top of her son's abdomen.

While there was much discussion about removing the object, it was decided the risk was too high.

'He [the doctor] explained that not knowing if the ends are sharp and if it moves and perforated any of his organs it could be bad and surgery would be a lot worse,' she said.

The medical team revealed the course of action they were taking would be to leave the shell and see what happened over the following week.

Kristie said her son was discharged after spending a night in the hospital as other members of the team were still debating as to whether surgery was possible.

Doctors assessing the situation decided surgery would be too risky an option (stock image)

However, it was decided again, given the size of the shell, that surgery was not an option.

She said doctors told her and her son to go home and advised the mum to give her boy 300mls of Coke for seven days and to return to the hospital for an X-ray the following week.

Before her son left the hospital he needed to eat a meal to prove food was able to get past the shell and she was instructed to bring him straight back to the hospital if he started to vomit, complain of pain or experience unexpected bleeding.

While this method of treatment may seem unusual, Dr Gino Pecoraro, spokesman for The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it is not unheard of.

The mum said her child was told to drink Coke for a week and then return for an X-ray (stock image)

Dr Gino Pecoraro, spokesman for The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (pictured) said the unusual method isn't unheard of

The dominant compound of shells is calcium carbonate and when this comes into contact with an acid (cola is acidic) it disintegrates and breaks down into carbon dioxide, gas, water and calcium salt.

'In this case, the shell may dissolve enough around the edges for it to pass through,' he told FEMAIL.

While having a can of cola on hand might sound like an easy way to manage a similar situation, Dr Pecoraro always recommends taking a child to the hospital for an X-ray.

'You may not always know what else they've swallowed, where it's lodged, whether there's something dead inside the shell that could cause an infection or if the shell has sharp edges and could cause internal cutting,' he said.

What happens when you add acid to a sea shell? When you soak seashells in acidic products (such as vinegar) carbon dioxide bubbles start to form. They are a product of the reaction between the calcium carbonate in the seashell and the acid It usually takes a few days for the shell to dissolve completely Before that, it will get progressively thinner and more fragile Source: Sciencing.com Advertisement

Kristie said the past five days have been hectic in her house with her toddler drinking 300mL of Coke a day - and there's still no sign of the shell passing.

'It's been a crazy week here with a two-year-old on a caffeine and sugar high. We are still awaiting X-rays this week to see if the shell has shrunk at all and how much it has shrunk will determine where we go from there,' she said.

Dr Pecoraro also offered these words of advice to parents to reassure them that children will naturally explore their world through sight, smell, touch and taste.

'They will put things in their mouths, and in their nose and ears and emergency departments are used to dealing with these kinds of situations,' he said.
Workplace experts have warned how the language you use in work emails can have a gravely adverse effect on your professional reputation, while revealing four phrases that should never be used in your online business correspondence .

Sending notes via email has become second nature to most working adults, so much so that many people are now entirely unaware of the correct etiquette that should be adhered to when sending an electronic message, and the long-term damage that can come from sending a badly-worded note.

According to one business etiquette expert, the areas where most people stumble are at the beginning and end of an email, explaining that these are usually the most important element of any message.

Without even realising it, the way we word emails can significantly damage your career and professional reputation, particularly when it comes to how we open and end the message

US-based business expert and author Barbara Pachter explained that the key thing is to strike the perfect balance between formal and friendly, without seeming too rigid and stuff, or overly relaxed and casual.

Workplace expert Karen Gately explained how to craft the correct sign-off for an email - and noted what phrases to avoid at all costs

Opening an email with 'Dear Sir or Madam', for example, is often perceived as being far too proper, and can therefore be off-putting to the recipient.

'This salutation tells the recipient you have absolutely no idea who they are,' Ms Pachter told Business Insider, explaining that it may leave the reader feeling like a complaint or something negative will follow.

She suggests that the perfect way to start a professional email is to keep it simple but respectful.

Opening your correspondence with with, 'Hi [person's first name]' would be a good starting point Ms Pachter notes, or, if you want to make things slightly more formal, she suggests beginning with 'Hi [person's full name]'.

The business author said this is a safe and familiar way to address someone, whether you know them or not, and will be received positively by all.

Speaking on the other side of the coin, Melbourne-based workplace expert Karen Gately told Whimn that people should be careful to avoid using slang phrases and colloquial greetings that are specific to their home country, particularly when they are emailing people in another country.

For example, she warned that Australians have a very unique style of tongue-in-cheek interaction that they need to be mindful of in a business environment.

When it comes to the sign-off, make sure you are leaving a positive lasting impression - and 'don't communicate in ways that can make people thing you're grumpy or demanding,' she warned.

'Just be yourself and write with authenticity,' Ms Gately added, before revealing the four phrases that should never be used when finishing up an email.

Four phrases you should NEVER use in a professional email Yours sincerely Despite its legacy as a widely used letter closer, workplace expert Karen Gately said the phrase can come across as outdated and overtly proper through email. It can be difficult to know how to strike the right balance between too friendly and too formal, but according to the expert, 'yours sincerely' is a bridge too far. Yours faithfully A bedfellow of 'yours sincerely', Ms Gately said this closing remark can seem unnecessarily official. Using x's Unless you are emailing a close personal friend, Ms Gately said it should be obvious to avoid the use of x's or kisses and hugs (xoxo). 'Clearly it's common to have friendships in the workplace, but even if it's a conversation with a friend, the email could be sent on or have other people copied in down the track,' she said. LinkedIn expert Sue Ellson agreed, adding she doesn't feel it appropriate to use slang on terms of endearment such as 'love' or its variations such as 'luv'. Thanks... and nothing else While 'many thanks' with 'regards' tagged on to the end was deemed appropriate by the expert, using this term in a more abrupt fashion can seem demanding of stand offish. Advertisement
A man whose Tinder match asked him to send her a sonnet left her stunned when he penned one himself - albeit with a very cheeky hidden message.

The man, known only as Drew, told Bored Panda how he used his way with words to ask a woman for a saucy picture, but cleverly disguised it as a romantic poem.

When he sent the girl, named Emilia, the sonnet 'about a first love' she'd asked for, included dramatic lines like 'she places hand to chest with heart a-blaze,' and 'love lost is better than a love not shared'.

But when Drew, thought to be in the US, told her to look closely at the first letter of each line, she soon realised it spelled the words: 'Send nudes'.

There was even a second hidden message - the first letter of the second word in each line spelled out: 'Phone number pls'.

A singleton by the name of Drew, thought to be from the US, has shared his very crafty method to persuading matches on Tinder to send him nude pictures- by writing poems with hidden messages in them (read the first letter of each line to spell out 'Send nudes Emeli')

Left: The words 'Send nudes' are spelt out; Right: The words 'Phone number pls' can be read in the first letter of every second word

The clever but undeniably cheeky move seems to endear Drew to the ladies, having declared that his 'beautiful' poem had 'made her whole night', when Emilia realised what it really said she was even more impressed.

'LMAO,' she wrote.

'That was great I'm still laughing.'

Drew's match was so impressed she even suggested his unlikely method had worked, writing: 'Honestly, you deserve it [a nude picture] after all that.'

Upon matching with women on the dating app, he asks them to give him a topic so he can write them a 'Shakespearean sonnet'- in this case about first love for Amelia, before he reveals the hidden message much to their surprise

Screen grabs from their Tinder chat shared with Bored Panda reveal how, having initially wowed Emilia with his romantic verses, Drew clarified: 'Just wait until you read the first letter of each line.'

She replied: 'LMAO. Okay night officially made. That was great I'm still laughing.'

She went on: 'Oh my god! Do you do this to every girl? Lmfao because that's actually a a talent,'an impressed Emelia replies.

Apparently intending to reward his efforts, she added: 'Honestly you deserve it (nudes) after all that'.

Drew then replies:'Then you don't wanna (sic) know what happens if you read the first letter of each word in my first response', directing her to the secret message: 'Phone number pls' with Amelia 'rewarding' him with nudes

And proving that his talent for poetry covers a range of topics, Drew then shared a snapshot of a conversation with another match, named Sofia.

She asked for a sonnet about vaping, and Drew duly penned one, again with the hidden message 'send nudes Sofia'.

Speaking to Bored Panda about his unique approach, he said: 'I thrive on genuinely investing that effort to make the other party unexpectedly impressed. I always loved writing poetry and it has turned out a great way to break the ice'.

And of his success rate he added: 'To be honest I find I have about just as much success with normal messaging than I do with the poems. They're not magically boosting my chances but they do well as a memorable ice-breaker'.
Zara and Mike Tindall packed on the PDA as they arrived at Cowes for its annual regatta week on Thursday.

The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, looked typically loved up as they stepped on board a yacht at the Isle of Wight festival this morning.

Undeterred by the unseasonable drizzle at Lendy Cowes Week, the husband and wife were barely able to wipe the smiles off their faces with a romantic Mike swooping in to plant a kiss on Zara's cheek.

The couple have certainly not been shy when it comes to their affections of late with Mike pictured give his wife's bottom a squeeze at Gatcombe Park's annual horse show on Sunday.

Zara and Mike packed on the PDA, sharing a kiss on the lips with Mike even giving his wife's behind a cheeky squeeze as they soaked up the sunshine at the equestrian festival.

Zara and Mike Tindall looked typically loved up as they attended Cowes regatta on Thursday

And the pair seemed equally amorous today as they snuggled up together in Cowes.

In light of the gloomy weather the couple wrapped up in waterproof raincoats and opted for his and hers blue jeans and white sneakers.

Like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the couple are sailing fans and looked delighted to be out at sea today.

Zara, 37, and Mike, 39, welcomed their second daughter Lena Elizabeth in June but neither she or their eldest daughter Mia was present today.

The couple put on a tactile display as they hopped on board a yacht at the annual festival in the Isle of Wight

The couple has not been shy when it comes to their affections of late with Mike seen giving Zara's bum a squeeze at Gatcombe Park horse trials on Sunday

Zara appeared to return the favour as she leant in to give her husband a kiss on the lips earlier this week

However, as Admiral of The Royal London Yacht Club Zara's mother Princess Anne is thought to be attending the regatta, which lasts until Saturday, throughout the week.

One of the worlds largest and oldest regatta events, Cowes Week is famed throughout the world and is expected to attract thousands of spectators.

Lendy Cowes Week is an annual regatta known for being the largest of its kind in the world, held on the Solent - a narrow strait separating the Isle of Wight from the English coastline.

In light of the gloomy weather the couple wrapped up in waterproof raincoats and opted for his and hers blue jeans and white sneakers

The couple welcomed their second daughter Lena in June but neither she nor their eldest Mia was with them today

First held in August 1826 in Cowes, UK, the regatta typically hosts 40 daily sailing races with up to 1,000 ships and 8,000 competitors taking part.

The annual festival originated from King George IVs passion for yachting and has continued to attract thousands of spectators and competitors, both professional and amateur, for almost two centuries.

The sailing regatta has been held annually since 1826 except during World War I and World War II.
A grandmother-of-three celebrated her 50th birthday in style after receiving a dramatic ambush makeover complete with a chic new 'do.

Nanette Muffley, 50, from Jessup, Maryland, was wearing a 50th birthday crown and sash when she was plucked from the crowd in the Today show plaza for a makeover on Thursday morning.

The mom admitted that she was well overdo for a new look, explaining that her children have been urging her to try something different.

Scroll down for video

Then and wow! Nanette Muffley, 50, from Jessup, Maryland, received an incredible ambush makeover on the Today show Thursday for her 50th birthday

Celebration: The birthday girl wore a crown and sash while waiting in the Today show plaza with her best friend Edie (right)

'They said, "Mom, you've looked the same for years. We've seen your high school pictures; you look the same."

'But I don't know what to do,' she told Today fashion correspondent Melissa Garcia.

However, Nanette had come to the right place; she looked like a whole new woman when she stepped on stage to show off her incredible transformation.

'Wow! Oh my gosh, you look amazing,' her friend Edie gushed when she removed her blindfold and saw her makeover for the first time.

Nanette was just as amazed when she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror.

Looking good: 'Wow! Oh my gosh, you look amazing,' Edie gushed when she saw Nanette's new look for the first time

New woman: 'Oh my gosh,' Nanette said when she looked in the mirror. 'This is a big transformation'

Beautiful: As part of her makeover, Nanette's brown curls were dried straight, cut into a chic bob with bangs, and dyed a 'natural-looking red'

'Oh my gosh,' she said. 'This is a big transformation.'

Celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari explained that he dyed her hair a 'natural-looking red' with a copper base, but that wasn't the only update to her locks.

The grandmother's brown curls were dried straight and cut into a sleek bob with blunt bangs, which gave her a whole new look.

Melissa, meanwhile, dressed her in a stylish black blazer, which Nanette wore over a flowy white top and form-fitting capri pants.

Before and after: Terry Tanner, 66, from Waterville, New York, also received a stunning ambush makeover on the morning show

Excited: Terry, who was joined by her sister Becca, said the makeover was a 'chance of a lifetime for her'

The stylist topped off the look with bright pink heels for a pop of color and a pair of gold statement earrings.

Terry Tanner, 66, from Waterville, New York, also received a stunning ambush makeover on the morning show.

The retired computer program admitted she couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a haircut, and she was thrilled to be getting a transformation.

'It's the chance of a lifetime,' she told Melissa. 'I always watch the show and people look so beautiful. I can't believe it's going to happen.'

'We just wanted to be on TV, and this is the ultimate way to do it. It's great,' her sister Becca added.

Impressed: 'Who's that? Oh my God. Wow,' Terry said when she checked out her new look in the mirror

New 'do: Terry's thick blonde hair was cut into a modern bob, and dark streaks were added to her color to give it more depth

Terry's sister and nephew Seth were both impressed by her gorgeous makeover.

'Who's that? Oh my God. Wow,' Terry said when she checked out her new look in the mirror for the first time.

Her thick blonde hair was cut into a modern bob, and Louis added dark streaks to her color to give it more depth.

Melissa explained that Terry had grown up on a farm, so she wanted to put her in something that was a little bit outside of her comfort zone.

Terry looked incredibly in a form-fitting magenta sheath and black patent leather heels.
A food writer who specialises in Indian cuisine has revealed that your favourite curries are more British than Indian - no matter how authentic you think they are.

Columnist Mallika Basu, 40, from London, exclusively told FEMAIL that despite many takeaways being described as 'Indian' food, curries in modern Britain have little to do with the subcontinent.

The author, who released her new cookbook, Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living this summer, also shared the mistakes that many home cooks make when tackling the cuisine in their own kitchens.

Here, she explains why.

1. MORE BRITISH THAN BOMBAY

Mallika Basu (pictured), 40, from London, has shared with FEMAIL the reasons why UK curries are not remotely Indian - in fact, they're as authentically British as sausages and mash

Indian takeaways are spin offs from the curry houses and Balti restaurants of Britain. These were the brainchild of creative immigrants, mainly from Bangladesh, who created a brand of curries that titillated taste buds and captured the imagination of Brits.

In fact, your Indian takeaway has as little to do with the food of the nation as bangers and mash.

2. INDIANS WOULDN'T RECOGNISE THE CURRY NAMES

Indian takeaways sell dishes with names Indians wouldn't even recognise.

Balti, for example, means bucket in Hindi. Bhuna is to stir and tarka simply refers to a tempering of spices.

Expect baffled looks if you try and order the Bombay aloo, Daag, Phal or Madras in India  all popular takeaway favourites in Britain.

As for the Chicken Tikka Masala, this is a variation of the Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken. A Punjabi classic, it is characterised by cream, butter and a smooth tomato sauce, which may also explain its enduring appeal whatever moniker it goes by.

3. APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE

Mallika Basu's Saag Paneer dish - a spinach paneer cheese curry served with homemade naan bread, which is featured in her new cookbook

When your Indian takeaway sells a dish Indians might recognise by name, chances are they won't by appearance or taste.

The sizzling hot vindaloo (pronounced Vin-Dahl-Oo) should actually be made with pork and has a day glo appearance with the use of chillies that impart colour not heat. So it's milder than you realise.

Meanwhile the chicken korma isn't a sweet curry for the faint-hearted  it's a rich curry with a definite kick.

As for the watery jalfrezi, this isn't a curry at all in India. The word means 'chilli fry' so anything but a peppery saute is not the real thing.

4. CURRY IS COOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY IN THE UK

Indian takeaways rely heavily on a 'base curry sauce'  a generic gravy bulked with cheap vegetables like carrots, onions and even cabbage creating the starting point for most dishes. This one-size-fits-all approach is then customised depending on what you order.

In India, every curry has its own make up. There is no such thing as a base curry sauce.

Remember Indian takeaways, like their restaurant counterparts, are geared for food service so they deploy tricks to deal with high volume and turnover. In India, every dish has its own starting and ending point. Even when these are cooked in volume, there are no interchangeable base sauces.

5. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS 'CURRY' IN INDIA

Mallika also has a recipe for butter chicken curry in her new cookbook: Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living

Curry is a generic term that Indians use to describe a sauce or gravy. Although it is said to have originated from the Tamil word 'kari', it is a very British invention to label all their favourite sub continental dishes 'curry'.

Indian food, in fact, has way more variety than just curries and the typical aloo (potato), saag (spinach) and paneer (fresh cheese) sides you're likely to find on your Indian takeaway menu.

The nation's vegetarian and vegan food, savoury fermented rice and lentil treats and vast range of pulses cooked both as stir fries and as dal.

The things you're doing wrong when cooking Indian cuisine at home Think you know how to cook proper Indian food at home? Step away from the pestle and mortar, because it isnt as complicated, difficult or time consuming as you may think it is. Indians often deploy easy cheats and shortcuts to get great food on the table quickly and simply. Heres what you need to know from Mallika Basu, Indian food writer and cookbook author, so you can get it right every time too. 1. Don't follow recipes meticulously Precise recipes are every home cooks dream, but Indians never write recipes, deploying andaaz or approximations and use their instincts instead. This is why a little bit more of this and a little bit less of this is highly unlikely to ruin the taste of an Indian dish. Throw caution to the wind and let your senses guide you. Mallika Basu is a chef, cookbook author and columnist for the Evening Standard newspaper 2. Don't take it easy on the oil Indian dishes arent supposed to be covered in a thick film of oil in the style of your takeaway favourites. But, little pools of oil seeping through the surface of your dish are a happy sign that all the ingredients are beautifully incorporated. You also need oil to cook the onion, tomato, coconut or yoghurt spice paste for your dish. If you want to take it easy on the oil, use a recipe that doesnt need onions caramelised at the outset as they soak up a fair quantity to turn golden. 3. Use elbow grease Cooking Indian food is an art and a science, best enjoyed with a wooden spoon and a high heat. This is not about delicate pot stirring. Roll your sleeves up and stir vigorously to make sure the ingredients change colour, texture and taste to give you that explosive end result you know and love. Of course, this means you cant wander off and leave your pan unattended. If this sounds too much like hard work, there are plenty of oven-friendly Indian recipes out there that make a breeze of dinner while you potter about. 4. Don't fuss too much about using the right spices Yes, Indian cooking involves a number of spices. But when there are so many, you can happily leave the ones you dont have out. The golden rule is to never forgo the spice named in a recipe title. With everything else, feel free to improvise. For more exotic fresh ingredients like curry leaves, green chillies and fresh coriander, box or bag them up and freeze for up to two months of use. This will give you a kitchen-ready supply for weeks to come. 5. Don't make everything from scratch You dont need to individually roast and then crush and grind your own spice mixes. Store bought is fine, and Indians will confirm their love for ready-to-use ingredients and spice mixes. The same applies to papads / papadoms, pickles, ghee, rotis and parathas and even paneer. Of course, when you have time and energy these are lovely projects to undertake at leisure. But you dont have to! Advertisement

Mallika's cookbook Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living is out now. Follow Mallika on Instagram and Twitter: @MallikaBasu_.
The elusive McDonald's 'McGold Card' has enjoyed mythical status for years, with fans of the fast food chain only getting glimpses and hints of its existence.

But this week, Micky D's confirmed that it does, in fact, exist.

In fact, the company is giving away one of the highly-coveted VIP cards, offering one very lucky customers free food for life.

Want! The elusive McDonald's 'McGold Card' is real  for one lucky winner

Fries for life! The chain is running a contest to give away just one card, which will entitle the winner to two meals a week for 50 years

While McGold Cards have existed in some form for years, the one that McDonald's is is now giving away is one-of-a-kind.

That's because past cards usually limit the lucky owner to food from one store, or last for a limited time.

According to Today, this one is good for 50 years, and can be used at any location.

The winner of the McGold Card will be privy to two meals a week at the chain, totaling up to $7 each.

Aliens! The chain released a video announcement for the contest this week

Fancy! And unlike past versions, this 'card' isn't actually the size and shape of a credit card  it's a phone case made of 24k gold

And unlike past versions, this 'card' isn't actually the size and shape of a credit card  it's a phone case.

Made out of actual 24-karat gold, the case  which will be custom-made for the winner's iPhone or Android, will be engraved with his or her name.

To win, hopefuls need only to place an order on the McDonald's app between tomorrow. Friday, Aug. 10 at 12am and Aug. 24 at 11:59pm.

They can also enter by emailing entry@amoeentry.com with the date in the subject line and full name in the body of the email.

App: To win, hopefuls need only to place an order on the McDonald's app between tomorrow. Friday, Aug. 10 at 12am and Aug. 24 at 11:59pm

Best of the best: Other lucky people have versions of the card, though most limit them to a period of time or a single location

Celeb status: In 2015, Rob Lowe showed off his card to Jimmy Kimmel, but explained that it only worked in Santa Barbara and was good for just a year

Taking home the unique card would put the winner in an exclusive club with the likes of Rob Lowe, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet.

While Gates' card allegedly works world wife, Buffet's card only works in Omaha, Nebraska.

In 2015, Lowe showed off his card to Jimmy Kimmel, but explained that it only worked in Santa Barbara and was good for just a year. He got it through a well-connected friend.
You could easily be forgiven for assuming these were the overworked hands of a labourer.

Yet the cracks and cuts on this man's fingers are not the result of grueling manual work. Instead, they were caused by drugs used to treat his cancer.

And he wasn't alone, as doctors also documented the tale of a woman with cut-like lesions on her hands, also caused by EGFR inhibitors.

Doctors in California were so intrigued by the side effects of both patients that they published the two tales in the prestigious BMJ Case Reports.

You could easily be forgiven for assuming these were the overworked hands of a labourer. Yet they are the hands of a cancer patient, who was left with cuts all over his hands because of drugs to treat the disease

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are doled out to treat several forms of cancer, often alongside chemotherapy.

They are designed to block the protein, found at abnormally high levels in cancer cells, to stop certain tumours from growing.

Reports have surfaced over the past decade that the drugs can lead to rashes, as patients have complained of breakouts on their faces.

But this is believed to be one of the first times that EGFR inhibitors have been linked to cut-like lesions on fingers and hands.

Writing in the journal, doctors led by Dr Andrew Iskander said: 'These agents have been associated with several skin lesions.

'We describe a unique toxic effect of these agents involving the fingertips and lateral aspects of fingers in a small patient series.

'We call for awareness of this unique skin toxicity with the use of EGFR inhibitors in patients with cancer.'

In the first case, an unidentified 68-year-old man was given a five-month course of one of the drugs to treat his metastasized bowel cancer.

In the second case, a 61-year-old woman battling lung cancer had complained of cut-like lesions on her fingers after starting a new treatment

WHAT ARE EGFR INHIBITORS? Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are doled out to treat several forms of cancer, often alongside chemotherapy. They are designed to block the protein, found at abnormally high levels in cancer cells, to stop certain tumours from growing. Reports have surfaced over the past decade that the drugs can lead to rashes, as patients have complained of breakouts on their faces. But this is believed to be one of the first times that EGFR inhibitors have been linked to cut-like lesions on fingers and hands. Advertisement

But after just four weeks of taking cetuximab alongside chemotherapy, he became concerned of the 'painful cuts' on the tips and sides of his fingers.

The man told doctors in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, that his lesions were causing him 'significant pain and discomfort'.

Medics decided to stop the man's treatment of cetuximab, as scans showed his cancer was still rapidly spreading through his body.

The man's hands quickly improved over the space of a couple of weeks, however, shortly after discontinuing the therapy, he died.

In the second case, a 61-year-old woman battling lung cancer had complained of cut-like lesions on her fingers after starting a new treatment.

Doctors gave her osimertinib, an EGFR inhibitor, to combat some of the arising complications of her stage four disease.

But one month in, she returned to oncologists at the Lucy Curci Cancer Center, complaining on cut-like lesions on her fingers.

The woman, who hasn't been identified, admitted her cuts had began to hinder her usual daily activities and was left in pain.

Doctors continued her on osimertinib, however, they gave her an oatmeal colloidal solution to treat the lesions.

The solution of oats and water, which binds to skin and forms a protective barrier, has worked but the cuts still cause trouble for the woman.
Bots love vaping, according to new research.

In the last several years, e-cigarettes have been gaining popularity, pushing combustible tobacco over and sparking both controversy and fandom.

But public health officials and doctors have tried to caution that the hype is premature and the health effects of e-cigarettes are largely unknown.

Now, scientists at San Diego State University have discovered that some of that buzz has been generated by bots.

In fact, the majority of tweets in praise of vaping were just automated messages written by electronic devices about electronics.

So, the researchers worry, bots may actually be behind the driver's seat of the vaping discussion, skewing public perception to see vaping as healthier than science has as of yet shown.

Bots like this one are dominating the Twitter conversation about vaping, often making claims that e-cigarettes are not harmful to health, new research reveals

There is no doubt that vaping is more popular than ever.

E-cigarettess have made their way into the hands of more than nine million loyal users in the US, and there's no sign of the market slowing down.

And it's not just that smokers are switching over.

Teens are picking up electronic cigarettes left and right.

Juul is cool now, smoking cigarettes is not and social media, of course, has a hand in every trend, and how good, bad or healthy the public sees anything and everything.

Researchers at San Diego State University (SDSU) simply wondered exactly how Americans see and discuss e-cigarettes, as expressed online.

They went looking for patterns what people were saying but what they found were not people at all - although they were designed to sound like us.

'We are not talking about accounts made to represent organizations, or a business or a cause. These accounts are made to look like regular people,' said lead study author, Dr Lourdes Martin.

At first, she and her team divided the 194,000 tweets they had scraped from Twitter according to who wrote them (individuals or organizations) and the sentiment they expressed (positive or negative).

From those, they picked a random sample of less than 1,000 tweets, and 887 of those, they discovered, were shared by individuals, who may have been bots or not.

They were overwhelmingly in support of e-cigarettes, with 67 percent tweeting pro-vaping messages.

When it came to the harmfulness of vaping, 54 percent of tweets from individuals claimed that e-cigarettes are 'not harmful' or do far less damage than combustible tobacco does.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E-CIGARETTES How they work: E-cigarettes use a mixture of flavored liquids and nicotine to create a vapor. This vapor is then inhaled by the user similarly to how one would smoke a regular cigarette. Are these devices safe? Since these devices don't use traditional smoke, people are under the assumption that they are safe for you. But the liquid in the e-cigarettes can contain harmful toxins and carcinogens including anti-freeze. The nicotine in the e-cigarettes also had addictive components and can lead to other tobacco use. This can hinder brain development in teens. Also, the devices can overheat and explode if defective. The Food and Drug Administration does not certify e-cigarettes as a product to get over smoking regular cigarettes. Advertisement

And most of those positive messages probably came from bots.

'This raises the question: To what extent is the public health discourse online being driven by robot accounts,' Dr Martinez said.

Since most of [bots] are "commercial-oriented" or "political-oriented," they will skew the analysis results and provide wrong conclusions for the analysis.'

Twitter offers the perfect platform for causes to unify and gain steam, and for users to legitimize one another.

In this case, the research team worries that bots may be fueling support for vaping and mobilizing interests that clash with public health initiatives cautioning against the use of any tobacco products.

And more people now consult the internet than the doctor about their health concerns.

Americans go to the doctor just three times a year, but spend 52 hours looking up health information online. Nearly all - 98 percent - of people surveyed in the Pew study earlier this year sought health information from the internet.

Mostly, people went looking for information not from doctors blogging or writing in journals online, but from other patients.

In view of the trust people put in one another to shed light on health issues online, disinformation spread by bots masquerading as individuals was a serious concern to Dr Martinez and her research team.

'Organization among advocates of e-cigarettes [online] may result in a renormalization of tobacco that can undermine prior gains in public health,' the study authors wrote.

The study, published this week in the Journal of Health Communication was not able to identify the bots' exact owners, however, so many questions still remain.

'Are these robot accounts evading regulations? I do not know the answer to that. But that is something consumers deserve to know, and there are some very clear rules about tobacco marketing and the ways in which it is regulated,' she said.
In most of the world, donkeys are beasts of burden, but the only job of the long-eared denizens of Donkey Park is to nuzzle, bray and beguile the diverse group of people who find comfort in their company.

Donkey Park is the creation of Steve Stiert, who sought a new direction after his job as a software engineer for IBM was eliminated six years ago.

He first heard about donkeys from his daughter in veterinary school and fell in love with them.

Now he's devoting his life to providing an opportunity for people to interact with donkeys and experience their calming presence.

'Donkeys resonate with who I am,' says the 59-year-old Stiert, whose equine epiphany came after 26 years glued to a computer screen.

'They brought out this caring, sensitive person I had pushed to the background while trying to be successful.'

Donkey Park owner Steve Stiert, walks among his donkeys in Ulster Park, New York. The retired IBM software engineer offers free donkey-assisted therapy programs and educational events as part of his mission to protect donkeys from mistreatment and neglect. Stiert spreads the word about their virtues as peaceful stress-relieving animals

Stiert says the donkeys resonate with who he is, and they helped bring out a sensitive side he had pushed into the background while trying to be successful

Stiert has 11 donkeys, a mule and a donkey-zebra hybrid that live in a neat, 1.5-acre (0.6-hectare) mini ranch at his home in Ulster Park, 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of New York City.

He takes them to schools, nursing homes and events for children with disabilities. He also teaches donkey husbandry and has an 800-member Meetup group that features hikes with donkeys.

'They're great stress sponges,' Stiert says. 'A lot of people come up from the city, travel long distances. When they come out here you can just see the stress melting away from them.'

Employing donkeys for animal-assisted therapy is gaining popularity among groups dedicated to protecting them from mistreatment. The Donkey Sanctuary, based in Devon, England, offers donkey-assisted therapy programs for children recovering from cancer, victims of human trafficking and other vulnerable people.

'We're not providing therapy for the trauma but for developing life skills,' says Caron Whaley, therapy director at the sanctuary.

Steve Stiert spent his life trying to succeed, and not being sensitive. After he left IBM, he discovered donkeys and he said they are 'stress sponges'

Unlike how donkeys are portrayed in popular culture as gloomy or ill-tempered, they're actually mild-mannered, intelligent and affectionate, donkey advocates say.

'Some people come with the preconceived notion that they kick, they bite, they're stubborn, they're ornery,' Stiert says. 'None of those things are true at all.'

Every week, The Arc of Ulster-Greene, an organization serving people with intellectual disabilities, takes a group of adult clients to Donkey Park to brush the donkeys, lead them through an obstacle course and feed them hay. The donkeys, nine of them only waist-high, readily approach visitors and linger to have their long ears stroked or their rumps scratched.

'If I'm in a bad mood I come out here and they help me relax,' says Tom Cossaboom, an Arc client. 'They're friendly and calm.'

Stiert bought his first six donkeys from breeders but then started taking in rescues. While he's registered as a nonprofit, he relies mostly on his own savings to care for the donkeys. He doesn't do birthday parties, nativity scenes or other money-making events.

'All our services are free,' Stiert says. 'We don't hire donkeys out.'

Patti Lundgren says she looked for Meetup groups when she moved to the area and was intrigued by the donkey hikes. Now she regularly drives 45 minutes to volunteer at Donkey Park.

'There's such a gentle energy about them,' Lundgren says. 'I always leave here feeling really good. The dirtier I am, the better I feel. Ah, donkey therapy, donkey love.'

Donkey Park visitor Evan Oster leads a miniature donkey through an obstacle course as volunteer Patti Lundgren looks on
Doctors double the amount of alcohol units patients claim they consume to get a more accurate figure of their booze consumption, new research has found.

A survey of 191 GPs found they didnt trust patients to tell the truth about how much they drink.

They claimed just 40 per cent of patients are honest about their alcohol consumption.

As a result most doctors use an alcohol multiplier to double the average amount of units, the poll by London-based Direct Line Life Insurance found.

Meanwhile, a parallel survey of 2,000 adults found that young women were the most likely to underestimate their intake.

Doctors double the amount of alcohol units patients claim they consume to get a more accurate figure of their booze consumption, a new survey reveals (stock)

IS ALCOHOL OR CANNABIS WORSE FOR THE BRAIN? Alcohol damages the brain more than cannabis, research suggested in February 2017. Unlike booze, marijuana does not affect the size or integrity of white or grey matter in the brain, even after years of exposure, a study found. Grey matter enables the brain to function, while white controls communication between nerve clusters. Study author Professor Kent Hutchison, from the University of Colorado Boulder, said: 'While marijuana may also have some negative consequences, it definitely is nowhere near the negative consequences of alcohol.' The scientists add, however, research into cannabis' mental effects are still very limited. Lead author Rachel Thayer said: 'Particularly with marijuana use, there is still so much that we don't know about how it impacts the brain.' In the US, 44 percent of those aged 12 or over have used cannabis at some point in their lives. Although their findings appear positive, the researchers also add there is a long way to go before cannabis will likely be broadly legalised. Many are still concerned as to how the class-C drug affects people of different ages, manages pain and causes addiction. Advertisement

Baby boomer generation drink the most

Many members of the public who took part admitted to being economical with the truth when doctors asked them about their drinking habits.

Nearly a third did not know what the limits were and a fifth said they regularly drank more.

Fourteen per cent said they feared being judged by their family doctor, while 16 per cent confessed everyone misrepresents how much they drink.

The study follows warnings that the baby boomer generation is fast becoming the booziest age group.

While teenagers were once considered Britains biggest drinkers, doctors are now more worried about middle-aged, middle-class women who typically buy wine from supermarkets and drink at home.

Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week; the equivalent of 15 single gin and tonics or six medium glasses of merlot.

'Its important to be honest with your doctor'

Jane Morgan, business manager at Direct Line Life Insurance, said: Most of us enjoy a drink from time to time, but no matter how much alcohol you consume its important to be honest with your doctor about it.

'Without all the correct information about your lifestyle you may not get the right diagnosis or treatment.

You should not only ensure you are honest with all medical professionals but if youre asked about how much you drink when purchasing a health or life insurance policy its important to be truthful on your application so you can ensure you have the cover thats right for you.

Doctors believe just 40 per cent of patients are honest about their alcohol intake (stock)

Heavy drinking leads to heart attacks by causing iron to build up

This comes after research released last month suggested heavy drinking leads to deadly heart attacks by causing toxic iron to build up in the body.

Women from regions where alcohol consumption is high have greater iron levels in their bodies and are more likely to die from heart conditions, a study by Anglia Ruskin University found.

Excessive iron levels may cause 'internal stress' that results in plaque building up in the arteries.

Alcohol may also suppress the hormone that prevents iron from accumulating.

More than 1.6 million men and one million women in the UK live with heart disease, which is a major cause of heart attacks and failure. The condition causes one in every four deaths in the US.

Heavy drinking is generally defined as five or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting for men and four for women.
The chemicals used in acrylic and gel nails are causing an allergy epidemic, according to the charity British Association of Dermatologists (BAD).

Some 2.4 per cent of women are allergic to chemicals, known as methacrylates, in such nail enhancements, which can cause their nails to loosen or their skin to develop a severe, itchy rash, BAD warns.

Such a reaction can spread to wherever the nails comes into contact with, which may include a person's eyelids, face and even their genitals. In extreme cases, hand swelling and breathing difficulties can also occur.

BAD describes such allergies as a 'Europe-wide phenomenon, overwhelmingly affecting women'. Previous research suggests 93 per cent of reactions to methacrylates occur in females.

Although reactions are worse when people use at-home kits, even professionally applied acrylic and gel nails can cause reactions if technicians are poorly trained, BAD adds.

The chemicals in acrylic and gel nails are causing an allergy epidemic, charity warns (stock)

'People can develop allergies from artificial nails'

Dr David Orton, from BAD, said: 'It is really important that people know they can develop allergies from artificial nails.

'The truth is that there will be many women out there with these allergies who remain undiagnosed, because they may not link their symptoms to their nails, especially if the symptoms occur elsewhere on the body.

'It is important that they get a diagnosis so that they can avoid the allergen, but also because developing an allergy to these chemicals can have lifelong consequences for dental treatments and surgeries where devices containing these allergens are in common use.'

Nail damage, itching and hand swelling can occur

Methacrylates are not routinely included in allergy patch tests and therefore the number of people who react to such chemicals is thought to be vastly underestimated.

In an audit of 13 UK and Irish dermatology clinics in 2017, 4,931 patients were tested for methacrylate allergies, of which up to 2.4 per cent suffered a reaction.

Of those who reacted, 60 per cent developed their allergy through 'recreational exposure' while having the nail enhancements fitted.

In 33 per cent of cases, allergies occurred in nail technicians while working.

The remainder of cases took place due to methacrylate exposure from medical adhesives or dental materials, where the chemicals are also used.

A separate survey by BAD analysed 742 people visiting dermatology clinics.

Results suggest that 19 per cent of people experience side effects from acrylic nails applied in salons, while 16 per cent suffere adverse events from gel polish nails.

Such complications include nail damage and allergic dermatitis, such as itching and swelling of the eyelids, cheeks and neck.

The study also found that 26 per cent of people apply nail enhancements at home, of which 11 per cent find kit instructions inadequate.
Exercise could help addicts beat their cocaine habits, new research suggests.

Running on a treadmill for one hour five times a week may make ex-users less likely to relapse, an animal study found.

Previous research suggests exercise boosts a person's mood, which may help recovering addicts cope with withdrawal symptoms. Being active may also cause 'memory clearance' that helps ex-users forget their cravings.

Lead author Dr Panayotis Thanos, from the University at Buffalo, said: 'Our results suggest that regular aerobic exercise could be a useful strategy for relapse prevention, as part of a comprehensive treatment program for recovering cocaine abusers.'

Cocaine dependency affects nearly one million people in the US, while around one in 24 people aged 15-to-34 take the drug at least once a year.

Up to two-thirds of cocaine addicts who seek help relapse a few months after treatment.

Exercise could help addicts beat their cocaine habits, new research suggests (stock)

DOES CANNABIS HELP ALCOHOL AND COCAINE ADDICTS OVERCOME THEIR DEPENDENCIES? A supplement derived from cannabis may help alcohol and cocaine addicts overcome their cravings, research suggested in March 2018. Recovering rats given cannabidiol (CBD) are less likely to relapse when exposed to drugs, a study, by the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, found. This is thought to be due to the supplement easing anxiety and stress, as well as reducing impulsive behaviour, according to the researchers. After just three days of receiving CBD, recovering rats are still less likely to relapse five months later, the study found. The researchers hope the findings will assist in the development of treatments to prevent human drug relapses. CBD is a cannabis-derived nutritional supplement that is thought to possess a range of medicinal benefits and has been reported to help people suffering from migraines, psoriasis, acne and depression. Legal in the UK, it does not contain any THC, which is the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes users 'high'. Speaking of the findings, lead author Dr Friedbert Weiss said: 'The efficacy of the CBD to reduce reinstatement in rats with both alcohol and cocaine - and, as previously reported, heroin - histories predicts therapeutic potential for addiction treatment across several classes of abused drugs. 'The results provide proof of principle supporting the potential of CBD in relapse prevention along two dimensions: beneficial actions across several vulnerability states and long-lasting effects with only brief treatment. Advertisement

How the research was carried out

Twenty four female rats were injected with a cocaine solution at eight weeks old.

The rodents were then placed in an apparatus with different compartments for 15 minutes, with their time spent in each section being recorded to determine their favourite.

After four days of cocaine administration, the animals were placed in their non-preferred chamber followed by their favourite for 30 minutes. Any change in activity was recorded throughout.

The theory was the rats would associate their preferred chamber with being under the influence of cocaine.

Half of the rodents then ran on a treadmill for an hour a day, five days a week, for 42 days. The remaining animals did no exercise.

When they were placed back in the apparatus, cocaine dependency was defined as spending more than 55 per cent of the time in the drug-associated chamber on two consecutive days.

Stress was assessed by analysing the rodents' hormone levels in their blood samples.

Exercise reduces cocaine associations

Results suggest cocaine-addicted rats who exercise are less likely to spend time in drug-associated chambers.

Being active does not reduce stress hormone levels in such rodents.

The findings were published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research.

Doctors call for heroin, cocaine and cannabis to be made legal

This comes after doctors called for heroin, cocaine and cannabis to be legalised last April.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which represents 26,000 medics in the UK, said it: 'strongly supports the view that drug addiction must be considered a health issue first and foremost.'

Rather than being punished, the RCP believes drug users should be offered support and 'timely' treatment.

The death rate from illegal drug overdoses in the UK has more than doubled in the past decade, with over two in three people not knowing where to get help if they were battling an addiction, according to the report 'Taking a New Line on Drugs'.

The RCP said: 'These figures demonstrate a clear need for physical, psychological and social support and care for people addicted to drugs.'

This comes after analyses suggest heroin and crack users are dying of overdoses in the areas of England where cuts to drug-treatment budgets are greatest.
An Italian woman suffered a life-threatening anaphylactic shock - after drinking a flavoured beer that contained coriander.

In the world's first ever case, doctors revealed just a sip of the beer triggered the unnamed woman's allergic reaction.

The 29-year-old has now been told to avoid eating coriander, amid fears she could have another anaphylactic shock.

Doctors have now warned of the dangers of adding aromatising spices in food and drinks, which can be 'hidden allergens' for some people.

Anaphylactic shock, known medically as anaphylaxis, is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can kill within minutes.

In the world's first ever case, doctors revealed just a sip of the beer triggered the unnamed woman's allergic reaction (stock)

It is most commonly triggered by those allergic to peanuts and shellfish. But in rarer cases, some medicines, bee stings and even latex in condoms can be responsible.

Coriander has in the past been known to cause anaphylaxis, normally to patients unaware of the spice hidden in teriyaki sauce.

But the new case, published in the medical journal BMJ Case Reports, is the first to describe the deadly reaction to coriander used in beer.

Doctors led by Professor Giovanni Rolla wrote the ingredient had been added to the beer as an 'aromatising substance'.

They added: 'The cases of beer anaphylaxis reported in the literature have been related more commonly to barley, hops, yeasts and in one case to wheat.

'Spices are increasingly used with purpose of aromatising foods and beverages. As their presence is not always reported, they may be considered hidden allergen.

'Coriander anaphylaxis is a rare occurrence, described in literature mostly in relation to occupational allergy or to ingestion as hidden allergen.'

Coriander seeds are sometimes used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian witbier and German Hefeweizens, the doctors said.

The woman, believed to be from Torino, had suffered anaphylaxis just minutes after taking just a sip of beer in September 2017.

WHAT IS AN ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK? Anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, can kill within minutes. It is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger, such as an allergy. The reaction can often be triggered by certain foods, including peanuts and shellfish. However, some medicines, bee stings, and even latex used in condoms can also cause the life-threatening reaction. According to the NHS, it occurs when the immune system overreacts to a trigger. It is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment. The symptoms are caused by the body's immune system, which releases chemical substances, including histamine, when it detects an infection or something harmful. Advertisement

Doctors controlled her sneezing, runny nose and difficulty breathing within an hour through antihistamines.

She was referred to the allergy unit at AO Ordine Mauriziano, her local hospital, two months later for a series of tests.

Medics were baffled as it was revealed the woman had not taken any medications and had no known allergies to food.

But the woman, an avid beer drinker, raised concerns that a specific brand of the beverage may have triggered her anaphylaxis.

On her next visit, she brought in a label of the bottle of coriander-infused beer she believed was the culprit of her potentially deadly reaction.

The beer wasn't named. According to its label, it contained a mixture of Pils and Maris Otter malts, Magnum, Amarillo and Centennial hops.

Researchers at the University of Torino were drafted in by doctors to help get to the bottom of the woman's bizarre allergy.

They contacted the craft brewery for more information about ingredients in the beer that may not be reported on the label.

The brewery, which is unidentified, declared coriander powder was present in the drink - but not in its list of ingredients.

Several tests confirmed the woman was allergic to coriander seeds, which were crushed to make a powder used in the beer.

No tests were needed to confirm if the woman was allergic to anything else in beer, as she had several non-flavoured beers from the brewery soon after.

Doctors equipped her with an autoinjector, which gives a shot of adrenaline to stop anaphylactic shock. And she was also urged to avoid eating coriander.
A possible hepatitis A outbreak at a Red Lobster in Arkansas is prompting health officials to urge residents to get vaccinated.

The state's Department of Health is recommending anyone who ate at the seafood chain restaurant in Fort Smith between July 19 and August 4 to immediately get the jab after an employee tested positive for the virus.

It comes just a day after officials had advised residents in Paragould, on the other side of the state, to get vaccinated after a hepatitis A outbreak at Little Caesars.

Since February, 80 people have come infected with the infectious disease in northeast Arkansas and one person had died.

Arkansas health officials issued a warning on Wednesday about a possible hepatitis A outbreak at a Red Lobster after a worker was revealed to have contracted the virus

Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the body through liver inflammation. It is highly contagious and is typically spread through sexual contact, needle sharing, or by consuming food that has been contaminated by someone infected with the virus.

Those who are at risk of developing hepatitis A include drug users, men who have sex with men and homeless individuals.

What is hepatitis A and how can it be treated? Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can have both minor and severe symptoms for the person infected. It is primarily spread when a person who isn't vaccinated ingests food or water that has been contaminated with feces of an infected individual. The virus is one of the most frequent causes for foodborne infections. Symptoms The incubation period of hepatitis A is normally 14 to 28 days. People can experience: Fever

Loss of appetite

Diarrhea

Nausea

Dark-colored urine

Jaundice

Acute liver failure Who is at risk? Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has never been infected with the hepatitis A virus is at risk. Other factors that increase risk include: Poor sanitation

Lack of clean water

Recreational drug use

Living with an infected person or having sexual relations with one

Traveling to areas with high risk without a vaccination Treatment There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. It may take some people a couple weeks to a couple months to recover from the symptoms. Doctors recommend everyone to get a vaccination to help prevent the risk of getting infected by the virus. Source: World of Health Advertisement

Symptoms - which include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark urine - can take anywhere from two to seven weeks after exposure to appear.

Although many who are infected show no symptoms, it can take a few months for the illness to pass.

Health officials said the Red Lobster employee contracted the virus while traveling, according to 40/29 News.

Over the last two years, a resurgence of the infectious disease has hit at least eight states including Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia.

There have been outbreaks of the disease across northeast Arkansas that health officials say have caused 80 people to become sick and one death since February.

However, health officials insist that hepatitis A that results in death is very rare and is most common in patients with other liver illnesses.

On Tuesday, an Arkansas Little Caesars Pizza employee tested positive for the virus, prompting health officials to urge anyone who ate at the location between July 19 and August 2 to get vaccinated.

The pizza chain announced in a statement that it would be temporarily closing so that the establishment could be 'professionally cleaned and sanitized'.

Management at the Red Lobster location has not announced whether or not it will be closed as well.

A statement was issued by Red Lobster's Director of Communications Nicole Bott to 40/29 News that read: 'The health and safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and we are taking this matter seriously. We're taking prompt and immediate action, working closely with the Arkansas Department of Health.'

The ADH is planning to issue free vaccines this weekend and next weekend in Sebastian County and Green County.

The hep A vaccine only became mandatory for Arkansas residents entering kindergarten in 2014. The health department said that most adults are probably not inoculated.

Since January 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued hepatitis A alerts in Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia.

The agency says the best way to prevent the spread of infection is to practice good personal hygiene, such as washing your hands, and to receive the hepatitis A vaccine, which is given as two shots that are six months apart.

In the US, there are three FDA approved hepatitis A vaccines: Vaqta, Havrix, and Twinrix.
Many people may assume that everyone else is having more sex than them.

People guess that men aged between 18 and 29 are getting intimate every other day, when in fact many are lucky if they are active between the sheets just once a week, a survey reveals.

The perception of women's sex lives is even more inaccurate, with many presuming young females make love every weekday, as well as up to three times a day on 'special occasions' that take place every month.

In reality, women in their late teens and 20s only have sex around five times every four weeks.

In a piece for The Conversation, researcher Bobby Duffy from King's College London discusses why people's assumptions of others' sex lives is so wrong.

People guess that men aged between 18 and 29 are getting intimate every other day, when in fact many are lucky if they are active between the sheets just once a week (stock)

DOES HAVING SEX SLOW AGEING? Having sex at least once a week slows aging in women - even if they do not enjoy being intimate, research suggested in July 2017. Being active between the sheets increases the length of women's telomeres, a study found. These 'cap' the end of DNA strands, with longer lengths being associated with slower ageing, longer lifespans and improved overall health. Women's telomeres lengthen with regular love making regardless of whether they are sexually satisfied in their relationship, the research adds. Researchers believe sex may aid ageing in women by dampening stress and boosting their immune system. The scientists, from the University of California, San Francisco, analysed physical intimacy, as well as partner support or conflict, overall relationship satisfaction and stress in 129 mothers in long-term relationships. Blood samples were taken from the study's participants to determine their telomere length. The study was conducted over one week. Lead author Tomas Cabeza de Baca said: 'Over time, shortened telomeres may contribute to chronic degenerative diseases and premature mortality. 'Sexual intimacy may dampen the effects of stress by down-regulating stress response systems and up-regulating immune response. 'Over time, these patterns of stress function should result in longer telomere length,' PsyPost reported. The effects of regular sex in men are unclear. Advertisement

Women have sex five times a month - not 23!

Research shows we think young people have a lot more sex than they do in reality  and men have a particularly skewed view of the sex lives of young women.

As part of Ipsos' long-running studies on misperceptions, to be released in a new book, The Perils of Perception, we asked people in Britain and the US to guess how often people aged 18-29 in their country had sex in the past four weeks.

The average guess about young men in both countries is that they had sex fourteen times in the last month, when the actual number is just five in Britain and four in the US, according to detailed surveys of sexual behaviour.

Our guess would mean that, on average, young men are having sex every other day  around 180 times a year  compared with the more mundane reality of around 50 times.

But that's not the most remarkable error in our guessing. Men are even more wildly wrong when they guess about young women's sex lives, in both the US and Britain.

Men think British and American young women are having an incredible amount of sex  22 times a month in Britain, and 23 times a month in the US.

These guesses would be the equivalent of the average young woman having sex every weekday, plus two or three times on one special day each month. In reality, it's around five times.

As with so many of our misperceptions, the explanations for this will be both how we think and what we're told.

The survival of our species literally depends on sex. Yet it is a hotbed of misperceptions, because unlike many other core human behaviours, where we can get a better idea of social norms from observation, sex mostly happens behind firmly closed doors (and the sex that is available for general viewing is not a fully accurate representation of the norm).

Because we don't have access to very much real-life comparative information, we turn to other 'authoritative' sources: playground or locker room chat, dubious surveys, salacious media coverage and porn.

These provide extreme examples and dodgy anecdotes that distort our views of reality.

Older women claim to have had half as many sexual partners as men

In the same survey, we asked people in three countries to guess how many sexual partners people in their country have had by the time they get to 45-54 years of age.

On this, people are actually very accurate at guessing the average number of partners reported by men.

The actual figure in Australia and Britain is an average of 17 partners by the time men reach 4554. In the US, it's 19. The average guesses are almost spot-on.

But it gets much more interesting when we compare men and women. First, the standout pattern is with the actual data.

The number of partners claimed by women in surveys of sexual behaviour is much, much lower than the number claimed by men.

In fact, women claim to have had almost half the number of sexual partners as men. This is one of the great conundrums of sexual behaviour measurement: it's seen again and again in high quality sex surveys, but it's a statistical impossibility.

Given that both men and women are reporting pairings, and they make up roughly equal proportions of the (heterosexual) population, the numbers should roughly match.

Many assume young females make love every weekday, as well as up to three times a day on 'special occasions' every month. In reality, it is more like five times a month (stock)

Men may subconsciously 'bump up' their number of partners

There are a number of suggested explanations for this  everything from men's use of prostitutes to how the different genders interpret the question (for example, if women discount some sexual practices that men count).

But it seems most likely to be a mix of men's tendency to be more rough and ready when they add up, combined with men's conscious or unconscious bumping up of their figure, and women's tendency to deflate theirs.

There is evidence of the latter effect from a US study among students which split the participants into three groups before asking them about their sexual behaviour.

One group of women was left alone to fill out the questionnaire as normal. Another was led to believe that their answers could be seen by someone supervising the experiment. And the third was attached to a fake lie detector machine.

The group of women who thought their answers may be seen claimed an average of 2.6 sexual partners, the standard anonymous questionnaire group said 3.4 on average, while those attached to the useless beeping machine said 4.4  which was in line with the men in the study.

There is one final worrying twist in the US data. Men and women guess very differently for women in the US.

American men think that American women have had 27 partners on average, but American women guess only 13, which is much closer to the figure women claim for themselves of 12.

This ludicrously high average guess among men for US women is largely due to a small number of US men who think that US women have an incredible number of partners.

In fact, there were around 20 US men in our sample of 1,000 that went for numbers of 50 or (sometimes way) above, and that skews the data.

Our misperceptions reveal a lot about how we see the world.

They are a brilliant clue to our deep-seated biases, as our guesses at what is 'normal' are more automatic and unguarded.

In this study, these guesses point to some frighteningly wrong views of young people and women, particularly among a small section of men.

As with other misperceptions, the answer is not just to bombard people with more facts to correct these views, but to also deal with the underlying causes  that what we're told and how we think leads many of us to get so much so wrong.
The number of women who are hooked on opioids when they reach childbirth has dramatically increased, a new report has found.

Over 15 years, from 1999 to 2014, the rate of pregnant women suffering from opioid use disorder quadrupled, the CDC revealed on Thursday.

They found that across the 50 states, the rates were highest in Vermont and West Virginia.

Opioid use during pregnancy can result in the death of the mother or the baby, preterm birth and infant withdrawal symptoms like seizures, excessive crying and breathing problems.

The number of women who give birth while addicted to opioids quadruped between 1999 and 2015, a CDC report has revealed (file image)

In the first-of-its-kind study, the CDC used data from the US Department of Health and Human Service's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to look at hospital discharge data.

In 1999, they found that only 1.5 of every 1,000 women going to a hospital to deliver depended on or abused opioids.

By 2014, the latest year that data is available, the rate had spiked by 333 percent to 6.5 per 1,000 women - translating to almost 25,000 deliveries nationwide that year.

The data was only available for 30 states and the District of Columbia, but the researchers found that the highest rates were in Vermont and West Virginia.

The rate increased 97-fold in Vermont from 0.5 cases per 1,000 women in 2001 to 48.6 in 2014. In West Virginia, the increase was 53-fold from 0.6 cases in 2000 to 32.1 in 2014.

In 1999, the lowest rate was in Iowa and the highest rate was in Maryland, while in 2014, the lowest rate was in Washington, DC and the highest rate was in Vermont.

Over the 15-year period, California and Maine had the lowest average rates of increases in opioid use disorder.

HOW AMERICA GOT HOOKED ON OPIOID DRUGS Prescription opioids and illicit drugs have become incredibly pervasive throughout the US, and things are only getting worse. In the early 2000s, the FDA and CDC started to notice a steady increase in cases of opioid addiction and overdose. In 2013, they issued guidelines to curb addiction. However, that same year - now regarded as the year the epidemic took hold - a CDC report revealed an unprecedented surge in rates of opioid addiction. Overdose deaths are now the leading cause of death among young Americans - killing more in a year than were ever killed annually by HIV, gun violence or car crashes. Preliminary CDC data, published by the New York Times, shows that US drug overdose deaths surged 19 percent to at least 59,000 in 2016. This is up from 52,404 in 2015, and double the death rate from a decade ago. It means that for the first time drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years old. The data lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. Advertisement

The highest average rates were found in Maine, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia.

'These findings illustrate the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic on families across the US, including on the very youngest,' said CDC Director Robert Redfield in a statement.

'Untreated opioid use disorder during pregnancy can lead to heartbreaking results. Each case represents a mother, a child, and a family in need of continued treatment and support.'

The report's authors say that different polices in US states could have an impact on the state-to-state variability.

Currently, eight states require tests for prenatal drug exposure if it's suspected.

In 24 states as well as in Washington, DC, health care professionals are required to report suspected use. Additionally, 23 states and DC consider substance abuse during pregnancy to be child abuse.

Because this could result in a woman being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital, the authors say pregnant women could take great measures to hide opioid use from their doctors.

Several studies have shown the devastating consequences opioid use disorder can have on both pregnant women and their babies.

According to the Mayo Clinic, opioids can cross from the mother's blood stream to the placenta and enter the fetal central nervous system.

Complications that can be faced include preterm labor, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, and even miscarriage.

Occasionally, babies can experience neonatal abstinence syndrome, which occurs when the baby experiences withdrawal symptoms from drugs they were exposed to in the womb.

Stanford Children's Heath reports that more than half of babies exposed prenatally to opiates, including heroin and methadone, have withdrawal symptoms.

The authors also said that the variation could be a result of the differing rates by which doctors prescribe opioids in different states.

According to the CDC's most recent available data, doctors in West Virginia wrote an average of 98.6 opioid prescriptions per 100 people in 2016, which could mean higher rates of pregnant women who are also prescribed opioids.

In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, which includes illicit drugs and prescription opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.



According to an analysis released in February, the growing opioid epidemic has cost the US more than $1 trillion from 2001 through 2017.

Around the same time, the US Senate announced it had allotted $6 billion for the opioid epidemic over a two-year period.

Last October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and the federal government is expected to spend a record $4.6 billion this year to fight the opioid crisis.
California is the only state in the US where the number of newborns dying each year fell between 2014 and 2016, the CDC's latest data reveals.

Compared to other wealthy nations, women giving birth and the babies they carry face dismal odds.

There are more stillbirths and babies that die within their first few days of life in the US than in any of the top 20 developed nations in the world - and things have not improved in the last three years.

Except in California, where doctors first noticed the alarming phenomenon 20 years ago, and have been working methodically ever since to improve newborns' chances at life.

Their work paid off: The perinatal mortality rate in California fell by eight percent, from 5.22 deaths per 1,000 births in 2014 to 4.79 deaths per 1,000 in 2016.

US infant mortality rates remain high, and unchanged since 2014 (white), except in Missouri (blue) where they have risen, and in California (green) where mortality rates fell eight percent

Most infants are still dying of the same causes that they have been for decades: birth defects, premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome, pregnancy complications and injuries.

And there remains much about the risk factors and medical failures involved in these deaths that we don't know.

Technological shortfalls seem an obvious scapegoat for poor health outcomes, but at least one 2016 paper suggests that, if anything, the US is in a better position in terms of these resources.

That research identified two areas to focus on in order to lower the nation's overall infant mortality rates: the deaths of babies born preterm and those that happen in the postneonatal period, after a baby's first 28 days of life.

In the 1990s, Dr Jeffrey Gould, a neonatal specialist in San Francisco began approaching neonatal intensive care units in his home state to discuss the formation of a network.

This became the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC), which now includes 140 of the state's neonatal intensive care units (NICU), accounting for 90 percent of the hospitals there.

All of these partnered facilities submit their own data and have access to one another's. The aggregate is key.

'The ability for NICUs to see the data and manage the data, the constant of everything, that has really elevated the quality of care here above what most other states have,' says Dr Jochen Profit, the CPQCC's chief scientific officer.

California has an inherent advantage too: it is a big state where more than 470,000 babies are born each year, plus CPQCC's data now covers 20 years.

'We have more babies, so it's easier to spot trends,' says Dr Profit.

Though the CDC reports that preterm births are the top cause of overall infant mortality, but there actually are surprisingly few studies on particular causes of death for these babies.

But with a comprehensive set of data, the CPQCC comes together annually to decide which 'trends' to address, and how.

Dr Elizabeth Rogers of the University of San Francisco (UCSF) noticed anecdotally that 15 percent of the premature babies born at her hospital were having brain bleeds in 2014, she told the Huffington Post.

These bleeds often prove fatal for babies born early, and even if they survive they may face cognitive delays down the road.

She and her colleagues checked their observations against the CPQCC list, and found that that proportion was way out of the range of normal for hospitals their size.

They swiftly implemented new programs, including steroid shots and quiet practices to help reduce the stress the already fragile newborns faced.

Within three years, the number of preemie brain bleeds fell to a quarter of what it had been at UCSF.

In California, 'neonatology is really uniquely organized in the sense that a lot of places have committed to working on improvement. Compared to a large national group, there is more cohesion,' says Dr Profit.

Joining CPQCC costs hospitals $13,000 to $15,000 a year, but California state believes it is worth it.

The state has a program that gives hospitals funding for perinatal programs, but in order to get the money the facilities have to get certified.

In order to get certified, they have to join the CPQCC.

'The state wants to see the data, so the hospitals are kind of forced to join if they want to be certified, but [the hospitals] get an additional reimbursement and it's probably a net positive to participate,' says Dr Profit.

'So it's kind of a win-win-win for everybody.'

Now, there are perinatal quality care collaboratives in most states in the US, and the CDC even provides funding to some.

Few have so many partnerships and such a robust data set as California's, but following the state's example could give policy experts and doctors more precise targets to focus on in their fight to lower infant mortality rates.
Dozens of states are reporting a boom in cases of people contracting West Nile Virus.

Cases of the disease have been confirmed in 36 states including California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Texas, according to the CDC.

Several local health departments have issued warnings urging residents to stay safe, especially after deaths were confirmed in Iowa, Texas and North Carolina.

Health experts say that they expect the incidence rate to only keep increasing as the scorching heat drags on, and are encouraging the public to protect themselves.

Cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in 36 states including California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Texas, according to the CDC

West Nile Virus is a disease that is spread through bites of mosquitoes, which become infected after feeding on infected birds.

Cases generally tend to spike during the summer and fall months, between June and September, when activity is the most common.

Although most people don't develop symptoms, approximately 20 percent of those infected will develop an infection known as West Nile Fever, according to the CDC.

Symptoms include severe headaches, fever, vomiting and diarrhea, with the agency recommending to seek immediate medical attention.

Although there is no vaccine to protect against West Nile Virus, over-the-counter pain medication can help treat symptoms such as fever.

The illness can sometimes be fatal with about one out of 150 infected people dying from complications due to the virus.

Last year, there were 91 deaths out of the more than 1,000 cases that were reported across the US.

This year, deaths have so far been reported in Iowa, North Carolina and Texas.

'This death related to West Nile is tragic and reminds us to protect ourselves and our families from mosquitoes,' said Dr Ann Garvey of the Iowa Department of Public Health in a statement

'Until the state's first hard frost, whether it's for work or play, being outside means there's a risk for West Nile virus.'

In the CDC's most recent update on July 24, the agency stated that 39 people had been infected with the virus, although Iowa health officials said the woman who died was not included in the report.

Additionally, on August 6, the Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed six additional cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state's 2018 total to 13 so far.

People of any age can become sick from the virus but those aged 50 and above, or who have weak immune systems, have the highest risk, according to the World Health Organization.

To protect yourself from the disease, experts recommend wearing insect repellent, avoid going outside between dawn and dusk which are peak mosquito feeding times, and to wear loose clothing.

Health departments have also encouraged residents to remove items from the outside of their home that contain water - such as buckets or pet dishes - because it can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Beginning in 1839, the British and the Chinese faced one another in what became known as the Opium War. It was a one-sided affair: the Royal Navy was the most powerful in the world, while the Chinese possessed weaponry that was centuries out of date.

The Chinese were reduced to desperate measures. One commander hatched a plan to strap fireworks to the backs of monkeys and catapult the poor creatures onto the British ships in the hope that they would blow up their powder magazines. In the event, nobody could get close enough to launch the monkey bombs at the enemy.

The war was the end result of a decades-long, often fractious relationship between China and Britain, characterised by misunderstandings and ignorance on both sides.

The British and the Chinese started a war in 1839 that would go on to become the Opium War

Eighty years earlier, in 1759, there was only one Englishman, James Flint, who knew how to speak and write in Chinese. His attempt to present a petition to the Chinese emperor on behalf of the East India Company ended with Flint imprisoned for three years and the man who had taught him Chinese decapitated.

In 1793, Lord Macartney arrived in Beijing, bearing gifts from King George III including telescopes, a planetarium and a hot air balloon. The Emperor announced that they were good enough to amuse children. Macartney left Beijing having achieved little.

It was trade that finally brought the two nations together, but there were, unfortunately, two kinds.

One consisted of legal commodities such as cotton, silks and tea. The other was in opium, which the East India Company smuggled from India into China, where demand was high.

The two countries had very different attitudes to opium. In Britain, the drug was legal and sold by apothecaries and tobacconists. There was even a tonic for teething babies called Mother Baileys Quieting Syrup.

One reason why the war came about was because of differing attitudes towards opium in both countries

But Chinas growing addiction problem was devastating its cities. Opium was illegal and punishments for using it grew ever harsher.

The war was precipitated by the imperial commissioner Lin Zexu, who confiscated vast amounts of the drug and threw it in the sea. (He wrote a prayer to the god of the sea apologising for his defilement of the waters.)

Charles Elliot, the chief superintendent of the British in Canton, sent a furious despatch to the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, demanding military action. Some months later Elliot got what he wanted.

The Opium War was not the British Empires finest hour. The Times described it as nothing less than an attempt, by open violence, to force upon a foreign country the purchase of a deadly poison.

But the twilight of Stephen Platts title was not that of Britains empire. It was China that was in decline  and worse was to come. Now that China is once again one of the worlds great powers, knowing the history of its relationship with the West becomes ever more important. Platts book makes a scholarly, but enjoyable, contribution to that knowledge.
TRENTON MAKES by Tadzio Koelb (Atlantic 12.99)

TRENTON MAKES

by Tadzio Koelb (Atlantic 12.99)

Its 1946. In Trenton, New Jersey, a woman accidentally kills her abusive husband in a brawl, disposes of his body, then takes on his identity. Now identifying as Abe Kunstler, he moves to another part of town where he finds work in a wire rope factory, a tough, masculine culture where he holds his own.

He sets up home with Inez, an alcoholic dancer, spinning a story of a violent past that explains his bandaged torso.

But one thing is missing from his life as a man  a son. Will Kunstler be able to continue his deception? Decades later, the truth may be outed by a source very close to him. Probing a tough world, and with graphic scenes of violence, the novel questions our assumptions of gender, manhood and more.

Gritty, dense and intense, it cannot answer all of them, but nevertheless offers a demanding and thought-provoking read.

TEETHMARKS ON MY TONGUE by Eileen Battersby (Head of Zeus 8.99)

TEETHMARKS ON MY TONGUE

by Eileen Battersby (Head of Zeus 8.99)

The fatal shooting of Helen Stockton Defoes mother by a deranged lover is broadcast on U.S. TV. Helens reaction is curiously dispassionate.

Her mother was not particularly maternal and the father shes left with, a vet specialising in horses, is equally detached.

An earnest child passionate about science and horses, loner Helen channels her affections into Galileo, a difficult bay gelding. When her father sells Galileo without warning, Helen flees to Paris, where she aims to figure out who she is. But, of course, its not that easy.

Both meticulously and warmly characterised, Helen embarks on her journey of self-discovery only to find love in the shape of Hector, an elderly stray dog, who ends up dictating where she goes next.

Helens distinctive voice and the authors sharp wit and observational skills carry this absorbing coming-of-age novel to its surprise conclusion.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME TRAVEL

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME TRAVEL by Kate Mascarenhas (Head of Zeus 14.99)

by Kate Mascarenhas (Head of Zeus 14.99)

In 1967, four female scientists build a time-travel machine but one of them, Barbara, suffers a breakdown and is removed from the team before the project is imperilled. In 2017, she and her granddaughter Ruby receive a newspaper cutting from the future about the unsolved murder of an elderly woman.

By now there is a strictly regulated body, the Conclave, run by one of the original pioneers, that governs all time travel. Compelled to find out more, the pair challenge the difficulties put in their way.

In 2018, Odette, a young cleaner, discovers a body and joins Conclave to investigate.

The narrative moves back and forth through time with its almost all-female cast meeting their future and past selves in an intriguing, multi-layered mystery that is ingeniously plotted, if occasionally confusing.
WASHINGTON BLACK

by Esi Edugyan (Serpents Tail 14.99)

In 1830, two brothers, Erasmus and Christopher Titch Wilde, take over a Barbados sugar plantation, a transition watched with sullen resignation by the brutalised slaves.

Among them is 11-year-old Washington Black, whose artistic gifts are spotted by the eccentric Titch. Scientist, explorer and abolitionist, Titch is building an aerial machine and he requires Washs help. A violent death means the pair must escape the island, and Wash finds himself pitchforked into another life.

WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan (Serpents Tail 14.99)

On this years Man Booker longlist, at the core of this novel, with its searing, supple prose and superb characters, is a visceral depiction of the abomination of slavery.

Yet, as importantly, it explores an unlikely friendship, the limits to understanding anothers suffering, the violence lurking in humans and the glories of adventure in a world full of wonders.

NOW WE SHALL BE ENTIRELY FREE

NOW WE SHALL BE ENTIRELY FREE by Andrew Miller (Sceptre 18.99)

by Andrew Miller (Sceptre 18.99)

Injured in the retreat to Corunna, Captain John Lacroix returns home in 1809. Healed in body, but not in mind, he heads for the Hebrides to find peace.

However, he is unaware that he is being hunted by a Spanish officer, Lieutenant Medina, and an English corporal, Cally, tasked with bringing him back to Spain to answer for an alleged crime. What was this atrocity committed in a remote Spanish village and who was the perpetrator?

His memory shot, Lacroix is an easy target for others to manipulate for political and strategic purposes.

In his luminous prose, Costa Prize winner Andrew Miller conjures three very different men, but their experiences have all been traumatising.

Manhunt and pilgrimage, the tale unfolds into a gripping and, ultimately, surprising exploration of the inner battleground.

THE VERDUN AFFAIR

THE VERDUN AFFAIR by Nick Dybek (Corsair 16.99)

by Nick Dybek (Corsair 16.99)

The battle of Verdun is a by-word for slaughter and destruction. In 1921, Tom is helping the local priests to field inquiries from bereaved women searching for their men.

He meets Sarah, a widow, who is haunted by the notion that her husband is alive. In this bleak and confused aftermath, they begin an affair.

Tom meets her again in Italy, where she has arrived to question an amnesiac soldier patient who might be her husband.

Here they encounter an Austrian journalist, Paul, who is also interested in the patient. Years later in California, Paul and Tom reconnect  only to realise that, at the time, they had missed the clues to the answers they sought.

Some fine writing and interesting detail are marred by the choppy construction.
HISTORY

The back cover of The Prison Letters Of Nelson Mandela is adorned with several quotes from the book, all expressing the kind of noble sentiments you might expect from one of the Great Men of History.

In fact, though, this is a bit misleading  because, taken as a whole, the book itself gives us a far more rounded, interesting and, above all, human portrait of Mandela than that.

For his first few years on Robben Island, conditions were especially harsh. Mandela was allowed only one visitor  and to write and receive only one 500-word letter  every six months.

The book reveals the letters that Nelson Mandela wrote while locked in prison on Robben Island for 27 years

By day, he worked for more than seven hours breaking rocks into gravel. By night, he slept on a cold, concrete floor. Even so, his early letters are full of defiant optimism. I feel on top of the world, he writes to one friend, and am looking forward to the day when I will again see you.

After a while, however, the tone darkens. When he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, as Prisoner 46664, which he is still remembered as today, Mandela had five children  including two daughters under six  who wouldnt be allowed to visit him until they were 16.

And as the years go by, he becomes increasingly aware of the suffering that his absence is causing them.

He also begins to doubt his long-held conviction that his political duty must come first.

Is one justified in neglecting his family on the ground of involvement in larger issues? he wonders in 1971. Is the public welfare not something remote and secondary to that of ones family? These are questions that torment me daily.

The letters reveal Mandela's anguish at being unable to be with his family - as well as his increasing alarm over wife Winnie's actions (pictured)

Mandela increasingly realises, too, how much hes lost himself. In the same letter, he laments: I have watched many of my childhood friends and college mates develop protruding tummies and ample bottoms, living well and enjoying many of the pleasures I should like to have for myself.

Or as he puts it more starkly years later: Sometimes I feel like one who has missed life itself.

His resolve was particularly tested during one terrible 11-month period in the late Sixties. In September 1968, his mother died and his request to attend her funeral was denied.

The following May, his wife Winnie was arrested, leaving him not just distressed on her account, but also desperate to find out what was happening to the children (and to their education, which was always a central concern for him).

Then in July his eldest son Thembi was killed in a car crash aged 24. This time the authorities didnt refuse his request to go the funeral, they merely ignored it.

In the letters, you can see how his initial optimism and fire was replaced by feelings of regret and doubt

As Mandela acknowledges, his sons death left him shaken from top to bottom  and when Thembis grief-stricken widow visits Robben Island, he again wonders whether political theories are quite enough.

This was one of those occasions which emphasise just how little we know about real life and its problems in spite of all the literature we read, he says.

And yet, of course, in the end Mandela made his choice. He stuck it out for another 21 years, and refused the authorities repeated offers of freedom in return for essentially going away and leaving apartheid in peace.

Meanwhile, there was also the tricky business of Winnie.

His initial letters to her  sent with tons and tons of love and a million kisses  tend to be straightforward declarations of his continuing devotion.

But gradually a mild note of alarm at her behaviour creeps in (Do enjoy yourself but beware of sprees if you can). This becomes rather less mild when he sends her a little parable about an imprisoned man and his adulterous wife.

A particularly trying time for Mandela came when his eldest son was killed in a car crash - with prison authorities refusing to let him attend the funeral

Clearly, Winnie never lost her physical appeal to Mandela: The unforgettable hours in the bedroom made life taste like honey. Yet, by the mid-Seventies, his feelings appear badly conflicted.

Concern and adoration frequently intermingle, he tells her, and at times Im not at all certain which is dominant.

But, needless to say, theres more to this extraordinary book  and this extraordinary man  than just family troubles.

There are, for example, plenty of letters demanding better conditions for him and his fellow prisoners. Theres also his extended campaign to sit for a law degree  something the authorities obstructed so effectively that, having started studying for it in 1964 (working in his cell after all those hours breaking rocks), he eventually got it shortly before his release in 1990.

Some of the most affecting letters are simply memories of happier times  including his country childhood.

Although I lived for two decades as a townsman, he writes to one old friend. I never succeeded in shaking off my peasant background.

The book gives a fascinating insight into Mandela's relationship with his wife Winnie and reveal how the former President became increasingly concerned by her

And, given how long he was in jail, there were an awful lot of condolence letters to write  which he did assiduously, together with other proofs of his old-world courtesy, such as thank-you letters to the nurses who looked after him when he had TB.

Less than six months before his release, he even found time to commiserate with the owners of a once-favourite Indian restaurant that was closing down: There are many palates and tummies which will be justifiably outraged by the disastrous news.

Despite its bulk, this book is still an edited version of Mandelas correspondence, so I suppose its possible that in some of the letters we havent seen he says something mean, completely wrong-headed or just impolite. Yet I have to say that, having read what were given here, Id be extremely surprised.

Indeed, about the only time he puts a foot wrong is in some of his gallantries to Winnie  not all of which perhaps quite hit the target.

I hope to outlive Methuselah, he tells her in one of his smitten phases, and be with you long after youve reached the menopause, when all the gloss you now have will be gone and your body, your lovely face included, will be all wrinkles, skin as tough as that of a rhinoceros.

What woman could resist that?
ALTERNATE SIDE by Anna Quindlen (Scribner 14.99)

ALTERNATE SIDE

by Anna Quindlen (Scribner 14.99)

Anna Quindlen won the Pulitzer Prize for her columns in The New York Times, and the city and its racial and economic faultlines provide the catalyst for this, her tenth novel.

Fundraiser Nora Nolan and her banker husband Charlie live on one of the Upper West Sides rare dead-end blocks. No prizes for spotting the metaphor: Nora is well aware that their 25-year marriage has run its course.

Matters come to a head when Ricky, the streets indispensible Puerto Rican handyman, is assaulted by one of the Nolans wealthy neighbours. Or was it  as Charlie maintains to Noras amazement  just an accident?

This is a purposefully understated tale, but in spite of the ugliness of the central incident and the domestic discord it brings to the surface, you never feel much is at stake.

On the plus side, Quindlens satirical darts have no problems finding their middle-class Manhattanite targets, but her sharp-eyed observations fall victim to a half-hearted plot, while Nora herself is oddly lacking in oomph.

GRACES DAY by William Wall (Head of Zeus 16.99)

GRACES DAY

by William Wall (Head of Zeus 16.99)

Graces day refers to an occasion not of triumph, but of tragedy, in this brooding novel by the poet and former Booker nominee Wall. We begin on a remote Irish island, where Grace and her sisters, Jeannie and Em, live with Jane, their psychologically fragile mother.

All four provide fodder for Janes writer husband Tom, who observes from a distance rather than suffer first-hand the hardships of self-sufficiency  male artists are irredeemable humbugs here.

Meanwhile, Grace and Jeannie take turns to watch over toddler Em. Then one day when Grace is in charge, Em dies in a terrible accident.

The consequences are revealed years later in chapters narrated alternately by Jeannie and Grace. Grace is now a psychologist whose protective irony and chilling, comfortless insights underscore her own damage. Its this mood of lives irreparably spoiled, rather than a couple of 11th-hour revelations, that make this bitter-tasting tale so potent.

A DOUBLE LIFE by Flynn Berry (W&N 14.99)

A DOUBLE LIFE

by Flynn Berry (W&N 14.99)

The 1974 disappearance of Lord Lucan inspired this thriller by American author Flynn Berry  although, as she informs us in a disclaimer, her characters are entirely fictional. Our narrator is Claire, daughter of the charming, chameleon-like Lord Spenser, who brutally murdered Claires nanny and nearly killed her mother when Claire was just eight years old.

Now 34 and a GP in London, shes determined to track down her father, who apparently vanished into thin air.

But if she does succeed in finding him, what then?

This is less the story of a double life than a half life, one not just shaped, but warped, by trauma and obsession. The parallels between Claire and her painkiller-addicted brother are left for us to draw.

Berry is an exceptionally efficient writer with a gift for crafting scenes of cinematic immediacy, which means that although her overly-neat denouement doesnt really convince, this is still a compulsive page-turner.
Via CBC News: As Saudi medical trainees ordered home, Canada prepares for potential impact on hospitals. Excerpt and then a comment:

Health officials across Canada were trying to determine Wednesday the potential impact if about 800 medical residents and fellows from Saudi Arabia suddenly leave the country next month.

The planned recall of that group comes after Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic relations with Canada on Sunday in response to a tweet from Global Affairs Canada that criticized the Saudis for the arrest of female social activists.

The diplomatic row has escalated with a series of measures taken by the Saudis that include recalling students  including medical students and residents  to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi medical students make up the vast majority of foreign medical trainees in Canada, according to the Ottawa-based Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau.

The bureau, part of the Saudi Education Ministry, which is in charge of placing Saudi medical students, has persuaded the kingdom to give trainees a "grace period" until Sept. 1 to return home, said Dr. Salvatore Spadafora, vice-dean of post-MD education at the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine.

In Toronto, that means 216 Saudi doctors out of the 3,600 residents and fellows in their system  the biggest in Canada.

"So 216 people is not insignificant, but we've got a pretty big network," Spadafora said in an interview.

"We're in the process now of really sitting down with our hospital partners, site by site, and program by program, and figuring out what the impact will be if Sept. 1, these folks aren't around."

In Montreal, 225 out of the 1,250 residents at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Jewish General Hospital are from Saudi Arabia.

MUHC spokesperson Gilda Salomone said hospital authorities are monitoring events.

"The situation is still fluid, it's evolving," Salomone said. "We're evaluating the situation and the impact it has on our programs."

McGill specifically had 327 students from Saudi Arabia enrolled during the 2017-18 academic year.

'Definitely concerned'

A spokesperson for Resident Doctors of Canada, which represents about 9,000 residents across the country, warned on its website that suspended scholarships for Saudi students studying here and their forced departure from Canada could have very negative consequences.

Todd Coopee said the institution is keeping close tabs on the issue and the type of impact these actions will have on medical students, residents, and the system's ability to provide quality and timely care.

Somehow I doubt that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cares any more about the harm done to Canadian patients (or their Saudi resident doctors) than he does about the million-plus Yemenis (half of them children) who've contracted cholera as a result of his viciously stupid war.

The 32-year-old prince is the offspring of King Salman in his middle age, and the king at 82 is doubtless not the man he once was. But even gerontocracies like the House of Saud may gather their wits when they see they've spawned a problem child. With any luck, the old king will "relieve" his son of his duties, and find a brighter scion among the grandchildren of old Ibn Saud.
RETIREMENT DEFECIT A total of 15per cent of women have no pension, compared to only 11per cent of men. The survey by investment firm Aegon also shows one in three female workers don't know how much they have in their retirement pot, while only one in five men do not know.

WEATHER BITES Sales at furniture retailer ScS edged up just 0.2per cent so far during its financial year as the hot weather kept consumers out of shops. Sales in its House of Fraser concessions fell 1.9per cent.

CERAMIC SWOOP Flooring firm Victoria has completed its purchase of ceramic and porcelain tile maker Ceramica Saloni and intends to grow its European business with further acquisitions.

PROFIT UP Insurance firm Hastings made a 105.1million profit in the first six months of 2018, up 21.5per centon a year earlier. It was boosted by a 6per cent rise in policies to 2.7m.

STERLING JITTERS The pound fell below $1.29 for the first time in almost a year amid jitters over Brexit as traders fret following warnings from Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and Trade Secretary Liam Fox that the UK could leave the EU without a deal.

PM'S PLEA Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has pleaded not guilty to three corruption charges linked to a sovereign wealth fund. Authorities in the country are probing claims that the 1MDB fund was misused.

RESCUE MISSION Broker The Share Centre has stepped in to rescue 15,000 customers of Beaufort Securities, its competitor which went bust this year amid money laundering allegations.

TECH SPREE South Korean electronics giant Samsung has announced a 125billion spree on research and development.

CASH SOUGHT Workplace messaging system Slack is reportedly seeking to raise around 310million in a fundraising round that would value the firm at 5.4billion.

FLOWER WILTS Martin Flower, 72, is retiring as the chairman of manufacturer Low and Bonar after eight years. He will be replaced by Daniel Dayan, 54.

SALES RISE Electronics parts maker TT Electronics' sales jumped 8per cent to 194.2million, with profits up 47per cent to 14million. It is increasing its dividend by 11per cent to 1.95p.
Goldman Sachs is plotting to buy a tanker-load of gas

Goldman Sachs is plotting to buy a tanker-load of gas as it eyes new opportunities in the booming energy market.

The investment bank is seeking to turbo-charge its commodities arm by breaking into liquid natural gas, a compressed form of the fossil fuel which is transported around the world by huge ships.

Exports from America quadrupled last year to 14.5billion gallons a day, and analysts believe the market could be as important and lucrative as the trade in crude oil.

Goldman is reportedly bidding to buy its first delivery from Cheniere Energy, which owns a plant in the Gulf of Mexico where the gas exports are compressed.

It would give the bank a foothold in the market at a crucial phase, as lenders vie for new money-making opportunities.
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.
Tesla's bosses are locked in discussions over taking the firm private

Electric car maker Tesla's bosses are locked in discussions over taking the firm private, as speculation rages over whether founder Elon Musk can find the money.

A deal is likely to require private equity buyers to stump up 54billion, which would make it the biggest takeover in corporate history.

Only a handful of firms could do it, and there is widespread scepticism that any have signed up yet.

Daniel Ives of trading firm GBH Insights said: 'Investors are really trying to get their arms around whether this is feasible, and what kind of form it would take.'

Tesla board members said Musk first mentioned his plan last week, but it was made public on Monday in a series of explosive tweets.
Higher cobalt prices and production have pushed profits up at Glencore.

The metal's price spiked during the first quarter due to demand for electronic goods and an expected boom in electric cars.

They fell back during the second quarter to average about 30 per pound during the half year but still about 65per cent higher than the same period a year before.

Higher cobalt prices and production have pushed profits up at Glencore

Glencore has ramped up its production of the metal, used in batteries for electric cars, after restarting its mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It produced 16,700 tons of cobalt during the first half of the year, a 315per cent increase.

Overall, half-year profits rose 235per cent to 6.2billion on sales of 83billion, Glencore announced yesterday, also boosted by higher nickel, coal, zinc and copper prices.

However, shares are still weak after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a corruption probe in January into its work in DRC, Nigeria and Venezuela.

DRC is increasingly important for Glencore as it accounts for more than 505per cent of global cobalt supply, but the country has a reputation for corruption and questionable labour practices, with other Western mining groups steering clear.

Asked whether the DOJ investigation would affect the way Glencore does business or parts of the world it might do business in, chief executive Ivan Glasenberg said: 'We will look at all those areas in developing countries but obviously we can do that in a responsible and lawful and in a sustainable manner.'

In July Glencore launched a 775million share buyback in an apparent bid to boost confidence after 3.9billion was wiped off its market value following the announcement of the probe.

Analysts said the share price fall at the time seemed overdone given the potential for a fraud investigation had been around for some time.

Glencore has set up a committee including chairman Tony Hayward and board members Leonhard Fischer and Patrice Merrin to oversee its response to the investigation. It declined to comment further yesterday.
Edward Bramson is demanding a say over the new chairman of Barclays

Corporate raider Edward Bramson is demanding a say over the new chairman of Barclays as his assault on the lender continues.

The softly-spoken New Yorker is using his 5.2per cent stake in the bank to try to force it to change tack, amid rumours he would like the prized trading business to be broken up and sold off.

Barclays chairman John McFarlane, 71, is expected to retire next year and 67-year-old Bramson wants to help pick a replacement.

His company, Sherborne Investors, said in a stock market update that it is engaging with Barclays over how it spends its money, what its costs are and the search for a new chairman.

Sherborne said: 'The investment manager's present intention is to continue its dialogue with Barclays for as long as it appears to be appropriate to do so.'

Bramson's victories Became boss of Electra Private Equity in 2016 after a vicious row which saw him publish private correspondence with its board

Forcibly replaced chairman of 150-year-old asset manager Foreign & Colonial in 2011  then sparked outrage by saying he didn't know what he wanted to do with the firm

Grabbed chairman's job at broadband tester Spirent Communications in 2006

Won 2 board seats in 2005 at chemicals firm Elementis

Pushed his way onto the board of advertising products firm 4imprint in 2003

McFarlane is thought likely to go at next year's annual meeting, and Barclays' senior independent director Crawford Gillies has begun the search for a replacement.

Bramson's normal method is to demand he gets a personal seat on the board of companies which he targets, but he has so far stopped short of doing this at Barclays.

The bank's chief executive, Jes Staley, is expected to sit down with Bramson in the next few weeks as part of a series of meetings with investors after reporting half-year results last week.

Barclays unveiled half-year profits of 1.6billion, down 30per cent on a year earlier.

The fall was caused by 2billion of one-off costs  including a 1.4billion payout to US investigators for selling toxic mortgages before the financial crisis, and 400million for repaying victims of payment protection insurance mis-selling. Barclays declined to comment.
Online shopping gave specialist bra maker Bravissimo a lift last year

Online shopping gave specialist bra maker Bravissimo a lift last year as sales rose 3.4per cent to 51.9million.

Bravissimo, which makes lingerie and swimwear in sizes D and above, said store refurbishments and relocations also helped to boost revenues.

Profits dropped to 69,187 in the year to October 2017 from 2.2million a year earlier after investment in products and marketing ate into earnings.

It is plotting its first move into the US with a shop on the east coast to open at some point this year.

Bravissimo was founded in 1995 when mum-to-be Sarah Tremellen struggled to find a bra that fitted her, after growing to a G cup while pregnant.

She set up the business with a friend as a catalogue company which started out with a mailing list of around 75 people, most of which were friends and family.

Tremellen, 52, and her husband Mike bought her friend out a year later and opened its first shop in 1999.

It now has 29 stores in the UK and Tremellen still runs the firm from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Budget hotel operator Easyhotel has bought a site in Cardiff

CARDIFF HOTEL Budget hotel operator Easyhotel has bought a site in Cardiff and has planning permission at Fitzalan Place for a 120-bedroom hotel to open in 2019-20.

IRISH TIES British lawyers have scrambled to register in Ireland so they can carry on serving overseas clients after Brexit and now make up more than 9per cent of all those listed in Ireland. It means they should face no disruption and will not have to open offices abroad.

PROFITS RISE Warehouse investment fund Tritax Big Box unveiled profits of 107.1million for the first half of 2018, up 33per cent on the same period last year. It hiked the interim dividend 4.7per cent to 3.35p per share.

SHRINKING DEFICIT The pension black hole at Britains top 350 listed firms shrank by 27billion in the last 18 months, says consultant Barnett Waddingham. They now have a collective 35billion pension deficit due to better market performance and life expectancy that is rising more slowly than previously thought.

TRADES TRIUMPH Plumbers, builders and electricians are reporting stronger levels of confidence about their future workloads. Retailer Screwfix claims tradesman were busier than expected in May and June. Its survey of 500 workers revealed higher levels of confidence than a year ago.

BOSS OFF Des Crowley, the UK boss of Bank of Ireland Group, the oldest Irish bank, is to step down next year after more than 30 years there. He will remain a senior executive until his retirement.

DISASTER PAYOUT Miner BHP will pay 38million to settle a class action lawsuit from depositary receipt holders in New York over the Samarco dam disaster in Brazil in 2015, with no admission of liability.

GOLD BOON Londons biggest listed miner, Randgold Resources, said production rose 9per cent during the quarter to 313,302 ounces of gold. It sold for an average price of 1,007 per ounce.

ON BOARD Lucinda Bell, a non-executive director of FTSE 250 components maker Rotork has been appointed as a non-executive director of Derwent London, the FTSE 250 real estate group.

DIAMOND SALES Canada-based Lucara Diamond Corp sold 12 diamonds worth more than 775,000 in the second quarter.
Oil companies are trying to sink Elon Musk's Tesla because of fears they will be hit by the rise of electric cars, it has been claimed.

Ross Gerber, the boss of US wealth manager Gerber Kawasaki, said short sellers betting against the company were being backed by Big Oil.

He said it was in the interests of these firms to talk down Tesla because they stood to lose billions of dollars if electric cars became widespread. About a third of global oil demand is from cars.

Oil companies are trying to sink Elon Musk's Tesla because of fears they will be hit by the rise of electric cars, it has been claimed

The comments came after Musk revealed proposals to take Tesla private despite the company's debt mountain, meaning it could be one of the most expensive buy-outs in history.

It also emerged the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has invested in it. Tesla shares jumped after the announcements, although short-sellers and some analysts were sceptical a buy-out deal would occur.

Yesterday, shares fell 5per cent and were trading near to the level they were at before Musk said he wanted to take the firm private.

Gerber said: 'I've seen the attacks from short-sellers, many of which are just backed by the oil industry to destroy Tesla.

Yesterday, Tesla shares fell 5per cent and were trading near to the level they were at before Musk said he wanted to take the firm private

Ross Gerber, the boss of US wealth manager Gerber Kawasaki, says it's in the interests of oil firms to talk down Tesla because they stand to lose billions of dollars if electric cars became widespread. About a third of global oil demand is from cars

'When we looked into some of the short-sellers' backgrounds, we found that many of them had large positions in oil companies.

'This is big business, these guys aren't messing around, and they're definitely trying to take down Tesla.' Gerber did not give examples of the short-sellers and could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But industry body Oil and Gas UK said: 'The claims don't marry with facts, given that many oil and gas companies are active investors in electric vehicles, produce the materials required to make them, and provide the energy needed to run them.'

Musk has long hated short-sellers, who he has described as 'jerks who want us to die'.

Tesla provokes stark divisions on Wall Street, with some big names betting against it, including billionaire hedge fund manager David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital and Carson Block's Muddy Waters Capital.

After they lost billions of dollars recently as shares surged, the 47-year-old Musk tweeted: 'Tragic. Will send Einhorn a box of short shorts to comfort him through this difficult time.'

However, many short-sellers have stuck by their positions.
Topshop boss Sir Philip Green's deal with a Chinese partner has ended  in a major blow to his global plans.

Under a deal with online retailer ShangPin, Topshop and Topman were being sold online in China via ShangPin and they planned to open 80 stores together.

However, no stores have opened and the deal is off.

Topshop boss Sir Philip Green's deal with a Chinese partner has ended  in a major blow to his global plans

It is believed that Topshop bosses are understood to be looking for new partners.

They remain desperately keen to crack China, which has a womenswear industry worth 101billion, but it is a country where Topshop has no stores other than a concession in Beijing.

A company spokesman said in a statement: 'British fashion brands Topshop and Topman and Chinese franchise partner, ShangPin, have reached a mutual agreement to an early termination.

'Topshop, Topman and ShangPin have enjoyed a successful working relationship since September 2014.

'Topshop and Topman consider China a hugely significant market for development.

'The company is currently exploring opportunities to further grow the brands in China.'
Avon, the 130-year-old beauty firm still known for its Avon calling advertisements, has been looking a little worse for wear.

Its share price is in the doldrums, with many Western millennials knowing it only as the makeup brand their mothers, or even grandmothers, used.

But the global cosmetics stalwart has a new boss in tow, who has ordered Avon a dramatic makeover of its own to gird it against the proliferation of new, trendy upstarts making waves in the fast-paced beauty market.

Avon relies on its reps worldwide to sell its products, but 'Avon ladies' have changed a lot since 2006, when this picture was taken, and social media turned the role on its head

For Avon, the challenge is two-fold: its not just about making British women want to buy its products again, it needs to find women to sell them too.

The company  wedded to its social selling model  currently hinges on the efforts of six million Avon ladies worldwide, a number ambitious new chief executive Jan Zijderveld wants to double in the next five years.

Speaking to This is Money, Zijderveld says Avon is hoping to expand its pool of 100,000 UK sellers by piggybacking on the burgeoning gig economy.

There are lots of people looking for extra money, and high demand for part-time, flexible jobs, as Uber and firms like that are helping to grow the gig economy, he says.

Recruits have recently proven hard to come by in some of Avons markets, as the firm is plagued by its worn-out image, stiff competition and the false belief that to be an Avon Lady you have to trudge around town selling door-to-door.

But, according to Zijderveld, the number of representatives is on the up again, as a new generation of Avon lady emerges  or e-beauty entrepreneur, as he calls them.

While some sellers still like to make home calls, many more are now leveraging social media and using channels like Facebook Live, Snap Chat and Instagram to boost sales.

Some even post YouTube videos with makeup demonstrations to extend their reach further still and promote new products.

Avon lady - but not as you know her This Avon seller has a YouTube channel and a blog through which she generates sales Sammy, a 23 year-old mum of two from Middlesex, works for Avon alongside studying with the Open University for a degree in Law. Her Avon business is entirely online and supported by a popular beauty blog. Alongside the blog, Sammy has a YouTube channel with more than 2,000 subscribers through which she shares beauty best buys and make-up tutorials using Avon products, as well as other brands. This helps her to get new Avon customers and keep existing clients happy too. Sammy films herself using the products, offering hints and tips to clients remotely

Why sell for Avon?  At Avon, unlike some other social selling firms, reps don't have to pre-order any stock to get started.  There are no upfront costs - reps do not have to pay Avon until they have received payment from customers.  Avon offers a 100 per cent money-back guarantee, so everything can be returned for credit.  There are a wide range of training and development opportunities, management support. And it's flexible - reps have control over their own schedules and can be their own boss.

And, not a moment too soon, Avon is innovating to make this new style of selling much easier. Earlier this year, it launched its first digital catalogue, which reps can share with clients via WhatsApp or social media platforms.

It has just launched a trial of its brand new 'Personalised Beauty App' in the UK too, which uses paint-matching technology to help reps take an accurate reading of a client's skin-type and tone from just a photograph.

We are getting into gear,' the makeup boss vows.

We're offer part-time work for ladies who like beauty and want to earn some money, and now they can use their social networks to help them earn much more.

We want people to be able to sell our products anytime, anywhere and so we will give her what she needs to do exactly that and build a business online,' he says.

Can Avon keep up the pace?

Make-up shoppers have more choice than ever before: as well as having numerous retailers online and on the High Street to choose from, beauty brands like Mac are opening dedicated flagship stores in convenient locations too.

Subscription services, like the Beauty Box by Birchbox, and The Hut Groups Glossybox, are treading on Avons toes too.

As Zijderveld himself attests, the firm needs a serious face lift if it hopes to compete with such upstarts  particularly in the UK.

Avon's own take on a subscription service - Letterbox Looks - was trialled this year in the UK

A lot of people know Avon, but the whole proposition needs to be freshened up and rejuvenated. We need to be more modern. We need to tell the story better, we need to innovate better.

So we will have a whole new look and more edgy young advertising campaigns to make us young again, he tells This is Money.

In addition to its makeover, Avon is trialling its own subscription service it calls 'Letterbox Looks', which includes six products for 20.

Avon is turning around new products quicker, such as this Lip Tattoo, which took 23 weeks

Another part of Zijdervelds mission is to speed up Avon's product development, so it can become what he calls internally the Zara of beauty.

Some products are now being brought to market in four months now, where it used to be two years, he says.

Clearly Avon, with a market cap of less than $800m, has a long way to go before it can compare itself to Zara  worth, according to Forbes, an eye watering $13 billion.

But Zijderveld is set on creating what he calls 'a super successful, high-tech, high-touch and hi-impact Avon, confident that in the next five years he will not only double the number of reps, but the company's earnings too.
A medical school has apologised for systematically altering entrance exam scores to limit the number of female students.

Tokyo Medical University manipulated all results starting in 2006 and maybe earlier, deducting points for women and increasing those of men, investigating lawyers concluded.

The university's managing director and vice president bowed to the crowd as they apologised at a news conference in Tokyo yesterday.

The school will consider admitting people who should have passed the exams, adding the manipulation should not have occurred and would not in future.

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

An investigation of the alleged wrongful admission of a bureaucrats son in exchange for favourable treatment in a ministry project exposed the manipulation. The bureaucrat and the school's former head were charged with bribery.

The investigation found that last year the school reduced all applicants first-stage test scores by 20 per cent, then added on up to 20 points for males. Similar tampering had taken place for years.

It said the school wanted fewer female doctors because it anticipated they would shorten or halt their careers after becoming mothers.

Tokyo Medical University manipulated all results starting in 2006 - and possibly even earlier - systematically deducting entrance exam points for women and increasing those of men

Backtrack: Miyazawa, left, and Yukioka made a public apology for the school's behaviour

The university's managing director, Tetsuo Yukioka, said: 'We sincerely apologise for the serious wrongdoing involving entrance exams that has caused concern and trouble for many people and betrayed the publics trust.'

He denied previous knowledge of score manipulation and said he was never involved.

'I suspect that there was a lack of sensitivity to the rules of modern society, in which women should not be treated differently because of their gender,' he said.

Mr Yukioka said women were not treated differently once they were accepted, but acknowledged that some people even believed women were not allowed to become surgeons.

Nearly 50 per cent of Japanese women are college educated  one of the worlds highest levels  but they often face discrimination in the workforce.

Women also are considered responsible for homemaking, childrearing and elderly care, while men are expected to work long hours and outside care services are limited.
China has announced it will implement 25 percent tariffs on $16billion of US imports as the two economic superpowers escalate their trade war.

The Chinese commerce ministry said the retaliatory tariffs will be activated on August 23, the same day the US plans to begin collecting 25 percent extra in tariffs on $16billion of Chinese goods.

The 333 goods on China's list include various fuels, vehicles such as large passenger cars and motorcycles, medical equipment and fiber-optic cables.

China has announced it will implement 25 percent tariffs on $16billion of US imports as Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump escalate their trade war

This latest action comes is in response to Washington's promise to impose tariffs on $34billion in goods last month. The final list of good subjected to those tariffs was released Tuesday.

China has vowed to retaliate with equivalent tariffs against any US action, releasing its own final list of goods on Wednesday.

The new list 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.

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 $60billion of US goods after Trump raised planned tariffs on $200billion worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent.

'This is a very unreasonable practice,' the Chinese commerce ministry said of the US action on Wednesday as it rolled out China's counter-tariffs.

So far, China has now either imposed or proposed tariffs on $110billion of American goods, representing the vast majority of its annual imports of American products. Big-ticket US items that are still not on any list are crude oil and large aircraft.

Both China and the US are planning to implement the new tariffs on August 23

On Sunday Trump tweeted about the importance of using tariffs to punish countries like China that systematically try to undercut US manufacturers

A spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative's office could not immediately be reached for comment on China's retaliation announcement or whether this would trigger Trump's next round of threatened tariffs on $200billion worth of Chinese goods.

USTR is conducting a public comment period for those tariffs, which could reach 25 percent, due to end September 5. It would take a few more weeks to revise the list and make programming changes at US 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 US-China tariff war as both sides dig into entrenched positions.

'My expectation is that US tariffs on $250 billion of imports from China will be in effect about a month prior to the November US elections, Hufbauer said.

'That's 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.'

China, however, would run out of US imports to levy, as it bought only $130billion 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.
A new type of condom that could revolutionise safe sex is just one of seven potentially lifesaving medical devices to be backed by NSW government grants.

The new condom is made from a 'hydrogel' skin-like material that its creators say is designed to feel like you're 'wearing nothing at all'.

Eudeamon Technologies won $1million from a share of $9.85million in NSW government grants, which supports medtech innovators that are trying to get their ideas off the ground.

The Wollongong-based company will use the money from the grant to further refine the prototype, which will include testing the product on humans.

Eudeamon co-founder biomedical engineer Dr Robert Gorkin said the texture of the new condom is designed so it looks and feels more appealing.

Condoms have been around for thousands of years, and in that time have been made of linen, goat's bladders, animal intestines, vulcanised rubber, and more recently, latex.

The next-generation condom is non-allergenic, made from hydrogels - a type of material that's mostly water-based - that acts like latex but with enhanced feeling.

The soft and squishy material is self-lubricating, reducing the risk of breakage, and it doesn't have odour or taste. It also fights off germs and bacteria that cause STIs, as well as sperm.

Although condoms can prevent both pregnancy and STIs, the developers said they are often avoided because people have the idea that they reduce sensation.

'There are 1 million new STIs diagnosed every day, 80 million unplanned pregnancies per year, a $60 billion global burden and the biggest issue for condoms is feel,' Dr Gorkin told The Sydney Morning Herald.

The new condom (pictured) is made from a 'hydrogel' skin-like material that its creators say is designed to feel like you're 'wearing nothing at all'

Dr Gorkin (pictured) said that texture of the new condom is designed so that it looks and feels more appealing

'Our product is designed to overcome the number one issue with condoms because ultimately the choice of using this medical device is up to the consumer.'

Dr Gorkin said he came up with the idea in 2013 when he applied for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, after reading an article that said 'Bill Gates wants safer sex'.

At the time, he was testing skin-like hydrogels in the lab and he wondered whether the material would help the American magnate achieve his goal.

The soft and squishy condom (pictured) is self-lubricating, reducing the risk of breakage, and it doesn't have odour or taste

The team won that grant and it allowed Dr Gorkin and his team to refine the hydrogel materials that would later become the recently awarded condom prototype.

Dr Gorkin said the next part of the development process is to get some humans to trial the product by having sex with them.

Eudaemon Technologies hopes to partner with a commercial brand so that the condom can be on the market within two years.
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.


Australian firefighters have been praised as 'brave heroes' for leaving behind their families to fight the relentless and deadly bushfires devastating California.

A powerful image posted online, which has since gone viral, captures a group of the firefighters being briefed by an American counterpart after touching down.

The men can be seen standing in the glare of the red hot sun, wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats to fight back the scorching rays.

A group of almost 200 Australian fire specialists headed to the Golden State last Friday to fight one of the largest fires in California's history.

So far nine people have died in the state's fires and 45,000 people have been evacuated.

A photo posted by a user on Reddit shows Australian firefighters being briefed by an American counterpart - 53 of whom are based in the northern Californian city of Redding where they are fighting the Mendocino Complex Fire

Support from New Zealand has also been drafted in, and more than 14,000 firefighters in total are now fighting the blaze.

Firefighters from Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are included in the deployment, who are being coordinated by emergency response agencies including the US Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The photo was posted on Reddit and quickly gained traction as Americans took the moment to thank Australians for flying over in a bid to contain the raging inferno.

The image, uploaded by user BurritoFueled, was submitted under the headline 'Dear Australia, Thanks for loaning us your heroes! Love California'.

The Mendocino Complex Fire is being attended to by Australian and Kiwi firefighters, with 53 of them posted to the nearby city of Redding

One of the key hotspots for firefighters in the Pacific state has been the Ranch Fire, which combined with the River Fire near Clear Lake just south of the Mendocino National Forest to form the Mendocino Complex Fire

Plumes of billowing smoke coming from California were captured from the International Space Station - 250 miles above earth

Another member of the thread thanked U.S. firefighters for helping battle Australian fires in 2009.

One user said Australian forces might need the favour reciprocated in the near future - referring to bushfires that hit Queensland and NSW in the spring of 2017.

The US Forest Service tweeted more photos on Tuesday of Australian and Kiwi forces being flown in to the northern Californian city of Redding before being briefed in a meeting room.

Over a third of the nearly 150 specialist Australian and Kiwi firefighters requested by US officials have been assigned to Redding - with two-thirds of them fighting the Mendocino Complex Fires.

2,000 inmate volunteers have been drafted in on wages of $1 an hour to help clear brush and create containment lines for the fires

The complex fires have taken hold in the south of the Mendocino National Forest and are estimated to have grown by 80 per cent since Australian support arrived.

The current fire outbreaks are believed to have been exacerbated by extremely hot and dry conditions on the US west coast.

Yesterday it was revealed that the Australasian firefighters are joined by some 2,000 inmate volunteers who are paid $1 an hour and have been given crash training courses by Cal Fire personnel.

California wildfire creates its own weather system The wildfire tearing through northern California is so hot it's formed its own weather system, with strong winds creating 'firenados'. The phenomenon occurs when high temperatures drive the air upward, creating gusts of wind in three directions and pushing the smoke vertically. The winds within the firenados are so strong they can flip cars like toys', according to fire service spokesman Scott McLean. At the height of the blaze on Thursday a firenado sent large, fiery chunks of debris into the air, landing on buildings, homes and trees, advancing the spread of the flames. 'The fire created its own wind. It looks an awful lot like a tornado,' UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told the Sacremento Bee. 'These fire-induced winds were very strong and unpredictable and drove this fire from dry brush and trees into urban areas.' Redding resident Skip Murphy captured a video of Thursday's firenado. 'In case you were wondering what a fire tornado looks like,' he wrote on Facebook. 'No audio, but it sounds like a freight train, punctuated with explosions. Never seen anything like it.'

Advertisement

Two-thirds of the 53 firefighters stationed at the Redding base are grappling with the Mendocino Complex Fires

Photos of the Australian and Kiwi firefighters arriving in Redding by plane were posted on Twitter on Tuesday by the US Forest Service

Redding is located 65 km east of the Mendocino National Forest, where a complex fire has scorched more than 283,000 acres
Mr Abdullah became depressed after losing his job

A NHS nurse who set himself alight after losing his job over a disciplinary matter was 'treated unfairly', an independent report has found.

Amin Abdullah, 41, died on February 9, 2016, close to Kensington Palace in London, weeks after being dismissed from Charing Cross Hospital.

The Malaysian-born nurse, who became depressed when he was ordered to leave his job, was due to appeal the decision just two days later.

An inquiry into the disciplinary process found the investigating officer had repeatedly raised questions about Mr Abdullah's honesty 'on the basis of little or no evidence'.

The independent report, commissioned by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, concluded: 'It is clear from the evidence that Nurse Abdullah was treated unfairly.'

Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of the trust, said: 'Above all else, it is now clear that we let Amin down and, for that, I am truly sorry.'

Terry Skitmore, the partner of Mr Abdullah, welcomed the findings of the investigation which he said had highlighted 'flaws and failures' in the disciplinary process.

He said: 'I now only have Amin's ashes and my memories of him to comfort me.

Terry Skitmore, the partner of Mr Abdullah, welcomed the findings of the investigation which he said had highlighted 'flaws and failures'

'Nothing can bring Amin back, but I am determined to do all I can to make sure his story is listened to by those who have the power to change things in the future.'

Disciplinary proceedings were brought against Mr Abdullah in September 2015 after he signed a document in support of a colleague who had received a patient complaint.

He also wrote a letter for his colleague to use as a basis for her own version, in which he branded the patient a 'professional complainer against NHS staff'.

The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust report concluded: 'It is clear from the evidence that Nurse Abdullah was treated unfairly'

Mr Abdullah 'should have known that signing the petition was not appropriate', the independent report said, however it noted that none of the other 18 signatories was disciplined for their involvement. Writing the letter was also 'a mistake', according to the report.

'However, the evidence indicates that Nurse Abdullah wrote it for a specific purpose and intending only Nurse X to see it,' it added. 'This may have been naive but we found no evidence that it was malicious.'

During the disciplinary process, the investigating officer 'failed to disclose evidence which was critical of her but which tended to exculpate Nurse Abdullah', the report found.

The trust 'should consider the implications for the investigating officer's integrity and, ultimately, her suitability for her role as a senior member of staff', it added.

A disciplinary hearing took place three months later on December 16  a delay the report described as 'troubling'  and Mr Abdullah was dismissed by email on December 21.

The investigation also criticised a report produced by a senior HR manager after Mr Abdullah's death as a 'whitewash' which 'served to reassure the trust that it had handled the case with due care and attention'.

Professor Orchard said the trust accepted the findings and recommendations of the report. It has also commissioned an overhaul of how disciplinary processes are managed.

He said: 'I very much regret that Amin is not here to be offered an apology for the mistakes that we made and a personal commitment from me that we will act on all of the learning from his case.'

A coroner at an inquest held last year ruled Mr Abdullah had 'killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed'.
Australian royalists will be overjoyed to learn they are legally entitled to receive a portrait of the Queen - and it costs nothing.

The 'Constituents' Request Program' entitles Australian voters to receive nationalistic memorabilia including flags, the National Anthem and portraits of the Royal Family.

All Australian citizens  as valuable members of the Commonwealth  can email their local MP to request a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II thats then sent for free.

The program is unique to Australians because UK citizens have to buy the Queens portrait while Canadians need to download one themselves.

Scroll down for video

Australians are legally entitled to receive a free portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured). The portrait is tailored to Australian audiences as the Queen wears 'wattle spray' brooch and a lapel pin with the Australian coat of arms

New Zealand is looking to introduce downloadable portraits while other Commonwealth countries like South Africa and India don't offer official portraits.

Vice tested the program and received a portrait of the Queen and complimentary Australian flags, three weeks after emailing a request - despite the local office being initially out of stock.

The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is tailored for Australians as she is wearing her 'wattle spray' brooch and a lapel pin with the Australian coat of arms.

Australians can also request portraits of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

The government-funded program is likely traced back to the Parliamentary Entitles Act 1990.

In 2012, Bob Brown - a former Australian politician who led the Australian Greens - questioned the program in parliament and claimed tax-payer money could be better spent.

Andrew Hastie, a Western Australian local MP representing the Liberal Party, shared his excitement at hanging portrait of the Queen (pictured)

'I suggest that it go to ensuring that Indigenous people in Australia who are being deprived of their first languages be given an education in their first languages and that we stop some first languages going to extinction in this country. I think that might have priority,' he said.

'However, if there are members opposite who cannot find a picture of Her Majesty, I would be happy to provide them with one.'

The program has been previously shared on Reddit where users discussed receiving a portrait of the Queen.

'Well that's going straight to the pool room!' wrote one person.

'Can we also get a portrait of Turnbull and Shorten?' asked another.

The revelation of the largely unknown program comes amid increased debate about whether Australia should become a republic.

In 1999, a referendum found that Australians wanted to remain a constitutional monarchy with 54.87 per cent voting in favour.
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.
Men armed with paintball guns stormed two Sydney brothels on the same night, threatening staff before taking off with cash and mobile phones.

CCTV images released by NSW police shows two men  one armed with a firearm  entering a brothel on Birmingham Road, Villawood around 2am on Monday, January 15.

The men threatened employees, aiming the gun at a staff members head, before stealing cash and mobile phones.

NSW police released CCTV images of a brothel robbery in Sydney earlier this year. A weapon was aimed at an employees head during the incident

During the incident, a 56-year-old man was assaulted. He sustained minor injuries to his arms and lip.

About an hour later, in a separate incident, three men  one armed with a firearm  entered another brothel on Lancaster Street, Ingleburn.

They threatened a 58-year-old male employee, before taking cash and fleeing the scene.

The incidents are believe to be linked, police say.

The men are seen in the footage wearing baggy clothing and are depicted as being of Pacific Islander appearance, aged in their late teens or early 20s, according to police.

Two paintball guns were seized during a search warrant in the Fairfield area, which are believed to have been used during the robberies. They are undergoing forensic examination.

As police inquiries continue, Strike Force Moogerah detectives have released CCTV footage and images of three men they believe may be able assist with inquiries.

Strike force detectives are appealing for anyone who recognises the men or has information relevant to the investigation to contact police.
A new global health study has found that one of the biggest food companies in the world has the lowest average health star rating in Australia.

Food giant Mondelez  which owns the likes of Cadburys chocolate, OREO biscuits and Philadelphia cream cheese  scored the lowest average rating of just 1.3 stars.

Nestle Australia followed closely afterwards with a 1.5 star average, while Schweppes and Unilever Australia both achieved just 1.9 stars.

One of the biggest food companies has the lowest average health star rating in Australia

The study from The George Institute of Global Health also revealed that only 28% of food and drinks display health star ratings.

Mondelez  along with General Mills (which scored 2.9 stars) and PepsiCo (3.1 stars)  has opted out of the health star rating system entirely, and the Federal Government is now being urged to make it compulsory across all food and drink brands.

Alexandra Jones, lead author of the study, said the system must become mandatory if it's going to deliver the maximum impact.

A formal five-year review of the health star rating system will take place in 2019 and once it concludes, the study has recommended the system becomes mandatory.

HSR should be made mandatory to maximise its public health impact in assisting customers to make informed food purchases and healthier eating choices, the study concluded.

Alexandra Jones, lead author of the study, told WA Today that some companies were using the health star rating system as a marketing tool by keeping it off junk food labels and only using it on the packaging of healthier foods.

I understand why it began as a voluntary system  it was pragmatic decision, she said.

But with the five year review, we can iron out these issues and the main point is the system must become mandatory if its going to deliver the maximum public health impact.

'HSR should be made mandatory to maximise its heath impact,' a new study has said

Co-author Bruce Neal echoed Alexandras thoughts, saying that the government needs to close the loophole for food and drink companies that dont use the health star rating system.

Coles and Woolworths, which hit health star ratings of 3 and 3.6 stars respectively, were both found to be using the system on the majority of their products.

Regional Health Minister Bridget McKenzie told reporters that food and drinks companies across the country have been very engaged with the focus on healthier eating, with PepsiCo revealing that its snacks would soon be showing health stars.
Barnaby Joyce dodged a question about his four daughters as he went on the ABC to promote his new tell-all book after his affair with a much younger woman.

The 51-year-old former deputy prime minister avoided talking directly about his family after comedian Charlie Pickering posed an uncomfortable question.

'You've dedicated this book to your beloved daughters. Are your daughters embarrassed by you?,' the host of The Weekly asked on Wednesday night.

Scroll down for video

Mr Joyce, a father-of-five, avoided answering the question about his daughters (pictured with his estranged wife of 24 years Natalie)

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce (right) avoided talking directly about his family after comedian Charlie Pickering (left) posed an uncomfortable question

Mr Joyce, a father-of-five who championed family values, avoided answering the question.

'Charlie, I love my daughters dearly and I love my son,' he said with a tired expression on his face for three seconds.

The former Nationals leader's son Sebastian was born on April 16, two months after news of Mr Joyce's affair with his 33-year-old former media adviser Vikki Campion led to him quitting as deputy prime minister.

The backbench member for New England, in northern New South Wales, in May accepted a $150,000 payment from the Seven Network for a soft interview with Sunday Night reporter Alex Cullen, which rated poorly and was widely panned on social media.

Barnaby Joyce (right, with son, Sebastian) laid bare 'salacious' personal details, his complicated relationship with his daughters and the public break-down of his marriage

With his 24-year marriage to his estranged wife Natalie now over, Mr Joyce has re-entered the spotlight, this time without charging a fee to the media, to promote his new book Weatherboard and Iron about people in regional Australia.

The former country accountant yesterday told the Nine Network's Today show he had made a deliberate decision to omit photographs of his daughters Bridgette, 20, Julia, 19, Caroline, 17, and Odette, 15.

Barnaby Joyce has written a book about regional Australia, Weatherboard and Iron, following the end of his 24-year marriage

Mr Joyce became defensive on the ABC when asked if his boss, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, would want him promoting a book, following a round of interviews including a spot with Sydney breakfast shock jock Kyle Sandilands on KIIS-FM.

'It's not the first politician to write a book, Charlie,' he said.

The former cabinet minister said his blossoming affair with Vikki Campion began as he regularly went out for beer to deal with mental health problems.

Mr Joyce said his book had included 'salicious' details of his new romance and how media attention led to him spiralling into depression.

He told Kyle Sandilands his relationship with Ms Campion had helped him deal with the stress of public life.

'All mates want to do when they go out is they want to have a beer, and...tomorrow night, have another beer - you think "I'm getting away with this", but you're not,' he told KIIS-FM.

'What you need is a person who says "right, rather than have a beer, how about you you have dinner and watch television? That'd be a much better idea".'
Foreign aid cash will be used to help overseas territories rebuild after devastating hurricanes.

The Government is prepared to defy international rules that stop development budgets being directed at countries deemed too wealthy.

It meant the Treasury had to find cash from outside the 13billion aid budget when UK territories were wrecked last autumn by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has ordered her officials to fund disaster relief from her budget for such countries in future.

Foreign aid cash will be used to help overseas territories rebuild after devastating hurricanes even if international rules say they are 'too wealthy' (pictured damage after Hurricane Irma)

She said: 'The public support the tremendous work our armed forces and UK aid do to help people in dire need, especially in countries which have a close connection to the UK.

'It is ridiculous that a country which had been flattened by natural disaster shouldn't qualify for aid as the day before it was doing quite well.

'While we lobby to change those rules we will not let them deter what we consider to be the right thing to do. I believe that is what British taxpayers would wish.'

Britain has spent 196million helping overseas territories and independent islands in the Caribbean affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos were all badly hit.

Aid spending rules are set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Britain's commitment to follow its strictures and spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on aid was enshrined in UK law by David Cameron. Any changes to the rules need the unanimous support of all 30 OECD member countries.

Britain has spent 196million helping overseas territories and independent islands in the Caribbean affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria (pictured damage after Irma on the island of St. Maarten)

Britain has requested the rules be relaxed to make countries hit by disasters eligible for overseas development assistance even if they fail to meet the normal poverty-based criteria.

At her Conservative Party conference speech last year, Theresa May said it was 'absurd' that aid cash could not be used to help those affected by the hurricanes.

After reaffirming her commitment to keeping the 0.7 per cent target, she said: 'But let me also be clear: it is absurd that international organisations say we can't use the money to help all those that have been hit by the recent hurricanes in the British overseas territories.

'Many people on those islands have been left with nothing. And if we must change the rules on international aid in order to recognise the particular needs of these communities when disaster strikes, then that's what we will do.'

This year the UK has stepped up support to its vulnerable territories in the Caribbean  after coming under fierce criticism for its response to last year's hurricanes, which left dozens dead and many thousands homeless.

The civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, Mounts Bay (pictured) has been visiting islands across the Caribbean to develop co-ordinated plans in case a devastating hurricane strikes again

Irma  a category 5 storm  tore through the Caribbean last September, pulverising small islands and wiping out key infrastructure.

Hundreds of people in British overseas territories and Commonwealth countries have still not been able to return to their homes because they have not been rebuilt or they have no power.

The civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, Mounts Bay, which was there when the hurricane struck last year, has spent several months this summer visiting islands across the Caribbean to develop co-ordinated plans in case a devastating hurricane strikes again.

It is carrying 1,000 hygiene kits and 1,000 shelters and is capable of producing drinking-water for thousands of people in the event of an emergency.

Last month it visited the British Virgin Islands, where Royal Engineers, soldiers from the 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC and the ship's Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron assisted locals with a huge beach clear-up.

It was part of a wider effort to attract tourists back and help the islands stand on their own feet again.
A survey of its members found nine in ten felt this way about the new GCSEs

upils face 'excessive pressure' to succeed in the new A-level and GCSE exams

Teachers claim pupils have been suffering 'extreme anxiety' due to 'excessive pressure' to succeed in the new harder A-level and GCSE exams.

The Left-wing National Education Union (NEU) said pupils are being made to feel 'inferior' by the new tougher qualifications and their 'mental health' is suffering.

A survey of its members, who teach in schools across the UK, found nine in ten felt this way about the new GCSEs, while for A-levels it was almost seven in ten.

The union's warning comes before hundreds of thousands of teenagers pick up their exam results over the next two weeks.

This summer, a raft of new GCSE and A-level exams were sat, following reforms to make the qualifications tougher.

The National Education Union (NEU) said pupils are being made to feel 'inferior' by the new tougher exams and their 'mental health' is suffering. (File photo)

At A-level, there is more focus on final exams, while at GCSE there is more challenging content and a new grading system.

The new qualifications are being phased in over a number of years, with a number of subjects added this summer.

The changes, pioneered by former education secretary Michael Gove, were aimed at raising standards following years of the UK lagging behind in international league tables.

But the NEU has been campaigning against the reforms, claiming they are turning schools into 'exam factories'.

In the past, the union has been accused of using classroom issues to destabilise the Tory government, as it made no secret of its support for Jeremy Corbyn despite being officially politically neutral.

Nansi Ellis, the union's assistant general secretary for policy, said: 'It's worrying so many students are suffering from stress and anxiety, because of changes to the way they are assessed.'

The changes brought in by former education secretary Michael Gove, were aimed at raising standards but the NEU has been campaigning against the reforms, claiming they are turning schools into 'exam factories'. (File photo)

The poll's respondents said GCSEs had become nothing more than a 'memory test'. One teacher said: '[There is a] huge increase in pressure to succeed ... feeling of inferiority due to more difficult content, and constant feeling of failure.'

Another said: 'Two of my students attempted suicide.'

The changes to GCSEs and A-levels have also increased teachers' workload according to 87 per cent teaching GCSEs and 81 per cent teaching A-levels.

One teacher said: 'Because some of the skills were new to us and the students, we needed more time than the timetabled lessons could give.'

Mrs Ellis added: 'Not allowing schools to sufficiently prepare has put staff and students under tremendous pressure.'

The union's warning is just the latest episode in the long-running war between so-called 'progressive' teaching and traditional methods.

Left-wing elements of the education establishment believe children should be taught skills through activities and exploration, while traditionalists think excellence comes from rigorous testing.

The Department for Education said: 'The new qualifications will help young people compete with the best in the world and deliver the skills businesses tell us they need.

'While testing has always been an important part of education, it should never be at the expense of a young person's wellbeing.

'We trust schools to make sure pupils preparing for exams get the help and support needed, when they need it, working with parents to do this.'
Ministers have launched an inquiry into the failure of a shared parental leave scheme aimed at encouraging new fathers to stay at home with their children.

It follows new evidence that only a tiny minority of couples who qualify for the initiative have taken it up.

Shared parental leave, introduced at the urging of Nick Clegg three years ago, means that new mothers can share their maternity leave with fathers.

Couples can share 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of state-subsidised pay of at least 145.18 a week after they have a baby.

Nick Clegg introduced shared parental leave three years ago because he wanted parents to choose for themselves how to balance work and family

Earlier this year Whitehall admitted that only one in 50 couples entitled to take shared parental leave had done so.

A fresh share the joy campaign  costing 1.5million  was launched by the Department for Business to highlight the scheme.

Yesterday officials said they could not say if the campaign was a success. But a Department spokesman said a review of the overall scheme is now under way and the findings will be released in the spring.

...and it isnt his first idea to backfire Nick Clegg  now Sir Nick  has been labelled Calamity Clegg following a string of ideas that backfired during his term as Deputy Prime Minister. He promised to fight university tuition fee rises, but they ended up trebling to 9,000 and have saddled students with huge debts. His 400million Green Deal to help households pay for insulation and new boilers had a poor take up. And schools were given extra money for each child they took from a disadvantaged home. The cost reached 2.4billion last year but did little for social mobility. At last years general election, Sir Nick lost his Sheffield Hallam seat to Labour. Advertisement

Around 285,000 couples a year meet the terms for shared parental leave, and initially civil servants estimated that up to eight per cent  more than 22,500  would take advantage.

But in February ministers admitted that take-up could be as low as two per cent  or 5,700.

Recent estimates based on figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests suggest numbers may now be even lower.

The failure appears to undermine the repeated claims of all parties that mothers of new babies are best off going straight back to work.

Introducing his scheme in 2015, then Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he wanted parents to choose for themselves how to balance work and family.

Even after the two per cent take-up figure emerged this year, Tory minister for women Victoria Atkins said shared childcare was crucial to closing the gender pay gap.

However, the Government-backed, British Social Attitudes survey revealed last month that more than seven in ten people think women with young children should not work full time.

A report said views on working mothers were unchanged over the last five years, against a backdrop of Government initiatives to help working families.
The former head of the Army has called on the Government to stop the 'macabre charade' of threatening Northern Ireland veterans with legal action.

Lord Bramall said it is 'absurd and grossly unfair' that former British soldiers should be questioned by police over their involvement in Bloody Sunday.

He accused the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of 'harrying' veterans, who are now in their seventies, about their actions 46 years ago.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said the questioning 'greatly abuses these hapless soldiers, who should not have been there in the first place.'

Lord Bramall said it is 'absurd and grossly unfair' that former British soldiers should be questioned by police over their involvement in Bloody Sunday

He added: 'Whatever their shortcomings, they were trying to do their duty as they thought fit in aid of the civil power, as the Army has generally done most successfully over so many years.

'In the interests of justice, fair play and even-handedness, the Government must, by whatever means, put a stop at once to this macabre charade.'

The former Army chief wrote about how he previously opposed the prosecution of British soldiers over their actions in Northern Ireland eight years ago.

He added that it would be difficult for police to gather enough evidence to bring charges against the veterans because of the length of time that has passed.

Lord Bramall's comments came after it was revealed a former paratrooper is being investigated for the attempted murder of two protesters injured by falling debris during Bloody Sunday in 1972.

The 76-year-old, who can be identified only as Sergeant O, was awarded a medal for bravery on the same tour of Northern Ireland five decades ago.

But he now faces becoming the first soldier to be charged over the incident in Londonderry in which British troops killed 14 civilians.

Sergeant O is one of hundreds of military veterans who face prosecution over their actions during the Troubles.

The PSNI has sparked anger by re-examining every British Army killing between 1968 and 1998. Some MPs say the situation amounts to a 'witch-hunt'.

The Commons defence committee is to launch a formal inquiry into whether veterans could be granted amnesty from prosecution.

The former British Army chief is pictured at the Imperial War Museum

The investigation, which is expected to last around six months, could put further pressure on the Government to include such a provision in any proposals addressing the legacy of the Troubles.

The committee will summon high-ranking officials, including Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, to give evidence.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph last week, Sergeant O said: 'The Government has mishandled this so badly. I feel very badly betrayed. It is absolutely scandalous.'

Sergeant O, who has suffered a major stroke, is among 18 soldiers facing possible charges over Bloody Sunday Police began a criminal inquiry in 2012 and completed interviews with soldiers in 2016.

A 12-year inquiry led by Lord Saville and costing 200million concluded in 2010 that paratroopers had 'lost control', causing the deaths.

In June it was revealed a former British soldier will be prosecuted for shooting a man dead as he walked through an Army checkpoint during the Troubles more than three decades ago.

David Jonathan Holden said his finger slipped on the trigger of his heavy machine gun as his hands were wet.

Following the incident in February 1988, the then 18-year-old was initially charged with the manslaughter of Aiden McAnespie, 23, only for the case to be dropped two years later.

However, Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service announced in June it is to charge the former Grenadier Guardsman, now 48, for gross negligence manslaughter.

The decision was criticised by Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan, who accused the Government of conspiring in a 'vendetta against our troops'.

In May defence minister Tobias Ellwood broke ranks to demand a statute of limitations for Northern Ireland veterans, even though the Government had already ruled it out.

Speaking to John Pienaar on Radio 5 Live, he said: 'I served in Northern Ireland, I was on operations, I knocked over a few milk bottles when I was there, to put it lightly. I don't want somebody knocking on my door.'
A pioneering Australian climate scientist and award winning conservation author has allegedly been killed by her own daughter in a nursing home.

Dr Mary E. White, 92, was found dead in her room at the Warrigal aged care complex in Bundanoon, southern New South Wales, on Sunday night.

Her daughter Barbara Mary Eckersley, 67, is due to face Goulburn Local Court today after being charged with the murder of the elderly mother-of-five.

Scroll down for video

Order of Australia recipient and conservationist Dr Mary E White (pictured) was allegedly murdered by her own daughter at a nursing home on Sunday evening

Barbara Mary Eckersley (pictured), 67, is due to face Goulburn Local Court today charged with the murder of her 92-year-old mother

Police were called to the aged care complex at 9.45pm on Sunday. After three days of investigations they arrested Eckersley on Wednesday.

She was charged with murder and refused bail.

A family member said that after Dr White led a healthy life for more than 85 years, her quality of life had been destroyed by dementia in recent years.

'I think it's tragic because shed been very strong for many years, but that last five years was a very rapid decline,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'The last time I saw she had gone downhill dramatically from the time before.

'It was really hard on the family, but especially on my aunty Barbara - she was very close to her.'

Dr White and her late husband Bill arrived in Australia in 1955, moving their young family from Zimbabwe.

The paleobotanist authored a series of award winning books on climate change and in 2009 was awarded the Order of Australia for her service to botany as a researcher.

Dr White began studying Botany and Zoology at Cape Town University at the age of just 16.

'Mary was a great woman, she just loved the planet and she was a leader in her field,' her close friend Brett Dolsen said.

Dr White was found dead inside the Warrigal Bundanoon aged care facility (pictured) at Bundanoon, in southern New South Wales, on Sunday evening

THE TIMES OF DR MARY E. WHITE: 1955 - Moves from Zimbabwe to Australia with husband Bill and young family 1970s - Worked as a leading consultant on fossils and botany for the Bureau of Mineral Resources 1986 - Authors her first book: The Greening of Gondwana 1994 - Receives a Eureka Prize for her book: After the Greening - The browning of Australia 1999 - Received the Riversleigh medal for 'excellence in promoting understanding of Australian prehistory' 1999-2003 - Authors three more books on conservation and climate change 2003 - Moved to Falls Forest Retreat at Johns River, on NSW mid north coast 2009 - Named to the Order of Australia 2010 - Handed a Lifetime of Conservation award by the Australian Geographic Society 2018 - Found dead at Warrigal nursing home at Bundoona, NSW, on August 5 Advertisement

'She was a champion of conservation and education programs... and just a really good person too.'

After moving to Australia she quickly became a prominent voice on climate change.

She purchased the Falls Forest Retreat for more than $1million in 2003 and turned much of it into a biodiversity and rainforest sanctuary.

Dr White eventually sold off the greatly reduced farm in 2014 for less than she paid originally.

In a statement, Warrigal nursing homes said they were 'busy working with police and assisting them with their enquiries'.

Police said the cause of Dr White's death is unknown.
A father has been captured in Thailand after allegedly carrying his dead baby around New York City in a backpack before tossing his body into a river near the Brooklyn Bridge and fleeing.

Thai authorities stopped James Currie, 37, when he landed in Bangkok and blocked him from entering the country, New York Police said on Wednesday.

He will be returned to New York within days to face a felony charge of concealment of a human corpse.

His seven-month-old son, Mason Saldana, was spotted floating in the East River on Sunday wearing only a diaper.

Police say James Currie fled to Thailand on Monday after carrying his dead 7-month-old baby around New York City in a backpack and tossing his body into a river near the Brooklyn Bridge (above)

A tourist from Oklahoma first spotted the baby's lifeless body and her husband brought him to shore and tried reviving him.

'This is a heartbreaking case,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said.

The baby's mother, who lives separately from the father in the Bronx, had seen news reports about the baby's body being found.

The next day, she found out Currie had failed to drop off their child at day care.

Police said the 36-year-old mother made a 'blood curdling' call to 911 after trying to reach Currie. During the call, she told the dispatcher she had seen a report about the baby found in the river and feared the worst.

Shea said the baby was alive when Currie took him to his Bronx apartment around 12.30pm on Saturday, under a custody arrangement.

The baby died before Currie left and headed for Manhattan around 1.30pm on Sunday.

Video showed Currie walking toward the river and carrying the baby in a backpack he fashioned as a baby carrier. A backpack was seen floating in the river near the boy's body.

Additional charges could be filed pending an autopsy on the boy to determine his cause of death.

Monte Campbell of Stillwater, Oklahoma (above) waded into the water near the Manhattan shoreline, retrieved the baby, and started CPR after his wife's spotted the body

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 on Sunday

Diana Campbell, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, first noticed the baby around 4pm Sunday. Her husband, Monte Campbell, waded into shallow water near the South Street Seaport on 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.

Currie boarded the flight to Bangkok around 2.20pm on Monday. The baby's mother called 911 around 9pm that day.

'I think it's self-evident as to why the individual was trying to get away as fast as possible,' Shea said.

Currie and the baby's mother were not married, and police aren't aware of any other children between them.

Shea said a preliminary investigation showed that the city's children's services administration had no prior reports about the child or the couple.

'We don't have any red flags that existed before this,' Shea said.
As farmers on the eastern coast of Australia battle through the worst drought in a century, their Western Australia counterparts are on track to record the best harvest in a decade.

Grain farmers in Western Australia could contribute $6billion to the economy thanks to a combination of rain and high demand.

The increased demand for grain has seen WA prices inflate to as much as $360 a tonne, the most since a record-breaking year in 2016.

Adversely, NSW grain production has slowed to a crawl, as farmers suffer through the worst drought in a century.

An intense drought in Australia's eastern states of Victoria, New South Wales (pictured) and Queensland means their farmers will be unable to produce a high yield of grain

Western Australian farmers have benefited from eastern state's suffering, with an annual profit of up to $6billion for the sector projected

It has been at least ten years since pricing seasonal and pricing factors have worked in farmers' favour agriculture marketing director Richard Vincent told The West Australian.

He says that some farmers in the right conditions could end up with as much as 70 per cent higher income than projected.

The eastern states' drought also contributed to their profits, as a lack of production from the east means more demand for the west's produce.

'Although nobody wants to see our eastern states counterparts in drought, the high grain prices are providing enormous opportunities in the west,' Mr Vincent said.

If Western Australian farmers are able to match their export of 16.6 million tonnes, which they're on track to do, their gross income would be about $6billion.

There's also been 30 per cent more rainfall than anticipated in the west, contributing to a 25 to 40 per cent increase in prices for wheat and barley.

Western Australia produces about seven million tonnes of wheat every year.

Barley, wheat and canola (pictured) are WA's highest exported produce, producing about seven million tonnes each year

NSW (pictured) was declared as entirely in drought on Wednesday by authorities

Some Western Australian farmers reported they had 78mm of rain in the past week.

In the past month, NSW farmers reported less than 10mm of rain, with the trend of low rainfall projected for at least the next three months.

Authorities officially declared the entire state in drought on Wednesday.

With the weather bureau warning there is no end in sight, the Red Cross has set up a relief appeal, while the Salvation Army is distributing food hampers.

The latest map from the Bureaus of Meteorology shows dramatically low levels of rainfall Australia-wide from April to August 2018
There are fears fodder suppliers are cashing in on one of the worst droughts in 100 years by forcing desperate farmers to purchase hay at extortionate prices.

Drought-stricken graziers say it has become near impossible to feed their starving livestock as the price of fodder and grain soars by up to 400 per cent.

Some interstate suppliers have purchased bales of hay for $100 each in previous months and resold them to NSW farmers for up to $400, Seven News reported.

Robert Sanders and his partner Janice Foster, who run a 242-hectare property in Tarlo in the NSW Southern Tablelands, described the cost of feed as 'punishing'.

There are fears fodder suppliers are cashing in on one of the worst droughts in 100 years. This stock image shows farmers in Central Western NSW as they battle the crippling dry spell

'When I sold hay, we worked out what price we needed to get after the costs of hay making and stuck to it while the crop was sold,' Mr Sanders told The Goulburn Post.

'However, some producers made their crops last year at a certain cost, and now they double and triple the price they sell at.

'To me, this is profiteering and if the government want to do something really useful, they should pass legislation that prevents these operators gouging their fellow farmers.'

There are calls for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to investigate whether the price hikes are down to normal market forces or the result of illegal price gouging.

Drought-stricken graziers say it has become near impossible to feed their starving livestock (stock image)

An ACCC spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it 'prioritises competition and consumer issues in agriculture industries', but said it could not prevent businesses bumping up prices.

'While the Competition and Consumer Act prevents businesses from colluding on prices and the Australian Consumer Law prohibits businesses from misleading conduct, these laws do not prevent businesses from increasing prices,' they said.

'The ACCC does not have a price monitoring role across all industries. We would look poorly on any misleading claims about pricing decisions, particularly those made by large or national traders.

'Misrepresentations made at a local level or by smaller businesses will be best considered by the NSW Office of Fair Trading.'

Fair trading told the Daily Mail Australia: 'Fair Tradings advice to customers who are dissatisfied in their dealings with any trader is to contact them and try to resolve the matter in the first instance.

'However, customers who are unable to resolve their issues with the trader are advised to lodge a written complaint with NSW Fair Trading at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.'

The NSW government on Wednesday declared 100 per cent of the state was impacted by drought

Meanwhile, the NSW government on Wednesday declared 100 per cent of the state was impacted by drought and said it was open to asking the army to help struggling farmers.

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.

State governments are able to request military assistance, to help with moving feed and water and other resources, options Premier Gladys Berejiklian is keeping open.

Pictured, an aerial view of a parched cattle feeding operation on the property in Coonabrabran

'When things are this bad, you have to have all your options on the table,' she told Channel Seven on Thursday.

'We're not at that stage yet, but if we needed to, we wouldn't hesitate to call for action.'

Ms Berejiklian said the state government was also looking at other possibilities, including opening up NSW's national parks for grazing and feed and allowing access to water reserves.

'We are looking at all the options if we need them,' she said.

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.
Private schools should provide boarding places for thousands of children from the care system to boost their life chances, an education minister has urged.

Nadhim Zahawi called for more independent schools to give places to vulnerable youngsters in childrens homes and with foster carers.

It follows a pilot which saw Norfolk County Council place 52 vulnerable or at risk children in boarding schools over a ten-year period.

MP Nadhim Zahawi called for more independent schools to give places to vulnerable youngsters in childrens homes and with foster carers. (Stock photo)

The council found that nearly two-thirds came off the at risk register after three years, while GCSE grades improved substantially when compared with the wider cohort of at risk children.

Leading private schools such as Eton and Rugby have already signed up to offer places.

But Mr Zahawi said more should do so to prove they help society and were worthy of their charitable status, which gives them tax breaks.

He said schools could ensure their survival in the event of a Labour government coming to power by showing they were helping vulnerable children.

At last years general election, Labour indicated they would abolish VAT-free school fees.

Mr Zahawi told BBCs Newsnight: We should be providing the best opportunities for these kids, not simply managing them.

The suggestion follows a pilot which saw Norfolk County Council place 52 vulnerable or at risk children in boarding schools over a ten-year period. The council found that nearly two-thirds came off the at risk register after three years. (Stock photo)

'If the independent sector becomes embedded in the infrastructure that delivers the best outcome to these kids, there is no better way than them making the argument for their charitable status, for their VAT exemptions.

'And Mr Corbyn would never be able to abolish them.

So far, 40 independent schools have signed up to the Boarding School Partnership, which provides places for looked-after children.

Local authorities pay 60 per cent of the fees  with individual schools providing a bursary of 40 per cent.

Francis Green, of the Centre for Global Higher Education, said: I would be in favour of a broader scheme that would partially integrate the schools into the state education system.

For example, one-third of their places would be paid for by the state at the same rate as the state pays for educating all other children and they would choose who goes to those schools.
A wombat has been caught viciously attacking one of its own in action-packed video footage.

The tank-like marsupial was captured latching onto the back of the other wombat and digging its teeth into the victim's thick fur.

The incident occurred in Darwin and was shared to the Newsflare website, where it was described as 'a possible territorial dispute or a part of the animals mating practice and behaviour'.

Scroll down for video

A wombat has been caught viciously attacking one of its own by climbing on the back of its victim and biting it repeatedly (pictured)

The video footage was captured in Darwin and shows the victim attempt to run across the rocks to escape attacker (pictured)

Wombats are territorial marsupials that show increased aggression during breeding time which is usually between September and December.

The marsupials will often take swipes at the other wombat's ear or side when they come into conflict. However, it is not common for wombats to fight.

In the video footage, the victim struggled to escape the wrath of its attacker.

A chase across the rocks ensued and the attacker continued to swipe at the other wombat.

The victim eventually found safety by huddling at a wire fence where the video recoder and another man were standing.

Upon seeing the threatening humans, the attacker ran away.

The injured wombat appeared shaken by the incident and recovered at the fence.

Daily Mail Australia have contacted Wildlife Rescue for comment.

The wombat eventually finds safety by huddling at a wire fence (pictured) near the person filming the video
Rebecca Collins West of Dennis, Massachusetts, was shocked when a local shelter called and told her that her cat, Tigger, was still alive

A Massachusetts woman was reunited with her cat after seven years thanks to the microchip she had planted in him.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (MSPCA) in Cape Cod immediately scanned Tigger's microchip when he arrived in their shelter on July 31.

Finding a number listed for the chip, MSPCA called the cats owner.

'The owner was over the moon. She never imagined that she'd get her cat back,' MSPCA Cape Cod spokesman Rob Halpin explained to the Boston Globe.

The shelter shared on Facebook that the owner - 47-year-old Rebecca Collins West of Dennis, Massachusetts - quickly came to retrieve her cat, a few hours after she had gotten the call.

'My family got to the point where they would be like, "You poor thing, he got eaten by a coyote  you can get over it now,"' she explained to Boston.com. 'And so when the phone call came, I look at my husband and I say, "I told you so!" We listened to the message three times to make sure it was true.'

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (MSPCA) in Cape Cod received the cat and scanned its microchip

An animal control officer from Mashpee had dropped the cat off at the shelter. Tigger had been rescued - along with other animals - from a home in the area where the owner had to be moved to a treatment center.

It is unknown how long Tigger had been living at the Mashpee home or what he had been doing prior.

Microchips with pet owner's information can be injected into cats or dogs so that they can be reunited in the event that a separation occurs.

When the phone call came, I look at my husband and I say, "I told you so!" We listened to the message three times to make sure it was true,' said West

'It's always pretty exciting when an animal gets reunited with their owner,' Halpin said. 'It's not very often when animal shelter folks get to feel like true heroes, even though they are.'

The cat - now eight - was said to have been skinnier than when he first ran out of an open door, seven years ago.

'There was a lot of celebration at the MSCPA,' Haplin said.

West added: 'He absolutely recognized me. He wouldn't eat or drink at the shelter, but, as soon as I got him home, he just dove right in. We always called him our little dog anyway. He's just the sweetest thing.'
There is 'clear evidence' to charge the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber in connection with the atrocity, the city's top police officer said yesterday.

Several people were arrested in the wake of the attack  which killed 22 men, women and children leaving a pop concert last May  but no-one has been charged.

Extradition proceedings are under way to bring Hashem Abedi, 21, the brother of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, from Libya to the UK.

Police believe he helped his brother plan the bombing and want him to stand trial for mass murder in the British courts.

There is 'clear evidence' to charge the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, Hashem (pictured) in connection with the atrocity

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester yesterday, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: 'There is clearly evidence to charge him [Hashem Abedi] which is why the CPS issued the warrant and has started extradition proceedings.'

Mr Hopkins did not go into detail about what evidence police had gathered, but it is understood that Hashem helped his brother buy materials for the bomb.

He is being held by the Special Deterrence Force, a militia guard also known as Rada, at a sprawling base at Mitiga airport in Tripoli.

He is in a prison section specifically for Islamic State suspects, of which there are about 250.

Last week the Mail revealed that the brothers were among 100 British citizens rescued by the Royal Navy from war-torn Libya during the civil war in 2014.

The revelation prompted questions from survivors and lawyers representing the families of those killed, who demanded to know why the Abedis  British-born sons of Libyan migrants  were allowed to visit the Middle Eastern state without apparent scrutiny and subsequently fell off the security service's radar.

Hashem, who, like his brother, grew up in the Fallowfield district of Manchester, was arrested in a remote farmhouse outside the Libyan capital a day after the suicide bombing in May last year.

The British Government requested his extradition in October, but discussions between the two governments are believed to have stalled.
Residents of an exclusive suburb have been left shocked by the discovery of parts of a dead horse's body at the front door of a local home.

Occupants of the Rawson Street property in Sydney's Neutral Bay were not at home when a neighbour spotted the partial remains of a horse at the door last Thursday.

Police said the neighbour who reported the incident was heading out for a morning walk at about 6.30am, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Occupants of the Rawson Street property in Sydney's Neutral Bay were not at home when a neighbour spotted the partial remains of a horse at their door last Thursday

Other neighbours told the police they heard voices earlier in the morning outside the house where the horse's remains were found.

The remains were later taken away by the North Shore Council, which said it had never been called to collect an animal other than a possum or a cat.

A council spokeswoman told the Daily Telegraph the partial remains of the horse were 'taken to a local waste transfer station before they went to landfill'.

The incident was a chilling reminder of the scene from The Godfather where producer Jack Woltz, played by John Marley, finds his horse's decapitated head in his bed.
Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York, who was Donald Trump's leading supporter on Capitol Hill during the 2016 election, has vowed to stay on the ballot for his re-election as he dismissed the insider trading charges against him 'meritless'.

'After today, I will not address any issues related to Innate Immunotherapeutics outside of the courtroom,' Collins told a press conference on Wednesday evening, referring to the Australian company at the center of this scandal. 'I will remain on the ballot, running for re-election this November.'

Collins has been charged with 13 counts of alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, false statements, the Justice Department announced earlier on Wednesday. He told reporters he would 'mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name' and that he anticipated being 'fully vindicated and exonerated.'

The Republican 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 surround 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.

New York congressman Chris Collins told a Wednesday press conference in Buffalo that he would fight the charges against him and stay on the ballot for his re-election

Footage captured Rep. 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

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.

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.'

Video courtesy of WROC-TV

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.

Rep. Collins is under federal indictment in New York for insider trading and leaves a court house in Manhattan on Wednesday

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. 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 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, referred to as CC-1, had bought 40,464 shares of Innate earlier in June, according to the indictment. 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.

Dorothy Zarsky called her brokerage firm at 9:34 pm that night to sell her shares, the indictment claimed

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.'
The cavalier diaries of an Australian soldier rescued from a mountain in New Zealand have been revealed.

In a 12-page document, Lieutenant Terry Harch, 29, discussed his attitude to climbing in the Southern Alps, Stuff reported.

Lt Harch was successfully rescued from Mt Aspiring on New Zealand's South Island last week after three days trapped in heavy snow and winds of up to 60 km/h.

Australian soldier, Lieutenant Terry Harch (pictured) was rescued from a mountain in New Zealand

The rescue mission is thought to have cost more than $150,000, and hundreds of hours of volunteer time

The rescue mission is thought to have cost more than $150,000, and hundreds of hours of volunteer time.

He was described as being in 'good spirits' on Thursday after he built a snow cave and used his army skills to survive.

It was uncovered he was also rescued from Mt Tasman in New Zealand in 2013, after changing his route during his descent from the summit.

In the diaries, Lt Harch allegedly wrote of his determination to cross the Hooker River, despite the swing bridge being out of action, and in the process of being repaired.

'They were worried about me going along and my lack of experience; the only way to quiet them down was to say casually 'I am in the Army' after which they relented,' he wrote.

'Good surfers can surf in any conditions,' he wrote, in regard to advice given to him to avoid mountains during certain weather conditions.

He was described as being in 'good spirits' on Thursday after he built a snow cave and used his army skills to survive

After facing hardship on the trek, Lt Harch's attitude toward the danger of the activity appeared to change.

Another entry read: 'One climb and I am dead; I chose to do a trek and now I and dead. Well the hut book knows I am here I guess! F@*k, why do I have to choose my own routes, why can't I just follow everyone else! Idiot.'

In 2011 and 2014, he successfully scaled Mt Cook.

Two anonymous New Zealand mountaineers told the publication they met Lt Harch on his 2011 mission in the Southern Alps.

'He didn't understand the risks of the mountain. He wasn't taking it seriously... We thought it was a guaranteed accident waiting to happen,' the man said.

It was uncovered he was also rescued from Mt Tasman in New Zealand in 2013, after changing his route during his descent from the summit

Lt Harch attached himself to the pair's ropes during the descent from the mountain's peak, and abseiled with them due to the danger associated with doing it on his own in the deteriorating weather conditions.

He chose to remain with the men for the duration of the journey, and resorted to using their equipment to cross a glacier.

The climber went on to comment regarding his annoyance at hearing of the rescue mission involving Lt Harch, but was not surprised.

Mount Aspiring, also known as Tititea, is New Zealand's highest mountain outside the Mount Cook region. It stands at 3,033m (9,951ft).
This is the terrifying moment a car was spun off the road after being hit by an international licence holder who ran a red light.

Fortunately, the victims dash cam was running, and a police car was just around the corner.

The footage shows the first driver heading down a road at night and crossing through a green light.

As he crosses the intersection, a pair of headlights appear and a second car - having jumped the red light - collides with the first, smashing it off the road and onto a grassy sidewalk.

The second car was driven by an overseas licence holder who was uninsured.

A police car appears seconds later, turning on its siren.

The incident raises questions over the existing regulations around drivers in Australia who hold overseas licences.

An international driving licence holder crashed into a car while running a red light

The car was sent spiraling off the road and before coming to a halt on a grassy sidewalk

Current regulations differ from state to state, but in most states and territories  with the exception of the Northern Territory  a person is able to drive on an overseas licence as long as it is current.

You can only drive vehicles which your overseas licence authorises you to drive and you must drive according to any conditions on your overseas licence, information on the Australian government website states.

Captioning his video, the driver said: This is my dash cam footage of a guy driving on an international license with no insurance, runs a red light and cleans me up when I had the green.

Lucky for me, the police witnessed the whole incident. I cant recommend enough having a dash cam.'
An Englishman, an Irish DJ, a French glamour model and an Australian have all been jailed for their role in an MDMA and cocaine syndicate.

Syndicate leaders Tommy Ransley, 32, from the United Kingdom and Stephen Donnelly, a 32-year-old DJ from Ireland both appeared in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Wednesday along with another two men they used as couriers.

Australian Federal Police, Border Force, and NT Police followed the couriers, Sebastian Ducros, 24, a French glamour model and Australian Marcus Hansh, 42, as they picked up a mail order package of drugs from Mt Isa in 2017.

An Englishman, an Irish DJ, a French glamour model (pictured), and an Australian have all been jailed for their role in an MDMA and cocaine syndicate

The leaders of the syndicate Tommy Ransley (left) and Stephen Donnelly both were jailed over the cocaine and MDMA (right)

The package contained 5000 ecstacy pills and 127 grams of cocaine with a street value of around $1 million.

Justice Stephen Southwood took into account the fact that Ransley detailed to authorities the previous crimes that he and Donnelly had committed and sentenced him to six years jail with a minimum of four years and three months.

He denied Ransley's claims that the drugs were for his own use and would not give any further reductions due to his alleged bashing in prison for speaking to police.

Donnelly pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of four years and nine months.

Ducros will be deported back to France in October after serving one year of a three year and nine month sentence.

Hansh is to be released after two years with the remainder of his four-year-and-six-month sentence to be suspended to allow him to deal with his drug problem.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Stringer from Taskforce Nemesis said at the time of the bust that it sent a message to drug traffickers that their business was not welcome.

'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,' he said.

Ducros will be deported back to France in October after serving one year of a three year and nine month sentence
A tow-truck driver has been arrested after DNA linked him to four sexual assault cold cases, making him a suspect in 20 other rapes over the past three decades.

The 51-year-old was led from a home in Epping, north-west Sydney, in handcuffs at 7am on Thursday after being arrested by detectives from Strike Force Petit.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad swooped after new forensic evidence emerged linked four historic rapes in the Ryde area between 1989 and 2007.

Police told reporters on Thursday afternoon the man is expected to be charged with 20 offences against 12 victims aged between 14 and 40.

Scroll down for video

A tow-truck driver has been arrested after DNA linked him to four sexual assault cold cases, making him a suspect in 20 other rapes over the last three decades (pictured is the arrest)

The 51-year-old was led from a home in Epping, north-west Sydney, in handcuffs at 7am on Thursday after being arrested by detectives from Strike Force Petit (pictured is the arrest)

Police are now reexamining a number of other sex attacks in the area dating back to the 1980s.

The breakthrough came after a review of four cold cases which were previously linked by tendency and modus operandi, police said.

After the man's arrest police executed search warrants at two properties in nearby Ryde and Berrilee.

Strike Force Petit detectives was joined by heavily armed officers from the North West Metropolitan Region Operations Support Group.

The tow-truck driver was escorted down the stairs of his home in handcuffs while wearing his pyjamas, and was taken to Ryde Police Station.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.

The search warrants are still underway and enquiries are continuing.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad swooped after new forensic evidence emerged linked four historic rapes in the Ryde area between 1989 and 2007 (pictured is the arrest)
Taos County Sheriffs Office(TAOS COUNTY, N.M.) -- Investigators in New Mexico are working to identify remains that were found on the squalid campgrounds where police found 11 children living with five adults.



"The remains are in a state of decomposition that has made identification challenging," Chief Medical Investigator Kurt Nolte said in a statement.



"Investigators often try to compare remains to radiologic images, fingerprints, DNA or other identification materials. At this time, investigators are using all known methods to make an identification, but this will not be a quick process. If we must rely on DNA results, identification could take many weeks," he said in the statement.



The search of the decrepit compound occurred in response to a search warrant for Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, who was believed to have kidnapped his then-3-year-old son in Georgia.



When officers searched the compound, they found 11 children under the age of 15 and five adults, including Wahhaj, but not the young kidnapped boy.



Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said Tuesday that the remains belonged to a young boy.



The remains were found on Monday on an "inner portion" of the compound, Hogrefe said.



Wahhaj is under investigation in the death of the child.



All five adults -- including Wahhaj, another adult male and three adult women -- have been arrested and charged with 11 counts of felony child abuse. Wahhaj was also charged with child abduction, while the other adult male, Lucas Morten, was charged with harboring a fugitive.



Wahhaj did not enter a plea when he appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. A judge ruled that he be held until a no-bond hearing takes place within the next five days.



The four other adults also appeared in court Wednesday. Morton and two of the women pleaded not guilty, while a third woman did not enter a plea.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
An elderly muesli company boss who murdered his business partner, with whom he had a father-daughter-like relationship, has been sentenced to 17 years in jail.

In sentencing 76-year-old Peter Pavlis on Thursday, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Lesley Taylor admitted there was a 'very real chance' the founder of The Muesli Company would die in jail.

On July 25, 2017 Pavlis fatally stabbed Jennifer Borchardt, 49, in the kitchen of her Richmond home, in a 'frenzied stabbing attack using a single edged weapon' out of 'jealousy or anger', the court heard.

Peter Pavlis (right) has been jailed for killing Jennifer Borchardt (left), the co-director of his company

At the pre-sentence hearing, colleagues spoke of the heartbreak of losing Ms Borchardt (pictured)

Pavlis was like a father figure to Ms Borchardt, who had worked at the Muesli Company continuously since high school and had become a trusted co-owner.

He pleaded guilty to murder in July this year, however Justice Taylor said Pavlis' motive remained unclear.

'The horror of her last moments can barely be imagined. You were a man very much trusted by her,' she said.

Prosecutor Mark Rochford SC had said earlier that Pavlis may have become jealous of Ms Borchardt's relationship with her boyfriend.

Ms Borchardt had been living with her boyfriend Robert Hansen, who she'd met about six months earlier.

After the murder, Mr Hansen returned home to find Ms Borchardt's lifeless body on the floor, covered in blood.

Pavlis (pictured) apologised for the murder of Ms Borchardt at a pre-sentencing hearing

Ms Borchardt's boyfriend Robert Hansen (left) found Ms Borchardt (right)lying on the floor of their apartment

Ms Borchardt died from multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest and had defensive wounds on her hands, an autopsy found.

The court heard that Pavlis tried to clean up the scene and avoid detection immediately after the killing but pleaded guilty at an early stage.

At a previous Supreme Court hearing, colleagues spoke of the heartbreak of losing Ms Borchardt.

'She trusted you and always wanted to protect you from any hurt or harm. Ironic, isn't it?' Rosa Cornelia told the court.

Little more than a fortnight before she was killed, Ms Borchardt (right) took to Facebook to announce she was in a relationship with Mr Hansen (left)

'I still can't understand for the life of me how you could've come to work that Tuesday as if nothing had happened.'

Ms Borchardt's aunt Carlie Smith described Pavlis' actions as those of someone who was 'pure evil'.

'It disgusts me. You left her lying there, helpless, afraid and dying,' she said.

After Ms Borchardt's supporters gave their emotional statements, Pavlis asked the judge if he could speak too.

Pavlis was like a father figure to Ms Borchardt, who had worked at the Muesli Company continuously since high school and had become a trusted co-owner

'I'm sorry,' he said slowly as he stood in the dock, 'What I did I had no right to do. I still can't understand how I did it.

'She was a nice person and I couldn't have done anything without her.'

The killer will be eligible for parole after 12 years imprisonment.

The Muesli Company, started by Pavlis in 1984, operates from Thomastown and produces wholegrain breakfast cereals.
Victoria's Transport Minister Jacinta Allan appears to have been caught out making up claims that she received hundreds of complaints to defend her decision to remove Sky News from Melbourne train stations.

The left-wing Labor MP said 'hatred and racism had no place on our screens' as she directed Metro Trains to remove the network from the CBD following an interview with Hitler sympathiser Blair Cottrell.

In a fiery exchange with Sky News presenter Laura Jayes, Ms Allan said she had received 'dozens of complaints' from public transport users before correcting herself to say it was hundreds.

The APN, the company who distributes Sky News to train stations, later confirmed there had been no complaints following Cottrell's interview.

A Sky News host interrupted a Labor MP as she tried to defend her decision to ban the network from Melbourne train stations following an interview with Hitler sympathiser Blair Cottrell

Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Tim Smith dubbed the minister 'Kim Jong Allan' and said she should 'spend more time fixing the train system and less time trying to run state sanctioned media'.

Ms Allan attempted to justify the banning of Sky News from train stations before she was interrupted by Jayes as she asked her about the complaints she'd been refusing.

'It's not just about one interview, there have been a number of complaints that I've received about other content that's shown on our transport assets,' Ms Allan said.

'But what are the complaints been about minister? What content have people complained about?' the host interrupted.

'We're talking about news bulletins, updates about the news and the weather'.

Hitler sympathiser Blair Cottrell (pictured) appeared on Sky News and has been slammed for his comments

Ms Allan tweeted her decision on Thursday morning saying 'hatred and racism have no place on our screens or in our community'

It comes as Ms Allan defended her decision on Thursday morning on 3AW with Neil Mitchell, saying screens in train tunnels have been broadcasting Sky News for several years but the Blair Cottrell interview was the 'final straw'.

'That interview was unacceptable indeed Sky News themselves admitted it was wrong,' she said.

Mr Mitchell slammed the decision calling it a censorship on what the public can see and questioned Ms Allan after she admitted to not seeing the whole interview and only excerpts.

'I'm a bit worried about a minister in government making a decision to ban something without having seen it,' he said.

'What gives you the right to be judge of that?,' he asked.

Ms Allan explained she had seen excerpts of the interview online and that was enough for her to take a stance and be responsible for what is shown on the screens around public transport.

'I've previously spoke to Metro Train and have been long concerned about the content and quality of what is put on those screens,' Ms Allan explained.

'We need to ensure passengers are not bombarded with shocking content.'

'It's different when you're government, it is censorship. It's thought police,' Mr Mitchell hit back.

'We need to ensure passengers are not bombarded with shocking content,' Ms Allan said

Ms Allan continued to explain how several other companies have also made a decision to enforce the removal of Sky News advertising.

Queensland's metro service, Translink, has also received requests to follow Victoria's decision.

A member of the public retweeted a story about the Metro Trains decison to remove all Sky News ads quoting, 'Reckon we can do the same in Brisbane @TrainsLinkSEQ?'

They replied with, 'I can pass through feedback to the relevant department to have this looked into if you'd like'.

It comes as nappy brand Huggies, optical chain Specsavers, and Amex Australia announced their termination with advertising on Sky News.

Sky News host David Speers told the minister that the offending Cottrell interview did not actually appear on the CBD station screens.

It comes as nappy brand Huggies, optical chain Specsavers, and Amex Australia announced their termination with advertising on Sky News




This is the moment a driver transporting a crane ripped down electricity lines and downed a traffic pole after leaving the boom sticking into the air.

Video shows the truck turning left onto Military Cutoff Road in Wilmington, North Carolina, and snagging on the overhead wires, causing sparks to fly into the air.

Shockingly, the driver appears oblivious to the damage and continues on with the crane still upright and slams into a traffic light, showering debris onto nearby cars.

Video shows the truck turning left onto Military Cutoff Road in Wilmington, North Carolina, and snagging on the overhead wires, causing sparks to fly into the air

The video was filmed on June 29 and recently surfaced online.

'We see traffic poles get taken down quite often, but this one is quite different. It's a crane truck,' firefighter Natosha Vincent told WECT 6.

'It's affected one of our busiest intersections in the city the weekend before Fourth of July.

'We are anxious to get it back up and running, and I know everybody else is ready for it to be done as well.'

Nearly 120 customers lost power at 9.19am due to the broken power lines.

Nearly a dozen workers managed to restore power to nearby all the homes and businesses by 10am. Another team worked on repairing the traffic pole.

The driver was cited for failure to secure a load, police said.
An Australian girl who spent three months in a coma battling an incurable brain tumour has tragically died overseas.

Annabelle Nguyen, 5, was taken to Mexico by her parents three years ago in a desperate attempt to save her after she was given less than a year to live.

The Perth-based family had recently launched a desperate appeal to collect funds to bring their daughter home as they said they couldn't afford to bring her back to Australia.

Australian girl Annabelle Nguyen (pictured), 5, died from brain tumour on Wednesday

The brave girl from Perth had been in a coma for the past three months (pictured)

The family announced her death on their Facebook page: 'Fighting DIPG with Annabelle' (pictured)

However, the young girl lost her brave fight to diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) on Wednesday.

'With our broken hearts, our Annabelle went to GOD's hand peacefully in my arms this morning. She is now free and be a normal girl again,' the family shared on Facebook.

A day earlier the family shared that Annabelle needed blood transfusions and was receiving brain-stem testing.

The world cancer community has heavily critcised the expensive and secretive Mexican clinic, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Families are charged around $30,000 per round of treatments which are required every month to six weeks.

Annabelle's parents Sandy and Trung Nguyen have spent in excess of $500,000 on treatment and were forced to sell their home.



Annabelle's (pictured) family took the young girl to Mexico to receive treatment three years ago after they were told she had less than a year to live

In June, Annabelle's parents Sandy (pictured) and Trung Nguyen were trying to source funding to bring their daughter home to Australia

Mother Sandy Nguyen told Daily Mail Australia in June that the family have 'nothing left' and would have needed $200,000 for a medical flight to bring her back to Australia.

'We have exhausted our funds,' she said. 'We have nothing...absolutely nothing left.'

Annabelle was first diagnosed with a brain tumour known as Diffuse Intrisic Pontine Glioma in 2015 and was told there was no cure.

After a global search for help, the parents took Annabelle to Mexico for expensive treatment.

Parents claim in January a scan revealed there was no evidence of the disease, but the tumour reappeared in an April scan.

A Go Fund Me page that was set up for the family has raised over $65,000 and can be reached here.
Casino kingpin James Packer and Crown Resorts have launched legal action against the NSW government to stop their new casino's hotel views being obstructed.

The $2 billion hotel and casino is currently under construction in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Barangaroo as a part of rejuvenation of the harbour's foreshore.

As part of the plans, Crown had budgeted $800 a night hotel rooms with a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

But expansions proposed by the state government would obscure those views and reduce the appeal of the rooms, prompting Mr Packer to launch legal action on Thursday morning.

A legal battle would result in delays to the Barangaroo and Metro Line project, which is due for completion in 2024.

Crown Resorts have launched a legal battle against the NSW Government after expansions would see their hotel's view of the Harbour Bridge obstructed (pictured left: an artist's impression of the new complex)

The casino and hotel is due to finish construction (pictured) in 2021, but a court battle could delay that timeline

The resort in Sydney will be the third Crown operated complex in Australia after Melbourne, which opened in 1994, and Perth, where the company took over the former Burswood casino and renamed it in 2011.

However, Mr Packer's international ventures haven't gone as well, leading to the company's profits falling by 70 per cent in 2017-18.

Selling their Macau casino, combined with a $300,000 fine for pokie tampering and having to free 19 employees detained in China over gambling charges led to the business' profit dropping 70 percent to $558.9million.

The business is expecting that the Sydney project will normalise their profits, with the casino on schedule to be completed within the next three years.

But their timeline could be delayed, as a lawsuit against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) in the Supreme Court reports the Daily Telegraph.

A spokesperson from the Alliance for Gambling Reform told Daily Mail Australia that the lawsuit doesn't come as a great surprise.

'Sydney is already the gambling capital of the world and the industry has long thrown its weight around with politicians so litigation over Barangaroo doesn't come as a great surprise,' he said.

Although he stepped down from the board in March, Mr Packer (pictured) is still a major stakeholder in the enterprise

Packer, pictured with girlfriend Kylie Lim, stepped down to focus on mental health issues

The company posted a 70 per cent decline in profits in the 2017-18 financial year

The NSW Supreme Court action was revealed in an announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange Thursday morning.

'The Proceedings seek injunctive relief and declarations against the BDA that in substance require the BDA to comply with a number of its contractual obligations under the Crown Development Act,' the statement read, ,while seeking a ruling that '... sight lines from the Harbour Bridge to the Sydney Opera House are retained by the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort.'

The resort is due to be finished in 2021, nine years after it was first proposed.

The target time frame for finishing Barangaroo Central and its Metro station is 2024.



Artist's impression of the 'Crystal Club' at Sydney's new casino, the second in the city
Dashcam footage has been released of the moment a South Carolina woman begged police not to send her to prison because she's a 'pretty girl' before going on to describe herself as a 'thoroughbred' and 'white'.

Police said Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw, 32, had glassy, bloodshot eyes and was slurring her words when they pulled her over in Bluffton on Saturday after spotting her speeding through a stop sign at 60 mph.

A Breathalyzer showed her blood-alcohol level at 0.18 percent, according to police.

The dashcam recorded Cutshaw begging the officer not to send her to prison because she was a cheerleader, a dancer and a sorority girl who had graduated from a 'high accredited university.'

Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw, 32, begged police not to send her to prison because she's a 'pretty girl' when she was stopped in Bluffton, South Carolina on Saturday night

Shamed: Cutshaw looks distraught as she responds to the police officer's questioning

Walk the line: Cutshaw was made to take a sobriety test

The officer reported that Cutshaw's speech was slurred and her eyes glassy

'Please, I don't want to know what it's like,' Cutshaw sobbed from the patrol car. 'I'm a pretty girl. Don't make me go in there.'

She went on to tell the officer that she had never been in trouble with the law before and that an arrest would 'ruin her career'.

Cutshaw, 32, was jailed on charges including drunken driving, speeding and marijuana possession

Taken to the police station in handcuffs, she later described herself as a white 'thoroughbred' and 'went on to say 'I'm a white, clean girl,'' the officer wrote in his arrest report.

'I asked what that had to do with anything?' the officer, who also is white, wrote.

She replied: 'You're a cop, you should know what that means,' and, 'You're a cop, you should know based on the people that come in this room.'

The officer said Cutshaw repeatedly said that her partner was a policeman and that she'd been trying to get to his house when she was pulled over early Saturday.

Cutshaw, a real estate agent, told the officer that she'd only had two glasses of wine at an upscale restaurant.

When the officers asked the woman to specify how full were the glasses, Cutshaw, who turns 33 on Thursday, replied: 'I mean, I was celebrating my birthday.'

Police said Cutshaw had glassy, bloodshot eyes and was slurring her words when they pulled her over in Bluffton on Saturday after spotting her speeding through a stop sign at 60 mph

According to her LinkedIn page, Custhaw has a Bachelors degree in business administration from Louisiana State University, where she was philanthropy chairman at Delta Zeta sorority

After another officer found marijuana and rolling papers in her Ford Fusion, she said she 'may have' smoked pot earlier that evening as well, her arrest report said.

Cutshaw was jailed on charges including drunken driving, speeding and marijuana possession.

According to her LinkedIn page, Custhaw has a Bachelors degree in business administration from Louisiana State University, where she was philanthropy chairman at Delta Zeta sorority.

The networking site indicates that Cutshaw was hired in June as a real estate adviser with Engel & Volkers Hilton Head- Bluffton. As of Tuesday, her name was no longer listed on the company's site.

Messages left at the real estate firm she lists as her employer were not immediately returned.
The owner of a trendy boutique fashion label has been accused of capitalising on the plight of drought-stricken farmers after she offered to donate bales of hay in exchange for Instagram likes.

Beginning Boutique CEO Sarah Timmerman took to Instagram on Thursday, offering to donate one bale of hay in exchange for every 200 likes the store received.

Within 15 hours the post garnered more than 84,000 likes, which meant the company would need to donate 420 bales of hay.

Sarah Timmerman (pictured) has defended the her store's social media campaign, saying it is 'about support'

While the campaign had an overwhelming response, some Instagram users questioned the Brisbane-based boutique's motive, Yahoo! 7 reports.



'I really dont like this! Why cant they just donate hay without fishing for likes,' one woman wrote.

'Capitalising, trying to grow their own business with likes through the struggle of Aussie farmers,' another wrote.

Ms Timmerman said she understands why people might criticise the campaign but added the purpose was to show support for struggling farmers in need.

She said it's the first time she has ever considered using the boutique's social media presence to help raise awareness about a good cause.

'Weve never done anything like this before, we had no idea how it was going to go,' she said, adding that they have no intention of backing out of their promise.

The director of a trendy boutique fashion label has been accused of capitalising from drought-stricken farmers

Some Instagram users questioned the Brisbane-based boutique's motive to donate bales of hay in exchange for likes

'This whole campaign started because three customers asked us to use our platform to raise awareness.'

Despite the backlash, Ms Timmerman said the overall support for the campaign was favorable, and already the store has begun working with the fundraiser Buy a Bale.

One Instagram user praised the campaign, saying, 'plenty of big companies doing nothing at all'.

Sarah Timmerman (right) said this is the first time she has ever considered using the store's social media presence to raise awareness about a good cause

Ms Timmerman said her only intention was to help raise money, and added that since posting the comment on Instagram her business hasn't increased in sales.

'This campaign is about support it goes beyond a silent donation which is what we do generally,' she said.
A New Zealand woman has died after jumping from a 20-metre-high bridge with four friends.

The 23-year-old woman, who is yet to be identified, jumped from the Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada, but failed to resurface.

She was eventually pulled from the water but was pronounced dead after being taken to two hospitals, Stuff reported.

A 23-year-old New Zealand woman has died after jumping from a 20-metre-high bridge with four friends and failed to resurface right after.

The New Zealand High Commission in Ottawa released a statement regarding the death, saying that it was 'in contact with local authorities regarding the death of a New Zealand citizen in Canada'.

'For privacy reasons no further information will be provided,'the statement added.

Sicamous Detachment Commander Sergeant Murray McNeil also released a statement about the tragic death, saying it was the second such death in the area in the last two months.

'Tragically this is the second water related death in Sicamous this summer,' he said.

'While we want to encourage people to get out and enjoy all that the area has to offer, we cannot stress enough the importance of paying attention to advisories and signage which are put in place to ensure your safety.'

Emergency services rushed the woman to two nearby hospitals before she was officials pronounced dead (stock image)

Initial investigation does not lead police to believe there was any criminality involved in the womans death.

The Sicamous RCMP will continue to support the BC Coroners Service as their investigation continues.

The statement also said the identify of the woman would not be released by the Sicamous RCMP
Budding pharmacist Alvin Ahmed (pictured) staged his suicide last month to appear like a murder, police say

The 25-year-old pharmacy intern whose death launched a murder investigation had staged his own suicide to look suspicious, police say.

Alvin Ahmed disappeared on July 16, after finishing his shift at a local Publix in Georgia. He had bought groceries for his mother, but they never made it home, and were found in his car along with his pharmacy coat.

Earlier, he had claimed to family and friends a group of young men had approached him, demanding information about his watch, his wage and his car.

Police now say all of these things, which would ordinarily be indicative of a more sinister death, were planned by Ahmed to make his suicide appear more suspicious.

Corporal Michele Pihera told the Atlanta Courier Journal investigating officers found evidence on Ahmed's phone showing he had planned to buy the groceries, and planned to leave his watch and switched-off phone at a nearby restaurant. He then planned to walk two miles to a lake, where he then took his own life.

The two-sentence note about his evening schedule was found in a 'reminders' app on his phone

His actions in the immediate lead-up to his death, and his comments about being accosted by the young men, led his family to believe their brother and son had been abducted.

The 25-year-old university graduate had told family and friends he'd been accosted by a group of young men before he disappeared, and left groceries in his car for his mother before taking his own life on July 16

His body was dragged out of a nearby lake with a single, self-inflicted gunshot to the head just two days later, but investigators struggled to immediately confirm the identity of the body

But Pihera said a two-sentence reminder in an app on his phone had unravelled the recent university graduate's plan, and proven it was suicide.

'The phone data contained a note which indicated that Mr. Ahmed staged certain elements of the case to cast suspicion that he had been murdered,' Pihera said.

'There is no credible evidence that the case was a homicide.'

His older brother Kalvin Ahmed said the phone has not been found, but the app could be accessed via the internet.

Two days after Ahmed went missing, his body was pulled out of a lake in Gwinnett County. Medical examiners determined the body had died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.

Police say a two-sentence reminder on an app in Ahmed's phone proved he had staged the more suspicious aspects of his disappearance

Further investigation showed the bullet had been fired from a gun Ahmed purchased the month before.

Ahmed could not be properly identified for weeks though, as his dental records could not be located, and fingerprint testing was inconclusive. DNA testing had to be done to confirm the body was that of the missing 25-year-old.

His family have shared the devastating news with Facebook, announcing on Ahmed's account: 'The body has been confirmed to be Alvin. Thank you for all the love and support'.

But his brother Kalvin said while finding the body brought his family some closure, it would never be enough.

He said they don't understand how Alvin came to be in the lake, 'and I don't think we will'.
A depraved monster who kidnapped, raped and mutilated a young mother during a three-day nightmare taunted his victim during the ordeal.

After attacking the woman at her home in Dandenong in Melbourne's south-east, Darin Wheeldon, 42, kidnapped her and drove across Victoria and New South Wales.

During the horrific assault, in which he whipped the 30-year-old and pierced her nipples, Wheeldon asked the deeply-religious woman: 'Where is your God now?'

Wheeldon was on Thursday sentenced to 14 years' jail in the Victorian County Court, after a judge found he had shown only 'superficial remorse'.

A depraved monster who kidnapped, raped and mutilated a young mother during a three-day nightmare taunted his victim during the ordeal (stock image)

Judge Lisa Hannan told Wheeldon his actions amounted to 'calculated offending', and described his victim as 'vulnerable and terrified'.

'You tried to control her by fear and threats,' she said.

He earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and one charge each of false imprisonment, intentionally causing injury and theft over the brutal July 2011 crimes.

After abducting, raping and whipping his then-landlady, who met her tormentor while volunteering at a Melbourne soup kitchen, Wheeldon photographed her nude.

He then threatened to kill her family, threw her in the boot of her own car and drove her more than 600km to the town of Young in rural New South Wales.

'You can scream as much as you like, no-one's going to hear you,' he said as he drove across Victoria, ABC News reported.

The woman was forced to perform oral sex on Wheeldon while he was driving, while at other times he locked her in the boot.

'I felt defiled, violated and helpless,' the woman said in her victim statement, and told the court the ordeal left her traumatised and suffering from anxiety.

Wheeldon was on Thursday sentenced to 14 years' jail in the Victorian County Court (pictured), after a judge found he had shown only 'superficial remorse'

Wheeldon then left her tied up in a cupboard in a motel room at the township of Young, but was arrested after he crashed on a highway about 200km away.

The woman managed to break free and alert police, and Wheeldon was arrested and hospitalised for injuries suffered in the crash.

The pair began a sexual relationship after the woman offered him a room in her home, but Wheeldon raped her after she ended it.

A two-week trial was held in Sydney where Wheeldon was found guilty by a jury on every charge faced there and he was jailed for 11 years.

He was extradited to Victoria in 2016, and originally pleaded not guilty before changing his mind.

At a court hearing in June Wheeldon's lawyer, Aaron Shwartz, argued his client was no longer a 'monster'.

He said Wheeldon had believed he was in a 'growing relationship' with the woman and felt rejected when his affections weren't reciprocated.
If Donald Trump Jr. is worried, he sure doesn't show it.

His father, the president, is reported to be fretting about his eldest son's entanglement in the Russia investigation. And Don Jr.'s role in the special counsel's probe continues to throw off headlines. But the 40-year-old son is hardly ducking his head.

He's beloved on the right as the swaggering embodiment of the Make America Great Again agenda.

And he's embracing his role as a popular emissary for his father, crisscrossing the country on campaign trips, penning op-eds in support of favored candidates and showcasing his new relationship with former Fox News host Kim Guilfoyle.

Unbowed and unapologetic, the son's approach appears to mirror the father's combative defiance toward special counsel's Robert Mueller's investigation.

The enthusiastic reception he receives in many Republican strongholds is more evidence that Trump voters are rallying around the president's criticism of the probe - perhaps even fired up by the fight.

Make selfies great again: Donald Trump Jr. stops for a picture with a fan after a rally at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida, for GOP congressman Matt Gaetz

Change of status: Don Jr. is now a divorced father of five. He was seen in New York taking his children to Baskin Robbins with his ex-wife Vanessa Trump

Trump Jr. has downplayed any talk of his own legal exposure stemming from his involvement in a 2016 Trump Tower meeting that's a focus of Mueller's investigation into possible links between the president's election campaign and Russia. The president recently unleashed a series of angry tweets on the subject, and in one he acknowledged that his son set up the meeting to seek damaging information about Democrat Hillary Clinton from a Kremlin-connected lawyer.

In another political era, that's the sort of uncomfortable fact that could make someone a pariah on the campaign trail. Today, Trump Jr. is a sought-after surrogate.

He's stumped in West Virginia, Montana, Florida and Kansas in recent months. In the coming weeks, he's expected to campaign in Missouri, Indiana and North Dakota.

'He's one of the top draws, if not the top draw for people not named President Trump,' says Jason Miller, a top aide to the 2016 Trump campaign.

His appeal was clear in Great Falls, Montana, recently where he was cheered as he discussed his love of hunting in the state and laid into Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

'Just because Donald Trump isn't on the ticket in 2018 doesn't mean that everything he has accomplished is not on the ticket,' Trump Jr. said, adding: 'I'm going to be coming a lot out here in this fall, helping all of these guys.'

He welcomed Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte onto the stage. Invited to speak, Daines said, 'Donald Trump Jr. is a heck of a shot.'

And the Mueller investigation?

'I never see anybody at any of these events, nobody even brings it up,' Miller said. 'The base loves him because he's a true believer.'

New love: Don Jr. is now dating Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News host whose departure from the channel was both sudden and contentious

Gun fan: Donald Trump Jr. posted this picture of him and Guilfoyle in Montana in June. He was back there to campaign in August and when invited on stage Republican Senator Steve Daines said: 'Donald Trump Jr. is a heck of a shot.'

In fact, the legal concerns may work in his favor, says Sam Nunberg, a consultant who was a political adviser to the Trump 2016 campaign. 'It actually helps him because he's being persecuted,' says Nunberg. 'Don is the biggest asset of all the kids. He's a guy's guy. He understands the movement. And knows how to communicate it.'

Trump Jr. has long been the Trump child most in touch with the president's most ardent voters. He seems to relish the button-pushing, asserting or trolling Tweet. His Twitter feed has traded in conspiracy theories and hard-line messages about immigration or gun control. He once circulated a post that compared Syrian refugees to a bowl of Skittles candy that contained some that 'would kill you.'

'He's someone who like the president can rile up the base and get party activists excited,' said Republican strategist Ryan Williams. 'He's probably not someone you're going to send to a swing district, but in a red state he may be able to draw out some base voters.'

Republicans say Trump Jr. shows few signs of being rattled by the attention. He is not talking much privately about the investigation and tends to dismiss the scrutiny as mere media fixation, according to a person familiar with his thinking who demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Trump Jr.'s allies believe he's being held to a higher standard than others and that any campaign would have taken the meeting with someone offering dirt on an opponent.

But his legal woes have not been so easily brushed off by his father.

The president has stewed over the media coverage of the federal trial of Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, who has been charged with financial fraud as part of the Mueller probe.

Though the trial is not connected to Russian election interference, Trump has seethed to confidants that he views the Manafort charges as 'a warning shot' from Mueller.

He has told those close to him that as he watches the courtroom proceedings, he fears that Donald Trump Jr. could at some point be the one on trial, according to two people familiar with his thinking but not authorized to discuss private conversations.

Despite his behind-closed-doors concerns, the president publicly denies that he is worried about his son. While doing so on Twitter in recent days, he offered a new - and potentially legally damaging - explanation of why his son is under such legal scrutiny.

'Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower,' Trump tweeted last Sunday. '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!'

Trump Jr. has acknowledged that he took the meeting in anticipation of receiving dirt about Clinton.

'To the extent that they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of any presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out,' he told Senate staff in a private interview last year.

Trump Jr. told investigators his father was never advised about the arrangement.

Federal law makes it a crime for a campaign to knowingly accept or solicit a 'thing of value' from foreign nationals.

But Trump Jr. has said he received nothing of value during the meeting, which he has suggested was ultimately a waste of time. He declined to comment for this article but has not shied from the limelight as he campaigns around the country.

In a recent interview with TV host Laura Ingraham, he angrily deemed the matter a Democratic conspiracy.

The meeting lasted 20 minutes and 'ended up being about essentially nothing that was relevant to any of these things,' he said. 'That's all it is and that's all they've got.'
The lone military identification tag that North Korea provided with 55 boxes of human remains last month belonged to Master Sgt Charles McDaniel, an Army medic from Indiana who was killed in the opening months of the Korean War.

Now that slightly corroded dog tag has finally been returned to his sons Charles Jr and Larry, who have little memory of the father they lost when they were young.

Charles, 71, was moved to tears when he received a phone call at home in Indianapolis informing him that his father's dog tag had been returned.

'I sat there and I cried for a while, and it took a while to compose myself,' he said.

Larry McDanie and his brother Charles Jr, the sons of Master Sgt Charles Hobert McDaniel who died in the Korean War in 1950, are presented their father's dog tag on Wednesday

McDaniel (pictured) was a medic with 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment which was called on to reinforce South Korean army units overrun by Chinese forces in October 1950 at Unsan

The dog tag (pictured along with McDaniel's army medals) was uncovered among bones and small personal items such as buttons and boots that North Korea returned to the US last month

'It's a very mixed, jumbled moment for us. At least we have this,' Charles added, pointing to the dog tag, imprinted with his father's name and a service number.

Charles Jr, of Indianapolis, has no recollection of what his family was told when his father was reported missing in action.

And 70-year-old Larry, who now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, has no memory at all of his father.

Charles Jr was just three years old, and Larry only two, when their father (pictured) was sent to South Korea in August 1950 from Japan. He died just two months later

Charles Jr was just three years old, and Larry only two, when their father was sent to South Korea in August 1950 from Japan.

McDaniel was a member of the US occupation forces that had been stationed there since the end of World War II.

At the time, North Korean forces had driven US troops almost off the Korean peninsula at Pusan before Gen Douglas MacArthur engineered the first big US victory with an amphibious landing at Inchon in September.

McDaniel was a medic with 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, which was called on to reinforce South Korean army units overrun by Chinese forces in late October 1950 at Unsan, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang.

Ultimately, hundreds of US troops were killed or captured as Chinese forces fought their way into the town.

A Pentagon profile of McDaniel says there is no evidence that he was captured by the Chinese and held as a prisoner of war.

An eyewitness interviewed after the battles at Unsan - another medic assigned to McDaniel's battalion - said he believed McDaniel was killed in action.

The dog tag is no assurance that McDaniel's remains are among those contained in the 55 boxes that the North Korean army turned over to US officials at Wonsan, North Korea, on July 27.

Charles Jr, 71, told reporters he was moved to tears when he got the phone call at home in Indianapolis informing him that his father's dog tag had been returned

Charles Jr said has no recollection of what his family was told when his father was reported missing in action

John Byrd, director of the Defense Department laboratory in Hawaii that is attempting to identify the remains, said the condition of the bones is judged to be 'moderate to poor preservation,' meaning few are whole bones and all are quite old.

No personal effects were handed over by the North Koreans aside from the McDaniel dog tag.

The boxes contained a number of US-issued military items such as helmets, gloves and canteens, but none are associated with any specific individual.

North Korea returned the remains as part of an agreement reached by its leader, Kim Jong Un, at his Singapore summit with President Donald Trump in June.

Kim also agreed to cooperate with the US in searching for and excavating additional remains in North Korea, where an estimated 5,300 US servicemen are believed to have fallen and not been recovered.

Negotiations on the terms of such future operations have not yet begun, American officials said.

The dog tag is no assurance that McDaniel's remains are among those contained in the 55 boxes that the North Korean army turned over to US officials last week

A key tool in identifying war remains is matching DNA extracted from the bones with DNA samples provided by family of the missing. As part of that process Dr Timothy P.McMahon, the director of a DNA laboratory in Dover, Delaware, took swabs of saliva from Larry's mouth

A key tool in identifying war remains is matching DNA extracted from the bones with DNA samples provided by family members of the missing.

As part of that process Dr Timothy P. McMahon, the director of a DNA laboratory in Dover, Delaware that will be attempting to make such matches, took swabs of saliva from Larry's mouth.

Byrd, the lab director, said it was too early to estimate how many individuals may be represented by the bones returned in the boxes.

Suggesting that it might be more than 55, Byrd said that 208 boxes returned by North Korea between 1990 and 1994 turned out to contain remains from about 400 individuals, not all of whom have yet been identified.
A 26-year-old man from Queensland who was accused of the rape and sexual assault of a 22-year-old woman on Australia Day last year, has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault charges.

Harley Gene Lewis was accused of picking a woman up, taking her to a bedroom, tying her hands up, putting a hand over her throat and raping her.

The morning after the event, Lewis had allegedly messaged the woman in question on Facebook saying: 'Round two?' the court heard.

Lewis has pleaded not guilty throughout the court case and it took a jury of seven women and five men under two hours to conclude that he was innocent.

Lewiss mother and sister cried when the not guilty verdict was returned in the Southport District Court, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Harley Lewis - pictured here with The Footy Show's Beau Ryan - has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault charges, a jury in Queensland has decided

Three women had also provided character references for Lewis, unanimously describing him as a genuine and loving person.

Lewis and the 22-year-old are said to have met at a party celebrating the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown in January last year.

He told the court that they had been talking and laughing and although he was hitting on her, he believed she was flirting back.

The party had been hosted by the woman and others at a unit complex.

In the early hours of the morning, Lewis was accused of picking up the woman and carrying her to a bedroom.

Lewis told the court that he believed the woman in question was 'flirting back' with him

The jury was then told that once in the bedroom, Lewis removed the womans shorts and bikini bottoms and performed oral sex on her.

Crown prosecutor Sarah Lio-Willie then told the court that Lewis tied up the womans hands with the string from his boardshorts.

She was on the bed, naked from the waist down, her hands tied up and one hand around her neck, Lio-Willie said.

Lewis, however, told the jury that as he pulled the drawstring out of his pants he asked the woman if it was okay, and she said yes.

He also referred to a conversation he said they had had earlier in the evening about their previous sexual encounters.

Three women provided character references for Lewis, all calling him 'genuine' and 'loving'

The court heard that it was at this point that Lewis allegedly raped the woman.

Lewis told the court that he 'honestly and reasonably' believed she had consented.

When asked if he heard her whimpering he said: 'No, not at all. If that would have been the case I would have stopped.'Lio-Willie asked Lewis if he had asked the womans permission for what he was going to do at any point.

To which he responded: When you are having sex with someone you dont say do this pleaseyou just feel it out.

You dont stop someone and say hey is it okay if I do this?

Lio-Willie claimed that the woman eventually faked an orgasm 'and the defendant stopped'.
An Uber driver whose passenger was hit and killed by a bus 'had no idea' the man had opened a rear door when the car was stopped at a red light in Sydney's CBD, a court has heard.

Nazrul Islam, 31, has pleaded not guilty to negligent driving occasioning death after a 30-year-old man from the UK was run over at the intersection of Elizabeth and Bathurst streets at 3.14am on June 17 2017.

In a recorded interview played in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, Islam told police he accelerated when the light went green but did not see or hear anything until two other passengers said 'hey, hey, hey' loudly.

Nazrul Islam, 31, pleaded not guilty to causing the death by negligent driving of a 30-year-old man from the UK who got out of his Uber at a red light at the intersection of Elizabeth and Bathurst Streets

'I hear them, I brake. The bus has already braked,' Islam said, noting he had moved 'maybe five metres'.

'They opened the door and go out and say 'oh my god, oh my god' like that.

'Then I see the dead body and I got a bit shocked, and then I call the police.'

Footage taken from one of the bus' cameras was also shown to magistrate Mary Ryan on Thursday.

In the video, Islam's red Toyota Corolla - which he was renting - can be seen stopping on the right side of the bus at the intersection. The victim opens a rear door before both vehicles accelerate and he falls into the path of the bus.

In a recording played in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, Islam told police he accelerated when the light went green at a junction but did not see or hear anything until the other two passengers said 'hey, hey, hey'

Defence barrister Ali Cheema noted it was an 'extremely sad case' involving a death in 'tragic circumstances'.

'I think what's not in issue is that all three passengers in this car were significantly affected by alcohol,' he said.

'I would accept that the only issue is whether the driver, Mr Islam, was negligent.'
A New Zealand man has pleaded guilty to secretly filming female guests while they showered at his homestay property by using cameras hidden in shampoo bottles.

The Hawke's Bay man faced the Hastings District Court and pleaded guilty to a combined 51 charges.

The court heard he had made up to 219 recordings of 34 different women who had stayed with him before uploading them to a porn website.

Stuff reported that the man would allow guests to us the shower in the property, but had to organise times first.

New Zealand man faced the Hastings District Court (pictured) and pleaded guilty to 51 charges related to secretly filming female guests showering at his homestay property

Once those times were organised, the man would place shampoo bottles with hidden cameras around the bathroom and shower, the court heard.

He would then use a remote control to turn them on, catching guests in the shower and undressing.

He would wait until his house guests left the bathroom before retrieving the hidden cameras and uploading footage to his personal hard drive.

Once he had uploaded the videos online, he also encouraged users to leave 'positive comments', it was reported.

The court heard the man would caption the videos and describe his victims by race and occupation.

In one case the man also added his own commentary to a video.

The court heard he had made up to 219 recordings of 34 different women by hiding hidden cameras in shampoo bottles while they used his guest shower (stock image)

The man's identity was suppressed by the court, despite the pleas of crown prosecutor Steve Manning.

'There are 34 victims whose most intimate images have been spread all over the world,' he said.

The man's lawyer, Matt Phelps, requested the suppression order to protect the man''s wife who he said suffers form a condition which would be compounded if he were identified,' the New Zealand Herald reported.

Judge Geoff Rea imposed the suppression order and also granted the man bail pending his sentence at the Napier District Court in October.

The most serious charges the man faces carry a maximum jail term of 14 years.
New Zealand Police have teamed up with an insurance company in a bizarre advertisement designed to help end crime at corner shops.

The comedic instruction video details seven steps shop owners should use to avoid armed robberies.

Police have warned shop owners that they need to clean up their act as tidy stores deter potential offenders.

Just Mart owner Judy Xu - who is featured in the video - is pushing for other small businesses to adopt the strategies after her Auckland store fell victim to a horrific robbery in October last year.

Scroll down for video

New Zealand police officers have teamed up with AMI insurance to create a bizarre advertisement campaign (pictured)

The ad (pictured) details seven measures shop owners should introduce to prevent crime

Ms Xu's husband and a shopkeeper were threatened by five thugs wielding a knife who stole cigarettes and about $1000.

'I'm very worried, very scared. The robbery happened after midnight,' she said.

'Five people came in and hurt my husband. They pushed him to the ground.'

Ms Xu hopes the preventative video made in collaboration with NZ Police and AMI Insurance will help other corner-shops avoid robberies and confrontation.

THE SEVEN TIPS Control access to your business See and be seen Clearly define the shop layout Show your business is taken care of Use active security measures Manage and maintain your business well Train staff to be vigilant SOURCE: NZ POLICE & AMI INSURANCE Advertisement

NZ Police Constable Charlie Laumatia features in the video and narrates the seven steps shop owners should use.

'I hope other dairy shop owners see the video and that it stops robberies,' Ms Xu said about the video.

Corner shops or convenience stores are referred to as dairy shops in New Zealand.

AMI's General Manager Small Business Andrew Francis said they're proud to partner with the police to promote the preventative measures.

'Small businesses are at the heart of New Zealand, making up 97% of all businesses. So it's important we support shop owners to protect themselves and their livelihoods,' he said.

Mr Francis also praised Ms Xu for her bravery in speaking about a difficult issue that affected her family.

NZ Police Constable Charlie Laumatia (pictured) features in the video alongside Auckland shop owner Judy Xu
Counterfeiters have produced obviously fake $50 notes which have been found circulating in businesses in and around Canberra.

Australian Capital Territory Policing has warned the people of Canberra to look out for counterfeit money after local business owners reported receiving fake banknotes.

ACT Policing said in a statement the notes can be easily identified and are quite distinctive as they are printed on paper instead of plastic.

The fake notes also feature Chinese characters instead of the clear security window feature found on the genuine item.

ACT Policing is warning people of Canberra to deal with their money vigilantly as fake notes (above) printed on paper are reportedly being presented to businesses in Canberra

The copied money also comes without any serial numbers or other security features which are always present on genuine Australian currency.

ACT Policing Detective Acting Superintendent Jason Kennedy warned people to be vigilant and inspect banknotes when they receive them.

'If you dont think a banknote youve been presented with is genuine, then dont accept it,' Kennedy said.

'These notes in particular are easily detected as being fake from the briefest inspection, if you take the time to look at them.

'If you do receive what you believe to be a counterfeit banknote, try to handle it as little as possible to preserve evidence. Note the description of the person who gave it to you and contact police on 131 444.'

The copied money has Chinese characters (above) superimposed in place of serial numbers or other security features which are always present on genuine Australian currency

Anyone found in possession of fake money or caught using it may be imprisoned for up to 12 years.

ACT Policing said the forged banknotes are similar to those that were used in locations across Australia in 2017, and appear to be training banknotes from overseas.

Training notes are used to train tellers about what currencies from different countries look like.
Denver police found seven-year-old Jordan Vong's body 'intentionally concealed' in his family's Montbello, Colorado, home on Tuesday

A 16-year-old girl was taken into custody by Denver police in connection with the death of a seven-year-old boy whose hidden body was found on Tuesday night.

Jordan Vong's family home in Montbello, Colorado, had been twice searched after the young boy was reported missing at 4.30pm on Monday.

Local law enforcement had hoped that Vong had been hiding in the home, Denver Police Department Division Chief Montoya explained to the Denver Post.

'Generally, in these types of cases, we hope the child is hiding or playing a game,' Montoya added.

After obtaining a warrant from a judge in the area, Denver police began searching the family's home at 8.20. They found the boy's body 'intentionally concealed' just 30 minutes later.

Police believed that the boy was just hiding in the home and had searched it twice before doing their final search

It was not shared where in the house the body was found. Also withheld, was how long police believed that he had been dead.

Montoya also would not disclose the nature of the relationship between the girl and the boy.

'The family was concerned and they were cooperative, but I can't expand on the level of cooperation,' he explained.

Police would not release the name of the girl, as she is under age.

She has not been charged with a crime an the Denver DA's Office is currently looking over the case.

A 16-year-old girl was detained in connection to the boy's (pictured left and right) death, but she hasn't been charged with anything

Prosecutors could charge the girl as an adult or they could file charges in the juvenile court.

Those charges could always be transferred to an adult.

A family member launched a GoFundMe for the boy's burial, raising just under $1,000 since it first went live on Wednesday.

'Jordan was the sweetest and silliest little boy who had so much to offer, the GoFundMe reads.

A family member launched a GoFundMe for the boy's burial, raising just under $1,000 since it first went live on Wednesday

'He dreamt of becoming a cowboy or a soldier when he grew up. He was filled with so much joy and brightened up any room with his contagious smile. It is with a heavy heart that we have to lay him to rest so soon, but we want to thank everyone for all of your help and support.'

Police had first responded to the family's house on Monday after getting calls that the boy was missing.

After searching the home twice, police decided to reverse 911 the call and posted on social media that the boy was missing.

A department helicopter was also used to search in open spaces.

It was not shared what led police to search in the house, yet again.

'Once this case came to the sad conclusion that it did, the emotional drain was very intense,' Montoya said. 'I felt it, and I know the investigators felt it too.'
A father who was killed when his car suddenly exploded as he waited to collect his son from school has been remembered as a 'cheerful, fun-loving and friendly man who will be missed by all'.

Shane Senini, 51, was among a number of parents waiting to pick up their kids from St Clare of Assisi Primary School, in Canberra, last Thursday when the freak accident happened.

Mr Senini, a refrigeration tradesman, was waiting to collect his 10-year-old son from after-school care when his vehicle exploded without warning in front of horrified onlookers.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died 'in the arms of his wife'.

Shane Senini (left) was killed when his parked car exploded as he waited to collect his young son from primary school. Mr Senini's shattered wife Kim (right) has paid tribute to her husband

Mr Senini, a well known local tradesman, was rushed to hospital after the tragic accident but died soon after 'in the arms of his wife' (Pictured is the scene of the explosion last Thursday)

Mr Senini's wife Kim paid a raw and emotional tribute to her husband, saying she and their son were struggling without 'such a beautiful man' in their lives.

'It is a time of such disbelief and despair. I still cant imagine life without my beautiful husband and Blakes loving father,' a heartbroken Mrs Senini wrote on Facebook.

'I send my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been more than generous and on behalf of Shane, thank you dearly.'

Police believe a leaking gas canister was to blame for the tragic accident outside the primary school.

The shattered school community also paid tribute to the father-of-one in its bulletin which was released on Thursday.

'It is a time of such disbelief and despair': Mrs Senini posted an emotional tribute to the father-of-one on Facebook

Mr Senini's relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to help finance a much needed holiday for his wife and son

'Last week we learnt the tragic news that Shane Senini... passed away suddenly,' St Clare of Assisi principal Matt Egan-Richards wrote.

'Shane was a cheerful, fun-loving and friendly man who will be missed by all, especially his family.

'I am very thankful, and immensely proud of the professional and caring way in which our staff responded to and then supported parents, children and each other.'

Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page in the wake of the tragedy, aiming to finance a much needed holiday for Mr Senini's wife and son.

'It's hard to comprehend how quickly Shane has been taken away from us all and our thoughts and focus is to take care of his family,' his nephew Chloe Jones wrote.

Police believe a leaking gas canister was to blame for the tragic accident outside the St Clare of Assisi Primary School in Canberra's south

Members of the school community shared their shock and grief in the comments, with several posting their condolences (ladder pictured at the scene)

'Shane was the youngest of six, he was the most easy going, genuine person who loved to have a laugh and cared deeply for Kim & Blake and loved them immensely.

'All funds raised will go towards Kim and Blake for a much needed holiday, Blake's future or whatever they wish.'

So big was the explosion that it caused homes in a nearby neighbourhood to shake.

The incident is still being investigated by ACT Police and WorkSafe ACT.
Advertisement

Argentina's Senate has rejected a bill to legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, sparking protests and high emotions on the streets of Buenos Aires.

The bill had already been passed in the lower house, but following a 15 hour debate that stretched well into the night, senators in Pope Francis' home country voted 38-31 against the bill.

Throughout the long hours of the debate, thousands of activists both for and against the bill had turned up to watch it live on large screens set up outside the Congress building.

Supporters wearing green handkerchiefs that represent the effort to legalize abortion and opponents wearing light blue, braved the heavy rain and cold temperatures in Argentina's winter until the result came in.

Devastation: A young pro-choice activists breaks down in tears outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires after senators rejected the bill to legalize abortion

The 'winners': Pro-lifers who had been demonstration against the legalization celebrate after the bill rejection

Anger: A pro-legalization demonstrator creams in frustration while to others comfort her in the wake of the vote

Pro-choice activists were seen breaking down in tears while pro-lifers cheered and celebrated in the streets after the vote.

Although demonstrations were largely peaceful, small groups of pro-choice protesters clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades. Riot police was called in and officers responded with tear gas.

The decision to reject the bill could echo across Latin America, where the Roman Catholic Church has lost influence and moral authority due to secularization, an out-of-touch clerical caste and an avalanche of sex abuse scandals.

The lower house had already passed the measure and conservative President Mauricio Macri had said that he would sign it, even though he is anti-abortion.

In Argentina, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a woman's health. Thousands of women, most of them poor, are hospitalized each year for complications linked due to unsafe abortions - the main cause of maternal death.

Two sides: Pro-choice in green and red, left, and pro-life in blue, right, are seen demonstrating in this photo taken from the roof of the Argentinian Congress building

Protesters dressed up as women who have died after undergoing illegal abortion in Argentina, wearing 'tombstones' reading: 'killed by the state' and 'killed by fake abortion drugs'

Burning: Demonstrators starts a fire outside National Congress in Buenos Aires after senators rejected the bill to legalize abortion up to 14 weeks

A man throws a bottle to riot police agents outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires during the demonstration

Riot police agents arrest a pro-choice demonstrator outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, during the unrest that followed the senators' vote

A young woman's red makeup has run down her cheek as she cries in the wake of the vote

Backers of the measure said legalizing abortion would save the life of many women who now turn to dangerous illegal abortions.

The Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as half a million clandestine abortions each year, with dozens of women dying as a result.

The Catholic Church and other groups opposed it, saying it violated Argentine law, which guarantees life from the moment of conception.

'There are positive points that have come out of this, first of all, that even when there are differing ways of thinking, there's a square in peace right now, with thousands of people defending their convictions,' said Buenos Aires provincial Gov. Maria Eugenia Vidal, who was against the measure.

'There was talk of a green square and a light blue square. But the truth is that these are people who are right there next to each other, coexisting and defending what they believe to be the truth.'

But the contentious issue has divided Argentines, pitting conservative doctors and the Catholic Church against feminist groups and physicians.

Pro-life demonstrators cheer as they watch the debate on large screens set up outside Congress late on Wednesday evening

Demonstrators against decriminalizing abortion hold a handkerchief that reads 'let's save the two lives' outside Congress

Celebrating: While pro-choice activists were left in tears, pro-lifers cheered and celebrated following the news the bill to legalize elective abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks had been rejected 38 to 31

Demonstrators against decriminalizing abortion celebrate outside Congress in Buenos Aires

While thousands of people waited for the decision on the streets guarded by umbrellas, others gathered Wednesday night at a 'Mass for Life' at the capital city's Metropolitan Cathedral, the church of Pope Francis during his tenure as the archbishop of Buenos Aires.

'It's not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason,' Cardinal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, told churchgoers. 'Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State.'

Pope Francis this year had denounced abortion as the 'white glove' equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics program and urged families 'to accept the children that God gives them.'

Activists estimate that 3,000 women in Argentina have died of illegal abortions since 1983.

'Let's recognize that we're facing a public health tragedy because 3,030 women who have died is a tragedy,' said Magdalena Odarda, a senator for Rio Negro province.

'We're not deciding abortion yes or now. We're deciding abortion in a hospital, or illegal abortion, with a clothes hanger, or anything else that puts a woman in a humiliating, degrading situation - a real torture,' she said.

Storming: Pro-choice activists approach a mobile barrier wall set up outside Congress, as protests broke out in the wake of the vote and riot police had to be called in

Disappointment: A pro-choice activist holds her face after lawmakers voted against the bill 38-31

Pro-choice activists feed a bonfire against a mobile barrier wall set up outside Congress, as clashes break out after lawmakers voted against a bill that would have legalized elective abortion

A pro-choice activist bangs on a barrier in frustration next to the bonfire as the late-night protests continued

Many women in Argentina use misoprostol to end first-trimester pregnancies. The drug is only sold under prescription, but for the poorest women the cost of the drug is out of reach.

For many of them, the methods used to induce an abortion include using an IV tube with a sharp wire clothes hanger or a knitting needle to try to break the amniotic sac inside womb.

Others drink herbs, insert dubious non-abortive pills in the vagina, or pump toxic mixtures, which can cause ulcers, hemorrhage and ultimately severe infections, and death.

For months, hundreds of doctors in Argentina had staged anti-abortion protests, in one case laying their white medical coats on the ground outside the presidential palace.

Feminists and other groups led even larger demonstrations in support of the measure, often wearing green that symbolizes the pro-abortion movement, or red cloaks and white bonnets like the characters from the novel-turned-TV series 'The Handmaid's Tale.'

Before the vote: Activists in favour of the legalization react outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires

Protester Tamara Deisel is embraced by friends under the rain outside Congress where pro-choice activists had gathered to show their support for the bill, which ended up not being voted through

United: Two young pro-choice protesters huddle under an umbrella as they wait to hear the result of the vote

A woman in support of decriminalizing abortion stands in the rain outside Congress while the debate was still ongoing

Party protest: Women in support of decriminalizing abortion play drums, dance and chant in the rain outside Congress

International human rights and women's groups have been closely following the vote, and figures such as U.S. actress Susan Sarandon and 'The Handmaid's Tale' author Margaret Atwood supported the pro-abortion cause in Argentina.

Mariela Belski, Executive Director of Amnesty International Argentina, said: '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.

'The senators who voted against this or abstained have therefore decided to agree on a system which forces women, girls and others who can become pregnant to undergo clandestine and unsafe abortions.

'The country has let this historic opportunity go to waste: the opportunity to become an example for the region and follow in the footsteps of Uruguay and Mexico City. It is an unforgiveable step backwards.'

Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, said that Argentina had a 'historic opportunity' to protect the rights of women. Amnesty International told Argentine legislators that 'the world is watching.'

Demonstrations in support of the Argentine abortion measure were held Wednesday in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and Ecuador.

Efforts to ease or tighten abortion restrictions have repeatedly emerged across the region in recent years.

In neighboring Chile, the Constitutional Court last year upheld a measure that would end that country's absolute ban on abortions, permitting abortions when a woman's life is in danger, when a fetus is not viable and in cases of rape. Chile had been the last country in South America to ban abortion in all cases, though several nations in Central America still have absolute prohibitions.

Cuba, Guyana, Puerto Rico and Uruguay permit early-term elective abortions, as does Mexico City.

'It's a shame that we were not able to reach a consensus because the problem will continue to exist exactly as it did before we began this debate,' said former President Cristina Fernandez, who is an opposition senator.

'We need to make an effort to resolve this,' she said.
Death row inmate, Scott Raymond Dozier (pictured), 47, has said he just wants his sentence to be carried out

A Nevada death row inmate whose execution has been postponed twice said a legal fight over his fate is taking a tortuous toll on him and his family and he just wants his sentence carried out.

Scott Raymond Dozier was convicted of murdering and dismembering 22-year-old Jeremiah Miller in 2002.

His torso was found in a suitcase that had been dumped in a trash bin. His hands, feet and head were never recovered.

The state should 'just get it done, just do it effectively and stop fighting about it,' Dozier said in a brief telephone call from Ely State Prison.

He added: 'I want to be really clear about this. This is my wish.

'They should stop punishing me and my family for their inability to carry out the execution.'

Dozier's comments Wednesday came a month after a judge in Las Vegas postponed his execution at nearly the final hour.

Nevada law calls for capital punishment by lethal injection. But pharmaceutical companies nationwide have objected to their medicines being used in executions.

On Thursday, a third drug company is due to ask Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez to let it join with two other firms suing to block the use of their products for a three-drug lethal injection.

Dozier was convicted of murdering and dismembering 22-year-old Jeremiah Miller (left and right) in 2002. His torso was found in a suitcase that had been dumped in a trash bin. His hands, feet and head were never recovered

State Attorney General Adam Laxalt's office is expected to ask Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez on Thursday to reject the Sandoz Inc bid to join case.

State Deputy Solicitor General Jordan T Smith has argued that the maker of a muscle paralytic agent that officials plan to use as the third drug didn't object before Dozier's execution was postponed in November and is now jumping on a public relations wave with drugmakers Alvogen and Hikma Pharmaceuticals.

Dozier's (pictured in 2017) comments Wednesday came a month after a Las Vegas judge postponed his execution

Gonzalez last week allowed Hikma, a maker of the powerful opioid fentanyl, to join Alvogen, producer of the sedative midazolam, in a lawsuit on a speedy track toward a September 10 hearing.

The companies say they publicly declared they didn't want their products used in executions and allege that Nevada improperly obtained their drugs.

Nevada, which hasn't executed an inmate since 2006, has become a model of the trouble that death penalty states have had in recent years obtaining drugs for lethal injections.

Prison officials want to reschedule Dozier's execution for mid-November, and are asking the Nevada Supreme Court to quickly consider and overturn Gonzalez's temporary order not to use midazolam.

Fifteen states are siding with Nevada before the state Supreme Court in a battle pitting prominent pharmaceutical firms against more than half the 31 states in the US with the death penalty.

Dozier, 47, called the fight over his fate a legal 'maelstrom'.

He said he wants to go through with his lethal injection and he really doesn't care if he feels pain. Critics have said he's seeking state-assisted suicide.

On Thursday, a third drug company is due to ask Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez (pictured) to let it join with two other firms suing to block the use of their products for a three-drug lethal injection

Dozier said that he doesn't 'even really want to die... but I'd rather die than spend my life in prison'. Pictured is the Nevada Department of Corrections' execution chamber

'I don't even really want to die,' Dozier said, 'but I'd rather die than spend my life in prison.'

The inmate said he was not contesting his convictions and sentences.

But he also denied committing the 2002 drug-related murders in Phoenix and Las Vegas for which he was convicted and sentenced in 2007 to death.

'For the record, I'm asserting my innocence,' Dozier said. But, 'I'm not going to be the guy in prison who is going to complain, "This is an injustice." That's over. I had my chance.'

Prosecutors successfully made the case that the down-and-out Dozier killed Miller for $12,000 the victim had brought to Vegas to buy meth-making supplies.

Miller studied at Glendale Community College in Arizona and Arizona State University, where he wanted to pursue a career in elementary education.
An Australian man and his girlfriend have been displayed to the media following an arrest for allegedly using and trafficking cocaine through Indonesia.

Brendon Luke Johnson was presented alongside two females on Thursday, with them pictured clad in orange suits and balaclavas as they stood surrounded by police.

Johnson, 43, who was staying in Kuta in Bali, could face 20 years in prison for allegedly using and trafficking cocaine on the resort island, police revealed.

Brendon Luke Johnson was presented alongside two females on Thursday, with them clad in orange suits and balaclavas as they stood surrounded by police

Local reports stated he had been living in Bali for four years and bought cocaine worth 39 Million Rupiah, about $3730, from a fourth person, who is under investigation.

Johnson's passport lists him as born in South Brisbane, and he was believed to be a former resident of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Courier Mail reported.

Johnson was arrested on Saturday about 11pm at a boarding house in Kuta, with his girlfriend Remi.

Police received information about a woman called Bena, who others revealed was a frequent drug user, Denpasar Police chief Hadi Purnomo said.

In a raid of her boarding house, they allegedly found a pack of cocaine her pocket, two packets in a sanitary pad package and inside a pillow.

Johnson (pictured), who was staying in Kuta in Bali, could face 20 years in prison for allegedly using and trafficking cocaine on the resort island, Denpasar Police revealed

'Based on information from Bena police raided a boarding house of Remi in Jalan Mataram, Kuta. When police raided the house there are two people inside, Remi and her western boyfriend, Brendon.'

'Police searches at the house found 13 packages of cocaine in a wallet inside a cardboard box that was put in the floor of their boarding house.

Police alleged Johnson admitted the cocaine was from him and he had bought a large amount worth 40 Million Rupiah from a man called Made on August 3.

Bena was allegedly promised payment from Johnson for selling four packages.

Police alleged both Johnson and Remi admitted to using cocaine for five years and neither had been arrested.
A shocking schoolyard brawl ended with a 15-year-old girl (pictured) having her jaw broken in three places and needing surgery

A shocking schoolyard brawl has ended with a 15-year-old girl having her jaw broken in three places and needing surgery.

The violent attacked was filmed and showed a number of fights between students outside Butler College, a school in Perth's northern suburbs.

Police were called to the school at 3.30pm on Wednesday and were told dozens of students were involved in the brawl, which appeared to spill dangerously onto the street.

One year 10 student, Molly Prince, tried to help a younger child who was allegedly being bullied, but she ended up being injured so badly she required surgery at Perth Children's Hospital.

The teenager's mother, Sherrie Prince, told Daily Mail Australia her daughter was crying and her face was 'quite swollen' following the attack.

Scroll down for video

Year 10 student, Molly Prince (pictured), tried to help a younger child who was allegedly being bullied, but she ended up being injured so badly she required surgery at Perth Children's Hospital

'She has three fractures in her jaw and two metal plates, which are permanent,' Ms Prince said.

'I'm worried, I'm worried that she goes back to the school and they're (the children in the fight) gonna turn around (and say) "oh you got us in trouble and here's another hit",' the upset mother told 9 News.

'She's had a very trying year, it's been a hard year ... it's the icing on the cake really.'

Ms Prince said her daughter appeared to be coping considering the trauma of the event.

'I don't think she realises the magnitude of things, I think it will all sink in soon now she is home,' she said.

'It has to stop. Something has to be done about what's going on at our schools. We need harsher punishments.'

Police were called to the school at 3.30pm on Wednesday as dozens of students were involved in the violent fight (pictured) which appeared to spill dangerously onto Perth streets

The girl's mother, Sherrie Prince (pictured), said her daughter was crying and her face was 'quite swollen' following the attack which left her needing surgery

The video showed one woman, who allegedly stepped in to stop the fights, being pinned against a car as students threw punches, before a man intervened and separated them.

Adults were reportedly involved in the fights but they weren't hitting children.

Other students are too scared to go to school because of the horrific violence.

If students are found to have been involved in the fight, they face a suspension of up to 10 days, according to Perth Now.
The British Museum could soon come under pressure to give back a 'stolen' statue to Easter Island 150 years after it was given to Queen Victoria as a gift.

The Moai statue was allegedly taken from the island by Richard Powell, captain of HMS Topaze, in 1868 before being handed over to the museum by the monarch.

On Easter Island, the world famous statues were built in tribute to tribal leaders after their deaths.

Rapa Nui authorities, 2,000 miles from mainland Chile, have requested help to get the basalt returned to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 16th century Basalt Moai figure is being disputed between the British Museum and leaders on Easter Island

At home: Easter Island statues should be returned to the Rapa Nui people - they have told the Chilean government

However, the British Museum told the Daily Telegraph they believe there is 'a great public benefit' in keeping it in Britain.

However, there is yet to be an official request made.

Yet the communities on Easter Island believe there is more benefit having the statues which they believe emit powers called 'mana' - at home.

The huge statues were built between the sixth and 17th centuries before being taken by European travellers.

On Easter Island, local leaders said it was 'an important symbol in closing the sad chapter'.

The statues in the hillside of the Rano Raraku volcano in Easter Island, 3700 km off the coast of Chile

The statues were built to honour dead leaders on Easter Island and local people believe they emit powers called 'mana'

WHAT ARE THE STATUES ON EASTER ISLAND AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN? What are the statues? The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, between 1,250 and 1,500 AD. All the figures have overly-large heads and are thought to be living faces of deified ancestors. The 887 statues gaze inland across the island with an average height of 13ft (four metres). Nobody really knows how the colossal stone statues that guard Easter Island were moved into position. Nor why during the decades following the islands discovery by Dutch explorers in 1722, each statue was systematically toppled, or how the population of Rapa Nui islanders was decimated. Shrouded in mystery, this tiny triangular landmass, stranded in the middle of the South Pacific and 1,289 miles from its nearest neighbour, has been the subject of endless books, articles and scientific theories. All but 53 of the Moai were carved from tuff , compressed volcanic ash, and around 100 wear red pukao of scoria. What do they mean? In 1979 archaeologists said the statues were designed to hold coral eyes. The figures are believed to be symbol of authority and power. They may have embodied former chiefs and were repositories of spirits or 'mana'. They are positioned so that ancient ancestors watch over the villages, while seven look out to sea to help travellers find land. But it is a mystery as to how the vast carved stones were transported into position. In their remote location off the coast of Chile, the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island were believed to have been wiped out by bloody warfare, as they fought over the island's dwindling resources. All they left behind were the iconic giant stone heads and an island littered with sharp triangles of volcanic glass, which some archaeologists have long believed were used as weapons. Advertisement

A spokeswoman for the British Museum said: 'We have received no official request here at the British Museum for the statue to be returned to Easter Island.

'The Moai sculpture that we have in the museum is on permanent display to the six million people who walk through our doors every year and we think there is a great public benefit to keeping it here for all of those people to see and appreciate.

'We also believe it is important to represent the history of Easter Island's indigenous community in the British Museum.'

The UK has previously faced calls to return other items like Benin bronzes to Nigeria and Elgin marbles to Greece.

Cambridge University removed a gold cockerel after students demanded the statue be returned to a royal palace in Nigeria from where it was plundered during a 19th century British naval expedition.

The Elgin Marbles, or Parthenon sculptures, have long been the subject of dispute over their home in the British Museum, where they have been on permanent, public display since 1817.

Greek governments have called for their return to Athens since the 1980s and have even enlisted Amal Clooney to help their campaign.

The Hoa Hakananai which means 'hidden friend'. The statue was once given to Queen Victoria
Universities are offering alcohol-free halls with noise curfews as thousands of freshers seek a quieter life when they start in September.

Some of the UK's leading institutions including Manchester, Cardiff and St Andrews now cater for undergraduates who want to avoid any serious partying.

These separate 'quiet blocks' housing 'study-focused rooms' often ban noise between 11pm and 8am every day and drinking in rooms is strictly forbidden.

Instead of setting up camp in the hall bar during freshers' week, students are increasingly heading to the film and quiz nights away from the pub.

Infractions, including loud music after hours, are punished by hall monitors who have the power to move people out if they don't stick to the rules.

Freshers looking for a cleaner quieter life (collapsed student pictured during freshers' week in Birmingham last year) can now choose 'study-focused' booze and noise-free halls

Students are shunning the usual heavy-drinking of freshers' week in favour of quiz and cinema nights

Heavy drinking is falling among more health-conscious young people while increasing ethnic and religious diversity in Britain's student population means many don't drink at all.

Manchester University says its quiet halls offer an 'alternative lifestyle to what might be considered the usual undergraduate experience in the UK'.

In return for this quieter space in its 'lifestyle moderated areas' students should 'adopt a moderated lifestyle in respect of alcohol, parties and noise'.

Paul Burns, accommodation office manager at Manchester University, told The Times: 'There are a significant number of students who don't go down the traditional freshers' week path, but don't want to live somewhere separately to avoid alcohol or noise. We arrange events that aren't alcohol-focused, such as cinema nights, quiz nights that aren't in pubs, and cultural events'.

Cardiff offers 150 of these quiet rooms and every year they are full.

The University of Manchester (pictured) is among the large number of academic institutions offering sober accomodation

A spokesman said: 'We recognise that for many of our students, attending university will mean living away from home for the first time. We are committed to supporting them, making that transition as smooth as we can and meeting their needs, where possible'.

Aberdeen University offers dozens of the rooms, although it admits that its alcohol-free areas are not always full.

Chester offers the same service but tells incoming freshers: 'If you accept your offer of alcohol-free accommodation you will have entered into an agreement not to drink alcohol in your apartment. If you do, you will be moved to another residence at our discretion'.
A runaway garbage truck has appeared almost out of thin air as it ploughs through shrubbery to destroy two prestigious European cars.

The incident was captured in dramatic CCTV footage, which shows the vehicle crashing into cars parked in a private property in Saint Heliers, Auckland, in New Zealand.

'Two cars were crushed, one was a BMW X5 and the other was an Audi Q3, and it resulted in them both being written off,' the astonished owner told the NZ Herald.

The starting price for a BMX X5 is $92,000, whilst an Audi Q3 begins at $49,000, meaning the write off totaled in excess of $150,000.

Scroll down for video

A runaway garbage truck has appeared almost out of thin air as it ploughs through shrubbery to destroy two prestigious European cars

Brakes in the garbage truck allegedly failed only 30 metres up the road from the home, resulting in the driver being forced to make a quick exit from the vehicle.

Fortunately, there was nobody in the driveway at the time of the incident.

In addition to the damage to the cars, a stone wall had been destroyed upon impact.

The owner of the property, who chose to remain anonymous, remained in high spirits.

The incident was captured in dramatic CCTV footage, which shows the vehicle crashing into cars parked in a private property in Saint Heliers, Auckland, in New Zealand

The starting price for a BMX X5 is $92,000, whilst an Audi Q3 begins at $49,000, meaning the write off totaled in excess of $150,000

Despite the initial shock of the incident, everybody involved held up well and, thankfully, nobody was injured.

Executives from the company, as well as the insurers, police and WorkSafe attended the scene.

'The insurers and company involved were very good. It was just one of those little crazy things that happen to you over time, but it was all dealt with, no problem,' the owner of the vehicles added.

Paul Sood, the Auckland Council general manager of waste solutions commented on behalf of the department, offering relief nobody was harmed in the accident.

'Following this incident, we ensured Waste Management thoroughly investigated what happened. We have sought assurance from them that they have appropriate steps in place to mitigate any similar incident happening in the future,' he said.

The Serious Crash unit and police have also initiated their own investigation, with final reports still pending.
A rogue monk who was pictured wearing aviator sunglasses on a private jet after tricking donors into giving him at least 670,000 has been jailed for 114 years.

Wiraphon Sukphon was catapulted to infamy after filming himself flaunting wads of cash and Louis Vuitton bags while head of a Thai monastery.

After the video surfaced in 2013, Wirapol - labelled the 'jet-set monk' - was accused of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl and was expelled from monkhood.

Disgraced monk Wiraphon Sukphon arrives at court to be sentenced yesterday in Bangkok

The jet-set monk: A rogue monk who was pictured wearing aviator sunglasses on a private jet after tricking donors into giving him 670,000 has been jailed for 114 years

Wiraphon Sukphon (pictured on a private jet) was catapulted to infamy after filming himself flaunting wads of cash and Louis Vuitton bags while head of a Thai monastery

He fled to the US but was extradited back to Thailand last year to answer fraud charges.

The 39-year-old was today sentenced for using his position as head of the Wat Pakhantitham forest monastery in Si Sa Ket between February 2009 and June 2013 to attract donations.

He told donors he would build 'the world's largest Buddha statue' in jade and gold but used the money to buy 10 luxury cars and live extravagantly.

The con-man, who claimed he was the reincarnation of a famous miracle-performing monk, was reported to have amassed 20million at the height of his wealth.

When he was arrested, he owned luxury cars and multiple bank accounts valued at about 500,000.

Today Wiraphon was convicted of money laundering, fraud and violating the Computer Crime Act for raising funds online.

He was sentenced to 114 years in jail but under Thai law will not serve more than 20 years.

The 39-year-old (pictured last year) was today sentenced for using his position as head of the Wat Pakhantitham forest monastery in Si Sa Ket between February 2009 and June 2013 to attract donations

lavish lifestyle was strongly at odds with Buddhist teachings and a monk's vow to shun material goods.

Wiraphon was also told to return 28.6 million baht (670,000) to 29 donors who filed complaints.

A ruling on the rape charge is expected in October, a public prosecutor said.

The monk is accused of having sex with an under-age girl around a decade ago and fathering a child with her. He faces the prospect of an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted.

His lavish lifestyle was strongly at odds with Buddhist teachings and a monk's vow to shun material goods.

Thailand is mostly Buddhist and the religion is woven into everyday life, with most men spending at least some time in a monastery as novice monks.

But the junta that seized power in 2014 has taken a strong line against a Buddhist clergy mired in scandal.

The rogue monk's lavish lifestyle was strongly at odds with Buddhist teachings and a monk's vow to shun material goods. Pictured: Sukphol when he was extradited

Extortion, sex and drug cases tied to the clergy have shocked the public, and authorities last year floated the idea of introducing digitised ID cards to better track monks with criminal convictions.

In May the abbot of the tourist magnet 'Golden Mount' temple in Bangkok surrendered to police after 3million was found in bank accounts in his name.

Police are also investigating whether millions of dollars under control of the National Office of Buddhism was misused.

In a high-profile case in February 2017, troops laid siege to the temple of a mega-rich Dhammakaya sect on the outskirts of Bangkok for weeks in an effort to find and detain its controversial abbot, who remains at large despite accusations of massive fraud.
Landlords are using a unique and highly controversial test to judge their potential tenants and whether they can afford to pay the rent.

Last month a social services select committee in New Zealand heard from Auckland-based property manager Rachel Kann, who revealed she frequently checked potential tenants' bank statements and found damning payment histories, Stuff reports.

Auckland-based Rachel Kann (above) told the committee she frequently checked bank statements

'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,' she said.

New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball condemned the so-called 'KFC test' and told Stuff it showed an imbalance of power between landlords and tenants.

Landlords are using a unique test to judge their potential tenants and whether they can afford to pay the rent

Independent Property Managers Association president Karen Withers told New Zealand Herald offering bank details is a common practice for new immigrants and it's becoming more customary.

Consumer NZ said it had received complaints of such nature and called the test 'unethical'.

The NZ Privacy Act allows a landlord to collect personal information from a tenant but only for a lawful purpose.

Experts believe asking for personal information is becoming an increasingly common practice

The law has strong penalties against collecting information in an unreasonably intrusive way, and for using that information for their benefit.

The Privacy Commissioner told the New Zealand Herald collecting bank statements to 'make a determination on the tenant's money management style' may qualify as unlawful.
Cockroaches have taken over an apartment block so badly crackling can be heard when the microwave is switched on.

Everywhere from the inside of a fridge to between door hinges, the critters could be seen crawling on every surface of the two-bedroom property.

The tenant said he kept his apartment clean and is demanding the landlord to put an end to the infestation but has had no luck.

The company managing the property, Fahey Property Management, is blaming the tenant for having a dirty home and is refusing to budge.

Scroll down for video

An apartment block has been riddled with hundreds of cockroaches (pictured) which have infested the unit so horribly the tenant claimed he can't use his kitchen because they crackle when he uses his microwave

The inside of the fridge is covered in faeces (pictured) as are the paintings on the walls

The plague first invaded the Hamilton home, in New Zealand, more than a year ago but has become worse over time.

The tenant, who does not want to be named, said he used bug spray every day in a desperate battle to keep the roaches away but it constantly failed, Stuff reported.

Photos on the wall, butter and kitchen utensils appeared to be covered in faeces.

German cockroaches are known for their love of warmth, which explains why the hot water cupboard is riddled with the bugs.

Fahey Property Management blamed the tenant for the infestation.

'He's the one that doesn't keep his property clean,' company director Angela Fahey told the publication.

'I don't know what we're supposed to do, we've done everything possible.'

Professional Pest Control Auckland Ltd owner Duncan Inness said infestations can be found anywhere and don't follow 'social barriers'.

'To say these people have cockroaches because they are poor and live in squalid conditions, absolutely not the case,' Mr Inness said.
Two Italians have been arrested for human trafficking after they were caught trying to smuggle six illegal immigrants into the UK in a sweatbox caravan.

Police discovered the migrants inside cramped compartments on-board the camper in the port city of Santander in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria.

They were found huddled together inside the caravan's cupboards and wardrobes attempting to make the 24-hour, 700-mile ferry trip to Britain.

Spanish police discovered six illegal immigrants in cramped hiding spaces inside the caravan

Spanish police detained an Italian man and woman for human trafficking.

The caravan was moments away from boarding the ferry when Spanish officials made the bust.

A police statement said the migrants' lives were in danger due to the boiling hot summer temperatures.

In video footage released by the National Police, the shirtless migrants were seen being pulled from their hiding places.

They were attempting to make the 24-hour, 700-mile ferry trip from the Spanish port city to Britain

The shirtless migrants were seen being pulled from their stuffy, cramped hiding places

One man is frisked by an officer after being dragged from a wardrobe inside the caravan

Some of them were sweating profusely inside the small trailer after being huddled close together in tight quarters.

According to the statement, suspicious port officials pulled over the camper, which was being driven by an Italian man in the company of a woman.

The subsequent search confirmed their suspicions were correct, and the hidden immigrants were checked by port medics.

A police statement said the migrants' lives were in danger due to the boiling hot summer temperatures

Police also confirmed that the two Italian nationals have been arrested. There have been no further updates on the immigrants' condition.

It was not specified where the non-European migrants were originally from.
Jeremy Corbyn has just a month to back down over the anti-Semitism row or face losing the backing of allies in Momentum and a major trade union, it today emerged.

Labour has been plunged into a bitter civil war over how to tackle the racist abuse which has festered among some of its members.

The Labour leader has rebuffed demands by Jewish leaders and many of his own MPs to fully adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism - a move they insist is crucial if the party is to finally get on top of the scandal.

The party has adopted some of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition, but crucially it has not included several of the examples they use to illustrate it - including that Israel's existence as a state is a racist endeavor.

But he has now been told by his powerful allies he must formally sign up to the definition at a crunch party meeting in early September, the Politico website reports.

Activists have given the ultimatum amid fears the scandal is ripping the party apart and could cost the party their chances of winning the next election.

The Labour leader (pictured outside his Islington home on Monday) has rebuffed demands by Jewish leaders and many of his own MPs to fully adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism - a move they insist is crucial if the party is to finally get on top of the scandal

If he refuses they could pull support for him - triggering what could be the biggest crisis in his leadership since the failed coup against him in the summer of 2016.

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

Jon Lansman, head of Momentum - the grassroots activist group set up to elect keep Mr Corbyn in power - has been lobbying the Labour leader to accept the definition.

A senior Labour official told Politico: 'That it has come to this is a total disaster. It could cost the Labour party the next election.'

The party's ruling National Executive Committee will hod a crunch meeting on September 4, where the showdown will come to a final head.

Momentum and one of Mr Corbyn's major trade union backers are insisting the party leadership signs up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism there.

It comes a day before Labour MPs are meeting on September 5, when they are expected to back the definition.

Labour has been dogged by accusations of anti-Semitism ever since Mr Corbyn was elected in 2015.

Labour MPs have told how they have been met with a wave of anti-Semitic vitriol, death and rape threats after they dared to speak out about the racism.

And they have furiously torn into their leader for willfully ignoring the racism festering among some of his supporters.

But the latest row has reignited after the Labour leadership refused to fully accept the international anti-Semitism definition.

Mr Corbyn's office sparked fresh anger after it launched formal investigations into two Labour MPs, Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin - who both lost family in the Holocaust - after they rowed with party bosses about the failure to tackle the abuse.

The probe into Dame Margaret has been dropped but Mr Austin remains under formal investigation.

A senior figure close to Mr Corbyn said: 'My view now is we are going to move, significantly, making the concession, with all of the examples. I'm confident that we will. It's a matter of the choreography.'

The official said that they have realised that they have no chance of winning back the trust of the Jewish community unless they make the concession.

They said: 'It's about trust, not about textual examples. I think it [the definition] has got lots of flaws  the definition itself is poorly worded.

'But for the Jewish community it clearly has become totemic. When there is a lack of trust, you have got to get over that.

'Politically it's necessary to do what it takes. In my view, this situation is allowing real anti-Semites to act with impunity. We can't allow that to happen.'

Meanwhile, Jewish news reports that Mr Lansman has been lobbying the leadership directly.

A source said: 'Like many other leading party members close to the leadership, he recognises the necessity of agreeing that definition in order to be able to begin to rebuild trust with the Jewish community, whatever concerns we may have about the application of some examples.'

International holocaust experts earlier this week accused the Labour party of undermining efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism by not accepting the definition.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance 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.'
It is said that the average Briton will move house eight times in their life, but some people are rather more happy to settle down long-term.

Among them are Ken, 87, and Mary Harlow, 85, who have three children, five children and three grandchildren, and have now lived in the same council house for 62 years.

The couple, who celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Wednesday of last week, moved into their home in the Nottinghamshire town of Bramcote in 1956.

Mary, 85, and Ken Harlow, 87, celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary in Nottinghamshire

The couple have lived in this council house in the town of Bramcote for 62 years since 1956

The Harlows say they love their two local parks, which are opposite their house, and enjoy living on a quiet street that holds plenty of memories for them.

Mr Harlow said: 'We have had so memories here, too many to mention. But I guess the most memorable is when our twins were born upstairs.

'We didn't know that we were having two until they were born - quite a surprise. We had our three children all born within 11 months of one another.

'(We) have now got five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. So the house has always been full of kids, and been a very happy place.

'Earlier this month we celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary with a party in the house, and we were thrilled when the local mayor and mayoress dropped by to offer their congratulations.

The Harlows moved in three years after getting married at St Helen's Church in Stapleford

(L-r) Mr Harlow with Broxtowe Mayoress Sonia Burnett, Mayor Derek Burnett and Mrs Harlow

'It was brand new when we moved in. We came here from an old terraced house that was being demolished, so moving here was luxurious compared to what we were used to.

'We thought we were so lucky. I can't remember the exact rent we paid back then - but it was only a few bob.'

Mr Harlow used to walk to a pub opposite - now a Co-Op - in his slippers, while his mother used to live in the White Lion pub locally, so he has not moved far.

He has been a bricklayer all his life, building many houses in nearby Wollaton and the surrounding areas, including the Festival Inn pub in Trowell.

Mrs Harlow said: 'I can't remember how many times we have re-decorated butit must be more than a dozen. We thought about buying it over the years but just never got round to it.

The Harlows say they love their two local parks, which are opposite their house in Bramcote

The Harlows are pictured on their wedding day in 1953 at a church in nearby Stapleford

'But we have never dreamt of moving, even if we won the lottery - we'd rather spend it on the children. And the neighbours are lovely - although we've had too many to count over the years. We look forward to being here for a good few years yet.

'We love life here. The house faces a lovely park and is on a quiet street. After so long the house is flooded with happy memories.'

The couple have three children, Joy, 62, and twins Paul and Phillip, both 61, the latter of whom being a retired bricklayer who lives in neighbouring Stapleford.

Phillip said: 'It was a great time growing up there in the 60s. Everyone was really close and it was a time where people could rent somewhere and not be moved on.

The Harlows of Bramcote have three children, five children and three grandchildren

They have a framed telegram from the Queen marking their diamond anniversary in 2013

'All the kids used to play on the park and go to the same schools. We all grew up together.'

He said he wished his family had bought the house and told how they thought about it when he and sister Joy, who now lives in Spain, were both in work.

'We toyed with that idea,' he said. 'Whether that can happen I do not know, I imagine they can get a massive discount.

'Looking back, when we left school and started work, they should have bought it then when there were four ways (of income) coming in.'

The couple have a framed telegram from the Queen marking their diamond wedding anniversary in 2013, and are now waiting for another to mark their 65th.
Number Ten was today accused of orchestrating a politically motivated 'witch hunt' against Boris Johnson after the Tories launched a formal probe into his burqa comments.

The ex Foreign Secretary faces being punished by party bosses and could even be kicked out of the party after comparing women in the head veils to letterboxes.

Tory sources have insisted the party was left with no choice but to launch the probe because it was triggered automatically after they received a flurry of complaints.

But the move has sparked a furious backlash from Mr Johnson's allies who have accused No10 of trying to 'destroy' the ex minister because they see him as a threat.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: I believe this is politically motivated, by the internal politics of the Tory party, by politicians who want to humiliate and destroy Boris Johnson.'

He added: I believe that the public will see this for what it is  an internal Conservative party witch hunt instigated by Number Ten against Boris Johnson, who they see as a huge threat.

Boris Johnson (pictured left) is being investigated by the Tory party after comparing women wearing burqas to letterboxes - but his supporters have slammed Theresa May and No10 saying they are orchestrating the move to damage his career

Imam Taj Hargey, pictured last year on ITV's This Mornibf with Sahar Al-Faifi, has backed Boris Johnson in the ongoing burka row and he believes it should be banned

Mr Bridgen said he was shocked an investigation had been triggered as other Tory MPs have criticised the head veils before but not faced probes over it.

He said: Im surprised that an investigation is going to be instigated into Boris article and his refusal to apologise, especially given Ken Clarke in 2013 described burqas as peculiar.

I dont remember any outcry or calls for an investigation into Ken Clarkes alleged Islamophobia.

Under Tory Party rules, an investigating officer will now decide if Mr Johnson has flouted their code of conduct and if the probe should be referred on to a panel to grill him on.

If they find him at fault then Mrs May can decide what punishment to give her former minister - and could even kick him out of the Tory Party.

What is the Tory disciplinary panel and what punishments could it give Boris? The Tory party launched its new stricter code of conduct in 2017 in the wake of the Westminster sex pest scandal. Under the rules, any member who is accused of flouting the code of conduct could face a grilling by a disciplinary panel. Here is the process which faces Boris Johnson: A panel consisting of no fewer than three people, is appointed by the Party Chairman Brandon Lewis. The panel will include a Tory activist, an independent person and someone nominated by the chairman of the 1922 committee - the powerful body of backbench Conservatives. This panel will investigate the complaint and give their findings to Mr Lewis. If they find Mr Johnson has broken party rules then they will refer him to Theresa May and the Board of the Tory party, who decide what punishment to mete out. They can order a range of punishments - including kicking him out of the party. How does the party decide what punishment to give out? It is up to the PM and the board of the Conservative Party to decide what punishment to give out. The code of conduct states they have discretion to 'take such action as they see fit. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, suspension of membership or expulsion from the Party.' But it suggests that only the most serious cases will be result in the member being kicked out of the party. The code states: 'Any removal of rights of membership will only be made after due considerations of natural justice.' Advertisement

But Mr Bridgen said he has no confidence justice will be done because Mrs May has already passed judgement on Mr Johnson and called for him to apologise over the remarks.

He warned: 'They seem to have predetermined the outcome.'

Tory party chairman Brandon Lewis has decided to stand down from his role in selecting the panel if the investigation gets that far as he has already publicly condemned Mr Johnson over the remark.

Several Tory Brexiteers have rallied to his defence and said Mr Johnson is only expressing the views of people across the country and should no be muzzled

And senior British Imam Taj Hargey, from the Oxford Islamic Congregation, today defended the ex minister, who he said 'did not go far enough' because the burqa has 'no Koranic legitimacy' and should be banned in Britain.

And he said that the former Cabinet minister must 'not apologise for telling the truth' about the burka because it is 'un-Muslim' and a 'hideous tribal ninja-like garment'.

Meanwhile, Britain's most senior police officer Cressida Dick today said that the former minister 'did not commit a criminal offence' by making the comments.

And Mr Johnson is facing another political storm after a parliamentary watchdog wrote to wrap him for breaking rules by taking up the 275,000-a-year job as a Daily Telegraph columnist.

Under the ministerial code, ex ministers must apply to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) and wait three months before they can take up a new job.

Under the Tory Party investigation announced today, Mr Johnson could be suspended or even expelled from the party.

Under Conservative rules, the party can investigate any member who is accused of beaching their code of conduct, which was unveiled late last year in the wake of the Westminster sex pest scandal.

This sets out how members of the Conservative party are expected to behave - including showing a commitment to 'support equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion'.

A Conservative party spokesman said: 'The code of conduct process is strictly confidential.'

However, the party has made it clear that it is against a burqa ban or any restrictions on religious clothing.

And sources said the probe was triggered after a number of complaints were received.

The row over the burqa comments has turned into a major political storm with MPs and religious figures wading in.

IScottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson slammed Mr Johnson and said wearing a veil is no different to wearing a crucifix.

But British Imam Dr Hargey told The Times that he backed Mr Johnson and warned that the burqa and niqab are: 'A nefarious component of a trendy gateway theology for religious extremism and militant Islam'.

Protestors outside Mr Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative office on Thursday

An anti-Conservative protester outside the former Foreign Secretary's constituency office

A group of demonstrators outside the Hillingdon Conservative Association office on Thursday

A protester outside the Hillingdon Conservative Association protests Mr Johnson's comments

People hold up megaphones and placards during the protest in Mr Johnson's constituency

Protesters hold up a banner in West London in a rebuke to Mr Johnson's comments

The Imam has been a critic of the burqa and previously allowed men and women to pray together as well as discouraging Muslim-only schools.

He said: 'The burqa and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim.

'Although this deliberate identity-concealing contraption is banned at the Kaaba in Mecca it is permitted in Britain, thus precipitating security risks, accelerating vitamin D deficiency, endorsing gender-inequality and inhibiting community cohesion.

Britain's most senior police officer says Boris did not break hate crime laws Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said that while many people have found them offensive, he 'did not commit a criminal offence' Britain's most senior police officer today said that Boris Johnson did not break hate crime laws with his burqa comments. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said that while many people have found them offensive, he 'did not commit a criminal offence'. She said: 'I know that many people have found this offensive. 'I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn't be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.' In an interview with the BBC Asian network, she added: 'Some people have clearly found it offensive. 'I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. 'He did not commit a criminal offence.' Advertisement

'Johnson did not go far enough. Britain must emulate France, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria and Denmark in banning the burqa'.

Meanwhile, Met Police Commissioner Ms Dick, made it clear Mr Johnson has not broken any laws.

She said: 'I know that many people have found this offensive.

'I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn't be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.'

Asked what she made of the language the former foreign secretary used, Ms Dick told the BBC Asian Network: 'Some people have clearly found it offensive.

'I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence.

'He did not commit a criminal offence.'

But senior Tories have rounded on the ex minister over the row and urged him to apologise.

Ms Davidson, who is seen as a potential rival to Mr Johnson for the party leadership, said questioning the burqa 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 angry at his position on Brexit.

The row began on Monday when the former foreign secretary wrote about the burqa in his Daily Telegraph column.

Mr Johnson said he was opposed to banning the garment 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 surgery with her face obscured, I should feel fully entitled to ask her to remove it.

Standards watchdog raps Boris for breaking rules in signing 275K newspaper deal Boris Johnson has been formally reprimanded for breaking parliamentary rules in signing up to a 275,000 a year newspaper column deal days after he quit as Foreign Secretary, it today emerged. Under the ministerial code, ex ministers must apply to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) and wait three months before they can take up a new job. But Mr Johnson signed up to his lucrative column with the Daily Telegraph just days after he stormed out of Theresa May's government in a row over Brexit last month. And he did not seek permission before agreeing to resume his journalism job. Now Acoba has written to the Tory MP to tell him off for breaking the ministerial code by not telling them about the job before he signed up to it. But Acoba does not have any actual powers to punish Mr Johnson for breaking the rules. Advertisement

'If a female student turned up at school or at a university lecture looking like a bank robber then ditto.'

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 burqa 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 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 you start getting these questions of what constitutes anti-Semitism, what constitutes Islamophobia.

'I agree with the point of his piece which was you shouldn't ban the burqa, the niqab, the hijab  I don't think we should ban it  but what he said was a gratuitously offensive way of saying it.'

Lord Sheikh, the founder and president of the Conservative Muslim Forum, demanded the party whip be withdrawn from Mr Johnson.

He said he had written to party chairman Brandon Lewis calling for severe action over the views.

The Conservative chairman tweeted out a message of solidarity with those who have called for Mr Johnson to apologise

'In a way it is racist,' the peer told Sky News. 'These words are very inflammatory.

'They will cause problems with race relations. It will encourage bigotry.'

Senior British Imam backs Boris Johnson in burqa row Imam Taj Hargey, pictured last year on ITV's This Mornibf with Sahar Al-Faifi, has backed Boris Johnson in the ongoing burka row and he believes it should be banned A senior British Imam today backed Boris Johnson in the burqa row and said the oppressive face coverings should be banned. Imam Taj Hargey, from the Oxford Islamic Congregation said the Tory MP has nothing to apologise for and 'did not go far enough' in his remarks. He branded the burqa a 'hideous tribal ninja-like garment' and said its has 'no Koranic legitimacy'. His strident defence came as the Tory Party confirmed it has launched a formal investigation into Mr Johnson for comparing women in burqas to letter boxes. Mr Hargey warned that the burqa has become trendy among more militants Islamists who peddle views which can be a gateway for religious extremism. And he urged the UK to follow in the footsteps of other European countries like France and Denmark and ban the burqa. Writing in The Times, he said: 'Boris Johnson should not apologise for telling the truth.' He said the ex minister had reminded the country that the face mask 'has no Koranic legitimacy' but is 'a nefarious component of a trendy gateway theology for religious extremism and militant Islam'. He added: 'The burqa and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim.' He said that some backward-looking elements in the Muslim community have managed to persuade may in British society that it is in the Islamic faith for women to cover their faces. But he said this must be challenged in Britain and that the state should step in to stop it. He said: 'Johnson did not go far enough. If Britain is to become a fully integrated society then it is incumbent that cultural practices, personal preferences and communal customs that aggravate social division should be firmly resisted. 'For this reason Britain must emulate France, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria and Denmark in banning the burqa.' Advertisement

And this morning civil society minister Tracey Crouch said women across the UK will feel very disappointed by the comments as she added her voice to those demanding he apologise.

She said: 'I think his language was intentionally provocative.

'What he was trying to say was that we should not oppress religious freedom, women should decide what they wear. I think that is something we all agree on.

He used very colourful language on purpose written down in an article and I think he was wrong to do so.

I support the Prime Minister in what she has said. He should apologise.

'I think we need to get back to the issue abut protecting those religious freedoms and not tell women what to wear.'

She warned that Muslim women say they feel threatened after the controversial remarks.

Ms Crouch added: The fact is we as politicians should be setting an example for people.

'A few months ago I was quite critical of Boris for the way he looked while he went out running.

Now let's be clear nobody looks good when they are out running, particularly a middle aged man like Boris.

'And now I feel that level of respect I tried to show him and defend him in that debate has been cast aside because he is talking about what women wear in a particular expression of religious freedom, and I just think that is wrong.

She added said that she is 'very disappointed' in Mr Jonson, adding: 'I think there are lots of women who are. I think there are lots of people who are.

'This is not about the issue wearing the burqa, its about the language he used and he used it in an intentional way because it was written down in an article.

Former party chairman Lord Pickles suggested he had been treated more lightly than other members might be.

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.'

What did Boris Johnson say about the burqa and the niqab? The ex Foreign Secretary sparked a storm of controversy after using his weekly newspaper column to compare women who wear burqas to letterboxes and bank robbers. The burqa is a full face covering that is associated with a conservative interpretation of Islam. It is different to the hijab, which leaves the face uncovered, or the niqab, which leaves the eyes exposed. In his Daily Telegraph article Mr Johnson said that he felt 'fully entitled' to expect women who wear face coverings to take them off when talking to him at his MP surgery. He also said schools and universities are entitled to take the same approach if a pupil comes in 'looking like a bank robber'. Mr Johnson branded the burqa 'oppressive' and said it is 'weird and bullying to expect people to cover their faces'. He added that he could not find scriptural authority for the dress code in the Koran. And he said 'it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes'. Advertisement

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. 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 burqas to bank robbers or letter boxes, while 33 per cent said it was.

Forty-eight per cent thought Mr Johnson should not apologise for his 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.

For the poll, Sky Data interviewed a representative sample of 1,649 customers by text message.

Tory MP Conor Burns, who was Mr Johnson's parliamentary private secretary, said his former boss's critics had an agenda.

He tweeted: 'We are now into full bandwagon-jumping territory.

Seeing some of the tweets from colleagues desperate not to get left behind I can't see they can even have read it.'

Theresa May (pictured in Edinburgh yesterday) said that Boris Johnson should apologise for the remarks as they had clearly offended some people

Mr Johnson's column came amid protests in Denmark (pictured) which has introduced a ban on face coverings

Denmark's new face veil ban is likely to apply to the niqab and burqa - not the hijab and chador
One of Sydney's most notorious serial sex offenders will be ordered to wear a electronic ankle bracelet for another two years if he's released from jail later this month.

Graham James Kay, 66, is currently behind bars after he allegedly grabbed and trying to kiss a teenage girl at a Western Sydney supermarket in April, just weeks after an electronic monitoring tag he had to wear for three years was removed.

Juanita and Angela (not their real names), two of Kay's victims from the 1990s rejoiced when Supreme Court Judge Helen Wilson ordered Kay to be electronically tagged again if released when he reappears in Parramatta Local Court on August 24.

Graham James Kay (pictured) will have to wear an electronic ankle bracelet again if he's released from jail on August 24

Known as the North Shore Rapist, Kay (pictured) served time for attacking eight women at knifepoint in the 1990s

A relieved Juanita and Angela punched the air in triumph and described the news as a 'massive reprieve' when the judgement was handed down on Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'We're just so happy we can breathe for the next two years and not have to walk down the street looking over our shoulders in fear of seeing him and wondering if he's attacked or raped anyone else,' Juanita told publication.

'Graham Kay has given us a life sentence by what he did to us  it's only right his movements should be supervised.'

Kay (pictured in April) was jailed earlier this year after he failed to tell authorities he was seeing a sex worker. He then allegedly assaulted a teenage girl at a Rosehill supermarket

The pair wrote to Attorney General Mark Speakman earlier this year, pleading for the electronic device be kept on Kay.

Speakman said Kay had been given an opportunity to prove he was a law abiding 'useful member of society' but failed.

Judge Wilson agreed, telling the court Kay was a high risk to the community and likely to reoffend.

Kay was sentenced to four months jail in April after he breached extended supervision orders when he failed to tell authorities he was seeing a sex worker.

The alleged assault of a teenage girl, 16, at Woolworths in Rosehill in April occurred just weeks after NSW Corrective Services officers removed Kay's electronic ankle bracelet.

One of Kay's victims from the 1990s, Juanita (pictured), welcomed Wednesday's judgement. 'Graham Kay has given us a life sentence by what he did to us,' she said

Another victim from the 1990s Angela (pictured) also welcomed news that Kay will have to wear an electronic device again if he's released from jail

He's alleged to have laid a 'slobbery' kiss on the cheek of a 16-year-old supermarket worker on April 17.

'The girl who, from her body language, appeared to neither want nor enjoy the attention, can be seen wiping vigorously at her cheek as she moved to the cash register,' Judge Helen Wilson said.

'In the statement that she later made, she said she was both disgusted and, knowing from press reports of the defendant's criminal past, very frightened by the contact.'

Known as the North Shore Rapist, Kay served time for attacking eight women at knifepoint in the 1990s.

The assaults took place in Balgowlah, Artarmon, Epping, Eastwood and Wollstonecraft on women aged between 16 and 39 between December 1995 and December 1996.

Kay served 18 years of a 20-year jail sentence after he was arrested in 1997.

He was fitted with ankle bracelet monitor when released on parole in 2015, which was removed in March.

Kay told a NSW Supreme Court hearing last year he should have his tag removed because it was awkward at the beach and had complied with 42 conditions imposed upon his release from jail.
Dr Alessandro Teppa, 48, was indefinitely suspended from practising in the UK after his poor English was deemed a risk to patients

An Italian doctor whose English is so poor he needed an interpreter to work for the NHS has been placed under indefinite suspension in Britain due to the risk he poses to patients.

Dr Alessandro Teppa, from Brescia, moved to the UK in 2012 and lived in Manchester, working for the Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

The 48-year-old also worked for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in Dorset during his time in Britain.

But Teppa's English was so poor he could not work in hospitals in the UK without the help of a translator to navigate conversations with patients and colleagues.

The urologist was ordered to sit for an English test by the General Medical Council under the International English Language Testing System - but he failed twice.

In 2015 Teppa was suspended from practising medicine in Britain for nine months after the GMC said his lack of English skills would put patients at 'unwarranted risk of harm.'

Despite being offered three subsequent chances to improve his English, Teppa has failed to brush up on his skills - and is instead learning to speak French.

This week the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester banned him from treating patients indefinitely in the UK after he failed to to turn up for a fourth hearing.

Teppa's English was so poor he could not work in hospitals in the UK without the help of a translator to help him understand patients and colleagues. This week the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester banned him after he failed to to turn up for a fourth hearing

Last month the doctor sent an email in broken English to the GMC saying: 'I would like to pass the exam as soon as soon as possible (I saw that now there is another possibility with another test) despite now I am living in France and I am speaking more in French, but I really want to achieve the possibility to restart again with the General Medical Council.'

The hearing was told Teppa had been required to get a minimum 7.5 in listening, writing and speaking yet when he first took the test in November 2014 he scored 4.5 in writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking.

He resat the exam in February the following year but only got an overall score of 6.0.

Following his first period of suspension Teppa was offered reviews and it was thought he had been studying English language lessons in his home country in between shifts at work.

But he was given further suspensions in August 2016 then July 2017 when he failed to address concerns.

This week Tribunal chairman Mr Neil Dalton said indefinite suspension was the toughest level of punishment the panel could impose on doctors for English language deficiency issues.

The hearing was told Teppa had been required to get a minimum 7.5 in listening, writing and speaking yet when he first took the test in November 2014 he scored 4.5 in writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking

This week Tribunal chairman Mr Neil Dalton said indefinite suspension was the toughest level of punishment the panel could impose on doctors for English language deficiency issues

He added: 'Dr Teppa appeared to accept and acknowledge his deficient grasp of English language and this demonstrated some level of insight - however despite this, he appeared to have done nothing to remediate the deficiency, and there had been no progress in this respect.

'The tribunal has had regard to the statutory overarching objective - namely, to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of the public, the promotion and maintenance of public confidence in the profession, and the promotion and maintenance of proper standards of conduct and behaviour.

'There is no objective basis to find that Dr Teppa's position in respect of not having the necessary knowledge of English had changed since the matter was first considered by the 2015 Panel.

'The need to communicate clearly is fundamental to good medical practice, patient safety, and maintaining public confidence in the medical profession... His fitness to practise remains impaired by reason of not having the necessary knowledge of English. It would be appropriate and proportionate that his suspension should be indefinite.'

Despite the indefinite ban Teppa will be still able to ask for a review of his case in 2020. It comes after he posted a string of pictures on his Facebook pages detailing his travel exploits

Despite the indefinite ban Teppa will be still able to ask for a review of his case in 2020.

It comes after he posted a string of pictures on his Facebook pages detailing his travel exploits.

Pictures show him in Moscow's Red Square, Tokyo, Death Valley in Nevada US, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Pearl Harbour, Bogota in Columbia, Uruguay, Bavaria and and mixing with the locals of Greenland.

There are pictures of him on West Bank of Gaza, Jerusalem travelling the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and tackling Table Mountain in Cape Town as well as traveling to Oslo in Norway.

He also included details of his travels around the England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Three paedophiles were publicly shot then hanged from a crane in Yemen yesterday as punishment for raping and killing a ten-year-old boy.

Disturbing pictures show the rapists in blue overalls paraded in front of crowds in the centre of Sana'a, the country's largest city.

They were handcuffed, ordered to lie face down and shot five times in the heart.

The corpses were winched high into the air by a crane where they were left hanging as a grim warning to other potential offenders while onlookers took pictures on mobile phones

Disturbing pictures show the rapists in blue jump suits paraded in front of crowds in the centre of Sana'a, the country's largest city

One of the paedophiles is taken to a mat where he is told to lie down before being shot

Their corpses were then winched high into the air by a crane where they were left hanging as a grim warning to other potential offenders while onlookers took pictures on mobile phones.

Yemen, south of Saudi Arabia, is one of the world's top executors with capital punishment for violent crimes including murder, rape, and terrorism.

The death penalty can also theoretically be used in cases of Islamic or 'Hudud' offences under Sharia law such as adultery, sexual misconduct, sodomy, prostitution, blasphemy and apostasy.

All sentences are carried out by shooting although stoning, hanging, and beheading are also permitted within the Yemeni penal code.

All death sentences in Yemen are carried out by shooting although stoning, hanging, and beheading are also permitted within the penal code. Pictured: A rapist before execution

Yemen is one of the world's top executors with capital punishment for violent crimes including murder, rape, and terrorism. Pictured: A policeman holds a rapist before execution

A Yemeni doctor looks on as a police officer prepare to shoot a man after he was convicted of raping and murdering a ten-year old boy

Around 50 counties in the world still have the death penalty.

Yesterday Saudi Arabia 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.
An extremist Muslim father, his wife and two sisters, who were arrested at a compound in New Mexico along with 11 starving children, made their first court appearance Wednesday.

Siraj Wahhaj, 39, wife Jany Leveille, and Hujrah and Subhannah Wahhaj were pictured in the dock as prosecutors accused them of training the children to carry out mass school shootings.

Also in court was Lucas Morton, Wahhaj's brother-in-law and Subhanah's husband. Each pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of felony child abuse, while Morton was also charged with harboring a fugitive.

Morton appeared wearing a white towel folded on his head styled like a keffiyeh.

Siraj was also charged with abducting his 3-year-old son 'AG' from his home in Atlanta last December, sparking a manhunt which led police to the compound.

Lucas Morton, the husband of Subhannah, also appeared in court with his head covered with a towel, apparently folded in a style resembling a plain white keffiyeh

Siraj Wahhaj, 39 (left and right), was pictured during his first court appearance on Wednesday when he was accused of training 11 children to carry out school shootings

Also in court was Wahhaj's wife, Jany Leveille, who is believed to be the mother of some of the children and was charged with 11 felony counts of child abuse

Hujrah Wahhaj also appeared in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to child abuse

Subhannah Wahhaj (left and right), Hujrah's sister, appeared in court alongside her husband Lucas Morton (not pictured). She denied 11 counts of child abuse, while Morton was also charged with harboring a fugitive

Skeletal remains found at the compound are believed to belong to the boy, who was disabled and required daily medication, though tests are still confirming this.

In petitions seeking to detain all five suspects without bail, prosecutors said each was under investigation in the boy's death.

Police earlier said that Siraj was heavily armed with an AR-15 rifle and four pistols when he was arrested, and that there was a shooting range inside the compound.

The children, aged between 1 and 15, were found in a filthy state, had likely not eaten in days, and had loaded firearms within their reach.

In court documents filed on Wednesday, prosecutors claimed Wahhaj was using the weapons to train the children to perform mass school shootings.

Wahhaj was also charged with abducting his three-year-old son from his Atlanta home last December. It is thought the boy is dead

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.

No weapons charges were filed in the case.

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 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.

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 for over a year but then received a text message from Morton last Thursday that said "they were starving."

Weapons found at the compound in New Mexico where Wahhaj was training 11 children to carry out school shootings, according to the prosecution

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."

Neighbors have told how they heard shooting coming from within the compound over the last few months.

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

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.

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.

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid Neighbor Tyler Anderson

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.

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.

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 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.

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 compound is near Amalia, in the desert of northern New Mexico, is close to the Colorado border

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

A board found at the compound that appears to have bullet holes in it

Wahhaj, who is the son of a prominent New York City imam Siraj Wahhaj 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.

Siraj Wahhaj senior was one of 170 people identified by US Attorney Mary Jo White in 1995 as 'unindicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators' in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing but was never charged and denies any involvement with the bombing.

Wahhaj was also a defense witness at the trial of the Blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel-Rahman, the former leader of the Egyptian terrorist organization, Gama'a al-Islamiyya.

In November 2009, he was one of many Muslim leaders who met with New York mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall. Wahhaj said that he hoped all Americans would eventually become Muslim and also referred to the FBI and CIA as the 'real terrorists'.
A white police officer has been caught on film fatally shooting a black man as he ran away from him in Tennessee.

Daniel Hambrick, 25, was shot three times and killed by officer Andrew Delke, also 25, after he fled a traffic stop in Nashville on July 26.

The footage, taken from school CCTV cameras at a school, was released by the Tennessee Department of Investigations as part of their probe into the killing.

Daniel Hambrick, 25, (right) was caught on a school CCTV system running away from officer Andrew Delke, also 25, before being shot dead in Nashville last month

Delke (bottom right) said Hambrick fled a traffic stop with a gun in his hand on July 26, prompting him to give chase before opening fire

The video shows Hambrick around 40 yards away from Delke and running in the opposite direction when he opens fire.

In total Delke fired four shots, three of which struck Hambrick causing him to fall to the floor.

As Hambrick lays bleeding to death, Delke can be seen walking away with his gun drawn before approaching the wounded man when another officer arrives.

Hambrick was handcuffed before he died, though it is not clear from the footage if either officer attempted to provide medical help.

Delke claims that Hambrick was armed when he was shot - and police say a gun was found close to the scene - but CCTV does not clearly show whether Hambrick was holding anything.

After the video was released, Nashville NAACP demanded that Delke be fired and charged with murder.

Jo Kimbrough, attorney for the Hambrick's family, told The Tennessean: 'He [Delke] shoots him [Hambrick] repeatedly from behind.

Hambrick is pictured in a previous mugshot, left. It is not known exactly what he had been arrested for, but he had a lengthy criminal history including charges for drugs, firearm offences and assault. Officer Delke is pictured right

Video shows Hambrick (center, underneath the tree) with his back turned and facing away from Delke (bottom left) when the officer fires four shots, three of which hit Hambrick

After Delke (center, to the right of the telegraph pole) shoots Hambrick (to the right of Delke, clutching his chest) he falls to the ground, where he was later handcuffed

Pictured is the handgun which officers say Hambrick was carrying when he was shot

'The police officer fired four times, three of those bullets ripped Daniel apart. He fell to the ground, where he was cuffed and left, left there like a dog. Worse than a dog.

'I'm a criminal defense attorney. If there is ever a case of premeditated first-degree murder, this is it.'

The NAACP is also demanding that the Federal Bureau of Investigation open up a civil rights probe and a review of the Nashville Police Department.

Mayor David Briley did announce a 'comprehensive review' of police policy after the video emerged, though the investigation into Delke's conduct is ongoing and it is not clear if any action will be taken against the officer.

Nashville Fraternal Order of Police President James Smallwood criticized investigators for releasing the video before their task is complete.

He added that if Hambrick had dropped a pistol he was holding as ordered, he would still be alive.

Members of the Hambrick family sobbed and raised their voices in outrage during a press conference after they had just watched the video.

However, the did urge people to refrain from violence during their protests.

Vickie Hambrick (center left) and attorney Joy Kimbrough (center right) are calling for Delke to be fired from the force and charged with homicide

Hambrick wept as she pleaded for 'justice' for her son at a press conference shortly after watching the video for the first time

The Nashville Fraternal Order of Police insists that Delke was justified in his decision to shoot, and that had Hambrick dropped his weapon as ordered, he would still be alive

'I just want justice for my son,' Vickie Hambrick, Hambrick's mother, said during the news conference with the local NAACP.

'That's all I'm asking. And for all the young black guys and young women, I want justice for them. I love them all.'

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said police had been looking for stolen vehicles when Hambrick was stopped.

Police said he had been 'driving erratically', though wasn't in a stolen vehicle.

Bureau spokesman Josh DeVine has said authorities believe that during a traffic stop, Hambrick 'reportedly emerged from the vehicle with a firearm in his hand' and the 'situation escalated,' resulting in Delke firing his gun several times.

Hambrick appeared to have a dark-colored object in his hand during the chase in a separate video from a housing complex that also has been released.

The bureau said a handgun was recovered at the scene.

On the day of the shooting, Metro Nashville Police tweeted out a photo of a handgun, saying that a fatal police-involved shooting occurred and the '25-year-old man who carried this gun was shot by MNPD officer.'

Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said the new video must be evaluated 'contextually, with the entire TBI file, which obviously we don't have yet.' He said the department maintains that Hambrick had a gun.

Joy Kimbrough, attorney for the Hambrick family, imitates the shooting during a press conference in which she branded the killing 'premeditated first-degree murder'

Vickie Hambrick leaves the press conference on Wednesday surrounded by her family

Antonio Hambrick, Daniel's brother, sits next to a memorial at the spot where he died

Aaron said Delke was placed on routine administrative assignment and would not return to street duty until the investigation is complete and the district attorney has assessed it.

Sam Hambrick Jr., Hambrick's uncle, questioned how his nephew could've been a threat while running away.

'I don't care if I have a hand grenade in my pocket; if I'm running away, I can't be a threat to you,' Sam Hambrick Jr. said.

Smallwood, the Fraternal Order of Police official, countered that Hambrick refused commands to drop the gun, and could've fired over his shoulder or under his arm, or swung his arm back and shot the gun upside down.

Smallwood said his group is confident that the investigation will exonerate Delke.

Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk's office said the footage was released 'in an effort to show transparency as much as possible during this investigation,' adding that the investigation is expected to be finished within the next two weeks.

The mayor said neither he nor Funk has made any judgments yet on the officer's actions.

'It is absolutely necessary that in this context, we continue to conduct ourselves peacefully and to give the process a chance to reach its final conclusion, while we work hard as a community to improve the way we police in Nashville,' Briley said.

The shooting has heightened calls from community members who want to create a police oversight board in Nashville.

A group has gathered more than twice the number of signatures required for a referendum on the topic, and the local election commission needs to approve the language and 8,269 signatures to place it on the ballot.

The mayor said he is for civilian oversight of the police department but said he has questions about that particular proposal.
A Labour MP has become a viral sensation on Twitter after she did an impersonation of Boris Johnson.

Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, was on Channel 4 News to discuss the Boris Johnson burqa row when she launched into an impersonation of the former foreign secretary.

She said: 'It's this thing about not taking things seriously, you know, like the old Boris of old: "Oh sorry, I've just s***ged your wife, didn't realise," that kind of thing.'

Meant to say @Channel4News "The Boris of old was mildly amusing but the loveable rogue act's worn thin and now he's dangerously pandering to the far right" but never ended sentence... Thanks @krishgm for stepping in before I tried to throw in some Latin to top it off. pic.twitter.com/zspYrcYg9b  Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) August 8, 2018

Host Krishnan Guru-Murthy replied: 'I'm not sure that kind of language is ok at this time, let's not have any more of it.' He later tweeted a clip of the segment and wrote: 'It was like being in a room with him for a moment...'

Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, was on Channel 4 News last night to discuss the Boris Johnson burqa row when she launched into an impersonation of the former foreign secretary

Host Krishnan Guru-Murthy replied: 'I'm not sure that kind of language is ok at this time, let's not have any more of it.'

He later tweeted a clip of the segment and wrote: 'It was like being in a room with him for a moment...'

After the interview Dr Huq took to Twitter and said: 'Meant to say @Channel4News "The Boris of old was mildly amusing but the loveable rogue act's worn thin and now he's dangerously pandering to the far right" but never ended sentence... Thanks @krishgm for stepping in before I tried to throw in some Latin to top it off.'

On Twitter viewers were split with some applauding her performance as 'legendary' while others slammed her as an 'idiot' and called on her to apologise.

The Labour MP became a viral sensation on Twitter after her bizarre impersonation of BoJo

This morning Dr Huq, a former sociology lecturer, wrote on Twitter: 'Boris and me have history - his clown persona has more sinister side.

'Collateral damage in his wish to be PM are electors of Uxbridge (where he rarely ventures), Nazanin (whose life he endangered) and now Muslim Women (ever-more vulnerable to hate crime).'

She then posted a link to a story from 2015 where she was 'manhandled' by a Tory activist after attempting to engage Johnson in a debate about the issues in Ealing.

On Twitter viewers were split with some applauding her performance as 'legendary' while others slammed her as an 'idiot' and called on her to apologise

The incident took place during a walkabout as the then Mayor of London canvassed support for the local Tory candidate, Angie Bray.

The Independent reported that Dr Huq was 'repeatedly grabbed by the activist who attempts to drag her away from Mr Johnson. He then appears to push Angie Bray branded leaflets across her face.'

Dr Huq, a Cambridge graduate, is the sister of former Blue Peter present Konnie Huq.

Mr Johnson is coming under growing pressure from Remainers to apologise for his burqa comments - or face being kicked out of the party.

The former Foreign Secretary and leading Brexiteer sparked fury saying that women wearing the head coverings look like 'letter boxes' or 'bank robbers'.

And as the row rages on for the fourth day, a string of Tory Remainers have publicly stuck the knife into Mr Johnson - demanding he apologise.

Boris Johnson (pictured left) has faced mounting calls to apologise after his controversial comments about burqas (pictured right) - but he is showing no signs of U-turning

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson today became the latest to publicly demand Mr Johnson say sorry for the 'gratuitously offensive' comments.

Leading Tory Remainers including party chairman Brandon Lewis, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt and Remainer rebel Heidi Allen, also demanded an apology.

And Tory peer Eric Pickles, a former Conservative party chairman and minister, today said it is possible Mr Johnson will face disciplinary action over the remarks.

And Tory peer Lord Sheikh, president of the Conservative Muslim Forum, has written to party bosses demanding he is kicked out of the party.

But Mr Johnson has far more support among the public - with a Sky poll finding that six out of ten Britons do not think his remarks were racist.

Tory Brexiteers Nadine Dorries and Andrew Bridgen and ex Ukip leader Nigel Farage, have all defended Mr Johnson over the comments.
Monks at two leading Roman Catholic schools in the UK covered-up claims of appalling sex abuse over four decades to protect the churchs reputation, a report claims.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has been investigating whether Ampleforth in North Yorkshire and Downside Abbey in Somerset failed to protect pupils from predators.

And it found the scale of the 'sadistic' sexual abuse was 'likely to be "considerably" worse' than previously believed, an inquiry has found.

The report said the schools tried to avoid contact with police and council officials 'at all costs'.

Teachers and staff at both schools have been jailed over incidents of abuse but the report found the extent likely went beyond what 'conviction figures reflect'.

Lawyers representing former students alleged the schools turned a blind eye to offending over many years, with one of the bosses at Downside even accused of burning evidence and the abbot at Ampleforth quizzed over allegations himself.

A report into claims sexual abuse was covered up and ignored at two leading Roman Catholic Schools is to be published today. Pictured is 34,000-a-year Ampleforth College in Yorkshire where allegations were made against monks and teachers over a 60 year period

The report also covers allegations at 33,000-a-year Downside Abbey, pictured, in Somerset where a former head was accused of burning documents to cover up abuse

Ampleforth and Downside are two schools linked to the monasteries, run at times by 'secretive, evasive and suspicious' church officials who avoided reporting misconduct to police and social services.

Allegations stretching back to the 1960s encompassed 'a wide spectrum of physical abuse, much of which had sadistic and sexual overtones', according to the report.

Ten individuals linked to the schools, mainly monks, have been cautioned or convicted over sexual activity or pornography offences involving a 'large number of children'.

'The true scale of the abuse however is likely to be considerably higher,' the investigation, led by Professor Alexis Jay, found.

The report followed several weeks of evidence hearings at the inquiry last year, which included personal accounts from victims.

Victims were as young as 11 at Downside and seven at Ampleforth.

One alleged offender at Ampleforth abused at least 11 children aged between eight and 12 over a 'sustained period of time', but died before police could investigate.

'Many perpetrators did not hide their sexual interests from the children,' the report found, allowing abusers at Ampleforth to prey on entire groups of pupils both outdoors and indoors.

'The blatant openness of these activities demonstrates there was a culture of acceptance of abusive behaviour,' the report said.

This was a culture fostered by the abbot leading the schools, it was claimed.

In 2001, the Nolan Report recommended all sexual abuse allegations within the church must be referred to police, a position which many felt was 'neither obligatory nor desirable'.

The report said: 'For much of the time under consideration by the inquiry, the overriding concern in both Ampleforth and Downside was to avoid contact with the local authority or the police at all costs, regardless of the seriousness of the alleged abuse or actual knowledge of its occurrence.

'Rather than refer a suspected perpetrator to the police, in several instances the abbots in both places would confine the individual to the abbey or transfer him and the known risk to a parish or other locations.'

But details of the monk's predatory past was not always passed on to monks at the abbey to which he was moved.

'Some children were abused as a consequence,' the inquiry said.

Downside paved the way for the return of offenders such as Nicholas White, who became his first victim's housemaster despite staff knowledge of the abuse allegations.

Child protection issues were not limited to the distant past, the report found.

Father Leo Maidlow Davis, 63, the senior monk at Downside Abbey, burned staff files dating back to the early 1980s in a bonfire in 2012 and was accused of covering up evidence of abuse, although he claims he had just been 'getting rid of unnecessary old material'

In 2016 and 2017, former abbot of Downside Aidan Bellenger sent two letters to Dom Leo Maidlow Davis, highlighting how four suspected paedophiles remained at Downside, but this information was not passed on to the local authority safeguarding lead.

Dom Leo eventually apologised, but the report said: 'The whole incident, having occurred so recently, gives no cause for confidence that the attitudes at Downside had changed enough to put children first over threat to reputation and embarrassment to senior members of the monastic order,'

The congregation's most senior clergymen including past presidents Dom Richard Yeo and Dom Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard refused to fully accept that criminal activity was tolerated when questioned at the inquiry.

Accountability within the congregation was exacerbated by 'no recognisable line management oversight' with the monastic order appearing 'collaborative rather than hierarchical'.

The inquiry suggested that a 'strict separation' between the abbeys and schools was needed to ensure school safeguarding was free from the 'often-conflicting priorities of the abbeys'.

HOW 'SADISTIC' ATTACKERS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE AT AMPLEFORTH AND DOWNSIDE Ampleforth College: The charities regulator launched an inquiry in November 2016 that revealed multiple allegations had been made against 40 monks and teachers who lived or worked at the 34,000-a-year Ampleforth College over the past 60 years. Since 1996 three monks and two teachers have been convicted of sexual abuse offences. They include Father Piers Grant-Ferris who was jailed in 2006 over 20 counts of indecent assaults against abusing boys. The inquiry heard the school had been warned against hiring Grant-Ferris, who the pupils had nicknamed 'Pervy Piers'. Although a letter to the school from a psychologist identified Grant-Ferris as a 'risk' to pupils, he was allowed to work in the abbey shop, only to later describe it as a 'goldfish bowl' because it was regularly visited by pupils. Music teacher Dara de Cogan, 59, who subjected a teenage girl to 'vile' bondage sessions and 'critiqued her sexual technique in the same he would her violin playing', was jailed for 28 months at York Crown Court in March 2017. Father Gregory Carroll, 68, was jailed for four years in 2005 for abusing at least 10 pupils in the 1980s after admitting 14 offences. Former Ampleforth music teacher Dara de Cogan, pictured, was jailed for 28 months for sexually abusing a teenage girl at Ampleforth while Richard White, right, was handed a five-year sentence in 2012 after abusing two boys at Downside more than two decades ago, including a 12-year-old he paid 50p to hush up Former finance chief Frank Hopkinson, 58, was jailed for two-and-a-half years in 1990 for sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy, although he was not an Ampleforth pupil. Then in 1996 teacher Father Bernard Green, 45, was handed community service for indecently assaulting a sleeping 13-year-old. In 2015 former English teacher David Lowe, 63, was jailed for ten years for 15 sex offences against ten boys aged eight to 13. Downside Abbey: Two monks from the Abbey have previously been jailed for child sex offences. Monk Richard White, 66, was handed a five-year sentence in 2012 after abusing two boys more than two decades ago, including a 12-year-old he paid 50p to hush up. His court hearing was told that, instead of contacting the police after allegations were raised, the then abbot of the monastery simply stopped White from teaching younger students. In 2004, Desmond O'Keefe, another former priest from the abbey, was jailed for downloading 12,000 children sex abuse images. Dr Aidan Bellenger, who was abbot for eight years until 2014, has previously apologised to all former pupils affected by abuse. Advertisement

Ampleforth took seven years to do this, but Downside still has not.

Neither school has established a redress scheme for victims and 'no public apology has been made' outside of the context of the inquiry, the report said.

Professor Alexis Jay said: 'For decades Ampleforth and Downside tried to avoid giving any information about child sexual abuse to police and social services.

'Instead, monks in both institutions were very often secretive, evasive and suspicious of anyone outside the English Benedictine Congregation.

'Safeguarding children was less important than the reputation of the Church and the wellbeing of the abusive monks.

'Even after new procedures were introduced in 2001, when monks gave the appearance of co-operation and trust, their approach could be summarised as a 'tell them nothing' attitude.'

In the past two decades three monks and two lay teachers have been convicted of sex crimes against more than 30 students at Ampleforth between the 1960s and 2010.

The charities regulator launched an inquiry in November 2016 that revealed multiple allegations had been made against 40 monks and teachers who lived or worked at the 34,000-a-year Ampleforth College over the past 60 years.

The college, which counts Julian Fellowes, sculptor Antony Gormley and Lawrence Dallaglio among its alumni, also had its 'safeguarding' issues handed over to an external specialist by the Charity Commission earlier this year amid concerns of its handling of the abuse allegations.

Ampleforth abbot Cuthbert Madden, pictured, stepped down from his post in 2016 after he was accused of sexual abuse. No action has been taken against him but he is yet to return to the role

They include music teacher Dara de Cogan, 59, who subjected a teenage girl to 'vile' bondage sessions and 'critiqued her sexual technique in the same he would her violin playing'.

De Cogan was jailed for 28 months at York Crown Court in March 2017.

The school's abbot, the Right Rev Cuthbert Madden, stepped down from his role in 2016 after he was questioned by police over accusations of indecent assaults on four young boys in the 1990s.

He did not face any action but has not returned to his previous post.

Meanwhile bosses at Downside Abbey were accused of destroying evidence to cover up sex abuse.

Father Leo Maidlow Davis, 63, now the senior monk at the 33,000-per-year school, burned staff files dating back to the early 1980s in a bonfire in 2012.

However, he claimed any destruction of evidence was unintentional, saying his aim had been simply to 'get rid of unnecessary old material'.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) explained Why was it set up? After the abuse of Sir Jimmy Savile was revealed, only fully after his death in 2011, hundreds came forward to claim they were abused. It would then emerge that these attacks were in NHS hospitals, schools, children's homes and also at the BBC - police and the CPS also made mistakes that let him abuse freely. In 2014 Theresa May, then Home Secretary, set up the inquiry to 'expose those failures and learn the lessons'. How does it work? The inquiry is looking at 13 areas - and they will be covered in the first phase of the inquiry will last around 18 months. A final report on each area are expected to be completed in around five years. It is being run by Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry into abuse in Rotherham. She will earn 185,000. She will be helped by various experts and lawyers. Victims will also be represented by a panel. Witnesses will give evidence under oath but the panel will only return with 'findings of fact' not the civil or criminal liability of named individuals or organisations. Why has it been controversial? The Inquiry is now on its fourth chairwoman. Dame Lowell Goddard, who was handed a package worth 500,000 including relocation from New Zealand and a 360,000 annual salary, quit suddenly last year. It later emerged she charged taxpayers almost 6,000 to fly treasured possessions including a vase 11,400 miles across the world from New Zealand. Sources claimed Dame Lowell, appointed by then-Home Secretary Theresa May, had lost the confidence of senior staff and members of the inquiry panel. New chairwoman Professor Alexis Jay has already had to call in an independent legal expert to examine an alleged cover-up of sexual assault and bullying claims at its headquarters. Baroness Butler-Sloss and Dame Fiona Woolf both stepped down from the role in 2015 after concerns about their links to the establishment. Advertisement

When police investigated the alleged offences in 2010, allegations had been raised about 16 of the institution's 23 monks.

Witnesses described being taken into monks' beds and there were reports of a locked room in the school's basement where monks would watch personal videos.

Letters from the abbey's former abbot, Aidan Bellenger, also revealed his fears that 'the issue of child abuse was tolerated by all my predecessors as abbot'.

Two monks from the Abbey have previously been jailed for child sex offences.

Monk Richard White, 66, was handed a five-year sentence in 2012 after abusing two boys more than two decades ago, including a 12-year-old he paid 50p to 'hush up'.

In 2004, Desmond O'Keefe, another former priest from the abbey, was jailed for downloading 12,000 children sex abuse images.

Dr Bellenger, who was abbot for eight years until 2014, has previously apologised to all former pupils affected by abuse.

The inquiry carried out a case study on the English Benedictine Congregation as part of a wider investigation into the Catholic Church.

Counsel to the inquiry Riel Karmy-Jones said in her opening last November that there were many instances when church officials chose to keep abuse quiet.

The inquiry held a number of hearings at the end of last year and is chaired by Prof Alexis Jay, pictured

A 'wide spectrum of behaviour', ranging from rape to voyeuristic beatings, was inflicted on school pupils over many years, she said.

Reasons for cover-ups included families being pressured not to report assaults, offenders getting shifted to different establishments but not punished and complaints simply being ignored, she added.

Predators from the two schools who were convicted include David Lowe, who taught at Ampleforth and was jailed for 10 years in 2015 for 15 indecent assaults on boys aged under 14.

During the same hearing, Richard Scorer, representing 27 core participants to the inquiry, said some schools concealed abuse out of fear for their reputations.

Many rely on private school fees to survive and cannot risk exposing misconduct, turning schools into 'honeypots where multiple offenders operate', he told a hearing in November.

'The reputational pressures, the cultural and theological factors which led to abuse being covered up in Catholic institutions have not gone away.

'They remain as powerful as ever.'

The hearings considered the prevalence of child sexual abuse by individuals associated with the English Benedictine Congregation, and failures by them or the Roman Catholic Church to protect youngsters.

IICSA also scrutinised the adequacy of the church's response to the allegations.
Question: Regarding my posts about the terrible perversion of Torah and halacha that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky has engineered with his prod...

https://traditiononline.org/towards-a-sociology-of-psak/ Within the context of this paper, all of this has meant the growth of right-wing...

Rosh(6:7): When a community agrees on some matter an individual has no right to protest. Concerning this the Torah states that one m...

I received the following letter - as a response to my recent posting of the Chazon Ish's letter - with permission to publish it. ...

We know Avraham was greatly concerned with justice. When his nephew was captured he risked his life to save him When Yishmael was kicked o...

Igros Moshe (Y.D. 3:88): Is it permitted to argue with the words of our Sages in public  even in their communitie...

We just had a sweater checked for shatnez in Jerusalem -it was claimed that every fiber was shatnez We donated it to a Shatnez checker in...

Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com
A prisoner has amassed nearly 10,000 followers on Instagram by showing off the smuggled gourmet food he enjoys behind bars.

The unknown inmate - who goes by @cheffing-hmp - has posted snaps and videos showcasing a banquet of foods that hard-up families would struggle to afford outside prison.

Taken on an illegal mobile phone inside jail, the photos reveal everything from takeaway fish and chips, a giant feast of chicken, huge fry-ups, decadent cheesecakes to late-night chow mein.

In a few posts, the unknown inmate can't resist showing off his muscles in workouts for the camera (left) and enjoys food such as chicken cooked on his contraband Breville Grill (right)

He appears to cook his indulgent meals on a contraband Breville Grill and a VonShef slow-cooker from inside his cell - often whilst listening to rap music on his personal stereo

Taken on an illegal mobile phone inside jail, the photos reveal everything from takeaway fish and chips, a giant feast of chicken, huge fry-ups, decadent cheesecakes to late-night chow mein

Cheffing_HMP shows off his impressive amount of food and drink in a video posted to his Instagram account

He appears to cook his indulgent meals on a contraband Breville Grill and a VonShef slow-cooker from inside his cell - often whilst listening to rap music on his personal stereo.

On the Instagram account, the brazen prisoner also shared pictures of his Balenciaga trainers, luxury Ciroc Vodka and his giant private television screen where he watches the latest 'Avengers: Infinity War' movie and the Netflix series 'Power'.

The convict behind @cheffing-hmp is largely unidentifiable.

However in a few posts, he can't resist showing off his muscles in workouts for the camera.

The inmate also performs a magic trick in a video to his 9.3k followers whilst wearing a mask to hide part of his face.

Posting videos and snaps to his Instagram account (left), the prisoner (right) has amassed nearly 10,000 followers

On the Instagram account, the brazen prisoner also shared pictures of his Balenciaga trainers, luxury Ciroc Vodka and his giant private television screen where he watches the latest 'Avengers: Infinity War' movie and the Netflix series 'Power'

Late night chow mein, a meal cooked by the UK prisoner and posted to his Instagram account

Fresh meals are cooked by the UK prisoner inside his cell with smuggled gourmet food being used

The prisoner enjoys the finer foods as he shares a snap of a birthday cake for a fellow inmate and a picture of some sizzling chicken

The prisoner's followers regularly praise his delicious food and comment on how his dishes are better than many people's meals on the outside.

@y1.kf said: 'You're Eating Too Good' whilst @bad-gal-dmz commented: 'This page makes me f****** hungry... hmp you're literally teasing us'.

Meanwhile @wildeypt asked: 'How you getting all these ingredients in pen? I struggled to get some ko lee noodles.'

The popular Instagram profile comes as a watchdog report revealed yesterday how inmates at Thorn Cross open prison in Cheshire were smuggling in fine food such as steak, fish and vegetables.

Prison Service guidelines on catering in prisons says the food served to inmates in the UK should be wholesome, nutritious, well prepared and served, reasonably varied and sufficient in quantity.

Pictured: A delicious looking cake with words 'Cheffin HMP' emblazoned on the top

Pictured: British prisoner, known as Cheffing_HMP, shows off his large amount of food and drink

The prisoner's followers regularly praise his delicious food and comment on how his dishes are better than many people's meals on the outside

Enjoying a fry-up: The inmate boasted on his Instagram about a full English breakfast he had made

A Prison Service spokesperson said:

We are investigating this video but is unclear that this footage was even taken in a prison, let alone a prison in England or Wales.
Brussels is preparing to climbdown on one of its Brexit red lines and concede to UK demands to keep trade links without free movement, it was today reported.

The EU is set to say that it will allow Britain to stay in the single market for goods while still being able to bring in border controls.

Theresa May has been on a charm offensive to desperately try to drum up support for her Chequers Brexit plan amid fears that the UK could crash out of the bloc without a deal next March.

But Brussels is said to be demanding its own concessions in return from the UK which could bind the UK to EU red tape and hamper the country's ability to do free trade deals.

They want the Prime Minister to pledge that the country will copy all new EU environmental, social and customs rules, The Times reports.

European leaders are expected to bring the proposal to the table when the heads of member states meet in Salzburg in Austria next month.

Scroll down for video

Theresa May (pictured yesterday attending the ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the World War 1 Battle of Amiens) has been lobbying the EU to give Britain access to the single market for goods after Brexit

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured right, with new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab at talks last month) has publicly said that Britain cannot stay in the single market for goods and not services and warned this would amount to cherry picking

The move is a radical departure from the public proclamations of the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

He has repeatedly asserted the UK cannot stay in any part of the single market without accepting free movement as that would be 'cherry picking'.

Mrs May has been on a charm offensive with EU leaders urging them to back her Chequers proposal.

What do the EU want from the UK and what is it prepared to give in return? The EU and Britain have both drawn up a series of Brexit 'red lines' during the negotiations. But as the clock runs down on negotiations and fears of a no deal grow, Brussels is said to be preparing to soften their stance - for come concessions. What the EU is prepared to give: Brussels is reportedly set to allow the UK to stay in the single market for goods withut having free movement. This is a departure from its previous position that the four freedoms - goods, services, money and people - cannot be separated, or 'cherry picked'. What the EU wants in return: The bloc is insisting that Britain agreed to adopt all future EU environmental and social protections. It is trying to stop the UK breaking away and changing laws to give it a competitive edge. But agreeing to the demand would seriously undermine the UK's ability to strike free trade deals globally on things like agricultural products. Advertisement

Under the plan the UK will agree to stick to EU rules on goods but fully quit the trading bloc for services - by far the country's biggest sector.

The PM says this compromise model will protect manufacturers and jobs which rely on goods and components flowing over the EU border seamlessly.

Many Brexiteers are furious at the plan amid fears it wil scupper the UK's chances of signin free trade deals with other countries and will leavce the UK half in and half out of Brussels.

It triggered the resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson and sparked fury among Tory activists up and down the country.

The proposal being drawn up in Europe is known as the Jersey model - where a country is outside the bloc for all matters except goods, similar to the Chequers plan.

An EU source told the paper: 'If May came with the Jersey model there would be a serious discussion among leaders for the first time.

But EU leaders are said to be insisting that if the UK goes for this they must fully adopt the jersey model.

This means the UK would have to agree to adopt all future EU environmental and social protections.

And it would probably also mean that Mrs May would have to alter her customs proposals.

This could seriously undermine the ability of the UK to strike free trade deals globally as they could not include manufactured goods or agricultural products.

This is likely to trigger a furious backlash from Brexiteers who will warn there is little point in quitting the EU if the UK does not have its own independent trading policy.

Theresa May (pictured talking to French President Emmanuel Macron in France last week) has been on a charm offensive to desperately try to drum up support for her Chequers Brexit plan amid fears that the UK could crash out of the bloc without a deal next March

Under Mrs May's Brexit plan, the UK will have a common rule book with the EU which would allow single market access for goods.

But it leaves the UK with the room to split away from Brussels rules on the environment and social legislation.

It promises to ensure the UK sticks to existing levels of environmental and social protections, but gives the country the power to take decisions far more quickly than the Brussels machine.

The EU's member states are worried that Britain will use this power to diverge on environmental laws - giving the country competitive edge.

And they are determined to keep the country tightly bound to its rules and red tape - despite Brexit.
At least 29 children and dozens of adults have died in an air strike in rebel-held northern Yemen on Thursday after a missile hit a school bus at a busy local market.

The missile was fired by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels in the area, in retaliation for a strike in Saudi Arabia yesterday, which killed one person.

At least 29 of the 43 people killed and more than 60 injured are 'children under the age of ten'.

Yemen's rebel-run Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and UNICEF provided schoolbags covered with blood, as they lay on hospital stretchers.

Victim: A young boy, wearing a blue backpack with a UNICEF logo, receives medical care after a missile strike hit a school bus in Saada province, northern Yemen

The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi rebel stronghold which lies along the border with Saudi Arabia.

The bus hit by the missile was ferrying local civilians, a majority of them children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders.

While the Saudi-led coalition admitted to carrying out the attack, they called it a 'legitimate military action' that targeted the Iran-backed Houthis, and accused the rebels of using children as human shields.

Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack was a response to a missile fired at the kingdom's south, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

The coalition said Wednesday's projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, also said the missile was launched 'deliberately to target residential and populated areas.'

A boy is taken into a local hospital in the wake of the devastating strike in Saada, Yemen

Wounded Yemeni children lying on beds receiving treatment at a hospital after being injured in a Saudi-led airstrike in the northern province of Saada

At least 43 people died, and as many as 63 people were wounded when a missile strike hit a school bus at a local market in Saada province

The missile that killed 43 people today was fired by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels in the area, in retaliation for a strike in Saudi Arabia yesterday, which killed one

Al-Malki insisted Thursday's attack carried out in Saada is a 'legitimate military action' and is 'in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs.' He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them in the battlefields to cover for their actions.

Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that an ICRC supported hospital received dozens of dead and wounded following the attack that hit the bus with children.

'Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten,' the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is 'sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx.'

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the city's southern and western neighborhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

A Yemeni man holds a boy who was injured by an airstrike in Saada, Yemen

Strike: The attack took place in the rebel-held Saada province near the Saudi border

Yemen's stalemated, three-year war has killed over 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemen's infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for its airstrikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

Last week, Yemeni medical officials said the coalition conducted airstrikes in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, killing at least 28 people and wounding 70.

But the coalition denied carrying out any attacks in the city, saying it follows a 'strict and transparent approach based on the rules international law.'

The fight for the port of Hodeida, a key lifeline for supplies and aid for Yemen's population on the brink of starvation, has become the latest battleground in the devastating war.

The Iran-aligned Houthis regularly fire into Saudi Arabia and have targeted its capital, Riyadh, with ballistic missiles. They say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition.

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing to bring the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemen's warring parties to Geneva on September 6 to hold the first round of consultations.
A seriously ill teacher was left in tears after she was stopped from boarding her flight because her dialysis machine was an 'illegal weight'.

Samantha Mitchell, 31, suffers from kidney disease and was bringing the life-saving equipment with her when she went on holiday to Italy on Tuesday.

The part-time secondary school teacher arrived at Stansted Airport at 3.30am for her 6.30am flight but was stopped from boarding just 45 minutes before departure.

She was told by a Stansted Airport staffer that she couldn't board the plane because her dialysis machine was 'too heavy', causing her to miss her flight.

Samantha Mitchell, 31, was told she couldn't board her Ryanair flight from Stansted Airport to Italy on Tuesday because her dialysis machine was an 'illegal weight'

The part-time secondary school teacher arrived at Stansted Airport at 3.30am for her 6.30am flight but was stopped from boarding just 45 minutes before departure

Ms Mitchell's mother Elaine Mitchell said: 'I am very upset, it was a very distressing time for my daughter.

'She called me in tears and could barely speak because she was so upset.'

Ms Mitchell was left in a disabled bay for roughly six hours, before being taken to further accommodation at the Radisson Blu hotel.

Mrs Mitchell said: 'I don't understand why they stopped her from getting on the plane, she already had a waiver form accepted beforehand.

'She has flown with Ryanair many times before from Stansted airport and we have always had a great service.'

The dialysis machine weighs roughly 43 kilos (95lbs or 6.8st) and Ms Mitchell has to declare the exact weight and height of this and another case carrying other medical equipment such as syringes.

To get the waiver form Ms Mitchell had to contact Ryanairs special assistance line.

On provision of a doctors letter confirming the requirements, a medical equipment baggage waiver letter was then issued.

Stansted Airport and Ryanair have both confirmed that the issue was with the handling company Swissport and it has since apologised over the incident

Stansted Airport and Ryanair have both confirmed that the issue was with the handling company Swissport.

A Swissport spokesman said: 'We are deeply sorry that Ms Mitchell's holiday was disrupted due to her specialist equipment not being loaded onto the aeroplane.

'This was down to a mistake made by our team when trying to load the equipment onto the flight.

'We understand the distress that this caused and we are taking immediate steps internally to avoid a repeat of this situation.

'This incident has highlighted that we need to remind our team about the process around handling heavy items and we have re-briefed our employees.'

The dialysis machine (pictured) weighs roughly 43 kilos (95lbs or 6.8st) and Ms Mitchell has to declare the exact weight and height of this and another case carrying other medical equipment such as syringes.

The company added: 'We have worked closely with our airline partner to do everything we can to support Ms Mitchell in taking an alternative flight with the equipment on board, which took place this morning.

'We would like to offer our sincere apologies once again for this incident.'

The Swiss company paid for Ms Mitchell, who is originally from Shropshire, and her 12-year old niece to stay at the Radisson Blu hotel.

They were also given 80 for food and drink and access to the VIP lounge before Ms Mitchell boarded another flight the next day.

Earlier this week, British Airways was forced to apologise after a passenger with kidney failure was charged an 90 extra for his dialysis equipment when it should have been transported for free.

Earlier this week, British Airways apologised to Amit Sanchadev, who has end stage renal failure, and was wrongly charged 90 for his dialysis equipment

British Airways have apologised to a passenger with kidney failure after charging him 90 extra for his dialysis equipment when it should have been transported for free

When the 41-year-old checked in for his flight home last month he was told he had to pay 100 Euros or leave it behind

He took to British Airway's Facebook page to post a lengthy complaint about the treatment he had suffered

Amit Sanchadev, who has end stage renal failure, was twice told by BA that he could take the life-saving equipment on board for free during his return flights from Gatwick to Tenerife.

But when the 41-year-old checked in for his flight home last month he was told he had to pay 100 Euros or leave it behind.

Mr Sanchadev, a purchasing co-ordinator from London, claims the airline held him to ransom despite the fact he was carrying a hospital letter proving the equipment was needed to keep him alive.

He took to British Airway's Facebook page to post a complaint about the treatment he had received.
President of Bolivia Evo Morales wearing the medal and sash before they were stolen

Bolivia's historic presidential medal and sash were stolen from a guard's car while the officer visited a brothel.

Lieutenant Roberto Ortiz was meant to deliver the priceless regalia to President Evo Morales to wear during a speech on Wednesday in Cochabamba.

But his Tuesday night flight from La Paz was delayed so he decided to visit some brothels in the El Alto district.

When he got back to his car, he was shocked to find his backpack containing the regalia had been stolen.

Former president Carlos Mesa compared the loss of the medal to 'the theft of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II of England.'

Luckily, police found the items after the Peruvian thieves dumped them in the portico of a church in the city center.

According to a police report, Ortiz told officers: 'I entered a number of these different establishments (brothels) but then returned to where I left my motor car.'

'When I got there my backpack, which held the emblems of the nation, had been taken.'

Police Colonel Jhonny Aguilera said officers found the items in black bags after TV station Unitel informed him of an anonymous from a passer-by.

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.

A close-up image of the presidential medal

He made no reference to their absence or to the theft, which had first been reported by the ministry of defense.

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.

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.'
British Airways have been accused of racism after an Indian family claimed they were ejected from a flight in London because their three-year-old son was crying.

AP Patak claims a BA crew member shouted at his son and used 'racist remarks', before ordering them and another Indian family sat behind them off the plane.

The incident has sparked outrage on social media in India, with people calling for a nationwide boycott of British Airways.

AP Patak claims a British Airways crew member shouted at his son and used 'racist remarks', before ordering them and another Indian family off the plane at London City Airport

The incident allegedly occurred shortly before take-off at London City Airport on a flight destined for Berlin on July 23.

Mr Patak, who works for the Indian government, has since complained to Indian Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and outlined what he called 'humiliation and racial behaviour' in a fiery letter.

Mr Patak claims his son had become uncomfortable and started crying after the seatbelt had been fastened, and his wife then picked him up despite the sign being on.

He writes: 'My son felt uncomfortable and started crying. My wife managed to comfort him by taking him in her arms.

'A male crew member approached us and started shouting, scolded my son to go to his seat. My son got terrified and started crying even more.'

'Another Indian family sitting behind us offered the child some biscuits to console him and my wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat belt even though he kept on crying. The aircraft then started taxiing to the runway.'

The incident allegedly occurred shortly before takeoff at London City Airport on a flight destined for Berlin on July 23 (stock image)

'(The) same crew member came again and shouted at my son that "you bloody keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out of the window" and we would be offloaded. We were petrified.'

Mr Patak claims the plane then returned to the terminal and security personnel were called to remove the family and the family in the row behind them from the aircraft.

'I would like to reiterate and emphasise that the said crew member made racist remarks and used hatred words like "bloody" about the Indians which is highly undesirable and contumacious to the respect of myself and my nation,' Mr Patak added.

Indian social media users are now calling for a boycott of British Airways, with many Twitter users believing the family to have been ejected over the upset child.

Dilip Subramaniam wrote: 'British Airways why don't u STOP all services to India..You did a racist act by off loading an Indian family coz the child was crying..U And UR staff are racist..GET OUT of India.'

Kiran Salotagi wrote: 'Stop travelling with the @British_Airways #BycottBritishAirways [sic] They will get to know what #Indians can do and #India is capable of.'

Vishnu Prakash, India's former Ambassador to Canada & South Korea, wrote on his Twitter: 'I will NEVER travel again with @British_Airways. Racist crew member traumatizes 3-year-old Indian kid by screaming at him. The family then gets offloaded. Hope Indian authorities take suitable action.'

A British Airways spokesperson said: 'It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off.

'We take such claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

'We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer.'
One of the last surviving Battle of Britain veterans, whose courage and bravery under fire helped save Britain from Nazi tyranny, has died aged 101.

Tributes have poured in for Flight Lieutenant Ronald Mackay, who flew Spitfires with No 234 Squadron and helped protect Britain's skies from German bombers during the Second World War.

Flt Lt Mackay, who was once seriously injured baling out of his aircraft following a sortie, was one of the final nine remaining members of 'The Few', after the deaths of two fellow survivors in July.

Tributes have poured in for Flight Lieutenant Ronald Mackay, who flew Spitfires with No 234 Squadron and helped protect Britain's skies from German bombers during the Second World War

There are now only eight remaining Battle of Britain veterans following the death of Flt Lt Mackay, Wing Commander Tom Neil and Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum - both of whom died in July.

The group of men were dubbed The Few following Winston Churchill's wartime address to Parliament, where he poignantly said of the brave RAF pilots: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'

David Brocklehurst MBE, chairman of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum, said: 'Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

'Our flag will be flown at half mast for the next seven days as a mark of respect.

'Sadly nature is taking its course and we have lost three of The Few in the past month.

'Now there are only eight surviving Battle of Britain veterans, the oldest is 105 and the youngest 98.

The group of men were dubbed The Few following Winston Churchill's wartime address to Parliament, where he poignantly said of the brave RAF pilots: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much, owed by so many, to so few'

There are now only eight remaining Battle of Britain veterans following the death of Flt Lt Mackay, Wing Commander Tom Neil (pictured) and Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum - the youngest Spitfire pilot in the battle - both of whom died in July

Wing Commander Neil was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Bar and Air Force Cross (AFC). Pictured wearing his uniform in the 1950s

The Prince of Wales enjoys a joke with Geoffrey Wellum a veteran of the Battle of Britain - he along with Wing Commander Neil passed away in July

GLORIOUS FEW WHO STOOD AGAINST NAZI DOMINATION They fought the most important battle this country ever faced and their victory saved Britain from the tyranny of Nazi Germany. The heroes of the Battle of Britain repelled Hitler's Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940, although only a few of them are still alive. They are: Flight Lieutenant William Clark, 219 Squadron, aged 99

Wing Commander John Elkington, 1 Squadron, aged 97

Wing Commander Paul Farnes, 501 Squadron, aged 100

Squadron Leader John Hart, 602 Squadron, aged 99

Flying Officer John Hemmingway, 86 Squadron, aged 99

Flight Lieutenant William Hughes, 23 Squadron, aged 97

Pilot Officer Archie McInnes, 601 Squadron, 105

Flight Lieutenant Maurice Moundson, 56 Squadron, aged 100 At the time were in their late teens or early 20s when they took to the skies in Spitfires and Hurricanes from July to October 1940. Others flew in Blenheims, Beaufighters and Defiants, becoming the 'aces' of the Battle, shooting down plane after plane. When it was over, 544 RAF pilots and aircrew were dead and had made the ultimate sacrifice to keep generations of Britons safe. Advertisement

'He should be remembered for his bravery. Many of them said they were not heroes, just doing their duty, but we see them all as heroes.

'It makes it all the more important that we carry on their legacy as there will be a time when they will no longer be able to do so.'

Group Captain Patrick Tootal OBE, Honorary Secretary of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, said: 'The loss of one of the Few is very sad. In the past weeks we have lost three.'

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff, Tweeted: 'Very sad to hear that another of The Few is lost to us - Flt Lt Ronald MacKay, Spitfire pilot with 234 Sqn during the Battle of Britain.'

Flt Lt Ronald Mackay was born in 1917 and served in the Auxiliary Air Force before the war.

He was called to full time service in late August 1939, joining 603 Squadron as a civilian pupil pilot the following month.

After elementary training in Perth, central Scotland, he was commissioned on March 23, 1940, before completing his intermediate and advanced flying training at RAF Lossiemouth, north Scotland.

Flt Lt Mackay joined No 234 Squadron at RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire, on September 18, 1940.

Returning from St Eval after a routine sortie on September 25, 1940, he baled out and was seriously injured.

His Spitfire, X4182, crashed near St Mawgan in north Cornwall.

After being released from the RAF in January 1946, he ran the family travel business in Scotland for many years.

He died surrounded by his family in Edinburgh on Saturday, August 4.

The remaining surviving members of The Few are Flight Lieutenant William Clark, 219 Squadron; Wing Commander John Elkington, 1 Squadron; Wing Commander Paul Farnes, 501 Squadron; Squadron Leader John Hart, 602 Squadron; Flying Officer John Hemmingway, 86 Squadron; Flight Lieutenant William Hughes, 23 Squadron; Pilot Officer Archie McInnes, 601 Squadron; Flight Lieutenant Maurice Moundson, 56 Squadron.
Loyalist terrorist Michael Stone has opened an art exhibition on day release from his 30-year-sentence for murder- sparking criticism from victims' families.

Stone was found guilty of killing six people during the Troubles and is nearing the end of his 30-year sentence.

He opened the sale of some of his artwork at the Reach Project in east Belfast in July while on overnight leave, according to BBC News.

Pictured (left to right) Robin Stewart from the Reach Project, Michael Stone, Karen Stone, DUP East Belfast Councillor George Dorrian and former DUP MLA Sammy Douglas. The picture is taken at the opening of the art exhibition called

The artwork at the exhibition in east Belfast in July. One picture features a monkey with bananas shaped like a heart above its head and the other a picture of the Queen with Union Jacks in her eyes

It is understood some of the 24 paintings were put up were for sale at the two-day exhibition- which according to the website was in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Stone was guilty of killing Thomas McErlean, John Murray and Kevin Brady in a notorious and shocking grenade and gun attack at IRA funerals at the Milltown Cemetery on March 16, 1988.

In November 1984 Stone killed milkman Patrick Brady, and also shot Kevin McPolin in Lisburn, County Antrim and then Dermott Hackett in 1987.

Mr Hackett was found dead in his van near Omagh in 1987 and his brother Roddy has argued they should have been informed when Stone was allowed out for day release.

He said: 'We should have been notified.

More of the selection of paintings by Michael Stone which has a recurring theme running through them

'I would hate to think that some of my immediate family happened to walk up the street in Belfast and see him walking towards them.

'I think it would be an awful shock for them, especially Dermot's family.

'It is only right that they should have let us know.'

The exhibition is called Milestones 2018 and the website said it features 'works by East Belfast Artists Michael and Karan Stone.'

Stone married Karen Stone at Maghaberry prison in April 2016- around a dozen guests were present.

The launch was also attended by representatives of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and sponsored by the Loyalist Conflict Museum, Andy Tyrie Interpretive and The Union Jack Shop on Newtownards Road.

According to the website the work 'encompasses the their past and present experiences in life with humour and the universal belief that 'Art transcends politics.'

Reach chairman Jim Wilson described Michael Stone's paintings as 'very special and very interesting to our people and the people of east Belfast in general'.

Other pictures at the exhibition feature a possible war tribute on the far right and a union jack skull

Michael Stone being restrained by security staff after forcing the suspension of the Stormont Assembly

Stone was caged for 30 years for the six murders but was freed on licence under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

The father-of-nine was also jailed for 16 years for trying to kill Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

The bizarre attack on the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormond occurred in November 2006- he was bravely restrained by security staff after storming the building with weapons.

Stone- who often pursued art in prison- claimed his actions had been 'performance art'.

The argument failed to win over the jury and he was returned to prison.

He had also claimed that former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, came 'within days' of being assassinated in the 1980s for his alleged Republican sympathies.

Apparently the operation had to be cancelled about being compromised due to Special Branch finding out.
This is the heartbreaking moment a baby lamb was caught crying as its mother lies dead on the ground, another casualty in one of the driest winters on record in New South Wales.

The image is a stark reminder of the effect on the state wide drought on livestock.

Some farmers have spent up to $10,000 per truckload of hay just to feed their animals, according to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Scroll down for video.

A baby lamb has been caught crying for its mother who has died in the drought (pictured)

The image acts as another stark reminder about he effects on livestock

Farmers have been forced to resort to drastic measures as food for their livestock diminishes and water shortages take their toll.

One farmer in north-western NSW is already planning to shoot all 1200 of his starving sheep and bury them in a mass grave on his barren farm.

The sheep on Les Jones's farm are so emaciated that his family wouldn't be able to use them to feed themselves 'unless we ate soup every day' he said.

'We own an old dozer and the husband is finding somewhere on the farm to dig a big hole and push them in,' Les' wife Laura said.

'We don't have any choice but to shoot them. We've tried our utmost to keep them alive, but how can we?'

Many farmers across the state are are having to tackle this issue as their animals begin to suffer.

According to the states Department of Primary Industries Combined Drought Indicator, 100 per cent of NSW is drought-affected

The RSPCA has called for proper drought measure to be put in place so that animal cruelty is avoided.

'At all times, animals must have access to good quality drinking water, be provided with shade, and be able to shelter from extremes of weather,' the RSPCA said recently in a statement to the ABC.

'It is unacceptable for animals to be allowed to starve to death or die of thirst under any circumstance.'

'Daily monitoring is required to ensure sick or weak animals are quickly identified, treated or humanely killed.'

The RSPCA has called for proper drought measure to be put in place so that animal cruelty is avoided

Some farmers have turned to alternative sources of food and hydration to keep their livestock healthy.

A Victorian farmer turned to watermelon as a supplement and a farmer in the northern end of NSW had of a load of orange peel for his cattle to feed on.

The NSW Government has announced a $500million emergency drought relief package as the state suffers.

Last week, Malcolm Turnbull announced extra cash payments of up to $12,000 for drought-stricken farmers through the allowance.

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

It came 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.
An Australian architect who has been accused of selling cocaine to tourists with his Indonesian girlfriend has laughed before he was paraded in front of cameras for a press conference in Bali.

Brendon Luke Johnsson has been charged after he was allegedly caught with 11 grams of cocaine in Indonesia.

Dressed in an orange suit and a balaclava, the former architect was surrounded by police for a press conference in Kuta, Bali.

Reports have said he had been living in Bali for four years and bought cocaine worth 39 million Rupiah from a fourth person, who is under investigation

The former architect has been living in Bali for four years. Before he fronted the media the 43-year-old laughed

Johnsson said in the press conference: 'I have a sore leg, stress at work, just yeah. That's pretty much it.'

Local reports stated he had been living in Bali for four years and bought cocaine worth 39 million Rupiah, about $3730, from a fourth person, who is under investigation.

Johnsson's passport lists him as born in South Brisbane, and he is believed to be a former resident of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Courier Mail reported.

He was arrested on Saturday about 11pm at a boarding house in Kuta, with his girlfriend Remi.

Brendon Luke Johnsson was presented alongside two females on Thursday, with them clad in orange suits and balaclavas as they stood surrounded by police

Johnsson's passport lists him as born in South Brisbane, and he was believed to be a former resident of Queensland's Sunshine Coast

Police received information about a woman called Bena, who others revealed was a frequent drug user, Denpasar Police chief Hadi Purnomo said.

In a raid of her boarding house, they allegedly found a pack of cocaine her pocket, two packets in a sanitary pad package and inside a pillow.

'Based on information from Bena police raided a boarding house of Remi in Jalan Mataram, Kuta. When police raided the house there are two people inside, Remi and her western boyfriend, Brendon.'

Brendon Luke Johnsson (left) was arrested on Saturday about 11pm at a boarding house in Kuta, with his girlfriend Remi (right)

'Police searches at the house found 13 packages of cocaine in a wallet inside a cardboard box that was put in the floor of their boarding house.

Police alleged Johnsson admitted the cocaine was from him and he had bought a large amount worth 40 Million Rupiah from a man called Made on August 3.

Bena was allegedly promised payment from Johnsson for selling four packages.

Police alleged both Johnsson and Remi admitted to using cocaine for five years and neither had been arrested.

Johnsson could now face 20 years in prison for allegedly using and trafficking cocaine on the resort island.
A woman in China got the fright of her life after her smartphone's battery suddenly exploded just inches away from her.

Shocking footage shows the female driver screaming in terror after the handset burst into flames on the dashboard of her car when she was driving.

The woman's husband claimed that the phone was an iPhone 6 and it had had an unofficial battery fitted.

Similar smartphone explosions in the past have often been caused by third party cables, unauthorised repair or external damage.

Mrs Jiang was driving on a motorway in Shanghai when her smartphone suddenly exploded

The phone burst into flames on the dashboard just inches away from the driver last Wednesday

The incident took place last Wednesday morning when the woman was driving on a motorway in Shanghai.

Speaking to Chinese viral video site Pear Video, the woman's husband, Mr Jiang, claimed his wife was not using the phone when it exploded.

He also said he and his wife were aware that the phone did not have an original Apple battery.

The couple went to a local repair shop, called Ji Hou Hou, in February to have the phone's battery replaced, according to Mr Jiang.

He explained that the shop's technician replaced the old battery with an unofficial iPhone battery, which was the one that exploded.

Mrs Jiang was not injured in the incident, 'but she was so frightened,' Mr Jiang said.

The woman's husband claimed the phone was an iPhone 6 and it had an unofficial battery

Mrs Jiang was not injured in the incident, 'but she was so frightened,' Mr Jiang told Pear Video

Ji Hou Hou repair shop, also known as Ho Ho Fast, is not among the list of shops that are authorised to repair iPhones in Shanghai, according to Apple.com.

On Ji Hou Hou's website, the company claims to have 64 technicians who can repair iPhones, iPads and Macbooks. It costs 99 yuan (11) to have an iPhone 6 battery replaced at Ji Hou Hou.

Mr Jiang said that the repair shop had confirmed that the cause of the explosion was the battery, and its technicians had taken it back to the shop for further repair works.

The shop had returned the phone to him and his wife, but 'we are too scared to use it now', he claimed.

The couple demanded the shop replace their phone with a new one and provide further financial compensation, but Mr Jiang said the shop had declined.

A spokesperson from Ji Hou Hou told MailOnline that the company was dealing with the matter through Shanghai Consumers Association and was in contact with Mr and Mrs Jiang.

The company did not explain why the battery had exploded.

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comments regarding the matter and is awaiting a reply.
Emma's Diary has been fined 140,000 for illegally collecting and selling personal information belonging to more than one million people, it was announced today.

The parenting publication was fined by the Information Commissioner's Office for providing the records to the data-broking firm Experian.

The group obtained the records specifically for the Labour Party last May, a month before the general election, according to the ICO.

Each record gave the mother's name, address, date of birth of mother and child and how many children under five were present in the home.

Emma's Diary has been fined 140,000 for illegally collecting and selling personal information belonging to more than one million people, it was announced today

Experian loaded this into a database used by Labour for direct marketing in 106 different parliamentary seats. It was deleted after the election.

The Labour Party was then able to send targeted direct mail to mums living in areas with marginal seats about its intention to protect Sure Start Children's centres.

The ICO investigation found that Emma's Diary's privacy policy did not disclose that the personal information given would be used for political marketing or by political parties.

This is a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner said: 'The relationship between data brokers, political parties and campaigns is complex.

'Even though this company was not directly involved in political campaigning, the democratic process must be transparent.'

Emma's Diary works with organisations such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Midwives to hand out advice and sign up new and expectant mothers.

The parenting publication sold the records to data-broking firm Experian specifically for use by the Labour Party last May, a month before the general election. Pictured: Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn

In exchange for registering with Emma's Diary, mothers receive shop vouchers, free gifts and pregnancy tips. There is no suggestion that Experian or Labour breached data protection legislation.

A Labour spokesman previously said: 'We have neither bought nor used Emma's Diary data since the 2017 general election and will be reviewing our approach to acquiring data from third parties.'

Lifecyle Marketing, the parenting company of Emma's Diary, said in a statement: 'Lifecycle Marketing has been supporting parents for more than 25 years.

'We pride ourselves on working in an ethical and professional manner providing valuable content, support and advice to parents across the UK.

'The ICO matter is related to data we provided to Experian, some of which was used by the Labour Party for a one-off mailing in connection with Sure Start Children's Centres. We had never previously provided data to a political party and we will never do so again.

'We have always sought to fully comply with our data protection obligations, which we take extremely seriously, we are sorry that on this isolated occasion our interpretation of the DPA has not been in line with the ICO's.

'We are fully compliant with the new GDPR and give our parents complete control over the communications they receive.'
Tribune Media Co terminated its $3.9billion deal to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group and filed suit, the company said on Thursday, after regulators objected to the acquisition that had received support from US President Donald Trump.

Tribune, which is on the hook for a $135million breakup fee, filed a lawsuit against Sinclair, the largest US broadcast station owner, alleging material breach of contract 15 months after the merger was first announced.

'To maintain control over stations it was obligated to sell, Sinclair engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the Department of Justice and the FCC over regulatory requirements,' Tribune said.

'Sinclair's entire course of conduct has been in blatant violation of the merger agreement and, but for Sinclair's actions, the transaction could have closed long ago,' the company said.

Tribune Media Co (file image) terminated its $3.9billion deal to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group and filed suit, the company said on Thursday, after regulators objected to the acquisition that had received support from US President Donald Trump

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in July that Sinclair 'did not fully disclose' facts about the merger, raising questions about whether the company 'attempted to skirt the commission's broadcast ownership rules.'

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been vocal in his opposition to the deal, a stance that was criticized by Trump.

'So sad and unfair that the FCC wouldn't approve the Sinclair Broadcast merger with Tribune. This would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People,' Trump said in a Twitter post in July.

Advocacy group Free Press said in an FCC filing in August 2017 that Sinclair forces its stations to 'air pro-Trump propaganda and then seeks favors from the Trump administration.'

Pai told Congress after Trump's tweet that he stood by his decision to refer the issue to a hearing.

Sinclair, which owns 192 stations, said in May 2017 that it planned to acquire Chicago-based Tribunes 42 TV stations in 33 markets in a deal that would significantly expand its reach.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been vocal in his opposition to the deal, a stance that was criticized by President Donald Trump

Sinclair did not immediately comment on Thursday, but said last month 'at no time have we withheld information or misled the FCC in any manner whatsoever.'

The FCC voted last month to refer the proposed merger to an administrative law judge to review questions about Sinclair's candor, a move that analysts had then said would likely lead to the deal's collapse.

'In light of the FCC's unanimous decision, referring the issue of Sinclair's conduct for a hearing before an administrative law judge, our merger cannot be completed within an acceptable time frame, if ever,' said Tribune Media Chief Executive Officer Peter Kern.

'This uncertainty and delay would be detrimental to our company and our shareholders.'

Kern told employees in an email reviewed by Reuters that it was not clear what was next for Tribune.

'No doubt the rumor mill will begin anew with speculation about who might buy us or who we might buy or whether the regulatory landscape still favors consolidation. We cant do anything about such speculation,' he wrote.

Under the terms of the deal, Tribune and Sinclair had the right to call off the deal without paying a termination fee if it was not completed by August 8.

Pais statement raising questions about whether Sinclair would continue to control some of the stations it proposes to divest followed similar questions raised in separate filings by the American Civil Liberties Union and conservative news outlet Newsmax Media.

The FCC did not immediately comment on Thursday.
A California police chief has told of his disgust at learning his 18-year-old son is the suspect in the brutal beating of an elderly Sikh man earlier this week.

On Monday, 71-year-old Sahib Singh was attacked by two young men during his morning walk in Manteca, California.

The attack was captured by surveillance cameras and showed the two thugs beating the man while dressed in hoodies. One, who was wearing a black hoodie, was brandishing a gun.

Police now say that he is 18-year-old Tyrone McAllister, the son of Union City Police Department Chief Daryl McAllister.

In a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday, Chief McAllister told of his disgust at learning his son was involved after being contacted by Manteca Police Department, the investigating department.

'Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now.

Scroll down for video

Tyrone McAllister, 18, was arrested for the brutal beating of a Sikh man in California on Wednesday. Tyrone is the son of Union City Police Chief Daryl McAllister who helped authorities investigating the incident track the the teen down to arrest him

'My stomach has been churning from the moment I learned this news, ' he added.

McAllister and his wife then helped officers track his son down and arrest him

Tyrone has been charged with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

The other suspect is a 16-year-old male who has not been named. He was arrested on the same charges and will be transferred to a juvenile facility after being processed.

In his Facebook post, Chief McAllister told how Tyrone had fallen into a 'bad crowd' and had not been at the family home for months.

'My son began to lose his way a couple years ago, while he was a juvenile, running away and getting involved in a bad crowd.

'He pretty much divorced his friends and family, associating with people none of us knew.

Tyrone is pictured on surveillance camera footage, kicking the elderly Sikh man while wearing a black hoodie

Tyrone is also accused of brandishing a gun during the attack. He was arrested along with a 16-year-old who is not being named because of his age

Sahib Singh, 71, was left with serious injuries after being attacked in the street on Monday

'He got into trouble for some theft-related crimes and ended up spending several months in juvenile hall.

'As an adult, he was again arrested for a theft-related incident, and he ended up spending another three months in adult jail as a result.

Singh, the victim, struggles with English and had difficulty telling police what happened to him after the attack

'Since being released he has been wayward and has not returned to our family home for several months,' he wrote.

The police chief said he was torn between the desire to protect his child and the oath he took as a law enforcement leader.

Ultimately, he decided to help the Manteca Police Department find Tyrone to arrest him.

'My wife and I worked with Manteca PD to help them track him down and arrest him.

'He now faces serious felony charges for which, if convicted, he stands to spend a considerable about of time in prison. My family is shaken to the core. His sisters (one corporate and the other about to start law school), are at a loss to understand any of this.

'It's difficult for us to comprehend how one of three kids who grew up with the same parents, under the same roof, with the same rules and same values and character could wander so far astray.

'We simply don't know why, or how we got here. In the eyes of the public, no matter the irrelevance to the incident, the fact remains that the father of the perpetrator of this despicable crime is a police chief, period.

'One cannot expect the general public (our Sikh community in particular) to factor in any sentiment that would distinguish this from the integrity of my family name. I pray that we, as a community, in conjunction with my family, can get through this and be even stronger as a result,' he said.

Chief McAllister announced his son's arrest in a lengthy statement on Facebook

Footage of the attack showed the young men approaching Singh and speak to him before jumping him.

Singh, who struggles with English, later told that he did not understand what the men were saying.

He was left with serious injuries which required him to wear a neck brace.

Singh is one of two Sikh men who have been attacked in small Californian communities in the last week.

The two are not thought to be connected.

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.
Mounir el-Motassadeq (pictured), 44, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for being an accessory to murder in the 9/11 attacks

A Moroccan 9/11 accomplice has been granted early release from prison in Germany and will be deported to his homeland.

Mounir el-Motassadeq, 44, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for being an accessory to murder and for being a member of a terrorist organisation where he lived in Hamburg.

He will be released on 15 October and immediately flown to Morocco where he has a wife and two children, reported Bild newspaper.

The terrorist was found guilty on 8 January 2007 and has been imprisoned since 2 May that year.

He lived in Hamburg from 1995 and studied electrical engineering at a college there after arriving in Germany in 1993.

El-Motassadeq was a member of a terrorist cell who planned terrorist acts against the West, especially against the US.

Members of the cell included Mohamed el Amir Awad Elsayed Atta, Marwan Yousef Mohamed Rashed Alshehhi and Ziad Samir Jarrah, who conducted and died in the 9/11 attacks, according to the UN.

Hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes at 9:03 a.m. on September 11, 2001 in New York City

One member of the group, Ramzi Mohamed Abdullah Binalshibh is being held in Guantanamo Bay whilst two have reportedly died since the attacks.

All three are suspected of being involved in the planning of the terror attacks in the US in 2001.

Bild reported that el-Motassadeq was supposed to remain in prison until 19 January 2019.

The German Federal Court of Justice had previously denied his request for an early release in 2014 because he was still considered dangerous.

It is not reported why he has been granted early release.
An Indian actress has been attacked by online trolls after she posted pictures of herself wearing a bikini on holiday.

Sara Khan, 29, a popular television actress, uploaded snaps of herself taken while on holiday in Goa, India, and Dubai, UAE.

Many of her followers praised her appearance, however, Ms Khan, who is a Muslim, was also targeted by some who disagreed with her choice of outfit.

Scroll down for video

Online hate: Indian Muslim actress Sara Khan was attacked on Instagram after posting pictures of herself in a bikini

Fellow Muslim Instagram users slammed the fact that she posed snaps of herself in a bikini, and told her she should change religion.

One person wrote: 'I think you forget you are muslim.. You change your relegious [sic] because in Islamic relegious [sic]... These dress can not allowed.'

Another added: 'U are Muslim fear Allah. She mite as well sell her body for doin this disgustin pics sharam Kar ur Muslim not white girl [sic].'

One commented: 'Change your religion do what ever then shame on u Sara you was my inspiration but now I hate you Allah will give you punishment for this shame on you [sic].'

Shocking: Some Instagram users slammed the actress for wearing a bikini, telling her to 'change religion'

Proud of her curves: The 29-year-old model and actress often shows off her love of fashion on her social media accounts

Proud: In the past when she has been met with hate online, Ms Khan has told the trolls to show her and her friends respect

Ms Khan has previously replied to some of her followers who criticise her over her social media images, saying: We respect each one of you.

'We respect your thoughts, we respect what you feel but you guys should respect us too. We don't do any wrong purposely.'

Ms Khan, who also works as a model, rose to fame on Indian soap opera Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai where she played one of the main characters for three years.

In 2010 she was a contestant on Bigg Boss - the Indian version of Big Brother. While in the Bigg Boss house, she married TV actor Ali Merchant.

They divorced after two months and it was claimed that the couple were paid 5 million rupee (56,475) to get married on television.
A father and son's day out at the beach took an unusual turn when they uncovered a bomb.

James Crouch was with five-year-old Freddie in Reculver, near Minnis Bay, Kent when they came across the wartime Dambuster bouncing 'bomb'.

The prototype barrel-shaped Vickers type 464 bomb - code named Upkeep - is believed to have been dropped by an RAF Lancaster plane.

It is believed it was dropped in the weeks before the epic 1943 night time raid in the heart of Nazi Germany on May 16 and 17.

The test runs were carried out by Guy Gibson and his 617 Squadron crews.

The Dambusters bomb found by Jams Crouch and son Freddie, four, in Minnis Bay, Kent

It is believed to have been dropped by Guy Gibson's 617 Squadron on a test run for their famous 1943 mission

A 'bouncing bomb': The huge concrete filled bombs were used to destroy Hitler's dams

This footage shows one of the test runs over Reculver in 1943, when aircrew tested the revolutionary weapons

Four-tonne 'bombs' such as the one found on the beach were filled with concrete and dropped during top-secret test runs in locations across Britain.

They landed in places including Wales, the Lake District and Kent, ahead of the Operation Chastise bombing mission by 19 Allied planes and 133 crew.

Dambusters: Only eleven of nineteen Lancaster bombers returned after operations against Nazi Germany (Pictured above, one of the heroic crews)

Mr Crouch said: 'We went down there late this afternoon at about 5pm on the beach next to Reculver Drive.

'We walked down there to do some crabbing, but we spotted this cylindrical shape that stood out among the small rocks.

'It was mechanical and had obviously been there a long time because there were barnacles on it. We looked at it and thought it could be a bomb.

'We went to speak to the Herne Bay Coastguard and the person we spoke to said he'd call someone to find out what it was.

'By the time we left it had been covered up by the tide; so who knows what's going to happen to it.

'To me, it looked like a bomb, but I'm no expert. We went to a Dambusters exhibition at Herne Bay Museum this year and they had a replica.

'So when we saw it we thought it could be a Dambusters bomb.

'It's amazing. It is great to find such a piece of history when you are out looking for crabs. It's exciting.'

Coastguard officials were called after the father and son made the discovery in Reculver.

The bomb would have been dropped about 500 metres off the Kent coast as the crews honed their skills before launching their attack on Adolf Hitler's dams in the Ruhr Valley.

Only 11 of the 19 bombers that flew off to attack the Mohne, Edersee and Sorpe dams returned back to base.

Dambusters expert Dr Hugh Hunt, a Reader in Engineering Dynamics & Vibration at the University of Cambridge hailed the discovery as 'a piece of good British war history'.

The bomb was found by a father and son who were walking along the beach at Reculver near Minnis Bay

Dr Hunt said: 'They did lots of testing around the county with these bombs filled with concrete because they could not use explosives.

'If you go to the Imperial War Museum collection you will find things like that look like that but they still have the steel casing around the outside.

'What has happened here is the steel has rusted away and you are left with the concrete.

'Some would have been recovered immediately after the tests they did as they did not want anybody to find out about the mission.

'In the years after the war it would have been hushed up. They did not do testing in places for very long because they did not want to spoil the surprise. They tested at night.

'The idea was to test if they would bounce - they would bounce them towards the coast to make it easy to recover. It was all very top secret.

'The tests done in the immediate weeks before May 16 were with Lancasters, so almost certainly this one was dropped by a Lancaster.

'This is quite an important find. I hope it goes somewhere useful.'

A similar prototype Dambusters bomb sits outside the Petwood Hotel in Lincolnshire, which was once home to the of the legendary RAF 617 'Dambusters' Squadron.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: 'HM Coastguard is currently investigating reports of ordnance found at Reculver, Herne Bay.

At the moment the ordnance is covered by water but a Coastguard Rescue Team will be sent to investigate at the next low water, which is currently expected to be around 5pm today.'

The Dambusters: How bouncing bombs - and incredible flying by RAF pilots - flooded the Ruhr valley and delivered a crucial blow to the Nazi war machine On May 16, 1943, 19 Lancaster bomber crews gathered at a remote RAF station in Lincolnshire for a mission of extraordinary daring - a night-time raid on three heavily defended dams deep in Germany's industrial heartland. The dams were heavily fortified and needed the innovative bomb - which bounced on the water over torpedo nets and sank before detonating. To succeed, the raiders would have to fly across occupied Europe under heavy fire and then drop their bombs with awesome precision from a mere 60ft above the water. 19 Lancaster Bomber crews armed with Bouncing Bombs set off to attack several dams in Germany on May 16, 1943 The Eder Dam, pictured, was destroyed as part of Operation Chastise on the early hours of the morning on May 17, 1943 The Mohne and Eder Dams in the industrial heart of Germany were attacked and breached by mines dropped from specially modified Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron. The Sorpe dam was was also attacked by by two aircraft and damaged. A fourth dam, the Ennepe was reported as being attacked by a single aircraft (O-Orange), but with no damage. Up to 1,600 people were estimated to have been killed by floodwaters and eight of the 19 aircraft dispatched failed to return with the loss of 53 aircrew and 3 taken prisoner of war. Wg Cdr Guy Gibson, Officer Commanding No. 617 Sqn, was awarded the VC for his part in leading the attack. The raid, orchestrated by Guy Gibson and the RAF's 617 'Dambuster' Squadron, was seen as a major victory for the British, and Wing Commander Gibson is recognised as one of the war's most revered heroes. Their success was immortalised in the classic 1955 film The Dambusters, its thrilling theme tune and gung-ho script evoking the best of British derring-do. Eight of the bomber crews were lost while a further three were forced to turn back. Of the 133 men sent out, 53 were killed and three were taken prisoner by the Nazis Now you can experience the adrenaline of the Dambusters raid in a new virtual reality ride The public are being invited to recreate the Dambusters raid aboard a Lancaster Bomber in a new virtual reality experience. Users are transported through the historic moment, with the ability to see inside and outside the aircraft as it attacks the Mohne Dam, at the Royal Air Force Museum London. Operation Chastise took place in the early hours of May 17, 1943, destroying three heavily-protected dams in the Ruhr valley. The museum enlisted its team of historians to make Dambusters: Immersive Histories as historically accurate as possible. The new ride offers users the opportunity to experience the conditions onboard one of Guy Gibson's Lancaster bombers It is based on real people and events aboard a No. 617 Squadron Lancaster Bomber during Operation Chastise, piloted by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Kris Hendrix, a historian at the museum, said: 'This is not just a video game slowed down. 'This is a very truthful, historical document, so the people you see inside the Lancaster are based on real people. 'We know their names, we know where they were born, we know their ranks. 'You can actually see them, you hear their accent, over the intercom there is an Australian accent  an Australian bomb aimer who you see in the front. The bouncing bombs were spun backwards so they would sink tight to the dam wall to focus the explosive force 'Even a lot of the conversations, which have been written down, are all there.' Visitors can wear haptic vests, which replicate the vibrations from the Lancasters Merlin engine. Two people can take part in the experience, in the place of flight lieutenant Robert Hutchison, a wireless operator, and Harlo Torger Taerum, a navigator. Operation Chastise was hailed a success after two of the dams, the Eder and the Mohne, were breached. They released 300 million tonnes of water. The parapet of the Sorpe dam was damaged, although there was no breach. A total 19 aircraft and 133 aircrew took part in the raid, and 53 died. Many hundreds of civilians were killed. Advertisement

The astonishing interactive map that shows EVERY German bomb dropped on London during WW2 Blitz

If you've ever wondered how close London's landmarks came to being blown up in the Blitz, a new interactive map has the answer.

The Bomb Sight project allows people to zoom in on a map of the capital to see the damage inflicted during the heaviest period of bombing by German planes.

It was created by a collaboration between Dr Catherine Jones of the University of Portsmouth and the The National Archives, and funded by the charity JISC.

Try the interactive map below

The site can tell people exactly when their area was hit, and even show photos from the period.

'The Bomb Sight project is mapping the London WW2 bomb census between 7/10/1940 and 06/06/1941,' the team say on their site.

'Previously available only by viewing in the Reading Room at The National Archives, Bomb Sight is making the maps available to citizen researchers, academics and students wanting to explore where the bombs fell and to discover memories and photographs from the period.

SO HOW DID THEY DO IT? The project has scanned original 1940s bomb census maps, geo-referenced the maps to add their exact location. The team then digitally captured the geographical locations of all the falling bombs recorded on the original map, and created an easy to use website and app to display it. Advertisement

'We have combined the location of each of the falling bombs over an 8 month period of the London Blitz together with geo-located photographs from the Imperial War Museum and Geo-located Memories from the BBC WW2 People's war archive.

The Bomb Sight is using the Bomb Census Map.

The maps are part of an extensive array of material collected during the Bomb Census Survey 1940 to 1945, organised by the Ministry of Home Security, and are held in The National Archive.

Users can manipulate the statistics and see different data, ranging from the entire census to only those bombs dropped.

'You can explore statistics for different areas and see how many bombs fell in different wards and boroughs in London as well as read memories of Londoners contributed to the BBC WW2 People's War and images from the Imperial War Museum to allow you to visualise what it was like in London at such a difficult time.'

THE BLITZ IN LONDON - A MILLION HOMES HIT AND 40,000 CIVILIANS KILLED The Blitz (from the German word, 'lightning') was the most intense bombing campaign Britain has ever seen. Between 7 September 1940 and 21 May 1941 there were major raids with more than 100 tonnes of high explosives were dropped on 16 British cities. London, was attacked 71 times and bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights. More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged, and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, almost half of them in London Birmingham, Liverpool and Plymouth were also hit eight times, Bristol six, Glasgow five, Southampton four, Portsmouth three, and there was also at least one large raid on another eight cities. Deeply-buried shelters provided the most protection against a direct hit, although the government in 1939 refused to allow tube stations to be used as shelters so as not to interfere with commuter and troop travel. However, by the second week of heavy bombing the government relented and ordered the stations to be opened. Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4 pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations, and by mid-September 1939 about 150,000 a night slept in the Underground. Despite the blanket bombing of the capital, some landmarks remained intact - such as St Pauls Cathedral (right), which was virtually unharmed, despite many buildings around it being reduced to rubble during the 57 nights of raid. Advertisement

The team has also created a mobile phone version that overlays bomb information onto a live video feed taken from the phone's camera, and using GPS to pinpoint the location.
Gregory John Richardson (pictured) was arrested at a house in his pyjamas after being accused of raping several women across three decades

This is the tow truck driver who was arrested at a house in his pyjamas after being accused of raping a dozen people across three decades.

Gregory John Richardson allegedly raped girls as young as 14-years-old between 1989 and 2007 and is a suspect in 20 incidents.

The 51-year-old was arrested Thursday morning and led away from a house in Epping, in north-west Sydney, after tests allegedly revealed 'forensic links' between four sexual assault cold cases.

New South Wales Police allege the man sexually assaulted 12 victims aged between 14 and 40-years-old.

Scroll down for video

The tow-truck driver was arrested after DNA allegedly linked him to four sexual assault cold cases, making him a suspect in 20 other rapes over last three decades (pictured is the arrest)

About 20 kilometres north-west of the city, two assaults allegedly occurred in Beecroft in 1989 and four in Cheltenham between 1994 and 2004.

Another assault allegedly happened in Hornsby in 2007 while three other incidents allegedly took place near Wahroonga, Epping and Macquarie Park from 2004 to 2007, 9News reported.

The alleged perpetrator didn't know the victims who were targeted in 'predator-style attacks'.

Child abuse and sex crimes detectives squad established Strikeforce Petit in June to re-investigate the historic assaults.

Police are reexamining a number of other sex attacks in the area dating back to the 1980s.

Detective Superintendent John Kerlate said the alleged victims had put the assaults behind them but the arrest had 'reignited some of those initial feelings'.

'It was mixed emotions, some of them very relieved, some were grateful of the progress and sadly some of them very emotional,' he said.

The 51-year-old was led from a home in Epping, north-west Sydney, in handcuffs at 7am on Thursday after being arrested by detectives from Strike Force Petit (pictured is the arrest)

A neighbour told 9News Mr Richardson's arrest came as 'a shock' while another person said they often helped 'feed his dog' and had a 'key to his house' for when he is out of town.

The 51-year-old reportedly lived at the house with his mother, but she has since died.

The breakthrough came after a review of four cold cases which were previously linked by tendency and modus operandi, police said.

After the man's arrest police executed search warrants at two properties in nearby Ryde and Berrilee.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad swooped after new forensic evidence emerged allegedly linked four historic rapes in Ryde area between 1989 and 2007 (pictured is the arrest)

Strike Force Petit detectives was joined by heavily armed officers from the North West Metropolitan Region Operations Support Group.

The tow-truck driver was escorted down the stairs of his home in handcuffs while wearing his pyjamas, and was taken to Ryde Police Station.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.

The search warrants are still underway and enquiries are continuing.
The brother of a 12-year-old victim of the Omagh bomb has called for the killers to finally face justice.

James Barker died in the Real IRA blast which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, in the Co Tyrone town on August 15 1998.

The Barker family had moved from England to Buncrana, County Donegal, less than a year before the bombing in the hope of giving them a better quality of life close to their maternal grandmother.

Oliver Barker, now a 24-year-old estate agent who lives in Surrey, was just four-years old when his older brother James was killed in the terrorist attack whilst out on a field trip with other children.

No one has ever been found guilty of the bombing- which was the single worst atrocity during the Troubles.

The most recent case against Seamus Daly collapsed in March 2016, with families fearful the killers will never face justice for what they did to their loved ones.

Police officers and firefighters inspect the damage caused by the explosion at Market Street, Omagh

A picture of 12-year-old James Barker, who was killed in the Omagh bombing. His brother has called for the killers to finally face justice

Oliver Barker, pictured with his parents Victor and Donna-Maria during a funeral procession for his brother in August 1998 at St Mary's church, in Buncrana, County Donegal

Oliver Barker, 24, is the younger brother of James Barker, the only English victim of the Omagh bomb. Mr Barker went to visit the scene ahead of the 20th anniversary and has called for justice for his brother and the other victims

Mr Barker said the family had been enjoying their life in Ireland prior to the blast.

He said: 'It was a fantastic time. The months that we lived in Ireland before the Omagh bombing was picturesque in every ideal.

'And it's just a shame that unfortunately that changed quite significantly from that day onward,' he said.

With the 20-year anniversary of the atrocity just days away, Mr Barker said he recently travelled to Omagh and the scene of the bomb.

'I was able to revisit it with my mother. And for us, and indeed for myself, it was an experience that was hugely cathartic.

'It allowed me to walk the streets that so many years ago had been obliterated in what was an event that would change the lives of everybody involved,' he said.

A patient being airlifted from Tyrone County Hospital to Belfast Royal Hospital after the car bomb exploded in Omagh

A scene of the destruction at Omagh on Main Street. No one has ever been found guilty of the bombing- which was the single worst atrocity during the Troubles

Security experts inspect the scene of the Omagh bomb the day after the attack. The charred remains of the vehicle can be seen in the background

The Omagh bombing inflicted the greatest loss of life of any terror atrocity in the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles and came just months after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The fight for justice for the victims of the Omagh bombing In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, then Prime Minister Tony Blair said the bombers would be 'pursued to the utmost' and a huge cross border investigation was launched. Despite the intensive search costing millions nobody has ever been convicted of the bombing, and families are still waiting for justice. In terms of criminal prosecutions Sean Hoey, from Jonesborough in County Armagh, was found not guilty of all charges against him in December 2007. On January 24 2008 Northern Ireland's former police chief apologised to victims families for there not being a conviction. In June 2009, the families of the four children killed in the bombing- James Barker, Samantha McFarland, Lorraine Wilson and Breda Devine, launched a civil action against the suspects identified in a BBC Panorama documentary played earlier that year called 'Who Bombed Omagh?' The civil case concluded against suspects Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly- with them being found liable for 1.6 million in damages. The most recent criminal prosectuion was brought against Seamus Daly in April 2014 but was withdrawn in February 2016 after the PPS admitted there was 'no reasonable prospect of conviction' Advertisement

The dead came from both sides of the Irish border, England and Spain.

Despite extensive police investigations, nobody has been convicted of murder.

Mr Barker said the lack of convictions has been 'very frustrating', adding that he believes there are people who have crucial information about what happened.

'I think it's almost definitive that that's the case,' he said, as he urged anyone with information 'to do the honourable thing and to come forward'.

He said: 'The names, the places, the times. So that the criminal justice system can run its course and so the families could get the justice that they need.'

Despite the pain of losing his brother in an attack in Northern Ireland, Mr Barker said he has nothing but love for the place.

'I love Ireland and I love Northern Ireland. And the people of Ireland as well. And on both sides there are people that have put in their life into bringing justice and supporting peace.

'And I think they above everyone else should be congratulated for their efforts.

'I don't think that the actions of a few individuals should ever represent a race or a creed, and I think anybody that believes that and lets hatred and discrimination rule their lives is unfortunately quite foolish, because at the end of the day, men and women around the world are responsible for their own actions, and we cannot hold to an account an entire country for the actions of only a few people.

'And whenever I have visited both southern and Northern Ireland I have been only ever welcomed with warmth and with love, and the people there are unlike any other people in the world.

'They are jolly, and they are pleasant, and they will happily have a 20-minute conversation with you having never met you before in their life, which is great.'

Mr Barker said he will spend August 15 with his family.

Nurse Joann McCullagh describes treating Omagh bomb victims as 'darkest day' of her life Sister Joann McCullagh pictured at Omagh Hospital. She was a staff nurse at the Tyrone County Hospital in 1988 and treating victims of the bombing A nurse working at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh the day of the bomb has recalled it as the 'darkest' of her life. Sister Joann McCullagh was then a staff nurse, and says she is proud to have been on duty that day, and also proud of how the people of Omagh pulled together and supported each other. She had been relaxing at home on that Saturday afternoon following a week of night shifts when she heard about the bomb and immediately returned to the hospital. When she arrived at A&E, she was greeted with chaos. 'There were multiple people screaming and cars everywhere, buses coming, it was chaos,' she said. 'There was no concept of time, it was just a mass of people coming through the doors, people asking for loved ones. 'One of my memories was Mr Pinto [a surgeon] asking me to get a priest. I recall at the bottom of the stairs, there were hundreds of people, roaring, shouting, crying, screaming for loved ones. 'I recall seeing a priest, I remember reaching over this mass of people dragging him up the stairs. 'When we got to the theatre door, there was a red line, he stopped and said, 'you can't enter theatre', I remember going, 'I need you now', and pulling him into the theatre. He was obviously giving last rites to one of the unfortunate victims.' One of Ms McCullagh's most poignant memories was transporting a seriously ill patient to Belfast. 'The patient had very traumatic leg injuries, I recall taking this lady via helicopter,' she said. 'Her husband had got to the door of ward 12 just as we were about to get into the helicopter, he ran out to say cheerio to her. Prince Charles meets Sister Joann McCullagh at Omagh hospital. She has recalled the day of the bombing as the 'darkest' of her life 'As I was getting into the aircraft, and the noise, every time I see a helicopter I remember that noise, I'd never been in a helicopter before and the army personnel were exceptionally good, they were supporting us in every way. 'I recall landing at Musgrave Park, and the silence, the unbearable silence. 'We got into an ambulance and were taken to the Royal [Victoria Hospital], and there was just this deafening silence. 'When I got to the Royal, I was taken with the patient, her name was Geraldine, into the Resus area. 'I recall Geraldine holding my hand and squeezing it, I remember praying to her, and saying, 'Geraldine, you are going to be alright', then the whole team engulfed the area and then I was left aside.' Geraldine Breslin later died from her injuries. Years later, Ms McCullagh met members of her family and formed a lasting friendship. Ms McCullagh said she is proud of how the town came together in that dark hour. 'It was the people of this town, our friends, family, our loved ones, neighbours, friends - everyone knew everyone because we are a small community,' she said. 'We just worked and worked and worked, I went home, I think it was about 4.30am in the morning. 'It was the darkest day of my life, but the nursing and clinical care given on that day was exceptional. 'I'm very proud to have been a nurse on that day, as I am so proud of the people of this town. 'We had to deal with an unbelievable horrendous incident, but as a town and a community we worked tirelessly together, and that cannot be emphasised enough.' Advertisement
Homeless people could be given barcodes to allow people to donate money with their smartphones.

A new project, currently being trialled in Oxford, has come up with a novel way of helping homeless people get off the streets amid an ever-growing cashless society.

Social enterprise Greater Change has created the revolutionary mechanism which allows the public to donate as much money as they wish to homeless people, directly from their phone.

Homeless people could be given barcodes to allow people to donate money with their smartphones

Those who sign up to the scheme are given a QR code to wear, much like the ones used on online tickets, which links directly to a restricted fund to be spent only on agreed targets.

A case worker co-manages the donations to ensure the money is spent only on the goals, such as rent deposit or documentation including passports.

The project is currently being run around Oxford city centre and it is backed by Oxford University and the city's Said Business School.

Greater Change founder Alex McMallion said: 'The problem we're trying to solve here is that we live in an increasingly cashless society.

Social enterprise Greater Change has created the revolutionary mechanism which allows the public to donate as much money as they wish to homeless people, directly from their phone

'As well as this, when people give, they worry about what that money might be spent on.

How will the barcodes work? Greater Change will work alongside case workers and charities to hand out the QR codes so the public can donate as much money as they wish to homeless people, directly from their smartphones. Donating using the Greater Change app, people can scan the homeless person's barcode, which is handed out on a lanyard. Donating using the Greater Change app, people can scan the homeless person's barcode The donor will then see a biography of the homeless person on their phone screen, describing how they ended up on the streets, and their goals. An amount can then be chosen by the donor and sent. Donations can then be made directly from the phone, using any browser or the designated app. Advertisement

'So the solution we've come up with is a giving mechanism through your smartphone to a restricted fund.'

Earlier this year, The Big said increasingly cashless payments are contributing to a decline in sales for its magazine, which is sold by homeless people, as it trials contactless solutions.

Russell Blackman, the Big Issues managing director, said that they are looking into ways to roll out cashless payments to all its vendors.

'It is vital that we develop the right contactless solution for our vendors, ensuring that they can get instant access to their funds, even if they dont have their own bank account due to a lack of permanent address,' he said.

Alex added: 'Having spoken to a number of people about it, some are comfortable with the bar code, and some people aren't.

'But it's entirely up to individuals how they display their bar code - be it on the lanyard, or handing them out or putting them on a sign. People can use it in the way they wish.'

Neil Coyle MP, the Labour co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ending Homelessness told The Telegraph : 'Necessity has again become the mother of invention and now there is an app to try and help generate more public donations to homeless people.'

Yet he continued that with homelessness escalating in recent years, the app will fail to help tackle the broader issues such as a lack of drug and alcohol cessation programmes, affordable housing and mental health care.
Two parents are furious after their two unaccompanied children, aged seven and nine, were taken to a hotel room by an airline employee without telling them after bad weather diverted their Frontier flight.

Carter Gray, nine, and Etta Gray, seven, were on a flight from Des Moines, Iowa, to Orlando International Airport on July 22 where they were due to meet their mother, Jennifer Ignash.

The children were onboard Frontier flight 1756 which was due to arrive in Orlando at 10.46pm but after the aircraft was forced to circle for 45 minutes due to severe weather, before being diverted to Atlanta.

Chad Gray is furious that his unaccompanied children, aged seven and nine, were taken a hotel room by an airline employee without telling him after bad weather diverted their Frontier flight

After the children failed to arrive Jennifer says she couldn't contact her children or airline staff to find out what happened.

The first that the parents heard from their children was when Carter managed to borrow another child's cellphone to call his father Chad Gray after midnight on July 23.

The parents say their kids were taken to hotel where they were placed in separate rooms with older children they did not know. During that time, Chad says all his kids were offered was water and Rice Krispies treats.

'At least give them some Chick-fil-A,' their dad told the Sun Sentinel.

The kids were eventually given a voucher for breakfast at McDonald's the following morning, and took a flight that landed in Orlando about 1pm.

Chad, 42, said the whole ordeal was chaotic and had left his children upset and suffering nightmares.

Carter Gray, nine, and Etta Gray, seven, were on a flight from Des Moines, Iowa, to Orlando International Airport on July 22

But when the aircraft had to be diverted, the siblings were taken to a hotel in Atlanta - without the airline informing their parents

'No supervisor tried to call us, no phone calls, no emails, nothing like that ever took place,' he said during an appearance on the Today show on Thursday.

'We were really in the dark.'

Gray was also concerned that his daughter was not in a booster seat during the car ride from the airport to the hotel, something required by law, and says the were not properly supervised in the hotel rooms.

'I think there needs to be set policies and procedures put in place,' he said. 'I think they probably escaped this incident with very little damage, but that may not be the case if it happens again.'

He said that staff should have been 'overly protective of these children' - making sure that the kids were comfortable and that the parents were aware of what was happening.

Chad said that this was the first - and would likely be the last - time his children had flown unaccompanied. And he had a warning for other parents thinking of putting their children on flights by themselves.

A spokesman for Frontier claimed that the children were in contact with their parents and were attended to 'at all times' by a Frontier supervisor

'Parents definitely need to do a little more research about this, and worry about it more.

'Never in our wildest dreams did we think this would happen. It was really a disaster.'

Atlanta aviation attorney Alan Armstrong also questioned why the pilot would fly to Atlanta when he knew it was closed.

A spokesman for Frontier claimed that the children were in contact with their parents and were attended to 'at all times' by a Frontier supervisor. He added that they were provided food during the unexpected stopover.

'We understand how an unexpected delay caused by weather can be stressful for a parent and our goal is to help passengers get to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible,' they said in a statement.
Drink drivers killed or injured over 9,000 people in a single year in Great Britain, new figures out today reveal.

Boozy motorists were responsible for injuries to some 9,040 people in 2016, the highest number since 2012 and up significantly on the 8,470 the year before.

And experts estimated drink drive motorists killed 230 people - up on the 200 the year before.

The figures will spark alarm as they show that after several years of falling drink drive accidents the number has started to pick up again.

This means that almost a seventh (13 per cent) of all deaths in road accidents in 2016 were because of drink driving.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at road safety charity Brake, called for the Government to take tougher action on drink drivers in the wake of today's figures.

Police numbers have fallen considerably in recent years amid squeezed budgets, with the number of traffic officers falling by 24 per cent since 2012, according to reports.

Boozy motorists were responsible for injuries to some 9,040 people in 2016, the highest number since 2012 and up significantly on the 8,470 the year before

He said: 'How many more lives must be needlessly lost before the Government acts on drink-driving?

'Today's figures show that drink-driving is an increasing blight on British roads and yet the Government sits on its hands and refuses to address the issue.'

What is the law on drink driving in Britain and how does it compare to other countries? England and Wales has among the most lenient drink driving laws in Europe. Motorists are allowed to have 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. This does not translate into a fixed number of drinks as people of different ages, weights and alcohol tolerance process drink at different rates. However, as a rule of thumb most drivers drinking would limit themselves to around one pint or one glass of wine. But ministers have faced calls to change the law so that drivers are not allowed to consume any alcohol before they get behind the wheel - or at least far less. In most other European countries, the limit is less, usually 50 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood3. The alcohol limit for drivers in Scotland is lower than in the rest of the UK after they lowered it to 50 milligrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood in December 2014. Advertisement

The charity pointed out that England allows drivers to have more alcohol in their blood when they go driving than nearly any other European country - joint top with Malta.

They warn this risks lulling drivers into a false sense of security over how much they can drink, and some get behind the wheel having had too many glasses.

Mr Harris said the Government should change the law so that drivers are not allowed to consume any alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

He said: 'Only this zero-tolerance approach can create the change required to rid our roads of the menace of drink-driving.

'The current drink-driving limit gives a false impression that it is safe to drink and drive  this is a dangerous message and one that couldn't be further from the truth.

'Research has shown even very small amounts of alcohol dramatically affect safe driving - drivers with levels of alcohol in their blood just half the current legal limit are at least twice more likely to die in a crash than those with no alcohol at all.'

'Our current drink-driving law lacks clarity, is badly understood and supports the perception that mixing alcohol and driving is acceptable  this needs to change.

'Brake is calling for the Government to implement an effective zero tolerance drink-drive limit of 20mg per 100ml of blood, making clear to drivers that not a drop of alcohol is safe.'

More people are injured in drink drive accidents in wales than in any other part of Great Britain, at 6.1 per cent, the figures show.

This was followed by Scotland at 5.3 per cent and England at 4.9 per cent.

The figures will alarm ministers including theresa May (pictured yesterday with primnnce Wilkiam at a remembrance service for a World War

Within England, the South West had the highest rate at 6.2 per cent while Greater London had the lowest at 2.2 per cent.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: 'Drink driving is completely unacceptable, which is why there are tough penalties and rigorous enforcement in place for those who do this.

'The latest statistics do not show a statistically significant increase in drink driving fatalities.

'Britain has some of the safest roads in the world and the number of fatalities has fallen by 44 per cent over the last ten years, but we are determined to do more.'
An Australian tourist who was allegedly sexually assaulted by staff in her own Bali hotel room has revealed the difficulty she's had proving her case to authorities - as she reflects on the things she wishes she'd done differently at the time.

Bonnie was just two days into her 20th birthday trip to Seminyak with her older sister Cody when the incident reportedly took place.

While Cody was drinking and playing Jenga with staff in the foyer of the 7 Rooms Seminyak hotel, Bonnie claims she was followed to her room, pinned down on her bed and indecently assaulted by a hotel employee, The Feed reports.

Scroll down for video

Bonnie (left) was just two days into her trip to Seminyak, Bali with her older sister Cody (right) when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by staff in her own hotel room

Despite security footage filmed at the hotel in the moments leading up to the incident, the sisters have had difficulty presenting evidence that the assault took place

'I found my sister really upset and she told me straight away that one of the attendants there had followed her into the bedroom... and sexually assaulted her' Cody recalled.

'We were going to go to the authorities but my sister was too scared to go through that kind of thing over there because we were unsure of what the system's like over there.'

The sisters decided not to go to local police at the time, and checked into another hotel.

They also didn't think to seek consular advice or have a medical examination done - an error that has since made it extremely difficult for the girls to prove the sexual assault took place.

While there is security footage from the 7 Rooms lobby that shows a member of hotel staff following Bonnie towards her room, she also appears to gesture to him moments before - and anything that happens afterwards remains undocumented.

The owner of the 7 Rooms Seminyak hotel denies the allegations, saying: 'There is no clear evidence about anything that can show that the girl was forced to do something she didn't want to do... [The sisters] didn't even go to the police'

The hotel owner, meanwhile, vehemently denies the assault allegations.

While he admits that an interaction took place between Bonnie and an employee, he insists it was entirely consensual.

'There is no clear evidence about anything that can show that the girl was forced to do something she didn't want to do,' he said. '[The sisters] didn't even go to the police.'

It was only when Bonnie and Cody had returned home to Australia that they got in touch with Australian consular services.

But without witnesses or a medical report, it's a case that is extremely difficult to support with evidence.

If nothing else, the sisters are hoping that their story can serve as a warning to other travellers who are caught in similar situations.

'I can't picture any other girl going through that,' said Bonnie. 'It's horrible and it's horrid and I don't want anyone else to go through that.'
Thomas Lon Owens III, 18, was arrested on Wednesday after he was found trespassing an Indiana high school with knives

An Indiana teenager wandering the halls of an high school he didn't attend with 10 knives strapped to his body has been arrested.

Thomas Lon Owens III, 18, was arrested after he was caught passing through Central High School in Muncie, Indiana on Wednesday.

School resource officer Brandon Qualls noticed the teen walking the halls in a leather jacket with a knife sheath sticking out.

Qualls was told that a 'white male was wandering the school halls and had been trespassed from the school before'.

Then he apprehended Owens shortly after students were dismissed for the day around 3:20pm.

Owens was preliminary charged with trespassing and 10 counts of possession of knives on school property, according to AZ Central.

He was found with 10 knives 'strapped to his body in different positions that were concealed by his leather coat' and 'a set of lock picks'.

Owens said that he had 'no intention of hurting anyone at the school', according to an arrest affidavit.

The evidence: A police photo shows the shocking number of knives Owens had strapped onto his body in different positions, as well as a set of lock picks

He added that he always wears his leather jacket, even in the summer months and always carries several knives.

His mother also backed up his statement about the leather jacket and knives.

Owens also admitted that earlier in the year he was told to not return to the high school. He added he hasn't been a student at any city school 'for a few years'.

He visited Central High anyways after having a Facebook conversation with a Central High student and came to 'hang out' with that friend.

He said he visited Central High School in Muncie seeking a friend he talked with on Facebook, even though he had previously trespassed school grounds and was told not to return

He claimed that when he didn't immediately see the student he began to wander the halls.

He allowed officers to comb through his cellphone and Facebook activity. Police confirmed that they found 'no evidence of radicalization or searches for mass shootings/stabbings'.

His trespassing charge could land him a year in jail. The knife-related charges could result in 180-day jail sentence.

He is being held on $12,500 bond.
A drug addict gave birth in a Burger King bathroom while allegedly overdosing on heroin, thinking she had miscarried.

Police in Chillicothe, Ohio, had to save the baby boy from drowning after they discovered him lying in the toilet bowl when they burst in looking for her.

Officers first found Zachary Frey passed out at the wheel of his purple Saturn Ion, which was still running, at the front of the outlet about 2.30pm on Friday.

A drug addict gave birth in a Burger King bathroom while allegedly overdosing on heroin, thinking she had miscarried (the baby is pictured being cared for in an ambulance afterwards)

The 26-year-old was drooling, had slurred speech, pinpoint pupils, and kept 'nodding off', according to the police report.

Another officer and medic rushed inside following up on a report that a woman went into the toilet but hadn't come out.

'There's a guy that looks like he's OD-ing in my parking lot, he's in the front and his girlfriend is in the bathroom and it looks like she's on something,' the 911 caller said.

They found Elizabeth Sanders, 26, sitting on the toilet with a ball of heroin allegedly laying on the floor beside her.

Officers first found Zachary Frey passed out at the wheel of his purple Saturn Ion, which was still running, at the front of the outlet in Chillicothe, Ohio, about 2.30pm on Friday

Another officer and medic rushed inside following up on a report that a woman went into the toilet but hadn't come out

She told them she thought she had a miscarriage but when the officer looked into the bowl he saw the baby lying face up.

He told Sanders to stand up but when she did the baby rolled over so his head was underwater and they had to quickly fish him out before he drowned.

Paramedics had to cut the umbilical cord while the baby was still in the toilet, according to ABC 6.

Body camera footage showed officers treating Sanders on the toilet while she was unresponsive, with blood everywhere.

'Due to her level of impairment she was completely unaware or believed to be unaware she was giving birth at the time. She didn't become aware of it until later on in the hospital,' Sergeant Pete Shaw said.

Body camera footage showed officers treating Sanders on the toilet while she was unresponsive, with blood everywhere

Officers and medics cart Sanders out of the toilet on a stretcher and take her to hospital after she gave birth

The toilet where Sanders gave birth, after it was cleaned up

Chillicothe Police Captain Larry Bamfield on Tuesday said the baby was still being treated at Adena Medical Center but was expected to recover.

However, it was not clear what would be done with the newborn after he was released from hospital.

Sanders was arrested upon leaving hospital on an outstanding warrant for allegedly stealing cash from her bar-tending job in March.

She was released without bail on Monday after pleading not guilty and did not yet face any new charges over the Burger King birth.

Police enter the Burger King with a stretcher that Sanders was then put on and taken to hospital

Frey refused medical attention and was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia

Neighbors said Sanders went to rehab in the past but it 'didn't help'.

Frey refused medical attention and was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He may face more charges if the substance in a baggie found in his shorts pocket turns out to be heroin as police suspected.

Frey that morning appeared in court on misdemeanor theft and criminal trespass charges, and had another drug driving conviction in 2017.
Drastic: Kamel Guemari doused himself in petrol and threatened to burn himself alive

A French McDonalds worker doused his body in petrol and threatened to burn himself alive if he lost his job with the fast-food outlet.

Kamel Guemari faces the sack along with 76 colleagues in Saint-Barthelemy, a suburb of Marseille in southern France, as McDonald's is closing the franchise.

In protest, Guemari poured petrol over himself and locked himself into a toilet of the McDonalds branch.

I choose to die standing rather go through this misfortune, to see these people without a job, said Mr Guemari said in a video broadcast live on social media from inside the cubicle.

'Im ready to give up my life to save jobs.

Other staff and customers meanwhile began screaming in panic, before being evacuated by police.

McDonalds played a big part in my life, said Mr Guemari.

I dont want to believe that this restaurant will no long want to give a chance to people living here.

As he spoke, others could be heard crying, fearing that he was about to end his own life.

In his live broadcast, Mr Guemari demanded to speak to Socialist Senator Samia Ghali and MP Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the France Unbowed Party and they both called to try to persuade him not to hurt himself.

After an hour and a half of negotiations, firefighters rushed in and stopped Mr Guemari igniting the petrol with a lighter.

The siege ended with Mr Guemari saying: 'I did it for the 77 employees.'

Mr Guemari and his 76 colleagues in Saint-Barthelemy, a suburb of Marseille in southern France, are set to lose their jobs as McDonald's is closing the franchise where they work

Mr Guemari was part of a group of demonstrators from the Force Ouvriere (Worker Strength) trade union that stormed the restaurant where many of them currently work full-time.

The area suffers from high levels of unemployment and poverty, and many of the McDonalds workers feel they will be thrown on to the scrapheap.

A Marseille police spokesman said: The man who locked himself in to toilet, and threatened to burn himself alive, came out after negotiations.

'Hes now safe and sound. A perimeter set up by police around the restaurant has now been lifted.

Mr Guemari was inspected by medical teams at the scene, but suffered no serious injuries and was not arrested.

McDonalds has been operating in France since 1979, and runs 1380 outlets in the country, where it is affectionately known as 'McDo'.

It has now shut the one in Saint-Barthelemy, which is destined to become an Asian food restaurant.

The handover to new owners was meant to take place on Wednesday, but supporters of Mr Guemari and his colleagues have hired a lawyer to try and block the change of ownership. They will present their case at a civil court in Marseille on August 20th.
Tuesday's most closely watched election got more interesting Wednesday night when Ohio officials said they found 588 uncounted votes in a tight congressional race.

Republican Troy Balderson needed an endorsement and in-person campaign appearance by President Donald Trump to pull himself across the finish line Tuesday with a 1,754-vote lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor.

After processing an additional 588 votes, O'Connor now trails by just 1,564  out of more than 203,000 cast. State law triggers an automatic recount if the margin of victory is less than 0.5 percentage points  a threshold that now stands at 1,015.

The board of elections for Franklin County, Ohio, which includes the state capital Columbus, said its 'routine preliminary audit' of Tuesday's results turned up the additional votes in a single voting location that 'had not been processed into the tabulation system.'

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  and the race just got closer

The Franklin County, Ohio Board of Elections announced Wednesday night that it had found 588 votes, a batch that shrunk Balderson's lead by 190

Franklin County voters use automated systems to cast their ballots, with each voter given a 'personal electronic ballot' (PEB) to plug into a voting machine.

After polls close, election officials use a 'master PEB' to collect and store the totals from each machine, which are later checked against each machine's flash drive.

Hard-copy printouts and yet another digital copy on a computer at the polling place serve as additional redundant safeguards and help officials spot missing data later.

One voting location 'had two master PEBs, only one of which was read and processed into the tabulation system on Election Night,' county officials said.

O'Connor's campaign smelled blood Wednesday night, issuing an appeal for a new round of campaign contributions.

'We just netted 190 VOTES from Franklin County!' a tweet read. 'We're confident DANNY WILL WIN once ALL the votes are counted, but we spent EVERYTHING we had on the Special Election. Please donate $5 to make sure EVERY LAST VOTE is counted fairly.'

The Balderson-O'Connor contest, a special election for one of Ohio's 16 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, could get tighter still when nearly 8,500 absentee and provisional ballots are counted later this month. That won't happen until at least August 18.

The Ohio Secretary of State's official election manual says elections boards must wait until the 11th day after polls close to make results official, a process that includes absentee and provisional ballots that were not opened on Election Day

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. Voters in those situations are given provisional ballots on Election Day.

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.

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,' he said at a post-election party.

The Ohio contest is 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 with a statewide business group.

The 12th district, split between suburban Columbus and more 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 had wiped out most of Balderson's lead in opinion polls by Election Day. A Democratic win would have set off alarm bells for Republicans already worried by a series of weak performances in Trump-era special elections.

'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.

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 had tried to paint O'Connor, a local county official, as a liberal who would follow House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

O'Connor walked a more moderate line, however, saying he wants new party leadership in Congress and would work with Republicans despite criticizing their December 2017 tax cut.
The Puerto Rican government has admitted more than 1,400 people were killed in Hurricane Maria, far more than the previously reported official toll of 64.

The admission was made in a report to Congress filed last week seeking $139billion to help the island recover from last year's devastating storm.

The government, relying on updated statistics it first reported in June, said there were 1,427 more deaths from September to December 2017 than the average for the same time period over the previous four years.

The report claims that the additional deaths resulted from the effects of a storm that led to a 'cascading failures' in infrastructure across the island of 3.3 million people.

The Puerto Rican government has revealed that Hurricane Maria killed more than 1,400, a much higher number than the previously reported death toll of just 64. Pictured: A child shines a light on hundreds of shoes at a memorial for those killed by last year's devastating storm

Hurricane Maria, as well as Hurricane Irma two weeks later, knocked out power and water to the island and caused widespread flooding that left many sick and elderly people unable to get medical treatment.

'The hurricanes' devastating effects on people's health and safety cannot be overstated,' the government said in the report seeking assistance from Congress to help rebuild an island that was already struggling from a deep economic crisis at the time of the storm.

In the weeks after the storm, Puerto Rican officials said the storm directly caused 64 deaths, many in landslides or flooding. But they have long publicly said that far more people died due to indirect effects of the powerful storm.

The more exact number has been a matter of debate and the government itself released the 1,427 count in June. But it said it would wait to update its official tally until receiving a report it commissioned from George Washington University. That report is due in coming weeks.

The hushed acknowledgement of the higher death toll in the new report comes after several other reports have indicated much higher tolls, including one study released by Harvard University in June which found there were at least 4,645 deaths based on family interviews.

Most of the deaths occurred not in the initial storm on September 20, but in the ensuing days and weeks when the island-wide electricity outage and roads blocked by downed power lines and other debris made it difficult to move around and emergency services were stretched beyond their capabilities.

A report in October revealed that the Puerto Rican government was permitting funeral homes and crematoriums to burn the bodies of people who they say died as a result of Hurricane Maria  but those people were not counted in the death toll.

The directors say in many cases they don't know how to classify hurricane-related deaths, or whether they should send bodies to the central institute certifying official hurricane deaths, the Institute of Forensic Sciences.
A man who was molested by a female teacher when he was 15 has been awarded $2.1million by a California jury.

Former Crawford High School Spanish teacher Toni Sutton was sentenced to two years in prison in 2016 for sexually abusing a student identified as James Doe over an eight-month period beginning in 2015 when he was 15 and she was 37.

On Wednesday a jury found San Diego Unified School District negligent in failing to prevent the abuse despite several red flags about Sutton's behavior.

Scroll down for video

A man who was sexually abused by his high school Spanish teacher Toni Sutton, left and right, when he was 15 and she was 37 has been awarded $2.1million by a San Diego jury

Sutton pleaded guilty in 2016 to having sexual intercourse with Doe in her classroom at Crawford High School, pictured, over an eight-month period beginning in June 2015

Sutton reportedly had sex with Doe dozens of times in her classroom with the door locked while the student was supposed to be in class, as well as in her car and in the home that she shared with her boyfriend and their children.

According to Doe's attorneys, several other teachers at the school were aware of the sexual relationship months before Sutton was arrested.

On multiple occasions teachers had emailed Sutton asking where Doe was, and she replied that he was with her.

Doe's attorney's claim that school administrators knew that the student's attendance was poor, but seemingly didn't look into it.

Court documents and testimony indicate that administrators had previously told Sutton to stop spending so much personal time with students and not to share explicit personal details with them.

However, administrators never followed up to ensure that Sutton's inappropriate behavior ceased, Doe's legal team said.

'Nobody ever follows up on anything here,' Attorney Michael Kirby said during the trial. 'There was no exercise of reasonable care in this case.'

The district will be required to pay $840,000 of the $2.1million, awarded in consideration of the victim's emotional damage and the counseling he underwent following Sutton's arrest.
Scuba divers are today trawling the famous Hampstead Heath Men's Pond after a man sustained a 'life-threatening injury' when he dived in.

Mathew Wernham, an actor, sliced his stomach open on a sharp object at the bottom of the pond after jumping into the water on Sunday.

Lifeguards helped a blood-soaked Mr Wernham out of the pond and he was rushed to the Royal Free Hospital.

The swimmer said he needed several stitches to the 'deep wound' to his stomach and called on officials to issue a warning of the potential danger at the pond.

Mathew Wernham needed stitches after the incident at Hampstead Heath Men's Pond in London on Sunday. The actor posted a picture of himself at hospital after the accident (pictured)

After arriving at the hospital, Mr Mernham was wheeled past a floor-to-ceiling photo of the ponds - exactly where he injured himself - on the hospital walls, which he tweeted a photo of.

He tweeted on Tuesday: 'Waiting to go into surgery at Royal Free next to a floor to ceiling photo of the ponds really isn't the way to end a Sunday swim.'

He then sent a tweet to the City of London Corporation, stating: 'I suffered a life threatening injury @Men's pond on Sunday.

'I was expecting a feed full of warnings about the shallow water, but nothing.

'I have seen videos of friends swimming in the same place on Monday. Your lifeguards are fantastic but can't all be left to them.'

Royce Cronin, a friend of Mr Mernham's witnessed the accident and tweeted: 'My friend dived in from a spot marked for diving and got horrifically injured.'

The water level of the pond - which reaches around 20ft in places - has dipped in recent months due to the heatwave and lack of rain.

Bosses of the City of London Corporation - which is responsible for the ponds - are now sending a team of divers to search the pond to get rid of the underwater object

Mr Wernham was discharged from hospital on Tuesday and is thought to be recovering at home.

Bosses of the City of London Corporation - which is responsible for the ponds - are now sending a team of divers to search the pond to get rid of the underwater object.

A spokesman for the City of London Corporation said: 'Public safety is our number one priority and measures are in place to prevent people from diving off the jetty while an accident investigation is underway.

'Signs warning and advising swimmers about diving into the bathing pond are clearly visible.

'A man was taken to hospital on Sunday after he dived off the jetty and emerged with an injury to his abdomen.

'Hampstead Heath staff gave first aid to the man at the scene and he was later taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service.

'We wish him a full and speedy recovery.'
Chris Collins, the Republican Rep. of New York who was President Donald Trumps leading supporter on Capitol Hill in 2016, has vowed to stay on the re-election ballot despite the insider trading charges against him and subsequent indictment.

According to the Justice Department, Rep. Collins has been charged with 13 counts of alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, false statements and faces these charges along with his son, Cameron Collins and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins fiancee.

After surrendering to the FBI, the three men were released on a $500,000 (388,000) bond and were told to also hand in their passports. The lawmaker said he would not address any issues related to Innate Immunotherapeutics outside of the courtroom and would run for re-election this November.

Representative Chris Collins speaks on second day of 2016 Republican National Convention

Who is Chris Collins?

Born Christopher Carl Collins on May 20, 1950 in Schenectady, New York, Chris grew up around the US because his fathers job at General Electric required a lot of relocation. After completing his studies at North Carolina State University in 1972, he attended the University of Alabama to earn an MBA, according to Vote Smart.

He then spent a number of years in business, notably as the President and CEO of Nuttall Gear Corporation, which was then sold to Colfax Corporation based in Annapolis, Maryland in 1997. A year later, he challenged incumbent Democratic Congressman John J. LaFalce.

Chris was also one of the first congressional candidates to call for Bill Clintons resignation amid the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but LaFalce was re-elected by 58 percent to 41. After this failure, Collins decided to invest or purchase over 20 bankrupt or financially troubled companies.

In 2009, Chris Collins was considered a potential candidate for Governor of New York if Rudy Giuliani decided to not run, but Collins opted not to run. However, three years later, he announced that she would be running for Congress in New Yorks 27th Congressional District and won the Republican primary, in addition to subsequent re-elections.

U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, with his wife Mary, holds a news conference in response to his arrest

Chris Collins Trump

As reported by the Associated Press, Chris Collins was one of the first members of the House of Representatives to back Donald Trump ahead of his 2016 presidential run and at the time said that the country needed a chief executive, not a chief politician.

Collins then was one of Trumps strongest supporters and endorsed him because of his economic outlook, even spending time in the Trump family box during the Republican National Convention. In turn, his own profile rose and he has been quoted telling Politico how he enjoyed this.

Truly my profile, both locally, nationally and within my conference, is significantly more visible. Ive enjoyed it. he said. As time went on, Chris supported Trumps $1.5 trillion (1.1 trillion) tax cut and echoed the call for an end to Robert Muellers probe into Russian campaign collusion.

I share President Trump's continued frustration as the left continues to try to nullify the 2016 presidential election with claims of Russian interference, Collins said.

Chris Collins sits next to Trump during a meeting with Republicans in the Roosevelt Room

Chris Collins insider trading claims

It has now been revealed that an email sent during a White House picnic in June 2017 may have led to the indictment of Chris Collins.

It was at this event that the congressman received an email from the CEO of Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, the biotechnology company based in Sydney involved in his wrongdoing, saying that a trial of a drug they had developed to treat multiple sclerosis had been a failure.

According to the indictment, Collins responded to the email saying: Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible??? The charging document said Collins then called his son, Cameron and, after several missed calls, they spoke for more than six minutes.

The document then stated that Cameron Collins started to sell his shares, unloading just enough over two days to avoid $570,900 (443,000) in losses before the drug trial results were announced publicly. Then, Cameron is thought to have traded on the information and passed it to Stephen Zarsky.

Authorities revealed that their combined trades avoided over $768,000 (596,000) in losses and Zarsky traded on the information also, before tipping off three more people. After the companys announcement, stock plunged by 92 percent.

The Buffalo News obtained an email in which Chris Collins had vowed to his supporters that he would stay in office and run for re-election in November. However, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that he would be removed from the House Energy and Commerce Committee until the matter is settled.

While Trump has no involvement in the Immuno case, the US President has pledged to drain the swamp of Washington corruption. Collins told a press conference that 'After today, I will not address any issues related to Innate Immunotherapeutics outside of the courtroom.

He continued to explain that he would mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name and anticipated being fully vindicated and exonerated,' as a statement also revealed.

MORE: Here's the statement from attorney of Rep. Chris Collins, notes the indictment states Collins didn't make any trades himself, which is true, according to prosecutors. @news4buffalo pic.twitter.com/yQ5RXOzc1F  Dave Greber (@DaveGreber4) August 8, 2018

Chris Collins net worth

Chris Collinss net worth accumulated to approximately $120 million (93m) in 2017, according to Money Reign but that number has been widely disputed.

The majority of his wealth was derived as a shareholder when he purchased more than 4 million shared in the Australian biotech company in 2014, as reported in Heavy.com.
An Illinois special education teacher was brutally beaten to death by her husband over the course of three days, police say.

Rebecca Kazecki, 38, died on Tuesday at a hospital suffering blunt-force trauma injury after she was admitted under 'suspicious circumstances'.

Her husband 38-year-old Michael Kazecki, who is a high school teacher in Joliet, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated domestic battery.

Joliet father-of-three Michael Kazecki, 38, has been charged with murder after allegedly beating his wife to death over three days

A first-degree murder charge was added Wednesday and a judge set his bail at $2million, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The spiral of abuse started on Saturday August 4, according to prosecutors, who say that Michael hit and kicked his wife repeatedly after she tried to intervene as he was disciplining one of their three young children, aged five, nine, and 11.

On Tuesday he called police to say his wife was unconscious and suffered a medical issue. She never regained consciousness and was 'brain dead', according to prosecutors.

Dispatchers found her on the floor next to the couch.

'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,' Joliet police Deputy Chief Al Roechner said.

Medical experts reported to police that her injuries were consistent with a 'severe beating'.

Kazecki wrote a letter taking responsibility for the beating, according to prosecutors, however his attorney intends to contest charges against him.

'This was a beautiful mother who doesn't deserve anything like this. [Detectives] did an awesome job getting the facts and keeping their composure,' Chief Al Roechner said.

Illinois special-ed teacher Rebecca Kazecki, 38, died on Tuesday. Cops arrived to their family home, above, and found her unconscious on the floor suffering blunt force trauma to the head

The couple's children are now in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

The organization is investigating neglect allegations involving Michael. They also 'previously had contact with this family for allegations of neglect. The investigation was unfounded due to a lack of evidence.'

Rebecca was an eighth grade special education teacher at Gompers Junior High School where she worked for the past 14 years. Her husband Michael has taught seven and eighth grade language arts at Washington Junior High School for the past 10 years.

'Were deeply saddened by the death of Gompers teacher Rebecca Kazecki and extend our condolences and sympathies to the family at this most difficult time,' Joliet Public Schools District 86 spokeswoman Sandy Zalewski said in a statement to the Tribune.

Michael Kazecki had no prior arrests or violent offenses, according to his lawyer.
A top ally of the president's in the House warned at a private fundraiser that congressional Republicans are the only boulder blocking impeachment for President Trump.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes directly brought up special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and the in the context of the midterm elections in secretly recorded audio that aired on MSNBC.

'If Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president, were the only ones,' the Republican congressman said. 'Which is really the danger. Thats why I keep, and thank you for saying it by the way, I mean we have to keep all these seats. We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.'

A top ally of the president's in the House warned at a private fundraiser that congressional Republicans are the only boulder blocking impeachment for President Trump

Nunes' implied that because of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal from the Russia probe and the ongoing work of Mueller's team to determine whether the president obstructed justice when he fired ex-FBI Director James Comey, that congressional Republicans like himself are the singular force that's keeping the president from being ousted.

If Mueller determines that Trump obstructed justice, he could be charged by Congress with high crimes and thrown out of office.

A majority in the House of Representatives must bring impeachment charges against the president before the Senate can vote to remove him. A two-thirds majority is necessary in the Senate to take punitive action.

Democrats have nowhere near the votes they'd need to vote to impeach Trump in the Senate and bring about his removal from office, and it would be statistically impossible for them to pick up enough seats to ensure impeachment after the midterm elections.

If Robert Mueller determines that Trump obstructed justice, he could be charged by Congress with high crimes and thrown out of office

The minority could become the majority in the House, though, where some Democrats are promising to make impeachment their first order of business in the new Congress.

President Trump has restrained from using the 'i' word as a boogeyman in the miderms thus far. He has instead focused him time on claims that Democrats are for open borders, crime and higher taxes. He routinely claims that they desire to take away the Second Amendment and would land America in a nuclear war with North Korea.

'Throughout a 120 years whoever has the White House tends to lose the Midterms,' he said at a Saturday rally in Lewis Center. 'But we have the greatest economy in the history of our country. If the Democrats get in they are going to raise your taxes, you'll have crime all over the place and people pouring across our border. I think it's going to be a red wave.'

Out of power parties historically fare better than the party in that holds the Oval Office in midterm election. But Trump is promising to buck the trend in the face of a aggressive campaigning by Democrats to retake the House and fend off challenges from in states that the Republican president won in the U.S. Senate.

The president confidently predicted on Wednesday that there would be a 'RED WAVE!' also after claiming he went '5 for 5' in races in which he made endorsements.

Democrats were buoyed by the fact that in Ohio Republican Troy Balderson led Democrat Danny O'Connor by a slim margin. The state went heavily for Trump in 2016 and the district is solidly Republican.

A jubilant President Trump predicted a 'red wave' in the midterm elections during a rally in Ohio on Saturday as he hailed economic growth figures and accused the Democrats of wanting to raise taxes and loosen immigration rules

'They're talking about this blue wave  I don't think so. I don't think so,' Trump told adoring fans on Saturday

If Democrats can compete in districts as staunchly Republican as that, they say they're well on their way to victory across the nation come November.

History is not on Trump's side. In the past century, the controlling party has lost 30 House seats and 4 Senate seats on average in midterm elections.

Voters made exceptions for Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Great Depression and George W. Bush after 9/11.

Democrats need to take 24 seats from Republicans in the House to win the majority. They have their sights set on 48.

In the Senate, it's Republicans who have the advantage. Of the seats they're defending, only three are considered competitive. Endangered Democrats are meanwhile trying to fend off challengers in six states.

'They're talking about this blue wave  I don't think so. I don't think so,' Trump said Saturday.




This is the horrible moment poachers capture a helpless sea turtle for its eggs in front of families playing on a beach in Nicaragua.

The animal was stolen from protected waters at La Flor Beach Natural Reserve in San Juan del Sur, a town on Nicaragua's south-west coast.

The poor reptile could be seen flapping its flippers and squirming in distress as it was kidnapped.

Each year countless sea turtle eggs are poached from Nicaragua's beaches and transported to cities across the region where they are sold as food.

A brazen poacher makes his way across the beach with an adult sea turtle above his head

Officials say the footage shows the cruel methods poachers are willing to use for their eggs

It is estimated that around 150,000 olive ridley sea turtles arrive in the area to nest every year.

In the footage, a poacher can be seen scurrying into the waters and slinging the reptile over his shoulders before running off.

Liza Gonzalez, director of Paso Pacifico, said the video marked a new level of cruelty by the poachers.

She said the kidnappers normally wait for the reptiles to lay their eggs on the beach before swooping in.

In the footage, a man can be seen scurrying into the waters and slinging a reptile over his shoulder

The distressed turtle flapped its flippers and squirmed as it was stolen away from its family in front of families playing on the beach

Demand for sea turtle eggs in Nicaragua Several beaches in Nicaragua, both in the Pacific and in the Caribbean, are among the few sites in the world where sea turtles arrive - sometimes in huge numbers - to lay their eggs. This interesting event, which is very attractive to international tourists, occurs several times per year. There are, however, several factors threatening the animals. In the Pacific, the major problem is mostly the commercial egg consumption. The coastal dwellers, generally very poor due to the low income that their fishing activities bring, have the eggs are easily sold to seafood restaurants and in street food markets. Of the four species that come to Nicaragua to lay their eggs, leatherbacks and hawksbills are classified as critically endangered, greens are endangered, and olive ridleys are vulnerable. Per vianica.com Advertisement

But video suggests they are now stealing the reptiles and forcing them into captivity.

Once held captive, they'll be forced to lay eggs before being killed themselves and sold for their meat.

Around 700 people are believed to have descended on the beach and at least six turtles were killed in the incident.

Paso Pacifico reported the footage to local authorities and army personnel were sent to the beach to disperse the crowds.

But the turtles nesting process had already nearly finished by then.

Local media said four people were arrested after cops identified suspected poachers from the video footage released on social media.

Reports also said that the poaching it linked to the economic crisis in Nicaragua right now, as tourism has decreased and unemployment is high while local authorities are focused on escalating social problems.

The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is one of five species native to Nicaragua.
A violent drug abuser who knifed an Australian disability worker has been jailed over the attack in Sweden.

Kai Foley, 28, was found on the street with multiple wounds after he was fatally stabbed by Richardo Lundberg, 28, in Gotherburg days before Christmas last year.

Lundberg, who has a history of violent crimes, has been jailed for 14 years over the murder.

A violent drug abuser Richardo Lundberg who knifed Australian disability worker Kai Foley (pictured with his girlfriend) has been jailed for 14 years over the attack in Sweden

Lundberg (pictured), who has a history of violent crimes, has been jailed and ordered to pay a substantial fee to Mr Foley's relatives for the stabbing

Mr Foley had moved to the country six months earlier to be with his girlfriend, had been studying Swedish and was working at a local cinema, The Age reported.

The 28-year-old, who studied nursing in Melbourne, had left a work party at about 4am December 20 and was walking home when he was attacked by Lundberg.

The disability worker was found fighting for life with deep stab wounds in the andomen at Odins Square and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The knife-weilding killer got out of a car, being driven by a woman he knew, and attacked Mr Foley as he walked along a footpath.

The Swedish man then rushed to the car, telling the woman to 'drive, drive' before revealing to her that he 'stabbed' someone.

Lundberg claimed he did not remember the night because he was probably under the influence of drugs and also had severe mental health issues, according to court documents.

A psychological assessment determined the killer was not seriously mentally ill and any health issues were a result of substance use.

The 28-year-old killer was additionally convicted for threatening another man with a knife hours earlier.

The 28-year-old (pictured), who studied nursing in Melbourne, had left a work party at about 4am December 20 and was walking home when he was attacked by Lundberg

Lundberg claimed he did not remember attacking Mr Foley (pictured) because he was probably under drug influence and had severe mental health issues

Lundberg will spent the next 14 years behind bars and was also ordered to pay about $10,000 each to the deceased man's mother, girlfriend and brother as well as $9000 to his estate and $1200 to the man he threatened.

Devastated family members and friends mourned the shock death of the Australian man late last year.

'Taking timeout to remember a truly great guy tragically taken from us in Sweden last week ... you were an amazing carer, a gentle giant and a fun guy to be around. RIP,' one person wrote.

'Kai's family and many friends are devastated at the loss of a very special, beautiful, fine young man,' a relative said in a statement.

'A private memorial service for Kai's family and friends will be held in the coming weeks. Details will be posted on Kai's FB (Facebook) page.'

Friend Kira Kosh also took to social media to pay tribute to Mr Foley, claiming her heart was 'so so sad for his family and his Swedish girlfriend he was living with'.

'Never forget your smile, you ate like a horse and loved hip hop more then anyone I have ever met. You were the most gentle giant,' she wrote.
A university administrator stabbed his wife to death before turning a knife on himself and jumping from a window of their flat in a suspected murder and suicide.

Tom Kemp, 32, was found dying from his injuries after falling 25ft from the second floor flat in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Police found the body of his wife Katie, 31, inside the new-build flat shortly after 8.50am on Monday.

Tom Kemp, 32, was found dying from his injuries after falling 25ft from the second floor flat in Ipswich, Suffolk. Police found the body of his wife Katie, 31, inside the new-build flat shortly after 8.50am on Monday

Detectives confirmed today that she had died from multiple stab wounds and her death was being treated as murder.

Mrs Kemp worked as an information systems administrator at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Mr Kemp had worked since 2011 as a course administrator for nursing courses at the University of Suffolk's School of Health Sciences.

He was also studying for a post graduate degree in Business and Management at the main campus of the University of Suffolk in Ipswich, a short distance from his home.

A post mortem by a Home Office pathologist revealed that Mr Kemp had also said died from multiple stab wounds. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Suffolk Police confirmed that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths of the couple.

A post mortem by a Home Office pathologist revealed that Mr Kemp had also said died from multiple stab wounds. His death is not being treated as suspicious

Paramedics and police battled to save Mr Kemp on the street outside his home, but he was declared dead at the scene.

Shocked residents saw heavily blood-stained net curtains hanging out of the open window which he had apparently fallen from.

An East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter landed nearby, and the crew were seen helping with the resuscitation attempts on Mr Kemp.

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: 'Detectives do not believe that there is anyone else involved with this incident and the investigation into the deaths continues.

Paramedics and police battled to save Mr Kemp on the street outside his home, but he was declared dead at the scene

'Although there is no threat to the wider community following the incident, increased police patrols will continue to take place in the area to offer reassurance to local residents.'

It was also confirmed on Monday that police had been called to previous incidents at the flat.

As a result the case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is said to be 'standard procedure'.

The deaths happened at the same block where an 18-year-old boy was shot in the shoulder in a suspected drugs feud in November, 2016.

Shocked residents saw heavily blood-stained net curtains hanging out of the open window which he had apparently fallen from

A near neighbour of the couple who asked not to be named said: 'I was smoking on my balcony and everything was normal.

'Then I went to the bathroom and came back five minutes later to see this man lying on the ground. He looked like he was dead.

'There was a woman in the street shouting his name.

'She was in panic and was screaming and crying. It looked like she knew him. I called the police and they were here quickly with an ambulance.

'They were trying to help him, but they could not do anything. It is just shocking to have this happen here.

'The curtains were covered in blood and were hanging out of a window.'

Another local resident said: 'I watched him die. It was just horrible. I have given a statement to the police and they have told me not to say anything.

'Ipswich has become a really bad place in the last few months. There have been so many stabbings.'

The rented flat where the couple lived is in a modern development of low-rise blocks in a redeveloped area near the docks in Ipswich

White-suited forensic officers were seen going into the block in a search for clues on Monday.

Superintendent Kerry Cutler, policing commander for Ipswich, said: 'This would appear to be a tragic incident involving two people known to each other and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident at this time.

'As such there is no threat to the wider community, but I would appeal to anyone with any information about these deaths to make contact with our officers.'

A student nurse who lives nearby said: 'I became aware something was happening at around 9am.

'I watched paramedics using an automated CPR machine on the man for at least 20 minutes. They had already been working on him for a while.

'It looked like he had laceration wounds on his arm and thigh.

'They couldn't do anything for him and a little while later his body was covered up.'

Suffolk Police still want to hear from anyone who was in the area of Siloam Place between 7am and 9am on Monday and who may have seen, or heard, anything that could assist the inquiry.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact south CID at Landmark House on 101 quoting reference 44421/18.
A serial animal abuser has been told he will spend even more time in jail for selling sick puppies, with a judge saying he was 'trading in animal misery and human misery in equal proportions.'

'Despicable' Thomas Stokes, 26, who had already been convicted for his role in a puppy farm, had 27 months added to his sentence after three sick cockapoos were found in the boot of his car this January.

With that added to his previous sentence of four years and eight months, he will now serve a total of six years.

Scroll down for video

Thomas Stokes, 26, who was jailed for four years and eight months for his role in a puppy farm, has been given a further 27 months for selling more puppies (Pictured, one of the sick cockapoos found)

Stokes was stopped by police while he was driving for unrelated matters when he was found with the cockapoo puppies in January.

His home was then raided and evidence was found that showed Stokes had been selling puppies.

The discovery came as Stokes was being investigated by the RSPCA for his role in a puppy farm organisation, which saw more than 4,500 dogs being sold over five years, making an estimated 2.5 million, according to the RSPCA.

The gang of five which predominantly included vet, Daniel Doherty, who falsified medical records, was caught for illegally breeding dogs.

They sold more than 4,500 puppies while operating in London and across the South East.

Stokes admitted to two animal welfare offences and one fraud offence at Aylesbury Crown Court this week.

Three sick cockapoos (one pictured) were found in the boot of his car when he was stopped by the police for unrelated matters earlier this year

Stokes will now serve a six year sentence and has been banned from owning dogs for life (Pictured, the third cockapoo found in Stokes' car boot)

Following this investigation, Stokes was jailed in May for three years and banned from owning animals for life.

However, the sentence was increased by the Attorney General to four years and eight months by the Queen's chief legal advisor after the bid was deemed to lenient.

With the 27 months added to the sentence this week, Stokes will serve a total of six years and 11 months behind bars. His ban from owning dogs for life was also renewed.

RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Withnall, who led both investigations, said: 'Mr Stokes was part of a major investigation by the police and our officers into puppy farming in London.

'It goes to show how much money there is to be made in this trade that people will take the risk and continue selling, despite being investigated.

'Unfortunately, puppies - particularly those of certain 'fashionable' breeds and crossbreeds - can attract hundreds if not thousands of pounds today so it's a lucrative business for people who want to make a quick buck.

Stokes was part of a gang which sold more than 4,500 from an illegal puppy farm operating in London and South-East England (Pictured, dogs from the puppy farm)

Sadly though it's the animals who pay the price when these dealers fail to put their health and welfare first.

'I hope these investigations send a strong message to others that we will not allow this sort of animal abuse or fraud to continue.'

At the sentencing in Aylesbury Crown Court Judge Francis Sheridan said: 'Thomas Stokes you have been trading in animal misery and human misery in equal proportions.'

The main culprit of the puppy farm gang was vet, Daniel Doherty, who falsified health records of the dogs on the estate (Pictured, two dogs from the farm)

He went on to brand the offences as 'despicable.'

Inspector Withnall said: 'We were already looking into a gang of puppy dealers in West London which included Mr Stokes, when he was stopped by police and three puppies were found inside his car.

'This prompted a search of his new address on 18 January and we discovered evidence that Mr Stokes was, once again, selling puppies.'

All three puppies found in the back of Stokes car were rescued by the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.
Imam Siraj Wahhaj, 68, is the father of the Muslim extremists arrested in New Mexico last week. He is pictured speaking to reporters on Thursday in Brooklyn, New York

The imam father of the Muslim extremist accused of holding 11 children on a New Mexico compound and training them to perform target shooting was linked to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and spoke highly of the blind sheikh who orchestrated it.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj, 68, is a prominent religious figure in the American Muslim community.

He is the head of the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood and was the first person to perform an opening prayer in the House of Representatives in

On Friday, his son, 39-year-old Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, was arrested along with his two daughters, Subhanah, 35, and Hujrah, 38, and his son-in-law Lucas Morton at a compound in Amalia, New Mexico.

They had been hiding there with the imam's 11 grandchildren since December and Ibn Wahhaj had been allegedly training the children to shoot in preparation for school attacks.

As prosecutors pleaded with a judge not to grant the adults bail on Wednesday, they made reference to their religious background and Imam Wahhaj's precarious ties to terrorists.

In 1995, the imam testified as a character witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman who was one of the conspirators of the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center.

He spoke glowingly of him at his trial, saying: 'He is a well known scholar, he is a respected 22 scholar.

'You know, people in the community, they talk about 23 well known scholars and he is among the ones who is 24 mentioned. He is called the hafiz of the Koran.

In 1995, Imam Wahhaj testified as a character witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman who masterminded the attack. He was jailed that year and died in February 2017

Six people were killed in the attack. The terrorists left a bomb in a car in a parking garage beneath the building

The imam is the leader of the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn

'He memorized the entire Koran, 114 chapters, that's why I respect him.

'He has memorized the many statements of Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him. And he is bold, as a strong preacher of Islam. So he is respected that way,' he added.

Wahhaj was also named on a list of 172 people by the 1995 prosecutor as an un-indicted potential co-conspirator.

In the past, he has complained about the fact that the list ever became public and has insisted that he himself has never plotted any form of attack on the country.

He also sued Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa in a $5million libel case which was thrown out claiming Silwa slandered him by suggesting that his mosque ran guns to Canada in the 1980s.

The imam's son, who shares his name, is pictured in court in New Mexico on Wednesday. He is charged with 11 counts of child abuse and child abduction

The imam's daughters Subhanah (left) and Hujrah (right) were also arrested and are in custody

Lucas Morton, the husband of Subhannah, also appeared in court with his head covered with a towel, apparently folded in a style resembling a plain white keffiyeh. Also there was the imam's daughter, Jany Leveille (right)

In January, he pleaded for information which could lead to their whereabouts after they all vanished from Georgia where they were living.

He asked followers on social media to send him information of the family's whereabouts in January.

According to prosecutors in New Mexico, his son was training the children how to use guns. They were found living in filthy conditions with no running water or food and hadn't eaten for several days.

The FBI had been monitoring the compound in their search for three-year-old AG Wahhaj, Siraj's son who he abducted in December.

On Thursday, the imam confirmed that the remains of a young boy that were found on the compound belonged to the toddler.

The younger Wahhaj was training the children on the camp how to use guns to carry out mass school shootings, prosecutors say

The New Mexico compound is pictured. The FBI had been monitoring it but never raided, claiming they could not do so without a warrant which they never obtained because they were there for the purposes of finding Wahhaj's three-year-old son AG who, they said, they never saw at the site even though they knew his father was there

Local sheriffs have told how they did not search the property however because they did not have a search warrant. They were unable to get one, they claimed, because they never saw AG among the other children on the site.

It was not the FBI but the Taos County Sheriff's Office which searched the property last Friday. They did so after intercepting a message from one of the 11 children or women from the inside which read: 'We are starving and we have no food and water.'

Three-year-old AG had been missing since December. His grandfather said on Thursday that it was his body that was found buried in the compound

It remains unclear who the message was intended for.

The FBI has not answered questions on the case since last Friday.

Neighbors had reported the family for encroaching on their space but nothing was done to evict them.

They have also told how they heard shooting coming from the site after the family appeared in December with only enough money to buy groceries and building tools.

One man, who has a plot next to them, helped Wahhaj install solar panels but he was unaware there were any women living at the property.

The charges the group currently face range from child abduction to harboring a fugitive and child abuse but one has been charged for any violent crime.
When Maryland police first stumbled on the bloodied and battered body of Greg Atwood, they thought he had been the victim of a tragic hit-and-run.

But when they saw a trail of blood leading to a nearby forest and discovered Atwood's own walking stick, they realized it was something far more sinister.

Ashley Elizabeth Bonilla, 15, and Mohammed Salous, 17, have been charged with murder in the 40-year-old's death. Kenneth Sahr Kpakima, 21, is also facing charges.

Montgomery County police said the three suspects robbed Atwood of his backpack, brutally beat him, and watched as he crawled into a road and was hit by two cars.

Ashley Elizabeth Bonilla, 15, and Mohammed Salous, 17, have been charged with murder in the death of 40-year-old Greg Atwood, who was found dead on a road in Maryland

Montgomery County police said the suspects robbed Atwood (pictured) of his backpack, brutally beat him, and watched as he crawled into a road and was hit by two cars

Atwood was in the Aspen Hill area around 2.45am, about a mile from his group home on the night of his death.

He was carrying a backpack of beer and using his walking stick, when he was approached by the group, police said.

Kenneth Sahr Kpakima, 21, has been charged with assault and armed robbery in relation to Atwood's death

The three suspects allegedly took Atwood's backpack. When he pleaded with them to give it back, even offering some beer in exchange, they beat him.

They used 'sticks, rocks, beer cans' as they tried to 'knock him unconscious', according to Assistant State Attorney Mark Anderson.

Investigators said Atwood then fell backward into a wooded ravine, where Kpakima and Salous followed him.

They continued to beat him until he appeared to lose consciousness for a few seconds, according to the Washington Post.

Kpakima then allegedly stole Atwood's wallet from his pocket and took out cash as the victim attempted to crawl away from them.

Atwood eventually made it onto Georgia Avenue, a six-lane road, and collapsed.

He was then hit by two cars, neither of which stopped. It remains unclear if the drivers knew they had hit someone.

The three suspects allegedly took Atwood's backpack and began beating with him as he pleaded for them to give it back

Investigators said Atwood then fell backward into a shallow, wooded ravine (pictured), where Kpakima and Salous followed him and continued to beat him

'The suspects watched the victim lay motionless in the travel lanes of Georgia Avenue,' investigators wrote in an arrest warrant.

Bonilla was charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder and armed robbery. She will be tried as an adult

'Approximately a minute later, the suspects watched a vehicle run over the victim.'

Authorities said Bonilla, Kpakima, and Salous did not call 911 and went to a nearby McDonald's instead.

Police arrived on the scene after receiving a report about a person in the road and discovered Atwood's body at 3.50am.

Bonilla was charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder and armed robbery. She will be tried as an adult.

District Judge Eric Nee denied Bonilla's attorney's request to have her transferred to a juvenile facility and said she posed a risk to other juveniles.

Atwood eventually made it onto Georgia Avenue, a six-lane road, and collapsed. He was then hit by two cars

Friends described Atwood as an 'incredibly sweet guy' who was beloved at his group home

Salous has also been charged with murder and assault-related offenses. He will be tried as an adult. Kpakima has been charged with assault and armed robbery.

Kpakima was released from jail just three weeks before Atwood's death after he pleaded guilty to attempting to steal three iPhones from a local Best Buy.

Friends described Atwood as an 'incredibly sweet guy' who was beloved at his group home.

He was an audio-video technician who struggled with depression and alcoholism but had found solace in poetry, sculpting, and painting.
Nelu Spinu, 23, pictured, has been jailed for 40 months after trying to smuggle an Afghan father and his 14-year-old daughter into the UK in a secret compartment in his Fiat van

A Romanian driver who tried to smuggle two illegal immigrants into the country through in a secret 'sarcophagus' compartment built into his van has been jailed for 40 months.

Nelu Spinu, 23, was stopped by Border Force agents during a routine check at Coquelles in France in May and two Afghan nationals were found in the vehicle.

The migrants - a father and his 14-year-old daughter - were said to be 'visibly distressed' and in discomfort after hiding in the purpose-built compartment.

A judge described the 'rudimentary' device as an 'astonishingly dangerous contraption' as he jailed Spinu.

The original base in the 2003-reg Fiat van had been cut out and replaced with a wooden box, secured with metal straps.

Once the stowaways got into the box, metal bars were placed over the top of it and the van floor was laid back down.

The modification required the exhaust to be moved and the fumes were directed towards the box, Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard.

Recorder Mark Weekes said: 'It was very much a sarcophagus, and the dangers are all too apparent.

'This was a remarkably dangerous concealment carrying with it the risk of at least serious injury and potentially death for those within it.

The Afghan nationals are pictured here lying down in the wooden compartment, described as like a 'sarcophagus' by the judge, which was secured by metal bars

The smuggling device, pictured, was called 'astonishingly dangerous' by the judge

'Both individuals, a father and a daughter, were distressed on being removed.

'Whether that distress related to their detection or the conditions in which they were found I do not know.

'But it matters little. As I have said, this was an astonishingly dangerous contraption.'

Recorder Weekes said harsh sentences for offences of people-smuggling were necessary to punish those involved and deter others.

Drawing comparisons to a case held at the same court in 2001 when 58 Chinese illegal entrants suffocated and the Dutch lorry driver was jailed for 14 years for manslaughter, he added: 'It was less than 20 years ago that this court presided over a case where a large number of illegal immigrants died when concealed in a lorry.

'Those who engage in this kind of activity must expect to be punished severely...One need only look at a newspaper or online report to see it is a matter of extreme public concern.'

The court heard the two Afghan nationals were found during a routine check by Border Force officers at Coquelles in France at 8pm on May 20.

Spinu had travelled out three days earlier in his van.

Prosecutor Lucy Luttman said he told officials he had travelled from Romania and was heading to Blackpool.

'On inspection, they noted what appeared to be a new floor with screws in it. He said 'I leant it to a friend. He made a mess so I replaced the floor and removed the side panels.'.

To create the space, the exhaust pipe had to be moved and actually ended up sending fumes in the direction of the passengers

Once they were inside the compartment, the interior floor, pictured, was then placed back over it to hide them

'Suspicious of what he said, officers conducted a full search of the van. When they took up the floor they discovered a purpose-built hide.'

Miss Luttman said although it demonstrated a degree of sophistication, its rudimentary construction increased the risks already involved in smuggling the immigrants.

'This was an organised and planned venture with a custom-built modification which could only be for the purpose of facilitating illegal entry,' she added.

'There was obvious distress, not intentional but occurring because of the manner in which they were being transported.'

Miss Luttman added that Spinu, motivated by financial gain, may have been 'back and forth' to the UK in the three-day gap but there was no evidence in support.

However, Recorder Weekes said although he 'raised a metaphorical eyebrow', he sentenced on the basis it was his first people-smuggling trip.

Spinu, who is of no fixed address and has no convictions in the UK, admitted assisting unlawful immigration.

The Fiat van, pictured, was stopped for a routine check in France by Border Force officials when the stowaways were discovered

The judge said the offence was aggravated by the fact the two illegals, said to have been served with 'relevant detention and removal papers', were strangers.

'I also find there was a degree, which I judge to be high, of planning and sophistication, albeit the device itself was rudimentary, and a high danger and stress caused,' he added.

Kate Smith, defending, said Spinu acted out of 'stupidity and naivety'.

'This wasn't an enterprise he started off on his own by any means. He was looking for a job and rang a man who told him to do this.

'He said "You will be paid good money, you won't get into trouble and if the people are found they will be taken, not you. There won't be any trouble for you. They will let you go".'

Miss Smith added: 'He is sorry for what he has done and didn't expect to be here when he travelled through the Channel Tunnel that day.'
A teacher who dresses up as a Nazi caricature in an amateur wrestling league and shouts 'Sieg heil!' as he enters the ring will not be fired.

Kevin Bean, 36, teaches at Spring-Ford Intermediate School just outside Philadelphia and moonlights for the World-Wide Wrestling Alliance.

His character 'Blitzkrieg: The German Juggernaut' waves an Iron Cross flag and makes Nazi salutes before each match.

Kevin Bean, 36, teaches at Spring-Ford Intermediate School just outside Philadelphia and moonlights for the World-Wide Wrestling Alliance dressed as a Nazi

Most of the crowd reacts negatively to Mr Bean's character but least one child returns the salute in a video of one of his fights posted online.

The Spring-Ford Area School District investigated him when the video came to light last month, but said though it didn't condone his actions he would stay employed.

Mr Bean, who has worked for the district since 2004, also apologized, saying the character does not reflect his personal beliefs.

The district last month said it 'was made aware of a video featuring an employee, outside of the school setting, participating in an amateur wrestling event.'

Bean wrestles under the pseudonym 'Blitzkrieg: The German Juggernaut, gives the Nazi salute and waves a flag bearing the Iron Cross

'The actions portrayed in this video do not represent the core values of the school district. As an educational organization, we pride ourselves in providing a safe and nurturing learning environment.'

Parents at the school were divided in their opinions on Mr Bean's extracurricular activities.

'I think it's blown out of proportion quite a bit. It's something that he's been doing for a long time. I think everyone knew about it,' Keith Laskey told CBS News.

'He wasn't hiding it or anything and I think a lot of people jump to conclusions before they had all the information.'

But Rebecca Holland said she was shocked when she saw the video, especially as there were children enthusiastically watching the match.

Mild mannered teacher by day, Bean is a raging caricature of a Nazi by night. The school district, however, said he would keep his job

'We saw the letter and it was nondescript. We didn't really know what it was about, but after seeing the pictures, I think it's a much bigger issue than I initially thought it was,' she said.

Dino Sanna, the owner of the WWWA came to Mr Bean's defense calling him a 'good guy and not a hateful person,' who was very religious and maintained close ties to his local church.

Though the Iron Cross on the flag he waves before wrestling is not a swastika, the Anti-Defamation League lists it in its Hate Symbols Database.

'The Iron Cross is a famous German military medal dating back to the 19th century. During the 1930s, the Nazi regime in Germany superimposed a swastika on the traditional medal, turning it into a Nazi symbol,' it said.
A massive mudslide has engulfed a small village in the Swiss Alps after heavy storm rains.

Dramatic footage showed a wall of mud and debris cascading down a river and smashing into a bridge in Grugnay as onlookers screamed and ran for cover.

Debris and rocks were sent flying high into the air and scattered across the bridge.

Scroll down for video

Dramatic: Pictures taken after the mud settled showed black debris lining the village streets

Footage from Grugnay showed a wall of mud and debris cascading down a river and smashing into a bridge as onlookers screamed and ran for cover

Pictures taken after the mud settled showed black mud and debris lining the village streets.

A local resident identified only as Benoit told local media the mudslide was headed towards his house and fortunately stopped shortly before it.

He said: 'I heard a deafening noise. I saw the first wave and quickly closed the door of my house.

'My garage door was destroyed, the trees in my yard were rooted out and the mud only stopped 50 centimetres (1.64 feet).'

Videos of the incident that have been posted on social media. One viewer, Cristina Johnston, wrote: 'Oh my god... today it feels like the world it's heading to a drastic end.'

A massive mudslide has engulfed a small village in the Swiss Alps after heavy storm rains

A local resident identified only as Benoit told local media the mudslide was headed towards his house and fortunately stopped shortly before it

Michelle Doran commented: 'Omg. What is going on around the World!!'

Yves Oppliger wrote: 'F*** this is crazy. I have never seen something like that 4 years in Chamoson.'

The mudslide was a result of a heavy rainfall that overfilled the stream, according to local media.

Police spokeswoman Stephane Vouardoux said that there were no injuries but that several buildings and vehicles were damaged.

Police spokeswoman Stephane Vouardoux said that there were no injuries but that several buildings and vehicles were damaged

Two roads have been closed off until the clean-up is completed.

Just two weeks ago, another mudslide crashed through a village in the same canton.

The mudslide reportedly flowed for around an hour and locals were warned to stay away.

According to the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, such mudslides carry around 2.6 million cubic feet of material which is equivalent to 19.8 million gallons of water.
A heavily tattooed bikie gang member who deals drugs and uses violence to collect debt is not the obvious image of a promising bank manager.

Joshua John Lucey worked at some of Australia's leading finance companies and was set to follow in his father's footsteps before he was outed to his corporate bosses as a Rebels bikie.

After being caught out the 32-year-old turned his back on a prestigious commerce career for a life leading the Logan chapter of the bikie club.

Joshua John Lucey (pictured) worked at some of Australia's leading finance companies and was set to follow in his father's footsteps before he fell into a world of guns and violence

The 32-year-old (centre) turned his back on a prestigious commerce career path for a life leading the Logan chapter of Rebel bikies

The Queensland man, who has the bikie gang symbol 1% tattooed to his leg, was outed as being a gang member to his bank bosses, prompting him to fall into the underworld about four years ago.

Lucey pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Brisbane to six charges including ecstasy pill trafficking and supplying cocaine, the Courier Mail reported.

The heavily-inked man, who was once 'headhunted' to manage a Commonwealth Bank branch, admitted he assisted Bing Crosby Cosca Jnr in trafficking at least 7000 ecstasy pills over six weeks in 2014.

The Rebel bikie said he 'intimidated' cocaine addicts by using violence 'at least once' to collect their debts.

The former bank worker, who had senior roles at Suncorp and Q Super, later sold drugs to partygoers through Gold Coast Titans under-20s player Dan Kilian.

Lucey claims he has quit the bikie gang, but photographs shared on his Facebook are a reminder of his contrasting worlds.

The Queensland man (left) was outed as being a gang member (1% bikie symbol tattooed to his thigh right) to his bank bosses, prompting him to follow the underworld about four years ago

Lucey (pictured) pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Brisbane to six charges including ecstasy pill trafficking and supplying cocaine

The 32-year-old posted a photo among shirtless selfies saying 'straight outta (sic) prison' in October 2015 - two months after he was released from spending nine months in jail on remand.

The Queenslander also shared a photo of a jail toilet, a cartoon of a man walking free from prison and a quote stating: 'All I heard was, "I swear it will be funny..." and then we were in jail...'.

Justice Ann Lyons sentenced Lucey to a five-year suspended sentence because he served nine months in prison on remand from November 2014.
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) wrote to Boris Johnson (pictured in London last month) to vent their anger at him

Boris Johnson has been formally reprimanded for breaking parliamentary rules in signing up to a 275,000 a year newspaper column deal days after he quit as Foreign Secretary, it today emerged.

Under the ministerial code, ex ministers must apply to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) and wait three months before they can take up a new job.

But Mr Johnson signed up to his lucrative column with the Daily Telegraph just days after he stormed out of Theresa May's government in a row over Brexit last month.

And he did not seek permission before agreeing to resume his journalism job.

Now Acoba has written to the Tory MP to tell him off for breaking the ministerial code by not telling them about the job before he signed up to it.

It is a fresh blow for Mr Johnson, who has sparked a massive political row and is being investigated by his own party for comparing women wearing burqas to letterboxes.

But Acoba does not have any actual powers to punish Mr Johnson for breaking the rules.

The ruling, which was published on the Government's website today, has sparked a fresh call for body to be overhauled and given real teeth to mete out punishments.

Jon Trickett MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, said: 'Boris Johnson's flagrant breach of the rules shows the utter contempt he has for democracy and ridding politics of vested interests, and raises serious questions about why he was so desperate to start writing for the Telegraph again.

'The system is clearly not working when the former Foreign Secretary can simply ignore the official body that oversees appointments seemingly without any consequences.

'A drastic overhaul of this toothless body is urgently needed so we can put an end to politicians and the establishment working only for the interests of themselves.'

In their letter, Acoba says a senior Forign Office civil servant wrote to Mr Johnson warning him not to take up anohter job until the three-month wait was over.

But he went ahead anyway and signed the Fleet Street deal, which was announced to the public before the watchdog was informed.

The ex minister insists that he did not see the letter until after signing the contract.

In their letter Acoba said: 'The committee considers it to be unacceptable that you signed a contract with The Telegraph and your appointment was announced before you had sought and obtained advice from the committee, as was incumbent on you leaving office under the government's business appointment rules.'

The letter was made public shortly after it emerged that Mr Johnson is being investigated by the Conservative Party for his burqa comments.

Boris John son (pictured with Theresa May last year outside Downing Street) took up the lucrative job just days after quitting the Cabinet in a row over Brexit

Theresa May and a string of other Tory minsters have demanded he apologise for making the 'offensive' remarks about the Muslim head coverings.

And Remainer Tories have used the row to stick the knife into the leading Brexiteer - with several saying the controversy shows that he is not fit to be party leader or PM.

But several Tory Brexiteers, including Nadine Dorries and Andrew Bridgen, have rallied to his defence insisting that he is only voicing the views most Britons hold.

Conservative sources say that the investigation has been triggered automatically after they received a flurry of complaints.

But it has exposed a bitter divide within Tory ranks.

As Mr Johnson faces twin political storms arising from his newspaper column at home, he is understood to be away on holiday and has not commented.
The Kremlin has denounced new U.S. sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain as 'lynch law' and an attempt to 'demonise Russia'.

Moscow also said the government is working on retaliatory measures, with one potential target being NASA, as the U.S. Space program uses Russian rocket engines.

The U.S. State Department said yesterday that they had determined that Russia used the Novichok nerve agent to poison ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and that sanctions would follow later this month.

Fire back: Senior Russian MP Konstantin Kosachev accused the U.S. of behaving like a 'police state, torturing a suspect to get evidence' by implementing the new sanctions

In response, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Thursday that 'the restrictions are absolutely unlawful and don't conform to international law.'

Russia has not specified how it might retaliate, and Peskov said it needs to see what specific action the U.S. takes before doing so.

He insisted that the Russian financial system is strong enough to withstand shocks from the new penalties.

Peskov also reaffirmed Moscow's strong denial of involvement in the poisoning, saying that 'there can't be any talk about Russia having any relation to the use of chemical weapons.'

He added that Britain has failed to present any evidence to back the claim and stonewalled Russia's proposal for a joint probe.

Former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious near his home in Salisbury, UK, at the beginning of March. Authorities determined that they had been attacked with a military-grade Russian nerve agent known as Novichok

Senior lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, accused the U.S. of behaving like a 'police state, threatening and torturing a suspect to get evidence.'

Kosachev argued 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.

British Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the U.S. decision to impose sanctions

Slutsky suggested Russia could restrict exports of RD-180 rocket engines to the U.S. if Washington imposed new sanctions, the RIA news agency reported.

The engines are currently used by NASA for the first stage of the Atlas V rocker's launch vehicle.

The new U.S. sanctions, which are set to take effect on or around August 22, 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

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 behaviour will not go unchallenged.'
A one-year-old boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital when his parents could not wake him.

The parents rose in the morning to find the baby unresponsive in their Blacktown home, in western Sydney, at about 8:10am on Thursday.

They promptly alerted the neighbours, dialling triple-0 and climbing into their car before finally waving down an ambulance on Bungarribee Road.

A one-year-old boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to Blacktown Hospital (pictured) in western Sydney when his parents could not wake him

The parents rose in the morning to find the baby unresponsive in their home at about 8:10am on Thursday

The child was transported to Blacktown Hospital, but did not recover.

He was pronounced dead on arrival.

News Corp reported that the parents are known to Family & Community Services.

Police are currently awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has no plan to disqualify himself from declaring a winner in the Republican gubernatorial primary, even though the likely winner is named Kris Kobach.

The Trump-backing conservative holds a meager 91-vote lead against incumbent GOP governor Jeff Colyer, a stunningly small margin in a race where more than 311,000 Republicans cast ballots.

That could change when officials count between 8,000 and 10,000 provisional ballots, which are typically issued when voters show up at the wrong polling place or try to vote in person after requesting absentee ballots.

Kobach's lead was 191 after Tuesday night, but an election official in western Thomas County said Thursday that Colyer was mistakenly credited with 422 votes at one polling place instead of 522.

No matter which candidate ends up on top, it will be close enough to allow the loser to ask for a recount.

No problem, Kobach said Wednesday in a Fox News Channel interview.

Kris Kobach is leading by 0.006 per cent after Tuesday's Republican primary race for governor; as Kansas secretary of state, he will be in charge of certifying the recount

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer is fighting to avoid being swept aside by the more conservative Kobach; it will be days before the race is settled, and his 91-vote deficit could easily vanish

'The recounting is actually done by county election officials' he insisted. 'So, really, all the secretary of state does is just receive the numbers from the counties, so there's not really a need to recuse.'

'If my opponent insists I recuse, so that the numbers are sent to somebody else, we can certainly do that. But we're not directly involved in the recounting,' Kobach added.

The larger issue may be the price tag for the do-over, a number set by Kobach's office.

If the margin ends up closer than 0.5 per cent  a total of 1,555 votes at the moment  the state will pay for it.

And were the result to flip, the candidate who issued the challenge wouldn't be on the hook for the expense no matter how wide the margin was to begin with.

But if Colyer should end up trailing by more than 0.5 per cent, Kobach would be responsible for securing a bond from his opponent to cover the costs in the event that he lost a second time.

Kobach would also be allowed to name a price.

Election attorney Mark Johnson told The Kansas City Star that Kobach 'should not decide that. That is a conflict, in my opinion.'

'He could set the bond so high that no one could afford that,' Johnson explained.

Kobach told Fox News on Wednesday that there's no reason for him to recuse himself from the recount procedure that could ultimately benefit him

No matter the circumstances, a recount could take weeks. That will give Democratic nominee Laura Kelly, a state senator, a head-start on November.

But the eventual GOP candidate will have a natural advantage in the deep-red state: Republicans outnumbered Democrats more than 2-to-1 at the polls on Tuesday.

No Kansas law requires Kobach to step aside and delegate the bond-setting and vote certification to a deputy.

And while Kobach acknowledged that he may end up in second place, he plans to start battling against Kelly right away.

'It is imperative that we begin running, understanding that this is a tentative victory,' he told the Star, 'and that I am carrying the baton for this first week with the full knowledge that I may hand the baton to Jeff if the provisional ballots change the outcome.'

President Donald Trump left no doubt about his leanings on Monday, disregarding aides' advice and tweeting that Kobach had his 'full & total Endorsement!'

Kobach won President Donald Trump's endorsement Monday in the Republican primary contest for governor

Trump, pictured last week at a Pennsylvania rally, is loyal to Kobach, who was in the running to be Homeland Security secretary; but Republican Party insiders fear the right-winger could lose to a Democrat in November

The president said this week that Kobach had his 'full & total Endorsement'

Kobach led the president's 2017 voter fraud commission, which disbanded in January after identifying no evidence to support Trump's post-election claim that millions of people had voted illegally.

He had wasted no time in late 2016 backing Trump's unsubstantiated claim that 'millions' of people had illegally cast votes for Hillary Clinton.

This year the self-styled ballot purity crusader attracted a more direct pushback over the same issue in his home state.

A federal judge raked him over the coals in March for his defense of a state law requiring Kansans to prove they were U.S. citizens before registering to vote.

That stood in conflict with the 1993 federal 'motor-voter' law, which allows for voter registration wherever driver's licenses are issued, without any extra paperwork.

A 2016 federal appeals court ruling struck down similar requirements in three states.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters have both successfully argued in court that proving U.S. citizenship during voter registration prevents some eligible voters from exercising their franchise.

In this year's trial, Kobach could only prove 11 people successfully cast ballots despite not being U.S. citizens.

The lightning-rod politician insisted in court that it was just the 'tip of the iceberg.' Chief District Judge Julie A. Robinson called it an 'icicle' instead.

A month later Kobach missed Robinson's deadline from two years earlier, failing to send postcards to eligible voters who had been prevented from registering because they didn't prove they were citizens.

U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson (left) delivered one legal setback after another to Kobach in a case about whether the state could require prospective voters to prove when they register that they are legal U.S. citizens

Kobach became a national punchline a few weeks after the 2016 election when he left a meeting with Trump while allowing photographers to see the policy proposals under his left arm

The document showed a raft of ideas about border security along with a proposal to amend the National Voter Rights Act to require proof of citizenship in the future

Robinson held him in contempt of court, closing the book on just one in a series of unforced errors. Last week she fined him more than $26,000 to cover the ACLU's legal fees in arguing the contempt motion.

Kobach, a Yale-educated lawyer and former law professor who represented his own office at trial, had tried to present some pieces of evidence in court that he hadn't shared with his opponents; and others that the judge had ordered couldn't be shown.

He also filed a brief without deleting a side-note that one of its claims was 'probably not worth arguing.'

This time Robinson ordered him to take 6 hours of remedial legal education concerning 'federal or Kansas civil rules of procedure or evidence.'

She had already fined him $1,000 in 2017 for misleading her about the nature of a document he was photographed carrying under his arm after a meeting with then-President-Elect Trump just weeks after the election, at a time when he was being vetted to lead the Homeland Security Department.

One of Kobach's written proposals to Trump read: 'Draft Amendments to [the] National Voter Registration Act to promote proof-of-citizenship requirements.'

Only the first five words were visible in news photos. Robinson ultimately demanded the document and saw the full context.

In her final ruling, a stinging defeat for Kobach, she slammed him for having a 'well-documented history of avoiding this Courts orders.'
Police have cordoned off a skip after human bones were found dumped alongside rubble from a building site.

Members of the public spotted the remains poking out of a skip in Bristol, close to St Nicholas Market, at around 9am this morning.

Builders are said to have not noticed the bones as the earth was packed tightly when it was thrown into the skip.

A bone, which looks like a femur from the leg, remains in tact in the skip

St Nicholas Market is in Bristol's old city is famous for its Georgian architecture. It is thought there may have been a cemetery built under the site.

Officers initially dismissed the discovery after banging the suspected bones on the side of the skip and declaring, 'That's wood', before leaving the scene.

But former archaeology student Sam Ellis, 25, who now works as a barista near the site, inspected the remains and called the police back to the skip near St Nick's Market in Bristol city centre.

Ellis said builders had been putting rubble into the skip for the past two days whilst working on renovating a nearby property.

He said: 'A police car stopped down the road with sirens on.

'The policeman got a bone out of the skip, bashed it on the side and then walked off laughing, saying, "It's just wood", and drove off.'

Ellis added: 'The guy who dumped it said he was working on renovations nearby.. When he was digging it out it was clumped together. He thought it was pipes sticking out.

The human remains were dumped into a skip in Bristol, close to St Nicholas Market today

'When he threw it in all the soil fell off and we saw it was bones. He said, "I didn't know they was bones! I've been touching that".'

Authorities returned to the site to further investigate the discovery, which was later covered and surrounded by police tape with officers standing by.

More suspected bone fragments were found in the morning in a wheelbarrow filled with bags of rubble, around 100 yards away from the cordoned-off skip.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: 'We were called to reports of a suspicious item - possibly a bone or bones - this morning at about 8.50am in a builder's skip in Broad Street.

'The skip is being used by builders who are renovating a property in (the) nearby All Saints Lane area, (where it is) believed there was a cemetery.

'The items will be forensically examined.'
Lawmakers in West Virginia voted to bring impeach charges against the entire state Supreme Court after accusing the justices of multiple crimes, including lavish spending on office decorations that cost tax payers $3.7 million.

The articles of impeachment recommend the four justices be impeached 'for maladministration, corruption, incompetency, neglect of duty, and certain high crimes and misdemeanors.'

'It's a sad day, and it certainly isn't a cause for celebration,' said Republican lawmakerJohn Shott, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee handling the issue, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

West Virginia Supreme Court justices are accused of 'lavish' office spending including a $32,000 suede couch (seen in the back) and a wooden floor inlaid with a shape of the sate

The couch in question is made of blue suede

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2017, from top left: Justices Menis Ketchum, Elizabeth Walker, Margaret Workman, Allen Loughry and Robin Davis. Ketchum resigned last month.

The full state House will begin deliberations on the matter Monday. If House lawmakers approve the impeachment charges, it goes to the state Senate for trail.

The situation has left the future of court uncertain ahead of an August 14 deadline to set a special election if one is needed to fill any vacancies.

The West Virginia Supreme Court has five justices elected to 12-year terms. But it is down to four after Justice Menis Ketchum abruptly announced his retirement as impeachment proceedings were set to begin.

The remaining four justices are facing 14 articles of impeachment, including a charge of 'unnecessary and lavish' spending of taxpayer dollars to renovate their offices in the East Wing of the state Capitol building.

It was reported they spent $3.7 million in taxpayer funds on the project, including a $32,000 suede couch and $1,700 in throw pillows for Justice Allen Loughry's office, the local CBS TV station revealed; along with a wood floor inlaid with a design in the shape of the state of West Virginia.

The custom-made wood floor contains each county in the state cut from a different colored piece of wood and Loughry's home county, Tucker, in blue granite. That part of the floor alone cost taxpayers $7,500.

Justice Robin Davis spent $8,000 on a high-backed desk chair that she said helped her arthritis and purchased a $20,500 rug.

Justice Elizabeth Walker was said to have spent $131,000 on office renovations, including $27,000 on furnishings and wallpaper.

Additionally all four justices are charged with failing to develop and maintain official policies regarding the use of state resources, including cars, computers and credit cards.

Loughry faces additional charges related to his alleged use of state vehicles for personal travel; having state property in his home; having personal photos, documents, and artwork framed at the cost to taxpayers; and issuing an order authorizing payments to retired judges in excess of what is allowable in state law.

He allegedly moved a valuable and historic 'Cass Gilbert' desk from the Capitol building to his home office. Gilbert was the architect of the Capitol building.

Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Davis also are charged on the excessive pay to retired judges issue.

Loughry was indicted by a federal grand jury in June on 23 charges of fraud, witness tampering and lying to federal investigators. He was suspended from the court without pay in June and his trial is scheduled to begin in October.

According to state law, if a justice leaves or is removed from office 84 days prior to a general election, the governor appoints an interim justice and voters pick a new justice during the November contest.

August 14 is the 84 day mark.

If a justice leaves or is removed after August 14, the governor still appoints an interim justice but the special election moves to May 2020.

West Virginia lawmakers voted for 14 articles of impeachment

Members of the state House Judiciary Committee examined offices of the West Virginia Supreme Court justices last month as part of their impeachment probe

The hallway of the West Virginia Supreme Court has frame official portraits of the justices

There is a special election set for November to replace Ketchum, who has already left the high court.

But some state Democrats are charging Republican lawmakers with a 'coup,' delaying impeachment proceedings to the point they would go past the August 14 deadline and letting the Republican governor fill the bench with his picks.

Democratic Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer told NPR she sees the timing of the impeachment as a ploy to allow Gov. Jim Justice to appoint the majority of the justices on court.

'It's a coup,' she said. 'They dragged this out all summer long, and suddenly they put this on the agenda.'

Republican lawmakers deny the charge.

'In an election year, there's going to be people who will spin it however it creates the most advantage to them. That's just part of the process,' Shott told the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
Mysterious footage shows what appears to be a UFO flying in the sky over west Siberia.

Russian experts are analysing footage of the glowing spherical shape shooting across the sky over the oil cities of Surgut and Nefteyugansk amid disagreements over the dramatic phenomenon.

A number of witnesses caught the 'greenish glowing ball' on tape and posted them online.

A major Russian TV station claimed the UFO was 'either a meteor or aliens'. The spherical, glowing orbs of light were spotted throughout the Russian province.

Other theories were a Russian missile or space rocket but Russian emergency officials said there had been no reports of meteorites or other mystery objects hitting the ground.

A number of witnesses caught the streaking 'greenish glowing ball' with a tail flying over the oil cities of Surgut and Nefteyugansk

A major Russian TV station claimed the UFO - also described as 'yellow' - was 'either a meteor or aliens'

Some experts insisted the most likely explanation was a Perseid meteor shower - common at this time of year.

But Professor Mikhail Larionov, of the Urals Federal University, insisted it was unlikely to be a meteor because it looked to be 'too slow' in the footage.

'The trajectory of the object's fall is quite flat and its speed is quite slow,' he said.

'Proceeding from this, we presume this was space debris burning up.'

'The Chelyabinsk meteorite in 2015 had streaked across the sky at a much higher speed,' he said.

The Chelyabinsk meteor was a superbolide caused by an approximately 20-metre near-Earth asteroid that entered Earth's atmosphere over Russia and crashing to earth leaving a six-metre wide hole in the ground.

Meteorites fall at between 6 and 45 miles a second. But according to Larionov, this UFO was travelling at less than 5 miles a second.
Police destroyed vehicles worth a total of 350,000 over fears they were contaminated with Novichok after the Salisbury poisonings, it has emerged.

More than 10million will be spent on operational costs this year following the nerve agent poisonings in Salisbury and Amesbury, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon revealed.

The cost of bringing in officers from other forces will be more than 7million, with more than 1.3million being spent on overtime within Wiltshire Police.

Specialist officers were called in after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia were poisoned on March 4, before mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley fell ill in June.

A police car is taken away from a Salisbury car park by military personnel during the March investigation following the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal

Today Wiltshire Police revealed the force had to request support from forces around the country to meet the 'extraordinary demand' they experienced.

Officer rest days were cancelled and private security guards brought in during the second 'major incident' after Mr Rowley and Ms Sturgess fell ill in Amesbury, Wilts.

An estimated 7 million will be needed to cover costs of bringing in officers from 40 other forces, and 1.3 million will go to overtime pay for Wiltshire Police officers and staff.

Police vehicles which had to be destroyed to avoid risk of Novichok contamination racked up a bill of 347,000.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson, said he 'fully expects all costs associated with the operation to be met centrally by the Government'.

He added: 'For our force to find itself at the centre of two major incidents in such a short space of time is somewhat unimaginable and we have endured significant costs because of the scale of the investigation.

'I am grateful that the Government has already pledged 4.1million pounds towards the costs incurred by Wiltshire Police during the investigation into the attack on Yulia and Sergei Skripal.

'I am in frequent contact with them, and those conversations will remain an absolute priority for me, to ensure that policing in Wiltshire and Swindon is not affected by the financial implications of these high profile and complex major incidents.'

Police in chemical hazard suits remove the Salisbury bench where the Skripals were found

The Government last month pledged more than 5 million to support local businesses in Salisbury and Amesbury, which have experienced a drop in footfall since the first poisoning.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard added: 'I am grateful to the Commissioner for his ongoing support to my officers, staff and volunteers and those from other forces who have come forward to help us during these two major incidents.

'Our mutual aid arrangements mean that other frontline policing duties have remained unaffected in Wiltshire despite us dealing with two internationally significant incidents in just four months.

'I am assured that the Commissioner will continue his dialogue with the Government to ensure that Wiltshire Police and the communities we serve are unaffected by these growing costs.'

The Skripals and Mr Rowley have been released from hospital while an inquest into Ms Sturgess' death has been set for next year.
A mother has told of her terrifying ordeal of being locked up in a filthy Dubai jail for three days with her four-year-old daughter for drinking a glass of wine on a flight from London.

Ellie Holman, 44, was arrested after being asked by an immigration official at Dubai International Airport if she had consumed alcohol on the eight-hour flight.

The mother-of-three, a dentist, from Sevenoaks, Kent, says she was held in a 'baking hot and foul smelling' airport detention centre  and not allowed to call her husband, Gary.

Now Dr Holman faces spending up to a year in the strict Arab state for her case to be settled.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said: 'My little girl had to go to the toilet on the cell floor. I have never heard her cry in the same way as she did in that cell.

Dr Ellie Holman and her daughter Bibi, four, both pictured, were held in a Dubai jail cell for three days after she was arrested for drinking wine on an Emirates flight from the UK

Dentist Dr Holman, pictured with children (from left) Noah, eight, Bibi, and Suri, nine, said her ordeal began when she was surrounded by armed police after trying to film her argument with an immigration official when he claimed her visa had expired

The mother of three said Bibi, pictured, was 'terrified' during the time in jail and was made to go to the toilet on the cell floor after being refused permission to use a lavatory

'My passport remains confiscated until the case is settled, which I have been told will take at least a year,' she said.

'So far this situation has cost me around 30,000 in legal fees, expenses and missed work. My practice is closed. All our savings have gone.'

Her nightmare began after she stepped off an Emirates Airlines flight from London to Dubai on July 13th. During the flight she was served a glass of red wine with her meal. Alcohol is served as standard practice on Emirates Airlines on flights from the UK to Dubai.

On arrival Dr Holman was quizzed by an immigration official over her visa who told her it was not valid.

She said she had visited the UAE several times before and as the visa had not expired assumed it was still valid.

The immigration officer told her the visa was valid for a single visit and said she had to buy a ticket and return to London immediately.

Dr Holman says she pleaded with the 'dismissive and rude' official to allow her to apply for a new visa at the airport telling him her daughter was exhausted.

Dr Holman, pictured with Suri, has been told she may have to spend up to a year in the Arab state while the case is settled

Her partner Gary, pictured with their children, flew out to Dubai to bring their daughter back to Kent but she has had her passport confiscated

Mr Holman said the experience had been 'devastating' for her children, pictured, and said he hopes they are reunited with their mother soon

'The thought of buying another ticket and turning straight around for another long flight was unthinkable,' she said.

During a tense standoff with the immigration officer, Dr Holman said he became angry with her and refused to answer her questions. She said he then asked her if she had been drinking.

'I told him I had a glass of wine on the flight. It was given to me free by Emirates Airlines staff.'

The official told Dr Holman possession of alcohol  even if consumed  was a crime in the UAE.

As the official became more agitated, Dr Holman started filming him on her mobile phone so that she had some evidence of his rude behaviour.

Within seconds she was surrounded by a dozen armed police and told filming airport officials was a criminal offence.

The terrified pair were led to a cell in the airport and had their phones and passports taken away.

Dr Holman said her daughter Bibi was inconsolable and she tried to comfort her by reading her books in the jail.

They were taken to a police station where she was told to provide a blood sample for an alcohol test, she said a guard took out her earrings and tried to rip off her hair extensions.

As police detention staff spoke in Arabic, Dr Holman pleaded for some water and food. She claims they also asked to use a toilet but were denied permission.

Dr Holman, a Swedish national, says she and Bibi were ordered to sleep in a canteen area used by other inmates.

Dr Holman said her daughter Bibi, pictured, was inconsolable during the ordeal and she tried to comfort her by reading her books in the jail

Dr Holman, pictured with son Noah, said conditions in the cell were 'filthy, foul-smelling and baking hot'

She claims the room's lights were kept on and with no air conditioning she said it was 'baking hot and foul smelling.'

She said the male guards offered no help as, exhausted and shocked by her experience, she struggled to lift the mattress. The guards stood by and laughed, she claimed.

'My daughter is a happy, smiley girl, but she was terrified,' she said.

The terrified pair arrived at a police building where she says a man in a dirty white lab coat said he was going to take a sample of her blood as evidence she had drunk alcohol.

She was told the results showed 0.04% of alcohol in her blood  a reading far below the UK drink drive limit.

During their detention the pair did not eat.

'The food smelled like rotting garbage and neither Bibi or I could face trying it. I stayed awake for the whole three days,' she said.

She claims they were also denied a pillow or a change of clothing and Dr Holman was forced to clean toilets and mop the floor while her daughter stood by her side.

She said Bibi was in a state of shock and refused to be comforted.

Back at their home in Kent, partner Gary was frantic with worry, as he had not heard from the pair.

Dr Holman said: 'Friends had found out I was in jail and tried to visit. Nobody was allowed to see us. We were not told.'

Gary flew to Dubai leaving the couple's other children Suri, nine, and Noah, aged eight, with relatives.

Emirates Airlines offers wine on flights from the UK to Dubai as standard practice (file picture)

Following her detention Dr Holman was taken in handcuffs back to airport and given bail.

Bibi and her father have now been allowed to fly back to the UK while Dr Holman is staying with friends in Dubai.

Gary said the experience of seeing his partner and daughter jailed was 'devastating for the whole family.'

'The thought of Ellie and our little girl in that awful prison breaks my heart.

'Ellie is a sensible, professional person and excellent mother who would never knowingly break the law.

'Why do Emirates Airlines serve alcohol for a passenger to drink and then pass through the airport.

'This has been devastating for the whole family. Ellie was taking a much needed break with little Bibi, who was looking forward to the beach and playing in the sea.

'I hope this can all be over so we can all be together again and start to heal.'

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the British human rights NGO representing Ellie said in a statement: 'The UAE maintains a deliberately misleading facade that alcohol consumption is perfectly legal for visitors.

'This is exampled by bars at the airport, by hotels, restaurants and clubs serving drinks. Tourists cannot be blamed for believing that the Emirates are tolerant of Western drinking habits but this is far from reality.

'It is wholly illegal for any tourist to have any level of alcohol in their blood. It is illegal to consume alcohol at a bar, a hotel and a restaurant and if breathalysed, that person will be jailed.

David Haigh, a partner at Detained in Dubai added: 'It's heartbreaking to see a mother and child arrested over something so trivial as a glass of wine.'
Plans to build a block of new flats has been turned down due to concerns over terrorism.

Councillors at North Tyneside Council planning meeting were told terrorists could use flats at the proposed North Shields Marina development, near the Port of Tyne, to launch attacks on cruise liners and Royal Navy ships.

Andy Khan, head of estates at Port of Tyne told councillors that developers proposals for windows which are sealed shut would not thwart a terrorist planning an attack from the flat block.

The Marina at North Shields. Councillors rejected a new development at the Marina over concerns of terrorism, poor design and a lack of car parking spaces

He said: 'This scheme would bring increased risk to cruise passengers and navy vessels.

'Although the windows would be locked I'm sure if a robust terrorist wanted to they could remove the glazing.

'It is necessary to remember that the country is still at risk and the threat level is severe,' as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors at the meeting were also concerned about the lack of parking at the proposed development, the 'bland' design and lack of section 106 money.

Councillor John O'Shea said: 'I am a bit uncomfortable about this development going forward.

'I am concerned that the developer hasn't complied with the affordable housing requirements. It is essential to the borough and I am concerned that the developer doesn't want to give a section 106 payment.'

He added: 'I'm not totally convinced by the parking arrangements proposed.'

The Marina at North Shields. Councillors rejected the proposal for two apartment blocks consisting of 36 flats on the land

A spokesperson for the Port of Tyne said the proposed development 'has the potential to impact the Port's growing cruise business, which adds some 51m to the regional economy and supports at least 1,600 jobs.'

They added: 'In addition, Northumbrian Quay acts as a gateway to the UK for both visiting cruise and naval vessels and as such the port takes any implications for safety seriously.'

Councillors voted unanimously to refuse permission to build the two apartment blocks consisting of 36 flats on the land.

In the papers provided to councillors prior to the meeting, council officers suggested the application be refused.

In the opinion of the council planning officer the 'design of the development is unacceptable' and does not 'make contributions to infrastructure requirements.'
The cannibal woman believed to have eaten up to 30 people with her husband has been declared sane by a medical team.

The infamous Russian Cannibal couple Natalia Baksheeva, 42, and Dmitry Baksheev, reportedly confessed to killing up to 30 women.

The couple were arrested in October 2017 as the main suspects for the murder of a woman in the city of Krasnodar in south-western Russia's Krasnodar Krai region.

A psychiatric exam found Natalia Baksheeva (pictured) to be sane, despite initially confessing to eating 30 people with her husband

Baksheeva, 42, and husband Dmitry Baksheev (pictured) were arrested in October 2017 as the main suspects for the murder of a woman in Russia

During a recent medical examination of Natalia Baksheeva, medical professionals of the Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Addiction found her to be sane of mind.

The cannibal couple were caught by pure chance, after a group of construction workers found a mobile phone which contained photos of Dmitry Baksheev with a severed hand in his mouth.

Police found remains of their victim Elena Vashrusheva (pictured), 35, at the couple's home

Baksheev (pictured left), 35, from Krasnodar in southern Russia, told interrogators he began his macabre reign of terror in 1999. Right: The first picture released of alleged cannibal Natalia Baksheeva, 42

Police traced the phone to the couple and raided their home in the grounds of a Russian military academy, where they found the remains of the murdered woman.

Glass jars of pickled remains as well as still unidentified frozen body parts and 'steamed human meat' were also found.

Among the horrific findings, police found remains of their last victim, identified as Elena Vashrusheva, 35, according to Russian media, who also report that the couple have been active cannibals since 1999.

The couple have been detained since and the investigation is ongoing.

Another picture has been reported as showing a human head on a plate surrounded by oranges

Glass jars of pickled remains as well as still unidentified frozen body parts and 'steamed human meat' were also found

The Russian Investigative Committee continues to investigate the confession of Natalia that she killed and ate at least 30 women along with her husband.

The couple have reportedly since retracted this confession, saying they only killed waitress Elena.

Some of the victims were allegedly lured from dating sites and were reported missing after arranging dates with men on the site.

However Russian authorities say there is no confirmation yet of the mass murders and the investigation remains open.
A man attempting to cross into the US from Mexico illegally suffered multiple fractures after plummeting 30 feet from the top of a border wall in California.

US Customs and Border Protection stated in a press release Monday that the undocumented immigrant broke both of his legs and possibly hurt his back.

The man's fall from the international border wall near Calexico, California, took place shortly after 8.15pm on Sunday and was captured on surveillance video.

Surveillance video recorded on the night of August 5 in Calexico, California, shows a man standing on top of a 30-foot border wall, attempting to cross into the US

The illegal border-crosser is seen in screenshots from the video plummeting to the ground

The unnamed man landed on the ground, suffering from broken legs and a back injury

The grainy footage released by the CBP on Twitter shows a human figure standing on top of the border wall, then falling straight down and landing on the ground.

Border agents assigned to the El Centro checkpoint found the unnamed border cross behind the Gran Plaza Outlet Mall at 9pm and administered aid until paramedics arrived.

EMS technicians airlifted the severely injured man to a hospital in Palm Springs for treatment.

The federal agency reminded the public of the dangers involved in attempting to cross illegally into the United States, stressing that climbing the 30-foot border wall could result in life-threatening injuries.

Customs and Border Protection agents found the injured man behind the Gran Plaza Outlet Mall (pictured) and administered first aid

Agency spokesman Carlos Pitones says the US government typically pays medical expenses for people who are injured crossing the border illegally and they are deported after recovery.

The government of California is currently in the process of replacing a 2-mile stretch of barrier made from recycled metal scraps and landing mat with the new bollard-style wall in Calexico.

President Donald Trump is seeking $25billion over 10 years for the border wall and other border security technology and has held out the possibility of a government shutdown if Congress doesnt fund his signature project.
Faced with growing competition and threats from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday said it will create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military service by 2020.

Vice President Mike Pence told a Pentagon audience that the plan fulfills President Donald Trump's vow to ensure America's dominance in space - a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested that has now become crowded and adversarial.

'Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation,' said Pence. 'The time has come to establish the United States Space Force.'

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: 'Space Force all the way!'

Faced with growing competition and threats from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday said it will create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military service by 2020

Vice President Mike Pence told a Pentagon audience that the plan fulfills President Donald Trump's vow to ensure America's dominance in space. The president celebrated the announcement on Twitter from Bedminister

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space warfighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching a pricey, new service

Trump has called for a 'separate but equal' space force, a complicated and expensive move that requires congressional approval. On Thursday, Pence said that the administration will work with Congress on the plan, and will outline a budget next year.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space warfighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching a pricey, new service.

A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress Thursday lays out plans to consolidate the Pentagon's warfighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of leading edge technologies.

DOD's role in space has been under scrutiny because of a recognition that the United States is increasingly reliant on satellites that are difficult to protect in orbit.

Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the economy.

The U.S. intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China are pursuing 'nondestructive and destructive' anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war.

And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.
Democratic congressional candidate Steven Lamar Foster, 61, has been convicted of driving under the influence in Dalton, Georgia

A Democratic candidate for Congress has been convicted for drunk driving in Georgia.

Steven Lamar Foster, 61, has been forced to take a break from the campaign trail after a jury found him guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The former physician from Dalton is currently being held without bond as he awaits a sentencing hearing next week.

Foster was arrested on September 23 of last year after police pulled him over in his silver Mercedes for driving without his headlights on in Dalton, near the Georgia-Tennessee state line.

According to a police report, Foster immediately submitted to a breathalyzer test before officers even suggested the need for one.

'Steven made the statement that he had not been drunk since 1981 and I could give him a breath test if I wanted to,' the report says.

'I asked Steven why I would need to give him a breath test.'

Foster announced his bid for a congressional seat in northwest Georgia's 14th district about six months after his DUI arrest last fall

Foster reportedly told the officer he had consumed two or three beers about three hours earlier.

The report says the 61-year-old swayed and stumbled during a field sobriety test.

He then agreed to a breath test, which showed his blood alcohol content was .103, well above the legal limit of .08.

Foster is pictured with a group of students during a March For Our Lives event earlier this year

The former physician has reportedly owned an urgent care center in Dalton for three decades

About six months after his arrest, Foster signed up to run for a congressional seat in northwest Georgia's 14th district, challenging incumbent Republican Rep Tom Graves.

Even without a criminal conviction, Foster would be considered a longshot for the congressional seat in the deep-red district that was easily carried by Donald Trump in 2016.

Foster is running against incumbent Republican Rep Tom Graves, who has held the seat in the deep-red district since 2010

Graves has held the seat since 2010, running unopposed in the last two elections and handily beating a Democratic challenger with 73 percent of the vote in 2012.

Foster signed up to challenge Graves in March, nearly six months after his DUI arrest last fall.

Foster's campaign website bemoans voters' distrust of government - 'and they especially don't trust our congressmen'.

Foster described himself as a 'physician entrepreneur' on his qualifying paperwork for the congressional race.

Local media reports that he is a former military physician, family practitioner and surgeon. He also has owned Dalton urgent care center MedNow for nearly three decades.

State records indicate Foster's medical license expired at the end of 2003.

The Composite State Board of Medical Examiners suspended Foster's medical license indefinitely in October 2002, citing concerns that he was 'unable to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients due to a psychiatric disorder.'

Court documents indicate Foster does not have any prior DUI offenses, and in the state of Georgia drunk driving counts as a misdemeanor until the fourth offense.

First-time offenders face possible prison sentences of 10 days to a year.
A Louisiana man shared gruesome video of a coyote lurking through his front yard and hunting down his cat as the poor animal tried to hide.

In the surveillance video, the coyote is seen roaming through the front yard of Scott Waters' Old Jefferson home looking for his cat.

The cat tried to get away from the coyote by hiding behind the tire of a vehicle parked in the driveway.

A Louisiana resident shared a gruesome video of a coyote roaming his front yard and then hunting down and killing his cat

The cat tried to hide behind the tire of a car, but it could not escape the coyote. The wild animal was seen in the video snatching the cat from behind the tire

The coyote was also seen lurking around Waters' backyard before snatching the car and running away

In the video the coyote walks up to the car and snatches the cat away as the animal yelps. The coyote then takes off down the street with the cat in its mouth.

The horrific death comes one month after Old Metairie resident Dianne Vinci said she found her cat's body parts in her yard after a coyote mauled it to death.

'It was torn apart. It was eaten. It was literally ripped apart. A leg and a shoulder were in my yard. And the head was found a block away,' she told WDSU, adding that two dogs in the neighborhood were also mauled by a coyote.

In surveillance video taken outside Vinci's home, the coyote picks her cat up and drops it on the round. The coyote then picks it up again and walks off.

Dianne Vinci, of Louisiana, said her cat was mauled to death after a coyote came in her front yard and hunted it down

'I just cannot believe that horrible death the cat faced, being ripped apart, and it was blind in one eye,' she said. 'They ate the rest of the body. They left one leg here and now I'm frightened to death for the other cats and any animals in this neighborhood.'

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office issued a warning to residents about the dangers of coyotes to pets. Officials said pet owners should keep dogs and cats indoors, especially at dawn and dusk, and bring pet food indoors.

If a dog is left outside at night, officials advise keeping them in a fully enclosed kennel.
Brandon Ziobrowski was arrested Thursday for a tweet in which he offered to pay $500 to anyone willing to kill an ICE agent

A Massachusetts man has been arrested for offering on social media to pay $500 to anyone who would kill an ICE agent.

Brandon Ziobrowski, 33, had posted the offer on Twitter last month, telling his more than 400 followers: 'I am broke but will scrounge and literally give $500 to anyone who kills an ICE agent.'

He also responded to a tweet about ICE officers putting their 'lives on the line' to make arrests by saying: 'Thank you ICE for putting your lives on the line and hopefully dying I guess so there's less of you?' according to court documents.

Law enforcement officials said they hope the arrest of Ziobrowski on Thursday I don'sends the message that they will not tolerate what they described as a 'rising tide' in threats against federal immigration officers and others 'under the guise of political debate'.

Ziobrowski allegedly shared the inflammatory tweet above with his 400 followers last month

'The agents and officers out there enforcing federal laws are doing their job, plain and simple,' US Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters Thursday.

'Those who disagree with their mission are of course free to say so. But there is a difference between public debate and intentionally putting others in fear of their lives,' he said.

Ziobrowski, of Cambridge, is charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat to injure another person.

He was arrested in New York, where he was visiting a friend. He is expected to make an appearance there Thursday before being transported back to Massachusetts.

It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer. No number for him was listed in public directories.

Twitter suspended his account after it was alerted to the threat about the ICE agents, court documents indicate.

Investigators have said they found several tweets expressing 'anti-US sentiments' on Ziobrowski's now-suspended account

'People who try to politicize our mission are within the legal right to freedom of speech,' said Peter Fitzhugh, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston.

'But when freedom of speech crosses a line into threats or offers to have federal law enforcement officers killed, we will never tolerate that,' he said.

Investigators found that Ziobrowski's Twitter showed multiple expressions of 'extreme anti-US sentiments along with violent rhetoric regarding guns and numerous references to extreme communist, socialist and anarchist' views, according to FBI special agent Harold H Shaw.

The 33-year-old had also allegedly tweeted about his desire to kill Arizona Sen John McCain, and said guns 'should only be legal for shooting the police like the second amendment intended,' according to prosecutors.

'We look to hold those accountable who are behind any threats of violence including those who try to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet,' Shaw said.

He added that fatal shootings of law enforcement officers are on the rise, saying of the threats: 'Enough is enough'.
President Donald Trump has always had a rocky relationship with the Latino press corps covering his every step dating back to his campaigning days heading into the 2016 GOP primary and presidential elections.

On Thursday it was confirmed that one of his top lieutenant Helen Aguirre Ferre would be stepping down.

Helen Aguirre Ferre (pictured), the press officer for Latin and African-American media outlets said good bye to President Trump and handed her two weeks resignation.

On Wednesday, it was reported by Univision that Trump was going to lose his top White House liaison with the Hispanic community.

Aguirre Ferre abruptly gave in her two weeks' notice and stepped down from her job as the director of media affairs for Latino and African-American news outlets.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Thursday that Aguirre was taking up a new position as director for strategic communications and public affairs at the National Endowment for the Arts. She said Aguirre would start her new job in the next two weeks.

In a statement, Aguirre said she looks forward to "continuing to advance the President's agenda in support of American communities through the National Endowment for the Arts which provides support to nonprofit cultural institutions nationwide."

Aguirre had held the White House job since the start of the Trump administration after serving as the Republican National Committee's director of Hispanic communications. During her tenure, the White House removed the Spanish-language content from its website, a departure from the two previous administrations.

Trump also told the Mexican-American journalist: 'Sit down, you weren't called. Go back to Univision'

Univision Communications Inc's news anchor was firmly escorted out of the room by security

President Donald Trump's engagement with Latinos has been complicated in what's now his second year as the world's most powerful leader.

During his campaign, Trump turned off many Latinos with his harsh anti-immigration rhetoric, including disparaging Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. He criticized rival Jeb Bush for answering a reporter's question in Spanish, saying the former Florida governor "should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States."

Aguirre, who was born in Miami to Nicaraguan parents, is the second high-profile Latino to quit the White House.

In June, a Cuban American Carlos Diaz-Rosillo left his job at the White House as deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and interagency coordination to become a senior deputy chairman at the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Before joining the administration, Diaz-Rosillo had taught at Harvard in the Government Department. He did not reply to a message from the AP requesting comment.

The recent changes leave these Latinos serving closest to Trump: Mercedes Schlapp, White House director of strategic communications; Jennifer Korn, special assistant to the president and deputy director for the Office of Public Liaison; Juan Cruz, senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council.
ABC News(AUSTIN, Texas) -- Cody Wilson has been called one of the most dangerous people on the Internet.



For years, Wilson has fought to make sure anyone should be able to download the files to make a gun at home with the click of a button using a 3-D printer or a computer automated milling machine.



Ive demonstrated ... especially these last few weeks [that] the idea of gun control in the internet age is inoperable, Wilson told ABC News Nightline.



Last week, a federal judge temporarily stopped him from putting gun blueprints online -- the latest chapter in an ongoing battle with the federal government, 19 states, the District of Columbia and gun control advocates.



If Cody Wilson is not stopped, then what we will find is a universe where the internet has plans to 3-D print any kind of weapon anybody wants, with printers that make that incredibly easy for someone to do in only a few hours in their garage or in their living room, Avery Gardiner, co-president of the Brady Campaign, told Nightline.



Wilson invited Nightline to Austin, Texas, which is the home of his company Defense Distributed.



The 30-year-old said he originally wanted to be a lawyer.



I had a better idea, Wilson said. His idea was, Could you make WikiLeaks for guns?



In 2012, he and his friends were some of the first people to 3-D print a plastic gun, which they called The Liberator.



They shared the blueprint file on the internet, where Wilson says it was downloaded more than 100,000 times in just the first week.



Thats when the federal government jumped. The State Department argued that by posting the blueprints, Wilson was basically doing the same thing as exporting weapons abroad. Wilson took down the blueprints, and in 2015 filed a lawsuit against the State Department arguing that the digital gun blueprints are a form of free speech.



Wilson says its both a First Amendment issue and a Second Amendment issue.



Its both, but the way that this had to be fought for years in court was on a First Amendment claim, Wilson said.



Andy Greenberg, a senior writer at WIRED, has covered Wilson and the digital DIY gun debate since 2012.



If a gun is a piece of data then are you allowed to share it and call it free speech? That is the argument that Defense Distributed has been making for the last three years, Greenberg told Nightline.



All the headlines are always about 3-D printed guns. But for Defense Distributed 3-D printing is almost just like a stand-in for this idea of any kind of digital tool that allows you to with just a download and a click create a gun component at home, said Greenberg.



In a surprise turn this summer, the Trump administration reached a settlement with Wilson and Defense Distributed that would have allowed him to publish his gun blueprints online. He started publishing some of the files on July 27 but was forced again to remove them when a judge issued a temporary restraining order last week.



Wilson says that his aim is less about making weapons but instead giving people the tools to make a gun.



Posting guns to the internet my goodness in these terms knowing the attorneys general will sue, nothing beats it," Wilson said.



At his companys Texas headquarters, Wilson showed how his company has moved beyond the 3D printing of plastic guns into making metal guns using a computer-automated milling machine.



Wilson has developed a computer-automated milling machine, which is small enough to sit on a desk, and it costs just $2,000. It carves metal parts into the main component of different firearms like the AR-15 and glock.



This will take you a couple of hours, and it doesnt require your constant intercession, Wilson explained, while the machine milled part of an AR-15.



Its perfectly legal. Instead of publishing the computer data needed to operate the milling machine, Wilson ships it to his customers



Unlike the plastic versions that sometimes malfunctioned, experts say the metal versions can be similar to what you buy at a gun store.



Greenberg said the milling machine is the most practical technology right now for homemade guns that circumvent all gun control laws and present a much more practical threat than 3-D printing.



Weapons like these have been called ghost guns, as they have no serial number, can be assembled at home and are virtually untraceable.



The term ghost gun refers to guns that really appear out of nowhere," Gardiner said. "We dont have any register of who bought them, how they were sold."



But homemade guns are not new, and in many cases perfectly legal.



But critics say Wilsons machine could make it easier for these firearms to get into the hands of people who arent legally allowed to own guns, like felons or the mentally ill.



We have seen ghost guns used in shootings around America in the last several years, said Gardiner.



Leticia Franco still remembers the day five years ago when a gunman opened fire in Santa Monica, killing four five people, including Francos father and sister.



You feel so sad, like a part of you is taken away, Franco told Nightline.



The shooter had used a ghost gun. An investigation revealed that he had a history of mental health issues, and previously had tried to buy a gun, but was denied.



The shooter instead ordered parts online, and assembled them into a gun himself.



This incident was not at all connected to Wilson, but Franco says shes afraid of what Wilsons doing.



Providing this information is wrong. Hes also ethically responsible for what other people do with this information, Franco said. You provided these people with information that could potentially cause another tragedy.



Wilson says he is aware of the potential dangers of making access to ghost guns easier.



This isnt just like playing games on your keyboard, right, on the internet? Ive had customers arrested, right, in other states for owning guns when they shouldnt have, Wilson said. But, again, [Im advocating] that these are the necessary consequences of ensuring the peoples right to keep and bear arms.



Wilson continued, I reserve the right to change my mind about it, right? Maybe somehow it would deeply affect me, and I would choose to discontinue the operation ... I dont know. Im a full human being.



For now, Wilson is stuck waiting to find out if the courts will allow him to upload those gun blueprints, despite the fact that other websites already have posted the exact files that Defense Distributed was hosting on its own site, according to Greenberg.



The government has, essentially, failed, even though they tried this legal approach, they have failed to censor this information. Its getting out there, Greenberg explained.



In the meantime, Wilson is continuing business, shipping out those milling machines, of which he said hes sold a thousand so far this year.



Despite all the legal battles ahead, Wilson says he refuses to back down.



A gun is power and this is the essence of this project I'm actually giving people the means to create a power for themselves and I'm zealous to do that. That's real for me he said. People can misuse it, but it's power all the same. It's a conversation beyond good and evil.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
An international jewel thief who murdered two men with his brother to settle a feud over the loot from a raid has been jailed for 33 years.

Colombian Gonzalo Gomez-Remolina, 36, and Christian Mauricio Gomez-Remolina killed compatriot Carlos Ayala-Cormona, 28, and 30-year-old Spaniard Ruben Fuente on June 5 2007.

Mr Ayala-Cormona was stabbed 30 times in a frenzied knife attack at his flat in Muller Road, on the Clapham Park Estate, south London, where he lived with his family.

Mr Fuente managed to escape to a landing between the fourth and fifth floors, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Colombian Gonzalo Gomez-Remolina (pictured above), 36, and brother Christian Mauricio Gomez-Remolina murdered two men in Clapham to settle a feud over the loot from a raid

The Spaniard's injuries from the initial attack slowed him down and the Colombian brothers inflicted eight wounds to kill him.

Forensic scientists found a blood-spattered crime scene after the two men were knifed to death in the communal stairwell.

Christian Gomez-Remolina killed himself at HMP Highdown awaiting trial for the murders.

Gonzalo Gomez-Remolina remained at large until he was traced to a Mexican jail cell in 2010 and extradited back to the UK to be charged with the killings in January of this year.

Carlos Ayala-Cormona (left), 28, and 30-year-old Spaniard Ruben Fuente (right) were killed on June 5 2007. Mr Ayala-Cormona was stabbed 30 times at his flat in Muller Road, on the Clapham Park Estate, south London. Mr Fuente managed to escape to a landing between the fourth and fifth floors but the Colombian brothers inflicted eight wounds to kill him

He was convicted by a unanimous verdict by an Old Bailey jury today of the double murder after 17 hours and 3 minutes of jury deliberations.

Mr Justice Andrew Edis then sentenced him to a life sentence with a minimum of 33 years in prison.

Judge Edis said: 'This was a brutal execution and Ruben was an innocent bystander.

'He had done you no harm whatsoever but you cut him down to assist you in avoiding detection.

'You are a career criminal and you have never done an honest day's work in your life.

'You fled the country to Mexico to evade detection and continued your life of crime there.

'In my judgement there is no mitigation in regards to these offences.

'The sentence of this court is life imprisonment.

'The family of both victims are still mourning their loss and Carlos' mother watched her son die before her eyes.'

The international jewel thief (pictured above) was seen on CCTV footage leaving the country, after a row over 35,000 worth of stolen watches and a set of Napoleonic coins. He has now been jailed for at least 33 years at the Old Bailey

Gonzalo sobbed in the dock as Judge Edis passed sentence.

Members of Fuente's family were weeping at the back of the courtroom as the foreman gave their decision and victim impact statements were read.

Carlos' mother, Patricia Delgado Carmona, told the court in a victim statement: 'Carlos loved life and everything it had to offer.

'He was an everyday happiness and contributes to this with his love, devotion and kindness.

'He was the eldest of five children so he took on the responsibility with helping me to raise his siblings, making sure they would not take the wrong path.'

Ruben's sister, Emilia Rodriguez Fuente, said to the court in a statement: 'Ruben died two days away from starting a new life.

'He was here in London to collect his bags and go back to Spain to set up a business.

'He was the youngest of seven children and as my father said there was no accident or illness. He wasn't a bad person who lived a dangerous life.

'Because of this my family have been robbed of a happy life forever.'

Prosecutor Brian O'Neill QC said the Remolina brothers were 'international career criminals' from Bogota and were known as 'Los Rolos'.

He told the court: 'The evidence reveals there was a significant plan to kill Carlos, that was hatched a few days earlier.

'Ruben was unfortunately with Carlos at the time and therefore was killed as well.'

The brothers carried out the murder in an act of revenge against Mr Ayala in an escalating feud over the spoils of a jewellery raid.

'Just a few days before this incident they attacked Carlos Ayala and Ruben Fuente in the carpark of a B&Q store on the Old Kent Road by trying to run them over in their vehicle,' Mr O'Neill explained.

The brothers carried out the murder in an act of revenge against Mr Ayala in an escalating feud over the spoils of a jewellery raid. (File photo)

Gonzalo claimed that they had intended a peaceful meeting with Carlos Ayala-Cormona on the night of the murders and had not anticipated any violence.

The defendant said he and his brother were taken by surprise when Ayala attacked them with a knife in his right hand.

'What a lie,' said Mr O'Neill.

'How in hell could this man not anticipate that a meeting with Carlos would not result in violence, especially after the incident in the car park two days earlier, and the phone calls and threats to kill.

'Violence was the only outcome imaginable for a meeting between either brother and Carlos.

'Of course, by his account, his brother knew where and approximately when this meeting was going to take place.

'Remolina had to tell you that he did not anticipate any violence because otherwise it looks like a plan to come together to commit murder.

'He said it was to his surprise that there was Carlos and Ruben were at the Estate.

'The defendant and his brother were lying in wait to ambush and murder Carlos.'

The morning after the murders the brothers and their girlfriends fled the country by Eurostar to Paris on separate trains.

Christian Gomez-Remolina was arrested in Spain on June 28 2007 with his pregnant partner and a haul of stolen jewellery.

He was extradited back to the UK but killed himself before his trial could take place.

Mr O'Neill said there were no eye witnesses to the killings and no murder weapons have ever been recovered.

But he said scientific evidence links Christian to the scene while Ayala appears to have identified his attackers with his dying breath.

Gonzalo Gomez-Remolina, of no fixed address, denied but was convicted of two counts of murder.

He will serve 33 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Angelina Jolie is very rich, with a fortune estimated at $160 million.

Shes also a very beautiful, very famous and very successful movie star who for the past 12 years has been married to a very handsome, very famous and very successful movie star.

So life, you might conclude, hasnt been overly arduous for Ms Jolie.

But theres so much more to her than just wealth, looks and fame, as she is always keen to remind us.

Angelinas a multiple award-winning humanitarian (in fact, shes been given more major awards for her charity work than for her movies) who promotes human and womens rights.

Angelina Jolie is very rich. Shes also a very beautiful, very famous and very successful movie star who for the past 12 years has been married to a very handsome, very famous and very successful movie star

Angelina Jolie always like to remind us she's 'more' than an actress. Shes a Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, regularly embarking on trips to war-torn countries

Shes a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, regularly embarking on trips to war-torn countries like Sierra Leone, the Sudan and Afghanistan.

And Angelina practices what she preaches, adopting three young children from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

Motherhood  has herself given birth to three other children - had a profound effect on her.

The moment you have a child, she said, in an instant your life is not for you, and your life is completely, 100% dedicated to another human being, and they will always come first. It changes you forever. It changes your perspective, and it gives you a nice purpose and focus.

Fine words indeed, from many peoples idea of a very fine woman.

Yet words that now ring distinctly hollow.

For this week, Angelina launched a savage public attack on her husband Brad Pitt, the father and adoptive father of those six kids  Maddox, 17, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

In scathing court documents filed in Los Angeles, she accused him of failing to provide meaningful child support for the past year and a half, since the couple announced they were splitting up.

The message was crystal clear: Brads a deadbeat dad.

And that indeed was the headline that followed in many media outlets.

Yet furious Pitt hit back immediately, saying hed loaned his wife $8 million for a house in which to live with their children, and given her $1.3 million towards their bills.

Thats a lot of money for 18 months of childcare.

This week Angelina launched a savage public attack on her husband Brad Pitt, the father to their six children. The message was crystal clear: Brads a deadbeat dad. Furious Pitt hit back immediately, saying hed loaned his wife $8 million for a house in which to live with their children, and given her $1.3 million for bills. Thats a lot of money for 18 months of childcare

Friends told the New York Post he had fulfilled all financial obligations to his kids, including payments for therapists, travel expenses and round-the-clock bodyguards.

The friends added that Jolie is being ridiculously unreasonable and is fuelled by anger.

They also said how hurt Pitt is by her decision to make this damning deadbeat dad allegation in open court rather than in front of a private judge as the rest of the divorce has so far been heard.

Im sure he is.

Its hard to imagine a worse thing for any father to be accused of then failing to take proper care of his children.

Its also hard to imagine a worse thing for any child than reading, or seeing on TV, that their father is a mean tightwad who refuses to take responsibility for them.

In any divorce, a lot of mud gets slung.

No marriage ends happily, whatever absurd PR spin some celebrity couples try to put on their conscious uncoupling.

But when children are involved, the right thing to do, indeed the imperative thing to do, is to keep the mudslinging behind closed doors.

If youre going to shout insults at each other, do it when the kids cant hear it.

If you want to make very damaging legal claims about each other, then dont do it in open court.

This is particularly important for anyone famous because once this stuff gets into the public domain, then it stays there for your children to read for the rest of their lives.

Angelina Jolie knows this better than anyone, as shes now been married three times.

Angelina should know that once it's in the public domain it's there for your children to read forever. She'e been married three times (seen here with first husband Johnny Lee Miller) and she lived through her own famous parents' bitter divorce after Jon Voight cheated

She also knows from her own parents bitter divorce (her mother Marcheline Bertrand left her father Jon Voight when Angelina was a toddler, after he cheated) how scarring it can be to have lurid details of your parents break-up set in permanent internet stone.

So why would she decide to publicly humiliate her own childrens father like this?

And why would she further compound the childrens unhappiness by making it hard for him to see them when he wants to?

Unlike most deadbeat dads, Pitt has been fighting to see more, not less of his kids.

But Jolie has apparently been resisting this so vigorously that the divorce judge reportedly warned her in June to stop it or risk losing primary custody.

He was also said to have ordered her to provide Pitt with a cell phone number for each child, to allow him to call whenever he wants, barred her from reading the childrens text messages from their father, and laid out a summer schedule for each child to see him.

I dont know the truth about whats gone wrong in the Brangelina marriage  only they do.

So why would she decide to publicly humiliate her own childrens father like this? Unlike most deadbeat dads, Pitt has been fighting to see more, not less of his kids. But Jolie has apparently been resisting this vigorously. I don't know why Angelina is now behaving in such an irrational and vicious manner

By his own admission, Brad wasnt a perfect father or husband and seemed to have hit some kind of mid-life crisis by the time they split.

Nor do I know why Angelina is now behaving in such an irrational and vicious manner. Though some fear her rage may not be entirely unconnected to the fact his new girlfriend is a stunning and brilliantly clever MIT professor, Neri Oxman.

However, what I do know is that Angelinas decision to publicly attack him this week can only turn out to be incredibly damaging to their children.

And it sits very uneasily with her claim that those children will always come first.

But then what Angelina says and does are often two very different things.

For example, she once said: To be intimate with a married men, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive. I could not look at myself in the morning if I did that. I wouldnt be attracted to a man who would cheat on his wife.

Then she fell in love with Jennifer Annistons husband Brad Pitt on the film Mr and Mrs Smith, and stole him from her.

So Angelinas halo, which she ruthlessly ensures has an almost permanent glisten to it, may not shine quite so brightly when she looks away from the mirror.

Theres also another weird aspect to her court action this week.

Angelina Jolie has always proudly affirmed herself as a tough, independent woman who doesnt need a man to help her get on in life.

Angelinas halo may not shine quite so brightly anymore . Also, she's always proudly affirmed herself as a tough, independent woman who doesnt need a man to help her get on in life. So WHY now look so grasping, whining, needy and man-reliant?

The true embodiment, you might think, of modern feminism.

And shes been remarkably successful at it, making more money from movies and endorsements than almost any actress in history.

So why would she now want to make herself look so grasping, whining, needy and man-reliant?

If Angelina Jolie really thinks Brad Pitt is a useless deadbeat dad, then what better way to prove it then to tell him to stuff his money where the sun dont shine and provide for her kids herself?

She can certainly easily afford to if she wishes.

Instead, shes chosen to deliberately, and what may well be falsely, embarrass the father of her children in public.

Thats such a weak, cheap shot Angelina  especially for a humanitarian who says she always puts her children first.
A senior British Imam today backed Boris Johnson in the burqa row and said the oppressive face coverings should be banned.

Imam Taj Hargey, from the Oxford Islamic Congregation said the Tory MP has nothing to apologise for and 'did not go far enough' in his remarks.

He branded the burqa a 'hideous tribal ninja-like garment' and said its has 'no Koranic legitimacy'.

His strident defence came as the Tory Party confirmed it has launched a formal investigation into Mr Johnson for comparing women in burqas to letter boxes.

Imam Taj Hargey, pictured last year on ITV's This Mornibf with Sahar Al-Faifi, has backed Boris Johnson in the ongoing burka row and he believes it should be banned

Tory sources have insisted the party was left with no choice but to launch the probe because it was triggered automatically after they received a flurry of complaints.

But the move has sparked a furious backlash from Mr Johnson's allies who have accused No10 of trying to 'destroy' the ex minister because they see him as a threat.

What is the Tory disciplinary panel and what punishments could it give Boris? The Tory party launched its new stricter code of conduct in 2017 in the wake of the Westminster sex pest scandal. Under the rules, any member who is accused of flouting the code of conduct could face a grilling by a disciplinary panel. Here is the process which faces Boris Johnson: A panel consisting of no fewer than three people, is appointed by the Party Chairman Brandon Lewis. The panel will include a Tory activist, an independent person and someone nominated by the chairman of the 1922 committee - the powerful body of backbench Conservatives. This panel will investigate the complaint and give their findings to Mr Lewis. If they find Mr Johnson has broken party rules then they will refer him to Theresa May and the Board of the Tory party, who decide what punishment to mete out. They can order a range of punishments - including kicking him out of the party. How does the party decide what punishment to give out? It is up to the PM and the board of the Conservative Party to decide what punishment to give out. The code of conduct states they have discretion to 'take such action as they see fit. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, suspension of membership or expulsion from the Party.' But it suggests that only the most serious cases will be result in the member being kicked out of the party. The code states: 'Any removal of rights of membership will only be made after due considerations of natural justice.' Advertisement

Mr Hargey warned that the burqa has become trendy among more militants Islamists who peddle views which can be a gateway for religious extremism.

And he urged the UK to follow in the footsteps of other European countries like France and Denmark and ban the burqa.

Writing in The Times, he said: 'Boris Johnson should not apologise for telling the truth.'

He said the ex minister had reminded the country that the face mask 'has no Koranic legitimacy' but is 'a nefarious component of a trendy gateway theology for religious extremism and militant Islam'.

He added: 'The burqa and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim.

'Although this deliberate identity-concealing contraption is banned at the Kaaba in Mecca it is permitted in Britain, thus precipitating security risks, accelerating vitamin D deficiency, endorsing gender-inequality and inhibiting community cohesion.'

He said that some backward-looking elements in the Muslim community have managed to persuade may in British society that it is in the Islamic faith for women to cover their faces.

But he said this must be challenged in Britain and that the state should step in to stop it.

He said: 'Johnson did not go far enough. If Britain is to become a fully integrated society then it is incumbent that cultural practices, personal preferences and communal customs that aggravate social division should be firmly resisted.

'For this reason Britain must emulate France, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria and Denmark in banning the burqa.'

Mr Johnson sparked a massive political storm after he made the controversial comments in his Daily Telegraph column on Monday.

Tory Remainer MPs and ministers queued up to condemn him and he was accused of risking inciting religious hatred over the remarks.

Boris Johnson (pictured left) is being investigated by the Tory party after comparing women wearing burqas to letterboxes - but his supporters have slammed Theresa May and No10 saying they are orchestrating the move to damage his career

But Mr Johnson, who is away on summer holiday as the storm blows up in the UK, has declined to comment.

It emerged today that the party has launched a formal investigation into him after receiving complaints.

Under Tory Party rules, an investigating officer will now decide if Mr Johnson has flouted their code of conduct and if the probe should be referred on to a panel to grill him on.

If they find him at fault then Mrs May can decide what punishment to give her former minister - and could even kick him out of the Tory Party.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: I believe this is politically motivated, by the internal politics of the Tory party, by politicians who want to humiliate and destroy Boris Johnson.'

He added: I believe that the public will see this for what it is  an internal Conservative party witch hunt instigated by Number Ten against Boris Johnson, who they see as a huge threat.
Ben Jealous, the Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland, dropped the f-bomb when asked by a reporter if he is a socialist.

Jealous, who's been endorsed by liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders and labeled 'too extreme' by his Republican rival, said 'Are you fucking kidding me?' when asked about the moniker.

The incident was caught on camera.

Ben Jealous, the Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland, dropped the f-bomb when asked by a reporter if he is a socialist

Jealous is challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan

Jealous, the former president and CEO of the NAACP, is challenging Republican Gov. Larry Hogan for the gubernatorial mansion.

Hogan's campaign has made Jealous out to be a far-left candidate. And the Republican Governors Association, which is back Hogan, has dropped $1 million on television ads against Jealous, calling him 'too extreme for Maryland.'

'You know, I about fell out of my chair when I read in the [New York] Times this weekend that Hogan was calling me names,' Jealous said when he was initially asked whether he was a socialist.

'When you see conservatives like Hogan name-calling, you realize that they're scared,' he added. 'What I am is a venture capitalist, and what I do is invest in growing businesses.'

But when Washington Post reporter Erin Cox pressed him on whether he was a socialist, he responded with a chuckle: 'Are you fucking kidding me?'

Jealous became the youngest head of the NAACP at age 35 when he was elected to the position in 2008. He was a strong supporter of Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary and has embraced some of Sanders' liberal platform: likeMedicare for all and debt-free college.

Sanders is a self-identified 'Democratic Socialist' but Jealous has never used that term to describe himself while Republicans have used the term against him.

Jealous explained to aBaltimore TV station that conservatives use it as a derogatory term against black leaders.

They 'like to brand black leaders as socialists to try and discredit us,' he said.

Jealous apologized to the reporter for his words

Jealous said he is not a socialist but a venture capitalist

The Washington Post reporter said she was not owed an apology

Ben Jealous campaigning in Baltimore in August

'You saw Barry Goldwater do that to Martin Luther King Jr. We saw the Tea Party do it to President Obama and now Larry Hogan and his allies are trying to do it to me. I don't appreciate it. I don't think anybody in the state appreciates the governor dragging our politics into the mud,' he noted.

Jealous later apologized to Cox, who asked the question.

'I want to apologize to @ErinatthePost for my inappropriate language in response to her question earlier today. As a former journalist, I know how important it is for a free society to respect reporters and answer their questions honestly,' he wrote on Twitter.

He added: 'I'm a venture capitalist, not a socialist. I have never referred to myself as a socialist nor would I govern as one.

Cox noted on Twitter that she did not think she was owed an apology.

'For the record, I did not think @BenJealous was cursing at me; it was clearly his answer to the question about whether he identified as a socialist,' she wrote.

Hogan claims he hasn't said that about Jealous, according to a Baltimore TV station.

'I don't know what he's talking about,' Hogan said. 'I've never said anything about him.'

Hogan is trying to become the first Republican governor to win reelection in the state in more than 60 years.

His campaign slammed Jealous for the use of the F-word.

'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 to The Washington Post. 'We need more people in public office who understand that words and tone matter, not fewer  we already have plenty who don't in Washington, D.C.'
A teen who accused two NYPD officers of rape posted a disturbing video of a man claiming to be a process server from the sheriff's office refusing to leave her property, before calling her a 'stupid b****.'

The short clip, shared by the teen who goes by the Twitter alias Anna Chambers, shows the man inside her gate, videotaping her. He records her, while she records him in the upsetting exchange.

The yet-unidentified man appears to be blocking her from going up her walkway. He tells her 'There is your subpoena right there.'

Chambers, who is now 19-years-old, retorts 'Thanks a lot, now get out of my house.'

He refuses to leave and tells her 'I'm from the sheriff's office I can do whatever I want.'

'This isn't harassment?!' Chambers says in the video she posted Wednesday.

Anna Chambers posted the video of this man Wednesday serving her a subpoena. He claimed he was from the 'sheriff's office' and therefore he did not have to leave her property. Chambers is in the middle of a high profile case against two NYPD detectives she says raped her

Alleged NYPD rape victim, Anna Chambers (pictured), now 19, shared the video of an unidentified process server at her home, refusing to leave, lying about who he was, and then calling her a 'stupid b****'

The NYPD Detectives charged with rape: The process server works for the attorney of the now-resigned NYPD detective Eddie Martins (right). Also charged with raping the teen is a resigned NYPD Detective Richard Hall (left)

When Chambers, who is off camera, covers her face, the man asks what she's afraid of.

Then he says: 'This isn't Russia, I'm not the KGB,' as Chambers, whose family is from Eastern Europe, tells him again to leave.

'You stupid b****' the man is heard mumbling before the video ends.

In another video that the DailyMail.com obtained, that was filmed just before Chambers arrived, the man sat on her stoop and shouted up to her parents calling them 'Russian liars.'

Chambers claims that she was handcuffed and then raped by NYPD Detectives Richard Hall, 32, and Eddie Martins, 37, after they found her and her friends in possession of marijuana in Coney Island on September 15.

She says the two detectives took turns raping her in the back of an unmarked police van after taking her into custody.

The process server was not from a sheriff's office and was sent by Martins' attorney's office, Mark Bederow, in an effort to obtain photos of Chambers' wrists that she told police she is in possession of but hasn't handed over yet.

Bedrow told the Daily News 'Her lawyer was asked repeatedly by us to accept service for the subpoena. He continuously refused, preferring that we send someone to the house to serve her.'

'You have to wonder why they would prefer that,' he said.

However, Bederow condemned the behavior of the process server.

'The task that was given was to serve the subpoena,' Bederow said. 'We don't condone any of the other stuff that happened.'

Chambers' attorney, Michael David called the incident 'a complete abuse of power' and 'disgusting.'

'I've called for the New York State Department of Licensing to investigate this guy, but we don't know who he is,' her attorney told DailyMail.com.

'He was degrarding to women, he was anti-immigrant, it was a total abuse of power. You would think in light of the #MeToo movement they'd be more remorseful and not acting like they can get away with anything,' David added.

David says the man flashed a badge before the video started. 'This guy could be law enforcement. What he said was degrading to women, and he said it to a rape victim.'

Narcotics detectives Hall and Martins were charged in October with first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sexual act, second-degree kidnapping, official misconduct and related counts for the allegedly sexual assault of a teen girl in the back of their van on September 15.

Chambers confirmed to DailyMail.com she is the victim. She also gave permission to have her photos posted publicly.

Hall and Martins did not deny the teen's allegations and claimed the three-way sex acts were consensual.

A press release at the time stated that around 8pm that day, Martins and Hall pulled up to the Calvert Vaux Park where Chambers was sitting in her car.

The two detectives observed marijuana in the teen's cup holder and ordered her to get out of her car.

When the cops asked if she had any drugs on her, Chambers admitted she had marijuana and two Klonopin pills.

Anna Chambers (shown above on Facebook) is the teen who claims she was handcuffed and attacked inside the police van in September

Anna Chambers enters Brooklyn Court on June 28 in the case against Edward Martins AKA Eddie Martins and Richard Hall, two ex NYPD officers who are alleged to have raped her during drug bust

She was then arrested and placed in handcuffs. Two male companions who were with Chambers were let go by police, who asked them to pick her up in a few hours from the the 60th Precinct.

The officers then allegedly told the teen to tell her friends not to follow their van.

The press release said 'Detective Martins allegedly told the young woman he and his partner are 'freaks' and asked her what she wanted to do to get out of the arrest' before the alleged rape.

In a court appearance last month, Hall and Martins filed motion to dismiss the case, accusing prosecutors of 'sanitizing the truth'.

The motion alleged Chambers was 'too high' to remember specific details of the alleged attack in September.

If convicted on the charges, the former detectives each face up to 25 years in prison.
Michelle Nicoll Gutierrez grew accustomed to flying from her homeland in Mexico to the United States to frequently visit her mother and close relatives.

Her mother decided to pay her a visit, heading down to the Pacific Mexican state of Michoacan along with her younger daughter and a friend to also spend some time with her grandson.

When it finally came time for Laura Atchely to return Saturday after spending the past month there, Gutierrez already had packed her bags and hopped right along with her son for a two-month vacation and to celebrate her birthday next September 8.

Now she might never be able to travel to her mother again after the Customs and Border Protection agency revoked her tourist visa upon arriving at Bush International Airport in Houston before a scheduled connecting flight to Washington, claiming she intentionally used government health resources to pay for the birth of her son, Massimo Liam, in 2016.

Michelle Nicoll Gutierrez (left and right), with her son Massimo Liam, had her tourist visa revoked on Saturday when they arrived in at Bush International Airport in Houston. Gutierrez was accused by border agents of using 'government assistance during a previous stay to pay for the expenses associated with having a child in the U.S.'.

'I've spent these days resting and trying to recuperate physically and mentally, as well my child's health who is still feeling sick,' Gutierrez told the Daily Mail on Thursday.

'I have faith. I never did this on purpose. I informed myself with the Maryland Health Connection and at that given moment I repeated myself five to 10 times that I didn't want any problems with my legal status. That I wasn't looking for any assistance from the government that would later give me problems in the future. They were the ones that told me I qualified.'



Gutierrez was pulled from one the lines leading to the CBP officer counter, where immigrants and citizens check in after their arrivals at the border port.

Her mother had no idea what was going, causing more anguish on the Mexican business owner while she tended to her son, who had a fever, diarrhea and was vomiting. She said immigration officials retrieved one of her bags containing the 20-month old boy's medicine. But what she really needed was medical attention.

Gutierrez ,who can't return for five years, even thought about families who have been separated, and didn't want to see her son separated from her.

'Fear ran through my veins,' she said. 'There is nothing more important than being with my son.'

Michelle Nicoll Gutierrez (pictured) was expecting to spend her two-month vacation with her son and family in Maryland. The Mexican business woman had to return back to Mexico with her son after officials with the Customs and Border Protection revoked her tourist visa. They said she used Medicaid to cover his birth expenses and also because her trips to the country included longer stays.

A CBP spokesperson offered the following statement to the Daily Mail:

'During the entry inspection process, Michelle Nicoll de Sereno 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. Upon her arrival in the U.S. Saturday, she was found to be an intended immigrant and returned to Mexico on the next available flight, Sunday, August 5. Under U.S. immigration law [Section 291 of the INA [8 USC 1361] applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States. In order to demonstrate that they are admissible, the applicant must overcome all grounds of inadmissibility.'

The visit in question is centered around a trip the then-pregnant Gutierrez made in the September 2016 when she traveled to Maryland to tend to her mother, who for years has been battling fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscular pain.

During a routine doctors visit the following month, it was discovered that she had prediabetes and because of the high-risk pregnancy she was told to hold off on getting back on a plane to return home.

Michelle Nicoll Gutierrez (left and right), with her son Massimo Liam, had her tourist visa revoked on Saturday when they arrived in at Bush International Airport in Houston and was placed on a flight on Sunday. Immigration officials grilled her about using 'government assistance during a previous stay to pay for the expenses associated with having a child in the U.S. in 2016.

According to her stepfather, John Atchley, who spoke to the Daily Mail, the Maryland Heath Connection, a state insurance exchange, determined based on their guidelines that Gutierrez indeed was eligible for government funded health programs due to her pregnancy due to the state being a participant in assisting women that possessed visas and because her son would become an American citizen if born in the country.

The boy was born in December and mother and son would return back to Mexico in March 2017.

According Atchley, his stepdaughter flew back to the US in November 2017 and did not even use the Medicaid card that was still active. A transcript obtained by the Houston Chronicle even backed Gutierrez's declaration that she wasn't entering the country to use the public health services that legally applied to the small family.

The CBP also based its decision to block Gutierrez's legal entrance on the idea that she would become an economical obstacle for American tax payers, labeling her as someone that could eventually overextend her stay and settle in the US.

However, Atchley completely shut that notion down.

The former US Foreign Service employee, who in his 28 years of service worked in South America, Central America and Mexico, recalled how in his stepdaughter's previous visits, he would make sure there was always extra food in the house and she always contributed whenever the family went out for groceries. Moving around was never a problem because there was an extra vehicle available.

'Not a chance in hell she would become a public charge', he said. 'They are saying that they think and they suspect, but [there is] not a shred of evidence' [that Gutierrez was set on becoming a resident by not returning to Mexico].
The Trump administration has proposed a timeline of six to eight months for North Korea to reduce its nuclear arsenal by 60 to 70 percent.

According to Vox, the rogue regime has repeatedly rejected the proffer that does not appear to go hand-in-hand with the waiving of sanctions. The U.S. has said in no uncertain terms that sanctions will not be lifted until North Korea fully denuclearizes.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested last week that the United States could offer other concessions to North Korea. The top U.S. diplomat said that talks with North Korea are still ongoing.

The Trump administration has proposed a timeline of six to eight months for North Korea to reduce its nuclear arsenal by 60 to 70 percent. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested last week that the United States could offer other concessions to North Korea

President Trump at a dinner with CEOs on Tuesday evening claimed the discussions were going well and that the United States maintains a positive relationship with the regime that it has crushing sanctions on for North Korea's acts of terrorism and its illicit weapons development.

Trump said that critics of his detente with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un need to give his approach more time.

'We have a good relationship with North Korea,' he said. 'I think were doing very well with North Korea. We have a lot of respect. And thatll end up being a great country.'

While talks with North Korea continue, no visible progress has been made in disarmament since Trump's face-to-face talk with Kim in Singapore in June.

On a subsequent trip to Pyongyang the head of state refused to see Pompeo. He delegated authority to a top aide, Kim Yong Chol, to negotiate with the U.S. secretary of state.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Friday that North Korea the U.S. would have to agree to 'confidence building' measures if North Korea is to give up its weapons.

'Confidence is not a sentiment to be cultivated overnight,' he said. 'In order to build full confidence between the DPRK and the U.S., it is essential for both sides to take simultaneous actions and phased steps to do what is possible one after another.'

This image released on August 8, 2018, by the North Korean Official News Service (KCNA), shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting the Kumsanpho Fish Pickling Factory

The exact number of nuclear warheads that North Korea has is unknown. A source told Vox that part of Pompeo's strategy in asking Pyongyang to reduce its arsenal by as much as 70 percent immediately is to determine the size of Kim's stockpile.

North Korea is believed to have developed 65 or so nuclear warheads.

Kim's regime is refusing to downsize without sanctions relief, or possibly, some other concession such as the removal of its state sponsor of terror classification.

Without an agreement in hand, the Trump administration could seek to boost the number of sanctions that it has on North Korea. Despite calling the current entree a 'maximum pressure campaign' the president said in June that he has additional punishing actions that he is willing to deploy if Kim fails to live up to a promise to deweaponize.

'I left three months ago. We got our hostages back. Theres no more missiles flying over Japan. Theres no rockets going up. Theres no nuclear testing. And we have a good relationship with North Korea. So well see how it works,' Trump said Tuesday.

Of Kim's balking, he said, 'I have a feeling that China now is not happy. And maybe theyre doing a little bit of a number, but well figure that out too, very easily.'

Appearing on Fox News on Wednesday evening, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the Trump administration is willing to give Kim to denuclearize.

'Were willing to wait, if they want to wait. But were not willing to wait for too long. Were willing to be patient in what their demands may be but they have to understand the result, the end result, is the same, its never going to change,' Haley stated. 'Were not going to weaken the ask and were not going to weaken the sanctions so this is all in North Koreas court.'

President Trump said Wednesday that critics of his detente with North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un need to give his approach more time. 'We have a good relationship with North Korea,' he said. 'I think were doing very well with North Korea. We have a lot of respect'

National Security Advisor John Bolton told Fox this week that 'North Korea has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize and the idea that were going to relax the sanctions just on North Koreas say so I think is something that just isnt under consideration.'

'Were going to continue to apply maximum pressure to North Korea until they denuclearize just as we are to Iran,' he said. 'The president feels very strongly about it. Weve been in consultation with other countries about keeping up the sanctions were determined to do it.'

Pompeo refused on Sunday as he flew back from a convening of ASEAN countries' foreign ministers in Singapore to shed light on the status of talks with North Korea.

'Im not going to comment on the negotiations and what others may have proffered or what we have considered. Just not appropriate. Wouldnt be fair to them or to us as we try and solve this,' he told journalists traveling with him.

Responding to a reporter who asked about non-sanctions concessions, Pompeo said, 'Were still  were working our way through it.'

At a news avail in Singapore the U.S. secretary of state said the administration is 'heartened' by the repatriation of the remains of 55 soliders and work he said had begun on the dismantlement of an engine test site.

'The process of achieving denuclearization of North Korean  the North Korean peninsula is one that I think we have all known would take some time,' he said. 'Were determined to do it. Chairman Kim is committed to doing it.'

Pompeo told journalists, 'I am optimistic that we will get this done in the timeline and the world will celebrate what the UN Security Council has demanded.'
Prosecutors in Russia are investigating a 'kindergarten from hell' where the hands and legs of children are routinely bound so they cannot move.

Newly appointed nursery assistant Natalia Dyachenko acted as a whistleblower to reveal the scandal which has horrified parents.

Shocking pictures from the former nursery worker show how the children aged around two were tethered with diapers at at the privately-run Polinka kindergarten in Astrakhan

The children's hands were tethered with diapers behind their backs under their clothing

Staff are being quizzed by a state prosecutor's office over the revelations made by the former nursery worker

A boy had tethering around his neck 'so he could easily suffocate' it is claimed

Former kindergraten assistant Natalia Dyachenko revealed the scandal at the nursery

It is claimed, in one case, a boy had tethering around his neck 'so he could easily suffocate', she said.

The disturbing pictures show, children laying two in each cot with their legs tied by disposable nappies.

Their hands were also tethered with diapers behind their backs under their clothing as if they were in straightjackets.

A full-scale investigation by detectives is now underway after parents expressed outrage at revelations from the former worker.

A full-scale investigation by detectives is now underway after parents expressed outrage at revelation

A parent said the kindergarten's lawyer Igor Borisovich, pictured, refused to answer her and a furious father on why their children had been tied up

Mother, Olesya Urzhumova put her daughter into the kindergarten but quickly felt her child's reluctance to go each day

Dyachenko, 20, said in a video that 'two children are tied and will stay tethered till 3.30pm'

The state prosecutor's office of Astrakhan region is investigating the evidence gathered by Mrs Dyachenko

Dyachenko, 20, filmed a video, explaining: 'These two children are tied and will stay tethered till 3.30 pm.

'This boy, standing in the bed, was tied up.

'He had a knot on his neck, so he could easily have suffocated.

'The kindergarten assistants do not care, they are chilling somewhere.

'I do not know how to explain this, you need to see this to understand it.'

The kindergarten's lawyer accused Mrs Dyachenko of seeking to 'discredit' the kindergarten

The shocking pictures show how the children aged around two were tethered

The state prosecutors office said it is carrying out detailed checks into the nursery (pictured)

Mother Olesya Urzhumova put her daughter into the kindergarten but quickly felt her child's reluctance to go each day.

'During the first week, I began to notice changes in her mood as soon as we approached the kindergarten - she was whining and crying ,' she said.

Then Olesya was informed by a mutual friend that the whistleblower had taken a picture of her daughter bound in her cot in the nursery school.

'There were 12 to 15 children in the room,' said the mother.

'They lay in cots, two in each.

'The children's legs were tied with disposable nappies.

'There were large knots on their legs and their hands were wrapped around their backs.'

She rushed to the nursery to collect her daughter - and by then the kindergarten's lawyer Igor Borisovich was already present.

Her refused to answer her and a furious father on why their children had been tied up, she said.

'I called the kindergarten owner and angrily asked why they swaddled my child,' she said.

'And why do they tie her legs?

'To which she could not give me a clear answer.'

Another parent called it a 'kindergarten from hell'.

Pictures show the children laying two in each cot with their legs tied by disposable nappies

Later the lawyer told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper: 'We do not swaddle the children and we have enough beds for everyone.

'(Natalia) specially arranged everything so as to raise a scandal.

'We have fired her.

'Now with the parents we will decide what to do next and how to restore our reputation.

'This is not the first attack on us, but the harshest.

'I am sure that the competent authorities will understand the situation.'

He accused Dyachenko of seeking to 'discredit' the kindergarten.

But Yulia Svitina, an official from the state prosecutor's office of Astrakhan region, confirmed an investigation was underway into the evidence gathered by the former nursery worker.

Detailed checks were being carried out and staff quizzed over the revelations, she said.
Britain's most senior police officer today said that Boris Johnson did not break hate crime laws with his controversial burqa comments.

Critics of the ex Foreign Secretary have accused him of inflaming racial tensions by comparing the veiled women to letterboxes and bank robbers.

But Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said she had spoken to her officers and confirmed that the comments do not flout the law.

It comes as the Tory Party confirmed that it has launched a formal investigation into Mr Johnson in a move that could see him expelled from the party.

Speaking to the BBC today, the Met Police Commissioner said: 'I know that many people have found this offensive.

'I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn't be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.'

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick (pictured, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan last year) said she had spoken to her officers and confirmed that the comments do not flout the law

In an interview with the BBC Asian network, she added: 'Some people have clearly found it offensive.

'I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence.

'He did not commit a criminal offence.'

Allies of Mr Johnson today blasted party bosses for launching the probe into Mr Johnson - saying it is a massive overreaction.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen accused Number Ten of orchestrating a politically motivated 'witch hunt' against the ex minister.

He told MailOnline: I believe this is politically motivated, by the internal politics of the Tory party, by politicians who want to humiliate and destroy Boris Johnson.'

He added: I believe that the public will see this for what it is  an internal Conservative party witch hunt instigated by Number Ten against Boris Johnson, who they see as a huge threat.

Mr Bridgen said he was shocked an investigation had been triggered as other Tory MPs have criticised the head veils before but not faced probes over it.

Boris Johnson (pictured left) is being investigated by the Tory party after comparing women wearing burqas to letterboxes - but his supporters have slammed Theresa May and No10 saying they are orchestrating the move to damage his career

He said: Im surprised that an investigation is going to be instigated into Boris article and his refusal to apologise, especially given Ken Clarke in 2013 described burqas as peculiar.

I dont remember any outcry or calls for an investigation into Ken Clarkes alleged Islamophobia.

Under Tory Party rules, an investigating officer will now decide if Mr Johnson has flouted their code of conduct and if the probe should be referred on to a panel to grill him on.

If they find him at fault then Mrs May can decide what punishment to give her former minister - and could even kick him out of the Tory Party.

Tory party chairman Brandon Lewis has decided to stand down from his role in selecting the panel if the investigation gets that far as he has already publicly condemned Mr Johnson over the remark.
Jonathan Jennings, 34, from Carmarthesnire, Wales, has been jailed for 18 months after he used a social media to release a torrent of hate about Muslims to his 218 followers

A racist who called for a 'Burn a Mosque Day' was today jailed for 18 months - and a judge told him people have the right to live in peace in Britain.

Jonathan Jennings, 34, from Brynaman, Carmarthenshire, Wales, used a social media site to spread racial hatred to his 218 followers.

A court heard that his posts called for Muslims to be 'hunted down' and 'sterilised'.

Shortly after the bombings in Manchester, Jennings changed his profile name to 'Muslim Slayer'.

He admitted posting messages telling his followers that it would be 'a good idea' if there was a 'Burn a Mosque Day'.

Jennings said Muslims should be placed on top of bonfires and that Hitler 'had been born 100 years too early'.

On another occasion he applauded a racist attacker who kicked a pregnant woman in the stomach, causing her to lose her baby. He described the attacker as a 'national hero'.

Police were alerted to the posts. After he was told he was to be interviewed, Jennings threw a brick the Police Station in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, South Wales.

Jennings changed his named to 'Muslim Slayer' after the Manchester bombings and also applauded a racist attacker who kicked a pregnant woman in the stomach, causing her to lose he baby

Thomas Scapens, prosecuting, said: 'In his police interview he said it was his moral right to post these comments'

Jennings even launched an attack on Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, posting on social media that he'd be 'first in line to Jo Cox him', referencing the murder of the MP in 2016.

David Singh, defending explained that Jennings had been suffering from Aspergers from a young age.

He added: 'The references that have been submitted paint a very different side to Jennings and show a great level of support from where you now reside.'

After Police were alerted to the posts, Jennings threw a brick the Police Station. He has pleaded guilty to 10 charges including threats against Muslims, Jews and members of the Labour Party

Judge Geraint Walter described the case as 'very troubling indeed.'

He said: 'You need to understand that in this country we pride ourselves on our ability to speak freely.

'But that right comes with a level of responsibility.

'Your comments come into serious conflict with our right to live in peace and without fear.'

Jennings pleaded guilty to 10 charges including threats against Muslims, Jews and members of the Labour Party.
A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration endangered public health by keeping a widely used pesticide on the market despite extensive scientific evidence that even tiny levels of exposure can harm babies' brains.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to remove chlorpyrifos from sale in the United States within 60 days.

A coalition of farmworkers and environmental groups sued last year after then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt reversed an Obama-era effort to ban chlorpyrifos, which is widely sprayed on citrus fruit, apples and other crops.

A coalition of farmworkers and environmental groups sued last year after then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt (pictured on Capitol Hill on May 16) reversed an Obama-era effort to ban chlorpyrifos, which is widely sprayed on citrus fruit, apples and other crops

The attorneys general for several states joined the case against EPA, including California, New York and Massachusetts.

In a split decision, the court said Thursday that Pruitt, a Republican forced to resign earlier this summer amid a raft of ethics scandals, violated federal law by ignoring the conclusions of agency scientists that chlorpyrifos is harmful.

'The panel held that there was no justification for the EPA's decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children,' Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in the court's opinion.

Michael Abboud, spokesman for acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, said the agency was reviewing the decision, but it had been unable to 'fully evaluate the pesticide using the best available, transparent science.'

EPA could potentially appeal to the Supreme Court since one member of the three-judge panel dissented from the majority ruling.

Environmental groups and public health advocates celebrated the court's action as a major success.

'Some things are too sacred to play politics with, and our kids top the list,' said Erik Olson, senior director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

'The court has made it clear that children's health must come before powerful polluters. This is a victory for parents everywhere who want to feed their kids fruits and veggies without fear it's harming their brains or poisoning communities.'

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to remove chlorpyrifos from sale in the United States within 60 days. Pictured: A farm worker spraying pesticides onto crops in a field

The attorneys general of California and New York also claimed victory.

'This is one more example of how then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt skirted the law and endangered the health of our children - in this case, all because he refused to curb pesticide levels found in food,' Attorney General Xavier Becerra of California said in a statement.

Chlorpyrifos was created by Dow Chemical Co. in the 1960s. It remains among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with the chemical giant selling about 5 million pounds domestically each year through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences.

Dow did not respond to an email seeking comment. In past statements, the company has contended the chemical helps American farmers feed the world 'with full respect for human health and the environment.'

Chlorpyrifos belongs to a family of organophosphate pesticides that are chemically similar to a chemical warfare agent developed by Nazi Germany before World War II.

As a result of its wide use as a pesticide over the past four decades, traces of chlorpyrifos are commonly found in sources of drinking water.

A 2012 study at the University of California at Berkeley found that 87 percent of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of the pesticide.

Under pressure from federal regulators, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. EPA also placed 'no-spray' buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning the pesticide's use on food. A risk assessment memo issued by nine EPA scientists concluded: 'There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos.'

Federal law requires EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption - especially children, who are typically far more sensitive to the negative effects of poisons.

Chlorpyrifos belongs to a family of organophosphate pesticides that are chemically similar to a chemical warfare agent developed by Nazi Germany before World War II

Shortly after his appointment by President Donald Trump in 2017, Pruitt announced he was revering the Obama administration effort to ban chlorpyrifos, adopting Dow's position that the science showing chlorpyrifos is harmful was inconclusive and flawed.

In June 2017, Pruitt announced his agency's reversal on chlorpyrifos just 20 days after his official schedule showed a meeting with Dow CEO Andrew Liveris.

At the time, Liveris headed a White House manufacturing working group, and his company had written a $1 million check to help underwrite Trump's inaugural festivities.

Then-EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said that March 9, 2017, meeting on Pruitt's schedule never happened.

Bowman said the two men had instead shared only a 'brief introduction in passing' while attending the same industry conference at a Houston hotel and that they never discussed chlorpyrifos.

However, internal EPA emails released earlier this year following a public records lawsuit filed by The Sierra Club suggest the two men shared more than a quick handshake.

Little more than a week after the conference and before Pruitt announced his decision, the EPA chief's scheduler reached out to Liveris' executive assistant to schedule a follow-up meeting.

'Hope this email finds you well!' wrote Sydney Hupp, Pruitt's assistant, on March 20, 2017.

'I am reaching out today about setting up a meeting to continue the discussion between Dow Chemical and Administrator Scott Pruitt.

'My apologies for the delay in getting this email into you - it has been a crazy time over here!'

Subsequent emails show Hupp and Liveris' office discussing several potential dates that the Dow CEO might come to Pruitt's office at EPA headquarters, but it is not clear from the documents whether the two men ever linked up.

Liveris announced his retirement from Dow in March of this year.

Pruitt resigned July 6 amid more than a dozen ethics investigations focused on such issues as outsized security spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease for a Capitol Hill condo linked to an energy lobbyist.

Bowman, who left EPA in May to work for GOP Sen. Joni Ernest of Iowa, declined to comment on her earlier characterization of the March 2017 interaction between Pruitt and Liveris or what 'discussion' the internal email was referring to.

'I don't work for EPA anymore,' Bowman said.
The new Slender Man movie will open in theaters across America on Friday - with the exception of one Wisconsin area where the story hits too close to home.

Residents in the Milwaukee and Waukesha counties will need to go elsewhere to catch the film, about a fictional boogeyman who stalks and traumatizes children.

Slender Man, which originated online, had real-life consequences when it compelled two young girls to lure their 12-year-old friend into the woods and stab her 19 times.

Now Marcus Theaters, the largest theater chain in the state, has decided to spare residents a reminder of the tragedy that almost took Payton Leutner's life.

The new Slender Man movie will open in theaters across America on Friday, but residents in the Milwaukee and Waukesha counties will need to go elsewhere to catch it

Marcus Theaters, the largest theater chain in the state, will spare residents a reminder of the stabbing tragedy connected to Slenderman that almost left a 12-year-old girl dead

'Like many people across the United States, Marcus Theatres was deeply concerned and saddened when the Slender Man phenomenon touched southeastern Wisconsin in such a profound way, changing the lives of many families forever,' Ann Salder, the chain's vice president and chief marketing officer, said in a statement.

'After careful consideration, and out of respect for those who were impacted, we have decided not to play the upcoming 'Slender Man' movie in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.'

'We will show the film at select other Marcus Theatres locations.'

According to online listings, it appears the film is only showing in six theaters across Wisconsin.

The film comes four years after Anissa Weier (left) and Morgan Geyser (right) lured Leutner to a wooded park in Waukesha and nearly stabbed her to death

Geyser stabbed Leutner (pictured) 19 times, narrowly missing her heart, as Weier urged her on

The horror film follows a group of high school girls who perform a ritual to debunk the lore of Slenderman.

But when one of the girls mysteriously disappears, they realize she may be his latest victim - and that they could be next.

The film comes four years after Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser lured Leutner to a wooded park in Waukesha.

Geyser then stabbed Leutner 19 times, narrowly missing her heart, as Weier urged her on.

Weier and Geyser, who were both 12 at the time, told detectives they had to kill Leutner to prove to Slenderman that they were worthy of being his servants as well as protect their families from him.

The horror film (pictured) follows a group of high school girls who perform a ritual to debunk the lore of Slenderman, only to potentially become his next victims

Leutner managed to crawl out of the woods and get help from a passing bicyclist.

She was left with 25 'uncomfortable' scars that are 'still red and angry more than three years later', her mother recently revealed.

Weier and Geyser were both convicted but found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Geyser was sentenced to 40 years in a mental hospital, while Weier was sentenced to 25 years for the crime.

Weier's father spoke out after news of the film first became public, saying he hoped local theaters wouldn't show it.

Weier (right) and Geyser (left) were both convicted but found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Geyser was sentenced to 40 years in a mental hospital, Weier was sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital

Leutner is now a high school sophomore. Her mother recently revealed she has 25 'uncomfortable' scars that are 'still red and angry more than three years later'

'It's absurd they want to make a movie like this,' he said in January. 'It's popularizing a tragedy is what it's doing.'

He added that the Slender Man movie was just 'extending the pain all three of these families have gone through.'

Studio Screen Gems then released a statement saying the film was 'based on an original fictional character that became a viral internet sensation' and was 'in no way a dramatization of any real-life individuals or events'.

The creepy character of Slenderman is a fairly recent invention.

Eric Knudson first created the boogeyman as part of an online art contest and soon it became a popular meme and the focus of horror stories on the site creepypasta.
Michael Moore is at it again.

The documentary filmmaker is set to release a new project, called Fahrenheit 11/9. The aim of the project is to bring Trump down before midterm ballots are cast, according to HuffPost.

Fahrenheit 11/9  a reference to the date Donald Trump was announced the winner of the 2016 election  will compare footage from the Presidents rallies with that of neo-Nazi gatherings.

Michael Moore is releasing a documentary film called Fahrenheit 11/9, aimed at the take down of Donald Trump

It will feature images of Michael using contaminated water from Flint, Michigan to hose down the state governors driveway and will also have appearances from Roger Stone, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Emma Gonzalez and more.

The project is being released this fall. Until then, heres what you need to know about Fahrenheit 11/9.

Michael Moore documentary Trump

Michael Moore is creating a documentary about Donald Trumps election victory and the aftermath of that. It will juxtapose footage from neo-Nazi events with clips from Trump rallies, among other things.

Asked why he decided to put this project together, Michael explained: Donald Trump is an evil genius.

He has no intention of leaving the White House. Whenever he hears that another country has a president for life, he perks up and thinks, I like the sounds of that! And he has an obedient political party that holds every seat of power backing him up.

The filmmaker added: American journalism schools have not trained students how to cover an authoritarian leader. Our media has no idea what it is up against. Theyre getting steamrolled by a tyrant because Trump understands media and understands the country he lives in more than those that cover him do.

That puts us all in grave danger. If nothing else, I hope this film exposes that grave danger and shows people the way out.

Michael told HuffPost he hopes Fahrenheit 11/9 will be as successful as Fahrenheit 9/11, which took aim at President George W. Bush.

Michael Moore new movie trailer

HuffPost obtained an early trailer for Fahrenheit 11/9, Michael Moores latest documentary film.

Here's the exclusive trailer for Michael Moore's (@MMFlint) newest documentary "Fahrenheit 11/9." It's in theaters Sept. 21. pic.twitter.com/eHLPy1J9o4  HuffPost (@HuffPost) August 9, 2018

Fahrenheit 11/9 release date

Michael Moores new documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9, is coming to theaters September 21. First it'll be shown at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.
Advertisement

Hundreds of tourists have been whisked to safety in helicopters after flash floods submerged campsites in southern France.

A 70-year-old German man who was helping to supervise children at a campsite was reported missing on Thursday after he was swept away in his caravan by floodwaters, police said.

The vehicle was found 'empty and in pieces' near the river after the man was trapped by a muddy, fast-flowing torrent when the Ardeche river burst its banks.

Some 1,600 people were evacuated from several campsites after torrential rain swelled rivers in the Gard region, with four German children also taken to hospital with hypothermia.

Rescuers walk past damaged bicycles on a flooded campsite in southern France as storms and heavy rain sweep the country

A car is engulfed by water in Bourg as flash floods lash the south of France after the recent heatwave gave way to a storm

Divers were taking part in the search for the missing man, an AFP journalist at the scene said.

The mayor of Bagnols, Jean-Yves Chapelet, told BFM-TV many Dutch tourists were among the 350 campers evacuated there. A group of 136 children and youths from the German city of Leverkusen were reported safe.

'The situation is extremely perilous,' said a spokesman for the emergency services in the town of Bagnols-sur-Ceze, north of Avignon, where the drama happened.

'A German pensioner remains missing after being swept away. Everything is being done to try and find him, with waterways being searched where possible. Five campsites in the area have been evacuated.'

The Gard is hugely popular with British holidaymakers in August, while many others from the UK have retired to the area, or have second homes there.

The spokesman said: 'Like everybody else, they should remain on their guard. Our advice is for them to find high ground, and to avoid unnecessary travelling'

He added: 'Helicopters are being used in the relief operations, with valleys particularly badly hit.'

Videos posted on social media showed flood water rushing through populated areas.

'No one has suitcases. We just have what we're wearing,' Rita Mauersberger, a visitor from Germany who was among the campers taking shelter in a local hall in Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, told France Info radio.

A flooded campsite in Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, southern France, where hot weather has given way to storms and floods

A rescuer stands next to a damaged tent as emergency services respond to the flooding in southern France

More than 400 firefighters and gendarmes, many sent in from other regions, helped in the evacuations, using helicopters to spot camp sites and to perform rescues.

Numerous roads in the area remained cut off as night fell. Authorities warned that the flooding would take time to recede and urged people to be vigilant.

The Europe-wide heatwave sent the mercury above 113F (45C) last weekend, intensifying wildfires that began last Friday. A sizzling heatwave across Spain has left 10 people dead in a week.

A spokesman for the Gard Prefectures said: 'It is hoped that the flooding will reach its peak by around 11pm on Thursday.'

Authorities also said 119 children in nearby Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas were sent to an emergency shelter as hundreds of firefighters supported by four helicopters helped in the evacuation.

Pictures showed rescuers wading through flooded campsites with damage to tents, caravans and bicycles.

Several parts of central and southeast France are on flood alert after weeks of blazing temperatures erupted in storms on Thursday, turning several campsites into mudbaths. Around 17,000 homes in the southwest and northeast were without power.

Electricity supplies have been cut in some villages, while roads have been gridlocked because of the number of people trying to get to high ground.

Storms have also hit in Germany where lightning is seen behind the Reichstag building in Berlin on Thursday night

Thunderbolts are seen over the U.S. Embassy near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as storms hit Germany on Thursday

Dark clouds hang over a field with windmills as lightning flashes through the sky over Sehnde near Hannover, Germany

A rescuer walks in front of a damaged caravan on a campsite in Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, southern France

Floods have swept through the south of France as the European heatwave gives way to dramatic storms
A college student said he was kicked out of a convenience store in New Mexico after the clerk called police, saying she wanted him gone because he was 'arrogant' and 'black'.

Jordan McDowell, a 22-year-old pre-med student at Xavier University in New Orleans, said he walked into Allsup's in Santa Fe last Friday around 8pm to buy Sour Patch Kids.

McDowell said he purchased the candy and then browsed the aisle again looking for something else to buy.

He told KRQE that the clerk walked from behind the counter and stood at the end of the aisle watching his every move.

College student Jordan McDowell said the clerk kicked him out of the store after telling him he looked 'sketchy'

McDowell recorded some of the exchange on his cell phone. In the video, the woman is heard telling the dispatcher she wanted him out of the store 'because he's being arrogant, because he's black'

'The first thing that popped in my mind absolutely was just discrimination,' he said.

McDowell said he pulled out his cell phone and started recording as the woman picked up the phone to call 911.

In a clip from the video McDowell is heard saying that the employee called him 'sketchy' because he kept picking up candy and putting it back down.

As the clerk talked to a 911 dispatcher, she's heard saying: 'And I want him out of the store right now'.

'Because he's being arrogant, because he's black,' she says as McDowell continues to record.

Stunned he asks: 'So I'm arrogant because I'm black?'

McDowell told the outlet that he felt 'rage' in that moment, but also realized that 'racism in America never truly died'.

The 22-year-old pre-med student he felt 'rage' in that moment, but also realized that 'racism in America never truly died'

Police responded to the store and spoke to McDowell and the clerk, but did not take action

The police responded to the store and talked to both McDowell and the clerk, but did not take any action because McDowell didn't beak the law. KRQE reports that clerk denied calling McDowell 'black' or 'arrogant'.

'There's nothing right about this and there's nothing right to call the police on someone just because of their skin tone,' he said.

McDowell, who is visiting Santa Fe to study Native American culture for a summer class, said he posted the video to show people what happened.

'I just want everyone to know that you still have a voice. You still could speak up, you still could do your part and that's along with what I'm going to do,' he said.

The manager of Allsup's said the employee's comments were unacceptable, but did not say if she will be disciplined. Allsup's corporate office did not immediately return Daily Mail's request for comment.
Advertisement

Gaza's militant Hamas rulers and Israel appear to be honoring a cease-fire that ended two days of an intense flare-up in violence amid efforts by neighboring Egypt to negotiate between the two sides.

Israel's military said on Friday that no rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel overnight and it conducted no airstrikes.

Palestinian Hamas-run media reported that an Egypt-brokered deal had taken hold 'on the basis of mutual calm', however, Israel's government has not confirmed such a truce.

Israel's Iron Dome defence system launches an interceptor missile as rockets are launched from Gaza toward the southern city of Sderot

The debris of Said Al-Mashal Foundation for Arts and Culture building after Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in the strip's capital city

A wounded Palestinian boy is brought into al-Shifa hospital on Thursday following the Israeli air strike on Gaza City

Smoke rises from buildings in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes rained down on the independently governed territory in what the government says was retaliation for Hamas strikes

This week's fighting saw Israel hit some 150 facilities belonging to Hamas in retaliation for '180 rockets and mortar bombs' allegedly fired from the strip on Wednesday night.

The Israeli airstrikes overnight on Wednesday killed three Palestinians, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman and her 18-month-old daughter.

A source withing Israel's military warned Thursday that 'a full-blown military confrontation in the Gaza Strip' was near and its government could start evacuating citizens near the border.

Thursday evening, at least two rockets allegedly fired from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel on Thursday night, according to the country's authorities, including just outside Beersheba.

Although nobody was injured, it marked the first time since 2014 that a rocket had penetrated that deep inside the country, according to the country's media.

Children negotiate the smoky streets of Gaza following the bombardment today as the Israelis claimed they were retaliating against Hamas strikes

Smoke rises from an explosion after an Israeli airstrike on the Saidd al-Mis'hal cultural centre in Gaza City on Thursday

People inspect the rubble of a building after it was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on Gaza City on Thursday

Palestinians inspect the ruins of the Said al-Mishal Cultural Center building which was left completely destroyed

A child crawls over the rubble of the cultural centre building which was wrecked by the Israeli air strike

An aerial view of the wreckage of the Said al-Mishal Cultural Centre in the west of Gaza City after the air strike

Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike flattened the five-story cultural center in the Shati refugee camp, a crowded neighborhood of Gaza City.

The airstrike set off a powerful explosion and sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air, causing crowds to scream in panic. Medical officials said at least seven bystanders were wounded.

The building is home to a popular theater and exhibits plays and other shows on a daily basis. An Egyptian-Palestinian cultural society also has an office in the building.

"The deliberate targeting of a cultural center with airstrikes and destruction ... is a barbaric act," said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman. He said the destruction of the Egyptian cultural office was "an Israeli attempt to sabotage" the Egyptian cease-fire efforts.

The Israeli military said the building served as a Palestinian military installation. Hamas' Interior Ministry, including its secret police, has offices in an adjacent site, but those offices were not hit.

Before tensions calmed, a senior Israeli Defence Force officer told the Times of Israel: 'We are rapidly nearing a confrontation. 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.'

People inspect the debris of Said Al-Mashal Foundation for Arts and Culture building after Israeli forces conducted airstrikes, in the western part of Gaza City

Palestinians turned out in droves to carry the bodies of an 18-month-old and her pregnant mother after officials say they were killed in an Israeli air strike on Thursday

Mourners gather around the coffin, draped in a Palestinian flag, as the mother and daughter were carried through the centre of the strip following the Israeli bombardment

Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of 23-year-old Enas Khammash and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan, during their funeral in Deir Al-Balah

Palestinians inspect the ruins of Said Al-Mashal Foundation for Arts and Culture building after Israeli forces bombarded the western part of Gaza City

The people of Gaza survey the destruction wrought by Israeli forces as the bombarded the strip in retaliation for alleged Hamas strikes

Palestinians walk through the smokey streets of Gaza after Israelis bombarded the western part of the strip's capital city today

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

On Thursday, Mourners in Gaza carried the bodies of 18-month-old Bayan Khammash and her pregnant 23-year-old mother, Enas, after they died in an air strike.

The coffin was carried through Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, after Enas' husband was injured in the bombardment, according to officials in the self-governing territory.

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.
Judge Emmet Sullivan halted an apparent deportation in progress Thursday and threatened to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt after learning the Trump administration tried to remove a woman and her daughter while a hearing about their asylum requests was underway

A federal judge hit the roof on Thursday after learning that the Trump administration may have deported a mother and daughter while they were appealing a decision that denied them asylum in the U.S.

'Turn the plane around!' ordered Judge Emmet Sullivan, saying the government's behavior 'is not acceptable.'

'This is pretty outrageous,' he lectured Justice Department lawyers, threatening to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt of court. 'Someone seeking justice in U.S. court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?'

The Washington Post reported on the courtroom clash, which came during a hearing in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The liberal group, by now accustomed to representing illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers in court, had struck a deal with the DOJ to halt proceedings against the woman, known only as 'Carmen,' until midnight Thursday.

But during a court recess, ACLU lawyers found out that the woman and her daughter had already been moved from the South Texas Family Residential Center  the nation's largest detention facility for illegal immigrants and other potential deportees.

Sessions in June dramatically pared back the criteria for granting asylum in the U.S., excluding people whose claim was based on gang or domestic violence  and saying those problems were for their home governments to address

Women fleeing poverty and violence arrive in the U.S. daily with their children, seeking asylum based on 'credible fear' of returning home; there are more than 700,000 pending asylum cases, more than twice the number when Barack Obama took office in 2009 (stock photo)

From there, they learned, she may already have been taken to the San Antonio airport and put on an 8:15 s.m. flight back to Central America.

Carmen and her daughter were not separated when they crossed the border, but their chances of remaining in the U.S. were slim after she failed a 'credible fear' test designed to determine whether her asylum claim could be honored.

Successful applicants typically enter the country to flee persecution because of their race, religion, nationality or political views.

Membership in what bureaucrats described decades ago as a 'particular social group' also qualifies.

But Sessions dramatically limited that category in June, ruling out border-crossers who claim asylum because they are victims of domestic abuse or gang violence  unless the brutality originates with their home governments.

Otherwise, the attorney general argued, protected 'social groups' include only people who share a 'common immutable [unalterable] characteristic.'

The South Texas Residential Facility in Dilley, Texas is where the ACLU's plaintiff and her daughter were being held, and from which they apparently were taken en route to a deportation flight on Thursday

Sessions' unexpected announcement negated a comparatively more vague 2014 Board of Immigration Appeals ruling that married women in developing countries 'who are unable to leave their relationship' can be considered a 'particular social group' for asylum purposes.

The Obama administration argued at the time that the woman's gender was 'immutable.' And because she was a Roman Catholic from predominantly Catholic Guatemala, her married status was also beyond her control to reverse.

All 12 of the ACLU's lawsuit plaintiffs would have been permitted to stay under the old rules. One said she was repeatedly raped by a former boyfriend who also physically beat her daughter severely enough to cause a miscarriage.

Others say they fled violent drug gangs who killed their relatives and, in one case, took over their homes.

The Trump administration has argued that traffickers see the 'credible fear' test as a loophole that allows them to get their human cargo into the United States, so long as they can memorize the right things to say.

From there, Sessions has argued, asylum-seekers are typically released into the interior of the country while they await hearings, often years away. Many disappear instead of showing up.

In changing the standards for seeking asylum, Sessions said in June that 'the mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes, such as domestic violence or gang violence, or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim.'

ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell declared this week in a statement that changing the standard was 'a naked attempt by the Trump administration to eviscerate our country's asylum protections.'

'Its clear the administration's goal is to deny and deport as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,' she said.

There are about 700,000 backlogged asylum cases crawling through federal courts, according to the DOJ. That number is more than triple what it was when Barack Obama became president in 2009.
Ginny Lubitz has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges after her newborn son drowned in the bathtub at her home in West Fargo, North Dakota, on May 5

A North Dakota mother who is accused of drowning her newborn after giving birth in a bathtub has pleaded not guilty murder charges.

Ginny Lubitz, 36, is facing one count of murder and one count of attempted murder in the death of her baby boy on May 5.

Police had responded to reports of a deceased newborn around 9.40pm that night and found Lubitz in the bathroom of her home in West Fargo, North Dakota, with a large amount of blood on the floor.

Her baby, which was in the living room with a family friend, was pronounced dead on the scene. An autopsy 'indicated an apparent live birth' and said the cause of death was 'drowning from being placed face down in the bathtub'.

A toxicology report showed the child had measurable levels of amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system, according to WDAY.

When Fargo police questioned Lubitz about the toxicology report, she said she had not ingested meth for a few months, court documents stated.

Fargo police responded to reports of a deceased newborn at Lubitz's home, pictured, around 9.40pm. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene

Court documents allege two of Lubitz's friends had found her in the bathroom with the baby face down in about an inch of water.

She allegedly told one of the friends not to perform CPR because the baby was not breathing when he was born.

Lubitz told police she had learned she was pregnant in August or September of last year and had saved money to have an abortion, but then thought she had a miscarriage in November.

She said it wasn't until April 2018 that she realized she was still pregnant after failing to lose the weight she gained during the winter, according to court filings.

A few weeks later she took a bath to ease stomach pains and fell asleep in the tub before waking up and giving birth within a few seconds, she told police.

Authorities examined Lubitz's web history and found that earlier on the day of the birth she had searched for information about pushing during childbirth.

They also found that she had searched for information regarding abortion and terminating advanced pregnancies in February and March.

When probed about the searches, Lubitz allegedly told investigators she was looking into the topics for a relative who was pregnant.

The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday, and is set to appear for a felony dispositional conference on October 10.
Precious antiquities up to 5,000 years old are to be returned to Iraq 15 years after they were looted during the 2003 war.

The eight objects were seized by British police in May 2003, two months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, from a now defunct dealer in London who failed to provide any official paperwork.

The British Museum announced today that it is returning the pilfered collection after identifying the exact temple the items came from as a result of a unique piece of archaeological detective work.



A handout picture released by the British Museum in London on August 9 shows a Sumerian clay cone, dating to around 2200BC, bearing cuneiform inscription

The head of a mace - a type of weapon - was among the items found by police in 2003, and will also be returned to Iraq

A bull-shaped marble pennant was among the collection, the source of which has now been established by the British Museum after extensive research

Stamp seals, clay cones with cuneiform inscriptions (script of ancient Mesopotamia) and a bull-shaped marble pennant are among the collection.

Three fired clay cones bear Sumerian inscriptions, which gave a clue to their origins.

And, in a remarkable coincidence, they were identical to cones found on a site in the ancient city of Girsu, now known as Tello, in southern Iraq, where the British Museum has been training Iraqi archaeologists since 2016.

'The broken objects the robbers left next to the looting holes were broken cones with exactly the same inscription that we have on the cones that were seized,' said the team's lead archaeologist, Sebastien Rey.

Identical cones were also found in the walls of a site at the Eninnu temple, pinpointing the looted items' source with a level of accuracy that Rey said was 'completely unique'.

'We could have an idea that maybe these objects came from southern Iraq, but to be able to narrow it down to the particular site, and even to the particular holes, this is extremely rare,' he told AFP.

He added: 'If we don't have any information on the objects, you can't identify their [place of origin], and that's the main problem in combating the illicit trade.'

Iraq's ambassador, Dr Salih Husain Ali, praised the museum's staff for their 'exceptional efforts' in identifying the antiquities.

This inscribed river pebble will also be returned to Iraq. It is one of eight artefacts taken from a temple during the 2003 war

The British Museum will hand over the looted 5,000-year-old artefacts to Iraq on Friday, including these stamp seals, above

Iraq's ambassador, Salih Husain Ali, praised the museum's staff for their 'exceptional efforts' in identifying the antiquities

'Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage,' he said in a statement issued by the museum.

'The protection of antiquities is an international responsibility and in Iraq we aspire to the global cooperation to protect the heritage of Iraq and to restore its looted objects.'

Rey hopes the objects, which will be handed to the Iraqi embassy on Friday during a private ceremony at the museum, will go on public display after they are sent on to Iraq.

Dr Salih Husain Ali, Iraqi Ambassador to the UK - seen above with Prince Charles at last year's Iraq and Afghanistan war memorial dedication and unveiling in London - said today that 'collaboration between Iraq and the UK is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage'

The three cones each have an identical cuneiform inscription which references the god the temple was built for and the king who built it, and date back to around 2200 BC.

Similar cones have been found in many other sites but Rey said that until the Tello excavation began in 2016, no one really knew what they were for.

Finding them in their original positions inside temple walls led experts to conclude they were votive objects, dedicated to the gods by Mesopotamian kings.

Similar cones have been found in many other sites but a museum spokesman said that until the Tello excavation began in 2016, no one really knew what they were for

The British Museum collection includes a polished, yellowish river pebble and a fragmentary white gypsum mace-head, both of which are inscribed.

There is also a white marble amulet pendant in the form of a reclining bull or buffalo, and a red marble square stamp seal or amulet depicting two similar animals facing in opposite directions, which both date back to 3000BC.

The final item in the collection is a white chalcedony stamp seal with a flat oval face engraved with the design of a reclining sphinx.

The looting at the temple was not as extensive as at other places in southern Iraq, suggesting the objects that ended up in London were taken at night, possibly by a small number of people.

Many artefacts disappeared during and after the 2003 war.

For example, on April 10 in 2003, looters broke into the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad, ransacking it until employees returned.

Although staff removed and safely stored more than 8,000 artefacts from the site was plundered, about 15,000 objects were stolen.

According to The Conversation, while 7,000 items have since been recovered, more than 8,000 remain unaccounted for, including artefacts thousands of years old from some of the earliest sites in the Middle East.


Rainbow flag held aloft, no one could have been a more enthusiastic supporter of the Swansea LGBT Spring Pride event in May than Labour's Shadow Women and Equalities minister, Carolyn Harris.

The married 57-year-old deputy Welsh Labour leader mingled with hundreds of people in the sunshine, dancing to music as the parade made its way through the streets.

Described on her website as a 'champion of change', the Swansea East MP broke off from the festivities to speak to an interviewer of her passion for defending minorities.

Jenny Lee Clarke, who was Labour minister's aide, was cleared of forgery and fraud, Miss Clarke claimed in court that the MP had quizzed her on her sex life made fun of her 'dyke' boots and outed her as gay to colleagues

'Labour are committed to making sure our LGBT community get all the rights and respect they deserve,' she said in a YouTube video.

'I'm very proud to be here in my home city and am looking forward to a glorious day with my friends, and people who have come from wide and far to help us celebrate diversity.'

It's hard to reconcile that image with the one of Mrs Harris painted by her gay former aide.

Today, Mrs Harris's political career appears to hang in the balance, as senior party members call for her to be sacked over courtroom allegations  made by Jenny Lee Clarke  that she is a 'homophobic bully'.

It must be said at the outset that Mrs Harris  a political 'rags-to-riches' success story, who once worked as a school dinner lady and rose to the highest ranks in Westminster  vehemently denies these allegations.

Carolyn Harris, Welsh deputy leader, vehemnetly denies the accusations and described a 'lovely' office atmosphere filled with 'banter', where colleagues were friends who laughed and talked about 'anything and everything'

The 'dyke boots' that Miss Clarke wore to work were ridiculed by her boss, Mrs Harris says she does not remember saying anything and if she did it would have been 'banter'

They were made during the trial of Miss Clarke, her former constituency office manager, on fraud and forgery charges. Last week, Miss Clarke was cleared at Cardiff Crown Court after being accused of awarding herself a 2,000 pay rise and cutting her work hours without her boss's authority.

Miss Clarke, 42, had been accused of forging Mrs Harris's signature on a form, submitted to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) in August 2015, increasing her 37,000-a-year salary and reducing her 40-hour working week to 37.5 hours.

When Ipsa sent a confidential email to Mrs Harris to confirm the change, the prosecution claimed Miss Clarke accessed the MP's account and replied: 'Yes, this is correct.'

But Miss Clarke insisted she was following Mrs Harris's verbal instructions, claiming it was common practice for her to sign forms on behalf of the 'over-bearing' MP, whom, she said, 'detested paperwork'.

Indeed, the picture Miss Clarke painted of a highly dysfunctional office  hotly disputed by the MP  raises questions about Carolyn Harris's suitability for the Shadow front bench role.

For Miss Clarke claimed in court that the MP had also 'outed' her to colleagues, after she confided in Mrs Harris she was gay in 2011, quizzed her on her sex life and made fun of her 'dyke' boots.

Miss Clarke says working for Mrs Harris felt like being in the 'Army' and that she felt 'more like a slave than an employee'

Here, in her first interview since she was cleared, Miss Clarke reveals she, too, was at the Swansea Pride event  and hid from her former boss.

'I felt sick when I saw her dancing, waving her arms and laughing with people at the parade. I was so overwhelmed by anxiety, I was shaking,' says Miss Clarke.

'From the day I confided in her that I was in a gay relationship, her attitude towards me seemed to change overnight.'

Miss Clarke also alleged in court that in November 2014, Mrs Harris had grabbed her by the hair as she sat at her desk, violently shaking her head  a claim strenuously denied by the MP

Instead, Mrs Harris described a 'lovely' office atmosphere filled with 'banter', where colleagues were friends who laughed and talked about 'anything and everything'.

As for the reference to 'dyke' boots, she said: 'I don't remember saying that, but if I did, it would have been banter. I'm certainly not homophobic. I'm an ally of the LGBT community and I always have been.'

The jury took just 90 minutes to acquit Miss Clarke, who has joined calls for the MP to resign from the front bench, claiming working for Mrs Harris left her a 'nervous wreck' on antidepressants.

Miss Clarke claims she was assaulted in November 2014 when Mrs Harris began rubbing her shoulders before grabbing her hair and violently shaking her head backwards and forwards

'I gave nine years of loyalty to Carolyn, but she never showed me any of the respect I watched her give to the marchers at Spring Pride,' she says.

Sitting in the two-bedroom council maisonette she shares with daughter Rachael, 22, tears well up as she recalls how her dream job turned sour, ending with her arrest and the threat of up to two years in jail.

'All I'm guilty of is being naive and stupid,' she says. 'Nothing happened in that office that Carolyn didn't know about. She called me her 'office angel', but working for her felt like being in the Army. Sometimes I felt more like a slave than an employee.

'If I could go back, I'd insist on doing everything by the book, but I put up and shut up because I was a single parent and I didn't want to lose a well-paid job.'

Miss Clarke was a mature student at Swansea University, reading social sciences and criminology, when she became a part-time aide for the then Swansea East MP, Sian James, in September 2008.

Senior party members are calling on Mrs Harris to quit  or for Mr Corbyn to suspend her from the frontbench  over the allegations and she is also facing calls for an investigation into the alleged assault

She worked as case worker in the busy office, dealing with constituents' problems. A life-long Labour supporter, she loved her new job.

Heading the small team was Carolyn Harris, who was office manager. From the start, Miss Clarke  who saw little of MP Mrs James, who was often in the House of Commons  says she found Mrs Harris 'forceful, loud, abrupt, bossy and lacking in tact'.

Single mother Miss Clarke had split from her male partner of 17 years when their daughter was five. In 2010, she started her first gay relationship with neighbour Rihanna Power, 32, who she's still with. 'When I met Rhianna, something just clicked,' she says. 'I was the happiest I'd ever been in a relationship.'

In 2011, during a meeting to discuss work performance, Miss Clarke decided to confide in Mrs Harris: 'It was no one else's business, but the very next day in the office Carolyn started going on about how I had some news for everyone,' she says.

'My colleagues kept asking: 'What is it, Jen?' I felt goaded into revealing I was in a gay relationship. One colleague rolled her eyes and said: 'Is that it? I thought you were going to say you had cancer, the way Carolyn was going on.' '

Then, Miss Clarke claims, Mrs Harris's comments about her appearance started. 'When I started working there, I was always smart, but after a while I started dressing in more relaxed clothes, sometimes in jeans,' says Miss Clarke.

'One day I came in and Carolyn said: 'Look at you in your dyke boots.' Then to everyone else, she said: 'Jen has her dyke boots on today.'

'I was absolutely mortified  embarrassed rather than angry, so I just sat at my desk, kept my head down and tried to ignore it.

'It was said in a jokey voice, and perhaps she didn't realise it had upset me, but it's moonshine for her to suggest we were all sitting around laughing and exchanging banter.'

Former MP Sian James told the jury Miss Clarke had raised the issue with her in 2013, upset over references to her clothing and the use of the word 'dyke', which she found offensive.

'She was starting to feel it had gone beyond banter and it was causing her concern,' she said, adding that the matter was addressed informally.

'She (Mrs Harris) was very shocked. She was very concerned that these comments, made within the atmosphere of the office, had caused hurt to Jenny. Both of them were very keen that the issue was addressed.'

Certainly, Miss Clarke never considered leaving her job, believing the matter had been resolved.

She does not deny that Mrs Harris could be nice, too, giving her holidays in her mother's caravan, a TV and a car  but she felt such kindnesses came with strings attached.

She says the favours left her feeling indebted and 'manipulated' into being at her boss's 'beck and call'  offering to clean the caravan, mow lawns and build furniture for Mrs Harris's son.

Then, in November 2014, came the alleged assault, which Miss Clarke says she is still struggling to understand. Mrs Harris insists the allegation is untrue. She believes it was made as a result of jealousy caused by her selection to succeed Mrs James as the MP, after she stepped down in May 2015.

'I was sitting at my desk typing, when Carolyn walked past and started rubbing my shoulders,' claims Miss Clarke.

'Suddenly I felt her hands grip my hair and start moving my head violently backwards and forwards. I screamed: 'What are you doing? Get off!' I had to grip onto her hands to let go. It hurt like hell.

'It was as if she just flipped. When I challenged her, she dropped to her knees and kept saying how sorry she was, and how she loved me more than her son. She just couldn't explain it.

'I wish I'd gone to the police then, but she was crying and seemed so sorry. It was Sian's last few months as an MP before standing down, and I didn't want to ruin things for her, so I decided to let it drop, but that night I couldn't sleep I was in so much pain and had to hold ice packs to my head.'

Paulette Smith, a Labour councillor who worked in the office at the time of the alleged assault  or a disaffected former employee in the eyes of Mrs Harris  told the jury she had witnessed the alleged assault. She spoke of a 'blood-curdling scream' and seeing Mrs Harris's hands, with tufts of Miss Clarke's hair in them. 'Jen was in agony,' she said.

Nevertheless, when Mrs Harris was elected MP, Miss Clarke agreed to become office manager.

'Carolyn's ego went through the roof. Suddenly it felt like being in the Army. She wanted us to sign in, she wanted calls recorded, she wanted to know everything that was happening,' says Miss Clarke.

'One day I was sorting out pay rise forms for her, and Carolyn said to me: 'Give yourself an extra 2,000 while you are at it,' so stupidly I took her at her word and did just that.

'It wasn't forgery, I didn't try to copy Carolyn's signature, I just wrote her name just as I'd done on countless other documents.'

Without telling her boss, Miss Clarke also reduced her hours to bring them in line with colleagues after noticing a discrepancy.

'It was stupid, but I knew Ipsa would email Mrs Harris for confirmation and she'd see it then. She seemed fine with it. It was agreed I'd send the confirmation back.' Mrs Harris denied this in court or authorising the pay rise. Demoted and then dismissed in January 2016, for unrelated matters, Miss Clarke lodged a grievance and decided to make a complaint to the police about the alleged assault two years earlier  but falling outside time limits, no action was taken.

Last weekend, the BBC reported that Jeremy Corbyn and First Minister Carwyn Jones were both fully supporting Mrs Harris.

But some Labour members of the Welsh Assembly and senior party members are calling on her to quit  or for Mr Corbyn to suspend her from the frontbench  over the allegations.

She is also facing calls for a Labour investigation into the alleged assault.

National Executive Committee member John Lansman said last week: 'I don't believe that Carolyn Harris can continue as a frontbench spokesperson on equalities when she has been accused in open court with supportive evidence of having used homophobic language.

'I think she needs to be removed from her role and in my view there must be an immediate investigation of the alleged assault.'

Welsh Government Environment Minister Hannah Blythyn, one of three LGBT politicians elected to the Assembly in 2016, said in a tweet: 'It's never banter  it's homophobic language.'

In a statement released by Mrs Harris's parliamentary office after Miss Clarke's acquittal, the MP said: 'When I uncovered evidence of wrongdoing in my office, I immediately reported it to the relevant authorities.

'However, in this instance the jury found the case was not provable beyond reasonable doubt. It goes without saying that I respect the process of justice.' But, as criticism mounted over her use of the word 'banter' in her evidence, an apologetic Mrs Harris responded: 'I understand that banter was an entirely inappropriate, indeed offensive, word to use.

'I honestly do not remember making such a comment, and hearing it alleged in court struck me to the core.

'It is a word that many LGBT people have heard to justify homophobic abuse for too long. And I apologise  unreservedly and unequivocally  for my use of it.'

Miss Clarke, who is still unemployed, is planning to lodge a complaint with Ipsa and the Labour Party, says: 'That's all well and good, but where's my apology?

'For nine years I was loyal to Carolyn and kept quiet, but not any more. She has to go.'
A voyeur caught taking upskirt pictures of women's underwear at a tourist hotspot told police it was his 'hobby', a court heard.

Richard Sivier, 57, was seen following young women outside Buckingham Palace on June 20.

He had a camera lens poking out of his bag and was using the camera to take secret photos and videos.

Richard Sivier, 57, was caught secretly filming and taking pictures of tourists outside of Buckingham Palace (stock image)

A woman pushing a child in a buggy was among his targets, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told.

When he was approached by police, Sivier confessed to 'upskirting' and told them he had been carrying out his 'hobby of sorts' for 18 months in Cambridge and London.

Denise Johnson, prosecuting said: 'On 20 June at 11:15am police officers, on Spur Road in the Buckingham Palace area, received a call about a man filming up skirts.

'They saw Mr Sivier and decided to follow him.

'He began to film a woman who was about 25 years old, walking with another man, and he then positioned his bag near her.

'The officers saw that there was a lens poking out of the bag and the female did not seem to know what was going on.

A 25-year-old woman and a woman pushing a buggy were some of his targets. Sivier told police he also had recordings of up skirts from the Trooping the Colour

'The defendant soon came across another female and this behaviour was repeated.

'The woman was, again, in her early 20s, was standing against some railings and appeared unaware of what the defendant was doing.

'He was then seen on the bridge again carrying out the same behaviour to other females.

'Sivier stopped by the Horse Guards Parade, again doing the same thing, or trying to do the same thing, on a woman pushing a child in a buggy.

'But he could not keep up with the woman because she was walking too quickly.'

The court heard officers approached Sivier and he immediately admitted to upskirting.

'Sivier told police he also had recordings of up skirts from the Trooping the Colour when he was last in London,' Johnson explained.

'He was using a new Max digital SR Camera and it was concealed in the bag for this purpose.

Sivier, from Cambridge, admitted committing an act of indecent behaviour in public.

He was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced next week.
A finance company has threatened to repossess a New York family's beloved dog that was leased two years ago.

Danielle Cittadino, of Long Island, said she purchased their golden retriever, Max, using a pet leasing option at Wags Lending.

For two years, the pooch has been a part of the Cittadino family, who has enjoyed Max's company on trips and their daily walks.

But now, Wags Lending has allegedly threatened to take Max away.

Danielle Cittadino (pictured with her dog), said she purchased their golden retriever, Max, using a pet leasing option at Wags Lending two years ago

For two years, the pooch has been a part of the Cittadino family, who has enjoyed Max's company on trips and their daily walks. But now, Wags Lending has allegedly threatened to take Max away. Danielle Cittadino is pictured

Cittadino said she was unable to buy the dog at the more than $2,000 asking price, so she signed up for a leasing plan (documents pictured) with Wags Lending. Cittadino said she was unaware that what she was really signing was a 'lease'

It all started in 2016, when Cittadino, and her sons decided to take a look at the dogs at the local pet store Shake-A-Paw, according to ABC.

She recalled the moment they had their first interaction with Max. 'We fell in love right there,' Cittadino said.

Cittadino told the network that she was unable to buy the dog at the more than $2,000 asking price, so she signed up for a leasing plan with Wags Lending.

'It happened to work out. We were approved. ... I forget the total dollar amount, I believe it was maybe $2,500 and the first payment was paid there, on the spot, and then it would be consecutive 23 payments after that,' Cittadino said.

Cittadino said she was unaware that what she was really signing was a 'lease'.

'I was told I was financing. There was no mention of a lease,' she added.



Cittadino paid the first 23 installments of $145.19 on time.

Cittadino (pictured with her husband) claims the lender asked for a final payment of $338.07, bringing the dog's final cost over a $1,000 more than the in-store price

Luckily, Shake-A-Paw said they will make the final payment for the Cittadino family so that they can keep Max at his forever home

But now she claims the lender asked for a final payment of $338.07, bringing the dog's final cost over a $1,000 more than the in-store price.

Luckily, Shake-A-Paw told ABC News that it will make the final payment for the Cittadino family so that they can keep Max at his forever home.

According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), pet leasing is a relatively new industry.

The FTC said that most people considering buying a pet 'are not expecting to be handed a lease and many pet sellers may not be prepared to explain a leases terms'.

Pet leases typically run between one to three years.

The FCC said: 'During the lease period, customers must make set monthly payments, just as they would if leasing a car. The payments will total more than the list price of the pet, sometimes much more.

'When the lease is over, the customer doesnt own the family pet, not even a whisker. To purchase their pet, customers usually have to pay an additional amount, possibly hundreds of dollars. If they cant buy the pet, they must surrender it.'

California and Nevada are the only two states that have banned pet leasing. But it's likely to happen in New York very soon.

The State Assembly and Senate have already passed the bill, and it's awaiting a signature from Gov Andrew Cuomo.
Chesterfield Circuit Judge T.J. Hauler (pictured) has sentenced a man who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl to no jail time

A Virginia judge who previous let a rapist walk free has sentenced a man who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl to no jail time.

Logan Michael Osborn, 19, pleaded guilty in September to the charge of having carnal knowledge of the teen and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with eight years suspended.

But on Wednesday, Chesterfield Circuit Judge T.J. Hauler decided to stay the execution of the prison term because he wanted more time to review the case, Fox News reports.

Prosecutors say Osborn met the girl at a high school play in April 2017 and the pair took a walk together after the show.

He reportedly led her away from people, tied a belt round her neck and hands, and sexually assaulted her - pushing her onto her knees and against a fence.

She testified that she cried throughout the assault.

But lawyers for Osborn, who has been accused of rape on seven different occasions, argued the incident was consensual, highlighting text messages where she said she wanted to have fun with Osborn.

The age of consent in Virginia is 18.

The 14-year-old's family were bitterly 'disappointed that the defendant will not serve any active incarceration for the brutal attack,' prosecutor Erin Barr said.

'They do not believe justice has been served and share concern for community safety and future potential victims.'

But Hauler has a history of controversial, lenient sentences for rapists and sexual abusers.

Logan Michael Osborn, 19, (left) is accused of using a belt to restrain a 14-year-old girl's hands and neck, before sexually assaulting her. He will now avoid jail time. Dana William (right) was released by Hauler after he was convicted of raping his ex. He went onto murder her parents

In 2016, he rejected the state of Virginia's request to deny the release of convicted rapist Dana William.

William had been convicted of raping his ex-girlfriend and accused of raping several other women.

Within weeks of his release, William had murdered his ex's father, strangling him to death, and abducted her mom. In January 2016, he killed himself as police closed in. His ex's mom was found dead nearby.

Olene Brooks, the mother of William's ex, was killed by the rapist

'I hope he knows what a horrible decision he made,' the victims' daughter told WTVR about Hauler's decision.

Virginia state Sen. Steven Martin even raised 'serious concerns' about the judge's judgement on violent sexual crimes, saying he felt he should not be on the bench.

Osborn, who has been accused of rape multiple times, including once aged 12 when he was charged with grabbing the genitals of a classmate, must register as a sex offender after the latest conviction.

His scholarship to the University of Mary Washington was also revoked after his conviction.
Rep. Chris Collins has been caught on camera on the South Lawn of the White House making that fateful call federal investigators say led to his indictment on insider trading and other charges.

Collins was captured by CBS News, pacing and talking on his cell phone as Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, walked by him.

The timeframe on the footage matches up with the time outlined in the federal indictment against Collins, when he is alleged to have called his son to warn him to sell off stock from the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics.

Footage captured Rep. 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 (in white shirt) is seen talking on his cell phone during the annual Congressional picnic at the White House

Collins, in the white shirt, can be seen in the background on the phone

The time frame of the footages matches the timeframe in the indictment

EXCLUSIVE: Footage shows New York Rep. Chris Collins on the phone at the White House's Congressional Picnic when he allegedly shared an illegal stock tip with his son. See our timeline of the case against him: https://t.co/ELIdmZdjTv pic.twitter.com/BAv1sZuzgt  CBS News (@CBSNews) August 8, 2018

Collins was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump for president in the 2016 Republican primary. He did so before it was clear the business executive had any chance of winning the nomination, saying the country needs 'a chief executive, not a chief politician.'

He has maintained close ties to the White House and acted as a surrogate for Trump.

He was attending the annual Congressional Picnic at the White House on June 22 when he received an email message at 6:55 pm from the CEO of Innate, who had emailed the board of directors - including Collins - to inform them that trials on the company's signature drug had failed.

The congressman, according to the indictment, responded from his location at the White House at 7:10 pm: 'Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???'

He then tried to contact his son Cameron Collins six times between 7:11 pm and 7:16 pm when they finally connected and spoke for six minutes.

CBS News says the time frame of their footage matches the time on the call as outlined in the indictment.

Collins posted photos on Instagram from the event, posing with Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Karen Pence.

The theme was Picnic in the Park and the picnic was modeled after a summer evening in Central Park in New York. There was an old fashioned carousel on the South Lawn and twinkling lights strung throughout the area.

The annual picnic is time for members of Congress and administration officials to bond over carnival games, festive food, and drinks on the South Lawn of the White House. It's planned by the first lady.

Collins, a three-term Republican congressman from New York has vowed to stay on the ballot for his re-election as he dismissed the insider trading charges against him 'meritless'.

'After today, I will not address any issues related to Innate Immunotherapeutics outside of the courtroom,' Collins told a press conference on Wednesday evening. 'I will remain on the ballot, running for re-election this November.'

He told reporters he would 'mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name' and that he anticipated being 'fully vindicated and exonerated.'

Collins, who was Donald Trump's first supporter on Capitol Hill; his son, Cameron Collins; and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins' fiancee face 13 counts of alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, false statements, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

They also face insider trading charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The indictment was tied to Collins' investment in Innate, a biotech firm whose 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.

But it failed its drug trial stage and, when the news became public, the company's stock dropped by 92 percent.

Federal investigators allege stock dumps by Cameron Collins, his finance father's and other relatives saved them from losing $768,000 when the stock's price plummeted.

New York congressman Chris Collins told a Wednesday press conference in Buffalo that he would fight the charges against him and stay on the ballot for his re-election

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

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

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 SEC 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.

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.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Collins would be removed from the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee 'until the matter is settled.'

Trump has no connection to the case. He promised during his presidential campaign to 'drain the swamp' of Washington corruption.
The father of the man discovered at a New Mexico compound with 11 starving children has called his son 'a little bit extreme' and 'high strung'.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj, the leader of a well-known New York City mosque, also revealed other family members told him that his grandson Abdul-ghani Wahhaj is dead.

The three-year-old, who was severely disabled, was reported missing by his mother in December from their Atlanta home.

She told authorities that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the child's father and her husband, said he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child. He took their son to the park and never returned.

Wahhaj, his so-called new wife, and his two sisters were all arrested on Friday at the compound, where authorities discovered 11 starving children.

Siraj Wahhaj, the leader of a well-known New York City mosque, has revealed other family members told him that his grandson Abdul-ghani Wahhaj was buried in his father's compound

Siraj, who spoke to reporters on Thursday, also revealed that his son Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, who has been charged with child abuse and kidnapping, could be a 'little bit extreme' and 'high-strung'

Siraj, who is Wahhaj's father, claimed the children who had been living at the compound said Abdul-ghani was buried there after he died, according to CBS News.

'Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable,' he added.

The search for the boy led authorities to raid the New Mexico compound last week.

His remains were discovered on the compound Monday, which would have been his fourth birthday.

Abdul-ghani could not walk, suffered seizures, and required constant attention and daily medication due to receiving a lack of oxygen and blood flow at birth.

Authorities have not yet publicly identified the body, which they said is in a 'state of decomposition that has made identification challenging'.

Kurt Nolte, the chief medical investigator, said it would 'not be a quick process'. The remains will stay in New Mexico until the investigation is completed.

Siraj said the family is trying to make arrangements to bring Abdul-ghani's body back to Georgia for a funeral.

Abdul-ghani's mother told police that Wahhaj (pictured in court on Wednesday) said he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child before they both disappeared

Wahhaj, along with his 'wife' Jany Leveille (pictured) and two sisters, was arrested on Friday at the New Mexico compound, where authorities discovered 11 starving children

The imam also revealed that all 11 of the children discovered at the compound were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

'I'm very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren,' he said.

Siraj said that he was baffled by Wahhaj's decision to move his family deep into the desert.

He suggested that a psychiatric disorder was to blame, but said he never thought his son was extreme enough to kill anyone.

'It sounds to me it sounds crazy. But I don't know,' he said. 'I make no judgments yet because we don't know.'

The elder Wahhaj said he did not know anything about his son wanting to perform an exorcism on the boy. But he said his son and one of his daughters had become 'overly concerned' with the idea of people becoming 'possessed.'

Siraj said he was baffled by his son's decision to disappear and move his family to the desert

The mother of the missing three-year-old boy told DailyMail.com her husband said he was taking their son to the park, then walked out and never returned.

Speaking on Hakima Ramzi's behalf, attorney and family friend Shariyf Muhammad has revealed her husband, Wahhaj's cold-hearted deception.

He said: 'I think this has been mischaracterized as a custody battle because it's been reported that he 'took the child.'

'But they were married, they're still married although he chose to estrange himself by his actions.

'Hakima told us, "He told me he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park for a little while." She had no reason to think any different.'

He added: 'She's having a very hard time right now. Hakima is a mother whose son has been missing for nine months and she has gone through every range of emotion from anger to sadness to despair to helplessness to fear, anxiety and a desire for revenge.'

Ordeal: Hakima Ramzi's attorney told DailyMail.com: 'Hakima told us, "He told me he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park for a little while." She had no reason to think any different.'

Siraj's mosque has attracted a number of radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

In a video posted Thursday on Facebook, mosque spokesman Ali Abdul-Karim Judan called the case a 'domestic situation' and vehemently denied it had anything to do with extremism.

'None of the charges had anything to do with anybody teaching anybody shooting to commit acts of terrorism or to go in and shoot up any school,' he said. 'Because it's a Muslim and the circumstances that are surrounding their situation, they want to change the narrative.'

Wahhaj, 39, his so-called wife Jany Leveille, and his sisters Hujrah and Subhannah Wahhaj made their first court appearance on Wednesday.

They were pictured in the dock as prosecutors accused them of training the children to carry out mass school shootings.

Also in court was Lucas Morton, Wahhaj's brother-in-law and Subhanah's husband.

Each pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of felony child abuse, while Morton was also charged with harboring a fugitive.

Morton appeared in court wearing a white towel folded on his head styled like a keffiyeh.

Wahhaj was also charged with abducting his son, known as AG, from his home in Atlanta last December.

District Attorney Donald Gallegos said he will wait until the boy's autopsy is complete before deciding whether to press additional charges.

The imam's daughters Hujrah (left) and Subhannah (right) have also been charged in the case and appeared in court on Wednesday

Lucas Morton, the husband of Subhannah, also appeared in court with his head covered with a towel, apparently folded in a style resembling a plain white keffiyeh

In petitions seeking to detain all five suspects without bail, prosecutors said each was under investigation in the boy's death.

Police earlier said that Wahhaj was heavily armed with an AR-15 rifle and four pistols when he was arrested, and that there was a shooting range inside the compound.

The children, aged between one and 15, were found in a filthy state, had likely not eaten in days, and had loaded firearms within their reach.

In court documents filed on Wednesday, prosecutors claimed Wahhaj was using the weapons to train the children to perform mass school shootings.

Wahhaj was charged with felony child abuse and abducting his son, who would have turned four years old on Monday

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.

No weapons charges were filed in the case.

The FBI had been watching the compound for months after Abdul-ghani vanished.

But authorities could not obtain a search warrant because Abdul-ghani's mother never spotted her son or Wahhaj in photographs that were taken at the compound.

Officers were only allowed to raid the compound after they intercepted a message from the children that read: 'We are starving and we need food and water'.

The children have since been taken into government care.

Gerard Jabril Abdulwali, Morton's father, also revealed that he received a text message from his son last Thursday that said 'they were starving'.

It was the first time he had heard from his son in more than a year.

Abdulwali, who could be heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' - God is great - in court on Wednesday, said his son and the other suspects were merely '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.'

Neighbors have since revealed how they heard shooting coming from within the compound over the last few months.

Pictured are weapons that were found at the compound in New Mexico where prosecutors claim Wahhaj was training the 11 children to carry out school shootings

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

Tyler Anderson, who lives nearby, said the Wahhaj family arrived in the desert in December with enough money to buy groceries and construction tools to build their home.

Anderson, 41, helped them set up solar panels and said the 11 children often played with his kids, but had stopped coming by several weeks ago.

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid Neighbor Tyler Anderson

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.

Morton owns the tract of land where the family was based and started building their compound.

The man who owns the patch next to it, however, said the family 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,' the man, whose name has not been released, said on Tuesday.

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

As prosecutors pleaded with a judge not to grant the adults bail on Wednesday, they made reference to their religious background and Siraj's precarious ties to terrorists.

Siraj was one of 170 people identified by US Attorney Mary Jo White in 1995 as 'unindicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators' in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Imam Wahhaj testified as a character witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, pictured, who masterminded the 1993 WTC attack

While he was never charged, Siraj testified as a character witness in 1995 for blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, who was one of the conspirators of the 1993 attack.

He spoke glowingly of him at his trial, saying: 'He is a well known scholar, he is a respected 22 scholar.

'You know, people in the community, they talk about 23 well known scholars and he is among the ones who is 24 mentioned. He is called the hafiz of the Koran.

'He memorized the entire Koran, 114 chapters, that's why I respect him.

'He has memorized the many statements of Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him. And he is bold, as a strong preacher of Islam. So he is respected that way,' he added.

In the past, Siraj has complained about the fact that the list ever became public and has insisted that he himself has never plotted any form of attack on the country.

He was never charged with any crime.

In November 2009, Siraj was one of many Muslim leaders who met with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall.

Siraj said that he hoped all Americans would eventually become Muslim and also referred to the FBI and CIA as the 'real terrorists'.

The compound is near Amalia, in the desert of northern New Mexico, and is close to the Colorado border

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
Two New Jersey officers have been suspended after they remained in their vehicles while a teen was caught on video stomping all over three police cruisers.

In the shocking video, the teen, who was later identified by police as 18-year-old Altahriq Aulston, is seen standing on the hood of one car on Saturday.

He then jumps down hard and peaks inside the officer's window.

Two New Jersey officers have been suspended after they remained in their vehicles while a teen (pictured on a police car) was caught on video stomping all over three police cruisers

In the shocking video, the teen, who was later identified by police as 18-year-old Altahriq Aulston (pictured), is seen standing on the hood of one car on Saturday

A few moments later, the teen gets back on the hood and continuously jumps up and down for 12 seconds.

In the video, the suspect climbs to the roof of the vehicle as he waits for the officer's backup to arrive.

Two police cruisers are seen turning the corner and pulling up behind the first car.

The officer in the second vehicle gets out of his car to try and alleviate the situation. But his presence causes the teenager to jump across his car and the third police car parked behind him.

No officer in the first or third car are seen getting out of their police cruisers.

The one officer who actually got out of his vehicle tried to calm the teen down.

By the end of the video, two other officers had gotten out of vehicles but it's unclear which ones.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement that the agency reviewed the footage and immediately launched an investigation into the matter.

Two police cruisers are seen turning the corner and pulling up behind the first car. The officer in the second vehicle gets out of his car to try and alleviate the situation. But his presence causes the teenager to jump across his car and the third police car parked behind him

No officer in the first or third car are seen getting out of their police cruisers. The one officer who actually got out of his vehicle tried to calm the teen down

Ambrose suspended the officer who remained in his vehicle, and a second officer who responded as backup.

Their names are being withheld due to the internal investigation which is ongoing.

Ambrose stated: 'All officers are trained to respond in various types of situations, including ones where they encounter unstable individuals. These officers instead took no action at all to quell the situation, and to aid and subdue the suspect, as they are trained to do.

Aulston (pictured), 18, of Weequahic Avenue, Newark, was arrested and charged with three counts of criminal mischief

'This lack of action could have resulted in the suspect injuring himself, as well as other persons or property.'

Ambrose continued on to say that the 'majority of Newark Police Division officers are proud and hardworking'.

'The Newark Police Division and the citizens of Newark deserve better than what was demonstrated by these officers. They had an opportunity, and an obligation, to help the suspect, who was acting irrationally, and they failed to do so.

'We should not confuse restraint with a lack of response. If they did not help themselves, then how can we expect them to help the citizens that they serve,' he added.

The officer who remained in his vehicle during the incident has seven months of service time with the Newark Police Division, and the officer who responded as backup has ten years of service time.

Aulston, 18, of the 200 block of Weequahic Avenue, Newark, was arrested and charged with three counts of criminal mischief.

He is being held at the Essex County Jail.
Facebook is helping people smugglers to lure migrants to their deaths in the Mediterranean, Britains top law enforcement agency warned yesterday.

The National Crime Agency said the tech giant was failing to stop adverts being posted by criminals on the social network offering boats, transport services or documents to help facilitate the dangerous crossing from North Africa to Europe.

Tom Dowdall, the NCAs deputy director, said migrants were often recruited through Facebook.

Facebook has been luring migrants to their death by failing to stop adverts being posted by people smugglers. Some pages give instructions on where to meet to board dangerous boats, on which hundreds of migrants have drowned this year

He told the Evening Standard yesterday that migrants were being lured to their deaths using an application that they are using every day of the week.

Mr Dowdall added: Since December 2016, we have identified over 800 Facebook pages which we consider as being associated with organised immigration crime. That is largely offering vessels, documents, transport services. There is enough we are seeing to indicate to us that it supports criminality.

We have a problem here which we need to address. We just havent had enough willingness yet.

'The technology exists with big providers like Facebook to develop the right algorithms... to identify what look like risky pages. They are not stepping up in the way we would want.

Some pages give instructions on where to meet to board dangerous boats, on which hundreds of migrants have drowned this year.

Earlier this year, the Mail revealed how Facebook was being used to peddle black market passports. The revelations follow previous outrage about the social media behemoth being used as a platform for terror videos.

The firm has faced a backlash for its handling of fake news and privacy, and last month shares tumbled by more than 20 per cent after Facebooks revenue and user growth fell short of investor expectations.

The firm, alongside other social networks, has faced criticism before over failures to deal quickly with extreme or terrorist content on its pages.

In a report earlier this year by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, MPs said, despite some progress, the biggest and richest social media companies are shamefully far from taking sufficient action to tackle illegal and dangerous content and accused them of being completely irresponsible in their failure to abide by the law, and to keep their users and others safe.

Mr Dowdall, who leads the NCAs fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, said it referred each suspect page it found to the EUs crime-fighting body, Europol, to help its inquiries into people smugglers.

He said the pages were then taken down, but too slowly, and said Facebook should do more to stop the adverts appearing in the first place.

Facebook insisted the company was taking the problem seriously. A spokesman said: People smuggling is illegal and any posts, pages or groups that co-ordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook.

We work closely with law enforcement agencies around the world, including Europol, to identify, remove and report this illegal activity, and were always improving the methods we use to identify content that breaks our policies, including doubling our safety and security team to 20,000 people and investing in technology.

Last year, a Daily Mail investigation uncovered brazen stowaway selfies posted on Facebook to advertise illegal Albanian people smuggling into Britain.

Pictures of young people hidden in lorries were uploaded on pages including Albanians in London, alongside the caption: On the way.

Other images offering fake IDs and charges for booking a place with a smuggler proved how gangs of people-traffickers were using social media to cash in.
For someone who displayed such moral fortitude in voting to take Britain out of the EU, how sad that Sir Jim Ratcliffe feels no sense of patriotic duty when it comes to paying taxes in this country.

Sir Jim, Britains richest man with a 21billion fortune to his name, may be known in business circles for shying away from the public gaze and eschewing the sort of stunts that turned fellow business magnates Lord Sugar and Sir Richard Branson into household names.

But the 65-year-old must have known how damaging it would be to flee to Monaco at the height of the Brexit negotiations.

Whatever his true reasons for leaving, his move will be seized on by Remainers as a symbolic act of desertion.

Sir Jim, Britains richest man with a 21billion fortune to his name, is said to be taking his money to Monaco - a known tax haven

Sir Jim has declined to comment  a spokesman for his company said only that it was a personal matter

What a stark contrast with Peter Hargreaves, another high-profile billionaire supporter of Brexit within the business community.

The founder of the financial giant Hargreaves-Lansdowne has always been proud of paying his taxes here, and this week showed his belief in Britain by saying he would bet his entire fortune that opting for a no-deal Brexit would be this countrys best option.

Although Sir Jim has declined to comment  a spokesman for his company said only that it was a personal matter  his choice of destination speaks volumes.

Monaco is Europes premier tax haven, already home to a soulless list of mega-rich British celebrities who knowingly choose to pay less than they could and should towards schools, roads and hospitals in the country of their birth.

Such figures are presented, in the cartoonish rhetoric of the Left, as a damning indictment of the capitalist system  proof that the super-rich are an exploitative, out-of-touch elite with no regard for ordinary people and no gratitude for the opportunities given them in the United Kingdom.

The tragedy is that Sir Jim Ratcliffe ought to be a shining example of all that is best about aspiration.

Billionaire Ratcliffe was born to a joiner and office worker in 1952 in Failsworth, on the outskirts of Manchester (pictured Sir Ratcliffe's yacht)

Monaco is Europes premier tax haven, already home to a soulless list of mega-rich British celebrities (stock picture)

As a council house boy who grew up to be Britains richest man, he embodied the meritocratic ideals of a system that empowers people, no matter how lowly their background, to make the best of their lives.

Born to a joiner and office worker in 1952 in Failsworth, on the outskirts of Manchester, Ratcliffe spent the first three years of his life in a council house.

He went on to attend Beverley Grammar School in East Riding, after the family moved to Yorkshire.

In the Seventies, he accepted a place at the University of Birmingham, where he studied chemical engineering. That degree  in those days paid for entirely by the taxpayer, of course  would be his ticket to vast riches.

By 1992, Ratcliffe had remortgaged his house to lead a buyout of British Petroleums chemicals business.

From there, he would go on to found Ineos, the chemicals giant where he remains chairman and chief executive.

As it has grown into a sprawling empire, the company, which has an annual turnover of about 45 billion, has become a major UK employer with more than 10,000 British staff.

One wonders quite what they will make of all this as they dutifully pay every penny in tax to the Exchequer.

In 2010, Ratclifee spectacularly fell out with the then Labour government over a 350million VAT bill that Ineos was due to pay HM Revenue & Customs

Wise old heads among Sir Jims staff may be less surprised by his plans.

After all, this isnt the business moguls first run-in with the tax authorities.

In 2010, he spectacularly fell out with the then Labour government over a 350million VAT bill that Ineos was due to pay HM Revenue & Customs.

Sir Jim asked if the payment could be delayed six months, but was refused. His reaction was ruthless, taking the company headquarters to Switzerland, another famously low-tax regime, to save Ineos a reported 100million a year.

He returned to set up a UK headquarters in Knightsbridge  and take up residence in affluent Chelsea  in 2016, but only after the Tories had moved to slash corporation tax from 28 per cent to 20 per cent.

Sir Jim is an astonishingly successful entrepreneur whose business acumen and risk-taking has brought much good to this country.

He deserves to be a wealthy man, but when you have 21billion, do you really need to kiss goodbye to your own country just to make sure your pockets stay full to bursting?
Robert survived the fall and went on to become an author of huge significance

The mis-matched lovers  entangled in a bizarre web of sexual intrigue, a menage a cinq no less  gathered for the showdown in the top-floor flat in Hammersmith they called 'Free Love Corner'.

Put simply, Robert was married to Nancy, but was besotted with Laura, who in turn ached for Geoffrey  but Geoffrey spurned her advances and wanted to go back to Norah, his wife.

They talked and argued through a long, exhausting night, back and forth about who needed whom the most, until Geoffrey declared dramatically: 'I will not live with Laura'  a wise decision given that she was clearly as mad as a box of frogs.

New book Robert Graves: From Great War Poet To Good-bye To All That (1895-1929) reveals the bed-hopping antics of writer

As the sun came up, the nutty and controlling Laura edged to the open window in her flowing nightdress, sat on the sill and threatened to jump. The others took no notice, convinced she was bluffing. It was not the first time she'd threatened an Ophelia-like exit.

But then, to their horror, she cried out 'Goodbye, chaps,' and disappeared over the ledge, plunging 50ft to the ground.

The devoted and despairing Robert rushed down one flight of stairs before throwing himself out of another window, landing beside her.

In that moment in 1929, the life of one of the 20th century's literary giants might well have come to a premature end, snuffed out needlessly in an insane act of reckless love and sexual hysteria.

Because the man now lying moaning with pain was none other than the majestic writer Robert Graves, just 33 years old at the time, and his best work  his World War I memoir, Goodbye To All That, his classic I, Claudius novels of ancient Rome and the bulk of his poetry  was as yet unwritten.

He survived the fall to become an author of huge significance, a polymath with 55 collections of poetry to his name, 15 novels and 40 works of non-fiction  a much-feted and distinguished grand old man of letters.

Yet his early life was an emotional car crash, a romantic merry-go-round that  as revealed in gripping and meticulously researched detail by the eminent biographer Jean Moorcroft Wilson in a new book  rivals television's Love Island for bed-hopping.

Nancy Nicholson artist and first wife of the majestic writer Robert Graves

Key to all these shenanigans was Laura Riding, a witch-like American poet (and not a very good one, at that) who latched on to the up-and-coming Graves and cast a spell on him.

She brooked no opposition in getting what she wanted. For good reason, one of her detractors called her 'Laura Riding Roughshod'.

For her, the middle-class, public school-educated Graves was easy prey.

After a sexually frustrated adolescence in which he was drawn to platonic crushes on male friends, out of the blue  aged 23 and suffering shell-shock from his time as a soldier in the trenches in France  he met and married Nancy Nicholson, from a famously bohemian family of artists.

Boyish-looking with bobbed hair, she was a strident feminist who refused to take his surname and wore the trousers in their relationship  literally. Even at their wedding reception she wore breeches, having changed out of her bridal dress at the earliest opportunity.

For years, they lived beyond their means as he struggled to get his literary career off the ground, bailed out by the bank of his well-off mum and dad. Surprisingly in their straitened circumstances, they managed quickly to conceive four children, but the sex was apparently unsatisfactory.

Nancy generally wasn't keen  she thought his demands 'excessive'  and Robert was disillusioned and unfulfilled, writing in one poem: 'Two bergs of glinting ice were we/ And love went by upon the wind.'

As they drifted apart, Laura Riding entered their lives and turned it upside down.

Graves had been sent some of her poetry by a friend and wrote to her in New York about it. He found her ideas stimulating  though why, heaven knows, because even then they were pretty batty and far-fetched.

But he was a poet desperate for a muse and an intellectual collaborator (which Nancy was not), and Laura fitted the bill perfectly.

So though he'd never even met her, he invited her to come along with him and his family as his secretary when, as a way out of his penury, he took a well-paid job as a professor of English at a university in Cairo.

It was a pretty odd arrangement, but, as Moorcroft Wilson writes, 'he and Nancy appear to have reached a point in their marriage where they welcomed a third person in it'.

When he met the 24-year-old Laura for the first time at Waterloo Station after her journey from New York, her otherwise plain face was plastered with make-up, which a staid Englishman like him considered rather forward and daring. She 'glowed', he noted, smitten at once by her strong personality and her sexuality.

She, too, fell for him instantly  possibly genuinely, given her over-the-top temperament, but also, one suspects, because she saw him as a stepping stone in her own literary career.

'Sex was very quickly a given, as, to Graves's obvious delight, Laura shared with him what she termed 'all the obscenities of my utterly vile mind'.

The pleasure was heightened for him because she just as quickly fulfilled his intellectual and spiritual needs, becoming that literary muse he'd been longing for, inspiring him to create marvellous, passion-filled love poems.

'We looked, we loved,' he wrote, 'so wild of heart were we.' He looked on her as a mythical goddess or the legendary Helen of Troy.

He was blind to the faults that put others off  her colossal egotism and her temper tantrums when she did not get her own way. The American poet Allen Tate described her as 'the maddest woman I ever met' and from the outset feared for Graves's sanity once she got her hooks into him.

So did Graves's close friend, the soldier and writer Lawrence of Arabia, who thought him 'bewitched and bitched' by her and 'drowning in a quagmire'. Nancy, however, was unfazed by the over-bearing intruder catapulted into her life. She not only didn't mind the threesome arrangement, but welcomed it.

She got along with Laura, and Laura with her. They were both feminists, both 'modern' in their approach to life, unconstrained by convention. Laura wrote to a friend about the 'love' that had sprung up between them as they proudly proclaimed themselves 'the Trinity' in 'a marriage of three'.

So they all trooped off to Egypt  Graves, the children (plus nanny) and what was rapidly termed his 'harem'.

Graves couldn't believe his luck. He had it all.

But very quickly life in Cairo turned sour, not least because the superstitious Laura, an avid believer in witchcraft and the occult, decreed that camels  with which Egypt abounded  were evil spirits. After just four months they turned their back on the Middle East and went back to England, to a cottage in Oxfordshire, where Nancy took the marital bedroom and Robert and Laura slept in the attic room. Laura declared them all 'ridiculously happy'.

But it wasn't true. Nancy was increasingly disconnected and jealous. She begged Laura to go back to America. Needless to say, Laura refused, and she and Graves set up home on their own in London, virtually jettisoning not only his wedded wife but their four children in the process.

He also sacrificed the support of his parents, who were appalled when they finally discovered the nature of his liaison with Laura.

Graves didn't care. Friends who disapproved  even his oldest and dearest, the poet and writer Siegfried Sassoon  went the same way, all tossed overboard because of his obsessive love for the home-wrecking Laura.

All that mattered to him was fulfilling her needs. He put his own growing reputation on the line to promote her career but, while he was finding it easy to place his own poems and articles, all she ever got were rejections from publishers who found her work tedious, convoluted and unoriginal.

He was even prepared to fall out disastrously with as influential a figure as the poet and editor T. S. Eliot, for publishing a savage review of Laura's work in his literary magazine.

The two didn't speak for another 20 years. Meanwhile, life in the Hammersmith love nest in West London  where Laura hung a banner over the couple's huge bed proclaiming 'God is a woman'  was turning sour. Despite Graves's unfailing devotion, she was bored.

She needed stimulation and excitement  and found it in a handsome, virile Irish poet by the name of Geoffrey Phibbs.

Tall, thin and dark with what was described as 'an animal beauty' and a belief in free love, he had been corresponding with Laura about her work, and she summoned him to join her and Graves in London.

Laura Riding jumped out of a window after man she was besotted with spurned her advances

The first time she laid eyes on him, she declared (or so she later claimed): 'You are the Devil!' He was the perfect partner in her growing flirtation with the black arts.

He arrived with his wife, Norah McGuinness, a painter, whom he dumped in the Regent Palace Hotel with a bottle of brandy before heading off with Laura and straight away took his turn in her bed.

Graves looked on, the voyeur now, seemingly unperturbed by this new coupling as long as Laura was happy  though he did complain quietly to a friend that Phibbs seemed to be getting more of the action than he was.

By now Laura  more bonkers than ever  had become even more controlling of those around her. She ordered a mesmerised Phibbs to transfer his entire library of books from Dublin to London, and then, in what she called an act of purification, she threw out all the ones she didn't approve of.

She also burnt all the clothes he came in and sent him to a tailor in Burlington Arcade for an entire new wardrobe, including black silk pyjamas to wear in bed with her. She had the bill sent to Graves.

With her two tame poets dancing attendance on her every whim, she now announced that she had divine powers, that she was immortal and that she was going to 'break the frame of the universe' and stop time, bringing history and human existence to an end.

After seven weeks of this nonsense, and physically worn out to impotence by her demands in bed, Phibbs slipped away whenever he could to spend time with none other than Nancy, Graves's estranged wife, now living with her children on a barge on the Thames.

Graves, clearly not as relaxed with this madcap situation as he made out, seized the opportunity to urge Phibbs to scarper altogether, which he did, escaping back to his wife, Norah, who was now in Paris.

When she realised Phibbs had gone, Laura  like the leader of some religious cult who could not accept the defection of a single disciple  went looking for him, dragging Graves and Nancy.

They tracked down Phibbs and Norah to a hotel in Rouen, where, over lunch in the restaurant, the runaway couple  with the strong-minded Norah putting her foot down  made it clear that Phibbs was not going back.

Laura went berserk, throwing herself on the floor, kicking her legs in the air and screaming, until the waiters had to drag her away.

Robert Graves From Great War Poet to Good-bye to all that 1895-1929 is written by Jean Mo

Yet still Laura would not give up. Back in London, she continued to harass Phibbs with voodoo-like gifts in the post to spook him.

He sent her a telegram saying emphatically he would 'never return' to her  to which Graves, swept up in the lunacy and unable to resist Laura's every whim, even though she was two-timing him, replied: 'She cannot live without you.' He then went to fetch Phibbs and even threatened to kill him if he did not return to Laura and her mad menage.

And so it was the four of them  Robert Graves, Geoffrey Phibbs, Nancy Nicholson and Laura Riding  took their places in the top-floor flat in Hammersmith for that melodramatic denouement and Laura's plummet out of the window  ever after referred to among them as The Fall.

By some miracle, Graves, following her down, was unhurt, but Laura was in a bad way, her pelvis and spine broken.

She was not expected to live and, if she did, would almost certainly be paralysed.

A skilful surgeon mended her, however, and she spent three months in hospital, ungrateful and self-absorbed, yelling at staff and visitors about how bored she was.

Graves sat by her bed for hours on end, dutiful and doting as ever. He even pulled strings among his contacts in high places to get a police investigation into her attempted suicide  a criminal offence in those days  dropped.

She, though, in her usual manipulative way, blamed him for deliberately failing to stop her when she'd threatened to jump.

Robert Graves has 55 collections of poetry to his name, 15 novels and 40 non-fiction works

The strain on him was immense, not least because he had run out of money and his parents were refusing to help out.

He fell ill and was taken to hospital  where Nancy came to visit him and tell him her news: she had taken up with Phibbs, to whom she had become close. Graves was furious and consumed by jealousy  the ultimate irony, given all he had put Nancy through over Laura.

His reaction was a harsh one. He told her he was giving up all rights to his children and would have nothing to do with them.

'You are their mother,' he told Nancy. 'The children are yours. They are not my charges.'

He made his loyalty to Laura crystal clear. 'I love her beyond anything.' She was all that really mattered to him.

In his deranged mind, too, the fact that Laura had survived The Fall was proof that she was indeed the divine creature, the goddess, he had always believed her to be. He gave up everything for her.

Yet out of this unholy mess, some good came. Graves was now broke.

The bank of mum and dad was firmly closed to him and his running costs were enormous, with Laura insisting on a month of convalescing in a private hospital ward at an eye-watering six guineas a week, massages extra.

He had to make money urgently and so he agreed to write his memoir of the war years in return for a healthy publisher's advance.

He knocked off Goodbye To All That in just 11 weeks, and it instantly became a best-seller.

Along with I, Claudius, his fictionalised account of intrigue, excess, incest and so forth a few years later, it took him to a new level as a successful literary figure.

It was 'goodbye to all that' in another sense, too. Having burned his bridges with family and friends, he also left England for Spain, where he and Laura could live much more cheaply.

They set up home in a fishing village on the island of Majorca, just the two of them  until, after ten years, she, true to form, left him for another lover . . . and the spell was finally broken.

Robert Graves: From Great War Poet To Good-bye To All That (1895-1929) by Jean Moorcroft Wilson is published by Bloomsbury at 25. To order a copy for 20 (offer valid until tomorrow; P&P free), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640




A New York City can collector whose eyesore car has won her the contempt of neighbors in the leafy Brooklyn suburb where she lives has revealed herself to be a multimillionaire.

Lisa Silversmith, also known as Fiona Fiekowsky, 67, owns four properties in New York City which have a combined value of $8million.

Three are in Harlem and the property where she lives is in Prospect Park in Brooklyn where she keeps her banged up 1993 Toyota Camry much to the disdain of her neighbors.

Every day, she goes around the city collecting cans in a trash cart. She cashes them in at the end of the day and is lucky to make $30.

Silversmith is the daughter of two DC government economists and her husband makes $180,000 working for New York City's Economic Development Corporation.

Lisa Silversmith, also known by her maiden name Lisa Fiekowsky, collects cans around New York City despite living in a $1million apartment in Brooklyn and owns another three properties in the city that are said to be valued at $7million

Despite her impressive property portfolio, Silversmith spends her days collecting cans and bottles around glass jars to trade in at the end of the day for cash

She has a college-age daughter and admits that while her family find her hobby of collecting cans 'horrible', she sees nothing wrong with it.

'Im an old-fashioned bohemian. To me, whats sad is New York used to have acceptance of people being eccentric, but now its like, "Heaven forbid!"' she told The New York Post this week.

The apartment Silversmith lives in was valued by the post at around $1million. The unit directly above hers is valued online at $2.19million.

In Harlem, she owns three properties - two brownstone terraces, one of which is valued at $4million, and another apartment nearby.

None are being inhabited and are instead occupied by trash. Silversmith's parents both enjoyed successful careers.

Her father, Seymour, was the chief of economics for the Treasury Departments Office of Tax Analysis and her mother, Hortense, worked for the Department of Labor as a trade negotiator before becoming a diplomat.

The 67-year-old lives with her husband in a $1million apartment in this apartment complex in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

She also owns this $4million brownstone in Harlem but no one is living in it and it is filled with trash

Silversmith also owns apartments in these two Harlem buildings which together are worth an additional $2million

Hortense is 97 now and lives in Washington DC. Seymour died in 2014.

Her daughter spoke highly of her this week and said she was friends with Condoleezza Rice.

'She was a globe-hopping diplomat. She was a trade representative. In fact, she knew Condoleezza Rice . . . She said, "I always knew Condoleezza was going to go far,"' Lisa said.

According to her social media pages, Lisa attended high school in Oregon then went on to study at the University of Chicago.

After graduating, she worked briefly for AT&T and then as a stockbroker which allowed her to buy her first property - a one bedroom apartment for $22,000 in 1979.

She laughed when she told the Post that she thought she had paid too much for it.

Despite her impressive education and background, she started collecting cans 10 years ago and hasn't stopped since.

She does not need the money but finds that it is a good way of keeping her active and in touch with the neighborhood.

'My family thinks this whole thing is horrible, but I think its so funny.

Lisa is the daughter of Seymour Fiekowsky (right) who was the chief of economics for the Treasury Departments Office of Tax Analysis for 25 years. He died 2014

The woman's husband, Mark, is works for New York City's Economic Development Corporation earning a reported salary of $180,000. He and her daughter, who attends college, think her h

'It keeps me active. I talk to people in the neighborhood. I guess I was always a recycler. Mostly, its physical activity, she says.

'I figure I make a little money at the same time. Keep the neighborhood clean,' she said.

Silversmith thinks that complaints about her lifestyle and the state of her car say more about the people making them than they of her.

'People were so upset that this terrible car was in the neighborhood. It shows you how intolerant that area is,' she said.

She added that she has plans to renovate her properties in Harlem and said that she felt she was always 'under renovation' in New York because 'theres always stuff the city is requiring you to do.'

Silverman is pictured with her 1993 Toyota Camry which is filled with trash and is an eyesore to neighbors
Former pupils gave chilling first-hand accounts of how they were beaten, ritually humiliated and raped at their boarding schools.

Ampleforth College was likened to a Nazi prisoner of war camp by one victim, who said: 'It felt like Colditz.'

One priest got sadistic sexual pleasure by beating boys for reading Marvel comics or climbing a tree.

Other pupils were raped over the bonnet of a monk's car for not sprinting fast enough during night time 'punishment runs' around the school grounds.

One boy, who was abused in his first week at the junior part of the school in North Yorkshire, recalled being tickled by a monk in a dormitory before he was later plied with alcohol and raped.

Ampleforth College (pictured above) in Yorkshire, where victims as young as seven were raped, was likened to a Nazi prisoner of war camp by one victim, who said: 'It felt like Colditz'

The same monk is said to have ordered six boys to form a line to perform a sex act on him.

Another abuser made at least 11 children aged between eight and 12 perform a sex act in front of other pupils in the Ampleforth school workshop.

One ex-pupil told police he would often see a monk visibly aroused as he was watched during swimming lessons.

One teacher at Ampleforth, Dara De Cogan, was jailed last year for grooming and sexually abusing a schoolgirl between 2005 and 2010.

Victims described being picked on by sadistic monks and passed around to other abusers by 'feeder priests'.

One victim said: 'At nights in the dorm after lights out, he would come and sit on my bed and comfort me.

'After about two weeks, he asked me if I wanted some cocoa... I followed him to his study... he asked if he could wash me, which meant me undoing my pyjamas andit eventually landed up with me in his bed where he would also join me.'

At Downside School in Somerset, prefects were taken to the pub by a priest and made to down whiskey as they were groomed for sex.

When the abuse was uncovered, the clergyman left and went on to work in numerous child care posts after receiving a glowing reference from the abbot.

Ampleforth abbot Cuthbert Madden, pictured, stepped down from his post in 2016 after he was accused of sexual abuse. No action has been taken against him but he is yet to return to the role

One pupil said: 'I remember very clearly walking down corridors with him on the way to the monastery library and passing monks and other teachers, and just thinking, 'Does nobody know?' Is nobody looking at me and this man and worrying  does nobody have any idea what's going on?'

Yesterday another victim described their torment at Downside, adding: 'I was vulnerable, broken and needed help from the Church when I was a child.

'I trusted them to help, but instead my life was destroyed and I was handed a life sentence of suffering by my abuser and those who failed to act against it.

'My abuse would have been stopped immediately if the right safeguarding procedures were in place.

'I repeatedly asked for help from a Church that claimed to care and was failed again and again. Instead, under the guise of kindness and caring, those I turned to for help silenced me with guilt and shame, making me believe that I was a sinner.

'It is hard enough to disclose the shame and humiliation of abuse, without it then being trampled on by those who fail to believe that their Church can commit such atrocities.

One teacher at Ampleforth, Dara De Cogan (pictured), was jailed last year for grooming and sexually abusing a schoolgirl between 2005 and 2010

'It was fear of such reprisals by such a strong network of supporters and the wider Catholic community that kept me quiet for so long, knowing my abuser had surrounded himself by those who would defend him at any cost.

'Many people who were abused by clergy have ended up taking their lives, or lived lives of self-destruction because of the unbearable pain they have suffered. The Catholic church has blood on its hands as a result.'

An 11-year-old vulnerable boy recalled how he was groomed by geography teacher Nicholas White, who took photographs and fondled him in a monastery library.

He said: 'I remember knowing something profoundly wrong had just happened, and I was quite certain that 'I am going to go into that monastery building and I am going to tell someone, because these are good, holy people', and then very quickly I had this sudden wave of terror that I was making a tremendous mistake because it's possible that I had been given an utterly sacred gift, only given to the special few, and if I went in there, these men would be desperately disappointed and angry with me because I had revealed this secret.

'That was the logic of my 11-year-old mind.'

When the boy's father complained, White was moved to the senior school and was even allowed to assume the role of housemaster to the same boy.

He left in 1989 but was allowed to return a decade later. He was jailed for child sex offences in 2012.
Advertisement

A northern California fire mechanic assigned to the Carr Fire was killed on Thursday in a traffic collision, bringing the death toll from that blaze to eight.

Andrew Brake, of Chico, died in a single-car crash around 12.15am on Highway 99 in Tehama County when his Cal Fire support vehicle veered off the road at a curve, hit a tree and went up in flames.

Fire officials said Brake was pronounced dead at the scene, KRCR reports. He worked as a Cal Fire heavy equipment mechanic from the Butte Unit.

'We are saddened to report the death of a CAL FIRE Heavy Equipment Mechanic from the Butte Unit assigned to the Carr Fire. He was killed early this morning as the result of a traffic accident on Highway 99 in Tehama County,' Cal Fire said in a statement, declining to provide more details.

Firefighter Andrew Brake was killed on Thursday in a traffic collision on his way to the Carr Fire in northern California

Officials said Brake's Cal Fire support vehicle veered off the road at a curve, hit a tree and went up in flames

According to officials, the Carr Fire has burned more than 173,000 acres and is 47 per cent contained. Cal Fire officials said it is not sure when the'll have it fully contained.

The Carr Fire has claimed the lives of eight people, including Brake and two other firefighters.

A 70-year-old woman in Redding and her two great-grandchildren, ages four and two, were killed when their home was engulfed in flames. The blaze also resulted in the death of a fourth Redding resident and a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker. The Carr Fire is said to be the most lethal of the year.

The Carr Fire has burned more than 173,000 acres and is 47 per cent contained

Cal Fire officials said it is not sure when the'll have it fully. The blaze has claimed the lives of eight people, including three firefighters

The International Space Station took this above satellite image showing wildfires in northern California

Firefighters across the state are battling more than a dozen wildfires. The Mendocino Complex Fire is the largest fire in the state's history

Firefighters across California are battling more than a dozen wildfires that have scorched more than 600,000 acres. Until the fires are fully contained, smoke now covers three quarters of the state.

Photos show towns in northern California completely destroyed by the fast-moving flames and smoke billowing high into the air. An eerie red glow is cast over other areas as firefighters work to contain the blazes.

According to CBS News, the heavy smoke is providing some shade for firefighters battling the Mendocino Complex Fire, which is now the largest wildfire in the state's history after the Ranch Fire and River Fire were combined.

A thermal satellite image of the fast-moving Carr Fire, which is 47 per cent contained

Until the wildfires are fully contained, smoke now covers three quarters of California. A passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight snapped this photo of smoke above Sacramento

A Sheriff's patrol officer keeps an eye on homes as the Holy Fire approaches the McVicker Canyon neighborhood

A plume of smoke rises from the Mendocino Complex fire covers on August 8, 2018 near Lodoga, California

Smoke from the Mendocino Complex fire hangs over a valley on August 8, 2018 near Lodoga

People watch the Holy Fire as it burns in Cleveland National Forest. The fire was started on Monday allegedly by a 51-year-old resident

A helicopter drops water on a burning hillside during the Mendocino Complex fire near Finley, California

Officials said the thick smoke is helping to cool down temperatures, but experts warn that conditions could change in a moment. According to CNN, fire officials predict that it could take a month before the Mendocino Complex Fire is contained.

It took firefighters more than six months to extinguish the Thomas Fire last year, which previously held the title for the largest wildfire in California history.

Other fires still raging in California include the fast-moving Holy Fire, which was started on Monday in Holy Jim Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest. Officials said the blaze has displaced 20,000 people and is only five per cent contained.

Authorities arrested 51-year-old Holy Jim resident Forrest Gordon Clark on Tuesday on suspicion of staring the fire. Volunteer fire chief Mike Milligan said Clark has been in a decade-long dispute with his neighbors and sent Milligan a letter last week threatening to burn the area down.
A man has been charged after allegedly pouring beer over a statue of a soldier and putting a cigarette lighter on its arm at a Sydney war memorial.

The 43-year-old was allegedly seen on CCTV at about 9.30pm on Thursday removing flowers from a wreath and putting them in the statue's hand at the Martin Place Cenotaph.

He also allegedly placed a cigarette lighter on the statue's arm, put a cigarette in its rifle and then poured beer on its feet.

The man was arrested nearby and charged with committing an offensive act in or on a war memorial and wilfully damaging or defacing a protected place.

A man allegedly poured beer over a statue of a soldier and putting a cigarette lighter on its arm at this Sydney war memorial

A 43-year-old man was allegedly seen on CCTV at about 9.30pm on Thursday, removing flowers from a wreath and putting them in the statue's hand

Inspector Gary Coffey described the alleged incident as 'pretty disappointing stuff'.

'There is no excuse for his behaviour... you really can't give a reasonable explanation of why you would behave like this,' he told Nine News.

'The Cenotaph is a place of memorial.'

The network reported the man was intoxicated at the time of his alleged offence.

Sydney's dawn service is held at the Cenotaph war memorial in Martin Place on Remembrance Day each year

Inspector Gary Coffey (pictured) described the alleged incident as 'pretty disappointing stuff'

Sydney's dawn service is held at the site on Remembrance Day each year.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked police for their 'quick action' after the 'senseless act of vandalism'.

'An attack on any war memorial is an attack on Australian values and the heroic legacy of our veterans,' Ms Berejiklian wrote on Twitter.

The man has been granted conditional bail and is due to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on September 5.
Actor Casey Affleck poses for a portrait August 3, 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote his upcoming film 'The Old Man & The Gun,' in theaters on September 28

Casey Affleck has taken responsibility for his past mistakes by issuing his first public apology since being accused of sexual harassment by two female colleagues in civil lawsuits settled in 2010.

As the 42-year-old actor prepares for the September release of his 2018 crime comedy film, 'The Old Man & the Gun,' he has taken accountability for his actions in hopes to move forward in his career.

Affleck was accused of crawling into bed with Magdelena Gorka - a woman he had been working with on their film 'I'm Still Here' in 2008. Gorka detailed the allegations in the civil suit filed against the actor two years later.

While speaking to the Associated Press last week, Ben Affleck's younger brother opened up about the sexual harassment allegations.

'The cast was the crew and the crew was kind of the cast and it was an unprofessional environment and, you know, the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that and that was a mistake,' Affleck said.

'I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behavior from other people and I wish that I hadn't. And I regret a lot of that.

'I really did not know what I was responsible for as the boss. I don't even know if I thought of myself as the boss. But I behaved in a way and allowed others to behave in a way that was really unprofessional. And I'm sorry.'

In another civil suit, producer Amanda White alleged Affleck showed her his penis and attempted to lure her into a hotel room with him at the time he was still married to Summer Phoenix.

White claims Affleck tried to coerce her into a room to have sex while fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix was having sex with another woman on set.

Actor Joaquin Phoenix (left) is seen during filming of 'I'm Still Here,' released in 2010. Affleck (right) is seen directing. Affleck was accused of sexual harassment by two women on set of the film

Casey Affleck, winner of Best Actor for 'Manchester by the Sea,' poses in the press room during the 89th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. The Oscar-winning finally apologized last week after being accused of sexual harassment eight years ago

When she declined his advances, White claimed he sent her text messages and called her 'profane names'.

The two women settled the lawsuits with Affleck, but cannot comment on their allegations as part of their settlement agreement.

Represented by the same lawyer, producer White sought $2m and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka sought $2.25m in their individual lawsuits.

White wrote in court papers that she 'was forced to endure uninvited and unwelcome sexual advances in the workplace.'

She went on to state in her filing: 'On one occasion, Affleck instructed a crew member to take off his pants in order to show [White] his penis, even after [White] objected.

'Affleck repeatedly referred to women as "cows"; he discussed his sexual exploits and those of other celebrities that he allegedly witnessed; and asked [White] after learning her age, "Isn't it about time you get pregnant."'

White also claimed that at one point she could not get into her bedroom while shooting in Costa Rica because 'Affleck and Phoenix locked themselves in her bedroom with two women.'

She said that later in the shoot Affleck 'attempted to manipulate [her] into staying in a hotel room with him, and when she resisted he grabbed her in a hostile manner in an effort to intimidate her into complying.'

Gorka's allegations were just as serious - claiming that she was subject to 'routine instances of sexual harassment' on the set.

She wrote in her court filing: 'Affleck and other members of the production team made lewd comments; they discussed engaging in sexual activity with [Gorka]; and they suggested that she have sex with the camera assistant.'

A since-divorced Affleck expressed his regrets during last week's interview.

Brothers Casey and Ben Affleck are seen together on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. Casey stepped away from the spotlight when the #MeToo movement began

'First of all, that I was ever involved in a conflict that resulted in a lawsuit is something that I really regret. I wish I had found a way to resolve things in a different way. I hate that.

'I had never had any complaints like that made about me before in my life and it was really embarrassing and I didn't know how to handle it and I didn't agree with everything, the way I was being described, and the things that were said about me, but I wanted to try to make it right, so we made it right in the way that was asked at the time.

'And we all agreed to just try to put it behind us and move on with our lives, which I think we deserve to do, and I want to respect them as they've respected me and my privacy. And that's that,' he concluded about the matter.

Earlier this year, he had stepped away from the spotlight and declined to present the best actress award at the Oscars amid the #MeToo movement.

'I think it was the right thing to do just given everything that was going on in our culture at the moment... and having two incredible women go present the best actress award felt like the right thing,' he went on to say.

Affleck, who was married to Phoenix from 2006 up until their divorce last year - said he hopes the lessons he learned from his mistakes may help him be a better father in the future.

'I have two boys so I want to be in a world where grown men model compassion and decency and also contrition when it's called for, and I certainly tell them to own their mistakes when they make them.'
The United States Marine Corps has its first-ever female infantry platoon commander.

First Lt. Marina A. Hierl will command about 35 male soldiers in Echo Company, a group of 175 Marines and Navy sailors stationed in Australia to act as a response force in the Pacific region.

This is the first time in the 243-year history of the Marine Corps that a woman will be in charge of an infantry platoon, according to The New York Times.

Echo Company is currently based in the Northern Territory of Australia, where it is in the middle of a six-month training period.

First Lt. Marina Hierl, the first woman in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry platoon, discusses a squad attack with Marines from her platoon in the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia on June 18

Hierl is seen taking part in an exercise during the Infantry Officer Course at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, in September last year

Hierl is a 24-year-old woman from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

As a teen, she worked on a local horse farm. Before graduating high school, she decided to enlist in the Marines because the recruited for the Corps made it sound good.

I wanted to do something important with my life, she said.

I wanted to be part of a group of people that would be willing to die for each other.

Before enlisting, the recruiter recommended that Hierl attend college first.

She attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles before enlisting on an officers track.

The United States Marine Corps has its first-ever female infantry platoon commander. First Lt. Marina A. Hierl will command about 35 male soldiers in Echo Company, a group of 175 Marines and Navy sailors stationed in Australia to act as a response force in the Pacific region

Hierl never allowed her gender to limit her ambitions.

I wanted to lead a platoon, she said.

I didnt think there was anything better in the Marine Corps I could do.

In order to lead a platoon, Hierl needed to successfully complete a grueling, 13-week infantry officer course at Quantico, Virginia.

Of the 37 women who have tried to pass the course, only two have succeeded.

Hierl is one of them.

Under former President Barack Obama, the U.S. military opened all positions to women, including combat roles, for the first time in 2016 in a bid to make the armed forces more inclusive.

About 15 percent of more than 1.3 million U.S. active duty troops are women, according to the Department of Defense.

Earlier this year, the Corps was rattled by nude photo sharing scandal involving a private Facebook group and its surreptitious distribution of explicit images of women in the armed forces, often with obscene, misogynist commentary.
Here I am half a mile out in the Channel, opposite the Start Point lighthouse in Devon, battling choppy waves, with a tidal current bouncing off the English coast and sending me south, somewhere in the general direction of Brittany.

When I'm not gargling what feels like pints of seawater, I'm taking desperate breaths of air. The water is still only 15c, despite this record-breaking summer.

It is soul-destroying, lung-busting progress. Yet the man next to me is taking it all in his stride  or rather, his stroke.

Lewis Pugh, 48, is an endurance swimmer who has been dubbed 'the Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming'.

Renowned endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh swims past Start Point, United Kingdom, during The Long Swim campaign on 27 July 2018

He was the first person to swim across the North Pole, in 2007. He has swum in a glacial lake on Everest and braved the freezing waters off Antarctica. He was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in all five of Earth's oceans, and has swum the length of the Thames. And now he aims to become the first person to swim the full length of the Channel  that's 330 miles.

The narrowest distance across the Channel is a mere 22 miles. Since Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim it in 1875 (though he went off course and ended up swimming 39 miles), 1,800 people have emulated him, including Pugh in 1992.

But no one has ever swum its full length  the equivalent of 15 Channel crossings, from Land's End to Dover, in just cap, goggles and swimming trunks.

United Nations Environment Programme Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh at the Speedo and Surfers Against Sewage Marazion Beach Clean Up

Under Channel Swimming Association rules, that  plus as much grease as he wants  is all Pugh is allowed to wear. He mustn't touch his support boat, the Aquila, during his daily swims, or ever swim behind it or behind another person, because he might then benefit from the slipstream.

Pugh started at Land's End on July 12 and after 28 days has completed about 180 miles, following the coastline at a distance and generally, when not swimming, spending all his time on the support boat, which must drop anchor whenever he finishes a swim. He is now off Bournemouth, in Dorset.

'Having several days of unexpectedly good tides has meant I am six miles ahead of where I was meant to be by day 27,' Pugh said this week.

'This is a weight off my shoulders, as it means that if we have a day of bad weather or if I'm struggling with an injury, we have the flexibility to not swim for a day without getting behind.'

After spending more than 60 hours swimming in the Channel, he has lost so much weight that he is now on this third pair of ever-smaller Speedos. He has also been struggling with a shoulder injury and yesterday saw a physiotherapist at AFC Bournemouth.

So why is he doing it? Like all his swimming feats, there is a purpose: what he calls 'the long swim' marks the beginning of a worldwide campaign to ensure that 30 per cent of our oceans are fully protected by 2030.

'I'm undertaking my toughest swim yet to call on the Government, and all the governments of the world, to strengthen our ocean protection,' says Pugh, who grew up in Devon before moving to South Africa with his family at the age of ten.

He later returned to Britain to study law at Cambridge, practised as a marine lawyer in London and served as an SAS reservist before devoting his life to endurance swims and ocean conservation.

His first long swim, at the age of 17, was the four miles from Cape Town to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed (Pugh still lives in Cape Town with his wife and two stepchildren).

'In the 30 years since then, I've seen the oceans get much more polluted,' he says. 'When I first swam in the Arctic you would only find things that had been thrown overboard, like fishing nets. Now you find earplugs, shoes . . . not forgetting the plastic microbeads you can't see.

'We need to change the tide on plastic pollution by reducing the amount of plastic pouring into our oceans, and roll up our sleeves to help remove the junk that's already there.'

The Mail's campaigns to tackle plastic waste, first with Banish the Bags and now Turn the Tide on Plastic, have been a roaring success  and acclaimed as such by the head of the UN's environment programme. But on a personal level, no one can match the effort put in by Pugh in pursuit of cleaner oceans.

When the tide is right, he swims two two-hour sessions a day, with a rest in between on the support boat as he waits for the tide to turn once more in his favour.

When I joined him at 5am for one swim (we went from Salcombe in Devon across Lyme Bay, towards Dorset), a spring tide and favourable wind were providing a crucial boost to his front crawl.

Built like a triangular tank, he has vast shoulders, a narrow waist, tree-trunks for arms and legs and huge, splayed paddles for hands.

The venture  sponsored by Sky and FXTM, an online finance broker, with the UN (Pugh is the UN Patron of the Oceans) and the environmental pressure group Surfers against Sewage as partners  is costing 300,000.

In preparation, Pugh and the Aquila's skipper, Stephen Praetorius, have studied every tide, race and eddy in the Reeds 2018 Channel Almanac, in Channel pilot guides and through computerised charts.

'It's the headlands that cause the problems because they make the current unpredictable,' says Praetorius.

'At the Lizard headland in Cornwall, Lewis was blindsided by a current that sent him bobbing in the wrong direction, sapping his energy.'

Praetorius's role is vital. The English Channel is the busiest waterway in the world, and he is in regular contact with other vessels to make sure they don't slice across Pugh's path  or into him.

The narrow Solent, with its own peculiar tides, presented a particular challenge.

But, says Praetorius: 'We have now decided to swim south of the Isle of Wight to pick up some faster currents.'

Keeping Pugh's weight up  for

strength, but also to provide him with insulation  is crucial. 'I started at 15st 10lb and I'll be at around 12st 8lb by the end,' he says.

'Lewis eats eggs, cereals, flapjacks and slow-releasing carbs for breakfast,' the Aquila's chef, Denise Wilson, tells me. 'At lunch he'll have 120g of meat with veg and salad, and 300g of meat with veg and salad in the evening.'

The heatwave may not have warmed the sea much, but at least it is calm.

'It's wonderful to have the sun on your back,' Pugh says. 'And the English coast is one of the most beautiful in the world. The sight of the Seven Sisters [cliffs on the Channel coast near Eastbourne], with their rolling chalky outlines, is one of the greatest sights of all.'

And then there is the wildlife  guillemots are skimming across the sea as we swim. Earlier in the trip, the Aquila was flanked by leaping dolphins in pursuit of shoals of mackerel.

Alas there are jellyfish, too, and Pugh is stung three or four times a day. He admits to a 'growing jellyfish paranoia' and says looking out for them puts a strain on his neck.

'The physical and mental exhaustion build up,' he says. 'This may not be as dangerous as my Arctic and Antarctic swims, but it's more difficult.'

On the morning we swam together, Pugh had his best swim up to that point  6.2 miles in just over an hour-and-a-half  and skipper Praetorius praised the 'fantastic conditions'.

I couldn't manage quite as far and, shivering and shaking, thanked my lucky stars I came on that day, not a more challenging one.

If there is one thing I've learned from watching Lewis Pugh up close, it is that nothing will faze him. Come the end of August, he will still be ploughing on, drawing ever closer to the White Cliffs of Dover.
A North Carolina police chief and one of his senior officers have been charged with working second jobs for a trucking company while on duty - leading to the entire department being placed on paid leave.

Southport Police Chief Gary Lee Smith, 46, and Lt. Michael Christian Simmons, 48, 'repeatedly' deserted their posts on duty, and would occasionally leave their county or even cross state lines, according to an indictment filed on Monday.

They were charged with felony conspiracy to obtain property under false pretenses, misdemeanor willfully failing to discharge duties, and misdemeanor obstruction of justice. Smith received a second count of the first charge on Wednesday.

Southport Police Chief Gary Lee Smith, 46, (pictured in a mugshot taken this week) and one of his lieutenants 'repeatedly' left their posts on duty, according to an indictment

'While these officers were reportedly on the clock, they were not even in the city of Southport,' District Attorney Jon David told a press conference.

'By the time these allegations were brought to us, it had been going on for a significant amount of time.'

Smith, who has worked in law enforcement officer for more than two decades, joined Southport Police Department in 1997 as a patrol officer before becoming chief in 2015. He was paid $65,546 a year and Simmons $50,050, according to Star News.

David said although the six other officers in the department had been placed on leave, they should not be 'stained' by the investigation. Some of them were the first to tip off the FBI and state bureau of investigation about the wrongdoing, he said.

Lt. Michael Christian Simmons, 48, was also charged with felony conspiracy to obtain property under false pretenses, misdemeanor willfully failing to discharge duties, and misdemeanor obstruction of justice

Mayor Jerry Dove told a press conference on Thursday he had a 'heart laden with grief' following the charges, which stemmed from an investigation that began in April.

'I want you all to know that we are fully cooperating with the investigation,' he said. 'We will all get past this and we will all remain strong because, one of our greatest assets in our city is our citizens.'

Law enforcement duties in Southport have temporarily been taken over by Brunswick County Sheriff's Office.
The mother of the missing three-year-old boy whose search led authorities to discover 11 starving children along with five Muslim adults in a remote 'terrorist training camp' in New Mexico has told how her husband said he was taking their son to the park, then walked out and never returned.

Speaking on Hakima Ramzi's behalf attorney and family friend Shariyf Muhammad has revealed her husband, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj's cold-hearted deception which led to their son's death.

And he has told of Ramzi's devastation that skeletal remains of a child were found in the compound 145 miles northeast of Amalia, New Mexico.

She has yet to be formally told they are those of her son, Abdul-Ghani, but her father-in-law, the controversial imam Wahhaj Siraj, 68, told reporters on Thursday that it was him.

The attorney said: 'I think this has been mischaracterized as a custody battle because it's been reported that he 'took the child.'

'But they were married, they're still married although he chose to estrange himself by his actions.

'Hakima told us, "He told me he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park for a little while." She had no reason to think any different.'

Ordeal: Hakima Ramzi's attorney told DailyMail.com: 'Hakima told us, "He told me he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park for a little while." She had no reason to think any different.'

Child snatch: Siraj ibn Wahhaj, told his first, legal, wife Hakima Ramzi that he was taking Abdul-ghani to the park. Now he has been found was buried in his father's compound in New Mexico

This is one of the disorganized rooms in a trailer at the New Mexico compound where a Muslim extremist was found with 11 starving children, his wife, two sisters and his brother-in-law last Friday

The family had started digging a tunnel into the desert ground at the site but it is not known what they planned to use it for

Wahhaj's AR-15 with rounds of ammunition next to it is pictured. Police did not recover it, they said, because they had to follow state law which prohibits gathering evidence unless it is in plain sight. They were also limited by their search warrant, they said

The compound is in the desert in New Mexico. It was put together with trailers and the children had been there for months

Also in court was Wahhaj's polygamous second wife, Jany Leveille, who is believed to be the mother of some of the children and was charged with 11 felony counts of child abuse

He added: 'She's having a very hard time right now. Hakima is a mother whose son has been missing for nine months and she has gone through every range of emotion from anger to sadness to despair to helplessness to fear, anxiety and a desire for revenge.'

As far as Ramzi was concerned, Muhammad explained, her 15-year-marriage to Ibn Wahhaj, 39, who took the child on December 1 last year, was 'uneventful.'

Looking back, Mr Muhammad said, Ramzi has conceded that there were 'strains' in her marriage and that her husband was 'acting differently' but could not expand on quite how.

He said, 'With hindsight, knowing the outcome, perhaps she might have read into things differently but there was nothing that set off red flags for her.'

It has since emerged that Ibn Wahhaj told Ramzi who is originally from Morocco that he was going to perform an 'exorcism' of the child whom he thought was 'possessed by evil.'

Abdul-Ghani suffered from disabilities that meant he had seizures and needed medication and special care.

Muhammad said that Abdul-Ghani whose fourth birthday fell on Monday 'wasn't your average child.'

He said, 'He had health circumstances he was dealing with but to Hakima he was her "miracle baby".

'She had tried so long to conceive before she finally had him and so he was, at least in her eyes, the best thing ever. He was perfect.

'She didn't feel that he was in any way deprived of enjoying life. He was having a good life and she thought they were having a good life together.'

Now, Muhammad said, she is 'trying to navigate the criminal justice system' with his help and that of fellow attorney M Khurran Baig of The Baig Firm in Norcross, Georgia.

Authorities entered the camp established by Ibn Wahhaj, his brother-in-law Lucas Morton, 40, sisters Hujrah, 38, and Subhanah Wahhaj, 35, and Jany Leveille, 35, - also described as Ibn Wahhaj's wife - on Friday.

A dusty dolls house sits discarded on the compound. It is one of the few signs that children lived there

Photographs taken on the compound on Tuesday show what looks like a make-shift target practice range

Opened cans of tuna and cranberries sit next to a dusty boot in the compound. There was no other food on the site and the children had not eaten for days when they were discovered

Sisters Subhanah Wahhaj, 35, (left) and Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, (right) were arrested on Sunday. They are Siraj's sisters

The FBI had been monitoring it for some time but Taos County officers moved in after they intercepted a message from one inside the camp asking for help and saying 'we are starving.'

Muhammad said that Ramzi has been 'shocked' by Taos County New Mexico prosecutors' assertions that her husband had been training the children - ages between 1 and 15 - to commit mass school shootings.

Neighboring landowners have told of hearing gunshots coming from the compound and investigators found evidence of target practice.

Ibn Wahhaj was heavily armed with an AR-15, 30 rounds of ammunition and four pistols, one of which he was carrying when he was arrested. Loaded firearms were within easy reach of the children.

Muhammad said, 'There was nothing in her relationship with Mr. Ibn Wahhaj that led Hakima to think he was planning anything of that nature. She was shocked by the reports as you can imagine.'

Ramzi is now anticipating being questioned by investigators in both Clayton County, Georgia where she first reported her son missing and Taos County, New Mexico where Ibn Wahhaj and the other adults in the camp are awaiting trial on charges including multiple counts of child abuse.

He said, 'We are just waiting for investigators to approach her. They haven't as yet but she expects to be contacted as they continue their investigations.

'Right now her focus is just trying to get through this next stage, the identification of the remains found in the camp.

'She's having to come to terms with the prospect of what we all suspect will be confirmation of our worst fears.'
Senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr continued to have contact with former British spy and author of the infamous Trump dossier Christopher Steele after the FBI cut ties with Steele, newly reported emails revealed.

The FBI terminated Steele as a source in early November 2016 for speaking to the media about his relationship with the bureau, a House Republican memo revealed earlier this year.

But Steele continued to send information to Ohr, whose wife worked at Fusion GPS - the firm that commissioned Steele to write the dossier on President Donald Trump - according to emails and text messages first reported by The Hill.

Senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr

Christopher Steele in London in March 2017

The communications between the two men appear to be part of a collection of Justice Department documents amassed by the House Intelligence Committee as indicated by the document ID numbers on each page.

The Hill did not explain how it obtained them but posted the documents on its website.

The declassification marking on the first document suggests that it wasn't classified in the first place - merely confidential and indicated it shouldn't be circulated outside the government.

The messages between Ohr and Steele are mostly short and appear to contain a lot of short hand.

One text message from Steele to Ohr on Jan. 31, 2017 said: 'B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you re-SY.' It could be a reference to Trump's firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

The text continued: 'Just want to check you are OK, still in the situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues.'

Ohr's response: 'I'm still here and able to help as discussed.I'll let you know if that changes.'

Steele wrote back: '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.'

It's unclear who is the 'our guy' he referred to.

The FBI declined to comment to Fox News when asked whether the agency relied on Steele's intelligence after their working relationship was terminated.

The unverified 'Steele' dossier was compiled on behalf of Fusion GPS, which was the firm hired to conduct opposition research through a law firm that had done work for The Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton.

It was the dossier that claimed the Russians had information on Trump that could be used to blackmail him, including an allegation - which Trump has denied - that he hired 'a number of prostitutes to perform a 'golden showers' (urination) show in front of him' when he was in Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant.

President Trump has slammed the Steele dossier as 'fake' and 'phony'

Trump allies have shown a renewed interest in Bruce Ohr's work

Ohr's wife, Nellie Ohr, worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election.

Steele and Ohr years ago when they traveled in common circles due to their work in the global security field.

Trump and his GOP allies on Capitol Hill have seized on the Steele dossier as a way to paint special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as tainted.

In tweets, Trump refers to it as the 'phony dossier' and 'fake dossier.'

Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney in the Mueller investigation, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes have called for renewed attention to Ohr's work, ABC News reported.

Appearing on Fox News Monday evening, Nunes said of Ohr's work: 'I think people should pay close attention to it.'

Judicial Watch announced Monday it filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Department of Justice for all communications from the offices of the Deputy Attorney General and the office of the Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force related to Bruce Ohr, his wife Nellie Ohr, Christopher Steele, and Fusion GPS.

Bruce Ohr was the former Associate Deputy Attorney General and is now Organized Crime Task Force Director.

'As this sordid scandal continues to unfold, it is increasingly clear that top DOJ official Bruce Ohr  working in conjunction with his wife and other Clinton-connected Fusion GPS actors  played a key role in laundering false information from Russia about Donald J. Trump,' charged Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a statement. 'The DOJ must stop the stonewalling and release these documents as the law requires.'
Dynasty actress Catherine Oxenberg has claimed that the children of four former Mexican presidents are members of the NXIVM cult, which has been accused of branding female members and using them as sex slaves.

Oxenberg has spent the past year trying to bring down the cult in the hopes of freeing her 27-year-old daughter India who has been part of the secret organization for years.

The controversial group, headquartered in New York, is led by Keith Raniere and his right-hand woman, Allison Mack. They are accused of recruiting women to a secret sub-society within NXIVM in which members were branded.

In her new book, Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult, Oxenberg detailed how NXIVM gained a huge following in Mexico with its popular motivational courses, known as Executive Success Programs (ESP).

Catherine Oxenberg has spent the past year trying to bring down the NXIVM cult in the hopes of freeing her 27-year-old daughter India who was recruited

She claims that Raniere wanted to infiltrate Mexico for his secret sex cult.

'The group was composed of Mexico City's elite, wealthiest, high-society types,' Oxenberg writes in her book, according to an excerpt obtained by The Daily Beast.

NXIVM's Mexican affiliate was headed by Emiliano Salinas (above), the son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas. Oxenberg claims Raniere was using Emiliano as a pawn for years in his quest to bring NXIVM to world domination

'The children of four former Presidents of Mexico have been involved with ESP.'

NXIVM's Mexican affiliate was headed by Emiliano Salinas, the son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas.

Oxenberg claims Raniere was using Emiliano as a pawn for years in his quest to bring NXIVM to world domination. It was happening as Emiliano's family were grooming him for a political career.

'From what I heard from high-ranking defectors, the supposed plan was to get Emi into office in Mexico's next Presidential election in the summer of 2018 so that a top-ranking Espian and NXIVM devotee would have power on the world's political stage,' Oxenberg writes.

'His father, Carlos, would use his Machiavellian methods to ensure his son's election win, and then Keith would use Emi as his puppet and rule Mexico.'

Emiliano revealed in April that he had cut all ties with NXIVM.

Men had been signing up for a male's course in droves, according to Oxenberg.

The Dynasty star says her 27-year-old daughter India was branded with Keith Raniere and Allison Mack's initials. Pictured above is the branding on one of the women

'While the men thought that they were being trained to become honorable, noble protectors of humanity, they were actually being molded to serve as mindless soldiers in Keith's perverse army - the sole goal of which was to protect Vanguard (Raniere) and his harem,' she wrote.

After she started investigating the group to free her daughter, Oxenberg says she received 'threatening letters' from a NXIVM lawyer, as well as a Mexican state attorney general, accusing her of fraud and extortion.

She said the group had such power that one Mexican TV reporter she spoke to begged her not to reveal his name because he feared being killed.

'He wasn't joking... Not only was he referencing the cult's potential power in Mexico, because it was populated with so many of the country's rich, famous, and most elite citizens, but he was also acknowledging the danger that one of those citizens was Emiliano Salinas. His father, Carlos, the most feared man in the country, would do anything for his son,' she wrote.

Raniere fled to Mexico but was arrested this year and taken to the US to face charges that he, along with an adherent, Smallville actress Allison Mack, coerced followers into becoming slaves to senior members.

The controversial group, headquartered in New York, is led by Keith Raniere (left) and his right-hand woman, Allison Mack (right). They are accused of recruiting women to a secret sub-society within NXIVM in which members were branded

'Keith was deported instead of extradited, which would have been the proper protocol,' Oxenberg writes in her book. 'There was a worry that the Salinas family would step in and use their government ties to block extradition if they caught wind of it.'

Raniere and Mack have both pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges.

In an interview on NBC that aired this week, Oxenberg revealed that her daughter India had been branded during her time in the cult but that she had finally returned home to her family after seven years.

Oxenberg initially took India to a meeting for a NXIVM motivational course back in 2011 after her daughter wanted to try her hand at being an entrepreneur.

While she ended up distancing her from the group, India became immersed and eventually moved to the group's headquarters.

She admitted to feeling 'horrendous guilt' at having introduced her daughter to the cult in the first place.

'I brought her in. And that's why I feel responsible for getting her out... At first I felt horrendous guilt that I had participated in bringing my daughter into an organization that was this deviant and dangerous,' she said.

'Then I started to educate myself... I spoke to numerous experts and they said, "Would you stop blaming yourself? These cults are well-oiled machines. India never stood a chance."'
A former Georgia congressional candidate has been charged with murder in the shooting death of her former campaign treasurer, according to local officials.

Kellie Lynn Collins, 30, was arrested on Wednesday by the McDuffie County Sheriff's Office in the death of 41-year-old Curt Jason Cain in Aiken.

Collins had dropped out of the 2018 Democratic race for the 10th Congressional district seat for personal reasons.

Kellie Lynn Collins, 30, was arrested on Wednesday by the McDuffie County Sheriff's Office in the death of 41-year-old Curt Jason Cain

Cain was listed as the treasurer in Collin's Political Action Committee.

Local law enforcement began looking into the suspicious death on Old Powderhouse Road in Aiken County on Tuesday, the Aiken Standard reports.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton explained in a news release that Cain died from a gun shot wound on August 4.

His death - due to loss of blood - was ruled a homicide, the coroner continued.

Collins had dropped out of the 2018 Democratic race for the 10th Congressional district seat for personal reasons

Cain was found in his home on Tuesday after deputies responded to a wellness check.

His blue Subaru Legacy was found to have been missing from the scene.

After she was identified as a suspect, Collins turned herself in to authorities.

'Without the assistance of McDuffie County Sheriff's Office, the Aiken County Coroner's Office and the exceptional work of the investigators of the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, this arrest would not have been possible,' Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt said.

'We hope this will bring some closure to the family of the victim.'

Cain was pursuing his MBA at USC Aiken, said Chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan.

'Curt was a member of the third on-campus MBA cohort and was on the verge of completing the program next week,' Jordan said. 'According to School of Business faculty, Curt was one of the top students in his class and had a promising future ahead of him.'

The man was also listed as a member of the Aiken County Democratic Party, according to Elizabeth Foy, representative with the party.
A little boy in south-east China had to be rescued after getting his foot trapped in a revolving door.

The six-year-old boy was playing with his friend at a hotel in Foshan city. He accidentally tripped and fell while running in and out of the door.

Police patrolling the area immediately offered assistance and alerted emergency services. The boy was freed within five minutes and did not suffer serious injuries.

A boy in Foshan city had to be rescued after getting his foot trapped in a revolving door

The six-year-old boy was playing with his friend at a hotel in Foshan city, Guangdong province when he accidentally tripped and fell while running in and out of the door

CCTV footage of the frightening ordeal on July 31 shows the boy and a girl running into the hotel lobby from the entrance at about 10:30pm.

The pair appeared to be playing unattended.

They both entered the same section of glass door together, but the boy tripped and fell. His right foot got snagged under the heavy glass panel.

He was unable to move and was crying loudly, according to the Nanhai Public Security Bureau in a statement.

The boy and the girl were seen playing at the entrance of the hotel before the incident

They both entered the same section of glass door together, but the boy tripped and fell

After five minutes, officers were able to free the boy using hydraulic tools to expand the space

Policemen used hydraulic tools to expand the space under the revolving door as his parents and passers-by tried to push the door away from him.

After five minutes, the boy was lifted out. He did not suffer serious injuries.

According to the police statement, the boy was staying at the hotel with his parents during the summer holidays.

The police warned that parents should always keep an eye on their children and not let them play with large revolving doors.
A massive shop sign collapsed onto pedestrians on a busy street in south-west China, injuring five people.

Dramatic footage of the incident in Guizhou province shows locals walking underneath the store sign on Sunday at about 6pm when it suddenly came lose.

The 6m (20ft) -long wooden sign tumbled onto the ground, sending debris flying.

Dramatic footage of the incident in Guizhou, China, shows locals walking underneath the store sign on Sunday at about 6pm when it suddenly came lose and collapsed on them

The 6m long wooden sign collapsed onto pedestrians during rush hour on Sunday

Emergency services were immediately alerted to the scene located near Sinan People's Hospital.

A large crowd had formed at the site as pedestrians rushed to lift up the heavy sign to free those trapped.

All five injured were quickly rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital, according to the Sinan Public Security Bureau.

Pedestrians were walking on the busy street when the large signboard started to come lose

A large crowd had formed at the site as pedestrians rushed to lift up the heavy sign

All five injured pedestrians were immediately taken to hospital after being rescued

A patrol officer was also hurt after accidentally stepping on a large nail during the rescue operation.

The incident remains under police investigation.

The Sinan police warned that shop owners should always carry out safety inspections of their sign boards to avoid any similar accidents in the future.
Advertisement

It was just as well the Duke of Cambridge gripped the Prime Ministers hand to steady her at a service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Amiens.

A snap of the pair shows Theresa May locked in an awkward position, looking like she was about to topple over as she made a very deep, unpolished curtsy in front of the royal.

The centenary of a key turning point in the First World War was marked yesterday with a solemn service at Amiens Cathedral.

The Duke of Cambridge is greeted by an awkward-looking Prime Minister Theresa May as he arrives at Amiens Cathedral, France, to attend a service to mark the centenary of the Battle of Amiens and the subsequent 'Hundred Days Offensive' which was a decisive point in the First World War

Twitter users reacted with astonishment to the PM's extra-low curtsy when she met Prince William yesterday

Mrs May and Prince William paid tribute to the bravery of troops who fought in the Battle of Amiens at the event, which was staged exactly 100 years since the start of the offensive.

However, while greeting the Duke of Cambridge at the event the PM nearly scraped a knee on the paving as she lunged deeply, in a painful-looking maneouvre, which led to Twitter users to call for a whip-round to raise cash so she can be taught to do the gesture with more grace.

But, as the following photographs show, it is not the first time Mrs May has struggled while performing a curtsy for him and other royals.

Back in 2016 Queen Elizabeth welcomed Theresa May at the start of an audience where she invited the former Home Secretary to become Prime Minister and form a new government at Buckingham Palace on July 13 - but it was another ungraceful curtsy for the leader

Another deep lunge as the Duke of Cambridge and Theresa May attend The Pride of Britain Awards 2017, at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London

Going in for another lunge, Theresa May greets Prince Charles during the commemorations at the Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery part of the commemoration for the centenary of Passchendaele, the third battle of Ypres, in Belgium on July 31, 2017

Another unusual curtsy here as the British PM nearly falls over while meeting The Queen at a Ceremonial welcome for Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia on Horse Guards Parade on July 12, 2017 in London
Syrias first lady has vowed to tap into the determination and strength of those around her after commencing treatment for breast cancer.

Asma al-Assad posted on her Facebook page: 'I belong to the (Syrian) people who taught the world steadfastness, strength and how to face difficulties.'

The caption, above a photo of the first lady walking in hospital with a bandaged left wrist, continued in Arabic: 'My determination comes from your determination and strength in the past years.'

In response to her comment, people have posted their support for her fight against the disease, with one woman saying: May God heal you, Syrias lioness, and make you safe with all our hearts.

One noted that despite being British-born, she did not travel to be treated in Britain or Russia she is the daughter of Syria.

The presidency announced yesterday that Asma Assad had started treatment for breast cancer, wishing her a speedy recovery.

Following treatment for breast cancer, this photo of Asma Assad was shared on her Instagram account yesterday. She is pictured carrying files and holding a glass of tea with her left wrist bandaged

Such public announcements are uncommon in the Arab world, where cancer is considered a taboo.

The presidency also posted on its Facebook page a photo of President Bashar Assad sitting next to his British-born wife in a hospital room with an IV in her left arm.

The accompanying statement said the 'malignant tumor' was discovered in its early stages.

State news agency SANA said the first lady is undergoing treatment at a military hospital in the Syrian capital of Damascus. But it gave no further details.

This photo posted on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad sitting next to his wife Asma Assad with an IV in her left arm

The couple are pictured here at a summit in Paris in 2008. Their marriage was announced in 2000

Asma Assad's parents, a cardiologist and a diplomat, are from the central province of Homs but she was born and raised in London before moving back to Syria after meeting the president.

The two have been married for 18 years and have three children, Hafez, Zein and Karim.

The couple's marriage was announced by state media six months after he assumed the presidency in July 2000 following the death of his father Hafez.

The former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assad dynasty.

Mrs Assad uses her Instagram account to regularly post propaganda images such as this one of her husband with government forces

Since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, Mrs Assad has mostly been seen in public receiving families of fallen soldiers

Since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, Mrs Assad has mostly been seen in public receiving families of fallen soldiers, or hosting people wounded in the conflict, now in its eighth year, which has killed more than 400,000 people.

Before the crisis began in March 2011, she was the subject of flattering profiles in Vogue and other fashion magazines.

As Syria's conflict worsened, the first lady became a target of contempt for many opposition supporters who saw her as whitewashing atrocities carried out by the government.

The Syrian Civil War The war is an ongoing multi-sided armed conflict in Syria between the Syrian Arab Republic led by President Bashar al-Assad and various forces opposing both the government and each other in varying combinations. It started when Assad harshly clamped down on 2011 Arab Spring protests. Estimates put to the total death toll so far at around 500,000 people. Assad, supported by Russian and Iran and opposed by a US-led coalition, has been accused by the west of bombing hospitals and using illegal Sarin gas on his own people, which he denies. Assad said in an interview in June with Russia's state-controlled NTV television channel that his government got rid of all its chemical weapons in 2013 and that allegations of their use were a pretext for invasion by other countries. A U.N. investigative body determined the government used the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others. The U.S. and its allies also blamed government forces for a sarin gas attack on the suburbs of Damascus in 2013 that killed around 1,000 people. Advertisement

When her husband faced calls to be tried as a war criminal, Mrs Assad was widely criticised for saying accusations against him were 'propaganda' against the regime.

She even used her Instagram account, where she regularly posts propaganda images of her husband with government forces, to accuse the west of lying over his use of Sarin gas on his own people.

On her Instagram account, she wrote in Arabic: 'The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a short-sightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality, and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign that fueled the regime's arrogance.'

Mrs Assad's parents, both Sunni Muslims, moved from Syria to London in the Fifties so that her father, who is now based at the Cromwell Hospital and in Harley Street, could get the best possible education and medical training.

Though a Muslim, she was educated at a Church of England school in Ealing before attending a private girls' day school  Queen's College, Harley Street.

After studying computer science and French literature at King's College London, Mrs Assad worked as a banker at JP Morgan in the Nineties when she met her future husband.

At the time, Assad was training at a hospital in London to become an eye surgeon.

Those who knew her said that, given that she spent the first 25 years of her life in London, Mrs Assad had liberal western values.

In 2012, she was banned from travelling to Europe and last year MPs called for her British citizenship to be revoked.

Nadhim Zahawi, a Conservative MP on the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: 'The time has come where we go after [President] Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes.'
Apple is standing by its decision to keep conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars available for download in the App Store.

After removing several of Jones' podcasts from its digital store earlier this week, Apple came under fire for leaving up the Infowars app.

On Wednesday, the firm finally broke its silence and said that the app remains in the App Store because it has not been found to be in violation of any content policies.

The Infowars Official app has become the App Store's third most-downloaded news app this week after Apple removed access on Sunday to some of Jones' podcasts.

Apple was among several tech companies that cracked down on the conspiracy theorist's content in back-to-back purges on Sunday and Monday, joining Spotify, YouTube, and Facebook in removing several of Jones' pages and podcast.

Despite the moves by its rivals, Twitter has said it will not ban Jones from its site.

Apple is standing by its decision to keep conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars available for download in the App Store. After removing several of Jones' podcasts from its digital store, Apple came under fire for leaving up the Infowars app, shown above in the App Store this week

Apple had said the podcasts violated the company's rules against hate speech, but failed to explain why the app remained available until finally issuing a statement on Wednesday.

'We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store, as long as the apps are respectful to users with differing opinions, and follow our clear guidelines, ensuring the App Store is a safe marketplace for all,' Apple told Reuters in a statement.

Jones' podcasts differed from the Infowars app in a key way.

The podcast app allowed access to an extensive list of previous episodes, subjecting all of those past episodes to Apple's content rules.

The Infowars app contains only rebroadcasts of the current day's episodes, subjecting a much smaller set of content to the rules.

Apple said it regularly monitors all apps for content violations.

'We continue to monitor apps for violations of our guidelines and if we find content that violates our guidelines and is harmful to users we will remove those apps from the store as we have done previously,' Apple said.

The Infowars app contains only rebroadcasts of the current day's episodes, subjecting a much smaller set of content to the rules. It remains in the App Store despite Apple's ban of Jones' podcasts

WHO IS ALEX JONES? Alex Jones is a controversial radio and podcast host based in Austin, Texas. Jones says his 'InfoWars' shows, which are broadcast on radio, YouTube and other platforms, reach at least 70 million 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. Among other claims, Alex Jones (file photo) 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 the shooting occurred but says his claims were free speech. He has sought to have the lawsuit dismissed. Jones has also claimed that the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington were staged by the US government. While he began broadcasting his shows in 1999, Jones' profile has spread from the far-right fringe in recent years. While running for president in 2015, Donald Trump told Jones his reputation was 'amazing.' Advertisement

Google parent Alphabet Inc, Facebook Inc and Spotify Technology SA also removed some content this week that had been produced by Jones.

Google has not said why the Infowars app, which offers live streams and articles, was not removed in its app store as part of the actions.

Twitter has drawn public outcry for not removing Jones' account.

The company is responding by expediting a review of its content policies, according to an internal email that Chief Executive Jack Dorsey shared on Twitter on Wednesday.

The message noted that Twitter would have taken action against Jones had he posted the same content on its service as he had on Facebook and YouTube.
A group of Egyptian students have built a one-person vehicle designed to battle rising energy prices and promote clean energy by running on nothing but air.

The undergraduate students created the go-kart as part of their graduation project.

According to the creators, the vehicle can hit 25 mph (40km/h) and has a range of 19 miles (30km) before it needs to be refuelled with more compressed oxygen.

However, the students are sure they will eventually get the vehicle to top 62 mph (100km/h) and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) with future prototypes.

The vehicle only costs some 18,000 Egyptian pounds (780/ $1,000) to build.

Scroll down for video

A group of Egyptian students has designed a vehicle they say will battle rising energy prices and promote clean energy by running on nothing but air

The undergraduates who built the machine are studying at Helwan University, found just outside Cairo.

'The operational cost of the vehicle... will be almost nothing,' said Mahmoud Yasser, a student who helped design it.

'You are basically using compressed air. You are not paying for fuel and also you do not need cooling,' he said.

The team is now looking to raise funding to expand the project and mass produce the vehicles.

They believe they can eventually get the vehicles to top 62mph (100km/h) an hour and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) before needing to come up for more air.

The undergraduate students, who built the vehicle as part of their graduation project, are rolling out a prototype one-person vehicle that runs on compressed oxygen

Students say their vehicle can hit 25 mph (40km/h) and last 19 miles (30km) before needing to be refuelled

The vehicle only cost about 18,000 Egyptian pounds (780/ $1,000) to build

The team is now looking to raise funding to expand the project and mass produce the vehicles

The go-kart-like vehicle comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms that include deep cuts to energy subsidies.

These measures are tied to a three-year $12 billion (9bn) IMF loan programme it began in late 2016.

Last month Segway also made a steerable go-kart.

They believe they can eventually get the vehicles to top 62mph (100km/h) an hour and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) before needing to come up for air

They believe they can eventually get the vehicles to top 62mph (100km/h) an hour and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) before needing to come up for air

The go-kart-like vehicle comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms that include deep cuts to energy subsidies

These measures are tied to a three-year $12 billion (9bn) IMF loan programme it began in late 2016

Ninebot, the parent company of Segway, is expected to roll out a kit that attaches to its hoverboard model, the miniPro, according to Abacus News , which spotted the report on Chinese news site Weibo.

The kit retrofits seats, a steering wheel and a front bumper, as well as rear and front wheels onto the Segway.

The miniPro is a miniature version of the original, upright Segway, that's similar to a hoverboard, but adds a padded steering stick in the middle of the device to allow for easier maneuvering.

Last month Segway also made a steerable go-kart. Promotional images of the go-kart show a father and son riding side by side, suggesting that the steering wheel and seat can be adjusted based on the rider's needs

Promotional images of the go-kart show a father and son riding side by side, suggesting that the steering wheel and seat can be adjusted based on the rider's needs.

Segway has yet to comment on the product, beyond sharing some promotional images on its Weibo site.

It comes about a month after Segway released a pair of self-balancing e-skates.

WHAT IS THE SEGWAY MINIPRO? Segway in 2016 unveiled the second generation version of its popular upright scooter, which first launched in 2002. The miniPro adds a steering stick  a vertical padded bar in the middle of the board. Pushing one way or the other with the inside of your legs turns the board. If you're a skier, it's like carving around a mogul. Segway says the miniPro's stick makes its board more of a 'personal transporter' similar to its classic upright, handlebar-equipped Segway Leaning forward causes you to accelerate; leaning back slows you down or starts a backward roll. Gyroscopes and electronics keep the board upright. Getting on isn't any more difficult than jumping on a skateboard. Segway says the stick makes its board more of a 'personal transporter' similar to its classic upright, handlebar-equipped Segway. Advertisement




Yellowstone National Park was struck by 'a swarm' of 153 mini earthquakes last month, according to the latest data from the University of Utah Seismograph Station.

The largest of these quakes recorded a magnitude of 2.5 on the Richter magnitude scale, which is not enough to cause damage to buildings, but shakes the ground enough to be felt by people in the area.

Below the Yellowstone National Park is a simmering supervolcano.

When it last blew 630,000 years ago, the enormous volcano produced one of the largest known blasts on Earth  spewing more than 2,000 times as much ash as Mount St Helens did when it erupted in 1980 and killed 57 people.

However, experts have said the latest sequence of earthquakes recorded in the Yellowstone area is not an immediate cause for concern.

The alert level is the area remains at normal.

Scroll down for video

Yellowstone National Park was struck by 153 mini earthquakes in July, according to scientists. Pictured is a general view of the Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park

According to data from the University of Utah Seismograph Station, which analyses the Yellowstone Seismic Network, the largest quake struck on July 4 2018 at 7:09 PM local time.

It was part of a sequence of 12 separate earthquakes located around eight miles east southeast of West Thumb in Wyoming that occurred between 2 - 10 July.

'A larger sequence of 77 earthquakes occurred around 14 miles south-southwest of Mammoth, Wyoming, during July 1627', researchers wrote.

'The largest earthquake of this swarm was a micro earthquake of magnitude 2.3 on July 24 at 8:40 PM'.

Experts say that earthquake sequences such as this are common and account for around 50 per cent of the total seismic activity in the Yellowstone region.

'Yellowstone earthquake activity remains at background levels,' researchers wrote.

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists are also continuing to assist colleagues in Hawaii with the response to the ongoing crisis at Kilauea Volcano.

Vast eruptions from the Yellowstone Volcano occurred 2.2 million, 1.3 million and 630,000 years ago.

While it hasn't blown its top for more than 600,000 years, scientists are working to better understand Yellowstone in the hopes of predicting the next eruption.

Last month, a fissure opened up in Grand Tenton National Park just 60 miles (100km) from the Yellowstone volcano, prompting officials to immediately close the area.

Experts detected expanding cracks in the rock buttress, which were being closely monitored by geologists for movement.

Last month, a fissure opened up in Grand Tenton National Park just 60 miles (100km) from the Yellowstone volcano, prompting officials to immediately close the area

'The Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point areas are currently closed due to elevated potential for rockfall,' the statement from a spokesperson for the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming read.

The Hidden Falls is 100-foot (30-metre) waterfall near the eastern end of Cascade Canyon and Inspiration Point is a stop on a trek overlooking Jenny Lake.

'The area was closed to protect human safety on July 10 after expanding cracks in a rock buttress were detected.

'Geologists are monitoring the buttress for movement and have initiated a risk assessment for the area.'

The Hidden Falls (pictured) is 100-foot (30-metre) waterfall near the eastern end of Cascade Canyon. The area is not far from the potentially devastating Yellowstone Volcano

In June, it was revealed scientists have devised a new way to find out how quickly magma is building up beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano.

The technique allows experts to accurately estimate the amount of magma entering the supervolcano from deep beneath Earth's crust in a process known as recharging.

While the new method does not allow scientists to predict when Yellowstone will erupt, it could help to better understand how the volcano replenishes its deadly magma stores.

Inspiration Point (pictured) is a stop on a trek near Jenny Lake. Vast eruptions from the Yellowstone Volcano occurred 2.2 million, 1.3 million and 630,000 years ago

COULD AN ERUPTION AT THE YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO BE PREVENTED? Recent research found a small magma chamber, known as the upper-crustal magma reservoir, beneath the surface Nasa believes drilling up to six miles (10km) down into the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park to pump in water at high pressure could cool it. Despite the fact that the mission would cost $3.46 billion (2.63 billion), Nasa considers it 'the most viable solution.' Using the heat as a resource also poses an opportunity to pay for plan - it could be used to create a geothermal plant, which generates electric power at extremely competitive prices of around $0.10 (0.08) per kWh. But this method of subduing a supervolcano has the potential to backfire and trigger the supervolcanic eruption Nasa is trying to prevent. 'Drilling into the top of the magma chamber 'would be very risky;' however, carefully drilling from the lower sides could work. This USGS graphic shows how a 'super eruption' of the molten lava under Yellowstone National Park would spread ash across the United States Even besides the potential devastating risks, the plan to cool Yellowstone with drilling is not simple. Doing so would be an excruciatingly slow process that one happen at the rate of one metre a year, meaning it would take tens of thousands of years to cool it completely. And still, there wouldn't be a guarantee it would be successful for at least hundreds or possibly thousands of years. Advertisement

Researchers at Washington State University said these pools of molten volcanic rock build in subsurface magma chambers and are key to the eruption process.

'It is the coal in the furnace that's heating things up,' said study coauthor Professor Peter Larson.

'It's heating up the boiler. The boiler is what explodes.

'This tells us what is heating the boiler.'

Scientists have devised a new way to find out how quickly magma is building up beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano. The technique allows them to accurately estimate the amount of magma entering the volcano. Pictured is Yellowstone National Park's Grand Prismatic Pool

Researchers 'spiked' several hot springs in Yellowstone National Park with the stable radioactive isotope deuterium (pictured). The deuterium was harmless to the environment and approved for use by park officials

Once these chambers are filled, the landform could explode at any time, potentially erupting within months or several millennia after a magma recharge.

The eruption occurs when the magma chambers burst, throwing as much as 240 cubic miles (1,000 cubic kilometres) of magma into the air.

A key driver of the volcano's destructive power is an explosive, silica-rich volcanic rock called rhyolite that breaks through the Earth's crust during an eruption.
YouTube is fighting back against climate change deniers by implementing a fact-checking box below user-uploaded videos on the controversial topic.

The system will surface information from Wikipedia or Britannica Encyclopedia to display factual information in bitesize chunks below videos on climate change.

YouTube already implemented the feature for videos on a slew of other contentious topics, including the MMR vaccination, the moon landing and UFOs.

However, this is the first time the platform has targeted climate change deniers.

The feature is the latest step from the Google-owned video platform in its battle to reduce the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories on the service.

Users who upload their content to YouTube cannot stop the service displaying blurbs of factual information below their content.

Scroll down for video

YouTube is subtly taking on climate change deniers by providing a fact-checking box below some videos that reject climate change. This is the next step from the Google-owned video platform in its war on misinformation and conspiracy theories (pictured)

The feature, which was first announced in March, was initially intended to be used for conspiracy theory videos on topics like the Oklahoma bombing and moon landing.

This month, YouTube has since expanded the fact-checking feature to include more controversial subjects, like the MMR vaccination and the perceived link to autism.

The introduction of climate change information marks the first time YouTube has strayed into the scientific realm.

At the moment, the scientific fact-checking blurbs are only visible to US-based users, however, YouTube is slowly rolling-out the feature to viewers worldwide.

In one example of the updated feature, a Wikipedia snippet read: 'multiple lines of scientific evidence show that the climate system is warming.'

A YouTube spokesperson has previously confirmed there will be a time delay from when a Wikipedia page is edited to when it appears on the preview beneath a video.

This is designed to allow Wikipedia editors time to catch any discrepancies that sneak under the radar.

'I'd guess that it will have some influence, at least on those people who don't know much about the subject,' Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, told BuzzFeed News.

'Might be confusing to some people, but that's probably better than just accepting the denier video at face value.'

YouTube initially neglected to tell Wikipedia that it would be using its content for this purpose, but contact between the two firms has since taken place with the site working together to combat the propagation of inaccurate information.

A post by Wikipedia to its users and administrators revealed a list of seven topics Youtube would be using Wikipedia information for on its site, including the MMR vaccine and global warming.

When the new Wikipedia blurb policy took effect in July, YouTube did not publicly confirm climate change was an impacted topic.

Users were not notified of the change, with the change only noticed once the blurbs started to appear sporadically on certain videos.

YouTube initially neglected to tell Wikipedia that it would be using its content for this purpose, but contact between the two firms has since taken place with the site working together to combat the propagation of inaccurate information

The Heartland Institute  a think tank that posts videos questioning climate change  confirmed it was not informed of the change by YouTube.

Meanwhile, PragerU, a nonprofit online institution that has also been affected by the recent addition of climate change to the feature, says the latest update is an example of YouTube displaying political bias.

'Despite claiming to be a public forum and a platform open to all, YouTube is clearly a left-wing organization,' Craig Strazzeri, PragerU's chief marketing officer, said.

'This is just another mistake in a long line of giant missteps that erodes America's trust in Big Tech, much like what has already happened with the mainstream news media.'

WHAT YOUTUBE VIDEOS WILL FEATURE WIKIPEDIA FACT-CHECKING PREVIEWS? Wikipedia was provided with a list of topics of which its content would appear below videos of certain topics. Those articles are  Global warming

Dulce Base

Lilla Saltsjobadsavtalet

1980 Camarate air crash

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Kecksburg UFO incident

MMR vaccine Advertisement

YouTube says the policy is designed to give users easy access to external information to provide context and information on topics prone to misinformation.

It has also revealed that in the coming months more videos will see the labels appearing.

'I welcome this change,' Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University, told BuzzFeed News.

'I appreciate that YouTube is taking their responsibility seriously to help people understand the difference.'

Jason Reifler, a political science professor at the University of Exeter, also lavished praise on YouTube for making the move.

'They could have chosen wording that's stronger and gets more to what the real terms of debate are between the extremely well-supported consensus scientific video versus the much, much smaller proportion of sceptics,' Dr Reifler told BuzzFeed News.

'I'm doubtful this first step is going to do much. But I hope it does!'
English naturalist Charles Darwin published the 'Origin Of Species' more than 150 years ago.

Darwinian evolution is a prominent scientific theory which describes how lifeforms develop through a process known as natural selection.

However, the latest research suggests some of the widely-accepted ideas around how animal species evolved on Earth need to be revised.

The latest findings suggest the animal kingdom we occupy is much older than previously thought and was diversifying well before previous estimates, which placed the arrival of most animal species during the Cambrian explosion 541 million years ago.

Writing for The Conversation, Dr Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill, a visiting researcher in palaeobiology from the University of Cambridge, explains why ancient fossils are being re-examined and what the research could mean for the timeline of life on Earth.

Scroll down for video

The English naturalist Charles Darwin published the Origin of Species more than 150 years ago. Darwinian evolution is a powerful scientific theory describing how life forms develop through natural selection

When did animals originate?

In research published in the journal Palaeontology, we show that this question is answered by Cambrian period fossils of a frond-like sea creature called Stromatoveris psygmoglena.

The Ediacaran Period lasted from 635 to 542m years ago.

This era is key to understanding animal origins because it occurred just before the 'Cambrian explosion' of 541m years ago, when many of the animal groups living today first appeared in the fossil record.

Yet when large fossils from the Ediacaran Period were first identified during the 20th century they included unique frond-like forms, which were not quite like any living animal.

This prompted one of the greatest debates still raging in evolution. What exactly were these enigmatic fossils, often called the Ediacaran biota?

Linking Ediacaran and Cambrian fossils

By comparing members of the Ediacaran biota to a range of other groups in a computer analysis of evolutionary relationships, we found that Stromatoveris psygmoglena provides a crucial link between the older period and the animals which appeared in startling number and diversity during the Cambrian period.

Fossils of Stromatoveris psygmoglena are found in only one place in the world: Chengjiang county, China. This region is known for exceptionally well-preserved Cambrian fossils from 518m years ago.

While the fossil record most often preserves only hard shells or bones, some special sites like Chengjiang preserve the remains of soft-bodied animals, such as Stromatoveris psygmoglena.

Originally described in 2006 from eight known specimens, we examined over 200 new fossils of the organism that have since been discovered by researchers from Northwest University, China, and dated to the Cambrian period.

The way in which fossils of the Ediacaran Period were preserved has been another of their mysteries. These fossils often show signs of bending, twisting and tearing, suggesting that they preserve soft-bodied organisms without hard parts.

However, there is rarely anything left of the soft tissues themselves.

Instead, they left moulds in the surrounding sediment, a little like a footprint on the beach.

When large fossils from the Ediacaran Period were first identified during the 20th century they included unique frond-like forms, which were not quite like any living animal. Pictured is an Ediacaran fossil from the National Earth Science Museum, Namibia

In contrast, the newly examined Cambrian fossils of Stromatoveris psygmoglena retain carbon-based tissue, allowing us to see the detailed and internal anatomy of the body itself.

During a research fellowship at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge, the new Cambrian period fossils of Stromatoveris psygmoglena were compared to earlier Ediacaran fossils in a computer analysis of anatomy and evolutionary relationships.

This was also the first analysis to test the relationships between the Ediacaran biota and a range of other organisms, covering single-celled creatures called protozoans, algae, fungi, and nine types of animals, including Stromatoveris psygmoglena.

This analysis used over 80 photographs of individual fossil specimens to compare anatomical features across these groups.

The analysis showed that Stromatoveris psygmoglena and seven key members of the Ediacaran biota share very similar anatomies, including multiple, branched fronds which radiate outwards like seaweed, uniting them all in a new group of early animals called Petalonamae.

The name means 'Nama Petals' and was chosen to honour biologist Hans Pflug and his work on the Ediacaran biota in Namibia, a reference to the petal-like fronds which, Pflug noted, distinguish these unusual animals.

Rethinking animal evolution

Uniting these members of the Ediacaran biota and Stromatoveris psygmoglena in a single group of animals has major implications for animal origins. In light of this new evidence, some older ideas on early animal evolution may need to be revised.

Pictured is a Cambrian fossil of Stromatoveris from Northwest University, China. The 'Cambrian explosion' of 541m years ago is when many of the animal groups living today first appeared in the fossil record

WHAT WAS THE 'CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION'? Scientists have long speculated that a large oxygen spike during the 'Cambrian Explosion' was key to the development of many animal species. The Cambrian Explosion, around 541 million years ago, was a period when a wide variety of animals burst onto the evolutionary scene. Before about 580 million years ago, most organisms were simple, composed of individual cells occasionally organised into colonies. Over the following 70 or 80 million years, the rate of evolution accelerated and the diversity of life began to resemble that of today. It ended with the Cambrian-Ordovician extinction event, approximately 488 million years ago. Advertisement

Because members of the Ediacaran biota can now be classed as animals, we can date the origin of the animal kingdom to at least the time when these fossils appeared.

The oldest members of these groups are known as 'rangeomorphs' and appear in the fossil record approximately 571m years ago, in the late Ediacaran Period.

This means that animal species were diversifying well before the Cambrian explosion.

It may also mean that the search for animal origins should now focus on the time before this, in the early Ediacaran and even more ancient geological periods.

Based on this, animals may have originated much earlier than the traditional reading of the fossil record had suggested.

This study also has key implications for the ecology and eventual extinction of the petalonamids.

Many Ediacaran species have not been found in later rocks leading some researchers to think that they were a 'failed experiment' in evolution, disappearing by the beginning of the Cambrian.

Indeed, this was my own view until I saw the remarkable new fossils of Stromatoveris psygmoglena.

'Rangeomorphs' appear in the fossil record approximately 571m years ago, in the late Ediacaran Period. Pictured is the front view of a rangeomorph fossil, the oldest of the Ediacaran biota

HOW HAS THE SHAPE OF OUR BRAINS EVOLVED OVER TIME? New research suggests key evolutionary changes in our brain shape occurred 100,000-35,000 years ago. Stock image Researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology discovered that key evolutionary changes in our brain shape occurred roughly 100,000 to 35,000 years ago The Homo sapiens brain took on a globe-like shape that's 'rounder and less overhanging' By contrast, our Neanderthal ancestors' brains had a more elongated shape The evolution of our brain shape coincided with major developments in behavior, as Homo sapiens began to: Build tools

Develop a working and long-term memory

Possess self-awareness

Use language

Plan activities

Understand numbers

Pay attention to their surroundings

Develop emotions The brain began to look more like a globe as a result of bulging in the parietal area and the cerebellum Advertisement

The inclusion of this Cambrian animal among the petalonamids changes the picture of the Ediacaran biota.

Stromatoveris psygmoglena shows that the petalonamids were alive and well over 20m years into the Cambrian period and did not go extinct at its outset, as had been thought.

Even more intriguing, more than 200 fossils of Stromatoveris psygmoglena have now been found, despite the fact that it lacked hard parts which are usually most easily preserved.

This indicates that this species was an important member of its shallow marine ecosystem rather than a rare or marginal survivor.

This could mean that the petalonamids adapted more successfully to the changes of the Cambrian period than had been thought, or that the Ediacaran period and its animals were less alien and more advanced than previously realised.

We can be confident, however, that the animal kingdom we occupy is much older than we once thought.

Dr Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill is a visiting researcher in palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge.

This article was originally published in The Conversation.
Garnets have long been prized for their flawless interiors and decorative value, but it seems living micro-organisms may also have valued them as a place to live.

Experts discovered strange tunnel-like patterns inside the gem stones  used in rings and necklaces  that they believe may have been created by a form of fungus.

This is not the first time that creatures have burrowed their way inside wood, stone, and even bone to make their home  eating their way through the material.

However, this type of behaviour is highly unusual in something as dense as a garnet, researchers explained.

Scroll down for video

Garnets have long been prized for their flawless interiors and decorative value but it seems living micro organisms may also have valued them as a place to live. Experts discovered strange tunnel like patterns inside the gem stones, seen here as black marks

Scientists from the University of Southern Denmark made the finding by studying garnet crystals they discovered in river sediments and soils in Thailand.

One explanation for the markings could be the presence of grains from other minerals, however, the hardness of the garnet means diamonds and sapphires are the only candidates tough enough to penetrate the gemstone.

Given these aren't often found in the same region, the researchers ruled them out as a possibility.

This was confirmed when they cracked open the red gems to find traces of organic compounds inside the tunnel structures, suggesting something had been living inside them.

The patterns they discovered connecting the tunnels reinforced this belief, suggesting they were at least partially formed by endoliths.

This type of behaviour is highly unusual in something as dense as a garnet, researchers say. This image shows a closeup of the patterns they discovered, which the team believes were formed by endoliths, organisms that live inside rocks or in pores between mineral grains

WHAT ARE ENDOLITHS AND WHERE DO THEY MAKE THEIR HOMES? Endoliths are organisms that live inside rocks or in pores between mineral grains. These creatures are thought to have been found in a large range of environments - from rocks on the Earth's surface to miles beneath the subsurface. There are thousands of known species of endoliths, including types of bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Endoliths are organisms that live inside rocks or in pores between mineral grains. This image of a rock-eating endolith was taken from a basalt found 0.75 miles (1.2 km) beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean Many endoliths are autotrophs, meaning they are able to make their own organic compounds by utilising gas or dissolved nutrients from water moving through fractured rock. Others may incorporate inorganic compounds found in their rock substrate, possibly by excreting acids to dissolve the rock. Endoliths have been found in a variety of environments, from the shallow surface to the deep terrestrial and ocean crust. Endoliths are a type of extremophile, which is an organism that thrives in harsh conditions. Advertisement

Endoliths are a form of microbial life that specialises in living inside another material, either by digging their way in and eating their way through it or by moving into existing holes and cavities.

There are thousands of known species of endoliths, including types of bacteria, archaea, and fungi.

The team believes a form of fungal endolith is the most likely candidate for the tunnels they discovered in the garnets.

Speaking to the New York Times, Magnus Ivarsson, who led the study, said: 'There is basically no mineral grain that can be propelled through a garnet like that.'

Whether or not these organisms excavated the tunnels themselves is less clear, the team says.

The team believes that a form of fungal endolith is the most likely candidate for the tunnels they discovered in the garnets. These images show microscopic images of the tunnels

The shape of the tunnels, examined under various types of microscope, doesn't completely rule out a non-biological process at work.

That being said, certain features characteristic of endolithic lairs, such as anastomoses  connecting passages between adjacent tunnels  suggest they were at least partially formed by endolithic microbes.

The team thinks that weathering on the garnet provides initial surface areas that the fungal endoliths can colonise.

In iron-poor sediments like those studied here, garnets represent a rare source of iron for iron-oxidising microbes.

This encourages the fungal endoliths to burrow deeper, using an as yet unidentified chemical process.

'I think theres a two-step process, a superficial weathering, then an organism takes over,' Dr. Ivarsson told the NYT.

Confirming the identity of the tunnel-borers will require observations of live organisms in a laboratory setting in further tests.

In a written statement, Dr Ivarsson added: 'The reported tunnel system in garnets represents a new endolithic habitat in a hard silicate mineral otherwise known to be resistant to abrasion and chemical attack.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal PLOS One.
Egypt's long-rumoured second sphinx may have been unearthed by construction workers building a new road.

According to local reports, a sphinx-like statue was found on Al-Kabbash Road, which connects the two temples of Karnak and Luxor built around 1400BC.

Officials have confirmed the statue has a 'lion's body with a human head'.

The 'second sphinx' has not yet been lifted from the ground, however, officials said tourists are welcome to visit the construction site to view the ancient statute.

No photographs of the structure have been published, the Director General of Antiquities has confirmed.

The Great Sphinx of Giza was discovered by the Great Pyramids on the west bank of the river Nile. It is the oldest and largest known monumental sculpture in the world.

Scroll down for video

Reports suggest a sphinx-like statue (stock image) has been discovered between the ancient temples of Karnak and Luxor which date to around 1400BC

Excavations first started on the Karnak and Luxor temple complexes, located within the ancient city of Thebes, back in 1884, according to RT.

This led to a flurry of significant archaeological discoveries until around 1960, when excavation work at the sites ceased.

Construction workers uncovered the 'second sphinx' during a roadworks project between the temples of Karnak and Luxor.

The Egyptian infrastructure project has been halted while the statue is examined.

According to the area's Director General of Antiquities, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, the statue can not yet be lifted 'due to the nature of the environment it is in'.

Aziz has confirmed tourists are able to visit the road to see the statue for themselves, however, he confirmed no images of the statue have been released.

The Al-Kabbash Road project to excavate and restore the road first began in 2005 and is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year at a cost of $12.7 million (10m).

The Al-Kabbash Road project in Luxor is due to be finished by the end of this year at a cost of $12.7 million (10m)

The Great Sphinx of Giza was found by the Great Pyramids on the west bank of the river Nile and is the oldest and largest known monumental sculpture in the world

With the body of a lion and the head of a human, Great Sphinx of Giza measures a grand 239ft (73 metres) long and 65ft (20 metres) high.

Literally translating to 'Father of Dread,' this mythical creature is believed to resemble Pharaoh Khafre, who was the ruler at the time of construction.

It is believed that Djadefre, the elder brother of Khafra, built the Sphinx to honour his father Khufu.

With the body of a lion and the head of a human, Great Sphinx of Giza measures a grand 239ft (73 metres) long and 65ft (20 metres) high

It is just next to the Great Pyramid of Giza which was built as a tomb and a symbol of eternity for the Pharaoh Khufu

This would place the time of construction somewhere between 2550 BC and 2450 BC.

However the limited evidence linking the Sphinx to Khafra is circumstantial and somewhat ambiguous.

It was constructed around during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra, and it is thought that the face of the statue was modelled on his.

Over time it gradually became buried up to its neck in sand, which helped to preserve it before it was finally excavated in 1925.

It is just next to the Great Pyramid of Giza which was built as a tomb and a symbol of eternity for the Pharaoh Khufu.

It stands 456ft (139 metres) high  just over nine double decker buses stacked on top of one another.

It was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for 3,800 years and is accompanied by the smaller pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure
Sexting your partner may spice things up in the bedroom but could wreck your relationship in the long term, a new study suggests.

Couples were quizzed about their sexting habits and experts found that people who exchange intimate photographs and messages reported higher sexual satisfaction.

However, they were also more likely to have arguments, watch porn and flirt with other people online, according to a new study.

Sexters may be focusing on the sexual part of their relationship and neglecting other areas such as talking, listening and spending quality time together, scientists say.

Scroll down for video

Sexting your partner may spice things up in the bedroom but could wreck your relationship in the long term. Experts quizzed couples about their sexting habits and found that people who exchange intimate photographs and messages report higher sexual satisfaction (stock)

The study of more than 600 adults, conducted by Purdue University, found frequent and hyper sexters - who did it several times weekly or many times daily, respectively - had problems in their romantic relationships.

They were more likely to row and have doubts about their romantic partner.

The activity also fuelled infidelity-related behaviours on social media, as well as the viewing of pornography.

The US and Canadian participants were all in committed relationships when they were surveyed about sexting, self-esteem, relationship satisfaction, commitment, conflict and their use of pornography.

Most did not sext and were just as happy with their partners as those who did, the study found, but sexters did report more sexual satisfaction than the non-sexting group.

Psychologist Professor Michelle Drouin, said: 'Sexting may help couples with intimacy and to spice things up. But we definitely did see the negative side of too much of a good thing.'

Professor Drouin said the findings, presented at an American Psychological Association meeting in San Francisco, show people who regularly 'sext' their partner are more insecure in their relationship.

The study of 600 adults found sexters were also more likely to have arguments, watch porn and flirt with people online. Sexters may be focusing on the sexual part of their relationship and neglecting other areas such as talking and spending quality time together (stock)

Meanwhile, another study presented at the same conference found couples with similar texting habits tended to be happier and more fulfilled.

Researchers surveyed 205 adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who were in romantic relationships.

Questions focused on emotional security, texting habits and relationship satisfaction.

Those who described their partner as having a similar texting style to themselves reported greater relationship satisfaction.

In other words, couples who were more in sync with the kind of texts they sent to each other were more satisfied with their partner, regardless of whether the messages they sent were love notes or complaints about an issue in the relationship.

Study author Dr Leora Trub, of Pace University, New York, said; 'How couples texted was more important to the satisfaction of the relationship than how frequently they texted.'

IS THE PERSON YOU'RE SEXTING LYING TO YOU? According to research by Indiana University, almost half of all sexts sent between partners are lies. Researchers found that out of 109 college students who had sent sexually explicit texts, almost half (48 per cent) had told fibs. Two thirds said they had lied about things like writhing around in lingerie or touching their bodies in a certain way to 'serve their partner' but one third said they had done for amusements sake because they were 'bored'. Additionally, lying during sexting was much more common among women than men, with 45 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men fabricating the truth. Dr Michelle Drouin, the study's lead author, likened the act to lying about orgasms during actual sexual intercourse. Commenting on the discrepancy between the sexes, she added: 'Women are more likely to fake orgasm than men, for obvious reasons, but more likely to pretend enthusiasm as well. 'Women lie to serve other people more than men [do].' Based on relationship attitude questions, people who were more anxious about cheating or who tried to avoid closeness were more likely to have lied in sexts than those who were more secure. Advertisement

Previous research has shown that couples who communicate similarly in any medium are happier in their relationships.

This research extended those findings to text-based communication, according to Dr Trub.

A second study, also presented by Dr Trub, found that texting can bring people closer to others or create distance, depending on the motivations underlying its use.

She said: 'We text to check in with our spouse during the work day and to stay connected with friends far away, but we also text to avoid dealing with relatives at the family party and to break up with someone.'

The survey asked 982 adults between the ages of 18 to 29 about their mobile phone use, levels of social anxiety and shyness and general personality traits.

Dr Trub added: 'Texting can become a crutch and eventually become a barrier to creating meaningful interactions.

'Texting all the time can also come from being lonely or bored, and that can lead to isolation and alienation.'

She said counsellors may be interested in their findings if they have clients who engage in unhealthy texting behaviours that may be damaging to their relationships.
Facebook is cracking down on the distribution of 3D-printed gun blueprints.

On Thursday, the social media giant confirmed it is removing content related to instructions on the homemade firearms.

It comes in the midst of a growing debate around gun access in the US and whether blueprints for the 3D-printed weapons should be made available to the public.

Scroll down for video

Facebook is cracking down on the distribution of 3D-printed gun blueprints. Pictured, Cody Wilson, with Defense Distributed, holds a 3D-printed gun called the Liberator at his shop in Austin, Texas

At the beginning of the month, a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order barring the release of such materials online.

There are fears that 3D printed guns could pose an unprecedented security risk, with potential to be undetectable if they lack metal parts entirely.

As the debate intensifies, Facebook is making its stance clear.

Sharing instructions on how to print firearms using 3D printers is not allowed under our Community Standards, the social media giant said on Thursday.

In line with our policies, we are removing this content from Facebook.

Facebook did not clarify if it would remove only the related posts or the host pages and accounts as well, but said it would soon share an updated policy on restricted goods.

Cody Wilson, founder of Defense Distributed, has been embroiled in a years-long legal battle with the State Department for what he says is his right to upload digital firearm files on the internet.

As the debate intensifies, Facebook is making its stance clear. Sharing instructions on how to print firearms using 3D printers is not allowed under our Community Standards, the social media giant said. In line with our policies, we are removing this content from Facebook

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF 3D-PRINTED GUNS? There are a number of 3D-printed gun designs now freely available on the web. These guns are capable of killing, and accurately mimic real-life weapons. Since they are made of plastic and not metal means they can be taken through metal detectors without being picked up. In 2013, the Mail On Sunday exposed the international security risk posed by a gun that can be easily made with new 3D printers. They built a weapon, which is capable of firing a live round, from blueprints available on the internet  then smuggled it on to a packed Eurostar train. Gun control advocates argue that the 3D printed guns could go undetected by metal detectors. However, to be legal, they have to contain detectable metal parts Two reporters passed completely unchallenged through strict airport-style security to carry the gun on to a London to Paris service in the weekend rush-hour, alongside hundreds of unsuspecting travellers. The pistol, capable of firing a deadly 0.38-calibre bullet, was produced in under 36 hours using a revolutionary 1,700 machine to 'print' its components. And because all the parts are plastic, they did not trigger the metal detectors all Euro-star passengers must pass through. In order to be considered legal, the guns must contain detectable metal parts. Advertisement

The 3D-printed gun enthusiast, who is credited with being the first to build and fire one of the weapons, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in 2015 after the site Defcad.com, which hosts firearm blueprints, was taken offline.

The State Department initially argued that the files violated federal export controls, but hes since been offered a settlement.

While Defcad was expected to be back up by August 1, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik blocked the plans from being released until Aug. 28 in a decision late last month.

There will now be a hearing on August 21 in a bid to reverse the State Departments agreement.
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.'
The Google Doodle for August 9, 2018 commemorates the life and work of Mary G. Ross, the United Statess first Native American female engineer.

During her lifetime, Ross, who wouldve turned 110 on this day, contributed greatly to advancing knowledge concerning space travel, satellites and manned and unmanned orbital flights.

Heres everything you need to know about who Mary G. Ross was and what a Google Doodle is.

Mary G. Ross was known for her groundbreaking work in science, engineering and technology

Who was Mary G. Ross?

Mary G. Ross was a pioneering engineer who contributed greatly to science, technology and engineering over the course of her influential career.

She was born in Park Hill, Oklahoma on August 9, 1908.

The great-great-granddaughter of Cherokee Nation Chief John Ross, she developed a keen interest in science, technology and aviation while growing up. After teaching in her native Oklahoma for nine years during the Great Depression, Ross later attended the University of Northern Colorado, then the Colorado State Teachers College, in 1938 to pursue a masters degree, studying astronomy, mathematics and science intently while there.

After the outbreak of World War II, Ross was hired as a mathematician by the Lockheed Corporation in 1942. After the end of the ear, the company dispatched her to the University of California, Los Angeles in 1949 to obtain a professional certification in aeronautical engineering.

In 1952, Ross joined the Lockheed Corporations secret Skunk Works development team as one of its founding members. Her groundbreaking work included developing early design concepts for space travel and satellites like the Agena rocket.

The brilliant engineer later recalled her work, saying: Often at night there were four of us working until 11pm. I was the pencil pusher, doing a lot of research. My state of the art tools were a slide rule and a Frieden computer. We were taking the theoretical and making it real.

Take SWE's Mary G. Ross quiz to help celebrate the legacy of the 1st American Indian woman engineer. Ross is the focus of today's @Google Doodle. She's a former SWE member and an inspiration to women engineers across the globe. https://t.co/xC0gmHzfRI #MaryGRoss #GoogleDoodle pic.twitter.com/zfr52bscCY  SWE (@SWEtalk) August 9, 2018

Rosss pioneering work helped to shatter stereotypes and usher in a new generation of opportunities for women and Native Americans in fields like engineering, science, mathematics and technology.

She joined the Society of Women Engineers in the 1950s, which later established a scholarship in her name in 1992 to help support women working in technology and engineering. Ross also supported groups like the Council of Energy Resources Tribes and the American Indians in Science and Engineering Society to advocate on behalf of Native Americans.

After retiring in 1973, she resided in Los Altos, California until passing away at age 99 on April 29, 2008. Rosss brilliant work in advancing science and technology and groundbreaking career continues to be felt today, opening up countless new opportunities for women and Native Americans in STEM fields.

What is a Google Doodle?

A Google Doodle is a change to Googles homepage logo on a temporary basis that recognizes an individual, event, accomplishment, anniversary and the like.

First created by Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998 to celebrate the Burning Man festival, they were later produced by the companys chief public relations officer Dennis Hwang. Afterwards, a special in-house team called Doodlers was established to create them more frequently.

Google Doodles nowadays are typically used to mark holidays such as Christmas and Halloween as well as to honor specific individuals such as Gerda Taro, Dilip Sardesai and Ibn Sina.
This is Dennis the golden retriever, the hound who has become a tourist attraction in Norway after a near-decade-long game of fetch in a fjord.

He belongs to the Mandt family and every time tourist boat White Lady stops by at their holiday cabin in Vikanes he fetches a bag of chocolate that's thrown in the water for him.

His adorable swimming antics date back to 2010, when he was brought to the spot as a puppy. He has proved to be such a hit that the Mandts set up an Instagram account for him, under the name 'swimmingdennis'.

Golden retriever Dennis, who has become a tourist attraction in the Norwegian fjords thanks to his swimming antics

When tourist boat White Lady stops by, one lucky passenger is given a bag of chocolate to throw into the water and Dennis always jumps in to collect it

The tradition started after workers on the boat began throwing chocolate to Dennis's teenage owner Tobias and his siblings as they played in the water near their quaint retreat in Vikanes. He would leap in to get to it first

The tradition of swimming out to the boat started after workers on it began throwing chocolate to Tobias Mandt, now 18, and his siblings as they played in the water.

The first time Dennis saw the treat, he hurled himself into the sea to retrieve it and return it to his family - prompting rapturous applause to break out on the boat.

Now each time the boat stops by and the Mandts are there, a lucky tourist is given a bag of chocolate to throw in the water for the pooch.

Documenting his latest effort on July 8, on his official Instagram account, Tobias said: 'When we were kids we used to bathe and play in the sea as the boat came, but at some point they started throwing chocolate in the water for us.

Dennis sees the boat approaching so races towards the edge of the water, left, he then hurls himself in to swim towards the bag of chocolate

After retrieving the bag, the dog swims back to shore to proudly show off the package he has collected for his family

'We kept it going for many years, but when Dennis first saw it, he decided to try and get it before we could.

'As we got older, we stopped swimming for the chocolate but Dennis has kept the tradition going ever since.

'He loves the attention he gets from it.

Dennis now has an official Instagram account that charts the activities of his everyday life

'When he hears the boat coming from far away, he get's a bit wild and often we need to hold him back until the boat comes closer.

'He knows the routine, and if all goes to plan he gets a big treat at the end.

'Usually that means a slice of bread [chocolate being poisonous to dogs] and lots of hugs. The tourists enjoy it so much.'
Advertisement

A Boeing 747 is a gigantic jetliner - and British Airways has underscored this by detailing some of the 7,000 items it loads onto one for journeys between Heathrow and JFK.

Using a fascinating infographic, it reveals that 493 meal trays, 78 toilet rolls and 319 sick bags all go on board.

So too do 101 full bottles of wine and 388 quarter bottles of wine, served in 798 glasses.

A Boeing 747 is a gigantic jetliner - and British Airways has underscored this by detailing some of the 7,000 items it loads onto one for journeys between Heathrow and JFK

There are snacks, too - 350 bags of pretzels. And soft drinks - 473 cans of Coke.

For passengers' comfort 293 headrest covers are packed on board as well as 282 blankets, which are part of the 800 items of bedding.

Passengers will also have access to five first aid kits, all stowed in the cabins.

Meanwhile in the cargo hold below, British Airways 747 flights carry a range of items for sister company IAG Cargo.

So far in 2018, 26 per cent of cargo flying in the hold has been made up of priority goods such as fashion products or the latest smartphones or tablets.

Five per cent of the cargo were specialist items such as live animals or high value artwork, and four per cent has been perishable produce such as raspberries from Kenya or lettuces from the US.

A further three per cent of the cargo was temperature controlled pharmaceuticals and lifesaving vaccines.

British Airways 747 flights also carry a range of items for sister company IAG Cargo. So far in 2018, 26 per cent of cargo flying in the hold has been made up of priority goods. This year that's included emergency lettuces flown into the UK from LA

Some of the years most interesting shipments includes Cognac from Bordeaux to Kuala Lumpur, emergency lettuce from Los Angeles in response to the UKs heatwave vegetable shortage and royal wedding special magazines from the UK to the US.

In addition, BA also looked at the profile of its passengers and how often they fly.

The study found that in an average year, one in two (47 per cent) are solo travellers, while 27 per cent travel as a pair.

Around 70 per cent are travelling for leisure, while 28 per cent are flying for business.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' director of brand and customer experience, said: 'Many of our customers are curious about flying and want to know who or what else is on their aircraft.

'With more than 800 flights each day all over the world it takes a lot of planning, from loading cargo to wine, to toilet rolls, and first aid kits.'
Fewer than 500 Ryanair passengers who faced delays or cancellations were awarded compensation by an airline complaints body last year, a new investigation by Which? has revealed.

That means only 14 per cent of cancellation and delay claims in 2017 by British customers against the Irish low-cost carrier led to a pay-out.

In light of this the consumer group is warning that with Ryanair saying it won't pay compensation for its latest round of cancellations, passengers will have to take their claims to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler - and may have to wait a long time to get their money.

Fewer than 500 Ryanair passengers who faced delays or cancellations were awarded compensation by an airline complaints body last year, a new investigation by Which? has revealed

Which? says that its research shows that Aviation ADR received over 3,600 complaints about Ryanair in 2017, but just 496 passengers were awarded compensation.

The vast majority of complaints were still outstanding at the end of year, suggesting many passengers were waiting months to get what they were owed.

For the first quarter of 2018, the figures are even more alarming, according to Which?, as Aviation ADR received 2,400 flight delay and cancellation complaints about Ryanair in this period.

However, of these, just 282 passengers were awarded compensation and a further 98 were told they were entitled to nothing, meaning thousands were still waiting for a decision.

HOW YOU CAN CLAIM COMPENSATION FROM RYANAIR Aviation ADR has told consumer group Which? that it has been ruling in favour of consumers who've complained about Ryanair cancellations caused by internal strikes. It said: 'So far, all complaints that we have processed in relation to strike action at Ryanair have been determined in favour of the passenger, predominantly on the basis that we have seen no evidence to substantiate any submissions that the cause of such delay amounted to "extraordinary circumstances". But it added: 'We understand that Ryanair is submitting further evidence in relation to the current pilot and crew strikes. 'Once received, we will review the evidence to decide whether it has any impact on the outcome of any passenger complaints that we have not yet determined. Passengers who have a flight cancelled with less than 15 days notice as a result of flight or cabin crew industrial action should complain to the airline first. If they do not receive a satisfactory response they have little choice but to use Aviation ADR. Unlike with the claims solicitors, the process is free and Ryanair is legally obliged to comply with its decisions. Advertisement

In response to Which?'s findings, Aviation ADR revealed that of the 3,628 Ryanair complaints it received in 2017, some were refused (the arbitration bodies are allowed to reject complaints if the customer has not complained to the airline first or if they are otherwise out of their scope) and others were discontinued, either because the passenger did not provide all the information needed or they failed to follow up the complaint.

Which? says it then looked into this and found that 412 complaints were refused and a further 237 were discontinued.

However, Aviation ADR said that a 'very large' number of the remaining complaints were 'put on hold' because they had been submitted by claims management companies, who are in dispute with Ryanair.

It said: 'Given the ongoing litigation between (claims solicitor) Bott & Co and Ryanair... the claims management companies have agreed that these claims should be put on hold pending the final outcome of the court case.'

But Bott & Co doesn't accept that it has 'agreed' that the claims should be put on hold.

In a statement, the firm explained: 'We felt that the claims should be looked at, however Aviation ADR have currently refused to do so, because Ryanair won't deal with claims presented by solicitors.'

Bott & Co confirmed that it had made about 100 claims through Aviation ADR in 2017, 'but we never got a response on any of them'.

The firm said that it had another 10,000 complaints it had been planning to send, 'but they told us to wait because they wouldn't consider the claims whilst Bott and Co v Ryanair was ongoing.'

Aviation ADR said that it has responded to the high numbers of Ryanair complaints since the end of 2017.

It told Which?: 'We have significantly increased staff headcount to take account of both increased ADR volumes and unusual spikes in complaints.'

Despite the issues revealed by Which? Travel's investigation and Aviation ADR's response, the Civil Aviation Authority continues to insist that the system is working well.

With Ryanair saying it won't pay compensation for its latest round of cancellations it means that passengers will have to take their compensation claims to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler

It said: 'Consumers will soon have the opportunity to seek a review of their case by an independent assessor, if they consider that their complaint has not been handled properly by the ADR provider.'

Ryanair told Which? that it 'fully complies with the UK ADR's rules and deadlines and it's committed to the ADR process'.

The airline added: 'We encourage any passengers who are not satisfied with Ryanair's own complaints resolution to take them to ADR for free and independent resolution instead of going to claims chasers, who often end up deducting up to 50 per cent of compensation entitlement in excessive fees.'

Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor, explained: 'Another summer of nightmare flight cancellations for Ryanair customers reinforces why it is so important that passengers get the compensation due to them.

'It is vital that passengers are not deterred from pursuing legitimate claims against airlines by a slow and cumbersome system.

'The CAA must ensure the dispute resolution system is working for consumers, while the Government should look at introducing automatic compensation to stop Ryanair and other airlines from wriggling out of paying passengers the money they are owed.'
The Kyle and Jackie O Show has seemingly welcomed the concept of 'reclaiming' the word 'c**t' as an inoffensive term, an idea first suggested by New Zealand Greens MP Marama Davidson earlier this week.

During a segment discussing Ms Davidson's baffling suggestion that women need to 'disarm' and destigmatise the word 'c**t' by saying it more often, shock jock Kyle Sandilands, 47, decided to drop the C-bomb live on air on Thursday morning.

Kyle then left his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson, 43, shocked by proposing that their breakfast show's new slogan should be: 'Two c**ts, heaps of laughs!'

'I can't believe you said that!' Kyle Sandilands (pictured) left Jackie O SHOCKED by dropping the C-bomb on air and suggesting their show's slogan should be, 'Two c**ts, heaps of laughs'

'Oh s**t no!' a horrified Jackie exclaimed after Kyle said 'c**t' live on air. 'I can't believe you said that!'

Kyle then dropped the C-bomb once again, but on both occasions the word was bleeped out by the show's censor.

'I don't want to say it if it's going to get beeped!' he complained. 'I want to say it and then see if anyone is offended.'

Kyle and Jackie (pictured) were discussing New Zealand MP Marama Davidson, who claimed earlier this week that women should 'disarm and reclaim' the word 'c**t' by saying it more often

Earlier in the segment, the Sydney radio hosts discussed Ms Davidson's suggestion that the word 'c**t' should be turned into a positive by women.

Jackie kicked off the debate by asking the question: 'Is there a slur word for the male genitalia [that's similarly offensive]?'

Kyle responded: 'No, how could there be - everyone loves it!'

Jackie then claimed she supports the New Zealand MP's point of view, saying: 'She has a point... why is it such an offensive word?'

He said what?! Kyle said the word 'c**t' twice on air during the segment, but on both occasions the word was bleeped out by the show's censor

Ms Davidson recently claimed women need to 'reclaim' the word 'c**t', after using it three times during a public rally in Auckland last week where children were present.

'I stand by using that word,' she told Newshub after the incident.

'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.'
A longtime television correspondent who has appeared on Today, Access Hollywood, and Extra, Maria Menounos is no stranger to discussing women who share their stories.

On Wednesday, the 40-year-old journalist and entrepreneur brought her unique perspective to #BlogHer18 Creators Summit in New York City.

Dressed in a sheer white frock, she brought glamour as well as edge to the stage as she discussed her latest ventures, recent work in the health space, and her digital broadcast network, AfterBuzz TV.

Talk it out: A longtime television correspondent who has appeared on Today, Access Hollywood, and Extra, Maria Menounos is no stranger to discussing women who share their stories

A white slip sat underneath the partially see-through dress, providing a dash of civility to the seductive ensemble, while still silhouetting her slender figure.

Her caramel tresses were pulled into a high ponytail where the locks then cascaded down onto her shoulders.

Silver trimmed pink flowers hung from her ears and she painted her lips a powerful red.

Leadership: On Wednesday, the 40-year-old journalist and entrepreneur brought her unique perspective to #BlogHer18 Creators Summit in New York City

Continuing with the power-meets-grace theme of her outfit, Maria shined in metallic, gold, open-toe heels.

Her wedding ring glisten in the flashbulbs' bursts as she took the stage along with Pilar Guzman, the editor-in-chief of Conde Nast Traveler.

Known more for her pen than her sartorial sword, the editor nonetheless matched the Hollywood reporter when it game to wear that evoked strength and femininity, she even donned a similar pair of heels.

Glamorous: Dressed in a sheer white frock, she brought glamour as well as edge to the stage as she discussed her latest ventures, recent work in the health space, and her digital broadcast network, AfterBuzz TV

Power: Known more for her pen than her sartorial sword, Pilar Guzman (left) nonetheless matched the Hollywood reporter when it game to wear that evoked strength and femininity, she even donned a similar pair of heels

Maria and Pilar joined Amy Schumer, Gabrielle Union, Brooklyn Decker, and a host of other stars at the summit, which began on Wednesday and extends until Thursday.

The second day of the conference will be headlined by Jessica Alba as she discusses the Honest Company.

#BlogHer18 Creators Summit celebrates 'the women who tell their stories to inspire and educate communities across the globe.'

The event features speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities.

Casual: Earlier in the day, Maria appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan, and was snapped on her way into the show

Calm: The Massachusetts-born host donned a mauve tank top with 'Sweet As A Georgia Peach' printed across the center

Earlier in the day, Maria appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan, and was snapped on her way into the show.

The Massachusetts-born host donned a mauve tank top with 'Sweet As A Georgia Peach' printed across the center.

The Kickin' It Old Skool actress looked calm and relaxed in her skintight jeans and gold sandals, stopping to take photos with fans after she got out of her black SUV.

Friendly: The Kickin' It Old Skool actress looked calm and relaxed in her skintight jeans and gold sandals, stopping to take photos with fans after she got out of her black SUV
Former My Kitchen Rules stars Zana Pali and Gianni Romano are expecting their first child, baby son Leonardo, within a couple of weeks.

And with the due date just around the corner, the couple have been busy getting the nursery together - and it seems no expense was spared.

The lovebirds, who hail from Brisbane and are currently based in Melbourne, have decked out little Leo's room with designer products imported from Italy, including Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci items.

No expense spared! Former MKR stars Zana Pali and Gianni Romano have revealed their extravagant baby nursery decked out in Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci as they await the birth of their first child, son Leonardo

The extravagant nursery - which Zana been working on since her first trimester - has been styled in soft pastel grey, mint green and light blue.

Speaking to The Courier Mail on Monday, the expectant mother admitted she had been planning the room several months in advance.

'I am not the type of person to do anything last minute, so as soon as I found out I was pregnant I started buying things,' she said. 'And as soon as I found out it was a boy I wanted to name him Leonardo.'

Stunning: The extravagant nursery - which Zana been working on since her first trimester - has been styled in soft pastel grey, mint green and light blue

'One of the first things I bought was the grey and white Gucci blanket,' she added.

The nursery is decorated with several custom books featuring the words, 'Leonardo Romano', 'The Romano Family,' and 'Our Little Prince', embossed on the spines.

Atop the pile of decorative books is a pair of cute Ralph Lauren baby shoes.

The room is styled with plenty of soft, stuffed animal toys and vintage briefcases that sit beside the baby's wooden crib.

Zana has also accessorised with flowers and candles, and finished off the room with a plush white fur rug.

All the details: The nursery is decorated with several custom books featuring the words, 'Leonardo Romano', 'The Romano Family,' and 'Our Little Prince', embossed on the spines. Atop the pile of decorative books is a pair of cute Ralph Lauren baby shoes

Bumping along nicely! 'One of the first things I bought was the grey and white Gucci blanket,' Zana, 26, The Courier Mail on Monday

Zana, 26, and Gianni, 29, revealed they were expecting just a month after opening their cafe, Culpa Espresso, on Melbourne's William Street.

In February, she shared a video to Instagram of their child's gender reveal party.

Her husband was shown popping a big, gold balloon filled with blue confetti, signalling they were expecting a boy.

Zana, a former lawyer who appeared on the 2016 of My Kitchen Rules, is expected to give birth later this month.
She shot to fame on Beverly Hills, 90210.

And Jennie Garth echoed that swanky zip code's famous commitment to fitness when she was spotted in Los Angeles this Wednesday.

The 46-year-old showed off her trim midriff in cropped workout gear as she stepped out for a stroll with her 15-year-old daughter Lola.

She looks fabulous: Jennie Garth displayed a commitment to fitness when she was spotted in Los Angeles this Wednesday

Jennie slicked her famously blonde hair back into a ponytail, keeping the rays out of her eyes with a pair of aviator sunglasses.

Her sleeveless crop top featured a sloping neckline and some white bordering around a black middle section.

The Urbana, Illinois-born thespian pinned a metal water bottle in the crook of her left arm, slinging some sort of small black garment over her forearm.

She showed off her gams in a high-waisted pair of black leggings, which she complemented with a wristband and some black and white Nike sneakers.

Family time: The 46-year-old showed off her trim midriff in cropped workout gear as she stepped out for a stroll with her 15-year-old daughter Lola

Looking good: Jennie slicked her famously blonde hair back into a ponytail, keeping the rays out of her eyes with a pair of aviator sunglasses

Chic: Her sleeveless crop top featured a sloping neckline and some white bordering around a black middle section

Jennie has put her 4,100-square-foot Studio City home on the market for an impressive $4.495 million, Variety reported this week.

In addition to Lola Ray, Jennie also has a 21-year-old daughter called Luca Bella and an 11-year-old daughter called Fiona Eve.

All three of Jennie's children were sired by her second husband Peter Facinelli, whom she was married to from 2001 to 2013 and for whom she became a Catholic.

Mom on the move: The Urbana, Illinois-born thespian pinned a metal water bottle in the crook of her left arm, slinging some sort of small black garment over her forearm

Hoofing it: She showed off her gams in a high-waisted pair of black leggings, which she complemented with a wristband and some black and white Nike sneakers

Before Fastlane star Peter, she was briefly joined in holy matrimony to a musician called Daniel B. Clark from 1994 to 1996.

Two years after her second divorce, Jennie leapt into a third marriage, this time to little-known actor David Abrams, from whom she separated last year.

As a little child, Lola Ray was discovered to have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but Jennie told People in 2008 that 'we treated her and its in remission.'

New developments: Jennie has put her 4,100-square-foot Studio City home on the market for an impressive $4.495 million, Variety reported this week
She is a social media sensation and TOWIE star known for her honed frame.

And Lauren Pope looked sensational as she stepped out for a night in London on Wednesday.

The blonde beauty, 35, flaunted her ample cleavage in a plunging black bodysuit which revealed her slender waist as she strolled along.

Looking good: Lauren Pope looked sensational as she stepped out for a night in London on Wednesday

Cinching in at her slender waist, the star wore a Gucci belt and slipped on a pair of slate grey skinny jeans.

Adding height to her look, she slipped on tan sandals.

Her caramel tresses were styled in soft waves while her pretty features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up.

The reality star has spent much of her break from TOWIE filming abroad - jetting to Ibiza as well as Cannes in recent weeks.

Leggy: The blonde beauty, 35, flaunted her ample cleavage in a plunging black bodysuit which revealed her slender waist as she strolled along

Lauren has documented her travels on social media, sharing numerous sizzling photos of herself soaking up the sun while wearing pieces from her swimwear line with Misty The Label.

However, Lauren has always remained adamant that she would never reveal her biggest hang-ups or insecurities, as she accepts her body with all its flaws.

She told the Daily Star last year: 'I never tell people the parts I don't like about me as thats just noting out your flaws, I've learnt how to work with what I've got and accentuate the good parts, lets put it that way.'

Last summer Lauren chose to remove her E cup implants - the result of a second boob job - last summer.

Speaking to MailOnline at the time, she said of the move: 'I'm back to small boobies! I've thought about it for a long time. It's really hard to explain but it's not a big dramatic decision. It's just I feel like I am taken seriously now in the world of business.'

Lauren rose to fame glamour model and embarked on a career as a DJ over a decade ago, but became a series regular on TOWIE in 2010 when she started dating show original Kirk Norcross.

She has since gone on to launch her successful extension line Hair Rehab London.
On Wednesday, Taylor Swift shared a purr-fect tribute to her two favorite felines for International Cat Day with her captive 111M Instagram followers.

The 28-year-old preppy pop diva played up her 'crazy cat lady' persona by celebrating her female Scottish Fold cats with self-made meme mayhem.

The 10-time Grammy winner clearly favors Olivia Benson, whom she adopted in June 2014 and named after Mariska Hargitay's lieutenant character in NBC's Law & Order S.V.U.

'From me and the ladies!' On Wednesday, Taylor Swift shared a purr-fect tribute to her two favorite felines for International Cat Day with her captive 111M Instagram followers

'Simmering tension between two puffy fluff balls': The 28-year-old pop diva played up her 'crazy cat lady' persona by celebrating her Scottish Fold cats with self-made meme mayhem

Taylor shared far more cute clips of the white furball meowing, sleeping, provoking catfights, and flapping pages of her 'favorite book at 4 a.m.'

Swift adopted her eldest Meredith Grey in November 2011 and named her after Ellen Pompeo's head of general surgery character from ABC's Grey's Anatomy.

'It would appear my painting of a relaxing grey sky has lulled Meredith to sleep,' the Pennsylvania-born belter could be heard in one clip. 'And put her in a very tranquil place.'

Three months ago, they scored a Deadpool 2 cameo in the form of a T-shirt (Olivia & Meredith best friends purrrrr-ever) Ryan Reynolds' character Wade Wilson wears in a scene.

'The first time I heard Olivia's ferocious roar': The 10-time Grammy winner clearly favors Olivia Benson, whom she adopted in June 2014 and named after Mariska Hargitay's lieutenant character in NBC's Law & Order S.V.U.

'Am I going to make sure to put that book in the drawer?' Taylor shared far more cute clips of the white furball meowing, sleeping, provoking catfights, and flapping pages of her 'favorite book at 4 a.m.'

'A spelling champion': Swift adopted her eldest Meredith Grey in November 2011 and named her after Ellen Pompeo's head of general surgery character from ABC's Grey's Anatomy

The Pennsylvania-born belter narrated: 'It would appear my painting of a relaxing grey sky has lulled Meredith to sleep, and put her in a very tranquil place'

'Majestic even when she had a cat cold': Scottish Folds became a registered breed in 1966, and they're all descended from a mutated barn cat named Susie from 1961

'Olivia & Meredith best friends purrrrr-ever!' Three months ago, they scored a Deadpool 2 cameo in the form of a T-shirt Ryan Reynolds' character Wade Wilson wears in a scene

According to The Cat Fanciers' Association, Scottish Folds became a registered breed in 1966, and they're all descended from a mutated barn cat named Susie from 1961.

The mutation, called Osteochondrodysplasia, causes malformed bone structures throughout the body leading to painful degenerative joint diseases at an early age.

Scottish Folds - with an average life span of 15 years - are known for their stubborn yet affectionate natures are they're prone to sleeping on their backs.

Taylor might have also been hyping her next acting role in Tom Hooper's big-screen version of the Broadway musical Cats, which begins shooting in the UK this fall.

Begins shooting in the UK this fall! Taylor might have also been hyping her next acting role in Tom Hooper's big-screen version of the Broadway musical Cats (pictured in 2014)

Showstopper: The Delicate hitmaker is rumored to be playing Grizabella (Elaine Paige pictured in 1971) the once-glamorous, now mangy cat who sings the biggest number, Memory

The Delicate hitmaker is rumored to be playing Grizabella (Elaine Paige) the once-glamorous, now mangy cat who sings the biggest number, Memory.

The Universal/Working Title adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Weber classic will also star Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, and James Corden - according to Deadline.

The March For Our Lives fundraiser will next take her 53-date, $11.1M-earning Reputation Stadium Tour to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Friday.

Since Swift has Sunday and Monday off, there's speculation she'll attend Fox's Teen Choice Awards where she's nominated for six trophies including 'choice fandom.'

Busy: The March For Our Lives fundraiser will next take her 53-date, $11.1M-earning Reputation Stadium Tour to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Friday (pictured last Saturday)
She's hit back against critics who claim 'she is too sexual for a mother'.

And now Channing Tatum's ex-wife Jenna Dewan has had the last laugh, starring in a stunning shoot for Australian Women's Health.

The 37-year-old shows off her incredibly ripped physique in sexy activewear and sporty bikinis in the spread.

Ab-solutely ripped! Channing Tatum's ex-wife Jenna Dewan shows off her rock hard tummy in a bikini as she poses for stunning Australian Women's Health shoot

Flaunting her rock hard abs, there's not an inch to pinch on the mother-of-one's frame as she poses in a red two-piece and tiny shorts.

In another image, the brunette beauty models a grey and white leotard teamed with cut off track shorts and a yellow Nike sweatband.

For the cover of the magazine, Jenna proudly displays her taut abs and cleavage in the colourful two-piece swimsuit.

Sporty: In another image, the brunette beauty models a grey and white leotard teamed with cut off track shorts and a yellow Nike sweatband

Cover girl! For the cover of the magazine, Jenna proudly displays her taut abs and cleavage in the colourful two-piece swimsuit

In an accompanying article for the magazine, the professional dancer and actress 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

Meanwhile, Jenna bared all for the US version of the magazine, posing completely naked for the cover and stunning inside images.

She 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.
She took a nine month hiatus from her work as a high-class escort while pursuing a relationship with ex-boyfriend and Channel Seven newsreader, Ryan Phelan.

But Samantha X - real name Amanda Goff - appeared as happy as ever to head back to 'the office' on Thursday.

Flaunting her busty frame in sexy lingerie, the former-journalist-turned-sex-worker appeared to lay seductively on a hotel bed.

Scroll down for video

Working it! High-class escort Samantha X, 44, stripped down to sexy lingerie as she headed back into the 'office' on Thursday

The blonde bombshell, 44, paired the cream lingerie with a silk and lace camisole, and black hold-up stockings.

She cheekily smiled at the camera, writing: 'Thursday morning in the office.'

The revealing outfit is one of many the high-class escort owns, with Samantha previously revealing she spends thousands on lingerie per year and claims it back on tax as a necessity for her job.

Back on the job: The blonde bombshell paired the cream lingerie with a silk and lace camisole, and black hold-up stockings

Office attire: The revealing outfit is one of many for the high-class escort, with Samantha X previously revealing she spends thousands on lingerie per year, and claims it back on tax

While she originally gave up escorting for love, single Sam has praised her own decision to return to her lucrative career.

'It's wonderful to be back in the office,' she captioned a selfie of herself reclining on a bed, earlier this week.

The buxom blonde also spoke about what looks to have been one of her first clients since returning to the job.

Making money: The now-single woman has continually praised returning to her lucrative career, and claims to charge clients $1200 per hour for her company

Advocate: 'If the sex industry was illegal in New South Wales, gentleman like T, who is a paraplegic, would be arrested for seeking the company of a woman,' she wrote

Sharing a photo of a wheelchair next to the same bed, with a pair of men's shoes on the seat, Samantha used the picture to advocate for the sex industry.

'If the sex industry was illegal in New South Wales, gentleman like T, who is a paraplegic, would be arrested for seeking the company of a woman. Or I would go to jail,' she captioned it.

'Australia is a forward-thinking country, and I hope our friends across the pond come to the party soon. More love, less guns Mr Trump.'

The outspoken escort first announced she was returning to the business on Instagram late last month.

Samantha said it wasn't 'an easy decision to return', but after receiving lots of positive reinforcement from the people around her, decided 'it is perfectly OK to come back'.

'I love what I do and I missed my dear friend Samantha and her clients,' she wrote.

The Aussie glamour girl had put her controversial career on hold while she was dating Channel Seven news reporter Ryan, 43.

Their relationship was short-lived though, with the pair dating for just three months.

They announced their split in January this year.
They have enjoyed a whirlwind week of partying since returning to the UK from Love Island.

And Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel showed no signs of stopping on Wednesday , as the led the glamorous arrivals at the show's welcome home party in London.

The make-up artist, 23, stole the show from her beau, 27, in a sizzling cut-out frock as she posed for cameras at the bash, held at Toy Room Club in Soho.

Sizzling: Love Island's Kaz Crossley led the glamorous arrivals at the show's welcome home party in London on Wednesday night

Following suit: Letting his girlfriend take centre stage,Kaz's beau Josh Denzel later arrived with co-star Darylle Sargeant

Kaz set pulses racing in the tangerine bodycon dress, which cut open into diamonds at the side to give a flash of her toned stomach underneath.

Cutting off high at her thigh, the frock then left her long legs on show, elongated further by metallic gladiator heels.

She slung the long chain strap of a fluffy grey bag across her shoulder and added a pop of colour into the mix with a neon yellow pedicure.

Sizzling: Kaz set pulses racing in the tangerine bodycon dress, which cut open into diamonds at the side to give a flash of her toned stomach underneath

Legs for days: Cutting off high at her thigh, the frock then left her long legs on show, elongated further by metallic gladiator heels

Pop of colour: She slung the long chain strap of a fluffy grey bag across her shoulder and added a pop of colour into the mix with a neon yellow pedicure

Say cheese! Kaz beamed widely for cameras as she stepped out

Styling her hair into loose waves and sporting a glowing make-up look, Kaz was the picture of glamour as she beamed for cameras at the event, organised by Josh's friend Carl Silverstone.

Letting his girlfriend take centre stage, Josh later arrived with co-star Darylle Sargeant - clad in a black T-shirt from BoohooMAN, military style body warmer and ripped jeans.

Eyebrow technician, Darylle, 24, sported an edgy ensemble opting to showcase her enviable figure in a white slogan T-shirt emblazoned with the words: 'Production Sample', which she tied up into a crop-top.

The brunette beauty flaunted her tattoos in the tee, teamed with a tiny faux leather mini skirt, which featured a bold silver zip, and a pair of black heels.

Fierce: Kaz smouldered for cameras as she posed without Josh, who organised the event with his friends

Stylish: Josh later beamed beside Darylle, who showed off her enviable figure in a white slogan T-shirt and leather mini skirt

A number of other Love Island stars joined the fray, including Eyal Booker and Niall Aslam.

Eyal kept things casual in a jeans and denim jacket combo, but proved to be in good spirits as he happily greeted fans outside.

Meanwhile Niall joined him in a monochrome tropical shirt as he headed in to party with the ITV2 stars - having missed out on much of the frivolity in the villa, following his sudden departure during the second week.

Here come the boys: A number of other Love Island stars joined the fray, including Eyal Booker and Niall Aslam

Standing out: Eyal kept things casual in a jeans and denim jacket combo, while Niall joined him in a monochrome tropical shirt and boat shoes

Feeling good: Eyal proved to be in good spirits as he greeted a number of fans outside

Jemma Lucy chose an eye-catching patterned jumpsuit with a low-cut wrap-over neckline which displayed her ample cleavage.

The tattooed beauty strutted towards the London nightclub in a pair of black peep-toe heels and carried a bright orange clutch.

Theo Campbell also made an appearance, following Josh Denzel's casual vibe in a black T-short and distressed light grey skinny jeans.

2017 Love Island finalist Gabby Allen flashed her abs in a scanty crop-top as she made her way in.

Old guard: 2017 finalist Gabby Allen was seen flashing her midriff in a strappy top as she arrived

Quirky: She teamed her skimpy top with a camouflage jacket, clashing leopard print bum bag and a striking baker boy cap

Reality sensation: Jemma Lucy flaunted her cleavage and new tangerine locks at the bash

Strut; The star looked sensational in a chain print jumpsuit

Meanwhile Georgia Steel was seen in a sexy all-black outfit as she arrived at Pryzm nightclub in Kingston for a personal appearance that night.

The star showcased her toned legs and cleavage in a clinging black silk dress.

Her caramel tresses were pulled into a stylish half updo and a rich palette of make-up accentuated her pretty features.

Josh and Kaz's outing comes after they took part in a love quiz conducted by Jamie Laing when they appeared on Lorraine.

Their honest responses to a series of questions led to some very juicy bits of gossip being told to fans, as they answered questions with paddle boards which had their faces on them.

During a question on 'who is most likely to have their head turned by a celebrity admirer,' the couple struggled to decide for a second.

Here he is: Theo Campbell from the 2017 series of Love Island, looked typically trendy as he made his way in

But then Josh let slip: 'Your DM's are pretty...' before the both turned their paddles around to show Kaz's face.

Some other pretty enlightening questions came up, including 'who is most likely to propose,' with both responding with a picture of Josh's face.

Jamie asked: 'Who is the most liked?' to which Josh said: 'I was public enemy number one.'

This was in reference to him dumping his first partner, Georgia Steel, 20, while in Casa Amor and returning with Kaz and recoupling with her.

Think pink: Ashley James also joined the fray in a slinky pale pink vest, teamed with classically chic black sandals

Saucily, he asked them who is most keen to become a fully-fledged member of the "do bits society", and they both said that would be Josh.

And they both said that the person who gets on the best with their in-laws is Kaz.

No doubt the couple were rather tired during the 9am interview given that they were both at the Love Island reunion party the night before.

Josh was seen dancing up a storm with his pals Wes Nelson and Jack Fowler and Kaz was downing shots of Jagerbomb with Caroline Flack.

The couple came third during the Love Island final last Monday with Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham coming first and Laura Anderson and Paul Knops coming second

Villa alumni: Meanwhile, Georgia Steel was seen in a sexy all-black outfit as she arrived at Pryzm nightclub in Kingston for a personal appearance

Leggy: Her caramel tresses were pulled into a stylish half updo and a rich palette of make-up accentuated her pretty features
The Honest Company boss Jessica Alba traded her Brentwood base for the Big Apple on Wednesday where she was honored at Nylon's Beauty Innovator Awards.

The 37-year-old mother-of-three glammed up for the ceremony in a cleavage-boosting pink sleeveless dress selected by stylist duo Emily Current & Meritt Elliott.

The Golden Globe nominee gave her 5ft7in figure a big boost with black platform sandals, and she accessorized with a matching bedazzled heart-shaped purse.

NYC: The Honest Company boss Jessica Alba traded her Brentwood base for the Big Apple on Wednesday where she was honored at Nylon's Beauty Innovator Awards

Rosy: The 37-year-old mother-of-three glammed up for the ceremony in a cleavage-boosting pink sleeveless dress selected by stylist duo Emily Current & Meritt Elliott

Hairstylist Owen Gould gave Jessica's brunette locks 'messy seventies texture' and make-up artist Daniel Martin made sure she was ready for her close-up.

The awards ceremony took place at Skylight Modern where Alba took to the podium to address the crowd of make-up obsessed influencers.

It was a good opportunity for the Mexican-American mompreneur to promote her $2B brand, which has recently expanded into cosmetics.

After the Nylon festivities, the Pomona-born beauty enjoyed a 'celebratory dinner' with her glam squad pals on the payroll at EN Japanese Brasserie.

On her way: The Golden Globe nominee gave her 5ft7in figure a big boost with black platform sandals, and she accessorized with a matching bedazzled heart-shaped purse

Doll face: Hairstylist Owen Gould gave Jessica's brunette locks 'messy seventies texture' and make-up artist Daniel Martin made sure she was ready for her close-up

'Yasss!' The awards ceremony took place at Skylight Modern where Alba took to the podium to address the crowd of make-up obsessed influencers

'Thanks!' It was a good opportunity for the Mexican-American mompreneur to promote her $2B brand, which has recently expanded into cosmetics

Yum: After the Nylon festivities, the Pomona-born beauty enjoyed a 'celebratory dinner' with her glam squad pals on the payroll at EN Japanese Brasserie

Missing from Jessica's side in New York was her husband of a decade Cash Warren and their daughters Honor, 10; and Haven, 6; as well as son Hayes, 7 months.

'We're just trying to build people who are going to be awesome and sweet and kind,' Alba told Fatherly about parenthood on Wednesday.

'The kids have to know that you're human, and at least you're trying. I mean, try to tackle each day as it comes and I try to do the best I can.

'I try not to let the mundane daily task sort of overrun the engaging moments, where I can try to get to know them and nurture them.'

'Today was good day!' Missing from Jessica's side in New York was her husband of a decade Cash Warren and their daughters Honor, 10; and Haven, 6; as well as son Hayes, 7 months (pictured Sunday)

Alba told Fatherly on Wednesday: 'We're just trying to build people who are going to be awesome and sweet and kind...I try to tackle each day as it comes and I try to do the best I can'

Haven! The Project Runway guest judge and the 39-year-old Pair of Thieves sock designer will celebrate their flame-haired princess' 7th birthday next Monday

The Project Runway guest judge and the 39-year-old Pair of Thieves sock designer will celebrate their flame-haired princess' 7th birthday next Monday.

The El Camino Christmas actress just shot a mystery role in the second season of comedic police procedural No Activity, which streams this fall on CBS All Access.

'Super grateful!' Jessica - who boasts 27.8M social media followers - gushed on Thursday.

'My heart skipped a beat when [Tim Meadows] laughed so hard he actually cried after one of the scenes.'

Streams this fall! On Thursday, the El Camino Christmas actress shot a mystery role in the second season of CBS All Access' comedic police procedural No Activity
She gave birth to her first child with Adam Ellis in December.

And Lindy Klim spoke of the bond between her husband and their daughter Goldie, seven months, at David Jones' spring/summer 2018 launch in Sydney on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old told Daily Mail Australia that her partner is the 'most incredible father' and that she's 'a bit jealous of their relationship'.

'I'm a bit jealous of their relationship': Lindy Klim, 40, spoke of the bond between husband Adam Ellis and daughter Goldie (all pictured), in an interview with Daily Mail Australia

'Oh he's so good [with Goldie], he's the most incredible father,' Lindy said of British property developer Adam.

The model went on to joke of Adam's bond with Goldie: 'I'm a bit jealous of their relationship. I want you [Adam] to focus on me. But I love their bond'.

Lindy, who stunned in a white tweed Balmain frock at at the event, went on to gush about the couple's wedding day.

'I think my day was perfect. Everything was just incredible, every moment of it,' she said.

Great father: The model joked of Adam's bond with Goldie: 'I'm a bit jealous of their relationship. I want you [Adam] to focus on me. But I love their bond'

The brunette added that looking back on the big day she wouldn't have changed a thing.

'No, I wouldn't have done anything differently. It was absolutely perfect,' Lindy said.

Lindy and Adam married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Tuscany, Italy, earlier this month.

The ceremony took place at the luxury $1,000-a-night Conti di San Bonifacio wine resort, set among the region's olive groves and rolling green hills.

On her special day, Lindy wore a stunning, semi-sheer Toni Maticevski gown and went barefoot. Meanwhile, Adam looked dapper in a tailored suit.

Nuptials: Lindy and Adam married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Tuscany, Italy, earlier this month

Lindy is also a proud mother to Stella, eleven, Rocco, nine, and Frankie, six, who she shares with ex-husband Michael Klim, 40.

The brand ambassador called time on her marriage to Michael in February 2016, and then became engaged to Adam in October of that year, after a whirlwind romance.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia back in 2016, Lindy said she didn't predict falling back in love so soon after her split from Michael.

'[It's] completely not what I expected, to fall back into another relationship, but he's so lovely. It's about time I got on with my life,' she said cheerfully.

Lindy also said it was 'difficult' juggling single parenthood, and wished Michael and his new flame Desiree Deravi 'all the best'.
Tayla Damir has claimed she gave Grant Crapp 'multiple chances to tell the truth' about his secret girlfriend Lucy Cartwright while they were in the Love Island villa.

And it was this failure to resolve this issue in Spain that eventually led to the winning couple breaking up, according to runner-up Erin Barnett.

Erin, 23, told Pedestrian's Waiting For A D8 podcast on Thursday: 'The only thing I was annoyed about was... it wasn't really discussed in the villa and it happened in the villa!'

Scroll down for video

'It wasn't really discussed': Love Island's Erin Barnett said on Thursday that Grant Crapp (left) should have resolved his 'secret girlfriend' controversy with Tayla Damir (right) during the show as 'her trust was broken' when the truth came out

'I feel like it should have been spoken about in the villa because it was reality,' she explained.

'Outside, they did try and work it out but they just couldn't. It's a trust thing... her trust is broken.'

Speaking of the couple's split after just a few weeks of dating, Erin added: 'I think Tayla probably was really blindsided.'

'It's a trust thing...her trust is broken': It was Grant's failure to resolve the 'secret girlfriend' scandal in Spain that eventually led to his split with Tayla, according to Erin (pictured left with her boyfriend Eden Dally on Love Island Australia)

Tayla confirmed the couple's split last month, telling The Fix that she was unable to forgive Grant for lying about his other relationship.

She said: 'I gave him multiple chances inside the villa, and obviously once I found out this information [about his secret girlfriend], the lies just continued.

'I told Grant he needed to own up. I finally got the answer that was the truth: he was on [Love Island] to promote himself and he did have a girlfriend who was running his business while he was inside the villa.'

Two-timer: Tayla confirmed her split with Grant last month, telling The Fix that she was unable to forgive Grant for lying about his other relationship. Pictured left: Grant and Taya on Love Island Australia, and right: Grant and his 'secret girlfriend' Lucy Cartwright

On Monday, Grant confirmed to NW that he was back together with Lucy Cartwright, the woman he was dating until just before he flew overseas to film Love Island.

'Me and Tayla are finished and I'm back with Lucy... We've picked up right where we left off,' he told the magazine.

Grant's 'secret girlfriend' scandal began while the show was still airing, when fans claimed on social media that the Canberra-based electrician, 22, was in a committed relationship with a woman - later identified as Lucy - before he left for Spain.

Heartbroken: Grant denied the 'secret girlfriend' rumours during a group challenge on the show and continued to downplay his his relationship with Lucy after leaving the villa. However, Tayla (pictured) eventually found out the truth and decided to end their relationship

Grant denied the rumours during a group challenge on the show, and continued to downplay having a 'secret girlfriend' outside of the villa after returning to Australia.

However, Tayla eventually found out the truth and decided to end their relationship.

Meanwhile, British fans will be able to enjoyed the Grant-Tayla-Lucy drama for the first time after UK channel ITV Be secured broadcasting rights to Love Island Australia.
They're making waves abroad, having recently completed a sold-out tour across North America.

And now Australian rock band Gang Of Youths have announced they're bringing the beats back home with a mini-festival in Brisbane later this year.

Titled A More Perfect Union, the concert will take place during the band's Say Yes To Life national tour in November.

Ready to rock! Australian band Gang Of Youths have announced they're heading to Brisbane for a mini festival. Pictured (left to right): Band members Max Dunn, Donnie Borzestowski, David Le'aupepe, Joji Malani and Jung Kim at the 2017 ARIA Awards in Sydney

'A More Perfect Union is something we have been excited about doing for a while now,' the Sydney-based band said in an official statement.

'Bringing a festival to Australia that we can grow into something incredible for people. This is the first of hopefully many, and we have asked some friends we really respect to join us.

'We are constantly surprised by, and are very grateful for the way Australia has treated us and we hope people in Brisbane can come along and enjoy the show.'

A More Perfect Union will take place at Brisbane's Riverstage on November 24, and will also feature artists Jack River, Luca Brasi, Thelma Plum and Charlie Collins.

Festival vibes: A More Perfect Union will take place at Brisbane's Riverstage on November 24, and will also feature artists Jack River, Luca Brasi, Thelma Plum and Charlie Collins

Proving to be a busy time for the boys, the festival comes amid Gang Of Youths' Say Yes To Life national tour, which includes shows in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Fremantle and Sydney.

The band, which comprises of David Le'aupepe, Max Dunn, Jung Kim, Joji Malani and Donnie Borzestowski, recently completed a European and North American tour.

In an interview with Triple J in February, principal songwriter David reflected on the band's success over the past 12 months.

'It's like getting participation in the school swimming carnival one year, then going to state champs the next, which doesn't happen!' he said.

Success: In an interview in February, David (pictured), reflected on the band's recent success. He said: 'It's like getting participation in the school swimming carnival one year, then going to state champs the next, which doesn't happen!'

David also admitted to being a 'slow writer' and that he often needs something traumatic to happen before he can get into the recording studio.

'I'm such a slow writer and not very prolific,' he said. 'I get lucky if I s**t something good out every six months.

'I think a lot of the subject matter with the band is reflective of what's happening in our life. So I have to wait for horrible, traumatic things or great things to happen before I can [write].'
She recently revealed to her Instagram followers she's been suffering from 'night terrors'.

And stunning model Megan Blake Irwin has spoken more about her frightening battle with the disorder.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the David Jones Spring Summer 18 Collections Launch on Wednesday, the 24-year-old said she is managing her sleeping problem with an holistic approach.

'I'm dealing with it in the right way': Model Megan Blake Irwin (pictured at the David Jones Spring Summer 18 Collections Launch on Wednesday) has spoken about her terrifying battle with 'night terrors'

'These things happen to a lot of people,' the jet-setting model explained.

'I'm dealing with it in the right way, meditation, yoga.'

'It's definitely sorting itself out,' she added.

In late July, the blonde beauty took to her Instagram story to reveal to her legions of fans that she was suffering from 'night terrors' and asked for their advice.

'I wake up in a completely frightened state!': In late July, the blonde beauty took to her Instagram story to reveal to her legions of fans that she was suffering from 'night terrors' and asked for their advice

'Help me I need sleep!': She explained 'I wake up in a completely frightened state and now won't be able to get back to sleep for at least a few hours'

Megan time stamped her post at 1.48am and wrote: 'Woke up with the worst night terrors again.. At the exact same time as the two nights before.'

'I wake up in a completely frightened state and now won't be able to get back to sleep for at least a few hours,' she explained.

The model asked her fans: 'Does anyone know how to help with night-terrors? Help me I need sleep!'

'Me time!': The next day she turned to Sydney Float Centre for some relaxing 'me time'. She explained in the caption that she was going to lay back and float in complete darkness, on a mix of water and 750kg of Epsom salt

The following day, she turned to Sydney Float Centre for some relaxing 'me time.'

She shared a picture of the pod she was about to sit in and explained in the caption that she was going to lay back and float in complete darkness, on water mixed with 750kg of Epsom salt.

After her one hour session, priced at $89 per float, she raved about her experience: 'Mind completely clears and your body is at a complete state of relaxation! Heaven! Highly recommend.'

Happier days: Her day of self care comes after her ex boyfriend Nicolo Knows confirmed the couple's split

Meanwhile, Megan's ex boyfriend Nicolo Knows confirmed the couple's recent split by sharing a steamy bedroom photo of himself with Russian model Asya Rosh.

Fans were left scrambling for answers when the Miami-based socialite took to Instagram with the intimate photo, despite never formally announcing his split from Megan.

In the image, blonde beauty Asya can be seen sprawled across a double bed wearing nothing but a towel as a topless Nicolo wrapped his arm around her.
Brad Pitt is reportedly struggling to maintain a relationship with his six children as his custody dispute with ex wife Angelina Jolie rages on.

The actor, 54, was pictured at two different law offices on Tuesday, the same day Jolie accused him of failing to support their children financially in the two years since she filed for divorce in 2016.

Pitt disputed those claims, revealing that he has given his ex-wife more than $9million in the past 18 months, including $1.3million in bills and $8million for her to purchase her current residence.

Jolie responded to his denials saying that the money was merely a loan and does not constitute child support - accusing Pitt of 'trying to distract' from the fact that he hasn't paid child support.

A new report from TMZ Thursday claims that Pitt has been struggling to stay connected with the couple's six children, Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, Vivienne, 10 and Knox, 10, all of whom are currently living with Jolie in London as she films Maleficent 2.

New reports claim that Brad Pitt is struggling to maintain a relationship with his six children his custody battle with Angelina Jolie heats up. The pair, pictured in 2015 with children Zahara, Maddox, Pax and Shiloh, filed for divorce in 2016 after 10 years together

The 54-year-old actor was seen at back-to-back meetings at two different law offices in Los Angeles Tuesday, the same day Jolie accused him of failing to financially support their children

In a statement to UsWeekly, Samantha Bley DeJean of the Law Offices of Bley and Bley said when Jolie left Pitt, taking their children with her, in September 2016, Pitt opted to keep the family home in Los Angeles, that he had kept following his divorce from first wife Jennifer Aniston, including the contents.

The statement said: 'Brad was asked to assist in the expense of a new home for Angelina and the children, but instead he loaned Angelina money, for which he is charging her interest on a payment plan'.

'Angelina will of course honor that loan. A loan is not, however, child support and to represent it as such is misleading and inaccurate.'

'Angelina is asking Brad to pay 50 percent of the children's expenses. He has not. Angelina has had to shoulder the majority of those without his contribution for the past two years. Child support is not optional in California,' the statement on Jolie's behalf went on.

Jolie filed court documents accusing Pitt of failing to provide 'meaningful' financial support to the couple's six children on Tuesday. The actor has refuted those accusations, claiming that he has loaned her more than $9million in the past 18 months

Pitt looked tense as he entered meetings with his lawyers on Tuesday in Los Angeles amidst the claims that he hasn't been paying child support

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.

The 43-year-old actress is said to have been trying to limit Pitt's access to their children, but the judge in the couple's divorce case ruled that a restriction would be harmful.

According to TMZ, the judge set a schedule for the actor to visit his children in London for 10 hours a day, four consecutive days at a time.

Insiders have told the site that Pitt and Jolie have no interaction with each other and hand-offs are handled by staff.

Pitt is also permitted to call and text his children at any time without monitoring by Jolie.

The dispute over how much time Pitt is allowed to have with the children has reportedly brought the couple's divorce proceedings to 'an impasse', according to insiders.

'She can't see past her anger for Brad that he is on his way to getting joint custody,' a source told UsWeekly.

Jolie accused Pitt of 'trying to distract' from the fact that he hasn't paid child support by bringing up the money he'd loaned her for her home

Sources close to Pitt have said he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the children each month

On Tuesday the Fight Club actor looked deep in thought as he made his way inside his lawyer's office in Los Angeles.

An eyewitness told Us Weekly: 'He sat in his car for four to five minutes before getting out once his driver had parked.

'[He] seemed tense. It was as though he had the weight of the world on his mind.'

The meeting with his lawyers came just as Jolie accused Pitt of failing to pay 'meaningful' child support for 18 months in new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.

On Wednesday Pitt's lawyers fired back, revealing that the actor had paid more than $9million to his ex in the last year-and-a-half.

According to the filing, Jolie's claim to the contrary was 'a thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage'.

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

Source close to Pitt told Page Six the actor forks over hundreds of thousands each month on therapists for his six children, travel expenses and round-the-clock bodyguards.

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 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, in hopes that the divorce can be finalized this year.

'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.

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 $160million, 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 the Hollywood power couple's shocking split was announced amid allegations that Pitt had been 'rough' with one of their children on a private plane. Pitt was investigated but cleared of all wrongdoing.
She welcomed her fifth child this June when she was 54 years old.

And Brigitte Nielsen, who since the birth of her daughter Frida has turned 55, has already achieved a breathtakingly slim post-baby figure.

The platinum blonde Dane, who was once married to Sylvester Stallone, showed off her new look in a collage she posted to Instagram Wednesday.

Up on Instagram: Brigitte Nielsen, who since the birth of her daughter Frida has turned 55, has already achieved a breathtakingly slim post-baby figure

Slipping into a figure-hugging white zip-up jacket, a matching top and some capris, Brigitte placed her hands at her waist to stress her svelte frame.

Her cropped air was swept up in an elegant coiff, and the woman Joan Rivers once called a 'c***' to her face on TV modeled massive sunglasses.

The Rdovre native added a bit of dazzle to her ensemble with a pair of glistening earrings, as well as silver-toned gleaming sneakers.

'I'm getting there... #me #brigittenielsen #afterbabybody,' captioned the 6'1" celeb, who claims to have bedded Sean Penn and Tony Scott.

Brigitte with Frida: She conceived her youngest child through in vitro fertilization, having had the foresight when she was 40 to have her eggs frozen

Brigitte, who has dated Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav and ex-New York Jet Mark Gastineau, had her latest baby with her fifth husband Mattia Dessi.

She conceived her youngest child through in vitro fertilization, having had the foresight when she was 40 to have her eggs frozen.

'If you dont want to use [donor] eggs, you have to preserve your own eggs at a reasonable age for there to be a possibility,' Brigitte explained to People.

Man and wife: The Celebrity Rehab alumna met her 39-year-old latest husband Mattia Dessi (right) at a Swiss hotel where he was working as a waiter, marrying him in 2006 in Malta

'If you do IVF, 80 percent of the time, it doesnt work. Its that phone call going: "Its negative." Its the waiting. Its a lot. Its a big, big journey,' said she.

'Another thing is it is expensive. It doesnt come easy or cheap if you do it my way. I want people to know that,' the Rocky IV actress insisted.

Brigitte and her first ex-husband, Danish composer Kasper Winding, share a 34-year-old son called Julian, who has himself become an electronic musician.

Throwback snapshot: Brigitte has four other children - Julian, 34, Killian, 28, Douglas, 25, and Raoul Jr, 23 - by three other fathers

The mother-of-five - who told Melbourne's Herald Sun that Arnold Schwarzenegger philandered on Maria Shriver with her - has a son called Killian, 28, by Mark.

Brigitte also has two sons - Douglas, 25, and Raoul Jr, 23 - by her fourth husband Raoul Meyer, who was married to her from 1993 until 2005.

The Celebrity Rehab alumna met her now 39-year-old latest husband at a Swiss hotel where he was working as a waiter, marrying him in 2006 in Malta.
They have been married since 2002 and share three children.

And on Wednesday Julia Roberts and Danny Moder were snapped grabbing coffee to go in a low-key outing in Malibu.

The Pretty Woman star, 50, appeared to be makeup-free as she hid her eyes behind large sunglasses.

They have been married since 2002 and share three children. And on Wednesday Julia Roberts and Danny Moder were snapped grabbing coffee to go in a low-key outing in Malibu

Julia wore her long dyed blonde hair loose and had a pretty patterned scarf wrapped around her neck.

She looked stylish in a stripy fisherman's top paired with loose-fitting black slacks.

Her cameraman husband, 49, wore a long-sleeved dark gray top and black sweats along with shades.

The Pretty Woman star, 50, appeared to be makeup-free as she hid her eyes behind large sunglasses and wrapped a pretty patterned scarf around her neck

The couple are rarely photographed together in public preferring to keep a low profile and keep their marriage out of the spotlight

On trend: Julia wore her long dyed blonde hair loose. The Erin Brokovich Oscar winner looked stylish in a stripy fisherman's top paired with loose-fitting black slacks and black shoes

The couple are rarely photographed together in public preferring to keep a low profile and keep their marriage out of the spotlight.

They are parents to 13-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and son Henry, 11.

Last week, the Erin Brokovich Oscar winner walked the red carpet solo at a special Garry Marshall Tribute Performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical in New York.

Her starring role opposite Richard Gere in Pretty Woman catapulted her to stardom when it was released in 1990.

Julia shares three children with Danny - 13-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and son Henry, 11

Meanwhile, the actress and Lancome beauty ambassador stars in a short 'film' this month to promote the company's popular fragrance, La vie est belle, due to be released later this month.

In a statement, the fragrance and make-up brand explained: 'With just a simple gesture, or a smile, Julia Roberts suffuses the space around her with happiness.'

While the ad is set in Paris, it was actually shot at Universal Studios in LA in a big production with 90 extras.

Julia is also currently filming the psychological thriller series Homecoming for Amazon, set to premiere in the fall on the subscription streaming service.

Spokesperson: As brand ambassador for Lancome, Julia stars in a short film to be released this month to promote the company's popular fragrance, La vie est belle
She's been busy shooting scenes for her latest film Isn't It Romantic with Liam Hemsworth.

And Rebel Wilson, 38, enjoyed a well-earned break in Iceland this week.

The Hollywood actress looked happy and relaxed while swimming at the famous Blue Lagoon, in snaps shared to Instagram on Wednesday and she declared the trip, 'The most epic holiday!!'

'This is the most epic holiday!' Rebel Wilson wears a purple swimsuit while relaxing in Iceland's Blue Lagoon as she takes a break from filming her latest movie. Pictured here on Wednesday

The actress wore a purple one-piece swimsuit with Monday emblazoned across the front while treating herself to a spa day at The Retreat Hotel, where rooms cost upwards of $2,300 (AUD) a night.

'I had the most relaxing time here,' she captioned a video.

'...The lagoon is heated by geothermal steam and is this gorgeous blue [colour] because of the algae and silica in it. Its really therapeutic for you and your skin.

'I had the most relaxing time here': The Hollywood actress documented her luxury holiday in snaps shared to Instagram on Wednesday

Spa day: 'The hotel does these in water massages which are to die for!! Thats where you lie under a blanket and float whilst getting massaged,' she told her Instagram followers

'... This is the most epic holiday!!'

Another image showed the makeup-free star in a black and white one-piece while relaxing with friends.

Earlier this week, the Bridesmaids star took part in a shoot for Vanity Fair Iceland.

Adventure: Her trip has included a series of adventures including a helicopter ride (pictured), Quad bike ride, hiking and riding a snowmobile

Her trip has included a series of adventures including a helicopter ride, Quad bike ride, hiking and riding a snowmobile.

It comes two weeks after Rebel was seen filming scenes for her latest flick with Hollywood hunk Liam Hemsworth and actress Priyanka Chopra in New York.

The trio looked to be in high spirits as they danced at the corner of 40th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan.
Bachelor In Paradise star Sam Cochrane, 34, has reportedly 'gone into hiding' following his domestic violence claims against Tara Pavlovic, 28.

He escaped to Bali last week for a holiday with mates and a family friend claims he's now 'uncontactable.'

'Sam has gone away and I cant even reach him right now,' the 'source' told New Idea on Thursday.

'He can't be reached': Sam Cochrane has reportedly gone 'into hiding' after shock abuse claims that ex-fiancee Tara Pavlovic 'bit' and 'punched' him. Pictured here on Bachelor In Paradise earlier this year

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Sam for comment.

On Wednesday, further claims about Sam and Tara's bitter split surfaced.

According to the Woman's Day Uncensored podcast, the Queensland nanny allegedly 'bragged' about hitting her partner to friends after one of their blow-ups.

More allegations: According to the Woman's Day Uncensored podcast, the Queensland nanny allegedly 'bragged' about hitting her partner to friends after one of their blow-ups. Pictured: Tara and Sam at an event in Sydney on June 8, 2018

A journalist for the magazine claimed: '[Sam] had all these crazy text messages that [Tara] had been sending to friends bragging about the fact that she had bitten him... [and] punched him fully in the face.

'She'd told other people on The Bachelor that she'd done that, and it's just kind of crazy that she was so proud of it.'

It comes after Sam made extraordinary claims that Tara subjected him to physical and verbal abuse before their break-up in June.

Claims: Just days ago, Sam made explosive allegations that his ex-fiancee Tara physically and verbally abused him during their relationship. Pictured earlier this year, before their split

He accused Tara of violent behaviour leading up to their split in a bombshell interview with Woman's Day on Monday, prompting her to respond by branding him 'emotionally abusive'.

Tara later admitted on Instagram that she did hit Sam after their engagement party, but alleged he 'pushed her' to do it and insisted her actions were 'out of character'.

In another Instagram post responding to Sam's claims, Tara alleged that her ex-fiance was 'emotionally abusive' during their six-month relationship.

New development: According to the Woman's Day Uncensored podcast, the 28-year-old nanny allegedly 'boasted' about hitting her partner to her friends after one of their blow-ups

He said, she said! Sam (left) accused Tara (right) of violent behaviour leading up to their June split in a bombshell interview with Woman's Day on Monday, prompting her to respond by branding him 'emotionally abusive'

She also claimed that Sam had 'begged for her back' following their break-up.

Tara had previously alluded on social media to her experience of dating a 'narcissist', but did not mention Sam by name.

'There are terrible people in this world. I've learned that over the past six months,' she wrote. 'I reached a low I never knew I could reach and I turned into a person I have never been before... I am a good person and that's all that matters.'

Admission: Tara later admitted on Instagram that she did hit Sam after their engagement party, but alleged he 'pushed her' to do it and insisted her actions were 'out of character'

Last week, Tara told Daily Mail Australia that she felt 'relieved' following the couple's split and alleged that her relationship with Sam was 'toxic'.

'Sam left me after a fight thinking I would beg for him back - he always threatened to leave and played games,' she claimed.

'But this time I told him to never speak to me again and then he begged for me back for weeks.'

She claimed: 'The relationship was just the most toxic thing. I feel the biggest sense of relief now that it's all over. I finally feel like I'm myself again.'

'I turned into a person I have never been before': After Sam accused Tara (left) of violence, she responded on Instagram with a post about her experience of dating a 'narcissist'

Sam's allegations come weeks after his mother, Rosie Wynter, took a thinly-veiled swipe at Tara and implied there was more to the story surrounding their split.

'You cannot imagine the story behind it and I opened my heart and home. I can't say anymore... please understand. There is so much to it,' she claimed on Instagram.

Sam and Tara confirmed their split via Instagram in June.

They got engaged during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, which was filmed in Fiji last year and aired in late April.

Sam proposed with a GS Diamonds ring believed to be worth $11,000. Following their break-up, he announced plans to auction it off for charity.
She is busy planning her special day to her AFL star fiance Joel Patfull.

And now, Elle Ferguson has revealed Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is her wedding inspiration.

At the David Jones Fashion Show on Wednesday, the 31-year-old told Daily Mail Australia: 'I think Meghan Markle really set a really good standard.'

'She set a really good standard! Fashion blogger Elle Ferguson reveals Meghan Markle is her wedding inspiration as she prepares to marry fiance Joel Patfull

'She just was so refined and simple and just elegantly beautiful,' she raved about the former Suits actress' May nuptials.

'I would love something just really understated,' the fashion blogger said of her own upcoming wedding.

Inspired by the new Royal's gown, the stunner also appeared to have a design in mind.

'I love a sleeve so I'm hoping to look at a sleeve and I do want to wear a veil,' Elle said.

'She just was so refined and simple and just elegantly beautiful,' Elle raved about the former Suits actress' May nuptials to Prince Harry

Beachside wedding bliss: Elle also revealed she and Joel are looking coastal wedding venues for the big day. 'We want to be by the beach because the beach is really close to our hearts and we got engaged in Byron, so we're thinking somewhere up there'

Elle also revealed she and Joel are looking coastal wedding venues for the big day.

'We want to be by the beach because the beach is really close to our hearts and we got engaged in Byron, so we're thinking somewhere up there.'

She added: 'We always talk about Byron and everybody from overseas is like we wanna see Byron so we feel like that's probably where we'll do it.

The stylish blonde also said she has been busy searching for the perfect wedding dress in New York and Los Angeles.

'I'm looking at quite a few designers. I would give you names but then I'm giving you the big secret,' she laughed.

'I'm looking at quite a few designers!' The stylish blonde also said she has been busy searching for the perfect wedding dress in New York and Los Angeles. Pictured: Elle's behind the scenes photo from her Cosmo Brides shoot dressed in Vera Wang

Previously speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Elle praised Joel for being the perfect 'Instagram husband'.

'Two years ago we laughed at the 'Insta husband', but you know what, we're leaving for Abu Dhabi on Monday and Joel is coming as my photographer,' she said.

'To be able to share the experience with the one that you love - you wouldn't have it any other way.'
He's one of the most successful producers in Australia, having worked on shows such as I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and Big Brother.

And during an appearance on Popsugar's Popcast on Thursday, Love Island Australia's executive producer Alex Mavroidakis revealed that he was blindsided when it came to 23-year-old Grant Crapp's secret girlfriend.

Speaking to Tim Dormer, 33, Alex explained that he believed all of the contestants were single.

'He did bloody well to hide that from us': Love Island's executive producer Alex Mavroidakis revealed he was blindsided by Grant Crapp's secret girlfriend

Alex acknowledged the producers did an extensive background check on all contestants that included speaking to loved ones, meeting with them and scanning their online presence.

Despite this, Grant's relationship outside of the Spanish villa still came as a surprise to Alex, particularly after Eden Dally's girlfriend news turned out to be false.

'The Grant thing - he did bloody well to hide that from us and I have to say we had no idea, even when the article came out,' Alex said.

'The Grant thing - he did bloody well to hide that from us and I have to say we had no idea, even when the article came out,' Alex said when speaking to Tim Dormer during an appearance on Popsugar's pilot season of Popcast on Thursday

'I went through the entire series right up until the end, right up until the finale...and even when I saw Grant and Tayla after the winning announcement, I still didn't believe it was true.

'He obviously lied to us to get in and what was his motivation for going on the show?' he added.

Alex admitted a large number of contestants that enter reality shows do so to expand their online horizons or get paid for sponsorships on social media.

No idea! Grant's relationship outside of the Spanish villa still came as a surprise to Alex, particularly after Eden Dally's girlfriend news turned out to be false

Admitting this won't be the first time a contestant has lied to producers of reality shows, Alex confessed that Love Island will conduct more strenuous procedures when examining contestants moving forward.

Earlier this month, Grant Crapp rekindled with his 'secret girlfriend' Lucy Cartwright after breaking up with former Love Island flame, Tayla Damir.

The electrician also told OK! Magazine on Thursday that he will not be giving back his share of the $50,000 grand prize to Tayla after the pair won the show together.

Many fans claimed that he won fraudulently due to the fact that he had a secret girlfriend.
She's the country girl who has made it big in the modelling world, having walked for the likes of Victoria's Secret.

And this week, Australian stunner Victoria Lee has revealed how her family battled drought over the years, saying she's grateful for her upbringing.

The 28-year-old, who hails from NSW's Narrandera, said she grew up aware of water conservation and would always have 'short showers.'

'I'm so grateful to have that upbringing and awareness': Victoria Lee reveals she grew up having 'short showers' living in country NSW... as the model recalls her family's battle with the drought

Speaking to Yahoo Be, Victoria said: 'I grew up having short showers and actually saving the water in our shower in a bucket and then putting it on the plants and not washing our car.'

'I'm so grateful to have that upbringing and awareness.'

She added that her friends and family in Narrandera are currently facing the drought, and have battled it for years.

Tough: She added that her friends and family in Narrandera are currently facing the drought, and have battled it for years (pictured on a property with her father and grandfather)

Success! She's the country girl who has made it big in the modelling world, having walked for the likes of Victoria's Secret (pictured)

Her parents are no longer on property though.

'It's a real testament to the farmers, just how resilient and tough they are and continue to be,' Victoria said.

In February, the blonde spoke about her rise in the modelling world and said that being a country girl has kept her grounded.

Speaking to BW magazine, Victoria referenced the success story of Margot Robbie who also grew up in the country, admitting: 'I think we're [country girls] down-to-earth and that's from growing up in such a small community.'

'You have a sense of community around you and you've got a relaxed, laid-back upbringing - you're removed from the high fashion world and the craziness of the big city and fashion.'

Having grown up in the NSW town of Narrandera which has a population of less than 4000 people, the fashion superstar now calls New York City home.
She caused quite a stir after unfollowing Megan Barton Hanson on social media following their clash at the Love Island reunion show.

Yet Georgia Steel put all the explosive drama into her risque ensemble when she left Pryzm nightclub, in Kingston in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The Love Island star, 20, looked drop-dead gorgeous as she framed her cleavage in her lingerie-inspired velvet top embellished with lace trimmings on the neckline.

Keep moving forward! Love Island's Georgia Steel looked ravishing in a risque lingerie-inspired top and mini skirt as she partied on Wednesday after 'unfollowing Megan on social media'

Self-confessed 'loyal' Georgia displayed her radiant glow and villa tan when she paraded her legs in her mini skirt and jeweled platform sandals.

Flirtatiously, the student ran her fingers through the ends of her caramel-coloured locks which were styled in her trademark curly fashion.

The outspoken personality enjoyed her evening out on her own without her love Sam Bird while a handful of the other islanders headed out to Soho's Toy Room Club.

Oozing sex appeal: The Love Island star, 20, framed her cleavage in her lingerie-inspired velvet spaghetti top embellished with lace trimmings on the neckline

Seductive: Flirtatiously, the student ran her fingers through the ends of her caramel-coloured locks which were styled in her trademark curly fashion

Tensions were at boiling point between Georgia and fellow islander Megan when they unfollowed each other on social media.

The news was reported by The Sun and comes after the pair were involved in a very awkward exchange on Love Island: The Reunion on Sunday night.

Caroline Flack, 38, asked Megan, 24, if it was true she didn't like Georgia, 20, and she said she 'didn't understand her.'

Pin-credible: Self-confessed 'loyal' Georgia displayed her radiant glow and villa tan when she paraded her legs in her mini skirt and jeweled platform sandals

She said: 'It's not even like that. I'm shy and she is very extroverted, it's not that I didn't like her, I just didn't get it. I wasn't used to being around people like that.'

The camera panned to a visibly irked Georgia who was sitting in the crowd along with her boyfriend Sam, 25. She yelled out: 'It's OK boo. No need to worry darling.'

MailOnline previously contacted representatives for Megan and Georgia for comment.

Fashionable foot forward: The outspoken personality enjoyed her evening out on her own without her love Sam Bird while a handful of the other islanders headed out to Soho

Megan had famously called Georgia a 'fake b***h' in the villa and was particularly annoyed when she jumped into the swimming pool.

Elsewhere, Georgia also caused controversy on the Reunion show when she finally apologised to Laura Anderson for kissing Jack Fowler.

The reality star, who ensured her islanders knew how 'real and loyal' she was, exclaimed she would have told Laura if she had 'remembered it that way'.

Hot on town: Georgia swaggered through the streets in her platform sandals, oozing confidence, as she made her presence known

During a catch up between Caroline, Laura and her hunky beau Paul Knops, the host announced she was going to play a clip of the controversial kiss.

Moments after it played Georgia shouted: 'Oh Laura Darlin' you know if I'd of remembered it that way, you know me boo I would have told you.'

A member of the audience then quipped: 'We all saw it!'

Moving on: The chatty star caused quite a stir after unfollowing Megan Barton Hanson on social media following their clash at the Love Island reunion show

Before Georgia shot back: 'I would have boo, I would have, I love you Darlin' and that's all that matters.'

Caroline was quick to ask Laura for her take on the kiss as she said it must have been confusing for her at the time, Laura, who defended Jack throughout the ordeal.

She replied: 'It wasn't that confusing... I believed Jack straight away but it was difficult because Georgia seemed so adamant, and that swayed my decision with Jack and I really wanted to be her friend, but she was telling me why don't you believe me, why don't you believe me.'
She never failed to dress up in the Love Island villa, having spent years working as a model.

But Megan Barton Hanson proved she was just like the rest of us on Wednesday, when her boyfriend Wes Nelson revealed her laid-back appearance at home.

Taking to his Instagram story, the 20-year-old shared a hilarious clip of Megan, 24, relaxing on the sofa in pyjamas and no make-up, causing her to brand herself a 'slobby mess'.

Time to chill: Megan Barton Hanson proved she was just like the rest of us on Wednesday, when her boyfriend Wes Nelson revealed her laid-back appearance at home (above)

The funny clip saw Megan and Wes try to decide what to film to watch during their cosy night in - with the beauty unaware she was being videoed.

Megan was worlds away from her usually dolled-up self, reclining on their sofa in a cropped Snoop Dogg T-shirt and pale pink pyjama shorts.

Clearly ready for a night in, the model pulled her hair into a messy bun and ditched her typically glamorous make-up look, as she sipped on a bottle of squash in front of the TV.

Bombshell: Megan was one of the most glamorous girls in the Love Island villa, having spent years working as a model

However, the beauty was left far from impressed when she realised Wes' antics, scolding: 'Wes, stop! It's Netflix and chill time not let's record Megan!'

Giggling, her boyfriend simply zoomed in on the TV and joked: 'There's the Netflix... but where's the chill babe?'

Causing Megan to jiggle her stomach and quip: 'Here, look at this slobby mess, its chilled!'

'I'm chilled': Taking to his Instagram story, the 20-year-old shared a hilarious clip of Megan, 24, relaxing on the sofa in pyjamas and no make-up, causing her to brand herself a 'slobby mess'

Only adding to the hilarity, Wes then shared a second video of the pair settling down to watch Tammy - which follows a scruffy burger-joint waitress, played by Melissa McCarthy.

Filming the character emerging from her car in the first scene, the hunk joked: 'If you're ever wondering what Meg is like off camera... there she is baby!', leaving Megan in hysterics.

The good-looking couple have proved to be one of the strongest since leaving the Love Island villa last week.

Besotted: Wes and Megan have proved to be one of the strongest couples since leaving the Love Island villa last week

Taking the next step: The pair have met each other's families (above), and Wes even moved into Megan's flat in Southend as soon as they returned from Mallorca

Wes moved into Megan's flat in Southend as soon as they returned to the UK, and the pair are currently on the hunt for their own place.

After a turbulent run in the villa - which saw them disrupt many of their own relationships to be together - the pair placed fourth during the show's live final last week.

Yet, the clips show Megan in a completely new light, as she is known for her effortlessly glamorous and sexy appearance.

The Essex native has been open about her past as a glamour model and stripper, and recently hit headlines amid claims she worked as an escort.

Leading lady: Yet, the clips show Megan in a completely new light, as she is known for her effortlessly glamorous and sexy appearance (pictured right, with Kaz Crossley)

However, the blonde was quick to blast these reports on Loose Women - although she did admit to dating guys who were 'older and wealthy'.

She said: 'It's just a small part of my life. Love Island has changed me - I've come out a stronger person and it's time to move forward.

'I was never an escort. I've done glamour modelling and webcam work, and I've dated guys who were older than me and wealthy, and guys who were younger than me who had no money, so I supported them.

'I date all different guys. Its not like I dated guys purposely because theyre wealthy. Ive dated guys with no money.'
He split from co-star Tracey Jewel in May following a five-month romance.

And Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Married At First Sight's Sean Thomsen, 34, may not be single for much longer and is bouncing back into the dating scene.

The FIFO worker has been seeing 19-year-old Melbourne based Instagram model and student, Sarcia Alexandra, for several weeks now.

Scroll down for video

EXCLUSIVE: Moving on! MAFS' Sean Thomsen, 34, dating teen student Sarcia Alexandra, 19, after 'meeting on Tinder in Melbourne'

Sean shared a snap with the stunning blonde to Instagram on July 22 while enjoying a date at Melbourne's Crown Towers.

However, the reality star kept the lucky lady's identity secret and failed to tag her.

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal she's stunning Sarcia.

A source said: 'They met on Tinder while Sean was in Melbourne and really hit it off. She later flew to his place in Perth to see him again but it's still early days.'

Hot stuff: Daily Mail Australia can reveal the stunning blonde's identity after Sean failed to tag her in a loved-up date picture on July 22

Swiping right: 'They met on Tinder while Sean was in Melbourne and really hit it off. She later flew to his place in Perth to see him again and it's early days,' a source said

Discussing their blossoming romance, Sean responded to Daily Mail Australia when approached to comment on his relationship status with Sarcia.

'We're just dating,' he said. 'I'm not rushing into anything as you might understand.'

Sean's comments come one week after he revealed his regret at dating co-star Tracey Jewel after meeting on Married At First Sight.

She's a busy girl: Daily Mail Australia is told Sarcia is a both student and Instagram model

'I don't have regrets as far as going on the show but I regret the relationship I had with Tracey,' Sean told Yahoo7 Be.

When asked about his mystery new girlfriend, Sean also told the publication that they met in Melbourne, and that he's now planning to relocate from Perth to Melbourne 'to take the long distance factor out of dating.'

Daily Mail Australia have contacted Sarcia for comment.
Laura Whitmore and boyfriend Iain Stirling have jetted off to Israel to enjoy a romantic break, following Love Island's fourth series coming to an end.

And thrilled to be back in the company of her beau, the Irish TV presenter, 33, couldn't hide her delight as she frolicked in the sea while sporting a skimpy bandeau bikini and covered in mud.

The Dead Sea is renowned for its mineral-rich black mud and making the most of the sought-after beauty ingredient, Laura couldn't resist smothering herself from head-to-toe as she posed in her swimwear.

Stunning: Laura Whitmore flaunted her sensational frame in a skimpy bandeau bikini as she covered herself in mud on romantic Israel break with boyfriend Iain Harding

The starlet looked sensational in her revealing getup, as she paraded her bikini-clad frame on Instagram in her latest holiday upload.

Stood with her arms in the air, Laura popped her hip out to one side and drew attention to her pert behind as she showed off the extent of her latest bid to exfoliate her body.

She had smeared mud all over her frame, covering her pins and taut stomach, along with her arms and even covering some of her face. Many tourists flock to the Dead Sea because of its mineral-rich black mud that is sought after by beauty fans for its skin-enhancing abilities.

Laura had clearly wanted to try it out for herself and pleased with her efforts, the blonde sported a huge smile across her face, along with a chic pair of shades, as she took to the sea.

Pampering session: The Irish TV presenter covered herself in the mineral-rich black mud from the Dead Sea, as she and her beau visited the phenomenon on Thursday

Floating around: The blonde beauty and Iain have jetted to Israel for a couple's holiday following his working commitment to Love Island coming to an end

In another snap, the former MTV star was pictured floating in the water, making the most of the Dead Sea's high salt concentration. She appeared solo, no doubt roping boyfriend Iain into capturing the shots for her social media post.

Laura is currently holidaying in Israel, having reunited with Iain now Love Island has come to an end. He provides a voice-over for the ITV2 dating series and had been out in Mallorca filming for the last eight weeks.

Laura was seen pining after her beau as Love Island wrapped at the end of July, publicly telling fans how 'proud' she is of her partner and urging him to come home.

She wrote: '1 more sleep! Im super proud of this guy, he works so hard and so many days being away from home can be tough. Enjoy the finale you lovely, smart, funny and handsome man. Hurry up and come home! Thanks x.'

Since then, the couple have headed overseas for some quality time together, with Laura making sure to keep fans updated with their trip on Instagram.

Smitten: The duo proved their relationship is still very much going strong as they documented their break on social media with sweet selfies

Gorgeous: Laura also posted several sunkissed selfies - proving why she has stolen the heart of the Scottish comedian

Missing her beau: Laura had been pining after her beau while he was working in Mallorca, publicly telling fans how 'proud' she is of her partner and urging him to come home

She shared a sweet selfie of the pair and couldn't resist mocking Iain for posing with his eyes shut, as she penned: 'So chill some of us cant even be a**ed keeping our eyes open for a photo.'

The stunner looked gorgeous in selfies she had taken on their break, where she posed in a red printed summer dress and floppy hat. Laura looked nothing but content as she smiled, as her locks fell in front of her face and she sported minimal make-up - with the snaps proving why she has managed to steal the heart of her Scottish comedian boyfriend.

In another snap, Laura showcased her flexibility as she performed a bridge on the sand in her bikini. Showcasing her slender frame in her blue bandeau two-piece, Laura left little to the imagination as she performed the yoga move and credited beau Iain for capturing the moment.

Iain, meanwhile, shared a photo of the couple cosying up together in front of a huge gold statue of Elvis Presley during one of their day trips since being abroad. The funnyman couldn't resist showcasing his sense of humour alongside his upload, adding the caption: 'Forget the Queens Jewels, we found the Kings Jewels.'

Wow: In another holiday snap, Laura showcased her flexibility as she performed a bridge on the sand in a bandeau bikini - drawing attention to her slender frame

Tourists: Iain, meanwhile, shared a photo of the couple cosying up together in front of a huge gold statue of Elvis Presley during one of their day trips

Funnyman: In another amusing post, Iain is seen posing in a larger than life deckchair with 'Tel Aviv [heart] me' printed across it and joking: 'People in Israel are MASSIVE'

In another amusing post, Iain is seen posing in a larger than life deckchair with 'Tel Aviv [heart] me' printed across it. Looking relaxed as he kicked back in the chair, flashing his arm tattoo, Iain joked: 'People in Israel are MASSIVE,' tagging girlfriend Laura as the photographer behind the snap.

Their romantic trip away to Israel comes just after Iain and Laura celebrated their first anniversary as a couple in July.

Speaking about his girlfriend in the past, Iain has confessed he thinks he is 'punching above his weight' with girlfriend Laura.

During an appearance on The Chris Ramsey Show, host Chris had defended Iain and said he didn't think that was the case. The comedian argued: 'People tell you, and I do not agree with this and I hate it when people say this to blokes, people tell you youre punching above your weight, and I dont like that.

Pretty: Laura channelled her inner traveller as she slipped into harem pants and a tie-dye top

'One, youre a good looking lad. I find it underhanded. I find it snide. Its basically someone going, Id f*** your girlfriend, and I dont like it. I dont like it at all. And I dont think youre punching above your weight. I think youre a beautiful man.'

Iain, meanwhile, replied: 'I dont mind it, because it just means Ive done better havent I? Ive got someone whos like me, but much, much better. And Lauras got someone whos like her, but much worse.

'I think Ive done quite well out of it, but Im dead happy because shes lovely and stuff.'

Laura, revealed the couple met in 2017, before Iain travelled to Majorca for his voice-over commitments with Love Island's three series.

I think the first time I met him was at the Childrens BAFTAs, she told MailOnline in February. I was presenting an award and he won an award, so I met him there. I dont know if we were in other relationships but I was just friendly with him. That was before the last series of Love Island.'
They had a scandal-ridden relationship on Married At First Sight.

But Dean Wells has now rushed to the defence of his 'ex-wife' Tracey Jewel, following accusations she has engaged in fraudulent behaviour.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, 40-year-old Dean defiantly declared: 'Tracey and I have had our differences in the past, but I don't think she's a bad person and I don't think she'd ever rip anyone off intentionally.'

'I don't think she'd ever rip anyone off intentionally': Dean Wells has rushed to the defence of his embattled 'ex-wife' Tracey Jewel, sharing a video offering her support on Thursday

Over the past few months, a group of citizen journalists have launched a campaign to expose Tracey's alleged 'lies', which include allegations that she held a fraudulent competition during promotions for her latest self-help book.

Last Friday, after relentless accusations, the Perth-based brunette posted on Instagram: 'I give up. You've ruined my life. You've involved my friends, family, clients and sponsors. I have lost everything because of your relentless hate.'

And almost a week later, Dean claims that Tracey is still struggling.

'Tracey and I have had our differences in the past, but I don't think she's a bad person': It seems Dean and Tracey are now amicable despite their turbulent MAFS relationship (pictured on their wedding day)

'I have spoken to her... she is going through a lot right now. People are accusing her of all kinds of crazy stuff that I don't believe for a second,' he told followers in his Instagram video on Thursday.

He then directly addressed his former spouse, stating: 'Tracey we know you're a strong woman, we know you're an awesome person.'

Dean ended the clip by stating: 'If you're a fan of Tracey now's the time to send her a bit of love. Everyone get out there and send a bit of love Tracey's way because she could use it!'

'There's no boundaries anymore': There have been claims Tracey held a fraudulent competition during promotions for her latest self-help book, This Goddess Mean Business

Earlier this week Tracey released a lengthy statement addressing the various claims made against her - including the allegations that she ran a fraudulent competition promising a holiday in Malaysia .

'It seems I've been trialled by social media,' she wrote. 'Although I've had some business challenges I have resolved with those people privately, I have not been charged legally or criminally for anything. Instead I've been vilified by people that have nothing personally to do with any of the allegations they are throwing my way.'

'There's no boundaries anymore and the consequences can be people's lives literally destroyed,' she also added.

No winner? Tracey explained the winner of the Malaysian holiday competition 'was unable to take the major prize so it was redrawn. We are still waiting to hear back from the redrawn winner and we will be giving her seven days to respond before redrawing.' Pictured: Tracey's Instagram post from June advertising the competition

Addressing her competition offering customers who bought her book This Goddess Means Business the opportunity to win a 'wellness holiday' in Malaysia, which has so far yielded no winner, she insisted 'the terms and conditions for this have always been on [her] website'.

Tracey added: 'There was numerous ways to enter this competition either in person at a book launch, event, expo or online via social media or my website. The three minor prize winners were able to be contacted and mailed their prizes.

'The main prize winner advised in writing she was unable to take the major prize so it was redrawn. We are still waiting to hear back from the redrawn winner and we will be giving her seven days to respond before redrawing.'

It is unclear in her statement who else Tracey is referring to when she says 'we'.

Clarification: Tracey also responded to claims that she implied she had cervical cancer

Tracey also responded to claims that she implied she suffered from cervical cancer.

In a since-deleted Instagram post from earlier this year, Tracey wrote after a visit to the hairdressers: 'Hair never grows back after cervical cancer the same way, thank you for always being so amazing and making my hair look fabulous!'

It was reported by Woman's Day in June that Tracey's claim to have had 'cervical cancer' was inaccurate as doctors had actually discovered CIN 3 precancerous cells.

CIN 3 is not cancer, but can potentially develop into cervical cancer after several years if it is not detected and treated. CIN 3 precancerous cells also do not cause hair loss.

Evidence: In a since-deleted Instagram post (above) from earlier this year, Tracey wrote after a visit to the hairdressers: 'Hair never grows back after cervical cancer the same way, thank you for always being so amazing and making my hair look fabulous!'

In her statement released this week, Tracey wrote: 'I apologised that my comment on Instagram was taken completely out of context.

'A written, off-the-cuff sentence of a post of me saying my hair never grew back properly and I love my hair extensions was a short context of what I clarified later via many media statements was that I was diagnosed with CIN3 abnormal cells that I have two operations to remove after giving birth six weeks earlier.

'Due to the medications, antibiotics and giving up breastfeeding, my hair and skin changed with these combining factors and was a very traumatic time.

'I have apologised several times if anyone took this one Instagram comment in the wrong way it was not my intention to mislead anyone.
Christine Lampard is planning to matchmake Love Islands unlucky-in-love Dr Alex George and Caroline Flack.

Lorraine host Christine, 39, spoke to the handsome chap on the show on Thursday about his crush on the Love Island host, with him describing her as his ideal woman.

Caroline, 38, was engaged to be married to Andrew Brady, 27, although the couple split in July.

Scroll down for video

Could it be? Christine Lampard is 'matchmaking' Love Island's unlucky-in-love Dr Alex and Caroline Flack after told her on Lorraine on Thursday that he DREAMS of being with her

He said: 'Sadly I dont think shell recouple with me, but one can always dream. Id be too shy [to ask her], Im too scared'

But they were recently pictured cosying up to one another in Ibiza last week, with reports she plans to meet up with him again.

And Alex left the villa without a special someone, telling the beautiful Alexandra Cane that he didn't have feelings for her.

Alex, 27, said of the stunning presenter: 'Carolines brilliant, shes absolutely lovely. I cant see a future for us together.

Christine laughed: 'Im not, Ill ask her! Ill text her afterwards, "Caroline"'

Cute: Alex seemed pretty pleased with Christine's idea

Moments: The show shared images of Alex and Caroline partying at the Love Island wrap party on Sunday

Having a hoot: Christine was keen to probe Alex about his time in the villa

'Sadly I dont think shell recouple with me, but one can always dream. Id be too shy [to ask her], Im too scared.'

Christine laughed: 'Im not, Ill ask her! Ill text her afterwards, "Caroline"'

Alex laughed: 'Shes brilliant, shes a great host of the show. We had a lot of fun, banter throughout it. Shes brilliant.'

On and off: Caroline, 38, was engaged to be married to Andrew Brady, 27, although the couple split in July, but they were recently pictured cosying up to one another in Ibiza last week

Alex laughed: 'Shes brilliant, shes a great host of the show. We had a lot of fun, banter throughout it. Shes brilliant'

Dr Alex also has his own plans - he has said he will be godfather to winners Jack and Danis future children.

Speaking of comments about his red skin in the Love Island villa Dr Alex said: 'Ive had acne for many years and I use medications that help with my skin.

'One of those has kept my skin beautifully clear. Unfortunately, a side effect of that medication is it can make you very sensitive to the sun and you can burn very easily.

'In the villa, the amount of time Im in the sun, its very difficult. I used factor 50 and things but unfortunately, yeah I became quite red at certain points.'

Call the doctor: Dr Alex sat alongside resident medic Dr Hilary Jones on the sofa as he talked about his acne skin condition which made him more prone to sunburn in the villa
She's been enjoying a romantic holiday with her beau Dan Edgar ahead of TOWIE's series 23 premiere.

And Amber Turner turned up the heat as she shared a series of sizzling snaps during her sun-soaked getaway with her boyfriend in Crete, Greece on Wednesday.

The reality star, 25, set pulses racing as she sported a scanty yellow bikini, before tapping into full relaxation mode on a pool float.

Ooh-la-la! Amber Turner turned up the heat as she shared a series of sizzling snaps during her sun-soaked getaway with her boyfriend Dan Edgar in Crete, Greece on Wednesday

Ensuring all eyes were on her envy-inducing frame, the bombshell's bikini top boasted her incredibly perky cleavage, while her skimpy thong gave onlookers a glimpse of her slender waist and washboard abs.

Amber opted for her trademark sultry appearance as she wore false lashes, heavy strokes of foundation and nude lipgloss for an enhanced pout.

The fashion blogger injected even more glamour into her look as she styled her platinum locks into voluminous waves.

Living it up: The reality star, 25, set pulses racing as she sported a scanty yellow bikini, before tapping into full relaxation mode on a pool float

Meanwhile, fellow TOWIE star Dan, 28, showcased his muscular upper body and toned midsection as he enjoyed a drink by the pool.

The former electrician was every inch the doting boyfriend as he massaged sunscreen into Amber's peachy derriere and lean legs.

Things between Amber and her on-off beau Dan have been going from strength to strength - with the couple recently rekindling their relationship after a year of casually dating and much heartache.

Having fun: Meanwhile, fellow TOWIE star Dan, 28, showcased his muscular upper body and toned midsection as he enjoyed a drink by the pool

Cheeky! The former electrician was every inch the doting boyfriend as he massaged sunscreen into Amber's peachy derriere and lean legs

Lapping it up: The star topped up on her tan during her idyllic break in the Greek island

The blonde beauty had her heart set on the hunk since she first joined the TOWIE cast with then-boyfriend Jamie Reed in 2017.

The television personality was unable to resist the dark-haired hunk's advances as she cheated on Jamie with Dan during the cast break in Tenerife.

Amber then embarked on a turbulent romance with Dan - with the pair splitting up and reconciling numerous times.

After more than a year of on-off romance, the Lothario was finally ready to commit to the reality star as they made things official on TOWIE's series 22 finale in May.
She is usually seen on the arm of her Essex beau Pete Wicks.

But flying solo on a shoot in London last month, Shelby Tribble had all eyes on her as she stripped down to a very scanty striped bikini while posing in a swimming pool.

The TOWIE star, 26, looked sensational in her string two-piece that left her taut abs firmly on display while teasing a look at her ample bust.

Hot! TOWIE star Shelby Tribble had all eyes on her as she stripped down to a very scanty striped bikini while posing in a swimming pool for a photoshoot overseas last month

Shelby was seen taking part in a photoshoot that at a first glance appears to be in an idyllic sun-drenched location, but was actually located in Earl's Court in the capital.

The beauty slipped into a pink and blue striped bikini for the occasion, that perfectly highlighted her slender frame and left little to the imagination as she stuck up a series of poses.

While Shelby's bikini top made sure to frame her cleavage, her swimwear's matching briefs drew attention to her peachy posterior, tying together in bows at her hips.

Sporting a bronzed glow, Shelby looked nothing short of glamorous as she cooled off in the water and boasted a flawless make-up look that came complete with contoured cheeks and a nude lip.

Bikini beauty: The brunette, 26, looked sensational in her string two-piece that left her taut abs firmly on display while teasing a look at her ample bust

Having a ball: Shelby was seen laughing with delight as she posed with a huge flamingo float

She wore her wet glossy locks down to fall past her shoulders and was seen running her hand through her mane while holding onto a giant pink flamingo float.

Having had her make-up re-touched in between takes, Shelby was seen laughing with delight as she made her way onto the float - no doubt having to keep her balance as it sat on the water.

She was then pictured taking a break from the shoot and catching up with a girl pal while re-fuelling on an ice cream. Climbing out of the pool, Shelby no doubt set pulses races as onlookers were treated to a tantalizing look at her bikini-clad frame.

Stunning: The beauty slipped into a pink and blue striped bikini for the occasion, that perfectly highlighted her slender frame - including her pert behind

Bronzed glow: She was seen having her make-up touched up while perched on the edge of the swimming pool

The reality starlet is a newcomer on The Only Way Is Essex and secured her spot on the show's latest series, thanks to her relationship with Pete Wicks.

The duo began dating in February earlier this year, following Pete's split with ex-girlfriend Megan McKenna, and their romance is appearing to go from strength to strength.

So much so, that Shelby credited new boyfriend Pete for being 'everything she loves in a man' after just two months of the pair dating.

Envy-inducing: The starlet left little to the imagination as she paraded her bikini-clad frame around the set

Bottoms up: Shelby was seen climbing out of the pool to enjoy a break with her pal

Fuelling up: The reality starlet toyed with her glossy wet locks as she treated herself to an ice cream in the heat

The former Miss Great Britain told The Sun: 'He's so caring and protective and he's got so many qualities that I love in a man. We're very similar, we think the same, we do things the same, and its really weird.'

She also had her say on Pete's fiery on/off relationship with former love Megan and insisted she 'doesn't feel threatened' by his ex, claiming: 'They weren't healthy for each other and I'm sure at the time they loved each other, but they weren't right for each other.'

Speaking on FUBAR Radio recently, Shelby added: 'Exes are exes for a reason. I don't know her, we don't owe each other anything, it's just made a big deal because of the cameras.

Kicking back: Shelby caught the eye in her swimwear that framed her ample cleavage

Launched into the spotlight: Shelby was a new addition to TOWIE last series - joining the ITVBe show thanks to her relationship with boyfriend Pete

Smitten: The duo began dating in February and Shelby has since credited Pete for being 'everything she wants in a man'

'Everyone has an ex. I always get compared to [Megan], but to be honest, it's always good things. Everyone says [me and Pete] are so much more suited, we complement each other... we both bring out the best in each other.'

Recalling the moment she and Pete attended the same Love Island event, last month, as Megan and her now ex-beau Mike Thalassitis, Shelby said: 'It felt like a bit of a competition on her side, I just thought, 'Get over it, you're not together anymore.'

'There was a lot of history there with them two and it was such an intense relationship they had, but I just honestly don't care.'
She's no stranger to filling her Instagram with a series of busty snaps.

And Zilda Williams was at it once again when she posed for her latest selfie snapped from the comfort of her hotel room, in New Zealand on Thursday.

In the arresting close-up snap, The Bachelor, 35, showcased her gravity-defying cleavage which threatened to spill out of her burgundy bra.

Bust-ing out: The Bachelor's Zilda Williams displayed her jaw-dropping bust in a burgundy bra in intimate bedroom snap shared on Instagram on Thursday

'Pretending like I am having a warm Gold Coast winter with my hotel heater on 30 degrees. Toasty.' Zilda penned on social media.

The Auckland-based beauty defined her face with heavy make-up and she framed her face with her soft golden waves.

Glamorous Zilda showed off her tan lines as well as her ample bust in the intimate bedroom photograph.

Instagram famous: The Bachelor star, 35, is no stranger to filling her social media with a series of busty snaps

The reality star, who shot to fame on Sam Wood's season of The Bachelor, recently said that 'life has never been better' since relocating from Brisbane to Auckland.

In March, the bombshell confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that she had split from her younger boyfriend Keith Frazer, 27, after almost a year.

'Yes, I'm single... I'm back home in New Zealand with my friends and family,' she said at the time.

Excitement: The reality star, who shot to fame on Sam Wood's season of The Bachelor, recently said that 'life has never been better' since relocating from Brisbane to Auckland

The former FHM centrefold hinted that age gap played a part in the split as the model was eight years older than her ex.

She further explained: 'He's a great guy but the age difference wasn't great.'

'I need something serious and long-term, so I'll be going for a more mature man in the future.'

The model has picked herself up since then and landed a new role as an account manager for a major company in Auckland.
137 Francophone students who are lucky recipients of the Van-Gov Scholarship Scheme received their award letters from the Government this week.
Sir David Jason has claimed Del Boy would have backed Brexit because he would have seen it as a 'way to make money'.

The iconic actor, 78, played dodgy dealer Derek Del Boy Trotter in comedic sitcom Only Fools And Horses from 1981 until 2003.

Alongside brother, Rodney, (Nicholas Lyndhurst), he came up with ill-advised get-rich-quick schemes, adopting the phrase: 'Next year Rodders, we'll be millionaires.'

'Next year, Rodders': Sir David Jason has claimed Only Fools character Del Boy would have backed Brexit because it would be a 'nice little earner'

Sir David told The Sun : 'When it comes to Brexit, Del would just think, "Well earn out of this, Rodders"' (pictured in June)

Sir David told The Sun: 'When it comes to Brexit, Del would just think, "Well earn out of this, Rodders".'

'One day hed be flogging something to people who want to leave and then the next day hed be flogging something to people who want to stay.

'For him, he would find out a way to use it. The big political question about staying or leaving wouldnt interest him, he would be thinking, "How do we earn out of this".'

He also said that Del Boy was ahead of his time for living in a tower block in Peckham as it's the 'place to be' now.

Magic: The iconic actor, 78, played dodgy dealer Derek Del Boy Trotter in comedic sitcom Only Fools And Horses from 1981 until 2003

Brexit is the term given for the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

On Thursday, it was claimed that Brussels is preparing to climbdown on one of its Brexit red lines and concede to UK demands to keep trade links without free movement.

The EU is preparing to say that it will allow Britain to stay in the single market for goods while still being able to bring in border controls.

Meanwhile, in June, Sir David told YOU magazine, if he could time travel, he would go back to the 80s when he was making Only Fools.

When asked what was the most romantic thing he's ever done, he said: 'Secretly planning a weekend trip to New York during a break from filming an Only Fools and Horses Christmas special.

'I told [my wife] Gill she was going to Weston-Super-Mare.'

David is soon to be travelling along the west coast of the US for a month for a documentary called David Jason: Planes, Trains & Automobiles, set to air in 2019.
Coronation Street's stars are reportedly living in fear of a foot fetish stalker.

An insider told The Daily Star that stars of ITV soap - including Lucy Fallon and Sally Ann Matthews - have been bombarded with messages begging for pictures of their feet.

The stalker has allegedly also asked for collections of the stars toenail clippings, and even asked actress Sally for more personal items such as unwashed socks.

Gross: Coronation Street's stars such as Lucy Fallong are reportedly living in fear of a foot fetish stalker, according to the Daily Star

A bit much: A source told the publication that a foot fetishist has been sending messages to some of the soap's stars on Twitter asking to lick their feet and for samples of their toenails

The source said: 'It's vile. The cast were pretty weirded out by the whole thing at first, but now they are just trying to laugh it off.

'They all find it disgusting that anyone would want their toenails. And he was willing to pay good money too. It's utterly barmy.'

Representatives of Coronation Street declined to comment to MailOnline.

Outrageous: Sally has been seen to reply to some of the fetishist's messages on Twitter

Sally - who plays Jenny Bradley on the soap - has previously been seen replying to comments gushing about her feet.

One such tweet said: 'If I had a pound for every time someone's said that to me...'

It has also been reported that actress Kate Ford - who plays Tracy Barlow - has been reported by the fetishist.

Furious: The source also said that the fetishist has asked for some of Sally's unwashed socks

Lucy - who plays Bethany Platt - has previously taken to social media to share snaps of her feet, lamenting an infection she had caught after dancing the night away at the British Soap Awards in May.

Posting a close-up snap of her foot, she simply captioned the post 'infected foot.'

The beauty also took to Instagram Stories to share a video of her hobbling along after the party, writing in the caption: 'the day after the night before.'
She has often shared her struggles with her anxiety on social media.

And Tully Smyth broke her silence on why she has been avoiding social media for the past three days in a very candid Instagram post shared on Tuesday.

In her latest snap, the blogger looked astonishing thanks to her cascading curls, bright red lipstick and busty dress with lace-up detailing.

'Tully Smyth reveals ALL about her social media silence as she documents her anxiety battle

In her lengthy caption, she kicked off the post with: 'A few days ago I decided to take a breather from social media. Ive found that when Im feeling especially down or anxious, platforms such as Instagram sometimes only make me feel worse.'

Despite claiming social media makes her feel 'worse' when she's 'anxious', Tully bravely returned to Instagram to advocate awareness for women's mental health.

She further explained of her anxiety: 'Its exhausting. Sometimes its a struggle to fall asleep. Sometimes its hard to get out of bed. I get it.'

As a newly-appointed ambassador for mental health campaign Liptember, the blonde bombshell laid bare her 'exhausting' anxiety struggles.

Hide away: Despite claiming social media makes her feel 'worse' when she's 'anxious', Tully bravely returned to Instagram to advocate awareness for women's mental health

As well as finding it hard to sleep, the Instagram star confessed she sometimes struggles to get out of bed in the morning.

She explained: 'However, tonight Im back on the Gram for a very good cause. As a mental health advocate, I am so honoured and excited to be an ambassador for #LIPTEMBER this year.

'Liptember is a campaign very close to my heart, dedicated to raising both funds and awareness for womens mental health.

Good start: Newly-appointed ambassador for mental health campaign Liptember, the blonde bombshell laid bare her anxiety struggles

'As somebody who has struggled with anxiety since I was a little girl, I can empathise with the daily mental tug-o-war and stigma that can be attached to mental health issues.

The mental health ambassador went onto share her top tips on coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety.

She added: 'However I want you to know two things: 1. You are not alone. 2. Its okay to ask for help. Its okay to have off days. Its okay to take some time for self-care...meditate, have a slice of cake, whack on a bright lippy.'
She announced she was pregnant with her third child, her first with rocker boyfriend Johnny Lloyd, in late July.

And Billie Piper covered up her baby bump as she ran errands in rainy London on Thursday, a week after confirming her happy news.

The actress, 35, opted for a casual ensemble for her daytime outing, teaming a baggy black sweater with bold leopard print flares.

Oh baby! Billie Piper covered up her baby bump as she ran errands in rainy London on Thursday, a week after confirming her third pregnancy

The former pop princess teamed her outfit with comfortable black silders, while protecting herself against the elements with a large umbrella.

Billie wore her blonde locks loose and opted for minimal make-up to display her naturally radiant glow.

The mother-of-two confirmed to MailOnline that she was pregnant with her third child in late July.

The baby will be Billie's first with rocker boyfriend Johnny Lloyd, 35, - frontman of band The Tribes - who she has been dating for the past two years.

Wild thing: The actress, 35, opted for a casual ensemble for her daytime outing, teaming a baggy black sweater with bold leopard print flares

Rain, rain, go away: The former pop princess teamed her outfit with comfortable black silders, while protecting herself against the elements with a large umbrella

The former Doctor Who star shares sons Winston, nine, and Eugene, six, with ex-husband, actor Laurence Fox, 40.

A source also told the Daily Mirror newspaper: 'Billie and Johnny are delighted. They can't wait to welcome the new addition to their family.'

Speaking in an interview in February, Billie admitted she would love to expand her brood, saying: 'In my dream world I'd have loads.

'I was one of four and it's taxing for both parents and kids. I do like the idea of chaos.'

Billie's divorce from husband Laurence was finalised in November 2017.

Pregnancy glow: Billie wore her blonde locks loose and opted for minimal make-up to display her naturally radiant glow

Happy news: The mother-of-two confirmed to MailOnline that she was pregnant with her third child in late July

Parents to be: The baby will be Billie's first with rocker boyfriend Johnny Lloyd, 35, - frontman of band The Tribes - who she has been dating for the past two years (pictured in February)

The former couple met when they performed together in the stage play Treats in 2006, and deemed it 'love at first sight'.

They married on New Year's Eve in West Sussex the following year, and went on to welcome their two sons in 2008 and 2012 respectively.

The couple confirmed they were splitting in March 2016, and they were granted a decree-nisi late last year.

Billie was previously married to radio host Chris Evans, 52, who she tied the knot with in secret in Las Vegas back in 2001 when she was just 18, sparking controversy due to the pair's 16-year age gap.

The couple divorced three years later in 2004, but have remained close friends ever since - with Chris' new wife Natasha Shishmanian currently expecting twins.

Prior to her first marriage, Billie also dated EastEnders star Danny Dyer, 41, and former 5ive boyband member Richie Neville, 38.
She was one of the biggest stars on the front row at the David Jones Spring Summer 18 fashion show on Wednesday.

But model Megan Blake Irwin reportedly stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The 24-year-old is said to have caused a scene due to her 'unruly' behaviour, which involved screaming, cheering and waving her arms around 'like an idiot' throughout the runway show, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Scroll down for video

Not model behavior: Megan Blake Irwin accused of being 'disruptive and unruly' while causing a scene at David Jones fashion show

A fashion designer, who asked to remain anonymous, told the publication: 'It was really disruptive and people couldnt help but look at her when they were meant to be watching the fashion.'

Another guest in attendance is alleged to have said: 'It was like she was at a footy match, not a fashion show.'

Following the show, the newspaper claim Megan was then seen 'running' after American model Anwar Hadid, who flew Down Under to walk in the show.

On the frow: The Daily Telegraph claim Megan caused a scene due to her 'unruly' behaviour, which involved screaming, cheering and waving her arms around 'like an idiot'

Chasing the stars: The publication also claim Megan was seen 'running' after Anwar Hadid at after party

During the event, Megan opened up to Daily Mail Australia about her frightening battle with 'night terrors' - and how she's battling the disorder.

The star said she is managing her sleeping problem with an holistic approach.

'These things happen to a lot of people,' the jet-setting model explained.

'I'm dealing with it in the right way, meditation, yoga.'

Not so sweet dreams: During the event, Megan opened up to Daily Mail Australia about her frightening battle with 'night terrors' - and how she's battling the disorder

'It's definitely sorting itself out,' she added.

In late July, the blonde beauty took to her Instagram story to reveal to her legions of fans that she was suffering from 'night terrors' and asked for their advice.

Daily Mail Australia have contacted Megan's rep for comment.
She gave birth to her first child, daughter Florence 11 weeks ago.

And since then Casey Batchelor has been leading the conversation about post-baby bodies, appearing on Loose Women on Thursday to reveal how she's embracing her figure.

The model, who parents with partner Dane Goodson, hit out at men who she says expect women's bodies to snap back to normal after babies.

Speaking out: Casey Batchelor has been leading the conversation about post-baby bodies, appearing on Loose Women on Thursday to reveal how she's embracing her figure 11 weeks after giving birth to her daughter

Post-pregnancy body, all this getting back into shape so quickly, it doesn't happen,' declared Casey. 'That's the reality of it. People are really naive really, especially men, they think as soon as you have a baby your body just goes back to normal but it doesn't.'

The show flashed up a recent Instagram Casey posted, which shows the star posing in the same outfit on the same day, but with one showing off her post-pregnancy tummy.

I did this the other day, to show you,' Casey told the Loose Women. 'I just pulled the pants up and I just pulled them down, to show how reality is completely different to Instagram.'

Speaking out: Post-pregnancy body, all this getting back into shape so quickly, it doesn't happen,' declared Casey

There's just so much pressure. A lot of people in the media and public eye don't show enough that this is what you look like after having a baby.'

Casey elaborated in the caption for her Insta, telling her fans as she held baby Florence: 'Dont always believe what you see in pictures because 9/10 that isnt real life! ! Yes Im still carrying a lot of extra weight and am clearly not one of those lucky people who can snap back into shape easily!'

'All I know is that most of my days consists of a messy bun, baby sick on my shoulder, dirty nappies and sterilising bottles on minimum sleep, but I wouldnt change it for the world because thats real life my lovelies.'

Candid: The show flashed up a recent Instagram Casey posted, which shows the star posing in the same outfit on the same day, but with one showing off her post-pregnancy tummy

Discussion: 'That's the reality of it. People are really naive really, especially men, they think as soon as you have a baby your body just goes back to normal but it doesn't,' she told the panel

Post baby bliss: While Casey called parenthood 'knackering' she admitted she was loving being a mum to baby Florence

Casey admitted on Loose Women that parenthood is 'knackering,' quipping that it's 'touch and go' if her and Dane stay together.

The couple are planning their first date night for the weekend, with Casey explaining:

'We have our date on Saturday, our first time leaving Florence overnight.'

Candid Casey added that while she's been keeping her fitness regime lowkey, she did attempt a bit of light yoga recently, with unfortunate results.

'I've not really worried about exercising, but I did a bit of gentle yoga and the air that came out, I thought thank god I did this before date night! she laughed.

New parents: The couple are planning their first date night for the weekend, with Casey explaining: 'We have our date on Saturday, our first time leaving Florence overnight'

Looking fab: Casey rocked a Libra t-shirt with dark jeans and an elegant cardigan for her TV appearance

Date night: Casey admitted on Loose Women that parenthood is 'knackering,' quipping that it's 'touch and go' if her and Dane stay together
It's the blue tick and badge of honour that truly cements your celebrity status.

And after Instagram recently denied Nasser Sultan, 51, a verified stamp on his profile and told him to apply again in 30 days, he hatched an innovative plan of his own.

Instead, the Married At First Sight star turned up to Instagram's head office in Sydney on Thursday, which they share with Facebook, and demanded to be verified.

Scroll down for video

'This isn't acceptable!' MAFS' Nasser Sultan 'kicked out' of Instagram head office after turning up uninvited and demanding a verified blue tick from bemused staff members inside

After arriving at the social media giant's building in Sydney's CBD, Nasser documented his mission via a video he later uploaded to the app in question.

Once he'd reached the office, the star declared down the intercom: 'It's Nasser from Married At First Sight and I'm here for my blue tick, can I come up and get verified?'

Conversing with the member of staff on the line, he responded: 'No, I have filled out the forms already. Listen, I'll come up and we can talk about it.'

Unwelcome visitor: Once he'd arrived at the office, the star declared down the intercom: 'It's Nasser from Married At First Sight and I'm here for my blue tick, can I get verified?'

Instagram state on their website they only verify users once they confirm 'it is an authentic account for the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents.'

Once 'verified' the profile receives the coveted blue tick next to their username.

Nasser then proceeded to head into the building for a face-to-face meeting.

However, it seems things took an unexpected turn as the next clip shows Nasser riding the elevator back down to the ground floor while looking defeated.

Get out: After then heading inside, Nasser was filmed riding the elevator back outside after claiming he was 'kicked out'

'So I come to Instagram and what happens,' Nasser said to camera on his way out.

'I still haven't got my blue tick and I've been kicked out. This isn't acceptable and you haven't heard the last of me yet Instagram.'

Last week Nasser recruited the help of Love Island's Grant Crapp, who recently received his very own Instagram verification, to help him.

Star power: Last week Nasser recruited the help of Love Island's Grant Crapp, who recently received his very own Instagram verification, to help his campaign

'You got one! How the f**k did you get one? I'm much bigger than you,' Nasser asked Grant about his blue tick in the video while claiming he's more famous.

As Grant insisted that he received his randomly, he instructed the pint-sized MAFS star to send their video to Instagram directly.

'I love Nasser... make you you give it to him, Instagram,' Grant concluded in the vid.

The unlikely friends then shared a hug while standing in an airport terminal and confessing their 'love' for each other.

Daily Mail Australia have contacted Nasser for comment.
Advertisement

Jenna Coleman continued to film the much-anticipated third series of ITV drama Victoria on Thursday.

The actress, 32, slipped into a traditional 19th century bathing suit, as she shot new dramatic scenes as the monarch on the beach in Flamborough, Yorkshire.

The former Doctor Who star was joined by Laurence Fox on set, who was confirmed to be joining the cast as Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston earlier this year.

Leading lady: Jenna Coleman, 32, slipped into a traditional 19th century bathing suit while filming dramatic scenes for the third series of Victoria on a Yorkshire beach

High drama: Jenna clutched onto her co-star Nell Hudson as they filmed what appeared to be a dramatic rescue in the water

Jenna seemed delighted to be back on set as she beamed and laughed with her co-stars, despite filming in the chilly water up north.

She stars as a young Queen Victoria, but the brunette appeared to be filming one of the monarch's rare days off - slipping into a bathing suit and paddling in the shallows.

With the series often praised for its authentic set design, the burgundy ensemble remained traditional in style with its sailor-inspired shirt, trousers and matching cap as Jenna appeared to gasp for air while struggling through the water.

Gasping: Jenna appeared shaken by her moment in the water as she scrambled to get out of the sea

Deep breaths: Jenna and Nell kept their cool as they battled the waves, but appeared in good spirits after cameras stopped rolling

Supportive: Both Jenna and Nell appeared ever the professionals despite being in high water dressed in thick Victorian garb

Struggles: Jenna appeared to stagger as she leapt out of the waves with the help of Nell, who followed close behind to guide her co-star

Plunging deep into the shallows, the British beauty proved unfazed by its cold temperatures as she filmed a number of playful scenes, before returning to a mobile beach hut to change.

She later emerged in a stunning white lace gown, complete with formal ruffle detailing on the bodice and a co-ordinating headdress.

However, the look did not stop the monarch from enjoying her surroundings - with Jenna holding up her skirt and wading into the water for the camera.

Keeping afloat: Jenna clutched onto Nell as she waded through the water for the intense rescue scene

Looking the part: Jenna appeared to gasp for air as her co-stars looked on in panic

Traditional: Jenna's co-stars gathered around her in their own regal costumes

Gorgeous: The actress was also sported a stunning white gown in front of cameras, as she shot new scenes as the monarch in Flamborough, Yorkshire

Feeling good: Jenna seemed delighted to be back on set as she beamed and laughed with her co-stars, despite filming in the chilly water

What a treat: She stars as a young Queen Victoria, but the brunette appeared to be filming one of the monarch's rare days off - slipping into a bathing suit and paddling in the shallows

Retro: With the series often praised for its authentic set design, the burgundy ensemble remained traditional in style with its sailor-inspired shirt, trousers and matching cap

Not bothered: Plunging deep into the shallows, the British beauty proved unfazed by its cold temperatures

Creating atmosphere: The brunette was joined by a number of crew members in the water as she filmed

Having a ball: The actress looked giddy as she filmed a number of playful scenes

Authentic: She also filmed a number of scenes with an old-fashioned beach carriage

Next up: She later clambered into the contraption to change

It takes two: Jenna was joined by co-star Nell for filming, who stars as her ladies' maid Miss Skerrett

The brunette was joined by Laurence Fox on set, who was confirmed to be playing the charismatic and wayward Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston last month.

The actor, 40, looked worlds away from his usual self in a jacquard waistcoat, shirt and bow tie as he embarked on some of his first scenes for the show.

Jenna and Laurence will be joined for series three by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Kate Fleetwood - who stars as Victoria's mysterious sister Feodora, and makes a shock arrival into the royal's life.

Gorgeous: She later emerged in a stunning white gown, complete with lace detailing and ruffles across the bodice

Regal: The look was paired with a matching headdress, but she carried a jumper and water bottle for her breaks between takes

To the beach! She later shot further scenes by the water in the gown

Emotional: She was spotted looking out to sea as she filmed alone, in a no doubt emotionally charged scene

In addition, actor and comedian John Sessions will star as Prime Minister John Russell, whilst Lily Travers, who played Lady Sophie in Kingsman, will play the Duchess of Monmouth.

Nicholas Audsley and David Burnett have also been confirmed to be joining the cast as new characters, although their specific roles remain unknown.

Starting in 1848, the third installment of the lavish drama will depict a turbulent and uncertain time for both Europe and the monarchy.

Getting into the spirit: The brunette was joined by Laurence Fox on set, who was confirmed to be playing the charismatic and wayward Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston last month

Fooling around: Laurence later took to Twitter to hilariously compare Jenna's outfit to the Little Chef logo

With revolutions on the continent and the Chartist movement reaching its peak in London, Victoria is under pressure from the government to leave London for her own safety.

Creator Daisy Goodwin said: 'Victoria and Albert are the most famous couple of the nineteenth century, but underneath the united facade, their relationship is at breaking point and it is a struggle for mastery that neither side can win.'

Praised for its opulent production values, Victoria is one of ITV's most successful dramas, with the first series being the highest rating drama of 2016 on the channel.

The second series continued to prove immensely popular, attracting a consolidated average of 6.4 million viewers.
On Tuesday she was caught in a very public display of affection kissing her new beau outside an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday evening, the romance continued as supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio and Nicolo Oddi went to dinner in Beverly Hills.

The 38-year-old Brazilian beauty showed off her slender figure in a black lace, off-the-shoulder dress.

Date night: Alessandra Ambrosio was spotted out for dinner with her new boyfriend Nicolo Oddi at a restaurant in Beverly Hills on Wednesday

The sheer material gave a glimpse of her long leg while a halterneck attached to the middle of the neckline stopped her frock falling off.

Alessandra walked behind Nicolo, who is founder and CEO of Italian luxury knitwear brand Alanui.

Beating the heat: The 38-year-old Brazilian beauty showed off her slender figure in a sheer, off-the-shoulder dress held on by a halterneck in the middle of the neckline

The handsome hunk was casually dressed in a black T-shirt, fade-to-grey skinny jeans and brown leather boots.

With the temperature still a balmy 75F in the evening, he certainly didn't need one of his brand's signature cardigans.

Alessandra is moving on with her life after her split from longtime partner Jamie Mazur in March after 10 years together.

New chapter: Alessandra is moving on with her life after her split from her beau of 10 years, businessman Jamie Mazur, with whom she shares Anja, nine, and six-year-old Noah

The exes went their separate ways for good after reports of their split first emerged in March.

They share nine-year-old daughter Anja and six-year-old Noah and Alessandra has been filling her kids' summer with fun days out to the beach in Malibu and even a trip to Legoland.

Meanwhile, the catwalk model has retired from modelling for Victoria's Secret Angel to focus on her mummy duties.
Charlie Brake and Ellie Brown of Love Island fame have insisted they are happily together, despite reports that their relationship is tumultuous.

In an interview with ITN, the couple put on a united front as they addressed reports they were fuming with one another during the Love Island: Aftersun reunion show last weekend.

Asked what went on, Charlie, 23, stumbled over his words when trying to explain, saying: 'Couples do have their tiffs. And literally from day one we have not had one day where we havent woken up in the same bed together...'

Tiff: Charlie Brake and Ellie Brown of Love Island fame have insisted they are happily together, despite reports that their relationship is tumultuous

With Charlie skirting around the issue, Ellie, 20, chimed in: 'Basically Charlie got too drunk and [I] was sober.'

She went on: 'He wasnt just in trouble with me. He was mortal drunk and that's not good when you're going on live TV.

'I was fuming, ITV were fuming, but were okay.'

Charlie had spent the day with fellow Love Island reject Frankie Foster - who is currently seeing Samira Mighty.

'Samira was fuming,' Ellie said, shedding light on the frosty atmosphere between both couples during the live broadcast of the reunion.

'Frankie held it together better than me,' Charlie added. 'Thats why I wasnt allowed to speak.'

They're fine! In an interview with ITN, the couple put on a united front as they addressed reports they were fuming with one another during the Love Island Aftersun reunion show last weekend

Charlie was indeed told not to talk during the broadcast, which saw Caroline Flack catching up with several former Love Islanders.

Yet he retained that he and Frankie 'had an absolute ball that day' - which saw them turn up in identical shirts, much to the ITV producers' chagrin.

Millionaire heir Charlie had allegedly threatened to embarrass his girlfriend live on air during the show, with a source telling 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.





'The 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.'





Spit it out: Asked what went on, Charlie, 23, stumbled over his words when trying to explain, saying 'Couples do have their tiffs. And literally from day one we have not had one day where we havent woken up in the same bed together...'

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

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.

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

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.'

In their ITN chat, the pair also revealed that they've been receiving odd messages via social media. One man has requested Charlie send him 'a pair of sweaty stinky socks' while another has contacted Ellie offering to whisk her away for a date to MacDonalds.

Of their newfound attention, Ellie said: 'People are constantly trying to tear us apart. And I take everything to heart. But Im 100 per cent sure I want to be with him.'

They revealed that their families have met each other and bonded instantly, explaining that Charlie has plans to launch a footwear brand and Ellie wants to model lingerie for 'girls like me, who are short with no boobs'.

The pair are set to be split for the first time this weekend, as Ellie heads to a personal appearance in Dublin, while Charlie has one in Kent.

OTT: 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

'It will be nice to have a bit of time away from one another because we want to miss each other,' Charlie reasoned.

When asked about the attention they might very well garner from members of the opposite sex while apart, Ellie insisted: 'He knows hes got nothing to worry about with me. And there's no point me worrying about stuff I can't control.'

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 the day before, with Ellie licking Charlie, 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.

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 recently

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

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.

They took time out and sat together at one point, deep in conversation about something, later taking a break outside and embracing dramatically.

Opening up: In their ITN chat, the pair also revealed that they've been receiving odd messages via social media

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.

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.'

Of their newfound attention, Ellie said: 'People are constantly trying to tear us apart. And I take everything to heart. But Im 100 per cent sure I want to be with him'

Judi also shared her thoughts on a 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.

'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.'

Split up: The pair are set to be split for the first time this weekend, as Ellie heads to a personal appearance in Dublin, while Charlie has one in Kent

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

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.

Judi 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.'
Barcroft Media via Getty Images(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) -- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville have declared a state of emergency ahead of the anniversary of the violent Unite the Right rally.



The first iteration of the group's rally took place in the sleepy Virginia town last August. On the anniversary on Sunday, large protests and parades are planned in Washington, D.C., as well as smaller memorial events in Charlottesville.



On Aug. 12, 2017, Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when she was struck by a car that had plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters. Two Virginia State troopers were also killed that weekend when their helicopter crashed into woods nearby.



Several events are planned in the Charlottesville area beginning Friday through Sunday to mark the anniversary of the rally, Northam's office said.



Northam asked residents to "make alternative plans to engaging with planned demonstrations of hate."



"Virginia continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago," Northam said. "We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully."



Resources from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Health and Virginia National Guard will be present in Charlottesville over the weekend. The declaration, which was issued Wednesday, will also allocate $2 million to pay for the response, according to the governor's office.



The 2017 event in Charlottesville stemmed from a gathering of white nationalists and alt-right supporters who formed the "Unite the Right" rally. The outward purpose of the rally was to protest the city's plans to remove a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate army during the Civil War, from a local park.



Hundreds of counter-protesters clashed with the rally attendees, causing violent brawls to break out in the street, prompting then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency.



Heyer, a counter-protester, was killed and several others were injured when a driver plowed through a crowd of people.



What is expected to happen this weekend?



In addition to the events in Charlottesville, much attention will be paid to the "Unite the Right" parade and rally, which is slated to take place in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.



Permits for protests have been granted in different parts of the nation's capital with the organizers of the original "Unite the Right" rally planning to march from a nearby Metro station to a demonstration in Lafayette Square Park, directly opposite the White House.



Counter-demonstrations have also received permits, including groups like Black Lives Matter and an individual who plans to burn a Confederate flag in Lafayette Park.



More details about the demonstrations are expected to be released in the coming days.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
They're the popstar siblings known for their incredibly close bond.

And Dannii Minogue has now revealed just how emotional she was about her big sister Kylie turning 50 earlier in the year.

Speaking with Who magazine's Binge List podcast this week, the 46-year-old said there were moments where she wasn't sure whether Kylie would make it to the milestone, after her battle with breast cancer.

'We didn't know if she would live': Dannii Minogue (R) emotionally recalls big sister Kylie's (L) battle with breast cancer

Dannii stated of Kylie's 50th birthday, which took place on May 28th: 'It was incredibly emotional, because not only was it a big birthday, but to have a family member that You know, you hate to mention the cancer word has gone through that.'

She then bluntly added: 'There were moments where we thought, "Will she live?"'

Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2005, at the age of just 36.

Battle: Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2005, at the age of just 36 (pictured that year)

She underwent surgery and subsequent chemotherapy, before eventually going into remission.

Speaking with Binge List, Dannii revealed that she wasn't able to make it to Kylie's star-studded 50th birthday bash, which was held in London.

At the time, Dannii was in Australia shooting her new show, Dance Boss, but claimed she and Kylie will be celebrating soon.

Sisters and best friends! Kylie and Dannii are known for their close bond (pictured in 2009)

Hinting at a low-key affair, Dannii divulged: 'There was lots of stuff in the papers (about Kylie's party)... That is not our thing when we do a family event.'

She added: 'Like on her 40th we did a big family thing where we were all together and nobody saw any of it in the press. So, it was kind of like we really want to repeat that - and it doesn't matter if it's later in the year, it's a festival of Kylie!'

And with Kylie happier and healthier than ever, Dannii won't be holding back with the festivities.

'She's still here, still strong and my God, having such an incredible year. There's so much to celebrate!'
She's the founder of The Honest Company, a consumer goods empire valued at around $2billion.

So it comes as no surprise that Jessica Alba has the money to spend on multiple fashionable outfits to wear on one day.

The 37-year-old entrepreneur and actress sported three different stylish looks during a busy day in New York City.

She first stepped out rocking a SEA New York SS/18 'Cossette' blazer and matching 'Hadley' palazzo pants, and she enhanced her boss credentials with a bold pair of aviator shades.

Boss lady: Jessica Alba was all business on Thursday as she stepped out of her NYC hotel rocking a SEA New York SS/18 'Cossette' blazer and matching 'Hadley' palazzo pants

Vibes: She wore to more outfits throughout her busy day in the Big Apple

The mother-of-three paired the no-nonsense outfit with a pair of white, low-heel strappy mule sandals.

Jessica carried a lack leather handbag by her side for the outing.

The brunette beauty wore her straight tresses loose and with a center part.

Future's so bright: The 37-year-old actress and entrepreneur enhanced her boss credentials with a bold pair of aviator shades

Well-heeled: The mother-of-three paired the no-nonsense outfit with a pair of white, low-heel strappy mule sandals

She later appeared at the #BlogHer18 Creators Summit at Pier 17 event.

Jessica looked fantastic in a checked short-sleeved top featuring a tie-up design around the neckline.

She tucked the trendy top into a forest green pencil skirt and completed the look with a pair of strappy brown heels.

Casual but cute: Earlier on Jessica was seen with wet locks and coffee in hand as she made an early morning outing

Beauty in blue: The former actress wore a relaxed one-piece for the outing

Her brunette tresses were worn down in a middle-part as she accentuated her natural looks with complimentary make-up including a swipe of shiny pink lip.

The Honest Company boss Jessica Alba traded her Brentwood base for the Big Apple on Wednesday where she was honored at Nylon's Beauty Innovator Awards.

Stunning: She later appeared at the #BlogHer18 Creators Summit at Pier 17 event

Showing her style: She tucked the trendy top into a forest green pencil skirt and completed the look with a pair of strappy brown heels

Gorgeous: Her brunette tresses were worn down in a middle-part as she accentuated her natural looks with complimentary make-up including a swipe of shiny pink lip

Star of the show: No doubt all eyes were on the beauty

All smiles: She definitely seemed to be in good spirits

The Sin City starlet glammed up for the ceremony in a cleavage-boosting pink sleeveless dress selected by stylist duo Emily Current & Meritt Elliott.

The Golden Globe nominee gave her 5ft7in figure a big boost with black platform sandals, and she accessorized with a matching bedazzled heart-shaped purse.

Missing from Jessica's side in New York was her husband of a decade Cash Warren and their daughters Honor, 10; and Haven, 6; as well as son Hayes, 7 months.
She was romantically linked to ex-convict rapper, Norman Theuerkorn, earlier this year.

But it looks like Georgia May Jagger has moved on with a new man, restaurant owner Louis Levy, who she was spotted cuddling up to in New York on Wednesday.

The smitten 26-year-old, whose parents are Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, beamed as she hugged the hunk during a sun-soaked stroll before leaning in for a kiss as they grabbed an iced coffee.

New man? Georgia May Jagger looks smitten as she cosied up to her rumoured new boyfriend restaurant owner Louis Levy during a romantic stroll in New York on Wednesday

Georgia looked the height of summery cool, donning a flirty floral crop top featuring chic lace-up detail and a matching skirt.

Injecting a dose of sports-luxe into the look, she accessorised with simple trainers and black socks.

Styling her golden tresses in relaxed waves, the catwalk star shielded her eyes behind a retro pair of scarlet cat-eye shades.

Louis, meanwhile, kept his look casual in a white T-shirt tucked into high-rise blue jeans teamed with white trainers.

Cute: The smitten 26-year-old, whose parents are Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, beamed as she hugged the hunk during a sun-soaked stroll before leaning in for a kiss as they grabbed an iced coffee

High achiever: Louis is the part-owner of the French restaurant Mimi in Greenwich Village

The pair looked utterly loved-up as they walked along the streets, with Louis throwing an affectionate arm around Georgia.

Louis is the part-owner of the French restaurant Mimi in Greenwich Village. The hunk is the son of New York based writer Marc Levy and grew up between Paris and London.

He moved to New York in 2009, shortly after his father and studied history and photography at the prestigious Parsons School.

Exciting: He moved to New York in 2009, shortly after his father and studied history and photography at the prestigious Parsons School

Restaurateur: The hunk is the son of New York based writer Marc Levy and grew up between Paris and London

Georgia's new romance comes after her brief fling with 'bad boy' Norman Theuerkorn, 31, who has served time in prison for burglary and theft.

He is a far cry from her ex of six years, London-born DJ Josh McLellan, 29, who was adored by the Jagger family.

Born in Halle, central Germany, Norman was caught stealing at 13, after which he spent time in juvenile detention and, by the age of 20, had been in prison.

Mick will be worried, one of Jaggers friends told the Daily Mail in March.

He is always very protective of his children, particularly his daughters, and would be concerned about a boyfriend with a criminal record.

In the past? Georgia's new romance comes after her brief romance with 'bad boy' Norman Theuerkorn (pictured), 31, in March who has served time in prison for burglary and theft

Norman paraded their romance online in March, including a racy picture of them in a swimming pool in LA, in which Georgia May appears to be topless as she kisses his cheek.

Explaining his jail term, Norman claims he had to steal for the sake of his rap career.

Technology cost money  microphones, computers and the studio we rented, he told a German magazine.

Unfortunately, there is no section at the employment office where you say: Hello, Im about to become a rapper somehow. Can you finance that?

Following his release, the 6ft 1in blueeyed ex-convict uploaded rap videos to YouTube under the name Nocky, where he was discovered by a Berlin model agency.
Shannen Doherty enjoyed a luxury getaway to Peru with her husband last year.

But Kurt Iswarienko didn't pay for it, a travel agency has alleged.

The photographer is being sued by The Adventure Traveler for $10k after accusing him of skipping out on the bill, Page Six reported.

Owing: Shannen Dohertys husband Kurt Iswarienko is being sued by a travel agency for skipping out on a $10k bill (pictured September 2016)

The couple hired the company to organize a last-minute South American vacation in December.

The company normally requires payment in advance, but in its lawsuit claims that 'due to the fact that the Peru trip was planned two days before defendant and his wife left for the trip, and was continually planned while they were away, the invoice was sent to defendant upon his return.'

While Iswarienko paid a $5,000 deposit, he has yet to cough up the remaining $9,786, the lawsuit claims.

'Plaintiff attempted to resolve this dispute with defendant outside of the courtroom; however, such efforts were to no avail,' the suit claims.

Sent alpacking: The couple hired The Adventure Traveler to organize a last-minute South American vacation in December

Short: While Iswarienko paid a $5,000 deposit, he has yet to cough up the remaining $9,786, the lawsuit claims

Iswarienko 'never contested invoice but rather noted his happiness with the trip through several text messages including a message received on January 2, 2018, upon his return from the Peru trip.'

The suit includes an itemized invoice of the weeklong trip, including a $450 'surfing host', a $350 'private guided excursion to Machu Picchu', and a $1,056 two-night stay the Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

He was also billed $1,500 for 'customized itinerary planning.'

Doherty married Iswarienko, her third husband, in 2011.

The actress announced in April of last year she was in remission. two years after revealing her breast cancer diagnosis.
Ryan Seacrest admitted to wearing his girlfriend's clothes.

The television personality shared a funny anecdote about how he found himself in Shayna Taylor's blouse during a date night as he told Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday.

And after Shayna called him out for mistakenly putting on her shirt, the 43-year-old admitted he was 'was actually kind of proud of it!'

Clothes swap: Ryan Seacrest admitted to wearing his girlfriend's clothes on Wednesday; (pictured in June)

The hilarious mishap was revealed as the American Idol opened up about his hectic schedule of traveling back and forth between coasts for work.

'I went back to L.A. last weekend, and I get very few nights off with my girlfriend,' said Ryan who co-hosts Live with Kelly and Ryan in the NYC throughout the week.

'I said, "Hey, lets do a date night. Im going to barbecue." And I get home and I look at the closet and I have a few clothes there. I see this shirt. I pull it out and I feel it.

"God, I dont know why I didnt bring this to New York. This is great! Its very soft. Its got a nice dip like deep summer dip,"' he said pointing to the cleavage region.

Funny guy: The television personality shared a funny anecdote about how he found himself in Shayna Taylor's blouse during a date night as he told Jimmy Fallon; (pictured June)

'So I put it on and Im standing by the grill, and I say, "Hey, babe, what kind of kebab would you like?"'

Shayna was not impressed by him stealing her style.

'She says, "Why are you wearing my shirt?"' he continued.

'I was wearing her shirt, and I was actually kind of proud of it. #WhyIShouldBeSingle.'

Ryan and Shayna rekindled their love in early 2017 after dating for a few years before taking a bit of a break.

Proud: And after Shayna called him out for mistakenly putting on her shirt, Ryan admitted he was 'was actually kind of proud of it!'; (pictured Sunday)

They now live together in New York, but have no plans for marriage, Ryan recently told his Live With Kelly And Ryan co-host Kelly Ripa last year.

It was recently reported that Seacrest makes a cool $10million for his hosting gig with the recently revived (and renewed) American Idol.

Soon as the talent show ends on Sunday nights, the couple hops on a private jet to be back in NYC on Monday for his KIIS-FM morning radio show, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, and ABC's Live With Kelly And Ripa.
She is a screen icon in Hollywood, having garnered more Oscar nominations without a win than any other living actor.

And Glenn Close looked every inch the leading lady as she attended the premiere and opening gala of her latest film, The Wife, at Somerset House in London on Thursday evening.

Joined by her on-screen husband Jonathan Pryce, the 71-year-old stunned in a hot pink suit as she strutted down the red carpet.

Radiant: Glenn Close looked every inch the leading lady as she attended the premiere and opening gala of her latest film The Wife at Somerset House in London on Thursday evening

The Fatal Attraction star showcased her youthful physique in the fitted blazer, which featured an asymmetrical hemline.

Glenn paired the look with matching suit trousers and opted to layer a black chiffon vest underneath her trendy jacket.

The screen siren added a boost to her height with a pair of black velvet strappy Louboutin sandals and amped up the glamour with gold drop earrings.

Hollywood legend: Joined by her on-screen husband Jonathan Pryce, the 71-year-old stunned in a hot pink power suit as she strutted down the red carpet

Delighted: The fatal attraction star showcased her youthful physique in the fitted blazer,as she posed outside the venue with Jonathan (L) and Bjorn Runge (R)

Old friends: The pair shared a giggle as they headed into the venue

The heavens have opened! Despite the wet weather, Glenn was in high spirits as she shielded herself from the rain with an umbrella

Sweet: Jonathan was every inch the gentleman as he guided Glenn onto the stage for their presentation

Not letting the weather get her down: The Fatal Attraction legend addressed the 2,000 strong crowd despite the heavy rain

Well-received: The Wife is a drama starring Glenn and actor Jonathan, 71, and has already garnered some early Oscar buzz

Glenn accentuated her radiant complexion with black winged eyeliner, blush-swept cheeks and a slick of pink lipstick.

Guests at the event enjoyed a variety of Grey Goose cocktails including Le Grand Fizz, Le Grand Fizz Croissette and Espresso Martinis crafted using both Grey Goose LOrignal and Grey Goose La Poire.

The Wife is a drama starring Glenn and actor Jonathan, 71, and has already garnered some early Oscar buzz.

The veteran stars play a husband and wife - Joe and Joan Castleman - who are preparing to travel to Stockholm, Sweden, where Joe is to be presented with the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Gorgeous: The screen siren added a boost to her height with a pair of black velvet strappy Louboutin sandals and amped up the glamour with gold drop earrings

Stylish: Glenn paired the look with matching suit trousers and opted to layer a black chiffon vest underneath her trendy jacket, while Jonathan looked dapper in a black suit

Heartthrobs: Mamma Mia stars Hugh Skinner, Jeremy Irvine and Josh Dylan (L-R) headed in to watch the film

Dapper: Hugh (L) and Josh (R) opted for similar attire, donning black oversized jackets and denim jeans

Film lover: Jeremy looked dapper in a shiny blue jacket and white t-shirt by BAND OF OUTSIDERS

Hollywood icon: Elizabeth McGovern opted for a black minidress adorned with flowers for the glamorous evening out

Trendy: Alix Wilton Regan (L) and Charlotte Wiggins (R) showed off their individual style as they hit the red carpet

Gripping: The veteran stars play a husband and wife who are preparing to travel to Stockholm, Sweden, where Joe is to be presented with the Nobel Prize for Literature

But on the eve of the biggest honor in her husband's life, Joan reaches her breaking point after 40 years of living in her husband's shadow.

Glenn's daughter Annie, whose father is producer John Starke, appears alongside her famous actress mother in the Bjorn Runge directed flick.

The hotly-anticipated film will be released in the U.K next month.
She's been cosying up to her art dealer beau for the last few months.

And Jennifer Lawrence continued to be inseparable from boyfriend Cooke Maroney, 33, while on a low-key stroll through Paris, France on Thursday.

The Hunger Games star, 27, opted for comfort as she wandered through the Parisian streets in a simple white T-shirt underneath an edgy black cropped jacket.

Stepping out: Jennifer Lawrence, 27, opted for comfort in an edgy black jacket and jeans as she strolled with new boyfriend Cooke Maroney, 33, in Paris on Thursday

Jennifer slipped her slender pins into a pair of cropped blue jeans as she teetered around the city in chic black lace up ankle boots.

The Mother! star swept up her trademark blonde tresses into a messy bun and tried to go incognito in a pair of black Ray-Ban shades.

Opting for a fresh-faced glow with minimal make-up, Jennifer accessorised with glittering silver earrings and toted a sophisticated shoulder bag.

Ultra chic: Jennifer slipped her slender pins into a pair of cropped blue jeans as she teetered around the city in chic black lace up ankle boots

Meanwhile, beau Cooke complemented his love's style choices with his own black jacket and white shirt combo.

The art director opted for black jeans and grey sneakers as he stayed close to Jennifer for their chilled out wander.

Jennifer and Cooke have been dating for a couple of months after Lawrence's friend Laura Simpson helped set them up.

Low-key: The Mother! star swept up her trademark blonde tresses into a messy bun and tried to go incognito in a pair of black circular shades

According to The Cut, Cooke 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.

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.

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.'
She recently turned heads when she posed topless on the beach in Spain.

But Annalise Braakensiek put her bikini top back on while cooling off in Barcelona on Thursday.

The age-defying former model, 45, showed off her pert derriere in a sexy two-piece as she relaxed in the pool at her hotel, soaking up the sun on a fun unicorn inflatable.

Bottoms up! Age-defying Annalise Braakensiek, 45, shows off her pert derriere in a sexy bikini as she relaxes on an inflatable unicorn in Barcelona

The bronzed beauty flaunted her long and lean figure in a skimpy black swimsuit with a racerback cut.

She went makeup free for the swim and tied her long blonde lock back to avoid getting them wet.

Annalise recently found herself in hot water with Instagram after one of her racy photos was deleted for 'violating' the website's strict nudity policy.

But last week, the newly-single model risked breaking the rules once again by sharing a topless snap of herself sunbathing in Spain.

She proudly flaunted her ample assets in the cheeky picture, using a strategically-placed heart emoji to cover her exposed nipple.

Good vibes! The beauty is holidaying in the Spanish capital after spending time in Ibiza

She a free spirit! Last week the newly-single model shared a topless snap of herself sunbathing in Spain

Smiling alongside photographer Peter Stanglmayr, the two friends posed against a clear blue sky in matching sunglasses.

She captioned the photo taken at Nova Icaria Beach: 'Barcelona beach days with my one and only.'

Since announcing the end of her 16-year marriage to stockbroker Danny Goldberg in April, Annalise has been busy travelling the world.

Back on the market! Since announcing the end of her 16-year marriage to stockbroker Danny Goldberg in April, Annalise has been busy travelling the world

During her latest sun-drenched vacation, the '90s model has shared several scantily-clad photos of herself.

Back in May, a month after confirming her marriage split, Annalise had one of her topless photos deleted by Instagram administrators.

She later discussed the photo, which showed her wearing bikini bottoms while covering her breasts with her hands, on The Daily Edition.

Troublemaker! Back in May, a month after confirming her marriage split, Annalise had one of her topless photos (pictured) deleted by Instagram administrators

'I believe someone must have thought my bikini bottom was a very big muff!' Annalise laughed. 'Even though I'm blonde and that's a dark, black bikini bottom.'

She added: 'I have no idea [why somebody reported it] considering what I see on Instagram.'

Annalise announced her separation from Danny Goldberg in April, releasing a short statement to the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Our marriage ended its course after 16 years together. We still have a lot of love for each other and will remain good friends,' she said.
Ex-Home Secretary Alan Johnson, 68, has missed an even bigger boat, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth

He missed the boat when he failed to put himself forward for the Labour leadership.

Now former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, 68, has missed an even bigger boat, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth cruise ship.

The ex Labour MP was holidaying on board the luxury ocean liner on a 14-day Baltic Cruise and was booked as the celebrity speaker to entertain his 2,092 fellow travellers.

En route back to Britain, the ship docked for a few hours on Wednesday in Gothenberg, where the Labour grandee alighted for some sightseeing with his wife, Carolyn Burgess.

Unfortunately when he returned to the Swedish port he was aghast to see the ship sailing into the distance  without him.

He had to fly back to the UK in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts at his own expense.

'Watching that boat sail away from Gothenberg was the most depressing moment in my life,' he told me from his home after arriving back in Britain yesterday.

'Usually the ship sails at about 5:30pm but this time it was 4 o'clock. We should have known. It was our fault and then we got lost in Gothenberg  the shuttle bus had gone. We were both distraught.

The famous Queen Elizabeth cruise ship of Cunard Line on July 30, 2014 in Dubrovnik, Croatia

'My wife is entitled to not be speaking to me for quite a fair amount of time, particularly because her make-up was on board, our money, all our clothes. We just had what we stood in. All I had was a debit card.

'But Cunard were nice enough to leave our passports with the Port Authority after fetching them from the cabin.'

His absence meant his fellow travellers missed out on the second of his speaking engagements on Thursday. On Monday 800 people heard him talk about his memoirs.

When he returned to the Swedish port at Gotherberg he was aghast to see the ship sailing into the distance

So has the ship sailed for Johnson's lucrative cruise-liner gigs? 'I think they'll know we were punished for it,' says Johnson.

'I can assure you it wasn't an attempt to claim asylum in the European Union before Brexit.'

His predicament caused much amusement on board. 'Clearly, like so many Labour MPs, he thought he could walk on water,' joked a fellow traveller.

'On this occasion he couldn't.' Every cloud, as they say . . .

Stage and screen star Juliet Stevenson criticised social media last year, lamenting: 'The selfie world means endlessly participating in narcissism and materialism. They don't look out but in.' How odd then that the 61-year-old actress has now joined Instagram.

Financial sleuths probe bankrupt property tycoon

It might seem that things couldn't get any worse for Birmingham-born property tycoon Kevin Cash, who, as I disclosed, was declared bankrupt last month, after which he placed North Aston Hall, his magnificent Oxfordshire mansion, on the market for 28 million.

This week saw the Official Receivers replaced by FRP Advisory, the firm which investigated Sir Philip Green's old company BHS after it went into liquidation.

'We have nominated Paul Atkinson and Paul Allen of FRP to be formally appointed as Joint Trustees in place of the Official Receivers,' explains Ian Baker, of City litigation specialists PGB Gitlin Baker. 'Their job is to investigate and root out any hiding of assets or what are known as avoidance dispositions.'

Trustees in bankruptcy have their fees agreed by the creditors, though those fees typically depend on how much they recover. 'They only eat when they kill,' says an observer. Time will tell if Cash  previously worth an estimated 500 million  proves to be easy meat.

Actress Hayley Atwell is half-American, but what will Tinseltown make of her accusation that U.S. stars are bigger divas than Brits?

The Avengers star says: 'There's no excuse for bad behaviour and I've seen glimpses of it and, I hate to say it, more with Americans than English. The English have a bit of a reverence for the work and less for ourselves. The drama school training is about the discipline of the craft rather than the need for one's own status or celebrity.' Ouch!

Boris Johnson is a former winner of the sought-after Politician Of The Year gong at the glitzy GQ Men Of The Year awards. But could the accolade be axed? A Conde Nast insider says: 'GQ editor Dylan Jones seriously looked at dropping the category at next month's event. Very few politicians have exactly covered themselves in glory this past year.' What a Remoaner!
Fans of Ant McPartlin have praised his 'brave' decision to pull out of I'm A Celebrity filming and halt all TV commitments until 2019.

Following the announcement Scarlett Moffatt has emerged as the bookies' favourite to take on the role of co-host for this year's series of the show.

In a statement released on Thursday, Ant revealed that he would be taking the rest of the year off, adding that his recovery was going very well.

High praise: Fans of Ant McPartlin have praised his 'brave' decision to pull out of I'm A Celebrity filming and halt all TV commitments until 2019

He continued: 'I'd like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.'

Fans were quick to throw their support behind the star, insisting that it was vital he prioritised his health over his career.

One Twitter user said: 'Very sensible and brave decision for ant, dec and itv! Ants mental&physical health should be put first! He came back too early last time.

Hot favourite: Following the announcement Scarlett Moffatt has emerged as the bookies' favourite to take on the role of co-host for this year's series of the show

'Taking the time he needs to recover is a positive move. Will miss takeaway next year but it will be worth it to see ant fit and well in 2019!'(sic)

While another mentioned that he will be missed, saying: '@Ant_McPartlin Much love on your decision til 2019 have 2 little girls who will miss you but how brave!? All the best. The Carsys.'

A third wrote: 'Very brave of Ant to halt all of his tv commitments til 2019. I think you're very brave and I think you made the best decision for you. Wishing you a speedy recovery @antanddec.'

Reaction: Fans were quick to throw their support behind the star, insisting that it was vital he prioritised his health over his career

Scarlett is currently in pole position for the position of co-host on I'm A Celebrity, with Paddy Power giving her odds of 5/6.

Coral bookmakers also have Scarlett as a hot favourite to be named as this years presenter with 3/1 odds, narrowly tipped by Stephen Mulhern with 2/1 odds.

MailOnline has contacted an I'm A Celebrity representative for comment.

Production and filming for a Saturday Night Takeaway series in February would normally have already started, and continue throughout 2018 and early 2019.

Neither Ant & Dec nor ITV wanted to compromise the quality of the show and therefore felt it was better to rest the series next year.

They will instead bring the show back in 2020, bigger and better than ever.

Ant said in a statement to MailOnline: 'My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.'

He continued: 'Id like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.'

Recovery: In a statement released on Thursday, Ant revealed that he would be taking the rest of the year off, adding that his recovery was going very well

Dec added: 'Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision.

'Im looking forward to us both being reunited on screen in 2019.'

ITV Director of Television Kevin Lygo said: 'ITV is completely supportive of Ant taking as much time as he needs in his recovery and of this mutual decision to rest Takeaway in 2019.

'Ant is clearly making good progress and we wish him all the very best and look forward to him returning to ITV next year. An announcement on I'm A Celebrity plans will be made in due course.'
Tziporah Malkah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, has revealed she lives in fear of becoming homeless again and could be 'a fortnight away from being evicted', after spending almost two years living in a women's shelter in Melbourne.

The 44-year-old ex-fiancee of billionaire James Packer told Channel Nine's Today show on Friday that the feeling of 'having nowhere to go and no-one to turn to still hasn't left her' despite living in private accommodation now for several years.

In a candid interview with Sylvia Jeffreys and Georgie Gardner, the former model described how her glamorous life fell apart while living in America when she was 'embezzled' by a friend and left with 'no money'.

Ordeal: Tziporah Malkah (right), formerly known as Kate Fischer, has revealed she lives in fear of becoming homeless again and could be 'a fortnight away from being evicted', after spending almost two years living in a women's shelter in Melbourne

Speaking about her return to Australia after a period living in the US, she said: 'I thought, "If you are going to be poor in any country, the best country in the world to be poor in is Australia, even though it is still not great."

'So I came back to Australia. I moved to Melbourne, I know too many people in Sydney. I wanted to go somewhere where I'm anonymous... and moved into what was effectively a women's shelter. It was ran by a women's housing group.'

Tziporah, who admitted she 'never learnt any life skills' during her heady days as a model and actress in the 1990s, claimed she lived in the homeless shelter for '22 months, so about two years'.

Tell-all: In a candid interview with Sylvia Jeffreys (left) and Georgie Gardner (right) on Channel Nine's Today show, the former model described how her glamorous life fell apart while living in America when she was 'embezzled' by a boyfriend and left with 'no money'

Trauma: Tziporah, who admitted she 'never learnt any life skills' during her days as a model and actress in the '90s, claimed she lived in a homeless shelter for '22 months, so about two years'. Despite the fact she now has a 'decent' place to live, she still fears being homeless again

She was eventually able to find herself private accommodation after spending time on the public housing list without success.

However, she described the accommodation as 'condemnable', adding: 'It was terrible. I mean, there were millipedes coming through the carpet. Every night, the sink would over fill with water.

'The gas was constantly leaking. If I lit a match, I could have gone at any second. It was terrible. But I needed to get my rental history up, my credit up.'

Back in the spotlight: 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. Pictured this week in Sydney, where she relocated to earlier this year

After two years in dire living conditions, because she paid her rent on time regularly and was earning a steady income as a personal carer, Tziporah was able to rent a place that 'was slightly more decent'.

'I was still living on the poverty line. Let's not kid ourselves,' she said of her time living in the sub-par accommodation, adding that she was grateful she did not have children or elderly parents to take care of.

Tziporah, who is the daughter of NSW Minister for Social Housing Pru Goward, acknowledged that one of the reasons she was able to turn her life around was being 'outed as a media personality again' in 2016.

But she insisted that the homeless women she speaks to at shelters on a regular basis aren't interested in her life in the celebrity spotlight.

'They don't give a stuff. They don't want to know about Sirens [the 1994 film she starred in alongside Elle Macpherson], they don't want to know about the billionaire.

'They want to know, "How did you get into private accommodation?" That is all they want to know.'

WHO IS TZIPORAH MALKAH? 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. 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. The way they were: 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 (left). Pictured during their relationship in the 1990s Advertisement

When asked to describe the feeling of 'having nowhere to go and no-one to turn to', Tziporah's answer was surprisingly candid.

'The feeling hasn't left me,' she said. 'I mean, I'm a renter and luckily, the people I rent from are lovely. But what if I do something that upsets something on the body corporate?

'I'm still a fortnight away from being evicted, you know. We are all vulnerable. I'm a vulnerable woman in my mid forties trying to hustle a buck in the media.'

Tziporah added that earning money in the media 'is not as easy as it was when [she] was young, pretty Kate Fisher', adding: 'What am I going to do? You know. I still have that fear of becoming homeless again.'

Drawing from her own experience, Tziporah is now working with homeless charity White Caravan, an initiative that will see renovated caravans accessed by women leaving toxic or abusive relationships.
The US congressman charged over an insider trading scheme involving an Australian biotech firm received a "big vote of thanks" from its chief executive when he resigned from its board.

Christopher Collins, a Republican supporter of US President Donald Trump, was charged by American authorities overnight with fraud and lying to the FBI in relation to illegal trading in Innate Immunotherapeutics shares in June 2017.

Mr Collins, who remains the Sydney company's second biggest shareholder with a 9.24 per cent stake, has pleaded not guilty.

He resigned from Innate's board on May 4 this year after serving 12 years as a director.

At the time, Innate explained his departure as being linked to Innate's takeover Melbourne biotech Amplia Therapeutics.

"Chris has been a stalwart supporter of Innate for over 10 years and the company would never have been able to progress the clinical development of our previous drug candidates without his encouragement and backing," chief executive Simon Wilkinson said at the time.

"We owe him a very big vote of thanks."

Comment is being sought from Mr Wilkinson.

Mr Collins' departure came 10 months after America's House of Representative's Ethics Committee said it was investigating Mr Collins because it had "a substantial reason to believe" he violated House rules and federal laws by sharing private information about Innate in an attempt to solicit investors.

The committee is yet to announce its findings.

It announced its probe last October, four months after the New York-based congressman is accused by American prosecutors of illegally passing on highly sensitive, confidential information to family members and friends - who were also Innate shareholders - about the surprise failure of a clinical trial involving its multiple sclerosis drug MIS416.

Prosecutors allege Mr Collins, 68, was at a congressional picnic at the White House on June 22 when he received an email from Innate's chief executive about the shock failure.

Minutes later he called his son Cameron and told him the news, that hadn't yet been announced to the stock market.

Cameron Collins is alleged to have sold some of his Innate shares in an attempt to avoid losing hundreds of thousands of dollars before the information became public.

Cameron Collins is also accused of tipping off his fiancee and her father Stephen Zarsky, who also sold his Innate shares.

Mr Collins, his son, and Mr Zarsky, have been charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and other crimes. They also face civil charges by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

All three pleaded not guilty during a federal court hearing in Manhattan overnight AEST.

US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Mr Collins had "cheated our markets and our justice system" by tipping off his son about Innate's failed trial and then lying about it to the FBI.

"Congressman Collins had an obligation, a legal duty to keep that information secret until that information was released by the company to the public," he said.

"The congressman knew he couldn't sell his own shares for personal and technical reasons including that he was already under investigation regarding Innate by the Congressional Ethics Office."

The men are due to face court on October 11.
Australian exporters exposed to economic sanctions imposed on Iran are being urged to seek legal advice.

US president Donald Trump has reinstated sanctions against Tehran, months after withdrawing from an agreement for Iran to give up its nuclear weapons in return for increased trade ties with western countries.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has ruled out imposing new sanctions on Iran, but Australia will not be following Europe's lead in passing a "blocking statute" to shield its companies from the trade tangle.

"We have advised Australian exporters to seek legal advice on the effects of international sanctions on their trading activity and we will certainly keep the matter under review," Ms Bishop told ABC radio on Thursday.

"While we certainly hold concerns about Iranian activity in the region ... we want to see Iran hold to this nuclear agreement and continue to abide by it."

Mr Trump has warned of "severe consequences" for companies who continue doing business with Iran.
A trucking company could face action after one of its vehicles hit an overpass and caused traffic chaos in Sydney's west.

Cars were queued for up to 10km city-bound on the M4 at Colyton on Thursday for hours after the early-morning incident at the Bennett Road bridge.

Police believe the truck was dropping off construction equipment along the motorway but its crane arm wasn't retracted before reaching the overpass.

NSW Police Chief Inspector Phil Brooks said the driver will be issued with court attendance notices for the "critical breach".

Officers are also expected to speak to the company involved, he said.

"(It) is not good enough," he told Sydney's 2GB radio.

"We'll move into that company to make sure they've got procedures in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening again."

Inspectors say the crane measured more than 5.8 metres high, while the bridge's hieght limit was 5.1 metres.
FEDERAL PARLIAMENT RETURNS

* House of Representatives and Senate to sit for a fortnight from August 13.

* Federal Parliament has been on a winter break since June 28.

* Most of the period has been taken up by campaigning in five by-elections held on July 28.

* At least three by-election winners (in Fremantle, Braddon and Mayo) will be sworn in, but the results are still being tallied over the weekend in Perth and Longman.

* The by-elections did not change the numbers in the lower house.

* Malcolm Turnbull will ask the coalition partyroom on Tuesday to endorse the latest work on the National Energy Guarantee.

* Labor caucus will meet on Tuesday, relieved that Braddon, Longman, Perth and Fremantle remain in opposition hands and the Liberals failed to win Mayo.

* Senior government negotiators are hoping to win over crossbench senators to support the full corporate tax cut package, but may need to compromise or shelve it. Two alternatives are lift the already-law $50 million threshold to $500 million, or bring forward the 25 per cent rate for small business.

* Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm is seeking parliamentary support to restore the territories' rights, including the right to legislate for voluntary euthanasia. Senate debate will proceed but there is doubt over whether it will come on for debate in the lower house.

* The Greens are seeking to censure Senator Leyonhjelm over his "sexist and vile" slurs against Sarah Hanson-Young, who is now suing him for defamation.

* One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wants support for a plebiscite at the next election to cut migration levels.

* Valedictory speeches for retiring NSW Greens senator Lee Rhiannon.

* It will be the final sitting fortnight for Queensland Greens senator Andrew Bartlett, who is retiring to run in the lower house seat of Brisbane. He will be replaced by ex-senator Larissa Waters in the September sittings.

* Labor MP Emma Husar has signalled she will retire at the next election, bowing to pressure over a scandal around bullying and harassment in her office. The coalition will still pursue the issue in parliament.

* Labor will be pursuing why a $444 million grant was given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation without any tender process.

* Inquiry reports due on: climate change's impact on housing and infrastructure; radioactive waste management; health and safety of offshore petroleum industry workers; obesity epidemic; for-profit aged care; cashless debit card expansion; future of work.
The live sheep export industry will not be shut down as Australia is showing the world it is a reliable exporter, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

Thousands are sheep are in limbo in a feedlot in Perth after their exporter had its licence suspended, but the Prime Minister rejected calls for the industry to be shut down.

"If we want to maintain export markets and the jobs that come with that, we've got to be a reliable exporter," he told ABC radio Perth on Thursday.
SAGA OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FOUNDATION

March 29 - The expenditure review committee of cabinet reportedly decides to find a commercial partner for its reef plan.

April 9 - The foundation is offered a $444 million grant at a private meeting between managing director Anna Marsden, chair John Schubert, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg and his department secretary Finn Pratt.

April 29 - The government announces the grant - the single largest allocation of federal money to the reef in Australian history - in a press release.

May 8 - $535.8 million across five years is pledged towards protecting and improving the reef in the federal budget.

May 21 - Senate estimates reveal the foundation was given the record grant without having to go through a tender process and revealing how the money would be spent.

May 29 - The Greens call for an inquiry into the funding.

July 30 - The Senate inquiry reveals the April 9 meeting when grant was offered, with Ms Marsden admitting the foundation "did not suggest or make any application" for the money.

August 6 - Labor sets up a petition calling for the money to be returned, as the prime minister insists the grant process was "very thorough". Ms Marsden says the funding was a complete surprise and claims the foundation has raised $90 million since it was created in 2000.

August 7 - Labor's Kristina Keneally says the money essentially makes the foundation a grant-making body, so other organisations including the CSIRO and the Marine Park Authority will have to apply to it for funding

August 8 - Labor's Tony Burke says the foundation's annual reports do not add up to "anywhere near" $90 million, and the auditor-general considers investigating the grant.
A vote on tax cuts for big corporations will be dealt with in parliament's second week back after the winter break.

The Turnbull government plans to cut the tax rate for corporations with revenues above $50 million a year, but the coalition has been unable to win support in the Senate.

After delaying the vote earlier in the year, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann promised the tax cuts would be put to the Senate in August.

"The company tax cuts will be dealt with this sitting fortnight," a spokeswoman for Senator Cormann told AAP on Thursday.

However, while parliament returns on Monday, the tax cuts won't be looked at until independent senator David Leyonhjelm's bill to allow the territories to pass their own assisted dying laws is dealt with first.

"That bill has precedence over all government business until completed. It is expected that this bill will take up nearly all of the next sitting week," the spokeswoman said.

"Company tax cuts will be dealt with, most likely, the following sitting week."

The coalition wants to cut the corporate tax rate from 30 to 25 per cent for companies with an annual turnover of more than $50 million.

Businesses earning below that amount have already been given a tax cut.

On current numbers the legislation appears doomed to fail, with just four of 10 crossbenchers backing the government.

The government needs eight votes, but Pauline Hanson's One Nation and the two Centre Alliance senators remain opposed.

Senator Derryn Hinch offered to back the cuts but only for companies with turnovers up to $500 million, meaning the big banks will miss out.

Some government MPs are pushing for the coalition to dump the policy if the tax cuts fail to pass the Senate by the end of August.
The condition of two Qantas pilots critically injured in a fatal vintage plane crash in South Africa last month has improved, with the pair expected to be flown back to Australia in the next few weeks.

Training captain Douglas Haywood and recently retired captain Ross Kelly, both from NSW, were among 19 people aboard the Convair 340 aircraft when it crashed shortly after take-off into a factory near Pretoria's Wonderboom Airport on July 11.

South African flight engineer Chris Barnard and a person on the ground were killed when the 64-year-old plane experienced engine failure and crashed.

Both Australians had been in an induced coma at a Johannesburg Hospital.

An email sent to members of the Australian and International Pilots Association this week said the condition of both pilots had improved.

"Ross remains in a coma although it is no longer induced," the email said.

"Doug has periods of responding to stimuli; and one report suggested he was able to smile at a joke."

But it added the full extent of the pair's injuries was yet to be determined.

Mr Kelly's wife Lyndal, who was also aboard the stricken flight, is in a stable condition.

Family members of both pilots in Johannesburg had experienced a "long, tiring and stressful number of weeks," the email said.

AAP understands Qantas has offered to fly the pair home - with medical staff and their families - as soon as they are fit to travel.

The Australian pilots, who both had three decades of experience at Qantas, had been taking the recently restored vintage plane on a scenic flight ahead of a multi-stop journey to a Dutch museum.

In 2016, they made a similar journey when successfully flying a sister aircraft from Pretoria to NSW's Historical Aviation Restoration Society.
WHERE THE STATES STAND ON THE NATIONAL ENERGY GUARANTEE

* ACT (Labor)

The ACT government will only back a policy that genuinely transitions to a more modern, sustainable, affordable and reliable system, which the NEG in its current form does not do.

* Victoria (Labor)

The Labor state government has made it clear if the policy as it stands now doesn't have the support of the federal coalition party room, it won't get Labor's support. They've also demanded a series of changes - that the emissions reduction target be determined by regulation not legislation, there be reviews every three years instead of the proposed five-yearly reviews, and a transparency register to ensure the scheme works in consumer best interests.

* Queensland (Labor)

Energy Minister Anthony Lyneham is out of the country and is hoping for a phone hook-up, but he's sending cabinet minister Cameron Dick in his place. The state government has rejected suggestions they're going to kill the policy, but are joining Victoria in calling for the policy to get past the coalition party room before they talk.

* NSW (Liberal)

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the policy will lower power prices and deliver a more reliable electricity system and has called on states to put the national interest ahead of their local political interests and approve the guarantee.

* South Australia (Liberal)

Energy Minister Dan Van Holst Pellekaan says the state wants to contribute to a sensible national energy policy. He's pointed out the state is on track to exceed emissions reduction targets in the scheme.

* Tasmania (Liberal)

Energy Minister Guy Barnett says his state is a "strong supporter" of the guarantee. He's been critical of states expressing concerns, saying the consequence of not signing up to the deal will be higher power prices.

* Western Australia and Northern Territory (both Labor)

Neither WA nor the NT is part of the National Electricity Market under which the guarantee will operate so they will not be affected by the plan. However, their emissions will count toward Australia's overall total.
Australia's Olympic swimming champions Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton have sensationally failed to qualify for the men's 200m freestyle final on the opening day of the Pan Pacs in Tokyo.

Rio 2016 100m gold medallist Chalmers finished third in his heat while 400m champion Horton was fourth in another as the pair were left in the wake of a blistering morning field.

Australian surprise packet Alex Graham was third fastest overall for Thursday night's medal race where he will be joined by compatriot Clyde Lewis.

Horton and young gun Elijah Winnington will contest the B final.

Chalmers clocked one minute 46.62 seconds to be ninth fastest overall while Horton was 11th quickest.

Americans Andrew Seliskar and Townley Haas topped the men's 200m field almost one second faster than Chalmers.

"I gave it everything I had. I was half a second faster than I was at Commonwealth Games in the heat and that's the fastest I have ever been in the morning," Commonwealth 200m champ Chalmers said.

"For me I am actually really happy with that but in the back of your mind you are a bit disappointed because you want to be in that A final.

"To not have that opportunity does suck... but I am still learning and I have the 100m tomorrow so I still have time to redeem myself."

Australia's Jack Cartwright was fourth fastest for the 200m final but he has pulled out to be primed for Friday's 100m.

Horton said it augured well for Australia's 4x200m freestyle team at the Pan Pacs after their young guns stepped up.

"The relay will be strong ... I may not get a relay swim," Horton said.
An 84-year-old Australian activist has been detained in the Philippines after being "blacklisted" because he attended a rally in the country nearly three years ago.

The Bureau of Immigration has confirmed Professor Gill Boehringer was detained at Manila international airport and denied entry into the country after arriving on a flight from China on Wednesday local time.

"He was excluded for being blacklisted," spokeswoman Dana Krizia Sandoval said in a statement on Thursday.

The government recommended Prof Boehringer be blacklisted based on reports he participated in a rally in November 2015 in violation of an order "prohibiting foreigners from engaging in political activities in the Philippines".

Boehringer will likely be deported although Ms Sandoval noted if he submits sufficient proof to reverse the blacklist "it may be lifted accordingly".
*WHAT IS INNATE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS?

- A Melbourne-based pharmaceutical company developing cancer and fibrosis treatments

- Its shares are traded on the ASX; it is also a so-called penny stock that can be traded on the Over The Counter (OTC) Pink market in the US

* WHO IS CHRISTOPHER COLLINS AND WHAT IS HE ACCUSED OF?

- A Republican congressman who was an early supporter of Donald Trump during his run for US president; he is up for re-election this November

- He was a director on Innate's board from 20 February, 2006 to 4 May, 2018

- Collins is accused by US prosecutors of passing on confidential information about the surprise failure of a clinical trial involving Innate's key multiple sclerosis drug in June 2017

- He allegedly tipped off his son Cameron Collins, who is accused of passing on the information to his fiancee, her family, and friends - all of whom owned Innate shares

- They allegedly used the information to sell Innate shares to avoid losing a combined $US768,600 ($A1 million) before details about Innate's clinical trial failure were publicly announced

- At the time, Collins was Innate's largest shareholder with a 16.8 per cent stake in the firm

* WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED?

- Collins, son Cameron and his fiancee's father Stephen Zarsky

- They have been charged with fraud and lying to the FBI; the charges carry maximum jail sentences of up to 20 years

- Cameron's fiancee and her mother have agreed to settle civil charges against them; they will be fined and return their ill-gotten gains

- Cameron's fiancee will also be suspended from working as a public accountant for five years

* HOW DID THE INSIDER TRADINING ALLEGEDLY UNFOLD?

(All times are eastern US summer time in 2017)

June 22 - Christopher Collins attends congressional picnic at the White House

* 6.55pm - He receives a confidential email from Innate's CEO about the shock clinical trial failure

* 7.10pm - Collins replies, saying the failure "makes no sense"; 15 seconds later he calls his son Cameron, who owned more than five million Innate shares

* 7.16pm - Collins and his son talk for six minutes on the phone while Cameron is at home with his fiancee, who bought 40,464 Innate shares on June 19

* 9.17pm - They go to her parents' home

* 9.28pm - Lauren's mother logs into her brokerage account and unsuccessfully attempts to place an order to sell her 50,000 Innate shares

* 9.58pm-10.04pm - 30,350 of her shares are sold on the ASX

* 10.26pm - Innate requests a trading halt on the ASX, saying it had received the clinical trial results; Innate's shares continue trading on the OTC Pink market

June 23

* Cameron, his fiancee and her mother, father, uncle and her father's friend sell more than one million Innate shares

* Cameron is the only one left with Innate shares, which he continues to sell off in tranches over three days

June 26

* Cameron contacts a friend who had bought Innate shares in February 2017 and tells him to sell, which he does

* 7.11pm - Innate announces to the ASX the clinical trial's negative results, prompting a 92 per cent plunge in its share price
Labor has blasted the Great Barrier Reef Foundation for lying about how much money it has raised in its 18-year history, amid controversy over its record $444 million of federal funding.

The foundation says it has raised $90 million, but Mr Burke says its annual reports don't add up to the figure, and noted the foundation's website changed late on Wednesday night to say it had raised 64 per cent of that from corporate and private philanthropy.

"The claims that the foundation has been making, that they were raising all of this money from private sources, are simply not true," Labor environment spokesman Tony Burke told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday.
A man who shot another man through the front door of a Gold Coast home in what police suspect was a case of mistaken identity remains on the run.

Police say a man in his 30s or 40s got out of a car that had pulled up to a Carrara home on January 8 and fired a single shot through the front door, leaving a man inside with a bullet-wound to his hand.

The 26-year-old female driver of the vehicle has been charged, but police are still searching for the shooter and two other passengers.
Power companies could face fines if they don't comply with a proposed new rule to allow people to read their own electricity meter rather than relying on estimates.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has drafted a rule that they say will reduce the risk of customers being billed more for over-estimated usage.

Five per cent of household bills are based on estimates where companies have been unable to get an actual reading, but such cases are one of the most frequent categories of customer complaints, state ombudsmen and consumer groups said.

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg welcomed the move, which came at his request.

"While some retailers already offer their customers the ability to submit a self-reading of their meter, these changes will ensure everyone has the ability to rectify an inaccurately estimated bill," he said.

AEMC has recommended retailers who fail to comply with obligations face new civil penalties.

The rule is part of the consumer protection action plan due to be finalised in November.
Protesters have held images of a Sri Lankan family who face being separated by forced deportation as they picketed outside the head office of Qantas in Sydney.

More than 20 people gathered in Sydney on Thursday afternoon calling on the airline to refuse to carry unsuccessful asylum seekers whom the federal government wants to deport.

Refugee groups released an open letter penned by prominent Australians warning carriers that being involved in deportations could seriously damage their brands.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said protesters targeted Qantas because of the company's public profile. Activists also rallied outside subsidiary Jetstar's offices in Melbourne on Thursday.

"They (Qantas) did take a stand on same-sex marriage and copped a lot of flack from (Immigration Minister) Peter Dutton for that," Mr Rintoul said.

But he argued Qantas might be less willing to stand up to the Commonwealth on the deportation issue because it feared losing valuable contracts.

The protesters in Sydney and Melbourne specifically want Qantas not to help deport a married Tamil couple back to Sri Lanka separating them from their two Australian-born children.

The open letter, signed by businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court and former Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs, comes after several airlines in the United States and Britain agreed to refuse deportation orders.

Victorian Greens upper house MP Huong Truong backed the protest outside Jetstar's Melbourne office.

"As a daughter of refugees fleeing after the Fall of Saigon I am only too-well aware of the fear and repression that can force someone to leave the country they once called home," she said in a statement read to the crowd.

"I call upon Qantas management to refuse being complicit in breaking up families."
A man charged with murder following the shooting death of a western Sydney father in July has been extradited from Perth.

West Australian police arrested the 27-year-old on Monday in connection with the death of George Nassif, who was fatally shot in the back at Warwick Farm on July 22.

NSW detectives successfully applied for his extradition on Tuesday and charged him with murder, special aggravated break and enter, possessing an unauthorised pistol and discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The man was due to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Thursday.
The notorious Don Dale Youth Detention Centre's days are numbered with a new facility to be built in Darwin.

Don Dale received national attention in 2016 when the ABC aired a report showing the abuse of youths.

They included Aboriginal teen Dylan Voller in a restraint chair wearing a spit hood, which prompted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to order Royal Commission into Juvenile Detention in the Northern Territory.

The new centre at Pinelands will notably include an alcohol and rehabilitation centre.

A lack of such services in Darwin and Alice Springs has been a major criticism of the Territory's youth justice system.

The NT government has committed $70 million for two new detention centres in Darwin and Alice Springs as part of $229.6 million over the next five years to overhaul the child protection and youth justice systems and implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

Minister for Territory Families Dale Wakefield said she was consulting with an Aboriginal organisation on a new Alice Springs centre, with indigenous youths representing 100 per cent of detainees in the NT.

Mr Turnbull this week said in Alice Springs the federal government would not provide money towards implementing the royal commission recommendations because a lack of funding for the NT government was not an issue.

Ms Wakefield said that was disappointing.

"The prime minister was very clear that even though he called a royal commission, he sees no part in being part of the solution," she told reporters.

Other forms of detention would be expanded, including training and bush camps ensuring youths would still be accountable for crimes but the system would better "provide a pathway into a more positive lifestyle rather than creating lifelong criminals", she said.
Australia must embrace opportunities presented by the global shift towards electric cars, Independent Senator Tim Storer says.

The senator has called for Australia to take an active role in the shift towards electric vehicles.

He said unless efforts were made to foster a local manufacturing industry, Australian motorists will be faced with paying higher prices in the future.

"Without action, Australia runs the risk of paying the price for this revolution rather than reaping the benefits, of being a technology taker rather than a technology maker," Senator Storer said.

The senator is leading a select committee investigation into electric cars which will hold its first hearing in Adelaide on Friday.

It will take submissions from car producers including Mitsubishi and Telsa and also from the University of Adelaide and the Australian Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association.

Senator Storer said the inquiry will focus on the economic, environmental and social benefits of widespread electric vehicle uptake in Australia.

"This is a unique opportunity to think about how we prepare for a transformation we know is coming, and to hear from businesses, experts, and members of the public, already working to help Australia embrace the opportunities around electric vehicles," he said.

"With good policy, there will be opportunities for Australian mining and advanced manufacturing as well as a pathway to managing challenges and opportunities for transport, energy and planning, not forgetting massive benefits for the environment".
Australia must boost foreign aid in the Indo-Pacific region if it wants to maintain its geo-political influence, a parliamentary inquiry is expected to be told.

Groups including Save the Children, Oxfam and the Refugee Council of Australia will give evidence on Friday at a Melbourne hearing into the effectiveness of Australia's aid in the region.

"Australia's future economic growth is tied to the prosperity and stability of our region. We therefore cannot afford to lose geopolitical influence in shaping development outcomes in our immediate region," Save the Children said in its submission to the federal inquiry.

It comes as research shows Australia remains the biggest donor to developing Pacific nations.

The Lowy Institute's Pacific aid map shows eight years of foreign aid given to island nations and Australia is leading the pack with more than $6.5 billion spent.

However China has overtaken New Zealand to sit second.

The federal government allocated $4.2 billion to its total aid budget in 2018/19. By 2021/22, the aid budget is expected to hit an all-time low - 19 cents in every $100 of gross national income.

The Refugee Council of Australia is calling for overseas aid to be increased to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.
When he woke up with a headache and couldn't get a couple of tablets out of a packet, Brendan Nicalsen knew something was wrong.

"I was dropping them. I couldn't move my fingers properly," he told AAP.

Panicked, the 70-year-old woke his wife who - seeing his drooped mouth and slurred speech - asked their daughter to call for an ambulance.

He had experienced a stroke and within hours had undergone surgery to have a clot removed from his brain - and he was discharged from hospital, with few side effects, less than two days later.

"They were saying how lucky I was," he said.

Some of the Victorian's luck was that the hospital at which he was operated on had known he was a candidate for a clot retrieval.

It had been involved in a study that extended the window for the operation for some people from six hours after their stroke to 24.

The study's findings were made in late 2017 and would not have been in the clinical stroke guidelines at the time of Mr Nicalsen's March stroke, due to the time taken to update the document.

The federal government is giving $1.5 million to the Stroke Foundation and Cochrane Australia for a world-first project aimed at ensuring the same couldn't be said in the future.

The organisations are setting out to create the world's first set of "living guidelines", through which artificial intelligence will source all of the latest research, clinical experts will review it and the guidelines will be updated, with doctors able to access them online from any device.

Stroke Foundation chief executive Sharon McGowan said in the past paper guidelines could take up to 10 years to reflect some research.

"This will transform that paradigm," she told AAP.

"We will actually be able to provide the latest and the best access to information, put it in the palms of the hands of our clinicians, at the bedside."

Health Minister Greg Hunt said ensuring people get treatment for stroke quickly is key to their survival and rehabilitation.

"When it comes to diagnosing and treating strokes we know that time is vital," he said.

"Minutes can literally mean the difference between life and death."

There were about 56,000 strokes in Australia in 2017 - meaning someone was experiencing one about every eight minutes.
Her record-breaking finish inspired a shock Pan Pacs mixed medley relay gold for Australia in Tokyo.

But Cate Campbell believes her starts may be the key to a 100m freestyle win on Friday that would exorcise her Rio Olympic demons.

Former world champion Campbell inspired Australia's lone gold on the opening night of the four-day Pan Pacs, clocking a stunning 50.93 seconds in the freestyle anchor leg - the fastest women's split in history.

In another confidence boost, Campbell in the final leg blew away American world champion Simone Manuel, the woman who dethroned her to claim Rio 100m gold.

It ensured Australia claimed gold in three minutes, 38.91 seconds - just 0.35 of a second shy of the world record.

Japan were second in the mixed medley - one of three events to be added to the Olympic program in Tokyo 2020 - while an American team boasting two world champions and a world record holder was a surprise third.

Campbell is showing ominous signs that she is back after taking 2017 off to deal with her shock sixth placing in Rio.

No one doubts her finishing but Campbell believes her starts may be the difference in Friday's 100m final that is again expected to feature Manuel with Aussies Shayna Jack and Emma McKeon also in the mix.

Campbell said she had focused on her reaction time off the blocks ahead of the Pan Pacs, her biggest meet since her Rio heartache.

"As a sprinter I am notoriously slow off the blocks. I've got a couple of tenths of a second if I can get off the blocks a bit quicker," she said.

"There is just a lot more of me to get off the blocks than other people, but in saying that Usain Bolt never had the fastest start.

"If you want to swim faster it means you have to train a lot harder, where if I work on skills like starts ... that's money for jam really (to improve times)."

Campbell said she was in a good headspace before what looms as Rio redemption on Friday.

"I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the 100m don't I?" Campbell laughed.

"I can swim incredibly well and then it can also give me incredible heartache. For me it is about relaxing into it."

Defending champion Campbell is the only Australian woman to claim the blue riband event in the Pan Pacs' 33-year history.
Queensland officials say they are yet to receive the full detail of the Turnbull government's National Energy Guarantee ahead of a crucial meeting.

Energy ministers are under pressure to reach a deal but opposition from Labor governments in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT is threatening to strike an agreement.

"I had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister on Tuesday night, he assured me those papers would be with me as soon as possible," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Thursday.

"Malcolm Turnbull has to sort out his party room, have a clear position through his party room and then Queensland is open to look at the legislation."

Her office was yet to receive that paperwork as of late Thursday.

The meeting is to take place on Friday

Mr Turnbull has warned state governments they will be blamed for high power bills if they veto his "critical" signature policy.

The Energy Security Board said the NEG ensures reliable energy supply in tight periods and will help households save $550-a-year on power bills.
The banks who have long taken from farmers have finally "stumped up" to help them in the drought, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says.

Westpac and ANZ have become the last of the major banks to agree to let farmers offset money put away in good times against money they've borrowed.

It comes after Mr Littleproud piled pressure on the banks to let farmers offset Farm Management Deposits against their loans.

Westpac and ANZ were the last two banks to hold out, but on Thursday they joined Commonwealth Bank, Rabobank, NAB and Rural Bank in falling in line with the minister's demands.

"Today Westpac and the ANZ finally showed up for our farmers," Mr Littleproud said on Thursday.

"Two years ago this government made changes to the law to allow farmers to use their FMD as an offset against their loans and for two years I've been a broken record calling for the banks to stump up.

"The banks make billions out of agriculture and for too long the relationship has been take, take take."

Westpac will now offer an interest adjustment for customers with farm management deposits to effectively offset balances against eligible business loans.

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.

ANZ is offering $130 million in discounted loans, and is waiving fees for restructuring business loans.

Labor has also promised to hire 100 extra Centrelink workers to help drought-stricken farmers if it wins the next election.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said a Labor government would fund extra community response officers.

"Farmers don't have time to deal with complicated bureaucratic processes when they're concentrating on getting through the drought," he said.

"So Labor wants to ensure that assistance is getting to farmers as quickly as possible with support on hand from Centrelink officers when they need it."

The government has invested in rural financial counsellors to help farmers access drought support.

But the application process for the Farm Household Allowance has come under fire, with many farmers not seeking help because of the paperwork associated with the payment.

Labor blames government cuts to Centrelink for up to 19,000 eligible farmers not applying for the allowance.

The opposition leader is in drought-affected rural Queensland on a two-day tour which wraps up on Friday.
National Australia Bank's CEO has apologised to customers over the fees-for-no-service scandal but denies the bank has committed any crimes.

The corporate regulator is investigating "suspected offending" by NAB as part of wider fees-for-no-service issues across the financial services industry, documents before the banking royal commission reveal.

NAB has admitted charging more than 4000 dead superannuation customers $3 million in fees while its super trustee NULIS is paying $120 million to compensate hundreds of thousands of customers over a separate plan service fee issue.

NAB CEO Andrew Thorburn sent an email to all staff on Thursday about the royal commission revelations.

"We do not believe that we have committed any criminal acts," it said.

Mr Thorburn also took to Twitter to apologise for failing customers.

"This week, once again, we've been confronted in the royal commission where we've let you down, and I'm sorry for that," he said in a video message linked to the tweet.

"When we make a mistake, we find it and we fix it, and if necessary we compensate you.

"The mistake we've made in this case is that we haven't done that."

In the royal commission documents, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission accused the bank of failing to report significant breaches of its licence on time on 110 occasions.

Failing to comply with breach reporting requirements is a criminal offence, although the regulator can take a range of administrative, civil and criminal actions.

In the documents, ASIC also said it was concerned NAB contravened sections of the Corporations Act and ASIC Act - some of which may carry criminal as well as civil penalties - over the issue of fees wrongly charged to superannuation members.

While the two NAB witnesses scheduled to appear before the inquiry have finished their testimony, barristers assisting the commission may yet decide to call further evidence.

Wealth manager IOOF's managing director Christopher Kelaher is scheduled to appear on Friday.

The inquiry on Monday heard AMP, the Commonwealth Bank and IOOF have acknowledged fees-for-no-service conduct that counsel assisting the commission believe must have affected the trustees of the superannuation funds within their respective retail groups.
Turkey's detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson is at the center of one of the worst spats between Washington and Ankara in decades

A senior Turkish diplomat held talks Wednesday at the State Department to try to defuse the crisis between Washington and Ankara that erupted over the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, who sat down with Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, did not speak to reporters before or after the visit.

In a brief statement, the State Department said only that the pair "discussed a range of bilateral matters including Pastor Brunson."

The row between the NATO allies is seen by analysts as one of the most severe bilateral spats since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and comes on top of a host of other issues causing strain.

The two sides have slapped reciprocal sanctions on two senior officials on each side over the case of Brunson, who was first detained in October 2016 on terror-related charges.

Two weeks ago, Brunson -- who ran a Protestant church in the Aegean city of Izmir -- was moved from jail to house arrest, but President Donald Trump called for his immediate release.

The tensions have pushed the already battered Turkish lira to new record lows, and Ankara seems keen to work on a solution.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Singapore last week, and the pair spoke again by telephone on Monday.

The Hurriyet newspaper reported that Turkey and the United States had reached a preliminary agreement over "certain issues" in the crisis and the details would be finalized in the delegation's visit, but Washington threw cold water on the idea.

"If we had reached any type of agreement, I think you'd see Pastor Brunson back here at home," department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday.

"The kind of progress that we want is for Pastor Brunson, our locally employed staff, and our other American citizens to be brought home. That's the real progress that we're looking for, and obviously we're not there just yet."

Nauert was referring to the detention of two local employees of US missions in Turkey on terror charges.

Other issues that have complicated US-Turkish ties include: US support for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Turkey sees as a terror group, and the US refusal to extradite US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes masterminded a failed coup attempt in July 2016.
A 5.9-magnitude quake aftershock struck at a shallow depth in the northwest of Lombok Thursday

The death toll from a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok jumped to 319 Thursday, as strong aftershocks triggered panic among traumatised survivors waiting for aid in the worst-hit regions.

The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake Sunday levelled tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok, with relief agencies only just starting to reach survivors in some of the worst-hit areas four days later.

"Our latest update is that 319 people died," said Indonesia's chief security minister Wiranto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing and complicated by aftershocks.

The number forced from their homes in the disaster has soared to 270,000, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, with around 1,000 people severely injured.

Most of the displaced are sleeping under tents or tarpaulins near their ruined homes or in evacuation shelters that are short of food, clean water and medical help.

Makeshift medical facilities have been set up to treat the injured.

Indonesia earthquake

Survivors of the quake have also been shaken by hundreds of aftershocks, including a shallow 5.9-magnitude quake Thursday which caused people to flee evacuation shelters crying and screaming.

Motorcycles parked on the street in northern Lombok's Tanjung district toppled over and the walls of some nearby buildings collapsed.

"We were stuck in the traffic while delivering aid, suddenly it felt like our car was hit from behind, it was so strong," witness Sri Laksmi told AFP.

"People in the street began to panic and got out of their cars, they ran in different directions in the middle of the traffic."

Twenty-four people were injured by falling debris in the tremor, Nugroho said.

- 'Exceptionally destructive' -

Authorities and international relief groups have begun organising aid, but badly damaged roads have slowed efforts to reach survivors in the mountainous north of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake.

State-run news agency Antara reported overnight 347 had been killed by the quake, but officials have said the tally was incomplete and unverified

Aid had begun trickling into some of the most isolated regions by midday Thursday, officials said, but many displaced people still lack basic supplies.

In some parts of northern Lombok, survivors can be seen standing on the road with cardboard boxes asking for donations and food.

"It is already clear that Sunday's earthquake was exceptionally destructive," Christopher Rassi, the head of a Red Cross assessment team on Lombok, said in a statement.

"I visited villages yesterday that were completely collapsed."

There are fears that two collapsed mosques in north Lombok had been filled with worshippers

Workers with heavy machinery are searching the rubble of homes, schools and mosques, with hope of finding any survivors fading.

There are fears that two collapsed mosques 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 one mosque in Lading Lading village, while at least one body has been spotted under the rubble in Pemenang.

Authorities are gathering information from family members with missing relatives to determine how many more people may have been in the buildings when they collapsed, national search and rescue agency spokesman Yusuf Latif told AFP.

- Waiting for aid -

Across much of the island, a popular tourist destination, once-bustling villages have been turned into virtual ghost towns.

Tens of thousands of homes, businesses and mosques were levelled by the quake, which struck on Sunday as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island

Evacuees in some encampments say they are running out of food, while others are suffering psychological trauma after the powerful quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

There is a dire need for medical staff and "long-term aid", especially food and medicine in the worst-hit areas, government officials said.

About 200 cars packed with food, medicine and basic supplies were sent to heavily impacted regions in the north and west Thursday morning, Agung Pramuja, a spokesman for Mataram mitigation disaster agency, told AFP.

But some evacuees have complained of being ignored or experiencing long delays for supplies to arrive at shelters.

At a shelter in hard-hit Kayangan, new mother Rusnah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said she needed basic supplies for her children.

"I'm still in pain from giving birth," she told AFP. "I need diapers, I need milk."

Other evacuees said they were subsisting on a diet of instant noodles and needed clean water and bedding.

The Indonesian Red Cross said it had set up 10 mobile clinics in the north of the island.

Some evacuees have complained of being ignored or experiencing long delays for supplies to arrive at shelters

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.

Aid groups say children are particularly vulnerable, with many sleeping in open fields and suffering illnesses from lack of warm clothing and blankets.
The world's biggest furniture retailer expects seven million people a year to throng its new store in the southern city of Hyderabad, the first of 25 outlets it hopes to open across the country of 1.25 billion people by 2025

Ikea revolutionised homeware retail with affordable, self-assembly furniture with a Scandinavian twist, sold in stroll-around megastores offering a break for Swedish meatballs. On Thursday its first Indian outlet opens -- with success far from guaranteed.

While Indians may be getting richer, creating an apparent golden opportunity for Ikea as in other emerging economies, spending levels remain low.

The culture of DIY furnishing is also alien and local consumers retain their trust in Indian products.

The world's biggest furniture retailer expects seven million people a year to throng its new store in the southern city of Hyderabad, the first of 25 outlets it hopes to open across the country of 1.25 billion people by 2025.

To try and ensure it recoups its $1.5-billion investment, the Swedish company has tweaked its offerings to suit Indian tastes, starting with the restaurant

To try and ensure it recoups its $1.5-billion investment, the Swedish company has tweaked its offerings to suit Indian tastes, starting with the restaurant, where "Smaklig Maltid -- 'Enjoy your Meal' in Swedish" is written on the wall.

The 1,000-seater eatery, Ikea's biggest ever, will not offer pork or beef meatballs -- for religious reasons -- substituting chicken or vegetarian alternatives instead. Indians' beloved biryani dish will sell for 99 rupees ($1.44).

"We have changed quite a lot for India. We have two ranges. One is the Swedish Unique range and one is the local range," food manager Henrik Osterstrom told AFP. "It's a big store and you need to have some energy boost halfway through."

- Loveseats and tawas -

Alongside standard Ikea furniture like Billy bookshelves and Klippan "loveseats", the chain will offer "locally relevant products" like 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, store manager, says have "big aspirations for their homes and small wallets". A six-piece bowl set with cutlery for kids costs 131 rupees, for example.

The 1,000-seater eatery, Ikea's biggest ever, will not offer pork or beef meatballs -- for religious reasons -- substituting chicken or vegetarian alternatives instead. Indians' beloved biryani dish will sell for 99 rupees ($1.44)

The interior of the store has a noticeable local feel too, with Indian-design bedspreads and framed photos of the Taj Mahal and other Indian monuments -- alongside Klimt's painting "The Kiss" recalling faraway Europe.

"We decided not to copy and paste," Juvencio Maeztu, Ikea's finance chief, told AFP. "We met and interacted with 1,000 Indian families to understand what were their dreams, their frustrations and what they want."

And to overcome Indians' aversion to assembling their furniture, with people used to small, family-owned firms providing a bespoke service, Ikea teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform that helps connect handymen with consumers.

- 'A flop, I tell you' -

After Hyderabad, Ikea plans to open outlets in the financial capital Mumbai next year, followed by Bangalore and New Delhi as it seeks to grab a share of India's estimated $40 billion home goods market.

The "Ikea index"

But Satish Meena from Forrester Research said the firm will also have to adapt its offerings to the "extremely diverse" Indian market.

"No two states or cities have the same furniture demand and behaviour, lifestyle and culture vary from one region to another. Hence, Ikea will have to address space, pricing and design issues and pick products accordingly," Meena said.

Locals in Hyderabad meanwhile were sceptical.

"I will wait and watch," Mohammad Noor, a businessman, told AFP. "I have never been to an IKEA store before. But I believe there it's all compressed wood. Indian wood is much better."

And Siddharth, in charge of a Hyderabad shop for bespoke furniture, said Ikea might attract hard-up students but in general people would stick with "quality".

"It will be a flop, I tell you," he told AFP. "The regular furniture consumer will stick with the more solid wood available in the Indian market... I don't think it will give us much competition."

burs-stu/fa/amz
Smoke billows from an Israeli air strike on Gaza City Thursday

An Israeli strike flattened a building in Gaza City on Thursday after a rocket landed deep inside the Jewish state, but tensions appeared to lessen following a deadly flare-up of violence over the previous day.

Gaza militants had earlier Thursday declared a halt to rocket fire and the lack of a strong response to the strike on the building later in the day suggested they were returning to it.

A source familiar with the negotiations said Egypt and the United Nations had negotiated a return to calm starting shortly before midnight Thursday, seemingly bringing an end to the upturn in violence.

If confirmed it would be the third such indirect truce agreement between Hamas and Israel in a month, with tensions remaining high.

Late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet issued a statement following a meeting saying it had instructed the military "to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements".

People inspect the rubble of a building after an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, which Palestinians say housed a cultural centre while the Israeli army says it was used by the Islamist Hamas group

More sirens rang out in southern Israel on Thursday night and there were reports in the Israeli media of at least two rockets landing in open areas.

The strike on the building in Gaza City wounded 18 Palestinians. The rocket that hit an open area outside the major Israeli city of Beersheba caused no damage or injuries.

It was the first time since a 2014 war that a rocket had hit that deep inside Israel, according to Israeli media. Beersheba is some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Gaza Strip.

Gaza militants had at around noon halted fire after targeting Israel with some 180 rockets and mortars beginning Wednesday night and into Thursday.

Gaza Strip

The rocket fire provoked a wave of Israeli strikes across the enclave overnight that killed three Palestinians, including a toddler.

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.

The Israeli strike later Thursday, after the rocket landed near Beersheba, hit a building that Palestinians say housed a cultural centre and other offices in the middle of the city.

Israel's military said the five-storey building was used by Hamas's "interior security forces for military purposes."

An explosion rocks Gaza following an Israeli air strike on August 8, 2018

The Said Meshal Cultural Centre confirmed on its Facebook page the offices in Gaza City had been destroyed, saying the building also hosted offices for the Egyptian community in Gaza.

The building was not publicly known to include facilities for Hamas.

- 'Never leave' -

Beginning on Wednesday night and into Thursday, fireballs and explosions shook the Gaza Strip while plumes of smoke rose from the enclave.

In nearby Israeli communities, residents were sent scrambling to bomb shelters.

Most of the rockets fired by Palestinian militants landed in open areas, but at least two hit the Israeli town of Sderot and sirens sounded throughout the night.

Medics reported at least four wounded taken to Israeli hospitals, including a seriously injured 30-year-old Thai woman.

Israel's military reported seven civilians wounded.

Palestinian mourners carry the coffin of 18-month-old Bayan who was killed with her mother in an Israeli air strike on Gaza

Those killed in the Gaza Strip included Enas Khammash, 23, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

They were killed in an air strike in Jafarawi in central Gaza, the ministry said, while her husband was injured. The ministry said Khammash was also pregnant.

A Hamas militant was also killed in the overnight strikes and at least 12 others injured, the health ministry said.

"Bayan was sleeping with her mother and father. The rocket hit their house and smashed it, you can see the damage," said Abdullah Khammash, 31 and a cousin of the woman and child killed.

In Sderot, the Israeli city near the Gaza Strip, a gaping hole could be seen in front of a small, three-storey building. A car parked nearby was smashed.

"I will never leave, never," said Hagit Shetreet, 45, who had to run to a shelter due to the rocket fire.

- 'Deeply alarmed' -

People inspect damage from a rocket fired by Gaza militants at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on August 9, 2018

Israel's army said it targeted more than 150 Hamas military locations, including militant compounds and weapons manufacturing sites.

Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said he had no information on the woman and child killed, but noted a pregnant Israeli woman was taken to hospital Wednesday night after a rocket landed nearby.

"What I can say is that we targeted by definition only military targets that were clearly used by Hamas where there was an active presence of Hamas and nothing else," he told journalists on Thursday morning.

A member of the Hamas military police walks through rubble at a site hit by Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on August 9, 2018

The military said 30 of the some 180 rockets and mortars fired at Israel were intercepted by air defence systems.

The three flare-ups since July, which follow months of tensions due to protests and clashes along the Gaza border, have raised fears of a fourth war between the two sides since 2008.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN envoy for the Middle East conflict who has been seeking to negotiate a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas, said he was "deeply alarmed".

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called on the international community to "immediately and urgently intervene".

Protests and clashes along the Gaza border began on March 30.

At least 165 Palestinians have killed by Israeli fire since then. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

az-jlr-jod-cmr/mjs/hkb/dl
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
The Puerto Rican government has asked the US Congress for funding to the tune of $139 billion for reconstruction effort

Puerto Rico's governor announced Wednesday the island's Washington-established financial oversight board had struck an debt restructuring deal with bondholders that would save $17.5 billion in future payments.

Ricardo Rossello's announcement came hours after his government presented to Congress a $139 billion development and recovery program following last year's hurricanes, which devastated the US territory.

In a statement, Rossello's office said the oversight board had agreed with a significant number of bondholders -- "in principle" -- to restructure Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA) debt "to terms that are aligned with the fiscal reality of Puerto Rico."

The agreement would save Puerto Rico $17.5 billion in payments to bondholders.

"This agreement represents a significant step in restructuring Puerto Rico's debt and reaffirms once again the credibility of our efforts," said Rossello, quoted in the statement.

The most recent operational report from the Puerto Rican government, dated December 2016, said that COFINA had issued all of its $17.3 billion in bonds between 2007 and 2011.

Soon after, in May 2017, Puerto Rico declared itself bankrupt, with public debt surpassing $70 billion.

Four months later, hurricanes Irma and Maria ruined the island's infrastructure, above all its electricity, plunging Puerto Rico into crisis.

On Wednesday, the Puerto Rican government asked Congress to allocate funding to the tune of $139 billion for reconstruction efforts, including rebuilding homes, water and energy systems, and rehabilitating services such as health, education and transport.

"All of the initiatives aim to make us stronger and more resilient, while guaranteeing long-term economic recovery," said the governor.
Five Australians have been stripped of their citizenship for fighting alongside Islamic State, according to home affairs minister Peter Dutton

Five people have been stripped of their Australian citizenship for fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, with officials saying Thursday the country was a better place without them.

They join notorious Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf -- who made headlines when he posted a Twitter image of his young son holding a severed head -- as the only nationals to be kicked out under tougher anti-terror laws.

"I can confirm that five more individuals have ceased to be Australian citizens because of their involvement with Islamic State offshore," home affairs minister Peter Dutton said in a statement.

"Fundamentally, citizenship requires allegiance to this country... these five dual-nationals have been acting against Australia's interests by engaging with terrorism and have effectively chosen to leave the Australian community."

The five are all aged in their 20s and 30s. Dutton provided no further details on their identities but welcomed their exclusion.

"Australia is a safer place for not having them return," he said.

Canberra has become increasingly concerned about Australian nationals returning home after fighting alongside Islamic State abroad and has passed a series of tougher national security laws in recent years.

That includes legislation where people can forfeit their citizenship if they also hold a passport from another country, and therefore are not left stateless.

Sharrouf, the first Australian national stripped of his passport for Islamic State links, was also a Lebanese citizen.

He left Australia for Syria in 2013 with his family.

His Australian wife Tara Nettleton, who went with him, has since died and Sharrouf was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Iraq in 2015.

Later media reports cast doubt on whether he was dead. The fate of their five children remains unknown.

Sharrouf sparked international revulsion in 2014 when he posted pictures on social media of his young son Abdullah holding the rotting severed head of a soldier.
Joel Robuchon's most famous innovation -- the Atelier or Workshop style restaurant -- was inspired by Japan

Foie gras paired with wasabi, Japanese-style open kitchens and a fierce work ethic: Joel Robuchon, hailed as "chef of the century" on his death this week, drew great inspiration from Japan, where 10 establishments now bear his name.

The world's most-starred Michelin chef developed an immediate love for sushi, sake and Japan itself after arriving for the first time in 1976, his luggage bulging with "forbidden or unknown produce like shallots, tarragon and chives," he once recalled.

Yosuke Suga, who worked with the famously perfectionist Robuchon for 17 years, told AFP that he would often talk fondly of his first impressions of Japan.

"He arrived at Narita airport and saw how (the handrails) of the escalator were cleaned meticulously. And he said to himself, 'Japan is somewhere I can work'," said Suga, now 41 and running his own restaurant.

Kenichiro Sekiya, head chef at Robuchon's "L'Atelier" restaurant in Tokyo, says the French master quickly became inspired by Japanese ingredients and surprised his hosts with the way he used them.

"He used wasabi, soy sauce, yuzu citrus and shichimi (a blend of seven spices with chili) to give accents to various food," said Sekiya, 38, recalling his amazement when Robuchon added wasabi cream to foie gras terrine.

"Japanese have fixed ideas for the spices so it's hard to break them. But Robuchon did his own interpretation and used them in his own way, which Japanese wouldn't normally do," he said.

And one of Robuchon's most famous innovations -- the concept of the "Atelier" (or "workshop"), where customers dine in close proximity to the chefs, perched on high stools at a bar counter -- was also inspired by Japan.

Robuchon was hailed as the 'chef of the century' when he died earlier this week

"He really wanted a connection with customers over a counter. Sushi chefs in Japan make sushi in front of customers and communicate with them," said Kazutoshi Narita, a pastry chef who worked for 10 years at Robuchon restaurants in Tokyo, New York and Taipei.

In 2003, Robuchon opened his first Atelier restaurant in the central Tokyo district of Roppongi and his photo still overlooks the chefs there, dressed all in black as they prepare meals in full sight of the diners.

He would fly to Tokyo at least three times a year to oversee his restaurant empire and would rarely miss the opportunity to enjoy his beloved sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, where US president Barack Obama dined with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

Sekiya said Robuchon, who at one time held 32 Michelin stars, at first underestimated how hard it was to make sushi.

"Apparently sushi was just sliced fish placed on rice to him at first," he said. "I heard he became fascinated by sushi after learning that it was actually something more delicate."

Robuchon also fell in love with sake, a fermented drink made of rice, and recently opened a shop to promote the drink in Paris.

- Champagne and camembert -

Like most chefs, Robuchon was known to drive his staff hard and the famous Japanese work ethic appealed to him.

"He was very demanding in terms of quality but we liked that a lot. We respected that and were happy to work with him. We're maybe a bit masochistic," joked Suga.

Robuchon wanted diners to be close to his chefs

After his death from pancreatic cancer in Geneva on Monday, Narita went to Robuchon's three-starred chateau restaurant in the trendy Ebisu district to honour his memory in his own way -- with champagne and cheese.

"Chefs at Robuchon restaurants used to get together at the kitchen counter for champagne and camembert after work," said Narita.

"That was my most peaceful moment with him. It was a moment in which I felt a sense of achievement."

And Robuchon leaves more than just recipes and inspiration in Japan -- his 30-year-old half-Japanese son now runs a wine business in the southern city of Fukuoka.
In many countries, skin lightening cream is mixed in beauty saloons or backstreet shops

Dr. Isima Sobande was in medical school when she first heard of mothers who bleached the skin of their babies.

She dismissed it as an urban myth. But it wasn't long before she saw it with her own eyes.

At a health centre in Lagos, a mother brought in a two-month-old infant who was crying in pain.

"He had very large boils all over his body," the soft-spoken 27-year-old Nigerian told AFP. "It seemed like they weren't normal."

The baby's mother explained that she had mixed a steroid cream with shea butter and slathered his skin with it in order to make it whiter.

"I was very appalled. It was distressing," said Sobande.

Shocked, the young doctor now takes a different view on skin bleaching, also called lightening or whitening.

For many Nigerians, it is a "standard procedure," a gateway to beauty and success, she said.

"It's a mindset that has eaten into society. For a lot of people, it's the path to getting a good job, having a relationship."

- Africa risk -

Skin lightening is popular in many parts of the world, including South Asia and the Middle East.

But medical experts say that in Africa -- a continent where regulations are often lax or scorned -- the widening phenomenon is laden with health risks.

Cultural watchdogs, for their part, see it as the toxic legacy of colonialism.

Africa is experiencing a "massive trend of increased use (of skin bleaching), particularly in teenagers and young adults," said Lester Davids, a physiology professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

"The older generation used creams -- the new generation uses pills and injectables. The horror is that we do not know what these things do in high concentrations over time in the body."

Where statistics about Africa's skin-bleaching industry exist, they are often old or unreliable.

But evidence from the range of products, suppliers and services points to a continent-wide market that may number tens of millions of people and possibly more.

In Nigeria alone, 77 per cent of women -- by extrapolation, more than 60 million people -- are using lightening products on a "regular basis", the World Health Organization (WHO) said in 2011.

- Bootleg creams -

Experts say the African market is rapidly expanding as companies seek to cash in on the continent's booming youth population.

"More clients want insight on the lightening market," said Rubab Abdoolla, a beauty analyst at market researchers Euromonitor International.

The rich tend to opt for pricier registered products which are available in standard doses.

Others are likely to buy creams, often bootleg concoctions mixed in the back streets, that may be dangerous and are blatantly sold in defiance of official bans or constraints.

Ingredients may include hydroquinone, steroids, mercury and lead -- the same element that, at high doses, poisoned Elizabethan courtiers who powdered their faces ivory white.

Risk: Edmund Delle, a dermatologist at the Rabito Clinic in Accra, holds up a picture of a woman with ochronosis -- discoloration caused by long-term application of hydroquinone to lighten the skin

"These chemicals damage respiratory, kidney and reproductive systems," an official from the Nigerian drug control agency warned. "They cause cancer, affect the nervous system, deform unborn babies."

In spite of the risks, authorities are struggling to control the bleaching innovations, which include a compound called glutathione, taken as injections or pills.

Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have all banned skin bleaching products with high amounts of hydroquinone and mercury, with the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa urging people to "reject all colonial notions of beauty".

In July, Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority issued a statement telling pregnant women not to take glutathione pills to bleach their unborn babies saying that there may be "serious toxic side effects" such as "asthma, renal failure and chest pains."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stresses that it has not given approval for any of the injections on the market today.

"These products are potentially unsafe and ineffective, and might contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants."

- 'Addiction' -

Those who start using skin lightening say they invariably stay with the practice.

"Before you know it, it has become some sort of an addiction where you want to maintain that look," said Dabota Lawson, a Lagos socialite and cosmetics entrepreneur.

Cosmetics entrepreneur Dabota Lawson warns that skin lightening can become addictive: "Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like it's never enough."

"Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like it's never enough."

In Lagos, the creams are assembled by a legion of cosmetologists and sold at a price anywhere from 5,000 naira to 20,000 naira ($14-55, 12-47 euros), a prohibitive amount in a country where the minimum wage is just 18,000 naira ($50, 42 euros).

Instagram skincare star Pela Okiemute's "Russian White" body cream claims to give "firmness, intense beauty and a mixed race complexion".

His "Cleopatra Royal" cream, whose label features Elizabeth Taylor in her famous role as the Egyptian queen, promises to "lighten and radiate".

Customers should start seeing results in two weeks, says Okiemute, explaining that his creams, which include collagen, kojic acid and "anti-ageing" snail slime are safe, though he declined to divulge his formula.

"We have a lot of customers who have used a lot of wrong products, they come to us and we give solutions," he says.

He flicked through his phone to show before-and-after photos of a client who had a problem with dark knuckles, a telltale sign of a skin bleacher.

Glutathione injections are the latest craze in skin bleaching

Intravenous injections and pills of glutathione -- an antioxidant naturally found in the body that has a lightening side effect -- are the new frontiers of skin bleaching.

At his clinic on the outskirts of Lagos, beside an abandoned Chinese restaurant, plastic surgeon Aranmolate Ayobami charges clients 150,000 naira ($415, 350 euros) for a five-week course of glutathione injections.

Known as the "Buttmaster" for helping patients seeking an hourglass figure, Ayobami buys the injections from companies he trusts in the United Arab Emirates or the United States.

He only gives certain dosages for a limited amount of time, he said.

But sometimes clients will bring in their own cheaper product that they bought online and urge him to inject them. "We try to discourage that," he said.

- #Melaninpoppin -

If many millions of Africans lighten their skin without regret, others are dismayed.

"Skin bleaching is one manifestation of folks trying to get power and privilege aligned with whiteness," said Yaba Blay, a researcher at North Carolina Central University.

"We're seeing folks attempt to be perceived as having more value because of their complexion."

Back to nature: A billboard advertises products to restore natural skin colour on Spintex Road in Accra, the Ghanaian capital

Recent black movements are trying to challenge that perception.

#Melaninpoppin, a hashtag celebrating black skin, and the smash-hit movie "Black Panther," which featured an almost all-black cast wearing African-inspired outfits and natural hair, are held up as testaments to a shift away from longstanding Eurocentric standards of beauty.

But whether the tide of opinion is turning in Africa itself is another question.

"The truth for me was that my beauty was more accepted abroad than at home," said Ajuma Nasenyana, a model from northern Kenya, who has walked for Victoria's Secret and Vivienne Westwood.

"In the African industry the lighter your skin tone the more beautiful you are. Hopefully the industry is changing and starting to appreciate darker skin."

Sobande, the doctor, said, "We're living in a more positive environment than a few years before.

"But it's going to take a lot of effort to change the mindset."
The pest devours plant species including maize, rice, cotton and sugar cane and has devastated crops across Africa

A caterpillar native to the Americas that has devastated crops across Africa has made its way to Asia, scientists in India said Thursday, warning of a threat to food security.

Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research said a survey had identified fall armyworm or Spodoptera frugiperda on more than 70 percent of maize crops examined in the Chikkaballapur area of southern Karnataka state, the first time the armyworm has been spotted in Asia.

In addition to maize, the pest can devour more than 180 plant species including rice, cotton and sugar cane, according to the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), a not-for-profit group.

A.S. Vastrad, a scientist with the University of Agriculture Sciences, said the yellowish-brown caterpillar had the potential to spread rapidly to India's neighbouring states and countries.

"The female lays eggs very rapidly and the pest has already entered two more Indian states, Tamil Nadu and Telangana," he told AFP.

The pest was first detected in Africa in 2016 and has since spread to more than 40 African countries causing massive destruction to maize, a staple food crop essential for food security in large areas of Africa and Asia.

It is likely that the armyworm arrived in India through human-aided transport after slipping through regulatory systems.

Natural migration is also a possibility as the moth can fly hundreds of kilometres in one night on prevailing winds.

"Rapid action is necessary as the pest has the potential to spread to other Asian countries owing to suitable climatic conditions and the prominent cultivation of maize in the region," CABI said in a report on its website.

Before turning into a moth the armyworm destroys young plants, attacking their growing points and burrowing into cobs in older plants.

Vastrad said farmers in India were using some pesticides on an ad-hoc basis which had proved effective so far but there was a danger of the worm becoming resistant over time.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says it has invested more than $9 million from its regular budget and mobilised $12 million for its fall armyworm programmes.
Biti was finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government

Zambian authorities on Thursday defied a court order stopping them from deporting top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti, handing him to police across the border, his lawyer said.

"They have defied the court order to allow him to seek asylum and as I am speaking to you right now he has been handed over to the Zimbabwean police," lawyer Gilbert Phiri told AFP.

Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), fled to Zambia on Wednesday claiming asylum, reportedly facing charges at home of inciting post-election violence.

Zambian authorities swiftly refused him asylum, but Phiri said Biti's legal team had managed to challenge the decision, keeping Biti in Zambia.

But authorities have ignored the ruling and deported him, Phiri said.

He is on the Zimbabwe side," he confirmed. "This is really embarrassing."

A hearing at Zambia's High Court, where Biti was supposed to appear, will go ahead Thursday in his absence, Phiri added.

The MDC were defeated in last week's historic first elections since Zimbabwe's military ousted Robert Mugabe in November, ending 37 years of iron-fisted rule.

Mugabe's successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner on Friday by a narrow margin -- results the opposition has furiously contested, alleging fraud.

Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government, had proclaimed a victory for the opposition before the results came in.

According to Zimbabwe's state-run Chronicle newspaper, he is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests over alleged rigging which turned deadly.

The army opened fire with live ammunition on the opposition protesters, killing six people and prompting an international outcry.

The election has been marred by accusations of a crackdown on opponents, with arrests and beatings, as well as the deadly violence and rigging claims.
Families paid their respects to the 74,000 killed in the atomic attack on Nagasaki

Millions still live in fear of nuclear war with many countries ramping up their atomic arsenals, the head of the United Nations warned Thursday, marking the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing.

Antonio Guterres, the first sitting UN secretary general to attend ceremonies honouring those who died in the bombing, said that even 73 years later, there was still a "shadow cast by the dread of unthinkable carnage."

Nuclear-armed states are spending "vast sums" to modernise their arsenals and "disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," noted Guterres.

"There is an urgent need for disarmament of all kinds, but especially nuclear disarmament," stressed the secretary general.

The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 140,000 people. The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.

Three days later, the US dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people.

Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15, 1945.

Antonio Guterres is the first sitting UN secretary general to attend ceremonies honouring those who died in the Nagasaki bombing, said that even 73 years later, there was still a "shadow cast by the dread of unthinkable carnage"

On Thursday in Nagasaki, crowds flocked to pray and pay their respects at the 10-metre (33-foot) high peace statue.

Guterres and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid wreaths to honour the dead and family members carrying buckets of water to purify altars bowed in memory of their loved ones.

The ceremony came amid lingering worries over North Korea's nuclear threat and in a year when President Donald Trump has pledged to bolster the US arsenal.

Mayor of Nagasaki Tomihisa Taue also issued a passionate call for denuclearisation.

"To the great concern of those in the atomic-bombed cities, a shift towards openly asserting that nuclear weapons are necessary and that their use could lead to increased military might is once again on the rise," Taue said.
Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence

Western governments and the UN expressed alarm Thursday as top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti appeared in court after a dramatic attempt to flee to neighbouring Zambia and claim asylum.

Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence as well as the illegal declaration of election results.

"We survive," Biti said after he was released on bail of $5,000 (4,330 euros) on the condition that he surrenders his passport and does not address any political gatherings or news conferences.

"It's a pity that in most of Africa we don't respect the rule of law," added Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's 2009-2013 power-sharing government.

Biti made a dash across the border on Wednesday, facing allegations of inciting protests last week by proclaiming victory for the opposition in Zimbabwe's first elections since the downfall of Robert Mugabe in November.

Mugabe's successor at the head of ruling party ZANU-PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was later declared the winner according to the official results, but the MDC claims the election was rigged.

Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare

Zambian authorities rejected Biti's plea for political asylum and handed him back to Zimbabwean police on Thursday morning, in defiance of a Zambia court ruling, according to his lawyers.

- 'Deeply disturbed' -

The UN refugee agency said it was "gravely concerned" that Biti had been deported while trying to claim asylum.

"Forcibly returning refugees and asylum-seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law," the UNHCR said in a statement.

It urged Zambia to investigate the incident, which comes after accusations that Zimbabwe's authorities are pursuing a heavy crackdown on the opposition as it pursues its claims of electoral fraud.

Zambian government spokeswoman Dora Siliya said authorities had only received the ruling from its own court blocking Biti's expulsion after he had been returned.

A supporter of Zimbabwe's MDC opposition makes a gesture of the party's symbol from inside a prison truck after a court appearance in Harare on Monday

"His asylum was denied on the basis that in his country there is no breakdown in the rule of law," she told AFP, adding that Biti himself was "running away from the due process of the law" as he was wanted by authorities.

Western nations said they were "deeply disturbed by continuing reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces".

In a joint statement, the EU, US, Canadian and Australian missions to Zimbabwe urged authorities to guarantee Biti's safety and human rights.

- 'The new Zimbabwe' -

Biti is accused of encouraging protests on August 1, when opposition demonstrators took to the streets in Harare angrily claiming ZANU-PF had stolen the election.

Troops opened fire on the protesters, killing six people and sparking an international outcry.

Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter that Biti was released after he intervened personally in the case.

"At such a crucial time in the history of the new Zimbabwe, nothing is more important than unity, peace and dialogue," he posted.

President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa's inauguration is scheduled for Sunday. If the opposition's legal challenge makes headway, the ceremony could be delayed

"Equally important, however, is an adherence to the rule of law," he said, adding that proceedings against Biti would continue "due to the serious nature of the allegations".

Mnangagwa, who is seeking to reverse Zimbabwe's economic isolation and attract desperately needed foreign investment, had vowed the elections would turn a page on Mugabe's repressive 37-year rule.

But the aftermath of the polls has been marred by allegations by rights groups as well as the MDC of a crackdown on opposition members, including beatings and arrests.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to launch a legal challenge against the results, and must do so by Friday.

Mnangagwa won the July 30 election with 50.8 percent of the vote -- just enough to avoid a run-off against Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent.

The Zimbabwe Election Commission -- synonymous with fraud under Mugabe -- insists the elections were free and fair this time around.

International monitors praised the conduct of the election itself, although EU observers said Mnangagwa benefited from an "un-level playing field" and a degree of voter intimidation.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has issued a decree offering a blanket amnesty to rebels, including his bitter rival Riek Machar, state radio reported Thursday.

The announcement comes days after the two men signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at ending a nearly five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions.

"President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree... pardoning Dr. Riek Machar and other groups that took up arms against the government since 2013. The decree comes into effect on the date 8, August 2018," State Radio Juba said, reading the decree.

Kiir also reiterated a call for his forces to observe a ceasefire agreed in June by both the government and Machar's rebels.

Sunday's power-sharing agreement paves the way for Machar to return to South Sudan as one of five vice-presidents, a role he occupied until shortly before the conflict erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused him of plotting a coup.

A final peace accord must now be signed, under the auspices of regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), followed by the formation of a transitional government that will hold power for three years until elections can be organised.

The last time a peace deal was signed returning Machar to the capital was in 2015, but the agreement collapsed during days of heavy fighting in Juba after which the rebel leader fled into exile.
Authorities have investigated about 1,000 Facebook accounts they claim incited violence during this month's student protests

Bangladesh police have arrested at least 12 social media activists accused of spreading rumours on Facebook during student protests last week that left about 1,000 people injured, a top official said Thursday.

Dhaka and other cities were this month paralysed by more than a week of protests that saw tens of thousands of school and college students take to the streets.

Rights groups have criticised the police response to the demonstrations, including the high-profile arrests of a renowned photographer, television actress and senior journalist during the protests.

Authorities have investigated about 1,000 Facebook accounts they claim incited violence during the unrest, said Dhaka police deputy commissioner Nazmul Islam.

"We have so far arrested 12 people for spreading rumours. Hopefully in the next couple of days we will arrest more people," he said.

Some of those arrested had claimed four girls were raped and two protesters were killed at the height of the demonstrations on Saturday, Islam added.

Bangladesh's internet law allows the regulation of social media and internet comment but rights groups accused the government of using the internet laws to crackdown on legitimate and peaceful dissent.

Amnesty International has called the legislation "draconian" and the Freedom House watchdog group says it has "created a climate of intimidation".

Award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam, television actor Kazi Naushaba and the chief executive of an online news outlet were among those who were arrested and charged under the internet laws during the unrest.

Alam was detained on Sunday after giving an interview to Al Jazeera television and commenting on the demonstrations on Facebook. He said he was beaten while in custody.

Islam said rumours spread online had led to the "destruction of 382 public vehicles, including eight police vehicles. Among those three police vehicles were burnt."

"Almost 1,000 people were wounded, 45 police were also wounded seriously," he added.

Protesters across Bangladesh demanded better safety on Bangladesh's chaotic, corruption-riddled transport network after a bus killed two teens in late July.

At the height of the protests, hundreds of students set up roadblocks across Dhaka, checking whether cars and buses had valid licences and vehicle safety certificates.

Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets while alleged pro-government groups attacked demonstrators, photographers and even the US ambassador's car.

The police action drew international attention, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government criticised by the United Nations, United States and rights groups.

Analysts said the protests reflected simmering discontent among Bangladeshi youth and highlighted broader issues including the absence of public accountability and the rule of law.

Most protesters had returned to school this week amid fears of further government repression if the unrest continued, according to student activists.
A man holds a leaflet stamped with the government forces' seal and dropped by helicopters over the northwestern Syrian town of Binnish warning of an impending assault on Idlib province and urging surrender

Syrian regime forces shelled rebel and jihadist positions in the northwestern province of Idlib on Thursday and dropped leaflets urging people to surrender.

The province is the largest chunk of territory still in rebel hands, and President Bashar al-Assad has warned it would be his next priority.

The United Nations, for its part, appealed Thursday for talks to avert "a civilian bloodbath" in Idlib, on the border with Turkey.

"The war cannot be allowed to go to Idlib," the head of the United Nations humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, told reporters in Geneva.

Egeland said he remained "hopeful" that diplomatic efforts could avert a major ground offensive that would force hundreds of thousands to flee.

"It is bad now" in Idlib, Egeland said. "It could be 100 times worse."

The warning came as government helicopters dropped leaflets over towns in Idlib's eastern countryside urging people to surrender, an AFP correspondent said.

"The war is nearing an end... We are calling on you to join the local reconciliations, as many of our people in Syria did," said the leaflets, which were stamped with the military's seal.

Such surrender deals are often negotiated by regime ally Russia.

They typically see rebels hand over territory to government troops in exchange for a halt to shelling, the return of state institutions, and a chance to either join regime forces or be bussed out of the area.

"The fate of your family, children and future depend on your decision," warned the leaflets.

Heavy artillery and rocket fire on Thursday morning slammed into territory around Jisr al-Shughur, a key town in the southwestern part of the province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The shelling is in preparation for a possible regime assault on that area," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, referring to Jisr al-Shughur.

But "the fate of remaining areas in the province depend on any deal" between key powerbrokers Russia and Turkey, he said.

Jisr al-Shughur is near the administrative borders with Latakia and Hama provinces.

"Regime reinforcements including equipment, soldiers, vehicles and ammunition have been arriving since Tuesday," he told AFP.

They were arriving in three regime-held areas: Latakia province just west of Jisr al-Shughur, in the Sahl al-Ghab plain to the south in Hama province, and in a sliver of the province's southeast that is already in government hands.

Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government, also reported on Thursday that army troops had bombed rebel and jihadist positions in the area.

Idlib, which has escaped regime control since 2015, lies along the border with Turkey but is otherwise nearly completely surrounded by government-held territory.

Around 60 percent of it is now held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, while rival opposition factions also control territory.

Syrian troops have recaptured key swathes of the country in recent months with Russia's help.

- Dozens arrested -

Apparently fearing a surrender deal for Idlib, HTS has been arresting dozens of figures in the province that have been go-betweens with the regime.

A member of Syrian pro-regime forces looks through binoculars in Idlib province on November 11, 2017

Early Thursday, the group detained several such figures from villages in Idlib's southeast, calling them "chiefs of treason", according to an HTS-linked media agency.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said it had documented more than 100 such arrests by HTS and rival forces this week alone.

Idlib province is home to around 2.5 million people, including rebels and civilians transferred en masse from other territory that fell to Syrian troops after intense assaults.

It was designated last year as one of four "de-escalation" zones where violence was supposed to be reduced ahead of a nationwide ceasefire.

It is the only such zone left, after Assad's troops in recent months recaptured the other three with a blend of military assaults and "reconciliation" deals.
Spain has hastily opened a new migrant reception centre in San Roque

An NGO ship which saved 87 migrants in distress off Libya docked in Spain on Thursday after roaming the Mediterranean for days, the third such vessel to be allowed in the country in two months after Italy refused to take them in.

The white ship belonging to Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms arrived in the southern port of San Roque, just over the bay from Gibraltar, at 9:20am (0720 GMT).

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.

There were 75 men and 12 boys.

The NGO says many of them were "repeatedly abused in Libya."

San Roque is where Spain hastily opened a new migrant reception centre as hundreds of migrants make the perilous sea crossing to the southern coast of Andalusia every week.

Faced with a crackdown by Libyan authorities and Italy's hardline approach to the arrival of migrants, Spain has now become the main destination for those trying to get to Europe from Africa.

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.

The country's new Socialist government has also allowed the docking of three NGO rescue ships since June after Italy and Malta refused access.

In June, the French NGO Aquarius ship, which had picked up 630 stranded migrants off Libya, was allowed to dock in Spain's eastern port of Valencia.

Then on July 4, Proactiva Open Arms' ship docked in Barcelona with 60 migrants.

This time round though, the Spanish government has said the 87 migrants who have arrived in San Roque will be treated in the same way as the hundreds who arrive every week on Spanish shores.

When the Aquarius docked, Madrid had given each migrant a 45-day residency permit for humanitarian reasons.

Those brought back to Barcelona had also been given special treatment.
Malaysian transgender woman Nisha Ayub said she feared the portraits' removal could lead to members of the LGBT community being targeted more

The Malaysian government came under fire Thursday for ordering the removal of two LGBT activists' portraits from an exhibition, with campaigners labelling it an attack on the "dignity" of the gay community.

The photos of Nisha Ayub and Pang Khee Teik were taken down from display at an arts festival in the northern state of Penang this week following the government order, festival organisers confirmed.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia often take a dim view of homosexuality, and the country retains its colonial-era ban on sodomy.

Officials have been criticised for introducing programmes directed at the LGBT community, such as a competition launched last year by the health ministry offering cash prizes to whoever could create the best video explaining how to "prevent" homosexuality.

In the latest controversy, Mujahid Yusof Rawa, a minister overseeing Islamic affairs, said he had ordered the portraits' removal as they promoted LGBT activities, the Star newspaper reported.

"I have consistently repeated in parliament that we do not support the promotion of LGBT culture in Malaysia," he was cited as saying.

The portraits at the annual George Town Festival showed Nisha, a transgender woman, holding the Malaysian flag, and Pang, a gay man, with the Malaysian flag draped over his shoulders, holding the rainbow gay pride flag.

Nisha told AFP she feared the portraits' removal could lead to people who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender being targeted more.

"A lot of the community out there, especially trans women, they're exposed to a lot of violence," she told AFP.

Thilaga Sulathireh, co-founder of transgender activist group Justice for Sisters, said that LGBT people should be protected under Malaysia's constitution.

"We should be able to live with dignity and personal freedoms," she told AFP.

Mujahid has attracted much controversy recently.

Earlier this week, he sparked anger by announcing the government was working on a plan to introduce a dress code for Muslim women in the private sector. It will comply with Islamic principles, although no details were disclosed.

Female civil servants in the multi-ethnic country are already subject to guidelines which typically require them to dress modestly.

Rights group the Women's Aid Organisation slammed the plan as "extremely sexist".
Yemen

An attack on a bus carrying children in rebel-held northern Yemen on Thursday left dozens of people dead or wounded, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"Following an attack this morning on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Saada, (an ICRC-supported) hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded," the organisation said on Twitter without giving more details.

"Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict," it added.

The Huthi rebels' Al-Masirah TV reported that 39 people had been killed and 51 wounded, "mostly children".

It accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Shiite rebels on the side of the government of hitting the bus in an air strike.

It was not possible to verify the toll or who was behind it.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition, which intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government to power after it was driven out of the capital Sanaa by the rebels.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said it was "very concerned with the initial reports of children being killed".

"I am watching with horror the images and videos coming from Saada in #Yemen and I have no words. How was this a military target? Why are children being killed?" tweeted UNICEF's resident representative in Yemen, Meritxell Relano.

Last Thursday, attacks on a hospital and a fish market in the strategic rebel-held port city of Hodeida killed at least 55 civilians and wounded 170, according to the ICRC.

The coalition denied responsibility for those attacks.

Yemen's war has left nearly 10,000 people dead since 2015 and unleashed what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Syria's Kurdish minority, hailed as an indispensable Western ally during the war against the Islamic State group, faces hard bargaining with Damascus to save its hard-won autonomy

Syria's Kurdish minority, hailed as an indispensable Western ally during the war against the Islamic State group, faces hard bargaining with Damascus to save its hard-won autonomy.

Early last year, President Bashar al-Assad's government held just 17 percent of Syrian territory and was unable to do anything about the autonomous institutions the Kurds have set up in areas under their control.

But a succession of Russian-backed victories over the jihadists and a range of rebel factions has transformed the balance of power.

Assad's government now controls nearly two-thirds of Syria and is determined to reassert its authority over Kurdish-held territory which forms the lion's share of the rest.

Recognising their weakened position, Kurdish leaders and their supporters last month opened talks with Damascus, desperate to salvage what they can of the institutions they painstakingly built over the years.

"We are trying to preserve everything we built in terms of the autonomous system, the institutions, the democracy," said leading Kurdish figure Saleh Muslim.

"But there's a mentality that won't accept this right away, so it has to happen gradually," Muslim told AFP.

Before the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the Kurds were an oppressed minority in what was effectively a one-party state with an Arab nationalist ideology that had no tolerance for Kurdish traditions or the Kurdish language.

Hundreds of thousands did not even have Syrian citizenship.

The Syrian Kurds have made the Kurdish language, long banned from official use, the medium of education in areas under they control

But after government troops withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas in 2012, local authorities began forming their own security forces and institutions, including a Kurdish-language school curriculum.

Trying to reconcile those institutions with the system in force in government-held areas will be a formidable task.

"Syria will not go back to what it was. There needs to be decentralised democracy," Muslim said.

"We have our project, which we believe will be a model for all of Syria -- and we're holding onto it."

- 'Everything recalculated' -

In late July, Damascus hosted the first round of talks with the Kurdish administration. Joint committees were formed to discuss economic issues, politics, military affairs and public services.

The ultimate goal was "drawing a roadmap that leads to a decentralised Syria," says the political arm of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led alliance which Washington backed against IS.

Between them, the SDF and its allies control around 30 percent of Syria, including several of its largest oil fields.

A succession of Russian-backed victories over jihadists and a range of rebel factions has transformed the balance of power in favour of the Damascus government, prompting the Kurds to sue for talks

"The government and Kurdish-led SDF are the two players that control the vast majority of Syrian land," said Mutlu Civiroglu, an analyst in Kurdish affairs.

"One way or another, these two forces will find a solution. Either they fight, or they do it peacefully."

The Kurds are ready to negotiate because of President Donald Trump's repeated pledges to end the US troop presence in northern Syria that has been their principal protection.

In late May, Assad gave the Kurds a stark choice, warning that if talks fail, "we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force."

Nonetheless, the Kurds feel they have a strong negotiating position.

"We had never been part of the equation, but today, everything has been recalculated... We will defend what we established," Muslim said.

- 'Red line' -

As momentum builds, the talks' main stumbling block remains how much power Damascus will have over areas that have been under Kurdish administration for as many as six years.

Other points of contention include whether to retain Kurdish-language education in the north and the fate of the SDF and other Kurdish armed groups.

"They are not going to agree to go back to the old days. This is the red line from the Kurdish point of view," Civiroglu said.

Ilham Ahmad, who headed the Kurdish delegation to Damascus last month, told AFP self-rule was one of "the things we won from fighting Daesh (IS) and confronting tyranny."

Syrian Kurdish police stand guard outside the central prison in the northeastern city of Hasakeh, one of the institutions Damascus wants back under its control

But the central government will not relinquish control over nearly one-third of its territory so easily, and wants state institutions to return in force.

"The Syrian state will not accept an autonomous administration," said Damascus-based analyst Bassam Abou Abdallah.

Instead, the Kurds should content themselves with the provisions of an as yet unimplemented law granting more powers and responsibilities to municipalities, he told AFP.

Abou Abdallah said Syrian Kurdish armed groups would eventually be "dismantled."

The head of the SDF delegation denied the subject was even discussed.

With such entrenched opposing views, the talks are likely be drawn out, said Haid Haid, of London-based think tank Chatham House.

"Emboldened by its recent military gains, the regime appears more determined than ever to prevent the establishment of parallel centres of authority in Syria," Haid recently wrote.

"The huge gap between what the two sides are trying to achieve makes it difficult to imagine they will be able to reach a substantive agreement any time soon."
Brendon Luke Johnson, from Brisbane on Australia's east coast, was arrested Saturday with his Indonesian girlfriend at their rented unit in Bali's Kerobokan, an area that has become popular among expats

An Australian man is facing 20 years' jail for dealing cocaine to holidaymakers on the resort island of Bali, police said Thursday.

Brendon Luke Johnson, from Brisbane on Australia's east coast, was arrested Saturday with his Indonesian girlfriend at their rented unit in Kerobokan, an area that has become popular among expats.

Police said they found 13 packages of cocaine weighing 11.6 grammes stashed in his wallet and inside a box when they raided his home.

"His consumers are foreign tourists who came to Bali and needed drugs," local police chief Hadi Purnomo told journalists.

The 43-year-old designer, who has been living in Bali for four years, said he sold the drugs to pay for his addiction, Purnomo said.

Johnson also claimed it helped him cope with stress and headaches, the police chief added.

Police arrested Johnson after receiving a tip off from locals that a 20-year-old Indonesian woman was using drugs nearby.

After being interrogated by police, she said she was helping Johnson's girlfriend sell cocaine.

Indonesia has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws and drug traffickers can be sentenced to death for carrying more than five grammes of some drugs.

Several foreign and Indonesian nationals have been executed by firing squad in recent years for drug smugglers, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in 2015, two Bali Nine members arrested in 2005 for an attempt to smuggle heroin from Indonesia to Australia.

High-profile cases like that of Australian national Schapelle Corby, who spent more than nine years behind bars for smuggling marijuana into Bali, have stoked concern that Indonesia is becoming a drug destination.
Yemen

A Saudi-led coalition battling in Yemen said it carried out a deadly attack in the rebel-held north on Thursday, which the Red Cross said hit a bus carrying children.

In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the coalition called the strike a "legitimate military action" that targeted elements responsible for a rebel missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday.

The coalition did not specify the target, but the International Committee of the Red Cross said the attack hit a bus filled with children, causing dozens of casualties.

"Following an attack this morning on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Saada, (an ICRC-supported) hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded," the organisation said on Twitter without giving more details.

"Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict," it added.

The Huthi rebels' Al-Masirah TV reported that 39 people had been killed and 51 wounded, "mostly children".

The UN children's agency UNICEF said it was "very concerned with the initial reports of children being killed".

The coalition, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government after the rebels drove it out of the capital Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by the Huthis on Wednesday, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, the coalition said.

The missile was fired from the rebel-held Yemeni province of Amran towards Jizan, the coalition said.

Last Thursday, attacks on a hospital and a fish market in the strategic rebel-held port city of Hodeida killed at least 55 civilians and wounded 170, according to the ICRC.

The coalition denied responsibility for those attacks.
An attack in Syria's southern Sweida province on July 25, 2018 claimed by the Islamic State group killed more than 250 people, most of them civilians

A second hostage has died after being abducted by the Islamic State group in southern Syria last month, a journalist in the area and a monitor said Thursday.

The 65-year-old Syrian woman was among more than 30 people seized by IS two weeks ago as it unleashed a violent attack against the Druze minority of Sweida province.

IS has been in talks with Syria's government and its ally Russia to swap the hostages for jihadists held by the regime.

The ultra-conservative group beheaded one of them, a 19-year-old male student, last week.

On Thursday, the negotiating delegation received images showing the lifeless body of a second hostage, said Nour Radwan, who heads the Sweida24 news outlet.

"After cutting off communication for several days, IS corresponded with the negotiating delegation of Sweida to tell them she died of illness," Radwan told AFP.

Relatives told Radwan the woman suffered from heart problems and diabetes, but they had no way of verifying if they had caused her death.

There is little information on what conditions the hostages are being kept in, including whether they are subject to torture or other abuses.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, also said one of the female hostages had died under "mysterious circumstances."

Sweida province is the heartland of the country's Druze minority, which made up around three percent of Syria's pre-war population -- or around 700,000 people.

On July 25, IS waged a series of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings that left more than 250 people dead across the province, most of them civilians.

It later emerged the jihadists had also kidnapped more than 30 people -- mostly Druze women and their children -- during the attack.

While IS claimed responsibility for the violence, it has made no mention of the abductions on its usual channels.

The group had reportedly requested the hostages' families send any medication that the kidnapped may need, Radwan said, but negotiators feared it was a ploy to abduct whoever delivered the treatments.

After the two deaths, there remain at least 13 women and 15 children in IS custody.

The hostages were being moved among different locations to avoid Syrian government shelling, Radwan said.

Regime troops on Sunday began fierce bombardment of IS positions in the northeastern sliver of Sweida province, which falls in the vast desert known in the country as the Badiya.
Yemenis dig graves on August 10, 2018, for children killed in an air strike on their bus in northern Yemen

The UN Security Council called for a "credible" investigation Friday after at least 29 children were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in northern Yemen.

The appeal followed the coalition's announcement that it had ordered a probe of Thursday's raid in the northern rebel stronghold of Saada.

Britain's Ambassador Karen Pierce, whose country holds the rotating Security Council presidency, said after a closed-door meeting on Yemen that "if any investigation that is held is not credible, the council will obviously want to review that" and decide "if more is necessary."

The raid hit the bus at Dahyan market in Saada, injuring at least 48 others, including 30 children, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross.

The bus was turned into a mass of twisted metal, and remains of the victims and personal items were still scattered across the ground on Friday.

The coalition, which has been fighting Yemen's rebels since 2015, claimed the bus was carrying "Huthi combatants."

It initially said the coalition had carried out a "legitimate military action," targeting a bus in response to a deadly missile attack on Saudi Arabia by Huthi rebels on Wednesday.

At a press conference in Dahyan, Huthi health minister Taha al-Mutawakel put the death toll from the "horrible crime" at 51 people, including 40 children.

"This toll is not final... a lot of people are missing and the remains are still scattered around the crime scene and nearby," he said.

The Red Cross could not immediately confirm the new figures.

- Children 'excited' for trip -

A Yemeni child awaits treatment at a hospital after he was wounded in the strike

At the time of the attack, the children were on a bus heading back to school "from a picnic," the Save the Children charity said, quoting its staff.

"The mothers told me that their children did not sleep for two days because they were too excited to take part in this trip," Yahya Hussein, one of the children's teachers, told AFP.

The Huthis' Islamic affairs ministry said the children were from a Koranic school.

As international outrage over the attack mounted, the coalition said it would open an investigation.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the images of the strike that killed children were "appalling" and called on the coalition to quickly complete its investigation, release the findings and take accountability measures.

The Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the attack, at the request of five countries that are non-permanent council members.

"We have seen the images of children who died," Dutch Deputy Ambassador Lise Gregoire-van Haaren told reporters. "What is essential at this moment in time is to have a credible and independent investigation."

But the council did not request an independent investigation -- as demanded by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who condemned the attack.

Human Rights Watch criticised the council's failure to demand an impartial investigation.

"The sad truth is the Saudis have been given a chance to investigate themselves and the results are laughable," said HRW's deputy UN director Akshaya Kumar.

Out of 75 cases of civilian deaths investigated by the coalition, only two have resulted in an admission of fault, she said.

- Rebel missile attacks -

A Yemeni child stands next to the destroyed bus

The coalition, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in Yemen to try to restore the government after the rebels drove it out of the capital Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said claims by aid organisations that children were inside the bus were "misleading," and that "the elements inside the bus were Huthi combatants."

Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by the Huthis on Wednesday, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, the coalition said.

The missile was fired from the rebel-held Yemeni province of Amran towards the Saudi city of Jizan, the coalition said.

The coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two more ballistic missiles fired by the Huthis from Saada towards Jizan. No damage or injuries were reported.

The war in impoverished Yemen has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has invited the warring sides to talks on September 6 in Geneva.
United States Vice President Mike Pence giving a speech in Hawaii

US Vice President Mike Pence is visiting the Pentagon on Thursday to discuss progress in implementing President Donald Trump's order to build a new military branch known as Space Force.

Trump in June ordered the creation of Space Force, which would become the sixth service in the US military, arguing the Pentagon needs it to tackle vulnerabilities in space and assert US dominance in orbit.

Currently, the Air Force oversees most space capabilities and there is some push back from officials who worry Space Force's mission would be duplicative and add bureaucratic bloat.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this week that Pence is Trump's "point man" for Space Force, and Pentagon officials are working closely with his office.

Mattis last year voiced skepticism on the need to create a separate Space Force.

In a letter to a US congressman, he said he did "not wish to add a separate service that would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations," adding it would create extra bureaucracy and cost.

On Tuesday, however, the Pentagon chief said he fully supported the idea of creating a new command that would draw in members of existing military branches.

"We need to address space as a developing, war-fighting domain and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish," he said.

The vast US military divides the globe into various commands, such as Central Command in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific Command in Asia, and so a new Space Command would be on an equal footing as these.

Though it would not be a full new branch of the military, it would still require a new headquarters and major organizational changes.

The Pentagon is set to release a report to Congress later Tuesday outlining steps towards meeting Trump's order. Only Congress can approve the creation of a new military branch.

Pence is due to deliver an address at around 11:15 am (1515 GMT).
An Iraqi man checks an electric generator supplying homes with power in Baghdad on July 26, 2018

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has sacked a number of electricity ministry officials, his office said Thursday, in the latest attempt to quell public anger at chronic power cuts.

Four directors have been dismissed and a number of others moved "in order to reorganise the operation of the ministry in the service of the country", the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Those sacked were in charge of investments, contracts, distribution and administration at the ministry.

The decision follows the dismissal last month of electricity minister Qassem al-Fahdawi "because of the deterioration in the electricity sector", the premier's office said at the time.

Iraq has been hit by more than a month of protests which erupted in Basra and quickly spread to other southern cities, as well as reaching the capital Baghdad.

Demonstrators are angry at the dire state of public services, with regular power cuts offering little respite from sweltering summer temperatures.

With the national grid providing just a few hours of electricity per day, many Iraqis are forced to pay to use generators through the private sector.

Protesters have also rallied against water shortages, unemployment and graft in a country where citizens argue they fail to benefit from the country's oil wealth.

Officially $40 billion (34 billion euros) has been allocated to the power sector over the past 15 years, but a substantial slice has been siphoned off by corrupt politicians and businessmen who have fronted fake contracts.

Iraq's anti-graft Commission of Integrity said Thursday it had succeeded in "recovering and preventing the waste" of public funds to the value of $322 million in the first six months of the year.

The commission said its investigations had allowed the judiciary to issue 1,071 arrest warrants, including against nine ministers and 21 senior officials but without naming them.
Hasnat Karim -- a 49-year-old British national of Bangladeshi origin, pictured in 2016 -- was detained by police for more than two years over allegations he played a role an attack in Dakah

A British man was freed from prison in Bangladesh on Thursday after his name was dropped from charges over a deadly 2016 attack by Islamist extremists on a Dhaka cafe popular with Westerners.

At least 22 people including 18 foreigners were killed when five militants with assault rifles and machetes stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in the capital's well-heeled Gulshan neighbourhood.

The Islamic State group said it had carried out the brazen assault on July 1, 2016 -- a claim rejected by Bangladesh.

Last month police pressed charges against eight homegrown extremists of local group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). A court on Wednesday accepted the charges.

During the attack, military commandos stormed the cafe after a 10-hour standoff and freed more than two dozen hostages.

One of the freed hostages, Hasnat Karim -- a 49-year-old British national of Bangladeshi origin -- was later detained by police for more than two years over allegations he played a role in the attack.

"He has been freed from Kashimpur jail at around 4.30pm," Karim's wife Sharmin Parveen told AFP, referring to a high-security prison outside the capital.

She said Karim was on his way to his home in Dhaka.

Mohibul Islam Khan, counter-terrorism police deputy commissioner, last month said investigators found no evidence against Karim and his name had been left off the charge sheet.

Karim, his wife and their two children were celebrating the 13th birthday of their daughter in the cafe when the attack took place.

Karim was a lecturer at the North-South University in Dhaka, where two of the five attackers who were gunned down at the end of the siege had studied.

Nine Italians and seven Japanese were among the victims of the attack. Two policemen were also killed during the carnage.

The siege was by far the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last five years.

Of the eight extremists charged, six have been arrested and two have absconded, police said. The eight face a maximum sentence of death by hanging under anti-terrorism laws.

All five militants were killed when police stormed the cafe. Eight others -- including mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian of Bangladesh descent -- were killed during raids in Dhaka and its suburbs months after the attack.

They included commanders of a new faction of the extremist group JMB.

The government has repeatedly denied that international jihadist networks have a presence in Bangladesh.

The IS-linked news agency Amaq however published extensive details of the attack, including photos from inside the cafe.

The hostage crisis marked an escalation from a spate of murders claimed by IS and Al Qaeda of rights activists, gay people, foreigners and religious minorities. It was seen as a major blow to the country's image as a moderate Muslim nation.

Dozens of atheist writers, publishers, members of religious minorities, social activists and foreign aid workers have been murdered in Bangladesh since 2013.
Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa faces many questions after losing the presidential election

Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change has fiercely rejected the result of last week's elections, the first to be held without long-serving despot Robert Mugabe.

Here are some of the questions facing party leader Nelson Chamisa after being declared runner-up in the poll that saw his rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa elected with 50.8 percent of the vote:

- Will the MDC appeal the results? -

The MDC needs to challenge the results in court in order to mollify its support base, according to Chipo Dendere, politics professor at Amherst University.

"This is something that the MDC didn't do in 2008 and a lot of their supporters and people around the world were saying, 'well why didn't (former MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai go to the courts?'"

The party has until Friday to launch a legal challenge, after which the Constitutional Court would have up to 14 days to issue a verdict.

"I doubt they'll need that length of time, I expect they'll give the petition fairly short shrift," said Derek Matyszak, Zimbabwe analyst at the Institute for Security Studies.

Dendere said that the absence of MDC elder statesman Tendai Biti, who dramatically tried to seek asylum in Zambia before being deported and detained, could frustrate the party's challenge.

"Biti is one of the leading opposition figures and also a lawyer himself," she said of Biti, reportedly sought by police for questioning over opposition protests last week where troops opened fire, killing six.

"I would assume that for the court case he must have been very influential in some ways and his departure probably caused some issues for the opposition."

- What evidence does the MDC have? -

Though Chamisa has told AFP he is "significantly happy" that a legal challenge on the basis of alleged voting rigging would succeed, it is unclear what smoking gun evidence the opposition has.

"They have been claiming that the numbers have been manipulated... and that the figures put out by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) are fraudulent," said Matyszak.

"I'd be very surprised if that's the case. Shortly after the MDC made these claims, in order to preempt them, the ZEC issued a spreadsheet showing all the results for the presidential election right down to polling station level.

"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."

- Are protests likely? -

Dendere warned that if Zimbabwe's disastrous economic situation does not improve, the challenge for the government "is not going to be Nelson Chamisa -- it's the next guy who's going to put himself on fire on the street".

"It's not going to be the opposition that can be negotiated with -- it's people who are going to come down to Harare and burn down buildings, we've seen this before in Zimbabwe," she said.

But Matyszak suggested that last week's opposition street protests against alleged poll fraud, when six people died under army gunfire, are unlikely to be repeated.

"Historically Zimbabweans are reluctant to take to the streets -- they don't really have that tradition or culture of big demonstrations," he said.

"And of course we've seen the very heavy-handed response by the military which is certainly a disincentive to anybody thinking about taking to the streets."

- Will the MDC survive? -

"Nelson Chamisa will certainly have his work cut out for him keeping the party together," said Matyszak.

"The party is seriously underfunded because they don't look like a prospective government, they don't get that much in the way of donor funding.

"Nelson Chamisa himself took over the leadership of the party in very controversial circumstances," he said of the 40-year-old pastor and lawyer.

Chamisa took control of the MDC despite bitter opposition from factions within the party, following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February.

"Now that he's lost the election those wounds might re-open and there might be further in-fighting within the party," Matyszak said.

"I see stormy waters ahead for the opposition."
President Joseph Kabila, left, has said he will not seek a new term in office -- he has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (right), a loyalist, to be his successor in upcoming elections

By announcing he is formally stepping aside after 17 years in power, President Joseph Kabila has eased tensions in DR Congo but the volatile country remains gripped by uncertainty ahead of elections due at the end of the year.

Domestic, regional and international pressures are likely to have played a role in the president's eagerly-awaited decision to pick a successor instead of running again.

But suspicions will run deep that Kabila, by picking a loyalist to contest the December 23 ballot, wants to wield influence behind the throne, analysts say.

"Kabila evacuated the question about his intentions from the agenda by choosing a successor," Hans Hoebeke, senior analyst for Congo at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told AFP.

"This should not reassure too much. There are no guarantees that the elections will effectively be held and, if they are, that they will respond to minimal criteria of credibility."

Kabila has ruled the country since 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire. His tenure has been stained by a reputation for corruption and conflict.

After his two-term limit expired at the end of 2016, Kabila stayed in power, invoking a caretaker clause in the constitution to remain in office.

In recent months, he has kept everyone guessing whether he would try to run again. On Wednesday, just hours before the deadline for filing election bids was due to expire, his office made the big announcement.

Former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary was designated as Kabila's ruling coalition candidate.

By choosing a close ally who is under European sanctions for human rights violations, Kabila signalled that loyalty prevailed above all other criteria.

- Small base -

Shadary will run against a long list of other candidates from opposing parties, and does not have widespread recognition in the country.

"His political base is in Maniema, a small artisanal mining province in the east, which includes less than five percent of the DRC's electorate," said Indigo Ellis with risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft.

If Shadary wins, Kabila will wield special clout in addition to his positions as senator and head of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), Ellis added.

Kabila would "almost certainly remain the string-puller behind the scenes, at least initially, with Shadary as a figurehead president", he said.

For this reason, and on the assumption that the opposition is able to unite behind a single candidate, a Shadary election victory is "bound to attract accusations of foul play," he said.

The fate of Moise Katumbi, 53, a prominent opposition figure leading recent opinion polls who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy, remains a concerning issue for some analysts.

"We believe that the real goal, for the moment, must be an election in which the rights of all and of every individuals are respected, in peace and equality of opportunity," a church-based group, CENCO, said in a statement this week.

"That is the price for credibility of the polls."

Other key questions include the government's ability to organise the elections in time in a country the size of western Europe where infrastructure is notoriously poor.

The electoral commission said in November they expected elections to cost about $420 million (362 million euros).

The opposition, as well international players including the United States, have also expressed concerns over the electronic voting machines that the electoral commission intends on using.

The machines, imported from South Korea, are difficult to use and liable to be hacked, they claim.

- Regional pressure -

The DRC was the theatre for two wars, from 1996-7 and 1998-2003, that sucked in states from around central and southern Africa. Embers of that conflict glow on a smaller scale in the east of the vast country even today.

The international community is clearly relieved by the easing of tensions, while also mindful of the difficult road ahead.

Democratic Republic of Congo

"We salute the decision by President Joseph Kabila Kabange to uphold his commitment to respect the Congolese constitution," the UN's special representative and the representatives of the African Union, European Union, Canada, Switzerland and the United States said in statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised Kabila's "action for the unity and integrity of the DRC".

In another sign of easing tensions, a group of Roman Catholic lay movements said it had put on hold rallies planned for August.

The Lay Coordination Committee (CLC) said it had decided to temporarily suspend three days of nationwide "major actions" on August 12, 13 and 14, aimed at forcing President Joseph Kabila to resign "in a demonstration of good faith and to encourage the head of state" to hold "credible, inclusive, calm and transparent elections".

The inflexion point for Kabila's decision may have come from African countries, which are deeply concerned by the instability, said a diplomatic source in Kinshasa, singling out Angola -- a traditional ally of Kabila -- as well as South Africa and the AU.

"He can't be completely immune to the reality that in many ways regional opinions have turned against him (from running)," said Stephanie Wolters, Johannesburg analyst at ISS Africa, adding that the threat of new US sanctions may also have weighed on Kabila's decision.
At least a dozen people were killed in post-election protest violence, before talks started between the opposition and the government

Guinea's opposition cancelled a protest planned for Thursday, after reaching an agreement with the government in a bid to end six months of deadly protests.

The West African country's opposition had led strikes and demonstrations against the official outcome of local elections in February, in which the ruling party, RPG, had won.

The vote was the first of its kind since a military dictatorship ended a decade ago. Opposition leaders say the process was unfair and fraudulent.

At least a dozen people were killed in post-election protest violence, before talks started between the opposition and the government.

The talks were disrupted several times by protests and strikes across the country -- while a hike in oil prices on July 1 led to more unrest.

The opposition said an agreement was signed late on Wednesday between the minister of local government, Boureima Conde, ruling party chief Amadou Damaro Camara and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo.

Following the agreement, the UFDG opposition party will pick 22 district chiefs as well as mayors for the rural towns of Ouende Kenema, Bignamou, Thiasso, Thindoye, Manfara, Bissikirima and for Kindia, an urban settlement in the west.

The ruling party, on the other hand, will choose the mayor of the town of Dubreka, near the seaside capital of Conakry.

The negotiating parties agreed to set up a fund to assist the victims of the protests, Camara, a member of parliament, told reporters.

The government also promised to assess the situation of those arrested during the post-election crisis, he said.

There has been no agreement between the government and protesters on oil prices.
Some 700,000 Rohingya were violently expelled from their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state in a military crackdown that started almost a year ago after insurgents attacked border guard posts

Myanmar said Thursday that a request at the International Criminal Court to probe the mass deportation of Rohingya Muslims from the country was "meritless" and should be rejected.

Some 700,000 Rohingya were violently expelled from their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state in a military crackdown that started almost a year ago after insurgents attacked border guard posts.

The stateless minority fled to Bangladesh where they recounted widespread rape, murder and the burning of villages at the hands of security forces in operations the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has vigorously denied that it orchestrated the campaign and said it was defending itself, but international pressure for accountability has mounted.

In April the chief prosecutor at the ICC Fatou Bensouda took the unprecedented step of asking judges to consider whether the court could extend its jurisdiction to Myanmar, which is not a member state.

A pre-trial chamber asked Myanmar to submit a formal response to the request by July 27, even though the Southeast Asian country has long maintained that it is not a party to the treaty that governs the court.

The deadline passed but Myanmar went into more detail Thursday about why it did not respond formally, reiterating its previous position and claiming that the prosecutor relied on one-sided and biased sources.

It also said it was unable to view submissions from Bangladesh and that the ICC had accepted briefs of "mostly charged narratives of harrowing personal tragedies calculated to place emotional pressure on the court".

Myanmar concluded that the request for a ruling on jurisdiction is "meritless and should be dismissed".

The statement said Myanmar had also established its own independent commission of inquiry though critics counter that the move falls into a pattern of creating investigative bodies that have no impact on addressing abuses.

Bangladesh is a member of the Rome Statute underpinning the ICC and the prosecutor has argued that deportation is akin to a cross-border shooting.

No decision has been made on the request but the legal thorniness surrounding it and the fact that a referral to the ICC at the Security Council could face pushback from China and Russia have raised doubts about whether it will proceed.

Rights groups have said senior members of Myanmar's security forces including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing should be investigated, but so far the country has faced little real censure on the international stage except for targeted sanctions against a handful of military officials.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation agreement but the deal has stalled amid fears from Rohingya refugees that they won't be guaranteed safety and full rights.

The Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship decades ago and cast as outsiders in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, with little freedom of movement or access to healthcare.
asdfas

A Russian court on Thursday jailed a teenaged supporter of the Islamic State jihadist group over a plot to carry out a suicide attack at Saint Petersburg's Kazan cathedral, a key tourist attraction.

The military district court sentenced 18-year-old Yevgeny Yefimov to serve five years in a strict-regime penal colony, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The Russian security service said in December 2017 it had broken up an IS cell that was plotting to stage the attack later that month, with President Vladimir Putin thanking his US counterpart Donald Trump for assistance in the case.

Putin said the CIA had provided intelligence on two plotters.

Yefimov, a slight youth, was teaching English at a private school at the time he was detained in December.

He had rented a shipping container in the centre of Saint Petersburg where investigators found chemicals and equipment used to make explosives.

The massive early 19th-century cathedral, modelled after St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, is located on the city's main thoroughfare, Nevsky Prospekt.

Yefimov told the court he had been in touch with IS fighters in Syria who encouraged him to carry out an attack and he planned to blow himself up during a religious service.

He said he had since changed his views and was glad his attempt to make explosives failed.

Asking for forgiveness in court, he said he planned to spend his prison time studying.

Russia has already jailed two men for failing to report the plotters while having "credible information" and for possessing illegal weapons.

Two other men allegedly involved in the plot still face prosecution.
Trump has touted the summit with Kim in Singapore as a historic breakthrough

North Korea on Thursday accused the United States of acting in bad faith, saying Washington's push for full sanctions pressure against Pyongyang would stall progress on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

During landmark talks with US President Donald Trump in June, the North's leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague commitment to denuclearisation, far from the longstanding American demand for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal.

Trump has touted the summit with Kim in Singapore as a historic breakthrough, but both sides have since complained of stalling progress.

In a statement, the North Korean foreign ministry accused the US of "insulting the dialogue partner and throwing cold water over our sincere efforts for building confidence which can be seen as a precondition for implementing" the agreement between Trump and Kim.

The ministry added that expecting "any result" to negotiations in this context was "indeed a foolish act that amounts to waiting to see a boiled egg hatch out".

The statement comes days after the US stressed the need to keep up pressure on Pyongyang through tough sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programme.

The foreign ministry, which had earlier slammed Washington's "alarming" impatience for denuclearisation, accused the US of clinging to an "outdated acting script".

"As long as the US denies even the basic decorum for its dialogue partner... one cannot expect any progress in the implementation of the DPRK-US joint statement including the denuclearization," said Pyongyang's foreign ministry, using the initials of the country's official name, warning regional security could suffer.

Since the June meeting, Pyongyang has announced measures including halting missile and nuclear tests.

But a recent UN report showed Pyongyang was continuing with its nuclear and missile programmes and evading sanctions through ship-to-ship oil transfers.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton has also weighed in on the issue, saying Sunday that nobody in Trump's administration is "starry-eyed" about the prospect "of North Korea actually denuclearising".
Palestinian mourners carry the coffins of 23-year-old Enas Khammash and her 18-month-daughter Bayan during their funeral in the Gaza Strip on August 9, 2018 after they were killed in an Israeli air strike

A Palestinian family called for answers Thursday as to why an Israeli air strike hit their relatives' home in the Gaza Strip, killing a pregnant mother and her 18-month-old daughter.

Only kilometres away, Israelis who spent the night rushing to bomb shelters due to a barrage of rockets and mortars from the Palestinian enclave said they were fed up and feared for their children.

In the Gaza Strip, Enas Khammash, 23, and her daughter Bayan were asleep when an Israeli strike hit their home, killing them both, relatives and neighbours said. The girl's father was seriously injured.

The Israeli army insisted it had only struck military sites belonging to Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.

An army spokesman said he did not have details on the deaths of the woman and child. Gaza's health ministry said the deaths were the result of the Israeli strikes.

The strikes were in response to some 180 rockets and mortars fired by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza late Wednesday and Thursday.

Israel said it hit more than 150 Hamas sites.

- 'Like a nightmare' -

In the family house in the Jafarawi neighbourhood of central Gaza, a strong smell of death lingered Thursday, the walls flecked with blood and mud.

The strike happened shortly after midnight.

A neighbour, Umm Walid, said she heard the sound of whimpering from the house about 30 minutes after the explosion, eventually entering to find the two bodies and Enas's husband badly injured.

"It was like a nightmare. I wish I had died before seeing this terrible scene," she said.

A relative of 23-year-old Palestinian Enas Khammash, who was killed with her toddler in an Israeli air strike inspects their bedroom in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on August 9, 2018

The house is a few hundred metres from a Hamas military base, one of several that can be found throughout Gaza -- often in heavily populated areas.

"The missile hit the mosque nearby then hit the house and caused this hole before it hit the floor of the living room," said neighbour Imad, 44 and an officer in Gaza's Hamas-dominated police force.

"Shrapnel hit the little girl and her mother."

Abdullah Khammash, a cousin, wanted to know why the house had been hit.

"There are resistance bases everywhere, we don't have any relation with it," he said, referring to Hamas sites.

"I say to Lieberman come here and see for yourself the damage. I want to ask him what was the guilt of this girl?" he added, referring to Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's defence minister.

"This girl didn't know hatred of anyone and I don't hate anyone," he said.

Later the body was carried in a small coffin for the funeral, as hundreds mourned.

- 'Shadows of rockets' -

Israeli men stand next to a car that was damaged after a rocket fired by militants from the Gaza Strip fell in the southern Israeli town of Sderot on August 9, 2018

In Israeli communities along the Gaza border, residents were also angry and tired after a sleepless night.

At least seven civilians were injured by rocket and mortar fire, officials said, including a 30-year-old Thai woman in moderate to severe condition.

Most of the rockets, though not all, hit open areas.

In the town of Sderot cars were damaged and holes left in the ground, with a building scarred by shrapnel.

Caroline Bonieli, 31 and pregnant with twins, was hospitalised after tripping as she tried to run to a bomb shelter.

"Myself, my husband and my children were at home and suddenly we heard the alert," she said.

"As I ran I fell on my stomach and felt intense pain in my stomach and leg."

She added that "it's not been a month or two. This situation has been the same for years, and we're sick of raising our children like this -- in the shadows of rockets, alarms and explosions".

Alon Davidi, mayor of the town, called on the Israeli army to invade Gaza again.

"I hope that we (Israel) will go for a strong ground campaign in Gaza," saying Hamas needed to be taught a lesson.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, two years before Hamas seized control.

The two have fought three wars since 2008 and analysts say another full-blown conflict remains likely.

The last conflict in 2014 included an Israeli ground campaign inside the Gaza Strip.
Opposition contenders Cheick Modibo Diarra (pictured) and Aliou Boubacar Diallo say they will not rally behind either runoff candidate

Opposition candidates who fell short in Mali's presidential election have refused to back either of the frontrunners who will contest a runoff vote on Sunday.

Two of the losing candidates, businessman Aliou Boubacar Diallo and former prime minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, who came in third and fourth place respectively, said on Thursday they would not rally behind anyone.

The second round vote will see a rerun of the 2013 election between President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita -- widely known as IBK -- and opposition hopeful Soumaila Cisse.

Cisse had called for a broad opposition coalition as he prepares to take on the incumbent, but that now appears to be off the table.

"Neither matches our ideals. Replacing Ibrahim Boubacar Keita with Soumaila Cisse is not a change," Diarra, who won seven percent of the July 29 first-round vote, told reporters Thursday.

A few minutes later, Diallo said he "could not do more than to invite Malians to think about their future," without suggesting a preferred second-round candidate.

Mali's Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to the first round of voting in the presidential election, confirming August 12 as the date for the runoff.

Keita, 73, was credited with 41.7 percent of the vote while Cisse picked up 17.78 percent.

- Keita now favourite -

With no voting instructions from the main opposition candidates, President Keita is seen as clear favourite to win Sunday's vote.

Incumbent president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (C), pictured August 3, 2018, is the favorite to win, but mounting accusations of fraud and ballot box stuffing have marred the days following the poll

But mounting accusations of fraud and ballot box stuffing marred the days following the poll.

Last week, Cisse urged the 22 candidates eliminated in the first round to create a "broad democratic front against fraud and for political change," adding he believed that a majority of people backed change.

Violence disrupted polling in several areas beset by ethnic and jihadist unrest despite the deployment of 30,000 security personnel for the vote.

Cisse said the official outcome was a travesty and urged beaten rivals to swing behind him.

The government on Monday published a list of 871 polling stations which were unable to operate during the first round due to outbreaks of violence.

Almost a quarter of a million people -- mainly in northern Timbuktu region, central Mopti and Segou in the south -- "were unable to vote for various reasons," it said.

The only female candidate, Djeneba N'Diaye, said that her 11,600-strong support, equivalent to a 0.36 percent vote share, would now plump for Keita.

Mali is a linchpin state in the Sahel, a sprawling, poor region that has been wracked by jihadism, ethnic attacks and crime. The international community is hoping the outcome of the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord.

Teams from the European Union, the African Union, the regional ECOWAS grouping and the Francophonie organisation sent observers to the poll.
Members of the MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping force in Mali (pictured July 16, 2018), are looking into allegations of summary executions and forced disappearances, in which the Malian government acknowledges its forces are implicated

Mali's security forces are facing allegations of killing civilians, dozens of whom were summarily executed during recent operations against Islamist militias, according to a UN report seen by AFP on Thursday.

The government has acknowledged that its forces were implicated in the killings after several mass graves were discovered in central Mali between February and July.

In the report sent to the Security Council, a UN panel of experts said it had reviewed information "that suggests a worrying pattern of human rights violations against civilians by the security forces during counter-terrorist operations."

The report lists three incidents during which Mali's forces allegedly targeted civilians, one of which left 12 Malians dead in a cattle market.

The government initially described that attack as the work of terrorists but retracted the statement following an uproar from the victims' relatives.

By late April, the UN peacekeeping force in Mali, MINUSMA, was looking into "allegations of 44 summary executions and three enforced disappearances," said the report sent to the council on Wednesday.

Since then, there was the attack on the cattle market in May and the discovery in June of three separate mass graves with the bodies of 25 civilians arrested during a house-to-house sweep, the report added.

While the government has launched investigations of the summary executions of the civilians, there has been no information on actions taken against the soldiers that were implicated.

The report also said that "a large number of civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks since February" in northern Mali, where armed jihadists have their strongholds.

A flurry of attacks by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and affiliated militia has killed at least 143 civilians between February and early June in the area bordering Niger, it said quoting MINUSMA.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

A peace deal between the government and armed groups was signed in 2015, but implementation has been slow and attacks have continued in the center and north of the country.

The panel said it had identified individuals and groups involved in attacks against Malian forces who could be put on a UN sanctions blacklist.
People inspect the rubble of a building following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City on August 9, 2018

At least 18 Palestinians were wounded Thursday as Israel struck a building in central Gaza City, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said, after hours of relative calm.

The strike hit a building that Palestinians say housed a cultural centre and other offices in the middle of the city, an AFP correspondent said. Israel's military had not commented.

The strike came after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit an open area deep inside Israel near the major city of Beersheba, causing no damage or injuries.

It was the first time since a 2014 war that a rocket had hit that deep inside Israel, according to Israeli media.

The Said Meshal Cultural Centre confirmed on its Facebook page the offices in Gaza City had been destroyed, saying the building also hosted offices for the Egyptian community in Gaza.

The building was not publicly known to include facilities for Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas.

Israel has struck more than 150 Hamas targets since late Wednesday after the Islamist group and its allies fired some 180 rockets and mortars at the Jewish state.

Three Palestinians have been killed, including a pregnant woman and her 18-month old daughter, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

At least seven civilians were injured by the rocket fire on the Israeli side.
Yemeni police men, pictured July 2018, patrol the streets, as Yemen's ongoing conflict between the Saudi-backed government and rebels has killed nearly 10,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians

A Saudi-led coalition launched military operations in Yemen in 2015, helping the government to push back against rebels who had taken control of the capital and seized several provinces.

The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians, and injured more than 55,000.

More than 2,200 others have died of cholera and some regions of the country are on the brink of famine.

- Saudi air strikes -

The Saudi-led coalition launches air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels in March 2015, six months after they took Sanaa and with large swathes of Yemen also in their hands.

The coalition aims to prevent the fall of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and to restore his internationally-recognised government.

In July, Hadi's embattled government announces it has retaken the southern province of Aden in its first success since the coalition stepped in.

Having lost Sanaa, it makes Aden the country's de facto capital.

By mid-August 2015, loyalist forces have retaken five southern provinces.

In October, government forces reclaim control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

- Rebels kill ex-president -

Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, pictured August 2017, was assassinated by Huthi fighters in December 2017

Splits emerge in the rebel camp in 2017 resulting in the assassination of Hadi's predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by Huthi fighters in December.

Rebels strengthen their grip on the capital.

Splits also emerge in the government camp, with fierce clashes erupting in Aden in January 2018 between southern separatists and fighters loyal to Hadi.

- Missiles on Saudi Arabia -

From November 2017 the rebels intensify missile attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which accuses its arch-foe Iran of supplying them with weapons. Iran denies the charges.

Seven missiles are fired on March 25, 2018 alone, including three at Riyadh.

On June 9, three civilians are killed in Jizan in the south of the kingdom by a rebel missile.

According to the coalition, in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also plays a key role, the rebels have fired 165 ballistic missiles.

- Advance on aid port -

In December 2017, government forces make a breakthrough in efforts to reconquer the key port of Hodeida when they drive Huthi fighters out of a town en route called Khokha.

The Red Sea port of Hodeida, pictured November 2017, is the entry point for the bulk of the country's food and aid and has been in rebel hands since October 2014

Hodeida -- the entry point for the bulk of the country's food and aid -- has been in rebel hands since October 2014, taken without opposition from government forces soon after rebels captured Sanaa.

Government forces press their advance and in April the insurgents' second-in-command, Saleh al-Sammad, is killed in a coalition air raid in the province.

On June 13, government fighters, backed by Saudi and Emirati forces, launch an offensive on Hodeida town.

On June 20, they say that they have taken control of Hodeida airport on the southern outskirts.

- Heavy civilian toll -

Civilians, in particular children, pay a heavy price during the conflict.

Several raids blamed on the coalition have left civilian victims, including on a wedding hall in the town of Mokha in September 2015, killing 131 people. The alliance denies responsibility.

In October 2016, a coalition air strike at a funeral in Sanaa kills 140 people.

The coalition, accused of multiple mistakes, has admitted responsibility for certain raids, but accuses the rebels of using civilians as human shields.

On Thursday, at least 29 children aged under 15 were killed in an attack on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen, the Red Cross said.

The coalition said it had carried out what it called "legitimate military action" in the area, without giving further details.

In July, Amnesty International said human rights violations in a string of Yemeni prisons run by the UAE could amount to war crimes, in a report rejected by Abu Dhabi.
Heavily armed jihadists stormed and looted weapons and vehicles from a military base in Garunda village, killing at least 17 Nigerian soldiers, like the ones pictured here in June 2016

At least 17 Nigerian soldiers were killed in a fresh Boko Haram attack on a military base in the country's northeast, military sources told AFP Thursday, the third assault on three different bases in less than a month.

On Wednesday evening, heavily armed jihadists riding in trucks stormed and looted weapons and vehicles from a military base in Garunda village in Borno State, the epicentre of the Islamist insurgency that has been raging for nine years.

The attack is the latest of a series of bloody Boko Haram assaults on military bases in Nigeria, underscoring the continued threat the Islamists pose to the region and putting the spotlight on the Nigerian government's claim that Boko Haram is "decimated".

"Our troops came under attack from Boko Haram terrorists in Garunda last night," a military officer told AFP.

"Unfortunately we lost 17 troops, 14 others were injured while an unspecified number is still unaccounted for," said the military source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on the incident.

The source added that the militants looted weapons and vehicles before fleeing.

In the past month, Boko Haram jihadists have launched two other major assaults on military bases in the remote northeast region.

On July 14, jihadists suspected to be loyal to Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, who is affiliated with the Islamic State group, attacked a base in Jilli village, in neighbouring Yobe state.

Dozens of troops were killed, wounded or missing, according to several security sources.

The army conceded the base was attacked but did not give a death toll, saying that the "troops reorganised and successfully repelled the attack and normalcy has since returned to the area".

On July 26, the Islamists stormed a base on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno state.

The base attacked yesterday in Garunda village of Borno state had just been set up for troops from the 81 brigade who had been stationed in Jilli village and forced to move after the July 14 assault.

"The truth of the matter is that the troops in Jilli were relocated to Garunda where a new base was established," said the second military source, who gave a similar death toll.

"Troops were just setting up and the excavator operator was working to fortify the base with trenches against attack from the terrorists when the attack happened," said the officer.

The Nigerian army did not respond to to requests for comment.

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday confirmed in a statement that a staff member, an excavator operator attached to the military, "was killed by Boko Haram yesterday in Damasak, Borno state".

Boko Haram no longer controls swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria as it did at the height of its insurgency in 2014, yet the Islamist militants still pose a threat to the impoverished region.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that the Islamists are a spent force as he gears up for elections next year.

In an interview with Nigerian press published on Thursday, Buhari's information minister Lai Mohammed said "we promised to fight insecurity...despite what anybody says, we have decimated Boko Haram".

Six months away from presidential polls, Buhari is under pressure to defend his track record as he battles insecurity across Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland is seeking help from Germany and Sweden in defusing a row with Saudi Arabia

Canada is quietly nudging allies including Germany and Sweden for help with resolving its row with Saudi Arabia, a government source confirmed Thursday.

The senior official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had spoken with her counterparts in the two European nations.

Germany and Sweden previously were targets of Saudi backlashes for calling out the kingdom over human rights abuses.

Freeland sought to understand how they resolved those disputes, and asked for their support, the official said. Ottawa also planned to reach out to regional heavyweight the United Arab Emirates and Britain, which has strong historical ties to Saudi Arabia.

Women's rights advocates, charitable organizations, and civil rights groups, meanwhile, urged the international community "to join Canada in calling for the unequivocal respect of women's rights in Saudi Arabia."

They also called for Riyadh to "immediately release" women activists in detention, and commended Freeland "for her uncompromising stand for human rights, and for her bold leadership in walking the talk on women's rights globally."

"We join Canada in urging Saudi Arabia to release women's rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada," said the statement signed by 22 non-governmental groups and individuals, including the Nobel Women's Initiatve, Oxfam, and Lawyers without Borders.

Tensions have been high since Monday, when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments after Ottawa denounced a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying: "Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights ... at home and abroad, wherever we see the need."

"Canadians expect that, and indeed people around the world expect that leadership from Canada," he said.

Trudeau noted that Freeland had "a long conversation" on Tuesday with her counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to try to resolve the dispute.

"Diplomatic talks continue," he said.

Canada has been disappointed that Western powers including the United States -- a key ally of Saudi Arabia -- did not publicly support Ottawa.

"Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them. They need to resolve it together," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing on Wednesday.

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.
Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, pictured October 2017, says that the steps to reach agreement could allow Canada to rejoin talks

US and Mexican negotiators have made progress in narrowing differences on the update of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Thursday.

The steps to reach agreement could allow Canada to rejoin talks next week, he told reporters as he entered meetings for the second day with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

US and Mexican officials have said they aim to conclude discussions this month and it is the third straight week ministers have traveled to Washington for meetings.

Teams worked through the night "changing the text" and "got a lot of work done," Guajardo said.

But the thornier issues are being left to the end, including the US demand that NAFTA be approved every five years, a provision known as a sunset clause.

"We are organizing the items according to the degree of complexity and sunset clause is the very last," he said.

Mexico has repeatedly said it opposed to including such a clause.

The US and Mexican teams have spent a lot of time on issues involving the auto industry and Guajardo said earlier this week they had reached an agreement on the US demands that a share of vehicle components with duty-free treatment come from countries with high wages.

A USTR spokeswoman declined to comment on the content of the discussions.

Asked if Canada would rejoin the NAFTA talks next week, Guajardo said, "Hopefully. We have to make sure that the US-Mexico bilaterals are done."

But there is no specific date to return to trilateral discussions, he said.

Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who accompanied Guajardo, spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday and "discussed the importance of concluding a NAFTA agreement," according to a statement from the State Department.

Talks are due to continue Friday and include Jesus Seade, economics adviser to Mexico's President-Elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

US President Donald Trump demanded NAFTA be renegotiated after repeatedly criticizing the 24-year-old pact as a "terrible deal" and officials now are rushing to conclude the talks before Lopez Obrador takes office on December 1.
Samsung employees wave as they introduce the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone

South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone Thursday, its latest effort to address flagging sales of the high-functioning gadgets.

Boosting the power and the price, Samsung hopes to win back customers in the competitive market. The consistent leader in the global smartphone market, the company nonetheless suffered a 22 percent drop in mobile technology sales in the second quarter.

The company blamed the drop in part to disappointing demand for the Galaxy S9, but it also has been pressured by growth in Chinese competitor Huawei.

At a glitzy the launch event in Brooklyn, Samsung unveiled a suite of high tech products, including a smart speaker and watch, and then showed off the new Galaxy Note 9, which will be available for purchase on August 24.

The phone contains a series of improvements but was described by analysts as having no radical new innovations. The latest model boosts memory capacity, and allows customers to play video games such as the popular Fortnite.

Customers will have the option of 128 or 512 gigabytes of memory, and also can insert a micro card to boost capacity beyond a terabyte, a record for a smartphone.

Samsung also enhanced the gadget's batteries so it can now be used for an entire day without needing to be recharged -- a common headache for cell phone users.

Other improvements include tweaks to the device's "S Pen" feature, which can be used as a remote control for taking pictures or selfies using Bluetooth technology.

And the new model has enough capacity for video games. Samsung has set up a promotion with the popular Fortnite game that lets users download a special mobile version.

According to some trade media sources, the Galaxy Note 9 version with 512 gigabytes will be the most expensive smartphone geared towards the general public.

- Pricey, not radically new -

The price for that model will be $1,250 in the United States, while the 128 gigabyte version will go for $1,000. Apple's iPhone X in a 256 gigabyte version sells for about $1,150.

Global smartphone sales fell 1.8 percent in the second quarter to 342 million amid market saturation and rising prices, according to tech-industry trackers International Data Corporation.

Avi Greengart, analyst at GlobalData, described the upgrades in the latest Samsung as "iterative," adding "there is nothing radically new here."

Founder and CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek, speaks at the event where Samsung announced its partnership with Spotify to have seamless music streaming across all devices

"It's a really expensive phone and for people who are looking for a premium Android phone, they may well find it quite appealing," he said. "But it isn't likely to get people to consider the Note for the very first time."

By contrast, Apple's more dramatic overhaul of the iPhone X design and user interface showed there is a "large group of people who are willing to spend whatever it takes" to upgrade, Greengart said.

Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Home speaker device, a first for the South Korean company in a market that already contains Amazon's Echo and Alphabet's Google Home program.

The company also announced a partnership with streaming music service Spotify to allow "streamless listening" across all Samsung devices, including phones, tablets and smart TVs, as well as the Galaxy Home.

The smart speaker may have a better shot outside the United States, said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

"In the US, Alexa is very entrenched and so is Google Assistant, so it might be a challenge, but not so much in other parts of the world," Moorhead said.
Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero (R), pictured July 2015, was charged by the Special Economic Crimes Court with attempted fraud and mismanagement of public funds

A Kenyan court on Thursday charged former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero with corruption and wasting public funds, following a new crackdown on public graft.

Kidero, who lost in 2017 polls to the ruling coalition, was charged by the Special Economic Crimes Court with attempted fraud and mismanagement of public funds, relating to property transactions.

He is accused of corruption that resulted in the loss of 213 million shillings ($2 million, 1.8 million euros).

The politician, who was arrested on Wednesday, denies the charges, which date from 2014 to 2016.

Nine former officials who worked in his administration have also been charged.

Kidero was released from custody on Thursday after paying a bail of two million shillings. His trial is due to start in September.

An increasing number of public officials have faced police action or been fired in recent months in Kenya, a country with a dynamic economy but undermined by a culture of bribes and embezzlement that President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised to eradicate.

However, it is a call that has been repeated often by presidents with little result.

Kenya was ranked 143 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's annual corruption report.
Police are increasingly braced for violence at rightwing American rallies, such as this one on August 4, 2018 in Portland, Oregon, in the year since the deadly demonstration by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other right-wing groups in Charlottesville, Virginia

Washington authorities said they will ramp up the capital city's emergency level when white nationalists and counterprotesters demonstrate Sunday at the same park outside the White House.

The National Park Service said Wednesday it issued a permit for a rally in Lafayette Park by Unite the Right, the white supremacist network that organized a protest in Charlottesville, Virginia last year that turned deadly.

But the service said it has also issued a permit at the same park on the same day for counterprotesters, a move that appeared to raise the prospects of a violent clash right in front of the White House.

"Law enforcement's goal during the entire operational period will be to keep the two groups separated," DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told reporters, as he added a warning to anyone coming to the city threatening violence.

"If you come here with the intent to hurt someone or break something, we're going to put you under arrest," said Newsham.

All firearms will be banned from the protest site, including those legally carried by licensed gun owners, he stressed.

The second permit was issued to the Answer Coalition, a group that has called for "mass action" on Sunday to protest what it described as racists, fascists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said she signed an order raising the city's emergency level to allow for additional resources for safety, traffic management and public works.

"We know that our responsibility is to protect First Amendment events, to protect Washingtonians and to protect our city, and we will do just that," she said.

The population of the US capital is nearly half black, according to the US census bureau.

Sunday is likely to be tense. It marks the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville demonstration in which white supremacists and other far-right groups, angry over efforts to remove statues of Confederate leaders, clashed violently with counterprotesters.

One woman was killed and 19 injured when a 20-year-old man drove a car into a group of the counterprotesters.

President Donald Trump, in a low point of his presidency, blamed "both sides" for the bloodshed, a reaction that triggered astonishment among many and was widely seen as escalating tensions.

Newsham said the permit allowed for 400 demonstrators, and that overflow zones will be available should more protesters arrive.

"We would ask everyone who attends to not let their personal passions overcome their civility," he said.

Unite the Right said on its website that supporters will march from a nearby subway station to Lafayette Park at 5:00pm (2100 GMT). It also warned its followers not to bring guns or "engage in any fighting."
Backed by the dems to push anti gun agenda no doubt, the ends justify all means foir the left and their desire for power.Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, whose father was suspected of involvement in 1993 World Trade Center bombing, arrested with four others on child abuse chargesa disheveled living compound at Amalia, New Mexico, on August 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)TAOS, New Mexico  The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday.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.Prosecutor Timothy Hasson filed the documents while asking that Wahhaj be held without bail after he was arrested last week with four other adults facing child abuse charges.Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top storiesFree Sign UpProsecutors did not bring up the school shooting accusation in court on Wednesday during an initial appearance by the abuse suspects.This photo provided by the Taos County Sheriffs Department shows Lucas Morton, left, and Siraj Wahhaj. (Taos County Sheriffs Department via AP)Authorities say the remains of a boy also were found at the compound but have not been positively identified by medical examiners.The child, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, went missing in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.
Simone Gbagbo arriving home in Abidjan on Wednesday following her amnesty

Former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo, freed by amnesty in Abidjan this week, will begin moves to have her case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) scrapped, her lawyer Rodrigue Dadje announced Thursday.

Gbagbo, who had been serving a 20-year jail term, was released on Wednesday, two days after being amnestied by President Alassane Ouattara.

The 69-year-old wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo had served seven years after being found guilty of endangering state security in connection with post-election violence that claimed around 3,000 lives in 2010-11.

However she is still wanted by the ICC in The Hague, which issued a warrant for her arrest in 2012.

In 2016, Ouattara said he would "no longer send" Ivorian nationals to the court, as the country now had a "functioning justice system".

Laurent Gbagbo has been in detention at the international court for seven years and has been on trial since 2016 for alleged crimes against humanity.

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.

"In September, Simone Gbagbo's defence team will begin a procedure at the ICC to annul the charges against her," Dadje told AFP.

But the Hague court stressed that the arrest warrant against the former first lady remains in place.

"Any amnesty granted has no impact on the workings of the ICC," the court said in a statement.

About 3,000 people died in the turmoil that swept Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan in the aftermath of the November 2010 presidential polls when Gbagbo refused to accept that he had been defeated by bitter rival Ouattara.

Ouattara has been under pressure to foster reconciliation. The legacy of the 2010-11 conflict is still felt deeply today.

On Monday -- the eve of the Ivory Coast's independence day -- Ouattara announced an amnesty not only for Simone Gbagbo but for some 800 others in the name of national reconciliation.
A hospital in Saada province said it received the bodies of 29 children and 48 wounded, of which 30 were also children

The United States called Thursday for a "thorough" investigation following the deaths of 29 children in northern Yemen in a strike on a bus carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US was "concerned" by reports of an attack resulting in civilian deaths.

"We are calling the Saudi led coalition to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident," she said.

Nauert added the US takes credible accounts of civilian casualties "very seriously."

"We call on the parties to take appropriate measures to protect civilians," she said.

A hospital in Saada province supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross "received the bodies of 29 children under the age of 15 and 48 wounded, including 30 children," the organization announced on Twitter.

A spokesman for the Red Cross in Sanaa told AFP the toll was not final as casualties from the attack were taken to several hospitals.

The coalition acknowledged carrying out a "legitimate military action," but spokesman Turki al-Maliki told AFP claims that children were inside the bus were "misleading," adding that the bus carried "Huthi combatants."

Saada is a stronghold of Huthi rebels, whom the Saudi-led coalition are fighting in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's forces.

The war in Yemen has left more than 10,000 dead since 2015, sparking what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The US has lent its Saudi allies support in the form of arms, intelligence and aerial refueling.
3D printed gun blueprints violate Facebook's rules on regulated goods such as firearms

Facebook on Thursday said it was moving to prevent the sharing of blueprints for 3D-printed guns on the social network, which violates its rules on regulated goods.

"Sharing instructions on how to manufacture firearms using 3D printers or CNC milling machines is not allowed under our Community Standards," a Facebook spokesman said in response to an AFP inquiry.

"In line with our policies, we are removing this content from Facebook."

The social network added it was working out the range of website links or gun-printing content that will be removed.

Banning blueprints or instructions for 3D-printed guns is in line with the social network's rules on regulated goods such as firearms, which can only be legally sold or exchanged by licensed dealers.

A US gun rights advocate last week was gearing up for a legal fight to be able to publish online blueprints for 3D-printed firearms, as the White House signaled support for a federal judge's decision to block the venture.

Cody Wilson's Texas-based company Defense Distributed had briefly made the blueprints available online, but Seattle-based US District Judge Robert Lasnik granted an injunction to take the material down.

The administration of US President Donald Trump last month gave permission for Wilson to publish the blueprints, but the White House subsequently said the president was unaware of the decision and was glad it was being reviewed.

Eight US states and the District of Columbia sued, arguing the blueprints could allow anyone -- from a teen to a "lone wolf" gunman -- to make untraceable, undetectable plastic weapons.

Wilson complied with the judge's order, but put out a call for financial support for the legal battle ahead, including a scheduled August 10 court hearing.

He told CBS News ahead of the injunction that he believes "access to firearms is a fundamental human dignity. It's a fundamental human right."
Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's alliance will be the biggest bloc in Iraq's parliament

Nationalist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's alliance won Iraq's legislative election in May according to a manual recount, the electoral commission said Friday, paving the way for a government to be formed nearly three months after the polls.

Allegations of fraud prompted the supreme court to order a partial manual recount, but Sadr's joint list with communists will retain all 54 seats it won to become the biggest bloc in Iraq's 329-seat parliament.

The only change from the recount will be an extra seat for the Conquest Alliance of pro-Iranian former paramilitary fighters at the expense of a local Baghdad list.

Conquest Alliance remains in second place but will have 48 seats instead of 47, Iraq's nine-member electoral commission said.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's bloc remains in third with just 42 seats.

After the supreme court officially announces the final results, the outgoing president has 15 days to convene the parliament, which must then elect a new head of state and begin the process for forming a coalition government.

Sadr has already signed a coalition agreement with Shiite Ammar al-Hakim's Al-Hikma list, which will stay on 19 seats after the recount, and the secular outgoing vice-president Iyad Allawi, whose list was comprised largely of Sunnis and secured 21 seats.

The May 12 election saw a record low turnout of 44.5 percent, with long-time political figures pushed out by voters seeking change in a country mired in conflict and corruption.
The US Supreme Court had earlier denied a stay of execution for Billy Ray Irick

The US state of Tennessee on Thursday used a controversial lethal injection procedure to execute a man who was convicted of raping and killing a child, after the nation's top court declined his final bid for a stay.

"I just want to say I'm really sorry. And that ... that's it," Billy Ray Irick said in his final words before prison officials in Nashville, Tennessee started the process. He was pronounced dead at 7:48 pm, officials said at a press conference.

Irick was the first inmate to be executed in Tennessee since 2009.

The US Supreme Court had earlier denied a stay of execution for the convict, rejecting concerns about the inmate potentially feeling sensations equivalent to being "burned alive."

The high court's decision was countered with a blistering dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who questioned whether Billy Ray Irick's planned execution would be too painful and whether allowing it to proceed required accepting "barbarism."

The 59-year-old was convicted in 1986 of raping and killing seven-year-old Paula Dyer. His lawyers have argued Irick has a history of severe mental illness.

In an appeal to the Supreme Court, Irick's lawyers challenged Tennessee's lethal injection protocol, which included the use of the sedative midazolam. Other states have also used the drug for executions with mixed results.

Sotomayor, citing lower court testimony about the potential risks of midazolam executions, dissented.

Medical experts warned the drug may not be strong enough to keep a prisoner unconscious once he starts to feel pain.

If Irick were to awaken, a paralytic used as the second drug in Tennessee's lethal injection would prevent him from alerting officials that he can feel pain, Sotomayor noted.

"Medical experts explained in painstaking detail how the three-drug cocktail Tennessee plans to inject into Irick's veins will cause him to experience sensations of drowning, suffocating, and being burned alive from the inside out," Sotomayor wrote.

"If the law permits this execution to go forward in spite of the horrific final minutes that Irick may well experience, then we have stopped being a civilized nation and accepted barbarism."

Three out of 14 executions in the US this year have employed midazolam, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

But the drug has been the subject of multiple legal challenges.

Ohio halted executions in 2014 after the botched execution of Dennis McGuire using midazolam. The prisoner appeared to suffer for several minutes before dying.

A federal appeals court in 2017 granted Ohio permission to resume executions, after officials increased the dose of the drug by a factor of 50.

Meanwhile, the state of Nevada last month postponed an execution after midazolam-manufacturer Alvogen successfully sued to stop its product from being used in executions.
TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) - In 1906, when aging, white Confederate veterans of the Civil War and black ex-slaves still lived on the old plantations of the Deep South, two very different celebrations were afoot in this city known even then as a beacon of black empowerment.

Tuskegee Institute, founded to educate Southern blacks whose families had lived in bondage for generations, was saluting its 25th anniversary.

Meanwhile, area whites were preparing to dedicate a monument to rebel soldiers in a downtown park set aside exclusively for white people.

A Confederate monument dedicated in 1909 stands in the middle of the square in Tuskegee, Ala., on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Demonstrators once tried to topple the monument and it has been the target of vandals. Yet a Confederate heritage group owns the land, and the memorial has survived generations in a mostly black city known as a landmark of minority education and empowerment. Black graffiti from a vandalism incident that occurred last year is still visible on the base. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Flash forward to today and that same Confederate monument still stands in the same park, both of them owned by a Confederate heritage group. They sit in the heart of a poor, black-controlled town of 9,800 people that's less than 3 percent white.

Students from what's now Tuskegee University once tried and failed to tear down the old gray statue, which has since become a target for vandals. But critics who want it gone aren't optimistic about removing it, even as similar monuments come down nationwide.

"I think it would probably take a bomb to get it down," said Dyann Robinson, president of the Tuskegee Historic Preservation Commission.

The story of how such a monument could be erected and still remain in place a century later offers lessons in just how hard it can be to confront a shared history that still divides a nation.

___

In 1860, before the Civil War began, Census records show 1,020 white people owned 18,176 black people in Macon County, where Tuskegee sits. The enslaved were mostly kept uneducated. Schooling became nearly as big a need as food and shelter once the fighting stopped in 1865.

Established by the Alabama Legislature through the joint work of a freed slave and a former slave owner, the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute was founded in 1881, according to the school's official history. Booker T. Washington built it into a leading institution for educating blacks. To this day, it remains a leading historically black university.

By the time of Tuskegee's 25th anniversary, Washington was widely acclaimed for advocating practical education, character building and hard work to lift blacks from the poverty of the postwar South. William Howard Taft, who would become U.S. president a few years later, attended the celebration; so did industrialist and donor Andrew Carnegie.

Coverage of the anniversary festivities in The Tuskegee News, a white-owned newspaper, emphasized that blacks needed to get along with the whites who had near total control in the old Confederate states.

"Every address from northerner, or southerner, and black gave forth the unmistakable tribute to the value, yea, the absolute necessity of the southern negro doing all in his power to merit the confidence and friendly cooperation of the southern white man ...," the paper reported on its front page.

___

Meanwhile, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, composed of female descendants of Confederate veterans, was erecting monuments glorifying the "lost cause" of the South all over the region in the early 1900s. The women of the Tuskegee chapter planned one for their town.

They staged a musical performance and a chrysanthemum show to raise money for a Confederate statue, according to Tuskegee News accounts. Then, two months after the Tuskegee Institute anniversary, leaders of the white-controlled county government gave the United Daughters the main downtown square to serve as a "park for white people" around a memorial to Macon County's Confederate veterans, city records show.

The monument, which included the inscribed admonition to "honor the brave," finally was dedicated on Oct. 6, 1909. The Montgomery Advertiser called the ceremony "one of the largest masses of white people ever before witnessed in Tuskegee." Confederate flags waved and 13 young women were dressed in crimson and white to represent the Confederate states.

Newspaper stories from the time don't say whether any blacks attended the event, which included a parade through town, but they most certainly were around. Macon County was around 82 percent black at the time, Census records show, although Jim Crow laws kept whites in firm political control.

The nation's first black combat pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen, trained in the town in the 1940s, but not until the 1960s did the civil rights movement start changing political dynamics.

___

Blacks were first elected to office in Tuskegee in 1964, but whites still controlled most of Alabama. Frustrated after an all-white jury in another county acquitted a white man accused of murder in the shooting death of a civil rights worker, blacks took out their anger on the Confederate monument in 1966.

A crowd described in news reports as Tuskegee students converged downtown after jurors acquitted white gas station attendant Marvin Segrest in the killing of black Navy veteran and civil rights worker Samuel L. Younge Jr., who was gunned down after asking to use a whites-only bathroom. It took only 70 minutes or so for jurors to side with Segrest.

On a night when rocks flew through windows around the town square, demonstrators went after the Confederate monument.

Simuel Schutz Jr., a friend of Younge who participated in the demonstration, said protesters attached a chain or rope to the monument in a bid to pull it down, but failed.

"We didn't have a vehicle to topple it that night and that's why it's still there," said Schutz, 72, now a contractor in Trenton, New Jersey.

But protesters did have spray paint. The next morning, the soldier atop the monument had a yellow stripe down its back with the words "black power" scrawled on the base in black paint.

First elected mayor in 1972, Johnny Ford said he tried to have the monument relocated after taking office and again in 2015. Both efforts failed, as did a few similar attempts during the intervening years.

"Whites oppose moving it and older blacks didn't want to for fear of upsetting race relations," said Ford, now out of office after serving more than three decades both as mayor and a state representative from the area.

For some, the statue is just part of the city's landscape and isn't much of an issue.

"It's just part of Tuskegee, part of its history," said Kelvin Stephens, a black man who works in a computer shop across a street from the memorial.

___

The United Daughters of the Confederacy still owns the square where the monument stands, and they don't plan to remove it.

"It is a wonderful addition to the downtown area and has been there for over 100 years, and the United Daughters see no reason for it to change," said a letter to the city by an attorney for the group, Richard L. Wyatt.

The 2-acre (0.81-hectare) square has been open to everyone for years despite records that show it was supposed to be for only whites originally. Community members of all colors regularly gather on the green for events including the upcoming All Macon County Day, an annual event that will include hip-hop and rap music.

The city cuts the grass on the square and trims the rose bushes around the monument, but the United Daughters are in charge of the statue itself, officials said.

A United Daughters newsletter posted online shows the Tuskegee chapter faded away in 2001 only to be reactivated with eight members in 2014. A member of the United Daughters, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic in town, said the chapter was revived in large part to protect and maintain the memorial.

The few members still in town cleaned the statue after vandals tagged it with spray paint about three years ago, Wyatt said in an interview, but they've yet to remove black paint that stains the gray stone following a similar incident in October. No one was charged in the vandalism.

The United Daughters member said the group decided against cleaning the statue after the latest incident out of fear it would only be repeated. "We started to but we decided to just let sleeping dogs lie," she said.

Mayor Lawrence F. Haygood Jr. has said he understands why some people want the statue gone, but there are no moves afoot to remove it as the one-year anniversary approaches of a deadly confrontation over a Confederate monument in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It's unclear whether anything can be done anyway, since Alabama legislators passed a law last year banning the removal or alteration of sites including Confederate monuments.

In Birmingham, city officials built a wooden box around a 52-foot (15.85-meter)-tall obelisk that was erected to honor Confederate veterans in 1905 in a downtown park, and the state sued to enforce the law. A judge's upcoming ruling could clarify whether cities like Tuskegee can do anything about memorials that some find offensive and others revere.

In the meantime, Tuskegee's stone Confederate stands in the middle of a nearly all-black city, the butt of his musket resting near the feet and the hands gripping the barrel.

"It's just there in town like it's always been," said the mayor.

___

Associated Press news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

___

For the complete AP coverage marking one year since the rally in Charlottesville, visit https://apnews.com/tag/CharlottesvilleAYearLater .

FILE- In this Dec. 9, 1966 file photo, a Confederate monument in downtown Tuskegee, Ala., stands covered with black paint and the paint-scrawled words "Black Power" after a pre-dawn demonstration by black students. Thirteen businesses were damaged in a rock-and-bottle throwing outburst during the noisy demonstration. (AP Photo, File)

This undated photo provided by the Alabama Department of Archives and History, from 1966 shows Frank Toland, a professor at what is now called Tuskegee University, speaking to protesters gathered around the Confederate monument in Tuskegee, Alabama. Demonstrators protesting the shooting death of a black man later attempted to pull down the monument, which remains in the mostly black city. (James Peppler/Alabama Department of Archives and History via AP)

This photo provided by Alabama Department of Archives and History, from January 1966 shows Simuel Schutz Jr. speaking to a police officer during a protest following the shooting of a black man by a white man in Tuskegee, Ala. Schutz, who was active in the civil rights movement, says he was part of a group that later tried to topple a Confederate monument at the center of the mostly black city. (James Peppler/Alabama Department of Archives and History via AP)

Robert C. Ogden, William Howard Taft, Booker T. Washington and Andrew Carnegie, left to right, stand on the steps of a building in April 1906 during the 25h anniversary celebration of what is now Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala. Taft would later become president. The event was held at the same time a Southern heritage group, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was raising money to erect a Confederate monument that was dedicated in 1909 and still stands at the center of the mostly black city. (Frances Benjamin Johnston/Library of Congress via AP)

A Confederate monument dedicated in 1909 stands in the middle of the square in Tuskegee, Ala., on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Demonstrators once tried to topple the monument and it has been the target of vandals. Yet a Confederate heritage group owns the land, and the memorial has survived generations in a mostly black city known as a landmark of minority education and empowerment. Black graffiti from a vandalism incident that occurred last year is still visible on the base. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - A northern Illinois teacher is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, who also was a teacher.

Authorities say Michael Kazecki beat his 38-year-old wife, Rebecca Kazecki, to death after she tried to intervene when he was hitting their 11-year-old son Tuesday.

Rebecca Kazecki died at a hospital from a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain.

Will County Circuit Judge Ben Braun ordered Kazecki held on a $2 million bond Wednesday.

Defense attorney Nathaniel Tate says Kazecki contests the nature of the charges, including the first-degree murder charge. Tate says Kazecki once worked as a professor for Joliet Junior College, Moraine Valley Community College and South Suburban College.

A Joliet Public Schools District 86 spokeswoman says Michael and Rebecca Kazecki have been teachers in the district.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Florida's Democratic senator said Wednesday that Russian operatives have penetrated some of his state's election systems ahead of this year's midterms, but state officials said they have no information to support the claim.

"They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about," Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times.

Nelson, who is running for re-election, declined to identify which counties have been penetrated, saying it was classified. "The threat is real and elections officials - at all levels - need to address the vulnerabilities."

FILE - In this Aug. 6, 2018, photo, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., speaks during a roundtable discussion with education leaders from South Florida at the United Teachers of Dade headquarters in Miami. Nelson says Russian operatives have penetrated some of his state's election systems ahead of this year's midterms. But Florida state officials said Wednesday, Aug. 8, that they have no information to support the claim.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Nelson, the ranking member of the cyber subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and his Republican colleague, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is on the Senate intelligence committee, wrote a letter last month to all 67 of the county election supervisors in their state.

"We were requested by the chairman and vice chairman of our intelligence committee to let the supervisors of election in Florida that the Russians are in their records," Nelson said, adding that the letter also urged the county officials to seek help from the Homeland Security Department.

"This is no-fooling time. That's why two senators - bipartisan - reached out to the apparatus in Florida to let them know that the Russians are in the records and all they (the Russians) have to do - if those election records are not protected - is to go in and start eliminating registered voters.

"You can imagine the chaos that would occur on Election Day when the voters get to the polls and they say: 'I'm sorry, Mr. Smith. I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, you're not registered.' That's exactly what the Russians want to do."

The Florida Department of State said it had received "zero information" from Nelson or his staff that supports the claims of Russian meddling - something national intelligence and homeland security officials have repeatedly warned was likely ahead of the midterms.

"Additionally, the department has received no information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that corroborates Sen. Nelson's statement and we have no evidence to support these claims," the Florida Department of State said in a statement. "If Sen. Nelson has specific information about threats to our elections, he should share it with election officials in Florida."

The department said state and local election officials have taken "significant steps to ensure the security and integrity" of Florida elections.

Counties are using $1.9 million to purchase a network monitoring security system that provides automated alerts about threats, the department said. Moreover, counties are using $15.5 million in funding to make significant investments in election security prior to this year's midterms.

Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement Wednesday evening saying: "While we are aware of Senator Nelson's recent statements, we have not seen any new compromises by Russian actors of election infrastructure. That said, we don't need to wait for a specific threat to be ready."

The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rubio and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, declined to comment.

The ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, issued a statement, but did not confirm or deny Nelson's claims.

"Russian activities continue to pose a threat to the security of our elections, as Sens. Nelson and Rubio rightly pointed out in their letter," Warner said. "I hope all state and local elections officials, including Florida's, will take this issue seriously."

White House critics have harshly criticized President Donald Trump on the issue of election security. They say his administration lacks a clear national strategy to protect U.S. elections from foreign meddling by Russia or any other adversary. In response, top national security officials appeared together at the White House last week to insist there is a "vast, government-wide effort" to safeguard a cornerstone of American democracy.

John Bolton, the national security adviser, wrote in a letter to Senate Democrats that "President Trump has not and will not tolerate interference in America's system of representative government."

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, "We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States."

Their rare appearance during a White House briefing came weeks after Trump publicly undermined the conclusions of American intelligence agencies regarding Russian interference. After suffering a bipartisan outcry, Trump later said he accepted those findings.

___

Associated Press Writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Frank Bajak in Boston and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. envoy for Iraq urged its political leaders on Wednesday to listen to the people and seize the opportunity to form "a patriotic, inclusive and non-sectarian national government" that will use the country's vast resources including oil to benefit all Iraqis.

A new government can't be formed until final results of May 12 parliamentary elections are announced. Voting was marred by allegations of fraud and irregularities and a partial recount of ballots was ordered. It was completed Monday but the election commission didn't make the final results public.

U.N. special representative Jan Kubis told the Security Council that a new national government must prioritize a host of political, economic and social reforms as well as reconciliation and good governance including fighting corruption.

It must also create jobs, put all armed groups "under the strict control of the state," and act against "insubordinate militias and criminal gangs," and tackle inequality, he said.

Despite billions of dollars spent since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, many Iraqi cities and towns are still experiencing severe power cuts and rolling blackouts, issues that partly fueled last month's protests in Iraq's southern Shiite heartland.

Kubis said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi "has made major efforts to provide swift and tailored responses to legitimate popular demands," but the measures "remain insufficient to address the depth of people's needs and concerns."

The elections, the fourth since Saddam was toppled, saw the lowest turnout in 15 years which Kubis said already delivered "a strong message of dissatisfaction with the current state of management of public affairs."

"Although the scale of protest has now decreased," he said, "demonstrations are far from over, including around major oil installations in Basra," in southern Iraq.

Iraqis also faces a continuing threat from the Islamic State extremist group, which controlled nearly a third of the country after its 2014 offensive. In recent years, Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition have gradually driven the militants from all the territory they once held and the government declared military victory over the extremist group late last year.

But Kubis said remnants of the Islamic State group, also known by the Arabic name Daesh, "continue sporadically to conduct terrorist attacks against civilians, government premises and the Iraqi security forces."

"Daesh remains a threat," he said. "Daesh tactics include the targeting of local mayors and their families, and the abduction and killing of other civilians, including at fake check points."

Although the level of violence in Iraq has decreased since last year, Kubis said, "armed conflict, terrorism and acts of violence continued to take a toll on civilians."

In June, he said, at least 76 civilians were killed and 129 wounded, and in July at least 79 civilians were killed and 99 wounded.

So far this year, Kubis said, Iraqi courts have publicly announced 76 death sentences for terrorism-related crimes including against 24 women. He said 23 of them were foreigners - 17 Turks, 3 from Krgyzstan, 2 Azerbaijanis and 1 German.

Kubis said 26 executions have been announced so far this year.

"It is time to address the root causes of terrorism by engaging in constructive and genuine national dialogue," he said.

Kubis said the demonstrations in southern Iraq put a spotlight on the region's "massive and long-neglected social, economic and development needs" which weren't addressed partly due to the priority given to fighting Daesh.

It is even more urgent that these inequalities are addressed now, he said, because tens of thousands of young men from the south and Baghdad who were mobilized to fight Daesh are now returning home "without jobs, and without adequate support for them and the families of the martyrs" who were killed.
TOKYO (AP) - Nagasaki marked the anniversary of the world's second atomic bombing Thursday with the United Nations chief and the city's mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that the attacks should never be repeated. He raised concerns about slowing efforts to denuclearize, saying existing nuclear states are modernizing their arsenals.

"Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park. "Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency." Guterres added that nuclear weapons states should take the lead. "Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on Earth to suffer nuclear devastation," he said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offers flowers during a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Takuto Kaneko/Kyodo News via AP)

More than 5,000 citizens, including Nagasaki atom bomb survivors, and representatives of about 70 countries remembered the victims as they observed a minute of silence at 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb Fatman hit the city.

Emperor Akihito joined a silent prayer from Tokyo with his wife Michiko as they monitored the ceremony on TV, marking the last Nagasaki commemoration before his planned abdication next April, Kyodo News reported.

The U.S. bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed an estimated 70,000 people three days after a bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000. They were followed by Japan's surrender, ending World War II.

Guterres said the peace and nuclear disarmament movement started by survivors of the atomic bombings has spread around the world but frustration over the slow progress led to last year's adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Japan, despite being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, has not signed the treaty because of its sensitive position as an American ally protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japan's government to do more to seek nuclear disarmament, especially in the Asian region to help achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. He said citizens of the atomic-bombed cities are hoping to see North Korea denuclearized.

Taue urged Tokyo to sign the treaty and "fulfill its moral obligation to lead the world toward denuclearization." He said more than 300 local assemblies have adopted resolutions calling on Japan to sign and ratify the treaty.

Japan seeks to close the gap between the views of nuclear and non-nuclear states about nuclear disarmament to eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, repeating almost the same phrase he used in a speech three days earlier in Hiroshima.

At a meeting later Thursday with Abe, an atom bomb survivor, or "hibakusha," confronted the prime minister, asking how exactly he could bridge the divide while remaining under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi

Doves fly around Peace Memorial Statue during a ceremony at Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of U.S. atomic bombing on the city. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, offer a silent prayer during a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, has a moment of silence during a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, center, helped by local primary schoolchildren, folds a paper crane at Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki, southern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Tatsumi Oita/Kyodo News via AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the media in Nagasaki, southern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the atomic bombing over the city. Guterres, attending Nagasaki's ceremony for the first time as head of the international organization, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that they should never be repeated. He raised concerns about the slowing effort, citing nuclear weapons states still spending large sums to modernize their arsenals. (Tatsumi Oita/Kyodo News via AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, right, attends a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, right, attends a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of the bombing on the city. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki, delivers a speech during a ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Tokyo. (Miyuki Saito/Kyodo News via AP)

A woman prays in front of Peace Memorial Statue at Peace Park in Nagasaki, southern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, marking the 73rd anniversary of U.S. bombing on the city. (Takuma Kaneko/Kyodo News via AP)
SHARMINI PERIES: Its The Real News Network. Im Sharmini Peries, coming to you from Baltimore.



During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, the term fake news became widely used mainly by the candidate Donald Trump. Lets listen.



More than ever before, social media became an arena for disseminating information, often false information, to sway public opinion this way or that way. It was orginally seen and reported as a masterfully orchestrated campaign by strategic players such as Steve Bannon, who used a provocative content and a mixture of truth and false information to bait people into believing things such as Hillary Clinton being involved in a pedophile ring.



Only in 2018, a year after Trump was inaugurated, it became increasingly clear that the manipulation of the social media was not done by individuals or even by political groups and campaigns, but by highly professional companies hired, such as Cambridge Analytica, to design strategies with content of so-called fake news, but also to use complex datamining methods in order to know how to disseminate the information in the most effective way. The method is now, as we know it, is considered what troll farms do, and the Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said this week that the social media campaign intended to skew the results of the U.S. presidential election in 2016 was part of a major change in how the Internet became a battlefield over public opinion. Lets listen.



KIRSTJEN NIELSEN: We are facing an urgent, evolving crisis in cyberspace. Our adversaries capabilities online are simply outpacing our stovepiped defenses. In fact, I believe that cyber threats collectively now exceed the danger of physical attacks against us. This is a major sea change from my department and for our countrys security. I wish I could tell you that weve rounded a corner, but last year was the worst ever in terms of cyber attack volume. Without aggressive action to secure our networks, it is only a matter of time before we get hit hard in the homeland. Two years ago, as we all know, a foreign power launched a brazen, multifaceted influence campaign to undermine public faith in our democratic process and to distort our presidential election. Let me be clear: Our intelligence community has it right. It was the Russians. We know that. They know that. It was directed from the highest levels.



SHARMINI PERIES: On to talk about all of this and more with me is Samantha Bradshaw. Shes a senior fellow at the Canadian International Council, where she researches computational propaganda. She is also a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute, and her dissertation is on the government use of social media to spread disinformation. Now, I thank you so much for joining us today, Samantha.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Thank you for having me.



SHARMINI PERIES: Samantha, we have just discovered very early this year that Cambridge Analytica was quite involved in the 2016 presidential campaign, and with the Trump campaign in particular, possibly because of their connection to Robert Mercer, and Steve Bannon, and so forth. But you in the UK just realized that they have also been involved in terms of the Brexit vote and the Brexit referendum in particular trying to sway peoples opinion on Brexit. Tell us about what you discovered about their involvement in the Brexit campaign, and how they did it.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yeah, thats correct. At the time of that we saw lots of what we call junk news being spread over social media. Junk news is conspiratorial, highly polarizing content thats not necessarily true. So it has an element of what we call fake news to it. But it also includes a lot of that really polarizing content thats designed to divide people. We saw a lot of that being shared over social media not only in a very widespread way where, you know, there was political thoughts or bits of code designed to mimic human behaviour spreading and amplifying these messages, giving a false sense of popularity around the messages behind them. But we also saw microtargeted ads to particular individuals or communities who these messages might speak to more, and a lot of these advertisements were targeted based on our data and the data of UK voters.



SHARMINI PERIES: Samantha, this isnt isolated. We know that it is taking place in many other parts of the world. In fact, some of these companies are selling these strategies to the various campaigns, political campaigns out there. Give us a sense of who the main players are in terms of the world of Analytica, how Facebook and other social media sites are involved in or used in terms of their strategies as well.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yes. So, increasingly were seeing more governments and more political parties turning to social media to exploit these systems to spread junk news and disinformation to voters in democracies. It tends to be during election cycles where we see political parties hiring companies like Cambridge Analytica to run these campaigns for them. But in more authoritarian regimes where there arent so many rights, we tend to see disinformation still occurring in these spaces. But its more of a tool of social control, and it is part of their broader strategy for restricting freedoms online.



SHARMINI PERIES: And how is Cambridge Analytica using our personal data in Facebook, for example, to target their campaigns.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yes. So, every time we use the Internet we generate data about ourselves. And you know, social media is included on that. Everything that we click on it generates detailed profiles about who we are as individuals and who we are as voters. And so Cambridge Analytica has amassed a bunch of this information about populations all over the world; not just in the UK, but also in the United States and other countries, as well. And then they use that data to identify certain communities, individuals, and their ideologies and their values. And then that information is fed to the political parties, who will then target specific messages to those communities based on their preferences.



SHARMINI PERIES: Now, Samantha, at least political campaigns in the U.S. are huge periods of time when larger amounts of money are spent, it used to be on television and television advertising, but more and more on social media. In your assessment, how much money is being spent on this?



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yes. Its really hard to trace the spending of political parties on these sorts of strategies and techniques. Part of the reason is because of the laws around campaign spending and how much political parties are required to report. When we do our fieldwork to interview bot developers, for example, who are working on the campaigns, a lot of the money, we cant actually connect it back to a particular political party. And this is because these are subcontracts of subcontracts. So a party in the United States might hire a big political communications firm that will then subcontract some of that work out to another company, who will require a Facebook specialist, who will then hire a few different people to do certain things on just Facebook. And then there might be a similar contract out for Twitter, or a similar contract out for Instagram. And because youre only required to report about two levels of spending, you start to lose some of that information.



So its really hard to say exactly how much money each campaign has been spending. When we released our report recently that kind of looked at this phenomenon more globally, we had about 48 countries, and dating back until about 2010. From publicly available information, we found half a billion dollars being spent by governments and political parties on these kinds of strategies. So theres definitely big business behind it. But putting a solid number, its still very hard to do.



Samantha, if you are on the receiving end of these campaigns by, say, Cambridge Analytica, you are getting a mixture of believable and unbelievable content. Thats what makes it so provocative and shocking, and you click on it, or you pay attention to it. Tell us the way in which, as far as you have assessed, the way in which they tailor the content and specifically reach people who are vulnerable to that content.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yes. So, a lot of the strategies that have been refined for commercial marketing purposes, to sell us shampoo, or slippers, or any kind of commercial goods, are now being used in politics. You know, So now were not only being sold these commercial products but were being sold world leaders. Were being sold politicians. And so the content and the strategies that a lot of these companies employ are the same sorts of things that we see in the commercial environment. Its identifying groups of people. Its identifying what theyre interested in, what they like, what they dont like, and then tailoring those messages to their preferences.



SHARMINI PERIES: All right, Samantha. Now, tell us a bit more here about the way in which this affects the democratic development, democratic processes like elections, as well as democracy itself in many of these countries. How it is now getting manipulated by these companies and campaigns.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Yeah, so in general for democracy to work we need to be able to come together to negotiate consensus, to talk to one another. We dont always have to agree with each other, but its really important that we have our open platform where people can discuss ideas about politics. We dont want political parties or other interested groups trying to amplify their messages over others. We want people to be able to have organic conversations about really important topics.



And so in terms of how it affects our overall democracy, it really depends on each specific country context. For a lot of emerging democracies there arent high levels of media literacy. Theres a lot of new people coming online and using these platforms. They may not actually know how to google for alternative sources of news. And so these kinds of strategies can have a much more deteriorating effect on a lot of the emerging democracies that were seeing. In countries like the United States and the UK, weve had people that have been using technology for, for years. You know, I was born on the Internet, pretty much. I belonged to that generation of people who grew up attached to a computer. But even with that said, media literacy is a really, really important part of this problem.



SHARMINI PERIES: All right, Samantha, I thank you so much for joining us. Theres so much more to discuss, because I would like to know if these strategies were used for electing Macron in France, or in terms of whats going on in Brazil with the Lula campaign, and so on. And I know all of which various people, if not yourself, are working on in terms of this project. So I would love to have you back, and we can dig further into other such strategies that are affecting our democracies. I thank you today for joining us.



SAMANTHA BRADSHAW: Great. Thank you for having me.



SHARMINI PERIES: And thank you for joining us here on The Real News Network.
NEW YORK (AP) - Is it possible to leverage 17,000 votes into a national political movement? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is trying.

The 28-year-old liberal activist, who was nearly unknown outside of Queens and the Bronx until a surprise June victory over a 10-term incumbent in New York's Democratic congressional primary, has been crisscrossing the country in recent weeks to stump for fellow progressives.

She's been raising campaign cash in sold-out theaters, rubbing shoulders with leaders in the party's liberal wing and building an audience of 788,000 Twitter followers.

FILE - In this Friday, July 20, 2018, file photo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congressional candidate from New York, waves during a rally, in Wichita, Kan. Ocasio-Cortez is trying to leverage the 17,000 votes that gave her a primary win in New York into a national movement. (Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle via AP, File)

"When I won, they said, 'Stay home.' They said, 'Keep it in the Bronx,'" she told a crowd at a progressive Democratic conference in New Orleans Saturday, "But we know better than that."

Tuesday's congressional primaries, though, showed that it may be hard for Ocasio-Cortez to help other left-leaning candidates replicate her upset over U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, a fellow Democrat.

Four underdog candidates whom she stumped for in recent weeks lost in Democratic primaries in Michigan, Kansas and Missouri.

They included Cori Bush, an activist and pastor who had been hoping to unseat nine-term U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, of St. Louis, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Detroit's former health director, who lost in Michigan's gubernatorial primary to Gretchen Whitmer.

Bush said her campaign got a shot of energy and a flood of new donations after Ocasio-Cortez lent her star power.

"It changed our race," she said. But it didn't translate into victory.

Three progressive candidates who had gotten Ocasio-Cortez's support did win Tuesday, including former Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib, who won a six-candidate primary and will run unopposed in the general election.

She will in all likelihood become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. Like Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

In Kansas, congressional candidate James Thompson cruised to victory in the Democratic primary after getting visits from Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail. In November, Thompson will face U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, the Republican congressman who beat him last year in a special election after receiving the backing of President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez flies to Hawaii to campaign for Kaniela Ing, another Democratic Socialist trying to beat the odds against several establishment candidates in a crowded Democratic primary. He has trailed in recent polls.

At an event in New York on Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez said she would press on with efforts to support candidates who might push the party further left.

"What we need to realize is our struggles are linked," she told supporters. "They don't want us to realize how powerful we really are."

Most of the candidates she has traveled to support are backed by a political action committee called Justice Democrats, which was started by organizers of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Five of the 12 candidates backed by the Justice Democrats won their primaries on Tuesday.

Ocasio-Cortez took advantage of some unique circumstances to beat Crowley, one of the top House Democrats.

Fewer than 30,000 people voted in the primary, which received little mainstream media attention. Many voters who backed her said they did so partly because they respected her hustle. She campaigned relentlessly in the district, while Crowley spent more time in Washington. His absence opened him to Ocasio-Cortez's attacks calling him an absentee leader.

Now, she is spending time out of state herself.

"I spent the last nine days, I know it seems like an eternity, but just nine days I was out traveling the country," Ocasio told supporters at an event in New York this week.

Her campaign spokesman, Corbin Trent, said her interstate travels to bolster other liberals are "for the distinct purpose of benefitting people in her district."

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, file photo, New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addresses supporters at a fundraiser in Los Angeles. Ocasio-Cortez is trying to leverage the 17,000 votes that gave her a primary win in New York into a national movement. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, July 28, 2018, file photo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congressional candidate from New York, hugs a woman in the audience while she campaigns for Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit. Ocasio-Cortez is trying to leverage the 17,000 votes that gave her a primary win in New York into a national movement. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, July 28, 2018, file photo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congressional candidate from New York, speaks during a campaign stop for Michigan for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, right, in Detroit. Ocasio-Cortez is trying to leverage the 17,000 votes that gave her a primary win in New York into a national movement. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
For now, Army suspends discharges of immigrant recruits

The U.S. Army has stopped discharging immigrant recruits who enlisted seeking a path to citizenship - at least temporarily.

A memo shared with The Associated Press spells out orders to high-ranking Army officials to stop processing discharges of men and women who enlisted in the special immigrant program.

"Effective immediately, you will suspend processing of all involuntary separation actions," read the memo signed July 20 by Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Marshall Williams.

The disclosure comes one month after the AP reported that dozens of immigrant enlistees were being discharged or had their contracts cancelled. Some said they were given no reason for their discharge. Others said the Army informed them they'd been labeled as security risks because they have relatives abroad or because the Defense Department had not completed background checks on them.

In a statement Thursday, Army Lt. Col. Nina L. Hill said they were stopping the discharges in order to review the administrative separation process. The decision could impact hundreds of enlistees.

___

Muslim cleric: Grandson found buried at New Mexico compound

TAOS, N.M. (AP) - A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the ramshackle compound in the New Mexico desert that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddler's grandfather said Thursday.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, discovered Monday. And prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned 4 Monday. Prosecutors said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and a youngster's remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tires, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass.

The missing boy's grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandson's.

___

Court orders ban on harmful pesticide, says EPA violated law

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration endangered public health by keeping a widely used pesticide on the market despite extensive scientific evidence that even tiny levels of exposure can harm babies' brains.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to remove chlorpyrifos from sale in the United States within 60 days.

A coalition of farmworkers and environmental groups sued last year after then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt reversed an Obama-era effort to ban chlorpyrifos, which is widely sprayed on citrus fruit, apples and other crops. The attorneys general for several states joined the case against EPA, including California, New York and Massachusetts.

In a split decision, the court said Thursday that Pruitt, a Republican forced to resign earlier this summer amid ethics scandals, violated federal law by ignoring the conclusions of agency scientists that chlorpyrifos is harmful.

"The panel held that there was no justification for the EPA's decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children," Judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in the court's opinion.

___

Pence outlines US Space Force plan for 'next battlefield'

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American public's long fascination with space - but with a military focus. The plan faces daunting hurdles and requires congressional approval. Military leaders and experts have questioned the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has extolled in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," Pence said.

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

___

Kansas governor's race turns nasty as Kobach's lead dwindles

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Thursday that he will remove himself from the further counting of votes while his Republican primary battle with Gov. Jeff Colyer hangs in the balance, describing it as a "symbolic" step in response to a public demand from Colyer.

The governor publicly accused Kobach, the state's top elections official, of giving county election officials information about the handling of yet-uncounted ballots "inconsistent with Kansas law." He demanded in a letter to Kobach that Kobach stop advising county officials and have the state's attorney general do it instead.

The close contest between the embattled governor and a conservative lightning rod took another acrimonious turn as Kobach's already tiny lead shrunk from 191 votes to just 121 out of 311,000 ballots cast, after two counties reported discrepancies in their initial tallies.

Kobach needled Colyer in a Fox Business network appearance Thursday evening, saying it would be "pointless" to remove himself from the process because the state's 105 counties handle the counting of ballots but he might do so just to make Colyer "feel good."

But a little more than an hour later, questioned on CNN, Kobach said: "I said, 'Of course, if he wants me to, I would," and he has said, 'OK, I do want you to,' so I will."

___

Tennessee carries out its 1st execution in nearly a decade

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee carried out the execution Thursday of a man condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty in nearly a decade.

Inmate Billy Ray Irick, 59, received a three-drug injection at a maximum-security prison in Nashville and was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., authorities said. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting.

The blinds between a witness room and the execution chamber were opened at 7:26 p.m. and Irick could be seen through glass windows strapped to a gurney, an IV stuck in his arm and leading back through the wall to a room hidden by a mirror-window, where someone administered the drugs. Asked if he had any words before the chemicals began flowing, Irick at first appeared to sigh and say "no." But then he said, "I just want to say I'm really sorry and that, that's it."

Then the execution proceeded. A minute later, his eyes closed. Snoring and heavy breathing were heard. At 7:34 p.m., there was coughing, huffing and deep breaths. An attendant began yelling "Billy" and checked the inmate and grabbed his shoulder, but there didn't seem to be any reaction. Minutes later, Irick let out a cough or choking sound, as his face turned dark purple. Then he appeared to stop making noise and was soon after pronounced dead.

Hours earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution, denying Irick's request for a stay. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent, recounting details from a recent state court trial of a case brought by inmates contesting Tennessee's execution drugs.

___

Outdoor fun dwindles as smoky haze hangs over California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A dull haze and the faint smell of smoke from distant blazes have blanketed many California cities for two weeks, forcing summer campers to stay inside, obscuring normally bright skylines and leaving cars covered with ash.

Smoky air from blowing winds is nothing new in California, but air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

The haze stretches from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range to Sacramento and hovers over the San Francisco Bay Area, with most major population centers in between suffering air quality that's considered dangerous for children, the elderly and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Kaela Baylis of Sacramento used to take her nearly 2-year-old son outside twice a day but has only gone in the morning the last 10 days.

"He asks to go outside a lot in the afternoon," she said Wednesday as they strolled through a park.

___

Police: College hoops coach threw punch killing NYC tourist

NEW YORK (AP) - A rising star in college basketball's coaching ranks threw a punch that led to the death of a New York City tourist who apparently mistook him for an Uber driver, police said on Thursday.

Wake Forest assistant coach Jamill Jones attacked digital marketing guru Sandor Szabo around 1:15 a.m. Sunday in Queens, causing him to fall and hit his head on the sidewalk, police said.

Szabo, visiting from Boca Raton, Florida, made contact with the window of Jones' SUV while looking for his ride after his stepsister's wedding, police said.

A person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that Szabo may have been drunkenly banging on car windows before Jones allegedly confronted him. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to speak publicly.

The coach got out, followed Szabo to the sidewalk, clocked him and sped off, police said. Szabo never regained consciousness and was taken off life support on Tuesday.

___

Yemen rebels say Saudi coalition airstrike in north kills 50

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels hit a bus driving in a busy market in northern Yemen on Thursday, killing least 50 people including children and wounding 77, Yemen's rebel-run Al Masirah TV said citing rebel Health Ministry figures.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south on Wednesday, killing one person who was a Yemeni resident in the area.

Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that its team at an ICRC supported hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children, it said.

The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

There was no breakdown in the casualties and it was not immediately clear how many of the victims were on the bus itself and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it. It was also unclear if there were other airstrikes in the area.

___

Flames inch close to California homes as thousands evacuate

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An intentionally set wildfire grew perilously close to homes in Southern California on Thursday as evacuation orders expanded to more than 20,000 residents, though some homeowners stayed behind to fend off the flames themselves.

Firefighters fought a desperate battle to stop the Holy Fire from reaching homes as the blaze surged through the Cleveland National Forest above the city of Lake Elsinore and its surrounding communities. They were trying to keep the flames from devouring neighborhoods and taking lives, as gigantic fires still burning in Northern California have done.

"Our main focus this afternoon was getting everyone out safely," said Thanh Nguyen, a spokesman for the crews battling the Holy Fire.

As flames raged closer, some residents ignoring evacuation orders stood in driveways or on top of roofs and used garden hoses to keep their homes wet and to fight the flames as smoke billowed around them.

Joe Rodriguez was using a power washer to wet down his patio in the McVicker Canyon Park neighborhood on Thursday morning.
CUZCO, Peru (AP) - Veneration of Bolivia's Our Lady of Copacabana has extended into neighboring southern Peru, where hundreds of faithful are drawn to the annual celebration of festival, including members of the LGTBQ community.

The areas share a common history and Andean culture, and Peru's main festival of Our Lady of Copacabana is held in the old Incan capital of Cuzco.

The Peruvian festival's founder, Libia Espinoza, said she has "a lot of faith" in the virgin because she cured her of a kidney problem.

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, "cargadores" or male carriers walk with a statue of Our Lady of Copacabana belonging to resident Libia Espinoza, in a religious procession honoring the Bolivian virgin, in Cuzco, Peru. Unlike many of the regional feast day celebrations dating back hundreds of years, this one, initiated by Espinoza, is marking its tenth year. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

She said the Roman Catholic rites of Our Lady of Copacabana began in the 16th century in the Bolivian town of Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The presence of Bolivian merchants in southern Peru spread and spurred devotion to Our Lady of Copacabana in this country, which shares Lake Titicaca with Bolivia.

The statue used in the Peruvian festival was given to Espinoza by Bolivian friends.

Espinoza said several devotees contributed the $9,000 spent to put on this year's event. What began as a feast with family and friends has grown each year until now in its 10th year it drew about 500 people.

Despite discrimination against members of the LGTBQ community, a group of transgender dancers is invited every year to perform a Bolivian dance called the "Morenada," or the Dance of the Black Slaves.

"We started as a small group but it has grown" each year, said Carolina Corazao, a Peruvian transgender rights activist.

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, steward Libia Espinoza, left, dances with transgenders Coco and Jessi during festivities honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. Espinoza is credited with the first Cuzco celebration venerating the Bolivian virgin, who she believes cured her of her kidney problems. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, "cargadores" or male carriers exit the Almudena Temple shouldering a statue of Our Lady of Copacabana, where a service was held in the virgin's honor, in Cuzco, Peru. After lunch and some dancing, the carriers returned the statue to the home of local resident Libia Espinoza, who received the religious icon more than a decade ago as a gift while visiting Bolivia. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, 8-year-old Miguel smiles while posing in his "rey moreno" or "black king" dance costume before the start of a procession honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. The black king, one of the many characters that make up the "Morenada" or Dance of the Black Slaves, often wears a mask with exaggerated features and a tongue hanging out to symbolize the exhaustion of the slaves from the hard work and high altitudes, some believe. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, dance troupes perform the "Morenada" or Dance of the Black Slaves, during celebrations honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. Although its origins are a subject of debate, the traditional Bolivian dance is comprised of a synergistic mix of African and Aymara influences. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, faithful take part in a religious procession honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. The veneration of Bolivia's patron saint in Cuzco began a decade ago with a small feast among friends and family. Now an annual event, it has grown in popularity with as many as 500 people taking part. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, transgender Paloma, dressed as a dancer known as a "china" for the "Morenada" or Dance of the Black Slaves, takes part in a religious procession in honor of Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. A group of transsexual activists in Cuzco have adopted the Bolivian virgin as their patron saint. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, transgender Jessi dressed as a "chola" dances in the "Morenada" or Dance of the Black Slaves, during celebrations honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. Jessi and her friends say they dance in hope their celebratory tribute will help ward off violence and harassment in a country where being transgender can prove deadly. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, "cholas" share a toast during a pause in the religious procession honoring Our Lady of Coapacabana in Cuzco, Peru. It is customary that organizers offer free food and drink for celebrants, along with a small fee for the dancers and musicians. According to the steward of this year's celebrations in Cuszo, expenditures totaled 9,000 U.S. dollars.(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, a dancer winces in pain as she is whipped by a fellow dancer in an adaptation of the Inca warrior dance known as "Kachampa", during celebrations honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, members of the Majestic Union band look at a 1930's Martin Chambi photo, displayed on a facade of the Almudena Temple, as they wait to take part in a religious procession honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. Chambi is known for photographing the elite members of Cuzco's society, as well as extensively documenting the Peruvian indigenous culture. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, "cargadores" or male carriers and devotees lunch on free bowls of beef and wheat soup during a pause in the religious procession honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. It is expected that the organizers provide free food and drink along with a small fee for the dancers and musicians. According to the steward of this year's celebrations, expenditures totaled 9,000 U.S. dollars. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018 photo, Andean dancers known as "cholas" applaud the fancy footwork of a couple, as they take a break from their performance honoring Our Lady of Copacabana, in Cuzco, Peru. "Cholas," who make up part of the traditional Bolivian dance known as the "Morenada" or Dance of the Black Slaves, are easily identifiable by their typical Aymara dress: wide skirts, bowler hats and elaborate shawls. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona is a political rarity this year, one of the few places where Democrats have any hope of flipping a Republican Senate seat.

In a year when the Senate map isn't favorable for Democrats, changing demographics could put the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake within reach.

As three Republicans compete for the conservative mantle, especially on immigration policy, Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is staking out the political center and emerging as a strong general-election contender. She faces nominal opposition in the state's Aug. 28 primary.

FILE - In this May 29, 2018, file photo, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz. speaks prior to delivering her signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State's office at the Capitol in Phoenix. Arizona is a political rarity this year: one of the few places where Democrats have any hope of flipping a Republican Senate seat. As three Republicans compete for the conservative mantel, especially on immigration policy, Sinema, facing nominal Democratic opposition in the state's Aug. 28 primary, is staking out the political center and emerging as a strong general-election contender. (AP Photo/Matt York, file)

A Sinema victory in November could have big implications beyond control of the Senate, signaling an opportunity for Democrats to make inroads in the Southwest. That would be valuable heading into the 2020 presidential election as the party struggles to regain ground in the Rust Belt.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Sinema is virtually assured of the Democratic nomination, despite misgivings among some Democratic activists about conservative votes on immigration. Still, the three-term Phoenix-area representative has raised more money than any of her would-be Republican opponents and has edged each of them in recent general-election surveys.

She has downplayed angst within her party over votes she has cast as one of only a few Democrats joining majority Republicans to increase penalties sharply for people deported more than three times and give federal officials authority to detain and deport noncitizens who live in gang territory.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE: Associated Press reporters are on the ground around the country, covering political issues, people and races from places they live. The Ground Game series highlights that reporting, looking at politics from the ground up. Each week, in stories and a podcast , AP reporters examine the political trends that will drive the national conversation tomorrow.

___

"Arizonans are a very practical people, really focused on commonsense, pragmatic solutions," she said in an Associated Press interview last month.

While Sinema portrays herself as a centrist, the Republican contest has prompted moderate, establishment-backed Martha McSally to take more hard-line positions on immigration. The two-term House member notably withdrew her co-sponsorship in May from a bill that would offer the potential of citizenship for children who entered the United States illegally.

Recent polls give McSally a narrow lead over former state Sen. Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who are both positioning themselves as conservative outsiders. Ward, who unsuccessfully ran against Sen. John McCain in 2016, was endorsed last year by former Trump strategic adviser Steve Bannon. Arpaio was the Phoenix area's top law enforcement officer for 24 years and gained a national reputation for aggressive immigration arrest practices, but he was defeated for re-election in 2016.

WHY IT MATTERS

For Democrats to have a chance at overtaking Republicans' single-seat majority in the Senate, they would have to win almost all of the 10 seats they hold and are up for re-election this year in states Trump carried.

But they also would have to gain one or two seats now held by Republicans. Arizona fits that description, as does Nevada, where Sen. Dean Heller is in a difficult re-election fight with Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen in a state Hillary Clinton carried in 2016.

In Arizona, Sinema would be the first Democrat in the Senate from that state in 30 years. A Sinema victory also would signal the opportunity for Democrats' long-sought goal of capturing Arizona's 11 electoral votes in a presidential election.

Trump carried Arizona by only 3.5 percentage points, less than half his winning margin in Ohio, which has been a quadrennial swing state for more than 70 years.

Such a reversal would signal what Democratic strategists and pollsters have long said is a tipping point - fueled by the influx of Latino voters - in the politics of the Southwest.

Colorado and New Mexico have been trending Democratic while Texas and Arizona have remained reliably Republican.

"Arizona is a closer battleground state than Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina," said Cristobal Alex, president of the Hispanic voter advocacy group Latino Victory, referring to states that have been competitive in recent elections, but where Trump won handily. "We think it will only get closer as Latinos in the state surge."

WHAT TO WATCH

Trump has shown a tendency for eleventh-hour endorsements, especially of those candidates who supported his campaign. Arpaio would seem a likely recipient.

Arpaio was an early and devout Trump supporter who campaigned nationally for the presidential nominee two years ago. Trump pardoned him last year for a misdemeanor contempt-of-court conviction stemming from court challenges to Arpaio's immigration crackdowns.

However, Arpaio trails McSally and Ward. A Trump endorsement would more likely pull conservative votes away from Ward, potentially elevating McSally, who did not endorse Trump for president even after he received the Republican nomination.

DON'T MISS

Whoever emerges from the Republican primary has only 10 weeks to campaign for the general election, while Sinema has been concentrating on independents and swing voters for months.

That means the GOP primary winner will have to simultaneously raise money, salve any wounds left in the party base and turn headlong into the general-election campaign. It's the awkward product of a late-summer primary that, at least for now, gives Sinema the edge.

To illustrate the tight turnaround, election officials begin issuing absentee ballots just six weeks after the primary.

"It's incredibly challenging to pivot," Arizona Republican strategist Jon Seaton said.

___

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - After three days of dramatic and sometimes salacious testimony in the trial of Paul Manafort, prosecutors returned Thursday to the nuts and bolts of their case against the former Trump campaign chairman as they sought to show he obtained millions of dollars in bank loans under false pretenses.

Attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller also got a rare, and narrow, acknowledgment from U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III that he likely erred when he angrily confronted them a day earlier over whether he had allowed a witness to watch the trial.

The judge's comments and testimony about Manafort's loans came during the eighth day of his trial as prosecutors began presenting the bulk of their bank fraud case after spending days largely on tax evasion allegations. Prosecutors say they expect to rest their case Friday.

Attorney Kevin Downing, left, gestures to the rest of the defense team for Paul Manafort, as the team leaves federal court for a lunch break during the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

On Thursday, a group of bank employees told jurors about discrepancies and outright falsehoods contained on Manafort's loan applications.

Melinda James, a Citizens Bank mortgage loan assistant, testified that Manafort told the bank that a New York City property would be used as a second residence, but she found it listed as a rental on a real estate website. That distinction matters because banks regard loans for rental, or investment, properties as riskier and may impose restrictions, including on how much money they're willing to lend.

Jurors saw an email from Manafort to his son-in-law, Jeffrey Yohai, in which he advised him that an appraiser was looking to schedule a visit to the property.

"Remember, he believes that you and Jessica are living there," Manafort wrote in the email, referencing his daughter.

Airbnb executive Darin Evenson also told jurors that one of Manafort's New York City properties was offered as a rental through much of 2015 and 2016 - a direct contradiction of the documents the longtime political consultant submitted to obtain a $3.4 million loan.

Manafort also asserted on a loan application that he did not have a mortgage on a separate New York property, even though he actually did, and signed paperwork indicating he understood that he could face criminal penalties for providing false information to the bank.

The prosecution has called more than 20 witnesses, including Manafort's longtime deputy Rick Gates, and introduced a trove of documentary evidence as they've sought to prove Manafort defrauded banks and concealed millions of dollars in offshore bank accounts from the IRS. But along the way they've not only faced an aggressive defense team but a combative relationship with Ellis.

The judge has subjected the prosecution to repeated tongue-lashings over the pace of their questioning, their large amount of trial exhibits and even their facial expressions. But on Thursday, Ellis told jurors he went overboard when he erupted at prosecutors a day earlier for allowing an expert witness to remain in the courtroom during the trial.

"Put aside my criticism," Ellis said, adding, "This robe doesn't make me anything other than human."

Prosecutors had asked Ellis to tell the jury that he made an error in admonishing them during the Wednesday testimony of IRS agent Michael Welch.

Ellis had heatedly confronted prosecutor Uzo Asonye, saying he hadn't authorized Welch to watch the entirety of the trial. Witnesses are usually excluded from watching unless allowed by the judge.

But in their filing, prosecutors attached a transcript showing that in fact Ellis had approved the request a week before. They said his outburst prejudiced the jury by suggesting they had acted improperly and could undermine Welch's testimony.

"The Court's sharp reprimand of government counsel in front of the jury on August 8 was therefore erroneous," prosecutors wrote. "And, while mistakes are a natural part of the trial process, the mistake here prejudiced the government by conveying to the jury that the government had acted improperly and had violated court rules or procedures."

Welch had told jurors 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.

On Thursday, they also asked Ellis to seal portions of a bench conversation during Gates's testimony because "substantive evidence" in an ongoing investigation was discussed. Prosecutors didn't elaborate, but one bench conference came after Manafort's defense team tried to question Gates about whether he had discussed his work on the Trump campaign with Mueller's team.

The judge agreed Thursday night to seal the portion of the sidebar.

Neither Manafort nor Gates was charged in connection with their Trump campaign work, but the special counsel continues to investigate Russian election interference and any ties to associates of the president.

Thursday's testimony was devoid of some of the drama of recent days, when Gates was confronted about having embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort and was forced to admit on the witness stand to an extramarital affair.

___

Read the Mueller team's filing regarding the judge's scolding: http://apne.ws/FPSP7vk

Read the Mueller team's filing regarding an ongoing investigation: http://apne.ws/PpO0wgB

The defense team for Paul Manafort, including Kevin Downing, left, and Thomas Zehnle, right, arrive to attend federal court as the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman continues, in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Federal court is seen as the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort continues, in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the ramshackle compound in the New Mexico desert that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddler's grandfather said Thursday.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, discovered Monday. And prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned 4 Monday. Authorities said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

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)

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and a youngster's remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tires, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass.

The missing boy's grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandson's.

The imam said he did not know the cause of death.

"Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable," Wahhaj said.

A Georgia arrest warrant accused the boy's father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the imam's son, of kidnapping the child. Authorities said the father at some point told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the boy, who cannot walk, suffers seizures and requires constant attention because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow at birth.

The child's father was among five adults arrested on suspicion of child abuse at the compound after the children were discovered. In court papers, prosecutors also said Wahhaj had been training children there to carry out school shootings.

Speaking at his Brooklyn mosque, the elder Wahhaj said his family was trying to make arrangements to bring the child's body to Georgia.

All 11 of the children, he said, were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

"I'm very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren," he said. He said he didn't understand why his son had taken the family and disappeared into the desert, but suggested a psychiatric disorder was to blame.

"My son can be maybe a little bit extreme," he said, though he added that he never thought he was extreme enough to kill anyone. "High-strung," he said.

The grandfather's mosque that has attracted radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator said it was still working to identify the remains.

Dr. Kurt Nolte, New Mexico's chief medical investigator, said the remains "are in a state of decomposition that has made identification challenging."

The remains will stay in New Mexico until the agency's investigation is completed - a process that could take weeks, said office spokeswoman Alexandria Sanchez.

Taos-area District Attorney Donald Gallegos said he will await the findings on how the boy died before deciding how to proceed.

The group arrived in the desert area in December, according to neighbors. Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said the FBI had put the place under surveillance 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, and the photographs never indicated the father was at the compound, leaving the sheriff without the information he needed to obtain a search warrant.

That changed when Georgia authorities received a message that may have originated inside the compound that children were starving, Hogrefe said.

The elder Wahhaj said the tip came to law enforcement through him.

___

Groves reported from New York.

Lucas Morton arrives in court to plead not guilty to child abuse charges in state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Morton was arrested Friday in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Lucas Morton arrives in court to plead not guilty to child abuse charges in state district court in Taos, N.M., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. 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 say another resident of the compound near the Colorado state line was conducting weapons training with assault rifles. Authorities are waiting to learn if the remains belong to a boy that went missing in Georgia in December. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

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)

Jany Leveille makes her first appearance in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Leveille was arrested Friday, Aug,. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Subhannah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Subhannah Wahhaj was arrested Friday, Aug. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Subhannah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, alongside public defense attorney Greg Dawkins, left. Subhannah Wahhaj was arrested Friday, Aug. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Hujrah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, alongside public defense attorney Aleks Kostich. Hujrah Wahhaj was arrested Friday in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

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)

Hujrah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. She was arrested Friday, Aug. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Hujrah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, alongside public defense attorney Aleks Kostich. Hujrah Wahhaj was arrested Friday in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)

Subhannah Wahhaj appears in New Mexico state district court to plead not guilty to charges of child abuse in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Subhannah Wahhaj was arrested Friday, Aug. 3, in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)
Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Despite urgent warnings of the need to bolster the U.S. Coast Guard's ailing polar icebreaker fleet  now just a single functional 42-year-old vessel  some Republicans in Congress have proposed diverting $750 million planned for a new ship to President Donald Trump's long-promised border wall.



The Coast Guard currently has one working heavy icebreaker ship, the Polar Star, thats been in service since 1976  well past its intended 30-year service life.



Due to worn-out electric motors and other problems, the Coast Guard placed the ship in caretaker status in 2006. It was later reactivated in 2012 after requiring nearly $60 million in repairs, according to the Congressional Research Service.



We need six icebreakers, three of them need to be heavy icebreakers, and we really need one today, Adm. Karl L. Schultz, the new commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said at an event in Washington last week.



Theres still a lot of interest in getting an icebreaker to replace our 40-plus-year-old Polar Star, which is the only heavy icebreaker in the U.S. arsenal, he said. We need that ship now.



The Coast Guard, under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security, requested $750 million in its annual budget that would go towards a new ship that would be ready for service by 2023, when the Guard expects to retire the Polar Star.



Even Trump himself promised a new ship while at a Guard change-of-command ceremony in June.



One of the first times I met the Admiral, last year, I asked him, "What do you need?" He replied, "Sir, we need icebreakers, and we need them badly." Well, now, you're getting them, Trump said.



And, to be specific, I'm pleased to report that the Coast Guard is now on course to receive its first new heavy icebreaker in more than 40 years, and plenty other ships and boats and equipment and everything you need, he went on.



But House Republicans, led by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, instead opted to strip funding for the new ship from its proposed 2019 House budget bill and reallocated the funds that would go towards the planned border wall at the US-Mexico border.



A spokesperson for Frelinghuysen has not responded to ABC News' request for comment.



Democrats, in a letter sent to Frelinghuysen last month, slammed Republicans for wasting a staggering $4.9 billion on a border wall and called on the chairman to reconsider the misallocation of resources amid heightened tensions with Russia, who is so far dominating the Arctic space.



We urge you in the strongest possible terms to reconsider the misallocation of resources, which would undermine all 11 of the Coast Guards statutory missions and place our nation at a distinct economic, geopolitical and national security disadvantage for decades to come, the letter said.



The Arctic region is believed to hold an estimated 13 percent of the worlds untapped oil reserves, 30 percent of its natural gas and vast mineral resources, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.



With sea ice declining, largely due to global warming, valuable waterways in the Arctic are now accessible with the use of polar icebreaker ships that can power through thick ice with specially angled bows and reinforced hulls designed for open-water icebreaking.



Among Russias booming arsenal of tools: nearly 50 polar icebreaker ships that can tear through large chunks of ice, making it easier to access those resources, according to the Congressional Research Office.



Russia has claimed natural resources and territory in the Arctic that exceed its internationally recognized rights, and is making investments in its ice-capable military assets to back those claims, several Democratic lawmakers wrote in the letter.



In the past few years, Russia has invested heavily in building up its military presence in the Arctic, constructing new bases, refurbishing Soviet-era ones and designing communications infrastructure.



China is also not far behind. Earlier this year, China outlined ambitions to extend President Xi Jinpings signature Belt and Road Initiative to the Arctic by developing shipping lanes opened up by global warming.



While the Chinese icebreaker fleet is even smaller than the US', Beijing recently started the bidding process to build its own nuclear-powered icebreaker, even though China has no territorial rights to the Arctic region.



In the letter, the Democrats said the U.S. is woefully unprepared for the reality of rising global temperatures and melting sea ice.



Certainly Americas got to up its game in the Arctic. Theres no doubt about that, Defense Secretary James Mattis expressed to reporters in Alaska ahead of a trip to Asia in June.



The Department of Homeland Security told ABC News that the department goes under a routine process to assess the resource execution of programs and that Congress has given DHS the authority to reallocate funds with the appropriate Congressional oversight.



As a part of this process, the Department evaluates the need to reallocate funds and does so in a manner to minimize the impact on its operations and mission execution to the maximum extent possible, DHS spokesperson Lesley Fulop told ABC News in a statement.



A spokesperson for the House Appropriations Committee has not responded to ABC News request for comment.



The absence of funding for a new ship in the Houses Republican-led budget bill was met with criticism from their counterparts in the Senate, who have included the $750 million in their version of the budget bill.



In our Homeland Security FY19 Appropriations bill here in the Senate, we included funding to fully build our first polar strength icebreaker in almost fifty years. It is exceedingly unfortunate that the House does not recognize the sense of urgency, as we deal with Arctic priorities, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told ABC News in a statement.



But the lack of funding for a new icebreaker ship is not a done deal.



Both the House and Senate versions of the budget must still pass out of their respective chambers, and then the bill would go to conference, where the differences between the two bills will be ironed out.



A source familiar with the budget process told ABC News that the committees decision to divert the funds to the border wall is likely a political tactic meant to appease the president in his quest to build his coveted border wall.



I think its hard not to see how the pressure from the president isnt playing into that, the source told ABC News.



The source said that while committees make tactical moves in bills all the time, this one happens to be a really big one.



Its possible the $750 million is eventually reallocated back to the polar icebreaker ship, the source said.



As for the presidents proposed budget wall, a report by the Government Accountability Office released Friday warned that DHS has not provided a complete analysis required to efficiently build the barrier along the US-Mexico border.



"DHS plans to spend billions of dollars developing and deploying new barriers along the southwest border," the study said. "However, by proceeding without key information on cost, acquisition baselines, and the contributions of previous barrier and technology deployments, DHS faces an increased risk that the Border Wall System Program will cost more than projected, take longer than planned, or not fully perform as expected."



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
ALGECIRAS, Spain (AP) - A rescue boat carrying 87 African migrants who were saved in the Mediterranean Sea docked Thursday at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras, but without the welcome offered to previous groups as the political mood in Spain began showing signs of tension about a spike in migrant arrivals.

The boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms brought what it said were mostly Sudanese war refugees, including 12 minors, picked up off the Libyan coast on Aug. 2.

Spain allowed the boat to come after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing tension among EU governments about how best to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa.

Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Spain's new center-left Socialist government made fair treatment for migrants one of its headline policies after coming to power two months ago.

In June, it announced measures to "put people's rights first" in the country's migration policies. Among other things, it took the first steps toward extending public health care to foreigners without residence permits.

That same month, it accepted the Aquarius rescue ship with 630 migrants on board after Malta and Italy turned it away.

Authorities gave those migrants who arrived in Valencia a special entry permit into Spain of 45 days for humanitarian reasons. A further 60 who arrived on a rescue ship in Barcelona last month were given a 30-day permit while they decided what to do. Their paperwork was also fast-tracked.

But those who arrived in Algeciras on Thursday will get no such special treatment.

They will be processed, the government said, like any other migrants rescued at sea: held by police for 72 hours at a migrant camp, given a medical check-up, identified and detained while they await asylum or are given an expulsion order.

The government official overseeing immigration, Magdalena Valerio, said earlier this week there would be no extra money for migrant policies before the end of the year.

The Spanish Network for Immigration and Refugee Help, a non-governmental organization, accused the government of abruptly "changing course" in its immigration policies and "discriminating" against the new arrivals.

"We'd like Spain to remain a safe haven and be a bulwark against the populism of (Italian Interior Minister Matteo) Salvini and (French far-right nationalist leader Marine) Le Pen," the organization's president, Daniel Mendez, told Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Critics of the new government's perceived softer approach toward migrants said its policies had backfired, by attracting ever higher numbers, and the government is increasingly wary of that criticism.

The U.N. Migration Agency says almost 24,000 refugees and other migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year - nearly three times the number last year.

The agency says Spain has become the most popular European destination for Mediterranean migrants, with just over 40 percent of the total, after Libya and Italy began cracking down. Most come on overcrowded smugglers' boats from Tunisia and Morocco.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado has targeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's immigration policies.

"What Spaniards are looking for is a party which says clearly that we can't give documents to everyone, and Spain can't take in millions of Africans," Casado said last month.

Such criticism has left Sanchez politically exposed when he heads a minority government with just 84 of the 350 seats in the lower house of parliament.

It has also fueled fears that populism may spread further in the EU. Far-right parties have joined the governments in Italy and Austria and made gains elsewhere.

Residents from the region around Algeciras expressed concern about the latest arrivals.

"With so much unemployment we do not need extra expenses," Manuel Ruiz said. "The refugees, because they are not cared for properly, they start stealing to live and this causes all sorts of problems." He added: "We have to give them all the aid we can, but it has to be balanced."

Jose Lopez Vicente feared a backlash.

"I think the European Union should take more of an interest in this situation. If not, the population will become racist, even if they are not."

Sanchez, the prime minister, says his government and EU officials are in talks with Morocco, from where traffickers take the migrants across the Mediterranean, and with the migrants' countries of origin on how to stem the flow.

Elsewhere in the Mediterranean on Thursday, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Turkish coast, killing seven children and two women, Turkey's state-run news agency said. Many migrants continue to attempt to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast, hoping to eventually move to more prosperous European Union countries.

___

Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Donovan Torres in Algeciras, and Suzan Fraser from Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

The Open Arms Search and Rescue vessel arrives in Algeciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

The Open Arms Search and Rescue vessel arrives in Algeciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Migrants disembark from the Open Arms Search and Rescue vessel on arrival in Algeciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

Migrants are led into the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. A rescue boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain between governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) - An Australian man faces up to 20 years in prison in Indonesia after being arrested for allegedly possessing cocaine on the resort island of Bali.

The chief of Denpasar district police, Hadi Purnomo, said Thursday the 43-year-old man, whom he identified only as Brandon, was arrested with his Indonesian girlfriend at a rented room last Saturday in the tourist hotspot of Kuta.

He said police found 11.6 grams of cocaine packed into 13 plastic bags.

Purnomo told reporters that the man, identified by Indonesian news site Kumparan as Brandon Johnson, had been living in Bali for four years and was a designer or architect.

He faces between five and 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by firing squad.
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on developments in Israel and the Palestinian territories (all times local):

11:42 p.m.

The Hamas militant group says a cease-fire has been reached to end the latest round of fighting with Israel.

Fire balls caused by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, early Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. 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.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV channel reported late Thursday that a cease-fire has taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm." It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other regional players.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the deal would formally go into effect at midnight.

He said the agreement merely ends the latest two-day burst of violence between Israel and Hamas.

He said Egypt would continue efforts to broker a long-term cease-fire. Hamas wants an end to a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian border blockade as a condition for any long-term deal.

There was no immediate Israeli comment.

10 p.m.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet has instructed the military to take "strong action" against Gaza militants.

The Cabinet issued a brief statement late Thursday after a four-hour discussion on the latest outbreak of fighting with Gaza's Hamas rulers.

It gave no further details.

___

9:10 p.m.

Israel is urging Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the U.N. Security Council to condemn Hamas militants for what he called "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel in the last 24 hours.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in excerpts from a letter to the U.N. chief and council and distributed to news organizations by Israel's U.N. mission on Thursday that Hamas was solely responsible for launching more than 180 rockets from Gaza that injured civilians and damaged factories and homes.

"Alarms have once again shattered the hope of the children of southern Israel for a quiet summer vacation - no country would tolerate such a situation," Danon wrote.

He said the international community "must condemn Hamas and place the responsibility for this unacceptable onslaught on the terrorist organization."

Danon added that "Israel will continue to take all necessary measures to prevent harm to civilians and to protect its sovereignty."

___

7:25 p.m.

Israeli media are reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his Security Cabinet to discuss the latest escalation of violence with Gaza militants.

Ahead of Thursday evening's meeting, Netanyahu and his defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, convened with top military officials at the army's headquarters in Tel Aviv.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu had instructed the army to prepare for "every possibility." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a closed security meeting.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus says Gaza militants have fired about 150 rockets at Israel in the past 24 hours, while Israel has struck some 140 Hamas targets in Gaza.

He called the rocket attack on Beersheba, which required a more powerful, longer-range rocket, an escalation.

___

7:10 p.m.

Palestinian officials say Israeli warplanes have attacked a cultural center in Gaza City.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says seven bystanders were wounded in Thursday evening's airstrike in the Shati refugee camp.

Witnesses said the air force fired several warning missile at the building before the actual strike - a tactic that Israel uses to get people to evacuate buildings that are about to be targeted.

It was not immediately clear why Israel struck the building.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says air raid sirens have sounded again in southern Israel, indicating incoming rocket fire.

Earlier on Thursday, a Palestinian rocket landed in an open area near the southern city of Beersheba.

___

11:30 a.m.

The United Nations' Mideast envoy is expressing his concern about the latest escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.

Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. special envoy who is involved in Egyptian efforts to broker a truce, said in a statement on Thursday that he's "deeply alarmed" by "multiple rockets fired toward communities in southern Israel" the day before.

Mladenov's statement came amid the latest surge in violence this week, in which Hamas fired over 150 rockets at Israel. In turn, Israel carried out over 140 airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Mladenov says that for months, he has warned the "humanitarian, security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants."

He added that "if the current escalation however is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people."

___

8 a.m.

Israeli warplanes hit struck dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip and three people were reported killed there, while Palestinian militants from the territory fired scores of rockets into Israel in a fierce burst of violence overnight.

The flare-up comes as Egypt is trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the two sides. At least three Palestinians died - a pregnant woman, her 1-year-old daughter and a Hamas militant. That's according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

On the Israeli side, at least seven people were wounded.

It was not clear if the escalation, the latest in a series of intense exchanges of fire in recent months, would derail the indirect negotiations between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militant rulers.

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)

An explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, early Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. 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. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

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)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Women's groups across Latin America vowed to keep fighting for a right to abortion despite the Argentine Senate's rejection of a bill early Thursday that would have legalized the procedure in Pope Francis' home country.

There were even expectations that the conservative government might now move to decriminalize abortions following the wave of demonstrations by feminist groups that pushed the legislation before Congress.

Senators debated for more than 15 hours before voting 38-31 in the early hours of Thursday against the measure, which would have allowed abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Tamara Deisel is embraced by friends under the rain outside Congress where pro-choice activists gather to show their support for a law that decriminalizes abortion, which they worry lawmakers will vote against, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The Senate is debating a bill Wednesday that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy in the homeland of Pope Francis, setting up a vote that could reverberate around the region. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Anti-abortion forces celebrated blocking the legislation, which had already passed the Chamber of Deputies in June, and they remain strong in this predominantly Roman Catholic region, even as the church has lost influence due to secularization and an avalanche of sex abuse scandals.

But the grassroots movement behind the legislation was buoyed by coming closer than ever to achieving approval for abortion and activists vowed to keep pressing to expand women's reproductive rights.

"We were sad that abortion will continue to be clandestine in Argentina and will produce more deaths, but we left happy and proud of the fight that we're carrying through," said Marina Cardelli, a member of the Feminist Wave group. "We won because we looked at each other eye-to-eye and we realized how strong we are, and that abortion will eventually be legal."

Indeed, conservative President Mauricio Macri, who had promised to sign the legislation if it passed Congress even though he opposes abortion, said after the Senate's vote that the debate will continue.

"We've shown that we have matured as a society, and that we can debate with the depth and seriousness that all Argentines expected ... and democracy won," Macri said.

A legalization bill cannot be debated again until next year, but Macri's government is expected to include a provision to decriminalize abortion when it introduces legislation later this month for overhauling the penal code. Although that would not legalize the practice, it is seen as a compromise solution.

Maria Jose Benitez, a student who backed the campaign against legalization, said government could do more to help women financially and psychologically during pregnancy.

"The state needs to be present with vulnerable women so they don't have to reach the point of an abortion. ... After that the baby can be given up for adoption," Benitez said.

In recent years, Argentina has been at the forefront of social movements in the region. In 2010, it became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. More recently, the Ni Una Menos, or Not One Less, movement that was created in Argentina to fight violence against women has grown into a global phenomenon.

"Fortunately, women are gaining spaces and we've been learning from those spaces that they're demanding," said Gustavo Bayley, a tattoo artist wearing the abortion movement's green handkerchief on his arm. "It's the beginning of revolutions."

International human rights and women's groups closely followed the campaign, and figures such as U.S. actress Susan Sarandon and "The Handmaid's Tale" author Margaret Atwood supported the cause.

"This is a wave," said Claudia Dides, director of Miles, a Chilean non-governmental group that supports sexual and reproductive rights. "It not only influenced Chile, because we're close (to neighboring Argentina), but all of Latin America, and countries in Africa and Europe."

Efforts to ease or tighten abortion restrictions have repeatedly emerged across Latin America in recent years as socially conservative countries grapple with shifting views on once-taboo issues. Chile last year became the last nation in South America to drop a ban on abortions in all cases, though several countries in Central America still have absolute prohibitions.

Demonstrations in support of the Argentine abortion measure were held in countries across the region as Argentina's senators debated.

"This is obviously a setback," said Ima Guirola of the Women Studies Institute, a group in El Salvador. But she said legalization advocates will still campaign in her country, which is one of the few in the world to ban abortion under all circumstances.

Under current Argentine law, abortion is allowed only in cases of rape or a risk to a woman's health. The Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as a half million clandestine abortions each year. Activists estimated 3,030 women have died of illegal abortions since 1983 and framed the issue as a health matter.

The Catholic Church and others, including some physicians groups, strongly opposed the legislation, arguing it would violate Argentine law that guarantees life from the moment of conception.

"It's not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason," Cardinal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, told churchgoers at a "Mass for Life" held Wednesday night during the Senate debate. "Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the state."

Pope Francis this year denounced abortion as the "white glove" equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics program and urged families "to accept the children that God gives them."

In Brazil, which is home to the world's largest population of Catholics as well as fast-growing evangelical faiths, abortion is illegal, with three exceptions: if a woman is raped, pregnancy puts her life in danger, or the fetus is brain-dead. But the Supreme Federal Tribunal recently held an extraordinary session to hear arguments on whether to allow elective abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Rosangela Talib, a coordinator for Catholics for Choice, a leading advocate in Brazil for reproductive rights, said the defeat in Argentina will not deter the fight to decriminalize abortion.

"The bill may not have been approved now, but it will be in the future," Talib said.

___

Associated Press writers Eva Vergara in Chile, Marcos Aleman in El Salvador and Peter Prengaman and Stan Lehman in Brazil contributed to this report.

A pro-choice activist holds her face after lawmakers voted against a bill that would have legalized elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, outside Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, early Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Argentina allows the procedure only in cases of rape or risks to a woman's health. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Women in support of decriminalizing abortion protest in the rain outside Congress where lawmakers are debating the issue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The Senate is debating a bill Wednesday that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy in the homeland of Pope Francis, setting up a vote that could reverberate around the region. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Pro-life demonstrators against decriminalizing abortion celebrate outside Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. The Argentine Senate rejected the bill to legalize elective abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks. (AP Photo/Luisa Balaguer)

Demonstrators against decriminalizing abortion celebrate outside Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. The Argentine Senate rejected the bill to legalize elective abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks. (AP Photo/Luisa Balaguer)

A woman raises her fist during a demonstration to show support for the legalization of abortion in Argentina where lawmakers are debating the issue, in front of the Argentine embassy in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The Argentine Senate is debating a bill that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, setting up a vote that could reverberate around the region. Abortion is illegal in Peru. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Women show support for the legalization of abortion in Argentina where lawmakers are debating the issue, in Asuncion, Paraguay, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Abortion is illegal in Paraguay. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

A woman marches in favor loosening abortion laws in Argentina, where lawmakers are debating a bill that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Abortion is legal in Mexico City, but outlawed in many other parts of Mexico. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Pro-choice demonstrators wear signs that say in Portuguese: "Death by abortion" to show support for the legalization of abortion in Argentina where lawmakers are debating the issue, outside the state of Rio de Janeiro's legislative assembly, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Abortion is illegal in Brazil, except when a woman's life is at risk, when she has been raped or when the fetus has a usually fatal brain abnormality called anencephaly. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Women chant in support of decriminalizing abortion, outside the Argentine Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Argentina's Senate is debating legislation that would legalize elective abortions in the first 14 months of pregnancy, an issue that bitterly divides the homeland of Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

A demonstrator in support of decriminalizing abortion, shouts outside the Argentine Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Argentina's Senate has begun a session to decide on legalizing elective abortions - an issue that bitterly divides the homeland of Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Saudi Arabia's diplomatic dispute with Canada over its arrest of women's rights activists will not affect the ultraconservative kingdom's oil sales to Canadian customers, the Saudi energy minister said Thursday.

The remarks by Khalid al-Falih show the limits of the ongoing quarrel and may calm some of the bluster surrounding the dispute that suddenly erupted Monday over Canadian diplomats' tweets asking the kingdom to release the detained activists.

A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted al-Falih as saying oil sales are not affected by politics as there is a "firm and longstanding policy that is not influenced by political circumstances."

FILE- In this June 23, 2018 file photo, Khalid Al-Falih Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia attends a news conference in Vienna, Austria. Saudi Arabia's diplomatic dispute with Canada over its arrest of women's rights activists won't affect the ultraconservative kingdom's oil sales to the country, its energy minister said Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, showing the ongoing quarrel will have its limits. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

"The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada," the statement said, referring the state-run oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Canada, itself one of the world's five top energy producers, gets some 10 percent of its oil imports from Saudi Arabia. Bilateral trade between the two nations is $3 billion a year.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze "all new business" with Ottawa over its criticism of the kingdom's arrest of 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.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that his nation would continue diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia but wouldn't back down on raising human rights issues.

"Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights," he said.

Saudi Arabia plans to pull out thousands of students and medical patients from Canada over the spat. Since the crisis began, Saudi state-run television and other channels backing the kingdom have been airing programs criticizing Canada and accusing it of jailing "prisoners of conscience."

The sudden decision bore the hallmarks of Saudi Arabia's assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also was the architect of the country's war in Yemen and involved in the ongoing boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations.

___

Jon Gambrell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP . His work can be found at: http://apne.ws/2galNpz .
BANGKOK (AP) - A former Buddhist monk infamous for a jet-set lifestyle was sentenced Thursday to more than 100 years in prison in connection with funds he fraudulently raised from followers.

Wirapol Sukphol caused a scandal when he appeared in a 2013 YouTube video in his monk's robes aboard a private jet wearing aviator sunglasses with a Louis Vuitton carry-on by his side. He was defrocked amid accusations that he had sexual relations with several women - a major violation of the precepts guiding monks' behavior - and had impregnated one. There were also allegations he had sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Because of the furor, he fled to the United States, where he was arrested in 2016 and extradited last year.

In this Thursday, July 20, 2017, file photo, ex-monk Wirapol Sukphol is escorted by the Department of Special Investigation officials to the prosecutor's office in Bangkok, Thailand. Wirapol, Wirapol, known for a jet-setting lifestyle, has been sentenced to over a hundred years in prison for deceiving his followers into making costly donations and embezzling the money. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

The Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok sentenced him Thursday to 114 years in prison, although legal technicalities capped the actual time he must serve at 20 years. He was found guilty of fraud, money laundering and violation of the computer crime act for spending money he had solicited for Buddhist statuary and temple improvements instead on cars and luxury goods.

The court also ordered that Wirapol pay 28.6 million baht ($864,000) in compensation to 29 people who filed lawsuits saying he had cheated them.

The same court will deliver a verdict on Oct. 17 on a child molestation and child abduction case against Wiraphol.

Critics say Wirapol is an extreme example of a wider crisis in Thai Buddhism, which has become marginalized by a shortage of monks and an increasingly secular society.

At the court Thursday, a smiling Wirapol was joined by around 10 followers whom he told to relax.

"Prison is comfortable, there are people always buying you food and there's plenty of space. Anyone want to join me?" Wirapol said. "If I have to spend many years in prison but can accept it, then it's comfortable. If you can't accept it, just one day in prison can feel like a thousand years."

The court's decision noted an earlier civil court ruling that ordered the confiscation of 43.5 million baht ($1.3 million) from Wirapol.

According to Thailand's Department of Special Investigation, Wirapol at one point had accumulated assets estimated at 1 billion baht ($30.1 million). During a shopping spree from 2009 to 2011, he bought 22 Mercedes Benz cars worth 95 million baht ($2.9 million), the department said.
LONDON (AP) - A British inquiry concluded Thursday that sexual abuse at two leading Roman Catholic schools in England was considerably higher than is reflected by conviction figures, with monks hiding allegations to protect the church's reputation.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse issued a scathing report saying that monks at Ampleforth in northern England and Downside in the southwest hid allegations of "appalling sexual abuse" against pupils as young as 7. Ten people linked to the schools have been cautioned over or convicted of sexual activity or pornography offenses involving a "large number of children."

"The true scale of the abuse however is likely to be considerably higher," said inquiry chair Alexis Jay.

Ampleforth accepted responsibility for past failures and thanked Jay for her work.

"We would also like to once again offer our heartfelt apology to anyone who suffered abuse while in the care of our schools, parishes or other ministries," it said in a statement.

Downside offered a "sincere and unreserved apology to all victims and survivors of sexual abuse"

"We have reflected deeply and will continue to listen with the ear of the heart going forward to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated," the school said.

The schools, linked to the English Benedictine Congregation, were run at times by "secretive, evasive and suspicious" officials who avoided reporting misconduct, Jay said. Instead of informing authorities, church leaders confined suspected abusers to the abbey or sent them away to other locations where a history of predatory behavior wasn't always disclosed - and children were abused as a consequence, the report said.

"For decades Ampleforth and Downside tried to avoid giving any information about child sexual abuse to police and social services," Jay said. "Instead, monks in both institutions were very often secretive, evasive and suspicious of anyone outside the English Benedictine Congregation. Safeguarding children was less important than the reputation of the church and the wellbeing of the abusive monks."

Though the allegations stretched back to the 1960s, recent incidents cast doubt on whether church officials had gotten the message about reporting such activity to the police and social services. The report followed several weeks of evidence delivered to the inquiry last year.

Christopher Jamison, abbot president of the English Benedictine Congregation, acknowledged that the report "highlights how flawed many of our past responses have been. "

He said the institution would "work conscientiously to ensure our communities are safe environments for young people both now and in the future."

The inquiry was organized following the 2011 death of entertainer Jimmy Savile, after which dozens came forward to say he had abused them. Subsequent revelations have implicated entertainers, clergy and senior politicians

The church is one of 13 institutions being scrutinized by the inquiry for child-protection failings.
MILAN (AP) - Police in Tuscany say that a pair of 13-year-olds have admitted responsibility for shooting blanks at a Gambian immigrant and hurling offenses his way.

The news agency ANSA reported Thursday that the minors admitted their role in the Aug. 2 attack in Pistoia, but said they were fooling around and denied any sort of racial motivation.

Despite their statements, deputy police chief Gianpaolo Patruno told Sky TG24 police and the juvenile courts were verifying whether the attack was motivated by racial hatred.

It is one of a series of attacks on migrants since Italy's anti-migrant government took power that are being investigated as possible acts of racism.

According to ANSA, investigators focused on the youths after surveillance video showed a group in the area of the attack.
BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) - The reward fund offered for the safe return of a missing University of Iowa student has grown to nearly $316,000.

A spokesman for Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa said Thursday the organization has passed on more than 830 tips to authorities investigating the disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts.

Tibbetts' father has suggested she might have been abducted from her boyfriend Dalton Jack's home in Brooklyn, Iowa. The 20-year-old Tibbetts was seen jogging July 18 and her family reported her missing the next day.

FILE - This undated file photo released by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation shows Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who was reported missing from her hometown in the eastern Iowa city of Brooklyn in July 2018. A spokesman for a central Iowa nonprofit crime-stopper organization says the reward fund for Tibbetts has grown to more than $300,000 and is likely to continue climbing. (Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation via AP, File)

Jack's brother, Blake, told Fox News there were no signs of struggle at the home, adding that Tibbetts is "small, but she would have done something" if she had been attacked.

Dalton Jack says he received a Snapchat message from Tibbetts July 18, after she would have returned from her run. Authorities haven't found her Fitbit or cellphone.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on the investigation of February's mass shooting at a Florida high school (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

School officials in a Florida county are defending themselves from criticism leveled by the parents and spouses of victims of February's high school massacre.

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)

The Broward County school district issued a statement late Thursday, responding to criticism from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School families that campus security remains lacking throughout the county. The statement says that while it is understandable the families feel frustrated, there is no "fast, easy fix" and that progress has been made.

The parents and spouses of the 17 victims earlier Thursday called for the ouster of the school board in the upcoming Aug. 28 election. They criticized the delay in installing metal detectors at Stoneman Douglas and the district's decision to abort an internal investigation into the Feb. 14 shooting. The district said the investigation was conflicting with a state investigation.

__

1:30 p.m.

The parents and spouses of the 17 students and staff who died in the Florida high school massacre are calling for the removal of the school board in the upcoming election, saying they have failed to adequately improve campus security.

Tony Montalto is president of the group the families formed. At a news conference Thursday, Montalto said the Broward County school district has "stood by" in the six months since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He says the district's 234 campuses are not prepared to reopen next week. He also pointed to the district's decision to abort an internal investigation into the shooting and to not immediately install metal detectors at Stoneman Douglas. The parents of two shooting victims are running for the board in the Aug. 28 election.

The district did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but Superintendent Robert Runcie has said all schools will have armed police officers or guards beginning opening day. He previously said the internal investigation was halted because it conflicted with a state commission that is also investigating the shooting.

__

9:10 a.m.

A crime analyst has told a Florida commission investigating February's high school massacre that there is no personality profile that can predict campus shooters.

Analyst Nevin Smith said Thursday that the FBI, Secret Service and other researchers who have examined school shootings over the past 20 years agree that no profile exists. He told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission that school officials instead need to focus on a student's behavior.

The commissioners also were scheduled to hear from the state Department of Children and Families about a call the agency received after suspect Nikolas Cruz turned 18.

Commissioners will also hold a closed-door meeting to learn about Cruz's educational, mental-health and medical history. Under federal law, those records are private. Cruz is charged with killing 17 people at the school on Feb. 14.

_

1 a.m.

Prosecutors have made public hours of video interrogation of Florida's high school shooting suspect, footage showing the young man punching himself in the face, slouching and speaking of a voice he says he has heard inside his head for years.

The video released Wednesday contains the same material as a transcript made public days earlier. 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 in Parkland, Florida.

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 Cruz 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, 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)
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The Latest on developments in Yemen (all times local):

4:05 p.m.

Yemen's Shiite rebels say the death toll from Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on a busy market and bus carrying civilians in the country's north has risen to 43.

The rebel-controlled health ministry in the capital Sanaa said Thursday's attack also wounded 63. The bus was carrying children as well as adults.

The coalition said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, because they had fired a missile at the kingdom's south the previous day, killing one person.

Col. Turki al-Malki , coalition spokesman, said Thursday's attack in Saada is a "legitimate military action" and was carried out "in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs." He accused the Houthis of using children as shields in the battlefields.

___

11:55 a.m.

Yemeni tribal leaders say airstrikes in northern Yemen have targeted a busy market and a bus, killing at least 20 people, including children, and wounding as many as 35.

The elders blame the Saudi-led coalition waging war against Yemen's Shiite rebels for the attack, which took place on Thursday at a market in Dahyan in Saada province, a stronghold of the rebels known as Houthis.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition.

The leaders spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that an ICRC supported hospital received dozens of dead and wounded.

In the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, rebel-run Al Masirah TV gave a different toll, saying the attack killed 39 people and wounded 51, mainly children.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Sweden is calling on Russia to release a Ukrainian filmmaker on hunger strike, saying it's worried about his "deteriorating health condition."

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom wrote Thursday on Twitter that the detention of filmmaker Oleg Sentsov "violates international law and is based on a legal process that did not meet elementary standards of justice."

Sentsov has been refusing food. He is demanding that he and 64 other Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia whom he calls political prisoners be released.

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)

His lawyer Dmitry Dinze visited him Tuesday and said Sentsov has a very low hemoglobin level, resulting in anemia and a slow heartbeat. He's serving his sentence in a prison on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, a region known for its harsh conditions.
BERLIN (AP) - German auto parts supplier Grammer AG is being taken over by Chinese company Ningbo Jifeng.

Grammer said Thursday that companies associated with Ningbo Jifeng, also an auto parts company, hold a stake of just over 74 percent following a tender offer. Ningbo Jifeng, which previously held a little over a quarter of the shares in Grammer, has had a "strategic partnership" with the German company since February 2017.

Grammer's management recommended a month ago that shareholders accept the cash offer of 60 euros ($69.62) per share.

German officials have said the country welcomes Chinese investment but also wants easier market access in China. Ningbo Jifeng said Thursday that the German Economy Ministry has certified that it doesn't object and the transaction doesn't require further regulatory approval.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Former hard-line Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked President Hassan Rouhani to resign.

In a video published on his Telegram account Thursday, Ahmadinejad said that Iranians do not trust Rouhani. He says: "Your continued presence is at the expense of the country."

Uncertainty resulting from the U.S. pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers has led Iran's already anemic economy to worsen.

FILE - In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani addresses the nation in a televised speech in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Former hard-line Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked President Hassan Rouhani to resign. In a video published on his Telegram account Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, Ahmadinejad said that Iranians do not trust Rouhani and "Your continued presence is at the expense of the country." (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

On Wednesday, Iranian lawmakers voted to sack Rouhani's labor minister, a victory for hard-liners opposed to the relative moderate amid the worsening economic crisis.

Ahmadinejad has brought attention to himself since being blocked from running in last year's presidential election.

While president, he famously questioned the Holocaust and claimed there were no gays or lesbians in Iran.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - The Latest on the trial of Paul Manafort (all times local):

5:35 p.m.

A California bank executive says he was not aware that Paul Manafort had allegedly lied on loan documents when he approved a $1 million for the former Trump campaign chairman.

Attorney Kevin Downing, left, gestures to the rest of the defense team for Paul Manafort, as the team leaves federal court for a lunch break during the trial of the former Trump campaign chairman, in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Gary Seferian, a senior vice president at the Banc of California, says he would not have approved the loan to back Manafort's plan for a series of real estate purchases in spring 2016 if he had known Manafort had made false statements on his application.

The testimony bolsters the contention by the prosecution in Manafort's financial fraud trial that he secured loans under false pretenses.

Manafort's longtime deputy, Rick Gates, has testified that he doctored a profit-and-loss statement for Manafort as part of the Banc of California loan application.

__

4:25 p.m.

Prosecutors in Paul Manafort's trial are asking a federal judge to seal portions of a discussion at the bench because it reveals details of an ongoing investigation.

Attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller say in a court filing that "substantive evidence" of the investigation was discussed out of earshot of the jury or the public during the testimony of longtime Manafort deputy Rick Gates.

Prosecutors say the conference involved Manafort's attorneys attempting to pursue a line of questioning with Gates. The filing doesn't identify the line of questioning, but one bench conference during Gates' testimony was prompted by Manafort lawyers asking whether he had spoken to Mueller about his work on the Trump campaign.

Mueller is investigating Russian election interference and any possible coordination with Trump associates.

__

12:40 p.m.

Prosecutors have shown jurors an email they say suggests Paul Manafort was intentionally deceiving a bank by describing a New York City property as owner-occupied instead of a rental.

The email came up during the eighth day of the former Trump campaign chairman's financial fraud trial.

In the message, Manafort tells his then-son-in-law that an appraiser wants to visit the property. Manafort says to remember that the appraiser believes the couple lives at the property. A bank official testified earlier that she had found the property listed as a rental on a website.

Manafort is accused of making false statements to obtain millions of dollars in loans. Prosecutors also say he claim he didn't have a mortgage on a property when he did.

__

11:45 a.m.

Prosecutors are contending that Paul Manafort lied to a bank to obtain millions of dollars in loans on New York City properties.

Melinda James, a Citizens Bank mortgage loan assistant, is testifying in the financial fraud trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman.

She says Manafort had told the bank that one of the properties would be used as a second residence, but she found it listed as a rental on a real estate website.

She says in another instance, Manafort maintained that there were no mortgages on a separate New York property when there actually were.

James' testimony comes after prosecutors presented days of evidence supporting the tax evasion charges against Manafort. They are now presenting witnesses related to the bank fraud charges against him.

___

11:15 a.m.

The federal judge overseeing the financial fraud trial of Paul Manafort is expressing contrition a day after angrily confronting prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller in front of the jury.

Judge T.S. Ellis III has subjected the prosecution team to repeated tongue-lashings over the pace of their questioning, the massive trove of their evidence and even their facial expressions during bench conferences.

But Ellis is acknowledging to jurors that he went overboard when criticizing prosecutors for allowing an expert witness to remain in the courtroom during the trial. Ellis says he was likely in error and jurors should "put aside" his criticism.

The judge's comments come after prosecutors said in a written filing that Ellis had authorized Welch to watch the trial and the reprimand could have prejudiced the jury.

___

10:35 a.m.

Prosecutors in Paul Manafort's trial say the judge incorrectly admonished them in front of the jury and they want him to correct the error.

Attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller's office say in a written filing that U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III was wrong to scold them on Wednesday for allowing an expert witness to remain in the courtroom during the trial.

Ellis had erupted on the prosecutors during the testimony of IRS agent Michael Welch, saying he hadn't authorized Welch to watch the trial. Witnesses are usually excluded from watching unless allowed by the judge.

Prosecutors attached a transcript showing that in fact Ellis had approved the request a week before. They say his outburst prejudiced the jury by suggesting they had acted improperly.

__

12:28 a.m.

The cross-examination of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's protege ended after the defense renewed its attack on Rick Gates' credibility.

In three days of testimony, Gates acknowledged cheating on his wife, stealing from Manafort and initially lying to special counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian election meddling.

Following Gates' testimony, prosecutors resumed trying to make their case for financial fraud by Manafort through documentary evidence to demonstrate his control of offshore bank accounts containing millions of dollars not reported to the IRS as required by U.S. law.

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.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Hoping to capitalize on voter frustration over growing polarization in politics, a group fueled partly by what critics call "dark money" plans to spend $3 million this year to support and elect independents. But some free-spirited lawmakers are declining their help.

Unite America, formerly known as the Centrist Project, is endorsing and providing polling for independent gubernatorial and legislative candidates across the country.

It's time state legislatures and governor's mansions reflect the increasing proportion of U.S. citizens identifying as independents, said the group's spokesman, Nick Troiano. Polls suggest about four in 10 U.S. adults identify as independent; in 2000, fewer than three in 10 did so.

In this Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 photo, State Rep. Owen Casas, I-Rockport, talks issues with Charlie Strout while campaigning in Camden, Maine. A national group that supports independent political candidates is pouring money into legislative races, raising alarm by critics who say so-called dark money is no longer limited to major political parties. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

"Independents are independents because they won't want to be told what to do or what to think," he said.

But some independents are reluctant to accept the support because they distrust influence by any outside, special interest group. They're also wary of any link to so-called "dark money" - contributions from groups such as nonprofits that don't have to disclose their donors under federal law.

The offer for help, nonetheless, can be enticing for independent lawmakers who face an uneven playing field for campaigning and, once elected, legislating.

Still, it's tricky for independent lawmakers - who often aim to offer dissatisfied voters an alternative to the big-money, two-party system - to accept such help even from a group with similar aims.

"What ails American politics right now is dark money," said University of Massachusetts Boston political science professor Maurice Cunningham. "You can't cure that with dark money."

Unite America has released endorsements of candidates including incumbent Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, and the $3 million figure includes investments raised for its own voter data and political consulting companies. It also offers funding for resources that parties typically provide, including staffers, helping finding donors, voter data, publicity, research, polling and help organizing campaign volunteers.

"We are not a party," Troiano said. "We are a support structure."

In Maine, questions over who should fund such support, and how, have stoked tension among independent lawmakers who include former Democrats and Republicans. Last year, Democrats effectively lost their outright majority in the House following the departures of several Democrats disillusioned with special interests and growing partisanship.

Unite America discloses its donors to its political action committees, which can make independent expenditures on behalf of candidates. Video game company Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill has contributed $285,000 since last December to Unite America's political action committee, according to recent federal campaign finance reports.

But Unite America does not publicly disclose all of its spending for or its donations to its two nonprofit arms: Unite America Inc. and Unite America Institute. Those nonprofits fund efforts such as polling and voter outreach.

Still, Troiano said Unite America rejects any "dark money" label, and said one of its nonprofits voluntarily discloses the names of major donors. "Unite America goes beyond the requirements of the law and the common practices of partisan political groups in order to operate transparently," Troiano said.

Unite America offered to fund resources like staffers for independent Maine lawmakers, some of whom had lost access to party-provided staffers.

One of the group's nonprofits funded an intern for independent state Rep. Owen Casas, who conferred with the state's ethics commission and the Legislature's executive office and found that outside, private groups could fund legislative staffers.

"There's nothing that prevents charitable organizations from hiring staff that helps folks do their job currently," said Casas, who also disclosed that he received income for writing a report for a Unite America research project on independents.

But independent Rep. Denise Harlow fears private funding of staffers could close the door to future public funding for staffers for independents. Or, Harlow said, independents could inadvertently encourage special interests like lobbying firms to seek political favor by funding partisan staff positions at the Statehouse.

"We didn't know where the money came from," Harlow said. "We didn't know anything about it."

Elsewhere, Unite America is working to elect enough independent lawmakers in Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska and Washington to deny political parties a majority. The group has also endorsed candidates in Kansas, Missouri and Maryland.

Troiano said the group is optimistic about its chances in states like Alaska, where a group of House Democrats, Republicans and independents are caucusing together in a year marked by compromise.

And in Vermont, a group of independent representatives has begun to meet regularly and demand access to the same information that party leaders receive, said Rep. Laura Sibilia, who's endorsed by Unite America.

"The thing I find most appealing of Unite America is the lack of a platform," she said, adding that she'd never take money from a political action committee.

Maine Rep. Kent Ackley, meanwhile, rebuffed such "outside moneyed influences" and didn't seek Unite America's endorsement. Instead, Ackley runs as a publicly financed candidate.

"I've been a proponent of saying no to organized efforts to help independents nationally," said Ackley, who is rated highly by environmental and liberal groups.
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of a teenager who was convicted in the stabbing deaths of his parents and three siblings (all times local):

10 a.m.

A 19-year-old Oklahoma man convicted of stabbing his parents and three of his siblings to death has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, Michael Bever arrives at the Tulsa County Courthouse for his murder trial in Tulsa, Okla. Bever, convicted in May of five counts of first-degree murder in the fatally stabbing his parents and three of his siblings in 2015, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP, File)

Michael Bever was 16 in 2015 when prosecutors say he and his older brother, Robert Bever, killed their mother, father, two younger brothers and a 5-year-old sister at their suburban Tulsa home.

Michael Bever was convicted in May on five counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced Thursday to five life terms, to run consecutively.

The jury recommended life with parole, while prosecutors urged a no-parole sentence because of the especially horrific nature of the killings.

Michael Bever's attorneys argued he was led astray by his older brother, who pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison without parole.

___

7:16 a.m.

Sentencing is scheduled for a 19-year-old Oklahoma man convicted of fatally stabbing his parents and three of his siblings.

Michael Bever is to be sentenced Thursday in Tulsa County District Court.

Bever was convicted in May of five counts of first-degree murder for his role in the 2015 stabbings. Jurors recommended a sentence of life with the possibility of parole, but the judge could sentence him to life without parole.

Bever was 16 when prosecutors say he and his older brother, Robert Bever, killed their relatives at their suburban Tulsa home. Two sisters survived the attack.

Robert Bever pleaded guilty in 2016 and was sentenced to life without parole.

If sentenced to life with parole, Michael Bever will be eligible for release after 38 years.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - At the American Veterans club in Bismarck where former military men and others are drawn by camaraderie, card games and affordable gravy-laden lunch specials, there's no clear favorite in North Dakota's sharply contested U.S. Senate race. But when it comes to the barrage of television ads begging for these veterans' votes, they couldn't agree more.

Make them stop.

"I'm glad I have a mute button on my TV," said Les Linssen, an 82-year-old Army veteran and retired hairdresser. "They're beating each other up and neither one of them has impressed me yet. Tell us what you're going to do for veterans, not what the other guy isn't."

In this Aug. 1, 2018, photo, Army veteran Ray Geffre poses for a photo at the American Veterans club in Bismarck, N.D. Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Rep. Kevin Cramer, her Republican challenger, are working hard for the veteran vote in North Dakota. But the bombardment of recent television ads targeting veterans appears to be having little impact. In fact, some vets say, the spots by each candidate that often run back-to-back are nothing more than annoying. (AP Photo/James MacPherson)

In a state where veterans represent almost 9 percent of the population, and more on active duty or in the Guard, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer are filling the airwaves in hopes of gaining an advantage.

One ad supporting Heitkamp says Cramer "turned his back on our veterans and service members" and hits him for votes related to pay increases and funding for Veterans Affairs.

Cramer has struck back, including one spot featuring a retired Air Force Reserve officer who says she likes the popular Heitkamp but doesn't "like the way she votes in Washington."

Republicans see the North Dakota race as one of their top pickup chances nationally as they try to hang on to a small Senate majority. With Heitkamp winning six years ago by fewer than 3,000 votes in the deeply conservative state, earning veterans' support may be pivotal in November, said Mark Jendrysik, chairman of the University of North Dakota's political science department.

"Is there any real difference in policy between them? Probably not," Jendrysik said. "But I think you can presume that veterans are motivated voters - these are people who have performed public service. So why not throw some money that way?"

Neil Reamann and Jerry Johnson, both of Bismarck, are military veterans, longtime friends and pinochle partners but they couldn't disagree more on who should hold the Senate seat. Their preferences have nothing to do with veterans issues.

Reamann, an 81-year-old Army veteran, believes Heitkamp is too "liberal" for North Dakota. Johnson, an 83-year-old Navy veteran, said Cramer will just be a "yes man" for President Donald Trump.

Veterans number about 50,000 in the state, giving North Dakota a percentage slightly higher than the national average, U.S. Census data shows. The state also is home to some 7,000 active duty airmen at Air Force bases in Minot and Grand Forks. Another 4,000 North Dakotans serve in the National Guard and Air Guard.

Lonnie Wangen, the state's veterans affairs commissioner, said the attack ads have been disappointing and unfair. He said both Cramer and Heitkamp have been strong advocates for veterans and the military.

"Veterans issues are nonpartisan and they should always be," he said. "If an ad says either one of them are against veterans in any way, the ad is grossly wrong."

Wangen and other veterans say the days of poor health services for veterans is largely over in North Dakota, a turnaround that has happened just in the past few years. He said the candidates, along with GOP Sen. John Hoeven, can take credit for that.

Wangen said the congressional delegation also successfully pushed for a $1 million program that provides transportation to medical facilities for veterans in rural areas.

"It's the best-funded and biggest program in the nation," he said.

Heitkamp in a statement said that she's "fighting every day to honor the commitment to our veterans and make sure they get the health care, benefits, and services they earned and deserve." She said one of her "proudest moments" as a senator came when she pushed successfully for a Purple Heart for an American Indian veteran of the Korean War, some 60 years after he was wounded.

In a statement, Cramer said that "maintaining the most powerful military force on earth has long been a key priority of mine." He also said he would help ensure veterans "are getting world-class care and assistance."

Ray Geffre, 70, is chaplain of North Dakota's volunteer honor guard, which each year attends more than 100 funerals for veterans. He was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and suffers from a myriad of problems because of it.

Geffre said he'd like to hear more from candidates about what can be done for fellow vets like himself and his son, who served in the Army in Afghanistan. He said VA facilities across the country need to be fully funded and expanded to handle the overwhelming amount of wartime injuries, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"They deserve it and both parties need to support this," Geffre said. "If they don't, we'll hold their feet to the fire."

___

Sign up for "Politics in Focus," a weekly newsletter showcasing the AP's best political reporting from across the United States leading up to the 2018 midterm elections: http://apne.ws/3Gzcraw
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels hit a bus driving in a busy market in northern Yemen on Thursday, killing least 50 people including children and wounding 77, Yemen's rebel-run Al Masirah TV said citing rebel Health Ministry figures.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south on Wednesday, killing one person who was a Yemeni resident in the area.

Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that its team at an ICRC supported hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children, it said.

The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

There was no breakdown in the casualties and it was not immediately clear how many of the victims were on the bus itself and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it. It was also unclear if there were other airstrikes in the area.

Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack in Saada targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south, killing one person and wounding 11 others. The coalition said Wednesday's projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, also said the missile was launched "deliberately to target residential and populated areas."

Al-Malki insisted Thursday's attack carried out in Saada is a "legitimate military action" and is "in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs." He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them in the battlefields to cover for their actions.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the coalition air strike and called on all parties to spare civilians and "to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the fundamental rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack," U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The secretary-general "calls for an independent and prompt investigation into this incident" and urgently renews his call for a negotiated solution to the Yemen conflict, Haq said.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. officials can't confirm all the details about the attack, but are concerned about reports of civilian deaths.

"We call on the Saudi-led coalition to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident," Nauert said. "We take all credible accounts of civilian casualties very seriously."

Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten," the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is "sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx."

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the city's southern and western neighborhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

Yemen's stalemated, three-year war has killed over 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemen's infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for its airstrikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

Last week, Yemeni medical officials said the coalition conducted airstrikes in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, killing at least 28 people and wounding 70. But the coalition denied carrying out any attacks in the city, saying it follows a "strict and transparent approach based on the rules international law."

The fight for the port of Hodeida, a key lifeline for supplies and aid for Yemen's population on the brink of starvation, has become the latest battleground in the devastating war.

The Iran-aligned Houthis regularly fire into Saudi Arabia and have targeted its capital, Riyadh, with ballistic missiles. They say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition.

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing to bring the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemen's warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 to hold the first round of consultations.

___

Associated Press writer Menna Zaki in Cairo contributed to this report.
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) - The attorney general's investigation into oversight of a Massachusetts police department's evidence room found that guns, drugs, and cash were stolen for years, but determined no criminal charges will be filed.

The report released Wednesday said the officer in charge of the Braintree Police Department's evidence room died by suicide in 2016, and there is no evidence anyone else was involved in the thefts.

An independent investigation commissioned by the city, also released Wednesday, faulted a former police chief and deputy chief for failing to audit the department's disorganized evidence room and ignoring signs that the officer in charge was struggling with alcoholism.

Authorities say 185 criminal cases were either dropped or dismissed because of the problems.

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan said he was initiating disciplinary proceedings against two employees identified in the report.
KAYANGAN, Indonesia (AP) - Falling rubble instantly paralyzed Mary Andoni from the waist down when Indonesia was shaken by one of its deadliest earthquakes in years. But there was nobody in her destroyed village to get her the help she needed. There were too many other injured and dead.

"It was overwhelming," Andoni's 35-year-old brother-in-law, Ilham, said of the chaotic aftermath of Sunday's magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the island of Lombok. "There was no way to get her out."

On Thursday, paramedics finally evacuated Andoni to a hospital in the city of Mataram. But her experience underscores the challenges facing this devastated region: Four days after the earthquake killed hundreds of people and displaced 270,000 more, injured survivors in remote areas cut off by landslides and broken bridges are still emerging from the ruined countryside, struggling to reach the doctors they desperately need.

An Indonesian girl who was injured in Sunday's earthquake reacts as she is being examined by a paramedic at a makeshift hospital in Kayangan, North Lombok, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Four days after the quake killed a large number of people of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, injured survivors cut off by landslides, broken bridges and vast distances are still emerging from the countryside, struggling to reach the help they desperately need. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

And the crisis hasn't ended.

Lombok has been hit by over 300 aftershocks, including a 5.9 magnitude tremor on Thursday that brought down more buildings and injured 24 more people, authorities said. In northern Lombok, some people leaped from their vehicles on a traffic-jammed road when the aftershock hit, while an elderly woman standing in the back of a pickup truck wailed "God is Great." At a Mataram hospital, about a dozen people were being treated while fearful staff moved patients outside.

At a first aid station in Kayangan that was set up under a sprawling tent because of the threat of more quakes, Dr. Mohammad Akbar said medical staff were combing the region with an ambulance to locate injured people.

By 3 p.m., he said, they had found and treated 40 people with broken bones, cuts and bruises. Many were also dehydrated.

"They're all stuck in isolated areas with little or no transport," Akbar said. "They're too weak to get here on their own, so we need to go to them."

Akbar said paramedics were treating infections caused by traumatic wounds, and they were reaching some victims too late. One 3-year-old girl, he said, had been found with a wounded foot that had turned pale blue after being untended for three days. Doctors at another hospital on Lombok had to amputate it.

Because the nearest hospital - an hour's drive away in Tanjung - was wrecked by the quake, Akbar's aid station is referring patients to an Indonesian naval ship now docked at an empty port on the coast.

Navy Col. Andi Abdullah, an orthopedic surgeon stationed on the huge gray vessel, said military doctors had received 46 survivors so far, and performed surgery on 16.

Two of the ship's wards were filled by patients lying on stretchers with IV drips in their arms. Outside, in the hallways, family members who accompanied them sat barefoot on mats, staring blankly at the ship's walls.

"Their physical wounds are easy to treat. But their psychological wounds are much harder to heal, especially for those who lost loved ones," Abdallah said.

"When we ask 'what happened to you?' most of them break down. ... They find it very hard to describe what they went through. They have no words."

Abdallah said several of the patients had waited to seek medical help because they had run high into the hills fearing the quake would spawn a tsunami, and stayed there for days.

One of them, a 45-year-old woman named Supisah, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said her leg had been shattered by a collapsing wall. After a villager helped carry her to higher ground, she did not make it back down until Wednesday.

In Kopang Daya, injured villagers also got their first proper treatment Thursday after medics arrived with a portable X-ray machine and other supplies. They tended to an elderly woman with an injured face and hips who had been knocked over by her grandson as they scrambled from their house.

Kayangan appears to be one of Lombok's hardest-hit areas. Associated Press journalists who visited Thursday saw kilometer after kilometer (mile after mile) of homes by the road that were completely flattened. One family had put down mats and mattresses on a cleared rectangle to sleep on; towering around them were piles of broken wood and shards of concrete, the crushed remains of their home.

Akbar's aid station is the only one in the vicinity, and it's more than half an hour drive away.

One 9-year-old girl who had been brought there by her father closed her eyes and screamed in pain as the paramedic wrapped white gauze around a pair of splints that ran the length of her broken leg.

"Does it hurt, is this too tight?" the medical worker asked.

"It hurts," the girl replied, gripping her pink shirt. "It hurts so much."

Andoni, the woman who was paralyzed in the quake, lay on an adjacent bed waiting for an ambulance to take her to Mataram.

Her brother-in-law said he found her buried from the head down in the rubble of her home on Sunday night. She had saved her 5-month-old daughter's life by cradling her against her breast as concrete smashed into her back, likely fracturing her spine.

The extent of her injuries was unclear, and Ilham said their village - Pakmayong - was consumed by chaotic scenes. Several people helped him carry Andoni on a blanket that acted as a stretcher to an open field where they stayed for days.

"There were so many wounded, they all needed help," said Ilham, who also helped bury the bodies of three of his neighbors. "Everybody was in shock."

The day after the quake, they ate nothing, then survived two more days by eating cassava. Then, on Thursday, an ambulance showed up to take Andoni to the clinic in Kayangan.

"It's been horrible, like doomsday," Ilham said after she left. "The local government can't handle this on its own. They need help, too."

___

Associated Press journalists Andi Jatmiko in Tanjung, Indonesia, and Firdia Lisnawati in Mataram, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

An Indonesian girl who was injured in Sunday's earthquake screams in pain as she is being treated at a makeshift hospital in Kayangan, North Lombok, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Four days after the quake killed a large number of people of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, injured survivors cut off by landslides, broken bridges and vast distances are still emerging from the countryside, struggling to reach the help they desperately need. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, a woung girl and her mother who were injured in Sunday's earthquake rest on a bed at a makeshift hospital in Kayangan, North Lombok, Indonesia. Four days after the quake killed a large number of people of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, injured survivors cut off by landslides, broken bridges and vast distances are still emerging from the countryside, struggling to reach the help they desperately need. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, a boy who was injured in Sunday's earthquake sits on a folding bed at a makeshift hospital in Kayangan, North Lombok, Indonesia. Four days after the quake killed a large number of people of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, injured survivors cut off by landslides, broken bridges and vast distances are still emerging from the countryside, struggling to reach the help they desperately need. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The federal judge who's managing a series of North Carolina lawsuits accusing the world's largest pork company of creating nuisances for rural neighbors is being temporarily replaced.

The order replacing U.S. District Judge Earl Britt for a trial starting next month was finalized Monday. Court records don't indicate why Britt, who's in his mid-80s and semi-retired, was replaced or for how long.

Chief Judge Roger Gregory of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals designated federal Judge David Faber of West Virginia to hear the upcoming trial. Gregory acted "at the request of the district to assist with its caseload," he said in an email response relayed by court clerk Patricia Connor. She was unable to reach Gregory to explain whether that meant the intent was to free Britt to handle other legal matters.

FILE - In this July 21, 2017 file photo, a hog waste pond is seen at a farm that has hogs owned by Smithfield Foods in Farmville, N.C. A federal jury decided Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, that the world's largest pork producer should pay $473.5 million to neighbors of three North Carolina industrial-scale hog farms for unreasonable nuisances they suffered from odors, flies and rumbling trucks. The jury found that Smithfield Foods owes compensation to 16 neighbors who complained in their lawsuit that the company failed to stop "the obnoxious, recurrent odors and other causes of nuisance" resulting from closely packed hogs, which "generate many times more sewage than entire towns." (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Gregory can appoint so-called senior judges like Britt and Faber to hear cases within the appellate district, which includes the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Documents show Faber's appointment was in progress before a jury last week slapped Smithfield Foods with a $473 million verdict. That decision made three straight multi-million-dollar losses for the Smithfield, Virginia, unit of Hong Kong-based parent WH Group. Jurors sided with neighbors who complained of intense animal waste smells, flies and truck traffic.

Industry advocates had complained Britt's decisions were biased and contributed to Smithfield Foods' losing streak.

A state legislator who represents the industry's core turf in the country's No. 2 pork-producing state has accused Britt of "unbridled bias" in managing the three trials so far. Britt is "an old has-been judge with an observable bias against the hog industry and he ran Lady Justice out of his courtroom," Republican Rep. Jimmy Dixon wrote in a newspaper column last month.

North Carolina Pork Council chief executive officer Andy Curliss has criticized Britt for decisions including refusing repeated requests by Smithfield lawyers to have jurors tour the industrial-scale hog operations being sued. Lawyers for the suing neighbors countered that smell intensity can vary widely hour by hour, and farm operators would spruce up ahead of a visit, giving jurors a false impression of the day-to-day reality.

"It is not clear what a change in the judge means for the future cases, but I can speak for hog farmers who will be hopeful that there's a fresh look at some of the rulings that have been made" that may have shaped the outcomes of previous trials, Curliss said.

But Michelle Nowlin, who supervises the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Duke University's law school, said criticisms of Britt are like "a lot of poor losers after a sporting event complaining about the referees who were biased against their team,"

She added, "I've attended several days of the trials. The judge has issued rulings from the bench that favor both sides."

Britt's temporary replacement "doesn't tell us anything at all," Nowlin said.

Faber was assigned to be on the bench for the trial starting Sept. 4 in which neighbors are suing Smithfield over the smells, flies and pests caused by a 7,100-hog farm the company owns in Sampson County. It's not clear who will be the judge for the subsequent trial, but Faber is also due to run the sixth trial starting in late November.

More than two dozen lawsuits involving more than 500 neighbors of intensive animal operations have been pending for four years.

____

Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio
LONDON (AP) - The British Museum said Thursday that it is returning to Iraq eight 5,000-year-old antiquities that were looted after the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of the country.

The museum said the items, which include stamp seals, clay cones with cuneiform inscriptions and a bull-shaped marble pennant, were seized by British police in 2003 from a now-defunct London art dealer.

Police handed them over to the museum, where experts determined they came from a temple at Tello, in southern Iraq.

The museum said it would give the artifacts to Iraq's ambassador to Britain at a ceremony on Friday.

In a statement, Iraqi Ambassador Salih Husain Ali thanked the museum staff "for their exceptional efforts in the process of identifying and returning looted antiquities to Iraq."

"Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage," he said.

Ancient Mesopotamia - modern-day Iraq - was the cradle of urban civilization, and pre-war Iraq's museums held priceless collections from the Assyrian, Sumerian and Babylonian cultures.

Many artifacts disappeared during and after the 2003 war. Iraq's ancient sites also suffered major destruction during the Islamic State group's occupation of a swath of the country a decade later.

The British Museum is working with Iraqi archaeologists to help preserve the country's ancient sites.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut prosecutors on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their arguments for reinstating Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's murder conviction.

The state Supreme Court in May reversed its own 2016 decision and vacated Skakel's conviction in the bludgeoning death of Martha Moxley in their wealthy Greenwich neighborhood in 1975, when they were teenagers.

The 4-3 majority said Skakel's trial lawyer failed to contact a witness who could confirm Skakel's alibi, that he was miles away watching a Monty Python television show with friends when Moxley was being beaten with a golf club.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2013 file photo, Michael Skakel reacts to being granted bail during his bond hearing at Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Connecticut prosecutors on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their arguments for reinstating Skakel's murder conviction. The state Supreme Court in May reversed its own 2016 decision and vacated Skakel's conviction in the bludgeoning death of Martha Moxley in their Greenwich neighborhood in 1975, when they were teenagers. (Bob Luckey/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool, File)

Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane and prosecutor James Killen, in asking the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to take the case, argued the state court didn't properly weigh the overall performance of Skakel's defense against that mistake.

"The well-to-do defendant was represented by a highly-skilled and experienced defense attorney, who was himself aided by a team of other attorneys," the prosecutors wrote. "Together, they utilized resources that the vast majority of criminal defendants can only dream of accessing."

Skakel is a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy.

After decades of investigations into the Moxley killing, Skakel was charged in 2000 and convicted in 2002. The state's case included nearly a dozen incriminating statements witnesses said were made by Skakel over the years.

His appellate lawyers argued that his trial lawyer, Michael Sherman, made a series of poor decisions including failing to present the alibi witness and failing to argue that others, including Skakel's brother, could have been the killer.

Skakel served 11 years behind bars before being freed on $1.2 million bail in 2013 when a lower court judge overturned his conviction, citing mistakes by Sherman, who has defended his work.

Prosecutors appealed the lower court ruling to the state Supreme Court, which reinstated Skakel's conviction in December 2016 in a sharply divided 4-3 ruling in which the majority said Sherman's representation was adequate under the U.S. Constitution.

Skakel's new lawyers asked the high court to reconsider, resulting in the reversal, which some lawyers and law professors have called unusual.

The justice who wrote the 2016 majority decision, Peter Zarella, left the court shortly afterward and a new justice, Gregory D'Auria, voted with the majority in May.

Skakel's appellate lawyer, Hubert Santos, did not immediately return a message Thursday
LOS ANGELES (AP) - With a new movie coming out this fall, "The Old Man & The Gun," Casey Affleck is speaking publicly about bowing out of presenting the best actress Oscar and past harassment allegations against him amid the #MeToo and Time's Up movements.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Affleck reflects on the Oscars, the film, which will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and past harassment allegations against him in light of #MeToo, apologizing for allowing an unprofessional atmosphere on set which led to two civil lawsuits from women he worked with that were later settled.

Excerpts from the conversation, Affleck's first interview in a year, have been edited for clarity and brevity. A video of the interview can be seen here: http://apne.ws/nJjWUgU .

In this Aug. 3, 2018 photo, actor Casey Affleck poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote his upcoming film "The Old Man & The Gun," in theaters on Sept. 28. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

AP: What do you like about this film?

AFFLECK: I love David (Lowery), I love working for David and it's my third movie with him and he always assembles a really nice group of people around him. It's such a nice experience to watch one of his movies. They all have a very gentle quality to them... And Robert Redford, what is there to say? He's a legend, an incredibly sweet guy and just sharp as a tack. It was lovely working with him.

AP: The last time we spoke you were promoting another David Lowery film, "A Ghost Story." What have you been up to in the last year?

AFFLECK: I made "The Old Man & the Gun," I made another movie called "Light of My Life," and I've just been spending the rest of the time with my kids and my girlfriend and just trying to squeeze in a little bit of life. And if I'm not promoting a movie, I'm not going to do any press, so that's why you haven't heard from me.

AP: You also earlier this year made the decision to step away from presenting the best actress award at the Oscars. Why did you do that?

AFFLECK: I think it was the right thing to do just given everything that was going on in our culture at the moment. And having two incredible women go present the best actress award felt like the right thing.

AP: During your best actor Oscar campaign for "Manchester By the Sea," allegations resurfaced regarding two civil lawsuits from the making of your film "I'm Still Here," that were settled in 2010. But we haven't heard from you since #MeToo and Time's Up became a big talking point in the culture. Has that made you reflect on or reevaluate anything about the experience or the atmosphere on that set?

AFFLECK: First of all, that I was ever involved in a conflict that resulted in a lawsuit is something that I really regret. I wish I had found a way to resolve things in a different way. I hate that. I had never had any complaints like that made about me before in my life and it was really embarrassing and I didn't know how to handle it and I didn't agree with everything, the way I was being described, and the things that were said about me, but I wanted to try to make it right, so we made it right in the way that was asked at the time. And we all agreed to just try to put it behind us and move on with our lives, which I think we deserve to do, and I want to respect them as they've respected me and my privacy. And that's that.

Over the past couple of years, I've been listening a lot to this conversation, this public conversation, and learned a lot. I kind of moved from a place of being defensive to one of a more mature point of view, trying to find my own culpability. And once I did that I discovered there was a lot to learn. I was a boss. I was one of the producers on the set. This movie was (shot in 2008, 2009) and I was one of the producers. And it was a crazy mockumentary, (a) very unconventional movie. The cast was the crew and the crew was kind of the cast and it was an unprofessional environment and, you know, the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that and that was a mistake. And I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behavior from other people and I wish that I hadn't. And I regret a lot of that. I really did not know what I was responsible for as the boss. I don't even know if I thought of myself as the boss. But I behaved in a way and allowed others to behave in a way that was really unprofessional. And I'm sorry.

AP: I know you talked last year about taking your kids to women's marches and trying to educate them. Is there anything that has come up since #MeToo and Time's Up emerged in the culture?

AFFLECK: Well I've taken these lessons with me that I've learned not just to work but to home and as dad and it informs how you parent. I have two boys so I want to be in a world where grown men model compassion and decency and also contrition when it's called for, and I certainly tell them to own their mistakes when they make them.

AP: You're also a boss, you have a production company, Sea Change Media, and you've directed your first film since "I'm Still Here" too. Can you talk about how you have evolved and changed to create a safe working environment for people who work for you?

AFFLECK: I think that, there's been a lot of talk about new things in regards to the workplace and I have this production company and this very, very smart woman runs it with me and she's been way ahead of the curve on all of these issues.

But I think bigger picture, in this business women have been underrepresented and underpaid and objectified and diminished and humiliated and belittled in a bazillion ways and just generally had a mountain of grief thrown at them forever. And no one was really making too much of a fuss about it, myself included, until a few women with the kind of courage and wisdom to stand up and say, "You know what? Enough is enough." Those are the people who are kind of leading this conversation and should be leading the conversation. And I know just enough to know that in general I need to keep my mouth shut and listen and try to figure out what's going on and be a supporter and a follower in the little, teeny tiny ways that I can. And we do that at our production company and I try to do it at home, and if I'm ever called upon by anyone to help in any way and contribute, I'd be more than happy to.

AP: Your "Manchester by the Sea" director Kenneth Lonergan had implied that you had been treated unfairly. Do you have any response to that?

AFFLECK: Whether I have or haven't, I think that there are people in the world who deal with much greater hardship than that. And they do so without complaint. So I don't think I need to say anything else about it.

AP: And at your production company, what sort of projects are you looking for and what sort of filmmakers are you looking to shepherd?

AFFLECK: Whitaker (Lader), who runs the company, does all the good work and then I kind of make some noise on the sidelines too. We're trying to find people who can tell stories that we don't usually see in mainstream pop culture, movies, media, Hollywood, with storytellers who need a hand.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

In this Aug. 3, 2018 photo, actor Casey Affleck poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote his upcoming film "The Old Man & The Gun," in theaters on Sept. 28. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

In this Aug. 3, 2018 photo, actor Casey Affleck poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote his upcoming film "The Old Man & The Gun," in theaters on Sept. 28. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on court arguments about the drugs that would be used for Nevada to execute its first death-row inmate in 12 years (all times local):

10:10 a.m.

The Nevada Supreme Court has stepped in to decide whether drug companies can try to stop the state from using their medications in a twice-postponed lethal injection of a condemned inmate who wants to die.

FILE - This Nov. 10, 2016, file photo released by the Nevada Department of Corrections shows the newly completed execution chamber at Ely State Prison in Ely, Nev. Nevada death-row inmate Scott Raymond Dozier whose execution has twice been postponed says the legal fight over his fate is taking a tortuous toll on him and his family and he just wants his sentence carried out. A third drug company is set to ask a state court judge on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, to let it join with two other firms suing to block the use of their products for his lethal injection. (Nevada Department of Corrections via AP, File)

A state court judge in Las Vegas cancelled hearings Thursday following an order late Wednesday from six of the high court's seven justices.

Supreme Court intervention had been sought by the state attorney general's office regarding the execution of Scott Raymond Dozier.

The judge had planned to hear drugmaker Sandoz's request to join a bid by Alvogen and Hikma Pharmaceuticals to prevent Nevada from using their products in a three-drug combination never before tried in any state.

____

12:55 a.m.

A Nevada death-row inmate whose execution has been postponed twice says the legal fight over his fate is taking a tortuous toll on him and his family and he wants his sentence carried out.

Scott Raymond Dozier told The Associated Press that the state should, in his words, "just get it done, just do it effectively and stop fighting about it."

Dozier's comments in a brief prison telephone call on Wednesday came a day before a third drug company is due to ask a state court judge in Las Vegas to let it join with two other firms suing to block the use of their products in executions.

The companies say they publicly declared they didn't want their products used in executions and allege that Nevada improperly obtained their drugs.
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - The Latest on 11 children found living in a filthy, makeshift compound in New Mexico (all times local):

4 p.m.

A representative of a New York mosque says the raid of a ramshackle compound in New Mexico is being used as propaganda against Muslims.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj speaks to reporters, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in New York. Wahhaj, the grandfather of a missing Georgia boy, says the remains of the child were found buried at a desert compound in New Mexico. Abdul-ghani Wahhaj was found Monday, on what would have been his fourth birthday, after he went missing in December in Jonesboro, Ga. near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Ali Abdul-Karim Judan, a spokesman for the mosque, said in a video posted Thursday on Facebook that the incident was a domestic situation that has nothing to do with extremism.

The grandfather of a severely disabled boy, who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and taken to the compound, has said remains found there are those of his grandson.

The man is an imam at the New York mosque.

Judan also cast doubt on a contention by prosecutors that children found at the site were being trained to use assault rifles in preparation for school shootings.

He said authorities should not have made that claim without stronger evidence.

The mosque has attracted radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

___

3:45 p.m.

An attorney for the mother of a Georgia boy says the woman had no idea what might have driven her husband to take the child to a desert compound in New Mexico.

Authorities say Abdul-ghani Wahhaj (ahb-DOOL' GAH'-nee wah-HAJ') was kidnapped by his father in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

His grandfather has said remains found at the compound are those of his grandson.

M. Khurram Baig, an attorney representing the boy's mother, Hakima Ramzi, said Thursday that Siraj Ibn Wahhaj did not show any tendencies toward violence during his relationship with Ramzi.

The lawyer said Ramzi was stunned to learn about the raid on the compound and reports about the treatment of children there.

The lawyer said Wahhaj "is not the gentleman that she married or knew as a father of her son."

"At some point something changed," he said.

___

1:45 p.m.

The grandfather of children found at a New Mexico compound says he was able to report their whereabouts to authorities after his daughter sent a note from the location asking for food.

Siraj Wahhaj, who leads a New York City mosque, says 11 children found at the compound Friday were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

His grown children are among the five adults arrested on child abuse charges following a raid at the site.

He said Thursday that his daughter sent the note for food to a man in Atlanta, and that man notified him. Wahhaj says he then informed police.

The Taos County sheriff has said the message stating people were starving helped him seek a warrant to enter the compound in search of the missing boy.

Wahhaj says the boy is his grandson, and his remains were found Monday at the compound.

___

11:30 p.m.

The grandfather of a missing Georgia boy says the remains of the child were found buried at a desert compound in New Mexico.

Abdul-ghani Wahhaj (ahb-DOOL' GAH'-nee wah-HAJ') was found Monday - on what would have been his fourth birthday - after he went missing in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

The boy's grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, leads a New York City mosque and told reporters Thursday that he learned from other family members that the boy's body was buried at the New Mexico compound after he died.

Authorities say the boy's father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj (see-DAHJ' IBN wah-HAJ'), had told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the child and later said he was taking the child to a park and didn't return.

The search for the boy led authorities to the New Mexico compound last week.

Imam Wahhaj says "whoever is responsible ... should be held accountable."

___

12 p.m.

Sheriff's officials expect to learn Thursday from medical examiners the identity of child's remains found at the site of a New Mexico compound that authorities raided last week in search of a missing boy.

A search Monday led authorities to discover the remains of an unidentified young boy at the compound in Amalia, where three days earlier the local sheriff said 11 hungry children were found living in filth.

The remains were sent to the state Office of the Medical Investigator to be identified. An OMI spokeswoman and a sheriff's spokesman said they expected the identification by Thursday.

Authorities say the missing boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, was taken from Jonesboro, Georgia, by his father in December.

Five adults, including the father of the missing boy, were arrested after an initial search at the compound Friday.

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)

Lucas Morton arrives in court to plead not guilty to child abuse charges in state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Morton was arrested Friday in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)
In a novel experiment, doctors got a letter from the medical examiner's office telling them of their patient's fatal overdose. The response: They started prescribing fewer opioids.

Other doctors, whose patients also overdosed, didn't get letters. Their opioid prescribing didn't change.

More than 400 "Dear Doctor" letters, sent last year in San Diego County, were part of a study that, researchers say, put a human face on the U.S. opioid crisis for many doctors.

FILE - This Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York. In an innovative experiment, doctors prescribed fewer opioids after learning of their patient's overdose death in a letter from a county medical examiner. More than 400 "Dear Doctor" letters, sent in 2017 in San Diego County, were part of a study that put a human face on the U.S. opioid crisis for many doctors. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

"It's a powerful thing to learn," said University of Southern California public policy researcher Jason Doctor, lead author of the paper published Thursday in the journal Science.

Researchers used a state database to find 861 doctors, dentists and others who had prescribed opioids and other risky medications to 170 people who died of an overdose involving prescription medicines. Most states have similar databases to track prescribing of dangerous drugs, where doctors can check patients' previous prescriptions.

Most of the deaths involved opioid painkillers, many taken in combination with anti-anxiety drugs. On average, each person who died had filled prescriptions for dangerous drugs from five to six prescribers in the year before they died.

Half the prescribers received letters that began: "This is a courtesy communication to inform you that your patient (name, date of birth) died on (date). Prescription drug overdose was either the primary cause of death or contributed to the death."

The letters offered guidance for safer prescribing. The tone was supportive: "Learning of your patient's death can be difficult. We hope that you will take this as an opportunity" to prevent future deaths.

Then the researchers watched what happened over three months.

Letter recipients reduced their average daily opioid prescribing - measured in a standard way, morphine milligram equivalents - by nearly 10 percent compared to prescribers who didn't get letters. Opioid prescribing in the no-letter group didn't change.

Recipients put fewer new patients on opioids than those who didn't get letters. They wrote fewer prescriptions for high-dose opioids.

The strategy is original, helpful and could be duplicated elsewhere, said pain medicine expert Dr. David Clark of Stanford University, who wasn't involved in the study. He was surprised the letter's effect wasn't larger.

"It may have been easy for physicians to feel it was somebody else prescribing who got the patient in trouble," Clark said, adding that changing even one patient's care takes time, requiring "very difficult conversations."

Opioid prescribing has been declining in the U.S. for several years in response to pressure from health systems, insurers and regulators.

Yet deaths keep rising. Nearly 48,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses last year, according to preliminary numbers released last month, a 12 percent increase from a year before.

Now illegal fentanyl, another opioid, is the top killer, surpassing pain pills and heroin. Lead author Doctor said reducing the number of prescribed opioids will, over time, close off a gateway to illicit drugs by shrinking the pool of dependent people.

The study didn't analyze whether the deaths were caused by inappropriate prescribing or whether the prescribing changes resulted in patients doing better or worse.

That's a flaw in an otherwise careful study, said addiction researcher Dr. Stefan Kertesz of University of Alabama at Birmingham, who has raised red flags about policies that cause doctors to take patients off opioids too fast and without a plan for treating addiction.

Patients can fall into despair or contemplate suicide if they are involuntarily tapered off opioids without support, he said.

"What actually happens to patients should be our concern, rather than just making a number go down," Kertesz said.

Study co-author Dr. Roneet Lev, chief of emergency medicine at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, discovered her own name in the data.

Lev prescribed 15 opioid pain pills to an ER patient with a broken eye socket, without knowing the patient got 300 painkillers from another doctor a day earlier. Lev didn't get a "Dear Doctor" letter because the patient's death fell outside the timeline of the study, July 2015-June 2016.

Still, she felt the impact and believes she could have done better. Said Lev: "It was an opportunity to look at all the records on that patient and say, 'Wow, I'm really worried about you.'"

___

Follow AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson on Twitter: @CarlaKJohnson

___

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - The alleged leader of a Mexico City gang that is blamed for drug dealing, extortion and killings in the capital has been arrested, authorities announced Thursday.

National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said at a news conference that the suspected head of the Tepito Union gang known as "El Betito" was detained Wednesday in a southwestern neighborhood. He didn't give a full name, but local media reported it as Roberto Moyado Esparza.

Sales said "El Betito," 37, had used hair implants and lost more than 66 pounds (30 kilograms) through gastric bypass surgery to try to escape recognition.

Sales said the suspect is presumed to oversee the Tepito Union gang's drug sales, extortion and protection rackets in upscale neighborhoods, as well as robbery and money laundering, especially in the central borough of Cuauhtemoc. He is also being investigated in connection with various murders.

He was previously arrested in 2008 and sentenced for robbery.

The Tepito Union takes its name from the notoriously gritty Tepito neighborhood just a few blocks north of the main square known as the Zocalo, the political, cultural and social heart of the capital and the country.

"El Betito" was detained after anti-drug agents identified him on a street and launched an operation to capture him. He was arrested in possession of 10,000 U.S. dollars, drugs and a handgun, and along with his 50-year-old brother.

Sales said the suspect had apparently moved among a number of homes and apartments in fancy neighborhoods to try to avoid detection by police and gang rivals.
BOLIVIA, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina district attorney says a police chief has been indicted on multiple charges for allegedly working a second job while on duty. Local news outlets report Brunswick County Assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery said Southport Police Chief Gary Lee Smith was indicted this week on charges that include felony conspiracy to obtain property under false pretenses and misdemeanor willfully failing to discharge duties.

Emery said Smith was served Wednesday with an additional charge of obtaining property under false pretenses.

District Attorney Jon David has said Smith and Lt. Mike Simmons had a "repeated pattern" of leaving their posts to work at a trucking company. David said Smith and Simmons left Southport and even the state at times while on call.

Simmons also faces criminal charges.
HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Gov. David Ige wants voters to look at his four years of accomplishments, including his handling of the Big Island's erupting volcano, as reasons to give him a second term.

But U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, his main opponent in Saturday's Democratic primary in the heavily blue state, wants voters to look at 38 minutes in January as reason enough to send Ige packing.

That's how long panicking Hawaii residents waited to learn that a warning about an incoming ballistic missile was not real. Officials mistakenly sent a statewide alert to cellphones, televisions and radios warning of an imminent attack on Jan. 13. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL," the message read.

FILE - In this June 13, 2018 file photo, Hawaii lawmakers applaud after Gov. David Ige, who is running for a second term in office, signed legislation in Honolulu. Ige faces a stiff challenge in the Democratic primary on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, from U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who is giving up her seat in Congress to block him from a second term. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)

It was a drill - one never intended to be seen by the public - and the hysteria it caused sparked a firestorm of criticism against Ige.

"When you hear the stories about what people did in 38 minutes, it gives you a clear sense that it truly affected so many people," said Hanabusa, who is giving up her seat in Congress to challenge the governor.

Ige has his own criticisms, saying she caters to special interests and has a questionable history with ethics.

Robin Berenstain, 68, a clinical social worker at a military base on Oahu, remembers believing the missile alert that screeched on her phone. She said she called her family to tell them she loved them.

"I live in Kaneohe and overlook the bay, and opened my sliding glass door as wide as I could to be sure I'd go out on the first blast," Berenstain said. "I had no desire to live in a post-apocalyptic world."

She said it was "shocking" that it took so long to set the record straight.

"I work with families on the Marine base, and many of them were terrified for 38 minutes, and that's just unacceptable," Berenstain said. "I'm pretty sure I'm voting for Hanabusa."

While Ige acknowledged that he was "ultimately responsible" for the mishap, he repeatedly pointed to "human error" and a low-level state employee who sent the alert as the cause for the panic. But Ige ordered his defense department to roll out the nuclear attack plan before it was ready, providing the framework for the error.

The Ige administration has denied an Associated Press request for emails, phone records and calendars related to the missile alert, something Hanabusa also criticized .

"He should give us his phone records so that we know who he talked to in that 38 minutes," Hanabusa said.

Ige said the state has implemented technical safeguards that would prevent another mistake.

"I told the people that we would do an assessment and implement the appropriate changes," he said. "We are still the only state in the country that really are making plans for a nuclear attack."

Ige criticizes Hanabusa's time in the state Legislature and on Capitol Hill.

"Too many decisions were being made on behalf of special interests and self-interest," he said.

The governor said that when Hanabusa was president of the state Senate and he was a senator, she fought for a $75 million tax credit to develop an Oahu resort area.

A developer who has ties to Hanabusa and her husband was the primary recipient of the tax break.

The developer, Jeff Stone, then bought several luxury town houses at the resort and sold one to Hanabusa's now-husband. The two were engaged at the time, and Hanabusa lived in the town house.

Ige said the house was then flipped for a $400,000 profit "in a relatively short time period."

Stone did not return a call seeking comment.

Hanabusa claims Ige is making a political issue out the situation and his campaign knows she paid rent to live in the house and wasn't directly involved in the purchase.

"The developer received $3 million in tax credits for essentially running their business," Ige said, adding that Hanabusa was "not only supporting a special interest but really advocating on behalf of a special interest."

Dennis B. Miller, a voter who owns two small businesses in Waikiki and is an organizer for a universal health care advocacy group in Hawaii, thinks the tax break deal is just another example of corruption in state government.

"I think that what she did there was a normal part of the status quo of accepted corruption in Hawaii - that's part of why we have one party," Miller said of the deeply Democratic state. "That's normal among our establishment, and I do think it's wrong."

He plans to vote for Ige, saying the governor is the "lesser of two evils."

Whoever wins Saturday will face the winner of the Republican primary in November's general election.

For the GOP, John Carroll, a former state lawmaker who lost in a landslide to Democrat Brian Schatz in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, is running against state Rep. Andria Tupola, the House minority leader and one of only five Republicans in the 51-member chamber.

Political newcomer and former Pearl Harbor nonprofit CEO Ray L'Heureux is also running.

Carroll said Hawaii "is in economic chaos" and plans to sue to lift shipping restrictions that prevent products from Asia and elsewhere from being delivered directly to the islands.

Federal law requires goods bypass the state, go to the mainland then get shipped back to Hawaii by companies that Carroll describes as having a "monopoly" on the import and export business.

"We're cut off from every pipeline, highway, railroad by the Jones Act restrictions," he said.

Tupola said one of her focuses as governor would be addressing affordable housing. Native Hawaiians in particular need the opportunity to use land set aside for them decades ago, she said.

"That is one of the most disappointing things that Hawaiians have had for a long time because we have not been producing houses," she said.

In this April 28, 2018 photo, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, who is giving up her seat in Congress to run for Hawaii governor, talks with a guest at an event in Honolulu. Hawaii Gov. David Ige faces a stiff challenge from Hanabusa in the Democratic primary on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)

In this April 6, 2018 photo, former state Sen. John Carroll, who is running for Hawaii governor, speaks at a forum in Honolulu. Carroll said Hawaii "is in economic chaos," and plans to sue to lift shipping restrictions that prevent products from Asia and elsewhere from being delivered directly to the islands. (Dennis Oda/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)

In this April 6, 2018 photo, state Rep. Andria Tupola, who is running for Hawaii governor in the Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018 primary, speaks at a forum in Honolulu. Tupola said one of her primary focuses as governor would be to address affordable housing. (Dennis Oda/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A federal grand jury has indicted a man in the slaying of a co-worker at a North Carolina mountain lodge.

The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release Thursday that 20-year-old Derek Shawn Pendergraft is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Sara Ellis, a 29-year-old cook from Florida.

Prosecutors said Pendergraft, who was a housekeeper at the Pisgah Inn, reported Ellis missing, telling investigators that he and Ellis went for a hike after they both finished work July 24. Agents said Pendergraft returned from his hike and told his managers that she was missing.

Searchers found Ellis' body near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Court documents show an inn manager called investigators the next night and told them Pendergraft had confessed to the killing.
FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) - Investigators say a Missouri woman accused of barricading four children in tiny rooms with no access to water or toilets had child-sized inmate uniforms made for them.

Thirty-eight-year-olds Daryl Justen Head and Laura Elizabeth Cheatham face child endangerment and kidnapping charges. Police and state workers found four children inside windowless rooms blocked by plywood at the couple's home in Farmington. The kids, who had been adopted by Cheatham and her estranged husband, are in state custody.

The St. Francois County Sheriff's Department says Cheatham worked for the Missouri Department of Corrections until recently resigning. Authorities say she ordered four small inmate uniforms in January from a prison clothing division.

Authorities have not discussed a potential motive. The suspects are jailed on $500,000 bond and do not yet have attorneys.
SAO PAULO (AP) - Authorities are trying to negotiate an end to a prison uprising in southeastern Brazil.

The Sao Paulo State Prison Affairs Department says the uprising began Wednesday afternoon at the Felix Nobre de Campos prison in the city of Taubate.

The department's press office says inmates initially held 13 hostages, but gradually released most of them unharmed.

The inmates are still holding four clergymen and two prison guards hostage.

The department says the cause of the prison riot remains unknown and it doesn't know if any demands have been made by the inmates.

The prison was built to hold 844 inmates but has a current prison of 1,521.

Overcrowding and poor infrastructure lead to dozens of uprisings each year.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The first documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's time in George W. Bush's White House were released Thursday as the Senate begins to review the judge's unusually lengthy public record for confirmation hearings this fall.

The 5,700 pages from Kavanaugh's time in the White House counsel's office, a slim fraction of those available, were posted on the Senate Judiciary Committee's website after being compiled by a lawyer representing the former president as part of the GOP's expedited review process.

But Democrats and others scrutinizing President Donald Trump's nominee quickly cried foul, saying Republicans are "cherry-picking" from the initial cache of 125,000 Bush documents and skirting traditional procedures.

FILE - In this July 19, 2018, file photo, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh arrives for a meeting with Sen. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Kavanaugh's five years working for Bush, as a White House counsel and the staff secretary, are the subject of a fierce dispute between Senate Republicans and Democrats about the scope of documents being made available. The battle over the paper trail has come to dominate the debate over confirming the 53-year-old appellate judge to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The first download of thousands of papers Thursday is being pored over by activists and media organizations for insight into Kavanaugh's legal thinking. But it's unclear how revealing the papers will be. One of the initial pages was a discussion of lunch plans.

The records cast light on Kavanaugh's role when he served in the White House counsel's office. Documents regarding the selection of judicial nominees show he took an interest in news and editorial coverage of Democratic resistance to some of Bush's early nominees to appellate judgeships.

"This was great," Kavanaugh wrote in a July 8, 2001, email that included a copy of a Washington Post column by Benjamin Wittes, then a member of the editorial board, making the case that "the ideological stakes in the appointment of lower court judges should not be overstated." Wittes has emerged as a prominent Trump critic.

Another email carried the heading, "Good editorial in Chicago Tribune," and included a piece calling on the Senate to act on Bush's judicial nominations "without undue delay."

One topic Democrats have been particularly interested in reviewing has been the Bush-era detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects. Kavanaugh testified at his appeals court confirmation hearing in 2006 that he "was not involved and am not involved in the questions about the rules governing detention of combatants."

Among the emails released Thursday was one from November 19, 2001, in which he said he would be "happy to help" in preparing then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to respond to questions about a Justice Department policy that allowed investigators to monitor phone calls and mail between some terrorist suspects and their defense lawyers without a court order.

A week later, the Justice Department provided Kavanaugh information about the monitoring in which it said that 13 inmates - none related to the investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks - were having their conversations with lawyers listened to.

The email was written before the administration began detaining people at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But it is sure to fuel Democratic suspicions that he was more deeply involved in terror policy that he let on during his 2006 hearing.

The records also contain fleeting, and decidedly tame, glimpses of the budding relationship between Kavanaugh and his future wife, Ashley Estes, who was serving as a secretary to the president. Kavanaugh has said their first date was on the night before the September 11 attacks.

Estes asked Kavanaugh in an email on March 27, 2002, "what time do you get off today and are you up for dinner, etc. or no?" Kavanaugh replied a minute later, "yes on dinner; not sure on time off, but should be 7:30ish, maybe earlier."

Kavanaugh's extensive time in public service means there's a long, voluminous record of documents spanning his time at the Bush White House, his work on Kenneth Starr's team investigating President Bill Clinton and his judicial career.

The National Archives and Records Administration is screening nearly 1 million pages related to Kavanaugh's time in the White House to make sure none of the material is subject to executive privilege under the Presidential Records Act. It says the review will not be completed until the end of October.

Once Kavanaugh became the nominee, Senate Republicans launched a separate operation to more quickly start obtaining the White House documents directly from Bush's team.

Sen. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has promised the most transparent process yet. Already, the panel has posted thousands of other documents related to Kavanaugh, including his questionnaire and his more than 300 court cases as an appellate judge.

But Democrats complain that Bush's lawyer has been able to selectively review and release the White House documents on an expedited basis without full oversight from the Archives.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the GOP's unusual process of tapping Bush's lawyer, Bill Burck, to conduct an initial review and release of the documents is a conflict. Democrats complain that Republicans are only reviewing paperwork from Kavanaugh's work in the counsel's office, but they also want records from his three years as staff secretary, where he touched almost every paper that reached Bush's desk. Burck worked under Kavanaugh at the Bush White House.

"We are seeing layer after layer of unprecedented secrecy in what is quickly becoming the least transparent nominations process in history," Schumer said.

Republicans are eager to confirm Kavanaugh this fall, before the November midterm elections, to deliver on a top Trump priority.

Because Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, confirmation is likely, But with the Senate narrowly divided 51-49, they cannot afford a defection in their ranks if all Democrats vote no. Dates have not yet been set for Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings.

__

Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko in Washington contributed to this report.
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the ramshackle compound in the New Mexico desert that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddler's grandfather said Thursday.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, discovered Monday. And prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned 4 Monday. Prosecutors said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj speaks to reporters, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in New York. Wahhaj, the grandfather of a missing Georgia boy, says the remains of the child were found buried at a desert compound in New Mexico. Abdul-ghani Wahhaj was found Monday, on what would have been his fourth birthday, after he went missing in December in Jonesboro, Ga. near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and a youngster's remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tires, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass.

The missing boy's grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandson's.

The imam said he did not know the cause of death.

"Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable," Wahhaj said.

In an interview with WSB-TV in Atlanta, the boy's mother also called for "justice" as she described how her life had been taken from her after her son was abducted by his father, which she said was out of character for him. She and Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the imam's son, had been married almost 14 years.

"I wasn't able to save my son," she told the television station.

In Facebook messages, Naeemah Rashid, Ramzi's sister-in-law, told The Associated Press that she, too, was surprised by Wahhaj's actions, saying he had always valued the closeness of their family.

Rashid also recalled from Atlanta the deep bond between the boy and his mother, who couldn't leave the room without him crying.

While the boy could not walk, Rashid remembers that he smiled and laughed as he watched his cousins play.

"Of course this is a hard time for her," Rashid said of the mother.

Ramzi, who is from Morocco, filed for divorce in December - the same month neighbors say Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and others arrived in Amalia, New Mexico.

A Georgia arrest warrant accused him of kidnapping his child. Authorities said the father at some point told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the boy, who suffers seizures and requires constant attention because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow at birth.

The child's father was among five adults arrested on suspicion of child abuse in the raid at the compound. In court papers, prosecutors also said Wahhaj had been training children there to carry out school shootings.

Speaking at his Brooklyn mosque, the elder Wahhaj said he had no knowledge of any such training.

"It sounds to me it sounds crazy. But I don't know," he said. "I make no judgments yet because we don't know."

The imam's mosque has attracted a number of radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

In a video posted Thursday on Facebook, mosque spokesman Ali Abdul-Karim Judan called the case a "domestic situation" and vehemently denied it had anything to do with extremism.

"None of the charges had anything to do with anybody teaching anybody shooting to commit acts of terrorism or to go in and shoot up any school," he said. "Because it's a Muslim and the circumstances that are surrounding their situation, they want to change the narrative."

The elder Wahhaj said all 11 of the children, ages 1 to 15, were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

"I'm very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren," he said.

He said he didn't understand why his son had taken the family and disappeared into the desert, but suggested a psychiatric disorder was to blame.

"My son can be maybe a little bit extreme," he said, though he added that he never thought he was extreme enough to kill anyone. "High-strung," he said.

The elder Wahhaj said he did not know anything about his son wanting to perform an exorcism on the boy. But he said his son and one of his daughters had become "overly concerned" with the idea of people becoming possessed.

New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator said it was still working to identify the remains.

Dr. Kurt Nolte, New Mexico's chief medical investigator, said the remains "are in a state of decomposition that has made identification challenging." The agency said the process could take weeks.

Taos-area District Attorney Donald Gallegos said he will await the findings on how the boy died.

Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said the FBI put the place under surveillance 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, and the photographs never indicated the father was at the compound, leaving the sheriff without the information he needed to obtain a search warrant.

That changed when Georgia authorities received word that children inside the compound were starving, Hogrefe said.

The elder Wahhaj said the tip came to law enforcement through him. He said he was able to learn their whereabouts from a note that his daughter, one of the five adults at the site, sent to a man in Atlanta saying they were starving and asking for food.

That man then notified Wahhaj, who said he decided to send food and contact police.

___

Groves reported from New York. Associated Press writers Brinley Hineman in Atlanta and Mary Hudetz in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this report.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj speaks to reporters, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in New York. Wahhaj, the grandfather of a missing Georgia boy, says the remains of the child were found buried at a desert compound in New Mexico. Abdul-ghani Wahhaj was found Monday, on what would have been his fourth birthday, after he went missing in December in Jonesboro, Ga. near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

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)

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)

Lucas Morton arrives in court to plead not guilty to child abuse charges in state district court in Taos, N.M., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Morton was arrested Friday in a raid on a disheveled living compound where authorities 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 in 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)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee carried out the execution Thursday of a man condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty in nearly a decade.

Inmate Billy Ray Irick, 59, received a three-drug injection at a maximum-security prison in Nashville and was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m., authorities said. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting.

The blinds between a witness room and the execution chamber were opened at 7:26 p.m. and Irick could be seen through glass windows strapped to a gurney, an IV stuck in his arm and leading back through the wall to a room hidden by a mirror-window, where someone administered the drugs. Asked if he had any words before the chemicals began flowing, Irick at first appeared to sigh and say "no." But then he said, "I just want to say I'm really sorry and that, that's it."

This undated photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows Billy Ray Irick, currently on death row at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tenn. Irick was convicted for raping and killing a 7-year-old girl in 1985, and is scheduled to be executed Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP)

Then the execution proceeded. A minute later, his eyes closed. Snoring and heavy breathing were heard. At 7:34 p.m., there was coughing, huffing and deep breaths. An attendant began yelling "Billy" and checked the inmate and grabbed his shoulder, but there didn't seem to be any reaction. Minutes later, Irick let out a cough or choking sound, as his face turned dark purple. Then he appeared to stop making noise and was soon after pronounced dead.

Hours earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution, denying Irick's request for a stay. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent, recounting details from a recent state court trial of a case brought by inmates contesting Tennessee's execution drugs.

Irick's attorney, Gene Shiles, said his client was stoic in his last hours and accepted what would happen with "a lot of grace." Irick ordered up a burger, onion rings and a soft drink for his last meal, and spoke with chaplains, Shiles said.

It was the first execution in Tennessee since December 2009, when inmate Cecil Johnson received a lethal injection for the 1980 killings of three people during a Nashville convenience store robbery. Since then, the state has endured legal challenges and difficulties finding execution chemicals, including its previous drug, pentobarbital.

On Monday, the state Supreme Court also had refused to block Irick's execution, saying the lawsuit filed by inmates involving the execution drugs wasn't likely to succeed. That case is continuing in a state appeals court.

In a ruling late last month, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle wrote that attorneys for 33 death row inmates, including Irick, didn't prove that there is a substantially less painful means to carry out an execution or that the drugs the state planned on using would cause the inmate to be tortured to death.

Tennessee's execution protocol called for use of midazolam as a sedative, the muscle-relaxer vecuronium bromide and then potassium chloride to stop the heart.

At question is whether midazolam is actually effective in rendering someone unconscious and unable to feel pain from the other two drugs. Federal public defender Kelley Henry said at trial that inmates were tortured to death, feeling like they were suffocating, drowning, and utterly confused.

Henry said in a statement Thursday night that witness observations suggest the midazolam didn't render Irick fully unconscious, and those accounts were "indicative of pulmonary edema" from the drug.

Attorneys for the state have said the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of midazolam in a three-drug series. Once Irick was dead, Attorney General Herbert Slatery said justice was delayed too long for the little girl killed and her family.

A small group of the victim's family members watched in a separate viewing room. They opted against speaking at a news conference afterward.

"I hope tonight's lawful execution in some way eases the heartache Paula's family has lived with and brings a degree of closure to a chapter of their lives that has been indescribably difficult," Slatery said in the statement.

In Nevada, the drug company Alvogen has sued to block use of midazolam in a stalled execution. Tennessee is one of 15 states siding with the state of Nevada against the company, though Tennessee is planning to use a version of the drug that is compounded, not directly purchased from a manufacturer.

Supporters and opponents of the death penalty turned out Thursday evening in places around the state.

The Tennessean newspaper reported death penalty opponents gathered around Tennessee in several churches and outside the prison before the execution. About 50 protesters were outside the prison, while others who support the death penalty also showed up as authorities kept the two groups apart.

The execution comes a week after Pope Francis revealed new Catholic church teaching that deems the death penalty "inadmissible" under all circumstances.

Prior to the pope's emboldened stance against the death penalty, three Catholic bishops in Tennessee wrote Gov. Bill Haslam, telling him that "the death penalty contributes to the growing disrespect for human life."

Haslam declined on Monday to intervene in Irick's case.

FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2010 file photo, Billy Ray Irick, on death row for raping and killing a 7-year-old girl in 1985, appears in a Knox County criminal courtroom in Knoxville, Tenn., arguing that he's too mentally ill to be executed by the state. The Tennessee Supreme Court has refused to stay Thursday's Aug. 9, 2018, scheduled execution of the convicted child killer while the state's new lethal injection protocol continues to be challenged on appeal. The order brings Tennessee within days of killing Irick with a three-drug cocktail, barring some last-minute change. (Michael Patrick/The Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, File)

Jon Warkentin, of Nashville, gathers with protesters outside the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the execution of Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a 7-year-old Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

Anti-death penalty protesters hold candles as they gather outside of the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the execution of Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick was convicted in 1986 murder of Paula Dyer, a 7-year-old Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

Pro-death penalty supporter Rick Laude of Nashville speaks to the media about why he feels the death penalty was necessary outside of the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the execution of inmate Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick, 59, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection Thursday evening at the maximum-security prison. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

Anti-death penalty protesters gather outside of the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the execution of Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a 7-year-old Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

John Boylan of Christ the Prophet Church in Spring Hill, Tenn, holds a candle as protesters gather outside of the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution against the execution of inmate Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick, 59, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection Thursday evening at the maximum-security prison. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

Fr. John Boylan, of Christ the Prophet Church, in Spring Hill, Tenn, leads protesters in prayer outside of the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the execution of Billy Ray Irick in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick was convicted in 1986 in the death of Paula Dyer, a 7-year-old Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF PHOTOGRAPHER'S NAME TO MAYS INSTEAD OF MAYES - Kathy Jeffers, second from left, mother of victim Paula Dyer, arrives with relatives and friends for the execution of Billy Ray Irick at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Irick is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection Thursday evening at the maximum-security prison in Nashville. He was convicted in 1986 in the death of Dyer, a Knoxville girl he was babysitting. (Shelley Mays/The Tennessean via AP)

People comfort each other during a vigil at Fisk University to protest the execution of Billy Ray Irick Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee carried out the execution of Irick, condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty since 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Cary Gibson prays during a vigil at Fisk University to protest the execution of Billy Ray Irick Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee carried out the execution of Irick, condemned for the 1985 rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, marking the first time the state has applied the death penalty since 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A man who confessed to the FBI shortly after robbing a bank in Louisiana has been sentenced to 39 months in prison.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 41-year-old Eddie James was sentenced Wednesday.

James pleaded guilty in April. Authorities said James called the FBI about 90 minutes after the Nov. 2 robbery in New Orleans. He told an investigator he had been having trouble paying his bills when he walked into the bank branch with a note demanding money and left with more than $1,100.

Bank robbery carries a possible 20-year federal sentence but judges weigh numerous factors under sentencing guidelines.

James' record includes a 10-year sentence for manslaughter in 1995. However, records show the judge granted a prosecution motion for a sentence reduction following James' guilty plea.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - Former Salvador President Tony Saca pleaded guilty Thursday to embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds during his 2004-2009 government.

Saca acknowledged to a three-judge panel that he was the brains of a network that prosecutors say diverted $301 million in public funds.

Saca's lawyer Mario Machado said his client had not admitted his guilt before because procedurally it was not the right time.

El Salvador's former President Tony Saca looks on during an audience with a judge at the Isidro Menendez Judicial Complex in San Salvador, El Salvador, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Saca's lawyers said Tuesday that the former president will plead guilty to accusations of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds in return for a lighter sentence. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)

"I took advantage of the scarce controls on the two accounts" opened by his private secretary to pay other people, Saca said.

He admitted paying $100,000 a month to various publicity firms, including some that provided no services, and those firms gave 80 percent of the money back to him and kept the rest. He said he paid journalist Jorge Hernandez, who had an interview program on one of the country's most important networks, $10,000 per month for favorable coverage of his administration.

Saca also said he gave his wife $10,000 per month to pay off credit card debt. The couple bought a dozen properties through front men and built a luxurious house.

The 53-year-old ex-president was arrested in October 2016. He had faced up to 30 years in prison, but his guilty plea allows for a lighter sentence. Under the plea agreement prosecutors were asking for a 10-year sentence.

El Salvador's former President Tony Saca, right, speaks with a lawyer during an audience with a judge at the Isidro Menendez Judicial Complex in San Salvador, El Salvador, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Saca's lawyers said Tuesday that the former president will plead guilty to accusations of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds, in return for a lighter sentence. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)

El Salvador's former President Tony Saca smiles during an audience with a judge at the Isidro Menendez Judicial Complex in San Salvador, El Salvador, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Saca's lawyers said Tuesday that the former president will plead guilty to accusations of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds in return for a lighter sentence. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American public's long fascination with space - but with a military focus. The plan faces daunting hurdles and requires congressional approval. Military leaders and experts have questioned the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has extolled in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

Vice President Mike Pence gestures during an event on the creation of a U. S. Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," Pence said.

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes' potential aggression rather than any offensive U.S. military effort.

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years U.S. adversaries have "pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground."

"As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge," he said.

In June, the president directed the Pentagon to create a "separate but equal" space force, a complicated and expensive move that could take years to gain Congress' approval and become operational. On Thursday, Pence said the administration will work with Congress on the plan and will outline a budget next year. The last time the U.S. created a new uniformed military service was in 1947, when the Air Force was launched after World War II. It joined the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space-warfighting forces and create a new command, but he previously opposed launching an expensive new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Asked about the cost, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters the Pentagon doesn't have a number yet but will when the legislative proposal is finished by the end of the year.

"I would assume it's billions," he said. Shanahan said Mattis' opposition to a separate service last year was rooted in concerns about spending more on overhead while under strict budget caps - implying that those worries may not be as great now.

Deborah James, who served as Air Force secretary for the final three years of the Obama administration, estimated it would be five to 10 years before a separate service would be fully formed.

"Eventually, it'll settle out, but you will go through years of thrashing. And is that thrashing going to slow your momentum or is it going to help you achieve your goals and address the real challenges that we have on our plate?" she said at Brookings Institution last week. "I don't think so. I don't. I wouldn't vote in favor of it."

The military's role in space has been under scrutiny because the United States is increasingly reliant on orbiting satellites that are difficult to protect. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the national economy.

U.S. intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China were pursuing "nondestructive and destructive" anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war. And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress on Thursday lays out plans to consolidate U.S. warfighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of technologies.

It says the department will establish a Space Command to develop warfighting operations, a Space Development Agency to more quickly identify and develop new technologies, a Space Operations Force of leaders and fighters and a new support structure. In the second phase, the Pentagon would combine all the components into the new sixth branch of service.

In the meantime, the Space Command would be led by a four-star general, and Pence said a new high-level civilian post - assistant defense secretary for space - would also be created.

"We are glad that the Pentagon is finally taking these steps in enhancing our space strength," Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., leaders of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a statement. They said the Pentagon report was the start of a "multi-year process that we think will result in a safer, stronger America."

Much of the military's current space power is wielded by the Air Force Space Command, which has its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command has about 38,000 personnel and operates 185 military satellite systems, including the Global Positioning System and communications and weather satellites. It also oversees Air Force cyberwarfare.

Under the new plan, space elements that are now scattered across the department would be gathered under one command, which Pence said would better ensure integration across the military.

___

Associated Press Radio correspondent Sagar Meghani in Washington and writers Robert Burns in Washington and Dan Elliott in Colorado contributed to this report.

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, right, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis introduces Vice President Mike Pence during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis introduces Vice President Mike Pence during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence gestures during an event on the creation of a U. S. Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
NEW YORK (AP) - An ex-judge reviewing over four million items seized from President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer for attorney-client privilege said Thursday that her work is finished.

Attorney Barbara Jones revealed in a letter in Manhattan federal court that she has completed her review of designations by lawyers for attorney Michael Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization.

Prosecutors have said they are investigating possible fraud in Cohen's business dealings. He has not been charged.

FILE - In a Monday, July 30, 2018 file photo, Michael Cohen, formerly a lawyer for President Trump, leaves his hotel, in New York. Attorney Barbara Jones revealed in a letter filed Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, in Manhattan federal court that she has completed her review of designations by lawyers for attorney Michael Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization. After the April 9 raid of Cohen's office and residences, Cohen asked a judge to give him a role in deciding what seized items were privileged and could not be seen by prosecutors. The judge appointed Jones. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Prosecutors have revealed that they have been gathering evidence in the investigation for months, but have offered no public timeline for when they might conclude their investigation.

After the April 9 raid of Cohen's office and residences, Cohen asked a judge to give him a role in deciding what seized items were privileged and could not be seen by prosecutors. The judge appointed Jones.

The final batch described by Jones Thursday contained nearly 5,000 items designated as privileged by Cohen or Trump. Jones agreed with nearly half of the designations, saying 1,972 were privileged and 285 were highly personal. She did not agree that 635 other items also were highly personal.

She finished the letter by saying: "The Special Master has concluded her review."

Neither Cohen nor Trump contested any of her designations by appealing her findings to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who assigned Jones to the task and decided that any disputes would be handled publicly, except for the contents of the items.

In all, lawyers for Cohen or Trump challenged roughly 14,000 items out of over four million electronic communications, documents, recorded conversations, videos and other items.

Jones rejected over 6,000 of the designations made by Cohen and Trump, allowing them to be seen and considered by prosecutors.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration's plan to establish a Space Force as a new branch of the military will unfold in phases and will require congressional approval.

According to an outline submitted to Congress on Thursday, the Pentagon will:

-As a first step, recommend to President Donald Trump that he approve creation of a U.S. Space Command by the end of this year. It would be headed by a four-star general. Space Command's main role would be to prepare for conflict in space and to lead U.S. space forces should such a war begin.

-Create a Space Development Agency to accelerate the development and fielding of technologies required for a Space Force. It will report to a civilian.

-Establish a Space Operations Force, which will be a group of space technology and space warfare experts. This group would be the core of an eventual Space Force, to be created as a separate military service. These experts would be developed over time much like the military in the past has created cadres of service members with expertise in medicine, cyber operations and commando operations.

-Submit to Congress, as part of its 2020 budget request, a legislative proposal for creation of a Space Force as a separate military service. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday the Pentagon has not yet calculated what this will cost, but he said it will run into the billions.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) - A northern Virginia man has died after getting out of his car in a road-rage confrontation and getting pinned between two vehicles.

Prince William County Police say 53-year-old Larry Dean Walker of Woodbridge was driving his pickup truck on the Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge Wednesday when he got into an argument with a 34-year-old man driving a sedan. It's unclear what sparked the argument.

Police say both vehicles stopped as they approached backed-up traffic. Walker got out of his truck and walked toward the sedan.

The sedan driver moved into the parkway's left lanes and in the process struck Walker and a minivan.

Police say Walker became pinned between the sedan and minivan and died at the scene.

Police said Thursday they're still investigating whether to file charges.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Strong feelings about President Donald Trump, a competitive governor's race and congressional retirements fueled what probably was record turnout for a Michigan primary, with more than half-million more people voting than in 2010 - the last time the governorship was open.

Nearly 2.2 million votes were cast, a 28 percent spike over the 1.7 million mark from 2002, which is believed to be the previous record. Just over 28 percent of the voting-age population cast ballots, an upturn over the previous high of 24 percent from 1982. Turnout numbers posted online only go back 40 years.

Analysts attribute the surge in voter engagement to angst over and backing for Trump along with a ballot that had a number of high-profile, high-dollar open races on both sides. At least $23 million was spent airing broadcast TV ads across the state, including nearly $17 million on governor's races won by Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Schuette.

Detroit voters cast their vote in the Michigan primaries at Pasteur Elementary in Detroit on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press via AP)

More than 1.1 million people voted in the Democratic gubernatorial contest, double the number in the 2010 race, and about 140,000 more than the nearly 1 million who voted in the Republican primary.

Michigan, where Republicans have controlled state government for 7 years, is an important gauge of whether Democrats can make gains in the upper Midwest after Trump won the state in 2016.

Pollster Bernie Porn of EPIC-MRA in Lansing said Trump, whose endorsements of Schuette and John James helped carry them to wins, energized both the Republican and Democratic bases to vote on Tuesday. Other states such as Illinois, California and Montana have seen high number of voters this year, too.

"It's a big warning sign for Republicans," said Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon. "It's not very often that we overperform them in primary turnout, especially when you have equally competitive primaries on both sides."

He noted that more Democrats than Republicans voted in suburban Detroit's Oakland and Macomb counties, key bellwethers in statewide general elections. Some Oakland precincts ran out of ballots, possibly due to higher-than-expected turnout.

"It's not totally predictive, but I think it's a very good sign that we're going to have an engaged, excited Democratic electorate turning out in November," said Dillon, whose party has struggled with turnout in past midterm elections.

Republicans say they expected higher Democratic turnout. They cite hostility toward Trump, spending on top races and recent visits to the state from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and upstart New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to boost Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who lost to Whitmer.

"The blue wave, it's a thing. We're aware of it. But with our ground game and our fundraising capabilities, we feel like if we pack our raingear - if we come prepared - we're going to be just fine," said state GOP spokeswoman Sarah Anderson. She said while the president's party typically faces rough sledding in his first midterm election, Michigan Republicans have a better record of getting out the vote than Democrats do.

"Our voters will come home. The people who are supportive of the president are very supportive, they're very enthusiastic," said Anderson, adding that the GOP also will have to appeal to independent swing voters.

A key reason for the turnout boost was the number of competitive House races in metropolitan Detroit, said Lansing-based pollster Ed Sarpolus of Target-Insyght. The resignation of 27-term Democrat John Conyers - who left after allegations of sexual harassment - and the coming retirements of 18-term Democrat Sandy Levin and two-term Republican Dave Trott sparked intense fights to succeed them.

___

Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert

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)
SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazilian prosecutors leading a major corruption investigation say they will return the equivalent of $272 million to state oil company Petrobras.

A Thursday statement by the prosecutors of the so-called Operation Car Wash said Petrobras will receive the funds in a few days.

The money was retrieved from politicians, civil servants and businessmen who agreed to cooperate with the investigation of a major kickback scheme that investigators say cost Petrobras more than $2 billion.

In the last few years, dozens of politicians and top businessmen have been convicted and jailed, and many more are facing charges
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say a loaded septic truck somehow overturned and landed wheels-up in the backyard pool of a Pennsylvania home.

Conestoga Volunteer Fire Company Chief Larry Frankford says no one was hurt in the Thursday afternoon accident but it's left behind a very unpleasant smell.

He says "you can just use your imagination" about the smell from the combination of diesel fuel, oil and human sewage.

A septic truck overturned and crashed into a swimming pool Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, on Slackwater Road at Stehman Road in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pa. (Blaine Shahan/LancasterOnline via AP)

Crews were able remove the sewage before using a rotating wrecker to attempt to extract the truck from the pool.

Frankford says the truck driver was attempting to avoid a road closure nearby when he somehow ended up in the water.

The incident occurred near Millersville, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress is leaving a seat empty for a member they say has been kidnapped by President Nicolas Maduro's ruling party.

The National Assembly on Thursday marked Juan Requesens' seat with a sign saying he's missing or kidnapped. Officials arrested Requesens on Tuesday.

He and fellow lawmaker Julio Borges are charged with the attempted assassination of Maduro using drones loaded with explosives.

The family of lawmaker Juan Requesens, father Juan Requesens, right, mother Paula Martinez, center, sister Rafalea, left, and wife Oriana Granati attend a special session of Venezuela's National Assembly, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. VVenezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly stripped two opposition lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution on Wednesday, one of them Juan Requesens, accusing them of having roles in a drone attack that authorities say was an attempt to kill President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Rafaela Requesens says her brother was arrested for being a critic of Maduro's repressive regime - not a criminal.

She says her brother hasn't been allowed to make outside contact or see an attorney since being arrested in violation of his rights.

Several foreign diplomats from the United States, France and Canada attended the Assembly's special session in a show of support.

Rafaela Requesens, sister of Venezuelan lawmaker Juan Requesens speaks upon her arrival to National Assembly to attend a special session, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Venezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly stripped two opposition lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution on Wednesday, one of them Juan Requesens, accusing them of having roles in a drone attack that authorities say was an attempt to kill President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):

8 p.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency as a wildfire that forced 20,000 people from their homes continues to rage south of Los Angeles.

A sheriff's deputy stands guard at a gate near a hillside as the Holy Fire burns in the Cleveland National Forest at Temescal Valley in Corona, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Brown issued the declaration Thursday for Orange and Riverside counties because of a fire in the Cleveland National Forest that's threatening thousands of homes.

The fire near Lake Elsinore is devouring brushy foothills, ridgetops and canyons. It's blackened 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) and is only 5 percent contained.

On Thursday, flames came within yards of some homes.

A man charged with intentionally setting the fire is scheduled for arraignment on Friday.

___

4 p.m.

Authorities are urging evacuation for people in the path of an arson-caused wildfire that's exploding along ridges, foothills and canyons south of Los Angeles.

The call for voluntary evacuations was issued Thursday for people near a mountainside above Lake Elsinore, joining at least 20,000 people who are under mandatory evacuation orders as fire churns through Cleveland National Forest.

The fire is burning through dense, heavy chaparral and came within yards of some homes in the foothills. Early on, the blaze that erupted Monday burned a dozen cabins.

Winds gusting to nearly 20 mph are helping drive the flames through tinder-dry brush. Temperatures have topped 100 degrees and the humidity is in single digits.

Meanwhile, a man charged with starting the fire refused to go to court Thursday. Forrest Clark could face life in prison if convicted.

___

9 a.m.

At least 20,000 foothill and canyon residents have evacuated as a growing wildfire churns through the Cleveland National Forest south of Los Angeles.

Fire spokeswoman Kate Kramer says Thursday that the majority of the 15-square-mile (39-square-kilometer) blaze is burning in wildland areas. But officials are concerned about flames creeping down hillsides toward neighborhoods. The fire is just 5 percent contained.

Kramer says crews with air support are also trying to keep flames away from Santiago Peak, where critical communication infrastructure for the region is located.

Officials say heavy smoke settling on surrounding communities is creating unhealthy conditions.

A 51-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the so-called Holy Fire is expected in court Thursday.

____

7 a.m.

California fire officials say the largest blaze ever recorded in the state is now more than half contained.

But the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says Thursday it will still take several weeks to fully surround the massive wildfire in Northern California because it's burning in steep terrain that's hard to reach.

Cal Fire says the blaze that has charred 475 square miles (1,230 square kilometers) of brush and timber is 51 percent contained.

In Southern California, a forest fire that's prompted evacuations in canyon and foothill neighborhoods south of Los Angeles continues to grow with minimal containment.

New evacuations were ordered Wednesday. Flames are creeping down hillsides toward homes in the city of Lake Elsinore, where crews are prepared to provide structure protection.

A firefighter battles the Holy Fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest along a hillside at Temescal Valley in Corona, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Firefighters fought a desperate battle to stop the Holy Fire from reaching homes as the blaze surged through the Cleveland National Forest above the city of Lake Elsinore and its surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

A firefighter sets a backburn to fight the Holy Fire as it burns in the Cleveland National Forest along a hillside at Temescal Valley in Corona, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Firefighters fought a desperate battle to stop the wildfire from reaching homes as the blaze surged through the forest above the city of Lake Elsinore and its surrounding communities. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Latest on a federal appeals court's ruling regarding a Pennsylvania congressman's public corruption conviction (all times local):

7:20 p.m.

Federal prosecutors say they'll study an appeals court ruling that threw out some corruption charges against a former congressman from Philadelphia, noting that either way, he'll remain behind bars.

FILE- In this June 21, 2016, file photo, Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., walks after leaving the federal courthouse in Philadelphia. A federal appeals court has overturned the ex-Pennsylvania congressman's bribery convictions, but has let stand guilty verdicts on numerous other counts. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, that Fattah, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence, and an associate are eligible for a retrial on the charges it threw out. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

U.S. Attorney William McSwain said Thursday prosecutors were pleased with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding many of the counts for which former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (SHAW'-kah fa-TAH') was convicted.

McSwain says his office will decide if a retrial on the dismissed charges against Fattah and co-defendant Herbert Vederman should be pursued.

Fattah is serving a decadelong sentence at a federal prison in northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Democrat was once a powerful figure in Philadelphia politics, but prosecutors argued he violated the law after running short of campaign funds during a failed run for mayor.

___

12:50 p.m.

A federal appeals court has overturned an ex-Pennsylvania congressman's bribery convictions, but has let stand guilty verdicts on numerous other counts.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that 61-year-old former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (SHAW'-kah fa-TAH'), who is serving a 10-year prison sentence, and an associate are eligible for a retrial on the charges it threw out.

The Philadelphia Democrat spent 20 years in Congress before his 2016 conviction on charges including racketeering, bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice.

In addition to the bribery case, he was convicted of using more than $600,000 in government grants and nonprofit funds on personal and campaign expenses.

In his appeal, Fattah cited a Supreme Court decision narrowing the definition of political graft.

Prosecutors said they are reviewing the ruling. Fattah's attorney declined comment.
The Argentine Senate debated all day on Wednesday over a bill that would legalise elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy in the homeland of Pope Francis, setting up a vote that could reverberate around the region.

Argentinas lower house of Congress already passed the measure, and President Mauricio Macri said he would sign it if approved by the Senate.

The Senate session spilled over into Thursday as the debate stretched past 12 hours. A vote was expected before dawn.

The Senate also could modify the bill and return it to the lower house.

Argentina now allows abortion only in cases of rape or risks to a womans health, and activists say 3,000 women have died of illegal abortions since 1983.

Opponents, meanwhile, insist life begins at conception and complain the bill could force doctors to perform the procedure even when they believe it is hazardous.

Protesters demonstrate in support of loosening the abortion law, left, and against abortion, right, in this photo taken from Congress where politicians are debating the issue in Buenos Aires (Argentine Senate via AP)

The issue has bitterly divided Argentines, pitting conservative doctors and the Roman Catholic Church against feminist groups and other physicians.

Hundreds of doctors have staged anti-abortion protests, in one case laying their white medical coats on the ground outside the presidential palace.

Feminist groups, in turn, have held demonstrations in support of the measure, often wearing green that symbolises their movement or costumes based on author Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale.

Many demonstrators braved a heavy rain and the cold of the Argentine winter waiting outside the Congress building.

Daiana Anadon, leader of the feminist group Wave, said she and hundreds of other women would stay until the final moment because we believe the power of the street will move the situation.

During the debate, Senator Mario Fiad called abortion a tragedy and said he opposed the legislation, arguing it is unconstitutional and violates international treaties.

The right to life is about to become the weakest of rights, said Mr Fiad.

Women march in favour of legalising abortion in Argentina (Marco Ugarte/AP)

Opposition Senator Pedro Guastavino said he was initially against the proposal but changed his mind after coming to understand that illegal abortions put lives at risk.

The only way to understand this is through the point of view of public health, he said.

International human rights and womens groups were following the vote, and figures such as US actress Susan Sarandon and Canadian author Atwood supported the pro-abortion cause in Argentina.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, said Argentina had a historic opportunity to protect the rights of women. Amnesty International told Argentine legislators that the world is watching.

Catholic and evangelical groups protested abortion with the slogan, Argentina, filicide (child murder) will be your ruin.

Womens movements across South America have been pushing against decades-old abortion prohibitions.

In neighbouring Brazil, supporters and opponents of abortion recently testified before the Supreme Federal Tribunal in an extraordinary session on whether to allow elective abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

In Brazil, which is home to the worlds largest population of Catholics and fast-growing evangelical faiths, abortion carries a punishment of up to three years in prison. There are three exceptions: if a woman is raped, pregnancy puts her life in danger, or a fetus is brain-dead.

Chiles Constitutional Court last year upheld legislation ending the Andean nations absolute ban on abortions, permitting the procedure when a womans life is in danger, when a fetus is not viable or in cases of rape.

Small groups rallied in other countries across the region to voice support for the Argentine abortion measure, including in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.
Argentinas Senate has rejected a bill to legalise abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The issue has divided the homeland of Pope Francis.

Politicians debated for more than 15 hours and voted on Thursday 31 in favour to 38 against.

Protesters demonstrate in support of loosening the abortion law, left, and against abortion, right (Delfina Linares/AP)

Crowds of supporters and opponents of the measure braved the heavy rain to watch the debate on large screens set up outside Congress.

The lower house of Congress had already passed the measure and President Mauricio Macri had said that he would sign it.

Argentina currently allows the procedure only in cases of rape or risks to a womans health.
Nagasaki has marked the anniversary of the worlds second atomic bombing with the United Nations chief and the citys mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward world nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-general Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that they should never be repeated.

He raised concerns about the slowing effort to denuclearise, saying existing nuclear states are modernising their arsenals.

Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt, Mr Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park.

Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency.

Then he added: Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on earth to suffer nuclear devastation.

People sing in front of the Peace Memorial Statue at Peace Park in Nagasaki (Takuma Kaneko/Kyodo/AP)

The peace and nuclear disarmament movement, started by survivors of the atomic bombings, has spread around the world but frustration over the slow progress led to last years adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Japan, despite being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, has not signed the treaty, because of its sensitive position as an US ally protected by its nuclear umbrella.

Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japans government to do more to lead nuclear disarmament, especially in the region to help advance the efforts to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, at Nagasaki Peace Park (Miyuki Saito/AP)

He said citizens of the atomic-bombed cities are hoping to see North Korea denuclearised.

Mr Taue said he hoped Japans government would take the opportunity to realise a nuclear-free Northeast Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Taue urged Tokyo to sign the treaty and fulfil its moral obligation to lead the world towards denuclearisation.

Smoke billows up over Nagasaki, Japan, after the atomic bombing (US Air Force/PA)

He said more than 300 local assemblies have adopted resolutions calling on Japan to sign and ratify the treaty.

Japan seeks to close the gaps between nuclear and non-nuclear states to eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, said prime minister Shinzo Abe, repeating almost the same phrase he used in his speech three days ago in Hiroshima.

The bombing of Nagasaki on August 9 1945 was the second US nuclear attack on Japan, killing 70,000 people, three days after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000.

They were followed by Japans surrender, ending the Second World War.
The brother of a 12-year-old victim of the Omagh bomb said a recent visit to the scene was hugely cathartic and called for the killers to finally face justice.

James Barker died in the Real IRA blast which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, in the Co Tyrone town on August 15 1998.

The Barker family had moved from England to Buncrana, County Donegal, less than a year before the bombing in the hope of giving them a better quality of life close to their maternal grandmother.

Oliver Barker, now a 24-year-old estate agent who lives in Surrey, was just four-years old when his older brother James was killed in the terrorist attack whilst out on a field trip with other children.

Before the bomb ripped through the town and changed their lives, Mr Barker said the family had been enjoying their life in Ireland.

It was a fantastic time. The months that we lived in Ireland before the Omagh bombing was picturesque in every ideal.

And its just a shame that unfortunately that changed quite significantly from that day onward, he said.

With the 20-year anniversary of the atrocity just days away, Mr Barker said he recently travelled to Omagh and the scene of the bomb.

I was able to revisit it with my mother. And for us, and indeed for myself, it was an experience that was hugely cathartic.

It allowed me to walk the streets that so many years ago had been obliterated in what was an event that would change the lives of everybody involved, he said.

A police officer looking at the damage caused by the explosion in Market Street (PA)

The Omagh bombing inflicted the greatest loss of life of any terror atrocity in the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles and came just months after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The dead came from both sides of the Irish border, England and Spain.

Despite extensive police investigations, nobody has been convicted of murder.

Mr Barker said the lack of convictions has been very frustrating, adding that he believes there are people who have crucial information about what happened.

I think its almost definitive that thats the case, he said, as he urged anyone with information to do the honourable thing and to come forward.

He said: The names, the places, the times. So that the criminal justice system can run its course and so the families could get the justice that they need.

Despite the pain of losing his brother in an attack in Northern Ireland, Mr Barker said he has nothing but love for the place.

I love Ireland and I love Northern Ireland. And the people of Ireland as well. And on both sides there are people that have put in their life into bringing justice and supporting peace.

And I think they above everyone else should be congratulated for their efforts.

I dont think that the actions of a few individuals should ever represent a race or a creed, and I think anybody that believes that and lets hatred and discrimination rule their lives is unfortunately quite foolish, because at the end of the day, men and women around the world are responsible for their own actions, and we cannot hold to an account an entire country for the actions of only a few people.

And whenever I have visited both southern and Northern Ireland I have been only ever welcomed with warmth and with love, and the people there are unlike any other people in the world.

They are jolly, and they are pleasant, and they will happily have a 20-minute conversation with you having never met you before in their life, which is great.

Mr Barker said he will spend August 15 with his family.
Russia has angrily denounced the imposition of draconian new US sanctions after the administration concluded Moscow was responsible for the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

The embassy in Washington accused the Americans of running a sanctions assembly line following the surprise announcement by the State Department on Wednesday.

The Kremlin said the US action was absolutely unlawful but played down the prospect of immediate tit-for-tat measures.

The move came despite controversial efforts by Donald Trump to reach out to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at last months summit in Helsinki.

US sanctions assembly line increases its production output. New draconian sanctions against Russia.

https://t.co/M0ymnsQMDy pic.twitter.com/KA04XMD81y  Russian Embassy in USA  (@RusEmbUSA) August 9, 2018

Unusually, there was no immediate comment by the US president, who has been heavily critical of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Under US legislation, the administration is obliged to act once there has been a determination that chemical or biological weapons have been used.

State Department officials said the sanctions  which are due to come into force around August 22  were expected to include an export ban on sensitive national security technology and goods.

They could be followed by a second more punitive round of measures if the administration is unable to certify that Russia is no longer using chemical weapons or provide reliable assurances that it will not do so in future.

According to US reports, they 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)

In its statement, the Russian Embassy in Washington accused the US of failing to provide any justification for the action.

We grew accustomed to not hearing any facts or evidence. The American side refused to answer our follow-up questions, claiming that the information is classified. However, we were told that the US has enough intel to conclude that Russia is to blame, it said.

It added: We confirmed that we continue to strongly stand for an open and transparent investigation of the crime committed in Salisbury and for bringing the culprits to justice. We suggested publishing our correspondence on this issue. No answer has followed so far.

#Zakharova: The #PortonDown chemical laboratory should remain in the focus of investigations. We insist that the British authorities disclose data on the labs work to synthesise chemical warfare agents, incl. the gas labelled #Novichok in the West | #SkripalCase #Salisbury pic.twitter.com/jARrriyUel  MFA Russia  (@mfa_russia) August 9, 2018

In Moscow, Mr Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said they were still waiting for official notification from the US authorities.

We heard the official statements about the so-called new sanctions and we heard some high-profile source saying that some restrictions could be introduced against Russia, he told reporters, according to the Tass news agency.

As we still do not understand what it means officially, it would be definitely wrong to speak of any retaliatory measures now.

And Ministry for Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Governments defence laboratory at Porton Down should be the focus of investigations.

We insist that the British authorities disclose data on the labs work to synthesise chemical warfare agents, including the gas labelled Novichok in the West, she said.

If we are going to stop chemical and biological weapons - including nerve agents - becoming a new and horrific 21st cent norm states like Russia that use or condone their use need to know there is a price to pay. Thank you USA for standing firm with us on this  Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) August 9, 2018

In contrast, the US move was warmly welcomed by Downing Street, which has consistently blamed Moscow for the attack in March on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade Novichok nerve agent developed by the former Soviet Union.

Two other people, Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, were subsequently exposed to the nerve agent, believed to have been in a perfume bottle discarded by the attackers. Ms Sturgess died eight days later.

Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with Novichok believed to have been discarded by the Skripals attackers (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A No 10 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.

And Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: If we are going to stop chemical and biological weapons  including nerve agents  becoming a new and horrific 21st century norm, states like Russia that use or condone their use need to know there is a price to pay.

Thank you USA for standing firm with us on this.

The US announcement follows reports that the British Government is preparing to submit an extradition request for two Russian nationals wanted in connection with the attack.

They were said to have been identified by cross-checking CCTV footage with records of people who entered the country around the time of the attack. There has been no official comment on the reports.
Argentinas Senate has rejected a bill to legalise elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, an issue that has divided the homeland of Pope Francis.

Politicians debated for more than 15 hours and voted 38-31 against the bill.

The decision could echo across Latin America, where the Roman Catholic Church has lost influence and moral authority due to secularisation, an out-of-touch clerical caste and an avalanche of sex abuse scandals.

For long hours, thousands of supporters wearing green handkerchiefs that represent the effort to legalise abortion and opponents of the measure, wearing light blue, braved the heavy rain and cold temperatures in Argentinas winter to watch the debate on large screens set up outside Congress.

Pro-choice activists react after politicians voted against the bill (Natacha Pisaranko/AP)

The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but after the vote, small groups of protesters clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades.

Police officers responded with tear gas.

The lower house had already passed the measure and conservative President Mauricio Macri had said that he would sign it, even though he is anti-abortion.

In Argentina, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a womans health.

Thousands of women, most of them poor, are taken to hospital each year for complications linked due to unsafe abortions, the main cause of maternal death.

Backers of the measure said legalising abortion would save the life of many women who now turn to dangerous illegal abortions.

A woman in support of decriminalising abortion spreads coloured smoke (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

The Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as half a million clandestine abortions each year, with dozens of women dying as a result.

The Catholic Church and other groups opposed it, saying it violated Argentine law, which guarantees life from the moment of conception.

There are positive points that have come out of this, first of all, that even when there are differing ways of thinking, theres a square in peace right now, with thousands of people defending their convictions, said Buenos Aires provincial Governor Maria Eugenia Vidal, who was against the measure.

There was talk of a green square and a light blue square.

But the truth is that these are people who are right there next to each other, coexisting and defending what they believe to be the truth.

Demonstrators celebrate the decision by the senate (Luisa Balaguer/AP)

But the contentious issue has divided Argentinians, pitting conservative doctors and the Catholic Church against feminist groups and physicians.

While thousands of people waited for the decision on the streets guarded by umbrellas, others gathered Wednesday night at a Mass For Life at the capital citys Metropolitan Cathedral, the church of Pope Francis during his tenure as the archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State

Protesters demonstrate in support of loosening the abortion law, left, and against abortion, right (Delfina Linares/AP)

Its not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason, Cardinal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, told churchgoers.

Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State.

Pope Francis this year had denounced abortion as the white glove equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics programme and urged families to accept the children that God gives them.

Activists estimate that 3,000 women in Argentina have died of illegal abortions since 1983.

Lets recognise that were facing a public health tragedy because 3,030 women who have died is a tragedy, said Magdalena Odarda, a senator for Rio Negro province.

Were not deciding abortion yes or no.

Were deciding abortion in a hospital, or illegal abortion, with a clothes hanger, or anything else that puts a woman in a humiliating, degrading situation, a real torture, she said.
A nurse working at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh the day of the bomb has recalled it as the darkest of her life.

Sister Joann McCullagh was then a staff nurse, and says she is proud to have been on duty that day, and also proud of how the people of Omagh pulled together and supported each other.

She had been relaxing at home on that Saturday afternoon following a week of night shifts when she heard about the bomb and immediately returned to the hospital.

When she arrived at A&E, she was greeted with chaos.

There were multiple people screaming and cars everywhere, buses coming, it was chaos, she said.

There was no concept of time, it was just a mass of people coming through the doors, people asking for loved ones.

One of my memories was Mr Pinto [a surgeon] asking me to get a priest. I recall at the bottom of the stairs, there were hundreds of people, roaring, shouting, crying, screaming for loved ones.

I recall seeing a priest, I remember reaching over this mass of people dragging him up the stairs.

When we got to the theatre door, there was a red line, he stopped and said, you cant enter theatre, I remember going, I need you now, and pulling him into the theatre. He was obviously giving last rites to one of the unfortunate victims.

One of Ms McCullaghs most poignant memories was transporting a seriously ill patient to Belfast.

The patient had very traumatic leg injuries, I recall taking this lady via helicopter, she said.

Her husband had got to the door of ward 12 just as we were about to get into the helicopter, he ran out to say cheerio to her.

As I was getting into the aircraft, and the noise, every time I see a helicopter I remember that noise, Id never been in a helicopter before and the army personnel were exceptionally good, they were supporting us in every way.

I recall landing at Musgrave Park, and the silence, the unbearable silence.

We got into an ambulance and were taken to the Royal [Victoria Hospital], and there was just this deafening silence.

When I got to the Royal, I was taken with the patient, her name was Geraldine, into the Resus area.

I recall Geraldine holding my hand and squeezing it, I remember praying to her, and saying, Geraldine, you are going to be alright, then the whole team engulfed the area and then I was left aside.

Geraldine Breslin later died from her injuries. Years later, Ms McCullagh met members of her family and formed a lasting friendship.

The Prince of Wales meets Joann McCullagh (centre), who treated victims of the Omagh bombing in 1998, as he visits Omagh Hospital as part of his tour of Northern Ireland (PA)

Ms McCullagh said she is proud of how the town came together in that dark hour.

It was the people of this town, our friends, family, our loved ones, neighbours, friends  everyone knew everyone because we are a small community, she said.

We just worked and worked and worked, I went home, I think it was about 4.30am in the morning.

It was the darkest day of my life, but the nursing and clinical care given on that day was exceptional.

Im very proud to have been a nurse on that day, as I am so proud of the people of this town.

We had to deal with an unbelievable horrendous incident, but as a town and a community we worked tirelessly together, and that cannot be emphasised enough.
I know they don't teach basic civics in school any longer, but I'm old enough to have learned that we are a country of immigrants and that America was great because it was a melting pot-- even better than Canada which was disparaged as a mosaic in comparison. When Trump unchains his in-house neo-Nazi co-conspirator, Stephen Miller, and allows him to turn his energy (and bigotry) againstimmigrants, the Regime is directly attacking every family in the country. Remember when you read below, that Miller was the brilliant strategist behind family separation and border kidnappings . Yesterday thewarned its readers that Miller's new plan stops citizenship for legal immigrants . The story originates with Julia Ainsley at NBC News, explaining how the Trumpist regime plans to "make it harder for legal immigrants to become citizens or get green cards if they haveused a range of popular public welfare programs, including Obamacare."

And they plan to institute this newest Miller attack against America without congressional approval. He's drafting a plan that would target "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."

Immigration lawyers and advocates and public health researchers say it would be the biggest change to the legal immigration system in decades and estimate that more than 20 million immigrants could be affected. They say it would fall particularly hard on immigrants working jobs that don't pay enough to support their families.





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.





Using some public benefits like Social Security Insurance has already hindered immigrants from obtaining legal status in the past, 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.





...Miller, along with several of his former congressional colleagues who now hold prominent positions in the Trump administration, have long sought to decrease the number of immigrants who obtain legal status in the U.S. each year. And even before the rule is in place, the administration has made it more difficult for immigrants to gain green cards and for green-card holders to gain citizenship.





[Note: Miller was never in Congress, although he worked for several Republican racists and xenophobes-- Jeff Sessions, Michele Bachmann, Dave Brat and John Shadegg.]









Charles, the Haitian green-card holder who works as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital near Boston, said he was stunned to learn his application for citizenship had been denied. He had used a fake passport given to him by smugglers when he entered the U.S. from Haiti in 1989, but confessed to border officers and received a waiver from USCIS absolving him of his wrongdoing and allowing him to obtain a green card in 2011.





Now 55, Charles is a homeowner and a taxpayer and thought obtaining citizenship would be a smooth process. "I thought in this country everything was square and fair," Charles said.





But when he went for his citizenship interview in August 2017, the USCIS officers told him they were going to revisit the decision to waive the fake passport incident, meaning he could potentially lose his green card as well.





Then he received a letter in September telling him his request for citizenship had been denied.





He appealed the decision, but as he waits for a final verdict, his lawyer says his green-card status may also now be in question.





In late November, the Trump administration announced they would end temporary protected status for Haitians who came to the U.S. after the deadly 2010 earthquake. Charles's wife was a recipient of that protection and without him becoming a citizen, he would be unable to vouch for her.





But Charles's biggest concern is his daughter. Although she is in her 20s and a U.S. citizen, she has severe disabilities that make it impossible for her to live by herself.





Charles is unaware of Miller's new plan to limit citizenship for immigrants who have used public assistance. But it is likely to affect him because he has used public assistance to help care for his daughter, so she could end up further hurting his chances for citizenship.





Though its effects could be far-reaching, the proposal to limit citizenship to immigrants who have not used public assistance does not appear to need Congressional approval. As the Clinton administration did in 1999, the Trump administration would be redefining the term "public charge," which first emerged in immigration law in the 1800s in order to shield the U.S. from burdening too many immigrants who could not contribute to society.





..."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," said the National Immigration Law Center in a statement.
A rescue boat carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras.

Its arrival on Thursday comes as the political mood in Spain shows signs of tension over a spike in migrant arrivals.

The boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms delivered what it says are mostly Sudanese war refugees it picked up off the Libyan coast on August 2.

Migrants are led to a reception area near Algerciras (AP)

Spain allowed the boat to come after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain among governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa.

Spains new centre-left Socialist government made fair treatment of migrants one of its headline policies after coming to power two months ago.

In June, it announced measures to put peoples rights first in the countrys migration policies. Among other things, it took the first steps toward extending public health care to foreigners without residence permits.

That same month, the government accepted the Aquarius rescue ship with 630 migrants on board after Malta and Italy turned it away.

Migrants disembark from the Open Arms search and rescue vessel (AP)

Authorities gave those migrants who arrived in Valencia a special entry permit into Spain of 45 days for humanitarian reasons.

A further 60 who arrived on a rescue ship in Barcelona last month were given a 30-day permit while they decided what to do. Their paperwork was also fast-tracked.

But those who arrived in Algeciras on Thursday will receive no such special treatment.

They will be processed, the government said, like any other migrants rescued at sea: held by police for 72 hours at a migrant camp, given a medical check-up, identified and detained while they await asylum or are given an expulsion order.

The rescue boat is operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms (AP)

The government official overseeing immigration, Magdalena Valerio, said earlier this week there would be no extra money for migrant policies before the end of the year.

The Spanish Network for Immigration and Refugee Help, a non-governmental organisation, accused ministers of abruptly changing course in its immigration policies and discriminating against the new arrivals.

Wed like Spain to remain a safe haven and be a bulwark against the populism of (Italian interior minister Matteo) Salvini and (French far-right nationalist leader Marine) Le Pen, the organisations president, Daniel Mendez, told Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Critics of the new governments perceived softer approach toward migrants said its policies had backfired, by attracting ever higher numbers, and the government is increasingly wary of that criticism.

A migrant swims frantically towards a rescue ship off the coast of Libya (AP)

The UN migration agency said almost 24,000 refugees and other migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year  nearly three times the number last year.

The agency says Spain has become the most popular European destination for Mediterranean migrants, with just over 40 percent of the total, after Libya and Italy began cracking down. Most come on overcrowded smugglers boats from Tunisia and Morocco.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado has targeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs immigration policies.

He said last month: What Spaniards are looking for is a party which says clearly that we cant give documents to everyone, and Spain cant take in millions of Africans.

Such criticism has left Mr Sanchez politically exposed when he heads a minority government with just 84 of the 350 seats in the lower house of parliament.
The UKs reputation as a global arts venue could be seriously damaged if the problems some overseas artists have in obtaining visas worsen after Brexit, the director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival has warned.

Nick Barley said some of the writers due in the Scottish capital had been humiliated by the measures they had to go through to get permission to enter the country.

He said one author had had to supply his marriage certificate, his daughters birth certificate and bank statements, before then being sent for biometric testing.

The Ediburgh International Book Festival is part of the Scottish capitals annual festival season (Jane Barlow/PA)

Speakers at the book festival this year include Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, who was the first woman to run for the White House, as well as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former prime minister Gordon Brown and Maria Alyokhina of the Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot.

The literary celebration is due to get under way on Saturday, but Mr Barley said they are still to get visas for four people scheduled to take part.

I'm so glad we worked together (and also with the indefatigable translator Jim Dingley) to get Tania's visa sorted. Her @edbookfest event is alongside @PeterAlanRoss - a brilliant partnership dreamed up by @RolandGulliver https://t.co/UW1WO7aAIc  Nick Barley (@nickbarleyedin) July 31, 2018

It is an increasing problem for guests to have issues getting the necessary permissions, with 12 authors having faced serious problems, he added.

Mr Barley told BBC Radio Scotland: The stories Im hearing from some of the authors from around the world are pretty devastating, I have to say.

There was one author, I dont want to name names, but he told me as well as having to supply his marriage certificate and his daughters birth certificate, and three years bank statements, he was then told he had to go in for a biometric test to prove he was who he claimed to be.

He was so humiliated by that he decided he didnt want to go through with the process of coming to Edinburgh to talk. I persuaded him to stick with it and thankfully we got the visa, but this is just one example of the kind of crazy things people are being made to do in the name of coming to talk about their books.

Morning all, and happy #BookLoversDay!  With @edbookfest starting in just 2 days, today is perfect for getting in the mood for some literature love! More on the #EdFookFest at https://t.co/t01zmrgdUQ pic.twitter.com/GWLr8gDTKX  Edinburgh Festivals (@edfests) August 9, 2018

The festival is going ahead as normal and were trying to resolve these issues, but I worry that is increasingly a problem. This year weve got round about 12 authors who have faced serious problems.

Weve managed to overcome nearly all of them, weve got four outstanding, and I think we will resolve them with any luck.

But I think if this goes further we start to damage the reputation of the festivals, and we start to have authors wondering whether they can be bothered to go through that process of applying to come.

While he said senior government officials in both Edinburgh and London had been trying to help, along with ambassadors and members of the British Council, Mr Barley claimed: I think the immigration laws which have been set in the last few years have had this consequence on artistic travelling.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has tweeting about the issue, saying: It is really not acceptable that one of the worlds most renowned and respected book festivals @edbookfest is being undermined in this way. The UK government needs to get it sorted.

Mr Barley said that most of those who have had difficulties this year have been authors from the Middle East and parts of Africa.

With only two days to go until #edbookfest begins, there's still tickets available for lots of events for all ages. Why not have a browse? https://t.co/v867KbkzuK



Don't forget that entry into the #edbookfest village is free and everyone is welcome! pic.twitter.com/vPaKtIVSRo  Edinburgh International Book Festival (@edbookfest) August 9, 2018

But he warned: Unless we act quickly after Brexit, this problem might also come to Europe.

The visa issues that weve seen, which have largely been to do with authors coming from the Middle East and Africa, I foresee after Brexit we may have similar issues with authors and musicians coming form Europe. If that happens then we do seriously damage our chances of putting on a genuinely international festival.

We want to put Scottish writers and artists on the international stage, but we have to be able to create the international stage on which to celebrate the Scottish work too.

A Home Office spokesman said: We welcome artists and musicians coming to the UK from non-EEA countries to perform.

In the year ending December 2017, 99% of non-settlement visa applications were processed within 15 days and the average processing time in 2017 was just under eight days.

Guidance on visa and entry clearance requirements is publicly available on gov.uk. Each case is assessed on its individual merits against the published immigration rules.
Police have recovered heroin, cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of more than 560,000.

Officers discovered the drugs when they raided a property in the Cromarty Place area of Lossiemouth, Moray, on Wednesday.

Two local women aged 20 and 28 and a 20-year-old man from the Elgin area have been charged with drugs offences.

The drugs were found when police raided a property in Lossiemouth (Joe Giddens/PA)

Chief Inspector Maggie Miller, Police Scotlands area commander, said some people may be alarmed by the large quantity of drugs recovered, and community officers will be carrying out high-visibility patrols in a bid to reassure the public.

Two women (28 & 20) & a man (20) have been charged following the recovery of drugs valued at over 560,000. The recovery was made on Wed 8 Aug in the Cromarty Pl area of #Lossiemouth as part of an intelligence led operation. Read more here: https://t.co/K2MjBOu1xa pic.twitter.com/ILH5B9TTiF  Moray Police (@MorayPolice) August 9, 2018

She said: We are committed to tackling the misuse of drugs within Moray and we rely on information from the public to help us disrupt the supply of illegal drugs into our local communities.

Information provided by the public helps us build a picture which enables us to undertake local operations such as this to intercept drugs before they are distributed more widely.

Id like to thank the public within Lossiemouth for their patience and understanding whilst we carried out this operation.

Some residents may be alarmed that this quantity of drugs has been recovered in their community and so local officers from the Lossiemouth community policing team will be carrying out high-visibility patrols and anyone with concerns is encouraged to discuss this with officers.

If anyone has any concerns about drugs misuse in their street or community, or theyve begun to notice unusual comings and goings, I would urge them to contact us so that we are aware and can take action.

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101, or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous.
Boris Johnsons controversial comments about Muslim women wearing the burka do not amount to a hate crime, Britains most senior police officer has said.

Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick said that while many have found the remarks offensive, officers assess that Mr Johnson did not commit an offence.

She also confirmed that police have not received any criminal complaint against the former foreign secretary.

Mr Johnson sparked a furore earlier this week by writing in an article for the Daily Telegraph that women wearing the Muslim face veil looked like letterboxes and bank robbers.

On Thursday Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ms Dick acknowledged that many people have found the comments offensive.

She said: I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldnt be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate.

Asked what she made of the language used by the ex-cabinet minister, Ms Dick told the BBC Asian Network: Some people have clearly found it offensive.

I spoke last night to my very experienced officers who deal with hate crime and, although we have not yet received any allegation of such a crime, I can tell you that my preliminary view having spoken to them is that what Mr Johnson said would not reach the bar for a criminal offence. He did not commit a criminal offence.

Pressed further on Mr Johnsons choice of language given recent spikes in hate crime, the Commissioner said: I think everybody in public life has to think about the impact of what they say.

I also think that I am proud to police in a liberal democracy in which people have the right to express their opinions.

What Mr Johnson said, if it is not criminal, is a matter for Mr Johnson and his friends and colleagues and indeed for the Conservative Party.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service define a hate crime as any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a persons disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.

Cressida Dick said officers assess that Mr Johnson did not commit an offence (Victoria Jones/PA)

If an alleged crime is reported, police investigate whether it amounts to a hate offence. If a case is referred to the CPS, prosecutors would need enough evidence to convince the court that the crime was motivated by or demonstrated hostility.

Mr Johnson has been urged by a number of senior Tories to apologise.

But sources close to him have made clear that he stood by the article, in which he argued against a burka ban of the kind adopted by some European countries.

Supporters have also suggested that the Brexiteer is being targeted in an attempt to ward off a possible challenge to Mrs May in the autumn, when negotiations with the EU will come to a head.

The row moved into its fourth day on Thursday, with pressure mounting on the Conservative Party leadership to decide whether to take action against Mr Johnson, who was maintaining his silence on a holiday break.

The founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum, Lord Sheikh, has written to party chairman Brandon Lewis demanding serious action, while former attorney general Dominic Grieve said he would quit the party

if Mr Johnson became leader.

Disciplinary action could lead to Mr Johnson being suspended or even expelled if he was found to be in breach of the Tory code of conduct, but would risk igniting civil war in a party many of whose members see him as the best option to succeed Mrs May as leader.

Critics have accused Mr Johnson of using the row to win right-wing support in any future leadership battle.

A Sky News poll found that 45% of voters thought he should apologise, while 48% thought he should not.
The family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has called for a full public inquiry into her death, accusing Maltese authorities of failing in their duty to determine whether more could have been done to save the reporters life.

Ms Caruana Galizia, who had probed money-laundering and corruption in the Mediterranean island nation, was killed when a bomb destroyed her car on October 16 last year. She was 53.

Three Maltese men have been ordered to stand trial for murder. Investigators believe that the men were working for someone, but no controlling figure has yet been identified.

Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (AP)

The journalists son, Paul Caruana Galizia, told the BBC that the probe into her death was too narrow, focusing simply on how she died rather than who was behind it.

He said he wants an inquiry into the actions of what he called Maltas mafia state.

The causes must be ascertained, the story must be told, and lessons must be learned. #DaphneCaruanaGalizia https://t.co/f1Xtp7jBIW  Andrew Caruana Galizia (@acaruanagalizia) August 9, 2018

On Thursday, Mr Caruana Galizia delivered a legal opinion prepared by UK lawyers to a Maltas High Commission in London.

The document said Maltas government has failed in its investigative duty.

It argues that Malta has failed to institute any form of inquiry into the wider circumstances of Ms Caruana Galizias assassination, or whether her life could have been saved.

Tony Murphy, one of the familys UK-based lawyers, said Ms Caruana Galizias family wants Maltese authorities to establish an independent board of inquiry made up of Maltese and international judges.

He said state involvement in the journalists death has not been proven, but the family certainly cant rule it out given that the chief targets of Daphnes criticism in her writing and journalism were senior politicians.

He urged Maltese authorities to agree to an inquiry, adding: Malta has nothing to fear but the truth.

Mr Murphy said the family is giving Maltas government until August 31 to respond.

If Malta fails to act, the family plans to take action in the Maltese courts and possibly at the European Court of Human Rights.
The trend for gel and acrylic nail polishes is causing an allergy epidemic in the UK and Ireland, dermatologists have warned.

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) said an audit of 13 dermatology units last year found that 2.4% of people tested had an allergy to at least one type of (meth)acrylate chemicals, the key ingredients in acrylic nails, gel nails and gel polish nails.

It said these chemicals were causing a contact allergy epidemic in the UK and Ireland.

Gel and gel polish nail manicures use polishes that are hardened under UV light and are popular for their long-lasting results (Peter Byrne/PA)

The British Association of Dermatologists has today issued a warning about a UK artificial nail allergy epidemic. https://t.co/siUsJUwQQo pic.twitter.com/qiDtinnLwH  The British Association of Dermatologists (@HealthySkin4All) August 9, 2018

A separate survey of 742 people attending dermatology clinics found that almost one in five respondents (19%) had experienced adverse effects from acrylic nails applied in salons, while 16% suffered from a reaction to a salon gel polish treatment.

Gel and gel polish nail manicures use polishes that are hardened under UV light and are popular for their long-lasting results. Gel nails are physically buffed off and gel polish nails need to be removed by soaking in acetone.

Acrylic nail paste is applied and left to harden by exposure to air, and is also removed by soaking in acetone.

The BAD said sensitisation happened when the uncured chemicals came into contact with skin, and was most likely to occur when people applied a product themselves or if nail technicians were insufficiently trained.

Allergic reactions may involve the nails loosening, or a severe red and itchy rash, not just on the fingertips but potentially anywhere on the body that has come into contact with the nails, and on very rare occasions breathing problems could also occur.

(Meth)acrylates are also the main substance used in the production of acrylic plastics. They are used in the graphic and printing industry, aircraft manufacture, adhesives, orthopaedic cement, dressings and dentistry.

However, the BAD said it was their use in the nail enhancement industry and subsequent increasingly widespread exposure which was causing alarm among dermatologists.

Dr David Orton, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: It is really important that people know they can develop allergies from artificial nails.

The truth is that there will be many women out there with these allergies who remain undiagnosed, because they may not link their symptoms to their nails, especially if the symptoms occur elsewhere on the body.

It is important that they get a diagnosis so that they can avoid the allergen, but also because developing an allergy to these chemicals can have lifelong consequences for dental treatments and surgeries where devices containing these allergens are in common use.

Consultant dermatologist Dr Deirdre Buckley, who led the audit of dermatology units last year, said: Although the rate of allergy to (meth)acrylates is continuing to increase, many doctors are unaware of the issue, and these chemicals are not routinely included in patch tests.

We would particularly urge people to be careful when using home kits.

If you do use one, make sure that you use the recommended UV lamp for curing, and read the instructions carefully.

Using the wrong lamp may mean that the gel polish does not cure properly, and this means an increased chance of allergy. Avoid any direct skin contact with the (meth)acrylate nail product.
A former Tory councillor has condemned Conservative Party policies as she revealed she now supports Scottish independence.

Ashley Graczyk said the increasingly safe and sensible choice is for Scotland to leave the UK but remain in the heart of Europe.

Ms Graczyk, who is profoundly deaf, also hit out at the selfish Conservative Government  which she said looks for any excuse to not support disabled or vulnerable people and favours the rich.

Scotland voted to stay part of the UK in September 2014 (PA)

My journey from NO to YES pic.twitter.com/feAyGUUCFk  Cllr Ashley Graczyk Sighthill/Gorgie (@ashleyannotate) August 9, 2018

In an online post, the Edinburgh councillor said: I have been brought up with the UK as my country and all my life I had seen the whole of the UK as my homeland. I dont want to see new borders as Im about finding new and practical ways to break down barriers and unite people.

But I came to the realisation that to preserve and protect the values we have in Scotland, we cannot have policies imposed on us from Westminster that jar with the kind of Scotland we are trying to build. So simply, we need independence.

Scotlands traditional liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality and individual rights need to be protected.

The increasingly safe and sensible choice seems to be for Scotland to stay at the heart of Europe, independent and in control of our own destiny. It is time to embrace Yes with full confidence in our future.

Ms Graczyk, who was elected to represent the Sighthill/Gorgie area of the capital in 2017, announced last week she had left the Conservative Party.

She voted against independence in the 2014 Scottish referendum, but has now set out the reasons behind her journey from No to Yes.

SNP leader and Scottish First Minister said the post is well worth a read.

She tweeted: @ashleyannotate was elected in 2017 as a @ScotTories councillor. However, her experiences as a councillor  especially seeing the impact of welfare cuts on her constituents  led her to leave the Tories and support independence.

This is well worth a read. @ashleyannotate was elected in 2017 as a @ScotTories councillor. However, her experiences as a councillor - especially seeing the impact of welfare cuts on her constituents - led her to leave the Tories and support independence. https://t.co/Q2TS97vtZq  Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 9, 2018

Ms Graczyk hit out at the impact of Conservative politics on people and communities, claiming she had seen people reduced to tears as a result of welfare reforms.

She said the closure of the Access to Elected Office (UK) fund  which helps disabled people with some of the costs they have running for election  had been the final straw.

While the former Tory accepted an independent Scotland would face questions such as what currency to use, she said new and practical solutions to such issues can be found.

Heck if we can invent televisions, telephones, penicillin and insulin to name a few, surely we can create ways to self-govern our country, she said.

She recalled that during the local government election, she had campaigned under the vision of communities that work for everyone, but said she is now convinced the Conservatives and the UK Government cannot deliver that aspiration.

Stressing the need for a government with a caring heart, she said: I believe it is time for Scotland to have political independence, to self-govern with the full freedom to build and shape Scotlands future by our own hands, the kind of country we want it to be and the kind of government we want to have.

Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West, said: This is a massive embarrassment for Ruth Davidson and the Tories  but, more importantly, it is yet another signal that more and more people are ready to reject a Brexit UK in favour of an independent Scotland.

She added: As more and more examples of Tory cruelty emerge  whether it is on welfare, disabilities, migration or anything else  more people will reconsider the benefits of independence, as Councillor Graczyk has done.
Swansea defender Federico Fernandez headed for Tyneside on Thursday afternoon as Newcastle attempted to push through a deadline day deal, Press Association Sport understands.

With the two clubs still working to agree a fee, the 29-year-old Argentina international made his way to the north-east to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.

The Swans assistant manager Billy Reid told a press conference: Fede has been here throughout pre-season and was excellent on Saturday, but hes a player who sees his future elsewhere.

Swansea defender Federico Fernandez is heading north (Mike Egerton/PA)

Its not settled yet, but it looks like he will go to Newcastle.

Frustrated Magpies boss Rafael Benitez has spent much of the summer transfer window seeing his best-laid plans thwarted by the clubs unwillingness to fund his recruitment plans.

However, a knee injury to Florian Lejeune, which could see the Frenchman miss much of the new campaign, and the departure of Chancel Mbemba means he is short at the back.

Fernandez, who joined the Swans from Serie A side Napoli in August 2014, has two years remaining on his existing deal.
An activist from the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot says she has been banned from leaving the country for an event in the UK.

Maria Alekhina said she was heading to Britain to attend a theatre performance based on her book when border police turned her back on Wednesday.

Russian authorities explained the move by claiming that Ms Alekhina had failed to perform her community service.

Maria Alekhina (AP)

against murders, tortures and legal slavery in Russian prisons



our action FSIN=GULAG



this morning  pic.twitter.com/avp19DMwcz    pussyverse (@pussyrrriot) August 7, 2018

She was sentenced to 140 hours of community service for protests outside the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service, the successor organisation to the KGB.

In December, she unfurled a banner reading: Happy Birthday, Hangmen! and in April she threw paper planes in protest over the agencys demand to shut the messaging service Telegram.

Ms Alekhina and Pussy Riot bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova spent nearly two years in prison for a 2012 protest inside Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
The recent dry weather could have been a contributing factor in the rock fall which killed a nine-year-old girl in Staithes, experts have said.

The youngster suffered head injuries during the incident in Seaton Garth, North Yorkshire, and died at the scene on Wednesday.

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the steep cliffs in the area are of Jurassic age.

Dr Helen Reeves, science director for engineering geology at the BGS, said: Recent weeks have seen an increased number of cliff falls reported around our coastline in the UK.

Landslides, including rock falls, are commonly triggered in the UK by rainfall. In this instance, the recent unprecedented warm, dry weather is likely to be a contributing factor.

Current research has linked rock falls to temperature fluctuations, but the research to fully understand this process is still ongoing.

Dr Reeves also reiterated warnings from the RNLI and local councils about staying away from potentially dangerous areas.

Take notice of warning signs. Do not go directly under or on top of cliffs as our coast is a dynamic environment that is changing all the time, she said.

A woman who lives in the nearby village, and wished not to be named, said locals knew not to go too close to the cliffs as minor collapses were common.

A prayer and floral tribute at the Mission Church of St Peter the Fisherman in Staithes after the tragedy (Owen Humphreys/PA)

She added: How do you tell everyone who comes? Its just not possible.

She said locals believe the recent weather has made the cliffs more unstable, especially with a long dry spell followed by heavy rain.

One cottage in the village has recently showed dramatic movement, with the homeowner having to leave through a window after hearing a loud crack.

The cliffs are formed of Staithes Sandstone and Cleveland Ironstone Formations.

The Staithes Sandstone forms the lower part of the eastern cliff section and consists of alternating sequences of weak siltstones and strong blocky sandstones.

However, the overlying Cleveland Ironstone is a sequence of predominantly weak siltstones and strong blocky ironstones, which forms the upper section of the cliff face.

The weaker layers can be more easily weathered and eroded, leaving unsupported blocks which can ultimately fall as a rock fall.

The Met Office said that in general the weather charts for the Staithes area indicate August has been warm so far, with temperatures in the low to mid-20s and dry, apart from on August 3 when 5.8mm of rain fell.
The United Nations Middle East envoy has expressed his concern about the latest escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special envoy who is involved in Egyptian efforts to broker a truce, said he was deeply alarmed by multiple rockets fired toward communities in southern Israel the day before.

Mr Mladenovs statement came amid the latest surge in violence this week, in which Hamas fired over 150 rockets at Israel.

Israel launched air strikes in retaliation for missile attacks (AP)

In turn, Israel carried out more than 140 air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

Mr Mladenov said that for months, he has warned the humanitarian, security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants.

He added that if the current escalation however is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his Security Cabinet to discuss the latest escalation of violence with Gaza militants.

Israeli warplanes have hit dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip (AP)

Ahead of Thursday evenings meeting, Netanyahu and his defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, convened with top military officials at the armys headquarters in Tel Aviv.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu had instructed the army to prepare for every possibility.

Palestinian chiefs said Israeli warplanes attacked a cultural centre in Gaza City.

The Palestinian health ministry said seven bystanders were wounded in Thursday evenings airstrike in the Shati refugee camp.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed a 23-year-old pregnant mother, Enas Khamash and her 18 month-old daughter Bayan, in Deir el-Balah (AP)

Witnesses said the air force fired several warning missiles at the building before the actual strike  a tactic Israel uses to get people to evacuate buildings that are about to be targeted.

It is not immediately clear why Israel struck the building.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says air raid sirens have sounded again in southern Israel, indicating incoming rocket fire.

Earlier on Thursday, a Palestinian rocket landed in an open area near the southern city of Beersheba.
A DUP MLA has called for additional police resources to protect a small Protestant community living on a north Belfast interface.

It comes after overnight attacks on three homes in the area.

Paint bombs were thrown and windows smashed at the properties on Manor Street in the early hours of Thursday.

DUP Councillor Dale Pankhurst, Janice Beggs of Lower Oldpark Community Association and DUP MLA William Humphrey have condemned attacks on three homes in north Belfast (DUP)

No-one was injured in the incident but local residents were left shocked, according to the PSNI.

Inspector Robert McMurran said the attacks are being investigated as sectarian hate crimes.

We received the first report just after midnight that two youths had hurled an object at the window of a house, before throwing paint over it and running off towards the Oldpark Road, he said.

The window was shattered in the attack.

A second report was made to us around 12.15am in which two males, wearing grey tops, threw a paint bomb at the front window of a property. The window was not broken in the incident.

And at around 12.30am, a third report was made that a front living room window had been smashed at a house in the area. No-one was at home at the time.

While no-one was hurt in any of the incidents, the residents were left shocked by what happened.

I would appeal to anyone who saw these two males in the area or any suspicious activity at the time the incidents took place, to get in touch with us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 12 of 9/8/18.

North Belfast DUP MLA William Humphrey has condemned the incident.

This was an utterly appalling and depraved attack, he said.

The PSNI have confirmed that they are treating it as a sectarian hate crime against this interface Protestant community.

Those who carried out this attack are seeking to end that peace. I would appeal for calm and for condemnation of this attack from across the political spectrum.

Party colleagues and I will be meeting with the PSNI, along with representatives of Lower Oldpark Community Association, to press for increased deployment of resources to protect the Lower Oldpark community.
Sir Philip Greens Topshop has terminated an agreement with its franchise partner in China, frustrating the tycoons plans to break into the Asian powerhouse.

Arcadia, the parent company of Topman and Topshop, got into bed with Shangpin in 2014 in a deal that made clothing available on its Chinese website.

But a spokesman for the billionaire said on Thursday: British fashion brands, Topshop Topman, and Chinese franchise partner, Shangpin, have reached a mutual agreement to an early termination.

Topshop Topman and Shangpin have enjoyed a successful working relationship since September 2014.

Customers can still shop Topshop and Topman products via Shangpin and Tmall.com until 30 November 2018, and will continue to be serviced via Topshop.com and Topman.com

Sir Philip Green (Ian West/PA)

In 2016, Sir Philip said he was pushing the button on expanding Topshop in China, signing a deal with Shangpin to roll out stores across the country.

His firm said that Topshop and Topman still consider China a hugely significant market for development, adding that the company is currently exploring opportunities to further grow the brands.

Like other high street retailers, Sir Philips stable of brands have had a difficult time of late.

Profits at Taveta Investments, the holding company behind the likes of Topshop and Miss Selfridge, fell by 42% from 215.2 million to 124.1 million last year.

Total sales at the group dropped 5.6% in the year to August 26 2017, sliding from 2.01 billion to 1.91 billion.

Sir Philip has been attempting to keep a lower profile since the furore over the collapse of BHS in 2016, a company he owned for 15 years.

The department store chain plunged into administration that year, impacting 11,000 jobs and around 19,000 pension-holders, leaving a 571 million pension deficit.

After a drawn-out saga that included a parliamentary inquiry and public outcry over Sir Philips conduct, the tycoon agreed to pay 363 million to settle the BHS pension scheme.
A Hungarian man is recovering at a Belfast hospital after attempting to swim the Irish Sea.

Attila Manyoki, 43, was tantalisingly close to the Scottish coast when he had to be plucked from the water on Saturday.

He had set off from Donaghadee, Co Down, earlier that day.

Hungarian swimmer Attila Manyoki recovering at the Ulster Hospital with his partner Monika Pais (South East Health and Social Care Trust)

The experienced swimmer, from Budapest, was suffering from hypothermia, jellyfish stings and breathing difficulties when he was taken from the water.

He was taken to the Ulster Hospital where he has been treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

A Hungarian swimmer is recovering in the Ulster after narrowly failing in his bid to complete the Oceans Seven challenge. Attila Manyoki had to be plucked from the North Channel. His partner Monika Pais, says his care in ICU has been exceptional and praised staff @Atimo_11 pic.twitter.com/PSiCFQ7kLk  South Eastern Trust (@setrust) August 9, 2018

Consultant Dr Bob Darling said Mr Manyoki is very fit and strong, but was in a very poor condition when he was rescued.

Attila was in very poor condition. However, he is not an average guy, he is very strong and fit and is making a remarkable recovery, although it may be some time before he is fit for further extreme sports, he said.

Mr Manyokis partner Monika Pais said he has received wonderful care at the Ulster Hospital.

I was so relieved that he was given such wonderful care, she said.

I have watched the staff every day, and they are so professional and caring. The Ulster Hospital should be very proud of them.

The North Channel  between Northern Ireland and Scotland  has been recognised as one of the most challenging swims in the world.

It was one leg of the Oceans Seven challenge.

Mr Manyoki has already swum most of the stages of the challenge including La Manche in 2013 and the Tsugaru Strait of Japan in 2014.

Had he completed the North Channel, he would have become only the 12th person ever to complete the Oceans Seven.

In June, London doctor Nicholas Murch became the first person of 2018 to successfully swim from Northern Ireland to Scotland.

Almost 50 people were due to attempt the feat this summer.

The swim is only possible during the summer months when the waters are slightly warmer.
A former RAF radio operator whose team helped shorten the Second World War by two years has marked the air forces centenary.

Robert Calvert, 93, from Newcastle in Co Down, read Morse code military communications which played a vital part during the conflict.

He also worked on a seized German U-boat coding box as part of a special high-security project which spent six months translating its contents.

Veteran Bob Calvert gets into the pilots seat of a Hawk training jet (Ben Hanna/PA)

The decorated veteran said: They found out in the end about 120 U-boats all around the world  it reduced the war by two years.

The next stop on the #RAf100 Aircraft Tour is Newcastle, Northern Ireland, from 10-12 August. Visit https://t.co/cvJYIMCAXO for more information pic.twitter.com/GkEO4aG8hr  Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) August 7, 2018

Mr Calvert is a talkative nonagenarian about to celebrate his 94th birthday later this month.

After D-day he was based in Belgium, Holland and Germany. Following the war he served in Egypt, North Africa, Germany and Cyprus.

He was guest of honour as the RAF prepares to commemorate its own special 100th birthday at an airshow in the seaside resort town of Newcastle in Northern Ireland this weekend.

Full-size replica RAF aircraft will be on show from Friday at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

Northern Ireland became a vital base in World War Two, with 25 airfields from the Ards Peninsula to Lough Erne primarily focused on winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

Aircraft based in Northern Ireland successfully sank many U-boats and assisted in the scuttling of the most famous German battleship of the war, the Bismarck.

Mr Calvert recalled his important wartime role.

I was security-cleared, and I was very proud of it, to go on a little coding machine that was found in a U-boat that the Americans had sunk off the coast of America.

The Americans took the crew of the enemy submarine to shore and one who spoke German overheard a member of the captured group disclose: We did not take that top secret stuff with us.

That prompted a six-month effort processing the information and the discovery of large numbers of the enemy craft, Mr Calvert recalled.

Analysis of German military signals during the war meant Allied convoys could be directed away from the U-boats and helped win the Battle of the Atlantic.

The ex-serviceman, who proudly displays his medals on his wall at home, said: The RAF was my life. When it is a very interesting job you like it.

I loved the Morse code. It is always in your head, always ticking along, it does not do you any harm.

The RAF100 Aircraft Tour also includes interactive Stem-related activities allowing visitors to experience the science behind the worlds first air force to reach its centenary.

Paul Sanger-Davies, group captain of the RAF100, said: We recruit people from across the UK and we have a very special link with the people of Northern Ireland because we are focused on technical careers and keeping a very advanced air force operational.
The Pussy Riot punk collective said one of its members has departed for the UK, despite being banned from leaving Russia.

Maria Alekhina had said she was turned back by Russian border police on Wednesday when she tried to leave the country for a performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, based on her book.

On Thursday, the group said on Twitter that she has found a way to escape, and she is flying to Edinburgh right now!

Maria Alekhina (Steve Parsons/PA)

Despite the official ban to leave Russia, Masha Alyokhina has found a way to escape, and she is flying to Edinburgh right now! Our residency with Riot Days Show at the Edinburgh Fringe begins on 10th! Until 19th daily! On stage at 8:45-9:30. Tickets: https://t.co/eEGoTXe7fM    (@pussyrrriot) August 9, 2018

Russian authorities claimed that Ms Alekhina had failed to carry out community service.

She was given 140 hours of community service for protests outside the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service.

In December, she unfurled a banner reading Happy Birthday, Hangmen! and in April she threw paper planes to protest the agencys demand to shut the messaging service Telegram.

Ms Alekhina and Pussy Riot bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova spent nearly two years in prison for a 2012 protest inside Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Nicola Sturgeon has said difficulties obtaining visas for overseas artists has undermined the prestigious Edinburgh International Book Festival, and she demanded: The UK Government needs to get it sorted.

The Scottish First Minister  a keen reader who is also taking part in the literary event  hit out after book festival director Nick Barley said some of the writers had been humiliated by the measures they had to go through to get permission to enter the country.

He also warned the UKs reputation as a global arts venue could be seriously damaged if problems in obtaining visas worsen after Brexit.

The Ediburgh International Book Festival is part of the Scottish capitals annual festival season (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Barley said one author had had to supply his marriage certificate, his daughters birth certificate and bank statements, before then being sent for biometric testing, in order to get his visa

The festival director told BBC Radio Scotland the author concerned was so humiliated by that he decided he didnt want to go through with the process of coming to Edinburgh to talk.

He added: I persuaded him to stick with it and thankfully we got the visa, but this is just one example of the kind of crazy things people are being made to do in the name of coming to talk about their books.

Speakers at the book festival this year include Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, who was the first woman to run for the White House, as well as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and former prime minister Gordon Brown.

The literary celebration is due to get under way on Saturday, but Mr Barley said they are still to get visas for four people scheduled to take part.

I'm so glad we worked together (and also with the indefatigable translator Jim Dingley) to get Tania's visa sorted. Her @edbookfest event is alongside @PeterAlanRoss - a brilliant partnership dreamed up by @RolandGulliver https://t.co/UW1WO7aAIc  Nick Barley (@nickbarleyedin) July 31, 2018

He raised the issue after musician Peter Gabriel said it was alarming that a number of artists were unable to perform at his world music festival Womad in Wiltshire after they faced visa issues.

Mr Barley said it is an increasing problem for guests to have issues getting the necessary permissions, with 12 authors having faced serious problems this year.

Weve managed to overcome nearly all of them, he said. Weve got four outstanding, and I think we will resolve them with any luck.

But I think if this goes further we start to damage the reputation of the festivals, and we start to have authors wondering whether they can be bothered to go through that process of applying to come.

While he said senior government officials in both Edinburgh and London had been trying to help, along with ambassadors and members of the British Council, he claimed: I think the immigration laws which have been set in the last few years have had this consequence on artistic travelling.

Most of those who have had difficulties this year have been authors from the Middle East and parts of Africa, he said, adding: I foresee after Brexit we may have similar issues with authors and musicians coming from Europe. If that happens then we do seriously damage our chances of putting on a genuinely international festival.

Ms Sturgeon commented on Twitter, saying: It is really not acceptable that one of the worlds most renowned and respected book festivals @edbookfest is being undermined in this way. The UK government needs to get it sorted.

With only two days to go until #edbookfest begins, there's still tickets available for lots of events for all ages. Why not have a browse? https://t.co/v867KbkzuK



Don't forget that entry into the #edbookfest village is free and everyone is welcome! pic.twitter.com/vPaKtIVSRo  Edinburgh International Book Festival (@edbookfest) August 9, 2018

A Home Office spokesman said: We welcome artists and musicians coming to the UK from non-EEA countries to perform.

In the year ending December 2017, 99% of non-settlement visa applications were processed within 15 days and the average processing time in 2017 was just under eight days.

Guidance on visa and entry clearance requirements is publicly available on gov.uk. Each case is assessed on its individual merits against the published immigration rules.

Maria Alyokhina of the protest punk band Pussy Riot should be in Edinburgh to take part in both the book festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, despite being barred from leaving Russia.

The Pussy Riot team said: In defiance of yesterdays Russian authorities ban on her travelling, Pussy Riot founder Maria refused to be captive and silenced and instead has driven over 1,000km from Moscow through the night and boarded a flight.

She was absolutely determined to perform the show at Summerhall and will be there in person to join her band-mates to share her story.
An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shia rebels has struck a bus at a busy market in northern Yemen, killing least 50 people, including children, and wounding 77 others.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, in the Dahyan market in Saada province after they had fired a missile at the kingdoms south on Wednesday, killing one person.

Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers.

Clashes in Yemen (AP)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Twitter that its team at a hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old.

It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children.

Saada province, a Houthi stronghold, lies along the border with Saudi Arabia.

The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders.

Colonel Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack in Saada targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdoms south, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

The coalition said the projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement added that the missile was launched deliberately to target residential and populated areas.

Col al-Malki insisted Thursdays attack carried out in Saada is a legitimate military action and is in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs.

He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them as human shields.

Saudi Arabia backs Yemens internationally recognised government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten, the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx.

Later on Thursday, air strikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the citys southern and western areas. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Yemens three-year war has killed more than 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemens infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for air strikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is in the grip of one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.
Protesters have gathered in Boris Johnsons constituency to demand he steps down in the wake of comments he made on the burka.

In a controversial Telegraph column, the Uxbridge MP said Muslim women wearing face coverings look like letter boxes, and compared them to bank robbers and rebellious teenagers.

More than 30 protesters, almost matched in numbers by the media, chanted ban Boris and carried placards which read my dress my choice, and back off Boris.

The gathering, which was also flanked by more than five police officers, took place on Thursday outside a private tax returns company just down the road from the former foreign secretarys current constituency office.

A woman wearing a burka joined the protest near Boris Johnsons office (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Azmat Parveen, who attended the protest wearing a burka, said it is her decision to wear the religious garment, and that the comments made by Mr Johnson were painful.

The 68-year-old told the Press Association: This is a way of life, I want to choose this way and somebody remarks on it, I cant bear it, it is very, very rude.

He (Mr Johnson) is the MP and he is not an ordinary man, we choose the MP, we expect them to have respect for the public, and he didnt show any respect.

That is annoying and so hurtful, because everyone has a right to if they want to wear it, and he doesnt think about what he said, it is so painful.

Mrs Parveen revealed she has suffered racism during her day-to-day life, and said Mr Johnson should leave because he doesnt have the manners to talk, adding: I want him to leave his seat.

People with opposing views have a discussion near Boris Johnsons office as police look on (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Counter-protesters stood on the opposite side of the street shouting phrases including we love Boris, Oh Tommy, Tommy Robinson, and that there is no place for the burka in Britain.

They declined to speak to the media as they live streamed the shouting match.

Protest organiser Nahella Ashraf, from Stand Up To Racism, said it was important to make it clear to Mr Johnson that his comments are not supported.

The 48-year-old added: And to make it clear to the Tories that people like him have no place in mainstream political parties.

I think the Tories should take action it is clear he (Mr Johnson) has racist ideas, and is clearly racist.

She said it is unacceptable that people simply brush off his remarks as Mr Johnson putting his foot in it again, adding: He knows what he is saying.

He is clearly looking for a far right vote.

Describing the comments Mr Johnson made as leaving her feeling sick, she said they also left her feeling fearful for the women who do dress differently.
Israels prime minister has convened his security cabinet to plan a response to attacks from Gaza militants, ordering the army to take unspecified strong action.

Fighting showed few signs of slowing. Late on Thursday, the Israeli military destroyed a well-known cultural centre in a crowded Gaza City district, claiming it was a Hamas military base, as militants fired rockets towards Israel throughout the evening.

Israel carried out dozens of airstrikes during the day, killing at least three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her one-year-old daughter, while Palestinian militants fired scores of rockets into Israel, wounding seven people.

The flare-up came as Egypt continued efforts to broker a long-term ceasefire between the two sides.

Palestinians inspect the damaged building of Said al-Mishal cultural centre in Gaza City (Khalil Hamra/AP)

Israels Channel 10 TV said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had delayed the meeting of his security cabinet by two hours to allow the Egyptians to press forward with their work.

After a four-hour meeting, the cabinet issued a short statement, saying it had directed the army to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements.

It did not elaborate. But shortly before the meeting, Mr Netanyahu and his defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, met top military officials to discuss their options.

An Israeli official said Mr Netanyahu had instructed the army to prepare for every possibility.

This latest round of #Hamas' terrorism from #Gaza is again brutally directed against Israeli civilians.

This must end! pic.twitter.com/VwbikyiC10  Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 9, 2018

Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Israel had ground troops that are ready to deploy. We are reinforcing the southern command and Gaza division. He would not comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Despite the animosity, the enemies have signalled, through their contacts with Egypt, that they want to avoid another war.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gazas economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two Israelis believed to be alive and held by Hamas.

Israeli warplanes have hit dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip (AP)

Thursdays fighting, however, brought back memories of the most recent war, in 2014. Air raid sirens wailed in southern Israel overnight and throughout the day, sending families scrambling into bomb shelters, cancelling outdoor summer cultural events and forcing summer camps indoors. The Israeli air force, meanwhile, pounded targets across Gaza.

A Palestinian rocket struck the southern city of Beersheba late in the afternoon, landing in an open area. It was the first time a rocket had hit the city since the 2014 war.

Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike flattened the five-story cultural centre in the Shati refugee camp, a crowded area of Gaza City. The airstrike set off a powerful explosion and sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air, causing crowds to scream in panic. Medical officials said at least seven bystanders were wounded.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed a 23-year-old pregnant mother, Enas Khamash and her 18 month-old daughter Bayan, in Deir el-Balah (AP)

The building is home to a popular theatre and exhibits plays and other shows on a daily basis. An Egyptian-Palestinian cultural society also has an office in the building.

The deliberate targeting of a cultural centre with airstrikes and destruction is a barbaric act, said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman. He said the destruction of the Egyptian cultural office was an Israeli attempt to sabotage the Egyptian ceasefire efforts.

The Israeli military said the building served as a Palestinian military installation. Hamas Interior Ministry, including its secret police, has offices in an adjacent site, but those offices were not hit in the airstrike.

The Israeli military said it struck some 200 targets throughout Gaza, including Hamas command posts and weapons production and storage facilities. It said a similar number of rockets and mortars were fired at Israel.

Gazas Health Ministry identified those killed in the airstrikes as 23-year-old Enas Khamash and her daughter Bayan, as well as a Hamas fighter, Ali Ghandour. The ministry said the militant and the civilians were killed in separate incidents.
The Hamas militant group has said a ceasefire has been reached to end the latest round of fighting with Israel.

Hamas Al-Aqsa TV channel reported late on Thursday that a ceasefire has taken hold on the basis of mutual calm. It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other regional players.

A senior Hamas official said the deal would formally go into effect at midnight.

He said the agreement merely ends the latest two-day burst of violence between Israel and Hamas.

He said Egypt would continue efforts to broker a long-term ceasefire. Hamas wants an end to a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian border blockade as a condition for any long-term deal.

An Israeli airstrike on the Said al-Mishal cultural center in Gaza City (Arafat Kareem/AP)

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied a deal had been reached. But early on Friday, the situation in Gaza appeared quiet.

The Hamas announcement came shortly after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet ordered the army to take unspecified strong action against Gaza militants as the military reinforced units along the border.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. In this weeks fighting, the Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her one-year-old daughter, and a Hamas militant, were killed in separate airstrikes. Israeli officials said seven people were wounded by rocket or mortar fire on the Israeli side.

Air raid sirens warning of incoming rocket fire wailed in southern Israel overnight and throughout the day, sending families scrambling into bomb shelters, cancelling outdoor summer cultural events and forcing summer camps indoors. The Israeli air force, meanwhile, attacked targets across Gaza.

A Palestinian rocket struck the southern city of Beersheba late in the afternoon, landing in an open area. It was the first time a rocket had hit the city since the 2014 war.

Rubble after an airstrike in Mughraqa, central Gaza Strip (Adel Hana/AP)

Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike flattened the five-story cultural centre in the Shati refugee camp, a crowded district of Gaza City. The airstrike set off a powerful explosion and sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air, causing crowds to scream in panic. Medical officials said at least seven bystanders were wounded.

The building is home to a popular theatre and exhibits plays and other shows on a daily basis. An Egyptian-Palestinian cultural society also has an office in the building.

The deliberate targeting of a cultural centre with airstrikes and destruction is a barbaric act, said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman. He said the destruction of the Egyptian cultural office was an Israeli attempt to sabotage the Egyptian ceasefire efforts.

The Israeli military said the building served as a Palestinian military installation. Hamas interior ministry, including its secret police, has offices in an adjacent site, but those offices were not hit.

Despite the animosity, the enemies have signalled, through their contacts with Egypt, that they want to avoid another war. Reaching a deal, however, will likely require major concession on both sides.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gazas economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two Israelis believed to be alive and held by Hamas.
Ulster Unionist MLA Mike Nesbitt said unionism needs to wake up over the prospect of a united Ireland.

The former UUP leader also challenged nationalist and republican leaders to tell unionists that they are wanted in a united Ireland.

His comments came during a debate at St Marys University College as part of the West Belfast Festival.

A panel of four from a unionist background, chaired by commentator David McCann, debated whether there would be a warm house for unionists in a united Ireland.

The discussion came after comments by former DUP leader Peter Robinson urged unionists to prepare for the possibility of a united Ireland.

While DUP leader Arlene Foster stood by Mr Robinson, DUP MP Sammy Wilson described the remarks as dangerous.

Mr Nesbitt said unionists are not good at building relationships.

I have heard you legitimately for many years express your desire for a new unitary state on this island, recently I have also heard people talk about protecting the rights of the unionist, British community, but what I havent heard is, we want you, he told the audience.

For me, its not about talking about border polls or new constitutional arrangements, its about relationships.

There is a lack of trust building between the parties at Stormont at the minute, and if you dont have trust, you cant do politics.

I think for unionism, we are not very good at building relationships.

Unionism should be engaging because you have to engage with what you are uncomfortable with.

We also have to look at how we protect unionist and British culture and identity.

Mr Nesbitt also spoke about how he had built a relationship with former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on a walk around Stormont, revealing that he had once told the senior Sinn Fein man something which could have ended his own career.

He said Mr McGuinness had kept his confidence, and described him as a man of political integrity.

UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt said unionism needs to wake up with regard the prospect of a united Ireland. pic.twitter.com/YLqPKjNGh3  Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) August 9, 2018

Mr Nesbitt went on to tell a story about a frog being placed in cold water which was slowly heated up, which caused it to die, because it did not sense the change.

The atmosphere and environment around this country, between these islands and Europe, everything has changed.

Unionism needs to wake up, otherwise its going to be that frog.

There was criticism for Mrs Foster over her comment earlier this year that she would leave in the event of a united Ireland.

The question was put to Mr Nesbitt, along with Professor Jim Dornan, former PUP press officer Sophie Long and David Honeyford whether they would leave if there was a united Ireland.

Mr Nesbitt, Mr Dornan and Mr Honeyford said no, while Ms Long said she had already moved away for a job.

Professor Jim Dornan (PA)

Mr Dornan slammed Mrs Fosters response as reactionary and said he would stay because he wanted to see what the deal looked like.

Ms Long said she felt Mrs Foster was unable to be magnanimous, speculating that she was still traumatised over what happened to her as a child when the IRA shot her father.

She also described a united Ireland as uncharted territory for unionists and loyalists, which she said made them uncomfortable.

In response to a question over when an Irish unity poll might happen, Mr Dornan said he believed it would happen in 2022, adding it should include other options such as an independent Ulster.

He also warned against Sinn Fein leading the campaign for a united Ireland, saying instead the universities should be stepping in to broaden the debate, criticising them as having been painfully quiet on the subject so far.

Meanwhile during a discussion on identity, Mr Honeyford commented that he felt there was an element of shame at being described as having an Ulster British identity, and said that needed to change.
Boys are still almost four times as likely to study physics A-level than girls sparking fresh warnings that gender bias, and a lack of good teachers, is turning girls off the subject.

Figures show the number of girls entered for A-level physics has risen by just over a quarter over the last 10 years, according to a Press Association analysis.

But in the same period, boys entries soared by more than a third.

There has been a major push by government and industry in recent years to get more students, particularly girls to take the subject.

Experts suggested that unconscious cultural biases, such as the idea that boys and girls are good at different things, are often reflected in schools, and this can have an impact on subject choices.

Picture

The Press Associations analysis of A-level exam entries in the UK found that only 7,846 teenage girls were entered for A-level physics last year, around 1,700 (28%) more than 10 years ago.

In comparison, boys entries rose by 7,375, from 21,357 in 2017 to 28,732 last year.

There are growing indications the gender gap in physics is not solely an issue with the science, but a symptom of wider issues within society and schools, it is suggested.

Research conducted by the Institute of Physics (IoP) in 2011 and 2013 began to indicate that there are gender gaps in many subjects.

Charles Tracy, IoP head of education, said: What the actual issue is across all subjects there is gendering thats most extreme with computing at one end and performing arts at other end.

So its not just a physics issue, its a school issue, where we are navigating girls and boys differently through their education and one of the results of that is that more boys than girls  four times more boys than girls  take physics.

He added he believes there is unconscious bias in general and it is not the fault of schools.

This is in society and in teaching, in schools, that there will be conditioning of girls and boys that is very different through their whole education and then the subjects they are presented with, and indeed the way they are presented with them, they will make choices along gender grounds, Mr Tracy said.

Professor Dame Julia Higgins, IoP president and fellow of the Royal Society, said schools need to have a culture where it doesnt inadvertently signal that girls dont do physics and boys dont do French.

She also suggested a lack of physics teachers can play a part in the low take-up of the A-level by girls.

Figures indicate more teachers are needed in the subject, and nearly two in five (38%) of those teaching the subject in England do not have a relevant post A-level qualification.

It is of course the fact that if youre studying English or history, you can do a lot of things on your own, Professor Higgins said.

The outside world helps you with your subject.

Science, it isnt easy. So, if youre struggling, or struggling to understand the teacher etc, then you cant be so self-sufficient. And I think its fairly well-noted in research that girls are more sensitive to the quality of the teaching than boys often are. Boys will choose a science subject because boys choose science subjects. Its not a question for them.

She also said: In a sense I suppose it is easier to be enthusiastic about Jane Austen or kings and battles in history than it is about the laws of thermodynamics. But they are interesting when you see the consequences, when you see the effect of them and you discover what sorts of things happen. But it needs somebody with that enthusiasm.

It comes back to my point that there arent enough physics teachers. Its vicious circle because there arent enough young people going to university to study physics, as physics specialists, and plenty of careers for those people, so they dont go into teaching, and that feeds back into there not being enough teachers in the schools.

Julie Keller, head of Nottingham Girls High School, part of the Girls Day School Trust said changes to the exams system which mean students are now more likely to take three A-levels instead of four may play a part in physics take-up among girls.

She added: Then youve got the two major reasons which I think are the gender bias, the stereotyping, the idea that girls, this subtle message that girls just dont do physics, and then youve got the other point which is that in many schools, whether its a single-sex or a co-ed school, physics lessons are not taught perhaps as well as they could be and are not as interesting and as relevant to girls as they could be.

From us, as an all-girls school point of view, if Im honest we have it easy in that we dont have the gender bias and the stereotype. My girls dont ever think that physics is a subject thats not for them.

There has been a rise in pupils opting for A-level physics at her schools, Miss Keller said, with over 20% of those starting the sixth-form in the autumn due to study the subject.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said there has been a rise in science and maths A-level entries since 2010.

She added: Were taking a range of steps to encourage more pupils to study these subjects including an investment of more than 2million a year in the stimulating physics network, which includes a programme specifically designed to increase the number of girls taking A-level physics.
By Kara Carlson

Aug 8 (Reuters) - Proposed tariffs on U.S. imports from China of electronic cigarettes, known as vaping products, could not come at a worse time for the industry.

New levies would increase prices just as the industry is facing slowing growth and as it begins to add new health warnings to packaging.

The Trump administration has threatened 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, including vape devices and parts, in addition to tariffs on $50 billion already imposed.

As a result U.S. vape manufacturers, who depended on China for 91 percent of imported vaping products in 2016, find themselves caught in the middle of a growing trade war.

Vaping which is often cheaper than smoking, has surged in popularity in recent years. Viewed as a healthier alternative to smoking, users inhale steam from the nicotine-filled devices, rather than burning cigarettes with byproducts of paper, tobacco and a range of other chemicals.

The potential negative impact of tariffs represent just one example of how the rapidly expanding trade war between the U.S. and China can affect whole industry sectors, causing job losses and other financial pain.

The tariffs could drive up the price of a vape by about 15 percent, according to industry estimates. This would be particularly painful for an industry where consumers are highly sensitive to rising prices. Nielsen Tobacco report estimates retail sales of the U.S. vapor market will be about $5.5 billion in 2018.

A study in the journal Tobacco Control estimated a 10 percent price increase in e-cigarettes would reduce sales by between 12 percent to 19 percent. The study noted that because many vapers are experimenting, rising prices could curtail future use.

"Margins on products are already low, to maintain margins we'd have two choices, raise prices or cutting employees' hours," said Matthew Milby, who owns two Maryland vape shops under the name Smoke Free Nation. He predicted some shops would be put out of business.

Two of the biggest companies, Juul Labs and VMR Products, are among companies with products that will be hurt by the tariffs. Juul led the market growth last quarter, and held 68 percent of the market share according to a June Nielsen Tobacco report.

Industry experts predict the tariffs could affect virtually all vape and e-cigarette products, and hit the industry's smaller firms hardest.

Jan Verleur, chief executive of vape maker VMR, is worried tariffs, which he will likely have to pass on to consumers with a 10 percent to 15 percent price increase, will reduce consumers access to the products since an estimated 70 percent of the company's products would face the extra levy.

Euromonitor International's Head of Tobacco Research, Shane MacGuill, said the tariff would have a "significant detrimental impact on the vapor product industry."

Euromonitor's year-to-year data shows the market's growth has been slowing, for smokeless tobacco and vapor products. From 2016 to 2017, the market grew just 9.3 percent, compared to 22.5 percent in 2015 to 2016.

Juul's industry-dominating devices and pods will fall under the tariffs. The company declined to disclose what portion of products could be effected, or if it would increase prices.

Ramping up U.S. manufacturing of e-cigarettes, which were invented in China, would be difficult until there is a clearer picture of the developing regulatory environment, including new labeling requirements and increased Food and Drug Administration regulation in 2022.

The United States also has too few workers with the specific technical expertise to make vaping products.

In comments to the U.S. Commerce Department about the proposed tariffs, Juul's chief legal officer Gerald Masoudi said no manufacturers located outside of China would be willing or able to supply the volume of devices Juul needs.

Geoff Habicht, president of SV3, an American-based company that manufactures its products in China, predicted a $40 product could increase to $45 or $50, and a $10 refill could increase to $12.50.

SV3's tentative plans are to take on some of the increased cost for a quarter rather than pass them on to the consumer as the company weighs options.

But, Habicht said consumers could end up seeing a 14 to 25 percent price increase across products. He also is pushing his suppliers to absorb some costs.

(Reporting by Kara Carlson; Editing by Chris Sanders and Phil Berlowitz)
By Ali Sawafta

BEIT UR AL-FAUQA, West Bank, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Sharing smiles and hugs, the extended family of Rashida Tlaib, who is set to become the first Muslim woman to join the U.S. Congress, celebrated her election victory on Wednesday in the courtyard of their West Bank house.

Tlaib's grandmother, aunts and uncles welcomed neighbors in the village of Beit Ur al-Fauqa in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, who gathered near their single-story stone house beside a grove of olive trees to congratulate them on the historic win.

"This makes us proud - as the Tlaib family, residents of Beit Ur, as Palestinians, as Arabs and as Muslims, that a simple girl reaches such a position," said her uncle, Bassam Tlaib.

Tlaib's family said the soon-to-be Congresswoman held her wedding in Beit Ur al-Fauqa in 1997 and last visited the village in 2006.

The oldest of 14 children born to a family of Palestinian immigrants, Tlaib is a Detroit native. Her father worked at a Ford Motor Company plant in the city, home of the U.S. car industry, and she became the first Muslim woman elected to the state legislature.

On Tuesday she won her district's Democratic nomination for Michigan's 13th Congressional district, encompassing parts of Detroit and surrounding suburbs and home to one of the largest Muslim and Arab-American populations in the United States.

Since no one ran in the Republican primary, Tlaib is poised to win the seat.

The West Bank is occupied by Israel which captured it in a 1967 Middle East war. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule in the territory which is home to around 3 million stateless Palestinians. Israel maintains a military presence with checkpoints on major roads to protect 400,000 Jewish settlers. (Additional reporting by Sabreen Taha in Jerusalem and Barbara Goldberg in New York Editing by Peter Graff)
There is an ancient linkage between man and elephant. No other animal like the elephant has had such a close relationship with the people of Sri Lanka. Elephants were caught, tamed and used in numbers for large scale and massive construction work. However, today, people arent connected with jumbos as muchand get irritated when they hear the word elephant. Its absolutely essential to analyse as to why the association between elephants and humans eventually became negative.

Elephants, being the largest terrestrial herbivores, require relatively larger areas and diversity of environments to survive. However, with the increase in the human population and changes in pattern regarding land-use, the elephant habitat is being reduced. Consequently, the majority of the present day jumbos have got used to encroaching into the human habitats, which has resulted in a conflict with humans.

These elephants cause vast damage to agriculture, properties and even bring death to humans. It is unfair to palm the blame on both the elephants and the humans in this regard. What is required is to find pertinent solutions to put an end to this Human-Elephant Conflicts (HEC). This conflict has created a vicious cycle of violence.

Between 50 -80 humans and between 150 -200 elephants are killed annually due to the HEC.

Even President Maithripala Sirisena has raised concerns in this regard and said that this is an issue that demands an effective solution.



Jumbos in Sri Lanka



One-hundred years ago, more than 20,000 wild Asian elephants inhabited Sri Lanka. Today, elephants are restricted to the lowlands, especially the Dry Zone. The Department of Wildlife Conservation recognises that about 70% of the elephants range lies outside the system of national parks and nature reserves.

The number of elephants in Sri Lanka today is but a fraction of what existed about 100 years ago. Different figures were given by different people regarding the number of wild elephants.

According to an expert on elephant and biodiversity, Elephant Conservation Trust Chairman Jayantha Jayewardene the population of elephants today numbers 5,000-5,700.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said that the Asian elephant should be a protected animal as it is categorised as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.



Elephant habitats

With the habitats of elephants are reduced they result in their population being broken up. Some herds have got pocketed in small patches of jungle. With their movements restricted, especially when food and water resources are depleted, elephants wander into new cultivated areas, which were their former habitat, in search of food. When this happens, it creates conflicts between

humans and elephants.

The human-elephant conflict is one of the biggest environmental and socio-economic crises of rural Sri Lanka.

The conflict has escalated in the recent past. During the past 12 years alone, a total of 1,464 elephants were killed while 672 humans became victims of elephant attacks.Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development Palitha Thewarapperuma said that the HEC initially started due to people putting up dwelling in the places which originally were owned by elephants and other animals.

Those environmentalists, who make accusations saying that the authorities have not taken adequate steps to find remedies to this conflict, have not recognised the nature of this issue and have no knowledge of the gravity of it, Thewarapperuma argued.

Meanwhile, Jayewardene said that the electrical fence was not an effective method to prevent elephants from entering the human habitation.

The elephants are wise beasts unlike other herbivorous animals. They are well aware as to how they should get rid of this fence. Therefore, what should be done is to dig a drain along the location of the electrical fences, Jayewardene said.



What have the authorities done?

Thewarapperuma said that this was not an issue that could be resolved in a hurry and added that this problem has existed for 75 years.

I presume that it would take another 10 or 15 years to sort out this conflict completely. However, we are very keen on this issue and still working on it to solve it, added Thewarapperuma.

With this conflict intensifying, we have been witnesses to incidents involving jumbos where humans became victims. During such incidents the Government provided Rs. 500,000 as compensation to the victims families and in addition to the Rs.50, 000 given to bear the funeral expenses.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has been very positive in its efforts to resolve the HEC. It is at present adopting the following conservation measures:

Elephant Deterrence  the use of noise, flashes and other shock tactics to deter elephants

Establishment of new National Parks and increasing the size of conservation areas.

Establishment of elephant corridors  to allow the safe passage of elephants from one habitat to another.

Elephant habitats to be enriched to enhance carry capacity

Translocation of elephants to less populated areas

Electrical Fencing  forming solid barriers between farmland and elephant habitat

Ex-situ conservation and breeding programme

Control poaching

nSynergising elephant conservation with economic development.

"The organisations urged Wildlife minister in office Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to look into this issue and take pertinent actions to suspend the proceedings of the proposed plane that would not be an effective tool to put an end to the HEC"



Plight of rural natives

The plight of the small and marginal farmers is miserable, as evident from reports relating to suicides. Many are in deep debt and are unable to move out of their poverty vortex.

Their problems are compounded by wildlife, especially the elephant whose incursions into their farmlands can ruin

their lives.

We have witnessed some heart-breaking incidents where children and adults were killed by elephants.

It was reported that 94% of these victims received absolutely no compensation at all from the Government for their losses due to elephant depredations. Only 6% received some compensation, but that too, according to them, was insignificant and

came too late.

Jayewardene said it was perhaps hard to estimate the damage done by the elephants to peoples properties.



Government policy not effective

Several groups comprising environmentalists said that the Elephant Conservation and mitigating the Human Elephant Conflict through a Government initiative was not practical.

Organisations like Centre for Conservation and Research, Centre for Environmental Justice, Elephant Forest and Environment Conservation Trust and Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust etc, raised concerns over this unsuccessful move by the Government.

Issuing a special media release, Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle President Supun Lahiru Prakash said that the plan had been introduced by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development to solve the HECC completely within one and half years. According to the new programme, the troublesome elephants would be driven away to the forests reserves while rogue jumbos would be kept in detention centres,

It is in contravention to the National policy for the Conservation and Management of wild elephants. This would never help in finding solutions to the HEC and would rather worsen the HEC because it is so unrealistic and against scientific methods, Lahiru Prakash said.

The organisations urged Wildlife minister in office Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to look into this issue and take pertinent actions to suspend the proceedings of the proposed plane that would not be an effective tool to put an end to the HEC.



What should be done?

Species Conservation Centre Chairperson Pubudu Weeraratne said that the conflict had arisen on account of the lack of National Land Use Policy in Sri Lanka.

National Land Use Policy is to prepare plans to rationally allocate the land resources among competing needs of the country. This guarantees the optimal and sustainable use of land while maintaining an environmental balance. The Government should first monitor the National Land Use Policy in a proper manner. Besides, it should make sure that the development projects are determined in a manner which would not damage the livelihood of the species,

The people living in elephants dwelling areas should not send cows to the jungle to eat grass because it would make the elephants come to the living areas of people in search of food Weeraratne said.

Nevertheless, Jayewardene said that the Government should consult the experts of animals and get the necessary pieces of advice to address this issue.

a paddy field destroyed by elephants
The cabinet has decided to appoint a high level Salaries and Anomalies Committee (SAC) to review salaries and remove salary anomalies of the entire public sector with the aim of giving a considerable pay hike to all government employees from budget 2019, a senior cabinet Minister said today.

Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told the media at the weekly SLFP news briefing at the party office that the SAC will be appointed after the cabinet approved it and decided the composition of it next Tuesday.

The decision to appoint an ad-hoc committee to review and remove salaries of public servants was taken on Tuesday after Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera pointed out that increasing of salaries of employees of Sri Lanka Railways alone was unfair and it would create further anomalies and disappointment among employees of other services. Minister Samaraweera also told the cabinet that salary anomalies were found in 25 other services in the public sector and he was ready to release funds from budget proposals 2019 after a proper and across board salary structure was established for all public employees, Minister Samarasinghe said.

Commenting on certain media reports that President Maithripala Sirisena rejected a proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the cabinet to pay an extra allowance to monitoring MPs -the back benchers of the government - who check the progress of rural development projects carried out under the governments Gamperaliya project that has allocated Rs. 200 million to all Divisional Secretariats.

Monitoring MPs are necessary as Divisional Secretaries cannot monitor rural development projects single-handedly with their other responsibilities, he noted.

Proposal to pay an allowance to monitoring MPs was a recommendation contained in a report submitted to the cabinet. It had been prepared by Treasury Secretary, Dr R.H.S. Samaratunga, Lands Ministry Secretary W.H. Karunaratne and Secretary to Prime Minister Saman Ekanayaka. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe did not submit a cabinet paper on this matter as reported by the media, Minister Samarasinghe stressed.

However, the first salvo against the proposal in the cabinet was fired by Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera who noted that the time was not right to give an allowance to monitoring MPs while the country and people in dire strait. President Sirisena accepting the views of Minister Amaraweera said the proposal could be taken up later with amendments.

Responding to a journalist on the ongoing trade union action by railway employees, Minister Samarasinghe said Minister Samaraweera had convened a meeting last afternoon and expressed hopes that the strike would call off by last afternoon.

Commenting on assault by commuters on trade union representatives at Fort Railway station, Minister Samarasinghe said it was how commuters vented their anger and disappointment after learning that they had no train to return home after days hard work.

Minister Samarasinghe said the SLFP annual convention was scheduled to be held in early September on a grand scale and the partys reorganization from the grassroots level to the top will be fully in place by then to ensure partys victory at the forthcoming PC, Presidential and Parliamentary polls. (Sandun A Jayasekera)

Video by Buddhi
Expert scientists are warning that the global warming catastrophe may be reaching a point of no-return with some western countries going through their hottest summers in history and some of them getting as hot as 46 degrees Celsius while California and Greece face their worst ever wildfires. Meanwhile the world this week marks the anniversary of another apocalyptic danger -- nuclear weapons.

According to a Washington Post report, Hiroshima marked the anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombing with a sombre ceremony on August 6 to remember those killed and injured, with a call to eliminate nuclear weapons amid hopes of denuclearizing North Korea.

Nuclear deterrence and nuclear umbrellas are inherently unstable and extremely dangerous approaches that seek to maintain international order by only generating fear in rival countries, the Mayor said, urging world leaders to negotiate in good faith to eliminate nuclear arsenals instead, according to the Washington Post report.

The United States Hiroshima attack killed about 140,000 people and the August 9 Nagasaki bombing killed more than 70,000. Hiroshima Mayor Matsui said in his speech that Japans government should do more to achieve a nuclear-free world by helping the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to take effect. Japan, which hosts US troops and is covered by the US nuclear umbrella protecting it from attack, has not signed the treaty, the newspaper says.

Japan should live up to the spirit of its pacifist constitution to lead the international community towards dialogue and cooperation for a world without nuclear weapons, the Mayor said. About 50,000 people, including Hiroshima residents and representatives from 58 countries, including US Ambassador William Hagerty, attended this years ceremony. The anniversary comes amid hopes to denuclearize North Korea after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at their Singapore meeting, made vague aspirational statements about denuclearizing the peninsula.

According to a report in the British Express newspaper website the United States and Russia account for 92 per cent of nuclear weapons. Russia has about 6,850 nuclear weapons with the countrys tough-talking dictator Vladimir Putin boasting that Russia now has super-smart nuclear weapons which could penetrate any defence mechanism and hit any part of the world. US has about 6,450 weapons. With President Trump widely known to be inconsistent and dangerously unpredictable, analysts have expressed concern over his power to order a nuclear attack. Some analysts say the US and Russia have some weapons which are tens of thousands of times more powerful than the atom bombs which caused an apocalypse in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Express report says France has about 300 nuclear weapons, China about 280, Britain about 215, Pakistan about 150, India about 140, Israel about 80 and North Korea about 60. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Francis said nuclear non-proliferation treaties were totally inadequate and he urged world religious leaders to come together in seeking a ban on nuclear weapons. The worlds major religions have no doctrinal differences relating to nuclear weapons. They need to meet together more regularly and apply pressure on the world leaders to impose a ban while inspiring the people to carry out massive protests in their countries. Pope Francis has also appealed to world religious leaders to work together in the battle against global warming, though President Trump recently pulled out of the 2016 Paris Climate Change Accords, which virtually all countries have signed.

President Maithripala Sirisena speaking at a national ceremony on Tuesday to mark the launch of the sustainable development programme said he was proud to proclaim that Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to sign the Paris Climate Change Accord. If global warming trends continue, many countries including the Maldives will be submerged within decades. Sri Lanka also will lose a large section of its coastline. Therefore there is a need for the worlds people to be eco-friendly and act as responsible citizens by putting pressure on leaders and holding demonstrations to curb climate change and ban nuclear weapons.
The government intended to revise the import duties imposed on small cars and hybrid vehicles in the near future, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe informed Parliament yesterday.

The Prime Minister expressed these sentiments in response to a question raised by Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardane in the House last afternoon.

The Prime Minister said the minimum duty rate of Rs 1.5 million for small cars with the engine capacity less than 1,000cc and the minimum duty rate of Rs 1.25 million for hybrid vehicles would be imposed as the increase of vehicle import expenditure had pushed the balance of payments to more negative levels.

Accordingly, he said the vehicle import expenditure within the first five months of 2018 had gone up to the US $ 666 million compared to the US $ 316 million recorded within the first five months of 2017.

The Prime Minister said that the expenditure incurred for the importation of small cars with engine capacity under 1,000cc and hybrid vehicles had accounted to 51 per cent of the total vehicle importation cost in 2017, while it had increased up to 78.9 per cent of the total vehicle import expenditure in 2018.

The Prime Minister refuted the claim made by Mr Bandula Gunawardane that those who opened Letters of Credit to import small cars before August this year were allowed to clear their vehicle by paying the earlier duty rates has been aimed at giving a concession to a selected group.

Mr Wickremesinghe assured that the Government would look into the gold importation scam, which Mr Gunawardane talked of.

Earlier, Mr Gunawardane said gold was being exported hidden in the sand, while the number of gold biscuits, coming into the country, had increased drastically. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)
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.
Hayleys groups coconut-shell based activated carbon manufacturer, Haycarb PLC, saw its June quarter (1Q19) earnings declining amid shortages and price escalations of coconut shell-based charcoal, the key raw material the firm operates with.



The earnings for the quarter under review fell 6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs.101 million on revenue of Rs.4.3 billion, up 31 percent. The cost of sales also rose at a similar percentage to Rs.3.5 billion. The earnings per share (EPS) for the period deteriorated to Rs.3.40 from Rs.3.62.



The operating profit of company fell 51 percent YoY to Rs.242.4 million.



Haycarb is the pioneer manufacturer of coconut shell activated carbon with manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia supported by marketing offices in the USA, UK and Australia. Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan said although the companys initiatives to extend its market reach and the value added portfolio contributed to the noteworthy growth in turnover, the continuing shortages and escalation of charcoal cost in Sri Lanka and India negatively impacted the profitability at both the company and group levels.



Even though coconut crop and charcoal supply chain dynamics stabilised in Indonesia, shortages in coconut shell based charcoal supplies are expected to continue in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand in the short term.

In this backdrop, the company is continuing to focus on the procurement strategy that emphasizes on retention of existing suppliers, broad basing the supply network and supporting low-cost environmental friendly charcoaling methods, Kariyawasan said.



On a separate note, he said that the growth in Haycarbs environmental engineering arm Puritas (Pvt.) Ltd. is expected to contribute positively to the profitability of the group supported by the expected growth in water and waste water treatment projects in Sri Lanka and in the region.



In the background of increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability worldwide, Haycarb remains positive in its medium to long term outlook in its activated carbon and water treatment system businesses.



Haycarb was recently awarded a US $ 56.2 million project to install sewage wastewater removal networks by the Maldivian state utility Fenaka Corporation.

As at June 30, 2018, Hayleys PLC held a 67.73 percent stake in Haycarb while the Employees Provident Fund, the state-controlled private sector pension fund, held a 4.77 percent stake being the second largest shareholder.
A hydrographic survey ship of the Chinese Navy arrived at the Colombo port on Wednesday on a four-day goodwill visit, the Navy said.

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship Qian Weichang was welcomed by the Sri Lanka navy accordance with naval traditions.

The 129m long and 17m wide vessel which has a displacement of 4,900 tons is manned by 158 officers and sailors.

Upon the arrival of the ship, senior captain Dong Yan and Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander Zhang Juyong met the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at the Western Naval Command Headquarters and held a cordial discussion on matters of mutual interest.

Navy said that during the visit, the ships crew is expected to visit some of the places of tourist attraction in the island and take part in several events organized by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Mementoes were also exchanged to mark this occasion. Senior Colonel Xu Jiawei, Military, Naval and Air Attache of Embassy of China in Sri Lanka, was also present at the event.

The Chinese ship is scheduled to set sail from the Colombo harbour on August 11.(Darshana Sanjeewa)

Video by SL Navy Media
New Zealand Immigration staff are manually checking nearly 900 applications from Sri Lankan students who allegedly used a finance company which is at the centre of a student visa scam, NZ Herald reported quoting Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is investigating the fraud involving Sri Lankan student applications.

INZ officials advised Lees-Galloway in March that fraudulent behaviour had been found in 88 pending applications, and 83 were declined, with a finance company at the centre of the fraud.

"Immigration NZ are going to manually review the 895 applications that came from Sri Lankan students through the Mumbai office in 2017. They're going to see which of those involved this particular finance company," Lees-Galloway said in late July.

Those that had used the controversial company would be flagged and if the visa-holder sought to have their visa extended, their case would be more closely scrutinised.

INZ had looked back at earlier applications but Lees-Galloway said the information confirming they had sufficient finances to support their application came from the finance company, which meant going back to the fraudulent finance company for the information.

Lees-Galloway said he would have a better idea of how widespread the problem was when INZ had completed its review.

"This is something that has appeared before, that there have been issues with this type of behaviour before. It is something INZ is very aware of."

He said people who were not able to support themselves financially in New Zealand ended up being exploited, by employers or others.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force military C-130 aircraft landed at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) this morning for refuelling and for crew resting, Airport Manager Upali Kalansuriya said.

He said there were 15 crew members in the craft.

It arrived at the MRIA from Indonesia and had scheduled to leave for Dubai tomorrow morning, he said.

Earlier, the worlds largest cargo aircraft Antonov AN-225 Mriya and the worlds second largest cargo plane Antonov AN-124 Ruslan landed at MRIA for refuelling and crew rest. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)
Some 104 chairs, each costing Rs 650,000, had been reportedly ordered from abroad for the chamber of the new Western Provincial Council building, JVP Western Provincial Councillor Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi said.

The councillor said this was revealed during the western provincial council committee meeting held on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Western Province Governor, the councillor said even though taking measure to bring all institutes of the provincial council under one roof was a good move, it is absurd that chairs for councillors would be brought at such a high price.

As a member of the council as well as a member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), I cant approve such a move in the council , he said in the letter.

He requested the governors special intervention to the matter and sought its suspension.(Darshana Sanjeewa)
Sri Lanka has faced challenges in terms of transportation; housing and environmental issues due to urbanization and policy measures have been taken to address these issues

Sri Lankas Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s to be submitted to the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) of the United Nations shows that the country is making headway in successfully achieving the SDGs but certain areas are needed to tackle issues related to climate change, land degradation and deforestation.

Much of the work has been undertaken in the past year after the enactment of the Sustainable Development Act by the Sri Lanka Parliament in October 2017 which provides for the formulating of a national sustainable development policy and strategy

Sri Lanka VNR on the Status of Implementing Sustainable Development Goals was prepared by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development to be submitted to the UN this month.

"There are a number of targets/areas which are only partially aligned, in particular those related to environment

and partnerships"



In the past year the Government has taken several initiatives to mainstream the SDGs in the country.

These measures included the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on Sustainable Development, the enactment of the Sustainable Development Act No. 19 of 2017 and the establishment of a Ministry to serve as the focal point for coordinating and facilitating the implementation of SDGs.

The VNR pointed out that with the introduction of the Vision 2025 with emphasis on the Blue Green Budget of 2018, the Review found that national policies are well aligned with the SDGs at both Goal and Target levels.

However, there are a number of targets/areas which are only partially aligned, in particular those related to environment and partnerships.



Sri Lanka VNR covered all 17 SDGs and analysed the current status and trends, gaps and challenges and the way forward for each of the SDG with detailed analyses on the goals selected for in-depth review at the 2018 HLPF.

The Review with regard to SDG 6, is that Sri Lanka has made good progress .These are in terms of access to safe drinking water, though there are regional disparities to be addressed. t was found that climate change impacts can bring in challenges in this regard. A majority of households possess onsite sanitation facilities, but, there is a need for a centralized sewerage system in order to minimize possible health and environmental impacts of onsite facilities, VNR said.

It said that with regards to SDG 7, rising fossil fuel dependency has become a major challenge in the energy sector.

The country has made achievements in terms of electrification. Renewable energy sources play an important role and there is much potential for further utilization of renewable energy sources, including solar energy, the VNR said.

"A majority of households possess onsite sanitation facilities, but, there is a need for a centralized sewerage system in order to minimize possible health and environmental impacts"



It added that Sri Lanka has faced challenges in terms of transportation; housing and environmental issues due to urbanization and policy measures have been taken to address these issues.

The Review said that the National Disaster Management Plan 2018-2030 has been prepared to address the issues related to disaster risk reduction. The VNR also pointed out that Forest degradation is a major cause for loss of biodiversity and it is also associated with land degradation and proper enforcement of related laws is important to minimize forest degradation and deforestation.

This, the VNR, said, should be clearly demarcated with forest boundaries, and through strengthening the capacity of forest managing agencies and increasing public awareness.



The Review said that Sri Lanka has made significant progress in several areas related to SDGs, in particular education, health

and poverty. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a common call of action to bring an end to poverty, protect the earth and ensure that all people enjoy peace, prosperity and a secure future. The targets as given by the United Nations (UN) address 17 key areas including climate change, innovation, sustainable production and consumption, economic inequalities and education.

The VNR added that Sri Lanka is headed towards a sustainable and resilient society. The poverty rate in the country has dropped to 4.1% in 2016 and is moving towards an upper-middle-income status nation with a per capita GDP of $4066 (USD). Unemployment rates are at a low of 5% for the past seven years.
Like most other terms and words in the English language, privilege has an old and colourful history. In the early centuries it was a right, a priority, and as the decades progressed and made way for the Roman Empire, it was taken to mean a bill in favour of an individual. It was a law, essentially



Later, when the English pioneered a new legal system with an emphasis on the parliament and individual rights, privileges were stringently defined in terms of institutions, not individuals. Powers which accrued to persons were thus never, theoretically at least, the prerogative of those persons, but rather of the institutions which they represented. Even the Royal Prerogative, more symbolic than practical today, was meant to symbolise the overarching presence of the monarchy, and not the monarch. In other words, privilege lost its earlier identification with particular individuals and laws and took on a symbolist, metaphoric character.



Privilege, then, is best understood today as an abstraction, and is best seen in relation to abstractions. It is relative. Malleable. What is a birthright to some is an absolute right to others. What the few possess, the many do not. What the many rebel for, the few have. In a world where no one can have everything and where nothing can be in the hands of everyone, it is natural that conflicts arise when people are defined in relation to what Karl Polanyi once memorably referred to as fictitious commodities. In the Augustine and post-Augustine world, long before the advent of industrialisation, people were essentially either chattels or owners, either serfs or landlords. As such, it was not difficult to define a privilege in absolute, concrete terms. When the bond between serf and landlord broke down and industrial capitalism took over the reins of Western civilization, the most immediate consequence was the substitution of capital interests for land. In his introduction to The Condition of the Working Class in England, Friedrich Engels brilliantly captures this transition from the manor to the market. Once the transition was over, privilege became an obscure, pliable yardstick. Societies once colonised by the West have historically been worse off than the rest of the world when it comes to the rift between the many and the few, for two obvious reasons: they were effectively robbed of the resources and the industries they had, and they were ruled on the basis of the continuation of pre-existing social gulfs. What little remained was then siphoned off to those powerful aristocracies which could be counted on to support the coloniser, even at the cost of the enslaved. In colonial societies, these resources thus became the ultimate symbols of privilege, and they were used to create an entire social milieu which thrived on a bourgeois, caste-run and quasi-feudal worldview. Sri Lanka was no stranger to this process of economic imperialism, which passed through two distinct but still related epochs: that of the landowning traditional elite and that of the arrack renting capitalist bourgeoisie.

"Societies once colonised by the West have historically been worse off than the rest of the world when it comes to the rift between the many and the few, for two obvious reasons: they were effectively robbed of the resources they had and ruled on the basis of the continuation of pre-existing social gulfs"



What happened when the white man left? He left behind a society which distinguished the majority from the minority. Western liberalism is strange and paradoxical in that it champions democracy and individual rights, and yet rejects both. The reason is clear. From Rousseau to Locke, liberalism was premised on the separation of the multitude, who cannot be trusted, from the minority, the elite, who can be. (My friend Krisantha: They say theyre for democracy AND insist that the majority are backward!) It is this idea of individual rights, a creature of capitalism, which found its way to colonial societies, and which continues to define the parameters of privilege in those societies: privilege that comes in different shades, colours, and hues.

For this reason, Western capitalism, with its intrinsic distrust of the majority, and its deification of the minority, turned it into an abstraction. Feudal societies had defined it clearly, in terms of land relations. Capitalist societies or societies half-rooted in capitalism (like ours), perhaps because of the ambivalent nature of Western liberalism, could not define it clearly.



We find privilege in almost every corner. Those who have money, those who can speak, read, and write in English, those who are in politics, those who are supporters of politicians, and those who grab the opportune moment and join politicians on their way to the top are, in societies like ours, in a class of their own. They are privileged and they define their privileged status in relation to everyone else around them.



When Dayasiri Jayasekara made that infamous gaffe trying to pronounce a Latin saying (the motto of a school) last year, he was castigated in every quarter. When no less a person than our president made gaffe after gaffe giving a speech in English, he was rounded up and rebuked. So strange were the notions entertained of goodness and badness in speaking a different language in each case that no one batted as much as an eyelid when representatives of a mainly Sinhalese and Tamil society made gaffe after gaffe in the mother tongue (especially Sinhala) in the parliament. I can mention at least five names from the ruling parties who muddle up Sinhala in ways which would make even the most ordinary speaker blush. And yet, as a friend once told me, we are content in letting these politicos off the hook because we dont care about what makes us who we are. We are more concerned with how we pronounce another language. When residents of a given society judge one another based on a language or a marker of privilege created in another society, what does that say about those residents? It says a lot, I should think, and it makes evident the flawed premises and assumptions on which such societies (are) run. That is why I am confused why parents insist on their children learning how to speak English rather than how to read and write it effectively. When elocution is privileged over literature and grammar, how can a nation turn out writers, artists, or even intellectuals? Is this not one reason why we havent been able to produce an original thinker in English, an observation which Liyanage Amarakeerthi made years ago in an article on Gunadasa Amarasekara? Politicians love to talk about ape kama, or our way, forgetting that ape kama is much more than political rhetoric. It all starts with the way we look at our compatriots.



Privilege in a society like ours, naturally, is borne of ignorance. Ignorance, that is, of what entails privilege and what makes up a person of high renown. The political sphere that January the 8th, 2015, brought forth was birthed by assumptions about intelligence and prestige which have since been proven to be patently false. If English speaking technocrats, as opposed to village baiyas, could make this society better than what it was, 2015 and 2016 were let-down years which proved that this was nothing more than a myth. The elitism associated with the party of the young, the UNP, was in that sense a fluke. It was good advertising, and like all good advertising, the myths it perpetuated are still being sustained by a good (great?) proportion of the population.

"When residents of a given society judge one another based on a language or a marker of privilege created in another society, what does that say about those residents"



How many of those who mocked Dayasiri Jayasekara can spell their names and write essays in Latin? (Lets be more precise here: how many of those not-so old boys who castigated the man on social media can read a sentence in Latin?) How many of those who took Maithripala Sirisena to task over his speeches can write a proper essay in English (as opposed to the cliched-ridden tommy-rot you come across in newspapers and journals every day)? My guess is, not many. That is why privilege, so often a marker of distinction in the world, has been a product of centuries of exploitation, misery, oppression, and ignorance in societies like ours that are still emerging from colonialism. It was this sort of ignorance which made critics of the former regime rationalise their dislike of the Rajapaksas in terms of their preference for political elites conversant in Western habits. The colonial hangover, which has been written on and dissected at length by critics more scholarly than me, remains an everlasting symbol of pride for the few, and sadness for the many, here. There are, the way I see it, two ways of combating the feelings of inadequacy and inferiority this compels.



The first is by turning those feelings into an instrument of self-pity, by joining the crowd and bringing down others on their way up on the basis of their inadequacies in those aforementioned criteria of privilege. This is what most revolutionaries do, and what the ruckus over private education has turned out to be.

The second, the method I prefer, is to turn those tools of oppression into tools of empowerment. Somewhere in the 1970s a man called Douglas Walatara pioneered a method of teaching English which even those with a smattering of knowledge in the language could access in the remotest schools. It is this method that, in later decades, was contorted and turned into what is referred to as English Our Way. Forget that, though. The point is, we can either be revolutionaries or be another Douglas Walatara. My choice, the only one that would make sense, is to be the latter. That is one way, if not the only way, through which privilege can be, if not completely combated, then at least partly ameliorated.
Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's allies are mounting a fresh line of attack against special counsel Robert Mueller's Russian interference probe, zeroing in on ties between a senior Department of Justice official and the Washington research firm Democrats hired to investigate Trump.



Both Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney in the Mueller investigation, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California, have called for renewed attention to the work of Bruce Ohr.



Ohr was friendly with retired British MI6 spy Christopher Steele, author of the Trump-Russia "dossier," and Ohr's wife had also worked for the firm that had hired Steele to do that research, Fusion GPS.



"If you look at the scenario of events that have taken place in this investigation in particular, I mean the corruption at the start of it -- and the new information, the Bruce Ohr information just coming out yesterday -- raises serious concerns all the way through," Sekulow said Wednesday on his radio show.



On Sunday, Sekulow told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week that Ohr's ties to Steele and Fusion GPS "concerned" him.



Nunes echoed that view in a Monday appearance on Fox News Channel's Hannity, saying Ohr's involvement is troubling.



"I think people should pay close attention to it," he said.



Ohr has not spoken publicly about the allegations and could not be reached for comment. For months, Justice Department officials have declined to comment on matters involving Steele and Ohr. However, a DOJ official noted Wednesday that Ohr was removed from the Deputy Attorney's office when his ties to Steele came to public light.



In testimony under oath to Congress last month, embattled FBI agent Peter Strzok said the true nature of Ohr's role in the Russia probe  when it becomes public  will "reassure" the public and "disappoint" Republican doubters.



Strzok told lawmakers that Ohr provided the FBI one of "a variety of copies" of Steele's dossier that the agency ultimately obtained, but Ohr's was not the first copy given to the FBI.



Ohr may have also given the FBI other information, according to what Strzok said in open session.



Strzok testified that in late 2016 or early 2017, he and Ohr spoke as many as five times about "operational" and "investigative matters." Strzok didn't offer any more specifics, insisting the FBI precluded him from providing further details about an ongoing investigation.



It's unclear why Ohr has become the focus of renewed attention from the president's allies in recent days.



Most of the allegations targeting Ohr this week are not new and have been public for months.



Ohr's wife Nellie once worked at Fusion GPS, the private research firm which created the unverified "dossier" in mid-2016 that detailed alleged ties between the GOP candidate and Russian interests. According to a source familiar with her work, the Russian linguist was not directly involved in the dossier project.



Steele, who served as a sub-contractor for Fusion GPS, was once a Russia espionage expert in the U.K.'s MI6 secret service. Steele met Ohr years ago when they traveled in common circles due to their work in the global security field.



Fusion GPS originally gathered information on Trump and other GOP presidential candidates for the conservative news outlet Washington Free Beacon, but created the dossier while doing work for the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.



The firm also had done opposition research on the Clintons for Republicans in the past, knowledgeable sources have told ABC News.



A Fusion GPS lawyer declined comment when contacted by ABC News.



The relationship between the Ohrs and Steele is what Sekulow and Nunes argue cast a partisan shadow over the Russia investigation's origins and also a secret surveillance warrant used to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in the summer of 2016.



Page had been secretly investigated as a possible Russian government recruit as early as 2012 and Trump had identified him early in his 2016 campaign as one of his foreign policy advisers. Page, a campaign volunteer, had a minor role on an advisory committee, according to campaign aides.



In an opinion column Tuesday for The Hill, writer John Solomon cited newly-obtained documents that indicated Ohr was talking to Steele before, during and after the 2016 election  which he argued was improper because the FBI had severed its relationship with Steele on Nov. 1, 2016 for allegedly providing information on his Trump and Russia research to a reporter after he had given it all to the FBI.



Some Republicans investigating the Russia matters argue the FBI and Justice Department failed to properly inform a judge reviewing the request for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant targeting Page that one of their sources, Steele, held a bias against Trump and therefore had dubious credibility.



But in 400 pages of documents recently released in lawsuits to several media and conservative watchdog organizations, law enforcement officials made it clear to the FISA Court in their applications that Steele was working for a private research firm doing opposition research to discredit Trump.



They also noted that Steele had a "reliable" track record despite stating he was "frustrated" that the reopening of the Clinton email probe weeks before the election could help Trump win.



A source familiar with Steele's work for Fusion GPS told ABC News that the retired spy grew hardened against Trump because of his research -- not prior to doing it.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh city Peoples Committee Le Thanh Liem and Malaysian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh city Sofian Akmal Abd.Karim at the ceremony (Photo: hcmcpv.org.vn)

So confirmed Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh city Peoples Committee Le Thanh Liem during a ceremony held on August 7th to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam - Malaysia diplomatic relations (March 30th).

According to Mr. Liem, the good political relationship helps boost trade and investment cooperation, making Malaysia Vietnams 8th largest trade partner with two-way trade turnover reaching over USD10 billion in 2017. Malaysia has 568 projects capitalized at over USD12 billion in Vietnam, while Vietnam has 11 projects worth USD756 million in Malaysia.

He stressed that Ho Chi Minh city was proud to have 50% of Malaysian trade and investment in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh city hopes to further increase the cooperation with Malaysia, especially in trade, investment, technology, education and tourism, he added. Being Malaysias neighbor and an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam and Malaysia will continue to work together for the benefit of the people and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region, and for a successful and strong ASEAN.

Attending the ceremony, Malaysian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh city Sofian Akmal Abd. Karim expressed his pleasure with the achievements made by the two countries leaders and peoples.

He said that the relationship between the two countries had been continuously developed by expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation, and exchanging high ranking visits./.
China's pork industry is at the center of moves to raise awareness of ethical standards of farm production. Yang Wanli reports.

Piglets are held in pens at a modern pig farm in Beijing on April 30. Wu Bo/For China Daily

Yao Dehui started a pig farm in the southern province of Guangdong in 1998, but it wasn't until he visited a number of modern counterparts in Europe and the United States in 2005 that he began to understand how the use of technology could make his business more profitable.

Unlike most pig farms in China, which are dominated by the stench of excrement, the Western farms used automated services to clean, feed and even transport the animals. In addition to the modern facilities, Yao was deeply impressed with the foreign farmers' ideas about raising livestock, especially the focus on the mental health of the animals.

Rather than restricting sows to refrigerator-sized cages for their entire livesa common practice on Chinese farms and regarded as a safe, but cruel way of guaranteeing the production of pigletsthe pigs were allowed to walk and play freely, with pregnant sows only being confined for a few days before and after delivery.

"I saw pigs living happily in open areas. Their health and that of their piglets were significantly better than in China as a result of these advanced rearing concepts," Yao said. "As a businessman who earns a living by raising pigs, I reassessed our traditional model and realized that modern methods should be introduced in China."

In 2007, he started a revolution at his farm, which supplies his other business, Guangdong Dexing Food Co. A 300-square-meter "sports field" was built, providing enough room for 50 sows to move freely prior to pregnancy. The ground was covered with sand and hay, and a number of toys were left for the pigs, such as wooden cubes and sticks they could bite on.

The farm also introduced the concept of "group rearing", only confining pregnant sows in a cage for a month during the latter stages of pregnancy and the piglets' weaning period. The rest of the time, the animals were kept in a 1,600 sq m feeding room, which was divided into 16 separate areas for different groups of pigs.

5

1

[ Editor:  ]
The senior government leader made the requirement while chairing a national conference on boosting timber processing and forestry product export, held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 8.

According to the PM, agriculture contributes nearly 16% to the GDP, of which exports of wood and wooden products accounts for 21% of the total agricultural exports, reaching nearly US$8 billion last year.

The average growth rate of the timber industry over the past 18 years is 15% per year, five times higher than the growth rate of the agricultural sector. In particular, Vietnam has over 4,500 businesses with more than 350,000 employees in the industry, generating an average of over US$23,000 per labourer. It is forecast that, in 2019 and the following years, the industry will continue to grow rapidly.

However, PM Phuc also pointed out a number of shortcomings in the development of the wood industry, as ensuring the quality and legitimacy of raw materials remains limited, along with scattered production, weak plantation and processing technology, and limited corporate governance.

Especially, the building of a national brand still faces difficulties. There are not many Vietnamese brands of timber and forest products capable of competing in the regional or global markets.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C) visits a furniture exhibition within the framework of the national conference on boosting timber processing and forestry product export, Ho Chi Minh City, August 8, 2018. (Photo: VGP)

Emphasising the inadequacy of law enforcement on forest products, the senior leader reaffirmed the policy of resolutely closing natural forests and not chopping down forests for industrial tree cultivation.

The development objective in the future is to develop sustainably, efficiently and modernly with deep integration into the international and regional markets, using legal materials, applying advanced technologies and developing supporting industry and logistics services, PM Phuc affirmed.

He stated that specific targets for the sector to earn US$9 billion in exports this year, while the figure for next year would be US$10-11 billion, US$12-13 billion for 2020 and US$18-20 billion by 2025.

To realise the ambitious goals, PM Phuc suggested that the ministries, sectors, localities and enterprises concerned focus on the effective implementation of the 2017 Law on Forestry, while considering forestry and specific technical economic sector in links with the value chain of forest products.

The relevant authorities, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, should review and finalise the related legal documents, as well as boosting administrative reforms, to create a better investment environment for the wood processing and forestry industries.

The PM asked to improve the market development for both domestic and foreign markets. Studying the development of the global real estate industry and free trade agreements is a good opportunity for the Vietnamese timber industry to enter the world market, he added.

Another focus should be the communications work to persuade people and enterprises to change their awareness related to the use of lawful timber, as well as changing the habit of using natural timber to planted wood and resolutely not using illegal timber.

The leader also praised the role of the business community, saying that businesses should respect international law, use legal materials, study international markets and prevent possible disputes.
Many of the larger fires in California have produced pyrocumulus clouds on an almost daily basis, said Scott Bachmeier, a research meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While much of the smoke is being ejected to high altitudes and transported eastward across the Lower 48 states, some of it has been confined to the boundary layer, reducing visibility and affecting air quality near the fires.In Sacramento County, authorities warned people to stay indoors through 10 August 2018. In parts of southern Oregon, ground-based sensors measured particle pollution levels above 500 micrograms per cubic meter. That is about as bad as it gets in Beijing on a very polluted day, Ryan Stauffer, a postdoctoral fellow at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center told The Washington Post.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies have reported airborne particulates at levels up to 990 micrograms per cubic meterabout 80 times higher than air quality guidelines consider good, according to Pawan Gupta, an atmospheric scientist at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center.As fires chew through wood, grass, homes, and other materials, a noxious mix of gases and fine particles enter the atmosphere, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, organic carbon, and black carbon. Fine particles (PM2.5)particularly black carbon (soot)are especially harmful because they can easily enter the lungs and bloodstream. Health research links PM2.5 and black carbon exposure to respiratory diseases, heart problems, and other ailments. Fires that burn at relatively low temperatures and smolder in moist fuels are the most likely to produce black carbon and other toxic pollutants because they tend to burn less completely than hotter fires burning through dry fuels.
2 August 2018 (The Economist)  Earth is smouldering. From Seattle to Siberia this summer, flames have consumed swathes of the northern hemisphere. One of 18 wildfires sweeping through California, among the worst in the states history, is generating such heat that it created its own weather. Fires that raged through a coastal area near Athens last week killed 91 (see article). Elsewhere people are suffocating in the heat. Roughly 125 have died in Japan as the result of a heatwave that pushed temperatures in Tokyo above 40C for the first time.Such calamities, once considered freakish, are now commonplace. Scientists have long cautioned that, as the planet warmsit is roughly 1C hotter today than before the industrial ages first furnaces were litweather patterns will go berserk. An early analysis has found that this sweltering European summer would have been less than half as likely were it not for human-induced global warming.Yet as the impact of climate change becomes more evident, so too does the scale of the challenge ahead. Three years after countries vowed in Paris to keep warming well below 2C relative to pre-industrial levels, greenhouse-gas emissions are up again. So are investments in oil and gas. In 2017, for the first time in four years, demand for coal rose. Subsidies for renewables, such as wind and solar power, are dwindling in many places and investment has stalled; climate-friendly nuclear power is expensive and unpopular. It is tempting to think these are temporary setbacks and that mankind, with its instinct for self-preservation, will muddle through to a victory over global warming. In fact, it is losing the war.Insufficient progress is not to say no progress at all. As solar panels, wind turbines and other low-carbon technologies become cheaper and more efficient, their use has surged. Last year the number of electric cars sold around the world passed 1m. In some sunny and blustery places renewable power now costs less than coal.Public concern is picking up. A poll last year of 38 countries found that 61 percent of people see climate change as a big threat; only the terrorists of Islamic State inspired more fear. In the West campaigning investors talk of divesting from companies that make their living from coal and oil. Despite President Donald Trumps decision to yank America out of the Paris deal, many American cities and states have reaffirmed their commitment to it. Even some of the sceptic-in-chiefs fellow Republicans appear less averse to tackling the problem (see article). In smog-shrouded China and India, citizens choking on fumes are prompting governments to rethink plans to rely heavily on coal to electrify their countries.
Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
Subscriber content preview

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The owners of an apartment building that caught fire twice and was demolished after it was declared a public nuisance have agreed to pay $1.5 million to Juneau.

The City and Borough of Juneau announced the settlement last week, ending its litigation to recoup the nearly $1.6 million spent on demolishing the building in January 2016, the Juneau Empire reported .





. . .
Subscriber content preview

TACOMA  The Drake Apartments, at 2220 97th St. S., have sold for almost $29.9 million, according to Pierce County records. The seller was Drake Apartments LLC, which had owned the property for decades.

The buyers were Tyroda Royal View LLC and six other parties. Public records indicate a loan from Washington Trust.





. . .
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Hoang Quoc Vuong, stated that the shortages are likely to happen from 2021 to 2023 with the peak in 2022.

An estimate by the national power utility EVN suggests that Vietnam needs to generate 265-278 billion kWh by 2020 and 572-632 billion kWh by 2030 in order to meet the growing demand.

The company stated that, despite the strong capacity growth of up to 11.3% during the 2016-2020 period and up to 8.5% during the 2021-2030 period, it is difficult to meet the demand due to a delay in progress at many power plants.

Deputy Minister Vuong warned that if Vietnams economy grows at a faster pace than expected and power stations in O Mon, Dung Quat and Chu Lai fall behind schedule, the shortages could be even worse.

Insufficient power supply could lead to a heavier reliance on imported fuels, especially those used for power generation, while higher demand would also place greater pressure on power infrastructure, which might not be improved quickly due to a lack of funding.

In addition to these challenges, Vietnam could face greater environmental impacts from an increased demand and a higher proportion of fossil fuels, especially coal in the power supply structure.

According to former Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan, ensuring energy security is very difficult, especially when Vietnam has decided to halt nuclear power projects while alternative resources, mainly renewable, remain limited.

To deal with the power shortages, economist Tran Dinh Thien suggested focusing on power demand management in order to make consumption more efficient, adding that electricity should be priced properly to attract more investment in power generation.

Other delegates at the forum also agreed that in addition to efforts to save power, a reasonable power pricing mechanism is needed to encourage more investment in renewable energy resources.
California wildfire smoke plumes as seen from space. (Photo courtesy NASA Earth Observatory

California wildfires that have claimed at least nine lives continue to rage.

The Mendocino Complex fire has surpassed the 2017 Thomas fire to become California's largest fire on record. As of Aug. 7, the fire had charred 460 square miles, an area about the size of New York City.

Meanwhile, the Carr fire near Redding torched more than 1,000 homes, making it the Golden State's sixth most destructive fire on record.

Firefighters are doing their best to douse flames, but they're getting no help from Mother Nature.

The state's drought left vegetation parched, producing ready-made kindling for any spark. Now hot and windy conditions are hampering the efforts of the men and women willing to put their own lives on the line to save others and their property.

But some California residents at least now are eligible for help from the federal government.

Major disaster declared: The Trump Administration has declared a major disaster in part of fire-ravaged California.

The declaration makes federal funds available to residents of Shasta County, where the Carr blaze has wiped out entire neighborhoods and forced thousands of evacuations.

UPDATE, Aug. 20: The IRS today expanded the tax relief granted Shasta County residents to Lake County residents, too.

As for the Mendocino fire, so far the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued only a fire management assistance declaration, not a major disaster designation.

But FEMA notes on that if and when individual assistance money is approved for the Mendocino fire, details on any relief will be posted on its website. Keep checking. The online information is updated every 24 hours.

Tax breaks depends on declaration: A major disaster declaration is important because, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that took effect this year, it is only in these extreme cases that natural disaster victims can get tax help for their uninsured losses.

When FEMA declares a major disaster, the Internal Revenue Service also typically offers affected residents additional tax relief. That's the case here. The IRS says that certain deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the Carr fire major disaster area have been postponed.

Specifically, tax deadlines falling on or after July 23 and before Nov. 30 have added time to file affected tax documents. For individual taxpayers who got an extension until Oct. 15 to file their 2017 returns, this means they have around six more weeks to get that paperwork done.

Quarterly estimated income tax payments due on Sept. 17 also are extended until Nov. 30, as are quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on July 31 and Oct. 31. And tax-exempt organizations that operate on a calendar-year basis and had an automatic extension due to run out on Nov. 15 now have an added two weeks to meet that extension.

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies automatic filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area but believe they too should be granted relief should call the IRS disaster toll-free hotline at (866) 562-5227 to request his/her situation.

Finally, if you qualify for the IRS extended filing and payment relief but get a late-filing or late-payment penalty notice, call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

Helping through donations: My heart is breaking for what everyone in the Golden State is going through.

I have family in California. I have friends in California. I've seen wildfires up close, both in Southern California when I took business trips there years ago and here in Texas not far from my own neighborhood.

This is the second straight year Californians have had to deal with devastating fires.

In late 2017, they suffered through what was then the worst fire season (according to CalFire) in state history. Last year's Golden State wildfires killed 44 people, burned more than 500,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes and cost the state $9 billion in insurance claims.

If you want to help victims of the still-burning latest fires, your best bet is to donate money  either online, by texting or by sending a check  to the two biggest rescue and recovery nonprofits, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

PBS News Hour also has put together a good list of other groups that are helping those who've sustained losses because of the fires.

While I know all y'all give because you're good people and just want to help, since I'm a tax blogger I must remind you that if you itemize, the deduction for charitable donations is still available under the TCJA.

That tax break and heartfelt thanks for your help is the least we and Uncle Sam can do.

You also might find these items of interest:
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.
The event was held by the embassies of the ASEAN member states in the host country in collaboration with the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

In his remarks, Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak, who is Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires, reviewed the associations establishment and development since 1967, with notable achievements in all sectors, turning ASEAN into a close-knit, proactive, and prestigious community.

The region recorded a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$2.6 trillion, the third largest economy in Asia, and the sixth largest in the world, he underlined, adding that the bloc is targeting to become the worlds fourth strongest economy, just following the US, China, the European Union (UN).

ASEAN members reached consensus on expanding cooperative ties with major partners, enhancing integration efforts, and promoting solidarity for regional development, peace, and sustainability. The Malaysian diplomat affirmed that ASEAN has become a prime example of regional integration.

He said that the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries have recently approved the establishment of the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires to fortify strong bonds, and further collaboration with the host nations in various sectors.

Argentine Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Raimondi, for his part, congratulated ASEAN states on their achievements during integration process, and spoke highly of the blocs increasing role in the international arena.

ASEANs success is an illustration for solidarity and cooperation strength that can create a sustainable integration model benefitting all member states, he said.

Laying stress on the effective collaborative ties, especially in economy and trade, between ASEAN and Argentina, Raimondi noted that Argentinas recent accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) is part of the countrys commitment to continue bolstering relations in all areas with this bloc.

On the occasion, five ASEAN member states having representative offices in Argentina, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, introduced their traditional costumes, and special dishes to the guests.


ECB Youth Dialogue

The ECB Youth Dialogue gives you the chance to do exactly that. We hold events throughout Europe  and also online  that put you in direct contact with ECB policymakers so you can ask any questions you have and share your views with us.

We know that the decisions we take can have an impact on your day-to-day life. Thats why we want to make sure that, instead of just hearing about us and what we do, you also have the chance to talk with us directly.

Around 200 students from the University of Cologne asked Vice-President de Guindos their questions on the ECBs response to the coronavirus crisis, the euro area economic outlook, and climate change and central banking. The online event, which took place on 16 December, was organised in collaboration with the University of Cologne.

I think completing the banking union could be key to address certain issues at the European level, such as the low profitability of European banks.

Monetary policy is not about revolution, it's about evolution. The ECBs definition of price stability can be modified, but I think what is much more important is the instruments that we are going to use to deliver it.

Climate change is part of the work of any central bank, because it affects financial stability, the economic outlook, inflation and growth.

We have to strike a balanced approach between avoiding zombie companies and helping so-called sleeping beauties: companies that are viable but suffering because of the pandemic.

This is an unprecedented crisis in terms of the origin of the shock and how rapidly the pandemic has caused a decline in GDP around the world. Our measures have helped reduce the impact of the crisis, but GDP levels will take around two years to fully recover.

Past events

Ask Christine Lagarde at the European Youth Event, online, May 2020

Young Europeans asked President Lagarde their questions on the ECB's response to the coronavirus pandemic emergency in an online youth dialogue. The event was organised together with the European Parliament as part of the European Youth Event 2020 and took place on 27 May 2020. Participants also sent questions about their concerns for their careers, the future of Europe, digitalisation and climate change. Here are the highlights from the discussion! President Lagarde's thoughts... ...on the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic Viruses know no borders, so all of us are affected. However, there will still be different consequences depending on factors such as a country's situation before the pandemic and the nature of its economy. It is our collective duty to make sure that we come out of this in as balanced a way as possible. ...on countries increasing their debt What we are investing in is what really matters. We should transform our economies and make them more efficient, productive and responsive to people's needs. We should also encourage the use of debt to invest in resisting climate change and stimulate sustainable growth. ...on European institutions working together EU policymakers have kept in constant contact in this crisis situation in order to compare best practices and deliver a coordinated response to the pandemic. We need to respond collectively. With the right measures, we stand a chance of coming out of this together. ...on climate change Climate change needs to be addressed collectively. This is not something that can be done in isolation. The ECB belongs to the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), which brings together nearly 50 national central banks and supervisors to explore possible responses to the incredible challenge of climate change. ...on the future of young people Young Europeans have to prepare themselves for change. We will all train over the course of time, we will acquire new skill sets, new tools. We will transform ourselves and we have to just get ready for that. Watch the full event Photos

Winners of the Generation uro Students Award ask former President Draghi their questions, Frankfurt, May 2019

More than 5000 students, from ten different countries across the eurozone, participated in the eighth edition of the Generation uro Students Award  a competition that challenges teams of students from eurozone schools to suggest solutions to European monetary policy issues. The ECB invited successful teams to Frankfurt on 8 May 2019 to discover even more about central banking, and to meet former President Draghi for a Q&A session. Heres a taster of how Mario Draghi responded to students questions! What he said  on how young people can shape the future of Europe Europe works if we work together, and for this we need you. We want to hear what you have to say. We need you to get involved in debates and speak up for what you believe in. One way to do this is by taking part in the European elections. With your vote you can shape the future of Europe.  on central banks communicating to the public Central banks nowadays make a constant effort to be transparent and to explain their work to the general public. We have a continuous flow of information through press conferences, press statements, speeches, and youth dialogues.  on completing the economic and monetary union Our monetary union is not yet optimal, nor is it complete. Sharing a single currency requires deeper integration in the European Union.  on cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies are not currencies but very risky assets. A euro today is a euro tomorrow. The ECB is behind the euro, but who is behind cryptocurrencies?  on support for the euro Support for the euro is at a historical high of 75% of eurozone citizens. But research published by the Banque de France shows that people are convinced the euro has done more for other countries than for their own. This is probably due to the unprecedented crisis we have experienced. As the memory of the crisis fades away, we hope that this uneasiness will also disappear.  on what he will remember most from his time as President of the ECB In 2012, lots of people were thinking that the euro was dead. And then there was a European Council meeting which created the banking union. Markets were so discouraged at the time that they underestimated its importance. But it was a big change, it produced important results, and what this Council meeting showed is the political commitment of our leaders to the euro. Watch the Q&A between President Draghi and the successful teams from the Generation uro Students Award by following the links below. Watch the Generation uro Students Award Ceremony Have a look at the photos of the event

Youth Dialogue with Benoit Cure, Milan, Italy, March 2019

The ECB held its sixth Youth Dialogue in partnership with Bocconi University and Debating Europe  an online platform where young people can discuss current issues with Europes leaders. On 13 March 2019, ECB Executive Board member Benoit Cure met with students to discuss the challenges faced by young Europeans today. Ahead of the event, we asked you to send in your questions for Benoit Cure via Twitter or by commenting on the Debating Europe platform. We added a selection of these questions to the live debate. Heres a taster of the discussion! ...on the importance of education We need to redirect public spending towards education in Europe. Young students should receive the education they need to successfully compete in the global digital labour market. ...on innovation and digitalisation We must strengthen Europes capacity to innovate. Public and private investment should support digitalisation in leading industries, and capital market union can play a pivotal role in allocating capital where it is most needed. ...on the role of young Europeans You are the ones who will chart the path that decides where the currents of history will take Europe next. ...on the Italian economy Italys economic situation is not a threat to the eurozone. Italys main challenge is to increase productivity in the longer term. ...on gender equality Gender inequality is a limit to growth. If more women work and get equal pay, that would raise the standard of living in Europe. ...on cash in a digital age Cash is an essential part of trust in currency. Means of payment have to be driven by social demand. We are studying digital currencies, but we still see strong demand for cash in the eurozone. Watch the exchange of questions and answers on these and other topics between Benoit Cure and students of Bocconi University.

Youth Dialogue with Mario Draghi: #AskDraghi, January 2018

Youth Dialogue with Mario Draghi, Dublin, Ireland, September 2017

President Mario Draghi met with young Europeans on Friday, 22 September 2017, at Trinity College Dublin. The event was organised in partnership with the Central Bank of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. Will blockchain have a role in the future? Is the potential for house price bubbles a growing concern for the Governing Council? To what extent is forward guidance and clear communication seen as a key component of modern central banks? Watch the exchange of questions and answers on these and other topics between President Draghi and economics students from Trinity College Dublin. ECB Youth Dialogue Dublin

Photos

Youth Dialogue with Mario Draghi, Lisbon, Portugal, June 2017
Have your questions answered at the ECB Youth Dialogue

The ECB Youth Dialogue, a series of events which take place throughout Europe and also online, give you the opportunity to ask questions and share your views on the economy and the future of Europe directly with our policymakers. Keep an eye on our social media channels to find out about our upcoming events!
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
The forum will take place on September 11-13 under the theme ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

A record number of regional heads of state or government will participate in the event, said the WEFs press release.

In all, eight ASEAN countries will be represented by their prime minister, president or state counsellor.

Among the registered heads of state or government are President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines; Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad of Malaysia, and Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, it said.

Justin Wood, Head of Asia Pacific and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, said the ASEAN region is currently one of the worlds bright spots for economic growth, and their presence shows the commitment they have to ensure this remains the case as the Fourth Industrial Revolution expands in economic scope and impact, and the geopolitical environment around them changes rapidly.

Participants will discuss issues ranging from the regions geopolitical friction points to entrepreneurship and employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. They will do so with the help of leaders of 100 early-stage start-ups, whose companies represent the dynamic nature of entrepreneurial spirit of ASEAN.

Issues to be discussed at the forum include Asias New Balance of Power, Factory Asias Next Frontier, the Future of Jobs in ASEAN, Asia Economic Outlook, Accelerating the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Pluralism and Designing Cities 4.0. Topics surrounding the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, blockchain, drones and fintech, will be highlighted. The meeting will also include workplace sessions on topics such as Sexual Harassment at Work, and Workplace 4.0.
>> More than 140 technologies to be showcased at Vietnam  Laos TechConnect

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Science and Technology (MST), Tran Van Tung, made the statement while addressing the opening ceremony of the Vietnam  Laos TechConnect in Vientiane, on August 9.

The forum also aimed to deepen the cooperation between the Vietnamese and Lao Ministries of Science Technology, as well as boosting exchange and coordination between scientists and businesses from the two countries, he added.

Lao Minister of Science and Technology, Boviengkham Vongdara, stressed that the forum is the first of its kind to be held in order to facilitate the strategic goal of developing science and technology in the two countries, thereby opening up new opportunities for the participants to exchange information and set up cooperative ties.

At the opening ceremony, six cooperation agreements were signed among universities and businesses from Vietnam and Laos.

On the occasion, a delegation from the MST presented VND150 million to people who have been affected by the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu.
The flight schedule was added by 18 times and the airport operation period is prolonged to 24 hours, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the national disaster management agency.

The spokesman said 2,000 to 2,700 foreign and domestic tourists from three islands, locally known as Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno, have been already evacuated with nine boats and rescuers are scrambling to evacuate thousands of others from the islands.

"A series of continuing aftershocks along with rumors that they may spark another tsunami have triggered unease and fears among the visitors leading them to leave the islands," he told a press conference.

Separately, Indonesian Chief Security Minister Wiranto said six tourists were killed in Gili Trawangan island after the quake, raising the total number of casualty to 97.

"In Gili Trawangan, there are six people dead, but they are not foreign tourists," he noted.

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck on Sunday with the epicenter 18 km northwest Lombok Timur district and 15 km under-earth, the temblor was also felt strongly in nearby Bali Island and East Java province, according to the meteorology and geophysics agency.

The Sunday's quake worsened the downside risks of another strong quake of 6.4-magnitude striking Lombok Island on July 29, that left 17 people dead, 365 others injured, 8,871 people displaced and 14,940 houses and building damaged, according to the disaster agency.

Indonesia is prone to quake as it lies on a vulnerable quake-hit zone so called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warns US

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a warning saying that US President Donald Trump's Iran decision was mistake.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran could further destabilize the Middle East and boost radical forces in the region.





"AGREEMENT IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR US"

Foreign Minister Maas also pointed out that the agreement that the US is raping is still valid for them. In particular, Minister Maas cautioned against the threatening language used by the United States, calling for restraint so that the clash would not climb.

"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.

ECONOMY CLASHES OF BETWEEN EU-US

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.
This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?
ABC News(SAADA, Yemen) -- An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Thursday morning killed at least 50 people including dozens of children traveling on a bus in the countrys Saada Province, local health officials said.



The International Committee of the Red Cross said its medical teams received the bodies of 29 children, all under the age of 15. They also received 48 injured people, including 30 children, the ICRC said.



Yemens rebel-run Al Masirah TV aired footage of injured children weeping as blood streamed down their faces. Some of the children carried blue UNICEF backpacks, spotted with blood.



Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which has the backing of the U.S. government, said the coalition had launched an operation in Saada in response to Houthi fighters firing a missile on the Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday evening.



Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the Saudi-led coalition had showed no regard for civilian lives by targeting a school bus in a crowded public space.



State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Thursday called on the Saudi-led coalition to "conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident," and for all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law.



Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in a statement that U.S. Central Command was not involved in the airstrike in Saada.



"U.S. military support to our partners mitigates noncombatant casualties, by improving coalition processes and procedures, especially regarding compliance with the law of armed conflict and best practices for reducing the risk of civilian casualties," she said.



Save the Childrens staff on the ground in Saada said the children were on their way back to school from a picnic when the attack happened.



Sylvia Ghaly, director of advocacy in Yemen for Save the Children, said the children were between the ages of 6 and 15.



From where we sit as humanitarian actors, we dont see the military targets, we see civilians being targeted and children being killed, and at the same time we dont see anyone being held accountable for the attacks, she told ABC News. Its not good enough to say that this was a mistake or that it was collateral damage. At the end of the day, that child has a name and that child is the son or daughter of someone who will grief for a long time.



She added that Save the Children is calling for an immediate, independent investigation into the attack. Ghaly said that when she entered the province of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, many buildings had basically been reduced to rubble.



The future of the children of Yemen is dark, she told ABC News. Right now, I dont see the light at the end of the tunnel -- no peace, no agreement, no cessation of hostilities. An entire generation of children will be lost and how will this country be reconstructed in the future?



Yemen is one of the worlds poorest countries and the war has made conditions much worse: More than 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and half of the countrys health facilities are out of service.



The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Houthis in the country since March 2015 after the Houthis took over the capital of Sanaa and forced interim president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his government to flee the country. An Arab Sunni coalition led by Saudi Arabia then launched a war to restore Hadis government to power -- a military campaign that is supported by the U.S. The coalition has been blamed by the United Nations for most of the civilian deaths in Yemen.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
* The National Committee of Cambodia (NEC) has announced the end of the verification of the results of the 6th National Assembly held on 29 July 2018. According to the NEC, through the inspection and verification, no errors were found related to the results of the election.

* Cameroons electoral council has retained nine candidates for the countrys Presidential elections scheduled for October 7, 2018. Of these, there is 85 year-old Paul Biya, Cameroon's president, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

* On August 7, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his ruling party to study whether to introduce daylight saving time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as a way to deal with Japan's intense summer heat.

* Around 7,000 foreign tourists had been evacuated from Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno islands in Indonesia as of August 7, after a recent 7-magnitude earthquake struck the nearby tourist island of Lombok. The Indonesian government has deployed more ships, buses and aircraft to support the evacuation of tourists from Lombok to Bali.

* The Indian media reported that the armies of India and Thailand have begun a two week-long military exercise with a focus on enhancing anti-terror cooperation between the two sides.

* The government of the Republic of Korea will temporarily cut the electricity rates for households for July and August amid a heat wave that has scorched the nation for weeks, the energy minister said on August 7.

* The Italian government said that 145 people including 11 military police officers were injured in Monday's fatal accident on a highway in Bologna on August 6.

* Businesses in Thailands south-western Petchaburi province blocked their doors with sandbags and bricks against possible flooding on August 7 as heavy rains threatened to cause a dam to overflow.

* European companies can be protected from new U.S. sanctions on Iran, a junior British foreign minister said on August 7, after President Donald Trump withdrew from an international agreement designed to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons.

* The Arab League (AL) has welcomed a final cease-fire and power-sharing agreement inked between the rival parties in South Sudan.

* The Department of Defence of the US is banning deployed personnel from using fitness trackers, smartphones and potentially even dating apps that use geo-locating features which could reveal the user's location.

* Catastrophic wildfires continue to ravage California, as one blaze nearly doubled in size over the last three days, making it the largest in the state's history.




The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE Radio 1 has joined forces once again this year with Failte Ireland, as part of its Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life summer marketing campaign. Ryan will be broadcasting live with RTE Radio 1 from the Village Green in Malin Town on Monday the 20th of August and from Rathmullan Pier on Tuesday 21st August, as his show goes live from Donegal. The tour is known as Tubs on the Wild Atlantic Way and will broadcast live in each location from 9  10am each morning.



Failte Ireland is encouraging everyone to come along to broadcasts and to welcome Ryan and his RTE Radio 1 team to Donegal. Looking forward to the arrival of the popular RTE Radio 1 show, Joan Crawford, Wild Atlantic Way Manager, Failte Ireland, said 



Ryan Tubridy is a fantastic ambassador for the Wild Atlantic Way and he can really get across to his listeners what the Wild Atlantic Way is all about and how it captures peoples imagination. This is the fifth consecutive year the show has chosen to experience the Wild Atlantic Way and Failte Ireland is delighted to be supporting it. Donegal has had a great year with the hosting of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the final leg of Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and we are delighted Ryan will get to experience some of the great tourism highlights in this part of the Wild Atlantic Way and of course that fantastic Donegal hospitality.



Spectators coming down to watch the broadcast - whether in Malin town or Rathmullan - can expect to see plenty of festivities, interviews, live music as well as hear some fantastic local tourism experiences. We are encouraging everyone to come on down, to arrive early and join in the fun and discover ways to Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life through the airwaves.



Ryan will be interviewing some local tourism businesses from the surrounding area and discussing some of the many activities and experiences available to anyone touring the Wild Atlantic Way. Commenting on his upcoming broadcast Ryan said:



There couldnt be a better way to round off our summer travels than with a trip to Donegals part of the Wild Atlantic Way. Its one of the most beautiful parts of the country and I look forward to seeing everyone in Malin and Bundoran and to sending a radio postcard to our listeners from this beautiful corner of Ireland.



During his time in Donegal, Ryan will visit some of the beautiful, iconic spots on the Northern coast including the Inishowen/Fanad coastline where he will set off across Lough Swilly on a sailing and angling trip that takes in spectacular views of Fanad Lighthouse and Fort Dunree, the site of the Flight of the Earls.



Follow Tubs on the Wild Atlantic Way on Twitter @wildatlanticway #wildatlanticway

Jump to top
Speaking at a news conference in Caracas, Saab said the initial investigation revealed that the assassination attempt was likely linked with a terrorist attack in 2017.

Shortly after the explosion, the Venezuelan security forces identified the locations of the unmanned aerial vehicles controls, and two drone pilots were arrested. According to the Venezuelan Attorney General, this may be part of a campaign to launch violent acts carried out by right-wing groups with the backing of hostile foreign forces in order to undermine the Venezuelan revolution since 1999.

* On August 6, the Venezuelan authorities pledged to remove all plots against President Maduro after the assassination attempt at a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Venezuelan National Guard in the capital of Caracas. Tensions between Venezuela and Colombia have increased after Caracas accused Bogota of backing the attack. Colombia rejected Maduros absurd accusation of involvement.

* President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on August 6 to convey his good wishes and show support for the Venezuelan president who survived an apparent assassination attempt over the weekend. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also issued a written statement strongly condemning the heinous attack. In this difficult time, Turkey stands with the brotherly and friendly Venezuelan people and President Maduro, his family and all government officials, it stressed.
The $250 million super yacht once belonging to 1MDB fugitive Low Taek Jho docked in Malaysia Tuesday.

The Equanimity arrived at Malaysias Port Klang flanked by Malaysian navy boats. Images and videos of the vessel appeared on Twitter the same day.

Indonesian authorities seized the yacht in Bali earlier this year.

The DOJ filed a civil forfeiture order for the Equanimity in 2017.

It isnt clear if the boats transfer to Malaysia is connected to the U.S. order.

In April, U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer ruled that the yacht could be sailed from Indonesia to the United States.

Malaysian Attorney General Tommy Thomas said the seizure was a result of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties between Indonesia, the United States and Malaysia which were activated recently, according to Channel News Asia.

He said sensitive and delicate negotiations were conducted at the highest levels of different agencies in the three countries to accomplish this feat.

Bloomberg said the United States was not part of the agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia to move the vessel.

In Malaysia, former prime minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of money laundering and criminal breach of trust tied to 1MDB. He has pleaded not guilty.

The Equanimity has arrived in Port Klang. This USD$250mil yacht has become almost a symbol for the millions of dollars allegedly misappropriated from Malaysian state investment fund #1MDB. Fugitive Jho Low is accused of using this yacht to sail across international waters. pic.twitter.com/58qpMuK1WB  Sumisha Naidu (@SumishaCNA) August 7, 2018

The Equanimity costs over $730,000 a month to maintain, Channel News Asia said.

Authorities from the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, and Malaysia are chasing Low for his alleged role in the $4.5 billion looting of 1MDB.

In June, Malaysia issued a warrant for Lows arrest and canceled his passport.

Low has denied breaking any laws and said he had an informal consulting role at 1MDB.

____

Harry Cassin is the managing 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
U.S. to impose new sanctions on Russia as alleged poison attack of ex-Russian spy remains unsolved

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- 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.
Loopline System, a Berlin, Germany-based HR tech company, raised a single digit million funding round.

Backers included STS Ventures and Fawkes Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its international sales network and strengthen its presence in the US market.

Led by Nora Heer, founder and CEO, Loopline Systems provides companies with a cloud, project-based team feedback tool to introduce and optimize agile leadership, employee feedback and performance management. The solution allows users to digitize and simplify feedback processes and  through regular, automated surveys  to increase employee engagement and develop ideas that drive the entire organization forward.

In addition, the Loopline Systems Academy offers advice and training on topics such as employee feedback and change management.

The tool is already being used by customers from a wide range of industries with 50 to 10,000 employees in eleven different countries.

FinSMEs

09/08/2018
Pie Insurance, a Washington DC-based provider of workers compensation insurance directly to small businesses, closed $11M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Greycroft, with participation from Aspect Ventures, as well as existing investors Sirius Group, Moxley Holdings, and Elefund.

The company intends to use the new funds to scale operations and to expand geographically, as workers compensation is a requirement for SMBs in every state except Texas.

Founded in May 2017, Pie Insurance leverages data analytics, online features, and a team of experts to offer insurance workers compensation insurance directly to small businesses.

The company built a full stack managing general agent (MGA) operation and already secured the regulatory approvals.

Insurance offered by Pie has earned an A rating from A.M. Best. Today, the company offers services to SMBs in eight states.

FinSMEs

09/08/2018
Inari, a Cambridge, MA-based plant breeding technology company, completed a $40m Series B financing round.

Acre Venture Partners and Alexandria Venture Investments joined Flagship in this financing, which brings total funding to $55m.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the deployment of technologies into crops while increasing its technology tools, as well as add to its talent pool of more than 80 scientists, statisticians, engineers and advisors with a wide range of backgrounds from biology, agronomy, data sciences and software engineering.

Founded in 2016 by Flagship Pioneering, Inari is a plant breeding company developing technology for agricultures current and future growing needs. Its staff combines biology, computational agronomy, data sciences and software engineering to provide predictable and affordable growing process for farmers.

FinSMEs

09/08/2018

THE PRESS RELEASE

Inari Secures $40 Million in Series B Funding to Expand its Development of Transformational Plant Breeding Technologies

 Inari completes a $40M Series B financing round, bringing its total funding to $55M

 Founder Flagship Pioneering is joined by Acre Venture Partners and Alexandria Venture Investments in this financing

 Additional funding will support Inaris continued investment in transformational plant breeding technology research and product development

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/  Inari, a transformational plant breeding technology company with a mission to transform agriculture and positively impact society and the environment, announced today it has completed a $40 million Series B financing round, bringing its total funding to $55 million. Inari was founded in 2016 by Flagship Pioneering, which led and capitalized the company before spinning it out in 2018. Acre Venture Partners and Alexandria Venture Investments joined Flagship in this financing.

Inari has developed promising technology and an unprecedented approach to plant breeding, which will help farmers sustainably grow more nutritious crops at higher productivity, said Ignacio Martinez, General Partner at Flagship Pioneering. We are proud of Inaris rapid growth and successful spin-out, and were pleased to continue to support the company as they progress.

The additional funds will enable Inari to accelerate the deployment of technologies into crops while increasing its cutting-edge technology tools, as well as add to its diverse talent pool of more than 80 scientists, statisticians, engineers and advisors with a wide range of backgrounds from biology, agronomy, data sciences and software engineering.

As the challenges to global food supplies continue to grow, we need more creative ways to help farmers increase their profitability and grow higher quality crops, while remaining environmentally respectful and providing nutritional food for consumers, said Inari CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet. With this additional financing, we are well positioned to even further accelerate our ambitions to become a global player in food and agriculture.

About Inari

Founded by Flagship Pioneering, Inari is a transformational plant breeding company developing state-of-the-art technology for agricultures current and future growing needs. Inaris Cambridge, MA-based staff employs an unusual blend of disciplinesincluding biology, computational agronomy, data sciences and software engineeringto provide a faster, more predictable, environmentally healthy, and more affordable growing process for farmers. The companys holistic approach begins by collaborating with seed partners to reduce breeding time and cost, increase profitability for farmers, be respectful to the environment, and provide healthier food for consumers. To learn more about how Inari is changing the culture of agriculture, visit Inari.com or follow the company on Twitter @inari_ag.
RiverGlade Capital, a Chicago, IL-based healthcare services focused private equity firm that targets founder-owned differentiated businesses, appointed Jim Hudak and Dan Skowronski.

Jim Hudak has been engaged as an Operating Partner and will have an exclusive relationship with the firm. As an Operating Partner, Mr. Hudak will play a key role in the firms strategic planning, human capital sourcing, and deal origination, evaluation and diligence. He brings a wealth of healthcare industry knowledge and executive operating experience to RiverGlade, having spent the last six years as Chief Executive Officer of Paradigm Outcomes before moving into the Executive Chairman role in late 2017. Prior to Paradigm, Mr. Hudak was Chief Administrative Officer at CRC Health Group, where he oversaw several functions including human resources, IT, risk management and finance and spent a number of years at Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), ultimately becoming the Global Managing Partner of the Healthcare Practice. Additionally, he was Executive Vice President of UnitedHealth Group and Corporate Chief Information Officer and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary United Behavioral Health. Mr. Hudak received his Bachelors in economics at Yale University and a Masters of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (the Ford School) at the University of Michigan. Mr. Hudak also chairs the Ford School Committee, which provides volunteer leadership in fundraising and reviews the goals, programs and plans of the school.

The investment team has also added Dan Skowronski as Vice President. Mr. Skowronski has eight years of experience investing in and advising middle market companies. Prior to joining RiverGlade, Mr. Skowronski was a Senior Associate at The Edgewater Funds and prior to that was an Associate at Swander Pace Capital. During his time at Edgewater and Swander Pace, Mr. Skowronski was involved in all aspects of each firms investment process including deal origination and execution, debt financing and refinancing transactions, portfolio company sales, add-on acquisitions, and restructurings, as well as monitoring of portfolio companies in the healthcare, consumer and industrials sectors. Previously, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at William Blair & Company, where he executed sell-side and buy-side transactions for private equity firms, publicly-traded companies and privately-held and family-owned businesses in the consumer & retail sector. Mr. Skowronski began his career as a Financial Advisory Services Analyst at Houlihan Lokey, where he provided fairness opinions, solvency opinions and valuations for privately-held and publicly-traded companies across a variety of industries. Mr. Skowronski holds a BBA in Finance from University of Michigans Ross School of Business and an MBA from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.

FinSMEs

10/08/2018
Yotpo, a NYC-based customer content marketing platform, acquired Swell Rewards, a Boston, MA-based provider of premium incentive marketing solutions for eCommerce and omnichannel brands.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The move expands Yotpos suite of commerce marketing technology solutions preferred by top direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Glossier, 1-800-Flowers, and Away Travel. Brands will be able to manage reviews, visual marketing, consumer insights, rewards, and referrals from a single platform designed to meet their customer content, advocacy, engagement, and retention needs.

The two companies have a pre-existing integration that enables commerce brands to reward customers for submitting and sharing user-generated content.

Led by Tomer Tagrin, Co-founder and CEO, Yotpo provides a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) engine, which facilitates smarter and faster solutions for collecting, managing, displaying, and analyzing high-quality customer content. An official partner to Google, Facebook and Shopify, the company serves thousands of brands including Patagonia, Away Travel, Glossier, and MVMT Watches. It has raised $101m in funding and has over 300 employees globally.

Founded in 2015 by CEO Josh Enzer and CTO James Peerless, Swell Rewards provides a platform for thousands of e-commerce and omnichannel merchants including mutual Yotpo customers UNTUCKit, Third Love, Tomboy X, Soko Glam, and Quay Australia, to administer on-brand rewards, referral, and influencer marketing programs.

Enzer and Peerless will join Yotpo to lead strategy and product development for incentive marketing solutions.

FinSMEs

09/08/2018
Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2018 shows the launching ceremony of an official website (focacsummit.mfa.gov.cn) of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit 2018, in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua photo)

In an effort to create an official platform for news releases concerning the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled to take place in September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Peoples Republic of China has officially launched a website.

The website, which was officially launched on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, is also going to provide frequent updates about the FOCAC summit.

The last FOCAC summit was held in 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the summit, China pledged $60 billion of funding support to carry out 10 major plans to boost its cooperation with Africa.

During his speech, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chen Xiaodong, said in about 20 days the long-awaited 2018 Beijing Summit will commence, adding that Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing to chart a course for China-Africa friendship and cooperation in the new era.

We will endeavor to build an even stronger community with a shared future for mankind, the Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

Chinas Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chen Xiaodong, addresses journalists

He revealed that for many months, African ambassadors and diplomats have worked in close partnership with their Chinese colleagues to prepare for the summit, noting that they have contributed valuable ideas and suggestions.

The 2018 Beijing FOCAC summits website has versions in English, Chinese and French. It has six online sections including headlines, the summit, side events, opinion, services and videos. You are welcome to log in and see whats in it, he said.

He stressed that FOCAC summit preparations are well underway and that after the launch of the website, the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee will have further consultations with African envoys on the final stages of preparations.

Lets work closely together to make this years summit a successful and historic gathering for China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, he concluded.

The Head of the Diplomatic Corps in China, Ambassador Victor Sikonina from Madagascar, said the launching ceremony came at a time when the Chinese President Xi Jinping had just concluded a visit to four African nations, which included Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Mauritius.

The official website reflects the will of the people and the trend of globalization. The African diplomatic corps appreciates this website. I strongly believe that this years summit will build on the achievements of the last Johannesburg summit in 2015, he said.

The website is www.focac.org or focacsummit.mfa.gov.cn.
.                   ,   The Wall Street Journal...
Premier Li Keqiang greets Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the newly elected president of the General Assembly of the United Nations on Wednesday, in Beidaihe district, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. XU JINGXING/CHINA DAILY

Li states nation's commitment to multilateralism, global commerce

China is ready to work with other countries and the United Nations in supporting multilateralism and the free trade system, which are confronted by rising trade protectionism, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday.

The country will firmly safeguard the authority of the UN, adhere to principles of the UN Charter and support its core role in international affairs, said Li during a meeting with Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the newly elected president of the UN General Assembly for the 73rd session, in Beidaihe district, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province.

Espinosa Garces, an Ecuadorean diplomat, will assume office next month.

Fundamental rules of the World Trade Organization should be safeguarded, and the free trade system should be improved to promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation, and to fight against trade protectionism, the premier said.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the world's largest developing country, China has been supporting the UN's work, Li said. China will participate in UN missions in various fields - such as politics, peacekeeping and development, and economic affairs - in comprehensive and in-depth ways, the premier said. The country will fulfill its international obligations and promote world peace, foster global development and safeguard the international order, he said.

Over the past seven decades since the founding of the UN, the world has seen relative peace and more than a billion people have been lifted out of poverty, while increasing numbers of countries are undergoing development and attaining prosperity, the premier said. All of these achievements have been closely connected with the process of globalization and multilateralism, he said.

Against the current international scenario, a multilateral world is needed now more than ever, Li said. He called on all countries to safeguard the rules-based international order, adhere to the principles of the UN Charter and resolve disputes through dialogue.

Li said the UN and the WTO should be reformed and improved based on the international order after World War II, and according to major principles such as the UN Charter and free trade.

Espinosa Garces said the UN has attached great importance to its relations with China. She spoke highly of the country's vital role in strengthening multilateralism and its enormous contribution to the UN's work.

The UN is ready to work with China and other countries in safeguarding the rules-based international order, promoting free trade under the framework of international laws and WTO rules, and boosting economic globalization that is inclusive and beneficial for everyone, she said.

The two sides should work together to cope with challenges and promote global peace, stability, development and prosperity, Espinosa Garces added.
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.
Photo/CRI

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 8 -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's Chairman Ma Yun launched on Wednesday here the Netpreneur Prize to support exemplary African business leaders.

The prize was presented at a conference dubbed Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa's Digital Lions.

The prize will award 10 million U.S. dollars to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years focused on grassroots innovation, economic empowerment of women and small business.

"As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the importance of getting support during the early days," said Ma. "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."

Starting from 2019, the Jack Ma Foundation will host annual pitch competition, with 10 finalists selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for 1 million U.S. dollars in prize money.

All 10 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 community's shared expertise, best practices and resources.

Ma said, "I am inspired and encouraged by these entrepreneurs who, together, will help build a sustainable, inclusive economy for Africa and for the world."

He said that he was inspired to launch the initiative when he visited Africa for the first time last year and inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.

Ma encouraged the youth to dream big and be innovative.

He stated that Africa is a continent of many opportunities with a vibrant young population and potential entrepreneurs.

"This land is full of chance, opportunities and dreams," he said. "This is where the future is, high praise for our beautiful continent."

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the initiative will enable Africa to realize its dreams.

"With the rapid development of the global digital economy and the availability of technology, the next century belongs to Africa," said Ban. "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 secretary-general of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mukhisa Kituyi, weighed in his support for the program.

"The rise of the digital economy provides growth and opportunity to the developing world," he said. "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."

This is the second initiative launched by 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.

A total of 52 African entrepreneurs have participated in this two-week fellowship at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
Missy Elliott took to Twitter Tuesday to voice her approval of a woman rapping her hit song Work It.

"Missy's funky white sister is in the park!" Mary Halsey exclaims as she grabs the microphone. A Facebook video of her epic performance has gone viral with more than 4.5 million views.

WARNING: VIDEOS CONTAIN VULGAR LANGUAGE

Elliott tweeted a clip of the act on Wednesday.

I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER, she wrote.  forreal doe& she brought her home girl with her from da hood that keep tip toeing in the background with a plate of food yo Im done!

DOG APPARENTLY SINGING BRITNEY SPEARS' 'TOXIC' IS TWITTER HIT

Elliott gave props to the Rhode Island woman for her take.

She added but she straight killed 'Work It' sound effects & all I love it.

DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON UPSETS ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES WITH PICTURES FROM AQUARIUM VISIT

The rapper included another observation about the video in a follow-up tweet.

Wait her friend has a cup of oodles & noodles tipping in the back I think! Lord! Go awwwwf
Former That 70s Show actor Topher Grace has opened up about playing someone he hates, as he portrays white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in Spike Lees upcoming BlacKkKlansman.

"I can't say I've done that a lot  played someone that's even a real person, let alone someone I hate, the actor told Fox News at the films New York press junket.

Grace explained how he prepared to take on the difficult role and get into the mindset of Duke.

"I've never played someone... that's so evil and it just led to the worst month of research that an actor can do, he said. I immersed myself in as much footage of him, I read his autobiography which is called 'My Awakening,' which is like a thinly veiled [Adolf Hitler's] 'Mein Kampf' and I watched him on Donohue  he was actually on Donohue a few times.

But Grace told us the role was too good to pass up.

It's really a juicy role for an actor," he said. "I guess what I was nervous about was the tone of the script, [which] was kind of both funny and devastating."

Grace said he went for it because Spike Lee was attached to the project.

"He's the greatest black director of all time," he noted, "and he's saying something really interesting here, so I already knew I was safe because it was going to be a Spike Lee film."

The film is a biopic based of the life of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American cop to serve in a Colorado precinct in the '70s, who teams up with his Jewish partner to infiltrate the Ku Klu Klan. Denzel Washingtons son, David Washington, plays Stallworth, who tricks the local Klan leader as well as Duke into believing that he is a white man willing to join the Klan through several conversations over the phone.

The actor added he experienced mixed emotions when he was offered the role.

It's like the best moment of your career [when] Spike Lee calls you and is like 'I want you to play this role,' and then it goes into the worst month of reading all this crap, he said.

[SPOILER ALERT: The remainder of this article will discuss the ending of "BlacKkKlansman."]

The film ends with a powerful transition from a KKK fire burning outside of Stallworths window to live footage from the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Va. Spike Lee explained he wanted to show the extremes of racial tensions that are still present in current day America.

My co-writer, Kevin Willmott, who took the job, knew that as storytellers, we had to put stuff in the film that connected to the present day so that people would not just look at us as a period piece, a history lesson, Lee explained at the BlacKkKlansman press junket.

Grace weighed in and shared his opinion on the films heavy ending.

"I think it's sad that this film is more relevant now than it would have been when it takes place, Grace said.

The film does a good job of drawing a straight line  the first shot [of the film] is the Civil War [and] the last shot is 2017," he said. "And only just a master like Spike could draw that line through a movie."

"When I saw the audience at Cannes and their reaction when they started showing footage from Charlottesville  they didn't know it had gone from a fictional Klan rally to where the film ends, into Charlottesville. Everyone's breath was taken away when they realized this is footage from today not a Klan rally in the '70s.

Lees BlacKkKlansman hits theaters Friday.
Grant Gustin, star of The CW superhero series The Flash, got pretty furious with Internet trolls after a major leak in production opened the door for them to body shame him and bad-mouth his time on the hit show.

On Wednesday, someone leaked a test photo of The Flashs new super suit for Season 5. As fans of the show know, the costume gets tweaked just a bit each season as the characters tech wizard, Cisco Ramon, continues to innovate it. When someone shared a draft of the suit Gustin will wear in the new season, fans were quick to comment that not only did the suit look bad, but the naturally thin actor didnt have the physique to properly play the comic book hero.

Gustin took to Instagram later in the day to not only chastise whoever leaked the photo, but explain that his thin frame has been a subject of controversy in his life for years.

So heres the thing about this bulls--- photo leak. Its a cool suit, Gustin began. Thats a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. Well get there.

Gustin continued: As far as the body shaming. Thats what pisses me off. Not even just for my sake. Ive had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin. Ive had my own journey of accepting it. But theres a double standard where its OK to talk sh-- about a dudes body.

The star explained that he takes the role of The Flash seriously and tries his best to look the part. However, he admits to suffering from stress while working which makes gaining weight hard for him.

I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can throughout these seasons. Im naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus, gaining weight is a challenge for me.

The Flash is a key tentpole in The CW and DC Comics shared superhero universe that also includes Arrow, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning and, soon, Batgirl. The shows target a teenage audience and many of the stars take great pains to be role models to the youth. This is something Gustin focused on in his statement as well.

Im happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way. Not only that, but they should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on tv or film or whatever it may be someday, he concluded. I love the suit that has been designed for me, and I think when everyone sees it in its entirety, you will love it too. Things have been adjusted since that leaked shot was taken, and more things will come to be adjusted until it feels right.
New York Knicks and Rangers owner, James Dolan, penned a song about his friend, disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, titled I Shouldve Known.

Dolan and his band JD and the Straight Shot went on FOX 5 New York on Thursday to debut the song and discuss if he would consider selling the teams.

Dolan said he would not.

When asked if Weinstein was on his mind when he wrote I Shouldve Known he replied, He and others.

AMANDA BYNES CONSERVATORSHIP EXTENDED BY TWO YEARS: REPORT

Dolan admitted he wondered what he could have done and what he missed regarding Weinstein's actions. The team owner said Weinstein was not aware he wrote the song and he has not spoken to him.

Dolan stressed the song was not just about Weinstein but others as well, though he declined to give names.

This went on in a lot of other places that you dont read about in the paper, Dolan said. The song was pleading to people to be cognizant and understand. I think what the whole [#MeToo] movement is about is this behavior across the board, not just for famous people but across the board, has to come to an end.

MACAULAY CULKIN REVEALS HE TURNED DOWN BIG BANG THEORY' THREE TIMES

Dolan served on the board of directors for the Weinstein Company, The Wrap reported. He was named in a civil lawsuit against Weinstein, alleging he was aware of the disgraced producers pattern and practice of predatory sexual conduct toward women.

Weinstein was charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women.

Allegations against the disgraced film mogul came out in two bombshell reports in October, in which multiple women accused of him of sexual harassment, sexual assault or rape.

Fox News' Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.
USA Networks Suits has continued its downward trend in the ratings department without former star Meghan Markle, who traded in her role as Rachel Zane for a new title, the Duchess of Sussex.

Markle exchanged vows with Prince Harry at a lavish Windsor Castle wedding back in May and gave up her acting career for a life of royalty. Post-Markle Suits is averaging 1.2 million viewers per show through three episodes of its eighth season.

The show was trending in the wrong direction prior to Markles exit, as its fifth season averaged 2 million viewers per episode but the number fell to 1.59 million for Season 6. It fell again in Season 7, averaging 1.3 million despite fans being well aware that it was Markles farewell. Now, it's down even more.

The American-actress-turned-royal isnt the only star missing from Suits this season, as Patrick J. Adams  who played lead character Mike Ross  also exited the show earlier this year when the on-screen love interests played by the duo got married and moved from New York to Seattle.

Suits is also losing viewers among the key demo of adults age 18-49 with significant drops in each of the last four seasons. The current season is averaging 317,000 demo viewers after Season 7 averaged 432,000, Season 6 averaged 535,000 and the show averaged 720,000 demo viewers per episode during its fifth season.

Markle broke the news that she would be transitioning out of her acting career, revealing she would not be returning for the eighth season of Suits," back in 2017 during the time of her engagement.

Actress Katherine Heigl, of Greys Anatomy fame, replaced Markle as a female lead on the show.

Markle had appeared in 108 episodes, dating back to the series premiere in 2011, before giving up acting. She recently declined her invitation to the 2018 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, according to The Sun.

Experts previously told Fox News it is expected that Markle will follow in the footsteps of late Hollywood icon Grace Kelly, who had a successful acting career but gave it up to become the Princess of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier in 1956.

Grant Harrold, an etiquette expert who served as a butler to members of the royal family  including Harry and his older brother William  told Fox News Markle will be too busy with her duties as a royal to pursue her acting career.

Royal duties do take up a lot of time with royals working for weeks at a time with very little time off especially with overseas tours, he said.

Markles acting career also included roles in CSI: NY, 90210, Castle and the film Horrible Bosses, among a variety of other projects.

Fox News Morgan M. Evans contributed to this report.
Paul Newmans decorated acting career speaks to his influence in Hollywood, but his most impactful achievements had to do with his charity work, according to his daughter.

Clea Newman spoke fondly of her late fathers legacy while celebrating his charity's 30th anniversary recently.

There is not a day I go to any of our camps around the globe that I dont feel his presence, she told Closer Weekly. It really does make me feel closer to him. Its almost hard for me because I miss him so much.

Newman memorably founded a charity for ill children, the SeriousFun Childrens Network. The first camp, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, sparked a movement to create the SeriousFun Childrens Network, which now provides camp experiences for over 1 million children and family members across 30 camps worldwide.

As SeriousFuns ambassador, 53-year-old Clea preserves her father's dedication to ailing children, which began after he witnessed kids receiving cancer treatment in the '80s.

He kept looking at them and saying theyre missing their childhood, Clea said.

In developing the camps, his intention was to provide children with a place where they could, "raise a little hell and behave badly and do it all together, as he said it.

The Network receives funding from his Newmans Own food company, which donates all of its profits to charity.

When contemplating his life before his death at 83 in 2008, Newman said his commitment to charity was more fulfilling than any number of blockbusters he featured in.

I hope the camps last longer than the legacy of my films, he said.

From his dedication to veterans through his Newmans Own Foundation to intentionally giving up some of his salary for equal pay, Newman was a forthright philanthropist.

Clea recalled her father telling her, If you want to make a difference, you do whatever it takes.

As the main proponent of outreach for Newmans organization, shes delighted in giving it her all.

I am very proud to be a part of his legacy. It is a special gift and an honor, she said.
Not too many Americans aside from Meghan Markle can call Prince Charles a friend  except Joseph Cicio.

The retailer, merchandiser and consultant to the stars recently wrote his first book titled Friends*: *Bearing Gifts, which chronicles the relationships he's cultivated throughout his career, including with Princess Grace of Monaco, Audrey Hepburn and Joan Rivers, among others.

But one unlikely friendship he developed was with the British royal who is first in line to the throne.

Cicio said it was through Rivers, who had a close bond with the 69-year-old, that he met Robert Higdon, the American director of The Princes Trust, a charity founded in 1976 by the monarch to help young people pursue the workforce or education.

To help fund the organization, Charles launched Duchy Originals, an organic food product line, in 1992.

The Telegraph reported the line was inspired by Charles love of farming, which stemmed from his childhood spent on the rolling green estates of Sandringham and Balmoral. Charles has even said if he wasnt born a prince he would have been a farmer.

But in 2005, Duchy Originals needed help, and Rivers, along with Higdon, suggested Cicio meet with Charles and offer some business advice. Cicio didnt think twice.

I got a call and was told Prince Charles was upset with the way his business was being run and wanted to meet me, Cicio told Fox News. So I went over. I had an appointment at Highgrove, his country house, on a Saturday afternoon.

"I was very nervous. I had never met his royal highness. And then youre given all sorts of protocol on how address him, what you say the first time, what you say the second time  all sorts of stuff. And of course, that only makes me more nervous.

There were certain strict rules Cicio needed to follow in meeting Charles. For starters, you never shake hands unless Charles initiates it. Any meeting with Charles starts off with calling him your royal highness. Afterward, you must then refer to him as sir.

Cicio was worried he would slip.

My heart was beating 100 miles an hour, he recalled. He reached out his hand  thank God. But he was nothing like I expected. He made you feel incredibly comfortable. Hes incredibly gracious. But you have to always remain on your guard. You never touch. And Im a very touchy-feely Italian guy. But you never dare touch a royal.

Despite meeting the potential future king of England, Cicio was shocked by what he witnessed.

There were two tables set up for the meeting, he said. Youre expecting people to serve you. But theres none of that When you arrive, youre taken to a parlor, which is where I thought I would meet his royal highness. But a houseman comes and escorts you, which I thought was great because you got to see more of the house.

"And the house was incredible. It was your quintessential English country home. It wasnt a palace. No gold leaves Theres a reflecting pool with goldfish swimming. Its just beautiful.

And Charles did his own homework for the sit-down.

He had a file with my name on it, said Cicio. It looked very CIA-like It was my professional background We were supposed to have 45 minutes for tea, but we spent over an hour and a half together. And you could see the people who worked for his royal highness having a nervous breakdown. He was well past his schedule.

"He was very sincere, had a great sense of humor, was impeccably dressed and looked at you in the eye That man has the worst press agent in the world. Because hes nothing like I expected. He was divine.

In the press, Charles comes across as cold and indifferent, especially during the time he was married to the late Princess Diana, the mother of his two sons, Princes William and Harry. And while Cicio was expecting a royal who was stern and no-nonsense, he insisted Charles was far from the persona the media has seemingly created over the years.

I was in awe at the little credit this man gets for the hundreds of millions of dollars that he raises and gives to areas in the world, said Cicio. He builds schools, hospitals  and people dont know that. Any profit that came out of Duchy Original was put into the foundation. He wasnt banking it.

"He was giving it away to the worlds needy. Hes very generous and very sincere about his responsibility And he possesses a sincere concern for the environment and for the worlds poor.

For a year, Cicio served as Charles merchandising and retail consultant for Duchy Originals. What should have been business as usual for Cicio turned into a surprising friendship that still endures today. He claimed the royal isnt hesitant to pick up the phone and call you personally and write long, handwritten letters frequently.

Unfortunately they were very difficult to read since his handwriting was even worse than mine, said Cicio.

In 2013, The Telegraph noted the brand raised over $14 million. All of its products are approved by Charles, who regularly tastes ingredients and recipes. The publication added that for the oaten biscuit alone, he sampled over 100 different products before selecting the right combination of savory and sweet.

He also reportedly meets with all the farmers individually. In 2010, Duchy Originals went into partnership with Waitrose, a British supermarket chain, offering organic products to the general public.

Cicio claimed they still stay in touch and Charles sends a Christmas card every year. He hopes revealing that friendship to others will show a new side to Charles, one that isnt frequently covered by the press.

Ive been incredibly lucky, really, he said. Its been quite the journey. Hopefully its not over.
A movie theater chain in Wisconsin announced it will not be showing the horror film Slender Man in theaters in two counties out of respect for those impacted by the 2014 stabbing inspired by the fictional character.

Marcus Theaters will not show Slender Man in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, the company said in a statement Wednesday. The film is set to open on Friday.

Like many people across the United States, Marcus Theatres was deeply concerned and saddened when the Slender Man phenomenon touched southeastern Wisconsin in such a profound way, changing the lives of many families forever. After careful consideration, and out of respect for those who were impacted, we have decided not to play the upcoming Slender Man movie in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. We will show the film at select other Marcus Theatres locations, a statement from the movie theater chain read.

PRINCE CHARLES IS NOTHING LIKE HIS COLD MEDIA PERSONA, CLAIMS PAL: THAT MAN HAS THE WORST PRESS AGENT

The film focuses on a group of high school girls in a town in Massachusetts who are drawn to the tale of Slender Man and try to prove hes not real. Things are fine until one of them vanishes. The real-life stabbing in connection with Slender Man involved Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, who were both 12 at the time of the incident.

The girls told officers they stabbed Payton Leutner, a classmate, to please Slender Man and protect their families from the fictional character. Leutner survived the May 31, 2014, stabbing in Waukesha, Wis. after she crawled to a road and was helped by a bicyclist.

The two girls were charged with first-degree intentional homicide for stabbing Leutner 19 times and leaving her to die. They were both convicted but found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and have been committed to a state mental hospital, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

MEGHAN MARKLE: SUITS RATINGS CONTINUE DOWNWARD TREND WITHOUT DUCHESS OF SUSSEX

Geyser pleaded guilty in October to attempted first-degree intentional homicide as part of her plea deal. She was sentenced to 40 years in a mental hospital in February. Weier was sentenced in December to 25 years in a mental health facility. She pleaded guilty in August 2017 to being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide, but claimed she wasnt responsible for her actions because she was mentally ill.

"Slender Man" started with an online post in 2009, as a mysterious specter whose image people edit into everyday scenes of children at play. He is typically depicted as a spidery figure in a black suit with a featureless white face. He was regarded by his devotees as alternately a sinister force and an avenging angel.

Fox News Katherine Lam, Nicole Darrah and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Artillerymen assigned to an artillery battalion of a brigade under the PLA 76th Group Army operate PCL-09 122mm truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer systems to fire at mock targets during a live-fire training exercise in the heavy snow at an altitude of 4.000 meters in northwest China's Qinghai-Xizang Plateau on August 7, 2018. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Guangyao)

Military convoy attached to an artillery battalion of a brigade under the PLA 76th Group Army is en route to a designated training area in the heavy snow at an altitude of 4.000 meters in northwest China's Qinghai-Xizang Plateau on August 7, 2018. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Guangyao)

An artilleryman assigned to an artillery battalion of a brigade under the PLA 76th Group Army prepares a PCL-09 122mm truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer system during a live-fire training exercise in the heavy snow at an altitude of 4.000 meters in northwest China's Qinghai-Xizang Plateau on August 7, 2018. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Guangyao)
A South Carolina restaurant manager was arrested Wednesday night after allegedly beating an employee who confronted him about not being paid for nearly 100 hours worked, Myrtle Beach Police Department said.

VIDEO OF VIOLENT MCDONALD'S BRAWL IN ILLINOIS MAY LEAD TO ARRESTS, POLICE SAY

Tuscanini restaurant manager Adel Mansour, 47, reportedly beat the 55-year-old employee with a club after the employee approached him about having not been paid for 94 hours of work at $9 an hour, WMBF reported.

According to police, Mansour went into the restaurant to get a club and then came outside and proceeded to strike the victim in the left arm at the elbow once and his back multiple times, WMBF reported. Security footage from the city cameras near the restaurant confirmed the altercation.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Police were called to the scene around 11:30 pm. The victim had sustained fresh bruises to his elbow and back.

Mansour is currently being held at the Myrtle Beach Jail with charges of third-degree assault and battery.
The Arkansas Department of Health is urging the public to get vaccinated for hepatitis A after a Red Lobster employee in the city of Fort Smith tested positive for the virus.

Anyone who ate at Red Lobster in Fort Smith from July 19 to August 4 should seek vaccination immediately if they have never been vaccinated against hep A or are unsure of their vaccination status, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) wrote in a news release on Wednesday.

This case appears to be related to travel outside of the state and is not thought to be part of the current hep A outbreak in Northeast Arkansas.

ARKANSAS LITTLE CAESARS EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HEP A

Officials say there is no known risk to anyone who ate at this Red Lobster location after Aug. 4.

The ADH is currently advising those who exhibit symptoms of hepatitis A  which include but are not limited to fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and even jaundice  to seek medical treatment, though not everyone with the condition shows symptoms.

The department has also set up two hepatitis A vaccination clinics, offered at no cost to the public, on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11.

News of the Red Lobster hepatitis scare comes just one day after health officials in Arkansas urged patrons of a Little Caesars in Paragould to get vaccinated, after an employee tested positive for hep A.

Little Caesars had closed the restaurant for a deep cleaning.

Hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver disease, can be spread in several ways, including: eating even a small amount of contaminated fecal matter; eating food handled by someone with the virus who did not wash his/her hands beforehand; eating raw shellfish from polluted waters; or having sex with someone who has the vurus.

Vaccinations may protect anyone exposed to hepatitis A within two weeks of contact.

Alexandria Hein and Zoe Szathmary contributed to this report.
Emily Carby, a senior airman at Colorados Buckley Air Force Base, is all for eating more chicken.

Thats why she created a now viral Change.org petition that calls on Chick-fil-A to bring the restaurant to military bases across the country for the first time. (Currently, a total of 2,200 name-brand fast food restaurants  such as Subway, Churchs Chicken and Captain Ds  can be found on U.S. military bases, according to the Panama City News Herald).

In the petition, Carby wrote she is calling on all military members, base workers and retirees to come together and ask the United States Government to consider contracting Chick-Fil-As on United States military installations.

She added that the option would give military personnel access to healthier choices, as well as more variety.

CHICK-FIL-A WILL BEGIN SELLING MEAL KITS NEXT MONTH

It would appear that many agree with Carby: As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had more than 50,000 signatures, roughly 25,000 less than its goal of 75,000.

At least three airmen at Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, Fla., told the Panama City News Herald they drive from the air base to a nearby Chick-fil-A location at least once a week. The manager of that same restaurant also told the paper more than 60 percent of his customers are affiliated with local military bases.

But despite the demand, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Fox News in a statement the chain has no plans to expand onto military bases at this time.

We will continue to look for ways to serve great food and remarkable service while supporting the military locally with events such as Military Appreciation Night, in-restaurant commemorations and more, the statement continued.

CHICK-FIL-A ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FIRST INTERNATIONAL LOCATION IN TORONTO

A spokesperson for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which operates fast food restaurants under both license and franchise agreements on military bases, declined to comment on the petition when contacted by Fox News.

"Though this seems like a minute issue, I believe the signatures on this petition will speak for themselves."  Emily Carby

Still, Carby is hopeful.

Though this seems like a minute issue, I believe the signatures on this petition will speak for themselves in regards to how many members agree with this proposition, she wrote. Please consider.

Emily Carby did not immediately return Fox News request for additional comment on Thursday.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Fox News reported exclusively this week that a senior United Nations official has suggested that Israels U.N. membership may need to be reviewed or suspended for violating international law.

The U.N. official  Michael Lynk, special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories  also said that other nations may need to review their relationships with Israel in the military, political, and economic investment spheres.

If Lynks denunciation of Israel was just the sentiment of one hate-filled U.N. official that would be bad enough.

But in truth, Lynks threat of international action to possibly suspend or even expel Israel from the U.N., isolate it, and cut off trade and investment is just one in a long list of examples of how the U.N. has targeted Israel for decades with hatred, discrimination, prejudice and absurd lies.

This is truly bullying of a small nation on an international scale.

U.N. officials have not threatened to suspend or revoke membership of North Korea, which imprisons people in slave-labor camps. They have not tried to boot out Syria, where a ruthless dictator has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in a civil war in the past seven years.

Russia has illegally invaded Ukraine and Georgia and annexed Crimea, but remains a member of the powerful U.N. Security Council. Iran  which deprives its citizens of basic human rights, supports terrorism, sends fighters to wage war in neighboring countries, and would love to get nuclear weapons  does not face threats of being kicked out of the U.N.

But Israel is targeted for more condemnation than any other country. This is despite the fact that Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, governed by an elected prime minister and parliament; a country with an independent court system, free expression and other human rights that are guaranteed to all; and  not coincidentally  the only Jewish nation on Earth.

And Israel  a country where Jews have lived for 3,000 years  is absurdly branded the occupier of the ancient homeland of the Jewish people.

Israel is a tiny country one-twentieth the size of California. It faces 200,000 rockets and terrorist attacks from Hezbollah in the north and from Hamas in the south. And it hears daily threats from the fanatic rulers of Iran to wipe the Jewish state off the map  and the Iranians are serious about this murderous goal.

While the non-existent state of Palestine and some U.N. officials try to figure out a way to expel Israel from the U.N., American Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley stands strong and courageously in defense of truth and justice for Israel.

Yet Haley has failed to convince the Security Council and General Assembly to denounce terrorist Hamas serial use of civilians to violently breach Israels international border abutting Gaza.

Attacking Israel is their favorite political sport, Haley lamented, quite accurately, from the U.N.s podium.

Hamas knows that no U.N. agency will ever condemn it for murdering Jews, even if it does this by putting Gazas women and children in harms way.

To the contrary. Just days after 62 Palestinians were killed during a Hamas-led attempt to breach Israels border security fence to enable armed terrorists to attack civilian communities in Israel, the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council convened a special session that voted to investigate Israel  but not Hamas.

This came despite the admission by a Hamas official that 53 of the dead were members of Hamas or affiliated with another terrorist group, Islamic Jihad.

Speaking at that debate, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein, described the Gaza Strip as a toxic slum. But whose fault is it? Al-Hussein neglected to mention that Hamas has diverted humanitarian shipments of building materials sent to Gaza  earmarked for repairs of civilian houses  for use in expanding its labyrinth of terror tunnels that reach into sovereign Israeli territory.

The U.S. had enough. The next day, Ambassador Haley announced that America was leaving the U.N. Human Rights Council for its unending bashing and serial outrageous resolutions singling out the Jewish state.

Then there is ironically named, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which employs more than 11,000 people in the Gaza Strip, including medical personnel as well as teachers and administrators in schools.

UNRWA claims to have 267 schools servicing over a quarter-million students in Gaza. But far from serving as a voice of reason, peace and reconciliation, UNRWA deploys its unique math of servicing fifth- and sixth-generation Palestinian refugees. This feeds the culture of victimhood.

UNRWAs self-declared peace curriculum would be a joke if it wasnt so tragic. Its textbooks never identify the state of Israel  its all Palestine, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River. Israel isnt demonized in the curriculum; it simply doesnt exist.

And the teachers and administration of UNRWA schools? They announced, out of the blue, that schools and offices would be closed on May 14 and 15. Those were the very days that Hamas was planning the deadliest riots at the Gaza border, to coincide with the historic opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

Clearly, by closing UNRWA schools the U.N. employees meant to encourage youngsters to become cannon fodder for Hamas deadliest macabre theatre. I doubt there is a more powerful exhibition of mass child abuse in our time.

Speaking of protecting children, UNICEF is recipient of massive financial support for its global efforts in this area. Indeed, in the years from 2012-2017, Japan donated $50 million to UNICEF projects, including for a project defined as documentation of grave violations against children.

But the UNICEF report did no such thing. If the report really did intend to document child abuse, it would have to shine the light upon the U.N.s own client  the morally corrupt Palestinian leadership.

The report says nothing about Hamas summer camps where it brainwashes little children to hate Jews, its use of women and children as human shields, or its use of U.N. school grounds to launch missiles at Israel. No, you will only read lies demonizing the Jewish state with mendacious propaganda.

Against this backdrop, presidential senior adviser Jared Kushner and his Middle East peace team deserve credit for demanding that Arab states must grant citizenship to fellow Arabs who have lived there for decades. The team is trying to end the ludicrous coddling of sixth-generation Palestinian refugees, who vie for international aid while more than 60 million legitimate refugees need the worlds help to secure their future.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres should fire Michael Lynk, the human rights expert whose idea of contributing to peace is to punish the victim of terrorist attacks Israel  instead of the violent terrorist group Hamas.

Guterres must take control of the U.N. or he may have to look for new funders beyond the U.S. to underwrite the travesty and folly that his international organization is descending into. American taxpayers have had about enough and now we have a president who just might shut the U.N. checkbook permanently.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

When federal prosecutors are nearing the end of criminal investigations, they often invite the subjects of those investigations to speak with them. The soon-to-be defendants are tempted to give their version of events to prosecutors, and prosecutors are looking to take the legal pulse of the subjects of their work. These invitations should always be declined, but they are not.

Special counsel Robert Mueller -- who is investigating President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice, pre-presidential banking irregularities and conspiracy to solicit or receive campaign aid from foreign nationals (the latter is what the media erroneously call collusion) -- has made it known to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, the head of Trump's legal team, that he wants to speak to the president.

Should Trump voluntarily speak with Mueller? In a word: No. Here is the back story.

Though I have been critical of some judgment calls made by Giuliani in his representation of Trump, I recognize, like anyone who has watched him or worked with or against him, that Giuliani is a smart and experienced lawyer. He has prosecuted directly or indirectly more than 5,000 criminal cases. He knows the criminal justice system, and he understands the power of prosecutors.

Yet the advice of most criminal defense lawyers and legal commentators familiar with the situation in which Giuliani finds himself today is to keep his client far away from the prosecutors. Here's why.

Thanks to Giuliani's numerous television appearances during which he has forcefully defended his client, Giuliani and Mueller have engaged in a very public series of negotiations on the limits, if any, that they might agree to as ground rules for an interview of the president.

Giuliani wants to limit the subject of questions to the alleged conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russians. After all, he argues, this is the stated purpose given by the Department of Justice for starting the special counsel's investigation. And he wants to limit the number of questions and the time for all questions and answers. He argues that the president's constitutional obligations transcend the needs of Mueller's probe.

Mueller argues that he has an ethical obligation to follow whatever evidence of criminal behavior lawfully comes into his hands, about the president or his colleagues. As such, because he does not know in advance what Trump's answers to his questions will be, he cannot consent to any limitations on his follow-up questions.

If I were Giuliani, I would tell Mueller that the negotiations are terminated and the president will not voluntarily sit for an interview with him. There are paramount and prudential reasons for this.

First, when prosecutors want to talk to a person they are investigating, the talk is intended to help the prosecutors, not the subject of the investigation. So why should Trump engage in a process that could only help those pursuing him?

Second, the prosecutors know their evidence far better than the president or his legal team possibly could know it, and these prosecutors know how to trip up whomever they are interviewing. So why should Trump give prosecutors an opportunity to trap him into uttering a falsehood in an environment where doing so can be a criminal act?

I recognize that Giuliani's client is the most powerful person on earth, someone who is accustomed to having his way followed. And he has said countless times that he wants to talk to Mueller. Yet President Trump does not use an economy of words. Experience teaches that the undisciplined use of words by the subject of a criminal investigation is a prosecutor's dream when it takes place in an official inquiry.

It is Giuliani's job to prevent that dream from becoming reality by convincing his client, perhaps through an aggressive mock question-and-answer session conducted by Giuliani himself, that no good for Trump could come from a Mueller interview. I have seen many criminal cases in which potential defendants who thought they could talk prosecutors out of an indictment tried to do so and made matters worse for themselves.

But there is an elephant in the room.

That elephant is a grand jury subpoena. The Mueller interview is voluntary. If Trump agreed to it, he would not be under oath, and he could consult with counsel during it. Also, he could leave it whenever he wished. A grand jury subpoena compels a person to testify. The testimony is under oath, takes place without counsel present and can go on for as long as prosecutors and the grand jurors want to question the person. And they can ask him any questions they want to ask.

Surely, Trump would challenge a subpoena before a federal district court, and the challenge might land in the Supreme Court. Yet the controlling case, United States v. Nixon, is a unanimous 1974 Supreme Court decision requiring President Richard Nixon to surrender his infamous Oval Office tapes.

Though not directly on the point of compelled presidential personal oral testimony, the language in the Nixon case and the values underlying it all favor enforcement of a subpoena requiring personal testimony by the president. When the Ken Starr grand jury served a subpoena for the president's testimony on Bill Clinton, whose crimes it was investigating, Clinton and his lawyers concluded that he needed to comply with it, which he did.

Of course, Trump could accept the subpoena and then invoke his Fifth Amendment-protected right to silence. However, he once publicly said, "If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth?" So such an invocation would be catastrophic politically, but it would legally insulate him from helping Mueller to prosecute him.

Another president once weighed in on dealings with bureaucrats and prosecutors. Ronald Reagan quipped many times that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Mr. President, beware of prosecutors bearing invitations.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

You return from a great vacation and POW  reality hits like a punch in the nose. And thats not counting the hassle of New York airports and traffic.

The pain begins when you remember that the hapless Jeff Sessions is still the attorney general of the United States. It sharpens with the realization that Rod Rosenstein, officially Sessions deputy but really the boss of the Justice Department and FBI, continues to get away with the biggest partisan heist of modern times.

Rosenstein is guilty of three main sins. One, he gives his spawn, special counsel Robert Mueller, virtually unlimited time, scope and budget to target anybody who worked for President Trumps campaign or administration. As the ongoing trial of Paul Manafort illustrates, the tactic involves throwing the kitchen sink of charges with the aim of terrifying defendants so they will be more inclined to spill any possible beans on Trump in exchange for leniency.

The zealous approach  and exorbitant legal fees involved for defendants or witnesses  serve as deterrents for anyone who might consider public service. And although there is still no indication the president did anything wrong, the search for a crime to pin on him creates a cloud over everything he does and could influence the midterm elections.

To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column from the New York Post, click here.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Courtesy of California Sen. Kamala Harris, we now have a bit of a hint of the new approach we can expect by the progressives who now control the Democratic Party  focus on identity politics but dont call it that.

In other words, they will recycle the age-old leftist approach of lying to voters about who they are while vowing to punish those who dare to expose them.

All of this became clear at last weeks Netroots Nation political activism conference, which CNN described as The three-day gathering of thousands of progressive activists amounted to a rejection of warnings from the Democratic establishment that their calls for single-payer health care, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and other progressive priorities would alienate moderate and Republican voters who are otherwise inclined to vote against Trump  both in Novembers midterm elections and in the 2020 presidential primary.

When youve lost CNN 

Ms. Harris, widely believed to be eyeing a presidential run, is doing what good progressives do  she engaged in promoting identity politics at the conference, and then told everyone that the phrase identity politics was a pejorative.

Now, I am aware that some people would say that what I just said is plain identity politics. But, I have a problem, guys, with that phrase, identity politics. Cause lets be clear, when people say that, its a pejorative. That phrase is used to divide and it is used to distract , Breitbart reported.

As a friend of mine noted, Ms. Harris new approach is to insist that identity politics doesnt divide us, but calling it identity politics does.

Ms. Harris rhetoric is important as it reveals that she and her likely mentor, former President Barack Obama, have realized the American people have rejected the disaster of liberalism, which relies on dividing and conquering. They, however, remain committed to the disaster their philosophy delivers, but they dont care; their work remains to obfuscate and punish those who challenge them.

Rising Democratic party star, democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, most famous for not understanding economics, the southern border, or the Israeli-Palestinian issue, was even more blunt about the truth of the new Democratic agenda. About the importance of identity politics she told the Netroots crowd: We can say that a Muslim man can be the first governor  the first Muslim governor, in this country, in the Midwest. And we dont have to be afraid of some other that wont vote for us, because we know that 10 years ago they voted for Barack Hussein Obama.

No doubt some progressives like Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, believe theyre standing up for people to no longer be consigned to the margins, to finally be recognized as whole people and worthy of recognition. Yet their rhetoric relies on subjecting their perceived opponents to the very otherness they say theyre fighting.

There were also no actual policy prescriptions at the conference. Promising free stuff to everyone  free health care, free education  abolishing ICE and immigration laws, arent policies. Theyre empty prescriptions for disaster and chaos.

We can look to the 20th century for the result of so-called leaders who promise absurd things for votes, but its best to just look south to Venezuela for todays example of the cancer of so-called progressive governance.

Oh sure, theres complete equality in medical care  no one has any. And theres food for all, but Venezuelans have also found that you can eat your neighbors dog only once, and the zoo eventually runs out of animals.

For Hillary Clinton, relying on identity politics didnt work. It also reminds us that Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me remains relevant. After eight years of Mr. Obamas economic and foreign policy disasters, being fooled twice was rejected by the American people.

In fact, a new survey from Independent Womens Voice found when asked if someone will support a candidate because of their sex, 83 percent say gender makes no difference, and only 10 percent will support a female because she is a woman.

Thats good news. While much has been written about the need for more women in government, something worth applauding, it is encouraging that the American voter is rejecting identity politics. This further explains Ms. Harris (and watch Mr. Obama to echo this) effort to ban the phrase but not the action.

As Americans we love underdogs, disruption, and breaking new ground. If the Obama years reminded us of anything, its that policy matters, for the country and for our families. Democrats are going to find that out, again, in the midterms, as Americans vote for real policies that improve peoples lives, not for a return to identity politics, contrived divisions and perpetual outrage.

This column originally appeared in The Washington Times.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump has taken strong action that proves the absurdity of charges by his critics that he is too close to Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the U.S. will impose tough new trade sanctions on Russia in response to the poisoning and attempted murder of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.

The new sanctions, which will take effect on about Aug. 22, will deny export licenses to American companies that want to sell technology and other items with national security implications to companies funded or owned by the Russia government. A State Department official told reporters the sanctions could affect 70 percent of the Russian economy and 40 percent of its workforce.

Some technology exports are expected to get exemptions from the sanctions. These include parts for civilian planes to ensure they fly safely and parts for the International Space Station.

If you think the new sanctions are a token effort for public relations purposes youre wrong.

The Associated Press reported Thursday: 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.

A senior White House official told me the new sanctions prove the Trump administration isnt afraid to confront Russia when needed. He said: For anyone who thinks this administration is weak on Russia I say do this: look at what we have done, look at our actions, not what comes out of the lefts mouth. What do we need to do? to satisfy critics. This administration is truly using the Reagan playbook when it comes to checking Moscow. It just feels like no one is seeing what we are doing.

The new U.S. sanctions are a response to a determination by the State Department that Russia used the nerve agent Novichok to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England. They both recovered from the murder attempt.

In imposing the sanctions under a 1991 law that requires action against countries responsible for a chemical or biological weapons attack, President Trump showed he will not give Putin a free pass for his intolerable actions.

By the poisoning of the Skripals  which Russia denies  Putin has shown once again that he is running a rogue regime. He loves invading other nations, annexing territories that dont belong to Russia, shooting down civilian airliners and arming Americas enemies.

It seems as if Moscow doesnt give a damn what anyone else thinks about its actions on the world stage, including savagely trying to kill dissidents on British soil in the most terrible ways imaginable.

While the world was hopeful in the early 1990s that Russia could join the West  maybe even NATO someday  those days are long gone. Moscow, and especially the thugs who occupy the Kremlin, see challenges everywhere to their reign of terror. And they will try to kill anyone or crush anything in their way.

The good news is we know how to do deal with leaders of a rogue Russia: dont give an inch of ground and contain their worst impulses until they feel enough pain to back off. It worked for President Reagan, and it will work for President Trump.

And, at its core, that is what the President Trump and his administration are doing  but they feel, with some justification, that no one is listening.

The new sanctions should be seen as part of a much larger policy shift to make sure Russia truly understands that anytime it wants to lash out at the West, NATO allies or any U.S. partner there will be a hefty price to be paid.

In fact, you know what this policy is if you have studied just the smallest shred of history  it was known as containment when applied to the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. Now, thanks to President Trump, it is coming to Vladimir Putins doorstep.

The examples are there, if people would just open their eyes, to strong actions the Trump administration has taken.

First, President Trump and his team cleaned up the mess of a policy the Obama administration left behind when it comes to Ukraine. The small nation  once part of the Soviet Union  was hopelessly outmanned and outgunned by invading Russian forces and their separatist allies. President Obama hesitated, vacillated, equivocated and pondered with deep thoughts  but failed to take effective action.

The Trump administration is now rightly arming Ukraine  something that should have happened years ago. While President Obama might have given more eloquent speeches, President Trump knows how to respond with the eloquence of action.

And if Russia pushes even further dont be shocked if President Trump pushes for Ukraine to join NATO  one of Moscows worst nightmares.

Next, while President Trumps critics might attack him for lashing out at the woeful underspending record by NATO nations on their own defense, the alliance is slowly increasing its overall capabilities and budgets  thanks to his demand that NATO member nations spend more on protecting themselves from Russia.

If there is a day when NATO nations must stare down the Russian bear in the Baltics, in the Black Sea or elsewhere they will have the tools to deter and defeat any aggression Moscow wants to throw their way  all because President Trump told them to stop freeloading off Uncle Sam.

And President Trump has shown he wont allow Russian-backed allies to get away with committing mass murder. When Syrian dictator Bashar Assad used chemical weapons on his own people, President Trump did not walk away  he kept his word and bombed Syria to make sure Assad paid a price for his actions, and to warn Assad not to use chemical weapons again. Russia threatened to retaliate if we attacked its ally, but the Russians backed down when faced with a strong American president who keeps his word.

But to be fair, its true that Team Trumps Russia policy sometimes sends members of the Washington foreign policy establishment into fits of rage  and sometimes I can see their point. President Trump  rightly or wrongly  loves to butter up his opponents, sweet talk them, even sometimes praise them.

But isnt it clear what the strategy is by now? Why do critics see President Trumps strategic kindness as weakness? Trump is all business in his approach, and he smartly realizes you get nowhere by insulting the person you want to make agreements with and draw concessions from.

The foreign policy establishment needs to understand that the president can smile at our opponents while also working to undermine them and pursue our national interests.

Lets not mistake flattery for weakness. The art of smart foreign policy is realizing you have to work with dictators and despots you dont like. President Trump might not have a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard, but he knows he needs to work with people no one in their right mind likes or respects.

Going forward, Russia should know that the Trump administration is quite willing and able to ramp up the pressure and respond to whatever Putin throws our way. Russia already lost the Cold War. If Putin wants to start a Cold War 2.0, he should realize it will not end well for him or his country.
Rep. Christopher Collins, R-N.Y., who was indicted on insider trading charges Wednesday, said he believes that charges filed against him "are meritless" and he will remain on the ballot for re-election.

"I will mount a vigorous defense in court to clear my name," Collins told reporters Wednesday night in response to the indictment prosecutors filed against him earlier in the day. "I look forward to being fully vindicated and exonerated, ending any and all questions relating to my affiliation with Innate [Immunotherapeutics]."

NEW YORK REP. CHRISTOPHER COLLINS INDICTED ON INSIDER TRADING CHARGES

The indictment charges 68-year-old Collins; his son, Cameron Collins; and the father of his son's fiancee, Stephen Zarsky, with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

All three pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday afternoon.

The fraud counts relate to securities of an Australian biotechnology company called Innate Immunotherapeutics, where Collins served on the board.

"Many have speculated about my relationship with Innate," the congressman told reporters. "Here are the simple facts: My connections with the company are well known. I believe I acted properly and within the law at all times with regard to my affiliation with Innate.

"Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have followed all rules and all ethical guidelines when it comes to my personal investments, including those with Innate," Collins added.

Innate "wishes to advise that it has cooperated fully with requests for information made to it by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)," the company said in a statement, adding that both Innate "and its directors/officers (excepting Mr. Collins) are not under investigation. The Company considers the ongoing investigation to be a private matter to Mr. Collins."

Prosecutors allege that Collins passed along secrets to Cameron in June 2017, and that Cameron then traded on the inside information and passed it on to Zarsky, who allegedly 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 charges, according to Geoffrey Berman, an attorney for the U.S. Southern District of New York, "are a reminder that this is a land of laws and that everyone stands before the bar of justice."

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.

Collins, who has served New York's 27th District since 2013, 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' Lissa Kaplan, Andrew O'Reilly and Tamara Gitt contributed to this report.
Voting machines in at least one U.S. state already may have been compromised by Russian operatives ahead of the midterm elections, a Florida Democratic senator warned.

According to a report in the Tampa Bay Times, Sen. Bill Nelson claims the Russians have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about.

Nelsons office has yet to respond to a request for comment.

In the Times report, Nelson indicated he and his Republican counterpart, Sen. Marco Rubio, have been asked by leaders of the Intelligence Committee to let election officials in their state know that the Russians are in their records.

This is no-fooling time, Nelson added.

Rubios office would not comment on the matter, but the Times said two county officials have corroborated Nelsons remarks.

Nelson and Rubio, who is an Intelligence Committee member, wrote to election officials back in July warning about potential threats to their states election apparatus. Nelson and Rubio suggested that 2018 would be a year that demands greater awareness of cyber threats, and encouraged state officials to take advantage of the wide range of services provided by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to safeguard against such intrusion.

County election boards should not be expected to stand alone against a hostile foreign government, Nelson and Rubio argued, noting that our decentralized system is a strength, but it also means the responsibility resides with each of us to be sure our locality is secure.

Nelson told reporters on Wednesday that the Russians are hoping to sow chaos in our democratic institutions, a notion that has been repeated by both President Trump and U.S. intelligence officials.

Last week, top cabinet officials doubled down on what they called an ongoing and pervasive threat from Russia.

Democracy itself is in the crosshairs, said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

OFFICIALS SOUND ALARM ON RUSSIAN MEDDLING, VOW TO FIGHT BACK: DEMOCRACY IN THE CROSSHAIRS

During the 2016 presidential election, DHS saw a targeting of 21 states and an exceptionally small number of them were actually successfully penetrated, according to cybersecurity official Jeanette Manfra.

She added that there was no doubt the Russian government was behind the attacks.

Manfras comments came after former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Fox News in early February that Russia already was attempting to interfere in the U.S. in 2018.

I think its important we just continue to say to Russia, Look, you think we dont see what youre doing. We do see it, and you need to stop. If you dont, youre going to just continue to invite consequences for yourself, Tillerson said.
file photo

The population of Yangtze finless porpoises living in lakes has grown, as local governments have set up natural reserve zones with patrol teams to create a safe habitat for the endangered species, a recent survey showed.

The finless porpoise is a freshwater mammal native to the Yangtze River, but the porpoise can also be found in two basins off the river: Poyang and Dongting lakes.

With a slightly curved mouth, the finless porpoise is often called the smiling angel of the Yangtze River. The females have a gestation period of 10 to 11 months and give birth to one young at a time. It is believed to have a level of intelligence comparable to that of a gorilla.

However, its population has rapidly decreased over the last three decades due to environmental deterioration, and it is now listed as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The most recent national survey, carried out by Chinas Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, shows that while the population living in lakes has grown in recent years, the Yangtze River population continues to decline due to water pollution, development, and overfishing, though at a slower rate than in previous years.

Currently, about 1,012 porpoises are believed to live in the Yangtze River and the two lakes linked to the river, with 110 in Dongting Lake, a flood basin in the northeast of Hunan province, and another 457 in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Jiangxi province.

The porpoises close cousin, the Baiji dolphin, another mammal once common in the Yangtze, was declared functionally extinct in 2006. Many experts have hence called for stricter protection of the Yangtze finless porpoise so it will not go down the same path.

China has taken steps in recent years to improve reproduction of the species, including setting up eight nature reserves for it along its natural habitats. The Tongling River Dolphin National Nature Reserve in central Chinas Anhui province is one of them.

Two finless porpoises swim inside the Tongling River Dolphin National Nature Reserve in Anhui province. Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online

Covering an area of 31,518 hectares, the reserve offers the porpoises protection, but also protects other rare animals and plants in the region.

Over the years, efforts have been made to stop illegal fishing and sand digging activities in the reserve zone. Navigation traffic control and speed limits are also enforced near the region, contributing to the gradual improvement of the porpoises natural habitats, Zhang Xibin, director of the research center at the Tongling River Dolphin National Nature Reserve, told Peoples Daily.

Off-site conservation has long been considered to be the most promising measure to prevent the Yangtze finless porpoise from going extinct. In 2001, the reserve guided four porpoises into a 1,600 meter-long semi-natural water zone inside the reserve in order to establish a breeding colony.

Zhang Bajin, a 57 year-old retired fisherman, has been feeding the porpoises for the past 13 years inside the natural reservefour times each day.

We live by the river and have special feelings for the porpoises, Zhang said, recalling the good old times when the river pig, a nickname given to the porpoises by locals, were often seen in the river.

He has given each fish a nickname, and knows the appearance and temper of each one, treating them like family

Up till now, seven baby finless porpoises have been born in the zone, and its population has increased to 11, with the smallest one being two months old, implying the initial achievement of this project.

Two finless porpoises swim inside the Tongling River Dolphin National Nature Reserve in Anhui province. Photo by Yang Yang/People's Daily Online

Since June 2017, with the support of Yangtze ecological protection funds and under the guidance from central authorities, four porpoise patrol teams on the Yangtze River have been set up in Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces.

The Anqing Patrol Team was the first one to be set up. Currently more than 200 finless porpoises are believed to live near Anqing, Anhui.

From assisting fishery administrations to strengthening protection measures, the patrol team helps conduct on-site conservation by observing the porpoises in their natural habitat.

The well-being of the porpoises is an important indicator of the wholeness of the entire ecosystem of the Yangtze River. Therefore, its protection is of great significance, said Zhang Xibin.

We can never let the Yangtze finless porpoise be the next Baiji dolphin, he emphasized.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro challenged democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a debate, offering to donate $10,000 to her campaign if she accepted -- but it triggered a sparring match online.

Shapiro initially tweeted a video on Wednesday in which he mocked Democratic National Committee chairperson Tom Perez for calling Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate, the future of the Democratic Party, before issuing his challenge.

Miss Ocasio-Cortez, Im really excited that youve been elevated to that position and I would love to have a real conversation with you about the issues. Youve noted that you think Republicans are afraid to debate you or talk to you or discuss the issues with you, Shapiro said.

Not only am I eager to discuss the issues with you, Im willing to offer $10,000 to your campaign, today, for you to come on our Sunday special, he continued. We can have an hour long conversation about all the topics under the sun, really probe your belief system.

Shapiro said he would also debate Ocasio-Cortez for charity.

However you want to do it, I am more than willing to talk to you, Shapiro said. Lets make this happen.

Shapiro, Daily Wire editor-in-chief, said that he wants to make America a more civil and interesting place, and feels a conversation with Ocasio-Cortez could do just that.

Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez compared Shapiro's offer to "catcalling" on Twitter.

"Just like catcalling, I dont owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions," she wrote. "And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one."

Shapiro responded: "Discussion and debate are not 'bad intentions.' Slandering someone as a sexist catcaller without reason or evidence does demonstrate cowardice and bad intent, however."

Ocasio-Cortezs unanticipated victory over veteran Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary over Crowley's New York seat put her in a national spotlight earlier this year.

Ocasio-Cortez lit up social media on Wednesday night when she appeared on CNNs Cuomo Prime Time and stumbled when discussing Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House minority leader.

This is painful. Its Miss South Carolina on maps bad, Shapiro tweeted in response to her interview.

Donald Trump Jr. captioned video of her interview with, OMG this is insane and yet the liberal campaign to make her the rockstar face of the left will continue ... lets face it, I guess they dont have much else.

Ocasio-Cortezs talk with Cuomo isnt her first media appearance to whip up criticism since her upset victory over Crowley. She has struggled to explain how many of her platforms -- such as Medicare for all and a federal jobs guarantee -- would be funded.

Still, she has emerged as a liberal darling since bursting onto the scene  though not everyone is a fan.

Comedian Lewis Black, who also considers himself a socialist, told The Daily Beast in a recent interview that Ocasio-Cortez isn't the answer.

The one thing Ive learned in my lifetime is that weve got to get to the middle before we start pushing things in other directions. Weve gotta get to the middle, and they have to sit down and decide how to do things, Black said when asked if Ocasio-Cortez provides a glimmer of hope.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.
Chicagoans are calling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to reveal concrete plans to curb gun violence after the city was shaken by yet another bloody weekend. The Democrat drew ire this week after saying an attitudinal change is needed in order to create change.

Emanuel, who has been mayor of the Windy City since 2011, urged locals to "be a neighbor" and "speak up" to assist police officers in identifying potential killers.

This might not be politically correct, but I know the power of what faith and family can do, Emanuel said on Aug. 7, according to the Chicago Sun Times. There is nothing on the streets of Chicago that is stronger than what is in the faith community and whats in family. Our kids need that structure.

CHICAGO SHOOTINGS PUT SPOTLIGHT ON ILLINOIS GUN LAWS

The mayor then promised to deploy more officers to South Side and West Side police departments, which will be stepping up patrols on weekends  when more shootings are reported.

City officials say new crime-fighting measures in recent years have helped bring homicides down, but the number is still significant.

Chicago ended 2017 with 650 homicides, down from 771 the year before. Though the drop was an improvement, last year's total exceeded the combined number of killings in New York and Los Angeles, the two U.S. cities bigger than Chicago.

Here's a look at everything Emanuel has proposed in response to the city's soaring crime.

Deploying more officers

During the week, Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said 430 officers will be dispersed throughout the city's most violent neighborhoods on the South and West Side  particularly around the Ogden, Harrison and Austin police districts. On weekends, that number will increase to 600.

"We have ordered a series of strategic deployments aimed at keeping our community safe," Emanuel said during an Aug. 7 news conference. "These additional deployments will continue to supplement existing manpower."

Extending police hours

In order to complete the increase, some officers will have their regular shifts extended, while other units will have their days off canceled, including those who work within the department's fugitive apprehension unit.

"We are taking resources from other areas of the city," Johnson explained. "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."

Asking for community help

Emanuel urged Chicagoans to come forward if they have information related to the deadly shootings that took place over the weekend  adding that no arrests have yet been made.

This is not about the Chicago Police Department, alone, Emanuel reportedly said. Its not about a summer jobs program, alone. This is about the fabric of a neighborhood and community  as the superintendent just said  who knows who did this."

The mayor promised to work with the detective division and state's attorney to ensure protection for witnesses who bravely step forward to identify the shooters and testify against them.

Emanuel believes events such as National Night Out, a national campaign that promotes partnerships between police officers and the public, which was held this week may also help bring people together.

The Associated Press contributed to this.
The latest fight between the Trump administration and Californias liberal politicians has been over water.

The Trump administration believes the states stringent environmental protection policies are hampering efforts by firefighters to fight the largest fire in state history.

In a tweet sent Monday, President Trump said water that can be used for fires in California is foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean.

Think of California with plenty of Water - Nice! Fast Federal govt. approvals, Trump tweeted.

On Wednesday, the federal government officially stepped in. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross ordered the National Marines Fisheries Service, which is under his jurisdiction, to take control of water use in California and override any efforts 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.

The directive asks the federal agency to make clear that water can be used as necessary to fight the fires, even if they impact endangered species.

The National Marine Fisheries Service works with the state to protect the delta smelt and Chinook salmon, two fish species under threat because of California's drought, according to ABC News. The two agencies limit the amount the water taken from rivers to protect fish.

Several fires have consumed large swaths of California. One of them, the Mendocino Complex Fire, has become the largest in state history.

Water from ponds, lakes and reservoirs near the fires can be used to battle the blazes, whether it is scooped up by helicopter and dumped on the flames or drawn out by pumps and sprayed.

American lives and property are at stake and swift action is needed, Ross said.

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, said he doesn't know if the Trump administration had contacted any California state agencies before issuing Wednesday's directive.

Critics blasted the directive and Trumps statement blaming environmental policies on why the fires cant be tamed.

"Despite the president's tweet, there's zero connection between the fires and the amount of water that is available to fight them," Peter Gleick, founder of the Pacific Institute think tank, told the Washington Post. "And yet all of the sudden, now the federal agencies are starting to actually implement policies based on this completely false idea that will end up rolling back federal environmental protections. It's weaponizing an ignorant tweet from the president."

Gov. Jerry Brown has not commented.

Includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Long after the FBI cut ties with former British spy and Trump dossier author Christopher Steele, senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr continued to maintain extensive contact with him, according to newly reported emails.

The emails, first reported by The Hill, reveal Steele even continued to send information to Ohr after the election.

The FBI suspended and then terminated Steele as a source in early November 2016 for what the bureau defined as the most serious of violations  an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI, according to a House Republican memo earlier this year. The FBI reportedly told Steele at the time he could no longer operate to obtain any intelligence whatsoever on behalf of the FBI.

Yet the emails show Ohr, a former associate deputy attorney general, and Steele communicated extensively from 2002 all the way into 2017.

One text message from Steele to Ohr on Jan. 31, 2017 reportedly said: B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you re-SY. The text is an apparent reference to President Trumps firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

The text continued: Just want to check you are OK, still in the situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues.

Ohr reportedly replied: Im still here and able to help as discussed.Ill let you know if that changes.

Steele reportedly said: If you end up out though, I really need another (bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed. We cant allow our guy to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous.

It is unclear what and whom Steele was referring to in that exchange.

The Hill reported that FBI officials admitted they continued to receive information from Steele through Ohr.

The FBI declined to comment when asked by Fox News whether the bureau relied on Steeles intelligence after their working relationship was terminated.

Steele also sent one email to Ohr on July 1, 2016, obtained by The Hill, making an apparent reference to Trump.

I am seeing [redacted] in London next week to discuss ongoing business, but there is something separate I wanted to discuss with you informally and separately, Steele wrote. It concerns out favourite business tycoon!

Ohr and Steele reportedly had a call on the morning of July 7, 2016.

Steele authored and compiled information for the controversial and unverified anti-Trump dossier on behalf of Fusion GPS, which was hired to conduct opposition research funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign through law firm Perkins Coie.

Last year, Fox News confirmed that Ohrs wife, Nellie Ohr, worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election. According to court documents obtained by Fox News last year, Fusion GPS hired Mrs. Ohr to help investigate Trump. A separate Fox News review of her previous published works reveal she wrote extensively on Russia-related subjects.

The dossier formed an essential part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants approved to surveil then-Trump campaign associate Carter Page, according to the House GOP memo alleging government surveillance abuse during 2016.

According to new documents obtained this week by The Washington Examiner, Ohr also continued communicating with Fusion co-founder Glenn Simpson before, during and after the election.

Other emails obtained by the Examiner reveal Steeles communications with Russian aluminum financier Oleg Deripaska. Steele emailed with Ohr about Deripaska, who was seeking a visa to attend a meeting in the U.S. According to the Examiner, the U.S. revoked Deripaskas visa based on alleged involvement with Russian organized crime.

Deripaska was reportedly close to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Those communications raised questions of whether Steele was working with Deripaska while working on the dossier, and whether Fusion GPS and the Justice Department were involved.
The Trump administration is taking aim at Philadelphias political leaders for a string of crimes committed by immigrants the city released in defiance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests.



The Justice Department this week highlighted the case of child rapist Juan Ramon Vasquez, who just pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry.

The illegal immigrant from Honduras previously was in Philadelphia custody on local charges back in 2014. But when those charges were dropped a year later, city officials ignored an ICE detainer. Vasquez was later arrested and convicted for raping a child and unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

He is now serving between eight and 20 years in 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, accusing Philadelphia of giving Vasquez a free pass.

The Honduran previously had been deported from the U.S. in 2009, but returned.

"We owe the American people better. This is a perfect example of when jurisdictions decide not to cooperate with federal law enforcement, we put our communities at risk," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told Fox News Sean Hannity on Wednesday.



The Department of Justice pointed to video of Mayor Jim Kenney, who has served since 2016, doing a victory jig in June when a judge found in favor of the city in its fight with the Trump administration over sanctuary city policies.



We are a sanctuary city, yeah! he was taped singing before high-fiving with his chief of staff.

The White House at that time blasted the celebration as "disgusting."

Many people in Philadelphia have been killed, raped or assaulted at the hands of criminal illegal aliens, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News. Its disgusting the mayor would dance in celebration of a lawless decision that allows these dangerous criminals to roam free in Philadelphia communities and prey on innocent families and children.



Kenney pushed back against the latest controversy on Wednesday, saying that six times last year, the city handed over individuals requested by ICE, and they would do so as long as federal authorities got a warrant.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS PHILADELPHIA MAYOR FOR 'DISGUSTING' VICTORY DANCE OVER SANCTUARY CITY RULING



"If they had gotten a warrant we would have turned the person over, nothing of this would have happened," Kenney said, according to Fox 29.



But the administration notes that Vasquez is not a one-off case, but the latest in a long line of criminal immigrants who were released after ICE detainers were ignored by the City of Brotherly Love.



Officials pointed to at least seven other cases where alleged or convicted criminals were released, and in some cases went on to re-offend.

They gave the example of a 22-year-old Gambian man who was arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly attempting to force his girlfriend into a hot oven during a domestic dispute.

An ICE detainer lodged with Philadelphia was not honored, ICE said when it announced his arrest in March 2017.

Officials also cited the 2016 case of a Guatemalan national who was released from custody in Philadelphia after being convicted of two counts of illegal exposure and providing false ID to law enforcement.

Also in 2016, ICE officers arrested three criminal immigrants, two Mexicans and one Italian after they were released without detainers being honored by Philadelphia authorities. The men had convictions for crimes including aggravated assault, weapons offenses and narcotics manufacturing.

The fight with Philadelphia is part of a broader, national fight between the Trump administration and some Democratic officials who have advocated sanctuary city policies and even the abolition of ICE.

Fox News Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.
A Georgia Democrat running for Congress was arrested this week and now awaits sentencing after a jury convicted him over a drunken-driving incident from last year.

Steven Lamar Foster, 61, was convicted by a Dalton jury Monday for driving under the influence on the evening of Sept. 23, 2017, according to Whitfield County Superior Court documents.

The former physician, a Democratic congressional candidate in Georgias 14th District, was ordered to jail without bond until his sentencing on Monday.

According to police, Foster was pulled over for driving with his headlights off after dark. Foster reportedly told the officer he had not been drunk since 1981 and would give him a breath test if he wanted to. The officer reportedly then asked why Foster might need to take a breath test.

Foster later admitted to the officer that he'd consumed two or three beers about three hours earlier; the police report said he swayed and stumbled during a field sobriety test. A Breathalyzer test also showed his blood alcohol content was 0.103.

Fosters campaign office did not immediately return Fox News request for comment.

GREEN PARTY SPOILER CANDIDATE IN OHIO SPECIAL ELECTIONS CLAIMS TO BE DESCENDED FROM ALIENS

Foster started his campaign in March, six months after his DUI arrest. He described himself as a "physician entrepreneur" on his qualifying paperwork for the congressional race, despite state records showing Foster's medical license had expired at the end of 2003.

Further, the Composite State Board of Medical Examiners suspended Foster's medical license indefinitely in October 2002, citing concerns that he was "unable to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients due to a psychiatric disorder."

Foster has been running for a seat held by Rep. Tom Graves since 2010.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The nail-biter playing out in Ohios 12th Congressional District got even closer Wednesday after 588 uncounted votes were found in a suburb of Columbus, according to county officials.

The ballots were tallied and Democrat Danny OConnor gained 190 votes on Republican Troy Balderson. The GOP candidate, who was endorsed by President Trump, currently leads by 1,564 votes.

The Franklin County Board of Elections said in a news release that the newly discovered ballots had not been processed into the tabulation system, and the issue was corrected.

OConnor, who is from Franklin County, celebrated the news by tweeting red sirens and informing his followers that he is confident he will soon be declared the winner. He asked for donations to continue to fight that the votes are counted fairly.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that 3,435 provisional ballots and 5,048 absentee ballots will be counted Aug. 18, ahead of an Aug. 24 deadline. Ohio requires a recount if a candidate wins by less than half a percentage point.

The winner takes the U.S. House seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January.

The early results were considered a major win by Republicans who insist Novembers blue wave will turn out to be a ripple.

Democrats, who appeared to come up just shy in another special election, considered OConnors turnout a victory in itself. They point to the fact Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016. The district has had a Republican representative for the last three decades.

"It's one more piece of evidence amidst a lot of others that this is a good environment for Democrats, and it provides some opportunities to the party in the fall," Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Trump claimed credit for his late push to give Balderson the slight edge, but Gov. John Kasich also backed the candidate who is running for his old seat.

Balderson, a state senator, and OConnor, the Franklin County recorder, want to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race tests voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and OConnor will battle again for the full two-year term.

Balderson celebrated his victory late Tuesday night and told supporters that hes ready to get to work in Congress. He says, America is on the right path and were going to keep it going that way.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An employee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed to resign this week after admitting she posted more than 100 social media messages during work hours or on agency property in 2016, urging people to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The disclosure came in a news release from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

The agreement between the employee and the OSC includes a five-year ban from working in the federal government, the statement said.

The posts were considered a violation of the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits most government employees from engaging in most political activities while on duty, the release said.

The woman continued the behavior despite being approached by ethics watchdogs, the OSC said.

When a federal employee emphatically and repeatedly engages in political activity while on duty or in the workplace, OSC takes that very seriously, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner said. This employee thumbed her nose at the law and engaged in vocal partisan politics both with her colleagues and on social media.

This employee thumbed her nose at the law and engaged in vocal partisan politics both with her colleagues and on social media."  Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner

Considering her knowledge of the Hatch Act and continuing disregard for the law, this employees resignation and debarment from federal service are proportionate disciplinary actions. This case serves as an important reminder that federal employees must be mindful of the Hatch Acts prohibitions, especially given the upcoming midterm elections.

Most federal employees are allowed to engage in political activities during their personal time.
As the European Union decries America's restoration of Iran sanctions, the Islamic regime is rewarding Europes support by ramping up its terror operation on the continent -- allegedly plotting attacks against Iranian dissidents there and politicians who back them.

The Trump administration restored sanctions on the rogue regime this week, a consequence of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That move provoked a strong response from European leaders, who said they deeply regret the U.S. decision.

TRUMP REINSTATES IRAN SANCTIONS, SLAMS 'HORRIBLE' NUCLEAR DEAL



The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal, E.U. High Representative Federica Mogherini, along with French, German and British foreign ministers, said in a joint statement, vowing to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran.

But the regime, while facing significant unrest at home over corruption and mismanagement that has led to water shortages and food price hikes, allegedly has been exporting terror to Europe.

IRAN'S WIDESPREAD AND GROWING PROTESTS PUSH CITIZENS TO BRINK

Last month, an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna was one of four arrested for an alleged plot to bomb an annual gathering of Iranian dissident groups in Paris, which Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani attended.



German prosecutors allege that Assadollah Assadi was a member of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, (MOIS) tasked with combating observation groups inside and outside of Iran. He is charged with activity as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit murder. Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has called the allegations a ploy.



The Wall Street Journal reported that Dutch authorities expelled two Iranian diplomats in July linked to the assassination of one Iranian dissident who was murdered in the Hague in November.



There are also concerns about the regimes presence in Albania, where dissidents told Fox News the Iranian embassy is staffing up and has sent top intelligence operatives. Albania is significant as it was where more than 2,000 Iranian dissidents belonging to Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) were relocated from Iraq in 2016.

The National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI) said that the regime wanted to murder them in Iraq, and the failure to do so marked a major setback for the regime.



Former Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko revealed to Fox News that he has been told by U.S. officials that he needs to increase his security after intelligence of a threat against him.

While he said Irans strategy in the region is unprecedented, he also told Fox News, I am not afraid.

A senior U.S. counterterrorism official confirmed to Fox News that Albanian authorities arrested two Iranian operatives on terror charges earlier this year.



Iran has a long history over the last 39 years of conducting and planning assassinations and terrorist actions against opponents of the Iranian regime, including a series of assassinations and attack plots in recent years in European countries, the official said.



U.S. officials have not been shy about calling out the terror plots. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a speech last month, pointed to the Paris attempt as proof of the regimes intentions.



This tells you everything you need to know about the regime: At the same time theyre trying to convince Europe to stay in the nuclear deal, theyre covertly plotting terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe, he said.



Mohammad Mohaddessin, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said in a statement to Fox News that there is no doubt that the plots are coming from the regimes leadership.

The Iranian regimes foiled plots in Albania and in Paris were similar to the operations that ISIS carried out in terms of targeting big crowds and inflicting damage to a large number of people at once, he told Fox News in a statement.

These plots were decided and planned at one body, namely the Supreme National Security Council. These plots were approved by Ali Khamenei, the regimes supreme leader, and were relegated to the MOIS to be carried out.



The alleged terror threats are likely only to increase the pressure on the E.U. to abandon its opposition to sanctions and get on board with U.S. efforts to pressure Iran into either reform or regime change. This week, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley accused the bloc of playing politics on the issue.



The E.U. can do what they want but you cant condone the practices that are coming out of Iran, so the E.U. will have a decision to make, Haley told Fox News on Wednesday.



Fox News Ben Evansky, Rich Edson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Just hours after Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team and Judge T.S. Ellis came to something of a cease-fire in their courtroom war of words, Ellis was back to admonishing prosecutors in front of jurors on Thursday.

But despite the fireworks, there were smiles in court as the day wound down. Prosecutors were questioning Citizens Bank Vice President Peggy Miceli about an email she'd sent to her colleagues that said "the business did not have the liquidity to disburse those $s ."

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye asked Miceli to identify the emoji at the end of the email, Miceli responded that it was a "sad face" -- prompting those inside the courtroom to laugh.

Afterward, as Asonye questioned another Citizens Bank employee, Taryn Rodriguez, Ellis interjected, telling Asonye to "see if we can't really sharply focus" the questioning.

When Asonye asked Rodriguez who ultimately owned the bank, Ellis interrupted to remind prosecutors that they had already asked that same question of another employee, Miceli -- and that they were risking getting conflicting answers or wasting time.

The interlude came shortly after Ellis admonished prosecutors in the early afternoon for seeking to introduce an exhibit that was dozens of pages long.

"There might be some kind soul on the jury who thinks they need to leaf through all this stuff -- and it isn't true," Ellis said. Mueller's team relented and introduced just 11 pages into evidence.

Earlier in the day, Ellis offered an apology to prosecutors in front of the jury, saying that he had unfairly chided Mueller's team for letting a witness, IRS agent Michael Welsh, sit in the courtroom before his testimony.

In a five-page motion filed Thursday, Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann and other attorneys on the team claimed Ellis had actually granted permission earlier in the trial for the witness to remain in the room during proceedings.

MUELLER TEAM PUTS ITS FOOT DOWN, FILES MOTION AGAINST JUDGE

The courts reprimand of government counsel suggested to the jury incorrectly  that the government had acted improperly and in contravention of court rules, the prosecutors wrote. This prejudice should be cured.

Despite the drama, prosecutors made progress at various points during the day in their bank and fraud case against Manafort.

Rodriguez testified that Manafort had inaccurately claimed in a $5.5 million loan application, which the bank denied in 2016, that one of his properties was not subject to a mortgage.

Separately, prosecutors also introduced an email in which Manafort appeared to warn his son-in-law Jeff Yohai that a real estate appraiser was under the impression that one Manafort properties was being used as a second residence -- prosecutors allege it was in fact being rented out.

"Remember he believes that that you and Jessica are living there," Manafort wrote, appearing to refer to his daughter, Jessica Manafort. Properties that are being rented out have a different tax burden than second residences.

The defense team is expected to begin presenting its case and witnesses next week. Ellis has a reputation for making colorful comments  and for being tough on the prosecution. Observers familiar with Ellis have said he's just as hard on the defense team, and that when the defense is presenting its case, Ellis may be equally harsh on their witnesses.

But Ellis would have to tread somewhat more carefully: While acquittals are generally final regardless of prejudicial mistakes by a judge during trial, defense attorneys often cite alleged judicial bias in requesting appeals.

On Wednesday, Ellis explained that he would not ask the defense to reveal as much information as he has demanded from the prosecution because its sort of like poker -- you dont have to show your hand until youre called.

MANAFORT JUDGE TAUNTS AND TORMENTS MUELLER TEAM

Something like that, Im not a poker player, Ellis said.

Earlier this week, Ellis seemed to accuse prosecutor Greg Andres of 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 Andres denied Ellis claim, the judge said, Well, theyre watery.

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.

Earlier this year, Ellis flatly said in a preliminary hearing that prosecutors were only going after Manafort for bank and tax fraud to find a way to impeach President Trump, adding that they "don't really care" about the president's onetime campaign chairman.

At the end of the day on Thursday, prosecutors told Ellis -- who has said he will help bring the trial to a faster conclusion than anticipated -- that they still expect to rest their case by the end of the day on Friday.

Among those expected to be called are two bankers who have been granted immunity in the case, as well as the senior director of ticket operations for the New York Yankees.

Manafort reportedly owed the Yankees more than $200,000 after his Ukrainian consulting business dried up in the wake of the forcible removal of Viktor Yanukovych from office.

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Alex Pappas, and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have folded DNA molecules in an origami-like process to make a nano "Trojan horse", which is thinner than 1/4000 of a hair and can release "killers" to fight cancer tumors.

Cancer cells need a lot of nutrition to multiply, but they don't produce nutrient substances, said lead researcher Nie Guangjun, of China's National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST).

All the blood, oxygen and energy are conveyed to cancer cells through blood vessels, so many scientists are trying to create blocks on the blood vessels feeding tumors.

Through precision control, researcher Ding Baoquan folded a single-strand DNA of a phage (a type of virus) into a rectangular sheet. Then he put four "killers" -- molecules of thrombin (a clotting enzyme in blood plasma) -- on the sheet and rolled them up.

At the interface, "locks" made by fragments of nucleolin protein DNA were installed, forming a tube-shaped nano "Trojan horse" or nanorobot, which is 90 nanometers long and has a diameter of 19 nanometers.

After injection, the "Trojan horse" travels in blood vessels and only tumors have the "key" to open the "locks." Once unlocked, the killer thrombin molecules are released, attracting platelets and fibrinogen protein to form a large thrombus, or clot, in the blood vessel within hours to cut off the blood supply and "starve" the tumor to death, Nie said.

The nanorobot can be cleared out of the body after it has finished its task.

Researchers have conducted controlled experiments on more than 200 mice with melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and primary lung cancer, and found the nanorobots are effective in strangling the tumors, Nie said.

In one experiment on eight mice with melanoma, the tumors in three mice totally disappeared. The average survival life of the mice was prolonged from 20.5 days to 45 days. No metastasis was found, according to Nie.
A Kansas City, Missouri, voter was incorrectly told he couldnt cast a ballot while wearing his "Make America Great Again" hat on Tuesday, a county election official has said.

The unidentified man, who was attempting to vote at the Northland Cathedral, was asked by a poll worker to remove his hat, the Kansas City Star reported. However, Tiffany Ellison, Democratic director with the Clay County Election Board, said the hat should have been allowed since President Trumps iconic slogan didnt pertain to the primary elections.

Ellison said the man was upset and combative when he was asked to remove his hat. A Twitter user said on social media a slightly inebriated, belligerent man wearing a red hat argued with officials and started to film the voters after he was asked to take off his hat.

Police were reportedly called to escort the man out of the polling place.

The man then called the Secretary of States Office to determine whether or not he was breaking any law  and the office confirmed he was not. The county election board eventually called him to let him know he could go back up there, Ellison said. He thanked us and apologized for his behavior.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTIONS HEADQUARTERS

According to Missouri state law, voters are not allowed to wearing anything related to candidates, polling or other electioneering issues within 25 feet of the polling building. Violating the law is a misdemeanor offense.

Ellison told the Kansas City Star the man planned to return to the church to vote later in the afternoon.
The first documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's time in George W. Bush's White House were released Thursday, including emails sent in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- messages that may play a key role in his upcoming confirmation hearing.

While most of the documents were inconsequential, including lunch plans and notifications about parking permits, some also provided a window into Kavanaugh's political leanings and how he worked with his colleagues.

In one October 2001 email chain, Kavanaugh asked colleague Courtney Elwood, now the CIA's general counsel, to "review to see if you have any additions/subtractions" on some talking points he had drafted concerning an anti-terrorism bill.

Among those talking points: the new legislation would "update laws authorizing government surveillance," which had been drafted "in an era of rotary telephones," as he put it. Kavanaugh added that "the government is currently fighting a modem war -- a war that threatens our people and our way of life -- with antique weapons."

Elwood wrote back: "Looks perfect. Really good work."

And in 2003, after Kavanaugh wrote that he had completed a chart outlining how to handle political travel expenditures, colleague Kimberly Douglass wrote in an email to Kavanaugh that "[t]hey should give you a raise. Really. They should."

But critics on Thursday sounded the alarm about some of Kavananugh's newly released post-9/11 emails, including one that suggested he had more involvement in terrorist-detention policies than Democrats thought.

One of the concerns related to Kavanaugh's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2006, when he was being considered for the spot on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals he would hold for more than a decade.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked Kavanaugh about his role in the confirmation of William Haynes to be the Defense Department's general counsel, saying that Haynes was the "architect of discredited detention and interrogation policies."

Kavanaugh responded: "I did not -- I was not involved and am not involved in the questions about the rules governing detention of combatants or -- and so I do not have the involvement with that."

KAVANANUGH BECOMES BOOGEYMAN IN DEM GUBERNATORIAL RACES

But a November 19, 2001 email to Kavanaugh from a Justice Department official, Pat O'Brien, requested assistance from the White House Counsel's office on an imminent hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the hearing, O'Brien wrote in the email, "post 9/11 actions by the Justice Department" would be under the microscope, including "military tribunals, monitoring of atty/client conversations, racial profiling, etc."

Later that day, the documents released Thursday show, Kavanaugh replied to a colleague in the White House Counsel's office, Bradford Berenson: "I am happy to help out with this on the attorney-client issue, but you should obviously handle tribunals."

The White House pushed back on the suggestion that Kavanaugh had lied under oath, saying Thursday that Durbin's questions didn't pertain to issues like attorney-client privilege at all.

At no point did Senator Durbin ask the judge about other legal issues pertaining to the war on terrorism, such as detainees legal rights, White House spokesman Raj Shah said.

The 5,700 pages from Kavanaugh's time in the White House counsel's office, a slim fraction of those available, were posted on the Senate Judiciary Committee's website after being compiled by a lawyer representing the former president as part of the GOP's expedited review process.

Kavanaugh's five years working for Bush, as a White House counsel and staff secretary, are the subject of a fierce dispute between Senate Republicans and Democrats about the scope of documents being made available. The battle over the paper trail has come to dominate the debate over confirming the 53-year-old appellate judge to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

WHICH GOP GOVERNORS DIDN'T SIGN LETTER SUPPORTING KAVANAUGH?

The records cast light on Kavanaugh's role in the selection of judicial nominees when he served in the White House counsel's office. The documents showed he took an interest in news and editorial coverage of Democratic resistance to some of Bush's early nominees to appellate judgeships.

"This was great," Kavanaugh wrote in a July 8, 2001, email that included a copy of a Washington Post column by Benjamin Wittes, then a member of the editorial board, making the case that "the ideological stakes in the appointment of lower court judges should not be overstated." Wittes has emerged as a prominent Trump critic.

Another email carried the heading, "Good editorial in Chicago Tribune," and included a piece calling on the Senate to act on Bush's judicial nominations "without undue delay."

The records also contain fleeting, and decidedly tame, glimpses of the budding relationship between Kavanaugh and his future wife, Ashley Estes, who was serving as a secretary to the president. Kavanaugh has said their first date was on the night before the September 11 attacks.

Estes asked Kavanaugh in an email on March 27, 2002, "what time do you get off today and are you up for dinner, etc. or no?" Kavanaugh replied a minute later, "yes on dinner; not sure on time off, but should be 7:30ish, maybe earlier."

Kavanaugh's extensive time in public service means there's a long, voluminous record of documents spanning his time at the Bush White House, his work on Kenneth Starr's team investigating President Bill Clinton and his judicial career.

The National Archives and Records Administration is screening nearly 1 million pages related to Kavanaugh's time in the White House to make sure none of the material is subject to executive privilege under the Presidential Records Act. It says the review will not be completed until the end of October.

Once Kavanaugh became the nominee, Senate Republicans launched a separate operation to start obtaining the White House documents more quickly, directly from Bush's team.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has promised the most transparent process yet, compared to previous nominations. Already, the panel has posted thousands of other documents related to Kavanaugh, including his questionnaire and his more than 300 court cases as an appellate judge.

However, Democrats complain that Bush's lawyer has been able to review and release the White House documents selectively and on an expedited basis without full oversight from the Archives.

"Take note: Unless it was produced by the National Archives, every document you see from Judge Kavanaughs White House tenure was selectively chosen for release by his former deputy, Bill Burck," Durbin tweeted Thursday. "This is not an objective process."

Democrats have complained that Republicans were reviewing paperwork only from Kavanaugh's work in the counsel's office; the Democrats also wanted records from his three years as staff secretary, where he touched almost every paper that reached Bush's desk. Burck worked under Kavanaugh at the Bush White House.

Because Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, confirmation is likely, but with the Senate narrowly divided 51-49, they cannot afford a defection in their ranks if all Democrats vote no. Dates have not yet been set for Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobachs lead over Gov. Jeff Colyer in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary is now just 121 votes, after two counties reported discrepancies in their initial tallies, officials revealed Thursday.

The counting is not complete because state law says mail-in ballots that are postmarked Tuesday can be accepted by the counties as late as Friday. And county officials still must review perhaps several thousand provisional ballots, given to voters at the polls when their eligibility is in question. They have until Aug. 20 to finish.

Voters cast 311,000 ballots in the close contest between the embattled governor and a conservative lightning rod.

Colyer released a letter after his campaign announced that it had set up a voting integrity hotline, and urged people to report their complaints about the election.

Colyer spokesman Kendall Marr said it received countless reports, saying he personally knows of several dozen.

It has come to my attention that your office is giving advice to county election officials  as recently as a conference call yesterday  and you are making public statements on national television which are inconsistent with Kansas law and may serve to suppress the vote in the ongoing primary election process, Colyer said in his letter to Kobach.

As secretary of state, Kobach is the states top elections official, setting rules, giving county officials guidance and appointing election commissioners in the states four most populous counties.

Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert said the secretary of state would respond to Colyers letter Friday.

Deputy Haskell County Clerk Emily Aragon said that the county was still missing a precinct when it sent initial results to the secretary of states office Tuesday night. The county sent updated results later that night, but hundreds of new votes were not made public until Thursday.

Colyer received 220 votes in Haskell County, up from the 103 previously reported. Kobach received 257 votes, up from 110 previously reported.

The net change in Haskell County is 30 votes in favor of Kobach, which moves his margin from 91 to 121 votes.

The final, unofficial results posted on the secretary of states website showed Kobach  perhaps President Trumps closest political ally in the state  winning Thomas County in northwest Kansas, with 466 votes to Colyers 422. But the tally posted by the Thomas County clerks office showed Colyer with 522 votes, or 100 votes more for him, a number the clerk confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Bryan Caskey, state elections director, said county officials pointed out the discrepancy Thursday following a routine request to counties for a post-election check of the numbers.

This is a routine part of the process, Caskey said. This is why we emphasize that election-night results are unofficial.

Thomas County Clerk Shelly Harms said its possible that her handwriting on the tally sheet faxed to the secretary of states office was bad enough in the rush of primary-night business that the number for Colyer wasnt clear.

They just misread it, she told AP.

As Fox News previously reported, Kobach, an immigration hard-liner and a controversial figure nationally, climbed to the top of the field after receiving  less than 24 hours before the polls opened  a glowing endorsement on Twitter from Trump. The president 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 a Kansas political legend, former Sen. Bob Dole. Colyer became governor in January, succeeding Sam Brownback.

But Kobach was an early supporter of Trumps candidacy and the former chairman of his 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 immigrant policy, noncitizen voter registration and the 2020 census.

The left has criticized Kobach over policies it claims have the effect of suppressing 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.

Fox News Nicole Darrah and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Okay, I get it. Much of America hates us.

By "us" I mean that hydra-headed beast known as the media, and the deep-seated lack of trust that has been building for decades and has been turbo-charged during the Trump era.

And I am the first to say that many of these wounds are self-inflicted, the product of too many years of bias, sensationalism, superficiality, elitism, mistakes and misjudgments. I've spent a good part of my career documenting all of these and more.

I understand all too well that President Trump has whipped up a fervor against the press, with his constant attacks on fake news, and that the MSMs overwhelmingly negative coverage of POTUS has cost them a whole lot of credibility with his supporters.

But for all of that, I wasnt prepared for this Ipsos poll.

No less than 26 percent of Americans say they agree that "the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior."

To shut them down. To put them out of business. Just like in a totalitarian society.

How much do you have to despise the media to believe that a president should have the dictatorial power to disband a company?

Fifty-three percent disagreed, and here's the partisan breakdown:

Some 43 percent of Republicans say yeah, let the president shut down media operations he doesn't like.

And 12 percent of Democrats agree, along with 21 percent of independents.

Now this is a theoretical exercise. The First Amendment protects even the worst media offender from government interference (though not from being banned by Facebook and Twitter). In fact, there are laws that would prevent a president from shutting down any private company by fiat.

But I guess many of the respondents are voting based on disgust.

I would ask the 43 percent of Republicans: How would you feel if Barack Obama was still president and wanted to shut down media outlets he didn't like? Wouldn't you be screaming bloody murder?

So is this just your way of affirming that you love Trump, detest the media and just wish some of these outlets could be made to disappear?

And, uh, whatever happened to conservative passion for the free market?

A caveat about the poll: The Ipsos methodology, involving online panels and statistical adjustments, is not as reliable as a random telephone survey. But even if the numbers are somewhat off, they are still troubling.

The survey also included other questions. "News and reporters are necessary to keep the Trump administration honest": 57 percent agree.

Most news outlets have a liberal bias: 48 percent agree.

The mainstream media treat President Trump unfairly: 43 percent agree.

The news media are the enemy of the American people: 23 percent agree.

There is, again, a huge partisan gap on such questions. For instance, 79 percent of Republicans, 41 percent of independents and 11 percent of Democrats say the media treat Trump unfairly.

Even the pro-shutdown caucus shrinks when the question becomes more specific.

Overall, 13 percent say Trump should shut down mainstream news outlets like CNN, the New York Times and Washington Post. That's 23 percent of GOPers, 10 percent of indies and 8 percent of Dems.

A reasonable reaction by journalists would be to engage in a little self-reflection about these numbers. The more likely reaction is to dismiss those who challenge their right to exist as uninformed bozos.
First lady Melania Trumps parents officially became U.S. citizens on Thursday.

Viktor and Amalija Knavs took the citizenship oath on August 9, their lawyer, Michael Wildes, confirmed to Fox News.

The Knavs had been living in the U.S. as lawful permanent residents.

The couple was escorted to and from the Manhattan ceremony by Homeland Security police.

MELANIA TRUMP ENTERED US WITH 'EINSTEIN' VISA FOR THOSE WITH 'EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY': REPORT

Trump was raised in Slovenia by her parents while the country was still under Communist rule. Viktor Knavs, 74, was a car dealer, and Amalija Knavs, 73, was employed in a textile factory.

The couple made headlines in May after they were seen visiting a federal building in New York City with their immigration attorney.

Fox News Kristin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
After days of being dressed down by the judge overseeing the Paul Manafort case, federal prosecutors sought Thursday to put their foot down -- filing a motion complaining that Judge T.S. Ellis III had unfairly admonished them in front of the jury.

Ellis has memorably and repeatedly criticized Special Counsel Robert Muellers team during the trial for the former Trump campaign chairman. On Wednesday, Ellis ripped into prosecutors for letting a witness, IRS Agent Michael Welsh, sit in the courtroom before his testimony.

But in a five-page motion filed Thursday, Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann and other attorneys on the team claimed Ellis had actually granted permission earlier in the trial for the witness to remain in the room during proceedings.

The courts reprimand of government counsel suggested to the juryincorrectlythat the government had acted improperly and in contravention of court rules, the prosecutors wrote. This prejudice should be cured.

Ellis responded by expressing regret in court Thursday.

This robe doesnt make me anything other than human, Ellis said.

Referencing his earlier reprimand, Ellis said Thursday: Any criticism of counsel should be put aside.

The truce between the judge and prosecutors, though, did not last long.

Hours later, when prosecutors tried to introduce an exhibit that was dozens of pages long, Ellis interjected: "There might be some kind soul on the jury who thinks they need to leaf through all this stuff -- and it isn't true."

The Mueller team relented and only entered 11 pages into evidence.

Ellis has a reputation for making colorful comments  and being tough on the prosecution.

On Wednesday, Ellis explained that he would not ask the defense to reveal as much information as he has demanded from the prosecution because its sort of like poker -- you dont have to show your hand until youre called.

Something like that, Im not a poker player, Ellis said.

MANAFORT TRIAL JUDGE TS ELLIS TAUNTS AND TORMENTS MUELLER TEAM

Earlier this week, Ellis seemed to accuse Greg Andres, the prosecutor, of 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 Andres denied Ellis claim, the judge said, Well, theyre watery.

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.

Manafort is accused of committing tax and bank fraud with millions made through political work in Ukraine. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Earlier this week, the prosecutions star witness, Rick Gates  who struck a plea deal to cooperate with the government -- testified that he and Manafort committed bank and tax fraud together.

On Thursday, prosecutors attempted to prove Manafort committed bank fraud by calling witnesses to describe a rental property he owned.

One witness from AirBNB testified that one of Manafort's properties was available for rent on the site and someone paid more than $11,000 to stay there for 21 days.

RICK GATES ADMITS EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR IN LONDON

But prosecutors say that property was listed on papers as a second home, and not as a rental property, something that would impact whether or not a bank would have agreed to loan him more than $5 million.

Prosecutors also brought up a mortgage processor from Citizens Bank to show that Manafort had many opportunities to say it was a rental property for tax purposes but didn't.

Fox News Jake Gibson and Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
Maria Elena Lopez Gonzales left her home in Venezuela three months ago. She said she wants to earn enough money here to return home and then bring her young son to Colombia.

We have shortage of food, and medicine. Children are dying because of the shortage of medicine. The senior citizens are dying because of the shortage of medicine, said Lopez Gonzales of the conditions in her home country. We cant find food. Everything is overpriced and that is why the majority of Venezuelans are fleeing the situation.

Millions have left Venezuela since the collapse of oil prices in 2014. At the Colombian border town of Cucuta, government officials said tens of thousands of Venezuelans cross the Simon Bolivar Bridge into Colombia daily. Some stay, others move on to different countries in the region and many return to Venezuela after receiving food and medicine from aid organizations.

During a tour of relief efforts in Cucuta on Wednesday, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley blamed the crisis on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his socialist regime and proclaimed its time for Maduro to go.

We need the international community to understand that the United States  yes, weve given $60 million and were giving $9 million more today  but everyone needs to step up and everyone needs to be loud against Maduro and force him to leave, Haley told Fox News in an exclusive television interview.

Those dealing with the crisis said the situation keeps getting worse.

Ive been caught in torrential downpours and I havent found shelter. I live in the streets, said Lopez Gonzales. We want to solve all these problems we dont want free handouts, we want to work.

Others said theyre fleeing an oppressive government.

We are political persecuted, we have been persecuted by this government. Everyone who has been persecuted by the government has had to flee, said a Venezuelan man crossing the bridge into Colombia. We have left our country looking for a new horizon because they want to kill us, they have killed our families and hide everything thats happening around the world from Venezuela.

This weekend, there was an assassination attempt on Maduro. It failed and several Venezuelans at a Catholic kitchen in Cucuta said the Maduro regime has further suppressed its citizens since the attempt.

Despite the assassination attempt, Maduro remains in power, the crisis persists and the daily march of refugees gathers in Colombian border towns.

We want to provide a better future for our families, said one Venezuelan man crossing into Colombia. We are all professionals.
A spokesman for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes fired back Thursday at reports playing up a "secret tape" revealing his warning to donors that a GOP majority in Congress may be necessary to protect President Trump.

The comments, which aired on MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday, were from a fundraiser for a GOP colleague.

On the tape, Nunes, R-Calif., suggests congressional Republicans must prevail in the midterms to protect Trump from the consequences of the Russia meddling probe.

If Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president, were the only ones, which is really the danger, Nunes was recorded as saying.

He added: We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.

Nunes spokesman Jack Langer, in a statement Thursday to Fox News, suggested the response to those remarks has been overblown.

Its unsurprising to see the left-wing media spin Chairman Nunes routine observations as some nefarious plot, since these same media outlets spent the last year and a half touting a non-existent Russia collusion conspiracy, Langer said.

House Democrats indeed seized on the "secret tape."

Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted. Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took.
Vice President Pence called Thursday for America to assert its dominance in space as he made a direct appeal to the Pentagon for a sixth military branch serving this purpose -- and revealed the Trump administration wants to create the Space Force by 2020.

In a speech to the Defense Department, he said that countries such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are pursuing ways to bring new weapons of war into space itself.

As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already and the United States will not shrink from this challenge, he said. Under President Trumps leadership, we will meet it head on -- to defend our nation, and build a peaceful future here on Earth and in space.

Trump said last week that he had ordered the Pentagon to begin the process of creating a Space Force as a new branch of the military.

Pence said on Thursday that it was an idea whose time had come and made clear that the White House wants to get on with the project as soon as possible. He hailed a new report by the Pentagon on the force as a starting point.

President Trump and I are grateful to Secretary Mattis for this departments diligence in preparing this report, and our administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations, with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the Space Force by 2020, he said.

He said that a new position would be created for an assistant secretary of defense for space.

Creating a new branch of the military is not a simple process. It will require collaboration, diligence, and above all leadership. As challenges arise and deadlines approach, there must be someone in charge who can execute, hold others accountable, and be responsible for the results, he said.

But the move has faced some signs of skepticism from the Defense Department. In a letter to Congress last year, Secretary James Mattis said he opposed the idea of a separate force, arguing that it would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations and said that a properly integrated approach is better for carrying out this mission.

We have not done cost estimation yet, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan told reporters. Asked to give a rough estimate, Shanahan said, I would assume it's billions, but would not be more specific. He said the Pentagon likely would have a firmer estimate by November.

Earlier this week, Mattis signaled his support for a new Space Command to take place alongside existing commands, but demurred when asked about the creation of a separate service entirely, saying it was a matter for Congress to decide.

He did, however, say the Pentagon was in complete agreement with the White House.

We are working our way through all this. We are in compete agreement, the vice president is the point man for the president on this, we are working closely, daily with his office and with supporters on Capitol Hill and the relevant committees, he said. So were working it up what that actual organization will look like.

It will be fit for purpose is what I can assure you, but I dont have all the final answers yet, were still putting that together, he said.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson, Blake Burman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jay Sekulow, an attorney for President Trump, said Wednesday that the presidents legal team turned down the latest interview proposal from Special Counsel Robert Mueller and promised to not allow the president to walk into a perjury trap.

Mueller's team has put forward dozens of potential questions for Trump, including some about his firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Trump's lawyers have argued that prosecutors can't ask Trump about actions he's taken while in office.

"If you lined up 100 lawyers, youd have 100 lawyers say: 'Don't sit down for an interview,'" Sekulow told Fox News' Laura Ingraham, host of "The Ingraham Angle." Sekulow said calling the Mueller investigation irregular is being kind.

"This is an investigation that from its outset has been corrupt, theres no question about that," he said.

Sekulow said the investigation is based on a dossier presented by a former British intelligence officer at the behest of Fusion GPS and the Democratic National Committee.

He pointed to the fact that the Justice Department's former "number four"-- Bruce Ohr-- is married to a woman who worked for Fusion GPS on the dossier.

"If you lined up 100 lawyers, youd have 100 lawyers say: 'Don't sit down for an interview,'"  Jay Sekulow

That is how this investigation commenced, he said.

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.

Trump's legal team 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 Trump, also declined to go into detail during an appearance on "Hannity." He said Trump's team had offered Mueller "an opportunity to do a form of questioning."

Giuliani said Mueller "knows the answers to every question that he wants to ask" Trump and speculated that the special counsel wants to "trap him into perjury."

The Associated Press contributed to this report
BOGOTA, Aug. 8 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Li Xiaopeng, also the transport minister, attended the Colombian presidential inauguration and met with the new president, Ivan Duque, here on Tuesday.

Li conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and good wishes to Duque, and said that China and Colombia are facing an unprecedented historical opportunity to strengthen cooperation.

China is ready to join efforts with Colombia to prioritize political guidance, tap bilateral cooperation potential, boost cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in such areas as trade and economy, energy and mining, infrastructure construction, agriculture and innovation, promote exchanges and mutual learning on civilization and step up coordination on multilateral affairs, so as to keep pushing China-Colombia relations to new levels, Li said.

Duque thanked Xi for sending an envoy to the inauguration.

Colombia has attached great importance to its relations with China and treated the development of the bilateral ties as a priority of its foreign policy, Duque said, adding that his country is willing to strengthen exchanges with China on governance, deepen cooperation in various areas, and push for the sustained development of bilateral relations.
A Dallas official pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges after prosecutors said he earned more than $450,000 in kickbacks and bribes in exchange for official actions taken to benefit local business dealings.

Democrat Dwaine Caraway, Dallas city council member and mayor pro tem, pleaded guilty in court to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, as well as tax evasion, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced in a news release.

The funds Caraway received were in the form of a phony consulting agreement, luxury suits, fully funded trips, gambling money, repayment of personal debt, checks and cash from Robert Leonard in return for taking action that benefited the latters business, the news release said, citing court documents.

Among the actions were key votes to promote and continue a program that put cameras on school buses -- a business to which Leonard's company had ties.

Leonard also pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, the news release said.

The pleas today represent the meticulous and tireless efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the dedicated prosecutors of our office, Cox said. These cases demonstrate our continued resolve to uncover corruption at the highest levels--the citizens of Dallas deserve honest government.

Caraway, the second highest-ranking elected official in Dallas, resigned from his post on the council, Cox announced.

Attorney Michael Payma, who is representing Caraway, told The Associated Press that the court documents speak for themselves. He said Caraway must still be sentenced, and he declined to comment further.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
With her congressional primary victory, Sharice Davids moved one step closer to making history: if she wins in November, she'll be the first lesbian Native American woman ever elected to Congress.

Davids, 38, beat out five others in the Kansas Democratic primary for Congress in the 3rd congressional district. She will face incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder in the fall.

The fact that we are in 2018 and we are still seeing all these firsts is mind-boggling to me, Davids told The Guardian. When I stop and think about it, it makes me very proud to be a part of this movement that is happening in our country. I feel like all of us are playing a role in this.

This unprecedented number of women running for office  myself and a couple of other candidates are native women  makes me very proud, she added.

Davids is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, a Native American tribe in Wisconsin.

Read on for a look at five things to know about Davids.

She has a law degree

Davids attended Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas before eventually graduating from Johnson County Community College, according to her campaign website.

She later attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City and earned her law degree from Cornell Law School.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTIONS HEADQUARTERS

She worked as a lawyer for an Indian reservation in South Dakota before taking a job in the White House.

Shes professionally competed in mixed martial arts

Davids won her first professional mixed martial arts fight in November 2013. She told The Guardian she became passionate about the sport as a child but wasnt able to train until she was in college because it was too expensive growing up.

She's competed at both the amateur and professional levels.

She also features her training as an MMA fighter in a campaign video.

Its 2018 and women, Native Americans, gay people, the unemployed and underemployed have to fight like hell just to survive, Davids said in the ad as shes punching a bag. Its clear: Trump and the Republicans in Washington dont give a damn.

Davids worked in the White House

Davids was one of 16 people picked to work in the White House as a fellow during the transition period between Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, according to her campaign website. Her experience in Washington, D.C., helped fuel her foray into politics.

It pushed me a little quicker into something like running for office, she told The Guardian.

HOW DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ARE IMPACTING THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTIONS

She worked with former Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, according to an online biography.

She started a podcast and coffee company

Along with her brother, Davids created the Starty Pants podcast about entrepreneurs around Kansas City, focusing on women, people of color and LGBTQ founders, according to her campaign website.

The podcast was created to celebrate the people who are breaking the mold of what an entrepreneur or start up founder looks like, its website says.

MEET RASHIDA TLAIB, WHO IS POISED TO BECOME THE FIRST MUSLIM WOMAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS

Davids also developed an entrepreneurship curriculum at a high school on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, according to her podcast biography.

In South Dakota, Davids also started Hoka Coffee Company which billed itself as indigenous from the ground to the cup. Its Facebook page said the company shuttered in 2017 "due to limited funding but said it could come back eventually.

She wasn't the most progressive candidate in the primary

Davids was not the most progressive candidate in her primary, the liberal website ThinkProgress pointed out. One of her opponents, Brent Welder, had the support of 2016 presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic socialist darling who upset an incumbent congressman in New Yorks Democratic primary earlier this year.

But Davids was backed by EMILYs List, an abortion-rights advocacy group, and endorsed in the Democratic primary by the Kansas City Star newspaper.

Davids has called for treating gun violence as a public health crisis. Shes also been critical of the tax cuts enacted by the Trump administration.

On her campaign website, Davids also promises to fight for protections for DACA recipients and oppose voter restrictions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Texas man was rushed to the hospital on Thursday after being bitten by a shark.

The 42-year-old beachgoer was near Crystal Beach on Bolivar Island when the attack happened.

The University of Texas Medical Branch told KHOU a patient was being treated for a shark bite on his thigh, just above his knee. His injury reportedly was not life-threatening.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

The victim reportedly told paramedics: The shark bumped me. Then he wanted to taste me.

Other beachgoers told local media the Crystal Beach sheriff and beach patrol had warned them about a shark attack.

The Houston Chronicle reported that there have been 43 unprovoked shark attacks recorded in Texas since 1837, according to the International Shark Attack File database kept by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Eighteen of those attacks happened in Galveston County, more than anywhere else in the state.

Two children were attacked by sharks off New York's Long Island in July.
A bizarre "firenado" was seen swirling amidst a 10-engine blaze in Derbyshire, England.

The Leicester Fire and Rescue Service posted several videos showing the swirling vortex of fire and air, which is caused when cooler air enters the top of the fire's hot air.

The blaze originated at the Ravensbourn plastics factory and it took firefighters 12 hours to put it out, reports Metro UK.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES RAGE IN ASTRONAUT PHOTOS FROM SPACE STATION

The incredible phenomenon can be seen forming and swirling from multiple angles.

More than 600,000 plastic bread trays were destroyed and flames shot up 60 feet into the air.

No injuries were reported, according to East Midlands Ambulance Service.

"The main thing is that no-one was injured or burned. Stock can be replaced, people cant," David Meredith, 74, who co-owns the company, told Metro UK.

The fire's timing prevented more extensive damage.

"Had it been near Christmas when the trays are returned we could have had up to 1.5 million there and it probably would have been something you could see from space," he added.
NASA plans to make history Saturday when its Parker Solar Probe blasts off on an epic mission to the Sun. Workers at Cape Canaveral are making final preparations for the launch, which will take the spacecraft on an incredible journey through the Suns corona.

Lifted by 2 million pounds of thrust, Parker will blast off aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 65-minute launch window for the mission opens at 3:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 11, 2018.

Speaking to Fox News on the launch pad, Brian Taliancich, director and general manager of launch operations at ULA, said that everything is coming together perfectly, for the launch.

NASA'S PARKER SOLAR PROBE SET TO 'TOUCH THE SUN' ON HISTORIC MISSION

As Taliancich spoke, technicians traveled back and forth to the launch tower under a baking Florida sun. A sign warned visitors to the launch site to beware of the alligators that inhabit the sprawling Air Force base.

A veteran of about 200 space launches, both during his time in the U.S. Air Force and the space industry, Taliancich said that all launches are high-pressure events.

You never lose the stress levels associated with launch, theres a million little miracles making these things leave the pad, he said.

SOLAR ECLIPSE, CRASHING SPACECRAFT, VOLCANOES AND MORE: BIGGEST SCIENCE STORIES OF 2017

The probe, which is housed inside a payload faring, was moved to Space Launch Complex 37 on July 30. The following day, the spacecraft was lifted to the top of the Delta IV Heavy rocket. Sitting atop the rocket, the top of the faring is more than 230 feet above the ground.

Taliancich explained that just before sunset on Friday technicians will be moving the launch tower back. Then we will prepare all the ground systems and get ready for cryogenic operations, fueling the rocket, that starts around 10pm, he said. Then we get into actually fueling the rocket, preparing it for launch  youre adding the super cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to fuel the rocket.

We check out all the systems, make sure that that range systems are ready to go and confirm all the communications, Taliancich added. Then we get into the final countdown.

MASSIVE MARS DISCOVERY: ORGANIC MOLECULES 'FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR SEARCH FOR LIFE' FOUND BY NASA ROVER

There is a hold point 4 minutes before launch, when technicians make sure that everything is ready. Then at T-Minus 4 its an automated count, Taliancich explained. There are no [specific rocket launch] buttons.

Parkers ascent into the Florida skies will be just the first stage of an audacious journey.

On its closest approach, Parker will be 3.8 million miles from the Suns surface. This is seven times closer than the previous closest spacecraft, Helios 2, which came within 27 million miles of the Sun in 1976.

ASTEROID DISCOVERY: RARE SPACE ROCK FRAGMENT FOUND

The average distance between the Sun and Earth is 93 million miles.

The probe is expected to reach the Sun in November. Harnessing Venus gravity, Parker will complete seven fly-bys over seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the star. On its closest approach, the probe will be traveling at approximately 430,000 mph.

Scientists expect the $1.5 billion mission to shed light not only on our own dynamic Sun, but the billions of other yellow dwarf stars  and other types of stars  out there in the Milky Way and beyond. While granting us life, the Sun also has the power to disrupt spacecraft in orbit, and communications and electronics on Earth.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
NASA is set to launch its Parker Solar Probe Saturday on a historic mission that will touch the Sun.

The solar probe will be the first spacecraft to fly through the Suns corona, the outermost part of the stars atmosphere. Parker Solar Probe will revolutionize our understanding of the Sun, explains NASA, on its website.

"The coolest, hottest mission, baby, that's what it is," said Nicola Fox, the project scientist at Johns Hopkins University.

SOLAR ECLIPSE, CRASHING SPACECRAFT, VOLCANOES AND MORE: BIGGEST SCIENCE STORIES OF 2017

Parker will blast off aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 65-minute launch window for the mission opens at 3:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 11, 2018.

The probe will face brutal heat and radiation during an epic journey that will take it to within 3.8 million miles of the Suns surface, according to the space agency. This is seven times closer than the previous closest spacecraft, Helios 2, which came within 27 million miles of the Sun in 1976.

The average distance between the Sun and Earth is 93 million miles.

Parker must withstand heat of nearly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit to complete its audacious mission. To achieve this, the probe will be protected by a special 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite shield. Safe inside the spacecraft, however, the probes payload will be operating at room temperature.

Harnessing Venus gravity, Parker will complete seven flybys over seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the Sun. On its closest approach, the probe will be traveling at approximately 430,000 mph.

Scientists expect the $1.5 billion mission to shed light not only on our own dynamic Sun, but the billions of other yellow dwarf stars  and other types of stars  out there in the Milky Way and beyond. While granting us life, the Sun also has the power to disrupt spacecraft in orbit, and communications and electronics on Earth.

NASA NAMES NINE 'AMERICAN HERO' ASTRONAUTS FOR SPACEX, BOEING MISSIONS

Parker was designed and built by the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

The probe, named after pioneering solar physicist Dr. Eugene Parker, will provide a wealth of invaluable data for scientists.

The Sun is the source of solar wind, a flow of ionized gases that stream past the Earth at more than a million miles an hour, the space agency explains. Disturbances in the solar wind shake Earth's magnetic field and pump energy into the radiation belts, part of a set of changes in near-Earth space known as space weather, it says. Space weather can change the orbits of satellites, shorten their lifetimes, or interfere with onboard electronics. The more we learn about what causes space weather  and how to predict it  the more we can protect the satellites we depend on.

MASSIVE MARS DISCOVERY: ORGANIC MOLECULES 'FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR SEARCH FOR LIFE' FOUND BY NASA ROVER

NASA adds that solar wind dominates the space environment far beyond Earth. As we send spacecraft and astronauts further and further from home, we must understand this space environment just as early seafarers needed to understand the ocean, it explains.

The project was proposed in 1958 to a brand-new NASA, and "60 years later, and it's becoming a reality," said project manager Andy Driesman, also of Johns Hopkins, which designed and built the spacecraft. The technology for surviving such a close solar encounter, while still being light enough for flight, wasn't available until now.

Instruments on board Parker will study magnetic fields, plasma and energetic particles as well as image the solar wind.

The Suns corona, which can be seen during a total solar eclipse, is usually hidden by the bright light of the stars surface. That makes it difficult to see without using special instruments, the space agency explains.

United Launch Alliance is also involved in NASAs Commercial Crew program that will take American astronauts into space on missions launched from U.S. soil. Since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, the U.S. has been relying on Russian Soyuz rockets, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, to get astronauts to the International Space Station.

Last week, NASA named the nine American astronauts that will crew the test flights and first missions of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Starliner will launch atop a ULA Atlas V rocket.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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.

Original article on Space.com.
Who put the bug in the umpire's ear? We may never know. But it took a few minutes to get the bug out.

Wednesday night's game between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox had to be briefly stopped after a moth apparently flew into the left ear of second base umpire Bruce Dreckman.

The umpire stopped play in the bottom of the ninth inning and jogged to the Yankees dugout. Trainer Steve Donohue tended to Dreckman as the umpire removed the moth.

Video showed Dreckman undeterred as he pulled the insect out. Donohue even took a minute to examine it.

The Yankees havent been in a bug incident since midges (small flies) attacked pitcher Joba Chamberlain in Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.

New York won Wednesday's game 7-3, with help from Giancarlo Stantons grand slam in the second inning.
Blog Archive Oct 2021 (53) Sep 2021 (67) Aug 2021 (62) Jul 2021 (54) Jun 2021 (50) May 2021 (58) Apr 2021 (44) Mar 2021 (57) Feb 2021 (64) Jan 2021 (93) Dec 2020 (82) Nov 2020 (62) Oct 2020 (50) Sep 2020 (45) Aug 2020 (51) Jul 2020 (56) Jun 2020 (53) May 2020 (70) Apr 2020 (66) Mar 2020 (169) Feb 2020 (211) Jan 2020 (184) Dec 2019 (54) Nov 2019 (56) Oct 2019 (55) Sep 2019 (63) Aug 2019 (54) Jul 2019 (69) Jun 2019 (56) May 2019 (65) Apr 2019 (68) Mar 2019 (72) Feb 2019 (76) Jan 2019 (62) Dec 2018 (55) Nov 2018 (69) Oct 2018 (90) Sep 2018 (82) Aug 2018 (58) Jul 2018 (36) Jun 2018 (47) May 2018 (44) Apr 2018 (64) Mar 2018 (63) Feb 2018 (68) Jan 2018 (92) Dec 2017 (85) Nov 2017 (64) Oct 2017 (82) Sep 2017 (54) Aug 2017 (89) Jul 2017 (60) Jun 2017 (86) May 2017 (84) Apr 2017 (62) Mar 2017 (86) Feb 2017 (91) Jan 2017 (113) Dec 2016 (109) Nov 2016 (100) Oct 2016 (82) Sep 2016 (95) Aug 2016 (84) Jul 2016 (84) Jun 2016 (99) May 2016 (93) Apr 2016 (106) Mar 2016 (145) Feb 2016 (125) Jan 2016 (103) Dec 2015 (83) Nov 2015 (80) Oct 2015 (100) Sep 2015 (111) Aug 2015 (94) Jul 2015 (98) Jun 2015 (151) May 2015 (125) Apr 2015 (109) Mar 2015 (122) Feb 2015 (113) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (131) Nov 2014 (115) Oct 2014 (146) Sep 2014 (112) Aug 2014 (128) Jul 2014 (94) Jun 2014 (104) May 2014 (140) Apr 2014 (132) Mar 2014 (81) Feb 2014 (89) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (100) Nov 2013 (96) Oct 2013 (99) Sep 2013 (94) Aug 2013 (95) Jul 2013 (95) Jun 2013 (91) May 2013 (139) Apr 2013 (179) Mar 2013 (73) Feb 2013 (76) Jan 2013 (85) Dec 2012 (59) Nov 2012 (71) Oct 2012 (85) Sep 2012 (70) Aug 2012 (71) Jul 2012 (53) Jun 2012 (51) May 2012 (52) Apr 2012 (52) Mar 2012 (69) Feb 2012 (76) Jan 2012 (70) Dec 2011 (60) Nov 2011 (54) Oct 2011 (57) Sep 2011 (75) Aug 2011 (72) Jul 2011 (64) Jun 2011 (76) May 2011 (56) Apr 2011 (73) Mar 2011 (114) Feb 2011 (71) Jan 2011 (80) Dec 2010 (92) Nov 2010 (82) Oct 2010 (73) Sep 2010 (95) Aug 2010 (86) Jul 2010 (81) Jun 2010 (76) May 2010 (71) Apr 2010 (74) Mar 2010 (74) Feb 2010 (82) Jan 2010 (101) Dec 2009 (108) Nov 2009 (182) Oct 2009 (136) Sep 2009 (102) Aug 2009 (120) Jul 2009 (151) Jun 2009 (136) May 2009 (180) Apr 2009 (145) Mar 2009 (113) Feb 2009 (113) Jan 2009 (124) Dec 2008 (108) Nov 2008 (69) Oct 2008 (89) Sep 2008 (76) Aug 2008 (75) Jul 2008 (87) Jun 2008 (80) May 2008 (99) Apr 2008 (93) Mar 2008 (115) Feb 2008 (147) Jan 2008 (162) Dec 2007 (124) Nov 2007 (95) Oct 2007 (67) Sep 2007 (42) Aug 2007 (78) Jul 2007 (75) Jun 2007 (123) May 2007 (110) Apr 2007 (108) Mar 2007 (92) Feb 2007 (136) Jan 2007 (119) Dec 2006 (41) Nov 2006 (34) Oct 2006 (12) Sep 2006 (13) Aug 2006 (13) Jul 2006 (16) Jun 2006 (12) May 2006 (21) Apr 2006 (38) Mar 2006 (27) Feb 2006 (25) Jan 2006 (18)
HOUSTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A suspect arrested in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico was training children to commit school shootings at a squalid compound, according to court documents released on Wednesday.

The documents said that a foster parent of one of the children said the suspect trained his child to use an assault rifle in preparation for future school shootings.

If Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the 39-year-old defendant, was released from custody, there is substantial likelihood that he may commit new crimes due to his planning and preparation for future school shootings, said the documents.

The documents did not provide more details about the alleged training, but loaded firearms were found at the compound, according to police.

Local authorities rescued 11 children and teens, aged 1 to 15 years, last week from the compound, and found remains of an unidentified boy, believed to be the missing son of the suspect, earlier this week.

Wahhaj's three-year-old boy suffered from seizures and was reported missing in December 2017 after Wahhaj took him to a park.

Wahhaj was arrested with four other adults including his wife and sisters at the compound and charged with child abuse.
With small arms gunfire, mortar rounds and Rocket Propelled Grenades from hundreds of Taliban firing into a small U.S. Army outpost in Northeastern Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha asked his fellow soldiers if there were any volunteers to help him lead a counterattack to take back the front gate.

He was surprised by the response -- a powerful moment of truth which he would later call the proudest moment of his Army career.

Their outpost had been overrun, Army soldiers had been killed, remaining fighters had been unable to get to ammunition supplies and Taliban fighters had breached the front gate, Romesha explained.

I said I need a group of volunteers. Five guys who did not even know what the plan was and did not know what I was about to ask stood up with pure grit and determination and said they would follow me anywhere. I told them the counterattack plan, Romesha told Warrior Maven in an interview.

Romesha helped lay down suppressive fire so that fallen soldiers could be recovered during the attack, destroyed numerous Taliban fighters coming through the gate, directed air support from Apache helicopters once they arrived and led an impactful counterattack which turned the tide of the deadly battle on that morning of October 3, 2009.

Romesha and his fellow soldiers, who spent months on a small, 52 soldier-strong fighting position in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan called Combat Outpost Keating, were used to daily attacks from Taliban fighters.

All of a sudden we were overwhelmed with machine guns, mortars and RPGs. Wed been there three months and had gotten attacked pretty much on a daily basis, so it would not have been unusual to wake up to something like that. When these rounds came in, we knew it was something totally different, he explained.

Romesha explained that every defensive position went into a cyclic rate of fire to try to defend as fast as they could shoot back -- but the enemies overwhelming fire was too much for them.

Soldiers started running out of ammunition at the battle positions and we could not get resupplies to them because the outpost sat at the bottom of a valley. Anytime you step outside into the open, you were a target. No matter where we stood, bullets were just raining down on us, he explained.

Romeshas counterattack plan was both risky and ambitious because he wanted to lead a small team of soldiers to take back ammunition points, close off the front gate to Taliban fighters pouring in, get to a mortar position, and perform a crucially important casualty recovery of the fallen soldiers.

The Lieutenant gave me a go ahead on the plan. The Taliban fighters that had breached the wire had started torching all the hard structures in the buildings and burning them. The whole outpost was on fire, Romesha recalled.

Due to resilience and combat determination from Romesha and other soldiers, they were able to fight their way back toward ammunition supply points on the outpost and take back the front gate. This counterattack push resulted in close-quarter battle wherein Taliban fighters were often less than 20-meters away, Romesha explained.

We started pushing ammo back and started reinforcing positions which allowed us a little more freedom of maneuver, he said.

As this was happening, air support from Apache attack helicopters arrived along with some eventual reinforcements from the Armys 10th Mountain Division.

While he may not choose to explain things this way, it seems clear from the events that day that the whole outpost would not likely have survived  and casualties would have been far greater  had Romesha not shown such courage, spirit and leadership in battle. His counterattack saved the Outpost from complete destruction.

While confronting a deadly blaze of gunfire and repeatedly risking his life to save, defend and recover his fellow soldiers, Romesha was not thinking of recognition on the day of the battle. In fact, upon learning years later that he would receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the battle, Romesha was surprised.

It was definitely a team effort that day. If it was not for those 52 guys I would not be here. Id rather die today than take one shred of credit for doing nothing more than doing my job like everyone else was doing, he said.

Romesha went on to emphasize that, in his mind, the real heroes are the eight soldiers who died in battle that day.

They are only gone unless we do not remember them. In my humble opinion, true heroes are those that dont come home. Those are the only ones that deserve that title of hero. They gave up everything and more than could ever be asked of them, he explained.

While he is still reluctant to acknowledge his own heroism on that day in 2009, called the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan, Romesha received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama in February, 2013.

On the day of the battle, Romesha was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavarly Regment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He fought alongside fellow soldiers and insists on remembering his fellow American soldiers who died that day.

In order to recognize and pay tribute to Romeshas emphasis  the names of the eight soldiers who died during the attack are: Vernon Martin, Justin Gallegos, Joshua Kirk, Josh Hardt, Michael Scusa, Stephen Mace, Christopher Griffin and Kevin Thompson.

The intensity of devotion to his fellow soldiers, motivated by loyalty, love and protective instinct, provided the inspiration for Romeshas actions in combat.

It wasnt a day of hatred toward the enemy. It did not matter about the politics. It mattered about those brothers to your left and your right  we did not fight because we hated the guys who were attacking us, we did it more because we loved the guys that were on our left and right. Love will win out over hate and anger any day of the week, Romesha said.

Romesha is the son of a Vietnam veteran and a grandson of a World War II veteran. He lives in North Dakota.

More Weapons and Technology - WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE)--
What if an ultra-advanced flying robot designed for extreme military missions could join the fight to combat wildfire alongside human fire crews?

The biggest wildfire in Californian history is raging, with fire officials stating earlier this week that an area almost the size of Los Angeles has been compromised.

It is actually expected to burn through the rest of August, and experts predict the escalation in frequency and scale of wildfires will only continue going forward.

Robot reinforcements, deployed for tough missions by the U.S. military in combat zones, can help save property and lives when wildfires strike the homeland.

Thinking helicopters that fight fire

Californias arsenal to fight fires includes a helicopter so smart that it flies itself. It is sort of like a robot and helo combined  a helicopter that functions as a drone.

Called K-MAX, the sleek-looking unmanned helicopter is 52 feet long and has a 48-foot wingspan. It travels at a top speed of about 115 mph.

This incredible aircraft is a result of a collaboration between Kaman Corp. and Lockheed Martin, combining Kamans phenomenal high-altitude, rugged, heavy-lift K-1200 airframe and Lockheed Martins mission management and control systems that give the helo remarkable mission smarts.

In 2011, K-MAX became the first unmanned helicopter to fly a resupply mission, delivering approximately 3,500 pounds of cargo to Afghanistan.

In war zones, K-MAX takes on jobs that would have otherwise put human personnel at risk. Supply-truck convoys driven by military personnel can be attractive targets for bad guys, for example, so making those deliveries by air can avoid both IEDs and ambushes.

K-MAX can also be used to reduce risk to the lives of firefighters during wildfires.

PODCAST: MEET THE FITTEST FIREFIGHTER ON THE WEST COAST AND FIND OUT ALL HIS SECRETS TO MAXIMIZING YOUR FITNESS AND POTENTIAL

Fighting fires from above

K-MAX is an autonomous platform  aka a drone. Drones are usually associated with surveillance (indeed, firefighters do use drones and aircraft to fly over the wildfire and gather data) but K-MAX is a heavy-hitting firefighter drone at heart, not just an eye in the sky for wildfire scenarios.

To suppress fire with water, K-MAX can use its tank or carry its giant bucket. The tank and buckets can be filled on the ground by harvesting water from nearby ponds, lakes, rivers or even a swimming pool to quickly return to the fight with more water.

This helo can also carry fire retardant to slow down the fires spread. CAL Fire tends to use a slurry mix consisting of a chemical salt compound, water, clay or a gum-thickening agent, and a coloring agent.

Affectionately dubbed the air tractor, K-MAX has a cruising speed of 91 mph and can carry 700 gallons.

From above, K-MAX can fight wildfire in different ways from cargo drops and single target water drops through to building progressive lines with its bucket.

How else can it support fire crews?

In addition to dumping water or fire retardant from the skies, the helicopter can support the firefighters on the ground in a number of other ways.

K-MAX could deploy as part of an initial attack on the wildfire. K-MAX can precisely drench the fire with its water to create a safe landing zone for fire crews. Other helicopters designed to carry personnel can swoop in behind and rapidly deposit a nine-person fire crew where the water or foam dropped, to continue battling the fire.

Wildfires are incredibly dangerous themselves, but they also rampage over terrain that was already very dangerous or tricky without the added challenge of fire.

K-MAX can access steep, rocky or unsafe areas and stamp out the fire from above using water and fire retardant so that ground fire crews do not have to put themselves at further risk in that dangerous terrain.

Crucially, the smart helo can also be deployed to resupply fire crews. All on its own, the drone could run missions to deliver supplies to multiple fire crews at four different locations using its four-hook carousel. Each hook can be activated independently.

Once deliveries are complete, K-MAX returns to home base  all during a single flight and with minimal ground operator oversight. And it can do all this by itself thanks to its ultra advanced autonomy.

At sea level, the rugged drone could carry 6,000 pounds of supplies; for fire crews fighting in the mountains and high elevations at about 15,000 ft. density altitude, K-MAX can deliver up to 4,000 pounds of supplies.

Imagine if a fire crew is in a remote location and cut off from road supplies. Teams can be out for days  if not weeks  bravely combatting the fire with only what they can carry to eat, drink and fight fires. Aerial delivery like this can be crucial and save lives.

PODCAST: HEAR DIRECTLY FROM A BRAVE CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTER THE REAL STORY ON FIGHTING WILDFIRES AND TERRORISTS IN THE DECEMEBER 2 ATTACK

How does K-MAX work?

K-MAX can autonomously fly its own missions day or night, making precise deliveries on its own as well.

A pilot can also jump into the single cockpit and fly it, and a third option is to be flown remotely by a fire response ground controller.

In this last case, with a ruggedized laptop, a ground controller can upload the mission flight plan to the drone prior to launch. At any point during the flight, the controller can upload new mission plans to adapt to rapidly changing issues with wildfires and fire crew needs.

At the drop site, the drone or ground controller can maneuver the aircraft to perform a precision delivery of water or fire retardant.

K-MAX is designed to excel in challenges like the high temperatures of wildfires. The helo has twin counter-rotating, intermeshing main rotors instead of a tail rotor drive system. This puts all the engine power directly to the main rotors to enhance lift performance, maintaining performance in the intense heat.
A strange Chinese audio message was heard over the intercom at the National Weather Service center on Wednesday.

The voice was from a woman and the 45-second message was also heard by building employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Center for Weather and Climate Prediction.

The intercom message, translated from Chinese, said something to the effect of you have a package from Amazon at the Chinese Embassy, press 1 for more details, according to a National Weather Service employee who spoke to the Washington Post.

IS YOUR IPHONE SPYING ON YOU? HERE'S WHAT APPLE TOLD LAWMAKERS

The unexplained message took employees by surprise, the Posts sources said, because the intercom has rarely been usedtypically only for fire drills.

We are aware of the Chinese message that is propagating through the phone system and was [broadcast] over the building PA, read an email from Doug Fenderson, the branch chief for infrastructure and Web services at the center, sent at 12:50 p.m, reports the Post. We are engaging the Vendor AT&T to alert them of the incident and get root cause. The phone [system] is not tied to any of the Government IT controlled systems in the building. Please do not be alarmed.

When the Post reached out to the National Weather Service, the agency said they still cant explain the source of the message or how it entered their systems.

In 2014, hackers from China breached the federal weather network at NOAA and disrupted the flow of some satellite imagery and data products.

In a statement on Thursday, the NOAA said they had uncovered the cause of the rogue message: "a series of robocalls."

The scam robocall has been victimizing people for months now and the Chinese Embassy and the Federal Trade Commission have been working to rectify the scam.

This story has been updated to include the cause of the message.
Samsung finally unveiled its long-awaited Galaxy Note 9 smartphone, as it looks to keep pace with Apple in the high-end of the market.

At Brooklyn's Barclays Center, Samsung took off the wrap of its stylus-equipped smartphone, a companion to the previously announced Galaxy 9. Included in the Galaxy Note 9 is a new S Pen, as well as big changes to the camera, battery life and storage capabilities.

The New S Pen will have better accuracy and sensitivity, but the big change is that the stylus can be used as a remote control, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity.

SMARTPHONES ARE KILLING TEENAGERS' MEMORIES, STUDY SAYS

Also upgraded this year for the Galaxy Note 9, which is set to go on sale Aug. 24, is the battery. Though they rarely agree on much, most Samsung users and iPhone users can agree that smartphone batteries need work. Well, Samsung has heard some of the cries and introduced a larger, 4,000 mAh battery, approximately 10 percent bigger than the battery on last year's Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung execs described it as "all-day battery life" during the presentation.

The new Note 9 will also have 128GB or 512GB of onboard storage, making it even easier to save and store all of your apps, photos, videos and messages in one place. Keeping with tradition, the Note 9 will also have a 512GB microSD card slot, so users can get over 1 TB of storage. For comparison purposes, the largest storage on an Apple iPhone is 256 GB, with no microSD card slot.

The new phone won't come cheap, however. Samsung said the enrty level 128 GB Note 9 will cost $1,000, while the 512GB model will cost $1,250. That's in line with the cost of the 256 GB iPhone X, which sets consumers back $1,149.

NORTH KOREA'S LEADERSHIP LOVES IPHONES, REPORT SAYS

In addition to the new phone, Samsung unveiled several new products, including a new Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch will come in 42mm and 46mm sizes and users can expect to get "several days on a single charge."

The South Korean electronics giant also showed off a new wireless charger, capable of charging two devices at the same time and a new smart speaker, dubbed the Galaxy Home.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
Airbnb has canceled its Night at The Great Wall sweepstakes following backlash over the contest, which would have granted eight tourists the chance to spend a night inside the historic landmark.

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, Airbnb said in an update posted to its site.

The contest, which tasked entrants with writing an essay on breaking down cultural barriers, was met with criticism on Chinese social media shortly after it was announced, the South China Morning Post reported.

SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF HAWAII'S HOMES USED AS RENTALS, REPORT FINDS

The Great Wall is a historical relic under protection, how can they let it be turned into a common guest house?! one user reportedly asked, while another accused Airbnb of attempting to profit from the ancient site.

The Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission also voiced its disapproval of the contest, saying it is not in line with the Great Walls heritage conservation values and that they had never approved the event.

In response to the cultural commissions concerns, Airbnb took to the Chinese social media platform Weibo to respond.

We understand and respect the opinions put forth by the Cultural Commission, they wrote, according to the South China Morning Post.

TRAVEL BLOGGER REVEALS HOW SHE STAYS AT 5-STAR HOTELS FOR FREE

In its online statement, Airbnb added that the contest was part of its efforts to raise awareness for preservation and to educate people about the Walls heritage.

"We remain committed to that goal and in the weeks and months ahead, we will be working closely with our hosts and guests in China as well as community leaders to highlight the culture and history that make China one of the most dynamic destinations in the world. China is one of our most important markets, where we have built a number of partnerships with local leaders and organizations to promote sustainable, local and authentic travel to China.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The company also apologized to anyone who already entered the contest.

Were 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.
With great anticipation, Elaine Chan and her husband hopped on-board Holland Americas Zuiderdam ship for a 24-day holiday.

At first, it seemed like a dream come true. But on day five, things went terribly wrong.

The couple was thrown off the vessel in Helsinki after the captain accused Ms. Chans 65-year-old husband  who does not want his name disclosed  of pushing a crew member two days earlier during a brawl in St Petersburg, Russia.

Now back on dry land, the embarrassed cruise-goers have launched a heated battle with Holland America to clear their names and obtain a refund. They fiercely deny being involved in the incident and claim the company made a mistake.

I promise this story will make you angry, said non-profit consumer rights group Elliott Advocacys Michelle Couch-Friedman, who broke the story after being approached by the couple.

Its yet another troubling case of a company levelling a wild accusation at a customer and refusing to provide even a shred of evidence to support it. And its the consumer who pays the price  financially and emotionally.

Ms. Chan told Elliott Advocacy that it was around 8 am in the morning on day five of their cruise when the captain called them into his office to discuss an incident where several passengers had been verbally abusive towards the crew.

I promise this story will make you angry.  Michelle Couch-Friedman

One had pushed an employee, and Ms. Chans husband had been identified as the offender.

Bizarrely, the fight had occurred two days ago, so why did it take so long to mention it?

Despite their denials, the duo was told to get their belongings together and were handed tickets back to San Francisco. Ms. Chan said they were blindsided and had no time to argue their case properly.

We did not expect our highly anticipated vacation to end as a nightmare in complete humiliation, Ms. Chan said.

We were kicked off the cruise by the Holland America captain in Helsinki. He forced us to leave the cruise by 10 am to catch our flight. If we did not leave on time, he said we would miss our flight.

She said on the day of the alleged assault, they had noticed a group of angry passengers standing nearby. The group had become disruptive because they were forced to wait to disembark the ship for shore excursions, with Ms. Chan noticing one of the men push past crew members.

However, they insist they were not part of the disruptive group.

My husband didnt do this. Someone made a mistake and misidentified him. This false accusation has really taken a toll on him."  Elaine Chan

Ms. Chan asked Eliott.org if they can really get kicked off a cruise without evidence or a chance to respond?

My husband didnt do this. Someone made a mistake and misidentified him. This false accusation has really taken a toll on him, she said.

They wrote to the cruise company begging for them to review video cameras on-board the ship, hoping that footage would prove that it was simply an error. However, all they received was this response outlining the allegations again:

Your husband participated in a scene where staff members were verbally abused. This abuse became physical when he and another guest attempted to push their way off the ship in port at St. Petersburg.

As a result, a staff member required medical attention. As stated by the captain in your verbal interview and in our previous correspondence, this is a violation of Section 4 of the Cruise Contract, and so the decision was made to remove both parties from the ship at the next port of call (Helsinki).

They also offered to provide photos of themselves on the day of the incident in the hope they could be compared with photos of the perpetrator. No luck. In a final desperate attempt to get a resolution, they even agreed to take a lie-detector test  at their own expense. Still no luck.

Holland America has allegedly still failed to provide any evidence to support its claim, stating simply, While we regret that this final response could not be more favourable, we do hope you will continue to include Holland America Line in your travel plans.

Thank you again for your inquiry. I appreciate this opportunity to assist and hope you will sail with us again soon.

But this response was puzzling to Ms. Couch-Friedman. Something didnt add up, she told news.com.au. If the cruise line really believed he had assaulted crew, why would they ever want them back on-board?

In a statement to news.com.au, a spokeswoman for Holland America Line said, The safety, security and comfort of our guests and employees is Holland America Lines highest priority.

In rare instances when inappropriate guest behaviour violates the terms of their cruise contract, including not following the orders of ships officers or making offensive physical contact with crew, guests are disembarked from the vessel.

This article originally appeared on news.com.au.
A distraught mother aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane was recorded begging and screaming at flight crew to open the door after her baby purportedly passed out from the heat while waiting for takeoff.

According to passengers, at that point the flight had been delayed on the tarmac for 2 hours and 39 minutes.

In the video, which has been widely spread on social media, the mom and several other passengers can be seen arguing with the crew about the babys well-being while the mom fans the child.

AMERICAN AIRLINES STAFFERS SLAMMED BY NEW MOM FOR HUMILIATING HER OVER BREAST PUMP

The flight from Paris to Islamabad was delayed at least 30 minutes, according to the airline, but passengers claim it was much longer. The temperatures in France hit 95 degrees during the scheduled Friday flight.

Hussain Ullah, who recorded the video, said on Facebook that the airline had switched off the air conditioning while the passengers sat onboard during the delay.

SILVER AIRWAYS PASSENGERS CATCH COUPLE HAVING SEX IN SEAT BEHIND THEM

The Evening Standard reported that flight crew members claim they tried to get permission to open the door, but were told by authorities that it would be a severe safety violation.

Passengers in the background on the video can be heard shouting shame to the airline crew during the tense situation.

Since the incident was spread on social media, the airline has announced that they launched an internal investigation.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The airline did not immediately respond to Fox News request for comment, but shared a statement on their Twitter account saying they have asked for a detailed inquiry into the matter.

The baby and mother were reportedly moved to a different section of the aircraft before takeoff.
Those wishing their dream holiday would never end, may be in luck after all. If they work really, really hard.

Lithuanian-born Karolina Valeikaite, 24, and her 26-year-old boyfriend Marco Coppola, from Italy, met at a restaurant in London a few years ago  but now they travel the world for free.

The couple started their travels with the aim of doing a two-month backpacking stint in Morocco and Southeast Asia, which quickly turned into an eight-month journey.

MALDIVES RESORTS FED UP WITH INSTAGRAM MODELS REQUESTING FREE STAYS

Karolina told Business Insider: After living in London I felt like I wanted to experience something more. I felt like I hadnt found my home yet.

During their trip, they stayed in Cambodia for a while longer than planned and got jobs as operation managers in a resort in Koh Rong Island. But Karolina, who studied photography at Middlesex University, began using her expertise to document her travels.

After building up their Instagram accounts  @outsideboxx and @gypseetravel  with pictures of their travels, the interest from luxury brands began to roll in  and now they stay in five-star hotels without paying a penny

Soon brands also began to pay to sponsor their content thanks to their combined 130,000 followers, which gave the couple a salary to fund their travelling.

THE FOUR BEST BEACHES IN AMERICA, ACCORDING TO DR. BEACH

But while the pair have worked out a way to earn money from exploring the world, they have had to leave certain material habits behind.

I used to collect everything and anything, [but] traveling taught me to be happy with the bare minimum, Karolina told blogger Lorindas World.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

It also took a lot of hard work to get the original trip off the ground.

As Karolina told Bored Panda, I had four months to save money for our travels starting from 0. I got four jobs and dedicated myself to saving money, sometimes working 110 hours a week  It was hell, but absolutely worth it. I ate only at work, as I didnt have any days off there was nothing I could spend my money on apart from rent. After I started renting my room, often crashing at my friends couch.

You don't need to go that extreme obviously, but my point is if I did anyone can  if there is enough willpower.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines claiming the airline failed to discipline a pilot accused of sexual harassment and subjected a female flight attendant to work in a hostile environment for several years. United Airlines has denied these claims.

According to the lawsuit, the EEOC alleges a United Airlines pilot frequently posted sexually explicit images of a United flight attendant to various websites, making reference to the flight attendants name, home airport, and sometimes referencing the airlines tagline Fly the Friendly Skies, a press release said.

'HORNY' PASSENGER ON UNITED FLIGHT FIRED AFTER ALLEGEDLY MOLESTING FEMALE SEATMATE

The EEOC said the flight attendant made numerous complaints and provided evidence of the harassment, but United failed to prevent and correct the pilots behavior.

"Here, United was aware of the intimate details of how its pilot was harassing its flight attendant, but took no responsibility to put a stop to it. As a result, over a period of many years, the flight attendant had to work every day in fear of humiliation if a co-worker or customer recognized her from the pilot's postings. This is unacceptable, and the EEOC is here to fight such misconduct." EEOC Supervisory Trial Attorney Eduardo Juarez said.

UNITED AIRLINES PASSENGER ACCUSED OF GROPING TEEN GIRL WHILE SHE SLEPT

"We have reviewed the allegations in the complaint and disagree with Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions description of the situation."  United Airlines spokesperson

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas in San Antonio, cited Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace.

"Employers have an obligation to take steps to stop sexual harassment in the workplace when they learn it is occurring through cyber-bullying via the internet and social media," said Philip Moss, a trial attorney in the EEOC's San Antonio Field Office. "When employers fail to take action, they fail their workers and enable the harassment to continue."

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

United Airlines said in a statement to Fox News that the carrier denies the allegations by the EEOC.

We have reviewed the allegations in the complaint and disagree with Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions description of the situation. United does not tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace and will vigorously defend against this case.

The lawsuit is seeking appropriate relief including compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction preventing the company from gender-based harassment. The EEOC is also asking for United Airlines to institute a policy to prevent sexual harassment among employees.
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.
Photo/provided to People's Daily Online

The program for this years Eastern Economic Forum has now been published, the topic of this years meeting being The Far East: Expanding the Range of Possibilities. The forum is set to be held at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) campus in Vladivostok from September 1113.

The forum will consist of more than 50 events, including panel sessions, business dialogues and round tables. Usually, the main event will be a session with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

The central theme of EEF 2018 reflects our expectations of the forthcoming event. Previous forums have been extremely effective in terms of contracts signed and agreements reached. I am confident that following the results of EEF 2018 we will be able to reach a new, deeper level of ties with foreign investors, business representatives and government authorities, especially since the geography of the Forum participants is expanding each year, noted Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Eastern Economic Forum Organizing Committee, Anton Kobyakov.

The EEF 2018 business program will consist of four major sections Tool to Support Investors: Next Steps, Industry Priorities in The Far East, Global Far East: International Projects for Cooperation and Improving Living Conditions. Each section will consist of a number of discussions surrounding eastern economic issues.

Its expected that the event will help to provide companies and organizations with advice, information and expert guidance while building connections and investment opportunities.

For more details on EEF 2018 business programme go to the Forums official website: https://forumvostok.ru/programme/.
A self-styled prophet who helped lead a Utah doomsday cult that believed in polygamy and promoted child marriage remained defiant Wednesday as he was sent to prison for at least 25 years.

John Coltharp, 35, told a judge he was following "heavenly laws" and was an Old Testament figure returned to Earth to promote child marriage, the Deseret News reported .

He maintained that it doesn't matter how long he goes to prison because society won't last much longer.

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 W. 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.

The two have described the religious group a "fundamentalist group for millennials" that formed online.

Both men held the title of prophet at different points and each secretly married two young girls ages 4 through 8, according to prosecutors. The girls were related to the men.

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 (440 kilometers) 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. The men took the children to the compound in preparation for an apocalypse or in hopes of gaining followers, authorities said.

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 who authorities said joined the group after meeting its founders via Facebook, has also been charged with child sexual abuse, and police have said two other followers have cooperated with investigators.
An Illinois man was convicted Wednesday in the brutal January 2017 stabbings that killed a church group leader and wounded another in an Indiana motel room.

Ryan Connors, 27, of East St. Louis, was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in the killing of 43-year-old Avery Lee Scott Shoe of North Carolina in an Evansville Motel 6.

According to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office, Connors joined up with Shoe's group while it was traveling around the Midwest. On the night of Jan. 6, 2017, Connors attacked Shoe and stabbed him to death.

Another member of the church group, Henry Turner, tried to escape the room and was also stabbed multiple times. During Connors' trial, Turner testified that he survived by lying on the floor and playing dead.

Investigators said Connors stole a bag of money and took off in the church group's van. He was arrested approximately 24 hours later in the parking lot of a motel in Lexington, Ky.

"With this guilty verdict, Ryan Connors will be held responsible for the lives he forever changed that night," Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nicholas Hermann said in a statement.

Connors is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 14. He faces up to 105 years in prison.
A community watch organizer in Brooklyn, Iowa, said Wednesday that in a town where not a lot of big things happen, the disappearance of college sophomore Mollie Tibbetts has shaken the community to its core.

Scott Hawkins described the town where he grew up as a normally safe neighborhood where everyone knows everyone.

This is a close knit community. We dont have a lot of big things happen here crime wise.  I mean, this is something thats shaken the community basically to its core, he told Fox News in an interview.

Hawkins said that members of the community are on edge, and that the disappearance of Tibbetts, 20, is something that affects them personally.

Any child in this community is basically a child of the entire community. We all stick together, were all part of, you know, one big group of people that knows everybody. So for somebody to go missing like this, and disappear off the face of the Earth with no trace, basically, this is a shock. This is something that, its made a lot of people really uncomfortable.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS DAD PLEADSTO TECH COMPANIES TO HELP HIM FIND HIS DAUGHTER

Hawkins said that he and a few friends decided to form this community watch group a few weeks ago because they didnt have a constant police presence other than the sheriffs department.

They cant be everywhere at once.

He said that while the town always has been safe for the most part, since his group has been around, they have picked up a few questionable people over the last few weeks.

Hawkins told Fox News that there is a noticeable change in the community since Mollies disappearance on July 18.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS VIDEO SHOWS HER ACTING TOTALLY NORMAL THE DAY BEFORE SHE VANISHED, FRIEND SAYS

You dont see a lot of kids around the parks like they used to.  You dont see a lot of people jogging around town like they used to, he said. Its really shaken a lot of people around here.

As a father himself, Hawkins feels for the Tibbetts family, who he says are great people.

Every day that goes by is just another day that is unimaginable. The family that I know, they are great people. Her boyfriends family, theyre great people. Everybody that surrounded them, theyre all good people around here.  I cant fathom the strain thats been put on this family. Its heartbreaking.

Hawkins said that the community is scared, but they are trying to keep positive.

Were all keeping hope every day. Its alive in all of us.
A police officer was shot Wednesday night near a Waffle House restaurant in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., according to reports.

The suspect was walking along Beach Boulevard when he fired at the officer's passing patrol car, Jacksonville's WJXT-TV reported.

After the suspect fled, seveal police officers chased him to the area near the restaurant, where gunfire was exchanged, Jacksonvilles FOX 30 reported.

One officer and the suspect were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, the report said, but neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham visited the officer at Memorial Hospital and said the officer was in stable condition and "strong as an ox."
A California appellate court on Wednesday upheld Brock Turners conviction despite his attorneys argument that his client wanted outercourse with his victim, not sexual intercourse.

Turner, a former Stanford University swimmer, is now required to register as a sex offender for life. The three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose determined that there was "substantial evidence" that Turner received a fair trial.

Turner was convicted in 2016 of sexually assaulting an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside an on-campus fraternity party.

He served three months in jail.

Judge Aaron Persky rejected a prosecutor's demand for a lengthy prison term and instead sentenced Turner to six months in jail. Persky's sentence sparked nationwide outrage by those who felt it too lenient.

"I absolutely don't understand what you are talking about"  Justice Franklin D. Elia in June responding to the "outercourse" argument

Voters recalled Persky in June.

Eric S. Multhaup, Turners attorney, attracted renewed media attention when he argued that outercourse is sexual contact while clothed. He argued in June that outercourse is a form of safe sex.

Turner never intended to rape an unconscious woman, he said. The lawyer cited witness accounts that Turner was "violently thrusting but fully clothed" when two Swedish graduate students found him on top of a half-naked, intoxicated woman in 2015.

But at least one member of a three-justice appelate panel didn't buy the arguement.

"I absolutely don't understand what you are talking about," Justice Franklin D. Elia told the attorney.

Elia wrote Wednesday's decision and pointed out that Turner tried to run from two graduate students who confronted him assaulting the then-22-year-old woman.

The judge wrote that the victim was slurring her speech when she left a fraternity party with Turner and the graduate students testified the victim appeared unconscious when they showed up, chased Turner and held him down until police arrived. He denied running when questioned by police.

"He did not explain or defend himself to them," Elia wrote. "And he lied to police about running."

Turner could petition the California Supreme Court to consider his appeal. Turner's attorney Eric Multhaup didn't return a phone call Wednesday.

Fox News' Dom Calicchio and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities have been provided the name of an infant who died after leaving a Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, as law enforcement said the babys name would need to be released so officials could investigate the case fully.

Media Relations Manager Patrick Crimmins of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told Fox News on Thursday: We received the childs name and have opened an abuse/neglect investigation.

The new information about the baby who died at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Frio County, was released after the testimony of Hank Whitman, commissioner for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Thursday, during a joint hearing between the states Committee on Human Services and Public Health.

During his testimony, Whitman said that it was impossible for his department to investigate the allegations further until they know more about the child and its family. Whitman, at the time, told the committee that he is aware of the reports and DFPS contacted the lawyer representing the family to learn more, but said the lawyer refused to share details.

JUDGE ORDERS RELEASE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETAINED BY ICE DURING PIZZA DELIVERY AT MILITARY BASE

We were being asked to investigate with no name, he said. We really want to go in and investigate that.

He added: I need to know the name of that child so we can investigate this thoroughly.

ICE made a similar statement earlier this week, saying they could look into this case if more details were shared.

Whitman also revealed during the hearing that there have been 51 investigations at facilities housing immigrant children, with nine still pending, but they have not been able to prove any allegations of abuse.

The story of the dead baby spread on social media the night of July 31 when Houston-based lawyer Mana Yegani tweeted that she had heard of claims a child died in ICE custody in Dilley, Texas.

MIDWEST ICE RAIDS TARGETED BUSINESSES THAT HIRED, MISTREATED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, OFFICIALS SAY

After ICE tweeted the following day that this was not the case, Yegani subsequently clarified that the child, a little girl, died following her stay at the detention center as a result of possible negligent care and a respiratory illness she contracted from one of the other children.

Yegani also revealed she based her tweets off a Facebook post written by Washington D.C.-based lawyer Melissa Turcios. When contacted by the Associated Press, Turcios confirmed she wrote the post but declined to comment further.

Several immigration lawyers seized on the claims, and the 15,000-member American Immigration Lawyers Association said it had confirmed the death. It also was picked up by several new outlets, including the Washington Post, even though no other information was released.

The Dilley detention center is the largest of ICEs three such facilities. It can hold about 2,400 people. It has been accused by the Dilley Pro Bono Project, an immigrant aid group, of suffering from ongoing inadequacies in the standard of care provided to immigrants in detention.

The Washington D.C.-based legal firm Arnold & Porter is representing the family of the child pro bono, Fox News has learned.

The firm said in a statement Thursday afternoon about the update in the case: We have provided the information requested by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and are cooperating fully with them.

A spokesman for the legal firm told Fox News earlier this week: Arnold & Porter has recently been retained by the mother of a small child who tragically died after being detained by ICE in unsanitary conditions at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. We currently are assessing the case and have no further comments at this time.
A U.S. border patrol agent was assaulted while attempting to apprehend a group of illegal immigrants crossing the border in California on Tuesday.

The unidentified agent was patrolling near the Calexico West Port of Entry and the New River when he came across a group of individuals trying to cross the border from Mexico.

The agent, who was by himself, was able to detain one man and place him in custody in the back of his service vehicle. When he turned his attention to the rest of the group, another member of the group exited the river and opened the rear passenger door, allowing the man in custody to attempt an escape.

The two men ran towards the river and the agent pursed them.

He was resisting arrest, actively resisting, pulling away. While the agent was trying to make the arrest other members of the group began to throw rocks and other objects, verbally shout threats at the agent, Agent Justin Zaffuto told KYMA.

The agent suffered minor injuries, officials said.

The border-crosser who had originally been placed inside the vehicle was re-apprehended. He faces federal criminal charges for the alleged assault on the agent.

The rest of the group fled back to Mexico.

The New River and immediate surrounding area remains one of our most challenging and dangerous areas to work, El Centro Sector Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim said in a statement. The border wall system replacing the old fencing in that area is a solid step in mitigating those challenges.

Zaffuto told KYMA that physical attacks on agents have increased this year.

Compared to last year, we had 23 all year, he said. This year so far, weve had 80 assaults on agents. A lot of the times, agents are working by themselves.

He continued: Its a 24-hour operation. You might be in areas where its dark, completely dark and you encounter a large group. Just the numbers alone is a disadvantage.
Officials issued new mandatory evacuations Thursday for the so-called Holy Fire coursing through Southern California.

The order was put into effect for people living in Elsinore on the mountainside of Lake St and southwest of Grand Ave to Ortega Hwy, the Cleveland National Forest Service tweeted.

CALIFORNIAS HOLY FIRE SUSPECT ARRESTED, ALLEGEDLY WARNED THIS PLACE WILL BURN

The fire is only 5 percent contained and reached more than 9,000 acres since first erupting earlier this week, according to the service, which said firefighters were working to battle the blaze around the clock.

People living in the Trabuco Canyon and Lake Elsinore areas faced mandatory evacuations from the agency as well on Wednesday, KTLA reported.

Aerial footage showed planes dropping fire retardant above the flames and billowing smoke.

BATTLING 18 BLAZES, CALIFORNIA MAY FACE WORST FIRE SEASON

The latest bout of mandatory evacuations came a day after authorities announced the apprehension of Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, who was taken into custody on suspicion of felony arson, felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

He was booked into the Orange County Jail on Wednesday, officials said.

Clark reportedly sent an email to Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan warning that this place will burn.

Fox News Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Law enforcement officials in two U.S. cities are aiming to avoid a repeat of the violence that erupted a year ago in Charlottesville, Va.

There seemed to be confusion as to who had authority to respond in a certain way, RaShall Brackney, the new Charlottesville Police Chief, said at a July 12 community briefing. We have a very clear, a very clear understanding from the topas to what the expectations are, and the expectations are that there will not be the type of violence that occurred in this community that occurred last year.

Aug. 12 marks one year since a group composed of mostly white supremacists clashed with counter protesters and Antifa demonstrators in the usually picturesque and historic town of Charlottesville. Several people were injured and one counter protester, Heather Heyer, was killed when a driver rammed his car through a crowd gathered near the Downtown Mall.

Charlottesville officials expect crowds to assemble for commemorative events around the city, but they haven't granted any permits for Market Street Park, the site of last years contentious Unite the Right rally. The organizer, Jason Kessler, withdrew a permit request to hold an anniversary event there and, instead, is urging followers to attend what he is calling Unite the Right 2 in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.

Heads of agencies involved in protecting Charlottesville this weekend said they're preparing for any civil disturbances or unrest.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the City of Charlottesville declared States of Emergency Wednesday, a move which allocates $2 million for response efforts and permits assistance from the Virginia National Guard.

Law enforcement personnel there will be operating under a Unified Command, made up of leaders from the Charlottesville Police Department, the Virginia State Police and the Charlottesville Fire Department. Officials from those agencies have declined to say how many officers will be active in Charlottesville during the weekend, but Virginia State Police Captain Craig Worsham said officers from his agency will be very present.

Were going to be active and assertive. Expect interactions with the police. Expect them to be dressed in various uniforms, because were going to be out-and-about doing what we do. Not a lot of standing around, Worsham said at the briefing. There will be some police officers and law enforcement types standing in perimeters, but theres going to be many, many people out-and-about working and patrolling.

Charlottesville will close streets downtown and parks throughout the city. Certain items used as weapons last year are also banned, including: sticks, shields and open flames. According to Virginia State law, firearms cannot be banned in public spaces.

Brackney cautioned, however, law breakers aren't likely to heed city ordinances.

Law breakers do not care about our ordinances, they dont care about our legislation, they dont care about statutes. Otherwise, they wouldnt do the things that they do anyway, Brackney said.

In Washington, D.C., the National Park Service approved Kesslers anniversary event application for Lafayette Park, which is directly across the street from the North side of the White House

According to Kesslers permit application, he expects a crowd of approximately 400 people. A National Park Service spokesperson said Wednesday that though Kesslers application was approved, the permit is still pending. Multiple permits were requested for counter demonstrations set to be held elsewhere in the District.

The United States Park Police, United States Secret Service, the National Park Service, Metro Transit Police, and DC Metropolitan Police are all involved in securing the event.

We intend to have the entire police department engaged to make sure that we handle this," MPD Chief of Police Peter Newsham said at a news conference.

Law enforcement officers were heavily criticized in the aftermath of the Charlottesville rally last year for not separating opposing groups. Newsham did reveal part of their security strategy this time is to keep conflicting groups apart.

We've had those types of high-tension assemblies here in the District before, Newsham said. We 100 percent are going to make sure groups remain separate.

Charlottesville Fire Chief Andrew Baxter said simply being prepared isn't enough.

I always challenge our staff to be able to define success for me when were talking about a program or initiative or response, Baxter said. So I will tell you that my goal, my definition of success will be on Monday, August the 13th, that the community says to us, You guys were too prepared. Ill be OK with that.
A suspect swinging a metal chain was fatally shot by a San Diego police officer on Wednesday afternoon after refusing to comply with the officers orders to drop the chain, police said.

Police had responded to the citys Southcrest section shortly before 5:30 p.m. on a report of a machete assault, FOX 5 San Diego reported. When they arrived, they found that a 57-year-old man who was known to the suspect had been injured by a machete, the report said.

When an officer located the assault suspect, he was carrying the metal chain and began swinging it at the officer. The officer told the suspect several times to drop the chain, then fired a stun gun when the suspect wouldnt comply, police told FOX 5.

But the stun gun was not effective, so the officer fired his service revolver, hitting the suspect at least once, police said.

The suspect was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries about 8 p.m. The machete assault victim also received treatment, for non-life-threatening injuries, FOX 5 reported.

The officer was not injured, police Capt. Tom Underwood said.
The 4th World Baijiu Day kicks off today, August 9, 2018. The famous Chinese liquor isn't as well known across the rest of the world, but that hasnt stopped bars and restaurants from a record-breaking 30 cities taking part on the date which, in Chinese, sounds similar to the drink, ba jiu (8/9).

Over 20 billion bottles of baijiu are consumed annually, making it the worlds most popular spirit. In fact, according to organizer Jim Boyce, thats over 10 million liters, which is enough for everyone in the U.S. to fill their bathtub with the alcohol.

Baijiu holds a special place in Chinese culture and is often enjoyed during celebrations, special occasions and business meetings. It is most often consumed as a shot by way of ganbei  or bottoms up.

Jim Boyce, a baijiu connoisseur and the organizer of World Baijiu Day, says that the idea behind the celebration is to give people the opportunity to explore baijiu beyond ganbei, explaining, "It would be easy to get 100 bars involved if it was just opening a bottle and doing shots, but we are really putting emphasis on creating something, like cocktails or food. I just added a town with a population of 611 in France. The chef is doing baijiu glazed cod with baijiu perfumed risotto. Thats the kind of stuff we love."

When asked about the craziest baijiu-infused food hes tried, Boyce reminisced, "The deep-fried baijiu chef Dustin Merrett made a few years ago. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and boozy," adding that it was best to enjoy it after work!

Many people shy away from baijiu after drinking a few too many shots on their first encounter, but Boyce says that just like other liquors, there are a variety of different styles of baijiu, each with their own characteristics.

"Trying different baijius side by side really highlights their unique characters and acts like a guide. When it comes to whiskey, some people like peaty Islay single malts while others like sweeter Speysides, and still others might like Japanese whiskey or Bourbon or Canadian Rye. The same goes for baijiu, with many different styles to explore, hopefully at a non-ganbei pace!"

A number of bars across China and in cities all over the world including New York, London and Bangkok are preparing specialized cocktails and food, hoping to introduce baijiu to a wider audience. If you want to see how the masters do it, you can find the full list of locations and events at http://www.worldbaijiuday.com.
The father of a 7-month-old baby found dead in New York's East River had been carrying his sons body around in a backpack before tossing the boy in the water near the Brooklyn Bridge, authorities said Wednesday.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said the father then fled to Thailand.

During a news conference, Shea said James Currie, 37, was stopped by authorities when he landed in Bangkok and will return to New York by next week to face a felony charge of concealment of a human corpse. Additional charges could be filed against Currie depending on the results of the boys autopsy.

"This is a heartbreaking case," Shea told reporters.

Currie was captured on surveillance video bringing the child into his home in the Bronx on Saturday around 1 p.m., and the boy appeared to be "fine," according to Shea.

Nearly 24 hours later, Currie then was spotted leaving his apartment complex wearing a backpack rigged like a baby- carrier and covered with a blanket. He was captured on surveillance video around 3:10 p.m. in Lower Manhattan carrying the backpack near the famed Brooklyn Bridge.

DEAD BABY PULLED FROM NEW YORK CITY'S EAST RIVER AFTER APPARENTLY BEING TOSSED FROM BROOKLYN BRIDGE, COPS SAY

At about 4 p.m., police received a 911 call about a boys body floating in the water. The backpack was near the boy's body.

There will not be a good ending to this story, Shea said. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the mother.

The woman who first noticed the baby, Diana Campbell, of Stillwater, Okla., told the Associated Press her husband Monte waded into shallow water near the Manhattan shoreline, retrieved the baby and started CPR. First responders tried to revive the child, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"She just called me over and said there was a baby in the water," Monte Campbell told the AP. "I called 911. At that point, I thought it was a doll."

The boy's mother, who has not yet been identified, called 911 around 9 p.m. on Monday after Currie did not return her baby as part of their custody agreement, according to Shea. No previous reports regarding the child or the couple were filed with the city's children's services administration.

"We don't have any red flags that existed before this," he said.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The teen accused of fatally shooting multiple people at a Texas high school in May was reportedly indicted by a grand jury Thursday on a capital murder charge.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, who allegedly opened fire inside Santa Fe High School on May 18, intentionally or knowingly killed 10 people by shooting them with a firearm, Galveston court documents said, according to Fox 26.

VICTIMS OF SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING INCLUDE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, PAKISTANI EXCHANGE STUDENT

In addition to those killed, several people were hurt in the shooting, which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at the time described as the worst disaster to ever strike this community.

FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT SHOUTED 'KILL ME' HOURS AFTER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

Among the deceased were two teachers and a foreign exchange student.

Authorities apprehended Pagourtzis after the shooting and he was charged with capital murder of multiple persons and aggravated assault against a public servant, according to a probable cause affidavit and complaint filed at the time.

He allegedly used a shotgun and a .38 revolver in the attack, Abbott said.

Fox News Matt Richardson and Madeline Farber contributed to this report.
A former community college professor and anti-fascist activist as part of a plea agreement pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault for allegedly hitting supporters of President Trump with a bike lock at a political rally in Berkeley last year.

Eric Clanton, 29, agreed to the deal on Wednesday in the Alameda County Superior Court, his attorney Daniel Siegal said. He was sentenced to three years of probation, which will end on Aug. 8, 2021, Berkleyside.com reported.

The Alameda County district attorney's office initially charged Clanton with felonies for hitting several pro-Trump demonstrators on the head with a bicycle lock during a free the speech demonstration in Civic Center Park in Berkeley on April 15, 2017. The attack was captured on camera and posted on YouTube.

OKLAHOMA MAN GUILTY OF KILLING 5 MEMBERS GETS LIFE IN PRISON

Siegel said medical records showed only one alleged victim sought medical treatment, for a bruise smaller than a dime.

Last year, police searched Clantons apartment and seized flags, pamphlets and other paraphernalia associated with Antifa and anarchist movements. He was arrested following the search, Berkleyside.com reported.

Investigators said they recovered U-locks, sunglasses, a glove, jeans, and facial coverings consistent with items worn during the April 15 assaults, the website reported, citing court documents. A camera at the residence also contained selfies taken by Clanton which showed him wearing black clothing and facial coverings similar to the person in the YouTube video. Phone records also showed Clanton was near the park on April 15, 2017.

BORDER PATROL AGENT ASSAULTED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GROUP FROM MEXICO



Police also found photos of Clanton posing next to Anarchy symbols and he was documented as having an Iron Front tattoo which is associated with Anti-Fascists, court documents stated.

Clanton taught at the Diablo Valley College in 2015 and 2016. He has been arrested in connection with other demonstrations, police said. He was arrested in 2014 during a Black Lives Matter protest on suspicion of committing a public nuisance and willfully and maliciously blocking a street, sidewalk or other public places, police said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Washington state teenager was badly injured Tuesday when a so-called friend shoved her off a bridge that's popular with thrill-seekers, reports said.

Jordan Holgerson, 16, suffered five broken ribs and an unspecified lung injury when she plunged 60 feet from the bridge at Moulton Falls, Portland, Ore.'s KGW-TV reported.

A video of the incident was posted online by an apparent acquaintance of the girls grandmother, the Columbian of Clark County, Wash., reported. The video went viral but was eventually taken down.

Holgerson told KGW that she was with a group of friends at the time and had second thoughts about jumping into the Lewis River. The jump, even for someone experienced, is dangerous.

In midair I think I mightve blacked out, she told the station. I was awake and aware when I hit the water.

She was reportedly pushed by a friend who has since apologized. Holgerson told KGW that "sorry" is not enough.

The girls mother told the news station that she hopes the friend turns herself in to police.

Sgt. Dave Nelson of the Clark County Sheriffs Office, told the Columbian that deputies are investigating the incident.

"My daughter's going to have a long road to recovery and I think that [the friend] should probably just turn herself in - realize what she did wrong. This is not OK. She could have killed my daughter," the mom said.
A pharmacy intern staged his suicide to make it appear he was murdered, leading his family to believe he was abducted -- until investigators uncovered the deception, police said.

Alvin Ahmed, 25, was identified as

A body found in Gwinnett County's Lake Carlton on July 18 was identified as Alvin Ahmed, 25. The discovery ended more than three weeks of searching for the University of Georgia graduate. Ahmed was reported missing July 16 after last being seen leaving a Publix grocery store where he worked as a pharmacy intern.

We have closure with the body, but still dont have closure as to how Alvin got there, and I dont think we will, Ahmeds brother, Kalvin, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 25-year-olds family had said they believed Ahmed may have been abducted. Ahmed mentioned to family members and co-workers prior to his disappearance that a group of young men approached and asked him about his watch and car and wanted to know how much money he earned.

TEXAS GIRLS COLD CASE DISAPPEARANCE COULD BE SOLVED AFTER RAISING SUBMERGED CAR

Authorities said Wednesday, however, that all indications showed Ahmed killed himself and tried to make his disappearance seem suspicious, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The phone data contained a note which indicated that Mr. Ahmed staged certain elements of the case to cast suspicion that he had been murdered, Cpl. Michele Pihera said in an emailed statement to the newspaper.

The note reportedly stated Ahmeds plan to buy groceries before leaving Publix, turn off his watch and phone and throw them away at the nearby restaurant Atmosphere Bar and Grill, then walk to the lake about two miles from the supermarket.

Police said Ahmed was seen on surveillance video at Publix and walking at Atmosphere Bar and Grill and to Lake Carlton.

There is no credible evidence that the case was a homicide, Pihera said.

The medical examiner said Ahmed died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using a gun the intern purchased in May, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
A man trying to enter the U.S. illegally broke both of his legs and suffered a back injury Sunday after falling 30 feet from the top of a U.S.-Mexico border wall in California, federal Border Patrol officials said.

The injured man was discovered behind an outlet mall around 9 p.m., a Border Patrol news release said. Paramedics arriving at the scene determined the man had suffered bilateral femur fractures to both legs as well as an unspecified back injury, the release said.

The man, whose name, age, and nationality were not disclosed, was transported via medical helicopter to a hospital in Palm Springs, Calif., officials said.

Border Patrol agents issued a reminder of the dangers inherent in attempts to cross into the U.S. illegally.
An inmate who confessed to killing three people with his older brother during a string of murders in the 1980s will be released from prison under a decades-old plea deal, a judge ruled Thursday.

Attorneys for Nathanial Cook said the court had no other choice but to release the 59-year-old now that he has completed serving 20 years in prison as part of an agreement with prosecutors and the victims' families.

Lucas County Judge Linda Jennings told Cook that she reviewed all of her options, hoping to find a reason to keep him locked up. "Unfortunately, I found none," she said.

Cook didn't offer a smile or any other reaction after learning he would be released. He'll be required to spend his first six months in a work-release program where he'll live in a dormitory.

The judge also ordered Cook to wear an electronic monitor for a year and to register his address every 90 days because he's classified as a sexual predator.

Nathaniel Cook and his older brother, Anthony Cook, admitted in 2000 they were behind nine killings, including a string of eight murders in 1980 and '81. They told of how they preyed on women walking alone and young couples in parked cars, raping the women before killing them.

As part of the plea deal, Cook confessed to three murders while his brother admitted to killing five other people. Anthony Cook, who is serving two life sentences, already had been convicted in another killing.

Families of the victims said the confessions from Cook brothers gave them needed answers, but they wrote letters asking the judge to keep Nathaniel Cook in prison or at least placed under strict controls if he's released.

Many kept hope that investigators could link Nathaniel Cook to another crime, but they also knew this day was coming.

"We've dreaded it, but we agreed to it," said Pam Henderson, whose brother was killed by Anthony Cook in 1981.

Some said they were worried about what Cook could do once he's out.

"I'm disappointed. He needs to be in prison for the rest of life," said Sandra Rollins, who was raped and nearly died after being stabbed by the Cook brothers in 1980. "I'm afraid for other people out there."

The victims' families all agreed to the deal because it guaranteed that the brothers would be sent to prison and it gave them answers about who killed their loved ones.

Both brothers admitted to detectives that they first abducted Rollins and tried to kill her after fatally shooting her boyfriend.

Nathaniel Cook confessed that he and his brother were involved in two more killings. He said he strangled a woman they had abducted and that the pair then raped a 12-year-old girl and repeatedly hit her with a concrete block.

Cook said that was the last murder he was involved with, even though his brother continued with the killings until he was arrested in 1981.

Investigators long had suspected the Cook brothers were involved in the killings, but lacked evidence until 1998 when they finally tied them to one of the shooting deaths and rapes using blood samples and DNA evidence.

The brothers offered to confess in exchange for a chance of parole for Nathaniel Cook.
More details emerged Wednesday about a Missouri couple accused of child abuse for allegedly housing four children in specially constructed windowless rooms, with no lighting, that were kept shut with plywood and screws.

Authorities said Laura Elizabeth Cheatham, 38, a former employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections, had ordered child-sized inmate-style prisoner uniforms, in gray and orange, for the children to wear, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

"Investigators with this department took custody of the uniforms from officials at Farmington Correctional Center along with cardboard patterns that are marked 'kids pants,' kids shirt,' etc., and work order documentation," a release from the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department said.

Both Cheatham and Daryl Justen Head, 38, were charged Tuesday after police responded to a call made to a child abuse hotline.

Inside the couple's Farmington, Mo., home police found four children, ages 5 to 12, apparently being kept in the makeshift rooms with no access to water or toilets, according to a county sheriff. Farmington is about 60 miles south of St. Louis.

"Once investigators gained entry into the home, they discovered a 38-year-old female removing screws from plywood covering the entrance to small rooms and children coming out from behind the plywood," St. Francois Sheriff Daniel Bullock said in a news release.

Cheatham and Head were each charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of kidnapping. They were being held on $500,000 bond each.

Bullock said the four children, three girls and a boy, had been adopted by Cheatham and her estranged husband, but she was living with another man -- Head -- in the home. Two of the four children are related to each other but none are related to the adults, the sheriff added.

FOUR MISSOURI CHILDREN LOCKED IN 'BOXES' SECURED WITH PLYWOOD AND SCREWS, COPS SAY; 2 ARRESTED

The charges could put the suspects behind bars for decades, prosecuting attorney Jerrod Mahurin said.

"I've seen some pretty nasty things, but nothing this deplorable," Bullock said. "This is the kind of thing that happens somewhere else, not here."

"I've seen some pretty nasty things, but nothing this deplorable. This is the kind of thing that happens somewhere else, not here."  St. Francois County Sheriff Daniel Bullock

Bullock described each room as "smaller than a jail cell." He said they had been modified from two bedrooms and offered no windows, lighting, or access to toilets or water. It appeared the children urinated into vents in the room, he said.

St. Francois County Prosecutor Jerrod Mahurin said the couple could face more charges after initial investigations are complete.

Bullock said the children appeared to be in "fairly good" shape and were taken into state custody. They had previously been adopted by Cheatham and her estranged husband and had lived in the home for a few weeks, he said. Neighbors told KMOV that they sometimes saw the children outside doing manual labor.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
A jury in San Diego decided Wednesday that a 19-year-old man who sued a California school district after being sexually abused by a female teacher should receive $2.1 million.

The jurors found that the San Diego Unified School District was negligent in failing to prevent former Spanish teacher Toni Sutton from molesting the student over an eight-month period beginning when he was 15 and she was 37, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The district must pay $840,000 of the $2.1 million, the newspaper reported, adding that district officials have not yet decided whether to appeal.

Sutton, now 40, who was sentenced to prison two years ago in the case, had sex with the student in her Crawford High School classroom, her car and her home dozens of times, the report said.

Sutton pleaded guilty in 2016 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and oral copulation with a minor. She was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, FOX 5 San Diego reported.

The lawsuit argued that the district ignored red flags about Sutton's behavior. Key to their case was an experts testimony that the school districts policies for preventing sexual abuse of students did not meet the standard, the Union-Tribune reported.

The financial award also reflected the jurys consideration of the emotional damage and need for counseling the student experienced after Sutton was arrested, the report said.

Defense attorneys denied that district employees were negligent and said they responded appropriately once they realized that Sutton had been abusing the student.

In a previous case in 2009, a female student was awarded $1.25 million  of which the San Diego district had to pay $650,000  after a male teacher was found to have molested a female student.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A Massachusetts man was arrested in New York on Thursday after trying to hire a hit man on Twitter to kill ICE agents for $500 and sharing his desire to slit the throat of Sen. John McCain, federal officials said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts said that Brandon Ziobrowski, 33, from Cambridge, Mass. was charged with one count of use of interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat and injure another person for the alleged Twitter posts this year.

Federal officials said Ziobrowski tweeted a murder for hire solicitation to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for $500, and repeatedly tweeted his desire to slit the throat of McCain, R-Ariz.

"The agents and officers out there enforcing federal laws are doing their job, plain and simple," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said at a news conference. "There is a difference between public debate and putting others in fear of their lives."

Federal officials said Ziobrowski in March started tweeting threatening messages against federal agents that work for ICE.

On July 2, the 33-year-old allegedly tweeted: I am broke but will scrounge and literally give $500 to anyone who kills ICE agent. @me seriously who else can pledge get in on this lets make this work.

Ziobrowski's Twitter handle, @Vine_II, had 448 followers at the time of the tweet.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Harold Shaw said that Ziobrowski had expressed "extreme anti-U.S." rhetoric on his account, and professed support for "socialist" and "communist" ideology. Four law enforcement officers have been killed across the region in the past year, to which Shaw said enough is enough.

MIDWEST ICE RAIDS TARGETED BUSINESSES THAT HIRED, MISTREATED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, OFFICIALS SAY

Lelling said the July 2 tweet received two likes, but officials are looking into if anyone reached out to the 33-year-old about the threat.

"He appears to be very much against ICE and its mission. He appears to have a violent dislike for at least one Republican senator and law enforcement," he told reporters.

There is a trend "upward" in threats against the lives of law enforcement offices, especially those in charge of enforcing federal immigration laws, according to Lelling, who added there is no indication the 33-year-old was part of any organized group.

"Feeling strong on this subject is fine. Putting people's lives in danger, not fine," he told reporters.

PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO RAPED CHILD AFTER PHILADELPHIA RELEASE, PLEADS GUILTY TO REENTRY

Lelling added while we may live in a time of heated political rhetoric, "each of us" are responsible for setting limits on political speech to not put people's lives at risk.

"People who try to politicize our mission are within the legal right to freedom of speech," Peter Fitzhugh, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, said at Thursdays press conference. But when freedom of speech crosses a line into threats or offers to have federal law enforcement officers killed, we will never tolerate that.

Ziobrowski faces up to five years in prison if convicted, in addition to three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

He briefly appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., Thursday afternoon and was ordered released on $50,000 bond. As part of his bail, Ziobrowski was ordered to surrender his passport and refrain from making threats via any medium.

Ziobrowski's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 15 in Massachusetts.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain, Andrew Fone and Tamara Gitt contributed to this report.
The farmer who has repeatedly been questioned in relation to the disappearance of college student Mollie Tibbetts tells Fox News he took a polygraph test earlier this week in Brooklyn, Iowa, the city where she was last seen more than three weeks ago.

Wayne Cheney, who at times has appeared guarded in media interviews, said authorities did question him about Tibbetts during the polygraph and asked if he has anything to do with her disappearance.

But Cheney once again said to Fox News on Thursday he has nothing to do with her disappearance and that some guy probably has her.

Cheney added he doesnt know the results of his Tuesday lie detector test. He has not been publicly named as a suspect or person of interest in the case, has not been charged with a crime and said he has nothing to hide.

He also initially refused to take the test, according to reports.

During an interview with Fox News late last week, Cheney said he would allow the FBI to search his entire property; he expressed confidence the bureau wouldn't find anything. So far, he said, the FBI has searched his home, some of his property and his cellphone.

He also told Fox News he has never seen Tibbetts before, because he doesn't venture into Brooklyn, Iowa, where she was staying, several miles from his home.
A Nevada inmate who was sentenced to death in 2007 for committing drug-related murders in Phoenix and Las Vegas said Wednesday he wants his execution carried out as fast as possible.

Scott Raymond Dozier, whose execution has already been delayed twice, said the fight over his fate is taking a toll on him and his family and the state should "just get it done."

I want to be really clear about this. This is my wish, Dozier told the Associated Press in an interview from Ely State Prison. They should stop punishing me and my family for their inability to carry out the execution.

Dozier, 47, made his first comments since a Las Vegas judge postponed his execution at nearly the final hour because of the fight over the drugs used in lethal injection deaths. Pharmaceutical companies have objected to their medicines being used in capital punishment situations.

Sandoz Inc. is expected to ask a Clark County judge Thursday to join with two other firms suing to block the use of their products for three-drug lethal injection. However, a state official is expected to argue that Sandoz is objecting now only in a bid for good public relations.

"They should stop punishing me and my family for their inability to carry out the execution."  Scott Raymond Dozier

Alvogen and Hikma have already declared they didnt want their product used in executions and alleged that Nevada improperly obtained their drugs.

Prison officials have asked the Nevada Supreme Court to overturn a temporary order to ban the use of midazolam in executions. Officials want to reschedule Doziers execution for mid-November.

Fifteen states have sided with Nevada, which pits pharmaceutical conglomerates up against most of the U.S. states.

However, Dozier has called the fight over his fate a legal maelstrom and said hed doesnt care if he feels the pain from his lethal injection.

I don't even really want to die," Dozier said, "but I'd rather die than spend my life in prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An 11-year-old girl was reportedly Tased by a police officer who suspected her of shoplifting at a Cincinnati Kroger supermarket on Monday night.

The girl, who was not immediately identified, was approached by Cincinnati police officer Kevin Brown at a Kroger after he suspected her of using a backpack to shoplift. Cincinnati police said Brown approached her, but she tried to flee and was shocked with the stun gun. The girl was taken to a hospital following the incident.

The girl was charged with theft and obstruction of justice, but Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley asked the prosecutor to drop the charges.

Tasing an 11-year-old who posed no danger to the police is wrong. Im sorry for the harm done to her and her family, Cranley wrote in a statement. This evening I called and asked Prosecutor Deters to drop charges against the girl. Im happy to report that he did and I thank him for doing so.

Brown was placed on restricted duty until an investigation was completed, FOX 19 reported. Brown was working an off-duty security detail at the supermarket at the time of the incident, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

TEXAS GIRLS COLD CASE DISAPPEARANCE COULD BE SOLVED AFTER RAISING SUBMERGED CAR

The girls mother, Donna Gowdy, called the incident scary and hurtful in an interview with FOX 19.

Im sure that big man could have done better than that. I would have preferred he grabbed her and held her up. That would show that you really wanted to catch her, Gowdy said.

The mother did not excuse her daughters actions but did not think she should have been treated the way she did.

She took some things which she shouldnt have done, but at the same time, she didnt have to get treated the way she did for taking those things, shes only 11 years old, Gowdy said.

MOLLIE TIBBETTS SEARCH: IOWA MAN SAYS MAYBE I WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HER

The girl was with her sister and her friend at the time of the incident. She did not comment on the incident, but told the Cincinnati Enquirer that she felt sad. Gowdy said her daughter has back pain as a result of the Tasing.

"If you can't restrain these little kids, you need to find a different job," Gowdy told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "She should have never got Tased."

Cincinnati police officers were told they could use stun guns on people between the ages of 7 to 70 if a suspect [is] actively resisting arrest when there is probable cause to arrest the suspect.

"I just want justice," Gowdy said. "Not just for mine, but for others, too."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 18-year-old son of a police chief in Californias Bay Area was arrested Wednesday in connection with an attack on a 71-year-old Sikh man who was out taking his daily stroll.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Tyrone Keith McAllister, son of Union City police Chief Darryl McAllister, was booked on one count of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, the report said. Police said one of the two suspects seen in surveillance video may have waved a gun.

Sahbit Singh Natt told police that he was walking in Manteca, near Stockton in the Central Valley, on Monday at about 6 a.m. and was asked by his assailants for money, the report said.

Authorities said Tyrone McAllister and a 16-year-old confronted the man and kicked him to the ground. Police said the video shows the suspect kick him at least three times.

Authorities are reportedly working to determine if the assault was a hate crime.

The police chief said he and his wife worked with the Manteca Police Department to track down and arrest their son. He was arrested at around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The police chief expressed deep concern for the victim and the victims family.

The report said his son has been apparently estranged from the family.

Chief McAllister took to the police departments Facebook page to condemn the attack and said violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values.
The relentless heat across the West continues - which means not a lot of help for firefighters battling wildfires over California and the Northwest.

Tropical moisture will enhance the monsoonal flow over the Southwest and West Texas where flash flooding will be a risk.

A rainy pattern continues across the East as we move into the weekend.

Hurricane Hector is moving south of Hawaii, but the Islands will see indirect impacts.
A Texas man's quest to find out what happened to his sister and two other girls who disappeared more than four decades ago may depend on what he finds at the bottom of a Fort Worth-area lake.

Rusty Arnold was 11 when his 17-year-old sister, Rachel Arnold Trlica, went Christmas shopping on Dec. 23, 1974 with her 14-year-old friend, Lisa Renee Wilson, and 9-year-old Julie Ann Moseley. None of the girls were seen again.

"We're never going to give up. Never going to go away. Somebody out there knows what happened to these girls, Arnold told FOX4 on Friday. They're not going to go quietly. Theyre gonna go kicking and screaming if someone took them by force. I think they went with somebody they knew and they trusted."

Arnold has continued his own search over the years, creating a website in hopes of finding clues and conducting searches at various sites across Texas. That's led him to three submerged cars in Benbrook Lake, located southwest of Fort Worth.

He told the Star-Telegram his group of volunteers are interested in one vehicle in particular, because he believes one of the cars belongs to a "person of interest" who knew the girls.

DELAWARE POLICE HOPE DNA RENDERING OF WOMAN BRUTALLY MURDERED IN 1977 CAN HEAT UP COLD CASE

At the same time the girls went missing, we believe the vehicle he was driving also disappeared, Arnold told the newspaper. We sat around coming up with theories, and we discovered that the person of interest lived within five miles of Benbrook Lake at the time. Its a hunch.

Arnold, who has not disclosed in interviews how he came to focus on the three vehicles, said a friend used sonar and came across the submerged vehicles.

A group of divers plan to raise the three vehicles out of the lake next month, and search for any clues related to the disappearance of the girls.

OKLAHOMA POLICE HOPE GOLDEN STATE KILLER METHOD COULD BREAK OPEN 2004 COLD CASE

Arnold told FOX4 that police have told him there's not enough evidence to justify their presence, which is why he helped raise $10,000 from donations to pay North Teas Marine Salvage & Recovery to go into the murky waters. The group conducted a practice dive at a different lake on Friday to prepare them for what to expect in September.

"We don't know. They don't know, Jeff Burns with North Teas Marine Salvage & Recovery told FOX4. Everybody's been wondering what's down there. We're gonna find out."

In an interview in December, Lisa's father told the Star-Telegram he didn't believe the girls were still alive.

I would like to think otherwise, but its been so many years," Richard Wilson told the paper.
A womens studies professor predicts President Trumps supporters, whom she calls overt racists, will provoke violence when Trump leaves the Oval Office  even if it is after two terms.

Julie Novkov, chair of the political science department at the State University of New York at Albany, concludes in a recent article for New Political Science that Trump supporters having political power is dangerous.

She defines core Trump supporters as overt racists who view immigrants, blacks, Muslims, and Jews as enemies of the American state and are particularly inclined to embrace propaganda."

I believe that Trumpers  the core supporters Trump has bound to himself through his consistent and persistent messaging  will not accept as legitimate any means through which he departs from the presidency.  Julie Novkov

The public university professor argues there are no good options for the country with Trump supporters in power.

At best it might shift some areas of the country back to the political configuration common in some areas of the American south in the 1920s, she wrote, when gaudy populist racism vied with conservative, racist legitimation projects for hegemony entirely within the Democratic Party.

The alternative, Novkov argues, is that Trumpers could provoke violence and place the nation in the position of having to engage in its violent suppression.

Whether it is impeachment, resignation, failure to win re-election, or death, Novkov believes Trump supporters will riot when he leaves office.

I believe that Trumpers  the core supporters Trump has bound to himself through his consistent and persistent messaging  will not accept as legitimate any means through which he departs from the presidency, Novkov wrote. Can the Trumpers can be reincorporated into a democratic republic as engaged political actors who accept the fundamental premises of democratic governance?

TRUMP LABELED RACIST WHO SUPPORTS INTERNMENT CAMPS IN LSAT PREP TEST

She argued that even if Trump finishes a second term as president, "they will vociferously demand that he be permitted a third term, adding that if their response is violent, state violence will be necessary in response to maintain order.

This fall, the anti-Trump professor is set to teach American Federalism and a public law graduate course at the New York-based public university, according to CampusReform.org.

Novkov did not respond to request for comment.
A Virginia man who allegedly tied up a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulted her will serve no active jail time, a judge decided Wednesday.

Logan Michael Osborn, now 19, met the 14-year-old girl at a high school play in April 2017, according to prosecutors. After the play ended, the two took a walk, and he allegedly led her down a path away from people.

At the end of the path, Osborn, then 18, pushed the girl, tied a belt around her neck and hands and performed a sex act, prosecutors said. The girl testified that she cried during the assault, and claimed Osborn pushed her against the fence and on her knees at times.

In September 2017, Osborn pleaded guilty to having carnal knowledge of the girl. He later told the court he took responsibility for his poor judgement, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Osborns defense attorneys argued the interactions between the two had been consensual, pointing to text messages where she agreed to have fun with Osborn.

The age of consent in Virginia is 18.

Osborn was originally sentenced to 10 years in prison with eight years suspended. But in January, Chesterfield Circuit Judge T.J. Hauler stayed the execution of that two-year term, saying he wanted to review the case further, according to the Times-Dispatch.

APPEALS COURT REJECTS EX-STANFORD SWIMMERS OUTERCOURSE ARGUMENT

On Wednesday, Hauler decided to again stay the execution of the active prison term, citing discretionary state sentencing guidelines, according to the Times-Dispatch. His decision is tantamount to suspending the entire 10-year prison term, the newspaper reported.

This isnt the first time Hauler has been in the spotlight for controversial decisions regarding someone accused of violent sexually-based crimes.

Hauler was criticized in 2016 after he rejected the state of Virginias request to deny the release of Dana William, who was in prison for raping his ex-girlfriend, WTVR-TV reported. He had also been accused  but not charged  in multiple other rapes.

After his release, police said William strangled to death his ex-wifes father and abducted her mother in January 2016. Williams fatally shot himself as police were about to arrest him. Investigators later found the body of the mother off to the side of a road.

I hope he knows what a horrible decision he made, Smith told WTVR about Haulers decision to allow William to be released.

PENNSYLVANIA PEDIATRICIAN SEXUALLY ABUSED MORE THAN 2 DOZEN YOUNG PATIENTS, COPS SAY

In 2009, Virginia state Sen. Steven Martin criticized Hauler for having so many decisions overturned, WTVR reported.

I had serious concerns and did some research and felt like it was best that he not continue on the bench, Martin said.

At Wednesdays hearing, Hauler said he need[ed] to hear some positive things about Osborn. James Trent, a foreman at an electrical company, commended Osborns work ethic and performance, saying the skys the limit with his future, according to the Times-Dispatch.

However, prosecutors noted this isnt the first time Osborn has been accused of sexual misconduct. In all, hes been accused seven times, including once when he was 12 years old and charged with grabbing the genitals of another student, the Times-Dispatch reported. Osborns stepfather said he saw a child psychologist after that incident.

The 14-year-olds family said they were disappointed that the defendant will not serve any active incarceration for the brutal attack, prosecutor Erin Barr said.

They do not believe justice has been served and share concern for community safety and future potential victims, Barr said.

Osborn is required to register as a sex offender. His scholarship to the University of Mary Washington was also revoked after his conviction.
Saad El-Gammal, head of the Egyptian parliament's Arab Affairs Committee, also said Arab leaders have rejected the US-proposed "Deal of the Century" in the Middle East

In a statement to reporters Wednesday, Saad El-Gammal, the head of the Egyptian parliament's Arab Affairs Committee, said Egypt's long efforts to resolve hostility between Palestine's two main political factions  Fatah and Hamas  is still facing hard obstacles.

"Egypt has not abandoned efforts to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation, but external and internal obstacles still stand in the way," said El-Gammal.

In mid-October 2017, the secular Fatah and its Islamist rival Hamas signed an agreement in Cairo to advance reconciliation and restore the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority's (PA) control in the Gaza Strip. However, the two factions have failed to implement the deal, arguing over interpretation of its details.

El-Gammal said: "Each faction is holding to its own interpretation and positions and this makes the reconciliation deal very difficult to reach." "But this has not led Egypt's constructive efforts brokered by the intelligence and foreign ministry to collapse," he added. El-Gammal said that "both are still doing their best to bring the positions of the two factions on a number of serious political issues much closer."

"At the same time Egyptian officials are trying to show Fatah and Hamas the dangers of Palestinian divisions on the Middle East peace process and the future of Palestine itself," said El-Gammal, adding: "In this respect, I want to emphasise that some foreign forces are trying their best to keep Palestinian political divisions in place, and blow apart any reconciliation efforts. Of course, Israel likes to keep divisions, because this kills any hope for peace in the Middle East and serves its own interest in occupying Palestinian lands forever."

Many Egyptian MPs believe that Qatar, Turkey and Iran are also using financial assistance as leverage over Hamas not to accept reconciliation with Fatah.

Sources in Cairo's media circles say the most contentious issue between the two factions is the future of the weapons of Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas said it will not accept any deal that might push it to disarm or give up its weapons. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would only agree to a scenario in which PA security forces control all of Gaza's weapons and armed militias.

El-Gammal said Egyptian officials have repeatedly told the Palestinians that "permanent divisions will only lead the world lose sympathy with the Palestinian cause" and that "Israel likes this scenario very much."

El-Gammal revealed that Egyptian officials also urged the Palestinians to unite, particularly after most of the Arab world  including Egypt and Saudi Arabia  has rejected the US-proposed "Deal of the Century" that aims to resolve the conflict in the Middle East.

"Egyptian officials told the Palestinians that you have to invest in these strong Arab positions and move quickly to reach reconciliation," said El-Gammal, adding: "We have high hopes that the two rival factions will be aware of this, relinquish divisions, listen to the voice of reason and national conscience, put supreme Palestinian and Arab interests above narrow partisan, personal and ideological interests, and move to reconciliation and not let down the Palestinian people."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Israeli jets struck a dozen targets in the Gaza Strip Wednesday night as more than 70 rockets were launched toward the Jewish state from the Hamas-controlled region.

The Jerusalem Post, citing the Israel Defense Forces, reported that more than 70 rockets were launched from Gaza Wednesday evening. The IDF said many of the rockets fell into open territory, and the Iron Dome defense system intercepted 21 of them. However, it also said 15 Israelis were injured and many families were forced to spend the night in shelters.

Israeli media reported that at least six people were injured by shrapnel in the border town of Sderot. The Jerusalem Post also reported that a rocket landed directly on a house in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council.

In a statement, Hamas celebrated the rocket attacks, saying that it was "delivering on our promise. The resistance accepted the responsibility to even the playing field with the enemy and it is succeeding in doing so."

The IDF said the 12 Hamas sites hit by its jets included "an offensive maritime terror tunnel ... several terror sites in military compounds throughout the Gaza Strip ... rocket manufacturing facilities and a central logistical military complex."

The exchange came amid continued attempts by Egypt to broker a broad cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier Wednesday, the IDF said shots were fired from Gaza at civilians working on the barrier that separates 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 United Nations 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 U.N. 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 Hamas 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 claimed. One Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this period.

Israel said it's been defending its border and nearby communities and accused 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."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pentagon and NATO brass have issued fresh warnings about increased Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, with the top U.S. Navy admiral saying this week Russian submarine operations are currently at levels not seen since the Cold War.

Thats one reason the Navy plans to stand up a new command later this month to deal with the return of an old foe.

Tuesday night provided the latest example of Russias new show of force. A British Type 45 guided-missile destroyer escorted two Russian warships through the English Channel.

The Royal Navy posted video of HMS Diamond alongside the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruisier Marshal Ustinov in the English Channel. Interactions like this have become so common, the Royal Navy has warships standing 24-hour alert in port.

The incident took place one day after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with his British counterpart, Gavin Williamson, at the Pentagon. It marked the second time the same British warship had responded to approaching Russian Navy warships, according to the warships commanding officer.

This week, the U.S. Navys highest ranking officer, Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, told VOA Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic is "more than we've seen in 25 years.

But a day later, Mattis downplayed the perceived threat from the Russian Navy.

We always keep an eye on the submarines at sea and I prefer not to say any more than that, Mattis told reporters on the Pentagon steps ahead of Williamson's visit.

A recent Russian missile test provided another example of Russias resurgence at sea.

Two months before the Helsinki summit, a Russian ballistic missile submarine launched four long-range nuclear missiles in rapid succession from off the coast of Russia in the White Sea, each with a range of 6,000 miles  putting Washington, D.C. in range. U.S. spy satellites took note of the test, which marked the first time Russia had fired this many missiles at once from its newest class of ballistic missile submarine.

Observers said tensions are high right now between Moscow and Washington, despite the summit in Helsinki last month. On Wednesday, the U.S. said it would impose sanctions on Russia over a nerve agent attack.

I think Russia is signaling to us that the Bear is back. We are likely to see more of this intimidating, threatening operations on the part of the Russian fleet, said Peter Brookes, a senior fellow for national security affairs at the Heritage Foundation. This is an expression of President Putin's foreign policy and its directed towards the United States.

U.S. officials are concerned special Russian submarines can tap into undersea cables.

Days ahead of the landmark summit between Cold War foes, President Trump signaled a willingness to ease tensions despite his top intelligence officials accusing Russia of meddling in the 2016 election.

Maybe we will get along with Russia, the president said at a news conference on July 12. I think we probably will be able to.

A week after the Helsinki summit, Trump told CNBC if things didnt work out, I'll be the worst enemy he's ever had, speaking about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Since Russian forces deployed to Syria three years ago, Russian submarines in the Mediterranean have at times launched missiles to help crush the rebellion battling the Assad regime.

The increased Russian threat is one of the reasons the U.S. Navy is bringing back the 2nd Fleet later this month in Norfolk, Va. to keep tabs on the Russians in the Atlantic.

It had been deactivated in 2011.
Saudi Arabia crucified a Burmese man convicted of killing a woman and committing other crimes Wednesday in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, state media reported.

Elias Abdulkalaam Jamaleddeen entered a Burmese womans home firing a gun and then stabbed her to death, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, citing an Interior Ministry statement.

Jamaleddeen was convicted of robbing her home and another home, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition. State media said his conviction was upheld and his execution was endorsed by King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds most prolific executioners. The countrys crucifixions include beheading the criminal and then putting his body on display with the arms outstretched.

Homosexuality and attending anti-government rallies have previously led to crucifixions in Saudi Arabia, according to Business Insider.

The crucifixion comes amid a diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada. Womens rights activists from Canada were arrested in the Kingdom last week, leading to harsh criticism from Ottawa.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador Wednesday due to the country's criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said diplomatic talks would continue, but he said he wouldnt back down from raising human rights issues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip and three people were reported killed there, while Palestinian militants from the territory fired scores of rockets into Israel in a fierce burst of violence overnight and into Thursday morning.

The flare-up comes as Egypt is trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the two sides. At least three Palestinians died  a pregnant woman, her 1-year-old daughter and a Hamas militant, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

On the Israeli side, at least seven people were wounded.

It was not clear if the escalation, the latest in a series of intense exchanges of fire in recent months, would derail the indirect negotiations between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militant rulers.

Air raid sirens signaling incoming rocket fire continued in southern Israel on Thursday morning, raising the likelihood of further Israeli reprisals.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Despite the animosity, the bitter enemies appear to be working through Egyptian mediators to avoid another war.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gaza's economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two live Israelis believed to be held by Hamas.

But the continued outbursts of fire have jeopardized those cease-fire efforts. On Tuesday, the Israeli military struck a Hamas military post in Gaza after it said militants fired on Israeli troops on the border. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed after taking part in a gunfire parade inside a militant camp.

The incident occurred while a group of senior Hamas leaders from abroad were visiting Gaza to discuss the ceases-fire efforts with local leaders.

A top Hamas official told The Associated Press that the group waited for the delegation to leave Gaza before responding with rocket fire late Wednesday.

The Israeli military said over 150 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel, and Israel carried out over 140 airstrikes targeting Hamas militant positions.

Gaza's Health Ministry identified those killed in the airstrikes from Wednesday to Thursday as Hamas fighter Ali Ghandour, 23-year-old Enas Khamash and her daughter Bayan. The ministry said the militant and the civilians were killed in separate incidents.

Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus insisted Israel only targeted Hamas military targets in Gaza.

In southern Israel, two Thai laborers were among the seven wounded by rocket fire, and rockets damaged buildings in the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon. The military said it intercepted some 25 rockets, while most of the others landed in open areas. Israel said it launched airstrikes targeting rocket launchers, weapons stockpiles, tunnels and other Hamas infrastructure.

Israeli Cabinet minister for construction and housing, Yoav Galant, said that "whatever is needed to be done to defend our civilians and soldiers, will be done, no matter what would be the price in Gaza."

Conricus wouldn't comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation, but said Israel "had ground troops that are ready to deploy. We are reinforcing the southern command and Gaza division."

On Wednesday, the Israeli military shelled the Palestinian territory after civilians working on the Gaza border fence came under fire. Hamas militants responded with a cross-border fusillade that sent Israelis scrambling for air raid shelters.

The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing classified negotiations, said that cease-fire talks were in their final stage but that disagreements remained. He said Hamas is demanding the complete lifting of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade, while Israel has offered only to ease the restrictions.

Tension along the Israel-Gaza border has escalated since late March, when Hamas launched what would become regular mass protests along Israel's perimeter fence with Gaza. The protests have been aimed in part at trying to break the blockade.

Over the past four months, 163 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including at least 120 protesters, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. An Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this period.

Israel says it has been defending its sovereign border against infiltration attempts by Hamas. But it has come under heavy international criticism for its frequent use of force against unarmed protesters.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet on Thursday after Hamas fired close to 200 rockets into Israeli territory -- and as the country's military reinforced units along the border ahead of a feared escalation.

In a brief statement, the cabinet said it had ordered the army "to continue taking strong action against the terrorist elements." Before the meeting, Netanyahu and his defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, met with top military officials to discuss their options.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, told The Associated Press that Israel had "ground troops that are ready to deploy. We are reinforcing the southern command and Gaza division." He wouldn't comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation.

Also Thursday, the Israeli military flattened a well-known cultural center in a crowded Gaza City neighborhood, claiming it was a Hamas military base, as militants fired rockets toward Israel throughout the evening.

At least 180 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Wednesday. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted at least 30 of those rockets while others landed in open spaces.

The Israeli military has responded with 140 airstrikes, which Gaza authorities claimed killed at least three people -- including a pregnant woman and her 1-year-old daughter. At least 28 people have been injured across southern Israel.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Despite the anger, the enemies have signaled, through their contacts with Egypt, that they want to avoid another war and the Cairo government is continuing efforts to broker a long-term cease-fire.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gaza's economy, while Israel has called for an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two Israelis believed to be alive and held by Hamas.

Thursday's fighting, however, brought back memories of the most recent war, in 2014. Air raid sirens wailed in southern Israel overnight and throughout the day, sending families scrambling into bomb shelters, canceling outdoor summer cultural events and forcing summer camps indoors. The Israeli air force, meanwhile, pounded targets across Gaza.

A Palestinian rocket struck the southern city of Beersheba late in the afternoon, landing in an open area. It was the first time a rocket had hit the city since the 2014 war.

In southern Israel, two Thai laborers were among the seven wounded by rocket or mortar fire, and rockets damaged buildings in the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon.

In Sderot, Fox News observed houses and cars pockmarked with shrapnel where some rockets had landed Wednesday night. Amateur video showed parents and children fleeing a playground as rockets landed nearby.

At the United Nations, Israel's ambassador, Danny Danon, urged the secretary-general and U.N. Security Council to condemn Hamas militants for what he called "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel.

Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. Mideast envoy, said he was "deeply alarmed" and appealed for calm. He warned the situation "can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. officials were concerned by the situation in Gaza.



"Overall, we condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel, and call for an end to the destructive violence. We've seen reports that 180 or so rocket attacks have taken place, shot from Gaza into Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to defend itself, and to take actions to prevent provocations of that nature," Nauert said.

Tension along the Israel-Gaza border has escalated since late March, when Hamas launched what would become regular mass protests along Israel's perimeter fence with Gaza. The protests have been aimed in part at trying to break the blockade.

Israel and Hamas have engaged in several bouts of fighting this month. The latest round erupted Tuesday, when the Israeli military struck a Hamas military post in Gaza after it said militants fired on Israeli troops on the border. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed after taking part in a gunfire parade inside a militant camp.

The incident unfolded while a group of senior Hamas leaders from abroad were visiting Gaza to discuss the ceases-fire efforts with local leaders.

A top Hamas official told The Associated Press that the group waited for the delegation to leave Gaza before responding with rocket fire late Wednesday.

Fox News' David Lee Miller in Sderot, Israel, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The rival Koreas will meet Monday for high-level talks meant to prepare for a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, South Korea said, the third such meetings between the leaders in recent months.

The announcement Thursday by the South's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean issues for Seoul, comes amid attempts by Washington and Pyongyang to follow through on nuclear disarmament vows made at a summit in June between President Donald Trump and Kim.

Pyongyang has also stepped up its calls for a formal end to the Korean War, which some analysts believe is meant to be the first step in the North's effort to eventually see all 28,500 U.S. troops leave the Korean Peninsula. Washington is pushing for the North to begin giving up its nuclear program.

A South Korean official at the Unification Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of office rules, said the two Koreas will also discuss ways to push through tension-reducing agreements made during an earlier summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon. Among the agreements was holding another inter-Korean summit in the fall in Pyongyang.

The rival Koreas may try to seek a breakthrough amid what experts see as little progress on nuclear disarmaments between Pyongyang and Washington despite the Singapore summit in June and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's several visits to North Korea.

Pyongyang insisted that the U.S. should reciprocate to the North's suspension of missile launches and nuclear tests and other goodwill gestures such as the return of remains of American troops killed in the Korean War. The United States has dismissed calls to ease sanctions until the North delivers on its commitments to fully denuclearize.

The inter-Korean meeting on Monday will be held at Tongilgak, a North Korean-controlled building in the border village of Panmunjom. It wasn't clear who would attend the talks, but such meetings have typically been handled in the past by South Korea's unification minister and his counterpart in the North. It also wasn't clear when another summit might happen, but if the April 27 summit agreements are followed through, the leaders will likely meet in Pyongyang in the next couple of months.

In the meantime, both Koreas are seeking an early end of the Korean War. South Korea's presidential spokesman said last month that Seoul wants an early declaration of the end of the 1950-53 war sooner than later. The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the fighting ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Earlier Thursday, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary that ending the Korean War is "the first process for ensuring peace and security not only in the Korean peninsula but also in the region and the world."

Seoul said it accepted the North's proposal after Pyongyang first suggested a meeting Monday to discuss another summit.

Kim and Moon met in April at a highly publicized summit that saw the leaders hold hands and walk together across the border, and then again in a more informal summit in May, just weeks before Kim met Trump in Singapore.
South Sudan's president has granted amnesty to armed opposition leader Riek Machar and all rebel groups days after signing a power-sharing agreement in the latest effort to end a five-year civil war.

The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation reported the announcement by President Salva Kiir.

Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel responded with dismay, saying on Thursday that the commander of South Sudanese troops who have violated multiple cease-fires "is not qualified to give amnesty to anybody." He added: "Salva should instead seek for forgiveness from Dr. Machar in particular and South Sudanese in general."

As part of the power-sharing deal, Kiir will remain president and Machar will return to the country as the first vice president, one of five vice presidents.

A similar agreement fell apart in July 2016 as fighting erupted and Machar fled the country. The civil war broke out in December 2013 between supporters of Kiir and Machar, who was serving his first stint as Kiir's deputy. The fighting, often along ethnic lines, since then has killed tens of thousands of people and created Africa's largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The United States last month said it was "skeptical" the two men whose rivalry has been so destructive could lead the way to peace under the new agreement.

South Sudan's government insists things will be different this time, with government spokesman Michael Makuei saying last week that Machar has "learned the hard way."

Machar's troops are expected to go to cantonment sites for training to be unified with the government army.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
What appeared to be the story of the summer turned out to be too good to be true.

The tale quickly made the rounds on social media: Two elderly men sneaked out of their retirement home to attend Germanys largest heavy metal festival. But that wasn't entirely true.

ISRAELI JETS STRIKE GAZA TERROR TARGETS AFTER HAMAS LAUNCHES DOZENS OF ROCKETS

German media outlet Deutsche Welle, which was one of the numerous outlets to report the story, is now adding new details from police. Last week it was reported two elderly men sneaked out of their retirement home in northern Germany to attend Wacken Open Air. Police reported the incident Aug. 4.

Metalheads around the globe praised the two men for finding a way to listen to music -- but the story wasn't completely accurate.

WWII-ERA BOMB FOUND IN POLAND FORCES EVACUATION OF MORE THAN 2,000

The two men were not elderly and did not go to the festival -- but, instead, went to a party nearby, Itzehoe police said.

The two men, aged 58 and 59, left a home for people with mental health issues to attend a party in Wacken, near the festival. Attendees of the festival called police after finding the two helpless, disoriented and intoxicated waiting for a bus home at a main street stop after the buses had stopped running at 3 a.m. Saturday. Police said alcohol had contributed to their helpless situation.

The two men were taken to a medical tent at the festival to get checked out before they were taken to their care home. The two men left in a cab as a police cruiser followed them back to their home about 20 miles away.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


The Egyptian prosecution has ordered the detention of the municipal district chief of Giza's Haram district for four days pending investigations into charges of bribery and abuse of power.

Prosecutors say that Ibrahim Abdel-Ati, who was arrested on Tuesday, looked the other way in the face of the illegal construction of buildings in the district in return for bribes from construction firms.

Three other businessmen were also ordered to be detained alongside Abdel-Ati over accusations of offering bribes in cash and apartments.

Abdel-Ati is the latest in a number of municipal district chiefs who have been arrested over corruption charges in recent months.

In June, authorities arrested the chief of Cairo's Al-Dokki district on suspicion of taking bribes from businessmen to allow illegal construction of a building in the area.

Egypts Administrative Control Authority, the country's anti-corruption watchdog, has in recent months opened several graft-related cases involving top state officials including the head of the country's Customs Authority last month, the head of the state Food Industries Holding Company in May, and the Menoufiya governor in January.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Venezuelan government is seeking the extradition of one of its citizens living in the U.S. whom it accuses of masterminding the alleged drone attack against President Nicolas Maduro nearly a week ago.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters Wednesday he'd reached out to the U.S. embassy in Caracas to help obtain the extradition of Osman Delgado Tabosky, who lives in Miami, Florida.

Maduro, who was unharmed when a drone purportedly carrying explosives went off in front of him while he spoke at a military ceremony in Caracas, has accused Delgado Tabosky of financing the alleged attack, the Miami Herald reported.

ALLEGED ATTACK ON MADURO ALLOWS HIM TO CRACK DOWN HARDER ON OPPOSITION, EXPERTS SAY

Six people have been arrested on charges of being the executors of the alleged attack  including two opposition lawmakers. Investigators have linked a total of 19 people to the attack, Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said Wednesday.

The countrys pro-government constitutional assembly stripped Julio Borger and Juan Requesens, who have sets in the opposition-controlled legislature, of their immunity from prosecution on Wednesday.

Delago Tabosky, the son of an entrepreneur, is also suspected of involvement in a failed attack by dissident soldiers at a Venezuela army base last year.

Arreaza told journalists that James Story, the top U.S. diplomat in Caracas, expressed the will of the U.S. government to cooperate.

The U.S. State Department has declined to comment on what was discussed or whether Venezuela had made any extradition request.

Critics of Maduro's socialist government said immediately after the drone explosions that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opponents as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuela's devastating economic collapse.

"It's evident that the initial reaction of the government isn't aimed at attempting to clarify what happened but rather to take advantage of the situation and irresponsibly and sweepingly attack the 'opposition,'" Broad Front, a coalition of opposition groups in Venezuela, said in a statement.

Fox News' Elizabeth Llorente and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Discord is getting into the retail business, and has today launched a beta for an all new game storefront and subscription service.

The beta test is initially being rolled out to around 50,000 Canadian users, and will be expanded to include more over time.

Those lucky enough to take it for a spin will be met with an upgraded version of Discord Nitro -- the platform's $4.99 monthly subscription service -- that now grants access to a curated game library filled with a variety of titles like Saints Row: The Third, Metro: Last Light, Super Meat Boy, De Blob, and GoNNER.

They'll also spot a new 'Discord Store' tab on the home screen, with the fresh-faced marketplace giving all users the means to purchase individual titles through the platform.

Discord has likened its new storefront to a 'cozy book shop,' explaining it wants to keep the marketplace uncluttered so consumers can easily find what they're after.

Notably, the store will also support 'First on Discord' titles, which are exclusive indie offerings that Discord has helped bring to life. As the name suggests, those First on Discord releases will be timed exclusives, and developers will be free to sell them elsewhere after 90 days have passed.

"Alongside the upgraded Nitro, we'll be launching a curated game store experience similar to one of those cozy neighborhood book shops with recommendations about the hottest and newest games from us to you," explained the company.

"We'll be showcasing a variety of titles that we think you'll like. As the store grows, well rely on our community and our team to make the store feel super personal and focused on games that we genuinely think you'll enjoy."

You can find out more about the Discord's latest ventures by heading on over to the Discord blog.
After several months of waiting, Monster Hunter: World was released on Steam today and has already become the digital platform's biggest launch of 2018.

As ResetEra member Rodja pointed out, according to Steam's stats page Monster Hunter: World currently has 232,499 concurrent players, hitting its peak earlier today with around 240,901 active users.

It seems as though Capcom's gamble to bring Monster Hunter: World to a Western audience worked out based on concurrent player numbers, becoming the biggest launch for a Japanese game ever on Steam, as well as the best debut for a Capcom game on Steam.

Monster Hunter: World has hit many other notable milestones since launching on consoles back in January, becoming Capcom's fastest-selling title of all time.

It even sold a record 5 million copies within the first three days of launch, and the publisher recently attributed its most profitable first quarter in history thanks to the performance of Monster Hunter: World.




[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.]

(Key Requests open) FRANKFURT - August. 3rd, 2018  An elaborate plan by publisher Deck13 and developer Uncanaut to announce a new game today has been all but sidetracked! Hard at work, they were hit by some weird three legged creature calling himself vridniX and claiming to be a hero! What sorcery is this!? Instead of the originally planned announcement, we now follow the advice of the strange orange creature to report that the vridniX, a speedy and chaotic 2D platformer will hit Steam on August 16th! Bringing a generous helping of salt and madness to Steam (He also forced us to mention something about a Neta-Vark? Some sort of place where the Wamnis live?), vridniX will challenge all comers. iTrailer: Click here! Key Features Never stop running!

Make the levels rotate!

Survive in 6 strange worlds and over 100 frantic levels!

Meet many twisted characters in hilarious cutscenes!

Fight epic bosses, but you can't attack!

8+ hours of gameplay!

Destroy everything you love!

Face the salt! Important Links Steam

Facebook

Twitter About vridniX Welcome to the epic tale of a selfish brat  vridniX is a 'hero' who can't stop running! He bounces against walls, hangs from the ceiling with his massive tongue, he can do backflips in mid-air and above all... he has the unique ability to rotate levels by picking up special orbs! Unfortunately, by using his ability, vridniX will eventually destroy all the places he passes through. Play as the evil hero  and ragequit in over 100 frantic levels because vridniX is a true challenge. About Uncanaut: Uncanaut is a two person studio creating weird games for regular people. Located in the beautiful country of France and working in the video game industry for several years, vridniX is their first indie project. About Deck13: Founded in 2001, Deck13 Interactive is a leading German game developer and publisher with more than 60 employees across its Frankfurt and Hamburg studios. The company has developed more than 20 titles -- including major releases such as Lords of the Fallen. In 2014, the Deck13 Games label was created to help independent developers bring their projects to wider audiences. Deck13 Games aids developers in production, localization, quality assurance, public relations, and distribution. So far, the company has helped bring more than 10 titles to market.
Press release

For Immediate Release

Spawn Point OSK has released a free demo of their upcoming rogue-lite shooter Gerty for Windows, Linux and macOS on Steam.

OULU, Finland, Aug. 9, 2018 - Spawn Point OSK has released a free demo version of their upcoming game Gerty, a challenging, top down, sci-fi, rogue-lite shooter. The demo is available on Steam for Window, Linux and macOS.

"I fell in love with the intense gameplay in the rogue-lite game Risk of Rain and I wanted to combine that feeling of intensity to a top-down action game with Terraria-inspired digging mechanics," explains the project's lead designer Risto Ihalainen.

"We wanted to release the demo to a wider audience prior to release, because we have always taken the fans' feedback very seriously in our development, and wish to do so also in the future" Risto continues.

Gerty is slated for Early Access release in December 2018. This will be the third PC title published by Spawn Point OSK.

Gerty trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wsften7jh8

Get the Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/455100/Gerty/

Game presskit: http://www.gerty-game.com/?page_id=353

Contact: [email protected]

About Gerty:

Gerty is a top-down rogue-lite twin-stick shooter with fully destructible environment. Carve your own path through replayable procedurally generated levels and create tactically advantageous situations to eliminate the alien threat in intense, tough but fair, action packed gameplay. Mine Juice crystals to upgrade your gear, discover alien structures, and eliminate the source of the alien threat in singleplayer or local co-op mode.

About Spawn Point OSK:

Spawn Point OSK is a co-operative founded in Oulu, Finland in September 2014. Spawn Point develops and publishes digital games. Their previous published Steam titles include Xenocide (2015) and Army of Squirrels (2018).
Palestinian officials said three Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks since Wednesday: a member of the Islamist Hamas group that rules Gaza, a pregnant woman, and her 18-month-old child.

At least five Palestinian civilians were wounded, local medical officials said.

As fighting entered a second day on Thursday despite efforts to broker a truce to end months of simmering violence, Palestinians fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel and Israel launched scores of air strikes in Gaza

The Israeli military said seven people were wounded in southern Israel; one was identified by her employer as a Thai agricultural worker.

The rocket fire from Gaza has not targeted Israel's heartland and the Israeli military said its air strikes were limited to Hamas installations.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Israel for the escalation, citing the killing of two Hamas gunmen on Tuesday in northern Gaza which he described as unprovoked.

Israeli media reports said fire from the gunmen had apparently been part of a Hamas exercise and not directed at Israel.

An Israeli military spokesman said Hamas operatives had shot in the general direction of Israel's border.

Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner cabinet, told Israel Radio: "We are not eager for war and are not interested in a broader confrontation but at the same time it could certainly happen because we will not make any concessions to Hamas."

Netanyahu was due to convene the security cabinet later to assess the situation.

The flare-up came after officials on both sides had talked about potential progress in an effort by the United Nations and Egypt to broker a truce to end months of violence and alleviate deepening humanitarian and economic hardship in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip.

Rocket warning sirens sounded almost non-stop in the southern Israeli town of Sderot and other border communities from sunset on Wednesday. Many residents have a reinforced room in their homes where they can shelter. The military said more than 150 rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza.

Ambulance sirens echoed through the night in Gaza, where families huddled at home as powerful explosions shook buildings. The Israeli military said its aircraft struck 140 facilities belonging to Hamas.

U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in an overnight statement: "I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by todays multiple rockets fired towards communities in southern Israel."

The United Nations, he said, has engaged with Egypt in an "unprecedented effort" to avoid serious conflict, but cautioned that "the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people".

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved an agreement Thursday, Oct. 28, to let ABL Space Systems build a spacecraft processing facility at the Port of Long Beach and use the waterfront area to deliver and ship its cargo.
250 flights in Germany are affected : Ryan Air strike will cause cancellations in Cologne/Bonn

Cologne/Duesseldorf/Weeze Numerous flights which were scheduled for Friday have been cancelled due to a strike at Ryanair. As of Wednesday night, 14 departures from Cologne/Bonn Airport had been canceled.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

A strike at Ryanair means numerous flights will be cancelled on Friday in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). At Ryanairs base in Weeze, 16 out of the 19 flights scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Passengers had already been informed.

Cologne / Bonn Airport announced that as of Wednesday night, 14 of 54 scheduled Ryanair flights (27 departures, 27 landings) had been cancelled for Friday. Also affected are flights from airline Laudamotion, where three scheduled flights were reportedly cancelled. Passengers should check the Ryanair website for the status of their flights.

At the largest NRW airport in Dusseldorf, a total of twelve take-offs and landings were cancelled, according to a spokesperson. Four of them were directly related to Ryanair, while eight others were on routes operated by the airline Laudamotion, which also serves Ryanair.

On Wednesday, the pilots union in Germany joined the strike along with Ireland, Belgium and Sweden, calling for pilots in Germany to stop work on Friday. The airline then cut 250 flights in Germany. All airports except Baden-Baden are affected. About a third of German customers will still be able to fly on Friday, because their planes are coming from countries that are not affected by the strike, said Ryanair marketing boss Kenny Jacobs.
Saudi Arabia's diplomatic dispute with Canada over its arrest of women's rights activists will not affect the ultraconservative kingdom's oil sales to Canadian customers, the Saudi energy minister said Thursday.

The remarks by Khalid al-Falih show the limits of the ongoing quarrel and may calm some of the bluster surrounding the dispute that suddenly erupted Monday over Canadian diplomats' tweets asking the kingdom to release the detained activists.

A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted al-Falih as saying oil sales are not affected by politics as there is a "firm and longstanding policy that is not influenced by political circumstances."

"The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada," the statement said, referring the state-run oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Canada, itself one of the world's five top energy producers, gets some 10 percent of its oil imports from Saudi Arabia. Bilateral trade between the two nations is $3 billion a year.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze "all new business" with Ottawa over its criticism of the kingdom's arrest of 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.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that his nation would continue diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia but wouldn't back down on raising human rights issues.

"Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights," he said.

Saudi Arabia plans to pull out thousands of students and medical patients from Canada over the spat. Since the crisis began, Saudi state-run television and other channels backing the kingdom have been airing programs criticizing Canada and accusing it of jailing "prisoners of conscience."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Negotiations are urgently needed to avert "a civilian bloodbath" in Syria's last major rebel bastion Idlib, the UN said Thursday, after regime forces shelled the area ahead of an expected assault.

"The war cannot be allowed to go to Idlib," the head of the United Nations humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, told reporters in Geneva.

President Bashar al-Assad has warned that the northwestern province would be his military's next priority. Artillery and rocket fire reportedly slammed into rebel and jihadist positions in the area earlier on Thursday.

Egeland said he remained "hopeful" that diplomatic efforts underway could stave off a major ground offensive that would force hundreds of thousands to flee.

"It is bad now," in Idlib, Egeland said. "It could be 100 times worse."

Idlib is home to about 2.5 million people, up to half of whom are rebels and civilians transferred en masse from other territory that fell to Syrian troops after intense assaults.

A major military operation in Idlib would pose a particular humanitarian nightmare because there is no opposition territory left in Syria where people could be evacuated to, Egeland said.

"I cannot see evacuations to other opposition-controlled areas," he said, explaining that contingency plans were being formed to deal with a range of scenarios.

At Thursday's humanitarian taskforce meeting, ambassadors discussed options to ramp up assistance in the event of additional massive displacement, Egeland said, noting that "it is very hard to take on more mouths to feed and there is no (additional) shelter available" in the area.

Ensuring that Turkey keeps its border open for those who might flee an assault by Damascus would be a priority, he added.

"The scenario that we really need to avoid at any cost is the big war coming to civilian areas (in Idlib)," the UN official said.

He added that he was "heartened" to hear diplomats from Assad allies Russia and Iran as well as opposition backer Turkey say they were committed to avoiding a large-scale offensive.

Egeland said the string of rebel surrender deals brokered elsewhere during the Syrian conflict could be applied in Idlib to save civilian lives.

Around 60 percent of the area is now held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, while the rest is controlled by rival opposition factions.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Related Israel bombs on Gaza kill three Palestinians as Hamas fires rockets

Israeli aircraft struck more than 150 targets in Gaza on Wednesday night and early Thursday, and Palestinian militants fired scores of rockets including a long-range missile deep into Israel, escalating fighting despite talks on a truce to avert an all-out conflict.

After the long-range Palestinian missile attack, the first of its kind since an Israeli offensive on Gaza in 2014, Israeli air strikes resumed on Thursday afternoon, flattening a multi-storey building that the Israeli military described as a Hamas headquarters.

Israel launched three military campaigns in the past decade against Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza strip. A surge in cross border rocket and air strikes in recent weeks have prompted the United Nations and Egypt to try to broker a truce to prevent another one.

A pregnant Palestinian woman and her 18-month-old child were killed in the Israeli attacks overnight, as was a Hamas militant, local medical officials said. Hundreds of people took part in the funeral for the woman and child on Thursday.

The Israeli military said seven people were wounded by Palestinian rockets and mortars that hit southern Israel across the border.

Ambulance sirens echoed through the night in Gaza, where families huddled at home as powerful explosions thundered through the strip. Across the border rocket warning sirens sounded almost non-stop from sunset on Wednesday in Israeli towns and villages where residents sheltered in bunkers.

The Israeli military said its aircraft had struck more than 150 Hamas targets overnight, while more than 180 Palestinian rockets and mortars hit southern Israel.

Egypt and the United Nations are trying to mediate a truce to prevent the escalation in fighting turning into another all-out war over Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2 million Palestinians.

The long-range missile fired on Thursday was the first of its kind since the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza.

Twenty-five miles from the border, air raid sirens rang out in Israel's main southern city Beersheba. Israeli Army Radio said militants had fired a Grad missile capable of reaching Israel's heartland. Israeli Police said they found its remnants in an open area on the outskirts of the city of 200,000 people and that no one was hurt.

Israel responded by hitting the multi-storey building, first with small bombs apparently so that people would evacuate, then flattening it to the ground with a huge blast that shook the city and raised clouds of dust and smoke.

Residents said the building had served mainly as a cultural centre. Local health officials said 18 bystanders were wounded outside of the building by the blast. Hamas denied using the facility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet late into the night on Thursday. A statement issued by his office said the forum instructed the military to "keep acting with force against the terrorists".

TRUCE SOUGHT

Israel captured Gaza in a 1967 war but withdrew in 2005, while holding onto most of the separate West Bank, where Palestinians have limited self-rule. For more than a decade Gaza has been controlled by Hamas under an Israeli blockade that has collapsed its economy, creating what the World Bank has described as a humanitarian crisis with shortages of water, electricity and medicine.

Israel says it has no choice but to enforce its blockade to defend itself against Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction and has used Gaza as a base for missile attacks.

Earlier on Thursday, a Palestinian official said armed factions in Gaza were prepared to halt their rocket attacks on southern Israel if the Israeli military stopped its air strikes.

"Factions of the resistance consider this round of escalation over as far as we are concerned, and the continuation of calm depends on the behaviour of the occupation," the Palestinian official said.

The official, at a command centre used by armed groups in Gaza, said they had been "responding to crimes" by Israel - a reference to the killing on Tuesday, in disputed circumstances, of two Hamas gunmen.

Yuval Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, told Israel Radio earlier that Israel was "not eager for war" but would make no concessions to Hamas.

U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said the United Nations had engaged with Egypt in an "unprecedented effort" to avoid serious conflict, but "the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people".

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


LONDON and CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM / TSXV: MKA) (the "Company" or "Mkango") is pleased to provide an update on its major diamond drilling programme underway at the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project (Songwe) in Malawi. The drilling programme is a key component of the Feasibility Study for Songwe, which is being fully funded by Talaxis Limited (Talaxis), a subsidiary of Noble Group Ltd.



A total of 6,558 metres of drilling had been completed as at August 8, comprising 52 drill holes to a maximum depth of approximately 220 metres

Multiple zones of carbonatite, the primary host rock for rare earth mineralisation at Songwe, have been intersected to date

Assay results from the first batch of samples from 8 drill holes totaling 944 metres are expected to be announced by the end of August 2018

The second batch of samples from 6 drill holes totaling 721 metres were recently dispatched for assay, and further batches of samples will be dispatched in coming weeks

The drill programme is on track and is expected to total up to approximately 10,000 metres, focused on infill drilling the existing Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimates, testing extensions to the mineralisation and geotechnical drilling

Mkango completed two successful drilling programmes at Songwe in 2011 and 2012, totaling approximately 6,850 metres and culminating in a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate. Mkango is targeting announcement of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, incorporating the results of the latest drill programme, by the end of 2018.

On Mkango publishing a NI 43-101 technical report in relation to the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, Talaxis will invest a further 7 million to fund completion of the Feasibility Study for Songwe.

William Dawes, Chief Executive Officer, commented: The drill programme is on track and we look forward to updating the market with the first set of results. Mkango is developing one of the few advanced stage rare earths projects globally. It is fully funded and well positioned to benefit from growing demand for neodymium and praseodymium used in permanent magnet motors for electric vehicles. Our vision is to develop a major new sustainable source of rare earths in Malawi, with Mkango spearheading development of the sector. We are receiving strong support from the Government of Malawi to fulfil this vision. This includes commitments on infrastructure developments to enhance the already favourable operating environment.



Scientific and technical information contained in this release has been approved and verified by Dr. Scott Swinden of Swinden Geoscience Consultants Ltd, who is a "Qualified Person" in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Mkango Resources Limited

Mkango's primary business is exploration for rare earth elements and associated minerals in the Republic of Malawi, a country whose hospitable people have earned it a reputation as the warm heart of Africa. The Company holds interests in three exclusive prospecting licenses in Malawi, the Phalombe licence, the Thambani licence and the Chimimbe Hill licence.

The main exploration target in the 80% held Phalombe licence is the Songwe Hill rare earths deposit, which features carbonatite-hosted rare earth mineralisation and was subject to previous exploration in the late 1980s. Mkango completed an updated Pre-Feasibility Study for the project in November 2015 and a Feasibility Study is currently underway, the initial phases of which include a major drilling programme.

Under the terms of an agreement with Talaxis, Talaxis will fully fund the Feasibility Study for Songwe by investing 12 million for a 49% interest in the project (via Mkango subsidiary Lancaster Exploration Ltd). Talaxis will also have the option to acquire a further 26% interest by arranging funding for project development including funding the equity component thereof. If Talaxis exercises its option, Mkango will retain a 25% interest, free carried to production. To-date, Talaxis has invested 5 million, which is funding the initial phase of the Feasibility Study, for a 20% interest in the project with Mkango holding 80%.

By investing a further 2 million, Talaxis will acquire a 49% interest in Maginito Ltd, a new subsidiary of Mkango focused on neodymium alloy powders, magnets and other technologies. This includes the collaboration with Metalysis Ltd announced in September 2017, which is focused on advanced alloys using neodymium or praseodymium with other elements for permanent magnet manufacturing. Permanent magnets are critical materials for most electric vehicles, direct drive wind turbines and many other high growth applications. Neodymium is a key rare earth component at Songwe. To date, Talaxis has invested 1 million for a 24.5% interest in Maginito with Mkango holding 75.5%.

The main exploration targets in Mkangos remaining two 100% held licences are, in the Thambani licence, uranium, niobium, tantalum and zircon and, in the Chimimbe Hill licence, nickel and cobalt.

For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca .

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement may have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango, its business and the Project. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or is expected, scheduled, estimates intends, anticipates, believes, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results can, may, could, would, should, might or will, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the global market for products using the rare earth metals the Company is exploring for, completion of the feasibility study and of the transactions contemplated in the Agreement, as well as the use of proceeds from the investments into the Company by Talaxis and the timing of such expenditures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, market demand for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, the positive results of a feasibility study on the Project, delays in obtaining financing or governmental or stock exchange approvals. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For further information on Mkango, please contact:

Mkango Resources Limited

William Dawes

Chief Executive Officer

will@mkango.ca

UK: +44 207 3722 744

Canada: +1 403 444 5979

www.mkango.ca

@MkangoResources

Alexander Lemon

President

alex@mkango.ca

Blytheweigh

Financial Public Relations

Tim Blythe, Camilla Horsfall, Julia Tilley

UK: +44 207 138 3204

SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP

Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker

Jeff Keating, Caroline Rowe

UK: +44 20 3470 0470

Alternative Resource Capital

Joint Broker

Alex Wood, Rob Collins

UK: +44 20 7186 9004; +44 20 7186 9001

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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 does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.
The marine environment is critical to Grenadas economy and closely linked to the islands income generating tourism sector. Grenadas tri-island ocean state is not just a hub of maritime activity, but also home to unique marine biodiversity
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.
Cities used to stay out of courtroom battles over health, leaving that role predominantly to state governments. In the 1990s, states sued the tobacco industry and won more than $200 billion for the damages it had done to public health. States have filed lawsuits against and in defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).But in recent years, more and more cities have been going to court.Last week, four cities -- Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio -- sued the Trump administration over its handling of the ACA, President Obama's signature legislation. Seemingly every week, a new local government sues pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis. Earlier this year, Baltimore sued the Trump administration for abruptly ending the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. A court ruled in the city's favor.Why are cities stepping up their legal game?For one, "issues impacting these cities are of higher prominence in the national discourse," says Geoffrey Mwaungulu, senior program analyst of public health preparedness, law and ethics at the National Association of City and County Health Officials.For some cities, it's because they lack their state's support."Our attorney general wasnt aligned in what we wanted to file suit on," says Zach Klein, Columbus' city attorney.Cities tend to lean more liberal while state governments lean more conservative. Considering the partisan divide over the ACA -- and the fact that it's a midterm election year -- Republican state AGs may not be willing to join this cause. All four of the cities in the Obamacare suit are in states where Republicans, who have been less supportive of the law, control either the governorship or the attorney general's office.In Baltimore, Mayor Catherine Pugh says the city decided to take legal action because Congress' recent elimination of the ACA's individual mandate, which required everyone to have health insurance, is taking a financial toll on the city.Our fire department answered 17,000 calls last year for people who were uninsured. Thats going to be a problem for our city. Somebodys got to pay, Pugh told The Baltimore Sun Baltimore and the three other cities allege that the federal government has intentionally worked to sabotage the ACA. Their lawsuit was filed in the same week that the White House finalized rules to loosen restrictions on short-term health plans that do not fully comply with the ACA."By cutting navigator funding, by cutting the open enrollment period by half, by promoting short-term junk plans, all of these actions run contrary to the federal law. When you partner that with [Trump's] words and tweets, you see theres a premeditation to destroy the ACA," says Klein.Trump was elected on a platform of repealing the ACA, commonly called Obamacare, and has made repeated efforts to undermine it. In court filings, the four cities suing the federal government are asking U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow to mandate the Trump administration to fullfill a "constitutional obligation to take care to faithfully execute the ACA."The Trump administration has yet to respond to the suit.Sometimes, cities are turning to lawsuits as a last-resort effort to maintain public health programs. If a judge hadn't ordered the Trump administration to restorethe Teen Pregnancy Prevention grants that it cut, Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen says the city would have had to spend more of its own money or cut funding in another area to keep its programs running."We [sued] because it was our only recourse. If it was a different administration, we could have worked with them, but we werent getting any response," she says. "We already run on a shoestring budget. Thats just an untenable situation."Some cities don't have as many resources as their state to file a lawsuit. To make up for that, many of the cities with opioid cases are working with private law firms that will get a cut of the settlements they may receive.
Embattled Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday vowed to create a new national disaster unit as the death toll from last month's deadliest-ever wildfires rose to 93.

"What's important today is to objectively investigate the causes of the tragedy, and take all necessary measures so that it does not happen again," Tsipras said in a televised speech as he announced a 500-million-euro ($578-million) revamp backed by European support funds.

"I am determined to do that," he said.

Tsipras' government has been severely criticised over its response to the July 23 wildfire in the coastal resort of Mati, the deadliest in Greek history.

The disaster has been followed by infighting between the police and the fire brigade, who initially insisted that the state response had been well-managed and blamed the high death toll on winds of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour.

Local residents received no warning and instead of being sent away from the fire zone, many passing drivers were mistakenly diverted into its path and died trapped in Mati's narrow streets.

It later emerged that the police had failed to properly seal off the area because the fire brigade had not alerted them to the location and size of the fire.

And survivors fleeing the flames with just the clothes on their backs said they were left unaided on beaches for hours, where many died of burns and smoke inhalation.

The death toll rose to 93 on Thursday after two more people died in hospital.

The latest casualty was a 78-year-old woman, state TV ERT said. An 83-year-old man died on Wednesday.

Another 34 people are still hospitalised after the July 23 wildfire in Mati, six of them in critical condition.

Four senior officials including the minister responsible for the police and the heads of the police and fire brigade have been removed from their posts.

Earlier Thursday, a list compiled by the civil protection authority said the victims included 44 women -- now 45 -- 35 men, 11 children and two still-unidentified persons.

Tsipras on Thursday said he had approached a senior forest research scientist at the Max Planck Society to head an independent investigation into the causes of the fire, and recommend courses of action.

"Nothing can be forgotten, nothing should be covered up," he said.

Earlier this week the PM said about 3,200 illegal buildings blocking access to roads, flood channels and the coast in the greater Attica region would be demolished.

A Greek judicial investigation into possible faults by state officials is also under way.

The relatives of two people who perished in the fires have also sued the authorities for negligence and exposure to danger.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Pushing Premiums Down

No Panacea

When Tracy Deis decided in 2016 to transition from a full-time job to part-time contract work, the loss of her employers health insurance was not a major worry because she knew she could get coverage through the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act.But price was a big concern.The ACA made it possible to make the switch in my life, said Deis, 48, who lives in Minneapolis. But she quickly added, I was really worried about the cost.Her anxiety was understandable. In Minnesota, the average cost of insurance in the state-run exchange soared 57 percent in 2017, after a 40 percent rise in 2016.Amid a public outcry, the legislature last year took several steps to stabilize its individual insurance marketplace.Among those moves, lawmakers launched a reinsurance program. The program helps pay the costs insurers incur for people with high medical bills. In turn, the companies  knowing that these outlier expenses will be covered  can lower premiums. Alaska had launched a similar program in 2016.The Alaska and Minnesota models have now become touchstones for other states eager to prevent startling premium increases in the individual insurance marketplace.Critically, much of the money comes from the federal government. A provision in the ACA allows states to experiment with their marketplaces as long as they honor ACA requirements and dont cost the federal government more money. (Federal reinsurance funding for high-cost patients reduces premium subsidies, which are fully paid by the federal government.)Notably, even as the Trump administration has blocked other provisions of the ACA and pushed Congress to repeal the law, it has encouraged states to establish reinsurance programs and seek federal funding.In Alaska, lawmakers used only state funds to cut an anticipated 43 percent premium increase to 7 percent in 2017. As the program continued in 2018 with $58 million in federal funds, the lone insurer in the state, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, lowered premiums by an average 22.4 percent. And last week, Premera announced it had asked the state if it could reduce premiums by an average 3.9 percent in 2019.Alaskas program, unlike other states, covers all the costs for people with 33 high-cost conditions. In 2017, about half of all expenses for enrollees in the exchange were for people with one or more of those conditions.We have unique issues here, said Jim Grazko, president of Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska. Without the reinsurance program, things would be untenable in the individual market.The federal Department of Health and Human Services approved Minnesotas waiver request for a 2018 reinsurance program, with $131 million in funding. The program covers medical bills between $50,000 and $250,000 for marketplace customers.It worked. Premium rates declined by 13 percent in 2018 compared with 2017 and are projected to drop again in 2019 by 5 to 8 percent, according to Eileen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Council of Health Plans.That was good news for Deis. Her monthly premium this year is $317, down from $355 in 2017. Shes in a plan that includes the doctors she wanted and is happy with her coverage, although it has a deductible of $7,050.I wouldnt mind if my premiums came down again for 2019, she said. Every little bit helps.Oregon also launched a federally approved reinsurance program in 2018. And last week, the Trump administration notified Wisconsin and Maine that their requests for reinsurance program funding had been approved.Four other states  Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland and New Jersey  are seeking federal approval for reinsurance programs enacted this year. All hope to have plans in place for 2019.Eric Cioppa, Maines insurance commissioner, estimates his states reinsurance program will reduce premiums in 2019 by an average 9 percent compared to what they would have been without the program.Reinsurance is possibly the best proven mechanism to restrain premium increases and keep health insurance affordable, said Trish Riley, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy in Portland, Maine. The biggest plus is that its a tool with support across the political spectrum.That includes some deep conservatives, such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican and longtime critic of Obamacare. He strongly supports the reinsurance program and touts it on the campaign trail as he seeks a third term.Wisconsins program establishes a $200 million fund  $166 million of it federal money  to pay about 50 percent of the costs for individuals with medical expenses between $50,000 and $200,000.The states insurance department estimates the program will yield premiums in 2019 that will be 11 percent lower on average than they would have been without reinsurance. Premiums rose 44 percent in 2018, leading 25,000 people to drop coverage.For Amy Brooks, of Madison, Wis., the initiative is especially timely. Brooks, 48, who pays $150 a month for subsidized coverage in an ACA plan because her job didnt come with insurance, was diagnosed in April with a benign brain tumor that required surgery.She lost her job after the diagnosis and said having insurance coverage takes a gigantic weight off my shoulder. I would have gone bankrupt.  Anything that keeps the costs down is a huge help because I could need this coverage for some time.Insurance analysts say that state-based reinsurance programs are a potent mechanism to lower premiums, but not a panacea.The programs dont address underlying medical costs, for example. And if money for the programs is not sustained  or increased  over time, reinsurance can yield a one-time decline in premiums over a year or two.That initial decrease is meaningful, to be sure, said Matthew Fiedler, a health policy researcher at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. But other steps are needed to help stabilize the exchanges. That could include more money for reinsurance as time goes on, he said.The every-state-for-itself approach also frustrates insurers and consumer advocates.A sustained federal approach would be much preferable and what wed like to see, said Kris Haltmeyer, vice president for legislative and regulatory policy at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which represents 36 Blues plans nationwide.After Republicans in Congress failed to repeal and replace the ACA in 2017, Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) launched a bipartisan effort to stabilize the ACA marketplaces. A prominent part of their plan was a $30 billion reinsurance pool  $10 billion a year.The effort failed in March amid discord over an unrelated abortion measure in the bill.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has dropped an outspoken Medicaid adviser who repeatedly voiced concerns about how private management companies were treating Iowans with disabilities.David Hudson spent two years as co-chairman of Iowa's Medical Assistance Advisory Council, whose duties include monitoring the state's shift to private management of its $5 billion Medicaid program.I felt that I was asking the questions the governor should have been asking, he said in an interview at his Windsor Heights home.  I guess I pushed back too hard or something.A spokeswoman for Reynolds declined to comment on Hudsons contention that he was pushed out for being outspoken. The governor on Tuesday announced four new appointees to the council. They did not include Hudson.Hudson, 61, served as a lobbyist for then-Gov. Terry Branstad in the 1990s. He said Branstad, a fellow Republican, appointed him as co-chairman of the Medicaid council two years ago because of his experience caring for his profoundly disabled son, Matthew. Matthew, 30, is covered by Medicaid, the joint state and federal health-care program.
Russian operatives have penetrated some of Floridas voter registration systems ahead of the 2018 midterms, Sen. Bill Nelson said Wednesday, adding new urgency to concerns about hacking.The state, however, said it has received zero information supporting his claim.They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about, Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times before a campaign event in Tampa. He said something similar a day earlier in Tallahassee but declined to elaborate.Thats classified, the Democrat said Tuesday. He is facing a re-election challenge in November from Gov. Rick Scott.Nelson and Floridas other senator, Republican Marco Rubio, wrote a July 2 letter to the 67 county election supervisors about potential threats. But that letter lacked the specificity Nelson has laid out.
The billionaire governor of West Virginia said Monday that coal companies linked to his family have paid all the delinquent taxes they owe the state of West Virginia and its counties, but records show the companies still owe millions in Eastern Kentucky.According to records from county clerk offices, companies linked to Jim Justice owe more than $2.5 million across at least five Kentucky counties, some of which are struggling to fund schools and social services due to budgetary shortfalls.In Knott County, where Justice's companies owe the most money in Kentucky, one company called Kentucky Fuel Corporation owes about $1.97 million in delinquent taxes, according to the office of Knott County Clerk Ken Gayheart.Assistant County Attorney Randy Slone said the county has a pending lawsuit against Kentucky Fuel to collect delinquent property taxes.Slone said he was "a little aggravated" when he heard that Justice paid his delinquent taxes in West Virginia, but failed to do the same in Kentucky."The company has put us through heck" to try to collect delinquent taxes, he said. "They tell people all kinds of stuff. They never come through."Justice told the Herald-Leader Tuesday that "we're not going to walk away from any obligation" in Kentucky, but he did not say when the payments would be made."We've kept working and trying to do what we could to get these obligations satisfied," Justice said. "We want to get everything paid as soon as is feasibly possible."Because Justice has transferred control of the companies to his children, he said he could not comment specifically on how the companies are working to pay the debts.In two West Virginia counties, Wyoming and McDowell, companies run by members of Justice's family paid each county $2.2 million for unpaid taxes in 2014 and about $1.9 million for 2015, according to the Associated Press. Justice said he did not know the total amount his companies had to pay state and local governments in his home state.The unpaid taxes in Kentucky come from a time when the coal companies were owned and controlled by Justice, who was elected governor of West Virginia in 2016 as a Democrat. He has since switched his party affiliation to Republican.Though the state takes a portion of property taxes collected at the county level, much of that money helps fund school districts, local governments, health departments and other services.According to a Herald-Leader report published in February, the school district in Knott County would receive more than $1 million if Kentucky Fuel paid its delinquent taxes.At the time, the district projected layoffs and a $100,000 shortfall for the 2018-19 budget due to a lack of revenue.Knott County Schools Finance Officer Greg Conn said the district received about $1.2 million from the state earlier this year to help curb its budget shortfall. If Justice-linked companies had paid their taxes "the state probably wouldn't have had to do what they had to do," he said.If the companies would pay what is owed "it would have a big impact," he said.Conn said the district was forced to cut about $300,000 from its budget over the last year.Justice-linked companies also owe taxes in Pike, Floyd, Magoffin and Harlan counties, according to the county clerk's offices in each county.Those debts total $364,000 in Pike; $570,000 in Floyd as of February; more than $50,000 in Magoffin; and about $200,000 in Harlan.Many of the debts were much smaller originally, but have accrued large amounts of interest and penalties.In Pike County, for example, a bill originally totaling $104,000 has accrued more than $50,000 in penalties and $9,000 in interest since it was issued in May 2017.In addition to delinquent taxes, Justice-linked companies are part of ongoing civil suits for alleged breech of contract violations in Kentucky.One lawsuit in Pike County alleges that Kentucky Fuel broke its contract with J&S Coal Consulting Company, LLC., by failing to pay about $48,000 for 175,000 tons of coal.According to court records, J&S entered into a contract with Benetech Mining Materials, Inc., which agreed to pay J&S $0.25 per ton of coal mined at a site in Pike County.Kentucky Fuel at some point bought Benetech, but stopped paying J&S in August 2013 despite its contractual obligation, according to court records.No action has been taken in that case since Nov. 2017, but an attorney for J&S said the case is ongoing.
Al Redmer Jr., the Republican nominee for Baltimore County executive, is calling on his Democratic opponent to declare whether he supports that party's gubernatorial nominee, Ben Jealous.Jealous caused a stir in political circles Wednesday, when he used a swear word during a press conference. Asked by a reporter if he identifies with the label of "socialist," Jealous responded: "Are you f--ing kidding me?"Jealous later apologized for using "inappropriate language."Redmer said Jealous' behavior is "reprehensible and unacceptable."Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous uttered a curse word during a news conference on Wednesday morning, responding to a reporter's question by asking: "Are you f kidding me?"He later apologized for what he called "inappropriate language."Jealous had called the event in Towson..."I'm demanding that my opponent, Johnny Olszewski Jr., clarify -- today, and beyond a shadow of a doubt -- whether he supports Ben Jealous, a man who clearly does not have the temperament to lead our state," Redmer wrote on his social media accounts Wednesday afternoon.Sean Naron, a spokesman for Olszewski, said the candidate and Jealous have a meeting planned in the coming days to discuss issues including education and job growth."Johnny has been and will be focused on the race for Baltimore County executive, first of all," Naron said. "The language today was inappropriate and it's important for leaders to acknowledge when they've made a mistake, and he appreciates that Mr. Jealous has already done so."Naron added: "Johnny hopes and expects the race will focus on the issues that matter to Baltimore County. That's what voters deserved."While Olszewski hasn't come out in support of Jealous, the candidates both have advanced progressive policy platforms. Olszewski has touted plans for universal pre-kindergarten, free community college and lobbying for an increase in the state minimum wage to $15 per hour.Olszewski and Jealous both have been supported by Our Revolution, a group that grew from the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.The Republican Governors Association is pounding Ben Jealous with attack ads -- and has no plans to stop.The deep-pocketed GOP organization, which is backing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, spent about $1 million on television ads last month to brand the Democratic nominee "tax-and-spend Ben Jealous"...Hannah Marr, a spokeswoman for Redmer, was not impressed by the Olszewski campaign's response."Ben Jealous' policies would be disastrous for Baltimore County and Maryland," she said. "It's a simple question: Do you support Ben Jealous and his platform or not? The voters of Baltimore County want to know."Redmer has endorsed and is a close ally of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who is seeking re-election.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Wednesday that he has no plans to recuse himself from a recount process in the race for governor, a stance that legal and political experts questioned."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 in Topeka after initial results showed him winning by fewer than 200 votes."The secretary of state's office merely serves as a coordinating entity overseeing it all but not actually counting the votes," he said, contending that his role puts him at arm's length from the actual recount.No law requires Kobach to recuse himself, but political and legal experts said he should do so to maintain trust in the election.In an interview broadcast later on Fox News Channel, Kobach appeared to backpedal a bit. "If my opponent insists I recuse ... we can certainly do that," he said.Kobach, the state's top election official, led Gov. Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary by a mere 191 votes Wednesday morning after each of the state's 105 counties had posted election returns. It took until then because technical difficulties in Johnson County delayed results on election night.Colyer has the right to request that Kobach's office initiate a recount if he still trails after counties tabulate provisional ballots and mail-in ballots postmarked by the deadline.The governor also would also have to file a bond with Kobach's office to cover the cost of a recount, at a price set by Kobach. If a candidate wins following a recount, no action would be taken on the bond.Mark Johnson, a Kansas City attorney with experience in election law, said Kobach's role in setting the cost is the primary reason why he should recuse himself. He said Kobach should cede this authority to a deputy."Secretary Kobach should not decide that. That is a conflict, in my opinion. To that extent, the secretary is directly involved in the recount process. ... He could set the bond so high that no one could afford that," said Johnson, who was a member of the team that defeated Kobach in federal court earlier this year in a case that overturned a Kansas voting restriction.Colyer on Wednesday avoided discussion of a recount, focusing instead on an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 uncounted provisional ballots across the state. He spoke at the Capitol in Topeka."We're not there yet," Colyer said about a possible recount. "We need to get ready for the first count and we want to make sure that every vote, every legitimate vote, is counted."Colyer also sidestepped a question about Kobach's lack of recusal and his role in setting the price for a possible recount."My focus is, we've got to get this first count right," he said.Republican legislative leaders said Wednesday morning that a recount is almost certain and could take weeks. The uncertainty facing the state drew comparisons from lawmakers and attorneys to the 2000 presidential election, which saw the U.S. Supreme Court halt a recount effort in Florida after several weeks.Kobach acknowledged the process could drag on if a recount is requested."If the margin is less than 10 votes or something extraordinarily close, I would expect any person to call for a recount," Kobach said. "(It) would take a significant amount of time to do a recount statewide."Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said that "fairness would dictate that Mr. Kobach personally recuse himself from that process and allow another member of his staff, who is not a candidate, to oversee that process."Colyer's campaign would have no legal recourse to force Kobach to recuse himself, according to Carmichael, an attorney who has provided election protection services to national and state campaigns for two decades."My opinion is the recusal argument is a political argument as opposed to a legal argument," Carmichael said.Kobach said the concerns about his role are "endemic to having an elected secretary of state, but of course there are safeguards." He pointed to the role of county officials and the fact that members of both parties would have a role in a recount.Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew confirmed that Kobach's office may issue guidance to counties in a recount but that the process would be almost entirely overseen by local officials in the state's 105 counties."There's kind of a misperception that the secretary of state's office administers the election, when really the elections get administered at the county level," Shew said.Shew said that in many counties, including Douglas, the board of canvassers is made up of county commissioners who appear on the ballot."In my experience, if there's a close race, I've seen county commissioners do recuse themselves. Like my mom likes to say, perception is reality," Shew said.He also noted that the state is a long way from beginning a recount. Counties first must go through provisional ballots and mail-in ballots that were postmarked before election day.During his campaign event in Topeka, Kobach said that both he and Colyer would be better off if his campaign ran "the baton down the course a little while" ahead of the eventual GOP nominee's general election match-up with Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly and independent Greg Orman."It is imperative that we begin running, understanding that this is a tentative victory," Kobach said. "And that I am carrying the baton for this first week with the full knowledge that I may hand the baton to Jeff if the provisional ballots change the outcome."Colyer's campaign sent out a fundraising email that emphasized that the race would have no official winner until the provisional ballots have been counted."Monitoring these efforts will take significant resources. All contribution levels have reset after the primary. Each person can contribution up to $2,000 or a couple can contribute $4,000," the email said.The email did not specifically mention the possibility of a recount after the provisional ballots are counted.If Colyer goes on to lose by the current margin, "it will actually be the closest loss for any gubernatorial incumbent candidate in any primary ever," said Geoffrey Skelley, a political analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics whose research dates to the 19th century.Bob Beatty, a political scientist at Washburn University, called the situation unprecedented."He may not like this, but Colyer needs to be like Al Gore ... and immediately appoint or ask representatives to be there for every stage of the process. He (Gore) had representatives watching everything," Beatty said.Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law, said in an email that "it would be good practice even if not required by state law for an election official to recuse from any recount or legal proceedings surrounding his or her own election efforts. A longstanding English and American tradition is that 'no man should be a judge of his own case.' That should apply here."Johnson said the process of conducting a recount is a public process; the public, the media and certainly the campaigns would pay close attention."Go back and look at the pictures of the Florida recount," Johnson said of the disputed effort after the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. "It may look like that."On Wednesday morning, bleary-eyed Republicans gathered at a Topeka hotel for a unity breakfast. Although Colyer and Kobach did not attend, the governor's race hung over the event.Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said there is "no question" a recount will take place."I think back to the days in Florida when the technology was different and George Bush had his first election and they were looking at those hanging chads and trying to count votes. I think with our new technology, we will have a governor (candidate) here in a few days that we will all unite behind," Wagle said.The prolonged uncertainty for Republicans will benefit Democrats as the general election approaches, said Dave Wasserman, an editor for The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan publication that analyzes congressional and gubernatorial races."Democrats have an opportunity to unite behind their gubernatorial nominee and Republicans still have to focus on each other _ and that's a problem for Republicans, given that Kansas primaries are relatively late to begin with," Wasserman said.Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who supports Colyer, said the delay in crowning a nominee for governor won't weaken the party heading into the general election. He noted that even if it takes one or two weeks to determine the winner, the general election is three months away.Asked about Kobach's role in a possible recount, Hawkins said Kobach would not be "intimately involved to the point where he would have any effect on (the result), but it would be a good thing if he went ahead and recused himself."
Fifteen states are siding with Nevada in a state Supreme Court fight against drug companies suing to prevent the use of their products to execute a condemned inmate.In what a national death penalty expert on Tuesday called a setup for a showdown, documents filed with the Nevada Supreme Court argue that drug company Alvogens effort to block the use of its sedative midazolam in the stalled execution of Scott Raymond Dozier in Nevada is part of a guerrilla war against the death penalty.The families of these victims deserve justice, Arkansas state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a statement Tuesday. Arkansas is leading the 15 states that include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.If Alvogen is allowed to succeed, the Monday friend of the court filing said, there is a substantial risk that pharmaceutical companies  prodded by anti-death penalty activists and (defense attorneys)  will flood the courts with similar last-minute filings every time a state attempts to see justice done.The states brief points to an Arkansas Supreme Court decision that overruled a state court judge and allowed executions to go forward in what the states now argue is a nearly identical case involving the drug company McKesson Medical-Surgical and stocks of its drug vecuronium bromide. At the time, Arkansas was on track to execute eight men in an 11-day span. It ultimately put four men to death over eight days.
The Union City police chief's 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 Natt's 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 victim's 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 Manteca's 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.
Washington state is considering taking further legal action against a National Rifle Associationbranded insurance program after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) encouraged other states to consider banning the insurance.Washingtons insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler said in a statement Wednesday that the state will take a second look at the "Carry Guard" program, which offers liability coverage to people who fire a gun. Kreidler issued a cease-and-desist order in April against four of the program's insurance products.The state issued the order earlier this year after finding the policies were offered by the NRA without an insurance producer license, which violates state law.I am extremely concerned that the NRA continues to promote what appears to be a misleading product that may not provide consumers the protection it promises, Kreidler said in a statement.Consumers deserve to understand what theyre buying, he continued. If theyre being misled, I will take immediate action to protect them.NRA counsel William Brewer defended the group in a statement to The Hill, saying it has "acted appropriately at all times" and that it had relied on the firm offering the insurance, Lockton, to comply with state regulations.
(TNS)  Baltimores spending panel agreed Wednesday to pay $176,800 to a computer software consultant to help the citys Police Department as it continues to address some of its rampant technology problems.The decision by the Board of Estimates to renew the citys contract with Marriottsville-based Computer & Network Consultants Inc. comes two months after an internal review detailed widespread failures in the police agencys technology systems.The technology assessment, required under the citys ongoing consent decree and released in June, found significant issues, including problems with the decades-old software the consulting group is tasked with maintaining, Lotus Notes.The Baltimore Police Departments technology systems are in such disarray that officers sometimes dont know what tools are available to them and come up with their own fixes that only deepen the chaos, according to an internal review released Friday.The department worked with the National Police...Lotus Notes, designed as a customizable email and database system, has been the Police Departments main system for detective case management since 1996.Officers tap into its databases to track criminal investigations, check arrest data, log ballistic test results and identify troubled officers, along with various other uses. There are millions of records and roughly 150 databases built into the system, each designed to address different unit and personnel needs.The technology report identified problems with how the agency uses the system. It found that the siloed nature of the Lotus Notes databases made it difficult for officers to match, verify or search for information. It also found that various systems may contain conflicting information about the same case, or may not reflect the most complete information. Downloading or querying data is made difficult, if not impossible because it isnt inputted in a standard way across databases.Detectives add to and update their cases in Lotus Notes, including information on the victim and suspect, along with their notes.At the same time, detectives continue compiling and using paper case folders, the report stated. Depending on the unit and the detective, the appropriate Lotus Notes database and/or hard copy case folder system may or may not be up-to-date, and the systems may or may not match.Computer & Network Consultants has worked with Baltimore police to keep up with the IBM software since 1996, when it was first implemented. This latest agreement between the city and the consulting group will last two years, with the option of renewing for another one-year term.City Councilman Brandon Scott, chair of the public safety committee, said the citys choice to continue spending money on Lotus Notes doesnt line up, especially after looking at the technology report.Its intriguing to me that wed be investing so much into Lotus Notes when we know its an outdated system and we know through the technology study that we need to update Lotus Notes, along with a bunch of other systems, he said. I'll be asking the Baltimore Police Department, Why we are still with Lotus Notes? And when will we make an investment in a new, 21st century system?One morning last month, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar met with officials from the Baltimore Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice and demanded an update on the sweeping police reforms required under Baltimores federal consent decree.Bredar said he had been watching the corruption...Computer & Network Consultantss David Alonge, who is responsible for programming and maintaining all of the Police Departments Lotus Notes applications, told The Sun that the software is working wonderfully for the police. He said it runs so smoothly that it isnt necessary to bring in someone else to help manage it.They'd do nothing all day long, he said.Alonge disagreed with the assertion that Lotus Notes databases exist in silos. Dozens of them talk to each other throughout the day, he said.The technology report does provide examples of how some Lotus Notes databases are seamlessly interconnected.The homicide database has been updated to connect with the crime labs trace analysis database, the technology report states. When the crime lab has updated information on a bullet or other evidence, the information is automatically sent to the related incident in the Homicide Lotus Notes database where the detective can view the update.The city entered into a federal consent decree in 2017 after a U.S. Justice Department investigation found officers routinely violated peoples constitutional rights. The investigation also found that the Police Department lacked adequate technology infrastructure and tools that are common in many similar-sized law enforcement agencies, such as in-car computers.Since the Justice Department investigation, Baltimore Police have instituted changes to Lotus Notes aimed at better tracking sexual assault investigations. Mayor Catherine Pugh also committed her support for implementing new police technology as part of the citys crime fight.A Baltimore police spokesman did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment.University of Baltimore criminologist Jeffrey Ian Ross said the Police Departments software choice left him with questions.What do Police Departments who close criminal cases in an expeditious manner, what do they use? he asked. What is the standard?The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies doesnt tell agencies which software to use.Were vendor agnostic, said executive director W. Craig Hartley Jr.But when asked about Lotus Notes, Hartley remarked: I haven't heard that word in a long time.Thats not a reflection of it being good or bad, he continued. I just haven't seen that in a long time.
Egypt's Minister of Finance Mohamed Maeet has extended the deadline for the payment of real estate taxes without late fees until 15 October, a statement by the ministry announced on Thursday.

The ministry warned that this would be the only extension of a deadline that was set to expire on 15 August, saying fines for delays will be imposed on those who fail to meet it.

It added that the deadline extension is to alleviate crowding at the ministry's tax payment departments.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maeet said earlier this week that real estate tax law has been in effect since 2013 and that the government aims to use the revenues to improve local developments, fix the sewage system, and offer affordable housing.

According to the website of the ministry's real estate tax authority, property owners, but not tenants, must pay the tax on any non-empty land. The tax amounts to 10 percent of the annual rental value of the property, after deducting 30 percent in expenses for personal housing and 32 percent for non-personal housing.

Private houses priced below EGP 2 million (approx $110,000) as well as commercial and administrative units whose annual rent is estimated below EGP 1,200 (approx $67) are exempt.

Tax evaders will be fined between EGP 1,000 and 5,000 (approx. $55 - $280) and are required to pay the equivalent of the tax in compensation.

Violators, including those who submit fake documents or abstain from submitting necessary exemption documents, will be fined between EGP 200 and 2,000 (approx $11-$112).

Search Keywords:

Short link:


(TNS)  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 thats 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 citys 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, theyre 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 citys interim chief information officer.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 wasnt 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 Nutters and Mayor Kenneys 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 wouldnt 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 citys chief integrity officer.If that were brought to my office, I would flag that, she said. But its 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. Its 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.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 didnt work out.Issues are bound to come up in a complex implementation like a prison management system, but Im surprised the city waited so long and bleeding $5.6 million before recognizing that the system doesnt meet their needs, Ebeid said in an email. Im 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, whos now a sustainable-tech consultant, said he stands by the idea of using Salesforce  but added that revolving-door leadership in the citys information technology office and the prisons 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 its not surprising that someone who was not intimately familiar with prisons and correction systems would not meet the citys expectation.Since the scrapping of IJMS, city officials have paid $425,312 to enhance Lock and Track. Still, its not anywhere what they had hoped they would have by now with a new system.It doesnt 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 couldnt provide a timeline for when the citys 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. Its 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 Phillys future, too.Ultimately we will go out for another RFP. Because weve 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.
(TNS)  Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin will help develop new rotor technology for Uber's proposed aviation ride-share network, called uberAIR.The Cockrell School of Engineering announced Thursday that it will work with the U.S. Army Research Labs and Uber Elevate to develop this technology.Last year, Uber announced that the first Uber Elevate cities would be Dallas and Los Angeles, with a goal of flight demonstrations in 2020 and plans to make uberAIR commercially available to riders in those cities by 2023.The uberAIR vehicles will be designed to take off and land vertically. It will be a fully electric vehicle with cruising speeds of 150 mph to 200 mph, cruising altitudes of 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet, and the ability to fly up to 60 miles on a single charge.The UT team leader on the project is Jayant Sirohi, associate professor in UT's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. He is an expert in unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones, vertical take-off and landing aircraft and fixed- and rotary-wing aeroelasticity.He and his team will explore the efficiency and noise level of stacked co-rotating rotors, or propellers, for vertical take off and landing. This technology has two rotor systems stacked on top of each other and rotating in the same direction.Preliminary testing shows that stacked co-rotating rotors could be more efficient than other approaches. It could also improve the versatility and overall performance for a flying vehicle."UT is uniquely positioned to contribute to this new technology, and Uber has recognized that," Sirohi said in the news release. "In addition to the technical expertise we bring to this area, we also already have a rig to test new rotor configurations right here on campus."
Arkansas

Colorado

Washington

Eight states are in the early stages of a collaboration with the National Governors Association that could enhance their ability to use and share health-care data enterprise-wide, ultimately improving operations and services to residents.On June 13, NGA, which works with governors on public policy and governance issues, announced a health policy partnership around data best practices with the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont and Washington. The 16-month initiative, which is called "Harnessing the Power of Data to Achieve State Policy Goals: The Foundation for State Success in Improving Quality and Reducing Costs," is still formative; and while state officials have connected via telephone, their first of two convenings wont take place until October.Already, however, health-care officials around the nation are looking in earnest at areas in their governments where existing laws and procedures could do more to enable a fuller and better use of the countless health-care data streams they collect and maintain. The initiative may last less than two years, but state and NGA officials said they expect it to have a lasting impact that could even extend beyond health care.Hemi Tewarson, health division director for NGA's Center for Best Practices, said it has contemplated how to assist states in improving their data systems for years, raising value while reducing costs  and simultaneously addressing the whole person and understanding how residents health issues may drive how they use health care. The states selected differ in size and makeup, but share a desire to focus on cross-sector data sharing, linking intra-state data systems more effectively and building the governance to make that happen.When I say governance, that means data-sharing agreements and figuring out standards that work across, perhaps, different systems that currently dont talk to one another. These eight states really were all focused on wanting to make improvements in their data systems in a way that we thought was very complimentary to the work that we wanted to help them with in this project, Tewarson said.Considerable interagency teamwork around health-care data already exists in three states contacted by, but as staffers in Colorado put it, assessing the opportunities for improvement requires a view across programs, including sharing and integrating data.The state of Arkansas hired its first chief data officer, Richard Wang, in July, and Adita Karkera, Arkansas deputy state chief data officer, said the state is interested to engage health-care systems, public- and private-sector partners, and drive collaborations to the state CDO network, learning from peers during the NGA project and potentially educating them as well.What states accomplish could positively impact their Medicare and Medicaid systems; Karkera said Arkansas has a need to eliminate Medicaid payments to state prisoners who should have become ineligible but continue to receive benefits. Manual work has already generated a cost-savings for the state, and the deputy CDO said automating the process and drilling down on identity matching should yield additional results and enhance partnerships with other agencies.I think our overarching long-term goal is to create some sort of a uniform and secure method of data exchange, for exchanging information between the health-care sector as well as law enforcement. Were hoping to create some sort of strategic governance model that can be used to integrate these two sensitive and highly regulated data sets, Karkera said.The states first NGA-related project will likely focus on better identifying so-called frequent fliers in its crisis stabilization unit, which works to keep residents experiencing mental health crises out of prison when possible. Any new policy for a secure data exchange methodology, she added, would need the blessing of the CDOs data and transparency panel.In Colorado, the eHealth Commission and the Governors Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI) developed the online Health IT Roadmap to coordinate intra-state health IT. The state also offers the Two-Generation Program, a view across multiple age groups; the Government Data Advisory Board, centered on intra-state data sharing and governance; and is partnering with the University of Denvers Evaluation and Action Lab to evaluate health and human services programs across programs.Officials including state Chief Data Officer Jon Gottsegen and members of the OeHI, who responded collectively by email, said these and other initiatives reflect recognition of a general need to improve the way data and systems may be leveraged and integrated to provide more effective services to Coloradans while ensuring data security and privacy. Their specific objectives in joining the NGA project are to develop common data-sharing policies, including with counties; a data-sharing infrastructure; and to effectively utilize integrated data to inform state policy and practice. The states interest also includes achieving cost efficiencies by improving health-care delivery and highlighting inefficiency or fraud.Currently, it is acknowledged that state personnel often spend significant amounts of time in responding to data requests and developing the necessary data-sharing protocols, but the state does not have a clear measure of the magnitude of effort spent in these data-sharing scenarios, the officials wrote.Colorado will do initial process mapping of some data sharing using a lean approach to quantify the time spent and likely make it more efficient by identifying the most time-consuming steps. While likely not visible to residents, their NGA collaboration will yield improved outcomes, the officials said.In Washington state, officials work frequently in cross-sector data, with health care, social services and criminal and juvenile justice information, Thea Mounts, the state's All-Payer Claims Database Program Director and NGA project coordinator, said. But joining the NGA initiative should help the state identify methods for cross-sector data sharing and drill down on issues outside health care that affect its outcomes, including housing, transportation, food security, employment and education.The state hopes to address existing needs around enterprise data governance, infrastructure, an enterprise privacy and security framework and sustainability of its efforts, specifically exploring the possibility of a federated data system where information can be more easily linked and shared. Like their counterparts in Arkansas, they're looking at options for identity matching, including master data management, that could serve as groundwork for any future universal ID efforts.The idea about linking and sharing and using the data for research is to support policy development and program development. And then another piece of that would be the focus on the security and the privacy of the data. It would hopefully be beneficial to the citizens of Washington, Mounts said, noting, as did her peers in other states, that their efforts may not quickly yield visible results but should result in a road map of where data sharing may be headed.
Google Chrome, the most widely used Internet browser, has officially started warning users that unencrypted Web pages are not secure. Among those not secure, as of Aug. 9: The front pages of the official government websites for 14 states and four of the nations 10 most populous cities.Encryption  most easily represented with an HTTPS rather than HTTP in front of a sites Web address  is the practice of encoding data traveling between a website and its visitor so that any third parties who are able to peek into the data dont know whats happening. With encryption, users can reasonably expect that their connection is private. Without it, bad actors can do things like steal information and change a Web pages content without the user realizing it.It has become more or less the standard for the Internet. According to Google, 93 percent of Web traffic on Chrome takes place on encrypted pages. The tech giant started labeling non-HTTPS pages as not secure to push laggards toward encryption.Historically, thats when you would encrypt websites  when there was sensitive information like payment card data, said Andrew Hanks, Montanas chief information security officer. Back a decade ago, it was expensive to encrypt, to get the certificates to work. Now thats not the case and encryption is the standard.Googles tactic appears to be working. The number of government websites without encryption on the front page has actually been dropping somewhat quickly. Since the last time checked in on this subject in March, 15 states  Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin  have all encrypted their front pages. Two of the 10 biggest cities  New York City and San Antonio  have done the same.Several IT officials in state government pointed to Google as a force driving the move toward encryption. A common concern is the worry, or even confusion, that the not secure message might cause for a citizen visiting their governments website.We certainly dont want to alarm anybody, said Audrey Hinman, chief of Montanas Application Technology Services Bureau. We were going to encrypt anyway but the timing of it definitely was focused on Googles announcement.The states with unencrypted front pages are represented in a map above. The major cities lacking front-page encryption are Houston, Philadelphia, Dallas and San Jose  although a message on the Philadelphia front page says it will move to a new website "this summer."Its actually not the case that all of these websites lack encryption completely. Most, if not all, have encryption on pages that handle sensitive information such as credit card payments or home addresses. Many of the front pages have encryption too  but users have to take the time to type out HTTPS:// before the site address in order to access it. If they type in the address without that, they will be taken to an unencrypted page.Trust with citizens is important for government IT shops. Government websites these days handle licensing and permitting, they take property tax payments and give people election night voting totals.Recent cybersecurity breaches in Mecklenburg County, N.C. Atlanta and other places probably doesnt help.In addition to stopping malicious hacking attempts, encryption helps assure users that theyre on a trusted site, wrote John Dipko, communications director for Wisconsins Department of Administration, in an email. Because some search engines and all browsers visually discourage visits to untrusted sites by displaying that to the user, using SSL [Secure Sockets Layer, a standard way to secure data in transit] helps maintain traffic to our Web properties and boosts our search result rankings compared to untrusted sites.Jim Flynn, director of information security for the company CivicPlus  which provides Web services to governments, including website setup  said that citizens might get confused in situations where some pages on a government website are encrypted and others arent. Worse, those websites might be undermining their own protection of user data, because theyre giving attackers the ability to access cookies related to a users activities on a non-encrypted portion of the website.If theres any sensitive information stored in the cookie and that information is not secured over HTTPS, that could be exposed to man-in-the-middle attacks, he said.Since there are thousands and thousands of local governments in the U.S., it would be difficult for any individual organization to get a good idea of how many of them have encrypted websites. But CivicPlus, which has deployed more than 3,000 websites on its CivicEngage platform, can come up with a sampling.About a year ago, Flynn said, about 15 percent of CivicEngage sites had an SSL certificate. Only 1 percent had HTTPS by default  that is, users were automatically sent to encrypted pages sitewide.CivicPlus undertook a campaign to drive that number up, acquiring certificates for its websites and streamlining the testing process inherent in migrating to HTTPS. Today, Flynn said, all CivicEngage sites have a certificate and 20 percent are HTTPS by default.He expects that number to increase as awareness about encryption spreads.Weve seen a major spike, an increase in this, Flynn said. Its a very positive thing. Weve seen a major spike since May, weve seen 300 sites migrate to HTTPS by default.One of the larger obstacles in the way of Web page encryption appears to be mixed content,  that is, content on the page that is loaded through an unencrypted path. A common example would be a picture. According to Flynn, mixed content can either cause the browser to mark the page as unencrypted or could even cause the page to fail to load.A lot of time government IT shops spend migrating sites to HTTPS is done performing tests to find mixed content. Flynn attributes much of CivicPlus success transferring customers to encryption to the companys streamlining of that process.Chris Rein, New Jerseys new CTO, said the problem with mixed content can be especially common in governments like his, where agencies have historically been responsible for their own websites, as opposed to a central authority handling them.You may have heard the cliche, if youve seen one website youve seen one website, Rein said. Theres such diversity among the content, the age, the genre of what tools are used. In New Jersey we provide services to over 50 offices and state agencies in the executive branch and over time there have been a lot of different [website] management styles.Another issue, perhaps more ancillary, is network security. Ironically, some network administrators might see HTTPS as a step backward in cybersecurity because encryption gives them less visibility into the traffic coming over a network, hindering their ability to identify malicious activity.Most people dont seem to think thats enough to justify keeping a website unencrypted.I think as encryption became adopted as a practice, that was probably more true yesterday  than it is now, Rein said. There are tools and measures that are in use right now that actually are able to inspect traffic coming in, traffic going out, even if its encrypted.Those include tools that look at the metadata that comes through the network, rather than the core information itself, for red flags.At the end of the day, Montanas Hinman said the state just didnt see any good reasons not to encrypt.From my perspective, its easy to be attained technically, and theres nothing that we give up by doing it, so why not have that protection? Hinman said.
Niki Lauda should be able to return to his "normal life".

That is the view of the doctors who are treating him in intensive care at a Vienna hospital.

The F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman recently had a lung transplant, and the doctors told Osterreich newspaper that Lauda, 69, was close to death.

But now they are "very, very" happy with his progress in hospital.

Doctor Rainer Oberbauer told Bild newspaper that the transplanted kidney donated by Lauda's wife Birgid ten years ago had also failed.

"Fortunately we were able to restore function," he said.

As for the new lung, surgeon Walter Klepetko commented: "If the course continues to be positive, the patient can return to his normal life."

Another doctor, Christian Hengstenberg, said: "The patient will certainly need intensive care for some time, but after that it can be less intensive."

(GMM)
HORIBA MIRA is partnering with Japanese Tier 1 supplier Keihin on next-generation electric vehicle technology.

The partners aim to develop an electric vehicle powertrain system with class-leading energy efficiency. The electric vehicle powertrain will be initially targeted at the Chinese market.

China has recently updated its NEV (New Energy Vehicle) points system to reward OEMs for the range its EVs can achieve for each kWH of battery capacity. These regulations will drive the development of EVs that use battery energy and powertrains more efficiently, not just bigger batteries. MIRA China, a subsidiary of HORIBA MIRA, will provide local support to the project.
The Sweetwater County Commissioners feel as though Bank of the West Corporate has waged war against them when it declared it would no longer support certain businesses in the oil and gas and coal industries.

According to Bank of the Wests website blog.bankofthewest.com/change, We will no longer do business with companies whose main activity is exploring, producing, distributing, marketing or trading oil and gas from shale and/or tar sands. We will no longer finance coal mines or coal-fired power plants that are not actively involved in the energy transition.

The Bank of the West...
For one high school senior, playing a role in politics was an interest enhanced by a recent trip to Washington D.C.

The journey started when Levi Hren, a Green River High School student, applied as a junior for Boys State through the American Legion. He was happy to represent Green River in Douglas. Hren has an interest in the political process and what leads up to the primary and general elections. He's also had an interest in civic education and what one must do to become a leader.

During Boys State, mock city, county and state elections are hosted and at the end of the week, the students...
The Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Tarek Amer announced in a press conference Wednesday on the sidelines of the AACB meetings in Sharm El-Shiekh that Egypt and China are willing to renew their currency swap deal by the end of this year.

The CBE signed a bilateral currency swap with the Peoples Bank of China (PBC) for 18 billion yuan against the equivalent in EGP in December 2016.

Amer also said that extending Egypt's agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which ends next year, is a purely governmental decision.



In mid-August 2016, Egypt reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF over the three-year $12 billion loan to endorse the countrys fiscal reform programme, which the government embarked on in 2014 in an attempt to curb the growing state budget deficit.

With their latest approval of the fourth tranche last June, the IMF had disbursed $8 billion in total out of the $12 billion loan to Egypt.

Last May, the IMF issued its third review of Egypt's reform programme, praising the steps taken by the government in implementing its reforms.

''The extension of the agreement is the government's decision, not the IMF's,'' Amer said.

The reform programme is fully Egyptian; we survived a crisis that could bring us into more severe circumstances.'' Amer added.

Amer also noted that the currency exchange agreement with China is to be renewed with $2.7 billion next December, and this agreement states that trade between the two countries is to take place with their local currencies, not the US dollar.

Amer pointed to the fact that Egypt was in danger before the floatation due to the presence of a currency black market, with nearly $9 billion traded offshore and bought from parties who aim to destabilise the economy.

''During the roughest circumstances Egypt was able to pay back its debts on time,'' the governor affirmed.

Amer also dismissed claims that the USD will reach 20 EGP, saying that this is based on unsubstantiated information, adding that there is a currency reserve of $44 million.

The IMF said following its third review last month that Egypt remains committed to continuing energy subsidy reforms to achieve cost-recovery prices for most fuel products by 2019.

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated on Wednesday the Association of African Central Banks (AACB), the first to be hosted by Egypt in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh.

The 41st AACB meeting is attended by a number of regional and international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the African Union Commission, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Photo: Westend61/Getty Images

Chefs pride themselves on their preposterous work ethic; they brag about going entire years without taking any breaks. Legend has it that in 34 years at Lutece, Andre Soltner took just two days off, both for funerals. Fifteen-hour workdays arent uncommon. For many cooks, theres no such thing as a sick day, and holidays can be some of the busiest of the year. But increasingly, chefs and operators are understanding the benefits of time off, and coming to the realization that shuttering an entire restaurant for a week or longer will make the entire team stronger in the long run.

Between their three New York restaurants Contra, Wildair, and Una Pizza Napoletana, Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra employ about 50 people. These are crowded, full-throttle restaurants. Theres little doubt that the successful restaurateurs can fill their dining rooms on any given night, which is why its remarkable that von Hauske Valtierra and Stone shut down each place a week or more a year, giving everyone the same vacation days off. This includes a long weekend around Thanksgiving, a longer one at the end of the year, and a full seven days in the summer.

Its about sustainability, von Hauske Valtierra says. At places that do this in Europe, staff members come back and stay on longer. New York is not the easiest place to live in, and you can get really lost. We think its good to see whats out there and to try to bring it back home. Stone adds, Its pretty uncommon here.

In the U.S., the preeminent proponent of annual closures is Thomas Keller, who disbands his brigade for an annual recharge and regroup; Per Ses weeklong hiatus ended Monday. Elsewhere, San Franciscos two-starred Commis closes in June for nine days, and Manresa takes a week off in January.

People who work in New York City restaurants are so incredibly driven that they tell themselves they wouldnt even know what to do with time off.

It is not easy to power down an entire restaurant: Pans have to be emptied, stocks need to be frozen or discarded. As things tend to fester in a humid environment, walk-ins are scrubbed, pots and pans protected in layers of plastic wrap, grease traps thoroughly degreased. The practice is nevertheless far more common in Europe. This is partly due to the fact that in Spain and Italy, for example, restaurateurs are more likely to own their real estate, or restaurants are in hotels willing to absorb a loss when closing makes economic sense. France has a national holiday in mid-August that is a typical moment for all workers  not just those in the hospitality industry  to take time off. Most two- and three-Michelin-starred places in France shut down for a standardized six weeks of vacation, taken over two or more intervals.

Just last week, Alain Ducasse lifted a Champagne flute to toast his Plaza Athenee crew on the eve of four weeks off. Septime, commonly considered among the best restaurants in Paris, is in the midst of its own three-week hiatus. In the U.S., especially in the biggest cities where rent and labor costs continue to skyrocket, its far more difficult for operators to see a benefit in closing for any period of time.

In New York, its so tough for chefs to get a break, says Kat Kinsman. Margins are so thin and rents so high that no one is making any money  restaurants or chefs  so time off feels unfathomable. Kinsman is a writer and the founder of Chefs With Issues, which advocates for greater focus on mental-health issues in the community. People who work in New York City restaurants are so incredibly driven that they tell themselves they wouldnt even know what to do with time off, she says. The mentality is often upheld throughout the kitchen. Theyre not encouraged to have a life outside of the kitchen, and theyre made to feel as if theyre letting down the line when theyre even out for a day.

Yet when they opened five years ago, Stone and von Hauske Valtierra intentionally built Contra around the premise of being open five days a week and having bigger blocks of time off, almost like a steam-release valve. The chefs wouldnt discuss how much money they leave on the table during their weeklong summer closing, but some quick math  the 44-seat restaurant offers a set menu at $78, with an optional $60 wine pairing  indicates that the number might hover around a $60,000 gross in any given week.

According to vacation proponents, any lost money is more like an investment that makes the restaurant better. Matthew Kirkley, who will represent the United States in 2019 at the Bocuse dOr, had rewarding experiences with temporary closures. Kirkleys credentials include Restaurant Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, as well as at L2O in Chicago, which received two Michelin stars for three consecutive years while Kirkley was the chef. Most recently at Coi in San Francisco, his cooking garnered three stars. All three restaurants took breaks. It can be a substantial hit all at once, when staff is salaried, and fixed costs like rent and electrically are still there, he says, but the advantages far outweigh the cons.

We tell them theyre going to have a week off in July and a week off in January, and other than that, to plan on being here, Kirkley explains. Shutdowns also preclude the need to carry extra staff on payroll, which can be a challenge in a kitchen with around 30 kitchen personnel. If everyone has off two weeks a year, that means youre just covering time off in perpetuity, Kirkley says. It certainly simplifies your operations.

Echoing Stone and von Hauske Valtierras findings, Kirkley says the practice refocuses the kitchen. It gives the guys something to push toward: Were all in it together, and were all working hard, but you only gotta hang in there for three more months and then we all get a week off.

General workplace studies demonstrate an obvious beneficial role of vacations on mental health, and while the reduction of stress isnt permanent, there are indications that time off lowers burnout over longer periods. Because cooks arent necessarily competing with counterparts at other restaurants, but with other line cooks and themselves, simultaneous time off could be leveling and democratizing.

The mind-set is contagious; it seems like the only real solution is if everyone can do it at once, Kinsman says. Chefs tend to, by nature, be masochists and tend to work until they drop. These are people who spend their lives in service of feeding people and providing them with pleasure. If they dont take that break, they will break.

The time off also allows staffers to experience food outside of their own restaurants. This year, for example, one of Contras sous-chefs went to London and ate two lunches and two dinners every day. Another went to Spain and another to Copenhagen. Others visit family, travel, and just generally relax. Some even cook  its a lot more fun to grill sardines, for example, when youre holding a glass of wine and there arent demanding customers waiting to be fed.

For employees, in other words, the benefits are obvious. But even for employers, who have to shoulder the financial realities of closing, there can be an upside to making sure everyone takes off at the same time: As far as peace of mind is concerned, Kirkley says, its a hell of a lot easier to take time off when you know that youre not missing a service, when its your name on the door.
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.
A person alone and isolated from others cannot know God, as the road to God is through the hearts of others

The Quran tells us that Abraham, whom God chose as friend (4:125), sat down under the heavenly vault looking for his sublime God. The planet Venus appeared.

Fascinated by its beauty, Abraham said, Behold, thats my God! But then Venus disappeared, and Abraham commented, I do not love those who disappear!

The Moon appeared. Abraham said, Behold, thats my God; this one is greater! But when the Moon disappeared as well, Abraham exclaimed, I do not love those who disappear!

The Sun rose, and Abraham, overwhelmed by its magnificence, said, This is my God! But when the Sun set, Abraham said, I do not love those who disappear!

The moral of this story is that sublimity, beauty, greatness and magnificence are meaningless if coupled with absence. They are incomplete. They can only be completed with presence.

Why presence? Abraham makes it clear when he comments on the disappearance  or absence  of the planet Venus, the Moon and the Sun.

He does not say, I do not worship those who disappear. He says, I do not love those who disappear. Abraham is looking for love and presence as the condition of love.

In the three Abrahamic religions love is inextricably linked to faith. A prophetic oral tradition says that None of you will believe, until he will love for his neighbour what he loves for himself.

In the Bible, we can read that If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (John 4:20). This is not to mention the famous commandment Love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31).

It is saddening today to see many followers of the Abrahamic religions reduce their creeds to pure doctrine, which is actually the fruit of the love experienced by the faithful who came before them.

Many think that faith is the end of their quest and the conclusion of the road. However, in so doing they deprive themselves of the pulsating heart, the only thing that can make religion  which exists from the beginning of time  present, if not eternal.

This pulsating heart is the search of love. Without this search, religions remain imprisoned in their past, because if we are not able to actualise them through our own experience we renounce their existence in the present.

Love is the condition of faith. Only those who love can believe. God is greater than what we know. The true believer is the one who is moved by the curiosity to know even more about God and is driven in his steps by the certainty that all we can know about Him is written in his own heart.

The heart is like a stone in which a fire is dormant. If you rub it, it lights up. If you leave it alone, it dies out. The stone lights up at the contact of another stone, and so does the heart.

A person alone and isolated from others cannot know God. God cannot be known in isolation. The road to God is through the hearts of others.

Islam views the Abrahamic religions as members of the same body. If even one of them were missing, the prophetic edifice could not have been completed by the Prophet Mohamed.

This idea has always existed in Islamic tradition in different forms. In the fourth century of the Hijra, for example (10th century CE), the Muslim confraternity of the Brethren of Purity working in Basra in Iraq used a different metaphor to express the same idea, describing humanity as a sick person beset by various illnesses.

The doctor (God) prescribes different medications (religions) for different ailments, and the lack of a single medicine threatens the life of the patient (humanity).

This means that the other, in the Islamic tradition, is the companion whose presence guarantees human fulfillment and whose absence threatens human civilisation.

The writer is a professor at the Catholic University of Milan and author of Conflicting Arab Identities: Language, Tradition and Modernity.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 August 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The road to God

Search Keywords:

Short link:






Haiti - FLASH : Already more than 500 Haitians entered illegally in Canada expelled in Haiti





Following the decision of the Trump administration to terminate the designation of Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Haiti on July 22, 2019, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22759-haiti-flash-tps-more-than-50-000-haitians-will-have-to-leave-the-usa.html thousands of Haitians have left the US, illegally crossing the border between Quebec and the United States to Roxham road, to file a request for asylum. Of the estimated 10,000 Haitians who crossed the Canadian border illegally in 2017 (partial figure) only 8% were eligible to apply for asylum. Which means that more than 90% will be returned to Haiti.



According to data from the Border Services Agency, 434 Haitians from the United States who entered Canada illegally were expelled in 2017 and 68 since the beginning of this year. Recall that the fact that a Haitian cross the border without passing through an official border crossing, obliges Canada under the law to expel the migrant in his country of origin (Haiti) and not in the country through which he has transited (USA).



On the other hand, deported people in general pay their own return ticket, if they can not, the Border Services Agency will pay the ticket for them, but if the deported person wants to return to Canada someday, the reason and its status, she will have to repay $1,500 per ticket plus pay $400 of fees when applying for permission to return to Canada.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24681-haiti-canada-only-8-of-haitians-who-entered-canada-illegally-eligible-for-asylum-2017.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22784-haiti-tps-flash-canada-prepares-to-welcome-a-new-wave-of-asylum-seekers.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22635-icihaiti-flash-barely-3-of-asylum-seekers-in-quebec-have-obtained-a-work-permit.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21959-icihaiti-diaspora-haitian-community-meets-justin-trudeau.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21876-haiti-social-haitians-leave-haiti-to-enter-canada-illegally.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21850-haiti-canada-more-than-6-400-haitians-have-illegally-crossed-the-quebec-border.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21774-haiti-flash-the-canadian-army-builds-a-border-camp-for-haitian-migrants.html



S/ HaitiLibre


















Egypt has the opportunity to become a leader in green development, setting an example for the rest of Africa and the Middle East

Sustainability took another step forward in Egypt last month. On 18 July, the government announced a regulatory framework for the issuance of green bonds to promote sustainable development.

The challenge, however, will be finding projects qualified for the green designation, especially since the definition of what constitutes a sustainable project is yet to be standardised in Egypt  or in most markets for that matter. And implementation and enforcement mechanisms for these standards are even less defined.

However, the good news in Egypts announcement is that countries are beginning to recognise the need for private-sector capital to finance the transition to a more energy efficient, less-polluting economy.

Private capital is essential  and can come in many forms. Green bonds, however, have emerged as the most attractive investment, but they still only represent a small fraction of the total issue.

Over $100 trillion bonds were issued last year, with green bonds accounting for a mere $161 million of the total, or less than one per cent.

China has become the global leader in using green bonds to finance its transformation to low-carbon growth.

The Chinese government estimates that it will require between $600 billion to a $1 trillion annually for at least the next five years to green its economy, but it can only provide 10 to 15 per cent of the total.

The rest will need to come from the private sector. As part of its war against pollution, a top priority of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China launched its first green bonds in the second half of 2016 and went on to become the global leader.

Although growth faltered in 2017 due to a broader government crackdown on financial markets, China is poised to claim the top spot again in 2018.

President Xi has reaffirmed his commitment to green finance in his second term, and he recently announced a sweeping and ambitious agenda for creating a sustainable financial infrastructure in China.

As part of this effort, China is creating a standardised definition and criteria for green projects across its financial institutions.

Egypt has an opportunity to follow Chinas lead. In order to develop a robust market for sustainable development, it must create confidence with investors that it will not engage in green-washing, or promoting investment in projects that appear to be environmentally friendly when they are not truly so.

Egypt instead should develop, follow, and enforce strict definitions and criteria for sustainable projects.

To further boost confidence, Egypt can seek to have its bonds certified by organisations such as the Climate Bonds Initiative to reassure investors that it will adhere to high standards in issuing these bonds.

Egypt should also consider supplementing its use of green bonds with government policy to create positive incentives  through tax breaks or preferential loans, for example  to encourage developments to create a pipeline of green projects.

In addition, Egypt has the potential to use these bonds to raise funds internationally. Chinas top banks, for example, have listed green bonds on leading international exchanges including Paris and London to access international capital markets to finance its push for sustainable development.

There is a large appetite among international investors reflected in the significant growth rate of the global green market  for reliable and credible sustainable investment projects.

If Egypt adopts high standards for its new bonds, green development could be a core driver of its economic growth.

Egypts hot weather and limited rainfall, combined with a still active heavy industry, plans to build coal-fired power plants, and rising vehicle purchases, will result in increased greenhouse-gas emissions and air-pollution levels unless active steps are taken to rein them in.

It is a positive sign that the Egyptian government is considering ways to use market mechanisms to promote a low-carbon economy.

Yet, to succeed in reducing rising carbon emissions, good government policy, high standards for green development, and active enforcement of the rules will all be required.

If the government of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi plans to truly commit to these concepts and become a leader in green development, it could set the example for the rest of Africa and the Middle East.

*The writer is chief executive officer of Basilinna, a strategic business consulting firm focused on China and the Middle East.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 August 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Egypt and green bonds

Search Keywords:

Short link:


(Harvest) Our experience in assessing South Africas sovereign credit shows how active engagement and thorough ESG analysis helps shape portfolio strategy. A version of this material will appear in a CFA Institute paper.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators are integral to PIMCOs sovereign credit assessments, which inform our investment decisions. But how exactly do we incorporate ESG considerations into our decisions?

To read this article:
Wage earners do not love taxes, but people do understand that sufficient tax revenues are necessary to fund the welfare state. Introducing tax cuts would be silly in this situation in terms of short-term economic policy, says Ilkka Kaukoranta, the chief economist at SAK.

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) has expressed its doubts that next years budget has any room for income tax concessions.

The Blue Reform has proposed that income tax cuts worth 200300 million euros be introduced in a bid to promote the purchasing power of Finnish consumers.

SAK on Wednesday joined the growing number of experts, policy makers and organisations that have recently drawn attention to the importance of re-building fiscal buffers in order to prepare for the growing pace of population ageing and the next economic downswing.

It also expressed its support for a proposal to shift the focus of taxation away from labour taxes as long as the shift carried out in a way that does not exacerbate income differences and undermine the sustainability of public finances.

It is unlikely the governments intention is to widen income differences and increase inequalities, writes Kaukoranta. Raising consumption tax rates equally for everyone would compromise the livelihood of especially low-income earners. Instead of consumption taxes, the government should look to capital taxes, such as the inheritance and dividends tax, for tax revenues.

Kaukoranta encourages the government to also explore slow-acting measures as it attempts to improve the employment situation in Finland.

A smart government would not leave slow-acting tools out of its toolbox. Lengthening compulsory education, adopting a skills guarantee to promote the skills of lowly educated adults and introducing innovation subsidies targeted at product and service development are tools with a gradual impact on the economy, but it is these and other similar tools that will create the foundation for sustainable growth, he argues.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Mikko Stig  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The summit, together with its venue, were discussed in well over 300,000 online articles and provided media exposure worth 3.2 billion euros for the Finnish capital, according to media exposure and network analyses commissioned by the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Helsinki was thrust into the global media limelight last month for hosting the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on 16 July.

Money cant buy visibility on this scale, states Jan Vapaavuori, the Mayor of Helsinki.

Vapaavuori estimates that the city succeeded very well in providing a fitting venue for the high-level summit and gained positive media exposure that will underpin its reputation as a well-functioning tourist destination and as a city capable of hosting congresses and international meetings.

A total of 343,000 articles about the summit that featured one or both of the keywords Helsinki and Finland were collected for the analyses between 2 and 20 July. The articles had a potential click rate of 342 billion, according to the analyses conducted by Sometrik and Meltwater.

The majority of the articles were published in the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Finland and Helsinki were typically mentioned in a neutral or positive light as the venue of the summit, but some news outlets also took the opportunity to write about the host city and country in more detail.

Issues that gained particular media attention included the press freedom campaign staged by Helsingin Sanomat, a demonstration organised in support of human rights and democracy, and a limited-edition lager launched by the Kuopio-based Rock Paper Scissors Indie Brewery. Finland was also portrayed as a liberal, developed and progressive country in the discussions surrounding the summit.

Petra Theman, the director of public diplomacy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, reminds that succeeding in organising such large-scale events tends to have a positive impact from the perspective of country branding only in the long term.

As to immediate visibility, the Helsinki meeting itself and, above all, major media professionals countless glowing comments about Finland single out the event as an unprecedented success, she enthuses.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The Ministry of Finance on Wednesday unveiled the outlines of its 55.1-billion-euro budget proposal for next year , estimating that the proposal would increase the central government debt burden to 109 billion euros.

Finland must put an end to the accumulation of public debt during the next two years, underlines Petteri Orpo (NCP), the Minister of Finance.

Thats quite a high number, Orpo summarised in a press conference at the Government Palace in Helsinki. We cant be in such a strong economic position and let future generations pick up the tab.

Although 55.1 billion euros is one billion euros less than budgeted for this year, next years budget would continue to show a deficit of 1.7 billion euros. The Ministry of Finance highlights, however, that the budget deficit has dropped sharply from the 6.6 billion euros it was when the government took office in 2015.

The Ministry of Finance also reiterated that it expects the national economy to grow by roughly three per cent year-on-year in 2018 and by two per cent in 2019.

Orpo pointed out that economic growth is expected to continue slowing down as population ageing begins to intensify in the early 2020s.

We know how difficult the 2020s will be. In the middle of all this contentment, I think we have to say this openly and honestly and challenge all decision makers and preparatory workers to push us to a surplus even sooner, so that we can start building the famous buffers for a rainier day, he commented.

The Ministry of Finance will publish its budget proposal in full today on Thursday.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The daring British raid on the Italian fleet in November 1940 foreshadowed devastating tactics the Japanese would perfect a year later.

As his Swordfish biplane, Q for Queenie, clattered noisily through the humid night sky, Royal Navy pilot Charles Lamb peered out from his open cockpit at an incredible scene spread before him. A nightmare of blazing flak, flashing tracer bullets, and explosions illuminated the Italian port of Taranto, home to Benito Mussolinis battlefleet. Swordfish from the British carriers Indomitable and Eagle weaved just over the water, dodging swaying barrage balloons and slipping through masses of antiaircraft fire so thick and bright that, though camouflaged, the attacking airplanes appeared a gleaming white.

The antiaircraft fire also lit the target of the Royal Navys attentions: nearly thirty moored warships in Tarantos inner and outer harbor. The prize was a mix of five battleships and fourteen cruisers, all now firing furiously at the biplanes attempting to lance them with deadly torpedoes. Assigned to drop illuminating flares from a relatively safe height, it occurred to Lamb that although he had never been in less danger himself, his fellow airmen were flying into the jaws of hell; he felt certain none could survive. It was November 11, 1940, one of the most memorable and portentous nights in the history of naval aviation.

On June 10, 1940, Mussolini had attacked France, introducing a new and particularly threatening dimension to the Second World War. Britain depended heavily on the Middle East for its trade and oil, and the Royal Navy could not brook any interference with the Empires sea lines of communication. It was a staggering challenge: at wars outbreak Italys powerful fleet, the Regia Marina, consisted of more than 250 warships and submarines. With two battleships, the Conte di Cavour and the Giulio Cesare (four other battleships were undergoing modernization or completion), and nineteen cruisers, as well as a robust and well-equipped air force that had, in the interwar years, ranged all across the Mediterranean, the Regia Marina packed a powerful punch. Britain, already heavily engaged in Western Europe, now faced an equally broad war across the Mediterranean, fighting a regional power whose air-minded Duce possessively called the Mediterranean Mare NostrumOur Sea. The strength of the Italian fleet continued to grow over the summer of 1940, when two new battleships, Littorio and Vittorio Veneto, each armed with nine fifteen-inch cannons, joined the Fascist fleet.

One of Britains key assets was a new and powerful aircraft carrier, Illustrious, fitted with a four-inch-thick armored flight deck, and operating one squadron of fighters and two squadrons of torpedo planes. Commissioned in May 1940, the 23,000-ton carrier could attain thirty-one knots, propelled by three turbine-driven screws. Illustrious entered the Mediterranean on August 30, 1940. Time was critical: British forces fighting in the Western Desert were rapidly exhausting available supplies, Malta was endangered, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Admiralty worried incessantly that the Wehrmacht would soon enter the Mediterranean war. Striking a blow against the Italian navy made eminent sense. And striking at its heart made the greatest sense of all.

That heart was the port of Taranto, nestled at the apex of a broad gulf constituting the arched sole of the Italian boot. The port itself was shaped like a lopsided figure eight, with two separate anchorages, an inner and an outer. The inner anchorage, the Mar Piccolo, lay separated from the outer anchorage by a constricted passage permitting transit of smaller vessels; larger warships typically anchored in the outer Mar Grande, framed by the headlands of Cape Rondinella to the northwest and Cape San Vito to the south, with two small harbor islands guarding its mouth. Added to these natural defenses were man-made ones yet unknown to Royal Navy plannersAdm. Arturo Riccardi had ringed the anchorage with barrage balloons to frustrate low-flying airplanes and antitorpedo nets designed to prematurely detonate shallow-running torpedoes.

No surface fleet would survive if it attempted a long-range gun duel against the heavily defended Italian coast. Furthermore, unless protected by its own fighters, it risked a fatal counterattack by Mussolinis Regia Aeronautica. Thus Taranto demanded a night carrier air attack, something the Royal Navy already did well. Even more remarkably, a Taranto attack plan already existed, drawn up in 1935 as a precautionary response to Mussolinis aggression against Ethiopia and quietly circulated among Britains senior commanders. One of them, Rear Adm. Arthur Lumley St. George Lyster, had served at Taranto during the Great War. He recognized the plans brilliance, and used his personal knowledge to refine it further.

Many officers never see the fruits of their labor or enjoy the opportunity to execute something that they have planned. But Lumley Lyster was uniquely positioned to do both. In the fall of 1940 he was a rear admiral, commanding the Royal Navys Mediterranean-based aircraft carriers from his flagship, Illustrious. Now he moved to change the plan into reality. In a meeting with Adm. Andrew Browne Cunningham, the Mediterranean fleet commander, Lumley Lyster recommended attacking Taranto, and Cunningham immediately assented.

Key to the success of this plan would be an airplane that looked positively archaic. The Fairey Swordfish biplane, a TSR design intended for torpedo, gunfire spotting, and maritime reconnaissance missions, first flew in 1933. It was powered by a 750 hp Bristol Pegasus radial piston engine driving a three-bladed fixed-pitch propeller, and the fabric cover over its large metal structure earned it the affectionate nickname Stringbag. The Swordfish carried a three-man crewpilot, navigator, and gunnerin open cockpits, and either a single 1,610 lb torpedo or 1,500 lb of bombs. With a range of almost 550 miles with a normal fuel load, it had a maximum speed of 138 mphbarely faster than a Great War biplane. Its armamenta single Vickers .303-caliber machine gun firing through the propeller, and another operated by a rear gunnerwas actually less than what many World War I warplanes carried. At the outbreak of World War II, Swordfish equipped thirteen Fleet Air Arm squadrons.

To strike at Taranto, a special sixty-gallon long-range fuel tank needed to be installed, taking the place of one of the crew. Fortunately for the British, Illustrious had arrived in the Med with the tanks, and, as mechanics worked to install them, Lumley Lyster set to work training his crews. He aimed for a tentative target date of October 21, Trafalgar Day, and gave the plan the name Operation Judgment.

The training program and operational experience soon produced some valuable and sobering lessons. On the night of October 1314, Swordfish from Eagle and Illustrious raided the Dodecanese islands, plastering the airfield at Leros with more than one hundred bombs. It was encouraging practice, but the loss of four of Eagles Swordfish and their crews in a daytime attack on Rhodes on September 4 demonstrated the aircrafts great vulnerability to modern fighters and the absolute necessity of using surprise and night. Taranto was known to be the most heavily defended port in the world, and Lumley Lysters planners needed precise, up-to-date intelligence on the location of the Italian fleet and the state of Tarantos defenses.

Fortunately for Lumley Lyster, the Royal Air Force had just the right tool to furnish him with the information he needed: the American-built Martin Model 167F Maryland, a light twin-engine attack bomber. Ordered by France before the war, few had been delivered before Hitlers Blitzkrieg ended the Third Republic in ignominy and defeat. Providentially, the RAF secured seventy-five of the undelivered aircraft, sending them to the Middle East. Eschewing bombs for cameras and carrying a long-range fuel tank, the 167F had a range of 1,900 miles and an endurance of ten hours; more important, it had a dash speed of nearly 300 mph, sufficient to outrun most intercepting Italian fighters (particularly if it surprised them), and surprising agility, enabling it to evade them if necessary. Simply referred to as Glenn Martins, the Marylands of 431 Flight began overflying Taranto out of Luqa on Malta in September, while RAF Sunderlands from Coastal Commands Malta-based 228 Squadron patrolled the sea lanes, keeping track of Italian ship movements.

Chance now intervened, with further bad news. An Italian air attack had seriously damaged Eagle, contaminating its fuel supply (discovered when several Swordfish crashed) and forcing Lumley Lyster to transfer some of its Swordfish to Illustrious. Then, as mechanics worked to install the long-range tanks, sparks ignited fuel vapors, killing several sailors and briefly endangering all the aircraft in Illustriouss hangar deck. Fortunately, the carriers firefighters and its saltwater quenching system suppressed the blaze and only two aircraft were lost.

It had been a close call; even so, the result impacted the Taranto raid, for five other airplanes had been drenched in salt brine. Because the planes were constructed of aluminum, they had to be cleaned with fresh water, and their engines and radio equipment thoroughly examined to prevent corrosion; these procedures necessitated postponement of Operation Judgment. Trafalgar Day was out; planners decided to slip the attack to November 11 to take advantage of a three-quarter moon. But worse than the delay was the reduction in size of the planned strike package. Together, Illustriouss fire and Eagles fuel contamination problems reduced the attack force by a third, from a maximum of thirty airplanes down to twenty-one.

On November 10 The Sardine Tin, an RAF Martin skippered by twenty-two-year-old Pilot Officer Adrian WarbyWarburton, returned the penultimate prestrike photos of Taranto. Warburton, the son of a naval officer, had already established a reputation as a daring airman, shooting down an Italian bomber with his Martin on an earlier sortie and surviving encounters with multiple Italian fighters, one of which had resulted in his being briefly knocked unconscious by a spent round. He lived up to his daredevil reputation during the November 10 sortie: low, thick cloud blanketed Malta, forcing Warburton and his crew to fly an extremely low-level mission, right into Taranto harbor itself. Warburton was able to get two full passes around the harbor before its surprised defenders began firing, and he cheekily carried out a third and final pass before exiting for home, hotly pursued by a Fiat fighter. The Martin handily outpaced the biplane Fiat over the next twenty minutes, and the images Warburton brought back revealed that Tarantos anchorages brimmed with five battleships, fourteen cruisers, and twenty-seven destroyers.

He and his crew had also captured fuzzy images of the harbors defenses, including lines of barrage balloons and antitorpedo nets picked off the prints by two keen-eyed photo interpreters, RAF Flight Lt. R. Idris Jones and Fleet Air Arm reservist Lt. David Pollack. Planners took account of the balloon lines, adjusting the attacks anticipated approach into the harbor accordingly.

The nets were more difficult to confront, but here technology lent a hand. A torpedo net was intended to catch and possibly detonate a torpedo before it reached a ship, under the assumption that a torpedo traveling deep enough to pass under the net would likewise pass too deep to impact a ship. However, Illustrious had a new type of torpedo detonator, a Duplex fuze, that would explode the warhead either by direct contact or by magnetic influence. The Duplex fuze enabled the Swordfish to drop deep-running fish that would pass under the nets and then detonate as they passed below the hull of their targets. The compression caused by a torpedo explosion below the hull could cause a ship to break its back. But such an approach also risked the torpedo grounding in shallow water, and it required tremendous skill on the part of the Swordfish crews, who would have to drop their torpedoes from no more than thirty feet lest the missile dive too deep and bury itself in the bottom.

Illustrious, nestled amid a screen of four battleships and numerous cruisers and destroyers, had sortied from Alexandria on November 6, and by midday on November 11 was less than three hundred miles southwest of Taranto. That day the RAF flew two final recce missions over Taranto and found that a sixth battleship had arrived at the harbor: all of Mussolinis battlewagons now lay at anchor within the Mar Grande, a rare prize. A Swordfish flew out the last prestrike photographs to the fleet planners and final strike preparations got underway.

Though the planners had hoped for surprise, the intensive reconnaissance had tipped the strong level of British interest in Taranto and, further, the activities of offshore patrol planes had not gone unnoticed. Thus when Illustrious launched the first of two attack waves from 170 miles southeast of Taranto at 8:35 p.m., Italian coastal defenses were on high alert.

The first wave of Swordfish, led by Lt. Comdr. Kenneth Williamson, consisted of twelve aircraft: six torpedo planes, four bombers, and two bombers acting as flare dispensers. They climbed through low cloud before breaking out at 7,500 feet in bright moonlightall except one plane which, unable to locate the formation and fearful of a collision in-cloud, prudently stayed below the cloud deck and made its own way to Taranto, ironically arriving a full fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

Tarantos defenders lacked any sort of radar, but they did have multiple diaphonic listening posts, and, though these generally were almost useless, on this night they registered first a Sunderland flying boat offshore, the low-flying and early arriving Swordfish, and, finally, Williamsons strike package. The noise of their arrival triggered an immediate response. The night erupted in tracers, gun flashes, and wildly swinging searchlights.There suddenly appeared ahead the most magnificent firework display I had ever seen, Williamson recalled. The whole area was full of red and blue bullets. They appeared to approach very slowly until they were just short of the aircraft, then suddenly accelerated and whistled past.

Here was where crew training, discipline, and the detailed recce photographs proved their worth. As planned, Williamson and two others dived from westward to water level, jinking around to throw off the aim of gunners, threading their way through the balloon barrage. Under intense fire from two destroyerspreraid analysis had predicted that at least 50 percent of all attackers would be shot down at ranges of threequarters of a mileWilliamson released his torpedo, which scored a hit on the battleship Conte di Cavour. Seconds later, its controls shot away, his Swordfish plunged into the water, its crew able to swim to shore and swift captivity. His two wingmen dropped on the Cavour, but missed.

The second flight of the first wave attacked from the northwest, striking through a hail of red, white, and green balls, as pilot Lt. M. R. Maund described it, a scene that left him thinking, This is the endwe cannot get away with the maelstrom around us. But they did, even managing to score hits with two of their three torpedoes on the battleship Littorio. Over the Mar Piccolo, the four bombers were causing their own havoc, bombing a seaplane base and dock areas. Then the surviving Swordfish made their way out to sea.

Now it was the second waves turn. Consisting of nine Swordfish (five torpedo planes, two bombers, and two bomb and flare droppers) led by Lt. Comdr. J. W. Hale, it got off to a bad start when two planes snagged their wings with one another on deck. The second wave, now reduced to seven, launched beginning at 9:23 p.m., though one had to turn back when its long-range fuel tank came adrift, falling into the sea. Briefly it seemed the second wave would be reduced to just six attackers, but one of the two airplanes involved in the collision on deck had been inspected and cleared for flight, and so it took off late on its own. The second wave climbed to eight thousand feet, and saw, far ahead of them, the bright color of antiaircraft fire dotting the sky over Taranto.

It was an amazing sight, at once spectacular and sobering. Again the flare droppers separated to do their illumination, and the five torpedo bombers dived in from the northwest, jinking in their descent to throw off the gunners. They skimmed the water, two picking the Littorio for their torpedoes, a third the battleship Caio Duilio, and a fourth the new Vittorio Veneto. The first two sustained hits, but at a price: Lts. G. W. Bayley and H. J. Slaughter, an Eagle crew detached to Illustrious, disappeared with their Swordfish, shot down over the harbor, and another Swordfish crew experienced an extremely close call, their Stringbag shivering with a bloody great shudder and bang as its fixed landing gear hit the sea (fortunately, the pilot retained control and flew safely off).

As earlier, the bombers and flare-droppers caused their own mischief, again keeping much of the antiaircraft fire directed upwards at the moth-like biplanes that flitted annoyingly in and out of the dancing beams. The last of the Swordfish departed Italian airspace shortly after midnight and made their way toward the recovery point, the first landing aboard at 1:20 a.m., and the last following at 1:55. The next morning, Illustrious and its consorts rejoined the main body of the British fleet, welcomed by a special flag signal that Cunningham ordered flown from his flagship: Illustrious maneuver well executed.

For a brief while, Cunningham considered a return raid that night, but deteriorating weather, concerns over the alerted defenses, and the tired state of the aircrews led to a sensible decision to withdraw and savor the success that had been achieved. Taranto was history.

Historians debate the significance of Taranto, but certainly at the time it was perceived as a stunning accomplishment. In the Operations Room of the Supermarina, the Italian naval headquarters, Adm. MarcAntonio Bragadin took the initial reports of Taranto as the raid unfolded, recalling that the news grew more and more serious and surprising.It seemed that a great naval battle had been lost, and no one yet knew if and when it would be possible to recover from the grave consequences of it. In the morning, Warburton again raced in from Malta, his photographs revealing that three battleships Littorio, Cavour, and Duiliohad been sunk or beached to prevent sinking, and a cruiser and two destroyers damaged.More damage, Cunningham recalled a decade later, than was inflicted upon the German High Seas Fleet in the daylight action at the Battle of Jutlandthe crippling of half the Italian battle-fleet at a blow at Taranto had a profound effect on the naval strategical situation in the Mediterranean.

Subsequently, the Supermarina issued orders prohibiting mention of the raid. In London, Prime Minister Churchill rose in the House of Commons to praise the glorious episode, the electrified House responding with enthusiastic cheers at the wonderful Nelsonian news.

Taranto offered many lessons, not least of which was that the aircraft carrier had succeeded the battleship as the arbiter of naval power. It was something that Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, Adm. William Sims, Adm. Jackie Fisher, and others had predicted, but that few maritime traditionalists had believed possible. Even after Taranto, zealots remained unconvinced until the Japanese navy savaged the U.S. Pacific Fleet one December morning at Pearl Harbor, and another bleak day off the Malayan coast when Japanese bombers sank British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse.

Little about the Taranto raid is more controversial and uncertain than the possible connection between Taranto and Pearl Harbor. In 1936 a young Japanese naval aviator, Minoru Genda, had argued before the Japanese Naval War College that the future of maritime attack belonged to torpedo planes and dive-bombers, statements that caused listeners to question his mental soundness. In 1940, by then a lieutenant commander, he had witnessed firsthand the onset of the Battle of Britain while serving as assistant air attache at the Japanese Embassy in London. Genda had returned to Japan at its height, convinced Germany would lose. Two months later, Cunninghams airmen raided Taranto. A zealous advocate of air power in the mold of a naval Billy Mitchell, Genda would formulate his own air assaultthe attack on Pearl Harborwithin a year as the principal planner of the Imperial Japanese Navys air arm. However, Genda subsequently insisted to naval historian Norman Polmar that Taranto differed so considerably from Pearl Harbor in the manner and style of attack as to be irrelevant to it.

But there can be no doubt that Taranto was discussed by the Japanese, and that if Genda was unmoved by it, others were not so blase. Just days after Taranto, the assistant air attache for the Japanese embassy in Berlin, Lt. Comdr. Takeshi Naito, journeyed to the stricken port to study the damage. A larger Japanese military delegation followed in the late spring and early summer of 1941, again visiting the port and asking extensive questions about the raid. In late October 1941, now back in Japan, Naito met with an old friend, Comdr. Mitsuo Fuchidawho would soon lead the Pearl Harbor raidrecalling that Fuchida quizzed him closely on Taranto. For his part, Fuchida recalled years later that the most difficult problem [at Pearl Harbor] was launching torpedoes in shallow water. The British Navy attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto, and I owe very much for this lesson in shallow-water launching.

Of the greatest lesson there is no doubt: carrier aviation had at last come of age.

Originally published in the December 2007 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
Excellent intelligence and superb staff work produced a feat of generalship even more amazing than Hollywoods version.

It is one of the most iconic scenes of all the great war movies. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., played by Oscar-winning actor George C. Scott, is at his U.S. Third Army headquarters somewhere near the German border on the night of December 18, 1944, when he receives a phone call from 12th Army Group commander Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley.

Brad, Ive got a bridgehead across the Saar. Im on my way into Germany.

Wait a minute George, theres a lot of trouble up north.

Bradley orders Patton to transfer his 10th Armored Division to the First Armys VIII Corps and tells him, Ike wants us to meet with Bedell Smith tomorrow at Verdun. Be there at ten.

Patton reluctantly agrees, and after hanging up he says, more to himself than to anyone else, There is absolutely no reason for us to assume the Germans are mounting a major offensive. After listing the logical arguments against such a course of action, he concludes, Therefore, I believe thats exactly what they are going to do.

Assembling his entire staff, Patton tells them to start making contingency plans to halt the Third Armys eastward attack, pivot ninety degrees, and then attack north into Luxembourg. The following day, December 19, Patton attends the meeting at Verdun chaired by Eisenhowers chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith. An intelligence officer gives a briefing on the general situation. Patton then stuns all in the room by announcing,I can attack with three divisions in forty-eight hours.

An incredulous Bradley can only respond, Well, Id give myself some leeway if I were you.

This is great cinema, one of Hollywoods shining moments. Unfortunately, it is not very good historyand it is even worse military reality. As any second lieutenant preparing his first platoon movement knows all too well, military operations are hardly that simple, and the larger the unit, the more complicated and time-consuming the planning. Moreover, there is no more complex or risk-laden battlefield maneuver than a ninety-degree turn and movement across and perpendicular to ones own lines of communication.

But Patton really did outthink the Germans, with a sophistication whose reality was far more amazing than a mere flash of Hollywood-style inspiration could capture. In fact, so thorough was Pattons reading of intelligence that a full week before his December 18 meeting with Bradley, he had ordered his staff to begin preparing contingency plans in case the Germans launched an offensive in exactly the sector where they ultimately did attack. A close examination of what his superbly trained staff was able to pull off once the decision was made to pivot the Third Army reveals a tour de force of military planning and movementeven if it almost certainly took longer than the twenty-four hours the movie would have us believe.

Patton had been methodically accumulating evidence since early November 1944 that raised suspicions in his mind that the Germans were up to something to the north, opposite the U.S. First Army. In the wake of a failed attack by the First Army on November 8 against the town of Schmidt in the Hurtgen Forest, the Germans had remained strangely quiet across the entire sector to the north of the Third Armys left flank. The First Armys VIII Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Troy Middleton, seemed content to take advantage of the lull to rebuild its combat power and rest its forces. Patton, however, was immediately wary of the relative calm. On November 25 he wrote in his diary, First Army is making a terrible mistake leaving the VIII Corps static, it is highly probable that the Germans are building up east of them.

Patton was one of the few Allied military commanders who had direct access to Ultrathe decrypts of radio messages encoded with what the Germans believed to be their super-secure Enigma machinesbut this intelligence was providing only limited indicators of any major operation. Most Allied commanders and intelligence officers simply believed that the Germans no longer had the capability.

Patton, however, never relied heavily on Ultra. He had his own secret weapon in the person of his intelligence officer, Col. Oscar W. Koch. Despite Pattons carefully cultivated public image as the hell-for-leather cavalryman, he in fact valued precise and methodical staff work. Patton had handpicked the members of his staff and molded them into a smooth-functioning team that could almost read his mind and anticipate his intent. Koch was one of the stars of that team, and Patton hardly ever made a move without consulting his G-2.

By November 23 Koch had identified a number of German units leaving Westphalia and had also noticed that almost all of the panzer units had vanished from the Third Armys front. This indicated to him that a major armored force was being assembled somewhere. The Third Army Daily G-2 Report for that day concluded: This powerful striking force, with an estimated 500 tanks, is still an untouched strategic reserve held for future employment.

By December 9 the Third Army was completely engaged in planning and preparations to launch a major offensive in ten days time to break through the West Wall and drive to the Rhine. The objective was Frankfurt, by way of Kaiserslautern. The Third Army was already starting to displace its command post from Nancy forward to St. Avold, and the troops of the attacking units were moving into their assembly areas.

But that same day Koch conducted a special briefing for Patton and started to connect the dots. He laid out the following facts:

By the end of October four panzer divisions had been identified refitting near Paderborn, far north of the Third Armys left boundary. By November 10 the Germans had pulled five more panzer divisions out of the line. Of the fifteen panzer divisions in the west, only five remained in contact in mid-November. Starting November 17, aerial reconnaissance detected huge German rail movements to the north of the Third Armys projected zone of advance226 trains on November 18 alone. By November 23 Koch had identified the newly established Sixth Panzer Army, including five of its reconstituted panzer divisions. On December 2 the U.S. Seventh Army, to the south of Third Army, reported that the formidable Panzer Lehr Division was out of the line. By December 7 the Germans were holding at least thirteen divisions in reserve.

Koch also told Patton that he had identified nine German divisions opposite VIII Corps. That was almost three divisions more than were facing the entire Third Army, and almost four more than were facing Seventh Army. Of all the German divisions facing First Army, all but one were in front of VIII Corps.

Patton decided to continue the preparations to launch his Saar attack on December 19, but he also alerted his staff to start developing generalized contingency plans to deal with any threat from the north. He wrote in his diary that day, Well be in a position to meet whatever happens.

On December 10 Pattons XX and XII Corps forced crossings of the Saar River to secure jumping-off positions for the coming offensive. The following day the Third Army Weekly G-2 Report noted that despite sustaining heavy losses, the Germans were still maintaining a cohesive defense without significant numbers of panzer units in the line: The massive armored force the enemy has built up in reserve gives him the definite capability of launching a spoiling offensive to disrupt the Allied drive.

Through aggressive tactical air reconnaissance, Kochs analysts succeeded in identifying the contours of two major German assembly areas: one in the north between Dusseldorf and Cologne, west of the Rhine; and the other in the south, in the general area of Gerolstein, north of Trier. All movements into the southern assembly area were being made at night.

Patton met on December 12 with senior American air commanders to plan a massive three-day aerial preparation scheduled to start December 19 along the ZweibruckenKaiserslautern line that would be followed by an all-out ground assault by XII Corps. At that point, however, Patton was starting to get very concerned about a possible German attack in the First Armys area. That day Patton instructed his chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Hobart Gay, and his operations officer, Col. Halley G. Maddox, to draw up specific contingency plans for a Third Army counterattack in case of a major German penetration into VIII Corps.

On December 14 the Third Army G-2 Periodic Report noted: It is evident from the determined hoarding of Sixth Panzer Army units that the enemy is making every effort to employ this armor in a coordinated effort. He is already bending over backward to avoid piecemeal commitment.

The next day the Germans went on radio silence across the front. Patton reemphasized to his staff that VIII Corps inactivity was inviting a German attack. Patton refined his guidance further by telling Gay and Maddox: I want you, gentlemen, to start making plans for pulling the Third Army out of its eastward attack, change the direction ninety degrees, moving to Luxembourg and attacking north.

Despite the initial reports of heavy enemy activity in the north that started to trickle in on December 16, Pattons XII Corps began to place the 80th Infantry Division and 4th Armored Division into line in preparation for the Saar offensive. But in response to increasing German resistance, Patton postponed the Zweibrucken aerial preparation to December 21. Nonetheless, Patton ordered the Third Army command post to displace forward to St. Avold on December 19.

Bradley, meanwhile, drove to Eisenhowers headquarters at Versailles. Bradley initially dismissed the reports of German activity as a spoiling attack designed to disrupt the Third Armys offensive. Watching the indicators develop on the map, Eisenhower responded, Thats no spoiling attack.

By evening the Germans had pushed a huge salient into VIII Corps sector, and Bradley was starting to worry. He called Patton and told him to send the 10th Armored Division from Maj. Gen. Walton Walkers XX Corps north to help Middleton. Patton initially objected to weakening his own attack. Without the 10th, Third Army would not be able to exploit the breakthrough at Saarlautern. Nonetheless, Patton had the 10th moving within an hour. He later wrote in his diary, Bradley admitted my logic but took counsel of his fears and ordered the move. But he then added a qualification: He probably knows more of the situation than he can say over the telephone.

Still fiercely committed to his own Saar offensive, Patton feared that Bradley would take away more of his forces. He ordered XII Corps commander Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy to get the 4th Armored Division so heavily engaged that it would be impossible to pull them out of the line. Patton later conceded: The fact that I did this shows how little I appreciated the seriousness of the enemy attack on that date.

At the Third Armys morning briefing on December 17, Koch reported that the Germans were continuing their attack against VIII Corps, but also appeared to be moving into the area of Third Armys XX Corps. Patton responded,One of these is a feint, one is the real thing. The more I think of it, though, the more I become convinced that the thing in the north is the real McCoy.

Maddox recommended to Patton that Third Armys best course of action was not a ninety-degree turn and attack north, but a thrust eastward deep into the German rear to cut German lines of communication and trap the bulk of the German forces west of the Rhine. He argued: The Germans will have to commit all their reserves to maintain this drive. That means that they cant reinforce against us or the Seventh Army. If they will roll with the punch up north, we can pinwheel the enemy before he gets very far. In a week we could expose the whole German rear and trap their main forces west of the Rhine.

Patton agreed with Maddox, but he also noted,That isnt the way those gentlemen up north fight. They arent made that way. Thats too daring for them. My guess is that our offensive will be called off and we will have to go up there and save their hides.

Patton issued a warning order to the commander of the recently arrived III Corps, Maj. Gen. John Millikin, telling him to get up north and get familiar with the ground. Eisenhower, meanwhile, was the only other senior Allied commander who clearly saw early on that the Allies could turn the German attack to their own advantage. In a letter that day to Lt. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell, Eisenhower wrote, The enemy launched a rather ambitious counterattack out of the Luxembourg area.If things go well we should not only stop the thrust but should be able to profit from it.

Meanwhile, Eisenhowers assistant operations officer, the British major-general John Whitely, recommended to Bedell Smith that Bastogne, the hub of seven spokes in the southern Ardennes road net, be made the pivot of the Allied defense in the south. Almost simultaneously, Middleton chose Bastogne as the center of the VIII Corps defense. That evening Eisenhower committed his only reserve, moving the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions from Reims toward Bastogne, with the 101st ordered to hold Bastogne at all costs.

By December 18 Eisenhower saw the situation clearly. He told his two American army group commanders, Bradley and Lt. Gen. Jacob Devers, My intention is to take immediate action to check the enemy advance; to launch a counteroffensive without delay with all forces north of the Moselle.

That meant a counterattack into the southern flank of what was becoming known as the Bulge. Eisenhower also wanted to attack from the north, but he understood that the immediate task was to contain the German main effort. Eisenhower instructed Bradley, Devers, and Patton to meet him the next day in Verdun. Bradley was already thinking along the same lines. He had called Patton at 10:30 a.m. on the eighteenth, telling him to come to Luxembourg immediately and to bring the Third Armys intelligence, operations, and logistics officers with him.

Patton and his staff left within ten minutes of receiving the call. The meeting started off with Bradleys intelligence officer identifying seven panzer and seven infantry divisions that had been committed to the attack. Patton later admitted that he was surprised at the size and extent of the German gains. Bradley expected Patton to explode when he suggested that the rest of Third Army might have to follow the 10th Armored Division north. Patton, however, had already reached the conclusion that he had to halt his own attack and respond to the worsening threat on his left. Patton responded that he was prepared to send three divisions to the north, all under the command of III Corps: the 4th Armored, the 80th Infantry, and the 26th Infantry.

As soon as he left the meeting with Bradley, Patton telephoned Gay and told him to stop the 4th Armored and 80th Infantry divisions in their tracks and start preparing to turn northward. Patton also alerted Millikin to be prepared to assume command of the attack, and he told air force commanders that the Zweibrucken aerial blitz would have to be put on indefinite hold. Gay, meanwhile, called Millikin and asked him to come to Third Army headquarters with his staff and to be prepared to spend the night.

At 8:15 p.m. on December 18, Patton and his principal staff officers met with Millikin and his. Without yet knowing the specific objectives, they agreed on the routes that the two divisions would use for their approach marches to the north. At ten oclock Bradley telephoned Patton. The situation in the north was deteriorating, and Bradley asked Patton to start moving the divisions into position as soon as possible. They also agreed that the III Corps command post would start moving forward immediately, and that Millikin would meet with Bradleys staff at the 12th Army Group command post at eleven the next morning. Bradley told Patton to meet him and Eisenhower at Verdun at the same hour the next day.

By midnight, one combat command of the 4th Armored Division had started to move north toward Longwy. Throughout the night the Third Army staff worked feverishly on plans to turn the army ninety degrees. At dawn on December 19 the remainder of 4th Armored started moving north and the 80th Infantry started moving toward Luxembourg City.

Though they were helped by truck companies provided by the 12th Army Group, the logistical feats accomplished by the Third Army over the next few days would prove nothing short of phenomenal. By the time they were through, the Third Armys staff had established dozens of new depots and dumps, shifted 63,000 tons of supplies in five days, and moved an average of 4,500 tons of ammunition per day. Hundreds of thousands of new maps, weighing 57 tons in all, were distributed. Some 2,800 miles of road were reconnoitered by transport officers. An entirely new field communications system was set up, requiring 20,000 miles of wire to be strung.

At seven oclock on the morning of the nineteenth, Patton met with his key commanders, and an hour later with his full staff. Patton at that point assumed that as the battle progressed the First Armys VIII Corps would come under the operational control of the Third Army. With still limited knowledge of the entire situation and with two of his divisions already in motion, Patton dictated three possible axes of advance for the III Corps counterattack. In order of priority they were:

Due north along the line LuxembourgDiekirchSt. Vith. From the vicinity of Arlon north to Bastogne. Along the axis NeufchateauSt. Hubert, north against the western nose of the German salient.

After assigning a code name to each axis, Patton left at 9:15 a.m. for the Verdun meeting. He was accompanied by his assistant chief of staff, Col. Paul D. Harkins, who eighteen years later would become the first commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Present at the meeting were Eisenhower, Bradley, Devers, Patton, and Eisenhowers deputy, Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder. Eisenhowers intelligence chief, British major-general Kenneth Strong, laid out the enemy situation. Then Eisenhower announced: The present situation is to be regarded as one for opportunity for us and not of disaster. There will be only cheerful faces at the conference table.

With his characteristic bravado Patton quipped, Hell, lets have the guts to let the bastards go all the way to Paris. Then well cut them off and really chew them up.

After a round of nervous laughter, Eisenhower responded, George, thats fine. But the enemy must never be allowed to cross the Meuse. Our weakest spot is in the direction of Namur. Eisenhower elaborated: The general plan is to plug the holes in the north and launch a coordinated attack from the south.

All at the conference were in agreement that the Third Army would counterattack from the south. Eisenhower said,George, I want you to go to Luxembourg and take charge of the battle, making a strong counterattack with at least six divisions.

When Eisenhower asked how soon he would be prepared to attack, Patton replied that he could attack with three divisions by the morning of the twenty-thirdin just four days time. Eisenhower, however, wanted to wait until the Third Army could mount a six-division attack. Patton and Eisenhower argued back and forth, with Patton insisting that any delay would cost the advantage of surprise. Eisenhower finally relented when Patton agreed to reinforce the attack within six days.

As soon as the decision was made, Patton transmitted the coded message back to Gay at the Third Army command post. The 4th Armored Division would move at once toward Arlon via Longwy. The 80th Infantry Division would move toward Luxembourg City by way of Thionville. The 26th Infantry Division would move on December 20 to the vicinity of Arlon, with advance detachments starting at once. The III Corps main effort would be up the ArlonBastogne road. Third Armys XII Corps was also to disengage at once, and the corps command post and all corps-level artillery units were to start moving toward Luxembourg on December 21. As Patton had assumed, operational control of VIII Corps was chopped to Third Army.

When Patton was leaving the meeting, his old friend Eisenhower remarked,Funny thing, George, every time I get a new star I get attacked.

Eisenhower had just received his fifth star, and after he had received his fourth star in 1943 the Americans were attacked at Kasserine Pass in North Africa. Patton shot back: And every time you get attacked, Ike, I pull you out.

Patton never returned to his headquarters in Nancy. He drove straight to Luxembourg and started to set up a forward command post there, out of his jeep. At 9:00 a.m. on December 20 he met again with Bradley at the 12th Army Group command post in Luxembourg. Patton wanted to put his main effort into a drive against the base of the German salient to cut off the largest number of enemy forces. Bradley, however, told Patton that Bastogne would be the decisive objective.

During that meeting Eisenhower telephoned to inform Bradley that he was putting all the American forces north of the BastogneSt. Vith line under the operational control of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomerys 21st Army Group. That meant the 12th Army Group was losing the First and Ninth Armies and would be left with only the Third Army, which effectively cut Bradley out of the battle. Bradley bitterly objected to the move, and for the rest of his life he believed that his old friend had betrayed him. Eisenhower tried to soften the blow by telling Bradley he was being recommended for his fourth star. From that point on, however, Bradley mostly remained in his headquarters and interfered with Patton as little as possible.

Driving to Arlon to meet with Middleton later that day, Patton confirmed that the VIII Corps divisions were in no condition to counterattack the Germans. Patton later wrote,I told Middleton to give ground and blow up bridges so that we can get the enemy further extended before we hit him in the flank. However, on Bradleys suggestion, in which Middleton strongly concurred, we decided to hold on to Bastogne, because it is a very important road net, and I do not believe the enemy would dare pass it without reducing it.

On December 20 alone, Patton visited 12th Army Group headquarters, III and VIII Corps headquarters, and the command posts of the 26th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 4th, 9th, and 10th Armored Divisions. All the while he coordinated by telephone with Gay in Nancy as the Third Army staff worked feverishly behind the scenes. Although 12th Army Group was now effectively out of the picture as a command and control headquarters, the staff, especially the logistics section, worked tirelessly to support the Third Army staff. By the end of that day Patton decided to move up the III Corps attack by twenty-four hours, to start at six in the morning on December 22.

On December 21 Patton spent the entire day shifting units and orienting them north. He ordered that all corps units would advance in multiple columns, all columns would be composed of tanks and infantry, and all attacks would be executed in depth, preferably in column of regiments. The following morning III Corps jumped off as scheduled at six oclock. The attack was supported by massed American artillery, guns, and ammunition that the Third Army staff had worked frantically to get into position. Later that day Patton wrote in his diary, We now have 108 battalions of corps and army artillery supporting this attackin other words, 1,296 guns of 105 or bigger. I dont see how the Boche can take this much artillery.

Writing after the war, Pattons aide Col. Charles R. Codman tried to put his commanders performance in perspective: To disengage three divisions actually in combat and launch them over more than a hundred miles of icy roads straight into the heart of a major attack of unprecedented violence presented problems which few commanders would have undertaken to resolve in that length of time.

But Patton knew where the real credit belonged; he wrote,It is noteworthy that all the operations, including plans for attack executed on the 22nd of December, were done by personal conference or by telephone, and that the highly complicated road and supply movements were only made possible by the old and very experienced General Staff of the Third Army and the high discipline and devotion to duty of all the units involved.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK

The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
Audius Raises $5.5M For SoundCloud On The Blockchain

Audius has raised a $5.5 million to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to assure that artists are paid fairly. It's a pitch made repeatedly by numerous startups in recent months, but Audius now has the capital to actually move this game-changing concept forward.

_____________________________

Music tech startup Audius has raised a $5.5 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and Lightspeed, with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Pantera Capital, 122West and Ascolta Ventures.

What is Audius?

Audius is building a decentralized, community-owned and artist-controlled music sharing protocol. Think of it as a SoundCloud-like open protocol offering artists blockchain based music attribution, distribution and monetization for their content.

The Audius team views SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube and other music platforms, as well as, social media as perpetuating many of the same evils attributed to old school records labels: unfair payments, closed databases and an ever-changing rulebook.

"Presently, centralized music sharing platforms hoard user data in locked up databases," according Audius. "This results in a minority arbitrarily controlling the music distribution for the majority. As both creators and fans, we want to see a world in which all data is openly accessible to all artists, providing a true equality of opportunity and letting the music speak for itself."

Musician/Founder Ranidu

Audius co-founder and CEO Ranidu is a platinum-selling Sri Lankan Pop artist and DJ, formerly signed to Sony. His lense is "15 years of building fan bases on platforms that come and go, change the rules, and dont have fair compensation models for artists." In response, Audius promises to improves existing music platforms in three ways:

1) Longevity

"Platforms such as Myspace, Youtube, SoundCloud have all changed the rules on creators many times and we have seen artists lose their followings, views, and revenue streams again and again. We want Artists to create their following on a platform that will exist forever  regardless of the health of the company that runs it. This is the promise of the community ownership that blockchain based platforms like Audius brings."

2) Artist Control

"Artists have never had control over the platforms where they contributed content. We at Audius believe artists should have the power to vote on changes to the Audius protocol, including issues like content distribution and monetization structure. By creating a community-owned level playing field for artists, everyone wins."

3) Transparent Payments

"Artist payments on centralized platforms like Spotify and Soundcloud are slow and opaque. It takes anywhere from a month (for a fully independent artist) to 18 months (for a major label artist) to get paid for streams today. We can change this by using a blockchain-based public ledger to make near-instant, fully-transparent payments."

Clearly, these are ambitious and even audacious goals. But they could reshape how artists monetize music and connect with fans, as well as, the entire music industry. We will be following Audius closely.

Share on:
Translations:

IATA y CFM International firman acuerdo a favor de la competencia en mantenimiento de motores (pdf)

LIATA et CFM International signent une entente proconcurrentielle sur la maintenance des moteurs (pdf)

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it has entered into an agreement with CFM International (CFM) that will lead to increased competition in the market for maintenance, repair and overhaul services (MRO) on engines manufactured by CFM, a 50/50 partnership between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.

Airlines spend a tremendous amount of money on the maintenance and repair of aircraft and engines to ensure we are always operating to the highest levels of safety and reliability. This milestone agreement with CFM will lead to increased competition among the providers of parts and services related to the servicing of CFM engines. We expect increased competition will reduce airline operating costs and help to keep flying affordable. And we hope that this agreement will be an example for other manufacturers to follow, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

Under the agreement, CFM has adopted a set of Conduct Policies that will enhance the opportunities available to third-party providers of engine parts and MRO services on the CFM56 and the new LEAP series engines. Among the many elements of the agreement, CFM has agreed to:



License its Engine Shop Manual to an MRO facility even if it uses non-CFM parts

Permit the use of non-CFM parts or repairs by any licensee of the CFM Engine Shop Manual

Honor warranty coverage of the CFM components and repairs on a CFM engine even when the engine contains non-CFM parts or repairs

Grant airlines and third-party overhaul facilities the right to use the CFM Engine Shop Manual without a fee

Sell CFM parts and perform all parts repairs even when non-CFM parts or repairs are present in the engine





The agreement includes specific provisions ensuring the implementation of CFMs commitments with regard to CFM56 series engines which power some 13,400 single-aisle aircraft flying today. CFM has, however, committed to apply the agreement to all commercial engines produced by the company, including engines in its new LEAP Series. GE, moreover, has agreed to apply the Conduct Policies to other commercial aircraft engines that it produces in its own right.

Beneficiaries of the agreement include IATA, CFMs airline customers, aircraft lessors, third-party MRO facilities and parts manufacturers.

Based on the agreement, IATA has withdrawn a formal complaint it filed with the Competition Directorate of the European Commission in March 2016.



For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org



Notes for Editors:


Cheshire's block party on Wednesday was forced to use St. Mary's Hall because of the rainy weather. The twice a summer event has proven popular with residents. PreviousNext

Cheshire Block Parties Are Four Years Strong

CHESHIRE, Mass.  The Cheshire Community Association is in its fourth year of hosting block parties and the group hopes the event remains a rallying point for Cheshire pride.

Rainy weather didnt stop the eighth Cheshire Block Party on Wednesday and residents found cover in the St. Marys Church Hall.

"It has only grown, and it has become a tradition in the community and people really look forward to it," John Tremblay of the association said. "It has become an event where people know they are going to see their friends and it really builds community. That has been our goal."

Since July 2015, the community group has held two block parties each summer in what is considered the small town's downtown area around Town Hall. The block parties feature food vendors, live music, crafters and other activities.

Tremblay recalled the first block party, which he admitted was a little touch and go at first.

"At 6, we were down by Town Hall and there was one person there sitting in a chair," he said. "I was a little worried because when you hold these kinds of events for the first time you never know but within 20 minutes there were probably 150 people there. We started the music and it was like the Pied Piper.

Ever since then the event has been growing and the Cheshire Community Association has secured Massachusetts Cultural Council grants to enhance it.

The association was the first group of its kind in the towns recent history and its members have inspired other groups to form, such as the Cheshire Community Action Team and the 225 Anniversary Committee.

"We really have generated momentum and it is empowering other people to do similar things," he said.

Tremblay said unlike other events such as the Cheshire Cheese Fest that focuses on bringing people into town, the block parties are really for the people of Cheshire.

"This is a very local event and it is very community-centric," he said. "We love to have people visit from other communities, but this is really for local people, local businesses and local crafters we really want to support them."

Tremblay added that the block parties are another way to show that they are "Cheshire Proud."

"It is really about the pride in our community and there has always been a lot of pride in this community and events like this give us a chance to really show it," he said.




iciHaiti - Chile : 20 Haitians arrested by Interpol





Interpol conducted an operation at the bimodal terminal in Santa Cruz during which 20 Haitian citizens irregularly entered Chile were arrested, according to Interpol Police Director Paul Saavedra.



Saavedra said the Haitians had escaped control of the Pisiga border (between Bolivia and Chile) with the intention of crossing Chile to reach Brazil. He indicated that he was investigating the documentation of Haitians to confirm their respective legal situations and to verify that there are no complaints against them in their country of origin or in any other country. He also informed that afterwards, Haitians will be sent to the Migration Department, which will determine their migratory status and the follow-up to be given.



IH/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - Japan : Improvement of learning in mathematics





Tuesday in Hinche, as part of the Support Project for the Development of Mathematical Learning Materials for Student Learning, supported by the Japanese Cooperation, a presentation of the results of the midterm basic math skills of students from the pilot schools of the West and Center, at the level of basic education and validated mathematics teaching materials. This activity continued on Wednesday.



Technical directors from the Ministry of National Education, involved in this project, and educational field actors (inspectors, teachers and school directors) took part in the session, organized with the coordination of the Departmental Directorate of Education of the Ministry of Education of Center.



Ms. Atsuko Yonezu, Japanese International Cooperation Agency Project Development Advisor (JICA-Haiti), commended the successful operation of the project and reiterated the commitment of the Japanese Government through JICA to continue supporting the education sector in Haiti.



Recall that this project, which started in 2016, is in experimentation in the Central and West departments and is funded by JICA.



IH/ iciHaiti


















More students of color are graduating from college in Indiana, but big gaps still remain in college enrollment rates and college readiness, according to a new equity report from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Black students, for example, are the least prepared for college among racial groups, and come in far below the state average for college readiness, the report said. Only one out of four Black students in Indiana meet benchmarks of early successes in college, according to the report, which include not needing remediation, staying in college for a second year and completing courses.

Hispanic students, though they are the fastest-growing racial group of high school graduates in the state, are the least likely to go to college. Only about half of Hispanic students enroll in college, compared to two-thirds of white students. But, the report notes, Hispanic students have been going to college at increasing rates in recent years.

The report noted a bright spot among students from low-income families who receive 21st Century Scholarships, a need-based program that covers four years of tuition at state colleges.

In recent years, 21st Century Scholars have made significant progress on college readiness measures and graduation rates, the report said, far outpacing other low-income students. Thats in part due to recent changes in requiring scholarship recipients to have higher high school grade-point averages and take full-time college course loads.

The commission pointed to the scholarship as a key part of solutions aimed at helping all students succeed in college. Scholarship recipients are held to certain academic standards, but the commission said the programs supports to prepare students for choosing and paying for college could also be critical.

Indianapolis has recently placed a new focus on signing up students for 21st Century Scholars, since across the state, more than half of students who qualify for the award dont register for it.

The Commission for Higher Education wants to close all college achievement gaps by 2025. Students of color and students from low-income families are making gains on college-going rates, college readiness and graduation rates, but 21st Century Scholars are the only group on pace to fully close the gaps.

Were making considerable progress toward closing Indianas college achievement gap, and while we celebrate this milestone, it is now more important than ever to continue the positive momentum, Indiana Commissioner of Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said in a statement. By every measure, 21st Century Scholars are outpacing their low-income and minority peers. I believe the program is our key to ultimately closing the achievement gap.
File photo of Etsy Sellers Market in Times Square celebrating Etsy's celebration going IPO at Nasdaq on April 16, 2015 in New York City. Etsy is now eyeing expansion into the India market. (Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for NASDAQ)
Samir Paul, who had hoped to earn a spot in the general election for the Maryland District 16 House of Delegates seat, conceded the race to his nearest competitor, Sara Love. (Twitter photo)
71-year-old Indian American Sahib Singh was walking in a park in Manteca, Calif., when he was attacked by two young boys who threw him to the ground, kicked him, and spat on him. This is the second attack on a Sikh in central California in less than a week. (Sikh24.com photo)
On the occasion of National Day of Seva, the Sikh Coalition partnered with Sikh leaders from across the U.S. to organize 28 community service projects in 27 U.S. cities. (The Sikh Coalition/Facebook photo)
By Dennis J. Bernstein and Randy Credico



August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and investigative reporter John Pilger takes the gloves off on the continuing attempts to upend WikiLeaks and arrest its founding publisher, Julian Assange, in this interview with Dennis Bernstein and Randy Credico.



Pilger talks about Assanges deteriorating health and the physical dangers he faces during this period of virtual isolation. Pilger also excoriates the western media for their silence and pro-government stand on the marginalizing and potential prosecution of Assange, even after they collaborated with WikiLeaks and major high-profile breaking stories. The interview is part of a continuing national radio seriesAssange: Countdown to Freedom. Pilger was interviewed on August 3rd, 2018.



By Dennis J. Bernstein and Randy Credico

Julian Assange Countdown To Freedom

DB: John, what is the latest we know about how Julian Assange is being treated and his current state?

John Pilger: His state of health is just about the same, as I understand it. He needs medical attention, the kind of treatment you get only in a hospital. But it has been made clear to him that if he attempts to go to a hospital he will not be given free passage and he will be arrested. Since he was arrested in 2010, Assange has not been charged with a single crime. His treatment amounts to the most unprecedented persecution. Julian could leave the embassy if his own government, the government of his homeland, Australia, applied legitimate diplomatic pressure on behalf of its citizen. We must ask ourselves why this hasnt happened.

My own feeling is that there is a great deal of collusion between the Australian, the British and the US governmentsmeant to close down WikiLeaks completely and/or deliver Julian Assange to the Americans. Recently the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, traveled with senior officials to London and to Washington and raised the whole matter of Julian. But they raised it in a way that didnt support the idea that a government should represent its citizens. These people listened to the more powerful governments. In Washington they met Mr. Pompeo, who refused to discuss Assange altogether. I think there is collusion which amounts to an attempt to try to do a deal with Assange whereby he might be allowed free passage of return to Australia if he shuts down WikiLeaks. I think that is very, very likely.

As I understand Julian, this is something he would not even contemplate. But that might be one of the so-called wretched deals that are being offered Assange. Some very strange things are being said by senior members of these two governments. The new foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Hunt, said sarcastically that the British police would offer Julian a warm welcome when he came out, when he would face serious charges. There are no serious charges. He hasnt been charged with anything.

Was Hunt referring to a deal which has already been done with the United States on extradition? I dont know. But this is the milieu of machination around someone who has the right of natural justice concerning his freedom. Putting aside freedom of speech, the persecution of this man has been something that should horrify all free-thinking people. If it doesnt horrify us, then we have surrendered something very valuable.

DB: Among those who should be especially horrified are those of us in the journalistic community. John, I would like you to explain once again why Julian Assange is such a significant journalist, why so many journalistic institutions have collaborated with him based on the information he provided. We are talking about a publisher and reporter who has changed history.

JP: Nothing in my time as a journalist has equaled the rise of WikiLeaks and its extraordinary impact on journalism. It is probably the only journalistic organization that has a 100% record of accuracy and authenticity! All of WikiLeaks revelations have been authentic. And it has been done without fear or favor. Although there has been a concentration on, say, the release of the Hillary Clinton/Podesta emails, or the Iraq and Afghan war logs, WikiLeaks has released information that people have a right to know across the spectrum. It has released something like 800,000 documents from Russia, and now WikiLeaks is accused of being an agent of Russia!

Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

WikiLeaks journalism has covered a universal space and that is the first time this has happened. In Tunisia, the release of WikiLeaks documents foretold the Arab Spring. The people at the forefront of the uprising in Tunisia credit WikiLeaks for informing them of what their repressive government was doing behind their backs. In Venezuela, WikiLeaks released cables which described in great detail how the United States intended to subvert the government of Hugo Chavez. Some of this was published in the mainstream media, when there was still a collaboration with WikiLeaks.

The Clinton/Podesta emails, which appear to have made a number of people resentful, were published in the New York Times. These emails showed the close role that Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation played in support of extreme jihadism in the Middle East. That was a very important piece of information for people to know and understand. By doing that, WikiLeaks performed an extraordinary public service, while at the same time making some very serious enemies.

Randy Credico: People sometimes forget that, apart from being a journalist, Julian Assange is a human being. You have known him a long time. Could you give us a feel for the kind of person Julian Assange is?

JP: Julian is a very principled individual. He feels very strongly about the moral basis of WikiLeaks. When he first put up WikiLeaks, he wrote that the whole idea of transparency, honoring peoples right to know, was the central aim of the website. He feels that very strongly. Any attempt to do a deal with Julian to shut down WikiLeaks will no doubt be resisted. As a person, Julian is an extremely interesting man. He is very well read. He studied physics. He has a very good sense of humor, and I have often laughed out loud with him about situations that others might consider too bleak to discuss. His black humor is a part of his survival kit. Obviously, he is incredibly resilient. Personally, I could never endure what he has, especially in recent years. But this comes with a cost and his health is continuing to deteriorate. Those close to him are extremely worried.

In a letter to the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, Julians father, John Shipton, wrote: I ask the prime minister to do all within his power to return Julian home before Julians situation becomes an irreversible tragedy. That is why this is such an urgent case of justice toward a single human being as well as a case of a journalistic organizations right to function and our right to have the information it provides. Only seven years ago, the current prime minister said that when an Australian citizen is threatened in this way the prime minister should respond. That was Turnbull before he became prime minister. Now the government is playing its usual role of being the fifty-first state of the United States. It is a true disgrace.

RC: What about Theresa May and the British government? Are they getting pressure from the United States or are there internal reasons why they want to keep Julian Assange quiet?

JP: Everything comes down to the relationship with the United States. Australia has an almost totally servile relationship with America, in which its national security structure, much of its academic life and certainly much of its media is integrated into the US system. That is not entirely the case in Britain. Since the loss of its empire after the Second World War, Britain has been eager to play a secondary role to the new imperial power. In many parts of the world, Britain is still the biggest corporate investor. But it does move in lockstep with the US on much of its foreign policy. It is interesting to see the corruption that this kind of relationship produces. Information has come out that the Crown Prosecution Service tried to prevent the Swedes from giving up the case against Julian on bogus sexual assault charges. The pressure was on from London to keep it going.

Julian is also seen as defying a system and that is just not acceptable. There is a real element of vindictiveness here. The Crown Prosecution Service kept this case going when otherwise the European warrant put out by the Swedes would have been abandoned in 2013. When Julian came up to a bail hearing last year, it was an absolute disgrace. The judge described Julians circumstances as if he were on some sort of extended vacation. What didnt emerge was the whole conflict of interest in this hearing. The judges husband is a figure deep within the national security establishment in Britain who was named in WikiLeaks documents. Because there is no serious media examining the whole WikiLeaks witch hunt, virtually none of this emerges.

DB: The corporate press has a major responsibility if Julian Assange goes down, dont you agree?

JP: As you know, Dennis, governments do respond to pressure from powerful media interests. It rarely happens but when it does governments do change their tune. There has been no pressure from media in the United States, Britain, Australia or pretty much anywhere except in programs like yours outside the mainstream. You are absolutely right in that the responsibility of journalists for what has happened to Julian Assange and what might happen to WikiLeaks is undeniable.

I was looking this morning at a report by Media Lens in Britain describing how the British press has reported on Julian Assange. It describes the tsunami of vindictive personal abuse that has been heaped upon Julian from well-known journalists, many claiming liberal credentials. The Guardian, which used to consider itself the most enlightened newspaper in the country, has probably been the worst. The frontal attacks have been coming not from governments but from journalists. I described this recently as Vichy journalism, a term which now fits so much of the mainstream media. It collaborates in the same way that the Vichy government in France collaborated with the Nazis.

There used to be spaces within the so-called mainstream for unbiased discussion, for the airing of real grievances and injustices. These spaces have closed completely. The attacks on Julian Assange illustrate what has happened to the so-called free media in the West. I have been a journalist for a very long time and I have always worked within the mainstream, but the journalism I see now is part of a rapacious establishment and one of its prime targets is Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. This is precisely because WikiLeaks is producing the kind of journalism that they ought to be doing. WikiLeaks has in fact shamed journalists, which might help to explain the deeply personal abuse he has suffered. WikiLeaks has revealed what journalists should have revealed a long time ago.

DB: Even the attorney for the New York Times happened to mention that if Julian Assange gets prosecuted, the Times could get prosecuted under the same laws.

JP: It could but I dont believe it would be, because power respects power. The New York Times is part of the establishment. The difference with WikiLeaks is that it is outside of the establishment and is truly independent.

DB: What would be your strongest plea for Julian Assange?

JP: Its very simple. This is about justice. In a famous speech given in the 1930s by Parson Martin Niemoller, he said that first the Nazis came for socialists, but he didnt speak up because that didnt concern him. Then they came for trade unionists, but he didnt speak up because that didnt concern him. He didnt speak up when they came for the Jews because he wasnt a Jew. And, of course, finally they came for him. That might not be a precise parallel, but if Julian Assange is allowed to literally go under, it represents the conquest of all of us. It means that we have kept quiet. Keeping quiet has allowed the great atrocities of histories to take place. If Julian is allowed to be spirited away to some super-max hellhole, it will be a great atrocity.

DB: In the library, silence is golden. In the world of human rights, silence equals mass murder. They say you shouldnt yell fire in a crowded theater just to get a reaction. But if you know the theater is in fact on fire and you do not shout out, what happens after is your responsibility.

Dennis J. Bernstein is a host of Flashpoints on the Pacifica radio network and the author of Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom. You can access the audio archives at www.flashpoints.net. You can get in touch with the author at dbernstein@igc.org.

Randy Credico is an American perennial political candidate, comedian, radio host, activist and the former Director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice
VIPS Plead for Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange



Memorandum for: The US Embassies of Ecuador and the United Kingdom, and the U.S. State Department



By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity



Subject: Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange

August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - For six years, WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has been effectively imprisoned without charges at Ecuadors London embassy. In that time, two international courts and dozens of respected legal and human rights organizations have decried actions of the UK, US and Swedish governments that confine the journalist in what now amounts to torturous isolation, deprived of space, sunlight, visitors, communication with the outside and necessary medical care.

The catalyst was an arcane effort by the Swedish government to extradite Assange for questioning about claims of sexual improprieties.1 The UK government subsequently arrested Assange and released him on bail.2 Ecuador granted Assange asylum at its embassy based on concerns he could be extradited to the US where he would not receive a fair trial and could receive a death sentence.3 (Former Obama DOJ spokesperson Matthew Miller has acknowledged that US officials intended to arrest Julian Assange but decided against it because of the expected impacts on press freedom.)4

The UK government threatens to arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy for not surrendering at bail and refuses to rule out extradition to the US.5 Under a new president, Ecuador has cut off Assanges communications with the outside world.

Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

Experts Criticize Treatment of Assange

In June, 2014, The National Lawyers Guild and 59 human rights and legal organizations petitioned the United Nations to act on violations of Assanges fundamental human rights. In addition, 33 union, human rights, media and civil society organizations petitioned the Human Rights Commission in Geneva on behalf of freedom for Assange. Reports submitted by the groups identified numerous systematic deficiencies in Swedish pre-trial procedures like the routine placement of persons who have not been charged with any crime in indefinite, isolated, or unexplained pre-charge detention.6

In February 2016, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concluded that Assanges situation constitutes arbitrary detention and violates both the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.7 Assanges Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, told The Guardian, 4 Feb 2016, If he is regarded as detained, that means he has served his time, so I see no other option for Sweden but to close the case.8

Another year would pass, however, before Sweden dropped its investigation, after finally consenting to interview Assange at the embassy.9 Recently obtained emails show that Sweden would have dropped the case years earlier but for pressure from UK authorities.10 In summary, Assange has been confined for six years over allegations that never resulted in charges, much less a criminal conviction.

On July 12, 2018, the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) sent out a ruling11 that was virtually unnoticed by US news media. The IACHR found it is the duty of nations to allow for the passage of successful asylum seekers from embassies to the mainland territory of the state that has granted an individual asylum.

For Julian Assange, this would mean that, according to the Courts decision, Britain has a legal obligation to allow Julian Assange to exit the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in peace and allow for his safe transit to an airport from which he would be able to fly to Ecuador, the country that has granted Assange asylum and where he now also holds formal citizenship12

[I]t is imperative, the ruling states, that Assange is allowed to make the safe passage to Ecuador demanded by the Court as his physical and mental health conditions have been described as deteriorating rapidly. If, nevertheless, UK authorities insist on arresting Assange, the British government will have wantonly failed to uphold Assanges rights as a legitimate receiver of asylum by Ecuador.13

The IACHR ruling suggests further that outright abuses occurred when Ecuador removed security assigned for Assange;14 when the UK rejected Ecuadors request for safe passage of Assange to Ecuador15; and when the US obstructed efforts to end Assanges virtual imprisonment.16

Mistaken Assumptions Underlie Government Policies

President Trumps Attorney General Jeff Sessions hinted at a crackdown on the press.17 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Wikileaks a non-state, hostile intelligence service that is often abetted by state actors like Russia.18 Pompeo laments the hero worship of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and suggests harsh measures would prevent future leaks of classified information. But, it is government persecution, not the lack of it, that gives truth-tellers hero status. Also, what truly upsets senior intelligence officials is not (frequently condoned) leaking but blowing the whistle on government wrongdoing.

Harsh measures do not deter individuals with strong moral convictions from whistleblowing. Instead, these motivate potential whistleblowers to find more creative avenues for disclosure. Edward Snowden, for example, was well aware of the US governments brutality toward Thomas Drake, who used official channels to express concerns about the legality of NSA surveillance activities. Drakes experience, Snowden says, were his inspiration. Its fair to say, Snowden said, if there hadnt been a Thomas Drake, there couldnt have been an Edward Snowden.19

Similarly, despite the bullying of Julian Assange, new websites have appeared that draw inspiration from WikiLeaks.20 Should the US take custody of Assange and prosecute him like Drake, they could find success elusive in the opinion of Harvard Law professor Jack Goldsmith.

The most relevant law, the Espionage Act, is famously overbroad and thus an uncertain basis for prosecution, observed Goldsmith. This is one reason the government has never successfully prosecuted a member of the media for soliciting or publishing classified information. Nor has the government ever successfully prosecuted a non-media organization for solicitation or receipt of classified information.21

Failing in the effort would make the United States look even more ineffectual than it does as a result of the leaks, Goldsmith concluded.

A successful prosecution could have worse consequences. With little that distinguishes Wikileaks activities from those of mainstream news gatherers22, a dangerous legal precedent would be established. Journalists employed by major newspapers that also published government secrets, including some of the same secrets published by Wikileaks, could be imprisoned by any administration with animosity toward the press. The impacts of prosecuting Assange would ripple around the world as officials in other governments followed the most powerful nations example. With no means of holding governments accountable, despotism would proliferate, triggering cascading crises and worldwide disruption.

UN human rights expert Alfred de Zayas observes that Order depends on the consistent and uniform application of international law.23

Governments could simply ignore the court directives on Assanges asylum rights; but that too carries risks, undermining efforts by those countries to support dissidents of their choosing. Potentially, in the future, the diplomatic privileges of UK, US and Ecuadorian diplomats could also come under assault.

A Fork in the Road

Collectively, the governments of Sweden, the UK, the US, Ecuador (recently) and, through its silence, Assanges home country of Australia have imposed six years of suffering on Assange and possibly life-long damage to his health. With their proxies, they pound Assange with threats, ad hominem attacks and misleading statements. He cannot defend himself because the government of Ecuador terminated his access to communications systems. This may have a temporary effect of confusing the public; but as more legal experts and human rights authorities hazard coming to his defense, the public may recognize these assaults as the desperate flailings of governments that lack credible defenses for their actions.

Public dissatisfaction with governments worldwide is currently high, as evidenced by numerous massive street protests, passages of referendums against centralized power, and wide-spread elections of anti-establishment candidates. Any additional erosion of public support risks a tipping point with unforeseeable consequences. Brutality against Julian Assange, particularly as his health declines, can only increase his stature as a journalist, enshrine his popular global status as a martyr for freedom, and effectively undermine support for his persecutors.

The involved governments have arrived at a fork in the road. They can continue the persecution of Assange, risking catastrophe for diminishing returns. Or, they can let Assange proceed to Ecuador, or home to Australia if it provides suitable guarantees,24 and boost their public standing as self-described supporters of human rights, the rule of law, and a free press.

We the undersigned members of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity urge all governments to honor the OHCHR and IACHR directives with respect to Julian Assange and other asylum seekers.

For the Steering Group, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)

William Binney, Technical Director, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.)

Richard H. Black, Senator of Virginia, 13th District; Colonel US Army (ret.); Former Chief, Criminal Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, the Pentagon (associate VIPS)

Marshall Carter-Tripp, Foreign Service Officer (ret.) and Division Director, State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Bogdan Dzakovic, former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security (ret.) (associate VIPS)

Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)

Mike Gravel, former Adjutant, top secret control officer, Communications Intelligence Service; special agent of the Counter Intelligence Corps and former United States Senator

Matthew Hoh , former Capt., USMC, Iraq & Foreign Service Officer, Afghanistan (associate VIPS)

Larry C. Johnson, former CIA and State Department Counter Terrorism officer.

Michael S. Kearns, Captain, USAF (ret); Wing Commander, RAAF (ret); Intelligence Officer and Master SERE Instructor

John Kiriakou, Former CIA Counterterrorism Officer and former senior investigator, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Karen Kwiatkowski, former Lt. Col., US Air Force (ret.), at Office of Secretary of Defense watching the manufacture of lies on Iraq, 2001-2003?

Linda Lewis, WMD preparedness policy analyst, USDA (ret.) (associate VIPS)

Edward Loomis, NSA, Cryptologic Computer Scientist (ret.)

Ray McGovern, former US Army infantry/intelligence officer & CIA analyst (ret.)

Elizabeth Murray, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Near East, CIA and National Intelligence Council (ret.)

Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, US Army Judge Advocate (ret.)

Coleen Rowley, FBI Special Agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel (ret.)

Kirk Wiebe, former Senior Analyst, SIGINT Automation Research Center, NSA

Sarah G. Wilton, Intelligence Officer, DIA (ret.); Commander, US Naval Reserve (ret.)

Robert Wing, former Foreign Service Officer (associate VIPS)

Ann Wright, Col., US Army (ret.); Foreign Service Officer (resigned)

Endnotes

1 Marchand & Schaus. European Court of Human Rights. 2016. www.ecchr.eu Accessed 2 Aug 2018.

2 BBC News. Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy: Timeline. 30 Jul 2018. www.bbc.com Accessed 2 Aug 2018.

3 Wallace, Arturo. Julian Assange: Why Ecuador is offering asylum. BBC News, 16 Aug 2012.

4 Greenberg, Andy. The US Charging Julian Assange Could Put Press Freedom on Trial. Wired, 20 Apr 2017.

5 The Telegraph. Arrest warrant for Julian Assange still valid. 6 Feb 2018

6 National Lawyers Guild. NLG and Nearly 60 International Organizations Urge UN to Remedy Human Rights Violations in Pre-Charge Detention of Julian Assange. 19 Jun 2014

7 United Nations. UN News, 5 Feb 2016.

8 Addley, Bowcott, Elgot, Farrell & Crouch. Julian Assange is in arbitrary detention, UN panel finds.

The Guardian. 4 Feb 2016

9 BBC News. Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy: Timeline. 30 Jul 2018. www.bbc.com Accessed 2 Aug 2018.

10 Bowcott & MacAskill.Sweden tried to drop Assange extradition in 2013, CPS emails show. The Guardian,11 Feb 2018.

11 Inter-American Court of Human Right. Advisory Opinion on the institution of asylum and its recognition as a human right in the inter-american system of protection. [press release] 12 Jul 2018. http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/comunicados/cp_28_18_eng.pdf

12 Garrie, Adam. Julian Assange Scores Major Legal Victory as Court Orders Safe Passage of Wikileaks Founder Out of Embassy. EurasiaFuture, 13 Jul 2018.

13 Ibid.

14 Ecuador orders withdrawal of extra Assange security from embassy in London. Reuters, 7 May 2018

15 Saul, Heather. Julian Assange: British Government denies Ecuadorian request for safe passage to get Wikileaks founder to a hospital. The Independent, 15 Oct 2015.

16 Solomon, John. How Comey Intervened To Kill Wikileaks Immunity Deal. The Hill, 25 Jun 2018.

17 Ainsley, Julia Edwards. Trump administration goes on attack against leakers, journalists. Reuters. 4 Aug 2017

18 Milman, Oliver. Trump CIA director blames worship of Edward Snowden for rise in leaks. The Guardian, 24 June 2017.

19 AJ Plus. Exclusive: Edward Snowden on the man who inspired his work. (video) 5 Aug 2015.

20 Reitman, Rainey. Will the rise of WikiLeaks competitors make whistleblowing resistant to censorship? Electronic Frontier Foundation. 6 Feb 2011.

21 Goldsmith, Jack. Why the U.S. shouldnt try Julian Assange. Washington Post, 11 Feb 2011.

22 Quite simply, our motive is identical to that claimed by the New York Times and The Post  to publish newsworthy content, Assange wrote in a recent op-ed in The Washington Post. Consistent with the U.S. Constitution, we publish material that we can confirm to be true irrespective of whether sources came by that truth legally or have the right to release it to the media. And we strive to mitigate legitimate concerns, for example by using redaction to protect the identities of at-risk intelligence agents (CNN, 21 May 2017).

23 UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. UN rights expert urges the UK and Sweden to give good example to the world and implement the Assange ruling. 15 Feb 2016. Retrieved on 1 Aug 2018 from www.ohchr.org.

24 Murdock, Jason. WikiLeaks: Australia has obligation to protect Julian Assange, Lawyer says. Newsweek. 1 Aug 2018.
By Peter Van Buren

August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Some readers are aware I have been permanently suspended from Twitter as @wemeantwell.

This followed exchanges with several mainstream journalists over their support for Americas wars and unwillingness to challenge the lies of government. After two days of silence, Twitter sent me an auto-response saying what I wrote harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence someone elses voice.

I dont think I did any of that, and I wish you didnt have to accept my word on it. I wish instead you could read what I wrote and decide for yourself. But Twitter wont allow that. Twitter says you cannot read and make up your own mind. They have in fact eliminated all the things I have ever written there over seven years, disappeared me down the Memory Hole. Thats what censorship does; it takes the power to decide what is right and wrong away from you and gives it to someone else.

Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

Hate what I write, hate me, block me, dont buy my books, but please dont celebrate handing over those choices to some company.

I lost my career at the State Department because I spoke out as a whistleblower against the Iraq War. Ive now been silenced, again, for speaking, this time by a corporation. I am living in the America I always feared.













UPDATE: Ive made a mistake. I was wrong to criticize the government, wrong to criticize journalists, wrong to oppose war. In fact, after much reflection, I have come to understand that I Love Big Brother.
By Paul Craig Roberts

August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The coordinated attack on widely watched Info Wars host Alex Jones by Apple, Facebook, Google/Youtube, and Spotify is all the proof that we need that the total failure to enforce Americas anti-trust laws has produced unaccountably powerful firms that are able to exercise far more censorship, not only in America but also abroad among Washingtons vassal states, than the Nazi Gestapo or Stalins NKVD were ever able to achieve.

Recently the progressive Rob Kall and I discussed on his show the implications of a trillion dollar company, which Apple now is. A day or two afterward, Rob Kall wrote an article on his website OpEdNews in which he made a case that a trillion dollar company had too much power for our continuation as a free people. I agree with him. Only 16 countries out of 195 countries in the world, a mere 0.08 percent, have a GDP equal to or larger than one trillion dollars.

Think about that. Apple is larger than the GNP of almost every country in the world. In other words, Apple has the power of a major government. Apple could be a member of the G-20. Apple could institute its own currency and be part of SDR drawing rights. Apple could participate as a backer of IMF and World Bank loans. Apple could have its own military and secret service.

No sooner than Rob Kall made his case than Apple proved it, along with the other tech monopolies: Google/Youtube, Spotify, and Facebook. https://www.rt.com/usa/435259-infowars-ban-twitter-reacts/

In the US almost everything has been monopolizedthe digital world; 90% of the print and TV media owned by 5 or 6 companies; 90% of bank deposits in 5 large banks too big to fail; Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes which have abolished independent community family stores; auto parts franchises that have abolished family businesses; restuarant franchises that have destroyed family restaurants; pharmacautical and chemical monopolies. It is endless. The monopolization of the American economy was done under the rubric of globalism. The dogma is that you cant compete globally unless you are large enough to be a monopoly or near-monopoly.

The digital revolution combined with Identity Politics has made it easy to curtail free speech. Any attention to issues that the ruling elite doesnt want mentioned, any truth-telling that exposes hidden agendas, is branded conspiracy theory or hate speech and shut down. That monopoly power is what Apple, Facebook, Gogle/Youtube and Spotify have now exercised against Alex Jones.

Alex is just the beginning. He is outspoken and at times over the top. But he puts into the limelight issues that the ruling powers want kept in the shadows. This, and only this, is the reason that the ruling elite are attempting to shut him down. The hate speech charge is a fabricated joke.

What Apple, Facebook, and the rest of the American Gestapo mean is that the Truth Is Hate Speech. This is straight out of George Orwells 1984.

The deception of the American people by censuring truth-tellers is now the official policy of Apple, Google/Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.

The print and TV media have already fired all the real journalists, such as Robert Perry, Chris Hedges, and Sy Hersh. Now that Alex Jones is being driven off the Internet, the elites determination to control all explanations will spread over the Internet until every truth-teller is shut down. It is just a matter of time.

Indeed the censorship is rapidly spreading. Twitter has now banned the presence of Scott Horton who is the editorial director of antiwar.com and Daniel McAdams who is director of the libertarian Ron Raul Institute. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-07/crackdown-continues-twitter-suspends-libertarian-accounts-including-ron-paul Tommy Robinson has had his Instagram page removed. https://www.rt.com/uk/435312-tommy-robinson-instagram-ban/ Former State Department official Peter Van Buren has been banned from Twitter, apparently because he told us that government officials lie to us.

Identity Politics, which helped to impose speech codes and to create the catgegory of hate speech which any member of a victim group can turn against white males, is one source of the censorship that is destroying free speech throughout the Western World. However, in the United States the most powerful force for censorship is the fact that the agendas of the rulingj elite are unacceptable to the American people. The ruling elite fear that their cover stories are so thin that even those who have been brainwashed will see the light if any truth continues to shine.

In the Western World today nothing is more endangered than truth. No public or private institution, whether the CIA, FBI, or Justice (sic) Department, or Facebook, Apple, Google, Youtube, or Twitter, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, New York Times, or Washington Post has any respect whatsoever for truth.

Truth is in the way of hidden agendas. The presstitutes serve the hidden agendas, not the truth.

Nothing is less welcome in Western political systems than the truth. Yet the Russian, Chinese, North Korean, Iranian, and Indian governments still puruse meaningless agreements with Washington, agreements, like the Iranian one, that have no possibility whatsoever of being kept by Washington.

Washington intends to exercise hegemony over the world. The neoconservatives, who together with Israel with whom the neoconservatives are solidly allied, control US foreign policy and are firmly committed to US hegemony over the world. If the governments of Russia, China, Iran, India, and North Korea do not understand this, they are in for a hard ride.

What can we do? Never purchase another Apple product. Desert Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify. Terminate all Google email accounts and never use a Google search engine. These firms are Nazi Gestapo firms. They deserve our condemnation. These despicable companies should be nationalized or abolished or arrested for aiding the plot to overthrow the President of the United States.

They are the agents of evil.

There are alternative portals. Turn to them and support the ones that refuse to censor free speech. Hopefully, the anti-democratic actions by Facebook, Twitter and the rest will destroy their business model, and their place will be taken by new firms that respect the Constitutions protection of free speech.

Are Americans so stupid that they do not see what is unfolding in front of their eyes? Our ruling elite have agendas that they cannot defend. People like Alex Jones expose these agendas. The ruling elite have to shut this exposure down, so they misrepresent and demonize Alex Jones. Those brainwashed into Identity Politics and the presstitute media are manipulated and used to instigate a campaign against Alex Jones, just as they have been used against President Trump, Julian Assange, Snowden, and many others. Indeed, PropOrNot was used against 200 independent-minded websites.

Once they get Alex, who they made a target, they will make a target of the rest of us, and all truth will disappear from the entirety of the Western World. Indeed, truth has a scant presence in the existing Western World. The ruling elites have no interest in truth. At some point the Russians, Chinese, Iranians, Indians, and North Koreans will have to become aware of this fact.

Before you stupidly, as so many insouciant Americans will do, jump on the anti-Alex Jones bandwaggon, remember and think about the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemollers observation of his time under the Nazis:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

This time they are starting with Alex Jones.

Soon it will be all of us. In America free speech, which is essential to the discovery of truth, is being systematically exterminated. The idea that the United States is a free country is the greatest lie ever told.
By Raul Ilargi Meijer

August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - 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.

Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

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 rid 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.
Home Search ICH Hashima  Brutal History and the Most Haunted Island on Earth By Andre Vltchek August 08, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Do you want to see perhaps the spookiest island on earth  Hashima (also known as Gunkanjima  the Battleship Island)  which is located just 30 minutes by speedboat from the historic Japanese port city of Nagasaki? Now you can. Just book online, pay the equivalent of 40 American dollars, and then hop on one of those shiny sleek vessels belonging to Gunkanjima Concierge or to some other company. Do it, and you will see the island which looks like an abandoned monstrous wreck; like a sunken and haunted ship. You will sail around it. You will even be able to disembark and walk a few hundred meters on a fenced path. Guides/minders will let you take a few snapshots. But that is all. No stepping left or right off the path. No going ahead of the group. No lagging behind. And please, no provocative questions! The guides are well trained to entertain you, to tell you just how haunted the island is and how vibrant it used to be in the past. Sugary smiles never leave their faces. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter But were you to defy their written and unwritten rules, theyd immediately jump and appear next to you. They would even loudly scold you. Suddenly theyd become very rude. What are they afraid of? What are they hiding? What really took place on this island? The true horrors of the past will never be conveyed to you. It is all about WWII, and Japan is still in denial. A Japanese tour guide (designated for the Japanese-speaking visitors) as well as a carefully prepared electronic recording for the English speakers, will recount countless details about the islands geography and uncontroversial chapters of history, but close to nothing about the terror of the slave labor into which the Korean and Chinese people were forced into, during World War II. * On 6 July 2015, The Guardian reported: Unesco has decided to grant world heritage status to more than 20 old industrial sites in Japan after officials from the country agreed to acknowledge that some of them used Korean forced labourers before and during the second world war. The 23 Meiji period (1868-1912) sites include coalmines and shipyards that Japan says contributed to its transformation from feudalism into a successful modern economy. South Korea, however, had opposed the application for world heritage status unless clear reference was made to the use of an estimated 60,000 labourers forced to work at seven of the sites, including the island coalmine Gunkanjima, during Japans 1910-1945 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula. Opposition was also expressed by China (PRC). The issue of forced labor and Tokyos stubborn rejection to acknowledge it, delayed the inscription of the sites by UNESCO. However, in 2015, Japan yielded, and its delegation to UNESCO declared: Japan is prepared to take measures that allow an understanding that there were a large number of Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions in the 1940s at some of the sites. The sites, including the notorious Hashima/Gunkanjima, eventually gained world heritage status. In exchange, both South Korea and China expected Japan to highlight the suffering of their people during the occupation and WWII. The sites where forced laborers used to be held, were supposed to carry clearly marked and detailed explanations. But as in so many other cases related to its dark history, Japan did close to nothing to keep its side of the bargain. With the world heritage status, it got what it wanted, but gave almost nothing in return. * In May, I spent three days in Nagasaki, visiting my friend, a leading left-wing Australian historian, Geoffrey Gunn. For many years, I have been coming to this city, searching for answers to a myriad of questions related to Japans and Asias complex past. The past of Nagasaki has it all: great old Japanese culture, Christians and their prosecution, the Dutch traders and their settlement, a vibrant Chinese minority. Nagasaki was always one of the most open cities in Japan, by choice or by force. But also, this is where the military ships were built, where many slave laborers were brought to from the occupied territories, and this is also where the second A-bomb was exploded by the US at the end of WWII. Seen from the roof of the imposing Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, the bay of the city is still dotted with WWII relics. Near the water, there is a huge crane, another fragment of an industrial UNESCO world heritage site. The crane belongs to the Mitsubishi shipyards, which have been, for long decades, producing and repairing Japans military vessels. Officially, Japan does not have a military, I said, sarcastically. But look, it is in possession of these huge battleships, docked at the other side of the bay. You are lucky. They just arrived here, said Geoff. These docks played an extremely important role in the past. Gunkanjima mines also belonged to Mitsubishi. They were excavating coal there, and then building some of the largest battleships here, in Nagasaki. For the rest of the evening we discussed the bizarre refusal of the Japanese governments and public to acknowledge the past. Even now, more than 70 years after the end of the war, these issues are taboo: the genocide committed against the Chinese people, and the terrible crimes against the Koreans. Often, when the past is mentioned, the famously polite Japanese people suddenly become defensive, even aggressive. * In 2015, Japan began literally blackmailing UNESCO, temporarily withdrawing its payment dues, after the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Agency listed the 1937 Nanjing Massacre documents in its Memory of the World program. The funds were eventually released, but the message was sent, clearly and patently. This stubborn refusal to deal with the horrors of the past is bringing Japan closer and closer to the deadly embrace of the West, particularly the United States, and further and further away from potentially friendly relations with the rest of north Asia, particularly China. After WWII, the so-called Tokyo Trial supervised by the US (also known as The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE)) was clearly designed to punish just a few individuals, while preserving the Japanese industrial, business and political system in its original form, so it could serve the interests of the West. After the trial, Japan was allowed to rebuild and to join the West in its aggressive policy towards the Asia Pacific. It played a significant role in the brutal Korean War, during which the West massacred millions of Korean citizens. Modern Japan has no foreign policy, I was once told by the Irish academic and political analyst David McNeal, who is based in Tokyo. It is strictly following the US dictate. The same goes for the media coverage of the international events. David has no illusions about the Japanese take on its history: They are rewriting text books; they skip through WWII, dedicating to it only eight pages Nationalism is rising There is so much self-censorship in Japanese media, now. And the government is issuing guidelines, the so-called Orange Book, for instance: how to treat anything that is contagious or anything related to history. There are instructions to writers and translators. For instance: never use words like Nanking Massacre, except when you quote foreign experts. Or Yasukuni Shrine  never use word controversial in connection to it. We cannot write about sexual slaves from WWII. The more ignorant about its past Japan gets, the more it seems to strongly dislike its former victims  China and Korea. According to a Pew Research Center poll (2017), 83% of the Japanese people have an unfavorable view of China. Korea does not fare much better. Both countries (PRC and ROK) are now clearly leaving Japan behind, when it comes to the economy and in the case of South Korea, the standard of living. The reaction of Tokyo: moving closer and closer towards the West, while adopting an increasingly aggressive policy towards two communist nations: China and North Korea. * But back to the Battleship Island You pay, and you get onboard. Right from the beginning, even before the vessel departs from Nagasaki, you get bombarded by outrageous propaganda: about that samurai spirit of Japan and the entire Nagasaki area. There is continuous control, right from the start. You get up from your seat, and immediately someone approaches you: Where are you going? Do you want to change seat? No, you cannot sit here Guides (or call them minders) sound extremely rude: their English is primitive, while their obsession with all sorts of rules and regulations is fundamentalist. An old dude who is here clearly in order to play the role of the main propagandist, is continuously clarifying things into the microphone. His voice is amplified, and his performance soon turns into an annoying and uninterrupted flow of verbal diarrhea. There is no space for reflection  no time to feel and to pause or let alone to ask some serious questions. Whenever he stops, some cheaply-made video begins playing on the screen. Then advertisements of Kirin Beer are beamed. The yacht is sailing towards the place that held thousands of people as slave laborers, where many died, where women were turned into sexual slaves. But the circus goes on. No reflection and no repentance. On the island, I refuse to follow the group. I lag behind, trying to avoid loud noise and the herd of people. Of course, I soon get confronted by two guides, trying to push me back towards the flock. I ignore them, keep filming. They become aggressive. One shouts: This is Japan. Follow our rules! I keep filming. I did not come here to be loved. The reason for my journey was simple: to determine whether the Japanese government sticks to the deal it made with UNESCO, Korea and China  whether it marks and commemorates the sites where forced laborers were pushed into an inhuman existence and work, and where some of them, died. I found nothing of that kind: no information, no commemoration! Back in Nagasaki, I asked for brochures explaining the past. There were no such brochures. The organizers of the island visits had no idea what I was asking about. Later, the next day, professor Gunn took me to a small private museum managed by local Koreans, commemorating the terror which Japan committed against the Korean and Chinese people. At least this is where the truth about the most haunted island on Earth can be found. If one could find that tiny museum Gunkanjima  a ghost island which resembles, at least from a distance, a mighty destroyer; an island dotted with tall buildings now lacking windows and doors. An island where thousands of miners used to go down into deep shafts, some voluntarily, some by force. An island  Gunkanjima  where many people used to live, and many died. A place so mysterious and so unique, beautiful in its own way, but also both symbolic and horrifying. Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books are Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism , a revolutionary novel Aurora and a bestselling work of political non-fiction:  Exposing Lies Of The Empire . View his other books here . Watch Rwanda Gambit , his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky On Western Terrorism . Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter . The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. ====== Note To ICH Community We are currently searching for a new comment system as we have run out of options on how to prevent the constant bickering and attacks by troll's, whose intention is to paint our website and newsletter as, anti-Semitic, anti-American, pro-Russian fake news. We can no longer afford to invest hours of our time each day, trying to have people behave in a manner befitting those who say they are concerned for others, while offering abuse and hostility to other ICH community members. When we have found such a comment system we will restore the comment function. We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. This would be a better use of out time than trying to prevent abuse of our comment system. Thank you for your continued support. Peace and joy Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.


Foremost Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftai, Femi Dani Kayode has reacted to reports that the newly sacked Director-general of the Department of State Services(DSS), Lawan Daura is on police custody.

The former Aviation minister, said he could categorically confirm that Daura, wasnt humiliated and disgraced according to reports. He also noted that Nigerians should be vigilant and prayerful as so frightful is about to happen in the country.

Fani Kayode made this known yesterday evening via his twitter handle. He wrote:

I can confirm that it is not true that Daura was taken to SARS. It is not true that he is in police custody. It is not true that he has been disgraced and humiliated. I can also confirm that something frightful is brewing in our country and we must all be prayerful and vigilant.  Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) August 8, 2018

He also weighed in on the latest claims that the former DSS DG, was bribed by Saraki, and betrayed Buhari. According to the PDP chieftain, it is false and absurd. He wrote:

The assertion that Daura "betrayed" Buhari is absurd.He was loyal to a fault. The narrative that is being spun by the govt. to make it look as if he acted on his own is FALSE.Buhari and Osinbanjo ordered him to carry out the NASS coup and they must bear the responsibility for it  Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) August 9, 2018



Fani Kayode also stated that the country was sitting on a keg of gun powder, noting that the desperation of many politicians to hold power is driving the country to war.
Argentinas former Vice-President Amado Boudou has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail for corruption.

The charges related to his attempt to buy a money-printing company through a front business. Boudou was in power during the administration of former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

The ex-president herself has been summoned to give evidence in another wide-ranging corruption investigation next week.

Both say they are victims of political persecution by the current President, Mauricio Macri.

Boudou was accused of lifting a bankruptcy declaration against currency company Ciccone Calcografica in return for an equity stake when he was economy minister in 2010, before becoming vice-president.

The court in Buenos Aires found him guilty of committing passive bribery and conducting business incompatible with public office.

He has been banned for life from holding public office, and is expected to appeal against the conviction.

The companys former owner Nicolas Ciccone was also given a four-and-a-half-year sentence.
An Abuja High Court sitting in Jabi and presided over by Justice M. A. Nasir on Wednesday 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.

Justice Nasir said the order subsists 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.

This comes a couple of days after the blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the State Security Services (DSS) in an apparent attempt to impeach the senate president.
Senator Dino Melaye was again absent in court to face charges for dealing illegally in arms.

The Kogi West senator, allegedly almost abducted on his last court appearance date but was lucky to have fled in the bush and hid atop a tree for many hours in order to escape from his assailants.

Kabir Seidu and and Nuhu Salihu, who were charged alongside the senator, were present in court but Melaye failed to show up.

His lawyer Mike Ozekhome(SAN), who was represented by tomorrow Mohammed told the Magistrate Sulyman Abdallah, that his client couldnt make it on health ground.

Melayes lawyer presented a medical report to that effect.
The pathetic story of a Nigerian Engineer who went to Italy for greener pastures has now turned a beggar. Here is the pathetic story of a Nigerian engineer Ogochukwu Efeizomor, in search of asylum in Italy, but who at the moment survives by begging on the streets of an Italian town.

Three or four days a week, Ogochukwu Efeizomor takes a train from Lecco, a lakeside town where he stays in a centre for migrants, to Italys 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 to 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.

Efeizomor is Nigerian, 30 years old and a trained civil engineer. But he claimed he lost his job with an oil company in Abuja, after a series of health problems.

Efeizomor said his health problems started after a neighbour 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 dont like you, they are not a 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 said;

Since Italys 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.

Zenithnaija
Vanguard



Abdulwahab Abdulrahman, a former assistant to the sacked director general of Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, has accused his former boss of extensive corruption and portrayed him as a man who serially betrayed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, for money.

The Nation

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, has assured that the National Assembly may consider the 2019 General Elections Budget of N242 billion for passage next week.Mahmood made this known in an interview with newsmen, after an executive session with the leadership of the National Assembly on Wednesday in Abuja.

Thisday



Alex Enumah in Abuja A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, Abuja, wednesday ordered the Nigerian Police to halt its interrogation of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, over the Offa bank robbery, pending the determination of a fundamental rights suit brought against the federal government.

Guardian



The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for immediate unfreezing of the official accounts of Akwa Ibom and Benue states blocked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

The Sun

A 70-year-old woman, identified as Helen Udugbezi, has been reportedly killed by suspected Septuagenarian with stone in Benin

Dailytimes

A leading member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed to Daily Times of Nigeria the offers his party has made to Senate President Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, Ortom, others to defeat Buhari

Dailytrust

Senator Godswill Akpabio says his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is done to promote national interest.

Tribune

He made the call while addressing a World News Conference in Abuja on Wednesday. Saraki said that to forestall a recurrence of the incident, an investigation should be carried out and perpetrators brought to book
Dr. Churchill Olakunle, the chairman of Big Church Group of companies has effected the arrest of an online blogger (name withheld) who was among the saboteurs that discredit his name and image on social media.

The kindhearted nature and charitable benevolence of Olakunle Churchill was met by a break-on-the bridge, when he arrested the online saboteur, after giving her a hundred dollar at the airport.

The popular entrepreneur has just returned from the UK, after a long time away, and was accosted at the airport by a young lady who was in tears after missing her flight and stranded.

She looked pitiful and Olakunle was affectionate, so he was said to have extended his hands of love by giving the lady a 100 dollar so as to resolve her little financial problems. Unfortunately, he was ridiculously amazed when she began her confession as one of the online saboteurs who was paid to make negative comments and trend them on several online media platforms anytime there was a post on Churchill or his events.

The lady confessed that, she was paid N10,000 every month and that they were 25 people with 5 different fake accounts each and the ring leader of the group is a Ghanaian but London based blogger called cutie.

She opened up that they have been reacting to online discussions; post false stories and makeup fake propaganda comments to libel the reputation of Olakunle Churchill. She explained how they all have created scam accounts on online blogs, Instagram, facebook and other social media platforms with selected online warriors.

Churchill who turned his surprise to fury expressed dissatisfaction to such frivolous activities that portrays deception on the media. He immediately ordered the lady to be arrested by the Nigeria police force at the airport for further investigation.
The kindhearted nature and charitable benevolence of Olakunle Churchill was met by a break-on-the bridge, when he arrested an online saboteur, after giving her a hundred dollar at the airport.

The popular entrepreneur has just returned from the UK, after a long time away, and was accosted at the airport by a young lady who was in tears after missing her flight and stranded. She looked pitiful and Olakunle was affectionate, so he was said to have extended his hands of love by giving the lady a 100 dollar so as to resolve her little financial problems.

Unfortunately, he was ridiculously amazed when she began her confession as one of the online saboteurs who was paid to make negative comments and trend them on several online media platforms anytime there was a post on Churchill or his events.

The lady confessed that, she was paid 10,000naira every month and that they were 25 people with 5 different fake accounts each, and the ring leader of the group is a Ghananian but london based blogger called cutie. She opened up that they have been reacting to online discussions, post false stories and makeup fake propaganda comments to libel the reputation of Olakunle Churchill.

She explained how they all have created scam accounts on online blogs, instagram, facebook and other social media platforms with selected online warriors.

Churchill was absolutely mean to the entire situation, and he expressed dissatisfaction to such frivolous activities that portrays deception on the media. He immediately ordered the lady to be arrested by the Nigeria police force at the airport for further investigation.
A mass burial has been held for the 21 victims who died in a boat mishap that occurred at the Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State in north western Nigeria on Aug. 2. 12 people were also rescued in the tragedy.

According to reports, the victims were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from a camp where people who escaped a recent gunmen attack in the state were settled.

According to the Director-General of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Ibrahim Dingyadi, the boat mishap happened as a result of overloading.

He said that 33 people boarded the boat from the IDP camp at Gandi community going to a village known as Gidan Kare in the Rabah Local Government Area of the state.

The SEMA chief said that no sooner had council officials reported the incident than the agency set out to rescue the victims.

He said that the victims were mainly women and children and that the dead people among them had since been buried.


The Senate president Bukola Saraki, yesterday visited former military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida at his home in Niger state.

The Embattled senate president who is facing impeachment threat, after he dumped his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP met IBB after he addressed a world press conference in Abuja.

Saraki, described the former head of state as a father and a leader, saying it was always a pleasure to meet with him(IBB).

The Senate president shared a picture of himself and General Babangida via his twitter handle yesterday evening.

Dropped in to pay my respects to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Always happy to be with a father and leader. pic.twitter.com/IbV2WI2sds  Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) August 8, 2018

However, what cut our attention was that the General may be in retirement but has not lost touch with todays fashion trend.

Take a look


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC yesterday, August 8th, froze all the accounts of Akwa Ibom state. This is the latest in the account freezing series, as all the account of Benue state were frozen on Tuesday.

A lot of sentiments have accompanied the news, and many Nigerians have either lambasted the anti-corruption body for the decision or have sought an explanation.

Some Nigerians on Twitter, couldnt hold their anger, as they backlashed the All Progressives Congress, APC for trying to coerce people to stay in the party by unconventional means.

See some reactions below

In my opinion, Ibrahim Magu may be passionate about his duties but man is messing up the anticorruption drive of this admin partly maybe bcos he has the mandate to do whatever he deems fit. Freezing the accounts of Benue and Akwa Ibom is very stupid, I would sack him like Daura  Souljah (@jeffphilips1) August 9, 2018

https://twitter.com/SKSolaKuti/status/1027245234428825602?s=19

Benue doesn't have money, it's why I can't pay salaries -Ortom

EFCC has frozen empty accounts abi?

See, make I hear pim.

Just pim  ibn Madaki (@Ibnmadaki) August 8, 2018

The freezing of Benue and Akwa Ibom States accounts by the @officialEFCC is illegal, unconstitutional, overtly wicked and cannot be justified under any guise within the clear dictates and contemplation of our laws and practice as a nation. @realDonaldTrump @USEmbassyAbuja pic.twitter.com/tkxRjOmqBH  Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) August 8, 2018

Freezing the accounts of the Benue and Akwa-Ibom Govts is a clear and direct threat to democracy and EFCC must be called to order. The defection of the Benue Gov. can be responded to politically but not with illegality and this is an issue every sane Nigerian should condemn.  Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) August 9, 2018

Government is basically using EFCC as the instrument with which to force the Benue and Akwa Ibom State Governors to defec to APC. Once this holds, expect every Governor to be an APC member by next year looool. And some bastards swear it is change. Eti werey  Oddy (@Oddy4real) August 8, 2018
SAUBLE BEACH, Ont. (August 8, 2018)  Andrew Gresels promising night at Sauble Speedway in his McRobert Fuels No.81 Ford Fusion Pro Late Model came to an abrupt end as the Sauble Beach, Ont. native crashed out of the Beat the Heat 100 last Saturday night.

Gresel was racing inside the top-five with Brandon Watson when Watson made contact and spun Gresel into the outside wall, collecting several cars in the process.

Going into turn three, I gave Brandon Watson a little bit of a push, but a very controllable push, Gresel explained. Coming out of turn four, they were up so high and my car was hooked down low so I drove right underneath him. Once he saw we were going to clear him, he turned into me. He hooked my right-rear bumper and we went up towards the wall really hard. Junior Farley was right there and we made contact with Farley. A couple of other guys drove into the side of the car. The car just came to a stop and they drove into us.

The incident with 31 laps remaining in the 100-lap affair brought Gresels night to a quick end. The result was particularly frustrating for Gresel because he felt he had a shot at the victory in front of his home track fans during the APC United Late Model Series only stop at the Beach this season.

We had a winning car, for sure, Gresel said. The No.9 (Watson) car was probably going to be most of the challenge. Kimball didnt have as good a car and I didnt think the No.9 really stood a chance.

The damage to the car is extensive and Gresel also suffered a couple of minor hand injuries in the process as well.

Theres a lot more damage than I was thinking, Gresel admitted. Both of my hands got injured in the wreck too when they got tangled up in the steering wheel. The main steering shaft kind of mangled up my hand. Im feeling better now, but it was a pretty hard hit that way. Its one thing to take a bump and return the favour, but to wall a guy, thats not cool.

Gresel and his Sauble Falls Racing team had prepared their CUSW and Hy-Grade Roofing sponsored entry diligently for the event, with several test sessions to try and perfect the setup. The wreck to end their night while still in contention was certainly not something they envisioned.

We did a lot of work to get ready for the race, Gresel said. We practiced a couple of times, but on race day the car turned around on us and we had to make a few changes, but it was good for the race. I was really happy with it during the race.

Now, Gresel and his team are unsure of their situation for the next APC United Late Model Series event coming up this Saturday, August 11 at Sunset Speedway. The team knows their car wont be repaired in time and are in search of another option in order to continue running series points.

We know the car wont be fixed. By the time we get the parts, it just wont work, Gresel said. Were still going to try and make it to Sunset with something. Well have to figure something out.

For more information on Andrew Gresel and Sauble Falls Racing, visit www.saublefallsracing.com.

SEASON STATS

Pro Late Model  6 Starts: 0 Wins, 3 Top-5s, 5 Top-10s

Limited Late Model  3 Starts: 0 Wins, 1 Top-5s, 2 Top-10s

Super Late Model  1 Start: 1 Win, 1 Top-5, 1 Top-10

SAUBLE FALLS RACING MEDIA

Website: www.saublefallsracing.com

Facebook: facebook.com/saublefallsracing

Twitter: @SaubleFalls81

Andrew Gresel and the Sauble Falls Racing team are proud to partner with several dedicated marketing partners for the 2018 race season, including McRobert Fuels, Sauble Falls Tent & Trailer Park, CUSW  Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, Hy-Grade Roofing, London Recreational, Gallinger Ford Lincoln, F1 Freight Systems, Ron OBrien Remax, Barrys Construction and Raden Givari at Ehomes.
We are delighted to name Emil as our new leader for Aspen Re, commented Aspens group chief executive Chris OKane. His appointment recognizes the deep knowledge and insights that he brings to the role with over 20 years in the reinsurance business, including 12 years at Aspen.

As a highly-respected leader, Emils appointment will provide continuity and is testament to the significant strength-in-depth that we have across our leadership team at Aspen.

The new Aspen Re boss has held the role of CUO since August 2012, and the president position since September 2014. He came onboard in 2006 as casualty treaty head at Aspen Re America before becoming the head of casualty reinsurance in 2008.

I am honored to have been appointed to lead Aspen Re, said Issavi, who began his career at Gen Re. The business is a highly respected player in our chosen markets, we have an outstanding team of people, and we are well positioned to sustain the longstanding success of the business moving forward.

Meanwhile OKane took the opportunity to thank Lillelund, who has been tapped to lead AIGs new European entity in Luxembourg.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Thomas Lillelund for his significant contribution to Aspen Re over the last 10 years, most recently as chief executive officer of Aspen Re and before that as managing director of our Asia-Pacific business, he stated. We wish him every success in the future.
August 9, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Technical analyst Clive Maund charts a gold explorer and producer with projects in Argentina.

The 6-month chart for Friday's close for Golden Arrow Resources Corp. (GRG:TSX.V; GAC:FSE; GARWF:OTCQB) (Canadian market shut Monday) shown below was posted on the site before the open Tuesday, with the promise to post a fuller description with a 3-year chart later. As it turned out the sector dropped quite hard today, with the GDX (VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF) looking like it is breaking key support, and it was mentioned in the Gold Market update at the weekend that Big Money might organize a "head fake" move below clearly defined support on GDX to shake people out before a turnaround and rally, although obviously Tuesday's action is concerning as it could lead to a sharp sector drop.

As far as Golden Arrow itself is concerned, it had a good day, closing up 2 cents, or 4%, and it looks like it is breaking out upside from the rather small Cup & Handle base shown on our 6-month chart.

Moving on to the promised 3-year chart, we see that a positive pattern has developed in Golden Arrow over a long period of time. Following a huge run-up during the first half of 2016, it reversed into a bear market, which has taken the form of a 3-arc Fan correction. An early sign of a trend change from down to up was the breakout above the second fanline and sharp advance toward the end of last year. After peaking at the start of this year, it went into a steady decline as it was forced lower by the third fanline. However, it turned up again before dropping as far as the late 2017 low, which was a bullish indication, and has recently broken out above this third fanline by virtue of moving sideways. So it looks like this bear market is done, especially as the Accum-Distrib line has been positive overall relative to the price.

While not very useful technically, the long-term 15-year chart shows the complete history of the stock, and how it now appears to be turning up at a quite broad zone of support.

Golden Arrow Resources website.

Golden Arrow Resources GRG.V, GARWF on OTC, closed at C$0.52 $0.388 on 7th August 2018.

Clive Maund has been president of www.clivemaund.com, a successful resource sector website, since its inception in 2003. He has 30 years' experience in technical analysis and has worked for banks, commodity brokers and stockbrokers in the City of London. He holds a Diploma in Technical Analysis from the UK Society of Technical Analysts.

Disclosure:

1) Clive Maund: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. CliveMaund.com disclosures below. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Golden Arrow. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Golden Arrow, a company mentioned in this article.

Charts provided by the author.

CliveMaund.com Disclosure:

The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. Mr. Maund is an independent analyst who receives no compensation of any kind from any groups, individuals or corporations mentioned in his reports. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks can only be construed as a solicitation to buy and sell securities when they are subject to the prior approval and endorsement of a Registered Securities Advisor operating in accordance with the appropriate regulations in your area of jurisdiction.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All 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.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Lusaka, Zambia - August 9, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Kazang Solar, Azuri Technologies' official distribution partner in Zambia, has been awarded $1.6 million from the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) under its Renewable Energy and Climate Adaptation Technologies (REACT) window.

Azuri is a leading commercial provider of pay-as-you-go solar home systems to off-grid homes in Africa and has been working with Kazang in Zambia since 2016.

The investment will help Kazang Solar deliver affordable Azuri Quad solar home lighting products to more than 7,000 off-grid customers in rural Zambia.

Kazang Solar is one of only three companies to be awarded financial support from AECF REACT, funded by the UK Department for Internation Development (DFID).

Winners of the funding were announced at an event in Lusaka last week by DFID Minister for Africa, Harriet Baldwin MP. While in Zambia, Minister Baldwin and Minister Mathew Nkhuwa, Zambia's Energy Minister, signed the Energy Africa Compact, a partnership between the UK and Zambian governments and the private sector to support the growth of the sustainable energy sector.

"We are delighted to be one of only three companies to be selected and look forward to bringing Azuri's innovative solar technology to off-grid communities across Zambia," said Kazang General Manager Chileshe Chilufya.

Kazang Solar is the sister company of Kazang, the largest provider of electronic vending services in Zambia. Kazang service more than 100,000 customers per day and have a nationwide footprint.

The unique partnership between Kazang, Kazang Solar and Azuri means that customers in traditionally underserved rural areas not only gain access to reliable solar-powered lighting but can also access for the first time a range of digital financial services.

"This is an exciting new development for Kazang and Azuri as both companies ramp up efforts to bring reliable solar home solutions to homes in Zambia," said Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Azuri.

"The fund supports innovative and transformational business models which characterises the Azuri and Kazang approach. Azuri looks forward to working with and providing continued support to Kazang as they deliver life-changing solar technology to customers across the country."

Azuri Quad solar home lighting system features Azuri's award-winning HomeSmart technology with artificial intelligence that monitors weather conditions and learns customer usage patterns to adjust output to ensure a full night's power.

The Azuri Quad solar home lighting system includes a 10W solar panel, four bright LED lights, USB port and connectors for mobile phone charging, rechargeable radio and rechargeable torch.

AzuriTV, the first PayGo solar TV system of its kind to be launched in Africa, features a 24-inch super slim LED TV, over 100 satellite TV channels, four bright LED lights for use inside and outside the home, mobile phone charging, rechargeable radio and rechargeable torch.

In 2018, AzuriTV was named Innovative Technology of the Year' at the annual Africa Utility Week Industry Awards, honouring pioneering projects and people in the industry.

Azuri Technologies was also named in this year's FT 1000 list of Europe's fastest-growing companies, listed in the Red Herring Top 100 Europe and was an Edison Award Silver Winner for innovations creating social impact.

About Azuri Technologies Ltd.

Azuri Technologies is a leading commercial provider of PayGo Solar Home Systems to rural off-grid communities. With the widest reach of any provider across East and West Africa, Azuri is leveraging solar and mobile technology to allow users in 12 different countries to access renewable, distributed power on a pay-as-you-go basis. Azuri's HQ is located in Cambridge, (U.K.), with substantial regional offices in Africa, including our East African HQ in Nairobi and our West African HQ in Lagos.

For more information, please visit: www.azuri-technologies.com

Media contact:

Gina Ghensi | Azuri Technologies Ltd. | gina.ghensi@azuri-technologies.com | +44 7769 875 422

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All 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.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Astrocast and D-Orbit recently announced an InOrbit NOW DPOD agreement for the launch and deployment of ten Astrocast nanosatellites. Signed by company officials at the SmallSat Conference in Logan, Utah, the agreement calls for the Astrocast nanosatellites to be launched onboard an Arianspace VEGA or Vega C vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana between late 2019 and early 2020. VEGA C, the last generation of launcher is a European vehicle by AVIO SpA in the Colleferro Headquarters, in Italy.

Astrocast is pleased to partner with D-Orbit in securing an established, proven launch vehicle for our fourth deployment of satellites, said Fabien Jordan, founder and CEO, Astrocast. This mission will mark an important milestone for Astrocast, as our second revenue-generating launch.

It is a privilege for D-Orbit to have been selected by Astrocast for such an important mission, said Renato Panesi, CCO, D-Orbit. Our InOrbit NOW launch services are ideal for the small satellite market because they provide high performance, guaranteed deployment, and an affordable cost.

The ten Astrocast nanosatellites represent one orbital plane of their 80-satellite network. The constellation will consist of 8 orbital planes, each consisting of 8 operational and 2 spare satellites. This 64-unit network of Low Earth Orbit spacecraft that will provide cost-effective Internet-of-Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine services for the 90 percent of the globe not covered by cellular systems. Astrocasts constellation is expected to disrupt numerous enterprises, creating substantial efficiencies and cost advantages within key global sectors including maritime, oil and gas, mining, supply chain and logistics, automotive, utilities, and many others.

Following the scheduled Astrocast demonstration satellite launches in 2018, the InOrbit NOW mission will mark the fourth deployment of Astrocasts spacecraft in orbit. During the planned Astrocast mission, the ten nanosatellites will travel inside the DPOD dispensers, designed by D-Orbit to reduce vibrations and shock levels during launch. The target orbit for the Astrocast mission spacecraft is 450-600km, in Sun Synchronous Orbit.

The launch agreement was signed on August 7 by Renato Panesi, CCO of D-Orbit and Fabien Jordan, CEO of Astrocast, in an onsite event also attended by Kjell Karlsen, CFO of Astrocast, in the D-Orbit booth at the SmallSat Conference.

Edited by Ken Briodagh
Apples tussle with the TRAI  the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India  over the latters anti-spam app does not seem to end. Apple has not allowed TRAIs DND app on the iOS App Store since it violates its privacy policy and puts the users privacy at risk.

This had led TRAI to issue a draft regulation where it can direct telecom operators to derecognize smartphones from their network which do not allow for the installation of its DND app within the next six months. Apple and TRAI have been at loggerheads over the DND app for almost two years now.

Apple did try to provide a solution to this issue with a new extension in iOS 12 that will allow users to easily report spam calls and messages to a third-party service they like. However, this change does not seem to be enough for TRAI as it still wants Apple to allow for installation of its DND app on iPhones. While Apple has been trying to work with the Indian regulatory body, TRAI has not been willing to co-operate with the Cupertino company. Apple sent out a letter to TRAI after looking at the draft of the proposed notification.

We look forward to working with TRAI to address the issue of unsolicited commercial communications, while simultaneously ensuring that we fully honor our commitment to protect the privacy and security of our users, Apples head of public policy in India, Kulin Sanghvi, wrote in the letter which was seen by Reuters.

To this, TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma replied that Apple could not challenge the notification through a letter and it should challenge it in court.

Apple has been trying to expand its presence in the Indian smartphone market but the strict and sometimes unreasonable demands from the Indian government is making things difficult for the company. Apple asked the Indian government for tax breaks to set up an iPhone production unit in the country but its request was rejected. Due to this, the company has to pay a high import tariff on its latest iPhones which ends up increasing their final price by almost 30-40 percent.

Apple, which currently assembles only two low-end iPhones in India, has said tariff-free imports are critical for smartphone component suppliers and essential to make local manufacturing practical.

It remains to be seen how the tiff between Apple and TRAI will come to an end over the latters DND app. TRAIs move has not garnered a positive response from the Cellular Association of India as well, though unless someone drags this matter to the court, its unlikely to be resolved.

[Via Reuters
If you are a Verizon Wireless subscriber and have been considering switching to Apple Music, a new partnership between the two companies may work out in your favor.

Verizon on Wednesday officially announced a brand new, exclusive promotion that it will be offering for customers on any of its three different unlimited plans (Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited, or Above Unlimited). Thats actually three months longer than the standard free month trial for Apple Music, so its certainly a worthwhile stretch of time.

Today, Verizon and Apple announced an exclusive partnership, the first step of which brings Apple Music to Verizons wireless customers. Beginning August 16, Verizon Unlimited customers can sign up for a special offer of six months of Apple Music free*.

The best part of the deal is that this isnt for new Apple Music customers, either. This new partnership means that new customers, current subscribers, or folks who have lapsed, can all take advantage of the promotion as soon as it kicks into gear. According to Verizon, the promotion starts on Thursday, August 16.

Whats more, in terms of the partnership with Apple and Verizon, this is apparently just the first step, so it sounds like even more is coming down the pipe. What that might be, though, remains a mystery for now.

This first-of-its-kind offer is just the first step in an exclusive partnership with Apple, said Angie Klein, vice president of marketing, Verizon. It gives our customers exactly what they want: Apples best-in-class music streaming experience, paired with an unlimited plan tailored to them, on the network they deserve. And now that you can mix and match our unlimited plans, every person in your family can stream worry-free on the unlimited plan they need, without paying for things they dont  and enjoy all the music they want for six months free with Apple Music with this exclusive offer in the U.S.

Are you planning on taking advantage of this promotion once it goes live?

Our Take

The other major wireless carriers in the United States all offer up some major incentives when it comes to free extras. AT&T, for instance, offers up WatchTV and a selection of other premium content for free (like Pandora Premium), while T-Mobile bundles Netflix with its One plan. Sprint has Tidal. So Verizon may be hedging its bets a bit with a deal with Apple. Of course, those promotions with those other carriers dont actually stop after a set period of time like this six month deal with Apple Music, but maybe that will change in the future with whatever Verizon is hinting at.

[via Verizon
Given the scourge of fake news and killings in India, WhatsApp has reportedly decided to develop a dedicated team to fight this menace. The Facebook-owned firm recently launched a new feature on the messaging platform, letting users know when a message has been forwarded and limiting the forwarding of a message to only five people.

It is now being reported that the company is looking to set up a team in India to work on this issue. WhatsApp mentions that theyre currently looking for a local leader to work on the ground in India. This is a consequence of the Indian Government asking WhatsApp to provide information on malicious people who spread fake news on the platform. It seems like WhatsApps recent update as well as newspaper ads didnt do much as far awareness is concerned.

India, much like the several other countries, is currently facing polarization between communities driven by malicious forces on social media platforms. The government directed WhatsApp to take proper action or be held liable for the deaths of innocents. It is estimated that 30 people were killed last year and several injured following the spread of fake information on WhatsApp.

Its unclear at this point if this team created by WhatsApp will be large enough to combat the issue head-on. Its a much needed step, however, and its good to see the company taking the necessary steps to make sure theres no repeat of past incidents.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in India, which makes this issue particularly concerning for the local authorities. With pretty much every news being shared on the platform, its understandable how fake news can also make its way into the platform.

Perhaps a team that can fact check news in real time will help curb the issue to a great extent, but details on the local team mentioned above are still pretty scarce. While the government wants access to people who share fake news, that constitutes a breach of the companys privacy policies, so its a pretty tricky situation for WhatsApp. The platform has added several new features over the past couple of years, and its clear that this period will be very taxing on the company and its users.

[Via MSPowerUser
BOUNCING BACK Second-grader Wyatt Hipp blows into an empty bottle, which is floating in a bucket of water, while Cora Weiner looks on during a lesson on buoyancy Friday at Melrose School....

School meetings relocating to Town Hall Parents interested in the policy making process of their childrens education now will be able to livestream those discussions from their homes. The school committee permanently will move its meetings...

A FRIGHTFULLY GOOD NIGHT AT FORT GETTY Dozens of costumed children attended Fright Night at Fort Getty at the park Saturday along the West Passage. The first-time event, which was conceived by Ray DeFalco, director of parks...
Today

Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 63F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tonight

Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 60F. Winds light and variable.
MERLIN, Ore.- Orange Torpedo Trips helps dozens of people raft down the Rogue River every day. But when the Taylor Creek Fire shut down about 8 miles of the River, this business had to get creative.

The river closure caused a major hit on local businesses and made it difficult for rafters to make day trips. The road was blocked near Hellgate Bridge and the river closed from Hog creek to Galice.

Cory Mahr, the operations manager at Orange Torpedo Trips says, "It's really big for us as far is the logistics of getting down because every car that was being shuttled with Galice being down would have to go around through Sunny Valley and over."

What would have been a short drive became a little more complicated.

NewsWatch12 talked with Seana Doherty, a tourist from Lake Tahoe, California.

She traveled to Merlin to raft and camp on the Rogue River and says, "We did have to change our shuttle route which took an extra hour."

Once rafters got down to the water, the river became a much needed escape from the smoke.

Doherty says, "We were on the river for about four days and three nights and for the most part it was pretty clear."

The company says firefighters had the Merlin community's back, helping to reopen the river as soon as the danger subsided.

Mahr says, "This is kind of becoming the new normal which were hopeful it's not going to be an every year thing. But we're just thankful the crews were so open to communication and keeping us in the loop and realizing that this is a major portion of what we do and they made it a priority for us."

Nearly all the boat ramps are re-opened.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir leaves the stage after speaking during the opening session of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says there is nothing to mediate when it comes to the diplomatic dispute between his kingdom and Canada and is stepping up retaliation including selling Saudi-owned Canadian assets. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ AP/Mark Schiefelbein
LANE COUNTY, Ore. -- Representative Peter DeFazio is making two stops in western Oregon Thursday as part of his summer 2018 town hall meetings.

Seniors are invited to the WIllamalane Adult Activity Center meeting which will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

DeFazio will then stop at the downtown campus of Lane Community College from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Next week, DeFazio plans to make stops in Lebanon, Roseburg and Coos Bay.
EUGENE, Ore. -- The Lane County Sheriffs Office has made an arrest in a rape case from 2007. Deputies said they arrested Jesse Clark, 37, of Junction City.

In May of 2007, a 41-year-old woman reported being raped. She told deputies she was having car trouble in the Eugene area when a man stopped to offer her a ride.

Deputies said that man drove her to Crow, assaulted her and left her on the side of the road.

DNA evidence was sent to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, but at the time, there werent any matches.

Deputies said they recently heard from the state about a match, which led them to Clark on Aug. 2.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Springfield police are looking for a man accused of racially intimidating three Latino workers.

Police said the man in the picture below verbally attacked three roofers when they were leaving a job site on Main Street.

Investigators said the workers' trailer got stuck on the sidewalk, and while they were trying to free it the man walked up to them and started screaming.

The man was pushing a baby stroller. The victims said the man pushed them and told them to go back to Mexico.

Hate is one of those categories of behavior that, if it is not interrupted, it has a tendency to grow and spread, said Lt. Scott McKee, Springfield Police Department.

Anyone with information about this man or the incident is encouraged to contact Springfield police at (541) 726-3714.
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. -- Over 30 protesters made up of Special Olympics athletes and volunteers chanted and waved signs at Opal Park Wednesday demanding Special Olympics Oregon return the money they say went missing from their account.

Michelle Portmann, a local educator, left $50,000 to Special Olympics Cottage Grove after her death in 2011. The money was supposed to be used strictly for the Cottage Grove Special Olympics.

Volunteers thought the money would last them for generations and cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. But local volunteers said state organizers recently told them they have a negative balance in their account.

We want them to admit they used the money, and we want them to come up with an agreement with exactly how much they owe us and a plan to pay it back, said Carmen Dowell, a volunteer for the Cottage Grove branch. We have all the evidence it was taken from their website.

RELATED HEADLINE: PROTEST PLANNED OVER MISSING COTTAGE GROVE SPECIAL OLYMPICS FUNDS

In a statement, Special Olympics Oregon said the new executive leadership has been working to identify the facts regarding the gift provided in support of the Cottage Grove program. They said audited financials from 2012 to 2016 show the gift was applied as intended.

According to audited financial statements, the balances were:

 2012: $44,238

 2013: $35,966

 2014: $29,19

 2015: $22,152

 2016: $14,034

Special Olympics Oregon said financial statements for 2017 are still in the audit process. Local volunteers said there is no way they spent that much money, adding their annual expenses run around $3,000.

Another document from Special Olympics Oregon shows the account still had over $50,000 at the end of 2016. KEZI 9 News reached out to Special Olympics Oregon about the discrepancy between the two listed account balances for 2016, but our question went unanswered.

In a statement, Special Olympics Oregon said they look forward to working with all local volunteers to rebuild Special Olympics Oregon to a full slate of competition and programming for their athletes.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Two Willamalane Park and Recreation District lifeguards took fast action Thursday morning to save an elderly Eugene man who suffered a cardiac arrest while swimming laps in the pool.

The Springfield Police Department said that lifeguard Jared Knighten, 18, was reportedly monitoring the 73-year-old man at the swim center when he observed a change and believed he was in distress.

Knighten asked for help from Eleanna Soto, 18, another lifeguard, and they pulled the man from the shallow end.

Knighten and Soto were assisted by a third Willamalane employee, Paul Schnoor, 46. They performed CPR and called 911 sometime before 9 a.m.

Police arrived and assisted with performing CPR. The elderly man had begun to respond to the life-saving efforts of the lifeguards by the time EMS personnel arrived.

The man, whose wife accompanied him to the swim center, was transported to Riverbend Hospital.

I am extremely proud of the heroic actions of the Willamalane staff, said Michael Wargo, superintendent of Willamalane. Our aquatics team goes through extensive training and today that training paid off. This, coupled with the efforts of our police, fire, and EMS personnel, made a huge difference and had a positive outcome.

Knighten is a graduate of Thurston High School, and Soto recently graduated from Springfield High School.
GARNER, Iowa  A 10-year-old non-verbal autistic female who went missing this morning has been found safe.

The Garner Police Department said on social media Thursday that Ivy has been found safe and is back with her family! A big thank you to the Garner Fire Dept and all those who volunteered with helping to locate her!

The Garner PD and Garner Fire Department took to Facebook earlier in the day to ask for the publics help to locate the missing girl.

We will have more information on this story as it becomes available.
LANESBORO, Minn. - Lanesboro installed 2 electric vehicle charging stations, but does a town of Lanesboro's size need to accomodate electric cars?

According to city administrator and clerk Michele Peterson, there are a handful of people in the Lanesboro area who drive electric cars. However, while the demand for charging stations may not be high right now, the city is thinking ahead with tourism and sustainability in mind.

"This has been something we've talked about for years but there just wasn't the ability to do that at the time but I think we're all just very cognizant of the efforts to do better for the environment, to do better for the community," she explains.

Dallas, Texas, resident Becky Pedersen visits Lanesboro frequently and while she doesn't drive an electric car herself, she thinks the city is headed in the right direction for the future of their tourism industry. "If you wait until the absolute need is there, sometimes you've missed your opportunity," she says.

The charging stations are connected to a phone application called ChargePoint. Users can see on a map where chargers are available all over the U.S. In addition to Lanesboro, there are also chargers in Chatfield, Rochester, and plenty in the Twin Cities Metro area.

Having chargers in Lanesboro will help make not only Lanesboro, but the Southeastern Minnesota region more accesible to people who drive electric vehicles.

"From the Metro area, people should have no problem coming all the way down to Lanesboro to spend the day," says Peterson.

The stations were paid for by funds set aside by Lanesboro Public Utilities for conservation improvement programs, and people who use the chargers pay via the ChargePoint app for the electricity they used to charge up their car.
WASECA COUNTY, Minn.  Four people are hurt after a one-vehicle rollover Wednesday afternoon.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened round 2:43 pm on Highway 30, west of Highway 83 in Vivian Township. Dean Allen Thordor, 44 of Hayward, was driving east when the State Patrol says he swerved, lost controlled and rolled.

Thordor and three passengers all suffered non-life threatening injuries. Dean Thordor and a one-year-old child from Hayward were taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, a seven-year-old boy from Hayward was transported to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, and Victor Salinas, 36 of Austin, was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

The State Patrol says all four were wearing their seat belts.

Waseca County Sheriffs Office, North Memorial and New Richland ambulances, and New Richland Fire all assisted at the scene.
NORTHWOOD, Iowa  A Minnesota man has been charged in connection with a Worth County crash.

Jonathan David Anderson, 21 of Emmons, MN, is accused of 2nd degree criminal mischief, serious injury by vehicle, operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent, and operating while intoxicated. Law enforcement says Anderson stole a truck on June 17 and crashed it around 4:15 am along 475th Street, going into the north ditch between Cardinal and Dogwood avenues and hitting a field driveway.

According to court documents, both Anderson and a male passenger were injured in the crash. Two witnesses also stated Anderson was obviously intoxicated on June 17. One witness said Anderson had been drinking beer during the previous day and most of the night.

Anderson was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for treatment. He was officially arrested on August 1 and is free on $7,500 cash bond.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of a hammer attack has been ruled incompetent to stand trial.

Frank Towers, 40 of Rochester, is facing charged of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of 4th degree assault of a correctional worker, and attempted 4th degree assault of a correctional workers.

Besides the hammer attack, authorities say Towers spit on two deputies and hit a sergeant with a wad of toilet paper with urine on it.

He was found incompetent to stand trial on Thursday.
US sailors lower an unmanned underwater vehicle into the sea

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (ChinaMil) -- The Defense Department of the US has awarded a nearly $800 million contract to research and develop underwater drones, Stars and Stripes reported on Monday. The news unveiled the tip of the iceberg of the US huge unmanned underwater system program.

However, Chinese experts said that the US unmanned underwater system will be widely used in intelligence, reconnaissance, anti-torpedo, anti-submarine, hydrological investigation and other fields to enhance its asymmetric advantages, and its intentions toward China are also quite clear.

In May, the US Navy released a summary of its Strategic Roadmap for Unmanned Systems, in which the department stated that the use of drones will provide access to areas denied to manned platforms, provide better situational awareness and increase capabilities with greater range and persistence, according to Stars and Stripes.

In response, an anonymous Chinese military expert said that it is very clear that the current development of unmanned underwater system of the US is obviously targeting China. In particular, the description of the areas denied to manned platforms in the summary section largely refers to China. In addition, some equipment also targets the Chinese Navy.

For example, the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vehicle (ACTUV) developed by the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is mainly used to deal with the threat of quiet diesel-electric submarines. ACTUV is equipped with various sensors with a three-month battery life. Most of Chinas submarines are diesel-electric and ACTUV poses a great threat to future operations of such submarines.

Experts believe that the South China Sea is an important area for the deployment and use of the US Navys unmanned underwater systems. Over the years, the US has frequently deployed underwater gliders in the South China Sea. This kind of unmanned underwater system gains propensity by modulating the net buoyancy and attitude angle. Its energy consumption is minimal with a small amount of energy consumed when adjusting the net buoyancy and attitude angle. With such high level of efficiency and long battery life, it is difficult to detect underwater gliders with existing anti-submarine methods.

It is very likely that the US can master more of the hydrological situation of the South China Sea than most coastal countries by using these underwater gliders" and other unmanned underwater systems to investigate the hydrological situation of the South China Sea. This is of great significance for US naval operations, especially in anti-submarine and anti-mine operations. Therefore, China must remain highly vigilant.

Disclaimer: The authors are Li Qiang and Liu Yang from the Global Times. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military online.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa  A pair of North Iowa men are facing more criminal charges.

Colten Lee Lindley, 23 of Rockford, and Jason Duane Burnett, 20 of Rudd, were first arrested in July and accused of stealing two Dodge Ram Trucks and an International Harvester tractor. One of the trucks was torn apart and found on fire on a rural Floyd County Road.

Burnett was initially charged with ongoing criminal conduct, two counts of 1st degree theft, 2nd degree theft, and 4th degree theft. Authorities have now added counts of 2nd degree arson, altering vehicle identification numbers, and possession of stolen property. In addition, law enforcement says a search for the stolen trucks turned up two pill bottles of Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen, leading to two counts of possession of a controlled substance against Burnett.

Lindley was charged with ongoing criminal conduct, two counts of 1st degree theft, arson, two counts of 2nd degree theft, and 3rd degree theft in the stolen vehicles case but is now accused of a whole new set of crimes. Hes charged with two counts of forgery and two counts of identity theft for allegedly passing bad checks at the 218 Fuel Express in Floyd and the Buy Low North in Charles City. Hes also facing counts of 3rd degree burglary in connection with the theft of a red Honda ATV and illegal possession of a prescription drug after authorities say a container of Cyclobenzaprine pills were found on Lindley during a traffic stop.
ELDORA, Iowa  Half of a Hardin County couple charged with 1st degree kidnapping is pleading not guilty.

Traci Lynn Tyler, 39 of Ackley, and Alex Craig Shadlow, 30 of Ackley, are accused of keeping Shadlows biological son locked up in a six foot by six foot area under the basement stairs in their Ackley home. Authorities say the boy was forced to stay there at least nine hours each day before being released to go to school. Court documents say the boy was forced to sleep on the cement floor and was given a small tin can to use as a bathroom.

Tyler entered a not guilty plea on Monday and a pre-trial conference is set to take place on September 10. Court documents show Shadlow has not entered a plea yet.
By Antonio De la Jara

Aug 8 (Reuters) - The main union at Chile's Caserones copper mine said on Wednesday that a last round of labor negotiations with mine operator Lumina Copper had broken down and that a strike was imminent.

The 300-member worker's union said Lumina, which is controlled by a partnership of JX Holding and Mitsui Mining , had taken an "intransigent" position to their demands during a final period of government-mediated talks.

"Negotiations with the company under mediation have failed. Management wanted ... to put an end to the negotiations by offering us a bonus, but they weren't listening to our demands," union president Nelson Iribarren told Reuters.

If Lumina doesn't improve its contract offer by Friday, a strike would begin next Tuesday, Aug. 14, Iribarren said.

The company was not immediately available to comment.

A looming strike at Caserones comes as workers at Chile's Escondida copper mine, the world's largest, enter a final phase of negotiations with miner BHP , heightening uncertainty in copper markets amid growing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The union at Caserones had voted to reject Lumina's final contract offer in late July.

The mine produced 122,800 tonnes of copper in 2017, just over two per cent of Chile's total annual copper output.

Reporting by Antonio de la Jara; writing by Dave Sherwood; editing by Richard Pullin)

4224; Reuters Messaging: dave.sherwood.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexicos economy minister on Thursday said the country needed to finish bilateral negotiations with the United States, possibly this week or next, before Canada re-joins talks over a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement.

The U.S.-Mexico NAFTA talks resumed last week, without Canada at the table, after negotiations involving all three members of one of the worlds largest trade blocs stalled in June.

Asked by reporters whether Canada would take part next week in the talks, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said possibly.

But we have to make sure that the U.S.-Mexico bilaterals (are) done, he said, on his way into a second day of meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington.

Mexico and Washington have been discussing rules for the auto sector, which has been a major point of contention between the two countries.

The United States has sought tougher rules on what percentage of a vehicles components need to be built in the NAFTA region to avoid tariffs, as well as demanding that a certain number of cars and trucks be made in factories paying at least $16 an hour.

Guajardo was accompanied on Thursday by Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors pick for chief NAFTA negotiator, Jesus Seade.

Asked if talks would conclude this week, Seade said: We are advancing well, but there are a lot of things to review ... It is not clear if we will finish this week or the next.
MOSCOW, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Russias central bank said on Thursday it was proposing to limit investments made by insurance companies into securities that were issued by a single entity.

The central bank said in a statement on Thursday that it proposed to cap such investments by an insurance company to 10 percent of that companys total reserves.

The regulator said the proposals were made to increase the financial stability and solvency of insurance companies. The central bank said that there would be a transition period of three years to meet the requirements.
* Italian bond yields rise 3-6 bps

* Di Maio says on track for high-spending budget

* 10-year German Bund yields hit two-week lows

* Lira and rouble weakness fuel risk aversion

* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr (Tweaks headline to reflect rowing back of yields, updates prices)

By Virginia Furness and Dhara Ranasinghe

Aug 9 (Reuters) - Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio renewed investor concern on Thursday that the country was heading for a costly and unsustainable spending spree, pushing Italian bond yields higher on the day.

Di Maio, leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, told reporters that next years budget would included pension reform, tax cuts and a citizens income. Such measures would cost billions of euros and put pressure on public accounts .

Italys two- and 10-year bonds rose as much as seven basis points at one stage, though this made the bonds attractive to some investors and late buying helped pull yields off their session highs.

Borrowing costs were still up 2-3 bps on the day when the market closed.

I think Di Maios comments are the trigger (for the rise in yields), because it now looks like the government wants to implement the spending programme fully and they want to do it soon, said BBVA strategist Jaime Costero Denche.

The previous day, comments by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had given investors hope the programme would be phased in over a number of years,

The contrasting comments by government officials have led to swings in Italian yields as investors try to assess whether the countrys 2019 budget will clash with European Union rules on fiscal discipline.

Basically we will continue to see noise until the implementation of the budget in September, said Costero Denche.

That left the Italian/German 10-year bond yield gap at around 253 basis points, about 8 bps wider than levels touched on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, euro zone bond yields inched down on Thursday as risk aversion gripped world markets and boosted demand for fixed income.

Long-dated yields on safe-haven German bonds touched a two-week low as European stocks struggled with trade war worries, Russias rouble tumbled after the United States imposed fresh sanctions on the country and Turkeys lira dropped to a new low.

Germanys benchmark Bund yield dipped to a two-week low at 0.377 percent.

Threats to global growth are growing as the risk of protectionism and higher U.S. tariffs sap confidence, the European Central Bank said in a regular economic bulletin on Thursday.

Also in focus for euro zone bond investors is the auction of 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds, following the successful sale of $26 billion 10-year debt on Wednesday.
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.
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.
Knoxville native to assume command of 134th Air Refueling Wing





Col. Martin L. Hartley



MCGHEE-TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. - Knoxville-native Col. Martin L. Hartley will assume command of the Tennessee National Guard's 134th Air Refueling Wing during an official change-of-command ceremony here Aug. 5.



Col. Thomas Cauthen, who has led the 134th ARW since 2011, will become director of staff-air at Tennessee's Joint Forces Headquarters in Nashville making way for Hartley, who is currently serving as the Wing's vice commander.



"My first exposure to the Air Force was through a family friend that was a pilot in the 134th when I was a teenager," Hartley said. "To be given the opportunity 31 years later to serve in this capacity, alongside the greatest Airmen in the world, is both a privilege and an honor that I cannot describe. I'm grateful."



Hartley, a graduate of Knoxville's Doyle High School and subsequently the U.S. Air Force Academy, has served as vice commander since August of 2016. He has 27 years of service, including several pilot and command positions at the 134th since 1997. Hartley is a command pilot with more than 6,800 flying hours, including military and commercial airframes, and he has flown more than 60 combat missions in support of operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, Freedom Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve. Hartley holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering mechanics from the AF Academy and a master of business administration degree from Liberty University, Virginia.



Col. Bobby Underwood will replace Hartley in the vice commander position. Underwood, a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor of science degree in logistics, has served as commander of the 134th Operations Group since July 2014. Underwood is a command pilot with over 5,300 flying hours.



Cauthen has served in several pilot and command positions with the unit since 1986, and he has led the unit through numerous inspections, deployments and stateside emergency response efforts garnering a pristine safety record and several unit and wing-level awards and achievements. Cauthen is a second generation Tennessee guardsmen, following his dad who joined the Tennessee air guard in 1958.



"Each of these individuals has a proven track record and demonstrated ability to perform in these new assignments," said Col. Jason Glass, commander of the Tennessee Air National Guard, through an official e-mail announcement.



The mission of the 134th Air Refueling Wing is to project Global Reach and Global Power in the interest of National Defense by providing vital air refueling and critical airlift capabilities for rapid deployment, sustained combat operations and effective training. In 2017 the 134th ARW flew more than 1,000 sorties in support of contingency and training missions and deployed more than 430 Airmen in support of Operations Freedom Sentinel and Noble Eagle. The Wing also deployed personnel to Puerto Rico in support of Hurricane Maria relief efforts, and to Washington D.C. in support of the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. The Wing was recognized in February as the No. 1 of 17 tanker units flying the KC-135 in the Air National Guard.



Colonel M. Lee Hartley, Jr. is the Commander of the 134th Air Refueling Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Colonel Hartley graduated from Doyle High School in 1987 and received a congressional appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Following graduation and commissioning in 1991, he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base, TX and earned his wings in October 1992.



Colonel Hartley has flown aerial refueling missions supporting Operations Northern Watch, Deliberate Forge, Icelandic Air Defense and over 60 combat missions supporting for Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve. Additionally, Colonel Hartley has deployed to locations including: Incirlik AB, Turkey, Istres, France, Rhein Mein AB, Germany, RAF Mildenhall AB, England, Manas AB, Kyrgyzic Republic, Al Udeid AB, Qatar, and Camp Marmal, Afghanistan. From June 2006  April 2007, Colonel Hartley was an initial cadre Instructor Pilot for the 134th ARW conversion to the KC-135R.



EDUCATION 1991 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Mechanics from United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

1996 Squadron Officer School (by correspondence)

2003 Air Command and Staff College (by correspondence)

2009 Air War College (by correspondence)

2015 Master of Business Administration, from Liberty University, Virginia



ASSIGNMENTS

1. July 1991  October 1992, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, TX

2. October 1992  March 1993, student, T-37B Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, TX

3. March 1993  April 1995, T-37B Instructor Pilot, Columbus AFB, MSbr>

4. April 1995  September 1997, T-37B Instructor Pilot, Randolph AFB, TXbr> 5. October 1997  December 2001, KC-135E Pilot, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 6. January 2002 - 2004, KC-135E Aircraft Commander, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 7. June 2004  April 2008, KC-135E/R Instructor Pilot, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 8. April 2008  September 2011, Chief, Standards/Evaluations, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 9. September 2011  April 2012, Maintenance Squadron Commander, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 10. April 2012  October 2014, Maintenance Group Deputy Commander, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 11. October 2014  August 2016, 151st Air Refueling Squadron Commander, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TNbr> 12. August 2016 - August 2018, 134th Air Refueling Wing Vice Commander, McGhee Tyson ANGB, TN



FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command Pilot (Commercial Airline Transport Pilot)

Flight Hours: Over 6800 (5400 military, 1400 commercial)

Military Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, KC-135E and KC-135Rb

Commercial Aircraft Flown: DC-9, A-319, A-320, A-321



MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

 Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Air Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Aerial Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Air Force Commendation Medal two bronze oak leaf cluster

 Meritorious Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters

 Combat Readiness Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters

 National Defense Service Medal with bronze star

 Afghanistan Campaign Medal

 Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

 Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

 Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

 Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Air Force Longevity Service with three bronze oak leaf clusters

 Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two Mobility Devices and one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon

 Air Force Training Ribbon

 Tennessee National Guard Professional Development Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Tennessee National Guard War Service Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Tennessee National Guard Service Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster

 Tennessee National Guard Volunteer Ribbon



EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991

First Lieutenant May 29, 1991

Captain May 29, 1991

Major August 13, 1999

Lieutenant Colonel February 04, 2005

Colonel August 22, 2016 Published August 8, 2018














Colorado man fined $12k for role as unregistered agent for Chattanooga company



NASHVILLE  A Colorado man is permanently barred from selling securities in Tennessee. He has paid a $12,277.75 civil penalty to the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) as punishment for his role representing a Chattanooga natural gas and oil company.



Steven S. Boulter, who resides in Central City, Colo., found investors who gave money to Hixson resident Harry Thompson and his company Chattaco between 2012 through 2014 to help purchase new leases on natural gas wells in Magoffin County, Ky. Chattacos investors were promised large profits in exchange for their financial backing; however, investors never received the rate of return they were promised nor any repayment for their principal investment. While representing Chattaco, Boulter was never registered with TDCIs Securities Division, which is a violation of state law.



In Tennessee, it is unlawful for any person to transact business from or in this state as a broker-dealer, agent, investment advisor or investment advisor representative unless that person is properly registered as such, said TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. Before making an investment, I urge Tennessee consumers to contact our Securities Division team first and verify that their broker or adviser is registered.



The $12,277.75 civil penalty was pursuant to a Consent Order entered on July 18, 2018 and equals the total amount Boulter received in commissions and royalties from Chattaco. The Department is currently seeking sanctions against Thompson and Chattaco, and a hearing about the matter was conducted on August 3, 2018 in Nashville. After taking the case under advisement, the Administrative Judge will issue an Initial Order in furtherance of the hearing, which is expected sometime this fall.



Consumers who suspect that they are the victim of a securities or insurance fraud should contact the Tennessee Securities Divisions Financial Services Investigations Unit at (615) 741-5900. To file a complaint online, visit tn.gov/commerce/article/securities-file-a-complaint. Published August 9, 2018
TBI adds felon to its Top 10 Most Wanted list





Oshea Williams. Image courtesy of TBI



NASHVILLE  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has a new addition to its Top 10 Most Wanted list: Oshea Williams.



Williams (DOB 7-18-95) is wanted by the Chattanooga Police Department and TBI to face charges of Criminal Homicide, Felony Reckless Endangerment, and Possession of a Firearm during a Dangerous Felony in connection to an incident that occurred in Chattanooga on July 18. He should be considered armed and dangerous.



Williams is an African-American man, who stands 60 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. There is a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. Published August 9, 2018
By Liu Yang

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (ChinaMil) -- The US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Tuesday that he looked forward to hosting General Wei Fenghe, Chinese Minister of National Defense, in America this year and hoped the two sides could go further with the talks conducted in Beijing.

We look forward to hosting him. I personally look forward to hosting my counterpart from Beijing, said Mattis at a temporary press conference in that day. He also expressed the two sides had very good discussions recently in Beijing, adding that I look forward to continuing those.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited China from June 26 to 28 in 2018. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, said that both sides had in-depth exchange of views on various topics of mutual interest, including international and regional situations, bilateral relations between the countries and the two militaries, as well as issues about Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and maritime security. Important consensuses were reached on strengthening exchanges between the two militaries at all levels, enhancing mutual trust with regard to military affairs, deepening practical cooperation, managing risks and challenges, and so forth. The visit was fruitful and constructive.

Wu Qian added that during Mattis' visit to China, he extended an official invitation to his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe to visit the US later this year and General Wei gladly accepted the invitation.
Finance minister cautions against excessive pessimism



By Yoon Ja-young



The government will expand investment into the "platform economy," as part of efforts to attain innovative growth through bold regulatory reforms, the country's finance minister said Thursday in speech outlining economic policies and possible downside factors that could affect them.

A platform economy refers to one based on infrastructure and technology essential for the growth of multiple industries.



"Innovation is creative destruction for the market. It is an omni-directional structural reform for the national economy. For innovative growth, we need to reform all social systems including education and the labor market, on top of regulatory reform," Economy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said at a meeting with the media, Thursday.



Innovative growth, which is one of the three pillars of the Moon Jae-in administration's economic growth strategy along with income-led economic growth and economic fairness, is getting more attention recently as the administration is turning to the corporate sector for investment and jobs amid worsening economic indices.



"The platform economy is an ecosystem and infrastructure for future industries. We should become a platform powerhouse to lead the economy in the digital era. The world's top five companies in market cap last year - Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook - were all platform companies. You lag behind if you don't lead in this game," the minister said.



He said the government will make strategic investments into the platform economy and eight key leading industries: hyperconnectivity, smart factories, smart farms, fintech, new energy, smart cities, drones and future cars.



The government plans to invest over 5 trillion won in these next year, a steep increase from 3 trillion won this year. It will focus on nurturing human resources as well as setting up an ecosystem.



The administration will also expand research and development investment, allocating over 20 trillion won in next year's budget.



Regarding Samsung's suggestion to support biotechnology industries made during the minister's visit to Samsung Electronics, Monday, he said the government will support human resources in the sector. However, Kim added the government will be cautious about price deregulation for biosimilars.



He also acknowledged the extreme heat could negatively affect the economy.



"Shipbuilders and steel companies are cutting work hours and crops are being damaged. Though the macroeconomic impact isn't likely to be notably huge, day laborers and the less privileged are more vulnerable to the heat."



Kim also cautioned against excessive pessimism.



"The economy is subject to sentiment. We should read the trend of economic indices over the long term instead of emotionally fluctuating on monthly ups and downs," he said, pointing to the 2.9 percent economic growth in the first half of the year and the solid increase of exports as well as consumption.



"There are internal and external risk factors such as the continuing U.S.-China trade conflict, but we are making efforts to enhance economic vitality, including funding worth nearly 4 trillion won, and a consumption tax cut on vehicles."



He added the government will make utmost efforts to follow the 3 percent economic growth track through innovative growth based on deregulation.



Kim said the government will increase fiscal spending to solve structural problems and boost the economy, on top of securing a social safety net.



"Both the OECD and the IMF have said the government budget should play a bigger role," he said.



Regarding government measures scheduled to be unveiled next week to help the self-employed, Kim said they include easing the burdens of rent and credit card fees.



In the longer term, the government is also considering measures to secure fair trade and a social safety net for the self-employed.


By Dai He

KABUL, Aug. 9 (ChinaMil)  Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistans Chief Executive, confirmed Monday that the United States has recently sent representatives to hold the first direct talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar.

Analysts believe that the United States has long refused to hold direct talks with the Taliban and has advocated that the dialogues concerning the Afghan peace process must involve the Afghan government.

Therefore, the direct dialogue between the two sides marks a change in the US strategy towards Afghanistan. This dialogue is conducive to encouraging the Taliban to start peace talks with the Afghan government, but the peace process in Afghanistan still has a long way to go.

A change in attitude

At the cabinet meeting on August 6, Abdullah said that the Afghan government is aware of the recent talks between the Taliban and the US, and the goal of the dialogue between the two sides was to pave way for the Afghan government and the Taliban to finally return to the negotiating table.

According to the US media, Alice G. Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the US Department of State, led a delegation to Doha to hold a series of talks with Taliban representatives in late July. The report said that although the US officials did not make the news public, they did not deny it either.

Analysts believe that the United States has changed its attitude towards talks with the Taliban for the following reasons:

First, the United States has been trapped in the Afghan war quagmire for 17 years and needs to re-examine its policy toward Afghanistan. The Washington Post, a major American daily newspaper, recently reported that the protracted war has caused huge expensesto the US, who spends an annual average of $45 billion on Afghanistans security and economic assistance, twice the amount of Afghanistans GDP.

Second, the Trump administrations new strategy has had little effect and it needs to find new breakthroughs on the Afghan issue. In August 2017, after the Trump administration announced its new strategy for Afghanistan, the United States increased its troop numbers in Afghanistan to launch more offensives against the Taliban. However, the new strategy was not effective in curbing the Taliban, nor did it force the Taliban to agree on negotiations with the Afghan government. On the contrary, the Taliban have not budged on their demand for direct talks with the US.

A long way to go

According to sources in Afghanistan, during the talks, the Taliban demanded that the United States withdraw its troops and end sanctions against the Taliban leaders, while the US side hoped to retain the troops and called on the Taliban to stop military operations and join the Afghan peace process.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of a ceasefire between the Taliban and the government during the Eid al-Adha.

Analysts point out that although the Taliban may have a temporary ceasefire with the Afghan government, the security situation in Afghanistan is difficult to reverse in the short term. At present, Afghanistan faces multiple security threats, asthe extremist group Islamic State poses even greater threats than the Taliban in some northern parts of the country.

The Ariana News of Afghanistan quoted the Minister of National Defense Tariq Shah Bahrami on August 2, saying that the Afghan government plans to reach a short-term ceasefire with the Taliban in the near future with the ultimate goal of achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Analysts point out that the United States should focus more on promoting political negotiations since the Afghan issue cannot be resolved by military means. An Afghan political analyst said that in the long run, direct talks between the US and the Taliban could become a turning point in the Afghan peace process.

The Afghan peace process should follow the principle of Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and the Afghan government has always emphasized that its allies, including the United States, can only play a supporting role. In February of this year, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani expressed his willingness to talk with the Taliban, but the latter responded coldly.

Analysts believe that the direct talks between the United States and the Taliban will promote the dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government. However, the effects of the direct talks remain to be tested, and the peace process in Afghanistan still has a long way to go.

Disclaimer: The author is Dai He. The article was published on the PLA Daily on August 9. It is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military online.
Migrant workers in Korea and supporters of their human rights parade in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in December 2003, bearing photos of migrant workers who died during a crackdown on illegal migrants due for deportation. Protesters demanded no more forced deportations and that migrant workers who have been killed be remembered on International Migrants Day on Dec. 18. Korea Times file



The Justice Ministry has ignored immigrants for more than 20 years, says the head of the Changwon migrant workers support center.



By Ko Dong-hwan



Two Cambodian female workers at a hot pepper and perilla leaf farm in the South Gyeongsang Province rural city of Miryang reported to police in June that their Korean boss consistently harassed them.



The migrants, aged 25 and 24, who worked there for 14 months and three months respectively, accused their employer, identified by his surname Park, to Gimhae Jungbu Police Station. Miryang police took over the case.



The following month, the women asked the employment and labor ministry to change their workplace.



According to the victims' testimonies, Park treated them like his property, touching and grabbing their buttocks and other body parts  even in front of his friends.



Park forced them to work overtime past the hours stated in the employment contracts they had signed, and never paid them due wages. Often they were given tasks too hard for women  moving heavy bags of onions or dismantling metal rods from vinyl houses by themselves.



Their accommodation was inhumane. They lived in a dilapidated hut without air conditioning or heating. The hut had a broken window hastily covered by a cardboard box, and a pit dug outside for a toilet. The place, shared by two other migrant workers, was vulnerable to the scorching summer and frigid winter. Park deducted 230,000 won (around $200) from their monthly wage as rent.



"After the ordeal, I was afraid and scared to look at his face," the 25-year-old, who started working at the farm in April 2017, told The Korea Times, speaking in Khmer. She looked far from relaxed, holding her hands tight and keeping her words to minimum. "I wish such humiliation will never happen to me again."



The other worker, who came to the farm in March this year, said that after Park harassed her, "I was afraid of doing any new task because it might entail more sexual harassment from him." She feared that another worker taking her place would suffer the same humiliation.



Before coming to Korea, the women had watched Korean TV news and drama series and dreamed of working in Korea. They also believed the Korean legal system would protect them if they were in a trouble. They were shocked and disappointed when their boss treated them "like a prostitute." The 24-year-old thought earning money in Korea would be easy, but she had been wrong.



"But coming here to see people helping me makes me feel that I'm not alone," the 25-year-old said at Gyeongnam Migrants' Center in Changwon, which since 1998 has been helping migrant workers claim their legal rights. The pair wished to meet a new, kind boss. They did not want to go back to Cambodia until their visas expire in four to five years.





Cambodian migrant workers who suffered sexual harassment at the hands of their Korean employer at a farm in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, throughout 2017-18 tell of their experiences via an interpreter at Gyeongnam Migrants' Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Aug. 2. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan



Two Bangladesh men also were victims of abuse by a Korean employer. Aged 22 and friends from back home, they worked at a cut-iron supplier in Namhae in South Gyeongsang province from August 2017 until March 2018 when they reported their boss to the city police for consistent beatings and labor abuse.



The employer, surnamed Park, contacted one of them four months later asking him to come back, but the men asked for a change of workplace. They also asked that Park be prosecuted and they be compensated for psychological damage.



"Even for simple mistakes we made, he got angry and beat us," one man said in Korean. They said the beatings were "so painful."



"When he made us work overtime and do tasks not stated in our employment contracts, we wanted to record the scene and his voice as evidence using our smartphones," one man said, referring to the times when Park ordered them to clean underground sewage near his home, build a new house and clean his wife's coffee shop. "But he confiscated our phones, screamed at us using expletives and told us not to go to the labor ministry where he could be sued."



Park not only physically harassed them  throwing a spanner at them, beating them with a sweeper and kicking them  but also fudged the hours the pair worked.



"As long as my working hours are fully paid, I want to work for my boss and call him my new family because I don't have my family here," one of the pair said, smiling.







In addition to these cases,



The officials' inhumane treatment of the victim and their failure to check the victim's status before assaulting him were widely criticized. A surveillance video that recorded the disturbing scene just outside a sewage tunnel construction company in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, where he worked part-time was released at a press conference by Gyeongnam Migrants' Center later that month.



The justice ministry then issued a press release explaining that the officers "abided by rules in the process of apprehending the Uzbek." The statement did not contain a word of apology to the victim.



The explanation only fanned public anger. The student's testimony to the center revealed the recorded scene was not all that happened. While taking him to the immigration office and after locking him behind bars, the officers threatened him with an electric truncheon, demanding that he sign a paper admitting that he was an illegal alien who had tried to work.



Incarcerated for five days without knowing why, the tourism student from Suwon University and former English instructor in Uzbekistan, not understanding Korean, kept explaining, with the help of another inmate who spoke Korean, that he had a valid visa. But the officers did not listen.



The student, 24, was released July 20 after the school, informed by his school friend, filed a letter of reconsideration to the immigration office. The student was fined 500,000 won for working without a permit.



The case was sent to Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency rather than local police due to its gravity. The authority plans to send the case to prosecutors. On July 30, a medical diagnosis showed he suffered concussion, had multiple signs of contusion and required two weeks' rest.



In addition to these cases, an Uzbek student on a visa was assaulted by five Changwon Immigration Office staff members in July after being mistaken for an illegal alien , and charged for working without a permit stirred the public.The officials' inhumane treatment of the victim and their failure to check the victim's status before assaulting him were widely criticized. A surveillance video that recorded the disturbing scene just outside a sewage tunnel construction company in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, where he worked part-time was released at a press conference by Gyeongnam Migrants' Center later that month.The justice ministry then issued a press release explaining that the officers "abided by rules in the process of apprehending the Uzbek." The statement did not contain a word of apology to the victim.The explanation only fanned public anger. The student's testimony to the center revealed the recorded scene was not all that happened. While taking him to the immigration office and after locking him behind bars, the officers threatened him with an electric truncheon, demanding that he sign a paper admitting that he was an illegal alien who had tried to work.Incarcerated for five days without knowing why, the tourism student from Suwon University and former English instructor in Uzbekistan, not understanding Korean, kept explaining, with the help of another inmate who spoke Korean, that he had a valid visa. But the officers did not listen.The student, 24, was released July 20 after the school, informed by his school friend, filed a letter of reconsideration to the immigration office. The student was fined 500,000 won for working without a permit.The case was sent to Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency rather than local police due to its gravity. The authority plans to send the case to prosecutors. On July 30, a medical diagnosis showed he suffered concussion, had multiple signs of contusion and required two weeks' rest.

During a press conference at Gyeongnam Migrants' Center on July 31, President Lee Chul-seung, third from right, speaks about Korean employers' abuse and sexual harassment of migrant workers. The latest victims, two Bangladesh men, far left, and two Cambodian women, far right, and Subedi Yagya Raj, a Nepalese-Korean activist for migrant workers, third from left, attended the conference. Courtesy of Gyeongnam Migrants' Center



Callous authority, unchanging awareness





Gyeongnam Migrants' Center President Lee Chul-seung.

These cases are only the latest examples of Koreans' chronic xenophobia against migrant workers. The problem is that the biased perception is shared by not only many citizens but also law enforcers at immigration offices and the justice ministry that oversees the offices.



"You know what the ministry's slogan is?" Lee Chul-seung, who has been leading Gyeongnam Migrants' Center since its establishment, asked rhetorically. "Fair and Just Society Where Human Rights Are Respected." He mumbled and pondered upon the "human rights are respected" phrase. Then he continued. "I wonder whether officials at the ministry even keep that phrase in their heads. It should be in their hearts, not just in heads. But seeing that video showing the beat-up student from Uzbekistan, where those assailants used their authority as an excuse to brutally trample his human rights, I think the phrase must have been lost in their heads."



Lee, with decades of experience in helping migrant workers unfairly treated at workplaces, was upset at the ministry's press release, claiming it was "an irresponsible excuse that disregarded its own slogan." None of the explanations sensibly justified the brutal beating of the student in broad daylight, he said



"Who are they to say they are from the justice ministry so above the law? Aren't we all equal?" he said.



There are now 2.3 million foreign residents in Korea. Yet the nation's immigration policies and the ministry's handling of those laws are still largely bound by administrative services catering to foreign "visitors"  lacking practical solutions for the vast number of foreign "residents." In other words, the authorities still recognize foreigners, including migrant workers, as temporary visitors rather than residents.





Lee and visitors at Gyeongnam Migrants' Center, who joined a walkout campaign by migrant workers from South Gyeongsang Province, hold a placard that says "Ban Racism." The activist has been supporting migrant workers who have suffered unjust treatment from their Korean employers. Courtesy of Gyeongnam Migrants' Center



"The figure of 2.3 million signifies that most of the foreigners in Korea are no longer tourists," Lee said. "It means we have a growing number of foreigners who spent at least 90 days here and have started putting down roots in our land. This is why the ministry must start acknowledging the migrant workers as immigrants, not people from the third world who they will never see again."



He said the ministry's outdated perspective persisted because immigration offices had two mixed nominal missions  controlling foreign visitors and making policies for foreign residents. In the face of growing ethnic diversity, separating the latter and introducing a dedicated authority as a control tower was necessary. Such bi-functional immigration policies only worked decades ago when there were far fewer foreign residents and the main task was to be a gatekeeper monitoring foreign visitors.



"An unprecedented number of people are immigrating and crossing borders not only in Korea but all over the world," Lee said, referring to more than 500 Yemeni refugee applicants on Jeju Island in May and migrants from war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. "The number of migrants settling in Korea will only continue to grow."



The United Nations believed Korea was a viable destination for immigrants and advised the Korean government to introduce policies in favor of the newcomers. But racism has continued among Koreans with unchanging views about migrants from countries they deem to be inferior. This wrongful perception has for decades prevented many Koreans from embracing the displaced people.





Migrant workers in Korea and supporters demand the right to have workers' visas and fair treatment from the government during a street protest in Jongno-gu, Seoul in December 2003. Korea Times file
A Beijing cultural bureau said it had not approved Airbnb's plan to allow competition winners to spend a night on the Great Wall of China. Photo from SCMP



By Laurie Chan





Airbnb has been forced to cancel a promotion that offered competition winners the chance to spend a night on Great Wall of China after an official heritage body said it had not approved the plan.



"We understand and respect the opinions put forth by the Cultural Commission," the room-booking app provider said on Weibo, China's Twitter-like service, on Tuesday.



The statement, in Chinese, came in response to comments from the Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission, which said on Monday night that it did not support the project as it "is not in line with the Great Wall's heritage conservation values".



The government bureau, which is responsible for the popular Badaling section of the wall, said on Weibo 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 on Tuesday, adding that it had apologised to those who had already entered the competition.





This file picture taken on May 4, 2013 shows tourists visiting the Great wall in Beijing. Home rental website Airbnb on August 7, 2018 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. AFP-Yonhap
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Rain likely. High 56F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers late. Low 47F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
By Bei Guo Fang Wu

The 30th Chinese naval escort taskforce set sail on August 6 from a naval port in Qingdao of east Chinas Shandong Province to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia for an escort mission.

The escort taskforce comprises the Type-054A guided-missile frigates Wuhu (Hull 539) and Handan (Hull 579) as well as the comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960).

More than a piece of news, this is a regular report issued every four months and the 30th of its kind. In 2018, the 10th year of its escort mission, the Chinese navy is reviewing its past hardship and current progress.

The comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960) sets sail from a naval port in Qingdao of China's Shandong Province to the Gulf of Aden.

In the past 10 years, the 30 Chinese naval escort taskforces dispatched to the Gulf of Aden were all composed of two battleships and one supply ship. The Chinese PLA Navy sent so many new warships, especially frigates, to the Gulf of Aden that even the most fervent military enthusiasts became indifferent to the choice of warships.

People might still remember that, in the first four and a half years of the escort mission in the Gulf of Aden, the battleships were replaced one group after another, while the supply ships were always chosen among Weishanhu (Hull 887), Qiandaohu (Hull 886), and Qinghaihu (Hull 885). Meaning that, the battleships withdrew after only one term of mission, while the supply ships had to sustain two terms of mission.

During the era of the supply-ship troika, the supply ship Qinghaihu (Hull 885) is an old one rebuilt after being introduced from abroad.

Therefore, in those four and a half years, excluding regular maintenance, the three largest supply ships of the Chinese Navy at that time were always conducting escort missions. Although they provided much experience for the later improvement of supply ships of the same types, they served too many escort missions.

On August 8, 2013, the era of the supply-ship troika was finally ended by the supply ship Taihu (Hull 889), the first vessel of the Type-903A comprehensive supply ship series.

As Chinas ship-building industry has been making rapid progress in recent years, the number of warship types has also increased, including combat support ships that are essential among the ocean-going fleets.

Now there are many supply ships available to take turns serving in the escort missions. The comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960) serves only one term at a time, with its most recent trip in 2016.

The Taihu (Hull 889), one of Chinas most advanced Type 903A supply ships, ends the era of the supply-ship troika for the Chinese Navy.

Both Dongpinghu (Hull 960) and Taihu (Hull 889) are Type-903A comprehensive supply ships, updated from the Type-903 series with only two of its kind Weishanhu (Hull 887) and Qiandaohu (Hull 886).

Supply ships of the Type-903A series have had their displacement increased from 20,000 to 25,000 tons. Whats more, they are able to carry 10,500 tons of vessel/aviation fuel, 250 tons of fresh water, and 680 tons of ammunitions.

Supply ships of the Type-903A series have two sets of liquid material replenishment systems, one set of solid material replenishment system, large cranes on both sides at the mid-ship section, four small boats, a Z-8 ship-borne helicopter, and four pieces of 37mm twin-barreled ship-board artillery systems for self-defense.

The Type-903 series supply ships have greatly improved their replenishment efficiency and are able to conduct alongside, astern, vertical, and skin-to-skin connected replenishment-at-sea at the same time. Therefore, they can carry out underway replenishment missions under more complicated conditions.

The Type-901 comprehensive supply ship Hulunhu (Hull 965) is known as the nanny of aircraft carriers.

According to reports, China has completed ten Type-903 supply ships, with one still under construction. Currently, ships of the Type-903 series are not the Chinese Navys most advanced supply ships any more. They are no match for the Type-901 series of large scale supply ships that came into service on September 1, 2017.

As seen in previous reports, China has been consistently improving its supply ship building technology. It is believed that, as the Chinese supply ships continue to increase in number and enhance in quality, the Chinese Navys combat capability will be further improved.

Disclaimer: The author is a reporter with the Bei Guo Fang Wu. The article is translated from Chinese into English by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author from the Bei Guo Fang Wu and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Rain likely. High 56F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers late. Low 47F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
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.

 Trump's Win a Boost for Times

Since late 2016, when Donald Trump shocked the U.S. 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.


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 Putin's 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 Paul's 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.


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 U.S. 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.


The sums mean that Samsung will invest most of the operating profit it makes over the next three years.

The massive investment will flow not only into its flagship semiconductor and display businesses but also into four new growth drivers. The country's biggest conglomerate hopes that artificial intelligence, fifth-generation mobile communications technology, biotechnology and automotive electronics can drive growth over the medium and long term.

Samsung on Wednesday promised to invest W180 trillion into key businesses and hire 40,000 new workers over the next three years (US$1=W1,120).

The pledge came after a gradual rapprochement with the government that saw President Moon Jae-in meet with Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong at the opening of a smartphone factory in India on July 9.

Korea suffers from a drawn-out economic slump and record youth unemployment, and the government has made job creation a top priority.

Samsung plans to focus more than 70 percent of the planned investment here to help with job creation. "We decided that new hires and investments are necessary for future growth and the public expects Samsung to play a bigger role in contributing to the economy," a Samsung executive said.

Samsung's board set "achievable goals" for each affiliate, the executive added.

The tech behemoth is also promising to share its technological know-how with small and mid-sized businesses to promote symbiotic growth, rather than steamrollering over them as it has been accused of doing in the past, while training 10,000 young software experts and expanding its support for small businesses to W4 trillion.

Samsung initially wanted to make the announcement when Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon visited a semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on Monday but delayed it after concerns arose that the government was begging Samsung for investments to create jobs.


LAHAINA  The STEMworks Summer Internship, created by Maui Economic Development Boards (MEDB) Women in Technology Project, provides work-based learning opportunities for high school and college students that help build critical and creative thinking.

STEMworks students are matched with a host company based on the companys project needs and the interest and skills of the student. MEDB offers these opportunities for STEMworks students statewide.

The program prepares students for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) career by providing real-world job opportunities.

For six weeks this summer, 31 interns used industry-standard technologies to develop community projects. MEDB augmented their professional experiences with weekly college awareness and employability training webinars.

STEMworks students have a unique opportunity to explore technical and professional development and embrace new life skills to create change in their local communities, said Lalaine Pasion, Women in Technology Project (WIT) project assistant.

They bring a variety of STEM techniques to their host company. This experience will stay with them for a lifetime.

Kevin Clarke, engineering services specialist at Goodfellow Brothers Inc. (GBI) and STEMworks mentor, said, This program is of great importance to the STEM professionals of tomorrow. When I was in high school, no one showed me how the complicated concepts in physics and mathematics could have a meaningful effect on my career path and daily life. It is for these reasons that I feel obligated to help the young people of today grasp the importance of their current studies and how it will relate to the real world. It is also important for students to decide on a fulfilling career path that makes our local and global community a better place for all.

Clarke continued, Over the past six weeks, Ive had the privilege to act as a STEM mentor to two high school students: Seth Richards from Lahainaluna High School and Cameron Loewen from Baldwin High School. My intention was to provide them with tasks that were just beyond their skill level; and, once they completed the task, I raised the complexity of the next goal. However, this year the interns challenged me!

Richards and Loewen worked together, utilized the learning materials I provided along with numerous online resources to solve and better understand the problems I placed before them. They excelled so fast, by the end of the internship, I had run out of planned tasks for them, so I ended up handing them tasks that were on my desk. I was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of work they were able to turn in. Seeing young people like them getting excited about STEM brings me great joy. Additionally, Im extremely grateful to MEDB and WIT for their investment in Hawaiis future generation.

Richards highlighted his experiences with GBI, his host company.

Using Autodesk software such as AutoCAD and Civil 3D to model engineering design, I and another MEDB intern, Cameron Loewen, aided GBI in developing infrastructure here in Maui County. Land surveying is a vital part of the construction process. Before construction can begin, the land must be accurately measured and matched to the designs of engineers. During our internship, we learned how to read blueprints and design plans and essentially helped GBI in the various steps that lead up to land development.

Richards received access to the online GBI file system to help understand what the company does and where, along with specific projects he would be focusing on in more depth throughout the internship.

He organized jobs using GBIs Tax Map Key (TMK) that identifies the ownership and address of each plot of land for tax purposes and helped sort data into a separate database.

He organized jobs by their TMK, finished up the software downloads and learned some tutorials for AutoCAD and Civil 3D, a civil engineering design program. He also came across Trimble Business Center, another popular software program at GBI.

After getting a full in-depth review, our mentor had us take a deeper dive into AutoCAD, said Richards. We were given the assignment of creating a pipe network (a system of pipes and associated structures) and blasting pattern for the site for the new Kihei High School.

Richards explained, GPS applications are also a Trimble Business Center product. It has some handy features that work well. For instance, data taken from the field can be updated and automatically put into a program. The uploaded data is used by construction people onsite. A GPS device shows where to place stakes to identify walls, pipes and borders to be used as reference points during construction.

Richards also learned about GBIs drone program.

Mr. Clarke is currently the only GBI employee certified to fly a drone and the sole operator of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian, he said.

Trimble Business Center is also a fantastic program for working with data collected from drone flights. Currently, GBI is doing civil engineering work around the demolition of the former Maui Prince Hotel. The drone data helps the construction people figure out how much material they had onsite  to judge what material they need to remove before the land is at its final elevation. We can calibrate the volume of stockpiles, or low lying areas that need to be filled in, by processing the aerial pictures the drone takes of the site.

Describing how the drone collects data, Richards noted, What its doing is taking overlapping pictures of an area with the camera pointed straight down. The combined images produce two different results. The first product is an image called a mosaic. While at first it may just appear to be a big picture of a site, it possesses a unique and useful feature: it is orthographic. This means that the final projection is a perfect representation of the surface of the site that is both completely 2D and scalable, meaning that unlike a regular image taken of the same site, one can measure distances in the picture and find perfect measurements.

Richards explained that the other resulting image of the drone topographic survey is what is called a point cloud. A point cloud basically maps each pixel of the entire mosaic image using several surrounding images as references to trilaterate the landscape. They can then associate each pixel with an elevation.

The final product is a bunch of colored points corresponding to the surface of the mapped-out site. Zoomed in, the created image looks like a cloud of points. Zoomed out, it is a comprehensible 3D image of the surface.

We took a quick visit to the Maui Prince site with Mr. Clarke to show the workers the drone work at GBI, he said.

We showed the orthogonal mosaic image to some of the onsite engineers to help them get a sense of what the drone can actually do for them, and what they can use the images for. It was a great experience to visit the site and it gave us a good awareness of the property.

Richards concluded, It was very insightful to see just how much effort goes into projects that we normally take for granted. During MEDBs STEMworks Summer Internship program, I helped GBI in the steps that lead up to the development of land. It was a great experience!
In 1970, the Office of Environmental Quality Control was established to help stimulate, expand and coordinate efforts to determine and maintain the optimum quality of the environment of the State (HRS 341).

It publishes twice monthly The Environmental Notice (oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/The_Environmental_Notice/) on the 8th and 23rd, keeping the community informed on some of the actions undergoing environmental review, including habitat conservation plans, safe harbor agreements, coastal zone and shoreline notices and federal EAs and EISs.

You can go to their website and ask for the monthly notices to be sent automatically; it will help you to become mostly aware of what might be happening in your own backyard.

Their online library is a reference treasure-trove of draft and final environmental assessments and environmental impact statements, as well as withdrawals, acceptances and supplemental determinations.

The July 23 edition announced the onset of the environmental review process for the Kaanapali Beach Restoration and Berm Enhancement (KBRBE) project, the Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notification (EISPN).

The State of Hawaii and members of the Kaanapali Operators Association (KOA) are sharing in the $9,275,000 project price tag.

Although the beach and shoreline are located in the State Conservation District and are deemed public land; as taxpayers, we are equal opportunity investors along with the hotels, restaurants and shopping centers.

Although it doesnt need to be said, WE ALL OWN THE BEACH! Public access and public beach parking should be guaranteed, monitored and enforced with strict penalties imposed for non-compliance. Conditions, like these, should be included in the language of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and final approval granted by the Maui Planning Commission.

Moreover, there might be marine and other environmental concerns from community scientists that need to be addressed as well.

Safety hazards at Hanakaoo Beach Park (Canoe Beach), with propelled dinghies launching on and off the beach next to our young paddlers and swimmers, are a huge concern.

Comments on the EISPN are now being taken. The deadline is Aug. 22.

This is just step one. There will also be a Draft Environmental Assessment; the public can comment on that document as well.

According to OEQC staff, every comment that comes in needs a response.

En masse, we will make a difference if we start NOW.

The approving authority is the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Sam Lemmo, at (808) 587-0577 or sam.j.lemmo@hawaii.gov.

The lead consultant at Sea Engineering Inc., Chris Conger, can be e-mailed at cconger@seaengineering.com.

WE HAVE OUR RIGHTS! Now is the opportune time to have our voices heard. (By Louise Rockett)
HONOLULU  The Special Action Team on Affordable Rental Housing recently presented Gov. David Ige with its recommendations on how to meet the states goal of creating at least 22,500 affordable rental housing units by 2026.

The team was created by the State Legislature (Act 127) in 2016.

From day one, my administrations top priority has been to build homes to meet the needs of our average family in Hawaii. Thanks to the diligent work of the Special Action Team, legislators, local and state agencies, and developers will be equipped with the most up-to-date insights on how to make Hawaii a more affordable place to live, said Ige.

This ten-year plan is really an exemplification of collaboration between the governor, the legislature, the state housing agencies as well as all four counties collaborating together to develop a plan to build more workforce rentals for the future, said developer and Special Action Team member Stanford Carr.

The new report identifies public and private lands suitable for affordable rental housing. Using the states Geographic Information System (GIS), the report maps out 10,688 acres of state, county and privately owned lands ideal for rental housing development.

The report also includes policy recommendations and establishes performance measures and timelines.

The team is seeking a commitment from the Hawaii Legislature for $100 million for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund and $10 million for the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund every year for the next ten years. Although the funding request would not be sufficient to complete 22,500 units, it would start the momentum toward achieving that goal.

This would begin to gear up the private sector. This provides the baseline that would begin the consistent production of affordable rental housing projects that would attract the activities necessary to complete the 22,500 units, Gov. Ige said.

According to the Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC), of the projects awarded during the current administration, 433 affordable units are now under construction.

In addition, 5,946 units are in the pipeline/pending phase, of which 5,235 are affordable.
KAHULUI  Michael Nahoopii, executive director of the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), will update Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce members on the ongoing restoration of Kahoolawe during its next membership dinner on Thursday, Aug. 16, in the Nahele Room of Kahili Restaurant in Waikapu.

No-host cocktails and networking begin at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $25 for members and $30 for others. Pay in advance at www.mnhcoc.org or call (808) 757-3045 to pay by phone. The deadline to register is Sunday, Aug. 12.

Archeological evidence suggests that Hawaiians came to Kahoolawe as early as 400 A.D., settling in small fishing villages along the islands coast. To date, nearly 3,000 archeological and historical sites and features indicate Kahoolawe as a navigational center for voyaging, the site of an adze quarry, an agricultural center and a site for religious and cultural ceremonies.

Post-contact, Kahoolawe was used briefly as a penal colony, for sheep and cattle ranching, and eventually transferred to the U.S. Navy for use as a bombing range. Litigation forced an end to the bombing in 1990, and the island was placed under the administration of the KIRC.

Following a ten-year period of ordnance removal, control of access to Kahoolawe was transferred to the State of Hawaii in 2003. Today, the KIRC is responsible for the restoration and sustainable management of the island until it can be transferred to a Native Hawaiian entity to manage.

Nahoopii joined KIRC in March 2018. He is a former U.S. Navy officer in charge of Kahoolawe during the islands conveyance to the State of Hawaii.

He was a senior manager during both the early model cleanup and the larger Kahoolawe UXO Clearance Project undertaken by Parsons-UXB for the Navy. After the cleanup, he managed safety and engineering programs for the Hana Group and was a program director for the nonprofit Pacific American Foundation.

Nahoopii graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Electrical Engineering, from the U.S. Navys Nuclear Power School as a Nuclear Engineer and from Chaminade University with an MBA. He served in the Navy as a submarine officer and commanded a SeeBee (Navy combat engineers) detachment.

My family moved to Kihei in 1976, so we experienced windows rattling from the bombs dropped on Kahoolawe, said MNHCoC President Teri Freitas Gorman.

We honor the bravery of George Helm and Kimo Mitchell, who lost their lives trying to protect Kahoolawe. Todays heroes include Mike Nahoopii and the thousands of volunteers who travel to the island for the hard work of restoring the islands native ecosystem to maintain this significant cultural reserve. We urge the community to come out and hear about KIRCs progress.

MNHCoC membership is open to anyone with an interest in perpetuating the spirit of aloha through commerce, culture and community. For more information, see www.mnhcoc.org.
The government will also toughen punitive measures against companies in the event of defects. "Companies found guilty of delaying recalls or hiding defects will face tough punishment that make it difficult for them to sell their products in Korea again."

Kim asked BMW to consider what would have been done if Korean-made cars caused similar accidents in Germany and called on the German automaker to take adequate measures.

Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee at an emergency press conference on Wednesday said, "Unforeseen fires breaking out in public places like gas stations and parking lots could lead to bigger accidents, so we are considering banning any BMWs that haven't undergone safety tests or have defects from being driven."

The government is considering grounding all BMWs that have not undergone safety checks after almost daily reports of engine fires.

Any decision will be made after Aug. 14, which is the deadline for safety checks, but there is only a slim chance that the carmaker will complete all affected BMWs by that date.

BMW owners are complaining that they are being told to wait a long time before their turn comes up for safety checks. The ministry said owners who drive their cars without safety checks are also victims and cannot be punished, so it has been difficult to figure out what to do.

Under Korean laws, drivers who violate orders not to drive dangerous cars face up to a year in jail or a maximum W10 million fine (US$1=W1,120). But in this case it is hardly their fault that the car is dangerous, so any punishment would be seen as unfair.

The automaker started safety checks on July 27 at 61 after-service centers across Korea 24 hours a day. But progress has been slow. According to the ministry, only 42 percent of 45,006 cars affected by the recall have been inspected, or 3,750 a day. At this rate, around 35,000 will still not have been checked by Aug. 14

Also, around 50,000 BMW owners have not taken their cars to be checked because they are busy or could not be bothered. A BMW staffer said, "We can inspect up to 10,000 cars a day, so if owners put in the effort, we could wrap up the inspections over the remaining seven days."

Meanwhile BMW has decided to recall 323,700 cars in Europe as well, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday. They include 96,300 sold in Germany.

BMW says that the models sold in Korea are equipped with the same exhaust gas recirculation module and software as those sold in Europe.

A total of 34 BMW vehicles have now caught fire in Korea, six this month alone.
KAHULUI  The Rotary Club of Kahului will welcome Kit Zulueta, owner of Mystery Maui Escape Room, to its weekly meeting on Monday, Aug. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. at Tantes Island Cuisine at 100 W. Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului.

Zulueta will give a brief history of escape rooms, also known as real escape games, and how the experience promotes leadership and teamwork among the players.

A mobile game will be prepared for the participants to have a taste of what it is and to learn about how viable the method is for team building and as an educational tool.

Zulueta, who has a background in film and events management, has been a creative artist and community advocate all her life.

She opened Mystery Maui Escape Room in March 2018 in an effort to add options to Mauis nightlife and fun things to do.

Zulueta has served in leadership positions in the County of Maui Mayors Office, County Council and Philippine Senate.

She is a recipient of the 2018 Advocate for Minorities by the U.S. Small Business Administration and a 2016 Progressive Awardee in Media and Journalism by the United Filipino Community Council of Hawaii.

Zulueta was a 2012 delegate to the Filipino Young Leaders Program by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., where she later served as president. She also is a Second Dan black belt in Shotokan karate.

Rotary International is a service organization whose mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.

Rotarys motto is Service Above Self.

The Rotary Club of Kahului meets every Monday (except for holidays) from noon to 1 p.m. at Tantes Island Cuisine in Kahului. Lunch costs $20.

For more information about Rotary, contact club President Gary Albitz at (808) 281-9672 or albitzkrotary@gmail.com, or visit www.kahuluirotary.com.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe

David Klawans finds amazing true stories, works with journalists to make them into long-form articles, then sells the film rights. His biggest success was Argo, which won the Oscar for Best Picture, coming out of a Wired article by Joshuah Bearman.

One of his latest discoveries: a story about Jerome Jacobson, an ex-cop who rigged the McDonald's Monopoly game with the help of some mobsters, psychics, and a family of Mormons. Before getting caught by the FBI, he stole nearly every prize for 12 years, adding up to more than $24 million in jackpots.

To uncover the story's details, Klawans enlisted writer Jeff Maysh, who published a Daily Beast article on the McDonald's scam June 28. Just days later, the story was sold to Fox -- with Matt Damon attached to star and Ben Affleck attached to direct.

This isn't Maysh and Klawans' only collaboration. They're committed to digging up real-life stories together and hashing them out, all in order to potentially sell them to movie studios. Their collection also includes stories of a catfish-gone-well, a pez -dispenser smuggler, and a mom who joins her daughter's cheerleading squad.

Klawans explained how he does it: "Basically spend hours in archives trying to find these obscure stories. There's certain elements in a story that I think would work as a long-form piece, and then become a movie. So I've spoken to Jeff about some of these stories I find, and then we talk about which ones would work best."

Jeff Maysh (left) and David Klawans (right)

(Editor's note: A version of this story was also on the radio. Listen to it here on KPCC's The Frame. )

It's critical to pitch a full story, not just an idea.

"It becomes a piece of intellectual property," Klawans said. "It's almost impossible these days to sell a pitch or a spec. You could back in the day, but not today."

When digging through archives, there are identifiable elements that make a story movie-worthy. Klawans and Maysh try to see history and news through that lens.

"I think they all are sort of truth is stranger than fiction tales," Klawans said. "They deal with very rich, juicy characters. They all have stories that are deep in conflict. They all sort of have a bit of a comical angle to them that I think makes for a successful piece."

The McDonald's piece was somehow missed by authors and studio execs -- thanks to its unfortunate timing.

"The story was largely unknown because the trial started the day before 9/11," Maysh said. "When I read about it, I was just blown away. I don't think of things as could this be a fantastic movie? I think, could this be a fantastic magazine feature? When you have multiple characters with unbelievable arcs and that comical element that David mentioned, that's what makes a good read and is irresistible to my editors. In the McDonald's story, it's that truth is stranger than fiction X-factor that I love."

The Daily Beast article went viral immediately, ranking as the #1 story on both Twitter and Facebook. The bubbling hype around the story made it instantly desirable to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

"It was as if it was a movie fantasy league list," Maysh said. "You'd get these calls saying this actor wants to do it, this filmmaker, this screenwriter. And it was just non-stop."

You made it! Congrats, you read the entire story, you gorgeous human. This story was made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism costs $$$$$. And now that LAist is part of KPCC, we rely on that support. So if you aren't already, be one of us! Help us help you live your best life in Southern California. Donate now.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe

An audit that would have investigated how the California DMV is spending money to alleviate out-of-control wait times won't be happening. Instead, the agency will be given more money to fix the infamous problem.

State lawmakers voted to grant the DMV $17 million in additional funds, which department officials say they'll use to hire 230 new employees, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a budget hearing Tuesday, DMV director Jean Shiomoto said the audit would be a "strain" on the agency's resources, orginally requesting $26 million for efforts to fix wait times.

The audit request passed the state Assembly, but fell one vote short in the Senate after three Democrats declined to vote. They argued the audit was unnecessary and would take too long when the priority should be fixing the problem now.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson, a Republican from Fresno, had pushed for the audit, arguing that despite more money to address those infamous wait times at DMV branches, they've only gotten worse. He took to Twitter to air his frustration.

The @CA_DMV audit request has been rejected. They have just sentenced CA drivers to never ending wait times. This is what one-party rule looks like and its real ugly. #AuditTheDMV  Jim Patterson (@JimPatterson559) August 8, 2018

The DMV received millions in extra funds last year to help with the rollout of "Real ID," part of new federal security guidelines. Starting in 2020, people who fly domestically will need a compliant ID card.

"[Wait times have] exploded all across the state," Patterson recently told KPCC's Take Two, adding that the agency "has done nothing with the resources they've been given."

Earlier this week, DMV officials announced new actions to fix wait times, including redirecting hundreds of employees, adding a text notification feature and installing self-check-in kiosks. Sixty field offices have also added Saturday hours. The full list of those can be found here.

News happens every day. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you and the community you live in. Now that we're part of KPCC, those stories (including this one you're on right now!) are made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism isn't cheap, but with your support we can keep delivering it. Donate now.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe

Mary G. Ross earned her aeronautical engineering certification at UCLA in 1949 -- then used that as one of the founding members of the ultra-secret Skunk Works think-tank in Burbank. And she did all that as a Cherokee before the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.

Google's honoring Ross, the nation's first female Native American engineer, in today's Google Doodle. Today would have been her 110th birthday -- she died in April 2008, just months before her 100th birthday.

A #GoogleDoodle for Mary G. Ross, the first American Indian female engineer whose tireless efforts advanced space travel to the next level Learn more about her impact and legacy  https://t.co/DAq9LPl2gT pic.twitter.com/QwjDGoPw7I  Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) August 9, 2018

She broke barriers from the beginning. She told an interviewer that she "didn't mind being the only girl in math class. Math, chemistry and physics were more fun to study than any other subject." Her background helped with that: "I was brought up in the Cherokee tradition of equal education for boys and girls."

She went from being a math teacher to getting her master's. Her dad encouraged her to look for work in California when World War II broke out, and she started work at defense contractor Lockheed Aircraft in 1942 as a mathematician.

"There wasn't much use for my technical training at the school, but the war was on, and my friends told me what Lockheed was doing with people with my technical education," Ross told the San Jose Mercury News.

Mary G. Ross was a founding member of Lockheeds secret Skunk Works programand helped take humanity into space. #womenshistorymonth pic.twitter.com/6nK7epkz0W  Melinda Gates (@melindagates) March 26, 2017

Her early work was on research around the P-38 fighter plane and what happened as it reached the sound barrier. A manager saw her talent and encouraged her to pursue becoming an engineer, which led her to get her certification at UCLA.

"We were taking the theoretical and making it real," Ross said of her own groundbreaking work. "My state of the art tools were a slide rule and a Frieden computer."

Ross worked at Skunk Works on planning missions to Mars, Venus, and other parts of the Solar System -- though a lot of her work remains classified. She developed designs, including for satellites like the Agent rocket, which you can see in today's Google Doodle.

Her work was remarkable -- in a recommendation from her manager to the Society of Women Engineers, P.B. Weiser wrote, "I would unhesitatingly place her in the top 10% of engineers of my acquaintance and professional knowledge."

She even wrote the third volume of the NASA Planetary Flight Handbook, which projected the future of space travel for 40 years. She worked on projects including developing the Poseidon and Trident missiles.

She was also the only woman at Skunk Works -- other than the secretary. She went on to pay all of her success forward, encouraging women and Native Americans to pursue STEM fields.

Ross founded the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. She said that she'd always wanted to be one of the women behind the first woman in space, and she was.

"Our hope as a family is that her story inspires young people to pursue a technical career and better the world through science," Ross's nephew Jeff Ross told Google.

Her legacy includes a scholarship in her name that supports female engineers and technologists, including one of Google's own engineers, Aditi Jain. You can donate to the Mary G. Ross Scholarship fund here.

#WomenInSTEM isnt new. Mary G Ross, a @CherokeeNation citizen, was born in OK. She worked at @LockheedMartin when WWII started becoming the 1st Native American female engineer. Ross never let the fact that she was female in STEM fields stop her. #WomenInSTEMWednesday More on FB pic.twitter.com/77hBRCFBoP  Megan McClellan (@mmcclellanwx) March 21, 2018

It's a legacy that has an important impact, with women still making up only 11 percent of employed aerospace engineers. Female American Indians are only 0.1 percent of those employees in science and engineering.

Ross was described in a 1959 newspaper article as "a soft-spoken lady engineer with a warm smile" -- who "aids in missile research."

If you want a little sense of what she was like, check her out on game show What's My Line? in 1958. It's a game show where panelists had to guess someone's profession -- and no one could guess that a woman like Ross worked in aeronautics back in the 1950s.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the fighter plane Ross contributed to. LAist regrets the error.
The La Jolla Womans Club Women in Leadership speaker series took a different direction July 25 to focus on the female pioneers in La Jollas history, rather than presenting one speaker and her career contributions. Early architects, medical trailblazers and suffragists with ties to La Jolla were spotlighted, along with those women whose names you may not know, but whose legacies remain.

History enthusiasts Anne Hoiberg and Gary Ferdman alternated telling brief tales about these women  almost 30 of them. The pair takes their presentation on tour, and has visited the Womens Museum in Liberty Station and the La Jolla Riford Library.

Hoiberg told the Light: We want to get the word out as much as we can about these wonderful women! Gary and I share an interest and devotion to history, so we put these presentations together. We take this talk to wherever we are asked. We did our very first presentation at the library about a year ago, and were planning to go back.

Speakers Anne Hoiberg and Gary Ferdman, with La Jolla Womans Club member Sally Fuller (Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

At the La Jolla Womans Club, the two talked about a select group of pioneering women with lasting impacts.

Hoiberg explained that Ellen Mills was the daughter of an early La Jolla settler. She became a La Jolla correspondent for the Union Tribune at age 17 and later co-owned the La Jolla Journal, which became the La Jolla Light.

Hoiberg also talked about Anna Held, who created the Green Dragon Colony in The Village that would become an artist mecca. Hoiberg explained that Held had property in Little Italy and would take children in a horse-drawn wagon to The Cove. It might have taken two hours, but she did it! Hoiberg joked. (Held) just fell in love with La Jolla and put a $50 down payment on this property above La Jolla Cove. She bought the acreage for $165 and put up 12 cottages. They became very famous among artists and musicians.

Ferdman added that Isabel Hopkins built and owned La Jollas Casa de Manana when it was a hotel in 1924. She was the daughter of a prosperous owner of a supermarket chain, and moved to La Jolla from Colorado. At the time, Casa de Manana was a world-famous resort hotel. It became a focal point for charitable events, concerts and lectures. It has since become a seaside retirement community.

Hoiberg also delved into the lives of Genevieve Redding Warwick and Louise Balmer. She told those gathered that in the early 1900s, Redding opened and operated Reddings Books in The Village with her husband. After he died suddenly in 1934, she continued to run the store on her own. In 1939, W.T. Warwick, who owned Warwicks Books in Iowa, purchased Reddings and renamed it Warwicks. Genevieve and W.T. later married. Warwicks is now the oldest continuously family-owned bookstore in the country.

Balmer founded the Balmer School in the 1920s, the precursor to La Jolla Country Day School. She moved to La Jolla as a single mother of four after her husband died, Hoiberg said. She earned her teaching certificate at San Diego State Universitys teachers college. After its humble beginnings as a cottage on Coast Boulevard, the Balmer House moved to Wisteria Cottage, now La Jolla Historical Society. (It became) La Jolla Country Day and received its charter in 1955. It moved to its current location in 1961.

Next, the pair discussed Ada Gillispie of The Gillispie School and Mabel Bell, commemorated by Mabel Bell Lane in The Village.

Ferdman explained that Gillispie was a nurse and healthcare pioneer in 1916, who established the first hospital in La Jolla. With the support of Ellen Browning Scripps, she expanded into the Scripps Memorial Hospital on Prospect Street in 1924. Ada and her husband founded The Gillispie School, which started as a small cottage that served hot meals to the underprivileged children of single mothers or working parents in La Jolla during The Depression. The Gillispies had the foresight to offer the children in their care early educational opportunities long before nursery school was the norm.

Hoiberg added that Mabel Bell was a leader in La Jollas early African-American community, which numbered over 400 in the late 1940s. Mabel founded the Strongly Oriented For Action committee (SOFA), a non-profit group that successfully lobbied for affordable housing in La Jolla. In August 2008, the alley between Eads and Draper avenues was named after her.

 The next Women in Leadership event will feature Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute president Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., Wednesday, Oct. 3 at La Jolla Womans Club, 7791 Draper Ave. The presentation is free and open to the public. lajollawomansclub.org
When the towering residential development at 1590 Coast Walk started to climb into view along Torrey Pines Road, La Jollans took note. Protest letters flooded the La Jolla Light and concerned neighbors took the issue to La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) meetings.

Residents are lamenting the size of the project, especially because it blocks what was once a narrow view of the ocean, and questioned how a building of such magnitude was permitted?

The project was originally approved locally more than 10 years ago and has undergone City-approved changes ever since, before getting the green light to proceed with current construction plans. Dodd and Associates Engineering and Marengo Morton Architects are the developers. Representatives from these firms did not respond to the Lights request for information.

The background

In August 2007, meeting minutes show, the Coastal Development Permit Review Committee (which became the Development Permit Review committee [DPR] in April 2009) determined findings could be made to demolish an existing split-level single family residence and construct a new 9,251-square-foot two-story over-basement single-family residence on a 21,780-square-foot site at 1590 Coast Walk. The plan was ratified by the La Jolla Community Planning Association the following month.

Regarding the City approval history, Development Services Department (DSD) spokesperson Scott Robinson said the project received land-use approvals in March 2008, underwent minor modifications, and was approved under a Substantial Conformance Review (SCR) in April 2009. The project received an extension-of-time permit soon after.

A rendering of the property at 1590 Coast Walk, submitted to the City of San Diego during the Substantial Conformance Review, when it was approved Courtesy

Robinson added that site preparation occurred throughout 2015 and the building permit for construction of the new home was issued in April 2016, with a minor construction plan change. Two additional construction plan changes were submitted and are currently under staff review.

Notes on the Citys project development platform, Open DSD, lists the construction change scope as: complete reconfiguration of all floors, revise deck configuration and railing, revise sub-basement stairs to L-shape run, revise floor to ceiling heights, revise doors and windows, reduce and add square footage, add small deck, add gas insert to deck for fireplace, relocate plumbing fixtures, relocate kitchen, and remove outdoor open storage on deck.

Since its initial application, the project has had multiple owners. It is currently being advertised as the Lasco Residence Project on the Dodd and Associates website, which states that upon completion, it will be a three-story single-family residence with a subterranean garage and storage area below the three stories and an adequate living space to enjoy the view.

However, Robinson said City DSD staff have reviewed the property and found it to be a two-story building with a height limit of 30 feet.

A screen capture of the Lasco Residence advertisement online. Courtesy

Substantial Conformance Review

According to the Citys Minimum Standards for Substantial Conformance Review document: The goal of SCR is to determine if the proposed project is consistent and in conformance with a previously approved permit.  Staff will recommend approval of the modified project if the change falls within the parameters of the prior approval. A SCR decision is either at staff-level (Process 1) or is a decision by staff that requires input from the Community Planning Group and is appeal-able to the Planning Commission (Process 2).

City staff determines whether a project comes back to the local advisory groups for community review. A point that has troubled LJCPA members before.

At the July LJCPA meeting, trustee Dave Gordon said in addition to this projects size, there is a broader problem. Im really concerned because we, as the LJCPA and its subcommittees, approve a project on one design and then it completely changes  and its as if our voice doesnt matter, he said.

Trustee Diane Kane noted other projects that change scope and dont come back here for another look-see, and described one on Sea Ridge that came to her attention: There is a dedicated view corridor there that leads to the ocean that is now blocked by a pop-out.

Other similar projects have been noted in La Jolla Shores. However, the problem may be more systemic.

The City process

Local architect Tim Golba, a former chair of both the LJCPA and San Diego Planning Commission, told the Light that the role of community planning groups is to review the discretionary permit that entails the rights to create a design or building, and thats the start of a lengthy process that could yield modifications from what the local advisory group first saw.

When a project comes before a local review board, Golba said: The drawings associated with any discretionary approval, such as a Coastal Development Permit (CDP), are always going to be conceptual in nature, and when any owner or applicant receives that discretionary approval, then they move on to the timeline and expense of detailed construction plans that will be submitted for a Building Permit down the road  typically months after obtaining a discretionary approval.

Further, the local review is just one of many steps between design and construction.

A typical CDP could have eight to 20 different divisions and entities that may have to provide an approval  and the community planning group is only one of those. Once a planning group completes its review and advisory recommendation, it is sent to the Project Manager downtown. But if any of those other (up to 20) different reviews result in a change or modification, the community planning group may not be aware of it or even be required to re-review it, unless the Project Manager feels the changes are substantial in nature, which they rarely would be.

And the types of project changes, he said, are vast and could include ADA accessibility, earthquake resistance, water quality issues, landscape or public improvements  or even a refinement of the design itself.

There is no true specified limit to the changes; some may arise from technical issues or challenges, and some may arise due to aesthetic changes or evolution, as well, Golba said. Focusing on aesthetic changes, he added that these might be frowned upon in some cases, but might not change whether the project substantially conforms.

Heres an example, he said: If a project was approved in the Discretionary Permit process for a cake with chocolate icing, but that very same cake then goes into final drawings and remains the same cake, but now with vanilla icing, this is a change that might get frowned upon by some neighbors, but would seem to certainly fit within the parameters of the Citys Substantial Conformance guidelines.

Moving forward

Where the contentious Coast Walk project under construction now stands in the scheme of things, La Jolla real estate agent Peggy Davis addressed at the July and August LJCPA meetings. She called on Marengo Morton Architects principal Claude-Anthony Marengo to return to the community boards and explain the project.

It is not compatible with other developments, it blocks the views, and the current builder is still making changes as of May 2018. We would like the LJCPA committee to look at this again and to pursue the problem we have with our permit process, she said.
Kathmandu, August 9

Former Prime Minister and Naya Shakti Party Nepal Coordinator Baburam Bhattarai says the Nepal government should stop sending Nepali youth to work in Qatar, one of the most popular labour destinations, through recruitment agents and agencies.

He demands that governments of the two countries sign an agreement to deploy a government-to-government mechanism to facilitate the labour migration process.

The leader says it will be the best way to stop deceiving and cheating activities surfaced in the sector of late.

Bhattarai says his suggestion is based on chitchats he had with Nepali workers in the Gulf country that he met at an airport there. Bhattarai had recently visited some European countries and came back to Nepal via Qatar.

Meanwhile, a source at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security says the government has also taken initiatives to sign an agreement between the two countries for the G2G model.
Certain literary circles have been buzzing about R.O. Kwons The Incendiaries for months. And this slim, intense novel is the rare book that lives up to its pre-publication hype.

On its surface, The Incendiaries has a simple plot. Will Kendall meets Phoebe Lin. He falls in love with her. He watches her fall in with a group of nominal Christians whose version of faith is so intense that shegives herself to it body and soul. He realizes that the group is not just a bunch of bible thumping zealots but a cult led by its demanding leader. Will tries to extract her  and fails. Things fall apart. But there is more to it than that, because when faith, obsession and grief become bedfellows, the differences between them blur. Additionally, the novels narration is complicated, compromised and unreliable.

From the very first page, Will tells us that he is speculating. Theyd have gathered on a rooftop, he assumes. She would sit apart from this reveling group, he hypothesizes. It makes sense  hes trying to put a narrative together in order to understand the events that have occurred to and around him. Sections marked Phoebe detail Wills conjectures about her life mixed with bits of what might be her own account, copied from a notebook he finds. Others labeled John Leal describe what little Will knows about this man who started Jejah, the cult Phoebe joins. John Leal  and he is, like Jim Jones or Charles Manson, always addressed thus, though it isnt clear whether Leal is his surname, middle name, or an adopted moniker  is a mystery of a man. He walks barefoot, claims that God speaks to him and tells stories about having been kidnapped by North Korean soldiers and brought to a gulag where he worked and watched death and misery surround him, until he was let go for no apparent reason.

John Leal is made to cross a frozen river that would lead him to China: Behind him, a guard laughed. If they didnt shoot him, theyd watch him plunge through ice, and drown. He tried the next step. Spindrift lifted, fell. Inhale. Exhale. His nerves stretched, a net to span the width of ice dividing him from the rest of his life. Filaments glittered, straining with his weight. China stood prismatic on the opposite side.

Advertisement

The narrative jumps around, like memory does; the emphasis changes as Wills grief stirs him to recount different parts of the months leading up to the climactic events hes trying to reckon with. But as the chapters move along, Will forgets to remind his readers that he is theorizing about what happened, that there are so many chunks of this story  of Phoebes story especially  that he doesnt know. He asserts control over her, uses her voice. At first, Will clearly speculates  In Phoebes next confession to Jejah, she might have said  but eventually he simply states, Phoebe said.

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (Riverhead)

It takes a long time to see that Will may be an unreliable narrator, as dangerous to Phoebe, in his way, as is John Leal. Will reads as such a decent guy at first, this former goody two-shoes who left bible college after he lost his faith, a gradual, then sudden process. Instead of God, he fills his life with school, his frat brothers, but most of all, Phoebe. If I could be anyone, Id ask to be the Will rushing to see more, again, of Phoebe.

The schisms between them are clear from the start, if youre looking for them. Edwards College, which they both attend, is full of privileged middle- and upper-class kids. Trying to fit in that world and with his fraternity brothers, Will invents a new reality for himself, one in which his father didnt leave his mother, she didnt sink into a deep depression, he has no financial worries. He cant sustain the ruse for long, not when hes working hours a week at a restaurant. Eventually, Phoebe finds out  and shes angry. But she has her own secrets: She is haunted by grief and guilt over the death of her mother. Phoebe first dealt with it by drinking too much, taking any drug that was offered to her, sleeping around  trying to drown herself in other people and their emotions so she wouldnt have to face her own. But then Will came along, a steady presence. Except Phoebe keeps searching for something  and that something becomes John Leal.

John Leal acts as kind of a guide back to what she sees as a more authentic self. [Phoebe] started talking about hoping to visit Seoul. I should be able to picture it, she said. But I left when I was an infant, and I havent visited it once. People tell me Im the whitest Asian girl theyve met. I think they figure its a compliment. Ive heard it as one. Will, I used to take pride in knowing so little about what Im from. John Leal calls it self-hatred, and it is. Hes right. I dont want to be this kind of person.  Will is skeptical, thinking, I also could have brought up, but didnt, the fact that he wasnt even Korean.

The Incendiaries isnt an easy novel to parse. Who here is the perpetrator, who is the victim and is it possible to know? Some sins may be worse than others  and certainly, both John Leal and Will fall on the worse side of the spectrum  but ultimately, as much as they yearn for it, none of the novels central characters really deserve easy absolution. And yet the beautiful writing and nuanced storytelling invites compassion; such is the power of Kwons narrative.

Masad is a writer, critic and PhD candidate at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

::

The Incendiaries

R.O. Kwon

Riverhead: 224 pp., $26
As CBS Corp. grapples with an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by its chief executive, the companys high-stakes legal battle against its controlling shareholder family took center stage Wednesday in a Delaware courtroom.

During a hearing to determine what evidence could be used to prepare for a trial in October, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Andre Bouchard denied CBS request that its lawyers be allowed to grill 95-year-old Sumner Redstone in a deposition. But the judge expressed a great deal of skepticism that the elderly mogul had a grasp on the decisions that were being made in his name by his familys investment firm, National Amusements Inc.

I need to know who is calling the shots at NAI, Bouchard said during the hearing, according to Bloomberg News. Bouchard said that CBS attorneys had a right to inspect documents that would shed light on the decision-making at National Amusements.

That decision was significant because it could reveal machinations inside National Amusements, said C. Kerry Fields, a finance and business law professor at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Advertisement

This is fascinating and reminds us of the final days of Howard Hughes, Fields said. No one could come in and interview him  instead he was being manipulated by a small circle of executives.

CBS board members sued National Amusements in May after Shari Redstone, the billionaires daughter, pushed for a merger with the other company her family controls, Viacom Inc. The board wanted to issue a special dividend to give ordinary shareholders a say in CBS affairs. The company has a dual-class stock structure, wherein only a small of group of shareholders are allowed a vote. The Redstone family, through National Amusements, controls nearly 80% of the vote.

At issue is whether Sumner Redstone is capable of making such high-level decisions as replacing CBS board members or requiring a 90% threshold for important CBS board votes. The 90% rule was established by National Amusements two days after CBS board members sued the family.

On Wednesday, the judge and lawyers for both sides spent more than two hours debating what evidence could be used to prepare for a trial scheduled for Oct. 3. The evidence includes a video that CBS board member Arnold Kopelson recorded in January of the ailing Redstone. Kopelson, an 83-year-old Oscar-winning film producer for Platoon, is a longtime friend of Redstones.

The video, which the judge has watched but which has not been made public, infuriated Shari Redstone and her lawyers, who responded in court papers that the video was taken in Mr. Redstones California home, without his consent, in violation of California penal code and constituted a grievous invasion of privacy and assault on her fathers dignity.

The existence of the video, and its contents, reignited the festering dispute over whether the mogul is aware of the decisions being made at National Amusements.

Sumner Redstone tries to express himself by grunting or using an iPad that is programmed to provide yes and no responses, along with his favorite swear word, according to court documents.

We are very pleased with the courts ruling today, which will now allow us to conduct appropriate discovery from NAI on the issue of who controls NAI, CBS spokeswoman Kelli Raftery said in a statement. We are pleased that the court, while keeping the tape confidential, recognized today that the tape is relevant to the issues in this case.

A National Amusements spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday. Sumner Redstone controls about 80% of the National Amusement shares, while Shari Redstone controls 20%.

Two years ago, Viacom managers were embroiled in a similar dispute with the Redstones, but they ended up abandoning their legal case. Bouchard, the judge, also presided over that lawsuit.

CBS independent board members suspect Shari Redstone has been undermining the management of CBS, including orchestrating damaging media leaks, according to court documents.

CBS attorneys have demanded mountains of evidence  including thousands of emails  sent by Redstone, her children, family employees and even a public relations firm that represents Redstone and National Amusements. CBS lawyers are trying to demonstrate that Redstone has been working behind the scenes to discredit the companys management, making moves that have prompted CBS stock to plummet. Redstone has denied such claims. CBS executives also must produce their emails for National Amusements lawyers to inspect.

In one instance, public relations executive Sara Evans, who is with the New York-based firm Finsbury, acknowledged in court papers that she and Shari Redstone had a phone conversation with CNBC reporter David Faber on April 10.

The next morning, CNBC broadcast a report by Faber that said Redstone was planning to replace Moonves  a development that caused CBS stock to tumble. In the report, Faber attributed the information to sources familiar with the situation.

Evans, in her court testimony, said Redstone had not told Faber that she intended to replace CEO Leslie Moonves or CBS board members. But even in April, CBS appeared convinced that Redstone had planted the CNBC report to weaken CBS management to help her push through a plan to unite CBS and Viacom. She and Moonves have clashed over the merger idea, which Moonves opposes.

The allegations of sexual harassment lodged against Moonves were not raised during Wednesdays hearing.

The harassment thing is just a distraction, said Charles M. Elson, a corporate governance expert at the University of Delaware. The real issue here is whether the dual-class share structure of the company is appropriate for a publicly traded company.

Last week, the board voted to hire two high-powered female lawyers to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment, which were detailed in a July 27 article in the New Yorker magazine. Several of the women interviewed said Moonves forcibly kissed them decades ago. Separately, a former employee from Lorimar Productions told police late last year that Moonves assaulted her on at least two occasions in the mid-1980s. Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to bring charges because the statute of limitations had expired.

Moonves has acknowledged that he may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances, but the longtime CEO has denied forcing himself on women who said no.

The board is neither beholden to Shari nor are they beholden to Moonves, Elson said, noting the investigation into Moonves alleged misconduct. The board is really in the middle of all of this  and they should be representing the interests of shareholders.

The Redstones, in their court documents, are trying to stipulate that should Moonves leave CBS, he would be denied a $180-million golden parachute outlined in his contract. Nor do the Redstones want Moonves lieutenant, Joseph Ianniello, to exit with a handsome payout.

meg.james@latimes.com

@MegJamesLAT
Sinclair Broadcast Groups proposed $3.9-billion deal to acquire Tribune Media is dead.

Tribune announced Thursday that it is terminating the merger agreement first announced in May 2017. The companies had the option to kill the sale if it had not closed by Aug. 8.

Tribune also said it filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Sinclair in Delaware Chancery Court, alleging it failed to make its best effort at getting regulatory approval of the sale. Tribune is seeking $1 billion in damages.

In light of the FCCs unanimous decision  our merger cannot be completed within an acceptable timeframe, if ever, Tribune Media Chief Executive Peter Kern said in a statement. This uncertainty and delay would be detrimental to our company and our shareholders. Accordingly, we have exercised our right to terminate the merger agreement, and, by way of our lawsuit, intend to hold Sinclair accountable.

Advertisement

The merger has been on hold since the Federal Communications Commission voted July 19 to have the proposal reviewed by an administrative court, a process that has a history of killing such deals.

Sinclairs plan to buy Tribunes 42 TV stations  including Los Angeles outlet KTLA-TV Channel 5  had been expected to benefit from President Trumps appointment of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who is considered a strong proponent of deregulation of the broadcast industry.

But Pai raised concerns about how Sinclair planned to divest some Tribune stations in order to meet the national cap on TV-station ownership. Under Sinclairs plan, Tribune stations in Chicago, Dallas and Houston would have been sold to entities that had business ties to Sinclair for prices well under market value. Sinclair also would have retained control of the stations even after the divestiture.

The commission said Sinclair may have misrepresented its plans during the approval process.

Sinclair executives have maintained that they were transparent in their divestiture proposals.

Tribunes lawsuit said Sinclair was repeatedly warned that it needed to comply with the Justice Department request to sell the stations in 10 markets.

Sinclair repeatedly favored its own financial interests over its contractual obligations by rejecting clear paths to regulatory approval, Tribune alleges in its suit. Instead, Sinclair fought, threatened, insulted and misled regulators in a misguided and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to retain control over stations that it was obligated to sell.

Sinclair may have been overconfident about the FCC approving the deal because of the companys favorable news coverage of Trump. The company forces its local TV stations to air segments and commentaries supporting the Trump administrations policies, and former Trump campaign advisor Boris Epshteyn is chief political analyst for Sinclair.

Some believed Sinclair would use the clout of its expanded national reach to launch a conservative-leaning news service to compete with Fox News Channel.

Sinclair stated publicly that it wanted Tribunes outlets in order to take advantage of emerging over-the-air broadcast technology. The coming improvements will allow stations to offer higher-quality signals to viewers watching on TV and send programming and other data directly to mobile devices, enabling them to deliver targeted advertising messages. While Sinclair is already the largest holder of TV stations, Tribunes outlets would have given it coverage in Los Angeles and New York.

Tribune shareholders had been counting on getting $43.50 in a combination of cash and stock from Sinclair. Tribune stock closed at $33.60 a share on Thursday, up around 1%.

Sinclair has yet to comment on Tribunes decision.

When Tribune put its stations on the block last year, 21st Century Fox was among the companies to express interest. Now that Fox has agreed to sell its TV and movie production studio to Disney and focus on its broadcast business, it could make a bid for the stations.

Left-leaning opponents of the merger said a larger Sinclair would have further spread pro-Trump views into local newscasts.

The end of this proposed expansion is a huge victory for those who want local news to stay truly local, and especially those communities who were set to see Sinclair take over their airwaves, Media Matters fellow Pam Vogel said in a statement. But Sinclair is still a major threat to the future of local news.

But there were critics on the political right as well. Chris Ruddy, who heads the conservative TV and web service Newsmax, petitioned against the merger on the grounds that concentrated ownership posed serious risks for diverse and balanced news in Americas heartland.

The American Cable Assn., which represents small and medium-sized cable providers, said a larger Sinclair would have had too much clout in carriage-fee negotiations for its TV stations, eventually driving up prices for consumers.

Tribunes decision to pull the plug on the Sinclair merger is great news for consumers who will avoid paying the higher pay-TV rates the deal would have caused, Matthew M. Polka, president and chief executive of the American Cable Assn., said in a statement.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio

UPDATES:

3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details on Tribunes lawsuit against Sinclair.

9:45 a.m.: This article was updated with details on Tribunes lawsuit and reaction to its decision to terminate its merger deal with Sinclair.

This article was originally published at 5:10 a.m.
Albertsons Cos. and Rite Aid Corp. said they are pulling the plug on an agreement in which grocer Albertsons would acquire drugstore chain Rite Aid after two prominent proxy advisors recommended shareholders vote against the deal.

While we believed in the merits of the combination with Albertsons, we have heard the views expressed by our stockholders and are committed to moving forward and executing our strategic plan as a standalone company, said Rite Aid Chief Executive John Standley in a statement Wednesday.

Albertsons  operator of Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Safeway supermarkets  in its statement blamed the deals demise on certain Rite Aid stockholders and third-party advisory firms that, although they acknowledged the strategic logic of the combination, did not believe that Albertsons Cos. was offering sufficient merger consideration to Rite Aid stockholders. Albertsons board was unwilling to sweeten the terms of the transaction, the company said.

The two companies said a special shareholders meeting about the transaction scheduled for Thursday would not take place. Neither Rite Aid nor Albertsons will be responsible for any payments to the other party as a result of the termination, according to the companies statements.

Advertisement

The takeover would have given Rite Aid a buyer after its failed merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. last year as well as bulked up the two companies against escalating competition from Amazon.com and other online retailers.

But in the weeks leading up to the deal, two prominent proxy advisors recommended that shareholders vote against the deal.

Albertsons directors werent willing to improve the terms of the agreement to acquire Rite Aid, and the deal was scrapped Wednesday. (Dreamstime / TNS)

It does not appear that Rite Aid shareholders would receive a fair ownership interest in the combined company, said Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. in a report in late July.

And on July 24, Glass Lewis & Co. recommended that shareholders vote against the transaction, saying it would yield no premium for Rite Aid holders and that negotiations had been marred by possible conflicts of interest.

No value was ever disclosed for the deal, which would have given Rite Aid stockholders either Albertsons stock or a combination of Albertsons stock and cash.

In February, when the transaction was announced, the Wall Street Journal said the transaction valued the two companies at $24 billion, including debt.

Albertsons shareholders would have ended up owning nearly three-quarters of the combined company. The resulting firm would have had about 4,900 stores, including 4,350 pharmacy locations, in 38 states. The Albertsons pharmacies were to have been rebranded under the Rite Aid name.
Starting as early as this fall, students around Los Angeles will have the opportunity to learn to code in one of the biggest software growth areas: cloud computing, an increasingly popular online-based technology that is used for data analytics and file storage.

Thats due to a partnership announced Thursday between Amazon and a group of community colleges across the region.

Amazon Web Services, a leader in providing cloud services, and the California Cloud Workforce project, composed of Los Angeles-area community colleges and partner high schools, have established a 15-credit certificate program at the 19 colleges.

This is the first certificate partnership between Amazon Web Services and a regional community college group, and it will offer participating students experience in the high-demand field of cloud computing.

Advertisement

Cloud-based software and hardware is the foundation of such popular services as Google Drive and iCloud. And it has even helped fuel the growth of services such as music-streaming giant Spotify, which makes millions of song files available to its users at the swipe of a touchscreen.

The community college program will start out as 15 credits, but the plan is to turn it into a two-year associate degree and expand it statewide.

This program will prepare L.A.s residents for sustainable and high-wage careers in one of the most important fields that is transforming business practices in private and public sectors, said Francisco Rodriguez, the chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, in a statement.

The program curriculum was developed by the educational arm of Amazon Web Services and Santa Monica College.

Santa Monica College offered a pilot program last year, with students from Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights participating. East Los Angeles College will be the second to offer the program, which will gradually expand to all of the affiliated colleges, said project spokesman Lawren Markle.

The Los Angeles partnership is the latest in Amazon Web Services collaborations with educational institutions. Though its the first regional-level partnership for the company, the Amazon subsidiary has offered smaller-scale partnerships, most recently with Northern Virginia Community College, which offers an associate degree with a specialization in cloud computing.

ethan.millman@latimes.com

Twitter: @MillmanEthan
Seven months after a controversial California law took effect requiring advance notice of planned price increases for prescription drugs, many pharmaceutical companies appear to be in compliance.

But not Eli Lilly.

The Indianapolis-based drugmaker  one of the largest producers of insulin  has been under fire from consumer advocates for jacking up prices on its lifesaving diabetes medication. And the company has chosen not to follow the California law, which requires it not only to disclose but justify significant price hikes to drug purchasers.

Eli Lilly has informed customers that it will not be providing such notices until an industry lawsuit challenging the laws constitutionality is resolved in court.

Advertisement

That has angered state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), who wrote the law. He reacted sharply when the company last week announced a new helpline to assist patients struggling to pay for its insulin  and asked California lawmakers to publicize it.

I should promote to my constituents a company thats breaking the law and raising prices? Hernandez, who recently stepped down as chairman of the Senate Health Committee, said in an interview with California Healthline. Insulin has been around for decades and there hasnt been any new innovation. Why not just lower the price so we can all afford it?

In a July 30 letter, Hernandez told Eli Lillys chief executive, David Ricks: Your companys egregious defiance of state law makes your promotion of a Diabetes Solution Center even more disingenuous and offensive.

Hernandez said Eli Lilly did not respond to his letter. The drugmaker did not respond to a request for comment from Kaiser Health News.

The numerous pharmaceutical manufacturers heeding the law apparently see no need to follow Eli Lillys lead. The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), one of the nations largest purchasers of prescription drugs, has received 17 notices under the law, said the agencys spokeswoman, Stephanie Buck.

Under Californias law, drugmakers must notify insurers and some state agencies of any price increase that exceeds 16% over two years on medications with a wholesale cost of more than $40 for a course of therapy. They must explain the reasons for the increase. They also must alert healthcare purchasers and the state when they introduce drugs that cost $10,000 or more per year or per course of treatment. But drugmakers face no penalties if their prices are considered too high.

About one-quarter of the roughly 30 million Americans with diabetes rely on insulin, for which the average price nearly tripled from 2002 to 2013, according to the American Diabetes Assn. Nearly 40% of insulin users reported an increase over the last year in the amount they pay for the drug, according to the associations 2018 insulin affordability survey.

Because of the high cost, many patients are using less insulin than prescribed, imperiling their health, according to a study from Yale University.

Eli Lilly and two other companies, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, control nearly all of the U.S. insulin market. The three manufacturers are the targets of several state investigations and a lawsuit that accuses them of conspiring to drive insulin prices sharply higher.

Eli Lillys insulin price rose threefold during the 10 years that Alex Azar, President Trumps Secretary of Health and Human Services, was a senior executive at the company  including serving as head of its U.S. operations.

Insulin, first developed more than 90 years ago, is not available in generic form.

Californias drug price transparency law, which took effect in January despite fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry, is intended to shine a spotlight on fast-rising prescription drug costs and the extraordinarily high prices of some medications.

The laws sponsors hope the notifications will pressure drugmakers to keep prices down. It is possible that the law has influenced some manufacturers recent decisions to lower prices or withdraw planned increases for some drugs. The Trump administrations recent pressure on drugmakers to lower their prices also appears to have played a role.

Others say the laws effect is uncertain. However, the more attention that is paid to it, the greater the demand for policy action, said Michael Miller, policy director of Community Catalyst, a health advocacy group. Its still early days to say whether this is working or not.

Some health experts say that the states law lacks teeth and that, like similar laws in other states, it may not do much to actually lower prices in the long run. Compared with the federal government, states have relatively few tools to take on the drug industry, Miller said. Nevada, Vermont, Oregon, Louisiana, New York and New Jersey also have drug price transparency laws.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America lobbying group, known as PhRMA, sued California in federal court last December, challenging the laws constitutionality. It argued that the California law violates both the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution by seeking to regulate drug prices beyond state borders and the 1st Amendment by compelling speech by manufacturers who are required to justify their price increases.

California officials contend that the law is constitutional in part because it does not require drugmakers to lower prices. The case is pending.

PhRMA and another industry association dropped a similar lawsuit against drug transparency regulations in Nevada that specifically targeted diabetes drugs, after state officials weakened them by allowing drugmakers to protect certain information they give the state from public disclosure.

PhRMA also argues that Californias drug price transparency law unfairly singles out drug manufacturers as the sole determinant of drug costs and will cause market distortions such as drug stockpiling.

This law and others like it, said spokeswoman Priscilla VanderVeer, only look at one part of the supply chain  the inventors and manufacturers of the medicines  and completely leave out those in the middle, and have no provisions in them that will help patients access or afford their medicines.

Ostrov is a senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Long Beach residents can expect a divisive campaign during the next three months over a measure designed to protect hotel workers from sexual assaults and unfair workloads.

A unanimous Long Beach City Council voted Tuesday to place a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot requiring hotels with 50 or more rooms to provide workers with panic buttons to prevent sexual assaults. The initiative also would impose limits on the daily workload on housekeepers.

The council called for an economic impact study on the effects of the proposed changes.

Unions that represent hotel workers in Long Beach collected enough valid signatures  27,462  to require the City Council to put the measure on the ballot for the next citywide election or adopt the ordinance to take effect immediately.

Advertisement

During a contentious hearing, the council heard from dozens of supporters and opponents of the measure, which was nearly identical to a measure that the council rejected last year in a 5-4-vote. The previous proposal was named after a hotel worker who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and slipped into a coma after working a 14-hour shift at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel.

The citys business leaders say the measure would damage Long Beachs tourism industry, which last year generated $300 million in economic benefits and $26.4 million in hotel room taxes, according to Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau data.

John Howard, chairman of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, told the council that the measure was unnecessary and arbitrary and could lead to higher room rates.

The economic impact of this initiative could be immense and widespread, he said.

In addition to the panic buttons, the measure calls on limits to the daily workload for housekeepers. For example, it says a housekeeper cannot be required to clean rooms with a total floor space of more than 4,000 square feet in an eight-hour shift, unless the worker is paid twice his or her regular hourly salary for the extra work.

Supporters of the measure told the council Tuesday that the initiative would protect housekeepers who fear being attacked and assaulted by guests.

Every day, we work with the fear of what may happen to us, said a woman who identified herself only as Lorena, a housekeeper at a Long Beach hotel.

Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce predicted the upcoming campaign will be emotional, considering that supporters likely will portray the measure as a way to protect female hotel workers from assaults and opponents will predict it will hurt one of the citys biggest industries.

But Pearce said she doesnt expect the measure will hurt tourism because demand in the city is so strong that Long Beach could build and fill 1,500 more hotel rooms. That says a lot, she said.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
It didnt take long for the euphoria to fade.

Two days after Chief Executive Elon Musk triggered a frantic rally with a tweet saying he was considering taking Tesla Inc. private, the stock erased all of those gains.

Doubts have mounted about Musks ability to take the electric-car maker off the market, sending the stock tumbling 4.8% to $352.45 on Thursday, well off the $420 at which Musk said shareholders would be bought out. The shares have dropped on back-to-back days after jumping 11% on Tuesday, when Musk vowed that he had funding secured at a spectacular $82-billion valuation.

Since that initial tweet, Musk has offered no evidence to back up the statement. Nor has anyone stepped forward publicly  or privately  to say theyre behind the plan. People with or close to 15 financial institutions and technology firms who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they werent aware of financing having been locked in before Musks posts.

Advertisement

I dont really understand the idea of what was suggested in the potential for them to go private, Dick Weil, chief executive officer of $370-billion asset manager Janus Henderson Group, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Thats obviously an incredibly large valuation to somehow take into the private market.

The dearth of details could be problematic. The Securities and Exchange Commission already had been gathering general information about Teslas public pronouncements regarding manufacturing goals and sales targets, according to two people who asked not to be named because the review is private.

Now the attorneys are also examining whether Musks tweet about having funding to buy out the company was meant to be factual, according to one of the people.

When Musk tweeted this, was he saying this was something that was definitely going to happen? Something that might happen? said Ira Matetsky, a partner at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer in New York. How would a reasonable investor interpret that and was it consistent with the facts as they existed at the time?

Judith Burns, an SEC spokeswoman, declined to comment. Tesla, which hasnt been accused of wrongdoing, declined to comment.

Musk had first raised the go-private possibility with the board last week, according to a statement from six of Teslas nine directors. They said he had addressed the funding for this to occur, without providing details.

As for Tesla shareholders, Musk said in one of his Twitter posts that investor support is confirmed for his plan. The companys largest shareholders have declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the California State Teachers Retirement System, which held about 279,000 shares as of the end of June, said there was no heads-up given.

We have not been contacted by Tesla IR, said Michelle Mussuto, the spokeswoman. They didnt reach out before the tweet either.

Leaving the public marketplace isnt a new vision for Musk. In April 2017, when Musk held talks with Masayoshi Son about SoftBank Group Corp. investing in the electric carmaker, they touched on the possibility of fulfilling Musks wish, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. The talks failed to progress due to disagreements over ownership and have not started up again.

Musks personal stake in Tesla is almost 20%, meaning he would need roughly $70 billion to take it out of the market. That kind of money may be accessible through sovereign wealth funds or other strategic investors, said Dwight Scott, president of Blackstone Group LPs GSO Capital Partners. The money-losing and cash-burning company is an unlikely candidate for debt investors to be willing to help go private.

Its possible Musk could persuade some large institutional and strategic investors to either newly become or remain shareholders in the private company, which could reduce his funding needs, said Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Bernstein who has long been bearish on Tesla shares.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabias sovereign investment fund had taken an undisclosed stake of 3% to 5% in the electric-car maker. However, there has been no indication that the Saudi Public Investment Fund might be the source of funding that Musk has said he has secured.

Its also possible Musk has some unconventional plan that would take Tesla private without using traditional sources. On Twitter, he alluded to the creation of a special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla.

But if no firmer details emerge, Sacconaghi wrote in a report to clients, investors would likely increasingly debate Musks credibility and seemingly unhealthy focus on the shares price and volatility.

UPDATES:

2:35 p.m.: This article was updated with new analysis and a closing stock price.

This article was originally published at 9:10 a.m.
Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu Valley on Thursday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and financial spheres. Controversies regarding the death of two abduction suspects killed in an encounter in Bhaktapur on Monday continues to be one of the most discussed issues in the press today as well after families of the killed filed a complaint at the National Human Rights Commission demanding a fair investigation into the case. Meanwhile, the governments preparations to amend existing citizenship law and implement new criminal and civil codes have also been key focuses of the newspapers today.

The arrest of former minister Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma has also been featured on the front pages of many newspapers today.

Important

NHRC launches probe into fake encounter

Almost all newspapers have reported that families of Gopal Tamang and Ajaya Tamang went to the constitutional human rights watchdog, National Human Rights Commission, demanding the probe into the deaths of Tamang duo in an incident which police have called an encounter.

The Kathmandu Post highlights that the constitutional body launched a probe into the case by summoning Acting Chief of Metrpolitan Police Commissioners Office, DIG Manoj Neupane, to inquire about the incident.

The report quotes Commissioner member Sudip Pathak to say, We are treating this as a suspicious incident and investigation will be done accordingly.

Meanwhile, the Commission has formed a five-member committee to look into the case, according to Republica. No deadline has been fixed for the panel considering the need to conduct in-depth investigation into the case, according to the report.

Govt amending citizenship law

The government on Wednesday registered an amendment proposal to the Citizenship Act in a bid to address concerns raised by Madhesh-centric political parties and non-resident Nepali leaders, according to stories in Kantipur, Rajdhani and The Himalaya Times.

If the governments proposal gets endorsed by the legislative body, the children of people with citizenship by birth, who acquired the citizenship before the promulgation of constitution, will not get the citizenship by descent, according to Kantipur.

The report adds that around 2.1 million persons had acquired the citizenship by birth before the promulgation of Interim Constitution 2007.

Meanwhile, the amendment will let non-resident Nepalis get citizenship though they do not have political rights, explains Rajdhani in its lead story. A new category of citizenship will be added to implement this provision.

Four rape cases recorded every day last year

Lead stories in Naya Patrika and Republica highlight increasing instances of rape in the country.

According to Republica lead story, police units across the country have recorded 1,480 rape cases last fiscal year. It means there had been four cases every day on average.

Naya Patrika says a case regarding the rape of a woman in Baitadi district of western Nepal is pending at the Supreme Court for last four years. The case has been scheduled for hearing for 21 times on the courts cause list. But, the victims family still awaits the final verdict.

Ignored

Authorities not interested to probe Sikta Irrigation anomalies

The lead story in Nagarik reports that all concerned authorities have shown their reluctance to investigate into reports of irregularities in construction works under the Sikta Irrigation Project. Irregularities were suspected around three weeks ago after a canal collapsed during an experiment; but National Vigilance Centre, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Ministry of Irrigation among others are silent about the issue.

NAC violated rule during Presidents state visit

The national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation has violated its own standard operating procedure while conducting a special flight for President Bidya Devi Bhandari while she flew to Bangkok from Kathmandu for her state visit to Sri Lanka last year, according to Annapurna Post anchor story.

The procedure has it that an instructor pilot should lead the crew of flights involving VVIPs, but the Corporation assigned a pilot to lead the team, according to the report.

Police to reopen 33.5 kg gold smuggling probe

After a committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs failed to identify major people involved in smuggling of gold via the Tribhuvan International Airport, the Metropolitan Police Crime Division says it will launch another round of investigation into the infamous 33.5 kg gold smuggling and disappearance case, according to Rajdhani.

SSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh, Chief of the Division, says police want to make the investigation result-oriented. He claims the probe is being launched upon the directive of the Ministry itself.

Neel Kantha Uprety out of ambassadors race as govt fails to authenticate its own decision

The Kathmandu Post reports in a four-column story that the Council of Ministers failed to authenticate its own decision of recommending former Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety for the position of Nepali Ambassador to India, thereby automatically nullifying the decision.

Likewise, the recommendation of Udaya Raj Pandey for the Nepali Ambassador to Malaysia has also been nullified.

It has been learn that the Cabinet will recommend new names soon.

Interesting

Scribbling banknotes may drag you behind bars

The anchor story in Kantipur reports that the new civil code that comes into effect from August 17 has a provision of handing down a jail term of three months and a penalty of Rs 5,000 to persons who scribble banknotes.

Meanwhile, the central bank of the country has already informed banks and financial institutions to control scribbling on banknotes.
Tribune Media said Thursday that it would withdraw from its $3.9-billion merger with Sinclair Broadcast Group, adding that it would sue Sinclair for breach of contract over its failed negotiations with regulators over the deal.

The breakdown of the deal reflects a stunning reversal of fortunes for Sinclair, which had confidently announced the tie-up last year as a transformational event and the biggest acquisition in its history.

But it began to stumble last month after the Federal Communications Commission raised serious concerns about the deal, which originally would have allowed Sinclair to reach approximately 70% of U.S. households.

In light of the FCCs unanimous decision, referring the issue of Sinclairs conduct for a hearing before an administrative law judge, our merger cannot be completed within an acceptable time frame, if ever, Peter Kern, Tribunes chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday. This uncertainty and delay would be detrimental to our company and our shareholders. Accordingly, we have exercised our right to terminate the Merger Agreement, and, by way of our lawsuit, intend to hold Sinclair accountable. 

Advertisement

Sinclair did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The $3.9-billion deal initially aimed to create a conservative broadcasting giant, with Sinclair proposing to control 233 stations in 108 markets nationwide. The original deal would have meant creating the biggest television company in America, adding Tribunes 42 stations to Sinclairs roster. And it would have been a victory for conservative media in a turbulent political environment in which Republican critics have alleged a systemic negative bias on college campuses and social media platforms.

The proposed merger even attracted the attention of President Trump, who last month on Twitter criticized federal regulators for getting in the way of what he said would have become a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People. 

Liberal Fake News NBC and Comcast gets approved, much bigger, but not Sinclair, he added. Disgraceful!

As an independent agency, the FCC is supposed to refrain from factoring politics into its merger analyses. But, it said, serious concerns surrounding the proposal warranted a closer look by an administrative law judge. The sudden and unexpected announcement raised alarm bells among investors and analysts; the FCC typically only takes such a step when it is moving to block a deal.

A key FCC concern was Sinclairs offer to spin off stations in Chicago, Dallas and Houston to buyers that critics said were too close to the companys leadership. Analysts say Sinclair needed to divest from some stations to comply with a national cap, enforced by the FCC, on any single broadcast companys national audience reach.

In terminating its merger agreement, Tribune charged that Sinclair had engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the government. Tribune said Sinclair refused to sell stations in the markets as required to obtain approval, and proposed aggressive divestment structures and related-party sales that were either rejected outright or posed a high risk of rejection and delay  all in derogation of Sinclairs contractual obligations.
Superman actress Margot Kidders death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said Wednesday its a relief to finally have the truth out.

Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeves Superman in her most famous role, was found by a friend in her Montana home on May 13.

At the time, Kidders manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said Kidder died peacefully in her sleep.

A statement released Wednesday by Park County coroner Richard Wood said she died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose and that no further details would be released.

Advertisement

Maggie McGuane, Kidders daughter by her ex-husband Thomas McGuane, said that she knew her mother died by suicide the moment authorities took her to Kidders home in Livingston, a small town near Yellowstone National Park.

Its a big relief that the truth is out there, she said. Its important to be open and honest so theres not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.

Kidders 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.

Its 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 Palmas Sisters in 1973 and The Amityville Horror in 1979.

She later appeared in small films and television shows until 2017, including R.L. Stines 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 Canadas oil sands.

Her final years were troubled by conflicts with people who were down on their luck who 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.

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 Kidders 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.
A story of implacable grief, unlikely companionship and stunning landscapes, Gavagai is as beautifully singular a movie as Ive seen all year. You know youre in for something different in the opening moments, as a train pulls quietly into a deserted station in Telemark, Norway, and disgorges a German traveler, Carsten (Austrian actor Andreas Lust), who stumbles out with a troubled look on his face and a solemn stream of voiceover in his head.

A small, anguished drama of indecision plays out: The man walks some distance, then turns around and rushes back onto the train, then reluctantly gets off again and heads on his way. The scene, like every one that follows, is patiently observed in a single take, in which the camera moves fluidly and gracefully in concert with the characters.

Remarkably, the actors never feel trapped or overly managed by these carefully choreographed shots, and the director and cinematographer, Rob Tregenza, gives them plenty of room to breathe. At its simplest, his movie is about the importance of exploring and wandering, of fully inhabiting a given space, figuring out the right direction and then mustering the courage to stumble forward.

Carsten soon meets a friendly local tour guide named Niko (Mikkel Gaup), whom he pays to serve as his personal driver for a couple of days. And so they hop into Nikos minivan, navigating a verdant countryside that, we soon learn, is also being traversed by a silent mystery woman whom only Carsten and the audience can see.

Advertisement

Who is the woman in Carstens hallucinations, and why does she always appear before him wearing traditional Chinese garb and elaborate face paint? Could it have something to do with the fact that Carsten, as he eventually explains to Niko, is working on a Chinese translation of the poems of the Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas, a favorite of his recently deceased wife? Why do Carsten and the woman slowly circle each other on sight, locking gazes but never arms, like partners in a contact-free dance?

There are moments when you suspect these questions might have dubious, even risible answers. But as these ghostly visitations continue, any early whiff of orientalist fantasy dissipates in favor of a much more complicated reading. We come to understand these visions, many of which are accompanied by excerpts from Vesaas poems, as manifestations of a grief that Carsten is clearly still processing. And in the sheer strangeness of those visions, Tregenza seems to play with a troubling, genuinely haunting idea: that death makes permanent, radical strangers of the ones we love. We become estranged and dislocated from those we have lost  physically, culturally, spiritually.

If these scenes are heavy with metaphysical poetry, Nicos romantic journey is a much more prosaic one. Hes in an on-again-off-again relationship with a local woman named Mari (Anni-Kristiina Juuso), who has lost patience with his non-commitment and moved on. But something in Nico seems to be shaken loose by his time spent with Carsten, and he finds time during their journey to re-establish contact with Mari and persuade her to give him another chance.

You can imagine a blunter, more crowd-pleasing buddy-comedy version of this story, though whether youd want to see it is another matter. Tregenza doesnt force his two excellent leads to bond or bicker, to arrive at moments of epiphany and catharsis on cue. He knows that even our meaningful encounters with strangers tend to be fleeting ones; he also knows that people are almost always slower to reveal themselves than the movies allow time for. Nevertheless, there is an unspoken intimacy, a fondness of feeling that passes between Carsten and Nico almost like a shudder  something that, if only for 90 minutes, binds them to each other and to the majestic expanse of lakes, trees and sloping roads behind them.

Gavagai is the latest feature directed by Tregenza, whose previous pictures  Talking to Strangers (1987), The Arc (1990) and Inside/Out (1997)  have been little seen beyond international film festivals. Still shooting on 35-millimeter film to gorgeous effect, he would hardly be the first defiantly analog film artist to languish in commercial obscurity, though his own bona fides  including the heavy influence of Jean-Luc Godard  are particularly noteworthy.

In the 1990s, Tregenza worked in film distribution, releasing pictures by major world auteurs such as Jacques Rivette and Michael Haneke. He served as one of several cinematographers on Werckmeister Harmonies (2000), a black-and-white masterpiece by the Hungarian director Bela Tarr, which likely informed his own use of long, intricately staged mobile shots. His filmmaking doesnt have the immense, brooding weight of Tarrs, but his commitment to an exploratory mobile aesthetic, allowing him to capture human behavior in unbroken passages rather than small fragments, is no less remarkable to behold.

Although never uttered on-screen, the word gavagai, as invented and defined by the philosopher W.V.O. Quine, is offered up as proof of his theory of the indeterminacy of translation, the difficulty of understanding and interpreting something spoken in another language. But if language can mislead, Tregenza knows that it is hardly the sole mechanism for human understanding. He has made a film that, in more than one sense, is moving beyond words.

------------

Gavagai

(English, Norwegian with English subtitles, Mandarin)

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Playing: Laemmles Music Hall 3, Beverly Hills

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Movie Trailers

justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
In preparation for her role as Patrice Dumas, a 70s-era student activist who catches the eye of detective Ron Stallworth in Spike Lees BlacKkKlansman, it was crucial for actress Laura Harrier to understand the soul of her character.

I watched a ton of Soul Train, she said with a laugh. I tried to dance like them and failed miserably.

Getting lost in Soul Train YouTube holes to find that distinctive 70s groove was just the tip of the iceberg for the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress. Her extensive research process included conducting original interviews, watching the documentary The Black Power Mixtape with director Lee and co-star John David Washington, brushing up on blaxploitation films (including Cleopatra Jones and Coffy) and writing an autobiography of her character (at Lees insistence).

Advertisement

Spike gave me a whole reading list, she said. It was like being back in college.

While Stallworth (Washington) is the titular hero  a Colorado Springs cop who goes undercover, with the help of a white colleague (Adam Driver), to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan (and, yes, the movie is based on a true story)  Harriers Dumas is arguably the pictures beating heart. Her activism bears a clear connection with todays Black Lives Matter movement, and her unforced romance with Stallworth (their relationship is a cinematic flourish) lends the explosive film some of its most intimate moments.

The 28-year-old admits that starring in her first period movie was daunting, but it was important to be able to imagine herself in the culture. I only listened to music from the early 70s for the duration of filming, which was really fun, she said.

The Times caught up with Harrier on the morning of the Los Angeles premiere, just a few days before the films Aug. 10 opening, to discuss working with Lee, her thoughts on the current administration and the question she hates being asked on the red carpet.

Had you been a fan of Spike Lee prior to this film?

Yeah, definitely. I grew up watching his movies I think I saw Do the Right Thing when I was in high school. His movies changed the way I saw movies. It was sort of the first time I realized a directors specific vision and how their view of the world can [be expressed through film and] shape so many other peoples views of the world. It was the first time I realized what an auteur is; I saw those movies and I was like, I want to see more of this persons movies.

So whats your favorite Spike Lee joint?

I mean, Do The Right Thing is such a cliche answer but  [laughs] Obviously, Malcolm X too. I also love School Daze. I love 25th Hour. And I really like our movie.

What was it like working with him?

It was kind of crazy. At first, it was definitely intimidating and really surreal to just be on set. But once you get to know him, and he gets to know you, hes really nurturing as a director. I felt really comfortable. Hes collaborative too; everyones ideas are welcome ... I just respect him so much as a filmmaker and as a person.

Do you think theres many opportunities in Hollywood for black women to play strong characters like Patrice?

Mmm, no [laughs]. So Im really thankful to be able to play this person and lend my voice to this story. I think were seeing more opportunities, but its really few.

What did you find special about the role?

When you talk about black power and the Black Panther movement, its always this really male-driven thing. And I dont think weve seen the female face of that on-screen before, at least that Im aware of. So its exciting to play that side of it. At the height of the Panthers, the majority of members were women, and no one ever talks about that. The only name we hear is Angela Davis, who was a huge figure, but there were so many women working for the movement. I just wanted to pay homage to them and give them the respect I think they deserve.

Your character doesnt exist in the book the film is based on. Where did you draw inspiration from?

From these various women. I got to meet Kathleen Cleaver, which was really cool. Spike had us all over to his house, and she was there, and I got to ask her a bunch of questions about her life and her relationship with [Black Panther leader] Eldridge [Cleaver] and how she got to where she was. That was really influential. I read a bunch of Angela Davis books, watched a lot of interviews. And then I contacted the Colorado College Alumni Assn. to talk to people who were in the Black Student Union in the early 70s. [I asked] like, Why were you at Colorado College as a black person in the early 70s? How did you get there? and all that stuff. I tried to draw from all these different influences to create someone who felt of the time and multidimensional. It was kind of like Spike and I together figuring her out.

John David Washington and Laura Harrier in BlacKkKlansman. (David Lee / Focus Features)

What do you hate being asked by journalists?

I hate being asked whats it like being a black woman in Hollywood. Because I dont  know, this is my only experience. I hate always having to speak on what its like to be black. As a black person, thats all we know, so I dont know why its constantly this almost justification of, Why are you here?

Right. Like no ones being asked how does it feel being a white woman in Hollywood.

Exactly. Never. And also like, So you and your contemporaries... were always being compared to each other. I wish that I could just exist as myself and it wasnt questioned.

Who do you think the intended audience for BlacKkKlansman is and what do you hope they take away from it?

I hope everyone can watch this film and take a different message away. I really think this movie isnt just about being black and white in America. Obviously, thats the story that were telling, but theres a rise of right-wing movements all over the world, and I think people everywhere can learn something from this. Like, how do people in other countries treat Muslims and immigrants? Thats what were really talking about: love and hate. I wouldnt tell people what to think, but I hope that they question our current administration and see the wrongs that theyre committing.

What are your thoughts on our current administration?

I disagree with absolutely everything theyre doing.

If you could pick one member of the Trump family to watch BlacKkKlansman with, who would it be?

Ugh. I dont want to hang out with any of them. I have no desire to be near any of those people.

What projects are you working on next?

Im figuring it out. I really have been focused on this, and I just want my next thing to be something Im as passionate about, so Im trying to be picky.

Do you get to be in the next Spider-Man movie?

I cant tell you that. [Laughs] Im sorry.

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

follow me on twitter @sonaiyak
The shared burden of guilt is incisively examined in No Date, No Signature, a compelling drama by Iranian filmmaker Vahid Jalilvand.

When a traffic mishap results in his car clipping a motorcycle, forensic pathologist Dr. Nariman (expertly played by Amir Aghaee), dutifully attends to its passengers, including the 8-year-old son of the driver, Moosa (Navid Mohammadzadeh), who sustained a bump on the back of his head.

Refusing the doctors offer to take the boy to a nearby clinic, the family turns up at Narimans hospital a few days later, where an autopsy reveals that their young son died from botulism contracted from a diseased chicken Moosa brought home from the poultry processing plant where he works.

But Nariman, who, inexplicably, chooses not to tell his dedicated colleague, Dr. Behbahani (Hediyeh Tehrani) about his prior encounter with Moosas family, isnt completely convinced of her findings and becomes obsessed with determining the primary cause of the young boys death.

Advertisement

Jalilvand, who received the Horizons best director honors at last years Venice film festival (where Mohammadzadeh also won the Horizons best actor nod for his powerful, grief-stricken performance), masterfully delineates the class distinctions and guilt carried by the two men tormented by the decisions theyve made.

Beautifully performed and penetratingly photographed, Jalilvands assured second feature bears the probing precision of one of those meticulous autopsies.

-------------

No Date, No Signature

In Farsi with English subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Playing: Starts Aug. 10, Laemmle Royal, Los Angeles; Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Movie Trailers

calendar@latimes.com
Strange and wondrous things happen in garages. Obsessions, avocations, projects deemed not worthy of the main house spawn like mushrooms in garages. Tinkerers tinker: If youve got a passion project, chances are its staged in a dark, oil-stained, poorly ventilated annex to where you live.

If youre dabbling in the beverage arts, particularly wine, youre known in tinker parlance as a garagiste. A California garagiste is typically fanatical, myopic, willing to ignore family obligations, to spend a lot of money and bring in very little, and willing to drink most or all of what he or she makes. Inevitably, they reach a crossroads where production has exceeded consumption habits; then its time to think about selling the stuff.

That is where Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan, founders of the Garagiste Wine Festival, come in. As home winemakers themselves, they recognized that none of these wineries had sales teams, tasting rooms or venues in which to sell their wines. The nonprofit festival, established in 2011, is held four times a year up and down the California coast, and it is a place for micro-wineries to nurture a fan base. (Proceeds from the festival support the Cal Poly wine and viticulture program in San Luis Obispo.)

About 50 such garagistes gathered in Santa Monica on a recent Saturday to connect with the thirsty, to speak with their clientele, an enthusiastic, comparably obsessive cohort who would otherwise be frequenting tasting rooms in Paso Robles or Los Alamos or the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara, wearing loud shirts and flip flops, living the dream one sip at a time, right alongside the producers pouring for them. It worked: Five hundred attended in Santa Monica; in Paso Robles, attendance can go as high as 1,000.

Advertisement

The quality varies in these wines; although few would be guilty of glaring flaws, some seem, lets say, injudicious, blends composed of less than compatible varieties, heavy on oak or residual sugar, pressed a little too hard or filtered not quite enough.

The Garagiste Wine Festival in Santa Monica celebrates the artisanal winemaker. (Garagiste Festival)

But what they lack in polish they make up for in exuberance.

Below are short profiles of four local winemakers who participated. For a complete list, go to garagistefestival.com.

Byron Blatty

Angeleno Mark Blatty is a television industry expat (his wife, Jenny, is still an executive at Warner Bros.) who founded their winery in 2014. Blatty crafts big, muscular wines with enigmatic names such as Contingent, Tangent and Pragmatic. Most are red, most are blends; all are sourced from L.A. County, from the Malibu Coast to arid, high elevation sites in the Antelope and Leona valleys. byronblatty.com.

Metrick

Santa Monica native Alex Russan has dabbled in coffee and sherry importation; his import company Alexander Jules still specializes in rare batched sherries and obscure Spanish wines. Eventually, he turned toward production to, as he puts it, answer the constant cascade of winemaking questions that he faced with his own imports. Some of his Central Coast wines, such as Albarino and Mourvedre, are derived from Spanish origin; all are lean, nervy and delicious. metrickwines.com.

Dusty Nabor

By day, Angeleno Dusty Nabor works for his family business making steel pipe; most of his spare time had been devoted to endurance racing and triathlons before wine intruded. Dusty Nabor wines is devoted to primarily reds sourced from the Central Coast, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, but he also makes a flinty, satisfying Viognier from Ballard Canyon. dustynaborwines.com

L.A. Wine Project

This project literally began in a Los Angeles garage, when former Toronto waiter Jason Martin bought into the Rose-all-day zeitgeist and created, with the help of consulting winemaker Chuck Carlson, an all pink brand with three distinct roses, made from Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, all sourced from Jurassic Park Vineyard in Los Olivos. lawineproject.com.

food@latimes.com
In an otherwise deserted part of Clearlake Oaks, which was under a mandatory evacuation order, Nicole Young sat on the porch of a triple-wide lakefront mobile home with a couple of other holdouts.

A sweet smell wafted outside from the home. Young, 44, was baking a yellow cake.

Its welcome scent competed with the smell of smoke, which has enveloped this little lakeside community for the last week, as the largest wildfire in state history  actually separate side-by-side blazes that have been dubbed the Mendocino Complex  rages on.

Inside, Jim Young, 80, who owns this mobile home and RV park, sat in an easy chair, watching The Andy Griffith Show in black and white. His wife, Barbara, 87, was outside smoking a cigarette. (Nicole is not related to them; their son is her boyfriend.)

Advertisement

California fire coverage: 18 blazes scorch 600,000 acres across the state 

Neither Jim nor Barbara is in very good health, and they had no plans to leave, evacuation order or not.

Neither did two of their tenants, Tim Trammell and Thomas Vicochea, who were hanging out on what might otherwise have been a beautiful summers day. They were running low on beer and bread, they said, but if they left in search of provisions, they wouldnt be allowed back in.

We have plenty of canned food, said Vicochea, 48.

This lockdown is getting old, said Trammell, 53, night manager of the nearby Oaks Red and White grocery store, which, like other businesses along the northeast shore of Clear Lake, had closed because of the fire. You cant blame anyone, though. We chose to stay.

Still, the boredom was making everyone a little punchy. Dont worry, joked Vicochea when I declined a beer. I promise I wont roofie you.

On Wednesday, the mandatory evacuation order for Clearlake Oaks and other shoreline communities about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento was lifted for residents, who number about 12,000, but the area remains under an evacuation advisory.

If the wind shifts and the fire returns, theyll be ordered once more to leave. The holdouts will probably refuse. Again.

In Clearlake Oaks, Jim Young, 80, on his porch with Nicole Young (no relation), and neighbors Tim Trammell and Thomas Vicochea. Jim Young owns the mobile home and RV park where they live. If they leave, they cant come back, so they are all staying put, trying to stay occupied. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times)

::

A few miles north of Clearlake Oaks in Lucerne and Nice (pronounced the French way), helicopters were dipping into the lake to scoop water to fight the fire, which was burning out of sight a couple of ridges away.

Firefighters call this the air show. They are not immune to its charms. Pilots try to dip as close to shore as possible in case of, say, engine failure, so they will be within gliding distance of safety.

Capt. Mark Treichel of the South Santa Clara County Fire District had wandered out to the end of a narrow wooden pier to get some pictures of the Skycrane helicopter, whose stinger-like pipe sucked up about 1,000 gallons each time it dipped into the lake.

Treichel and his strike team had been deployed since July 27. They are tired but expect to stay till the end. When these people come home, he said, gesturing to the empty lakeside houses, we can go home.

A pair of fishermen in a speedboat raced across the lake, toward Lucerne, which welcomes visitors to the Switzerland of America.

I stopped at a spot on Highway 20 to watch. Are those guys allowed to be on the lake right now? I asked two CHP officers who had pulled over to check my press credentials, as the road had been closed to the public. (California law allows journalists to cross police lines during disasters.)

Well, said one of the officers, looking over my shoulder. Here come the police.

A sheriffs boat was just pulling up to the fishermen. Its wake slapped the shore, and I couldnt hear the conversation.

Did he say you could stay? I yelled after the sheriff left.

As long as we stay away from the houses, one of the anglers called back.

Looters arriving by water: another worry during a lakeside fire evacuation.

In Nice, a town on the northestern edge of Clear Lake, smoke from the Mendocino Complex fire hangs in the air. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times)

::

County fairgrounds make excellent staging areas for wildfires, as long as no fair is planned at the same time.

Brandon Vaccaro of the California City Fire Department was handling media inquiries last week when a woman came to the fairgrounds to hand in her entry for the Lake County Fair, which is scheduled to start Aug. 30. The deadline was Aug. 4.

She was upset, Vaccaro said, because she was trying to drop off her jelly recipe.

Likewise, a small public airfield southwest of Clear Lake has been commandeered by firefighters. Lampson Field, with its single runway, will serve as the fires helibase until aerial support is no longer needed, which could be another two to three weeks.

About 20 helicopters of various size and provenance fly in and out of Lampson between 8 a.m. and sundown. Some are water scoopers, some are spotters, some are outfitted with hoists for mountainside rescues. Most are owned by private contractors. Some, like the Chinook and Black Hawk sitting on the runway, come from the National Guard. Rather ominous looking, these craft are incongruously festooned with hot pink paint.

Theyre not really meant to be seen under normal conditions, explained Jesse White, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battalion chief from Red Bluff who is operations manager of the helibase. The pink paint helps with visibility, since the sky is full of smoke and pilots are operating under visual flight rules.

He oversees the 150 pilots, firefighters and support crew working out of Lampson, including the two young men who are sitting inside a small dark green trailer that everyone here calls the box.

Inside the box, Tom Krausmann, 24, and Jack Rupiper, 28, sit side by side like copilots, looking out over the runway, taking requests for water from spotter aircraft, coordinating with strike teams on the ground. (It would really hurt to get hit with that water, Treichel had told me earlier in Lucerne.) Like air traffic controllers, Krausmann and Rupiper make sure the helicopters come and go without colliding.

Ordinarily, Krausmann and Rupiper work as helitack firefighters. That means they are assigned to a helicopter, not a fire engine. Instead of driving to a fire, they are flown, and are dropped onto the ground to cut away brush and other fire fuel.

Thats what they love doing, White said. Theyre probably going a little stir crazy in this box.

In the box, at Lampson Airfield in Lakeport, Tom Krausmann, left, and Jack Rupiper, of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times)

::

As I wandered around the outbuildings at Lampson looking for the helibase, I bumped into David Henneman and his 10-year-old golden retriever, Tucker, in a small hangar. Henneman, 34, and a partner recently bought Lasar, a company that restores Mooney airplanes.

Henneman never anticipated that a wildfire would affect his business. But as long as the airport remains closed, he cant operate. His customers fly in and out of Lampson from all over. Several planes that are ready to be flown home are sitting idle in his hangar. Their unpaid bills run between $8,000 and $10,000.

On Tuesday, Henneman had discovered that the air base may be closed until Sept. 1, when the Mendocino Complex fire is expected to be contained.

On Wednesday, he laid off two of his 12 mechanics.

On Thursday, he expects to lay off a couple more.

We are so grateful for everything the firefighters are doing and are totally behind them, said Henneman, who fought wildfires in college, but a month of downtime will kill us.

Its not just lives and buildings at risk in a massive wildfire like this one. Here, under the blanket of smoke, a business can suffocate almost before you know it.

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT
As the Trump administration pushes Congress for billions to fund a border wall, a new government oversight report cautioned that officials need to do more cost analysis and documented planning.

The Government Accountability Office report questioned the Trump administrations method for prioritizing where to construct border barriers and said the administration should factor in location-specific cost estimates when deciding where to build. That would make sure that Customs and Border Protection uses its limited resources in a cost-effective way, the report said.

[The Department of Homeland Security] faces an increased risk that the Border Wall System Program will cost more than projected, take longer than planned, or not fully perform as expected, the report says, using the Trump administrations name for current border barrier projects.

Jim Crumpacker of CBP told GAO officials that CBP prioritizes construction locations based on operational need and considers cost when selecting the type of barrier to install.

Advertisement

CBP is following best practices in evaluating costs, budget, and financial impact, Crumpacker said in a letter to GAO published with the report.

In fiscal 2017 and 2018, Congress has given the Trump administration about $1.6 billion for border barrier construction, mostly for replacement fencing projects. Those barriers will cover at least 80 miles of the Southwest border.

The administration has asked for another $1.6 billion in fiscal 2019 for a 65-mile project in Texas.

Fencing-replacement work has already begun in El Centro and San Diego on primary fencing  the barrier closest to Mexico.

More than $250 million of fiscal 2018 funding is supposed to replace 14 miles of a second layer of fencing in San Diego. That construction has not yet begun.

According to the report, it is not yet clear what that new barrier will look like or how much it will cost.

In documentation reviewed by GAO officials, the cost estimate for that 14-mile secondary fence in San Diego is based on a 30-foot concrete barrier.

However, Border Patrol agents need to be able to see through border barriers, the report says, so CBP does not plan to build opaque designs. Six of the eight border wall prototypes at Otay Mesa are opaque, the report notes.

New construction cant look like any of the prototypes because Congress limited funding to designs that were already in use before the border wall prototypes were built. CBP officials told the reports authors that they never intended to select a winning prototype but rather wanted to test them to inform future design strategies.

According to the report, CBPs test teams determined that all of the prototypes would have construction challenges. The four concrete prototypes presented extensive challenges, the most severe.

Two of the non-concrete prototypes presented substantial challenges, and the remaining two had moderate challenges.

CBP officials originally wanted to use a new design for the San Diego project, and in March said that they would use an existing design with bollards  posts that are close together so people cant pass between them. The barrier may be customized with anti-climb features inspired by the prototypes, the report says.

According to the report, CBP officials at first said the San Diego project didnt need rounds of planning review and approval. After conversations with the reports officers, DHS said it would conduct the required reviews by the end of September.

It is misleading and inaccurate for GAO to say that progress is not being documented or to imply that progress is not being tracked, responded CBPs Crumpacker in the letter.

The report also pointed out that DHS didnt require post-construction review of its projects until after most of the current border fencing was already built. CBP told the reports authors that the agency would follow current review requirements to analyze new barriers effectiveness.

DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said that the current barriers have already reduced the number of people trying to sneak into the U.S.
A California appeals court has rejected a new trial for Brock Turner, a former Stanford swimmer, and upheld his sexual assault and attempted rape convictions.

A three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal ruled unanimously Wednesday that Turner received a fair trial.



For the record: An earlier version of this Associated Press story incorrectly stated that Brock Turner was convicted of rape. He was convicted of sexual assault and attempted rape.

A San Jose jury in 2016 convicted Turner of sexually assaulting a young, intoxicated woman outside an on-campus fraternity party.

Judge Aaron Persky rejected a prosecutors call for a lengthy prison term and instead sentenced him to six months in jail.

Advertisement

Perskys sentence sparked nationwide outrage by those who felt it too lenient. It also led to debate over the criminal justice systems handling of sexual assault cases. Voters recalled Persky in June.

In December 2017, Turner appealed the conviction, arguing he didnt receive a fair trial.

Judge Franklin Elia writing for the unanimous panel said there was substantial evidence to support the conviction, including substantial evidence to show Turner knew his victim was unconscious when he assaulted her.

Perskys sentence was not part of the appeal, and the judges didnt address it.

Turner could petition the California Supreme Court to consider his appeal. Turners attorney Eric Multhaup didnt return a phone call Wednesday.

Stanford law professor Michelle Dauber, who led the judges recall campaign, called on Turner to drop any further appeals.

The appellate court has now rejected that idea and I think everyone, including Brock Turner, would be better served by accepting the jurys verdict and moving on, she said.

Turner lives outside Dayton, Ohio, with his parents. He is required to register as a sex offender for life.
Broadcom co-founder and billionaire Henry T. Nicholas III was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of narcotics trafficking after police discovered heroin, cocaine, meth and ecstasy in his suite at the Encore hotel, police said Thursday.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police detained Nicholas, 59, and a woman, Ashley Fargo, about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday after hotel security called the police to the room, said Officer Larry Hadfield, a department spokesman. Hadfield said security reported finding contraband in the room.

Nicholas and Fargo were arrested and booked on suspicion of trafficking heroin, cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine, Hadfield said.

Both since have been released from custody, he said.

Advertisement

David Chesnoff, Nicholas attorney, said that Nicholas was released on his own recognizance and that Chesnoffs law firm is investigating the circumstances of the arrest. Chesnoff, who is perhaps Las Vegas best-known defense lawyer, has represented celebrities including Paris Hilton, Bruno Mars and Motley Crue singer Vince Neil.

Neither Fargo nor any representative for her could immediately be reached for comment.

This is the latest run-in with the law for Nicholas, who stepped down as chief executive of Broadcom in 2003 and who, according to Forbes, has a fortune of $3.1 billion.

Nicholas was indicted in 2008 on charges that he had provided cocaine and ecstasy to friends and business associates. The indictment alleged that Nicholas installed a secret and convenient lair at his home in Laguna Hills to indulge an obsession with prostitutes.

The indictment also said that during a flight from Orange County to Las Vegas, Nicholas and his entourage generated so much marijuana smoke that it billowed into the cockpit, requiring the pilot flying the plane to put on an oxygen mask.

In a separate indictment, prosecutors accused Nicholas and fellow Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli of backdating Broadcom stock options to make them more valuable to prized employees without accounting for the practice in regulatory filings.

A federal judge in 2009 dismissed the criminal charges against Nicholas and Samueli related to stock-option backdating and then, in early 2010, dismissed the drug distribution charges against Nicholas.

I have long held a deep and abiding faith in the American justice system, Nicholas said at the time.

Broadcom was one of the dozens of tech companies targeted during a federal crackdown on stock option grants. Options are rights to buy a companys stock at a set price  usually the stocks price the day the options are granted. If the stock price rises, employees can use their options to buy shares at the set price and then sell them at a profit.

Companies are allowed to backdate option grants to a date when the price was lower as long as they account for it in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prosecutors alleged that Broadcom executives backdated options and failed to make the required disclosures.

During the tech boom, options were used to recruit and retain highly skilled engineers. In 2007, amid an SEC investigation, Broadcom restated its financial results to account for nearly $2.2 billion in options expenses.

Nicholas said the legal challenges that he and other executives faced did not diminish the pride he felt for the company he built with Samueli, his former professor at UCLA.

The pair launched the company in 1991 and turned it into a multibillion-dollar technology empire. Broadcom has designed chips used in a variety of electronic devices, including iPhones and Bluetooth headsets.

We changed the way people communicate, he said. We changed everything.

Avago Technologies agreed to buy Irvine-based Broadcom in 2015 and, upon acquiring the company, changed its own name to Broadcom.

Nicholas has spent millions of dollars advocating for crime victims, helping pass Californias three-strikes felony law and a victims rights law known as Marsys Law, named for his sister, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

UPDATES:

4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from defense attorney David Chesnoff.

This article was originally published at 2:20 p.m.
Kathmandu, August 9

Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa says the government will launch an investigation into the death of two abduction suspects in a police encounter in Doleshwor of Bhaktapur on Monday.

The incident has turned controversial after kin of the suspects reported that the youth were arrested before their death, suggesting it was not an encounter, but a planned killing.

They have also filed an application at the National Human Rights Commission, demanding an independent investigation into the extrajudicial killing.

Speaking at a meeting of State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Thapa expressed his commitment to launch a probe after some lawmakers also made similar comments.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress lawmaker Devendra Raj Kandel demanded that the Committee also summon Nepal Police Inspector General Sarbendra Khanal and other officials to quiz them over the issue.

On the other hand, officials of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division held a meeting with Home Minister Thapa and said the incident was a real encounter, and the suspects were not arrested before shooting them.
New mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Lake Elsinore area Thursday afternoon as the Holy fire continued burning closer to homes in Riverside County.

Evacuations were ordered for all homes on the mountain side of Lake Street and southwest of Grand Avenue to Ortega Highway, according to fire officials. The orders came as fire crews battled to stop flames from entering the previously evacuated neighborhood of McVicker Park, and hours after a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection mechanic assigned to the Carr fire died in a vehicle crash in Tehama County. The death was the eighth fatality connected to the furious blaze that has scorched roughly 177,000 acres in Northern California, officials said.

The victim, described as a heavy equipment mechanic, died in a crash on Highway 99, Cal Fire said in a statement.

The crash happened at 12:17 a.m. after a Dodge Ram 5500 veered off the highways right shoulder and slammed into a tree, according to Officer Ken Reineman of the California Highway Patrols Red Bluff station. The vehicle caught fire, and the victim has not been publicly identified, Reineman said.

Advertisement

The Thursday morning wreck led to the eighth death connected to the Carr fire, which has proved to be the most lethal of the year. Four Redding residents, a Redding firefighter, a bulldozer operator and a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker also have died in connection with the blaze, which has destroyed more than 1,000 homes, officials have said.

As the Carr fire has moved deeper into the forest and away from structures in Redding, firefighter commanders have routinely warned of the dangers of driving on roadways clogged by a growing number of emergency personnel in the area.

For days, the streets in western Redding and the rural communities along the Sacramento River have been a gantlet for law enforcement and firefighters who have had to negotiate the sometimes-narrow winding roads that are half-blocked by massive PG&E trucks. Firefighters roam road shoulders patrolling for hot spots, while day by day, more Shasta County residents return to the area.

The biggest hazard for this operational period is going to be driving, Carr fire public safety officer Baraka Carter told firefighters at a morning briefing earlier this week. With the number of resources we have assigned to this incident, the number of utility companies that are actively engaged and the number of residents we are [repopulating,] that number is going to increase tenfold.

The mechanics death came as firefighters across the state continue to battle more than a dozen wildfires that have scorched more than 600,000 acres, bolstered by an extremely warm July and years of drought that have left underbrush ripe to burn.

In Southern California, the Holy fire had grown to 9,614 acres by Thursday morning, continuing to burn areas of Orange and Riverside counties as it crept toward canyon homes, officials said.

Firefighters have achieved only 5% containment, Cleveland National Forest officials said on Twitter, though fire crews are hoping favorable weather conditions over the weekend will help them stem the fires advance.

Evacuations have been ordered in McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, Horsethief Canyon, El Cariso, Rancho Capistrano, Indian Canyon, Glen Eden, Sycamore Creek and Mayhew Canyon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The Ortega Highway corridor from Lookout Roadhouse to Nichols Institute also was included in the evacuation order.

RELATED: Ready for an evacuation? What you might want to think about packing 

Police said Wednesday the blaze may have begun as an act of arson. Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of felony arson and making a threat to terrorize in connection with the ignition of the Holy fire. On Thursday, the Orange County district attorneys office announced that Clark had been charged 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 up to life in prison if convicted, according to prosecutors, who said the fire has damaged or destroyed at least 14 homes. Clarks arraignment was delayed Thursday and could take place Friday, according to Rebecca Moss, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office.

Clark was scheduled to appear in court Thursday afternoon, but that was postponed a day when he refused to leave his jail cell, according to officials.

It was not clear whether Clark had retained an attorney. He is being held in lieu of $1-million bail.

Before his arrest, Clark gave a rambling interview to a television reporter, claiming he did not know how the fire began.

I was asleep. I had two earplugs in, he said, according to a report by KABC-TV Channel 7. Ive been up for, like, 20-some-odd days because Mission Hospital put me on this Amblin stuff.

By Thursday afternoon, fire crews were battling to prevent flames from moving into a Lake Elsinore neighborhood along McVicker Canyon Park Road.

Hillsides overlooking the evacuated homes were stained pink by fire retardant as flames filled the air with dark smoke.

Other large fires are also continuing to drain resources and push firefighters to exhaustion. The sprawling Mendocino Complex fire in Lake County, which became the largest in state history earlier this week, had grown to 304,402 acres as of Thursday morning, officials said. The Donnell fire in Stanislaus County, which drew concern when it grew exponentially over the weekend, has now burned 17,941 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

james.queally@latimes.com

joseph.serna@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT and @JosephSerna on Twitter for breaking news in California.

UPDATES:

2:55 p.m.: This article was updated with details on new evacuation orders.

12:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Rebecca Moss, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorneys office, about the arson suspects arraignment.

11:05 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information about driving dangers near the Carr fire and the charges against the man accused of setting the Holy fire.

9:55 a.m.: This article was updated with information about the death of a Cal Fire mechanic assigned to the Carr fire.

This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m.
Needle-exchange programs are now banned in Costa Mesa  for the time being, at least  after the City Council adopted an urgency ordinance Tuesday prohibiting the establishment and operation of such services anywhere in the city.

The vote is meant to give city staff additional time to study issues related to such programs and examine potential new regulations governing where and how they can operate.

The moratorium is effective for 45 days but can be extended with a future council vote.

The first thing we have to do is identify, A, whether theres a problem and, B, if there is a problem, whats the scope of the problem and  what are some possible solutions, Councilman John Stephens said.

Advertisement

The urgency ordinance is part of Costa Mesas double-barreled response to a California Department of Public Health decision last week to OK a proposal from the Orange County Needle Exchange Program to distribute syringes and other supplies in the citys Westside, as well as in parts of Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana, for the next two years.

The council also voted last week to join Orange County in a lawsuit seeking to stop the mobile needle-exchange service, which would operate in Costa Mesa on West 17th Street between Whittier Avenue and the city boundary from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays.

Supporters of such programs say they are intended to help prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C among intravenous drug users by providing clean needles. But city officials say the proposed operating area in Costa Mesa is inappropriate, especially given its proximity to homes, businesses and schools.

After learning of the proposal earlier this year, Costa Mesa police, city staff and council members sent letters and made comments detailing their concerns that the program could attract drug users to the community, potentially compromise the recovery of those living in local sober-living homes and pose a threat to public safety.

It was hard to believe that the state would do something so stupid, but I guess we should expect that from our state, said Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor. Im fully supportive of this [ordinance]. Theres no way were going to allow this in Costa Mesa.

The needle-exchange program used to operate out of the Santa Ana Civic Center and was the only one of its kind in Orange County. However, that city opted to scrap it in January, citing an increase in the number of discarded syringes in the area.

Though the states approval was effective starting this week, officials of the Orange County Needle Exchange Program say they will delay launching it until September at the earliest.

Dallas Augustine, a member of the needle exchanges board of directors, said the nonprofit hopes to meet with city and county representatives to discuss our plans, receive feedback and work collaboratively as well as schedule town hall gatherings to meet with community members, hear their concerns, answer their questions and dispel any myths surrounding harm reduction and our program.

We continue to offer to work together with local officials, Augustine wrote in an email Monday. However, to do so, we need local officials to respond to our outreach efforts. Especially during election season, it is easy to villainize our already marginalized and stigmatized clients and, by proxy, OCNEP. However, we do not want to fight and, instead, continue to ask for open dialogue and cooperation.

Costa Mesa Mayor Sandy Genis questioned why the city was chosen as a location for the program, saying there has been no empirical data presented anywhere that indicates that this is needed in Costa Mesa any more than anywhere else in Orange County.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley lamented that issues related to addiction have become increasingly common on recent council agendas.

Ten years ago we would be sitting up here and we would be debating how many trees do we need to put in the parking lot, how wide should the setbacks be, she said. Boy, has this community changed, and weve got to find some solutions.

Money writes for Times Community News.
Carla Provost, who served as acting chief of the Border Patrol for more than a year, on Thursday was named the first woman to lead the agency as chief in its 94-year history.

Provost, a former police officer in Kansas, joined the agency 23 years ago as an agent in Douglas, Ariz., rising through the ranks to become a supervisor in Yuma and El Paso. She also served as deputy assistant commissioner of Internal Affairs, which included overseeing compliance with Customs and Border Protection programs and policies involving corruption, misconduct or mismanagement. She became deputy chief of the Border Patrol in 2016 and is the agencys 18th chief.

There is no one more suited to lead the Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan said in making the announcement.

Provost, 48, answered questions from The Times about herself and the agency. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Why did you join Border Patrol?

My senior year of college, I had an internship with the Topeka Police Department. One of my parents friends was the head homicide detective there, so I got to see a lot more than most interns do. That led to me staying in Kansas after graduation and joining the Riley County Police Department.

I loved working with a local police department, but as a 20-something-year-old, I had always thought about what we perceived as the sexy jobs  the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals. Fortunately, when I was an intern in Topeka, I had the opportunity to meet with one of the Marshals and really began considering a career outside local law enforcement.

I was going through the hiring process with the Marshals, and I was still working at the police department, loving my work but living paycheck to paycheck. Then, the Marshals announced a hiring freeze and wasnt sure what was next. But a friend mentioned the Border Patrol was hiring.

I went to the [Border Patrol] Academy and then to Douglas, Ariz., in May of 1995, and after a year on the ground there, I swore I would never leave the Border Patrol. I ended up spending 11 1/2 years in Douglas. Maybe not a prime location, but the work is amazing.

Despite recruitment efforts at Border Patrol, women make up only 5% of about 20,000 agents, among the lowest percentages for federal law enforcement agencies. What challenges do you see in attracting more women to the job?

Our biggest challenge is that our environment is much different than any other federal law enforcement agency. The vast majority of our jobs are in smaller border towns, not in major metropolitan areas. The majority of our agents  16,000 of them, at least  are along the Southwest border, living in small communities. While many of our areas have experienced significant growth and investment, such as south Texas, many are still very remote, such as Del Rio, Nogales, Yuma and Calexico.

In my experience, when it comes to the job and mission, there is no difference in the expectations between female agents and male agents  were all Border Patrol agents. Were all expected to do the same job, man or woman. And the agents Ive worked with over the years, what they care about is if you can do the job  will you be there for them when they need it? If you go out and do a good job, then youre recognized for it.

I dont necessarily want to be recognized because today I am the first female chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. I hope Im recognized at the end of my tenure for the work that I did as a Border Patrol agent and ultimately, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Whats toughest about Border Patrol work and why?

Youre working long hours, often by yourself, day and night. Youre out in the desert and you can come across armed smugglers at any given time, without backup, 20 minutes or more away from any assistance.

Personally, when I was just starting out as an agent, I found myself in a situation where I was with two other agents in the bottom of a ditch near Douglas, Ariz. And these smugglers were heaving large chunks of concrete at us. We eventually made it out of there, but if any of those chunks had hit us, we would have been killed.

It takes a special kind of person to do that, and to put themselves in that position. But if you are up to the challenge, the rewards are enormous. This job gave me a steady paycheck and a career to move forward in, but so much more. I was getting a chance to serve my country and protect the local community every day.

What is the greatest challenge facing the agency now on the southern border?

Ensuring the safety and success of the men and women in the field on the front lines. Every day, they put their lives on the line. Our agents are facing some of the most challenging environments under the most difficult of circumstances. I want to make sure that they have the very best training, the best equipment, the resources they need and the strongest possible support.

Operationally, the Southwest border of the United States is a highly diverse environment with equally diverse threats to the security and safety of our border communities and communities throughout the United States.

Without the resources, without more agents and without some changes in our abilities to enforce our laws, we will continue to see an increase in drug smuggling, an increase in gang members trying to infiltrate our communities by crossing into our nation illegally, and we will continue to experience increases in the flow of illegal immigrants coming to the United States.

The Trump administrations zero tolerance policy and immigrant family separations have made headlines, and figures released this week show a greater share of those arriving at the southern border are families. What would you like people to know about how the Border Patrol responded this summer and how the agency plans to deal with immigrant families in the future?

Today, we have suspended referral for prosecution of parents who are traveling with their child or children as we work through a process to enforce the law and maintain family unity through the criminal prosecution of the adult.

I want to be clear that at no time was the policy of the Border Patrol or [the Department of Homeland Security] to separate families. The separation of families occurred only as a result of prosecution of a parent for illegally crossing the border. In my experience, I know that when there is a consequence for a crime committed, that the frequency of the crime decreases. Without consequences for breaking the law, people will just continue to break the law.

This is why we stress that consequences matter. We are a law enforcement agency, we enforce the law and when we are able to do that, we see decreases in those violating that law.

Is the proposed border wall a priority for you? What else is a priority?

We do need a wall. Through my experiences, we know walls work. Where we invested in a wall system  wall, technology, infrastructure and additional agents  we have experienced significant decreases in illegal border-crossers, and it impeded the flow of illicit drugs.

The president is committed to border security, and he has set a high bar for us to secure the border. What the men and women on the front lines tell me is, that in order to meet the presidents request, they must have more agents, more wall, more technology and more infrastructure to be successful in our mission.

In the previous question, you asked about the influx of families crossing the Southwest border. If we truly want to attain operational control and discourage families from taking the dangerous journey to attempt to cross into our country, then in addition to a wall system, we must close the loopholes in our current law that encourages families and children to make the dangerous journey.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

@mollyhf

UPDATES:

1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about the new Border Patrol chief.

This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m.
Calling outer space the next battlefield, Vice President Mike Pence outlined a bellicose mission Thursday for the Trump administrations proposed space force, saying it would fight adversaries and spread American values beyond Earth.

His remarks at the Pentagon, applauded by an audience that included Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and top military commanders, represented a sharp break from decades of high-level U.S. calls for the peaceful development of outer space for all nations.

Pence said Russia, China and other U.S. adversaries were building anti-satellite and other weapons aimed at degrading the U.S. militarys space dominance. It marked the first detailed justification by a top U.S. official for President Trumps call for a sixth military service to focus on war fighting in space.

Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation, Pence said.

Advertisement

He said the space force also would carry American ideals into the boundless expanse of space, promoting freedom, private property and the rule of law.

The soaring, even messianic, rhetoric was aimed at overcoming lukewarm support for a space force in Congress, which must approve its creation, and at the Pentagon. The Air Force, in particular, worries the proposed new service will shrink its budget and importance, and it has powerful defenders in Congress.

One factor driving the White Houses focus on a space force is the ideas popularity among Trumps supporters when he touts it at political rallies. After Pence spoke, the president tweeted, Space Force all the way!

Trumps 2020 reelection campaign also emailed supporters and asked for feedback on six potential logos with red, blue and pink-hued designs for the space force. As a way to celebrate President Trumps huge announcement, our campaign will be selling a new line of gear, the email said.

Only Congress has the power to create a new branch of the military. The House and Senate will not take up the issue until next year, when Pence said the administration would forward a proposal to create the space force as a separate service alongside the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

That means, at least in theory, the space force could be created as early as 2020.

Although the Pentagon has been building capabilities in space for at least a decade, weve cloaked it in the rhetoric of being the defender of peaceful uses of space, said John Logsdon, a space expert and emeritus professor at George Washington University. The tone of Pences remarks, he said, was consistent with the Trump administration intention to dominate militarily in space.

Russia and China are pursuing anti-satellite weapons, as well as cyber capabilities that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving U.S. troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.

But major questions remain unanswered about a space force, including how much it would cost to create, precisely what it would do, and what parts of the Air Force and other major Pentagon agencies and operations will be raided to build it.

Its unclear, for example, whether current missile defense programs, which are divided among the Army, the Navy and a freestanding agency, would fall under the services purview. Nor was it clear how it would mesh with the reality of the last two decades, when the Pentagon was engaged in grueling ground wars and anti-terrorism campaigns around the globe.

A new military branch would require layers of new bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, separate uniforms, and high-tech equipment  all of which could cost billions of dollars, experts said.

Several House members, including Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) vowed support on Thursday. But senior Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including Chairman John McCain of Arizona and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, have voiced opposition in the past.

More political pushback is likely to emerge as supporters of the Air Force and other armed services mobilize on Capitol Hill to protect their roles and budgets.

The Pentagon has not added a new military service since 1947, when the Air Force split off from the Army Air Corps.

This is way harder than standing up the Air Force, which had evolved into a separate organization from the Army during World War II, said Douglas L. Loverro, the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for space policy during the Obama administration and a space force supporter. This is the creation of an entirely new force, which the U.S. has never done before.

The space force would be responsible for training and equipping military personnel specializing in space operations, as well buying and operating satellites and other military space systems.

In a report to Congress released as Pence spoke, the Pentagon said it would implement interim steps aimed at paving the way for a space force, including creation of the U.S. Space Command, overseen by a four-star general, which will centralize planning for space war fighting.

The Pentagon also will create an agency that will take over design and procurement of some satellites and other space systems. Pence said the new agency, which ultimately would fall under the proposed Space Force, would help the Department of Defense break free from ineffective and duplicative bureaucratic structures.

But in a sign of the fierce budget infighting to come, the Pentagon report said that some existing space acquisition programs may remain in current service organizations, though the goal would be to shift them to the new agency as soon as practicable.

The report also calls for the creation of a Space Operations Force of career space experts who are trained, promoted and retained as space warfighting professionals including engineers, scientists, intelligence experts, operators and strategists.

In addition, a new position of assistant secretary of defense for space will be created at the Pentagon to have a civilian appointee overseeing creation of the service and its components.

Times staff writer Eli Stokols contributed to this report.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT
On Tuesday night, Robert McCullochs 28-year tenure as St. Louis County prosecutor came to a sudden, unexpected end.

In a Democratic primary election, McCulloch got trounced 57% to 43% by Wesley Bell, a city councilman from the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Mo.

You might remember McCulloch. For a brief moment, on Nov. 24, 2014, he was the most-watched law enforcement official in America.

That night, eastern Missouri was bracing for violence as McCulloch announced that a grand jury had declined to indict police Officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown after a struggle in the city of Ferguson.

Advertisement

Wilson is white. Brown was black. Protesters had wanted Wilson charged with murder, and a riot ensued when he wasnt. McCulloch, who is white, defended his offices handling of the case while chiding the public for not pushing for substantive social change after past racial traumas.

How many years have we talked about the issues that lead to incidents like this? And yet, after a period of time, it just fades away, McCulloch, a Democrat who had been in office since 1990, said in announcing the grand jurys decision. I urge everyone who was engaged in the conversation, who was engaged in the demonstrations, to keep that going.

McCulloch, 67, got his wish.

Bell, 43, who is black, rode to victory behind the sustained reformist forces that McCullochs announcement helped unleash in 2014.

Bell campaigned on limiting the use of cash bail, declining to charge low-level marijuana cases, ending the death penalty and resist[ing] the Trump administration. No other candidates are expected to be in the general election, making Bell the prosecutor-elect.

It couldnt have ended any other way, said Bells campaign manager, Josi Nielsen, adding that Bells victory closed the circle that started four years ago. Its the right message at the right time.

The protests in Ferguson brought searing, fresh criticisms of the criminal justice system, not just for how police shootings are investigated, but for how governments enforce laws as simple as speed limits.

Investigations by journalists and federal officials revealed that small cities in north St. Louis County, like Ferguson, had heavily relied upon tickets and minor infractions as sources of revenue, with town jails filled up like debtors prisons with poor, black residents who had missed their court dates or couldnt afford their fines.

The protests also brought a wave of new city leaders to office in Ferguson and elsewhere. Bell, a former municipal judge and prosecutor, was one of them, winning a spot on the City Council in 2015.

Still, McCulloch had been the heavy favorite to win reelection for county prosecutor this year, drawing endorsements from local police associations and trade unions.

A little over a month ago, he was leading Bell among 600 likely Democratic primary voters, 52% to 26%, in a private survey conducted by Brilliant Corners, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, according to a partial summary of survey results obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

McCulloch also had a major fundraising advantage. His campaign committee outspent Bells $721,888 to $58,755, or by more than 12 to 1, according to the most recently available finance records.

Six weeks ago, when we knocked on doors to canvas, we had a 1% name recognition, said Nielsen, who had never run a campaign before Bells.

But the campaign quickly gained recognition, Nielsen said. Four weeks ago, it went up to 25%; three weeks ago, 35% to 40%. I cant even tell you what it was in the last week, Nielsen said.

Bell had some heavy institutional support of his own, receiving endorsements from Color of Change and many progressive local advocacy groups.

He also benefited from heavy organizing by the American Civil Liberties Union, which spent more than $244,000 on radio ads, digital ads, phone calls and door-to-door canvassing in the county to educate voters on the candidates civil rights positions.

The nonprofit does not formally endorse candidates and did not coordinate with Bells campaign, but its effort undoubtedly benefited Bell, whose platform more closely aligned with the groups initiatives.

The ACLU has waded into about 40 district attorney races in 16 states across the U.S. this year as part of its 3-year-old Campaign for Smart Justice, which is aimed at reducing the nations jail population  one of many national criminal justice reform initiatives that gained steam after the 2014 protests in Ferguson.

We view prosecutors as one of the most important links in the mass incarceration movement in the United States, said Taylor Pendergrass, a senior campaign strategist at the ACLU, who said incidents like the murder of Michael Brown had been galvanizing for the criminal justice reform movement in the U.S.

Just as we did in St. Louis, weve spent a lot of time throughout the country educating the public, and especially voters, about the importance of these local races, the power these prosecutors have, Pendergrass said.

Bells campaign manager said that persuading voters to back Bell wasnt difficult.

As soon as people heard Wesleys message, unless they went to kindergarten with Bob [McCulloch], or were a blood relative, we had them after 30 seconds, or five minutes, Nielsen said, citing the damage done to our community by the status quo.

Everybody rose up and went to the streets and knocked on doors, Nielsen said. St. Louis is now going to have a chance to take a new direction.

McCulloch didnt respond to messages seeking comment. After his election loss, he told reporters he would probably retire, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  adding that he had no regrets about how he handled the Ferguson investigation.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce.

More national headlines
A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday deferred ruling on a closely watched case that could affect legal protections for thousands of immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen asked both sides to file briefs by Monday addressing questions he raised during the hearing.



For the record: An earlier version of this article misspelled Karla Perezs first name.

Some immigrant advocates feared Hanen would rule from the bench in favor of Texas request for an injunction suspending the program, known as DACA, nationwide.

The program was created by President Obama in 2012, after failed congressional efforts to fix the countrys immigration system. Nearly 800,000 people living in the U.S. illegally with otherwise clean records applied to receive two-year reprieves from deportation.

Advertisement

Then last September, the Trump administration announced it was ending the program. Two months later, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled in favor of the program, faulting the administrations legal reasoning. Federal judges in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C., issued similar decisions.

But immigrant advocates were still concerned about Hanen, who in 2015 ended another Obama effort to expand protections for immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

After Hanen postponed ruling, attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund representing 22 DACA recipients and others said they were encouraged by the judges curiosity.

Im encouraged hell come to the same conclusion other courts have come to in protecting our DACA recipients, said New Jersey Atty. Gen. Gurbir Grewal, who intervened in the case on behalf of the states 17,000 DACA recipients and flew to Texas for the hearing.

Also attending the hearing was Karla Perez, one of the DACA recipients MALDEF represents in the case. Perez, 25, a law student in Houston originally from Mexico, said it was unfortunate that my home state of Texas has again targeted an initiative that has had a positive impact on this country and promised we will continue to fight.

Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, who filed the case on behalf of Texas and other states, also attended the hearing, slipping out afterward as protesters chanted Undocumented, unafraid!

Paxton issued a statement afterward calling DACA unconstitutional because it rewrote federal law over the objections of Congress.

DACA represents a dangerous view of executive power, Paxton wrote. This lawsuit is vital to restoring the rule of law to our immigration system.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

@mollyhf
A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the ramshackle compound in the New Mexico desert that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddlers grandfather said Thursday.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, discovered Monday. And prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned 4 Monday. Authorities said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Ga., near Atlanta.

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and the boys remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tires, wooden pallets and an earthen wall studded with broken glass.

Advertisement

The missing boys grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandsons.

The imam said he did not know the cause of death.

Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable, Wahhaj said.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj, the grandfather of a missing Georgia boy, speaks to reporters Thursday. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)

A Georgia arrest warrant accused the boys father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the imams son, of kidnapping the child. Authorities said the father at some point told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the boy, who cannot walk, suffers seizures and requires constant attention because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow at birth.

The childs father was among five adults arrested on suspicion of child abuse at the compound after the children were discovered. In court papers, prosecutors also said Wahhaj had been training children there to carry out school shootings.

Speaking at his Brooklyn mosque, the elder Wahhaj said his family was trying to make arrangements to bring the childs body to Georgia.

All 11 of the children, he said, were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

Im very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren, he said. He said he didnt understand why his son had taken the family and disappeared into the desert, but suggested a psychiatric disorder was to blame.

My son can be maybe a little bit extreme, he said, though he added that he never thought he was extreme enough to kill anyone. High-strung, he said.

The grandfathers New York mosque has attracted radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Center in 1993.

Despite the imams information, New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator said it was still working to identify the remains.

Dr. Kurt Nolte, New Mexicos chief medical investigator, said the remains are in a state of decomposition that has made identification challenging.

The remains will stay in New Mexico until the agencys investigation is completed  a process that could take weeks, said office spokeswoman Alexandria Sanchez.

Taos-area Dist. Atty. Donald Gallegos said he will await the findings on how the boy died before deciding how to proceed.

The group arrived in the desert area in December, according to neighbors. Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said the FBI had put the place under surveillance 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 and the photographs never indicated the father was at the compound, leaving the sheriff without the information he needed to obtain a search warrant.

That changed when Georgia authorities received a message that may have originated inside the compound that children were starving, Hogrefe said.

The elder Wahhaj said the tip came to law enforcement through him.
After three days of dramatic and even salacious testimony in the trial of Paul Manafort, prosecutors on Thursday returned to the nuts and bolts of their case against the former Trump campaign chairman as they sought to show he obtained millions of dollars in bank loans under false pretenses.

Attorneys for special counsel Robert Mueller also got a rare  and narrow  acknowledgment from U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III that he likely erred when he angrily confronted them a day earlier over whether he had allowed a witness to watch the trial.

The judges comments and detailed testimony about Manaforts loans opened the eighth day of his trial as prosecutors began presenting the bulk of their bank fraud case against him after spending days largely on tax-evasion allegations.

On Thursday, a bank employee told jurors how she discovered discrepancies in the information he put on his loan application, including holes in his claims about a New York City property. Melinda James, a Citizens Bank mortgage loan assistant, testified that Manafort had told the bank that the property would be used as a second residence, but she found it listed as a rental on a real estate website.

Advertisement

In another instance, James said Manafort maintained that there were no mortgages on a separate New York property when there actually were. All the while, Manafort signed paperwork indicating he understood that he could face criminal or civil penalties if he lied to the bank.

Airbnb executive Darin Evenson also told jurors that one of Manaforts New York City properties was offered as a rental through much of 2015 and 2016  a direct contradiction of the documents the longtime political consultant submitted to obtain a $3.4-million loan. Another bank employee said the distinction matters because the bank caps loans for rentals at $1 million.

The prosecution has put forward nearly 20 witnesses  including Manaforts longtime deputy Richard Gates  and a trove of documentary evidence as theyve sought to prove Manafort defrauded banks and concealed millions of dollars in offshore bank accounts from the Internal Revenue Service. But along the way theyve not only faced an aggressive defense team, but a combative relationship with Ellis.

The judge has subjected the prosecution to repeated tongue-lashings over the pace of their questioning, their massive amount of trial exhibits and even their facial expressions. But on Thursday, Ellis told jurors he went overboard when he erupted at prosecutors for allowing an expert witness to remain in the courtroom during the trial.

Put aside my criticism, Ellis said, adding: This robe doesnt make me anything other than human.

The judges comments on the eighth day of the trial were in response to a written filing by prosecutors arguing that Ellis should instruct the jury that he made an error in admonishing them during the Wednesday testimony of IRS agent Michael Welch.

Ellis had heatedly confronted prosecutor Uzo Asonye, saying he hadnt authorized Welch to watch the entirety of the trial. Witnesses are usually excluded from watching unless allowed by the judge.

But in their filing, prosecutors attached a transcript showing that in fact Ellis had approved the request a week before. They said his outburst prejudiced the jury by suggesting they had acted improperly and could undermine Welchs testimony.

Welch had told jurors that Manafort didnt 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.

Prosecutors had asked Ellis to instruct the jury that they hadnt done anything improper in an attempt to repair any unfair prejudice.

Ellis has repeatedly tussled with prosecutors, interrupting them and pressuring them to hurry through their case even during a dramatic three days in which Gates, Manaforts protege, implicated his former boss in a years-long financial scheme.

Gates, the governments star witness in Manaforts financial fraud trial, testified 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 have painted Gates as a liar, embezzler and a philanderer, getting him to acknowledge an extramarital affair and reminding jurors how he falsified hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense reports.

The testimony, stretching across three days, created an extraordinary courtroom showdown between the two former Trump campaign aides who were indicted together. Manafort opted for trial, while Gates pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against his former boss.

Neither man was charged in connection with their Trump campaign work, but the trial has nonetheless been closely watched by a president who insists Manafort was treated shabbily and who continues to fume publicly about Muellers investigation into potential ties between his associates and the Kremlin.

UPDATES:

12:55 p.m.: This article was updated with testimony Thursday by a bank employee and the judges acknowledgement that erred in angrily admonishing the prosecution.

This article was originally published at 9:35 a.m.
State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) has been a target of vaccine skeptics since he first proposed SB 277, which abolished the personal belief exemption to the requirement that public school children must be vaccinated. This was in 2015, shortly after a measles outbreak among children who had been to Disneyland revealed big gaps in immunization rates.

During legislative hearings, Pan and other legislators who supported the bill were subject to vicious verbal, email and online attacks, which included death threats, from people who believe, despite the lack of supporting scientific data, that vaccinations cause autism and a variety of other ailments.

Its all nonsense, of course, and the bill passed as it needed to. Happily, the states childhood vaccination rates have increased in the years since then, bringing California closer to the all-important herd immunity level that guards against outbreaks and protects even those too sick to get immunized.

Any site in which Pan engages with the public is inextricably intertwined with his role as a lawmaker.

Advertisement

Yet three years later, anti-vaxxers, as they have become known, were still relentlessly trolling Pan. They mocked and insulted him on social media and they circulated online cartoons depicting him as a deranged killer wielding a hypodermic or in a Nazi uniform with an Adolf Hitler-style mustache. Pretty nasty stuff, and beyond that, the legislator (who is also a pediatrician) was concerned that his feed was being used by the trolls to peddle their crackpot theories to a larger audience.

So Pan started blocking the worst of the lot from viewing or replying to tweets from @DrPanMD. Twitter developed the blocking feature to promote civil debate and allow regular users to avoid harassment.

The problem is that Pan is not a regular person but a legislator, and now hes being sued by two of the people he blocked. The women, A. Suzanne Rummel and Marlene Burkitt, are making the same 1st Amendment argument made by the seven people who sued President Trump last year for blocking them on Twitter. At that time, The Times editorial board wrote that blocking people was childish and inappropriate, but probably not a violation of anyones constitutional rights. A U.S. District Court judge disagreed, saying that the social media platform functioned as a designated public forum.

The case is under appeal and the issue is still not settled. But it bears repeating that elected officials should be very careful how they use social media. Yes, there are big differences between how Trump and Pan use both Twitter and the blocking tool. Pan doesnt communicate his core policies on social media  for that, he gives speeches and issues press releases, like a normal politician. Nor does he pick fights on Twitter. He mostly uses the account to share innocuous links to stories about public health news, and notices about events like World Breastfeeding Awareness Week. He notes that this is a non-state account.

On the other hand, he is a legislator and there is something unsettling about the idea that he would block certain members of the public from hearing what he has to say or from expressing disagreement.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

We understand Pans frustration. Just one misinformed or malicious person can do serious damage to an otherwise civil forum. And as a doctor Pan must feel a responsibility not to help disseminate bad, even dangerous, information.

But any site in which he engages with the public is inextricably intertwined with his role as a lawmaker.

Ultimately, a judge will decide if Pan has the right to use the Twitter blocking tool. And we hope that Twitter and other social media platforms will develop new tools to identify and repress fake news.

In the meantime, even in the absence of a judicial ruling against him, Pan should err on the side of more speech, not less.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Yellowstones Old Faithful is a symbol of reliability. The geysers regular eruptions attract millions of visitors each year. But the funding from Congress to sustain the park is anything but reliable. Decades of neglect have created a backlog in Yellowstone of more than half billion dollars in deferred maintenance projects. The total is nearly $12 billion for the entire National Park Service, four times the agencys annual budget.

That may be about to change: Congress is poised to commit significant funding for the upkeep of Americas national parks. In recent weeks, bipartisan bills have been introduced to both chambers of Congress that would create a dedicated fund, consisting of up to $1.3 billion in federal onshore and offshore energy revenues each year, devoted to maintenance projects in national parks and other public lands.

The proposals have broad support from Democrats and Republicans in Congress as well as the Trump administration and, if approved, would represent what Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has called the most significant piece of legislation in support of the national parks in more than half a century.

Its shaping up to be a quiet but well-deserved conservation victory for an administration that has been routinely criticized for its environmental policies.

Advertisement

Congress is poised to commit significant funding for the upkeep of Americas national parks.

As visitors well know, a lack of maintenance funding has left many parks in rough shape. Potholed roads, rotted buildings and crumbling trails are a common sight. In Yosemite, sewer systems are in need of repair to prevent contamination of nearby streams. In Grand Canyon, an aging water pipeline bursts five to 30 times per year, costing roughly $25,000 per repair and prompting use restrictions. And in the Great Smokies, a popular campground is closed due to failing infrastructure and a deteriorating water system.

Mundane maintenance projects such as these are a low priority for politicians in Washington, D.C., regardless of the party in power. No one gets reelected for patching a leaky wastewater system or repairing failing culverts.

Its not very sexy to fix a sewer system or maintain a trail, the late Rep. Ralph S. Regula (R-Ohio) once quipped as chairman of the Interior Department appropriations subcommittee. You dont get headlines for that.

The data bear that out. Over the past decade, Congress has appropriated roughly $500 million each year to deferred maintenance projects in national parks  less than the $700 million the Park Service says it needs annually just to keep the backlog from growing.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Meanwhile, Congress has continued to establish new parks without additional funding. Since 2000, 35 new park units have been created, thus thinning the blood of the park system, as former Park Service Director James Ridenour once put it.

The legislation now before Congress has several virtues.

First, as a dedicated fund, it would not require annual appropriation from Congress, which has proven to be an unreliable and inadequate source of maintenance funding. Second, the fund could only be used for deferred maintenance, not for the acquisition of new federal lands. Third, unspent funds could be invested at the discretion of the Interior secretary, allowing park managers to balance short- and long-term maintenance needs. Fourth, private foundations and individuals could donate to the fund, meaning it could spur philanthropic partnerships to help preserve parks.

To truly break the backlog, more work remains. For one, while these efforts would help address deferred maintenance, reliable funds for ongoing maintenance are also needed to ensure that routine park projects, such as resealing roads or replacing roofs, dont get added to the backlog in the future, ultimately at higher cost to taxpayers.

Nonetheless, if the proposals come to fruition, Congress may finally make real progress at maintaining, not simply expanding, Americas public lands.

Shawn Regan is a research fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Mont., and a former ranger for the National Park Service.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
Kathmandu, August 9

In the last fiscal year, Nepal imported mobile phones worth Rs 25 billion, according to the Department of Customs.

The Department says total monetary value of all mobile sets imported in the fiscal year 2017/18 is Rs 24.87 billion. The amount was Rs 22.66 million the previous.

During one year, Nepal imported 6.223 million sets. It is 268,000 more than the number recorded in the previous year. There were 5.955 mobile sets imported in the year 2016/17.

Analyses reveal that Nepali consumers are getting attracted to more expensive mobile sets over the passage of time. Most people have mobile phones in the price range of Rs 10,000-Rs 30,000. Most popular brands include Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, Gionee, Colors, Micromax, Xiaomi, LG, Apple, Sony, ZTE, Coolpad and CG.

China has been the biggest exporter for mobile phones in Nepal. It supplied 5.413 million mobile sets worth Rs 19.72 billion.

Vietnam and India are in the second and third positions of the list.

Nepal imported 510,000 mobile sets worth Rs 4.72 billion from Vietnam and 295,000 sets worth Rs 388.6 million from India.

Nepal also imports mobile phones from the United States and Korea among others.
To the editor: I read with interest and chagrin David Lazarus column on a cancer patient who was hit up for the full cost of a drug, for which she had been approved by her insurer, in the middle of her treatment. As a physician with more than 50 years of practice behind me, I have seen many similar instances of unconscionable acts by insurance companies.

I take issue with one of Lazarus statements: To be sure, insurance companies are entitled to make money for managing peoples healthcare risk.

The profit motive is at the core of what I believe to be the major problem with healthcare in the United States. Healthcare is not a commodity and it should not be the source of profit for insurance companies. It should be the right of all residents to receive care through a government-funded, single-payer system.

As more instances like these come to light, I believe the political will to enact a single-payer system will strengthen and change healthcare in this country.

Advertisement

Ronald F Young, MD, Laguna Beach

..

To the editor: My wife is also going through chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. For us, this has been a very hard and lengthy process.

Im a bit unclear as to why the insurer is to blame here. It agreed to cover a particular immunity-boosting drug purchased through the Express Scripts pharmacy, with the injections to be administered by a caregiver rather than the oncologist. This is an increasingly common cost-cutting practice among insurers.

My wife is on the same type of injected medication. She is being treated by Kaiser Permanente, which requires us to use its pharmacies and supplies us with the syringes. I administer one injection per day for five days after each round of chemotherapy. We have no problem with this.

To me, the real issue is the exorbitant cost of the injections for someone who has no choice but to pay for it themselves. Fortunately, insurance is covering the cost for us, but with the dismantling of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by the Trump administration, people dealing with this life-threatening illness in the future may not be so fortunate.

Larry Levy, Winnetka

..

To the editor: Im convinced Express Scripts created its subsidiary specialty pharmacy, Accredo, specifically to produce so many obstacles to obtaining prescribed medications that coverage is effectively denied.

If just a few percent of insured patients give up after repeated, lengthy phone calls and Accredos other rope-a-dope techniques, Express Scripts saves untold millions of dollars.

We earned our coverage. Why do we have to fight for it?

Thomas Bliss, Sherman Oaks

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: While the article, L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns, usefully examines the problem of campus safety in the Los Angeles Unified School District, it fails to present the viewpoint of a single teacher or a representative from the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles.

The union has already taken an eloquent stand on safety and mental health issues, calling on the district to increase the number of counselors and psychologists at all school sites.

Last April, UTLA supported the student-led actions for gun control and more mental health resources, stating: Arm us not with guns but with counselors, school nurses, psychologists, teacher librarians ... for more mental health resources around safe, healthy schools.

Philip Leeman, Los Angeles

Advertisement

The writer is a teacher in L.A. Unified.

..

To the editor: Maybe there should be more transparency coming from LAUSD administrators and Board of Education members when it comes to parents and students knowing about safety.

Do school principals inform the stakeholders at each school when there is a safety issue like a student being stabbed on campus, gang activity on or near the campus or threats made online? Do principals notify the stakeholders within 24 hours after an act of violence takes place on or near campus? Do they hold campus meetings to inform the stakeholders, or do they keep that information private because they are afraid parents will remove their children from the school?

How often do school board members visit the campuses in their districts to talk to the stakeholders about their concerns?

Jeff Trovatten, Encino

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
A federal judge in Washington halted an apparent deportation-in-progress Thursday and threatened to hold Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions in contempt after learning that the Trump administration tried to remove a woman and her daughter while a court hearing appealing their deportations was underway.

This is pretty outrageous, said U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan after being told about the removal. That someone seeking justice in U.S. court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?

Im not happy about this at all, the judge continued. This is not acceptable.

The woman, known in court papers as Carmen, is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union that challenges a recent decision by Sessions to exclude domestic and gang violence as reasons that people can qualify for asylum in the United States.

Advertisement

Attorneys for the civil rights organization and the U.S. Department of Justice had agreed to delay removal proceedings for Carmen until 11:59 p.m. Thursday so they could argue the matter in court.

But lead ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell, who was participating in the court hearing via phone from her office in California, received an email during the hearing that said the mother and daughter were being deported.

During a brief recess, she told her colleagues the pair had been taken from a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and were headed to the airport in San Antonio for an 8:15 a.m. flight.

Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni said he had not been told the deportation was happening that morning, and could not confirm the whereabouts of Carmen and her daughter.

The ACLU said later that government attorneys confirmed to them after the hearing that the pair was on a flight en route to El Salvador. The Justice Department said they would be flown back to Texas and returned to the detention center after landing, the ACLU said.

Calls and emails to the Justice Departments communications office were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

Obviously my heart sank when I found out, Chang Newell said. The whole point of this was to get a ruling from the court before they could be placed in danger.

To qualify for asylum, migrants must show that they have a fear of persecution in their native country based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, a category that in the past has included victims of domestic violence and other abuse.

Carmen fled El Salvador with her daughter in June, according to court records, fearing they would be killed by gang members who had demanded she pay them monthly or suffer consequences. Several coworkers at the factory where Carmen worked had been murdered, and her husband is also abusive, the records state.

Under the fast-track removal system, created in 1996 under President Clinton, asylum seekers are interviewed by an asylum officer to determine whether they have a credible fear of returning home. Those who pass get a full hearing in immigration court.

In June, Sessions vacated a 2016 Board of Immigration Appeals court case that granted asylum to an abused woman from El Salvador. As part of that decision, Sessions said gang and domestic violence in most cases would no longer be grounds for receiving asylum.

The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes  such as domestic violence or gang violence  or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim, Sessions wrote at the time.

The ACLU lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala  eight women, one man and three children. All failed their initial credible fear interviews.

Two of the children and their mothers were deported before the suit was filed; the rest were being detained in Texas and New York.

None of the adults had been separated from their children as part of President Trumps zero-tolerance policy.

The lawsuit says Sessions ruling, and updated guidelines for asylum officers that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a month later, subject migrants in expedited removal proceedings to an unlawful screening standard that deprives them of their rights under federal law.

Asylum seekers previously had to show that the government in their native country was unable or unwilling to protect them. But now they have to show that the government condones the violence or is completely helpless to protect them, the lawsuit says.
Republicans need to keep control of the House to protect President Trump from the Russia investigation, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said at a recent fundraiser, according to an audio recording released Wednesday.

If Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president, were the only ones. Which is really the danger, Nunes said, referring to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel heading the investigation into Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.

I mean, we have to keep all these seats. We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away, Nunes said.

The recording was released by MSNBC, which said it received it from a person associated with Fuse Washington, a progressive group based in Seattle. The person had paid the $250 to attend the fundraiser that Nunes held with House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).

Advertisement

A portion of the recording aired on MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday evening.

The committee Nunes heads was tasked with investigating whether anyone from the Trump campaign may have collaborated with Russian attempts to influence the election, but its inquiry quickly became mired in partisan disputes.

Nunes (R-Tulare), a Trump ally who helped on the presidents transition team, recused himself from presiding over the investigation after questions arose regarding his handling of classified information.

Nunes office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday night, but his spokesman Jack Langer told The Hill newspaper that these are sensible ideas. Im glad Chairman Nunes talked about them.

Nunes has repeatedly called for the Mueller investigation to come to an end and has criticized FBI officials for not quickly complying with document requests about how the investigation began.

The latest from Washington 

Nunes also said that an effort by some hard-line House Republicans to impeach Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller investigation, is on hold because of the election and because an impeachment debate would tie up the Senate and prevent it from quickly confirming Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

You have to decide what you want right now because the Senate only has so much time. Do you want them to drop everything and not confirm the Supreme Court justice, the new Supreme Court justice? Nunes said in response to a question from a person attending the fundraiser.

Ive said publicly Rosenstein deserves to be impeached. I mean, so, I dont think youre gonna get any argument from most of our colleagues. The question is the timing of it right before the election, Nunes added.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has said he opposes the effort to impeach Rosenstein, but the partys most conservative members in the House have indicated they will push the issue again as soon as September.

More stories from Sarah D. Wire 

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation
Republicans brush with defeat in an Ohio congressional district that President Trump easily won fit the nationwide pattern for special elections during his White House tenure: Democrats are faring far better than they did in 2016.

Even if the final vote count confirms that GOP candidate Troy Balderson squeaked out a slim victory Tuesday, the lackluster support spells trouble for Republicans from coast to coast as they fight to keep control of the House in Novembers midterm election.

Whether its Montana or Kansas or South Carolina or Arizona, Pennsylvania, now Ohio, Democrats have been overperforming that 2016 baseline, and I think thats good news for Democrats, said Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Inside Elections guide.

The fervor of the presidents opposition was a potent force in the Ohio contest. Turnout was strikingly high in the Columbus suburbs that favor Democrats, but modest in rural areas that backed Trump in 2016.

Advertisement

Democratic energy and enthusiasm is far superior to that of Republicans, and thats because anger is a stronger motivator than love in politics, said David Wasserman, who tracks House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

That dynamic has encouraged Democrats who hope to seize House seats now held by Republicans, including seven in California districts that Trump lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Some, if not all, could be easier for Democrats to win than the one in Ohio, which Trump carried by 11 points.

Weve got the intensity, and they dont, said Sean Clegg, a Democratic consultant working on some of the California races. Trumps racial provocations and separation of immigrant children from their parents at border crossings, he suggested, are sure to damage the GOP.

Its hard to go back from Charlottesville and putting kids in cages, he said. Youve got about 55% of the country who are looking at this and saying, This is a horror show.

Also disturbing for Republicans were the results Tuesday from House primaries in Washington state. Two GOP incumbents, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Jaime Herrera Beutler, finished with less than 50% of the vote, a sign of danger in November.

Republicans conceded Wednesday that the Ohio vote was worrisome.

Trump might have driven suburban women and other elements of the Republican coalition away from the party, said Doug Preisse, the Republican chairman in Ohios Franklin County. But its not unusual for a new president to suffer setbacks in his first midterm election, he noted, and the GOP appears to have kept the Ohio seat.

Its a warning, but its not a disaster siren, Preisse said.

Michael Steele, who was Republican National Committee chairman when the party retook control of the House during the Obama presidency in 2010, said the GOP needed to quickly figure out how to match Democrats enthusiasm in an election thats just three months away.

There is a lack of energy on the Republican side that we are not acknowledging, he said on MSNBC.

The Cook Political Report estimates that Republicans hold 68 seats in districts that are less favorable to the GOP than the one that gave the party a scare in Ohio. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to capture control of the House.

In a string of special elections for House seats, Republicans have consistently fallen short of their 2016 vote. Even before the Ohio election, nonpartisan analysts were projecting a Democratic takeover of the House in November.

If anything, tonight's #OH12 result reinforces our view that Dems are substantial favorites to retake the House in November.  Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 8, 2018

In Ohio, Democratic candidate Danny OConnor raised far more money than Balderson, so outside groups came to the Republicans rescue, spending more than $3.5 million on his behalf.

That kind of assistance is all but impossible for GOP forces to provide on a national scale for the November election.

They dont have enough money to spend a few million dollars on every race in the fall, Gonzales said. Were talking about a universe of 65-plus vulnerable Republican seats. Republicans just dont have that kind of cash.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT
As the prosecution neared the end of its fraud and tax evasion case against Paul Manafort, attorneys on both sides Wednesday had a last chance to build up or tear down the credibility of prosecutions star witness, Richard Gates.

Wrapping up his third day on the witness stand, Gates, Manaforts former business partner, provided more damning details about the offshore accounts he and Manafort controlled in Cyprus, Britain and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and failed to report to U.S. authorities.

Meanwhile, defense attorneys attempted to undermine his character, suggesting that he had four extramarital affairs, more than the one he admitted to Tuesday.

After prosecutors quickly objected to the line of questioning, the judge huddled with attorneys privately and the topic was dropped before Gates was able to respond.

Advertisement

Later in the day, an FBI accountant and IRS agent told the jury how Manaforts funds flowed, largely unreported, from offshore accounts into the United States.

Manaforts attorney, Kevin Downing, attempted to use the cross-examination of Gates to portray Manafort as honest. He pressed Gates to testify that when the pair were questioned by the FBI in July 2014 about some of Manaforts offshore accounts, Manafort had told Gates to be open, and that after their interviews, Manafort indicated that he had been truthful.

But under questioning from Greg Andres, one of the prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Gates admitted that he had not told the FBI about all the hidden income in their offshore accounts, most of which were closed by 2014. Rebutting the defenses characterization of Gates as a deceitful associate who had drained Manaforts funds, Andres asked Gates about the alleged embezzlement that defense attorneys said Gates had carried out.

Have you ever been charged with any crimes related to stealing or embezzlement? Andres asked.

No, Gates replied.

Did Mr. Manafort ever confront you about it?

He did not.

Andres also questioned Gates about his alleged affair, which Gates admitted to on the stand Tuesday. Gates said that the five-month relationship occurred 10 years ago, and he told his wife about it.

Did you tell Mr. Manafort? Andres asked.

Yes, Gates said.

Was he supportive?

He was.

Did he fire you?

No.

The defense took the opportunity to pounce. Near the end of his re-cross-examination, Downing pivoted back to what he called Gates secret life in London, where Gates had an apartment and conducted the affair.

Do you recall telling the office of the special counsel that you actually engaged in four extramarital affairs? Downing asked, to muted gasps in the courtroom.

Andres jumped up, objecting to the question.

Judge T. S. Ellis III called the attorneys for a meeting at the bench. When they returned, Downing asked that no further questions be asked about the alleged affairs.

After Gates was dismissed, the prosecution called Morgan Magionos, an FBI forensic accountant, to show how Manaforts money flowed from his offshore accounts into domestic bank accounts  and was used to pay vendors for his extravagant purchases. Between 2010 and 2014, about $60 million flowed through Manaforts offshore accounts, Magionos testified.

In one transaction in early August 2010, the high-end mens clothing boutique Alan Couture charged Manafort $32,500. About a week later, Leviathan Advisors, one of Manaforts shell companies, transferred that same amount to Alan Couture. Magionos matched similar transactions to invoices for luxury cars, landscaping projects and home renovations. Funds also flowed from the Cyprus bank accounts of Manaforts shell companies to pay for real estate, including properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The defenses cross-examination of Magionos did not center on specific records, but rather called into question the veracity of the documents that she had used for her analysis.

Pointing to signatures attributed to Manafort that appeared slightly different, Richard Westling, one of Manaforts attorneys, asked Magionos whether they were the same.

She replied that the signatures looked a little different, but Im not a handwriting expert.

The prosecution also called Michael Welch, an Internal Revenue Service agent, as an expert witness. Welch, who had been taking notes in the front row of the courtroom earlier in the day, testified that Manafort did not report vast amounts of the money he earned through his political campaign work in Ukraine between 2010 and 2014.

But just a few minutes into his testimony, Ellis berated the prosecution for letting Welch attend all the previous days of testimony, saying that the court had not been previously informed that a witness would be listening to others testify. Assistant U.S. Atty. Uzo Asonye attempted to explain that Welchs attendance in court was part of his job as an expert witness, and added that Ellis had previously agreed that case agents and expert witnesses could sit in on the trial.

Let me be clear, Ellis said sharply. I dont care what the transcript says, but I usually exclude expert witnesses. He added that would allow Welch to testify, but reprimanded Asonye for not checking with him.

Fair enough, Your Honor, Asonye said.

Fair enough? Its right, Ellis snapped.

Welch said that Manafort had $16.4 million in unreported income during that period  and that Manaforts tax returns for that year were false.

They failed to check the box that Mr. Manafort had foreign bank accounts, Welch said. Manafort was benefiting from the accounts, had signatory authority over them, and had power over the movements of their funds, Welch said.

When Welch left the stand and returned to his seat in the courtroom, Ellis took note.

I see Mr. Welch back in the courtroom, in a prime seat, he said wryly.

At the end of the day, Andres said that the prosecution expects to call eight more witnesses, each of whom will testify for an hour or less. He added that the prosecution aims to rest its case by the end of the day Friday.

Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

eliza.fawcett@latimes.com
Addressed directly to the doctor, the letter arrived in a plain business envelope with a return address of the San Diego County medical examiners office.

Its contents were intended, ever so carefully, to focus the physician on a national epidemic of opioid abuse  and his or her possible role in it.

This is a courtesy communication to inform you that your patient [name, date of birth inserted here] died on [date inserted here]. Prescription drug overdose was either the primary cause of death or contributed to the death, the letter read.

In the blandest of clinical language, the courtesy communication went on to inform the doctor of how many medication-related deaths the San Diego County medical examiner sees each year (between 250 and 270). It offered five prescribing tips (or evidence-based interventions) proven to help lower overdose death rates. And it steered the doctor to an online program designed to help medical professionals who are dedicated to avoiding prescribing controlled substances when they are likely to do more harm than good.

Advertisement

The letters  signed by San Diego Countys chief deputy medical examiner, Dr. Jonathan Lucas, who has since become Los Angeles Countys chief medical examiner  were part of an experiment to gauge how to reduce the prescribing of drugs implicated in fatal overdoses.

At a time when legally prescribed opioids and other medications are claiming 174 lives a day in the United States, the research aimed to test a new way to get physicians to rethink their prescribing habits.

Medical societies, state boards and the federal government have sought for several years to educate doctors and dentists about the risks of prescribing opioids, with limited results. The new research is among the first to take a different tack: Get physicians, who are inclined to view the opioid crisis as stemming from other doctors poor management, to understand how their own decisions may contribute in small ways to a national epidemic. And then give them tools to guide a change in behavior.

The study, written by a group of researchers led by Jason Doctor of USCs Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Dated Jan. 27, 2017, the letter went out to 388 doctors. All had prescribed at least one of several drugs with known risks to a patient within a year of that persons overdose death. The letters were careful not to suggest that the death was directly attributable to the doctors actions: Of the 82 deceased patients named, most had received prescriptions from several sources.

An additional 447 physicians found to have prescribed the same range of drugs to 85 patients who died of overdose got no such letter. But like their colleagues who got the letter, this comparison groups prescribing practices were tracked over the next three months in an effort to discern whether the communication had made a difference.

It did.

Compared with the doctors who did not get a letter, those who did reduced their prescribing of opioid medications by almost 10% over the three-month study period. Doctors who got the courtesy communication started 7% fewer patients on a regimen of prescription opioids. And they were between 3% and 4.5% less likely to write prescriptions for the highest doses of opioid medication  those implicated most often in fatal overdoses.

Lucas acknowledged that such a shift may seem marginal. But he called it just a piece of a broader raft of initiatives that can nudge physicians in the direction of safer prescribing practices. With time, consistent messaging and a bit more insight into the role that they may play in the epidemic, doctors increasingly will rethink their prescribing of opioid medications, he said.

Its sort of a process, said Lucas, who reported that he got only five or six calls from physicians wanting to follow up on the letter with him. Given the growing awareness of the issue, he said, if we had extended the study period out to a year or so, we probably would have seen a bigger difference.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, San Diego County soon will be routinely sending courtesy letters that notify doctors when an overdose of certain drugs has claimed the life of a patient.

Los Angeles County is exploring the feasibility of sending similar letters to physicians, Lucas said.

We are definitely thinking about it, he said Thursday. Its the right thing to do.

Few experts doubted that the letter got doctors attention  at least in the short term.

I have to imagine its gut-wrenching, said Dr. Sean Michael, a University of Colorado emergency physician who has studied opioid prescribing habits but was not involved in the new research. The job that everybody is trying to do on a daily basis is the exact opposite of this outcome. The intention when people wrote these prescriptions was to try to help someone, not to accidentally kill them. But thats the problem: The edge is so narrow and the risk is so high with these medications.

Knowing that those prescribing decisions may have contributed to a patients death appears to challenge a comforting delusion that Michaels research shows is shared by most doctors  that they are less likely than their peers to prescribe opioids, or to do so in ways that have been found unsafe.

It tells them, I might be part of the problem here, Michael said. It turns out that a decent proportion of them are probably prescribing more than their peers and dont have the insight to recognize that.

Whether getting such a letter will spark long-term change is a matter still to be studied.

Stanford University pain medicine specialist Dr. David Clark is hopeful. But, he said, it could take years for the letters effects to reverberate through a doctors practice.

You dont change doctors prescribing habits  or patients consumption habits  overnight, said Clark, who teaches anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. I imagine if a physician has to change their practice, they have to initiate a long and difficult conversation with a patient  and we all experience pushback, he said.

Dr. Andrew J. Schoenfeld, an orthopedic surgeon at Brigham & Womens Hospital in Boston who has studied the opioid prescribing habits of surgeons, said that notifications of a patients death might help doctors who are on the receiving end of that pushback.

It gives a doctor something objective to present to a patient and say, Im not just deciding out of the blue that we should reconsider your opioid medication use, said Schoenfeld, who was not involved in the new research. It helps answer that question from patients, Why now?

Physicians also will have to put aside years of conventional wisdom  much of it fostered, funded and promulgated by the makers of opioid narcotics  that the medications are safe and effective for a wide range of pain conditions, Clark said.

This is likely to be generational in the field of medicine, he said. Invoking the physicians oath of First, do no harm, he added: We probably havent lived up to that in our opioid prescribing practices.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

@LATMelissaHealy

MORE IN SCIENCE
The La Canada Flintridge City Council kept civic business brief Tuesday in its last meeting before the start of an annual one-month summer hiatus, welcoming visiting Spanish exchange students and recognizing two community members for their contributions.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18.

The council welcomed Spanish exchange students from La Canadas sister city, Villanueva de la Canada, visiting under the aegis of the LCF Sister Cities Assn., and heard an update on programs and partnerships from organization founder and President Vicki Schwartz.

Three local students visited Spain from July 12 to 26, staying with host families, whose own students are now visiting until Aug. 12. Mayor Terry Walker, who visited in May, encouraged adult community members to get involved in the effort.

Its a very exciting program, she said.

Citizens contributions recognized

In a special presentation, council recognized outgoing Public Works and Traffic Commissioner Daniel Drugan, who leaves after taking a position in Ventura County. A former water program technician for La Canadas Foothill Municipal Water District, Drugan left for a job with Calleguas Municipal Water District in Thousand Oaks.

I enjoyed working with the city and the staff, Drugan said. Its people like you who make our town great.

Mayor Terry Walker also presented a plaque of recognition to Joe Puglia for organizing the citys annual Memorial Day service in Memorial Park, something the Valley Sun columnist has done for the past 13 years.

Mayor Terry Walker recognized La Canada resident Joe Puglia in a meeting Tuesday for his efforts to put on the citys annual Memorial Day commemmoration service. (Photo by Sara Cardine)

Walker thanked Puglia for involving local students in the organization of the annual tradition. The La Canada resident accepted the recognition in tandem with all the kids who help run the event to remember fallen soldiers everywhere.

Permit tracking software update

Also Tuesday, the council heard an update on new permit tracking software thats undergoing a test run but could be available for use by the public this fall.

City staffer Arabo Parseghian explained Connect LCF will let people search for properties by address or through a city map. A basic search will return planning-related information on that property, while those who log in can receive fee estimates and updates on a permits status.

Parseghian estimated the software could go live in early October.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
A power outage Tuesday night that struck the area around the La Canada Unified School District office did not stop the school board from starting its regular meeting, as board members heard an update from the three subcommittees of the Safety and Security Task Force.

Board member Dan Jeffries called into the meeting and was placed on speakerphone.

Kim Bergner, executive assistant to Supt. Wendy Sinnette, reported that two of the five total subcommittees of the task force will meet once the school year gets underway. The 35-member panel comprises La Canada Unified School District officials, teachers and staff, students and parents, security and law enforcement and experts in substance abuse. The task force is focusing on five areas: student and staff training; traffic and parking; campus security; wellness; communication and outreach.

Plans are in place for staff training, Bergner said, and site assessments have taken place. There is also visioning about traffic flow at the schools. Along with committee meetings, district staff have attended training on threat assessment and simulations hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Orange County Sheriffs Department and the FBI in order to improve policies and procedures related to campus safety.

Bergner said the high school is studying the concept of a closed or open campus for lunch. The school board has not yet had a chance to review the threat assessment report, but it is expected to be on the next meeting agenda. She said several companies have been vetted for providing consultation for the threat assessment.

Highlights of categories were broken up for examination, such as perimeters, protocols and standard operating procedures, such as visitor check-ins, Bergner said. It has to be a very holistic approach for staff training and student wellness.

Emergency procedures are also under review, she said. Principals are working on-site crisis plans to prepare for parent presentations. There will be class-by-class assemblies to outline the plans as well.

Bergner added the school district received a demonstration of a potential technology communications solution to cut down response times of public safety personnel.

So if were in an event, this communications tool will help us have an accurate record of what students are with us, and you can check what student is missing and not missing, she said. It would go to a central screen.

After the meeting went about 45 minutes without electricity, including air conditioning or microphones for board members, power returned.

In a budgeting agenda item, Mark Evans, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, reported adjustments that needed to be made to the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget. Adopted during a June 26 meeting, the budget was based off Gov. Jerry Browns May budget revision figures.

Due to the timing of reporting deadlines, Evans explained LCUSDs budget was a placeholder and required adjustment as the states own budget was finalized.

Gov. Brown signed Californias $201 billion 2018-19 budget on June 28, and figures from the state indicate La Canada Unified will see a reduction in one-time revenues from the state in the amount of $649,920 for the current fiscal year.

Evans explained the loss in anticipated funding will be offset slightly by an increase in revenues from the states Local Control Funding Formula, the primary vehicle of state funding for school districts, in the amount of $231,007.

Board members approved an adjustment downward of $418,913.

Also on Tuesday night, the board unanimously approved a $116,355 contract with Pasadena-based Gonzalez Goodale Architects for first phase work on a new outdoor pool at the high school, as outlined in the Facilities Master Plan. The first phase of work includes site investigation, scope development, programming and conceptual design.

Resident David Haxton spoke to register his concern about the districts budgeted plan for a 33-meter pool as opposed to a 50-meter pool.

I sent email last night to approximately 200 people whove been involved in swimming and water polo programs for the last several years as long as Ive been involved, Haxton said. I received copies of what they were sending to superintendents office. Unanimously, what I saw, is that everyones in favor of a 50-meter pool.

A former swim team member also spoke in favor of a larger pool because a 33-meter pool would not adequately split up practice space for the girls and boys teams.

Board member Ellen Multari said she thought the board budgeted for a 33-meter pool because that was the maximum amount of funding available, not because the board had taken a position in favor of a smaller pool. She added they hope the community can support fundraising efforts for a 50-meter pool.

Also on Tuesday, the board unanimously approved an estimated $1.78-million contract for Irvine-based LPA Inc. for projects at Palm Crest Elementary School. The Measure LCF bond projects planned for the school include a new two-story classroom addition, site utility improvements, safety and security improvements, interim housing, modernization of buildings and the library, a parking lot drop-off improvement and technology upgrades.

Matt Sanderson is a contributing writer to Times Community News.
Kathmandu, August 8

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has warned that he will remove underperforming ministers from his Cabinet.

Addressing a meeting of his partys Secretariat at his official residence in Baluwatar today, Oli said ministers could be removed from the Cabinet if they could not show good jobs.

We did not discuss much about the government, a leader of the Nepal Communist Party who attended the meeting said, But he has said that those failing to perform good can be given farewell.

Oli commented that his governed needed to work harder so as not to give any chance to the main opposition party Nepali Congress to complain against the government.

Whereas some leaders of the party demanded that the governments performance be seriously reviewed, Oli said all leaders of the party should be united to make the government more effective.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat meeting will continue discussing the newly unified partys organisational issues tomorrow, according to the leaders.
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow  at least thats been the case for the La Canada Flintridge Sister Cities Assn. and its effort to find La Canada a suitable international sister city.

After some searching, in May 2017 the city officially paired with Villanueva de la Canada, a small inland town 22 miles northwest of Madrid. Since then two groups of exchange students have traveled to Spain, while representatives from both cities have been visiting and making plans for future partnerships.

Thats exactly what LCF Sister Cities Assn. founder and president Vicki Schwartz envisioned when she approached the La Canada Flintridge City Council in January 2016 with the idea of initiating a search for a sister city.

On Tuesday, Schwartz brought a contingent of exchange students from La Canada and Spain to a council meeting to thank the panel for supporting the program.

Each of these students didnt just make one friend in the city, they made many friends, she told the council.

Spanish exchange student Lucia Gonzales Nieto shakes hands with La Canada Flintridge Mayor Terry Walker during introductions at a City Council meeting Tuesday. (Tim Berger / La Canada Valley Sun)

The six students presented council members with gifts from Spain and treated the audience to a video slideshow of the La Canada teens trip to Villanueva de la Canada in July. Mayor Terry Walker, who visited the town in May, said she met its mayor and had a wonderful time.

Sister Cities isnt just about student exchange  its about a cultural exchange for the entire population, Walker said. Vicki brought this to us and has worked very hard. Thank you for bringing this to our community.

After the meeting, Sister Cities Assn. officials hosted civic leaders in a reception held at the home of Todd and Vanessa Greco.

There, exchange students joined with local teens just back from a Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in Denver.

Students who participated in the LCF Sister Cities Associations exchange program to Villanueva de la Canada join with their host students and local teens just back from a Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in Denver for a photo Tuesday at a La Canada home. (Photo by Sara Cardine)

La Canada High senior Christian Chung introduced his Spanish brother, host student Joaquin Lopez Barreiro. Fellow Spartan senior Veronica Muller welcomed sister Esther Naranjo Checa, while St. Francis senior Tomas Quiroz introduced host sister Lucia Gonzalez Nieto.

The local contingent traveled to Spain on July 12, living with families and visiting the town and its surroundings for two weeks. Now, students from Villanueva de la Canada will be hosted by La Canada families through Aug. 12.

Muller said the trip to the European country was a great way to continue her study of the Spanish language while making new friends and learning about Spain and its culture.

When I got there and I was immediately thrown into speaking Spanish I adjusted to it, then it was good. And the family was very welcoming, she said. On the third day or so all six of us went to Madrid and walked around, which was a great bonding experience  it helped us all know each other better.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
By the way, they like you to dress fancy (and leave children home, unless youre headed to a weekend brunch). Coat and tie are required for men.

In theory, to attend you must be invited or accompanied by a member of the Academy of Magical Arts. In practice, there are at least two pretty easy ways in. Its not so hard (though the admission charge and dinner and drinks usually add up to a pricey night). If you spend a night at the adjacent Magic Castle Hotel & Suites , youre entitled to go to the club. Or you can email one of the magicians soon to appear and ask for an invite. (More ideas here .)

What: The castle, clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts, was built as a private home in 1908. But by the time it opened as a magic haven in 1963, it had undergone a thorough transformation to make it fit for tricks and performances. Since then, it has survived waxing and waning popularity, not to mention a fire in 2011. (The flames flare on the night of Halloween.) Roam room to room and you encounter all manner of deceptions and marvels. Card tricks. Seances. Sleight of hand. Secret passages. And a fancy dinner.

Why: The Magic Castle is the worst kept secret in Hollywood -- a private club in a tricked-out house thats devoted to magic. And if you really want to get in, its not that hard.

See the light at James Turrells Skyspace in Claremont By Elisa Parhad Artist James Hubbells Skyspace is on display at the Pomona College campus in Claremont. (Elise Parhad) Why: This awe-inspiring public art installation brings new beauty to the light of dawn and dusk. What: Dividing the Light (2007), one of several dozen Skyspaces worldwide by artist James Turrell, is an elevated metal frame perched above an outdoor courtyard. A mesmerizing light show begins at dawn and dusk when the frame is illuminated with colored light, enhancing the skys own changing hues. The Skyspace is a part of the Pomona College Museum of Art. For Turrell, an L.A. native and alumnus of Pomona College (65) and Claremont Graduate University (73), this campus installation is a homecoming of sorts, and the only public Skyspace in Southern California. Turrell is an avid pilot and considers the sky his studio, material and canvas, and his Pomona College training in perceptual psychology informs his play of light, space, and human perception. Skyspace programs begin one hour before sunrise and 10 minutes before sunset. The evening program lasts about 40 minutes. Check a listing of current exhibitions and Art After Hours days that may make a Skyspace and museum twofer possible. Where: The Draper Courtyard (between the Lincoln and Edmunds buildings) at 600 N. College Way on the Pomona College campus in Claremont, 34 miles northeast of downtown L.A. How much: Free Info: James Turrell Skyspace Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Pedal L.A.'s Echo Park Lake, munch a fancy snack and daydream of Sister Aimee and the spiritualists By Christopher Reynolds The swan boats of Echo Park Lake. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: The hotter it gets, the more sense these pedal vessels make. What: The artificial lake in Echo Park goes back to at least 1870. The boathouse and pedal boat operation go back decades. And the place has been dramatically upgraded in the last few years, beginning with a draining and cleaning in 2011-2013. The paddle boats operated by Wheel Fun Rentals are now shaped like swans and the larger ones hold up to five people or 1,400 pounds. (These boats look a lot like the historic swan boats in Boston Common, which also go back to the 1870s.) Head out for an hour of pedaling and drifting, not necessarily in that order, and imagine the early 20th century days when Aimee Semple McPherson was preaching in the Angelus Temple next door and these hills were crawling with communists, socialists and spiritualists. The boat rentals are open daily all year from 9 a.m. until sunset. On the hottest days, try edging right up to the edge of the fountain in the middle of the lake  youll be coated with mist or (if theres a breeze) pelted by diagonal rain. The last rentals go out an hour before sunset. (One night in July, a young man broke in and took a paddle boat for a forbidden ride. It did not end well.) The eatery, Beacon, opened in January 2017 with a menu thats longer, more intriguing and a little pricier than the average public park snack shack. The communists dont live here anymore. Bonus option: Fishing is allowed, with a license. Where: 751 Echo Park Ave., 2 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: The swan boats rent for hourly rates of $11 per adult, $6 per minor. Everybody gets a life jacket. A sampling from the Beacon menu: kale and avocado burritos ($7), a crab and gouda sandwich ($13), salmon toast ($10), Beacon Burger ($15), lemonade ($3). Beacon is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: Wheel Fun Rentals, Beacon A pedalers view of Echo Park Lake. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

See the Giants, glimpse the bay and duck the gulls at San Franciscos AT&T Park By Christopher Reynolds The Giants have played in AT&T Park since 2000. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Whether youre for the Giants or against them, you can root for a home run into the bay here  something you wont see at any other major league baseball stadium. In fact, you can see bits of San Francisco Bay  distant wharves, cargo ships, maybe a few kayaks in McCovey Cove  from many of the 41,915 seats in AT&T Park. And in a city thats not always easy for families, this park is full of kid-friendly features. What: The Giants have been based in San Francisco since 1958, but they only started winning championships here after this ballpark opened in 2000. (Beyond center field youll see banners celebrating the teams World Series victories in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and a few more from the earlier New York years.) Builders worked hard to reduce the winds that made the old Candlestick Park a nightmare for anyone fielding a fly ball  and largely succeeded. In fact, experts often rank this park first or second among the most pleasant in the major leagues. But theres no banishing the gulls. At the end of every game, thousands of the scavenging creatures come swooping in to feast on leavings in the bleachers. Ushers try to fend them off, but the situation is basically Field of Dreams meets Alfred Hitchcock. Hang around for a few minutes to catch the spectacle. Gulls after a day game, AT&T Park, San Francisco. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Where: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, 382 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Most tickets $9-$282. Single-game tickets here. Info: San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Travel Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Fly, roll, float and romp in a Disneys ever-evolving California Adventure By Christopher Reynolds Hollywood Land, Disney California Adventure (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: If somebody asked you to compress the best of California into 72 acres, make it abundantly kid-friendly and persuade thousands of people to spend long hours and big money there, you might crack under the pressure. (Admit it, youre already uncomfortable.) That was Disneys mission with this park. And Disney failed  at first. But since that awkward debut in 2001, when attendance fell far short of expectations, the park people have been steadily changing and fixing this place. Even if youre skeptical about all things Disney (as some people are), youll probably get a kick out of this cartoon version of our state. What: Most of the parks rides, restaurants and photo ops are all about idealizing California, including Hollywood Land (whos ever seen such clean streets and tidy storefronts in the real Hollywood?); Pacific Wharf (a mix of Cannery Row in Monterey and Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco); and Grizzly Peak (a nod to Yosemite and the tall trees of Northern California). But other features these days reach far beyond state lines. When I dropped in a few days ago, the parks marching bands and mariachis were joined by drummers, dancers and musicians from around Asia, gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year. Rides in A Bugs Land and Car Land were full of grinning guests, as was the Soarin Around the World ride  which replaced Soaring (over California) in 2016  and the Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: Breakout! ride  which replaced the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in 2017. This summer, Paradise Pier is scheduled to become Pixar Pier. Meanwhile, California Screamin, Mickeys Fun Wheel and Grizzly River Run were closed for refurbishment. Check before visiting to see whats open and whats not. Where: Right next to Disneyland and Downtown Disney, California Adventure, 1313 Disneyland Drive in Anaheim, is 26 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Passes start at $97 (ages 10 and above; before taxes) for a one-day Value Ticket. Standard parking $20. Info: Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Drive the narrow, winding, spectacular back-door route to Big Sur: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road By Christopher Reynolds On the western slopes (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Itll quicken your pulse, drop your jaw and demand your full attention. Theres no more dramatic passage from Central Californias blond hills to the Big Sur coast than this 24-mile route. What: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, a winding, two-lane highway, begins in the Salinas Valley countryside north of Paso Robles, next to the often-overlooked Mission San Antonio de Padua and the Armys Ft. Hunter-Liggett. From there it creeps through forest and chaparral to the crest of the Santa Lucia Mountains, about 2,800 feet above sea level. Then for 7 miles, via dozens of switchback turns, it wends its way down the western slopes to Big Sur. It meets Highway 1 at Kirk Creek, about 4 miles south of Lucia. Mission San Antonio de Padua (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Motorcyclists have loved Nacimiento-Fergusson Road for years. When a mudslide and reconstruction closed Highway 1 at Mud Creek for more than a year in 2017-2018, many more cars found their way to this alternative, as well. In normal times, with Highway 1 open, you can usually count on thin traffic on Nacimiento-Fergusson. The roads westernmost 7 miles, descending via multiple sharp turns to the coast road, are as spectacular as can be  and might start a three-alarm panic attack if youre afraid of heights. (When a route is featured on www.dangerousroads.org, you know its special.) Given the absence of lights or guard rails or cellphone reception, Id never try it after dark. On my midday drive in December, I took care to ignore the views until Id safely pulled into one of the many turnouts along the way. (For a tamer ride with similar scenery, take Highway 46 west from Paso Robles to Cambria.) Where: To reach the eastern end of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, exit Highway 101 at Jolon Road, about 23 miles north of Paso Robles. Follow Jolon Road west, then turn left onto Mission Road, continue 4 miles, then turn left onto Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Because the road passes through the Army base, drivers may need to show license, registration and proof of insurance. Give the drive at least two hours from the 101 to the 1. You dont want to be in a hurry here. How much: Free. Info: www.dangerousroads.org Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Recline, rebel or revel in Grand Park, where downtown L.A. celebrates By Christopher Reynolds Grand Park, Dec. 31, 2015. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Why: Every real downtown has a park to serve as urban backyard, and Grand Park is more proof that L.A.'s downtown is getting realer by the day. What: The 12-acre park connects the Music Center at the top of Bunker Hill with City Hall at the bottom. (Yes, you can go to City Halls 27th floor observation deck and its free). The park isnt really new -- theres been open space for decades on these blocks between government buildings. But a dramatic redesign in 2012 put a far better spin on the area, and it doesnt hurt that neighboring Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels arrived in 2002, Disney Hall in 2003 and the Broad Museum in 2015. Besides its welcome green expanses and flanking playground and dog-run areas, Grand Park includes a fountain (with splash pad for kids), an adjacent Starbucks, plenty of places to sit and a busy schedule of holiday events and live shows. Picnicking is encouraged. Protesting is permitted. Food trucks come for lunch most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Theres midday yoga on many Wednesdays and Fridays. In October and November, the park hosts Dia de los Muertos altars and art; in November and December, holiday lights. And on New Years Eve -- well, the 2016-17 party (free and alcohol-free) included three stages, DJs, live music, dancing, inflatable art, and light projections. Expect more of the same this time. Where: between 200 N. Grand Ave. and 227 N. Spring St., at the core of downtown L.A. How much: Free. Its easiest to arrive via Metro. But theres parking nearby in Lot 10 (entrances on Broadway and Hill Street between 1st and Temple streets), priced at $3.50 per 15 minutes up to a $20 maximum per weekday, $10 per day on weekends, evenings and special events. Info: Grand Park Womens March, Grand Park, January 2017. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gawk as the waters of McWay Falls plunge from Big Sur to the sea By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: McWay Falls, the splashiest attraction in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, roars down 80 feet from granite and redwoods to a creamy Big Sur beach and implausibly turquoise cove. Its the cascade that other waterfalls want to be. Its also a perfectly impossible California destination, because you cant stand under these falls. Theres no safe way to the beach. What: The hike is more of a stroll, really. Its about half a mile, mostly flat. (And the rest of the park remains mostly closed because of mudslides and other damage done by the Soberanes Fire of 2016.) Once youve passed through a short tunnel under Highway 1 and made a right turn, youll soon be standing on a rocky perch where a house once stood, looking south to the beach and falls. This is an invitation to chill. For one thing, the trail has ended. Also, like Yosemite Falls  which led off our California Bucket List project on Jan. 1  McWay Falls is a sort of perpetuity made plain. The water keeps coming, even if its in short supply elsewhere. And the cell reception is so rotten that youll probably never get an Instagram photo posted from here. So have a seat. Notice that theres a great view to the north also. Think about all the writers and composers (beginning with James Joyce, Richard Wagner, Al Green and Teeny Hodges) who have chosen to start and end their works with running water. Or think about nothing. Where: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, mile marker 35.8 in Big Sur, 37 miles south of Carmel, 286 miles northwest of downtown L.A. Highway 1 is expected to remained closed at Mud Creek (27 miles south of McWay Falls) through September 2018. That means travelers from the south have two options. One is to detour from Highway 101 north of Paso Robles via Jolon Road and the 24-mile, narrow, winding Nacimiento-Fergusson Road (a star on dangerousroads.org). The other choice is driving up to Salinas on the 101, cutting over to Carmel, then coming back south on Highway 1. How much: $10. Info: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Looking north from the McWay Falls Trail. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Marvel over this San Francisco church inspired by the ideals of the Scandinavian Da Vinci By Catharine Hamm (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Simplicity and complexity meet in the Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, and the marriage is a harmonious celebration of architecture and intellect. What: The 1895 Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, a national historic landmark in Pacific Heights, is an Arts and Crafts building designed by several architects, including Bernard Maybeck, who created the Palace of Fine Arts at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 in San Francisco. Inside the walls are rustic redwood, found often in Arts and Crafts buildings and consistent with the Swedenborgian appreciation of natural objects, according to the 1969 book Here Today: San Franciscos Architectural Heritage. The chairs are maple, made by hand, without the use of nails, and their seats were woven of tule rushes from the Sacramento River Delta, the book says. In the fireplace in the back, the andirons become small crosses, and the crackling fire (and recently installed radiant heat) make the church a warm and welcoming spot for quiet contemplation, especially on chilly San Francisco days (which is most of them). (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Its also a reminder of the man whose desire to understand Scripture caught fire when he was in his 50s. Emanuel Swedenborg was born Jesper Svedborg in 1688 in Stockholm. In Swedenborg: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas, author Gary Lachman describes Swedenborg as the Scandinavian Da Vinci. He was a scientist, poet, writer, mystic, statesman, inventor and biblical scholar. After Swedenborgs death in 1772 in London, societies took root that were devoted to contemplating his thoughts and works; the Bible is the center of these. These organizations made their way across the pond by the late 1780s, and the New Church (sometimes called New Jerusalem) began to spread in the United States. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Notable Swedenborgian churches include the Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes, designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. The younger Wright was said to have taken his architectural inspiration for the chapel, dedicated in 1951, from Northern Californias redwoods. Where: The Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, 2107 Lyon St , is about 385 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Cost: Free. Services are at 11 a.m. Sundays. Office hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; knock to gain entry to the church. Info: Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Soak away your stress and join Club Mud at a Corona hot springs that embraces everyone By Catharine Hamm (Courtesy of Glen Ivy Hot Springs) Why: If youre intimidated by the word spa, Glen Ivy is the place for you. It feels accessible, not exclusive, meaning you can sit back and relax. What: Which is what you want to do. There are 19 pools to try, including the mineral pools, the star attraction in the early days of the late 1800s when you could soak in them for 25 cents. Today, you start by getting a locker for your street clothes and putting on your swim suit in a well-appointed area that includes changing rooms, showers and big, lighted mirrors where youll find hairdryers youll want later in the day. Glen Ivys 12 acres include a float pool and a large pool if you want to exercise. But my new favorite features are the hot and cold plunge pools. (Try switching three times between them and stay in each pool for a minimum of 30 seconds. It doesnt sound like long until youre in the cold pool.) The former Cafe Sole has been replaced by the new Ivy Kitchen, offering light but satisfying meals. (No starvation tactics here.) And, of course, you can find the usual spa treatments (extra charge but no pressure; appointments advisable) including the underground Grotto, where skin hydration is the goal ($25 upcharge). Save Club Mud for last. You paint yourself (and your hair) with mud, which is California red clay, then go bake in the sun. Before you turn into tandoori chicken, you brush it off and rinse or wash it off in the outdoor showers if youve used a tad too much. One note: Beware of bees, which are attracted to the mud. Make sure you youre wearing your sandals. The landscaping makes it all very pretty and it feels all very real, which is refreshing if youre weary of L.A. artifice. Where: 25000 Glen Ivy Road, Corona; (888) 453-6489, about 60 miles southeast of downtown L.A. (Set aside at least 90 minutes to get there.) How much: Go on a weekday when its less expensive ($49 for the day Mondays-Fridays, averaging 300 guests). Saturdays, Sundays and holidays its $68 and about 700 people will be there. Through Feb. 28, hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Its open an hour later from March through May. Check on summer hours. Info: Glen Ivy Hot Springs Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

See the small world within this Carlsbad museum of miniature engineering By Irene Lechowitzky Midget race car model at the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum. (Irene Lechowitzky) Why: The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad is novel and quirky  and proof that good things come in small packages. What: The collection includes painstakingly crafted, remarkable miniatures, many with moving parts. There are cars, planes, engines of all sorts, ships, thumb-sized guns and knives, and much more. These are not the plastic model car kits from your childhood; for example, theres an eye-popping version of a 1932 Duesenberg SJ that has more than 6,000 custom-made parts and is said to have taken more than 10 years to finish. The folks who built these tiny wonders spent decades perfecting their craft. There are hundreds of works from around the world on display, and docents to describe the intricacies and makers of each. Try to time your visit to coincide with a tour of the machine shop/engine room for a little extra oomph. Although its not geared for the toddler crowd, the museum, a few miles east of Legoland, can be an inspiring second stop for families with kids who like to build things. And while youre in the neighborhood, you could make it a triple play with a bonus stop at the nearby Museum of Making Music, where visitors have the chance to play musical instruments. Where: Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum, 3190 Lionshead Ave., Carlsbad; 95 miles south of downtown L.A. How much: Free. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Machine shop/engine room demos are at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Info: Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum A Taj Mahal made of matchsticks. (Irene Lechowitzky) English canal boat model. (Irene Lechowitzky) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Start the New Year right with a visit to Pasadenas Rose Parade By Chris Erskine (Los Angeles Times) Why: Like the Grand Canyon or the northern lights, the majestic Rose Parade needs to be seen in person to be really appreciated. On a bright SoCal morning, the colors, detail and craftsmanship come alive. And throughout December, there are some intriguing pre-parade opportunities for volunteers. What: One of L.A.s finest freebies, the Rose Parade steps off at 8 a.m. every New Years morning (unless the holiday falls on a Sunday, in which case it is bumped to Monday). We wont even bother describing it, since like the Wizard of Oz or a Super Bowl, everyone has probably seen it on TV. (Los Angeles Times) In person, though, the parades splendor, precision and pageantry make an early wake-up call worth it. Its almost a rite of passage for Southern Californians, some of whom spend the night along the parade route. The parade has more rules than the Vatican. Do not pass the blue Honor Line painted on the street.

No tents, sofas or boxes.

Unoccupied chairs are not allowed.

No roping off public areas. And thats pretty much just the main stuff. Heres a full list. But dont let them ruin your fun. The parade, after all, is one the best family-friendly events in the area, and theyre just protecting that. To be a part of it all, join in on the float building in the days and weeks before the parade, when the flowers are being supplied and volunteer help is needed. On parade day, get there before sunup to be sure of a place along the route. Tickets in the grandstands are another option. Be sure to dress in layers, because the temperatures will range from frosty to blistering as the day progresses. Heres a little insiders trick that you wont believe until you see it. If you wait till the 8 a.m. start time, the crowd will be in place on the route and there is virtually no traffic. Pay the $20 parking fee at a random gas station along Walnut and join the fun. You wont be in the first row, or maybe even the first 10. But the floats are so high, youll be able to see them well. About an hour into the two-hour parade, the crowds will begin to relax and spots open up for even better viewing. Its a wonderful experience, hassle-free, and a great way to kick off a New Year. Where: Pasadena, about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. How much: Free Info: Rose Parade Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Meander among 5 million lights at Riversides Mission Inn By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: The Mission Inn, which dates to the 1870s, stands in the middle of Riverside the way Bruce Springsteen stands in the middle of the E Street band. It fills a city block. And since the early 1990s, the hotel has been putting together an ever-more-lavish Festival of Lights. At last count, about 5 million lights. What: For six weeks at Christmastime, the landmark hotel switches on all those lights and invites visitors to stroll through the property, including a tunnel where faux snow falls. (This years festival runs Nov. 24 through Jan. 6.) The line to walk the property can get very long  and the traffic and parking situation in the blocks around the hotel can seem downright devilish. But most folks are in a good mood, and the festival includes live music, horse-drawn carriages, funnel cakes, Santa Claus photo ops and more. To see more lights and skip the line, book a dinner reservation at the Mission Inn Restaurant (one of several on the property) and you may land at a courtyard table, surrounded by Spanish Revival architecture thats more ornate (and with more Tuscan influence) than youll see at any of Californias 21 actual missions. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) And yes, theres a reason the decorations seem to be in motion: Besides lights, the halls and walls have also been festooned with about 200 angels, gnomes, polar bears, many of which move, in the same halting, semi-spooky way that Honest Abe moves in Disneylands Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Its a scene. And speaking of presidents, be sure to peek at the hotels Presidential Lounge and its portrait of Richard Nixon, who was a 27-year-old attorney when he married Pat Ryan at the hotel in 1940. (Theres also a tower, a rotunda, spa, all sorts of artworks and artifacts and a museum next door that traces the inns history through expansion, bankruptcy, renovations and resurgence.) Where: 3649 Mission Ave., Riverside, 55 miles east of downtown L.A. How much: Its free to walk the hotel property during the Festival of Lights. Dinner main dishes at the Mission Inn Restaurant run $15-$42. (I can recommend the Italian sausage pasta and the pan-seared salmon.) Rooms for two start as low as $199 in slow months (like January), $329 or more in December. Info: Mission Inn The inns Presidential Lounge. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Theres a gingerbread hotel in the inns lobby. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Peer into a writers head and a valleys soul in Salinas By Catharine Hamm (National Steinbeck Center) Why: John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, Calif., a farming community that lacks the cachet of neighboring Carmel and Monterey. But, then, neither of those towns produced a man who went on to win a Pulitzer, a Nobel and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To be in in Steinbecks hometown is to be reminded that, as fellow author F. Scott Fitzgerald said, genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind. What: Steinbecks birthplace home and the National Steinbeck Center tell the tale of the man whose Grapes of Wrath is often thought to be the Great American Novel. The community of his youth  he was born here in 1902  was this rich, rural farming area in the Salinas Valley, and his labors alongside migrant workers in the sugar beet fields of nearby Spreckels informed many of his works, including Of Mice and Men. (National Steinbeck Center) (Associated Press) He attended Stanford but never graduated, and he struggled to establish himself, but in 1935, his book Tortilla Flat finally put him in the public eye. His subsequent books included Cannery Row, Sea of Cortez and East of Eden and, of course, Grapes of Wrath, about which he wrote, It isnt the great book I hoped it would be. The story of the Joads, fleeing the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and arriving in not-quite-as-billed California, won the Pulitzer in 1940. You can have lunch at the Steinbeck House, the Queen Anne style home where he grew up, then stroll the two blocks to the National Steinbeck Center, which somehow captures and conveys the challenges of his writing life. One of the central pieces of the center is Rocinante, the 1960 GMC camper pickup he drove on a 10,000-mile road trip as he scoured the country seeking its essence. The resulting book, Travels With Charley (Charley was his poodle), chronicles what Steinbeck saw as a country in sometimes uncomfortable motion. The center, which turns 20 in 2018, also does not shy away from the controversy that arose from the authors portrayal of farm workers lot in life in Grapes of Wrath. His books infuriated growers  some places banned them  and he turned his back on his hometown. But as if to prove you can go home again, Steinbeck, who died in 1968 in New York City at age 66, is buried in Salinas. Where: The Steinbeck House is at 132 Central Ave.; lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; reservations at (831) 757-5806. The National Steinbeck Center is at 1 Main St., about 305 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. How much: $12.95 for adults; $9.95 for seniors, students, military, teachers and Monterey County residents; $6.95 for children 6-17; children 5 and younger admitted free. Info: National Steinbeck Center (National Steinbeck Center) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Treat yourself to Spago in Beverly Hills, and a possible tableside visit from the boss By Chris Erskine (Los Angeles Times) Why: Because Wolfgang Puck, who likes to work the dining room, might stop by and personally sprinkle lemon juice on your perfectly grilled fish. There, better? he asks. Of course it is. What: A meal at Spago is as L.A. as the Hollywood sign  and a tad tastier. The landmark restaurant is where Puck made great food fun again. Originally on Sunset and now in Beverly Hills, Spago is synonymous with creative, attentive and amazing dining. (Mariah Tauger / For The Times) (Mariah Tauger / For The Times) At the original Spago on the Sunset Strip, [Puck] created what later became known as casual fine dining, a movement that 35 years later still dominates the restaurant world, wrote Times restaurant reviewer Jonathan Gold. And thus, a nationwide food craze was born. For food lovers, the menu itself is an adventure. Portions are generous, and the service is perfectly timed. And though the dining room is packed and buzzy, you can have a conversation here, unlike so many restaurants these days. At lunch, the go-to standard is the house-cured smoked salmon pizza topped with dollops of caviar. Also pay attention to the veal wienerschnitzel, so tender you could cut it with your thumb. Grilled fish comes off the grill in that 10-second window when it is neither too swimmy nor too dry. Just dont forget the lemon. Where: 176 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, about 13 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. How much: How much you got? For most of us, this is a special occasion restaurant. Lunches for two start at around $100 and quickly reach $200. Dinners for two will run $150 and up, before wine or cocktails. Info: Spago (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Frolic amid mai tais, Spam and tiki culture at the Bali Hai on San Diego Bay By Irene Lechowitzky The Goof on the roof. (Irene Lechowitzky) Why: Because two Bali Hais are better than one. Brush up on your Rodgers and Hammerstein (Bali Hai may call you / Any night, any day), then come away to this San Diego tiki icon, the Bali Hai restaurant. What: Tiki bars have been a Southern California phenomenon for generations, and San Diego  with its sunny days, palm trees, ocean views and strong Navy heritage  is a perfect fit for the kitschy fad, tiny umbrellas and all. Starting in the 1930s, faux-Polynesian themed bars and restaurants sprang up in the cross-border region from Tijuana to San Diego. The tiki scene started to dwindle in the 1960s, and despite a resurgence of sorts, most of the old cheeky palaces have faded away. But not Bali Hai. At age 63, its still proudly shaking its hula skirt, aided by a waterfront location, fun ambiance and, yes, seriously powerful mai tais. Bali Hai mai tais (Irene Lechowitzky) Ambiance first: As you approach the restaurant/bar, the first thing youll notice is The Goof on the roof, a playful tiki that stands guard over the domain below. At the front door, Mr. Bali Hai, a large wood sculpture, greets guests. Inside, there are about a hundred Polynesian artifacts on display, including masks, weapons and tools. The large bar and dining room have dark wood columns, a wood-beam ceiling and large windows with great bay and city views. The Pacific Rim-inspired menu features such items as Hawaiian tuna poke, chicken adobo steam buns, Spam carbonara, pork belly katsu and Chinese garlic noodles, and holdovers such as Huli Huli chicken and coconut shrimp. But for my money, the experience isnt complete without a rum-based cocktail. There are plenty to choose from, but my favorite is the World Famous Bali Hai Mai Tai, a potent drink that proudly has No Juice Added and mixes aged light and dark rums, Trader Vics orgeat syrup, a dash of Triple Sec and a splash of sweet and sour. Where: 2230 Shelter Island Dr., on Shelter Island, about 5 miles west of downtown San Diego, 120 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Dinner main dishes from $19 to $30; Sunday brunch, $40. Classic cocktails are under $10. Info: Bali Hai restaurant San Diego Bay, from Shelter Island (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Celebrate at Lawrys in Beverly Hills, where thick slabs of prime rib are sliced right at your table By Jenn Harris (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Why: Since 1938, Lawrys the Prime Rib has been the place for indulgence and celebration. Its where people spend their birthdays, anniversaries, congrats-on-your-promotion dinners and holiday parties. And where football players competing in the Rose Bowl go for the Beef Bowl. What: Walking through the heavy gold doors is like walking into a time machine. Through the other side is a magical place where people still dress up, spotless glasses sparkle on crisp white tablecloths and the plush booths make you feel like the most important person in the world. The idea was to create a version of the English restaurant Simpsons in the Strand, where cuts of meat fit for a giant are served from trolleys. But Lawrys founders Lawrence Frank and brother-in-law Walter Van de Kamp (of the Van de Kamp bakery empire and Tam OShanter Inn) had grander plans for their restaurant, starting with the meat carts. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Lawrence designed the stainless steel carving carts the restaurant is known for  the ones that glide through the dining room carrying Flintstones-sized cuts of meat  to be, well, impressive. And they are. As are the meat carvers, who don medals showing they are part of the Royal Order of Carvers (a title that requires six months of training). Each prime rib dinner comes with its own show of sorts: Servers wear the same style of brown gown uniforms they wore when the restaurant opened, and they pour dressing from up high into spinning metal bowls of salad tableside. When you order your prime rib, you do it directly from one of the shiny carts, and its sliced to order. There are smaller cuts of meat, but treat yourself to the Diamond Jim Brady (16 ounces), named for millionaire Jim Brady, who was known for eating massive amounts of food. All of the prime rib dinners come with the spinning salad, a scoop of mashed potatoes, a ladleful of gravy and a wedge of Yorkshire pudding. If you dont finish it all  you probably wont finish it all  ask for a doggie bag. The restaurant claims to have initiated the idea, along with valet parking. There are Lawrys the Prime Rib locations in Las Vegas, Chicago and Asia. The original in Beverly Hills is home to a comfortable lounge and excellent bar snacks. This is where you can order a martini kissed with prime rib-stuffed olives and find complimentary snacks that could easily replace your dinner appetizers. Arrive a little early for your reservation, grab a seat in one of the cushy lounge chairs, order a martini, then take turns filling your plate with cocktail meatballs and salty potato chips the size of drink coasters. Go for it. Indulging to your hearts content is encouraged. Where: 100 La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, located on Restaurant Row, about half a mile south of the Beverly Center, about 10 miles west of downtown L.A. How much: Prime rib dinners start at $41, and you can add a lobster tail for $15. Dessert and starters are extra. Drinks in the bar/lounge area are $13 to $17. The restaurant is busier on the weekends, and reservations are recommended. Info: Lawrys Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Read forbidden words and savor daring artists in Big Surs Henry Miller Library By Thomas Curwen (Thomas Curwen / Los Angeles Times) Why: If Big Sur is a temple to the beauty of the California coast, then the Henry Miller Memorial Library is one of its most endearing altars, a respite from the rigors of navigating the twists and turns of Highway 1 and rubber-necking the vertiginous coastline. Beneath stately redwoods is a quiet repository of wisdom, irreverence and charm. Its proprietors say that it is the place where nothing happens, and yet it is where everything seems to converge. What: Henry Valentine Miller came to Big Sur in the 1940s after nearly a decade in Paris. He was, by then, author of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, which were banned as obscene in America until 1961. Naturally they sold well, and Miller soon became a hero of renegade literature, a model for William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. After Millers death in Pacific Palisades in 1980, a friend, Emil White, opened a memorial library that bore Millers name. With the help of the Big Sur Land Trust, the library has become a nonprofit cultural space, art gallery, performance space, bookshop and destination for artists, writers, musicians and students. Bust of Henry Miller. (Thomas Curwen/Los Angeles Times) The Henry Miller Memorial Library is a reminder of the pleasures afforded by a curated bookstore. It is a place to celebrate the macho and feminist, the consensual and the iconoclastic through the pages of its eclectic collection of books. Psychedelic cumbias from Peru or the twanging guitar of the Del Tones might be your accompaniment as you browse the tables set with Edward Abbey, Joseph Heller, William Faulkner, John Fante, David Foster Wallace, Jon Stewart, Robert Pirsig and William Least Heat Moon. Strings of paper money from around the world  offerings from international visitors  dangle from the ceiling. Posters celebrate the notable musical performances that have taken place outdoors, including Philip Glass and Patti Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arcade Fire. Outside, an upright piano falls to ruin off the path from the highway. A typewriter gathers rust on a tree stump, and an effigy made of extension cords is crucified on a cross of computer monitors. In other words, where nothing is sacred, everything is sacred. (Thomas Curwen / Los Angeles Times) Where: 48603 Highway 1 in Big Sur, which is 10 minutes south of Nepenthe, 10 minutes north of Deetjens Big Sur Inn. Also 290 miles northwest of downtown L.A., 152 miles south of downtown San Francisco. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, closed Tuesdays. How much: Its free to browse. Donations eagerly accepted. Books for sale. Tickets prices vary for performances and programs. Info: Henry Miller Memorial Library Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Roam the San Luis Obispo canyon full of architectural daydreams and wandering horses By Christopher Reynolds Poly Canyon, San Luis Obispo. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Architects usually keep their daydreams to themselves. But among these hills on the back side of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, some students have allowed their boldest notions to romp free. And horses romp with them. What: Cal Poly is routinely ranked among the nations top schools of architecture, and its students and professors started testing ideas in this canyon as early as the 1960s. Lately, theres a spring Design Village event (April 20-22 in 2018) that brings students out to test temporary structures and sometimes sleep in them. Luckily for the rest of us, those nine acres and the rest of the canyon are generally open to the public, including dogs and mountain bikes (on the dirt road). Its a hike of about 2.5 miles from campus to the farthest structure, but your mileage (and elevation gain) will depend on how tempted your are to probe the structures and stalk the horses. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) I wandered around on a December day when the hills were the color of straw, and at first I wasnt so happy about all the horse turds. But once the horses themselves showed up, that changed everything. They sidled up to a water tower, then struck heroic poses on the ridge line while I prowled around assorted unconventional houses and bridges, including a geodesic dome. Yes, there was some graffiti and vandalism, but many structures have been reconditioned in more recent years. (The university calls it an experimental construction laboratory.) Id call it a great spot for photo experimentation as well. There are about 20 projects, and plenty of tree shade in the lowlands along Brizzolara Creek. After a rain, Ill bet those grassy slopes light up neon green. Where: The Cal Poly campus is 195 miles northwest of downtown L.A. Enter the campus via Grand Avenue (and beware of dorm construction near the entrance). Follow the campus map to the corner of Village Drive and Poly Canyon Road, then walk northeast on Poly Canyon Road, which is a gate dirt rout that follows Brizzolara Creek. After about 3/4 of a mile, youll see a stone arch. Step through and the canyon will open before you. How much: On weekends, parking is free at lot H4 at Village Drive and Perimeter Road. On weekdays, its $5 for a parking pass at the checkpoint at the campus entrance. (I showed up on a weekday and parked at lot K-1.) Info: Cal Poly College of Architecture & Design, Hikespeaks trail description. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Step into the vast, strange spectacle of Kenny Irwins Robolights in Palm Springs By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Youll never see another holiday display quite like it. And it sits on 4 acres in the middle of an upscale Palm Springs neighborhood. What: The Coachella Valley, with its 80-degree December days, is a quirky place to celebrate winter holidays to begin with. And the quirks multiply once you enter Palm Springs Movie Colony neighborhood and approach the Irwin house, about two blocks from the old Frank Sinatra Estate. Since at least 32 years ago, when he was 12, Kenny Irwin has been driven to create epic displays from cast-off items  dreamscapes that suggest robots, space aliens and more obscure spectacles that defy description. With his fathers support (and a corps of seasonal workers to handle logistics and crowd control), Irwins compulsion has grown into Robolights, a seasonal landmark that combines Santa Clauses, reindeer, sleighs and gingerbread houses with little green men, skulls, dolls, hybrid creatures, reclaimed consumer electronics, half-melted toys and at least one coffin. At Robolights there are no clear lines between Halloween, Christmas and science fiction. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) From Nov. 22 through Jan. 8, the scene is lighted by thousands of bulbs and visitors are ushered along a path that leads from the front yard through a forest of fantasy in the back, then out again. A thousand visitors in a night is not uncommon. On my visit in early December, Irwin was out and about, a soft-spoken man with a skullcap, caftan, long beard and gentle smile. (Did I mention that the artist converted to Islam many years ago?) Ill bet the hardware store totally loves him, I heard one visitor say. This is insane, said another. Many families pose for pictures amid the luminous chaos. Where: 1077 E. Granvia Valmonte, Palm Springs, 107 miles east of downtown L.A. But while the Robolights are lighted, the city bans nonresident parking on many streets nearby, so youll need to park a few blocks away. Try Ruth Hardy Park. And be careful as you walk  there isnt a lot of streetlight illumination in the neighborhood. How much: Free. But theres a receptacle for donations at the entrance. From 4 to 9:30 p.m. daily. Info: Robolights The Robolights yard includes a pond. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Worker Alex Sanchez checks bulbs at Robolights. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Get down, dawg, with a $15 beach yoga class in Santa Monica By Chris Erskine (Beach Yoga With Brad and Friends) Why: Beach yoga is good for the bod, and the spirit, in ways that no cramped, sweaty studio can match. What: All sorts of beach yoga classes are held up and down the California coast, but few are as affordable and easy as Beach Yoga With Brad and Friends in Santa Monica. No reservations required. Just drop in with $15 and a beach towel (or a yoga mat if you prefer). Instructor/owner Brad Keimach is a Juilliard-trained classical music conductor who moonlights  or sunlights  with these yoga classes every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 till noon. He also holds Wednesday sunset classes starting at 3:45 p.m. and lasting an hour. When the days are longer and the clocks change, he adds more weekday sunset classes. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) For almost 10 years, his beach-based classes have appealed to first-timers as well as advanced yoga buffs. They are held on the water side of Guard Tower 29, roughly on the border between Venice and Santa Monica. Paid parking is plentiful at the public lots at the end of Ocean Park or on Main Street. Like many yoga instructors, Keimach emphasizes breathing as well as the moves and poses. He also incorporates the setting, sending students to get their toes wet at one point for a bit of spiritual spritzing. The classes pass quickly, without pain, and without Keimach putting his hands all over the students (a too-common yoga studio experience). Looking out over the sparkly Pacific, his classes combine ocean breezes, a relaxing pace and Keimachs soothing instructions, at a venue where space is never an issue. Where: Lifeguard Tower 29, Santa Monica, 16 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. How much: $15 Info: Beach Yoga With Brad and Friends Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Shop with Victorians on San Franciscos Union Street By Christopher Reynolds Boulangerie de San Francisco, 1909 Union St. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Sometimes you just want to shop in a strange city. Not in the middle of a grand scene like Union Square or the Ferry Building, but along a street that feels like a neighborhood just a bit beyond your means. With Victorian mansions here and there. Hello, Union Street. What: Union Street has had its great-shopping reputation since the 1950s. The eight-block stretch between Van Ness Avenue and Steiner Street, surrounded by the Marina and Cow Hollow residential neighborhoods, is the prime retail portion. Many of the shops (which tilt toward apparel and beauty products) and restaurants are housed in Victorian mansions that survived the quake of 1906. One even older mansion, the pale blue Octagon House at Gough and Union, went up in 1861 and has been preserved in its residential state by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (so it would be wrong to knock on the door and ask if this is the weed dispensary youve heard so much about). The society opens the house a few days a month for tours. Among the restaurants, I can vouch for the Belgian food and beer at Belga (on Union near Buchanon Street). But there are more than two dozen. And theres plenty to peruse at Chronicle Books (on Union between Octavia and Laguna streets). Where: The corner of Van Ness and Union is a good place to start. Its 1.5 miles northwest of Union Square, 383 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Free to browse, of course. Oysters at Belga, $3 each. Median home price in Cow Hollow and the Marina: about $1.8 million. Info: Union Street Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Find yourself in a yogis seaside Encinitas gardens By Irene Lechowitzky (Irene Lechowitzky) Why: Where else can you spend an hour and feel like youve been on a soul-replenishing spiritual retreat? At the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens in Encinitas, you can be fully present in the moment and get in touch with your inner yogi  and do it surrounded by gorgeous gardens on a bluff overlooking the ocean. What: The goal of the Meditation Gardens, part of a large complex at the southern end of downtown Encinitas dedicated to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, is to inspire you to a greater realization of the Divine Presence that lies within. Walking up the stone steps into the lush, eclectic gardens imparts an instant feeling of serenity. (Irene Lechowitzky) There are koi ponds and many quiet nooks with benches where you can sit. At the top of the ocean bluff is a plaque that marks the location of the Golden Lotus Temple. The temple, built in 1937 to take advantage of the incredible views, only stood for five years before the ground gave way and it had to be dismantled. Wander past the old, empty swimming pool up the tree-shrouded path to the dry area featuring native plants and succulents overlooking the famed surf spot Swamis. (The beachs name was a nod to Yogananda.) Some visitors pray, others meditate. I like to watch the surfers below and imagine them praying for good waves. And dont miss the Hermitage at the opposite end of the gardens, where Yogananda spent many years writing and teaching. The Hermitage, preserved as a shrine, draws followers from around the world; it is open on the first and third Sundays of the month. It was moving to see the study where he wrote his most famous work, Autobiography of a Yogi, which has been translated into dozens of languages. Where: 215 W. K St., Encinitas, 100 miles southeast of downtown L.A. (Look for the three large golden lotus towers as you come down South Coast Highway 101.) How much: Free. Info: Self-Realization Fellowship Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens. (Irene Lechowitzky) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Hoot and holler in UCLAs Pauley Pavilion, the hoop heaven that honors John Wooden By Chris Erskine (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: John Wooden was the Elvis of college basketball, a mythic, once-in-three-lifetimes figure. Pauley Pavilion was his Graceland. Along with Lambeau Field and Fenway Park, it belongs on any sports fans must-see list. What: Updated and comfortable, Pauley sits on the sweeping and shady UCLA campus in Westwood. It is one of the easiest L.A. sports venues to park near ($12) and navigate. Reopened in 2012 after a two-year renovation, the stadium now offers modern concessions, more room to roam and 1,000 more seats. Most significantly, it added a concourse, improving comfort and flow. Be ready for a lot of blue. After Dodger Stadium, this is L.A.s second blue heaven. (Photos by Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) But youre here for the lore, in a place that has produced 38 All-Americans. Wooden started it all, taking over as head basketball coach at UCLA in 1948 and leading the Bruins to a record 10 national championships. Renowned for his disciplined, values-driven approach, he created a basketball dynasty that won seven straight championships in the late 60s and early 70s, including 98 successive victories at Pauley. Wooden, who died in 2010, is the first person to be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach. Though he resembled a gentleman banker more than a rock star, Woodens legacy lives on in the stadium he made famous. The corridors are lined with photos, timelines and a version of Woodens Pyramid of Success, a set of principles formed to help students and teams reach their potential. Where: Pauley Pavilion, on the UCLA campus, 15 miles west of downtown L.A. How much: Prices vary. Seats generally start at $8 for less-attractive games and $25 for popular ones. Info: UCLA Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Drive through In-N-Out Burgers flagship restaurant in Baldwin Park for a double-double, animal-style By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: For certain carnivorous Californians, a visit to this burger chain is like church, but with more calories. At the flagship In-N-Out location just south of the 10 Freeway in the eastern L.A. County suburb of Baldwin Park, of course you can drive through, as most customers do. But you could eat inside, then browse a company store, then (on the north side of the freeway) admire a non-functioning replica of chains first burger shack. What: Harry and Esther Snyder founded the first In-N-Out burger shack in 1948, which puts them among the first to try a drive-through restaurant. Now their granddaughter runs the company. To taste what the fuss is all about, order a double-double, animal-style  two beef patties cooked with mustard, two slices of cheese and a choice of hand-leafed lettuce and tomato, plus pickles, extra spread and grilled onions. Its the appeal of these burgers and fries (no heat lamps, freezers or microwaves) that has fueled the companys growth to more than 300 outlets. (But unlike its Southern California cousins McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell and Wienerschnitzel, In-N-Out has never expanded beyond the American West.) (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Though the companys first home at San Francisquito and Garvey avenues has been leveled, the current restaurant is joined by not only a store (open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays) but a regional distribution center, the two-story campus of In-N-Out University and the replica shack, which went up in 2014. (The online store does have wider inventory than the brick-and-mortar one, including socks and surfboards.) Where: 13850 Francisquito Ave., Baldwin Park. The company store is at 13800 Francisquito. The replica shack (free and open for selfies Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is at 13752 Francisquito. The restaurant is 16 miles east of downtown L.A. How much: Double-double, animal-style, $4.27. Info: In-N-Out (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Light up your life at the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale By Catharine Hamm The Museum of Neon Art in Glendale showcases the once wildly popular light form. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Why: Decorative and delightful, the works that light up our lives at Glendales Museum of Neon Art are part art and part science and all fascinating. What: In 2015, the museum moved from downtown Los Angeles, where it had lived since 1981, to Glendale and has been lighting up lives ever since. Pep Boys grace the entry. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) For this you can credit the founder of the feast, Georges Claude, a Parisian who invented the neon light in about 1910. L.A. became a hotbed of neon-ness, thanks to its desire to be the capital of the next big thing and its desire to look the part, beginning in the Roaring 20s. The neon at this museum, where exhibits change often enough to encourage repeat visits, is more amusing than unsavory. And as a reminder that nothing lasts forever, Manny, Moe & Jack (the Pep Boys) are not on permanent display, although the museum doesnt have any plans to move the fellows. Eve de Haans pink neon Love Dont Pay the Bills is part of the She Bends exhibit, featuring works by women neon artists. (Catharine Hamm/Los Angeles Times) Through Feb. 11, an exhibit called She Bends: Women in Neon, takes you inside a creative funhouse of the art form, some works based on words (Eve de Haans pink neon Love Dont Pay the Bills), some on objects (Michie Hongos faces on skateboard remnants). Where: 216 S. Brand Ave, Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown L.A. How much: Museum entrance is $10 for adults ($5 if you live in Glendale), $8 for those 65 and older, and free for those 12 and younger if accompanied by an adult. Info: Museum of Neon Art Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Forage with top chefs at the Santa Monica Farmers Market By Christopher Reynolds Wednesday morning, pluots and persimmons. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Some of the states most accomplished farmers rise before dawn on Wednesday mornings and drive as much as 200 miles, just so they can set up and sell at this market. One reason: The Santa Monica Farmers Market draws some of Southern Californias most decorated (and discriminating) chefs. And the market venue happens to be a tomato toss away from the beach, a cucumber roll from the scores of shops and restaurants along the Third Street Promenade. What: About 75 farmers set up stalls along a few blocks of Arizona Avenue, which is closed to vehicles on market mornings. If youre coming by car, youll have to cope with nasty traffic and parking, even at 8:30 a.m., but once youre afoot, life is good. In late fall, youll likely find dates from Mecca, apples from Cuyama, persimmons from Fallbrook, pluots from Kingsbug, oranges from Ojai, mushrooms from La Habra Heights. Consider this a reminder that for all its glitz, California remains an agricultural powerhouse. And even if youre not going to bite into that persimmon, youll feel the sea breeze and hear the banjo player at Arizona and 2nd, or maybe the guitarist a block to the east. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) The market was born in 1981, and the stampede of kitchen professionals began soon after. Noting that close relationship between growers and chefs, Saveur magazine in 2016 labeled this L.A.s best farmers market. Still, its good to remember that other markets operate on Santa Monicas Main Street (Sundays) and in the citys Virginia Avenue Park (Saturdays). If youre farther east, or youd like more street musicians and more nonproduce merchants, theres the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ivar and Selma avenues. Where: The market happens on Wednesdays along Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, between Ocean Avenue and 4th Street from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. On Saturdays, a smaller version occupies Arizona Avenue between between 2nd and 4th streets from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The corner of Arizona Avenue and 4th Street is 17 miles west of downtown L.A. -- which could take an hour to drive, depending on the hour and day. How much: In late November, organic pitted Medjool dates from Mecca were $9.50 per pound. Granny Smith apples from Cuyama were $3 a pound. Fuyu persimmons from Fallbrook were $3.50 per pound. Valencia oranges from Ojai were $1 per pound. Info: Santa Monica Farmers Markets ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Drift in a balloon over northern San Diego County By Christopher Reynolds Aloft near Fairbanks Ranch. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Heres your chance to climb into a wicker basket and rise 3,000 feet above Fairbanks Ranch, to stand just below a fire-belching burner (which makes your balloon rise), to see sunset from high up, and maybe even to throw shade onto one of Bill Gatess houses. What: A balloon ride is a 19th century sort of thrill, and as Californias open spaces get filled in, ballooning options are decreasing. The Napa and Temecula vineyard areas still feature plenty of balloons (which usually launch in early morning, when winds are calmer and temperatures are lower). The Palm Springs and Santa Barbara wine country areas have some too. But balloons are a rare sight along the California coast, so I grabbed a chance to soar above northern San Diego County. Though balloon pilots strive to keep their aircraft above land, the views from on high include miles of ocean and the red tile roofs of countless Mediterranean-style mansions. Rides typically last 45 to 60 minutes (depending on which way the wind blows), pilots are permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration, and its traditional to celebrate afterward with a glass of Champagne. In northern San Diego, its often a sunset operation flown by a team that started their day with a flight in Temecula. My ride in late November, operated by Compass Balloons, featured seven passengers and a pilot. (Minimum age: 5.) We launched near the Vegetable Shop at Chino Farm, (which sells produce to some of the regions most admired restaurants). We inflated, climbed aboard, drifted over the Morgan Run golf course, and gazed down on Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Black Mountain and Carmel Valley. As our round shadow crept across fields, hills and exclusive neighborhoods, pilot Matt Downing pointed out one of Bill Gates houses and another that once belonged to philanthropist Joan Kroc. We touched down smoothly about 3 1/2 miles east of where we took off. Im glad I did it when I did. Compass Balloons owner Evan Munnelly warns that flights in this area may cease within a year because take-off and landing spaces in the area are vanishing so rapidly. Where: Though several companies, including Compass, Skys the Limit and California Dreamin, mention Del Mar in promoting their balloon flights, the vessels usually take off and land farther inland. For my Compass Balloons flight, we met in an Encinitas park-and-ride lot (1969 Villa Cardiff Drive, Encinitas), then the crew drove us to the launch spot. Our meeting spot was 97 miles southeast of downtown L.A., 24 miles north of downtown San Diego. How much: A shared ride (with other passengers in a basket that typically holds eight to 10 people) typically costs $150 to $300 per person. Info: Besides the San Diego companies above, many balloon companies operate in Napa Valley, Temecula and around Palm Springs. . Compass Balloons pilot Matt Downing adjusts burners. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Drink dessert over an ocean view at La Jollas La Valencia Hotel By Christopher Reynolds Terrace, the Med, La Valencia. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: Life can be seriously sweet at this hotel, which was built in 1926 with a big La Jolla Cove view and anchors a neighborhood of ultra-spendy shops and glitzy galleries. Since the days when Gregory Peck hosted other La Jolla Playhouse luminaries in the hotels Whaling Bar, La V (as many locals know the place) has offered a frothy concoction known as a Whaler. Picture a milkshake, enlivened by Kahlua, brandy, coffee, whipped cream and various mystery ingredients. What: The 114-room hotel has long been known for its pink paint job and Spanish Mediterranean style. In the course of ownership changes, expansions and renovations, the Whaling Bar has slipped away. But its frothy legacy remains. Grab one of the 15 or so tables on the terrace of the hotels signature restaurant, The Med, order a Whaler for dessert, and dont plan on operating any heavy machinery for some hours. (If you think you see a Kardashian, it may not be a hallucination; members of the family have been dropping by for years.) Where: 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla, 112 miles southeast of downtown L.A., 14 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. How much: A Whaler costs $14. Main dishes in The Med are priced at $15 to $24. (I can vouch for the snapper ceviche.) Rooms for two typically rent for $289 and up. Info: La Valencia Hotel The Whaler (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Find deep-fried pleasure at a roadside farm stand near Palmdale By Jenn Harris (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Why: Maybe youve finished a hike through the Devils Punchbowl and youre hungry. Or youre looking for unexpected holiday gifts. Or youve been hit by a craving for deep-fried fair food and its not fair season. For all these reasons and more, seekers like you end up at Charlie Brown Farms near Palmdale, where all your snack/drunk food fantasies, and your dreams of owning life-size replicas of the Blues Brothers, collide and come true. What: What started as a fruit stand in 1929 is now a six-acre hodgepodge of stores, a restaurant and a snack shop. The main building is a hokey cabin with advertisements for the various tchotchkes and snacks inside. From the road, its impossible to miss with signs that scream collectibles, funnel cake, smoothies, jerky, Dole whip. And just off the side of the building, an enclosed area with dinosaur statues. You may get whiplash trying to take it all in. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Once through the front door you experience sensory overload. Directly in front of you is a rack of jerky (the store boasts more than 60 kinds, including elk and ostrich). To the right is a counter where you can order milkshakes, fried candy bars, Texas-style barbecue, funnel cakes, ice cream and a host of other foods any decent doctor would advise you stay away from. To the left, packaged nuts, candy, a room where you can fill your own honey jar, a room devoted to pickles, a room devoted to soda, a fudge counter, and all that food is mixed in with things like raccoon figurines and coffee mugs. This is also where you can find raw frog legs for that stew recipe youve been dying to try. And alligator meat too. But past the fudge counter is where things really start to get weird. There are rooms completely lined with dolls from all over the world. A little creepy, but if youre in need of a doll (seriously, any doll), this is the place to find it. The life-size Blues Brothers statues I mentioned earlier? Theyre on the way to the doll rooms. Out back is a patio with tables and chairs, where you can break open that package of elk jerky or come down from that sugar rush of deep-fried Oreos. You could wander around this place for hours and not see everything. But its sure fun to try. Where: 8317 Pearblossom Highway, Littlerock, a 17-minute drive from downtown Palmdale and about 65 miles northeast of downtown L.A. How much: Depends on what youre in the mood for. Barbecue plates start around $11.50, the deep fried Oreos and Snickers are around $4 for each order, the jerky is around $8 a bag depending on the size, and the knick-knacks will range in price. If youre not a fan of lots of people in tight spaces, plan accordingly. Info: Charlie Brown Farms Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Soak in the view of Californias Grand Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park By Elisa Parhad Fonts Point. (Bill McIntire / Anza-Borrego Foundation) Why: Perched at the end of the rising desert floor, Fonts Point gives

onlookers a majestic view of Californias badlands, several hundred

feet below. Though far flung, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is an expansive feast of nature well worth the time it takes to get there. What: Fonts Point is part of a remote and sculptural landscape that was millions of years in the making. The vistas ridge yields to a maze of sinuous channels, razorback ridges and sandy, sun-baked hills. Bring a chair, a picnic and perhaps some friends. The scene is best at sunrise and sunset when the rock formations glow with honey-dipped hues. Even better is a visit during a full moon. The accumulation of photographers at these times is a testament to the spectacle. The brackish waters of the Colorado River and the Gulf of California

converged here long ago, making the area a dumping ground for

sediment. Today, the windswept and eroded rock is flush with the

fossils of animals and marine life that inhabited this once verdant

terrain. Four miles of soft dirt road leads up to Fonts Point, so check the

road conditions before your departure. Depending on the roads status,

a high clearance or 4WD vehicle may be necessary. Closer to the park visitor center, the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is a popular 3-mile round trip that begins with a trailhead at the end of the main campground road. Where: In the heart of the Borrego Badlands, outside of Borrego

Springs, 168 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Free until recently. On Nov. 3, the state parks system started collecting a day-use fee of $10 per vehicle on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at the Anza-Borrego visitor center. Info: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Fonts Point. (Darren Sleat / Anza-Borrego Foundation) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Rent a Duffy for a glittery tour of Newport Harbor By Chris Erskine (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: Newport Bay seems made of glitter. Rental boats are plentiful and the harbor is easy to navigate and full of nautical eye candy. Board an electric boat and take a breezy tour. What: Newport Beach is the Beverly Hills of Orange County. The setting for multiple TV shows, it represents much of the California dream  giant homes and sensational yachts. The harbor, home to 9,000 vessels, is a recreational wonderland. The Duffy, a popular brand of rental boats, is an excellent way to see it all. Available at a half dozen rental places around the harbor, the slow-moving vessels are as easy to operate as a golf cart. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) A popular route is around Lido Island, the thumb-shaped isle on the western side of the harbor, where the bridge leaves plenty of space. Note that many of the bridges surrounding neighboring Balboa Island are too low to accommodate the surrey-topped electric boats. A lap around Lido takes about an hour, a typical rental period. Or, head east past the Fun Zone on Balboa Peninsula, past Balboa Island and toward the mouth of the harbor. Youll be warned not to go near the outlet, since the electric boats arent built to handle bigger waves. Pontoons, kayaks, paddle boards and powerboats are also available at rental locations around the harbor. Boat Rentals of America, on the peninsula near the Fun Zone, offers walk-up rentals, but recommends reservations for weekends, no matter the time of year. Where: Newport Beach is in Orange County, 46 miles, or 90 minutes, from downtown L.A. How much: Duffy electric boats that accommodate up to eight passengers rent for about $85 an hour. Info: Boat Rentals of America or Newport Beach Boat Rentals Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Connect with artisans (and beer) at Crafted, a makers market in a San Pedro port warehouse By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Its a vintage warehouse down by the port, full of artists, designers and makers, neighbored by a craft brewery. And youre not done with your holiday shopping yet. What: Crafted was born five years ago, as the maker movement began to bloom nationwide. Its open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and the first Thursday night of every month in the L.A. Ports Warehouse 10, built in the 1940s. When I stopped by in mid-September, there were about 50 vendors in place, hawking iPhone photo prints, snacks, sculptures, succulents, textiles, vintage reconditioned furniture, soap, you name it. Outside, the San Pedro Festival of the Artists was in full swing-- one of many special events that use picnic tables and patio space between the old warehouses. Pop Kustom Shoppe, Crafted. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Since 2016, the artisans have been joined by Brouwerij West, a craft beer operation and tasting room that fills about half of Warehouse 9. On weekends, theres usually a food truck (or two or three) on hand, and often live music. Coming eventually: a food hall in the other half of Warehouse 9. Where: Warehouse No.10, 112 E. 22nd St., San Pedro, 26 miles south of downtown L.A. How much: Parking and admission are free. Info: Crafted Brouwerij West. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Salute General Grant (the tree) in Kings Canyon National Park By Mary Forgione Ranger wreath ceremony, 2014. (Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald) Why: Any way you look at it, General Grant stands tall. First of all, its a massive sequoia, one of the largest living things in California. Moreover, the White House has named this the nations Christmas tree. What: General Grant is 268 feet high, the base of its trunk is 107 feet around. In 1925, Central Valley resident Charles E. Lee (an officer of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce) asked President Coolidge to have this giant sequoia in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon designated the national Christmas tree. In 1926 the president complied. Ever since, the Sanger Chamber has staged an annual Trek to the Tree, drawing hundreds of people each year for a winter program that typically includes songs and prayers. No tinsel, no lights. Just the tree as it has stood for about 2,000 years, and a wreath contributed by park rangers. This years event will be Sunday, Dec. 10, at the base of the tree. and its a free admission day in the park. For reservations or information on shuttle buses to the site, contact the Sanger Chamber of Commerce by phone at (559) 875-4575 or by e-mail at sangerchamber@gmail.com. Whether you reach General Grant in holiday season or not, you can impress the other tree-lovers by pointing out that in 1956, Congress gave General Grant another distinction, naming it the nations only living national shrine in honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces. And if you really love the idea of big trees with high ranks, make a bonus stop at the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. Its bigger, about 275 feet high. In fact, it might be the worlds largest living thing, depending on how you quantify coral reefs, fungus networks and redwoods. Where: General Grant stands along a 0.8-mile paved loop trail from the General Grant Grove parking lot in Kings Canyon National Park. The grove is 245 miles north of downtown L.A. And its more than 6,000 feet above sea level, so snow is common in winter. Be sure to check weather and road conditions before driving into the area. How much: Admission to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks (which operator jointly, as if they were single unit) is $30 per car for up to seven days. Info: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks (Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ski in the morning in the San Bernardino Mountains, surf in the evening, using these slopes as your launch point By Chris Erskine Snow Summit (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Why: SoCal offers the chance to ski and surf on the same day. This would be the snowy part of such a mountains-to-the-beaches day. What: Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are two slices of the same cake. Two miles apart, the sister resorts are the crown jewels of the town of Big Bear, a couple of hours from the bustle of the big city. Big Bear is three hours away from downtown Los Angeles, and a world apart from the strip malls and gas stations that muck up much of Southern California. Spring, summer or fall, this alpine lake resort town offers plenty of activities, including boating, hiking and zip-lining. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) But in winter, its twin ski resorts really come alive. If you think of Southern California as all palm trees and bikinis, visit Big Bear after a winter storm, when the place is buried in several feet of snow and looks like a Christmas card. In what they offer, the two resorts are very similar, though Summit has the better terrain park. Lift tickets are good for both resorts, and buses run between the two resorts all day. Combined, the resorts offer 27 lifts and four high-speed chairs serving almost 60 runs. The resorts are just a few minutes from the village, where restaurants, shops and a movie theater await visitors. The resorts have begun making snow and opened Dec. 8. As with all mountain visits, note that conditions can change quickly, and chains are usually required on the twisty roads during any significant snow fall. Where: Big Bear Lake is in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County. It is 97 miles east of Los Angeles. How much: Advance purchase lift tickets start around $75. Info: Big Bear Mountain Resorts Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

See the Klamath River flow into the Pacific from this dramatic overlook in Redwood National Park By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Rugged coast. Big sand spit. Half-forgotten road. Blufftop perch. Despite all these assets, this dramatic corner of Northern California doesnt get that many visitors. So youll probably have it to yourself. What: Your gateway to the Klamath River Overlook is Requa, a hamlet -- the memory of a town, really -- along the Highway 101 south of Crescent City in Del Norte County. Its main landmark is the Historic Requa Inn, a rustic riverside lodging and restaurant that dates to 1914. If you can work out a way to eat dinner and spend a night there, do it. But dont stop there. Continue west 1.5 miles (no RVs!) on ramshackle Requa Road (which becomes Patrick J. Murphy Memorial Road on some maps) until theres no more road, and no more land. That will put you at the Klamath River Overlook. Drink it in. And if its May or June, scan the ocean for gray whales. Rangers say they often linger to feed in the waters spilling from river to sea This bluff is part of Redwood National and State Parks and it includes a modest picnic area. Theres a steep Lower Overlook Trail that will take you about a quarter-mile down the slope, exposing further views. Theres also a Coastal Trail to the north -- follow it for 2.7 miles and youll reach Hidden Beach. But the wide view from the picnic tables may well be plenty for you. Theres something mesmerizing about it -- maybe its the moving water. Theres also a good chance of a stiff, cold breeze or fog, just about any time. Bring layers. Where: Klamath River Overlook, 61 miles north of Arcata, 339 miles north of San Francisco, 713 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: No entry fee. Info: Redwood National and State Parks (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Pile the kids in the car, head to Riverside and catch a drive-in movie while you still can By Chris Erskine A drive-in theater in 2014 (Associated Press) The entrance at the Van Buren Drive-In. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: What could be more of a California experience than a Hollywood double-feature viewed from the comfort of your car? What: In the 1950s, drive-in movies were a staple of American pop culture. These days, they are a novelty. One of the last remaining hot spots lives on at the Van Buren Drive-In in Riverside. Put the kids in their PJs and pack up the lawn chairs for a fine family getaway at the Van Buren. Opened in 1964 on the site of former orange groves, the three-screen drive-in remains a vibrant local hangout at half the price of your local multiplex. You can even bring your own food. On weekends, arrive 45 minutes before show time to ensure a decent spot, especially if youre going to sit outside in your lawn chairs. By showtime, the three lots serving the three screens resemble tailgate parties, with families wrapped in blankets and settled in for a double feature. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) SUVs or pickups often pull in with the tail hatch facing the screen, so kids with blankets or sleeping bags can turn the experience into a slumber party. Theres the traditional snack bar, and prices are fair, at least by movie theater standards. But waits can be 20 to 30 minutes on weekends. Check here for express pickup. Keep in mind that youre experiencing a rare phenomenon these days. Once numbering 4,000 across the country, drive-ins are now down to 400 or so. Catch one while you can  not just for the sense of nostalgia, but for a memorable evening at a very fair price. Where: 3035 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, 55 miles southeast of downtown L.A. Plan on a drive of 90 minutes to two hours in evening traffic. How much: Admission is $9 per person; children ages 5 to 9, $1. Major credit cards and debit cards accepted. Open seven days a week. No pets. Info: Van Buren Drive-In Theatre Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Taste-test the Thomas Keller restaurant empire in Yountville, Napa Valley By Christopher Reynolds Chocolate tart, Ad Hoc, Yountville (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Yountville is a sleepy, genteel little town in the heart of Napa Valley, population about 3,000. And Thomas Keller, one of this nations most admired chefs, has three restaurants in Yountville, on the same street. Or four. Or five, depending on how you count. What: Keller, raised and trained in Florida and New York and renowned for his high standards, has also cooked in acclaimed kitchens in France and Los Angeles, and he has operations in New York and Las Vegas as well. (His Bouchon in Beverly Hills is scheduled to close Dec. 31.) But since he opened the French Laundry in 1994, Yountville has been the seat of his California empire. With three Michelin stars and a nine-course chefs menu, The French Laundry may be the most celebrated restaurant in the state, and its surely one of the priciest. Ad Hoc, Yountville (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) But the chef has give us options. Bouchon opened in 1998, offering French bistro fare. The Bouchon Bakery followed in 2003. In 2006 came Ad Hoc, devoted to American comfort food in a casual setting. (Its humble-brag slogan: for temporary relief from hunger.) Ad Hocs menu changes daily to take advantage of fresh ingredients, but its all built around the chefs choice for a four-course family-style meal, which includes favorites like pot roast and barbecue. I came before 6 p.m. on buttermilk fried chicken night (a Monday), and found myself in a happily clamorous dining room, surrounded by families, confronting more food than I could eat. (I enjoyed the casual feeling, and I liked the chicken well enough. But I actually enjoyed the salad and cheese courses more  livelier flavors.) Bouchon Bakery, Yountville ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Either before or after eating in Yountville, stroll Washington Street. At 6640 youll find the French Laundry, fronted by an unassuming, two-story, stone-walled building with minimalist kitchen addition and its gardens across the street. You can even peek through the kitchen window, a long slit that reveals the team laboring fiercely over that evenings dishes. Next, at 6534 Washington, you pause by Bouchon (French bistro fare) and the yellow awning of Bouchon Bakery (6528 Washington), whose snacks are the most affordable way to sample Kellers empire. A few blocks farther south at 6476 Washington, you reach Ad Hoc, which has nine seats at the bar in addition to its many tables (open Thursday through Monday). And behind Ad Hoc, neighbored by picnic tables, is Addendum, an auxiliary space that serves box lunches to go on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Where: Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St., Yountville, Ca., 55 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Building, 411 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: The nine-course dinner at the French Laundry: $310-$325 each. The four-course dinner at Ad Hoc: $55.A box lunch from Ad Hoc Addendum: $16.50. Info: Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, Yountville Chamber of Commerce The French Laundrys kitchen window ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Storm a Tuscan castle in Napa Valley By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Napa Valley has close to 500 wineries. Castello di Amorosa is the only one housed in a 107-room castle that was built in accordance with 13th century Tuscan aspirations. What: Owner/designer Dario Sattui completed this spectacle, a 15-year project, in 2007. Besides its five towers and the barrel-vaulted retail and tasting area (which never seems to end), its got a great hall and chapel, each with evocative murals. Theres said to be a torture chamber below. Depending on your mood, you might expect a Da Vinci Code villain to round a corner at any moment, or Orson Welles in mid-soliloquy. Or one of the Monty Python guys, clopping coconuts together. Not surprisingly -- given the Tuscan blueprint of the place -- the Castello di Amorosa wines are made in the Italian style. The winery suffered no damage in the wine country fires of October. Where: 4045 St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga, Calif., 70 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Buidling, 425 miles northwest of L.A. City Hall. How much: Adult admission (which includes wine-tasting) begins at $25. For children the rate is $15-$20 (and theres grape juice to taste). Tours (which include rooms you cant reach just wandering around) cost $40-$95. Info: Castello di Amorosa ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Soak in Calistoga spring water By Christopher Reynolds Fountain, Indian Springs, Calistoga (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Calistoga is the answer to the question of what to do in the Napa Valley when youve had enough wine. Its a little, old resort town full of hot springs, so between wine-tasting excursions (and maybe the occasional bike ride) you can float listlessly in a steaming pool, untroubled by the faint scent of sulfur because you can feel the stress evaporating from your body. What: Samuel Brannan, a brash, controversial figure who became one of Californias first millionaires in the Gold Rush, founded Calistoga in the 1860s, counting on the areas springs to draw tourists from San Fancisco. (In fact, he built a rail route from Vallejo to Calistoga, and the current Napa Valley Wine Train rolls on the Napa-St. Helena portion of that old route.) It was a clever impulse. The town (population: about 5,300) lives on as a resort escape, with hideaways like Calistoga Ranch, Dr. Wilkinsons and Indian Springs (perhaps the oldest continuously operating pool and spa facility in the state) all relying heavily on their hot springs. Though the Napa/Sonoma wildfires of October drew near, they never reached the town of Calistoga, and it remains handsome as ever. In early November, I spent a night and stepped from the chilly morning air into the Olympic-sized, 102-degree, steam-cloaked pool at the 17-acre Indian Springs resort. It was pleasant. In 2015, the resort added a restaurant (Sams Social Club, which has fascinating, colorful mural over the counter) and grew from about 40 rooms to 115. Many of the interiors still have that just-upgraded, ready-for-the-magazine-photographer look. Where: Indian Springs, 1712 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 73 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Building, 427 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: In winter, Indian Springs rooms for two usually start at about $239 per night. Info: Visit Calistoga, Indian Springs The main pool, Indian Springs, Calistoga (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Board the Napa Valley Wine Train, recall discord and disaster, then roll in splendor past miles of vineyards By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: If youre going to fully appreciate this valley and its globally admired vineyards, its better that youre not driving. And on the Napa Valley Wine Train, you have the chance to dine in style while the miles and wineries roll past. What: The train covers about 18 miles, running north alongside Highway 29 from the city of Napa through Yountville and Oakville to St. Helena. Along the way, depending on what you sign up for, you may stop to taste at one to three wineries, eat a three-course meal on board, and be back where you started in three to six hours. Its expensive but so very comfortable. And its got complicated history. The rail route, first laid in the 1860s, had fallen idle by the 1980s. To get the new wine train rolling in 1989, its owners had to outmaneuver many Napa locals who feared a tourist invasion would ruin the affluent communitys character. Skip forward now to 2015, when the trains management drew a storm of criticism for ejecting a group of guests, mostly African American, who were accused of being too loud. The view from the train, near Yountville, in early November. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) In late 2015, new owners took over the train. Then wildfires flared in October. They missed the train track, Highway 29 and the wineries along the route, but killed at least 41 people and destroyed thousands of homes and scores of businesses in Napa and Sonoma counties. By the time I showed up in early November, almost none of the damage was visible from the train. Napa was still in the early stages of recovery and the train was about half-full  unusual for the time of year. As for my journey, it was a sunny day, the countryside was gorgeous, the meal pleasant. The distant, fire-blackened hills to the east were barely discernible beyond the green and red vineyard rows, the shade trees and the nearby slopes. Where: McKinstry Street Station, 1275 McKinstry St., Napa, 46 miles north of San Francisco, 402 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Most day trips run $206-$329 per person, which includes lunch and wine-tasting. Info: Napa Valley Wine Train (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Taste China (Live) in San Francisco By Christopher Reynolds Dim sum counter, Market Restaurant, China Live. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Nobody likes to say so, but a lot of San Franciscos Chinatown looks tired these days. And many of the areas best Chinese restaurants are scattered among the outer suburbs where so many affluent Chinese American families live. So its a happy surprise to see China Live bring new energy and higher style to the neighborhood with a combination of design-intensive eating and shopping options. Its mission: to demystify Chinese ingredients and recipes while educating guests on the rich history and influence. What: China Live opened in March 2017, near the frontier between Chinatown and North Beach. The main downstairs space, the Market Restaurant and Bar, is full of long wood tables under a semi-raw concrete ceiling. Picture an Apple Store with steaming, edible merchandise, neighbored by open cooking areas, beckoning counters, a bar and adjacent retail rooms stocked with artisan teas, kitchen tools, condiments, shapely candles, jewelry and such. The restaurants menu is mostly based on sharing small dishes, so you might wind up with a medley dinner of fire-roasted sweet white corn, Dungenes crab spring rolls and Sheng Jian Bao (SJB) pan-fried pork dumplings. Market Restaurant, China Live. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Near the entrance is the casual Oolong Cafe. Upstairs waits a more exclusive restaurant offering private, pricey dining in elegant rooms befitting a royal in hiding. Its called Eight Tables by George Chen (dinner only; tasting menu: $225). There are also a pair of bars upstairs, including the Gold Mountain Lounge and one called Cold Drinks -- one of those hip hideaways that seeks to be popular by maintaining quasi-secrecy. Where: 644 Broadway, San Francisco, 380 miles northwest of downtown L.A.. How much: Together, the three dishes above cost about $40. Most cocktails $13-$15. Info: China Live ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

See, sniff and taste Napa Valleys bounty at the Oxbow Public Market By Christopher Reynolds A 1,033-pound pumpkin on display at Oxbow Public Market in Napa. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: This market and food hall, set above a fetching bend in the Napa River, is a short stroll from downtown Napa, a block from the headquarters of the popular Napa Valley Wine Train, a block from the COPIA center for wine and food education. Much smaller than San Franciscos food-centric Ferry Building but placed near the starting point of many popular Napa adventures, this foodie acre (about two-thirds the size of a football field) is a point of convergence for locals and tourists and a one-stop reminder that this wine country does more than make wine. What: The Oxbow Public Market opened in 2007, just in time to suffer from a national recession, the closure of COPIA (since rethought and reopened by the Culinary Institute of America) and construction-related disruptions of local traffic. Now those troubles are in the rear-view mirror, and a stroll around the marketplace introduces you to plenty of wine products but also duck tacos (at C Casa); American comfort food (Gotts Roadside); local seafood (Hog Island Oyster Co.); and assorted local fruits and vegetables (Hudson Greens & Goods). On my early November visit, Hudson was showing off a 1,033-pound pumpkin. There were also plenty of signs thanking the first-responders for their work fighting that regions wildfires in October. (Though many homes and about two dozen wineries were lost or damaged in those fires, the vast majority of the areas 500 wineries had reopened by Nov. 8.) Besides browsing at the market, you can also rent a bike at the automatic Spinway stand just outside and pedal seven miles along the Napa River to Kennedy Park and back; or just toodle down 1st Street in downtown Napa, where the new, 183-room Archer Hotel is expected to open in December. Where: 610-644 1st St., Napa, 46 miles north of the San Francisco Ferry building, 4
Are these the dog days of summer? Not sure. When I hear that phrase, I think of my late, great Dalmatian, who used to lie with her head on the kitchen floor, tongue flopping from her mouth, looking as pained as an animal can look. Turns out our best friends are not the genesis of this expression, which stems from the position of the star Sirius, a National Geographic article explains.

My name is Catharine Hamm, Im the travel editor for the Los Angeles Times, and Im thinking about lying on the kitchen floor, tongue flopping from my mouth, thanks to another stretch of weather thats an air conditioner killer.

A more dignified posture might be lounging in a comfortable chair and reading the story on rounding up sheep in Iceland, a country name that gives me instant mental relief.

Or you might pour yourself your favorite adult beverage and learn about the growth of the wine industry in Colorado, whose capital of Denver lies at 5,280 feet, just high enough to keep temps tamped down.

Advertisement

Although I didnt used to think of Las Vegas as a place to chill, our Weekend Escape on Mt. Charleston, about 30 minutes from the Strip, has me reconsidering.

If there is a place that could use relief, its Yosemite National Park, which is near the Ferguson fire. We update you on how its affecting our favorite park.

Just thinking about the blue waters of the Pacific helps me feel cooler, and our four great places to snorkel Tipsheet did just that. But that was offset a bit by the On the Spot column, which got my blood boiling.

All of this and more in this weeks newsletter, which we thank you for reading. We hope youll send us thoughts and suggestions for improvements to travel@latimes.com.

And now, lets chill.

 Catharine Hamm, travel editor

Icelands sheep thrills

A herd of sheep is driven into the center of the rett. A brief stampede ensues as the corral slowly fills to capacity as part of Icelands sheep roundup. (Ross Weinberg)

From this story by Karen Carmichael, I learned what a rett is and so much more. The bringing in of the sheep from their summer of grazing on sweet grass and berries is hard work, but its also a time of celebration. This is what I love about travel: You learn about the threads that make up the fabric of a destination, and the best stories are those that offer the kind of insight that leads to the inspiration to travel.

Cheers, Colorado

Carboy Winery tap room, about a 20-minute drive from Denver, is part of a burgeoning wine scene. (Carboy Winery)

Likewise, Kristin Braswells story on Colorados burgeoning wine industry has me eager to return to sample wines from the Rocky Mountain State, where craft beer is big, craft spirits are available and recreational use of cannabis was legalized and made its debut in early 2014. Who knew you could grow good grapes on the slopes of the Rockies?

When you do this, you earn our contempt

Like moths to a flame, we seem to be drawn to taking selfies. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times)

Travelers are a sensitive lot, apparently. You can pretty easily put yourself on the dont-come-near-me-you-idiot list if you engage in some fairly common behaviors, Mary Forgione writes. How to stay off the jerk list? Check out the results of this survey in her story.

Doing the Charleston

At almost 9,000 feet, Mt. Charleston, not far from the Vegas Strip, is much, much cooler. (Anne Burke)

The Vegas Strip is smokin hot any time of the year, but in summer, thats especially true. Anne Burke writes about escaping to Mt. Charleston, close enough that locals drive up after work to walk the dog. And it has Cold War history. Now thats cool.

Parts of Yosemite still closed

Scott Gediman, public affairs officer at Yosemite National Park, at smoky Stoneman Meadow in Yosemite Valley. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Smoke and staging areas for fighting the Ferguson fire have shut down parts of Yosemite National Park indefinitely. What if you have a reservation for lodgings? Chris Erskines article tells you how to navigate this hurdle.

Go, fish

Molokini Crater off Maui is a great place to snorkel. (Tor Johnson/Hawaii Tourism Authority)

Snorkelings not hard. If you can breathe, you can snorkel. That makes snorkeling nearly a must if youre visiting Hawaii. Read Sara Cagles recommendations for where to snorkel in the islands. Remember, look but dont touch  and know that seeing a sea turtle is considered good luck.

Caught in customer service hell

Is this your idea of hell? Its actually just a furnace. Being caught in a customer service loop is a different kind of torment. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Loretta Gromo called me one day to tell me her story of a cruise booking gone bad. A cascading series of mistakes, none of them hers, undid all her work to book the reservation, get the cabin she wanted and snag the appropriate discounts. And then it all went wrong. Find out how this Claremont resident became her own best advocate. Share your thoughts on getting good customer service at travel@latimes.com.

Hit the beach

Tommy Bahama beach cart helps you tote your stuff across the sand. (Tommy Bahama)

Readers have told us they like reading about gear, and Judi Dash writes about innovations for toting all those chairs and coolers at the beach, keeping the dog safe and babys hands clean and keeping your electronics charged.

What were reading

My heart sank when I saw this Washington Post headline: Vacation seems like it frees us from work. Thats what work wants us to think. The conclusion by Brian OConnor, a professor at University College in Dublin, Ireland: Vacation actually supports the world of work. Your absence forces someone else to do your job and thus creates better-trained employees.

Want to save a buck or two in Barcelona or Buenos Aires? The New York Times offers tips on saving in 10 cities, including Chicago, Hong Kong and London.

Everyone seems to love Austin, Texas, the Boston Globe says. In fact, writer Megan Lisagor Stoessell liked it so much she spent time looking a real estate. Compared with hipster hubs like Brooklyn and San Francisco, she writes, Austin seems affordable  and enjoyable with its evolving restaurant scene, green spaces and live music, including the South by Southwest festival.

And finally

You can subscribe for free to this or other L.A. Times newsletters on our newsletter website. You may also want to consider our monthly Vegas Escapes newsletter. The next one is Aug. 23. Send us your thoughts, your concerns about this newsletter, along with your escape routes from customer service hell, your tips on selfie self-restraint and ideas on where you go to beat the heat to travel@latimes.com.

Until next week, travel smartly and safely. Well be here to welcome you home.
On Aug. 1, the Mikhail Bulgakov House Museum posted an alarming announcement on its website and social media accounts.

An employee of Bulgakovs House has been abducted! the museum said.

The post was no joke, nor was it an ordinary museum employee. The missing co-worker was Begemot the cat, a permanent fixture of the museum with nearly as rabid a following as the author for whom the entire exhibit is dedicated.

A little background may be helpful here.

Advertisement

Bulgakov was one of the Soviet Unions most influential, and subversive, authors, best known for his magical realist classic, The Master and Margarita, which was set in the authors Moscow neighborhood. The book deals with good and evil, and features the devil strolling through the leafy park surrounding Patriarchs Pond, a few blocks from Bulgakovs apartment.

The novel is believed to have been written during Stalins purges in the 1930s, and was banned during the Soviet era. Many believe it to be a satirical look at life under the communist system.

One of its main characters is Begemot (Russian for behemoth), an enormous black cat that walks on two legs, likes vodka and chess, can take on human form, and frequently mouths off obnoxiously.

So of course the museum has a cat named Begemot.

To say that Begemot is part of the museum would be an understatement. In many ways, Begemot is the museum. His face adorns paintings and posters. His photo is featured on the museum-theaters marquee. There are tea cups and plates with his scowling face, and the cafe sells Begemot keychains and magnets as souvenirs.

Souvenirs with Begemot the cats image on sale in the cafe of the Bulgakov museum in Moscow. (Sabra Ayres / Los Angeles Times)

Yevgeny Markov looks through his iPad for photos of Begemot the cat, with whom hes worked for nearly 12 years as a night guard at the Bulgakov museum in Moscow. (Sabra Ayres / Los Angeles Times)

Begemot, 13, has lived at the museum since kittenhood. To compensate for his daily appearances for the museums nearly 200 visitors (museum staff report that he can seem very uninterested in his job), Begemot receives room and board. His meals are specially prepared, and the museum also provides him with a personal vet and a stylist, museum employees said.

The cat takes extended breaks each day, typically strolling through the nearby parks and neighboring apartment courtyards, said Yevgeny Markov, one of museums night guards. Markov described his relationship with the cat as close, saying the two have shared two meals a day for about 12 years.

At night, I have my bed for sleeping, and he has his right next to me, Markov said. Hes a tough character. But hes good company.

Back to the events of Aug. 1.

According to the museum, Begemot sauntered past the reception desk on the museums second floor and made his way down the wide staircase about 11 a.m. It was the usual time for his stroll, so the museum workers didnt question his intentions as he walked out the door.

When Begemot didnt return from his stroll within two hours, museum employees started to worry. It was unlike the cat to return late, and the museum had recently received strange messages via its website.

Natalya Sklyarova, the museums executive director, sits in the cafe below a portrait of Begemot the cat. (Sabra Ayres / Los Angeles Times)

Just hours before Begemot went missing, an anonymous user had posted, Why have you let your cat out? on the websites comments section. Nikolai Golubev, the museum director, told the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that he interpreted the strange message as a veiled threat.

Late that afternoon, the museum got word of the unthinkable: A woman working in an office nearby had seen a fair-haired woman she didnt recognize pick Begemot up from where he was napping in the sun on the stoop of a pharmacy. The fair-haired woman walked with Begemot in her arms toward the Mayakovsky metro station, where the observer lost her trail. (Since this is a literary tale, its worth noting that the metro station is named after the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, who once wrote about the old man with scrawny black cats.)

Worried that Begemot had been kidnapped, the museum immediately posted a notice online.

An unknown woman has stolen the cat Begemot, the staff member of the Museum-Theater Bulgakov House, the post said. Anyone with information about the cat, which has an identification tag in the shape of a bone and a harsh character, should contact the museum as soon as possible, the post said.

News that Begemot was missing spread like wildfire across the Russian internet. The museums Facebook post was shared 2,900 times.

The most famous cat of Moscow named Begemot was kidnapped right in the center of the capital by an unknown woman, Moskovsky Komsomolets reported that afternoon.

About five hours after Begemots disappearance, the museum got a call from the local police station. The fair-haired woman had left the cat on the steps of the Mossovet State Academic Theater down the street. Police officer Vyacheslav Bulavin found Begemot sitting on the curb unharmed.

A photo of Bulavin holding Begemot in the museum flooded the internet. Both cat and officer looked reluctantly at the camera. Online, Moscow heaved a collective sigh of relief as word spread that the cat had been found.

The next day, Begemots personal veterinarian arrived to give the cat a thorough checkup. Near kidnappings can be stressful, and the museum staff was anxious to ensure that the cat wasnt suffering from some kind of long-term psychological trauma.

Happily, Begemot came out of his checkup with flying colors.

Today our well-known cat was examined by the zoo-psychologist, the museum posted on its website. The experts conclusion  the cat is healthy and feels great.

sabra.ayres@latimes.com

Twitter: @sabraayres

Ayres is a special correspondent.
For many, the name Winnie the Pooh recalls childhood bedtime stories and Saturday morning cartoons. But in China, the famous honey-hunting bear has become a symbol of resistance.

Starting in 2013, memes comparing Winnie the Poohs appearance to that of Chinese President Xi Jinping began to circulate on Chinas internet. The government responded by cracking down on images of the paunchy cartoon character. And now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, China is yet again censoring Pooh by declining to release Disneys Christopher Robin, starring Ewan McGregor and a computer-generated Pooh, in Chinese movie theaters.

Though the government gave no reason for the denial, a source told the magazine that past censorship of the bear had something to do with it.

The government has not completely banned photos of Pooh from the internet, but it has restricted them. In 2015, the Financial Times reported, a photo of Xi waving at supporters from a parade car next to an image of Pooh in a toy car was named the most censored image of the year by Global Risk Insights.

Advertisement

A woman takes a photo beside a gold sculpture of Winnie the Pooh in an outlet of Chow Tai Fook Jewellry in Chengdu, China, on March 23, 2012. (Xiao Bo / Associated Press)

Even images that dont compare Pooh to Xi can face trouble. In 2017, according to the Financial Times, attempts to write Winnie in Chinese characters on Sina Weibo, Chinas equivalent of Twitter, were met with content is illegal messages.

In June, China also blocked access to HBO after its show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver criticized the country over its human rights record and poked fun at Xis aversion to the Winnie the Pooh comparison.

Im not even sure its that strong a resemblance, to be honest. But the fact hes annoyed about it means people will never stop bringing it up, Oliver said.

Trust me, Xi, if your face even remotely resembles that of a beloved cartoon character, the smart move here is to lean in, he added.

China could also be passing on the film for less controversial reasons. As the Guardian reported, the country allows only 34 foreign films to play in Chinese cinemas each year.
For a glaring example of the rising tension between Israel and the Islamist militia Hamas, look no further than the Al-Meshal building in Gaza City.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, says the building was a popular cultural center for youth. Israel says it was used by Hamas interior security forces for military purposes.

The building is now a pile of rubble, and the health ministry in Gaza said Thursday that four people were killed when an Israeli airstrike demolished the building during the latest round of intense exchanges along the Gaza-Israel border. Hamas says 40 people were wounded, Israel put the number of injured at 18.

Hamas launched at least 200 rockets on Wednesday and Thursday into Israel, which retaliated with airstrikes against more than 150 sites within the Palestinian territory.

Advertisement

Israels air defenses intercepted more than 30 rockets, but a house and several other sites in and around the cities of Sderot and Beersheba, 25 miles inland from Gaza, were hit, according to the Israeli army.

Israel considers Thursdays rocket launches towards Beersheba, the capital of Israels south, where air raid sirens had not been heard since the 2014 Gaza War, a significant escalation.

In a statement, the Israeli army said the al-Meshal building was used by a unit that is considered to be an executive branch of Hamas political leadership. It added that part of the units members are also military operatives of the Hamas terror organization.

Israel and Palestinian witnesses said the army used drones to knock on the roof of the building, a technique employing low-yield devices on the roof of a targeted building to warn people to leave.

Eman Hamam, 35, a mother of five living about 75 yards from the al-Meshal building, said Thursday the initial drone strikes were very strong, we thought it was a real strike.

My daughters started screaming, she told The Times, and we went to hide in the kitchen and to follow the news on Facebook.

She said the blast of the bombardment that demolished the building came while she was on the phone with a relative, and our home went very dark due to the ashes and dust.

None of the nearby buildings were affected by the bombs.

Authorities in Gaza reported that three people were killed earlier, including Enas Khamash, 23, who was pregnant and her 18-month-old daughter, Bayan. Ali al-Ghandour, 30, reportedly a fighter in Hamass military wing, was reportedly seriously injured. Six others were also wounded in the strikes.

Eleven injured Israelis were taken to hospital for treatment, including one woman who was seriously wounded. In anticipation of further escalations, Beershebas Soroka Medical Center transferred its neonatal unit to bomb-proof shelters.

A child explores the rubble of the al-Meshal Cultural Center building destroyed in Israeli air strike in Gaza City. (Haitham Imad / EPA-EFE/REX/Shutter / HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutter)

Tensions between Israel and Gaza have been on high since the Trump administration announced in December that it was moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Palestinians claim Eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, but Israel claims the city in its entirety as its capital.

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.

Late Thursday, Hamas called for mass participation marches on Friday.

The latest round of violence started amid anticipation of a reported cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel. On Thursday at noon Hamas unilaterally announced a truce in a statement that read This round of fighting is over; maintaining peace depends on Israel.

But immediately thereafter and up until 4 p.m., rockets continued to be launched.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting with his defense minister and army chief of staff ahead of a security cabinet meeting on Gaza, scheduled for the evening.

We dont see the end of the escalation. We are closing in on operation in Gaza, a senior Israeli army official said in a briefing for Israeli media, hinting at a possible war in the offing and the possibility of evacuating Israeli civilians if the conflict escalates.

Two hundred thousand Israeli civilians living in border communities were ordered to spend Wednesday night in shelters, and summer camps were permitted to operate only within bombproof shelters. The army also banned agricultural work, which is at its height in August.

At 9:20 p.m. Thursday, air raid sirens continued to send Israelis to shelters throughout the border area.

Speaking to Israel Radio, Shlomi Ilan, a resident of the communal village of Kissufim, said that theres a terrible atmosphere. We cant work in fields, the summer camps are shuttered, no one can leave the shelters. We have to hit hard at the enemy and then make a deal with them. It has to end.

Israel is not looking for war, but public pressure may lead to harsher steps, says Amos Harel, the military analyst for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, describing the current situation as Israels Groundhog Day in Gaza  stuck in endless, bloody loop with Hamas.

In addition, the Israeli army said wide-scale attacks during the course of the day destroyed about 150 Hamas strategic military targets including two tunnels and shafts leading into Israel and a cement factory producing slabs used to build the tunnels.

The strikes were a response to rocket attacks as well as shots fired at civilians working on the border fence, Israeli officials said.

With elections scheduled for next year, Israeli opposition lawmakers slammed Netanyahu for failing to achieve a lasting truce despite ongoing Egyptian and U.N. attempts to mediate a cease-fire between the parties.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for Hamas, said Israel barbarically and deliberately targeted the cultural center with shelling and destruction.

He added that the bombardment was an Israeli attempt to sabotage the Egyptian efforts to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Nikolay Mladenov, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement that he was deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel.

He added, we will continue working hard to ensure that Gaza steps back from the brink, that all humanitarian issues are addressed and that Egyptian-led efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation succeed.

Special correspondents Salah and Tarnopolsky reported from Gaza City and Jerusalem, respectively.

UPDATES:

3:04 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional figures on the exchange of fire between Hamas and the Israeli military.

This article was originally published at 7:05 a.m.
Russia lashed out at the United States on Thursday for a new round of sanctions the Kremlin called categorically unacceptable and absolutely unlawful, as tensions between the former Cold War rivals continued to intensify.

The White House on Wednesday announced the sanctions aimed at punishing the Kremlin for the March nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, who were poisoned by a Soviet-made nerve agent called Novichok. Russian lawmakers compared the sanctions to a lynching and even suggested the U.S. had masterminded the attack in Salisbury, England.

President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said there was no proof Russia was involved in the Novichok incident, and that imposition of more sanctions was viewed by the Kremlin as absolutely unfriendly and can hardly be associated with the already uneasy, but constructive atmosphere achieved at the latest meeting of the two presidents.

Advertisement

President Trump and Putin met last month in Helsinki for their first one-on-one summit since Trump took office. The Kremlin hailed the meeting as a small but successful step in mending tattered relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Trump has received wide criticism from both sides of the aisle for not confronting Putin more strongly on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Peskov told reporters that it was too soon to speak about how Moscow would retaliate against the new sanctions.

Russian stock markets tumbled Thursday after the sanctions announcement. The ruble dropped to its lowest rate against the U.S. dollar since 2016. Aeroflots stock traded lower on fears that the U.S. could cut landing rights for the Russian flagship carrier if Moscow did not meet the sanctions terms within 90 days.

The sanctions will ban U.S. exports to Russia of goods and technology considered sensitive to national security, the State Department said.

The restrictions take effect on Aug. 22 and will be followed by swifter actions, including a possible downgrade of diplomatic relations should Russia fail to prove that it has discontinued the use of chemical weapons. The sanctions require Russia to allow international inspectors to assess whether Russian scientific and security facilities are producing chemical and biological weapons in violation of international law.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert would not comment on whether Russia was likely to comply with the requirements to avoid more sanctions, such as admitting weapons inspectors into Russia and acknowledging Moscows role in the nerve agent attack. She refused to comment on whether that wouldnt automatically trigger additional sanctions when a 90-day grace period ends.

Asked the goal of the sanctions, she said the administration wants a better relationship with Russia but has found sanctions can be effective as a way to encourage better behavior by governments.

Several prominent Russian politicians on Thursday said this round of sanctions proved Washington was set on continuing a Russophobic campaign against Moscow.

Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the parliament, said that the U.S. sanctions showed Washington behaving like a police state, threatening and torturing a suspect to get evidence.

He compared the new sanctions to inflicting a punishment in the absence of a crime in the tradition of lynch laws, Russian media quoted him as saying.

One senator said the U.S. was the true mastermind behind the Skripal poisoning, which she described as a setup meant to frame Russia.

The curtain has been drawn, it reveals who directed and masterminded this provocation, said Irina Yarovaya, the deputy speaker of the Duma, the lower house of parliament, according to Tass. The Novichok operation was carried out by those who are not strangers to launching sanctions around the globe.

Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the Dumas international affairs committee, told Tass that the sanctions mean Russia now has fewer sensible and constructive politicians to work with in the U.S. However, we will continue to work with those who have not succumbed to collective insanity and try to restore the dialogue.

Earlier this week, Slutsky met with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was in Moscow as part of a small congressional delegation arranged by the libertarian Cato Institute. Paul has been an outspoken defender of Trump policies, particularly his performance in Helsinki with Putin.

Paul met Monday with Russian senators and complained of sanctions hysteria in Washington among his colleagues in the Senate, Russian state media Ria Novosti reported.

During the meetings, Paul extended an invitation to the Russian senators to visit Washington as part of an effort to improve relations, Russian media reported.

While in Moscow, Paul also met with former Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, who came into the spotlight last year for his meetings with several Trump campaign members, including Jared Kushner, the presidents son-on-law, and early members of the White House cabinet, such as Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and former national security advisor Michael T. Flynn. Those meetings are now being examined as part of a federal investigation into Russian election meddling.

On Twitter, Paul said that he had delivered a letter to Putin from Trump that emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas, including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges.

sabra.ayres@latimes.com

Twitter: @sabraayres

Ayres is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

2:25 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Heather Nauert of the State Department.

This article was originally published at 11:50 a.m.
An airstrike launched by the Saudi Arabian-led military coalition in Yemen hit a school bus in the rebel-held north of the country Thursday, killing and injuring dozens of people, many of them children, according to local and international medical officials.

The regional coalition, which is backed by the United States and supports Yemens internationally recognized government, said the strike was part of a legitimate military operation targeting missile launchers in Saada province, a stronghold of the rebels that borders Saudi Arabia.

It was the latest in a long line of horrific attacks in Yemen, where a grinding civil war, now in its fourth year, has killed thousands of people, displaced at least 2 million others and created a humanitarian disaster in the Arab worlds poorest nation.

The bus was ferrying children from a school to a mosque to mark the end of their summer session when it was hit near the Dahyan market, said Youssef Hadri, a spokesman for the rebel Ministry of Health.

Advertisement

At least 45 students between 6 and 14 years old were killed, along with five of their teachers,Hadri said. The strike also injured at least 87 people, many of them seriously, he added.

He called the attack a satanic aggression, saying the coalition backed by America, has been committing such atrocities since Day 1.

Yemens rebel-run Al Masirah TV broadcast images of burned and bloodied children arriving at a hospital for treatment, one them still wearing a school backpack. Enraged residents loaded bodies and severed limbs into pickup trucks.

This is the aggressor? This child? one man yelled at the camera. Look at their hands! he said, holding up mangled remains.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said a hospital it supports in Al Talh received 30 bodies from the attack. Of the 48 people treated there, about 30 were children, said Sara al-Zawqari, an ICRC spokeswoman based in Beirut.

It was a very overwhelming and horrific day for the teams working there, she said.

Victims were also taken to at least two other medical facilities. Most were under the age of 10, tweeted Johannes Bruwer, who heads the ICRC delegation in Yemen.

The organization said it was rushing medical supplies to area hospitals to assist with the influx, adding in a tweet, Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict.

Col. Turki Maliki, a coalition spokesman, said the strike targeted rebels who had planned and carried out an attack aimed at civilians in the southern Saudi city of Jizan the previous day. He accused the militants of using children as human shields.

On Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency said the kingdoms air defenses intercepted a missile aimed at Jizan, but fragments from the blast killed one person and injured 11 others.

The rebels known as Houthis have launched many such attacks since Saudi Arabia entered the war in Yemen in 2015 on behalf of the countrys president, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. The Houthis, who are aligned with the kingdoms arch-foe, Iran, control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana, while Hadi has set up a government in exile in the southern port city of Aden.

The United States assists the Saudi-led coalition with weapons sales, intelligence gathering and aerial refueling for its jets, drawing criticism from humanitarian organizations and members of Congress because of the wars heavy toll on civilians .

The United Nations human rights office estimates that at least 16,000 civilians have been injured or killed in the fighting, most of them through coalition airstrikes. But the actual figure is believed to be much higher.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the Trump administration was concerned about Thursdays reports but did not have the full details yet. She called on the Saudi government to conduct a transparent investigation and for the coalition it leads to take the appropriate measures to mitigate [against] civilian deaths.

Human rights defenders have criticized such investigations in the past, calling them a whitewash. Aid groups Thursday demanded an independent investigation into the airstrike and other recent attacks aimed at civilians, saying perpetrators must be held to account.

Even wars have rules, but rules without consequences mean nothing, Frank McManus, the Yemen country director for the International Rescue Committee, said in a statement. If there is any chance of innocent lives, especially those of children, being lost in an attack, that attack should not take place..

Last week, Yemeni health officials accused the coalition of carrying out airstrikes on civilians in the rebel-held port city of Hudaydah, including at a fish market and outside the main hospital. At least 55 people were killed and scores injured in those attacks.

The coalition denied responsibility, saying it follows a strict and transparent approach based on international law.

Hudaydah, a key gateway for trade and aid shipments, has become the latest battleground in Yemens devastating war, threatening a lifeline that serves more than 20 million people in need  three-quarters of the population.

Al Faour is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report from Washington.

UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the attack and reaction from the U.S. State Department.

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with staff reporting that includes the death toll rising to at least 50 and other details.

This article was originally published at 6:10 a.m.
Home  Just In  Thapa takes over the reins of Nepali Army from Thursday

Kathmandu, August 9

Following decades-long custom, Nepali Armys Chief Rajendra Chhetri has decided to stay on leave from Thursday, exactly a month before his retirement.

Accordingly, Lieutenant General Purna Chandra Thapa is taking over the reins of the national military force.

The government has already decided to pick Thapa for next Army Chief. He will be promoted once Chhetri will retire on September 9.

The Nepali Army Headquarters has organised a special function in Kathmandu today, during which Chhetri will hand over the responsibilities to his successor today.

Meanwhile, Chhetri has claimed his term as the Chief of Army Staff was successful despite challenges galore.
Its that time of year again when parents and students are heading to their schools for open houses, and getting ready to kick off the 2018-2019 school year this Friday, Aug. 10.

We have lots of plans to make the learning environment safe, healthy and a happy place for kid to be, School Board Member Mary Fischer said. We look forward to working with our students, parents and the community to really make this the best year ever and help our kids to be successful academically, socially and personally.

Elementary schools start at either 7:55 a.m. or 8:55 a.m., depending on the school, while middle schools begin at 9:45 a.m. and high schools begin at 7:05 a.m.

Fischer encourages all students to get a good nights sleep before the first day of school, so they are ready to go Friday morning.

Parents and guardians have the opportunity to sign up for the free WheresTheBusTm app this year to see how far away the bus is from their stop. The app does not show routes.

Parents can visit www.WheresTheBus.com and click on set up account inside the parents section on the left-hand side. Select Lee County School District and enter parent and student information, which includes the students ID number. Once the information is validated, an email will be sent with instructions and download information.

Those students that have to be out early at bus stops, I hope that there will be an adult nearby supervising to make sure everything goes OK the first couple days of school, she said.

In addition, parents can also view their childs school menus, nutrition facts and allergy information on the MealViewer app, which can be downloaded to their smartphone. By downloading the app, parents can add their childs school to a list of favorites and see the days full menu and select their favorite menu items.

We serve breakfast and lunch at every school, Fischer said.
The first joint budget workshop between the Cape Coral City Council and its Budget Review Committee was an exercise where both looked at numerous what-if scenarios through the eyes of a computer model.

But two things stood out at Tuesdays workshop at City Hall.

The City Council has little desire to subsidize the Cape Coral Charter School System. A majority on the elected board also want to bring in more code enforcement officers to address the many violations residents say they see on a daily basis.

City Manager John Szerlag presented the funding core of the proposed General Fund budget of $211,642,492: a property tax rate of 6.75 mills with a rollback rate of 6.4402; a 62 percent cost-of-operations fire service assessment and a public service tax on electric bills of 7 percent, the current rate.

One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable valuation. The rollback rate is the rate at which the same amount of revenue would be raised from property taxes.

Peter Napoli of Stantec, formerly Burton & Associates, brought the computer model and showed the council and the BRC real time results of any variable they could come up with over a 10-year period.

When it showed a proposal for the municipal charter school system getting $3 million in assistance by having the city to take over some of the services, there was disagreement.

There needs to be another revenue source for the charter schools. I really dont agree with bailing them out, Councilmember Rick Williams said. Without that $3 million we look pretty good. But we cant anticipate what the economy will be.

Szerlag said the citys charter schools system isnt a mom-and-pop operation anymore and is being challenged to change its business model to fulfill the citys insistence it be self-sustaining.

Theres this rural/urban continuum. Were not a small town but we continue to be like one even though were grown. No ordinance has said the city will not fund public schools, Szerlag said.

The city is expected to finish its best-practices tracking of the charter schools in January.

In the General Fund budget here are 28 new full-time employment positions proposed. Most are new school resource officers required by the state.

Some city council members want to see additional code enforcement officers added to the new positions list.

Department of Community Development Director Vince Cautero showed his proposed budget, which calls for only one new position for a code enforcement officer.

Thats not enough, some on the board said.

We have had an increase of 75 percent in population, but code enforcement isnt keeping up. They want more code enforcement on Chiquita and Skyline. The optics speak for themselves, Councilmember John Carioscia said.

Code enforcement always comes up at town meetings. Theres room for improvement because this is a quality-of-life issue, Councilmember John Gunter said. We need to be proactive and reevaluate.

When Carioscia asked if there were other cuts to be made elsewhere to pay for more code officers (maybe through less paving), Szerlag said there should have been more communication from council on its wishes. He said he would look into it and bring back something in time for Thursdays workshop regarding the impact of this decision.

Also questioned was funding for Public Works sidewalk program.

Councilmember Jessica Cosden, upon hearing the city funds its sidewalks entirely through grants, said she found that unusual.

I want to see us start budgeting for sidewalks instead of using just grants. Were a big city, Cosden said.

Ill see that and Ill raise you streetlights, Councilmember David Stokes said. We have kids walking to school in the dark. We have $100,000 budgeted for lights. Cant we take some money out of paving and into lights?

The second joint budget workshop will be Thursday at 1 p.m. in council chambers. A third if needed workshop will be held Aug. 23. Public hearings will be held Sept. 6 and Sept. 20 at 5:05 p.m. in council chambers.


Source:



Die mathematische schriften von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, vol. VII

C. I. Gerhardt (ed)

pp 223-227





Date: 1703



Note - This text was published in the Memoires de l'Academie Royale des Sciences .



Translated from the French





View this translation in PDF format (417k)



Back to home page





Search texts by keyword(s):



(For search strings, just type the words; don't use quotation marks)



EXPLANATION OF BINARY ARITHMETIC

[GM VII p223]



EXPLANATION OF BINARY ARITHMETIC, WHICH USES ONLY THE CHARACTERS 0 AND 1, WITH SOME REMARKS ON ITS USEFULNESS, AND ON THE LIGHT IT THROWS ON THE ANCIENT CHINESE FIGURES OF FUXI

The ordinary reckoning of arithmetic is done according to the progression of tens. Ten characters are used, which are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, which signify zero, one, and the successive numbers up to nine inclusively. And then, when reaching ten, one starts again, writing ten by "10", ten times ten, or a hundred, by "100", ten times a hundred, or a thousand, by "1000", ten times a thousand by "10000", and so on.

But instead of the progression of tens, I have for many years used the simplest progression of all, which proceeds by twos, having found that it is useful for the perfection of [GM VII, p224] the science of numbers. Thus I use no other characters in it bar 0 and 1, and when reaching two, I start again. This is why two is here expressed by "10", and two times two, or four, by "100", two times four, or eight, by "1000", two times eight, or sixteen, by "10000", and so on. Here is the Table of Numbers of this way, which may be extended as far as is desired.

Here, one glance makes evident the reason for a celebrated property of the geometric progression by twos in whole numbers, which holds that if one has only one of these numbers for each degree, one can compose from them all the other whole numbers below the double of the highest degree. For here, it is as if one said, for example, that 111, or 7, is the sum of four, two, and one, and that 1101, or 13, is the sum of eight, four, and one. This property enables assayers to weigh all sorts of masses with few weights and could serve in coinage to give several values with few coins.

Establishing this expression of numbers enables us to very easily make all sorts of operations.





[GM VII, p225]



And all these operations are so easy that there would never be any need to guess or try out anything, as has to be done in ordinary division. There would no longer be any need to learn anything by heart, as has to be done in ordinary reckoning, where one has to know, for example, that 6 and 7 taken together make 13, and that 5 multiplied by 3 gives 15, in accordance with the Table of one times one is one , which is called Pythagorean.1 But here, all of that is found and proved from the source, as is clear in the preceding examples under the signs and .

However I am not in any way recommending this way of counting in order to introduce it in place of the ordinary practice of counting by ten. For, aside from the fact that we are accustomed to this, we have no need to learn what we have already learned by heart. The practice of counting by ten is shorter and the numbers not as long. And if we were accustomed to proceed by twelves or sixteens, there would be even more of an advantage. But reckoning by twos, that is, by 0 and 1, as compensation for its length, is the most fundamental way of reckoning for science, and offers up new discoveries, which are then found to be useful, even for the practice of numbers and especially for geometry. The reason for this is that, as numbers are reduced to the simplest principles, like 0 and 1, a wonderful order is apparent throughout. For example, in the Table of Numbers itself, it is clear in each column that it is ruled by cycles which always begin over again. In the first column this is 01, in the second 0011, in the third 00001111, in the fourth 0000000011111111, and so on. And little zeros have been put into the table to fill the gap at the beginning of the column, and to emphasize these cycles better. Also, lines have been drawn within the table, which show that what is contained within the lines always occurs again underneath them. And it even turns out that square numbers, cubic numbers, and other [GM VII, p226] powers, likewise triangular numbers, pyramidal numbers, and other figure numbers, have similar cycles, so that tables of them can be written immediately, without any calculation. And this one drawn-out task in the beginning, which then gives the means to make reckoning economical and to proceed to infinity by rule, is infinitely advantageous.

What is amazing in this reckoning is that this arithmetic by 0 and 1 is found to contain the mystery of the lines of an ancient King and philosopher named Fuxi, who is believed to have lived more than 4000 years ago, and whom the Chinese regard as the founder of their empire and their sciences.2 There are several linear figures attributed to him, all of which come back to this arithmetic, but it is sufficient to give here the Figure of the Eight Cova , as it is called, which is said to be fundamental, and to join to them the explanation which is obvious, provided that one notices, firstly, that a whole line  means unity, or 1, and secondly, that a broken line -- means zero, or 0.





The Chinese lost the meaning of the Cova or Lineations of Fuxi, perhaps more than a thousand years ago, and they have written commentaries on the subject in which they have sought I know not what far out meanings, so that their true explanation now has to come from Europeans. Here is how: It was scarcely more than two years ago that I sent to Reverend Father Bouvet,3 the celebrated French Jesuit who lives in Peking, my method of counting by 0 and 1, and nothing more was required to make him recognize that this was the key to the figures of Fuxi. Writing to me on 14 November 1701, he sent me this philosophical prince's grand figure, which goes up to 64, and leaves no further room to doubt the truth of our interpretation, such that it can be said that this Father has deciphered the enigma of Fuxi, with the help of what I had communicated to him. And as these figures are perhaps the most ancient monument of [GM VII, p227] science which exists in the world, this restitution of their meaning, after such a great interval of time, will seem all the more curious.

The agreement between the figures of Fuxi and my Table of Numbers is more obvious when the initial zeros are provided in the Table; they seem superfluous, but they are useful to better show the cycles of the column, just as I have provided them in effect with little rings, to distinguish them from the necessary zeros. And this agreement leaves me with a high opinion of the depth of Fuxi's meditations, since what seems easy to us now was not so at all in those far-off times. The binary or dyadic arithmetic is, in effect, very easy today, with little thought required, since it is greatly assisted by our way of counting, from which, it seems, only the excess is removed. But this ordinary arithmetic by tens does not seem very old, and at least the Greeks and the Romans were ignorant of it, and were deprived of its advantages. It seems that Europe owes its introduction to Gerbert, who became Pope under the name of Sylvester II, who got it from the Moors of Spain.4

Now, as it is believed in China that Fuxi is even the author of Chinese characters, although they were greatly altered in subsequent times, his essay on arithmetic leads us to conclude that something considerable might even be found in these characters with regard to numbers and ideas, if one could discover the foundation of Chinese writing, all the more since it is believed in China that he had consideration for numbers when establishing them. Reverend Father Bouvet is strongly inclined to push this point, and very capable of succeeding in it in various ways. However, I do not know if there was ever an advantage in this Chinese writing similar to the one that there necessarily has to be in the Characteristic I project, which is that every reasoning derivable from notions could be derived from these notions' characters by a way of reckoning, which would be one of the more important means of assisting the human mind.









NOTES:



1. Leibniz is here referring to the multiplication table.

2. A mythological figure, said to have lived in the 3rd millennium B.C.E.

3. Joachim Bouvet (1656-1730), a French Jesuit missionary who spent most of his adult life in China. He and Leibniz corresponded between 1697 and 1707.

4. In his 'Discourse on the natural theology of the Chinese' (1716), Leibniz repeated his claim that Gerbert (i.e. Gerbert d'Aurillac), who was pope from 999 to 1003, introduced the decimal system to Christian Europe. See Leibniz, Writings on China , trans. and ed. Daniel J. Cook and Henry Rosemont Jr. (Chicago: Open Court, 1994), p135. Leibniz's claim is mistaken; although Gerbert is traditionally believed to have introduced Arabic numerals to Christian Europe, he did not introduce the decimal system.





 Lloyd Strickland 2007
Entertainment Esteemed Classical Violinist Xia Xia Zhang Celebrates First Commercially Released Single



09.08.2018 23:24:57 - Xia Xia Zhang, Classical Violinist performs her seven minute,forty-two second long version of the Franck Violin Sonata by Cesar Franck. It is one of his best-known compositions, and is considered one of the finest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. This sonata was written in 1886, as a wedding present for violinist Eugene Ysaye.



(live-PR.com) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE





Esteemed Classical Violinist Xia Xia Zhang Celebrates First Commercially Released Single - Zhangs Rendition of the Famous Classic Cesar Franck Violin Sonata in A Minor II Allegro is on Sale Now



Houston, TX (July 2018) Xia Xia Zhang, recipient of the Global Music; Gold Medal Emerging Artist Award, as well as numerous other worldwide accolades, has - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEEsteemed Classical Violinist Xia Xia Zhang Celebrates First Commercially Released Single - Zhangs Rendition of the Famous Classic Cesar Franck Violin Sonata in A Minor II Allegro is on Sale NowHouston, TX (July 2018) Xia Xia Zhang, recipient of the Global Music; Gold Medal Emerging Artist Award, as well as numerous other worldwide accolades, has commercially released her rendition of Cesar Francks Violin Sonata in A Minor: II Allegro.



Her seven minute, forty-two second long single can be purchased and downloaded on CD Baby (https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/xiaxiazhang). The Franck Violin Sonata by Cesar Franck is one of his best-known compositions, and is considered one of the finest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. This sonata was written in 1886, as a wedding present for violinist Eugene Ysaye.



To better grasp the talent of Xia Xia Zhang, it helps to recognize that in 1996, the Chinese Musicians Dictionary deemed Xia Xia a child prodigy, and over twenty years later, she has not disappointed. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts by the impressively young age of 27. Continuously, Xia Xia receives recognition and praise throughout the world of Classical music.



Some of her awards for her outstanding performances include:

 Winner Fleming / Prince of Wales Award, UK  2009

 2017 Global Music; Gold Medal Emerging Artist Award

 1st Prize Wilfried Parry International String Competition, UK - 2009

 Winner of Hami-Kanga Memorial Prize for Outstanding Violin Soloist, UK - 2009

 1st Prize & Best Performance Award Intl. Romantic Music Competition, US - 2013

 2nd Prize Canetti Festival International String Competition, Bulgaria - 2008

 Bronze Medal Hong Kong International Violin Competition, China -2012

 Winner Sainsbury Award for Musician, UK - 2010

 Winner Allan Nesta Fufusion Award for Musician, UK - 2007 and 2008

 Winner Shadts Violin Competition, US  2012

 Winner China National Violin Competition, China - 2006



After performing internationally in locations around the United Kingdom, United States, China, Germany and Bulgaria, Xia Xia has settled in the Houston, Texas area. An adjunct Professor of Music, she is currently working alongside the accomplished music faculty at Texass Lone Star College. She is now ready to tour again and share her talents with an audience that extends beyond her students.



After performing internationally in locations around the United Kingdom, United States, China, Germany and Bulgaria, Xia Xia has settled in the Houston, Texas area. An adjunct Professor of Music, she is currently working alongside the accomplished music faculty at Texass Lone Star College. She is now ready to tour again and share her talents with an audience that extends beyond her students.



Xia Xia is looking forward to opportunities to perform in Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, Shreveport, Galveston, and New Orleans in the near future. She invites proposed opportunities for: Ensembles, Concertos, Solo Performances, Piano Accompanied Performances, Private Events, Opening Slots and Festivals.



Xia Xia believes strongly that music is a universal language from God, and booking an event to showcase her talents equals offering the community an opportunity to come together and for all to enjoy the masterful and elegant violin melodies of Xia Xia Zhang.



Hear her music on: YouTube at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-Youtube, SoundCloud at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-Soundcloud and NoiseTrade at: http://bit.ly/MP3free



Visit her Website at www.xiaxiazhang.com



And learn about recent performances on Facebook at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-FB



###

commercially released her rendition of Cesar Francks Violin Sonata in A Minor: II Allegro.Her seven minute, forty-two second long single can be purchased and downloaded on CD Baby (https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/xiaxiazhang). The Franck Violin Sonata by Cesar Franck is one of his best-known compositions, and is considered one of the finest sonatas for violin and piano ever written. This sonata was written in 1886, as a wedding present for violinist Eugene Ysaye.To better grasp the talent of Xia Xia Zhang, it helps to recognize that in 1996, the Chinese Musicians Dictionary deemed Xia Xia a child prodigy, and over twenty years later, she has not disappointed. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts by the impressively young age of 27. Continuously, Xia Xia receives recognition and praise throughout the world of Classical music.Some of her awards for her outstanding performances include: Winner Fleming / Prince of Wales Award, UK  2009 2017 Global Music; Gold Medal Emerging Artist Award 1st Prize Wilfried Parry International String Competition, UK - 2009 Winner of Hami-Kanga Memorial Prize for Outstanding Violin Soloist, UK - 2009 1st Prize & Best Performance Award Intl. Romantic Music Competition, US - 2013 2nd Prize Canetti Festival International String Competition, Bulgaria - 2008 Bronze Medal Hong Kong International Violin Competition, China -2012 Winner Sainsbury Award for Musician, UK - 2010 Winner Allan Nesta Fufusion Award for Musician, UK - 2007 and 2008 Winner Shadts Violin Competition, US  2012 Winner China National Violin Competition, China - 2006After performing internationally in locations around the United Kingdom, United States, China, Germany and Bulgaria, Xia Xia has settled in the Houston, Texas area. An adjunct Professor of Music, she is currently working alongside the accomplished music faculty at Texass Lone Star College. She is now ready to tour again and share her talents with an audience that extends beyond her students.After performing internationally in locations around the United Kingdom, United States, China, Germany and Bulgaria, Xia Xia has settled in the Houston, Texas area. An adjunct Professor of Music, she is currently working alongside the accomplished music faculty at Texass Lone Star College. She is now ready to tour again and share her talents with an audience that extends beyond her students.Xia Xia is looking forward to opportunities to perform in Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, Shreveport, Galveston, and New Orleans in the near future. She invites proposed opportunities for: Ensembles, Concertos, Solo Performances, Piano Accompanied Performances, Private Events, Opening Slots and Festivals.Xia Xia believes strongly that music is a universal language from God, and booking an event to showcase her talents equals offering the community an opportunity to come together and for all to enjoy the masterful and elegant violin melodies of Xia Xia Zhang.Hear her music on: YouTube at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-Youtube, SoundCloud at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-Soundcloud and NoiseTrade at: http://bit.ly/MP3freeVisit her Website at www.xiaxiazhang.comAnd learn about recent performances on Facebook at: http://bit.ly/Xiaxia-FB### Press Information:

Xia Xia Zhang Music



15111 Ventura Blvd., Unit 221



Contact Person:

Jilang Pan

Booking Agent

Phone: 8184538777

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.xiaxiazhang.com





09.08.2018 23:24:57 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.
A trip along the Karnali river, where a major hydroelectric project is planned, showcases how different communities are impacted, and who can negotiate, and who cannot.

When we arrived at a fishing village called Badi on the banks of the Karnali River in Western Nepal, the doors of many homes were locked. No sounds of children playing, no beating of rice, and certainly no sounds of laughter could be heard. The Badi community consists of Dalits (the most repressed community in the caste system in South Asia) who previously traveled as musicians, performing mostly at weddings, but now fish in the Karnali river for their livelihood. After passing several homes, we met a family perched on two small beds facing each other. Sitting in a small room that functions as a bedroom, kitchen, and dining room, this family is one of the few families still residing by the riverbed; most other fishermen have decided to go elsewhere. Faced with limited livelihood options, the family depends on the fish of the Karnali river for food and they shared their hope that the flow of the river will not diminish.

For some of Nepals most fragile communities, like those living in Badi, rivers not only support livelihoods but are the sole lifeline. As new development and hydropower projects take shape in West Nepal, threats to many of these communities are intensifying as river and water resources are subject to change.

Plans for the Karnali

One planned project in the Far West is the Upper Karnali Hydro Electric project (Upper Karnali). With a budget of USD 1.15 billion, the Upper Karnali (900 MW) is a colossal undertaking of a private Indian company, GMR. The project has been in the making for a decade. A memorandum of understanding between the Government of Nepal (GoN) and the hydropower company was signed in 2008, with a detailed project report completed in 2011. Local communities heard about the planned project for the first time from their respective Village Development Committees (VDCs) in 2012, after which Upper Karnali Concerns Committees (UKCCs) were formed.

The project has encountered routine delays and issues regarding land acquisition and attacks on its offices, which have cast doubt on GMRs ability to complete the project. But a larger question remains over whether the project should be undertaken at all, and this question cannot be answered without consulting local communities.

The Upper Karnali project will directly impact 426 households in Dailekh, Surkhet and Accham districts, an area inhabited largely by fishing communities and small-scale farmers with a heavy reliance on remittance income. Thousands of other households will be impacted downstream. To find out what these households think of the project, we conducted a series of focus group discussions with different UKCC members and farmers as well as villagers from 8 villages along the Karnali River in May-June.

For the upstream communities (Asaraghat, Thalpata, Sisne and Daba), the few thousand jobs coming on the heels of the project are an important point. As many in the area currently migrate to India for better wages, a new influx of jobs could mean that they may not need to migrate for good employment. One member of a Concern Committee, established to liaise with GMR, who currently resides in one of the villages that will be affected during the dam construction phase, is quite supportive of the project and wanted to ensure that our report does not portray the dam in a negative light.

Many have come from Kathmandu to conduct research only to go back to write a report that talks about the negative effects of the project. They stay in their air conditioned offices and nice homes and criticise the dam. Do they not see how we are living here? Our villages have never seen development; the government has not developed our area. Finally we have some jobs coming and now the so-called experts want to stop that as well. I want to make sure your research does not do the same (phone interview with UKCC member from Thalpata, Accham June 2018).

The construction of the dam also presents an opportunity to open new businesses to cater to the workers who will be hired and who will require food and lodging. One tea shop owner in Daba village shared that, if the project is to go forward, he expects a boom in business, envisioning at least a thousand workers coming into his shop to eat lunch. That would be a stark contrast to the often empty shop he currently runs.

Any kind of major infrastructure development also brings expectations of better roads, bridges, and mobile towers. For some displaced households, the land compensation provided by GMR would allow them to purchase land in the lowlands of the country adjoining India, which would provide better farming conditions and better access to education and market facilities. For the upstream communities, the prospects of profiting from the project are diverse.

It is a high priority for GMR to engage upstream communities to ensure access to the land where the dam is to be constructed, and so these communities have a more direct line of communication to GMR. With this large bargaining leverage, members of the UKCCs were able to negotiate a land compensation amount with GMR that exceeded both the designated government price and the price initially quoted by GMR. Initially, the company had proposed to pay NPR 500,000 (USD 4,520) per ropani (500 square metres). UKCC members had proposed NPR 15,000,000 NPR per ropani but later agreed to settle at NPR 8-9,000,000 NPR per ropani. The government was not part of the negotiations.

As one UKCC member from Sisne said, When the company did not take UKCCs requests seriously, we would mobilize the local community to protest the planned dam project, or even padlock the company field office, then located in Daba village. The company has also built a mobile network tower and a pedestrian suspension bridge in the affected villages in Dailekh. Our conversations highlighted the role of this private company as a primary decision maker in hydropower development, to whom upstream communities turned in order to convey their development needs and concerns, unmet by their own government.

A different story downstream

As we traveled downstream from the Karnali from the dam site, the lucrative business scenario that many upstream villagers envision lost its steam; downstream communities, such as Ramaghat, Saura, Salkot, and Lower Dungeshwor, have less access to information and more concerns about uncompensated losses. While members of the Concern Committees upstream have been in frequent contact with project officials, the level of engagement and access to information for downstream Committees has been much lower. Unlike upstream village UKCCs that were formed in 2012, UKCCs from downstream villages were formed only later in 2013. Also, unlike in upstream villages where a UKCC was formed in each VDC that would be affected by the planned hydropower project, in downstream villages only one UKCC was formed out of the three villages that would be impacted by the dam.

This has fostered general mistrust amongst members, and a refusal by the company to establish inter-village Concern Committees has further hampered a unified voice from emerging. Intra-community dynamics, too, have further undermined the representativeness of these groups; for instance, the fishing communities, comprised mainly of Dalits, are not part of any of the UKCCs formed.

I do not think that the planned hydropower project would benefit villagers. Even when we would get free access to electricity, this would not benefit us if it means we have to lose everything else related to our farming activities. What is the use to turn on the light and see that you have lost all your farmland due to water scarcity? At present we have a sufficient water supply for our farming activities. When the dam is built, it would take all the water and impact 10,000 households in three villages in Surkhet district (interview with a villager from Saura, Surkhet, May 2018).

Downstream communities, like in Surkhet, are more concerned about the lack of water once the river is dammed than potential business opportunities, which are unlikely to manifest themselves so far from the dam. Communities along the river in Lower Dungeshwor, Dailekh are concerned with a loss in biodiversity, the direct impact on the fishing communities who rely completely on the Karnali river to sustain their livelihoods and cultural and emotional losses  such as the joy of being able to listen to the flowing river.

Although the livelihoods and food security of downstream communities will be greatly affected by the dam, they are not eligible for compensation because they will not be directly displaced. Even this, though, is still not well-known to downstream communities, even to the UKCC members who are supposed to be the source of information about dam activities.

As one UKCC member from Saura village noted in an interview in May 2018, I am not sure as to whether the company would give farmers any compensation. The company should provide alternative livelihood options for affected villagers, especially when the planned hydropower project would badly affect 400-500 households relying mostly on agricultural and farming practices. However, until now, we have not heard anything from the company. A farmer from the same village echoed this uncertainty, saying, At present, we are food secure. We do not have any cash but we are fine. When the dam project comes, perhaps we would get cash for compensation of our loss of agricultural land. But we do not know how much and whether it will be enough to secure our food needs for the long term.

This sentiment was heard from fishing villages in Badi, too. GMR has been able to overlook these needs and concerns since these communities are situated farther from the dam and the project can move forward with or without their support.

We went to the far west, as part of USAIDs Digo Jal Bikas project, to listen to local perceptions about the Upper Karnali Hydro Electric project. What we heard is that local voices are not homogenous and much of a communitys perception about the dam can be spatially fragmented, dependent on its proximity to the proposed dam site and, therefore, to bargaining power, information, and benefits.

Amidst the ongoing process of federalism and with a large number of development projects proposed, we must keep prominent in the discourse the need to incorporate local community views into decision-making processes if we are to have regionally appropriate infrastructure that captures community development needs, priorities, and aspirations. This holds true, too, of any MOUs or agreements that the government enters into with private companies rather than publically administering. GMR is a private Indian company with no mandate in its contract to ensure small Nepali communities downstream benefit from the project. And the company is well aware of that, as attested to by its relationship  which could even be called a spatial alliance  with upstream UKCCs and communities but lackadaisical communications with downstream communities. Yet, without considering these local voices and the spatial fragmentation of power, hydropower development runs the risk of increasing socio-economic inequity and further marginalizing the poorest and most vulnerable, the opposite of the often-touted vision of hydropower as Nepals passport out of poverty.[1]

[1] Dixit and Gyawali (2010: 106-107)

Emma Karki is a Research Officer, Agriculture, and Water Resources, with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Nepal, where Patrick Drown was the former communications specialist, and Claire Swingle is a Partnerships and Knowledge Management Fellow. Diana Suhardiman is a Senior Researcher and Research Group Leader, Governance, and Gender, IWMI

The Digo Jal Bikas project (http://djb.iwmi.org/) is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project seeks to promote sustainable water resource development in Western Nepal through balance economic growth, social justice, and healthy, resilient ecosystems. The contents of this technical paper are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the

United States Government.

This story was first published on thethirdpole.net. Read the story here.
Science On the "shelf life" of water



09.08.2018 10:29:21 - Hot on the trail of the biostability of water using state-of-the-art DNA and cell analysis



(live-PR.com) - Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems launches project to study the growth of water-based microorganisms



Krems (Austria), 9 August 2018  In order to better understand and assess the quality of ground and spring water, state-of-the-art methods from the fields of molecular biology and microbiology, as well as chemical high-performance analytics are now developed. This has been made - Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems launches project to study the growth of water-based microorganismsKrems (Austria), 9 August 2018  In order to better understand and assess the quality of ground and spring water, state-of-the-art methods from the fields of molecular biology and microbiology, as well as chemical high-performance analytics are now developed. This has been made possible by a project currently underway at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems). The aim of the project is to combine new technologies across a number of disciplines to evaluate the growth of water-based bacteria and their biochemical processes. This will make it possible to determine and predict the biostability of water with much more accuracy than before, thus making a fundamental contribution to water hygiene and health. The project, which is funded by the federal state of Lower Austria, is based on internationally recognised research conducted at the Interuniversity Cooperation Center Water & Health (ICC Water & Health) and at the Department of Agrobiotechnology, IFA-Tulln, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, which enable bacteria and their activities in water samples to be precisely characterised.



Water is not just H2O when it bubbles up as ground or spring water, for example. It also contains a myriad of microorganisms whose natural habitat is the cool water. Up until now, very little has been known about how the water-based bacterial community develops in ground and source water. It is therefore still difficult to ascertain or predict its potential effect on the quality of the water after it is stored and distributed. At KL Krems, a project funded by the FTI Programme, a programme run by the federal state of Lower Austria, has taken this issue on board and is developing a pioneering combination of processes that are designed to facilitate, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic of water-based bacteria and thus of the associated biochemical key processes when water resources are used.



"Ready to go!" FOR AQUASCREEN



Prof. Andreas Farnleitner is coordinating the AQUASCREEN project, as it is known. The Head of the Department of Water Quality and Health at KL Krems explains the background to the project: "Existing standard methods to detect microorganisms in ground and spring water are based on principles dating back to the 19th century. These focus mainly on bacteria that pollute the water from the surface rather than water-based bacteria, some of which we know absolutely nothing about. Less than 1% of water-based bacteria can generally be detected using the standard methods. Up until now, therefore, we have known very little about the development of these natural water microbiota and how they can affect the quality of the water over longer periods when it is stored and distributed. A better understanding of these dynamics, including the existing nutrient and environment situation, is necessary to assess and predict the quality of drinking water but also to identify potential health risks."



Into the 21st century with AQUASCREEN



In cooperation with ICC Water & Health, IFA-Tulln and EVN Wasser GesmbH, a new combination of processes is being developed. This will be able to determine the existence and growth of water-based bacteria more directly and with more accuracy and speed. In order to achieve this, following a simulation of the storage of water, the team will deploy state-of-the-art sequencing techniques and cytometric methods in which bacterial cells are stained with a fluorescent dye and optically captured. The advantages of these methods are obvious for Prof. Farnleitners team colleagues, Prof. Alexander Kirschner and Prof. Regina Sommer, who are based at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna. Prof. Kirschner says: "It will be possible to directly detect and identify the actively growing populations of the water-based bacterial communities, and not just to search indirectly for selected indicator bacteria, which could indicate external contamination." Based on this, Dr. Wolfgang Kandler at IFA Tulln will link this process with a third element  chemical high-performance analytics. This should make it easier to trace both the existence and growth of water-based bacteria and the associated biochemical key processes in water supply.



FTI programme supports research



The project is supported by the federal state of Lower Austria with funding provided by the FTI Programme, which has an interdisciplinary focus on nutrition, medicine and health. The federal state is thereby making a significant contribution to the further expansion of KL Krems focus on water quality and health. AQUASCREEN can thus build seamlessly on current results generated by NO Forschungs- und Bildungsges.m.b.H. (NFB) as part of the AQUASAFE project funded by Science Call 2015. This project develops and refines a new approach to determine the origin of faecal contamination in water. In addition, highly specific, quantitative evidence of minute quantities of genetic material (DNA) from specific human and animal gut bacteria is developed. Thanks to the consistent support of this research work, KL Krems has managed, within a short space of time, to make important contributions to health and quality of life through its research on water quality and health.



About Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL) is a pioneer for innovation in medical and health sciences education and research, and a catalyst for groundbreaking work which will benefit society at large. Research at KL focuses on niche fields in bridge disciplines such as biomedical engineering, psychodynamics and psychology, as well as topics including water quality and related health issues. Study programmes include health sciences, human medicine, and psychotherapy and counselling and have full European recognition. A network of university hospitals in St Poelten, Krems, and Tulln provides students with quality-assured, research-led education; it enables them to do top-class clinical research that is recognised worldwide. Karl Landsteiner University received accreditation by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) in 2013.



About the Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & Health

The Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & Health (ICC Water & Health) is a scientific platform and expert partner on topics concerning water quality and its impact on human health. The ICC is dedicated to the development of innovative concepts for the assessment of water quality, new microbiology and molecular biology methods, the feasibility assessment of physical and chemical water treatment methods, and numerical models for estimating the risks of infection and disease associated with water use. The insights gained are used for the extrapolation of effective and sustainable management measures for the protection of health. The ICC was founded by the Technische Universitat Wien and the Medical University of Vienna in 2010 and was able to be established on a long-term basis thanks to the competitive research funding provided by the Federal Ministry for Digital, Business and Enterprise (BMWFW). The Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL) became a member of the ICC Water & Health in 2017. KL is now an official part of the research platform.





Scientific Contact

Prof. Andreas Farnleitner

Water Quality and Health Division

Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strae 30

3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria

M + 43 (0)664 / 605 88 22 44

Eandreas.farnleitner@kl.ac.at

W www.kl.ac.at/





Karl Landsteiner University of Health Science

Barbara M. Peutz

Communications, PR & Marketing

Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strae 30

3500 Krems / Austria

T +43 2732 72090 230

M +43 664 889 558 49

E barbara.peutz@kl.ac.at

W www.kl.ac.at/





Copy Editing & Distribution

PR&D  Public Relations for Research & Education

Ira Paschinger

Mariannengasse 8

1090 Vienna / Austria

T +43 / 1 / 505 70 44

E paschinger@prd.at

W www.prd.at/

possible by a project currently underway at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems). The aim of the project is to combine new technologies across a number of disciplines to evaluate the growth of water-based bacteria and their biochemical processes. This will make it possible to determine and predict the biostability of water with much more accuracy than before, thus making a fundamental contribution to water hygiene and health. The project, which is funded by the federal state of Lower Austria, is based on internationally recognised research conducted at the Interuniversity Cooperation Center Water & Health (ICC Water & Health) and at the Department of Agrobiotechnology, IFA-Tulln, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, which enable bacteria and their activities in water samples to be precisely characterised.Water is not just H2O when it bubbles up as ground or spring water, for example. It also contains a myriad of microorganisms whose natural habitat is the cool water. Up until now, very little has been known about how the water-based bacterial community develops in ground and source water. It is therefore still difficult to ascertain or predict its potential effect on the quality of the water after it is stored and distributed. At KL Krems, a project funded by the FTI Programme, a programme run by the federal state of Lower Austria, has taken this issue on board and is developing a pioneering combination of processes that are designed to facilitate, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic of water-based bacteria and thus of the associated biochemical key processes when water resources are used."Ready to go!" FOR AQUASCREENProf. Andreas Farnleitner is coordinating the AQUASCREEN project, as it is known. The Head of the Department of Water Quality and Health at KL Krems explains the background to the project: "Existing standard methods to detect microorganisms in ground and spring water are based on principles dating back to the 19th century. These focus mainly on bacteria that pollute the water from the surface rather than water-based bacteria, some of which we know absolutely nothing about. Less than 1% of water-based bacteria can generally be detected using the standard methods. Up until now, therefore, we have known very little about the development of these natural water microbiota and how they can affect the quality of the water over longer periods when it is stored and distributed. A better understanding of these dynamics, including the existing nutrient and environment situation, is necessary to assess and predict the quality of drinking water but also to identify potential health risks."Into the 21st century with AQUASCREENIn cooperation with ICC Water & Health, IFA-Tulln and EVN Wasser GesmbH, a new combination of processes is being developed. This will be able to determine the existence and growth of water-based bacteria more directly and with more accuracy and speed. In order to achieve this, following a simulation of the storage of water, the team will deploy state-of-the-art sequencing techniques and cytometric methods in which bacterial cells are stained with a fluorescent dye and optically captured. The advantages of these methods are obvious for Prof. Farnleitners team colleagues, Prof. Alexander Kirschner and Prof. Regina Sommer, who are based at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna. Prof. Kirschner says: "It will be possible to directly detect and identify the actively growing populations of the water-based bacterial communities, and not just to search indirectly for selected indicator bacteria, which could indicate external contamination." Based on this, Dr. Wolfgang Kandler at IFA Tulln will link this process with a third element  chemical high-performance analytics. This should make it easier to trace both the existence and growth of water-based bacteria and the associated biochemical key processes in water supply.FTI programme supports researchThe project is supported by the federal state of Lower Austria with funding provided by the FTI Programme, which has an interdisciplinary focus on nutrition, medicine and health. The federal state is thereby making a significant contribution to the further expansion of KL Krems focus on water quality and health. AQUASCREEN can thus build seamlessly on current results generated by NO Forschungs- und Bildungsges.m.b.H. (NFB) as part of the AQUASAFE project funded by Science Call 2015. This project develops and refines a new approach to determine the origin of faecal contamination in water. In addition, highly specific, quantitative evidence of minute quantities of genetic material (DNA) from specific human and animal gut bacteria is developed. Thanks to the consistent support of this research work, KL Krems has managed, within a short space of time, to make important contributions to health and quality of life through its research on water quality and health.About Karl Landsteiner University of Health SciencesKarl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL) is a pioneer for innovation in medical and health sciences education and research, and a catalyst for groundbreaking work which will benefit society at large. Research at KL focuses on niche fields in bridge disciplines such as biomedical engineering, psychodynamics and psychology, as well as topics including water quality and related health issues. Study programmes include health sciences, human medicine, and psychotherapy and counselling and have full European recognition. A network of university hospitals in St Poelten, Krems, and Tulln provides students with quality-assured, research-led education; it enables them to do top-class clinical research that is recognised worldwide. Karl Landsteiner University received accreditation by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) in 2013.About the Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & HealthThe Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water & Health (ICC Water & Health) is a scientific platform and expert partner on topics concerning water quality and its impact on human health. The ICC is dedicated to the development of innovative concepts for the assessment of water quality, new microbiology and molecular biology methods, the feasibility assessment of physical and chemical water treatment methods, and numerical models for estimating the risks of infection and disease associated with water use. The insights gained are used for the extrapolation of effective and sustainable management measures for the protection of health. The ICC was founded by the Technische Universitat Wien and the Medical University of Vienna in 2010 and was able to be established on a long-term basis thanks to the competitive research funding provided by the Federal Ministry for Digital, Business and Enterprise (BMWFW). The Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL) became a member of the ICC Water & Health in 2017. KL is now an official part of the research platform.Scientific ContactProf. Andreas FarnleitnerWater Quality and Health DivisionKarl Landsteiner University of Health SciencesDr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strae 303500 Krems an der Donau, AustriaM + 43 (0)664 / 605 88 22 44Karl Landsteiner University of Health ScienceBarbara M. PeutzCommunications, PR & MarketingDr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strae 303500 Krems / AustriaT +43 2732 72090 230M +43 664 889 558 49Copy Editing & DistributionPR&D  Public Relations for Research & EducationIra PaschingerMariannengasse 81090 Vienna / AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 70 44 Author:

Till C. Jelitto

e-mail

Web: http://www.prd.at

Phone: +43 - 1 - 505 70 44 09.08.2018 10:29:21 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.
Stock Market News

RDSB Headlines - FTSE 100 preview: Trade worries and ex-divs to weigh on index 09-08-2018 02:27



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
Our Back Pages

Issue #159

Issue Date: June 2007

Editor: John Barton

Pages: 112

Number of contributors: 17

Buy Issue 159: Print Edition

Not only does this issue of The Malahat Review contain the two winning poems from the 2007 Long Poem Prize contest, the cover art is contributed by Aurian Haller, one of the winning poets. Hallers Song of the Taxidermistheaded by an epigraph from Wallace Stevens about beauty in the flesh being immortalis made up of nine separately titled sections, each responding to a particular piece of taxidermy. The second section, Relay, Niemeyers Taxidermy, 2005, concerns a set of four Zebra Legs in Taxidermy (from the collection of the poet) which are shown in a photograph on the cover of the issue. Hallers poem takes the reader on a verbal and visual journey through space and time, examining pieces in his own collection and in various museums and galleries, pieces produced by both taxidermists (Niemeyer) and artists (Picabia, Rauschenberg, Fragonard).

Harold Rhenisch shares the Long Poem Prize with Haller for his poem The Bone Yard. Though concerned, like Hallers poem, with animals and animal remains, Rhenischs work is a first-person meditation, variously sardonic, comic, and morbid, on the reasons why he named his dog Winston (after Winston Churchill). Little more can be said without robbing the poem of its pleasures, but like Hallers poem it is a compelling reflection on the human as well as the animal.

Besides the two prize winners, the issue contains one poem each by Timothy Liu and Adam Sol, two poems each by Helen Humphreys, and Karen Hofmann, and three by Richard Lemm. Humphreys Audens House is a reflection on English poet W.H. Auden, the reflection emerging from an anecdote in which the poems speaker visits Audens former house, now a museum. The central drama of the poem revolves around the speakers attempts to relate Audens thoughts on poetry to the practice of writing poetry in Canada. Humphreys second poem, Appetite, is a shorter lyric which also recounts a speakers visit to a house (this time a lakeside cabin) in which the poet finds meaning. Here shifting imagesunderwater weeds and spaghetti noodlesmask the evasiveness of the speaker as they address the question of desire. Lius, Hofmans, and Lemms poems are also concerned with animal and human worlds, giving the impression of a conscious editorial choice in the poetic contents of this issue. (Sols Toward an Idea of Citizenship is a romantic vignette imagining Canada as a young woman.)

Also of note in this issue are three quite different stories, including Riel Nasons The Box, which briefly recounts the experiences of a you who takes an empty box to a wedding as a gift. Stephen Marches Letters to Sunday consists of four parts (each headed by a date) that read as much like diary entries (about a certain Annabel) as letters.

James Kendrick
Opposition lawmakers have asked the Supreme Court to reschedule the oral arguments on its petition assailing the constitutionality of President Rodrigo Dutertes decision withdrawing the countrys adherence to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In a motion, opposition Senators Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes IV, Leila de Lima and Riza Hontiveros asked the high court to defer the oral arguments set for August 14 to August 28. The senators stressed they have yet to receive a copy of the en bancs decision junking detained Senator Leila de Limas bid to personally argue the case. Petitioners-Senators, through Senator De Lima, requested a copy of the resolution from the Office of the Clerk of Court but they were informed that such resolution is not yet available, they said. The senators said they would also seek a reconsideration of the en bancs resolution, but that they would only be able to address it and file a motion after they received an official copy. The senators said they did not have a lawyer to represent them for the oral arguments on August 14 whom, they said, they deem able to fully articulate their position before the Honorable Court. If the SC would grant the petition, it would be the second time that the oral arguments on the issue would be deferred. The SC originally set the oral arguments on Aug. 7, but moved it to Aug. 14.In dismissing De Limas plea, the SC said it found no compelling reason to have the detained senator personally appear during the oral arguments. De Lima is currently held at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame owing to drug-related charges filed by the Department of Justice before the Muntinlupa court, following her alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade when she was still the Justice Secretary during the Aquino administration. In their original plea filed last May 16, the opposition senators said the countrys withdrawal from the Rome Statute cannot be justified under the so-called residual powers of the President. The petitioners also argued that the Constitution mandated the Senate to ratify a treaty or an international agreement, and as such, the Executive branch cannot just unilaterally repeal a law or withdraw from the treaty or agreement. Duterte announced the countrys withdrawal from the Statute last March, citing the baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks against him and his administration over its anti-drug war that is being blamed for thousands of deaths. The lawmakers pleading was consolidated by the SC with that of the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court, which also questioned the countrys formal backing out from The Hague-based tribunal.
NZD/USD Holding Important Supports

The weekly chart of NZD/USD suggests that the pair is trading in a bearish zone, but it is currently trading near important support levels.

Key Points

NZD/USD is currently testing a key connecting support trend line at 0.6700 on the weekly chart.

The pair could correct higher, but upsides are likely to be capped by 0.6850.

NZD/USD Technical Analysis

The New Zealand Dollar was rejected near the 0.7400 level in April 2018 against the US Dollar. The NZD/USD pair made many attempts to move past 0.7400, but it failed.

As a result, there was a sharp downside move and the pair tumbled below the 0.7200, 0.7000 and 0.6900 support levels. The pair traded below the 0.6800 support and even settled below the 50-week simple moving average.





However, the pair found a strong support near the 0.6700 level and a connecting support trend line on the weekly chart. At the moment, the pair is consolidating above the 0.6700 level and it could correct higher.

An initial resistance awaits near the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the last major drop from the 0.7395 high to 0.6687 low near 0.6850. Above this resistance, the pair may perhaps recover nicely above the 0.6900 level.

The next significant resistance above 0.6850 is at 0.7000/40, which coincides with the 50% Fib retracement level of the last major drop from the 0.7395 high to 0.6687 low.

On the flip side, if NZD/USD fails to stay above 0.6700 and the trend line support, there could be heavy losses towards the next support at 0.6500 in the medium term.

The market outlook is provided by FXOpen broker.



FXOpen - true ECN/STP Forex and cryptocurrency broker.

 2018 Copyright FXOpen - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




With forests, mountains and Native American reservations nearby, this town is a goldmine for the adventurous, and theres a homespun arts scene, too

Emma John

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/aug/08/missoula-montana-us-forests-mountains-arts-scene

Many thanks to Scott B. for sharing
The Department of Commerce today announced grants to strengthen Montanas economy by helping Main Street businesses across the state expand and create jobs.

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund http://marketmt.com/BSTF is a competitive grant in which the recipient may be reimbursed for eligible business expansion costs if the expansion creates good-paying jobs. For this cycle, Commerce will reimburse up to $790,000 to create an estimated 134 jobs.

"The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund is one of the best programs in our toolbox for supporting long-term, sustainable business growth by encouraging job creation and retention," said Commerce Director Pam Haxby-Cote.
By By:

Dr. Francis R. Souder, 85, formerly of Telford, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007 in the skilled nursing unit of Peter Becker Community, Franconia Township. He and his wife Marion R. (Parker) Souder celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in July.

Born in Souderton, he was a son of the late Elvin B. and Mary (Rittenhouse) Souder.

A 1938 graduate of Souderton High School, he received his undergraduate degree in 1941 from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Souder went on to receive his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1944 and completed his internship at Hahnemann Hospital from Oct. 1944  July, 1945.

He served with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps for 30 months in San Diego and Long Beach, Calif. during WW II and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant prior to his discharge. He entered his second tour of duty during the Korean War where he served in Panama City, Fla. as the medical officer for the Panama City Naval Air Station and the Tyndal Air Force Base.

Dr. Souder owned and operated his family practice on Main Street in Telford from 1947-1989. He served on the staff of Grand View Hospital, and as its president, and taught at the Grand View Hospital Nursing School. He was a member of the Pa. Medical Society, the Bucks County Medical Society, Diplomat American Academy of Family Practices, and served on the board of trustees at Grand View Hospital, Sellersville.

He was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Telford, where he sang in the church choir. He was also a member of the MacCalla Lodge #596 in Souderton, the Raja Shrine, and Lehigh Consistory.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by a son, Dr. Ronald L. Souder, and his wife Susan L. of Green Lane; a daughter, Susan J. Souder, and her husband Stephan Russo of New York, N.Y.; five grandchildren: Jennifer A. Souder of Philadelphia; Emily E. Souder of Philadelphia; Kathryn A. Souder of Washington, D.C.; Noah Russo of New York, N.Y., and Rebekah Russo of New York, N.Y., and two brothers: Attorney Elvin B. Souder of Souderton and Dr. Lawrence Souder of Souderton.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 12 p.m. in Trinity United Church of Christ, 101 S. Main St., Telford, with calling hours following the service.

Interment will be private in Trinity UCC Cemetery Telford.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grand View Hospital, 700 Lawn Ave., Sellersville, Pa. 18960.

Arrangements are by Sadler-Suess Funeral Home, Telford.
August 09, 2018 U.S. 'Fine Tuning' Of Saudi Airstrike Target List Creates Results U.S. Deepens Role in Yemen Fight, Offers Gulf Allies Airstrike-Target Assistance - Wall Street Journal - June 12, 2018 The U.S. military is providing its Gulf allies with intelligence to fine-tune their list of airstrike targets ... --- Saudi-led coalition claims deadly Yemen attack - Daily Mail - August 9, 2018 A Saudi-led coalition battling in Yemen said it carried out a deadly attack in the rebel-held north on Thursday, which the Red Cross said hit a bus carrying children.

...

"Following an attack this morning on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Saada, (an ICRC-supported) hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded," the organisation said on Twitter without giving more details.



In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the coalition called the strike a "legitimate military action" ...

bigger Last Thursday, attacks on a hospital and a fish market in the strategic rebel-held port city of Hodeida killed at least 55 civilians and wounded 170, according to the ICRC. Posted by b on August 9, 2018 at 18:59 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Staff and wire reports

HARTFORD  The Connecticut Supreme Court has vacated a felony murder conviction in a case that included the first Amber Alert ever issued in the state.

The high court ruled Thursday that 24-year-old Jennifer Helmedachs lawyers should have told her about a plea offer before she testified about her role in the September 2004 slaying of 20-year-old Faye Bennett in Meriden.

Helmedach acknowledged she was in the room when Bennett, who was pregnant, was stabbed and strangled by Helmedachs boyfriend, David Bell. They fled, resulting in the Amber Alert for Helmedachs then-1-year-old daughter, who was later found safe.

Helmedachs appellate lawyer, Conrad Seifert, says she has served 11  years in prison, 18 months longer than the original plea offer.

A Chief States Attorneys Office spokesman says prosecutors are reviewing the decision.

In 2008, Helmedach was sentenced to 35 years by New Haven Superor Court Judge Bruce Thompson, who said she knew of Bells violent propensity and most likely lured Bennett to the apartment. Any shorter prison sentence would have been an insult to Bennetts memory, he said.

Helmedach could have received up to 60 years on the felony murder charge.

Thompson also sentenced her to five years for conspiracy to commit robbery and 10 years for first-degree robbery, but those were served concurrently with the murder sentence.

Her daughter was raised by her parents.

Bennetts sister, Angel Bennett Cyr of Meriden, told the Record-Journal Thursday that Helmedach was released about 18 months ago and has been working in the community.

Cyr is disappointed Helmedach wont serve her full 35-year sentence. Cyr opposed Helmedachs request to have regular visits with her child in prison.

I missed my sister having her first baby, Cyr said. My sister was my best friend. There are certain places I avoid with my children. Shes always had a hand in my sisters murder. Its something Ive had to live with, to carry around everyday. Its not easy, but thats our justice system.
Berlin Reporter Three injured in separate crashes during ATV Festival

by Jody Houle BERLIN  New Hampshire Fish And Game reported three separate ATV crashes over the weekend that each resulted in injuries, including a Berlin man.



On the first day of the annual ATV festival, Friday, Aug. 3, two ATV accidents occurred at Jericho Mountain State Park and personnel from the North Country responded to the scenes.



The first accident occurred at about 1 p.m. Janice Sisson, 53, of Cavendish, Vt. was traveling on the Pipeline Trail and went off the trail after avoiding a collision with a different OHRV (off highway recreational vehicle). New Hampshire State Forest Rangers, New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers, Berlin EMS and the Berlin Fire Department arrived at the scene. Sisson sustained an injury to her arm and she was transported via a specialized off-road rescue vehicle and was transported to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital by Gorham Ambulance where she was treated for he injury.



Around 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, another woman, Cheryl Palermo, 47, of Danvers, Mass., was traveling on Overlook Trail and was ejected from her ATV after hitting some rock slabs. She sustained multiple injuries as a result. Two New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers along with Berlin Fire and Berlin EMS responded to the scene. Some individuals in her riding group had stabilized her and she was removed by a specialized off-road rescue vehicle provided by the Berlin Fire Department. Berlin EMS transported her to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital where she was treated for multiple non-life-threatening injuries.



On the second day of the festival, Saturday, Aug. 4, a Berlin man was injured after crashing his ATV at Jericho Mountain State Park.



At about 2:25 p.m., Michael Middleton, 67, of Berlin, was traveling on the Pipeline Trail on his ATV and kept to the right of the trail to avoid oncoming traffic and he hit a rock which ejected him from the vehicle. After he hit the ground, his own ATV struck him resulting in an injury.



Family members tended to him and a call was made to authorities. New Hampshire Forest Rangers, New Hampshire Fish and Game, U.S. Border Patrol officers, Berlin Fire and Berlin EMS all responded to the scene. He was removed by the Berlin Fire Departments specialized off-road rescue vehicle brought to an awaiting Berlin ambulance, and Berlin EMS transported him to Androscoggin Valley Hospital where he was treated for his injury that was determined to be serious but non-life-threatening.



After an investigation, Fish and Game determined that Middleton had been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. His ATV had struck is head and the helmet "undoubtedly saved him from further serious injury or potentially death," reported Fish And Game.



"This highlights the importance of always wearing a helmet while operating off road vehicles anywhere," the report stated.



"Authorities would like to remind OHRV operators that if they are involved in a crash resulting in $500 or more in damages to the machine or injury to any person, that they must file an OHRV Accident Report with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department within five days of the crash," Fish and Game stated in a release. BERLIN  New Hampshire Fish And Game reported three separate ATV crashes over the weekend that each resulted in injuries, including a Berlin man.On the first day of the annual ATV festival, Friday, Aug. 3, two ATV accidents occurred at Jericho Mountain State Park and personnel from the North Country responded to the scenes.The first accident occurred at about 1 p.m. Janice Sisson, 53, of Cavendish, Vt. was traveling on the Pipeline Trail and went off the trail after avoiding a collision with a different OHRV (off highway recreational vehicle). New Hampshire State Forest Rangers, New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers, Berlin EMS and the Berlin Fire Department arrived at the scene. Sisson sustained an injury to her arm and she was transported via a specialized off-road rescue vehicle and was transported to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital by Gorham Ambulance where she was treated for he injury.Around 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, another woman, Cheryl Palermo, 47, of Danvers, Mass., was traveling on Overlook Trail and was ejected from her ATV after hitting some rock slabs. She sustained multiple injuries as a result. Two New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers along with Berlin Fire and Berlin EMS responded to the scene. Some individuals in her riding group had stabilized her and she was removed by a specialized off-road rescue vehicle provided by the Berlin Fire Department. Berlin EMS transported her to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital where she was treated for multiple non-life-threatening injuries.On the second day of the festival, Saturday, Aug. 4, a Berlin man was injured after crashing his ATV at Jericho Mountain State Park.At about 2:25 p.m., Michael Middleton, 67, of Berlin, was traveling on the Pipeline Trail on his ATV and kept to the right of the trail to avoid oncoming traffic and he hit a rock which ejected him from the vehicle. After he hit the ground, his own ATV struck him resulting in an injury.Family members tended to him and a call was made to authorities. New Hampshire Forest Rangers, New Hampshire Fish and Game, U.S. Border Patrol officers, Berlin Fire and Berlin EMS all responded to the scene. He was removed by the Berlin Fire Departments specialized off-road rescue vehicle brought to an awaiting Berlin ambulance, and Berlin EMS transported him to Androscoggin Valley Hospital where he was treated for his injury that was determined to be serious but non-life-threatening.After an investigation, Fish and Game determined that Middleton had been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. His ATV had struck is head and the helmet "undoubtedly saved him from further serious injury or potentially death," reported Fish And Game."This highlights the importance of always wearing a helmet while operating off road vehicles anywhere," the report stated."Authorities would like to remind OHRV operators that if they are involved in a crash resulting in $500 or more in damages to the machine or injury to any person, that they must file an OHRV Accident Report with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department within five days of the crash," Fish and Game stated in a release.


Coos County Democrat North Country Senator facing multiple counts of domestic violence

Woodburn vows to fight charges in court, resists calls for resignation

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.

Coos County Democrat COVID cases surge, officials urge community first approach Google Maps causes unrest on Colby Road Recent Tara Giles COVID cases surge, officials urge community first approach

2021-Oct-13 COVID cases surge, officials urge community first approach

2021-Oct-13 Google Maps causes unrest on Colby Road

2021-Oct-13 Whitefield floats fireworks ordinance

2021-Oct-13 Old popcorn machine reunited with Rialto

2021-Oct-07 Allard Block purchased by new owner

2021-Oct-07 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Littleton Courier New historical marker recognizes pioneering criminologist

by Justin Roshak

Left to right: Clare Brown, President of the Bethlehem Heritage Society, Mary Moritz, Chair-Board of Selectmen, Michael Bruno, marker sponsor, Gail Batchelder, great-granddaughter of Frances Glessner Lee, Elizabeth Carter, great grand niece of Frances Glessner Lee, Nigel Manley, Director of The Rocks Estate. (Photo by Justin Roshak) (click for larger version) BETHLEHEMNew Hampshire's latest roadside historic marker was unveiled last Tuesday at the Rocks Estate, in honor of local notable and pioneering criminologist Frances Glessner Lee.



The state-approved marker, number 0257, cites Lee as the "Mother of Forensic Science," creator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death.



Lee, who lived from 1878 to 1962, created some 20 meticulous, miniature dioramas for the purpose of training homicide detectives. The miniatures, most of which still survive, detail crime scenes inspired by real life police reports and autopsies, and were intended to reflect real-life experiences of working detective and police officers.



As models, the dioramas are wonders of detail and precision. As historical snapshots, they present a picture of the underbelly of life in the 1940's and 1950's. As pieces of criminology, they represent early efforts at a kind of virtual reality, which presented trainees with all the information they would have access to at a real crime scene.



For her work, Lee became an honorary Captain of the New Hampshire State Police in 1943.



The roadside monument is Bethlehem's third, and joins the markers for the Alderbrook rifle range and Pierce Bridge. Sign sponsor Michael Bruno, who lobbied the state for its creation, is currently on tour with his new book, "Cruising New Hampshire: A Guide to New Hampshire's Historical Roadside Markers." Bruno, a local teacher, visited each of the state's more than 250 roadside monuments, which document sites of historic significance, from old factories and bridges to iron furnaces.



Lee's great-granddaughter, Gail Batchelder, and Elizabeth Carter, Lee's great grand niece, both attended the unveiling ceremony. Batchelder drove up from Plymouth, Mass., while Carter lives in Bethlehem. Clare Brown, President of the Bethlehem Heritage Society, and Select Board Chair Mary Moritz also attended, as did Rocks Estate owner and director Nigel Manley. BETHLEHEMNew Hampshire's latest roadside historic marker was unveiled last Tuesday at the Rocks Estate, in honor of local notable and pioneering criminologist Frances Glessner Lee.The state-approved marker, number 0257, cites Lee as the "Mother of Forensic Science," creator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death.Lee, who lived from 1878 to 1962, created some 20 meticulous, miniature dioramas for the purpose of training homicide detectives. The miniatures, most of which still survive, detail crime scenes inspired by real life police reports and autopsies, and were intended to reflect real-life experiences of working detective and police officers.As models, the dioramas are wonders of detail and precision. As historical snapshots, they present a picture of the underbelly of life in the 1940's and 1950's. As pieces of criminology, they represent early efforts at a kind of virtual reality, which presented trainees with all the information they would have access to at a real crime scene.For her work, Lee became an honorary Captain of the New Hampshire State Police in 1943.The roadside monument is Bethlehem's third, and joins the markers for the Alderbrook rifle range and Pierce Bridge. Sign sponsor Michael Bruno, who lobbied the state for its creation, is currently on tour with his new book, "Cruising New Hampshire: A Guide to New Hampshire's Historical Roadside Markers." Bruno, a local teacher, visited each of the state's more than 250 roadside monuments, which document sites of historic significance, from old factories and bridges to iron furnaces.Lee's great-granddaughter, Gail Batchelder, and Elizabeth Carter, Lee's great grand niece, both attended the unveiling ceremony. Batchelder drove up from Plymouth, Mass., while Carter lives in Bethlehem. Clare Brown, President of the Bethlehem Heritage Society, and Select Board Chair Mary Moritz also attended, as did Rocks Estate owner and director Nigel Manley.

Littleton Courier Abenaki tribe members speak at Indigenous People's Day event Littleton officials present budget overview Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Meredith News Sandwich's Advice To The Players presents "Love's Labour's Lost"

by Erin Plummer

Don Armado (Johnny Segalla, left) with Moth (Aislinn Hird) onstage during Advice to the Players' production of "Love's Labour's Lost." (Photo by Erin Plummer) (click for larger version) SANDWICH  A multitude of tangled romantic plots will come to three different stages during Old Home Week with Advice to the Players' production of "Love's Labour's Lost."



The show opened this past weekend at the Sandwich Fairgrounds Stage and will come to Quimby Freild and the Town Hall Theater over this weekend.



"Love's Labor's Lost" is one of Shakespeare's most complicated comedies where the King of Spain and a group of noblemen try to court a group of women who test their affections with some additional complications from some side characters.



The production was directed by Nafeesa Monroe, who was working with ATTP for the first time. Monroe is the founder and artistic director of Classics in Color: and Inclusive Theater Company in New York City.



Assistant director Lily Cardaropoli said they took the approach of "period with a modern twist" for the production. Cardaropoli said they worked hard to make the production fit for the three different stages.



Cardaropoli also plays Rosaline, the Princess' first lady in waiting who catches the eye of Berowne.



"I think she's met her match with Berowne," Cardaropoli said.



She said he character is "a little dark," illustrated through her black clothing. Berowne is the same way and they prove to be good foils for each other.



"She doesn't really think she can fall in love until she finds him," Cardaropoli said, saying to Berowne about his demeanor that she will take him if he reigns in his behavior.



Conor Moroney played King Ferdinand, who Moroney described as "very ambitious." He makes a vow to study for three years and swears off women, having his friends do the same. Then he meets the Princess of France and his resolve slips.



"It's one of Shakespeare's most lyrical plays," Moroney said.



He said Monroe kept them on their toes and practicing the lines. He said humor often requires a fast pace and Monroe kept them working at it.



"Nafeesa drilled us in making sure we are hitting all the notes," Moroney said.



Carolyn Hart played the Princess of France: Hart described her character as incredibly cynical.



"She really is not super happy about the king," Hart said.



Hart also costumed the entire show. She said she took quite a task in both performing and making sure all the costumes were together.



"Working with Nafeesa was amazing," Hart said. "It was a big challenge and I appreciated every minute of it."



Johnny Segalla played the comedic Spaniard swashbuckler Don Armado. Segalla said Shakespeare wrote the play around the time the British defeated the Spanish Armada and Armado was a way to poke fun at the Spanish.



Segalla said it was fun to use Shakespearean language with an accent. He has previously played Gaston in a production of "Beauty and the Beast" and channeled that character into his performance.



Don Armado is a fast talker and he said Monroe repeatedly emphasized doing the lines at a faster pace.



Segalla does theater in New York and said this was his first time with ATTP.



"It's a whole vacation," Segalla said. "Advice to the Players every year it gets stronger and stronger." He added, "I'm just happy to be here."



"Love's Labour's Lost" will be performed on Quimby Field on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 5:30 p.m. and at the Sandwich Town Hall Theater on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. SANDWICH  A multitude of tangled romantic plots will come to three different stages during Old Home Week with Advice to the Players' production of "Love's Labour's Lost."The show opened this past weekend at the Sandwich Fairgrounds Stage and will come to Quimby Freild and the Town Hall Theater over this weekend."Love's Labor's Lost" is one of Shakespeare's most complicated comedies where the King of Spain and a group of noblemen try to court a group of women who test their affections with some additional complications from some side characters.The production was directed by Nafeesa Monroe, who was working with ATTP for the first time. Monroe is the founder and artistic director of Classics in Color: and Inclusive Theater Company in New York City.Assistant director Lily Cardaropoli said they took the approach of "period with a modern twist" for the production. Cardaropoli said they worked hard to make the production fit for the three different stages.Cardaropoli also plays Rosaline, the Princess' first lady in waiting who catches the eye of Berowne."I think she's met her match with Berowne," Cardaropoli said.She said he character is "a little dark," illustrated through her black clothing. Berowne is the same way and they prove to be good foils for each other."She doesn't really think she can fall in love until she finds him," Cardaropoli said, saying to Berowne about his demeanor that she will take him if he reigns in his behavior.Conor Moroney played King Ferdinand, who Moroney described as "very ambitious." He makes a vow to study for three years and swears off women, having his friends do the same. Then he meets the Princess of France and his resolve slips."It's one of Shakespeare's most lyrical plays," Moroney said.He said Monroe kept them on their toes and practicing the lines. He said humor often requires a fast pace and Monroe kept them working at it."Nafeesa drilled us in making sure we are hitting all the notes," Moroney said.Carolyn Hart played the Princess of France: Hart described her character as incredibly cynical."She really is not super happy about the king," Hart said.Hart also costumed the entire show. She said she took quite a task in both performing and making sure all the costumes were together."Working with Nafeesa was amazing," Hart said. "It was a big challenge and I appreciated every minute of it."Johnny Segalla played the comedic Spaniard swashbuckler Don Armado. Segalla said Shakespeare wrote the play around the time the British defeated the Spanish Armada and Armado was a way to poke fun at the Spanish.Segalla said it was fun to use Shakespearean language with an accent. He has previously played Gaston in a production of "Beauty and the Beast" and channeled that character into his performance.Don Armado is a fast talker and he said Monroe repeatedly emphasized doing the lines at a faster pace.Segalla does theater in New York and said this was his first time with ATTP."It's a whole vacation," Segalla said. "Advice to the Players every year it gets stronger and stronger." He added, "I'm just happy to be here.""Love's Labour's Lost" will be performed on Quimby Field on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 5:30 p.m. and at the Sandwich Town Hall Theater on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m.

Meredith News Sandwich Fair returns with big crowds Lakers start strong, battle by Belmont Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Plymouth Record Enterprise National Night Out fosters community partnerships with local law enforcement

by Donna Rhodes write the author

Seven-year-old Sophia Poghossian-Roswell sang the National Anthem to start festivities for the first ever National Night Out for the communities of Campton, Thornton and Waterville Valley. Standing at attention as she sang was Waterville Valley Police Chief David Noyes. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) THORNTON  Aug. 7 was the 35th annual National Night Out, designed to draw communities closer to their local public safety officials, and this year, the communities of Thornton, Campton and Waterville Valley decided it was time to join in the fun.



The first ever Campton-Thornton-Waterville Night Out event was most likely a night many families will never forget.



Thornton's new Police Chief, Ken Miller, first proposed the idea of a National Night out event and his suggestion was met with hearty approval from his fellow law enforcement and fire/rescue partners.



"It was definitely something I've seen over the years in other communities and I thought we should bring something like this here," Miller said.



Working together, officials from Thornton, Campton and Waterville Valley began their plan for a community gathering that Miller said "morphed" into something much bigger.



"It all started with a few vendors who wanted to participate, then some sponsors jumped onboard and it just grew from there," said Miller. "I did it because I felt this was a good way to build partnerships with the communities and for people to not only get to know us as police officers but for us to get to know them better, too, on a whole different level."



Some late afternoon rain dampened the opening of the event but the sun soon came out and activities got into full swing at the Sugar Shack Campground in Thornton on Tuesday.



Seven-year-old Sophia Poghossian-Roswell of Waterville Valley Elementary School led things off by singing the National Anthem. From there, Waterville's Chief of Police David Noyes acted as emcee for the event, announcing the start of fun activities like the Foam Slip and Slide that was set out on a gentle hillside, a "Foam Room" filled with more foamy bubbles created by the Waterville Valley Fire Department, and many live demonstrations.



There was a visit from several friendly characters like Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog and even Elroy the Elk, who joined the local Elks Club's booth, which provided safety information for families.



There were large bubbles twirled across the fields for children to chase, plenty of fun games, an obstacle course, glitter tattoos and an amazing balloon artist. The more daring boys and girls headed for the climbing wall and bungee jump while many others also lined up for their turn at the police Dunk Booth. As if that wasn't enough fun, there was a classic car show and live music that kept everyone smiling as they strolled from one activity to another.



A demonstration by the New Hampshire State Police K9 unit, a car cutting demo from the fire departments, a Fatal Vision Driving Course, Bicycle Rodeo and so much more gave everyone an opportunity to not only have fun but learn more safety tips as well. Other participants from safety and law enforcement agencies were Campton-Thornton Fire/Rescue, Waterville Valley Fire Department, New Hampshire National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service and New Hampshire Fish and Game.



Making the night complete were volunteers who prepared free hamburgers, hot dogs and chips, ice cream from Coneheads of Woodstock, and cold drinks from Del's Lemonade.



"This was a real win-win event for all of us, and the plan is to make it an annual event," Miller said. THORNTON  Aug. 7 was the 35th annual National Night Out, designed to draw communities closer to their local public safety officials, and this year, the communities of Thornton, Campton and Waterville Valley decided it was time to join in the fun.The first ever Campton-Thornton-Waterville Night Out event was most likely a night many families will never forget.Thornton's new Police Chief, Ken Miller, first proposed the idea of a National Night out event and his suggestion was met with hearty approval from his fellow law enforcement and fire/rescue partners."It was definitely something I've seen over the years in other communities and I thought we should bring something like this here," Miller said.Working together, officials from Thornton, Campton and Waterville Valley began their plan for a community gathering that Miller said "morphed" into something much bigger."It all started with a few vendors who wanted to participate, then some sponsors jumped onboard and it just grew from there," said Miller. "I did it because I felt this was a good way to build partnerships with the communities and for people to not only get to know us as police officers but for us to get to know them better, too, on a whole different level."Some late afternoon rain dampened the opening of the event but the sun soon came out and activities got into full swing at the Sugar Shack Campground in Thornton on Tuesday.Seven-year-old Sophia Poghossian-Roswell of Waterville Valley Elementary School led things off by singing the National Anthem. From there, Waterville's Chief of Police David Noyes acted as emcee for the event, announcing the start of fun activities like the Foam Slip and Slide that was set out on a gentle hillside, a "Foam Room" filled with more foamy bubbles created by the Waterville Valley Fire Department, and many live demonstrations.There was a visit from several friendly characters like Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog and even Elroy the Elk, who joined the local Elks Club's booth, which provided safety information for families.There were large bubbles twirled across the fields for children to chase, plenty of fun games, an obstacle course, glitter tattoos and an amazing balloon artist. The more daring boys and girls headed for the climbing wall and bungee jump while many others also lined up for their turn at the police Dunk Booth. As if that wasn't enough fun, there was a classic car show and live music that kept everyone smiling as they strolled from one activity to another.A demonstration by the New Hampshire State Police K9 unit, a car cutting demo from the fire departments, a Fatal Vision Driving Course, Bicycle Rodeo and so much more gave everyone an opportunity to not only have fun but learn more safety tips as well. Other participants from safety and law enforcement agencies were Campton-Thornton Fire/Rescue, Waterville Valley Fire Department, New Hampshire National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service and New Hampshire Fish and Game.Making the night complete were volunteers who prepared free hamburgers, hot dogs and chips, ice cream from Coneheads of Woodstock, and cold drinks from Del's Lemonade."This was a real win-win event for all of us, and the plan is to make it an annual event," Miller said.

Recent Donna Rhodes Fundraiser planned to benefit local animal lovers family

2021-Oct-13 New business helps clients enjoy the outdoors at their own pace

2021-Oct-13 Bristol Falls Park marred by vandalism

2021-Oct-07 Ashland library celebrates 150th anniversary

2021-Oct-07 Reinartz steps down after 22 years as Tiltons Town Clerk

2021-Oct-07 Nature enthusiasts observe annual hawk migration

2021-Sep-23 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Winnisquam Echo Belmont Library celebrates 90th anniversary with dance party for local youngsters

by Donna Rhodes write the author

Boys and girls helped the Belmont Public Library celebrate its 90th birthday last Saturday with balloons, pizza and some fun dance music. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) BELMONT  Belmont Public Library turned 90 years old in 2018, and the birthday celebration continued last Saturday with a Dance Party and pizza in the children's library.



According to research done by the late Wallace Rhodes and printed in his 1969 publication, "Reminiscences of a New Hampshire Town," Belmont's original library was established in 1893. It was located on the second floor above Stevens Store in the building known as the Johnson Block.



As more books and periodicals were purchased or donated, the library outgrew that space in just the very first year of its existence. It was then moved to the second floor of the New Hose House, which was home to the fire department and also housed the selectmen's office on the second floor.



By 1919, Rhodes wrote that the library's annual reports began to show signs that the New Hose House location was also becoming insufficient for the size of their ever-growing collection.



A few years later, in stepped George and Walter Duffy, owners of the Belmont Hosiery Mill. In 1927 the New Hose House was moved to Fuller St. and became the home of the Charles Kilborn American Legion Post, providing the room for the Duffys to have a new brick library built in its place.



Newspaper excerpts Rhodes found from Feb. 4, 1928 were quoted as saying, "The new library given the Town of Belmont by the late George E. Duffy of Worcester, Mass. and his brother, Walter F. Duffy of Franklin, was dedicated today. Exercises were held in the Community Hall, which was filled to capacity. John M. Sargent presided."



During the ceremony, Walter Duffy presented the town with approximately $25,000 to pay for the cost of building the library, plus what was only described in the news article as "a sum" for a trust fund that would provide an annual income of $500 towards its maintenance. In addition to the money, Duffy also presented the new library with 5,000 volumes for its collection.



As part of the dedication, the school children of Belmont sang for the large crowd on hand that day.



On the main floor of the building there was both a children's room and an adults room, while the basement, now the site of the children's library, was used as an assembly room that could seat up to 100 people. Overseeing the new library in 1928 was Etta Belle Dearborn, who served as the town's librarian for 20 years.



"It is the finest gift ever made to Belmont. In the interior of the Library is a bronze tablet inscribed in recognition of prominent citizens of the community in past generations," the article concluded.



That tablet still graces the library wall 90 years later.



And just like the boys and girls from Belmont who took part in the library's dedication in 1928, children from 2018 celebrated all the programs, crafts, and of course, the books they, too, enjoy at Belmont Public Library. Last weekend the children's room was decorated with crepe paper and balloons. There were also some noisemakers, lively music, pizza and ice cream to help with the celebration.



"This year we've had a successful summer reading program and we've received a lot of help and support from the community, like Brookside Pizza, Belmont Village Store and Shaw's who all pitched in for today's Dance Party. We're looking forward to another 90 years here at Belmont Library," said librarian Sarah Frost. BELMONT  Belmont Public Library turned 90 years old in 2018, and the birthday celebration continued last Saturday with a Dance Party and pizza in the children's library.According to research done by the late Wallace Rhodes and printed in his 1969 publication, "Reminiscences of a New Hampshire Town," Belmont's original library was established in 1893. It was located on the second floor above Stevens Store in the building known as the Johnson Block.As more books and periodicals were purchased or donated, the library outgrew that space in just the very first year of its existence. It was then moved to the second floor of the New Hose House, which was home to the fire department and also housed the selectmen's office on the second floor.By 1919, Rhodes wrote that the library's annual reports began to show signs that the New Hose House location was also becoming insufficient for the size of their ever-growing collection.A few years later, in stepped George and Walter Duffy, owners of the Belmont Hosiery Mill. In 1927 the New Hose House was moved to Fuller St. and became the home of the Charles Kilborn American Legion Post, providing the room for the Duffys to have a new brick library built in its place.Newspaper excerpts Rhodes found from Feb. 4, 1928 were quoted as saying, "The new library given the Town of Belmont by the late George E. Duffy of Worcester, Mass. and his brother, Walter F. Duffy of Franklin, was dedicated today. Exercises were held in the Community Hall, which was filled to capacity. John M. Sargent presided."During the ceremony, Walter Duffy presented the town with approximately $25,000 to pay for the cost of building the library, plus what was only described in the news article as "a sum" for a trust fund that would provide an annual income of $500 towards its maintenance. In addition to the money, Duffy also presented the new library with 5,000 volumes for its collection.As part of the dedication, the school children of Belmont sang for the large crowd on hand that day.On the main floor of the building there was both a children's room and an adults room, while the basement, now the site of the children's library, was used as an assembly room that could seat up to 100 people. Overseeing the new library in 1928 was Etta Belle Dearborn, who served as the town's librarian for 20 years."It is the finest gift ever made to Belmont. In the interior of the Library is a bronze tablet inscribed in recognition of prominent citizens of the community in past generations," the article concluded.That tablet still graces the library wall 90 years later.And just like the boys and girls from Belmont who took part in the library's dedication in 1928, children from 2018 celebrated all the programs, crafts, and of course, the books they, too, enjoy at Belmont Public Library. Last weekend the children's room was decorated with crepe paper and balloons. There were also some noisemakers, lively music, pizza and ice cream to help with the celebration."This year we've had a successful summer reading program and we've received a lot of help and support from the community, like Brookside Pizza, Belmont Village Store and Shaw's who all pitched in for today's Dance Party. We're looking forward to another 90 years here at Belmont Library," said librarian Sarah Frost.


By PTI

SURAT: 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 the domestic market in Surat, thus evading the import duties.

ALSO READ: PNB Scam: Surat court issues arrest warrant against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi

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.
Sesa sen By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Apparel brand Lifestyle, part of Dubai-based Landmark Group, is planning to expand its retail footprint presence in Tier-2 towns, taking its total store count to 90 by this fiscal end.

We are planning to open 14 stores during the current fiscal and most of these will be in non-metros and smaller cities, said Srinivas Rao, senior vice-president, marketing, Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd, at the launch of the companys first outlet in Bhubaneswar.

This expansion, with each outlet worth close to Rs 10 crore, will add another six-seven city to the firms network, he added.

In the next couple of months, Lifestyle has plans to open stores in Guwahati and also explore cities like Ranchi, Patna, Rourkela and Cuttack.

Having established itself firmly in the southern markets, the retail chain is bullish about its growth prospects in the eastern region.

We are seeing significant growth coming from the East, which is an untapped market for us. So, we feel that it is the right opportunity to enter these markets. Overall, the target is to break even in the next two years, Rao said.

We are growing at a rate of 20 per cent CAGR for the last five years. For this year too, we expect to maintain the momentum, said Rao.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: An offer made by Indian Space Research Organisation to share its expertise in developing lithium-ion cells indigenously is likely to be taken up by many companies leading to a renewed wave of interest in electric vehicles across the country.

After the space agency invited companies to submit requests for sharing of technology in June, a meeting was held with 190 representatives of 141 firms from across the country late last month ahead of the opening of the requests next week. The technology will be transferred to all qualifying companies at a cost of `1 crore each.

The ISRO has successfully developed lithium-ion cells of capacities ranging from 1.5 Ah to 100 Ah.

At the meeting, S Somanath, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, which developed the technology, spoke about how the centre had tested the Li-ion cells for use in various applications. He added that the centre can help with initial hand-holding as mentioned in the Request for Qualification.

The state government has also brought in measures to fuel the sales like the planned installation of charging points across the city. The requests submitted by the 141 firms will be opened on August 14.
Ashwini M Sripad By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: With the monsoon season more than half way through, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is only now planning to resume the drive to remove encroachments from storm water drains (SWDs) that was stopped a year ago. But experts feel it is already too late.

In BBMP limits, there are 633 SWDs which run a length of 842 km. Of this, 142 km are primary and 426 km are secondary drains. The actual holding capacity of the citys drain system is 80 mm of rainfall. But due to encroachments and poor maintenance, the capacity has been reduced to to 35-40 mm rainfall.

This means that if it rains continuously for half an hour, it is vulnerable to flooding. Last year, Bengaluru witnessed the worst flooding. This monsoon, fortunately, the city did not witness much rains, an official said.

BBMP engineers too feel it is already too late for this monsoon season. Ideally, it should have been done in summer. But there were more showers in Bengaluru during summer. Now, we do not know how far we can cover it, an engineer said.

Noted urbanist V Ravichandar sai they should have done it much earlier. But better late than never. The encroachment removal drive is a long-term process. A deadline of one or two monsoons cannot be set. They need to find a remedy to ensure free flowing water, which can prevent flooding. It is good that the BBMP is taking up the works, he said.

In July 2016, BBMP officials had given a list of 1,953 SWD encroachments to the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Of these, they had cleared 1,255 encroachments by 2017. However, since last year, the encroachment removal drive was not taken up as there were no surveyors. We had written a letter to the Joint Director of Land Records (JDLR) to depute surveyors, but there were delays on their side. A few months back they finally deputed ten surveyors, an official source said.

HT Bettegowda, BBMP Chief Engineer (SWD), told The New Indian Express that there were 728 encroachments. We have got surveyors who surveyed 434 encroachments out of the remaining 728. We have requested the JDLR to give the survey report along with the markings. They are expected to give it to us by this week. Once we get those markings, we will take up the demolition drive, he said.

FLOODING POINTS



Bettegowda said there were 366 vulnerable points for flooding, and by removing encroachments, BBMP has reduced it to 339. By the end of December 2018, 390 km of drain work will be completed. The remaining work will be taken as and when we get funds, he added.
Roshne Balasubramanian By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: On the morning of July 30, 2018, there was a sense of foreboding and worry for the Assamese population across the country. The second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released, and about 40 lakh applicants were excluded from the list and rendered homeless. Amid emerging religious nationalism, political slugfest, conversations on the human rights of non-citizens, and protecting the interests of the indigenous people of Assam, city-based Assamese residents share their opinion about the NRC.

Indukalpa Saikia has been a resident of Chennai since 2001, and is among the 2.89 crore citizens included in the list, which has been updated for the first time since 1951, to account for illegal migration from Bangladesh. Everyone in my family has been included in the NRC list. Even if we werent, I wouldnt have worried because we have all the required documents to identify as a citizen, he says.

ALSO READ: Assam CM Gogoi demands 'white paper' on foreigners; says NRC Congress baby, PM Modi only foster father

What about the incessant reports on how several Assam residents have begun to feel alienated, despite having the required documents? Indukalpa shares, It doesnt mean people who have the documents and excluded from the list are not residents. If they have the documents, they can file claims and objections. The government has a provision in regard to this. This is only a draft. This move is for the illegal immigrants, and people who cant prove their presence in Assam on, or before March 24, 1971.

Joonak Konwar, a working professional says she was initially sceptical about the exercise. But, after contemplation and analysing the situation, she says, I am happy about it. I am not sure what the repercussions or actions are going to be but, it surely is a good move. I have friends and relatives back in Assam whose names havent been included in the list, but they arent worried about it. They will be filing a claim, she says.

READ HERE: People with cases pending at Foreigners Tribunal will not make it to final Assam NRC list: State-coordinator

Assam has a history of local resistance against Bangladeshi immigrants, the most historic being the Assam agitation (1979 to 1985). Anshuman Dutta, who has been in the city for the last 13 years, calls the NRC draft, the fruit of all the struggles that Assamese went through, including his own parents. My parents have been part of the Assam agitation, they fought for their rights, and against the illegal immigrants. So, to finally see this happening, after 30 years, makes us feel extremely happy, he shares, and emphasises that this is much beyond the Hindu-Muslim binary, and language. Its not about the religion or language but, about preserving the history of Assam, and its indigenous people, says the marketing manager.

Bumo, a city-based sound engineer hasnt checked the list, but is confident that he would have made it. While there are several applicants who are tracing their family trees, post the NRCs release, some of us know it. This step to update the NRC list has been pending for a long time. As someone who loves, and respects his homeland, I think this is a good step, he shares.
Sana Shakil By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Begging will no longer be a criminal offence in the national capital, the Delhi High Court ruled on Wednesday observing that begging is not a choice but the compulsion for people who have no other means to survive.

Striking down provisions of the 59-year-old Act-- Bombay Prevention of Begging Act-that criminalises begging, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said that begging is a symptom of a disease, of the fact that the person has fallen through the socially created net.

"There can be no cavil that the above are the basic and primary needs of every human being. It remains a hard reality that the State has not been able to ensure even the bare essentials of the right to life to all its citizens, even in Delhi. We find reports of starvation deaths in the newspapers and ensuring education to the 6 to 14-year-old remains a challenge. People beg on the streets not because they wish to, but because they need to," the bench said.

The court also observed that begging was a direct result of the government's failure. "The government has the mandate to provide social security for everyone, to ensure that all citizens have basic facilities, and the presence of beggars is evidence that the state has not managed to provide these to all its citizens," it said.

However, the bench said that the Delhi government was 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 court made it clear that the provisions 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.

The court was hearing two PILs seeking to decriminalise begging. Earlier, the court had asked how begging could be an offence in a country where the government was unable to provide food or jobs.

To this, the Central government had said there were sufficient checks and balances in the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act which criminalises begging.

The Bombay Prevention of Begging Act 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. At present, there is no central law on begging and destitution but most states have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Mayor Soumini Jain has called for stern measures to demolish the unauthorised building constructed near the Kerala State Regional Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stand on the Ernakulam boat jetty premises. In the Corporation Council meeting held here on Wednesday, the Mayor instructed the Corporation secretary to ask the owner of the building to demolish the structure.

The failure of the owner to submit documents proving the legitimacy of the building, as demanded by civic officers, led to the Corporation taking such a stringent measure.If the owner is not demolishing the building within the stipulated time, the civic authorities must take necessary measures, said Soumini Jain. The building is situated on land owned by the KSRTC, with the State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) having given the licence to operate a canteen in the building. But as per the Corporations assets register, the building is under the ownership of KSWTD while the land is owned by KSRTC.

The Corporation council meeting also discussed emergency patchwork of roads damaged in rain, the delay in issuing building permit due to the introduction of new software, measures taken against illegal road cutting by private telecom companies and unauthorised mobile towers.

Meanwhile, BJP councillors registered strong protest over the breach of protocol during the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind.It is unfortunate the Mayor was not invited for the reception accorded to the President, said Syamala Prabhu.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: A tearful adieu was given to Major Kaustubh Prakash Rane by thousands of people on Thursday as the last rights with full military honors were performed on the mortal remains of the officer who was martyred in Kashmir at the LOC on Tuesday.

The military band played the last post even as Prakash Rane, father of the martyred soldier, lit the funeral pyre. Major Kaustubh (29) who stayed at Sheetal Nagar in Mira Road of Thane district is serviced by two-year-old son Agastya, wife Kanika, sister Kashyapi and mother Jyoti. Military officers, soldiers, police officials and elected representatives offered their last respects to the Major before the funeral pyre was lit amidst cries of cries of "Major Kaustubh Rane Amar Rahe," "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".

Major Rane's mortal remains were flown into Mumbai from Srinagar on Wednesday night and the coffin draped in national tricolour was brought to his home in an army truck at around 9 am today.

Funeral procession started at around 12 noon wherein thousands of people participated who had lined the roads on both sides or waited on buildings and terraces, showering flowers and waving the Indian flag.

The Mira town was in mourning ever since the news regarding death of the Major who lived here for over 25 years, came in on Tuesday. Large parts of the town observed a spontaneous shutdown as a mark of respect as the funeral procession.

The only son of his parents, Kaustubh fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune and was commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2011. He was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to allow equity of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Kerala Waterways Infrastructure Ltd (KWIL), an SPV floated for the development of waterways. The decision is meant to speed up activities and develop waterways in a time-bound manner. The SPV floated by the state government, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and others currently has an equity ratio of 49:49:2.

The Cabinet gave its nod for this years Onam celebrations. As part of the week-long celebrations from August 24 to 30, Kowdiar to Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram will be declared a festival zone.

Devendra Kumar Singh, who is returning to Kerala after a Central deputation, has been appointed as principal secretary, Agriculture, and Agriculture Production Commissioner.Two posts of senior residents will be created in the endocrinology department of the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

The employees of the Travancore-Cochin Medical Council will be appointed through PSC.

The Cabinet approved the guidelines for issuing bonus to PSU employees for 2017-18.

The Cabinet decided to allow the Kochi Corporation to hand over 3.3 acres to GJ Eco Power Ltd for establishing a waste-to-energy plant in Brahmapuram.
By AFP

PARIS: Fresh from shooting her first film in English, Haifaa al-Mansour plans to return to her native Saudi Arabia next month for her new project -- but this time, she won't be directing out of view by walkie-talkie from the back of a van.

"When I started making films -- I started in 2005, when my first short came out -- people didn't believe in cinema in Saudi Arabia -- films were illegal, the country was very segregated, so it was like 'a woman making films, oh!'," the 43-year-old director told AFP in an interview.

"But Saudi Arabia has changed," Mansour said.

Late last year Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lifted a decades-old ban on cinemas as part of his push to modernise the ultra-conservative country, which included in June allowing women to drive.

Saudi Arabia this year made its first official appearance at the Cannes film festival with its submission of a series of short films.

Mansour was the first woman to shoot a film in the country, the critically acclaimed "Wadjda" from 2012 about a girl who dreams of riding her own bike.

During the filming, she often had to direct her team via walkie-talkie while keeping out of sight in a van, since she could not be seen in public alongside male actors and crew members.

"I don't think I will be in the van anymore," she said.

"Now we have a film fund and they are supporting my next project, which is called 'The Perfect Candidate', about a young Saudi female doctor who decides to run for an office in a municipal election," she said.

"It will be wonderful to be part of the evolution of film in the country," she added.

"I think it's amazing to have Saudi Arabia becoming normal again."

'Definitely a Haifaa film'

Mansour now lives in Los Angeles with her American husband and children. "Mary Shelley", her biopic of the 19th-century author of the horror classic "Frankenstein", is now hitting screens worldwide.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was just 18 when she travelled to Lake Geneva in 1816 with her future husband, the poet Percy Shelley, and their son to vacation alongside friends including Lord Byron.

Kept inside for days by heavy rains, they challenged each other to write a ghost story, sparking the Gothic tale of "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus", which was eventually published in 1818, but without Mary Shelley's name on the cover.

"For her, to come and write something so original and not to have her name on it, I could not not tell that story. I felt just like, 'this is definitely a Haifaa film'," Mansour said.

The offer to direct the film, starring Elle Fanning, came as a surprise -- not least because Mansour had previously filmed mainly in Arabic.

But having studied literature at the American University in Cairo and film at the University of Sydney, she was ready for the challenge of working in English.

"We did a lot of rewriting on the script -- it's not only a love story," she said.

After filming the movie in Ireland, Luxembourg and France, Mansour said she was eager to work again in her native Saudi Arabia.

"I think it is very important to make films there, especially with Saudi Arabia embracing films and allowing film theatres. It will be wonderful to be part of the evolution of film in the country," she said.

"I think it will have a great impact on young professional women."
By Online Desk

Actor Mohanlal, who attended the 48th Kerala State Film Awards in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday in a subtle way, gave it back to those who had protested inviting the actor as the Chief Guest for the function.

The actor said that he didn't feel like he was a chief guest while coming.

"It was like a get together on a day when there was no shooting. I don't need anyone's permission to come to your midst. I have been among you for the last 40 plus years," said the 'Neerali' actor.

"I have never tried to find other vocations, leaving cinema and you (audience). Or never did I yearn for a secure life. So, watching my fellow artists being felicitated is my honour, my responsibility and privilege. This will be an inspiration to love you more and compete with you healthily."

"I know, more than anyone, that there will be a curtain fall for my career. But till then I will be here, as I know that there will be a place for me in your hearts. I also know that I have a right to come without an invitation."

Best actor award winners, Indrans and Parvathy with CM Pinarayi

Vijayan and actor Mohanlal at the 48th State Films Awards

ceremony at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

(EPS/ BP Deepu)

Mohanlal's invitation to the Film Awards as the chief Guest landed in controversy when a signed letter submitted by a collective, comprising 105 personalities from various walks of life, to the Chief Minister urging him to not include Mohanlal among the list of dignitaries for the State Film Awards presentation ceremony.

READ | Prakash Raj, Santhosh Thundiyil deny signing memorandum to stop actor Mohanlal from attending Kerala Film Awards ceremony

The State Film Awards is the greatest honour that an artist gets in Kerala. Hence, it should be presented to the winners in an atmosphere filled with cultural perfection. The Chief Minister of the state should give it in a peaceful atmosphere to the winner in the presence of the Cultural Minister. It is not fair to bring in a celebrity guest, overshadowing the Chief Minister and the winners. This will be like belittling the winners, according to the statement.

Mohanlal congratulated Indrans, who won the Best Actor award and said that when another actor wins the top award it doesn't make him feel bad but inspires him to think why he couldn't match the latter's performance.

Actor Mohanlal inviting Best Actor Award winner Indrans to pose together

at the 48th State Film Awards function at Thiruvananthapuram on

Wednesday. (Photo | EPS/ BP Deepu)

He also lauded Parvathy for winning the Best Actress award.

During his speech, Mohanlal emphasised his attachment to Thiruvananthapuram city.

From Mohanlal's speech on Wednesday:

"This function is happening in my most favourite place. This a place where the king and the subjects lived in harmony. The place where I had my most memorable moments. The land of my parents, brother and my friends. My dad, holding office files, had walked through the streets of this same land. My mother, in her healthy days had visited temples, walking through these streets. Finally, my father and brother joined the 'Panchabhootam' (5 basic elements of nature) in this land."

"This city had hosted my marriage as well as gave my kids the shade, rain and wind of Malayalam language."

"This is the city where I got into films accidentally. That's the day when I wore make up for the first time. It continues even after 40 years. I don't know till when but happiness is travelling without knowing the destination," says Mohanlal.

ALSO READ | Mohanlal's stand on Dileep fails to cut ice with women's body

Some general council members of the of Kerala Film Academy had come out against the decision to invite Mohanlal as the special guest for the award distribution ceremony slated for next month.

The award winners are the most important persons at an award presentation ceremony. The Chief Minister and the minister concerned are the other important personalities. We should stop the practice of bringing in other celebrities as guests and draping a ponnada on them. If the Cultural Department wants to honour them, they should organise another function. Its the award winners who should be honoured at the ceremony, said Dr Biju, in his Facebook post.

Mohanlal, who is also the president of AMMA, the artists' association which had decided to reinstate Dileep -- an accused in the recent actress kidnapping case, was widely criticised for his stand.
By Online Desk

Veteran actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, who founded his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam on February 21 in Madurai, announced that he is quitting acting.

After a successful acting career spanning nearly six decades, the talented actor has hung up his boots to concentrate on politics. According to the actor, the spirit of Tamil Nadu politics is diluted and corrupt, and he wants to instil values as he feels it is his duty to give back his service to the state.

In an interview to Spotboye, Kamal Haasan spoke about his upcoming film 'Vishwaroopam 2' which is to release tomorrow. He made clear of his intentions of joining politics and giving up acting altogether.

He also said the idea of joining politics, didn't just spring up and there was no flash point, rather it was a slow burn where he realised that politics was confronting him all along.

The versatile actor said, "It was like the writer Saadat Hasan Manto where he was so troubled with what was going on that he had to write down his thoughts. Same way, politics interfered with me at every point, prompting me to join it eventually."

The 62-year-old feels he cannot juggle between acting and politics because his duties are more and they require undivided attention. "If it was 20 years back, maybe I could have been an actor and politician simultaneously like MGR. He was both an MLA and actor. But coming this late to politics, I have multiple responsibilities and need focus" said Kamal.

The actor had made similar statements on previous occasions while inaugurating his political party that made there would not be any more films as his plunge into politics for the people of Tamil Nadu is final.
By Express News Service

The Madras High Court has dismissed a plea filed by production house Pyramid Saimira against the release of Kamal Haasan's magnum opus, 'Vishwaroopam 2'.

Since no reason was given by PSPIL for not approaching the Commercial Division earlier, the principle that it is not desirable to approach the court in the eleventh hour in cases of this nature militates against the production company, Justice M Sundar said.

Its main suits relating to the film Marmayogi and the subsequent one Unnaipol oruvan were pending before the Commercial Division. Hence, it should have approached only the division, the judge said.

Fifty per cent of the suit claim in the original civil suit filed in 2009, which is part of the claim under the suit agreement, has clearly been secured by way of bank guarantee and it is not in dispute that the same is subsisting even as of today, the judge pointed out.

In the light of the narrative supra, it follows as a sequitur and necessary corollary that PSPIL is not entitled to any relief in the instant applications, the judge said and dismissed them.

With this, 'Vishwaroopam 2', written and directed by Kamal Haasan will be releasing tomorrow.

Pyramid Saimira Productions International had moved a civil suit against Kamal Haasan for the recovery fo Rs 5.44 crore.

According to the petitioner, they had signed a memorandum of understanding with Rajkamal Films on April 2, 2008 for the production of "Marmayogi" at an estimated budget of Rs 100 crore.

An amount of Rs 10.90 crore was paid to Rajkamal Films in two installments towards the remuneration of Haasan for acting, directing and writing the story, screenplay and dialogue of the film.

It was acknowledged by the actor through a confirmation letter dated September 25, 2008, the petitioner stated.

The petitioner had last week alleged that Haasan never showed interest in commencing the production of the film even after the payment and instead tried to release another film, "Unnaipol Oruvan", by diverting the money paid to him for "Marmayogi".

However, it was stalled by the petitioner by filing a recovery suit.

"On inquiries, we are given to understand that Kamal Haasan is heavily indebted to various creditors, having borrowed huge amounts from various persons to meet the production expenses of his forthcoming film, 'Vishwaroopam 2', Since he is not able to repay any of the creditors, he is planning to release the film through Aascar Films so as to defeat, delay and defraud his creditors, including ourselves", the petitioner had submitted.

The interim prayer is to restrain the defendants from in any manner parting with the film or releasing it.

It alleged that Kamal Haasan and others are clandestinely planning to release the film. Unless the prayers are granted, the plaintiff could never get back the money lent and would be made to suffer irreparable loss, it added.

Starring Kamal Haasan as Major Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri, a RAW agent, 'Vishwaroopam 2' is the sequel of the 2013 hit with the same name.

While Ghibran is the music director, Kamal Haasan himself has written, directed and co-produced the spy thriller, which will simultaneously hit the screens in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

(with inputs from Online Desk)

The film also has Pooja Kumar, Andrea, Shekhar Kapur and Rahul Bose in important roles.
By PTI

BENGALURU: The NIA has arrested another member of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in the city, a day after the nabbing of the outfit's top leader Mohammed Jahidul Islam, wanted in several terror cases, officials said today.

29-year old Adil Alias Assadullah, a resident of a village in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was arrested near the Cantonment Railway station on August 7 in connection with the bomb blast at Kalchakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya on January 19, 2013, a statement from the National Investigation Agency said.

He was said to be the close associate of Jahidul Islam, who was arrested by an NIA team from nearby Ramanagara.

Assadullah was produced before an NIA special court which granted transit remand for being taken to Patna.

The NIA said its sleuths recovered three mobile phones, bank paying slips, handwritten notes in Bangla language regarding chemical formulas for preparation of improvised explosive devices from him.

Jahidul Islam was the top leader of the JMB in India and wanted in the Burdwan blast case and in many other cases in Bangladesh also.

He was the mastermind in the Bodh Gaya case, the agency had said.

On October 2, 2014, a blast had occurred in a house at Khagragarh in West Bengal's Burdwan district in which a man identified as Sakil Gazi died on the spot, while another named Sovan Mandal died in hospital.

Both of them were suspected of having terror links.

The NIA had alleged that the JMB members wanted to establish Sharia rule by overthrowing the democratically-elected government in Bangladesh.

A low-intensity blast was reported at a kitchen set up at a ground in the temple town of Bodh Gaya on January 19, causing panic among devotees gathered to hear the Dalai Lama's discourse.

The NIA said seven people had been arrested in connection with the blast so far.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The External Affairs Ministry has increased the amount of legal and financial assistance for Indian women deserted by their NRI husbands in 13 countries to USD 4,000 per case, the Rajya Sabha was told today.

The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September 2017 with an aim to provide financial and legal assistance to distressed women married to NRI spouses by all Missions and Posts, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha.

"The amount of legal and financial assistance to distressed Indian women has been increased to USD 4,000 per case," he said in a written reply.

Earlier, the assistance amount was limited to USD 3,000 per case in the developed countries and USD 2,000 per case in the developing countries, Singh said.

The assistance is released to the impanelled legal counsel of the applicant or Indian Community Association, women's organisation and NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assist the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case, he added.

In the last four years, 43 women have been benefitted by the assistance in the 13 countries, including the US, UK, Afghanistan, Colombia, Sudan, he said.
Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India is not China, Australian High Commissioner to India Harinder Sindhu declared on Wednesday.

Releasing a report titled India Economic Strategy to 2035: Navigating from Potential to Delivery on Wednesday at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, High Commissioner Sindhu said that her government commissioned the report because India matters to Australia, and the key conclusion of the report is that there is no market over the next 20 years that offers more opportunity to Australia.

The 504-page report, prepared by Peter Varghese, former High Commissioner to India and former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was submitted to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who commissioned it after his visit to India last year. It is the most comprehensive report of its kind on the AustraliaIndia relationshipits ambitious, future-focused and its 90 recommendations seek to bring about a step-change in the way Australia engages with India, said Sindhu.

Flanked by the Director of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations Rajat Kathuria and the Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry Chandrajit Banerjee, Sindhu said that what makes the Strategy interesting and unique is how it departs from what I could call the standard model of Australias economic engagement with Asian partners.

From the 1950s onward, this model worked on a near-perfect complementarity of Australias advantages and the demands of developing countries in Asia at the time, particularly in North and East Asia  Japan, Korea and, more recently, China, she said. Australias natural resources, technological expertise and innovation supported the rapid industrialisation of Asian countries which were manufacturing-led and export driven. This brought tremendous benefits to both sides as well as to global growth.

But an important insight from the Strategy is to remind Australians that India will not likely follow the same model. Put simply, India is not China, she said. The advent of technology  artificial intelligence,3D printing, robotics  has changed the face of manufacturing as well as the comparative advantages of lower-cost labourSo India is developing in a different global economic environment compared to that of other Asian giants. The shape of its economy will be different (and) Indian Government policy already recognises the importance of skilling and of supporting digital industries and startups, she said.

Noting that in the two years that she has been in India, she had seen considerable changes, including the extremely significant introduction of the GST across India as well as other regulatory reforms, she said unlike the economic relationship with China, which was centrally driven, the report recommended working with individual Indian states, and identified 10 priority states and sectors to begin with.

The strategy recommends and recommends that Australia strives to lift India into its top three export markets, see Australian exports to india treble to around $45 billion, and investment to India rise 10 times to over the $100 billion mark by 2035. But for the partnership to be complete, India also requires a strategy for Australia, she concluded.
Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: "We are entering one of the best periods in bilateral relations in the 70 years since we established diplomatic relations," believes Indonesia's ambassador to India, Sidharto R Suryodipuro.

Addressing a group of foreign correspondents at the India International Center in New Delhi on Thursday, Suryodipuro backed his statement by pointing out that "last year, the trade numbers were the highest ever, the number of visitors was the highest ever, and similarly, in terms of bilateral visits, our president was here in 2016, prime minister of India visited Indonesia a few months ago, and in the one year that I have been here I have received my ministers of trade, health, of defence, coordinating minister for political security and human rights, coordinating minister for maritime cooperation, and a number of other ministers and heads of agencies.."

In terms of economics, trade, and political engagement, "this has been the best time in terms of how we are giving meaning to India and Indonesia as maritime neighbours. We have set up a joint task force to explore the connectivity between Sabang port in the northern tip of Sumatra and the Andamans. Sabang will be open for port visits by navies, and we are looking at connectivity with Indian ports of Chennai and Kolkata, which we don't have yet. We are planning to undertake the first ever joint naval exercise, air force exercise, we are looking at how to expand coordinated patrols between the Andamans and north Sumatra. In 70 years of bilateral relations --we established full diplomatic relations in 1949 -- we have not always had the same regional outlook. But after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the Shangri La dialogue in Singapore, it was very similar and familiar to Indonesians. We now look at the region in the same way," he said.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, he said Indonesia supported the Law of the Sea and the freedom of navigation and overflight. It is a "situation that needs to be managed. Within the ASEAN-China context, we are working on a code of conduct. We are not part of the South China claim states, but we don't have disputes or valid legal arguments on our territorial claims."

"We have been holding the coordinated patrols between the Andamans and Sumatra, now that it is expanding into naval exercises, as well as exercises with the services of the other armed forces. Other than exercises, we are looking at how we expand our information sharing, and training," he added. While developing the regional security architecture, "we are also building the relationship in the soft side as well, like infrastructure, people to people and student exchanges. We talked about our ancient historical and cultural ties, but the number of Indonesian students in India is very low, at the moment it is less than 150..we need to rediscover those ties. India and Indonesia are neighbours, but geography is matter of mindset, so we need to adjust our mindsets."
By Express News Service

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked Directorate General of Civil Aviation to look into a controversy involving a bureaucrat and his family being allegedly deplaned from a British Airways flight minutes before it was scheduled to take off.

The minister directed the aviation regulator to obtain a detailed report from British Airways on the issue.

The alleged incident happened on July 23 when an IAS officer working with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was flying with his family from Berlin to London. The joint secretary level rank official, in a letter to the Union Minister on August 3, alleged that he along with family members were deplaned after his 3-year-old started crying.

He added that the one of the crew members shouted at the child saying, you bloody keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out of the window.

The bureaucrat alleged that the crew got the plane (BA 8495) to return to the tarmac, where the security personnel took their boarding passes away. The customer care service manager did not give reasons for deplaning them nor the management took action against the crew despite lodging a complaint, he claimed.

We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount, the officer he said in his letter.

Responding to the allegation, the British Airways said that it will investigate the matter. The company said, It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off. We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer.
Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: The Outlawed CPI (Maoist) set two private passenger buses on fire along the Bacheli-Jagdalpur route in strife-torn Dantewada district, about 450 km south of Raipur at around Wednesday midnight. The rebels also set ablaze a truck loaded with goods, the district police said.

The armed naxalites stopped the buses, asked the passengers to get down before setting both the vehicles afire. The buses were on their way to the state capital. The terrified commuters along with the drivers and conductors watched helplessly as the Maoists nailed couple of posters and banner at the site in protest against the encounters that took place on July 19 and August 6 at Dantewada and Sukma district respectively.

The Red brigade suffered heavy casualties in the exchange of fires with the security forces when they lost their 23 cadres in the gun battle at both the places.

"The late-night incidents reflect the utter frustration of Naxalites who are being uprooted from their strongholds," asserted Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada superintendent of police. None of the passengers were harmed by the rebels, the police said. Dantewada and Sukma are among the seven worst-Maoist affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday witnessed an unusual exchange of words between Attorney General K K Venugopal and Justice Madan B Lokur after the former questioned the apex courts habit of making critical comments against the government while hearing PILs.

Expressing the governments discomfiture, the AG urged the SC to restrain itself from making sweeping observations without considering all aspects of a problem.

Referring to some of the adverse observations of the court as reported in newspapers, he said, Day after day I have been reading your observations. But a judge may not be knowing all aspects of all the problems.

Justice Lokur shot back saying, Were trying to solve some of these problems and referred to the matters relating to the rights of widows, children and prisoners which were being dealt with by the apex court. We are also citizens of this country and we know the problems which the country is facing.

The exchange happened when the court was hearing a PIL on the inhuman conditions in 1,382 prisons in India and the bench mooted the idea of setting up of a committee to look into the conditions of incarcerated prisoners.

The SC asked the Centre to file details of the proposed committee by August 17.

The A-G told the bench that he was not criticising the apex court but the problems facing the country were enormous and, in the past, its orders and judgments had resulted in a situation where people had lost their jobs.

But you must also understand that orders have repercussions. They may have several consequences which could affect rights of some other class. For them, the government has to think, he said, adding that the cancellation of 2G licences by the court virtually wiped out huge foreign investments.

Similarly, orders on removing liquor vends by increasing the distance from highways caused financial loss. People lost their livelihood, he said, adding that all PILs should be decided in a balanced manner.

He said, India has a multitude of problems. Extent of poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness are serious issues and the government needs to first look at those who dont even earn Rs 100 a day, said the AG, adding that It is not that we have done nothing or we are doing nothing. Not everything is negative.

To this, Justice Lokur said it was because of the courts order that the government had collected over Rs 1,50,000 crore as environment funds for illegal mining.

The bench 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 rights of people. We cannot wish away Article 21.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today asked the Maharashtra government why it has not allowed a single dance bar to operate and wondered if there was total moral policing in the state.

The top court questioned the state for denial of licences to dance bars and observed that with the changing times, the definition of obscenity has also changed.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said now even the law and society have recognised live-in like relationships, which earlier were not acceptable.

Questioning the state government, the bench said why it has not given a single licence for operation of dance bars even after court's repetitive orders and rejected applications.

"It seems like total moral policing is going on in the state," the bench said.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade and advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, appearing for Maharashtra, said that all the 81 applicants who sought licences for dance bars did not have clearances from fire department, among other things.

On the fateful night of December 28-29, last year, a massive fire had swept through two resto-pubs at the Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai, resulting in the death of 14 people.

Naphade further said that in 30 years of his association with Mumbai, he have hardly seen a single restaurant which is fire compliant.

He contended that even today society at large has not changed as far as perception is concerned as no traditional families would allow their children to visit places like dance bars.

The senior lawyer said whenever a young boy and girl are seen together, adverse inferences are drawn.

The bench observed that with the change of time, the definition of obscenity has also changed and nowadays even live-in relationships are accepted by the society and the law (the court referred to the domestic violence Act), which earlier was not acceptable.

"Earlier, filmmakers used to show two flowers or two birds chirping instead of showing kiss or lovemaking scenes in movies but now the time has changed", the bench said in a lighter vein.

Hotel and restaurant owners, bar girls and others have challenged the new law -- the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016 by separate petitions.

At the outset, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, appearing for hotel and restaurants owners who have challenged the new law regulating dance bars, said, under the new law, the state has imposed conditions of installation of CCTV cameras in dance bars, which was in violation with the Right to Privacy.

"People visiting the dance bar may not want to be seen on CCTV cameras or even the bar girls may not want them to be seen on the cameras. This was the violation of fundamental rights," he said.

The bench said the CCTV installation may not be disputed as it could help in collecting evidence after an incident at the bar.

"The question is whether the dance bars can be considered as public place as in public place CCTV can be installed," the court said.

Naphade intervened and said, "a dance bar is a public place".

Bhushan further argued that there is no empirical data to show that bar girls are trafficked or coerced to take up the job in entirety.

He said that there cannot be a blanket allegation or the data suggests that bar girls indulge in obscene dance or in the flesh trade.

"Moreover, indulging in the sex trade in India is not illegal per se but what is illegal under the Immoral Traffic Act is running a brothel or trafficking," he said.

He said that people in well-off places say that the dance bars are immoral but at the ground level it is not such a situation.

The hearing remained inconclusive and would continue on August 23.

Yesterday, the apex court had commenced the final hearing on pleas of hotel and restaurant owners challenging a Maharashtra law imposing new restrictions on licensing and functioning of dance bars in the state.

The Maharashtra government, in an affidavit filed before the court, had earlier defended the operation of a new law meant to regulate licensing and functioning of dance bars in the state.

"It was observed that such dances were derogatory to the dignity of women and were likely to deprave, corrupt or injure public morality," the state government had said in its reply.

"It was also brought to the notice of the state government that the places where such dances were staged were used as places for immoral activities and also as a place for solicitation for the purpose of prostitution," it had said.
By PTI

PATNA: Bihar Education Minister Krishnanandan Prasad Verma was given the additional charge of the Social Welfare Department after its minister Manju Verma resigned in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Cabinet Secretariat Department. Though the notification had yesterday's date, it was put on the official website today.

Manju Verma had stepped down yesterday following allegations of links between her husband and Brajesh Thakur, who was the key accused in the case of sexual abuse of young girls at the state-funded shelter.

The call details of Thakur's phone revealed that he had talked to her husband 17 times from January to June this year.

Speaking to media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur yesterday, Thakur said he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".

The official website of the Bihar Social Welfare Department promptly replaced the name and photograph of Manju Verma with that of Krishnandan Verma.

Political observers see the allocation of the Social Welfare Ministry to Krishnandan Verma as part of efforts to placate the Kushwaha caste to which both Manju Verma and Krishnandan Verma belong.

In the midst of intense demand for her resignation after name of her husband cropped up in the case, Manju Verma had alleged that she was targeted as she belonged to the backward Kushwaha community.

Kushwaha caste was the second largest block after the Yadavs among the politically dominant OBC in Bihar.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the beginning had carved out a strong support base in his own OBC Kurmi caste and the Kushwaha caste, popularly called as "Luv and Kush".
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday told Parliament that it had returned files of five recommendations made by the Supreme Court collegium for appointment to the higher judiciary.

Union Minister of State for Law PP Chaudhary, however, said that 27 other proposals of the collegium, including some that were returned by the Centre to the collegium, were being considered by the government.

The government, however, chose not to disclose any names and did not give details of either pending files or the five names that the collegium had recommended for elevation but were returned by the Centre.

Giving a written response in the Lok Sabha on the issue of appointments in the higher judiciary, Chaudhary said, At present, 143 names recommended by the High Court collegium have been submitted and pending with the Supreme Court collegium. Further, five names recommended by Supreme Court collegium have been referred back by the government to Supreme Court for reconsideration and 27 proposals, including those names reiterated by Supreme Court collegium, are under various stages of processing with the government, as per the procedure prescribed in the MoP (Memorandum of Procedure).

The minister was responding to questions raised by Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor. Chaudhary informed Parliament said that no recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium for the year 2014 were pending with the government.

He added, For the year 2015, the Supreme Court collegium has conveyed on August 1, 2018 for remitting two names recommended by the Allahabad High Court back to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.

Tharoor asked several questions related to appointments made in the higher judiciary, including names and dates of the collegium recommendations, but Chaudhary did not reveal those details.

Over the past six months, the judiciary has been at loggerheads with the government, particularly over the Centre stalling appointments in the judiciary.

Government does not reveal names, dates

The government chose not to disclose any names and did not give details of either pending files or the five names that the Supreme Court collegium had recommended for elevation but were returned by the Centre.

Union Minister of State for Law PP Chaudhary also did not reveal dates of the collegium recommendations, sought by MP Shashi Tharoor.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Four militants were killed and a para-commando injured in an encounter that raged in Rafiabad forest area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

An army official ting on specific information about presence of militants, special forces including 9 para commandos and 32 Rashtria Rifles personnel launched a combing and search operation in Dooniwara, Rafiabad forest area of Baramulla today morning. He said while the combing operation was going on, the search party came under volume of fire from militants hiding in the forest area.

The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter. Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said four militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight. The identity of slain militants and the outfit to which they owe allegiance was being ascertained. Sources said a para commando identified as Naresh Chander was injured in the gunfight. He was evacuated to military hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment. They said army officials suspect presence of more militants in the forest area and additional troops have been rushed to the area to tighten siege and prevent militants from breaching the cordon and escaping from the area.

Sources said army helicopters were also pressed into service to help troops on ground locate the militants. Sources said militants might have infiltrated recently. Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen A K Bhatt complimented special forces and other troops for killing four militants. He said special forces were specially inserted in the area to take on the militants.

The killing of militants took place a day after four soldiers including a Major were killed after troops foiled infiltration bid of militants in Gurez sector along Line of Control. Two militants were also killed in the gunfight.
By IANS

NEW DELHI: BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday advised Congress President Rahul Gandhi to give "some time to facts", accusing his party of treating Dalits with "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"Rahulji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. NDA Government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?" Shah said in a series of tweets.

The Bharatiya Janata Party chief's remarks came soon after Gandhi said the government's "anti-Dalit mindset" became clear when Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewarded with re-employment a judge who diluted an Act that sought to deter atrocities against the marginalized.

Gandhi also said the BJP and the governments it led at the Centre had no space for Dalits in their hearts.

"Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.

The Supreme Court had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the Act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.

The ruling had angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.

The government had made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused.

The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Rajya Sabha MP also said: "Is it a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President, they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission! Anti-backward mindset visible."
By PTI

MUMBAI: A local court in Maharashtra's Palghar district ordered three persons to clean Vasai railway station for three consecutive days for posting a video which showed them taking the "Kiki challenge" on a moving train.

The Kiki challenge, started by Canadian rapper Drake, involves jumping out of a moving vehicle and dancing to his song "In My Feelings".

The video, shot by Shyam Sharma (24), Dhruv (23) and Nishant (20) at Western Railway's Vasai station, had gone viral on social media after it was uploaded a week ago and had been viewed by over 1.5 lakh people.

A senior Railway Protection Force official said that the three were arrested yesterday and produced in the Vasai railway court which ordered them to clean the local railway station for three consecutive days and also inform passengers to desist from stunts like the Kiki challenge.

Not just a risk for you but your act can put life of others at risk too. Desist from public nuisance or face the music ! #DanceYourWayToSafety #InMySafetyFeelingsChallenge pic.twitter.com/gY2txdcxWZ  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) July 26, 2018

"The railway court ordered that the three men would clean all platforms of Vasai station from 11am to 2pm and then, between 3pm to 5pm, will create awareness among commuters of the dangers of stunts like the Kiki challenge," the official said.

"We arrested Shyam Sharma from a mall yesterday and he revealed the whereabouts of the other two, who too were arrested soon after. Sharma has previously worked in television serials while the other two have a channel on YouTube," the official said.

They had been arrested under sections 145 B (indecency or nuisance), 147 (entering railway premises or damaging property) 154 (endangering safety of passengers) and 156 (performing stunts) of the Indian Railway Act, he said.

These sections entail a jail sentence of up to one year and a fine of Rs 500, the official informed.

Earlier, police from several states have cautioned people against taking the Kiki challenge since it poses a danger to their lives as well as that of others.

"Not just a risk for you but your act can put life of others at risk too. Desist from public nuisance or face the music! #DanceYourWayToSafety #InMySafetyFeelingsChallenge," the Mumbai police had tweeted earlier against the menace.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of today'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.

ALSO READ | Maratha quota stir: No end to violence and suicides in Maharashtra

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 the 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.

READ HERE: Maratha reservation stir: 21-year-old commits suicide for not getting job

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.

READ STORY HERE | Maratha quota agitation: Violence erupts in Chakan town, section 144 imposed; two end lives

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.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: At least nine patients died allegedly due to lack of medical attention at two top government-run hospitals in Patna as the junior doctors stayed off work in protest against an attack on some of them by relatives of a patient who died.

The deaths occurred at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna in the past two days, sources said on Thursday. Junior doctors of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) at Darbhanga also joined the strike even as a meeting between senior health department officials and representatives of the junior doctors in Patna failed.

At least 35 critical surgeries scheduled to take place at PMCH and 20 others at NMCH had to be postponed due to the strike, said sources. With almost all medical care facilities remaining suspended at the two hospitals, nearly 300 patients who had taken admission there were forced to leave for private hospitals in Patna.

Junior doctors at NMCH started the strike on Wednesday morning after family members of a patient who died there allegedly clashed with some of them on Tuesday evening.

While the junior doctors claimed that the 70-year-old woman was brought dead, her relatives said doctors and the hospital staff refused to admit her citing limited resources due to the recent flooding inside the hospital building. Some of the dead womans relatives allegedly roughed up some junior doctors and also fired in the air before leaving.

Two of the people who had indulged in violence were arrested on Wednesday on the basis of CCTV footage of the incident, said police. But the junior doctors continued their strike demanding a foolproof system of security for doctors and all hospital staff.

The health department has agreed to set up a permanent police outpost on the premises of NMCH. A site for the outpost has also been chosen. Other demands of the junior doctors would soon be taken care of at the administrative level, said NMCH superintendent Dr Chandrashekhar.

Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey said the government would take all steps to ensure doctors security and urged them to return to work immediately.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested a Pakistan-retuned youth and his brother for allegedly threatening to kill Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on social media.

Jitendra Arjunwar (32), who spent last five years in Pakistani prison before his release in May this year, has been arrested along with younger brother Bharat were arrested by the cyber cell on Thursday for threatening to kill the MP CM in a series of tweets.

The siblings are said to be from Barghat in Seoni district.

In total five tweets were made between August 2 and August 7 using a twitter account created on August 2. We spotted the tweets threatening to kill the CM, during our regular social media patrolling and got the concerned twitter account blocked within just two hours. In the next 24 hours, we tracked the user of the blocked twitter account, followed by picking up of the two siblings for questioning from Seoni, SP (Cyber Cell Bhopal) Sudeep Goyanka told TNIE.

In the five tweets in Hindi and English, the duo threatened to kill the CM during his ongoing Jan Ashirwad Yatra on when he (CM) comes to Seoni district. In the last tweet on August 7, the duo tagged the MP CM's twitter account, the siblings tweeted I'm not joking, but you will be killed.

The duo was booked under Sections 506 and 507 of IPC, besides Section 66 and 66C of the Information and Technology Act and were was questioned by the cyber cell sleuths in Bhopal.

According to sources, the interrogation did not reveal any serious intention about the threats made on the Twitter. They were later granted bail.

When Jitendra was released from the Pakistani jail after five years and reunited with the family in May this year, he was promised monetary help and assurances of job from some quarters. However, he was left in the cold later, owing to which it's possible that the stunt was to grab attention, said sources.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over people with criminal antecedents becoming members of Parliament and state assemblies and said that the problem could no longer be ignored by the legislature.

"It is the duty of the legislature to respond to the collective cry of the citizens. Today the citizens are saying please don't let such people contest elections. It can't be ignored by the legislature It's a national thinking," a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said.

Citing one of his own judgements, the CJI said, "Corruption is a noun but becomes a verb when it enters the political arena. It is ineffective and resistant to antibiotics."

ALSO READ | 57 per cent of MLAs with criminal cases got more than 50 per cent votes in their constituencies

Attorney General K K Venugopal suggested fixing a time limit for the three steps after the filing of the charge sheet: framing of charges, application for discharge, and appeal before a High Court for quashing the charges.

The bench, however, wondered if it could be done by a judicial order in a writ petition as it was a question of adding certain disqualifications in the Representation of People Act, 1951 for candidates contesting elections, which fell in the domain of Parliament.

Senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi, appearing for one of the petitioners in the case, said that in 2014, 34 per cent of the lawmakers had a criminal background and it was impossible that Parliament would make a law to stop criminalisation of politics.

The arguments remained inconclusive and will continue on August 14.

During the hearing, the bench witnessed something unusual when Venugopal opposed the PILs for the Centre while his son K Venugopal sought directions from the court to cleanse politics of criminal elements at a stage prior to conviction.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of having an anti-Dalit mindset as the opposition leader slammed the centre over atrocities against SC/ST.

"It is always the intention that matters the most. What is in the heart of Prime Minister gets reflected in the policies which he gets framed. If he had a cared for the 'Dalits', the policies framed for them would have been altogether different," Rahul said at the protest organized at Jantar Mantar.

"Narendra Modi Ji is of the view that 'Dalits' should have no place in progress and future scheme of things in this country. The intention of Modi Ji, BJP and RSS is to deny space to 'Dalits' in all spheres, be it in the field of education or the field for progress," he said.

Noting that his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had given the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to the country, Rahul pointed out that the PM allowed the law to become infructuous.

"They launched an onslaught on this Act. And the Judge, who attacked this law, got rewarded," said Rahul referring to Justice AK Goel who was made NGT chief after retiring from Supreme Court.

The Congress chief said his party had made it clear to the PM that he cannot take a stand against 'Dalits' because if he did that the whole country will stand against him. "His thinking is anti-Dalit. That is why we are standing against him. Only because of this mindset, we are fighting against Narendra Modi and BJP and this fight will continue. We shall not take even a single step back and in 2019 elections, you will see that whole country will stand united against BJP, RSS ideology, and Narendra Modi Ji," he added.
Richa Sharma By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman may be headed for a photo finish today with joint Opposition candidate B K Hariprasad and NDAs Harivansh Singh filing nominations and both camps claiming to have the numbers in their favour.

Congress leader Hariprasad's name was finalised after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided not to field Vandana Chavan, the front-runner till Tuesday.

READ| TDP to back Opposition candidate for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post

While the BJP is confident of having the support of 126 members, including 9 MPs from BJD, 2 from YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and 6 from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the Opposition maintains the exact numbers can be seen on the floor of the House. The NDA counts YSRCP to be on its side but the partys Vijayasai Reddy said party MPs would not vote for Harivansh. Shiv Sena has also extended the support of their three MPs for the election.

The Opposition has 115 in its kitty. However, there is no clarity if the 4 DMK members would be present for voting in the wake of the demise of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. BJD with 9 MPs holds the key to victory. JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar rang up Bahujan Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday.

READ| Rajya Sabha deputy-chairman election: BJD to support NDA candidate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Patnaik. Late in the evening, Patnaik said his party would support the JD(U) candidate. PDP with two MPs has decided to abstain. Aam Admi Party (AAP) also played tantrums with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh saying Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should reach out to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for AAPs three votes. Later Arvind Kejriwal announced that AAP is likely to abstain from the voting as well.

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 voting will begin at 11 am.

(With inputs from Online Desk)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A bill to replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a board of governors and aimed at bringing accountability and quality in homeopathy education, was passed by the Rajya Sabha today, amid noisy opposition protests.

The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House, replaces the ordinance promulgated by President in May 18.

It was adopted by the Lok Sabha on July 30.

The HCC regulates homoeopathy education and practice in the country.

Replying to a short debate, Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said "Some malpractices by members of the council were taking place. However, there were no provisions in the law to remove them. An Ordinance was brought to take action against members involved in malpractices."

Till the HCC was reconstituted, a Board of Governors was constituted by the Centre to exercise the powers of the Council.

The Board met twice and the council held five meetings, he said.

The Minister also informed the House that as many as 223 homoeopathy colleges have been inspected and 45 of them have applied for the recognition.

A list of colleges for grant of recognition, has been sent to the government, he said.

The bill also states that homoeopathy medical colleges set up or opened new courses before the ordinance was promulgated will have to take recognition from the central government within a year.

If these colleges fail to get such permission, then the medical qualifications granted to the students will not be recognised under the law.

Earlier participating in the debate, Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) sought to know if the government has taken action against the members allegedly involved in malpractices.

He also sought to know the parameters used to assess the quality of colleges and the need for colleges to reseek the central recognition within a year.

Sushil Kumar Gupta (AAP), Ravi Prakash Verma (SP) were among others who participated in the debate.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The BJPs government formation efforts in Jammu and Kashmir gained momentum on Thursday with the visit of the partys point person on Kashmir, Ram Madhav.

Madhav arrived in Srinagar on Thursday and held talks with senior party leaders. Former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and other senior BJP leaders attended the meeting.

Sources said the meeting discussed in detail options before the party for forming government in the state after collapse of Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government following withdrawal of BJP support to BJP on June 20.

They said the party leaders were of the opinion that since more than two years were left for the next Assembly elections, the option of forming the government should be seriously considered.

According to sources, Madhav also met separatist-turned-mainstream politician and Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone.

Madhav discussed with him the government formation in the state, they said.

Sajjad was the minister in PDP-BJP coalition government from saffron partys quota.

He had aligned with BJP ahead of 2014 Assembly elections in the state and his Peoples Conference had won two seats in the Assembly polls.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta told The New Indian Express that the government formation will happen by August-end or September.

Exuding confidence that government will be formed soon, Gupta said, In the 87-member J&K Assembly, 44 are required for forming the government and we are hopeful of getting the requisite numbers and forming the government with like-minded legislators.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court would today 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 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 the 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 an 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.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Clothes make the man, it is said, and sometimes maybe the politician too, as in the case of TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad who today dressed up as Hitler to send Prime Minister Narendra Modi the message that he should not "follow" the Nazi dictator's footsteps.

Sometimes a woman, other times a farmer or a cattle herder, depending on the political point he wants to convey, Sivaprasad said he decided to don the Fuehrer's avatar today to remind Modi of his promise to give Special Status Category (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh, post bifurcation of the state.

Wearing a khaki coat and sporting a toothbrush moustache, Sivaprasad said, "I wanted to send a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to follow Adolf Hitler.

"During elections, he promised SCS to the people of the state but has then back-tracked. He does not get the pulse of what people want and I want to urge him to not be like him.

" Sivaprasad, who attended the House in his Hitler costume, also raised his hand in "heil Hitler" salute for camerapersons outside.

The TDP was a constituent of the NDA until March this year, but quit the government and the NDA over the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

"Ours is a democracy and it is necessary to understand the aspirations of the people," said the two-time MP who represents Chittor in Andhra Pradesh.

An actor, whose has worked in several Telugu films, Sivaprasad has in the past donned various avatars to attract attention.

During the last Budget session, Sivaprasad had dressed up as a woman, a farmer, a cattle herder, a Muslim cleric and a 'swachch' Bharat worker.

"I am an artist and cannot sit quietly. I have to express myself. To represent the plight of women who were hit by demonetisation, I also dressed like one," he said.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: A youth, who was allegedly abducted and tortured by unidentified militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, succumbed to injuries at a hospital, police said today.

Two youths -- identified as Mehraj Ahmad and Arif Ahmad -- were abducted by unidentified militants yesterday, a police spokesperson said.

Arif was later "retrieved" in an injured condition and his body "bore visible torture marks".

The youth was immediately shifted to a hospital here where he breathed his last, the officer said.

Police have registered a case and an investigation is on, he said.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The State BJP, which is ur of scrapping special status of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday demanded granting state subject and voting rights to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) settled in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The state subject rights should be granted to WPRs, who are living in border districts of the State in Jammu province since 1947," State BJP chief spokesman Sunil Sethi told reporters in winter capital. He said about onePRs are living in Jammu province since 1947 and they should be given citizenship rights of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Like any other resident of the state, they too should be given state subject rights. They should also be given right to vote in State Assembly elections, government jobs, government scholarships, etc," Sethi said. About 5,764 families of WPRs settled in Jammu and Kashmir after 1947 and are presently living in border districts of Samba, Kathua and Jammu. The WPRs can vote in parliamentary elections and can get central government jobs but cannot vote for state assembly elections and cannot get state government jobs and scholarships.

They also cannot pursue higher technical and professional education in State colleges. Sethi said majority of people in Jammu region favour granting of J&K citizenship to WPRs. "People of Jammu consider them as their brothers and sisters. They don't have any objection". On Article 35A, the BJP chief spokesman said the saffron party favours its scrapping.

"The removal of Article 35A can facilitate setting up of industries and factories by outsiders in the State. This can increase employment and jobs in the State as businessmen from outside J&K will invest in the State," he said. Article 35A grants special privileges to J&K residents and bars outsiders from purchasing property in the State.

No outsider can get government job or state scholarship. Stating that scrapping of Article 35A won't change demography of the State, Sethi said, "J&K will remain Muslim-majority State. "We will fight for g this Article 35 A," he said. The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of petitions challenging validity of Article 35A till August 27.
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Health minister Anil Vij today suspended two officials of the Health Department for providing wrong information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The action was taken against Superintendent Rohtas and Assistant Pankaj, the minister said, adding that the matter would be investigated by a senior IAS officer, who would submit a report within a month.

Replying to a Gurugram resident's query filed under the RTI Act, the officials had wrongly stated that no new hospital building was constructed in Haryana after 2014, which Vij said was an attempt by the accused to malign the department.

In an official release, the minister said the present state government had not only completed buildings of hospitals approved by the previous dispensation but also built new ones.

Vij said 86 buildings approved during the tenure of the previous Congress government were completed by the present state government after 2014 and a sum of Rs 282.21 crore was spent on them.

Similarly, the present regime constructed 12 new buildings of hospitals at a cost of Rs 122.83 crore.

Apart from this, administrative approval has been given for construction of 136 new buildings at a cost of Rs 643.41 crore, he added.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has urged the ministries of external affairs, labour and employment, and home, along with state governments, to develop a strong mechanism to protect overseas Indian workers from exploitation and punish the unregistered agents who lure them.

The Standing Committee on Labour, in its report, tabled in Parliament on overseas employment of women workers including nurses and maids, issues and regulatory framework, said it has come to light that thousands of workers are lured in the name of overseas jobs by illegal agents and are exploited in foreign countries.

The panel, headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, said the government departments in India, including state governments, state police, ministries of home and external affairs, do not "proactively" accept the complaints of such people, thus leaving them helpless in a foreign land.

Some of the major complaints of overseas workers are non-payment of salaries, denial of legitimate labour rights, longer working hours, non-provision of medical and insurance facilities, confinement or abandoning of maids, it noted.

The Committee said it has observed that in a large number of cases, unregistered or unscrupulous agents send uneducated and semi-educated persons on tourist and other such visas, and not on the legal work visas/permit, to foreign countries by promising lucrative employment opportunities upon extracting substantial sums from them.

Thereafter, these workers, including women, are left in the foreign soil at the mercy of private employers, it said.

The panel said it has felt that a strong mechanism for grievance redressal and penalties or punishment to unscrupulous agents needed to be developed immediately in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Home Affairs, along with state governments.

The committee said it has strongly recommended that such a mechanism should be developed and made public to save overseas workers from exploitation and to take strong action against those unscrupulous or unregistered agents who lure them.

It also recommended setting up of cells as well as the appointment of a nodal officer for the purpose by all state governments, the report added.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A Thailand court has ruled in favour of India's request for extraditing gangster Chhota Shakeel's close aide Mudassar Hussain Sayyed alias Munna Zingada, whom Pakistan was trying to claim as its national, an official said here today.

While Zingada tried to prove that he was a Pakistani national, strong proofs like DNA samples of his kin, his fingerprint details, ration card, voter identity card etc. submitted by Indian authorities nailed the gangster's lie in the court, he said.

In an attempt to prove himself as a Pakistani national to avoid law in India, Zingada had submitted before the court the birth certificate of his son and related documents, the crime branch official said.

The order passed by a court in Bangkok yesterday is in Thai language, he said, terming it as a "victory" for the Mumbai Crime Branch in an international court.

The court's ruling is being seen as a setback for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as Zingada's extradition could help India's claim about Ibrahim's presence in Pakistan.

The court has given one-month time to Zingada to challenge the order, and in the meantime authorities at the Indian embassy in Thailand will issue a warrant against him to start his extradition process, he said.

Another official said the documents produced in the court by Zingada, 50, were created in Pakistan.

Apart from his Pakistani passport in which his name was printed as Mohammed Saleem, Zingada provided the birth certificate of his son and a school certificate issued by a school in Karachi, he said.

However, the court refused to acknowledge these documents given the strong evidences presented by India.

The official refused to elaborate on the matter, saying they had not yet received a copy of the order.

Zingada, a native of suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai and a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, had gone to Bangkok in 2000 to eliminate gangster Chhota Rajan at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Rajan had survived the attack but his close aide Rohit Verma was killed.

After the attack, Zingada had fled to Pakistan and returned to Thailand in 2001 with a Pakistani passport.

He was then arrested in Thailand and convicted in the case of the attack on Rajan.

Zingada served 16 years in a Thai prison after the conviction, the official said, adding that India was constantly trying for his extradition since last few years.

Pakistan was also trying to take his custody through the diplomatic channel by submitting his Pakistani passport and school leaving certificate to the Thai authorities.

In 2016, the Crime Branch team had travelled to Thailand to expedite the process.

The police team had submitted in a Thai court a dossier on Zingada, mentioning his crime record in Mumbai during his stay between 1994-97 along with his personal details, the official said.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Tension gripped Meerut district on Thursday following a caste conflagration that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Dalit youth in Ulhedpur village and left many, including policemen, injured.

The incident took place when a few Dalit youths of the village had gone to see a kanwar yatra on Wednesday night. While returning, they were allegedly beaten up by members of the Thakur community. A clash was averted then following the intervention by the village elders. But on Thursday morning, a group of Dalit youths went to the Thakur-dominated area in the village brandishing iron rods and sticks to avenge the previous nights incident.

Violent clashes ensued and members of both communities attacked each other with bricks, sticks, sharp-edged weapons and iron rods. Over a dozen people from both sides were injured, with Dalit youth Rohit sustaining serious injuries.

On getting information about the fight, local police rushed to the spot and took Rohit to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

They thrashed us without any provocation while we were returning home late night, claimed a Dalit man. The Thakurs denied any role in Wednesday nights incident. They claimed that the Dalits attacked them on Thursday and they responded in the same language to defend their families.

Till reports last came in, a large number of Dalits were holding a demonstration with the body of the deceased at the main crossing in the village, blocking all approaching roads. They are demanding immediate arrest of the accused and adequate compensation for Rohits family.

Both sides have lodged FIRs against each other. Police has detained over a dozen people for their role in the incident.

Senior police officers, including Meerut ADG Prashant Kumar and SSP Rajesh Pandey, rushed to Ulhedpur on coming to know about the caste conflagration. A heavy contingent of police and Rapid Action Force was deployed to avert further clashes in the village.

According to sources, Ulhedpur has a long history of enmity between Thakurs and Dalits.
Arun Bothra By

While buying a house in any place, the overall security of the area is an important parameter. One would generally ask friends and residents of the place as to how safe the city or particular area is. However, if you want to buy a house in any big city in the West, you dont need to ask anyone. The information, not only about the city but up to the street level, will be made available to you. The crime rate, kinds of crimes, likely timings and pattern of crimes, the rate of detection and conviction and every other possible information will be in your mailbox at the click of a few tabs, of course at a cost.

Information is powersomething we came to know in the last century. However, only with the advent of the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) economy, the world realised that information is actually hard cash. In spite of all the talk about privacy and reservation over providing information for Aadhaar cards, almost all of us are continuously sharing our daily lives with these smart enterprises, willingly or otherwise. This free-of-cost information has become the biggest source of profit around the world today.

The knowledge that information is money is one thing, but to actually make money out of information is an entirely different thing. As the second most populous country, we have a lot of information. The irony is that the world is making money out of our information and we even pay for it! Forget making money, we are hardly harnessing the available information to improve our basic systems and lives.

Lets come back to the example of information on crimes.

Modern police systems around the world are primarily based on predictive policing models which depend heavily on crime data. Every crime is mapped and recorded carefully. This data is used to make decisions such as allocation of resources. With the continuous process of data collection and evaluation, the plans are improved regularly and course corrections made. These analyses and evaluations are mostly done by independent agencies. Of course, the funding is provided by the police, fully or partially.

No doubt a lot of time and money is spent on the collection, collation, preservation and analysis of the crime data. Consider then that organisations like Google and Facebook also spend a lot of money on these activities and still make huge profits. Other than being an important tool for improving public services, the crime data is also a saleable commodity. People will readily pay to have accurate and authentic information on crime in an areabecause it helps them in buying and renting properties and making decisions for a safer lifestyle.

In India, crime data is collected by the National Crime Records Bureau. Every year the Bureau comes up with its publication: Crime in India. Over a period of time, the quality and range of fields of data collection have improved. However, there is always a debate as to how accurate and reliable the data actually is. But more importantly, this information is hardly used in any productive way, especially in improving police systems at the grass-roots level. Even now, all planning is still based on historical memory and doesnt involve much of data analysis.

For example, if a city police gets 500 new constables and 100 new vehicles, how should they be deployed? Of course, the police should base this decision on some study on the need for resources in various parts of the city. However, in the absence of any scientific and systematic study, the resources are actually deployed as per vague guesses and unverifiable calculations, loftily termed institutional memory.

The absence of any systematic approach also gives way to undesired discretion on the part of the police leadership. The police commissioner of a city, in all his wisdom, may decide foot patrolling is the best way for the safety of citizens and deploy more manpower for that. The next incumbent may prefer patrolling by PCR vans, again as a personal choice. Both decisions may have been taken with the best of intentions, but these are serious issues involving public money and even lives of people. How can we leave them to the whims and fancies of someone, however senior and wise he may be? Should we not take these decisions in a scientific way and put them to test for public scrutiny? How much say do the citizens today have in the ways our police systems are run and on what principles are resource allocations made? After all, it is public money that is meant to make the life of people safer.

Rather than the police, our universities and educational institutes should collect and analyse the crime data. The police authorities are neither meant nor equipped for such an academic exercise. They can only provide genuine, authentic and reliable data. Today there is hardly any research on police subjects in our educational institutes. Whatever little we have is a purely academic exercise with no worthwhile use or application in the field. The police have the data but they cannot analyse and use it in productive ways. Universities dont have the data and so cannot help the police with any analysis in improving the systems.

Healthy partnerships between the police, security agencies, researchers, universities and the state can enhance security and quality of our lives, generate employment and also save a lot of money. But there is hardly any effort or initiative by either of these agencies to bridge the gap and find a way out. While we are in this catch-22 situation, Google Maps is collecting traffic data on every road and corner of the country and selling it to companies like Ola and Uber. We are happily providing this data for

free and then innocently paying for it to Google through our cab operators.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested one more suspected member of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on Tuesday night in connection with the terror attack in Bodh Gaya. Investigation has revealed that the terror attack was planned to avenge the alleged atrocities against Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Adil alias Assadullah (29), a resident of Elisabad in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, was arrested by the NIA team from an autorickshaw stand near the Cantonment Railway Station in Bengaluru. The agency has sought his transit remand from the Special NIA Court in the city.

During the search, an NIA team recovered three mobile sets, bank payment slips, handwritten notes in Bengali and a notebook containing notes on chemical formulas for preparation of IEDs. He is the right-hand man of Zahidul Islam alias Kausar, the NIA said.

Kausar, a resident of Jamalpur district in Bangladesh, is a top leader of JMB in India and also a member of Majlis-ash-Shura (the highest consultative body of JMB). He was arrested from Ramanagara on Sunday evening.

Kausar had been absconding after the Burdwan blast and recovery of IEDs near Kalchakra Maidan of Bodh Gaya in Bihar. A non-bailable warrant and lookout circular were issued against him. He is also wanted in serial blast cases in Bangladesh. Kausar was also involved in the Trishal police van attack in Bangladesh. He was sentenced to 95 years of imprisonment in all by Bangladeshi courts and one murder case against him is still pending trial.

In 2014, he escaped from custody in Bangladesh and illegally entered India. He was part of JMB module involved in preparation of IEDs in Burdwan, an official release said. He is an expert in making IEDs and circuit designs, the release said.

So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the recovery of IEDs and minor explosion in Bodh Gaya.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Central Water Commission has alerted Tamil Nadu government to take precautionary measures as there is a likelihood of nearly one lakh cusecs of water from Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagar dams being released in the next two days due to heavy rain in Karnataka and Kerala.

In view of heavy rain in Karnataka and Kerala, there is likelihood of heavy release of water from Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagar Dams. The combined discharge (more than one lakh cusecs) is expected to reach Mettur Dam within two days and necessary precaution should be taken and downstream areas should be informed, CWC said in its Advisory Warning No 1 for River Cauvery.

READ | Flood situation 'grave' in Kerala, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan; toll rises to 22

A top official from Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation said they are aware of the advisory from the Centre and necessary steps were being taken.

While Central Water Commission have asked only six districts  Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruchy, Salem, Erode and Thanjavur to be alerted, we have alerted the entire districts in Cauvery basin, the official said.

We have asked the Inter departmental Zonal Teams drawn from police, fire services, rural development and agriculture departments, and headed by an official not below the rank of Tahsildar, to monitor the vulnerable areas, which we have mapped in 2016, the official said.

We have also given advisory to people living in low-lying areas not to get into water. We have also diverted water to irrigation tanks in Tiruchy and Pudukottai districts and also to Veeranam tank which supplies water to Chennai which is nearly full, the official said.

A water resources department official said there is no need to press the panic button as it will take two to three days for water to reach the State. Currently, we are getting 30,000 cusecs. We had successfully managed the release of one lakh cusecs of water by Karnataka recently and we could do it. However, this time most of the water will be let out as the reservoir will be full soon, he said.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: In a major step towards fulfilling its promise to waive farm loans, the Kumaraswamy government on Thursday approved grants to clear loans of up to Rs 1 lakh availed from co-operative institutions.

READ | Loan waiver criticism: CM HD Kumaraswamy says money doesnt grow on trees

The decision would benefit about 20.38 lakh farmers who have availed loans of up to Rs 2 lakh from co-operative societies and District Cooperative Central (DCC) banks with a total financial outlay of Rs 94,448 cr. This includes Rs 4,000cr pending amount to be released to fulfill the farm-loan waiver announced by previous Siddaramaiah government.

The benefit would cover outstanding loans till July 10, 2018, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced after the state cabinet took a decision to this effect.

However the benefit would be implemented taking one family as a unit, which effectively means waiver of up to Rs 1 lakh of loan per family. The farmers who have already repaid their loans would also benefit as the cabinet has also decided to remit the amount to the bank accounts of farmers who have already repaid the loans.

I had promised to fulfil my promise of waiving farm loans with a limit of upto Rs 2 lakh in 4 phases. Today saw the first phase of it as we have waived farm loans of up to Rs 1 lakh availed through co-operative banks. This would enable the farmers to avail fresh loans, Kumaraswamy said.

Waiver from next week



Kumaraswamy also announced that the process to waive loans availed through nationalised banks would be initiated next week. We will take the decision on clearing the farm loans obtained through nationalised banks in our next cabinet meeting. We will release the funds in instalments. The modalities for this would be finalised within next few days, Kumaraswamy said. He had earlier said that the farm-loan waiver would be fully implemented in four phases over next 4 years, on Thursday he expressed the confidence of accomplishing the challenge by August next year.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE



The loan waiver announced by the Chief Minister on Thursday however comes with riders and would not cover the farmers under the categories mentioned below.

Those farmers who are government servants or employed in other sectors with a monthly salary or pension of Rs 20,000 and above

Those farmers who have paid Income Tax in any one of the last 3 years.

The loans availed by pledging the farm produce, loans availed to purchase vehicles, jewellery, for fishing related purpose.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With heavy rains lashing across central and north Kerala, the state has been witnessing a never-before-seen-scenario with 22 deaths reported in a day. As many as 22 dams including Idamalayar have been opened while a couple of more dams could be opened soon.

Most of the deaths have been reported from Idukki district (11), followed by Malappuram (6), Kozhikode (2) and Wayanad (1) in the last 24 hours. The government has also postponed the Nehru Trophy Boat race in view of the flood situation. Two deaths have been reported from Ernakulam district in the rain fury that devastated several parts of the state in the last 24 hours.

Two plus-2 students of St Thomas HSS, Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, drowned after they were washed away from near Thattupalam, Airapuram.

Only after an intensive search operation by the Fire Force could their bodies be recovered, police said. With this, the total death toll in the rain-related accidents rose to 22 in the state.

Talking to reporters after a review meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the flood situation in the state was "very grim" and it was for the first time in the history of the state that 22 dams have been opened at a time following the water level reaching its maximum capacity.

"With the heavy rains continuing like this, Kakki dam could also be opened. That could lead to inundation of Kuttanad region," said Pinarayi.

The state has already submitted its request for assistance before the central delegation which held a meeting with the CM at the state capital on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Kerala opens Idukki dam shutter after 26 years as water level crosses crucial 2398 ft mark

Image of Idukki dam after opening shutters.

With incessant rains causing heavy damages in many districts, teams from the Army and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have already swung into action. While major damages were reported from Malappuram, Kozhikode and Idukki districts, the land-locked region of Wayanad has been fully cut off.

The state government has sought assistance from the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF and the Military Intelligence. Three teams of NDRF have been deployed in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kozhikode while two more teams are on the way. The state has sought six more NDRF teams to be deployed, said the Chief Minister.

Necessary rescue equipment for the Army would be brought from Bengaluru to Kozhikode and Kochi by air and would be transported to affected regions by road.

In view of the emergency scenario, a 24-hour monitoring cell under Revenue Additional Chief Secretary PH Kurian has been set up at the Secretariat. In addition, monitoring cells are operational at all Collectorates.

With the increasing water level at Kuttanad, the Nehru Trophy Boat race scheduled for August 11 has been postponed. The revised date would be announced later.

The Chief Minister urged the public to restrain caution. "Rescue operation should not have any hindrance. Public going near dams to view opening of shutters, is not advisable. Only those assigned for rescue operations should be allowed. Tourists are advised to exercise caution," Pinarayi said while adding that those taking part in the Vavubali ritual should also be careful.

The government has issued directives to the police and fire force personnel to coordinate rescue operations. Officials have been directed to involve MLAs and other people's representatives in relief measures.

CM urges the public to come forward to donate for relief measures

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the public to come forward to donate for relief measures. Those willing to donate can contribute to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). "I would urge everyone to come forward and contribute for relief measures in this time of crissi," requested Pinarayi.

Cochin International Airport resumes operations after briefly stopping arrivals

Scores of passengers were left stranded as the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) was forced to partially shut down operations due to flooding on Thursday. Heavy rains and the rise in water levels in Periyar river due to Idamalayar dam opening its shutters led to spillage of water at CIAL premises.

Even though, according to an official press release, CIAL claims that only inbound flights were disrupted for two hours in the afternoon, passenger tales paint a different reality. Many international flights were reported to be delayed or cancelled by passengers who were denied entry at the gates of the international terminal.

"I had 5.30pm Indigo flight to Dubai, but was refused entry and was informed that flight has been cancelled for the day," said Irfan, a resident of Kochi. Somnath Panicker, who came to drop his daughter who was to travel by a 5 pm flight to Muscat reported the flight getting delayed by more than three hours. According to passengers, as many as three international flights were reported to be cancelled on Thursday. Inbound flights to Kochi were diverted to Coimbatore, Bangalore and Trivandrum airports during the partial shutdown.

Excess water entering the Chengalthodu canal from Periyar river adjacent to CIAL premises led to water being accumulated at the parking bay and spillover of the drainage canal. The airport officials were seen rapidly pumping water out water over its wall to reduce to the level of water accumulated inside. With the Cheruthoni dam set to open its shutters after a span of 22 years on Friday, operations at CIAL is set to be possibly disrupted again.

Relief and rescue efforts begin in Wayanad

Hours after being cut off from the rest of the state following landslides along three arterial ghat roads, rescue efforts have begun in full swing in the hilly district of Wayanad.

Thamarassery Churam landslide

In addition to a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Chennai, Army personnel and men from Defence Security Corps from Kannur have landed in the district for relief and rescue operations. Over the last two days, the district received 39.8 cm of rain, causing widespread destruction.

The district administration has issued an alert to the public in the wake of water level rising in rivers and streams. Public has been advised to stay away from water bodies as the shutters of the Banasurasagar dam has been opened.

Public in landslide-prone areas have been asked to remain on alert and to move to safer places if authorities direct so.

Meanwhile, the Met Department has forecast rainfall to the tune of seven to 11 cm in the district on Thursday.

(With inputs from PTI)
By Express News Service

IDUKKI: After a brief lull in the copious monsoon showers which provided some respite to the authorities here, the water level in the Idukki reservoir has started rising with the catchment areas receiving heavy rainfall since Tuesday evening. The catchment area on Wednesday received 122.8 mm of rain.

The water level recorded at 2 pm on Wednesday was 2,397.02 ft, which is just one ft short of the level at which the district administration plans to open the shutter of the Cheruthony Dam for the trial run. Earlier Power Minister MM Mani after visiting the dam said the shutter of the dam will be opened for the trial run once the water level reaches 2,398 ft. The authorities had issued a blue alert when the water level reached 2,390 ft while the orange alert was issued when it touched 2,395 ft. The total capacity of the dam is 2403 ft.

READ | Red alert issued at Idamalayar dam after reservoir level soars

The latest rise in the reservoirs water level has come as a rude shock since the region experienced balmy weather for the last four days. The water level recorded at 6 pm was 2,396. 20 ft. Barely an hour on, it rose by 0.06 ft pushing up the water level to 2396.26 ft.

However, the KSEB plans to release only a small quantum of water during the trial run so as not to set off a torrent. The authorities plan to open one of the five shutters, located in the central area, by 50 cm during the trial run. The opening of the shutters requires 10 minutes of technical preparations, following which water will be released for four hours, a KSEB officer said. The trial run will be held 24 hours after the warning has been issued to the people.

READ | Periyar Valley on alert over opening of Idamalayar dams shutters

Additionally, power generation at the Moolamattam powerhouse was at a high of around 15 million cubes. The inflow into the dam was double than that of the water required for power generation. Four shutters of the the Malankara dam were opened on Wednesday. Authorities have issued warning to the people living on the banks of the Thodupuzha and Moovattupuzha.

Shutters of Thenmala-Parappar dam raised

Kollam: Shutters of the Thenmala-Parappar dam were opened due to heavy rain in the catchment area of the dam, on Wednesday. The shutters were raised by 15 cm as the water level reached 114.80 feet. The dam shutters were raised by 7.6 cm, two weeks ago. District Collector S Karthikeyan has issued an alert in the nearby regions and instructed the people living on the banks of the Kallada River to be extra cautious. The dam has a capacity to hold water up to 115.82 metres. The capacity of the reservoir has also been limited owing to the sand and silt deposit at the bottom. The Kallada Irrigation Project canal caters to Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts.

Banasurasagar dam shutters opened



An alert was issued in Wayanad district on Wednesday after four shutters of the Banasurasagar dam were opened in line with the rise in water levels in all major water bodies. According to a statement from the District Collector, water levels at Panamaram river and Kadamanthodu are expected to rise and affect transportation and human life. Revenue officers were directed to initiate action accordingly.

Kakkayam dam shutters opened



In the wake of heavy rainsand rise in the water level, the shutters of the Kakkayam dam were opened by the authorities on Wednesday. An alert was issued in association with this as the water level in Peruvannamuzhy is likely to rise.
By Express News Service

IDUKKI: In view of the rising water levels in Kerala's Idukki reservoir, one of the five shutters of the Idukki dam was opened as part of a trial run at 12.30 pm on Thursday. Fifty centimetres of the shutter is being opened, releasing 50,000 litres of water. It will remain open for about 4 hours.

The shutter of the Idukki dam, one of the highest arch dams in Asia, was lifted up by 50 cms during the trial run, following heavy rains in the catchment areas last night and throughout the first half of the day on Thursday.

The full capacity of the Idukki dam is 2403 feet, and the water levels touched 2398.80 feet at 10 am, which was only 0.20 ft away from issuing the red alert.

Idukki Dam is the tallest arch dam in India. The shutters of the dam are being opened after 25 years. A similar situation had occurred in 1981 and 1992. In 1992, the shutter was opened when the water level reached 2410ft.

ALSO READ | Kerala monsoon fury: 20 deaths in a day; highly alarming situation, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan

"The opening of the shutters requires 10 minutes of technical processing, following which water will be released for four hours," the release said. The decision was taken based on the review meeting held at Thiruvananthapuram, during which power minister M M Mani said that opening the shutters for the trial run was necessary, or else, the water will have to be released all of a sudden.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has written that Idukki Cheruthoni Dam will be opened at 12 pm as part of the trial run.

"There is no need to panic. All the safety requirements to be followed for opening the dam has been taken. Since the water level may rise in the river, people living on the banks should take precaution," posted Mr. Vijayan.

Read Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's post here:

The water level in the dam shows a rise of more than 0.10 ft per hour, with the catchment area receiving high rainfall. The inflow into the dam was double than that of the water released by the KSEB authorities for power generation at the Moolamattam powerhouse.

District collector G R Gokul told Express that people need not panic as the water release will take place in a small quantum. "All necessary measures have been taken by the administration to ensure the safety of people residing in the downstream," he said. The state government has directed the district administration to warn the people who reside within 100-meter circumference on the banks of the Periyar River.

The locals have been advised to refrain from entering rivulets and streams due to the likelihood of flash floods. Bathing, washing clothes, playing and fishing in the river is strictly banned. Those indulging in selfies with the background of floodwater are strictly warned too.

Meanwhile, Idukki and Peermade registered a rainfall of 128.6 mm and 124 mm respectively on Thursday. While Thodupuzha and Munnar received 107.3 mm and 64.2 mm respectively.
By Express News Service

PARADIP: A 19-year-old youth drowned in Kaudia river near Paradip while he was taking a bath on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Amit Kumar Singh, son of CISF head constable. Amit along with his three friends had gone to the river for bath when he slipped into the deep water and drowned.

While his friends were rescued by local fishermen and admitted to IOCL hospital, Amits body yet to be retrieved. Search operation is on, said IIC of Jatadhari Marine Police Station Ajaya Muduli.

Vessel crew member missing

A crew member of MV APJ JAD vessel, which was waiting in anchorage area to enter into Pradip harbour for unloading of thermal coal, went missing in sea on Wednesday. The member has been identified as Venkata Suryanarayana (37) of Dwarika Nagar in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh.

The Captain of the vessel informed the matter to Paradip Port Control Room and sought their help. Meanwhile, officials of CISF, Indian Coast guard and PPT have been engaged to trace him.
Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: My identity was marred by derogatory terminologies and this changed after Kalaignar honoured us by calling us as Thirunangai, said Saroja, a transwoman, clad in a black saree printed with large red polka dots, symbolising the DMK party flag.

Recalling her struggle as an adolescent, she said her family members ostracised her. To her, the name of Thirunangai made all the difference.

When the government recognised me, when my gender comes with the word respect embedded in it, it changed my world, she said.

Beyond just being respected, we could enjoy government benefits because he gave us voting rights, she said. Having a voter ID, with their gender on it facilitated them to apply for other ID proofs, she said.

A grateful Saroja, said she now lived in a settlement created for them by the late DMK leader.

Without his inclusive welfare schemes, we would have lived in huts and other areas which made us vulnerable to exploitation, she said, crying.

It was during Karunanidhis rule in 2008, Tamil Nadu established the countrys first-ever Transgender Persons Welfare Board.

The board gave recognition to the third-gender for the first time through the Aravani identity card, allowing them to apply for family cards, voter IDs, and other documents.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was particular about ensuring all his decisions were implemented. He had the habit of pursuing them till the end and one could even expect a midnight wake-up call from him asking about the status of a project or implementing the order, recall bureaucrats, who worked with him. K S Sripathi, a former Chief Secretary under the Karunanidhi regime, says the former Chief Minister was keen on development of infrastructure of the State and the current airport expansion which is happening was approved during his period despite issues pertaining to acquisition of defence land. He never interfered with officialdom and was keen to get things done, he said.

During my tenure there was a false tsunami alert in 2009. I got a call from him at 1 am. He used to call me CS Sir. He wanted me to alert the district Collectors. At that time he was unwell also, the former official recalls. Even during the floods in 2009, he waited for me to reach Gopalapuram from my home at Mogappair. He was a pragmatic person and I cherish those moments working with him, he said.

Sripathi says although there are rumours that Karunanidhi was anti-Brahmin or anti-Hindutva, he never showed such an attitude in work and I am an example, being one from the community.

People paying homage to the departed leader in Madurai

(U Rakesh Kumar, Ashwin Prasath & KK Sundar)

A former Tamil Nadu health secretary V K Subburaj, who is now member of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), recalled the health insurance scheme implemented during DMK regime and how it was mooted by Karunanidhi. The then Chief Minister was following the health insurance scheme in Andhra Pradesh and one fine day dispatched me immediately to Andhra Pradesh to study the model and replicate it in the state. After studying it, I said it would cost Rs 650 crore to the exchequer to which he said finance is not a constraint and asked it to be implemented immediately, he said.

He also recalled a meeting with secretaries when the former Chief Minister came and whispered in his ears. One of the secretaries was keen to know what transpired. I was warned that if a person dies without getting access to a doctor or hospital or due to shortage in medicines, it will be a big insult to the Chief Minister, said Subburaj. He also recalled how particular Karunanidhi was in implementing his orders.

The doctors sought increase in salaries and were planning to go on strike the next day. It was at 7.30 pm, I got a call asking about whether the file pertaining to rise in doctors salaries had been cleared. I told him that it was with the minister. Immediately, he summoned the minister who was travelling by train near Chengalpattu to his home with the file, he recalled.

By 8.30pm, the minister came with the file. Karunanidhi approved the file and asked us to prepare the press note at his residence immediately. It was by 10 pm, we finished the press note after which he gave his nod. But that was not all. He wanted us to ensure it reached all the media. At 11.30 pm, he went upstairs and after five to 10 minutes he came down. The Murasoli has got the press release. Now you can go, recalls Subburaj.

Palayamkottai connect

This is the plaque etched on the wall of Palayamkottai Central prison in Tirunelveli, wherein the Quarantine Cell Number 5, prison number one, languished a war veteran. That stalwart was none other than the late former chief minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who was held for four months in the jail for mounting an anti-Hindi agitation in 1965. He was released a few days ahead of Indo-Pakistan war.

Vernacular supporter

Even after the DMK split away from the Dravidar Kazhagam in 1949, the former espoused a strong stand against Hindi imposition. The agitation the party staged in July 1953 against changing the name of Kallakudi to Dalmiapuram was etched in the annals of history. At the helm of the protest was Karunanidhi, who erased Dalmiapuram from the name board of the towns railway station.
Madhumitha Viswanath By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It was nothing but respect and passion they had for their leader M Karunanidhi that spurred a group of five farmers from Vellore to travel over 200 km overnight by two-wheelers to have a glimpse of DMK patriarchs face for the last time.

Karunakaran, Raghupathi, Dayalan, Krishnamurthy and Nehru, paddy farmers from Kuppadichatham village in Arcot taluk, left home on Tuesday evening minutes after they heard the news about the leaders death.

At short notice, we couldnt get bus or train. So we decided to leave for Chennai by two bikes, said Raghupathi.

Farmers are the largest section of people who benefited the most from the schemes launched by Karunanidhi whenever he was in power.

He gave us free electricity, and waived off more than `100 crore worth farm loans. We are forever indebted to Kalaignar. Tamil Nadu will never see such a leader again, added Dayalan.

Clad in crisp white shirts, they had a photo of the DMK leader neatly tucked in all of their pockets. Before the High Court verdict, we decided we wont leave until Kalaignar gets the burial he deserves on the Marina Beach next to Anna, said Krishnamurthy.

The uzhavar sandhai, launched in 1999, was one of the most popular projects launched by the Karunanidhi government aimed to benefit farmers and rural voters.
T Muruganandham By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: To say the gift of gab is DMK president M Karunanidhis USP is an understatement! On many occasions, his wordplay and pun on Tamil words and phrases, and comebacks indeed added substance to his speeches at public meetings, in the State Assembly and personal conversations.

It wouldnt be wrong to say that his ability to give quick and sharp repartees followed by action had earned him the respect of his contemporaries and rivals. His sense of timing had doused tense situations in State Assembly many times. Here are a few...

Decades ago, when former minister HV Hande described the government headed by Karunanidhi as a third-rate government, DMK MLAs vehemently opposed this.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi: From 'Rajakumari' to 'Ponnar Shankar', a script-writer par excellence

Pacifying his party colleagues, Karunanidhi said: Mr Hande, please correct yourself. This government is not a third-rate government. Indeed, it is a fourth-rate government. Yes, this is the government of Sudras, the fourth and last in Varnasrama Dharma.

During the first term of DMK in government between 1967-70, when Congress veteran Karuthiruman was opposition leader, tried to ridicule Karunanidhi and said: In the past, you said adaindhaal Dravida Naadu, adaiyavittaal sudukaadu (We vow to attain Dravida Naadu, if not we would better choose crematorium). So, are you sitting in crematorium now ?.

Karunanidhi said: No, we are not in crematorium. But we are sitting with you

When Karunanidhi underwent spinal surgery in 2009 in Sri Ramachandra Hospital, Porur, doctors advised him not to drink water after the surgery. Since he felt thirsty, Karunanidhi asked the nurse for water. But she refused. And Karunanidhi asked her name and she said Cauvery. Immediately, Karunanidhi even in pain said Cauvery...so you wont give water, indicating the existing Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka.

In 1998, in an interview, he was asked to compare Vallalar (Vadalur Ramalinga Adigal) and Periyar" EV Ramasamy, Karunanidhi gave a quick answer: Erottu Vallalar Periyar; Vadalur Periyar Vallalar - meaning both are almost close to the heart of other with regard to equality of human beings."

READ STORY HERE: He loved Tamil, and Tamil loved him back

Very rarely, Karunanidhi answers questions in English.

During 2006-2011, when he was returning from Delhi, reporters asked him: Was there a broad agreement with the Central government ? Karunanidhi responded: Yes, there is a broad agreement not a fraud agreement.

When MGR was CM and K Rajaram was the Speaker of the Assembly, there was a commotion in the House and he could not pacify the DMK members over the issue.

The Speaker resumed his seat saying inimel ungalai aandavan thaan kaappathanum (Only God can save you.) But aandavan also means those who have ruled the State in the past.

Using the other meaning, Karunanidhi amid laughter, said, Since the Speaker said aandavan alone can save, I came to his rescue.
By AFP

BUENOS AIRES: Argentine 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 in June.

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 before its final conclusion.

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.

The vote followed a referendum in Ireland, another traditionally Catholic country, in May that paved the way to legislate for the termination of fetuses. It also came after months of fiercely polarized campaigns on the hot-button issue.

The bill was passed by Congress's lower house in June by the narrowest of margins, 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.

Not giving up

Miguel Angel Pichetto, a Peronist 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.

Earlier in the day, scores of buses had brought people from around the country into Buenos Aires for the dueling rallies outside Congress.

Abortion rights supporters wore green scarves while anti-abortion activists donned baby blue. A partition was set up to keep them separated.

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's also legal in Mexico City. Only in the Central American trio of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua does it remain totally banned.

Question of rights

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.

"Nobody forces you to have an abortion. Don't force me to give birth," read one pro-abortion slogan.

One abortion rights protester in Buenos Aires, 20-year-old Celeste Villalba, said keeping abortions illegal would not prevent them from happening.

"This debate is whether it should be legal or done in secret. It's not about being in favor of abortion or not," she said.

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.

One of them, Federico Berruete, a 35-year-old priest, joined anti-abortion demonstrators holding up slogans reading "Life starts at conception."

With such division in the country, one lawmaker from the ruling party, Daniel Lipovetzky, 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. That dealt a hammer blow to the Catholic Church, which is as revered in Ireland as it is in Argentina.

In mid-June, Argentina's lower house voted in favor of the bill by just 129 to 125, thanks in part to the anti-abortion President Mauricio Macri's insistence on pushing the bill through the legislature.
By AFP

PARIS: French hotel and restaurant owners are lobbying the government to regularise more illegal migrants in order to fill 100,000 jobs for which they have found no French takers.

"We're facing a huge shortage in our sector," Roland Heguy, president of the hotel industry body UMIH, told AFP.

"Companies are finding no one, which is why we want to facilitate the integration of refugees in our businesses," he said.

France, like many developed economies, is struggling to fill low-paid, manual jobs. Turnover is high in the hospitality sector, where kitchen work and cleaning jobs are seen as particularly unattractive by many.

At a meeting with government in mid-July, industry representatives called for measures to make it easier to hire migrants.

In an interview Wednesday, Heguy said the industry was in a position "to issue 100,000 job contracts straight away", half of them for permanent positions and half for seasonal jobs.

France received a record 100,000 asylum requests in 2017, up 17 percent from the year before.

Under French law, refugees can work once they get their papers but asylum-seekers must wait nine months after filing their claim for refugee status before taking up a job.

An immigration bill passed by parliament last week -- but which President Emmanuel Macron has yet to sign into law -- cuts the waiting time to six months.

The CGT, France's biggest trade union, said it supported the idea of regularising undocumented workers but said employers also needed to try to make low-paid jobs more attractive.
By ANI

NEW YORK: At least eight men have accused Ravi Karkara, a senior adviser for United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, of sexual misconduct.

An investigation is currently underway against the official, and the United Nations has "a job of work to do" to reform its culture and restore trust, a spokesperson of the organisation said, reported News Week.

Karkara is the senior adviser to Lakshmi Puri, former Deputy Executive Director, Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

A civil servant at the United Nations, Karkara is not an Indian diplomat.

According to Newsweek, multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation said that Karkara has been accused of using his prestige and position to sexually harass them. He is yet to comment on the matter.

In December 2017, the United Nations informed that it had been investigating, since June 2017, a case of sexual misconduct without identifying the subject by name. No charges have been filed in the 13-month ongoing investigation.

On July 26, a spokesperson for the United Nations entity, also known as UN-Women, said that the probe's "subject remains on administrative leave". While still on UN payroll, the person "is not currently performing any active function," the spokesperson added.

An official from the organisation confirmed on August 1 that an investigation is ongoing, but they declined to comment on whether Karkara was the subject of the probe.

The UN-Women is the youngest division of the United Nations, becoming a distinct branch in 2011. Aimed at setting global standards for seeking gender equality, UN-Women helps member countries turn those standards into laws, policies and programs.

Mandy Sanghera and Kerry Gibson, international human rights activists and U.N. Women Planet 50-50 Champions, have confirmed that Karkara, who is currently on "administrative leave" from UN-Women, is the subject of the investigation.

Along with an alleged victim, Gibson filed complaints that started the investigation, while Sanghera learned of it through a former United Nations official and confirmed it with several alleged victims.

Meanwhile, two other former staffers with knowledge of the investigation have confirmed that Karkara is the subject of the probe, as did one of his alleged victims whom the investigators from the organisation interviewed 13 months ago.

Calling Karkara a "predator," Sanghera told News Week: "What's finally coming to light is a long pattern of inappropriate sexual behaviour."

Sanghera, Gibson and Steve Lee (an alleged victim) said the sexual misconduct accusations against Karkara include touching or grabbing a subordinate's genitals in a hotel room, using work devices to send pornography and follow-up questions to male subordinates, creating a climate of sexual innuendo and obscene gestures in the workplace, and using his position and access as leverage to initiate sexual encounters.

They claim that Karkara is also accused of nonsexual harassment and abuse of power for his conduct with subordinates in and out of the workplace.

According to the US publication, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Office of Audit and Investigation is running the investigation and will ultimately submit its report to the development program's Legal Support Office to determine whether disciplinary proceedings, administrative actions or a public reporting of findings are warranted.

Even if charged locally in state or federal court, Karkara could avoid punishment if he has diplomatic immunity.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: The United States said Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia over Moscow's involvement in the use of a "lethal" nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former spy 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" -- who was a double agent -- and his daughter Yulia in March.

The action is aimed at punishing President Vladimir Putin's government for having "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The new sanctions were to take effect following a 15-day Congressional notification period, she said.

Another senior State Department official told reporters that the administration decided to impose a "presumption of denial" for the sale to Russia of "national security sensitive" US technologies that require federal government approval.

Such technologies have often been used in items including electronic devices as well as calibration equipment. The exports were previously allowed on a case-by-case basis.

The move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia, said the official, who requested anonymity in order to speak about the sanctions.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce, who had pushed months ago for Trump to take action over Russia's use of banned weapons, applauded the move as "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.

Sanctions waivers are in place for certain key sectors, including space flight activities and commercial aviation safety, the official said.

The action follows the US Treasury's imposition of sanctions in March against 19 Russian citizens and five entities for interfering in the 2016 US election -- the toughest steps against Moscow since President Donald Trump took office.

Also in March, Washington ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, and the closure of Russia's consulate general in Seattle.

Moscow ordered 60 American diplomats expelled in a tit-for-tat response.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, England, on March 4, having been poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

They were critically ill, but survived after spending weeks in the hospital.

Russia has strongly denied playing a role in the attack.

On June 30, a British couple were poisoned by Novichok in a nearby town -- 44-year-old mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess subsequently died.

London and its allies have accused Moscow of trying to kill the Skripals and says the two cases are likely linked.

Tougher sanctions loom

The new announcement could bolster Trump's claim that his administration is taking a tough stance on Moscow, even as he denounces special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe as a "witch hunt" that ought to be halted immediately.

Trump caught flak from Democrats and Republicans alike for what many saw as his unsettling embrace of Putin last month at their Helsinki summit, when Trump appeared to disavow his own intelligence agencies' assessment on Moscow's election interference.

The new US sanctions come amid increasing frustration with Trump's handling of Russia, and how he apparently needed congressional prodding to impose the new penalties.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which says the US president shall tighten the penalties within 90 days unless Moscow provides "reliable assurances" that it no longer engages in such activities, and allows on-site inspections by United Nations observers.

The second round of sanctions could cut far deeper, including blocking all American bank loans to Russian entities, an outright ban on US exports to Russia, and suspension of diplomatic relations.

The announcement in Washington was likely to intensify troubles for the ruble, which took a hit Wednesday along with the stock market over rumors of separate new tough US sanctions over election meddling.

But the Russian finance ministry, quoted by Ria-Novosti news agency, sought to allay fears, saying the measures ultimately might not be put in place, though it acknowledged that markets were "once again under pressure."

The latest mixed messages over Russia involve a letter from Trump that Republican US Senator Rand Paul delivered to Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.

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 Trump provided "a letter of introduction" at Paul's request, and that the president "mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin."
#SK Innovation SK Innovation swings to black in Q3 on strong lube oil, battery sales SK Innovation Co. said Friday it turned to the black in the third quarter from a year earlier on strong sales in its lubricant oil and battery businesses amid reviving demand after...
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 51F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 51F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
He came here trying to seek asylum, but the grounds on which he wanted to apply for asylum did not meet the requirement as required by the law, he said.
Get the news faster.

Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster.

Click here to install our app on your desktop.

X
(Newser) 

The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday. Per the AP , 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. Prosecutor Timothy Hasson filed the documents while asking that Wahhaj be held without bail after he was arrested last week with four other adults facing child abuse charges. Prosecutors did not bring up the school shooting accusation in court on Wednesday during an initial appearance. Authorities say the remains of a boy also were found at the compound but have not been positively identified by medical examiners. Wahhaj's son, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, went missing in December.

story continues below

Authorities say his father had told the boy's mother he was taking the child to a park and didn't return. For months, neighbors worried about the squalid compound built along a remote New Mexico plain, saying they took their concerns to authorities months before sheriff's officials raided the encampment, described as a small camping trailer in the ground. Authorities said during the raid Friday 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. The group arrived in Amalia in December, according to Tyler Anderson, a 41-year-old auto mechanic who lives nearby. 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. (Read more New Mexico stories.)
(Newser)  A Florida man visiting New York City for a wedding was fatally punched by a stranger after knocking on the window of the wrong vehicle, police say. Family members believe Boca Raton resident Sandor Szabo ordered an Uber from the hotel his brother was staying in in Queens to his own hotel in Long Island City around 1am Sunday, the Miami Herald reports. After his cellphone's battery died, Szabo apparently banged on the window of a parked SUV, believing it was his ride. Police say the angry driver emerged and punched Szabo, who fell backward and hit his head on the sidewalk, the New York Daily News reports.

story continues below

Szabo, who had attended his stepsister's wedding earlier that night, never regained consciousness after the punch. The 35-year-old died Tuesday night after he was taken off life support. Police have released surveillance video of the driver, who sped off and is still at large. Colleagues at What If Holdings, the marketing firm Szabo worked for, say they're devastated by the death of a beloved colleague, CBS12 reports. "I hope they find him and bring him to justice," CEO Josh Gillon says of the SUV driver. "This was really a stupid, stupid act. It's a big family, and he was an important part of it so everybody is just heartbroken." (Police in Denver arrested an Uber driver in June for shooting a passenger.)
(Newser)  West Virginia's Supreme Court could be in for an overhaul: The state's House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved articles of impeachment against all four justices, accusing them of maladministration, corruption, incompetency, and neglect of duty, among other crimes. "This is truly a sad day for West Virginia, but it is an important step forward if we are going to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary," said the committee's Republican chairman, John Shott, per NPR. Of the 14 articles, four apply to Chief Justice Margaret Workman, four to Justice Robin Davis, two to Justice Elizabeth Walker, and eight to Justice Allen Loughry, who wrote a book on corruption in the state before being indicted this summer on charges of fraud, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering, stemming from an investigation into improper use of state resources.

story continues below

The impeachment articles heading to a Monday House vote accuse the four justicesa fifth, Justice Menis Ketchum, retired in July but will plead guilty to federal wire fraud, per the Charleston Gazette-Mailof "unnecessary and lavish" spending during office remodeling and failing to account for state resources. But the committee's ranking Democrat says only Loughry's actions are worthy of impeachment. Noting the articles were filed a week before a deadline to arrange a November special election for any vacant seats, Barbara Fleischauer fears "a coup" that would allow Republican Gov. Jim Justice to appoint justices until the next election in 2020, if a Senate trial ultimately finds wrongdoing. "They dragged this out all summer long, and suddenly they put this on the agenda," she says. Per NPR, the court was previously 3-2 in favor of Democrats. (Read more West Virginia stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump has already congratulated the Republican candidate in a closely watched special congressional election in Ohiobut election officials say the race has actually tightened. Officials in Franklin County, where Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny O'Connor are competing for a House seat, say they found 588 previously uncounted votes from suburban Columbus precincts, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The votes gave O'Connor a net gain of 190 votes, leaving Balderson fewer than 1,600 votes ahead in a district that Trump carried by 11 points in 2016. With more than 8,000 provisional and absentee ballots still to be counted, O'Connor hasn't conceded and is continuing to campaign ahead of the November rematch, WCMH reports.

story continues below

It's a similar story in Kansas, where incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer is fewer than 200 votes behind conservative Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the GOP primary. "Given the historically close margin of the current tabulation, the presence of thousands of as yet uncounted provisional ballots, and the extraordinary problems with the count, particularly in Johnson County, this election remains too close to call," says Colyer, whose rival was endorsed by Trump. He says he won't start campaigning for the general election until the results are final, though Kobach has already begun campaigning against Democrat Laura Kelly, KSNW reports. Trump, meanwhile, tweeted Wednesday that as long as he supports candidates, "within reason," they will win. He predicted a "giant Red Wave" in November. (Read more Ohio stories.)
(Newser)  Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip while Palestinian militants from the territory fired scores of rockets into Israel in a fierce burst of violence overnight and into Thursday morning. At least three Palestinians dieda pregnant woman, her 1-year-old daughter, and a Hamas militant, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The flare-up comes as Egypt is trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the two sides, the AP reports. It was not clear if the escalation, the latest in a series of intense exchanges of fire in recent months, would derail the indirect negotiations between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

story continues below

The Israeli military said over 150 rockets and mortars were fired at Israel, and Israel carried out over 140 airstrikes targeting Hamas militant positions. Air raid sirens signaling incoming rocket fire continued in southern Israel on Thursday morning, raising the likelihood of further Israeli reprisals. Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus insisted Israel only targeted Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip. He wouldn't comment on Israeli media reports of troops preparing for a possible ground operation.

(Read more Gaza stories.)
(Newser)  Argentina's Senate on Thursday rejected a bill to legalize elective abortion, a defeat for a grassroots movement that came closer than ever to achieving the decriminalization of the procedure in the homeland of Pope Francis. Lawmakers debated for more than 15 hours and voted 38-31 against the measure that would have legalized abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The decision could echo across Latin America, where the Roman Catholic Church has lost influence and moral authority due to secularization, an out-of-touch clerical caste, and an avalanche of sex abuse scandals, the AP reports.

story continues below

In Argentina, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a woman's health. For long hours, thousands of supporters wearing green handkerchiefs that represent the effort to legalize abortion, as well as opponents of the measure wearing light blue, braved heavy rain and cold temperatures to watch the debate on large screens set up outside Congress. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but after the vote, small groups of protesters clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades. Police officers responded with tear gas. Pushed by a wave of demonstrations by women's groups, the lower house had already passed the measure and conservative President Mauricio Macri had said that he would sign it, even though he's anti-abortion.

(Read more Argentina stories.)
(Newser)  Japan may be a losing a princess, but the imperial family sure isn't making the process an easy one: A proposed wedding between Princess Mako and her non-royal college sweetheart has hit yet another bump. As Kyodo News reports, the princess' family is worried about a money issue swirling around the family of her potential future husband, Kei Komuro. It seems that Komuro's mother used money from a former romantic partner to pay for her son's educational expenses. Now there's apparently a rift between the two former lovers about repayment, and Mako's parents, Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, want it publicly cleared up before any nuptials take place, according to Japanese media reports.

story continues below

This isn't the first sign of trouble for the impending nuptials. The couple initially announced plans to marry in November 2017, but abruptly postponed the wedding until 2020 and explained that they were rushing things. And when New York's Fordham University announced that the princess' "fiance" would be attending law school there, the Japanese royal family chafed at the term "fiance" as the couple's engagement ceremony has not taken place, prompting the school to issue a new release without it. Assuming Princess Mako goes through with the wedding, she will have to renounce her royal status, though the Guardian notes that the couple would get nearly $1 million from the government to help with that transition. (All this is unfolding as the princess' grandfather, Emperor Akhito, prepares to abdicate next year.)
(Newser)  After an assault on a 71-year-old Sikh man at a park in Manteca, California, the police chief of a nearby community helped track down a main suspect. The unusual part? The suspect is his own son. "Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now," wrote Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister on Facebook after his estranged 18-year-old son, Tyrone, was arrested. As the Modesto Bee reports, surveillance video shows that Sahib Singh Natt was confronted by two young men as he walked at a local park about 6am Monday. Natt doesn't speak English and couldn't understand them, notes the Washington Post, and he attempts to walk around the youths into the street. They follow him, however, and one kicks him to the ground, twice, and spits on him.

story continues below

After the youths walk away, one returns and repeatedly kicks Natt, still on the ground. Chief McAllister writes that he helped authorities track down his son, who was arrested with a 16-year-old. Both face charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse, and assault with a deadly weapon, and police are investigating whether hate-crime charges will be added. Natt, meanwhile, was treated and released at a hospital. The attack comes less than a week after another high-profile assault on a Sikh man in California's Stanislaus County, reports CBS Sacramento. Chief McAllister writes that his son began getting into trouble years ago as a juvenile and had "divorced" his family. "Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children," he writes, contrasting his son with his two successful grown daughters. "My stomach has been churning from the moment I learned this news." (Read more Sikh stories.)
(Newser)  "If Sessions won't unrecuse and Mueller won't clear the president, we're the only ones. Which is really the danger." That was just some of what House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes said in audio recorded at a private July 30 fundraiser in Spokane, Wash., and aired in part on the Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday night (listen to clips here). The Washington Post interprets the comments as an apparent shift "from criticizing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to strategizing about how to blunt its impact should it imperil President Trump." And in that effort, retaining control of Congress is key: "If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away," he's heard saying on the tape, which was secretly recorded by a member of the progressive group Fuse Washington who'd paid $250 to attend the event. More:

story continues below

The other comments getting pickup center around Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein and the desire of hard-line House Republicans to see him impeached, something the Los Angeles Times reports some members suggest they'll rally for again next month. Nunes indicated that might not be the case. While NBC News reports Paul Ryan has been a roadblock in the impeachment effort, Nunes described two others: the midterms and the Supreme Court. "You have to decide what you want right now because the Senate only has so much time. Do you want them to drop everything and not confirm the Supreme Court justice [Brett Kavanaugh], the new Supreme Court justice? ... The question is the timing of it right before the election."

The Post notes that even had Nunes been speaking publicly, he might have said much the same: "This, after all, is the adamantly pro-Trump lawmaker who in February released a memorandum accusing the intelligence community of conspiring against the president."

Indeed, the Hill has this comment from Nunes' rep: "These are sensible ideas, I'm glad Chairman Nunes talked about them."

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu didn't share that sentiment, tweeting, "Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead. Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took."

(Read more Devin Nunes stories.)
(Newser)  Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly racial violence in Charlottesville, Va., and city officials are trying to avoid any repeat. States of emergency have been declared for the city and the entire state, and downtown Charlottesville will be under heavy watch from city, state, and federal law enforcement officers, reports the local Daily Progress. In fact, anyone heading downtown will have to pass through security checkpoints first. Hospitals, meanwhile, are preparing for the worst, notes another Daily Progress story. Related coverage:

Victim's mom: USA Today has an interview with the mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed when a supporter of white nationalists drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Susan Bro now runs a foundation in her daughter's name and has taken up her campaign for social justice. "You don't get to silence my kid and get away with it," says Bro.

USA Today has an interview with the mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed when a supporter of white nationalists drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Susan Bro now runs a foundation in her daughter's name and has taken up her campaign for social justice. "You don't get to silence my kid and get away with it," says Bro. A protester: One of the organizers of last year's "Unite the Right" rally, Jason Kessler, is moving ahead with plans for a rally in DC on Sunday after Charlottesville rejected his bid for a permit this year, reports the AP. None of the other organizers appear to be planning to publicly mark the occasion. In Charlottesville, several events are planned in the name of racial healing.

story continues below

Documentary: Frontline and ProPublica have teamed up on a documentary about last year's violence, and you can watch it here.

Frontline and ProPublica have teamed up on a documentary about last year's violence, and you can watch it here. First person: ProPublica reporter AC Thompson was covering the Charlottesville rally in 2017, and he recounts the violence in a first-person piece. "The mood of the marchers wasn't merely angry, it felt homicidal," he writes.

ProPublica reporter AC Thompson was covering the Charlottesville rally in 2017, and he recounts the violence in a first-person piece. "The mood of the marchers wasn't merely angry, it felt homicidal," he writes. A black mayor: One thing that has changed in Charlottesville over the last year is that the city has its first black female mayor in Nikuyah Walker. The 38-year-old thinks city officials handled last year's protests badly, and she's determined to bring systemic change. "One of the main things that I'm here to do is to call attention to the liberal progressive Democratic structure that's in place, that believes that their best intentions are enough," she tells the Guardian in an interview. "You need actions behind those intentions. You can't just use words."

One thing that has changed in Charlottesville over the last year is that the city has its first black female mayor in Nikuyah Walker. The 38-year-old thinks city officials handled last year's protests badly, and she's determined to bring systemic change. "One of the main things that I'm here to do is to call attention to the liberal progressive Democratic structure that's in place, that believes that their best intentions are enough," she tells the Guardian in an interview. "You need actions behind those intentions. You can't just use words." Confederate memorials: Many cities around the US have taken them down (the original source of friction in Charlottesville), but USA Today notes there are now 1,740 such memorials listedup by 237 from 2016. The reason for the increase? Renewed attention caused lots more to be added to the list compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

(Read more Charlottesville, Va. stories.)
(Newser)  A federal appeals court says the Trump administration endangered public health by keeping the top-selling pesticide chlorpyrifos on the market despite extensive scientific evidence that even tiny levels of exposure can harm babies' brains. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to remove chlorpyrifos from sale in the United States within 60 days, per the AP. A coalition of farmworkers and environmental groups sued last year after then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt reversed an Obama-era effort to ban chlorpyrifos, which is widely sprayed on citrus fruits, apples, and other crops.

story continues below

The California Farm Bureau Federation estimates it is used on 1.3 million acres of farmland in the state and calls it an invaluable tool to protect crops, reports the Sacramento Bee. In a split decision, the court said EPA violated federal law by ignoring the conclusions of agency scientists that chlorpyrifos is harmful. The pesticide is sold by Dow Agro Sciences and others. This is a huge victory, an attorney with the environmental law firm Earthjustice tells the Bee. The court said, EPA, you have to follow the science ... and follow the law.

(Read more pesticides stories.)
(Newser)  A razor-tight race for governor in Kansas just got even closer. Election officials in Thomas County initially reported that incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer received 422 votes in Tuesday's election, but a recheck of the tally shows he actually got 522, reports the AP. That means Colyer now trails conservative Secretary of State Kris Kobachthe candidate backed by President Trumpby only 91 votes in the gubernatorial race. The county clerk blames her handwriting on the results sheet faxed to the secretary of state's office (Kobach's office) as part of the official tally.

story continues below

"They just misread it," says Shelly Harms. The re-checking of tally sheets and the counting of late-arriving write-in ballots continues, but it seems a sure bet that the race will require an official recount. If that happens, Kobach would technically oversee the procedure, and he sees no need to recuse himself, reports the Kansas City Star. However, the newspaper rounds up opinions from legal and political experts who disagree, and Kobach has suggested he would do so "if my opponent insists." (Read more Kris Kobach stories.)
New Delhi:

Jet Airways founder chairman Naresh Goyal on Thursday said he felt guilty and embarrassed as several shareholders have lost their money following the plunge in the airlines shares.

Lots of shareholders have lost money, I feel guilty and embarrassed, Goyal said while addressing shareholders at the companys annual general meeting in Mumbai.

From its 52-week high price of Rs 883.65 scaled on January 5, 2018, Jet Airways shares have tumbled 67.5 per cent to hit its one-year low of Rs 286.95 in intra-day trading on Thursday. The airlines stock has slumped over 12 per cent since July 2.

Also Read | Rockefeller Foundation Appoints Deepali Khanna as Managing Director for Asia

Goyal said a new committee would be set up to improve public perception about the airlines. There has been rising concerns over Jets financial health and proposed salary cut for its employees.

The airlines directors, Naseem Zaidi and Ashok Chawla, would be chairing the meetings of the new executive committee, Goyal said.

The chairman also said that the company is mulling cooperation with Air India in terms of engineering and flight operations. Meetings have been held with Air India Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola regarding the matter, Goyal added.

Read More | We have a long-term commitment to India: IKEA

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

It is not only crime against women, but also crime at all level is on the rise in Delhi. In a second case of shooting in the national capital since Wednesday, a shopkeeper in East Delhi has been shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne assailants, police said.

On Wednesday, a man was shot dead in South Delhi. The latest shooting incident occurred at Ghazipur Dairy Farm area around 11:30 pm on Wednesday. The shopkeeper was identified as 32-year-old Shamin, police said. Shamin and his cousin were standing outside the shop when the two men came and shot at them after picking up a fight, a senior police officer said.

Also Read | Bharat Bandh: Dalit group AIAM call off protest

Shamin's body has been sent for post-mortem and a case registered. CCTV footage are being scanned and the police are investigating if it was a case of personal enmity.

Earlier on 8 August, a man was allegedly shot dead following a fight that broke out among some youths in South Delhi. Following the incident two people were arrested and a juvenile apprehended.

The incident took place at Tigri area around 10 pm. The victim and the accused are said to be distant relatives, police said.



(With inputs from agencies)
Mumbai:

Actor Sidharth Malhotra has quashed dating rumours with Kiara Advani and said he is too busy with work right now to do anything else.

There were reports that Sidharth is currently dating the Lust Stories actor and their relationship is at a very nascent stage.

When asked about it, Sidharth told reporters, If everything you read wouldve been true then kya baat hoti. Im in relationship only with my work. I am too much involved in it right now and dont have time for anything else.

The actor was speaking at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

Sidharth will be soon be starting two projects- an untitled love story with Parineeti Chopra and the Vikram Batra biopic.

Also REad | The Sky is Pink: Priyanka Chopra returns to Bollywood; shares selfie with Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim

The actor says playing the Indian army officer who was posthumously awarded with the Param Vir Chakra for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War is his most challenging role yet.

Its the toughest role of my life. Preparations are in full swing. There is an emotional responsibility. When the family of Vikram Batra had come to us and said they see me in that role, its a responsibility to tell their story.

It took me nearly two years to set up this film, be in script sessions and find producers. Today when Dharma Productions is involved we are very excited. Shooting will begin in a few days, he added.

Read More | Karan Johar believes one must have a 'BROKEN HEART' to be a good actor

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Los Angeles:

Hollywood actor Ruby Rose believes that her casting as the lesbian superhero Batwoman in a new series is a game changing moment which will open new opportunities for LGBTQ people.

The 32-year-old actor recently appeared on The Tonight Show where host Jimmy Fallon asked about her casting as Kate Kane aka The Batwoman in The CW series.

"It's a game-changer. I found out an hour before I did the premiere for The Meg and I was so nervous doing the red carpet, so I basically skipped everybody because I kept spontaneously crying," Rose said.

Also Read | Particular community shouldnt be targeted for every wrong

The actor said growing up there were hardly any characters on TV that were openly gay or lesbian, a thing she believes will change after her casting.

"I feel like the reason I got so emotional is that growing up, watching TV, I never saw someone on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero," Rose said.

Read More | Sidharth Malhotra on Kiara Advani dating rumours

"I have always had this saying ? I mean, not me, Oscar Wilde ? which is be yourself because everyone else is taken. So I always live by that motto, and the second motto when I came into the industry was be the person that you needed when you were younger. I feel like one motto led to another," she added.
New Delhi:

The Bharat Bandh which was scheduled for Thursday, announced by the Dalit group has been called off after the SC/ST amendment bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

"Our major demand regarding the restoration of the SC\ST Act has been fulfilled" a statement issued by the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) said on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: National Herald case: No relief for Rahul Gandhi in reopening his tax assessment

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday appealed to the public not to participate in the bandh and urged them to maintain peace and harmony in the nation.

The AIAM thanked other political parties for showing their support and said that they have successfully achieved the target in protecting the law.

ALSO READ: Shiv Sena to support NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh in Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman elections

Earlier, the Dalit groups had postponed the strike and had given more time to the government to meet their demands, which included the release of jailed Dalit leaders. The revised deadline will be decided soon, the group said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday denied any relief to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in relation to the transactions between Young Indian Private Limited and National Herald in which he had challenged the opening of his tax assessment. The Income Tax department had issued a reassessment notice for 2011-12 in March, said news agency ANI.

Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are supreme shareholders in Young Indian, which the Congress has said is a not-for-profit organisation.

ALSO READ: India, Pak would have been united if Jinnah became the PM: Dalai Lama

A bench of Justices AK Chawla and S Ravindra Bhat also refused to stop the media for reporting on the matter.

The case will be next heard on August 14.

ALSO READ: Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election today; BJD to support NDA

The Income Tax department on Wednesday told the court that the All India Congress Committee granted Rs 99 crore to the Associated Journals Limited. However, Gandhi chose not to disclose that he held the directors post at the Young Indian, said the Income Tax department.

Meanwhile, Gandhis counsel said that the Congress supremo is not liable to pay any tax as he did not receive any income from the source.

Earlier in a complaint, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had accused two Congress leaders of cheating and conspiracy with the aim to grab properties and assets owned by the National Herald.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on in Delhi and vowed that his party will fight for an India where there is place for everybody.

All Dalits and people from the weaker sections know that the prime minister has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind and wants to crush Dalits. That is why we are standing against him, Rahul said.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate new Congress office 'Rajiv Bhawan' in Chhattisgarh

The Congress president was addressing a Dalit protest over the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

The atrocities act was brought by the Congress and the party will protect it together with everybody, Rahul said, adding that Dalits are being crushed in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states.

Read More | Harivansh Narayan Singh is new RS Deputy Chairman

We dont want an India like this. We want an India in which there should be place for everybody, whether Dalits, poor, tribals or minorities... everybody should progress. We will fight for such an India, Rahul added.

Meanwhile, Rahul will be visiting Chhattisgarh on Friday to inaugurate the newly built office of the state party in Raipur - Rajiv Bhawan.

The Congress president will also visit Rajasthan on Saturday to launch the party's election campaign for the Assembly election in the state. Here, he will address scores of party leaders and workers from across the state in preparation for the elections.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi/ Raipur:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to visit poll-bound Chhattisgarh to inaugurate the partys new office in Raipur on Friday and set off the Jungle Satyagraha campaign of Adivasi Congress.

The partys newly-built state office Rajiv Bhawan is situated in Shankar Nagar area.

The Congress president is expected to land at the Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur around 2.20 pm and head for the inauguration of the office- Rajiv Bhawan.

Also Read | PM Modi has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul will also hold meetings with journalists, doctors and traders in the state, during the visit, state Congress general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.

During the inaugural ceremony, Gandhi will also flag off the Jungle Satyagraha campaign of Adivasi Congress in the state, he said.

Rahul will later hold meetings with the doctors, traders and senior journalists who are invited for the programme there, Trivedi added.

Read More | Rajya Sabha Vote: Harivansh Narayan Singh is new RS Deputy Chairman

The Congress leader is also scheduled to attend a programme of senior Congress leaders, MLAs and chiefs of various wings of the party, Trivedi said.

Rahul had visited Chhattisgarh in May and taken part in several programmes apart from holding a mega road-show from Durg to Raipur.

Chhattisgarh is heading for Assembly elections later this year.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said it will back the National Democratic Alliances (NDA) nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in the election for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairmans post which will be held on Thursday.

We will back the NDA candidate, said Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai. Meanwhile, BJP supremo Amit Shah on Tuesday rang up his Shiv Sena counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and sought his support for the election on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election today; BJD to support NDA



Earlier on July, the Shiv Sena backed out from voting on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha against the Narendra Modi government.

BK Hariprasad has been nominated by the Congress for the post of Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha.

ALSO READ: RS Dy chairman poll: Kejriwal rejects Nitish's offer for support

Most pundits have predicted a win for the opposition, but BJDs decision to back the JD-U suggested a surprise victory for the NDA.

However, both the Opposition and the NDA are desperate to get their candidate elected for the post of the Deputy Chairman.

The current strength of Rajya Sabha is 244 and the backing of 123 members will be needed to win clear in the House.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mumbai:

A Thailand court has ruled in favour of Indias request for extraditing gangster Chhota Shakeels close aide Mudassar Hussain Sayyed alias Munna Zingada, whom Pakistan was trying to claim as its national, an official said on Thursday.

While Zingada tried to prove that he was a Pakistani national, strong proofs like DNA samples of his kin, his finger print details, ration card, voter identity card etc. submitted by Indian authorities nailed the gangsters lie in the court, he said.

In an attempt to prove himself as a Pakistani national to avoid law in India, Zingada had submitted before the court the birth certificate of his son and related documents, the crime branch official said.

The order passed by a court in Bangkok on Wednesday is in Thai language, he said, terming it as a victory for the Mumbai Crime Branch in an international court.

Also Read | News Nation Exclusive: Is Chhota Shakeel dead or Alive? Does THIS audio clip reveal about Dawood Aide's hideout

The courts ruling is being seen as a setback for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as Zingadas extradition could help Indias claim about Ibrahims presence in Pakistan.

The court has given one-month time to Zingada to challenge the order, and in the meantime authorities at the Indian embassy in Thailand will issue a warrant against him to start his extradition process, he said.

Another official said the documents produced in the court by Zingada, 50, were created in Pakistan.

Apart from his Pakistani passport in which his name was printed as Mohammed Saleem, Zingada provided the birth certificate of his son and a school certificate issued by a school in Karachi, he said.

However, the court refused to acknowledge these documents given the strong evidences presented by India.

The official refused to elaborate on the matter, saying they had not yet received a copy of the order.

Zingada, a native of suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai and a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, had gone to Bangkok in 2000 to eliminate gangster Chhota Rajan at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Rajan had survived the attack but his close aide Rohit Verma was killed.

Read More | Mumbai extortion case: Thane police invokes MCOCA against Dawoods brother Iqbal Kaskar, Chhota Shakeel

After the attack, Zingada had fled to Pakistan and returned to Thailand in 2001 with a Pakistani passport.

He was then arrested in Thailand and convicted in the case of attack on Rajan.

Zingada served 16 years in a Thai prison after the conviction, the official said, adding that India was constantly trying for his extradition since last few years.

Pakistan was also trying to take his custody through the diplomatic channel by submitting his Pakistani passport and school leaving certificate to the Thai authorities.

In 2016, the Crime Branch team had travelled to Thailand to expedite the process.

The police team had submitted in a Thai court a dossier on Zingada, mentioning his crime record in Mumbai during his stay between 1994-97 along with his personal details, the official said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Hookah smoke inhalation is more harmful to the consumers health than cigarrette smoking, suggests medical experts. Regular inhalation of hookah smoke can cause several heart complications and even cancers. So beware. That trendy affair among the new generations has fatal health risks.

A group of researchers from California University led by Cardiologist Dr Tarun conducted a study on the intake of Hookah smoke and revealed that regular consumption of it can be more harmful than smoking.

Also Read | Indian-origin scientist offers hope for malaria prevention

How harmful is hookah intake?

The ancient method of inhaling tobacco through a smoke is fast catching up as a trend among the new generation. But the fun can kill. It is more hazardous than we think. Hookah works as a mild stimulant. But consumption of it can become highly addictive and can affect ones health.

Read More | Teetotallers, like big drinkers, more prone to dementia

Regular inhalation of hookah can cause Cancer of the mouth, throat, lung and oesophagus. It can also cause heart disease and several ailments.

The researchers led bu Dr Tarun say that addiction to hookah smoke more harmful than any other form of tobacco.

Dr Tarun also said that snuffing or inhaling hookah is equivalent to 10 cigarettes. Hookah increases the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The length of a typical hookah smoking session can increase nicotine levels in the body.

A single session of hookah smoking increases heart rate, blood pressure. It also causes arterial stiffness, which is the risk key factor in the development of CVD's and other heart-related diseases.
New Delhi:

With Stalin as its new leader after a span of 50 long years, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam celebrates a new era. It must be said to late M Karunanidhis credit that though he retained the leadership of the DMK in his hands till his last breath, he did leave behind a clear successor, his youngest of three sons, M K Stalin, who he groomed assiduously and christened as working president in 2016. That was not easy because his elder son M K Azhagiri was a contender for leadership and had to be ejected from the party to clear the field for Stalin.

ALSO READ: With a succession plan, post-Karunanidhi DMK rallies around Stalin



On the stipulation that his political heir would be from within the family, Karunanidhi was never prepared to compromise. There was a time when Vaiko was riding high in the DMK. But it was the partisan attitude of Karunanidhi in favour of Stalin that forced Vaiko to quit the party since he found no future in it for himself.



This is reminiscent of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, who anointed his son Uddhav in preference to his nephew Raj Thackeray even though the latter was looked upon as being more dynamic and a better organiser and hence well suited as his political heir.



Stalin is accepted within the DMK as Karunanidhis successor by the DMK cadres and the attempts by Azhagiri to challenge him failed to find favour in the DMK. Even within the extended Karunanidhi family, Stalins position is well recognised.

ALSO READ: Why Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan cant replace Karunanidhi?

However, so overweening was Karunanidhis influence that Stalin always lived under his shadow and never came out of it in his lifetime. Consequently, his ability or lack of it is essentially untested. Stalin, indeed, has not held many positions during his over five decades in politics (he had plunged into student politics at the age of 14).



He was the mayor of Chennai Corporation between 1996 and 2002, was the minister of municipal administration and rural development in 2006. He was appointed Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister in 2009.



Initially appointed as secretary of the DMK youth wing in 1984, he was elected DMK deputy general secretary in 2003. Stalin has been the treasurer of the party since 2008.

ALSO READ: Karunanidhi: Tamil leader who scripted superhit political potboiler

Stalin has taken effective charge of the party at a time when it is poised to recover lost ground after the demise of his familys arch-rival AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, with her successors making a total mess of governance. It is now up to him to capitalise on the situation when there is a virtual power vacuum in the state.



It is more or less certain that he will go into the Lok Sabha elections in combination with the opposition alliance opposed to the BJP. While other parties in the alliance would make little difference to the fortunes of the DMK, it remains to be seen whether aligning or sharing seats with the Congress would bring his party any dividends.



With 39 seats at stake from Tamil Nadu, the party winning a lions share of the seats in the Lok Sabha can have considerable bargaining position in the Lower House. Stalin has a challenge on his hands in forging the right alliance and making the right moves.



The Assembly polls will come later and would be crucial for the partys fortunes. The DMK must come up with a credible and effective campaign to win the hearts of the voters and to defeat the challenge of the AIADMK.



Stalin would indeed be on test, more in the coming months than ever before with Karunanidhis departure from the scene.

READ MORE OPINION
Tehran:

Melika Aghaeias fingers move slowly across the keys of the digital piano as she softly sings a childrenas song to the delight of the cafeas customers, while Mehdi Khakian takes orders for espressos and lattes.

Located near the bustling Vanak Square in north Tehran, the aDowntism Cafea stands out from other coffee shops in the affluent neighbourhood for its unique staff.

All have either Down syndrome, like Aghaei, or autism, like Khakian, and run the entire operation themselves.

Opened only three months ago, the cafeawhose name combines aDowna with aautismaais bustling.

aAll of the people are kind and affectionate toward us,a says Khakian, 31. aI invite everyone to come to our cafe and support us. I promise that we will give them very clean and perfect service when they come.a

With the restoration of American sanctions that had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal, and unemployment at 12.5 per cent, jobs are hard to come by in Iran. Itas especially difficult for those with disabilities.

ALSO READ:A Shanghai heat turns shopping street into giant slumber party

But the cafe not only provides work for those with Down syndrome and autism, it also shows how capable they can be, said Aylin Agahi, a 36-year-old musician who came up with the idea.

aThe goal I had in mind by opening this cafe was to give these guys a role in society,a said Agahi, who has taught music to people with disabilities for 17 years and led several concerts with her students around Iran.

aI wanted the people to become familiar with themamany people do not have enough knowledge of Down syndrome; here they get to meet them face-to-face.a

From her initial idea in 2016, she was able to open the cafe on May 1 with the help of 10 of her studentsa families and some funding from Iranas State Welfare Organization.

Agahi arranged for a month of training with a professional barista, and the cafe started out with 10 staffers. Three months later, it has 40 workers, mostly teenagers and adults in their 20s, who work short, three-hour shifts.

They earn minimum wage, and split tips equally at the end of the month.

ALSO READ:A Iran naval drills designed to send message to US: general

Unlike many dimly-lit cafes, the entrance and walls are covered with bright colours, framed paintings by the staff and balloons.

The menu is currently limited to coffee, traditional beverages and cakes but they are seeking to expand to offer snacks and meals.

At 14, Aghaei is the youngest staff member.

aI work in this cafe as a server,a the soft-spoken high school student said. aI play the piano too.a

Customer Farzaneh Heidari heard about the coffee shop on social media and gushed about receiving aexcellent service.a

aI am really pleased to be here and see that people with extraordinary conditions are being given the opportunity to work,a said the 28-year-old, who works for a pharmaceutical company.

aThey are doing their best to prove themselves and show that they are capable of many things if given the chance.a

Even in the short time, working at the cafe has done wonders for Aghaeias self-esteem, her mother, Pari Zamani, said.

aTo me, it is more than just a job for my daughter, it means more self-confidence for her,a said Zamani, a high school physics teacher.

aMany children with Down syndrome are pushed into isolation for various reasons and are unable to make friends, but here everyoneas in the same situation.a

Aylin said other families of younger staffers have also noticed huge changes, with them now eager to get out and go to work instead of preferring to stay at home.

aSometimes parents of these kids send me photos late at night showing them having neatly prepared their shoes and work uniforms to go to the cafe the following day,a she said.

aWhen they are told that it is not their shift, they insist on going anyway and say they just love to be here no matter what.a

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The Bahraini Consul General in Jeddah, Ebrahim M Al Meslimani has urged Bahraini citizens, pilgrims and residents to abide by the directives and instructions issued by the Saudi Hajj authorities.

Mr Al Meslimani said that the Bahraini pilgrims will have to show Hajj permits at border checks at the request of security personnel. He stressed that Saudi authorities currently prohibit the entry of non-pilgrims to Mecca.
A Bahraini religious figure accused of insulting a symbol belonging to a Muslim sect online pleaded not guilty before the Lower Criminal Court.

The defendant was put on trial for defaming the symbol on Twitter, but he stated that he had only intended to discuss a scientific study. The defendant was arrested after the police received a complaint from the anti-cybercrimes directorate over the tweet he published.

Prosecutors said that the defendant had admitted to owning the account which tweeted the comment in question. He was earlier ordered to be detained for seven days, pending the outcome of his trial. He will appear before the court on August 14 for the closing arguments.
Maids are not machines Justice Minister warns against torture or forced labour of housemaids and domestic workers

Maids are not machines Justice Minister warns against torture or forced labour of housemaids and domestic workers

The tendency from the part of employers to force domestic workers including housemaids to work longer hours while flouting their legal rights is totally unacceptable, said Minister for Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa yesterday.

Laws and legislations must be considered to ensure that the rights of domestic workers are protected, the minister urged. This came as Shaikh Khalid attended a seminar on Bahrains Experience in Combatting Trafficking in Persons yesterday at the Institute of Judicial and Legal Studies.

Citing the steps taken by the government to end trafficking in persons, Shaikh Khalid highlighted the need to increase awareness among the people to win the battle.
New York : Companies doing business with Iran will be barred from the United States, President Donald Trump said yesterday, as new US sanctions took effect despite pleas from Washingtons 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 Irans nuclear programme.

Trump decided this year to pull out of the agreement, ignoring 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 US 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 Trumps tweet as a tired cliche and denounced US unilateralism.
Manama : Solidarity Bahrain has announced its partnership with Skiplino Technologies. As a first-of-its-kind initiative by an insurance company in Bahrain, the tie-up will provide Solidarity Bahrain customers with the possibility to queue ahead of their arrival at the branch, keeps them updated on the estimated time to reach the branch and the status of the queue. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of senior officials from Solidarity Bahrain and Skiplino Technologies.

We are proud to take our partnership with Skiplino to the next level. The Skiplino queuing system is an innovative, convenient and incredibly efficient way for our customers to conveniently make an appointment prior to their visit to any of solidarity retail branches, said Jawad Mohamed, CEO Solidarity Bahrain. This is a step forward for us in leading the insurance industrys innovative digital transformation and embracement of Fintech and support to Bahraini startups, he added.

We are very excited to partner with Solidarity Bahrain. Skiplinos ability to eliminate waiting time will elevate customer experience to new levels and will provide Solidarity with insightful reports on how customers and agents interact inside all branches, said Zaman Abdulhameed Zaman, CEO of Skiplino Technologies. Solidaritys dedication to digital transformation and large branch network made this the ideal partnership for us, he added.
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga has died. He was 67.

Onaga was a strong opponent of the central government's plan to relocate a controversial US military base within the island.

Onaga had been battling cancer. He was hospitalized late last month, and underwent surgery on his pancreas in April.

Onaga was elected governor in 2014. He vowed to block the plan to move US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to Henoko, a less-populated area in Nago.

Looking to halt construction work involved in the plan, the Okinawa government filed a series of lawsuits against the central government.

And just late last month, Onaga announced he would revoke a permit to reclaim land for the new facility.
People in Japan are observing 73 years since American forces carried out their second atomic bomb attack on the country during World War Two.

A memorial service was held in the city of Nagasaki where the bomb was dropped, just 3 days after the first one leveled Hiroshima. For the first time a United Nations Secretary-General took part in the Nagasaki ceremony.

The city's Peace Park fell silent at 11:02 AM -- the exact moment the bomb exploded in 1945.

More than 70,000 people died in that year alone, and many others from long-term effects. 3,511 survivors passed away in the last 12 months, including a leading advocate for nuclear disarmament.

Among the thousands in attendance were dignitaries of more than 70 countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also joined.

The average age of the remaining survivors, known as hibakusha, is now over 82.

An atomic bomb survivor, Terumi Tanaka said, "To this day, I cannot erase from my memory the horrifying scene I witnessed in the Urakami area that day. In a matter of seconds, the atomic bomb indiscriminately stole many lives and injured a great number of people. It will continue to haunt the hibakusha until the day they die. Of all the things humans can do to one another, this is one that can never be forgiven or tolerated."

Tanaka was 13 at the time of the blast and lost 5 relatives on that day. He led a national group of bombing survivors for nearly 2 decades and has dedicated his life to telling his story to people around the world.

The anniversary comes as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted at the UN last year.

Nuclear powers such as the US and Russia didn't support the adoption and have not signed it. Japan which is protected by America's nuclear umbrella also has not signed it. For the treaty to come into force, 50 countries need to ratify it, but so far only 14 have.

The mayor of Nagasaki made an appeal to nuclear powers and countries that depend on their protection -- he then specifically called on the Japanese government.
The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors said Thursday it had stopped selling a souvenir at the plant after facing a storm of online criticism saying it was inconsiderate.

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said it had pulled the plastic folders decorated with six photos of the battered nuclear plant from the shelves of an on-site store.

The company started selling the files -- three for 300 yen -- from Aug 1 after receiving a number of requests from workers and visitors wanting a souvenir of their visit.

Previously, visitors would take receipts from the store as a souvenir to show family and friends.

But the firm suspended sales of the folders on Wednesday as critics said it was inappropriate to sell a souvenir at the site of the worst nuclear accident in a generation.
Saitama Prefectural Police and Tokyo Customs on Thursday announced the bust of a marijuana smuggling ring that has netted 12 persons, reports the Sankei Shimbun

Between late March and early April, customs officials found 29 kilograms of marijuana concealed inside clothing packed in cardboard boxes shipped through the postal mail from Los Angeles.

The packages were addressed to eight men and women, aged in their 20s and 40s, living in Saitama and Tokyo, police said.

Following the arrest of the eight persons on suspicion of violating the Marijuana Control Law, the involvement of Shun Watanabe, 24, and three other persons emerged.

Police did not reveal whether any of the suspects admit to the allegations.

During a search of the ringas headquarters, an apartment in Tokyoas Nerima Ward, and other locations, officers found an unspecified amount of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, syringes, and more marijuana. The estimated value of all of the contraband seized in the case is 290 million yen, police said.
Immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has revealed that current administration was planning to freeze accounts of major opposition leaders ahead of the 2019 general elections to render the opposition party incapacitated.Frank, who raised the alarm specifically listed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rivers state governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal, National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondu and former governor of Kano state, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso among others in the latest plot.The plot, according to Frank also mentioned the Speaker House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, who is believe will leave the APC soon.Apart from the major opposition leaders, Comrade Frank revealed that some businessmen and women who are sympathetic to the opposition parties are also target in the plot.The Bayelsa born politician alleged that President Muhammadu Buharis government is doing all these against opposition leaders but not aware that he is surrounded by thieves who have looted the treasury even more than Abacha military government.Speaking through a statement he signed on Thursday, Comrade Timi Frank said information at his disposal revealed that the APC government is using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to raise different allegations against major opposition leaders and serving governors across the country in order to demoralised the opposition leaders and render them incapacitated financially.According to Frank, the recent reported frozen of accounts of two PDP states (Benue and Akwa Ibom) formed part of the plot to ensure that states being controlled by the opposition parties are deprived from having resources to run government and blackmail them into joining the ruling party.He challenged the rationale behind frozen of Akwa Ibom state account bearly few hours after a former governor of the state joined the ruling party.Frank alleged that the new bargaining power by the APC government is to blackmail those that are having one corruption allegation or the other into joining the party for such cases to be forgotten.The former APC deputy spokesperson called on Nigerians and international communities not to keep silence in the face of what he called ongoing impunity and threat to democratic system of government in Nigeria.Even though after serious pressures we gathered that EFCC had unfrozen the accounts they earlier illegally step down, we are in the known that they will soon start with private individuals but whatever game plan the ruling party might be plotting against the major opposition leaders and other private individuals, Nigerians will rise against it.While warning the government not to embark on any act of illegality in desperate move to win 2019 election, Frank said Nigerians and international communities are fully awared of all the happening in the country and will surely resist evil plot against the people.
Akwa Ibom State government has taken Senator Godswill Akpabio to the cleaners over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing him as playing God.The government stated that Akpabio does not have convincing reason for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) otherwise many people would have followed him out of the party which brought him fame and fortunes.Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh, who stated this, said: Akpabios leaving the party is all about choices. If you talk about respect, Governor Udom Emmanuel is somebody would not use a foul language on anybody. In public, he calls him sir, my mentor.Whosoever God ordained to bring Udom to power was a vessel. So, if you dont recognize that God has placed you in that position, you are playing God. You cannot play God. If he had a cogent reason more people will have followed him. After all, he nominated 70 per cent of the members of the executive council.Meanwhile, the State Chapter has urged the ward Chairman of Ukana West 2 and other wards to delete the name of Senator Akpabio and others who defected with him to the APC from the registers of the party.Besides, the party has also resolved to commence legal action to activate the provision of section 68 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) as it relates to the erring legislators.In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , Ini Ememobong, titled Good bye Sen. Godswill Akpabio urged the respective ward chairmen to delist also those Akpabio showcased as co-defectors.The statement reads: With the speech of H.E Sen.Godswill Akpabio announcing his resignation from our great party, The Peoples Democratic Party and indicating his immediate membership of the ruling party in the country, The State Executive Committee has directed the ward chairman of our party in Ukana West 2 in Essien Udim local government area to delete his name from the membership register of our party.For the few persons (all of whom were his personal staff, relatives or former employees) whom he showcased as co-defectors, their respective ward chairmen are charged to immediately delist them from our register.We thank the Senator for showing gratitude to us for making him who he was until his defection, but strongly reject the assertion that the entire members of the National and state assemblies were joining him- that was either a very expensive joke or an outright lie,both of which we take serious exceptions to.The Speaker and other 24 members of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly are intact, leaving him with the two members whom he introduced on that stage, while the members of the National Assembly are intact except, the senators representative and one other Member of the House of Representatives, both of whom are having very heavy return challenges in their constituencies.Nigerians are watching keenly to see how the actions of the defectors will match their defection sermon. But did we hear Senator Akpabio well? When he mentioned Tropicana? We hereby demand that Senator Ben Bruce accept the challenge thrown by the former Senate Minority leader to either complete the Ibom Tropicana or give reasons why it cannot be completed, in addition to why it took so long.We live in very interesting times and our political scene has become a huge theatre. We are watching the dramatis personae and will be glad to play back today, many years into the future.
Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently in a meeting with chairmen of 45 political parties. The nations number three citizen dis...

Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently in a meeting with chairmen of 45 political parties.





The nations number three citizen disclosed this in a tweet on Thursday.





LIVE VIDEO: I am now meeting with the National Chairmen of 45 political parties at my office in the Senate. https://t.co/Y0QrxpKxc9 August 9, 2018 The purpose of the meeting is not known but it comes 24 hours after the senate president visited ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida in Niger state. The purpose of the meeting is not known but it comes 24 hours after the senate president visited ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida in Niger state.





Saraki avoided journalists when he left IBBs Minna, Niger state, residence.





He met with IBB shortly after he gave a hint of nursing a presidential ambition.





During the question and answer session at a press conference on the blockade of the national assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Saraki was asked if he would be vying for the highest office in the land and he did not deny having such ambition.





He, however, said at the moment, he wanted to talk about democracy, adding that 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, he said.




Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the decision of Godswill Akpabio to join the All Progressives C...

Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the decision of Godswill Akpabio to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unfortunate.





He said the senator, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, has walked against the tide and endangered his political career.





Secondus said this in a statement issued by Ike Abonyi, his media aide, on Wednesday in Abuja.





Akpabio was received into the APC fold at a ceremony which held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium.





Secondus said he found it strange that Akpabio would dump the PDP to join the APC, which he described as a sinking ship, which every other person is ditching.





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 Secondus, Akpabios decision does not have 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.





He said: 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.





Secondus accused the APC of arm-twisting and intimidating people into its 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 backs from a leader directing them to danger.




The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said the case of alleged fraud involving Senator Godswill Akpabio is not over,

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said the case of alleged fraud involving Senator Godswill Akpabio is not over,





Akpabio had said that he was a man of peace that had no case to answer with the EFCC, adding that the young man who wrote petition against him to the commission could not prove his case





Those petitions to the EFCC have been sorted out. As I stand today, I have not been charged to court because nothing was found against me, Akpabio said.





However, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, while responding to Akpabios claim, said his case was still ongoing.





When asked by Punch if Akpabio was still under probe, the EFCC spokesman said, EFCC does not close cases or give clearance to anybody.




Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a member of the house of representatives from Edo state, has accused his colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party ...

Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a member of the house of representatives from Edo state, has accused his colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sending thugs to assault him.





He said but for Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, and another senator who protected him, he would have been attacked inside the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday.





Agbonayinma was one of the few lawmakers in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who came to the complex during the security siege that lasted for hours.





Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the lawmaker alleged thugs hired by the PDP accosted him at the entrance of the complex.





The national assembly belongs to all political parties and Nigerians why must PDP thugs block me from entering the complex? he said.





If I had reacted and stormed the place with other APC lawmakers, could they have withstood us?I chose to be a mature Nigerian. I equally want the thugs tried in the same vein with the invaders.





The DSS also protected me from the rampaging thugs and the question is who brought them, there if not the PDP.





Even when I finally entered the complex PDP lawmakers told me I had no business being there and it was senators Matthew Uroghide and Dino Melaye who protected me.




Newly appointed Acting Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mathew Seiyifa, has promised to look into complaints of hu...

Newly appointed Acting Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mathew Seiyifa, has promised to look into complaints of human rights violation against operatives of the service.





Seiyifa, while speaking in Abuja on Thursday, assured that under him, the service would take a different approach.
The Transparency International, a global watchdog, on Wednesday condemned the siege to the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services.It noted that the administrations of former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, also used force against the legislature.The TI said the sacking and subsequent arrest of the former Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, were commendable, adding that the police must be thorough with the investigation.The TI Nigeria Head, Musa Rafsanjani, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, recalled that in November 2014, some members of the House of Representatives under the APC, which was then the party in opposition, were prevented by security agents from gaining access to the National Assembly Complex.The action by the security men forced the lawmakers to scale the fence.The TI Head, Rafsanjani, said, We are seeing a repeat of this impunity and abuse of power that have been happening unfortunately since the return of democracy in 1999. We have seen it under Obasanjo where not less than four Senate Presidents were forcefully removed and where about three state governors were also removed using the state instrumentality.We have also seen the repeat of this irresponsible attitude during Jonathan where the National Assembly members were also blocked and denied access into their offices. We have seen the DSS locking out the opposition parties at that time also.This time around, we are seeing a repeat of such culture of abuse of office by impunity and rascality demonstrated by leaders to suit their political interests. This is not the kind of democracy we fought for.We cannot allow such harassment and intimidation of the so-called opposition parties. Politicians at all levels are not learning any lesson.The good thing at this time was the swift response from the Presidency. The first thing was for the head of such agency to be removed because he has abused his power.His action amounted to undermining the responsibilities of the government. It is good that he is being investigated so that we can have a loaded response not only to the DSS but to other security agencies which may have plans to toe that line.
Contrary to the insinuation that the sacked Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) Lawal Daura, was indirectly working for the Senate President Bukola Saraki, a former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has asked the public to dismiss what he described as misinformation and a cheap blackmail.He, however, called Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to hold National Chairman of APC Adams Oshiomohle, his deputy Niyi Adebayo, the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari and the sacked DG of SSS, Lawal Daura responsible for the deployment of armed SSS personnel that laid siege at National Assembly last Tuesday.Frank declared that at no point in time the President of the Senate had anything in common apart from official duty with the former DG of SSS.Reacting in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, Frank said both the National Chairman of APC and the sacked DG SSS with other known cabals in the presidency actually planned the siege Nigerians witnessed on Tuesday at National AssemblyInformation at our disposal revealed that as at Thursday 2nd August 2018, National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, his deputy Niyi Adebayo, the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari and the sacked DG of SSS, Lawal Daura, summoned the clerk of National Assembly, Sanni Omoloro who was approved and scheduled to commence his annual vacation on 3rd August 2018 outside the country, but was instructed that the presidency has cancelled his earlier approved vacation as he will be needed to be in Senate on Tuesday to swear in a new leadership of the Senate.Sources close to the Clerk of National Assembly privy to his travel itinerary also revealed to us that the Clerk, based on the instruction given to him by those mentioned above, had no choice than to cancel his planned vacation.The former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, however called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, to thoroughly order investigation into the activities of the persons mentioned.With this available information, I hereby call on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo if he is genuinely committed to get to the bottom of the siege at the National Assembly to consider above information given.
Nigerias embattled finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, on Wednesday returned to Twitter and broke her long silence on her National Youth Se...

Ok but where is your NYSC certificate?  Kelvin. Igwe (Esq.) (@IgweOfficial) August 8, 2018

Anty kemi the Mother of certificate forgery.  plug  (@Mansurzannah) August 8, 2018

Hahahah madam certificate.... so you are still in office...... remember this govt is govt of integrity ooo  andybassey (@andybassey76) August 8, 2018

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.  Wilfred A. Akinyeke (@WilfredAkinyeke) August 8, 2018

You have no moral right to continue in office Madam

Go and clear your name  M I R A B I L I S  (@mirabilidei) August 8, 2018

Wao! U still dey?pls,I want p.hd certificate where can i get it?  Ogundare Oluwaseyi s (@counselorseun) August 8, 2018

Finally Kemi speaks...  Wiseman Izuchukwu (@WisemanIzunna) August 8, 2018

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.Ever since the news of the scandal broke 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.Read the response to her Tweet below...
Gershom Bassey, senator representing Cross River south, has called for a proper investigation into the blockade of the national assembly...

Gershom Bassey, senator representing Cross River south, has called for a proper investigation into the blockade of the national assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).





Bassey said this on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, while fielding questions about the incident on Thursday.





According to him, the sacking of Lawal Daura, director-general of the DSS, is only a bandage to the situation.





What we need is a proper investigation. Our government has to constitute a panel or whatever instruments they have to investigate this situation. This whole idea that we can keep speculating and having conspiracy theories. To me it does not make sense, he said.





Let the facts be investigated and let the chips fall where they may. Let us know what exactly what happened. The executive has all the instruments at its disposal.





Who sent them, why they sent them, what was the DSS doing there? These are the issues we are looking at. I saw so many guns.





Lets not make a comedy of these situations. These are serious situations. We are trying to make a big joke out of serious situations. Why will the senate president  is he a Nollywood actor? What are we talking about. If we want to be serious. Lets be serious, otherwise, we will keep listening to conspiracy theories.





The senator said it would be wrong to blame the incident on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).




The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday declared that Senator Bukola Saraki should not be Nigerias Senate President.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday declared that Senator Bukola Saraki should not be Nigerias Senate President.





This was contained in a statement on Thursday afternoon by Yekini Nabena, APC National Publicity Secretary.





He claimed that Saraki has been indicted for corruption and funding of robbers as such should not be holding a sensitive position.





The statement reads: In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain. It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.





In terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of the current Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has been a dismal failure and has been involved in one controversy or the other  budget padding, filibustering, legislative rascality, sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.





Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Saraki will go down in our countrys history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have.





Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another  the Code of Conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack.





It is alleged that some of the robbery suspects were his political thugs used to rig elections; a common adage says: Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.





Dr. Saraki is definitely not our good example for political leadership.





All over the world, the leadership of the legislature is provided by the political party with majority members. But Dr. Saraki would in the absence of many members of his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), connive and conspire with members of the opposition PDP to emerge Senate President, and in the process tradeoff the Deputy Senate President position to the opposition PDP  a political betrayal and treachery even the devil would be envious of.





Even at this time he has defected to the opposition PDP, and with APC still in the majority in the Senate, Dr. Saraki still has the impudence to present himself as the Senate President. Political ambition should be made of nobler stuff.





One is of course not surprised as Dr. Sarakis greed, selfishness, treachery, disregard for protocol and constituted authority is well-reported. In terms of treachery, Dr. Sarakis public humiliation of his late father and sister comes readily to mind.





A traitor will always be a traitor, however the time and place. The Senate must do everything possible to put Dr. Saraki where he rightly belongs  the back seat. He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the countrys upper and revered legislative house.





A man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), his party PDP in 2014, the APC in 2015 by conspiring with opposition PDP senators to emerge Senate President, APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP in 2018 has no character, principles, values and integrity. His only interest is Bukola Saraki, Bukola Saraki and Bukola Saraki.




The House of Representatives caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC on Thursday endorsed President Muhammdu Buhari as its 2019 general election consensus candidate and demanded for a full-scale probe into the invasion of the National Assembly by men of the Directorate of State Security Service, DSS last Tuesday.Briefing journalists after a four hour closed-door meeting with members of the caucus led by the leader of the House, Femi Gajabiamila and the deputy speaker, Yussuff Lasun they all threw their weight behind the position of Senate President, Dr Bukola Sarakis call for prosecution of those behind the invasion
Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Thursday threatened to jail one Bashiru Bolarinwa, who is parading himself a...

Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Thursday threatened to jail one Bashiru Bolarinwa, who is parading himself as Caretaker Chairman of the party, and his agents.

The state chapter of the party issued the threat while describing Bolarinwas alleged action as unlawful, adding that he is walking the road to jail.





This was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson of Kwara APC, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari.





The statement reads: It is a matter of public record that the issue of the leadership of All Progressives Congress is settled with the affirmation of the Kwara State High Court that the Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani-led State Executive Committee (SEC) has a constitutional mandate of four years that will elapse by 2022.





The public is also aware that in the suit number KWS /292/218, filed before the court of Justice T. S. Umar, the judge granted an expressed order that restrained Mr Bashiru Bolarinwa and his agents from parading themselves or performing any function or duty specified for members of the executive committee of the APC either individually or collectively as members of the executive committee of members of purported caretaker committee of the APC in Kwara State.





In spite of the above-stated court order, the attention of the leadership of APC in Kwara State has been drawn to reports indicating that Mr Bashiru Bolarinwa is still parading himself as chairman of a caretaker committee the court of law has dismissed as unlawful and non-existent.





As a matter of fact, Kwara APC has a chronicle of unlawful actions of Mr Bolarinwa and his agents. Such unlawful actions constitute contempt of Court. By their unlawful actions, they are walking the road to jail.





Buhari also declared that Mr Bolarinwa has neither legitimacy nor authority to act on behalf of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State. We invite the media, the general public and particularly all members of APC in Kwara State to note this fact.





He said, All members of APC in Kwara State should know that Kwara APC has no plan to reconstitute executive committees at the ward and local government levels. Party members should continue to work with the present leadership of the party at the ward and local government levels. Party members are enjoined to shun plans by an impostor to organise unlawful congresses at the ward and local government levels.





Finally, Mr Bashiru Bolarinwa and his agents have been warned. They can continue to evade, hide and run. However, they cannot run away from the long hand of justice.




America, The Economic Heavyweight | Israel Ixnays Enemies | Freshman 15 & Midlife 30

"In politics as in philosophy, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved. If this maxim was generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy."  George Washington

America Throws its Economic Weight: President Trump decided to withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. In doing so, he said he would reimpose strict sanctions against Tehran, which would include harsh repercussions for any companies doing business with the Islamic Republic. On Tuesday the sanctions were re-imposed, targeting Iran's purchases of US dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software and the auto sector. Trump tweeted: "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."

On Wednesday China and Germany issued strong statements which signal a growing anger from US partners over Trump's threat to penalize businesses from third countries that continue business ties with Iran. Beijing's foreign ministry said: "China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-armed jurisdiction. (its) commercial cooperation with Iran is open and transparent, reasonable, fair and lawful, not violating any United Nations Security Council resolutions." European leaders have tried urging firms not to pull out from Iran, but many companies have quit, saying the risk is too great for their US businesses.

Global Trade Wars Impact Hometown Businesses: Ratcheting up the trade war between the US and China is Beijing's announcement Wednesday that it will impose a 25 percent tariff on an additional $16 billion of imported US goods, matching an earlier move from Washington. China will raise tariffs on coal, medical instruments, and cars beginning August 23. That is the date US Customs will begin collecting duties on 279 Chinese product lines ranging from motorcycles to steam turbines and railway cars. No end is in sight to the tit-for-tat protectionist measures as the US is currently reviewing 10 percent duties on another $200 billion in Chinese imports and might even raise that to 25 percent. Reciprocal action from China is certain.

Trade war threats among world leaders might sound like political saber-rattling rhetoric to some. But the old saw "all politics is local" does come to mind, considering the impact on one small South Carolina company that plans to lay off almost all its workers  126 people  because of the Trump administration's tariffs. Element Electronics, which assembles televisions, also plans to close its plant. The company said the layoffs, beginning in October, and the plant closure are a direct result of US tariffs on important Chinese parts it uses to assemble TVs.
Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
Columbia Pulp Names Mike Schock as Vice President, and Tony Waldo as Production Manager

Aug. 9, 2018 - Columbia Pulp, LLC announced the appointment of Mike Schock as Vice President of the company and Tony Waldo as Production Manager for the Lyons Ferry facility and the Pomeroy Pilot Plant. Both operations are located in the state of Washington.

Ultimately, the Lyons Ferry Pulp Plant is expected to provide 90 jobs in the communities of Dayton, Starbuck and surrounding areas while eliminating the need to burn 230,000 tons of straw waste annually.

Construction of the Pomeroy Pilot Plant was recently completed and is anticipated to employ approximately eight full-time employees running two shifts, five days per week.

We're extremely pleased to make these additions to our teams, Columbia Pulp CEO John Begley said. Mike Schock and Tony Waldo will contribute tremendous experience and talent to Columbia Pulp.

Schock brings more than 35 years of experience in paper making and paper converting, having spent the last 25 years holding positions in the Paper, Industrial Converting and Rigid Paper and Closures divisions of Sonoco Products Company in Hartsville, South Carolina.

Most recently, Schock served as Director of Global Product Development and R&D  Rigid Paper and Closures Division. He retired from Sonoco in January 2017.

Waldo spent more than 20 years in the nuclear and pulp and paper industries, with a strong background in leading manufacturing organizations. He also holds extensive experience in managing laboratories, product development, engineering and software development.

Prior to joining Columbia Pulp, Waldo was Base Mill Manager for 15 years at Boise Cascade in International Falls, Minnesota and Mission Analysis Manager at Washington River Protection Services in Richland, Washington. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Washington State University.

Columbia Pulp's offices are located in Dayton, Washington. The company operates a Pilot Facility in Pomeroy, Washington and is finishing construction on a state-of-the-art industrial scale mill in Starbuck, Washington. Both facilities convert wheat straw and seed alfalfa into pulp and biopolymers used in the manufacture of paper and packing products, as well as numerous specialty chemical applications. To learn more about the company, please visit www.columbiapulp.net .

SOURCE: Columbia Pulp, LLC
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Over the past year Patently Apple has posted at least four reports dedicated to the war between India's Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Apple's hesitancy in complying with TRAI over including an Indian anti-spam app that Apple claims would violate it's privacy policies. Our four reports (01, 02, 03 and 04) covered the ongoing saga that went from Apple creating a custom version of the Indian app to India threatening to sue Apple and finally last month TRAI warning wireless carriers to ban the iPhone if it doesn't provide users with its anti-spam app by January 2019.

Last year TRAI's chairman used inflammatory language to describe the matter such as "data colonization" in an attempt to turn the Indian public against Apple. It's a term to remind their countryman of the ignorant era of the U.K. ruling India before Gandhi turned the tide by dispelling the Brits and creating an independent India. If Chairman R S Sharma had to go to that level, you know that this is a sensitive issue with them and Apple's non-compliance isn't going to do them any favors in India.

With Apple's lowly 1% of the Indian market, choosing to fight the government isn't seen by locals as Apple being the good guy like it is in the U.S. Apple has hit a wall in India. Unlike other countries that might play ball with Apple, India has shut the door to Apple's many demands and Apple is losing executives as sales aren't improving. Bloomberg posted a gloomy picture of Apple in India on Monday.





Today Reuters posted a report titled "Apple's mettle in India tested in squabble over anti-spam app," which took another negative look at Apple in their war with TRAI.

Reuters points out that "The app has been available on the Android store since 2016, but Apple in March told Reuters that TRAI's app "as envisioned violates the privacy policy of the App Store."

In June Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Reveals at WWDC 2018 that they will be Complying with India's demand for an Anti-Spam App in iOS 12." However, Reuters report today claims that while the app or functionality in iOS 12 will partially comply with the TRAIs demands, it falls short of full compliance.

This is why TRAI had sent a message back to Apple loud and clear to either comply or India's wireless carriers will shut them down in January 2019. Apple will be forced to go to court on this issue to have their iPhones back on line.

While I believe the media is a mile behind the actual talks behind the scene, the fact is that TRAI has publicly put a challenge to Apple that will have consequences that could damage Apple's reputation should Apple refuse to comply 100%.

While Apple has fought India on this issue at every step of the way over a two year span, Samsung has opened a massive plant in India with India's Prime Minister smiling from ear to ear because the number one smartphone volume leader in the world has gladly worked with them at every conceivable level.

With Samsung and Xiaomi winning in the Indian market big time by complying with the government of India, it's clear that Apple's non-compliance with TRAIs order is futile. For more on this, read the full Reuters report here.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Im working on a project that has me writing very condensed descriptions of various saints, and I was struck today by this detail:

600 miles to crucifixion in Nagasaki. St. Paul Miki and companions are rightly remembered for their bravery during their forced march ofto crucifixion in Nagasaki. This is exactly the same length St. Josephine Bakhita was forced to travel, barefoot, when kidnapped by slave traders at the age of nine.

Nine years old.

And while many martyrs are remembered for enduring days of torture and persecution, Bakhita endured years of beatings, whippings, even ritual mutilation at the hands of various slave owners before becoming nanny to a wealthy Italian family and then claiming sanctuary in an Italian convent.

Im not sure why the detail of the 600 miles struck me, except that it reminds me that while we are bound by time and chronology, Christ isnt. Unlike the Japanese martyrs, Sr. Bakhitas sufferings predated her conversionshe wasnt suffering for the sake of a faith she didnt yet know. And yet somehow her Christianity gave her a way to understand and make sense of her earlier trials.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote about St. Josephine Bakhita in the encyclical Spes Salvi as an exemplar of the theological virtue of hope. Her faith, Pope Benedict writes, taught Bakhita that,

She too was loved, and by none other than the supreme ParonWhat is more, this master had himself accepted the destiny of being flogged and now he was waiting for her at the Fathers right hand. Now she had hope no longer simply the modest hope of finding masters who would be less cruel, but the great hope: I am definitively loved and whatever happens to meI am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good. Through the knowledge of this hope she was redeemed, no longer a slave, but a free child of God. Hence, when she was about to be taken back to Sudan, Bakhita refused

And maybe this is the remarkable thing. The same hope, the hope of a life destined for the love of Christ, both gave St. Paul Miki the courage to face martyrdom and gave Bakhita the courage to claim a life free from slavery and abuse.

The same hope makes it possible to embrace both present persecution and past abuse as paths leading to eternity with Christ, a hope that tells us not only what we are destined for, but who we are.

And what we are is free.

Not only free to, like St. Paul Miki and companions, resist the overbearing power of ideology and its political organs and, by their death, renew the world, but also free to renew the world through living witness to this innate worthiness and freedom, as did St. Josephine Bakhita.

The same hope that taught the martyrs that no torment or suffering could injure their interior freedom or separate [them] from the love of God, also freed Bakhita to reject the lie that she, a child of God, could be claimed as mere property.

The Japanese martyrs walked 600 miles in witness to that freedom. The little girl we know as Bakhita walked 600 miles and lived as a slave before she could claim that freedom.

How far would I walk?

What would change in my life if I truly lived in that hope?

Image credit: Martyrdom of Paul Miki S.J., Jacob Kisai S.J., John Goto S.J. and P. Petrus Battista in Japan in 1596 via Wellcome Library, London. Image of St. Josephine Bakhita is in the public domain.
An investigative report into the operations of now-defunct UT and Capital Banks has revealed that some payments were made to former Chief Executive Officer and Director of U.T Bank, Mr. P.K Amoabeng from a loan defaulting entity, Kofi Jobs Limited.



The loans which amounted to GHC 5m were never disclosed to the Board of the U.T Bank.The report also revealed that there was also a significant amount of inter-group lending involving other subsidiaries of the holding company, UT Holdings, while connected party loans were made to some companies as 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 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, the report said.



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.



Capital Bank board squandered BoG cash



In the case of Capital Bank, it was 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), according to an investigative report sighted by Citi News.



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.



GCB Bank has since absorbed about four hundred workers.

Source: citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The employment status of workers in the recently collapsed banks by the Bank of Ghana is in limbo as all workers have been put on probation.



This move by the Managing Director of the of 5 collapsed banks, now Consolidated Bank Ghana is contrary to the Bank of Ghanas assurance that worker from the 5 defunct banks will not lose their jobs.



In letters dated August 1 and signed by the new Managing Director for CBG Limited, Daniel Addo, the workers were informed that the period will be used to access their employment status to determine whether anyone remains an employee of the new bank.



The purpose of this letter is to inform you that you will be working with the new bank for a period of 60days during which time it will be possible for your employment status to be assessed.



Based on the assessment, a determination will be made as to whether you will continue to be in employment with the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited. Kindly be reminded that you will still operate from your current work place.



Although it is unclear how many people the bank intends to retain after the probation period, many are expected to be sent home; adding to the high level of unemployment currently purging the country.



Background



The Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Wednesday August 1 revoked the licenses of five banks and merged them into a single entity.



The move forms part of its efforts to address legacy problems in the banking sector and to restore the stability and resilience of the financial system.



The collapsed banks, according to the Governor of BoG, Mr. Ernest Addison, are having liquidity challenges and efforts to keep their heads above water have yielded no fruitful results, hence the reason they have been consolidated.



The BoG also said its investigations have revealed that; The Beige Bank, Sovereign Bank and Construction Bank obtained their banking licenses illegally through the use of suspicious and non-existent capital.



Shareholders and directors of uniBank however are said to have advanced GH5.3 billion in loans from the bank through illegal means.



Aftermath



Following the news, some financial analysts have insisted that the malpractices and illegalities at the banking supervision department of the Bank of Ghana could have been avoided if BoG had done due diligence in that area.



Some also argue that to inhibit others from replicating such practices, the Central Bank must arrest and prosecute its officials at the banking supervision department, as well as owners of the banks found culpable for the illegality.



Meanwhile, BoG has appointed Mr. Nii Amanor Dodoo of KPMG as the Receiver for the five banks.













Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Workers of the Ghana Railway Company Limited have been captured neatly dressed with protective gears working on the rehabilitation of the Accra to Nsawam Line.



The 40-kilometre rail line project estimated at GH15 million is being undertaken to improve transportation speed and safety.



According to the sector minster, Mr Joe Ghartey, work on the Accra-Nsawam railway line will be completed before the end of this year.



320 people have been employed to work on the line, with the workforce consisting of 305 permanent workers and 15 supervisors.



Mr Joe Ghartey however told Peacefmonline.com that, the rehabilitation process is a key part to restructure the railways sector in Ghana.



It is part of the total solution being developed to turn the railways sector around completely, he said.



The Minister also noted that his office is working tirelessly to reorganize the state enterprise, the Ghana Railways Company Limited, providing the facilities for training, rehabilitation of a section of the old narrow tracks, building a new standard gauge modern railway from south to north and the development of a railway economic corridor.



Mr Joe Ghartey said he will ensure a strong regulator to regulate the different operators on the railway tracks and developing and ensuring the highest standards in railway operations in Ghana. The regulator will be a safety as well as a tariff regulator.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Ministry of Interior has signalled its commitment to helping inmates to realise their full potential and to demonstrate that incarceration does not mean the loss of rights.



To this effect, through its allied agencies it has prepared and registered fifty-two prison inmates for the upcoming National Vocation Training Institute Examinations in August/ September this year.



Another set of inmates numbering nine had been registered to sit for the November 2018 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).



Already, twenty inmates were registered to sit for the recent Basic Education Certificate Examination in May/June 2018.



Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of Interior said this at the Ministrys 2018 mid-year review meeting in Accra on Wednesday to ensure that it remained on track in achieving its targets.



The days event was also to discuss the challenges encountered and find strategic ways of mitigating them to improve on the Sectors Performance.



Regarding infrastructure of inmates, the Minister said although the Nsawam Remand Prisons Project was at a slow pace due to inadequate budgetary allocation, efforts were being made to secure adequate funding in the 2019 Budget for the completion of the projects.



On capacity building for personnel, Mr Dery said the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons had been able to organise a capacity building programme for officers from selected institutions on Arms Trade Treaty.



He said to strengthen the mandate of the Gaming Commission (GC) as it related to the Gaming Act, 2006 (Act 721), the GC was working on an amendment of the Gaming Act and the development of a Legislative Instrument (LI) with the Attorney-Generals Department.



Mr Dery said the National Peace Council had built the capacity of 29 Municipal, Metropolitan and District Executives in the Brong-Ahafo Region in conflict resolution and noted that about 30 youth comprising 16 women and 14 received training on conflict management and resolution in the Northern Region.



The government, he hinted had given financial clearance for the Ministry to enable Agencies namely, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, and Ghana National Fire Service to recruit to augment their current numbers to meet international best standards.



Despite recent setbacks, Mr Dery said the Ghana Police Service continued to make strides in the International scene, as a team of Police Personnel had been deployed to Peace Keeping duties in Sudan in the period under review.



Touching on the issue of the eight suspects alleged to be involved in abuse, he said the Police High Command was still investigating the issues.



The Ministry expects a report of resultant action on all personnel found guilty in this matter. I must emphasise that Mr President is sensitive about Ghanas image internationally and Ghanaian Service personnel on international assignments must be duty compliant with international best practices, he said.



The Minister said in recent times, the attitudes of some personnel in the Police Service had attracted negative reportage that had brought into focus the training of personnel.



Mr Dery noted that Disciplinary processes initiated would be pursued to their logical conclusion and appropriate sanctions imposed adding that it behoved on the Agency Heads to continue to retrain the personnel to display professionalism and eschew negative attitudes.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated the commitment of his Government to decongesting the prisons across the country.



Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Officer Cadet Course Intake 25 of the Ghana Prisons Service, at the Prisons Officers Training School, on Thursday, 9th August, 2018, President Akufo-Addo noted that the countrys prisons, built to accommodate some 9,875 inmates, has been exceeded by some 48%.



Nsawam prisons, for example, was built to house eight hundred and fifty (850) persons. Its current occupancy stands at three thousand, four hundred and fifty (3,450) persons, of which two hundred and twenty-three (223) are remand prisoners. Originally, there was no provision for remand prisoners at Nsawam, he said.



To this end, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that we need to do something about these figures, and my Government is determined to so.



Following the successes chalked under the Justice for All Programme, the President indicated that the programme is expanding steadily to cover prison facilities such as the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, and to prisons in Tarkwa, Sekondi, Akuse, Obuasi and Winneba.



He indicated that, under the Programme, two projects, namely the construction of a two thousand (2,000) capacity remand prison at Nsawam, and the expansion of residential accommodation for staff at Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, have been started, and will be completed and operationalized soon.



With agriculture continuing to remain the anchor of the countrys economy, President Akufo-Addo was happy with the new focus of the Prisons Service.



Already, the Service has taken delivery of five tractors, four mechanical planters, and a number of other agricultural equipment to increase the production of cash crops and staples. Also, construction work on a new prison camp in Ejura, in the Ashanti Region, is progressing steadily, and, hopefully, will be handed over to the Prison Administration by the end of this year, he added.



This, the President said, will help the Prisons Service take advantage of the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, and will also serve the dual purpose of training inmates in modern practices of agricultural production, and also help generate income to supplement government subvention to the Service.



President Akufo-Addo also revealed that the number of medical personnel assigned to the Service has also been increased, and, shortly, all prison infirmaries across the country will be upgraded and adequately resourced.



In addition to providing logistical and infrastructural support to the Service, government, he added, has also given clearance for the recruitment of 1,000 young men and women to augment the staff strength of the Service.



The President assured the Director General of the Prisons Service of his support to help change and sanitise the reformation and rehabilitation effort of the countrys prisons.



He explained that the media landscape is replete with many examples of persons who become hardened in prison, and are unable to successfully integrate themselves into the society upon their release, and, thus, end up perpetrating criminal acts, which bring them back to prison.



It is important that we give them the assurance of a better life after prison, by upholding their dignity and human rights. Officers of the Service must, at all times, exhibit high levels of discipline and professionalism in the discharge of their duties, he added.



President Akufo-Addo urged the countrys security services to guard jealously the peace, security and stability of the nation.



Crime, he said. is becoming more sophisticated and multi-dimensional, and the country cannot win the war against it if the security agencies engage in needless tussles for supremacy.



Each one of you has a unique mandate towards the maintenance of peace and security of our country. I can assure you also that, under my watch as President of the Republic, the laws of this land will be applied to the letter, and without recourse to the ethnic, religious or political affiliations of the person involved, he said.



The President continued, And, to those who are sending chiefs and men of God to the Special Prosecutor to intervene on their behalf, to try to dissuade Mr. Martin Amidu from conducting his investigations, from the little I know of the man, they are engaged in a fruitless venture.



President Akufo-Addo, in concluding, acknowledged the two officer cadets who excelled and distinguished themselves in the course, i.e. the best-all-round officer cadet, Senior-Under-Officer Stephen Kumah, and the best in academic performance, Junior-Under-Officer Mabel Asomaning.



Their achievements make them the proud and worthy recipients of the Sword of Honour, and the Academic Cane Awards, respectively. On behalf of Government and the people of Ghana, I say a big ayekoo to them, he added.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Information Minister Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has asked the public to ignore Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Attas opinion that the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy be reviewed to target the poor while the rich are made to pay for their childrens second-cycle education.



According to him, the vision of President Nana Akufo-Addo is a free-for-all SHS programme and that is what government will pursue.



The Minister told journalists at the Regional Coordinating Council in Tamale on Tuesday, 31 July 2018 that government will not reverse the policy.



 The person whose vision we are driving is the vision of the President of the Republic of Ghana and the President of the Republic of Ghanas vision is that every child who goes to secondary should go to the secondary for free.



The Finance Ministers opinion does not stand in the face of the Presidents vision. Its not going to happen. The Finance Minister does not have a locus. His opinion is dead, Dr Abdul-Hamid said.



According to him, It is not even in his [Mr Ofori-Attas] bosom to bring an educational matter to Cabinet. It is only the Education Minister who can, so he can only go and lobby the Education Minister to come to Parliament and there is no Cabinet decision that must go contrary to the NPP manifesto, finished.



Mr Ofori-Atta had suggested that the Free SHS policy must be implemented discriminatorily so that those who have the means are made to pay for their childrens second-cycle education.



Implementation of the policy started in September 2017 with about 90,000 students. It covers the full fees of students who attend public senior high schools.



Speaking to Bernard Avle in an interview on Citi TV, Mr Ofori-Atta said: I dont think it [Free SHS] is something any of us can compromise on, adding that: It may be that there have to be changes in the way in which we are administering it.



I cant take my child to Achimota or Odorgonno and then leave him or her and drive away and Ken Ofori-Atta not pay anything while I can pay for 10 people.  You need to get the data to then be discriminatory in how and who pays and who doesnt pay, he said.



Speaking about the next academic year, he said: You actually going to have, maybe, 180,000 more people but its so important, youd rather make that mistake  if it is a mistake  to get everybody in the system for the nation to then begin to have a conversation and say: OK, this is good for us because we want that human capital and to a certain level, but maybe lets begin to adjust it this way



But Mr Hamid maintained that: If we go into another election and we want to revise the manifesto thats another matter but now the 2016 manifesto says that we are implementing Free SHS for rich children and for poor children and that is what it shall be.







Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
AstraZeneca has settled the Texas lawsuit involving the drug company's marketing of Seroquel and Crestor to the state's Medicaid system. Read more

AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $110 million to settle two lawsuits brought by the state of Texas claiming the drugmaker fraudulently marketed two of its medications.

Texas accused the pharmaceutical giant in 2014 of promoting its antipsychotic drug Seroquel to Texas Medicaid providers for unapproved uses, and for misrepresenting the benefits of its cholesterol medication Crestor.

According to Bloomberg, the state originally sought roughly $5 billion from AstraZeneca, whose U.S. headquarters are in Wilmington, alleging the company's misleading marketing scheme resulted in "excessive reimbursements" from Texas' Medicaid program.

One of the whistle-blowers in the case, a former AstraZeneca salesperson named Allison Zayas, was represented by James J. Pepper of the Pepper Law Firm in Jamison, Bucks County. Pepper was the trial counsel for the case.

Texas claimed the drug company fraudulently promoted the drugs despite agreeing to not engage in off-label marketing as part of a 2010 deal with the federal government over prior allegations of Medicaid fraud.

Among other allegations, Texas claimed the company promoted Seroquel to pediatric psychiatrists even though the Federal Drug Administration had not approved the drug for children and adolescents. The state also accused the drugmaker of paying $465,000 in kickbacks to two state mental-health officials to recommend prescriptions of Seroquel.

"The allegations that led to this settlement are especially disturbing because the well-being of children and the integrity of the state hospital system were jeopardized," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.

The company was accused of falsely claiming that Crestor had more uses than tests supported, while downplaying its risk of diabetes.

AstraZeneca is paying $90 million to resolve the Seroquel suit and $20 million over Crestor. The drugmaker admits no wrongdoing in the settlement.

"While AstraZeneca denies the allegations, it is in the best interests of the company to resolve these matters and to move forward with our business of discovering and developing important, life-changing medicines  while avoiding the delay, uncertainty, and expense of protracted litigation," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Of the $110 million total, Texas recovered $45.8 million including legal fees, the federal government received $32.8 million, and six private plaintiffs and their lawyers collected $31.4 million.

"For over eight years my client remained steadfast in her fight to hold AstraZeneca accountable for its conduct. Today marks the successful conclusion of that fight," Pepper, the local lawyer for Zayas, said in a statement.

AstraZeneca is facing a separate lawsuit from Zayas, the federal government, and several states, including New Jersey, alleging illegal marketing practices for Seroquel. That case is before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Pepper, who is representing Zayas in that case, as well, declined to comment on that lawsuit.
Undocumented immigrant Ramon Aguirre-Ochoa a/k/a Juan Ramon Vasquez is in custody, charged with raping a child. He has been in custody before, but released because Philadelphia is a Sanctuary City. Read more

At first glance, the news release seemed to be smirking: "In yo' face, Mayor Kenney."

On second glance, too. The purpose of the handout from the U.S. Department of Justice was to announce that Juan Ramon Vasquez, who's been in my column before, pleaded guilty to illegal entry after deportation, which is a felony.

But that was not as bad as the felony he committed after he was turned loose by the City of Brotherly Enablers after a 2014 arrest.

ICE had requested that he be detained for deportation, but our self-righteous city turned the Honduran loose, and the next time he was in custody it was for raping a 5-year-old girl. I'm sure the victim's family appreciates Kenney's policy that protects foreign convicted felons, which is what Vasquez was.

The "in yo' face" element?

On the first page of the news release, DOJ embedded a video shot by one of the mayor's aides of Kenney doing a moronic Three Stooges shuffle, singing, "We are a sanctuary city." This happened in June after a judge ruled that DOJ couldn't cut crime-fighting funds to Philly.

I asked DOJ if use of the dancing mayor video struck payback.

"The Department of Justice remains committed to providing factual representation of all matters," said spokesman Devin O'Malley. "The release sent out on Tuesday was a means to provide additional background and context on this matter."

The mayor's juvenile jig becomes part of background and context. Uh-huh. I didn't expect DOJ to admit it was payback. I also didn't expect the mayor to accept any responsibility for enabling the rape, but I asked his office anyway.

"The federal government failed to obtain an arrest warrant for this individual's immigration offense in 2014," said mayoral spokesman Mike Dunn. Asking the feds to produce a warrant, Dunn said, is "not overly burdensome." Feds say it is both burdensome and unnecessary. You've got a criminal, give him up.

As I was waiting for the mayor's response, I read a story containing District Attorney Larry Krasner's laughable attempt to blame this on President Trump.

"The Trump administration has made it so that immigrant children can get raped because they're afraid to call the police," said a duplicitous Krasner. Since Mayor Michael Nutter's administration, the city had not been providing the feds with the names of victims or witnesses of crimes. It provided only the names of the accused, and soon will cease doing even that. We have to keep our foreign convicted felons free from harm.

In the highly evolved mind of Krasner, Philly turns loose a convicted felon who rapes a child and it's Trump's fault. Maybe Trump was also the driver of the other car in the Rittenhouse stabbing case.

The deflection is ridiculous, and Vasquez's is not a unique case.

In Tuesday's news release, the DOJ listed other detainers that were ignored by the city: A Liberian convicted of aggravated assault and required to register as a sex offender, a Lithuanian with three DUI convictions, a Gambian charged with aggravated assault, a Guatemalan convicted of indecent exposure, a Mexican with a DUI, another Mexican with aggravated assault and weapons offense convictions, an Italian with cocaine delivery and manufacturing convictions, a Vietnamese with drug convictions.

It's just a handful, you say? What is the correct number of foreign convicted felons Philadelphia should shelter? For years I've been saying turning them loose would harm Philadelphians, and now we know it has. I guarantee you these are not isolated cases.

I am not talking about undocumented people with no other offenses. These are foreign convicted felons and Kenney places their welfare above your safety.

Perhaps he'll stop dancing long enough to tell us why.
The West ENtrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The museum won two of four NEH grants to Philadelphia cultural institutions announced on Aug. 8. Read more

Philadelphia cultural institutions won big in the latest round of National Endowment for the Humanities grants, announced Monday. The Philadelphia Museum of Art garnered two NEH grants, with projects at Temple University and the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement getting one each.

The Art Museum received a novel "infrastructure and capacity-building challenge grant" of $500,000 to expand gallery space for its permanent, near-12,000-piece early American collection, including works by Charles Willson Peale, John Singleton Copley, Benjamin West, and Thomas Sully. The grant will help support renovation of the museum's 1928 main building to provide the expanded space. The challenge grant requires the museum to raise a matching amount of nonfederal funds.

The museum also received an outright grant of $400,000 toward the reinstallation and reinterpretation of the collection.

The Rendell Center got an outright grant of $94,734 for a weeklong seminar for 30 teachers from all over the country, middle school and up, on the First Amendment. And $88,766 went outright to a Temple digital project that uses computational analysis of more than 100 years of the Encyclopaedia Britannica to determine how areas of knowledge changed and grew during the 19th century.

"We're way excited," said Kathy Foster, senior curator of American art at the Art Museum. Where the present bookstore and restaurant are will soon be new galleries, enhanced by video that help bring the art objects to life: "videos about how things are made, or exploring their insides, how furniture is turned, how silver is made."

Jon Parrish Peede, director of the NEH, called the Art Museum's expansion "a national model." The renovation within the 1928 footprint will ultimately create 10 new gallery areas, about 11,000 square feet, which will allow both exhibition of 200 more objects and addition of 21st-century technologies such as projections. "So you'll have more objects," Peede said, "more visitor space, and new ways to make the gallery accessible."

Foster said that the renovation sections will start rolling out as completed, starting in June 2020. "This is a story of immigration," she said, "with Philadelphia as the springboard. We see a fabulous quilt of Americans, Germans, French, Dutch, English, Native Americans, and African Americans. We're giving a picture of how diverse American art is  and it's all about immigrants."

Gail Harrity, the museum's president and COO, called the grants "a perfect example of the importance of enlightened public-private partnerships." NEH grants for infrastructure, like the one given to the Art Museum, are new this year. Established in January, they seek to help colleges and universities, museums, archives, and historic sites expand their capacity and sustainability.

"We felt a need to get away from grants directly for construction, as we had been doing," Peede said, "and create a grant that institutions can use in a timely, more flexible fashion directed at their needs." The Art Museum was among 29 cultural institutions to receive such grants, for a total of $13.2 million, supporting renovation projects, purchase of equipment and software, and sharing of humanities collections between institutions.

"We're ecstatic," said Beth Specker, executive director of the Rendell Center. Bruce Allan Murphy, the Lafayette College law professor directing the First Amendment seminar project for teachers, said, "I am absolutely thrilled. It's a remarkable opportunity. This will give us the resources to bring in the best people in the country to talk to our teachers." He called the present moment "unprecedented in our history. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are changing right before our eyes. To get everyone up to speed on all that is a real challenge."

Peter Logan, the Temple English professor leading the digital project tracking the Britannica, said, "I'm very honored and gratified. This fellowship changes everything. It's enough funding to complete this project in the next 18 months. I had been hoping to complete it before I'm dead. This is a huge improvement over that outlook."

The Britannica is "the perfectly curated data set of what counts as knowledge in the 19th century," Logan said. "It was, for its age, incredibly authoritative and extensive: Entries were often written by the very experts who had made innovations and breakthroughs in knowledge." Computer analysis of how the encyclopedia changed over the decades, Logan said, can give us an idea of how knowledge changes and expands, in the 19th century and throughout history.
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.
George Hahn holds the two bills from his health care providers, one for $339.44 and the other for $3,101.13, for two identical echocardiograms a year a part  both at Paoli Hospital. The cheaper one was done by a cardiology group, the second was considered a hospital procedure. Read more

A riddle: George Hahn had two echocardiograms, a year apart. His insurance plan remained the same and both tests, scans of his heart, were done at the same hospital.

The first cost him $170, the second $3,101.

"In my wildest dreams I would never have thought this would be allowed," said the 61-year-old Malvern resident.

So, how did this beyond-wildest-dreams scenario become reality?

The answer is infuriating, seemingly arbitrary, and all too common in our health system.

Hahn's first scan was done by an independent cardiology group with offices at Paoli Hospital with whom Hahn's insurer, Independence Blue Cross, negotiated a heavy discount. The second scan was performed by the hospital, also in the insurer's network, but for a far heftier fee that wasn't slashed nearly as much by insurer bargaining.

Prices for even basic medical procedures vary widely from one provider to the next, in part because of the complex  and largely proprietary  negotiations between insurers and providers. Hospitals are notorious for charging many times more than independent doctors, and insurers negotiate deep discounts with certain providers to steer members toward lower cost options.

Quality and patient experience can also skew prices. But those arguments don't hold water for a patient such as Hahn, who received identical procedures under one roof, albeit by two different providers.

"This situation is, unfortunately, too easy for patients to fall into," said Jeffrey Kullgren, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. "A tenfold difference in price would be surprising to nearly anyone when you're getting the same service."

>>READ MORE: When medication prices are unaffordable, patients travel abroad for a better deal

Hahn certainly wasn't expecting it.

In February 2017, Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia's office at Paoli, which is part of Main Line Health, billed Hahn's insurance plan $1,335 for an echocardiogram, a procedure his doctor had ordered to test for a heart defect. Cardiology Consultants has its own ultrasound machines within its office at the hospital.

Independence reduced the rate to $339 and because Hahn had met his deductible, the insurance plan paid half. Hahn paid $170.

The scan revealed a small hole in his heart, so Hahn was referred to a specialist at Lankenau Medical Center, also part of Main Line. After surgery, the Lankenau surgeon told Hahn to schedule a second echocardiogram at Paoli, the hospital closest to his home, to confirm that the procedure was successful.

Paoli billed Independence $3,484 for the scan in April, which the insurer reduced to $3,101. Because he had not yet met his deductible, Hahn got a bill for the full $3,101.

Hospitals generally charge more than doctor groups because they have more administration and operating expenses, such as operating rooms and an emergency department, said Bonnie Graham, vice president of finance for Main Line.

"Understanding that this is complicated, we try to work with the individual," she said.

Hahn still had questions. Even if the hospital wanted to charge that much, why didn't his insurer negotiate a better rate, the way it did with the independent cardiology group?

"I'd love to sit across from someone who negotiated this and say, 'How in the heck did that happen?'" Hahn said.

>>READ MORE: When insurers drop medications for cheaper alternatives, the effects can be devastating for some patients

Often, wide variations in price stem from who has the upper hand in negotiations, Kullgren said.

Health systems with lots of patients may have more power to negotiate a higher payment for their services, whereas independent doctor groups may need to bend to insurers' lower rates in order to be included in the network, he said.

Independence acknowledged that the range of prices for any given procedure can be confusing and frustrating.

"We want to give our members options by providing a broad network of participating providers, and the ability to go to different sites for services. At the same time, we try to make our members aware that it almost always costs more for non-complex, routine procedures to be done at a hospital," Anthony Coletta, president of Facilitated Health Networks at Independence Blue Cross and a physician, said in a statement.

"We are addressing this issue head on," Coletta said, with initiatives such as Facilitated Health Networks, which aims to reduce members' costs by paying doctors and hospitals based on the quality of care they provide rather than the number of procedures they perform. Independence introduced the program in 2017.

In September, Independence plans to update its cost estimator tool, available online so members can find out what a test or procedure will cost beforehand, to offer prices based on members' specific plans, rather than generic estimates.

Over the past year and a half, Main Line has also taken steps to make prices more transparent, with itemized bills that spell out every charge and a website button to request a customized quote in advance of a procedure.

Still, Kullgren said,"it remains all too difficult for most people, when they're having to pay for care to find out how much it's going to cost. Health systems have to do a lot more to help people."

Main Line's price tool, for example, is not on its homepage, but rather on the billing department's page, where many patients don't turn until they've already received a bill.

Hahn said he knows now to do his research before agreeing to any procedure, though that won't help with his outstanding bill.

But now, with reminders from Paoli piling up, Hahn recently paid $500 toward the $3,101 he owes. But he's waiting for a better explanation for the charge before paying the rest.
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.
Casey Adams and Kevin Hart after the Philly-born comedian surprised Adams and five other Philadelphia students with college scholarships. Read more

Casey Adams thought she was in Los Angeles this week for a party honoring accomplished high school students.

And then she heard a voice shout "Hello, hello!" in a Philadelphia accent that sounded a lot like her own. And she knew: Kevin Hart, the big-time comedian and actor who grew up not far from her own North Philly neighborhood, was there, and magical things were about to happen.

Adams and 17 other young people  six from Philadelphia  were surprised Monday with $600,000 in college scholarships from Hart and the United Negro College Fund. An incoming freshman at Spelman College in Atlanta, Adams found out she's getting $10,000 annually over four years. The money will be a game-changer, Adams said.

"It's a huge help," said the Central High School graduate. "I was going to have to pay $16,000 out of pocket every year. My family can't afford that."

The Hart scholarships, awarded to graduates of KIPP charter schools headed for historically black colleges and universities, are designed to remove such barriers, said Michael Lomax, UNCF president. A full three-quarters of students attending HBCUs are eligible for federal Pell grants, meaning they are from low- to moderate-income families. But the grants only go so far.

"A lot of students are on this journey, and they don't have the financial capital and the social and cultural capital to manage," Lomax said.

Adams was determined to find a way. The importance of education was drilled into her from a young age by her single mother, who works as an aide for Philadelphia School District students with special needs.

"My mom didn't attend college; she had things holding her back," Adams said. "But she sacrificed for me and my siblings so we could get the education we need, because she didn't have that opportunity."

A turning point, she said, came in 2010 when her mother got her into KIPP Philadelphia Preparatory Academy, a charter school, when Adams was a fifth grader.

"My mom saw that KIPP was giving out opportunities of a lifetime," said Adams. "That's where all my ambitions started."

High standards challenged her, and opportunities like a class trip to the Grand Canyon nourished her, Adams said. She soared, earning her spot at Central, and just moved to Atlanta to begin studying economics and English at Spelman.

And when KIPP, a nationwide charter school network and partner of the UNCF, looked for outstanding graduates to recognize with the Hart scholarships, Adams was a natural.

So were Jada Taylor (entering Clark Atlanta University), Alexys Smith (a rising senior at Lincoln University), Marjani Walton (entering her sophomore year at Lincoln), Willie Smalls (entering Morehouse College), and Wayne Fuller (a rising junior year at Morehouse).

And yes, the meeting-Kevin-Hart-in-person-part was pretty fabulous, the students reported.

"We were all just sitting there, and I heard his voice, and I said, 'Oh, my God, it's Kevin Hart!' " said Fuller, a 2016 graduate of KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy in West Philadelphia.

"It was surreal," Adams said. "We shook hands, we hugged, we talked a little. It's just nice to know that someone as big as Kevin Hart can be humble, can give back to his community. You can tell he's really genuine; he doesn't just want the attention."

Fuller said his mom cried when she heard the scholarship news.

"This lets me focus on school more, and on what I want to do post-graduation," said Fuller, who wants to launch his own record label and form a nonprofit to address housing, health-care, and education issues.

Aiding students like Fuller and Adams was personally important to Hart, officials said.

"He wanted to meet them, encourage them, recharge their batteries with this gift," Lomax said. "Because he's a celebrity, because of his platform, his gift is bigger than the money. It sends a message far and wide that there are gifted young people who are doing everything right."
It took Philadelphia's City Council over a year of hearings and behind-the-scenes wrangling to create a dedicated funding stream for affordable housing. Developers had to be arm-twisted into shouldering a new tax on construction. Housing advocates had to be assured that the city's poorest would truly benefit. When the compromise finally passed, just days before the end of Council's spring session, it made national news.

Since then, there has been radio silence from Mayor Kenney, who has until Sept. 13 to sign or reject the bill.

Jim Engler, the mayor's new chief of staff, insists the administration is merely using the summer recess to study the legislation, but Kenney has made no secret of his distaste for the proposal, which uses a tax on market-rate construction to pay for subsidized housing. Housing advocates are convinced he will use his veto power for the first time since taking office in 2016 to kill the measure, and they've started a social media campaign to ratchet up the pressure. Still, a high-ranking elected official told me, "I'd be really shocked if he doesn't veto it."

Then what happens? While Philadelphia isn't anywhere close to experiencing the gentrification-fueled housing shortages that have plagued Seattle and San Francisco, the success of the bill demonstrated broad support here for getting ahead of the problem. The construction tax might not have been a perfect solution, but it was the best solution that the largest number of people would accept. If Kenney vetoes Council's plan, the burden is on him to come up with something better.

The administration knows that, Engler said. "We understand the need for additional resources for affordable housing," he explained, but the mayor worries that Council's approach may do more harm than good. The administration contends that the logistics and cost of collecting the money will be daunting, and the tax could scare away some developers.

Most experts I interviewed think those concerns are overstated. The stronger argument for rejecting the construction tax now is that it puts the cart before the horse. The administration is in the process developing a comprehensive housing strategy for the city. That plan, which will roll out in the fall, is expected to take a big-picture approach to the interconnected problems of poverty and housing. It will look at ways to boost, and pay for, the production of all kinds of housing  for the homeless, the working poor, the elderly, debt-burdened college graduates, and plain-old middle-class buyers. The fear is that the 1 percent construction tax could box in the administration by making it politically difficult to impose other kinds of fees.

My reservations with the construction tax have more to do with how it will complicate efforts to modify the 10-year property-tax abatement. Although the abatement has played a vital role in Philadelphia's revival and has boosted revenue to the city's general fund over the long term, it has effectively become a subsidy for the wealthiest, most successful parts of the city. It's hard to continue justifying this two-decade-old policy in its current, one-size-fits-all form when the need for affordable housing is growing.

Recently, more policy leaders have begun to speak out about the fairness issue. Those cries for reform grew louder after Philadelphia homeowners discovered this spring that their property taxes were going up by an average of 10.5 percent, thanks to a citywide reassessment. But making revisions to the abatement could be a heavier lift if developers can argue that they already took a hit when they agreed to the construction tax. Some developers jokingly call the 1 percent construction tax a tax on the tax abatement.

Andrew Frishkoff, who runs the nonprofit Philadelphia office of the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and serves on the task force that has been working on the city's housing plan, believes there is growing momentum to update the abatement. "The way it's currently structured no longer feels equitable," he says.

Controller Rebecca Rhynhart, who recently completed a study of the abatement, agrees. Her report lays out several ways to reform the incentive without jeopardizing the long-term revenue gains it brings. Whatever happens to the construction tax, Council is likely to hold hearings on the abatement when it returns to work in September. In a way, it's impossible to separate the two issues.

Several economists argue that Philadelphia could even use the abatement to realize its affordable-housing goals. By setting aside the revenue it gains when abated houses come onto the tax rolls, the city could create a steady stream of money to fix up old houses and build subsidized housing. It would be like getting a raise and immediately putting the bonus into a 401(k) plan. But the city could easily be tempted to divert the money to other purposes.

Philadelphia is hardly the only city trying to strike a balance between stoking new development and making sure its struggling neighborhoods are treated fairly.

After a decade of growth and revival, many cities are fighting to contain the side effects of gentrification and prevent the poor from being forced out by rising rents. But Philadelphia's situation is so unique that many approaches adopted by our peer cities won't work here. Our housing is remarkably cheap compared to a city like New York, and we have plenty of vacant land to build new homes. The majority of residents  52.2 percent  still own their homes, making them more resistant to displacement.

The real issue in Philadelphia is our stubborn poverty rate, now 26 percent.

Even a bargain apartment isn't a bargain for a family subsisting on a minimum-wage income. While plenty of seniors own their homes, many are too poor to pay for crucial repairs needed to keep them livable. As Jeffrey Allegretti, an affordable housing developer in Point Breeze, often says: "Philadelphia doesn't really have an affordable housing problem. It has a housing quality problem."

The money from the construction tax is meant to address the quality issue by funding repairs and providing small loans.

Many experts, like Alan Mallach, author of The Divided City, believe Philadelphia needs to repair whole neighborhoods, not just individual houses. In the book, he argues that the city should stop talking about gentrification and focus instead on its declining middle neighborhoods, places like Frankford and Tacony, where there is good housing stock, but too many people living just above the poverty line.

Done right, the city's forthcoming housing plan could combine a housing strategy with a preservation strategy. Older homes are always more affordable than new construction. The right policies would not only keep ruined and abandoned houses from bringing down Philadelphia's middle neighborhoods, they could also go a long way toward preserving the city's special architectural character.

In theory, Mayor Kenney doesn't have to veto the construction tax to kill it. He could ask Council to recall the bill and offer to collaborate with its members on a new version. Since taking office, Kenney has gone out of his way to try to work with Council.

For all the weaknesses of the construction tax, Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who has taken the lead on the affordable housing issue, remains skeptical about finding a better option. "This was a compromise of a compromise of a compromise," she said. "I'll be interested to see what alternative the mayor comes up with."
Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a GOP unity rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. On Thursday, Aug. 9, Pence announced plans to move forward with the creation of a Space Force in a speech at the Pentagon. Read more

Vice President Mike Pence announced on Thursday a plan to make changes to how the Department of Defense runs its space operations, with the eventual goal of creating a Space Force as the sixth branch of the military.

"Now, the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of the Armed Forces of the United States  to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people and our nation," Pence said. "The time has come to establish the United States Space Force."

To establish the sixth branch, the White House would need the approval of Congress. Several steps must be taken to establish the space-centered military branch.

The plan

According to the Washington Post, the first of these steps is to establish a U.S. Space Command. The command would be headed by a four-star general who would "be tasked with defending space," said the Post.

Currently, there is a 30,000-person, three-star space command that's under the jurisdiction of the Air Force, said ABC News.

Other plans Pence detailed in his speech include:

Creating assistant secretary of space defense, who would report to the secretary of defense

Starting to reallocate the military's space experts and scientists to a Space Development Agency and task them with developing new technology and acquiring resources for the new branch

Implementing a Space Operations Force

The Space Operations Force will "train, promote, and retain personnel to include engineers, scientists, intelligence experts, operators, strategists, and others," reported ABC. "The idea would be similar to how special operations forces from across the military services are distributed to various commands."

What people are saying

While the idea of a Space Force is supported by Trump, Pence, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, many in space-related fields have criticized the notion.

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly called the sixth branch "a dumb idea" when Trump commanded its creation in June.

In an interview with CNN, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson stated he would support a Space Force if it were deemed necessary by military leadership. He explained it makes sense to want to protect the nation's assets in space, but also said he wasn't sure a sixth branch was needed.

"The question is: does the Air Force think that they can't handle it under the current administrative, bureaucratic structures? And if not, then maybe it's a good idea," he said.

The history

Historically, the United Nations has said the final frontier is no place for warfare. The United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967 banned nations from using the moon and other celestial bodies for non-peaceful purposes, including use for military bases, maneuvers and testing. The treaty also banned weapons of mass destruction from being installed on celestial bodies or being launched into orbit.

While the Space Force plans don't include these banned practices, this treaty has led to questions on the legality of the proposed branch and its potential to breach the agreement.

This is also not the first time a politician has proposed a boost in military space programs. Last year, officials shot down a proposal to create a "Space Corps." The proposed corps would have been under Air Force's jurisdiction.

Trump's idea of a Space Force was first brought before Congress in 2017, ABC reported. At the time, Mattis was against the idea of a sixth branch. He has since announced his support.

Should it be approved, the Space Force would mark the first time a branch has been added to the military since 1947, when the Air Force was created following World War II.
Police officers guard a statue of former Philadelphia mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. The statue that has spurred protests and vandalism from critics who argue that his policies alienated minorities. Read more

The Rizzo statue could have been a ton of trouble for Mayor Kenney just months before his reelection campaign.

But the grinding gears of government bureaucracy will stall  with sweeping serendipity  the controversial relocation of the statue of the late Mayor Frank Rizzo until long after it could have consequences for Kenney's bid for a second term.

In November, the Kenney administration announced that the 2,000-pound, 10-foot-tall bronze statue would be "moved to a different location." But on Thursday, Kenney acknowledged to Clout that the statue will continue to loom over Thomas Paine Plaza, across the street from City Hall, for at least two to three more years.

Kenney insisted politics didn't play a role in the delay.

"It doesn't impact my election one way or the other," he said.

Some history: Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of City Councilwoman Helen Gym's tweet about the national debate "to remove the monuments to slavery and racism" in the wake of the violent clash in Charlottesville, Va.

"Take the Rizzo statue down," Gym demanded, setting off a wave of roiled emotions about Rizzo.

The Rizzo statue pits two key parts of Kenney's electoral coalition against each other. On one side of the clash, Kenney's old-school base in South Philly sees the statue as a monument to a city hero. On the other side, Kenney's progressive fans deride it as a reminder of racist police and city actions of the past.

Kenney played it down the middle, calling for residents to provide suggestions about the statue's fate. That resulted in 3,601 replies, which were funny, profane, angry, proud, and, of course, thoroughly Philadelphian. ("Keep it right where it is you crumb bums!!!!!" wrote one Rizzocrat.)

Jane Slusser, Kenney's chief of staff, said the administration spent the last year identifying potential new sites for the statue, narrowing them to five locations in South Philly, where Rizzo was born. Next, the mayor's office will reach out for discussions in those neighborhoods, one by one, until a site is picked, she said. Then comes a feasibility study next year.

The city's Home Rule Charter also gives the Philadelphia Art Commission the final say on any change to public art like the Rizzo statue.

But nothing will happen until 2020 or 2021, as the city works on budgeting, proposals and contracts to rework Thomas Paine Plaza, following similar projects to revitalize Dilworth Park next to City Hall and JFK Plaza, a.k.a. LOVE Park, across the street. The Rizzo statue move will be part of that work.

By then, Kenney's bid for a second term next year will be in the history books. Is that a factor of cost, or political convenience?

Kenney said it would cost the city $200,000 to take down the statue now and store it until a new location is determined. And he cast the one-ton statue as a small thing on his agenda.

"Of all the issues on my scale of important things to do, this is not even in the top 100," he said.

Rizzo's son, former City Councilman Frank Rizzo Jr., thinks Kenney is pushing off the controversy until it can cause him no harm.

"I think this is all about politics," he said.

Rizzo, who helped raise the money to install the statue at the conclusion of the Mummers Parade on New Year's Day in 1999, said it should stay where it is.

"My father wasn't the mayor of South Philly exclusively," he said. "I don't understand why any redo of Paine Plaza can't include a statue that has been there for a long, long time."

Speaking of Frank

The Kenney administration on Thursday also issued a verdict on the mural of Rizzo overlooking Ninth and Montrose Streets in South Philly's Italian Market: It can stay as long as someone else pays.

A spokeswoman for Kenney said repeated vandalism of the mural "has made the cost to care for it too great a burden on taxpayers." So the city has asked Mural Arts to continue to maintain the three-story artwork while private funding is sought to pay for future costs.

Mural Arts will also "install signage noting that the mural has been a source of controversy, while also recognizing the role of public art to be a catalyst for reflection on our past and dialogue about our hopes as a city for the future of Philadelphia," the mayor's office said.

The mural, created in 1995, is Philadelphia's most commonly defaced piece of public art.

Before feud with Jay-Z, Kenney got free tickets to his Made in America festival

The summer of 2017 was a simpler time  for the relationship between Mayor Kenney and Jay-Z, anyway.

That was before the Kenney administration revealed that Jay Z's Made in America festival had to move from its usual location on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. And before Jay-Z said in response that Kenney had "zero appreciation for what Made in America has built." And before Kenney ultimately did a 180 and decided the event actually could stay on the Parkway.

Before all that, Kenney got $1,875 worth of tickets to the Made in America music festival during Labor Day weekend in 2017.

Kenney listed the tickets as a gift in his statement of financial interests filed earlier this year.

Clout asked the mayor's spokesman, Mike Dunn, if Kenney gave the tickets away  or soaked up the sun at the fest himself.

"The mayor had 15 tickets. Each was priced at $125," he said. "He gave them to family and friends. He himself did not attend."
Keeping track of Yannick Nezet-Seguin via recordings requires a global grasp of the classical recording industry.

Live recordings by the Philadelphia Orchestra music director  taken from his concerts with European orchestras  still pop up without warning. Only a few days ago, an all-Poulenc disc with the London Philharmonic Orchestra came out of the woodwork, with performances dating back five years. His Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra output alone is spread over three companies  Bis, EMI, and Deutsche Grammophon. Because recording in the United States is more expensive, Philadelphia Orchestra recordings have arrived fitfully  a Rite of Spring here, a Bernstein Mass there.

Increasingly, Nezet-Seguin's recording presence is consolidating around the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon. The six-CD Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Collection, out at the end of August, celebrates his departure from the orchestra after 10 years with heavyweight repertoire. His DG-label Mozart operas with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe has yielded La Clemenza di Tito with a blue-ribbon cast. One of DG's high-profile fall releases will be the Philadelphia recordings of Rachmaninoff piano concertos with much-acclaimed Daniil Trifonov. More Rachmaninoff and Bernstein recordings are in the cards. All of Nezet-Seguin's concerts in Philadelphia are recorded with a special microphone setup and an ear for releasing selected live performances on DG in the future. So anything from the Sept. 13 "Candide" overture to Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish") in January are likely candidates for release.

And what do these new recordings tell us about Nezet-Seguin's musical evolution? Everything.

No revolutionary, Nezet-Seguin emerges as a moderate revisionist. He'll question tradition: The rock-music influence in Bernstein's Mass that embarrasses older listeners is, to him, a multicultural feast. The London Philharmonic disc discovers intense anguish under the suave surface of Poulenc's Piano Concerto. Reversing that equation, Nezet-Seguin makes no apologies when the same composer slips into secular mode during the rather sacred Stabat Mater.

In a problem opera such as Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, Nezet-Seguin is a conciliatory presence. Written quickly for a coronation in Prague, Tito shows Mozart turning away from real-people operas for which he is most beloved and dramatizes figures from ancient Rome with a formality more characteristic of earlier ages and often without the dramatic thrust of, say, Don Giovanni. Deadline pressure forced Mozart to delegate recitatives, probably to his student Franz Xavier Sussmayr. They serve an informational function but add to the sense that the opera is a bit generic. Important moments and key characters are as great as any Mozart. Secondary characters have music that could be written for anybody.

No wonder even conscientious conductors play fast and loose with the opera, often cutting recitatives, or in the case of conductor Teodor Currentzis, inserting parts of Mozart's earlier Mass in C minor. Nezet-Seguin seems never to doubt the piece. If Mozart repeats processional marches in the score, so does Nezet-Seguin. The lean sonorities and fast tempos of the authentic instruments are in evidence here but aren't extreme. This is a reference recording, good for knowing what the opera is and is not. Though not taken from a full stage production, the recording is so well-rehearsed it's one of the cleanest Titos out there. In Mozart's other operas, the intention behind the notes is paramount. In Tito, the intention is in the notes, and you hear all of them.

The cast's stars use vocal color to wring dramatic specificity from the opera. Joyce DiDonato was born to sing the trouser role of Sesto, who is manipulated by love into burning down the Roman capital and is tormented every step of the way  characterized with some of the most chilling notes ever to come from her lower register, all infused with quavering humanity. Marina Rebeka conveys the blind ambition of Vitalia without turning gothic.

The set's most distinctive but problematic asset is Rolando Villazon in the title role. So often, Emperor Tito seems to take the moral high ground because he hasn't the guts to do otherwise. No danger of that with Villazon's commanding treatment of the recitatives. But having made his name on big-voiced Italian repertoire, Villazon is wired for projection rather than precision, which means indistinct passage work and vocal trills that are part of Mozart's language. The visceral value of Villazon's charisma is immense. But he is bound to be a polarizing presence here.

In the six-disc Rotterdam box, Nezet-Seguin's operatic sensibility is never far away. The more classically proportioned Beethoven Symphony No. 8 , Dvorak Symphony No. 8, and Haydn Symphony No. 44 show the orchestra to be in excellent working order, but also tell a story  whether anything resembling a plot is at hand. Even in the loftiest moments of Bruckner's Symphony No. 8, the wind soloists have a soliloquy-like characterization. All inner voices and other subsidiary elements in any given symphony are underscored to create strong continuity and good foundation. Thus, when the symphonic content is projecting a string narrative, the piece's shape isn't distorted. Tchaikovsky's Francesca di Rimini, Mark-Anthony Turnage's Piano Concerto with Marc-Andre Hamelin, and Debussy's Nocturnes are like operas without words  though extremely different ones. The one puzzlement is the slowish Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok.

The major triumph is the usually bewildering Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 with its musical non sequiturs battling ruthlessly while fugues are seemingly powered by air hammers. Shostakovich could've been sent to Siberia had the 1936 premiere not been cancelled. Conductors have struggled to make the piece hang together strictly as a musical entity, including Eugene Ormandy's pioneering but noncommittal 1960s recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Nezet-Seguin and the Rotterdam orchestra treat the symphony like a suite from the composer's bizarre, mordantly funny operas, The Nose and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk  neither of which were widely heard until recent decades. Nezet-Seguin creates his customary foundation and hits upon the missing piece of this symphony's puzzle: Earthy, manic, silent-movie humor.

Elsewhere in these Nezet-Seguin performances, one listens in vain for surface personality traits  say, Arturo Toscanini's speed or Otto Klemperer's monumentality  as he makes good on his stated commitment to harness an orchestra's local culture, whether consciously or intuitively. How does that play out?

Mahler's Symphony No. 10 was recorded by all three of Nezet-Seguin's orchestras  on the new Rotterdam box, in an Atma label recording with his Orchestre Metropolitain Montreal, and on a Philadelphia Orchestra WRTI broadcast that's floating around the web. With it's expansive, elegiac melodies, and traumatic dissonances, the piece was written as the composer's health and marriage were failing and can be heard as a personal confession as well as a symphony. The Philadelphia performance, the last to be recorded, has the best of all worlds. Montreal is the earliest of the three, and is the most emotionally fearless, veering to the confessional side, but with a bit of strain. The less-sprawling, highly satisfying Rotterdam performance is the most purely symphonic. Each has special differences: Montreal, for example, gives an extra halo to Michel Bettez's beautiful bassoon solos with an emotional ripple effect on everything nearby.

The funeral drums of Mahler's final movement are the better litmus test. In Montreal, they're aggressive. Death is coming to get you. In Rotterdam, a city that rose slowly from World War II devastation, death is part of the landscape, passively claiming whoever is in its path. In Philadelphia, though, the drums are like gunshots. Unmistakably. This performance was given in May 2016 as the local homicide rate was rising, and the Paris terrorist attacks had happened only months before. And they say classical music is in an ivory tower?
The scene at 12th and Huntingdon Streets late Wednesday night where at least six people were wounded  two fatally  in a drive-by shooting. Read more

Six people were wounded  two fatally  in a drive-by shooting Wednesday night in North Philadelphia, police said.

Gunfire was reported shortly after 10 p.m. in the area of 12th and Huntingdon Streets, and the vehicle involved was a van, said Police Commissioner Richard Ross in a briefing to reporters at the scene.

>> UPDATE: Rapper General Reezy and a woman slain, 4 wounded, in North Philly drive-by shooting

He called it a "senseless act of violence."

"We know that there are six people shot  that we are aware of. At least two have died from their wounds," Ross said.

The fatalities were identified Thursday as Niesha Cooper, 34, of the 2600 block of North Jessup Street, and Averill J. Davenport, 32, a Philadelphia rapper known as General Reezy from the 800 block of Passmore Street. Both were pronounced dead within minutes of each other at Temple University Hospital.

The other victims were men ranging in age from 27 to 51, officials said. They also went to Temple University Hospital, where one of them, a 30-year-old man, was reported in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.

>> READ MORE: Every shooting victim in Philadelphia so far this year

"We have a surveillance video that shows a minivan, possibly gray in color, traveling westbound on Huntingdon, then south on 12th, reached this corner, then fired multiple rounds at a crowd that was standing there," Ross said.

The southeast corner of 12th and Huntingdon in this rowhouse neighborhood was littered with evidence markers denoting where shell casings had fallen. The scene was crowded late Wednesday night with police and investigators looking for clues.

Police had no immediate motive for the shooting and the commissioner said he was not aware of any interaction between the victims and the shooters before the barrage of gunfire.

"We have no indication of an argument, and so right now we don't know a lot," Ross said.

At least one of the firearms used, the commissioner said, was an assault weapon that fired "very scary looking rounds."

The commissioner said police would be looking for video of the shooting and the van's escape route.
Rapper General Reezy, seen here in a photo posted on his Instagram, was shot dead on Weds., Aug. 8, 2018, during a drive-by shooting that left one other woman dead and four other men injured, according to police. Read more

The rapper General Reezy and a woman were killed Wednesday night in a drive-by shooting in North Philadelphia that also left four people wounded, according to police.

Reezy, 32, whose legal name was Averill J. Davenport, was shot in the chest about 9:50 p.m. at 12th and Huntingdon Streets, police said. The woman, identified by police as Niesha Cooper, 34, also was shot in the chest while four men between the ages of 27 and 51 were injured by gunfire, one of whom was reported to be in critical condition.

Reezy's death generated reaction on social media, including from the rapper Meek Mill, who said in a tweet and Instagram post, "RIP  U had potential man." He also posted an Instagram story of advice he had offered Reezy with the caption, "rest up homie."

Reezy's sister, Bayonah Davenport, 20, said Thursday that her brother had two sons, ages 15 and 1, and that he "was all about his music."

He had been scheduled to perform at the Theater of Living Arts on South Street this month as part of the "Stop the Violence Tour," according to online event listings.

Homicide Capt. John Ryan said Thursday that police were in the early stages of their investigation.

According to a police summary of Wednesday's incident, investigators believe shots were fired by someone in a gray or silver van traveling west on Huntingdon and then south on 12th.

Ryan said 12 shots were fired from an AK-47 or similar-style assault rifle. Police believe that one weapon was used, Ryan said, but that two people were in the van. He said investigators did not yet have descriptions of suspects.

Ryan called the shooting a "very reckless and dangerous act," and said the style of rifle used was rare in city homicides but causes "devastating injuries."

"It's a weapon of war," he said.

Reezy and Cooper were taken to Temple University Hospital, where each was declared dead shortly after 10 p.m., police said.

A 30-year-old man was in critical condition there with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

Also taken to Temple, police said, were a 51-year-old man with a gunshot wound to an arm, a 27-year-old man with gunshot wounds to both legs, and a 34-year-old man with a gunshot wound to a leg. Police did not identify them or specify their conditions.

Reezy had prior convictions for drug- and gun-related counts, according to court records. In 2007, he was found not guilty of murder after being accused of shooting a 46-year-old man outside a North Philadelphia bar. His most recent case was a 2014 guilty plea to drug counts, for which he was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison, records show.

Ryan said that the motive for the shooting was not yet clear, but that it "may be tied to other things in the neighborhood." He declined to elaborate.
New documents show efforts by the Roman Catholic dioceses of Harrisburg and Greensburg to block a statewide grand jury probe into clergy sex abuse. Read more

PITTSBURGH  The Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg is pledging to release a list of clergy who faced credible allegations of child sexual abuse. The list will be posted on the diocese website on the same date of the imminent release of a statewide grand jury report into it and five other dioceses.

In a lengthy report released on its website, the diocese offered a "sincere and open apology to the survivors of sexual abuse and to all those impacted by the grievous failures of the Catholic Church."

The Pittsburgh Diocese announced plans last week to release a similar list when the report comes out, and the Allentown and Scranton Dioceses say they will, too. The Harrisburg and Erie Dioceses recently posted such lists on their websites.

The Greensburg list will include names of some priests already known for their alleged offenses, but it will also include names that "may not be familiar," Bishop Edward Malesic said.

He did not specify whether the list would include only diocesan priests or whether it would include those in religious orders who have worked in the diocese.

No one on the list is currently in ministry, Malesic said.

The diocese says it has improved its response to youth protection over the years and is committed to the Catholic Church's national "zero tolerance" policies toward abusers.

That any man "who wears the same clothes I do as a priest harmed these innocent children, robbed them of their innocence and in some cases of their faith, that makes me angry," Malesic said Thursday. He offered apologies on behalf of himself and the 140,000 Catholics in the diocese's counties of Westmoreland, Armstrong, Indiana, and Fayette.

Since Malesic took office in 2015, the diocese has had two reviews of its files conducted, one by a retired Westmoreland County judge and the other by its legal counsel after it was subpoenaed by the Attorney General's Office during the grand jury investigation.

The diocese says it immediately reports all allegations to law enforcement authorities and suspends anyone from ministry while an allegation is investigated, and cited two recent examples.

"While we are not proud of our past failures in this regard, we are proud of our diocese's ongoing and continually evolving response, our efforts to protect, and our determination to help survivors heal," the diocesan statement said. "Our parishioners can be confident of the processes and procedures we have in place today to protect children and report to law enforcement any abuse of which we become aware, no matter when it occurred."

Parishioners will be getting fact sheets at Mass on how the diocese has responded, and Malesic has recorded a message on video to be posted the day the report is released.

The 40th statewide grand jury has prepared a report of more than 800 pages that looks back 70 years into the handling of abusive clerics and others by dioceses. The state Supreme Court ordered the release of a redacted version of the report, omitting references to about two dozen clergy until it can hear their challenges to their depictions in the document.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon is moving toward fulfilling President Trump's request to establish a Space Force, in what would be the first new branch of the military in more than 70 years.

In a speech at the Pentagon at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Vice President Pence is scheduled to lay out the administration's plan. The Pentagon is also expected to release a congressionally mandated report on the issue.

But the calls for a separate military branch have been met with strong reluctance in some parts of the Pentagon amid concerns that it doesn't need the burdens of a new bureaucracy. The move could significantly reorganize the military and potentially strip the Air Force of some of its key responsibilities.

Last year, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a memo to Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that he opposed "the creation of a new military service and additional organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting functions."

On Tuesday, however, Mattis said that military leaders "are in complete alignment with the president's concern about protecting our assets in space to contribute to our security to our economy and we're going to have to address it as other countries show a capability to attack those assets."

Congressional approval would be needed to stand up an entirely new military branch. A Space Force, dedicated to space the way the Navy is to the sea, would be the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. But Mattis said that creating a new combatant command for space, such as one that governs the Pentagon's Special Operations, "is certainly one thing that we can establish."

He added that the plan for how best to implement it was still ongoing: "I don't have all the final answers yet. We're still putting it together."

Defense One, a news outlet focused on the military, recently reported that the combatant command would be led by a four-star general and that there would also be an agency focused on buying satellites, citing a draft copy of a report due to Congress soon.

For years, the Pentagon has been warning about how space has become a contested domain of war  just like the land, air, and sea. And it has become increasingly concerned that its assets in space are vulnerable to attack.

Military leaders have said repeatedly that modern warfare depends on space. The Pentagon and the intelligence community have a host of sensitive satellites that perform all sorts of vital national security tasks, such as missile warning, precision-guided munitions, military communications, and intelligence. But how best to protect those assets  and deter potential adversaries from attacking them  has touched off an intense debate in Washington.

Last year, some members of Congress proposed creating a "Space Corps" inside the Air Force, similar to how the Marine Corps is part of the Navy Department. Senior Pentagon officials opposed the measure, and the plan was shelved.

Trump's Space Force plan would go further, creating a new branch, with both a new member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a political appointee serving as a service secretary.

Military officials are concerned about the threats posed by China and Russia in particular. In 2007, China destroyed one of its dead weather satellites with a missile. Then a few years later it fired another missile, this time into the deeper orbit where the Pentagon parks its most sensitive satellites.

That made it clear to the Pentagon that space, long seen as a peaceful domain, was a place where wars could be fought and won.

"There's not a mission today that we do in the military that doesn't in some way depend upon space," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said 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."

But the plan to create an entirely new branch of the service has rankled some in the Pentagon, who say that it is unnecessary, and that the Air Force has for years looked after the nation's interests in orbit.

Earlier this year, Gen. John Hyten, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said that rather than going through the difficulty of new organizational constructs, I believe the leadership we have now can execute the missions that we need to."

Since then, the White House has continued to press forward for a Space Force, giving the issue momentum and the weight of the executive branch.

"We have the direction from the president, and we're underway," Mattis said Tuesday.
President Donald Trump, left, sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. on Dec. 15, 2017. Read more

WASHINGTON  A federal judge in Washington halted an apparent deportation-in-progress Thursday and threatened to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt after learning that the Trump administration tried to remove a woman and her daughter while a court hearing appealing their deportations was underway.

"This is pretty outrageous," said U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan after being told about the removal. "That someone seeking justice in U.S. court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?"

>> READ MORE: 'Flat-out racist': Fox News host slammed over comments involving Philly

"I'm not happy about this at all," the judge continued. "This is not acceptable."

The woman, known in court papers as Carmen, is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union that challenges a recent decision by Sessions to exclude domestic and gang violence as reasons that people can qualify for asylum in the United States.

Attorneys for the civil rights organization and the U.S. Department of Justice had agreed to delay removal proceedings for Carmen until 11:59 p.m. Thursday so they could argue the matter in court.

But lead ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell, who was participating in the court hearing via phone from her office in California, received an email during the hearing that said the mother and daughter were being deported.

During a brief recess, she told her colleagues the pair had been taken from a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and were headed to the airport in San Antonio for an 8:15 a.m. flight.

Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni said he had not been told the deportation was happening that morning, and could not confirm the whereabouts of Carmen and her daughter.

The ACLU said later that government attorneys confirmed to them after the hearing that the pair was on a flight en route to El Salvador. The Justice Department said they would be flown back to Texas and returned to the detention center after landing, the ACLU said.

>> READ MORE: Space Force: Pence details plans for creation of 6th military branch

Calls and emails to the Justice Department's communications office were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

"Obviously my heart sank when I found out," Chang Newell said. "The whole point of this was to get a ruling from the court before they could be placed in danger."

To qualify for asylum, migrants must show that they have a fear of persecution in their native country based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a "particular social group," a category that in the past has included victims of domestic violence and other abuse.

Carmen fled El Salvador with her daughter in June, according to court records, fearing they would be killed by gang members who had demanded she pay them monthly or suffer consequences. Several coworkers at the factory where Carmen worked had been murdered, and her husband is also abusive, the records state.

Under the fast-track removal system, created in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, asylum seekers are interviewed by an asylum officer to determine whether they have a "credible fear" of returning home. Those who pass get a full hearing in immigration court.

In June, Sessions vacated a 2016 Board of Immigration Appeals court case that granted asylum to an abused woman from El Salvador. As part of that decision, Sessions said gang and domestic violence in most cases would no longer be grounds for receiving asylum.

"The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes  such as domestic violence or gang violence  or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim," Sessions wrote at the time.

The ACLU lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala  eight women, one man and three children. All failed their initial "credible fear" interviews.

Two of the children and their mothers were deported before the suit was filed; the rest were being detained in Texas and New York.

None of the adults had been separated from their children as part of President Donald Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy.

The lawsuit says Sessions's ruling, and updated guidelines for asylum officers that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a month later, subject migrants in expedited removal proceedings to an "unlawful screening standard" that deprives them of their rights under federal law.

Asylum seekers previously had to show that the government in their native country was "unable or unwilling" to protect them. But now they have to show that the government "condones" the violence or "is completely helpless" to protect them, the lawsuit says.
Police investigate the scene at Broadway and Walnut Street in Camden, N.J. where two Camden County Police detectives were ambushed in their unmarked car while sitting at a red light on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (Elizabeth Robertson/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) Read more

A $50,000 reward was offered Thursday for the capture of the gunmen who shot two Camden County Metro police officers in a brazen attack this week in Camden's Bergen Square neighborhood.

Investigators have recovered a white van that left the scene of Tuesday night's shooting at Broadway and Mount Vernon Street, according to Rick Kunkel, president of Camden County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 218. The van was located the night of the shooting and prosecutors have applied for a warrant to search it, he said.

One of the two wounded police detectives was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and the second officer released Thursday evening, authorities said. The officers  a male and a female detective  were working a special detail targeting gangs and drug activities when the gunmen opened fire on their unmarked police vehicle stopped at a light, authorities said. Authorities said 10 to 25 rounds were fired at the officers, whose names are being withheld by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

A manhunt continued Thursday for two male suspects. Authorities on Wednesday released photographs of two persons of interest wanted in connection with the shooting.

Union officials on Thursday announced $50,000 in rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. The state Policemen's Benevolent Association pledged $20,000 through its NJ Cop Shot program, and FOP Lodge 218, which represents both detectives, put up $5,000, said Kunkel. The state FOP also posted a $25,000 reward, he said. State FOP president Bob Fox could not be reached for comment.

"We consider an attack on ANY law enforcement officer in New Jersey regardless of Union affiliation an attack on one of our own," state PBA president Patrick Colligan said in a statement. "We want these dangerous criminals brought to justice as quickly as possible and we are confident that this reward will help."

Kunkel said the male detective, a member of the force for about three years, who was shot in a forearm and bicep, was released late Wednesday afternoon. The female detective, on the force about four years, was released Thursday, he said. She had been shot in one hand. Both detectives have been placed on administrative leave pending a review of the use of force.

>>READ MORE: Manhunt continues for suspects in ambush shootings of police officers in Camden

No possible motive has been given for the attack. The officers were in plainclothes when the shooters pulled behind the police vehicle, got out of their vehicle, and began firing. It was unknown whether the assailants had recognized the detectives, who were working undercover.

"Whoever the suspects were, their intent was obvious," Kunkel said. "They were trying to assassinate whoever was in the vehicle, regardless of whether they knew they were officers or not."

As bullets hit the back windshield of the police vehicle, one of the officers jumped out and returned fire, authorities said. Witnesses reported seeing a bullet-riddled van fleeing the area.

Authorities said no bystanders were struck. It was unknown if the suspects were wounded by the detective's return fire.

Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo, who is heading the probe because the shooting involves municipal officers, has declined to comment through a spokesperson.

The shooting happened on National Night Out, an activity 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 earlier shootings survived their injuries.

Authorities also announced Thursday that two Camden County sheriff's officers narrowly escaped injury when a man fired a 9mm gun at them during an Aug. 1 incident in Camden. The officers were responding to reports of a man with a weapon when they approached the gunman, authorities said. The weapon misfired and the gunman, identified as Cameron Rogers, 18, ran away, Sheriff Gilbert "Whip" Wilson said.

Rogers barricaded himself in a home and was eventually taken into custody, Wilson said. Rogers was charged with two counts of attempted murder and weapons offenses and remains in custody, the sheriff said.
A banner plane announces that Michael and Lauren Norden's expectant baby is a boy, Saturday, July 28, 2018, on the beach off 5th Street, in North Wildwood. The couple hosted a gender-reveal party for family and friends for the event. Vernon Ogrodnek / For the Inquirer Read more

It was about 11 a.m. when Michael Norden squinted into the horizon and spotted the flapping tail of a banner-towing plane. As it buzzed closer toward the North Wildwood beach, he began to panic.

His wife, Lauren, was still at her mother's house nearby. And it was important that Michael and Lauren witness the banner's message together. He frantically dialed her number.

"Oh my God," Michael said, "the plane's coming early!"

Were coming! Were coming! Lauren said.

The converted World War II piper planes and their messages can be seen flying over beaches every day, all season long  a rite of a Jersey Shore summer for more than 70 years. Once a booming business, aerial advertising is now down to a handful of companies. The signs these days usually promote happy-hour specials, sometimes acknowledge birthdays, occasionally propose marriage.

But between 11:30 a.m. and noon on this late July day the flying billboard would divulge a secret: the sex of the Nordens' second child, known only by a handful of people including their doctor, a close friend, and the pilot.

Is it a boy or a girl?

The plane fully emerged from the clouds. It dragged a string of letters that spelled out the name of a local restaurant.

False alarm.

"I almost had a heart attack," said Michael.

Lauren ran up the beach to join him, and to wait. Their plane was still to come.

Lauren is due Oct. 3. The couple purposely waited until her third trimester to learn the babys sex, wanting the announcement to coincide with an emotional milestone: This day marks the one-year anniversary of her fathers death.

On July 28, 2017, Dan Metz died from lung cancer. He was 71.

Lauren decided that a gender reveal ceremony on the same day would shift the family's attention to celebrating life instead of reliving loss.

And if it's a boy, she said, his middle name will be Daniel.

They didn't bother learning the sex of their first child, who they were convinced would be a boy. To their surprise, blue-eyed Emily Holland arrived at 8 pounds and 5 ounces. So this time they wanted to be prepared.

Kate Metz, Lauren's mother, suggested the venue. After 50 years living mostly in Grays Ferry, Dan, an electrician, and Kate, a payroll manager, realized their dream and moved to the Shore. They spent 18 years together on the 300 block of West Pine Street, driving more than an hour to work but walking 15 minutes to the beach.

"Do it on the beach," Kate said, "for Daddy."

And Lauren's 11-year-old niece offered: "Write it on those planes."

"I thought it was crazy," Michael said. "There's no way this doesn't cost thousands of dollars."

They approached Paramount Air Services, the oldest and largest of the surviving flying-banner companies. Andre Tomalino, a pilot during the war, started the company after returning home in 1945. Advertisers were regionally focused at first, selling deals on clams casino, but they've expanded to include everything from national insurance providers to personal announcements. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a one-day banner to thousands for a summerlong contract.

"For a personal banner in Cape May, Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon," said Barbara Tomalino, who bought the company in 1985, "that would be $395."

Only $395?

"OK," Michael said, "if we get at least 50 guests on the beach then I'll do it."

The extended Metz family decided to attend the beach reveal, rerouting their reunion from Allentown. Their involvement brought the total to 65 people gathered at Dan's happy place to learn the sex of his ninth grandchild. The first he wouldn't meet.

Kate set out a tray of bathroom cups, alternately filling them with pink lemonade and blue Gatorade.

"OK! We're going to do a toast for Danny," she said, "because it's the anniversary. "

Behind sunglasses her face twisted into grief. A friend rubbed her shoulders.

"This is a good diversion," she said after composing herself. "I had my moments leading up to today, but this helped, getting this all together."

At 11:20, once every hand held a cup, the group formed a circle.

"I think everybody knows that a year ago Big Dan went to the big couch in the sky," Lauren said. "They say that to become a saint, you need to do three miracles."

Kate drew her hand to her face.

"Don't cry," Lauren said. "Now I'm going to cry."

After a deep breath, Lauren listed the miracles: The Eagles won the Super Bowl, the Golden Crown club won first place in the Mummers' Fancy Brigade Division, and the ninth grandchild is on the way.

Bing Crosbys version of Danny Boy streamed from a portable Bluetooth speaker.

We all appreciate you guys being here for this, Kate said, raising her cup. Cheers!

Brief pause.

A cousin pointed and yelled, "There's a plane coming with a blue banner!"

"It's either a boy or Bud Light," Lauren joked.

It was for Bud Light.

Both 33, the expectant couple had diverse upbringings. Lauren is the fourth child of a Catholic South Philly family. The baby. Michael, who has a twin sister, was the only boy in his Jewish northern New Jersey household.

Now, in their Robbinsville, N.J., home, Michael has Lauren, their daughter, and two female dogs.

"I told Lauren, if this is a girl, the next dog we're getting is going to be a boy," he said. "The selfish part of me wants a boy for obvious reasons, but then I look at Emily and I think it would be nice for her to have a girlfriend."

Suddenly, to the right, the faintest whir of a slow-sputtering engine, followed by the unmistakable snap of a banner tangling with the wind. Instead of meeting them head-on, the pilot sneaked around the flank.

At 11:55, one cousin noticed the plane. Then voices rose, streamers twisted, the group rejoiced.

Dan's name lives on.

It's a boy.
Trees under high waters in the Delaware River are shown in Yardley. Elsewhere in Bucks County, police are cautioning residents to keep out of the river, and to take proper safety precautions if they do decide to venture out. Read more

After four rescues in five days, police in one Bucks County township are urging residents to take caution when venturing onto the Delaware River.

First responders in Solebury Township warned that recent heavy rains had swollen the river, increasing the power of its currents, which are swift even under normal conditions.

"We haven't seen levels this high in several years," said Police Detective Jonathan Koretzky. "The surface of the water may look calm, but underwater, those currents are strong."

Last summer, Koretzky said, township police only had to rescue one resident from the river, in September. The current volume, he said, is troubling.

Police and fire personnel responded to three calls on Sunday alone: A kayaker reported missing about 2 p.m. near Virginia Forrest State Park, a rafter who fell into the water near the Stockton Bridge four hours later, and two people who became trapped in the river just before 8:30 p.m. while trying to perform a rescue of their own near Washington Crossing.

More recently, police had to aid two people early Thursday who had become stranded on Hendricks Island. The duo had set out Wednesday evening to rescue a canoe they had left behind, but later found the river was too strong to make a return trip.

In every case, everyone was returned safely, Koretzky said.

"We can't stop people from going out on the river, and we don't recommend anyone do so now, while the waters are so high," he added. "But we're asking anyone who decides to go out to check conditions first and have life jackets on."

Last summer, police in Solebury helped recover the body of Marvin Lemus Nolasco, a 27-year-old Philadelphia man who drowned in the Delaware near Washington Crossing on July Fourth.
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appears to have moved from criticizing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to strategizing about how to blunt its impact should it imperil President Donald Trump.

The most promising instrument in this effort, he suggested in unfiltered remarks last month, is retaining a GOP-controlled Congress.

Even if he had been speaking publicly, the eight-term Republican might not have chosen his words differently. He is an adamantly pro-Trump lawmaker who in February released a memorandum accusing the intelligence community of conspiring against the president. In May, he sought documents from the Justice Department  as part of his investigation into the law enforcement officials leading the Russia inquiry  that senior intelligence officials maintained could expose a top source and endanger lives.

But it was in private, at a closed-door fundraiser for a Republican colleague, that Nunes took the new step of tying the investigation to the midterm elections this fall. In comments captured in an audio recording aired Wednesday by The Rachel Maddow Show, Nunes laid out in stark terms the rationale for preserving the GOP majority in Congress.

"If Sessions won't unrecuse and Mueller won't clear the president, we're the only ones, which is really the danger," Nunes said at an event for Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, referring to Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, and Robert Mueller, the special counsel. Sessions said last year that he would keep his distance from inquiries related to the 2016 election owing to his role in Trump's campaign  a move that has frustrated the president, leading him to blame his own attorney general for the "Russian Witch Hunt Hoax."

"I mean, we have to keep all these seats," Nunes added. "We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away."

He seemed to suggest that congressional Republicans formed the last line of defense against potential fallout from the probe into Russian election meddling. He called this a "classic Catch-22 situation," appearing to confuse a "tough spot"  also his words  with a situation in which contradictory conditions make escape impossible.

Maddow said on her show that the tape was made by a progressive organization called Fuse Washington that paid for entrance into the fundraiser, held on July 30 in Spokane, Washington. A spokesman for Nunes didn't return a request for comment sent late Wednesday by The Washington Post.

The remarks drew immediate rebuke from Democrats. Rep. Ted Lieu, also of California, called on Nunes to resign, saying his comments ran counter to the oath of office he had taken upon entering Congress.

Others observed that the lawmaker's actions over the past year made his comments unsurprising. "After all," tweeted University of Texas Law School professor Steve Vladeck, "this has been the only explanation  for quite some time  for his ridiculous behavior on everything from the unmasking scandal" to the "Rosenstein impeachment." Nunes announced last year that he would step aside from his own committee's investigation into Russian interference after the House Ethics Committee said it was examining allegations that he "may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information." He has denied wrongdoing.

Ted Lieu tweeted "Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead.

"Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took."

Nunes made several other noteworthy statements to the audience of GOP donors, also concerning the Russia investigation and its supervision.

He blamed the Senate's schedule  and the interest in swiftly confirming Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court  for the failure of the House to take up impeachment proceedings against Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. Just days before Nunes' closed-door remarks in Washington state, a group of conservative lawmakers introduced a resolution calling for Rosenstein's impeachment, though they stopped short of forcing a vote on the matter. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., responded by saying he opposed the effort and reaffirmed his belief that Justice Department officials were acting appropriately.

But Nunes said that resistance to Rosenstein's impeachment was mostly about scheduling.

"I've said publicly Rosenstein deserves to be impeached," Nunes said. "I don't think you're gonna get any argument from most of our colleagues. The question is the timing of it right before the election."

The danger, he said, was holding up the judicial nomination, as "the Senate would have to drop everything they're doing and start to, and start with impeachment on Rosenstein, and then take the risk of not getting Kavanaugh confirmed."

"It's a matter of timing," Nunes said.

Rosenstein, who appointed and now supervises Mueller, defended the special counsel investigation when he was brought before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this summer.

The series of recordings made public by Maddow do not include every question to which Nunes was responding. But at another point during the fundraiser, he addressed the issue of collusion, considering a hypothetical situation in which a campaign received stolen emails from a foreign power and then released them, labeling this activity "criminal."

"Now if somebody thinks that my campaign or Cathy's campaign is colluding with the Chinese, or you name the country, hey, could happen, it would be a very bad thing if Cathy was getting secrets from the Portuguese, let's say, just because I'm Portuguese, my family was," Nunes said, using McMorris Rodgers as an example in his hypothetical. "But ultimately let's say the Portuguese came and brought her some stolen emails, and she decided to release those. Okay, now we have a problem, right? Because somebody stole the emails, gave them to Cathy, Cathy released them. Well, if that's the case, then that's criminal."

In the portion of his remarks played on MSNBC, Nunes neither compares nor contrasts this scenario with the release in 2016 of private Democratic communications.

The indictment last month of 12 Russian military intelligence officers shed new light on the timing and methods of Russia's penetration into email accounts associated with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president. The same day that Trump publicly urged Russia, "if you're listening," to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing," the indictment revealed, several Russian government hackers began trying to access the email accounts of staffers in Clinton's private office. The indictment further described how the Russians delivered the cache of hacked emails to WikiLeaks, the online organization led by Julian Assange. In 2016, the London-based anti-secrecy activist had contact with Roger Stone, an informal adviser to Trump, according to two of Stone's associates. (The Republican political operative denies communicating with Assange.)

Finally, Nunes, touted by the president as a "Great American Hero," revealed at the fundraiser that even he sometimes winces at the Trump's online communications. He called the president's tweets a "mixed bag."

"Like sometimes you love the president's tweets, sometimes we cringe on the president's tweets," he said, attempting to discredit Mueller's purported examination of Trump's inflammatory posts as part of his inquiry into possible obstruction of justice.

"This is all political," Nunes said.
Heather Barbera appears at court for a hearing in Mays Landing, New Jersey, Public Defender Holly Bitters, right, Friday, August 3, 2018. Barbera faces murder charges for the beating deaths of her mother and grandmother in Ventnor. Read more

A Ventnor woman charged with beating her mother and grandmother to death with a nightstick has agreed to remain in jail while her case moves forward.

Addressing the courtroom Thursday during a pretrial detention hearing, Judge Bernard DeLury said Heather Barbera, 42, "manifested extreme violence" and would pose a flight risk if she was released from the Atlantic County Jail. Last month, the woman fled to New York City on a bus after killing her grandmother Elaine Rosen, 87, and mother, Michelle Gordon, 67, and stealing her mother's credit cards, authorities said.

"[Barbera] has manifested extreme violence in this case and is a present danger to the community," DeLury said as a visibly distraught Barbera, dressed in orange prison jumpsuit and nearing tears, sat beside her attorney.

Police arrested Barbera in New York City at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan three days after the bloodied bodies were found July 8 in their eighth-floor boardwalk apartment.

Public defender Holly Bitters said after the hearing that Barbera agreed to be held in jail because she "was anxious and did not want to prolong" the legal process, especially because she has two children.

Barbera's ex-husband currently has custody of their young daughter and son.

"That is her primary concern kind of in trying to move everything forward  her kids," Bitters said. "It's very sad."

Barbera's brother died from a heroin overdose a few months before the July slayings, Bitters said. After his death, she said, Barbera spiraled further into addiction and was unemployed.

"She really went downhill.  [His death] was pretty recent," Bitters said outside the Mays Landing courtroom.

Bitters said Barbera faced two charges before the July slayings: a simple-assault charge from 2016 and a disorderly-theft charge from June of last year. Bitters said she did not know details of Barbera's previous encounters with law enforcement.

Barbera's struggles with addiction were clear to her uncle Richard Rosen, who discovered the two bodies in the Vassar Square Condominiums. In a 911 call, Rosen told the dispatcher that he had warned his mother and sister not to allow Barbera to live with them.

"I knew this would be no good," Rosen said in a recording of the call.

Barbera is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, and robbery. Surveillance video captured Barbera leaving the apartment, and she later confessed to the killings, authorities said.
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.
A Laramie County District Court judge determined last week that Republican gubernatorial candidate Taylor Haynes can continue his campaign amid questions of the candidates residency.

Haynes resides on a ranch that straddles the Wyoming-Colorado border in Albany and Larimer (Colorado) Counties. The allegations contended that while Haynes used the Wyoming portion of the ranch as his physical address, his actual residence lies in Colorado.

The Wyoming Secretary of States Office received a complaint regarding Haynes elligbility based on his residence. The Wyoming Attorney General...
Arriving in the world on January 2, 1980, Matthew Lawrence Harris made his debut in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He would live on a ranch outside of Chugwater, Wyoming, until his parents moved to Pine Bluffs when he was ten years old.

While his parents, Stanley and Virginia Harris, who still reside in Pine Bluffs, never served in the military, their fathers did. Harris's paternal grandfather, Harold Harris served in the United States Navy during WWII, and his maternal grandfather, Leonard Cussins served in the United States Army, also during WWII. These were some of the influences for Matthew Harris...
6. Parker is the first true mission to touch the Sun.

In 1974 and 1976, NASA, in partnership with Germany, launched a pair of solar probes called Helios-A and Helios-B. Helios-B flew slightly within the orbit of Mercury, getting as close as 44 million kilometers from the Sun.

Parker Solar Probe will get much, much closerwithin 6.16 million kilometers, becoming the closest human-made object to the Sun. In 2014, data from NASA's STEREO probes showed the solar corona's outer boundary reaches about 8 million kilometers into space, meaning, Parker will truly "touch" the Sun.

7. Parker will become the fastest human-made object ever with respect to the Sun.

The closer things are in orbit around any object, the faster they have to travel with respect to that object in order to stay in orbit. (The reason is Kepler's Third Law!) Case in point: Neptune's orbital speed with respect to the Sun is 5.4 kilometers per second. Mercury's, on the other hand, is 47.4 kilometers per second.

At 44 million kilometers from the Sun, Helios-B hit a speed of 70 kilometers per second. Parker Solar Probe will blow that away, reaching a top speed of 201 kilometers per second. That's... ludicrous. Earth's circumference is about 40,000 kilometers, so at its top speed, Parker Solar Probe could make one trip around Earth in 3.3 minutes.

8. The Suns corona is weird.

Every time I start reading about the corona, I can't get over how weird it is. First of all, there's the temperature. The Sun's surface, the photosphere, has a temperature of about 6,000 Kelvin. But some spots in the corona rise to over a million degrees! Fortunately, the temperature where Parker is flying will top out at just 1,650 Kelvin.

Another weird thing about the corona is the solar wind. We know the solar wind comes from the corona, but it seems to be gusty, just like regular wind on Earth. In gaps called coronal holes, the solar wind goes really fast800 kilometers per second. But in the long, wispy parts of the corona, the solar wind is slower, traveling at about 300 kilometers per second. (By the way, none of this comes close to the speed of solar photonsin other words, lightwhich travel at a universal 300,000 kilometers per second.)

What the heck is going on in the corona to cause all this weirdness? Thats what Parker is going to try to figure out.

9. Venus flybys! Instruments!

Despite the fact that Parker will by Venus seven times during the mission, Im told there are no plans to image the planet. Parkers main imaging instrument, WISPR, is optimized to image the corona, inner heliosphere, and solar wind. WISPR looks off-axis, next to the heat shield, to reveal whats going on around the Sun. Here's an approximation of what it will see:
KAMPALA  South African based Telecom giants, MTN Group this morning released their interim results for the first half of 2018 indicating 8.8% revenue profits for their Ugandas

In the groups revenue, the released results showed improved revenues growth of 10.2% with Uganda pointed out as a major contributor to that growth.

According to the results, MTN Ugandas revenue expanded by 8.8% to Shs734.4Bn with the growth registered on the growth of data revenue and Mobile Money revenue, which the company argue exceeded their expectations.

Wim Vanhelleputte, MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer noted that: MTN is well positioned to deliver growth in the sector despite the shakeups experienced in the market recently that were occasioned by the newly introduced Excise Duty tax regimes on OTT and Mobile Money especially. Our half-year results notwithstanding, I see MTN ending the year on a good note.

His remarks follow the coming into effect of the Shs200 daily charge on Over The Top services (OTT) like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter as well as the 1% tax on all mobile money transactions, and following the public uproar, Government tabled new amendments to have the tax reduced to 0.5% with the new Bill still before the Committee.

While appearing the Committee last week, Vanhelleputte informed MPs that within four weeks of implementation of tax laws, MTN was down by 30% in terms of revenue compared to June 2018, and warned of continued downward trend if the existing tax regime remains unchanged with growth expected to go down further beyond the 30% or 40% by the end of the year.

The results further indicated that the growth in Mobile Money revenue exceeded expectations and the number of active Mobile Money customers on Ugandas leading brand and network NPS operator increased to 5.3 million.

Mobile Money subscribers made up more than half the total subscriber base of 10.5 million, which declined slightly by 1.8% and the decline was as a result of the recent introduction of guidelines for the sale and replacement of SIM cards by the regulator, Uganda Communications Commission, between March and May 2018. Nevertheless, the number of active data subscribers rose to 1.8 million, helping lift data revenue by 17.8%.

The MTN boss added: MTN will continue to innovate and explore in the area of digital services and enhance our offering in Mobile Money to position it as the immediate solution to money transfer. Expect increased engagement with our customer care service to enhance the experience. We intend to communicate more on all the work we are doing especially in the communities as CSR to expand the focus beyond our core mandate.

Related
KAMPALA  The newly-appointed Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Ms Betty Aol, has said she has what it takes for the job.

Ms Aol, who is replacing Kasese Woman MP Winnie Kiiza, said the public should give her time to show them what she cannot do instead of judging her on face value.

This is about teamwork and people should give me time to work, you cant start judging at the beginning of my work. Before you cast your doubt, give me time and an opportunity to work. Im a peace builder, Ive been working with everyone since I came to parliament. As a teacher, Im also a team worker, I dont believe in braving it alone, she said while appearing at NBS breakfast show on Wednesday.

I came to Parliament in 2006 and I have been working very hard, very consistent and respecting all my political leaders, I have worked for my people tirelessly. I say one Uganda one people, she added.

Asked whether the appointment came as a surprise, Ms Aol said: The news started as rumours in the corridors of Parliament. Dr Bukenya, the chair of the health committee, was the first person to tell me I was going to be the new leader of opposition. I laughed because Dr. Bukenya is not a member of FDC but he already had the information. I didnt even anticipate it until I talked with the party president before the party announced. When I entered parliament on Friday, media was all around me.

Aol will work with Kiira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda who has been maintained as the Opposition Whip in Parliament. He will be deputized by Bukonzo East MP Harold Tonny Muhindo who takes over a post hitherto held by Rukungiri Municipality MP Roland Mugume Kaginda who has been nominated as a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Francis Mwijukye has been named Parliament Commissioner, Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze is the representative at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Busongora North MP William Nzoghu is Pan African Parliament (PAP) representative while Mbale Municipality MP Jack Wamai Wamanga is sent to represent FDC at the African Caribbean and Pacific Parliament (ACP).

Related
PARLIAMENT Members of the ICT Parliamentary Committee have backed Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC) decision to phase out airtime scratch cards saying it will curb fraud.

The committee supported e-airtime loading as it will solve fraud which a number of MPs have also experienced in their constituencies.

Mr Cuthbert Abigaba for Kibale County also member of the ICT Committee, said the e-recharge system will enhance security as it will allow easy tracing of suspects.

Mr James Acidiri of Maracha East said the comparative advantages of electronic recharge system outweigh the need for scratch cards.

We should go digital, it will help in security matters. But if UCC doesnt check abuses, we will not achieve our goal, Acidiri said.

Appearing before the committee, UCC Executive Director Mr. Godfrey Mutabazi said, basing on the practice in the region on the use of E-Top Up by major providers in other markets they operate, testimonies indicate that Uganda is on the right track.

Mr. Mutabazi told MPs that the sector was undergoing a technology evolution and that in this digital era the integrity and accountability expected of communication systems was unprecedented, hence the new measures.

The MPs called on UCC to carry out a countrywide sensitisation of the public, urging the body to consider dedicating a two-month awareness campaign.

The Minister of ICT Hon Frank Tumwebaze also defended the decision to scrap the scratch cards, saying its high time the country embraced electronic recharge system.

He explained that scratch cards make traceability of criminals difficult and have a manufacturing cost which telecoms end up passing onto customers. They are a health hazard, he added.

The telecoms suggested that they are no longer going to import scratch cards and consensus was built because of the so many hazards associated with them. So we are crusading people not to be left behind, Tumwebaze explained.

Also read: UCC bans sell of airtime scratch cards

Tumwebaze further defended UCC on the OTT which he said was a taxation issue under the docket of the Finance Ministry and not a mandate of UCC.

The minister further asked Parliament to dialogue with the security agencies on the issue of fake phones.

Related
KAMPALA  President Museveni on Wednesday launched the Motorized Infantry conversion facility at Maga Maga Army Barracks in Mayuge District and praised the late Gen Aronda Nyakairima, the former Internal Affairs Minister, for the initiative.

The late Gen Aronda came to me and said, No, Let us indigenize this technology; let us take it over because when people in Europe are adopting new fashion, for us here, we are continuing with our Mivumba (second-hand things), you know that, Mr Museveni said of the plant that manufactures and assembles military Nyoka 44 mine and ballistic-protected vehicles.

The move is seen as a cost-effective option for the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).

Africans have slept for the past 500 years. Five hundred years is a long time. I want to thank those (Motorized Infantry) for getting out of sleep as it shows they can now do things on their own, he said.

These vehicles are made from steel which you have here and very soon a factory in Tororo will be making new steel from iron ore; we shall look into the economies of making iron steel here as opposed to buying from Sweden, he added.

He also called for integrated industries adding that this would help create jobs and save money for the country.

He thanked Impala Services and Logistics Ltd, a South African company, for having partnered with the UPDF and for positively using technology to build improved military vehicles.

I am very grateful to the CEO of Impala. He was a cadre of the ANC and joined the South African Army but later retired. His partnering with us is ideological, he noted.

The UPDF Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen David Muhoozi, described the conversion of the Mamba and Buffels carcasses into Nyokas as a bold and foresighted move, saying plans are underway to set up a marine workshop depot and a pier.

Related
JUBA The President of South Sudan Salva Kiir has issued a decree offering a blanket amnesty to rebels, including his Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, the Sudanese state radio reported Thursday.

The announcement comes days after the duo signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at ending a nearly five-year civil war that has seen tens of thousands killed and pushed millions into exile.

President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree pardoning Dr. Riek Machar and other groups that took up arms against the government since 2013. The decree comes into effect on the date 8, August 2018, State Radio Juba reported.

President Kiir reiterated a call for his forces to observe a ceasefire agreed in June by both the government and Machars rebel outfit, the SPLM  IO.

Sundays power-sharing agreement paves way for Machar to return to South Sudan as one of five vice-presidents, a role he occupied until the conflict erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused him of plotting a coup.

The agreement also requires the warring factions to sign a final peace accord, under the auspices of regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), followed by the formation of a transitional government that will hold power for three years until elections can be organised.

The last time a peace deal was signed returning Machar to the capital was in 2015, but the agreement collapsed when fresh fighting erupted in Juba forcing the rebel leader to flee into exile.

On Monday businesses closed in South Sudans capital Juba as people celebrated the signing of a power-sharing deal.

The series of discussions that led to signing of the peace agreement, started in May this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and were called by the IGAD leaders, a seven-member regional bloc that has been facilitating the South Sudan peace talks since fighting first broke out in December 2013.

President Yoweri Museveni recently said that he was hopeful for positive results.

Related
After 74 people were shot over one of the citys most violent weekends in more than two years, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson pleaded with the community to come forward with information to hold people accountable for the carnage, including 12 fatalities.

You all know who these individuals are, a frustrated Johnson said at one point.

But the fear and discomfort in reporting on neighbors is real. And the police are not trusted by many people in the affected communities.

I think it is disheartening that we are at Tuesday after the weekend we had without anyone being charged, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx told the Tribune in a phone interview. The feeling that people can do this with impunity makes the work that much more difficult.

On Tuesday, the Police Department refused to release current data on how many homicides and shootings it solves  known as clearance rates  telling the Tribune to file a Freedom of Information Act request.

Detective division sources interviewed Tuesday by the Tribune said they absolutely need community help to solve shootings and homicides. They were also sensitive to fears that residents have of cooperating with police.

Its understandable, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didnt have the departments permission to speak. Its a dangerous thing to be a murder witness in the neighborhood where the murders are taking place.
An officer with the El Cajon (CA) Police Department was hospitalized Wednesday after a man suspected of attempting to rob an armored vehicle struck him in the head with a hammer, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The suspect reportedly demanded cash from a security officer from an armored vehicle who was making a pick-up at a Jack in the Box restaurant in El Cajon.

The man  later identified as 30-year-old Robert Dille  allegedly started breaking windows in the restaurant, then fled south on foot with several witnesses tailing him.

A handful of plain clothes El Cajon police officers then joined the pursuit.

El Cajon Lieutenant Royal Bates said that one of the officers attempted a TASER deployment, but one of the barbs struck the backpack the suspect was wearing.

"At that point, officers with the assistance of several civilians tried to take the man into custody," Bates said.

During the ensuing struggle, Dille struck one of the officers in the head with the hammer. The officer, a 19-year department veteran, suffered a head wound and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and released.

Dille is being held on suspicion of attempted robbery and attempted homicide on a peace officer.
Embed from Getty Images

On Monday, a Cincinnati police officer working an off-duty security shift at a Kroger grocery store deployed a TASER on an 11-year-old girl who was reportedly suspected of shoplifting.

According to reports, Officer Kevin Brown was investigating a group of juvenile girls suspected of stealing from the store. Brown reportedly approached one of the girls, but she ignored his commands to stop and kept walking out of the store. Brown fired his TASER, striking her in the back.

The girl was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and was initially charged with theft and obstructing official business.

According to WHIO-TV, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley subsequently asked Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters to drop charges against the girl.

"I'm happy to report that he did and I thank for him doing so," Mayor Cranley said in a statement.

Officer Brown is reportedly not allowed to work the detail or work the street until an investigation is completed.
Embed from Getty Images

A nine-year-old boy selling lemonade was reportedly robbed at gunpoint on Saturday by a teen wearing a camouflage. The assailant reportedly pointed a gun at the child's stomach and demanded he hand over his earnings  about $17, according to officials.

Police later found a camouflage hat, alongside a black BB gun in a nearby wooded area, according to Fox News.

"I think people are capable of a lot of things, but not robbing a child at a lemonade stand  that takes it to a new level," said Union County Sheriff's Office Chief Communications Officer Tony Underwood.

Police are asking neighbors to come forward with surveillance video that may have captured the incident.
In Cleveland Heights, OH, a group of kids  ages 12 to 16  got a close look at what patrol officers, crime scene investigators, and detectives do on the job.

In the department's first ever youth police academy, the kids were taught about canine and bike patrols, the use of radar for traffic enforcement, swat-team tactics, and fingerprint dusting.

Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg said, "Most times when we interact or come in contact with people it's usually in a crisis situation. This gives us the opportunity to get to know some of the kids in our community and for them to get to know us."

Students voluntarily signed up for the free, weeklong summer program, and on Friday they will receive certificates during a graduation ceremony, according to WJW-TV.
(Photo: Franklin Rau)

SWAT is under a lot of pressure these days. Budgets for training and equipment have been cut. When SWAT is called out, activists decry its equipment and tactics as too militaristic. And activists, politicians, journalists, and Internet trolls all second guess everything a team achieves or fails to achieve in its missions. If it's hard to be a police officer in the 21st century, it's even harder to be a law enforcement tactical operator.

Despite the criticism, SWAT has a long history of positive outcomes. Unfortunately, there have been some disastrous outcomes as well. So the goal of many in the tactical community is to improve SWAT and that begins with operator selection.

The Right People

SWAT has long been a plum assignment in law enforcement. But it takes a special kind of law enforcement officer to want to be a SWAT team member.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

The first thing most people focus on when an officer aspires to join a SWAT team is the level of physical fitness and endurance required. They think about things like timed runs, obstacle courses, and demonstrations of the practical strength necessary to perform SWAT missions.

But many agencies are not just looking for the best athletes or even the best shots on the force. Thor Eells, executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), says SWAT leaders are constantly looking for ways to make standards fit the missions of the team. He says that means team members must be physically fit but also mentally and emotionally capable of doing the job. "They need to be of the highest integrity and they have to be able to make good decisions," he says.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Bob Gallegos, a retired LAPD SWAT officer who serves on the POLICE Advisory Board, agrees. "You want somebody who can think fast on their feet," he says, adding that the process needs to be both "taxing and fair."

One big problem facing many agencies is that some candidates for tactical teams change their minds after selection and training. That means teams have to be sure they select people who are willing to do the hard work of training and callouts before they invest in training.

Most teams are not full time and their SWAT duties are secondary to their everyday police work, Eells explains. "Officers on the SWAT team have to work shifts in their normal assignments and then train and put themselves on call. It requires you to sacrifice a lot of your personal time," he says.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Another factor that makes it difficult for agencies to find the right people for SWAT duty is the nature of the work. All law enforcement duty is hazardous and all officers have to accept that risk. But signing on with a SWAT team requires an officer to face some of the darkest of human behavior, even more so than standard police duty. "It takes a very resilient person to engage in this kind of work for a long time," says Eells.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Better Organization

Finding enough officers to form a SWAT team can be a challenge even for mid-size agencies. For smaller agencies, it's nearly impossible.

Still, some 10-officer departments try to field tactical teams with as few as five officers. Which is not optimal.

In April the NTOA issued its latest standards for SWAT operations. The 48-page "Tactical Response and Operations Standard for Law Enforcement Agencies" explains what constitutes a SWAT team, what missions it can undertake, and how it should be organized.

Specifically, the NTOA standard says there are essentially two levels of SWAT teams. A Tier 1 team consists of 26 membersa team commander, 3 team leaders, 4 snipers, and 18 operators. A Tier 2 team consists of 19 membersa team commander, 2 team leaders, 4 snipers, and 12 operators. Below what NTOA considers a true SWAT team is a "Tactical Response Team." According to NTOA a Tactical Response Team consists of 15 membersa team commander, 2 team leaders, and 12 operators.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Given these standards, the vast majority of law enforcement agencies in the United States could not field a Tactical Response Team much less a SWAT team. And the NTOA knows it. "We strongly encourage agencies lacking enough qualified officers to form a SWAT unit on their own to team up with other agencies," Eells says. "Agencies need to form multi-jurisdictional teams instead of trying to go it alone. Not many agencies can do it alone and do it well."

Training the Team

One of the primary areas of SWAT operations that needs improvement is training. A lot of people, even inside law enforcement, believe that SWAT is given all the training time it wants. Eells, who served on the Colorado Springs SWAT team, says that's just not so.

As they are in all areas of law enforcement, training time and training resources are precious for SWAT teams, especially so-called part-time teams. Eells says it's important that teams dedicate their training time to maintenance of the critical and specific skills to execute the missions they most commonly get assigned. "If most of your incidents are hostage rescues, then your training should be hostage rescue oriented. If 90% of the missions you execute are warrant service, then that's how you should be training."

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Gallegos, who trains teams through his company Tactical Mission Consulting, also cautions teams against trying to do too much in one training session. "If you only have a few hours for training, you are better off dedicating that time to an aspect of your operations," he says. "Think quality, not quantity."

Eells is particularly outspoken about training time that's squandered on flashy and specialized activities that the team will likely never perform in the field. "If you're in a team that doesn't have an aerial support unit, then practicing rappelling out of a helicopter might not be the best use of your time," he says.

Training Commanders

It's quite common for the actual commander of a SWAT team to be a lieutenant or captain with no SWAT experience. This is a result of the way officers with ambitions of becoming chiefs or high-ranking brass tend to climb the ladder from assignment to assignment. SWAT command is commonly one of the rungs on that ladder.

The problem with this aspect of law enforcement culture is that it's not unusual for the SWAT commander to be unaware of the actual capabilities of the team. Sometimes this can lead to disaster, as a commander can come up with a plan that is unworkable or, worse, dangerous for the team members and perhaps the people they are trying to rescue or protect.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Law enforcement culture and the way lieutenants and captains make their bones by commanding SWAT units when they are not SWAT trained is unlikely to change. So the most practical solution to this issue is to provide SWAT commanders with special training.

That is the purpose of a new NTOA program. NTOA Academy's Command College offers three levels of certification in SWAT leadership. The program consists of both self-paced online modules and some class work. Students gain a huge breadth of tactical law enforcement knowledge, according to Eells. Courses cover the dynamics and capabilities of SWAT teams, the different types of tactics teams can use, and decision-making models. "The program teaches commanders how to "sift through the noise and make informed and timely decisions," Eells says.

One of the topics discussed in detail in the Command College program is the concept of time during SWAT missions. "They learn how to use time and about good time vs. bad time and how to distinguish good time vs. bad time," Eells explains.

To learn more about the NTOA Academy's Command College program, including courses offered and pricing, go to www.NTOA.org.

(Photo: Franklin Rau)

Equipment and Technology

The very concept of SWAT was developed around the idea of giving select officers special equipment and training so that they can accomplish particularly dangerous missions. That "W" in the acronym stands for weapons, and the special weapons available to SWAT have long been a focus of the popular imagination regarding law enforcement tactical teams. But today, many of the weapons carried by SWAT, including rifles, are commonly available to patrol officers. So the weapons are no longer that unique to SWAT.

Today, the equipment available to SWAT that's uncommon to patrol officers is primarily defensive. SWAT officers (and some patrol officers) now have very sophisticated gear to protect themselves from gunfire, including ballistic helmets; tactical vests with rifle plates; and ballistic shields, bunkers, and blankets. Eells says the increased access to rifle-rated armor is one of the most important improvements in SWAT operations. Gallegos agrees and he lauds the manufacturers for making it more comfortable and easier to use. "It just keeps getting better and better," he says.

Access to mobile rifle-rated armor in the form of armored rescue vehicles is another area of SWAT operations that is improving. Through grants and through the Department of Defense's 1033 program that makes surplus military gear available to law enforcement agencies, more teams have access to armored cars. In many areas of the country, multiagency SWAT teams share armored vehicles through memoranda of understanding.

High-technology tools are also improving SWAT operations, helping teams gain critical intelligence and helping officers stay safer at the scene. Limiting the peril faced by officers during a standoff, barricade, or other tactical operation is the primary purpose of integrating such devices as robots, drones, and other technologies into the SWAT toolbox.

Three primary high-tech systems have been integrated into SWAT operations to help produce better outcomes for officers, innoc SWAT teams have numerous tools for missions, but veteran operators caution that it's wise to have a backup plan for when the tech fails. (Photo: Franklin Rau) ents, and even suspects.

Enhanced night vision devices such as image intensification systems and thermal cameras help SWAT officers detect potential ambushes and make it safer for them to make entry into darkened buildings and execute room clearing operations. They can also be used by snipers to provide overwatch for the team during low-light operations and, if necessary, target and eliminate threats to the team and the public.

Robots can be used to perform duties that used to fall to human operators and potentially exposed officers to attack from the suspect or suspects. Robots can enter a building to take phones to suspects or perform reconnaissance, locating hostages or suspects and providing officers with critical intelligence. In a very controversial use, the Dallas Police Department's SWAT teamwith approval from the chiefactually used a robot to deliver a lethal explosive payload to an extremely dangerous man who refused to surrender. The decision to use a robot as a bomb likely saved officer lives that night in July 2016, considering that the sniper had just killed five officers and would have been happy to kill even more.

Drones are being used in SWAT operations to provide operators and commanders with real-time aerial reconnaissance. The potential for these unmanned aircraft in making SWAT operations more effective is just being tapped.

All this technology has been extremely beneficial in tactical police operations. But Gallegos cautions all tactical operators that regardless of what high-tech tools they plan to use at an incident, they need to have a backup plan. "You have to ask yourself: 'What if this fails? What am I going to do?'"
Night vision is used in a variety of domestic law enforcement operations. (Photo: Abboud Bedro)

On May 1, 2011, two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters stealthily flew in the cover of darkness into Pakistani airspace. These were no ordinary helicopters, and neither were their pilots nor the passengers riding along inside. They were American Navy SEALs and support personnel. And one of the things they all had in common is that they were all wearing night vision goggles.

That mission involved the Armys 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and 23 SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as DEVGRU and better known as SEAL Team 6. They successfully found and killed Osama bin Laden.

Like many military special operations missions, law enforcement tactical operations often take place at night. That means all SWAT operators can benefit from having tools that will help them see better in the dark, including image intensification night vision systems and thermal vision infrared devices.

The value of such tools in police and military operations has been proven again and again for decades. Night vision is used in a variety of domestic law enforcement operations including aviation. For example, law enforcement pilots flying both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for a variety of federal agencies, including the DEA, the Border Patrol, and the FBI's storied Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) commonly fly with night vision.

Local law enforcement is another story all together. While the majority of big city SWAT teams have night vision tools, many smaller agencies don't have the budget necessary to acquire such equipment. However, the cost of night vision and thermal is decreasing with more new technological innovations and increased sales. Which means night vision and thermal imaging tools are becoming more readily available. The trick is choosing the right tools for your agency.

SWAT officers equipped with night vision goggles have an advantage when entering a darkened building. (Photo: Abboud Bedro)

Night Vision Devices

Image intensification night vision equipment is mission specific. So when a department is thinking about adding this equipment into its inventory, the questions that must be answered are: How will the equipment be used and who is going to use it? Basically, night vision devices boil down to three primary types: viewers, weapons sights, and goggles.

Viewers. These are similar to standard optical spotting scopes only they work great at night. They can be used for surveillance, to help identify and prevent possible attacks, and to help you locate the best approach to a location.

Night Vision Weapon Sights. This is a tool for the designated sniper and/or spotter. Since both sniper and spotter do a lot of mandatory intelligence gathering, so it seems logical that at least one sniper or spotter in a team operating in low light would be outfitted with a night vision scope.

Night Vision Goggles (NVG). These are usually worn on the heads of tactical officers and attached with a head harness or helmet mount. In an urban environment, you may not need a goggle for every team member. Five-officer entry teams have accomplished their missions with as few as two devices.

When allocating NVGs your priority is entry team members number one and number three. Here's why: As the number one officer makes entry, generally the number two officer throws a flash-bang, and the number three officer flows in afterward. This is the way it's done by a lot of teams, and it shows why the number one and three officers in the stack have the greatest need for NVG. They are going to be the first officers into what is likely to be a darkened room.

When performing night operations in areas with rough terrain where an officer can stumble over such hazards as rocks, fallen trees, and other ground clutter, night vision can be a critical safety tool. That environment calls for as many team members as possible to have NVG.

Real World Users

While writing this article, I was honored to spend some time with units from two law enforcement agencies that have great need for night vision on the job. I'm talking about the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Recently the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started working with new night vision devices. One of the leaders told me that these devices are a must for the unit. "We are in the middle of the Florida swamps looking for illegal poachers, drug smugglers, or someone who is just deeply lost in the Everglades," the leader said.

The inherent dangers they face in the swamps, both human and animal, are very real for SOG. The people they are looking for are often heavily armed with rifles, and the swamps are home to alligators and several species of venomous snakes, including rattlesnakes, coral snakes, copperheads, and water moccasins. Night vision is very important for the safety of these officers.

The U.S. Border Patrol's working environment on the Southwest border is about as different from the Florida swamps as could be. But like their fellow law enforcement professionals in Florida, Border Patrol officers in southern Arizona have a great need for night vision.

Thermal imaging can determine if a vehicle engine is warm and if the vehicle is occupied. Photo taken using FLIR's Breach PTQ136. (Photo: Abboud Bedro)

One agent explained the danger they face in the Arizona desert. He told me if they see a suspected illegal immigrant crossing the border there is nothing they can do about it as back-up is about an hour away, and the coyotes (human traffickers) are heavily armed. Shockingly, the majority of border agents have outdated night vision equipment or none at all. The agent went on to explain that in the Border Patrol its a first come first get when it comes to equipment.

Thermal Devices

Infrared thermal cameras and viewers can be used as a type of night vision device, but they work very differently from image intensification systems. While image intensification systems such as the ubiquitous AN/PVS-14 intensify available light in the environment to give the user night vision, thermal devices measure the heat radiating from a person, animal, or object and convert that heat into an image of the "target."

While researching this article, I was privileged to have FLIR's Breach PTQ136 multifunctional thermal imaging monocular at my disposal. I have spent many years using night vision, and it was rather interesting to use this very compact handheld thermal.

Weighing only 7.4 ounces, the FLIR Breach (www.flir.com) can be concealed in a pocket or mounted to a helmet via its mini- rail feature. The Breach has an internal memory and can record up to 1,000 images and 2.5 hours of video in day or night conditions. It also features advanced image processing and a bright high-definition display for enhanced image clarity. This is a great tool for law enforcement operations.

Florida wildlife officers use NVG to detect human and animal threats. (Photo: Paul Pawela)

Choosing the Right Device

Both night vision and thermal systems have a role in police work. To discuss which is best for what application, I went to my local subject matter expert, Lt. Glenn Hamann of the Titusville (FL) Police Department who also happens to be the SWAT team commander. Hamann says both tools are extremely beneficial for small unit tactical missions, especially for threat detection and ambush prevention.

Hamann works in his city's urban environments and in the area's forests, fields, and swamps. He offers this advice, When making building entries, night vision is the way to go, as night vision works with glass such as mirrors and windows and thermal not so much. However, in open field environments or forest environments whether looking for dangerous men who may be wearing camouflaged clothing or predator animals who have their own built in camouflage, thermal is the way to go.

Law enforcement administrators will have to decide whether night vision or thermal or both is best for their mission. The good news is that costs are coming down on this equipment.

Another point to consider is that not every unit needs top-of-the-line night vision gear. You can save money by matching the gear to the light conditions where your team operates. Generation 3 gear is critical in extremely dark conditions, less so where there is a lot of ambient light.

Paul Pawela is the director of law enforcement training for the National Association of Chiefs of Police (www.nacoponline.org). He is a nationally recognized expert in firearms and defensive tactics and has been awarded the John Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal for distinguished public service.
A wide variety of extremely effective long guns can be concealed in an easy-to-carry pack, including short-barreled rifles, carbines with folding stocks, and pistol caliber submachine guns and carbines. (Photo: Brian Marshall)

Event security has changed dramatically for law enforcement in the last few years with the increased threat of active shooter events or terrorist attacks. Agencies of all sizes must seek solutions to secure large gatherings like concerts, stadiums, or parades. Additional security is also desired in schools, airports, and other large buildings where hallways can be 50 yards or more. In my city, we have one facility where hallways reach 700 yards.

As agencies seek out solutions to increase response capabilities, we have seen increased use of counter-sniper overwatch, bollards and heavy vehicle barricades on streets, bomb detection K-9s, quick reaction forces (QRFs) made of SWAT officers, and deployments of uniformed or tactical officers with exposed long guns, generally pistol caliber carbines, submachine guns, short barreled rifles, or full-size patrol rifles.

Almost any long gun, whether it's pistol or rifle caliber, will offer tactical advantage over a handgun in magazine capacity, stability, accuracy, and ballistic capability. In addition, they can be fitted with a wider variety of optics for improved performance.

Overt long gun deployments have their intended effects as a show of force, but they have limitations and some drawbacks. The officer posted with an exposed long gun serves as a deterrent and QRF resource, but lacks the mobility or versatility to handle other calls not requiring such weapons. In addition, the exposed long gun may have positive and negative effects on public perceptions. Some people are comforted by the sight of long guns; others are alarmed and struggle to accept seeing them in the hallway of a school or at a music festival. While this image is generally accepted in Europe, the American public has issues with police officers carrying a machine gun.

Hiding the Gun

The solution to that concern is to make the long gun discreet. Concealing a long gun within a sling bag, backpack, or other carrying case allows officers to patrol a public event, school hallway, amusement park, or hospital with the ability to respond to basic calls without raising concerns of the public seeing heavy firepower. The officer has the versatility to handle smaller calls and still has quick access to shoulder-fired weapons and the accuracy and range they offer.

Optics make long guns much more effective in critical situations. Pictured is a Primary Arms Raptor rifle scope 1-6x24mm. (Photo: Primary Arms)

In my department's deployments of the 5.11 Select Carry sling bag, most of the public doesnt seem to notice the bag at all. Others see the bag as having first-aid or medical supplies or other personal items. They seldom guess that the officer with the bag has a carbine inside.

When asked by the public about the contents of the bag, we generally answer, Oh, this just has first responder supplies in it. We usually keep a bottle of water, some PR sticker badges for little kids, or Band-Aids easily accessible to help keep up the illusion.

A sling bag allows an officer to carry a long gun in public for extended periods of time while keeping the weapon secured and out of sight. They also can carry water, snacks, individual first-aid kits (IFAKS), tourniquets, sunscreen, and other useful items. The 5.11 bag also has a pocket for a hydration bladder for prolonged deployments. Other bags that work well in this role include the Eberlestock Cherry Bomb and 5.11 COVRT M4 Shorty. Even laptop bags are large enough for some pistol caliber carbines, submachine guns, and side folder rifles.

Choosing the Gun

Pistol caliber solutions have their strengths and weaknesses for covert long gun deployment. Weapons that my agency and neighboring agencies have deployed in this role vary from pistol caliber carbines like the CZ Scorpion to 9mm AR-15-style carbines using Glock magazines or Colt SMG pattern mags. We have also deployed submachine guns like the Heckler & Koch MP5 or UMP. Pistol caliber carbines have limited range compared to a rifle caliber but offer decent ballistic capability and benefits in weight retention and penetration against car doors and glass.

The biggest problem with pistol caliber firearms when responding to a terror attack or active shooter is that the rounds they fire can be defeated by soft body armor, which is readily available from a variety of sources.

Powerful rifle rounds such as the 5.56mm NATO and .223 Remington can penetrate soft armor. And many weapons that fire these rounds such as the side folding SIG MCX with 11.5-inch barrel fit sling bags and backpacks very well so that they can be deployed discreetly in public. AR-15 variant rifles modified with a Law Tactical Gen M3 folding stock joint also fold up to a similar length of 20 inches or less. But to fit in concealment bags, most AR-style rifles need to be SBR designs with 7.5-inch to 11.5-inch barrels.

Bullpups can also offer advantages with their longer barrels in compact packages. The Steyr AUG, with its quick-release barrel available in 16, 20, or 24 inches, is an excellent option as a takedown rifle that can be quickly assembled, and it offers the full ballistic potential of 5.56mm NATO cartridges.

This officer standing watch over a public event is carrying a long gun in his sling bag. But most people would think he is toting much more innocuous supplies and gear. (Photo: Brian Marshall)

A full-size patrol rifle with a 16-inch barrel can be disassembled into two parts and stored in a 5.11 COVERT M4 Shorty bag, but reassembly takes a bit longer than the Steyr AUG.

Another solution my agency has found useful is the FN P90. This innovative firearm is available in select fire and semi-auto versions (PS90). Both versions are chambered in FN's 5.7x28mm round, a high-velocity pistol bullet that can defeat soft body armor and offers a flatter trajectory out to 200 yards than other pistol calibers. The P90's design also offers the advantages of a bullpup with its 10.4-inch barrel and an overall length of about 22 inches. Additional benefits are the minimal recoil and 50-round magazine that loads on top of the weapon and does not interfere with the user's ability to shoot prone.

Adding a variable power optic such as a Vortex Strike Eagle, Primary Arms Raptor, or Trijicon Accupower 1-8x, or VCOG can significantly improve the capabilities of your rifles at large events and help support the counter-sniper role.

I recommend carrying the rifle in your agencys cruiser ready condition. For us, this is chamber empty, safety on, and full magazine inserted.

(Photo: Brian Marshall)

Necessary Training

Drawing a long gun from a bag is not an action that most officers have experience performing. And you don't want your first time making this draw to be under stress in a critical incident or under fire. So I recommend you spend time practicing multiple repetitions of deploying the long gun from the concealment bag. Some of this practice should be on the range practicing the draw and firing the weapon.

It is important to understand the best zero ranges for these weapons. Most officers will not have the time or presence of mind to do calculations other than putting a red-dot dot on the target and being able to pull the trigger.

For pistol caliber long guns, a 25-yard zero will probably give the best trajectories for targets out to 100 yards. With the high-velocity rifle calibers, a 50-yard zero will give operators a trajectory that minimizes the need for hold-over calculations out to 200 yards.

Long guns are now critical tools for law enforcement assigned to perform event security and school protection. In a critical incident, officers need more than a handgun. But the public is not always accepting of officers carrying long guns in public, so in order to do so, we need methods for discreetly deploying them such as sling bags and backpacks.

Discreet deployment of long guns in public gives the security coordinator more flexibility with his unit resources and the types of actions they can take. At some events an overt rifle team moving quickly to contact a suspicious person or get into position to observe their behavior, or just jogging to a medical issue, may cause unnecessary public alarm. In contrast, teams with concealed rifles in sling bags can move and observe potential threats and respond to smaller issues without causing the alarm of a bunch of police running through a crowd with AR-15s.

Major Brian Marshall is a 22-year veteran of law enforcement who currently oversees the Firearms Training Unit and armory for the Marietta (GA) Police Department. He is an adjunct instructor for IALEFI and ALERRT.
PUNE, India, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Cognitive Operations Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Application (ITOA, APM, Infrastructure Management, Network Analytics, and Security Analytics), Deployment Mode, Enterprise Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market size is expected to grow from USD 7.27 billion in 2018 to USD 21.67 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 24.4% during the forecast period.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )



Browse 70 market data Tables and 43 Figures spread through 158 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Cognitive Operations Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cognitive-operations-market-47225817.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Major growth factors for the Cognitive Operations Market include a growing need to monitor the complex IT environment, and an increasing focus on the adoption of cloud-based cognitive IT operations solutions. A growing need to deliver an enhanced customer experience and an increasing need to analyze growing IT operations data will provide significant growth opportunities for vendors in the market.

Deployment and integration services segment to be a larger contributor to the Cognitive Operations Market during the forecast period

Deployment and integration services are an essential aspect of executing cognitive operation solutions, as they help companies implement new versions of cognitive operations software tools as well as integrate those tools with the traditional IT operations ecosystem. Deployment and integration services integrate the software with the analytics side, to enable data retrieval and generate the desired results through computation.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=47225817

IT operations analytics (ITOA) application to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

ITOA applications powered with cognitive operations solutions help enterprises to analyze their IT operational logs and get the real-time behavior of an organization's business. Moreover, ITOA application can collect, store, index, search, correlate, visualize, analyze, and report the machine generated data and reduce the Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR) by providing better and faster results. IT operation analytics also assists in unlocking trends that can help organizations connect performance issues and infrastructure changes to incident tickets.

North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

North America is the major revenue generating region in the global Cognitive Operations Market. The region has witnessed the maximum adoption of cognitive operations solutions, due to the increasing complexities in IT environment across all the major industry verticals. Enterprises in the US and Canada are expected to significantly adopt cognitive operations solutions. Hence, North America is expected to hold for the largest market size in the global Cognitive Operations Market during the forecast period.

Major vendors in the global Cognitive Operations Market include IBM (US), Splunk (US), CA Technologies (US), Micro Focus (UK), VMware (US), HCL Technologies (India), AppDynamics (US), BMC Software (US), New Relic (US), Appnomic (India), CloudFabrix (US), Loom Systems (US), Dynatrace (US), Zenoss (US), Ymor (US), Devo (US), Logz.io (US), ServiceNow (US), Corvil (Ireland), Interlink Software Services (UK), Correlata (Israel), ScienceLogic (US), Sumo Logic (US), RISC Networks (US), and Bay Dynamics (US).

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/cognitive-operations-market.asp

Connect with us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
HYDERABAD, India, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Leading real estate developer, Salarpuria Sattva, today signed a 10-year lease deal with J.P. Morgan, the global banking and financial services provider, for premium office space at the upcoming Knowledge City project in Hyderabad.

J.P. Morgan will take up 830,000 square feet across 16 floors within one building on the Knowledge City campus, making this deal the single largest real estate transaction in Hyderabad. The new building is an IGBC certified platinum-rated green building and sets strong standards in terms of sustainability and minimalizing environmental impact. It will also provide employees with best-in-class infrastructure and work facilities as well as include new-generation amenities such as a fitness center, creche, underground car parking facilities, food and beverage outlets and an amphitheater.

Mahesh Khaitan, Director, Salarpuria Sattva Group, said, "We are delighted to sign this deal with J.P. Morgan. This transaction reaffirms our reputation as a trusted partner for progressive organizations. With our deep expertise in developing and managing corporate real estate, we look forward to building relationships with more such organizations and reshaping Hyderabad's skyline."

Kalpana Morparia, CEO, South and Southeast Asia, J.P. Morgan, said: "Hyderabad is an important hub for J.P. Morgan and we are excited to be part of this new development. Moving to Knowledge City enables us to consolidate our presence to one location and bring all our employees together. It also further demonstrates our commitment to having best-in-class infrastructure in order to continue to meet our clients' needs while ensuring we provide exceptional facilities for our employees."

Knowledge City has been envisioned as one of Asia's largest and futuristic IT parks and will house several multinational companies such as Novartis Healthcare, Microsoft India, State Street Corporation, Synchrony Financial, Xilinx and EPAM.

CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, was the advisor on the transaction.

About Salarpuria Sattva Group

Present over the past 3 decades Salarpuria Sattva Group has grown into one of the most trusted builders in the country today. Headquartered in Bangalore, India, it also a well-known name in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Coimbatore, Jaipur and Goa. The Group will soon be expanding its presence in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. With 24 million sq.ft. spaces completed, 38 million sq.ft under construction and 30 million sq. ft on the drawing board, the Group is one of the premium builders in India today. Salarpuria Sattva's flagship commercial project and Asia's Best IT Tech Park- Knowledge City, is fast becoming the preferred choice of leading MNC's in the country. The Group's other cutting-edge upcoming projects in Hyderabad include: Knowledge Capital, Knowledge Park and Image Towers (a PPP based model with the Telangana State Government) thereby completing an overall of 20 million sq.ft in the state. The Group's unwavering adherence to quality has given it the 'trusted' tag among builders in the country, renowned for its 'A Stable' CRISIL rating.

Media Contact :

Sonakshi Mary Murze

[email protected]

+91-7022027847

Public Relations Officer

Salarpuria Sattva



SOURCE Salarpuria Sattva Group
MUMBAI, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Q1 Retail rental income at INR 2.4 billion, up 15% y -o-y

The Phoenix Mills Limited (PML), India's largest retail-led mixed-use asset developer and operator, today reported its unaudited financial results for the first quarter and 3 months ended on June 30, 2018 as approved by its Board of Directors.

Financial Highlights - Q1 FY2019 Consolidated

Revenue from operations at INR 4,132 million, up 4% y-o-y

EBITDA at INR 1,953 million, up 11% y-o-y

Profit after tax (after minority interest and before other comprehensive income) at INR 597 million, up 40% y-o-y

"Aggregate retail rental income across our malls continued to show momentum during the first quarter of FY 2019, reporting a robust growth of 15% backed by an aggregate consumption of INR 17.0 billion across our malls. The hotel portfolio did quite well in what is usually a seasonally weak quarter for the hotel industry due to very low inbound tourist traffic. With 5 acquisitions during the last 14 months, comprising a combination of land parcels and under-construction assets, we demonstrated our resolve to achieve the target of doubling the retail portfolio in the next 4-5 years", said Mr. Shishir Shrivastava, Joint Managing Director, The Phoenix Mills Limited.

Commenting on the financial performance, Mr. Pradumna Kanodia, Director - Finance, The Phoenix Mills Limited said, "An excellent performance during the quarter in our retail and commercial portfolios helped us post 11% y-o-y growth in EBITDA and an impressive 40% y-o-y growth in profit after tax. This is helping us generate superior cash flows which we are prudently deploying for our growth initiatives, resulting in much lesser additional debt relative to our deployment. Improvement in credit ratings across our SPVs is a testimony to the company's conservative and prudent fiscal discipline. The company's future growth plans will also be guided by such judiciously planned capital allocation strategy."

Retail - contributed 70% to Q1 FY2019 consolidated revenue

Aggregate consumption across our malls during Q1 FY2019 was INR 17.0 billion, up 5% y-o-y

Aggregate retail rental income across our malls was INR 2.4 billion, up by 15% y-o-y

PML has closed 4 acquisitions - land parcels in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, under-construction retail assets in Lucknow and Indore - between April and July 2018

and Ahmedabad, under-construction retail assets in Lucknow and Indore - between April and Together with Wakad, Pune , the above acquisitions take our un der-development retail leasable portfolio to c.4.6 million sq.ft

Commercial - contributed 4% to Q1 FY2019 revenue

As on June 30, 2018 , the company leased 0.81 million square feet out of 1.16 million square feet of net leasable area

, the company leased 0.81 million square feet out of 1.16 million square feet of net leasable area Rental income from commercial portfolio came in at INR 149 million

Art Guild House in Mumbai generated a rental income of INR 94 million during Q1

Hospitality - contributed 19% to Q1 FY2019 revenue

The St. Regis, Mumbai Q1 FY19 Room Revenues were up 8% y-o-y to INR 294 million ARR for the quarter was INR 11,295, up 5% y-o-y Q1 FY19 average occupancy was strong at 74%, up 2 percentage points compared to the prior year period EBITDA for Q1 FY19 at INR 242 million was up 9% y-o-y

Courtyard by Marriott, Agra Total Income came in at INR 56 million Q1 FY19 average occupancy was at 47%, down from 51% in corresponding quarter of the previous year ARR for Q1 FY19 was Rs. 3,181, up from INR 3,094 in corresponding quarter of the previous year



Residential - contributed 4% to Q1 FY2019 revenue

INR 281 million of revenue recognized for One Bangalore West in Q1 FY19

Sales during Q1 FY19 came in at INR 186 million

Total collection of the residential segment during Q1 FY19 was INR 257 million

NOTE:

Palladium Constructions Pvt Ltd (One Bangalore West and Kessaku projects) has aligned its policy of revenue recognition with Ind AS 115 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' which is effective from April 1, 2018. Accordingly, revenue in realty business is recognised on delivery of units to customers as against recognition based on percentage completion method followed so far in accordance with the Guidance note issued by ICAI. The company has followed modified retrospective method to the contracts that were not completed as at April 1, 2018 and cumulative effect of initial application has been adjusted in opening retained earnings as permitted by the standard. Accordingly, the comparatives have not been restated and hence not comparable with previous period figures.



The transitional adjustment of INR 1,132 million (net of deferred tax) has been adjusted against the opening retained earnings and for quarter ended June 30, 2018, the income from the projects is lower by INR 116 million, Cost of sales is lower by INR 29.3 million and profit after tax is lower by INR 56.7 million. Accordingly, the comparatives have not been restated and hence not comparable with previous period figures.

About The Phoenix Mills Limited (PML)

PML (BSE: 503100) (NSE: PHOENIXLTD) is a leading retail mall developer and operator in India and is the pioneer of retail-led, mixed-use developments in India with completed development of over 17.5 million square feet spread across retail, hospitality, commercial, and residential asset classes. The company has an operational retail portfolio of approximately 6.0 million square feet of retail space spread across 8 operational malls in 6 gateway cities of India. The company is further developing 5 malls with over 4.6 million sq. feet of retail space in 5 gateway cities of India.

For further information, kindly contact:

The Phoenix Mills Limited

Varun Parwal

VP - Finance & Investor Relations

+91-22-3001-6737

[email protected]



Dickenson Group

Mehul Mehta

President - Financial PR

+91-98202-80325

[email protected]



SOURCE The Phoenix Mills Limited (PML)
PARIS, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Eyevensys, a clinical stage biotech company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today announced that Gerald (Jerry) Cagle, Ph.D., former Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Alcon Laboratories has joined its Board of Directors.

Dr. Cagle is a highly respected pharmaceutical executive with managerial, technical and business experience spanning almost 40 years. Dr. Cagle served in key leadership roles for Alcon Laboratories Inc., including positions in clinical research, regulatory affairs, and product development. During the last 13 years at Alcon, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, introducing a range of new products. Dr. Cagle holds 28 issued patents in both drug and device areas and has published numerous scientific articles. More recently, he has served on the Boards of several life sciences companies.

Dr. Patricia Zilliox, CEO of Eyevensys, stated: "I am excited to welcome Dr. Cagle to our Board of Directors. His extensive wealth of product development and industry experience will be key to leverage our unique EyeCET platform. We expect Jerry's expertise to be valuable as we further progress our lead product EYS606, currently in a Phase I/II clinical trial for the potential treatment of non-infectious uveitis (NIU)."

Dr. Gerald Cagle said: "I am delighted to join Eyevensys' Board and look forward to working with a strong team and unlock the potential of its pioneering ocular drug delivery technology. The EyeCET technology is a very promising approach to address the deficiencies of current therapies for the treatment of a range of eye diseases. I look forward to contributing to the preclinical and clinical development efforts."

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a private clinical stage biotechnology company developing its innovative EyeCET platform to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a range of sight threatening ophthalmic diseases.

Eyevensys' EyeCET gene therapy technology uses electroporation to deliver protein coding plasmids, which are safe and non-viral, into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach facilitates the sustained production of therapeutic proteins, localized within the ciliary muscle cells.

Eyevensys' lead product EYS606, consists of Eyevensys' proprietary electro-transfection injection system (ETIS) in combination with a plasmid encoding for the production of anti-TNF, a cytokine that has been shown to play a pivotal role in mediating intraocular inflammation in non-infectious uveitis (NIU). EYS606 is currently in phase I/II clinical trial and has been granted an Orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of NIU.

Eyevensys' vision is to use the EyeCET platform to develop a pipeline of therapeutic proteins to address major unfulfilled needs in the treatment of sight threatening ophthalmic diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa, early stage Geographic Atrophy, macular ischemia and other ocular diseases.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. It is headquartered in Paris, France, and is funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Bpifrance, CapDecisif, Inserm Transfert, and Pontifax.

For more information about Eyevensys please visit www.eyevensys.com

For more information and a photo, please contact:

Eyevensys

Dr. Patricia Zilliox, CEO

patricia.zilliox@eyevensys.com

Tel: +33-(0)-1-84-79-10-61



Media Relations

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

David Dible, Sylvie Berrebi, Marine Perrier

eyevensys@citigatedewerogerson.com

Tel: +44-(0)-20-7638-9571



SOURCE Eyevensys
TORONTO and NEW YORK, August 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

TSX and NASDAQ: MPVD

Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province", or the "Company") (TSX and NASDAQ: MPVD) today announces its financial and operating results for second quarter ended June 30, 2018 ("Q2 2018") and first half of 2018 ("H1 2018"). All figures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

The Company is also pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has declared its first dividend of CDN 4 cents per share to be payable September 25, 2018 to the shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2018.

Highlights

Earnings from mine operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 amounted to $18.5 million and $43.0 million respectively.

The net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 was $6.3 million or $0.03 cents loss per share and $6.2 million or $0.03 cents loss per share. Included in the determination of net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 are unrealized foreign exchange losses of $7.7 million and $18.1 million respectively, on the translation of the Company's USD-denominated long-term debt. Generally, the weakening Canadian dollar compared to US dollar is beneficial to the Company.

Adjusted EBITDA [1] of $40.7 million and $73.3 million in Q2 2018 and H1 2018 respectively.

For the six months ended June 30, 2018 , approximately 1,684,000 tonnes of ore treated and 3,571,500 carats recovered, on a 100% basis, for an average recovered grade of 2.12 carats per tonne ("cpt"), marginally ahead of expectations. The Company's 49% attributable share of diamond production for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 was approximately 945,900 carats and 1,750,000 carats respectively.

Sales for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were $165.6 million ( US$129.2 million ) at an average realized value of $101 per carat ( US$79 per carat).

Cash costs of production, including capitalized stripping costs [1] , for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 were $112 ( $82 without stripping) and $96 ( $80 without stripping) per tonne of ore processed respectively.

Cash costs per carat recovered including stripping were $52 for the quarter and $45 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 .

Quarter end cash position of $33.5 million and net working capital of $100.4 million , with the US$50 million revolving credit facility remaining undrawn. As of June 30, 2018 , the debt balance was $433.4 million ( US$330 million ). Subsequent to the quarter, $4.02 million ( US$3.06 million ) of debt was repaid.

$2.5 million of exploration expenditures for ongoing exploration work on the Kennady properties.

Stuart Brown, the Company's President and CEO, commented, "The performance at the Gahcho Kue Mine for the second quarter continues to set excellent standards, and our production results are pleasing. The knowledge gained with each quarter allows us to build a better understanding of expectations as we mature as a mine. Our sales results are also steady as the market has become more familiar with our product."

"With the continued good performance of the mine and the cash reserves the Company has generated, we have decided to declare a dividend of 4 cents per share. The Company's policy is to manage down the debt levels and to pay reasonable dividends based on available cashflows. The level of future dividends may go up or down dependent on these cashflows which are strongly linked to realised diamond prices as well as the covenants relating to dividend declarations under the revolving credit facility and the secured notes payable conditions."

Financial Highlights Three Three Six Six months months months months ended ended ended ended (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted) June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Sales $ 99,075 27,648 165,640 27,648 Carats sold 000's carats 1,114 215 1,641 215 Average price per carat sold $/carat 89 129 101 129 Cost of sales per carat* $/carat 72 75 75 75 Earnings from mine operations per carat $ 17 54 26 54 Earnings from mine operations % 19% 42% 26% 42% Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 3,752 4,116 7,341 7,544 Operating income $ 11,187 7,663 31,292 4,235 Net (loss) income for the period $ -6,280 7,554 -6,213 5,410 Basic and diluted (loss) earnings per share $ -0.03 0.05 -0.03 0.03 * This cost of sales per carat includes the cost of acquiring 51% of the fancies and specials which have been sold, after having been won in a tendering process with De Beers.

The following table summarizes key operating statistics for the Gahcho Kue Mine in the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

Three months Three months Six months Six months ended June 30, ended June ended June ended June, 2018 30, 2017 30, 2018 30, 2017 GK operating data Mining *Ore tonnes mined kilo tonnes 341 940 1,082 1,551 *Waste tonnes mined kilo tonnes 9,943 7,449 17,404 14,508 *Total tonnes mined kilo tonnes 10,284 8,389 18,486 16,059 *Ore in stockpile kilo tonnes 238 396 238 396 Processing *Ore tonnes kilo tonnes 899 767 1,684 1,259 processed *Average plant tonnes per day 9,879 8,618 9,304 6,840 throughout *Average carats per tonne 2.15 2.1 2.12 1.97 diamond recovery *Diamonds 000's carats 1,931 1,614 3,572 2,481 recovered Approximate diamonds recovered - Mountain Province 000's carats 946 791 1,750 1,216 Cash costs of production per tonne, net of capitalized stripping ** $ 82 75 80 63 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, including capitalized stripping** $ 112 82 96 67 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, net of capitalized stripping** $ 38 36 38 32 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping** $ 52 39 45 34 Sales Approximate diamonds sold - Mountain Province*** 000's carats 1,114 469 1,641 885 Average diamond sales price per carat US $ 69 $ 87 $ 79 $ 80 * at 100% interest in the GK Mine including ramp-up period in 2017 **See Non-IFRS Measures section ***Includes the sales directly to De Beers for fancies and specials acquired by De Beers through the production split bidding process

Q2 2018 and H1 2018 Operational and Financial Highlights

(all figures reported on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated)

The plant treated 899,000 tonnes during the quarter, 17% ahead of the same quarter last year. In the first half of 2018, the plant treated 1,684,479 tonnes.

A record 1,930,500 carats were recovered at an average grade of approximately 2.15 carats per tonne in Q2 2018. Year to date, 3,571,500 carats have been recovered at an average grade of 2.12 carats per tonne. Q2 2018 recovered grade of 2.15 carats per tonne, was 2% higher than the same quarter last year, reflecting a strong grade performance in the second quarter.

341,000 Ore tonnes were mined in Q2 2018, significantly less than the same period last year. This was due to the need to mine increased waste in the quarter as a result of the start up of the Hearne Pit which in turn has impacted the cash cost per tonne and per carat measure including capitalized stripping. It is expected that the cost per tonne metric will reduce to our normal expected levels as stripping ratios in the Hearne pit stabilise. Year to date, a total of 1,082,000 tonnes of ore have been mined.

The plant continues to perform well with over 3.57 million carats recovered in the first half of the year. This is as a result of ongoing improvements and optimization work since commercial production began in early 2017, as well as the recovered grade also continuing to outperform expectations and is a key driver in achieving production targets at the Gahcho Kue Mine. Mining operations are also performing well, with over 10 million tonnes of material being mined during the quarter. Q2 2018 was a planned high waste cycle period brought on by the start up of the Hearne pit, as a result, ore tonnes mined were significantly less than was achieved during the same period last year. It is not expected that this will impact full year ore treated targets as there remains a healthy level of treatable ore stockpiled.

At June 30 2018, the Company remains well positioned to achieve or potentially exceed the upper end of its full year 2018 production guidance of 6.3 - 6.6 million carats recovered, however, the impact of the transition to more ore being treated from the Hearne pit is still to be fully understood.

Sales during the second quarter of 2018 was the highest achieved to date in the Company's history with $99.1 million (US$76.8 million) recognized as revenue. This figure excludes approximately $10.7 million (US$8.1 million) in revenue from 43,000 carats in Sale 5 which was not received until July 2018 and will be recognized as revenue in the third quarter of 2018. The attributed value per tonne of ore processed continues to perform well with a value noted of approximately $193 per tonne from the January to March 2018 production period where second quarter sales were derived from.

Cash on hand at June 30, 2018 was $33.5 million, a $4.8 million increase from the prior quarter balance of $28.7 million. The Company is well positioned to generate significant positive cash flows for the second half of the year as cash funding commitments for the Gahcho Kue Mine are heavily weighted to the first half of the year for winter road supply and capital commitments. Net working capital at June 30, 2018 was $100.4 million and the Company's US$50 million revolving credit facility remained undrawn.

The winterization of the material handling system is progressing well with earthworks recently completed and civil and construction work well underway and tracking well from a time and budget standpoint.

Exploration and evaluation work is ongoing on our Kennady properties. In addition to exploration, further work is being executed pertaining to permitting and geotechnical drilling. We will communicate the results of the ongoing projects as they become available.

Conference Call

Full details of the financial and operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2018 are described in Mountain Province's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements with accompanying notes and related Management's Discussion and Analysis. These documents are available on the Company's website at http://www.mountainprovince.com and on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Shareholders may contact Mountain Province at 161 Bay Street, PO Box 216, Toronto, ON, M5J 2S1, to request, free of charge, hard copies of the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis.

The Company will host an earnings conference call for analysts and investors on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed using the following details. A replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website.

Conference ID: 2878127

Date of call: 08/09/2018

Time of call: 11:00 Eastern Time

Expected Duration: 60 minutes

Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (866) 300-0510

Participant International Dial-In Number: (636) 812-6656

Replay:

Toll-Free Dial-In: (855) 859-2056

International Dial-In: (404) 537-3406

Passcode: 2878127

Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue Mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories. Gahcho Kue is the world's largest new diamond mine, consisting of a cluster of four diamondiferous kimberlites, three of which are being developed and mined under the initial 12-year mine plan.

Qualified Person

The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Keyvan Salehi, P.Eng., MBA, and Tom E. McCandless, Ph.D., P.Geo., both Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated.

These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.

Although Mountain Province 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 Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed.

Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.

Stuart Brown, President and CEO, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1410, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1, Phone: +1(416)361-3562, E-mail: info@mountainprovince.com ; Keyvan Salehi, Investor Relations, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1410, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1, Phone: +1(416)361-3562, E-mail: info@mountainprovince.com

SOURCE Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
.        -             ,     ...
Investigators charge Russian city construction official with corruption

 RIA Novosti, Mikhail Mordasov

11:37 09/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 9 (RAPSI)  Deputy head of the construction department for the city of Orenburg in Southern Russia Gennady Borisov has been charged with receiving a 2-million-ruble bribe ($30,200), the press-service of the regional Investigative Committee has reported.

Investigators are currently looking for evidence in the case. The official may be put in detention in the nearest future.

According to the law enforcement, on August 8, the official received 2 million rubles from the CEO of a commercial organization, who sought help with construction and sale of real estate in Orenburg. Borisov was apprehended soon afterwards.
Russian court dismisses appeals of two Crimean energy companies

 flickr.com/Joe Gratz

09:59 09/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 9 (RAPSI)  The Twenty First Commercial Court of Appeals has dismissed appeals filed by two Crimean energy producers Alpha Solar and Beta Solar owned by the Cypriot Ournia Commercial Ltd, against a court ruling declaring the companies bankrupt, the court documents read.

On June 8, the Commercial Court of Crimean Republic granted a motion of the VTB Capital PLC, finding Alpha Solar and Beta Solar bankrupt.

Last November-December, the Crimean Commercial Court initiated a monitoring procedure against Alpha Solar, Beta Solar, Gamma Solar and Zeta Solar companies on the request of VTB Capital Plc, Londons subsidiary of VTB Group.

In late 2016, the court granted an application filed by Russias Sberbank and recognized another four Simferopol companies, Delta Solar, Omao Solar, Osprey Solar and Oul Solar owned by the Austrian Black Sea Renewable Energies GmbH, as bankrupt.

Earlier, the Crimean Commercial Court returned bankruptcy claims against 12 Crimean energy companies owned by Black Sea Renewable Energies GmbH to the Fund for the Protection of Depositors Rights. The court held that the applicant had not furnished proofs of the fund representatives powers to sign the application on behalf of the creditor bank. According to the court, the claimant is Ukraines state bank Oschadbank; however, the bankruptcy petition was signed by the Fund for the Protection of Depositors Rights.
Russian citizen gets 5 years for plotting terror attack in Kazan Cathedral

 RIA Novosti, B. Manushin

15:00 09/08/2018

MOSCOW, August 9 (RAPSI)  A defendant in a criminal case over attempted terror attack in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg Yevgeny Yefimov has been sentenced to 5 years in a high security penal colony, RAPSI correspondent reports from the Leningrad District Military Court.

The defendant pleaded guilty to preparation of a suicide bombing terror attack as well as unlawful manufacturing of an explosive device. Yefimov made a pre-trial deal with investigators and the case was reviewed under a special procedure.

In addition to the prison term, Yefimov was fined 100,000 rubles ($1,500).

On June 27, a native of the Ingushetia Republic Aliskhan Esmurziyev was sentenced to 2 years in penal colony settlement and a 50,000-ruble fine ($800) as part of the case. The defendant pleaded guilty to failure to report a crime.

On June 25, another defendant, a native of the Republic of Dagestan Shamil Omargadzhiyev was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. He was found guilty of failure to report a crime and illegal possession of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Additionally, he was fined 50,000 rubles.

According to prosecutors, Yefimov decided to commit a terror attack on November 8, 2017. Investigators believe that he planned bombing to happen on December 16 but failed to actualize his plan as he was arrested on December 14.

According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), seven members of the Islamic State terrorist organization (ISIS) banned in Russia were arrested on December 14. They allegedly planned to commit a terrorist attack with the participation of a suicide bomber in one of the monumental cathedrals in St. Petersburg on December 16.

Investigators found that Yefimov prepared explosives, while his acquaintance Anton Kobets helped him with study of the site. Law enforcement officers believe that the ISIS leaders managed activities of the terrorist from abroad using Telegram messenger.

Weapons, explosives, and extremist literature have been seized during searches at their premises. Moreover, a laboratory for preparing explosive bombs was liquidated.
IWPR, July 24, 2018

By Mohammad Hassan Hakimi

A case in which a widow was beaten, humiliated and had her 12-year-old daughter sold off in marriage by her former in-laws has illustrated the extent of lawlessness in the southern province of Ghor.

Although aware of the case, the district governor told IWPR that he was powerless to intervene because local militias had far more power than he did.

Ghor is one of Afghanistans most underdeveloped provinces, with some areas ruled by insurgents and entirely out of government control. Gender violence, including underage and forced marriages, are widespread.

Guldasta, 45, told IWPR that she had no hope of justice for her abuse. The widow has four sons and two daughters and lives in the village of Barangi in Ghors Dowlina district.

Two years ago her husband, Akbar, died. She said that her brothers-in-law Haji Amir and Ghulam Hazrat immediately began to beat and mistreat her, even shaving off her hair to humiliate her.

Guldasta said the two brothers told her that, according to custom, she and her children were now their property to do with as they wished.

Their first action was to seize the 106 sheep and cows she had inherited from her husband.

Galdasta claimed that both men were among the followers of a local militia commander named Bashir, who had commanded them to steal her property and mistreat her.

Haji Amir and Ghulam Hazrat then sold Safia, Guldustas 12-year-old daughter, into forced marriage to a 53-year-old Barangi man for 4,000 US dollars.

In an attempt to prevent this, Guldasta said that she spent several days weeping and appealing to her fellow villagers for help, but none was forthcoming.

The cruel men sold my daughter like cows and sheep are sold  to an old man who also has other wives, Guldasta said.

Then Haji Amir and Ghulam Hazrat decided to sell Guldasta and her other daughters off in marriage the same way. With the help of a literate man in her village, she composed a letter of complaint and send it to Ahmad Hussain Danishyar, the Dowlina district governor.

IWPR has seen a copy of this letter, in which Guldasta informed the governor that for two years her brothers-in-law had beaten her, imprisoned her in a dark room and shaved off her hair.

The letter also recounts her daughters forced marriage and the threats to her and her other children. At the end, she asks the government to intervene and help her.

Danishyar acknowledged the theft of Guldastas cattle as well as the injustice done to her daughter Safia. But he said that he was unable to help her, explaining that it was armed men who resolved disputes in the local area rather than the authorities.

The law does not work in Dowlina; here, people listen to the gunmen, he said, adding, For me, it is not important to know who is at fault; what is important is that the government cannot stop cruel people from their actions.

Danishyar, district governor for the last five years, said that he received many cases of violence against women on a daily basis, even harsher than that of Guldasta. He made clear that he did not even refer these cases to the prosecutors office for fear that he would be attacked himself.

If I put pressure on powerful individuals today, I will lose this office building tomorrow, the district governor said.

IWPR spoke to the local strongman, Bashir, who said that although he had no personal involvement in Haji Amir and Ghulam Hazrats treatment of Guldasta, beating women was just a normal part of mens daily routine.

According to the customs of the people of Barangi village, a woman after her husbands death, has no authority of her own, let alone to claim inheritance, Bashir said.

What was unacceptable, he continued, was for a woman to file an official complaint against her male relatives.

As for the forced marriage of Safia to a man 40 years older than her, Bashir said that this too was all part of local tradition.

IWPR tried numerous times to interview Haji Amir and Ghulam Hazrat but with no success.

Abdulhai Khatibi, the spokesman of Ghors governor, declined to answer questions about the power that local militia members had to mistreat women.

He said, Unfortunately, the governor of Ghor province is not aware of Guldastas case because this has not yet been reported to him by the district governor.
The New York Times, July 31, 2018

By Rod Nordland and Fahim Abed

KABUL, Afghanistan  The army will take over security in the eastern city of Jalalabad, Afghanistan officials said Tuesday, hours after attackers overran a government refugee office there, killing 15 people. It was at least the 10th such assault on civilian targets this year.

The assault was part of a series of attacks attributed to the Islamic State against soft targets in or near the city of Jalalabad, where the extremists have been particularly active, mostly attacking civilians rather than confronting Afghan security forces.

Officials were so concerned that a decision was made to hand over security for the area to the Afghan National Army, beginning on Wednesday, according to Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar Province.



Photo: TOLOnews.com Photo: TOLOnews.com

The attack on Tuesday began with two midday explosions outside the Department of Refugee Affairs, with several gunmen then entering the building and its compound, Mr. Khogyani said.

Special forces engaged in intensive fighting against the attackers, Mr. Khogyani said, and rescued several people trapped inside the building.

Mr. Khogyani said the Islamic State was probably responsible for the attack, which he said had begun as refugee officials were meeting with donors representatives, although no foreigners were present.

The 15 people killed included a woman and a police officer, Mr. Khogyani said. The International Rescue Committee, a global relief organization that has operated in Afghanistan for 30 years, said an Afghan staff member also was among those killed.

We condemn this sickening attack on a humanitarian coordination meeting, where aid workers and government officials were discussing how best to help vulnerable Afghans, the organization said in a statement.

At least 15 others were injured, some of them as a result of injuries sustained when they jumped from the building during the attack. All three attackers were killed.

The Islamic States affiliate in Afghanistan, which calls itself the Islamic State in Khorasan, did not immediately claim responsibility, but normally it makes such claims only after an assault is over, and often the following day.

The Taliban immediately denied responsibility, according to a statement from their spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, in line with their recent promise not to attack predominantly civilian targets.The Islamic State in Khorasan has its strongest Afghan presence in southern Nangarhar Province and has carried out at least nine other attacks against purely civilian targets in Jalalabad or nearby this year. The group turned to suicide attacks on civilian targets, particularly lightly defended ones, after being heavily battered by American airstrikes and American and Afghan special operations assaults last year.Abdul Rahman Mawen, a civil activist in Jalalabad, blamed the extremists declining battlefield fortunes for the attacks on soft targets. ISIS was fighting against security forces in the first stages, but when they were beaten and suppressed by the security forces, they started attacking women, children and civilian targets, he said.

Nothing has proved off limits to the extremists. On Saturday, Islamic State fighters attacked a school for midwives in Jalalabad, killing three employees, although most of the 67 female students escaped unharmed. ISIS claimed responsibility the next day.

In May, they attacked during a government and Taliban cease-fire over the Ramadan holiday of Eid al-Fitr, killing 36 civilians at a celebration in Jalalabad.

On May 31, it was a boys school in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar Province, where the extremists beheaded three school workers. A day later, they attacked a group of minority Sikhs and Hindus waiting to meet President Ashraf Ghani while he was visiting Jalalabad; 19 were killed, including the countrys only Sikh candidate for Parliament.

Among the victims of Sundays bombing was Avtar Singh Khalsa, the only Sikh candidate running in Afghanistans parliamentary elections in October. Health officials in Nangarhar confirmed that Mr. Khalsa died in the attack.

His candidacy drew widespread attention across Afghanistan and was celebrated as a sign of the minority groups resilience and dedication to the country despite the harsh times.

Also among the dead was Rawail Singh, who was an active presence in civil society in Kabul. In one of the last pictures posted on his Facebook page, Mr. Singh is seen painting with his fourth-grade daughter. My sweet daughter, learning to paint and study in the Afghan National Institute of Music, part of the caption reads.

In the earlier attack on the school in Khogyani district, the assailants beheaded three caretakers at the Malikyar Hotak boys high school and then set the offices and library on fire, said Mohammed Asif Shinwari, a spokesman for the Nangarhar education department.

Malik Makee, a tribal elder in the district who also runs a pro-government militia, said he and his forces had arrived at the scene after residents asked for help. The three men who were killed were of older age, like me, he said.

We sewed their heads back on their bodies before we took them to the hospital and prepared them for funerals, he said.

Last month, the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan declared in a statement and in radio broadcasts that it would target schools  particularly those that teach girls  in response to the United States and Afghan military operations.

Days later, three suicide bombers tried to enter the Nangarhar education department in Jalalabad, the provinces capital. Ten civilians and one police officer were wounded in that attack, officials said.

Afghan schools are increasingly at risk on military, ideological and political fault lines, with attacks increasing in eastern Afghanistan, the Norwegian Refugee Council, which runs a program for displaced students at Malikyar Hotak school, said in a statement.

Mr. Makee, the militia commander, said the school that was attacked late Saturday was in an area that is largely controlled by the Taliban.

Government control in Khogyani has largely been restricted to the district center for many years, with the Taliban controlling vast parts of the area.

Last year, as Islamic State fighters were squeezed in neighboring districts, they tried to overrun the Taliban in Khogyani and establish a presence there. But they faced resistance both from the Taliban and the Afghan government.
BBC News, August 3, 2018

Two burka-clad men have killed 29 people and injured more than 80 in a suicide attack on a Shia mosque in Afghanistan, an official told the BBC.

The men struck with guns and explosives as people were attending Friday prayers in the eastern city of Gardez, Paktia province spokesman Abdullah Asrat said.

There are a number of children among the victims, he added.

The Taliban has denied it carried out the attack, and no other group has claimed responsibility.

The militant group Islamic State has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Shia mosques and other locations around Afghanistan.

It is under growing pressure from US air strikes and Afghan ground offensives. In many areas it is also fighting the Taliban.

Mr Asrat told the BBC the two men entered the mosque wearing full-face veils at about 13:30 local time (09:30 GMT).

They then opened fire on the worshippers, before one of the men was shot dead by security forces.



According to one eyewitness, the other assailant then made his way into a hall where people were hiding, and blew himself up.

Sayed Naimatullah, 30, heard the attack from his home, and rushed to the scene.

"The blood of the worshippers had painted the walls of the mosque... There were pieces of glass scattered all over," he told news agency AFP.

This is the latest in a series of attacks on cities across the country.

On Tuesday, at least 15 people were killed in an IS-claimed attack on a refugee office in Jalalabad, north-east of Gardez. On the same day 11 people were killed in the western province of Farah when a bus was hit by a roadside bomb in what was believed to be a Taliban attack.

The same day, 22 people were abducted by unknown assailants from vehicles on a highway linking Kabul and Gardez.

Nearly 1,700 civilians were killed in the first half of this year, the UN says, the highest total recorded for the period since counting began in 2009.
The New York Times, August 7, 2018

By Mujib Mashal

KABUL, Afghanistan  On the television screen in a second-floor room in Kabul last month, Ahmad Ishchi watched it live: how justice in Afghanistan bends to the powerful.

Instead of being taken away in handcuffs, those accused of heinous crimes in this country can be seen strolling a red carpet.

In the winter of 2016, Mr. Ishchi went on national television to accuse Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the vice president of a government bankrolled by the United States, of abducting him, and then punching and kicking him until a pool of blood formed under his feet. General Dostum, he said, next dropped his pants and tried  and failed  to rape him before asking his guards to sexually assault him with their guns.



Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the vice president of Afghanistan, arriving in Kabul last month, ending his self-imposed exile in Turkey. Mr. Ghanis cabinet officials, including a second vice president, Mohammad Mohaqiq, were part of the crowd that welcomed him. (Photo: Omar Sobhani/Reuters) Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the vice president of Afghanistan, arriving in Kabul last month, ending his self-imposed exile in Turkey. Mr. Ghanis cabinet officials, including a second vice president, Mohammad Mohaqiq, were part of the crowd that welcomed him. (Photo: Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

During those televised interviews in which he described what had been done to him, Mr. Ishchi, 63, who was perceived as a rival to General Dostums leadership of Afghanistans Uzbek community, couldnt sit straight because his wounds, verified by two medical forensic reports, were still too fresh.

While General Dostum had a long history of alleged human rights abuses that had never been prosecuted, it was harder for the government to ignore charges aired before such a large TV audience. President Ashraf Ghani promised justice, telling Western diplomats he would not tolerate this on his watch.

Amid an investigation into the rape allegations, General Dostum went into exile in Turkey. For more than a year after he left, he and two of his chief bodyguards refused to cooperate with investigators, vehemently denying the charges and calling it all a conspiracy.

Seven of General Dostums guards were sentenced to five years in prison. Court documents, which presented interviews with dozens of eyewitnesses as part of the evidence, left no doubt that the crime had happened.

Then, last month, General Dostum returned from exile  not, however, to submit to a court appearance, but to revel in a red-carpet reception.

Mr. Ishchi watched live on television from his Kabul home as Mr. Ghanis cabinet officials, including a second vice president leading the justice portfolio, thronged the steps of the generals plane. He watched as General Dostum, after a near miss with a suicide bombing, drove to his palace, where he told his supporters to celebrate.

Play your drums, your dambura tonight, said General Dostum, a charismatic orator, referring to a type of lute. Tomorrow, go back to your studies.

Lined up behind the general were several of the bodyguards who had been convicted  and who should have been in jail, not on television.

Their weapons in hand, in uniform, they were standing behind him, Mr. Ishchi said. Its 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.

What Mr. Ishchi said he saw was a government that had promised justice but showed no will for it. Or couldnt deliver it.

And he saw a class of former warlords, many of them also accused of crimes, uniting around General Dostum despite recent bloody battles with him, because if one of them faced justice it would leave the rest vulnerable, too.



Ahmad Ishchi, who says he was detained and assaulted on Dostums orders last month, displays an injury on his leg at his home in Kabul on Dec. 13. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters) Ahmad Ishchi, who says he was detained and assaulted on Dostums orders last month, displays an injury on his leg at his home in Kabul on Dec. 13. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

Mr. Ishchi said he took the celebrations around the generals homecoming as another display of how there is no shame, there is no conscience among Afghanistans leadership.

His son, Baktash, said his father was worried. With General Dostum back, what would happen to the dozens who had provided eyewitness accounts of the crime, and to the hundreds who had protested against it? Already, some armed men have fired in the air in front of Mr. Ishchis house in his home province, Jowzjan, where he was once governor.

He was very demoralized, Baktash said.

He tried to console his father, telling him the generals return increased the odds of a court hearing, although he didnt really believe that. To try to lift his fathers spirits, he said, we told him all the lies we could.

Despite coming to power with the help of people like General Dostum, whom he had called a known killer in the years before choosing him as a running mate, Mr. Ghani, the author of a book called Fixing Failed States, had raised the hopes of many Afghans that he would rein in the crimes and corruption of the elite.

Last week, however, the top American watchdog for Afghanistan issued a scathing review of Mr. Ghanis efforts. The American government views Afghanistan as consistent with a largely lawless, weak, and dysfunctional government, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in a report.

Court documents and interviews with officials suggest that a genuine effort was made by lower level officials to bring General Dostum to justice, but that it was scuttled by lack of political will at the top.

Prosecutors repeatedly punched above their weight, including convincing the countrys Supreme Court to move the case from Jowzjan, the scene of the crime  where General Dostum exerts almost total control  to more neutral ground in Kabul.

The fact that prosecutors even indicted General Dostum surprised many, who had considered him untouchable.

But the judges assigned to the case, based on direction from the Supreme Court, repeatedly asked the prosecutors to drop the vice presidents name from the indictment until he appeared for questioning. He never did so, and the trial was postponed indefinitely. That judicial stance, Mr. Ishchis team believes, was where political meddling in the case was decisive.

Even if Mr. Ghani was sincere about wanting justice in this case, he undermined his efforts by political mistakes  which survivors of Afghanistans history of turmoil, like General Dostum, are masters at exploiting.



RAWA.org: Dostum's militiamen committed horrendous crimes during the Kabul infighting (1992-1996). His men were involved in killing, raping, looting houses and other crimes. Dostum's militiamen committed horrendous crimes during the Kabul infighting (1992-1996). His men were involved in killing, raping, looting houses and other crimes.

With the general in exile, Mr. Ghani sent government forces to arrest Nizamuddin Qaisari, the commander of the generals militia in restive Faryab province, who was also accused of abuses. But the method of arrest stirred trouble for Mr. Ghani, as leaked photos and videos showed the troops kicking and abusing Mr. Qaisaris bound guards.

General Dostums lieutenants took advantage of the anger over the videos, and stoked demonstrations across several provinces in the north. The protests, which demanded the return of General Dostum, continued until Mr. Ghani sent his advisers to Turkey to fly him back to Kabul. Days later, a smiling Mr. Ghani received his vice president in his office.

The first vice president is back. He goes to his office and continues his job, said Haroon Chakhansuri, a spokesman for Mr. Ghani. Legal issues go to the justice system, and they will make their decisions.

Besides the protests, electoral calculations are another reason for Mr. Ghani warming up to General Dostum. The president faces re-election next year, and losing General Dostums Uzbek support base would be a major blow.

Abdul Shukoor Dadras, a legal expert and defense lawyer, said the legal process had lacked clarity on central issues, including whether the countrys sitting vice president could be questioned by the attorney general, or whether a special process was needed.

Unfortunately, from day one, this case has been dealt with more as a political game, Mr. Dadras said. And we saw the result of it, which was the return of General Dostum, as part of a deal, to the seat of vice presidency.

Mr. Ishchi and his family say they are losing hope that Mr. Ghanis government will be able to provide justice, particularly in an election year. But they will continue their struggle.

Mr. Ishchi has lodged a case against General Dostum at the International Criminal Court. In Afghanistan, in addition to pressing the government with petition after petition, he has started a newspaper, compiled a book on the case and is working on his memoirs.

At least we will show the true face of this criminal, Mr. Ishchi said.

Fahim Abed and Fatima Faizi contributed reporting.
IWPR, August 8, 2018

By Shamil Ahmad Mashal

Officials in the north-western Afghan province of Badghis fear that poverty fuelled by an ongoing drought is leading to rising rates of child and forced marriage.

The legal age for marriage in Afghanistan is 16, although it can be as low as 15 with parental consent.

A joint report by the ministry of labour, social affairs, martyrs and disabled and UNICEF on child marriage, released in July 2018, showed that at least one family member was married before the age of 18 in 42 per cent of households across Afghanistan.

However, reported instances of child marriage in the household were much higher in the deeply conservative province of Badghis, at 55 per cent.

Najibullah Azimi is head of child protection at the provincial department of labour and social affairs.

He told IWPR that over the past 18 months they had logged around 70 cases of child marriage but noted that this was unlikely to reflect the true extent of the phenomenon.

We only have three employees in the centre, in Qali Naw, who are responsible for registering cases of underage marriage, he said. However, we have neither offices nor employees in the remaining five districts of Badghis to track down and record such cases. We understand that the number of underage girls being sold or given in forced marriage is much higher in the districts and the villages.

Azimi said that the current drought was a major factor, driving many families into financial hardship. Afghan grooms generally pay a hefty bride price to their in-laws, and families often cite poverty as a reason for early marriage.

The drought in Badghis has escalated this year, and has caused many personal and family problems, Azimi continued. One of the problems is that families sell their underage daughters to much older men.

Zarghona Shirzad, provincial director of womens affairs, also said that the true figure was much higher than that available to her colleagues in the department of labour and social affairs.

These figures cannot even present part of the true statistics, she continued, explaining that most underage marriages were never reported to governmental bodies. In more remote areas, girls had no kind of access to official institutions to report their plight.

In such a situation, Shirzad continued, she focused on the most extreme cases.

As the director of womens affairs, I am most concerned about the girls aged between 10 and 15 who become victims of forced marriages to men aged 60 or 70, she said. In this way, girls are deprived of any kind of comfort in their lives.

She highlighted the case of Zargar, who was a 14-year-old schoolgirl when she was sold for 14,000 US dollars to a 65 year-old man in March 2017.

Zargar endured two months in her new husbands home in Qarchi village in Qadis district, until the abuse she experienced there forced her to return to her own village of Chashm-e-Shirin.

My parents had taught me that whatever my husband tells me, I should accept and follow, she told IWPR, explaining that her husband, his brothers and even his other wives hit her, pulled her hair out and humiliated her.

They would beat me because I did not know how to cook and wash clothes properly, the teenager said.

Zargar said that she had registered her ill-treatment with the provincial department of womens affairs and wanted local officials to help her get a divorce.

For her part, Shirzad said that she had advised Zargar to stay at her fathers house until the court delivered their verdict.

Zargars father Abdul Manan told IWPR that he now regretted selling his daughter into marriage.

Come what may, I will have my daughter divorced from her cruel husband, he said, explaining that he had been deep in debt and felt he had no choice.

I was a rich man, and had a herd of sheep, but selling it did not fetch enough money to clear what I owed, Manan continued. I realized that I had nothing else but my daughter to sell and settle my debts."

Even those who manage to file cases with the prosecutors office often find themselves unable to conclude them.

Angila Sayedi, a womens rights prosecutor in Badghis, said that last year 12 girls who had lodged complaints about their husbands behaviour had gone on to withdraw them.

Without support from local government officials, many girls and young women are too vulnerable to pursue their legal cases.

Shayesta was married last February aged just ten years old. The girl, from the village of Qarcheghi, told IWPR that her brother had sold her for 10,000 dollars to a man who already had several other wives.

Her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law and fellow wives were all violent to her, she continued.

One day, my sisters-in-law and my husbands other wives got so angry with me they attacked me with acid, Shayesta said. I would have died if our neighbours had not arrived to rescue me.

Shayesta said that wanted to divorce her husband as soon as possible but needed government support to do so.

I am afraid that my husband might kill me because of the divorce issue, she concluded.
The persistence with Aadhaar, to the exclusion of all other identity systems, is a dangerous path and should be avoided if the risks of digital vulnerability are to be eliminated.

Till such time that the ownership of the Aadhaar system is transferred to an independent body, concerns over Aadhaars digital vulnerability will persist, says A K Bhattacharya.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Social media as a platform for settling policy disputes is an idea whose time has not yet come, or perhaps should never come.

Exchanges over social media often tend to digress from the main subject and degenerate into either petty nitpicking or grandstanding with no focus on the central issues at stake.

A lot of heat and dust is generated, but little light is shed to help conclude a policy debate.

Yet, many sensible people in responsible positions have of late triggered a debate on social media to make a point or establish the case for a certain view or policy.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Ram Sewak Sharma is one of them.

Mr Sharma is a strong supporter of Aadhaar, a 12-digit biometrics-based unique identity number issued by the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) to all residents of the country.

He was the UIDAIs first director general from 2009 to 2013 and closely involved with the idea of an identity number that was supposed to be robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities and could be verified and authenticated in an easy and cost-effective way.

However, its digital robustness and vulnerability to data breaches have continued to be a matter of debate since its inception in 2009.

That debate reached a new high last week. In response to a recent challenge from a social media participant, Mr Sharma put out his Aadhaar identity number on his Twitter post in a bid to prove that the Aadhaar system was robust and immune to any digital breach without any risks even when one makes the number public.

It was an open challenge to anybody to use Mr Sharmas Aadhaar number, hack into his identity details and show how that could be misused.

This was also his way of telling all the detractors of Aadhaar that all was well with the identity system and it couldnt be breached.

In the days to follow, many social media posts were agog reporting how Mr Sharmas personal details like his phone number, email address and permanent account number could be accessed on the basis of his Aadhaar number.

Whats more, one social media post talked about how Rs 1 could be deposited in Mr Sharmas bank account.

Mr Sharma was not at all rattled by these revelations. And rightly so.

The details of the data made public by his detractors do not conclusively establish that Mr Sharmas Aadhaar identity was breached.

Such information could be available from a variety of other publicly available sources.

Even the payment of Rs 1 to his account is possible without any compromise with his Aadhaar identity.

So far, at least, Mr Sharmas Aadhaar details have not been breached.

This is a telling comment as much on the efficacy of the community of ethical hackers, who tried to breach Mr Sharmas identity, as on the quality of debate that usually takes place on social media.

Just as the detractors of the Aadhaar system failed to conclusively prove their point, the social media platform also proved to be completely unfit for carrying out any serious or healthy debate to settle a policy dispute of this nature.

And yet it would be patently wrong to believe Mr Sharmas assertion that everything is hunky-dory with the Aadhaar system and the identity numbers have no digital vulnerability to worry about.

Mr Sharmas Aadhaar identity may not have been compromised, but it would be wrong to conclude that there are no risks in such a system.

The risks are not only on account of the much-talked-about privacy issues. Hopefully, privacy concerns would be addressed by the proposed law based on the report submitted by Justice B N Srikrishna.

But there are other risks as well and those should not be ignored.

It would be useful to highlight just two such risks in light of the recent controversy.

One, the Aadhaar system resides in a single database. It is always risky to keep the entire countrys biometrics-based identity details in a single database, making the task of a hacker or an enemy country much easier.

These risks can multiply when the Aadhaar number becomes the only and compulsory identity proof for all residents in the country.

Supporters of Aadhaar would argue that it is not an identity proof, but an instrument for authenticating ones identity.

But the manner in which Aadhaar has come to be used in this country over the years, it has essentially been reduced to be used as an identity proof.

And, it makes sense for any governance structure to have in place more than one identity system.

Yes, authenticating an identity is a must.

But why should the honour of an authenticated identity be bestowed only on Aadhaar?

Why should not the same rigour of authenticating an identity be followed before a permanent account number for income-tax purposes or a driving licence is issued?

A governance structure that is dependent solely on one identity system is certainly weaker than that which has more than one equally robust identity system.

The persistence with Aadhaar, to the exclusion of all other identity systems, is a dangerous path and should be avoided if the risks of digital vulnerability are to be eliminated.

The second risk emanates from the organisational structure that houses the Aadhaar database.

Whatever be the regime, the identity database of the entire country will remain under the direct supervision and control of the political executive.

Why should such an important database not remain under a Constitutionally mandated independent body?

There is no denying that the identity database of the country is a huge asset for anybody who has control over it.

It would be safer if the repository of such a database is an independent body with a status which makes it as independent as say the Comptroller and Auditor General of India or the Election Commission of India.

Till such time that the ownership of the Aadhaar system is transferred to an independent body, concerns over Aadhaars digital vulnerability will persist.
Bombay Dyeing is betting on creating a range of unique, customised textile products, a route that is largely unexplored by the home textiles players although several industry reports and consumer behavior studies have talked about the potential for personalisation.

When Nowrosjee Wadia established Bombay Dyeing in 1879 it had no competition. Linen companies like Welspun (whose linen is on display in the picture above) and D'Decor are now giving Bombay Dyeing a run for its money. Photograph: Courtesy Welspun/Facebok.

After decades, the one-time textile major is rebuilding its brand in a segment that it earned its spurs in.

Bombay Dyeing sells much more snazzy sheets than it did two decades ago. No more plain-Jane, boring light blues and whites. It is investing in product and design innovations that suit customer preferences in the new markets. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

With a strategy to push through its retail footprint in small towns and online channels and with millennial buyers as its target group, the Wadia group company is stitching together a new story for its flagship textile brand. But while Bombay Dyeing has the advantage of a near 140-year-old legacy, breaking into the new marketplace with a radically different set of competitors and consumers is a challenge say experts.

The company has opened several new stores in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

Customisation and aggressively building an online retail footprint are how the company sees itself re-establishing the brand. Aloke Banerjee, CEO, retail business, Bombay Dyeing says they are looking at smaller towns and the millennial generation through a resurgent offline and online marketing strategy.

It has a strategy to push through its footprint through online channels with millennial buyers as its target group. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

While the home textiles market is largely unorganised, Bombay Dyeing has been a legacy brand already carrying a high recall value among consumers. Unlike other brands, Bombay Dyeing can start something new and still gain traction across India, even online, said Prashant Aggarwal, joint managing director, Wazir Advisors, a retail consulting firm.





It plans to add another 100 franchisee-owned stores in small towns. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

The offline retail strategy involves new stores being opened up in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns as well as working with a new franchise model. Bombay Dyeing is also investing in product and design innovations that suit customer preferences in the new markets.

Sales online brings in about 10 per cent of its business. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

But the gamble is bigger for the brands online expansion plans. Bombay Dyeing is betting on creating a range of unique, customised textile products (on the lines of a made-to-measure strategy that is being explored by several apparel brands). This is route has been largely unexplored by the home textiles players although several industry reports and consumer behavior studies have talked about the potential for personalisation.





Bombay Dyeing's ad spend in 2018 will be 7 per cent of its annual revenue . Photograph: Courtesy @BombayDyeing_In/Twitter.

Personalisation is the gateway to the world of the millennial shopper and also allows brands to operate within the premium category. It is also an opportunity that is best explored via online marketing channels and having seen a steady traction, with currently 10 per cent of its business coming from online sales, Bombay Dyeing is keen to dig deeper.





In India the organised home textiles market was worth Rs 142.2 billion in 2017. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

We are on major e-commerce platforms. At present, it is contributing to around 10 per cent of our business. We expect it to grow further. Also, to target the millennial we launched customisation of bed sheets. People want detailing to take place as per their need and requirement. We enable that at a very affordable price point, Banerjee said.





Bed linen is responsible for 50 per cent to Bombay Dyeing's turnover. But 20 per cent comes from bath linen. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

According to several industry analysts, this could be a way to differentiate the brand in a crowded market. The brands new television commercial, its first one in several years, also talks about the customised offering. The Make Your Own Bed Sheet campaign is expected to be part of the larger brand story throughout the year and Banerjee said, This year we plan to invest a substantial sum for branding and promotion activities of Bombay Dyeing.



Currently, bed linen contribute around 50 per cent to Bombay Dyeing's turnover, followed by 20 per cent by bath linen such as towels, and rest 30 per cent from other products put together.





Bombay Dyeing is tickling the fancies of its customers by offering customisation, ie, make your own bedsheets. Photograph: Courtesy www.bombaydyeing.com.

The online experience has been rewarding, the company says and that has helped frame even its offline expansion.

Bombay Dyeing believes its fiscal 2018-2019 turnover will jump to Rs 6.5 billion at MRP level. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

It plans to add another 100 franchisee-owned stores in small towns. We have seen from e-commerce (purchase patterns) that our responses have been very good from Tier-2 and 3 towns. So, we are getting into hinterland also. The places have been identified and we are waiting for opportune moment for rolling them out, said Banerjee.



The big challenge is retaining the brands premium positioning and legacy status in a market where a number of newer labels have carved out a niche. Among its big competitors today are D-Decor, Portico, Trident, and Welspun, among others.

D'Decor's snooty line of Mr and Mrs S Khan-endorsed bed linen has captured the imagination of the market and is giving Bombay Dyeing a reason to innovate. Photograph: Courtesy D'Decor/Facebook.

Market research firm, Euromonitor International, estimates the organised home textiles market is valued at around Rs 142.2 billion (2017), up from Rs 129.2 billion in 2015. However, the market is growing at 10 per cent (compound annual growth rate) CAGR and the overall Indian domestic home textiles market size (including unorganised) is expected to touch Rs 480 billion by 2021, as per consulting firm Wazir Advisors. Currently, the organised home textiles market is estimated to be 15-20 per cent of the entire domestic industry.





In spite of its 140-year legacy making it in new marketplaces, that have a totally separate kind of competitors and customers, is always a gamble. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

To further boost its online offering that could help Bombay Dyeing reach younger consumers, the home textiles brand is also learnt to be in talks with a major e-commerce player for a strategic partnership.

In online channel, based on our engagement, one of the major e-commerce partners has expressed interest in expanding their product portfolio with Bombay Dyeing in home furnishing category. Together we have identified new products with maximum potential basis their consumer demand, added Banerjee.





Linen and accessories for children's rooms is a crowd puller. Photograph: Courtesy Bombay Dyeing/Facebook.

Bombay Dyeing is also banking on its advertising spend this year at seven per cent of its annual revenue to boost its online-cum-offline retail strategy. On the back of the advertising spend and retail expansion, Bombay Dyeing expects its fiscal 2017-2018 turnover worth Rs 4 billion at MRP level to jump to Rs 6.5 billion in FY 2018-2019.
'Aggravated fears about the fate of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution have reopened old wounds and laid bare the widening emotional distance between Srinagar and New Delhi,' says Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.

IMAGE: Sheikh Abdullah with Jawaharlal Nehru in this 1948 photograph. Five years later, the Nehru government dismissed the Abdullah government. Kashmir has not been the same since.

The cascading, ghastly, fallout of Sheikh Abdullah's undemocratic, unconstitutional and morally indefensible dismissal from power on August 9, 1953, has never before been as ominously close, and as crucially relevant, to the contemporary scene in Jammu and Kashmir as it is now, 65 years later.

Surcharged feelings of deep concern, resulting from aggravated fears about the fate of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution of India, have reopened old wounds and laid bare the wide -- and widening -- emotional distance between Srinagar and New Delhi, as also between the Kashmir and Jammu regions, with all its undesirable concomitants.

It has compounded an already tenuous ground situation and is fuelling fears over attempts at re-opening 'settled issues' related to the demographic character of India's only Muslim-majority state.

Recent developments on this front have agitated the minds of the local population across the board and cut across political and ideological lines.

It is reviving six-decade old dark memories of a brazen assault on the most visible face of safeguards guaranteeing J&K's special Constitutional status within the Indian Union.

Sheikh Abdullah's arbitrary removal as duly elected prime minister of the state in 1953, an unimaginable proposition until that moment and its crude follow-up over the years and decades, has eroded mutual faith underlying the Accession.

It was on that fateful day that the state's tallest; most popular, most respected leader was literally dragged down from his high public pedestal and pushed behind bars to humiliate him.

Erosion of the state's Constitutionally guaranteed internal autonomy has gone on unabated since then. Today, that framework looks all but hollow from inside.

Kashmiris were stunned by this arrogant display of might in 1953. Over half a century later, those feelings are now compounded by frustration over the calculated indifference on the part of those ostensibly committed to 'win hearts and minds' of the people of Kashmir.

Each passing day strengthens the impression that such platitudes have disappared from the rulers' lexicon. In its place, one only hears narrowly crafted exhortation around the 'national interest'.

And that vacuous refrain has become a convenient excuse for evading political as well as moral obligations, whether related to moderating the humanitarian fallout of security and counter-insurgency operations, creating space for wider political engagement or responding to the popular urge for the state's open commitment to uphold and intervene in defence of Constitutional safeguards like Article 35A and Article 370.

Instead, the border state was denuded of its normal Constitutional arrangement and burdened with an avoidable political vacuum resulting from the Bharatiya Janata Party's abrupt unilateral withdrawal from the Peoples Democratic Party-led coalition and imposition of governor's rule in June.

Till the last moment, the BJP's declared position was that in a sensitive border state like J&K even the worst political arrangement was better than a vacuum at the top.

It was way back in 1953 that the terminology (of the 'supremacy of the national interest') was employed for the first time, to camouflage the brazen assault on popular aspirations rooted in the Accession that itself was conceived and marketed as 'an act of mutual faith'.

With the passage of time this high-handed attitude became the norm in dealing with men and matters in Jammu and Kashmir.

Change in the political and/or ideological complexion of the power structure in New Delhi made only a marginal difference in its style of 'handling Kashmir', not in its substance.

Until he was forcibly ejected from power and thrown behind bars in 1953, Sheikh Abdullah was paraded and exhibited -- nationally as well as internationally -- as the symbol of the moral legitimacy of J&K's Accession with the Indian Union, achieved against the (communal) run of events on the subcontinent in 1947.

In one fell swoop, just six years later, that pedestal of mutual faith was brought down and, step by step, hammered into pieces. Its symbol was unceremoniously ejected and consigned to the political wilderness.

The net result has been the steady disenchantment with mainstream politics and the depleting stock value of its practitioners. Ironically, it is this segment that symbolises the 'face of India' in the Kashmir context.

The treatment meted to that lot, from Sheikh Abdullah to Mehbooba Mufti (though mutually incomparable), conveys a message that has not been lost upon the people of the state.

So much so that when Sheikh Abdullah finally came round to 'returning to the national mainstream' (an euphemism for his restoration to power) after 22 years in the political wilderness it was on New Delhi's humiliating terms dictated in the 1975 Kashmir Accord.

His return to power came with a huge price tag -- for him and his legacy.

Sheikh Abdullah's progeny was left to continue paying that heavy price. Two succeeding generations of them now know it at their cost.

Aatish-e-Chinar, Sheikh Abdullah's autobiography, makes no secret of his deep sense of hurt and betrayal on this account. And why not?

He certainly deserved a better deal for jettisoning his (plebiscite) plank. During his lifetime, his own tall stature enabled him to withstand every setback and survive largely unscathed.

But after his death in 1982, it took hardly any time for accumulated estrangement and anger to burst into the open.

Sheikh Abdullah got nothing in hand to pass on to his progeny to sell down the line and today his successors are paying the price. The National Conference is a pale image of its old self; shrunk in size and influence.

Sheikh Abdullah was thoroughly disillusioned and bitter. Worse, he felt cheated by those he had trusted all his life -- the Congress leadership.

This cascading fallout of 1953 is one of the root causes of disillusionment at the mass level and its unmanageable consequences on the ground.

Aggravated alienation offers an ideal breeding ground for inimical, irrational, responses. No end to local youth taking up the gun, notwithstanding its mounting human cost to society.

Political indifference at the top (in New Delhi) is breeding hopelessness and frustration across the board with all sorts of ominous offshoots.

One needs to just move around interior parts of the Kashmir valley to feel the pulse of the people. Cumulative chemistry of two (post-Sheikh) generations, rooted in the hurt Kashmiri psyche, makes them vulnerable to radicalisation.

The sense of hurt and humiliation triggered off on August 9, 1953 has gained fresh momentum, quite ominously.

The trend towards making common cause, across the ideologically divided local political spectrum, over sensitive basic issues is its new offshoot.

Rarely in the past have pro-Accession and anti-Accession forces in Kashmir found it politically or personally convenient to close ranks over an issue that intrinsically pertains to the provisions of the Constitution of India (separatists avowedly disclaim allegiance to the Constitution).

But the storm over New Delhi's indifference towards the fate of Article 370 and Article 35A has sucked them all together, in an apparently now-or-never sort of combat.

For the moment, the Accession is no longer the Line of Demarcation.

The trajectory of August 9 reveals its ultimate reality even though the dark secret of its original plot remains largely shrouded in mystery, like that of the mysterious theft and recovery of the Holy Relic from the Hazratbal shrine in 1963 that turned out to be as good a political earthquake.

None of the main actors of August 9 including the hero of its tragedy -- Sheikh Abdullah -- has so far told the whole truth. That is why 65 years after the event in 1953 it is impossible to complete the picture of the (original) plot. There are vital missing links in everyone's account.

Back in 1947, Sheikh Abdullah's admirers hailed him for swimming upstream and playing a key role in his state's Accession with the Indian Union. It was hailed as his 'momentous achievement'. However, by 1953 it was the turn of his detractors to dub it as his 'monumental blunder'.

The crux of Sheikh Abdullah's legacy, however, lies somewhere between these two conflicting perceptions.

New Delhi's high-handed action to oust and imprison Sheikh Abdullah in 1953 eventually turned out to be a bad bargain in the long run: Undermining India's moral legitimacy in its Kashmir case for the sake of a questionable political gambit to artificially force the pace of the state's 'integration' with the Union and 'managing' (manipulating?) its local affairs.

Between 1947 and 1953, Sheikh Abdullah was exhibited on the world stage as the living symbol of India's moral legitimacy in Kashmir.

However, the inverted logic of 1953 dictated the loss of that moral high ground.

No doubt that Sheikh Abdullah's relationship with New Delhi towards the fag end of his first innings (1947 to 1953) was fouled by mutual distrust over various issues including that of the demarcation of Centre-state relations in the context of India's commitment to Maharaja Hari Singh on greater internal autonomy for his state.

Even so, the Delhi Agreement of 1952, laying the foundation for a broad framework of distribution of powers between Srinagar and New Delhi (in terms of Article 370 of the Constitution of India) was concluded with Sheikh Abdullah at the helm.

The job done, Sheikh Abdullah found himself thrown behind the bars shortly thereafter.

Today, when the existence and Constitutional legitimacy of the very same Article 370 (and Article 35A) is being challenged bitter old memories are coming alive.

Now that the ground situation has come to that where the Laxman Rekha (of Accession), demarcating the local political arena, has been rendered obscure, New Delhi can afford to ignore its potential implications only at the peril of the country's larger interests in this sensitive border state.
'Isn't it in India's long-term interests that Tibet-related issues do not remain a point of discord in Sino-Indian relations?' asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

IMAGE: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Baba Ramdev at the World Peace and Harmony conclave in Mumbai, August 13, 2017. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters

A sensational report by a Japanese publication that Prime Minister Narendra D Modi discussed a Faustian deal on Tibet with Chinese President Xi Jinping stretches credulity.

The report, citing Indian sources, claimed that the Modi government is dumping the Tibetan issue in anticipation of the Dalai Lama's death as a quid pro quo by Beijing on a partial border settlement.

It is a curious report, to say the least.

First, one would like to think that Modi being a staunch Hindu, will not possibly discuss the life after someone's death who is still alive. Period.

Second, Xi has a stated position, repeated ad nauseum, that China will never make concessions on its territories.

Third, even if such a diabolical exchange had taken place at Wuhan on an explosive topic (which had contributed to the 1962 conflict), it cannot possibly become bazaar gossip.

India is not a banana republic.

So, why has such an attempt been made to scandalise Modi as someone raring to dump the 'Tibetan cause'?

One reason could be that the Japanese publication, which has a record of Sinophobia, simply vandalised the Wuhan summit in a continuing attempt to stall any improvement in India-China relations. Quite possibly, motivated Indians put the publication onto it.

For, it is no secret that Modi's initiative to improve relations with China lacks acceptability within sections of our so-called 'strategic community' -- think-tanks, media, 'China experts' and so on -- who for reasons of their own have convinced themselves that Sino-Indian geopolitical rivalry must inexorably run its course until Delhi can negotiate with Beijing from a position of strength.

Having said that, the fact remains that there has been a flurry of media reports lately on Tibet. They have focused attention on the tumultuous life and times of the Karmapa Lama.

In particular, following his recent remarks about returning to India after a year-long sojourn in the United States, there is an animated discussion going on regarding the topic.

It appears that the Indian security establishment, which viewed him as a 'Chinese spy' and had kept him under close surveillance for almost two decades in a remote monastery in Dharamsala, has had a profound rethink in recent weeks and is now beseeching him to come back to India.

It seems that the Indian agencies have made a seductive offer of prime land (a 5-acre sprawling estate) in Delhi to set up the Karmapa's headquarters on a grand scale.

Many of these reports are so obviously based on 'spin' by intelligence agencies. Now, spooks are creators perfectly capable of constructing a world that works on the same emotional basis as successful soap operas.

So, what is the soap opera here about?

Put differently: How come the government has had a change of heart with regard to the 32-year-old Karmapa in the downstream of the Wuhan summit in end-April?

More to the point, the Karmapa has been living in America for over a year and it is inconceivable that the CIA never got to know about his presence on a lavish 150-acre estate in the Wharton state forest area in New Jersey that has been 'gifted' to him -- purportedly by a Taiwanese couple.

In fact, his remarks about his intention to return to India were transmitted by Radio Free Asia, which is known to be a US intelligence outfit.

To be sure, the whole sordid soap opera stinks to the heavens.

As the Japanese publication report hints, there are all sorts of interest groups (within and outside India), who want the Trans-Himalayan gravy train to Lhasa to keep running.

Isn't it in India's long-term interests that Tibet-related issues do not remain a point of discord in Sino-Indian relations?

It is Modi's call, finally.

After all, this is a bitter legacy which is not his creation and, therefore, he is best placed than to put a full stop to the delusional belief that we are holding a 'Tibet card' with a unique potential to leverage Chinese policies toward India.
The deaths of Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi within months of each other neutralises any sympathy factor their parties may hope to gain from. Whats more, by removing charismatic leaders from the fray, it also levels the field for others, says N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoles DMK working president MK Stalin and his step-sister Kanimozhi in Chennais Rajaji Hall, where the body of M Karunanidhi was kept for homage, on August 8, 2018. Photograph: PMO

Nature may have removed two towering personalities from the face of Tamil Nadu, but the death of chief minister Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK (in December 2016) and nonagenarian rival in DMKs Muthuvel Karunanidhi (August 2018 ) in as many years does not necessarily mean that there is an emerging, if not existing, political vacuum in Dravidian politics, for 12th man-type national players or extra players of the Rajinikanth/Kamal Hassan kind to try their leadership luck, and hope to win in the first outing.

If anything, Nature has already created a level-playing field for the Big Two Dravidian parties, by removing their respective leaders of great political cunning, charisma and determination, almost at a single stroke, and between two elections -- the 2016 state assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Given the timing and circumstances of the death of the two leaders, neither party can hope to obtain any sympathy vote of the kind that the Indira Gandhi assassination (1984) or the Rajiv Gandhi killing (1991) brought for the Congress-centric alliances across the nation. In Tamil Nadu, ruling AIADMK under an ailing M G Ramachandran (1984) and his political heir Jayalalithaa, who was tentative and even unsure of continuing in politics (1991) benefited, electorally -- but not this time.

Months down the line, DMKs M K Stalin too would find it difficult to sustain in electoral terms, any sympathy wave caused by Karunanidhis death now. However, the avoidable controversy created by the non-allocation of a Marina site for his burial by the post-Jaya AIADMK state government of Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, may have already set the tone for the 2019 poll campaign.

Its not over a dead Karunanidhi, but over the political relevance it suddenly has given to the ruling party. The AIADMK needed it the most to stay relevant in the political context despite being in administrative control of the state. The party was losing at least some of its cadre sheen to the breakaway Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam in recent months.

Despite the perceptions of a black-out by the local media, both Tamil and English, AMMKs second-in-command, T T V Dhinakaran, has been drawing huge crowds for his district-wise rallies in recent months. The party was launched with founding leader V K Sasikala Natarajan already in prison, serving a four-year jail-term in the disproportionate assets case against her friend and master, Jayalalithaa, during the latters first term as chief minister (1991-96).

Usurpers of the Dravidian throne, as insiders in these two parties see the rest of them, may have been outplayed already as the early death of Jayalalithaa and Karunaidhi, long before any impending elections, has also given the states voters enough time to adjust to the reality of their exit and re-adjust to polity and politics without them.

Today, Edappadi is seen as chief minister and AIADMK boss (though that part sits uncomfortably on the shoulders of his once-estranged deputy chief minister, O Panneerselvam) still. In DMK, over the past couple of decades especially, and more so since the turn of the current decade, cadres and voters alike have got used to acknowledging Stalin as party boss and chief ministerial candidate.

With the exit of the two leaders, there is also no unequal competition on the issue of charisma of either out-beating the political heir of the other, squarely. There is however the charisma vacuum that may remain for all time to come. At least, it may take time for Tamil Nadu to throw up another charismatic leader, or leaders.

On the question of performance, too, Palaniswami has come to be seen as chief minister, and his performance alone will be now weighed at election time -- not always compared to that of his predecessor but against that of competitor Stalin.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoles Sasikala, Jayalalithaa's close confidante, at the latters funeral in Chennai on December 7, 2016. Photograph: ANI

The latter too stands on a relatively strong wicket, at least for a DMK leader for now, what with his mayoralty of Chennai corporation (1996-2001) and a term as deputy chief minister in the DMK regime of 2006-11, giving him the self-confidence that he purportedly lacked, and the voter, the confidence that he is someone who cannot be and should not be written off, without being tested.

For about decade now, and closer to Jayas hospitalisation and a simultaneous deterioration in Karunanidhis health, some busy-bodies have been hoping and talking about an impending political vacuum in the state after the exit of one, if not both. Be it as it may, by taking them both almost at once, Nature has created a level playing field for the new player in the Dravidian team, in Dhinakaran and AMMK.

The last time a rival force emanated from within the Dravidian scheme in a big way, MGR broke away from the DMK to float the AIADMK. If then Congress leader and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the national-level and Congress-O veteran, K Kamaraj in the state, had anticipated that it would weaken the Dravidian polity to their (collective) advantage later on, it was not to be.

Instead, with Emergency and attendant issues that make it necessary for her, Indira Gandhi did not have time and energy to focus on Tamil Nadu as she might have thought. The death of Kamaraj and the increasing alienation of the non-committed voters that had cast their lot with the DMK in 1967 and 1971 elections veered towards MGR with his corruption-free personal image and do-gooder image that he imported to his political personality from his screen presence. The rest, as they say, is history.

The next possibility occurred in two instalments, almost around the same time. First, post-MGR, the AIADMK split but rejoined after the two factions lost out to a re-emergent DMK under the waiting hawk in Karunanidhi. That was in elections 89 to the state assembly, but then the party and the leader lost the initiative after the Rajiv Gandhi assassination to a re-united AIADMK under Jayalalithaa in elections 91.

The other was the second DMK split in 1993, when Vaiko, then V Gopalswamy, broke away to float the MDMK, but today the party is a shadow of its original self, and the common man has no time for the party or its leader.

When the Congress alternative from the national-level thought that they were ready to fill the non-existent vacuum, Prime Minister P V Narasimha Raos unclear approach to an arrogant Jayalalithaa regime led to the late G K Moopanar walking out of the party and forming the Tamil Maanila Congress, only to align with the DMK rival from the 60s on. The DMK won this time because of the Moopanars good certificate for Karunanidhi, but then the Congress lost the 20 per cent vote-share from elections 89 for good, some of it to the emerging BJP rival from the national-level.

In more recent decades and elections, following in the footpath of the Congress rival, the BJP too compromised the partys Tamil Nadu interests for alternating electoral alliances with the AIADMK (1998) and the DMK (1999), with a higher voter-contribution going up to 5-7 per cent, only to fall to the standard 2-3 per cent later on. If in 2014 and 2016 the BJP had to go on its own, in the company of either of the two major Dravidian parties as local allies, it was their decision, and not that of the Modi-Shah leadership. The results showed that it was also the truth.

In between, for a decade between 1996 and 2006 or thereabouts, both Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa as chief ministers kept the focus near-exclusively on their traditional, local rivals by having them arrested and arraigned on corruption charges. Court proceedings and convictions apart, this was enough to keep the other person staying back and fighting with his or her back to the wall, and for survival. Any third party or leader that tried to walk in between the two ferocious political animals was smothered electorally.

It is this part of history that the new competition should consider while evaluating the current situation or the positioning / re-positioning of Dhinakaran and AMMK. By creating a new Dravidian political entity without the original Dravidian ideological identity post-Karunanidhi, Dhinakaran may have kindled interest in other pan-Tamil segments, which have been the backbone of peaceful protests of the pro-Jallikattu kind.

Today, DMK, AIADMK and AMMK may not talk pan-Tamil politics per se, but these are sections that would not trust a national party of the BJP/ Congress kind or market-centred film star-politicians of the Rajini-Kamal kind, if they are really looking for an electoral alternative -- for reasons that are more real than in the ideological past. It may not be a positive vote for the Dravidian polity, but it may continue to be a negative vote against the rest, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi included.

There is a lesson thus in the Jaya-led AIADMKs near clean sweep in the parliamentary polls of 2014. While the Modi wave swept across the rest of the country, it had weakened and dissipated when it crossed into Dravidian Tamil Nadu at lands end.

Jayas Modi-ya, Lady-ya? campaign call to the voters worked not because the Tamil Nadu voters loved her, but because they had decided to vote against Modi and the BJP one more time, and had only to choose between the Dravidian rivals, namely the AIADMK and the DMK, more charismatic Jayalalithaa and less charismatic Stalin (what with Karunanidhi going slower than already on the political and electoral fronts).

But then in elections 2016, Stalin had come to be accepted as the right foil for Jayalalithaa, who was also the incumbent chief minister, with the result the DMK-led alliance with Congress as an ally won the highest number of 98 seats in the 234-member assembly for the loser, with the lowest-ever vote-share margin of one per cent (41-40 per cent).

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter.
'The loose use of words like foreigner or Bangladeshis obscures the fact that the post-Partition migration to Assam has been of both Hindus and Muslims.'

IMAGE: The Supreme Court has asked the government not to take any coercive action against those left out of the final NRC draft.

It has also asked the Centre to 'formulate modalities and the standard operating procedures including timelines for deciding claims and objections arising out of the publication of the draft NRC'. Photograph: PTI Photo

In the political brouhaha after the release of the final draft of the National Register for Citizens in Assam, few are asking the most important question: What will happen to the people who will be left out of the final NRC?

The four million people excluded from the latest draft are trapped in a mire of uncertainty.

Though the government has made it clear that exclusion from the draft NRC does not mean categorisation as 'non-Indians', these people are already being generalised as 'illegal immigrants' or 'Bangladeshi infiltrators' by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, including its national president Amit Anilchandra Shah.

Sanjib Baruah, professor of political studies at Bard College in New York, has consistently written about the issue, highlighting the possibility, and consequences, of millions becoming 'non-citizens'.

"In the shrill political rhetoric about 'illegal Bangladeshi migrants', the long history of demographic change gets lost," Professor Baruah tells Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra. The first of a two-part interview.

A concern has been raised that if the Supreme Court strikes down Section 6A of the Citizenship Act -- which sets the cut-off date for citizenship in case of Assam as March 25, 1971 -- the whole exercise of THE NRC will be rendered useless. How genuine is this concern?

March 25, 1971 was the beginning of the Pakistani military crackdown of the liberation struggle of Bangladesh. Both the Assam Accord and Section 6A of the Citizenship Act take it as the date when the mass exodus of refugees to India began.

Both Hindus and Muslims were part of that exodus.

As per the terms of the Indira-Mujib Pact of 1972 (between then prime minister Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), Bangladesh took responsibility for people who migrated to India after the country was born.

Only then it makes sense to claim them as citizens of Bangladesh. The president of Bangladesh could not have signed a treaty that would apply to a time before his country was born.

So that is the cut-off date of citizenship in the NRC exercise.

I don't know if the concern (of the Supreme Court striking down Section 6A) is genuine or not. But at a time when we are talking about the NRC casting a cloud over the citizenship status of as many as four million people, I prefer not to speculate on what the challenges would be if the figure jumps to many times that.

IMAGE: All Bengal Minority Youth Federation activists protest against Assam's National Register of Citizen draft in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo

Many Assamese people who fully support the NRC exercise have problems with its 'communalisation'. But it is only people of one community who have been targeted in this 'foreigner versus native' battle, be it in Nellie or Kokrajhar or anywhere else. Why should the debate not take a communal character then?

I don't find the formula of 'communal violence' particularly helpful. It is important to be attentive to the contexts in which particular episodes of violence occur whether in Assam or anywhere else.

Investigating them and prosecuting those responsible is no less important.

The context of the Nellie massacre was the election of 1983, which is remembered not only for its extraordinary violence, but also for its record low turn-outs.

Let's recall the circumstances.

The Assam movement began in 1979. By then, multiple rounds of negotiations between the central government and the leaders of the Assam movement on the 'foreigner' question had failed to produce any agreement.

But the movement showed no sign of retreating. It was in this volatile situation, when Assam was under President's Rule, that the Indira Gandhi government decided to force a resolution of the issue.

A political decision was made to hold the elections using the highly controversial electoral rolls that were at the very heart of the political turmoil.

The claim that the electoral rolls had the names of hundreds and thousands of non-citizens -- was the driving force of the Assam movement.

Since the central government had been negotiating with leaders of the movement to find a middle ground, it had clearly acknowledged that the claim had some legitimacy.

It was precisely what was reiterated later in the Assam Accord and in Section 6A of the Citizenship Act.

The NRC would be seen as confirmation of the claim made by supporters of the Assam movement, albeit more than three decades late.

To no one's surprise the leaders of the Assam movement called for a boycott of the elections and the polling days were very tense.

During the polling, there were numerous confrontations between those who favoured the holding of the elections -- and participated in them -- and those who opposed the elections.

Contemporary accounts refer to the outbreak of violence as a 'Hobbesian war of all against all' as 'the total breakdown of governance'.

We know from a contemporary account by journalist Shekhar Gupta that what particularly upset people like K Sudershen of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) was that in places like Khoirabari in Kamrup district, and around Silapathar in North Lakhimpur district, Hindu Bengalis were the victims.

Without the irresponsible decision to force the issue by holding the 1983 election in such a confrontational atmosphere, Nellie and the other episodes of violence would not have happened.

Even Ulfa (the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom) grew phenomenally only during and after the 1983 election.

One can argue that without that fateful decision to force the issue, Assam's subsequent history would have been very different -- and not one of insurgency and counter-insurgency.

Only if we stay away from lazy analysis -- using blanket categories like 'communalism' -- can we learn from past mistakes.

IMAGE: A woman shows an NRC acknowledgment receipt to check her name in the final draft at an NRC Seva Kendra in Morigaon, Assam. Photograph: PTI Photo

The demand for an NRC has always been raised with a point of view that illegal immigration on a massive scale will change the demographics of Assam. But now the question of 'national security' seems to have become paramount.

Are these people really a 'threat'? Or simply a 'burden'?

The history of the massive demographic change of Assam began in the 19th century with the beginning of the industrial production of tea and subsequently of oil and coal.

Immigration from eastern Bengal to Assam began in the early part of the last century when the rising demand for raw jute from Bengal's jute industry pushed the reclamation of the low-lying areas of the floodplains of the Brahmaputra.

Migrants from densely populated deltaic eastern Bengal were then encouraged to settle them.

It is important to remember that both eastern Bengal and Assam were then part of British India and the district of Sylhet was a part of Assam.

For a brief period, Eastern Bengal and Assam even constituted a single province (1905 to 1911).

No matter how we react to the question of the persistence of migration across what is now an international border, it is important to keep this history in mind.

In trying to answer your question about whether this migration is a threat or a burden, I remember an interesting fact about the first post-Partition census of Assam.

The percentage of Assamese speakers in the state's population rose from 31.4 per cent to 56.7 per cent between 1931 and 1951.

This happened because Miya Musalmans (Muslims of East Bengali descent) in post-Partition Assam began to identify themselves as Assamese speakers.

I prefer to use the term Miya Musalman because many of them are now native speakers of Assamese.

So clearly at least, in the years immediately after the Partition, migration did not seem to be either a threat or a burden.

It was seen as a boon. Had the Miya Musalman community not made the language switch, the claim of the Assamese language to being the official language of the state would have been significantly weaker.

The national security talk is quite recent; and it has not been part of the local discourse. I think it goes back to a report that (retired lieutenant general) S K Sinha wrote as governor of Assam in November 1998.

In that report on Illegal Immigration Into Assam submitted to the President of India in November 1998, he couched the issue in national security terms.

Illegal immigration from Bangladesh to Assam, he said in that report, undermines Indian national security.

Supporters of the NRC always point at the exponential -- sometimes they call it abnormal -- growth in the share of Muslim population in the state, attributing it to illegal immigration.

However, as it is being estimated now, if the final NRC list does not contain a substantial number of people, this argument will lose its strength.

What bearing would it have on the 'foreigner' question?

As I said before, the process of Assam's modern demographic change began a century-and-a-half ago.

Since the migration of Muslim peasants from eastern Bengal began a bit later, let's say the process of change of Assam's religious demography began at least a hundred years ago.

One can argue, based on what I have said about the language switch by the Miya Musalman community, that Assam has adjusted to the demographic transformation extremely well.

The Partition of 1947 accelerated the process of Assam's demographic change. Most people know that it generated a massive new flow of Hindus.

But contrary to the expectation of the Partition's architects, the flow of poor Muslim peasants also continued.

For instance, between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of Muslims in the population grew at a higher rate in Assam than in the rest of India.

But in the shrill political rhetoric about 'illegal Bangladeshi migrants', the long history of demographic change gets lost.

The loose use of words like foreigner or Bangladeshis obscures the fact that the post-Partition migration to Assam has been of both Hindus and Muslims.

And because both the migration from eastern Bengal and opposition to it began well before Partition, it is not surprising that the Citizenship Amendment Bill had become so controversial in Assam.
A senior government bureaucrat alleged racial discrimination and rude behaviour by British Airways, which offloaded him and his family from a flight last month because his three-year-old son was crying, prompting Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to seek a detailed report into the incident.

The family was travelling on a BA flight to Berlin from London on July 23 when the incident reportedly took place.

I have directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to obtain a detailed report from British Airways on the issue, the minister tweeted.

The DGCA is the aviation watchdog in the country.

The bureaucrat, in a letter to Prabhu on August 3, alleged that another Indian family, sitting behind them, was also offloaded as they offered biscuits to the child to console him.

The bureaucrat alleged that the crew got the plane (BA 8495) to return to the tarmac, where the security personnel took their boarding passes away. The customer care service manager did not give reasons for offloading them nor did the management take action against the crew despite lodging a complaint, he claimed.

We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount, he said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though.

The bureaucrat is a joint secretary-level officer in the ministry of road transport and highways.

Asked about the issue, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, We will have to see at what level and in what circumstances this has to be taken up.

When contacted, a British Airways spokesperson said, We take such claims very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in contact with the customer.

The spokesperson later said, It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seat belt fastened for take-off.

Narrating his familys ordeal in the two-page letter to Prabhu, the officer demanded a thorough investigation and strictest possible action against the British Airways staff.

He said while his wife managed to calm their son, an aggrieved crew member approached them and started scolding the boy, asking him to get back to his seat. The boy had a window seat, but the mother had taken him into her arms to console him.

With this unusual behaviour of the male crew member, my son got terrified and started crying intensively. My wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat-belt, even though he kept on crying intensively being in a terrified state of mind due to the scolding by the male crew member, the officer wrote.

He alleged that when the plane started moving towards the runway, the crew member came back, shouting, You bloody keep quiet, otherwise you would be thrown out of the window.
Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe law, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopting the legislation.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote, had got the nod of the Lok Sabha on August 6.

The bill rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order.

It provides that no preliminary inquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.

The legislation 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.

Replying to the debate on the bill in the Upper House, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said all those who spoke on the bill have supported it.

The minister said members have expressed some apprehensions about the rights of the deprived classes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured his governments commitment towards (the interests of) backward classes. I today say that we are committed towards safeguarding their interest.

Some members have suggested constitution of special courts for the Act. We have made a provision for this in the bill. As many as 14 states have constituted 195 special courts for deciding cases related to SC and SC Act. Some states have declared District and Session Courts as special court for the purpose, he said.

Elaborating on the bill, he said, We have provided for presenting a challan in the court within two months of first information report with complete investigation. We have also provided for disposal of the case with two month of presenting the challan in the court.

The minister also maintained that the amendment in this bill was not brought due to any pressure because it was the prime ministers commitment.

During the debate, some members were of the view that the government has brought amendment bill under pressure from the opposition and coalition partners ahead of 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.

These groups have been asking the government to overturn a Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying it had diluted and rendered toothless the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Supporting the bill, Abir Ranjan Biswas of the Congress said, We are supporting the bill but the genuinity of feelings of the government are fake. They have brought the bill only after nine people were killed and many injured in a nation wide protest against Supreme Court judgment.

He alleged that the government brought the bill due to pressure of the opposition and its coalition partners. He also said the conviction rate in cases of atrocities against SCs was 1.4 per cent and in case of STs, it was 0.8 per cent.

Sarojini Hembram of the Biju Janata Dal also supported the bill saying all the ministries of law, social justice and law should coordinate properly to implement the law.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh of the Janata Dal-United too supported it but suggested that the cases should be investigated by an officer of DSP and above level, while K Keshava Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi said this law will again be challenged in the court.

Communist Party of India-Marxists K Somaprasad supported the bill and said that the apex court judgment had diluted the law, while Manoj Kumar Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal said the government could have brought an ordinance to overturn the judgment.

Bahujan Samaj Partys Rajaram, Narendra Jadhav (nominated), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP), D Raja (CPI), Ram Kumar Kashyap (Independent) and Wansuk Syiem (Cong) also supported the measure.
An Uttar Pradesh police officer was at the receiving end of a social media backlash after his video showering petals on Kanwariyas from a chopper went viral.

Several Twitter and Facebook users slammed the exercise as a waste of public money.

In the video, Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police - Meerut Zone, Prashant Kumar and Commissioner Chandra Prakash Tripathi were seen showering rose petals on Kanwariyas below while on surveillance duty in a helicopter.

The cops were ostensibly surveying the deployment of troops after Kanwariyas turned violent in Delhi and smashed windows of a car with the passengers still inside.

Even though policemen were present, they did little to stop the mayhem.

The incident took place in the Moti Nagar area of Delhi.

"Who foots the helicopter bill for this? Why is public money wasted like this? Feel sorry for cops who bend over backwards to please their political masters," a Twitter user wrote.

However, Kumar defended his gesture, saying it should not be given a religious hue.

"No religious angle should be given to this; flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals," he said.

The plan to shower rose petals on Kanwariyas was announced by the Meerut district magistrate Anil Dhingra on July 25 to keep Kanwariyas in 'good spirits'.

The UP government has undertaken several measures to facilitate Kanwariyas along the route of the annual yatra as they fetch water from Ganges for Lord Shiva.

In fact, the cops were actually following in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's lead.

On July 28, the CM took an aerial survey of the yatra route during the first half of the Shrawan month.

He also showered flower petals from his chopper on the Kanwarias.

They responded by prostrating on the highway as the chopper passed and raised slogans in praise of the chief minister.

Photographs: ANI
Japan will release preliminary GDP numbers for the second quarter of 2018 on Friday, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

GDP is expected to add 0.3 percent on quarter and 1.4 percent on year after sliding 0.2 percent on quarter and 0.6 percent on year in the three months prior.

Japan also will see June results for its tertiary industry index and July figures for producer prices. The tertiary industry index is expected to fall 0.3 percent on month after adding 0.1 percent in May. Producer prices are tipped to rise 0.2 percent on month and 2.9 percent on year after gaining 0.2 percent on month and 2.8 percent on year in June.

New Zealand will release July numbers for credit card spending; in June, overall card spending was up 0.4 percent on month and retail spending was up 0.8 percent.

New Zealand also will see July results for the manufacturing PMI from BusinessNZ; in June, the index score was 52.8.

Hong Kong will provide Q2 data for gross domestic product; in the three months prior, GDP was up 2.2 percent on quarter and 4.7 percent on year.

Singapore will release June numbers for retail sales; in May, sales added 0.1 percent both on month and on year.

Malaysia will see June figures for industrial production and unemployment. In May, production was up 3.0 percent on year, while the jobless rate was 3.3 percent and the participation rate was 68.4 percent.

Indonesia will provide Q2 figures for current account; in the previous three months, the current account deficit was $5.54 billion.

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.
Shares of Merck KGaA (MKGAY.PK) were losing around 3 percent in the morning trading after the German drug maker reported Thursday weak profit in its second quarter, despite slight rise in sales. Looking ahead, the company maintained fiscal 2018 forecast for organic sales growth and EBITDA pre.

For the year, Merck continues to expect a moderate organic net sales increase of 3% to 5% over the previous year. Overall, excluding the Consumer Health , which is now reported as a discontinued operation, Merck forecasts Group net sales in a range of between 14.1 billion euros and 14.6 billion euros in 2018 reflecting exchange rate effects. The company previously expected 2018 sales of 14.0 billion euros to 14.5 billion euros from continuing operations.

The company noted that exchange rate effects will have a moderately negative impact on net sales. However, at negative 3% to negative 5%, the impact will be slightly lower than previously forecast.

Further, the company confirmed its previous forecast of a slight organic decline of 1% to 3% in EBITDA pre. It continues to expect that Group EBITDA pre will be in a corridor of between 3.75 billion and 4.0 billion euros in 2018.

Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, said, "Overall, we confirm our forecast for organic performance in 2018, a year of transition with many challenges, as already stated at the beginning of the year."

For the second quarter, net income declined 42% to 247 million euros from 426 million euros in the prior year. Earnings per share were 0.57 euros, compared to 0.98 euros last year.

Adjusted earnings per share were 1.23 euros, compared to 1.51 euros last year.

Group EBIT dropped 35.4% to 392 million euros. Adjusted EBITDA declined 13.7% to 920 million euros impacted primarily by exchange rate effects.

Second-quarter Group sales edged up 0.5% to 3.7 billion euros, despite considerably negative foreign exchange effects. Organically, Group sales grew 5.2% thanks to the Life Science and Healthcare business sectors. Life Science business sector results were driven by growth in all three business units.

In Germany, Merck shares were trading at 87.46 euros, down 3.32 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Indian shares rose on Thursday to hit fresh record highs as strong corporate earnings results, falling oil prices and uninterrupted foreign and domestic fund inflows helped investors shrug off muted cues from global .

The benchmark 30-share BSE Sensex rose by 136.81 points or 0.36 percent to 38,024.37, closing above the 38,000-mark for the first time.

The broader 50-share Nifty index also reached a record high to end the session up by 20.70 points or 0.18 percent at 11,470.70.

Banks witnessed heavy buying, with SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank climbing 2-4 percent.

Infosys, Tata Steel, UltraTech, Vedanta and Hindalco rose 1-3 percent while Bharti Airtel slumped as much as 4.8 percent on concerns about declining tariffs.

Indiabulls Housing Finance, Cipla, ONGC and Titan dropped around 2 percent each.

Globally, other Asian markets ended mixed after China announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States, raising concerns over the escalation of the trade war between the world's top two economies.

European stocks fell in early trade, as investors remained focused on the U.S.-China trade spat, falling oil prices and the new U.S. sanctions on Russia.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has nominated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to the key post of High Commissioner for Human Rights. The ground-breaking politician and women's rights champion will become UN rights chief if approved by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Bachelet just ended her second four-year term as President earlier this year, having already held the post between 2006 and 2010. She was the first woman to be elected to Chile's highest office. After her first term, she came to New York as the first ever Executive Director of the UN gender equality office, UN-Women.

She also held key governments posts earlier in her political career as Chile's Minister of Defense, and Minister of Health.

The High Commissioner is the principle official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system, strengthening human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality; fighting discrimination in all its forms; strengthening accountability and the rule of law; widening the democratic space and protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuse.

Bachelet was nominated as Zeid Raad al-Hussein is stepping down from the post at the end of this month after serving a single term, beginning in 2014.

Headquartered in Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is mandated to promote and protect the universal exercise and full realization of human rights, across the world, as established in the UN Charter.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Bitcoin and its peers extended their downward trend Thursday morning, as market sentiment remained damped by the news that the US regulator postponed its decision on a Bitcoin ETF to next month.

However, a prominent Bitcoin bull Dan Morehead, CEO of the hedge fund Pantera Capital, said on CNBC that the market was overreacting to the delay in SEC approval for a Bitcoin ETF.

Morehead found optimism in the Intercontinental Exchange's new crypto venture Bakkt, which has Microsoft and Starbucks as partners.

As of 11.35 am ET, overall cryptocurrency market capitalization was $230.63 billion and the Bitcoin dominance rate was 48.8 percent on CoinMarketCap.

Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the past 24 hours.



Bitcoin Market Remains Bearish

Bitcoin is continuing its downward trend and looks set to touch the $6,000 mark sometime this week as investors see no reason to stop overselling. The price of the top cryptocurrency hit a three-week low of $6,191 on Wednesday after falling for the third straight day this week.

Microsoft Launches Next Ethereum Blockchain Ledger Product On Azure

After the successful deployment of the existing Proof-of-Work (PoW) solution across a variety of industry verticals, Microsoft has released the next Ethereum blockchain ledger product on its cloud platform Azure called the Ethereum Proof-of-Authority (PoA). The PoA algorithm is a replacement for the PoW algorithm in a blockchain, and is more suitable for permissioned networks where all consensus participants are known and reputable.

Splitt Launches Cryptocurrency Cloud Server For Bitcoin Mining

Splitt has launched a cryptocurrency cloud server "The Crypto Cloud" for a safer and cheaper way for mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin on the cloud. The service is currently available in fifteen cities around the world.

Bittrex To Launch US Dollar Trading Pairs For ETC, XRP

US-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex is set to add US dollar trading pairs for Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Ripple (XRP) on August 20. The exchange had launched US dollar (fiat) trading for approved corporate customers in qualified states and international regions in late May.



Blockchain Voting Option For West Virginians Serving Overseas

West Virginians serving overseas will be allowed to vote through a blockchain -based smartphone app, CNN reported. The move, in collaboration with Voatz, the Boston-based developer of the app, is expected to make voting in the upcoming election in November easier for those living abroad.

Current Prices

As of 11.37 am ET, Bitcoin was down 0.08 percent at $6,475 and Ethereum was lower by 1.28 percent at $363.87 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 Swiss stock market got off to a weak start Thursday and remained stuck in a sideways pattern throughout the session. The weak performance of the index heavyweights pressure the overall market.

The Swiss Market Index decreased by 0.33 percent Thursday and finished at 9,145.68. The Swiss Leader Index dropped 0.17 percent and the Swiss Performance Index lost 0.16 percent.

Staffing firm Adecco dropped 2 percent after its second quarter net profit fell to 170 million euros from 192 million euros last year.

Zurich Insurance gained 0.3 percent. The company reported a 19 percent increase in first-half profit, helped by lower expenses and improved underwriting in its property and casualty .

The index heavyweights all finished with modest losses Thursday. Roche weakened by 0.8 percent, Novartis surrendered 0.5 percent and Nestle lost 0.2 percent.

ABB was another notable loser, falling 1 percent.

Credit Suisse declined nearly 1 percent and UBS slid 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, Julius Baer finished higher by 0.1 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of being anti-Dalit. BJP President Amit Shah hit back saying the Congress must stop treating Dalits with a "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"If Modiji had space for Dalits in his heart, then the policies for Dalits would have been different," Gandhi told a protest rally by Dalits at Jantar Mantar here.



He said when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister he wrote in a book that "Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai" (Dalits feel happy when they do cleaning work). "This is his (Modi's) ideology."





Gandhi said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was brought by the Congress when his father Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.



"But that was allowed to be diluted by Modiji. And the judge who diluted the act was given a promotion," he said, referring to the appointment of Justice A.K. Goel as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman



Justices Goel and U.U. Lalit had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.



The ruling angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.



The government, however, made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused. The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.



Gandhi said whereever the BJP was in power, Dalits were being "beaten up and suppressed".



Pointing out the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a University of Hyderabad PhD student, the Congress leader said Dalits were crushed if they tried to advance in life.



"We don't want an India where Dalits are suppressed. We want an India where everyone grows. His (Modi's) thinking is anti-Dalit... The entire country will stand up against him, the BJP and the RSS."



The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief advised Gandhi to give "some time to facts", accusing his party of treating Dalits with "patronising and condescending" attitude.



"Rahulji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. The NDA government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament, ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?" Shah said in a series of tweets.



"Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronizing and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.



The Rajya Sabha MP also said: "Is it a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President, they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission!"
SNc Channels:



Search

About Salem-News.com



Aug-08-2018 16:35 TweetFollow @OregonNews UPDATE - FOUND! Oregon Mother and 2 Young Daughters Reported Missing UPDATE: The three were found alive and safe.

28-year old Tanda Christiansen, 7-year old Alexandria Bloom, and 6-year old Lily Bloom are MISSING.

(SAMS VALLEY, Ore.) - UPDATE: 8/9/18 at 2:15 p.m. The search for a missing woman and her two children has ended. Tanda Christiansen, 28, and her daughters, ages 6 and 7, were found Thursday afternoon approximately two miles from their home. On Thursday, August 9, 2018, at 1:06 p.m., a resident in the 8400-block of Ramsey Road called dispatch to report finding the three missing subjects on his property. They were hiding in a brushy area along Sams Creek. Jackson County Sheriffs Office deputies and search and rescue (SAR) personnel, who were searching nearby, responded to the location. They found the three were thirsty and hungry, but otherwise safe. Christiansen and her children were checked by medics at the scene, and then transported by Mercy Flights ambulance to Rogue Regional Medical Center for evaluation. No further information is available at this time. SAR officials and detectives wish to thank everyone who looked for the missing family. *************** PREVIOUS RELEASE: Jackson County Sheriffs Office deputies, detectives, and search and rescue (SAR) personnel are searching for a mother and her two young daughters, last seen Tuesday afternoon. Deputies say the three are considered to be missing and endangered. On August 7, 2018, at 9:08 p.m., a family member reported 28-year old Tanda Christiansen, and her two daughters, ages 6 and 7, were missing. The three walked away from the familys residence in the 2500-block of Holcomb Springs Road at about 10:00 a.m. The family became concerned when they didnt return home after dark. Additionally, Christiansen has recently exhibited signs of mental illness. Deputies believe the case is related to a call they received Tuesday afternoon, several hours prior to Christiansen and her daughters being reported missing. A resident on Pelton Lane called dispatch to request a welfare check on a woman and two girls. The resident located the three wandering on her property and gave them a ride to the end of the driveway. They were last seen at about 1:00 p.m. walking on Pelton Lane toward Ramsey Road. Deputies arrived a short time later and checked the area, but did not locate the three subjects. About a half-mile of trees and fields separate the missing subjects home and the location where they are believed to have been spotted Tuesday afternoon. The three were barefoot and reportedly carried some water with them. 28-year old Tanda Christiansen is described as a white female adult, five feet, seven inches tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds. Her brown hair is dyed blue or purple, and she has brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt and blue pants. The oldest girl, 7-year old Alexandria Bloom, has light brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a turquoise shirt. The younger girl, 6-year old Lily Bloom has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and shorts. While search and rescue crews continue to search the area where they were last seen, detectives are considering the possibility they could have left the area. Family members have indicated that Christiansen made statements recently about wanting to travel to the state of Washington. They have concerns that Christiansen may be suffering a mental health crisis. Detectives say if Christiansen and the girls left the area, they would have needed help. According to family, Christiansen has no phone, no money, and no means of transportation. All three were barefoot when they were last seen. Deputies and SAR personnel are in the area searching and distributing flyers. They ask residents to check their property and outbuildings for any sign of the missing subjects. Anyone with information is asked to call dispatch at (541) 776-7206. Refer to case #18-16535. Source: Jackson Co. Sheriff's Office _________________________________________

Oregon | Missing-persons | Most Commented on





Articles for August 7, 2018 | Articles for August 8, 2018 | Articles for August 9, 2018
The increase in substance abuse among young people including a 13-year-old is a concern for Samoas top psychiatric doctor.

Tuifagatoa Dr. George Leao Tuitama, the psychiatric registrar and head of the Mental Health Unit in the Ministry of Health, said drug-induced psychosis comprises the largest number of cases brought to their attention.

Speaking in an interview with Samoa Observer, he said there is a growing number of young people taking illegal substances.

Tuifagatoa said: The most common one now is substance abuse of alcohol and drug addiction."

There is an increasing number of the youth taking illegal substances."

Addiction is classified as a mental illness and substance abuse disorder is also classified as an addition."

There is a rising number and almost all the cases that we encounter are almost drug induced psychosis or relapsing due to substances of alcohol and marijuana and there is also a rise in meth users.

Drug overdose is also a major problem with Tuifagatoa revealing that it can lead to a prolonged mental disability of the patient.

The patients that are brought in are overdosed, it is an emergency and we keep them under surveillance.

If they survive that emergency, there can be prolong mental disability, and so these are the consequences of overdosing.

The absence of family support for patients and the lack of psychologists are also major challenges for the Mental Health Unit.

Tuifagatoa said: That is mainly because when families admit the patient, they just leave them here."

And sometimes, the patients just dont get any visitation from their families."

The families need to be actively involved."

Keep in mind, our mandate here only caters for the medical side nothing more. Our mandate is the treatment.

The lack of psychologists is also a challenge as their task is to focus on psychotherapy and treat emotional and mental suffering of patients.

Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention."

We need a psychologist on board, he said.

Tuifagatoa said the late diagnosis of patients, due to their families taking them to Samoan healers  are some of the other issues, though they can be addressed through effective awareness and advocacy programs.

Some families believed their patient is demon possessed, which is very common."

This is not just an issue here in Samoa, but also in the Pacific, he added.
Four men appeared in the Supreme Court yesterday in connection with the assault of Tomesi Vaatele Isaako earlier this year.

Tomesi of Saletagaloa, Salelologa was the victim of an incident where a rifle was pointed at his mouth by the accused. The accused are Manuia Tanuvasa, Taalili Tagaloa, Kilifi Nifae Sua and Vine Olomotu Suni, who are all from Salelavalu, Savaii.

The matter was called before His Honour, Chief Justice Patu Tiavasue Falefatu Sapolu for the accused to enter a plea on the charges against them. Leone Sua Mailo of the Attorney Generals Office represented the prosecution.

Chief Justice Patu asked the accused if they wanted a lawyer to represent them to which they replied in the negative.

During the course of the hearing, Ms. Mailo told the court that Manuia has two additional individual charges. According to the police summary of facts, he was armed with a 22-gauge rifle on May 27, 2018 without any reasonable cause. For the second charge, the 36-year-old pointed the rifle at Tomesi without reasonable cause. For the three other accused, they and Manuia had two charges laid against them. They are accused of intentionally burning down a Samoan fale without reasonable cause and assaulting Tomesi on May 27, 2018.

When the registrar asked the accused for their pleas, Manuia pleaded guilty to the two individual charges, but the other three pleaded not guilty.

Ms. Mailo told the court that its a matter for Chief Justice Patu to set a sentencing date for Manuia and a hearing date for the accused, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

In response, the Chief Justice said: The court has noted down your guilty plea to all the charges against you Manuia Tanuvasa. This matter is adjourned to September 10 for sentence and for a pre-sentence report, and it will be called before Supreme Court Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala Warren.

As for the other three accused, Chief Justice Patu said the court notes their not guilty pleas to the charges against them and set November 22-23 for the hearing.

Therefore this matter is set for hearing on November 22-23, if you have anyone that you would like to bring to testify in your matter and in support of your not guilty plea then you can bring them on this date.
The lack of direct flights between China and Samoa is a major obstacle for Chinese tourists who want to visit the island nation.

Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Samoa, Wang Xuefeng, said this yesterday when giving the keynote address to open the two-day China Ready seminar at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.

Addressing tourism operators and representatives of both the private and public sectors, the diplomat said he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the country but the lack of a direct flight is the main obstacle.

Samoa is a very attractive destination to Chinese tourists as well as tourists from many other countries in the world. However, the major obstacle for Chinese tourists to come to Samoa is the lack of direct flights."

The signing of the Agreement on China-Samoa Aviation Transportation Service by the governments of our two countries has provided legal guarantee for the direct flights."

While time is not yet mature to have the direct flights immediately, we may try to start with chartered flights. Since last year, there have been several Chinese business people coming to Samoa to explore the possibility of chartered flights. Even though, none of them have become reality yet, we look forward to the day when the first chartered flight arrives in Samoa, he said.

Speaking to Samoa Observer, C.E.O. of the Samoa Tourism Authority, Papalii Sonja Hunter, echoed aspects of the Prime Ministers speech saying Samoa will be ready to receive tourists from all markets if it becomes China ready.

Papalii said that it was encouraging to see a good turnout at the seminar, which showed that businesses were interested in having access to a market like China.

Its wonderful to see everyone, she said. It actually identifies that people want these seminars in order to learn about how they can tap into that market. They also want to know how those people in that market think as well as what they want and need.

During the opening of the event, the Prime minister invited tourism industry players  who were present at the seminar  to accompany him to China for the World Economic Forum to be held next month.

Papalii said that this would be a great opportunity for the tourism industry to see their countrys leader in action.

The Prime minister invited everybody in the private sector to go with him and I would really encourage them to go so they can see their working Prime minister in action. In addition, Marcus Lee will be able to introduce them to extraordinary business people in his networks of 11,000 Chinese enterprises.

Another tourism-related conference in October under the umbrella of the Samoa Tourism Authority and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (S.P.T.O.) also offers opportunity for interaction and dialogue with local tourism operators.

Papalii said: We also have another programme which will be brought around in October and that will be the S.P.T.O. meetings where we are actually bringing great speakers from all over the world to dialogue with our industry.

A more beautiful Samoa in the eyes of Chinese Ambassador




PR - The Pacific Community (S.P.C.) as host institution of the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre in the Pacific (M.T.C.C.-Pacific), has been named a finalist for the 2018 Lloyds List Asia Pacific Awards.

This is one of the most prestigious maritime awards recognising innovative and dynamic contributions of companies and individuals responsible for continuously improving safe and environmentally friendly performance of the shipping industry in the Asia Pacific region.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific works to increase energy efficient operations of vessels and ports in the Pacific through capacity development which consequently reduces greenhouse gas emissions and led to its nomination in the environment category.

In celebration of this auspicious nomination, the Director General for S.P.C. Dr. Colin Tukuitonga said that, Maritime Transport is a lifeline in the Pacific and this nomination reflects the commitment S.P.C. has made to support innovative and environmentally sustainable projects to benefit the region.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific is already helping reduce carbon emissions and is a shining example of how innovative Pacific solutions can reduce the impact of transport on our environment and hold the large emitters accountable globally.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific has been operating for just over 12 months and has trained over 100 vessel operators across six Pacific island countries in energy efficient operation of vessels.

Fifteen per cent of those trained are women as the project is also contributing to increase the representation of women in the maritime sector in the Pacific. M.T.C.C.-Pacific is also assisting in energy management development activities for 25 ships and 7 ports.

The project is already seeing large achievements with The Solomon Islands Port Authority reporting overall energy savings of 8% amounting to 15 tonnes of greenhouse gas emission reduction per month following through from energy audits and implementation of short-term pilot-projects.

As a result of these energy efficient measures the SI Ports Authority has seen a savings of SBD72,000/month. M.T.C.C.-Pacific will soon progress on to retrofitting ships with green technologies that will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific works for the entire Pacific islands region in a collaborative spirit to bring technical tools and methods to assist the Pacific maritime industries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. We are extremely privileged and delighted to be finalist for such a prestigious award in the environment category that recognises S.P.C. work to establish M.T.C.C.-Pacific and have significant results within one year of operations, said Thierry Nervale S.P.Cs Deputy Director Oceans and Maritime and Head of M.T.C.C.-Pacific.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific is one of the five centres established worldwide and forms part of the Global M.T.C.Cs Network (G.M.N.), implemented by the International Maritime Organization (I.M.O.) and funded by the European Union.

M.T.C.C.-Pacific is hosted by S.P.C. and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.) as part of a collaborative approach for climate change mitigation in maritime.

The winners of the Lloyds List Asia Pacific Awards will be announced in Singapore on World Maritime Day, 27th of September 2018.
Parking meters is the way of the future. Thats clearly the message from the Government after several parking meters were installed in different parts of the Apia Towship this week. What do you think about paying to park in Samoa? Our reporter, Adel Fruean, asked members of the public in todays Street Talk and this is what they said:

Michael Neemia, 42 Vaoala

There are two sides to every story, there is a good side and a bad side. The bad side of this new parking system is that even if I am only parking for a short time like five minutes, I still pay. The good side is that maybe we cannot see it yet, but it is part the Governments developmental plans to make our country greater. But so many people complain and ridicule every new programme implemented by the Government. Changes are required for moving forward.

Pisinisi Seiuli, 41 Vaitele fou

I support the new system. The reason is that I think it is an initiative introduced by the Government to try and help with the development of our country. It is an opportunity for our people to contribute to a better Samoa and also help out with the debt that our country is in. There is no country that is not in debt, all countries loan so that there can be new developments, a better upgrade.













Fiamatai Poe, 31 Fasitoo tai

These are all changes being forced in from overseas. We are a small country and there are so many new things. I believe that these are all part of Governments strategies to help with paying our increasing debt. I disagree with this new parking meter system. It doesnt help with so many people and their financial situations.

Samuelu Fiso, 22 Taufusi

It is true what they say that there are so many changes in Samoa. I believe the Government has used this new system as a way to make money to pay so many loans that our country owes. This new system has been put in place at a disadvantage for so many drivers, the only option now is to leave the car home and walk to the shop, but then thats a difficulty for those who live far from shops and stores.

Potoae Samuelu, 23 Vaoala

I do not support this new parking meter system. Samoa is a small island and it is a developing country, not only that, most families struggle, not everyone has the same situation. But with the input of this new system, this will add another financial burden on people. To us the taxi drivers, we tend to come with passengers to do their shopping while we wait for them, but now we will have to pay every time we park. That itself is a struggle for us.








Was it a coincidence? That on the eve of the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Pacific Island Forum Countries  including New Zealand and Australia in Apia and yet the only thing on the lips of people here is China Ready?

Did they not know that some of our traditional donor partners, who are in Apia today, have not been so subtle with their criticisms of Chinas growing aid influence in the Pacific?

And as if its meant to be a sign, its impossible for Foreign Ministers of the Pacific Island Forum countries who are attending a pre-Forum meeting at Taumeasina Island Resort today to ignore China.

Not at least when people in the host country cannot get China ready away from their minds?

But then how can they do that when there appears to be method to thy madness?

Given Chinas unquestionable rise in prominence and power in this part of the world, there is simply no escaping the fact that China will continue to be a major player in the Pacific  regardless of whether certain countries agree or not.

The truth is that without China, many of the economies of certain Pacific nations would have sunk already. Ask Prime Minister Tuilaepa and his Government.

Which means the question for the leaders of the Pacific who are in Apia today is how long will some of them continue to deny the critical importance of China to the region? Which is why people cannot get their heads away from China ready.

For the uninitiated, the phrase China ready has been the talk of the past few days in Samoa where the country has been preparing to be well  China ready. Whoever coined the phrase is a genius. Its easy and catchy and so who wouldnt be hooked?

You see since the tourism industry in Samoa has been struggling with the low numbers for the past several years, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and his Government can only think of one solution.

And what is that? China.

Now enter Dr. Marcus Lee Thong Yee. From what weve been told, he is the man with all the answers to our problems. The Samoa Tourism Authority certainly cannot stop gloating about him and what he is promising. In their monthly newsletter, he is described as an internationally renowned author and speaker who specialises in maximising opportunities in doing business with China. The Chairman for the Association of S.M.E. Business owners (I.C.I.F.), China, they say he is a former investment Banker on Wall Street, New York, a Board Director of the Welcome China (Promotion), China Ready (Training), and the China Outbound Tourism Research Academy (C.O.T.A).

But thats not all. We are further told that Dr. Lee Thong Yee is an Economic Advisor to Chinese Municipal Governments and is a speaker on the O.B.O.R. (One Belt One Road Summit), A.P.E.C. (Asia-Pacific Economic Council), A.S.E.M. (Asia Europe Meeting), Forbes and so forth.

Well thats some impressive credentials.

No wonder people cant stop saying China Ready.

But heres the real hook. See, the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute estimates that in 2017 Chinese tourists made 145 million cross-border trips and spent US$261 billion in a year.

Some 130 million Chinese tourists travel abroad every year. These are staggering numbers.

So who wouldnt want to be China ready, especially if you are a poor struggling Pacific economy floating in a climate change ravaged Pacific Ocean?

Imagine a country like Samoa getting just a drop of those 130million tourists?

Give us 50,000 a year? Imagine how things will change here? Imagine the prospects for the tourism industry, which is the mainstay of Samoas economy by the way, and how that would begin to improve?

If there is anything we know, tourism numbers lead to business growth and more job opportunities.

Job opportunities provide villages, churches and families, ordinary Pacific islanders with revenue they sorely need. They need this for the very basics of life, shelter, food and clothing.

In Samoa and the Pacific today, poverty of opportunities remains one of the biggest challenges. There is growing hardship and suffering because people dont have money. Poverty is not a myth; it is a reality for many people.

We talk about climate change, oceans and all the fancy issues that attract funding which is fine. But lets try and translate all this talk and fancy high level meetings to some tangible outcomes where Sione and Simis lives are transformed for the better. How do we bring the outcomes of what is being discussed behind those closed air conditioned rooms to bear fruit in the lives of ordinary Pacific Islanders? And how many more meetings do we need to have to make a difference?

Let the leaders gathering in Apia today be reminded that this is 2018. They have been meeting since ancient times. What is new to discuss in a meeting to plan another meeting for the sake of next months meeting?

Getting back to China, there is no doubt at all that China is Samoas best friend today. And many Pacific islands states can say the same. But what are the alternatives?

Now does Chinas rising influence come at a cost? Of course there is a huge cost. There is no such thing as a free lunch folks.

With that in mind, we want to welcome all the officials who are in Apia for the pre-Forum discussions today. You have a lot to talk about.

So talofa lava and welcome to Samoa that is China already? Enjoy your time here and God bless!
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi and Australias Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, yesterday unveiled a time capsule, which they plan to bury at the new Parliament House (Maota Fono) being constructed at Mulinuu.

The event was one of several local engagements for Ms. Bishop who is in Samoa for two days.

She is accompanied by Australias Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who will lead Australia's delegation to the Pacific Island Forums Foreign Ministers Meeting at Taumeasina Island Resort today.

Among the Ministers attending the meeting is New Zealands deputy Prime Minister, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, who is scheduled to arrive today.

Yesterday, Ms. Bishop had a busy schedule.

And under the heat of the afternoon at Mulinuu, she spoke about the importance of the Parliament building to Samoa.

She said the new building represents the defense, promotion and respect of democracy and the rule of law.

The rule of law, an underpinning of a democratic society, must be upheld, she said.

This building is a symbol of members of Parliament putting the interests of the people above their own interests, and thats why we support the funding of this house.

Minister Bishop said that while the original Maoto Fono, built in 1972, served Samoa well, it was time for a new building.

Our support has enabled you to construct a building that has not only been an architectural wonder but has also driven resilience.

She added that the employment of a local building company, Craigs Construction, helps strengthen communities through positive job opportunities.

The round, fale style architecture style incorporates traditional Samoan architecture.

During a tour after the official ceremony, Minister Bishop and her colleague Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells walked around in amazement.

They interacted with the local officials and asked several questions to the building and architecture team.

Minister Bishop also announced that Australia will fund the building of a new Legislative Assembly Office and will shortly begin a study into the construction of the office, which was met with applause. She said she would like work to begin as soon as possible so that Parliament may function fully.

Away from visiting Australia-funded projects, Ms. Bishop is also scheduled to Prime Minister Tuilaepa to discuss ways to strengthen security, development and economic cooperation.

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.

The Australia Foreign Minister will also meet Vaovasamanaia in Samoa.
The Government has the ability to pay off its $1.01 billion debts and is already servicing most of its loans.

Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, said this in response to questions from the Samoa Observer as well as increasing public concern over the Governments debt levels.

Speaking in his capacity as the Minister responsible for revenue collection, Tialavea said loan repayments are a priority for the Government and this is confirmed in the annual budget appropriations.

We can afford it. Each annual budget, the loans are our first priority. Go and look at the budget book and you can see from there, how much we are paying annually and it is not $1 billion.

That is absurd to think the Government will make loans they cannot afford to pay, he said.

The debts of Samoa currently stand at $1.01 billion and includes $410 million in loans from the Peoples Republic of China.

According to the Budget for Financial Year 2018-2019, a total of $73.5 million has been allocated to repay overseas loans with $12.7 million earmarked for domestic loan repayments.

The Revenue Office surpassed the $500 million mark in Financial Year 2017-2018 with Tialavea saying the Government is living within its means and will not seek loans that it cannot afford to repay.

Live within our means and that is what we are doing, we will not ask for a loan we know we cannot afford.

As repeated on numerous occasions, the loans are necessary for the developments of our country, while our local revenues are focused on bettering our services for our people.

The Government subsidizes most of our health services, such as dental, off-island referral treatment, cheap medication, and free health service for children and on top of that we also offer pensions for our elders, he added.

The loans, according to Tialavea, enables the Government to develop infrastructure without putting at risk other funding which is allocated to fund other citizen-benefits.

And we can only do this with loans in place for the developing of our infrastructure; otherwise we would allocate all our funds to developing of our country and we would not have any funds for the benefits we are offering our people.

Also development plans we have cannot wait until we collect enough revenues; if we do it that way, our Country wouldnt be where we are right now. Another issue I want to emphasize on is the fact that, we dont pay our loans all at once.
Blueskys Financial Controller, Anish Chandra, would like to one day see his customer service representatives speak fluent Chinese.

Members of Samoas tourism industry gathered this week at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel for the China Ready seminar to learn from Marcus Lee, chairman of the International China Investment forum, on how to best cater towards a growing market of Chinese tourists.

Mr. Chandra said he is eager to reach out to Chinese business people and show them the extensive fiber cables and network that exist in Samoa.

In attending the seminar hosted by the Samoa Tourism Authority, Mr. Chandra aims to learn more about what Chinese tourists actually want and need in order to provide the right products and services.

We already have a tremendous technical team that manages our network, so I think technologically we are ready.

While the company is of the view that they are technologically ready to embrace the opportunity, he said they might need to consider upgrading their customer service to cater for Samoas new international visitors.

We probably need to look at hiring some Chinese nationals to be our partners in communication, and basically need to up our speed in customer service.

But I think managing and maintaining a Samoan culture will give them a new experience, which they would be amazed to see.

A Samoan person speaking fluently in Cantonese, in Mandarin, and that would be something amazing for them, added Mr Chandra.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has called for a fruitful discussion about the greater security of the Blue Pacific region.

He made the call when he opened the 2018 Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting at Taumeasina Island Resort this morning.

Our agenda today provides us with an opportunity to discuss how we can work together to promote the security and development of our Blue Pacific, Tuilaepa said.

We also have the opportunity to discuss how we can promote greater security of our Blue Pacific through seeking certainty over our maritime boundaries.

And we will discuss a proposal offered by the Forum Fisheries Minister for an aerial surveillance programme.

Tuilaepa, who is also Samoas Foreign Affairs Minister, said the theme for this years Forum Leaders meeting to be held in Nauru, Building a Strong Pacific  Our Islands, Our People, Our Will calls on Pacific leaders to strengthen their collective will in order overcome persistent development challenges.

The theme is indeed a timely one. As the global geopolitical landscape shifts, the Pacific is again becoming the focus of increasing strategic competition and cooperation, presenting us with both opportunity and challenge, Tuilaepa said.

As Foreign Ministers we are charged with navigating this intricate environment to promote the interests of our countries and our region.

And while our world is inherently unpredictable and complex, I believe that the Blue Pacific narrative provides us with a sense of focus and coherence, so that we can steadily and strategically progress our regional priorities and achieve our goals under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.

Tuilaepa added he is pleased to see Forum Leaders are able to advance the discussion of issues such as strengthening the Forums international engagement and advocacy.

As we well know, as Ministers and Leaders we may agree within the context of the Forum to new positions and initiatives to address our various challenges and realise our ambitions.

But we also need to gain the support of other countries, and other organisations for support, action and resources.

The Taumesaina meeting will consider proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of our international engagement and advocacy through a dedicated strategy for engagement and advocacy, and clearly identified priorities.

I am particularly interested to see how we can better maximise our Pacific voice as we head into COP 24 in Poland later this year.

Last year, Foreign Ministers also considered that the time was right to build on the Forum existing security declarations to take account of current and emerging security issues.

Leaders accepted this recommendation and the Secretariat subsequently embarked on an extensive process of consultations. Today we will have the opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of those consultations, and consider a proposal for a Biketawa Plus Declaration.

The meeting will also consider the application by Wallis and Futuna for Associate Membership of the Forum.

Among the leaders present in Samoa today are Baron Divavesi Waqa, President of Nauru, Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister of Tonga, Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Vaovasa Winston Peters, deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Julie Bishop, Australias Foreign Ministers.

The one-day meeting ends tonight with a press conference scheduled to announce the final outcomes.
PR - Pacific Island states are celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rarotonga, a regional pact that established the Pacific as an internationally recognized nuclear-weapon-free zone 33 years ago.

Government officials from the region also declared their support for the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which aims to make the entire world free of nuclear weapons.

During a reception on Monday at the Taumeasina Island Resort in Apia, Tim Wright of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (I.C.A.N.), praised Pacific Island states for their leadership in the decades-long struggle against nuclear weapons.

He congratulated the governments of Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu for signing the new treaty, and Palau for being the first in the region to ratify it.

Jeffrey Antol, Palaus Bureau of Foreign Affairs director, said that every nation  irrespective of size  had the right and responsibility to speak out against nuclear weapons.

We cannot simply leave it to the nuclear powers to decide whether to disarm, he said. We must work together to put pressure on them to do so, and we must make it clear that we consider these weapons to be illegal.

He appealed to other nations in the region, which are yet to sign and ratify the UN treaty, to take those steps during the high-level segment of the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month.

Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, signed the treaty last September, but the Samoan government is yet to ratify it.

Speaking recently, Doreen deBrum, a senior foreign ministry official from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, explained why the treaty is so important to her country and the entire Pacific.

She said: The people of the Marshall Islands understand from first-hand experience the horrors of nuclear weapons and their threat to human life, to our children, to our mother earth. Though the nuclear tests at Bikini and Enewetak atolls ended long ago, the impacts are still felt today and will persist well into the future, with increased rates of cancer and other radiation-related illnesses in our communities.

Her late father, Tony deBrum, who served as her countrys foreign minister up until 2016, was a passionate advocate for nuclear disarmament and supporter of I.C.A.N. He wanted justice for the Marshallese people and humanity to live free from the nuclear threat.

His daughter said that she was proud that her country had voted in favour of adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last July. The treaty is now under review by the parliament.

This treaty offers such great hope that we can finally bring the era of nuclear weapons to an end, before there are any more victims, she added.

Tahiti is another Pacific nation that continues to suffer the consequences of nuclear testing. But it is unable to join the U.N. treaty as it is a French territory.

Mr Wright from I.C.A.N. spoke to members of SUNGO, the Samoan Umbrella for Non-Governmental Organisations, at the Millennia Hotel about the ongoing legacy of nuclear testing in the Pacific region.

He said that the United States, France and Britain harmed the pristine environment of the Pacific and the health and wellbeing of Pacific islanders by conducting more than 300 nuclear test explosions in the region between 1946 and 1996.

The new treaty cannot undo the harm that has already been caused, he said, but it can help to ensure that no one else ever suffers the consequences of the use or testing of these immoral weapons.

He brought the Nobel Peace Prize medal, which was awarded to I.C.A.N. at a ceremony in Norway last December, to Samoa in a bid to draw attention to the effects of nuclear weapons and its role in bringing about the UN treaty.

As more and more countries join the treaty, the norm against the possession of nuclear weapons will grow stronger and the pressure on the nuclear-armed countries to disarm will intensify, he said.

Close to 15,000 nuclear weapons remain in the world today, posing a threat to the very survival of humanity. Nine countries possess them: United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea. The vast majority of the worlds countries, including Samoa, strongly reject nuclear weapons.
TOKYO (AP)  Nagasaki marked the anniversary of the world's second atomic bombing Thursday with the United Nations chief and the city's mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that the attacks should never be repeated. He raised concerns about slowing efforts to denuclearize, saying existing nuclear states are modernizing their arsenals.

"Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park. "Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency." Guterres added that nuclear weapons states should take the lead. "Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on Earth to suffer nuclear devastation," he said.

More than 5,000 citizens, including Nagasaki atom bomb survivors, and representatives of about 70 countries remembered the victims as they observed a minute of silence at 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb Fatman hit the city.

Emperor Akihito joined a silent prayer from Tokyo with his wife Michiko as they monitored the ceremony on TV, marking the last Nagasaki commemoration before his planned abdication next April, Kyodo News reported.

The U.S. bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed an estimated 70,000 people three days after a bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000. They were followed by Japan's surrender, ending World War II.

Guterres said the peace and nuclear disarmament movement started by survivors of the atomic bombings has spread around the world but frustration over the slow progress led to last year's adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Japan, despite being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, has not signed the treaty because of its sensitive position as an American ally protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japan's government to do more to seek nuclear disarmament, especially in the Asian region to help achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. He said citizens of the atomic-bombed cities are hoping to see North Korea denuclearized.

Taue urged Tokyo to sign the treaty and "fulfill its moral obligation to lead the world toward denuclearization." He said more than 300 local assemblies have adopted resolutions calling on Japan to sign and ratify the treaty.

Japan seeks to close the gap between the views of nuclear and non-nuclear states about nuclear disarmament to eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, repeating almost the same phrase he used in a speech three days earlier in Hiroshima.

At a meeting later Thursday with Abe, an atom bomb survivor, or "hibakusha," confronted the prime minister, asking how exactly he could bridge the divide while remaining under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
San Diego-based Sempra Energy late Wednesday announced it has formed a new operating group to head its North American infrastructure businesses, shuffling some executives in the process.

Its unclear how the move relates to a group of activist investors who complain the Fortune 500 energy giants stock market performance has lagged in relation to its peers, want changes in Sempras board of directors and have called for the company to sell or spin off some of its assets.

This new streamlined organizational structure will better align our non-utility operations to serve our global customers, and develop and execute projects more effectively, Sempra CEO Jeff Martin said in a statement released Wednesday evening, about six hours after the trading day closed in New York.

The new group, called Sempra North American Infrastructure, will encompass Sempras operations in Mexico that are part of the companys IEnova subsidiary, as well as Sempras existing LNG & Midstream division that includes the massive Cameron liquefied natural gas facility under construction in Louisiana.

Advertisement

Carlos Ruiz Sacristan was named chairman and CEO of the new group, reporting to Sempra president and chief operating officer Joseph Householder. Ruiz had been IEnovas longtime chairman and CEO. He will remain as executive chairman of the board of directors at IEnova. Tania Ortiz Mena will become IEnovas new CEO, effective Sept. 1.

Im honored and excited to serve in this new role at Sempra Energy and to continue my close involvement with IEnova, Ruiz said a news release issued by the company. Weve built a strong and deep leadership team at IEnova and I will be devoting my full attention to growing Sempra Energys North American infrastructure business.

Sempra stock finished Thursdays trading day down 34 cents, finishing at $114.73.

The news comes two months after a group of activist investors led by Elliott Management and Bluescape Resources, representing a 4.9 percent stake in Sempra, said in a letter to the companys board that Sempra must reset oversight, streamline its portfolio and improve core operations.

Elliott and Bluescape officials predicted Sempra stock price would range between $139 to $158 a share, should their suggestions be followed.

One analyst was not sure what to make of the news to create the Sempra North American Infrastructure Group.

It looks like an interesting development but its not completely clear what its implications are at this point, said Paul Patterson, an analyst who covers utilities for Glenrock Associates, a research firm in New York City.

A representative of Elliott Management did not return a phone call and an email from the Union-Tribune asking for comment about the creation of the new group.

Martin and other high-ranking officials at Sempra have met with representatives of the activist investors group. A source familiar with the discussions said negotiations are moving slower than the activists want.

While taking part in Sempras quarterly earnings call with analysts Monday, Martin did not get into specifics but said, the tone of the conversations are good, all the right people are engaged and I remain very optimistic about it.

Among the changes Elliott and Bluescape have called for include divesting or spinning off some of Sempras holdings such as IEnova, assets in South America and the companys LNG projects.

Sempra officials, saying they conducted their own top-down strategic review of the company, announced last month the company will sell all of its solar and wind holdings in the U.S., as well as gas storage facilities in the Deep South.

The move did not appear to go far enough for the activist investors, who said they were disappointed by the announcement.

Other changes related to the creation of the Sempra North American Infrastructure Group:

Octavio Simoes has been promoted to president and CEO of Sempra LNG & Midstream, reporting to Ruiz

Justin Bird has been named chief development officer for the Sempra North American Infrastructure Group

Amy Chiu has been named the infrastructure groups chief asset management officer, and

Kathryn Collier will be the chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for the infrastructure group.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
The nonprofit East County Economic Development Council Foundation has received a $15,000 donation from San Diego Gas & Electric, its title sponsor for the councils annual work exposition in October.

SDG&E is heading the groups free Oct. 2 Manufacturing Expo at Allen Airways Flying Museum at Gillespie Field. The flying museum, owned by Willis M. Allen Jr., is not typically open to the public.

The expo was also at the museum last year, drawing more than 400 attendees to check out about 30 manufacturers showcasing employment opportunities and new technology.

The event is part of U.S. Manufacturing Day, a nationwide effort to show the public what todays manufacturing looks like and dispel common misconceptions about the industry, according to East County EDC Foundation CEO and President Jo Marie Diamond.

Advertisement

San Diego Gas & Electrics support will allow the East County EDC to continue to fund programs such as the Annual Manufacturing Expo and Resource Fair, and the Careers in Manufacturing Tour and Panel series, Diamond said. Each of these programs empower local job seekers to take the next step in pursuing their career.

The grant will allow the economic development foundation to bring more people into the manufacturing field, improve workforce readiness and offer education opportunities for people who want to work in the skilled labor profession in East County, she said.

The East County Economic Development Council has been promoting the importance of a healthy, vital economic climate and quality of life since 1984. The nonprofit East County EDC Foundation was established in 1998 to carry out the councils plans.

The foundation looks into specific research, education and economic development projects in East County. The group focuses on programs that address the gap between job seekers and the needs of local manufacturers looking to hire. It offers a variety of events that connect employer to employees as part of its aim to act as the catalyst for economic growth in East County.

The East County Economic Development Council recently began a program that provides no-risk loans to workers looking to add new skills to help them earn more money and allow better career advancement opportunities.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
Canines soon will be allowed to run free year-round, but only until 8 a.m. daily, on Del Mars popular Dog Beach at the mouth of the San Dieguito River.

Long known for its tolerant attitude toward dogs on the beach, this week the city approved an ordinance to add the early morning hours and call for additional enforcement of the rules.

Del Mars leash laws vary across three different areas of the beach and by the time of year.

Many people dont realize that during the summer, when the sand is the most crowded, the current law requires canines at Dog Beach to be on leashes at all times. That area, also known as Del Mars North Beach, stretches from 29th Street to the Solana Beach border.

Advertisement

Leash laws are often ignored on all Del Mar beaches, especially in the mornings when most people walk their pets.

Right now, people are treating the beach as leash-free, Councilman Dave Druker said at a council meeting Monday. These people have been there for years and years.

The long-standing off-leash season begins the day after Labor Day and continues through June 15, but only north of 29th Street.

Between Powerhouse Park and 29th Street, dogs are not allowed on the beach at all in the summer and only on leashes the rest of the year. Dogs must be leashed year-round south of Powerhouse Park.

Complaints prompted a crackdown on enforcement last summer, and that led residents to request changes in the law.

The changes approved Monday will allow dogs off-leash year-round from dawn to 8 a.m. anywhere north of 29th Street.

Also, between 25th and 29th streets, which is the citys Main Beach area, the new law will allow dogs off-leash from dawn to 8 a.m., but only in the off-season, from the day after Labor Day through June 15. Otherwise, the rules remain the same, which for the Main Beach means no dogs in the summer, and on-leash through the winter.

The new ordinance also makes violations a misdemeanor and sets penalties of up to six months in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.

A second reading of the proposed changes is scheduled for Sept. 4, and if approved then they will take effect Oct. 4.

The new rules will be tough to enforce, Druker said. He suggested additional signs in prominent places and a publicity campaign throughout the community, and other council members agreed.

At the suggestion of Councilman Terry Sinnott, the council agreed to review the changes in one year and make modifications, if necessary.

Other off-leash beaches in San Diego County are just south of the Naval station in Coronado, the northern end of Ocean Beach, and Fiesta Island at Mission Bay. Hours and leash laws vary by location.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
New plans call for American Legion San Dieguito Post 416 to raze its historic buildings in downtown Encinitas and build a new structure from scratch.

The older of the current two attached buildings was moved onto the site on Second Street at F Street in 1930 from the old Camp Kearny, a World War I Army base in what is now the Kearny Mesa area, San Diego.

And the other building, which houses the bar area, was brought from Camp Callan, a World War II base on what is now UC San Diego, in the 1940s.

Surveying the wooden interior last week, Mayor Catherine Blakespear said it definitely has a 40s look, which she indicated gave it a particularly welcoming appeal. She liked the open feeling of the structure.

Advertisement

Blakespear was there to appear on a video promoting a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the proposed new building.

She said the Post serves a very important mission helping veterans and providing community celebrations on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day.

Its an environment thats important to us, she said. Were really excited about this project. The current building, she said, is quite run-down. Im happy to support this cause, Blakespear said.

Last December, when the street in front of the Post was closed and crowded with 500 visitors to watch the annual Amy and Navy game, Matt Shillingburg, then second vice commander, talked about plans to renovate the buildings and expand on the site.

Within the last two weeks, those plans have changed.

Schillingburg, now the new Post commander, said last week that meetings with architects had proven that it simply would be too costly to try to rehabilitate the old buildings.

Instead, Schillingburg showed architectural renderings of a shiny new two-story structure with extra parking.

Although Blakespear endorsed the campaign on the video, she earlier expressed some concerns as she looked at the rendering. Would the building stay under the 30-foot height limit for the area? Is it a bit too industrial looking for Encinitas? Could it maintain the Posts open, welcoming feel?

Schillingburg said the plans could be finetuned a bit.

Blakespear said older members will be sentimental about the current structures whereas younger ones are apt to like the nicer building.

Schillingburg said the new building will cost $2 million and take three years to build.

He noted there will be extra interest next year  the 100th anniversary of the American Legions founding.

Schillingburg said there will be space in the new structure for a full-time veterans service officer. The 500-member San Dieguito Post serves the area between Oceanside and La Jolla.

Also appearing on the video, produced as a gift by Amy Scruggs and filmed by John Morse, was Kerry Cortinas, part of a pitch to let people know the Legion is for younger folks, too.

Thats not, Schillingburg said, meant in any way to detract from the Posts 22 World War II veterans (all in their 90s now) or the 48 members who served during the Korean conflict (1950-53).

Cortinas, new vice commander, is 45.

We want to do something to honor their (older veterans) legacy and also our legacy (post Gulf War veterans), Cortinas said.

A former Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in Okinawa, Cortinas and her husband, Justin, a former Navy corpsman, moved to Encinitas in 2005 but joined the legion only two years ago. It can only get better, she said.

Schillingburg is a 22-year Army veteran, 1974-1996, half that time as an enlisted man and half as an officer. He spent three years in the Middle East.

He comes from a military family; his dad, Andy, served in Korea and as a frogman and Navy Seal (1947-1966). Although born in the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., Schillingburg grew up in San Diego County  in Imperial Beach.

Club Website is Calegionpost416.org.
Sam Abed has raised roughly four times as much money as his main opponent in his bid to win a third term as Escondido mayor in November.

Abed has raised $187,000 in his quest to remain on the City Council while Paul Mac McNamara has raised just $39,000, plus a $10,000 loan to himself, according to the latest financial disclosure reports for the period that ended June 30.

A possible third candidate, Randy Lee Eldred, recently took out nomination papers for mayor, but has not yet returned them, but said Wednesday he intends to meet Fridays deadline. Eldred, a longtime owner of a martial arts studio in the city, does not have a campaign committee and thus has raised no funds.

Among Abeds contributors are several with connections to development companies that will have projects before the City Council in the years ahead.

Advertisement

In May, six individuals connected to Integral Communities gave a total of just over $14,000 to Abeds campaign. Integral recently agreed to buy the old downtown Palomar Hospital site for $18 million and sometime in the next year or two is expected to apply for approval to build anywhere from 300 to 1,000 condominiums on the property.

Abeds campaign also received a $4,100 contribution last December from Safari Highlands Ranch LLC, the company seeking permission to build 550 luxury homes in the mountains just north of the San Diegos Zoos Safari Park.

The City Council will likely decide that issue early next year. Although the property is located in unincorporated San Diego County, under the proposal it would be annexed into Escondido.

The campaigns for council incumbents Ed Gallo and John Masson, both of whom are up for re-election in November, also each have received $4,100 (the maximum allowed under the citys campaign financing regulations) from Safari Highlands Ranch.

Abed on Wednesday said he sees no conflict with taking developer money. He said his vote cant be bought.

He said that New Urban West, a development company that won the support of the council last year to build 380 homes on the site of the former Escondido Country Club, had given his campaigns roughly $25,000 over the years, yet he voted against the project.

He said the amount of financial support his campaign has enjoyed is a direct reflection of the support I have in the community.

Abed also decried his opponent, McNamara, who he said has aligned himself with unions and the far political left.

The executive director of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Museum Foundation, McNamara on Wednesday said he was not overly concerned about the financial gap between the two campaigns.

His money is coming from developers, real estate agents, the mobile home park owners. Hes not really getting it from the citizens of Escondido, McNamara said. He said as he canvassas the city knocking on doors he finds few who support Abed. They all feel he has let the city down and sold out.

McNamara said he has pledged not to take developer money.

Whether its legal or not, I dont know how you can ethically take money from an organization and then make an impartial vote on it.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
One San Diego, the charity Kevin Faulconer helped launch soon after he was elected San Diego mayor, substantially increased its revenue last year as spending on events and programs plummeted.

According to the nonprofits 2017 tax filing, One San Diego collected just under $452,000 for the year, a boost of almost 22 percent or more than $80,000 over the prior year.

In the same period, the organization spent $103,000 on events and programs, a decline of more than $60,000 or 37 percent from 2016. One San Diego also reported fundraising expenses of nearly $52,000, a 58 percent increase over the previous year, records show.

Executive Director Dena DeSarro, an independent contractor who was paid $60,000 last year, said the charity is dedicated to promoting business and building community throughout the citys diverse neighborhoods.

Advertisement

One San Diego supports the interests of neighborhoods citywide by expanding educational opportunities for local youth, empowering small business and entrepreneurs to succeed and supporting programs that create stronger neighborhoods through community engagement and beautification of public spaces, she said in a statement.

Another cause the charity remains committed to is directly supporting the Mayors Office, the tax filing notes.

The designation is notable because Faulconer continues to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the nonprofit from donors, many of whom have business relationships with the city.

DeSarro said the charity recognizes that public agencies have limited resources, so One San Diego works to support those efforts through donation drives and philanthropic giving to support such needs as temporary shelters for the homeless.

For example, the Mayors Office spearheaded the temporary bridge shelters, but with the need for homeless services being so great, One San Diego stepped in with a donation drive to provide hygienic items and other materials to homeless men and women using the shelter, she said.

Last year, Faulconer reported $418,000 in solicited donations to One San Diego, according to public disclosures. Through July of this year, he reported $275,000 in additional contributions, which are known as behested payments.

Since Faulconer took over the Mayors Office in 2014, he has solicited almost $2.5 million in behested payments from dozens of sources, including San Diego Gas & Electric, Walmart, Wells Fargo, Sycuan and Bosa Development.

Nearly half of that has been earmarked for One San Diego, records show.

Mayoral spokesman Greg Block said Faulconer focuses most of his charitable fundraising on One San Diego because it promotes job fairs in underserved neighborhoods, provides backpacks to needy students, laptops to after-school programs and Thanksgiving turkeys to hungry families, among other activities.

Mayor Faulconer is thankful for the donor contributions that have made these community investments possible, Block said in a statement. The mayor plans to continue to encourage individuals and companies to support worthy causes that improve our city.

Carl Luna, who teaches political science at Mesa College, said charitable donations, like their political counterparts, are generally made by people with specific purpose in mind.

People give money to make themselves feel good, but they also give money to gain something -- status in the community, to make yourself feel good, but also because it puts you in the right group of people, which can help you in business and in politics, he said.

The rise in behested payments solicited by Faulconer tell me that class and money still help you gain greater access to power in San Diego in 2018, Luna said.

The One San Diego tax filing states part of its mission is supporting the organization of the Mayors Office. The groups founding documents say it may spend donations on polling, receptions, furniture, search firms and employee training and development.

The corporation will be closely related to the city of San Diego, insofar as one of the corporations purposes is to relieve the city of the costs and burden of conducting activities on behalf of the Office of the Mayor, the documents state.

One San Diego has made a significant financial turnaround due to the escalating donations.

In 2016, the nonprofit spent almost $14,000 more than it took in and closed out the year with barely $2,700 in assets. By the end of last year, expenses had been cut by more than $70,000 and the organization ended the year with assets of $137,000.

While fundraising expenses climbed significantly, other spending was more conservative.

Legal costs, for example, sank from more than $11,000 in 2016 to less than $1,500, according to the latest tax filing. Office expenses dropped from $3,346 to just $484 and bank fees dipped from about $1,800 to $884.

In 2016, the charity donated $65,000 -- $25,000 to the La Jolla Playhouse and $40,000 to Saved in America, an Oceanside nonprofit that helps track down missing children.

Last year, One San Diego donated $69,388, including $30,000 to the local Girl Scouts chapter and $26,888 to the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. The rest was not required to be disclosed because they were donated increments below $5,000.

The nonprofit board includes Lani Lutar, a lobbyist and former president of the local taxpayers association; Ruben Barrales, a political consultant and former chamber of commerce president; media executive Margarita Wilder and accountant Delores Chavez.

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
Imperial Beach plans to build a 24-foot-wide boardwalk at the edge of the Tijuana Estuary.

We have all gone to places where we go, wow, that was a really cool place, and we remember it, said the citys development director, Steve Dush. This is that opportunity.

The boardwalk, which includes lights, benches, overlooks, and space for bicycles, is part of a $5 million project to renovate Imperial Beach Boulevard.

The project involves adding parking and bike lanes along Imperial Beach Boulevard between Seacoast Drive and 13th Street, widening sidewalks in front of Mar Vista High School, updating landscaping and median designs, and reducing four lanes of traffic to three between 9th and 13th streets.

Advertisement

The City Council approved the design last week by a 4-0 vote. One council member was absent.

Dush said the project is expected to improve pedestrian safety, increase bicycle accessibility, and reduce speeds along one of Imperial Beachs main thoroughfares.

But the crowning jewel will be the boardwalk.

Part of the upside is that the boardwalk will make the Tijuana Estuary more accessible, an area that has struggled to attract visitors in recent years.

On a busy summer day, the city of Imperial Beach can have thousands of people walking around in the beach and Seacoast Drive,but we end up having only 100 people at our visitor center just around the corner, said Chris Peregrin, manager of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. I think improvements like this are really important because they are bringing the public.

More than 90 percent of wetland habitats have been lost to development in Southern California and the Tijuana River Estuary is one of the last ones left. Every year, over 370 species of birds use the estuary for breeding, feeding, nesting, and a stopover point during migration seasons.

The Imperial Beach Boulevard project had wide support from conservationists such as the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, educators from the Sweetwater Union High School District, and transit advocates like Circulate San Diego.

Maya Rosa, policy director with Circulate San Diego, brought data from a recent study on traffic safety. The data shows Imperial Beach Boulevard has some of the most dangerous intersections in the city when it comes to bicycle and pedestrian crashes.

What this shows is that your project is going to save lives, she told the council. Imperial Beach Boulevard is the second-most dangerous corridor in Imperial Beach and four of the 10 most dangerous intersections in your city are on Imperial Beach Boulevard.

There were some concerns about the impact of removing one lane along Imperial Beach Boulevard between 9th and 13th streets. Instead of two eastbound and two westbound lanes, the proposed design includes bike lanes and one lane of traffic in each direction and a third lane in the center vehicles can use to make turns.

The change adds about 11 seconds of time to drive from one end of the boulevard to the other during peak times, city officials said.

Councilmembers Robert Patton and Lorie Bragg suggested making that time up by removing underused stop signs on some side streets that lead onto Imperial Beach Boulevard.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter
National City Mayor Ron Morrison, who cant seek re-election because of term limits, plans to run for City Council in November.

In the race for Morrisons spot, the candidates are City Treasurer Mitch Beauchamp, Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis, Ditas Yamane and Daniel Perez.

Councilman Jerry Cano this week obtained nomination papers to run for mayor, but he did not file the papers by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. Cano has faced calls from critics to resign in light of an investigation into building code violations he failed to correct for a span of five years.

Morrison, a politician with a 26-year career, filed nomination papers on Friday to run for City Council.

Advertisement

His decision comes on the heels of the defeat of a June ballot measure that would have allowed him to seek re-election. Measure B, which Morrison campaigned for, proposed new term limits. In what turned out to be a tight race with an opposing measure, 51 percent of voters shot down Measure B.

Morrison this week rejected the notion he is running for a council seat because he doesnt want to give up power. He did admit he wants to have influence.

That doesnt mean power, he said, that just means influence.

Elected in 2006 after serving 14 years as a councilman, Morrison said his decision is not based on the need for a job.

Its my love for this community, he said.

The mayor said he has received an avalanche of pressure from some residents and members of the business community who want him to run for City Council.

Morrison, who described himself as a proven commodity, said he believes some constituents fear the city may regress under new leadership.

After watching how far our city has come, I didnt feel I could sit back, he added.

As for the amount of time he has spent in office, Morrison said he has met deserving politicians who have served more than 30 years and politicians who have served 30 minutes too long. It should be seen on a case-by-case basis that depends on the level of service and energy a leader can continue to provide, he said.

Morrison is set to face off against Councilwoman Mona Rios, Jose Rodriguez, Sherry Gogue and James Kim.

I feel really strong, Rios said of her campaign.

Rios and Sotelo-Solis expressed disapproval of Morrisons decision to run for City Council, saying its time for new ideas and leadership.

Its a sad day when somebody like Ron, who has served almost three decades, cant chose to exit and leave his legacy, whatever it is, leave his work to show for what it is, Sotelo-Solis said.

There are two open seats on the City Council, which oftentimes is divided 3-2, with the men positioned against the women.

Councilman Albert Mendivil announced Thursday he does not plan to seek re-election or run for mayor  an idea he contemplated. In an email, he said:

God put me in this position. I have served Him well and will continue to serve Him in all that I do. For the good of the people of National City, the council needs a major change. I will begin the change process by not running and hope the voters will complete it in November. The city staff is full of wonderful, hard-working, dedicated people. My utmost respect and support goes to our (National City Police Department) who put their lives on the line for us on a daily basis. I have thoroughly enjoyed most of my time on the council. However, I will not miss politics and politicians whose major concern is to be re-elected.

Beauchamp, who served as a councilman from 1994 to 2002, said the citys state of affairs impelled him to run for office.

Theres too many strings attached to the people on the council, he said. Im concerned that weve moved away from governance.

Elected city treasurer in 2008, Beauchamp said he is concerned about debt stemming from pension funds and poor spending for budgeted expenses he opposes.

In May, Beauchamp agreed to complete 80 hours of volunteer work and pay $900 in restitution to resolve an animal cruelty case against him.

Sotelo-Solis, who filed her nomination papers late Thursday afternoon, said she feels she can represent the community.

We need someone who is willing to be a bridge builder, to have dialogue, not be adversarial, she said.

Sotelo-Solis and Rios attracted criticism over the weekend after they released a joint statement that urged patience by all in the death investigation of Earl McNeil, who went into medical distress while in police custody in May. Critics called the move political.

Elected in 2008, Sotelo-Solis, who lost bids for mayor in 2006 and 2010, said she wants to create affordable housing options, support small businesses and projects that infuse revenue into the city, and boost civic engagement, particularly for the 2020 Census.

If Sotelo-Solis is elected to office, the council will have 60 days to fill her seat with a majority vote or call for an election.

Because Mendivil, an incumbent, decided to not seek re-election, the deadline for City Council candidates to file papers was extended until 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez

UPDATES:

5:20 p.m. on Aug. 10: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published about 11 a.m. on Aug. 9.

4:40 p.m. on Aug 9: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published about 11 a.m. on Aug. 9.
Numbers Dont Lie

 but sometimes they mumble. Recently released data show that overall beer sales in the U.S. fell 1 percent, yet craft beer sales rose 5 percent. Craft beer is more popular than ever, accounting for almost 13 out of every 100 beers sold.

However, some of craft beers leading brands are stumbling. Of the nations five largest craft breweries, four saw sales drop between 2016 and 2017, while one merely matched that previous years figure.

D.G Yuengling & Sons dropped 2 percent; Boston Beer, 14 percent; Sierra Nevada, 8 percent; New Belgium held steady; and Spoetzel fell 3 percent.

Some prominent breweries prospered  for instance, Escondidos Stone, the countrys eighth largest craft brewery, rose 15 percent.

Advertisement

Still, craft is navigating turbulent waters. With the number of American breweries doubling in the past five years, theres too much competition to support the notion that a rising tide lifts all boats.

Instead, this flood tide lifts some and swamps others.

Animal Kingdom

Although based on an Australian crime drama, TNTs Animal Kingdom takes full advantage of its Oceanside setting. The Codys, the drug dealing/bank robbing/murdering family at the series center, peddle stolen goods on Oceanside Pier, plot at Tyson Street Park, cruise Coast Highway.

They also have tangled love lives and a bottomless supply of beer. Which set up a line in a recent episode:

Youre gonna give me relationship advice? Deran Cody (Jake Weary) asked his brother Craig (Ben Robson). The guy who told that waitress at Bagby Beer Co. that you were getting deported because you didnt want to have breakfast with her the next day.

Turns out, the cast and crew are fans of Jeff and Dande Bagbys brewpub at 601 S. Coast Highway.

They come in and have lunch here all the time, said Claire Van Dyke, a Bagby Beer manager.

Howd that waitress feel when she learned that Craig is undeported?

Shes taking it OK, Van Dyke said.

Beer-Curious, or Stuff My Editor Asks

Q. Ales and lagers? Whats the difference?

A. In the kingdom of beer, there are two large classes: ales and lagers. The former use top-fermenting yeast and require as little as two weeks to make; the latter, bottom-fermenting yeast and require weeks or months to produce.

Lagers tend to be smoother, with narrowly-defined flavors. Examples: pilsner, dunkel, Helles, schwarzbier. Most of the larger industrial beers  Budweiser, Miller, Coors and their light versions  are lagers. Ditto, most German imports.

Ales tend to be fruitier, with flavors that are more vivid and layered. Examples: India pale ale, pale ale, brown ale, barley wine. Craft breweries produce far more ales than lagers, although there are exceptions: Gordon Biersch, for one, focuses on lagers.

Kings of Beer

Council of Ni! (6 percent alcohol by volume) is an inside joke in a 16-ounce can, but even if you dont grasp the pop culture gag, this Euro-Pacific mashup entertains.

A collaboration between the Council and Home breweries, Ni! is a Belgian-style wit with an unusual but appealing Scandinavian-SoCal accent. White sage from local hills provide an earthy aroma, while Norwegian yeast bolsters the beers spicy foundation.

Those herbal touches add zest to the wheat cracker and lemon meringue flavors.

Theyre also part of the joke. In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the heroes are halted by the menacing  and ridiculous  Knights Who Say Ni! To pass this obstacle, King Arthur and company must pass a quiz and deliver some shrubbery.

White sage, say.

Best of the Week

Two decades separate AleSmith and Bay City, yet these San Diego breweries are united this weekend  both are celebrating anniversaries.

Bay Citys third anniversary party is Saturday, noon to 10 p.m., at the tasting room, 3760 Hancock St. Theres no cover change, but look for new beer releases, including canned Bay City Pale and Vienna Lager.

AleSmith will mark its 23rd anniversary all weekend at its headquarters, 9990 AleSmith Court. Friday, 6 to 8 p.m., is the VIP preview party; Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., the party proper; and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., a coffee cupping session led by the roasters of Modern Times Brewery, followed by tastings of AleSmiths java-infused Speedway Stout.

Tickets, ranging from $10 to $45 (or $80 for a Friday-Saturday pass), are available at AleSmith.com.

Words to Drink By

Algernon is a pleasant companion. At mealtimes, he takes his place at the small gate leg table. He likes pretzels, and today he took a sip of beer while we watched the ballgame on TV. I think he rooted for the Yankees.  from Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (1927-2014). Raise a toast to Keyes, who would have turned 91 today.

Beer Videos

Twitter: @peterroweut

peter.rowe@sduniontribune.com
To the editor: So, lets review: The California bullet train, approved by voters 10 years ago, is by the latest estimates 11 years behind schedule and the projected cost has more than doubled in 10 years to $77 billion.

The current builder has already been paid $50 million for a delay claim against the state and says it has another delay claim for $200 million. I am pretty sure these will not be the last of them.

In June it complained to the state about delays caused by Union Pacific, the owner of the right of way in the Central Valley. The state authority has yet to even meet with Union Pacific to resolve any issues.

This amateurish operation promises more delays and costs for a project that is opposed by farmers in the Central Valley and towns along the route because it will divide them and make each side less accessible.

Advertisement

A merciful death of this boondoggle is called for, be it by decree or referendum.

Peter Putrimas, Simi Valley

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration Thursday to revoke approval for a widely used pesticide that studies show can harm the brains of children.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 60 days to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide initially developed as a nerve gas during World War II.

This decision to tell the EPA to do the ban is a pretty bold move, said Kristen Boyles, a staff attorney for Earthjustice, who represented environmental and farm worker groups in the case.

But she said it was justified by the science and the EPAs continued foot-dragging.

Advertisement

The 2-1 decision stemmed from a 2007 petition by two environmental groups to prevent the chemical from being used on food.

The groups cited studies that found children and infants who had been exposed prenatally to low doses of chlorpyrifos suffer from reduced IQ, attention deficit disorders and delayed motor development that lasts into adulthood.

The EPA failed to take any decisive action in response to the 2007 petition, notwithstanding that the EPAs own internal studies continued to document serious safety risks associated with chlorpyrifos use, particularly for children, New York District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who was filling in on the 9th Circuit, wrote for the panel.

The Obama administration proposed banning the pesticides use on food crops, but former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reversed course last year and decided to retain the pesticide.

The chemical is used on fruits, vegetables and nuts. Hawaii has banned it, and California scientists have listed it as an air contaminant and developmental toxicant, saying it poses risks to children in the air, water and food.

Since Pruitts action, several states, including California, joined the litigation in favor of banning the pesticide.

The most recent figures available indicate the pesticide is used on 640,709 acres in California.

Use in California has declined from a peak of more than 2 million pounds in 2005 to 902,275 pounds in 2016.

Most California farmers no longer use the pesticide, said Charlotte Fadipe, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The 9th Circuit chastised the EPA for delaying action on the chemical.

The time has come to put a stop to this patent evasion, wrote Rakoff, a Clinton appointee. Ninth Circuit Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen, an Obama appointee, joined the ruling.

The 9th Circuit called the delays particularly prejudicial here where the continued use of chlorpyrifos is associated with severe and irreversible health effects.

The court said the EPA had violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The laws require the EPA to ban a pesticide from use on food unless there is reasonable certainty that it will cause no harm, the court said.

The EPA has never made any such determination and, indeed, has itself long questioned the safety of permitting chlorpyrifos to be used within the allowed tolerances, Rakoff wrote.

Judge Ferdinand Fernandez, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, dissented. He argued the appeals court lacked the authority to order a ban pending further review by the EPA.

Environmental and farm worker groups hailed the decision.

Children, farmworkers, rural families and science are all huge winners today, said Kristin Schafer, executive director of Pesticide Action Network North America.

The court affirmed that EPAs job is to protect public health, not industry profits  and found that their reversal of the planned ban of this brain-harming pesticide was in fact illegal.

Environmental groups pointed out Thursday that a subsidiary of Dow Chemical is the largest manufacturer of chlorpyrifos. Dow donated $1 million for President Trumps inauguration.

Some things are too sacred to play politics with  and our kids top the list, said Erik Olson, a senior director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the plaintiffs in the case. The court has made it clear that childrens health must come before powerful polluters.

Erik Nicholson, national vice president of the United Farm Workers of America, said the EPA has put the women and men who harvest the food we eat every day in harms way too long by allowing the continued use of this dangerous neurotoxin.

We commend the court for doing what EPA should have done years ago, he said. The people who feed us deserve a safe and healthy workplace.

EPA spokesman Michael Abboud said the agency was reviewing the decision.

The data underlying the courts assumptions remains inaccessible and has hindered the agencys ongoing process to fully evaluate the pesticide using the best available, transparent science, Abboud said.

The California Farm Bureau Federation said in a statement that it is still reviewing the case.

It called chlorpyrifos an important part of many farmers pest-management programs, adding, If the ruling stands, we expect significant impacts to food and fiber production.

The Dow subsidiary that makes the chemical called it a critical pest management tool used by growers around the world to manage a large number of pests.

The company said in a statement that regulatory bodies in 79 countries have looked at the science, carefully evaluated the product and its significant benefits and continued to approve its use.

Noting that the 9th Circuit panel was divided, the company said it expected that all appellate options to challenge the majoritys decision will be considered.

We will continue to support the growers who need this important product, the statement said.

The EPA could ask a larger panel of the 9th Circuit to review the ruling or appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Times staff writer Geoffrey Mohan contributed to this report.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

UPDATES:

5:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from the state Department of Pesticide Regulation and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

3:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction.

1:55 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction to the decision.

12:05 p.m.: This article was updated with background and additional details from the decision.

This article was originally published at 11 a.m.
For Trey Rosenbalm and Ariana Altier, fighting the largest fire in California history takes more than just watching out for flames.

The Mendocino Complex fire is ravaging thick brush deep in the Mendocino National Forest, so getting close to the front lines to attack flames directly is almost impossible.

They hike several miles per day up steep slopes wearing hefty gear and carrying heavy bags of equipment on their backs. Then theres the wildlife they have to watch out for  rattlesnakes, scorpions and poisonous plants.

You dont know what your next step is, whether you could go into a ditch or loose brush, said Rosenbalm, a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service who like others is working 24-hour shifts every other day.

Advertisement

You go to sleep tired, thats for sure, Altier said.

The remote location is a big reason why the stubborn Mendocino Complex  made up of the Ranch and River fires flanking Clear Lake  raced into the record books. When they exploded nearly two weeks ago above the lake, firefighters were faced with an urgent choice.

California fire coverage: 18 blazes scorch 600,000 acres across the state 

Flames were threatening lakeside communities while also burning rapidly into forestland to the north and west. The fires were among many burning across California, so resources were tight. Crews focused on protecting communities, using bulldozers to cut fire lines above homes in a mission that was largely successful. As of Wednesday night, 119 homes had been lost and no one was killed, a sharp contrast from the destructive Carr fire to the north that consumed more than 1,000 homes and killed seven people.

But the Mendocino Complex fire rapidly moved into forest land, where it was difficult to place firefighters. There the flames burned through dry brush at an unprecedented rate.

The fire was so unpredictable that it wasnt worth putting firefighters in the middle of the wilderness, said Steve Kaufman, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Theres no way to drive fire engines to the middle of the forest.

Kaufman and others said difficult-to-access terrain was a major factor in the unprecedented size of Mendocino Complex, which topped more than 300,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon. Unchecked, the fire was able to push through rolling tree-covered hills, flat grassy land and rugged canyons.

Theres nearly every type of fuel you can imagine: timber, thick brush, light flashy fuels, said Ron Oatman, a Cal Fire spokesman.

Dmitri Menzel, a battalion chief with the Novato Fire District, said working on a fire thats burning in remote areas is exhausting.

Its dirty, its dusty. You drive miles and miles to just get to the fires edge, he said.

On Wednesday, he was working on the River fire, which had no movement overnight and was 81% contained by dusk.

Its a more relaxed day for us, he said. A little less work, but were still maintaining diligence. The intensity of the fires in these last few years is pretty extreme.

A firefighter takes a break during a burn operation Aug. 7 near Ladoga, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Longer, hotter and more destructive fires are leaving California firefighters exhausted, dealing with new stresses that they didnt have to experience 10 years ago. Firefighters are being pulled up and down the state to different fires at unexpected moments and spending more time out in the field  up to a month or more  without seeing family members.

Being away from home is rough, Kioni Sodaria, a firefighter from the Central Calaveras fire department. You got to tell yourself, this is what we have to do.

With a fire thats burning in more remote areas, there are also fewer opportunities to use man-made barriers to stop the flames, Oatman said. And firefighters have to adhere to federal laws that protect the forest.

For instance, they need permission to use bulldozers and other mechanized equipment, which is a process that takes time, said Paul Gibbs, spokesman for the multi-agency fire response.

The agencies take that very seriously, Gibbs said. They want to make sure other opportunities have been looked at.

After the first few days, the Mendocino Complex fire began threatening more communities along Clear Lake. But by then, firefighters had prepared, building fire lines with bulldozers and using aircraft to dump more than a million gallons of fire retardant on the mountain ridges towering over the towns of Lucerne and Nice.

Those fire lines are doing pretty good right now. Most are holding pretty well, said Mitch Bosna, a spokesman with Cal Fire.

From his Lucerne home, Larry Wiedey watched the flames, which seemed to be raging just blocks away.

I wouldve thought that was it, he said. I thought, we have to get the hell out of here.

Camping out in a Kelseyville evacuation center early this week, he thought hed lose his home. But he was amazed to learn later that firefighters kept the fire from coming down the slopes into the town.

Now that they have more of a handle on the fire near residential areas, the focus is shifting to securing fire lines ahead of the blaze to the north. That means continuing to dig lines with hand crews and bulldozers and being prepared to hose down the area. Firefighters are also setting back fires to get ahead of out-of-control flames and burn out their fuel.

More than 14,000 firefighters are battling more than a dozen major wildfires raging up and down the state that have charred more than 644,000 acres and made this one of the worst fire seasons in California. It recently turned into an international battle, with firefighters from Australia and New Zealand joining crews this week at the front lines.

Well see at the end if it will become the worst, said Jonathan Cox, battalion chief and public information officer with Cal Fires communication office. Were pretty early on in peak fire season until we get rain. Each day that passes, the fire fuels will get drier.

Near Redding, the Carr fire continues to burn in steep terrain, consuming timber as firefighters keep building fire lines ahead of the flames. The blaze has burned 176,069 acres and is 47% contained.

Near Yosemite National Park, firefighters made significant progress on the Ferguson fire, which is at 94,992 acres and 68% contained. Yosemite Valley, one of the parks main tourist draws, remained closed to visitors, while some roads were reopened.

The Holy fire in the Cleveland National Forest pushed closer to some homes, prompting a new round of mandatory evacuations. While 15,000 residents are still displaced from their homes, fire experts worry the worst is yet to come as Southern California will soon see Santa Ana winds resurfacing and potentially creating fire threats while the blazes up north continue to burn.

Were hoping we can get control of the fires and get our crews off the fire lines, get them to rest before the next fire breaks out, Cox said.

J Olsen, a firefighter with the Central Calaveras fire department, said the fires are a never-ending battle.

Its a marathon that just keeps getting longer and longer, he said. Every season I go into it thinking its going to be the worst season weve seen yet.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Reyes-Velarde reported from Ukiah, Tchekmedyian from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Ruben Vives and James Queally in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Michael Gilbert Gray had three drunken driving convictions and a suspended drivers license when he stopped at a Miramar store for a bottle of vodka.

He guzzled about half of it while driving east on state Route 52.

It was Fred Griffiths fate to be standing next to his tow truck, starting to load on a broken-down trash truck, as Gray swerved onto the right shoulder to get around slower traffic.

Grays SUV missed the trash truck, but slammed into Griffith, killing him instantly on Feb. 23 last year.

Advertisement

On Thursday, Gray made a move that shocked a long-time prosecutor and gratified Griffiths family and friends.

Gray pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Im stunned, Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright said out of court. He pleaded to murder. That doesnt happen.

Bright noted that it has happened just once before in the four years she has headed the DUI homicide prosecution unit, overseeing 65 cases in which drunken drivers killed someone.

Gray, 51, is to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Oct. 19.

We are definitely happy with this outcome, Griffiths oldest son, Michael Griffith, 19, said after a judge accepted Grays change of plea. I dont think we could get anything better. Its definitely the first step to closure.

Fred Griffith, 55, worked for Road One Towing and, with more than 20 years in the business, was well-known and liked. He taught tow truck driver safety courses on the side, according to a Road One statement issued after his death.

He was standing on the drivers side of his rig, operating controls at the back, when he was struck by Grays SUV between Santo Road and Mast Boulevard in Tierrasanta. It was 5 p.m., with heavy commuter traffic.

Bright said Gray had bought the vodka and consumed half of it while driving. After hitting Griffith, he kept going, but was pulled over by an off-duty sheriffs deputy who witnessed the collision.

Gray had a blood-alcohol level of .24 percent, Bright said  well over the .08 percent at which a driver is presumed under the influence in California.

He was facing 55 years to life in prison, with his three prior DUIs dating back to 1999 and two serious felony strike convictions, in San Diego and in Sacramento, for assault with intent to commit rape and domestic violence with great bodily injury, Bright said.

She offered Gray a plea deal to not count the serious felony convictions as strikes that added decades to his sentence. She also dropped counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury and having a blood-alcohol level of more than .08 percent.

Gray agreed and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and admitted the two serious past convictions that were not counted as formal strikes.

Bright said Griffiths family was relieved to not have to sit through a long trial and to have to case resolved.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Esteban Hernandez is expected to sentence Gray to 15 years to life for the murder charge plus five years each for the two prior felony convictions.

Bright said Gray would have been eligible for parole at age 74 with strikes on his record. Now, he will be eligible for parole at age 70.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A man who admitted beating his mother to death and attacking his brother at their home outside El Cajon in 2015 was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison Wednesday.

Erik Enrique Margain, 38, pleaded guilty in June to a charge he murdered his mother, Martha Margain-Velarde, 63, and tried to murder his older brother, Carlos Margain.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amador sentenced him to 15 years to life for the murder and the maximum nine year term for attempted murder.

The three lived together on Hidden Crest Drive, where the mother took care of the home, cooked and gave the younger son his medications, Deputy District Attorney Matthew Carberry said in an interview.

Advertisement

On May 17, 2015, Erik Margain went for a drive and, according to his later statements, decided he would kill his mother, Carberry said.

There was no apparent motive apart from mental illness, the prosecutor said.

He came home, punched his mother with his fist and beat her to death, Carberry said. He killed the only woman who ever loved him and took care of him.

Then, Carberry said, Margain went into his brothers bedroom, planning to kill him so he couldnt call police. Margain started beating his brother, who suffered fractured ribs and facial bones before escaping out a window.

Carlos Margain drove away and called 911. Sheriffs deputies found Erik Margain at another home in El Cajon.

He was found not mentally competent to stand trial at a February 2016 hearing and spent more than a year at Patton State Hospital, Carberry said.

Margain returned to San Diego last summer and was deemed competent to undergo a trial.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder on June 15.

In court Wednesday, Carlos Margain and Eriks twin brother, who lived in Australia at the time of the attacks, asked that Erik never be allowed out of prison, Carberry said.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A San Diego judge on Wednesday ordered a 20-year-old man to stand trial in last years stabbing death of an Ocean Beach transient known for selling incense.

At the end of a two-day preliminary hearing, the judge found enough evidence had been presented against Noah Jackson for the case to move forward.

Jackson is charged with murder and an allegation that he used a knife to kill Walter Ras Riley, 65, dubbed The Incense Man by Ocean Beach locals.

Jackson could face 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

Advertisement

The prosecutor presented surveillance images of a man in a light-colored hoodie who knifed Riley on Bacon Street about 12:20 a.m. on June 22 last year and walked down Newport Avenue moments later, using a cellphone.

One man who witnessed the attack testified that he chased the killer, but then lost him. Photos from the security cameras were released to the public, and at least one tipster to Crime Stoppers identified Jackson as possibly the man in those photos.

Walter Ras Riley (San Diego Crime Stoppers)

An informant later talked to Jackson while wearing a recording device at the request of police. In the recording, the prosecutor said, Jackson said his sister had been insulted and spat on by Riley, so he walked up to Riley and handled it.

Defense attorney Eugene Iredale argued that most of the witnesses testified that Jackson does not look like the hooded suspect in security photos, and that Jackson was using his cellphone at different times from the suspect.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
The San Diego Unified School District was negligent in failing to prevent a former teachers months-long sexual abuse of a student, a jury decided Wednesday.

The jury awarded $2.1 million in damages to the victim, a former student who is now 19, at the end of a trial that lasted two and a half weeks.

Toni Sutton, 40, a former Spanish teacher at Crawford High School, was sentenced to prison two years ago for having sex with the male student during a period of about eight months in 2015 and 2016.

She had sex with the student in her classroom dozens of times during first period with the door locked while the student was supposed to be in class, court documents showed, and the boys attendance suffered. She also had sex with him at her home and in her car.

Advertisement

In court documents and testimony, sources described how Sutton groomed the student, referred to as James Doe, for a sexual relationship by buying food for him, spending lots of time with him outside of class and driving him to school. The first sexual abuse occurred when the boy was 15 and the teacher was 37, according to court records.

But there was another problem besides Suttons abuse, attorneys for the student argued. They said school officials long ignored red flags about Suttons behavior, and it took too long for them to take action.

Several teachers had known months before Suttons arrest that Doe was missing class to be with Sutton in her classroom, according to documents and testimony. They had emailed Sutton, asking where Doe was, and she replied multiple times that he was with her. School employees knew Does attendance was poor.

School administrators had also previously warned Sutton that she shouldnt be sharing explicit personal details with students, according to documents and testimony. They had ordered her on multiple occasions to stop spending so much personal time in the classroom with students, Does attorneys argued.

Yet school officials did not follow up with Sutton to ensure she stopped her behavior, attorneys said.

Nobody ever follows up on anything here, said Michael Kirby, one of Does attorneys, during the trial. There was no exercise of reasonable care in this case.

She was also never officially disciplined or written up for her questionable behavior in her personnel files, he said.

I couldnt believe there was no site file, said one juror, who asked to remain anonymous, interviewed after the verdict. She couldve been written up for anything.

Key to Does case was a 97-page report and testimony by Charol Shakeshaft of Virginia Commonwealth University, an expert on educational leadership and student sexual abuse who evaluates school sexual misconduct policies. Shakeshaft wrote the report for Does attorneys.

Shakeshaft found that, at the time of Does abuse, San Diego Unifieds policies did not meet the standard of care in preventing adult sexual abuse of students.

The policies and training that Crawford High School employees had access to did not detail how to identify and report behaviors that could be signs of adult-to-student sexual abuse, Shakeshaft, determined after studying the districts policies, training and the hundreds of other documents related to Does case.

Shakeshaft also said she found no evidence that students or parents had been trained on adult-student misconduct or sexual harassment.

Although employees at Crawford High School received training, two important aspects  red flags and bystander responsibility  were missing, Shakeshaft wrote in her report.

She noted that San Diego Unified has expanded its policies related to educator sexual misconduct since the Sutton case. That included a faculty handbook last school year prohibiting faculty from crossing professional boundaries in relationships with students and offering guidance on student attendance and mandated reporter requirements.

On Wednesday, the jury attributed to the school district 40 percent of the harm the student suffered, and 60 percent to Sutton. Sutton no longer works for the district and was stripped of her California teaching license.

Kirby said the verdict means vindication and relief that its going to be over for Doe, who was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Attorneys for the school district, on the other hand, argued during the trial that school employees had done what they reasonably could to address Does attendance problems and Suttons conduct.

We do not believe that the school district employees were careless or negligent, that they cared deeply for the students, defense attorney Michael Sullivan said Wednesday after the verdict was read.

Defense attorneys also argued that Crawford employees responded appropriately once they realized that Sutton had been abusing Doe.

Sullivan said the vast, vast majority of the blame for the abuse belonged to Sutton, rather than school district employees.

They performed like reasonable people in difficult circumstances, Sullivan said during the trials closing arguments. Bad things can happen even when everyone takes action. We cant presume that because this happened, somebody other than Ms. Sutton was responsible.

In the months following Suttons arrest, Doe suffered from depression, embarrassment and guilt, said San Diego psychiatrist and physician Calvin Colarusso, who diagnosed Doe with post-traumatic stress disorder. The $2.1 million was awarded to pay for those emotional damages and for counseling.

This is unfortunately an all-too typical case of child sex abuse, Colarusso said while testifying during the trial. This boy was vulnerable because of his living circumstances. She expertly groomed him and took advantage of him to deal with whatever issues she was dealing with.

This isnt the first time San Diego Unified has been ordered to pay for failing to stop a teachers sexual abuse of a student. In 2009, a former student at the School of Creative and Performing Arts was awarded $1.25 million.

In that case, the teacher was a male and the student was a female, and the age difference was similar to the Sutton case. The district in that case was also assigned 40 percent of the blame, and was ordered to pay $650,000 because of how responsibility was allocated.

Spokeswoman Maureen Magee said the districts share of the Sutton award would be about $840,000. She said the district is reviewing whether to appeal.
A San Diego federal judge overseeing the reunification of families separated at the border extended a freeze on family deportations on Wednesday as he considers an increasingly complex tangle of litigation being filed around the country on the issue.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw has presided over the landmark case in San Diego that has reunited some 1,900 children over the past several weeks, and now a similar lawsuit filed in Washington state by a consortium of 18 states plus the District of Columbia is being handed over to Sabraw for consistency. That is on top of lawsuits out of New York and Washington, D.C., that have already been transferred to Sabraws docket.

While the lawsuits are similar in that they challenge the Trump administrations practice of family separation, their nuances are making for some complications.

That was evident during a hearing Wednesday  attended telephonically by seven attorneys representing three separate cases  about how fast the government can begin deporting the reunited families.

Advertisement

Sabraw three weeks ago temporarily halted deportations in the San Diego case after the American Civil Liberties Union asked that families be given at least seven days to determine how they want to proceed with their immigration or asylum claims  or if there is any legal recourse at all.

As Sabraw has considered granting a formal injunction, the Washington, D.C., case now in his court has taken the request further, asking for all families  especially children  to be granted credible fear interviews.

Lawyers in the D.C. case argue that the Trump administrations practice of splitting families disrupted the usual asylum process, and that families now reunited should be allowed to essentially start the process over again as though they hadnt been separated.

Typically, families seeking asylum are processed as a unit, even though they are interviewed separately and individual findings are ultimately made for each person. If one family member passes the credible fear threshold but others do not, the family has typically been allowed to remain in the U.S. together while the asylum case for the one person moves forward, said Zachary Best, a lawyer representing the immigrant families in the D.C. case.

That changed when families started being split at the border under the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy that charged all adults crossing the border illegally with a crime. Parents and children instead were processed on different tracks and immigration laws, Best said.

The failure rate for credible fear claims was high among separated parents due to the trauma of being apart from their children and the inability to have their childrens testimony support their claims, said D.C. attorney Justin Burnick.

On the other hand, many separated children were never granted credible fear interviews, according to the attorneys.

The government took a divide and conquer approach, Burnick said.

Assistant Deputy Attorney General Scott Stewart argued that, realistically, parent and child credible fear claims rise and fall together and that the vast majority of the time if a parent lost, a child will lose too.

Stewart said a quick resolution was essential so the government can reinstate removals. He cited unrest in some detention facilities as families with final removal orders remain in limbo there.

While he staunchly opposed any further delays, he indicated that the government might not fight a court order for swift credible fear interviews of children.

The judge said he would take the arguments under submission.

The deportation freeze is among several lingering issues in this massive litigation.

Government authorities and lawyers for the ACLU are also working to formulate a plan to reunite hundreds of children who remain in government care. That plan will include how to locate more than 400 parents who have already been deported, many to Central American countries rife with violence and corruption. Other parents are believed to be in the U.S. but have not been located, or have been deemed ineligible by the government due to criminal records or other red flags that might be challenged.

Sabraw has given both sides in the San Diego case until Thursday afternoon to draft a joint plan. The details will be discussed in a hearing Friday.

Meanwhile Wednesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra  who is also helping lead the multistate litigation that is being transferred to Sabraw  filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the federal government seeking records about the decision-making behind the zero tolerance policy that led to mass family separation.

The request seeks records related to the various federal agencies consideration of the mental and physical effects separation might have on children, as well as Health and Human Services determination of its ability to care for an influx of children. The request also asks for communications on the issue between senior officials at HHS, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.

The Trump Administration owes all of us answers over this cruel and immoral child separation policy, Becerra said in a statement. We will not accept the silence of federal officials.

He pointed to congressional testimony from government officials last week who were grilled about the implementation of the controversial practice. Cmdr. Jonathan White of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps admitted that during the deliberative process his office questioned 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 that we have.

Others defended their handling of the situation, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement official Matthew Albence describing the family detention facilities that children were housed in like a summer camp with medical care, games and food.

Acting Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost testified: We do not leave our humanity behind when we report for duty.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
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.

Advertisement

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.
Superman actress Margot Kidders death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said Wednesday its a relief to finally have the truth out.

Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeves Superman in her most famous role, was found by a friend in her Montana home on May 13.

At the time, Kidders manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said Kidder died peacefully in her sleep.

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.

Advertisement

Maggie McGuane, Kidders 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 Kidders home in Livingston, a small town near Yellowstone National Park.

Its a big relief that the truth is out there, she said. Its important to be open and honest so theres not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.

Kidders 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.

Its 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 Palmas Sisters in 1973 and The Amityville Horror in 1979.

She later appeared in small films and television shows until 2017, including R.L. Stines 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 Canadas 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 Kidders 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.
A woman seen speeding through a stop sign at 60 mph told officers they shouldnt arrest her because shes a very clean, thoroughbred, white girl, police said.

Her eyes glassy and bloodshot, Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw was slurring her words and a Breathalyzer showed her blood-alcohol level at 0.18 percent, according to police in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Cutshaw, 32, told the arresting officer she shouldnt be jailed because she was a cheerleader, a dancer and a sorority girl who graduated from a high accredited university.

Taken to the police station in handcuffs, she described herself as a white thoroughbred and went on to say Im a white, clean girl, the officer wrote in his report.

Advertisement

I asked what that had to do with anything? wrote the officer, who also is white.

She replied, Youre a cop, you should know what that means, and, Youre a cop, you should know based on the people that come in this room.

Also, she repeatedly stated, my partner is a cop, and said shed been trying to get to her boyfriends house when she was pulled over early Saturday.

Cutshaw, a real estate agent, told the officer that shed had two glasses of wine at an upscale restaurant.

How full were the wine glasses? I mean I was celebrating my birthday, she replied.

After another officer found marijuana and rolling papers in her Ford Fusion, she said she may have smoked pot earlier that evening as well, the report said.

Cutshaw was jailed on charges including drunken driving, speeding and marijuana possession, based in part on her own statements.

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, the officer wrote.

Messages left at the real estate firm she lists as her employer were not immediately returned.

Bluffton is a town of about 21,000 residents about 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and near South Carolinas Hilton Head Island.
Two unaccompanied children on an Orlando-bound Frontier Airlines flight ended up being taken to a hotel room in an airline employees personal vehicle after severe weather diverted the plane to Atlanta last month, according to an attorney for the childrens parents.

Carter Gray, 9, and Etta Gray, 7, were on a flight from Des Moines, Iowa, that circled Orlando International Airport for 45 minutes before diverting to Atlanta on July 22, said Atlanta aviation attorney Alan Armstrong.

The kids were returning from a visit to their grandparents in Des Moines, AJC.com reported.

Their mother, Jennifer Ignash, was awaiting the kids at OIA but was not able to talk to anyone with Frontier. The parents did not hear from the kids until Carter called his father, Chad Gray, from another minors cellphone shortly after midnight on July 23.

Advertisement

It was really a disaster, said Gray, who lives in Lake Nona.

Carter and Etta and four other kids stayed in a room at the Atlanta airport for about four hours and were taken to a hotel by a Frontier employee about 5 a.m., Gray said. They were only given rice krispie treats and water, he said.

At least give them some Chick-fil-A  thats in Atlanta, right? Gray said.

Gray also expressed concern that his daughter was not in a booster seat, which is required by law, and the kids were not properly supervised in the hotel rooms.

I think there needs to be set policies and procedures put in place, he said. I think they probably escaped this incident with very little damage, but that may not be the case if it happens again.

Jonathan Freed, a spokesman for Frontier, said the kids were in contact with their parents, always accompanied by a supervisor and were provided food. He said the safety of all passengers is a top priority.

We understand how an unexpected delay caused by weather can be stressful for a parent and our goal is to help passengers get to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible, Freed said in a statement.

The kids were eventually given a voucher to buy breakfast at McDonalds before boarding a flight that landed in Orlando about 1 p.m., according to Gray.

Gray, 42, said the whole situation was mishandled and he still hasnt heard from the airline.

They should have been overly protective of these children, Gray said. They could have made sure the kids were comfortable and really reached out to make contact with the parents.

Armstrong, a retired pilot, said he questions why the plane flew to Orlando in the first place when the weather was poor.

You have to ask yourself: Why did the pilots fly to an airport that was closed? Armstrong said. Its just not acceptable.

Gray said his kids were upset, and Carter had nightmares in the nights following the ordeal. He said he doesnt want a flight voucher, something airlines often offer when there are significant delays.

We wont be flying Frontier again, he said.

Central Florida business news

@tiffinit on Twitter or email ttheisen@orlandosentinel.com

Comment on the Facebook post here.
Backers of a convention center expansion initiative that failed to qualify for the November ballot announced Thursday that they plan to sue the signature-gathering firm they hired, alleging fraud and breach of contract.

The announcement by the Yes! For A Better San Diego campaign comes a day after the campaign learned that its initiative to increase the hotel tax to underwrite the expansion project failed to secure enough signatures to make it onto the ballot, based on a random count of more than 114,000 signatures submitted to the county Registrar of Voters. The initiative needed more than 71,600 signatures of registered voters to qualify.

Because the petitions failed the random count, a full verification of all signatures is needed, which would take too long to make the deadline this Friday for placing anything on the November ballot.

The target of the planned lawsuit is Arno Petition Consultants, which says on its website that over the last 35 years it has guided a vast array of political, corporate and issue-based clients through the initiative and referenda process. Along the way, weve gained ballot access for over 700 issue proponents.

Advertisement

However, in a news release from Yes! For a Better San Diego, the campaign group alleges it uncovered what appears to be a fraud perpetrated by Arno. Campaign officials found information suggesting that the firm fabricated signature reports for months  making apparent misrepresentations about how many signatures had been collected, what the validity rate was and how many gatherers were being paid.

Arno Petition Consultants could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon. A phone number on its website connects callers to a bookings group.

After discovering issues with the signatures late in the signature-gathering process, the campaign said it launched a last-ditch volunteer effort, reaching out to every corner of the community to recover from the damage, engaging hundreds of community volunteers, workers and businesses small and large.

While the campaign ultimately submitted to the county registrar more than 114,000 signatures, including more than 5,000 gathered by volunteers in the final weeks, these herculean efforts were not enough to recover from damage inflicted by Arno, the campaign said.

Business

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
Authorities are asking the public to help them zero in on a group of thieves whove committed a series of grab-and-run thefts at Apple stores in North County  crimes investigators believe are linked to a larger, statewide spree.

Police said the criminals have looted a number of stores in Carlsbad and Escondido since January.

The thefts in Carlsbad happened on July 11 and 13 at the Apple store on Calle Barcelona. Its unclear when and where the Escondido crimes happened.

Investigators said the suspects typically entered the stores in hooded sweatshirts or jackets, with their hoods tied tight around their heads to conceal their faces. Theyd then snatch devices on display tables and rush to a getaway car that was usually waiting outside.

Advertisement

In several incidents, citizens who tried to intervene were injured by the fleeing suspects. Lt. Jason Jackowski said an Apple employee was punched in the face during one of the Carlsbad thefts.

Police believe the crimes are related to similar cases throughout California, but wouldnt detail why. Losses associated with the statewide spree have exceeded $750,000.

Anyone with information about the series can call Carlsbad police at (760) 931-2156, Escondido police at (760) 839-4739 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477.

Tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A man who swung a metal chain while approaching a police officer was fatally shot in the community of Southcrest Wednesday evening, not long after the same man allegedly attacked another person with a machete, authorities said.

San Diego police responded to several 911 calls around 5:15 p.m., reporting an assault with a deadly weapon on Boston Avenue near South 40th Street.

Officers found a person in the area  a man in his 40s  who had been hit in the head with a machete, said police Capt. Tom Underwood. The man, whose injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, was taken to a hospital.

Minutes after the machete attack, an officer tried to approach a man near South 40th and National Avenue, a few blocks north of where the reported attack occurred.

Advertisement

The man had a three- to four-foot length of chain in his hands and swung it at the officer, who was retreating, Underwood said, adding that the officer told the man repeatedly to put down the chain, but he did not comply.

The officer fired a Taser at the man, but it was ineffective, Underwood said. The officer then fired his gun at least once, hitting the suspect.

The man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No officers were injured.

At least one witness confirmed seeing the man swing the chain at the officer. Christine Nieto, 28, said she was in her home near South 40th and Newton Avenue when her mother called her outside. Nieto said she saw an officer walking backwards with his gun trained on a man about a block north of her.

She said the officer shouted commands at the man with the long chain.

The suspect just kept swinging his chain like an X  left, right, left, right, Nieto said.

1 / 6 San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, second from left, talks with police officers as they stand on South 40th Street, the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 6 A San Diego police officer stands next to a police vehicle parked beside the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man, where items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind the vehicle on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 6 San Diego police officers talk to a woman while on Boston Avenue, not far from where an officer-involved shooting of a man happened in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 6 San Diego police officers stand next to a police vehicle thats parked beside the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man, where items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind the vehicle on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 6 A San Diego police officer talks to a man, possibly a witness, near the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 6 Items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind a parked police vehicle at the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Seconds after the shooting, other police officers arrived and ordered the man to put his hands behind his back, Nieto said.

Some streets in the area  including 40th Street between National and Boston, and National Avenue between 39th and 41st streets  were closed while police continued to investigate the incidents. They were expected to remain closed until sometime Thursday.

San Diego police Chief David Nisleit was at the scene Wednesday night, along with a couple dozen officers and investigators.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A man who was fatally shot by a police officer Wednesday in the Southcrest area of San Diego was identified by police Thursday as a 48-year-old San Diego resident.

Vaughn Harrison Denham allegedly attacked a man with a machete around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday on Boston Avenue near the Southcrest Recreation Center and park, San Diego police officials said. A short time later, police said, he advanced on a backpedaling officer while swinging a three- to four-foot metal chain.

On South 40th Street between Newton and National avenues, the officer fired at least two shots at Denham, striking him at least one time, police officials said.

Two additional officers arrived, and the three cops attempted to handcuff the wounded suspect, but he continued to resist, San Diego police homicide Lt. Matt Dobbs said. Denham was eventually taken into custody, loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital.

Advertisement

Doctors pronounced him dead at 7:45 p.m., Dobbs said.

Police on Thursday did not release the name of the officer who shot Denham. On Wednesday, Capt. Tom Underwood said the officer had been with the department under two years.

1 / 6 San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, second from left, talks with police officers as they stand on South 40th Street, the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 6 A San Diego police officer stands next to a police vehicle parked beside the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man, where items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind the vehicle on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 6 San Diego police officers talk to a woman while on Boston Avenue, not far from where an officer-involved shooting of a man happened in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 6 San Diego police officers stand next to a police vehicle thats parked beside the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man, where items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind the vehicle on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 6 A San Diego police officer talks to a man, possibly a witness, near the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 6 Items, including a shoe, can be seen on the ground behind a parked police vehicle at the scene of an officer-involved shooting of a man on South 40th Street in San Diego. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

The events that led to the deadly confrontation began when several 911 callers reported the machete attack, Underwood said. Officers arrived within two minutes of receiving those calls, and investigators later found the machete discarded nearby.

The victim of that attack, identified Thursday as a 57-year-old man, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening. His name was not released, but police said the suspect and victim likely knew each other.

Upon arriving at the scene after the reported machete attack, the officer who ultimately shot Denham tried to approach him on South 40th Street, Underwood said.

Denham had a chain in his hands and swung it at the officer, who was retreating, Underwood said, adding that the officer told Denham repeatedly to put down the chain, but he did not comply.

The officer fired a Taser at the man, but it was ineffective, Underwood said. The officer then fired his gun.

No officers were injured.

At least one witness confirmed seeing the man swing the chain at the officer. Christine Nieto, 28, said she was in her home near South 40th and Newton Avenue when her mother called her outside. Nieto said she saw an officer walking backwards with his gun trained on a man about a block north of her.

She said the officer shouted commands at the man with the long chain.

The suspect just kept swinging his chain like an X  left, right, left, right, Nieto said.

Seconds after the shooting, other police officers arrived and ordered the man to put his hands behind his back, Nieto said.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
Please spare me all the political patter about California burning being the new normal. Its really getting old.

If the new normal means week after week of smoky skies blotching our once-beautiful state, I dont want to hear about it. Seeing and smelling is depressing enough.

If it means thousands of homes constantly being incinerated and people dying in flames, California is headed into ruins.

Never mind our high taxes, unaffordable housing and regulatory morass, if the new normal is year-round firestorms, sensible people will flee this state. Tourists will vacation where they dont need to cart fire extinguishers and wear face masks.

Advertisement

I just spent two gloomy weeks at Lake Tahoe. In the old normal, it was gorgeous. This time, you couldnt see the Sierra Mountains across the lake on most days. Water famed for its spectacular blue color had turned gray, mirroring the sooty sky.

As of Wednesday 14,000 firefighters were battling 15 large wildfires across California, according to the state government. More than 2,000 structures  mostly homes  had been damaged or destroyed.

One hellish fire in Mendocino, Colusa and Lake counties had burned more than 300,000 acres to become the largest California blaze ever recorded  and it was still burning.

Of the 20 largest wildfires in California history, 15 have occurred since 2000. So have 13 of the 20 most destructive fires, measured by structures destroyed. In three Northern California wine country fires last October, 7,774 buildings were wiped out and 31 people killed.

If this is the new normal, the Golden State cannot be sustained.

More from George Skelton 

But the new normal is indeed climate change  hotter weather that, combined with the recent four-year drought, parched vegetation and stoked it for runaway wildfires. But were also to blame for failing to clear our forests of dead trees and combustible underbrush. And people and their property become at risk when they dare nature by living in volatile woodlands.

Still, 95% of these fires are started by people, says Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Many times its just an accident  a broken down car on the side of a road, someone welding or hitting a rock. One less spark means one less fire. The public has a responsibility here.

Then there are the creeps who purposely set fires. They should be locked up permanently, especially when the fire kills someone.

The crusade against global warming is noble. But California produces only 1% of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. Not every state and nation are as committed to reversing the warming as California. Itll be a long wait before the cooling commences.

Coverage of California politics 

Meanwhile, were in the thick of firestorms. Governments first duty is to provide public safety. There should be no higher priority for Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature than combating wildfires  not homelessness, not healthcare, not water tunnels, not a bullet train.

Brown, who is arguably the countrys most outspoken advocate of combating climate change, has taken some important steps to improve fire prevention and firefighting.

The wildfire threat would be much worse, if it werent for actions the Brown administration has taken, insists Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Office of Emergency Services.

How Mendocino Complex became Californias monster fire >>

Brown has started spending $285 million to buy 12 state-of-the-art helicopters that can fly at night and carry more water and fire retardant. They replace old Vietnam-era choppers.

Cal Fire has the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world, including 23 state-owned air tankers, Pimlott says.

Cal Fire is also staffing 52 fire engines all year. It used to staff them only seasonally.

The governor and Legislature have allocated $160 million in cap-and-trade money  derived from selling permits to emit greenhouse gasses  for fire prevention, including thinning forests.

The governors budget includes $2.5 billion for Cal Fire. Thats an increase. But to put it in perspective, the total budget is $201 billion.

Brown talks about the new normal more than anyone.

This is part of a trend, a new normal, he told reporters last week.

Weve got to reexamine the way we manage our forests, the way we build our houses, where we build them, how we build them and how much we invest in our fire protection services, Brown continued. I dont like to scare people, but  weve got tough times ahead.

At another Q&A with reporters, the governor warned: Were going to have more fire, more destructive fire, more billions that will have to be spent. All that is the new normal that we have to face.

OK, so lets get on with facing it. We need an all-out, no baloney effort.

In the state Legislature theres a bill by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to encourage federal, state and local cooperation on forest management.

Weve got 129 million dead trees and we have to figure out how to bring them down, she says.

Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents the charred wine country, has a bill to require a statewide, uniform alert system to warn citizens of roaring wildfires.

The current system is antiquated, patchworked and clunky, he says.

Shame on the Legislature if we dont pass this legislation. The new normal has to be more than just words.

Any politicians willing to passively accept these devastating wildfires as normal should be replaced with people committed to fighting them as their first priority.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, raised $25,000 to cover attorneys fees in the second quarter of this year, and all five donors are connected to the Louisiana-based shipbuilder Edison Chouest Offshore, according to a new financial report for his legal expense fund.

The money raised by the congressmans new legal fund comes on top of the $600,000-plus spent by Hunters campaign treasury, which previously paid legal expenses as Hunter faces a criminal investigation into his spending of campaign funds for personal benefit.

Hunter filed paperwork in March to establish the special fund for legal expenses. Administered by a trustee, the fund allows donors to give money above the limits imposed on campaign contributions.

The funds first quarterly financial report, a copy of which was released by the political money-tracking website Political Moneyline, shows fundraising and spending from April 1 through June 30. Along with at least $25,000 in income, the report shows $27,062 in payments to two law firms.

Advertisement

Hunters political campaign has not reported legal expenses since April.

A spokesman for Hunters congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

The campaign has been under scrutiny since April 2016 for a series of expenses questioned by the Federal Election Commission and then The San Diego Union-Tribune. In response, Hunter has reimbursed the campaign for more than $60,000 in mistaken, personal or undocumented expenditures including video games, oral surgery, private school tuition, a garage door, a family trip to Italy and airfare for a pet rabbit.

Use of campaign funds for personal benefit is illegal, to avoid undue influence by contributors whose bottom line can be affected by decisions in Congress.

As of June 30, Hunters legal expense fund had been bankrolled entirely by people and subsidiaries connected to large family-owned shipbuilding company Edison Chouest Offshore, the disclosure shows.

Edison Chouest has been among the top donors to Hunters political campaign for years, according to the Union-Tribunes review of campaign finance records.

Now, with the creation of the legal expense fund, the company has another means of backing Hunters legal defense.

For example, Dino Chouest, an executive for at least one of his familys companies, already gave Hunters political campaign $2,700 -- the maximum allowed per election -- for the primary, and another $1,800 for the general election in November, according to FEC records.

He contributed $5,000 to the legal expense fund -- exceeding the $900 he would have been allowed to donate to Hunters political campaign and still stay within limits.

Edison Chouest Offshore owns the Aiviq, an ice-breaking ship that Hunter  chairman of the U.S. House subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation  has pushed the Coast Guard to lease or buy, even though officials repeatedly said the ship does not meet their needs.

The Aiviq made national news in 2012 when it suffered mechanical failure and lost control of an oil rig it was towing. The rig ran aground off Kodiak Island in Alaska.

After an unsuccessful attempt in 2016 to get funding to buy or lease the Aiviq outright, Hunter introduced an amendment to a large spending bill in September 2017. The amendment was intended to transfer $5 million from the Coast Guards operating budget to pay for sea trials to determine whether a leased vessel can meet the Coast Guards needs, according to a transcript of the proceedings on the U.S. House floor.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Downey, took the floor after Hunter to speak in opposition to the amendment, saying, If the owner of the Aiviq or any other private interests want the Coast Guard to seriously consider the use of their vessels for icebreaking, they should be the ones paying for any ice trials.

We should not be making the Coast Guard pay for it, and we should not be pushing the Coast Guard to enter into a lease arrangement that it does not want and that is not a good investment in helping the Coast Guard carry out its critical missions.

Hunter responded that the sea trials would help keep efforts to acquire icebreakers from stalling when the country is vulnerable and there is no time to waste.

This is a step in the right direction, he said, according to House records. Otherwise, we are never going to have an icebreaker. We are not going to be able to compete in the Arctic. It will be energy exploration for Russia and China, and not us because we are not going to be there unless we start right now in this appropriations bill.

The amendment passed with a 245-168 vote, according to Congress.gov.

Hunter has long emphasized the importance of building up the countrys sparse and aging fleet of ice-breaking ships capable of protecting national security in the Arctic.

The U.S. has only one heavy icebreaker, Polar Star, and one medium icebreaker, the Healy, while other countries, including Russia, have robust fleets. Both Polar Star and Healy have spent time out of service for repairs.

Right now, we cant really do anything substantial in the Arctic, Hunter told the Navy Times last week. Our icebreaker is in dry dock for months out of the year. If it breaks down and gets stuck up there, well have to ask the Russians for help.

In February 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Louisiana was one of five companies awarded about $20 million in fixed-price contracts for design studies for faster, less-expensive production of new ice-breaking ships.

Edison Chouest and the CEO for Bollinger Shipyards, Ben Bordelon, acquired Bollinger in 2014, according to industry publications.

Construction of the first new icebreaker was planned to start as soon as next year, with $750 million tentatively set aside for the project, but recent budget negotiations on Capitol Hill have created uncertainty, according to news reports last week.

A draft budget proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland security re-allocates the money help to pay for a multi-billion-dollar wall along the Mexican border, the news reports said. Hunter has been publicly advocating for lawmakers to find a way to keep the funding for the ships.

Bollinger Shipyards contributed $5,000 to Hunters legal expense fund on May 18, according to the disclosure released this month. Chand LLC, the technical and logistic support division for Bollinger, also gave $5,000. Gary Chouest, his wife, Carolyn, and Dino Chouest, each contributed $5,000.

The fund reported paying $22,500 to the San Diego-based law firm Seltzer, Caplan, McMahon, Vitek on June 26, according to the report. Another $4,562 went to pay the Washington, D.C.,-based law firm Holtzman, Vogel, Josefiak, Torchinsky.

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

morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
COLUMBIA, S.C.  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 Charlestons 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 couldnt 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.

Advertisement

Abdin knew that authorities were still watching him, but apparently didnt 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 Abdins 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.
San Diegos pension crisis resulted from City Council decisions in 1998 and 2002 to substantially increase benefits without paying for them, thereby causing a multibillion-dollar debt. In 2011, then-Mayor Jerry Sanders announced his support for a citizens initiative designed to reduce that debt. A coalition led the effort  obtaining over 100,000 signatures to place Proposition B on the 2012 ballot and achieving two-thirds voter approval, overcoming strong union opposition. Last week, the California Supreme Court held that Sanders should have negotiated with labor unions before advocating for Proposition B.

Related: Whats next, per the lawyer who won San Diegos huge Proposition B pension cased

In its precedent-setting decision, the court reversed the Court of Appeal which, applying current law, held the mayor was not required to negotiate with unions over his support of the citizens initiative, something that had never before been required. The negotiating process could have taken many months with the ultimate decision left to the unions and City Council, both of which opposed pension reform. Sanders said that opposition was the reason he supported the initiative in the first place. After all, a citizens initiative is a constitutional right in California designed to bypass recalcitrant city councils.

The California Supreme Court has the last word on state law, but not on federal constitutional law. The court had before it a legal brief from former U.S. Attorney Karen Hewitt discussing U.S. Supreme Court decisions holding that elected officeholders have special protection under the First Amendment because it is imperative that they be allowed freely to express themselves on matters of current public importance. According to Hewitt, a law prohibiting the mayor from publicly supporting a citizens initiative without first negotiating with labor unions would impose an illegal chilling effect on his free speech right. It is irrelevant as to whether the mayor is speaking as mayor or citizen or neighbor. They all have First Amendment rights. Since the court ignored the brief and the issue, the U.S. Supreme Court should be asked to weigh in on appeal.

Advertisement

However, in the meantime, what happens to the citys pension plan?

Significantly, the California Supreme Court did not overturn Proposition B. Nor should it have. There is no legal authority to overturn a constitutionally protected citizens initiative due to a mayors violation of labor laws. Unlike efforts at pension reform elsewhere, Proposition B did not take away anyones pension or violate anyones rights.

But even if Proposition B is ultimately overturned, the results would not be devastating to the city. Proposition B established two main reforms  a five-year freeze on pensionable pay and 401(k) retirement plans for new employees. The freeze was not challenged because it was implemented with union agreement. It saved the city many millions of dollars. Whether the 401(k)s save the city money is debatable.

This case was all about the 401(k)s. Since 2012, all new employees, except police officers, have received 401(k)s instead of the defined benefit plan. Labor unions argue that those employees should lose their 401(k)s and, instead, retroactively enroll in the defined benefit plan.

However, some may want to keep their 401(k)s. All of them accepted employment with the city knowing they were getting 401(k)s. The plans have a very attractive annual 9 percent to 11 percent city match and have benefitted from a strong stock market. Employees may not want to lose their gains and be forced to make up six years of contributions to the still-underfunded pension plan.

And, what about employees who left city employment and took their 401(k)s with them? They would need to return money to the city and, instead, retroactively enroll in the citys pension plan; but they would not be vested because they left employment before 10 years.

There is a better way. Rather than take retirement money away from people, give every employee  regardless of when hired  a one-time choice to change plans. A similar proposal, made seven years ago by Orange County and its unions, projected large savings by providing employees incentives to make choices that helped improve the plans financial stability. It was thwarted by IRS rules prohibiting post-employment changes.

San Diego and its unions should seek an IRS waiver. Provide employees with various choices, all of which are designed to incentivize choices that help improve the plans financial stability. Before developing the choices, have an expert provide financial projections and identify other reform options.

Proposition B was an effort to reduce the pension debt, but not cure it. That debt remains large and continues to haunt city budgets. This would be a good time to cure it, turning a lemon into lemonade.

Goldsmith is a former Superior Court judge, state legislator, Poway mayor and San Diego city attorney, and is a current practicing attorney.
The California Supreme Court concluded (7-0) that the city of San Diego violated state law when it put Proposition B on the June 2012 ballot. The high court didnt make  or need to make  new law in the process. Instead, the court found that the city violated the central duty of the states collective bargaining law based on settled law and the relevant statutory language.

Related: Whats next, per the lawyer whose pension reform tactic the Supreme Court rejected

Referring to then-Mayor Jerry Sanders course of conduct  and citing its own 1984 precedent  the high court held that allowing public officials to purposefully evade the meet-and-confer requirements of the (state law) by officially sponsoring a citizens initiative would seriously undermine the policies served by the statute. The court held that the citys private citizen theory does not withstand objective scrutiny.

It was this settled law that fueled each of multiple written bargaining requests I made to the city in 2011 on behalf of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association. All were rebuffed by then-City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, who was both an outspoken supporter of Proposition B and the legal architect of the citys refusal-to-bargain strategy.

Advertisement

Goldsmith mocked the unions efforts to enforce employee bargaining rights by taking to the airwaves to dismiss the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) as a Mickey Mouse Star Chamber. He urged Proposition B supporters to wait for real judges to decide the case. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board followed his lead, calling the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) Jerry Browns rogue state agency.

But the states highest court has now unanimously reaffirmed its precedents acknowledging PERBs expertise and requiring appellate courts to follow PERBs interpretation of the states public sector bargaining law unless it is clearly erroneous  adding that PERBs reading of the statute and the citys duties when applied to the facts of this case was not clearly erroneous ... but clearly correct.

The Supreme Court also didnt make new law related to initiative rights. More than three decades ago, the high court struck down a voter-approved charter amendment because the constitutional right to legislate by local initiative is not absolute. Local initiative rights, no matter how important, must yield to the states interest in an effective, uniformly enforced collective bargaining law. San Diegos unwitting voters believed that Proposition B was lawfully before them for decision when it was not.

Now, seven years after city leaders took the city down this rabbit hole, there is a rational path forward. The high court has reversed the Court of Appeal, reinstated PERBs decision and remanded the case back to the Court of Appeal for a determination of the appropriate judicial remedy.

On remand, the Court of Appeal must now defer to PERBs discretion in having shaped an administrative remedy that requires the city to make employees whole for losses as a result of the Proposition B initiative until the city or the unions (at the citys expense) take steps to get Proposition B invalidated by a court order. As PERB explained, this is the only result that effectuates the purposes of the state law by holding the city accountable for its unlawful conduct.

With this clear directive from the high court, the Court of Appeal can now promptly add a judicial remedy to PERBs administrative remedy by entry of a court order invalidating Proposition B as applied to employees represented by the four affected unions. Once the judicial invalidation remedy is complete, the city and its four affected labor unions can bargain in good faith to resolve the make whole aspects of this case and determine, through dialogue, whether defined contribution 401(k)-style plans have any future role for represented employee groups and  if so  when and on what terms. The retirement security of city employees who have no Social Security benefits can be appropriately considered and the citys own competitive disadvantage which arose under Proposition B can be addressed to improve the citys capacity to recruit and retain qualified employees to deliver vital city services.

Some will continue to rail against the high courts decision, and, with no facts or law on their side, will invoke references to union bosses and Sacramento politicians. For those who have kept an open mind despite this baseless rhetoric, be assured that there is no reason to worry. The rule of law has been affirmed, restoring certainty to an important process that has fostered labor peace in California for five decades. In the city of San Diego, every significant economic and policy challenge related to the citys workforce has been resolved through good-faith collective bargaining  and this one will soon be added to the list.

Smith has represented the San Diego Municipal Employees Association for 33 years. She served as lead counsel in all Proposition B-related proceedings before PERB and the courts.
San Diegans  and Mayor Kevin Faulconer  got a double dose of deeply troubling news this week.

The City Council felt it had no choice but to vote Tuesday to spend an additional $30 million to renovate a 19-story Downtown office building that the council two years ago agreed to spend more than $200 million on over the 20-year course of a lease-to-own deal. Meanwhile, the building remains vacant, as it has since January 2017, costing taxpayers $535,000 a month plus maintenance and operating costs.

In a Wednesday phone interview with two members of The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, the mayor expressed deep frustration with unanticipated costs and delays in preparing the former Sempra Energy building to be a future home for more than 1,150 city workers. Once expected to begin later this year, the move is now seen as happening in fall 2019.

Faulconer sounds confident that the deal will still prove a huge bargain for taxpayers. Council members were told even with the new costs, the city still expects to save $43 million on rent over 20 years. But Faulconer aides told the same council members a year and a half ago that planning for the Ash Street move was going well. The delay and greater costs indicate awful mismanagement of this project.

Advertisement

(Steve Breen / U-T)

Yet this disappointment was dwarfed by Wednesdays development: the abject failure of a citizens ballot initiative to gather enough valid signatures in a random sampling of the 114,000-plus names turned in to qualify for the November election. The Yes! For A Better San Diego measure proposed raising hotel room taxes to generate an estimated $6.4 billion over the next 42 years to pay for a long-sought and much-needed expansion of the convention center, to improve services and housing for the homeless, and to pay for road repairs.

These are all giant city priorities, which is why the initiative drew bipartisan support from local elected officials, business, tourism and labor leaders, and homeless advocates. It is not rocket science to gather enough ballot signatures for a proposal with broad support. It takes a combination of money, hard work and oversight. But that didnt happen. This is another black eye for Faulconer  and a shocking display of ineffectiveness by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown San Diego Partnership, the leaders of the push for a bigger convention center.

On Thursday, at a special, hastily called meeting, Faulconer wants the City Council to put the hotel tax measure on the November ballot, where it will require two-thirds approval instead of the simple majority potentially needed for ballot passage of a citizens initiative. Its too goddamn important for the city to stop now, Faulconer told us.

The U-T editorial board agrees that the council should move the proposal forward. But after this weeks debacles and last weeks state Supreme Court setback for bold pension reforms approved by San Diego voters in 2012, we arent yet ready to say well endorse this measure. When it comes to trusting promises emerging from City Hall, past performance may be all too predictive of future failure.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Re Rental companies join forces to fight council regulations (Aug. 8): Mission Beach aside, I dont understand the controversy behind the San Diego City Council decision to limit home rental to ones primary residence.

For neighborhoods zoned as residential, why the confusion over what defines residential zoning? We buy our homes based on zoning and to allow anything to the contrary betrays the private homeowners and erodes the pre-existing character of ones community.

The only enterprise served otherwise is that of business interests that have no business in our residentially zoned neighborhoods. Its not that complicated.

Greg Bowerman

Advertisement

San Diego

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Although based on an Australian crime drama, TNTs Animal Kingdom takes full advantage of its Oceanside setting. The Codys, the drug dealing/bank robbing/murdering family at the series center, peddle stolen goods on Oceanside Pier, plot at Tyson Street Park, cruise Coast Highway.

They also have tangled love lives and a bottomless supply of beer. Which set up a line in a recent episode:

Youre gonna give me relationship advice? Deran Cody (Jake Weary) asked his brother Craig (Ben Robson). The guy who told that waitress at Bagby Beer Co. that you were getting deported because you didnt want to have breakfast with her the next day.

Turns out, the cast and crew are fans of Jeff and Dande Bagbys brewpub at 601 S. Coast Highway.

They come in and have lunch here all the time, said Claire Van Dyke, a Bagby Beer manager.

Howd that waitress feel when she learned that Craig is undeported?

Shes taking it OK, Van Dyke said.

To read more of Peter Rowes weekly column, go here.

More...

Kiss My Glass podcast with Jeff Bagby
Top events in town include Tiki Oasis, CityFest, Liberty Station ArtWalk and three nights of stand-up from Ellen DeGeneres.

Through 8.12: Tiki Oasis

Embracing a South Seas Cinema theme, the worlds largest, longest-running tiki festival returns to San Diego for five days  and nights  of tropical cocktails, Polynesian pop and other island-inspired attractions.  Michael Benninger

Hotel Circle, Mission Valley, tikioasis.com

Indulge in island-themed food and drinks. (MonikasPhotography / )

Advertisement

8.10: KAABOO Discovery Tour

Four bands will battle it out for a chance to take the stage at this years KAABOO. On the lineup will be Lindsay White, Sweet Tooth, Sophia Dion and Desert Rhythm Project.

Quartyard, East Village, kaaboodelmar.com/discovery-tour

(Photo by Darci Fontenot)

8.10: Party Favor

Last here in June, Manhattan-born/L.A.-based DJ Dylan Ragland makes a quick return to San Diego in hopes of continuing the 90s-themed party he started at OMNIA a few months ago.  Scott McDonald

@ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com

Party Favor. (Courtesy photo)

8.10: Conclusion of ninth annual LifeRide for amfAR

Gilles Marini will be among the celebrities for the ninth annual LifeRide for amfAR. (Courtesy photo)

A celeb-studded motorcycle ride will culminate at Westfield UTCs Kiehls store where guests can enjoy complimentary bites and sips from the best of Liberty Public Market, on-site skin consultations and hand massages, opportunities to win gift cards and meet and greets with the celebrity riders. Read more about the event here.

Kiehls Westfield UTC: 4545 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, amfar.org/liferide-2018

8.10-11: Tom Rhodes

Ive always been attracted to dark-skinned women. I dated a woman from Kenya for a little while. That was interesting. Before we would go on a date, she would insist on running alongside the car.  Tom Rhodes at the Hollywood Improv

@ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

Tom Rhodes. (Ashna Rodjan)

8.10-12: Ellen Degeneres

Its technology. Its hurting us, I say. I blame the microwave for most of our problems. Anything that gets that hot without fire, thats from the Devil. You dont believe me, you can put a Hot Pocket in there for three or four minutes, pop that thing in your mouth, if thats not Hell, ladies and gentlemen, I dont know what is.  Ellen Degeneres on Here & Now

@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org

A taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show is seen at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. (Photo by Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.) (Michael Rozman / Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)

8.10-12: AleSmith 23rd anniversary

This 3-day extravaganza will feature live music, live art installations, art exhibition and a long list of rare and specialty beers, including the release of Celestial Dawn Speedway Stout with Modern Times Coffee.

9990 AleSmith Ct., Miramar, alesmith.com/anniversary

8.10-12: Deray Davis

When I was little, my mom used to let us steal sometimes, only if she got something too. Whatd you get me!? Wed go to grocery stores, I dont think she liked me a lot, because she used to let my brothers and sisters steal easy stuff. Doritos, paper plates, cereal. She had me steal the meat. Im at the counter, blood running down my leg, trying to hold my composure up in here. Cashier goes, What wrong with him? Oh, he got his period. I aint got my period!  Deray Davis on Showtime at the Apollo

@ The American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

Deray Davis performs during Hot 97 Presents April Fools Comedy Show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on April 1, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images) (John Lamparski / Getty Images)

8.11: Matoma

Twenty-seven-year-old Norwegian tropical house DJ Matoma (aka Tom Lagergren) released his latest single, Lonely (feat. MAX), in March. The producer is set to release his sophomore full-length album, One In A Million, a follow-up to 2016s Hakuna Matoma, sometime later this year.  Scott McDonald

@ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com

Matoma. (Courtesy photo)

8.11: Destination San Diego

At this all-ages first come free (with RSVP) action sports-inspired event, presented by Adidas and Journeys, enjoy live art exhibits, design studios, food, drinks, giveaways and musical performances all day.

Horton Plaza Park, 900 Fourth Ave., downtown, journeys.com/destination

8.11: Eighth annual Food Truck Festival

Come hungry to the tastiest food festival on wheels as dozens of SoCals moveable feasts descend upon Del Mar with gourmet chefs serving eclectic eats.  Michael Benninger

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar, dmtc.com

The Food Truck Festival will take place in Del Mar. (Craig Collins / )

8.11: Liberty Station Outdoor Movie: Loving Vincent

Grab a blanket and picnic basket and head to Liberty Station for an outdoor screening of the fully oil painted feature film Loving Vincent, which depicts a young man trying to deliver Vincent van Goghs final letter in the artists last hometown.

2460 Historic Decatur Rd., Liberty Station, libertystation.com/events/liberty-station-outdoor-movies

8.11: Fresh Fest

San Diego Hydroponics & Organics presents this inaugural, 21-and-up event showing local musicians, vegan restaurants and even vegan brewers.  Michael Benninger

Quartyard, East Village, quartyardsd.com

8.11-12: 13th annual Liberty Station ArtWalk

Feast your eyes on the creations of more than 200 visual artists at this free event that also includes live music, a shaded wine-and-beer pavilion and a ton of street food.  Michael Benninger

Ingram Plaza, Liberty Station, artwalksandiego.org

Liberty Station ArtWalk will feature art, music and drinks. (3PIXstudios / )

8.12: 13th annual Cardiff Dog Days of Summer

More than 100 rescue groups, adoption agencies and other canine-centric merchants gather in Cardiff for this free event that also features live music, dog contests, a beer and wine garden and more.  Michael Benninger

Encinitas Community Park, Encinitas, cardiff101.com

Perky pooches will roam the event, you might even find one you want to call your companion. (Courtesy photo)

8.12: CityFest

Join 150,000 locals in the streets of Hillcrest for the citys largest street fair and music festival, boasting more than 250 merchants, oodles of eateries and creations from up-and-coming artists.  Michael Benninger

Throughout Hillcrest, fabuloushillcrest.com

CityFest is the citys largest street fair and music festival. (Courtesy photo)

8.12: Chula Vista Challenge San Diego Half Triathlon

This endurance race, the second in San Diegos Triple Crown series, spans 70.3 miles before reaching the Bayside Park finish line where a beer garden and Mexican food merchants await those hearty enough to complete the challenge.  Michael Benninger

Bayside Park, Chula Vista, chulavistachallenge.com

Padres Home Games

8.10-12 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

More...

The reel deal: August movie releases

Art beat: August gallery and exhibit openings

Curtain calls: August performing arts performances
Five incoming eighth grade girls were exposed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers during a weeklong camp due to the efforts of the Rancho Bernardo Chapter of American Association of University Women.

The annual Tech Trek camp was recently held at UC San Diego. This years campers selected by the RB AAUW were Elizabeth Garrett from Bernardo Heights Middle School in Rancho Bernardo; Julia Belysheva and Eva Lund from Oak Valley Middle School in 4S Ranch; and Abbey Skale and Emma Sweeney of Twin Peaks Middle School in Poway.

Eva Lund, 13, said she wanted to attend because I really like science and math and thought it would be fun to go. ... It was really enjoyable. I had a lot of fun there.

She said her core class was in chemistry, chosen for her by program officials because they wanted to put us in something we are not used to so we would step out of our comfort zone. While she had studied chemistry at school, she was not comfortable with it nor had she studied it in-depth before.

It was different than what I expected, Eva said, adding the class work included doing a lot of experiments.

Because she is interested in becoming a computer software engineer, Eva said the field trip to ViaSat was interesting because the girls got to see its computer equipment. The field trip that stood out the most to her was to a research pier at the beach where scientists have studied the ocean, weather and atmosphere for almost 100 years and conducted some of the longest research studies.

As for living on a college campus for a week, Eva said, It was really different. The girls in my dorm I got to know quicker than if we were just going to school. ... It felt a lot more personal.

My science teacher told me about (Tech Trek), said Abbey Skale, 13. It sounded cool and Im into science and math. It sounded like a fun experience. I really like astronomy and physical sciences.

Because of her core class teacher, Abbey said she enjoyed her anatomy class, which Im not really into, but ended up being a lot of fun.

Activities included dissecting a fetal pig. The pig anatomy is a lot like a humans ... they have small and large intestines, the same organs and they are similarly placed. Her prior dissecting experience was with a frog.

Abbey said she also enjoyed the mini-class on physics, which included soldering components on a circuit board so pins on it would light up. She called it a really fun new experience.

Her favorite field trips were to Scripps Oceanography, the surgery department at the campus medical school and ViaSat to learn about satellites.

I really want to be an astronaut when I grow up and am really interested in astronomy and space, Abbey said. It seems cool to go up into space and do what the astronauts do.

Im very interested in science, said Emma Sweeney, 13. Math is not exactly my strong suit, but Im getting better. Im interested in STEM overall and learned new information at this camp.

Emma said being placed in the math core class was a little stressful at first ... but overall I learned a lot. It was a good class, very open to what anyone wanted to learn. They studied variables, equations and how they hide the zero, she said. Campers also worked with graphs and studied high school-level theorems.

Emma said she is considering a career in science, though not sure which field since her interests keep changing. They have included biology and physics. Emma said she enjoys dissecting and has gotten a lot of experience since it makes other students squeamish.

The ViaSat field trip was memorable due to the massive power and strength (of its satellites), which was amazing, she said. While not initially interested in volcanoes, a slide show presentation by a woman who studies them changed her perception, Emma added.

Overall, she called Tech Trek amazing, said the campus was beautiful and she had a lot of fun with her roommates.

I really wanted to meet other girls who are interested in science and math (so) I thought Tech Trek would be interesting, said Julia Belysheva, 12, about why she applied.

Her core class in robotics meant daily trips to Qualcomm where she learned how to build a robotic hat and through writing code make it light up via LEDs. Ive never studied (robotics) before and thought it was interesting, she said.

Her interests have been in microbiology and forensic engineering and Julia said she would like to work in a lab someday.

Besides the Qualcomm trips, Julia said she enjoyed the workshops on life lessons, stress management and the high school and college classes to take. It was really fun and informational. I love that I got to meet other girls whom I contact, and I got a lot of notes on how to pursue science in the future and pursue different STEM careers.

She added that staying on campus for the week was really fun. It felt like I was going to college early, as a 12-year-old. Tech Trek was really interesting and Im especially glad AAUW picked me to go to the camp.

Elizabeth Garrett was not available to comment on her experience.

This was the 20th year for AAUW chapters in California  including Rancho Bernardo  to send incoming eighth grade girls to Tech Trek summer camps at universities across the state.

RB AAUW Tech Trek Coordinator Pat Armstrong said it costs $900 to send each girl. All but $50 per girl, which their families pay, is covered by the organization. In addition to RB AAUW members contributing money toward the cost, the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo contributed financially so the AAUW chapter could send five girls this year.

Armstrong said Tech Trek is one of many ways the chapter advocates for women and girls and encourages them to pursue STEM education and STEM careers. She said the camp also helps build the self-confidence of girls in science and math courses. Tech Trek was initially only offered by AAUWs California chapters, but in recent years it has been adopted in Alabama, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.

The Tech Trek program has kept in touch with former campers and the data shows its efforts have been successful, Armstrong said.

They are very enthusiastic after they have gone (to camp), very excited, Armstrong added. The parents are very grateful too.

This year, 15 girls were nominated by teachers from Bernardo Heights, Oak Valley and Twin Peaks middle schools. The nominees had to complete an application, write an essay and be interviewed before the chapter selected the five girls it would sponsor, Armstrong said. Those selected will be visiting with club members during their Sept. 15 meeting at the Brigantine so they can talk about their Tech Trek experiences.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
Reverberations continue at Del Mar from last Saturdays final race mishap that sent jockeys Geovanni Franco and Corey Nakatani to the hospital and resulted in the death of a 3-year-old colt.

Representatives of Assael Espinoza will be in court Thursday morning seeking a stay to the start of a 10-day suspension the 18-year-old apprentice jockey was assessed by Del Mar stewards for careless riding.

Meanwhile, Franco discussed the incident and Espinozas actions in the aftermath.

Make sure you mention Assael showed up at the hospital to see both Corey and myself, Franco said. It was really cool coming out of the hospital and seeing Assael there. He was really worried for the jockeys.

Advertisement

I thought that was a very classy thing for such a young kid. Were still here and weve got to keep going. Were hoping for Corey to have a steady recovery.

Nakatani is expected to undergo spinal fusion surgery in the next two weeks and be sidelined for two to three months.

Brian Beach, the agent for Espinoza, said Wednesday that Espinoza will be seeking a delay in the enforcement of the suspension, which is scheduled to start Sunday.

If were not granted the stay, the suspension would be served before the California Horse Racing board can hear our appeal, said Beach.

If a stay is granted, Espinoza would likely be allowed to ride through the end of the Del Mar season on Labor Day. Any suspension would then likely be served during the Los Alamitos meet.

The timing of Thursdays court hearing is important because jockey assignments for Sunday will be made later today.

As for Franco, he has ridden both racing days and exercised horses since Saturdays accident.

Franco was riding Bitter Ring Home behind Nakatanis Irish Spring when Espinoza altered course to the inside on Aussie Fox. Irish Spring clipped the rear heels of Aussie Fox and went down, apparently suffering a fatal injury in the fall. Bitter Ring Home then went over the top of the fallen Irish Spring, throwing Franco.

My thoughts are with Corey, Franco said. He got the worst of it. I got really lucky. All I had was a bruise on my foot. That was about it. I dont know how that happened. You ever been on a roller coaster, when you get to the top and you know you are going down, thats how it felt.

You know it is coming but you cant do anything about it. You hope for the best. Thank God we came out of it OK. We were able to ride the next day.

Franco won the final race Sunday on Johnny Strong ($39.80) after finishing third in the Sorrento Stakes.

Franco is in his second season at Del Mar, although his first campaign in 2017 ended after just three weeks for surgery to repair an existing injury.

Before coming to California, Franco campaigned in Arizona and the Midwest after coming from his native Mexico City.

The goal was to come to California to ride, Franco said. I wasnt around racing until I was 15 and I started riding at 18. We wanted to get some money together to come out here . . . we traveled a lit bit and rolled the dice to come out here.

Ive been at a lot of race tracks and there is nothing like California. Del Mar is a top-tier track, the best of the best. I never thought I would be at this point at Del Mar.

Notable

When 19-1 long shot Pacific Song ($40.60) won the eighth and final race Wednesday, one ticket purchased at twinspires.com claimed the Pick Six worth $432,286.

The meets leading jockey (Flavien Prat) and trainer (Peter Miller) teamed to win the third race with Hartel to expand their leads. Prat also won a second race to give him 18 on the meet and a three-win lead on Drayden Van Dyke. Millers 14 wins represents a four-race lead.

Center is a freelance writer.
From their seats 20 rows up behind home plate, they kept looking down toward the visitors bullpen beyond the right field wall at Miller Park.

Fortunately, the reliever they were looking for cuts a distinctive figure.

No, not tall enough.

Hair isnt long enough.

Advertisement

Then, after the Padres scored two runs to push their lead over the Brewers to 11-5 in the top of the ninth inning, Trey Wingenter took the far mound in the bullpen and began to throw.

The four people in those seats  Wingenters parents, girlfriend, Erin Williams, and uncle, Jim Towers  were about to have a great seat to the moment theyd all been waiting for.

Especially, Tony and Rhonda Wingenter.

Trey Wingenter said afterward he could hardly feel his legs and had to remind himself to breathe and just trying to control it, keep (the ball) from going off the backstop.

His parents were experiencing something similar.

Its very hard to describe, Tony Wingenter said. It was, I cant believe this is happening and Good for him. Hes worked for this his whole life. It was total joy.

The Wingenters had made a decision as their son was coming up through the Padres system.

If he got to the point where he was going to make it, we were going to make sure we werent going to miss this particular achievement, Tony said Wednesday, a day after Trey pitched a perfect ninth in his major league debut. It was really unbelievable.

And so there was no need to ask whether their journey of the previous couple days had been worth it.

Tony and Rhonda were at a friends daughters college graduation on Saturday when Trey called to say he would be joining the Padres in Chicago the next day. They didnt make the four-hour trip home but instead flew out the next morning from Birmingham, Ala.

After Trey didnt pitch Sunday, Tony and Rhonda decided to fly back to Birmingham on Monday, drive home to Madison, Ala., and catch what was supposed to be a Tuesday morning flight to Milwaukee. The flight was delayed, and they didnt get to Milwaukee until the early evening. With Trey being a reliever, they knew they had some time. So they checked into their hotel and got to Miller Park in the second inning.

They remain in Milwaukee to not only be here in case Trey pitches again but to watch the major league debut of Brett Kennedy, Treys roommate since last season.

They will head to San Diego after this series, having made reservations when they decided to go to Milwaukee  just in case he didnt pitch against the Brewers. The parents of a reliever know how that goes.

We have a bad habit of missing him by one day, Tony said.

They werent going to this time.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com


Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Vilnius, Lithuania -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/09/2018 -- Why do people living in the UK and Scandinavian countries go abroad for MRI health checkup? Mainly because it costs significantly less, but the quality of service is equal or higher.



MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, makes detailed pictures of a person's body to help doctors diagnose an illness or see how well the patient responded to treatment. People who undergo MRI checkups abroad enjoy the benefit of having a reliable procedure that is within their budget.



"I suffered from a heart stroke at an early age of 42. My doctor recommended MRI and I knew I had to research MRI checkup cost abroad if I wanted to save. I set an appointment with a hospital and flew out the following week." - says Alfred Evans, a language professor from Birmingham, England.



Alfred booked a complete package at the Kardiolita Hospital in Vilnius, Lithuania which is a popular choice for international patients. He arrived at the hospital late Thursday evening, got the test done on Friday, and flew back home on Saturday.



"We offer MRI packages that include brain MRI, upper and lower abdomen MRI, cardio tests, and blood tests. The testing takes only 1 to 2 days and patients get consulted by a doctor to review and discuss the results afterwards." - says Andrius Kostogriz, the CEO at Kardiolita Hospital in Vilnius, Lithuania.



Kardiolita Hospital is in a very good geographical location making their patients' trip short and inexpensive.



The hospital is also well-known for major and minor surgeries using the latest technology and post-operative care. Patients of the hospital have no reported MRSA infections to date.



At Kardiolita Hospital, health checkups are being performed daily. Patients choosing Kardiolita Hospital for theirMRI health checkups save up to 83% while getting world-class medical services and spending just a day or two away from work, which is a huge deciding factor for patients from abroad.



Visit http://www.kardiolita.com/our-services/service-centres/93/mri-checkup-package/service-1637 for more information.



To schedule an appointment or with any questions, send a message to: http://www.kardiolita.com/contact-us/130. Alternatively, please call +370 694 70170 to get all your questions answered.



About Kardiolita Hospital

Kardiolita Hospital is the leading private general hospital in Lithuania, accredited by the JCI and working by the highest industry standards. Established in 1998 Kardiolita Hospital provides full range of medical services  from comprehensive diagnostics to various surgical treatments within many medical areas. Kardiolita Hospital employs 200+ highly qualified Lithuanian doctors with extensive international experience and treatment performance of more than 45+ medical areas. The hospital has long-term experience in treating international patients.



Contact Information:

Kardiolita Hospital

Phone: +370 694 70170

Laisves Av. 64a, Vilnius, Lithuania

http://www.kardiolita.com
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/09/2018 -- Persistence Market Research (PMR) has published a new market research report on offshore support vessel services. The report has been titled "Offshore Support Vessel Services Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013  2017 and Forecast 2018  2026." As one of the important international trades in the world, seaborne transportation is estimated to play a pivotal role in global industrialization and progression, authorizing the transportation of very large volumes of processed and raw materials as well as water, food and other products. As per the data collected from the SAE Europe Shipyards & Maritime Equipment Association, the sea borne trade growth rate is sluggish as compared to the long-term historical average.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11302



Global sea-borne trade configuration is estimated to be potentially influenced by planned and current initiatives such as the "One Belt, One Road Initiative", the partnership for quality infrastructure and the expansion of the Panama and Suez Canals. The growing cross border e-commerce and technology advancement coupled with the industrial revolution in developing countries have further reshaped sea-borne trade and maritime trade patterns and in turn will drive global sea-borne trade growth over the forecast period. As a result, leading companies are venturing into partnerships in order to stay competent in the global market. For instance, in September, 2017, M3 Marine Group Pte Ltd. signed a partnership with PT ROV Inspeksi. The main aim of the partnership is to create asset integrity and to enhance their collective capabilities in the offshore marine surveying and inspection arena. The new company offers remote inspection (ariel, underwater and confined space) and inspection services for both onshore and offshore marine projects & assets. Other companies operating in the global offshore support vessel services market are BOURBON Corporation, Vroon Offshore Services Pte Ltd., Pacific Radiance Ltd, Swire Pacific Limited, and Bumi Armada Berhad, among several others.



According to the report, the global offshore support vessel services market is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.9% from 2018 to 2026. The market is expected to touch US$ 11,472.8 Mn by 2018 and further expand to a valuation of US$ 22,746.7 Mn by the end of 2026.



Burgeoning Natural Gas Exploration to Boost Market Development



Over the years, the high level of emission from power industries and automobiles have made it obligatory to find an alternative for conventional fuels, such as coal and other petroleum-based fuels. As a result, several major consumer countries, such as Japan, ASEAN Countries, U.S. and European countries, have shown willingness to adopt natural gas, which is an effective alternative with reduced emission and is also abundant in nature. Countries such as Australia, Qatar, and Norway have increased the export of natural gas considerably. Demand for LNG is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The global LNG trade was pegged at around 244.8 MT in 2015, an increase of nearly 4.7 MT than that in 2014. Countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Poland and Pakistan entered the LNG import market in 2015. Several new liquefaction and regasification terminals that will accommodate bulk storing and processing facilities are under construction in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas and are expected to start operating during the forecast period.



View Report Table of Contents, Figures, and Tables



Labor Constraints Pertaining to Ecology and Technology to Challenge Market Growth



The growing share of ultra-deep offshore oil production will comprise tailor-made projects adapted to site conditions and characteristics of the reservoir. Industrialization and lowering of costs in deep water are big technical challenges. For production vessels and other marine projects, the development of subsea processing is expected to be more complex. Moreover, lots of work to qualify equipment and materials will be required for managing the ecological risks. Shipbuilding companies involved in the offshore sector are required to build quality employment, minimize negative environmental impact and advance the interest of the society as a whole. Moreover, the issue of promoting equity can be addressed with all-inclusive industrial policies and social programs. This would also allow workers to take advantage of the change.



To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/11302
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/08/2018 -- 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.



Key Prospects of Plant Growth Regulators Market



Europe will continue to spearhead the global plant growth regulators market in terms of revenues, trailed by Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and North America. However, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is projected to register a relatively faster expansion in the market through 2026.



Cytokinins and auxins will prevail as top-selling hormone type segments in the market, with revenues collectively estimated to close in approximately US$ 2,100 Mn by 2026-end.



Fruits & vegetables are likely to remain dominant as well as fast-expanding crop type segment in the market.



Request For Report Brochure For Latest Industry Insights @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1314



Wettable powder formulation of plant growth regulators are set to exhibit the highest CAGR through 2026.



Based on function type, plant growth promoters will continue to remain leading revenue contributor to the global plant growth regulators market.



Adoption of New Farming Methods to Drive Adoption of Plant Growth Regulators



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.



Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/plant-growth-regulators.html



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.
'The g-spot of Europe': Lithuania tourism ad under fire before papal visitAssociated PressMore from Associated PressPublished:August 7, 2018Updated:August 7, 2018 8:45 AM EDTVILNIUS, Lithuania  Tourism officials in Lithuanias capital are coming under fire from the Catholic Church for a highly sexualized advertising campaign to promote the city as Pope Francis prepares to visit the country next month.The campaign features a woman lying on what looks like a bed sheet printed with a map of Europe, her hand gripping Lithuania in a way that suggests sexual pleasure. The text above her reads: Vilnius, the G-spot of Europe and Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, its amazing.Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said Tuesday he does not find the campaign, set to be launched Thursday in London and Berlin, offensive to standards of public decency, but acknowledged its timing was rather weird.I think its a strange advertising choice, but I believe it does not cross the line in a democratic country, Skvernelis told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.Francis Sept. 22-25 tour of Baltic countries is supposed to start in Lithuania, where Catholics are the religious majority.As to the timing, we are speaking about a very important visit to Lithuania, the prime minister added, referring to the popes visit. So perhaps these steps should have been co-ordinated, but thats the decision of Vilnius.Lithuanian priests expressed concerns that the ad used womens sexuality for advertising and gave wrong ideas about Vilnius, a city with a population of 540,000. The government earlier originally asked Vilnius officials to postpone the ads launch until after the papal visit.Inga Romanovskiene, the manager of the Go Vilnius tourism agency behind the campaign, called the popes visit a very important event.Vilnius faces a very high level of competition from other European cities when it comes to marketing, and those who presented the campaign had an extremely engaging idea to drive interest in the city, she added.
(All amounts expressed in US dollars, unless otherwise stated)

VANCOUVER, B.C., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) today reported net income of $11.2 million, earnings per share of $0.07 and revenue of $73.7 million in the second quarter of 2018.

Jorge A. Ganoza, President and CEO, commented, Our financial results for the second quarter of 2018 continue to reflect San Joses strong silver and gold production during the year resulting in the Companys record adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter and first half of 2018 of $35.2 million and $67.0 million. Mr. Ganoza concluded, Free cash flow for the second quarter and first half of 2018, excluding Lindero construction costs, totaled $9.1 million and $28.0 million. This attests to the capacity of our business to translate high margins into free cash flow, contributing significantly to our strong liquidity position.

Second quarter consolidated financial highlights:

Sales of $73.7 million, compared to $63.9 million in Q2 2017

Net income of $11.2 million, compared to $8.9 million in Q2 2017

Earnings per share of $0.07, compared to $0.06 in Q2 2017

Cash flow from operations of $21.9 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $35.2 million, compared to $12.0 million and $26.5 million, respectively, in Q2 2017

Free cash flow excluding the Lindero construction of $9.1 million and $28.0 million year-to-date

Cash position, including short term investments, as at June 30, 2018 was $198.3 million

Silver and gold production of 2,321,315 and 14,557 ounces, respectively

AISC1 per silver equivalent ounce2, 3 was $10.0 compared to $12.1 in Q2 2017

Notes:

1. All-in sustaining cash cost is a Non-GAAP financial measure

2. AISC/oz Ag Eq calculated at realized metal prices of $1,299/oz Au, $16.6/oz Ag, $1.1/t Pb, and $1.4/t Zn

3. Ag Eq production is calculated using ratios of Ag:Au = 65:1; Ag:Pb (lbs) = 1:15.6; Ag:Zn (lbs) =1:12.9





Second quarter consolidated financial results

Consolidated Metrics Q2 2018 Q2 2017 % Change YTD 2018 YTD 2017 % Change Financial (Expressed in $ millions except per share information) Sales $ 73.7 $ 63.9 15 % $ 144.1 $ 128.7 12 % Mine operating income 31.4 22.2 41 % 62.7 49.4 27 % Operating income 22.4 14.2 58 % 44.8 33.8 33 % Net income 11.2 8.9 26 % 24.9 21.9 14 % Earnings per share (basic) 0.07 0.06 17 % 0.16 0.14 14 % Earnings per share (diluted) 0.07 0.06 17 % 0.16 0.14 14 % Adjusted net income1 10.0 9.2 9 % 23.1 23.3 -1 % Adjusted EBITDA1 35.2 26.5 33 % 67.0 56.7 18 % Free cash flow1 (20.2 ) 1.9 -1163 % (7.8 ) 1.9 -511 % Free cash flow excluding Lindero construction1 9.1 4.4 107 % 28.0 6.3 344 % Capex (sustaining) 5.1 7.4 -31 % 9.2 12.4 -26 % Capex (non-sustaining) 0.9 - 0 % 1.1 - 0 % Capex (Lindero) 12.8 2.7 369 % 17.7 4.6 283 % Capex (Brownfield) 2.3 2.9 -19 % 4.6 5.6 -18 % AISC ($/oz Ag)2 3.2 8.2 -61 % 2.7 7.2 -63 % AISC ($/oz Ag Eq)3 10.0 12.1 -17 % 9.7 11.5 -16 % Jun 30, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 % Change Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments $ 198.3 $ 212.6 -7 % Total assets $ 721.1 $ 706.6 2 % Non-current bank loan $ 39.6 $ 39.9 -1 %

Notes:

1. Non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the Non-GAAP Measures at the end of this news release and in the associated MD&A for a description and calculation of these measures.

2. All-in sustaining cash cost is a Non-GAAP financial measure

3. AISC/oz Ag Eq calculated at realized metal prices of $1,299/oz Au, $16.6/oz Ag, $1.1/t Pb, and $1.4/t Zn

4. Ag Eq production is calculated using ratios of Ag:Au = 65:1; Ag:Pb (lbs) = 1:15.6; Ag:Zn (lbs) =1:12.9

Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2018 was $11.2 million or $0.07 per share compared to $8.9 million or $0.06 per share for the comparable quarter in 2017.

Higher sales and lower mine operating costs resulted in 58% increase in operating income which was partially offset by a higher effective tax rate. The effective tax rate for the second quarter 2018 was 56% compared to 40% for the same period in 2017. The increase in the effective tax rate was due primarily to the Argentine Peso declining 35% against the US dollar which increased the deferred income tax expense by $1.5 million, and a $1.3 million withholding tax charge related to expected dividend repatriation from our subsidiaries. The impact these two items had on earnings per share for the second quarter was $0.02 per share.

Adjusted net income increased 9% during the quarter to $10.0 million compared to $9.2 million for 2017. Adjusted EBITDA increased 33% to $35.2 million compared to $26.5 million for the comparable period in 2017 due primarily to increased sales volume and higher prices for gold, lead and zinc.

Free cash flow, excluding Lindero construction costs, was $9.1 million in the quarter and $28.0 million year to date. At June 30, 2018, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short- term investments of $198.3 million which along with our undrawn credit facility of $80.0 million will provide sufficient liquidity to meet our funding needs during the construction of the Lindero project.

San Jose Mine, Mexico

Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, Mine Production 2018 2017 2018 2017 Tonnes milled 263,383 268,456 521,587 535,724 Average tonnes milled per day 2,987 3,016 2,998 3,061 Silver Grade (g/t) 268 238 276 232 Recovery (%) 92 92 92 92 Production (oz) 2,084,013 1,887,269 4,269,926 3,680,236 Metal sold (oz) 2,187,880 1,874,226 4,199,140 3,653,429 Realized price ($/oz) 16.59 17.30 16.64 17.38 Gold Grade (g/t) 1.86 1.82 1.90 1.75 Recovery (%) 92 92 92 91 Production (oz) 14,422 14,410 29,304 27,526 Metal sold (oz) 15,097 14,222 28,845 27,262 Realized price ($/oz) 1,299 1,257 1,315 1,239 Unit Costs Production cash cost ($/oz Ag)1 (0.6 ) 1.0 (0.5 ) 1.2 Production cash cost ($/oz Ag Eq)2 5.5 6.3 5.5 6.3 Production cash cost ($/t) 60.5 61.9 62.8 59.4 Unit Net Smelter Return ($/t) 190.6 172.9 197.1 167.3 AISC ($/oz Ag)1 4.7 7.7 4.4 7.2 AISC ($/oz Ag Eq)2, 3 8.9 10.6 8.6 10.2 Notes: 1. Net of by-product credits from gold 2. Ag Eq production is calculated at realized metal prices of Au/oz and Ag/oz as per above table 3. Ag Eq production is calculated using a ratio of Ag:Au = 65:1

The San Jose Mine produced 2,084,013 ounces of silver, representing a 10% increase in silver production over the same period in 2017 while gold production was steady at 14,422 ounces compared to 14,410 ounces for the period in 2017. Average head grades for silver and gold were 268 g/t and 1.86 g/t which were 13% and 2% higher than the same period in 2017.

Cash cost per tonne of processed ore was $60.5 or 2% below the $61.9 cash cost for the comparable quarter in 2017. The lower cash costs were due primarily to lower blasting and rock support costs but was partially offset by higher milling costs from dry-stack operations and higher concentrate shipping costs.

Caylloma Mine, Peru

Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, Mine Production 2018 2017 2018 2017 Tonnes milled 134,123 131,974 263,743 261,343 Average tonnes milled per day 1,507 1,483 1,499 1,477 Silver Grade (g/t) 65 64 63 66 Recovery (%) 85 85 85 85 Production (oz) 237,303 229,594 452,848 469,818 Metal sold (oz) 226,222 229,436 446,511 465,504 Realized price ($/oz) 16.54 17.24 16.66 17.28 Lead Grade (%) 2.65 2.70 2.69 2.73 Recovery (%) 92 91 91 92 Production (000's lbs) 7,187 7,170 14,226 14,381 Metal sold (000's lbs) 6,880 7,127 14,149 14,163 Realized price ($/lb) 1.08 0.98 1.11 1.01 Zinc Grade (%) 4.27 4.04 4.29 4.10 Recovery (%) 91 90 90 91 Production (000's lbs) 11,436 10,613 22,465 21,430 Metal sold (000's lbs) 11,429 10,943 22,507 21,645 Realized price ($/lb) 1.41 1.18 1.48 1.22 Unit Costs Production cash cost ($/oz Ag)1 (45.2 ) (22.4 ) (49.4 ) (27.1 ) Production cash cost ($/oz Ag Eq)2 7.0 9.4 6.9 8.4 Production cash cost ($/t) 76.9 85.0 77.8 79.2 Unit Net Smelter Return ($/t) 180.4 158.9 185.3 154.7 AISC ($/oz Ag)1 (22.0 ) (2.7 ) (26.5 ) (7.5 ) AISC ($/oz Ag Eq)2, 3 10.4 12.9 10.1 11.9 Notes: 1. Net of by-product credits from gold, lead and zinc 2. Ag Eq production is calculated at realized metal prices of Pb/t, Zn/t, and Ag/oz as per above table 3. Ag Eq production is calculated using ratios of Ag:Au = 65:1; Ag:Pb (lbs) = 1:15.6; Ag:Zn (lbs) = 1:12.9

The Caylloma Mine produced 7.2 million pounds of lead and 11.4 million pounds of zinc during the second quarter of 2018 representing an 8% increase in zinc production over the same quarter in 2017. Average head grades for lead and zinc were 2.65% and 4.27%. Silver production was 237,303 ounces which was 3% higher than the comparable period in 2017 while the average silver head grade was 1% lower than the comparable period in 2017. Zinc production increased 8% to 11.4 million pounds and lead production remained steady at 7.2 million pounds. Metallurgical recovery for silver was 85% which was the same as the comparable period in 2017.

Cash cost per tonne of processed ore for the second quarter of 2018 was $76.9 or10% lower than the $85.0 cash cost for the comparable quarter in 2017, mainly as a result of the increased use of mechanized mining methods and lower concentrate transportation tariffs.





(Expressed in $ millions) Q2 2018 Q2 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2017 Free Cash Flow Net cash provided by operating activities $ 21.9 $ 12.0 $ 42.2 $ 20.9 Less: Purchases of mineral properties, plant and equipment (16.3 ) (11.5 ) (27.5 ) (20.7 ) Less: Deposits on long term assets, net (21.1 ) (1.6 ) (23.2 ) (3.6 ) Less: Current income tax expense (12.2 ) (8.8 ) (22.0 ) (16.8 ) Add: Income taxes paid 7.5 11.8 22.7 22.1 Free cash flow $ (20.2 ) $ 1.9 $ (7.8 ) $ 1.9 Add: Lindero construction capital expenditures 7.6 2.5 11.8 4.4 Add: Greenfield capital expenditures 1.2 - 1.5 - Add: Deposits on long term assets - Lindero construction 20.5 - 22.5 - Free cash flow excluding Lindero construction $ 9.1 $ 4.4 $ 28.0 $ 6.3





(Expressed in $ millions) Q2 2018 Q2 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2018 Net Income for the period $ 11.2 $ 8.9 $ 24.9 $ 21.9 Adjustments, net of tax: Unrealized (gain) loss on financial instruments (1.9 ) (0.4 ) (2.8 ) 0.7 Write-off of accounts receivable 0.4 - 0.4 - Share of (income) loss of equity-accounted investee - - (0.2 ) - Other finance costs - - 0.4 - Write-down of plant and equipment - 0.3 - 0.3 Write-down of inventories 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 Adjusted Net Income (a non-GAAP measure) $ 10.0 $ 9.2 $ 23.1 $ 23.3 (Expressed in $ millions) Q2 2018 Q2 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2018 Net Income for the period $ 11.2 $ 8.9 $ 24.9 $ 21.9 Add back: Net finance items (0.2 ) 0.1 0.2 0.6 Depreciation, depletion, and amortization 11.9 11.3 22.6 22.0 Income taxes 13.9 5.8 22.5 10.4 Share of (income) loss of equity-accounted investee - - (0.2 ) - Non-cash (gain) loss on financial instruments (2.8 ) (0.6 ) (4.2 ) 0.8 Other operating expenses 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.0 Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) $ 35.2 $ 26.5 $ 67.0 $ 56.7

The financial statements and MD&A are available on SEDAR and have also been posted on the Company's website at https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/financials/2018/ .

Conference call to review second quarter financial and operations results

Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018

Time: 9:00 a.m. Pacific | 12:00 p.m. Eastern

Dial in number (Toll Free): +1.877.407.8035

Dial in number (International): +1.201.689.8035

Replay number (Toll Free): +1.877.481.4010

Replay number (International): +1.919.882.2331

Replay Passcode: 10455

Playback of the conference call will be available until August 23, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Playback of the webcast will be available until August 9, 2019. In addition, a transcript of the call will be archived on the companys website: https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/financials/2018/.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna is a growth oriented, precious metal producer with its primary assets being the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold Project in Argentina. The Company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas. For more information, please visit its website at www.fortunasilver.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jorge A. Ganoza

President, CEO and Director

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI

Investor Relations:

Carlos Baca- T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0





Forward looking Statements

This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and forward looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, Forward looking Statements). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements about the Companys plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Companys business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Companys mines and mineral properties; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and proposed expenditures. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as estimated, potential, open, future, assumed, projected, used, detailed, has been, gain, planned, reflecting, will, containing, remaining, to be, or statements that events, could or should occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortunas mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Information Form. 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 to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding the Companys plans for its mines and mineral properties; mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Companys current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Companys activities will be in accordance with the Companys public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. 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, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements.

This news release also refers to non-GAAP financial measures, such as cash cost per tonne of processed ore; cash cost per payable ounce of silver; total production cost per tonne; all-in sustaining cash cost; all-in cash cost; adjusted net (loss) income; operating cash flow per share before changes in working capital, income taxes, and interest income; and adjusted EBITDA. These measures do not have a standardized meaning or method of calculation, even though the descriptions of such measures may be similar. These performance measures have no meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar data presented by other mining companies.
BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Albertsons Companies, Inc. (Albertsons Companies or the Company) today announced that it has mutually agreed with Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) to terminate their previously announced merger agreement. The Company issued the following statement in regard to the termination:



Albertsons Companies believes that the strategic rationale of the Rite Aid combination was compelling, including the $375 million of cost synergies and $3.6 billion of identified revenue opportunities. We disagree with the conclusion of certain Rite Aid stockholders and third-party advisory firms that although they acknowledged the strategic logic of the combination, did not believe that Albertsons Companies was offering sufficient merger consideration to Rite Aid stockholders. Consistent with Albertsons Companies disciplined approach to mergers and acquisitions, and after careful consideration of all information available to our Board of Directors through today, we were unwilling to change the terms of the merger.We remain excited about the improving momentum, financial strength, and industry leadership of Albertsons Companies. Our team has remained laser focused on execution to drive our financial and operating performance, while ensuring we continue to meet and exceed the needs of our customers. As a result, we have achieved a number of significant milestones, including delivering consecutive quarters of top-line and bottom-line growth, and as part of the Safeway merger, which is delivering higher than expected synergies, we will be completing the systems integration of the Albertsons stores to in-house systems in September. We also have continued to differentiate ourselves through our best-in-class Own Brands portfolio that is expected to add over 1,100 new items this year as well as through our expanding eCommerce offerings, which grew 108% year-over-year in the first quarter. The operational improvements we are making to meet our customers needs are driving our improved results. We are confident that our 275,000 dedicated employees will continue to execute on our business plan to enhance our customers experiences and lead the grocery industry with new innovations.Albertsons Companies also reaffirmed today its fiscal 2018 outlook, which includes an expectation for Adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 billion.



About Albertsons CompaniesAlbertsons Companies, Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. Albertsons Cos. operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaws, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2017 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.



Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements contain information about future operating or financial performance. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions about market conditions and its future operating performance which we believe to be reasonable at this time. The words expect, believe, estimate, intend, plan and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions (including assumptions about general economic, market, industry and operational factors), known or unknown, which could cause the actual results to vary materially from those indicated or anticipated. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 24, 2018 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and other documents that the Company may file or furnish with the SEC, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.



Non-GAAP MeasuresEBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (collectively, the "Non-GAAP Measures") are performance measures that provide supplemental information the Company believes is useful to analysts and investors to evaluate its ongoing results of operations, when considered alongside other GAAP measures such as net income, operating income and gross profit. These Non-GAAP Measures exclude the financial impact of items management does not consider in assessing the Company's ongoing operating performance, and thereby facilitate review of its operating performance on a period-to-period basis. Other companies may have different capital structures or different lease terms, and comparability to the Company's results of operations may be impacted by the effects of acquisition accounting on its depreciation and amortization. As a result of the effects of these factors and factors specific to other companies, the Company believes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide helpful information to analysts and investors to facilitate a comparison of its operating performance to that of other companies. The Company also uses Adjusted EBITDA, as further adjusted for additional items defined in its debt instruments, for board of director and bank compliance reporting. The Company's presentation of Non-GAAP Measures should not be construed as an inference that its future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items.





Albertsons Companies, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Forecasted Adjusted EBITDA

(in millions)

The following is a reconciliation of forecasted operating income to forecasted Adjusted EBITDA:

Fiscal 2018 Outlook Low High Forecasted operating income $ 475 $ 550 Forecasted adjustments for: Depreciation and amortization 1,900 1,890 Acquisition and integration costs (1) 155 145 Equity-based compensation expense 45 40 Other adjustments (2) 105 95 Forecasted Adjusted EBITDA $ 2,680 $ 2,720





(1) Primarily includes forecasted costs related to integration of acquired businesses, acquisitions and amortization of management fees paid.

(2) Primarily includes forecasted LIFO expense and lease adjustments related to deferred rents and deferred gains on leases and estimated net costs incurred on acquired surplus properties.
WSS is one of only four companies to have received the funding, following a Call-For-Proposal (CFP) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Ministry of Transport, it said in a press release. The CFP aims to support the development of systems and technologies to enable innovations within the wide-ranging use of UAS. The maximum funding available for each project is SGD1.5m ($1.1m), or up to 50% of the total project qualified costs.

Outlining the potential development of UAS for shore-to-ship deliveries, the winning proposal from WSS highlighted how UAS delivery could improve safety, productivity and efficiency.

With a quicker response rate and turnaround time compared to traditional launch boat deliveries, Wilhelmsen believes delivery by UAS has the potential to lower shore-to-ship delivery costs by up to 90%, as well as removing the safety risks inherent with delivery via launch boat.

Commenting on the award, Marius Johansen, vp Commercial, Ships Agency said: "Only weeks after announcing the Airbus partnership, this award almost feels a bit overwhelming. In itself it will be important for us to validate the use case of parcel delivery with drones, but it will also enable us to develop key technological solutions such as ship localization and precision landing, payload release system, light and reliable private 4G/LTE communications, onshore parcel station and an automated package delivery system.

Read More: Wilhelmsen to lift off with drones

Signing a detailed MOU with aviation company Airbus, at maritime exhibition Posidonia, in addition to the CFP award, WSS are currently working with Airbus Skyways on a pilot trial to deliver spare parts, documents, water test kits and 3D printed consumables to vessels at anchorage from Singapore ports Marina South Pier. Beginning in the third quarter of 2018, this will be the first time drone technology has been deployed in real port conditions, delivering parcels to vessels at anchorage.

Working on a number of very different test business cases for the application of drones in the maritime environment, prior to identifying shore-to-ship deliveries as the most relevant and scalable for their business, Wilhelmsen Ships Agency saw the genuine potential of drone technology well ahead of their rivals.

Johansen said: The award is something more than just financial support. It is another significant recognition of the work we are doing and without doubt places Wilhelmsen at the very top of the list of innovative players in the maritime industry.
Most of our logistics activities will be handled from the new building, says Middle East Fujis president and chairman Saeed Al Malik. It will also become the new centre for freight forwarding and engineering services.

The company has good reason to celebrate, for its record-breaking profitability spree of 2016 continued into 2017, and remains on song for the ongoing year. The marine supplies division fared exceptionally well; and, although the overall sales turnover was down due to the Qatar issue, profits were at a new high. Naval business also continues strongly, with the company in Dubai handling their supply needs.

Our Marine business in 2017 was $42m in Dubai alone, says Saeed. Our supply business for cruise vessels, which we launched in 2014, crossed the $1.5m mark during the year. Similarly, there was growth in the Industrial division, which deals with supply of industrial spares and equipment, woodwork, steel and fabrication to the oil and gas sector and local industries.

Another milestone occurred in November 2017 when Saeed, who is also president of the UAE National Ship Suppliers Association (UNSSA), became the first Arab to be named president of the International Ship Suppliers Association.

At a product level, the company started worldwide distribution of Snap, a locally manufactured perfume, handled by its new Lifestyle division. A year earlier it started importing the famous Kobe beef from Japan.

Learn more about Japan's investment in the region at Seatrade Maritime Middle East in October 2018

The company has also invested in the Fuji global software system, to integrate with the main system of its parent organisation (which marks its 65th anniversary this year) and standardise its services across the globe.

We have moved into Saudi Arabia, starting with offshore and industrial services, and going on to marine services, says Saeed. Kuwait is next on our radar. With charter rates being on the rise, and oil prices also going up, the prospects look rosy, and have induced us to target growth of 25% for 20
This article is part of State of Health, a new series examining health disparities, how they affect Michigan's children and seniors, and the innovative solutions being developed to address them. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.



Julie needed dental care to get her customer service job at Home Depot back.



Home Depot employees greet customers with "Can I help you find something?" But without front teeth, Julie was unable to say "find" clearly and kept substituting other words. Finally, she was demoted to the store room, where she had no contact with customers and got paid less per hour.

When she tried on her dentures for the first time, she said, "Can I help you find something?" and burst into a huge smile. Julie got her customer service job back.



Julie's story, as shared by the Michigan Oral Health Coalition (MOHC), is not the only one of its kind. MOHC reports that dental care access is "limited or nonexistent" for nearly one million Michigan residents.

According to the 2020 Michigan State Oral Health Plan (2020 Oral Health Plan), prepared by MOHC and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, low socioeconomic status is a key factor in that disparity in care. Two populations that are currently experiencing significant impacts are children and seniors. But a variety of organizations across the state are working to connect people like Julie to oral care they otherwise might never get, and they're innovating to continue improving oral health access in the future.

Access changes and ongoing challenges

Throughout the last decade, access to oral health care services has undergone significant changes. That's thanks in part to the rise of a nationwide network of oral health coalitions like MOHC. Based in Lansing, MOHC seeks "to not only increase access to care but to improve policy, based on data," according to executive director Karlene Ketola.

MOHC was formed in 2003 in response to the state's elimination of the Medicaid adult dental program due to budget constraints. Initially funded by a Center for Disease Control Oral Health Infrastructure Grant, Ketola says MOHC served as the "impetus to bringing stakeholders together throughout the state (who were) looking at improving oral health."

Ketola says that was the first time Michigan stakeholders who were not dental professionals came together to focus on oral health improvement. They included insurance companies, Head Start and early education professionals, and medical professionals. Through diligent work and commitment, these partners have been able to gather data to help not only identify needs but to begin developing plans to address them.

Another fairly recent major development in Michigan oral health care access was the introduction of Healthy Kids Dental (HKD) in 2000. Starting as a pilot program, HKD had a goal of moving the administration of Michigan's children's Medicaid dental program over to a private insurance administrator, Delta Dental.

"It really eliminated a lot of the barriers," Ketola says. "Payment rates increased ... (and payments) for services rendered were quicker. It helped engage private dentists to see Medicaid children."

HKD program has slowly been rolled out to all Michigan counties, and Ketola says the program's biggest challenge now is raising awareness of just how accessible dental care is for Medicaid-enrolled children.

"Typically there's a dentist within 10 miles that they would be able to see," she says. "The program is there. The beneficiaries are there. The providers are there."

However, that increased access for Michigan kids also helps to illustrate ongoing challenges in oral health care access for the state's adults. Ketola says there's a serious shortage of Medicaid dental providers.

"If providers have signed up and are committed to the Medicaid population (and) they want to do an exam, they would be paid $14.89," she says. "The customary rate for that service is significantly higher. We've heard from private-practice dentists that it's a challenge to be able to provide care at those rates."

That's where organizations like Grand Rapids-based nonprofit Cherry Health can provide some relief for those in need of oral health care. As Michigan's largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Cherry Health provides a variety of health care services, including oral health care, on a sliding fee payment scale. Cherry Health's current footprint includes 25 centers, spanning seven counties. Its School Linked program also provides dental and vision services in over 70 schools.

"We are obligated to provide services to those less fortunate (who) are located in the areas of (highest) need," says Cherry Health CEO Tasha Blackmon.

Looking to the future

While oral health care access has improved in many ways in Michigan, those engaged in the issue say there's still plenty of room for further advancement. Two key focus areas for the future are increasing access to care for youth and seniors, and promoting public awareness of oral health care access.

On the access side, one key issue is expanding Medicare to include dental care benefits. Oral Health America is currently piloting a Demand Medicare Dental campaign both in Grand Rapids and Lansing. States are not federally required to offer Medicare dental coverage, and Ketola says the program has come and gone in Michigan through MOHC's 15 years of advocacy.

"When budgets are tough ... the legislature (is) looking at places they (can) cut to balance the state budget," Ketola says. "Of course, (for) all of the optional services, such as dental and vision, ... the legislature has to make those choices on how to spend the state's money."

Shannon Kaza is the oral health coordinator at Health Net of West Michigan, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that established the Kent County Oral Health Coalition in 2011. She's currently involved in advocating for an increase in the payment reimbursement rate for dentists serving adult clients, which hasn't increased in Michigan since 1986. Kaza hopes that the state could eventually replicate the HKD model, which reimburses providers at an amount close to the going commercial rate, for adults.

Such a change would benefit more than just dental providers. It would also provide patients more options for oral health services and decrease their wait times for access. If it replicated the HKD model, patients would also receive a regular Delta Dental insurance card.

"The insurance cards look the same," Kaza says. "It removes the stigma (or) feeling of shame."

Looking beyond specific policy and service changes, Kaza says continuing to build general public awareness of oral health care access issues is crucial.

"People don't think about all the challenges there may be to getting dental care," Kaza says. "We want to inform as many people as we can in the community about what health equity is, what social justice is."

Kaza also wants to ensure that the people who are experiencing oral health care disparities are more engaged in that work.

"We really want them to inform our work rather than guessing at why these disparities exist or what would help," she says. "We want to have that two-way street of information so that we can be informed of what communities see as well as informing communities (about resources)."

Ketola says she'd like to see more medical organizations get involved in MOHC, such as hospital and physician associations. But she says individuals can play a significant role in shifting the paradigm as well.



"You don't need to be a lobbyist in Lansing or be a part of a large organization," Ketola says. "You really can just be passionate about improving oral health in your community, ... your family, or for yourself. I would encourage people to really become engaged in the work of their local coalition."

Leandra Nisbet is the project editor for Rapid Growth Medias "Making it in Grand Rapids" series. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and personal and professional development. As owner of Stingray Advisory Group LLC and Co-Owner of Gold Leaf Designs LLC, she assists businesses with creating strategies for growth and sustainability. She is actively involved on several boards and committees, and regularly contributes content to various publications, including West Michigan Woman. Contact her by email at leandra.rapidgrowth@gmail.com.

Shannon Kaza and Tasha Blackmon photos by Adam Bird. Other photos courtesy of Cherry Health.
Promoting the village cemetery may not seem like a strange way to generate interest, but the residents of Franklin see it as one of the village's most important assets.

Its odd to think of a cemetery as an important part of a village, admits Village President Pam Hansen, but, in fact, our cemetery is very interesting. We have civil war veterans buried there.

Settled in the 1820s as a farming community, Franklin was named one of the first historic districts in Michigan, and its burial ground tells the story of generations who have resided there. The cemeterys proximity to bustling events on the village green is a perfect example of how the historic village in Oakland County is taking its past with it as it moves forward.



Pam Hansen. Joe Powers Insitu Photography

Hansen describes the village as something of a bubble, interacting with nearby downtown Detroit but tucked away. Franklin appropriately bears the unofficial slogan The Town that Time Forgot.

Franklin has this great deep dive into the past, she explains, but is living very much in the present.

Striking a balance

Striking that balance is no easy task, which is why Hansen works with Main Street Franklin (MSF), a non-profit organization striving to preserve the downtown's historic charm while encouraging new business. Through village events, public art projects and historic preservation workshops, MSF has been steadily shaping Franklins identity as a historic village with a bright future.

Bill Lamott runs the Franklin Historical Society (FHS), along with his wife Ann, and he says the village is a rare example of structures that have retained their historic character and been repurposed for contemporary use. While the local Historic District Commission regulates the exterior aesthetics of buildings in the district, the small volunteer team at the FHS aims to foster preservation awareness in the village. They maintain exhibits and programs at the museum, publish a newsletter and conduct walking tours to help keep the history alive.

Lamott admits there are challenges to growing with such a rich past, beyond the obvious financial aspect of maintaining historic properties.

Most historic property owners are conscientious caretakers; others need to be encouraged, Lamott explains. He says recruiting volunteers to serve on the FHS board and the Historic District Commission can be difficult as well, and that managing change is often a hurdle.

The historic district has, and will continue to, change, he says. The challenge is to assure that change is executed in a manner that preserves historic integrity.



Old town, new business

Change is indeed underway, with several new businesses opening in Franklin this year. Just Guys Apparel has launched downtown, and owners Jason and Doreen Dickman say they chose to open in Franklin because of the up north feel of the tree-lined streets.

The charm, history, and surrounding shops in the area made it an easy decision, says Jason Dickman. To create their trendy new store, the Dickmans rehabilitated one of the oldest buildings in the village, dating back to the 1830s. The building has since been a hardware store, jewelry store, bookstore, and barber shop (once a favorite of Detroit Tigers Alan Trammell).

The couple says Franklin balances new business and historic integrity nicely, and that they have been impressed by local knowledge and passion for the past. If you take a walk down the street, many local people will be able to tell you what business was started and in which building, explains Jason Dickman.

The mens store isnt the only example of using a piece of the past to make room for new business. Jacqueline Drake opened an art gallery downtown in May and Holly Kaiser hopes to open a French Patisserie in a historic barn downtown by Labor Day.



Jaqueline Drake Gallery . Joe Powers Insitu Photography

Realtor Dan Costello finished restoring a 170-year-old dairy barn in the downtown in 2014, to create a space for clothing shop Zieben Mare. He says his childhood memories from the area led him to want to be part of the village fabric and lore.

He believes the regions past will continue to inspire its future. The early entrepreneurs of yesteryear worked to create a community whose importance and presence is still felt and carried on by todays independent downtown merchants and professionals, he says.

John (J.J.) Zielinski has also chosen Franklin for his new business, Lakehouse Studios, and says the village has done a great job in preserving the architecture in the area.

While the buildings are not as modernized as you would get in Birmingham, he explains, the organizations that have dropped anchor here inherit a historical vibe that comes with the buildings where they reside.

The challenges of old buildings and infrastructure



Running a business in a historic village is not always easy. Hansen says that any municipality with historic structures faces challenges. The types of problems that can arise were exemplified with a recent discovery of an old chemical storage tank under a Franklin shopfront. The finding caused an evacuation of several stores and required air-quality testing. Its a setback, but one Hansen says village leaders believe will be resolved soon.

She says water supply can also be an issue in older communities; most of Franklin is still on well water. A move to a municipal supply would require a citizen vote because of stipulations in the village charter.

Sometimes I worry that people might not pay enough attention to the reality that we all share water here and we need to be careful, Hansen says.

Zielinski points out that despite these challenges, the advantages for new businesses locating in Franklin outweigh the disadvantages.

Every time a client comes here, we usually spend the first 15 minutes just talking about the different buildings and how well the city has done to preserve the architecture, he says. Its something his company, and others in the downtown, try to incorporate. We are known for providing a modern take in all of our projects. But being in Franklin inspires us to take the best of both worlds and mesh them together.

Cultural change

On a cultural level, change can also cause friction within established neighborhoods. Learning to embrace new resident dynamics and cultures can present a challenge. Hansen confesses there are some stereotypes about a lack of diversity among the higher socioeconomic neighborhoods of Franklin, but argues that the village is not as mono-ethnic as people might believe.

She points out that the community has worked through cultural divisions in recent years. When an Islamic Montessori school was opened in the village (Huda School), Hansen says there was some initial anxiety from residents, but that the community was won over after the school board purchased and restored a dilapidated historic building. She says the schools active contribution to the community effectively avoided what could have been a contentious issue.

We have many religions, she says We have many cultural backgrounds here.



Huda School . Joe Powers Insitu Photography

Huda School teacher Beth Luttrell says getting youth involved in Franklin helps everyone in the community, and is an integral part of the village moving forward. Students at the school are required to do community service, but Luttrell says many do a lot more because they enjoy being a part of Franklin.

Between Jump Rope for Heart demonstrations at the villages Labor Day Round-Up and clothing and food drives, the students have made sure they are active contributors to the village identity. Kids sometimes get a bad rap these days, Luttrell says, but our kids are out there, theyre showing theyre willing to work, willing to push forward, and that they really are interested in whats happening in the future. And they really are our future.
Press Release

August 9, 2018 GORDON ACCEPTS MOBILE WATER PURIFIER DONATION FROM ISRAELI EMBASSY, PASS IT FORWARD TO PHILIPPINE RED CROSS Senator Richard J. Gordon has accepted a donation from the Israeli Embassy and Pass It Forward to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) of a mobile water purification system that the humanitarian organization could use to provide drinking water during disasters. "This would be very useful for the Philippine Red Cross in providing assistance during disasters because one of the interventions we provide is potable water. The GalMobile can be useful in natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, military use in difficult terrain and rural areas to provide drinkable water. It can deliver potable drinking water from any source, anytime, anywhere," said Gordon, who is also chairman of the PRC. The first of its kind in water purification system, the GalMobile can purify up to 20,000 litres of sea water a day and 80,000 litres of brackish, muddy or contaminated river water and bring it to WHO standards. It is a "Unique independent, integrated Water purification system" and it caters to remote communities, villages at crises, and emergency situations in Israel. The jeep, which runs on a mere 12V low voltage system, is mobile, self-contained, independent and automatic. It contains an integrated water storage tank with a capacity of 265 Gallons to 2650 Gallons and can be deployed in less than 30 minutes by two people. Israel's technology is a source of envy for many world nations. Despite not having any groundwater and with a low average annual precipitation, the country not only meets its huge water consumption target but it also exports it to other countries. Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau and Pass It Forward CEO Shmuel Weiss turned over the donation. The ceremony was followed by a demonstration of how the GalMobile works using water from the nearby Libertad Channel. Gordon led guests and PRC officials in drinking water purified by GalMobile. Gordon has been an advocate for sustaining the robust bilateral ties and strategic relationship between Israel and the Philippines - filing a resolution recently to express the sense of the Senate to fully promote, support and enhance the Philippines-Israel relations by establishing a parliamentary friendship association between the two countries. Israel is a developed country, known for its high-technology designs and manufactures, and is considered as the start-up nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even announced that it aspires to be the world's fifteenth (15th) largest economy by 2025. Israel's diverse market economy which includes agricultural, service, tourism, high-technology, textiles, and diamond sectors will support the Philippines' fast-growing economy.
Press Release

August 9, 2018 GORDON SPONSORS BILL PROPOSING TO ADD A NINTH RAY TO THE FLAG'S SUN TO REPRESENT THE MUSLIMS WHO FOUGHT AGAINST THE SPANISH INVADERS Senator Richard J. Gordon sponsored a bill that he authored which proposes to rectify the omission of the Muslims from the group of Filipinos given due recognition in the Philippine flag for their heroic struggle against the colonial invaders from the West. Gordon sponsored Committee Report 393, from Proposed Senate Bill No. 102 entitled "An Act Increasing the Number of Rays of the Sun on the Philippine Flag from Eight to Nine, amending for this Purpose Republic Act No. 8491, otherwise known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines." "With their bravery, our Muslim heroes left an imprint on national history that, at the very least, must be given due recognition in the most heraldic item of national importance--the Philippine flag," he said. Gordon noted that the flag does not only represent the principles of sovereignty and solidarity of the Philippine nation but it also embodies the ideals and traditions of the Filipino people developed over the course of national history, which refers to the period before the arrival of the Spanish up to the present, centuries replete with stories of struggles for independence and victory against colonizers. "It cannot be denied that the Muslims have been here and they precipitated the first defeat of the colonial invader from the West. It was established that no commanding presence by the Spanish colonial power were ever established in Mindanao. Yet, our Muslim heroes are forgotten. Muslim Mindanao is part and parcel of the Philippines and we should not remove them from our history. We must be inclusive, not exclusive...," he added. The senator also said that with the enactment into law of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which aims to end decades of conflict in Mindanao by creating a political entity that would enjoy greater autonomy than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the bill he authored would also further foster unity in the country. "We seek to inculcate in the minds and hearts of our people a just pride in their native Muslim brothers and sisters who sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom... So that every day that it is raised, every day that every young person or a Filipino raises his hand to pledge allegiance to the flag, we are pledging to inclusion of our Muslim brothers and sisters and we are pledging towards a nation which values history," he said.
TORONTO, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) today announced revenue of $27.9 million, adjusted EBITDA of $3.6 million and an adjusted net loss of $3.7 million for the second quarter of 2018.



The Companys condensed and consolidated interim financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, together with its Managements Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) for the corresponding period, can be accessed under the Companys profile on www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.mandalayresources.com. All currency references in this press release are in U.S. dollars except as otherwise indicated.

Commenting on the quarterly results, Mr. Dominic Duffy, President and CEO of Mandalay, noted, The Bjorkdal operation had strong results for the quarter as ore control systems continue to maintain higher-grade delivery in the plant. During the quarter the operation completed automation controls in the plant which will allow an estimated 1% improved recovery, as well as improving gold payables in the plant due to more gold being taken out in the gravity circuit. Also, the effects of cost-reduction measures at the site have begun to take hold as cash costs per ounce continued to drop. We expect these measures to continue to manifest themselves at Bjorkdal going forward.

Mr. Duffy continued, At Costerfield, we experienced a dip in production in the current quarter due to a delay in the development of the Brunswick lode. The production delay at Brunswick was the result of higher than expected dewatering required at the lode. On a positive note, dewatering of Brunswick has now been completed and we expect to see an increase in revenue from Costerfield for the remainder of the year as the Brunswick vein is brought into production. Additionally, at Costerfield the focus on exploration drilling continued into the high-grade Youle vein as we aim to bring this into the Companys year-end reserves and initiate development towards this vein later in 2018.

Mr. Duffy added, During the second quarter, Mandalay experienced a free cash outflow of $7.9 million compared to $7.6 million for the corresponding quarter last year. We expect to see cash flow across the Company improve throughout the year as Brunswick is brought online. The Companys adjusted net loss of for the second quarter of 2018 was $3.7 million, compared to an adjusted net loss of $6.9 million in the same quarter of last year. The majority of our consolidated net loss for this quarter of $23.7 million is the result of a one-off impairment charge of $18.5 million that the Company incurred on our Challacollo asset, based on our recently announced non-binding letter of intent to sell the asset to Aftermath Silver for consideration of CAD$11.6 million.

Mr. Duffy concluded, While the second quarter of 2018 required the Company to work through an operational challenge at Costerfield, we look forward to improved operations in the second half of the year. The Company continues to be well-funded to meet its capital plans and growth and ended the quarter with $15.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. Further, as at the end of the second quarter, the Company is still able to draw on $25.0 million from its revolver facility. Going forward, our primary focus is to fast-track the high-grade Youle deposit and bring it into production as soon as possible. We are also focused on improving cash margins at our two operating mines and on positioning the Company to carry out significant growth projects such as optical ore sorting at Bjorkdal and increased exploration spending and mine life extension at Costerfield.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

The following table summarizes the Companys financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017:

Three months

Ended June, 2018 Three months

Ended June, 2017 Six months

Ended June, 2018 Six months

Ended June, 2017 $000 $000 $000 $000 Revenue 27,944 44,124 67,692 89,497 Cost of sales 22,348 30,030 48,168 62,018 Adjusted EBITDA* 3,651 12,130 15,786 23,542 Income from mine ops before depreciation, depletion 5,596 14,094 19,524 27,479 Adjusted net loss before special items* (3,743 ) (6,933 ) (2,806 ) (9,284 ) Consolidated net loss (23,711 ) (10,105 ) (24,950 ) (12,456 ) Cash capex 11,943 12,998 23,236 25,090 Total assets 259,461 320,062 259,461 320,062 Total liabilities 124,309 126,811 124,309 126,811 Adjusted net loss per share* $ (0.01 ) $ (0.02 ) $ (0.01 ) $ (0.02 ) Consolidated net loss per share $ (0.05 ) $ (0.02 ) $ (0.06 ) $ (0.03 )

*Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net loss before special items and adjusted net loss per share are non-IFRS measures, defined at the end of this press release Non-IFRS Measures.

In the second quarter of 2018, Mandalay sold 13,657 less gold equivalent ounces then second quarter of 2017. In the same period the average gold prices rose 4% quarter-over-quarter respectively, while average price of antimony and silver (of which the Company produced and sold none in the second quarter) decreased by 6% and 4% respectively. The net effect is that Mandalays revenue of $27.9 million in the second quarter of 2018 was $16.2 million lower than in the second quarter of 2017.

Total cost of sales was slightly higher at Costerfield and Bjorkdal in the second quarter of 2018 than in the second quarter of 2017. This was due to changes in inventory at both sites; absolute cash costs were comparatively lower. Cost of sales at Cerro Bayo was $9.0 million lower due to the suspension in operations, at Costerfield increased by $0.2 million and at Bjorkdal increased by $1.2 million. Consolidated administrative costs across the Company remained broadly constant.

Mandalay generated $3.7 million in adjusted EBITDA in the current quarter, $8.5 million lower than in the previous quarter, and $8.5 million lower than the second quarter of 2017. This led to a consolidated net loss of $23.7 million (including $18.5 million of impairment of Challacollo) for the second quarter of 2018, versus a loss of $10.1 million in the second quarter of 2017.

Mandalay ended the second quarter with $15.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and with $15 million drawn (during 2017) on the total $40 million revolving credit facility. Subsequent to quarter end, the Company recovered C$5.345 million as a result of a reduction in the Letter of Credit that secures Mandalays reclamation obligations in respect of the Lupin mine.

Second Quarter 2018 Operational Highlights

The table below summarizes the Companys capital expenditures and operational unit costs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017:





Three months

ended June 30, 2018 Three months

ended June 30, 2017 Six months

ended June 30, 2018 Six months

ended June, 2017 $000 $000 $000 $000 Bjorkdal Gold produced (oz) 14,017 16,112 26,733 26,760 Cash cost* per oz gold produced $ 876 $ 824 $ 980 $ 954 All-in cost* per oz gold produced $ 1,155 $ 1,081 $ 1,265 $ 1,220 Underground capital devel. & open pit prestrip 3,009 3,162 5,943 6,085 Capital purchases 1,085 1,313 4,060 3,077 Capital exploration 944 712 1,300 1,122 Costerfield Gold produced (oz) 5,137 8,933 11,724 16,920 Antimony produced (t) 503 765 1,108 1,506 Gold equivalent produced (oz) 8,331 14,300 18,787 27,191 Cash cost* per oz gold equivalent produced $ 1,049 $ 648 $ 949 $ 682 All-in cost* per oz gold equivalent produced $ 1,512 $ 962 $ 1,408 $ 996 Underground capital devel. & open pit prestrip 3,140 1,098 5,256 1,875 Capital purchases 2,157 1,455 3,791 2,480 Capital exploration 1,423 1,397 2,493 2,386 Cerro Bayo Silver produced (oz) - 359,457 - 794,533 Gold produced (oz) - 3,174 - 5,909 Cash cost* per oz silver net byproduct credit - $ 12.31 - $ 13.29 All-in cost* per oz silver net byproduct credit - $ 24.05 - $ 23.25 Underground capital devel. & open pit prestrip - 2,403 - 5,631 Capital purchases - 937 - 1,357 Capital exploration - 228 - 748 Consolidated Gold equivalent produced (oz) 22,348 38,491 45,520 70,972 Average cash cost* per oz gold equivalent $ 1,028 $ 853 $ 1,044 $ 914 Average all-in cost* per oz gold equivalent $ 1,405 $ 1,173 $ 1,434 $ 1,243 Underground capital devel. & open pit prestrip 6,149 6,663 11,199 13,591 Capital purchases 3,242 3,705 7,851 6,914 Capital exploration 2,552 2,630 4,186 4,585

*Cash cost and all-in cost are non-IFRS measures. See Non-IFRS Measures at the end of this press release.

Bjorkdal gold mine, Sweden

Bjorkdal delivered consistent performance during the second quarter of 2018, and the cash and all-in costs were $876/oz and $1,155/oz, respectively. Mill head grade averaged approximately 1.56 g/t for the quarter, as expected, although lower than the previous years comparable quarters 1.87 g/t.

Costerfield gold-antimony mine, Victoria, Australia

Costerfield produced 8,331 gold equivalent ounces in the second quarter of 2018. Second quarter production was lower than in the previous year quarter due to a combination of expected lower mining grades and available ore in the current producing areas. The Company intercepted the Brunswick lode during the second quarter and is currently dewatering this lode. Mandalay expects a significant increase in production once dewatering is completed and mining initiated during the third quarter. Simultaneously, the infill and extensional drilling program continues on the Youle lode.

Cerro Bayo silver-gold mine, Patagonia, Chile

No production occurred at Cerro Bayo in the second quarter and it remained on care and maintenance through the second quarter.

Challacollo, Chile

As at June 30, 2018, the Challacollo asset was revalued at the fair value of the asset based on the terms of the non-binding letter of intent with Aftermath Silver. As a result, an impairment charge of $18,533,000 was recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the three months ended June 30, 2018.

La Quebrada

The La Quebrada copper-silver project in central Chile remained held for sale throughout the period. Spending at La Quebrada was less than $0.1 million during the second quarter of 2018.

Lupin and Ulu

In April 2018, Mandalay received the sum of $311,000 from WPC Resources pursuant to the terms of the option agreement between Mandalay and WPC under which WPC has the right to acquire the Ulu gold exploration property in Nunavut, Canada.

On April 18, 2018, the Nunavut Water Board reached a decision to recommend that the security deposit held in respect of the Letter of Credit, that has been posted by Mandalay in respect of its reclamation obligation with respect to the Lupin mine, be reduced by C$5.345 million. This amount has now been released to the Company.

For Further Information:

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer



Greg DiTomaso

Director of Investor Relations



Contact:

1.647.260.1566

About Mandalay Resources Corporation:

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia and Sweden, and care and maintenance and development projects in Chile. The Company is focused on executing a roll-up strategy, creating critical mass by aggregating advanced or in production gold, copper, silver and antimony projects in Australia, the Americas and Europe to generate near-term cash flow and shareholder value.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including guidance as to anticipated gold, silver, and antimony production and production costs in the future and the potential for a restart of operations at the Companys Cerro Bayo mine. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, changes in commodity prices and general market and economic conditions. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Mandalay. A description of additional risks that could result in actual results and developments differing from those contemplated by forward-looking statements in this news release can be found under the heading Risk Factors in Mandalays annual information form dated March 31, 2017 and in its short form base shelf prospectus dated February 12, 2018, copies of which are available under Mandalays profile at www.sedar.com. Although Mandalay 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 as 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Non-IFRS Measures

This news release may contain references to adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, cash cost per saleable ounce of gold equivalent produced, cash cost per saleable ounce of silver produced net of gold credits, site all-in cost per saleable ounce of gold equivalent produced, site all-in cost per saleable ounce of silver produced net of gold credits, all-in costs and cash capex, all of which are non-IFRS measures and do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. Therefore, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

Management uses adjusted EBITDA as a measure of operating performance to assist in assessing the Companys ability to generate liquidity through operating cash flow to fund future working capital needs and to fund future capital expenditures, as well as to assist in comparing financial performance from period to period on a consistent basis. Management uses adjusted net income in order to facilitate an understanding of the Companys financial performance prior to the impact of non-recurring or special items. The Company believes that these measures are used by and are useful to investors and other users of the Companys financial statements in evaluating the Companys operating and cash performance because they allow for analysis of its financial results without regard to special, non-cash and other non-core items, which can vary substantially from company to company and over different periods.

The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as income from mine operations, net of administration costs, and before interest, taxes, non-cash charges/(income), intercompany charges and finance costs. A reconciliation between adjusted EBITDA and net income will be included in the MD&A.

The Company defines cash capex as cash spent on mining interests, property, plant and equipment, and exploration as set out in the cash flow statement of the financial statements.

The Company defines free cash flow as a measure of the Corporations ability to generate and manage liquidity. This term does not have a standard meaning and is intended to provide the reader with additional information.

For Costerfield, saleable equivalent gold ounces produced is calculated by adding to saleable gold ounces produced, the saleable antimony tonnes produced times the average antimony price in the period divided by the average gold price in the period. The total cash operating cost associated with the production of these saleable equivalent ounces produced in the period is then divided by the saleable equivalent gold ounces produced to yield the cash cost per saleable equivalent ounce produced. The cash cost excludes royalty expenses. Site all-in costs include total cash operating costs, royalty expense, accretion, depletion, depreciation and amortization. The site all-in cost is then divided by the saleable equivalent gold ounces produced to yield the site all-in cost per saleable equivalent ounce produced.

For Cerro Bayo, the cash cost per saleable silver ounce produced net of gold byproduct credit is calculated by deducting the gold credit (which equals saleable ounces gold produced times the realized gold price in the period) from the cash operating costs in the period and dividing the resultant number by the saleable silver ounces produced in the period. The cash cost excludes royalty expenses. The site all-in cost per saleable silver ounce produced net of gold byproduct credit is calculated by adding royalty expenses, accretion, depletion, depreciation, and amortization to the cash cost net of gold byproduct credit, dividing the resultant number by the saleable silver ounces produced in the period.

Also, for Cerro Bayo, saleable equivalent gold ounces produced is calculated by adding to saleable gold ounces produced, the saleable silver ounces produced times the average silver price in the period divided by the average gold price in the period. The total cash operating cost associated with the production of these saleable equivalent ounces produced in the period is then divided by the saleable equivalent gold ounces produced to yield the cash cost per saleable equivalent ounce produced. The cash cost excludes royalty expenses. Site all-in costs include total cash operating costs, royalty expense, accretion, depletion, depreciation and amortization. The site all-in cost is then divided by the saleable equivalent gold ounces produced to yield the site all-in cost per saleable equivalent ounce produced.

For Bjorkdal, the total cash operating cost associated with the production of saleable gold ounces produced in the period is then divided by the saleable gold ounces produced to yield the cash cost per saleable gold ounce produced. The cash cost excludes royalty expenses. Site all-in costs include total cash operating costs, royalty expense, accretion, depletion, depreciation and amortization. The site all-in cost is then divided by the saleable gold ounces produced to yield the site all-in cost per saleable gold ounce produced

For the Company as a whole, cash cost per saleable gold equivalent ounce is calculated by summing the gold equivalent ounces produced by each site and dividing the total by the sum of cash operating costs at the sites plus corporate overhead spending.




Press Release

August 9, 2018 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda

Opening of "Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia"

8 August 2018 | Metropolitan Museum of Manila Please find below message of Senator Loren Legarda for the opening of the "Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia" exhibition on August 8, 2018 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (MET Museum). The message was read by Ms. Tina Colayco, President of MET Museum. Fifty years ago, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed to foster stronger regional cooperation and deeper understanding among its people. ASEAN is a region of 32,000 islands spanning over 4 million square kilometers and hosting more than 600 million people who speak more than 900 different languages and dialects. It is one of the most diverse regions in the world. And today, we celebrate this diversity. We look back at the document signed by ASEAN founding members on August 8, 1967, which declares that we are "bound together by ties of history and culture." This phrase is the inspiration for this exhibition. In a world of diverse traditions, various practices, and different beliefs further complicated by current global trends, sometimes even by wrong information and fake news spread rapidly through social media and other modern forms of communication, we must exert greater effort to promote respect and nurture understanding among one another, within our respective nations and within the region. That is why I am proud of this exhibition, which gathers artists from the ASEAN member states. This is not only a showcase of contemporary art, but is also an attempt to strengthen the ties that bind us. This collaborative endeavor further puts the ASEAN countries in an in-depth understanding of the remarkable artistry and unique culture of each nation that may also reveal what we have in common, for us to find unity amidst diversity. I congratulate Dr. Patrick Flores, as well as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the Dalubhasaan Para sa Edukasyon sa Sining at Kultura (DESK), and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (MET Manila), the University of the Philippines Vargas Museum, and the Yuchengco Museum, for making this possible. This is yet another laudable initiative to make the country an active and important part of the contemporary art scene in the region and globally. I also wish to sincerely thank all the artists who willingly shared their passion and craft for this endeavor. I invite our ASEAN neighbors to continue this art project annually or in the form of a biennial in the same manner by which we host political and economic affairs in ASEAN. Let us make art and culture an integral part of our regional integration so that we may truly be successful in building an ASEAN of "One Vision, One Identity, One Community." Thank you.
Press Release

August 9, 2018 Legarda: 'Ties of History' Featuring ASEAN Artists Opens in Three Museums Senator Loren Legarda today announced that the Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia has opened its exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila on August 8, 2018, exactly 51 years since the signing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration or the Bangkok Declaration. The contemporary art exhibition will open at the Yuchengco Museum today, August 9, and at the Vargas Museum on August 10. The exhibition can be seen simultaneously at the three museums until October 6, 2018. Curated by art historian, scholar, and curator Patrick D. Flores, the exhibition features the works of 10 artists representing each ASEAN member state--Roberto Feleo (Philippines), Amanda Heng (Singapore), Anusapati (Indonesia), Do Hoang Tuong (Vietnam), Chris Chong Chan Fui (Malaysia), Yasmin Jaidin (Brunei), Min Thein Sung (Myanmar), Vuth Lyno (Cambodia), Jedsada Tangtrakulwong (Thailand), Savanhdary Vongpoothorn (Laos). The project is presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the Dalubhasaan Para sa Edukasyon sa Sining at Kultura (DESK) with the support of the Office of Senator Loren Legarda. At the opening of the exhibit at the MET Museum, Legarda, through a message read by MET Museum President Tina Colayco, said, "I am proud of this exhibition, which gathers artists from the ASEAN member states. This is not only a showcase of contemporary art, but is also an attempt to strengthen the ties that bind us." "In a world of diverse traditions, various practices, and different beliefs further complicated by current global trends, sometimes even by wrong information and fake news spread rapidly through social media and other modern forms of communication, we must exert greater effort to promote respect and nurture understanding among one another, within our respective nations and within the region," she added. Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia is a survey of contemporary art, on the one hand. On the other, it is a diligent study of a particular practice. The project features three works of each artist from the ASEAN countries. This enables the exhibition to present a more in-depth look into the interests of the artist and allows the audience from different parts of the city to view the exhibition. For his part, NCCA Chairman Virgilio S. Almario said, "The ten artists who have generously shared with us their works and realities present to us the contemporary ASEAN. There might be no single identity but the everyday stories we live as citizens of ASEAN bind us together." He added, "Politics and the economy are important to achieve regional progress but arts and culture will remind us to push for progress that benefits not a few. ASEAN bounties should be shared by all." Legarda, who has given major support for Philippine contemporary art projects, said that the Philippines' hosting of this exhibit is another laudable initiative to make the country an active and important part of the contemporary art scene in the region and globally. "I congratulate everyone who has made this exhibition possible and I invite our ASEAN neighbors to continue this art project annually or in the form of a biennial in the same manner by which we host political and economic affairs in ASEAN. Let us make art and culture an integral part of our regional integration so that we may truly be successful in building an ASEAN of 'One Vision, One Identity, One Community'," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

August 9, 2018 Legarda Leads Launch of Panay Indigenous Book on IP Day In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, Senator Loren Legarda today led the launch of the book on Panay-Guimaras traditional knowledge systems at the University of the Philippines-Visayas in Iloilo City. The book, From the Seas to the Mountain -- Panay-Guimaras Traditional Knowledge Systems, is a product of extensive research and collaborative efforts of the state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Western Visayas to document and promote the various traditional knowledge systems in the region. "Traditional knowledge systems cover vast subjects, which include arts and crafts, music, literature, health care, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, architecture, and biodiversity. Indigenous communities in the Philippines have their own traditional knowledge systems that have been passed on from one generation to the next, and many of us may not recognize it, but these traditional practices have influenced our modern lifestyles," said Legarda. From the Seas to the Mountain features the indigenous knowledge, best practices on sustainable development and environmental conservation, and traditional belief systems of the provinces in Western Visayas. It is a collaboration among SUCs of Region VI, namely, UP Visayas, Guimaras State University, Aklan State University, Capiz State University, West Visayas State University, and University of Antique. "As we launch this book today coinciding with the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, it is my hope that we could encourage Filipinos to learn more about our indigenous roots through publications such as this Panay-Guimaras book on traditional knowledge systems," said Legarda, who has been supportive of efforts to document indigenous knowledge systems in all regions in the country. The Senator also stressed the importance of the IP Day Celebration. "The Indigenous Peoples Day is not only an excellent opportunity to highlight the rich and vibrant culture of our IPs but also serves as a constant reminder for all of us to ensure that we provide the needed support for our IPs to strengthen their part in nation building," said Legarda, who sponsored the law (Republic Act 10689) that declared the 9th day of August as National IP Day to coincide with the international celebration. The Senator has filed several bills aimed at protecting the rights of IPs and promoting indigenous culture. Senate Bill No. 379, or the proposed Traditional Property Rights of IPs Act, seeks to protect the traditional cultural heritage of IPs and support traditional artists and artisans in their contributions to their respective ethnic cultures and national heritage by ensuring that their rights are safeguarded. The proposed Cultural Education Program Act under Senate Bill No. 387 will mandate the country's key educational agencies to collaborate and work with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in formulating and implementing plans and programs that will integrate and mainstream Philippine arts and culture in the national education system, primarily through the institutionalization of Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs). Senate Bill No. 1185, or the proposed Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas Act, seeks to acknowledge the significant contribution of conservation areas managed by IPs in maintaining the country's biodiversity as well as in climate change mitigation. Legarda also filed the IP Resource Centers Bill under Senate Bill No. 414. The IP Resource Centers, to be partnered with SUCs, will serve as venues to promote participatory programs and projects for IPs, to effectively deliver their responsibilities under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), and to ensure implementation of their respective Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans. "Much needs to be done, and I hope we could all continue our efforts in this advocacy and realize our vision of a nation that truly honors and accepts the diversity and richness of our cultural heritage, which is the very soul and identity of the Filipino," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

August 9, 2018 Keynote Address of Senator Loren Legarda

Book Launch of Panay-Guimaras Traditional Knowledge Systems for Cultural Resiliency and Sustainable Development (TKS-CRSD)

August 9, 2018 | UP Visayas, Iloilo City It is my distinct honor and pleasure to speak before all of you as we launch today the book, From the Seas to the Mountain -- Panay-Guimaras Traditional Knowledge Systems, a product of extensive research and collaborative efforts to document and promote the various traditional knowledge systems in Western Visayas. As your Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, I had allocated, under our 2016 national budget, ten million pesos to UP Visayas for this project. And I am very delighted to have supported this publication, which our present and future generations could learn from in order to promote and advance cultural resilience and sustainable development. I thank all those who have worked so hard on this project, including: our SUCs led by UP Visayas, Aklan State University, Capiz State University, Guimaras State University, University of Antique, West Visayas State University; our government agencies, especially the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); our LGUs, and of course, our cultural and indigenous groups. Traditional knowledge systems cover vast subjects, which include arts and crafts, music, literature, health care, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, architecture, and biodiversity. Each of our 110 IP groups in the Philippines possesses their own traditional knowledge that has been passed on from one generation to the next, and many of us do not recognize the influence of traditional practices to our modern lifestyles. One of the highlights of the book is the spread on "health and wellness from the sea" which enumerates some of the different species of flora and fauna found in the Panay Island that have been used by indigenous communities for medicinal purposes, such as: abara, or burnt spotted deer antler, is used to take out venom from insects and dog bites;

dried lumot used to prevent postpartum infections;

snake skin is used as liniment;

balingkokok, a species of forest snail, is used to fight off stress; and,

linta is used to suck blood from boils and other skin and tissue infections. It is important for government agencies, both national and local, to help preserve these practices, even while such set of traditional knowledge, among others, is being promoted. Lagundi, guava leaves, and ampalaya leaves, to name a few, are plants with medicinal qualities and serve as cure for various ailments. We even use gumamela to treat sores and lesions, and sambong to help cure coughs and colds. These herbal medicines have been turned into capsules and syrups and are made commercially available by pharmaceutical companies. We also see mainstream arts, music, handicrafts, weaves, and other products similar to indigenous designs and practices, but we do not know if permission was sought in the use of such knowledge or if proper credit was even given to them. The commercialization of these cultural products and practices has indeed created a new challenge in the preservation of our traditional knowledge systems. In many instances, the tangible and intangible heritage of our IPs--such as their songs, dances, chants, agricultural, medicinal products, indigenous architecture, and fabrics--are being capitalized on without a strong consideration for their unique history, environment, and way of life. This prevailing discrimination and exploitation of our IPs have led to their estrangement from their own cultural identity and environment. Our IPs are our greatest environmentalists and peacekeepers. For them, everything is interrelated, such that the people, their land, and their nature are one and inseparable. From the Seas to the Mountain is a timely and relevant piece of publication that puts into perspective how the traditional knowledge systems of our indigenous groups, scholars and members of the academe, and public and private leaders can help protect and preserve humanity's balance with nature--especially in light of new challenges and threats brought about by climate change and environmental degradation. The book's five major themes, namely: (1) Forest and Biodiversity, (2) Water Bodies and the Coastal Environment, (3) Arable and Habitable Terrains, (4) Sustainable Arts and Crafts, and (5) Environmental Rituals and Traditions, provide deeper context of the importance of our traditional knowledge systems in protecting and nurturing this balance. The book serves as a useful reference for public and private sector leaders and stakeholders on how we can protect and conserve our environment, our natural resources, and ecosystems towards attaining cultural resilience and sustainable development within our communities. At this day and age of globalization, it is extremely important that we continue pursuing efforts that convey the seemingly lost traditional knowledge systems of our groups. This publication serves this purpose by revitalizing the core of Western Visayas' culture, as a way to adapt to the commercialization and fast-paced demands of our modern times. More than just a book, From the Seas to the Mountain is a powerful tool that will certainly empower and advance the rights and welfare of our indigenous peoples. May this also encourage us to help in their growth and development as a community, without them having to experience discrimination and estrangement from the rest of our society anymore. During the budget hearing for the 2018 budget of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) last year, I recall that Chairperson Leonor Quintayo said that their agency, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), was working on the Culturally Adaptive Basic Education and Health (CABEH) Project, which sought to influence the DepEd curriculum by training teachers of indigenous knowledge and practices. I have also learned that the NCIP endorsed the filing of House Bill No. 4415, on the recognition and integration of IP learning systems within the Philippine Educational System, as well as in various local government unit (LGU) initiatives. This is a welcome piece of legislation that I will certainly support when it reaches the Senate. It is only high time that we start to mainstream IP knowledge and practices into our education system. In the Senate, I have proposed several measures to protect our IPs, such as the proposed Traditional Property Rights of IPs Act (Senate Bill No. 379), which seeks to protect the traditional cultural heritage of IPs and support traditional artists and artisans in their contributions to their respective ethnic cultures and national heritage by ensuring that their rights are safeguarded; and the proposed IP Resource Centers, which will serve as venue to promote participatory programs and projects for IPs, to effectively deliver their responsibilities under the Indigenous People's Rights Act (IPRA), and to ensure implementation of their respective Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans. I also filed the proposed Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas Act (Senate Bill No. 1185), which acknowledges the significant contribution of conservation areas managed by IPs in maintaining the country's biodiversity as well as in climate change mitigation. Under the bill, concerned government agencies should recognize and promote IP rights to their ancestral domains and the indigenous communities conserved areas, including their right to maintain, protect and regulate access and prohibit unauthorized intrusion in such areas. I will also continue supporting initiatives that preserve the rich and diverse Filipino heritage, culture, and arts, including the installation of Language Monuments or Bantayog-Wika, a project with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) in partnership with my office, which seeks to identify areas where languages originated; the National Arts and Crafts Fair (NACF), an annual trade fair spearheaded by the DTI and supported by my office, that provides market for goods, clothing, textiles, and other Filipino products; and the Schools of Living Tradition (SLT), a program led by National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in preserving traditional knowledge and indigenous systems by helping teach younger generations about their traditional arts, crafts, music, and practices. I have also initiated the establishment of the country's first permanent textile gallery, Hibla ng Lahing Filipino, as well as the country's first permanent ancient scripts gallery, Baybayin Gallery, both at the National Museum of Anthropology. From the Seas to the Mountain is in line with our government's efforts to come up with a comprehensive documentation of our IPs under the Philippine Indigenous Peoples Ethnographies (PIPES) Project of the NCIP, which seeks to gather data from all IP groups with respect to their count, location, socioeconomic conditions, and their traditional and indigenous knowledge, systems, and practices. I have also asked government agencies to partner with our SUCs to help in this conservation. Much needs to be done, and I hope we could all pursue and even synchronize our efforts on this advocacy and realize our vision of a nation that truly honors and accepts the diversity and richness of our cultural heritage, which is the very soul and identity of the Filipino. Thank you very much.
Press release 2018-08-09

Arc Aroma Pure AB ("ArcAroma") has reached an agreement to deliver on oliveCEPT unit to Oleificio Conti Emilio, Italy. The client will rent the oliveCEPT system and have the option to buy the unit during 2019. The revenue 2018 is based on the production volume.

I am pleased to announce our cooperation with Emilio Conti, who initially gained interest in our technology as he was operating the oliveCEPT for our customer in Chile. The Italian market differs substantially from our other active markets as the production plants in general are smaller, we are therefore currently refining our business model to suit the Italian market even better, says Johan Mollerstrom, CEO of ArcAroma.

Delivery will take place in October, a couple of weeks prior to the start of the harvest season in the region. Installation, integration and start up will be handled by the customer with the support from ArcAroma.

For more information, please contact:

Johan Mollerstrom, CEO

(+46) 768 - 86 81 78

johan.mollerstrom@arcaroma.com

This information is such information that Arc Aroma Pure AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set above, at August 9, 2018 at 08:30 CET.

About Arc Aroma Pure AB (publ)

Arc Aroma Pure has developed a way to control electrical pulses that provide a high energy yield. The CEPT platform, which is a generator, uses the technology of biogas, sewage treatment and extraction. The platform uses short-term high-voltage pulses that blow the cell membrane and kill unwanted microorganisms. Efficiency of biogas production and the introduction of new raw materials that can not be used today are in focus. Water, ballast water and liquid foods are examples of other CEPT applications. Founded in 2008, the company is based in Lund, with offices in Shanghai, and has received various awards and support from, among others, Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency. Arc Aroma Pure's shares are listed on NASDAQ First North Premier. Erik Penser Bank is Certified Adviser and is available at 08-463 80 00. www.arcaroma.com.
The Commerce Commission has given Austrian oil and gas producer OMV AG clearance to buy Royal Dutch Shells gas and liquids assets in New Zealand.

In March, Royal Dutch Shell announced plans to sell its remaining New Zealand business to OMV AG for US$578 million, as part of a US$30 billion international divestment programme. It had already sold its distribution and petrol station assets in 2010 to the company that today is Z Energy, and its 60-year-old Kapuni onshore oil and gas field to its joint venture partner in the field, locally owned Todd Energy.

The assets being sold to OMV AG include its 83.75 percent stake in the Maui and 48 percent in Pohokura gas field joint ventures with Todd Energy and the associated production, pipeline and tank assets.

The commission's deputy chair Sue Begg said the regulator was satisfied the acquisition would not substantially lessen competition in any of the markets it assessed.

While OMV will be the largest producer and supplier of natural gas in the immediate future, its overall market share is likely to decline in the longer term as the Maui field is nearing the end of its life and Pohokura is easing off its peak," said Begg.

She said that both Todd Energy and Greymouth Petroleum have increased their shares of the market over the past five years, a trend that is likely to continue in the future. "The constraint from these and other players, combined with the strong buyer power of large gas users, means we are satisfied the acquisition would not substantially lessen competition," added Begg.

The commission has also concluded the acquisition would not affect competition in the supply of LPG or foreclose access to onshore infrastructure assets (pipelines and tanks).

OMV AG already holds 10 percent of Maui and 26 percent of Pohokura. Most of its production assets are in Romania, but it has interests throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


Fonterra Cooperative Group's 2018 earnings may differ from its previous guidance, the country's dominant dairy company said today. Its securities trading on the NZX and ASX have been halted while it crunches the numbers, with an update expected tomorrow.

In March, Fonterra posted a first-half net loss of $348 million due to a $405 million write down of its 18.8 percent investment in Chinese infant milk formula company Beingmate and a $183 million settlement with Danone following their dispute over the 2013 whey protein recall.

In May, the company cut its forecast dividend for the 2018 year to a range of 15-20 cents a share, from a previous forecast of 25-35 cents, while its normalised earning per share guidance was lowered to a range of 25-30 cents, as it warned rising global dairy prices were squeezing margins.

Today, the company requested its securities on the ASX and NZX be immediately halted from trading, saying it is currently preparing its 2018 annual financial statements for the 12 months to July 31. Units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund, which give investors exposure to Fonterra's earnings, last traded at $5.11 and have dropped 20 percent so far this year

"As a result of the work being undertaken there may be a variation from the earnings guidance previously given to the market," the company said. "Fonterra is working to determine whether this is the case and expects to be in a position to notify the market by the close of business on 10 August 2018. Accordingly, a trading halt has been requested to allow Fonterra to determine this and to make any required announcement to the market."

Newly minted Fonterra chair John Monaghan is presiding over today's board meeting after the company announced last month that John Wilson would be stepping down due to ill health. Monaghan, who has been a director on the board since 2008, has taken over at a time when Fonterra and outgoing chief executive Theo Spierings have faced criticism due to the poor performance of the cooperative's Beingmate investment and lacklustre earnings growth. Spierings announced in March that he would leave the position in the course of this year, and pressure had been mounting for Wilson to also step down.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


The High Court has backed the liquidator of Ross Asset Management in divvying up $17.5 million among 665 investors and creditors on the same terms, much to the chagrin of the investor support group.

In the High Court in Wellington, Associate Judge Kenneth Johnston yesterday made a series of orders on how to distribute the funds held in two separate entities, settling on the proposition put forward by liquidators John Fisk and David Bridgman of PwC ranking investors and unsecured creditors equally and treating the Ross group entities as one pool of assets.

Some investors sought to have the assets distributed under a different model, and while Judge Johnston said there was "very little in it" he settled on the liquidator's recommendation because it was "the one that achieves the least unfair result for the largest number of claimants."

Ross Asset Management Investors Group spokesman Bruce Tichbon said the judgment "defies common sense and fairness" by rejecting other methodologies. He claimed the alternative model would have reduced the disparity between investors.

The Ross group of companies fell apart in late 2012 when it became clear principal David Ross had established a massive Ponzi scheme, largely through word of mouth referrals. Between 2000 and 2012 he reported false profits of $351 million from fictitious securities trading in what's still the country's biggest fraud committed by an individual.

In reality, the $125 million of real funds were frittered away before it ultimately collapsed. Ross is still serving his 10 year, 10 month jail term.

The judgment said of the 860 Ross Asset investors, there were 639 deemed to be shortfall investors who withdrew less than they invested collectively claiming $124.7 million. Another 26 people were unsecured creditors owed about $68,000.

The balance of investors withdrew more than they put in and have been pursued by the liquidators. In Fisk and Bridgman's latest report, released last month, they said 182 people had settled with the liquidators for a total of $19.1 million and that 21 claims remained. Of those, 13 had legal proceedings filed against them.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


Suncorp New Zealand will manage its costs more closely in the coming year as the insurer thinks deeply about its pricing, although chief executive Paul Smeaton is still upbeat about the expected moderation in economic growth.

The local unit of Brisbane-based Suncorp Group lifted annual profit 70 percent to $148 million in the June 2018 year, bolstered in part by raising premium prices in response to higher reinsurance costs and attracting new customers. The insurer, whose brands include Vero Insurance and Asteron Life, expects gross written premium growth in the low single digits for the coming year after an 8.2 percent gain to $1.54 billion over the past year.

"What we're very focused on is management of claims and costs. The reason being, to ensure that we have a sustainable business going forward we have to think very carefully about affordability of pricing," which ultimately underpins net profit, Smeaton told BusinessDesk.

He expects top-line revenue growth to slow as New Zealand's inbound net migration continues to taper off. The country's expanding population has underpinned economic growth in recent years and been a boon for general insurers as a rising number of motorists seek cover for what's typically a person's second-most expensive asset behind a house.

Even if the economy slows, Smeaton said "our outlook is actually still quite positive for New Zealand".

That echoes other executives in the top-end of town, with ASB Bank chief executive Vittoria Shortt saying this week "New Zealands sound economic fundamentals have contributed to a positive operating environment" with low unemployment, strong terms of trade and a resilient housing market.

Chief executives in a KPMG survey this week tended to register a "slight softening" in confidence as the run of robust growth comes to an end, but are far more upbeat than wider business confidence surveys which are the most pessimistic they've been since the global financial crisis a decade ago.

Those confidence surveys are being taken seriously by policymakers with the Treasury noting the pessimism alongside other data raised risks of slower economic growth than predicted in the May budget.

Suncorp NZ's focus on pricing comes after premiums were raised last year as insurers passed on higher reinsurance costs they bore as a result of the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016. Government data show dwelling insurance prices climbed 18 percent in the 2018 June quarter from the same period a year earlier, while contents insurance was up 5.9 percent and vehicle insurance rose 5.7 percent.

Excluding construction, New Zealand businesses have struggled to pass on higher prices to customers who have been sitting on flat wages for several years and can more accurately compare prices using online tools.

Smeaton said that makes putting the customer first a top priority, such as through Suncorp's digital channels and sales incentives encouraging client retention over acquisition.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


Newly appointed KiwiRail chair Greg Miller has also been appointed to a five-member working group charged with writing a new upper North Island supply chain strategy to guide the government's desire to integrate port, rail and road transport infrastructure planning for the country's economic and population epicentre.

The Ministry of Transport is close to announcing the five person group, to be chaired by former Northland mayor and health board chairman Wayne Brown, which will advise on a range of major transport and infrastructure issues, including "the current and future drivers of freight and logistics demand, including the impact of technological change; a potential future location or locations for Ports of Auckland, with serious consideration to be given to Northport"; and "priorities for other transport infrastructure, across road, rail and other modes and corridors such as coastal shipping".

A Northport redevelopment could include refurbishment and extension of rail freight services into Northland and to NorthPort, and could ultimately include moving the Royal New Zealand Navy's Devonport base to Whangarei.

Miller's appointment to the KiwiRail chairmanship was announced yesterday after he resigned as chief executive at Toll Holdings on Monday and was heavily backed by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters against initial objections from the Treasury and Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

The state-owned rail company is therefore changing both its chair and deputy, with both Trevor Janes and Paula Rebstock respectively stepping down, and its chief executive following the announcement last month by current KiwiRail CEO Peter Reidy that he was taking up a senior role at Fletcher Building. That decision is understood to have been prompted by the planned appointment of Miller, who was CEO at KiwiRail's predecessor, TranzRail, at the time it was sold back to the government by Toll in 2008.

Also on the working group is a former TranzRail group general manager, Noel Coom, in another sign of NZ First ministers Peters and Shane Jones' determination to inject deeper knowledge of transport and logistics into government thinking on transport and infrastructure.

Susan Krumdieck, a professor in mechanical engineering at Canterbury University with long experience consulting for local government, government departments and community groups on transport, energy and future demand projects will also join the supply chain working group, along with Sarah Sinclair, a construction and infrastructure specialist for law firm MinterEllisonRuddWatts.

Its fifth member is Shane Vuletich, who has represented the Society for the Protection of Auckland Harbours lobby group in public debate on the future of the Auckland central city port, and is managing director of the Fresh Information Company, a strategy and forecasting analysis business, with tourism, major events and infrastructure planning experience,

"A system wide review of the Upper North Island supply chain is important because about 55 percent of New Zealands freight originates in or is destined for, the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions," the MoT's explanation of the working group says, noting its recommendations could include "investment in the regions, and that the government might need to invest".

No timetable has yet been set for outcomes from the study, the terms of reference for which were agreed last December.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


Suncorp Group has a close eye on a "significant" New Zealand regulatory reform programme overseen by a more active administration, despite 70 percent annual earnings growth driven largely by higher premium and unit growth.

The Brisbane-based company is a major player on this side of the Tasman in general and life insurance, with a suite of New Zealand brands including Vero Insurance, the AA Insurance joint venture, Asteron Life and AA Life joint venture. Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi has taken a keen interest in the sector, calling for a review of law covering the sector this year and continuing other work already in train such as a new regime for financial advisers, a key distribution network for life insurers.

"The New Zealand government is engaged in a significant financial services regulatory reform programme that includes changes to insurance levy collection, financial advice licensing, insurer conduct, insurer licensing, and privacy regulation," the company said in a statement to the ASX. "New Zealand financial services regulators are currently engaged in a culture and conduct review of registered banks and licensed life insurers with reference to the initial findings of the Royal Commission in Australia."

Suncorp has been working on a series of initiatives to improve earnings in the New Zealand unit, including improved digital functionality.

The local division boosted earnings to $148 million in the 12 months ended June 30 from $87 million a year earlier, with general insurance profit up 59 percent to $109 million. Life insurance earnings slipped 2.5 percent to $39 million.

The gains in the Vero and AA Insurance joint venture were underpinned by an 8.2 percent gain in gross written premium (GWP) to $1.54 billion. Hikes in motor and commercial premiums were supported by unit growth across all channels, it said. Meantime, the absence of a major natural event triggering claims made it easier for Suncorp to control costs.

Operating expenses rose 4.4 percent to $404 million as higher GWP drove increased commission payments.

Suncorp expects New Zealand GWP growth to slow to low single digits in the current financial year.

The life insurance unit's performance reflected volatility in mortality claims and an increase in lapsed policies, offset by gains in the investment portfolio and market adjustments.

The wider Suncorp group reported a 1.5 percent dip in net profit to A$1.06 billion and signed a deal to sell its Australian life insurance business to TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia for A$725 million. The board declared a final dividend of 40 Australian cents per share plus a special dividend of 8 cents, taking the annual return to 81 cents.

The ASX-listed shares last traded at A$14.99 and have gained 8.2 percent so far this year.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


A three month emergency stint that became a five year gig is coming to end for Stewart Sherriff, the chief executive of challenger telecommunications provider 2Degrees.

The straight-talking Scotsman had been chairman of 2Degrees since 2010 when he stepped into the breach in April 2013 after the death of the company's then-CEO, Eric Hertz, in a light plane crash in the South Island.

I arrived as interim CEO for what I thought would be a three month stay. We were looking forward to seeing a bit of New Zealand and the fact that it was heading into the rugby season was certainly a bonus, he said in a statement.

He will retire from the role, but only once a replacement has been found and will remain a director.

Sherriff will remain in the role until a replacement is found, then continue his involvement with the company by returning to its board.

Washington State-based 2degrees chair Brad Horwitz said Stewarts involvement with the company dated back to the early 2000s, when the idea of a third entrant mobile operator was first suggested.

Stewart and I evaluated the viability of a third operator in New Zealand and came back very excited about the opportunity. He has since held a number of board roles, including chairman, before moving to New Zealand to lead the company to profitability. That experience is unique, so weve asked Stewart to stay involved as a director, said Horwitz.

Owned by Toronto Stock Exchange-listed Trilogy Group, 2Degrees reported a rise in net profit to $19 million in the year ended Dec. 31, from $14.3 million in 2016, on a 4.3 percent revenue gain to $732.7 million.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Subsidiary General Finance Update

Geo Limited (NZX: GEO) Shareholder Placement Offer

Move Logistics Group Limited (NZX: MOV) Completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and Bookbuild

29th October 2021 Morning Report

28th October 2021 Morning Report

Wellington Drive Technologies Limited (NZX: WDT) Performs Strongly in Q3-2021

Ryman Healthcare Limited (NZX: RYM) Acquires Extensions to Two Existing Victorian Sites

Promisia Healthcare Limited (NZX: PHL) Banking Covenant Update

Pictor Limited Announces Start of US Clinical Trials for SARS-CoV-2 Serology Test

Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Opening of Rights Offer


English French

MONTREAL, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE)  CAE today announced it has been awarded a contract from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to provide the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) with a CAE 700MR Series NH90 flight training device (FTD).

The contract also includes the provision of long-term maintenance and support services upon delivery of the simulator to RNZAF Base Ohakea in 2020. The contract for the CAE 700MR Series NH90 FTD and through-life support services, including options, is valued at more than C$50 million.

CAE recently launched the new CAE 700 Mission Reality (MR) Series FTD at the Farnborough Airshow. The CAE 700MR is designed specifically for military helicopter flight and mission training.

Increased use of New Zealand-based simulators is the best way to train and sustain the number of pilots in the fleet, says New Zealand Minister for Defence Ron Mark. The availability of in-country simulator-based flight training will reduce the need to use NH90s for training flights, ensuring the helicopters are available for more operational tasking.

The CAE 700MR Series FTD offers an immersive and realistic training environment in a fixed-based platform that includes a dynamic seat for vibration and motion cueing. The RNZAF NH90 simulator will feature the CAE Medallion-6000XR image generator and an extreme field-of-view visual display system (240 degrees horizontal by 88 degrees vertical) ideal for practicing and rehearsing high-risk maneuvers such as ship deck and confined area landings.

We are pleased the New Zealand Defence Force has once again placed its trust and confidence in CAE to deliver a high-fidelity training system and comprehensive training support services that will contribute to the mission readiness of the Royal New Zealand Air Forces NH90 helicopter aircrews, said Ian Bell, CAEs Vice President and General Manager, Asia-Pacific/Middle East.

CAE currently provides the NZDF with training support services on a range of platforms, including the T-6C ground-based training systems at RNZAF Base Ohakea and the SH-2G(I) helicopter training systems located at RNZAF Base Auckland.

About CAE

CAEs Defence & Security business unit focuses on helping prepare our customers to develop and maintain the highest levels of mission readiness. We are a world-class training systems integrator offering a comprehensive portfolio of training centres, training services and simulation products across the air, land, sea and public safety market segments. We serve our global defence and security customers through regional operations in Canada; the United States/Latin America; Europe/Africa; and Asia-Pacific/Middle East, all of which leverage the full breadth of CAEs capabilities, technologies and solutions.

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 9,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crew members and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc and @CAE_Defence

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2d44926-c56d-4b93-928e-fb7eb79cac85

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/acda292e-bbf1-487f-b6ae-8a3e3829505a

CAE contacts:

Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications,

+1-514-340-5536, helene.v.gagnon@cae.com

Trade media:

Chris Stellwag, Director, Marketing Communications  Defence and Security,

+1-813-887-1242, chris.stellwag@cae.com

Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations,

+1-514-734-5760, andrew.arnovitz@cae.com
We're sorry, you encountered a page that doesn't exist.
Actor Thalapathy Vijay who is a great admirer of Kalaignar Karunanidhi is in Las Vegas where he is shooting for Sarkar. Though the shoot was stopped, he will not be able to make it to the funeral. On behalf of Vijay, his wife Sangeetha paid her respects to Kalaignar at Rajaji Hall.

A few Tamil film celebrities who had a close rapport with Kalaignar couldn't attend the funeral because they were not in a position to immediately return to Chennai

Chiyaan Vikram has issued a press statement conveying his condolences to the bereaved family of Kalaignar, the actor has mentioned that since he is out of the city, he couldn't pay his last respects to the former Chief Minister.

Vijayakanth is currently in the US and he sent out an emotional video in which he said that he couldn't come to Chennai to pay his final respects but his heart goes out for Kalaignar.

Director Shankar who is in Ukraine took to his Twitter page to convey his deepest condolences. He tweeted:

Saddened, hearing about the great leader, Tamil scholar and writer Thiru dr. Kalaignar. It's a big loss to Tamil and tamilians. Missing badly to pay my respects as stuck in Ukraine . My deepest condolences to his family and followers . May his soul Rest In Peace.  Shankar Shanmugham (@shankarshanmugh) August 8, 2018
HOUSTON, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) (TRC, the Company or Targa) today reported second quarter 2018 results.



Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Second quarter 2018 net income attributable to Targa Resources Corp. was $109.1 million compared to $57.6 million for the second quarter of 2017.

The Company reported earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other non-cash items (Adjusted EBITDA) of $326.0 million for the second quarter of 2018 compared to $257.9 million for the second quarter of 2017 (see the section of this release entitled Targa Resources Corp. - Non-GAAP Financial Measures for a discussion of Adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow, gross margin and operating margin, and reconciliations of such measures to their most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)).

Our second quarter performance has us on track to meet or exceed our full year 2018 operational and financial guidance. With continued strong business fundamentals and clear visibility to new project contributions, our Gathering and Processing and Downstream businesses are expected to continue to perform well, said Joe Bob Perkins, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

On July 18, 2018, TRC declared a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share of its common stock for the three months ended June 30, 2018, or $3.64 per share on an annualized basis. Total cash dividends of approximately $205.2 million will be paid on August 15, 2018 on all outstanding shares of common stock to holders of record as of the close of business on August 1, 2018. Also on July 18, 2018, TRC declared a quarterly cash dividend of $23.75 per share of its Series A Preferred Stock. Total cash dividends of approximately $22.9 million will be paid on August 14, 2018 on all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock to holders of record as of the close of business on August 1, 2018.

The Company reported distributable cash flow for the second quarter of 2018 of $225.1 million compared to total common dividends to be paid of $205.2 million and total Series A Preferred Stock dividends to be paid of $22.9 million.

Second quarter 2018 - Capitalization, Liquidity and Financing

The Companys total consolidated debt as of June 30, 2018 was $5,572.5 million including $150.0 million outstanding under TRCs $670.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility due 2023. The consolidated debt included $5,422.5 million of Targa Resources Partners LP (TRP or the Partnership) debt, net of $35.5 million of debt issuance costs. TRP had $5,278.0 million of outstanding unsecured notes and $180.0 million outstanding under TRPs accounts receivable securitization facility and no borrowings outstanding under TRPs $2.2 billion senior secured revolving credit facility due 2023.

Total consolidated liquidity of the Company as of June 30, 2018, including $281.6 million of cash, was approximately $3.1 billion. As of June 30, 2018, TRC had available borrowing capacity under its senior secured revolving credit facility of $520.0 million. TRP had $71.5 million in letters of credit outstanding under its $2.2 billion senior secured revolving credit facility, resulting in available senior secured revolving credit facility capacity of $2,128.5 million. In addition to the availability under its senior secured revolving credit facility, the Partnership also had $166.2 million of availability under its accounts receivable securitization facility.

During the three months ended June 30, 2018, the Company issued 6,517,032 shares of common stock under its Equity Distribution Agreements (EDA), resulting in total net proceeds of $311.9 million. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, TRC has issued a total of 7,679,995 shares of common stock under its EDAs, resulting in total net proceeds of $369.6 million.

In April 2018, the Partnership issued $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 5% senior notes due April 2026. The Partnership used the net proceeds of $991.9 million after costs from this offering to repay borrowings under its credit facilities and for general partnership purposes.

TRC and TRP Revolving Credit Facilities Amendments

In June 2018, TRC entered into an agreement to amend and restate its senior secured revolving credit facility which extended the maturity date from February 2020 to June 2023. The available commitments of $670.0 million and the Companys ability to request additional commitments of $200.0 million remained unchanged. The facility continues to bear interest costs that are dependent on the Companys ratio of non-Partnership consolidated funded indebtedness to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and the covenants remained substantially the same.

In June 2018, the Partnership entered into an agreement to amend and restate its senior secured revolving credit facility which extended the maturity date from October 2020 to June 2023, increased available commitments from $1.6 billion to $2.2 billion and lowered the applicable margin range and commitment fee ranged used in the calculation of interest. The Partnerships ability to request additional commitments of $500.0 million remained unchanged and the facilitys covenants remained substantially the same.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call for the investment community at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Central time) on August 9, 2018 to discuss second quarter 2018 results. The conference call can be accessed via webcast through the Events and Presentations section of Targas website at www.targaresources.com , by going directly to https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/uue78ojs or by dialing 877-881-2598. The conference ID number for the dial-in is 4739715. Please dial in ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time. A replay will be available approximately two hours following the completion of the webcast through the Investors section of the Companys website. Presentation slides will also be available in the Events and Presentations section of the Companys website, or directly at http://ir.targaresources.com/trc/events.cfm .

Targa Resources Corp.  Consolidated Financial Results of Operations

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 (In millions, except operating statistics and price amounts) Revenues Sales of commodities $ 2,154.1 $ 1,623.8 $ 530.3 33 % $ 4,327.4 $ 3,481.7 $ 845.7 24 % Fees from midstream services 290.3 243.9 46.4 19 % 572.6 498.6 74.0 15 % Total revenues 2,444.4 1,867.7 576.7 31 % 4,900.0 3,980.3 919.7 23 % Product purchases 1,905.3 1,420.6 484.7 34 % 3,846.2 3,074.8 771.4 25 % Gross margin (1) 539.1 447.1 92.0 21 % 1,053.8 905.5 148.3 16 % Operating expenses 170.5 155.2 15.3 10 % 343.7 307.2 36.5 12 % Operating margin (1) 368.6 291.9 76.7 26 % 710.1 598.3 111.8 19 % Depreciation and amortization expense 202.6 203.4 (0.8 )  400.7 394.6 6.1 2 % General and administrative expense 57.0 51.0 6.0 12 % 113.8 99.6 14.2 14 % Other operating (income) expense (46.4 ) 0.3 (46.7 ) NM (46.1 ) 16.5 (62.6 ) NM Income (loss) from operations 155.4 37.2 118.2 NM 241.7 87.6 154.1 176 % Interest income (expense), net (62.0 ) (62.1 ) 0.1  (46.0 ) (125.1 ) 79.1 63 % Equity earnings (loss) 1.9 (4.2 ) 6.1 145 % 3.4 (16.8 ) 20.2 120 % Gain (loss) from financing activities (2.0 ) (10.7 ) 8.7 81 % (2.0 ) (16.5 ) 14.5 88 % Change in contingent considerations 60.6 2.1 58.5 NM 4.5 (1.2 ) 5.7 NM Other income (expense), net  2.3 (2.3 ) (100 %)  (2.8 ) 2.8 100 % Income tax (expense) benefit (32.8 ) 106.0 (138.8 ) (131 %) (41.6 ) 34.9 (76.5 ) (219 %) Net income (loss) 121.1 70.6 50.5 72 % 160.0 (39.9 ) 199.9 NM Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 12.0 13.0 (1.0 ) (8 %) 28.0 21.8 6.2 28 % Net income (loss) attributable to Targa Resources Corp. 109.1 57.6 51.5 89 % 132.0 (61.7 ) 193.7 NM Dividends on Series A Preferred Stock 22.9 22.9   45.8 45.8   Deemed dividends on Series A Preferred Stock 7.2 6.3 0.9 14 % 14.1 12.5 1.6 13 % Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders $ 79.0 $ 28.4 $ 50.6 178 % $ 72.1 $ (120.0 ) $ 192.1 160 % Financial data: Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 326.0 $ 257.9 $ 68.1 26 % $ 632.5 $ 534.6 $ 97.9 18 % Distributable cash flow (1) 225.1 196.0 29.1 15 % 441.4 390.2 51.2 13 % Capital expenditures (2) 734.8 434.5 300.3 69 % 1,292.7 609.1 683.6 112 % Business acquisition (3)      987.1 (987.1 ) (100 %)

(1) Gross margin, operating margin, Adjusted EBITDA, and distributable cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures and are discussed under Targa Resources Corp.  Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

(2) Capital expenditures, net of contributions from noncontrolling interest, were $1,080.0 million and $591.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

(3) Includes the $416.3 million acquisition date fair value of the potential earn-out payments.

NM Due to a low denominator, the noted percentage change is disproportionately high and as a result, considered not meaningful.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

The increase in commodity sales reflects higher natural gas liquids (NGL) and condensate prices ($413.3 million) and increased NGL, natural gas, petroleum and condensate volumes ($384.8 million), partially offset by lower natural gas prices ($175.7 million) and the impact of hedges ($15.3 million). Fee-based and other revenues increased primarily due to higher gas processing and crude gathering fees.

The increase in product purchases reflects increased volumes and higher NGL and condensate prices.

The prospective adoption of the revenue recognition accounting standard as set forth in Topic 606 in 2018 resulted in lower commodity sales ($79.9 million) and lower fee revenue ($6.2 million) with a corresponding net reduction in product purchases, resulting in no impact on operating margin or gross margin.

The higher operating margin and gross margin in 2018 reflects increased segment margin results for Gathering and Processing and Logistics and Marketing. Operating expenses increased compared to 2017 primarily due to plant and system expansions in the Permian region and higher compensation and benefits. See Review of Segment Performance for additional information regarding changes in operating margin and gross margin on a segment basis.

Depreciation and amortization expense was flat as higher depreciation related to the Companys growth investments was offset by lower depreciation for the Companys North Texas system, which was partially impaired in the third quarter of 2017, and lower scheduled amortization of Badlands intangibles.

General and administrative expense increased primarily due to higher compensation and benefits.

Other operating (income) expense in 2018 was comprised primarily of the gain on sale of the Companys inland marine barge business.

Interest income (expense), net was essentially flat as the impact of higher average borrowings was offset by higher capitalized interest and the effect of lower mandatory redeemable preferred interest valuations.

Equity earnings increased in 2018, primarily reflecting increased earnings at Gulf Coast Fractionators LP (GCF) and commencement of operations at the Cayenne Pipeline joint venture (Cayenne).

In 2018, the Company recorded a loss from financing activities of $2.0 million associated with amendments to the Companys revolving credit facilities, which resulted in a write-off of debt issuance costs. In 2017, the Company recorded a loss from financing activities of $10.7 million on the redemption of the outstanding 6% Senior Notes.

During 2018, the Company recorded income of $60.6 million resulting primarily from a decrease in fair value as of June 30, 2018 of the Permian Acquisition contingent consideration liability. The fair value decrease was primarily attributable to lower forecasted volumes for the remainder of the earn-out period, partially offset by a shorter discount period. The underlying forecasted volumes reflect the most recently observed production trends. During 2017, the Company recorded income of $2.1 million resulting from a decrease in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability from the March 1, 2017 acquisition date to June 30, 2017.

During 2018, the Company recorded income tax expense, whereas in 2017 the Company recorded an income tax benefit. In the first and second quarters of 2018, the Company determined income tax expense (benefit) using the estimated annual effective tax rate. However, in 2017, the application of interim tax accounting rules required the Company to use the statutory tax rate for the six-month period ended June 30, 2017 versus the estimated annual effective tax rate for the three-month period ending March 31, 2017. As such, the second quarter of 2017 included an income tax benefit of $106.0 million reflecting the difference between (1) an income tax benefit of $34.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 using the statutory tax rate and (2) income tax expense of $71.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 using the estimated annual effective tax rate.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

The increase in commodity sales reflects increased NGL, natural gas, petroleum and condensate volumes ($699.7 million) and higher NGL and condensate prices ($627.1 million), partially offset by lower natural gas prices ($262.2 million) and the impact of hedges ($47.3 million). Fee-based and other revenues increased primarily due to higher gas processing and crude gathering fees.

The increase in product purchases reflects increased volumes and higher NGL and condensate prices.

The prospective adoption of the revenue recognition accounting standard as set forth in Topic 606 in 2018 resulted in lower commodity sales ($166.0 million) and lower fee revenue ($12.8 million) with a corresponding net reduction in product purchases, resulting in no impact on operating margin or gross margin.

The higher operating margin and gross margin in 2018 reflects increased segment margin results for Gathering and Processing and Logistics and Marketing. Operating expenses increased compared to 2017 primarily due to plant and system expansions in the Permian region, the inclusion of the Permian Acquisition for six months in 2018 as compared with four months in 2017 and higher compensation and benefits. See Review of Segment Performance for additional information regarding changes in operating margin and gross margin on a segment basis.

Depreciation and amortization expense increased as higher depreciation related to the Companys growth investments was partially offset by lower depreciation for the Companys North Texas system, which was partially impaired in the third quarter of 2017, and lower scheduled amortization of Badlands intangibles.

General and administrative expense increased primarily due to higher compensation and benefits, professional services and franchise taxes, partially offset by lower insurance premiums.

Other operating (income) expense in 2018 was comprised primarily of the gain on sale of the Companys inland marine barge business. In 2017, other operating (income) expense included the first quarter loss due to the reduction in the carrying value of the Companys 100% ownership interest in the Venice Gathering System, in contemplation of its April 2017 sale.

Lower interest income (expense), net in 2018 was primarily due to higher non-cash interest income related to a decrease in the mandatorily redeemable preferred interests liability and higher capitalized interest. These factors more than offset the impact of higher average outstanding borrowings during 2018. The mandatorily redeemable preferred interests liability is revalued quarterly at the estimated redemption value as of the reporting date, and the decrease in 2018 of its estimated redemption value is primarily attributable to the February 2018 amendments to the agreements governing the WestTX and WestOK joint ventures.

Equity earnings increased in 2018, which reflects decreased losses of the T2 Joint Ventures, which in 2017 included a $12.0 million loss provision due to the impairment of the Companys investment in the T2 EF Cogen joint venture, increased earnings at GCF and the commencement of operations at Cayenne.

In 2018, the Company recorded a loss from financing activities of $2.0 million associated with amendments to the Companys revolving credit facilities, which resulted in a write-off of debt issuance costs. In 2017, the Company recorded a loss from financing activities of $16.5 million on the redemption of the outstanding 6% Senior Notes and the repayment of the outstanding balance on the Companys senior secured term loan.

During 2018, the Company recorded income of $4.5 million resulting from the change in the fair value of contingent considerations, substantially all of which was due to the decrease in fair value as of June 30, 2018 of the Permian Acquisition contingent consideration liability described above. During 2017, the Company recorded expense of $1.1 million resulting from an increase in the fair value of the Permian Acquisition contingent consideration liability from the acquisition date to June 30, 2017.

During 2018, the Company recorded income tax expense, whereas in 2017 the Company recorded an income tax benefit. As described above in the quarterly results, the Company utilized the estimated annual effective tax rate in 2018, whereas in 2017 the Company used the then statutory rate of 37.3% due to the loss limitation rule under interim period income tax accounting.

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was higher in 2018 due to increased earnings at the Companys consolidated Carnero joint venture in South Texas.

Review of Segment Performance

The following discussion of segment performance includes inter-segment activities. The Company views segment operating margin as an important performance measure of the core profitability of its operations. This measure is a key component of internal financial reporting and is reviewed for consistency and trend analysis. For a discussion of operating margin, see Targa Resources Corp. - Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Operating Margin. Segment operating financial results and operating statistics include the effects of intersegment transactions. These intersegment transactions have been eliminated from the consolidated presentation.

The Company operates in two primary segments: (i) Gathering and Processing and (ii) Logistics and Marketing.

Gathering and Processing Segment

The Gathering and Processing segment includes assets used in the gathering of natural gas produced from oil and gas wells and processing this raw natural gas into merchantable natural gas by extracting NGLs and removing impurities; and assets used for crude oil gathering and terminaling. The Gathering and Processing segment's assets are located in the Permian Basin of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico; the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas; the Barnett Shale in North Texas; the Anadarko, Ardmore, and Arkoma Basins in Oklahoma (including exposure to the SCOOP and STACK plays) and South Central Kansas; the Williston Basin in North Dakota and in the onshore and near offshore regions of the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

The following table provides summary data regarding results of operations of this segment for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 Gross margin $ 346.9 $ 264.2 $ 82.7 31 % $ 672.6 $ 527.4 $ 145.2 28 % Operating expenses 104.7 90.7 14.0 15 % 209.3 176.3 33.0 19 % Operating margin $ 242.2 $ 173.5 $ 68.7 40 % $ 463.3 $ 351.1 $ 112.2 32 % Operating statistics (1): Plant natural gas inlet, MMcf/d (2),(3) Permian Midland (4) 1,125.1 867.5 257.6 30 % 1,069.9 830.8 239.1 29 % Permian Delaware (4) 417.3 378.2 39.1 10 % 413.3 358.2 55.1 15 % Total Permian 1,542.4 1,245.7 296.7 1,483.2 1,189.0 294.2 SouthTX 413.5 222.6 190.9 86 % 414.9 197.4 217.5 110 % North Texas 246.1 277.1 (31.0 ) (11 %) 240.6 279.8 (39.2 ) (14 %) SouthOK 549.9 479.0 70.9 15 % 539.9 459.8 80.1 17 % WestOK 348.2 387.4 (39.2 ) (10 %) 349.1 390.3 (41.2 ) (11 %) Total Central 1,557.7 1,366.1 191.6 1,544.5 1,327.3 217.2 Badlands (5) 85.9 52.2 33.7 65 % 79.7 49.1 30.6 62 % Total Field 3,186.0 2,664.0 522.0 3,107.4 2,565.4 542.0 Coastal 665.3 741.6 (76.3 ) (10 %) 694.6 749.9 (55.3 ) (7 %) Total 3,851.3 3,405.6 445.7 13 % 3,802.0 3,315.3 486.7 15 % Gross NGL production, MBbl/d (3) Permian Midland (4) 151.4 112.8 38.6 34 % 145.9 106.3 39.6 37 % Permian Delaware (4) 50.3 42.9 7.4 17 % 48.0 40.4 7.6 19 % Total Permian 201.7 155.7 46.0 193.9 146.7 47.2 SouthTX 54.5 23.5 31.0 132 % 54.3 20.1 34.2 170 % North Texas 28.8 31.1 (2.3 ) (7 %) 27.4 31.5 (4.1 ) (13 %) SouthOK 51.1 38.5 12.6 33 % 50.0 39.7 10.3 26 % WestOK 19.5 23.5 (4.0 ) (17 %) 19.5 23.1 (3.6 ) (16 %) Total Central 153.9 116.6 37.3 151.2 114.4 36.8 Badlands 10.8 7.7 3.1 40 % 10.5 6.6 3.9 59 % Total Field 366.4 280.0 86.4 355.6 267.7 87.9 Coastal 38.3 41.2 (2.9 ) (7 %) 40.4 37.3 3.1 8 % Total 404.7 321.2 83.5 26 % 396.0 305.0 91.0 30 % Crude oil gathered, Badlands, MBbl/d 139.8 112.5 27.3 24 % 128.8 113.0 15.8 14 % Crude oil gathered, Permian, MBbl/d (4) 66.6 28.6 38.0 133 % 58.0 18.9 39.1 207 % Natural gas sales, BBtu/d (3) 1,878.1 1,655.2 222.9 13 % 1,823.0 1,601.6 221.4 14 % NGL sales, MBbl/d 304.1 249.2 54.9 22 % 302.0 238.4 63.6 27 % Condensate sales, MBbl/d 19.6 12.1 7.5 62 % 17.9 11.4 6.5 57 % Average realized prices (6): Natural gas, $/MMBtu 1.82 2.70 (0.88 ) (33 %) 2.09 2.79 (0.70 ) (25 %) NGL, $/gal 0.66 0.46 0.20 43 % 0.63 0.48 0.15 31 % Condensate, $/Bbl 58.01 42.74 15.27 36 % 58.75 43.79 14.96 34 %

(1) Segment operating statistics include the effect of intersegment amounts, which have been eliminated from the consolidated presentation. For all volume statistics presented, the numerator is the total volume sold during the quarter and the denominator is the number of calendar days during the quarter.

(2) Plant natural gas inlet represents the Companys undivided interest in the volume of natural gas passing through the meter located at the inlet of a natural gas processing plant, other than Badlands.

(3) Plant natural gas inlet volumes and gross NGL production volumes include producer take-in-kind volumes, while natural gas sales and NGL sales exclude producer take-in-kind volumes.

(4) Includes operations from the Permian Acquisition for the period effective March 1, 2017. New Midland volumes are included within Permian Midland and New Delaware volumes are included within Permian Delaware. For the volume statistics presented, the numerator is the total volume sold during the period of the Companys ownership while the denominator is the number of calendar days during the quarter.

(5) Badlands natural gas inlet represents the total wellhead gathered volume.

(6) Average realized prices exclude the impact of hedging activities presented in Other.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

The increase in gross margin was primarily due to higher Permian, Central and Badlands volumes and higher NGL and condensate prices, partially offset by lower natural gas prices. The increase in Field Gathering and Processing inlet volumes included both areas in the Permian region, SouthTX, SouthOK and Badlands, partially offset by decreases at WestOK and North Texas. NGL production, NGL sales and natural gas sales increased primarily due to higher Field Gathering and Processing inlet volumes and increased NGL recoveries including reduced ethane rejection. Coastal Gathering and Processing had a positive margin impact due to richer gas, increased recoveries and higher NGL prices, despite lower inlet volumes. Total crude oil gathered volumes increased in the Permian region due to higher production from new wells. In the Badlands, total crude oil gathered volumes and natural gas gathered volumes increased primarily due to higher production from new wells and system expansions.

The increase in operating expenses was primarily driven by gas plant and system expansions in the Permian region. Operating expenses in other areas were relatively flat.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

The increase in gross margin was primarily due to higher Permian volumes including those associated with the Permian Acquisition in March 2017, higher Central and Badlands volumes and higher NGL and condensate prices, partially offset by lower natural gas prices. The overall increase in Field Gathering and Processing inlet volumes included both areas of the Permian region, SouthTX, SouthOK and Badlands, partially offset by decreases at WestOK and North Texas. NGL production, NGL sales and natural gas sales increased primarily due to higher Field Gathering and Processing inlet volumes and increased NGL recoveries including reduced ethane rejection. Coastal Gathering and Processing had a positive margin impact due to richer gas, increased recoveries and higher NGL prices, partially offset by lower inlet volumes. Total crude oil gathered volumes increased in the Permian region due to the Permian Acquisition and higher production from new wells and system expansions. In the Badlands, total crude oil gathered volumes and natural gas gathered volumes increased primarily due to higher production from new wells and system expansions.

The increase in operating expenses was primarily driven by gas plant and system expansions in the Permian region and the inclusion of the March 2017 Permian Acquisition for the full period of 2018. Operating expenses in other areas were relatively flat.

Gross Operating Statistics Compared to Actual Reported

The table below provides a reconciliation between gross operating statistics and the actual reported operating statistics for the Field portion of the Gathering and Processing segment:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Operating statistics: Plant natural gas inlet, MMcf/d (1),(2) Gross Volume (3) Ownership % Net Volume (3) Actual Reported Permian Midland 1,416.4 Varies (4) 1,125.1 1,125.1 Permian Delaware 417.3 100 % 417.3 417.3 Total Permian 1,833.7 1,542.4 1,542.4 SouthTX 413.5 Varies (5) 296.5 413.5 North Texas 246.1 100 % 246.1 246.1 SouthOK 549.9 Varies (6) 440.1 549.9 WestOK 348.2 100 % 348.2 348.2 Total Central 1,557.7 1,330.9 1,557.7 Badlands (7) 85.9 100 % 85.9 85.9 Total Field 3,477.3 2,959.2 3,186.0 Gross NGL production, MBbl/d (2) Permian Midland 191.4 Varies (4) 151.4 151.4 Permian Delaware 50.3 100 % 50.3 50.3 Total Permian 241.7 201.7 201.7 SouthTX 54.5 Varies (5) 37.7 54.5 North Texas 28.8 100 % 28.8 28.8 SouthOK 51.1 Varies (6) 41.4 51.1 WestOK 19.5 100 % 19.5 19.5 Total Central 153.9 127.4 153.9 Badlands 10.8 100 % 10.8 10.8 Total Field 406.4 339.9 366.4

(1) Plant natural gas inlet represents the volume of natural gas passing through the meter located at the inlet of a natural gas processing plant, other than Badlands.

(2) Plant natural gas inlet volumes and gross NGL production volumes include producer take-in-kind volumes.

(3) For these volume statistics presented, the numerator is the total volume sold during the quarter and the denominator is the number of calendar days during the quarter.

(4) Permian Midland includes operations in WestTX, of which the Company owns 73%, and other plants that are owned 100% by the Company. Operating results for the WestTX undivided interest assets are presented on a pro-rata net basis in the Companys reported financials.

(5) SouthTX includes the Raptor Plant, which began operations in the second quarter of 2017, of which the Company owns a 50% interest through the Carnero Joint Venture. The Carnero Joint Venture is a consolidated subsidiary and its financial results are presented on a gross basis in the Companys reported financials.

(6) SouthOK includes Centrahoma Processing, LLC, a joint venture that the Company operates (Centrahoma or the Centrahoma Joint Venture), of which the Company owns 60%, and other plants that are owned 100% by the Company. Centrahoma is a consolidated subsidiary and its financial results are presented on a gross basis in the Companys reported financials.

(7) Badlands natural gas inlet represents the total wellhead gathered volume.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 Operating statistics: Plant natural gas inlet, MMcf/d (1),(2) Gross Volume (3) Ownership % Net Volume (3) Actual Reported Permian Midland (4) 1,075.2 Varies (5) 867.5 867.5 Permian Delaware (4) 378.2 100 % 378.2 378.2 Total Permian 1,453.4 1,245.7 1,245.7 SouthTX 222.6 Varies (6) 212.4 222.6 North Texas 277.1 100 % 277.1 277.1 SouthOK 479.0 Varies (7) 366.1 479.0 WestOK 387.4 100 % 387.4 387.4 Total Central 1,366.1 1,243.0 1,366.1 Badlands (8) 52.2 100 % 52.2 52.2 Total Field 2,871.7 2,540.9 2,664.0 Gross NGL production, MBbl/d (2) Permian Midland (4) 140.8 Varies (5) 112.8 112.8 Permian Delaware (4) 42.9 100 % 42.9 42.9 Total Permian 183.7 155.7 155.7 SouthTX 23.5 Varies (6) 22.6 23.5 North Texas 31.1 100 % 31.1 31.1 SouthOK 38.5 Varies (7) 31.4 38.5 WestOK 23.5 100 % 23.5 23.5 Total Central 116.6 108.6 116.6 Badlands 7.7 100 % 7.7 7.7 Total Field 308.0 272.0 280.0

(1) Plant natural gas inlet represents the volume of natural gas passing through the meter located at the inlet of a natural gas processing plant, other than Badlands.

(2) Plant natural gas inlet volumes and gross NGL production volumes include producer take-in-kind volumes.

(3) For these volume statistics presented, the numerator is the total volume sold during the quarter and the denominator is the number of calendar days during the quarter.

(4) Includes operations from the Permian Acquisition for the period effective March 1, 2017. New Midland volumes are included within Permian Midland and New Delaware volumes are included within Permian Delaware.

(5) Permian Midland includes operations in WestTX, of which the Company owns 73%, and other plants that are owned 100% by the Company. Operating results for the WestTX undivided interest assets are presented on a pro-rata net basis in the Companys reported financials.

(6) SouthTX includes the Silver Oak II Plant, of which the Company owned a 90% interest from October 2015 through May 2017, and after which the Company owned a 100% interest until it was contributed to the Carnero Joint Venture. The Carnero Joint Venture is a consolidated subsidiary and its financial results are presented on a gross basis in the Companys reported financials.

(7) SouthOK includes the Centrahoma Joint Venture, of which the Company owns 60%, and other plants that are owned 100% by the Company. Centrahoma is a consolidated subsidiary and its financial results are presented on a gross basis in the Companys reported financials.

(8) Badlands natural gas inlet represents the total wellhead gathered volume.

Logistics and Marketing Segment

The Logistics and Marketing segment includes the activities and assets necessary to convert mixed NGLs into NGL products and also includes other assets and value-added services such as storing, fractionating, terminaling, transporting and marketing of NGLs and NGL products, including services to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exporters; storing and terminaling of refined petroleum products and crude oil and certain natural gas supply and marketing activities in support of the Companys other businesses. The Logistics and Marketing segment includes Grand Prix, which is currently under construction. The associated assets, including these pipeline projects, are generally connected to and supplied in part by the Companys Gathering and Processing segment and, except for the pipeline projects and smaller terminals, are located predominantly in Mont Belvieu and Galena Park, Texas, and in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The following table provides summary data regarding results of operations of this segment for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 (In millions) Gross margin $ 196.9 $ 176.9 $ 20.0 11 % $ 403.7 $ 373.2 $ 30.5 8 % Operating expenses 67.0 64.5 2.5 4 % 135.4 130.8 4.6 4 % Operating margin $ 129.9 $ 112.4 $ 17.5 16 % $ 268.3 $ 242.4 $ 25.9 11 % Operating statistics MBbl/d (1): Fractionation volumes (2)(3) 412.2 338.5 73.7 22 % 401.0 321.8 79.2 25 % LSNG treating volumes (2) 33.7 33.3 0.4 1 % 32.0 33.9 (1.9 ) (6 %) Benzene treating volumes (2)  22.1 (22.1 ) (100 %) 6.6 22.8 (16.2 ) (71 %) Export volumes (4) 190.3 155.3 35.0 23 % 196.1 186.2 9.9 5 % NGL sales 509.3 439.4 69.9 16 % 512.0 470.5 41.6 9 % Average realized prices: NGL realized price, $/gal $ 0.76 $ 0.58 $ 0.18 31 % $ 0.76 $ 0.62 $ 0.15 24 %

(1) Segment operating statistics include intersegment amounts, which have been eliminated from the consolidated presentation. For all volume statistics presented, the numerator is the total volume sold during the quarter and the denominator is the number of calendar days during the quarter.

(2) Fractionation and treating contracts include pricing terms composed of base fees and fuel and power components that vary with the cost of energy. As such, the Logistics and Marketing segment results include effects of variable energy costs that impact both gross margin and operating expenses.

(3) Fractionation volumes reflect those volumes delivered and settled under fractionation contracts.

(4) Export volumes represent the quantity of NGL products delivered to third-party customers at the Companys Galena Park Marine Terminal that are destined for international markets.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2017

Logistics and Marketing gross margin increased due to higher fractionation margin, higher marketing gains, higher terminaling and storage throughput, higher domestic marketing margin and higher LPG export margin, partially offset by slightly lower treating margin. Fractionation margin increased due to higher supply volume, partially offset by lower system product gains. Fractionation margin was partially impacted by the variable effects of fuel and power that are largely reflected in operating expenses (see footnote (2) above). Marketing gains increased primarily due to optimization of gas transportation arrangements. Domestic marketing margin increased due to higher terminal margins and volumes. LPG export margin increased due to higher volumes and fees, partially offset by the absence of cancellation fees in 2018. Treating margin decreased due to lower benzene treating volumes which were zero in the second quarter 2018; however, the Company continues to receive take-or-pay payments related to the contract the Company has in place through 2018.

Operating expenses increased due to higher compensation and benefits and higher taxes, partially offset by lower fuel and power costs that are largely passed through.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

Logistics and Marketing gross margin increased due to higher fractionation margin, higher marketing gains, higher terminaling and storage throughput and higher domestic marketing margin, partially offset by lower LPG export margin and lower treating margin. Fractionation margin increased due to higher supply volume and higher system product gains. Fractionation margin was partially impacted by the variable effects of fuel and power that are largely reflected in operating expenses (see footnote (2) above). Marketing gains increased primarily due to optimization of liquids arrangements. Domestic marketing margin increased due to higher terminal margins and volumes. LPG export margin decreased due to slightly lower fees and the absence of cancellation fees in 2018, partially offset by higher volumes. Treating margin decreased primarily due to lower benzene treating volumes which were zero in the second quarter 2018; however, the Company continues to receive take-or-pay payments related to the contract the Company has in place through 2018.

Operating expenses increased due to higher compensation and benefits and higher taxes, partially offset by lower maintenance costs, and lower fuel and power costs that are largely passed through.

Other

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 2018 2017 2018 vs. 2017 (In millions) Gross margin $ (3.5 ) $ 6.0 $ (9.5 ) $ (21.4 ) $ 4.9 $ (26.3 ) Operating margin $ (3.5 ) $ 6.0 $ (9.5 ) $ (21.4 ) $ 4.9 $ (26.3 )

Other contains the results of commodity derivative activities related to Gathering and Processing hedges of equity volumes that are included in operating margin and mark-to-market gain/losses related to derivative contracts that were not designated as cash flow hedges. The primary purpose of the Companys commodity risk management activities is to mitigate a portion of the impact of commodity prices on the Companys operating cash flow. The Company has entered into derivative instruments to hedge the commodity price associated with a portion of the Companys expected natural gas, NGL and condensate equity volumes in the Companys Gathering and Processing operations that result from percent of proceeds/liquids processing arrangements. Because the Company is essentially forward-selling a portion of the Companys future plant equity volumes, these hedge positions will move favorably in periods of falling commodity prices and unfavorably in periods of rising commodity prices.

The following table provides a breakdown of the change in Other operating margin:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 (In millions, except volumetric data and price amounts) Volume

Settled Price

Spread

(1) Gain

(Loss) Volume

Settled Price

Spread

(1) Gain

(Loss) Natural gas (BBtu) 17.0 $ 1.01 $ 17.1 15.5 $ 0.16 $ 2.5 NGL (MMgal) 94.8 (0.15 ) (14.0 ) 59.4 0.01 0.8 Crude oil (MBbl) 0.5 (14.21 ) (7.2 ) 0.3 6.93 2.3 Non-hedge accounting (2) 0.6 0.4 Ineffectiveness (3)   $ (3.5 ) $ 6.0 Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 (In millions, except volumetric data and price amounts) Volume

Settled Price

Spread

(1) Gain

(Loss) Volume

Settled Price

Spread

(1) Gain

(Loss) Natural gas (BBtu) 32.8 $ 0.70 $ 22.9 26.0 $ 0.09 $ 2.6 NGL (MMgal) 187.3 (0.12 ) (23.4 ) 102.7 (0.01 ) (1.1 ) Crude oil (MBbl) 1.0 (11.72 ) (11.8 ) 0.6 6.29 3.5 Non-hedge accounting (2) (9.1 ) (0.3 ) Ineffectiveness (3)  0.2 $ (21.4 ) $ 4.9

(1) The price spread is the differential between the contracted derivative instrument pricing and the price of the corresponding settled commodity transaction.

(2) Mark-to-market income (loss) associated with derivative contracts that are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes.

(3) Effective upon the adoption of ASU 2017-12 on January 1, 2018, the Company is no longer required to recognize ineffectiveness through operating margin. Previously, ineffectiveness primarily related to certain crude hedging contracts and certain acquired hedges of Targa Pipeline Partners, L.P. (TPL) that did not qualify for hedge accounting.

As part of the Atlas mergers, outstanding TPL derivative contracts with a fair value of $102.1 million as of February 27, 2015 (the acquisition date), were novated to the Company and included in the acquisition date fair value of assets acquired. The Company received derivative settlements of $1.9 million and $4.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017. The final settlement was received in December 2017. These settlements were reflected as a reduction of the acquisition date fair value of the TPL derivative assets acquired and had no effect on results of operations.

About Targa Resources Corp.

Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. The Company owns, operates, acquires, and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and selling natural gas; storing, fractionating, treating, transporting, and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; gathering, storing, terminaling and selling crude oil; and storing, terminaling, and selling refined petroleum products.

For more information, please visit the Companys website at www.targaresources.com .

Targa Resources Corp. - Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes the Companys non-GAAP financial measures Adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow, gross margin and operating margin. The following tables provide reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures. The Companys non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to GAAP measures such as net income, operating income, net cash flows provided by operating activities or any other GAAP measure of liquidity or financial performance.

Adjusted EBITDA

The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to TRC before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other items that the Company believes should be adjusted consistent with the Companys core operating performance. The adjusting items are detailed in the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation table and its footnotes. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by the Company and by external users of its financial statements such as investors, commercial banks and others. The economic substance behind the Companys use of Adjusted EBITDA is to measure the ability of its assets to generate cash sufficient to pay interest costs, support its indebtedness and pay dividends to its investors.

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA is net income (loss) attributable to TRC. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income. Adjusted EBITDA has important limitations as an analytical tool. Investors should not consider Adjusted EBITDA in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Companys results as reported under GAAP. Because Adjusted EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income and is defined differently by different companies in the Companys industry, its definition of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility.

Management compensates for the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA as an analytical tool by reviewing the comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures and incorporating these insights into its decision-making processes.

Distributable Cash Flow

The Company defines distributable cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA less distributions to TRP preferred limited partners, the Splitter Agreement adjustment, cash interest expense on debt obligations, cash tax (expense) benefit and maintenance capital expenditures (net of any reimbursements of project costs). This measure includes the impact of noncontrolling interests on the prior adjustment items.

Distributable cash flow is a significant performance metric used by the Company and by external users of the Companys financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks and research analysts, to compare basic cash flows generated by it (prior to the establishment of any retained cash reserves by the Companys board of directors) to the cash dividends the Company expects to pay its shareholders. Using this metric, management and external users of its financial statements can quickly compute the coverage ratio of estimated cash flows to cash dividends. Distributable cash flow is also an important financial measure for the Companys shareholders since it serves as an indicator of the Companys success in providing a cash return on investment. Specifically, this financial measure indicates to investors whether or not the Company is generating cash flow at a level that can sustain or support an increase in its quarterly dividend rates.

Distributable cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to distributable cash flow is net income (loss) attributable to TRC. Distributable cash flow should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income (loss) available to common and preferred shareholders. It has important limitations as an analytical tool. Investors should not consider distributable cash flow in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Companys results as reported under GAAP. Because distributable cash flow excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income and is defined differently by different companies in the Companys industry, the Companys definition of distributable cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility.

Management compensates for the limitations of distributable cash flow as an analytical tool by reviewing the comparable GAAP measure, understanding the differences between the measures and incorporating these insights into the Companys decision-making processes.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income of the Company to Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 (In millions) Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to TRC to Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow Net income (loss) attributable to TRC $ 109.1 $ 57.6 $ 132.0 $ (61.7 ) Income attributable to TRP preferred limited partners 2.8 2.8 5.6 5.6 Interest (income) expense, net (1) 62.0 62.1 46.0 125.1 Income tax expense (benefit) 32.8 (106.0 ) 41.6 (34.9 ) Depreciation and amortization expense 202.6 203.4 400.7 394.6 (Gain) loss on sale or disposition of assets (46.7 ) 0.1 (46.8 ) 16.2 (Gain) loss from financing activities (2) 2.0 10.7 2.0 16.5 (Earnings) loss from unconsolidated affiliates (1.9 ) 4.2 (3.4 ) 16.8 Distributions from unconsolidated affiliates and preferred partner interests, net 7.0 6.2 13.9 10.4 Change in contingent consideration included in Other expense (60.6 ) (2.1 ) (4.5 ) 1.2 Compensation on equity grants 13.7 10.7 26.9 21.5 Transaction costs related to business acquisitions  0.1  5.2 Splitter Agreement (3) 10.8 10.8 21.5 21.5 Risk management activities (4) (0.6 ) 1.6 9.1 5.2 Noncontrolling interests adjustments (5) (7.0 ) (4.3 ) (12.1 ) (8.6 ) TRC Adjusted EBITDA $ 326.0 $ 257.9 $ 632.5 $ 534.6 Distributions to TRP preferred limited partners (2.8 ) (2.8 ) (5.6 ) (5.6 ) Splitter Agreement (3) (10.8 ) (10.8 ) (21.5 ) (21.5 ) Interest expense on debt obligations (6) (63.1 ) (56.6 ) (118.0 ) (115.5 ) Cash tax (expense) benefit (7)  31.4  46.7 Maintenance capital expenditures (24.8 ) (23.3 ) (47.1 ) (49.0 ) Noncontrolling interests adjustments of maintenance capital expenditures 0.6 0.2 1.1 0.5 Distributable Cash Flow $ 225.1 $ 196.0 $ 441.4 $ 390.2

(1) Includes the change in estimated redemption value of the mandatorily redeemable preferred interests.

(2) Gains or losses on debt repurchases, amendments, exchanges or early debt extinguishments.

(3) In Adjusted EBITDA, the Splitter Agreement adjustment represents the recognition of the annual cash payment received under the condensate splitter agreement over the four quarters following receipt. In Distributable Cash Flow, the Splitter Agreement adjustment represents the amounts necessary to reflect the annual cash payment in the period received less the amount recognized in Adjusted EBITDA.

(4) Risk management activities related to derivative instruments including the cash impact of hedges acquired in the 2015 mergers with Atlas Energy L.P. and Atlas Pipeline Partners L.P. The cash impact of the acquired hedges ended in December 2017.

(5) Noncontrolling interest portion of depreciation and amortization expense.

(6) Excludes amortization in interest expense.

(7) Includes an adjustment, reflecting the benefit from net operating loss carryback to 2015 and 2014, which is recognized over the periods between the third quarter 2016 of the receivable and the anticipated receipt date of the refund. The refund, previously expected to be received on or before the fourth quarter of 2017, was received in the second quarter of 2017. The remaining $20.9 million unamortized balance of the tax refund was therefore included in Distributable Cash Flow in the second quarter of 2017. Also includes a refund of Texas margin tax paid in previous periods and received in 2017.

Gross Margin

The Company defines gross margin as revenues less product purchases. It is impacted by volumes and commodity prices as well as by the Companys contract mix and commodity hedging program.

Gathering and Processing segment gross margin consists primarily of revenues from the sale of natural gas, condensate, crude oil and NGLs and fees related to natural gas and crude oil gathering and services, less producer payments and other natural gas and crude oil purchases.

Logistics and Marketing segment gross margin consists primarily of:

service fees (including the pass-through of energy costs included in fee rates);

system product gains and losses; and

NGL and natural gas sales, less NGL and natural gas purchases, transportation costs and the net inventory change.

The gross margin impacts of the Companys equity volumes hedge settlements are reported in Other.

Operating Margin

The Company defines operating margin as gross margin less operating expenses. Operating margin is an important performance measure of the core profitability of its operations.

Management reviews business segment gross margin and operating margin monthly as a core internal management process. The Company believes that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures that management uses in evaluating its operating results. Gross margin and operating margin provide useful information to investors because they are used as supplemental financial measures by management and by external users of the Companys financial statements, including investors and commercial banks, to assess:

the financial performance of the Companys assets without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis;

the Companys operating performance and return on capital as compared to other companies in the midstream energy sector, without regard to financing or capital structure; and

the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities.

Gross margin and operating margin are non-GAAP measures. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to gross margin and operating margin is net income. Gross margin and operating margin are not alternatives to GAAP net income and have important limitations as analytical tools. Investors should not consider gross margin and operating margin in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Companys results as reported under GAAP. Because gross margin and operating margin exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income and are defined differently by different companies in the Companys industry, the Companys definitions of gross margin and operating margin may not be comparable with similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility.

Management compensates for the limitations of gross margin and operating margin as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures and incorporating these insights into its decision-making processes.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income of the Company to operating margin and gross margin for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 2017 2018 2017 (In millions) Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to TRC to Operating Margin and Gross Margin: Net income (loss) attributable to TRC $ 109.1 $ 57.6 $ 132.0 $ (61.7 ) Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 12.0 13.0 28.0 21.8 Net income (loss) 121.1 70.6 160.0 (39.9 ) Depreciation and amortization expense 202.6 203.4 400.7 394.6 General and administrative expense 57.0 51.0 113.8 99.6 Interest (income) expense, net 62.0 62.1 46.0 125.1 Income tax expense (benefit) 32.8 (106.0 ) 41.6 (34.9 ) (Gain) loss on sale or disposition of assets (46.7 ) 0.1 (46.8 ) 16.2 (Gain) loss from financing activities 2.0 10.7 2.0 16.5 Other, net (62.2 )  (7.2 ) 21.1 Operating margin 368.6 291.9 710.1 598.3 Operating expenses 170.5 155.2 343.7 307.2 Gross margin $ 539.1 $ 447.1 $ 1,053.8 $ 905.5

Forward-Looking Statements



Certain statements in this release are "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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Companys control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Company. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the timing and success of business development efforts; and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133.

Sanjay Lad

Director  Investor Relations

Jennifer Kneale

Chief Financial Officer




English French

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S.A. OR OVER U.S. WIRE SERVICES



MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KP Tissue Inc. (KPT) (TSX:KPT) announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.18 per common share, payable on October 15, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 28, 2018, subject to applicable law.



The dividends paid are designated as "eligible" dividends for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and any similar provincial and territorial legislation.

The dividend is being declared in connection with the declaration of a corresponding quarterly distribution by Kruger Products L.P. (KPLP) in which KP Tissue holds a limited partnership interest.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

The Corporation has a Dividend Reinvestment Plan under which eligible shareholders may elect to have their cash dividends reinvested in additional common shares of KPT. Under the Plan, the Corporation will automatically reinvest for participating shareholders the cash dividends of KPT in newly issued Common Shares at a price per Common Share equal to 97% of the 5-day weighted average trading price of the Common Shares prior to the dividend payment date.

Only Canadian shareholders are eligible to participate in the DRIP and the DRIP is subject to additional limitations and restrictions. Interested shareholders are encouraged to review the full text of the DRIP, available on KPTs website at www.kptissueinc.com.

Shareholders who wish to participate in the DRIP should contact their broker, financial institution, or other nominee through which their Common Shares are held to determine their eligibility and provide appropriate enrolment instructions, and to ensure any deadlines or other requirements that such broker, financial institution, or nominee may impose or be subject to are met.

About KP Tissue Inc.

KP Tissue Inc. (KPT) was created to acquire, and its business is limited to holding, a limited partnership interest in KPLP. For more information visit www.kptissueinc.com.

About Kruger Products L.P.

Kruger Products L.P. is Canada's leading manufacturer of quality tissue products for household, industrial and commercial use. Kruger Products L.P. serves the Canadian consumer market with such well-known brands as Cashmere, Purex, SpongeTowels, Scotties and White Swan. In the U.S., Kruger Products L.P. manufactures the White Cloud brand, as well as many private label products. Kruger Products L.P. has approximately 2,500 employees and operates eight FSC CoC-certified (FSC C104904) production facilities in North America. For more information visit www.krugerproducts.ca.

INFORMATION:

Francois Paroyan

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

KP Tissue Inc.

Tel.: 905.812.6936

Francois.Paroyan@krugerproducts.ca

INVESTORS:

Mike Baldesarra

Director of Investor Relations

KP Tissue Inc.

Tel.: 905.812.6962

IR@kptissueinc.com
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd42abc30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4d22d10)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd42abc30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4d22d10)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fd441f728)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4d22d10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd4d22d10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd3ec0060)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd486a1a8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd486a1a8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
ITHACA, NY, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GiveGab, the Nonprofit Giving Platform, is excited to announce their recent partnership with I Live Here I Give Here(ILHIGH), a Central Texas-wide initiative to provide philanthropic opportunities to nonprofits.

Through this partnership, GiveGab will be the nonprofit giving platform for Austins year-round fundraising website, AmplifyATX.org, as well as their giving day, Amplify Austin Day.

We are excited to announce our new platform partnership with GiveGab. After benchmarking the national giving day platform landscape and looking at architecture, capacity, security, fail-safe systems and communication plans, we have identified GiveGab as our partner to make our giving day more user-friendly for nonprofits and donors.  ILHIGH Board of Directors Tech Committee

To date, GiveGab has successfully powered over 500 giving days, helping raise $1 billion for over 35,000 nonprofit organizations across the country.

Were truly privileged to partner with I Live Here I Give Here because their mission is so closely aligned with our own. While they aim to make Austin the most generous community in the country, our goal is to make ILHIGH and their participating nonprofits as happy and effective as possible. -- Charlie Mulligan, CEO and Co-Founder of GiveGab

Amplify Austin Day 2019 will occur February 28 - March 1, 2019, and the new platform for Amplify Austin is expected to be available this fall.

About I Live Here I Give Here:

I Live Here I Give Heres mission is to make Austin the most generous community in the nation. Programs like Amplify Austin Day, See Jane Give, Give Back Jack, Giving Tuesday, and the Board Internship Program are designed to help locals find the issues they care about and take action to be part of the solution. By inspiring new and young givers, volunteers, and activists to make an impact on the community where they live, I Live Here I Give Here is ensuring that philanthropy in Central Texas grows and lives on for decades to come. For more information, visit ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

About GiveGab:

GiveGab provides modern technology designed for nonprofits, community foundations, and higher education institutions to cultivate long-term relationships with supporters through robust online fundraising, peer-to-peer and event features, enhanced supporter tracking and engagement tools, Giving Days, and more.

Attachment
In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by SpeakEasy Cannabis Club, a subheadline reading "THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES" should have been included. The corrected release follows:

SpeakEasy Cannabis Club Appoints Dr. Matthew Brolich, PhD, to Advisory Board

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SpeakEasy Cannabis Club Ltd. (CSE: EASY) (Frankfurt: 39H) (the Company or SpeakEasy) a late stage Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) applicant, today announces the appointment of Dr. Matthew Brolich, PhD, to its board of advisors.



"Dr. Brolich is a highly respected and accomplished researcher in the areas of microbiology and biochemistry and a great addition to SpeakEasy's Advisory Board," said Brian Peery, President of the Company. "His strong scientific background in genetic modification and analytical techniques in biochemistry, make him uniquely suited for his role at SpeakEasy and will be invaluable for the Companys continued growth and development of proprietary genetic cannabis strains and small batch products.

The British Columbia-owned and operated SpeakEasy is not only a producer of the highest quality Canadian cannabis but also represents a community of some of the best cannabis growers and geneticists in the country through its Growers Collective. The Company continues to pursue international licensing and distribution agreements, while placing an unprecedented emphasis on the preservation of premium cannabis standards.

Dr. Brolich received his Doctorate in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University in 2016. He currently serves as Vancouvers Scientific Inside Sales Team Lead at STEMCELL Technologies Inc., the largest biotechnology company in Canada, providing scientific and technical support to hundreds of academic and industrial scientists across a variety of fields, including stem cell biology, immunology, cancer therapy, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapy.

About SpeakEasy Cannabis Club Ltd. (CSE:EASY)

SpeakEasy Cannabis Club is a late stage Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ("ACMPR") applicant that is leveraging three generations of farming experience to produce the highest quality, small batch premium cannabis in the world. Set on 290 acres of the best agricultural land in Rock Creek, British Columbia, the 10,000 square foot optimized, indoor facility guarantees the growth, production, and cultivation of premium small batch cannabis. SpeakEasy now represents a collective of the top cannabis growers in Canada, who have spent their lives perfecting the production of premium products. With decades of knowledge and experience spent perfecting their growing techniques and cannabis genetics, individuals in the BC Growers Collective operate freely under the best conditions the country has to offer.

Construction has commenced on an 80,000 square foot expansion facility, which will include growing, extraction and genetics labs. Completion for the expansion is projected for fall/winter 2018. For more information visit: https://speakeasygrowers.com/

This news release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SpeakEasys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur.
English French

MONTREAL, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE)  Representatives of the media are invited to attend CAE's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Tuesday, August 14, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). The meeting will be held at the CAE offices in Saint-Laurent, Quebec (Entrance 4  Auditorium).



At the meeting, members of CAE senior management will review the activities of fiscal year 2018 and present the financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 ended June 30, 2018. Marc Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer, will also discuss prospects for the current fiscal year.

The meeting will be webcast live via video on CAE's site at www.cae.com. The webcast will be archived following the event.

Please note that broadcast and photographic equipment will only be allowed in the shareholder meeting room for the first 10 minutes.

Following the annual meeting, at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET, Marc Parent will be available for questions from the media.

Event: CAE's FY2018 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Time: Annual meeting: 11:00 a.m. ET Session with media: 12:00 p.m. ET Venue: CAE  Entrance 4, Auditorium 8585 chemin de la Cote-de-Liesse Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4T 1G6 Canada

FY2019 first quarter financial results and conference call

CAE will also release its fiscal year 2019 first quarter financial results on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. A conference call will be held at 1:30 p.m. ET to provide analysts and institutional investors with a review of CAEs performance and outlook.

Marc Parent, CAEs President and Chief Executive Officer, Sonya Branco, CAEs Chief Financial Officer, and Andrew Arnovitz, CAEs Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations, will participate in this call intended for financial analysts, institutional investors and the media. Please note that the media will have the opportunity to ask questions immediately following the analysts question period.

The conference call will be audio Webcast live for the public and will also be archived for 90 days following the event at www.cae.com.

Event: CAE's FY2019 Q1 financial results and conference call Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

Phone numbers for conference call:

Country Phone number North America 1 877 586-3392 Canada +1 416 981 9024 Australia 1800702315 Belgium 080077657 France 0800919393 Germany 08001816101 Netherlands 08000222280 Singapore 8001012594 United Kingdom 08004960381

Instant replay (available three hours after the call ends for 48 hours): +1-800-558-5253 or +1-416-626-4100 - Access code: 21893725#

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 8,500 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc

CAE contacts:

Helene V. Gagnon

Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications

1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com

Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz

Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations

1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com
Samsung unveils newest smartphone hoping for sales boost



New York, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone Thursday, its latest effort to address flagging sales of the high-functioning gadgets.

Boosting the power and the price, Samsung hopes to win back customers in the competitive market. The consistent leader in the global smartphone market, the company nonetheless suffered a 22 percent drop in mobile technology sales in the second quarter.

The company blamed the drop in part to disappointing demand for the Galaxy S9, but it also has been pressured by growth in Chinese competitor Huawei.

At a glitzy the launch event in Brooklyn, Samsung unveiled a suite of high tech products, including a smart speaker and watch, and then showed off the new Galaxy Note 9, which will be available for purchase on August 24.

The phone contains a series of improvements but was described by analysts as having no radical new innovations. The latest model boosts memory capacity, and allows customers to play video games such as the popular Fortnite.

Customers will have the option of 128 or 512 gigabytes of memory, and also can insert a micro card to boost capacity beyond a terabyte, a record for a smartphone.

Samsung also enhanced the gadget's batteries so it can now be used for an entire day without needing to be recharged -- a common headache for cell phone users.

Other improvements include tweaks to the device's "S Pen" feature, which can be used as a remote control for taking pictures or selfies using Bluetooth technology.

And the new model has enough capacity for video games. Samsung has set up a promotion with the popular Fortnite game that lets users download a special mobile version.

According to some trade media sources, the Galaxy Note 9 version with 512 gigabytes will be the most expensive smartphone geared towards the general public.



- Pricey, not radically new -



The price for that model will be $1,1250 in the United States, while the 128 gigabyte version will go for $1,000. Apple's iPhone X in a 256 gigabyte version sells for about $1,150.

Global smartphone sales fell 1.8 percent in the second quarter to 342 million amid market saturation and rising prices, according to tech-industry trackers International Data Corporation.

Avi Greengart, analyst at GlobalData, described the upgrades in the latest Samsung as "iterative," adding "there is nothing radically new here."

"It's a really expensive phone and for people who are looking for a premium Android phone, they may well find it quite appealing," he said. "But it isn't likely to get people to consider the Note for the very first time."

By contrast, Apple's more dramatic overhaul of the iPhone X design and user interface showed there is a "large group of people who are willing to spend whatever it takes" to upgrade, Greengart said.

Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Home speaker device, a first for the South Korean company in a market that already contains Amazon's Echo and Alphabet's Google Home program.

The company also announced a partnership with streaming music service Spotify to allow "streamless listening" across all Samsung devices, including phones, tablets and smart TVs, as well as the Galaxy Home.

The smart speaker may have a better shot outside the United States, said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

"In the US, Alexa is very entrenched and so is Google Assistant, so it might be a challenge, but not so much in other parts of the world," Moorhead said.
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement
TORONTO, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blockchain Foundry Inc. (BCF or the Company) (CSE:BCFN) recently announced it has entered into a pre-solution design agreement with DigitalRez (DR), a British Columbia-based company that is creating the first blockchain and cryptocurrency enabled property management and reservation platform.



The announced agreement will provide DigitalRez with a fully vetted white paper, which will allowing DR to begin moving forward with its transition to blockchain enabled reservation systems. Moving our systems to blockchain technology will be a great step towards the future for our company. We believe this adoption backed by over 20 years experience in this space is what will truly set our company apart from all others, stated Kevin Hall, Managing Director of DigitalRez.

The DigitalRez platform will allow individuals to book reservations and tourism providers to manage reservation with fiat and cryptocurrency on a state of the art, ever-evolving tourism specific Blockchain. The platform will adopt Syscoins Z-DAG technology to prevent chargeback events and high resort processing fees. Creating a powerful and distinctive reservation platform that will also allow travelers to create reservations while saving money.

Were excited to be working with DigitalRez to help bring the benefits of blockchain technology to the real estate and property management market while simultaneously reducing costs related to fraud and chargebacks through Syscoins innovative Z-DAG technology, stated Dan Wasyluk, CEO of Blockchain Foundry.

About Blockchain Foundry Inc.

Blockchain Foundry develops and commercializes blockchain-based business solutions and provides consulting services to corporate clients seeking to incorporate blockchain technology in their businesses.

About DigitalRez

With offices in Canada, Barbados and Australia, DigitalRez has been supplying software, support and systems to the worldwide accommodation, camping and charter industries since 1993.

Media Contact Information:

Christopher Marsh

Chief Financial Officer

(647) 330-4572

Forward-Looking Information

Certain portions of this press release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, which is also referred to as forward-looking statements, which may not be based on historical fact. Wherever possible, words such as will, plans, expects, targets, continues, estimates, scheduled, anticipates, believes, intends, may, could, would or might, and the negative of such expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify forward looking information.

Forward looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future events, future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of the times at, or by which, such events, performance or results will be achieved, if achieved at all. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, as they reflect managements current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by BCF are inherently subject to significant business, economic, regulatory, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause BCFs actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
One killed as Israel strikes Gaza after rockets fired from enclave



Jerusalem, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



Israel launched air strikes on Gaza late Wednesday, killing one person, 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 Hamas-run Gazan health ministry said.

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.

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.
Virginia Beach, Virginia, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For providing outstanding service to military families in Virginia and across the country and its support for the local coastal Virginia community, Lincoln Military Housing was honored with CoVaBizs Best of Business Award in the category of Best Local Business with a National Presence.



We are humbled to receive this award and are very proud to be recognized as a company who brings success and vibrancy to the Coastal Virginia business community, said Brooke Scarbrough Community Services Director for the Mid-Atlantic Navy Marines region. Lincoln Military Housing takes great pride in providing quality homes in vibrant neighborhoods all while supporting our military community.

CoVaBiz, The Business Magazine of Coastal Virginia, uses its annual awards to highlight the services that companies use and trust to perform their day-to-day operations, the businesses that are excelling in their industries, the venues and events that make meetings and networking effective, the top professional development programs for taking careers to the next level and the individuals exuding professionalism, innovation and influence throughout their companies and communities.

About Lincoln Military Housing

Lincoln Military Housing (LMH) was formed in 2001 through a Department of Defense (DOD) contract with parent company Lincoln Property Company. The goal has always been to increase the quality of military housing for our nation's servicemen and women. Since its inception more than a decade years ago, Lincoln Military Housing now provides more than 36,000 family homes for military members across the US. Lincoln is much more than a property management company. LMH acts as a support system for military families and offers community-building activities and 24-hour maintenance assistance programs, free, to all of their residents. Services are available for members of all branches of service - Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, United States Coast Guard, and National Guard.

For more information about LMH and our services, please visit: www.LincolnMilitary.com.
Hamas fighter killed as Israel strikes Gaza after rockets fired from enclave



Jerusalem, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 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.

"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.

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.
Iran naval drills designed to send message to US: general



Washington, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2018



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.
One dead, 11 wounded as Saudi intercepts Yemen rebel missile



Riyadh, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by Yemen's Huthi rebels on Wednesday, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, a Riyadh-led coalition fighting the insurgents said.

The ballistic missile was fired from the northern Yemeni province of Amran towards the southern Saudi city of Jizan, said a coalition statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"Shrapnel from the intercepted missile scattered over residential areas, leaving a Yemeni resident killed and 11 other civilians wounded," the coalition said.

The Iran-backed Huthis have in recent months ramped up missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh usually says it intercepts.

Wednesday's attack brings the tally to 165 rebel missiles launched since 2015, according to the coalition, which that year joined the Yemeni government's fight against Huthi rebels.

In 2014, the Huthis overran the Yemeni capital and seized control of much of northern Yemen as well as a string of ports on the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies intervened in the conflict the following March, aiming to push back the Huthis and restore the internationally recognised government to power.

Riyadh accuses its regional rival Tehran of supplying the Huthis with ballistic missiles, a charge Iran denies.

The war in the impoverished country has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
British Museum to return looted antiquities to Iraq



London, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



The British Museum said Thursday it is returning to Iraq a collection of 5,000-year-old looted antiquities seized from a London dealer shortly after the US-led invasion in 2003.

The eight objects were confiscated by police in May that year after the dealer failed to produce proof of ownership, and were passed to the museum for analysis earlier this year.

Three of the objects carry Sumerian inscriptions which identify their origin as the Eninnu temple in the ancient city of Girsu, now known as Tello, in southern Iraq.

Their identification was made easier by the fact that Tello is one of the excavation sites where the British Museum has been training Iraqi archaeologists since 2016.

"The other items are identical to objects known from excavations at Tello and most likely also originate from the same site," the museum said in a statement.

The objects are believed to have been removed at night by a small number of people over a short period of time -- the scale of the looting is more limited than elsewhere in southern Iraq.

They will be formally handed to the Iraqi embassy during a ceremony at the museum on Friday, from where they will return to Iraq.

Iraq's ambassador, Salih Husain Ali, praised the museum's staff for their "exceptional efforts" in identifying the antiquities.

"Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage," he said in a statement issued by the museum.

"The protection of antiquities is an international responsibility and in Iraq we aspire to the global cooperation to protect the heritage of Iraq and to restore its looted objects."

The objects include three fired clay cones, each with an identical cuneiform inscription which has been seen on many other items, and references the deity Ningirsu.

There is also a polished, yellowish river pebble and a fragmentary white gypsum mace-head, both of them also inscribed.

Another object is a white marble amulet pendant in the form of a reclining four-legged animal, dating back to around 3,000 BC.

A red marble square stamp seal or amulet pendant, depicting a pair of four-legged animals facing in opposite directions, is from the same period.

The final item is a white chalcedony stamp seal with a flat oval face engraved with the design of a reclining sphinx.
British Museum identifies looted Iraqi antiquities, sends them home



London, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



The British Museum said Thursday it is returning to Iraq a collection of looted antiquities up to 5,000 years old, after identifying the exact temple they came from in a unique piece of archaeological detective work.

The eight objects were confiscated by British police in May 2003, a few months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, from a now defunct dealer in London who failed to provide any paperwork.

Normally the detailed provenance of such items would be hard to establish, but three of them, fired clay cones, carried Sumerian inscriptions that gave a clue to their origins.

In a remarkable coincidence, they were identical to cones found on a site in the ancient city of Girsu, now known as Tello, in southern Iraq, where the British Museum has been training Iraqi archaeologists since 2016.

"The broken objects the robbers left next to the looting holes were broken cones with exactly the same inscription that we have on the cones that were seized," said the team's lead archaeologist, Sebastien Rey.

Identical cones were also found in the walls of a site at the Eninnu temple -- pinpointing the looted items' source with a level of accuracy that Rey said was "completely unique".

"We could have an idea that maybe these objects came from southern Iraq, but to be able to narrow it down to the particular site, and even to the particular holes -- this is extremely rare," he told AFP.

He added: "If we don't have any information on the objects, you can't identify their provenance, and that's the main problem in combating the illicit trade."



- 'International responsibility' -



The looting at the site is not as extensive at other places in southern Iraq, suggesting the objects that ended up in London were taken at night, possibly by a small number of people.

The objects will be handed to the Iraqi embassy on Friday during a private ceremony at the museum, from where they will return to Iraq and eventually, Rey hopes, will go on public display.

Iraq's ambassador, Salih Husain Ali, praised the museum's staff for their "exceptional efforts" in identifying the antiquities.

"Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage," he said in a statement issued by the museum.

"The protection of antiquities is an international responsibility and in Iraq we aspire to the global cooperation to protect the heritage of Iraq and to restore its looted objects."

The three cones each have an identical cuneiform inscription which references the god the temple was built for and the king who built it, and date back to around 2,200 BC.

Similar cones have been found in many other sites but Rey said that until the Tello excavation began in 2016, no one really knew what they were for.

Finding them in their original positions inside temple walls led experts to conclude they were votive objects, dedicated to the gods by Mesopotamian kings.

The British Museum collection also includes a polished, yellowish river pebble and a fragmentary white gypsum mace-head, both of them inscribed.

There is also a white marble amulet pendant in the form of a reclining bull or buffalo, and a red marble square stamp seal or amulet depicting two similar animals facing in opposite directions, which both date back to 3,000 BC.

The final item in the collection is a white chalcedony stamp seal with a flat oval face engraved with the design of a reclining sphinx.
Pence heads to Pentagon to discuss Space Force



Washington, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



US Vice President Mike Pence is visiting the Pentagon on Thursday to discuss progress in implementing President Donald Trump's order to build a new military branch known as Space Force.

Trump in June ordered the creation of Space Force, which would become the sixth service in the US military, arguing the Pentagon needs it to tackle vulnerabilities in space and assert US dominance in orbit.

Currently, the Air Force oversees most space capabilities and there is some push back from officials who worry Space Force's mission would be duplicative and add bureaucratic bloat.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this week that Pence is Trump's "point man" for Space Force, and Pentagon officials are working closely with his office.

Mattis last year voiced skepticism on the need to create a separate Space Force.

In a letter to a US congressman, he said he did "not wish to add a separate service that would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations," adding it would create extra bureaucracy and cost.

On Tuesday, however, the Pentagon chief said he fully supported the idea of creating a new command that would draw in members of existing military branches.

"We need to address space as a developing, war-fighting domain and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish," he said.

The vast US military divides the globe into various commands, such as Central Command in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific Command in Asia, and so a new Space Command would be on an equal footing as these.

Though it would not be a full new branch of the military, it would still require a new headquarters and major organizational changes.

The Pentagon is set to release a report to Congress later Tuesday outlining steps towards meeting Trump's order. Only Congress can approve the creation of a new military branch.

Pence is due to deliver an address at around 11:15 am (1515 GMT).
TORONTO, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North American Financial 15 Split Corp. (the Company) is pleased to announce it has completed the overnight marketing of up to 3,363,000 Preferred Shares and up to 3,363,000 Class A Shares of the Company. Total proceeds of the offering are expected to be approximately $62.9 million.

The offering is being co-led by National Bank Financial Inc., CIBC, Scotia Capital Inc., RBC Capital Markets and also includes TD Securities Inc., BMO Capital Markets, Canaccord Genuity Corp., Industrial Alliance Securities Inc., Echelon Wealth Partners, GMP Securities L.P., Raymond James, Desjardins Securities Inc., Mackie Research Capital Corporation and Manulife Securities Incorporated.

The sales period of the overnight offering has now ended.

The offering is expected to close on or about August 16, 2018 and is subject to certain closing conditions including approval by the TSX.

The Preferred Shares were offered at a price of $9.90 per Preferred Share to yield 5.6% and the Class A Shares were offered at a price of $8.80 per Class A Share to yield 13.6%.

The closing price on the TSX of each of the Preferred Shares and the Class A Shares on August 8, 2018 was $10.13 and $8.90, respectively.

The net proceeds of the offering will be used by the Company to invest in an actively managed, high quality portfolio consisting of 15 financial services companies made up of Canadian and U.S. issuers as follows:

Bank of Montreal National Bank of Canada Bank of America Corp. The Bank of Nova Scotia Manulife Financial Corporation Citigroup Inc. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Sun Life Financial Services of Canada Inc. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Royal Bank of Canada Great-West Lifeco Inc. JP Morgan Chase & Co. The Toronto-Dominion Bank CI Financial Corp. Wells Fargo & Co.

The Companys investment objectives are:

Preferred Shares:

to provide holders of the Preferred Shares with fixed, cumulative preferential monthly cash dividends currently in the amount of 5.50% annually, to be set by the Board of Directors annually subject to a minimum of 5.25% until 2019; and on or about the termination date, currently December 1, 2019 (subject to further 5 year extensions thereafter), to pay the holders of the Preferred Shares $10.00 per Preferred Share.

Class A Shares:

to provide holders of the Class A Shares with regular monthly cash dividends in an amount to be determined by the Board of the Directors; and to permit holders to participate in all growth in the net asset value of the Company above $10 per Unit, by paying holders on or about the termination date of December 1, 2019 (subject to further 5 year extensions thereafter) such amounts as remain in the Company after paying $10 per Preferred Share.

A prospectus supplement to the Companys short form base shelf prospectus dated June 1, 2018 containing important detailed information about the Preferred Shares and the Class A Shares being offered will be filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in all provinces of Canada. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the short form base shelf prospectus may be obtained from your registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor, or from representatives of the agents listed above. There will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the securities being offered until the prospectus supplement has been filed with the Securities Commissions or similar authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada.



For further information, please contact North American Financial 15 Split Corp. Investor Relations at

416-304-4443 Toll free at 1-877-4-Quadra (1-877-478-2372) or visit www.financial15.com
English09/08/2018

SRNA News Roundup /II/ - August 9, 2018

REPUBLIKA SRPSKA



BIJELJINA - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik stated Thursday in Bijeljina that not just the lives of 30,000 people but the entire existence and future of the Serb people were built into Republika Srpska and that it is absolutely impossible to change the name of the Entity.



BIJELJINA - Republika Srpska cultivates good relations with India and wants to improve the mutual economic, cultural and every other aspect of cooperation, said President Milorad Dodik.



BIJELJINA - The only way for the opposition to do something in the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to bring the elections themselves into question in an effort to turn the city of Banjaluka into a crisis case, said Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.



BANJALUKA - The Republika Srpska Government on Thursday adopted information on an initiative for marking the 800th anniversary of the Serbian Orthodox Church independence and on projects regarding the protection, scientific analysis and promotion of movable Serb cultural and historical heritage.



BANJALUKA - The Government of Republika Srpska adopted information on Thursday on writing answers to additional questions from the European Commission Questionnaire, which will be used for drafting an opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovinas application for EU membership.



BANJALUKA - The Government of Republika Srpska has invested around BAM64 million into the municipality of Srbac so far through its budget and the Development Programme, and this year it allocated BAM726,967 for the repair of a local 8.5km road connecting Sitnesi - Gornji Srdjevici alone, the municipal authorities told Srna.



BIJELJINA - The City of Bijeljina on Thursday celebrated its patron saints day, St Pantheleimon, with a holy liturgy at the St Georges Church, a procession down the city streets and breaking of the Slava cake outside the city hall. President Milorad Dodik, who attended the celebration, stated that Bijeljina is a major strategic centre for Republika Srpska in which the Government invested more than BAM300 million in various capital projects over the past few years. Mayor Mico Micic said that Bijeljina is an open city observing human rights and that more and more respectable guests come to the city every year to make the significant event even greater.



ISTOCNI STARI GRAD - Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia conducted a holy liturgy in the Church of St Pantheleimon the Great Martyr at Vucija Luka on Thursday. The service was followed by a procession around the church and a Slava-cake breaking custom to mark the patron saints day of the temple and the municipality of Istocni Stari Grad.



BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA



BANJALUKA - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik says a new report on Srebrenica, which will be made by the worlds most prominent experts dealing with issues of war crimes, will cover the period between 1992 and 1995 and include the crimes committed against Serbs too.



BANJALUKA - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said he does not expect an indictment will soon be issued against Atif Dudakovic, a former commander of the 5th Corps of the so-called Army of BiH, and expressed his distrust in the BiH Court and Prosecutors Office.



SARAJEVO - BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic and Romanian Ambassador to BiH Dana Constantinescu asserted Thursday in Sarajevo that BiH and Romania have a good long-standing cooperation in trade and that BiHs exports to the EU country are constantly growing.



SARAJEVO - The BiH Prosecutors Office submitted a proposal to the BiH Ministry of Justice to file a motion for the extradition of Husein Mujanovic from Serbia, the judicial institution confirmed to Srna. Mujanovic was arrested last week in Priboj, Serbia on suspicion of a war crime against civilians in the Sarajevo settlements of Hrasnica and Sokolovic Kolonija.



FEDERATION OF BiH



SARAJEVO - The session of a committee in charge of harmonising the differently adopted texts of laws in the Federation of BiH Houses of Parliament about the rights of former members of the so-called Army of BiH and Croatian Defence Council /HVO/ and their families will be held on Mostar, not in Sarajevo as was previously announced, the local media reported on Thursday.





SERBIA



BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated Thursday in Sid that the Putevi Srbije enterprise had launched a project to connect a 19km long stretch of a motorway with Republika Srpska via the town of Kuzmin.



BELGRADE - Meeting with a US Senate delegation on Thursday, head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric once again stressed the commitment of the Serbian state leadership to a comprehensive resolution of the Kosovo issue only by peaceful means.



BELGRADE - The Dragacevo Assembly of Trumpet Players in Guca, the largest trumpet and brass band event on the planet, opened on Thursday with the raising of the assembly flag, where the Serbian Minister of Innovations and Technological Development Nenad Popovic, who declared the festival open, stated that the trumpet holds the secret of the Serbian soul. The event closes on August 12.



BELGRADE - Mayors of Belgrade and Banjaluka Zoran Radojicic and Igor Radojicic, respectively, discussed various aspects of the cooperation of the two cities and exchanged experiences about the implementation of construction, cultural and environmental projects.





REGION



BANJALUKA - The Association of Workers and Disabled Workers refugees from Croatia now holding BiH citizenship will not drop the plan to seek justice in Strasbourg with lawsuits against Croatia, said the association leader Nikola Puzigaca.



PODGORICA - The total inflow of foreign direct investments in Montenegro in the first five months of this year was EUR265 million, while the outflow was EUR205.1 million according to the preliminary data of the countrys Central Bank /CBCG/. /end/ds
Centennial, CO, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just Associates, Inc., a nationally recognized leader in patient matching and health information data integrity and management, announced today that Robin Gates, RHIA, has joined its sales team. As vice president of sales for the southern region, Gates oversees business development for the firms comprehensive suite of data integrity consulting services and solutions.



Gates brings more than 30 years of healthcare experience to her new role with Just Associates, where she manages business development activities for new and existing clients. She has a rich background in health information management (HIM) and has worked with both provider organizations and vendor companies.

Robin has established outstanding credentials over the years and is dedicated to helping her clients improve business processes, reduce costs and, most importantly, improve patient care, said Beth Just, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA, co-founder and president of Just Associates. Just Associates shares these goals and looks forward to Robins contributions to our clients objectives of leveraging clean MPIs and accurate patient matching for improved clinical care and safety.

Before joining Just Associates, Gates was a senior healthcare sales executive at NextGate Solutions, Inc., where she focused on business development for the EMPI and Provider software solutions in the southeast territory. Previously, she spent 15 years with QuadraMed, selling solutions that addressed coding and compliance, records management and patient identity management.

Just Associates shares my commitment to resolving the industrys patient matching challenge and guiding client organizations toward cost-effective and highly accurate MPI support services and solutions, said Gates. Its exciting to be part of an outstanding team that has earned some of the HIM industrys highest honors.

Gates holds a Bachelor of Science in HIM Health Information Management from Indiana University and AHIMAs Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential. She is a member of the Georgia and Tennessee state AHIMA organizations, as well as the AHIMA Standards Task Force focused on aligning HIM business practices and capabilities of standards-based HIT products.

About Just Associates, Inc.

A recognized leader in health information data integrity and management for over 16 years, Just Associates, Inc. (www.justassociates.com) is a healthcare data integration consulting firm that delivers superior value to its clients through improved patient matching. Just Associates has the process expertise and systems knowledge to deliver tailored, value-added solutions that improve clients financial outcomes and business processes, support delivery of quality patient care, and meet the expectations of diverse stakeholders through improved data integrity.




Nowadays, online casinos are known as ideal gaming platforms that offer an immersive gaming experience for thousands of users around...

Online casinos were considered a novelty in the 90s, and not many users were even familiar with the option to...

The rise of social media has changed the way all industries run their businesses  and commercial real estate is...

Increasingly, homeowners are using smart technology to make their home lives easier. Smart thermostats allow you to set the temperature...

I Agree

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy
LOS ANGELES, CA, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Globe International, Inc. (OTC: GGII) today provided an update for shareholders on current efforts to bring the company current in its financial disclosure, activities of the subsidiary Green Globe brand, and potential future plans for business alliances and combinations.



Green Globe International is the majority owner (88%) of the Green Globe brand, the leading international symbol of sustainability for business. Green Globe has multiple licensed programs, including certification for the global travel and tourism industry; initiatives to develop energy producing projects and projects in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and sustainability recognition programs for corporate clients focused on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics, and more.

Green Globe International is currently completing financial reports, which will be posted to the OTC Markets platform.

We do not yet have a confirmed timeline for submission of our financials, but the work is being completed, and we expect to have new disclosures posted in the near term, said Andrew Beyer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

On the management side, Robert McCoy no longer serves in any officer or board positions for Green Globe International. Management and other profile information has been updated with OTC Markets and is currently being updated with the state of Delaware.

We understand that there has been an increased interest in the future of GGII and its plans to move forward. While the Green Globe brand expands its footprint beyond its historical uses, we will continue to evaluate the best course for Green Globe International and its shareholders. Nothing definitive has been determined, but the company expects to have new information, including the anticipated financial disclosure, for investors to see in the coming weeks, stated Mr. Beyer.

About Green Globe International, Inc.

Green Globe International, Inc. is structured as a holding company and is focused on expanding the use of the Green Globe brand in sustainability initiatives around the world as well as other sectors within the burgeoning environmental marketplace, including fund management and environmental project financing. The company owns an 88% majority interest in Green Globe, Ltd., a UK corporation that owns the Green Globe brand, the recognized leader of sustainability certification and benchmarking programs.






KBC Group: KBC Bank Ireland sells part of legacy corporate and buy to let loan portfolio to Goldman Sachs

Press Release

Outside trading hours - Regulated information*

Brussels, Dublin - 9 August 2018 (before trading hours)

KBC Bank Ireland sells part of legacy corporate and buy to let loan portfolio to Goldman Sachs

This morning, KBC Bank Ireland reached agreement with Goldman Sachs to sell a loan portfolio of approximately 1.9bn, comprising of:

Non-performing Corporate book

N on-performing Irish Buy-to-Let Mortgage Loans

Performing and Non-performing UK Buy-to-Let Mortgage Loans



to entities established and financed by Goldman Sachs (Beltany Property Finance DAC, Tramore Funding DAC and Banna Funding DAC).

As a result of the transaction, NPL levels in KBC Bank Ireland reduce by approximately 40% resulting in the NPL ratio reducing by roughly 11 %-points to around 25% pro forma at end 2Q18 (from reported 35.6% at end 2Q18).

The transaction is expected to result in a net P&L impact of +14m EUR (based on 1Q18 numbers and including all costs related to the transaction), a release of risk-weighted assets of approximately 0.4bn at KBC Group, leading to an improvement of KBC Group CET1 ratio of 7 bps.

Going forward, KBC reconfirms that its guidance for loan impairments in KBC Bank Ireland for full year 2018 is for a net release of 100 to 150 million euros.

The transaction is expected to close in the 4th quarter of 2018.

Prior to closing of the transaction, KBC Bank Ireland will contact the relevant customers to inform them that their loan(s) is/are being transferred, and to confirm that existing legal and regulatory protections continue to remain in place with Pepper Asset Servicing, managing the loans post completion on behalf of the buyer.

Johan Thijs, KBC Group CEO welcomed today's transaction: "KBC Bank Ireland has been building down organically its legacy portfolio of non-performing loans in Ireland over the past few years. However, over the last months, there has been a growing interest from the international financial markets for non-performing loan exposures. This is a clear market trend. KBC wishes to accelerate the reduction of non-performing loans by acting upon the increased interest presented in the market.

During the first quarter of the year, we assessed views on market valuations for this type of portfolio. Following this exercise and based on the value of the portfolios, we decided to proceed with a confidential process to maintain the efficiency and minimise the potential disruption to the business and the execution of our strategic plan in Ireland.

The sale of sub-portfolios fully fits within the bank's strategy and ambition. It will allow KBC Bank Ireland to achieve a NPL ratio reduction of approximately 11%-points (versus end 2Q18), thus acceleRating KBC Bank Ireland's ongoing NPL reduction efforts. Moreover, the sale of the UK Buy-to-Let portfolio allows KBC Bank Ireland to enhance the focus on its core strategy 'Digital First' in (Irish) retail and micro SME banking and contributes to a de-risking linked to Brexit. At the same time, the transaction results in balance sheet optimization allowing KBC Bank Ireland to reduce future earnings volatility, to clean up legacy and to fully focus on sustainably and profitably growing its retail and micro SME business."

Wim Verbraeken, CEO KBC Bank Ireland concludes : "Over the past two years, KBC Bank Ireland has focused on the implementation of its new 'Digital First' strategy. KBC Bank Ireland has already launched a broad range of new products and services, now offering a full suite of competitive retail banking products. This has resulted in a continued expansion in the retail market. Going forward, our focus will be on retail and micro SME, as already confirmed during the KBC Group Investor Event and strategy update in Dublin in June 2017. "

For more information, please contact:

- Kurt De Baenst, General Manager, Investor Relations, KBC Group

Tel + 32 2 429 35 73 - E-mail: investor.relations@kbc.com

- Viviane Huybrecht, General Manager, Corporate Communication/Spokesperson, KBC Group

Tel + 32 2 429 85 45 - E-mail: pressofficekbc@kbc.be

* This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies.



KBC Group NV

Havenlaan 2 - 1080 Brussels

Viviane Huybrecht

General Manager

Corporate Communication /Spokesperson

Tel. +32 2 429 85 45







Press Office

Tel. +32 2 429 65 01 Stef Leunens

Tel. +32 2 429 29 15 Ilse De Muyer

Tel. +32 2 429 32 88 Pieter Kusse

E-mail: pressofficekbc@kbc.be







KBC press releases are available at www.kbc.com or can be obtained by sending an e-mail to pressofficekbc@kbc.be



Follow us on www.twitter.com/kbc_group



Check this document's authenticity

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: KBC Groep via Globenewswire


Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
English Lithuanian

On 5 September 2018 the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas, code 135567698, registered at A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter, the Company), is being convened (hereinafter, the Meeting) upon the initiative and decision of Board of the Company.



The place of the Meeting  hotel Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, conference centre (Konstitucijos ave. 20, Vilnius). The Meeting commences at 9.30 a.m. (registration starts at 8.30 a.m. and ends at 9.15 a.m.).

The meeting of the Board was convened in accordance with request of the Shareholder Central European Tour Operator S.a.r.l., personal code B133714, registered address at L-1653 Luxembourg 2, avenue Charles de Gaulle which holds 3,700,874 ordinary registered shares of the Company, which constitute 47.4% of all the shares issued by the Company and votes carried thereby in the General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (hereinafter  the Shareholder), dated 8 August 2018, to convene the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. The purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders is to pay dividends for the period shorter than the usual financial year.

The Meetings accounting day  29 August 2018. The persons who are shareholders of the Company at the end of accounting day of the General Meeting of Shareholders or authorized persons by them, or the persons with whom shareholders concluded the agreements on the disposal of voting right, shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting.

The Board of the Company initiates and convenes the Meeting, which on 9 August 2018 approved the following agenda of the Meeting:

Agenda of the meeting:

Announcement of Interim Report of Public limited liability company Novaturas for the period of six months as of the end of 30 June 2018.

Draft decision proposed:

The Interim Report of Public limited liability company Novaturas for the period of six months as of the end of 30 June 2018, was announced for the Shareholders of the Company. The decision is not adopted on this matter of the agenda."

Approval of the set of audited interim financial statements for the period shorter than financial year as of the end of 30 June 2018.

Draft decision proposed:

"Approve the set of Interim Financial Statements of Public limited liability company Novaturas for the period of six months as of the end of 30 June 2018 audited by UAB DELOITTE LIETUVA, the Companys auditor.

The allocation of dividends for shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas for the period shorter than financial year as of the end of 30 June 2018.

Draft decision proposed:

"Considering the fact that all conditions for the allocation of dividends for a period shorter than the financial year set out in Paragraph 5 of Article 601 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania are fulfilled, to approve for Shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas the allocation of dividends in the amount of 0.77 EUR per share of Public limited liability company for the period of six months as of the end of 30 June 2018."

Election of the auditor for the performance of audit services for annual financial statements of the companies of the group of the Company and determination of the conditions of audits services for the 2018  2019 period.

Draft decision proposed:

To elect auditor UAB DELOITTE LIETUVA for the performance of audit of annual financial statements of the companies of the group of the Company for 2018 and 2019 and determine that the payment for the performance of the audit services shall not be paid more than EUR 85,000 excluding VAT in 2018 and EUR 95,000 excluding VAT in 2019.

The right to receive dividends will only apply to those, who are shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas at the end of 19 September 2018. In accordance with Article 60 Item 5 of the Company Law of the Republic of Lithuania the Company will pay allocated dividends not later than within one month from the day of the adoption of a decision on the allocation of dividends.

The total number of the Companys shares of EUR 0.03 par value each and the number of shares granting voting rights during the general meeting of shareholders is the same and amounts to 7,807,000.



ISIN code of the Companys shares is LT0000131872.

The Company shall not provide the possibility to participate and vote in the Meeting through electronic communication means.



Draft resolutions on agenda issues, documents to be submitted to the Meeting and other information related to the exercising of the shareholders rights are available on the website of the Company www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. This information will also be available for the shareholders at the head office of the Company (A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania) on business days from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m.



The shareholders holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes shall have the right of proposing to supplement the agenda of the Meeting by providing the draft resolution on each additionally proposed issue or in case no resolution is required  the relevant explanation. The proposals to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing or by e-mail. The proposals shall be presented in writing to the Company on business days or by sending them to its registered mail address, A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, LT-44245 Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania. The proposals submitted via e-mail shall be sent to tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt . The proposals to supplement the agenda with the additional issues shall be received in the Company till 22 August 2018, 4 p.m. In case the agenda of the Meeting is supplemented the Company will notify on it no later than 10 days before the Meeting in the same manner as on convening of the Meeting.



Each shareholder holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes at any time before the general meeting of shareholders or during the meeting shall have the right of proposing draft resolutions on the issues already included or to be included in the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders, as well as the additional candidates to the members of the Supervisory Council of the Company (if elected). The proposed draft decisions must be presented in writing sending them by registered mail or providing them against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice.



The shareholders shall have the right to present questions related to the issues of the agenda of the Meeting to the Company in advance in writing. The shareholders shall present the questions not later than 3 business days before the Meeting via electronic mail to tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt . The Company undertakes to respond to the submitted questions via electronic mail till the Meetings day, except the questions related to the Companys commercial (industrial) secret, confidential information, as well as if the questions will be received in the Company later than 3 business days before the Meeting.



Responses of a general character shall be posted on the Companys website www.novaturasgroup.com . The Company will not respond personally to the shareholder if the respective information is posted on the Companys website.



Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the laws to authorise other (natural or legal) person to attend and vote at the general meeting of shareholders on his/her behalf. At the general meeting of shareholders an authorised person shall have the same rights as would be held by the shareholder represented by him/her, unless the authorized persons rights are limited by the power of attorney or by laws. The authorized person must provide a power of attorney certified in the manner established by laws. A power of attorney issued in a foreign state must be translated into Lithuanian and legalised in the manner established by laws.



Shareholder shall also have the right to authorize through electronic communication means another person (natural or legal) to participate and vote in the Meeting on shareholders behalf. Such authorization shall not be confirmed by the notary public. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication means must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholder shall inform the Company on the power of attorney issued through electronic communication means by e-mail tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt no later than on the last business day before the Meeting by 4:00 p.m. The power of attorney and notification shall be issued in writing. The power of attorney and notification to the Company shall be signed with the electronic signature but not the letters sent via e-mail. By submitting the notification to the Company the shareholder shall include the Internet address from which it would be possible to download free of charge software to verify an electronic signature of the shareholder.



Each shareholder or representative thereof shall have the right to cast his/her vote in advance in writing by filling in a general ballot paper. The form of a general ballot paper is provided on the Companys website www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. Upon a written shareholders request, the Company no later than 10 days before the Meeting shall send a general ballot paper by registered mail or hand it in person against signature. The general ballot paper filled shall be signed by the shareholder or his/her representative. In case the ballot paper is signed by the shareholders authorized representative, such person together with the filled ballot paper shall submit the document confirming the voting right. The ballot paper filled and the document confirming the voting right (if required) shall be submitted in a written form to the Company by its registered mail address, A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, LT-44245 Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania, or by submitting it to the Company. Valid will be dully filled-in ballot papers, received in the Company until the Meeting.

Attached:

General voting ballot; Interim financial statements with Interim Report.

Attachments
Russia has learned a lot about modern combat in Syria. Russian advisors were often called on to help devise new tactics to deal with problems Syrian troops were encountering. One of the more vexing situations had to do with the rebels using ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles), including Russian models like the Kornet or the American TOW. Russian armor experts drew on their own history and more detailed knowledge of Israeli innovations (developed during the 1973 war) when they encountered Egyptian troops using lots of older model ATGMs.

The Russians came up with several new techniques that they are now teaching to their own troops after the Syrians tried it successfully. One of the key lessons was that even with modern ATGMs a moving vehicle is much harder to hit than a stationary one. Modern fire control systems enable tanks (at least the more modern ones, which the Russians supplied Syria with once Russian troops arrived in Syria in mid-2015). With tanks that can fire accurately on the move, the Russians developed the carousel maneuver in which attacking tanks adopt a circular formation of up to ten tanks moving around in a circle and firing on targets when tanks are on the side of the circle facing the enemy. The tanks can concentrate on suspected ATGM positions until there is no more ATGM fire then direct all their fire at enemy vehicles and infantry positions. If a tank in the carousel is disabled by an ATGM the other tanks adjust the circle of tanks to put the disabled tank inside the circle and continue firing. Another innovation was the castle fortification for defense against suicide car (or truck) bombers and ATGMs, especially for Syrian tanks that cannot fire accurately on the move. This tactic involves building a berm high enough to conceal tanks behind it but containing openings (as seen on a castle wall providing protected firing positions for archers). This enables tanks to move up to one of the openings and open fire on an approaching suicide car bomber or an ATGM position. The tank is moving along behind the berm with its gun turned to face the opening. The tank can quickly fire and then quickly move away from the opening. The rebels often used large numbers of suicide car bombs, supported by ATGMs and the castle parapet tactic neutralized this.

Even before the Russians showed up in force the small number of Russian advisors with Syrian troops innovating in combat. One thing that impressed the Russians was the Syrian use of civilian vidcams (in this case the GoPro) attached to Syrian Army armored vehicles for use in training and analyzing the effectiveness of the troops and tactics. The videos that got out were some of those that proved useful enough to have a voiceover narration added explaining what was actually going on and describing any useful tips or lessons to be learned from watching this action. What that description also showed was some new tactics developed by the Syrians and/or their Russian advisors, often with the help of the vidcams and/or because the vidcams were also used in real-time during combat. When an armored vehicle is put out of action the vidcam usually survives and the video can be examined for useful information on how the crew might have avoided getting hit. Even if none of the vehicle crew survive, watching the video up to the moment the vehicle is hit is instructive.

Studying several of these videos revealed that the Syrians also often employ their armored vehicles as a ready reaction force. This is not unique as most other armies do this, but with a combination of ground forces and warplanes and helicopters. The Syrian Army never had a lot of high-quality weapons or equipment to begin with and appear to be improvising. The use of vidcams on missions is not unique either, it has been used by over a decade by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the Syrians deserve credit for effectively adapting these old ideas (that predate the 20th century) for their current situation. That videos indicate that Russians were involved before 2015 but the degree of the Russian contribution was never spelled out.

These new tactics appear to involve using accompanying infantry as spotters for the tanks and IFVs (BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicles). The guys on the ground point out targets for the armored vehicles to fire on with 125mm gun or 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine-gun. The rebels are equipped with RPGs, automatic weapons as well as roadside bombs, anti-vehicle mines and, occasionally, ATGM. The Syrian infantry (and pro-government militia) have a better view of the battlefield and can go places the vehicles cannot. Armored vehicles taking information from infantry around them is nothing new, but modern electronics (vidcams and cheap but powerful walkies) make possible new opportunities which the Syrians have taken advantage of to give the infantry more precise and timely firepower and the armored vehicles more protection from attack.

It was known that the Russians had some advisors in Syria, and had shipped lots of military equipment, especially spare parts and tools needed to keep aircraft and armored vehicles operational. What was later found out was that the Russian experience in Syrian combat had a large impact on combat training back in Russia.
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.
Liam Francis is congratulated by Mike Taylor after scoring against St Neots in December 2016. Photo: Steve Wood

STRATFORD Town boss Darren Byfield has thanked top guy Liam Francis for his efforts after the player departed the club this week.

The centre-back ended a three-year association with club after agreeing to sign for Southern League Premier Division rivals Redditch United.

Francis, or Spider as he is widely known by his team-mates, clocked up 153 appearances at Stratford after signing for the club for a second time in 2015.

Hes a top player and a top guy, said Byfield.

Unfortunately, the road were going down, might not suit Liam as much as someone else.

But I want to emphasise what a top guy he is and hes been a great servant to the club. To make more than 100 appearances for any club is a massive achievement.

Former Town youth teamer Charlie Evans has also left the club after agreeing to re-join former boss Carl Adams at Rugby Town.

Evans came off the bench in Rugbys 4-0 UCL win over Peterborough Northern Star on Saturday, while he was unused substitute in their 2-0 defeat at Leicester Nirvana on Tuesday night.
ST. JOHNS Newfoundland and Labrador, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vulcan Minerals Inc. (the Company - Vulcan TSX-V:VUL) announces that it plans further prospecting work on its Lizard Pond gold property in central Newfoundland particularly in light of the recent results announced by Sokoman Iron Corp. (Sokoman) on its Moosehead project which included a bonanza grade mineralized drill intersection of 11.9 metres of 44.96 grams per tonne gold (see Sokoman news release of July 24th for full details). The Lizard Pond property covers 233 claims (5,825 hectares) including prospective ground for gold deposits in Paleozoic sediments and related intrusives along the margins of the Mount Peyton pluton. This is a similar geologic setting to the Moosehead project which lies 40 kilometers north of Lizard Pond. Numerous claims have been staked in response to Sokomans announcement south of Moosehead along the Mount Peyton trend and have now linked up with Vulcans land position at Lizard Pond demonstrating the perceived prospectively of the area.



In 2017 the Company carried out prospecting work on the five main epithermal ophiolite related gold showings at Lizard Pond to confirm the historic results which included grab samples up to 22 grams per tonne gold (see Vulcan news release dated July 12, 2016 ). The current program will complete the initial evaluation of the property and focus on two underexplored quartz breccia occurrences situated in the northwest corner of the claim block. Previous workers describe epithermal mineralogy and textures with cursory grab samples yielding up to 983 parts per billion gold. Several trains of large silicified boulders heavily mineralized with arsenopyrite have been reported in the area. Arsenopyrite is a known associated mineral with quartz bearing gold occurrences near the Mount Peyton contact, including the historic Moosehead occurrences. The Lizard Pond quartz breccias warrant further investigation to understand their significance. The Company is seeking partners to option or joint venture further work on the property.

The property is adjacent to the Baie dEspoir highway approximately 40 kilometres south of the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor. Please refer to our webpage www.vulcanminerals.ca for location maps.

Patrick J. Laracy, P. Geo, President, is the qualified person responsible for the contents of this news release as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ from the Companys expectations. Certain risk factors beyond the Companys control may affect the actual results achieved. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CashTech Currency Products Inc. and Qwinstar are thrilled to announce the exciting merger of three industry-leading payment solutions and services companies and the appointment of Larry McCarter as President and CEO. CashTech Currency Products Inc., Qwinstar, and 3 Point Alliance Canada (3PAC) are excited to move forward to better serve our customers and offer more diverse solutions to a larger market.



With offices in Mississauga, ON and St. Paul, MN, CashTech, Qwinstar, and 3PAC have more than 40 years experience in providing cash management products, remittance processing and technical service solutions. Each company has had strong independent success and built an excellent reputation with many loyal, long-standing customers in financial institutions, banks, retail, cash-in-transit (CIT), and gaming. This merger is an opportunity for each company to grow and expand their portfolio of products and services to cover more than 75 metros in the U.S. and Canada.

Our customers have supported us for the past 15 years because of our committed service support performance levels as well as our business model, enabling CashTech to become a leader in the industry. This merger is a logical next step that creates substantial value for customers and suppliers. It will benefit customers through new services and expanded service coverage capabilities on a national level as well as a strong presence for cross-border customer support, explains Gino Lombardi, President of CashTech.

For more than 40 years, the Qwinstar/3 Point Alliance team has provided our customers with exceptional service and the assurance of long-term support to protect their technology investments. The merger with CashTech Currency Products Inc. expands on our philosophy to provide our customers a broader range of high-quality product services over a larger base of talented technicians throughout the U.S. and Canada. We are very excited by the opportunity to combine these companies that value their customer relationships and employees, explain Rich Daidone and Norm Grunberg, Co-Presidents.

Combined, the partnership will become one of the largest independent U.S. and Canadian cross-border technology service providers in the market, with a growing portfolio that includes cash automation solutions, intelligent safes, bank branch automation, cheque sorters, remittance-processing products, parts, supplies, implementation and maintenance services.

Our goal is to be the best provider of solutions and services to our customers, and clearly distance ourselves from any competition. Collectively, we are focused on a seamless transition to ensure customers continue to experience the excellent quality and expanded services they have come to expect from us. This exciting announcement is a positive move for our customers, and all three companies welcome our employees, partners, and customers to the new team, explains Larry McCarter, incoming President and CEO.

About CashTech Currency Products Inc.:

For over 15 years, CashTech has been helping customers improve efficiencies, reduce potential currency losses, and improve cash flow. Offering a wide range of commercial currency solutions, CashTechs experienced consultants offer trusted, strategic advice on commercial currency machines and maintenance services to help customers make the right choice for their business needs.





About Qwinstar and 3 Point Alliance Canada:

For over 40 years, Qwinstar and 3 Point Alliance Canada have been a leading provider of end-to-end remittance processing maintenance solutions with customer-centric, flexible, robust solutions that exceed industry quality standards, increase reliability, and streamline payment operations.

Contact:

Andrea Lombardi, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

CashTech Currency Products Inc.

www.cashtechcurrency.com

Phone: 905-696-4815

Email: andrea_lombardi@cashtechcurrency.com

Mike Atchley, Vice President of U.S. Operations

Qwinstar Corporation

Phone: 909-717-9400

Email: mike.atchley@qwinstar.com
BOSTON, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Starry, Inc., please note in the fifth paragraph "Mayor Wash" in the original announcement should be "Mayor Walsh." The corrected release follows:

Starry, Inc. , a Boston-based technology company pioneering the use of millimeter waves to deploy fixed 5G wireless last-mile gigabit broadband today announced that it is partnering with the City of Bostons Boston Housing Authority (BHA) to launch a pilot program aimed at providing free and low-cost internet access solutions to housing authority residents. The program, called Starry Connect, is being piloted at BHAs Ausonia Apartments and provides free, common area WiFi internet access to building residents. Ausonia residents can access the internet, free-of-charge, in the buildings community rooms and hallways. In addition, Starry is donating five computers for a designated computer lab for Ausonia residents. Located in Bostons North End, Ausonia is a 100-unit, seven-story, housing complex specifically designed to serve seniors and disabled individuals.



According to the Federal Communications Commission, more than 24 million Americans still lack access to a high-speed internet broadband connection.1 And among lower-income Americans, nearly half do not have a broadband connection at home.2 Starry is helping address the digital gap via Starry Connect, a program aimed at providing a variety of free and low-cost internet access solutions for public and affordable housing communities. From building common area WiFi access to monthly, low-cost access plans, Starry Connect will offer simple, easy-to-understand and use plans for residents in public or subsidized affordable housing, through partnerships with cities, states and owners of affordable housing properties.

Access to high-speed broadband is critical for education, communication, and personal and professional development, and yet today, many people still lack access to a basic, affordable, and reliable internet connection, said Starry CEO and co-founder, Chet Kanojia. We cant sit on the sidelines and hope things get better. Thats why were launching Starry Connect. When we founded Starry, our mission was to build a better internet service and create a better customer experience for everyone. Closing the digital gap and the inequities that emerge as a result is something technology can help solve. Thats why were excited to partner with the Boston Housing Authority to devise creative solutions to help get more of their residents online and engaged with the critical services they need.

We thank Starry for providing this valuable service to our elderly and disabled residents, said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle. Starrys commitment to digital equity is commendable and we look forward to continuing our partnership going forward.

The innovative partnership between the Boston Housing Authority and Starry Internet is an important step in advancing Mayor Walshs digital equity agenda and expands access to high quality broadband service citywide, said Patricia Boyle-McKenna, Interim Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston. Providing a computer lab and public WiFi is a great step in developing resources that Boston residents can utilize to fulfill their long-term pursuits in life.

Background on Starry

With its Boston beta launch in 2016, Starry was the first company to commercially deploy pre-standard 5G, point-to-multipoint fixed wireless technology to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to the home. Starry was also one of the first internet service providers to codify in its terms of service, its unwavering commitment to an open and neutral internet . Today, Starry is passing more than 350,000 homes in the Boston metropolitan area and is currently launched in Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

Starry is headquartered in Boston, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles and DC. In addition to Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and New York, Starry will also expand its service to 18 additional markets over the next year including: Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami, Memphis, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Manchester, NH, Portland, OR, and Sioux Falls, SD.

Starry is backed by a diverse group of investors including Tiger Global, KKR, Firstmark Capital, IAC, and HLVP. Starry currently employs more than 250 people and is rapidly growing. To join our team and help build a better internet, visit: https://starry.com/careers.

About Starry, Inc.

At Starry, Inc., we believe the future is wireless. Connecting people and things to high-speed, broadband internet should be simple, effortless and affordable. Starry is re-imagining broadband access by developing an ecosystem of products designed to simplify and improve your connected life. Using our proprietary pre-standard 5G millimeter wave technology, Starry is deploying a wireless last mile gigabit-capable broadband network to deliver high-quality, affordable internet service to homes across the country. Based in Boston and New York City, Starry is backed by world-class investors and is growing. To learn more about Starry or join our team, visit: Starry.com.

About The Boston Housing Authority

Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city's residents. Our mission is to provide stable, quality, affordable housing for low and moderate income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability; and to create living environments which serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency.

Media Contacts

Starry:

Virginia Lam Abrams LaunchSquad for Starry, Inc.

Madeline St. Onge starry@launchsquad.com

press@starry.com (212) 564-3665



Boston Housing Authority:

Lydia Agro

Lydia_agro@bostonhousing.org

617-988-4109

Boston Department of Innovation and Technology

Luis Castro

luis.castro@boston.gov





1 https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/2018-broadband-deployment-report

2 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-lower-income-americans-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/
Lankas Informal Sector: A rare gem awaiting a formal polish By Dion M. Schoorman View(s): View(s):

Like most developing countries, Sri Lanka, has a large informal sector work force. The term informal sector refers to workers who perform an entirely legal task, are paid for their labour in cash, but are not governed by any labour legislation. Labour relations  where they exist  are based mostly on casual employment, kinship or personal and social relations rather than contractual arrangements with formal guarantees. Most workers have no formal contracts, social service benefits or leave entitlement. This does not refer to the illegal economy involving criminal activity. As a share of its working-age population, Sri Lanka has a particularly large informal sector. The informal sector employs over 4.5 million Sri Lankans, which is more than the number employed by the formal private sector, the government sector, and state-owned enterprises, combined.

Indeed, Sri Lankas dynamic and productive informal sector plays a major role in employment creation, production and income generation and sustains millions of employees and their families and is the life blood of families across all classes of society. Much like the gemstones that Sri Lanka is famous for, the informal sector is Sri Lankas hidden gem, albeit unpolished.

However, the true value of a gem is attained when it is finally cut and polished and that is the challenge facing Sri Lanka. Can we enhance the quality of the gem of the informal sector duly polished by the protections, safeguards and benefits of formality?

There are two categories of employers using informal employment of labour. The first category is a small unregistered enterprise with less than 10 workers. The second category of informal employer is a legal entity that is formally registered, pays taxes and pays social insurance contributions and has a formal labour force, but also hires some additional workers informally. The data shows that 60% of Sri Lankan workers are in the informal sector, through one or the other kind of employment, and even more so in the outlying districts.

There are four types of workers in the informal sector: employees, employers, own account workers, and workers contributing to a family enterprise. Workers contributing to a family enterprise are often not paid any regular cash payments. Almost 80% of contributing family workers, who are often not paid at all, are women.

Women are more vulnerable in the informal sector. There is a much higher gender gap in wages between women and men in the informal sector. Data are hard to find but interviews suggest that women in the informal sector experience more sexual harassment.

In the agricultural sector, 87.5% of workers are informal. In non-agricultural employment, it is still a large percentage: slightly more than half or 50.1%. There is a very high percentage of informal sector workers in the North and the East of the country. Informal employment is more frequent among workers with fewer years of education and persists in all levels of society.

Informal workers are not covered by any labour rules concerning wages or working hours and are not covered by any safety or health rules. They are not entitled to maternity benefits, annual leave or sick leave. They are not entitled to due process in adjudicating labour disputes.

A variety of solutions can increase the formality of the workforce. In general, these are efforts to reduce barriers and costs of formalization through a transformative approach that makes the formal sector more beneficial and accessible for firms that are smaller and operating on tight margins, and enforcement measures through a punitive approach.

Transformative measures to make the formal

sector more beneficial and accessible include:

 Regulatory reform designed to make it easier for a business to register, making administrative actions fast and inexpensive through some sort of simplified process;

 Allowing small businesses to easily and legally employ people for a fixed period of time, part-time, or for a special task (for example a travel agency can easily hire tour guides for limited periods of time on an as-needed basis);

 Reducing the costs and uncertainties of formality, at least for small firms newly entering the formal sector, in terms of termination costs, expensive mandated benefits, and onerous labour dispute adjudication processes;

 Making tax and social security payments very easy (for example, by setting up payments through telephones via SMS as has been done in the Philippines for many years);

 Reducing the tax or social insurance contribution obligations, either for small businesses in general, or for newly registered businesses; this may include explicit forgiveness of any liability for previous time periods; or

 Allowing for presumptive lump sum payments of taxes or social contributions without a need to make calculations of individual payments.

All of these transformative measures should be accompanied by awareness raising, informing employers that this will not be as onerous as they feared in the past, and informing employees of the benefit to them. The provisions that benefit SMEs specifically have proven challenging in many ways, including how to get them to transition to a larger size with greater payment of taxes and contributions. But there is great benefit in helping SMEs to formalize as they are often the engines of growth and innovation.

In addition, the reduction of informality can take place through punitive measures, by imposing financial obligations and significant penalties on employers even though they are in the informal sector. This could take the form of imputing a contract of employment from behaviour and requiring employers to pay social contributions even if they are small and not organized. This was the approach used in many countries to cover agricultural, fishing and domestic workers with social security. For self-employed informal workers this may include imputing income from their expenditures (for example, a fisherman who reports little income but has an expensive car). The punitive approach reduces the financial incentive to stay informal but requires political will and serious enforcement capacity.

Generally speaking, it is better to tackle the problem with a transformative approach first, and then make strides in social awareness and public perception to increase the expectation that all work is formalized. It should become socially embarrassing to hire someone informally, without benefits. The last remaining most difficult segments of the economy can then be tackled through targeted punitive measures at the very end.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United for Human Rights, Florida Chapter, supported by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, is hosting a forum highlighting womens rights issues on Saturday August 11th at their center in downtown Clearwater. Starting at 2pm, guests will learn about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how these rights relate to the protection and survival of women internationally.



The keynote speaker is attorney Carmen Miller, a minority woman who has served almost nine years representing clients who had nowhere else to turn. In this light, she won several pro bono service awards and was named Felony Attorney of the year by her office in 2009. She is branching out into family and elder law, with a strong interest in Baker Act misuse.

Ms. Miller will tackle the idea that Womens Rights are Human Rights and show attendees how the 30 rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to problems faced by women every day.

It is estimated that in the United States, nearly every day, three women are killed by an intimate partner, said Sanna Heden, the Director of the Human Rights Center. That is in violation of human right number three which guarantees the right to life. But there are others, including the right to a fair wage, the right to education and the right to a family.

These arent just words on a page, said Ms. Heden, these are rights guaranteed for all by the United Nations.

Attendees will receive their own copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The center is located at 29 N. Fort Harrison Ave., and there is no cost to attend.

United for Human Rights and its programs are based on principles expressed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who in 1969 observed, It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments sweeping reforms in the field of human rights.

For nearly five decades, Scientologists have worked to overcome any and all obstacles to champion those inalienable rights. The Church sponsors one of the worlds broadest human rights education and public information campaigns under the banner of United for Human Rights.

In fact, United for Human Rights of Florida helped educate more than 50,000 people on their human rights in the Clearwater and Tampa areas during the past year alone. United for Human Rights Clearwater consistently works with some 60 civil and human rights groups to accomplish that goal.

For more information about the Forum, please call 727-467-6960

ABOUT UNITED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: United for Human Rights is a non-profit, non-religious, educational program dedicated to teaching the community their human rights, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to inspire them to become advocates for peace and tolerance. The United for Human Rights Florida team hosts a variety of events to combat all forms of human rights violations, and provides free educational material and seminars to educators and activists. To learn more, please go to www.humanrights.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc699c4c-d304-4b75-a767-a5eb14517476
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 ...
Arcadia opts for ABS asset management programme

Arcadia Shipmanagement selected ABS Advanced Solutions to implement an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Programme to further enhance the reliability of its 15 tanker fleet.

Arcadia Shipmanagements implementation of the ABS Enterprise Asset Management programme is a powerful endorsement of our comprehensive approach and process, said Richard Pride, Senior Vice President of ABS Advanced Solutions. We are pleased Arcadia chose ABS and we are eager to assist them on their asset optimisation journey, as well as in meeting their tanker management objectives. Dimitris Mattheou, Arcadia CEO, said, We are confident in the ABS approach and look to validate our processes  with a strategic focus to improve our tankers efficiency and reliability  leveraging their technical expertise and strong EAM experience. The outcome of this work will make a significant contribution to our current efforts to strengthen our asset management process. This programme addresses core elements established over more than a decade of experience: asset lifecycle management strategy; computerised maintenance management system utilisation; inventory management; planning, scheduling and process automation; performance optimisation; and maintenance and reliability strategy. It is designed to aid owners and operators with managing physical assets from design to decommissioning to optimise use, reduce costs, and improve vessel reliability and efficiency, ABS said.




Cyberhawk completes first ABS CLASS survey and inspection of a tanker using UAVs

Cyberhawk has successfully completed the first full ABS intermediate hull survey 4 on an oil tanker using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Using the UAV, the company performed full class inspection across 19 tanks on board an oil tanker while she was berthed at a Singapore shipyard. This included 12 cargo oil tanks (COT), two slop tanks and five ballast tanks. In attendance was ABS to ensure the quality of the inspection complied with the specific ABS rules (ESP) for tankers. The inspection also had to satisfy the US Coast Guards Critical Area Inspection Plan (CAIP) as the vessel was US flagged and operates in Alaskan waters. The traditional method of inspection for this type of tanker would be to erect scaffold in the inside of the tank thus giving ABS surveyors the ability to perform a visual survey and allow NDT technicians to take thickness measurements. There are multiple liabilities associated with this type of working, from potential dropped objects caused by lowering equipment into tanks, to potential damage to the tank coating, to working at height in confined spaces. Furthermore, the time required to set up and remove the scaffolding, together with the time required for inspection, is roughly seven days per tank, compared to one day per tank by Cyberhawks two-man team. Rope access is another possible alternative; however, the ABS surveyor would need to be rope access trained, or a live feed from the rope access technicians back to an ABS surveyor on the tank top would be required. This methodology would require significantly longer inspection time compared with UAVs (approximately three times longer) and require an ABS surveyor to be available for the duration. Even with the advantages provided by UAV inspection, however, NDT technicians were still required to take thickness readings (at accessible levels) to meet the ABS survey requirements for this class of vessel. However, this summer, Cyberhawk is due to conduct its first proof of concept on a UT solution from UAVs that would negate the need for scaffolding, rope access technicians or rafting solutions for this type of tanker survey. Malcolm Connolly, Cyberhawk technical director, was part of the tank inspection team. He said: Since we conducted the first UAV tank inspection back in 2015, the take up of this solution has become increasingly adopted within the industry. These previous inspections, however, have only focused on capturing visual data of approximately 20 to 30 critical areas. To comply with ABS rules for this particular category of class survey, we required close up coverage of 100% of the tanks internal frame structure at a resolution equivalent to a person viewing the surface at arms length. More than 350 flights were made and over 600GB of data was collected. The data is hosted in iHawk, Cyberhawks cloud-based visual asset management software, which has been designed to host the huge volumes of data captured by UAVs or other sources and allow the user to access this data in a functional and intuitive way. iHawk provides a 360 deg view of the inside of the tanks, with defects and areas of interest highlighted. High definition imagery is provided, which allows the user to see these points of interest in great detail, allowing them to make evidence-based asset management decisions. The software also provides a complete visual record of the tank, which can be referred to on an ongoing basis to monitor the condition of the tank and the degradation of any defects. Chris Fleming, Cyberhawk CEO, added: UAVs and robotics in general have taken inspection to a new level thanks to the time, cost and safety benefits being proven every day. However, digitising the data captured is a transformational step for the asset management industry. The days of PDF and paper reports are numbered, where reporting by exception and capturing data only on areas of concern is the standard. Technology advances, which allow digital data to be captured consistently on 100% of a structure, open the door for effective risk-based inspection (RBI) programmes. Generating these huge volumes of data, however, creates its own challenges and requires a different approach to reporting in order to get the best value out of the data. By hosting data in a cloud-based asset management system, such as iHawk, inspection information can be viewed in a far more intuitive and efficient way, compared with wading through a 100-page inspection document. This also means that multiple stakeholders can access and view exactly the same data, which also provides a realistic representation of the asset even for those who have never been in contact with it, he said.




On 30th July, the European Council extended EU NAVFOR Somalias operation mandate until 31st December, 2020.

Operation Atalantas objectives are deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast and the protection of the World Food Program (WFP) and other vulnerable shipping, fishing activities and EU missions and programmes in the region.

The naval presence of the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta and the co-operation with other international forces, has strongly contributed to the dramatic decrease in piracy attacks in this region, Martin Dorsman, the European Shipowners Association secretary general, said.

The number of attacks off the Somalian coast has decreased from 176 in 2011 to nine in 2017, while no incident was reported during the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile in Asia, ReCAAP reported seven confirmed incidents last month of armed robbery against ships.

Compared to June, there was an increase in the number of incidents, as only one incident was reported in the previous month.

Of the seven incidents reported in July, two occurred on board ships while underway and five incidents on board ships at anchor/berth.
Half a million seafarers across the world have benefited from revolutionary app

Half a million seafarers have benefited from an app that helps them as they move from port to port around the world, claimed the Sailors Society who invented it.

The International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) Ship Visitor app is used worldwide by 10 maritime welfare organisations, who provide chaplaincy to seafarers who are away from home. Sailors Societys CEO, Stuart Rivers, said: Real-time reporting enables port chaplains and ship visitors to deliver more joined-up care to the seafarers they meet. Its encouraging that the Ship Visitor app has reached this milestone and is testament to the collaborative work between the maritime welfare providers who have embraced its potential to improve care provisions. This app enables chaplains and ship visitors to report their activities in real time and maintains a history of ship visits and support provided to seafarers. Subject to confidentiality and data protection policies, this information can be used to provide ongoing care and assistance as ship and crew continue its voyage. Rivers added: From the app we can see the sort of welfare cases our team are supporting on a daily basis, from piracy and abandonment to visiting seafarers in hospital. It gives us a more detailed picture of the needs of seafarers  and allows us to tailor our provision accordingly. Since its launch in September, 2015, there have been many examples of how the Ship Visitor app has improved welfare provision. Rivers explained: Marc Schippers, our port chaplain in Antwerp, was visiting a ship and found there was a negative atmosphere on board. Some of the crew told him there had been arguments between themselves and officers. The ship was about to depart for Southampton and Marc had to disembark, but before he did, he assured the crew someone would visit them when they reached their next port. He logged his visit into the app and highlighted the situation to his colleague in Southampton, who was then able to meet the crew upon their arrival. The advance warning of the situation enabled the chaplain in Southampton to offer appropriate support and services, including transporting the seafarers into the city for a well-earned break from their duties and the intensity of life on board, he said. The network of organisations using the app has grown since it launched in 2015. Furthermore, Sailors Society now has an affiliate programme for maritime welfare providers in North America, which includes: Houston International Seafarers Centre, the Ministry to Seafarers in Montreal, Saguenay International Seafarers Ministry and most recently International Seafarers Center in Brunswick, Georgia. Jan Kubisa from the Houston International Seafarers Centre, said: All the chaplains are using the app on a daily basis and it is difficult to imagine our daily ship visits without it.




NRG lands in Tuzla

NRG Marine, the UK-based manufacturer of Sonihull ultrasonic anti-fouling systems, has appointed Bulutlu Marine as its distributor in Turkey.

We are delighted to have appointed Bulutlu Marine as our distributer for Turkey, said Darren Rowlands, Commercial Director of NRG Marine. They are fantastically positioned in Tuzla and have a wealth of contacts and experience in this very buoyant market. Bulutlu Marine is situated in the Tuzla shipyard district, southeast of Istanbul at the southern entrance of the Bosporus strait. Sonihull joins an established stable of industry brands that Bulutlu Marine already represents in the region, including - Centa, CMT, Fernstrum, Straub and Weka. We were introduced to NRG Marine by two respected marine businesses and we are delighted to be involved with such good products, said Cem Bulutlu, Managing Director of Bulutlu Marine. There is no better time for our partnership with NRG Marine, in an era when the anti-fouling industry is striving to be more environmentally friendly. Sonihull systems use ultrasonic pulses to prevent waterborne organisms colonising solid surfaces that are exposed to raw sea water or raw fresh water. Unlike impressed-current systems, which rely on the electrolytic release of poisonous metallic ions to make the water uninhabitable, Sonihull systems do not require any drilling or specialist current-isolation when installed. There are also no expensive sacrificial anodes to replace so, the resulting poisonous metallic compounds are not released back into the environment, the company claimed. Owners and operators who fit Sonihull systems to protect box cooler installations can expect a reduction in Capex and lifetime maintenance costs of up to 95% when compared to impressed current systems, said Dominic Findlow, NRG Marine Technical Director.




TO Markets - Oil demand still growing

According to McQuilling Services 2018 Mid-Year Tanker Market Outlook Update, global oil demand is expected to grow 1.5% in 2018 to over 99 mill barrels per day with significant gains projected in the middle-light end of the barrel.

The longer-term outlook calls for 1.1% gains per annum through 2022 amid strength in jet fuel, LPG and naphtha. Next year, additional crude supply in the Middle East is likely to stem from OPEC producers (ex-Iran), pushing global supply growth to 2.0 mill barrels per day in 2019. Global crude oil supply growth is projected to add over 5.3 mill barrels per day through 2022 with added support from Russia and Brazil, while Venezuela will remain pressured. McQuilling expected global HSFO prices to average $386 per tonne this year and fall to $345 per tonne in 2019 considering demand side impacts from upcoming global sulfur regulations (testing, inventory builds). Floating storage for fuel oil is likely to rise going forward, while excess Iranian crude will also likely be stored on floating tankers. Crude and residuals transport demand is expected to total just over 10.8 trill tonne/miles in 2018, the highest ever recorded. Total VLCC demand in 2017 amounted to about 6.6 trill tonne/miles, up 5.5% from 2016, as the growth of Atlantic Basin exports offset stagnating demand from the Middle East to the Far East. For this year, McQuilling, forecast slightly lower growth of 4.6%, following a second half resurgence of Middle East crude exports amid a shift in the OPEC compliance accord. The US will continue to add tonne/mile demand for VLCCs, particularly if logistical infrastructure improves as crude supply rises. The consultancy estimated that US Gulf flows to the Far East will expand by 9.7% per annum through 2022, as the latters crude deficit expands by 1.8 mill barrels per day over this period, although short-term pressure will likely stem from recent US/China trade disputes. The future is less certain for Iran with the current US administrations decision to re-impose sanctions. Historical observations of cross-over between Iran and other Middle East producers is well established with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, projected to absorb Irans lost exports, particularly to Europe. Overall, McQuillings analysis of these fundamentals shows a 1% increase in the Middle East/Southern Europe Suezmax trade this year. LR2 demand is projected to increase in 2018 by 1.1%, despite a relatively strong 3.1% increase in volumes. The average mileage for LRs has been steadily declining, as the refinery configuration mismatch with product demand in key regions has been mitigated through expanding capacity in the latter. In 2018, the MR2 sector is expected to rise by 4.1% versus 2017 levels, as the growth in US Gulf Coast exports to West Coast South America outpaces the declines observed in flows to East Coast South America, although this is projected to stabilise in 2019. In 2018 and 2019, McQuilling projected that the DPP fleet will grow as a whole by 2.9% and 2% on an average inventory basis, when measured by absolute vessel count. For the VLCC sector, average inventory growth is anticipated to slow to an average of just 1% in the 2021/22 time frame, while for the Suezmax and Aframax segments, an average of under 1.5% is projected from 2019-2022. Overall, CPP net fleet growth is projected to average 0.4% over the next two years and only 1.1% over the full five year projection period, although the 5.5% annualised growth in the chemical fleet must be considered. In 2019, we project VLCC newbuilding values basis South Korea/Japan to average $90.8 mill, while Suezmax orders are forecast to average $61.3 mill. On average, a 3.4% increase year-on-year in DPP newbuilding values for 2019 is forecast. Freight rates for DPP tankers are projected to remain weak through 2019, due to supply side pressures. TD3C is expected to average WS47 in 2019 (2018 flat rate basis), before climbing to WS54 in 2020 and WS68 in 2022. On a TCE basis, the projection of bunker prices shows that TD3C will average $16,100 per day in 2019, falling to $8,600 per day in 2020 on the expectation of higher low sulfur bunker prices. Freight rates for CPP tankers are forecast to improve through 2020, with potentially steep upward support thought for 2019 amid a favourable net fleet growth situation. TC1 and TC5 are predicted to average WS105 and WS120 in 2019, respectively, with round-trip TCEs coming in at $12,500 per day and $10,300 per day, respectively, while a more favourable scenario is projected using triangulated routes for these tankers, up 28% and 44% for the LR2s and LR1s, respectively. For the MRs, the US Gulf/Caribbean trade is expected to average $470,000 per voyage next year or $15,700 per day. On the benchmark TC2 voyage, the WS rate forecasts shows WS140 for 2019, peaking at WS147 in 2020 before trending to WS146 in the final two years of the forecast, McQuilling said. Elsewhere, Reuters reported that state-owned oil major Sinopec's trading unit, Unipec, has suspended US oil imports. Last Friday, US largest oil industry group warned that Trump's trade war with China posed serious risks for the energy sector. Chinas retaliation will hit Americas energy industry particularly hard, said Kyle Isakower, VP for regulatory and economic policy at the American Petroleum Institute (API). American natural gas and oil companies already hit by U.S. tariffs on industrial products . . . will now be faced with Chinese tariffs on critical U.S. exports, impacting American jobs that rely directly and indirectly on the energy industry. We urge the administration to end these trade policies that work against our own energy interests and threaten our shared goal of maximising US energy production and US energy exports." Saudi Aramco has resumed oil shipments through Bab-El-Mandeb Strait. The company will continue to monitor the situation and remain ready to take necessary actions in efforts to constantly ensure the safety and reliability of supply to its customers through its wide network which has the flexibility to export oil through multiple ports, Saudi Aramco said. Navig8 Product 2020 has taken delivery of the Navig8 Pride LHJ. She is a 110,600 dwt scrubber-fitted LR2 built by New Times Shipbuilding and is the first of eight scrubber fitted LR2s from the companys newbuilding programme to be delivered. She will join Navig8 Groups Alpha8 commercial pool.




VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- San Marco Resources Inc. (SMN: TSX-V) (San Marco or the Company") announces it has signed an earn-in agreement (the Agreement) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta plc (Antofagasta) over San Marcos 100% owned Chunibas Project in Sonora State, Mexico (the Project).



Under the Agreement, Antofagasta can acquire a 70% interest in the Project (the Earn-In Option) by expending or incurring US$8 million in exploration expenditures in respect of the Project (the Earn-In Expenditures) and making cash payments for an aggregate amount of US$200,000 over a period of 4 years. Of the Earn-In Expenditures, a firm exploration expenditure commitment of US$700,000 will be used primarily for an initial drill program. Included in that US$ 700,000 will be the reimbursement to San Marco of US$ 100,000 to cover its costs of recent Project exploration expenditures. The initial drill program is anticipated to start as soon as the rainy season ends, and local road conditions improve. San Marco will be the Project operator, under the direction of a Technical Committee consisting of an equal number of members from each company.

San Marcos CEO Chris Grijalva stated; We are pleased to have Antofagasta as a partner and look forward to a successful, team approached exploration program on our copper/silver discovery at the Chunibas project. The Project consists of stratiform, volcanic hosted copper-silver mineralization, similar to several ore deposits in northern Chile and is a style of mineralisation not previously discovered in Mexico."

Upon exercise of the Earn-In Option, San Marco and Antofagasta will participate in a joint venture in proportion to their respective interests (30:70) in the Project. If either partys interest is diluted to 10% or less, the diluting partys interest will convert into a net smelter return royalty (NSR), ranging from 1% to 2% depending on the circumstances of the dilution.

About The Chunibas Property

The Chunibas property is located approximately 160 kilometres east of Hermosillo, Sonora State; Mexico. The property is comprised of several mining concessions with an overall surface area of 530 hectares.

Chunibas is a stratiform, volcanic hosted copper and silver system represented by mineralized andesitic rocks. Bornite and chalcocite are the main copper minerals that are associated with a primary alteration assemblage of epidote, chlorite, albite and >quartz>calcite>specularite. The mineralized rocks have been recognized over an area of 1700 by 300 metres, and remain open along strike and down dip. Highest assay results include a 6.41% copper and a 27.3 g/ton silver sample.

About San Marco

San Marco Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of promising projects in mining-friendly Mexico, including the Chunibas, 1068 and Espiritu SMR Projects in Sonora State.

San Marco actively pursues a strategic project generation program focused on high-caliber, low acquisition cost opportunities in North-western Mexico. The Company has a committed management team with extensive experience in Mexico and a proven track record of building shareholder value. San Marco currently has 66,286,082 issued and outstanding shares.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Christian Grijalva, B.Sc.

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, contact:

Nancy Curry

info@sanmarcocorp.com

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

This news release has been approved by San Marco's Co-Chairman, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying such technical information by reviewing the assay reports provided to San Marco by its independent testing laboratory.

The Company has implemented quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) programs to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with the best possible practices. All sampling programs are carried out in a careful and diligent manner using scientifically established sampling practices designed and tested to ensure that the results are representative and reliable. Quality control programs appropriate to the type of sample and the mineralization are implemented, including such measures as external blanks, standards and duplicate samples. The security of samples from sample acquisition to analysis is a vital component of the sampling process. Procedures include the use of secure core logging, sampling, storage and preparation facilities as appropriate and the prompt, secure and direct shipping of samples to the laboratories. Appropriate sample security procedures are employed given the geographic and topographic conditions and the logistics created by the site location.

Forward Looking Information

Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of San Marco Resources Inc. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. San Marco's actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UEX Corporation (UEX:TSX) (UEX or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has filed a technical report on the West Bear Co-Ni Deposit (the Technical Report), pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI-43-101). The Technical Report supports the disclosure made by UEX in its July 10, 2018 news release announcing the maiden resource estimate of the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit located on the Companys 100% owned West Bear Property.



The Technical Report is entitled: Technical Report for the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Project, Saskatchewan, Canada and was prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. by Mr. Sebastien Bernier, P.Geo., and by Ms. Chantal Jolette, P.Geo. of Analytical Solutions Ltd., each of whom is considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. The Technical Report is dated August 7, 2018 and has an effective date of July 6, 2018.

The Technical Report is available on the Companys website at www.uex-corporation.com and is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

On July 10, 2018, the Company announced a maiden inferred resource estimate for the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit of 390,000 tonnes grading 0.37% cobalt and 0.22% nickel, which equates to 3,172,000 pounds of cobalt and 1,928,000 pounds of nickel. The West Bear Co-Ni Deposit mineral resources were determined using a cut-off grade of 0.023 percent cobalt equivalent (CoEq), using the equation CoEq = Co + (Ni x 0.2). Only mineralization located within a conceptual open pit was included in the final resource estimate.

A sensitivity analysis completed by SRK within the Technical Report demonstrates the high-grade nature of the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit. When compared to the base case resource estimate, over 96% of the contained cobalt still lies within the conceptual pit shell when cut-off grades are increased to 0.09% CoEq (278,837 t at 0.50% Co and 0.29% Ni equaling 3.07 million pounds Co and 1.78 million pounds Ni).

The technical information in this news release has been approved by Mr. Roger Lemaitre, P.Geo., P.Eng., President & CEO of UEX Corporation, who is a Qualified Person in accordance of the requirements of NI 43-101.

About the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit

The West Bear Property is an advanced exploration project located in the eastern Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, Canada that contains both the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit and the West Bear Uranium Deposit. The Property is approximately 740 kilometres north of Saskatoon, west of Wollaston Lake and measures approximately 7,657.3 hectares comprising of 23 contiguous areas to which UEX has title.

The West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit is located within an area of the Athabasca Basin that has excellent infrastructure. The Deposit is situated within 10 km of an existing all-weather road and power lines that service Cameco Corporations nearby Cigar Lake Mine and Rabbit Lake Operation, as well as Oranos McClean Lake Operation.

UEX, through its wholly-owned subsidiary CoEX, commissioned a $1.6 million winter exploration program designed to assess the continuity of cobalt mineralization in basement rocks. The program was designed to follow-up results from 2005 that identified the potential for economically significant cobalt mineralization. Many of the 41 drill holes testing the Project in 2018 were very high grade and expanded the size of the zone. The drill program was successful at expanding the West Bear Co-Ni Deposit which now has a strike length of over 250 m and a dip length of over 100 m and remains open for expansion in all directions.



About UEX

UEX (TSX:UEX, OTC:UEXCF.PK, UXO.F) is a Canadian uranium exploration and development company involved in eighteen uranium projects, including seven that are 100% owned and operated by UEX, one joint venture with Orano Canada Inc. (Orano) and ALX Uranium Corp. (ALX) that is 50.1% owned by UEX and is under option to and operated by ALX, as well as eight joint ventures with Orano, one joint venture with Orano and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited, which are operated by Orano, and one project (Christie Lake) under option from JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited and operated by UEX.



The company is also involved in one cobalt-nickel exploration project located in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan. The West Bear Project was formerly part of UEXs Hidden Bay Project and contains the West Bear Cobalt-Nickel Deposit and the West Bear Uranium Deposit.



The eighteen projects are located in the eastern, western and northern perimeters of the Athabasca Basin, the world's richest uranium belt, which in 2017 accounted for approximately 22% of the global primary uranium production. UEX is currently advancing several uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin which include the Christie Lake deposits, the Kianna, Anne, Colette and 58B deposits at its currently 49.1%-owned Shea Creek Project (located 50 km north of Fissions Triple R Deposit and Patterson Lake South Project, and NexGens Arrow Deposit) the Horseshoe and Raven deposits located on its 100%-owned Horseshoe-Raven Development Project and the West Bear Uranium Deposit located at its 100%-owned West Bear Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Roger Lemaitre

President & CEO

(306) 713-1401

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such statements are based on UEX's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the West Bear Co-Ni Deposit drill program, UEX's drill hole results, uranium, cobalt and nickel prices, outlook for our future operations, plans and timing for exploration activities, and other expectations, intentions and plans that are not historical fact. Such forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions and is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from UEX's expectations include uncertainties relating to the, interpretation of drill results and geology, assay confirmation, additional drilling results, continuity and grade of deposits, fluctuations in uranium, cobalt and nickel prices and currency exchange rates, changes in environmental and other laws affecting uranium, cobalt and nickel exploration and mining, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in UEX's Annual Information Form and other filings with the applicable Canadian securities commissions on SEDAR. Many of these factors are beyond the control of UEX. Consequently, all forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by this cautionary statement and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by UEX will be realized. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable law, UEX disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




San Francisco, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the business travel industry, today announced the release of Deem Intelligent Attach for messaging platforms. The artificial intelligence solution will be available to Deem customers as part of the Work Fource platform on Apple iOS and Google Android based messaging applications, with other messaging platforms available in the future.



Deem Intelligent Attach utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to analyze corporate and agency preferences, past traveler behavior, employee profiles and sentiment data, to offer customized and personalized hotel and ground transportation options to travelers via smartphone. The solution is currently available via desktop, mobile responsive application and email.



If a traveler has a flight booking but no hotel or ground transportation, Deems Intelligent Attach sends them a message with highly targeted options, said John F. Rizzo, CEO, COO and President, Deem. The traveler can tap once, review the personalized offers, and then add the hotel or ground transportation option they want to their trip and their itinerary is automatically updated.



Deem Intelligent Attach is available to travelers using Deem Work Fource to book and manage their travel. Intelligent attach also works with other online booking tools and travel management itineraries.



Investing in this new platform is important because it saves our travelers time by providing personalized, contextual recommendations throughout their journey and improves their travel experience, said Neil Markey, SVP Product and CIO, Deem.



Low attachment rates for hotel and ground transportation is a critical problem for the corporate travel industry. Deem Intelligent Attach solves this problem by providing the right travel options at the right time through dynamic and seamless channels such as messaging platforms. Combined with a robust desktop platform, a fully functional mobile app, and fast and secure infrastructure, the platform provides a solution for corporations and travel management companies that saves travelers time and hassle, lowers servicing efforts and helps control costs.



Deems Intelligent Attach gives companies a competitive advantage when it comes to their travel program, said Rizzo. It helps them control costs, it improves their duty of care and it provides a booking and management platform their employees will actually enjoy using, which is increasingly important to todays work force.



Flight change and dining options are additional features on the Deem Intelligent Attach road map.



About Deem | deem.com



The most difficult part of any business trip is too often the trip itself. It shouldnt be. Deem makes it painless for the traveler to get down to business without distraction, simpler for the travel manager and management company to keep track of all the moving parts, and easier for partners to get the information they need to stay competitive.



The Deem Work Fource platform is designed for the entire business travel ecosystem using machine learning, AI and predictive analytics. Deems suite of tools range from a dynamic traveler booking platform, travel manager cost controls, travel agency service technology and supplier revenue opportunities, including the worlds largest car service affiliate network and operator solutions.



Deems Work Fource Platform services more than 50,000 corporate customers in 61 countries, speaking 14+ languages - including the worlds largest travel management companies. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with offices in Bangalore, India, is backed by leading venture capital funds, as well as corporate and private equity investors.


Cinesite has announced that it has acquired German vfx and feature animation outfit Trixter.

Cinesite will own 100% of the Trixter business once regulatory and legal work is completed and the existing senior Trixter team will continue to lead the business in Germany. As with Cinesites 2015 acquisition of Vancouver-based VFX studio Image Engine Design, Trixter will retain its brand and creative centre.

Trixter was founded twenty years ago by Simone Kraus Townsend and Michael Coldewey, Professor at the Munich Filmschool (HFF). The studio has capacity for 220 artists in Munich and Berlin and has worked with Marvel Studios on characters like Iron Man, Black Panther, Rocket and Baby Groot. It has also contributed to projects including Spider Man Homecoming for Columbia Pictures, The Fate of the Furious for Universal Pictures and episodes for Netflixs Lost in Space and AMCs The Walking Dead.



Cinesite group CEO Antony Hunt said: The Trixter team has a fantastic reputation for producing high quality concept art, character design alongside complex VFX and feature animation. In partnering with Trixter, we are executing our strategic objective of enhancing our market position in both visual effects and animation and getting the benefit of an amazing creative team of people in Munich and Berlin.



The skills transfer, technology collaboration, shared resources and approaches across our international studios brings benefits to all our teams and the quality of the work they create. This is borne out by the success of the Cinesite group, which has continued to grow its market share and has seen its revenue increase 40% year on year since 2014."



"I am incredibly proud of our people and the business and brand equity we have all built," said Christian Sommer, CEO, Trixter. "By joining forces with Cinesite we will benefit from both their global infrastructure and a broader range of clients to further strengthen our position in the international market."



Trixter co-founders, Simone Kraus Townsend and Michael Coldewey commented; "This is an incredibly exciting time for everybody involved and there are huge opportunities for all of us. We are pleased to have found a supportive and forward-thinking partner in Cinesite and are eager to share Trixters talents and expertise with the group."



Picture credit: Lost in Space. Property of Legendary. Work done at Trixter

Share this story
Death toll in Indonesia quake rises to 164



Mataram (West Nusa Tenggara), Indonesia, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



The death toll from a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has risen above 160, an official said Thursday, as authorities urgently appealed for medicine, food and clean water for some 156,000 people displaced by the disaster.

Many frightened 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 powerful quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

"The death toll rose to 164 people with at least 1,400 people seriously injured and 156,000 displaced," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.

Tens of thousands of homes, businesses and mosques were levelled by the quake, which struck on Sunday as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island.

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 of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake.

"We are still waiting for assessments from some of the more remote areas in the north of the island, but it is already clear that Sunday's earthquake was exceptionally destructive," Christopher Rassi, the head of a Red Cross assessment team on Lombok, said in a statement.

He estimated 75 percent of houses are damaged in some villages in east and north Lombok.

"There are still some evacuees that have not yet been touched by aid, especially in North Lombok and West Lombok," Nugroho tweeted Thursday.
German man missing after floods rip through French campsite



Marseille, Aug 9 (AFP) Aug 09, 2018



An elderly German man, who was helping supervise children at a campsite in southeast France, was missing on Thursday after being swept away by floodwaters, police said.

The 75-year-old man was accompanying a group of around 100 German children who were evacuated from a campsite in Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Avignon in the Gard region.

Trapped by a muddy, fast-flowing torrent after the Ardeche river burst its banks he sought shelter inside his caravan, but the vehicle was swept away.

It was later found "empty and in pieces" near the river, police said.

He was the only person unaccounted for after a rescue operation at three campsites in the area, where a heatwave ended abruptly this week in storms that caused flash flooding.

Divers were taking part in the search for the missing man, an AFP journalist at the scene said.

The group of 136 children and youths from the German city of Leverkusen, were now safe.

Ten people were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia and minor injuries, said regional police spokesman Jerome Tallaron.

According to the interior ministry, a total of 1,600 people, most of them campers, were evacuated as a precaution in Gard and the nearby Ardeche and Drome regions.

Several parts of central and southeast France are on flood alert after weeks of blazing temperatures erupted in storms on Thursday, turning several campsites into mudbaths.

Around 17,000 homes in the southwest and northeast were without power.
Toronto, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada welcomes todays announcement from Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Mary Ng, Canadas new minister for small business and export promotion, regarding new deals with major credit card companies to reduce the fees they charge Canadian businesses.

The voluntary, five-year deals with Visa, Mastercard and American Express will provide much needed relief for foodservice operators, who spend billions of dollars each year on credit card interchange and processing fees.

This is a step in the right direction, said Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada President & CEO. Eighty per cent of our members tell us that interchange fees hurt their bottom line. We are pleased to see the government respond to their concerns and we will continue to work towards achieving greater relief as soon as possible. Small- and medium-sized businesses struggle most with these fees  these are middle-class Canadians and when their businesses thrive, so do their communities.

Visa and Mastercard have committed to lower the fees they charge businesses to an average annual effective rate of 1.4 per cent  down from 1.5 per cent  for a period of five years, and narrow the gap between the highest and lowest rates they collect from retailers.

American Express has promised to provide more fairness and transparency as part of a separate voluntary agreement that recognizes its unique business model.

Merchant fees in Canada are among the highest in the world and have long been a major concern for foodservice operators across the country. Despite modest reductions negotiated in 2014, the billions of dollars that merchants pay annually in interchange and other fees continues to rise as consumers are enticed by premium reward cards. The rewards are financed not by the card companies or issuers, but by restaurateurs and other small businesses.

On a typical restaurant meal, the credit card issuer often makes more profit than the restaurateur, said David Lefebvre, Vice President, Federal & Quebec. We look forward to continuing our work with government creating a fair and level playing field for all restaurant owners and entrepreneurs.

As a next step, Restaurants Canada is proposing that the federal government impose a cap on interchange fees and prohibit credit card issuers from increasing and adding new fees without regulatory oversight. The association is also looking to government to remove interchange fees from the tips and taxes portion of purchases.

About Restaurants Canada

Restaurants Canada (formerly CRFA) is a growing community of more than 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant community. Canadas restaurant industry is an $85 billion industry, directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs and serves 22 million customers every day.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. has honored multiple facilities and employees with Environmental and Sustainability Awards, recognizing efforts that helped Smithfield save more than 1.1 billion gallons of water, more than 8.8 million kilowatts of electricity, and more than 21.1 million pounds of solid waste generation in 2017.



Smithfield President and Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth M. Sullivan, honored the award recipients earlier this week at a ceremony during the companys annual Environmental and Sustainability Conference. This conference is designed to engage employees on the companys sustainability program through case studies, presentations, and breakout sessions.

Sustainability is firmly ingrained in our companys culture and is integrated into every aspect of our domestic and international operations, said Sullivan. Our employees work tirelessly to do things the right way  the sustainable way  and these award-winning teams exemplify those efforts.

The facilities honored are instrumental to Smithfields industry-leading sustainability program . Their efforts to improve resource efficiency support Smithfields larger sustainability goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2025 throughout its entire supply chain.

These teams demonstrate the direct impact that employees throughout the company have on our sustainability goals, said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. Each of the more than 54,000 members of the Smithfield Family help contribute to our industry-leading position in sustainability. Their hard work not only strengthens our company and sustainability program, but positively impacts the communities we call home. 

Environmental and Sustainability Award winners received $5,000 and the facility honored with the Presidents Award received $10,000. Each winning team donated a portion of the prize to the charity of their choice.

PRESIDENTS AWARD WINNER

Springdale, Ohio

Implemented a new ingredient purchasing process, which resulted in annual waste reduction of 32 tons and annual savings of more than $520,000.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Denison, Iowa

Improved water utilization by capturing water for reuse in three separate operations, resulting in an annual savings of $36,000.

Starachowice, Poland

Reduced water consumption by 20 percent and discharge by 10 percent by utilizing ultrasonic equipment to identify underground water leaks.

Animex Opole, Poland

Improved energy efficiency by 20 percent, decreased hot water production by 185,000 gallons, and decreased natural gas consumption by 6,300 cubic meters per month by expanding and modernizing its steam condensate return system.

Kinston, North Carolina

Improved fuel efficiency by 49 percent and reduced GHG emissions by recognizing and resolving inefficiencies in refrigeration units on trailers. This facility was also recognized for developing an award-winning system to capture product, previously sent to rendering, which reduces waste.

Orange City, Iowa

Reduced annual waste 250 tons by identifying a local biofuel producer to utilize the material as an alternate landfill disposal.

Warsaw, North Carolina

Developed a semi-annual standard operating procedure for cleaning equipment, reducing cost, reducing equipment downtime, and saving 3,000 bushels of corn used for animal feed annually.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Included the local fire department in its mock ammonia release, which included real-world emergency scenarios and facility evacuation.

Junction City, Kansas

Implemented an engaging employee training activity to identify intentionally created errors in refrigeration system flow charts.

Sioux City, Iowa

Volunteered and created a weekly schedule to perform maintenance on a local park for persons with special needs.

East Central Region, North Carolina

Provided a two-day presentation to 800 elementary students in Duplin County, North Carolina, including hog farm demonstrations and activities to support the students curriculum.

Omaha, Nebraska

Eliminated unnecessary packaging from product and reduced waste material by 15,000 pounds annually.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn .

Contact:

Diana Souder

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(757) 357-1675

dsouder@smithfield.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/add1d52b-b816-4a34-a90e-7314274cf850.
Coming Soon Join Columbia Childrens Theatre this October for the musical production of Ragtime! At the dawn of a new century, everything is changingand anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting...

This week at Picnic in the Park Theres nothing better than great music and great companyin the best neighborhood around. Town Theatre will present a second series of concerts by some fantastic performers that have graced not...
OTTAWA, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadas convenience store retailers are welcoming todays announcement by federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help lower the cost of accepting credit card payments.



Todays credit card announcement is good news for small retailers, who bear a heavy financial burden for accepting credit card payments, said Satinder Chera, President of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association (CCSA), who was joined at todays announcement by Michel Gadbois, President of the Quebec Convenience Stores Association. Along with our partners in the Small Business Matters Coalition, we particularly welcome the federal governments trust-but-verify measure to hold the credit card companies accountable for their commitments to lower interchange fees.

Todays announcement builds upon the 2014 voluntary agreements with these companies, with the added focus on closing the gap between rates afforded to larger businesses at the expense of smaller ones. Implementing third-party verification of interchange fees actually being reduced is another important measure in todays announcement.

While we had hoped for deeper cuts, sooner, we see todays announcement as another step in holding the multi-national credit card companies more accountable for their impact on small businesses, said Chera.

The Association looks forward to working with its partners to continue meeting with Finance Minister Morneau and his staff to provide ongoing feedback on todays announcement.
English French

Paris, France, August 9, 2018: EURO Ressources S.A. ("EURO" or "the Company") (Paris: EUR) today announced its unaudited statutory interim financial results prepared in accordance with French Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") and its unaudited condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") for the six months ended June 30, 2018. These unaudited interim financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on August 9, 2018. All financial amounts are expressed in Euros ("" or "euros") unless otherwise specified.

Highlights

Under French GAAP, EURO reported a net profit of 8.5 million (0.137 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to 6.7 million (0.108 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 7.7 million (0.123 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to 8.3 million (0.133 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

EURO recorded revenues of 11.6 million in the first six months of 2018 (6.0 million in the second quarter of 2018) compared to revenues of 13.0 million in the first six months of 2017 (6.5 million reported in the second quarter of 2017).

On June 14, 2018, EURO paid dividends of 9.4 million (0.15 per share).

Liquidity and capital resources

Cash at June 30, 2018 totaled 17.4 million as compared to 15.5 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was mainly due to cash flow from operating activities partially offset by the dividends paid.

Marketable securities

EURO holds marketable securities related to mining companies which are part of a volatile market. Share market price exposure risk is related to the fluctuation in the market price of marketable securities. Investments in marketable securities are recorded at fair value.

As at June 30, 2018, marketable securities were comprised of 19,095,345 shares of Columbus Gold Corp. ("Columbus") (12.0% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2017: 12.0%) and 3,819,069 shares of Allegiant Gold Ltd. ("Allegiant") (8.2% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2017: 0%).

Following the approval of a spin-out arrangement by Columbus' shareholders on November 27, 2017, EURO received on January 30, 2018, a common share of Allegiant for every five Columbus shares held. This transaction resulted in a gain of 1.7 million based on the fair value of shares received of C$0.68 per share on the date of the transaction.Under IFRS, this gain was accounted for in other comprehensive income, and under French GAAP, this gain was accounted for in financial income in net earnings.

During the six month period ended June 30, 2018, the Company recognized an unrealized loss following the decrease of the fair value of these marketable securities. Under IFRS, the loss of 7.3 million was recorded in other comprehensive income. Under French GAAP, the loss of 1.6 million was recorded in financial expenses in the statement of earnings.

Comments on financial results prepared in accordance with French GAAP for the six month period ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017

Under French GAAP and IFRS, revenues were 11.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018, a decrease compared to revenues of 13.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. These revenues were mainly attributable to the Rosebel royalty of 11.42 million compared to 12.85 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The decrease in revenues was due to the combination of three items: the impact of a stronger euro (1.37 million) and lower gold production of 142,371 ounces in the first six months of 2018 compared to 155,572 ounces in the first six months of 2017 (1.08 million), partially offset by the impact of a higher average gold price in the first six months of 2018 of US$1,317 per ounce of gold compared to US$1,238 per ounce of gold in the first six months of 2017 (1.04 million). Other royalties were 0.15 million from third parties in French Guiana during the first six months of 2018 (first six months of 2017: 0.15 million).

Under French GAAP, operating expenses (excluding amortization expense) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were 0.45 million compared to 0.52 million during the same period in 2017. The decrease was mainly due to lower administrative costs and lower taxes in 2018.

The depreciation expense related to intangible assets was 0.20 million during the first half of 2018 compared to 0.29 million during the first six months of 2017. This decrease was related to a lower gold production and to the increase in Rosebel's gold reserves.

The Company also recorded as an exceptional income a reimbursement of 0.1 million in 2017 by the Government of France of operating taxes paid in prior years.

Financial results include a foreign exchange gain on bank accounts under French GAAP of 0.8 million in the first six months of 2018 compared to a foreign exchange loss on bank accounts and receivables of 1.7 million in the first six months of 2017. This foreign exchange gain in 2018 compared to a loss in 2017 is mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in 2018 compared to a strengthening in 2017.

During the first six months ended June 30, 2018, EURO recorded an income tax expense of 3.6 million compared to 4.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The decrease was mainly due to the absence of tax on dividends in 2018 compared to 2017.

Select IFRS financial results

Since December 31, 2010, EURO no longer prepares and publishes consolidated financial statements for French purposes; only French GAAP can be applied for the presentation of statutory financial statements and approval by the shareholders. However, in order to comply with Canadian requirements and have equivalency of information between French financial requirements and Canadian financial requirements, the following information on the IFRS financial results is provided for comparison purposes.

Six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 (IFRS)

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 7.7 million (0.123 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to 8.3 million (0.133 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Under IFRS, revenues totaled 11.6 million in the first half of 2018 compared to revenues of 13.0 million during the same period in 2017, the same as under French GAAP as explained above.

Operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were 0.29 million compared to 0.26 million in the same period in 2017. The increase is mainly explained by the reimbursement of operating taxes of 0.1 million, recorded in 2017, by the Government of France paid in prior years, partially offset by lower administrative costs in 2018.

The amortization expense of 0.23 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018 was lower than the amortization expense of 0.37 million recorded during the same period in 2017, mainly due to lower production and higher reserves at the Rosebel mine and the impact of a stronger euro.

EURO recorded a foreign exchange gain of 0.27 million in the first six months of 2018 compared to a loss of 0.31 million in the first six months of 2017, mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in 2018 compared to a strengthening in 2017. This rate was used for the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax receivable.

EURO recorded an income tax expense of 3.8 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 similar to the income tax expense in the same period of 2017. Higher translation adjustments in 2018 were offset by the impact of a lower taxable income and the absence of the tax on dividends in 2018.

Second quarter ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 (IFRS)

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 3.7 million (0.059 per share) for the second quarter of 2018 compared to 4.2 million (0.067 per share) for the second quarter of 2017.

Revenues were 6.0 million during the second quarter of 2018, lower compared to revenues of 6.5 million for the second quarter of 2017. Revenues were mainly attributable to the Rosebel royalty of 5.9 million (second quarter of 2017: 6.4 million). The decrease in revenues was due to the combination of three items: a stronger euro (0.57 million) and lower gold production of 73,579 ounces in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 77,300 ounces in the second quarter of 2017 (0.30 million), partially offset by the impact of a higher average gold price in the second quarter of 2018 of US$1,306 per ounce of gold compared to US$1,257 per ounce of gold in the second quarter of 2017 (0.33 million). Other royalties from third parties in French Guiana were 0.1 million during the second quarter of 2018 (second quarter of 2017: 0.1 million).

During the second quarter of 2018, the Company recorded operating expenses of 0.18 million compared to 0.11 million during the same period in 2017. The increase is mainly explained by the reimbursement of operating taxes of 0.1 million, recorded in 2017, by the Government of France paid in prior years, partially offset by lower administrative costs in 2018.

The amortization expense of 0.12 million during the second quarter of 2018 was lower than the amortization expense of 0.18 million recorded during the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to lower production and higher reserves at the Rosebel mine and the impact of a stronger euro.

EURO recorded a foreign exchange gain of 0.2 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to a loss of 0.3 million in the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in the second quarter of 2018 compared to a strengthening in same period in 2017. This rate was used for the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax receivable.

EURO recorded an income tax expense of 2.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 1.8 million in the second quarter of 2017. The increase was mainly due to translation adjustments partially offset by the impact of a lower taxable income and the absence of the tax on dividends in 2018.

Outlook

In 2018, the Rosebel royalty production per IAMGOLD's guidance is anticipated to be between 311,000 ounces and 326,000 ounces. In 2018, the Rosebel royalty is expected to provide revenues to the Company of between approximately 23.7 million and 24.9 million (US$28.0 million and US$29.4 million). These pre-tax numbers assume a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce and an exchange rate of 1 for US$1.18. The impact of changes in the average gold price on EURO's annual revenues, based on an estimated production of 318,000 ounces, would be approximately US$3.1 million for each US$100 per ounce change in the gold price. The impact of a 5% change in the average foreign exchange rate on EURO's annual revenues would be approximately 1.2 million. EURO's cash flow is expected to be primarily affected by income tax payments and eventual payment of dividends. The Company maintains certain cash available to pursue opportunities that would enhance the Company's long-term business.

About EURO

EURO is a French company whose principal asset is a gold production royalty from the Rosebel gold mine in Suriname (the "Rosebel royalty"). The Rosebel gold mine is 95%-owned by IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD"), and is operated by IAMGOLD. EURO has approximately 62.5 million shares outstanding. At June 30, 2018, IAMGOLD France S.A.S., a wholly owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD, owned approximately 89.71% of all issued outstanding shares of EURO.

Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Additional information relating to EURO Ressources S.A. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Further requests for information should be addressed to:
TORONTO, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprott Resource Holdings Inc. (SRHI) (TSX: SRHI) today announced that it will host a conference call on Monday, August 13, 2018 at 4:00pm ET to discuss its 2018 second quarter results. The call will be hosted by SRHI CEO, Steve Yuzpe, and CFO, Michael Staresinic. The company plans to release its financial results at 8:00am ET the same day.



Conference Call Details

To participate in the call, please dial (855) 458-4215 ten minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call, conference call and provide conference ID: 7879284. A taped replay of the conference call will be available until August 20, 2018 by calling (855) 859-2056. The conference call will be webcast at www.sprottresource.com and https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/8m3u9qo7.

About Sprott Resource Holdings Inc.

SRHI acquires and grows a portfolio of metals and mining businesses. Based in Toronto, SRHI is part of the Sprott Group of Companies and seeks to deploy capital to businesses that demonstrate strong cash flow to provide our investors with exposure to attractive commodities. For more information about SRHI, please visit www.sprottresource.com.

SOURCE: Sprott Resource Holdings Inc.

For further information:

Glen Williams

Managing Director, Investor Relations

T: (416) 943-4394

E: gwilliams@sprott.com




A Florida man visiting New York City has died after he was punched during an altercation last weekend over a mistaken Uber ride.

Police say that Sandor Szabo, 35, was involved in the altercation around 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning near 41-10 29th Street in Queens. Szabo reportedly knocked on the window of the assailant's car, thinking it was an Uber he had requested. The driver then allegedly got out and punched Szabo in the face; his head hit the pavement when he fell back and he lost consciousness.

The suspect fled the scene northbound in a white SUV. Szabo was hospitalized in critical condition before dying Tuesday.

His coworkers told CBS12 that the Boca Raton resident had been in town for work and then stayed for his stepsister's wedding; he was leaving the hotel where his brother was staying when the incident happened.

"I hope they find him and bring him to justice," Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Holdings, told the local news outlet. "This was really a stupid, stupid act. It's a big family and he was an important part of it so everybody is just heartbroken."

Cops describe the suspect as a bald man, and he was last seen wearing a light colored long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
Police say a seven-month-old baby boy, found floating in the East River on Sunday, most likely died while under the care of his father in the Bronx. NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said the father took a flight to Thailand on Monday, but that he will returning to NYC to face charges within a week. "He's not going anywhere," Shea told reporters yesterday.

The father was identified as 37-year-old Co-Op City resident James Curie. Apparently he had a planned visitation with the baby, Mason Saldana, this past weekend. Shea said during the press conference that the mother dropped off the baby on Saturday and, based on surveillance footage, Currie returned to his Bronx apartment around 12:50 p.m. Then, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Currie was spotted leaving his home with a "backpack rigged" to be a baby carrier on his chest, with a blanket covering the baby entirely.

Shea said investigators believe Mason died in the 24 hour period between being dropped off to Currie and Currie leaving his apartment on Sunday. The NYC Medical Examiner is working to determine the cause of death.

Police also found security camera footage of Currie walking in lower Manhattan between the South Street Seaport and the downtown heliport toward the East River, still with the backpack, around 3:10 p.m. Then, at 4:05 p.m., the first 911 call came about a "baby in the water." A backpack was found in the water near the baby; police are determining whether that was Currie's backpack.

"There will not be a good ending to this story," Shea said. He called the situation "heartbreaking" for the mother, who called 911 on Monday night after the baby never arrived to daycare. "No one could listen to the [mother's 911] call without their blood curdling... At some point during the call, the mother brings up on her own that she heard on the news about a child in the water and fears the worst and starts crying."

"This is clearly something that no parent should have to live through," Shea added.

Currie was detained upon landing in Bangkok and prevented from entering the country. He will be sent back to New York to face arrest for concealment of a human corpse, a felony.
A father of two and veteran New York City cab driver is scheduled to be deported back to his home country of Ecuador on Friday, after he was picked up by ICE following an altercation with a driver who nearly ran over his pet dog, according to family members.

A resident of Maspeth, Queens for nearly 25 years, Edisson Barros has been in custody at the Hudson Correctional Facility in New Jersey since July 16th, when he was detained by ICE agents after a court appearance. According to a GoFundMe set up by his daughter Paola, he'd been arrested by NYPD officers months earlier, after stopping an irresponsible driver from running over the family dog. Barros appeared in court to fight the summons, which was dismissed, but ICE picked him up after he left the courtroom.

"Despite New York City supposedly being a sanctuary city, information was shared and my father was handed over to ICE," the 20-year-old daughter wrote. "He was the breadwinner, and he worked so many hours as a cab driver. Now I am the only source of income for my family, which includes my sister and mother."

An NYPD spokesperson said that Barros was originally arrested for getting into a verbal dispute with a driver about his dog not being on a leash. He was charged with criminal mischief after throwing his keys at the driver's car, police said, and received a desk appearance ticket. The spokesperson added that the NYPD does not conduct civil immigration enforcement (though police officials have admitted that low-level arrests can trigger deportation proceedings).

In an interview with Patch, Paolo Barros said that her father has been mistreated in detention, forced to take scalding showers and prevented from taking his diabetes medication. Carlos Jesus Calzadilla-Palacio, a spokesman for the family, reiterated those claims to Gothamist, saying that "the conditions are atrocioushe's being threatened with solitary confinement, denied necessary medical care, and essentially tortured." Calzadilla-Palacio, who also serves as the president of Young Progressives of America, has been organizing rallies protesting Barros's detention throughout the past week.

"One of his children has a disability, and one of them would have to drop out of college," he told Gothamist. "It's going to cause undue hardship on the familywe can't allow this."

Please, don't let #EdissonBarros' story get buried! News coverage is likely to be dominated by the For-Hire bills up for a vote in the City Council today, but Edisson Barros is scheduled to be deported on Friday. I'm calling on the judge to halt the deportation proceedings. pic.twitter.com/K9bd2VJodp  Francisco Moya (@FranciscoMoyaNY) August 8, 2018

Local politicians are also beginning to take interest in the immigrant's case. On Wednesday, Councilman Francisco Moya penned a letter urging Federal Immigration Judge Mirlande Tadal to stay the deportation.

"At the very least, and in the interest of justice, I ask that you halt the deportation long enough for his pending motions for a stay and to reopen his case have been processed," the councilmember wrote. "He is a dedicated family man, working as a taxi driver to support his family...[and] an upstanding member of the his Queens community."

"I urge Judge Mirlande Tadal to grant a stay of deportation for Mr. Barros and to release him from this Orwellian nightmare we call our immigration system," echoed Councilman Carlos Menchaca in a statement, in which he also drew parallels to the case of Pablo Villavicencio, the delivery worker who was detained while bringing pizza to a military base in Bay Ridge. After public outcry, Villavicencio's deportation was halted in June. He was eventually released from Hudson County Correctional and permitted to return to his wife and two young children.

"Just as New York City stood with Pablo Villavicencio, we stand now with Edisson Barros," declared Menchaca. A rally is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday on the steps of City Hall.
Last year, the inaugural New York City Pizza Festival was dubbed the Fyre Festival of NYC food events after attendees paid up to $75 for a "total scam" that had them waiting over an hour to enter a "shady parking lot" in Bushwick for empty tents and barely any food. The Attorney General opened an inquiry into the fiasco, and the organizer apologized and gave out refunds. So it's understandable that some NYers might be deeply skeptical at the news that a new "New York Pizza Festival" (completely unrelated to last year's disaster) is set to hit the city this fallbut organizers swear it'll be nothing like that other one.

This fest, which literally is the New York Pizza Festival (as opposed to last year's "New York City Pizza Festival"), is set to take place October 6th and 7th on Crescent Avenue in the Belmont section of the Bronx, close to Arthur Avenue. It will feature more than 25 different pizza joints from both around and outside of the city (such as Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle pizzerias).

Among the local fare, that includes favorites like Di Fara's, Denino's, Levante, Pugsley Pizza, Zero Otto Nove, and more. There'll be a Sweet and Spicy pie from Fairfield, Conn.'s Brick + Wood, the Pizza Parmigiana from the Il Pizzaiolo mini-chain in Pennsylvania and a Spinach Dip Pizza from Midtown's Sofia Pizza Shoppe. The website for the fest adds that there'll be slices from "famed Tony Gemignani of San Francisco, Jonathan Goldsmith of Spacca Napoli in Chicago, to Roberto Caporuscio of Keste and Don Antonio and Gino Sorbillo of Sorbillo Napoli."

"The professional pizzaioli that were handpicked to attend are pros at pumping out delicious pies so all slices will be fresh and hot," Fred Mortati, president of the Pizza Academy Foundation which started the fest, told the Daily News. "We have been putting a lot of thought into the layout of the event so that everything flows properly." For those traumatized by last year's fest's lack of actual pizza, he added there will be "full-size slices  no sample sizes."

If you buy tickets to the event (which are required for slices and alcohol) before September 9th, it'll cost $20 for three slices and $30 for six slices (after the 9th, prices for slices go up by $5); beer and wine-only tickets are available at $20 for three drinks and $30 for five drinks. There are also VIP passes available for each day for $100 a day (which gives you 5 beer/wine tickets, 10 slices, and access to a fast pass line). Check out all ticket info here.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Lili Yan Ing (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018

The recent visit of the Indonesian trade delegation to Washington DC was described as a smart move by the United States, and the response from the US has been perceived as promising to deepen trade relations by Indonesia.



The Indonesian delegation visited the US late in July in response to an invitation from the head of the US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to discuss a review of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The Indonesian delegation was led by Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita.



The GSP is a preferential tariff scheme that allows entry to a market with 0 percent tariff rates, provided, typically, by developed countries to developing countries and least developed countries. The US has offered GSP tariff exemptions since 1976.



Indonesia is among the countries that have enjoyed the US GSP until recently. In 2017, Indonesia ranked 4th in terms of the value of exports under the GSP at US$1.95 billion, after India ($5.6 billion), Thailand ($4.2 billion) and Brazil ($2.5 billion). In 2017, Indonesia was eligible for 3,547 tariff lines (at the HS-8 digit level) through the US GSP, and 697 tariff lines of Indonesias exports entered to the US market under the GSP scheme.



The GSP is neither charity nor aid. It was designed to create a win-win solution for both the provider and receiver. The GSP helps developed countries to improve their competitiveness by accessing imported materials produced by developing countries at much more competitive (lower) prices.



In the case of the US and Indonesia, the GSP has been claimed to be one of the most effective tools for supporting US industries. A number of input materials from Indonesia enter the US market under the GSP scheme as the US no longer produces the products. The GSP promotes American values, the US GSP coalition society has claimed. About 80 percent of GSP users in the US are small industries. The GSP certainly helps Indonesian industries to grow, which in turn helps sustain US industries.



The recent GSP review was initiated because of the current US administrations concern about the trade imbalance between the US and Indonesia, with Indonesia recording a trade surplus of $14.3 billion in 2017. This is, however, not something the US should worry about.



First, in 2017, Indonesias exports only contributed 0.86 percent to the US total imports. Based on US-ITC data, Indonesias total exports to the US reached $21.1 billion in 2017. In the last 10 years, Indonesias main exports have been natural rubber, fisheries products, petroleum oil, palm oil, footwear and garments. For Indonesia, the US is Indonesias second largest trading partner, contributing 5.2 percent to Indonesias total imports of $156 billion in 2017. Indonesias main imports from the US are soybeans, cotton, wheat, animal feed, propane and airplane parts.



Second, isolating the balance in the trade of goods might not be the best approach to understanding the overall trade balance. If we look at just one example, Lion Air of Indonesia signed the largest deal in Boeings 94-year history. Boeing signed a deal for 234 airplanes worth $22 billion in 2011, with the first delivery to be in 2017, and another 408 planes worth $38 billion in the pipeline. Unfortunately, the Boeing transaction is not included in the balance of trade, only the balance of payment. In addition, we could also take into account trade in services, the spending of Indonesian students in the US and other government procurement transactions.



Last, on top of that, recent observations tell us that Indonesia-US trade demonstrates strong bilateral value chains. In the case of clothing, Indonesia imports cotton from the US and produces textiles and garments, which are exported back to the US for the US clothing industry. Another example is steel and aluminum. Indonesia exports steel and aluminum to US, the US then produces parts and airplanes, and exports them back to Indonesia.



Indonesias exports of steel and aluminum to the US are used to further develop the US steel and aluminum industry, as Indonesias products are not produced domestically in the US. In fact, a share of Indonesias exported aluminum products is used for the US passenger aircraft industry.



All in all, the US and Indonesias products are complimentary. Indonesias exports to the US support US production and exports.



Going forward, Indonesias recent visit to the US has clarified Indonesias intention: Indonesia-US trade should be seen as more than the GSP. Both countries should aim to have a much larger trade pie. The fact that trade between two of the biggest countries in terms of population, the US with its 326 million people and Indonesia with its 265 million, was only recorded at $28 billion in 2017, raises questions.



This leaves us with a lot of work to do. There is more that both countries can do to increase trade as well as to boost overall economic development.



Indonesia has seen and will always see the US as one of its strategic partners in terms of trade, investment and technology. Likewise, the US should start to consider Indonesia as a strategic trading partner in the future, as Indonesia will become the 4th largest economy by 2050, according to IMF estimates.



It is important for both countries to make a serious effort to improve bilateral trade, to outline which products could contribute to increasing bilateral trade and which products are needed to improve the competitiveness of their respective domestic industries. At the same time, we need to agree that trade relations should not be based on narrow calculations: who records surplus and who records deficits, who earns more and who earns less, who wins and who losses. Trade is not a zero-sum game.



As Enggartiasto said firmly in his speech at the Business Forum organized by the US-Indonesia Society (USINDO) and the US Chamber of Commerce during his visit to DC on July 24: Trade is about partnerships, trade is about trust, trade is about growing together, trade is about creating win-win beneficial solutions, not only for companies, but also for workers, for our people.

***

The writer is the lead adviser on international trade to the Trade Ministry. The views expressed are her own.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 08:26 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df52138fe 4 Editorial #Editorial,Indonesia,WTO,trade-dispute,US,trade-barriers,food-commodities,agriculture Free

Dispute settlements are supposed to be the central pillar of a multilateral trading system and the Geneva-based World Trade Organizations (WTO) great contribution to the stability of the global economy, notably international trade. Without a means of settling disputes, the rules-based system would be less effective because the rules could not be enforced.



The WTOs procedure underscores the rule of law, and it makes the trading system more secure and predictable. The system is based on clearly defined rules, with timetables for completing a case. First rulings are made by a panel and endorsed (or rejected) by the WTOs full membership. Appeals based on points of law are possible and decisions by the WTO Appellate Body are supposed to be final and binding.



So when Indonesia lost an appeal ruling at the WTO last November in a dispute with the United States and New Zealand over its trade restrictions of food, horticulture and animal products, the government should have made the necessary corrective measures to remove the non-tariff barriers.



But the US filing at the WTO last week asking for the multilateral bodys approval to impose US$350 million worth of sanctions on Indonesia could mean two things. Either the government has not made the necessary corrective measures or made only cosmetic reforms that the US believes do not fully conform to the WTOs 2017 November ruling.



Since the government has issued so many restrictive trade measures to protect the agriculture sector, the Trade Ministry should look deeper into the issue. We should magnanimously acknowledge that, in an overzealous bid to help our farmers gain better earnings and to achieve self-sufficiency in basic food commodities, the government sometimes resorted to a wide variety of non-tariff measures or even punitive tariffs.



Import controls through quotas are also vulnerable to corrupt practices and to smuggling, in view of the countrys porous coastal areas. Imports of such commodities as rice, horticulture, sugar and dairy products have always been sensitive issues. Import licenses for these commodities are issued by the Trade Ministry but on the basis of recommendations from the Agriculture Ministry, which in turn depends on production and consumption data  which are often not reliable.



Since imports of basic staples are restricted only to companies with special import licenses, this business usually generates very high margins. Its no wonder that the import licensing system, including the process of getting recommendations from the Agriculture Ministry, has always been a source of corruption. In fact, several senior officials and politicians in charge of import licensing have been convicted for corruption.



Such protectionist policies also often come as a huge blow to businesses that over the years have relied greatly on imported materials, such as restaurants that cater to foreign tourists. And as tourism has been one of the most promising industries to develop in the worlds largest archipelagic country, we will be increasingly engaged with international communities with their need for a wide variety of food.
Forty artists from 14 countries are currently participating in the 2018 International Art Camp (IAC) in Surakarta, Central Java.

The nine-day event, kicked off on Wednesday, aims to unite the world.

Among the 14 countries are China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. During the biennial event, the participants will join various programs, including art creation workshops, traditional shows, artist talks and cultural parades.

The cultural parade will be held during Car Free Day on Sunday, featuring the participants in their traditional attire. The parade will start from the Surakarta mayor's official residence to the Ngarsapura area.

Furthermore, they will also visit several cultural centers in Surakarta and its surrounding areas, such as the Sangiran excavation site, Kraton Kasunanan Surakarta (Surakarta Palace), Pura Mangkunegaran and Radya Pustaka Museum.

Read also: Surakarta International Gamelan Festival slated for August

From Aug. 17 to 22, the artists will exhibit their works at Balai Soedjatmoko.

Japanese artist Mina Katsuki said the IAC allows the participants to learn about other cultures, adding that the event could be a platform to build communication and peace between countries.

Katsuki mentioned the importance of communication and networking to promote the artworks.

To be a global artist, one cannot work alone, said Katsuki, adding that art could spread a message of peace in this globalization era.

Meanwhile, Indian artist Simanta Jyoti Baruah said Javanese traditional arts, particularly wayang (shadow puppets), have a close relationship with India.

Wayang stories from India are enhanced by Indonesian content, particularly Javanese culture, said Baruah, adding that until now Indian and Indonesian artists have had a harmonious relationship. (jes/kes)
A cause of death has not yet been determined for the fetus found in the toilet of an American Airlines plane that landed at Laguardia Airport earlier this week. The mother is reportedly an 18-year-old from Brooklyn, who either miscarried or had a "botched abortion."

Police sources tell the NY Post that after Flight 1942 landed and all the passengers had deplaned, the young woman and her twin sister rushed to the bathroom, with the sister telling flight attendants it was an emergency. The sister reportedly waited outside the door to the lavatory, and the young woman "looked ill" when she emerged, a flight attendant later said, according to the Post's sources.

A cleaning crew found the fetus in the toilet on Tuesday morning. The fetus may have been around five to six months old.

The teen went to Kings County Hospital after landing, and doctors there "told investigators it was possible the babys death could be the result of a 'botched abortion,'" the Daily News reports. The Post adds that their sources believe she had the abortion in Jamaica, before flying back to New York, with a connection in a Charlotte.

The teen's grandmother told the Post, "She is a good girl. She panicked. Thank God her sister was there to help her."
If you spend a lot of time online, you may be familiar with websites offering newly premiered movies available for download or streaming, often recorded inside the theater.



Now, though, a new breed of movie streamers has popped up; the live-streamer looking for clout online by streaming the latest flick, spoilers be damned.



Addressing this issue, the Indonesian Film Producers Association (APROFI) has launched a new campaign against movie piracy specifically targeting this new phenomenon.



The campaign, done in collaboration with the Motion Pictures Association and the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), will be shown at three major cinema franchises  Cinema XXI, CGV and Cinemaxx.



This year, the campaign is using the intellectual property of Lifelike Pictures Wiro Sableng, which will hit theaters on Aug. 30.

The campaign is directed by Teguh Raharjo and sees Wiro Sablengs stars Vino G Bastian and Fauzan Alfarizi reprising their roles as Wiro and Bujang Gila Tapak Sakti, respectively. Actress Jessica Veranda is also in the campaign, while Marsha Timothy provided the voiceovers.



APROFI chairman Fauzan Zidni said the program was part of their yearly program using its members intellectual property.



Last year, we used Filosofi Kopi and this year we used Wiro Sableng as it is the only movie that is part of both the Motion Pictures Association and APROFI, Fauzan said.



Lifelike Pictures producer Sheila Timothy, who was also APROFIs chairperson from 2013-2016, said the campaign was meant to instill in moviegoers that piracy was considered stealing.



We want to encourage people, especially the younger generation, to be aware of what is right and wrong. We dont want to scare people, so weve used a more comedic approach, Sheila said, adding that the use of Wiro in the campaign was perfect because his character also fought for what was right.



Research by the University of Indonesias Institute for Economic and Social Research (LPEM- UI) found that the Indonesian film industry experienced an annual loss of Rp 1.495 trillion (US$103.5 million) due to illegal downloads and pirated DVDs.



Since 2015, APROFI and the Motion Pictures Association have reported 510 websites, suspected of copyright infringements, to the Law and Human Rights Ministry, which were then blocked by the Communication and Information Ministry.



In the Asia Pacific region, Indonesia sits at number two for the number of copyright-infringing websites blocked by the government, behind South Korea.



Cinema XXI corporate secretary Catherine Keng said there were two types of people who recorded movies in theaters  those who live-streamed for social media and those who planned to profit from the recordings.



The first category is those who simply want to gain traction on social media. They live-stream movies because they consider it cool, said Catherine, adding such behavior was commonly found among the younger generation and those who lacked awareness of the cinemas rules.



She added that those belonging to the second category usually attended premieres, where they would record the video and audio separately, not necessarily in the same theater, and spliced them together later.



All three cinema brands have employed their own measures to fight pirates, for example, by using an advanced monitoring system that works in the dark as well as periodic checks from cinema staff.



CGV head of brand marketing Wisnu Triatmojo said when cinema staff caught someone in the act, they would ask the individual to delete the videos.



We dont want to act too hastily, but if we catch them we will hand them over to the authorities, he added.



Catherine said in the case of underage children, Cinema XXI staff would notify their parents that they have committed a felony.



In the case of an Indonesian film, we will alert the films producers and submit a full report of the incident. However, the people who can pursue the cases legally are the producers, and we as the exhibitors will act as witnesses.



Catherine provided a notable example of a case involving the Warkop DKI Reborn movie. A moviegoer live-streamed the movie on an app, and filmmaker Falcon Pictures reported the individual to the police.



There is a law that stipulates the fines and sentences, and its up to the filmmakers if they want to take legal action.
Foie gras paired with wasabi, Japanese-style open kitchens and a fierce work ethic: Joel Robuchon, hailed as "chef of the century" on his death this week, drew great inspiration from Japan, where 10 establishments now bear his name.

The world's most-starred Michelin chef developed an immediate love for sushi, sake and Japan itself after arriving for the first time in 1976, his luggage bulging with "forbidden or unknown produce like shallots, tarragon and chives," he once recalled.

Yosuke Suga, who worked with the famously perfectionist Robuchon for 17 years, told AFP that he would often talk fondly of his first impressions of Japan.

"He arrived at Narita airport and saw how (the handrails) of the escalator were cleaned meticulously. And he said to himself, 'Japan is somewhere I can work'," said Suga, now 41 and running his own restaurant.

Kenichiro Sekiya, head chef at Robuchon's "L'Atelier" restaurant in Tokyo, says the French master quickly became inspired by Japanese ingredients and surprised his hosts with the way he used them.

"He used wasabi, soy sauce, yuzu citrus and shichimi (a blend of seven spices with chili) to give accents to various food," said Sekiya, 38, recalling his amazement when Robuchon added wasabi cream to foie gras terrine.

"Japanese have fixed ideas for the spices so it's hard to break them. But Robuchon did his own interpretation and used them in his own way, which Japanese wouldn't normally do," he said.

And one of Robuchon's most famous innovations -- the concept of the "Atelier" (or "workshop"), where customers dine in close proximity to the chefs, perched on high stools at a bar counter -- was also inspired by Japan.

"He really wanted a connection with customers over a counter. Sushi chefs in Japan make sushi in front of customers and communicate with them," said Kazutoshi Narita, a pastry chef who worked for 10 years at Robuchon restaurants in Tokyo, New York and Taipei.

In 2003, Robuchon opened his first Atelier restaurant in the central Tokyo district of Roppongi and his photo still overlooks the chefs there, dressed all in black as they prepare meals in full sight of the diners.

He would fly to Tokyo at least three times a year to oversee his restaurant empire and would rarely miss the opportunity to enjoy his beloved sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, where US president Barack Obama dined with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

Sekiya said Robuchon, who at one time held 32 Michelin stars, at first underestimated how hard it was to make sushi.

"Apparently sushi was just sliced fish placed on rice to him at first," he said. "I heard he became fascinated by sushi after learning that it was actually something more delicate."

Robuchon also fell in love with sake, a fermented drink made of rice, and recently opened a shop to promote the drink in Paris.

Read also: French chef Joel Robuchon to be honored at public ceremony

- Champagne and camembert -

Like most chefs, Robuchon was known to drive his staff hard and the famous Japanese work ethic appealed to him.

"He was very demanding in terms of quality but we liked that a lot. We respected that and were happy to work with him. We're maybe a bit masochistic," joked Suga.

After his death from pancreatic cancer in Geneva on Monday, Narita went to Robuchon's three-starred chateau restaurant in the trendy Ebisu district to honour his memory in his own way -- with champagne and cheese.

"Chefs at Robuchon restaurants used to get together at the kitchen counter for champagne and camembert after work," said Narita.

"That was my most peaceful moment with him. It was a moment in which I felt a sense of achievement."

And Robuchon leaves more than just recipes and inspiration in Japan -- his 30-year-old half-Japanese son now runs a wine business in the southern city of Fukuoka.
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 fueled 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."

Read also: Expect more heat waves due to climate change, experts warn

- 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 change -- by elevating evaporation rates and drought prevalence -- also 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 grass -- and 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 short -- July 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 all -- fires 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 currents -- produced by the contrast between polar and equatorial temperatures -- known 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 intense -- and we are seeing this in California right now, and saw it in Greece a few weeks ago -- there 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 havoc -- and killing trees -- along the way.

"Bark beetle outbreaks temporarily increase forest flammability by increasing the amount of dead material, such as needles," said Williams.

Read also: Scientists urged to 'speak the same language' as public on climate

- 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."
As part of celebrations marking diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Singapore, the National Gallery Singapore created an audio tour accessible through their Gallery Explorer mobile app.

The app, available for download in the Google Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS users, respectively, serves as a general guide to the gallery.

The audio guide, titled Masters Across Indonesia and Singapore, is intended to accompany visitors as they walk and observe the artworks.

The gallerys curator Seng Yu Jin told The Jakarta Post that while the exhibition itself was not new, the audio tour offered another way of presenting the shared art history of both nations.

[The audio tour] presents a different layer of understanding in much more depth the relationship between Indonesian and Singaporean artists, Yu Jin said, adding that the artists featured in the exhibition knew each other personally.

The audiovisual tour takes about 45 minutes to complete, with 10 stops covering seven artists both Indonesian and Singaporean, spanning two galleries, namely the UOB Southeast Asia and the DBS Singapore Galleries.

App users do not have to be at the gallery in person to enjoy the artworks as images are provided for each piece.

However, Yu Jin said the audio tour itself enhanced the experience of seeing the artworks in person, as opposed to a replacement for a gallery visit.

[...] It works when you see the physical art itself in front of you, as theres only so much you can see on a screen. It is much more immersive when you can also see the art surrounding you as well, he said, noting that viewing artworks by artists from neighboring countries is also essential to a gallery visit.

As one starts the tour, an introduction briefly touches on the history between both nations, which once belonged to the Sriwijaya Kingdom from the seventh to the 13th century.

The first artwork on the tour is Basuki Abdullahs Sunset. The painting depicts the idyllic view of rice fields in the glow of twilight, a calming sense of peace as the day ends. The Surakarta-born artist, known for his portraits of historical figures, came to Singapore in the 1950s, acting as a mentor of sorts to local artists, especially Malay ones.

Souri by Liu Kang (National Gallery of Singapore/File)

Another artwork in the tour is Affandis Burung Hitam, Matahari, Manusia (Black Bird, Sun, Man), which he had completed during his study in Indias Santiniketan University.

Affandis expressionist signature is present in the piece, with the Indian climate represented by swirling lines in warm colors. The audio guide suggests the artwork represents humanitys struggle with life and death, as the sun is a recurring motif in Affandis works and the black bird is a symbol of death.

Meanwhile, S. Soedjojonos Kami Present, Ibu Pertiwi (Stand Guard for Our Motherland) depicts a scene of Indonesian soldiers at a stronghold, some working while others are on break.

Sudjojono once came to Singapore to pursue his dreams of making it in Paris. However, he met many Indonesian intellectuals and activists during his time in Singapore, who convinced him to return to Indonesia to guide the countrys burgeoning arts scene.

The audio guide also mentioned Sudjojonos criticism of Mooi Indie (Beautiful Indies) artists, known for their idealized paintings of the Indonesian landscape. According to Sudjojono, Indonesian artists should paint the realities of what they saw, instead of exotic sceneries catering to foreign tastes.

An interlude in the tour presents itself as attendees move between galleries muse on how the artists discovered more about themselves as they traveled out of their own countries, perhaps acknowledging that one would need to broaden their horizons.

While the first half focuses on Indonesian artists, the other features artists in the Singaporean arts scene who had traveled to Indonesia for inspiration.

Burung Hitam, Matahari, Manusia (Black Bird, Sun, Man) by Affandi (National Gallery of Singapore/File)

Souri by Liu Kang, for instance, portrays a female Balinese dancer kneeling in a temple courtyard, inspired by a trip to Bali in 1952 with fellow artists. The guide notes that Kang is one of the first-generation artists in Singapore who collectively developed the Nanyang style, which merged Chinese ink and Western painting techniques to portray the tropical landscape of [Southeast Asia].

A piece by Guangzhou-born Lee Man Fong, who was once appointed as the official State Palace painter by president Sukarno in 1960, portrays himself dressed modestly sitting in a crowded artists studio. Lee Man Fongs self-portrait is noted by the guide to be an important work as self-portraits reveal what artists thought about themselves and their work, as well as how they wished to present themselves to their audience.

Fish by Sarkasi Bin Said Tzee (National Gallery of Singapore/File)

The last artwork in the tour, Sarkasi Saids Fish, is also notable as it is a batik piece by a Singaporean artist. According to the guide, Sarkasi was inspired to use batik in his art after viewing a batik exhibition by an Italian artist, despite having been exposed to the wax-resist fabrics in his youth. He then decided to reconnect with his Javanese roots and explored the practice of batik as an art form.

The artworks themselves remain in the National Gallery Singapore, as they are part of the gallerys permanent exhibitions.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 08:35 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df521404b 1 City taman-kota-fire,houses,rebuilding,demolition,Sandiaga-Uno Free

The city has warned victims of a recent fire that hit Taman Kota, West Jakarta, that it will demolish houses that are rebuilt, while urging victims to move to low-cost apartments.

I will firmly tell them that the site will function as an open space []," Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said on Wednesday.

He said the Jakarta administration would not allow anyone to rebuild houses on the 3,000 hectares of land where a neighborhood burned down in March, leaving two dead and 450 families homeless. The fire razed more than 500 houses.

Sandiaga further said that the donations the victims had received from the Muslim Charitable Donations Board (Bazis) Jakarta were not intended to be used for buying building materials.

Dont use the [donation] money to buy building materials. If you do [build the houses], we will demolish them, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Sandiaga urged the victims to move to low-cost apartments in Rawa Buaya, West Jakarta.

Rawa Buaya apartment management head Sarjoko said that, of the 450 families, only two of them were willing to move to an apartment, as the others wanted to stay on the torched land.

"The others have returned the keys that we had distributed to them, Sarjoko said. According to staff that met with the victims, [they told the staff that] theyre allowed to return to the burned land, but we dont know who gave them the order. (stu)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 10:16 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df521c7c6 1 City Monas,Monument-National,special-team,appointment Free

Acting Jakarta Tourism Agency head Asiantoro has apologized to those who felt their names had been misused in the formation of the National Monument (Monas) events approval team.

Historians JJ Rizal and Anhar Gonggong have said they were not part of the special team tasked with reviewing and approving events to be held at Monas Park in Central Jakarta, which has an operational budget of Rp 461 million (US$32,000).

"It was said that the coordination was poor. I apologize to anyone who felt that they had not been contacted beforehand. Well improve together as a team, Asiantoro said on Wednesday, kompas.com reported.

Asiantoro said Rizal had been invited to a meeting, but he was sick and unable to attend the meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, 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.

The only letter he ever received, he said, was an invitation to a meeting of events at Monas. He said the event was strange and not suitable with his expertise.

"For me, it was weird for the event to be held in Monas, such as a street marching competition of a food brand. So, I did not come. I took the letter as misaddressed, he said.

Rizal also said the Monas team was unnecessary.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issued Gubernatorial Decree No. 276/2018 on establishing the special team soon after he opened Monas Park for public events.

Rizal and Anhar were listed as a private sector representatives alongside Asro Kamar Rokan. (stu)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9 2018

No more barriers: Volunteer language assistants show the BBB mobile app on their phones during the apps launch on Wednesday. The app from South Korean NGO BBB provides language assistance for foreigners. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

A non-profit organization called Before Babel Bridge (BBB) is offering a helping hand to overcome language difficulties during the upcoming Asian Games by launching a mobile app that could assist foreign visitors having trouble communicating.

The app offers free translation services from Indonesian into eight different languages, namely English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Vietnamese and Thai. The backbone of the app will be more than 500 standby volunteer language assistants. Anyone can reach the service by downloading the mobile app from Google Play Store and then choosing their language.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 08:10 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5213789 4 Business BCA,ATM-ALTO,acquisition Free

Indonesias largest private lender Bank Central Asia (BCA), part of Djarum Group, has acquired 2 percent shares of switching company PT Daya Network Lestari (ATM ALTO), through its venture capital firm, Central Capital Ventura (CCV).

BCA president director Jahja Setiaatmadja confirmed the acquisition. Yes, Alto has been acquired by Djarum Group, he said.

The acquisition, which was completed in June 2018, aimed to increase the capital of the switching business, kontan.co.id reported on Wednesday.

Since the implementation of the national payment gateway in June 2018, Bank Indonesia requires switching companies to have at least Rp 50 billion in capital.

BI also requires all banks to be connected with at least two switching companies in order to support the national payment gateway program.

Alto is an interbank network that currently operates in Indonesia. It was founded in August 1993. The major shareholder of Altos shares is PT ALTO Network. (win/bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 18:30 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df523ac92 2 Politics Jokowi,MarufAmin,presidential-election Free

In an upset decision, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has chosen Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Maruf Amin as his running mate for the 2019 presidential election.

The meeting between Jokowi and other party leaders and secretaries-general decided to name Maruf Amin as Jokowis running mate, PKB secretary-general Abdul Kadir Karding said on his Twitter account on Thursday.

Abdul was referring to a meeting between Jokowi and leaders of the parties that back his reelection bid in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

The appointment of Maruf has surprised many as it was widely reported that Jokowi would pick former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD as his vice presidential candidate.

Maruf, who will turn 76 next year, is the supreme leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nations largest Islamic organization.

In terms of influence among Muslim voters, Maruf is seen as being more representative of the NU than Mahfud, who is often described as only culturally involved in the NU, but has never held any position in the organization. (ahw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Michel Comte with Anuj Chopra in Riyadh (Agence France-Presse) Ottawa, Canada  Thu, August 9, 2018 08:45 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5215dfb 2 World #SaudiArabia,#Canada,Saudi-Arabia,Canada,human-rights Free

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.

- '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.
When Mobb Deep's Prodigy died last year after a life-long battle with sickle cell anemia, his passing shocked the hip hop world. Now The Realness, a new podcast from WNYC Studios, looks at the realest New York rapper of them all, and how life with sickle cell influenced his music, his outlook, and his life. We asked WNYC health reporters Mary Harris and Christopher Johnson what they learned while putting the show together.

Listen to the first episode of The Realness:

Prodigy got the chance to live, and to form Mobb Deep, because of the work of activist doctors, Black Panthers, even President Nixon.

In his autobiography, Prodigy writes about his childhood physicians office in Jamaica, Queens where I hated going because it meant I was getting a penicillin shot in my butt. When we dug a little deeper we realized the doctor P dreaded visiting was actually a groundbreaking physician: Yvette Fay Francis-McBarnette worked out of an old farmhouse in the outer boroughs, but was such an effective advocate for her patients that she ended up advising President Richard Nixon on sickle cell disease.

Those penicillin shots were a big deal: Dr. Francis was giving them 15 years before a government study proved they worked. In the 1970s, physicians like Dr. Francis, alongside the Black Panther Party, petitioned the government to devote more resources to treating SCD patients; Nixon passed the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act in 1972. As a result, children with this diseasechildren like Prodigy were able to make it to adulthood. Theres actually a graph showing just how powerful the Sickle Cell Control Act was in terms of extending patients lifespan.



Increases in Life Expectancy in Persons with Sickle Cell Disease, 1910-2000. (Copyright: The New England Journal of Medicine)

Medical racism is right there in Prodigys medical records.

In a Brooklyn courthouse, we were able to track down 90 pages of Prodigys medical records: hospital visits and bone scans and blood tests from when he was releasing some of his most iconic music. They give a look inside his body, which was wearing away, the way it does for most sickle cell patients.

And in the doctors notes, you can see how medical professionals quietly judge sickle cell patients for seeking opioids to treat their pain. One doctor calls him noncompliant (a term doctors try not to use anymore, 20 years later) and writes that the patient denies IV drug use. I doubt that very much. Patient seems to have drug seeking behavior.



From a medical report

If you wanna understand New York hip hop in the 90s, youve gotta go to The Tunnel.

Almost everyone who was involved with hip hop in the 1990s wanted to talk to us about The Tunnel. On Sunday nights, it became recognized for a hip hop party featuring Funkmaster Flex; it was THE spot to be. Puffy was known for lining up champagne bottles on the bar when he was done with them. Prodigy was known for getting Chris Lightywho ran the door at the timeto sneak weapons inside for him.

Its hard to overstate just how Queensbridge The Infamous is.

If youre a Mobb Deep fan, youve probably heard of the thunn language, the Queensbridge slang that Mobb Deep often slipped into. But the impact of the Queensbridge Housesthe largest public housing project in Americacan be felt in other ways, especially on the Mobbs most famous album, The Infamous. Roxanne Shante told us that one of the most famous lines in Shook Ones Part 2Aint no such thing as halfway crookswas a saying that was popularized in Queensbridge first. (She also told us she encouraged Prodigys rap partner Havoc to go solo rather than teaming up with P.)



The Queensbridge Houses (Metro Centric / Flickr)

Even Prodigy says going upstate changed him for the better.

Prodigy was a proud gun owner, but that habit got him into trouble. Before he even had a record deal, his gun went off in the Def Jam offices, injuring an employee. But it didnt stop him from carrying. In 2008, he was arrested for driving around with a pistol tucked next to him. He went upstate for three years. He used his time inside to get as healthy as he could. He started eating green vegetables and working out as much as possible, and that turned out to be powerful medicine. He came out in what his friends thought of as the best shape of his life.

When he died, Prodigy was taking a creative turn we wish we could have seen him finish.

In the last six months of his life, Prodigy was performing in a new way, with a live band including jazz trumpeter Maurice (Mobetta) Brown, at Blue Note in Manhattan. You can still find videos of this performance on Instagram and YouTube, where you can see the mad creative energy on display. Just a couple of weeks after the last show, Prodigy flew to Vegas for what turned out to be his last show. In our final episode, we try to answer the question: What happened?

You can subscribe to The Realness and listen to all six episodes.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 16:00 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df523236a 1 Politics Democratic-party,Sandiaga-Uno,Prabowo-Subianto,AndiArief Free

Democratic Party executive Andi Arief has tweeted out yet another controversial statement, this time accusing Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno of trying to scupper Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto's presidential candidacy.



"One day an emissary from Sandi Uno was sent to meet with me to change the Prabowo-AHY [Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono] nomination to Sandi-AHY," Andi tweeted on Thursday. "I told SBY [Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] and SBY said 'I will never betray Prabowo'."



He added that despite the rumored pairing of Prabowo and Sandiaga, the Democratic Party was still a part of Gerindra's coalition.



"Even though the Democratic Party believes that Prabowo is going the wrong way, up to this afternoon we are still part of his coalition," he tweeted.



Sandiaga did not immediately respond to requests for comment.



The tweets are somewhat more conciliatory than Andi's posts on Wednesday night, when he derided Prabowo as a "cardboard general" for reportedly picking Sandiaga as his running mate.



He also accused Sandiaga of paying off the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).



Gerindra, PKS and PAN have denied the accusation. (swd)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 08:36 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5214ae6 1 Politics Prabowo-Subianto,Gerindra-Party,AndiArief,Democratic-party,presidential-election Free

The political alliance between the Gerindra Party and the Democratic Party is under serious threat after a Democratic Party politician on Wednesday night posted a series of tweets lashing out at Gerindra leader Prabowo Subianto.

The politician, Andi Arief, called Prabowo a cardboard general for allegedly picking Deputy Jakarta Governor Sandiaga Uno as his running mate despite weeks of negotiation with Democratic Party leaders who have proposed Agus Harimurti (AHY), the oldest son of Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as the vice presidential candidate.

Andi claimed that Prabowo had picked Sandiaga, who was never mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate until only a few days ago, because the deputy Jakarta governor had money to buy the support of the other two coalition partners: the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Prabowo ternyata kardus, malam ini kami menolak kedatangannya ke kuningan. Bahkan keinginan dia menjelaakan lewat surat sudah tak perlu lagi. Prabowo lebih menghatgai uang ketimbang perjuangan. Jendral kardus.  andi arief (@AndiArief__) August 8, 2018

Prabowo turns out to be a cardboard general. Tonight we reject his visit to Kuningan. His intention to explain [the issue] through a letter is no longer needed. Prabowo valued money more than struggle. Cardboard general.

Gerindra secretary-general Ahmad Muzani denied Andis claim that Prabowo had decided to pick Sandiaga and made sure that political communication with Democratic Party leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was still on.

As of [Wednesday] afternoon, we have two names of [vice presidential candidates], AHY and Sandiaga Uno. We are still negotiating with the other parties, he said.

Prabowo has struggled to determine his running mate for fear of losing the support of his coalition partners, who have proposed their own members as Prabowos running mates. Sandiaga, who also serves as Gerindras deputy chief patron, is said to have been seen as a figure that could break the deadlock. (ahw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Dawn/ANN) Islamabad, Pakistan  Thu, August 9, 2018 22:12 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df523f64b 2 World #Pakistan,Pakistan,election,Imran-Khan Free

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said that his party wants to build relationship with the United States based on trust and mutual respect.

Talking to US acting Ambassador to Pakistan John F. Hoover who called on him at his Banigala residence on Wednesday, the prime minister-in-waiting said Pakistan and the US had witnessed many ups and downs in their relationship, which were the outcome of trust deficit between the two countries.

He said: Our government will engage with the US to make this relationship more balanced and trustworthy. We count trade and economic relations with the US extremely important.

He stressed the need for revitalisation of diplomatic ties between the two countries and transforming the relationship for the benefit of both Pakistan and the US.

According to PTIs media cell, the US delegation and PTI chief discussed issues of mutual interest, including Pak-US relations, bilateral trade, and stability in Afghanistan.

Mr Khan said: I am glad that people in the US have ultimately started acknowledging significance of political solution as conflict and use of force can add to the damages instead of breeding a sustainable solution to the crisis.

He said stability in Afghanistan was in the larger interest of Pakistan, America and the region which could be achieved through viable political engagements.

Mr Hoover felicitated Mr Khan over his partys victory in the July 25 general election.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani telephoned Mr Khan and invited him for a formal visit to his country  an offer which the PTI chief gladly accepted.

The Iranian president congratulated Mr Khan over his partys victory in the recent elections.

They discussed issues of mutual interest, including Pak-Iran relations and bilateral trade.

President Rouhani was quoted as saying: Pakistan and Iran are not merely neighbouring countries but also bonded by religious and cultural values.

He said Iran wished to strengthen trade and diplomatic relations with Pakistan.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 16:59 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5235e74 1 Politics mahfud-md,Jokowi,presidential-election Free

Former Constitutional Court chief justice and renowned Muslim figure Mahfud MD has emerged as the likeliest figure that President Joko Jokowi Widodo will pick as his running mate in the 2019 presidential election.

Mahfud, 61, is a member of the steering committee at the Agency for the Implementation of the State Ideology of Pancasila (BPIP).

His name has been floating among the top names considered as Jokowi's potential running mate in recent months, but speculation about his candidacy has peaked since Wednesday, following a Twitter post made by United Development Party (PPP) chairman M. Romahurmuziy.

Romahurmuziy suggested that Jokowi's running mate would have the widest experience in every branch of government and represent the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Jokowi had reportedly considered running with Vice President Jusuf Kalla again, but it remains unclear if Kalla could legally run for a third time. As of Thursday, the Constitutional Court had yet to issue a ruling on a judicial review petition aimed at settling the legal dispute over whether Kallas third election as vice president would be constitutional.

National Awakening Party (PKB) secretary-general Abdul Kadir Karding confirmed on Thursday that Mahfud was among the strongest names considered to run as Jokowi's running mate. "Yes, [Mahfud] is one of them," he said.

Nine political parties of the coalition are set to hold a meeting with Jokowi on Thursday afternoon, during which they will decide the final name for the vice presidential slot.

Meanwhile, NasDem Party secretary-general Johnny G. Plate acknowledged that Mahfud's track record in the government was astonishing. However, the final decision would be made during the meeting.

Ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Pramono Anung said Jokowi and the political parties might announce the name after the meeting.

Born in Sampang, Madura, on May. 13, 1957, Mahfud has wide experience in each government branch.

Mahfud served as defense minister and law and human rights minister from 2000-2001 under then-president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

He sat as a member of the House of Representatives under the National Awakening Party (PKB) from 2004 before serving as chief justice of the Constitutional Court from 2008 to 2013.

Mahfud has been associated with Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) based on his family background and close ties to the late Gus Dur. (ahw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jepara, Central Java  Thu, August 9, 2018 17:03 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5236e37 1 Business KarimunjawaIsland,fishermen,bubu-fish-trap,cantrang Free

At least 60 traditional fishermen from Parang Island of the Karimunjawa Islands in Jepara, Central Java, have voiced their dismay over the continued use of cantrang (seine nets), which has destroyed the marine environment, particularly coral reefs that are home to various kinds of fish.

Mustaqim, a Parang fishermen, said on Wednesday that the use of cantrang had caused problems for small-scale fishermen in the area for the past two decades, and had significantly decreased their catches.

He said that because of the damage done to the coral reefs, where the fishermen usually placed bubu (bamboo fish traps), their catches had decreased by up to half.

"Even though the government has given us new bubu, the cantrang will sweep them away easily, like they took the coral reefs," Mustaqim said, referring to the 1,500 bubu handed over by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, last month.

In addition to cantrang, small-scale fishermen are also often bothered by the operation of trawlers, which they say has forced them sail up to 100 times farther than previous times, when they only needed to sail several kilometers from the beach.

Fathqul Korib, another Parang fisherman, said that the bubu provided by the government were incomparable to the strength of trawls operated from 8 gross tonnage (GT) ships. "On bad days, we only get one or two fish after leaving a bubu for a week," he said.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti issued two regulations in 2015 and 2016 to ban the use of trawlers and cantrang, but President Joko Jokowi Widodo called on the minister to delay their implementation because of strong opposition from fishermen.

Unlike fishermen in Parang, those in other parts of Central Java rely on trawls and cantrang to catch fish. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 12:09 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5223b93 1 Politics Sandiaga-Uno,Prabowo-Subianto,Susilo-Bambang-Yudhoyono,AndiArief,Agus-Harimurti-Yudhoyono Free

Top officials at the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) denied an accusation that the parties had received Rp 500 billion (US$34.6 million) from Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno to let Sandiaga become a vice presidential candidate in their coalition to contest in 2019 election.

As of this morning, Sandiaga Uno has yet to meet PANs executive board. How could he talk about a fantastic value of political dowry? Drajad Wibowo, PANs vice chairman of the honorary council, said Thursday. Drajad said his party insisted on proposing PAN chairman Zulkifli Hasan for the VP slot.

Democratic Party deputy secretary-general Andi Arief said on Wednesday evening that Gerindra Partys chairman Prabowo Subianto let Sandiagas money come between the Democratic Party and Gerindra. The Democratic Party has been eyeing the vice presidential candidate slot for Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the son of the partys chairman, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The PKS director for presidential elections, Suhud Aliyudin, also denied the accusation, saying Andi should prove the accusation. Yes, it is a hoax. How could we carry Rp 500 billion [in cash]? Suhud said.

Suhud, however, confirmed that Sandiagas name as Prabowos running mate was proposed by Prabowo in a meeting with the PKS. The PKS has been insisting on their own member, Salim Segaf Al Jufri, as the running mate.

Andi called Prabowo a cardboard general in his Twitter account on Thursday morning.

Prabowo visited Yudhoyonos house in Kuningan in South Jakarta on Thursday at 9:55 a.m. to have a closed door meeting. The meeting went on for 45 minutes and Prabowo left the house without making any statement to the press. (sau/evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Andi Muhammad Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9 2018

Given Jakartas chronic traffic congestion, many motorcyclists mount the sidewalk in order to get through, leading pedestrians to brand them as sidewalk terrorists.

In the latest incident in the sidewalk struggle, a pedestrian, Alif, recorded and uploaded a video of him scolding motorcyclists for riding on a sidewalk on Jl. Raja Jatiwaringin in Makasar, East Jakarta, on Monday night.

One of the motorcyclists, an app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, did not take kindly to Alifs attention.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 15:47 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5231802 1 Politics Dems,Democratic-party,PKS,AndiArief,PAN,#2019PresidentialElection Free

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is angry at the Democratic Party and threatened to sue Democratic Party politician Andi Arief over his allegation of Rp 500 billion (US$34.6 million) in political payment for the PKS.

PKS executive board chairwoman Ledia Hanifa said the PKS was ready to sue the Democrat politician.

She said Andis accusation was highly serious, considering that political bribery accepted by a party during the presidential nomination process is a criminal act.

"The accusation from Andi Arief is cruel slander. It has legal consequences for the person concerned," she said on Thursday in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

Ledia said a top politician, particularly from a large party like the Democratic Party, must not commit slander openly in public, referring to Andis post on his Twitter account on Thursday morning.

I see there has yet to be an official clarification from his party, thus we conclude this also represents the stance of Andi Ariefs party, she said.

Andi called the presumptive presidential candidate and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto a cardboard general on his Twitter account on Thursday morning.

He also accused the PKS and the National Mandate Party (PAN) of accepting Rp 500 billion from Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno to let Sandiaga become a vice presidential candidate for Prabowo in their coalition to contest in 2019 election. Both the PKS and PAN have denied the accusation. (sau)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9 2018

Myanmars government has reached out to Indonesia for assistance in training its community police, the latters top diplomat has said, as Jakarta continues to assist Naypyidaw in overcoming a dire conflict and building trust among the international community.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with Myanmars National Security Advisor U Thaung Tun in the formers Jakarta office, where they talked candidly about the latest developments in the troubled Rakhine state.

We have asked Myanmar to be transparent in order to gain the trust of other countries, Retno said at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ola Cichowlas (Agence France-Presse) Moscow, Russia  Thu, August 9, 2018 22:32 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df524053e 2 World #USA,#Russia,USA,Russia Free

The Kremlin on Thursday vowed to retaliate against "unacceptable" new US sanctions against Russia over its alleged role in a nerve agent attack on a former spy as the ruble and Russian stocks tumbled.

The action by the US State Department is the latest salvo in a series of disputes between the rival powers and comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.

The State Department said Wednesday the new sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal" -- who was a Russian double agent -- and his daughter Yulia on English soil in March.

They are aimed at punishing Putin's government for having "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

But the punitive measures triggered a furious reaction from Moscow.

Russia will "work on developing retaliatory measures," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists, accusing the US of "demonising Russia".

"We consider categorically unacceptable the linking of new restrictions, which we as before consider illegal, to the case in Salisbury," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

He called the US an unpredictable partner but said "Moscow retains hopes of building constructive relations with Washington".

The announcement of sanctions caused Russian stock markets to drop dramatically on opening and the ruble reached its lowest point since November 2016. The markets and the currency rebounded slightly over the day while remaining sharply down.

Finance minister Anton Siluanov assured Russians that the government and the central bank have "all the necessary tools to ensure financial stability," saying the economy has become more resistant to external shocks in recent years.

- Threat of wider sanctions -

The move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia, said a senior State Department official on condition of anonymity.

The official told reporters the administration decided to impose a "presumption of denial" for the sale to Russia of "national security sensitive" US technologies that require federal government approval.

Such technologies have often been used in items including electronic devices as well as calibration equipment. The exports were previously allowed on a case-by-case basis.

In the event of non-compliance, the official added, a second round of "draconian" sanctions would be given a green light. These could go as far as a ban on Russian airlines using US airports.

The latest US action follows the Treasury's imposition of sanctions in March against 19 Russian citizens and five entities for interfering in the 2016 US election -- the toughest steps against Moscow since Trump took office.

Also in March, Washington ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, and the closure of Russia's consulate general in Seattle.

Moscow ordered 60 American diplomats expelled in a tit-for-tat response.

- 'Provocative, reckless behaviour' -

Britain said it welcomed the US response to the chemical attack in Salisbury, the sleepy English town where the Skripals were poisoned.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the sanctions send "an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged".

This week, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported London is preparing to ask Moscow to extradite two Russian citizens suspected of carrying out the Salisbury attack.

The Skripals survived but a British couple was poisoned by the same Novichok agent in a nearby town, one of whom, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, subsequently died.

Moscow has angrily rejected any involvement in the poisoning, plunging diplomatic relations with London into crisis.

The Russian economy is still reeling from international sanctions imposed on Moscow in 2014 over its actions in Ukraine and a crash in oil prices the same year.

While Russia returned to growth in 2017 after two years of recession, it pales in comparison with growth figures seen during Putin's first two terms in office from 2000 to 2008 thanks to soaring oil prices.
Rivington House represents one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's biggest black eyes. A year ago, de Blasio admitted to Lower East Side residents that his administration's role in turning the nursing home for New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS into luxury condos was "ridiculous" and a "mistake," and while he said there was no legal path to reverse the sale, he promised to schedule a public meeting between the community and the property's developers.

That meeting has yet to materialize, and the owner of Rivington House, Slate Property Group, has yet to convert the property for residential use. A DOB spokesperson said Slate's application is still under review, and the building has a partial stop work order.

Last night, dozens of protesters, including members of Neighbors To Save Rivington House, vowed to do everything they could to stop the property conversion, and circled the six-story, 119-year-old building at 45 Rivington Street with caution tape that read, "Gentrification In Progress."

"This place really should stay," Richard Rosenberg, a Rivington House resident from 2004 to 2014, told the crowd. "Clean it up, wash it up, and get back all the people who are scattered over the five boroughs and bring them back here."

Paul Smith-Leonard, the chief of staff for Councilwoman Margaret Chin, said that Slate is currently speaking with Chin's office, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office, and Neighbors To Save Rivington House.

"We are trying to, at the very least, get a significant portion of the property at Rivington House for community use," Smith-Leonard said. "The community's not going away, they're not going to give up."

A representative for Slate did not return our request for comment.

"Our first request is to return the whole building, but we definitely want to see something returned to the community," said K Webster, one of the leaders of Neighbors To Save Rivington House.

Webster said she was "beyond puzzled" at the silence from the de Blasio administration on Rivington House.

"From the very beginning we have asked the mayor to not only join us, but lead this charge," Webster said. "If someone had tried and failed, at least we'd think we have a mayor who cares about a 'tale of two cities.'"

A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.



Protesters surround Rivington House on Wednesday night (Gothamist)

In 2014, Rivington House, which had 219 beds, shut down as demand for in-patient HIV/AIDS treatment waned. The next February, Village Care, the non-profit running the facility, sold the property to Allure Group for $28 million. In November 2015, Allure paid the city $16 million to lift the deed restrictions that required that Rivington House remain a non-profit healthcare facility, with the expectation that the site would be converted into a for-profit nursing home. But in February 2016, with the deed restrictions lifted, Allure sold the property for $116 million to Slate.

The City's Department of Investigation later issued a report detailing the "complete lack of accountability within City government" regarding the lifting of the deed restrictions. The City Council excoriated First Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris, who oversaw the transaction and blamed Allure for being "duplicitous." The New York Attorney General's Office reached a settlement with Allure, requiring them to pay $1.25 million to local nonprofits and open new nursing homes in the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn, and Slate was all but forced to back out of the lucrative Bedford Armory development project.

This past March, Chin and Brewer wrote a letter to Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, asking her to block Slate's attempts to convert the building for residential use until after the public meeting, and until "a transparent process is established to address the future of the site and the provision of long-term care for seniors in the neighborhood."

Earlier this year, plans to put a healthcare facility for seniors on Pike Street were scrapped in favor of 88 units of affordable housing for seniors on Norfolk Street.

Rosenberg, who is 71"I wasn't supposed to make it past 48," he saiddescribed the "really great experience" he had while receiving care at Rivington House, recalling his daily walks to the post office, and how students from the Julliard School would come to perform for patients.

"I just loved the neighborhood. It's the people...Everybody was on a first-name basis, even the administrators," Rosenberg said. "It was a place to liveRivington House! We need this place back."
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya and Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 14:02 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df522d0c5 1 National #2019PresidentialElection,2019-presidential-election,#SandiagaUno,Sandiaga-Uno,Prabowo-Subianto,#Prabowo,Democratic-party,#DemocraticParty Free

Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the Gerindra Party's deputy chief patron and brother of chairman Prabowo Subianto, has signaled that Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno could be the strongest candidate to be Prabowos running mate in the 2019 presidential election.

It has been reported that the potential pair would be dubbed PSSU, or Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.

On Thursday, Hashim said there was a possibility that Gerindra might declare the PSSU pair at Prabowos residence in Jakarta later in the evening.

Unless God decides otherwise, Hashim said while visiting City Hall on Thursday.

Jakarta Legislative Council deputy speaker Mohamad Taufik, a Gerindra member, said Sandiaga could be the frontrunner.

The vice presidential candidate may likely be determined this afternoon. One of the potential candidates is Sandiaga, he said, adding that should the slot be given to Sandiaga, he would resign from his position on Friday morning.

However, the party, Taufik said, was still also considering other candidates such as the Democratic Partys Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Salim Segaf al-Jufri, an executive of Gerindras closest ally the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Sandiagas name emerged amid collapsing coalition negotiations between Gerindra and the Democrats who had proposed Agus, the eldest son of Democrats chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as Prabowo's vice president.

Prabowo paid a visit to Yudhoyono at his residence on Thursday morning, only hours after Democrat executive Andi Arief derided Prabowo as a cardboard general in a series of angry tweets,

Andi accused Prabowo of picking Sandiaga because he could pay off the other two parties in Prabowos coalition, the PKS and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Gerindra, the PKS and PAN have denied the accusation.

Prabowo emerged from the closed-door meeting after about 45 minutes and remained silent in the face of reporters questions.

Gerindras deputy chairman, Fadli Zon, who accompanied Prabowo to the meeting, would only say that they were heading back to Prabowo's house.

Democrat executives have been flocking to Yudhoyono's house, with senior politician Amir Syamsuddin saying that they had been summoned for an emergency meeting.

Democrat deputy chairman Syarief Hasan said the internal party meeting would be about consolidating the Dems position.

When asked if the Gerindra-Democratic coalition was still on, Syarief said: "We will see."

Sandiaga, however, denied his candidacy, saying that he, so far, was still focusing on his job as Jakarta deputy governor. (ipa)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 20:12 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df523d815 1 City Gerindra-Party,Jakarta-Legislative-Council,candidate Free

The Gerindra Party has removed the name of Jakarta city councillor Mohamad Taufik from its list of potential legislative candidates after being instructed to do so by Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) because Taufik has a graft record.

The KPU Jakarta commissioner Nurdin has confirmed that Taufik is not listed on the potential candidate list for the legislative election next year.

His name has been excluded from the list. He failed to fulfill the requirements in the verification stage, Nurdin said on Thursday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

As stipulated in KPU Regulation No. 20/2018, political parties may not include individuals who have been convicted of corruption, sex crimes involving minors or drug trafficking on their candidate lists.

If the KPU discovers such candidates running for election, it disqualifies them immediately and requires the relevant political parties to name replacements.

Therefore, the KPU Jakarta sent a letter to Gerindra to advise it to find a replacement for Taufik.

Taufik, who is currently City Council deputy speaker, was declared guilty of corruption in 2004 when he was head of the KPU Jakarta.

The court sentenced him to 18 months in prison for causing state losses of Rp 488 million (US$33,687) in a corruption case involving the procurement of election materials.

Taufik has filed an appeal for a judicial review with the Supreme Court to challenge the KPU regulation.

Meanwhile, Taufik has emerged as Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Unos potential successor, should the latter run as a vice presidential candidate next year. (cal)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 11:03 1177 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df521fd16 4 Business Indonesia,Trade,Sukhoi-jet-fighters,protest,USA Free

The Trade Ministry's international trade director general, Oke Nurwan, has said the United States has expressed its disappointment with the ongoing process of a purchase of 11 Sukhoi SU-35 jet fighters from Russia through a barter trade scheme.

While we are in the process of the barter trade with Russia, the US is trying to intervene, Oke said in Jakarta on Wednesday during an exporter gathering as quoted by kompas.com.

Oke said Indonesia had agreed with Russia to purchase the 11 Sukhoi jet fighters worth US$1.14 billion through a barter scheme.

Through the agreement, Russia is required to buy a number of commodities from Indonesia like palm oil, coffee, rubber and tea with the total import at least $570 million or about half of the Sukhoi deal, the official said.

He stressed that the barter scheme could become a model of trade cooperation like with countries from which Indonesia imported oil and gas.

He said Indonesia would go ahead with its plan to purchase Sukhoi jet fighters from Russia, although the deal was questioned by the US.

The purchasing contract will continue. [We] wont stop it, he added. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Thu, August 9 2018

Dispute settlements are supposed to be the central pillar of a multilateral trading system and the Geneva-based World Trade Organizations (WTO) great contribution to the stability of the global economy, notably international trade. Without a means of settling disputes, the rules-based system would be less effective because the rules could not be enforced.

The WTOs procedure underscores the rule of law, and it makes the trading system more secure and predictable. The system is based on clearly defined rules, with timetables for completing a case. First rulings are made by a panel and endorsed (or rejected) by the WTOs full membership. Appeals based on points of law are possible and decisions by the WTO Appellate Body are supposed to be final and binding.

So when Indonesia lost an appeal ruling at the WTO last November in a dispute with the United States and New Zealand over its trade restrictions of food, horticulture and animal products, the government should have made the necessary corrective measures to remove the non-tariff barriers.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Sita W. Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, August 9, 2018 20:57 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df523e0f1 1 Politics Maruf-Amin,Jokowi,#2019PresidentialElection,2019-presidential-election Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced his running mate on Thursday evening, eventually picking nonpolitical party figure Maruf Amin as his vice presidential candidate.

Prof. Maruf, who was born in Tangerang, is a completely religious figure, who is wise [...] He has been a lawmaker, councillor, MPR [Peoples Consultative Assembly] member, presidential advisory council member, supreme leader of the PBNU [Nahdlatul Ulama central board] and chairman of the MUI [Indonesian Ulema Council]. He is also a board member of [Pancasila body] BPIP, Jokowi told a press conference in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday evening.

The two are set to register their candidacy with the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Central Jakarta on Friday morning.

Maruf, who was born in Banten on March 11, 1943, is currently one of the most powerful and influential Muslim figures in the predominantly Muslim nation. He currently chairs the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the countrys top Muslim clerical body comprising all registered Muslim organizations, including Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah and the Islamic Union (Persis). The council is a central authority that issues fatwas and it gives recommendations on issuing halal certificates.

Read also: MUI chief calls on Jokowi to grant clemency to Abu Bakar Baasyir

Maruf is also the rais aam (supreme leader) of NU, the countrys largest Muslim organization that is also affiliated to the National Awakening Party (PKB), a member of Jokowis coalition. In 2017, he received an honorary degree as a professor in sharia economy from Maulana Malik Ibrahim Islamic State University of Malang in East Java.

He is not new to politics and governance. Maruf was a key member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.

As MUI chairman, he supported controversial regulations, including the Pornography Law and the joint ministerial decree banning the activities of minority group Ahmadiyah, saying in 2013 that such regulations were very much expected.

Read also: MUI recommendation on Ahok the council's strongest kind of document, chairman tells court

In 2017, Maruf was a key expert witness in a highly publicized blasphemy trial that sent then Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama to prison for two years. As the chairman of the MUI, Ma'ruf signed a document recommending that the statement Ahok made in Thousand Islands regency in September 2016, which suggested that a Quranic verse had been exploited by certain people, be considered blasphemous for insulting Islam.

Ma'ruf Amin is also a board member of the Sharia Cooperative 212, along with Arifin Ilham and Abdullah Gymnastiar. The cooperative runs several convenience stores that are expected to create a strong Muslim economy.

In December 2017, Ma'ruf said he regretted the Constitutional Court's decision that rejected a petition from the Family Love Alliance (AILA) to criminalize gay sex. "We want a stern prohibition of LGBT activities and other deviant sexual activities and legislation that categorizes them as crime," MUI chairman Maruf Amin said in 2016. (evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, August 10 2018

Global connections: Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir (second left) and the ministrys director for Africa, Daniel Tumpal Simanjuntak (left), are briefed at an Ethiopian Airlines facility in Adis Ababa on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Foreign Ministry)

Indonesia sent a large delegation to Ethiopia this week to present opportunities for trade, infrastructure and connectivity cooperation, as the country seeks to shore up new deals with Africas second-most populous nation.

Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir visited the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday to meet with a number of officials and businesspeople. He was accompanied by representatives from state-owned construction company Wijaya Karya and export financier Indonesia Eximbank.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, August 10, 2018 00:01 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df5241661 2 National #Indonesia,#election,#president,#Prabowo,#SandiagaUno Free

The Gerindra Party, PAN and PKS decided to pair Gerindra leader Prabowo Subianto and Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno without the support of the Democratic Party.

This is not an easy process. This process is tiring. I have tried to build a big coalition, Prabowo told reporters at his residence in South Jakarta 11:30 p.m.

Sandiaga is the best choice there is. He has made a sacrifice. He is willing to resign from his position as deputy governor so that he can serve the nation and the state.

Prabowo practically ignored the reccommendation made by the anti-Ahok Islamist groups that he picked celebrity preacher Abdul Somad as his running mate.

As of 10:30 p.m., the Democratic Party said it still rejected Sandiagas candidacy. The party is left with the option of joining either the Prabowo or Jokowi camp. The Election Law bans political parties from sitting out the presidential election.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Bangkok, Thailand  Thu, August 9, 2018 14:37 1176 b147f6715e2195e5246e701df522fef4 2 SE Asia #SoutheastAsia,Thailand,monk,crime Free

A former Thai Buddhist monk who provoked outrage with his lavish lifestyle was sentenced on Thursday to 114 years in prison after a court found him guilty of fraud, money laundering and computer crimes.

Wirapol Sukphol, who was seen in a YouTube video in 2013 holding wads of cash on a private jet, returned to Thailand in July 2017 after being extradited from the United States where he had fled.

Wirapol, formerly known by his monastic name Luang Pu Nenkham, was expelled from the monkhood in 2013 after the video surfaced. He was accused of having sexual intercourse - a grave offence for monks - with an underage girl, among other charges.

He later fled to the United States.

A criminal court in Bangkok sentenced Wirapol to 114 years in prison though he will only serve 20 years because Thai law stipulates that is the maximum for someone found guilty of multiple counts of the same offence.

"He committed fraud by claiming to have special power to lure in people and he also bought many luxury cars which is considered a money-laundering offence," an official at the Department of Special Litigation told Reuters.

The official declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

"The court found him guilty of multiple offences which resulted in a 114-year jail term when combined, which means he will actually serve 20 years in jail," he said.

Neither Wirapol nor his lawyer were available for comment.

Wirapol faces separate charges of child molestation and child abduction. A verdict in that case is expected in October.

Wirapol's high-profile case highlighted a series of sex and money scandals that have rockedThailand's Buddhist clergy in recent years, resulting in calls for reforms of religious institutions.

The military government that came to power after a 2014 coup has stepped up efforts to clean up Buddhism by arresting monks involved in corruption scandals and through the introduction of a bill that reduces the influence of Buddhism's Sangha Supreme Council - the governing body of Buddhist monks.
Japan will from October require airlines to ensure that disabled and elderly passengers can board planes while seated in wheelchairs, government sources said Tuesday.

The move comes amid a push to make hotels, transportation and other services more accessible ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently looking into the necessary legal changes to oblige airlines that operate regular domestic and international flights in Japan to introduce wheelchair lifts, ramps and other equipment.

Read also: Paralympic athlete releases new, wheelchair-friendly ASOS clothing line

The need for airlines to better accommodate wheelchair users entered the spotlight in June last year in the highly publicized incident of a paraplegic man climbing up a flight of stairs using his arms after he was denied entry to a plane because of his disability.

The man, Hideto Kijima, was heading home from the resort island of Amami Oshima in southwestern Japan when a staffer at the local airport told him he could not board the Vanilla Air Inc. flight because there was no equipment to assist with boarding and disembarkation of wheelchair users.

Vanilla and other low-cost carriers are more likely to require such equipment because their planes often park out on the tarmac and cannot be boarded directly from airport terminals using bridges.
As one of the hosts of the 2018 Asian Games, Palembang is expected to become a bargain shopping destination for foreign tourists.

Speaking during the opening of the Second Indonesia Bargain Shopping Day (BHDI), which is part of the 27th Sriwijaya Festival in Kuto Besak Fort in Palembang on Wednesday night, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the Asian Games serve as a perfect moment to promote the South Sumatra city as a shopping destination. "This bargain shopping [theme] can help increase the number of tourists [to Palembang], which includes culinary tourism," said Arief.

On Wednesday, Aug. 8, 'pempek' broke the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as the largest number of Indonesia National Standard (SNI)-'pempek' in the world, a move that aims to introduce the food to the global community. (JP/Yulia Savitri)

Regarding culinary tourism, Arief said Indonesia does not yet have national food that could be exported massively, unlike China, Japan and Thailand. Alongside the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), the ministry is said to have listed the archipelago's national foods, such as rendang (beef simmered in coconut milk), soto (aromatic soup), gado-gado (Indonesian salad), nasi goreng (fried rice) and sate (satay). However, as Palembang's signature dish of pempek (fish cake) has already surpassed the export target for the five foods, the ministry will also make it a culinary export item. "Palembang is able to export 7 tons of pempek per day, which is a surprising accomplishment," he said.

Arief said Indonesia could adopt Thailand's strategy in order to make pempek go global. One of the strategies is providing a subsidy of US$100,000 to anyone who opens a Thai restaurant abroad. As a result, up to 35 million foreign tourists regularly visited the country and Thailand's foreign exchange reached up to $45 billion.

Read also: Jakpost guide to 2018 Asian Games: Palembang

On Wednesday, the food broke the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as the largest number of Indonesia National Standard (SNI)-pempek in the world, a move that aims to introduce pempek to the global community.

South Sumatra Marine and Fisheries Agency data stated that over 4,000 small and medium businesses of pempek and other fish-related processed products could be found in Palembang.

Around 170,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Indonesia during the Asian Games, of which 30 percent or around 50,000 people will explore Palembang. The Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) has also stated that 7,000 press publishers have signed up to report the event, which means Palembang will attract the world's attention even more.

Currently, hotels and guest houses in the city are already fully booked with tourists, and Arief has called on the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) to assist in providing homestays to accommodate tens of thousands of guests.

"We have to take benefit of this Asian Games momentum to further promote [Palembang]. As next year Palembang will also host MotoGP, we ask for support from the Tourism Ministry," said South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin. (kes)


Jonathan Swift once wrote, "vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." If that's true, then Staten Island's self-proclaimed "creative patriot" Scott LoBaido must be able to see far beyond the physical realm. LoBaido, who has gained a reputation for creating provocative pro-Trump artwork and hurling pennies as protest, unveiled his latest masterpiece this week: a 20-foot tall Trump installation featuring a comically muscled Trump hovering over a red-white-and-blue "2020."

The piece, along with a "crying DeNiro" accompaniment (DeNiro has made a lot of enemies on The Forgotten Borough), was put up on an unidentified client's front lawn on Harris Avenue this week. "Here's my display to provoke emotion...and they love it," LoBaido told ABC, referring to people around the neighborhood. The owner loves it so much, he apparently put up cameras to keep it safe: "He put up security cameras all around the house. We have a fence here. And everybody in the neighborhood is on watch," LoBaido added.

My new 12ft high Pro Trump art installation is now up! With cryin Deniro on the side. pic.twitter.com/XDZoXCWB2T  Scott LoBaido (@ScottLoBaido) August 7, 2018

One reason why the owner might be nervous about the piece: LoBaido's last piece, a large "T" lawn sign that was put up on SI before the 2016 election in support of Trump, went up in flames. (A new version of the "T" was later put back up at the residence.)

LoBaido has a colorful history of attention-seeking and self-promoting: he was arrested in 1999 for throwing feces at the Brooklyn Museum of Art to protest an exhibition by Chris Ofili; he protested Mayor Bloomberg's smoking ban by bringing a 20-foot cigarette with the message "Bend Over Bloomberg" to City Hall; he was arrested for painting the US flag on the French Consulate to protest France's failure to support the invasion of Iraq; he decapitated an effigy of a US lawyer with an flag-painted axe in the middle of Broadway; he protested the Verrazano Bridge toll with pennies; he was kicked out of the Brooklyn Museum in 2011 when he tried to hang his own art there in protest to an exhibit; he dressed up as a Christmas tree inside the Staten Island Ferry Terminal also in 2011 to protest a ban on holiday decorations; and he embraced Trump so much the NY Post dubbed him "one of NYCs most vocal Donald Trump supporters." He also designed a trash can at a random corner on Staten Island with a special accessory designed to help lazy drivers who insist on throwing garbage out the window of their cars.

We'll give him this: when we spoke to him shortly before the 2016 election, he really understood the nihilism at the heart of Trump supporters.
Three travel fairs will be held this weekend, offering discounted airline tickets and accommodation.

For travel enthusiasts, below is a list of travel fairs that you might consider attending, as compiled by kompas.com:

1. Singapore Airlines - BCA Travel Fair 2018

Private lender Bank Central Asia (BCA) and carrier Singapore Airlines will host a joint travel fair from Aug. 10-12 at the Main Atrium of Gandaria City Mall, Jakarta.

The fair offers discounted airfares, extra KrisFlyer Miles as well as shopping vouchers.

The fair will also be held at Lippo Mall in Kuta, Bali, on the same days and at Pakuwon Mall, Surabaya, East Java, from Aug. 9-12.

2. Club Med Travel Fair with HSBC

Held at the Promenade of Central Park Mall in Jakarta from Aug. 9-12, the Club Med travel fair will present offers from several airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia and Japan Airlines.

Partnering with HSBC, Club Med provides special promotions for HSBC credit card holders that include cashback offers up to Rp 1.2 million and shopping vouchers worth up to Rp 2 million.

In Indonesia, Club Med resorts are available in Bali and Bintan.

Read also: How to get discounted airline tickets outside of travel fairs

3. SilkAir Travel Fair and Virtual Fair

Singapore Airlines regional carrier SilkAir is hosting its fair both offline and online.

Customers that prefer the offline approach can visit the following venues in five cities:

 Medan: Center Point Mall, Aug. 8-12

 Bandung: 23 Paskal Mall, Aug. 9-12

 Semarang: Paragon Mall, Aug. 9-12

 Jogja: Jogja City Mall, Aug.10-12

 Makassar: PIPO Mall, Aug. 10-12

BCA cards are required for transactions, as SilkAir is partnered with the bank. Customers can benefit from cashback up to Rp 2 million, interest-rate free installments and additional miles for SQ-BCA cardholders.

The virtual fair is only for travelers who will depart from Balikpapan, Manado or Lombok. They can apply for their specially discounted package trips by booking tickets on this website or contacting a travel agent. The offer stands from Aug. 8-12. (saz/wng)
Candidates who apply for a job at 9 am on a Wednesday are more likely to be OFFERED an interview within 24 hours, research by Job Today concludes. Research by UKs number one hiring app, Job Today, has discovered that the best time to apply for a job is 9 am on a Wednesday. More than 17% of employers post new job advertisements on a Wednesday. Wednesday was also flagged up as the day almost half (47%) of jobseekers were invited for an interview within 24 hours of the job being advertised. Job Today, the fastest growing mobile hiring company in the world for casual jobs, monitored employee postings and usability of job seekers over a three-month period between April 2018 and June 2018. The research unveiled that jobseekers are statistically most active at 1 pm, with Millennials leading the way as the most active job seeking generation. Job seekers under the age of 25 make up a third of searches sorted by position, demonstrating that young people are the most certain of their desired job role. Furthermore, only 3% of under-25s base their job search on locations close to home, demonstrating that millennials are more willing to move home or travel for their career. Co-Founder of Job Today, Polina Montano, has advised job seekers to start their job search early in the day for the most success: Our insight shows that by lunchtime on Wednesday employers will start to receive a flurry of applications. I would always recommend being enthusiastic and start early in the day to look for a role whilst others might be having a lie in, recommends Montano.
Norway is expensive. This is just an inconvenient truth, but not an unavoidable one. With a mattress in the back of a car, you have already cut a huge section out of possible expenses. Add some durable essentials such as canned foods, camping cooking equipment, toilet paper, and anything else you can avoid buying in Norway and you'll find the costs continually shrinking.

include:

'Never look down' may be some comfort to those who are uncomfortable with the vertigo common up in Norway's mountains, but it is poor economic advice for supermarket shopping in Norway. By shopping for your own food the vertiginous prices can be escaped, but the best deals to be found on supermarket shelves are always at the bottom.During the summer, Norwegian days never end. Darkness never truly envelopes the sky and as a result, sunsets are a long and gradual interplay of colours. The length of daylight is not only useful for travelling throughout the day, but also provide for amazing night-time viewing. Being able to leave the travelling to the morning gives a care-free afternoon and evening under some of the most beautiful skies in the world.If the environment shapes the individual, one would expect the people of Norway to be rugged yet beautiful, often reaching great heights, but most importantly hospitable to foreign travellers. Never had my question "Do you have any suggestions" been met with anything other than the most jovial and helpful advice coupled with expert local knowledge. And... when your car gets stuck descending a steep drop, before long, three cars will stop each offering help and tow you out of peril.Deepening our primal roots is a very useful instinct when camping in Norway. When you have found the Elysium you have spent the day searching to camp on, mark it. Spread your picnic blanket, open your car doors, make as much of a statement so passing cars will decide to move on. While it is nice to meet new people, it is a completely different experience to have a small patch of paradise to yourself.Norway is full of tunnels. Long (sometimes 25km), dark, and spooky tunnels. It will feel at first as though you're driving down the throat of an immense whale, perhaps searching for Jonah or Geppetto, but hold steady because beauty awaits at the end of the tunnel. The most untouched and least known places are often at the end of these unlit tunnels, so seek them out and treat them as your rite-of-passage.Google Maps can do a lot, but there are some functions a physical map does better. When you are in Norway, go to any bookshop and buy a map for the region you are in. Then take a look at the small one-way roads that lead off of the main roads and try to find some that run near or by a lake. This will provide you with endless opportunities to find untouched and beautiful spots that a macro-view in Googe Maps just will not provide.Before going to Norway, I was having panic-ridden daydreams of being trapped in the car with a bear pawing at the windows. This fear was soon replaced by the ubiquitous sight of sheep. Placid and slightly bemused sheep are everywhere in Southern Norway. They are very used to people, and are confident enough to take their time when you are stuck behind them during a grueling hike.Prior to a hike halfway through my trip, I had been slightly concious about swimming and bathing in lakes naked, even though no one was around. However, during this hike I overheard an interesting conversation. One hiker was quoting Michaelangelo's response to critics of the nuditiy represented in his pictures. "To think a man's boot is more noble than a man's foot is the real sin". This stuck with me, and the next time I was confronted with a lake, I accordingly stripped to my bare "nobility" and never regretted it.While this trip could be done alone, it is incomparably easier and a hell of a lot more fun with co-pilot. Prerequisite skills shouldan impeccable music taste, snack distribution, and photography.
Australian genderfluid actor Ruby Rose, who came to prominence in Orange is the New Black, is to play Lesbian Superhero, Batwoman Kate Kane.

Her Kate Kane is to appear in a December crossover special with Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl before appearing in a stand-alone series being developed for the 2019-20 US TV Series.

Image courtesy of Eva

Rinaldi

The character is described in the casting description as physically and intellectually confident while being a proud openly gay woman. After being kicked out the military she instead took up the role of a crime-fighting vigilante as Batwoman, able to strike fear into criminals.

Speaking on Instagram, Rose said she was beyond thrilled and honoured ,but that she was also a wreck as it was a lifelong dream. Growing up she never felt represented on tv and said she was thankful that this generation of LGBT kids would grow up with Kane as a role model.

Some fans of the jewish Lesbian character have expressed misgivings however posting tweets under the #KeepKateJewish hashtag. In the recent Alternative-Universe comic series DC Bombshells her jewish identity and crime-fighting come together as she drops into Europe to take on the Nazis in WW2.

Vampire Diaries Caroline Driers is writer and co-executive producer working alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Geoff Johns to bring the solo series to CW.

Despite some mixed fan reactions, Rose's casting, like that of Nicole Maines as the first transgender superhero Dreamer, shows that CW is committed to creating a superhero universe that is as diverse as its comic counterpart while changing tv representation in general.
Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home Page


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
MBABANE  Swaziland Empowerment Limited (SEL) has dropped to E22.7 million.

When asked what the declared interim dividend of E22 755 000 means in terms of the companys profitability during the period under review, Company Secretary Makhosazana Mhlanga pointed out that SEL has a 19 per cent stake at Swazi MTN and its main source of income were dividends received from Swazi MTN. She explained that SEL receives dividend income from Swazi MTN Limited and they in turn declare dividends of 99.5 per cent of received dividends to its shareholders. The drop in dividend income was due to the fact that Swazi MTN declared 80 per cent of its profit after tax in 2017 compared to 100 per cent of profit after tax in 2016 in line with its dividend policy which has a minimum percentage and a maximum percentage of dividends to be paid to shareholders, said Mhlanga.

Mhlanga when previously unpacking SELs financials for the year ended March 31, 2017 which reflected growth, disclosed that there had been an increase in share price when compared to March 31, 2016. She said dividend income from Swazi MTN increased by 10 per cent from E59 million to E66 million while finance income increased by 63 per cent from E7 million to E11 million. The company secretary explained that finance income comes from investments in bonds, short term loans and fun in money market.

Accrued

When further probed as to what the current declaration of 123 cents per share means to the ordinary shareholders in terms of income accrued from their shares held with SEL; she responded It is SELs policy to declare 99.5 per cent of dividend received from Swazi MTN Limited to its shareholders. Dividend declared by SEL was therefore 99.5 per cent of dividend income from Swazi MTN Limited. On the basis of the declared dividend, Mhlanga was also asked what the prospects for growth were to which she responded by mentioning that SEL has a diverse portfolio and would continue to look at other investment opportunities to ensure sustainability going forward. Over and above SELs 19 per cent stake as Swazi MTN, It has invested on government bonds, Finance Development Corporation (FINCORP) bonds and Select bonds among others, Mhlanga explained. On another note, Mhlanga previously assured that to ensure sustainability going forward in relation to the current tough economic trading conditions, SEL would continue to look at other investment opportunities.








MBABANE  The Republic of China on Taiwan has appointed a new ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini.

This is according to reports by the Taipei Times, which were confirmed by an official from their local office. Jeremy Liang has been appointed as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini, the official said. Liang will fill the position of Thomas Chen, who fell ill and was hospitalised on June 22. Liang is currently Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs director-general in the Department of Protocol. The official stated that they were not sure when he would start work but they believed it would be around the end of this month or early next month. He said Liangs appointment was on a permanent basis. When asked about Chens condition, the official said, He is recovering well and is quite stable. The official added that Chen was receiving medical treatment in Taiwan.

According to Liangs curriculum vitae, this will not be his first international diplomatic mission as he has represented his country in Gambia, Singapore and Thailand. He has worked for his countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2015, where he served as deputy director-general in the Department of International Information Services and later as director-general in the Department of Protocol. His CV states that Liang has a B. A. in Political Science from the National Chengchi University, and holds an M. A. in Diplomacy and International Law from the same university. The Taipei Times reported that Chen was found seriously ill in his office on June 22. It also reported that he was taken to a hospital in South Africa for treatment, before being sent back to an Eswatini hospital on June 29.

Recovering

The publication quoted Department of West Asia and African Affairs Deputy Director-General, Grace Lo to have said after recovering, Chen returned to Taipei last month, where he remains hospitalised. It added that, that countrys former Minister, Secretary General Tsai Ming-yaw has been serving as special envoy in Chens absence. Another Taiwan publication, Focus Taiwan, reported on June 26 that Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Andrew Lee, declined to disclose the nature of Chens illness but only said he fell ill because he was too busy arranging President Tsai Ing-wens state visit to Eswatini in April. Focus Taiwan quoted a local media pundit Clara Chou, to have reported that Chen suffered a stroke.
PIGGS PEAK  A bus, BMW and a kombi were involved in a freak accident which left several pupils from The Peak Nazarene Primary School seriously injured.

At least seven pupils who were on board the kombi, with two of their teachers were seriously injured when the BMW crashed into the vehicle they were travelling in. One of the pupils lay unconscious, sprawled under a nearby tree while another was found under a guardrail. The accident happened near Highlands Inn, at a junction which leads to Mhlatane High School. It is alleged that the kombi was in front of a bus heading towards Piggs Peak while the BMW was behind the bus. As the BMW was overtaking the bus, the driver of the kombi was also turning to the right towards Mhlatane High School. It was during this moment that a noise of screeching tyres was heard as the driver of the BMW attempted to apply brakes. The BMW rammed into the side of the kombi, causing it to spin until it stopped several metres away.

According to the driver of the kombi, Andrew Msibi, the impact caused by the BMW was so much that the kombi spun and stopped in such a way that it faced the opposite direction as if heading to Mbabane instead of Piggs Peak. He said when he reached the Mhlatane junction, he turned right in the direction of Mhlatane High School headed to Hlanganani Primary to pick up a pupil but the journey was cut short by the accident. He said when his kombi eventually stopped after being hit, he tried to open his door but it was jammed. I cant remember how I arrived at the hospital, he said. The schools Head teacher, Gideon Gumedze, confirmed that seven pupils from his school were on board the kombi. Gumedze said there were also two teachers in the kombi and that they were also rushed to hospital. He was at the hospital moving from different wards, ensuring that all the pupils were being attended to. One of the pupils was rushed to the Mbabane Government Hospital due to the extent of his injuries while others were admitted at the Piggs Peak Government Hospital. At the time of compiling this report, one of the pupils appeared to be unconscious.

In March 2017, a kombi accident left one pupil dead while several others were injured. There were 18 pupils on board the kombi and the accident happened near the Swaziland Plantations entrance along the Piggs Peak/Motshane Highway, which is also known as the King Mswati II Highway. Meanwhile, good Samaritans, who included a wardress helped to ferry the accident victims to hospital after the ambulance they had called was delayed. According to Sanelisiwe Kunene, who is a wardress, she feared that the situation could worsen for some of the pupils if they did not receive medical attention promptly. She said one of the pupils appeared to have been flung out of the vehicle. It was a bad sight, said the warder. Sanelisiwe said with the assistance of others, they carried some of the children to their vehicle and rushed them to hospital.
MBABANE  Pupils should help their parents as opposed to attending school on holidays, its unlawful.

This was said the by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Dr Sibongile Mthali, in an interview with the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services yesterday. Mtshali said, procedurally schools should adhere to the calendar which governs the operation of schools in the country. She said the number of days which teachers were expected to spend in class with pupils were embodied in the school calendar. Mtshali said ideally, pupils had to spend time with their parents during school holidays since the days allocated for learning were enough to cover the syllabus. She said pupils were expected to help their parents during school holidays as opposed to going to schools. Noted is that some schools had made it a requirement that pupils attend school during holidays.

This normally happens to Grade VII, Form III and Form V pupils across the country. It is believed that extra lessons help pupils as they prepare for their external examinations. Mtshali also decried the bad practice of some schools being closed earlier than the stipulated date. School calendar is divided into three terms and each term has a number of days for a teacher to spend in class with the pupils. These days have to be utilised for the benefit of the pupils. If schools close early, what happens to the other days? asked Mtshali. She said having pupils learn on holidays was unlawful. On another note, the PS said school trips should not disrupt lessons. She said only educational trips were allowed during school days. Educational trips are applicable in subjects like Geography, Science and Siswati.

Request

However, she said there should be a formal request from the head teachers as the ministry needed to keep records of what was happening in schools. Mtshali said recreational trips should only be conducted during school holidays, through an approval from the ministry. Head teachers must engage the ministry for recreational trips. The ministry is aware that some recreational trips benefit the head teachers because they buy holiday shares. It is unlawful to buy the holiday shares using school funds, she said. The PS warned head teachers against conducting trips and lessons during holidays which were allocated for national events such as Umhlanga Reed Dance as it deprived the pupils of their rights to attend these events.
MBABANE  Your job is to provide security, not to interfere with the sitting arrangement.

This message was directed to warders who were guarding arrested businessman Sipho Shongwe during his appearance in court yesterday. The warders were called to order by their superiors after they were seen conversing with Shongwe concerning sitting arrangements.

Requested

Shongwe called the group of about seven warders and requested that they reserve space for the people who were yet to arrive in court to give him moral support. Shongwe was seen gesturing from the accused dock while negotiating with the warders. During their conversation with Shongwe, the officers seemed to understand what Shongwe requested from them as some were seem pointing at the seats to be reserved. As the warders conversed with Shongwe, their superior called one of the officers and asked what the conversation was about. In response, the officer told his superior that Shongwe was requesting that they reserve some space for his relatives who were yet to arrive in court. You have not been assigned to usher people here. Your job is to provide security. Once you are seen ushering people in this court, you will answer for your actions somewhere, said the senior officer. The warder relayed the message to his colleagues. Shongwe then sat quietly inside the accused dock until he was greeted by his defence counsel Lucky Howe.

Jokingly

Shongwe seemed to have no problem with photographers taking pictures of him. He jokingly asked the reporters why they put poor quality pictures in the newspaper because they had time to photograph him. However, when he recognised the face of a Times of Swaziland photographer, Shongwe said Yeyi, msuseni lona akahambe lana (Please remove this one, he must leave this place). Noted was that Shongwe was calm when he made the request in jest. This was shortly before the arrival of his wife Vuyiswa, who was in the company of her relatives. When the matter was adjourned, she hastily went to her car which was parked a few metres away from the High Court steps.
MBABANE  A man who allegedly played god six years ago by determining who lives and who does not, is now being pursued by law enforcers in two jurisdictions.

George Amos Mamba (60) is now wanted by both Eswatini and South African police for three cases of human trafficking and nine of murder. George was allegedly involved in a scam where people were murdered and their corpses used to claim insurance money in the neighbouring country. The crimes occurred in 2012. Three of the people who died were from Eswatini, and the rest were South Africans. The case is being jointly dealt with by Lukhozi Serious Crimes Unit and the Hawks. George, who is originally from Gucuka near Siphofaneni in the Lubombo Region, was allegedly part of a 10-man syndicate which was involved in the crime.

Life

One of the people who were involved in the scam was Nokwazi Ngema Zondi of KwaZulu-Natal, who was given a life sentence by the Pietermaritzburg High Court in February 2014. Zondi, it is alleged, was Georges girlfriend. The other eight have been convicted of fraud, and their murder cases will begin once George is found. It is alleged that some members of the syndicate are professionals and one of them is a nurse, and another one a police officer. According to a source close to the matter, George took three women from the kingdom to Eswatini on different occasions. This publibation reported about one of the women in February 2014. The woman, who was not identified at that time, was drugged before she was strangled to death. She was then passed off as Hlengiwe Nokubonga Mncube.

Zondi had taken out two policies with Old Mutual and Assupol in Mncubes name between July and October 2012. At the time Zondi was convicted of the crime, her identity was not known. In her plea statement, Zondi at the time said, she and Thobani Mpanza had arranged with George to get a girl from Eswatini, whom they had plans of killing. Mr Mamba brought the girl, whose identity was unknown, from Swaziland, and took her to Pongola where we fetched her. We took the girl to Madadeni, Newcastle to the home of Thobani. We prepared a mixture which we gave to her. The mixture was meant to make the girl dizzy. It did. We then took her to the bush where we strangled her to death. I personally strangled her until she died, she is reported to have said in her statement. Zondi also admitted that she thereafter took part in the identification of the body of the girl and misrepresented to the mortuary that she was Mncube, whose identity document she stole.

This was for the purpose of having the body released to her, and procuring the proceeds of a policy. Zondi was paid out a total of E100 000 by both Old Mutual and Assupol. The source said the woman had since been identified, and she was also from Gucuka. One of the emaSwati have not been identified. It was also alleged that Mamba and the rest of the syndicate had once attempted to bring a corpse to bury it in Eswatini, but their efforts were thwarted after they were turned back at the border as they lacked relevant documents to bring the body into the country. The corpse was allegedly buried in a shallow grave near the border gate. It is alleged that in the same year, Mamba lured *Zodwa to South Africa through promising her a job. The source alleged that Mamba found Zodwas sister working in a butchery in Siphofaneni, and said he could offer her a better paying job in South Africa. Her family felt that since Zodwa was unemployed, she should be the one to go to South Africa with Mamba, the source alleged.


 tmtpost      
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

There were no explosions in the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Defense Ministry told Trend on August 8.

The message notes that the information disseminated by the Armenian side is false and is yet another provocation of the enemy.

There were no explosions in the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces. The disseminated information is an unsuccessful attempt of the enemy to respond to the information disseminated by Azerbaijan about the explosion in the dugout in one of the positions of the Armenian armed forces on August 6, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry noted.

The ministry added that Azerbaijani armed forces fully control the operational situation.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.
Several well-known singers will perform at the concert, including Manolis Lidakis, Giorgos Dalaras, Tania Tsanaklidou and Maria Farantouri, while they will be accompanied by a large orchestra

All revenues from tickets of a concert dedicated in memory of poet and writer Manos Eleftheriou at the Herod Atticus (Irodio) theater will be donated to the victims of the recent wildfires in Attica, according to ANA.

The concert at 9:00 p.m. on August 29 (Wednesday) will honor Eleftheriou, who wrote the lyrics to over 400 songs set to music by Greece's most significant composers of the last five decades, and who died close to the July 23 fire disasters in Attica.

Tickets for this Athens-Epidaurus Festival events begin at 20 euros (lower for special categories like students and pensioners) up to 60 euros. Persons interested in supporting wildfire victims without necessarily attending can purchase 20-euro vouchers at the Athens Festival offices (http://greekfestival.gr/plirofories-eisitirion/?lang=en) or through Viva.gr (https://www.viva.gr.)

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Bobby H License: CC-BY-SA
A group of scientists headed by Greek professor Ioannis Baziotis have used a modern geochemical technique to draw conclusions on how tectonic slabs melt underneath the Santorini island volcano, causing eruptions.

The international team applied the pioneering geochemical method of research in the rocks of the island.

The purpose of this study, as Professor Baziotis told the Athens  Macedonian News Agency, was to bring together two great, yet different, disciplines of geology science, petrology and geochemistry. Through the study of stone chemistry we were able to answer questions that concern the field of geophysics and seismology.

Scientists took samples from the volcanic rocks on the surface of Santorini and analyzed them with a number of techniques regarding their basic minerals and geochemistry (main elements and trace elements). Then, using  for the first time in the country  a special geochemical model developed by the Japanese professor Jun-Ichi Kimura, they proceeded to simulate the behavior of the main elements and the trace elements.

Applying the method, scientists estimated that the tectonic plate of Africa releases fluids from a depth of about 145 km. This depth is the same as the one resulting from the study of seismic data (intermediate depth earthquakes), thus outlining the upper surface of the underlying tectonic slab of Africa under the Eurasian one.

Read more at greekreporter.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
Five of the more common natural aphrodisiacs that have been used throughout the centuries and can still be found today at your local supermarket

Ancient Greeks were big believers in aphrodisiacs and ancient love potions. If you want to spice up your love life, look no further. Here are five of the more common natural aphrodisiacs that have been used throughout the centuries and can still be found today at your local supermarket:

1. Pomegranates

This fruit has made a comeback during the past decade or so as it is praised for its nutritional values.

Even back in Ancient Greece, the pomegranate fruit was deemed nutritious and it was also believed, in both ancient times and today, that the juice has aphrodisiac properties.

2. Truffles

Going as far back as the 1st century AD, this fungi found its way into the limelight as an aphrodisiac as it is believed that it came into existence as a result of the combined action of water, heat, and thunderbolts as Zeus hurled a thunderbolt to Earth which landed close to an oak tree.

The ancient Greek physician Galen noted that the truffle is very nourishing and can direct voluptuousness.

Currently, you can even order truffles online. Check out Truffles USA at www.trufflesusa.com where you will find selected Italian truffles that are imported from central Italy.

3. Leeks

In ancient times, leeks were eaten raw and whole or cooked and were probably considered an aphrodisiac due to their phallic shape.

Nowadays, people still believe that leeks are an aphrodisiac and they constitute a great addition to any meal.

4. Garlic

At some point and time, people stopped believing that garlic was toxic and began eating it to prevent illness and congestion. In addition, people started believing that it possessed magical properties and that it is a natural aphrodisiac.

Try making the Greek dish skordalia, and youll be sure to eat a considerable amount of garlic. It is a mixture of garlic puree with which you combine with puree of potatoes, walnuts, almonds, or milk-soaked stale bread. Just brush your teeth afterward in case the aphrodisiac properties really do kick in...

5. Legumes

Dating back as far as Hippocrates, legumes have been an indispensable part of the menu for men wishing to keep up their libido as they get older.

Hippocrates prescribed a variety of legumes to eat by the bowl-full; while the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was a believer in lentil beans with the addition of saffron to keep a mans libido active and in top shape. Many Greek men swear by lentil beans as a libido lifter, even today.

Read more at greekreporter.com/Kerry Kolasa-Sikiaridi

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: pixabay.com
Senior officials from UAE and Sudan recently met to discuss issues of mutual interest and investment opportunities in the mining sector of Sudan, said a report.



Hamad Mohammed Humaid Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Sudan; and Mohammed Ahmed Ali Ibrahim, Sudanese Minister of Minerals, met at the ministry's premises in Khartoum, reported UAE state news agency Wam.



The Sudanese minister lauded the excellent bilateral relations, welcoming UAE investments in all fields especially in mining and minerals sector, added the report.
Central Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Shady Dawad as General Manager of Canal Central Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai.



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - August 9th, 2018 - Central Hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Shady Dawad as General Manager of Canal Central Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai. Shady is an experienced hotelier with over 10 years spent in the UAE working with a number of prestigious brands.

Ammar Kannan, Group General Manager of Central Hotels said, We are delighted to welcome Shady as the General Manager of the luxurious Canal Central Hotel Business Bay. Shady has extensive management experience and wealth of knowledge, particularly in the GCC region, which covers all key areas in terms of operations. I am confident that he will successfully lead the team at this stunning hotel and orchestrate its strong market positioning with his proactive leadership and strategic approach.

Upon joining Canal Central Hotel Business Bay, Shady commented, I am thrilled to join Canal Central Hotel Business Bay, a distinctive 5-star Hotel overlooking the spectacular Burj Khalifa and Dubai Canal. The beautiful hotel offers exceptional facilities and unique experiences with the signature Stay Fresh concept including atmospheric dining venues. I look forward to working with the team in positioning the hotel as a preferred destination for both local and international travelers.

An Egyptian national, Shady began his career in 2004 at the Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi joining the front office. Subsequently, after completing a number of pre-openings for an acclaimed local brand, he moved to Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and Resorts in 2008 as Rooms Division Manager. He held several key positions within the front of house before working his way through to executive assistant manager at the Millennium Plaza Hotel, Dubai in 2017. He then went on to join Lavender Hotels, Dubai as Hotel Manager until mid-2018.

About Canal Central Hotel

Canal Central Hotel in Business Bay is superbly located only a few minutes away from The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountains. Equipped with the finest amenities each of the Canal Centrals 278 spacious rooms and suites offer spectacular views of the Dubai Canal or Burj Khalifa. Completing the experience is a hand-picked selection of dining outlets, flexible meeting spaces, state-of-the-art gymnasium and spa, a stunning infinity swimming pool and salon.

Follow Us on

@CanalCentralAE

#CanalCentralAE #CentralHotels #StayFresh

About Central Hotels

Central Hotels has very quickly established itself as a reputed hotel management group in the UAE with its flagship property First Central Hotel Suites located in Barsha Heights (TECOM) near Sheikh Zayed Road. Building up on this amazing success, the brand is now poised to expand its footprint targeting the UAE and Turkey as the primary markets for growth in addition to other lucrative destinations within the Middle East. The group has recently added to its portfolio spectacular new 5-star hotels such as Canal Central Business Bay and Royal Central The Palm followed Central House Citywalk focused on millennials, Novotel The Palm, Diamond Central  Business Bay and Island Central in Dubai. Valley Central Bursa and Valley Central Trabzon will both be located in Turkey.

For more information visit www.central-hotels.com

For Media Contact:

Hina Bakht

Managing Director

EVOPS Marketing & PR

M: +971 50 6975146 | T: +971 4 5667355

Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com

www.evops-pr.com

###
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is gravely concerned about reports of the forced return of a Zimbabwean asylum-seeker by Zambia to his country of origin.

A senior Zimbabwean politician expressed the intention to seek asylum in Zambia at the border yesterday. It is reported that the authorities handed him over to his country of origin today despite a court order to the contrary.

Refoulement or forcibly returning refugees and asylum-seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law. UNHCR calls on Zambia to investigate this reported incident urgently.

END

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Well-being of 2-million in Gaza at stake

United Nations, Aug 9 (UNI) To avert hospital closures and raw sewage overflowing onto the streets of Gaza, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator has called on Israeli authorities to allow UN-purchased emergency fuel back across the border of the Palestinian enclave.

Restricting the entry of emergency fuel to Gaza is a dangerous practice, with grave consequences on the rights of people in Gaza, Jamie McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine said in a statement on Wednesday.

The well-being of 2 million people, half of whom are children, is at stake. It is unacceptable that Palestinians in Gaza are repeatedly deprived of the most basic elements of a dignified life, he added.
Srinagar, Aug 8 (UNI) Four militants were killed and a soldier was injured in an encounter which ensued after troops launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the woods in north Kashmir district of Baramulla on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander, has complimented security forces for killing the militants in the forests of Hamam in Baramulla.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia told UNI that following a tip-off about the presence of militants; Army, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint search operation at Rafiabad, Sopore, Baramulla district of north Kashmir this morning.
400 grams of Gold seized at RGIA

Hyderabad, Aug 9 (UNI) The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here on Thursday seized 400 grams of gold, worth about Rs 12.4 lakh from an air passenger.



The Gold consisting of 4 pieces were seized at about 2030 hrs, during screening at Security Hold Area from the hand baggage of a passenger namely Mr Mullamalla Sanath K Reddy (USA National), who was supposed to travel from Hyderabad to Dallas (USA).
Kerala: Two spillway shutter of Mullaperiyar dam opened 29 Oct 2021 | 10:04 AM Idukki, Oct 29 (UNI) Two spillway shutters (3 and 4) of Mullaperiyar dam were opened, releasing 534 cubic feet water due to heavy rains in the catchment areas in Mullaperiyar here on Friday morning. see more..

Two spillway shutters of Mullaperiyar dam opened 29 Oct 2021 | 9:59 AM Idukki, Oct 29 (UNI) Two spillway shutters of Mullaperiyar dam were opened on Friday to release excess water due to heavy rains in the catchment areas, Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said. see more..

Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan releases documentary on 'Vagbhatananda Guru' 29 Oct 2021 | 9:45 AM Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 (UNI) The vision and sacrifices of illustrious Renaissance leaders like Guru Vagbhatanandan has carved the features that make Kerala unique, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Thursday, it was reported on Friday. see more..

Sikkim reports 14 new COVID-19 cases 29 Oct 2021 | 9:41 AM Gangtok, Oct 29 ( UNI ) Sikkim has reported 14 new COVID-19 cases here on Friday. see more..
New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) Over 11,000 staffs of the IDBI Bank went on strike on Thursday as part of their two-day nationwide protest against government nod for acquisition of IDBI by LIC.



The call for strike was given by the All India IDBI Officers Association.



As part of the strike, the union is staging dharna (sit-in) at state capital headquarters across the country today, to be followed by Mass Dharna (Hunger strike) on August 10 at Jantar Mantar in the National capital, an AIIDBIOA release said.



The statement said, as the government arbitrary and ulterior motive to privatise the Bank has created furor and unrest amongst all the staff of the Bank, the union has decided to protest vehemently against the Government of India move and as part of its agitation programme a two-day nationwide strike call has been given on August 09 and 10.



Staff of IDBI Bank are deeply concerned over the Government of India move to sell a significant portion of its stake in IDBI Bank Ltd. to Life Insurance Corporation of India where by the shareholding of the Government of India in IDBI Bank will fall below 51 per cent, effectually leading to privatisation of IDBI Bank, it said.



UNI JPG ADG 1924
Indonesia calls upon the richer nations for vaccine equity after COVID toll 29 Oct 2021 | 10:12 AM Jakarta, Oct 29(UNI) Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday urged richer countries to share their vaccines with poorer ones in an effort to fight the COVID pandemic more evenly and effectively, during an interview with the BBC. see more..

Major US oil companies grilled by Congress for misleading public about climate change 29 Oct 2021 | 9:24 AM Washington, Oct 29(UNI) Top executives of the major US oil companies appeared before US lawmakers on Thursday to face allegations of misleading the public about climate change, BBC reported on Friday. see more..

Argentine court grants permission to question ex-President on surveillance case 29 Oct 2021 | 9:24 AM Buenos Aires, Oct 29 (UNI/Sputnik) Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has relieved former leader Mauricio Macri from the duty to keep secret intelligence data so he can testify in court in the case of alleged espionage on the relatives of the sailors that died in the San Juan submarine incident, it was reported on Friday. see more..
UW Energy Resources Council to Meet Aug. 24

The University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC) will meet at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, at the BP Collaboration Center in the Energy Innovation Center on the UW campus.

Council members will discuss several financial matters, including a report on grants and private funding. Additional agenda items include discussion regarding carbon engineering projects, Carbon Safe and the Dry Fork Integrated Test Center.

The ERC was established by the Wyoming State Legislature in 2006. Made up of representatives of industry, state government and academia, the council advises the School of Energy Resources (SER) on priorities for research and outreach.

The SER provides undergraduate and graduate education; conducts research on existing and emerging industry resources; and disseminates scientific, engineering and economic information to support Wyomings near- and long-term energy future.

People with disabilities requiring special accommodations to attend this meeting should call the SER at (307) 766-6897. Information about the SER is available at www.uwyo.edu/SER.
September is approaching, but the twenty pupils heading back to school in Talvorik, a community in Armenias Armavir Province, will be greeted by a building in need of major repair.

The school is located on the outskirts of the village, nearby the municipality. The school building's dilapidated condition is noticeable from a distance.

School Principal Marine Safaryan was not at school when this reporter arrived. Sarafyan refused to talk by phone about the state of the school, since she was afraid the government might decide to close the school and send the children to other communities because of this article.

The building is in poor condition and lacks many necessities. Theres no gym or science labs. The auditorium is just a relatively spacious room where chairs are added for people to sit during plays and other events. One can peer into the classrooms through the holes on the walls.

Students and teachers share a bathroom located outside. None of its three entrances has a door.

The school has been operating in this building since the early 1990's.

Talvorik Mayor Kirakos Saghatelyan says the school used to have an enrollment of seventy prior to 2004, but the number has dropped to twenty today. He says the school was partially renovated with the help of a Canadian philanthropist in 2000. This year, the roof of the building has been replaced with the help of the provincial administration, while the municipality has installed water.

The school is up to the ninth grade. After graduating, students are supposed to continue their education either in the Armavir towns or a neighboring villages high school. Due to a lack of public transportation in Talvorik, school children and residents alike have a hard time travelling outside their communitys confines.

"Even prehistoric schools had had better conditions. We cannot solve this problem with a budget of 12-13 million drams. Over the years, we have donated some property to the school, but it is not enough. The building needs to be reconstructed, says Saghatelyan.

The mayor says he has repeatedly appealed to state agencies for the school renovation. Various government officials visited the school. After they noted a lack of funds and that schools in some larger communities were in the same boat, Talvorik residents backed off on the reconstruction issue.

"Children are breathing dust, and the liquid fuel smell is unbearable in the winter. It can lead to very bad consequences," says Saghatelyan.

Municipality employees spoke about cases when children had fainted in the classroom because of the fuel smell.

They say that the school will only be rebuilt when government funds are forthcoming.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last Tuesday as part of his official visit to Singapore

After the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was signed in January 1973, Singapore was one of the first nations to forge diplomatic ties with Vietnam. The two countries relations developed favourably, with a first official visit to Singapore by Vietnams late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong in January 1978 and a joint statement affirming key principles guiding the Vietnam-Singapore relationship. In the early 1990s, as the regional and international situation changed and Vietnam implemented its open-door policy, the two countries relationship improved quickly, especially after Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995.

Ever since, Singapore has been Vietnams reliable friend and a close partner in the region, always supporting Vietnams development and international integration. During Vietnams economic reform, Singapores late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was always a friend to Vietnam and often provided valuable advice for the country to develop.

From initial co-operation mechanisms such as the Vietnam-Singapore Co-operation Council (May 1993), the co-ordination group in charge of guiding the two countries economic co-operation (April 1994), the task force supporting Vietnam in infrastructure development and sharing experience in weathering the Asian economic and financial crisis (1997-1998), both countries have established a firm foundation for comprehensive co-operation in all sectors.

The reliable political relationship is an important foundation. Both nations signed the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Co-operation Framework in the 21st Century in 2004. Nine years later, Singapore became one of the first ASEAN nations to forge a strategic partnership with Vietnam, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid an official visit to Vietnam in 2013. This partnership ushered in a new co-operation era: co-operation for mutual benefit, respect, and especial trust between both countries.

New co-operation mechanisms were also established and frequently maintained, such as economic connectivity, political consultations, and defence dialogues. Hundreds of bilateral agreements have been signed, creating a firm legal foundation for both countries strengthened development.

Deep linkages in economics, trade, and investment have always been emphasised in the Vietnam-Singapore relationship. Right after Vietnam opened its doors to the world, Singapore was one of the first nations to approach Vietnams market. Two-way trade turnover has soared over the past 20 years, from $3 billion in 1997 to $8.3 billion in 2017. Singapore has become Vietnams largest ASEAN trade partner and Vietnams eighth-largest foreign trade partner overall. Singapore currently has over 2,000 investment projects in Vietnam, registered at over $43 billion, ranking third among 126 nations and territories investing in Vietnam.

The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) project initiated by late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is a prime example, having been deployed throughout Vietnam and currently standing at a total of nine VSIPs. They have attracted many investment projects, generated lots of employment for locals, and made important contributions to Vietnams economic development. VSIP has become a symbol of the economic connectivity between both nations. Commenting on the success of VSIP, in 2010, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed, VSIP not only benefits Vietnam and Singapore, but also contributes to the whole region.

Vietnams businesses have also invested in Singapore, with about 100 projects registered at nearly $300 million.

Both nations have also closely co-operated in boosting new-generation free trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The bilateral defence and security co-operation has also increasingly expanded, with the two sides frequently deploying practical co-operation activities involving navy, air force, and rescue, as well as acting in concert in solving traditional and non-traditional security challenges arising in the region, such as terrorism, piracy, cybercrime, and cybersecurity.

In 2016, Singapore was the first nation to send its navy ships to call at Vietnams Cam Ranh International Port, which demonstrated the two countries strategic trust. The Shangri La forum, annually organised in Singapore, is an important event for Vietnam to affirm its strategic vision for important regional issues and its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, co-operation, and development.

The bilateral co-operation in education-training, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchange has also been flourishing. Over 18,000 Vietnamese people have joined the Singaporean co-operation programmes. 145 direct flights a week have strongly increased both nations tourism arrivals. In 2017, Vietnam welcomed nearly 300,000 Singaporean tourist arrivals, while Singapore welcomed over 500,000 Vietnamese tourist arrivals. Some 12,000 Vietnamese people live and work in Singapore, and many Singaporean people are also living and working in Vietnam. They are the bridge that helps boost understanding between people of both nations.

Vietnam and Singapore have also been closely co-operating with and supporting each other in regional and international forums, especially in the framework of the UN, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, and WTO. They also work closely with each other on regional security issues. Both nations have also made active and positive contributions to the development of the ASEAN, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and co-operation in the region and in the world. Being the two leaders in the ASEAN in implementing solutions to develop the ASEAN Economic Community, and also being the economies with the highest openness levels within the ASEAN, Vietnam and Singapore also share many benefits in boosting regional economic connectivity and globalisation.

Singapores support for and co-operation with Vietnam have contributed to making the 2017 APEC Year in Vietnam the great success. Vietnam highly values Singapores role as ASEAN chair in 2018, and is now working closely with Singapore and other regional nations on boosting the resilient, innovative ASEAN Communityin line with Singapores ASEAN chairmanship tagline of Resilient and Innovative.

Stretching up to new heights

Vietnam and Singapore are natural partners who are closely linked with each other by cultural similarities, geographical proximity, and similar regional and international benefits. What we have today comes from sincerity, trust, mutual understanding, and a shared vision for the ASEAN Community.

Currently, amid rapid international and regional changes and based on new requirements for their own development, Vietnam and Singapore need to further sharpen their thriving strategic partnership. Political trust always remains a cornerstone for the bilateral relationship, which should be further strengthened by frequent exchanges of high-level visits and contacts. Both nations should also increase consultations and experience sharingespecially in national governance and sustainable development, which are Singapores strengths.

The two countries will also boost exchanges in navy and air force activities and intensify co-operation activities involving anti-terrorism, cybersecurity, transnational crime, and cybercrime. They also need to amplify their economic co-operation in seeking new co-operation sectors suitable to their increased requirements, such as renewable energy, digital economy, startup development, smart cities, financial eco-systems, high-tech application, green production, and environmental protection.

This co-operation not only produces economic benefits, but also helps inspire creativity, startups, co-operation, and solidarity for future generations. Besides, both nations need to further expand their co-operation in education-training, improvement in managers capacities, healthcare, aviation, and navigation.

Considering the increasingly unpredictable and complicated developments on the world stage, both sides need to further strengthen their trust and solve all regional strategic issues of mutual concern in concert. They will also work closely with each other to deploy the master plan on realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, bridging the development gap among member states, expanding the ASEANs external activities, as well as creating unity and solidarity within the ASEAN regarding regional security issues.

The two countries will also boost co-operation in regional economic connectivity and, together with other members, implement the CPTPP, bringing benefits to member states and the entire region.

Celebrating their 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties also means both nations demonstrate their strong determination to further their strategic partnership in the future.

Looking back at all the achievements of the past 45 years, we do believe that the prospects of the Vietnam-Singapore relationship are quite bright within the shared ASEAN Community, benefitting the people of both nations, and furthering peace, co-operation, and prosperous development in the region.
Houses inundated in floodwater in Chuong My District, Hanoi. - VNA/VNS Photo Van Canh

Next year, the capital will trial upgrading a weak dyke section covering 1.km, he told press at a meeting on Tuesday on floods in outlying districts of Hanoi.

Due to prolonged torrential rain that started late last month in the north, the water level of the Bui River rose to the third warning level (the highest) and overflowed. Residents of Tan Tien, Nam Phuong Tien, Tot Dong, Hoang Van Thu, My Luong and Huu Van communes of Chuong My District, together with others in Quoc Oai My Duc districts were submerged in water.

The floods affected more than 4,600 households with more than 22,400 people.

Chuong My District, the hardest hit one, suffered losses of more than VND264 billion (US$11.5 million).

According to the chairman, the water has receded and there are less than 1,000 households still submerged.

Hung said that along with dyke renovations, transport and clean water supply systems must be ensured. Production activities of local people must be re-organised so their lives are less affected by floods.

For a long-term strategy, Hung said residents living along the right side of the Bui River dyke must be evacuated to safer places. The area on the right of the dyke will serve manufacturing purposes.

He added that Chuong My District needs more than VND447 billion ($19.5 million) to repair 11 broken or eroded dykes, to build the headquarters of Nam Phuong Tien Communes Peoples Committee and to renovate five downgraded historical and cultural structures.

At the meeting, Do Duc Thinh, chief of the secretariat of Hanois Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, warned that the water levels of the Tich and Bui rivers are high. Authorities must make plans to evacuate residents out of low lying and risk-prone areas.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Photo: AFP/Tatyana Zenkovich)

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 recognises 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.

'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.
Moving on: Novak Djokovic reacts after defeating Peter Polansky. (Photo: AFP/Vaughn Ridley)

The match was played under threatening grey skies which eventually dumped heavy rain on the courts just after Djokovic wrapped up his win.

In a match which began slightly late due to heavy overnight rain which continued into the morning, ninth-seeded Wimbledon champion Djokovic repeated a victory he scored over the Canadian at the same tournament in 2009.

Djokovic said he was having no problems with the shot clock despite being a player who regularly picks up violations for the length of time he takes between points.

"I actually feel like there is more time now than before because the shot clock starts counting down once the chair umpire calls the score," Djokovic said.

"Sometimes it takes several seconds before the chair umpire calls the score if it's a long exchange or a good point and the crowd gets involved.

"I'm pretty comfortable with it - it's good to have shot clock in the tournaments prior to the US Open."

Djokovic, 31, took 84 minutes on Wednesday to advance with seven aces and two breaks of serve while never facing a break point against Toronto-based wild card Polansky, the world number 121.

The 13-time Grand Slam title winner has now won 21 of his last 24 matches after a rollercoaster start to 2018 which saw him go 6-6.

Djokovic, the winner of 30 career Masters titles. will next face either seventh seed Dominic Thiem, who has yet to step on to a hard court this summer with the US Open just over a fortnight away, or rising Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Leading seeds who enjoyed first-round byes swing into action later Wednesday with number one Rafael Nadal starting against Frenchman Benoit Paire with second seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev facing American qualifier Bradley Klahn.

Meanwhile, third seed Juan Martin del Potro was forced to withdraw prior to his opening match due to a left wrist injury.

The Argentine, who looked to be in good form after reaching the final last week in Los Cabos, was replaced in the draw by Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny.

Del Potro had a bye into the second round and was scheduled to face Dutchman Robin Haase.

The 29-year-old former US Open champion has struggled with a series of wrist injuries and was almost forced into an early retirement from the sport in 2016.
Farmers in the Mekong Deltas province of Dong Thap take advantage of the flooding season to breed fish, shrimp and other aquatic species and grow other aquatic crops. - VNA/VNS Photo Chuong Dai

The release of water will not affect the production of other fields.

Farmers and local authorities will give suggestions about the time and quantity of flood water that should be released, according to the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The deltas annual floods are caused by the rising water levels of the Mekong Delta in the rainy season.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, vice chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said last year the province released flood water into more than 113,600 ha of rice fields.

The flooding helps destroy germs, reduces the cost of improving the fertility of the fields and helps crops grow.

Dong Thap authorities have also carried out measures to protect summer-autumn rice and other crops from waterlogging.

In Hong Ngu District, one of the hardest-hit flooding areas in Dong Thap, local authorities and farmers have strengthened rice protection dykes and set up teams to monitor dykes and sluices.

The district has set up 28 rescue teams to protect agricultural production and people in case of emergency.

Floodwaters have caused damage to dozens of hectares of vegetables and crops in alluvial grounds in Hong Ngu District.

Le Thi Loan in the districts Long Khanh A Commune said her 2,000sq.m of cabbage fields were inundated by floodwaters.

She estimated a loss of about VND8 million (US$350) in her investment into this field.

Flood benefits

The annual floods enrich fields with sediment, support fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, and offer a livelihood for many farmers.

Farmers take advantage of the flooding season to breed fish, shrimp and other aquatic species and grow other aquatic crops like lotus and water lily.

Locals also catch fish and other aquatic species during the flooding season and harvest other wild crops.

Common sesban, water lily, linh fish and other aquatic species are specialities of the deltas flood season.

Nguyen Van Duc Em, who harvests common sesban in the flooding season in Hong Ngu Districts Thuong Phuoc 2 Commune, said his family gets up at 2am to pick common sesban for selling and now earns an income of VND500,000 -700,000 ($22 - 30) a day from harvesting the flower.

Common sesban is sold for VND60,000  70,000 ($2.6 - 3) a kilo.

Bui Thi Suong has been harvesting fish and other aquatic species in Hong Ngu Districts Thuong Thoi Hau A Commune in the "rising water" season for more than 10 years.

Every year I look forward to the flooding season, she said.

Hong Ngu and Tan Hong districts, as well as Hong Ngu Town, are the provinces upstream areas where floods occur first.

As floods arrived early this year and the water level is higher, fishermen are preparing tools to catch fish.

Phan Van Trieu, who catches shrimp in Hong Ngu Districts Thuong Thoi Hau B Commune, is making several dozen new shrimp traps, which he considers to be better than store-bought traps.

Producers that produce tools for catching fish and other aquatic species in Dong Thap said the demand for tools is about two times higher than in non-flooding areas. Fishing nets are the most popular item.

Ngo Phuc Loc, who makes fishing tools in Lai Vung Districts Long Hau Commune, said his establishment produces more than 100 fishing nets a day at a cost of VND120,000  200,000 ($5  8.8) each.

In Hong Ngu Towns Binh Thanh Commune, 100 households who make bamboo crab traps are selling to locals and exporting to Cambodia.

Truong Thanh Hung, who has made bamboo crab traps in Binh Thanh for 10 years, said he makes more than 1,000 traps every year during flooding season.

The traps sell for VND28,000  30,000 ($1.2  1.3) each and producers can earn a profit of VND10,000  15,000 from each trap, he said.

The sale of bamboo crab traps is high from now to September, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue shared his views at Vietnam M&A Forum 2018

In the session, KPMG Vietnam provided an overview of the past 10 years in the Vietnamese M&A market. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue shared his thoughts on the outlook of doing M&A, as well as the Vietnamese governments efforts to push the economy forward in a sustainable manner.

The speech by Warrick Cleine, chairman and CEO of KPMG, pointed out challenges in the M&A market. He raised the question of what the government and the business community need to do to improve the M&A market in the new era.

Indeed, the Vietnamese M&A market is full of potential targets. According to Tran Vinh Tuyen, Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, M&A activities remain robust in Ho Chi Minh City with around 30 deals in the recent time. Also, another 39 companies will be equitised by 2020, especially in the fields of commerce and logistics. The city is looking to select reliable partners with high-technology, which will maximise the benefits for both businesses and the government.

Le Song Lai, deputy CEO of State Capital Investment Corporation, said that around 140 companies will be equitised by 2020, including big corporations like Vinamilk and FPT. If the equitisation process is successful, SCIC is expected to collect VND100 trillion ($4.3 billion) for the government, which will ultimately contribute to the improvement of the legal framework and the growth of the M&A market.

Vuong Dinh Hue - Deputy Prime Minister

Vietnam focuses on restructuring five areas of finance-banking, public sector, public investment, budgetary revenue, and public administrative units. For banking and finance, the government continues its efforts to resolve bad debts, which reduced from 10.8 per cent at the beginning of 2016 to 6.9 per cent in the first six months of 2018. The government is also boosting M&A activities among commercial banks and credit institutions.

In 2017, the number of equitised companies has increased 6.5-times against 2016. The government has collected VND2.5 trillion ($107.5 million) in 2016-2017, which is double the figure of the previous period. The government will continue to speed up the equitisation and divestment process. On top of that, the government is committed to complete the legal framework, strengthening institutional reform as well as improving macroeconomic fundamentals with a view to facilitate M&A activities.

Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment

Vietnam is preparing to review 30 years of FDI attraction. The conference is scheduled to take place on October 4 in Hanoi with a view to summarise and evaluate the achievements after 30 years of FDI attraction as well as create a new FDI attraction strategy. Following the conference, the government will put forward solutions for sustainable and selective FDI attraction. The question is whether M&A will continue to grow in Vietnam and what should be done to drive the M&A market forward.

Indeed, M&A is shifting capital from low-efficiency sectors to more profitable fields. Investors assess and evaluate the growth of the economy, market potential, as well as relevant policies to strike deals. It is apparent that M&A deals are on the rise in Vietnam thanks to the high economic growth. M&A also offers a flexible approach for investors to expand in the market.

Warrick Cleine - Chairman and CEO, KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia

The Vietnamese M&A market has enjoyed a compound annual growth rate of 17 per cent between 2007 and 2017. The number and value of M&A deals are on the uptrend. The largest M&A deal was the $4.9 billion deal between ThaiBev and Sabeco in 2017.

The main source of investment in the next three years is expected to come from Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In particular, Chinese investors are expected to be more active due to the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Vietnam has the highest economic growth rate in Southeast Asia, which is opening up opportunities for investors. The most promising sectors for M&A include food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and real estate.

However, there are some challenges during the due diligence process in Vietnam, including the quality of historical information, responsiveness, preparedness, willingness to share information, legal issues, tax issues or exposures as well as limited information flows.

Seck Yee Chung - Partner, Baker & McKenzie

Foreign investors are looking at the governments efforts and commitments to opening the economy, improving the business environment, and attracting foreign direct investment. They hope to see harmony in the legal framework, learn about regulatory changes as well as the possibility of raising the foreign ownership limit further in the future.

The changes are indeed taking place and many M&A deals are in the making. New economic models are emerging in the Industry 4.0, including e-commerce and digital transactions. Hence, the government should have measures in place to support these new business models.

Dominic Scriven - Executive chairman, Dragon Capital Group

In the past 10 years, Vietnam has witnessed significant changes in the M&A market. Moving forward, M&A will develop in line with demand. Particularly, investors will become more selective with a focus on internal forces. Investors look at the target companies, their competitiveness, scale, strategy, and successive leadership. However, there is a lack of potential targets for M&A.

At present, the scale of the Vietnamese M&A market is comparable to that of Malaysia and Indonesia, despite having a higher population than Malaysia and lower than Indonesia. The growth of M&A should be stronger.
Ryanair has been grappling with staff unrest since it recognised trade unions for the first time in December 2017 AFP/JOSE JORDAN

The powerful Cockpit union said it had asked some 480 Germany-based Ryanair pilots to walk off the job for 24 hours from 3.01am 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 on Wednesday.

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 (US$173,000) a year, more than their peers at low-cost rival Eurowings.

He added that Ryanair had already committed to a 20-per cent pay increase, and that 80 per cent 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 per cent in London.

WARNING

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.
The first dragon boat race was organised on West Lake in February gathering more than 400 athletes from 27 teams. - Photo soha.vn

The 2-day race will take place on the first weekend after the Lunar New Year holiday at Ly Tu Trong Park. The boats will compete on West Lake, near Thanh Nien and Nguyen Dinh Thi roads.

The organisers will encourage individuals and organisations to sponsor the event, which will gather international and domestic teams.

Districts with strong traditions of racing dragon boats including Hoang Mai, Bac Tu Liem, Thanh Tri, Ba Vi, Son Tay, Dan Phuong, Quoc Oai, Chuong My, Thanh Oai, Ung Hoa, and My Duc will each send a male and a female team to compete.

In February, the first dragon boat festival was organised on West Lake. The event gathered 27 teams from seven districts around the capital. Various art troupes also performed at the festival.

Dragon boat racing is a Vietnamese tradition. With the plan, Hanoi authorities want to continue the tradition, encourage sport among citizens and attract tourists to the city.
Indirect investment aims at Vietnamese real estate, illustration photo - source: internet

Falling in love with the real estate sector

In addition to its role as the third-largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam, Singapore has reportedly also invested a large sum of money through an indirect route into the countrys real estate sector over the years.

Singaporean investors in the local real estate tend to take over existing projects, partner up with Vietnamese developers, or set up their own investment funds. In 2017, Keppel Land forked out VND845.9 billion ($37.4 million) for an additional 16 per cent stake in Saigon Centre, upping its shares among the joint ventures connected to the mixed-use complex. The property arm of Keppel Group has also recently bought two residential projects in Ho Chi Minh City at a price of $300 million, as well as buying bonds from Nam Long Group.

Meanwhile, CapitaLand reportedly launched a $130 million fund in Vietnam, aiming to invest in Grade A office buildings around the country. A year earlier, the Singaporean developer set up a similar $300 million fund for Vietnam-based properties.

Another Singaporean investor Frasers Property Ltd. also announced its intention to buy 75 per cent of Phu An Khang Real Estate JSC, equivalent to $18 million.

The largest transaction, however, was Singapores sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Ltd. backing one of the countrys leading residential developers Vinhomes with $1.3 billion in May this year.

According to Su Ngoc Khuong, investment director at Savills Vietnam, Singaporean interest in Vietnamese properties is part of a pan-Asian trend.

Growing interest in other sectors

Real estate is not the only sector in Vietnam that woos Singaporean indirect investments. The city states investors have been attracted by large-scale Vietnamese companies in the consumer goods and retail sectors.

GIC has broadened its foothold in the Vietnamese market through a slew of holdings. As of May 2018, it was estimated that the Vietnam-based portfolio of GIC stood at VND15 trillion ($663.7 million), making it one of the largest investment funds in Vietnam.

Yeu Huan Lai, Singapore-based senior manager at Nikko Asset Management, told VIR that investment funds in Singapore are drawn in by Vietnams quick economic growth, improving livelihoods, and stronger demand for consumption.

Its good to see improvements in the sale of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Vietnam, said Lai. Many SOEs, as well as private corporations, are taking investor relations more seriously, with some of the most recent share sales in Vietnam close to international standards already. The portfolio manager stated that he is positive we will see continued interest in Vietnam for the foreseeable future.

The interest is extending to Vietnamese startups in all stages of development, with venture capital funds pouring money into various platforms. Venture funds in Singapore, considered the Silicon Valley of Southeast Asia, are seeking to pour between $500,000 and $1 million into supporting Vietnamese startups.

The road to finance and banking

Despite its attractiveness to other markets, Singaporean investors seem to have ignored Vietnams finance and banking sector.

Economist Nguyen Tri Hieu commented that Singaporean banks may feel concerned about the foreign ownership limit, now set at 30 per cent for all investors and 20 per cent for a strategic investor in a Vietnamese bank. Other issues, including bad debts, corporate governance, credit ranking, and Basel II compliance, may have also deterred Singaporean investors.

Nguyen Thuy Duong, deputy managing director of Financial Services at EY Vietnam, noted that Vietnamese banks score very low on the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard, which is the standard used by all major financial institutions in Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries.

The Vietnamese banking system is seeing some remarkable improvements in recent years, especially in terms of risk management, said Duong. However, these are not enough to entice foreign investors.

Taking a detour

Capital flow coming from Singapore may appear to be sourced from Singapore-based businesses, but can come from other countries too. The Singapore-based business then becomes a tool for the transaction or, at most, a partner in the exchange.

This can be witnessed in the case of Vinamilk. At first glance, it appears as if two Singaporean entities, Fraser and Neave (F&N) and Jardine C&C, are battling for ownership of Vietnams top dairy company. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that F&N is an affiliate of Thai Beverage, while Jardine C&C is a subsidiary of Jardine Matheson, a powerful conglomerate from Hong Kong.

We believe that ThaiBev will rely on F&N as its regional expansion vehicle, said Andy Sim, lead analyst at DBS Vickers Securities.

At its 2018 annual shareholders meeting, ThaiBev confirmed that it is collaborating on various operations with F&N. Alongside using the Singaporean entity for regional deals, ThaiBev recently nominated key executives from F&N, both Singaporean, to lead Vietnams leading brewer Sabeco.
By Lillian Avedian

In 2016, 36.7 million people globally were living with human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). One million people died in the same year from acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related related illnesses (AIDS).

As of 2017, an estimated number of 3,400 people in Armenia are infected with HIV according to the National Center for AIDS Prevention. Compared to other countries, Armenia demonstrates a relatively low occurrence of HIV/AIDS. Nonetheless, Armenia has far to go in strengthening its healthcare system and transforming cultural norms surrounding HIV/AIDS in order to end HIV/AIDS and guarantee the right to health.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS asserts that the right to health endowed within all people necessitates that every government in the world holds a duty to provide its citizens with accessible and affordable health solutions to effectively combat HIV/AIDS. This includes good treatment, implementation of preventative measures, health education, and freedom from discrimination in healthcare facilities. Governments must commit themselves to the eradication of HIV/AIDS in order to fully uphold the right to health.

HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. If untreated, HIV progresses to the final stage of infection known as AIDS. A person with AIDS is vulnerable to the development of various infections and cancers that take advantage of his or her weakened immune system.

The National Center for AIDS Prevention is the sole institution within Armenias Ministry of Health responsible for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

The National Center for AIDS Prevention consists of preventive, psychological, epidemiological, laboratory, and medical care departments devoted to treating and supporting individuals infected with HIV. Many non-governmental organizations are additionally involved in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS and supporting people living with HIV. Such NGO's include PINK Armenia; Real World, Real People; New Generation; the AIDS Prevention Union; and Positive People Armenian Network. Such NGO's particularly play a key role in aiding key communities that are at high risk of infection, including drug users, sex workers, and the LGBT+ community.

Those actors in Armenia working to end HIV/AIDS have demonstrated much success in recent years. For example, in 2007, Armenia received EMTCT status from the World Health Organization, meaning that Armenia eliminated mother-to-child transmission of the HIV infection. Armenia has maintained this status every year since. Moreover, Armenia recently transitioned from the stage of HIV concentration to the low-level stage of HIV prevalence, a positive indicator of the reduction in the occurrence of HIV. These are both signs of fantastic achievements for the public health of Armenians and progress toward fulfilling the human right to health.

However, Armenia's healthcare system still does not demonstrate the adequate financial capacity to properly confront the HIV epidemic. Only 39% of the funding for the National Center for AIDS Prevention comes from the state budget. The largest allocation of funding for the center comes from the Global Fund (61%), and the remainder of funds come from the Russian government, United Nations agencies, and other global actors. Moreover, NGO's receive little to no support from the government, relying on international institutions as their primary source of funding. If such international organizations and actors ever choose to stop funding the National Center for AIDS Prevention or Armenia's NGO's, prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Armenia will come to a standstill. This reality creates an uncertain future for actors working on HIV/AIDS in Armenia. Moreover, this mode of funding the essential work of preventing and treating HIV/AIDS contradicts the government's responsibility, as the primary addressee of human rights, to defend every person's inalienable right to health.

Armenia must also combat deeply entrenched norms that inhibit the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. NGO's fulfill the necessary work of supporting at-risk communities, including sex workers, drug users, and the LGBT community. However, according to the National Center for AIDS Prevention, the largest group by far affected by HIV/AIDS in Armenia is that of outbound migrant workers. 70% of the center's cases affect the families of migrant workers. Armenia demonstrates a tradition of men leaving their families to work in Russia, primarily as construction workers, travelling back and forth between Russia and Armenia. While abroad, migrant workers exhibit high rates of sex with both regular and casual partners with inconsistent condom use. For example, the Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey on Armenian, Male, Seasonal Labor Migrants in Urban Communities in Armenia conducted by the center in 2018 reveals that 37% of migrants reported having sex with a regular partner while abroad with a mean number of times using a condom during sex of 22 (range: 0 to 240). 71% reported having sex with a casual partner while abroad with a mean number of times using a condom during sex of 7.1 (range: 0 to 200).

Besides irregular condom use, migrant workers exhibit low rates of HIV testing. According to the study, 3.3% of migrant workers in Armenia and 2.8% of migrant workers abroad reported having been tested for HIV. Of the 3400 people in Armenia infected with HIV, only 1530, about 45%, are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), or medications that treat HIV and prevent the growth of the virus so that it does not progress to the AIDS stage.

The culture of not seeking HIV testing accounts for the gap between the number of people infected with HIV and the number of people receiving treatment.

According to Dr. Lilit Hovhannisyan, a Doctor Statistician Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the National Center for AIDS Prevention, "In Armenia, people go to the doctor when they have a serious problem. There isn't a culture here of getting tested for preventive purposes." This culture prevents effective treatment of HIV. It additionally inhibits prevention of HIV transmission, as infected individuals who do not seek antiretroviral therapy are at risk of transmitting the infection to others. For example, while 53% of cases of HIV infection at the National Center for AIDS Prevention affect migrant workers, 17% affect their wives. These numbers only account for those people who have been tested for HIV and are actively receiving treatment.

People living with HIV also face discrimination in the health sector, reflective of a culture of stigmatization of HIV/AIDS. The National Center for AIDS Prevention has a strict policy of non-discrimination and full preservation of anonymity and medical confidentiality. However, this is not the case throughout Armenia's healthcare system.

For example, according to an article titled "The Problem of Diagnoses: Who has to Provide Aid to an HIV-Encephalopathic Person?" published by "As You," PINK Armenia's e-magazine, an HIV-positive individual was denied psychosomatic care by a mental hospital in YerevansAvan district due to fear on behalf of the head of the department that he would infect the other patients. After being moved around to different medical centers and facing many difficult medical difficulties, he was moved to Nubarashen Mental Institution, where his HIV status was openly discussed, and he endured mocking comments from doctors regarding his HIV status. Doctors refused to touch him unless they wore two or three layers of gloves for fear of infection. These experiences reflect a lack of awareness and accurate knowledge of HIV/AIDS in Armenia's health institutions on how HIV is transmitted. "Doctors need a better education on how to prevent this kind of discrimination, on how HIV is transmitted, and on how to treat people equally," states MamikonHovsepyan, the founder and executive director of PINK Armenia.

While Armenia has made much progress in the past two decades in combating HIV/AIDS, the country has far to go.

The government must prioritize the strengthening of the national healthcare system and the transformation of cultural norms in order to effectively treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. These responsibilities lay in the hands of the government as the government holds the duty as the primary addressee of the people's human rights to uphold every Armenian's right to health. When I asked the manyexperts I interviewed whether they believed the new regime would devote itself to the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, I was met with resounding optimism and faith in the new regime's commitment to human rights and the wellbeing of the people. If their hope is justified, then Armenia's future is bright and progress near.

Works Cited:

Ishkhanian, Hovhannes. "The Problem of Diagnoses: Who Has to Provide Aid to an HIV Encephalopathic Person?" PINK Armenia. As You. PINK Armenia, asyou.pinkarmenia.org.

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. Armaids. National Center for AIDS Prevention, www.armaids.am/en/.

National Center for AIDS Prevention. "Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey on Armenian, Male, Seasonal Labor Migrants in Urban Communities in Armenia." National Center for AIDS Prevention, www.armaids.am/en/.

United Nations. UNAIDS. UNAIDS, www.unaids.org/en/.

(Lillian Avedian is a student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Peace and Conflict Studies and Armenian Language and Literature. She is interning at Hetq with the Armenian Assembly of America Summer Internship Program.)
In April 2018, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Singapore, which committed to supporting Vietnam in developing smart cities. How has this commitment been implemented so far?

Singapore is keen to support Vietnams goal of having at least three smart cities by 2020. Under our ASEAN chairmanship this year, Singapore proposed the formation of an ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). This platform will facilitate co-operation on smart city development, share best practices, and explore common technological solutions.

In May, Singapores Centre for Liveable Cities and Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised the ASEAN Smart Cities Governance workshop for 75 delegates from 25 ASEAN cities, including 14 representatives from the Vietnamese government and Vietnams ASCN cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang.

The four-day workshop included site visits and panel sessions with industry experts, think tanks, and private consultants to share ideas and global best practices for smart cities. The delegates also started developing their respective action plans to implement smart cities in the workshop.

ASCN members gathered again in Singapore in July 2018 during the World Cities Summit for the inaugural ASCN meeting. Vietnam was represented by 14 official representatives from the central government as well as its nominated ASCN cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The meeting endorsed the ASCN Framework, which sets out ASEANs definition of a smart city, and finalised the city-specific smart city action plans for the 26 pilot ASCN cities.

In line with the objectives of the ASCN, Enterprise Singapore has led business missions comprised of Singaporean companies such as ST Engineering, Ademco Security Group, V3 Smart Technologies, and Nexwave Technologies to explore smart city opportunities and pilot projects with the peoples committees in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi this year. Currently, our companies are in discussions with key Vietnamese players to identify suitable smart city projects for implementation in Vietnam. Potential areas of collaboration include intelligent transport systems, smart street lighting, public security, and smart utilities.

Singapore will also support Vietnam in constructing seaports and developing logistics services and high-tech agriculture. How has this been going?

Singapore is interested in investing in seaports and logistics infrastructure in Vietnam, for example warehouses and cold chain facilities, as Vietnam has a long coastline and a growing export-oriented manufacturing sector that is boosted by the strong influx of foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past few years. Our companies will continue to monitor new developments and favourable investment regulations that allow for foreign investment in these projects in Vietnam.

The agricultural sector in Vietnam has plenty of room for adopting agri-tech solutions, because the majority of farms are still using manual production processes that are not optimised for productivity. Singaporean companies can provide technological solutions such as smart monitoring, tracking and traceability of farm-to-fork produce, and automation to help increase the overall yields and quality of their agricultural produce. With higher productivity and quality of the produce, Vietnamese companies would also be able to export to other markets such as China and countries in Southeast Asia.

With the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the upcoming establishment of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Vietnam and Singapore are expected to have a larger playing field for both nations investors. What opportunities can Singaporean investors seize from the CPTPP?

Singapore ratified the CPTPP on July 20, becoming the third nation to do so after Mexico and Japan. The CPTPP countries represent a large market for Singaporean businesses, being a market of 500 million people with a combined GDP of $10 trillion, accounting for approximately 13.5 per cent of the global economy. In 2017, the CPTPP countries accounted for 22.2 per cent of Singapores total goods trade, which amounted to S$214 billion ($156.22 billion).

The CPTPP is an important agreement that will complement Singapores and Vietnams existing network of bilateral free trade agreements. It will strengthen trade among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, resulting in a more seamless flow of goods, services, and investment. Against the current backdrop of trade tensions and anti-globalisation sentiments, the CPTPP sends a strong signal of our commitment to trade liberalisation and a rules-based trading system. We look forward to a further expansion of trade between our two countries.

What opportunities will Vietnam get in exporting its goods to Singapore thanks to the CPTPP?

Both Vietnam and Singapore are already part of the AEC and have existing bilateral free trade agreements with other countries. With the CPTPP, Vietnam will enjoy savings and benefits from lower trade and investment barriers.

Singapore will continue to increase its bilateral trade with and investment into Vietnam due to its strong investment policies and conducive business operating environment. The influx of additional FDI as a result of the CPTPP would also create more jobs for the Vietnamese people.

Currently, Singapore is boosting its co-operation with Vietnam in education and training by providing scholarships for Vietnamese students. How will this type of co-operation develop in the near future? Will Singapore continue supporting Vietnam in English-language training and vocational training?

As Asian countries, Singapore and Vietnam share a common desire to provide the best education for future generations. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on education co-operation in April 2007 to enhance school linkages, promote joint student activities, encourage information exchange, and increase co-operation between higher education and research institutes. One area that Singaporean companies are hoping to venture into is to provide vocational training to upgrade the skill sets of workers in Vietnam, especially in the areas of textile, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail services. Singapores educational companies are also keen to enter Vietnam to provide language and other related training.

In addition, since 1992, Singapore has provided training for over 18,000 Vietnamese officials under the Singapore Co-operation Programme. Moving forward, Singapore hopes to continue to deepen our existing collaboration with Vietnam so as to strengthen the friendship between our countries. In fact, as part of Singapores initiatives under our ASEAN chairmanship this year, we are working with Vietnam to upgrade the Vietnam-Singapore Training Centre to a Vietnam-Singapore Co-operation Centre, which will expand our modalities of capacity building beyond classroom-based courses so as to meet Vietnams evolving development priorities.
Why does ManpowerGroup launch the Experis brand in Vietnam?

In recent years, the talent shortage in IT, engineering, and finance has grown globally, and Vietnam is not an exception. Specifically, the global talent shortage in 2018 has reached the highest point (45 per cent of surveyed employers) since 2006. In Vietnam, more than 500,000 employees with IT skills will be needed by 2020.

What is more, Vietnam has seen growing interest among investors in the IT, finance and banking, engineering, and healthcare sectors in recent times to cash in on the huge local potential, thus resulting in higher demand for talents. That is why our clients are increasingly seeking for talent in the IT, finance and banking, engineering, and healthcare sectors.

With its 60-year history worldwide, Experis, which specialises in highly skilled talent in IT, engineering, finance, healthcare, and executives, is the right workforce solution for Vietnam to address this acute talent shortage among businesses.

How is Experis different from other recruitment companies on the market? How can the brand help businesses in Vietnam meet their growing demand for skilled workforce?

The first advantage that makes Experis stand out in the market is the experience and expertise we have developed through operating in more than 50 countries, working with over 80 per cent of the Fortune Global 500, and placing 38,000 skilled professionals every day.

The second advantage is the increased precision as Experis consultants dig deep to understand the specific needs of organisations. Then we find the professionals whose skills and experience make them the best technical and cultural match for organisations.

Individualised solutions are our third advantage. Because we know that every workforce challenge is unique and that each companys challenges evolve, so we tailor the best solutions for each of them.

Last but not least, Experis has a vast network of workforce consultants in local markets around the world. We combine local knowledge and personal insights with global resources to give clients an edge in the race for talent.

In Vietnam, most businesses are now struggling in finding the right talent in the IT, engineering, finance, banking, and healthcare sectors. With our professional recruitment and assessment techniques, we can identify the right professional talent for any position, either contractual or permanent.

Our consultants have deep industry knowledge and understand the workforce challenges businesses are facing. We can help them find professionals with the right skills and the experience they are looking for up to the executive level. Also we can work with them locally, nationally, globally or virtually to provide them with short-term contractors, permanent employees or project solutions.

Thus, we know how to find the right professionals with the skills that organisations need to grow their businesses timely.

Universities and vocational training schools in Vietnam are also seeking solutions to improve training quality. How can they benefit from Experis?

Experis can provide schools and universities with soft skills training, job opportunities, talks on career orientation, and job search skills. Experis will also collaborate with businesses to create opportunities of internship and further training in accordance with business requirements.

We have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Training and Education Centre under Ho Chi Minh City University of Science. The partnership will pave the way for our practical support in providing soft skills and job search skills training as well as job opportunities to the students following Auckland University of Technology (AUT) tertiary education.

We are also looking to cooperate with other universities and training centres in Vietnam to bring the best benefits to them.

With the launch of Experis, what are ManpowerGroup's future targets for the Vietnamese market?

Our target in the future is to address the complex workforce challenges Vietnamese organisations are facing today, from contingent and permanent staffing to talent management, outsourcing, and talent development.

Leveraging our 60 years of experience and expertise in 50 countries worldwide, we want to contribute to bridging the talent shortage in specialised areas and improving the skills of future workforce. We believe that powering the future of work is possible.

The launch of Experis once again shows ManpowerGroups commitment to help Vietnam develop skilled talent so that the local workforce can adapt to the requirements of automation and digitisation which is a critical issue today.
Speakers shared their thoughts on how two firms can co-exist and achieve success together after an M&A deal

During the last panel discussion at Vietnam M&A Forum 2018, experts and corporate executives shared insights on the post-M&A integration process. According to the panellists, the tricky part is to seek mutual understanding, which includes the ability to compromise and work together for the long-term.

Nguyen Thi Tra My, deputy chairwoman and CEO of PAN Group, emphasised that before signing an M&A deal, the company will set out very clear goals and focus on corporate governance at the other firm. As PAN Group believes human resources can make or break a company, it always takes a good look at who runs the target firm.

We are always careful about the human factor. After an M&A transaction, we want to make sure that employees at both firms feel valued and at ease with the new combined company, said My.

She gave an example of the merger between PAN Group and Vietnam National Seed Corporation (Vinaseed), where staff members at the latter firm are much more experienced than those at PAN. According to My, it took great efforts from both PAN and Vinaseed to retain these talented employees and provide them with job security and respect.

Another matter is creating added values for both sides after a deal gets inked. Deputy CEO of HDBank Le Thanh Trung said that in his 10 years of doing M&A, he could see that the greatest deals often start with a thorough selection process, to ensure mutual determination to triple or even quadruple the successes that each side used to have prior to the merger.

Trung referred to the takeover between HDBank and Dai A Bank, a small credit institution headquartered in Dong Nai province. According to the banker, HDBank had already looked at a few banks based in Northern Vietnam to acquire, but in the end it chose to shake hands with Dai A Bank. HDBank reckoned that Dai A, with its strong presence in the south-eastern Vietnamese economic zone, can help grow HDBanks business exponentially.

Dai A also had a good management team and a desire to work together with us to achieve bigger success. At the end, we swapped shares on a 1:1 ratio, and both sides were happy with the merger, said Trung.

This view was shared by Dr Young-sup Joo, former Minister of Small- and Medium- Sized Enterprises and Startups in South Korea. According to Dr Joo, following a merger, South Korean companies can share technologies with their Vietnamese partners, and in return, the Vietnamese firms offer a strong brand presence in Vietnam and a dominant market share.

Korean firms are eager to branch out to the world, and they look forward to partnering up with Vietnamese businesses and sharing hi-tech skills, said Joo.

The former politician compared post-M&A integration to a married couple, where both partners are supposed to tolerate each others differences and lift each other to new heights.

Other experts, meanwhile, believe in the power of matchmakers, or more formally deal advisors. Rick Marchese, founder of Lores Loreno Private Capital, stressed that advisors can help the two sides find compatible partners, thus having a greater chance at post-M&A success.

It is a red flag if any of the sides do not have an advisor, because an independent advisor can provide unbiased comments for both sides. For example, the two biggest roadblocks in an M&A are usually buying the wrong company or doing deals at the wrong price, and advisors can help with this, said Marchese.

Renee Kha, managing director at VietValues Appraisal & Consulting, gave an example in which an investor takes over a land bank only to find out later that it has not been given full land use rights. The investor may feel tricked, and this situation could have been avoided with the help of an advisor, said Kha.

Nguyen Cong Ai, partner at KPMG Vietnam and panel moderator, concluded that a clear mutual strategy is vital for post-M&A bliss.

Vietnam M&A Forum 2018 opens 10th edition Vietnam M&A Forum 2018 began its 10th annual edition today in Ho Chi Minh City, welcoming the attendance of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue ...

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.
Singaporean investment set to rise, photo: Duc Thanh

Vietnam, as per the latest HSBC report commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation, is seen as a favoured destination for internationally oriented Singapore-based companies expecting to expand, trailing only Malaysia and Indonesia. Of over 1,000 Singapore-based firms surveyed, 86 per cent of which are considered small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with annual turnover of up to S$100 million ($73.4 million) and fewer than 200 employees, 76 per cent said they already had operations in Vietnam and 30 per cent expect to further expand in the country in 2018-2020.

Vietnam and the ASEAN as a whole are seen as the prime market targeted by Singaporean companies planning to expand further within the next two years, with 77 per cent of companies saying they have plans to expand their businesses beyond Singapore. Among them, 77 per cent are eyeing the ASEAN for their expansion. Vietnam secured the third spot among regional peers preferred by the city states companies thanks to its great potential for customer demand, which is second only to Indonesias.

In addition, the overall investment climate, business costs, favourable and transparent foreign investment regulations, as well as ease of relationship building with customers, suppliers, and partners, are additional attractive attributes that make Vietnam an ideal market for Singapore-based businesses to venture into.

Winfield Wong, head of Wholesale Banking at HSBC Vietnam, said, While Vietnams growing consumer base is already well recognised by Singaporean corporations, the report shows that many businesses are looking to double down on our demographic dividend.

Beyond the consumer segment, Vietnams manufacturingwhilst already strongis now entering the higher-end space. So, while many corporations may base their treasury and other back-office functions in Singapore, a lot of revenue-making operations are being driven out of the country. This is only expected to increase with Vietnams strengthening of its position in the supply and value chain, Wong continued.

Singapores investment into Vietnam includes companies founded in the city state as well as many international corporations. Of the 37,400 international companies in Singapore, 7,000 are multinational corporations (MNCs) and 60 per cent have regional responsibilities.

Notwithstanding the very strong interest in ASEAN expansion, surveyed companies expressed concern over some of the obstacles they faced when venturing into the region, including uncertain economic and political conditions in the ASEAN, the lack of knowledge on market opportunities and customer requirements, and difficulty in getting permits and licences, naming them as potential barriers to expanding into the region.

Despite the generally positive sentiment towards the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN regional economic integration, and the perceived benefits of the ASEAN free trade agreements (FTAs), the lack of accessible, clear information about these initiatives is a major obstacle for companies looking to benefit from these agreements.

Most of the Singapore-based SMEs entering or expanding within Vietnam will have or are seeking an in-country relationship. The study found more than 63 per cent of those surveyed had a distributor or joint venture arrangement in Vietnam.

Singapore-based SMEs can make a significant contribution to Vietnams economy. They are looking to expand beyond their domestic market and can benefit from the cross-border activity that was previously seen as the domain of larger corporations, Wong said.

However, entering and expanding in any market is never a straightforward process and it is inevitable that there will be bumps along the way, particularly for SMEs who may not have the resources and local insights to fully navigate the differences in political and business cultural norms in neighbouring countries, he added.

Most Singapore-based SMEs, according to Wong, recognise that the recipe for success in overseas ventures includes selecting the right local partners and advisors. While this presents new opportunities for local businesses, the downside is that it has already become a new standard, meaning the pace at which such business partnerships are formed is speeding up.

To seize these opportunities, local companies need to take a proactive stance by plugging into the network and actively reaching out to expanding Singapore-based SMEs in advance, he noted.
Award winners announced at the Vietnam M&A Forum 2018 held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 8

Since the inception of Vietnam M&A Forum in 2009, the annual awards has grown into one of the most prestigious platforms to celebrate excellence in deal making and the performance of industry advisors in an effort to encourage more M&A deals with even higher values.

For the first time in its 10-year history, Vietnam M&A Forum 2018 announced the top ten M&A deals of the decade from the list of the 100 largest M&A deals, the top ten firms with the best M&A strategy, as well as the best advisors of the decade.

Le Trong Minh, editor-in-chief of Vietnam Investment Review and head of the Organising Board, said that M&A has become a powerful tool to lead capital flows from low-efficiency sectors to more profitable fields during the past 10 years.

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.

The Organising Board hopes that the awards will prompt companies to be more active in their M&A strategies, while advisory firms will come up with further diverse means of supporting equitisation activities in particular and M&A activities in general, he said.

The following list of the best deals and advisory firms will provide businesses and investors with a summary of the M&A activities that took place in Vietnam, including their quality and quantity.

THE BEST M&A DEALS AND ADVISORY FIRMS IN 2017-2018

The Best Acquisition Deal: ThaiBev and Sabeco

ThaiBev bought 53.59 per cent of Vietnam's leading brewer Sabeco. The deal is valued at nearly $5 billion and was the largest M&A deal in 2017, as well as the largest deal ever in Vietnams history.

The Best Investment and Private Equity Deal in 2017-2018: GIC Private Limited and Vinhomes

In April 2018, Vinhomes signed a partnership agreement with Singapores sovereign investment fund GIC. GIC invested $1.3 billion into Vinhomes, owning shares and other debt-like instruments.

The Best IPO in 2017-2018: Vinhomes

Vinhomes raised $2 billion from its historic IPO in 2018. This was the largest IPO in recent years in Vietnam.

The Deal with the Best Information Disclosure in 2017-2018: Sojitz and Saigon Paper

Both the buyer and the seller provided transparent details online, as well as providing private letters to customers and partners.

The Best M&A Advisory Firms in 2017-2018:

The Best Securities Firms for M&A advisory: Viet Capital Securities, Bao Viet Securities

The Best Securities Firm for IPO and Private Placement: Saigon Securities Incorporation

The Best M&A Advisor: KPMG Vietnam

The Best M&A Law Firm: Allen & Overy

THE BEST M&A DEALS OF THE DECADE (2009-2018)

ThaiBev and Sabeco: ThaiBev acquired 53 per cent of Saigon Beverage Company valued at $4.8 billion. This was the biggest M&A in the history of Vietnam. The deal played a key role in developing and helping the Vietnamese M&A market exceed the $10 billion milestone in 2017. GIC and Vinhomes: At the end of April 2018, Vinhomes and another Vingroup subsidiary signed agreements with Singaporean investment fund GIC Private Limited. Accordingly, GIC invested a total of $1.3 billion into Vinhomes by acquiring stakes and extend a debt-like instrument for Vinhomes to implement its projects. Central Group and Big C: in 2016, Central Group from Thailand has overcome heavy competition to successfully acquire Big C Vietnam for more than $1 billion. This deal reaffirmed Central Groups ambition in the Vietnamese retail market. TCC Holdings and Metro Vietnam Cash & Carry: Also in 2016, Metro Cash & Carry Group announced transferring the Metro Cash & Carry supermarket chain in Vietnam to TCC Holdings from Thailand. Singha and Masan: In 2015, Masan singed a strategic cooperation contract with Thailands Singha with the value of more than $1.1 billion, including new investment capital which permits Singha to own 25 per cent of Masan Consumer Holdings and 33.3 per cent of Masan Brewery. Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFG and Vietinbank: In December 2012, Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) announced that it had raised $743 million from a 20 per cent strategic stake sale to Bank of Tokyo-Mitubishi UFJ. This was the biggest M&A deal so far in the Vietnamese banking sector. Mondelez and Kinh Do: To realise its goal of expanding to multiple sectors, KIDO Group decided to fully transfer its entire stake in its confectionary arm to foreign investor Modelez International for $380 million and used this sum to re-invest in new acquisition deals. Mizuho and Vietcombank: In September 2011, Vietcombank, the nations largest listed bank by market value, has completed its four-year search for a strategic foreign investor by clinching a deal to sell a 15 per cent stake for $562 million to Japans Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. Notably, Mizuho is not only the first partner of Vietcombank, but also the only foreign strategic partner of the bank. F&N and SCICs holdings at Vinamilk: In December 2016, through the auction of Vinamilks stake held by SCIC, two subsidiaries of Singapores Fraser & Neave acquired 5.4 per cent valued at $500 million, increasing its ownership to 16.35 per cent. Merging Vinpearl and Vincom to become Vingroup: in October 2010, the Management Board of Vinpearl and Vincom merged to centre their resources in Vingroup, Vietnams leading economic group today.

COMPANIES WITH THE BEST M&A STRATEGY OF THE DECADE

Vingroup: Creating breakthrough growth from the merger of Vinpearl and Vincom, then the group has attracted large capital investments in Vinhomes and VinRetail. It was also active in the deal of Vinfast acquiring GM Vietnam Masan: Pioneering M&A in Vietnam with big deals to form one of the biggest multi-field business groups with a hand in finance, minerals, consumer goods, and agriculture ThaiBev: Drawing up an M&A strategy to expand to Southeast Asia via acquiring the leading beer manufacturer in Vietnam KIDO Group: Exemplary M&A deals, such as the acquisition of Walls, the merger of affiliates, transferring its confectionery arm to Mondelez International, and the acquisition of plant oil manufacturers to become todays KIDO Group TTC: Running a successful M&A strategy in the sugar sector, including the acquisition of Bourbon Tay Ninh Sugar Company, HAGL, the merger of Tay Ninh Sugar and Bien Hoa Sugar, and becoming a leading corporation in the sugar industry. PAN Group: Forming the leading food and agricultural group thanks to the acquisition of leading companies in the industry like Bibica, NSC, SSC, and Fimex SCG: Acquiring materials, cement, and chemicals companies in Vietnam to become a leading construction materials manufacturer in Vietnam and the region FPT: Implementing a gradual M&A strategy via a range of activities such as merging three member companies, transferring its holding in FPT Trading, acquiring a software company in Slovakia, and acquiring Intellinet from the US for $30 million Vinamilk: Implementing an M&A strategy to support its main industry activities. Successful M&A deals include the acquisition of Khanh Hoa Sugar Company, as well as raw materials and milk processing companies in New Zealand and the US HDBank: Implementing M&A deals in the banking industry as well as acquiring finance companies and selling shares to Saison Group to become Credit Saison, merging with PGBank

THE BEST M&A ADVISORY FIRMS OF THE DECADE
The 100 million Vietnamese consumers are a highlight among international investors

Dominic Scriven - Executive chairman, Dragon Capital Group

Vietnam is the market for M&A, however, one of the most important things is setting a price tag on a transaction. In many cases, sellers offer a very high price while the buyers always want a lower price. These things make negotiations difficult, and that is why the two sides must make in-depth research and understand each other, otherwise they cannot agree on any issue.

Many M&A deals in Vietnam take place in the fast moving consumer goods segment, despite the fact that the number of successful deals in this field has been getting lower. In general, I see that we will move from FDI and FII to strategic investment in the coming time.

Masataka Sam Yoshida - Senior managing director, Recof Corporation

In the Vietnamese M&A market, Japanese investors are new arrivals compared to those from South Korea or Singapore. This is due to the lack of information. Japanese investors are very careful and conservative in their investment, which makes decision making longer. We need as much information as possible about our target partners before making a decision.

Previously, Japanese investors were very strong in M&A activities. However, successful deals are getting fewer, only one third compared to earlier times. I see that the Vietnamese M&A market is very active, even though many Vietnamese company owners are still hesitant.

Neil MacGregor - Managing director, Savills Vietnam

Vietnamese investors are very good at approaching land funds. Especially in Ho Chi Minh City, the demand for land increased five-fold compared to 2013, in both office and residential projects. M&A in the Vietnamese real estate market is attractive because it offers higher yields than other countries like Hong Kong or Singapore. However, I see that the greatest challenge for investors lies in acquiring land funds.

I think that risk management is more important than the transaction price. The buyers I see will be ready to pay a higher rate if they see lower risk in an investment. I think that the Vietnamese M&A market is now in the spotlight, however, we should think more about the possibility to approach successful deals and offer more opportunities for foreign investors.

Le Viet Anh Phong - Partner, head of Financial Advisory, Deloitte Vietnam

The Vietnamese M&A market is very challenging and in order to approach the market, companies must have many channels. Meanwhile, local companies have set up a system of channels to distribute their goods and this is a major advantage for local companies.

I think that one of the key challenges for M&A is the transactions valuation because sellers always compare their deals to others and in many cases they do not have enough information to make a decision and are not ready to share information. Despite the inherent risks and the lingering issues with valuation, M&A is still the fastest way for companies to increase their capacity and accelerate growth.

Fan Li - Executive director, Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus has been present in Hong Kong since 1994. Today, Vietnam is an important market for us in the ASEAN as we are expanding operations in the country.

Warburg Pincus is also active in the Vietnamese M&A market, which provides sufficient information to evaluate target companies. Last year, we have completed a successful deal, securing profitability in the capital market. We believe that Vietnam has ample potential for growth. The country has been on the radars of foreign investors in recent years.

Jiun Park - Deputy director, Global M&A Facilitation Centre, KOTRA

South Korean investors are changing their investment strategy from labour-intensive sectors to growing domestic markets, especially in the fields of logistics, infrastructure, and pharmaceuticals. An increasing number of Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are keen on the Vietnamese market.

South Korean investors are becoming more active in Vietnams M&A market with an estimated value of $300 million last year. South Korean investors have clinched deals worth $200 million in the first half of 2018. After the deals, they have extended their reach to regional markets like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. There are immense opportunities for partnerships between the two sides, especially as South Korean companies are seeking opportunities to expand in the region.
The Travel Channels Legendary Locations host Josh Gates. The show airs from 8 a.m. to noon today and again at 10 p.m.
Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-08-09 Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/> Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 09.08.18 Contents [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Turkey will start drillings in Eastern Mediterranean within 1-2 months, says Turkish Minister [02] Turkey cuts the aid for education in order to materialize its Islamic plans in the occupied area of Cyprus [03] Denktas and Ozyigit quarrel because the lesson of religion became elective [04] Dagli: "Deryneia barricade will not open this year"  Occupation army builds two emplacements with reinforced concrete in the area [05] Figures provided by the so-called Turkish embassy in the occupation regime show the occupation regime unable to use funds by Turkey [06] Turkish Cypriot former "judge" Reynar received "life threats" [07] Sahali held contacts in Ankara [B] Turkish Press [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Turkish and US talks end at State Department [02] Turkey's Energy Minister states that Turkey and Iran gas trade to continue for supply security [03] Turkish Travel Association seeks to extend Booking.com ban to Airbnb, Expedia, and Skyscanner [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Turkey will start drillings in Eastern Mediterranean within 1-2 months, says Turkish Minister Turkish Cypriot daily Demokrat Bakis newspaper (09.08.18) reports that Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Fatih Donmez has said that within the forthcoming months Turkey will hold its first drilling for natural resources in the Mediterranean. Asked to comment on the exploration for hydrocarbons carried out in Eastern Mediterranean by the Republic of Cyprus, Egypt and Israel and whether the places in which Turkey will hold drillings are known, Donmez recalled that Turkey has been carrying out seismic researches in the Mediterranean for the past five years and noted that the data obtained during this researches are extremely important. He argued: "We have obtained a drilling platform. Within the forthcoming 1-2 months it will start drillings. We called it Fatih [Translator's note: it means conqueror]. Frankly speaking we expect to conquer our hydrocarbons reserves in Eastern Mediterranean with this vessel. We are optimistic. Many neighboring countries in Eastern Mediterranean have found natural gas. Our data is also very good and positive. The colleagues have made their assessments. We will hold our first drilling in Antalya's open sea within the Turkish economic zone. The other will be in the open sea of Mersin. This will be realized in the form of a research in a more shallow sea. Turkey is unfortunately depended on foreign sources in [the fields] of oil and natural gas. []" Noting that if they find oil and natural gas, this will be a "game changer" move, Donmez said: "We want to search for and find this natural gas or oil wherever it is, in the mainland or in the sea". (I/Ts.) [02] Turkey cuts the aid for education in order to materialize its Islamic plans in the occupied area of Cyprus Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (09.08.18) reports that the control held by the self-styled ministry of education in the Hala Sultan theological college in occupied Mia Milia area [a few weeks ago] has caused a big crisis in the occupation regime's relations with Turkey, which, because of this control, decided to cut the economic aid it provided every year for the field of education in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. According to the paper, first the Turkish officials reduced this aid by 50% and then they totally stopped providing it. During this school year, Turkey would provide 2,3 million Turkish liras (TL) for the printing of books and 20 million TL for the construction of new schools and renovation in existing ones. With this money, two new schools in occupied Keryneia area and one primary school in Neapolis, Gonyeli, would be built and the lyceums in occupied Koma tou Gialou and Mia Milia area would be repaired. Turkish Cypriot primary school teachers' trade union (KTOS) reacted to the cut of this aid describing it as "an embargo imposed on the Turkish Cypriots by Turkey". "Not only Turkish Cypriots but hundreds of thousands of children citizens of Turkey living in the in the northern part of Cyprus will be influenced by this embargo implemented by Turkey", said KTOS in a written statement, adding that the target of this mentality, which uses money as a weapon, is to force the Turkish Cypriot community to kneel. Noting that the great majority of the inhabitants in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus are citizens of Turkey, KTOS expresses the view that an administration which does not respect even its own citizens "is useful to no one". In statements to the paper, KTOS' general secretary, Sener Elcil said that this year there is a need for 124 teachers in the secondary education and 56 teachers in the primary schools, but the numbers given [by the "ministry"] say that they need 88 teachers in the secondary and 36 in the primary education. Elcil noted that this school year will begin without schools, without teachers and without books. Finally, Basaran Duzgun, Havadis' editor-in-chief, comments on the issue in his column under the title "Like a nest of tariqats [Translator's note: Religious orders]" According to Duzgun, all bad things happening now in the field of education are because of Hala Sultan theological college, which some insist to use as "nest of tariqats". Duzgun also notes that 57% of the children studying in the schools in the occupied area of Cyprus are citizens of Turkey. (I/Ts.) [03] Denktas and Ozyigit quarrel because the lesson of religion became elective Writing in his column in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (09.08.18), columnist Gokhan Altiner reports that a quarrel was experienced last Tuesday before the meeting of the "council of ministers" between the self-styled ministers of education and finance, Cemal Ozyigit and Serdar Denktas respectively, because the lesson of religion has become elective and not compulsory as of this year in the schools in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. Citing information obtained from "reliable sources", Altiner says that he knows that Ankara as well has many times "warned" Ozyigit to "show the necessary sensitivity" on the issue of the lesson of religion. He argues that a crisis was caused "behind closed doors" due to the fact that Ozyigit's "partners" in the "coalition government" also warned him on this issue. "In spite of all these, yesterday the lesson of religion in schools has been turned from compulsory into elective", writes the columnist arguing that a "serious crisis" will soon come up within the "four party coalition government". Altiner wonders how will "prime minister" Erhurman, who will soon visit Turkey for holding meetings with Turkish officials, explain this situation. (I/Ts.) [04] Dagli: "Deryneia barricade will not open this year"  Occupation army builds two emplacements with reinforced concrete in the area Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (09.08.18) reports that Okan Dagli, spokesman of the Famagusta Initiative, has said that he does not consider the opening of the barricades in Deryneia and Apliki areas possible during this year. "At least with this mindset it will be difficult for them to open", he argued in statements to Kibris Postasi TV. He argued that both on the issue of Deryneia barricade and the Cyprus problem Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci and one part of the "coalition government" remained inactive and silent and the matter is administered having as axis self-styled foreign minister Kudret Ozersay. According to Dagli, Ozersay is the one who spoiled the agreement regarding the opening of the barricades and it is not necessary for the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Social Democracy Party (TDP) to support this agreement. He added: "One of the tenders [] was the tender for a car parking place. I saw this morning that a tender was invited for this. Nothing was done yet regarding the other parts of the gate. The statements made by the prime minister have no relation with the reality, because nothing is being done in our side. As for the Greek Cypriot side, it prepared the gates six months ago. There is a lack of will for these gates and we do not have a will. [] Someone must show leadership, but this is also absent. The army has sovereignty, an authority in the border area and does not want to make concessions from this. Now a new formation of the army exists there. According to information we have obtained, the army builds two emplacements with reinforced concrete there. Behold, if you are not able to somehow downgrade the army's will at a point from which civilians will pass, more problems will come up. [] If this mentality does not change neither Deryneia nor Apliki gate will open. []" Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (09.08.18) publishes statements by the four CTP "deputies" who visited the Deryneia barricade the day before yesterday to inspect the works in the area. Asim Akansoy said that the works in the government-controlled area of the island have been completed and that the deficiencies regarding the opening of the barricade are in the occupied part of the crossing point, arguing, however, that the remaining work will not require a long time to be completed. Fikri Toros said that they support the opening of barricades in order for the deadlock in the Cyprus negotiations to be overcome. Dogus Derya said that the asphalting works ended but the tender procedure has not been completed yet. She argued that the works must be speeded up. Sila Usar Incirli noted that they attach great importance to the new crossing points, which will bring the two communities closer from social and economic points of view. She said that a part of the works at Deryneia crossing point has not been completed yet and wished for the works in both sides to end soon and the contacts between the communities to increase and contribute to the solution process. (I/Ts.) [05] Figures provided by the so-called Turkish embassy in the occupation regime show the occupation regime unable to use funds by Turkey Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (09.08.18) under the title: "Why the financial aid provided by Turkey is not used?", refers to a report published by Haberkibris website, according to which the so-called four-party coalition government in the "TRNC" like the previous "governments" is not able to use constructively the funds allocated by Turkey to the occupation regime for infrastructure, investments and reforms. According to the paper, only 20% of the financial resources allocated by the Republic of Turkey to the "development and economic cooperation office" of the so-called Turkish embassy in the occupied area of Cyprus were used for infrastructure projects, while, at the same time, only 36% out of the resources were used for the real sector. According to a statement issued by the "development and economic cooperation office", the allowance for infrastructure projects and investments by Turkey in 9 different "sectors" in the occupation regime for this year has reached 464 million 319 thousand 566 TL and the so-called government was able to use only 96 million, 890 thousand, 532 TL out of them (20.87%). Also, according to the figures provided by the ""development and economic cooperation office", 45 million, 150 thousand TL were spend for infrastructure investment and 23 million, 218 thousand TL were spend for the "sectors of defense, security and justice". The same figures say that although Turkey has allocated funds (approximately 11 million 800 thousand TL for the environmental sector), the so-called government has not spent not even a cent for this sector. Regarding the real sector, from the fund of 212 million TL, only 76 million 885 thousand TL were used by the so-called government. Also, according to the figures, the occupation regime used 30 million 309 thousand TL for the "higher education sector". () (AK) [06] Turkish Cypriot former "judge" Reynar received "life threats" Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (09.08.18) reports that the former "judge" and columnist in Yeni Duzen newspaper Tacan Reynar, has received threats addressed through the social media against his life. According to the paper, a person called Gagatay Hufezye Ozdem, who a columnist in NPNHABER.COM website, has shared a post in his personal account in social media writing the following: Tacan Reynar: 2018 Kutlu Adali model". Speaking to the paper about the above mentioned post, Reynar described as a personal attack against him the above post which makes a reference to Kutlu Adali (assassinated in the 6th of July 1996 in front of his house) and called on the so-called police to investigate the case. "This post constitutes a personal attack and a threat against me. It was made with a reference made to Kutltu Adali, who was assassinated by fascist and dark segments of the society because he was an intellectual and progressive person and a journalist acting his duty in this land with patriotism", Reynar stated, adding that taking into consideration what happened back then and the "realities in the country", he is worried at the current stage, not for himself but for his "country". "Undoubetly, the police should carry out an investigation towards the context and the purpose of this post", said Reynar. (AK) [07] Sahali held contacts in Ankara According to illegal Bayrak television (09.08.18-BRTK http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=sahali-resumes-contacts-in-ankara), so-called minister of agriculture and natural resources Erkut Sahali met in Ankara with the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli, as part of his "contacts" there. No statement was issued to the press following his meeting. Delegations of the two "countries" also held a meeting to discuss technical issues. Speaking to BRT before his meeting with the Pakdemirli, Sahali pointed out that the "agriculture sectors" in both Turkey and the "TRNC" were going through a hard period due to the drought experienced last winter. "To make matters worse animal breeders now have to deal with the fall in the value of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies resulting in serious price hikes. As a result the agriculture sector is experiencing negative developments" he said. Sahali and his accompanying "delegation" will be returning to the occupation regime tomorrow. [B] Turkish Press [01] Turkish and US talks end at State Department Ankara Anatolia news agency (08.08.18--https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkish-us-talks-end-at-state-department/1225851By) reported that the talks to resolve issues between Ankara and Washington ended Tuesday at the U.S. State Department. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal headed a nine-person delegation during the meeting with Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan which lasted 50 minutes. The Turkish delegation is composed of representatives from Foreign, Justice and Finance Ministries. No official from the Turkish delegation made remarks following the meeting. According to a Treasury Department official, the delegation will hold talks with Department officials. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert confirmed those talk were underway. "We held additional talks with Turkish officials. The conversations continue," Nauert said. The talks at the State Department were said to highlight American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey, and U.S. sanctions on Turkish Ministers. Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following the imposition of American sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey. The two NATO allies have been at odds since a defeated coup in Turkey in 2016 in which Ankara accused the U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen and his FETO organization of masterminding. [02] Turkey's Energy Minister states that Turkey and Iran gas trade to continue for supply security Ankara Anatolia news agency (08.08.18-https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkey-iran-gas-trade-to-continue-for-supply-security/1225781) reported that Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said on Wednesday that the natural gas trade between Turkey and Iran will continue as part of a long-term bilateral contract set to run until 2026. Speaking to news channel A Haber, Donmez said that Turkey's natural gas trade with Iran is legitimate and in accordance with a signed contract with an expiry in 2026. "We import nearly 9.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Iran. We do not have the option of leaving Turkish citizens without electricity or in the cold. Therefore, our trade will continue according to the contract," he asserted. The first round of the U.S. pre-nuclear deal sanctions on Iran, largely targeting the country's banking sector, came into effect early Tuesday. The sanctions target Tehran's acquisition of U.S. dollars, precious metals trade, transactions related to Iran's real currency, activities related to Iran's sovereign debt, and the country's automotive sector. Donmez described the sanctions as one-sided as they are based on the U.S. government's imposition on Iran. "In fact, the EU is also very uncomfortable [about the sanctions]. We are conducting legitimate trade [with Iran]. This is also important in terms of supply security. We also have a neighbourly partnership with Iran. I am of the opinion that this [Turkey's trade with Iran] should be evaluated within this framework," he explained. Turkey and the U.S. are also experiencing rocky relations after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul for not releasing American pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey. On Aug. 8, a Turkish delegation led by a Foreign Ministry aide will visit Washington where they are expected to discuss recent tensions between the two NATO allies. Donmez said that the delegation plans to discuss the sanctions on Iran among other issues between the two countries. "I am optimistic about this dialogue. I believe we will be able to reach a positive outcome," he asserted. Donmez also confirmed that the construction of a third nuclear power plant is planned in the north-western Thrace region. "In that project, we will cooperate with China. We have not decided on the exact location of this plant. In fact, there are approximately 28-30 criteria that need to be met in the requirements to construct the plant," he explained. However, he hinted that the northern part of Turkey's Marmara region, an area with the highest energy density in Turkey, would be considered. "We believe this region is the most appropriate location [for the third plant] and meets most of the criteria we are looking for. We also aim to enlarge nuclear know-how and technology in Turkey, and this project will help that aim," he asserted. () [03] Turkish Travel Association seeks to extend Booking.com ban to Airbnb, Expedia, and Skyscanner Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (08.08.18-http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-travel-association-seeks-to-extend-booking-com-ban-to-airbnb-expedia-skyscanner-135602) reported that the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), which has paved the way for blocking Booking.com in Turkey, has decided to take legal action against 20 other online reservation and travel portals. "TURSAB will launch legal action against nearly 20 websites such as Airbnb, Agoda, Skyscanner and Expedia, which have been in unfair competition with the Turkish travel agencies and tour operators by not paying any tax although they earn income selling Turkish product and services to Turkish customers in the Turkish market," Turkey's leading tourism association said in its statement on Aug. 8. The Booking.com website and app, headquartered in Holland, has been suspended in Turkey since March 29, 2017 by a court ruling citing accusations of unfair competition in the lawsuit filed by the TURSAB. On March 30, Booking.com began to halt selling rooms in Turkey to Turkish users, obeying the order to block the website. However, the website and application can be used from foreign countries to make reservations for hotels in Turkey. "As an e-commerce and technology company, we are convinced that we contribute to healthy competition in the market by offering Turkish consumers a transparent and easy platform to compare and book accommodation all over the world," the company said, as quoted by the Associated Press on March 29, 2017. TURSAB chairman Firuz Bagl?kaya has recently said Booking.com may operate in Turkey following the necessary legal proceedings. "We have been working on a model of 'corporate subscription' for companies like Booking.com, which are headquartered abroad but bring consumers and tourism firms together. After we implement that status, services such as Booking.com will start operating in the country again," he said on July 9. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION (AK/ AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
It is too soon  far too soon  to declare victory. But the numbers are in, and Springfield public schools are making progress when it comes to academic excellence for the best and brightest students.



The district in July received scores of advanced placement tests taken by high school students last spring. Its the first batch of test scores since Superintendent Jennifer Gill, chagrined by lackluster AP programs, last year vowed to improve participation in the academically rigorous classes and work to ensure that students would succeed.

The tests on such subjects as calculus, history, literature and physics can get kids college credit if they score at least 3s on a 1-to-5 scale. Results are a mixed bag.At Springfield High School, students took 301 AP tests and scored at least 3s on 215 of the exams  thats a pass rate of 71 percent, better than the 64 percent who scored sufficiently high to earn college credit during the 2015-16 academic year, before Gills AP efforts began. Southeast High School students took 163 exams last spring (as in other schools, some kids took more than one test) and earned at least 3s on 87 of the tests for a pass rate of 53 percent, an improvement over two years ago, when 39 percent of Southeast test scores were high enough to merit college credit.And then there is Lanphier High School, where just 19 tests, or 14 percent of the 134 exams taken, came back with grades of 3 or better, a dramatic fall-off from the 2015-16 school year, when 49 percent of tests taken by Lanphier students were scored at 3 or better. It sounds even worse when considering that 195 Lanphier students were enrolled in AP classes at years end.And so Lanphier sucks at being smart, right? Not so fast.Kids enrolled in AP classes arent required to take the tests, and Lanphier led the district in the percentage of AP students who took the exams. You cant get college credit if you dont try, so taking the tests is smart, considering that college costs a lot and test fees are south of $100. At Lanphier, 99 students sat for AP exams last spring, more than took AP tests during the previous two school years combined.By comparison, the number of Springfield High School students who took AP exams dipped from 248 during the prior school year to 203 last spring. At Southeast High School, 101 students took tests, up from 87 during the previous year. And so Lanphier is surging in one respect: More Lions than ever are willing to at least try than at other schools. The district, which once said kids werent taking AP tests because families lacked funds for test fees, has helped by paying fees for poor students with funds from the districts foundation and individual donors.These are encouraging signs, at least at this point in Gills campaign to bolster the districts AP classes. Minorities and kids from poor families have been overlooked as candidates for rigorous academic programs, and Springfield isnt alone. The state, which helps pay AP test fees for low-income students, has pushed districts to enroll more minorities and poor students in AP courses, and districts across the state have done exactly that. More work needs to be done.It is enough for now, but not enough for tomorrow, to increase the number of kids enrolled in AP courses. More AP students should take the AP tests, more should receive at least 3s and challenging demographics shouldnt be excuses.In Franklin Park, a Chicago suburb nestled against OHare International Airport, Leyden High School District 212 increased the number of AP students by 22 percent between 2017 and 2018. Students enrolled in AP courses are required to take AP tests. Most students take more than one exam, the district says, and 59 percent of the students who took exams this past spring got scores of at least 3. Thats down slightly from the 65 percent pass rate during the prior year, but still impressive for a district where 55 percent of the students are poor and 64 percent are Hispanic. Were a very working class community, says Michael Manderino, the districts director of curriculum and instruction.We need to see these kinds of results in Springfield, where a 58 percent overall district pass rate in 2017 was asterisked by the fact that fewer than half of AP students enrolled in AP courses took the tests. Gill insists theres value in simply taking an AP class, even if students dont sit for exams. But she acknowledges that scores should improve. Given the choice of grading scales  A to F, as on report cards, or 1 to 5, as on AP tests  Gill gives the district a 3-plus for efforts at improving advanced placement programs.You always have to have your foot on the gas, she says. You dont have to put it down all the way.
Malaysia has withdrawn its troops from the military coalition that is participating in the war against Yemen that was begun by Saudi Arabia.

The decision was taken by Malaysias new Prime Minister, Mahatir Mohamad, who has just shut down the King Salaman Centre for International Peace, KSCIP, established in Putraya, (Malaysias administrative capital). The new head of government has decided to transfer the powers of the KSCIP to the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security.

The Western Press characterize Mahathir Mohamad as a retired dictator  he was prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and is 93 years old. Yet last year on 10 May, he returned to the helm of government after triumphing, being elected head of an electoral alliance that subsumed within it his former opponents.

Mahathir Mohamad immediately began a large operation against corruption which has already exposed huge amounts of funds that his predecessor, Najib Razak, had siphoned off. The clean-up operation also uncovered the gifts that the latter received [1].

Mahathir Mohamad is cutting off all ties that enabled the Wahabite Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to have an influence on Malaysia.
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford

Jessica Mitford was part of the legendary English aristocratic Mitford family. Her sisters included the novelist Nancy; Diana, who was imprisoned with her husband Sir Oswald Mosley for being a fascist; Unity, who fell in love with Hitler; and Deborah, who became the Duchess of Devonshire. Jessica was the family communist and eloped with Esmond Romilly, Churchills nephew, to go and fight in the Spanish Civil War. Some of the best bits of the book are her descriptions of her childhood. Their poor mother, desperate to knock some sense into her unruly girls, would make them sit down each week and write out how they would economize for a family on an income of 200 pounds a year. Every week without fail Nancy would write at the top of her paper, 199 pounds: flowers.
The African Queen. Photo: United Artists

As the last surviving crew member of classic films like The African Queen and The Third Man, Angela Allen is getting used to being the last woman standing. But standing she is, with clear eyes, a trim figure, and a fluorescent-orange pedicure as she plans her 90th birthday celebrations.

Allens career in movies spanned more than 50 years, and encompassed working on films ranging from the swoony passion of Ken Russells Women in Love to the indie cool of Michael Ritchies Downhill Racer. As a script supervisor, Allen was responsible for avoiding the kind of continuity errors gleefully pointed out on IMDb, plus keeping records of set design, cameras and lenses, and all takes of every scene to enable the director and editor to evaluate their options when editing. Shed also help other departments  makeup, lighting, props, and costume  with continuity issues to ensure a seamless suspension of disbelief.

But Allen is not given to living in the past. Instead, she still teaches, speaks at festivals, catches all the latest releases, and maintains firm opinions on a variety of subjects. Vulture caught up with the living legend to talk about her storied career  and, of course, engage in a little gossip about Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Humphrey Bogart.

How did you get into script supervising?

When I started in 1947, I realized the only job I would probably be able to get was as a secretary because I knew shorthand and typing. Eventually, I found a list of production companies and literally knocked on their doors, not something you could do today, and finally one said, Theres a film going at the Korda studios. There might be a job down there. I was very lucky.

Talk to me about the challenges of maintaining continuity.

You have to be there on the set all the time, as near to the director as possible. You have to watch every action, every shot, every take, listen to the dialogue, and if they make a mistake point it out or the reason why a line was cut. Then you type up a very, very detailed report for the editor. And you cant ever leave the set. If you needed to go to the bathroom, you practically had to put your hand up and say, Pause. Can I go?

What was the key to your long working relationship with John Huston?

I did 14 films with John. I knew his methods. John liked a moving camera and he would never shoot what they call master scenes, in other words a wide-angle long shot, when, as he said, All Im ever going to use of a long shot is ten seconds. So I could remind him when he needed extra close-ups or this or that, and I would say nine times out of ten we agreed.

So you were prepared to stand up to him?

Oh, I was never frightened to stand up to a director. But with John, we never had rows, not about angles or matching. One thing about John, he loved anybody who could make suggestions. Someone on the crew would say, Ooh, hey, guv, Ive got an idea, and hed listen, whether he used it or not. The crew adored him and would do anything for him. In the old days, when you started you were given an experienced crew, which is very sensible because theyre going to help you if its your first. Today the young ones want all their friends from college or film school and its not always the best idea because its the blind leading the blind.

The African Queen was quite a difficult shoot, wasnt it?

We started in the middle of what was then the Belgian Congo. The camp was hacked out of the bush, there were no villages or shops or anything, and you all were living together 24 hours a day. And you were on a boat going up and down this river. But I was young so it was a wonderful adventure for me.

And everybody sort of pitched in together?

Katharine Hepburn didnt have an assistant, she didnt have anybody with her. Lauren Bacall was there but strictly as a wife  she used to come out and help with the lunch or bring things. Nobody had an entourage. We were living in very primitive conditions so we got on with it.

What was Hepburn like?

She could be quite bossy, but we all got used to it. One day when John wanted to pick up a shot from a sequence we had shot a couple of weeks before, I said, Youre going to have to change and put on the other hat and gloves on. No, she said, I dont. We didnt have Polaroids, so it was my notes against her opinion. And I have to say, Huston said  which many directors wouldnt have done and certainly wouldnt today  Well, thats Angelas job, so go and change, Katie. I had to sweat blood until we came back to England to find out if I was right or if I was wrong. But Kate was really quite caring of us all.

And Humphrey Bogart?

He was Johns friend. He and John were divine because they used to drink whiskey from bottles that were supposed to be filled with water but it turned out werent.

Probably healthier.

I didnt go down with anything, but a major part of the crew did. Jack Cardiff, the cameraman, was very badly affected, and Katie, so we had three days where the few of us who were still standing used to go round the boat giving out pills.

Angela Allen Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TCM

Before that you worked with Carol Reed. How was his set different from Hustons?

I started on the second unit of The Third Man and I was down the sewers for about three weeks. Carol was a workaholic. He directed the first and second units, every scene with an actor in it. Then hed be in the editing room every day. He was very much the boss, and he could be quite sarcastic with certain crew members if he didnt like them. But I got on with him very well.

Is it true that Marilyn Monroe gave you a hard time on The Misfits?

I didnt know this at the beginning, but she had decided because I was the only other youngish woman on set that I was having an affair with Arthur [Miller, Monroes husband and the films scriptwriter]. Huston told me this  he knew it wasnt true  but I just said, Am I? Well, am I enjoying it?

You could tell there was tension. Marilyn could never be wrong, Marilyn could never be guilty. Ive said many times: on film she comes over wonderfully. One of my favorite films is Some Like It Hot, but we all know what she put Billy Wilder and her fellow actors through. And in fact Billy, who was a friend of Johns, said, Oh my god, you dont know what youre in for. He was quite right. Paula Strasberg, who everybody used to call Black Bart because she used to wear this black tent, totally dominated Marilyn, who could never be there on time or know her lines.

She was on the pills, uppers and downers. I didnt know this until John said to me one day when she was being particularly difficult and wed had to stop shooting, that shed been rushed to the [stomach] pump twice already. We said at the end of The Misfits if she lived another year well all be surprised. [Monroe died in 1962, a year and three months after the films release].

What was Hustons relationship with Arthur Miller?

Any script John was working on, it was always, Its wrong, change it again, change it again, until whoever wrote it was getting dizzy. In those days you didnt have a computer, so Id type 30 pages of script, get to the end, and Johns changing the beginning and Id have to go back to the start again. Poor Arthur was having to rewrite every day and he used to say to me, I cant think of another idea.

How was working on a hairy-chested production like the The Dirty Dozen?

Robert Aldrich was very disciplined, he was like a sergeant major, so he kept them all in order. There again was a director who had a totally different style to Huston. He was from the old-fashioned school where everything was covered from beginning to end by a master shot, everything was a static camera.

The stars like Lee Marvin and all the bigger boys were lovely. I never used to have to worry about continuity, but John Cassavetes and all the young ones were a nightmare. Id go down the line getting them all correctly dressed and buttoned, but Id button Cassavetes up correctly at No. 1 and by the time I got to No. 12, hes opened them all again. And you never knew what would come out of Cassavetess mouth. It would always be a slight variation [on the script.]

It must have been tricky being one of the few women in a mostly male environment. How did you navigate that?

John was a wicked practical joker. And I used to get teased terribly because I was nearly always the youngest. One day at the end of Moulin Rouge, John and the boys had rigged it up that they were going to give a present to Jose Ferrer and I had to present it. I didnt know what it was. Joe opened the present  Im sure he was told what it was  and it was a very large penis. John was going, How disgusting of you! How terrible! How could you be so vulgar?

And he was in on it, of course?

He was the cause of it all. Every film they used to do something to me and I used to get so angry. I used to throw the script at him and leave the set. One day I heard him say to a friend, I dont get it. She hasnt thrown the script at me this time. I said, No, Ive discovered its supposedly a sign of affection. Bloody hell, he said. Ten years its taken you to find that out? But I lived through it. It doesnt happen today.

I believe you took on Her Majestys Revenue and Customs at one point?

We couldnt be on Schedule D [the U.K. equivalent of a 1099 self-employment form], because in the eyes of HMRC [the U.K.s IRS] you were a girl and a secretary as opposed to being your own boss.

So it was assumed if you were a woman you had to have a boss. How did you respond to that?

My accountant said, Youll have to fill out the regular employee form, and I said, No, Im going to fight it. So I got four or five of my colleagues and we had a meeting with the gentleman from HMRC. About four months later we hadnt heard anything. I phoned up and he said, No, weve refused it. But having met you, Miss Allen, I dont think youre going to accept this. And I said, No, Im not. In about another three weeks I got a call from HMRC saying, Yes, you can stay on Schedule D. But another accountant in the film industry  accountants were not on Schedule D at that point and also wanted to be  called up the HMRC man and said, What did you do, fuck her?

Did that attitude ever translate into your personal experience? Or were people fairly respectful to you on set?

Certainly remarks were made but Im not one for #MeToo. I mean, you can say no to somebody. Though rape is something different. And in many cases, especially for actresses  if you didnt comply, you didnt get the part.

Did you feel there were many people who wanted to break out of those traditional female crew jobs  wardrobe, hair, continuity, and secretary?

I did. I would have liked to gone on to direct or produce, but when I broached the subject once to Huston, his reply was, Oh, executives are a dime a dozen. Youre unique. I said, Yes, but I dont get the same pay, do I? I did direct a couple of second units for him, both times in Africa, but I never got a penny or a credit. Theres no point having regrets because you cant turn the clock back.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Santino Fontana.

Over in West Covina, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is reimagining the character of Greg as Skylar Astin, while over on Broadway, the old Greg, Santino Fontana, will be reimagining himself as a woman. Fontana is leading a musical adaptation of the movie Tootsie, which, it was just announced, will arrive on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre next spring. With music and lyrics from The Bands Visits David Yazbeck, a book by Robert Horn, choreography by Denis Jones, and direction from Scott Ellis, the musical will tell the story of a struggling actor who decides to dress as a woman, because things are much easier for them in the industry. Before coming to New York, Tootsie will have an out-of-town tryout in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from September 11 to October 14. Tootsie will start performances in New York on March 29 and open April 23, making it the third musical based on a film property to arrive on Broadway this season (at least so far), after Pretty Woman and King Kong.
Photo: HBO

HBOs Sharp Objects is the best-edited series on TV right now. Its certainly the one that goes the farthest beyond standard TV storytelling, where the main goal is to advance plotlines and feed data to the viewer. Its not wrong to describe it as a small-town murder mystery  each episode ends on a cliffhanger, a standard technique in both TV and literature to entice us to experience the next chapter  but if you were to make a list of things that Sharp Objects cares about, getting from plot point A to plot point B wouldnt rank too high. Its more of a show about how, to quote William Faulkner, The past is never dead; its not even past.

The same-titled source novel, by Gillian Flynn, is already a memory piece, delving into the tangled backstory of Wind Gap, Missouri, and the pain of its prodigal daughter, reporter Camille Preaker. Played on the show by Amy Adams, Camille is in town to investigate what turns into a series of abductions and murders of teenage girls, but her editor Frank (Miguel Sandoval) dispatched her there to come to terms with her own demons. Sharp Objects proves to be less of a procedural than a psychological detective story, rifling through the contents of Camilles mind and exploring the suppressed past of her blood family and the town.

The series, a collaboration between Flynn, creator-producer Marti Noxon, and director Jean-Marc Vallee, adopts a dreamy, third-person omniscient perspective. It often puts us inside Camilles mind as she trips into the past during the course of her everyday life, like we all do. Periodically we encounter significant (though not always defined) words, carved by Camille into her own skin and appearing out in the world, on the sides of buildings and objects. The briefly glimpsed words and briefly flashed images drive home the sensation of hallucination, or maybe even the deja vu feeling of being plunged back into the past even as your body continues to exist in the present. (My colleague Kathryn VanArendonk is cataloguing all of the words here.) Camilles memory flashes are triggered by connections to deep trauma, including her dysfunctional childhood with a domineering, censorious mother, Adora Crellin (Patricia Clarkson); the loss of her younger sister, Marian (Lulu Wilson); the suicide of her rehab roommate, Alice (Sydney Sweeney); and her teenage sexual experiences in the woods, which she insists on describing as consensual. (Her soon-to-be lover, Kansas City cop Richard Willis, played by Chris Messina, isnt so sure.)

The editing is carried out by what looks, based on the credits, to be a small army of editors and assistant editors under Vallees supervision. Despite the complexity of whats being attempted  a nesting-doll memory piece, with Camille at the center, the family around her, and the town enfolding all  Sharp Objects articulates itself clearly. Were rarely confused about what were looking at or why were seeing it at that moment, though there may be instances when we dont have the entire story just yet (as when the teenaged Camille looks up at the crack in the ceiling for the first time, or when we see a brief flash of an oddly framed insert of a toilet bowl, or insects crawling over a forest floor).

Heres one of my favorite examples, though its a fairly small one in the greater scheme, from episode four, Ripe. Camille enters her mothers house, goes upstairs, and looks at the preserved diorama that is her dead sisters room, and this trips her into the past, remembering her younger self looking through that same doorway and seeing her mother on the bed crying. Then her stepfather Alan (Henry Czerny) calls her downstairs, and she sees him and their maid, Gayla (Emily Yancy), holding her birthday cake. She leaves without blowing out the candles. The maid blows them out for her, and theres a cut on that action that returns us to the present, where Camille is exhaling cigarette smoke.

I love how the editing takes us out of one moment and into another, in a way that suggests that Camille got lost in thoughts triggered by objects (the doorway, the stairs, and her sisters bed). You could even read this entire succession of images as a memory of a memory that occurs while Camille is sitting by the window smoking a cigarette. Perhaps she isnt just remembering her mother crying and that moment with the birthday cake; perhaps shes also remembering going up the stairs of her mothers house earlier that day, looking through that doorway, and thinking about how those simple actions jump-started a deeper memory. Camille is a writer, after all.

Sometimes we dont merely think. Sometimes we also think about why we thought about something.

This is a different kind of detective work. Its the basis of psychotherapy as well as certain forms of fiction. We care about what happened to us, but we also care about what it meant, why it meant that, and how we assigned meaning.

This may sound counterintuitive  considering how many times Ive advocated for more cinematic or picture-and-sound-driven storytelling  but I think the editing of Sharp Objects ultimately gets us closer to the sensation of reading deftly written fiction that jumps around between past and present, or between reality and imagination or memory, within the space of a paragraph or a sentence. That most TV and film storytelling (and most criticism of it) feels tediously prosaic isnt a reflection of the diminished possibilities of either literature or cinema. On the contrary: to read and view a wide array of work is to realize that, much of the time, the storytellers we consume rarely avail themselves of the full range of expressive possibilities available in their chosen medium.

There is more to television than most television shows us, more to movies than most movies show us, and more to fiction than most fiction shows us. Simply showing and telling what happened to a group of characters, in more or less linear order, is a valid means of expression, but it is not the only valid means. Its thrilling when a handsomely produced series like Sharp Objects comes along and tries to tell a story in a different way.

But its not unprecedented. The editing of Sharp Objects comes out of a long tradition of art cinema that dates back to 1959, when Alain Resnais released Hiroshima, Mon Amour with a screenplay by Marguerite Duras. The film is a memory piece that intertwines the present-tense romance between a French woman and her Japanese lover with flashbacks to the traumas that created them. The flash cut  the brief glimpse of another scene or moment interpolated into an ongoing scene without warning or explanation  was perfected here, although experimental short filmmakers like Kenneth Anger, Maya Deren, and Salvador Dali had been using their own versions of it for decades.

Throughout cinema history, many other features have experimented with some form of flash cut or nonlinear editing, including The Pawnbroker, Point Blank, Lenny, All That Jazz, Natural Born Killers, A Cry in the Dark, Six Degrees of Separation, The Virgin Suicides, The Limey, and pretty much every film directed by Terrence Malick.

They dont all have the same objective, of course. In some cases, such as All That Jazz, we seem to be looking at a story thats organized around a single characters consciousness. In Malicks films, the editing treats the community itself  either the geographical space where the story takes place, or the various main characters who inhabit it  as a hive mind or collective entity. Other times, editing serves a more conceptual function. Natural Born Killers expresses the moral destabilization of the main characters and their culture by pulverizing the story into Cubist clumps of sensation. Christopher Nolans films, be they superhero movies, crime thrillers, or science-fiction dramas, are less about the particulars of any one persons consciousness than the relative perception of time itself. Thats a concept Nolan articulated most daringly in Dunkirk, which cross-cut between three main stories that unfolded over the course of a week, a day, and an hour, all climaxing at the same moment.

But no matter how the artists personalize it to suit their purposes, theres always something simultaneously freeing and challenging about seeing a story thats edited this way. The viewers brain is in sync with the free-associative, chain-reaction imagery, working the way the mind naturally works rather than trying to untangle or organize it and make things more linear. This kind of storytelling is more expressive of the relationship between experiences and feelings. It can also be off-putting to some viewers, because its not a style that is attempted often, even in so-called art-house movies. Its often written off as pretentious, even though variations of it have been practiced in commercial cinema for almost 60 years.

You could say that this kind of storytelling forces our brains to function differently, and it would be true.

But you could also say that the way weve been conditioned to believe that stories ought to be told  A leads to B leads to C and finally to Z, with maybe a couple of flashbacks  is itself unnatural, at least in relation to the workings of the mind. The kind of storytelling practiced on Sharp Objects (and, to a lesser degree, in the third season of Hannibal, sections of Twin Peaks: The Return, Showtimes The Affair, and on Vallees previous HBO outing, Big Little Lies) gets us closer to what its like to inhabit a body powered by a consciousness that roams where emotions take it.

It also approximates the sensation of suppressing memories, which is a huge part of the story of Sharp Objects. Its not just about Camille refusing to face what happened to her. Its about her familys denial of its history of trauma, and traumatizing others, and Wind Gaps complicity in lies and cover-ups. Fragments of information emerge, each flash giving us another detail, another piece of context. Eventually a fuller picture of Camille, her family, and the town forms  but not necessarily a complete one.

We dont go about our days living only in the present moment. We might half-remember a fragment of some embarrassing childhood memory while visiting the post office, and that memory might have been triggered by standing in line behind a family whose youngest child reminded us of whatever happened on that day so many years ago. Or the memory may have been triggered by a word or phrase in a casual remark, or a bird call, or a snippet of a pop song overheard at a restaurant. Sharp Objects doesnt just give us something to think about, it helps us think about thinking.

How fitting that the character who dispatched the heroine on her journey is an editor.
Awkwafina (left) and Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians Photo: Warner Bros.

In April 2013, Crazy Rich Asians hadnt yet hit bookstores. It wouldnt become the years funny, fizzy beach read, reaching best-seller lists across the globe, for another few weeks. But Hollywood movie producers and studio executives had already begun clamoring for the romantic-comedy novels adaptation rights  Wendi Deng, the film-producing then-wife of Rupert Murdoch, was the first person to approach author Kevin Kwan with a development deal, among a number of option offers that came in around that time. As Kwan remembers it, one interested producer proposed a specific change he felt would make the project more broadly commercial: Would Kwan consider changing the books protagonist Rachel Chu from Chinese-American to white?

Someone actually said that to one of my representatives, says Kwan. I was like, Do we even have to respond?

Ahead of the movies August 15 release date, its safe to report that no characters were whitewashed in the making of Crazy Rich Asians. The $30 million romantic comedy stars Fresh Off the Boat co-star Constance Wu as Rachel, a resolutely middle-class NYU economics professor who travels to Singapore to meet the extended family of her hunky, Oxford-educated boyfriend Nick (newcomer Henry Golding). Once there, however, she discovers hes something like Singapores most eligible bachelor, as well as heir to one of the island nation-states most ginormous real-estate fortunes. Adding to her fish-out-of-water woes, a scrum of designer-clad, Mean Girls-esque socialites pull out their long knives to sabotage Rachels relationship, while Nicks domineering, matriarchal mom, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), makes her disdain for the American interloper as clear as a soy-sauce stain.

But its fair to say that drama, staged amid staggering displays of Southeast Asian conspicuous consumption, pales in comparison to the films real-life backstory. Following three years in development, two bidding wars (one for CRAs adaptation rights, another in 2016 for its theatrical distribution), a casting dragnet that extended to four continents, and strenuous efforts at every level of filmmaking to maintain the books cultural authenticity and specificity, Crazy Rich Asians arrives in theaters as the first Hollywood studio movie to feature a predominantly Asian cast in a contemporary setting since 1993s Asian-American ensemble drama The Joy Luck Club. Moreover, having turned down a gigantic payday from Netflix to distribute it through Warner Bros., thereby ensuring the widest possible theatrical audience for a cinematically under-represented group, Kwan and director Jon M. Chu (who ultimately decided where CRA would end up in the second bidding war) are gambling that the films box-office success could fundamentally change the way the industry approaches onscreen diversity.

It reflects self-worth and it reflects Asians coming to see this movie, says Chu. That we are worth your time, your $15 to drive and park and struggle with buying tickets and crowds; to sit down in a dark room and say, Tell me a story. We are worth that. Which is why we didnt necessarily want to do it on Netflix or a streaming service. Something in the museum trickles down to everything in the world. The cinema is the museum, it puts it in a glass box: This is special. You are special. So we had a very big decision to make sure we pursued it the cinematic way.

But at the outset, it was hardly a foregone conclusion an adaptation would make it to the screen with its Asianness intact. A former creative consultant who produced coffee-table books for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Kate Spade, the Singapore-born, Texas-raised Kwan flew from New York to Los Angeles in June 2013 for what he describes as this beauty-contest kind of day  he and his agents met studio executives and producers and fielded adaptation offers. Although studio suitors like Fox and Lionsgate had come to the table, in the end Kwan went with someone outside the studio system: Nina Jacobson.

The former president of Disney subsidiary Buena Vista Pictures, and her partner Brad Simpson of the production company Color Force, dazzled Kwan with their complete passion for the project. Their pitch: develop the property independently as a means of keeping creative control, then seek studio distribution down the road. It helped that Jacobson had enjoyed huge success with two previous literary adaptations: the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films and multibillion- dollar-grossing Hunger Games franchise. Turns out Kwan wasnt out for a quick cash score; he sold Color Force the option for $1 (with built-in compensation packages if the film got made) and the right to stay involved on development throughout production. Kevin realized that if he put this into the studio system, immediately there would be a lot of well-meaning people making compromises that would take you away from the book, says Simpson.

Getting something in development and even getting some upfront money is an easy way to not ever see your movie get made. We actually thought originally we might make a movie independently and not necessarily make it at a studio; we might make it with equity financing. We also felt like the best thing for this would be to have it all together as a yes-or-no proposition. And then get this thing made in that form, knowing its an all-Asian cast, says Jacobson.

For its financing partner, Color Force teamed up with the newly formed Ivanhoe Pictures, a Los Angelesbased production company with branches in Hong Kong and Singapore that specializes in Asian-focused content aimed primarily at Chinas enormous cinematic marketplace. Ivanhoe would bankroll CRAs development and act as a local fixer in Singapore when cameras finally rolled. For us, the book fell in our lap kind of like, This is why were doing the company, says Ivanhoe president John Penotti. Unlike the Hollywood second-guessing, Oh my God, will this work? We dont know. Its all Asian, it was exactly the opposite for us: Thats exactly why it will work.

Over the course of development, Peter Chiarelli (The Proposal, Now You See Me 2) was brought in as screenwriter and helped distill the novels jumble of subplots and roundelay of primary characters into a more movie-manageable story. Petes pitch, which you really see in the movie, was this triangle between Rachel, Eleanor, and Nick, says Jacobson. The resolution of the relationship between a girl and this very intimidating, fierce mother-in-law would be as important as the love story in many respects. That was where we cracked the script and felt the conflict was most fully realized.

In 2016, Chu  a Palo Altoborn journeyman Hollywood hand who graduated from directing music-and-dance-related fare such as Step Up 2: The Streets and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never to studio genre films like G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Now You See Me 2  was looking for his next project. I really wanted to tackle something that dealt with my cultural identity being Asian and American, something I never really touched before because its sort of scary to me, says Chu, 38. The whitewashing movement was all over Twitter and Im reading things from Constance, Daniel Dae Kim, Alan Yang and really agreeing: Why havent we had a romance of Asian leads in a movie? Why havent we had a full Asian cast in a movie? I suddenly looked myself in the mirror and thought, Oh shit. I am Hollywood. Im in this business and Ive got enough relationships that if I want to push one through, I get one.

After his mother and sister emailed him asking, Why arent you doing the Crazy Rich Asians movie? Chu contacted his agents and requested the script  coincidentally, on the same day Jacobson and Simpson sent it to him. Perhaps even more fatefully, Chu gets an oblique mention in the book  a byproduct of Kwans friendship with Chus cousin Vivian, who used to tell the author about her family back in Cupertino (which also had the net result of Rachel Chu being written as a Cupertino native). Its where Nick is defending Rachels family to Eleanor and says, Yes, but you know they have to work for their money, but they work really hard. They even have a cousin in Hollywood who directs movies, says Chu. Kevin was like, Thats you! I was like, There is something weird about this movie, that Im supposed to do it.

To land the gig, Chu produced a sizzle reel of deeply personal images of his family, who hail from Taiwan and China, and period Shanghainese music that would inform the film. From that first conversation and presentation, there was this passion that was so heartfelt, says Jacobson. It was so personal to him but also so visual and rich and fun with great visual joyfulness and exuberance. Right away, he was so clearly our guy.

Soon after Chus attachment to Crazy Rich Asians was announced, Wu auditioned for the female lead, but her shooting schedule on Fresh Off the Boat conflicted with the films shooting dates, taking her out of the running. Nevertheless, a month later, the actress took the unusual step of personally reaching out to the director with an email explaining her connection to Rachel. Dates are dates, and if those are immovable, I understand, Wu wrote. But I would put all of my heart, hope, humor and courage into the role. What this could do means so much to me. Its why I advocate so much for young Asian-American girls so they might not spend their life feeling small or being commanded to feel grateful to even be at the table. (Chu was so deeply persuaded, he pushed production back four months to accommodate her schedule.)

Its a very forward thing that a lot of actors wouldnt do, says Simpson. Youre supposed to let your agent do it. But I think Constance learned that you need to ask for the things you want  especially if youre a person of color. And she was really willing to put herself out there in a way that would make most actors feel really uncomfortable. Because youre gonna get a personal rejection back if you write a letter like that.

Malaysian-born screenwriter Adele Lim was brought in to punch up the scripts cultural specificity, more fully fleshing out Michelle Yeohs Eleanor, steering the character away from becoming a mustache-twirling villain. And never losing sight of the future films potential to impact Asian representation onscreen, care was taken to avoid cliche. There was a part in the book where Rachel Chu talks about how she doesnt date Asian guys and we had that in the script originally, Chu says. Constance brought that up. You know what? I feel uncomfortable bashing Asian guys in this. The more I thought about it, the more I was like, Youre right. And we had to change it very quickly. Its so easy to be lazy and be like, No, no, its fine. Just shoot it. And then you get caught in what youre putting in the world.

In October 2016, the project was ready to seek out a distributor. Five studio suitors made serious bids, but the final decision boiled down to two competitors: Netflix offered complete artistic freedom, seven-figure minimum paydays upfront for every stakeholder, and a guarantee that all of Kwans Crazy Rich Asian books  China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems rounding out the trilogy  would get the green light (according to the Hollywood Reporter). Warner Bros. offer was less rich, but ensured the movie would reach the big screen and carried the cosign of CEO Kevin Tsujihara, the only Asian-American to ever head a major Hollywood studio. Color Force left the decision to Kwan and Chu, who ultimately felt Warner Bros. theatrical rollout would give the project a cultural weight that the streaming service could not match.

With the project green-lit, the last crucial piece of business was casting the right Nick. It was not an uncomplicated issue, considering the characters unique specs: a dashing hunk who guys want to be and women want to be with, a Singaporean stud with a posh, English-educated accent and to-the-manor-born elegance. The producers began casting calls across Asia, Australia, the U.K., and North America, auditioning no small number of American- and Asian-born stars who couldnt nail the particulars of the accent.

Finally, an accountant in the productions Malaysian office suggested Henry Golding, a BBC travel correspondent whom she had seen at an awards event five years earlier and had never forgotten. Chu watched all of his segments on YouTube and called him in for a screen test  interrupting the presenters honeymoon in the process. Never mind that Golding, a former hairdresser and model who is of British-Malaysian descent and lived in Singapore, had never acted before. He was like looking at Cary Grant, says Chu. Our motto was always JFK Jr. in New York. Hes this blood of royal blood. And Henry had absolutely all of that stuff plus the accent on top of it.

One of Crazy Rich Asians most quietly transgressive qualities is its showcasing and celebration of Asian male masculinity  a deliberate riposte to decades of Hollywood image creation of Asian dudes as nerdy and asexual. I said to Jon, We need to have a couple of scenes where the guys are the eye candy, says Kwan. We need to flip the paradigm. The only paradigm theres been is the sexy Asian woman or the Asian temptress. The guys always neutered. Its time that we can show a contemporary Asian man that doesnt have any baggage, being who he is. Get that shirt off, Henry!

For the actors, filming proved to be a singular experience that closely bonded them  months after wrapping production, the castmates still stay in touch via a WhatsApp group chat. British-Chinese former fashion model Gemma Chan (AMCs Humans, Paramounts Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) portrays Nicks impossibly rich and beautiful cousin Astrid Leong-Teo; for her, the shoot offered a kind of racial solidarity thats unique in her career. What was really special is that Im so used to going to work and not only being the only Asian face on set, but also the only person of color, Chan says. Looking around at all these talented Asians who come from all over the world and all over the diaspora, we recognized how special it was that we were all getting to work together.

Ken Jeong (creator of ABCs Dr. Ken, best known for his over-the-top role as Leslie Chow in the Hangover trilogy) is among the best-known actors in the cast. But he accepted the relatively minor role as Goy Wye Mun, the father of Rachels college best friend (played by Awkwafina), and traveled to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to film for less than a week, not because he needed the work  he simply wanted to be part of the fabric of Crazy Rich Asians and says he would have taken any part, no matter how small. There are certain jobs in your career that are commercial jobs and there are some that are passion jobs. This one is a passion job, says Jeong. Its just something I wanted to be part of. Its about wanting to be part of something monumental. Something thats bigger than me. Im so giddy Im part of this, I cant even tell you.

The creative quorum behind Crazy Rich Asians is fully aware that the future Hollywood bankability of an entire racial group will likely rise or fall with the films box-office performance. But having shepherded it to the screen with the books intrinsic Asianness intact, Kwan, Chu, Simpson, and Jacobson are also aware that the movie arrives more like a cultural watershed than show business as normal.

Its a classic Hollywood studio movie with an all-Asian cast. It feels like the big cultural event. We set out to put this movie out into the world in a way that would reach the most people, says Jacobson. I remember thinking at the time about what it will be like for a little girl driving to school with her mom or dad and seeing a big poster for this. Theres just something there  the chance to see yourself onscreen and say, Thats the company that made Harry Potter and Wonder Woman. To be right there alongside those releases felt really significant and exciting. Like, the realization of our aspirations for this.
The Department of Defense released a report Thursday on how to create the Space Force.

The President's "National Security Strategy" and the "National Strategy for Space" highlight that the United States must maintain peace through strength in space.

The group outlines four pillars for a unified approach to secure U.S. space leadership:

Transform to more resilient space architectures Strenghten deterrence and warfighting options Improve foundational capabilities, structure and processes Foster conducive domestic and international environments for space development.

Establishing a sixth branch of the Armed Forces still requires Congressional action.

Read the full 15-page document.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the immediate steps the Department of Defense would take to reform how the military approaches space. The plan details the establishment of a Space Force by 2020.

"The time has come to establish the Unites States Space Force," Pence during in a speech at the Pentagon Thursday, citing threats from China and Russia. "Our Administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the Space Force by 2020."

In June, President Trump directed the Pentagon to begin the process to establish Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces."
A Hartselle High School senior is now suspended after posting an altered photo of students with a Ku Klux Klan over their head.

"This not indicative of our students and this is not indicative of our community. This is something we take seriously," said Principal Brad Cooper.

Cooper told WAAY-31 the suspended student took a picture of two classmates Tuesday, then went home and applied a filter which replicates the KKK hood. Someone saw it and posted it to Facebook.

"The students were not aware their photo was taken. They found out like most people did, when it was posted on social media," Bright said. He also told WAAY-31 the student who took the picture said he is not racist, and was simply playing with filters on the Snap Chat app. Bright said she understands kids being kids, but she is surprised there's a filter that mimics the KKK.

"I am, and it shouldn't be there. No, they shouldn't have that," Bright said.

Parents with whom WAAY 31 spoke said they thought the photo was very inappropriate, and instantly knew it was fake.

"It was ludicrous and silly that they would not have done that to begin with," said Melissa Bright.

Bright's child just graduated from Hartselle High School. She told WAAY-TV she cant imagine students wearing head gear that resembles the Ku Klux Klan hood.

"I know the staff at the school would not allow them to sit there like that, so you knew it wasn't real," Bright said.

Cooper also told WAAY 31 students are not allowed to use their phones in class, so nobody should take pictures in school. Most districts across North Alabama have similar policies in place.
Parents of Huntsville City School students told WAAY 31 they're pleased with the District's new bus company.

"It's been wonderful so far with the buses being on time within a five-minute span or so. We did have one issue yesterday morning where the bus had to be substituted, so the tracker didn't work but it was substituted by the afternoon so that was fantastic," said Jennifer Crepeau, whose child rides a bus.

She told us her experience with Apple Bus Company is far different than the experiences her friends when Durham School Services ran the buses for Huntsville City Schools.

"We heard from lots of parents and lots of friends that there were late buses, there were early buses where people completely missed the bus, lack of air-conditioning or heating. Things that should be on a bus," she said.

Crepeaus enthusiasm stretches into the schools.

"What an amazing thing it is to have all buses on time. We're on the third day of school and our buses have been on time every day." said Huntsville High School Principal Aaron King.

The principal of Huntsville High School told us bus riders arriving on time is a welcome change.

"It's a great stress reliever for kids to know when they're going to be at school and when they're going to be at home," King said.

We checked with Huntsville City Schools and they confirmed the majority of the buses are already running on time.
Last month, Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) was interviewed by Chicago Public Radio about his new role as interim executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.



Mitchell was asked at one point about what the state party planned to do to counter Dan Profts newspaper empire. Proft, a conservative activist and radio talk show host, operates about 40 news websites, from the Lake County Gazette, to Rock Island Today to the Carbondale Reporter. They all run stories with a decided tilt toward Profts favored Republican candidates, who are pro-life, anti-union and pro-gun. Proft receives millions of dollars from ultra-wealthy businessman Dick Uihlein (Profts Liberty Principles PAC reported receiving another $3.5 million just last week from Uihlein).



Rep. Mitchell called Profts papers fake news, and clarified that he didnt mean to use the term the way President Donald Trump employs it to describe The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN and other established national news outlets. Mitchell said his party intends to counter Profts pro-GOP, anti-Democratic Party messages with its own messaging.

I use Google to automatically track news stories published about every contested legislative race in the state, and for weeks now, maybe 90 percent of the coverage of all those candidates is coming from just a single information source: Dan Proft.Democrat Statehouse hopeful betting taxpayer-funded abortion, property tax hikes popular with DuPage voters, was the headline on a July 23rd story in Profts DuPage Policy Journal about Terra Costa Howard, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard). After noting how many doors shes been knocking on, the article went on to claim that Howard is unabashedly touting far-left policies historically unpopular, if not anathema, to the upper-middle-class voters of her district.Madigan spends $67K in July to boost West Chicago Democrat State House hopeful Villa, another DuPage Policy Journal headline declared last week about in-kind contributions from the Democratic Party of Illinois, which is chaired by House Speaker Michael Madigan. Karina Villa is the Democrat running against Tonia Khouri in retiring GOP Rep. Mike Fortners district.Appointed Democratic state Rep. Natalie Phelps Finnies Republican opponent received some favorable coverage the other day from Profts SE Illinois News publication. Republican state House candidate Patrick Windhorst was impressed by Oliver Norths speeches during a recent tour of the area, the story began, then went on to quote a Windhorst Facebook post. The story claimed that Windhorst is running on a platform of greater fiscal responsibility and tax reform.Another story in the same publication is entitled Windhorst vows to work for every resident of 118th House District, and quotes directly from another Windhorst Facebook post. As your state representative, I will work hard to ensure that every corner of the 118th is given the time and effort demanded by the position.Theyre not exactly Pulitzer Prize contending articles, but they arent designed to do anything like that. The idea appears to be simply publishing flattering stories about the candidates Profts political organization supports.Some stories are more interesting than others, though. One recent piece in the Metro East Sun chronicled Democratic state Senate candidate Brian Stouts use of an anti-gay slur during a Facebook spat three years ago. Stout is running against the heavily favored Republican nominee Jason Plummer.But many if not most stories are like this one from the Illinois Valley Times: Illinois House Speaker and Democrat Party Chairman Michael J. Madigan (D-Chicago) has reported $43,433 in July contributions to Lance Yednock, a Democrat running for the Illinois State House of Representatives against incumbent Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator).And theres this recent lede in the Chicago City Wire: Ammie Kessem argues that Rep. Robert Martwicks actions are proof that he views voters in the 19th House District as second-class citizens.Yes, its only August. But almost all established local news outlets have slashed their budgets over the years, so their reporting on these races will undoubtedly continue to be sparse throughout the fall campaign.And if a voter happens to use Google to find out whats going on in his or her local legislative contests, that voter will be far more likely to be directed to one of Profts outlets than anywhere else. Rep. Mitchell and the Democrats have their work cut out for them on this particular front.
DeKalb County officials confirm, Noe Mateo has been arrested for the killing of a child on February 21, 2017. Authorities say Mateo was related to the victim and they lived in the same home at the time of the murder.

According to a news release, DeKalb County investigators traveled to Cobb County, Georgia after receiving a tip that Mateo was in their jurisdiction. The DeKalb County Grand Jury issued an indictment on the same day.

Mateo is currently in custody in Georgia and will be extradited back to DeKalb County, where he will be held without bond.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The woman who made the 911 call that led to the capture of a man accused of killing four people at a Tennessee Waffle House will not get a Crime Stoppers reward.

News outlets reported Tuesday that Lydia French won't get the reward because she called 911 instead of submitting a tip through Crime Stoppers. Liz Parrott with Nashville Crime Stoppers says French only filed a tip weeks after the April 22 shooting to inquire about the reward.

Police say 29-year-old Travis Reinking used an AR-15-style rifle to open fire at the eatery. French and her husband later spotted someone resembling Reinking. French called 911 and authorities used her information to capture Reinking.

French says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has given them funds for their role in Reinking's capture.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

8/8/2018 3:39:06 PM (GMT -5:00)
Crucible Series #20 by Ken Baskin, the first prize winner at the Shapes of Influence exhibit.

The latest iteration of Springfield Art Associations biennial Shapes of Influence exhibit stands as both an exceptional showcase for original ceramics work from across the country and an introduction to the shows jurist  world-renowned ceramic artist Simon Levin, who settled in Springfield last November.

Currently on display at the M. G. Nelson Gallery on the SAA campus, Shapes of Influence is nearly overwhelming in the variety, quality and volume of the work chosen by Levin, featuring 51 pieces by 51 different artists whose work went through the judging process, along with work by nationally recognized guest artists Dan Anderson, Kahil Irving, Peter Pincus and Kelsie Rudolph, all invited by Levin to participate.



Levin has been a full-time studio artist in rural Gresham, Wisconsin, for the past 18 years and came to town when his wife, Presbyterian minister Susan Phillips, became pastor of Springfields First Presbyterian Church. It was an exciting opportunity for her and I have family in St. Louis, so we decided to move down here, Levin said. When they were looking into relocating, Levin made contact with the SAA to see what kind of arts community was available in Springfield. Im not used to an active arts community, having lived in rural Wisconsin, Levin said. I travel around the world and teach in the field and write for journals and magazines, so Im very active in the larger community  Ive just never had it where I live.

Levin acknowledges a symbiotic relationship with Springfield has already formed. Springfield gains from his international connections while he benefits from living in proximity to a supportive local arts community. He has also opened Mill Creek Pottery South at 10220 N. Pawnee Rd. in Pawnee, where he will create and sell his own work along with that of others. We havent fired the kiln yet, he said. Im planning an annual sale, at the end of September, where I invite artists here to showcase their work, focusing on quality and diversity to hopefully draw customers not just from Springfield but also Edwardsville, St. Louis, Bloomington. It would be a yearly event with a lot of pots, a lot of food, a lot of fun.

First prize for the Springfield Art Association show ($500) was awarded to Ken Baskin for Crucible Series #20, with second place ($300) going to to Austin Wieland for Error and Jessica Sallay-Carrington receiving third place ($200) for Concentrate. In addition to the official award winners, the SAA has added a peoples choice award for the show. Art lovers are encouraged to stop by the gallery to vote  and to try not to be discouraged by the construction currently underway on the campus.



Shapes of Influence will run through Sept. 1. The M.G. Nelson gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information about Simon Levin, visit SimonLevin.com or follow @woodfire on Instagram.



Scott Faingold can be reached at sfaingold@illinoistimes.com.


By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 08, 2018 | 03:35 PM | PADUCAH

A critical need remains as many regular donors delay giving to take final summer vacations and prepare for school to start. To ensure lifesaving treatments remain available for patients in the coming weeks, donations are needed now, especially type O.





In thanks for helping at this urgent time, all those who come to donate blood or platelets through August 30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)





Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who donated blood earlier this summer may be eligible to give again. Blood can be safely given every 56 days, and Power Red donations can be given every 16 weeks.





Upcoming blood donation opportunities August 16-31:

First Baptist Church, Monroe Street and Jefferson Street, Golconda, IL 62938

8/27/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 pm





Caledonia Community Church, 10076 State Highway 37, Olmsted, IL 62970

8/21/2018: 1:30 - 5:30 pm





Ballard County Cooperative Extension Office, 110 Broadway, La Center, KY 42056

8/16/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 pm





First Presbyterian Church, 1601 Main St., Murray, KY 42071

8/16/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 pm





Murray State University, Chestnut Street, Murray, KY 42071

8/23/2018: 10 am - 4 pm

8/24/2018: 10 am - 4 p.m





Graves County Public Library, 601 N. 17th St., Mayfield, KY 42066

8/17/2018: 11 am - 4 pm





American Legion, 211 S. Seventh St., Mayfield, KY 42066

8/28/2018: 11 am - 5 pm





Livingston Hospital Health Care Services, 131 Hospital Drive, Salem, KY 42078

8/29/2018: 12:30 - 4:30 pm





First Christian Church, 2515 S. Main St., Benton, KY 42025

8/20/2018: 2 - 6 pm





Marshall County Hospital, 615 Old Symsonia Road, Benton, KY 42025

8/30/2018: 10 am - 3 pm





Calvert City Church of Christ, 4625 U.S. Highway 62, Calvert City, KY 42029

8/30/2018: 12:30 - 5:30 pm





Paducah Blood Donation Center, 4635 Falconcrest Drive, Paducah, KY 42001

8/16/2018: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm

8/17/2018: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm

8/18/2018: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm

8/19/2018: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm

8/20/2018: 11:45 am - 6:15 pm

8/21/2018: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm

8/23/2018: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm

8/24/2018: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm

8/25/2018: 7:45 am - 2:45 pm

8/26/2018: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm

8/27/2018: 11:45 am - 6:15 pm

8/28/2018: 8:45 am - 3:15 pm

8/30/2018: 11:45 am - 6:45 pm

8/31/2018: 8:45 am - 5 pm





Finish Line Car Wash, 3516 Clarks River Road, Paducah, KY 42003

8/17/2018: noon - 5 pm





Lone Oak United Methodist Church, 3835 Old Highway U.S. 45, Paducah, KY 42001

8/26/2018: 11:45 am - 3:45 pm





Lone Oak First Baptist Church, 3601 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY 42001

8/27/2018: 11:30 am - 5:30 pm





Reidland Church of Christ, 5500 Kentucky Dam Road, Paducah, KY 42003

8/29/2018: 3:30 - 7:30 pm





Charleston High School, 604 South Thorn St., Charleston, MO 63834

8/31/2018: 9 am - 2 pm





Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.





Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.



The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nations blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.



As summer winds down, the American Red Cross urges individuals to give blood and platelets now and help end an emergency summer blood shortage that began last month.
Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required.

Your Full Name: (optional)

Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 09, 2018 | 05:51 AM | WILLIAMSON COUNTY, IL

A missing juvenile from Mississippi has been found in southern Illinois.

Williamson County Sheriff Bennie Vick says the missing juvenile from Olive Branch, MS was located Sunday morning. The juvenile went to the Lake of Egypt Fire Department and asked firefighters to contact proper authorities.

The juvenile was accompanied by a man, identified as 29-year-old Jason St. Aubin, from the Lake of Egypt area. The juvenile was taken into protective custody, and deputies and caseworkers from the Department of Children and Family Services reunited the juvenile with his parents later that day.

On Tuesday, deputies worked with detectives from the Olive Branch Police Department to serve arrest warrants from Mississippi, and Illinois search warrants at an address on Lakeview Drive at Lake of Egypt. St. Aubin and 30-year-old Juan E. Andrade, also from the Lake of Egypt area, were taken into custody on kidnapping charges from the State of Mississippi.

The investigation continues, and charges in the State of Illinois are expected.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 09, 2018 | FORT CAMPBELL

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 09, 2018 | 11:41 AM | FORT CAMPBELL

Leaders from 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will host an innovation panel from 10:00 am to noon Friday at Cole Park Commons in Fort Campbell.



"Innovation is the conversion of new ideas into valued outcomes," said Col. John P. Cogbill, Commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. "The purpose of this panel is to facilitate the generation and exchange of ideas between Rakkasan Soldiers and Defense Department innovation industry professionals with the end goal of helping to make the military organization more agile and adaptive to face unknown challenges in the future."



The panel members include retired Col. Rob Salome, Director, Strategy and Leadership Development for Solutions21, retired Col. Pete Newell, Managing Partner, BMNT, Lt. Col. Eddie Brown, Program Manager, Defense Innovation Unit (Experimental), Capt. Jay Long, 3rd Ranger Bn. Innovation Cell, 1st Lt. Lauren McCune, Deputy Program Manager, BMNT, and Mr. Tim Greeff, Founder and CEO, National Security Technology Accelerator.



The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division is committed to maintaining the highest levels of readiness that the Army requires by providing ready, mobile, lethal, and non-lethal capabilities to meet global requirements.



Interested media should R.S.V.P. with Maj. John J. Moore at (john.j.moore132.mil@mail.mil) or 253-720-4532. Media will meet the PAO escort at Gate 4, media will need to arrive early to go through security screening at the Gate 4 Visitor Center.
By The Associated Press Aug. 09, 2018 | 04:41 PM | FRANKFORT

Kentucky's Democratic attorney general launched his 2019 campaign for governor last month. Thursday, the Senate Republican Caucus announced a state-funded review of the Attorney General's office.

Republican Sen. Danny Carroll insisted those two things are not related. But the final report on Andy Beshear's office is due next summer in the middle of what is expected to be a heated campaign as Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is eligible for re-election.

The review is part of the Program Review and Investigations Committee, a legislative panel with power to investigate state agencies. The committee typically conducts four studies each year, with topics selected by the Republican and Democratic caucuses of the state House and Senate. The committee has the power to subpoena testimony and records if necessary. Thursday, the Senate Republican Caucus announced it would review the contracting procedures in Beshear's office to "make sure there is no undue influence."

Democratic state Rep. Arnold Simpson asked Carroll to extend the study to include all constitutional offices. Carroll refused.

In June, former lobbyist James Sullivan was convicted of attempting to bribe Beshear's former top deputy Tim Longmeyer to win contracts for some private law firms. Longmeyer is in prison, and Sullivan is scheduled to be sentenced later this year. Federal authorities have said Beshear had no knowledge of the bribes and said the attorney general's office has cooperated with the investigation.

Last year, Beshear awarded a contract to four private law firms to help him sue pharmaceutical companies in reaction to the state's opioid epidemic. The Bevin administration tried to block the contract, but a state judge ruled he couldn't. Beshear has since filed seven opioid-related lawsuits.

"The attorney general, he should have nothing to hide and he should support this," Carroll said. Asked about the timing of the report coinciding with the race for governor, Carroll said: "We have a job to do in this committee, and it's relevant."

Beshear said his office has "been a champion for transparency." He noted the attorney general's website allows anyone to view contracts awarded by the office and includes instructions on how to get copies of the contracts through the state's open records law.

Beshear said the review is just a continuation of Bevin's efforts to stop his lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, saying "Gov. Bevin and his allies continue to put politics before saving lives."

"It's truly sad that Senate Republicans are taking their cues from Gov. Bevin and not the people of Kentucky who support my efforts to hold drug manufacturers accountable," he said.

Beshear and Carroll have clashed previously over Beshear's role in the state's 2015 settlement with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of Oxycontin. That lawsuit was settled in December 2015, a few days before Beshear took office. But Beshear then awarded a retroactive contract to a Louisville law firm to receive a portion of the settlement. That law firm later hired outgoing Attorney General Jack Conway.

Beshear said the law firm worked on the settlement during the Conway administration but mistakenly did not get a contract from the state. He said the Bevin administration instructed him to issue a new contract rather than extend a previous one. Bevin officials have sued the law firm to recoup the money. The lawsuit is pending.
By The Associated Press Aug. 08, 2018 | 09:26 PM | LOUISVILLE

Statues honoring a Confederate soldier and a 19th-century editor known for anti-immigrant writings will be moved from their prominent spots in Kentucky's largest city, Louisville's mayor said Wednesday.

Acknowledging he was confronting an "emotionally charged" subject, Mayor Greg Fischer said his decision to move the John B. Castleman and George D. Prentice statues was based on findings of a local Public Art and Monuments Advisory Committee that he appointed late last year. In a tweet , the Democratic mayor noted the panel concluded Louisville must not maintain statues that serve as "validating symbols for racist or bigoted ideology."

"Moving the Castleman and Prentice statues does not erase history," Fischer tweeted. "It allows us to examine our history in a new context that more accurately reflects the reality of the day, a time when the moral deprivation of slavery is clear."

In announcing his decision, Fischer added that he's mindful of the "horrible display of hatred and bigotry" at a violent white nationalist rally last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one person dead and dozens of others injured.

Confederate monuments have come under increased scrutiny ever since that rally, as well as the 2015 massacre of nine black worshippers inside a South Carolina church.

The Castleman statue, depicting him atop a horse, is in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood east of downtown. Castleman was a Confederate soldier and later a U.S. general. He also helped found Louisville's park system. The Prentice statue is located at the downtown public library.

Both statues have been targets of vandalism.

"We cannot ignore that Castleman fought to continue the horrific and brutal slavery of men, women and children" and later "heralded that part of his life in his autobiography," Fischer wrote in one of his tweets announcing the removal of the statues.

Prentice was a Louisville newspaper editor associated with the pro-slavery, anti-immigration movement during the 1850s and 1860s.

"He used that platform to advocate an anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant message" that led to a deadly riot, Fischer said.

Fischer said in a release that the city has had preliminary discussions about moving the statues to Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. If the statues cannot be relocated to an "appropriate" site, they will be put in storage, he said.

The goal is to have the statues moved by year's end, he said. The relocations will cost several thousand dollars, and the money would come from the city's General Fund, private donations or both, the mayor said.

Fischer is seeking a new term in the November election.

Kentucky's second-largest city also has confronted the issue of Confederate memorials. Statues honoring Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge, a Confederate secretary of war, were moved recently to the Lexington Cemetery, where both men are buried. The action came months after the statues were removed from downtown Lexington and placed in storage.
DAYS AND HOURS SET FOR EARLY "ONE STOP" VOTING FOR THIS FALL'S GENERAL ELECTION

ONE SITE ONLY AT THE HENDERSON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS ON CENTRAL STREET

Henderson County Elections Director Beverly Cunningham tells WHKP News that final decision have---finally---been made concerning days and hours for the early voting for the upcoming general election in November.

Cunningham pointed out that the NC General Assembly has mandated that any early voting site that will be open Monday through Friday must be open from 7am to 7pm

In order to get those hours in, she said, the plan is to open one site for the early voting, at the Board of Elections office on Central Street.

The one site will be open for the early one stop voting from Wednesday October 17th through Saturday October 27th. There will be no early voting on Sunday October 28th.

But early voting will continue at that one site on Monday October 29th through Friday November 2nd...from 7 inb the morning until 7 at night.

On that last Saturday before the election, early voting will be open from 8am to 1pm.

We hope the voters will take advantage of these long extended hours:, she said. If we have people here waiting at 7am, that will thrill us to death to get those voters through.

Cunningham points out too that NO voter ID will be required for voting in this falls general election. Voter ID, she says, will be one of the constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot for voters this fall.

And of course on election day, all 35 Henderson County polling locations will be open from 6am to 7:30pm:

WHKP will of course be reporting full election returns on 1450AM and 107.7FM and on the WHKP web site WHKP.com.

By Larry Freeman and Tippy Creswell.
SHELLEY'S JEWELRY CLOSING ITS DOORS AFTER ALMOST 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS

NO DATE SET YET FOR ACTUAL CLOSING

"IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION"

An institution on Main Street in Hendersonville for close to five decades is closing its doors.

The Hendersonville Times-News reports Wednesday that owner Stan Shelley has decided to close the business his father, Keith, opened in 1973.

It was a tough decision  it is rewarding to work with people during the happiest times of their lives, but the timing is right, Shelley stated in a news release.

The Times-News says a final going-out-of-business sale open to the public begins at 10 a.m. Aug. 13. The sale will include extreme markdowns on the stores jewelry, including diamonds and estate pieces. The sale will continue until all of the inventory is gone.

Store employees indicated to WHKP News on Wednesday that it was a bust day in the store..

A definite closing date has not been announced.

Stan Shelley had his second heart attack this past summer, which made him contemplate what he wanted to do with his remaining years.

He and his wife plan to focus on their other passion which is rare books. They also own Shelley and Son Books on Main Street, which does a majority of its business on line.

Shelleys Jewelry has changed locations three times in the stores nearly 50-year history, but has always stayed on the same block in downtown Hendersonville. The store is currently at 429 N. Main St.

Keith Shelley passed away in 2010 and was the stores biggest legacy, according to his son.

Shelley says what he will miss most are the customers and loyal staff at the store.

The closure of the jewelry store is one of a handful recently announced on Main Street. Jongo Java, a popular coffee shop downtown, closed at the end of July. Lime Leaf Thai Fusion, a local dinner stop, also announced its closure last month.
Williamson, WV (25661)

Today

Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Within one week, two Sikh men were viciously attacked in two incidents in Central California and the Sikh community fears they may have been the victims of hate crimes.

Police say that could be a possibility.

Belief, religion and spirituality California Continents and regions North America Religious groups Sikhism Society Southwestern United States The Americas United States Crime, law enforcement and corrections Law enforcement Policing and police forces Crimes against persons Criminal offenses Discrimination Hate crimes Societal issues Violence in society Arrests Criminal law Law and legal system Assault and battery Juvenile crime and justice

On Wednesday, two teens were arrested in connection with an assault in Manteca on Sahib Singh Natt. Natt is seen on surveillance video being physically assaulted and spat on before the assailants run off.

Hundreds of people gathered on Tuesday night at Greystone Park in Manteca, just feet away from where the 71-year-old Natt was beaten. Supporters, community leaders and neighbors of the victim voiced their concerns about the attacks.

"It's not an attack on an individual, it's an attack on an entire community," said one speaker.

Another speaker, Randy Lee, was the neighbor who found Natt after he was attacked during his morning stroll through the park.

"Outrage -- it's just maddening to see young punks beat up an old man for no reason," said Lee.

Natt was at the community event with his family by his side. His daughter, Rupinder Kaur, told CNN affiliate KOVR that Natt is paralyzed on the left side of his body because of previous medical issues, and could barely speak.

"I'm thankful to God he's alive," said Kaur.

Sikh man attacked in broad daylight

Surveillance video from a nearby house captured the attack on Natt, which happened around 6 a.m. Two men approach Natt and a confrontation ensues before one of the men kicks Natt, causing him to fall to the ground. He is able to get up and seems to try to fight back until he is kicked again, leaving him on the ground.

One of the suspects is seen on the video spitting on him and continuing to kick him. Police believe one of the men also waved a gun in the air as they left the scene.

"Due to the elderly male not speaking English, it is not known what the two males wanted," reads a Manteca police statement. "The elderly man was medically treated and released from a local hospital."

The assault on Natt was the second recent attack on a member of the Sikh community. After the attack, the Sikh Coalition released a statement for others to remain vigilant.

"This is the second violent assault of a Sikh man in California's Central Valley within the last week and we strongly encourage the Sikh sangat in California to remain vigilant."

Sikh man says his turban saved his life

In an incident on July 31, Surjit Singh Malhi, 50, was attacked as he was putting out political signs in Stanislaus County, 25 miles south of Manteca.

Malhi said the two attackers yelled, "Go back to your country," and then began beating him.

"My turban saved me," Malhi told CNN affiliate KCRA. "The way they were hitting me, (I thought) maybe I would die."

Before leaving the scene, the attackers spray-painted Malhi's truck with a white nationalist symbol and wrote "go back to ur country."

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said it is investigating the assault as a possible hate crime.

"The only reason, as far as we can tell, is because he was wearing a turban and he was Middle Eastern," Deputy Royjindar Singh told KCRA. "That was the only reason they attacked him."

As of Monday, no arrests have been made in the attack. Malhi said the community has reached out to him to show support, and people from his local CrossFit gym helped clean the paint off his truck.

CNN reached out to the sheriff's department to get an update in the case but a response wasn't immediately available.

Two teens arrested in Manteca attack

On Wednesday, Manteca police said Tyrone McAllister, 18, and a 16-year-old boy were arrested in connection with the attack against Natt.

McAllister is the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, according to Manteca police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Schluer. Union City is in the San Francisco Bay area, about 60 miles west of Manteca.

"Chief McAllister's status as a law enforcement leader has no bearing or relation to the case whatsoever, but he is devastated by how much the nature of his son's actions are such a departure from everything he has stood for in his personal life and 37-year career of compassionate, engaging police work," Union City police said.

"He and his wife worked with Manteca PD to help track down and arrest Tyrone this morning, as Tyrone has been estranged from the family and their home for some time."

Both suspects are charged with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

"This investigation is continuing into whether this incident meets all of the legal elements for charging as a hate crime," reads a statement from Manteca police.

It was not clear whether the younger McAllister has an attorney.
The first major global conflict of the 21st century broke out in the Middle East. It didn't involve Iran. ISIS wasn't a factor. Surprisingly, even Israel found itself on the sidelines.

The initial volley of shots in the battle for the post-US period came from Saudi Arabia. The power struggle was caused by Washington's withdrawal from the world.

President Trump had surrendered the United States' role as a principal source of global stability. No longer was the country going to honor alliances, treaties or traditions. No more would its foreign policy be guided by a set of values and an inclusive vision of the world. America First has left other nations, like Canada, to fend for themselves.

Criticism of its human-rights record should be nothing new for Saudi Arabia. The US badgers them, they bristle and then it's back to business as usual. So, when the Canadian ambassador decried the detention of a women's rights activist in a tweet last Friday, Ottawa expected a similar reaction.

Instead, Riyadh unleashed the diplomatic equivalent of its nuclear arsenal. Not only was the ambassador expelled, trade was cut off and even Saudis hospitalized in Canada were moved to other countries.

This was about more than a tough tweet. The kingdom's leaders want to recast its relations with the world. They know the United States is unlikely any longer to rush to the defense of human-rights activists or allies. Such a disproportionate reaction sends a strong message to other nations that would consider criticizing its conduct.

Saudi Arabia realizes that the rules are being rewritten. Influence is being reapportioned. The oil-rich nation saw its opportunity and seized the moment.

America has stood by and watched. It told both countries to work it out among themselves. That's diplomatic speak for you are on your own, Canada.

Out of pride and principle, Ottawa may take a stand and protest against bullying and bad behavior. But ultimately, Canada is likely to lose this scrap.

We are entering an era in which might more often will make right. No single nation will be able to effect tectonic shifts in the global order. Instead, regular tremors will disrupt and inflict damage on international institutions, as well as ideals for which they stand.

Canada, France -- and perhaps even someday again the US -- can push back against these trends. They can try to lead by example. But others will exploit the benefits of the geopolitical shift.

Western sanctions against nations breaking the rules won't be strong enough in the future. Their enticements will have lost much of their luster. The West simply won't have the power to impose its will on the world.

Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and other emerging powers will play by their own set of rules.

They will have on offer their own prizes and be able to pull out their own penalties. Many of the conditions and concerns that came with Western engagement will be cast aside. It may not replace a Washington-dominated world, but it will certainly be able to contest for influence.

So, what should leaders like Canada's Justin Trudeau and France's Emmanuel Macron do at this stage?

First, they need to lay out a much more compelling case for our shared values and a vision of the world they can create.

Second, that case needs to become much more pragmatic. Vague values like human rights and democracy are a tough sell these days. Instead, they should focus on the tangible value they create. It's a world that brought you the internet, the iPhone and the next major innovation coming just around the corner.

Finally, the West needs to go on the offensive. We spend far too much time reacting, responding and repairing the damage. It's time that we more aggressively defended ourselves. It's time we put those who would endanger our way of life on the defensive.

Other countries -- and our own citizens -- took a lot for granted in the era of American global leadership. Our leaders could be counted on to do what was right. As that period comes to a close, power is diffused not only across to other countries -- but downward.

The US government may not come to Canada's aid, but its people can. Individuals and institutions can speak out. We have witnessed the incredible power of citizen-led social and political movements in recent years. It could be mobilized, especially on an issue like women's rights. That might well significantly change Saudi Arabia's calculus.
The man accused of starting a Southern California blaze that forced the evacuation of 20,000 residents sent a text to a volunteer fire chief two weeks ago saying, "The place is going to burn," the chief said Thursday.

The Holy Fire started Monday in the Cleveland National Forest's Holy Jim Canyon and has so far destroyed a dozen structures, according to fire authorities.

Accidents, disasters and safety California California wildfires Continents and regions Firefighters and firefighting Fires Labor and employment Natural disasters North America Southwestern United States The Americas United States Wildfires Workers and professionals Arrests Crime, law enforcement and corrections Criminal law Law and legal system Law enforcement Arson Criminal offenses Property crimes Environment and natural resources Forests and woodlands Landforms and ecosystems

Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Milligan, 71, says he's known the arson suspect, Forrest Gordon Clark, for decades and has long warned that he posed a danger to the community.

"I've been trying for years to get someone to pay attention and nobody has really had the opportunity to do that until now," he said.

Milligan said he was so wary of Clark that he avoided altogether going to the area of the remote Orange County canyon where the 51-year-old Clark lives. Nonetheless, Clark came to his home two weeks ago to return items he said he had "borrowed" from the fire department, he said.

"I said, 'I want nothing to do with you, Forrest. Just go,' " Milligan said. "He was being gentlemanly in the beginning, and turned and then swore at me, and turned and left and was quoting the Bible. Later, he came back and told me what a jerk I was and everyone was after him."

The next morning, Milligan said, he got a mysterious text from an unknown number: "911 call sheriff." Milligan called back and though the reception was poor in the canyon, he recognized Clark's voice, he said. Later came an expletive-laden text that ended with the ominous warning: "The place is going to burn just like you planned."

"I had no idea what he meant," Milligan said, adding that Clark sent emails to other people in which he talked about burning something.

"Remember when Gandalf said, 'If there is a dragon in the neighborhood, include it in your plans?' " Milligan asked, paraphrasing the wizard in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit."

"He was the dragon."

Clark denied involvement?

Clark is being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail and is expected to make a court appearance Friday.

According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday, he is charged with aggravated arson, arson of inhabited property, arson of forest, criminal threats, two counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer, and arson burning multiple structures.

The charges being leveled against Clark carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, said Susan Schroeder of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

"Arson is a terrible crime that destroys dreams," she said in a press conference.

Witness statements, physical evidence and burn patterns connect Clark to the fire, said Shane Sherwood with the Orange County Fire Authority.

Before he was arrested, Clark told a freelance cameraman he was asleep when the fire started and had no idea how it began.

"Who would go out with low humidity and high wind and highest heat temperatures this time of year and intentionally set the forest on fire?" asked Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer during Wednesday's press conference.

'The Holy Hell Fire'

The Holy Fire continues burning across Orange and Riverside counties, two of the state's most populous, and as of Thursday night had scorched more than 10,236 acres. It remains only 5% contained, according to the national forest's Twitter feed.

"Firefighters continue to battle the blaze around the clock," the national forest tweet said. "We expect favorable weather conditions this weekend to help these efforts."

Schools have been closed in Menifee, Perris and Lake Elsinore.

With temperatures soaring past 100 degrees, an excessive heat warning has been issued for the fire area.

Although it's not the largest fire burning in the state, there are growing concerns about how it could affect residential communities, including Lake Elsinore. Some small communities in Riverside County are under mandatory evacuation orders affecting about 7,000 residential structures, according to authorities.

"We know this district burns, but it should never burn because of an intentional act," Spitzer said. "This shouldn't be called the Holy Jim Fire; this should be called the Holy Hell Fire."

Residents are scared and fleeing their homes, he said.

"They're leaving property behind. They're putting everything they can in the back of their cars as quickly as possible."

Fire officials warned residents to heed evacuation orders.

"Even if you're miles away, you want to be prepared if you're near the fire area or in an environment that can burn," said Thanh Nguyen with the SoCal Team One Fire Management Team, who suggested having a packed bag ready to go.

Top three largest fires in California

Firefighters in California are battling 15 large fires.

The largest fire in California history is the Mendocino Complex Fire, which consists of the Ranch and River fires in Northern California. That blaze had burned more than 305,152 acres, destroyed 119 homes and 110 other structures, and injured two firefighters as of Thursday night. It is 52% contained.

The second biggest fire is the Carr Fire in Shasta County, also in Northern California. The deadly fire has been burning for more than two weeks and consumed 178,752 acres as of Thursday night. It is 49% contained. It has killed eight people, including three firefighters, and destroyed almost 1,100 homes.

The third largest is the Ferguson Fire, near Yosemite National Park, incinerating more than 95,000 acres. The fire has lasted more than three weeks and killed two people.
If Salazar makes it to Albany, she will join the ranks of 42 DSA-endorsed candidates who are now or will soon be serving in offices from the Moorhead, Minn., school board to Capitol Hill (that is, if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wins the general election as handily as she did her primary in New Yorks 14th Congressional District). So far this year, local chapters have endorsed at least 110 candidates.

DSA may soon have 50,000 members across 200 local groups in all 50 statesup from 6,000 members in 2015. The surge in freshly minted socialists came in three waves: First, those energized by Bernie Sanders primary run; second, those brought in by Donald Trumps election and the Womens March; and third, those inspired by 27-year-old DSA member Ocasio-Cortezs primary victory in May over incumbentand Democratic heavyweightJoe Crowley.

So what is DSA, exactly, and what is it doing with this growing army?

DSAs electoral work has attracted national media attention in the wake of Ocasio-Cortezs historic win. Yet its just one part of a bottom-up approach to politics that sees the ballot box and state power as tools for advancing toward a more radically democratic society. Membersmost of them millennials, in small towns and big cities in every corner of the countryare engaged in everything from occupying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices to evangelizing about Medicare for All. Many reporters have tried to divine what DSA believes, be that the groups policy prescriptions or its ideology. DSA, thoughto crib from Karl Marxisnt looking merely to interpret the world, but to change it, campaign by campaign, door by door. Whats made DSAs ascendance remarkable is less its analysis of capitalism than its ability to put people angry about capitalism to work.

Its telling that, unlike most socialist groups, DSA was formed out of a mergernot a sectarian split. In 1982, at the dawn of the Reagan era, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and the New America Movement (NAM) combined forces. DSOC had been founded in 1973 by socialist intellectual Michael Harrington and other members of the Socialist Party who had grown disenchanted with political irrelevance. NAM, founded in 1972 by former members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), was rooted in 60s counterculture, the New Left and second-wave feminism. (In 1976, members of DSOC and NAM moved to Chicago to found In These Times, and for the next decade the then-newspaper reported diligently on the ins and outs of DSOC, NAM and DSA.)

The 1980s would prove a tough decade for left politics, the 1990s and 2000s even more so. DSA shed members and closed chapters around the country as a few loyalists and a steady trickle of young recruits kept the organization running.

Enter Bernie Sanders primary campaign and his stalwart identification as a democratic socialist, a surprise boon for an organization with those two words in its name. DSAs commitment to being a pluralistic, multi-tendency organization also meant it was open enough to accommodate thousands of newcomers.

Democratic socialism itself has always been a heterodox term, encompassing everyone from ideological Trotskyists to New Deal Democrats. The surge of new, mostly 20-something members include anarchists, Marxist academics andmost numerouslypolitical neophytes excited about Sanders message and frustrated with the Democratic establishment.

DSA isnt keen to enforce a strict definition of democratic socialismalthough mainstream media outlets newly hip to DSA are desperately looking for one. On its website, DSA writes:

At the root of our socialism is a profound commitment to democracy, as means and end. As we are unlikely to see an immediate end to capitalism tomorrow, DSA fights for reforms today that will weaken the power of corporations and increase the power of working people. ... Our vision is of a society in which people have a real voice in the choices and relationships that affect the entirety of our lives. We call this vision democratic socialisma vision of a more free, democratic and humane society.

Members I spoke with took this to mean everything from taking public goods like healthcare off the private market (along the lines of Scandinavian social democracies) to worker-ownership of the means of production. Central Iowa DSA co-chair Caroline Schoonover was among many to say that democratic socialism means taking power from the few and giving it to the many. All saw small-d democracypeople having a say in the decisions that affect themas central, both in politics and workplaces, and in DSA itself.

The Socialist Feminists of Democratic Socialists of America organize a protest outside of the New York County Republican Office in New York City on July 5, 2017. (Photo by Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

For this story, I spoke with around two dozen DSA members from chapters around the country. The primary source of their excitement was that DSA chapters seemed to be actively working on something, not just sitting around reading Marx. Like the citizen action group Indivisible, which also exploded after the election, DSA let people shake off a feeling of helplessness about the political climate and roll up their sleeves.

DSA also offers a community. Chapters host regular beach days, parties, fundraisers and social events, like Metro D.C. DSAs recent No ICE Cream Social. If Indivisible was able to connect many alienated, middle-class suburbanites jarred out of their political comfort zone, DSA has provided a home for tens of thousands of downwardly-mobile, debt-ridden millennials grappling with a system that simply isnt working for them.

Adam Shuck and Arielle Cohen, 32 and 29, joined Pittsburgh DSA in its infancy; Shuck was among the seven people who first met at a bar in 2016 to talk about getting the chapter together. Each was energized by Barack Obamas 2008 presidential campaign but disillusioned by his presidency. I thought we were going to see some kind of New Deal, Shuck says. The frustration led him at first to join the International Socialist Organization before the Sanders campaign brought him to DSA. While a student at SUNY Purchase, Cohen grew disillusioned with the sausage-making and compromise that created the Affordable Care Act, and organized with Occupy Wall Street before moving to Pittsburgh and finding her way to DSA. Now, Shuck and Cohen co-chair the Pittsburgh chapter.

Pittsburgh DSA held its first general meeting in December 2016 with around 100 people. Now it has a dizzying number of working groups: a health justice committee campaigning for Medicare for All; reading groups tackling Marx and Engels; an anti-imperialism committee lobbying for legislation criticizing Israels occupation of Palestine; a socialist feminist working group exposing crisis pregnancy centers; an ecosocialist group fighting the privatization of the citys water and sewer system; a housing rights group pushing for protections for renters; and a number of inward-facing groups handling tasks like recruitment and communications.

The chapter also brought the newly revived DSA one of its early electoral victories, rattling the local Democratic machine. In December 2017, the group threw its weight behind Summer Lees campaign to represent House District 34. In the May primary, with the help of DSA and groups like Our Revolution and the Sierra Club, Lee, 30, a recent law school grad, beat Paul Costa, 57, a 19-year incumbent and member of a dynastic Pittsburgh Democratic family.

Lee had experience working on school board races and on a coordinated campaign to elect Katie McGinty governor and Hillary Clinton president in the 2016 general election, and she was impressed with DSAs electoral work on Mik Pappas judicial campaign. Pappas ran on a platform of ending cash bail and working to end mass incarceration, and won in a landslide, with the help of a dedicated grassroots turnout effort staffed in part by DSA members.

They were running 20 or more canvassing shifts a week, says Lee. I had never seen that type of energy around magistrate elections. I realized that ideologically we aligned. She joined DSA shortly thereafter and sought them out as her first endorsement.

It wasnt easy. DSAs candidate endorsement process is a microcosm of its baked-in commitment to direct democracy. For every decision, at every level, theres deliberate space for members to duke things out, combined with a commitment to ultimately supporting the group decision rather than splitting off into rival factions. The very question of whether to engage in the electoral processand in particular, to work within the Democratic Partyremains fraught, with many members skeptical of investing limited organizational resources into elections rather than base-building.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is joined by New York gubenatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon at her victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph Crowly on June 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)

New York City DSA hotly debated whether to endorse Gov. Andrew Cuomos challenger from the left, Cynthia Nixon, after she declared herself a democratic socialist. Several dozen DSA members signed a vote no statement arguing that universal healthcare and rent control will be won not by electing candidates to office but by building working-class power that holds [them] accountable, citing the successful teachers strikes in Republican states. In late July, NYC-DSA officially endorsed her after an extended series of debates.

We have folks who distrust electoral work, and even among those that dont, there are different ways of thinking of how to approach it, says DSA National Director Maria Svart, 38, a former SEIU organizer. Everybody appreciates that electoral success only comes when you have an organized base. Having all these tendencies in conversation means that everybody learns from each other.

While the endorsement process varies from chapter to chapter, in some casesincluding Leesthe first step is filling out a lengthy form with questions from each of the chapters working groups. Typically, one is whether the candidate identifies as a socialist. Members weigh that alongside specific policy questions (Do you support universal rent control? Abolishing the police?) and a range of other concerns: How much of an impact could the chapter have on the race? How will it build the chapters capacity and the movement to challenge the capitalist class?

Next comes the interview process. After filling out Pittsburgh DSAs questionnaire, Lee was interviewed by a roomful of members. The group voted to endorse both Lee and Sara Innamorato, a state representative candidate, and the two supported one anothers campaigns.

Ocasio-Cortez, in New York, jumped through even more hoops. Because her congressional district spans the Bronx and Queens DSA chapters, she had five interviews: with the electoral committees and membership of each branch, and then the citywide convention. We put her through hell, jokes Michael Kinnucan, a DSA member now co-managing the state Senate campaign of Julia Salazar (whom the organization endorsed alongside Ocasio-Cortez in a parallel process).

Abdullah Younus, co-chair of NYC-DSA and a member of DSAs National Electoral Committee, explains that the extensive endorsement process isnt just a means of vetting candidates, but of building members commitment to them. It makes it a lot easier to have the same folks who write the questions come out and knock for those candidates, he says. Theyre talking about work theyre invested in.

Salazar, 27, estimates that some 800 DSA members live in and around her district, which has translated into hundreds of volunteers spreading the word about her September primary. Even in her short time with the group (she joined in late 2016), shes seen a change in how fellow leftists relate to electoral politics. I think part of it is people seeing the term democratic socialist normalized in the electoral realm, through Bernie mostly, at least initially, and so seeing it as an actually viable strategy, she told me between knocking doors.

Though shed worked on legislative campaigns as a staff organizer with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Salazar only recently began to consider electoral work. Its not something I ever thought about beforenot just for myself, but in seeing leadership development in community organizing as a path toward seizing state power, she says. That sounds like a jump, right? But ultimately thats the goal.

New York state senate candidate Julia Salazar (R) knocks doors in Bushwick, N.Y., with a fellow DSA member in July. (Photo by Raul Coto-Batres)

Thanks in part to the Sanders campaign and Ocasio-Cortezs stunning upset, that goal feels more within reach now than it has since the days of the Socialist Partys Eugene Debs. Big, universal programs like a federal job guarantee or Medicare for All draw overwhelming popular support. And small, local races offer an opportunity for the grassroots to tip the balance.

Establishment candidates in Democratic-controlled cities effectively depend on low turnout. Their political consultants tend to rely more on advertising and glossy mailers, and less on actually talking to peopleparticularly people who dont usually vote. Mobilizing even a few thousand new voters in that context, then, is a fairly straightforward formula for victory. When DSA member Lee Carter won a seat in Virginias House of Delegates in November 2017, he beat his Republican opponent by 9 pointsa margin of 1,850 votes.

Our party structure protects incumbency, and relies on an ignorant electorate, Summer Lee says, noting how much time her campaign spent educating voters about the election itself. If everybody were voting, wed have a completely different system.

Depending on the city, DSA can offer a large, self-organized volunteer base to candidates who navigate its endorsement process. Pittsburgh DSA estimates that its volunteers knocked on some 70,000 doors through the course of Lees campaign. Turnout in Lees district was 14 percent higher than in others around Allegheny County and 54 percent higher than in the last midterm election.

Still, itd be nearly impossible for DSA-endorsed candidates for higher offices to make do with only DSAs support, and they often work alongside other organizations like Justice Democrats, Our Revolution and the Working Families Partyespecially for bigger races. Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, for example, convinced Ocasio-Cortez to run and helped staff her campaign, and she gained the backing of Black Lives Matter-Bronx and People for Bernie Sanders, among others. Ocasio-Cortezs campaign reached 120,000 doors overall.

By being an organization that does much more than campaign for candidates, DSA hopes to upend the notoriously transactional, short-term nature of electoral work, enabling its members and elected officials to build relationships with and commitments to their communities that extend beyond election day. DSA is still figuring out how to build independent political organizations to hold the politicians it helps elect accountable. Thus far theyve relied on their close ties with dyed-in-the-wool DSA members-turned-candidates like Lee Carter. DSA, Carter says, has been the core of my support since Ive been in the legislature. I still go to meetings whenever I can, and they help me get in contact with other groups.

DSA member, Hawaii state representative and now U.S. House candidate Kaniela Ing says he hopes that DSA remains part of an independent Left, and does not get too caught up in electoral and legislative politicsand that it holds politicians to account, himself included.

Im a movement candidate, Ing says. Hopefully my role is to help push whatever movements are building over the finish line. Elected officials really like to take too much credit for bills they pass that are really the result of the public waking up and forcing politicians to act. He says he hopes to have regular check-ins with DSA should he make it to Washington.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)  Reading, writing, mental & physical health, career choice, sex education, government, technology use...these are all topics required by the state of Indiana for school districts to teach before a student graduates from high school.

Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle shares the same concern that educators across the state have been outspoken about: Schools have too much on their plate.

"They say, 'The kids need this. Okay so where are the kids? Well, they're in school everyday. Okay, so let's let the school do it.'"

Educators claim there's too much pressure on schools to teach everything, and to not just teach it all but to excel at it too.

"We have a very thick book from the state and our legislators that says 'you will teach these things,' said Huddle. "If we keep adding to that list, we are going to water down every other area."

West Lafayette Community School Corporation Superintendent Rocky Killion agrees.

"It's always been my opinion that the less the statehouse makes decisions for public education, and the more educators make the decisions for what's best for our students, community by community, the better off our children will be."

So what is too much? State Representative Sheila Klinker said the issues lie in statewide testing. She thinks children are stressed in the classroom.

"I think there are a lot of new mandates causing questions in schools, particularly the testing," said Klinker. "The State Board wants accountability. We all agree with that, but we can't stress our children out coming to school. IREAD in 3rd grade?"

IREAD is the assessment third graders are given to measure reading standards. Klinker said she knows students and teachers are stressed. She speaks with them during third grad "Read to Succeed" at Miller Elementary.

TSC Superintendent Scott Hanback thinks it's too much when educators don't have time to teach social skills. However, he's afraid that time may have already passed.

"There's more and more and more put on the plate of the schools and eventually something has to give if we want to teach social issues, mental health or the well being of our students," said Hanback. "The Indiana academic standards need to be covered. How they're taught in the classroom gets into the beauty of the craft of teaching."

"I think giving teachers the opportunity to have a little bit of autonomy where we can in our classrooms is vital," said East Tipp Middle School english teacher Paige Clinkenbeard. "Being able to create that 'homey' environment for the students only increases the learning process."

"Our day hasn't increased, our school year hasn't increased but our requirements have increased," said Huddle.

He suggests partnering with community experts and then connecting local families.

"I think we can be a clearinghouse, but I don't think we can be the total resource to 'catch-all.'"
Lafayette, IND. (WLFI) - A group of 12 students traveled more than 6,000 miles to Lafayette to experience the American way.

They are here for 10 days experiencing many things. Including meeting both mayors of Lafayette and West Lafayette learning about local government, touring the West Lafayette Police Department, and staying with host families throughout the communities.

The students hail from Ota, Japan, Lafayettes sister city. Each year Ota and Lafayette alternate between sending students overseas.

Today, the students got a very special treat: root beer.

Jody Hamilton from the Greater Lafayette Commerce planned todays itinerary. Taking the students to Dog N Suds for lunch was at the top.

I always like to bring them to Dog N Suds because it's one of those gems we have in our community that a lot of places, nobody else has, said Hamilton. And the root beer is very unique to the Japanese because they don't have anything like that.

The sugary drink received mixed reviews from the group.

There were some of my friends who liked it but most did not, said Yuto Katayama, one of the students on the trip.

Katayama has lived in Lafayette for three years previously. He said having a slice of Arnis Pizza was what he most looked forward to when coming back.

He also said there are a lot of differences between Indiana and Japan.

The land is big, the food is big, everything is big, he said.

But not all differences are bad, as these students are finding out.

The food here is a little bit different than in Japan, but I like different, he said.

They like those differences, said Hamilton. Thats what they are here for.

Making discoveries about a new culture is what the program is all about.

The purpose of the program is to exchange the culture and really learn how each location is," she said.

Two of the girls who are the leaders of the group say that they like American hot dogs, even though they are different from the ones they have in Japan.

After an All-American meal, they headed over to the Columbian Park Zoo to learn about regional wildlife.

They met a rat snake, and after a large round of squeals, learned how the snake is essential to the function of local farms because they eat troublesome rodents. They saw river otters that can be found along the Wabash. They fed goats similar to the ones shown at the county fair. And they saw two bald eagles, our national bird.

Later in their stay, they will get to experience an American school. Some will be going to Jefferson and others to Tecumseh. Hamilton says that while they do get a bit nervous about this, the friendships they make while at the school often last a lifetime.

Hamilton stressed that this program is about sharing cultures with the hopes of seeing these students come back to Indiana one day.

Showing them what Indiana and the city of Lafayette and West Lafayette have to offer in the hope that one day they might want to come back and go to school at Purdue, she said.
Men walk by a US drone graffiti painted on a wall during a campaign against using US drones in Yemen on May 31, 2018 in Sanaa, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

THE WAR ON TERROR

What George W. Bush first called the global war on terror is still raging almost 17 years later, though with different forms of killing and different casualty counts. Todays reliance on airstrikes, drone attacks and a few thousand special forces has replaced the hundreds of thousands of U.S. and allied ground troops. And today hardly any U.S. troops are being killed, while civilian casualties are skyrocketing across the Middle East and Afghanistan. Officials from the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations have repeated the mantra that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, Syria, or Iraq or against terrorism, but their actions have belied those words. Progressive elected officials need to consistently remind the public and their counterparts that it is not possible to bomb terrorism out of existence. Bombs dont hit terrorism; they hit cities, houses, wedding parties. And on those rare occasions when they hit the people actually named on the White Houses unaccountable kill list, or terrorist list, the impact often creates more terrorists.

The overall progressive policy on this question means campaigning for diplomatic solutions and strategies instead of military ones. That also means joining the ongoing congressional efforts led by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and others to challenge the continued reliance on the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

In general, privileging diplomatic over war strategies starts with withdrawing troops and halting the arms sales that flood the region with deadly weapons. Those weapons too often end up in the hands of killers on all sides, from bands of unaccountable militants to brutally repressive governments, with civilians paying the price. Congress members should demand an end of massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other U.S. allies carrying out brutal wars across the Middle East, and they should call for an end to the practice of arming non-state proxies who kill even more people. They should call for a U.S. arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan and Israel (which presents a whole other set of arms-related challenges), while urging Russia to stop its arms sales to Syria, Iran and Pakistan. Given the power of the arms industries in the United States, arms embargoes are the most difficultbut perhaps the most importantpart of ending the expanding Middle East wars.

Progressives in Congress should demand real support for UN-sponsored and other international peace initiatives, staffing whole new diplomatic approaches whose goal is political solutions rather than military victoriesand taking funds out of military budgets to cover the costs. The goal should be to end these endless warsnot try to win them.

Israel-Palestine: The most important thing for candidates to know is that there has been a massive shift in public opinion in recent years. It is no longer political suicide to criticize Israel. Yes, AIPAC and the rest of the right-wing Jewish, pro-Israel lobbies remain influential and have a lot of money to throw around. (The Christian Zionist lobbies are powerful too, but there is less political difficulty for progressives to challenge them.) But there are massive shifts underway in U.S. Jewish public opinion on the conflict, and the lobbies cannot credibly claim to speak for the Jewish community as a whole.

Outside the Jewish community, the shift is even more dramatic, and has become far more partisan: Uncritical support for Israel is now overwhelmingly a Republican position. Among Democrats, particularly young Democrats, support for Israel has fallen dramatically; among Republicans, support for Israels far-right government is sky-high. The shift is particularly noticeable among Democrats of color, where recognition of the parallels between Israeli oppression of Palestinians and the legacies of Jim Crow segregation in the United States and apartheid in South Africa is rising rapidly.

U.S. policy, unfortunately, has not kept up with that changing discourse. But modest gains are evident even there. When nearly 60 members of the House and Senate openly skipped Benjamin Netanyahus speech when he came to lobby Congress to vote against President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran, the sky didnt fall. The snub to the Israeli prime minister was unprecedented, but no one lost their seat because of it. Rep. Betty McCollums bill to protect Palestinian children from Israels vicious military juvenile detention system (the only one in the world) now has 29 co-sponsors, and the sky still isnt falling. Members of Congress are responding more frequently to Israeli assaults on Gaza and the killing of protesters, often because of powerful movements among their constituents. When Trump moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, the Israeli daily Haaretz acknowledged the divide: While members of the Republican Party overwhelmingly expressed support for the move, Democrats were split between those who congratulated Trump for it and those who called it a dangerous and irresponsible action.

That creates space for candidates and newly elected officials to respond to the growing portion of their constituencies that supports Palestinian rights. Over time, they must establish a rights-based policy. That means acknowledging that the quarter-century-long U.S.-orchestrated peace process based on the never-serious pursuit of a solution, has failed. Instead, left and progressive political leaders can advocate for a policy that turns over real control of diplomacy to the UN, ends support for Israeli apartheid and occupation, and instead supports a policy based on international law, human rights and equality for all, without privileging Jews or discriminating against non-Jews.

To progress from cautiously urging that Israel abide by international law, to issuing a full-scale call to end or at least reduce the $3.8 billion per year that Congress sends straight to the Israeli military, might take some time. In the meantime, progressive candidates must prioritize powerful statements condemning the massacre of unarmed protesters in Gaza and massive Israeli settlement expansion, demands for real accountability for Israeli violations of human rights and international law (including reducing U.S. support in response), and calls for an end to the longstanding U.S. protection that keeps Israel from being held accountable in the UN.

The right consistently accuses supporters of Palestinian rights of holding Israel to a double standard. Progressives in Congress should turn that claim around on them and insist that U.S. policy towards IsraelWashingtons closest ally in the region and the recipient of billions of dollars in military aid every yearhold Israel to exactly the same standards that we want the United States to apply to every other country: human rights, adherence to international law and equality for all.

Many supporters of the new crop of progressive candidates, and many activists in the movements they come out of, are supporters of the increasingly powerful, Palestinian-led BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement, that aims to bring non-violent economic pressure to bear on Israel until it ends its violations of international law. This movement deserves credit for helping to mainstream key demandsto end the siege of Gaza and the killing of protesters, to support investigations of Israeli violations by the International Criminal Court, to oppose Israels new nation-state lawthat should all be on lawmakers immediate agenda.

Afghanistan: More than 100,000 Afghans and 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed in a U.S. war that has raged for almost 17 years. Not-Yet-President Trump called for withdrawal from Afghanistan, but within just a few months after taking office he agreed instead to send additional troops, even though earlier deployments of more than 100,000 U.S. troops (and thousands more coalition soldiers) could not win a military victory over the Taliban. Corruption in the U.S.-backed and -funded Afghan government remains sky-high, and in just the past three years, the Pentagon has lost track of how $3.1 billion of its Afghanistan funds were spent. About 15,000 US troops are still deployed, with no hope of a military victory for the United States.

Progressive members of Congress should demand a safe withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, acting on the long-held recognition that military force simply wont work to bring about the political solution all sides claim to want.

Several pending bills also would reclaim the centrality of Congress role in authorizing war in general and in Afghanistan in particularincluding ending the 2001 AUMF. Funding for humanitarian aid, refugee support, and in the future compensation and reparations for the massive destruction the U.S.-led war has wrought across the country, should all be on Congress agenda, understanding that such funding will almost certainly fail while U.S. troops are deployed.

Iran: With U.S. and Iranian military forces facing each other in Syria, the potential for an unintentional escalation is sky-high. Even a truly accidental clash between a few Iranian and U.S. troops, or an Iranian anti-aircraft system mistakenly locking on to a U.S. warplane plane even if it didnt fire, could have catastrophic consequences without immediate military-to-military and quick political echelon discussions to defuse the crisis. And with tensions very high, those ties are not routinely available. Relations became very dangerous when Trump withdrew the United States from the multi-lateral nuclear deal in May. (At that time, a strong majority of people in the United States favored the deal, and less than one in three wanted to pull out of it.)

The United States continues to escalate threats against Iran. It is sponsoring a growing regional anti-Iran alliance, with Israel and Saudi Arabia now publicly allied and pushing strongly for military action. And Trump has surrounded himself with war-mongers for his top advisers, including John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, who have both supported regime change in Iran and urged military rather than diplomatic approaches to Iran.

Given all that, what progressive elected officials need to do is to keep fighting for diplomacy over war. That means challenging U.S. support for the anti-Iran alliance and opposing sanctions on Iran. It means developing direct ties with parliamentarians from the European and other signatories to the Iran nuclear deal, with the aim of collective opposition to new sanctions, re-legitimizing the nuclear deal in Washington and reestablishing diplomacy as the basis for U.S. relations with Iran.

It should also mean developing a congressional response to the weakening of international anti-nuclear norms caused by the pull-out from the Iran deal. That means not just supporting the nonproliferation goals of the Iran nuclear deal, but moving further towards real disarmament and ultimately the abolition of nuclear weapons. Progressives in and outside of Congress should make clear that nuclear nonproliferation (meaning no one else gets to have nukes) cant work in the long run without nuclear disarmament (meaning that the existing nuclear weapons states have to give them up). That could start with a demand for full U.S. compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which calls for negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament.

Journalist Sam Husseini at a press briefing between President Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16, 2018, moments before he was forcibly removed for attempting to ask a question about nuclear disarmament. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

Syria: Progressive candidates and elected officials should support policies designed to end, not win the war. That means withdrawing troops, ceasing airstrikes and drone attacks, and calling for an arms embargo on all sides of the multiple proxy war. The civil war component of the multiple wars in Syria is winding down as the regime consolidates its control, but the sectarian, regional and global components of that war have not disappeared, so continuing a call for an arms embargo is still important. The first step is to permanently end the Pentagons and the CIAs arm and train policies that have prolonged the war and empowered some of its most dangerous actors.

There will also need to be negotiations between the regional and global actors that have been waging their own wars in Syria, wars that have little to do with Syria itself, but with Syrians doing the bulk of the dying. That means support for the UNs and other internationally-sponsored de-escalation efforts, and serious engagement with Russia towards a permanent ceasefire, as well as the arms embargo. U.S. policy should include absolute prohibitions on Washingtons regional alliesincluding Saudi Arabia and Turkeysending U.S.-provided arms into Syria. And progressive supporters of diplomacy should also maintain pressure on the United States to back multi-lateral diplomatic processes organized by the UN and otherson humanitarian issues in Geneva, and political issues in Astana. Cutting the United States multi-billion dollar arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey and other U.S. allies involved in the Syrian wars would also lend legitimacy to U.S. efforts within those diplomatic processes to press Russia to stop providing arms to the Assad regime.

Iraq: Congress has largely abrogated its responsibilities even as the 15-year war initiated by the United States continues. Progressive policymakers would do well to join the existing efforts to endnot replace, but cancelthe 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force against Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq, and reopen congressional debate, with the goal of ending funding for war in Iraq once and for all. When President Obama withdrew the last troops from Iraq at the end of 2011, stating that war in Iraq ends this month, many assumed that the authorization ended as well. But it was never officially repealed and had no expiration date, and three years later Obama claimed that the then-12-year-old authorization justified the war against ISIS in Iraq. While Trump has relied primarily on the 2001 AUMF, the Iraq-specific authorization of 2002 remains in place and should be withdrawn.

In the meantime, progressives in Congress should support many of the same policies for Iraq as for Syria: withdraw the troops and special forces, stop the assassination program that is the heart of Washingtons counter-terrorism campaign and cease sending arms. Congress should end funding to force the closure of the network of small forward operating bases and other U.S. military bases that may remain in U.S. hands in Iraq despite earlier agreements to turn them over to the Iraqi government. The U.S. must figure out new ways to provide financial compensation and support to the people whose country and society has been shredded by more than a dozen years of crippling U.S.-led economic sanctions bookended by two devastating wars (Desert Storm, starting in 1991, and the Iraq War, starting in 2003)while somehow avoiding the further empowerment of corrupt and sectarian political and military leaders.

Yemen and Saudi Arabia: The ongoing Saudi-led war against Yemen reflects the most deadly front of Saudi Arabias competition with Iran for regional hegemony. The United States is providing indirect and direct support, including U.S. Air Force pilots providing in-air refueling so Saudi and UAE warplanes can bomb Yemen more efficiently, and Green Berets fighting alongside Saudi troops on the border, in what the New York Times called a continuing escalation of Americas secret wars.

The U.S.-backed Saudi war against Yemen has also created what the UN has declared the worlds most serious humanitarian crisis. Congress first action must be to immediately end all U.S. involvement in the war. Next, Congress must reject all approvals for arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as long as they continue to bomb and blockade Yemen.

Ending these arms sales may be a serious challenge, given the power of the arms manufacturers lobby, Israels strong support of Saudi Arabia against Iran and the fact that Saudi Arabia remains the top U.S. arms customer. But recent efforts and relatively close votes in both the House and Senate, while not successful, indicate that challenging the longstanding process of providing the Saudis with whatever weapons they want may be closer to reality than anticipated. The House called the U.S. military involvement in the Saudi war in Yemen unauthorized. Reps. Ro Khanna, Marc Pocan and others have introduced numerous House bills in recent months aimed at reducing U.S. arms sales and involvement in the Saudi-led assault. In the Senate, a March resolution to end U.S. military involvement in the Yemen war failed by only 11 votes, a much narrower margin than anticipated. Progressive candidates and new members of Congress should support all those efforts, and move further with a call for ending the longstanding U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia, especially military sales and support for the Saudi-Israeli partnership against Iran.




China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page
Home Prices Rise 5.3 Percent Annually

Lawrence Yun

According to the National Association of Realtors, amidst staggeringly low inventory levels in much of the country during the second quarter of 2018, existing-homes sales cooled and home prices maintained their robust level of appreciation. Last quarter, the San Francisco metro area joined the San Jose metro area for having a median sales price above $1 million.The national median existing single-family home price in the second quarter was $269,000, which is up 5.3 percent from the second quarter of 2017 ($255,400) and surpasses last year's second quarter as the new peak. The median sales price during this year's first quarter increased 5.7 percent from the first quarter of 2017.Single-family home prices last quarter increased in 90 percent of measured markets, with 161 out of 178 metropolitan statistical areas1 (MSAs) showing sales price gains in the second quarter compared to a year ago. Twenty-four metro areas (13 percent) experienced double-digit increases, down from 30 percent in this year's first quarter.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says this year's spring buying season did not meet expectations, despite very strong demand. "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, decreased 1.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.41 million in the second quarter from 5.51 million in the first quarter, and 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."At the end of the second quarter, there were 1.95 million existing homes available for sale, which was 0.5 percent above the 1.94 million homes for sale at the end of the second quarter in 2017. The average supply during the second quarter was 4.1 months - down from 4.2 months in the second quarter of last year.The national family median income rose to $75,106 in the second quarter, but overall affordability decreased from a year ago because of higher mortgage rates and home prices. 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 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."The five most expensive housing markets in the second quarter were the San Jose, California metro area, where the median existing single-family price was $1,405,000; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, $1,070,000; Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, California, $830,000; urban Honolulu, $795,200; and San Diego-Carlsbad, $645,000.The five lowest-cost metro areas in the second quarter were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio, $94,400; Cumberland, Maryland, $94,900; Decatur, Illinois, $96,900; Elmira, New York, $106,300; and Erie, Pennsylvania, at $121,700.Metro area condominium and cooperative prices - covering changes in 61 metro areas - showed 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.Total existing-home sales in the Northeast were at an annual rate of 683,000 (unchanged from a year ago) and down 8.9 percent from a year ago. The median existing single-family home price in the Northeast was $288,900 in the second quarter, up 2.3 percent from a year ago.In the Midwest, existing-home sales rose 1.6 percent in the second quarter but are 2.8 percent below a year ago. The median existing single-family home price in the Midwest grew 3.5 percent to $210,600 in the second quarter from the same quarter a year ago.Existing-home sales in the South declined 2.7 percent in the second quarter but are 0.6 percent higher than the second quarter of 2017. The median existing single-family home price in the South was $238,500 in the second quarter, 4.0 percent above a year earlier.In the West, existing-home sales in the second quarter decreased 4.1 percent and are 3.6 percent below a year ago. The median existing single-family home price in the West increased 8.3 percent to $403,300 in the second quarter from the second quarter of 2017.
Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government is threatening to eliminate the citizenship rights of millions of residents in the north-eastern state of Assam. The anti-democratic attack is in line with the BJPs communalist program.

Over 32 million people in Assam recently submitted documents to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as required under the Assam Accord rules. When the NRC figures were released on July 30, over 4 million residents had been removed from the official list. The figure was confirmed by Indias Registrar General and Census Commissioner Shri Sailesh.

The Assam Accord was signed 33 years ago in 1985 by then Indian Prime Minister and Congress Party leader Rajiv Gandhi. It followed lengthy negotiations with the anti-immigrant All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP).

AASU and AAGSP had conducted six years of violent protests, known as the Assam Agitation, against so-called illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, which shares a 4,096 km border with the Indian state. Migrants were accused of plundering resources and taking jobs from Assam residents. Over 1,800 people, mainly poor Muslim immigrants were killed in violent racialist attacks by chauvinist mobs.

Under the Assam Accord, only those able to provide documents proving that they or their families had lived in India before March 24, 1971the year that neighbouring Bangladesh declared independenceare recognised as Assam citizens. Anyone entering the state after that date is classified as a foreigner.

While Assam is rich in natural resourcesminerals, petroleum and forestrypoverty and unemployment is widespread as the Indian and local elites have siphoned off much of the wealth of the state. Under these conditions, the BJP and other communal organisations have whipped up anti-immigrant attacks to divide working people. Considerable state resources, including over 100,000 government personnel, were allocated to the disenfranchisement project.

Widespread anger and concern engulfed Assam when the NRC list was published last month with tens of thousands of villagers rushing to government centres and Internet booths to get their documents verified.

The NRC figures were uploaded to a government website but many in remote areas do not have access to the Internet and were forced to travel to government offices and booths to determine their citizenship status. Fearing the eruption of anti-government protests, soldiers were mobilised to guard these facilities.

While bureaucratic bungling saw the exclusion of some hereditary Hindus and other long-standing Assam residents, those eliminated from the NRC lists are mainly Muslims. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed the registration process was impartial but the BJP is whipping up Hindu chauvinism, not just in Assam state, where it also holds power, but throughout India.

During the 2014 general election campaign, Narendra Modithe BJPs prime ministerial candidatepromised to deport Bangladeshis from India. You can write it down, he told an April campaign meeting. After May 16 [polling day], these Bangladeshis better be prepared with their bags packed.

After coming to power, the BJP boosted the countrys anti-immigrant infrastructure and introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, to grant automatic citizenship to Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh. The legislation is pending in the Indian parliament.

Attempting to calm the tense political situation in Assam, the Indian government declared that names can be resubmitted with documents between August 30 and September 28 or appeals made to a so-called foreigners tribunal.

Indian Home Minister Singh told the media that there was no need for anxiety or fear and that those whose names are missing can re-submit their papers. Registrar General and Census Commissioner Sailesh said, There is no question of anyone being taken to detention centres or foreigners tribunals.

Such reassurances are worthless. Assam residents have no idea what will happen and, according to quint.com, there are already over 2,000 people at six state detention centres.

Will those excluded from the NRC list be deported from India? Will they have any political rights in India? Can they remain in the places they currently live or will they be incarcerated in immigration concentration camps? All these questions hang over the heads of four million people in Assam.

Nur Banu, a 45-year-old woman from Darrang district, said: Although we have been told that we can apply once again to get our names enlisted in the citizenship list, we are worried about our future. All six members of her family were missing from the list.

The opposition Congress party is attempting to exploit the fears of Assams Muslim minority. Assam state leader of Congress Ripun Bora cynically declared that the BJP was trying to isolate Muslims and we are going to fight it out.

In fact, the reactionary 1985 Assam Accord, which agreed to disenfranchise so-called illegal immigrants, was negotiated and signed by Rajiv Gandhis Congress government.

The Accord and the NRC procedures, which constitute a fundamental attack on the democratic rights of millions of Assam residents, further underscores the thoroughly reactionary character of the 1947 partition which divided the Indian subcontinent along communal lines. The partition was developed by the departing British imperialist rulers with the active support of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, and endorsed by the Stalinist Communist Party of India.

All these organisations bear political responsibility for the social and political crimes that still persist in both countries. The unresolved tasks of the democratic revolution that lie at the root of the communal carnages in India can only be addressed by the working class rallying the oppressed masses on the basis of a revolutionary socialist and internationalist program to put an end to the capitalist system and establish the United Socialist States of South Asia.
Boris Johnson, the former UK foreign secretary, has set out his stall for a leadership challenge to Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May based on Islamophobia.

His column in the right-wing Conservative Daily Telegraph newspaper was ostensibly a criticism of Denmark's outlawing of face veils last week. Under the pretext of protecting Danish values, those found guilty of wearing the face veil in public are subject to fines of 115, rising to 11,500 after a fourth violation.

On Friday, a 28-year-old woman became the first to be charged and fined under the new law. Just 200 women in Denmark are estimated to wear face veils, but in May, the Liberal, Conservative and Danish People's Party coalition government voted the law through. Full or partial bans on face veils are also in place in France, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands and the German state of Bavaria. The European Court of Human Rights has upheld the bans in France and Belgium, citing communal harmony!

Having stated that Denmark was wrong to ban the veil, Johnson moved on to the familiar dog-whistle of the extreme-right. Ridiculing those wearing it for looking like letterboxes and a bank-robber, he made clear the fraudulent character of his opening declaration criticising Denmark by writing that he felt fully entitled to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his MP surgery, and that businesses, schools, universities and branches of government should be able to enforce a dress code so that people are able to see each others faces and read their expressions.

Johnson has form. In 2005, following the suicide bombings in London by Islamic extremists that killed 52 people, he wrote in the Tory Spectator under the heading Just don't call it war.

If we were Israelis, we would by now be doing a standard thing to that white semi-detached pebbledash house in Leeds that was home to one of the suicide bombers. We would dispatch an American-built ground-assault helicopter and blow the place to bits. Then we would send in bulldozers to scrape over the remains, and we would do the same to all the other houses in the area thought to have been the temporary or permanent addresses of the suicide bombers and their families.

To any non-Muslim reader of the Koran, Islamophobia  seems a natural reaction, he continued. Judged purely on its scripture  it is the most viciously sectarian of all religions, insisting that the UK must accept that Islam is the problem.

Then Johnson was writing to prove his credentials in support of the US-led invasions of the Middle East. His latest Telegraph column had the purpose of staking out his claim to Tory leadership.

An inveterate self-promoter, it is just three weeks since Johnson quit May's cabinet in complaint at her proposed deal with the European Union (EU) on British withdrawal. Johnson jumped ship to denounce May's plans for a common rulebook with the EU for trade in goods as vassalage  colony status for the UK.

Johnson is, as always, an opportunist and a hypocrite. His professed dislike for any attempt by anyinvariably malegovernment to encourage the facial veil, naturally, does not apply to Saudi Arabia, which is not mentioned in his column. The only government he references is that of Ramzan Kadyrov, President of the Chechen Republicpresumably because this suits Johnson's anti-Russian campaign.

Saudi Arabia has just announced that it is freezing all new trade with Canada and is expelling its ambassador, due to Ottawa's interference in its affairs. Canada had called last week for the release of human and women's rights activists critical of the Saudi regimethe United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 15 such individuals had been arrested since May 15.

They are only a fraction of the thousands arbitrarily detained in Saudi prisons, with hundreds held for years without charge. In April, Human Rights Watch (HRW) analysed official Saudi data on detentions showing that, of the 5,314 people officially recorded, 3,380 had been held without a conviction for six months, 2,949 for more than a year and 770 for more than three years.

The mass roundup takes place behind a smokescreen of supposed reforms by the Saudi despots, including allowing women to drive. Meanwhile, women require the consent of male guardians to travel, marry, divorce and sign contracts, while modesty dressincluding the abaya, a long cloak and head scarfis rigorously enforced.

The HRW analysis was released just days after Johnson officially welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to London, greeting him as a great reformer and announcing a UK-Saudi Arabia strategic partnership council guaranteeing Saudi investment and procurement in UK-based companies worth up to 65 billion.

Johnson dismissed criticism of the Saudi war in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians and left 20 million people aid-dependentthe largest food security emergency in the world. A cholera outbreak has sickened more than one million people since April, and an estimated 130 children are dying daily due to malnutrition and disease.

Government figures show that the UK licensed more than 4.6 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia since it began bombing Yemen in March 2015. Johnson dismissed calls to stop the sales, stating that other countries would happily supply arms if the UK bowed to pressure for a ban.

Johnson has thus far rejected belated calls by May and other Tory leaders to withdraw his remarks on the face veil. Their damage-limitation attempts have only fuelled Johnsons efforts to position himself as a free speech martyr in the right-wing swamp that makes up much of the Tory membership and its fringes.

A poll of 1,000 Tories by the Conservative Home websitetaken before his Telegraph columnput Johnson as the favourite leadership contender, on almost 30 percent, 10 points ahead of Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who happens to be the first Conservative MP from a Muslim background to hold office.

Johnson is counting on the fetid anti-migrant atmosphere being whipped up by all parties. His Telegraph piece referenced previous remarks, in 2006, by then Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw who also used a newspaper column to announce that he would insist that a constituent remove her veil in his presence. The Danish vote to ban the burka was backed by the Social Democrats, whose leader Mette Frederiksen describes Islam as a barrier to integration.

During his July visit to the UK, US President Donald Trump endorsed Johnson as a future British prime minister. Former Trump adviser, the fascistic strategist Steve Bannon, called on Johnson to challenge May. Bannon has reportedly been in secret talks with Johnson since his resignation from cabinet.

There is a stark contrast between the muted response to Johnsons anti-Islam assault and the hysterical smear campaign against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters, based on bogus accusations of anti-Semitism.

Islamophobic attacks account for the overwhelming majority of hate crimes in Britain. A report by Tell MAMA, which aids victims of anti-Muslim violence, recorded that 2017 had seen a significant rise in assaultsup by 16.3 percent on the previous yearto 1,201. Hate crimes include physical attacksmainly on womenand the firebombing of mosques. Separate figures show that anti-Muslim hate crimes in London rose by almost 40 percent in 2017 through January 2018from 1,205 to 1,678.

Johnsons op-ed was published the day after an attack by far-right, anti-Muslim and pro-Trump supporters on the Bookmarks bookshop in London, run by the Socialist Workers Party, which followed a brutal assault three weeks earlier by fascists on rail union leader Steve Hedley.
Germanys grand coalition government of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats wants to reintroduce general military conscription. This was reported by various media outlets over the past weekend, including Spiegel Online, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Tagesschau.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference in autumn is scheduled to adopt a resolution to reintroduce military service and include this in its joint programme with the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Bundestag (parliamentary) deputy Oswin Veith, who is also president of the Association of Reservists, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that conscription should last 12 months and apply to young men and women over 18. Another CDU politician, Patrick Sensburg, announced that in the face of an unstable world situation, compulsory military service for the very purpose of an army, the defence of ones own country was indispensable.

The proposal is also receiving support from the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Parliamentary deputy Fritz Felgentreu expressed the partys position clearly: We must conduct a social debate over whether we are presently making the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) as attractive as possible, will we actually reach the numbers of personnel we need for national and alliance defence.

There is absolute consensus in the grand Coalition over the goal of making the Bundeswehr attractive, i.e., powerful.

Some politiciansboth in the opposition, as well as in the ranks of the CDU and SPDhave expressed reservations about the reintroduction of compulsory military service. They fear this will damage the building of a professional army, which was introduced seven years ago. Professional soldiers, who serve for several years, are far more effective and less subject to the pressure of public opinion than conscripts who leave after 12 months.

They therefore support the introduction of universal conscription, for men and women, with an option for either military of civilian service. After finishing their school education, adult German citizens should serve Germany for 12 monthseither with the Bundeswehr or with the Agency for Technical Relief, in the health system, or in old age care.

The obligation to choose between compulsory civilian service and the Bundeswehr would increase the pressure to volunteer for the Bundeswehr and at the same time provide the state with cheap labour in care-giving and other sectors. Young people are to be forced into exploitation in the health sector, or drawn into the German war machine.

However, the introduction of such compulsory service would require a fundamental change in the constitution. The Armed Forces Commissioner, Hans-Peter Bartels (SPD), was skeptical about the legality of the proposal. He told Bild am Sonntag: That falls under the ban on forced labour. He considers it quite unlikely that 700,000 young men and women will be compulsorily conscripted annually for one or other task, however sympathetic the idea may sound.

The discussion about the reintroduction of conscription fits seamlessly into the right-wing and militaristic course of the grand coalition. Ever since being sworn into office on March 14, the SPD and the CDU have been demonstrating daily that they are pursuing a stubborn agenda of warmongering and great power politics, with the aim of strengthening the interests of German business on a global level.

At the end of July, in an interview with Spiegel, Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen revealed the vehemence with which the German bourgeoisie is upgrading its military capabilities. Asked by Spiegel about the relationship with US President Donald Trump, von der Leyen stated, We Europeans are challengedin our own best interests, and not to please the US president.

She expressly supported Trumps call for higher arms spending: President Trump demands more effort from all NATO partnershe has a point there. Germany must urgently equip the Bundeswehr better and more completely. Thats why our policy turns of the past few years have been correct, and we have to keep going strong here.

One searches in vain for any fundamental criticism among the opposition parties. In words that sound remarkably similar to those of von der Leyens, the parliamentary leader of the Left Party, Sahra Wagenknecht, recently called for a self-confident foreign policy, a strengthening of the German internal market and more funding for the police and the judiciary. The Greens, under Anton Hofreiter, also accuse the government of being unable to equip soldiers with the necessary basic equipment and to enforce German interests abroad.

The course being followed by the ruling class is unmistakable: at the beginning of July, the Bundestag passed the new budget for the remainder of the calendar year, as well as a financial plan until 2021, which massively increases military and police spending. A further 5.4 billion euros are planned for internal security, as well as an increase in the current military budget of just under 40 billion euros to 42.9 billion euros.

The minister of defence is firmly committed to the NATO goal of investing two percent of Germanys Gross Domestic Product into the military. While wages are stagnating throughout Germany and there are shortages everywhere in education, social care and social security, the bourgeoisie is pumping huge sums of money into the war machine. Even a German nuclear bomb is now being called for.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, von der Leyen brazenly stated: There is a good understanding among the population that our security situation is permanently changing. And thats why we need a Bundeswehr that can act together with our allies. That is now the broad consensus. That is a lie. If the support for rearmament and war were indeed as great as she claims, there would be no need for the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

On the contrary, the establishment parties are becoming ever more rabid because the international working class is on the rise. Around the world, workers are going on strike and protesting against social cuts and militarization. A majority explicitly opposes the disgusting and inhumane policies of the grand coalition

Just last weekend, massive protests supporting the campaign sea bridgecreate safe harbours! took place in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Cologne and Leipzig against the governments refugee policy, which the CDU and SPD have adopted from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). According to a recent survey by Der Spiegel, 67 percent of Germans clearly disagree with the current shift to the right in politics.
PayPal has closed the account of the French web site Agence Media Palestine in response to a global campaign by Israel to organise a crackdown on Palestinian supporters and critics of Israel, using fabricated claims of anti-Semitism.

The closure of the account by the American payment-processing corporation poses difficulties for Palestinians and Palestinian journalists, as there are few other international payment mechanisms. It marks a dangerous new stage in the ongoing campaign to isolate the Palestinians, criminalise political expression and censor freedom of speech on the Internet.

Agence Media Palestine, a Palestine solidarity organisation, publishes articles on Palestine in French, translating many from sources published elsewhere. It lists as its supporters prominent figures in France, such as the late author and concentration camp survivor Stephane Hessel, Israeli filmmaker Eyal Sivan and human rights activist Mireille Fanon-Mendes France.

Within hours of Agence Media Palestine receiving notification from PayPal that it had closed its account, without citing any reason or violations of the terms of agreement, the web site received an email from Benjamin Weinthal, saying, Your organisation lists PayPal as a donation method, but the payment is blocked.

He asked, Did PayPal close your account? If so, what was the reason for the closure?

Is your account in violation of Frances anti-discrimination law?

Weinthal was gloating. He is a Berlin-based journalist and research fellow for the American neo-conservative group, the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies (FDD). The FDD works closely with the Israeli government and has sought to discredit the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights by linking it with terrorism, Hamas and Iran. The Jerusalem Post, along with a host of right-wing media organisations, regularly publish his articles.

According to the Electronic Intifada web site, Weinthal described the smear tactics he uses to engineer crackdowns on individuals and organisations that he claims are anti-Semitic because of their criticisms of Israel at a meeting of Israel lobbyists in Europe in 2016.

Outlining a playbook that will be familiar to the thousands of workers and young people in the UK now seeing Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn slandered, he said, You have to exaggerate to get these ideas across, because they dont understand what contemporary anti-Semitism is, many of them.

He admitted to using smear tactics as an essential component of his work and boasted of getting the journalists Max Blumenthal and David Sheen banned from the German parliament in 2014. He explained how he had compared Blumenthal, who is Jewish, to Horst Mahler, a former left-wing activist who became a Nazi.

Weinthal also described how he had tried to put pressure on PayPal and banks to close the accounts of human rights and civil society groups, focusing on groups across France, Germany and Austria.

The FDD functions as a front for the Israeli government, as Sima Vaknin-Gil, Israels director-general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, admitted.

Speaking on an Al-Jazeera undercover investigation into the Israel lobby in the US that has yet to be aired--due to pressure by Israel on the Qatari government which funds the news channel--Vaknin-Gil stated that the FDD was working on projects for Israel including data gathering, information analysis, working on activist organisations, money trail.

We have FDD, and We have others working on this.

According to the documentary, the FDD operates as an agent of the Israeli government, despite not being registered as such in accordance with US law.

The day after PayPal closed Agence Media Palestines account, Weinthal authored an article falsely claiming that organisations supporting the BDS campaign are in violation of the Lellouche Law, which makes it illegal to target Israelis based on their national origin. This is the same claim he used in January after PayPal closed the account of another campaign group, Association France Palestine Solidarite.

Agence Media Palestine accused Paypal of an arbitrary act, saying it was impossible to ignore the links between PayPal and the extreme right-wing propagandist Benjamin Weinthal.

It added that unless PayPal justified its action, it reserves the right to take legal action.

The web site said that it might launch an information campaign about this discriminatory act for the benefit of a state that has just passed an apartheid law, a reference to Israels recent nation-state law that privileges the rights of Jews above Israels other citizens.

PayPal has yet to reply substantively to Agence Media Palestine s letters.

PayPal processes more than $300 million in sales transactions every day, around 18 percent of the worlds e-commerce sales, and has a market capitalisation of some $100 billion. It has a long record of using its position to conduct political censorship on behalf of the US state and its allies.

Recently, the corporate giant blocked sales of the World Socialist Web Site pamphlet, The Struggle Against Imperialism and for Workers Power in Iran.

PayPal, along with MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Western Union and Bank of America, also collaborated with the Obama administration in 2010 by imposing a more than seven-year-long financial blockade on the anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks, preventing it from receiving donations.

PayPal has also blocked the sale of publications and the use of its services by organisations linked with Iran, under the pretext of abiding by the US-led sanctions regime, imposed by the US and European powers to cripple Irans economy and destabilise its government.

PayPals action is part of a broader censorship drive by the US technology and social media giants, including Facebook, Google, Amazon and Twitter, that work closely with US intelligence agencies as well as Israel and its military intelligence organisations. In effect, they have given Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahus right-wing government the power to censor criticism by removing it from the Internet.

Last January, the New York Times confirmed an earlier report from Al-Jazeera that said, Israel submitted 158 requests for Facebook over the past few months to remove what Israel deemed as inciting content, and the company complied with 95 percent of those requests.

The Timess chief White House correspondent Peter Baker wrote, Israeli security agencies monitor Facebook and send the company posts they consider incitement, and Facebook has responded by removing most of them.

Palestinian and international human rights groups have challenged Facebook over its role in censoring Palestinian voices online and sharing information with the Israeli government, which has arrested hundreds of Palestinians over Facebook posts.

In September 2016, Facebook executives met Israels Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who heads the campaign against the BDS movement, to improve cooperation against incitement to terror and murder. Since then, it has worked closely with Israel to silence Palestinian criticism of Israel.

Israels Ministry of Justice published a report a year later, stating that its cyber unit handled 2,241 cases of online content and succeeded in getting 70 percent of it removed.

Jordana Cutler, Facebooks head of policy and communications in Israel, admitted that the social media company works very closely with the cyber departments in the justice ministry and the police and with other elements in the army and the Shin Bet [Israels internal security service]. She was previously a senior adviser to Netanyahu.

Unit 8200, the Israel Defence Forces cyber spy agency, monitors social media and other forms of electronic communication. It employs Israeli soldiers and students as well as scouring Jewish communities abroad for young computer prodigies willing to join its ranks to spread propaganda online and try to get content inimical to Israeli interests banned. Many such individuals work voluntarily and independently.

In addition, the government funds or sponsors projects that seek to place pro-Israel content throughout the Internet and remove information Israel does not want people to see.

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 delegitimisation, adopting methods from the fields of intelligence and technology.
In July 2017, the World Socialist Web Site published an exposure of the fact that changes to Googles search algorithms had massively slashed traffic to left-wing, anti-war and socialist publications. Over the course of dozens of articles, we established that Google, together with the other technology monopolies, was engaged in a campaign of censorship of oppositional viewpoints, in close collaboration with the US intelligence apparatus.

In the ensuing year, every claim made by the WSWS, initially denied by the technology giants, has been established as fact. Google, Facebook and Twitter have all acknowledged that they have promoted trusted news outlets, while restricting the distribution of alternative sources of information. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that it is promoting publications like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, while demoting and blocking sites that have intense followings but are supposedly not widely trusted beyond their core audiences.

Under conditions of growing social and political opposition, censorship is taking ever more overt forms. Just last week, Facebook announced that it had shut down the official event page for a left-wing counter protest to Unite the Right 2, a neo-fascist demonstration scheduled in Washington on August 12, the anniversary of last years Nazi rally in Charlottesville.

The Washington police plan to escort the fascists to the scene of this weekends rally and protect them from anti-fascist demonstrators. And the Washington, D.C. transportation authorities had been pushing a plan to provide separate Metro cars for fascist demonstrators, which it abandoned only in the face of mass opposition by transit workers.

Even as the extreme right receives state support and promotion, the major technology companies have begun censoring far-right organizations as a cover for their aim of shutting down left-wing opposition to capitalism, war and inequality.

This week, Apple, Facebook, YouTube and Spotify all removed or blocked the content of far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, censoring his podcasts, videos and livestreams. The companies justified their actions by claiming Jones had violated their policies against hate speech and harassment.

The actions of these corporations are shot through with hypocrisy and bad faith. Whatever their justification, the fact remains that such censorship is a fundamental violation of the freedom of expression.

Long experience has shown that political censorship by the state and corporations does not harm the fascistic right but strengthens it by burnishing its absurd claims to oppose the state and political establishment. Jones censorship by the technology giants has received widespread coverage in all major newspapers and TV networks, which have largely ignored the censorship of left-wing news outlets. The extreme right, moreover, enjoys support at the highest levels of the military, the police and the state.

The censorship of the far right creates a political precedent for censoring left-wing political movementsthe main target. It justifies the false moral equivalency between fascism and left-wing opposition to capitalism, claiming that both represent forms of political extremism. Such reactionary amalgams are being used throughout Europe and in Australia to implement far-reaching attacks on democratic rights.

The World Socialist Web Site, which has been a central target of the censorship campaign, has led the fight against the attack on free speech. In a letter to Google published nearly one year ago, the WSWS demanded that Google stop blacklisting the WSWS and renounce the censorship of all the left-wing, socialist, anti-war and progressive websites. It added, Censorship on this scale is political blacklisting. The obvious intent of Googles censorship algorithm is to block news that your company does not want reported and to suppress opinions with which you do not agree.

In January, we issued an open letter calling for socialist, anti-war, left-wing and progressive websites, organizations and activists to join an international coalition to fight Internet censorship.

This appeal received the support of numerous principled journalists, including WikiLeaks Julian Assange, John Pilger and Chris Hedges, along with thousands of workers and young people. The campaign to censor the Internet is intersecting with the attempt to drive Assange from his forced refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In June, the Socialist Equality Party in Australia organized a powerful demonstration in defense of Assange, demanding that the Australian government secure his safe return to Australia.

As the technology giants intensify their efforts to censor the Internet, the World Socialist Web Site is expanding and intensifying its campaign against internet censorship on the basis of the demands outlined in the open letter:

* Safeguarding the Internet as a platform for political organization and the free exchange of information, culture and diverse viewpoints, guided by the principle that access to the Internet is a right and must be free and equally available for all. * Uncompromising insistence on the complete independence of the Internet from control by governments and private corporations. * Unconditional defense of net neutrality and free, unfettered and equal access to the Internet. * The banning and illegalization of government and corporate manipulation of search algorithms and procedures, including the use of human evaluators, that restrict and block public visibility of websites. * Irreconcilable opposition to the use of the Internet and artificial intelligence technologies to carry out surveillance of web users. * Demanding the end to the persecution of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and the complete restoration of their personal freedom. * Advocating the transformation of the corporate Internet monopolies into public utilities, under internationally coordinated democratic control, to provide the highest quality service, not private profit. * The fight against Internet censorship and the defense of democratic rights cannot be conducted through appeals to capitalist governments and the parties and politicians who serve their interests, but only in uncompromising struggle against them. Moreover, this struggle is international in scope and totally opposed to every form and manifestation of national chauvinism, racism and imperialist militarism. Therefore, those who are truly committed to the defense of democratic rights must direct their efforts to the mobilization of the working class of all countries.

In the United States, which is at the center of the campaign by the ruling classes of the world to censor the Internet, the Democrats have led the way in channeling the demands of the intelligence agencies for a crackdown on domestic opposition. The Democrats have focused their criticism of the Trump administration not on its fascistic attacks on immigrants, its warmongering, its abolition of net neutrality, or its tax cuts for the wealthy, but on the right-wing, neo-McCarthyite claim that Russia is sowing divisions. This campaign is being intensified in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, the array of pseudo-left organizations that operate in the orbit of the Democratic Party, and which represent privileged sections of the middle class, have ignored the censorship drive and covered up its far-reaching implications.

This demonstrates that the fight against Internet censorship must be rooted in the working class, the vast majority of the population. The defense of free speech online is essential for the working class as it enters into struggle to defend is social rights and oppose inequality, war and the capitalist system.

We call on all of our readers to take up the fight against internet censorship by contacting us today.
A year after the August 17, 2017 terror attacks in Barcelona, the Podemos party is joining in the official cover-up of state complicity in the attacks in Spain. While it is silent on new revelations of ties between the state and the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria militia that carried out the attack, it is demanding that the Spanish king, who was booed at last years post-attack march for his ties to the Islamists, be allowed to lead this years remembrance march.

Reports continue to surface making clear that the state had foreknowledge of the attack. Speaking last year to El Pais, Spains National Intelligence Center (CNI) agency confirmed reports that the imam who masterminded the attack, Abdelbaki es-Satty, was a paid CNI informant until just before the attack. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb also admitted that French intelligence tracked members of the Barcelona cell as they visited France less than a week before the attack.

Now, El Pais has revealed that Guardia Civil paramilitary police and CNI officials visited es-Satty no less than four times for police interviews while he served a four-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, before his release in 2014. These interviews took place in April, May and June 2012 and then March 2014. The serial numbers of the agents who visited him reportedly correspond to two Guardia Civil policemen for the first three visits, and two CNI agents for the last visit.

The Mossos dEsquadra, the Catalan police, also collected all es-Sattys phone contacts while in jail and, according to El Pais, discovered the identity of persons relevant to the attack. One such was es-Sattys cellmate, Bennaceur Ameskour, whose fingerprints were found on a dictionary in the house in Alcanar where the IS cell was preparing the attack. Bomb-making materials in the house exploded, killing es-Satty, and prompting the IS cell to go into action.

Yesterday, it emerged that the lone survivor of the Barcelona terror cell, Mohamed Houli, told police that another IS terror cell exists in France. He said eight or nine people  were thinking of coming to Spain via Andorra, buying weapons and carrying out a terror attack in Lloret del Mar, near Spains border with France. Houli has repeatedly confirmed this to the Mossos dEsquadra and Judge Fernando Andreu.

These revelations are explosive. There is enormous anger in Barcelona at state complicity in the terror attacks that killed 16 people and wounded 152. It is widely recognized that the IS militia emerged with the tacit support of the NATO powers and the Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms amid NATOs war to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime.

A mass march attended by Spanish King Felipe VI in Barcelona shortly after the attack erupted into the largest demonstration so far in Europe of popular outrage at the imperialist wars that spawned the Islamist networks now carrying out terror attacks in Europe. As 500,000 people marched in Barcelona, the king was met with cries of Your policies, our dead, Get out!, and Felipe, if you want peace, you dont do weapons trafficking.

The reaction of Podemos to these revelations and to the preparation of this years remembrance march exposes the alignment of this populist, pseudo-left party with the police apparatus. It has made no appeal to anti-war sentiment and opposition to state criminality among masses of people. Instead, it is demanding that the population greet the king respectfully and insisting that he has a legitimate part to play in this years remembrance of the attacks.

Speaking Tuesday on Telecinco, Podemos Senate spokesman and Madrid regional general secretary Ramon Espinar demanded that the king lead the march, insisting it should be apolitical. He said, Since Felipe VI is the head of state, he must attend this type of event, which has to do with a subject which is not political.

Espinar criticized Catalan Regional president Quim Torra, who is refusing to invite Felipe VI to Barcelona, saying, He is making another error.  The subject of political struggle is the terrain of ideas, values and projects, not recollections of the victims of attacks.

Making clear Podemos hostility to the eruption of anti-war sentiment last year, Espinar added that such marches are not the time to put forward differences. He said it should be for all of us to solidarize with the victims, be it the head of state or whoever, and whatever ideology.  Then when you go home, and you can be a monarchist, a republican, a secessionist or very Spanish, whatever you please.

This is a blunt statement of support for the NATO war drive in the Middle East, and of opposition to rising anti-war sentiment in the working class. Espinars claim that terror vigils are apolitical is a fraud. IS attacks of which the state had foreknowledge were used to impose a state of emergency suspending basic democratic rights in France after the November 2015 Paris attacks, launch talks on imposing martial law in Spain last year, and ratchet up police powers in Germany, Belgium and Britain.

Espinars position is all the more significant, in that fear is growing in official circles about what will happen at this years remembrance march. After Felipe VI aggressively endorsed the mass police crackdown on peaceful voters in the October 1, 2017 Catalan independence referendum, the king is even more widely despised in Barcelona than a year ago.

Populist, pseudo-left parties like Podemos play a key role to suppress growing opposition to war and attacks on democratic rights, by covering up the state complicity and political criminality involved in the Syrian war and the European terror attacks. Based on affluent, pro-war sections of the middle class in academia, the media and the military-intelligence apparatus, they instinctively identify with the interests of European militarism.

Across the border in France, an ongoing investigation of multi-billion-euro construction firm Lafarge has exposed its close ties to IS. Magistrates charging Lafarge executives with funding terrorist groups and complicity in crimes against humanity have shown that it worked closely with French intelligence and the Elysee presidential palace as it funneled tens of millions of euros to the Islamist extremists. The French partner of Podemos, Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI), has maintained a deafening silence on the state criminality exposed by the Lafarge scandal.

Recent reports have also documented that the US-backed Saudi war against Yemen relies on extensive use of Al Qaeda troops, and that the US puppet regime in Afghanistan protects IS troops.

This underscores the significance of the International Committee of the Fourth Internationals (ICFI) call to build an international anti-war movement in the working class defending democratic rights, and its exposure of ties between NATO and its Islamist proxy militias in the Middle East. In this, it was fighting all the pseudo-left and nationalist organizations that support or accommodate to the imperialist war drive in the Middle East.

In Spain, this includes the Catalan nationalist groups that make up Torras regional government in Barcelona. After demanding investigations into the CNIs ties to es-Satty in February in an attempt to calm down the situation, they accepted the CNIs refusal of an investigation and, in March, a proposal by CNI officials to answer questions in a perfunctory closed-door hearing. Afterwards, Catalan nationalist deputy Jordi Xucla emerged from the hearing and told the public that everything had been resolved.

Xucla praised the information he had received from Spanish intelligence, absurdly declaring it was substantial and communicated in an absolutely constructive way.
The primary elections held in Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington, along with a special congressional election in Ohio, showed the continued shift to the right by both of the major capitalist parties. Popular revulsion toward the Trump administration is mounting, but the Democratic Party offers no real alternative.

Most attention in official political and media circles was paid to the special election in the 12th Congressional District of Ohio. The seat has been held for the past 38 years by Republicans, but was vacated last year by the resignation of Representative Pat Tiberi, who quit to take a lucrative post heading an Ohio business lobby.

State Senator Troy Balderson, who is 56, won the Republican nomination in a May 8 primary, narrowly defeating an even more right-wing opponent. Franklin County Recorder Daniel OConnor, 31 years old, won the Democratic nomination in a multi-candidate race. Despite the dominance of the Republican Party for four decadesJohn Kasich held the seat for 20 years, then Tiberi for 18 morepolls quickly showed a tight race, with anti-Trump sentiment fueling a swing to the Democratic Party, particularly in the Columbus suburbs, the most populous part of the district.

As of this writing, Balderson was clinging to a narrow lead of about 1,700 votes out of some 200,000 cast, with nearly 8,500 absentee and provisional votes still to be counted. The Republican candidates current lead of 0.9 percent was only a few hundred votes above the threshold set by Ohio law, which mandates a recount if the difference between two candidates is 0.5 percent or less. This means that after the counting of absentee and provisional votes, a full recount is quite possible, which would push back into September any final determination of the outcome of the vote.

The special election decided who will serve for the unexpired portion of Representative Tiberis term, through the end of this year. The same two candidates will appear on the November 6 ballot to decide who will hold the seat for the next two years.

Despite the short-term practical impact of the election, both corporate-controlled parties poured in resources, although the Republicans devoted far more, including nearly $4 million in advertising in the Columbus media market, and a last-minute appearance by President Trump at a rally for Balderson on August 4. The main concern in the Republican leadership was to avoid the embarrassment of losing a long-held seat only three months before the general election, thereby avoiding a panic among Republican candidates and office-holders.

The Democratic campaign in the Ohio election was decidedly right-wing, with OConnor seeking to appeal to upper-income Republican voters in upscale suburban areas. He soft-pedaled any overt opposition to Trump, avowed his willingness to work with the president and the congressional Republicans, and declared he would not vote for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to become speaker of the house because she is supposedly too liberal. At the same, he professed his opposition to any cuts to Medicare and Social Security and criticized the corporate tax giveaway represented by last Decembers Trump administration tax cut.

The primary elections held on Tuesday decided the Democratic and Republican nominations for US Senate in Michigan, Missouri and Washington, and for governor in Michigan and Kansas, as well for 36 congressional seats across the four states. Democrats currently hold all three Senate seats while the Republicans hold the two governorships. Republicans hold 23 of the 36 congressional seats.

The Democratic primaries saw a virtually across-the-board failure of the campaign by Bernie Sanders and newly nominated Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who backed similar left-talking candidates for Democratic nominations in these states.

The most important result was the easy victory of Gretchen Whitmer, the choice of the party establishment and the trade unions, in the contest for the Democratic nomination for governor of Michigan. She defeated two rivals: former Detroit City Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who was backed by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, and self-financed multi-millionaire businessman Shri Thanedar. Whitmer, the former minority leader in the Michigan State Senate, won 52 percent of the vote, compared to 30 percent for El-Sayed and 18 percent for Thanedar. Whitmer will now face Republican Bill Schuette, the state attorney-general, in the November election.

Either Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez also campaigned for congressional candidates in Kansas and Missouri who were defeated Tuesday. These were Brent Welder, a union lawyer who sought the Democratic nomination in the Second Congressional District of Kansas, and Cori Bush, who challenged incumbent Democratic Representative William Lacy Clay in the First Congressional District of Missouri.

Two other candidates backed by Sanders and/or Ocasio-CortezJames Thompson in the Fourth District of Kansas and Rashida Tlaib in the 13th District of Michigandid win Democratic nominations, but both had significant support in the party establishment as well. Thompson was the Democratic candidate in the special election for the same seat last year, while Tlaib, a former state legislator, had the endorsement of the Detroit Free Press and the Michigan Education Association.

In Kansas, Trump intervened in the Republican gubernatorial primary to support anti-immigrant bigot Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, against incumbent Jeff Colyer, who had moved up from lieutenant governor when Governor Sam Brownback took an appointment as Trumps special envoy for religious freedom. As of this writing, Kobach was leading Colyer by fewer than 200 votes out of 300,000 cast in a contest that appeared likely to go to a recount, which would be overseen by Kobachs office. The winner will face Democratic State Senator Laura Kelly.

In the congressional races, all 30 incumbents who chose to run again were renominated by their parties, with little opposition. The six open seats were vacated by four Republicans and two Democrats. Long-time Democrat John Conyers was forced to resign last year as part of the #MeToo campaign, based on unproven allegations of sexual abuse of employees, while the others retired rather than seek reelection.

The congressional primaries confirmed the headlong move to the right by the Democratic Party signaled by the rise of a cadre of former military and intelligence operatives running as Democratic candidates for Congress.

In the Eighth District of Michigan, Elissa Slotkin easily won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Bishop. Slotkin served three tours of duty as a CIA agent in Baghdad during the Bush administration, before returning to Washington and holding Pentagon and National Security Council positions under the Obama administration. She is also a multi-millionaire heiress to Hygrade Foods, founded by her grandfather.

In the 11th District of Michigan, Haley Stevens had a significant lead in a five-way contest for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Republican Representative David Trott. Stevens was chief of staff for the Obama administrations automotive task force, making her a key architect of the 50 percent wage cut imposed on all newly hired autoworkers as part of the bailout of the industry. The auto giants returned to profitability with government financing, while autoworkers saw jobs, wages, benefits and working conditions shredded.

The choice of two such nomineesa CIA official linked to the worst war crimes of the 21st century, and the organizer of an onslaught on working class wages and conditionssums up the class character of the Democratic Partya party of imperialism and Wall Street.

Another military-intelligence candidate, Matthew Morgan, was expected to become the nominee of the Democratic Party in Michigans First Congressional District, where he was disqualified from the ballot for a technical error on his nominating petition, but mounted a write-in campaign without any opponent.
The US-China trade war has gone up a notch with the announcement from Washington that it will go ahead with the imposition of a 25 percent tariff on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods from August 23, to which Beijing has declared it will respond in kind.

This is the final tranche of tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods that the Trump administration decided to impose in July, invoking Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. As Beijing has matched Washingtons tariffs, $100 billion worth of trade between the US and China will now be subject to the tariff hike.

The US trade war measures are set to escalate. The administration has threatened to impose tariffs on another $200 billion of Chinese products, possibly by the beginning of September, following public hearings on the proposed measures later this month.

The initial threat was a 10 percent levy but Trump has since directed US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to investigate a 25 percent impost. Trump has also threatened that a further $200 billion could be impacted, which would mean that virtually all Chinese imports to the US would be covered.

Beijing has released an additional list of $60 billion worth of US products it would start taxing if the White House proceeds with the further escalation.

The latest hike follows a series of tweets by Trump last weekend in which he claimed the US was winning the trade war against China. He pointed to the fall in Chinse stock markets, down by more than 25 percent so far this year, and the fall in its currency, the yuan.

China responded with an editorial in the state-owned Global Times saying it was prepared for a protracted war and did not fear sacrificing its short-term economic interests. Considering the unreasonable US demands, a trade war is an act that aims to crush Chinas economic sovereignty, trying to force China to be a US economic vassal, it declared.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry responded to the latest US tariffs by releasing the list of goods to be targeted. In order to defend Chinas rightful interests and the multilateral trade system, China has to retaliate as necessary, it said.

An editorial published by the official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday stated that China would get through the storm and those imposing the tariffs would end up hurting themselves.

Some people selfishly swim against the tide and act against morality, wantonly raising the barrier of tariffs and waving the stick of hegemony everywhere, it said.

While informal discussions are being held, there seems little prospect of top-level negotiations to de-escalate the conflict. This is because the central demand of the US administration is that China must not only reduce its trade deficit with the US, but must also take action to wind back its plan to develop its industrial and technological base under the Made in China 2025 program.

The US maintains that the Chinese plan involves the appropriation of US intellectual property rights through theft and forced technology transfers. It also claims that state subsidies to Chinese firms give them an unfair advantage in global markets, especially in the key area of hi-tech.

As many commentators and economic historians have pointed out, the Chinese practices are a repeat of many of those used in earlier times by the US and other countries, including Japan and South Korea, as they sought to develop their industrial and technological capacities.

However, key anti-China hawks in the Trump administration, particularly Lighthizer and White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, insist that Chinese efforts to do the same threaten the economic and ultimately the military supremacy of the US and cannot be tolerated.

The view in Beijing is that the US objective is not primarily the reduction of the trade deficit but the subordination of the Chinese economy to the US, turning it into an economic vassal.

This assessment was strengthened by the events of last May when Chinese vice premier Liu He came to Washington. He reached an agreement with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to increase Chinse imports from the US by as much as $100 billion and put the trade war on hold, only to have the agreement overturned by Trump within a few days.

While Trump is claiming the US is winning the trade war because of growing problems in the Chinese economy, the prospect of a significant downturn is striking fear among many countries in South East Asia that are dependent on Chinese markets.

As the South China Morning Post noted in a report on August 4, if China were forced to devalue its currency, the only reaction in Southeast Asian capitals from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi, Bangkok and Jakarta will be panic.

There are vivid memories throughout the region of the impact of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Its effects were in some cases equivalent to the 1930s Great Depression in the West, and could have been even worse had the Chinese currency been devalued. The outcome of the crisis was a turn by South East Asian nations towards the Chinese economy, on which they have become increasingly dependent.

Concerns are also being raised in South Korea about another aspect of the US trade warthe threat to impose tariffs on cars and auto imports on national security grounds, under Section 232 of 1962 legislation. While this tariff threat has been put on hold following talks between Trump and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker last month, it has not be removed.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, if the tariff threat is carried through the South Korean parliament will not ratify the US-Korea trade deal announced earlier this year. Under that agreement the US won major concessions, including allowing it to retain a 25 percent tariff on South Korean trucks and an agreement to cap steel exports at 70 percent on their level over the past three years. South Korean officials have said they have not been able to get a clear commitment from the US on whether their country would be excluded from any US auto tariffs amid warnings that the trade deal will blow up if they go ahead.

The potential global impact of the escalating US trade war has been highlighted in a report issued this week by Oxford Economics before the latest measures were announced. It stated that the US-China conflict could reduce world output by 0.7 percent by 2020, with Chinas economy slowing by 1.3 percent and the US by 1 percent. It said while there was not yet a major risk of damaging stagflationrising prices and a slowing economythe prospect remained of a bigger blow-up that sharply reduced trade as took place in the 1930s.
Patients attending Footscray Hospital emergency department, in the western suburbs of Melbourne, have received letters from the Western Health Foundation requesting donations. While fund-raising has become standard in all the chronically-underfunded public hospitals, this letter was not seeking resources for medical equipment but for the hospitals own impoverished patients.

Signed by Western Health chief executive Russell Harrison, the letter points to the intolerable conditions experienced by many patients of the Western Health hospitals. Increasingly, nurses, doctors and health workers are paying for these patients basic life needs.

Harrisons letter, in appealing for the Greatest Need Project, provides a glimpse of the escalating inequality in Australia. It states: As a patient of Western Health, you will understand more than most, that in addition to battling illness or injury, many of our patients experience great hardship. Harrison relates harrowing stories where hospital staff members have assisted patients financially.

In one case, a midwife intervened to arrange crisis accommodation for a mother and her newborn daughter after discovering they were homeless following the loss of their house due to mortgage default. The midwife also purchased a baby capsule for the car to which the mother and baby were being discharged.

In a further case, nurses organised for a washing machine to be delivered to a 92-year-olds home after they discovered the reason for her continuous infections was that she was laundering her reusable continence aids in a bucket.

Another patient was presenting to hospital with pneumonia every winter because he could not afford to fix his broken plumbing. He was showering with an outdoor hose in the dead of winter. Staff offered to pay for the plumbing.

These cases are only a small sample of the desperate situation facing tens of thousands of people throughout Melbourne and other Australian cities and towns. The Greatest Needs Project website estimates that up to 10 percent of our patients experience severe hardship, and as many as 10,000 patients a year struggle to meet their most basic needs.

Some of our patients experience disadvantage so extreme that they cannot meet their most basic needs. Many go without what most of us take for grantedhousehold essentials, utilities and, in some cases, even items that help alleviate the discomforts associated with a chronic or terminal illness.

Footscray Hospital is one of three acute and sub-acute hospitals managed by Western Health, along with Williamstown and Sunshine Hospitals, servicing a major working-class region of the Victorian state capital.

Suburbs such as Braybrook, St. Albans, Kings Park, Sunshine West, North Sunshine and Ardeer have unemployment rates between 12.5 and 15.2 percent, more than double the official national average. The median weekly personal income in the area hovers around $424, much less than the national figure of $662.

With house rents over $350 per week, housing stresswhere rent payments are equal to or greater than 30 percent of household incomeaffects as many as 18.9 percent of residents.

The relationship between low income, low levels of education, under-employment and unemployment, and poor health outcomes is well established globally, and borne out by the conditions in this region.

In these suburbs, the incidence and mortality rate from cancer is the highest in the Melbourne metropolitan area. They also have higher rates of children who are developmentally vulnerable and are among the ten highest incidence areas in Australia for asthma and respiratory-related hospital admissions for 319 year olds.

What Harrisons letter does not address is how this situation has developed and who is responsible for it.

Western Health established the Western Health Foundation in 2011 to operate as a charitable public company to raise the shortfall in hospital funding due to the years of unrelenting budget cuts to health services by state and federal governments, both Liberal-National and Labor. To plug this gaping hole, armies of volunteers are deployed to raise donations from ordinary working people to pay for the hospitals essential needs and research that governments refuse to fund.

Two of the foundations board members, former Victorian state Labor Party minister Bronwyn Pike and former federal Labor minister Ralph Willis, served in governments that were responsible for slashing social spending. Alongside them in the boardroom are millionaires Bob Scarborough, who made his fortune breeding thoroughbred horses, and Susan Alberti, CEO of the Dansu construction group.

During the 13-year rule of the Hawke and Keating governments, in which Willis served as a senior minister, Labor imposed structural reforms that deregulated financial markets and suppressed both wages and public expenditure through Price and Incomes Accords with the trade union bureaucracy. This multi-pronged economic assault resulted in the greatest wealth transfer from the working class to the financial and corporate elite in Australian history. The share of wages in national income plummeted from a peak of 62.5 percent in 1975 to under 54 percent three decades later.

Under the Accords, hundreds of thousands of jobs were destroyed in manufacturing and other industries deemed not profitable enough, and public health and other social programs began to be cut. Between 1983 and 2003 at least 60 public hospitals were either closed or amalgamated and 20,000 acute beds closed. Billions of dollars were diverted from the public health system to subsidise private health insurance premiums under successive Labor and Coalition governments, as part of a creeping privatisation of health care.

In Victoria, beginning in 1992, a state Liberal government sacked around 50,000 public sector employees, closed 350 public schools and 17 hospitals, and privatised much of the transport and electricity networks. These measures were entrenched and deepened under the 19992011 Bracks and Brumby Labor governments, in which Bronwyn Pike held the health and education portfolios, among others.

The fact that health workers are paying for the needs of their patients highlights the culpability of the governments that have created these conditions and the trade union leadership that has suppressed opposition to the health cuts. It mirrors the situation facing teachers and educators, many of whom are personally paying for pens, pencils, text books, writing pads and, at times, food for their students.

The generosity and compassion of the Western Health workers, highlighted in the Greatest Need letter, comes as no surprise to the patients and families of these hospitals and others throughout the country. It is in sharp contrast to the role of governments, whose policies have gouged funding from health, education and welfare payments to pay for increased military spending and tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy elite.

The more than $21,000 raised to date from patients, staff and volunteers could have been funded many times over by foregoing tax breaks to corporations and redirecting military spending to social programs and services. Western Healths letter raises none of these issues. Instead, the very people who rely on its hospitals are being solicited to provide the means to assist their fellow patients.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise announced on Sunday that Jean-Henry Ceant will be the nation's new prime minister.

"Following consultations with the Presidents of the two branches of Parliament, I made the choice of the citizen Jean-Henry Ceant as the new prime Minister," President Moise said in an official tweet.

Caribbean Continents and regions Haiti Latin America Protests and demonstrations The Americas Embassies and consulates Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Government departments and authorities Heads of government International relations International relations and national security Prime ministers State departments and diplomatic services

The announcement comes three weeks after former Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned amid violent and deadly protests sparked by a proposed plan to significantly raise fuel prices. A former notary by profession, Ceant has long been involved in Haitian politics and was a presidential candidate in 2016.

"I thank the President of the Republic for choosing me as his Prime Minister and welcome the commitment of the Presidents of both chambers," Ceant tweeted, referring to the two chambers of Haiti's National Assembly. "I understand the scope of the task and the challenges that await me."

Former Prime Minister Lafontant resigned on July 14 in front of the nation's parliament before he was due to face a vote of no confidence.

Lafontant's government came under fire after protesters took to the streets in early July in response to a controversial plan that would have increased the cost of gasoline by 38%, diesel by 47% and kerosene by 51%.

At least two people -- a police officer and social leader -- were killed in violent demonstrations in the capital Port-au-Prince, according to Yves Germain Joseph, the general secretary of Haiti's National Palace.

The US Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert urging American citizens to avoid travel and instructed all staff to shelter in place. The embassy also requested additional US Marines and State Department security personnel to bolster security amid the riots.

"The security and safety of Americans are among our highest priorities," The State Department said in a statement on July 10. "Local law enforcement and U.S. embassy security authorities will take appropriate measures to safeguard personnel and visitors."

The State Department's advisory was later downgraded from "do not travel" to "reconsider travel."

The protests also caused several airlines to suspend flights to Haiti temporarily.
In 2008, coffee rust almost killed Colombia's $2.6 billion coffee industry.

A decade later, it's about to harvest its biggest ever crop.

Colombia managed to turn things around with significant government intervention, research into the disease and by planting varieties resistant to the fungus.

The battle, however, is not over.

Coffee rust -- or la roya as it's called in Latin America -- is a persistent problem, exacerbated by climate change. It's making coffee more and more expensive, while at the same time making it harder and harder for coffee producers to earn a living.

When the orange-hued spores appear on a tree, that tree sheds its leaves and stops producing coffee cherries. Just like that, the disease can devastate a country's coffee industry.

It happened across Central America in 2012, and traditional coffee producing countries like Guatemala still haven't recovered.

Honduras, now the world's third largest coffee producer, did bounce back. Experts say its because the Honduran government followed the Colombia model.

Both countries fund a central coffee authority. Others that don't, like El Salvador, which mostly left farmers to self-organize, haven't bounced back from the devastation. Unlike Honduras and Colombia, El Salvador's central authority is disorganized and ineffective.

Colombia's National Coffee Federation (the FNC) was ready in 2008 to give growers seeds from a brand-new variety of rust-resistant coffee to replant trees immediately. In the past few years, 45% of the 940,000 hectares of coffee farms in Colombia has been replanted with rust-resistant varieties, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service.

The FNC also provided technical support to growers. The technicians, known as "yellow shirts" for their uniforms, personally visit farmers to advise them on correct fungicidal application and other best practices.

And in a partnership with state-run banks, the FNC offers financial assistance for growers in the form of loans to fund improved farming techniques. These seven-year loans are designed to come due after the plants start producing.

"Coffee trees take three years to mature, which means farmers are missing income for three years," explained Hanna Neuschwander, communications director at World Coffee Research.

Because of the remedies, Colombia's coffee output rebounded from a low 8.5 million bags in 2008, to output of 14.5 million 60 kg (132 lbs) bags this year.

Related: 5 stunning facts about coffee

Like Colombia, Honduras has managed to thrive in recent years because of its central coffee authority, IHCAFE, which organizes loan programs and technical assistance for farmers.

The IHCAFE was able to pinpoint that the Lempira variety, common in Honduras, was susceptible to rust. The group was therefore able to research and breed alternatives.

And because Honduras' coffee industry is relatively young and the farms are smaller, it's cheaper to replace trees and easier to bounce back, said Jan von Enden, managing director at Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung, a foundation that works to provide tools and programs to help local coffee growers.

But even with robust support operations like FNC and IHCAFE, coffee rust is still a major problem.

Rust continues to defy research, mutating and appearing on varieties that were previously resistant. Even well-prepared Honduras can't escape this reality.

"It's a bit of an arms race," said Neuschwander.

For instance, it was previously believed that rust was avoidable in higher altitudes, where it's colder. But temperatures are rising higher up, developing more beneficial conditions for the spreading of rust spores.

"We don't know if the resistance will last for a long time," said von Enden. "Rust evolves, so we have to keep on breeding new varieties to keep the resistance up."
The White House director of media affairs, Helen Aguirre Ferre, told a Guatemalan news radio program that Guatemala's decade-long anti-corruption drive is "absolutely paramount" to improving the conditions there that contribute to migration to the United States.

Up until recently, Guatemala's anti-corruption probes have had broad bipartisan support in the US Congress. But with attacks ramping up against the investigations in Guatemala, and through lobbying in Washington, concerns are growing that President Donald Trump's administration and several prominent Republicans in the US Congress could be swayed to stop supporting the drive.

Business figures Central America Continents and regions Corruption Donald Trump Embassies and consulates Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Government departments and authorities Government organizations - US Guatemala Immigration Immigration, citizenship and displacement International relations International relations and national security Investigations Israel Jimmy Morales Latin America Middle East Middle East and North Africa North America Political Figures - Intl Political Figures - US Politics Sheldon Adelson Society State departments and diplomatic services The Americas United States US Congress US federal government White House

If Trump and members of Congress weaken US backing for Guatemala's fight against corruption, it will only worsen the purported immigration crisis they say they want to solve.

The number of migrants from Guatemala and its Central American neighbors El Salvador and Honduras entering the United States has in fact grown in recent years. So far this year, more Guatemalan families and unaccompanied children have been apprehended at the US border than in all of 2017.

Endemic corruption in Guatemala directly fuels the conditions that have forced tens of thousands of migrants to flee the country seeking safety and stability, often in the United States. With Guatemalan elites allegedly funneling government funds into their own pockets through fraud, bribery, money laundering, and irregular contracting of services, there has not been adequate investment in health care, education and other basic services. Public trust in the government has been decimated, while criminal networks and gangs have found boundless opportunities to expand and co-opt officials.

Corruption is also a key reason why Guatemala's government has been incapable of addressing the violence plaguing its communities or punishing offenders for crimes, which migrants often cite as reasons for fleeing to the United States.

Since the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (known as the CICIG) started work in 2007, CICIG investigators and Guatemalan prosecutors have successfully brought down criminal networks involving the richest and most powerful entrenched elites in the country who for decades have fleeced the government coffers, allowing poverty and insecurity to grow.

But powerful Guatemalan politicians and businessmen accused in the investigations have been repeatedly trying to undermine the CICIG and stop the investigations against them and their allies, including through recent overtures to Washington.

Among them is Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Although Morales ran his 2016 presidential campaign on the platform "not corrupt, not a thief," Guatemala's Attorney General's Office has since accused him and many in his inner circle of a range of corruption crimes.

In April, Guatemala's Attorney General's Office confirmed that they are investigating whether Morales might have received illicit campaign financing, including from a known drug trafficker. Morales has denied any wrongdoing. But in response, he began attacking the investigations at every turn, perhaps based on fears he might end up like his predecessor Otto Perez Molina, who was ousted, jailed and awaits trial on allegations, which he denies, of involvement in a wide-reaching network of corruption schemes.

According to CICIG head Ivan Velasquez Gomez, Morales' support for the commission has "ceased to exist" since he and his family members were accused. Last August, Morales tried and failed to expel Velasquez. But he may be having more success in his overtures to the United States.

For years, Morales and his allies have been lobbying hard in Washington against the anti-corruption drive. Recently, the Morales government and its allies have even taken steps to hire a US-based firm linked to Vice President Mike Pence to strengthen their relationship with Trump's administration.

Morales' administration has recently supported or turned a blind eye to several of Trump's controversial policies, particularly when it comes to Israel and immigration, which could be an attempt to curry favor and potentially support to undermine the anti-corruption investigations.

Morales recently followed Trump's lead in moving his country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Just days after the US embassy was relocated in mid-May, Guatemala became the first country in the world to follow suit.

Morales is an evangelical Christian and he and his administration have said that the embassy move was a show of support for Israel. But the mode of travel used to get there points to a deepening of ties with Trump's allies. Morales' foreign minister publicly acknowledged in May that the Guatemalan president and his delegation traveled to Israel for the opening in a jet owned by US magnate and major Trump campaign financier Sheldon Adelson.

Guatemala's Attorney General's Office is currently investigating whether or not the use of Adelson's plane by officials could be considered a bribe. But according to the foreign minister, Adelson did not cover the costs of the trip and the Morales administration's legal team determined beforehand that the use of the plane was not illegal. Adelson's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

But looking at the opening ceremony attendees suggests an overlap for Morales between his developing relationship with Trump's inner circle and his desire to dim scrutiny of corruption accusations against him and his family. Morales' brother and son both had to be temporarily released from house arrest for the occasion. The two are in the midst of a trial where they stand accused of fraud. They both deny any wrongdoing. Samuel Morales admits to facilitating the falsification of receipts to account for thousands of dollars defrauded from Guatemala's national property registry as a "favor" to his nephew, but said he did not benefit from the scheme.

Given the fact that Trump has repeatedly denounced investigations of him and his allies as a "witch hunt," it's easy to see how Morales could convince Trump's administration that the investigations in Guatemala are similarly "rigged," in spite of clear evidence to the contrary.

Beyond the Israel embassy move, Morales also appears to be throwing Trump a bone on immigration policies, likely motivated in part by concerns that Trump's administration could cut US aid to Guatemala, which the US President has threatened.

When it comes to US immigration policies that are ineffective at tackling root causes and harm Guatemalans, Morales has more often than not turned a blind eye. In the wake of the "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of babies and children from their parents, Morales stayed quiet for weeks, then said he "respected" the policy. Morales only condemned it after facing intense backlash from Guatemalans and in tweets from US Congresswoman Norma Torres.

Even then, the foreign minister for Morales' administration claimed after visiting several US immigrant detention centers that she "could see that they really treat the children very well" and insisted photographs of migrant children in cages were "fake." While US politicians and media outlets have discussed how best to describe what the photos depict, with some taking issue with the word "cages" to characterize the enclosed holding areas made of chain link fences -- the photos themselves are very real.

Although the Trump and Morales administrations both say they want to solve the causes and effects of Guatemalan migrants seeking refuge in the United States, it is concerning to see them building rapport around controversial policies that could potentially be leveraged into support against CICIG.

A growing contingent of prominent Republican members of Congress have recently begun to flip on the issue, with some questioning the CICIG's legitimacy and claiming without evidence that the UN-backed body has been corrupted. Congressional hearings have been held and Senator Marco Rubio, who calls Morales a "great friend," even capitalized on the moment to put a hold on US aid for the CICIG. The US government has provided nearly half of the CICIG's budget since its inception. A decision to withhold these funds could effectively shut down the commission, unless other donors step in.

A State Department spokesperson recently told McClatchy that any reforms to the CICIG "should only serve to strengthen the commission," but it's hard to see how changing the mandate one year before its expires would do anything but disrupt the commission's efforts to get corruption and impunity in check. Any changes to the mandate would have to be approved by the United Nations General Assembly and Guatemala's Congress. With one in five of these Congress members under investigation for corruption allegations, it's unlikely they would support a stronger mandate, given their recent efforts to pass a so-called "impunity pact" and protect Morales' immunity from prosecution.

Morales and other Guatemalan elites accused of corruption are likely thrilled that the previously solid US support for the CICIG is being dented by new opposition in both the White House and Congress. But among Guatemalans, the anti-corruption body is the country's most trusted institution.

If the Trump administration and the US Congress truly want to address gang violence and reduce the number of Central American migrants turning to the United States as a safe haven, ending corruption should be at the top of their agenda. If recent developments are any indication, it looks like that's unfortunately far from the case.
Julian Assange and his legal team are "seriously considering" a request from the US Senate Intelligence Committee for the WikiLeaks founder to testify on Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

A lawyer for Assange told CNN on Thursday that the request is being explored but only provided that his safety is assured.

Continents and regions Ecuador Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Government departments and authorities Government organizations - US Intelligence services International relations and national security Julian Assange Latin America Misc people National security Politics South America The Americas US Congress US Senate Eastern Europe Europe Investigations Russia Russia meddling investigation Non-profit and NGO organizations Northern Europe United Kingdom WikiLeaks

"The inquiry has asked for him to appear in person at a mutually agreeable time and place. We are seriously considering the offer but must ensure Mr Assange's protection is guaranteed," Jennifer Robinson, a member of Assange's legal team, said.

On Wednesday, WikiLeaks revealed in a tweet that the committee probing Russian election interference had sent a letter to 47-year-old Assange calling on him to make himself "available for a closed interview with bipartisan Committee staff."

The tweet included a copy of the letter delivered to Assange.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 following allegations of sexual assault in Sweden. Assange has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Swedish investigators eventually dropped the case last year, but Assange chose to remain in the embassy as British authorities could still detain him for violating bail conditions. It's unclear how he would testify in person in the US.

Assange could, in theory, testify via video conference but that would require internet access, which he currently does not have.

Ecuadorian authorities cut off his outside communications for a second time back in March, accusing him of failing to commit to an earlier agreement not to interfere with other nations' affairs.

"Ecuador's government warns that Assange's behavior through his social media messages puts in risk the good relationship the country has with the UK, other EU countries and other nations," read Ecuador's statement released in March.

The statement did not specify which message or messages, if any, violated the agreement.

WikiLeaks has denied that Assange had entered into any such deal with the Ecuadorian government.

On Thursday, Ecuador's foreign minister said Assange could testify with the help of technology, provided his remarks didn't interfere in other countries' politics.

"According to international law and the different conventions that regulate asylum, a person who has been granted asylum can't make any statements that could affect Ecuador's relationship with other countries or that could interfere in other countries internal matters," Jose Valencia said in an interview with Ecuador's El Universo newspaper.

Valencia also shed light on Assange's future, saying that his case was "complex" but that it needed to be solved.

"It is impossible to establish a deadline, but we hope to be solved as soon as possible," Valencia added. "Six years for a person to be inside a building with offices, which doesn't have the proper conditions for accommodation, is very difficult, and of course, our embassy works there, so it's also complex for them."

Valencia said that the country's relationship with the UK regarding the case was "fluid."

The foreign minister's remarks came weeks after Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno confirmed talks have been taking place with British authorities in regard to Assange's future.

"We are continually speaking with the British government, with the ambassador, their representative in Ecuador. The only person I have never spoken to is Mr. Assange," Moreno said in July.

But British Prime Minister Theresa May's government has played down any suggestion of Assange's departure from the embassy in the near future, telling CNN in July that no time frame had been discussed.
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - A man is accused of posing as a pastor and introducing drugs to people, specifically women.

The man is identified as Lee Hersey, 48.

Hes charged with four counts of sale of a schedule II controlled substance.

He was arrested on Tuesday, August 7 at the Corner Outlet Store in Shannon by Lee County deputies and North Mississippi Narcotics Unit agents.

This arrest was the result of a long-term undercover operation into the sale of Hydrocodone from the Corner Outlet Store.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson says Hersey would pose as a pastor on several occasions and used that role to counsel women.

Johnson says during the process, Hersey would introduce the victims to Hydrocodone.

Hersey appeared before a judge Thursday afternoon where his bond was set at $100,000.
SALTILLO, Miss. (WTVA) - Saltillo police felt more like Santa Claus on Thursday, loading the police cruiser with backpacks and school supplies to bless those involved in education, including media specialists and custodians.

Grant Bailey is the Saltillo police chief.

"It all starts at home in the beginning, but our teachers are the second most important in getting these children where they need to be," he said.

And like Santa, police also got some help.

The First Baptist Church in Saltillo and the United Methodist Church in Saltillo donated money to buy backpacks and school supplies.

The community also pitched in, donating additional supplies.

And Saltillo Pharmacy and Solutions also purchased $25 gift cards for each recipient.

Officer Deundre Poole said he was encouraged to think outside the box in coming up with the idea for Cram the Cruiser to support educators.

"With it being the beginning of the school year, we figured what better time than to salute those who go above and beyond," Poole said.

Administrators selected the deserving staff members, who were honored with a Rock Star certificate, a backpack with school supplies and a gift card.

Jennifer Rineheart teaches first grade at Saltillo Primary and was extremely touched by the gesture.

"It's wonderful to be recognized for something you do every day because you love children," Rineheart said.

At Saltillo High School, police surprised students in the special needs class.

Each one receiving their very own tiger backpack.

With tremendous community support, Saltillo police were able to fill 300 back packs with school supplies to be given to children in need.

Saltillo police also recognized staff at Saltillo Elementary and Guntown Middle School.
WALTON COUNTY, FL (RNN)  A member of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world was found dead after getting tangled in a bar stool near the beach on the Florida panhandle.

In a Facebook post, the nonprofit South Walton Turtle Watch posted pictures of the dead Kemps ridley sea turtle stuck in the legs of a bar stool.

She was a critical endangered Kemps and of course she was dead. Look at her head to see what she went through. Poor thing it must have been an awful death. Why can't we keep things off the beach at night? the post read.

A resident pulled the turtles body out of the ocean, a member of the group told WEAR.

The turtle's head was badly injured, probably as a result of its struggle with furniture that ended up in the Gulf of Mexico after either washing out to sea or falling off a boat, said Sharon Maxwell, who leads South Walton Turtle Watch, to the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Normally they would perform a necropsy (to determine how the turtle died), but she was too far gone, Maxwell said. Its really sad. Theres no way we can tell how or when she died. We hate it.

South Walton Turtle Watch, a group of volunteers who work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife to track and monitor sea turtles and their nests, said in its Facebook replies that the way to keep litter entrapment deaths from happening is to keep items off of the beach overnight.

"I've seen and pulled out of the water chairs and umbrellas left overnight. We've had storms come up, hard wind, lightening, etc. How many more things are now in Walton County waters that no one saw and took the time to pull out? The problem is easier to at least make a giant dent in if we get all the things off the beaches every single night!" the reply read.

The smallest of the sea turtles, Kemp's ridleys roam from the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

The number of Kemps ridley nests declined a great deal during the 20th century, from about 40,000 nests in 1947 to a low of 702 nests in 1985, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

Officials said the activities of man - including harvesting of turtles and eggs, as well as accidental capture in commercial fishing - are the reasons Kemps ridley turtles are endangered.

Conservation efforts have helped the sea turtles population recover, with more than 20,000 nests in 2011, most of those on the Mexican shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County requires all students to be vaccinated. Some parents believe the government should be better about informing the public about all of their options.

Under Florida Law, vaccinations are required of all students attending public school, but they're not mandatory.

According to Florida Law, children can be exempt from vaccinations if the child is unable to be vaccinated for a medical reason. The state of Florida allows exemptions for religious purposes.

"As with any medical intervention, there are benefits and also risk and nothing is one size fit all. They're are people, their bodies cannot handle the toxic load that vaccines put in them," said Mackenzie Fraser, Co-Founder of Health Freedom Florida.

Even though there are a few ways to stop your child from getting vaccinations, the Florida Department of Health says vaccinations are required because they are proven to prevent illnesses.

"Vaccination has been one of the most successful health endeavors," said Kristi Hamilton, Leon County Florida Department of Heath Clinic Manger. "Just think about Polio. It's no longer in existence in the United States and it's only in a couple of countries in the world. That's due to the power of vaccinations."

But not everyone agrees.

"It really boils down to an issue of informed consent and anything less than a hundred percent of the truth is not the truth," said James Fenn, Co-Founder of Health Freedom Florida. "You should be able to make a choice for you and your family based on that risk."

The Leon County School District says if your child doesn't get immunized and does not have an exemption, they will not be allowed to register for school until they satisfy the requirement.

According to Wallet Hub, 33 percent of the children in Florida do not have immunizations.
(WTXL) - The Georgia Department of Corrections has launched a homicide investigation after an inmate was found dead Wednesday morning at the Valdosta State Prison.

It's the sixth death of the year at the prison.

The victim, Joshua Roman, was sentenced in 2012 for child molestation and had a maximum release date of 2026.

Investigators believe he died from injuries he got during a fight with another inmate.

The details of that fight and Roman's autopsy results have not been released.

Roman's death is the sixth one reported at the prison this year. Excluding Roman's case, they were all ruled suicides.
VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) - A jury has returned a not guilty verdict in a Valdosta murder trial.

Around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, District Attorney Brad Shealy said Amy Auve was found not guilty in the 2017 death of her grandmother, Carmen Colorado.

Originally, Colorado's death appeared to be due to natural causes. But Lowndes County Coroner Austin Fiveash had suspicions and began investigating.

Detectives with the Valdosta Police Department also began their investigation, which took months and spread to multiple states.

After gathering evidence and giving it to the district attorney, it was presented to a grand jury.

In January, a Lowndes County grand jury indicted Auve, Colorado's estranged granddaughter, who was living in Texas.

At the end of January, Valdosta detectives went to Texas to arrest Auve and she was brought back to Georgia to stand trial for murder.

Brad Shealy, the district attorney representing Colorado, believes the evidence shown by the state medical examiner proves Colorado died from strangulation.

But, after more than a year of investigating, the case is now closed.

Copyright 2018 WALB. All rights reserved.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Teachers in Tallahassee are busy preparing for their students to soon fill their classrooms.

Fairview Middle School is expecting more than 800 students this school year.

Teachers are using this week to get their classrooms set up and prepare their lesson plans.

We spoke to one teacher who is new to Fairview Middle School and is eager to meet her new students.

"I'm really excited, I can barely sleep. I keep thinking about all the stuff I need to get done before they come," said 6th grade teacher Amanda Farrell. "I'm trying to get pencils and tags ready for when they come in they will have something on their desk as a gift as a welcome back. I'm just excited to see them and see how they are and let them know me."

Farrell is assigned to 28 students this year.

August 13 is the official first day of school.
LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Official primary election guides will be mailed to Leon County voters before they head to the polls later this month.

With over 200,000 registered voters, the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office feels direct mail is the best means to educate voters on what they need to know before they head to the polls.

Over the next week, the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office says voters can expect to find a guide in their mailbox before going to vote later this month.

The guide will include generic sample ballots, the official list of early voting sites, the official list of election day polling locations by precinct, ID requirements for voting, vote by mail information, Spanish language resources, and much more.

To view your specific sample ballot, visit www.LeonVotes.org and click the Your Voter Info button.

For more information call their office at (850)606-8683.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Wednesday in Tallahassee, Civil Rights activists from across the state, came to the Capital City to rally against Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.

The activists are fighting back against Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, saying it's being used to justify killings in the Sunshine State.

The push for change comes after Markeis McGlockton was shot and killed in Clearwater last month.

"We're talking about innocent lives and people who are committing murder and getting away with it. It's gotta stop now," said Lawson.

Political leaders and civil rights activists rallied against Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law at Bethel Baptist Church in Tallahassee.

The outrage sparked by video from a convenience store in Clearwater on July 19.

It shows 47-year-old Michael Drejka confronting Markeis McGlockton's girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, for parking in a handicapped spot.

McGlockton shoves Drejka to the ground, then Drejka shoots him.

McGlockton died, but Drejka hasn't been arrested or charged because the Pinellas County Sheriff believes the shooting is covered under the "stand your ground" law.

Jacobs says the man who shot her boyfriend, "got away with murder".

"My man was right, Markeis was right. He was just protecting us. He was a good man, a good father, and he didn't do anything wrong," said Jacobs. "He just tried to protect us."

This isn't the first time Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law has caused controversy.

It was the defense George Zimmerman used after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin six years ago.

A lot of people Wednesday compared that case with this recent shooting, saying the law simply is not working and needs to be repealed.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Nearly 450 students will be attending Tallahassee Classical School in Fall 2019.

The school just got the green light to open in Leon County after The Charter School Appeal Commission sided with them over the district on Thursday. This makes Tallahassee Classical School the fifth charter school in the district.

They will be opening as a K-8 school and hope to eventually add grades 9-12 as well.

"We're working vigorously behind the scenes to develop our website, to get our application live. We're working on scheduling some parent information sessions, which as soon as those are scheduled we will be sharing those with the community," said Adrienne Campbell, one of the founders of Tallahassee Classical School.

She says they're also working to finalize a location for the charter school.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A charter school that was denied opening in Leon County, won its appeal Thursday morning.

Leon County School Board members previously voted unanimously to deny Tallahassee Classical School, as well as another charter school, Plato Academy.

In response, the Tallahassee Classical School appealed to the Florida Department of Education, and won.

Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna said he was disappointed in the results Thursday.

"We're disappointed but we learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in the future, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I wasn't fighting to protect the traditional public schools system here in Leon County," said Hanna. "And you know, you don't fight a fight because you know you can win, you fight because it's something you believe in and that's exactly what we did today."

The school now has a year to identify a location, set up a lottery system, and hire staff.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A charter school that was denied opening in Leon County is taking the next steps to appeal that decision Thursday.

The Tallahassee Classical School isn't giving up their mission to open. On Thursday will be the first of two appeal hearings to get the school up and running.

Leon County School Board members voted unanimously to deny Tallahassee Classical School as well as another chater school, Plato Academy.

The school board did express willingness to work with the school in the future.

But the school is taking that decision to the Florida Department of Education, looking to see results more quickly.

The women behind the school say the community is fully behind them.

That hearing is at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Florida Department of Education.

The other school that wasn't approved, Plato Academy, is not appealing the decision by the school board despite initial plans to do so.
THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) - Firefighters from all over the country are heading to California and Utah including some from south Georgia.

Thomas County deployed two volunteer firefighters to each state to assist with the wildfires.

Officials in California say there are at least 15 major wildfires in the state.

Thomas County Fire Chief, Chris Jones, says the department is proud to have two capable firefighters to help those in need hundreds of miles away.

"Firefighters are very unique and they're willing to go wherever they need to go and do whatever they need to do to help people and protect property," said Jones.

Jones says one firefighter will return to Thomas County on August 21.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is thanking a young girl for her fundraising efforts to help the victims of the Eastpoint fire.

In response to the tragedy that occurred back in June, 10-year-old Brenlea Thornton, of Washington County, also known as "cupcake girl," made cupcakes to help the victims.

On Monday, Franklin County Sheriff, A.J. Smith, checked his mail and to his surprise a check for $2,120 was there from Thornton's cupcake sale.

In a Facebook post, FCSO said: "Everyone in the office was extremely humbled by this young heart and her willingness to help others. We cant say enough about the generosity of people through this tragedy, however when young people get involved, it makes the world seem right."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-08 23:55:27|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with representatives of atomic bombing victims in Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 8, 2018. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a world free of nuclear weapons when meeting with representatives of atomic bombing victims here on Wednesday. The UN chief arrived in Japan on Tuesday for his second visit since he took the current portfolio. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

NAGASAKI, Japan, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a world free of nuclear weapons when meeting with representatives of atomic bombing victims here on Wednesday.

"When we see a lack of commitment to (nuclear) disarmament, to amplify the voice of the surviving victims becomes more and more important," Guterres told representatives of the atomic bombing victims.

He said that the UN would make joint efforts with these victims of atomic bombing to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

The UN chief arrived in Japan on Tuesday for his second visit since he took the current portfolio. He had a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo Wednesday morning.

To accelerate Japan's surrender in WWII, the U.S. forces dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945. Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces on Aug. 15, 1945, bringing an end to the war.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2018-08-09 09:37:42|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

By Khamla Phanouvong

Liupanshui, a city in southwest Chinas Guizhou Province is developing tourism and agriculture industries to effectively alleviate poverty.

Over 4,000 residents now sell agricultural products and their expected income has risen to around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan (about 293 to 440 U.S. dollars) per month, Zhu Meicong, a tour guide in a Yi minority village near Liupanshui, told journalists of the 2018 Liupanshui Belt and Road & ASEAN Media Tour.

The majority of tourists come from Chinas Hainan Province and Malaysia, Zhu said.

Lanten, a local tourism company, now provides villagers with jobs as well as the company shares. Gu Yungu, a 33-year-old Tuole villager who works with the company, said she now earns a monthly salary of about 3,000 yuan (about 440 U.S. dollars).

During summer, around 100,000 tourists visit this area every month.

Tourists of all ages come to enjoy the relaxing village environment, with elderly tourists arriving on holiday for an average of two weeks, whereas young people only stay for a few days as they must get back to cities and towns for work.

In the past, locals in this village relied heavily on agriculture, making money from their land that was often unreliable. However, now they have income both from selling agricultural products as well as from becoming shareholders in the local tourism industry.

Another such village, Tuole of Panzhou City, has adopted the same three transformation strategies to help its villagers get rid of poverty: transforming resources to assets, capital to equity and farmers into shareholders.

Many Tuole villagers have enjoyed direct and indirect benefits from tourism, operated by the Ginko Tourism Investment Company, an enterprise created two years ago. The company helps Tuole villagers create more than a thousand different products which are then sold throughout Guizhou Province.

The company has invested 1.5 billion yuan in tourism development and Tuoles agricultural industry for a number of years, benefiting the entire population of 5,000 people.

Products that are grown here, such as the red-hearted kiwifruit, can be supplied to different companies to make other products, said the deputy manager of Ginkgo Tourism Investment Company, adding that after two years the livelihood of locals has dramatically improved.

Tao Zhengxue, chief executive of Niangniangshan Plateau Wetland Eco-agriculture, Tourism Development Co. Ltd., said that just six years earlier, people here were suffering from poverty. With the help of the central government, local government implemented three transformation strategies which eliminated poverty.

Niangniangshan focuses on three objectives: improving the agricultural industry by growing fruit in the best way possible, improving the living conditions of local people and developing industries in the region. Local people sell a variety of products including prickly pears, blueberries and red-hearted kiwifruit. All achievements we have gained today are thanks to the Communist Party of China, Tao added.

Chinas 40 years of reform and opening-up has so far lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty and pushed the country forward, now ranking as the worlds second-largest economy.

Liupanshuis natural environment is well preserved and charming. Known for its cool summer months and fresh air Liupanshui attracts many Chinese tourists wishing to escape the summer hot. Last year, Liupanshui received more than 30 million visitors and saw over 20 billion yuan in revenue from tourism.

Guizhou has a plethora of unique sites to visit, including Changjiaomiao minority village, the Zangke River and the Ginkgo forest in Tuole village, and boasts activities for all families including a 10-kilometer cable way and even a ski resort.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 01:31:04|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 02:41:18|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Wednesday reiterated the importance of combating illicit financial flows for Africa's better future.

The call was made by ECA's Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, who reiterated that combating bribery, money laundering and tax evasion should be a priority if Africa has to finance its transition to middle income status and increase prosperity.

According to the ECA, in the last three decades to 2009, Africa has lost an estimated close to 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars. In addition, losses through non-trade channels averaged an estimated 27 billion U.S. dollars annually between 2005 and 2014.

The African continent, under the leadership of the African Union (AU), has been following the issue of illicit financial flow at the highest level by through the appointment of the High Panel led by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, which are actively engaging stakeholders to curb the flow of much needed resources from the continent.

According to the report of President Mbeki's high-level panel on illicit financial flow, the continent loses between 50 billion U.S. dollars and 80 billion U.S. dollars a year due to illicit financial flows.

The ECA chief further called governments to take action on several fronts, in which leadership level commitment is said to be a critical demonstrative effect. As such governments should aggressively investigate and prosecute money launderers and companies that evade taxes.

The UN estimated that the amount Africa loses through illicit financial flows is roughly double the Official Development Assistance that Africa receives, and also outweighs the 42 billion U.S. dollars that the continent received in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2017, according to the ECA.

"For a continent that needs substantial financial resources to meet its development needs, we should celebrate our accountability agencies, the auditor general, the chief justice and the media to support the collective effort," the ECA quoted Songwe as saying on Wednesday.

"Songwe further asked for more integrity and transparency among leaders and officials of the public and private institutions through asset declarations; and urged African countries to sign up to the international tax information treaties to enable exchange of information," the ECA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Countries should also build human and technological capacities of agencies tasked with tackling illicit financial flows, and institute information sharing and collaboration between relevant government agencies and ministries," she said.

The ECA chief further applauded countries that have ratified existing global and continental initiatives on halting illicit financial flows.

The AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Albert Muchanga, had also previously revealed that Africa loses in excess of 80 billion U.S. dollars annually from illicit financial flows, which he described as "impediment to Africa's economic transformation."

Muchanga mentioned over-invoicing and mispricing to avoid paying taxes and declaring dividends as well as accumulating all the benefits of mining in other jurisdictions as examples of creative accounting.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 03:21:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GENEVA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss Federal Roads Office announced Wednesday that the new Audi A6 and A7 3.0-litre diesel cars have been refused authorization to drive in Switzerland due to tampering with their anti-pollution control systems.

The vehicles are from Audi's C7 generation, which comply with the Euro 6 standard.

The Federal Roads Office said in a statement posted on its website that the cars have been equipped with illicit devices that tamper with the purification of exhaust fumes.

The emissions scandal involving German car makers first came to light in 2015 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of equipping 11 million of its diesel vehicles with software that falsifies the results of anti-pollution tests, the Swiss News Agency, SDA-ATS reported.

These allowed the cars to conceal emissions of up to 40 times authorized levels.

The Audi vehicles named by the roads' office will only be registered in Switzerland as new vehicles once they comply with pollution requirements, the office said.

The ban only concerns Audi vehicles imported starting next week.

"Vehicles already registered in Switzerland are not affected by the registration ban and may, therefore, continue to be driven or to be put on sale on the second-hand market," said the statement.

The 2018 and 2019 models of the Audi A6 and A7 (C8 generation) are not affected.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 03:41:30|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2018 shows a general view of the United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Iraq at the UN headquarters in New York. The United Nations on Wednesday urged Iraqi political leaders to seize the opportunity to speed up the national government formation. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday urged Iraqi political leaders to seize the opportunity to speed up the national government formation.

Jan Kubis, UN secretary-general's special representative for Iraq, urged Iraq's political leaders "to listen to the voice of the people, seize the opportunity and accelerate the process of formation of a patriotic, inclusive and non-sectarian national government that will put all the rich resources of Iraq at the disposal and for the benefit of its people, and will ensure full sovereignty and real independence of Iraq, free from foreign interference."

Following the parliamentary elections on May 12, complaints and allegations of electoral fraud and mismanagement resulted in the decision to conduct a partial manual ballot recount, thereby delaying establishment of a new government, he said.

Kubis told the Security Council that he welcomed the orderly, transparent, credible and well-organized conduct of the recount.

He also provided details of the public demonstrations that started on July 8, in Basra Governorate, which subsequently escalated and spread to other southern governorates.

Although the scale of protest has now decreased, he added, demonstrations are far from over, including around major oil installations in Basra.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 04:11:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

KHARTOUM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Ministers of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in Africa (IGAD) member states will hold an emergency meeting in Khartoum on South Sudan's peace talks, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"IGAD's foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Khartoum on Thursday regarding preparations for launching a new round of talks between South Sudan's conflicting parties," Mohamed Abdalla Idris, the foreign minister, said in a statement Wednesday.

This new round of South Sudan's peace talks was supposed to be hosted by Kenya, but the latter announced that it relinquished the hosting for Khartoum.

Idris said the meeting would discuss the time matrix for implementing the South Sudan peace deal reached in Khartoum and arrange the priorities on the outstanding issues which have not yet been completed.

South Sudan's conflicting parties, on Aug. 5, signed a final deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on power-sharing and security arrangements.

The deal was signed by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, major opposition leader Riek Machar and representatives of other South Sudanese opposition factions.

It stipulates that Kiir will continue his post during the transitional period, while Machar will be the first vice president among the four vice presidents from different political parties.

Under the agreement, the transitional cabinet would be composed of 35 ministers, including 20 ministers from the government, and nine from Machar-led Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

The deal stipulates a transitional national legislative body would be composed of 550 members, with 332 from the government, and 128 from the SPLM-IO.

South Sudan has been witnessing a civil war since December 2013, which has left about 10,000 dead and millions of others displaced.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 04:11:39|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan on Wednesday met with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal as the two sides' diplomatic wrangle over an American pastor remains unsolved.

In a brief statement, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Sullivan and Onal "discussed a range of bilateral matters including Pastor Brunson."

Earlier on Tuesday, Nauert said in a press briefing that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had spoken on Monday with his Turkish counterpart, without giving more details.

The U.S. Treasury last week sanctioned Turkish Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu, saying they had "played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson."

In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry vowed to "retaliate" against U.S. "aggression" over the case of Andrew Brunson "without any delay," and called on Washington to reverse its decision.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 04:36:44|Editor: ZX

Video Player Close

Jack Ma (4th L), Executive Chair of Alibaba Group and Co-chair of the Paradise Foundation presents an award to an African ranger during the 2018 Ranger Awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on Aug. 7, 2018. The African Ranger Awards was 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. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's Chairman Ma Yun launched on Wednesday here the Netpreneur Prize to support exemplary African business leaders.

The prize was presented at a conference dubbed Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa's Digital Lions.

The prize will award 10 million U.S. dollars to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years focused on grassroots innovation, economic empowerment of women and small business.

"As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the importance of getting support during the early days," said Ma. "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."

Starting from 2019, the Jack Ma Foundation will host annual pitch competition, with 10 finalists selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for 1 million U.S. dollars in prize money.

All 10 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 community's shared expertise, best practices and resources.

Ma said, "I am inspired and encouraged by these entrepreneurs who, together, will help build a sustainable, inclusive economy for Africa and for the world."

He said that he was inspired to launch the initiative when he visited Africa for the first time last year and inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.

Ma encouraged the youth to dream big and be innovative.

He stated that Africa is a continent of many opportunities with a vibrant young population and potential entrepreneurs.

"This land is full of chance, opportunities and dreams," he said. "This is where the future is, high praise for our beautiful continent."

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the initiative will enable Africa to realize its dreams.

"With the rapid development of the global digital economy and the availability of technology, the next century belongs to Africa," said Ban. "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 secretary-general of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mukhisa Kituyi, weighed in his support for the program.

"The rise of the digital economy provides growth and opportunity to the developing world," he said. "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."

This is the second initiative launched by 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.

A total of 52 African entrepreneurs have participated in this two-week fellowship at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that the country will impose new sanctions on Russia over the alleged poison attack of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter.

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 claims the pair was exposed to a nerve agent and holds Russia responsible, while the Russian government has denied any involvement in it.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 06:47:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that they have responded to the latest proposal from special counsel Robert Mueller over a potential interview with the president as part of the wide-ranging Russia probe.

"We have responded in writing to the latest proposal from Office of Special Counsel regarding the request to interview the President," Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said in a statement. "It is not appropriate, at this time, to comment publicly about the content of that response."

Rudy Giuliani, another lawyer for the president, reportedly rejected Mueller's terms.

Trump's legal team has also suggested a narrow path for answering questions and do not want the president to be asked by investigators about whether he obstructed justice, according to The New York Times, citing sources familiar with matter.

The two sides have gone back and forth for months over the scope and conditions of an interview with Trump, raising speculation that Mueller would seek a subpoena for the president, a move set to prompt a high-stakes legal battle.

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

Mueller's team has questions for Trump over the firing of FBI Director James Comey last year and his public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia investigation against the president's wishes.

It was reported earlier this month that Mueller has offered to reduce the number of obstruction-related questions that investigators would ask the president but wants obstruction to be addressed in person, not just in written answers.

Giuliani said Wednesday that millions of pages of documents have been provided to Mueller along with testimony from dozens of witnesses, while reiterating a call for ending the Russia inquiry "without further delay."

Since Mueller began to lead the probe in May 2017, he has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides.

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, is facing trial for bank and tax fraud in federal court in state of Virginia.

As the Russia probe continues with no immediate end in sight, Trump and his political allies have in recent months ratcheted up pressure on Mueller and his team.

The president escalated his attacks against the Russia probe last week, urging Sessions to shut down inquiry overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a defender of the special counsel.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 06:57:22|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

BRASILIA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, presidential candidate of the Workers' Party (PT), leads a pre-election poll in the state of Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

The poll shows Lula has 21.8 percent support among voters in the state, which is the country's most populous.

According to polling firm MDA Institute, Jair Bolsonaro of the conservative Social Liberal Party, is in second place with 18.4 percent, followed by the ex-Governor of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin of the Social Democracy Party, with 14 percent.

Ex-Minister of the environment Marina Silva, of the Sustainability Network, had 6.7 percent support, slightly more than ex-Minister of national integration Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labor Party, who had 5 percent.

The number of undecided voters increased to 26.8 percent with only two months to go before the Oct. 7 vote.

The poll also found that 50.4 percent of voters said they had little or no interest in the elections, while 21.7 percent were very interested.

Lula continues to be the favorite to win despite being behind bars, serving a 12-year sentence for corruption. He denies any wrongdoing and supporters say the trial aimed to prevent his reelection.

He is likely to be disqualified from running by the electoral court, since Brazilian law bars anyone convicted of a crime from running for elected office, but the PT said it plans to register him anyway.

The party has also chosen a backup candidate, ex-Minister of education and ex-Mayor of the city of Sao Paulo, Fernando Haddad.

With Lula out of the scenario, Bolsonaro's lead widens slightly to 18.9 percent, followed by Alckmin with 15 percent.

The pollster surveyed 2,002 registered voters between August 2 and 5 across 75 cities in Sao Paulo.

The poll has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points and a 95 percent accuracy rate.
This Wasn't The First Plastic Gun Panic

By David Kopel. August 7th, 2018

Have you heard about the "undetectable plastic gun"? The gun control lobbies call it is "tailor-made for terrorism." The Washington Post reports that a state sponsor of terrorism is already attempting to obtain these guns. A Post columnist warns that the police "vehemently oppose the introduction of plastic guns into our armed society." Newsweek predicts the NRA will face a member revolt for opposing legislation to ban plastic guns: "This time the gun lobby may have shot itself in the foot."

The above is not today's news. It's the news from 1985 to 1988, the years of the first plastic gun panic. The supposed "plastic gun" was the Glock pistol, which contains more than a pound of metal, and is easily identified by metal detectors.

Today, millions of Americans own Glock pistols, and they are widely recognized as among the most common and ordinary of handguns. But back in 1985, the Glock was brand new, and the gun control lobbies found a brand new opportunity to terrify the American public. Many politicians and much of the press were eager to embrace the panic. Congress came close to enacting a wide-ranging gun ban.

This article tells the story of the first plastic gun panic.... .......

Many don't know or may have forgotten, all the paranoia that developed when Glock "went plastic". As with the recent paranoia over 3D printed firearms, much revolved around the erroneously perceived lack of detectability which eventually resulted in the "Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988". From a practical and safety point of view anyways, no functional firearm can (as yet) be without any metal - ergo it is detectable!

"You don't have to be Jewish to fight by our side."

You just have to love freedom.

 2018 JPFO All rights reserved.

jpfo@jpfo.org

1-800-869-1884

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership

12500 NE 10th Pl.

Bellevue, WA 98005 USA

"America's most aggressive defender of civil rights"

We make the NRA look like moderates

Join JPFO

Back to Top


Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 08:10:38|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

A doctor examines a man during a free eye treatment in Sanaa, Yemen, on Aug. 8, 2018. Dozens of people received free eye treatments provided by a local humanitarian organization here on Wednesday. Because of the ongoing war in Yemen, millions of people live in abject poverty and cannot afford enough food or health service. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 09:07:40|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

Relatives mourn during the funeral of Palestinian pregnant woman and her 18-month-old baby girl who were killed by Israeli airstrikes, in central Gaza Strip town of Deir el-Ballah, on Aug. 9, 2018. An Israeli airstrike on a house in central Gaza Strip early Thursday killed a pregnant mother and her baby girl while wounding the father, Gaza's Health Ministry said. (Xinhua/Stringer)

GAZA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli airstrike on a house in central Gaza Strip early Thursday killed a pregnant mother and her baby girl while wounding the father, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said in a statement that the 23-year-old woman was pregnant in her ninth month and her daughter was one and a half years old.

Al-Qedra said the 27-year-old husband, Mohamed Khamash, was moderately injured in the Israeli war jet attack on their house in the town of Deir el-Ballah.

Earlier on Wednesday night, 30-year-old Hamas armed wing member Ali al-Ghandour was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his car when driving in northern Gaza city. Al-Qedra confirmed his death, adding that eight more civilians were injured in the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Gaza Hamas-led militants fired more than 100 rockets and projectiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel, while Israeli war jets carried out dozens of airstrikes on military posts and facilities that belong to Islamic Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad.

Israeli media reported that more than nine Israelis injured and dozens were treated for mental-trauma after dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.

Hamas sources said the current efforts by international parties towards a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel have so far failed to end the hostilities between them.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 09:42:48|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the United States has become an "unreliable" state in the eyes of the international community, which honors none of its commitments, according to Press TV.

Under the current circumstances, friendly countries should stand together and boost their cooperation, Rouhani said at a meeting with visiting Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Ri Yong-ho.

Iran is willing to expand relations and cooperation on all fronts with the global community, including Pyongyang, Rouhani added.

Iran also seeks peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and attaches significance to developments in that region, he added.

The DPRK foreign minister criticized the U.S. decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran as a wrong move, saying the measure runs counter to international law.

Ri arrived in Tehran Tuesday for an official visit.

Earlier he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues.
by Abu Hanifah

MATARAM, Indonesia, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Doctors in a hospital, RSUD Mataram, ran by Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government, are work around the clock to serve those injured from the quake-hit areas across the leisure island of Lombok.

They pertinently treat patients who are now placed in tents set up in the hospital's parking lot and the backyard as the hospital's multi-floor building was significantly affected by the 7-magnitude earthquake which struck on Sunday.

Cracks are seen in most parts of the hospital walls that are likely to collapse if there will be another earthquake occurring in the island.

The hospital senior staff said that the management board decided to take all the patients out of their wards and place them outside the hospital buildings shortly after the strong earthquake jolted the premises for the safety of both the doctors and patients.

Medical instruments for surgeries have also been moved out of the hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU) with life-supporting devices for the patients having serious injuries has also been set up in a tent in the parking lot.

"This facility is enough to handle patients suffering from fractures and related wounds from the earthquake. We have just operated on a patient with fracture in his leg due to the earthquake," Head of RSUD Mataram Service Management Emiral Isfahan told Xinhua in the hospital on Tuesday.

Due to the emergency situation, he said that the hospital could not provide advanced medical service that requires high technology equipment as the instruments set up in the hospital yard are the portable ones.

"Our advanced technology instruments are still inside the building. It is not easy for us to move them out as they were installed while the buildings were under construction. For those who need to get served by those equipment, we recommend them to go to other hospitals that have the similar equipment," he added.

The tent quality is another issue faced by the hospital as it is barely qualified to carry out certain medical services for particular patients.

"Now the only thing we can do is to maximize its function and making it good enough to support our medical activities. We are still communicating with other related institutions due to the tent quality problem," he said.

The current emergency situation has also forced the hospital to reorganize its working shifts for all the human resources working in the hospital.

He said that all the doctors working in the hospital have been told to be on standby 24 hours, with working shift schedules around the clock set to serve the injured from the earthquake.

"We have reorganized the working shifts to four around the clock. Doctors who are off duty are also told to respond quickly when they are called to handle particular situation here," Emiral said, adding that the number of hospital's doctors stand at around 1,000 at present.

The shift reorganization includes the deployment of doctors by the health ministry to serve in the quake-hit province, he added.

Patients with bandages in the head and legs are seen lying in the beds in large tents and some of them are accompanied by their families. Some of them seem hardly able to withstand the pain from the wounds they suffer.

Patients with lighter injures are allocated to semi opened tents, while those who need more intensive medical care are placed in the large and closed tents.

Among the patients in recovery period is Mala, a 37-year-old female who gave birth at the time when the strong earthquake took place.

She said the earthquake occurred when the doctors were about to start the caesarean procedure on her.

"I was evacuated from the operation room with the whole supporting equipment attached to my body. The doctors were not panic to respond to the earthquake. They kept calm to do the operation amid the aftershocks," she recalled the unique birth experience of her second child.

The doctors applied local anesthesia procedure on her stomach that made her still aware of the developing situation around her.

During the aftershocks, she said the doctors continued to console her and kept watching around the tents to anticipate possible worse situation that could happen at that time.

"The operation ran smoothy and I was entirely safe," she said happily.

She planned to go back to her house located in East Lombok within the next few days. She added that her house is among the ones that are not affected by the earthquake

Indonesian Health Minister Nila Moeloek has said in different occasions that hospitals in the province have conducted operations for 135 persons who suffered fracture and injuries in the earthquake.

The health ministry has sent 60 orthopedics and 78 specialist doctors to hospitals in Lombok following the Sunday's earthquake, she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 10:13:03|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

MOSCOW, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Four Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) servicemen were killed in an avalanche in Caucasus mountains, Sputnik news agency reported Wednesday, citing a Rosgvardia statement.

"Four contract servicemen were tragically killed due to an avalanche during regular training in the mountain region of Kabardino-Balkaria," the statement said.

A group of Rosgvardia officers have left the headquarters for the scene to investigate and a recovery of the bodies has been arranged, according to the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 10:23:05|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

YANGON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Vice President U Henry Van Thio has called for setting up a coordinating body to speed up the rehabilitation in flood-affected regions and identify disaster-affected areas, Myanmar News Agency reported Thursday.

U Henry Van Thio, who chairs the National Natural Disaster Management Committee, urged for identifying a region as disaster-affected in accordance with existing laws and bylaws.

The committee is performing protection, search and rescue operation, aid and rehabilitation procedures.

For the past several weeks, heavy floods have occurred, causing hazardous situation throughout the affected states and regions, especially in Tanintharyi, Kayin, Mon, Bago and Magway.

Triggered by heavy rainfall, the severe flooding has killed at least 12 people in southern part of Myanmar, forcing 132,972 people to displace.

The affected people are being evacuated to 300 temporary camps.

Due to torrential downpour and strong wind, houses, bridges and roads were destroyed in low-lying areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 10:38:06|Editor: mym

Video Player Close

DHAKA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 11th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign secondary school students was held at the studio of a leading private Bangladeshi television channel here on Wednesday.

The competition featured diverse performances including speeches, dancing, martial arts and contemporary music.

Dozens of students applied to attend the competition titled "Learn Chinese language and spread friendship around the world" from a number of leading Bangladeshi institutions.

The Chinese embassy in Dhaka, Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) and Bangladeshi CRI-SMF Confucius Classroom jointly organized the competition in association with Bangladesh's Dhaka University Confucius Institute and North South University Confucius Institute.

Some of the students who win the preliminary rounds held in their respective countries finally qualify to go to China for the finals.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 10:48:08|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Two BMW vehicles sold in South Korea caught fire again on Thursday, increasing the total number of fire accidents from the German luxury vehicles to 36 in 2018 alone, according to local media reports.

A BMW 320d model caught fire at about 8:50 a.m. local time (2350 GMT Wednesday) on a highway in Uiwang city, just south of the capital Seoul.

The vehicle was gutted by fire completely and no one was hurt. The driver reportedly said the fire broke out while he was driving. Firefighters rushed to the scene and put out the fire in about 15 minutes.

The other BMW 730Ld model was destroyed completely by a fire that broke out at about 7:50 a.m. local time on a highway in Sacheon city.

The fire was extinguished by firefighters in about 10 minutes. No one was hurt from the incident.

The driver reportedly said he pulled over to change seats with his fellow passenger before finding smoke from the vehicle's exhaust pipe. The fellow passenger said he saw a spark from an engine area.

The German automaker announced a voluntary recall of 106,317 vehicles on July 26, but BMW models catching fire continued to be reported even from the vehicles not subject to the recall.

The number of BMW owners taking legal action kept rising. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation Kim Hyun-mee said Wednesday that she was considering the order to stop the owners of fire-prone BMW vehicles from driving.

The BMW identified the fault of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), or a component to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions of diesel engines, as the main cause of fire in the engine compartment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 10:58:11|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

OTTAWA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that Canada will always stand up for human rights, as the dispute over the issue with Saudi Arabia escalated.

Trudeau told a press conference in Montreal that Canadians have always expected his government to speak strongly, firmly, clearly and politely about the need to respect human rights at home and around the world.

"We will continue to stand up for Canadian values and indeed for universal values and human rights at any occasion," Trudeau said in his first response so far to the dispute that caused tensions in bilateral ties between Ottawa and Riyadh. "That is something I will always do," he added.

The diplomatic row erupted following a tweet by the Canadian foreign ministry urging the kingdom to "immediately release" detained women's rights activists.

The prime minister's comments came just hours after Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir ruled out the possibility for mediation and warned of more punishment against Canada.

"There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected," al-Jubeir said.

Trudeau told reporters that Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had a long conversation with al-Jubeir Tuesday, and that diplomatic talks were still going on.

On Friday, the Canadian foreign ministry tweeted, "Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of 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."

Badawi's brother, Raif Badawi, is a prominent blogger. He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia for "insulting Islam through electronic channels."

His wife and children live in the Canadian province of Quebec and are Canadian citizens.

The Saudi foreign ministry published a statement on Twitter on Sunday saying the Canadian statement "is a blatant interference in the Kingdom's domestic affairs, against basic international norms and all international protocols."

"It is a major, unacceptable affront to the Kingdom's laws and judicial process, as well as a violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty," the statement read.

Over the past few days, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador, froze new trade and investment in Canada, withdrew some 16,000 Riyadh-funded students from Canada, and announced a suspension of Saudi Arabian Airlines flights to and from Toronto.

The Financial Times reported Wednesday that Saudi central bank and state pension funds have instructed their overseas assets managers to dispose of their Canadian equities, bonds and cash holdings "no matter the cost," citing two anonymous sources.

The worsening ties also cast doubt on the future of the 15-billion-Canadian-dollar (about 11.5 billion U.S. dollars) deal in which Canada will supply Saudi Arabia with armored vehicles.

"Obviously Canada will always stand up for our workers and our companies. We need to make sure that we're protecting Canadian interests in any situation," Trudeau said, skirting the direct economic impact on his country.

Saudi Arabia is Canada's 19th largest trading partner and the source of some 10 percent of Canadian crude oil imports. Bilateral trade between the two countries amounts to nearly 4 billion Canadian dollars (about 3 billion dollars) annually.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 11:08:13|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila's decision not to run for reelection "progress."

Guterres' deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, told reporters at a regular briefing that they did take note of the government's announcement that Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary had been designated as the ruling coalition's candidate for the presidency.

"We welcome the continued progress toward the holding of free, fair and peaceful elections on Dec. 23 in accordance to the Constitution," said Haq.

A former interior minister, Shadary is now the permanent secretary of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy.

Shadary's nomination as the presidential candidate ends several months of rumors about the future of Kabila, whose second and last term expired at the end of 2016.

Kabila, 47, has been in office since 2001, replacing his assassinated father Laurent Kabila.

Officials from the European Union, the United States and several regional countries have objected to his running for a third term.
Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2018 shows an aerial view of Lombok island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

by Abu Hanifah

MATARAM, Indonesia, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Doctors in a hospital, RSUD Mataram, ran by Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government, are work around the clock to serve those injured from the quake-hit areas across the leisure island of Lombok.

They pertinently treat patients who are now placed in tents set up in the hospital's parking lot and the backyard as the hospital's multi-floor building was significantly affected by the 7-magnitude earthquake which struck on Sunday.

People receive treatment at a temporary tent at a hospital in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, on Aug. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Agung Kuncahya B.)

Cracks are seen in most parts of the hospital walls that are likely to collapse if there will be another earthquake occurring in the island.

The hospital senior staff said that the management board decided to take all the patients out of their wards and place them outside the hospital buildings shortly after the strong earthquake jolted the premises for the safety of both the doctors and patients.

Medical instruments for surgeries have also been moved out of the hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU) with life-supporting devices for the patients having serious injuries has also been set up in a tent in the parking lot.

"This facility is enough to handle patients suffering from fractures and related wounds from the earthquake. We have just operated on a patient with fracture in his leg due to the earthquake," Head of RSUD Mataram Service Management Emiral Isfahan told Xinhua in the hospital on Tuesday.

Due to the emergency situation, he said that the hospital could not provide advanced medical service that requires high technology equipment as the instruments set up in the hospital yard are the portable ones.

"Our advanced technology instruments are still inside the building. It is not easy for us to move them out as they were installed while the buildings were under construction. For those who need to get served by those equipment, we recommend them to go to other hospitals that have the similar equipment," he added.

The tent quality is another issue faced by the hospital as it is barely qualified to carry out certain medical services for particular patients.

"Now the only thing we can do is to maximize its function and making it good enough to support our medical activities. We are still communicating with other related institutions due to the tent quality problem," he said.

The current emergency situation has also forced the hospital to reorganize its working shifts for all the human resources working in the hospital.

He said that all the doctors working in the hospital have been told to be on standby 24 hours, with working shift schedules around the clock set to serve the injured from the earthquake.

"We have reorganized the working shifts to four around the clock. Doctors who are off duty are also told to respond quickly when they are called to handle particular situation here," Emiral said, adding that the number of hospital's doctors stand at around 1,000 at present.

The shift reorganization includes the deployment of doctors by the health ministry to serve in the quake-hit province, he added.

Patients with bandages in the head and legs are seen lying in the beds in large tents and some of them are accompanied by their families. Some of them seem hardly able to withstand the pain from the wounds they suffer.

A relative pushes a patient to an emergency tent outside the Tanjung hospital in Lombokisland, Indonesia, on Aug. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

Patients with lighter injures are allocated to semi opened tents, while those who need more intensive medical care are placed in the large and closed tents.

Among the patients in recovery period is Mala, a 37-year-old female who gave birth at the time when the strong earthquake took place.

She said the earthquake occurred when the doctors were about to start the caesarean procedure on her.

"I was evacuated from the operation room with the whole supporting equipment attached to my body. The doctors were not panic to respond to the earthquake. They kept calm to do the operation amid the aftershocks," she recalled the unique birth experience of her second child.

The doctors applied local anesthesia procedure on her stomach that made her still aware of the developing situation around her.

During the aftershocks, she said the doctors continued to console her and kept watching around the tents to anticipate possible worse situation that could happen at that time.

"The operation ran smoothy and I was entirely safe," she said happily.

She planned to go back to her house located in East Lombok within the next few days. She added that her house is among the ones that are not affected by the earthquake

Indonesian Health Minister Nila Moeloek has said in different occasions that hospitals in the province have conducted operations for 135 persons who suffered fracture and injuries in the earthquake.

The health ministry has sent 60 orthopedics and 78 specialist doctors to hospitals in Lombok following the Sunday's earthquake, she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 11:43:22|Editor: mym

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States space agency NASA is preparing to launch a probe on Saturday to study the Sun closer than any other human-made object before, revealing mysteries behind the fiery surface.

The car-sized spacecraft called Parker Solar Probe is set to lift off on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy, carrying instruments to study the Sun both remotely and directly, according to NASA.

One science task of the probe is to study the acceleration of the solar wind and the Sun's constant outflow of material, while the other is exploring the secret of the corona's enormously high temperatures, said NASA.

Besides, Parker Solar Probe's instruments might reveal the mechanisms at work behind the acceleration of solar energetic particles, which can reach speeds of more than half the speed of light as they rocket away from the Sun. Such particles can interfere with satellite electronics, especially for satellites outside of Earth's magnetic field.

The biggest breakthrough for the spacecraft is its cutting-edge heat shield, according to NASA.

"The Thermal Protection System (the heat shield) is one of the spacecraft's mission-enabling technologies," said Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe project manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. "It allows the spacecraft to operate at about room temperature."

The heat shield is a sandwich of carbon-carbon composite surrounding nearly four and half inches of carbon foam, which is about 97 percent air.

The solar array cooling system and on-board fault management system are also innovations of the probe.

The cooling system allows the solar arrays to produce power under the intense thermal load from the Sun, and the fault management system protects the spacecraft during the long periods of time when the spacecraft can't communicate with the Earth.

"The launch energy to reach the Sun is 55 times that required to get to Mars, and two times that needed to get to Pluto," said Guo Yanping from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, who designed the mission trajectory.

"During summer, Earth and the other planets in our solar system are in the most favorable alignment to allow us to get close to the Sun," Guo added.

The Sun constantly sends magnetized material outward, and the magnetic energy can burst out with light and particle radiation that travel through space and create temporary disruptions in our atmosphere, sometimes garbling radio and communications signals near Earth.

The key to understanding its origins lies in understanding the Sun itself and that's where Parker Solar Probe comes in, according to the researchers at NASA.
CANBERRA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Australia is a younger and smarter country as a result of immigration, the governor of the nation's central bank has said.

Philip Lowe, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), used a speech to business leaders to describe Australia's strong population growth as a "basis for optimism about the future of our economy."

His speech came just days after the population of Australia hit 25 million.

Australia's population growth rate between 2005 and 2015 was 1.5 percent annually, significantly higher than that of India (1.2 percent) and the United States (0.7 percent).

According to the ABS, 62 percent of Australia's rapid population growth is a result of the nation's net overseas migration.

Lowe said that the current system had produced a younger, smarter Australia with the median age of 37 years, making Australia "one of the youngest countries among the advanced economies".

"The movement to Australia of large numbers of young people over the past decade has changed our demographic profile in a positive way," Lowe said.

"Migration has helped our economy adjust to large swings in the demand for labour, and helped address some particular skills shortages."

Conservative politicians including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and former Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr have called on the government to cut the number of migrants granted Australian visas to protect current residents' quality of life.

Most of Australia's population growth has been in Melbourne and Sydney, the two largest cities, where annual growth in the 12 months to June 2017 was 2.7 and 2.0 percent respectively.

Lowe acknowledged the growing pains being felt in those cities but said that housing investment was catching up with demand.

"The growth in the number of dwellings exceeded growth in the population over the past four years," he said.
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Officials from South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) discussed on cooperation Thursday to modernize and eventually connect railways across the border, according to local media.

An unnamed official of Seoul's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs was quoted as saying that the inter-Korean talks to discuss railway cooperation started from 9:20 a.m. local time.

Six DPRK officials crossed the military demarcation line (MDL), which separates the two Koreas, into the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) in the South Korean side at about 8:30 a.m. local time.

The officials from the two sides were reportedly discussing schedule and ways to conduct a joint on-site survey of the DPRK railways along the western and eastern corridors of the Korean Peninsula.

It was the second of its kind since the first such meeting was held on July 24 at the DPRK's border town of Kaesong.

Railway policymakers of the two Koreas conducted the joint field surveys of the DPRK railway in the eastern coastal area on July 20 and in the western corridor on July 24, respectively.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed to modernize and connect railways across the inter-Korean border during their first summit meeting on April 27 in the border village of Panmunjom.
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating hit a record low since he took office in May last year, a weekly survey showed Thursday.

According to the Realmeter poll, support for Moon retreated 5.2 percentage points over the week to 58.0 percent this week.

Moon's support rate stayed at a relatively high level, but his support scores fell below 60 percent for the first time since his inauguration.

President Moon ordered a temporary cut in electricity rate earlier this week amid the scorching heat wave that hit the entire country, but it failed to meet public expectations.

Public calls mounted for the revision of the incremental electricity bill system, which is only applied to households.

Households are required to pay more electricity charges in an incremental basis, the more power they use. It requires households to bear more burden for power rate than industrial companies and merchandisers.

Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party shrank 2.7 percentage points over the week to 40.1 percent this week.

The main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party won 19 percent of support, up 1.4 percentage points from a week earlier.

The minor progressive Justice Party kept its record-breaking trend for the third consecutive week, with 14.5 percent in support scores.

The minor conservative Bareun Future party won 5.3 percent of support, and the centrist Party for Democracy and Peace garnered 2.2 percent in approval rating.

The results were based on a survey of 1,507 voters conducted from Monday to Wednesday. It had 2.5 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level.
CANBERRA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has called on Victoria state to resolve its youth gang "crisis" or else "someone is going to be killed."

Residents in Melbourne's west said they feared for their lives when dozens of Sudanese-Australian youths started throwing rocks at police cars.

Police ordered residents to lock their doors and stay indoors while they contained the situation.

No arrests were made but police said they "dispersed" the crowd after heavily-armed specialist officers arrived on the scene and expect to make arrests in the coming days.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Dutton blamed Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for failing to solve the issue despite having years to do so.

"He needs to, I think, come out and start sorting this out, because at the moment people are getting hurt and somebody is going to be killed."

"We've predicted that before. Tragically that's how it will elevate, and it needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later."

According to Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton, news of the fight was spread on social media ahead of time and 20 to 30 youths were involved.

"You can call them gangs ... but if you think of them as gangs it's not the way we tend to respond to them as they don't have the traditional thing that we think (gang) groups have," Ashton told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 12:28:31|Editor: mym

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have folded DNA molecules in an origami-like process to make a nano "Trojan horse", which is thinner than 1/4000 of a hair and can release "killers" to fight cancer tumors.

Cancer cells need a lot of nutrition to multiply, but they don't produce nutrient substances, said lead researcher Nie Guangjun, of China's National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST).

All the blood, oxygen and energy are conveyed to cancer cells through blood vessels, so many scientists are trying to create blocks on the blood vessels feeding tumors.

Through precision control, researcher Ding Baoquan folded a single-strand DNA of a phage (a type of virus) into a rectangular sheet. Then he put four "killers" -- molecules of thrombin (a clotting enzyme in blood plasma) -- on the sheet and rolled them up.

At the interface, "locks" made by fragments of nucleolin protein DNA were installed, forming a tube-shaped nano "Trojan horse" or nanorobot, which is 90 nanometers long and has a diameter of 19 nanometers.

After injection, the "Trojan horse" travels in blood vessels and only tumors have the "key" to open the "locks." Once unlocked, the killer thrombin molecules are released, attracting platelets and fibrinogen protein to form a large thrombus, or clot, in the blood vessel within hours to cut off the blood supply and "starve" the tumor to death, Nie said.

The nanorobot can be cleared out of the body after it has finished its task.

Researchers have conducted controlled experiments on more than 200 mice with melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and primary lung cancer, and found the nanorobots are effective in strangling the tumors, Nie said.

In one experiment on eight mice with melanoma, the tumors in three mice totally disappeared. The average survival life of the mice was prolonged from 20.5 days to 45 days. No metastasis was found, according to Nie.

The incidence of malignant tumors has been rising in China in recent years, becoming a major health threat. Interventional embolization therapy has become the first therapeutic choice for patients with advanced liver cancer. About 600,000 to 800,000 Chinese with liver cancer receive interventional therapy every year.

However, patients face anesthetic risks in this therapy and doctors face exposure to X-ray radiation, so a safer, more effective and convenient treatment is a priority, and nanotechnology has opened new opportunities, Nie said.

The research began five years ago, when NCNST researchers first looked at cutting off the tumor blood supply by using DNA-based nano carriers.

Shi Quanwei, another member of the research team, said laboratory verification of the nanorobot idea has been completed, but industrial production and application of the nanorobot is still a long way off.

"We hope to attract investment to improve the production technique and enlarge the manufacturing scale of the nanorobot, and conduct further research on its effect and safety before application for clinical trials," Shi said.

"We need to make breakthroughs on technical bottlenecks, and hope to transform the basic research into practical therapy to benefit patients with tumors."

The research was recently selected as one of 30 winning projects at a contest of innovative future technologies in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. The contest encouraged young Chinese scientists to conceive groundbreaking technologies and trigger innovation.
TOKYO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As Japan has witnessed record high temperatures recently, even deer feel the need for a festive dip in the sea to cool down.

On the Ryuguhama beach of the Kyoto Prefecture in Midwest Japan, visitors found a male deer bathing in the water, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported Wednesday.

The one-meter-long animal walked slowly in the sea and then stood still. Visitors on the beach were surprised at the deer's presence as it proceeded to bathe for several minutes.

When children approached, the deer ran out of the water and scarpered toward a mountain.

"I was really amazed by the deer, but it looked so relaxed," said Riyo Inoue, 37, who was visiting Ryuguhama with her family and friends.

Her husband Naoki Inoue, 36, captured the scene on his smartphone.

According to the Kansai Wildlife Research Association in Kyoto, deer are adept at swimming and sometimes swim between islands.

High temperatures across Japan have killed dozens and forced thousands to be hospitalized over the past three months. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the extreme heat is expected to continue in August.
VIENTIANE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lao authorities have been speeding up the search, relief and recovery efforts after the flash flood in Attapeu province, where around 100 people are still missing, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Thursday.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said that locating the missing people remains a matter of urgency as many foreign rescue teams have returned home.

As of Wednesday, the death toll from the July 23 inundation caused by the collapse of an auxiliary dam at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in Attapeu, some 560 km southeast of Lao capital Vientiane, had climbed to 35.

Among the 35, three died in hospital, Sonexay on Wednesday told a meeting of the National Ad Hoc Committee in charge of dealing with the aftermath of the flood.

A local official involved in victim assistance said hope was fading for those who were still missing. Many of them were children and old people, who witnesses said had been swept away by the raging torrent. Rescue efforts have been hampered by difficult conditions as they wade through deep, sticky mud. And with many of those missing thought to be buried in the mud, heat-detecting devices are unlikely to function, said the daily.

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) dropped by the United States during the Vietnam War that is reportedly still buried in the flooded area is an added difficulty in the search and rescue effort.

The deputy prime minister told officials to properly distribute relief supplies to meet the needs of all affected villagers.

The Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport was told to expedite construction of four bridges and improve roads to ease access between the provincial capital and Sanmaxay district and accelerate the transport of supplies to temporary shelters.

More than 6,000 displaced people are now living in five temporary centers, including five schools.

Sonexay called for hard work to speed up the construction of temporary houses to accommodate those currently living in schools. This would enable the schools to reopen for the start of the new academic year, which begins next month.

The committee noted that the most urgent need was for dried and instant food and rice, along with drinking water and clean water for daily use, as well as household and cooking equipment.

The official stressed the need to ensure the supplies and money that had been donated was used efficiently for the intended purposes, and in a transparent manner.

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.

Six villages were almost submerged by the muddy flood with 13,000 villagers being affected. Till Wednesday, 35 people have been confirmed dead and 96 others remain missing in the dam collapse accident.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 13:23:36|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Li Xiaopeng (L), also the transport minister, meets with Colombian President-Elect Ivan Duque before attending the Colombian presidential inauguration in Bogota, Colombia, on Aug. 6, 2018. (Xinhua)

BOGOTA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Li Xiaopeng, also the transport minister, attended the Colombian presidential inauguration and met with the new president, Ivan Duque, here on Tuesday.

Li conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and good wishes to Duque, and said that China and Colombia are facing an unprecedented historical opportunity to strengthen cooperation.

China is ready to join efforts with Colombia to prioritize political guidance, tap bilateral cooperation potential, boost cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in such areas as trade and economy, energy and mining, infrastructure construction, agriculture and innovation, promote exchanges and mutual learning on civilization and step up coordination on multilateral affairs, so as to keep pushing China-Colombia relations to new levels, Li said.

Duque thanked Xi for sending an envoy to the inauguration.

Colombia has attached great importance to its relations with China and treated the development of the bilateral ties as a priority of its foreign policy, Duque said, adding that his country is willing to strengthen exchanges with China on governance, deepen cooperation in various areas, and push for the sustained development of bilateral relations.
Chand-led CPN district in-charge detained

Police have arrested district in-charge of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Yogendra Kumal from Gorkha on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 13:33:40|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

LIMA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra dismissed claims on Wednesday that he had ties with a criminal organization.

"I have no relationship whatsoever with this person who is where he should be, in jail," said Vizcarra, referring to businessman Antonio Camayo, who is being imprisoned for his involvement with a criminal organization.

The crime ring, known as "Los Cuellos Blancos del Puerto," or "The White Collars of the Port," operates out of Callao province with alleged cooperation of businessmen, magistrates and politicians.

Congress President Daniel Salaverry demanded that Vizcarra respond as he was implicated in recently exposed recorded conversations of two judges accused of illegal dealings.

Supreme court judge Cesar Hinostroza has been suspended and Walter Rios, head of the Appeals Court, has been arrested after some audio tapes recently surfaced revealing that certain judges, businessmen, attorneys and politicians discussed exchanging political and judicial favors for financial benefits related to Camayo's group.

Vizcarra's government has announced judicial reforms to uproot systematic corruption.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 13:38:41|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's foreign trade turnover in the first seven months of this year amounted to 7.38 billion U.S. dollars, up 26 percent from the same period last year, customs data showed Thursday.

Exports rose 16.9 percent year on year in the January-July period, while imports grew 39.8 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 851 million U.S. dollars, according to the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA).

The mining industry accounted for about 85 percent of total exports, the MCGA said in a statement.

China remains Mongolia's major export destination. Among the 60 countries to which Mongolia exported its goods and services in the first seven months this year, China was the recipient of over 86 percent of the total.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 14:03:45|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Five militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with Indian army troops in a two-day gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Thursday.

The gunfight, according to Indian army officials, broke out in forest area of Rafiabad of Baramulla district, 58 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This morning one more militant was killed in ongoing gunfight in Dooniwari forests of Rafiabad, taking toll to five," an Indian army spokesman said.

Indian-controlled Kashmir Police Shesh Paul Vaid also confirmed the killing of the fifth militant, saying he was killed after he fired upon the government forces Thursday morning.

On Wednesday evening, four militants were killed in the gunfight.

According to police, the gunfight started after a joint party of the police and army launched searches in the area following specific intelligence information about presence of the militants.

Reports said an army commando was also wounded fighting these militants.

On Tuesday, four Indian army troops including an officer and two militants were killed in a separate gunfight near Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector of Bandipora district.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 14:23:50|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

A chorus sing during the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki City in Nagasaki City, Japan, on Aug. 9, 2018. Nagasaki City in Japan commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Thursday, with its mayor urging the Japanese government to support an international nuclear ban treaty which came into effect last year. (Xinhua/Ma Caoran)

TOKYO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Nagasaki City in Japan commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Thursday, with its mayor urging the Japanese government to support an international nuclear ban treaty which came into effect last year.

"I hereby ask that the government of Japan, the only country to have suffered from the wartime use of nuclear weapons, support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and fulfill its moral obligation to lead the world towards denuclearization," the Mayor of Nagasaki, Tomihisa Taue, said in his peace declaration.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres by attending the commemorative event and observations became the first sitting chief of the international body to attend the ceremony which is held every year, with the peace declaration also calling on global leaders to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The declaration urged global leaders to remember "the resolve" of the first U.N. General Assembly resolution to aim for the elimination of nuclear arsenals.

"To the great concern of those in the atomic-bombed cities, a shift towards openly asserting that nuclear weapons are necessary and that their use could lead to increased military might is once again on the rise," the declaration also said.

At 11:02 a.m. local time, a moment's silence was observed by those attending the ceremony as this was the time when a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped a plutonium-core atomic bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man," killing around 74,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of that year.

The atomic bombing of Nagasaki follows one dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, with both bombings a means of accelerating the end of World War II and forcing Japan to surrender without a land invasion that would have claimed many, many more lives as experts attest.

Taue went on to say that the two atomic bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have high hopes for "irreversible denuclearization."

The mayor urged the Japanese government to use the opportunity to create a nuclear-free zone in Northeast Asia.

Guterres, in his speech, meanwhile, called on all nations to commit to nuclear disarmament and urgently make "visible" progress.

"Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," Guterres said, intimating that the adoption last year of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons had shown the frustration that many countries had been feeling.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for his part, said in his speech that "in recent years, differences in the approaches of various countries on nuclear disarmament have become evident."

He went on to say that Japan will serve as a bridge between nuclear powers and non-nuclear states, and that "an accurate understanding of the tragic realities of the atomic bombings and cooperation from both parties is essential."

While Japan this week inwardly looks at the tragedies it has experienced at the end of WWII, historians and political minds of the international community have encouraged Japan to come to see themselves not as merely victims of the atomic bombings but also as the perpetrators who led to these tragic incidents to happen in the first place.

Japan brutally occupied many parts of Asia before and during World War II, causing untold suffering and death to hundreds of thousands of innocent victims.

One fact, for example, that is finally garnering more and more attention around the world due to TV documentaries and scholars' research is the Japanese army's notorious Unit 731.

The unit was set up in the Pingfang district of Harbin, the largest city then in northeast China, in around 1936 and conducted vivisection experiments on live human beings to test germ-releasing bombs and chemical bombs among other criminal atrocities.

The unit became Japan's top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base and operated as the nerve center of Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II.

At least 3,000 people were used for human experimentation by Unit 731 along with a small percentage of Soviets, Mongolians, Koreans, and soldiers of the Allied Forces who had been taken captive. Some of those killed in ways unimaginable were just children.

More than 300,000 people across China were killed by Japan's biological weapons during WWII.

The notorious Unit 731 managed to keep its atrocities largely concealed due to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East not prosecuting the unit's commanders under condition they handed over the germ warfare data to the United States.

Right wing forces here have also, since the unit's abominable crimes committed before and during WWII, attempted to sequester the facts of the unit, going as far as denying its actual existence, despite an NHK documentary drawing local and international attention to the travesties and the names and positions of hundreds of those working at the unit being officially released recently.

Undoubtedly, the events that took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were tragic, but there were numerous more heinous incidents carried out by the Japanese army, that until this day, have received far less coverage in educational textbooks, or in globally televised memorial services.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 14:28:51|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

KATHMANDU, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Any damage caused to currency notes and coins by tearing, burning, writing and drawing lines on them without the order of authorized person will be crime in Nepal as per a new law coming into force from Aug. 17.

As per the Criminal Procedure Code Act 2017, those involved in causing damages to currency notes and coins through aforementioned acts should face imprisonment up to three months and fine up to 5,000 Nepali Rupees (45 U.S. dollar).

It is the first time that the law has made provision of penalizing those who write or draw lines on the currency notes. Earlier, only those responsible for creating and sending the counterfeit currencies in the market faced penalty.

By issuing a directive on Wednesday, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank, asked the banks and financial institutions to ensure implementation of the law through their staffers. In a separate notice, the central bank also reminded the legal provision to the general public as well.

Laxmi Prapanna Niraula, chief of Currency Management Department at the NRB, told Xinhua on Thursday morning that the implementation of law would help prolong the life of currency notes which in turn would help the NRB make savings.

The NRB prints bank notes through security printing presses from different countries every year.

According to the NRB, current notes worth 458 billion Nepali Rupees (4.15 billion U.S. dollar) are currently in circulation in the market and 30 percent of which are believed to be dirty due to drawn lines or written words.

"Using those notes in the market however will not be illegal for now," said Niraula. In order to increases the stock of clean notes in the market, the Nepali central bank has not been sending dirty notes in the market once they arrive to the NRB from the market.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 14:53:54|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann on Wednesday criticized a border blockade against Venezuelan immigrants, saying the South American country cannot refuse their arrival.

During an event held in the capital Brasilia, Jungmann criticized a ruling by a local judge, who ordered the blockade of the Brazil-Venezuela border at the small town of Pacaraima, Roraima state, on Monday. The blockade lasted a day before the ruling was annulled Tuesday according to an appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office.

Jungmann said the original ruling was unconstitutional while noticing an undue electoral influence in the matter. He said the federal government supports the state of Roraima and is attending to the needs of the Venezuelan immigrants.

"What I see is a toxic interference of the elections. This cannot be an electoral dispute," he said, adding that such argument "lacks rationality".

The minister said Brazil is a country of immigrants and cannot turn its back on the Venezuelan immigrants who are having a rough time.

Over the past months, Brazilian government has been moving Venezuelan immigrants from Roraima to other states. However, Roraima still hosts the majority of Venezuelan immigrants, facing related challenges in sectors including public healthcare, education and housing.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 15:24:02|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

by Xinhua writer Liu Jie

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Trade conflicts are nothing new in U.S. economic history, and they invariably go through the same tired cycle. Initially the United States intended to limit competition and bulwark its economy, but quickly ended up damaging the wider economy.

The Great Depression of the 1930s is a perfect case in point. Under economic pressure, President Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act into law, increasing tariffs on more than 20,000 imported goods, which soon drew retaliatory duties from several outraged U.S. trading partners. Consequently, the U.S. imports and exports slumped by more than 60 percent, exacerbating the depression and damaging the global economy.

In the past three decades, U.S. trade conflicts focused on several areas, including bananas, wood, steel and tyres. But higher tariffs on those goods never fixed the U.S. economy, and instead made all parties worse off.

What's past is prologue.

The United States has launched the largest trade war in economic history. To "make America great again," it hopes to eliminate the trade deficit with China as it deems it detrimental to the U.S. economy.

However, China and the United States give very different numbers on what the trade deficit actually is. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the trade deficit with China ran to a record 375 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, while China's customs calculates the country's surplus with the United States at 275 billion dollars.

"Statistical discrepancies have inflated the U.S. calculation of its trade deficit with China by about 20 percent every year," according to Zhong Shan, China's minister of commerce.

An iPhone, for example, plays a significant role in skewing the apparent U.S. trade deficit with China. On the surface, the deficit appears to be 375 billion dollars, with the iPhone series alone accounting for around 4.4 percent of that, but the true figure is far lower.

Because iPhones are assembled in China, the headline numbers count almost the entire manufacturing cost of an iPhone, while in reality very little of that money is spent in China.

According to IHS Markit, an iPhone's components cost a total of 370.25 dollars. Of that, 110 dollars goes to Samsung Electronics in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for supplying displays. Another 44.45 dollars goes to Japan's Toshiba Corp and the ROK's SK Hynix for memory chips.

Other suppliers from the United States and Europe also take their portion, while assembly, by contract manufacturers in China like Foxconn, represents only an estimated 3 to 6 percent of the manufacturing cost.

In this typical case, is it fair to claim that China seizes all the trade surplus in its iPhone exports to the United States?

The United States has a problem, but it is not with China, it is at home, according to Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning American economist. "America has been saving too little," he wrote in his recent article, indicating that U.S. policymakers should do what they could to increase national savings for reducing the multilateral trade deficit if they had a whit of understanding of economics and a long-term vision.

He said that significantly reducing the bilateral trade deficit in a meaningful way would prove difficult, and that China's overall trade balance, like that of the United States, was determined by macroeconomics.

The U.S. imposition of tariffs on 50 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China has already backfired.

The U.S. overall trade deficit increased 7.3 percent in June, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. It is on track to hit a 10-year high.

Spanning nearly 40 years of diplomatic relations, trade conflicts are nothing new between China and the United States. History has shown the two countries have never run short of meaningful ways to navigate choppy waters.

One conflict dates back to the 1980s when the two economies became fractious over textiles. After the two sides settled an agreement through negotiation and Chinese businessmen even opened textile mills in the United States, the textile industry actually became a terrain that had created more manufacturing jobs in the United States and generated more cooperation than confrontation.

History and statistics have shown that waging a trade war is futile in the end. All the United States needs is to make a wise option.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 15:24:04|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

by Xinhua writers Zhu Dongyang, Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. experts have said the announcement on Wednesday of fresh U.S. sanctions against Russia over an alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter will further worsen the ties between Washington and Moscow.

Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said Washington determined on Monday that the Russian government "used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."

She added that sanctions, which are based on the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, will take effect on or around Aug. 22, following a 15-day congressional notification period.

According to senior State Department officials, the sanctions will come in two phases. The first phase will ban the granting of licenses to sell "all national-security sensitive goods or technologies" to Russia.

At the moment, such sales applications are being scrutinized on a case-by-case basis, and Washington "will be presumptively denying such applications" after the sanctions come into force.

They said unless Russia, within three months since the sanctions become effective, provides "reliable assurances" that it will no longer engage in chemical weapons use and allows on-site inspections by the United Nations or other internationally recognized impartial observers, the second batch of "more draconian" sanctions will be imposed.

The officials estimated that the sanctions may affect hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports, dealing a blow to some 70 percent of the Russian economy and resulting in an approximately 40-percent fall in workforce.

Sergei Skripal, a 66-year-old double agent who worked for the Soviet military's intelligence services before defecting to Britain, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in the southwestern British city of Salisbury on March 4.

The British government accused Russia of masterminding the poisoning, which it said involved the use of Novichok nerve agent. Russia has denied any involvement.

In a separate case on June 30, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, were hospitalized after being exposed to what British authorities confirmed was Novichok in Amesbury in southwestern England. Sturgess later died while Rowley remained in critical condition.

Britain on Monday asked the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the international chemical weapons watchdog, for assistance in the investigation of the Amesbury attack.

The OPCW said Tuesday in response to the request that it "will deploy a technical assistance team for a follow-up visit and to collect additional samples."

Russia has vehemently denied any role in both attacks. The Russian Embassy in Britain said Wednesday that London's invitation of the OPCW lacked transparency.

"The technical assistance requested by the British authorities to 'independently confirm the identity of the nerve agent,' unfortunately, lacks transparency and attests to UK's arbitrary interpretation of the CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention)," the embassy's press officer was quoted by Russia's Sputnik news agency as saying.

Given that the chance for reconciliation from Moscow is slim, U.S. experts said the sanctions may continue to hurt the Russian economy and drive further the vicious cycle of U.S.-Russia hostilities.

Ford O'Connell, a Republican and news commentator who frequently shows up on TV, told Xinhua that "this is a situation where Trump has been tough on Russia, particularly when Russia is perceived to be bad actors threatening the world order."

Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation said U.S. policy toward Russia is strengthening rather than weakening following the Helsinki Summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "President Trump gave Russia the opportunity to change its aggressive ways, but clearly Putin is not interested in doing so."

The scholar foresees "a further deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations, and an increasingly hardline stance from Washington towards Moscow."

William Courtney, an adjunct senior fellow at RAND Corporation, took a similar tough stance on Russia, arguing that Washington has other interests with Moscow beyond maintaining good bilateral relations, such as deterring Russia's continued use of weapons that are illegal under the CWC.

Carrot-and-stick diplomacy is not unusual, he said. "U.S. and Western strategy with Russia is to cooperate in areas of mutual advantage, but also to deter and raise the cost to it of malign activities."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 15:29:06|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Thursday to hold high-level talks on Aug. 13 at the border village of Panmunjom, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

The DPRK offered to South Korea earlier in the day holding a senior-level dialogue on Aug. 13 at Tongilgak, a DPRK building in Panmunjom, to implement the Panmunjom Declaration.

The South Korean side accepted the dialogue overtures to discuss the implementation of the declaration, which was signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un at their first summit on April 27 in Panmunjom.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 15:44:11|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

CARACAS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela will seek "full cooperation" from Colombia and the United States in extraditing Venezuelans involved in the assassination attempt against the president, the prosecutor general said Wednesday.

Venezuela is requesting from Colombia the extradition of Raider Russo and retired national guard colonel Oswaldo Garcia, for their alleged role in Saturday's failed attempt against Nicolas Maduro, said Tarek William Saab.

It is requesting the United States to turn over Osman Delgado for allegedly financing the plot.

Saab said prosecutors are expediting requests for mutual legal assistance with both Colombia and the United States.

"Given the extradition agreements between Venezuela and Colombia, there should be no doubt (of cooperation), and Colombia's incoming government should hand over the two criminals," the prosecutor general said.

Also on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza gave James Story, the U.S. embassy's charge d'affaires in Venezuela, a preliminary report on the "attempted assassination against Nicolas Maduro."

Story expressed his concern over the incident, hoping the United States will cooperate, according to a statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The U.S. embassy in Venezuela posted a message on Twitter Wednesday, saying: "We reject political violence in ALL ITS FORMS."

On Tuesday night, suspects Argenis Valero, Juan Carlos Monasterios and Jose Eloy Ribas appeared before a court in Caracas, where they were charged with treason, attempted assassination, detonating an explosive device, terrorism and crime conspiracy, among other charges.

Ribas, who paid hotel fees for the other two, was also charged with financing a terrorist act.

Saab said officials wanted to ensure "this type of act does not go unpunished."

Two drones carrying a kilogram of the explosive C4 blasted Saturday while Maduro spoke at an outdoor military celebration.

Maduro was unhurt, but seven soldiers were injured.

Tuesday night, Maduro released videos, audios and images of the suspects confessing to the plot.

The president blamed the attack on the far-right factions in Venezuela, the Colombian government and conspirators in the United States, according to his earlier address.

Venezuela-Colombia relationship has been long strained by frictions between the two neighbouring South American countries, including border disputes and military concerns.
Chand-party man Bishwokarma held

Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu (MPRK) has arrested former minister and leader of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Khadka Bahadur Bishwokarma, alias Prakanda, from Chalnakhel in the Capital on Tuesday on the charge of extortion.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 15:59:13|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BANGKOK, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 177 people, including Chinese tourists, were rescued to safety from a rough sea off Phuket island in southern Thailand on Wednesday night.

Some 161 foreign visitors, some of whom being Chinese and Russian tourists, and 16 Thai hotel employees were safely rescued from Koh Racha islands off the southeastern coast of Phuket by the navy's HTMS Narathiwat patrol boat, according to Third Naval Area commander Vice Adm Somnuek Prempramote.

The navy's patrol boat, based in a nearby Phang Nga province, was promptly deployed on the rescue mission for the tourists and employees stranded in the resort islands off Phuket after the tides were reported 2 to 3 meters high in the lower part of the Andaman Sea on Wednesday evening, Vice Adm Somnuek said.

Tour boats and other small vessels which may have shuttled those tourists from Phuket to Koh Racha islands had been strongly advised not to go out to sea due to strong winds and high tides during monsoon season.

The tourists had spent days on the islands during which the sea had been relatively calm and not been expected to get so stormy on Wednesday, he said.

Last month, Phoenix, a luxury tour boat, capsized near Koh Hae island off the northeastern coast of Phuket due to high tides in a rough sea, killing 47 Chinese tourists.

Thai officials said the sunken boat would be salvaged before Aug. 12 if weather condition was good, while an investigation into the tragedy which happened on July 5 was underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 16:19:18|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

SMEDEREVO, Serbia, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- About an hour's drive away from Belgrade, capital of Serbia, stand some blast furnaces and cooling towers, in a centuries-old Serbian city called Smederevo.

The facilities once belonged to Smederevo steel factory, which was founded in 1913 and is a legend in the history of the city and the country. One fifth of Smederevo's population has ties to that place.

Yet the factory was plunged into a crisis and struggled on the verge of bankruptcy several years ago, due to fierce market competition and management problems. But that changed in 2016 when a Chinese company bought it.

In 2016, the Serbian government signed a deal with HBIS Group, China's largest and the world's second-largest steel and iron producer, to sell Smederevo steel factory, which was then renamed Hesteel Serbia, with the over 5,000 employees staying on at the new company.

The steel plant began to deliver profits by the end of the year, the first time it had in the past seven years.

Zivorad Pavkovic is a senior worker in charge of quality inspection at the steel factory's hot rolling workshop. He has been working at the factory for 39 years.

"Our job is guaranteed now, the feeling is totally different," said his son Aleksandar Pavkovic, 34, an electrician at the steel-making workshop of the steel plant.

"There is less work pressure now, the Chinese management not only cares for the safety of equipment, but also values the health of the staff," Aleksandar added.

Zivorad has grandchildren. He told Xinhua that his son can take his own two children to the seaside to spend their holiday and do not need his parents' financial support for that now.

In the past, his children usually needed some financial support from him to vacation at the seaside, he added.

When the factory was undergoing a crisis before the Chinese owners came, nobody knew whether they would have a job the next day, recalled Vladimir IIic, who now works as a security and firefighting services manager at the factory.

"Chinese companies came at a time when we did not know what to do and were merely killing time," said IIic.

After the takeover, Hesteel Serbia selected elite technical staff to work in Smederevo to repair and revamp the old facilities at the factory, while the management and technical staff from Serbia were also invited to HBIS Group for exchanges and training.

Hesteel Serbia currently has thousands of employees, but only has several management staff members from China. The Chinese company enjoys significant autonomy.

Ivan Matkovic, deputy head of the steel factory's hot rolling workshop, said he is very satisfied with the management model of the factory and he has very smooth communication channels with the Chinese management.

The steel factory's history is very much intertwined with that of Smederevo city. The reborn steel factory has contributed more than double revenues to the city.

Smederevo Mayor Jasna Avramovic told Xinhua that the Chinese enterprise has found a way out for more than 5,000 people and the city's unemployment rate has dropped to 6 percent from 18 percent.

Thanks to Hesteel Serbia, the city is making progress in its development, revamping roads and enhancing education, she said.

The 60-year-old mayor proudly announced that the city's birth rate ranks first in Serbia.

Avramovic visited China in 1986 and was greatly impressed by the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. She said that Smederevo city is currently also planning to revamp the Smederevo Castle in a bid to promote the city's tourism.

"We welcome Chinese to Smederevo," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 16:29:19|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

HAIKOU, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Police in south China's Hainan Province have detained 21 people involved in a cross-border drug trafficking ring and seized 11.7 kg of heroin, local authorities said Thursday.

Police in the city of Sanya also seized 190 grams of methamphetamine, six cars used for transporting drugs and 74,100 yuan (around 10,854 U.S. dollars) of drug money.

In an investigation that lasts a year, the police found the suspects had been transporting drugs to Hainan from overseas in large quantities.

In July, police launched raids in several cities in the province, leading to the detention.

Further investigation is underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 16:29:19|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

RIYADH, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- One Yemeni resident was killed and 11 civilians were minor injured in a fresh ballistic missile attack by Yemen's Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia's border city of Jazan, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The spokesperson of Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen, Col Turki Al-Malki, said in a statement that the attack took place on Wednesday at 20:34 p.m. local time (1734 GMT). Saudi air forces intercepted the missile launched from Northern Amran in Yemen.

The interception resulted in the projection of fragments throughout some residential areas, which caused the death of the Yemeni resident and injuries 11 civilians.

"This hostile act carried out by the Houthi rebels proves that the Iranian regime is still providing them with advanced capabilities, in flagrant defiance of the UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231, with the main objective of threatening Saudi Arabian, regional and international security," he said.

The spokesperson warned that the coalition will take all deterring measures against "such barbaric, frivolous launches" in conformity with the International Humanitarian Law.

Saudi cities, mainly those at the border, are the main targets of such attacks, but most of the missiles were intercepted and destroyed without reporting any injury among civilians.

The attacks have been the responses of the Houthis against the coalition airstrikes on areas dominated by them in Yemen.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 16:34:20|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Global warming might accelerate the expansion of dry lands in northern China, according to recent Chinese research.

Led by scientists from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, the research quantified the degree of desertification in northern China under global warming in the future.

Using a climate estimation model, scientists investigated the spatiotemporal features of evapotranspiration, a main influence of desertification, in sandy areas in northern China under global warming scenarios of 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

Results showed a growing trend of evapotranspiration in this region. The research projected that the area of sandy land in northern China will increase at a rate of 27 square kilometers per decade under global warming of 2 degrees Celsius during the years between 2040 and 2059.

The research may provide reference for desertification control in the area. It was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 16:44:22|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and five others injured in an overnight attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's central province of Salahudin, a provincial security source said on Thursday.

Fierce clashes erupted late on Wednesday night when IS militants attacked an army outpost in the rugged area of Mteibijah near Salahudin's eastern provincial border with neighboring Diyala province, Major Alaa al-Saadi, from Diyala Operations Command, told Xinhua.

Early in the morning, reinforcement troops arrived to the area and began an operation to hunt down the attackers who fled the scene under the dark, Saadi said.

The soldiers in the outpost who repelled the attack killed and wounded some of the attackers, but their number is not known as the militants evacuated their casualties when they withdrew from the scene, Saadi said.

The rugged area of Mteibijah, some 100 km southeast of Salahudin's provincial capital of Tikrit, has long been a hot bed for the extremist IS militant despite repeated operations by the Iraqi security forces to hunt them down as the militants are using the area as a launching pad to attack civilians and the security forces in the cities in Salahudin and neighboring Diyala provinces.

The key cities of Salahudin province, including Tikrit, which located some 170 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, were captured by IS militants in June 2014, but the Iraqi security forces have freed the province during major anti-IS offensives.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small IS groups and individuals regrouped in desert and rugged areas and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:03:53|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

A vehicle operated by a Chinese crew drives through a shoal during a match of the International Army Games 2018 in Korla, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 8, 2018. Three contests of the International Army Games 2018 in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region ended here Wednesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongjin)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:04:27|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least two pilgrims have been killed after being run over by a speeding vehicle in the western Indian state of Rajasthan Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred in the state's Dholpur district.

"The two were on a pilgrimage. They were run over by a speeding vehicle this morning and declared brought dead by a hospital where they had been rushed to," a police official said.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, he said.

"Efforts are on to identify the vehicle as the driver sped away after the accident. The driver has been booked for rash and negligent driving," the official added.

Road accidents occur in India mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:04:28|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

SUVA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) celebrated the International Indigenous Day through the spirit of hospitality on Thursday and urged people to celebrate their uniqueness and cultural diversity.

Members of non-government organization gathered to reflect on the theme "Transitioning Traditional Knowledge to the future."

FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga said Fijians needed to uphold the values they held close to their hearts and most importantly note that they were custodians of their tradition and culture.

She said that the spirit of sharing was important in building national unity and so it was important to consider every individual that helped in Fiji's national growth.

According to the United Nations, as a result of loss of their lands, territories and resources due to development and other pressures, many indigenous peoples migrate to urban areas in search of better prospects of life, education and employment. They also migrate between countries to escape conflict, persecution and climate change impacts.

Despite the widespread assumption that indigenous peoples live overwhelmingly in rural territories, urban areas are now home to a significant proportion of indigenous populations.

In most cases, indigenous peoples who migrate find better employment opportunities and improve their economic situation but alienate themselves from their traditional lands and customs.

Additionally, indigenous migrants face a myriad of challenges, including lack of access to public services and additional layers of discrimination.

This year's theme focuses on the current situation of indigenous territories, the root causes of migration, transborder movement and displacement, with a specific focus on indigenous peoples living in urban areas and across international borders.

The observance will explore the challenges and ways forward to revitalize indigenous peoples' identities and encourage the protection of their rights in or outside their traditional territories.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:09:30|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

GUIYANG, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The discipline inspection and supervision authority of Longan County in southwest China's Guizhou Province discovered that a public vehicle had been running between two towns for 23 consecutive days.

An investigation showed that the chief of Dushan Town's committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), surnamed Chen, used the vehicle for private purposes. Chen received a warning from the Party and returned 6,900 yuan (1,012 U.S. dollars) for fuel costs.

In recent years, Guizhou has built several big data systems that oversee the use of public funds, the work on poverty alleviation and public wellbeing, and Party building, in an effort to combat corruption.

Armed with big data technology, discipline inspectors of Guizhou can find clues of graft behaviors easier and earlier.

In February, officials of the discipline inspection and supervision authority of Longli County found via the big data system that the county's health bureau had spent over 150,000 yuan of public funds on office supplies and issued an alert.

Later investigation showed that Luo Xianqin, then head of the bureau, used part of the funds to purchase drinks, for which Luo was given a warning from the Party.

"Before we use the system, we had to find clues of misuse of public funds on our own and many of the clues were missed," said Yan Wanping, head of the provincial department of finance.

"The system makes our jobs clearer and easier," Yan said, adding that the system sent 684 alerts of possible misuse of public funds in the first half of the year, involving nearly 14 million yuan.

To discover graft problems more directly, the government has made information of funds related to people's lives accessible to people across the province.

People of Qianxinan Buyi and Miao autonomous prefecture now can see the information via the Internet or through the more than 1,100 big data terminals that are located on the doorstep of all hospitals, residents' service centers and village committees.

Residents can use the terminals to look up the preferential policies they enjoy and the amount of subsidies they receive with a swipe of their ID card.

Earlier this year, a villager surnamed Xiong of Songba village, Liuzhi Special District, checked his pension insurance on a terminal and found that his mother, who had passed away two years prior, was still "receiving" pension insurance.

Xiong reported this issue to the district discipline inspection and supervision authority. After checking the system, the authority found Li Zhuo, a former staff member for social security of the village, had fraudulently claimed the pension insurance. Li received a warning from the Party.

"A total of 550 million items of data related to funds for public wellbeing have been collected by the system in the first half of the year," said Shen Chuan, an official of the provincial discipline inspection and supervision.

"Among the 550 million items of data, more than 275,000 were found problematic, which led to 6,934 violations. To date, we have filed 186 cases and retrieved 6.15 million yuan in cash," Shen said.

The systems also serve as a deterrence for those whose misconduct has not yet been uncovered.

Having watched residents use the terminals for over ten days, deputy head of Guangzhao Town's social security bureau surnamed Chen, was terrified. Feeling as if someone was "poking at his heart," he finally chose to turn himself into the discipline inspectors.

"We should make full use of big data technology in our work to make discipline inspection and supervision more targeted," said Xia Hongmin, chief of the CPC Guizhou provincial commission for discipline inspection.

Guizhou will continue to build a supervision network that is ubiquitous both online and offline, Xia said.
Dreamers and doers

The government should create policy and a healthy ecosystem for startups to flourish
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:14:30|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

HARARE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The opposition MDC Alliance is keeping the Zimbabwean government on the edge in relation to President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa's inauguration set tentatively for Aug. 12.

The law says that a person who wins the presidential election must be inaugurated on the ninth day after the declaration of the result, unless there is a challenge to the result by any of the contestants. Aggrieved parties have seven days from declaration of result to file their papers.

The MDC Alliance has indicated that it will challenge in court Mnangagwa's victory. It has also said it will challenge the results in at least 20 constituencies won by the ruling ZANU-PF led by Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa has two important events on the national calendar at which he would have wanted to officiate as an inaugurated president.

The nation will commemorate Heroes Day on Aug. 13 at which it celebrates heroes and heroines of the struggle for independence. The following day has Defense Forces Day at which it honors serving and retired members of the defense forces.

The MDC Alliance, whose candidate Nelson Chamisa won 44.3 percent of the votes to Mnangagwa's 50.8 percent, on Wednesday said it was ready to file its papers but left everyone guessing as to when the filing would take place. It has until Friday to do so.

The government has however decided to go ahead with preparations for the inauguration despite the threat of litigation.

Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi told Thursday's Herald newspaper that Aug. 12 remained the day of inauguration in terms of the constitution unless there would be a court application challenging the election results.

In the event of a challenge, the Constitutional Court then should dispose of the matter in 14 days.

He said if the court upheld the result, then the inauguration would take place 48 hours after the determination.

"It can nullify the results, in which case there has to be a fresh election within 60 days," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:19:31|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

HARARE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Zambian foreign minister Joseph Malanji said Zambian police has denied senior Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti asylum.

Malanji was quoted by the state-run Herald newspaper Thursday as saying that Biti's grounds for asylum were not meritorious.

Biti, who was being sought by Zimbabwean police on allegations of inciting public violence last week which killed six people, had fled to the neighboring country to seek political asylum.

He, however, was briefly detained at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Chirundu border before he was later released and proceeded to Lusaka to formally apply for the asylum.

"He came here trying to seek asylum, but the grounds on which he wanted to apply for asylum did not meet the requirements as required by the law," Malanji was quoted as saying.

Biti fled to Zambia a day after a Zimbabwean court released on bail 27 suspects that were arrested last week in connection with the post-election violence.

The opposition MDC Alliance, which is alleging a state-sponsored crackdown on its officials and supporters following the violence, has rejected the results of the July 30 polls won by incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa and has vowed to challenge the results in court.

The opposition party has up to Friday this week to file the election challenge.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:24:32|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

MOGADISHU, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called on the African Union (AU) and the Somali National Army (SNA) troops to intensify joint security operations to flush out al-Shabab militants in the Horn of Africa nation.

Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire, AMISOM Force Commander, tasked his forces in Hirshabelle region to enhance coordination with SNA for improved peace and security.

"The Force Commander tasked the forces to intensify the training and mentorship of their SNA counterparts through joint planning, coordination and execution of operations in line with the AMISOM transition plan," the AU mission said in a statement issued in Mogadishu on Thursday.

Owoyesigire was speaking during a visit to Johwar as part of the ongoing security assessment across all areas of AMISOM responsibility in Somalia.

The AMISOM commander urged the troops to strengthen relations with the local community through cooperation with the regional administration and undertaking of quick impact projects to address pertaining social infrastructural challenges.

Owoyesigire who met with the Sector five commander Leonidas Niyungeko, lauded the effort and commitment of the AMISOM troops in Hirshabelle region.

"Discussions focused on the security situation in the region, the need to secure the Mogadishu-Johwar supply route and the necessary stabilization efforts," the mission said.

Aid agencies say the poor state of main supply routes in south-central Somalia had provided conditions for al-Shabab to continue laying ambushes and use explosive devices against AMISOM convoys and Somali national security forces.

Niyungeko said operations would be undertaken to improve the general security of the area, enhance free movement of the local population and enable an environment for trade to thrive.

The AMISOM commander has undertaken similar visits to Baidoa, Beletweyne and Baledogle as part of the ongoing assessment of the AMISOM forces and their operational environment.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:24:33|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

BEIRUT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's public transportation drivers threatened Thursday to block the airport road next week if Lebanese authorities do not meet their demands, local media reported Thursday.

"Our escalatory measures are not over and our next move will be painful," said Bassam Tleis, head of the Union of Public Drivers, quoted by the National News Agency.

Tleis' remarks came during a sit-in staged Thursday by public drivers in front of the Port of Beirut.

Tleis previously called upon the government to take control of the automotive inspection centers and to keep current employees while protecting their rights.

Unions representing public transportation drivers have on many occasions voiced their opposition to the privatization of the automotive inspection centers and the increase in the cost of automotive inspections.

Lebanese company Autospect was awarded over two years ago a contract to manage the centers in collaboration with Swiss logistics company SGS, saying they would offer new and improved services.

Automobile inspection fees would increase 65 percent, from 20 U.S. dollars to 33 dollars.

The drivers' demands also included the need by the government to track cars with forged plates in addition to stopping foreign drivers from operating and competing with local drivers.

They also urged for putting an end to the chaotic increase in fuel prices and drafting a local transportation strategy to solve traffic problems.

Tleis said that representatives of the public transport sector will meet next Tuesday to agree on the next measures that will be taken for them to reach their goals.

"We are over with the negotiations phase, we just want officials to implement what we have agreed on before," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 17:44:38|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed in rain-related incidents in southern Indian state of Kerala, local government officials said Thursday.

The casualties were reported from Idukki, Malappuram Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

"In the past 24 hours, 20 deaths have been reported due to rain-related incidents in the state," a hazard analyst at Kerala State Disaster Management Authority told Xinhua.

According to officials, 11 people were killed in Idukki district, six in Malappuram, two in Kozhikode and one in Wayanad.

Officials said an active phase of the southwest monsoon over past 24 hours has resulted in heavy rainfall, triggering landslides in the affected districts.

The local government has sought help from army to tackle the situation in the wake of the destruction caused by heavy rains in many parts of the state.

"Three teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have been deployed at Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. Army, Navy, Police and Fire Force are active in rescue efforts," the state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

"The help of forces has been sought. They have been deployed for the rescue efforts in Wayanad, Idukki, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts."

The authorities have cautioned people living along the river banks and opened the shutters of 22 dams to release water.

"Heavy rains have necessitated the opening of the shutters of Idukki Cheruthoni dam. A trial run will commence soon. Situation is under control and there is no need for panic," the chief minister said.

Reports said the rains and subsequent situation affected flight operations at Cochin international airport for about one hour and also delayed long-distance trains from Kerala.
Chinese Alibaba's Chairman Ma Yun (2nd L) takes a selfie with honor guests during the conference "The Rise of Africa's Digital Lions" in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug. 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's Chairman Ma Yun launched on Wednesday here the Netpreneur Prize to support exemplary African business leaders.

The prize was presented at a conference dubbed Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa's Digital Lions.

The prize will award 10 million U.S. dollars to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years focused on grassroots innovation, economic empowerment of women and small business.

"As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the importance of getting support during the early days," said Ma. "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."

Starting from 2019, the Jack Ma Foundation will host annual pitch competition, with 10 finalists selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for 1 million U.S. dollars in prize money.

All 10 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 community's shared expertise, best practices and resources.

Ma said, "I am inspired and encouraged by these entrepreneurs who, together, will help build a sustainable, inclusive economy for Africa and for the world."

He said that he was inspired to launch the initiative when he visited Africa for the first time last year and inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.

Ma encouraged the youth to dream big and be innovative.

He stated that Africa is a continent of many opportunities with a vibrant young population and potential entrepreneurs.

"This land is full of chance, opportunities and dreams," he said. "This is where the future is, high praise for our beautiful continent."

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the initiative will enable Africa to realize its dreams.

"With the rapid development of the global digital economy and the availability of technology, the next century belongs to Africa," said Ban. "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 secretary-general of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mukhisa Kituyi, weighed in his support for the program.

"The rise of the digital economy provides growth and opportunity to the developing world," he said. "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."

This is the second initiative launched by 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.

A total of 52 African entrepreneurs have participated in this two-week fellowship at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 18:19:54|Editor: Yurou

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The waters of Nairobi River in Kenya's capital flowed aggressively on Thursday, sweeping along all the dirt as they snaked through Mukuru, an informal settlement.

It had rained in the capital and its environs two days earlier, thus, helping the river's water increase intensity.

As the water flowed, among the things that it swept away from upstream were plastic bottles and bags, sticks and recyclable shopping bags of various colors.

The reusable bags are the latest addition to the pollutants of the river, and several others across the East African nation.

The bags were introduced in Kenya last year in August after the East African nation banned plastic bags to curb pollution of the environment.

Kenya banned the plastic bags and imposed what has been termed as the strictest penalty in the world.

Anyone found with plastic bags commits an offence attracting a fine of between 19,417 dollars and 38,834 dollars, a jail term of between one and two years, or both.

The bio-degradable bags were, therefore, dubbed the panacea to river, lake and ocean pollution as people would recycle them.

However, the reality is dawning in the East African nation that pollution was due to poor waste disposal habits and not the presence of plastics in the country.

With the new bags once again choking rivers, and the environment, it is evident Kenya should go back to the drawing board.

"Most of those bags in the market are of low quality that you cannot reuse them. This is the reason many are ending up in the environment," shopkeeper Grace Mutuku told Xinhua recently.

Mutuku, who runs the shop on the east of Nairobi, said some of the bags get torn before they are even used.

"The other day a customer bought a head of cabbage and potatoes and put in the bag I sold her and it got torn immediately. This is what is making the bags un-reusable," she said.

The bags go for between 0.05 U.S. dollars and 0.10 dollars for smaller ones and up to 0.50 dollars for the bigger one.

The price for the smaller bags is same as that of the banned plastic bags. The low price is seen as one of the causes of the bags ending up in rivers as people can buy new ones each time they go for shopping rather than reuse.

"The challenge with the bags is that for most of them, you can only recycle at most three times before they get torn. This means the waste resulting from the bags is still high," said Simon Njiru, an accountant in Nairobi and a lover of shopping.

Since the ban, the National Environment Management Agency has been conducting impromptu inspection of markets to ensure it eradicates the banned plastic carrier bags.

Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, blamed the situation to poor waste disposal habits and bad waste management.

"We introduced the reusable bags and touted them as the panacea to environmental pollution but that was not the case as our bad waste management practices remained intact. This is the reason the bags are still polluting rivers," he said.

He further noted that a majority of the Kenyan public is apathetic to good public waste disposal due to ignorance.

"Besides the ban on plastics, the environment agency should have educated people in public campaigns on the importance of good waste disposal methods," he said, adding quality of bags in market must be improved to encourage long-term use.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 18:29:58|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

JUBA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Wednesday night granted amnesty to rebel leader Riek Machar, a few days after warring parties signed a power-sharing deal in Sudan.

In a republican order aired on state-owned radio in Juba, Kiir said the pardon which came after nearly five years of conflict will take immediate effect.

Kiir also said the amnesty applies to all the other estranged groups that waged war against the country since the conflict broke out in mid December 2013, till the time the security and power-sharing deal was signed in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Sunday.

"Republican order number 14 for the year 2018 for the grant of general amnesty to the leader of SPLM-IO Riek Machar Teny and other estranged groups who waged war against the Government of the Republic of South Sudan from 2013 to date," Kiir said in his order.

Kiir reiterated his full commitment to the peace agreement which was signed in Khartoum including the cease-fire and its implementation. He also instructed the army to remain vigilant in their bases and only fight in self-defense.

The South Sudanese leader called on the army and all other organized forces to allow access to humanitarian relief convoy without hindrance.

The latest move by President Kiir came after the regional mediating body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development lifted Machar's house arrest in South Africa in June in order to negotiate with Kiir to end the conflict.

President Kiir was strongly opposed to participation of the rebel leader in the transitional period but yielded to regional pressure to appoint Machar as First Vice-President.

He also pledged to incorporate warring factions into the government after he met with Machar and an alliance of opposition leaders.

The deal that was inked in Sudan will lead to the formation of a unity government which will run for three years in South Sudan.

The Khartoum agreement was signed collectively by the two leaders as well as all political parties in South Sudan, signaling their desire to end the conflict that has caused a lot of suffering and displacement of people.

South Sudan's conflict erupted in 2013 after forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar engaged in combat.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was violated in July 2016 when rival factions resumed fighting in the capital, Juba, forcing Machar to flee into exile. Millions of South Sudanese civilians have sought refuge in neighboring countries as the conflict rages on.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 18:55:01|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

GAZA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is pushing for ending up more escalation amid the second day of the Israeli fire on Gaza Strip on Thursday.

"President Abbas has conducted international calls at all levels to stop the Israeli escalation on our people in Gaza Strip," state-run news agency WAFA quoted the presidency statement as saying.

Abbas warned against danger of the escalation, calling for "an urgent and immediate intervention to stop worsening the conditions and prevent dragging the region into more destruction and instability," the statement added.

The Israeli air forces launched strikes on some targets in Gaza on Thursday morning, Palestinian official security source told Xinhua.

The strikes hit training spots of Hamas Islamic movement's military brigades and other agriculture lands. No injuries were reported, the source added.

The Israeli army in a statement said it fired more than 30 military targets in Hamas' training camps and in observation points including a warehouse.

The Israeli side added that its forces have also destroyed 140 targets of Hamas' strategic forms since Wednesday's noon, bearing the movement the responsibility for surge of violence.

Meanwhile, Hamas' al-Qassam brigades said in a statement it fired several rockets on two settlements in southern Israel and three military points near the border with Gaza.

According to Israeli sources, some 16 soldiers have been slightly wounded and facades of several houses were damaged by the rocket-propelled grenades.

At least three Palestinians were killed and other 12 were wounded by the Israeli raids since Wednesday.

Tensions mounted high while a delegation from Hamas had left Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:05:03|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

GENEVA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has started vaccination against the latest Ebola outbreak in the northeaster North Kivu province, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

The vaccination has targeted high risk populations in North Kivu, in which the provincial health minister and the provincial coordinator of the Expanded Program on Immunization were the first to be vaccinated.

They were followed by first line health workers from the Mangina health center, 30 km from the town of Beni, who had been in contact with people who were confirmed cases of Ebola.

"Vaccines are an important tool in the fight against Ebola. This is why it has been a priority to move them rapidly into place to begin protecting our health workers and the affected population," said DRC Health Minister Dr. Oly Ilunga.

A total of 3,220 doses of rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine are currently available in the country, while supplementary doses have been requested. While the vaccine goes through the licensing process, an agreement between Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Merck, the developer of the vaccine, ensures that additional investigational doses of the vaccine are available.

The vaccination operation was launched just one week after the announcement of a second outbreak of Ebola this year in the country, in which a total of 44 cases have been reported so far as of Wednesday, including 17 confirmed and 27 probable. The death toll has risen to 36.

Earlier on Tuesday, Peter Salama, deputy director general of emergency preparedness and response at the WHO, said on Twitter that results of genetic analysis had confirmed Ebola Zaire strain was the cause of the latest Ebola outbreak in the DRC, and sequencing did not demonstrate close linkages with the earlier outbreak in the northwestern Equateur province.

The WHO is now providing logistical support for the establishment of the cold chain and sending supplies needed for the vaccinations, in addition to supporting the negotiation of protocols with the manufacturer and national authorities, and supporting the deployment of vaccination experts from Guinea to work alongside national staff, who began the vaccination.

However, North Kivu province and eastern areas of the adjacent Ituri province are among the most populated in the DRC, with many major cities, which brings heightened risks and new challenges in the fight against Ebola, according to Dr. Salama, who has called for fighting the outbreak with all tools, old and new.
Government plans to build underpass at New Baneshwor

The Department of Roads is planning to construct an underpass at New Baneshwor, one of Kathmandus busiest traffic junctions, next year. The proposed underpass will connect the road from Old Baneshwor to Sankhamul (north-south) to ease traffic congestion.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:05:04|Editor: mmm

Video Player Close

Delegates sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Lao capital Vientiane on Aug. 8, 2018. China Southern Power Grid (CSG) has signed a MOU over feasibility study on cooperatively developing and building Laos' national power grid in Vientiane. (Xinhua/Liu Ailun)

VIENTIANE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Power Grid (CSG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) over feasibility study on cooperatively developing and building Laos' national power grid in the Lao capital Vientiane.

With the witness of Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, visiting CSG Board Chairman Li Qingkui signed the document on Wednesday evening with Lao Minister for Planning and Investment Souphanh Keomisay and Managing Director of Electricite du Laos (EDL) Boun Oum Syvanpheng.

According to the MOU, CSG will cooperate with the Lao side, with combined advantages and mutual benefits, to build a national integrated backbone power grid as to improve power transmission capacity and electricity supply reliability in Laos, and support the country's sustainable socio-economic development.

At the same time, the CSG also donated 1.2 billion kip (some 142,000 U.S. dollars) to the Lao government at the singing ceremony, to help the flood-hit victims in southern Laos to rebuild their homes.

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.

An CSG official told Xinhua that as the first Chinese power grid company going global, CSG actively implements the Belt and Road Initiative by enhancing power cooperation with Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:10:05|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

JERUSALEM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli fighter jets struck Hamas military compound and tunnels in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, amid the second day of violent escalation between Israel and Hamas, officials said.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that military aircrafts struck "several military targets along the Gaza Strip."

The sites included a military compound belonging to Hamas' eastern Rafah Battalion, an offensive tunnel shaft located near Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip, and two Hamas combat tunnels adjacent to the beach in central Gaza, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson warned that Israel will continue to attack combat tunnels, "until the current offensive threat of the enemy tunnels will end."

The widescale strikes in Gaza destroyed about 150 Hamas' "strategic military targets," said the spokesperson, adding that the assaults "delivered a severe blow to the organization's capabilities."

The military said it holds Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs Gaza, accountable for any hostility coming from the besieged enclave.

"The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is prepared for a range of scenarios and is determined to fulfill its mission of protecting Israeli civilians," the statement read.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said three people were killed in the attacks: Enas Khammash, a 23-year-old pregnant woman, her 18-month-old baby daughter Bayan and a Hamas fighter. At least 12 others were wounded.

Israeli prime minister's office said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned an urgent meeting with Chief of General Staff Gadi Eizenkot and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The three are expected to discuss proposals for a cease-fire, according to a report on Kan TV news channel.

United Nations' Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, said on Thursday that he works with Egypt to avoid further escalation.

"Our collective efforts have prevented the situation from exploding until now," he said in a statement, warning that "if the current escalation is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people."

The recent flare-up began on Wednesday evening, when Gaza militants fired rockets towards the southern Israeli city of Sderot, injuring about nine people.

Overall, more than 180 rockets have been launched toward southern Israel since Wednesday night, said IDF, adding that some 30 of them were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket defense system and most of the others fell in open fields.

A total of 23 people in Israel were injured and needed a hospital care.

The rocket fire started after Israel killed two Hamas snipers in Gaza on Tuesday. Hamas vowed that Israel will pay a price for the killing.

It was the third serious flare-up of violence since July and came amidst attempts by UN's envoys and Egypt to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:25:08|Editor: mmm

Video Player Close

File photo shows a Chinese white dolphin at the Pearl River Estuary in south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)

GUANGZHOU, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As the world's longest sea bridge is ready to open in China, the attention is not only fixated on the project's traffic convenience and economic benefits, but also on the life of the Chinese white dolphin, an endangered species.

The Chinese government has prioritized protection of the dolphin following the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that started in 2009. In the future, a conservation alliance will facilitate the work.

By minimizing the impact of the bridge on the dolphin, China hopes to set an example of a balance between marine development and environmental protection.

The alliance, initiated by authorities in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao, will be set up to boost cooperation among conservation groups in the three regions, according to the administration of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Reserve.

The dolphin, which is under first class state protection, can be found in just a handful of coastal areas, with the Pearl River Estuary a major habitat.

Routine rescue and joint emergency rescue will be an important mission of the alliance and an expert team will be established to instruct the work. In addition, the alliance will conduct research on the dolphin's population, lifestyle, migration routes and physiology, according to Chen Hailiang, head of the administration.

Guangdong's fishery department, Hong Kong's agriculture, fisheries and conservation department, and Macao's civic and municipal affairs bureau have cooperated on protection of the dolphin since 1995.

Since 2011, researchers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have identified more than 2,300 Chinese white dolphins at the Pearl River Estuary.

IMPACT OF SEA BRIDGE

The 55-km-long bridge is situated in Lingding Bay of the Pearl River Estuary, a busy shipping channel that sees over 40,000 vessels each year. It will slash travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from 3 hours to just 30 minutes.

Many domestic scholars believe that the number of the dolphins in Lingding Bay has been stable in recent years.

Chen Tao, a researcher from the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, tracked the dolphins at sea every month between 2013 and 2017.

"Our monitoring showed that there are 950 to 1,000 Chinese white dolphins in the part of Lingding Bay, under jurisdiction of Guangdong, during the past four to five years, compared with 1,100 to 1,200 before the construction of the bridge," he said, speculating that some dolphins that used to live in the area might have moved to other waters.

Researchers are optimistic about current monitoring results, but remain alert.

"So far, the monitoring data is not sufficient for more precise analysis of the species, and researchers are unable to efficiently track the dolphins with available measures," Chen Tao said.

"After the opening of the bridge, assessments will be needed on the potential impact of the pier, artificial island, and tunnel on the dolphins. Years-long monitoring and surveys on the dolphins in the Lingding Bay and in their other habitats need to be made," he added.

MORE ONEROUS TASK

Dolphin watchers play an important in minimizing the construction's impact on the dolphins.

The Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Reserve in recent years has supported more than 100 researchers in studying and protecting the mammal, and the reserve and the contractor trained over thousands of dolphin watchers during the construction of the bridge, Chen Hailiang said.

"Before the construction started, we raised seven issues in white dolphin protection. One of them was to train people to observe and protect the dolphins. We conducted 29 training sessions overall and those who passed the exam received a dolphin watcher certificate," he said.

Luo Guocai, 34, is a certificated dolphin watcher. His job is to conduct a 10-minute observation of the sea each time before construction starts. The dolphins have to breathe every few minutes above the sea.

"If we see them, we play the sound of their enemy, the killer whale, to warn them away," Luo said.

He Guomin, also a researcher with the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, co-authored a research report in 2005, concluded that "even in the worst case scenario, the construction will not cause significant damage to the species."

"No Chinese white dolphin died due to the construction in seven years and I believe their numbers will recover in the future," He said.

Chen Tao said he was more concerned about the dolphins' food. "It is a grave challenge for the dolphins that the number of their favorite prey -- demersal fish -- has reduced during the past decade. The qualify of their food is declining."

A number of researchers also believe that increasingly busy shipping activity in the estuary poses a challenge to the species.

"What we have done is just a beginning. We are facing a more onerous task of monitoring and protecting the species," Chen Tao said.

(Video editors: Xue Yanwen, Ni Hanlin, Wang Pan, Wang Ruiping)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:30:09|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

SANAA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 civilians, mostly children, were killed on Thursday when Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit buses in Yemen's northern province of Saada, head of Saada Health Office Yahya Shayem told Xinhua.

"A total of 43 people, mostly pupils under the age of 10, were killed and 64 injured when two Saudi-led airstrikes hit buses in Dhahyan popular market," Yahya Shayem said.

Meanwhile, head of delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen said on a twitter that "scores were killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:50:17|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

Tahmina Payenda (1st R) attends a ceremony in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- "No doubt, achieving success for a woman in a patriarchal society is difficult but not impossible. I believe in the goal of gender equity and I am sure that the hard work of talented girls would ensure achieving this goal one day in Afghanistan," Tahmina Payenda told Xinhua.

The talented girl from Kabul, Tahmina Payenda, who secured the first position from among the 158,000 students at the university entrance exam this year, said proudly, "Girls can be more talented than boys and securing the high score by me at the varsity entrance test is proof of this fact."

A total of 165,698 hopeful Afghans had registered to pass the university entry test early this year and out of the 158,589 who took the exam a couple of months ago, more than 60,000 hopefuls qualified to enroll in state-run universities and higher education institutions.

Feeling a great sense of achievement, Tahmina, who graduated from Afghan-Turk High School, a private educational center, early this year, said "her hard work combined with the support of her parents" paved the way for her success to top all the contesters at the varsity entry test this year.

Wearing a scarf to show her respect to Islamic values and Afghan traditions, and believing in gender equity, Payenda said softly that she never regards women as second-class citizens in the patriarchal Afghan society where misogyny is common.

"I have never believed that the girls have less intelligence than boys," said the brave girl.

"The girls can become more talented than the boys if the environment allows them to get an education," she added.

In the insurgency-plagued Afghanistan many parents believe in old traditions that are against women's education and don't send their girls to school.

Nevertheless, Payenda's achievement in the Afghan varsity's entry exam has been widely welcomed and appreciated by her fellow Afghans.

Afghan Minister for Higher Education Najibullah Khawja Omari, while announcing the varsity entry test results on Wednesday, said "I declare with pride that a girl Tahmina Payenda by securing 353 out of 360 marks has topped all students" this year.

Congratulating Payenda over her success and commending her talent for securing first position at the varsity entrance exam to enroll in the Kabul medical academy, Omari also called upon other girls to follow suit.

Omari praised Payenda's success as a stride towards enhancing women's education in the male-dominated country where many families especially in the countryside oppose education for girls, and wished a bright future for Payenda and her fellow girls by extending his congratulations.

"Tahmina Payenda's success today, is the result of her hard work in the past. Besides congratulating her, I wish her more success in the future and hope she can play a proactive role for ensuring gender equity in future," Payenda's classmate Hadia told Xinhua.

Supporting education for girls, Payenda's father Abdul Sabour who is an engineer by profession commended his daughter for her hard work and advocated for girls' education, stressing that all barriers should be removed to facilitate girls going to school.

"In my opinion all boys and girls are equally talented and therefore gender discrimination should be removed in Afghanistan to ensure equity," Payenda said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:50:17|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

DHAKA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- There were hardly any private institutions in Bangladesh's capital to study the Chinese language in the past.

Even a decade ago, students only had the opportunity to learn Chinese at a handful of private and public universities with a limited number of spaces.

But now things are changing as students who went to China a decade earlier upon returning home started teaching Chinese at their own institutions.

Mohammed Sady is one such student.

He first learned Chinese at the Confucius Institute in Bangladesh's top leading North South University in Dhaka.

In 2009, he got a scholarship to study the Chinese language in China. "I went to the Southwest University in China to learn Chinese," said Sady. Later on he went to China again to study for a doctorate.

Upon returning to Bangladesh in 2016 finally, along with likeminded friends, he established an institute called the "Chinese Academy" that now has more than 300 students, he said.

Students planning to study higher education in China as well as service holders who are with Chinese companies especially come to the academy to study the Chinese language, said Sady.

"Students attend six classes three days a week. The classes focus on listening, writing and reading.

The students are also encouraged to learn new vocabulary, he said, adding they teach their students Chinese through various easy innovative methods and organize events that help them practice speaking and listening.

Sady said there is a general perception that it is very difficult to learn the Chinese language.

"We tell people here that Chinese is not as hard as they think. We teach them Chinese using easy methods and encourage students to visit China for higher study."

He said more and more students come to their academy as they think the institute can better support them in learning Chinese and assist their efforts to go to China for higher study.

Al-Adnan Parvez, a student at the Chinese Academy, said he has come to Dhaka from the Nilphamari district, some 360 km northwest of the capital of Dhaka, just to learn Chinese.

"Some Chinese companies are working at an EPZ (export processing zone) in Nilphamari. If I can speak Chinese, I might be able to work for a Chinese company. I could also work as an interpreter."

Since his childhood, Parvez said he was interested in learning a second language and that is why he finally entered the academy to learn the Chinese language.

Another Chinese Academy student, Yasmin Akhtar who comes from Khulna, about 140 km southwest of Dhaka, said, "I have a very special feeling towards Chinese people. I really like them and so I have come to learn their language. I also want to go to China for study."

The Chinese Academy has some quite experienced teachers who studied Chinese in China and returned to Bangladesh and took up teaching Chinese as a profession.

Mohammad Manzur Alam Bappi is one such teacher at the Chinese Academy.

He studied Chinese at Wuhan University and successfully completed the HSK5 qualification.

Bappi used to work for a Chinese company after studying sociology at Bachelor's and Master's levels at Dhaka College, under the National University.

"I got a job in a Chinese company and noticed that of my colleagues that spoke Chinese there was a demand to study more."

It was then I too decided to learn Chinese. I was admitted to this academy and after learning here I went to China for higher study, Bappi said.

Another Chinese Academy teacher Sweety Khatun who studied mechanical engineering in 2014 and worked for a company, said she realized that learning Chinese would help her to develop a bright future.

"I received the opportunity to conduct dummy classes while studying at this academy. Teaching is an opportunity for further learning. I fell in love with the Chinese language," she said.

"Now I teach Chinese here as my profession."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 19:55:18|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme People's Court (SPC) has issued a circular on enhancing legal support for comprehensive reform and opening-up in the island province of Hainan, said a statement from SPC on Thursday.

To advance the establishment of the pilot free trade zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics on the island, the SPC stressed the importance to improve the implementation of trials to ensure a legal, international and convenient business climate and a fair, open and unified market in Hainan.

The circular underscored the significant role of justice in protecting intellectual property, and the SPC supports the idea of establishing an intellectual property court and an international intellectual property exchange on the island.

To secure financial market orders and promote the internationalization of the Chinese currency renminbi, financial cases must be judged carefully according to law, said the circular.

In the document, the SPC required relevant authorities to pay special attention to commercial trials with foreign parties involved, equally protect the legitimate interests of both domestic and foreign parties, and safeguard international trade orders.

The circular also demands careful judgment in cases involving tourism, the environment and resources.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:10:20|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Aug, 9, 2018 shows a damaged car in Idukki, the southern Indian state of Kerala. As many as 22 people have been killed and several others missing in floods and landslides, triggered by heavy rains, in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the past 24 hours, officials said Thursday. (Xinhua/Stringer)

NEW DELHI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As many as 22 people have been killed and several others missing in floods and landslides, triggered by heavy rains, in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the past 24 hours, officials said Thursday.

The deaths were reported from the districts of Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Ernakulam.

"With two more latest deaths reported from Ernakulam district, the toll has now risen to 22. Earlier 11 people died in Idukki, while six lost their lives in Malappuram, two in Kozhikode and one in Wayanad," a disaster management official said.

"Several low-lying areas have been flooded. Also a number of people are missing in Palakkad, Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. Several teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the state," he added.

Aviation officials said that such was the impact of heavy rains that flights operations had to be stopped for some time at the state's Cochin International Airport that is close to the Periyar river due to fears of flooding because of opening of Idukki dam shutters.

"But all flights have now resumed, considering an improvement in the situation," an airport spokesperson said.

Local TV channels reported that schools and colleges have been closed in large parts of the state and the annual Nehru boat race in Alappuzha district has been postponed because of the heavy showers lashing Kerala.

State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attributed the floods to the opening of many dams across Kerala because of rise in water levels in major reservoirs.

"The situation in the state is really serious. We are forced to open 22 dams in the state due to incessant rains. Such a situation never arose in the recent past. This is really unprecedented," the Chief Minister told the media in state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Among the 22 dams opened, was Cheruthoni dam that is one of the largest arch dams in Asia. This was the first time the dam was opened since 1992.

Apart from NDRF deployment, the state government has sought the help of Indian military.

"Help has been sought from Army, Navy, NDRF. Three NDRF teams are in Alappuzha, Wayanad and Kozhikode. Two more teams have been moved. An additional six teams have been asked to be sent to Kerala. Help from Navy has been sought to evacuate people cut off in Wayanad," Vijayan said.

Weather officials have predicted more rains in the next 24 hours. "More showers are likely to hit the state in the next 24 hours. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea," a weather official said.

More than 40 people died in the state in rain-related incidents in Kerala last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:20:22|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreigners receiving child benefit payments from the German government continued to grow in 2018, figures published on Thursday by the federal ministry of finance show.

"In June 2018, child benefit was paid out to 286,336 children who lived in other countries of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) than Germany," a spokesperson for the ministry told the German press agency DPA. The figure marked an annual increase of 10.4 percent and underlined a longer-standing trend towards increasing cross-border transfers made by the German welfare state.

Some municipal legislators reacted with alarm at the latest data which they said was indicative of an uptick in targeted immigration into the country's social system. "The federal government is asleep at the wheel on this issue, and it must finally react to the fact that there are people fleeing poverty in Europe," Duisburg's mayor Soeren Link (SPD) told dpa.

Link pointed out that citizens of poorer Eastern European EU member states in particular were being drawn to Germany by a promise of prosperity which was unobtainable back home. "We currently have around 19,000 individuals from Rumania and Bulgaria living in Duisburg, most of whom are members of the Roma and Sinti minority groups. Around six years ago, in 2012, we only had 6,000," he said.

The mayor criticized what he described as criminal trafficking organizations which specialized in providing illicit access to government welfare for migrants who often returned to their native countries shortly after becoming formal residents of Germany. While EU citizens had the right to live and work throughout the bloc, these migratory activities were not justified by the principle of the freedom of movement. Link lamented that it was often impossible for legislators to tell whether the children receiving child benefit even existed at all.

According to the SPD politician, it was understandable that a resulting impression of foreigners gaming the system "enraged local citizens." The newspaper Welt recently estimated that child benefit fraud committed by criminal gangs from Eastern Europe costs taxpayers more than 100 million euros each year in Germany.

Similarly, Fuerth mayor Thomas Jung (SPD) highlighted problems experienced with non-German EU citizens who made no efforts to integrate into local society beyond applying for welfare payments. Jung noted that cities with low rental prices in particular were currently attracted this specific type of immigration from Eastern Europe.

On the basis of the figures published on Thursday, DPA estimated that the government will forward over 600 million euros (695 million U.S. dollars) per year to parents of children from other EU countries in 2018. Back in 2017, the ministry of finance said that it sent child benefit payments worth 343 million euros to foreign bank accounts, although the figure also included around 31,000 German citizens working abroad.

Responding to growing calls to make the practice less susceptible to fraud, a spokesperson for finance minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) said that Berlin was already working closely with other EU partners to overhaul existing legal provisions for cross-border social transfers. The federal government was hereby pursuing a European solution which would "take the different costs of living across member states into account during payments" in order to disincentive so-called welfare tourism.

In spite of the growth in foreign recipients during past years, however, financial child benefits awarded to non-German EU citizens still pale compared with the sum of overall payments including native families. In 2017, Germany paid out 35.9 billion euros in child benefits for a total of 14.97 million children.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:45:30|Editor: mmm

Video Player Close

BEIRUT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Private electricity operator Electricite De Zahle (EDZ) said Thursday its employees will stage sit-ins if distortion of its director's reputation continues, local media reported.

EDZ President Kamil Chidiac said the sit-ins will be implemented if "Lebanese authorities continue to attack EDZ's director Assaad Nakad who succeeded in securing 24 hours of electricity for Zahle," the National News Agency reported.

Member of parliament from Bekaa Free Patriotic Movement, Michel Daher, who generates electricity for his home in Zahle from his own generators, complained about the price hikes of electricity by the EDZ.

Daher's remarks came in response to the EDZ's statement accusing Daher of misleading the public.

Nakad said Thursday that his company is operating under the law and he is ready to negotiate with the government to reach a solution.

The EDZ's employees staged a sit-in on Wednesday in support of Nakad.

The contract of EDZ, a provider which distributes and produces electricity, ends in 2018 and caretaker Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil said earlier that the concession granted to EDZ will not be renewed.

The EDZ currently provides 24/7 electricity to over 250,000 inhabitants in the city of Zahle and 15 other municipalities.

Abi Khalil announced Monday that EDZ's employees will move to work with another operator, Electricite Du Liban. once the EDZ's concession is over.

Lack of electricity in Lebanon has been a problem for many years, with the government being incapable of producing the needed amount of power.

Lebanese residents usually turn to private operators, which charge higher, during power outages.

The current public electricity production in Lebanon stands at 2,000 MW, while national demand goes beyond 3,300 MW in summer months.
Icao to help Nepals aviation regulator with research, development

The government has decided to rope in technical experts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) to assist the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) in research and development after it is split into regulator and service provider.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:45:30|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pedestrians will be not allowed to wear headphones and use cellphones while crossing the road in Mongolia, the government's press office announced on Thursday.

The government approved new traffic rules during its regular meeting on Wednesday in order to ensure pedestrian safety and reduce road accidents.

The new rules, which will come into effect on Nov.1, will also forbid leaving a child under 10-year-old alone in a vehicle, and require children older than 10 to wear a seatbelt or be properly restrained.

In addition, the speed limitation in the country's crowded urban areas will be reduced to 20 km per hour.

A total of 163 people, including 37 pedestrians, were killed in road accidents in the first half of this year, according to official statistics.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:45:30|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

MOSCOW, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. decision to impose new sanctions on Russia is an unfriendly move and inconsistent with the constructive atmosphere created after the recent Putin-Trump meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"We consider it absolutely unacceptable to link the new restrictive measures that we still consider illegal to the Salisbury case," Peskov told a daily briefing.

"We once again most emphatically reject any accusations in the context of a possible involvement of the Russian state in what happened in Salisbury," he added.

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that Washington will impose new sanctions on Russia over the alleged poison attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury in March.

Western countries claim the pair were exposed to a nerve agent and hold Russia responsible, while the Russian government has repeatedly denied any involvement in the case and demanded direct participation in the investigation.

"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," U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said, giving no details of the restrictive measures.

Peskov said it is premature to talk about retaliation as the Kremlin has yet to officially confirm particular U.S. sanctions.

He said Russia still hopes that it will be possible to build constructive relations with the United States "because these relations are in the interests not only of our two peoples but also of strategic stability and security worldwide."

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump last month in Helsinki, during which the two leaders voiced their satisfaction with the meeting as a "very constructive" one marking the "first important step" towards better ties.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:50:31|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

PYONGYANG, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- An official newspaper of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday called for declaring an end to the war with the United States.

Declaring an end to the war is the first step to ensure peace and security not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the region and the world at large, the official Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary.

If the military confrontation between the DPRK and the United States comes to an end with a declaration, the atmosphere will become favorable for confidence-building, it said.

The DPRK government has proposed declaring an end to the war and turning the armistice agreement into a peace accord, which is the most reasonable way to defuse tension and ensure sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula, it added.

However, this has not yet been realized, the Rodong Sinmun said, calling for joint efforts to settle the problem.

"The Singapore DPRK-U.S. joint statement called for making joint efforts to build a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK-U.S. relations should make a big step forward as required by a new phase of the development of history," it said.

DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un met with U.S. President Donald Trump in June in Singapore, where they signed a joint statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 20:50:31|Editor: mmm

Video Player Close

BEIRUT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said Thursday that he is optimistic that the country's economy will flourish again, online independent newspaper Elnashra reported.

His remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the economic and social council in Lebanon.

Aoun said that there will be new solutions regarding housing loans in addition to plans aimed at reforming the education and transport sectors.

Aoun also said he is planning on adopting new measures that would stop tax evasion in Lebanon.

According to a recent study by Bank Audi, one of the top banks in Lebanon, tax evasion in the country is estimated at 5 billion U.S. dollars.

Mckinsey, a global management consultancy firm, was hired earlier this year over a six-month agreement valued 1.5 million dollars to form a strategy which aimed at revamping Lebanon's economy.

The study focuses on productive sectors that will create more jobs in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 21:14:46|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

Ships from the Philippine Navy sails near Bataan province, the Philippines, Aug. 9, 2018. The Philippine Navy "successfully tested" on Thursday its first Spike ER surface-to-surface missile from one of its multi-purpose attack craft. (Xinhua/Philippine Navy)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 21:10:33|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

KIGALI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame Thursday dissolved Chamber Of Deputies, the lower house, ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

It was the third Chamber Of Deputies since Rwanda held its first post-genocide legislative elections in 2003, which took oath on October 4, 2013 for a five-year term in office.

Under the Constitution, the president is required to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies at least 30 days and not more than 60 days before the expiry of its term.

Lawmakers over the years left no pending draft laws behind after enacting 315 laws, said outgoing Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa at the parliament in Rwandan capital city Kigali, slightly before the dissolution.

The elections of the lower house use one single nationwide constituency, where 53 seats will be directly elected by proportional representation. The other 27 seats reserved for special interest groups including women, the young and the disabled will be elected indirectly.

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Monday released a list of 521 nominated candidates of the elections.

The electoral campaigns will start from Aug. 13 and conclude on Sept. 1, according to NEC.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 21:15:35|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

DAMASCUS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A second hostage held by the Islamic State (IS) group died on Thursday in the countryside of the southern province of Sweida, a local source told Xinhua.

Zahiah Fawaz, a woman who is among over 30 hostages, died as result of "tough medical condition," one of the religious men, who are supervising the negotiations for the release of the hostages in IS captivity, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Over 30 people were taken hostage by IS during their offensive on the countryside of Sweida late last month. The sudden attack, which included suicide bombings inside the city of Sweida, left over 255 people killed.

Activists have said that negotiations for the release of the hostages were still ongoing, but stalled. IS militants executed the first hostage, who was a 19-year-old man, last Thursday.

The source said that IS released a photo of the deceased woman, claiming she had died due to a medical condition.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the death of the woman, saying the reasons were unknown.

However, the family and relatives of the woman accused the IS militants of liquidating her after two IS militants were caught and executed by pro-government fighters in Sweida.

Negotiations between the government forces and IS have derailed as the militant group wanted the Syrian forces to grant a safe passage for dozens of IS fighters to evacuate to the Syrian desert in exchange for the release of the hostages.

The Syrian army unleashed a wide-scale offensive last Sunday against IS in the pockets held by the group in the desert region in the eastern countryside of Sweida.

Sweida, located around 100 km south of Damascus, has remained largely peaceful during the course of the prolonged Syrian war as it is inhabited by the Druze minority, which supports President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of 23-year-old Enas Khammash and her 18-month-daughter Bayan during their funeral in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on August 9, 2018. (AFP photo)

GAZA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian factions have decided on Thursday to stop any kind of escalation from their part amid continuous surge of attacks by Israeli forces, an official source of the joint operation room of the military factions said.

"The resistance factions have responded to the enemy crimes, last of which was the killing of two members of Hamas' Islamic movement during training in north Gaza on Tuesday," the source told Xinhua.

He added that the armed factions deemed that "that round of escalation has ended and the time of calm will be based on the behavior of the occupation forces."

The Israeli air forces have struck for the second day on Thursday targets in Gaza. The strikes hit training spots of Hamas Islamic movement's military brigades and other agriculture lands. No injuries were reported, the source added.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it has fired more than 30 military targets in Hamas' training camps and observation points including a warehouse, and destroyed 140 Hamas targets since Wednesday's noon.

Meanwhile, Hamas' al-Qassam brigades said in a statement that it fired with rockets on two settlements in southern Israel and three military points near the border with Gaza.

According to Israeli sources, some 16 soldiers have been slightly wounded and facades of several houses were damaged by the rocket-propelled grenades.

At least three Palestinians were killed and other 12 were wounded by the Israeli raids since Wednesday.

The tensions mounted high while a delegation from Hamas had left Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 21:40:40|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

A TV grab on Aug. 9, 2018 shows children at a local hospital in province of Saada, Yemen. At least 43 civilians, mostly children, were killed on Thursday when Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit buses in Yemen's northern province of Saada, the head of Saada Health Office Yahya Shayem told Xinhua. (Xinhua)

SANAA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 civilians, mostly children, were killed on Thursday when Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit buses in Yemen's northern province of Saada, the head of Saada Health Office Yahya Shayem told Xinhua.

"A total of 43 people, mostly pupils under the age of 10, were killed and 64 were injured when two Saudi-led airstrikes hit passenger buses in Dhahyan popular market," Shayem said, adding that "the victims were mostly pupils who were on their way to attend a summer school in Dhahyan."

Meanwhile, head of delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen, said on a twitter that "scores killed, even more injured, mostly under the age of 10" after the attack targeted a bus that carries children in the Dhahyan market.

The organization stressed that "civilians must be protected during conflict under international humanitarian law."

However, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television quoted a statement by the Saudi-led coalition as saying that "Thursday's airstrikes targeted Iranian-allied Houthi rebels who fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday at the Saudi commercial city in border Jazan region."

In response, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam mocked the coalition statement as "absolutely ridiculous."

"They killed pupils driving to school ... this is a war crime," Abdulsalam tweeted.

The Houthi spokesman's comments came at the same time the coalition warplanes hit the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa 11 times, with no reports of casualties yet. The airstrikes targeted Sabeen Square and two military camps in Sanaa.

The Saada attack was the latest in a series of recent airstrikes against civilians launched by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemen.

Last week, the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes struck the gate of al-Thawra hospital and adjacent fish market in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, killing 52 civilians and wounding 102 others.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of Yemen militarily and seized all northern provinces in 2014, including the capital Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that has intervened in the Yemen war since 2015 to support the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

More than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, have been killed in the war, and about 3 million have been displaced.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 21:55:43|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

PARIS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- France regretted fresh Gaza violence, urging both Palestinians and Israelis to show restraint and work together to end conflict peacefully, the country's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

"France... condemns the firing of rockets towards Israel and wishes that restraint prevails and the cease-fire be respected by all the parties in order to avoid new civilian casualties," the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry added violence escalation mirrored the urgent need to reach a political solution to end the conflict mainly by addressing the humanitarian crisis affecting the Palestinian population via blockade removal and respecting Israel's security.

"France, with its European partners, will remain fully mobilized to support the efforts undertaken in this direction," the ministry said.

Israeli fighter jets struck Hamas military compound and tunnels in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, amid the second day of violent escalation between Israel and Hamas, officials said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said three people were killed in the attacks: a 23-year-old pregnant woman, her 18-month-old baby and a Hamas fighter. At least 12 others were wounded.

The recent flare-up began on Wednesday evening, when Gaza militants fired rockets towards the southern Israeli city of Sderot, injuring about nine people.
Man robbed of Rs 2.5m at gunpoint in Siraha

A money transfer operator has been robbed of Rs 2.5 million at gunpoint in Siraha district on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:00:44|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

KAMPALA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli has urged regional leaders to guard against excessive sugar imports in the East African region, warning that the imports were killing local industries and stifling employment opportunities.

A State House statement said Magufuli sounded the caution while meeting visiting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Dar es Salaam of Tanzania.

Magufuli said he had discussed the matter with Museveni, noting that the leaders must tackle the issue of illicit sugar and smuggling.

Magufuli's comments came shortly after Tanzania denied entry of 600 tonnes of Ugandan sugar into the country and demanded that the importer should pay taxes of 25 percent contrary to the East African Community Customs Union protocol.

"Our people met and discussed this. We should decide whether we need to grow our industries or becoming dumping grounds," he said.

A Ugandan delegation last month met with their Tanzanian counterparts at the border town of Mutukula.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:04:26|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

People visit a farmland products fair in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 9, 2018. The five-day fair kicked off on Thursday. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:05:44|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

LUSAKA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Thursday defended its decision to deny Zimbabwe's opposition leader asylum, saying there was no breakdown of law and order in that country.

Tendai Biti, a senior member of the Movement for Democratic Change alliance, was handed back to the Zimbabwe authorities early Thursday after his attempt to seek asylum was denied by the Zambian authorities.

Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said the Zambian government denied the opposition figure asylum as the lives of citizens in that country were not under threat.

But the Zimbabwean leader's legal team has expressed shock that the Zambian authorities disregarded a court order granted by a Zambian court not to deport him, according to local media.

A high court judge in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, granted the Zimbabwe opposition leader an application to stay the deportation on Wednesday night, it was reported.

In a statement, the Zambian government spokesperson said the immigration authorities did not disregard the court order before handing him to Zimbabwe authorities as the order had not yet been served at the time he was being handed over.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:05:45|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- In the aftermath of the July 23 wildfire tragedy near Athens which resulted in 93 deaths, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced on Thursday the establishment of a new civil protection mechanism.

Following heavy criticism by local administration officials and survivors that miscommunication and lack of coordination between relevant authorities, shortcomings and omissions in the state's response to the crisis contributed to the tragedy, the Greek government pledged imminent measures to correct mistakes of the past and ensure that such a calamity will not happen again.

The creation of an upgraded National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which will replace the General Secretariat of Civil Protection which will be abolished, was one of the first steps in this direction, Tsipras said during a speech at the headquarters of Greek Police which was broadcast on Greek national television ERT.

"We decide, taken into account our experience as well as international experience, we decide today, to create an upgraded agency... so that we never again go through what we have been through lately, never again face the crucial and tormenting question I have mentioned before, whether we did whatever we should have done and we could have done," the Greek leader said.

The new agency will be an autonomous state agency subject to the Interior Ministry, and its head will be supported by a committee of experts from the Fire Brigade, the Greek Police, the Greek Red Cross, the Coast Guard, the National Ambulance Service (EKAB) and all the Greek science research institutes involved in natural disasters, among others, he explained presenting the new plan for civil protection.

The government has already ensured the total funding of the program for the radical reorganization and upgrading of the country's capability to be shielded from future natural disasters, the Greek premier stressed.

The earmarked funds, totaling 500 million euros (580 million US dollars) will come from the European Investments Bank, the NSRF and the National Program of State Investments. (1 euro=1.16 US dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:35:52|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

GUANGZHOU, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- As the world's longest sea bridge is ready to open in China, the attention is not only fixated on the project's traffic convenience and economic benefits, but also on the life of the Chinese white dolphin, an endangered species.

The Chinese government has prioritized protection of the dolphin following the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that started in 2009. In the future, a conservation alliance will facilitate the work.

By minimizing the impact of the bridge on the dolphin, China hopes to set an example of a balance between marine development and environmental protection.

The alliance, initiated by authorities in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao, will be set up to boost cooperation among conservation groups in the three regions, according to the administration of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Reserve.

File photo shows a Chinese white dolphin at the Pearl River Estuary in south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)

The dolphin, which is under first class state protection, can be found in just a handful of coastal areas, with the Pearl River Estuary a major habitat.

Routine rescue and joint emergency rescue will be an important mission of the alliance and an expert team will be established to instruct the work. In addition, the alliance will conduct research on the dolphin's population, lifestyle, migration routes and physiology, according to Chen Hailiang, head of the administration.

Guangdong's fishery department, Hong Kong's agriculture, fisheries and conservation department, and Macao's civic and municipal affairs bureau have cooperated on protection of the dolphin since 1995.

Since 2011, researchers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have identified more than 2,300 Chinese white dolphins at the Pearl River Estuary.

Photo taken on June 6, 2017 shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge under construction. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

IMPACT OF SEA BRIDGE

The 55-km-long bridge is situated in Lingding Bay of the Pearl River Estuary, a busy shipping channel that sees over 40,000 vessels each year. It will slash travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from 3 hours to just 30 minutes.

Many domestic scholars believe that the number of the dolphins in Lingding Bay has been stable in recent years.

Chen Tao, a researcher from the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, tracked the dolphins at sea every month between 2013 and 2017.

"Our monitoring showed that there are 950 to 1,000 Chinese white dolphins in the part of Lingding Bay, under jurisdiction of Guangdong, during the past four to five years, compared with 1,100 to 1,200 before the construction of the bridge," he said, speculating that some dolphins that used to live in the area might have moved to other waters.

Researchers are optimistic about current monitoring results, but remain alert.

"So far, the monitoring data is not sufficient for more precise analysis of the species, and researchers are unable to efficiently track the dolphins with available measures," Chen Tao said.

"After the opening of the bridge, assessments will be needed on the potential impact of the pier, artificial island, and tunnel on the dolphins. Years-long monitoring and surveys on the dolphins in the Lingding Bay and in their other habitats need to be made," he added.

MORE ONEROUS TASK

Dolphin watchers play an important role in minimizing the construction's impact on the dolphins.

Chen Xi from the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve introduces the fins of white dolphin on July 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Reserve in recent years has supported more than 100 researchers in studying and protecting the mammal, and the reserve and the contractor trained thousands of dolphin watchers during the construction of the bridge, Chen Hailiang said.

"Before the construction started, we raised seven issues in white dolphin protection. One of them was to train people to observe and protect the dolphins. We conducted 29 training sessions overall and those who passed the exam received a dolphin watcher certificate," he said.

Luo Guocai, 34, is a certificated dolphin watcher. His job is to conduct a 10-minute observation of the sea each time before construction starts. The dolphins have to breathe every few minutes above the sea.

"If we see them, we play the sound of their enemy, the killer whale, to warn them away," Luo said.

He Guomin, also a researcher with the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, co-authored a research report in 2005, concluded that "even in the worst case scenario, the construction will not cause significant damage to the species."

"No Chinese white dolphin died due to the construction in seven years and I believe their numbers will recover in the future," He said.

Chen Tao said he was more concerned about the dolphins' food. "It is a grave challenge for the dolphins that the number of their favorite prey -- demersal fish -- has reduced during the past decade. The quality of their food is declining."

A number of researchers also believe that increasingly busy shipping activity in the estuary poses a challenge to the species.

"What we have done is just a beginning. We are facing a more onerous task of monitoring and protecting the species," Chen Tao said. Enditem

(by Xinhua writers Wang Ruoyao, Sun Xiaozheng, Wang Pan and Zhou Qiang; Video editors: Xue Yanwen, Ni Hanlin and Wang Ruiping.)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:35:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

PARIS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Thursday Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila's decision not to seek a third term in office, reiterating France's support to local authorities to hold a transparent and free election.

"France, which has constantly stood alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pays tribute to President Kabila's action for the unity and integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo," Macron's office said in a statement.

"Alongside its partners, in particular the African Union, regional organizations and neighboring countries, France stands ready to support the Congolese authorities' efforts to hold a free, transparent and inclusive ballot on Dec. 23," it added.

On Wednesday, the Congolese presidency announced that Kabila would not run for re-election at the end of the year and that former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, 57, had been designated as the ruling coalition's candidate for the presidency.

Shadary's nomination as the presidential candidate ends several months of rumors about the future of Kabila, whose second and last term expired at the end of 2016.

Kabila, 47, has been in office since 2001, replacing his assassinated father Laurent Kabila.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 22:50:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

CAPE TOWN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The assault on the integrity and humanity of women has reached unprecedented levels in South Africa which has long struggled against gender-based violence, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

"While it is difficult to establish the full extent of this epidemic -- as many offences go unreported -- studies show that the lifetime experience of South African women of gender-based violence is higher than the global average," Ramaphosa said.

He was speaking at a gathering marking the National Women's Day in Paarl near Cape Town.

The violence that women are subjected to crosses boundaries of race and class, culture and language, he said.

"Yet there is a real danger that because violence against women has become so pervasive, society is gradually unmoved and has stopped seeing it as unacceptable and abhorrent," said the president.

According to Statistics South Africa's 2016/17 Victims of Crime report, 250 out of every 100,000 women were victims of sexual offences. South African Police Service crime statistics for 2016/17 also show that 80 percent of the reported sexual offences were rape. These figures are believed to be among the highest in the world.

"We must acknowledge, as a government and as a society, that since the advent of democracy (in 1994) we have failed to ensure that the women of South Africa be able to exercise their constitutional right to peace and security," said Ramaphosa.

As demanded by woman activists, the government will hold a National Gender Summit on Aug. 31 to forge consensus on approaches to deal with the crisis of gender-based violence, discrimination against women and gender disparities, according to Ramaphosa.

The National Women's Day is designed to commemorate and honor the courageous women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest against the ruthless apartheid regime's unjust laws 62 years ago.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 23:00:55|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

TOKYO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Three major Japanese makers apologized Thursday for conducting improper inspections of new vehicles, dealing another blow to the reputation of the troubled Japanese manufacturing industry.

Suzuki Motor Corp., Mazda Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. admitted at separate press conferences on Thursday that they have cleared vehicles for emissions or fuel efficiency standards after improper tests.

Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki told a press conference in Tokyo that invalid fuel-economy or emission test data had been taken as valid on about half of the 12,819 vehicles sampled for tests.

Yamaha Motor Executive Vice President Katsuaki Watanabe admitted at a separate press conference that data on fuel efficiency of seven motorcycles were invalid and required retests.

Mazda also confirmed on the same day that it had conducted problematic fuel-economy inspection for 72 cars.

All the three vehicle makers denied deliberate data alterations but attributed the problems to human errors or lack of training of the workers.

They also said that they will not recall any of the vehicles as fuel economy or emission standards of the vehicles were not affected by the improper tests.

The misconduct came into light after Japan's transport ministry last month instructed 23 vehicle makers to conduct internal investigations after Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru Corp. admitted to falsifying emissions or fuel efficiency data.

"It is extremely regrettable," Keiichi Ishii, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said in a statement, adding that the ministry will demand the manufacturers to take measures to prevent such misconduct from happening again.

Shares of the three companies tumbled on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, with Suzuki down 6.0 percent, Yamaha falling 4.6 percent and Mazda shedding 1.3 percent.

The incident followed a series of scandals involving major Japanese makers, including data falsification at Mitsubishi Materials Corp. and Kobe Steel Ltd., and uncertified safety checks carried out by Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru Corp., which came into light last year and tarnished the reputation of Japanese manufacturing industry.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 23:41:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) hailed on Thursday the progress in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) towards presidential and legislative elections.

Initially marked for Dec. 31, 2017, the DRC elections were rescheduled for December 23, and August 8 had been set as the closing date of the submission of candidatures for the elections.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, noted in a statement with satisfaction the key milestone attained on Wednesday in the electoral process in the DRC.

Faki welcomed the fact that President Joseph Kabila Kabange has honored his commitment to abide by the relevant provisions of the Congolese Constitution and those of the New Year's Eve Political Agreement on eligibility for the presidency of the republic.

President Kabila has made a gesture of high political value in the best interests of his country, said Faki.

He urged all actors concerned to work together, in good faith, to hold peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections.

It is imperative that the Congolese people can freely, and in full sovereignty, decide on their fate, the Chairperson said, reiterating the 55-member Union's commitment to supporting the electoral process.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 23:41:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

KAMPALA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday donated medicines and medical supplies to China-Uganda Friendship Hospital in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

Zheng Zhuqiang, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, handed over the medicines and supplies worth 70,000 U.S. dollars to Ruth Aceng, Ugandan minister of health.

"I believe that this batch of materials will effectively improve the current shortage of medicine for the hospital," he said.

Zheng said public health cooperation is an important part of the ten major China-Africa cooperation plans as announced during the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He said apart from the annual donation of medicines and supplies, China has since 1983 been sending medical teams to Uganda.

Aceng said the donation will go a long way in improving the patient care at the 100-bed hospital, which was also donated by the Chinese government.

Aceng said government is in the process of making final preparations to kick start the renovation and expansion of the hospital.

She said the hospital in future will be changed into a trauma and orthopedics center.
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.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-09 23:46:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

MADRID, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-nine Iberian lynxes who had lived in a breeding center in Portugal were moved to three similar facilities in Spain following the fires in the Algarve, southern Portugal on Thursday, organization Iberlince told Xinhua.

Iberlince is an organization focusing on the surveillance and monitoring of the areas where these animals live.

Lynx specimens will be held in southern Spain centers like El Acebuche (Huelva), La Olivilla (Jaen) and La Granadilla (Caceres).

In this way, they will be protected from the fires that have already destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest.

The animals will be carried in transport cages and will remain in Spain until their original home threatened by wildfire is ready to keep them again.

The lynx is the most emblematic animal of the Iberian Peninsular, for this species can only be found in Spain and Portugal currently.

Lynxes are under well conservation, as they were once at risk of extinction.

In fact, in 2013 there were only 300 lynxes, while in 2018 its population had increased to almost 600 thanks to the measures taken by both governments.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:01:08|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

ISTANBUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Despite the rising tension in the Turkey-U.S. ties due to Turkey's detention of a U.S. pastor, Turkish experts remain optimistic that the two NATO allies could reach a compromise.

"I don't expect a rupture in the ties with the United States," Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at the Middle East Technical University, told Xinhua.

Tension has been rising in recent weeks after a Turkish court placed American pastor Andrew Brunson under house arrest in late July despite Washington's demand for his release.

Many in Turkey feel a swap deal may well be reached for Brunson, an evangelical pastor, as a large Turkish delegation held talks on Wednesday with their U.S. counterparts.

Bagci argued that the damage in the bilateral ties is not irreversible, saying that "this (escalation) was a forest fire, and now water is being poured down on the forest."

In a rare retaliatory move, the U.S. imposed early the month sanctions on Turkey's justice and interior ministers. Ankara responded by freezing any assets U.S. interior and justice ministers in Turkey.

Brunson, who has been under arrest since October 2016, is charged with espionage as well as helping the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and being linked to those who were involved in the failed coup attempt of 2016 in Turkey.

The reciprocal sanctions by Turkey and the U.S. "make the resolution of the Brunson case seemingly harder," said Faruk Logoglu, a former ambassador to the U.S.

But Logoglu added that a deal on Brunson is still possible, given the continuing diplomatic activities.

The Turkish delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, includes three officials from each of the foreign, justice and finance ministries. The Turkish officials had meetings with officials from the U.S. State and Treasury Departments.

It is widely argued that Turkey's state-run Halkbank and its former deputy general manager, Hakan Atilla, who is in prison in the United States, may be part of a swap deal for the cleric.

Atilla was convicted earlier this year of having violated previous U.S. sanctions on Iran, which Ankara has denied.

"If and when the pastor returns home -- which could be soon according to credible reports in the media -- then there might be a chance for the two allies to delve into more challenging issues," said Logoglu.

Logoglu, however, is concerned that the Turkey-U.S. ties could continue to worsen if no compromise is reached soon.

"There is a significant chance of a meltdown in the relationship, if the Brunson case remains unresolved," he warned.

Logoglu also feels the Brunson case currently overshadows the more substantive strains in the Turkey-U.S. relations.

The most daunting challenge will be the U.S. sanctions on Iran and the related congressional threat of banning Turkey from receiving loans from international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, he said.

"Anyone doing business with Iran will not be doing business with the United States," tweeted U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Bagci does not think Ankara would back off and agree to comply with the U.S. sanctions on Iran.

However, Bagci is optimistic that Ankara could manage to obtain exemption as it was the case for Turkey when the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Iran to force the energy-rich country to reach a nuclear deal.

In a bid to increase pressure over Ankara, the U.S. Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations passed a bill at the end of last month that calls for blocking future loans Turkey may seek from international financial organizations.

The Turkish delegation's visit to the United States reveals both sides' readiness to settle issue through diplomacy, Bagci said.

Top Turkish officials have repeatedly said Ankara would not bow to the U.S. threats.

A day before the U.S. Senate passed the bill, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that "the U.S. should keep in mind that it would lose a strong and sincere ally like Turkey if it would not change this (threating) attitude."

Erdogan also denounced Washington's steps regarding the evangelical cleric as disrespectful and not suitable for a strategic partner.

Despite the mounting tension between the two NATO allies, Turkish officials continue to refer the U.S. as a strategic partner.

Celalettin Yavuz, a security and foreign policy analyst, said the Turkey-U.S. rift is controlled.

Turkish officials should use diplomacy to sort out the problems rather than publicly the U.S., Yavuz said, noting that it is the Turkish economy that significantly suffers due to the ongoing confrontation.

"So, the confrontation works to our detriment," said Yavuz, who teaches at Istanbul Ayvansaray University.

Turkey should act realistically, he stressed, arguing diplomacy could work out a swap deal for the Brunson case.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:06:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

ANKARA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sent his special envoy to Turkey on Thursday to discuss the U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

Rouhani's special envoy Mahmoud Vaezi had a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevut Cavusoglu.

"We discussed the issues on the common agenda of Turkey-Iran with Mahmoud Vaezi, head of the Iranian Presidential Office," Cavusoglu said on his official Twitter account.

Vaezi visited Ankara amid ongoing talks between Turkey and the United States over the latter's sanctions on Iran, a neighbor and a major energy supplier of Turkey.

As result of the U.S. pullout from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the first round of the U.S. sanctions on Iran were restored on Tuesday.

The second round of sanctions, which include an oil trade ban, will take effect in early November and will directly impact Turkey's import of crude oil from Iran.

The Turkish foreign minister has repeatedly said that Ankara will refuse to comply with the U.S. sanctions.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:16:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Singapore held a National Day Parade Thursday evening to celebrate its 53rd birthday at its iconic Marina Bay, with performances, fireworks and military stunts.

Tens of thousands of viewers at the Marina Bay Floating Platform were amazed at the shows on the land, in the water and sky. Others who could not get tickets into the venue gathered around the bay to catch a glimpse of the annual gala.

Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined the crowd in the celebration.

The two-hour parade was climaxed by the aerial display of a total of 26 aircraft, including helicopters, fighter jets and transport planes. It also saw divers from Singapore's navy presented a free-fall jump, and the Singapore Army's Red Lions swooped in from a height of 3,800 meters.

Fireworks were lit up before and at the end of the celebration, shining upon a spectacular skyline for the cheerful audience.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:31:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIRUT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri denied Thursday the allegations that the government formation is delayed due to international intervention.

"There is no foreign intervention in the government formation and the problem is strictly internal," Hariri was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.

A senior Hezbollah official accused "embassies of regional countries" of delaying the formation of Lebanese government, the National News Agency reported Monday.

The official said that some foreign embassies were "pressing political parties to raise the ceiling of their demands," thus hindering the government formation, the report said.

Hariri said that the delay was because every political party is insisting on its cabinet's share.

"I call upon all political parties to think about the interest of the country before worrying about their shares in the cabinet," he said following his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Hariri also expressed his hope that the government formation would take place in the coming few days because the economic situation has become very difficult.

Berri warned last month that the country's economy will deteriorate if the new government is not formed soon.

Lebanon held the first general election in nine years on May 6. Despite the big loss of its seats in the parliament by his party, the Future Movement, Hariri is backed by most of the new parliament members to continue to serve as the prime minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:41:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

VILNIUS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Latest migration statistics showed that Lithuanian emigrants working abroad increasingly returned to their homeland, the country's internal affairs minister Eimutis Misiunas said on Thursday.

"Improving life conditions in Lithuania contribute to the return of emigrants who earlier were seeking better income abroad," Misiunas said in an interview with local radio broadcaster Ziniu Radijas.

In the interview, he commented on migration data from July which showed three consecutive months of higher numbers of people coming back to Lithuania than leaving the country.

According to Lithuania Statistics, the country's official statistics agency, 3,929 persons emigrated from Lithuania and 4,253 came to live in the country in July. The trend on increased immigration has been recorded since May.

"I believe the figures indicate that Lithuanians are returning home," Misiunas noted.

Nevertheless, the migration indicator remained negative over the January to July period as more people left Lithuania than returned back since the beginning of 2018.

Lithuania has been facing demographic issues for more than a decade, with emigration challenges particularly pronounced in the country. Earlier this year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) urged Lithuania to tackle emigration challenges as the Baltic country is losing many working-age people.

According to OECD, around 10 percent of Lithuania's residents have emigrated since 2004, a rate that is among the highest of OECD countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 00:56:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BERLIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker Audi AG announced on Thursday that its sales in the Chinese market reached new record in July, as well as in the first seven months.

A total of 53,191 units were delivered to Chinese customers in July, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percent.

From January to July, Audi sold 359,781 cars, up by 17.6 percent year on year, which is a new record for Audi sales in China during this period.

The Ingolstadt-based company delivered around 165,350 premium automobiles to customers in July and 1,114,650 units in the first seven months worldwide, up by 7.0 percent and 4.8 percent respectively.

"Audi is preparing itself rigorously for the future with new models and structures," said Bram Schot, interim CEO and board member for sales and marketing.

Schot added that at the moment the company gets a positive response to the models, but in the coming months challenges will increase.
An Honduran immigrant talks to relatives on his cellphone after arriving in San Pedro Sula, 200 kilometres north of Tegucigalpa, on June 22, 2018. (AFP PHOTO)

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pedestrians will be not allowed to wear headphones and use cellphones while crossing the road in Mongolia, the government's press office announced on Thursday.

The government approved new traffic rules during its regular meeting on Wednesday in order to ensure pedestrian safety and reduce road accidents.

The new rules, which will come into effect on Nov.1, will also forbid leaving a child under 10-year-old alone in a vehicle, and require children older than 10 to wear a seatbelt or be properly restrained.

In addition, the speed limitation in the country's crowded urban areas will be reduced to 20 km per hour.

A total of 163 people, including 37 pedestrians, were killed in road accidents in the first half of this year, according to official statistics.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 01:11:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Thursday strongly condemned a recent Saudi-led airstrike "on a bus that killed dozens of Yemenis," Press TV reported.

In a statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi urged the international community to put pressure on Riyadh and its allies to stop what it called "more crimes in the impoverished country" of Yemen.

Qasemi expressed sympathy with the families of the victims in the Saudi-led coalition airstrike.

The head of Yemen's Saada Health Office, Yahya Shayem, told Xinhua that at least 43 people were killed earlier Thursday as the Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a bus "carrying school pupils on their way to attend a summer school in Dhahyan."

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab coalition to fight the Houthi rebels, who control Yemen's north, with airstrikes in the last three years, while the Houthi militias often respond with launching missiles at Saudi border cities.

The Saudi-led coalition on Thursday defended the airstrike as a "legitimate" response to a deadly Houthi attack on the Saudi border city Jazan.

The coalition targeted the militants who planned and carried out the attack against Jazan on Wednesday, coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 01:11:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GAZA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Strip remained largely calm on Thursday after Egypt's mediation to halt the escalation of violence between the Palestinian factions and Israel.

"Pressing communications from the Egyptian intelligence apparatus led to a halt in exchanged attacks in Gaza and paved the way for truce," a high profile Palestinian official source told Xinhua.

Earlier, the Palestinian factions have decided to stop escalation in violence from their part amid continuous surge of attacks by Israeli forces, an official source from the joint operation room of the military factions said.

"The resistance factions have responded to the enemy crimes, last of which was the killing of two members of the Hamas Islamic movement during training in north Gaza on Tuesday," the source said.

He added that the armed factions deemed that "a round of escalation has ended and the time of calm will be based on the behavior of the occupation forces."

But Israeli air forces launched several strikes on some targets in Gaza on Thursday morning, a Palestinian official security source told Xinhua.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it struck more than 30 military targets in Hamas' training camps and observation points, including a warehouse.

It added that its forces have destroyed 140 Hamas targets since Wednesday's noon, blaming Hamas for the surge of violence.

Meanwhile, Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement it fired several rockets on two Jewish settlements in southern Israel and three military points near the Israeli border with Gaza.

According to Israeli sources, 16 soldiers were slightly wounded and several houses were damaged by the rocket-propelled grenades.

"President Mahmoud Abbas has conducted international calls at all levels to stop the Israeli escalation on our people in Gaza Strip," official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted a presidency statement as saying.

Abbas warned about the danger of the escalation, calling for "an urgent and immediate intervention to stop worsening the conditions and prevent dragging the region into more destruction and instability," the statement added.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov also expressed concern about the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel.

The UN has engaged with Egypt and all concerned parties in an unprecedented effort to avoid such a development, he said.

He stressed if the current escalation is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people.

"We will continue working hard to ensure that Gaza steps back from the brink, that all humanitarian issues are addressed and that Egyptian-led efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation succeed," he added.

At least three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 18-month child, were killed and 15 others were wounded by the Israeli raids since Wednesday. Several Israelis were also wounded in the attacks.

At the funeral of the lady on Thursday, the participants called for revenge, while her husband was hospitalized due to his grave wounds.

Tension soared quickly while a Hamas delegation left Gaza for Egypt on Wednesday.

Hamas officials said they have been studying several proposals for a long-term truce with Israel mediated by the UN and Egypt in Gaza, which the Islamist movement has controlled since 2007.
National rights body slams weak penalties for war crimes

The National Human Rights Commission has objected to some penalty provisions proposed in the draft bill of the transitional justice act and recommended at least 59 changes, arguing they are too lenient.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 01:21:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

AMMAN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Thursday signed an agreement with Egypt on resuming Egyptian gas supply to the kingdom in early 2019.

Under the deal, Egypt will provide Jordan with 10 percent of its daily need of gas as of next year, Jordanian Minister of Energy Hala Zawati said in a statement.

Jordan needs 330 million cubic feet of natural gas per day for power generation, according to the minister.

Egypt will compensate Jordan for the quantities of gas it failed to deliver to Jordan after the pipeline between the two countries were sabotaged by the militant group Islamic State (IS).

The minister added that Jordan and Egypt held talks in Cairo Thursday on providing gas to Jordanian industrial facilities.

In 2004, Egypt started providing 250 million of cubic feet of gas per day to Jordan. In 2009, there was a large decline in supply, while in 2011 the supply was completely halted after the pipeline in Sinai was bombed by the IS several times.

After the halt in supply, Jordan resorted to heavy fuel import for power generation which increased burden on the budget and resulted in losses of about 8 billion U.S. dollars.

Jordan started diversifying its energy resources and built a terminal for liquidized natural gas to import sufficient quantities of gas for power generation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 01:46:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A high-ranking UN official travelled to the Maldives on Thursday to discuss preparations for next month's presidential elections.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca underlined to all interlocutors the utmost priority of ensuring peaceful, fair and transparent elections, said the UN spokesperson's office in a note to correspondents.

Jenca met with President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is seeking re-election, as well as government ministers. He was encouraged by the government's commitment to ensure credible elections, and further discussed ways and additional efforts to build a level playing field for fair electoral competition.

Jenca also exchanged views with the joint opposition presidential candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and his running mate, emphasizing the critical role of the opposition in the democratic political process.

With the Elections Commission chair, he exchanged views on maintaining the commission's impartiality, the voter registry, unimpeded space for campaigning, equal access to media, complaint resolution and both domestic and foreign observation.

Jenca stressed that genuine and inclusive dialogue between political parties is the only conducive way to build a peaceful, prosperous and stable democracy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 02:01:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

DALLAS, the United States, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- It might be challenging for Americans to teach Chinese students English online, but the unique experience of learning and sharing cultures with Chinese families is much more fulfilling.

This is the view shared by more than 300 VIPKID teachers who gathered Wednesday in Dallas, the U.S. state of Texas, for the company's second regional conference.

Founded in 2013, VIPKID is a Chinese online education company which has hired over 60,000 native speakers in North America, mostly in the United States, to teach English online mainly for children under 12.

Working for the online learning service, teachers can publish schedules online based on their own time arrangements and teach classes from wherever there is internet accessible.

For many of the teachers, a relationship is built not only personally but also culturally, as they get a chance to learn more about China when teaching Chinese children English.

American teacher Joan Grabowski, who joined VIPKID in March, told Xinhua at the conference that she got interested in Chinese culture and history through lessons provided by the company.

To her, teaching seven Chinese children English is a fascinating experience during which she builds personal connections with families on the other side of the world.

"There is a lot of personal connections between the family in China and the teachers' family in the U.S.," she said, adding that "Chinese people are so eager and want to share their culture and learn our culture. It's thrilling. It's such a good experience."

The online English learning service has been welcomed by more Chinese parents over the past two years and is building a bridge over cultural differences by meeting demand from both China and overseas.

With a number of online English learning companies for children emerging, the number of customers is expected to reach nearly 8 million and the market value may exceed 5 billion yuan (about 730 million U.S. dollars) in 2019, according to an analysis report released by China's consulting company iResearch in 2017.

Besides English learning, VIPKID started its online Chinese learning service last year, and has more than 10,000 students now, many of them are children of the company's English teaching staff and Kris Hiwell is one of them.

Being a special education teacher, Hiwell was introduced to VIPKID by his wife who has been teaching for the company for more than a year. Now his 12-year-old son is learning Chinese through the company's program "Lingo Bus."

"They say the language of the future is Mandarin and my son is learning it already," he said.

Hiwell and his wife are considering moving to China to be full-time English teachers in order to give their son a better language environment.

Kevyn Klein, VIPKID Global Director of Community, told Xinhua that the company aims at creating global citizens both in the United States and in China by bridging gap between the two countries.

"Kids in China are growing up seeing teachers in the U.S. and understanding the U.S. culture. American teachers who have never been outside of the country before, all of a sudden, appreciate the Chinese culture," she noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 02:56:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sweden had reported 350 cases of European viper attacks so far this year, in comparison to 175 cases for the same period of last year, the Swedish Television SVT reported on Thursday.

"Usually we receive information of 220 to 250 cases in one year, so there is a significant increase this year," attending physician Sune Forsberg at the Swedish Poison Information Centre told SVT.

According to him, most victims suffer local pain that lasts for a while. Some also feel nauseous, and get stomachaches and low blood pressure.

Thomas Thunmark, who has been collecting and cleanings snakes since the late 90's, said to SVT that the number of vipers has increased due to the mild winter.

"In central Sweden, many of the young vipers survived over the winter since it never became really cold. In northern Sweden the snakes were protected by the snow," he said.

European viper bites can be very painful but are seldom fatal and in Sweden no one has died of it since 1996. However, attending physician Sune Forsberg reminds the public to always visit a hospital if been bitten.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 03:11:49|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Aug. 9, 2018 shows the 64th extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Khartoum, Sudan. The East African trade bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Thursday kicked off an extraordinary ministerial session in Sudan's capital Khartoum to boost the peace process in South Sudan. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)

KHARTOUM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The East African trade bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Thursday kicked off an extraordinary ministerial session in Sudan's capital Khartoum to boost the peace process in South Sudan.

In his address at the opening of the 64th extraordinary session of the the Council of Ministers of IGAD, Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed said the meeting aims to give a new spirit to the negotiations over South Sudan and set out a timetable for the implementation of the peace deal signed by the conflicting parties in Khartoum on Aug. 5.

"With this new spirit, we are very hopeful that the region will all come together until peace is finally arriving in South Sudan," he noted.

Hirut Zemene, Ethiopia's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the signing of the deal over power-sharing and security arrangements by South Sudanese rivals reflects the ability of the African countries to resolve their issues within the African framework.

She commended Sudan's role in reaching the peace deal, expressing hope that the agreement would bring lasting peace to the new-born state.

Meanwhile, British Minister of State for Africa Harriett Baldwin said the signing of the Khartoum agreement on the outstanding issues of power-sharing in South Sudan represents an important step in the peace process in the country.

"Over the significant challenges ahead of us, we can build on the progress in Khartoum to work toward a brighter South Sudan of peace, prosperity and democracy," said Baldwin, who is also the representative of Sweden, Norway and the United States to the meeting.

On Aug. 5, South Sudan's conflicting parties signed a final peace deal in Khartoum on power-sharing and security arrangements.

The deal was signed by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, major opposition leader Riek Machar and representatives of other South Sudanese opposition factions.

It stipulates that Kiir will continue his post as President during the transitional period, while Machar will be the first Vice President among the four vice presidents from different political parties.

Under the agreement, the transitional cabinet would be composed of 35 ministers, including 20 ministers from the government, and nine from Machar-led Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

The deal stipulates a transitional national legislative body would be composed of 550 members, with 332 from the government, and 128 from the SPLM-IO.

South Sudan has been witnessing a civil war since December 2013, which has left about 10,000 dead and millions of others displaced.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 03:21:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the Aug. 4 attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and called for an investigation into it.

In the attack near the town of Majdal Zun, the peacekeepers were threatened with illegal weapons. Vehicles were set on fire, and the peacekeeping force's own weapons and equipment were seized.

In a press statement, the council members underlined the need for the conduct of a credible investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the attack.

The members also recalled the necessity for all parties to ensure that the personnel of the peacekeeping force, or UNIFIL, are secure and their freedom of movement is fully respected and unimpeded.

The members also commended UNIFIL's cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with the aim of extending the control of the Lebanese government over all Lebanese territory, recalling the LAF are the only legitimate armed forces of Lebanon.

They stressed there should be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than those of the Lebanese state, no foreign forces in Lebanon without the consent of its government, and no sale or supply of arms-related materiel to Lebanon except as authorised by its government.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 03:36:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

JERUSALEM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli military said on Thursday that it struck and destroyed a multi-storey building in the Gaza Strip which was used as a Hamas headquarters.

The Israeli strike came on the second day of severe escalating violence between Israel and Hamas, injuring at least 18, with some in critical conditions, according to Palestinian media.

Ronen Manelis, Israeli army spokesman, said fighter jets targeted the five-storey building located in the Rimal neighborhood in northern Gaza.

"The building was used by Hamas interior security forces for military purposes," Manelis told Channel 10 TV news.

A statement released by the army described the strike as "a response" to an earlier rocket attack by Gaza militants on the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva, some 40 km from the Gaza Strip.

The rocket fell in an open field outside the city, without causing damage.

Earlier in the day, Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian movement that runs Gaza, said it would hold its fire after having launched some 200 rockets toward southern Israel since Wednesday evening.

However, after an Israeli military drone reportedly fired a missile toward a group of Palestinians near Gaza's al-Tuffah, Gaza militants retaliated with more rockets, including the one fired at Be'er Sheva.

Israel later carried out dozens of airstrikes throughout the besieged Palestinian enclave, killing three people, including a pregnant woman, her baby and a Hamas fighter.

The Israeli cabinet was summoned in Tel Aviv to discuss the next move and whether to approve a cease-fire proposal brokered by Egypt and the UN, or to escalate its assaults in Gaza.

In the early evening hours, Israel showed yet no signs of cease-fire, as a government official told Walla news site that "Hamas suffered a severe blow. Israel will continue to act with force."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed the military to prepare for "any possibility," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov urged both sides to avoid further escalation.

"Our collective efforts (with Egypt) have prevented the situation from exploding until now," Mladenov said in a statement.

"If the current escalation, however, is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people," he added.

The recent flare-up began on Wednesday evening, when Gaza militants fired rockets toward the southern Israeli city of Sderot, injuring about nine.

Overall, about 200 rockets have been launched toward southern Israel since Wednesday night, the Israeli army said, adding that some 30 of them were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket defense system, while most of the others fell in open fields.

About 23 Israelis had been injured, according to the Israeli authorities.

The rocket attacks from Gaza came after Israel killed two Hamas snipers in the coastal enclave on Tuesday. Hamas vowed to make Israel pay for the killing.

It was the third serious flare-up of violence since July and came amid attempts by UN and Egypt to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 03:51:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

PRAGUE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A team of Czech specialists have been giving the bees chlorella algae in the form of powder or sweet dough and found out that bees had become more healthy and viable.

Vaclav Kristufek, with the Ceske Budejovice Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, has revealed the results after a research on how chlorella algae affect the lives of bees.

Beekeeping farm Koblizek, in the central Czech city of Jihlava, has become the first in the country to offer natural feed supplement for bees with this algae, which helps them during the critical periods of development of the honeybee colonies.

Based on the results of the 4-year study of the scientists, honey production has increased by 17 percent since the bees got fed with algae.

The outcome of experiment with 30 bee colonies from ten apiaries, made in 2015 and 2016, shows that the freshwater green micro alga chlorella is an attractive food for bees, which they stored in pollen cells and used mainly as a source of protein.

Scientists say that chlorella also contains substances that can act as prevention against the bee plague.

Kristufek, who himself is a beekeeper, noticed an interesting coincidence -- the bees tend to keep in clouds near the algae dryer.

"It was in the spring, when nothing was blooming and there was no pollen at all," Kristufek said. This was how the idea to use algae as a supplementary food for bees appeared, he added.

Chlorella contains 40 to 50 percent of proteins and other substances that are important for immunity. According to scientists, when a bee receives food with algae, it becomes more lively, there are more bees in the hive, the queen bee lays more eggs, more larvae appear, and bee life gets visibly longer.

Scientists then developed a new natural feed supplement for bees called apialgaprotein. It is designed to be given to bees at certain periods of time, such as in the spring at critical periods of honeybee hive development, in the summer after June 20, when the generation of long-lived bees is being developed, and in autumn.

When chlorella is offered to bees in powder, they use it as pollen. According to the research, this has enhanced the function of the pharyngeal glands of the honeybee.

In 2015, there were 54,416 beekeepers in the Czech Republic who kept 596,313 bee colonies. Annual honey production in the country is around 10,000 tons per year. In 2015, the average honey production was 15.5 kilograms per hive.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 03:56:58|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

RABAT, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 5.1 million tourists visited Morocco in the first half of 2018, up 10 percent year on year, according to statistics released by the Moroccan Tourism Ministry on Thursday.

The number of foreign tourists jumped by 17 percent, while the arrivals of Moroccans living abroad rose 1 percent between January and June, the statistics showed.

The growth was mainly driven by the continuous increase of visits from traditional European markets.

The statistics showed an increase of 18 percent in Italian tourist arrivals, 13 percent in German tourists and 10 percent in French visitors, the country's largest foreign tourist market.

Meanwhile, tourism revenues reached 3.12 billion U.S. dollars between January and June, 15.2 percent higher from a year ago.

In 2017, Morocco registered a record 11.35 million tourist arrivals, 10 percent more than 2016. Enditem
Palestinians walk through the rubble of a building following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, on Aug. 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Stringer)

JERUSALEM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's security cabinet announced on Thursday that it will continue its strikes in Gaza, despite the UN and Egyptian efforts to achieve a cease-fire after two days of severe escalation.

The security cabinet held an emergency meeting in Tel Aviv to discuss the flare-up of violence, which started on Wednesday.

"The cabinet instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to continue to act forcefully against terror sites," The prime minister's office said in a statement after the meeting.

Earlier in the day, a Hamas official said talks were held in Egypt's capital Cairo in an attempt to reach a lull in Gaza.

"There is a great willingness on the part of the Palestinian factions (to achieve truce)," the official said.

Israeli war jets have struck more than 150 sites in Gaza since Wednesday overnight, killing a pregnant woman, her baby and a Hamas fighter, while Gaza militants launched about 200 rockets toward southern Israel, without causing casualties.

It was the third serious escalation of violence since July and came amid attempts by the UN and Egypt to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian movement that runs Gaza.
Nepal to push for more Indian investments

The government is proposing to attract Indian investment in the Nepal-Indian Trade Treaty itself as two sides sit for a comprehensive review of bilateral trade in New Delhi starting Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 04:57:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The chief of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) strongly condemned the airstrike against a school bus in northern Yemen on Thursday, which reportedly killed more than two dozen children.

"Attacks on children are absolutely unacceptable," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Twitter. "I'm horrified by the reported airstrike on innocent children, some with UNICEF backpacks. Enough is enough."

The attack hit the school bus in a market in Dahyan, in the northern province of Saada. While the exact death toll remains to be confirmed, initial reports said that the number of casualties could be well above 60, with dozens severely injured. Many of the children were reported to be under the age of 10, according to UN News.

According to the UNICEF, since conflict between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels escalated in 2015, about 2,500 children have been killed and 3,600 maimed in Yemen.

Yemen's conflict has its roots in uprisings that date back to 2011, but fighting escalated in March 2015, when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of its government.

Attacks against civilians have been the scourge of this conflict. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "tens of civilians were killed in violence in several governorates" in the past 10 days alone.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:02:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BRASILIA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's homicide cases hit a record high of 63,880 in 2017, or seven murders every hour, according to figures released on Thursday.

The number of total homicides represents an increase of 2.9 percent over the year before, news network Globo said, citing a report by the Brazilian Public Security Forum.

These statistics place Brazil among the world's most violent countries.

In a 2015 comparison, the latest available, the World Bank ranked Brazil as the world's sixth-most dangerous country, behind El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, with 26.7 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Last year's total means there were 30.8 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Brazil's northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, one of the country's poorest regions, registered the highest number of homicides, with 68 per 100,000.

The state with the lowest homicide rate was the industrial center of Sao Paulo (10.7 per 100,000).

The study points to a worrying 20 percent rise year-on-year in the number of killings caused by police, for a total of 5,144 deaths, or 14 per day.

Violence against women is also on the rise, up 6.1 percent, with 4,539 women becoming murder victims.

The number of domestic violence cases reported last year reached 221,238, or 606 cases a day.

The incidence of rape also rose, by 8.4 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:12:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

KHARTOUM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Thursday condemned the recent failed attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation of the failed attempt to assassinate ... Maduro, which resulted in the injury of many innocent people," Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

It described the incident as "a crime contradicting all humanitarian values and principles," urging the settlement of the political differences in the country through dialogue and peaceful means.

On Aug. 4, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survived an assassination attempt when delivering a speech at a military event in the capital Caracas.

Local and international media said the Venezuelan president was attacked by drones armed with explosives.

The Venezuelan interior ministry later said it arrested six people suspected of involvement in the assassination attempt. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:12:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BELGRADE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Danish Brondby outplayed Spartak Subotica 2-0 in Belgrade on Thursday, preventing the home team from creating another surprise in the qualifications for Europa League.

The match was played in front of numerous fans of both teams at the Rajko Mitic stadium in the capital of Serbia because Spartak's home stadium in the city of Subotica is under reconstruction.

Although the runner-up of the Danish Alka Superliga started to take over the initiative from the beginning of the match, Spartak Subotica was close to scoring on two occasions, first after a counterattack in the 5th minute which failed due to an imprecise long pass, and the other in the 16th minute when Bojan Cecaric did not manage to forward Andrija Vukcevic's pass to the Brondby's goal.

The punishment for the fourth-ranked team of the Serbian Superliga arrived in 29th minute, when Dominik Keiser caught the long pass in front of the goal of Spartak's Nikola Peric and blasted it into the net.

In the 32nd minute Dejan Djenic created hope for the home team fans, when he scored an equalizer after a free kick, but the goal was denied by the referee, because the player was in offside.

It became evident that Spartak will not repeat the success they had against Sparta Praha in previous round of the competition when, in the 47th minute, Hany Mukhtar beat the unprepared defense of Spartak and scored with a powerful shot from the edge of the goal line.

Brondby will defend their victory against Spartak next week in Copenhagen, while the winner will face the better one between Genk and Lech Poznan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:27:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will embark Sunday on his first trip to South America.

In a statement, the Pentagon said the tour, which would take him to Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia, will underscore Pentagon's strong defense ties with these nations as the White House declared 2018 the "Year of the Americas."

These relationships are critical to a collaborative, prosperous and secure Western hemisphere, it said.

In Brazil, Mattis will meet with senior officials and defense leaders. He will also speak at the Escola Superior de Guerra, the country's war college, and visit the national monument to Brazilian service members killed in World War II.

Mattis will then visit Argentina, where he will meet with senior defense officials to discuss defense issues of mutual interest.

He will later exchange strategic perspectives with Chilean senior officials and then conclude his trip in Colombia, where he will meet members of the newly elected administration.

As U.S. ties with the region have been at odds over immigration, trade, drugs and cross-border crimes, U.S. President Donald Trump in April skipped his first Latin America trip to stay in the United States to "oversee the American response to Syria."

He had been scheduled to pay a visit to Peru and Colombia and attend the Summit of the Americas in the Peruvian capital city of Lima.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence replaced him to travel to the region instead.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:52:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

TRIPOLI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Thursday denied that its ambassador to Libya had called for postponement of the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

The denial came shortly after the eastern-based Libyan parliament denounced the alleged remarks by Italian Ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Perrone during a recent interview with a local TV channel.

"The Italian Embassy in Tripoli notes that Ambassador Perrone never asked for delaying elections in Libya in his Aug. 4 interview with the TV network Libya's Channel," the embassy said in a statement.

On Aug. 4, Perrone said in the TV interview that holding elections in Libya before the end of 2018 is not possible as Rome does not advocate it, sparking resentment and protests in some Libyan cities.

Earlier in the day, Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives demanded that Italy replace its ambassador after Perrone's improper remarks on Libyan elections.

The Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the eastern-based parliament warned that Perrone's remarks "will have bad effects on the Libyan-Italian relations on both government and popular levels."

The UN-backed Libyan government on Tuesday told a press conference in the capital Tripoli that the date of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections is decided by the Libyans only.

In May, France hosted a meeting with the participation of different Libyan parties to end the political crisis, where they agreed to commit themselves to holding credible presidential and parliamentary elections slated for Dec. 10.

Despite a UN-sponsored political agreement signed in December 2015, Libya remains politically divided between rival governments in the east and west of the country, both competing for legitimacy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 05:57:20|Editor: Chengcheng

Video Player Close

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- South Africa celebrated the national Women's Day on Thursday amid growing calling of protecting women from violence.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told women attending the national Women's Day event in Mbekweni, Paarl, that South Africa should build a society where the "daughters of our nation" will be able to live in peace, dignity and security, and said the scourge of violence against women, and their exploitation, should end.

"Women should feel protected whether they are in the streets, on village pathways, at university, at work," said the president.

Siyabulela Jentile, founder of "Not in my Name", an equity organization, challenged men to take responsibility for their actions.

"We need to take collective responsibility in saying that we have never raped or killed but for a mere fact that we are men we need to take responsibility and do something about it," Jentile said, adding men must also be at the forefront to tackle gender-based issues than watching and folding their hands.

"There is nothing to celebrate this Women's Day we take into consideration the growing number of women that are being killed in South Africa," gender activist, Gaopalelwe, told Xinhua on Thursday.

Gaopalelwe cited an example of the death of a Rhodes University student, Kenan Maseko, who committed suicide after she claimed that her boyfriend raped her at the university premises.

Maseko was laid to rest on Women's Day.

Phalaetsile said at least a woman is killed in South Africa every four hours. "The law is not protecting women in South Africa, especially poor and black women," she believed.

According to Phalaetsile, Women's Day should be used to reflect on the kind of violence experienced by women in South Africa.

"Women should be treated with dignity throughout the year not only in the month of August," said Phalaetsile.

Women from all walks of life in South Africa marched against gender violence and child abuse in Pretoria last week. They handed over a memorandum with a list of demands to President Ramaphosa.

"You have the right to enjoy your bodies? the right to live a life that is happy," Ramaphosa told the protestors.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 06:02:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has strongly condemned the airstrike against a school bus in northern Yemen on Thursday, which has reportedly killed more than two dozen children.

"Attacks on children are absolutely unacceptable," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Thursday. "I'm horrified by the reported airstrike on innocent children, some with UNICEF backpacks. Enough is enough."

The attack hit the school bus in a market in Dahyan, in the northern province of Saada. While the exact death toll remains to be confirmed, initial news reports indicate that the number of casualties could be well above 60, with dozens severely injured. Many of the children were reported to be under the age of 10.

Fore called all warring parties to "respect international humanitarian law," and spare children, civilians and civilian infrastructure to prevent Yemen from falling "further into the abyss and the humanitarian catastrophe" it has been facing for over three years.

Since conflict between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels escalated in 2015, about 2,500 children have been killed and 3,600 maimed in Yemen, according to the UNICEF.

Yemen's conflict has its roots in uprisings that date back to 2011, but fighting escalated in March 2015, when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of Yemen's president.

"Attacking children is the lowest any party of this conflict can go," UNICEF Yemen Resident Representative Meritxell Relano told UN News. "There is no justification whatsoever to attacking children."

Attacks against civilians have been the scourge of this conflict. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "tens of civilians were killed in violence in several governorates" in the past 10 days alone, UN News reported.

Last Friday, during a particularly deadly attack, one of the last functioning hospitals, Al Thawra in Al Hudaydah, was struck, reportedly causing the death of dozens of vulnerable, sick and injured civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 06:22:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The indigenous peoples account for about 5 percent of the world's population but constitute 15 percent of the poorest, a UN senior official said Thursday, while noting a recently agreed compact on migration can help protect their rights.

At a meeting commemorating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Zhenmin Liu said the indigenous peoples often migrate in search of a better life but current reality for many who have migrated is "poverty, little or no access to education, employment and other social services."

As this year's focus is on indigenous peoples' migration and movement, Liu said in the recently agreed Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the UN member states committed to address and reduce the vulnerabilities in migration, and that the compact presents an opportunity to highlight the specific needs and rights of migrants from indigenous groups.

He further said the compact is a vehicle to address cases of involuntary migration of the indigenous peoples, while noting "they have a strong relationship with their lands, territories and resources" but are "increasingly losing their ancestral lands as a result of development projects, settlement programs, conflict and violence, and climate change."

On July 13, all 193 UN member states except the United States agreed on the finalized text of the compact, the first intergovernmental document designed to deal with the comprehensive issues of migration. The compact is set to be officially adopted at a high-level conference in Morocco this December.

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world's thousands of languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

As a result of migration, currently many of the indigenous population live in urban areas. Liu said in Latin America, over 40 percent of all indigenous peoples live in urban areas, and in some countries the rates reach about 80 percent.

On Dec. 23, 1994, the UN General Assembly decided in a resolution that the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples shall be observed on Aug. 9 every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations. On this day, people from around the world are encouraged to spread the UN's message on the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-10 06:37:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

LIMA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Stepped up global warming is eroding glaciers in South America's Andean mountain range, Peruvian expert Erick Soriano warned on Thursday.

According to the president of a special commission at the National Glacier and Mountainous Ecosystems Research Institute (Inaigem), "the loss of glacial mass has accelerated."

"We are experiencing a period of very aggressive climate change and the possibility that we will continue to lose glacial mass is imminent," Soriano told Xinhua.

Soriano spoke of the phenomenon at the start of a two-day regional conference in Lima on public policy to address the problem.

Peru has lost about 50 percent of its glaciers in the past 40 years and "if the trend continues, the situation would be serious," said Soriano.

The glaciers are a vital source of freshwater, he noted, calling for the construction of large reservoirs to capture the runoff and for reforestation to attract more rainwater.

"Water is an essential element for the country's development, we have to learn to conserve it, treat it and use it rationally," he said.

Southern Peru has already lost three medium-size glaciers, leading to shortages of water in surrounding communities and more migration to the cities.

Peru's glaciers are especially vulnerable to rising temperatures because the Peruvian Andes are close to the tropics, he said.

Experts from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador attended the event.
18 Nepali families receive blood money from Saudi govt

Families of 18 Nepali migrant workers who died in road accidents in Saudi Arabia have received Rs 70million blood money from the Saudi government. Nepali Embassy based in Saudhi Capital Riyadh fought a court battle on behalf of the affected Nepali family to pay the blood money.
NHRC begins encounter probe

The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday launched a probe into the police encounter on Monday that killed two men accused of ransom kidnapping.
By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

An estimated 2 million Michiganders cast ballots in Tuesdays election, a new record for a Michigan August primary.

Gogebic County saw 25.6 percent of voters participate in the election, while 30 percent of registered Ontonagon voters cast ballots in that county.

Gogebic County participation was up from past August primaries, according to Gogebic County Clerk Gerry Pelissero. He said the 2016 election that featured all county and township offices had a 22 percent turnout, while the 2014 race that lacked those local contests only had an 11 percent turnout.

Primary elections are funny. If theres not something to really get the people out to the polls, they dont go. If theres something that drives them, theyll go, Pelissero said. And then there are also the people who absolutely dont like a primary ballot because they want to be able to pop from party to party.

Those people stay home until the November general election when they can split their ticket, according to Pelissero, who remembered running into people when campaigning in 2000 and 2004 who wished him luck but said they refused to vote in the states primary elections.

Pelissero attributed the higher turnout Tuesday primarily to two local contests.

This was driven by two things. Obviously it was driven by the probate judge race, and then in the school district I think Ironwoods bond proposal drew more people out than if it wasnt on (the ballot), he said. Otherwise, the other precincts pretty much had their average turnout I would say.

Even with Tuesdays turnout being higher than past primary elections, the numbers still dont come close to the numbers seen in November general elections.

Pelissero said presidential-year elections  at least since about 2000  have seen a turnout in the ballpark of 50 percent, while 42-45 percent of voters generally come out for the off-year gubernatorial elections.

Erwin Township had the highest turnout in Gogebic County with 34.2 percent of eligible voters casting ballots while Watersmeet Township had the lowest with 19.8 percent participation. Ironwood Township was relatively close behind Erwin with 32.9 percent participation, Wakefield Township had 29.4 percent, Bessemer had 27.6 percent, Bessemer Township had 25 percent, Wakefield had 23.7 percent, Ironwoods three precincts combined for a total of 23.6 percent turnout citywide, Marenisco Township had 23 percent participation and Watersmeets 19.8 percent brought up the rear. While Ironwood had a total turnout of 23.6 percent, one of the three precincts was more active than the other two  Precinct 1 had 27 percent, Precinct 2 had 20.5 percent and Precinct 3 had 22.8 percent.

The states previous turnout record was set in 2002, with a similar dynamic to Tuesdays ballot: An open governors seat; contested primaries in both parties, and the potential of a second woman in the governors seat.

About 53 percent of the voters participated in Tuesdays Democratic primary and about 47 percent chose from the Republican slate.

That compares to 67 percent cast for GOP candidates in August 2010, the last primary with an open governors seat and contested races for both Republicans and Democrats.

Gogebic County saw Democratic turnout slightly higher than at the state level, with 57.3 percent of the countys 3,152 votes for governor going to a Democratic candidate. It was the Republicans with the higher turnout in Ontonagon County, as 55.5 percent of the countys 1,523 votes for governor went to someone in the Republican primary.

Voter enthusiasm was so high in Oakland County downstate 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.

Whitmer received 1,165 of the 1,807 votes cast in Gogebic Countys Democratic race, while 710 of the 1,345 votes in the countys Republican contest went to Schuette. In Ontonagon, Whitmer received 400 of the 667 votes cast; while 342 of the 846 the countys Republican voters supported Schuette.

In a Tuesday evening post on Facebook, Berkley City Manager Matthew Baumgarten said his city outside Detroit ordered the the maximum ballots were allowed to order and we still had to go to our contingency plan.

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 Michigans first woman governor.

Editors Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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...
Over 220 firms found selling unsafe goods

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) filed cases against 224 firms selling substandard food items from across the country in the last fiscal year.
Abby McElroy, 17, holds a poster from the sex ed class presented by Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center at Strath Haven High School for the past three years. The school board said it was investigating. Read more

A 17-year-old jolted the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District last month when she told the school board that a nearby faith-based crisis pregnancy center had been invited to her health class, saying that it offered medically inaccurate information, exaggerated the dangers of sex, and offered a Bible to a girl who stayed after class.

The allegations by Strath Haven High School senior Abby McElroy against the Drexel Hill-based Amnion Pregnancy Center shot through the 3,500-student Delaware County district, causing more than 500 people to sign a Change.org petition against the center's future participation and Superintendent Lisa Palmer to issue a public statement that "we will thoroughly investigate."

School board members "were horrified  none of them had any idea that this was going on," said McElroy, who showed up at their July meeting with a poster board copied from Amnion's presentation, titled "The Steep Slope of Arousal."

The poster showed two stick figures holding hands at the edge of cliff  part of Amnion's RealEd "relationship education" program that contends that even hand-holding, hugging, and kissing can cause teens to fall into the abyss and crash on the rocks of sexual activity.

McElroy told the school board the presentation had encouraged abstinence not just from sex but any touching in order to conserve oxytocin, a hormone that is released during sex and activities like cuddling. The claim that too much youthful activity depletes oxytocin and thus makes it harder for a person to eventually bond with a future spouse has been challenged by scientists, who say it's based on research with prairie voles, not humans.

Amnion executive director Melanie Parks said the RealEd program is not faith-based. She said that it encourages young people to think critically about sex and relationship choices, that the discussion of oxytocin was taken out of context by the student, and that the information in the program "was presented accurately." She denied that a student was given a Bible.

The controversy over the role of Amnion  which quotes the Bible on its website, accepts grant money from the socially conservative Christian Focus on the Family and has a stated goal of ending abortion in the Philadelphia suburbs  highlights the ongoing ambiguity over how sex education is taught in Pennsylvania public schools.

The state has no standards for teaching comprehensive sex education, and efforts to establish them in the legislature in recent years have failed. However, students are required to learn about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, and abstinence is encouraged. Some faith-based, antiabortion crisis pregnancy centers have received state funding.

Andrea Swartzendruber, an assistant professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia who studies faith-based pregnancy centers, said she has found that they have been involved in school-based sex-ed programs for decades and often present medically incorrect information.

"The parents I've talked to have been surprised and unhappy when they realize this religious organization is teaching and their main mission is antiabortion," she said.

Advocates for Youth, which promotes adolescent reproductive and sexual health, also reported in a survey of abstinence-only sex-ed programs that many contain inaccurate or misleading information.

Wallingford-Swarthmore school board president Marilyn Huff said the district was investigating and promised that "we will make changes"  although she declined to offer specifics.

Amnion was invited to the school by a health teacher, according to parents and students. McElroy said that after sitting through the one-day program during her sophomore year, she'd complained to the Strath Haven principal and had been reassured Amnion would not be invited back. But it was. That principal has since left the district.

Amnion has worked at Strath Haven for three years and goes to 25 public and private middle and high schools in the Philadelphia suburbs annually, said Parks, adding that it doesn't receive state or federal funding and that all of its programs are free.

Whatever the outcome of the debate, the experience has taught McElroy a lesson about not abstaining when it comes to speaking out on a thorny issue, she said.

She said that after Amnion representatives returned last year, she initially said nothing but changed her mind after researching faith-based crisis pregnancy centers while studying this summer at the prestigious Pennsylvania Governor's School for Global and International Studies.

"I live in a very liberal, very open community  for the parents and also the students this is something that they are very passionate about," she said of her presentation.

She said she supports anyone who believes in abstinence but worried that Amnion's presentation may have shamed students who were sexually active.

Stefanie McArdle Taylor, an attorney whose two children attend Wallingford-Swarthmore schools, organized the Change.org petition and posted about the program on a local message board called Next Door Swarthmore. She said she was shocked to learn that the superintendent and school board didn't know about the visits and that "there must have been a slip-up or a mistake."

What she heard about the program was "outrageous," she said.

While McElroy said there was no mention of religion during the class, she noted that there are psalms and Biblical quotes on the crisis center's website. She also reported that when she took the class a student who stayed after to ask questions was given a Bible.

Another element of the center's presentation, according to students who attended, was a piece of sticky tape; the teens were told that "if you have sex with too many people it becomes less sticky  and you can't make healthy relationships," McElroy said.

"I think for the most part we found it funny, but I'm not saying they didn't make any good points, because they did," said Alexia Alvarez, 16, who took the class last year.

Meanwhile, McElroy says that her activism around the issue isn't done and that she wants to visit other school districts that work with crisis pregnancy centers. "The model of speaking at school board meetings worked out so well," she said, "I would like to expand this to other districts."
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.
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 file photo, U.S. Attorney William McSwain speaks in his Chestnut Street office on May 3, 2018. Read more

The Philadelphia region's top Justice Department official sharply criticized city leaders Wednesday over their immigration policies, which he blamed for giving a "free pass" to a Honduran man who sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl.

In an interview with the Inquirer and Daily News, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain denounced Philadelphia's "sanctuary city" status as dangerous and blamed it for "foster[ing] mistrust between the community and local law enforcement" by favoring undocumented immigrants.

Although his statements echoed previous remarks from his bosses in Washington, it marked the first time since McSwain assumed his post in April that he had broken so directly and forcefully with city officials.

"If it turns out by playing favorites that you're allowing children to get raped, my office is going to have a big problem with that," he said.

McSwain was discussing the case of Juan Ramon Vasquez, an undocumented immigrant whose repeated sexual assault of a family member after his 2014 release from a city jail has become a flash point in the "sanctuary cities" debate. Federal prosecutors secured a guilty plea from Vasquez, 38, of Upper Darby, on immigration offenses Tuesday.

But the U.S. attorney's statements about the case prompted a pointed response from District Attorney Larry Krasner, who shot back when asked about them after an unrelated news conference Wednesday in South Philadelphia.

"Spoken like an appointee of the Trump administration," Krasner said. "What do you expect?"

Asked specifically about McSwain's linking the rape of Vasquez's victim to the city's sanctuary status, the district attorney replied: "That's very dramatic. The Trump administration has made it so that immigrant children can get raped because they're afraid to call the police  [due to its] policies of deporting people who are victims."

Mayor Kenney refrained from criticizing McSwain or his office directly during the news conference, which highlighted federal, state, and local efforts to combat gun crimes, but stressed that he disagreed with the U.S. attorney's opinion.

"We have the highest respect for law enforcement at the federal level," he said. "We just happen to disagree on this particular issue.  That does not mean we will not cooperate on human trafficking, on drug cases, on all kinds of cases."

The back-and-forth between municipal leaders and the city's top federal official underscored a growing rift between Philadelphia and Washington on immigration enforcement policy.

Since last year, city officials have sparred with the Trump administration over whether they should be required to hold undocumented immigrants flagged for possible deportation in city jails past the release dates for the crimes for which they were arrested. Then, last month, Kenney's administration announced plans to cut off access for federal immigration agents to a city database that logs police arrests in real time.

Meanwhile, demonstrators have persisted in a vocal campaign for weeks calling for the dissolution of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency primarily tasked with enforcing immigration law.

McSwain, speaking Wednesday in his office overlooking Independence Hall, cast those positions as wrongheaded and said anyone displeased with immigration laws "should be working within the system in order to get the laws changed, they should not be making baseless accusations against ICE saying that they are acting illegally."

Kenney, Krasner, and Police Commissioner Richard Ross have argued that relying on local law enforcement to help locate and deport undocumented residents only endangers the wider community because it makes it less likely that those who do not have legal status in this country will come forward to report crimes.

"They have it exactly backwards," McSwain rejoined Wednesday. "They're fostering mistrust between the community and law enforcement by choosing not to enforce the rule of law."

In June, a federal judge in Philadelphia barred the Justice Department from seeking to compel the city to comply with immigration enforcement efforts by withholding law enforcement grants.

A key issue in that case  which the Justice Department continues to appeal  was the city's refusal to honor ICE requests to hold undocumented immigrants being released from city jails. City officials maintain that they will respond to such requests  known as ICE detainers  only if the paperwork is accompanied by a signed arrest warrant from a judge.

Federal immigration authorities have called such requirements overly burdensome, and repeatedly have highlighted Vasquez's case as an example of the dangers of Philadelphia's policies.

Philadelphia police arrested Vasquez  who also used the name Ramon Aguirre-Ochoa  in 2014 and charged him with aggravated assault. He was released the following year when the case against him was dropped  despite an ICE detainer requesting that he be held for possible deportation proceedings.

Vasquez was arrested again a year and a half later for raping a 5-year-old family member. He pleaded guilty to that crime and was sentenced last year to eight to 20 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors filed their criminal immigration case against him in 2016. His guilty plea Tuesday  to one count of illegally reentering the country after deportation  all but ensures he will be deported after he is sentenced and serves an additional term of incarceration for that crime.

Had Vasquez been turned over to immigration authorities as originally requested, McSwain said Wednesday, his subsequent crimes never would have occurred.

"This case is the worst-case scenario," he said. "You have a situation where there was a terrible crime committed because the city plays favorites."

Vasquez's attorney, federal public defender Mythri Jayaraman, declined to comment on his case Wednesday.
Americans for Prosperity staffer Chris Saterstad (left) works to convince Bucks County resident Eric Oelschlegel to oppose Democrat Katie McGinty for Senate in 2016. (BEVERLY SCHAEFER/ For the Inquirer) Read more

In its first major move in support of a candidate in Pennsylvania this election cycle, the Koch family-backed Americans for Prosperity announced Thursday that it will support Republican Scott Wagner in his campaign to unseat Gov. Wolf this November.

The self-proclaimed grassroots free-market advocacy group, deeply entrenched in conservative politics, said in a statement it will canvass, make phone calls, and run paid advertisements backing the Republican nominee while highlighting the "failed policy record" of the Democratic governor.

Beth Anne Mumford, the group's Pennsylvania director, said Wagner's record "reflects strong leadership on causes our activists champion." The Republican has based much of his campaign on making Pennsylvania more friendly to businesses, in sync with AFP's fights to lower taxes and restrain the influence of government over the economy. Wolf has failed to abide by those principles in his first term as governor, Mumford said.

"Wolf's lack of leadership has instead left the commonwealth with a legacy of bigger government, higher taxes, and runaway spending that consistently stifles economic dynamism," she said.

The Wolf campaign said the endorsement proves Wagner is in thrall to special interests.

"These big oil and gas barons are trying to buy the election for Scott Wagner so he can continue to give handouts to billionaires like the Kochs by blocking a severance tax and refusing to make big corporations pay their fair share," campaign spokesperson Beth Melena said.

With three field offices in the state and a half-dozen paid staffers, Americans for Prosperity hopes to replicate the success it had in 2016 when it spent more than $1 million helping defeat Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee Katie McGinty, who lost to Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in what ended up being the most expensive Senate race in the country. During that effort, volunteers knocked on more than 135,000 doors and made 2.4 million phone calls.

The group did not signal how much it would spend in support of Wagner, but with 13 weeks left until the election, but it said dozens of volunteers will deploy from AFP offices in the Erie, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia areas to canvass for him.

Wagner "is pleased to have the support of an organization committed to promoting business-friendly policies and fostering economic growth," campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo said Thursday. He said Wolf "is bought and paid for by the public sector unions."

Americans for Prosperity's backing could send a jolt of energy into Wagner's fundraising, which has lacked the support of some key establishment Republicans in Pennsylvania. As of June 4, Wagner had $1.6 million on hand, trailing the incumbent by a factor of nearly 10-1.

His campaign account could also see a boost from supporters of President Trump, after the president praised him in a campaign visit for Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Lou Barletta last week. Wolf used the president's endorsement of his opponent as a fundraising plea.

Wagner trailed Wolf by double digits in two polls released in June, but his campaign alleged one of those oversampled Democrats.

Americans for Prosperity, known for more than a decade for its backing of conservative candidates, has said it is "raising the bar"  looking for policy agreement, not party affiliation.

But this renewed focus has clashed with some Republicans recently, including Barletta, who was targeted in May over his vote on the $1.3 trillion spending bill two months earlier as part of a mail and ad campaign criticizing 17 House members from both parties for voting to increase waste and spending.

Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952, Twitter @julianrouth.
Philadelphia has hired the same vendor Chicago is using to distribute municipal ID cards to residents starting next year. This rendering shows an example of Chicago's card. Read more

After pushing to make good on a campaign promise, Mayor Kenney announced this week that the city will soon begin issuing a Philadelphia municipal ID  an official photo identification card to be issued by the city that could be available in January. Philadelphia will join large cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Detroit which already issue municipal IDs.

Navigating life without some form of photo identification is hardly imaginable. But a surprising number of people in the state lack photo ID; this came to light during a debate about the Pennsylvania voter ID law in 2014 that was ultimately struck down by the court. One analysis at the time estimated that more than a half million of the state's 8.5 million registered voters did not have the proper photo ID that would allow them to vote under the new law. Concerns at the time focused on the poor, the elderly, and people of color who are less likely to have an ID  or lack the required supporting documentation for one  and would be thereby disenfranchised at the voting booth.

An ID is necessary to open a bank account, access healthcare services, enroll a child in school, obtain public benefits such as food stamps (SNAP), and at times, to enter a public park or beach.

A municipal ID, which is issued only after a person's identity is verified and residency in the city confirmed, could have less stringent requirements than a state ID and provide a form of identification for people who have no other option.

For the 50,000 undocumented immigrants who live in the city a municipal ID could be a game changer. Being an undocumented immigrant without an ID has its own challenges  and some of them impact us all. For example, an undocumented immigrant might choose not to report a crime or give testimony to the police because his or her ID (a foreign passport) would raise questions about their immigration status, making all of us less safe.

Opponents of municipal ID programs argue that handing IDs to undocumented immigrants will allow them to enroll in welfare programs. While non-citizens could be eligible for benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid, they have to meet specific criteria and prove their immigration status. An ID alone will not be enough.

The program is expected to cost $580,000 in the first year. The city is still working through how to ensure privacy for ID holders. The city should also work to ensure that people who already have official IDs also obtain a municipal card; otherwise the ID will be a tool to profile undocumented immigrants and poor people.

Aside of all the important tangible things that come with having access to an ID, the municipal ID can also promote a less tangible goal  a shared identity as Philadelphians. American or foreign born, rich or poor, black or white or Hispanic or Asian, we are all Philadelphia  and our city's ID will reflect that.
This week, West Hollywood City Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting the permanent removal of President Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to their resolution, the reality-TV-star-turned-Commander-in-Chief should lose his place on the famous street for "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."

It should be noted that Trump has never been convicted for any crimes related to sexual misconduct, despite a long history of accusations and lawsuits. Additionally, the final decision-maker, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, has opposed similar concerns raised last November when protesters demanded several other stars, including Kevin Spacey, be removed during the height of #MeToo, a powerful movement that shed light on instances of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood and beyond.

But this resolution should serve as a symbolic gesture that time is up for men in the industry who yield their power to victimize others. For decades, either Hollywood turned a blind eye or retaliated against those who spoke out against sexual harassment in the workplace. Now, one of the industry's most prized titles is being held in contention for those who have betrayed the people's trust.

A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a big deal because it publicly serves as the ultimate symbol of fame. To have your name immortalized within the steps of Hollywood is a touchstone of what we consider popular. By continuing to have sexual predators remain honored among more favorable Hollywood icons sends a bad message that celebrity status supersedes sexual misconduct. Hollywood should look more inward at the convicted criminals within their own industry before throwing a stone at the White House.

If Trump's star should go, removing Bill Cosby's star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a no-brainer.

Philadelphia's own TV-dad-turned-sex-offender was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault earlier this year after years of accusations from dozens of women. He will finally be sentenced next month.

An entire generation of black kids grew up seeing the Emmy-winning icon as a prime example of how to garner universal success without losing wholesomeness. Cosby inspired a generation of people, especially black Americans, to imagine themselves in roles on television that weren't stereotyped. We saw ourselves in college, in loving households, and in Coogi sweaters.

Meanwhile, Trump has always been one who has had a penchant for finding himself in scandals long before he entered the Oval Office.

When accusations of Cosby's transgressions grew in recent years, many of us saw our hero become a monster. We felt a betrayal unlike anything we've ever experienced from Hollywood in decades.

For all of the trauma Bill Cosby has afflicted upon countless women and the black community overall, he's not a star worthy of continued celebration on that Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Even though Trump, politically, is a low-hanging fruit that's easier for Hollywood to reject, it's rather hypocritical for us to not prioritize the dishonoring of a convicted sexual predator before one who's only been accused. Unlike Cosby and former film producer Harvey Weinstein, Trump has yet to face criminal charges for his accusations. The court of public opinion shouldn't outweigh our legal system in this regard. Let's start with the culprits who should immediately go, and that is ultimately Cosby.

Ernest Owens is an award-winning journalist and CEO of Ernest Media Empire, LLC. @MrErnestOwens.
PM Oli briefs party Central Secretariat

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday briefed the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Central Secretariat about the governments position on contemporary issues.
Relief distributed to landslide victims in Jajarkot

Family members of nine persons who perished in a landslide in Jajarkot district have received Rs 100,000 each as relief from the District Administration Office on Thursday.
Uprety out of India ambassador race

The recommendation of former Chief Elections Commissioner Neel Kanth Uprety as Nepali Ambassador to India is scrapped after the Cabinet failed to authenticate its own decision.
1. Yes. It makes me wonder why Killeen is having the problem and other cities arent.

2. Yes. The city also had water issues after the winter storm, so this is rather troubling.

3. No. Its good that the city is dealing with the problem and playing it safe with consumers.

4. No. Its more of an annoyance than a concern. The city will take the necessary steps.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say until more information about the issue becomes available.

Vote

View Results
By Samuel Ssebuliba.

Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has dismissed allegations that sugar that was rejected in Kenya and Tanzania was brought to Uganda.

This year Kenya banned sugar that was found to be containing mercury.

Yesterday the Member of Parliament for Manjiya John Baptist Nambeshe tasked the minister to allay the fears of Ugandans on the media reports that this sugar was sneaked into Uganda.

However minister Kyambadde said that all the sugar in question was destroyed from Kenya and Ugandans are safe.
By Derrick Wandera.

The government of Egypt has completed donation of Shs 53 billion ($14m) to Uganda to kick-start a four-megawatt solar power project in Busitema University.

Speaking during a ground inspection of the area, the Commissioner Renewable Energy at Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Wilson Wafula, said the money is already procured and work will commence immediately.

He says the project will take 12 months and the process of shipment of equipment through Mombasa Port is already underway.

In 2016, a bilateral agreement between Uganda and Egypt was signed followed by a Memorandum of Understanding signing in May 2017 in which Egypt donated a grant worth 4MW of solar energy.

Upon completion, the project is expected to boost the solar energy production to 24MW following a private plant in Tororo that was commissioned last month.

According to Prof Mary Okwakol, the Vice Chancellor of Busitema University 7.5 hectares of land have already been given for the project to
By AFP. South Sudans President Salva Kiir has issued a decree offering a blanket amnesty to rebels, including his bitter rival Riek Machar, state radio reported Thursday.

The announcement comes days after the two men signed a power-sharing deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum aimed at ending a nearly five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions.

President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree pardoning Dr. Riek Machar and other groups that took up arms against the government since 2013. The decree comes into effect on the date 8, August 2018, State Radio Juba said, reading the decree.

Kiir also reiterated a call for his forces to observe a ceasefire agreed in June by both the government and Machars rebels.

Sundays power-sharing agreement paves the way for Machar to return to South Sudan as one of five vice-presidents, a role he occupied until shortly before the conflict erupted in December 2013 when Kiir accused him of plotting a coup.

A final peace accord must now be signed, under the auspices of regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), followed by the formation of a transitional government that will hold power for three years until elections can be organised.
New Delhi: Amidst efforts to clamp down on circulation of fake news, instant messaging app WhatsApp has officially rolled out 5 forward message limit in India.

Henceforth, Indian users will not be allowed to forward more than five chats at once.

The forward limit was introduced by the instant messaging app last month.

The company will also remove the quick forward button on the media messages, Whatsapp had said in a blog.

"A few years back we added a feature to WhatsApp that lets you forward a message to multiple chats at once. Today, we're launching a test to limit forwarding that will apply to everyone using WhatsApp. In India - where people forward more messages, photos, and videos than any other country in the world - we'll also test a lower limit of 5 chats at once and we'll remove the quick forward button next to media messages," WhatsApp had noted in its blogpsot.

It further sadi, "We believe that these changes - which we'll continue to evaluate - will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app. We are deeply committed to your safety and privacy which is why WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, and we'll continue to improve our app with features like this one."

WhatsApp has received flak from the Indian government over fake news and false information being circulated on its messaging platform. Such messages have incited mob-fury, triggering multiple cases of lynching across the country.

The government also warned the company that mediums used for propagation of rumours are liable to be treated as 'abettors' and can face legal consequences if they remain "mute spectators".

WhatsApp had previously stated that it had launched new safety features, including a label that clearly identifies forwarded messages and controls for group conversations in the last few weeks.

Rumours on WhatsApp have sparked off a spate of incidents involving mob fury, including one where five men were lynched on the suspicion of being child lifters in Maharashtra's Rainpada village of Dhule district.

The Supreme Court too had asked parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to become a new norm.

With PTI Inputs
New Delhi: US-retail major Walmart may approach Indian authorities seeking withholding tax certificates for determining the tax liability in the USD 16 billion Flipkart buyout deal.

Following CCI's nod to the Walmart-Flipkart deal, the I-T department expects Walmart to approach it under Section 197 of the Income Tax Act within a fortnight.

We were told that the deal would be closed within a week of the Competition Commission of India (CCI ) approval. So we expect them to file with the I-T authorities seeking withholding tax certificate under Section 197 within a fortnight," an I-T official said.

Under Section 197, any NRI selling shares can give reasons to Indian authorities as to why they should be taxed at a lower or nil rate in India.

Walmart last month assured the I-T department that it will fulfil all tax obligations.

Bengaluru-based e-commerce major Flipkart had in May shared share purchase agreement with tax authorities, and I-T department is currently calculating the tax rate that would be applicable for investors in Flipkart who are selling the shares to Walmart.

The I-T department is going through the share purchase agreement, reading in depth which investor has routed money from which jurisdiction and when and whether any treaty benefit apply to them, the official added.

Nangia Advisors LLP Managing Partner Rakesh Nangia said lower or nil withholding tax order obtained under Section 197 before making payment to Flipkart shall act as a provisional assessment of the transaction.

The payee can represent the case before tax authorities to determine the withholding tax implication on the transaction and the payer has to consider the lower/nil withholding tax order at the time of making payment to Flipkart, Nangia said.

Walmart on May 9 had announced that it will pay approximately USD 16 billion to buy about 77 per cent stake in Flipkart.

Significant shareholders in Flipkart, like SoftBank, Naspers, venture fund Accel Partners and eBay, have agreed to sell their shares. Also co-founder Sachin Bansal would be selling his stake to the US retail major.

The department has been reviewing Section 9 (1) of the I-T Act, which deals with indirect transfer provisions, to see if the benefits under the bilateral tax treaties with countries like Singapore and Mauritius, could be available for foreign investors selling stakes to Walmart. Singapore-registered Flipkart Pvt Ltd holds majority stake in Flipkart India.

In May, the I-T department had written to Walmart, saying that the US company can seek guidance about the tax liability under Section 195 (2) of the I-T Act.

Under Section 195 of the Act, anyone making payment to non-residents is required to deduct tax (commonly known as withholding tax).
ROHTAK: An 18-year-old girl and a policeman escorting her were shot dead by three unidentified bike-borne assailants in a suspected case of honour killing in Haryana's Rohtak on Wednesday.

The incident took place after the girl, escorted by Sub-Inspector Narender Kumar and a woman police constable, had appeared before the Rohtak court for a hearing in connection with her date of birth at the time of her marriage.

While returning, three unidentified miscreants gunned down the girl and the police officer. The woman constable managed to escape unhurt.

According to Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, "Girl's parents had filed a case against her after she married against their choice and she was being produced before the court. She was killed in this regard."

Randhawa further revealed that the girl's mother-in-law has given some clue to identify the assailants.

The victim, who belonged to the Jat community, was 17-year-old when she had eloped with a Dalit boy last year. The girl's father had registered a complaint against the boy at the Rohtak City police station.

After questioning, the boy had allegedly showed forged documents to the police to prove that the girl was an adult and the two got married. But the victim's family produced original certificates to show that she was a minor at the time of marriage. After all this, the Dalit boy was reportedly arrested on charges of forgery and sent to jail.

Subsequently, police had asked the girl to go back to her parent's house but she refused. Hence, the girl was sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal.

Meanwhile, no arrest has been made in the matter so far.
Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains pounding Kerala triggered floods and landslides throughout the state on Thursday with reports of at least 22 deaths from different parts of the state. While 11 people died in Idukki district, five more deaths were reported from Malappuram district. The deluge caused three deaths in Waynad and two in Kannur.

All educational institutions including professional colleges at Kothamangalam, Kunnathunad, Aluva, Paravur Taluk, and Kadamakkudy will remain closed on Friday. The announcement was made by the District Collector in the wake of heavy rain that has created havoc and a trail of destruction across the southern state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and offered all possible assistance to those affected. "Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity," the PM said in a tweet.

The neighbouring states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, also offered their assistance. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced a contribution of Rs 5 crore to rain-ravaged Kerala as a mark of support to the state. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has directed Chief Secretary TM Vijayabhaskar to send relief materials worth Rs 10 crore and a team of doctors to Kerala.

Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons said that personnel from the army, the navy and air force will assist in the rescue and relief operations. Union Minister KJ Alphons said, "There have been unprecedented floods in Kerala since yesterday and incessant rains for two weeks. It is the biggest rain we had in 50 years. 22 people died. Armed forces to fly to Kerala immediately, 6 central rescue teams already there. All the dams opened."

#Kerala: Southern Naval Command has sent 4 diving teams & 1 Sea King helicopter to Wayanad for evacuating stranded people. pic.twitter.com/ZZjbiOxxV0  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

An inter-ministerial team of the central government is also visiting the flood-affected areas in Kerala, while Army troops are being mobilised from Bengaluru for deployment in the rain-battered southern state.

To tackle the situation, Army and an NDRF rescue team have been stationed. "Six flood rescue teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad to carry out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) work," NDRF said.

Army has been deployed in three columns of an approximate strength of 75 persons each at Ayannkulu, Idukki and Wayanad. Two additional columns have been requisitioned and are moving to Kozikode and Malappuram. Three Engineer Task Force will also be stationed.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam on Wednesday, resulted into localised flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

Over 100 houses have been vacated and 12 camps have been urgently opened as flood situation has worsened in Kerala. Officers of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Department could be seen rescuing people from low-lying residential areas using boats as water has entered their houses in Pathalam in Ernakulam. Southern Naval Command has, meanwhile, sent four diving teams and one Sea King helicopter to Wayanad for evacuating stranded people.

Kerala state electricity board has issued a third red alert in Idukki reservoir. The dam will be opened on Friday morning to maintain the water level. At 4 pm on Thursday, the water level was 2399.56 ft. Around 951 people have been rehabilitated in the Paravur Taluk district as the low-lying residential areas like Pathalam Eloor have been submerged in water.
Pune: As many as 185 people have been detained from three different places in connection with violence during state-wide protests organised by Maratha Kranti Morcha over demand for Maratha Reservation. Five police personnel were injured in stone pelting by protesters in Chandni Chowk.

Maratha Kranti Morcha and other Maratha groups have been protesting across Maharashtra over the demand for reservation. They had called a state-wide bandh on Thursday, however, said that the protest would be held in a peaceful manner.

Parts of Maharashtra, 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. A number of people from the community had earlier committed suicide in support of the quota demand.

Meanwhile, a PIL has been filed against the Morcha in Bombay High Court for resorting to violence during a protest. The petitioner, in the PIL, requested compensation for loss of public property.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding a 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.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has alleged that the Opposition is trying to malign the Narendra Modi government by presenting fabricated facts regarding the India-France Rafale fighter jet deal.

The Defence Minister said this while responding to the Opposition's charge that ''the Rafale deal was a case of monumental criminal misconduct by the NDA government and the scam involving it is much bigger than the Bofors scandal.''

The charges were made by former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie on Wednesday. The two also demanded a time-bound probe into the Rafale deal by national auditor CAG.

Sinha and Shourie, while addressing a press conference along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, had 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 Defence Minister took to Twitter to refute the Opposition's charge and said that proper Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was followed while signing the deal for the "benefit of the nation".

''The Opposition is trying to malign the ruling government by repeating fabricated facts about the deal, signed between India and France in 2016,'' Sitharaman said in one of her tweets.

1.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. Todays was yet another attempt at repeating fabricated facts. #Rafale  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) August 8, 2018

"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 Defence Minister continued by saying, "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.

2. 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. #Rafale  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) August 8, 2018

Endorsing Sitharaman on the issue, Union Minister Arun Jaitley too attacked the Opposition for making baseless charges against the Centre in connection with the Rafale deal.

''I have seen today another attempt at maligning the Government by spreading falsehood and paddling fabricated facts regarding the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement for the procurement of Rafale fighter aircraft. It is even more reprehensible that this fresh attempt to tarnish the image of the Government should come less than two weeks after the miserable failure of a similar effort in the Parliament,'' Jaitley wrote in a Facebook post titled ''The Rafale Falsehood Repeated.''

''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. The Government had already responded effectively to each and every distortion and misinformation on the issue,'' he added.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government signed the deal with France-based Dassault Aviation to purchase 36 Rafale jets in 2016.

The Congress-led Opposition 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.

(With Agency inputs)
The protests seeking for Maratha reservation took a violent turn on Thursday after protesters burnt a police van and a private bus at Waluj Industrial Complex in Aurangabad during the 'Maharashtra bandh'. Police had to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas shells to stop the protesters.

Maratha agitators also disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra as part of their statewide protests over reservation demand, while Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour-mongering. Despite an appeal from Maratha community leaders to observe a peaceful bandh, protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some places, a police official said.

Two groups of protesters clashed when someone allegedly shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district, a police official said. According to him, a group led by Sena district chief Ambadas Danve objected to the slogans, following which members of both the sides beat up each other.

"One person was injured in the incident but we brought the situation under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed their members," the police official said. Agitators attacked the gate and a cabin at the Pune district collector's office and damaged some light bulbs in the premises, a police official said.

Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour-mongering. Protesters held a sit-in outside the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati tehsil of Pune and were joined by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No. 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said. Some agitators burnt tyres on roads in Jalna and Ahmednagar districts, a police official said.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, who was denied permission to enter the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in support of the Maratha community's quota demand, sat outside the gate of the legislature complex in protest. A call for bandh was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, but excluded Navi Mumbai, which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, had said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today.

Another Maratha faction, however, gave a call to hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office. The authorities had yesterday ordered the closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe in the densely populated township decided to remain shut. Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai, with the deployment of city police personnel along with a company of the Rapid Action Force and the Reserve Police Force.

The public transport buses and local trains were running normally in the town. Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said. Even though Maratha groups excluded essential services from the purview of the bandh, supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause. Protesters took out silent marches in Mumbai's Ghatkopar suburb and in the neighbouring Thane district.

A traffic department official said the number of vehicles on National Highway number four (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.

In Satara, all petrol pumps and vegetable markets were closed while all state transport buses were kept parked at the central bus stand.

Pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today, while in Latur, they blocked roads from midnight and disrupted traffic.

There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said. The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation in July.

The 'bandh' is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurance that his government was working on providing reservation to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutes, one that is legally sustainable. Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota.

Senior state minister Chandrakant Patil had yesterday said that "nothing can be done" on their demand till November 15. Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding a 16 per cent reservation.

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 in July.
New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday joined the ongoing protest over the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and slammed the Narendra Modi government for ignoring the Dalit community.

Addressing a gathering at the Jantar Mantar, the Congress chief said, ''PM Modi has no place for Dalits in his heart. If Modi ji had space for Dalits in his heart, then the policies for Dalits would have been different.''

The Congress leader further said, ''When he (Modi) was the CM of Gujarat, he wrote in his book 'Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai'. This is his ideology.''

If Modi ji had space for Dalits in his heart then the policies for Dalits would have been different. When he was CM he wrote in his book 'Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai'. This is his ideology: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/1asgxeou4w  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Calling the RSS and BJP as anti-Dalit, Rahul said, ''wherever there is a BJP government, Dalits are beaten up and crushed.''

Rahul warned that the people of India will teach a lesson to the arrogant BJP in the 2019 and vote against the party.

He was joined by CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the Jantar Mantar where some Dalit outfits are protesting against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court.

The Congress party also took to Twitter and posted the picture of Rahul Gandhi at the Jantar Mantar protest along with the CPI-M leader.

Congress President @RahulGandhi along with CPM's @SitaramYechury at the protest over the SC/ST Atrocities Bill, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/DSVBH91GlF  Congress (@INCIndia) August 9, 2018

Interestingly, the Dalit outfits, which had given a call for Bharat Bandh (country-wide shutdown) on Thursday, postponed their agitation, in a major relief to the Centre.

A decision in this regard was taken after the Lok Sabha passed the SC/ST amendment bill which overturned the SC ruling which had allegedly diluted certain provisions of the original legislation.

The All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM)  the umbrella organisation of the Dalit groups  said that the Bharat Bandh has been deferred as of now and not called off.

"Our major demand regarding the restoration of the SC\ST Act has been fulfilled," a written statement issued by the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) said on Wednesday.

However, the Dalit outfits have not yet decided on the next date for their agitation

''If the Centre does not accept our demands we will hit the streets again, Ashok Bharti, chairman of AIAM, was quoted as saying by the News18.com.

Bharti also said that this was done keeping in mind the Kanwariya Yatra.

The Dalit outfits will continue to support the protest led by ex-servicemen on One Rank One Pension (OROP) and All India Kisan Sabha-led agitation on farm crisis, both scheduled to be staged on Thursday in New Delhi.

The AIAM has also thanked various political parties for lending their support to the cause.

It said that it had successfully achieved its first milestone in protecting the law. The new deadline will be decided in due course of time, the Dalit leaders said.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale had on Wednesday appealed to the public not to take part in the August 9 bandh. He also urged the people to maintain peace and brotherhood in the country.

His appeal came a day after the Lok Sabha passed The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the law. The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017, which grants constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), was also passed by Parliament on Monday.

In his appeal, Athawale said that the passage of the two bills was a revolutionary step. He also alleged that the Opposition is defaming the government wrongly and assured that the Centre is continuously working towards the welfare of Dalits.

Importantly, the ruling BJP will also be observing "social justice fortnight" from August 15-30 and "social justice week" from August 1-9 from next year to mark the parliamentary nod to the bill seeking to grant constitutional status to the OBC Commission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday said that the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament will be remembered as a session dedicated to social justice and social harmony.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that PM Modi referred to the passage of a bill in the Lok Sabha to strengthen the law against Dalit atrocities. Kumar said they expected that the Rajya Sabha will also pass it during the ongoing monsoon session, which ends on August 10.

(With Agency Inputs)
NEW DELHI: NDA nominee Harivansh will face the joint Opposition candidate, BK Hariprasad when the members of the Upper House will vote to elect the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday.

Interestingly, both the sides are confident of their victory and claimed to have majority support.

The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the 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 sides - the ruling NDA and the Opposition parties - have issued 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 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 is claiming support of various parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, Left parties, SP, BSP, NCP, TDP.

TDP leader YS Choudhary said on Wednesday that his party, which has 6 members in the Upper Hopuse, ''will support Congress leader BK Hariprasad."

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.

In a big boost to the NDA, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has extended 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 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 earlier regarding the election.

The BJD support is important as both the UPA and NDA don't have a majority in the Upper House. .

"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.

On the other hand, Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma too claimed that 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.

"It is a great honour for me to be the joint candidate of the Opposition for the post of deputy chairman," Hariprasad said.

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) and BJD (9) -- adding up to 126.

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.

(With Agency inputs)
POONCH: National Conference MLA Javed Rana has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and referred to him as a 'terrorist'. "They call us terrorists, but the biggest terrorist and the biggest murderer of humanity is the Prime Minister of the country," Javed Rana said.

Rana made the statement while addressing a public meeting in Poonch on August 6. In an agitated tone, Rana brought up the issue of 2002 Gujarat riots in his speech.

#WATCH: Hum logon ko militant aur dehshatgard kehte hain, sabse bada dehshatgard sabse bada insaniyat ka qatil Hindustan ka Prime Minister bana hua hai: Javed Rana, National Conference MLA in Poonch on 06/08/18 pic.twitter.com/IlbZXoRRYk  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

The National Conference MLA has made several controversial comments in the past. Earlier this month, he had stoked a controversy by saying that the Indian flag would not be hoisted in Kashmir if the Central government makes changes to Article 35-A or 370.

He said that he was urging through the media to the Prime Minister not to scrap Article 370 and warned that the move will have serious ramifications. He had reportedly said that the agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is to erode autonomous structure of Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that the government is trying to manipulate the facts before the Supreme Court in the hearing over Article 35-A and 370.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 100 houses have been vacated and 12 camps have been urgently opened as flood situation has worsened in Kerala. Officers of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Department could be seen rescuing people from low-lying residential areas using boats as water has entered their houses in Pathalam in Ernakulam.

Around 951 people have been rehabilitated in the Paravur Taluk district as the low-lying residential areas like Pathalam Eloor have been submerged in water.

#WATCH Kerala Fire & Rescue Department rescue people from low-lying residential areas using boats as rain water enters houses in Pathalam, Ernakulam. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/TnnmPItU9T  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Heavy rain has created havoc in Kerala and created a trail of destruction across the southern state. Twenty people have been killed in rain-related incidents so far. Of the total deaths, 11 people were killed in a massive landslide in high range Idukki, six in northern Malappuram district, two others in Kannur and one in Wayanad district since last night. Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the locals and police, they said.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost its maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in the state have been opened to drain out excess water.

Five members of a family were killed in Idukki's Adimali town.

#Kerala: Rain water enters low-lying residential areas in Pathalam, Ernakulam. Kerala Fire & Rescue Department rescue people using boats. 20 people have died in Kerala so far in flooding and landslides following heavy and incessant rains. pic.twitter.com/iwrigz41WF  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

For the first time in the last 26 years, a shutter of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir, considered the biggest arch dam in Asia, was opened by noon on Thursday with the water level touching 2,398.98 ft. The full reservoir level (FRL) of the dam is 2,403 ft. Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam in Kochi district were opened on Thursday morning.

Calling the flood situation in the state "very grim", Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan it was for the first time in the history of the state that 22 dams have been opened at a time following the water level reaching its maximum capacity.

He said an assistance of Army, Navy and Coast Guard has been sought and six more columns of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been requested to be deployed in the flood-hit areas.

"The flood has caused large-scale damage across the state. Water levels in rivers are on the rise. Thus, there is a need to open the shutters of many dams," the chief minister said.

The deployment of Navy helicopter has been sought for the rescue of those stranded in the remote areas of Wayanad district, he said. The Left leader added the services of Army and NDRF had also been sought in the worst-hit Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Idukki districts.

A 24x7 monitoring cell has been set up at the Secretariat to coordinate the relief works with various district collectors. Educational institutions have declared a holiday in Idukki, Kollam and other districts of the state.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday offered all possible assistance to those affected in Kerala after heavy rainfall triggered floods throughout the state wrecking havoc in the lives of the people. The prime minister spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation and assured to "stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity".

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity."

At least 22 people have died in Kerala due to heavy rains and landslides, said the Home Ministry. In the face of the devastating floods, educational institutions will remain closed on Friday.

Union Minister KJ Alphons said, "There have been unprecedented floods in Kerala since yesterday and incessant rains for two weeks. It is the biggest rain we had in 50 years. 22 people died. Armed forces to fly to Kerala immediately, 6 central rescue teams already there. All the dams opened."

To tackle the situation, Army and an NDRF rescue team have been stationed. "Six flood rescue teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad to carry out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) work," NDRF said.

Army has been deployed in three columns of an approximate strength of 75 persons each at Ayannkulu, Idukki and Wayanad. Two additional columns have been requisitioned and are moving to Kozikode and Malappuram. Three Engineer Task Force will also be stationed.

Over 100 houses have been vacated and 12 camps have been urgently opened as flood situation has worsened in Kerala.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.
KOLKATA: A group of young unemployed engineers and students were behind the skimming of ATM machines in Kolkata. The fraud came to light after three engineering students were arrested from various parts of the city on Thursday. Skimmer machines, screwdrivers, cloned cards, CCTV cameras and other tools were recovered from the three students.

The arrest was carried out after interrogation of three Romanians who were nabbed on August 3. The Romanian gang had sent shockwaves among Kolkata residents who were scared of withdrawing money from ATMs fearing their cards could be cloned and money fraudulently withdrawn from their bank accounts. The Romanians were produced in the Kolkata sessions court on Thursday and have been remanded to police custody till August 21.



The Kolkata Police Special Investigation Team investigating the matter carried out searches at various places of the city to bust the gang. A senior Kolkata police officer told Zee News, "This is a tip of the iceberg. We have cracked the modus operandi and will crack the case in a day or two." The senior police official also admitted that during a spot check, they found that there were many unmanned ATMs in the city.

The state government had on Tuesday, held a meeting with the banking associations and had given directions to increase the security of ATMs across the city. Last week, the banking associations had said that they were unable to protect many of their ATMs due to a shortage of staff.



After interrogating the Romanians, the SIT learnt that the gang used to lure unemployed engineers from various parts of the country. Engineering students were lured with promises of huge amounts of money to skim ATMs because of their technical abilities.



The ATMs were skimmed in April 2018 and the money withdrawal started in July end, flummoxing consumers and investigators. The arrested engineers were frequent travellers to Kolkata and used to carry out a recce of the unmanned city ATMs early in the morning. They would bug the ATM machines by the skimming device before banking hours.

They would remove the skimming tools before the night to collect the data to clone ATM cards. The arrested engineering students used to strategically stay in Sadar Street, New Market and Mirza Ghalib street of Central Kolkata. The areas were considered a perfect haven as it provided them connectivity to all parts of Kolkata and had a high concentration of ATMs. The area is extremely crowded as well, helping them avoid detection and also giving them a better availability of electronic hardware and tools.



The incident came to light when ATM users complained to the bank of their money being withdrawn unknowingly. The bankers told the unsuspecting customers that the money has been withdrawn using cards and expressed helplessness.

Complaints were also made to the police in this regard, but no progress was made. Police swung into action when on July 31, when 78 complaints were received on a single day. An SIT was formed to investigate the matter, which in turn arrested three Romanians on August 3. They started spilling the beans during questioning which it led to further arrests of the engineering students.
New Delhi: After setting a sizzling groove act in 'Dilbar' song from 'Satyamev Jayate', Nora Fatehi is back to what she does the bestdance! The model turned actress Nora is known for her exceptional dancing skills and she has shown them off in her latest track 'Kamariya' from 'Stree'.

The song features Nora and the three male actors from 'Stree'. She has been presented in the desi belle avatar and we sure you will be smitten by her moves. 'Kamariya' has been sung by Aastha Gill, Sachin Sanghvi, Jigar Saraiya and Divya Kumar. The music is composed by Sachin- Jigar and the lyrics are penned by Vayu.

Watch it here:

'Stree' is a horror comedy film which has been directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. and Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films. The film is based on the Indian urban legend, Nale Ba, about a witch who knocks on people's doors at night.

The movie stars Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles and is scheduled to release on August 31, 2018.

Nora made her stunning debut in Bollywood with 'Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans' and was recently seen in 'My Birthday Song'. She even featured in special songs in Telugu film such as 'Temper', 'Baahubali' and 'Kick 2'.

The Moroccan-Canadian dancer became a household name after she did reality show 'Bigg Boss 9' and was a wild card entry. At present, she is hosting MTV Dating in the Dark.
Mumbai: Singer Sonu Nigam has expressed his views on the rising cases of sexual crime against women and children. The veteran musician, while reacting to the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, reportedly said that the system is responsible for such crimes.

While talking to an English News Channel, Nigam said that sex-education must be made mandatory in schools. Sex education will create awareness about sex and this will help children grow into responsible adults.

The singer said there could be many more cases such as these that unfortunately go unreported.

He also cited the example of the legalisation of prostitution in Amsterdam. Nigam believes that legalisation of prostitution could help curb the rate of crime against women.

Last year, Nigam, made headlines after tweeting about Azaan and loudspeakers. He was slammed for expressing his views through a series of tweets. A cleric also reportedly issued a Fatwa against him and the singer responded to the threat by voluntarily tonsuring his head. Subsequently, he quit Twitter. Its been over a year he has not returned to the micro-blogging site.
New Delhi: The Commerce Ministry has Niryat Mitra  mobile App to felicitate easy business for exporters.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Aviation Suresh Prabhu launched the mobile App in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The app, developed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is available both on Android and on IOS platforms.

It provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from the policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements  SPS and TBT measures.

The most interesting part is that all the information is available at tariff line. The app works internally to map the ITC HS code of other countries with that of India and provides all the required data without the users bothering about the HS code of any country. Presently the app comes with the data of 87 countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Suresh Prabhu said that digital technology is going to play a key role in trade and business and this app is a step towards Digital India. He said that the exports are showing good sign and registering increase at the rate of 20 percent.

He added that the government is working on to further increase the ease of doing business. The Minister further stated that the app will provide big opportunity to everybody and help promote export interests in the country. He invited the industry to make the most of the app and take to exports.

He also said the Human Resource tool of the app enables candidates with interest in the international trade sector to register and apply against the vacancies arising in the sector. Companies can also search the profiles of the candidates and engage them.
NEW DELHI: Two days after a group of 'Kanwariyas' resorted to violence in West Delhi's Moti Nagar area after one of them was hit by a car, a video of a top ranking Uttar Pradesh Police official showering rose petals on the Kanwariyas has now come to fore.

According to reports, Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar was caught on camera showering rose petals on the Kanwariyas from a helicopter on Wednesday.

The video of the UP top cop showering rose petals on the Kanwariyas is being widely shared on the social media.

#WATCH Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter yesterday pic.twitter.com/SvHH64DGxr  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

Along with Prashant Kumar, Meerut Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials too showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from the helicopter.

Along with ADGP(Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar, Meerut Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials also showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter yesterday pic.twitter.com/tI0cFMYQPk  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

ADG Prashant Kumar also reportedly directed Baghpat District Magistrate Rishirendra Kumar to supervise arrangements for the three-day Kanwar fair in Pura Mahadev Temple in Baghpat where lakhs of devotees are expected to offer holy Ganga water to the deity.

Interestingly, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier conducted an aerial survey of the Kanwar Yatra route during the first half of the Shrawan month that began on July 28.

The saint-politician also reportedly showered flower petals from his chopper on the Kanwarias, who responded by prostrating on the highway as the chopper passed through them.

ADG Kumar later issued a clarification saying, ''No religious angle should be given to this, flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals.''

No religious angle should be given to this, flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab,Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals: Prashant Kumar,ADG(Meerut Zone) on showering rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter pic.twitter.com/BZKg0ri8Oz  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

In view of the Kanwar Yatra, several routes have been diverted and traffic restrictions imposed to ensure smooth conduct of the pilgrimage. Schools and colleges in several districts and parts of Delhi-NCR too have been closed in the view of the Kanwar Yatra.
New Delhi: Pakistani soldiers and officers will soon be able to train at Russian military training institutes, in yet another indication of the deepening defence ties between the two countries who till a few years ago were in the opposing camp of world politics. The two countries on Tuesday signed the Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RFs (Russian Federation) Training Institutes, paving the way for Pakistani troops to undergo training in Russia, a country which has been India's biggest ally and suppliers of weapons and defence equipment.

According to Pakistani news website Dawn.com, the agreement was signed after the first Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC) meeting in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. While the Russian delegation was led by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin, the Pakistani side was headed by Defence Secretary Lieutenant General (retired) Zamirul Hassan Shah. Gen Fomin also visited the General Headquarters and met General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of the powerful Pakistani Army.

Both the countries had signed a defence cooperation pact in November 2014 and in October 2015 inked the military-technical cooperation accord under which the two countries would cooperate in developing weapons and Russia may also supply arms to Pakistan.

Pakistan has already received four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters from Russia since then while the soldiers of the two countries have also held a military exercise Friendship.

The Contract on Admission of Service Members of Pakistan in RFs (Russian Federation) Training Institutes comes just days after a Russian defence and strategic think tank gave a call to sell the Su-35 fighter jet to Pakistan and not worry about India as it had pulled out of the programme to jointly develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).

"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 told Pravda.

Makienko had added that Russia should discard the self-restraint of not selling state-of-art weapons to Pakistan as India had "removed all moral obligations from Russia with its behaviour". The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E air-superiority fighter is the most advanced fourth generation jet in service with the Russian military.
SEOUL: North Korea accused the United States on Thursday of pushing for international sanctions despite goodwill moves by Pyongyang and said progress on denuclearization promises could not be expected if Washington continues to follow an "outdated acting script." A foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement on state-run KCNA that North Korea was still willing to implement a broad agreement made at the landmark June 12 summit in Singapore between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The two sides vowed to work towards North Korea`s denuclearization but have struggled to reach a deal to meet that goal, with the United States insisting sanctions pressure must be maintained during negotiations. The North Korean statement followed comments this week by top American diplomats stessing the need for Pyongyang to take additional steps toward denuclearization. Those followed contentious remarks last week by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minster Ri Yong Ho on the sidelines of a regional summit in Singapore.

North Korea`s foreign ministry said on Thursday it had stopped testing missiles, conducted nuclear tests and dismantled "the nuclear test ground," yet the United States still insisted on "denuclearization first." North Korea went ahead with the return of the remains of some US soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean war in a goodwill measure aimed at breaking down mistrust between the countries, it said.

"However, the U.S. responded to our expectation by inciting international sanctions and pressure against the DPRK," it said in a statement carried by KCNA news agency.

The United States was "attempting to invent a pretext for increased sanctions against the DPRK." "As long as the US denies even the basic decorum for its dialogue partner and clings to the outdated acting script which the previous administrations have all tried and failed, one cannot expect any progress in the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. joint statement including the denuclearization," it said.

The White House and State Department did not immediately return requests for comment. North Korea also accused unidentified high-level U.S. officials of "going against the intention of President Trump" by "making baseless allegations against us and making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions and pressure."

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the United States was "not willing to wait for too long" for North Korea to take steps toward denuclearising. "This is all in North Korea`s court," Haley told reporters traveling with her during a visit to Colombia.

Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, also said this week North Korea has not taken the necessary steps to denuclearise. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri traveled this week to Iran, where President Hassan Rouhani told him the United States cannot be trusted after the Trump administration reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran`s own nuclear program.
WASHINGTON DC: The US has announced that it would impose fresh sanctions against Russia from the end of August. The move comes after intense debate in US circles over the effects of the sanctions, and subsequent measures to ensure the blowback among other things does not affect countries like India.

An official of the US State Department said Moscow had been notified of the coming sanctions. The sanctions are aimed at penalising Moscow for allegedly carrying out a nerve gas attack against Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence operative, in London in March. A number of European countries have already responded by expelling Russian diplomats.

A US State Department spokesperson said the sanctions come after 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 debate over whether or not to impose the sanctions had covered discussions over the provisions of US law that would end up penalising some countries that the Washington is looking to improve ties with, like India.

Senior officials taking part in these discussions had pointed out that India has for decades relied on Russian military hardware, and could not be expected to abruptly stop dealing with Moscow.

Provisions of the US law would have penalised India and any other country that held security and defence exchanges with Russian entities. The US government has sought to mitigate this possible blowback against India by taking steps, that have included giving the Strategic Trade Authorization-1 status to India. The STA-1 status will also give India greater access to sensitive technologies.

The US sanctions against Russia that are set to go into effect from the end of August would cover sensitive national-security controlled goods. Exemptions would be made for space flight, space cooperation, and areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, an official said.

"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.

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 behaviour will not go unchallenged."

(With inputs from Reuters)
As a result of hit a mine, a border officer got multiple shrapnel wounds of the head and the back

Open source

Today on August 8, in JFO area, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was wounded during the hostilities, another soldier hit an unknown device near Mariinka. The press office of JFO reports on their page on Facebook.

From 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. the militants violated ceasefire regime 12 times during the day, The occupants were opening target fire from grenade launchers and small arms at JFO positions in the areas of the settlements: Zaitseve, Kamianka, Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Pavlopil, Lebedynske, Vodyane, Shyrokyne. As a result of the shelling, one Ukrainian soldier wounded.

Furthermore, the serviceman of Kramatorsk border unit hit an unknown device near Mariinka at 3:00 p.m.

The border officer got multiple shrapnel wounds of the head and the back. He is hospitalized and having specialized medical aid. Circumstances are being established, HQ reported.

Reportedly, as a result of the hostilities during the last day on August 7, no casualties reported.

Ukraine news on 112.international
Open source

The militants violated ceasefire 44 times on August 8 in the Joint Forces Operation zone. One Ukrainian soldier died, three more were wounded. The connection was lost with a Ukrainian soldier during a battle confrontation, as the JFO HQ reported on Facebook.

The militants were conducting adjusted fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms and from infantry fighting vehicles on separate areas. The attacks were performed at the defenders of Krymske, Novozvanivka, Zolote, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Novoselivka Druha, Novomykhaylivka, Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Avdiivka, Hnutove, Lebedynske, Pavlopil, Vodyane and Shyrokyne.

Moreover, the enemy fired at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 82-mm mortar launchers near Krymske and Avdiivka. A military clash was recorded not far from Maiorsk.

Today, the militants of the Russian occupation troops have opened fire seven times at the Ukrainian positions near Novozvanivka, Luhanske, Marinka, Krasnohorivka and Lebedynske. At 6:25 am the enemy opened fire from small arms at Maiorske checkpoint. The Red regime is announced. The citizens pass is temporarily ceased. Heavy weaponry was not applied, the message says.
Open source

Since the beginning of the year, 31 civilians perished and another 137 were wounded because of the combat action and ammunitions detonation. Alexander Hug, the first deputy head of the OSCE SMM said this as quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

'The total number of victims among civilian population makes 168 victims', he said.

According to him, 17 died and 42 were wounded because of the detonation of mines and ammunition.

Earlier, representatives of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group appealed to the OSCE with a request to hold an investigation of the messages on the possible stealing of the personal data of the OSCE SMM members as Iryna Gerashchenko reported on Facebook.

Also, the OSCE was reminded of the unfinished investigation of the murder of the SMM members from the US and Europe in Donbas. Also, Ukraine expects the investigation and punishment of the militant who attempted to rape the OSCE SMM observer.

As we reported the OSCE SMM in Ukraine expressed the concern that its internal documents, including the dossiers on the OSCE staff, were passed to the Russian side. It was said that they contained a lot of personal information about the OSCE workers, including the types of women they were attracted to, their financial situation and whether they were susceptible to alcohol. Later, it was specified that the OSCE SMM did not collect personal and financial information about its workers.
At the same time, Fraser welcomed the investigation of Ukraines General Prosecutors Office on cases of ill-treatment towards the Ukrainian military

UN Monitoring Mission on Human Rights urges Ukraine to investigate the violation of civilians' rights during Ilovaisk tragedy in August 2014, as Fiona Fraser, the Representative of UN Monitoring Mission on Human Rights in Ukraine, noted in the report on violation of human rights and international humanitarian law committed during events in Ilovaisk in August 2014, 112.ua reports.

Four years passed since Ilovaisk conflict, yet the sides of the conflict made limited steps on the investigation of possible violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, especially those committed against the civilians, she said.

At the same time, Fraser welcomed the investigation of Ukraines General Prosecutors Office on cases of ill-treatment towards the Ukrainian military.

We welcome the investigation of Ukraines General Prosecutors Office on the cases of tortures and ill-treatment towards the Ukrainian military by the armed groups, yet the majority of human rights violations, supposedly committed by the Ukrainian forces against the civilians, is not being investigated, Fraser believes.

According to her, the General Prosecutors Office paid little attention to the investigation of the crimes against the civilians in particular.

As Ive said, Ukraines General Prosecutors Office conducted a certain investigation and, mainly, attention was paid to the violations committed against the Ukrainian military. Our report mainly focuses on the civilians. Therefore, we call, the Ukrainian Government, in particular, to conduct a quick effective investigation of these cases (violations against the civilians, - ed.), which occurred during the events near Ilovaisk, she stressed.

Yet, Fraser realizes that Ukraine has limits in the investigation of these incidents because of the occupied territories in the East of Ukraine.

We understand that Ukraines Government has some limits due to the restricted access. After all, we hope that the report will contribute to the investigation, she concluded.

Fraser emphasized that the UN Mission officers questioned around 80 civilians in Ilovaisk who reported violations.

According to the UN report, 366 Ukrainian soldiers died, 429 were injured, 300  taken captive during combat actions in Ilovaisk. Moreover, 36 civilians died and around 600 houses were destroyed then.

As it was reported earlier, Ukraine submitted information on Battle of Ilovaisk to the International Criminal Court. Also, Ukraine furnishes proofs on aggressive war held by Russia against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian militaries controlled the major part of Ilovaisk on August 18, 2014. But they were enveloped after the invasion of the Russian troops on August 23-24. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin appealed to the Russia-backed militants to make the humanitarian corridor for the Ukrainian troops on August 29. The Ukrainian militaries began to leave the city on August 30 but the militants shot them. According to the Ministry of Defense, 108 Ukrainian soldiers died and more than 100 were injured and captivated. According to the Military Attorney, 366 militaries died and 429 were injured.

The General Staff reported that this operation was not the breakthrough from the entrapment but the withdrawal under the guarantees of Russia.
The companys chief executive officer has said that he had not yet seen the documents that would confirm the completed transfer of gas for the suggested purposes.

Open source

NAK Naftogaz-Ukraine now has to operate in the retail business, as regional gas companies are not supplying credible data on the transfer of gas for its intended purposes. The CEO of the Ukrainian corporation Andriy Kobolev in an interview for the Yevropeyska Pravda, 112.ua reports.

While answering a question on the end goal of Naftogaz's claims against regional suppliers, Kobolev said: "We want to get rid of parasites that are stealing money and gas belonging to the state-owned company. If there are other private companies that are able to pay 100% for the gas transferred, we would happily enter into agreements with them under rules of transparency. Our entrance into the retail segment is a necessary action for our company. There are no civilized businesses in this market, while those firms that are present cannot operate and do not pay us duly.

According to him, the regional subsidiaries explain their outstanding debt to Naftogaz with tariffs and other reasons, but the evaluation by NAK reveals it is not entirely true.

In their debt to Naftogaz issue, the portion of ineffective management makes up 50%, while the remaining 50% is made up by stolen gas and money. I have numerous facts that indirectly point to the fact that not all of the gas that we transfer to them for it to be delivered to households actually gets to households.

Andriy Kobolev claims that as of now he has not seen the report that reveals that all the gas delivered to regional gas companies is allocated for purposes that it was designated for.

I mean a quality audit that would allow to make sure that if you transfer some 100 m2 to a regional gas company, 50 m2 goes to households, 30 m2 goes to the district heating company and 20% goes to local businesses. And it really is divided that way. When I hear something to the effect of those businesses are fully regulated, it is not true. Nobody knows how much gas and whom they give it to.
Read the original text at Defence24.

Open source

In the last three months, the activity of the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov has significantly increased. Russians increasingly do not allow commercial vessels (which go to the Ukrainian ports and get out of them) to pass through the Kerch Strait without hindrance. Until 2014, the verification of the ship, which was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service, took about two hours. Now, this procedure lasts up to 88 hours. Russians specifically create some problems, so as a result, the cost of transporting goods produced, in particular, by the industrial enterprises of the southeast of Ukraine, increases. As the director of the Mariupol seaport Yuriy Balan says, the damage from delaying one vessel per day is 15 thousand dollars. Transport companies working with ports in Berdyansk and Mariupol suffer the most.

The increase in transportation costs and the inconvenience of delaying and inspecting vessels, in turn, lead to an increase in the prices of such services. Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Ihor Voronchenko notes that from the end of April to July of this year the Russian side has detained 116 merchant ships heading to the Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov and getting out of them. According to the Administration of the seaports of Ukraine, Russias FSB has detained 148 ships (July 16, these figures were quoted by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuriy Lavrenyuk).

The Ukrainian side reports that such incidents take place every day. Russia's actions are not just an attempt to inflict damage on Ukrainians, but an attempt to bring Ukrainian ports to bankruptcy. Blocking Kyivs access to its ports can be interpreted as the intention to completely cut off Ukraine from the Sea of Azov, that is, turn it into the inland sea of the Russian Federation.

The Kremlin's actions are not limited to the political and economic sphere. Over the past three months, he has taken a series of steps aimed at building up his military presence in the region. According to the Ukrainian side, in the period from May to July, 18 warships appeared in the Sea of Azov, which previously were serving, in particular, in the Caspian Sea. There are at least 40 ships belonging to the border guard service and the Russian Navy in the ports of Azov. These are, for example, built in the Soviet era artillery boats of 1400 "Grif" project and 1204 "Shmel" project. As reported by the Ukrainian military portal, Russian forces in the Sea of Azov received reinforcements in the form of two "Shmel" boats and one "Grif-M" boat, which were transferred to Kerch (occupied Crimea). Also, the Russians have modern missile ships of 21631 "Buyan-M" Project equipped with "Caliber" missiles.

It should be emphasized that the "Buyan-M" ships are included in the Black Sea Fleet, and together with its other forces they can become an important factor influencing the situation in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainians consider Russian landing crafts, based in the immediate vicinity of Berdyansk and Mariupol, a serious threat. The Ukrainian side suggests that a relatively strong landing group is concentrated in the ports of Taganrog, Yeysk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. It most likely includes landing craft of the 11770 ("Serna") project, which can take 92 people on board, one tank or two armored personnel carriers, as well as landing craft of 21820 Project ("Dugong"), which can load 90 people, two tanks or four armored personnel carriers.

The situation looks extremely unfavorable for the Ukrainian side since it does not have Navy structures in the Sea of Azov. Now, only the ships of the 23rd Mariupol Maritime Detachment subordinate to the border guard service can compete against the Russians. It consists of 18 units of marine equipment. In particular, these are "Grif" patrol boats, equipped with machine guns, and the patrol ship of 205P Project "Tarantul" with artillery units AK-230. In addition, the detachment has "Kalkan" patrol boats (project 50030), "Galiya", UMS-600 and one civil vessel confiscated from Turkish poachers (all of them are equipped with the machine guns).

Seeing that the forces are unequal, and the Russian Federation suddenly began to build up its presence in this region, Kyiv understands that a serious threat appeared in the Azov direction. Ukrainian experts and politicians openly admit that they fear not only that Russia will deprive Ukraine of the opportunity to use the economic potential of the Sea of Azov (for example, trade routes), but also that it will decide to seize Mariupol and Berdyansk. According to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov, an increase in the number of landing ships in the Azov ports will allow the Russians to conduct an operation in which the forces of the 8th, 49th and 59th armies of the Southern Military District will take part.

Now the Ukrainian security forces operating in the Sea of Azov area are not able to effectively protect the Ukrainian coast and the trade routes. Using the increasing disproportion of forces and the legal status of its water area, which is unprofitable for Kyiv (it is considered to be the "inland sea of Ukraine and Russia," and under the current treaty, Russian forces are allowed to approach the Ukrainian shores for a distance of 12 n miles), the Kremlin could conduct a series of successful provocations or use this region to achieve its military and political goals. The Ukrainian side tries to respond to Moscow's aggressive actions.

One example of demonstrating the readiness of the Ukrainians to defend their coast was the allocation of three sections between Berdyansk and Shyrokyne, where from June 1 to September 1, the exercises of maritime security forces, artillery and missile forces will take place. Ukraine also decided to modernize the "Donbas" ship of maritime security. In the coming months, Kyiv will try to neutralize or limit the superiority of Russians in the Sea of Azov, increasing the potential of its air and missile forces.

The situation will change in a favorable direction for Ukrainians, if the General Staff and the Navy command can fulfill the instructions of Petro Poroshenko, who on July 17 called for "stopping Russian provocations during the passage of the Kerch Gulf." As part of the order, it is possible, for example, to allocate Coast Guard ships to accompany merchant vessels in order to reduce the risk of their detention by the FSB. "I understand that there will be convoys escorting civilian ships from point A to point B and preventing FSB officers from conducting inspections, now this is the only way to solve the problem, other methods in a situation where the norms of international law do not work will not be effective," Mykhailo Samus, a member of the Ukrainian Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, stated.

It is difficult to say whether it will be possible to implement the plan in the near future. In turn, in the long term, Ukrainians can reduce the disproportion of forces by placing in the coastal zone platforms with the latest Ukrainian missiles "Neptune". It can also be expected that Kyiv would attempt to place the Island boats in the ports of the Sea of Azov, which Americans would transfer to Ukrainians or artillery boats of the 58155 project (Gyurza-M).

One thing is obvious now: Russias actions are dangerous for the Ukrainian economy, they demonstrate how Moscow can use its naval forces in order to start combat operations in favorable conditions that cannot be classified as an open conflict.

Micha Marek
According to the information of Sentsovs lawyer, the Ukrainian is not going to be released

Open source

The health condition of Oleg Sentsov is relatively stable. Oleksii Zlovedov, Press Secretary of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Tetiana Moskalkova claimed this in the commentary to the Russian Interfax.

Yesterday, I was talking to Anatolii Sak, Commissioner for Human Rights in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous County. At my request, he called the doctor who examines Oleg Sentsov in the colony. According to the doctor, the condition is relatively stable, Zlevedov stated.

At the same time, Dmitro Dinze, Sentsov's lawyer said on his Facebook page that according to his information, the Ukrainian political prisoner is not planned to be released from the Russian colony until he dies.

According to the information of diplomats who are in contact with Russia for the resolution of the problem with Oleg Sentsov, noted that Sentsov wont be released that his death served as an example for other prisoners, Dinze said.

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.
Ukraine's parliamentary ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova received the images of political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, who keeps on starving within his hunger strike in the Russian penal colony of Labytnangi. Denisova's counterpart Tatyana Moskalkova sent her these images, and the Ukrainian official published them on Facebook.

'Oleg looks active; he watches TV, reads books and writes something from time to time. Everyone, I quote, 'everyone amazed at his fortitude'. His health conditions are satisfactory,' she wrote.

Earlier on Thursday, Dmytro Dinze, the lawyer of political prisoner Oleg Sentsov said that his defendant suffers another protracted crisis. Lyudmyla Denisova quoted Dinze as saying. 'Twice, they wanted to send him to a hospital where they would plug him to life support systems and start feeding him by force, she wrote.

Dinze added that Sentsov was not going to stop the hunger strike; he drinks water and the necessary minimum of medical nutrition mixture, the lawyer said. It is known that Sentsov agreed to put the surveillance cameras in his cell - so that it's possible to monitor his health state around-the-clock.

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.
WikiLeaks lawyers informed that they were considering the offer, but testimony must conform to a high ethical standard

US Senate Permanent Special Committee on Intelligence offered Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder, to testify in the case of Russias possible interference in the US 2016 presidential elections, as the organization reported on Twitter.

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 testimony must conform to a high ethical standard". Also: https://t.co/pPf0GTjTlp pic.twitter.com/TrDKkCKVBx  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 8, 2018

WikiLeaks lawyers informed that they were considering the offer, but testimony must conform to a high ethical standard.

Julian Assange has been on the territory of Ecuadors Embassy in London since 2012. He can not leave the territory of the diplomatic mission as he fears arrest under Swedens request and further extradition in the US. The American authorities accuse Assange of publishing secret data of the State Department. He faces 35 years of imprisonment and even a death penalty. Assange himself denies the accusations.

In March, Assange was deprived of all the communication means due to the violation of a written commitment as of 2017 not to spread statements which would suppose the involvement in the relations with other states. He spread information about Russias guiltlessness in Skripals case.
In accordance with EU and NATO policy towards Crimea, Slovakia does not recognize the results of the illegal referendum in Crimea in March 2014

Ukraine Slovakia Flags luxnet.ua

Foreign Affairs Committee of the Slovakian Parliament stated that visits of certain MPs to Crimea does not mean the automatic recognition of annexation by Russia, or any attempt to legitimize the occupation of the peninsula.

Ukraine's embassy in Slovakia spread the statement released by the Committee on Thursday.

'Since the Republic of Slovakia still considers Crimea territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, the Foreign Affairs Committee rejects any manifestations of legitimation of occupation and annexation of Crimea, when it comes to constitutional subjects visiting the peninsula', reads the message.

The committee reiterates that Slovakia does not recognize the results of the illegal referendum in Crimea in March 2014.

On August 1, 2018, ten Slovakian MPs came to the annexed Crimea with a business visit. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry warned them that such actions are considered a violation of the Ukrainian law.
Open source

The US imposed new anti-Russian sanctions because of poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, as the statement of State Department says.

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 message says.

The sanctions will come into force on August 22, 2018.

As it was reported earlier, ex-colonel of Russias GRU, Chief Intelligence Department, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, poisoned in the center of Salisbury town in the evening of March 4, are still struggling for life in the intensive care unit of the local hospital. The British special services suppose that Skripals were poisoned by his ex-colleague Andrey Lugovoy, who acted on orders from Moscow.

British Prime Minister Theresa May decided to expel 23 Russian diplomats due to the incident in Salisbury. Russian diplomats had a week to leave Great Britain. Besides, the law enforcers will tighten control at the customs and check of private planes for the same reason. In return, Russia said it would expel 23 British diplomats as a reaction to Britains actions. Russian Foreign Ministry informed in its announcement.

As we reported earlier, more than 20 states have expelled Russian diplomats due to Skripals poisoning in Salisbury. Ukraine expelled 13 Russian diplomats, and Russia as a reaction has declared 13 Ukrainian diplomats personae non-gratae.

Ukraine news on 112.international
They all signed a pledge of secrecy

On Wednesday, August 8, the journalists detained earlier in Belarus for the questioning at the Investigation Committee were released, as Radio Liberty reports.

On August 8, the Central Administration of the Investigation Committee released three Realt.by journalists  Igor Tucha, Maria Soroka, Elena Maslovska and Chief Editor Vladislav Kuletsky. The investigators took away computers and laptops from the office, the message says.

It was noted that all of them signed a pledge of secrecy.

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.
The airport due to the setting of the overcharges of the subjects which provide service of ground service for the airports

Open source

Boryspil international airport paid a fine in the amount of $488,4 thousand for abusing of monopolistic position on the market of airports specialized services, as Yuriy Terentyev, the representative of the Antimonopoly Committee, wrote on Facebook.

Ukraines Antimonopoly Committee imposed a fine on the airport due to the setting of the overcharges of the subjects which provide service of ground service for the airports.

The judicial process lasted for a year. Today we received a letter from Boryspil about the fulfillment of the decision and payment of the fine (bank transfer receipt attached). The Authorized Government official and the Department will examine the information received from Boryspil airport for the appropriate and complete fulfillment of the decision, the message says.

Earlier, on June 18 the Supreme Court found the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee on the case against Boryspil legal. It was reported then that according to the decision of the committee, the airport abused its dominant position which was demonstrated in a baseless refuse to conform the applications for obtaining the certificate of conformance to conduct airport activity and protraction within the coordination of the internal documentation of Interavia Company.

It should be noted that earlier, the Antimonopoly Committee informed that Boryspil provided discounts for airport charges only for UIA in 2013-2016.
The Ukrainian President stated that the decision was discussed with the Defence Minister, military and with the Government

Open source

The greeting Glory to Ukraine! will be an official one of Ukraines Armed Forces and will be used at the military ceremonies starting from the parade on Independence Day, as the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, said during his speech at the plant, broadcasted by 112 Ukraine.

Having had a discussion with the military, military units, veterans, labour collectives, we consulted with the Defence Minister and NSDC, with the Government and I decided that starting from August 24 the words Glory to Ukraine! will sound as a part of the official ceremony on the military parade dedicated to Independence Day. Before the Verkhovna Rada starts a new session, these words and this greeting will be an official military welcoming of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Poroshenko said.

As it was reported, Poroshenko ordered to capture a military greeting Glory to Ukraine! in legislation.

In February 2018, Ukraines Parliament registered the bill which provides amendments in the Internal Service Regulations of the Armed Forces, in particular, an introduction of a new military welcoming Glory to Ukraine!  Glory to Heroes!.
According to the documents of the Party of Regions, Manafort did receive $60 million, and he declared just $14 million

Voice of America

Michael Welch, the officer of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), stated in the court that Paul Manafort, ex-Head of Trumps elections campaign, earned $60 million in Ukraine, $31 million of which  in 2012, as The Washington Post reports.

Manafort received about $15.5 million from Ukraine, which he then paid directly to vendors and which he did not report or pay taxes on. The money never entered Manaforts business or personal accounts in the United States, Welch said. Manafort also falsely classified an additional $1.5 million in income as a loan, Welch testified. An FBI accountant testified earlier Wednesday that more than $60 million flowed through Manaforts overseas accounts between 2010 and 2014, and he spent $15 million of that on homes, clothes and other personal purchases, Welsh said.

Half of the Ukrainian income, $15 million, he spent for accommodation, clothes and other private purchase.

Former Manafort partner Rick Gates wrapped up his testimony as defense lawyers hinted that he had had four adulterous affairs, the news agency reads.

Gates told that Ukraine paid Manafort millions of dollars for political work, transferring money from the companies in Cyprus to Manaforts foreign bank account in Cyprus, which was not registered.
The President noted that 19 NATO member states and allies took part in Sea Breeze this year

Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko intends to increase the military contingent and extend the area of Sea Breeze 2019 drills, as he wrote on Facebook.

Our cooperation (with NATO member states, which took part in 2018, - ed.) implies the unity and readiness to protect the world and shared values together. Net year plans are to increase the military contingent in the drills, in particular, navy forces, and extend the areas of Sea Breeze 2019, he wrote.

The President noted that 19 NATO member states and allies took part in Sea Breeze this year.

Mentors estimation is clear and unequivocal  thanks to the drills, a big step forward was made upgrading the cooperation and coordination of Ukraines Navy and navy forces of the allied nations. Military drills Sea Breeze 2018 is not just an increase of such compatibility, but also enhancing of the level of naval and field training and teamwork of multinational subdivisions, the Head of the State stressed.

As it was reported earlier, the Black Sea waters hosted a joint exercise of the NATO combat vessels and Ukrainian Navy ships. On July 23, six Alliance vessels, including frigates and minesweepers reached the seaport of Odesa, southern Ukraine. The maneuvers began on July 26. Boudewijn Boots, the Commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 said that this visit  the third one since the annexation of Crimea by Russia  clearly shows the Alliances support of Ukraine.

Earlier, we reported that a group of NATO vessels entered Odesa port. It was specified that the ships are the part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). In particular, a frigate "De Ruyter" of the Netherlands Royal Navy, a frigate "Fatih" and mine-hunter "namur" of the Turkish Navy, Germanys support ship "Rhein", a frigate "Regele Ferdinand" and mine-hunter "Lupu Dinescu" from Romania docked in the port.

Sea Breeze 2018 drills kicked off in Odesa on July 9. This year's exercises involve 30 vessels from naval forces of 19 countries, including a Turkish submarine. An important feature of the exercise is that the multinational staff will be coordinating the actions of naval, air and ground forces from USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the 6th U.S. Navy Fleet.
For now, ten people, suspected in the commission of terrorist attacks, are put in custody

Open source

Ukraines SBU declared 60 people as wanted. They are suspected in the commission of terrorist attacks, as UNN reports.

Over the mentioned period of time (January-June 2018, - ed.), ten people suspected in the commission of terrorist attacks were in custody, 60 people were declared as wanted, SBUs response, requested by the news agency, says.

At the same time, the representatives of SBU noted that since January till July this year two terrorist attacks were conducted, without taking into account the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the demarcation line. In particular, these crimes took place in Zakarpattia and Lviv regions.

In addition, the service informed that over the same period in 2017 terrorist attacks were carried out in Kyiv, Donetsk, Volyn and Rivne regions (one in each).

As it was reported, SBU investigated 3,700 criminal cases on terrorist attacks in 2017.
Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallstrom called on Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov. Margot Walstrom wrote about this on her Twitter page.

Deeply concerning reports on Oleg Sentsovs deteriorating health condition. His detention violates international law and is based on a legal process which did not meet elementary standards of justice. We call on Russia to release him & other illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, Wallstrom wrote.

Deeply concerning reports on Oleg Sentsovs deteriorating health condition. His detention violates international law and is based on a legal process which did not meet elementary standards of justice. We call on Russia to release him & other illegally detained Ukrainian citizens.  Margot Wallstrom (@margotwallstrom) August 9, 2018

As it was reported earlier, Ukrainian movie director Oleg Sentsov and Crimean activist Oleksandr Kolchenko were detained by the Russian FSB in the annexed Crimea. Both were taken to Russia. Sentsov was charged with preparing a terrorist act in Crimea and sentenced to 20 years in the high-security penal colony. Kolchenko was sentenced to ten-years-long imprisonment.

Oleg Sentsov has announced a hunger strike on May 14. This way, he demands that all Ukrainians detained in Russia and annexed Crimea be released. Sentsov said he was ready to die if the requirements were not fulfilled.

Dmytro Dinze, the lawyer of the Ukrainian political prisoner, passed a plea for mercy from Olegs mother to the commissionon pardon on the territory of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. According to her, at first, the plea for pardon was sent to the Russian Presidents Administration, but no response followed, though they promised to consider it.

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.
The signed documents should guarantee the rights of the citizens of both states including those who had issues with the law, on the territory of Ukraine and Argentina

The Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko within the working visit to Argentina signed three interstate agreement between Ukraine and Argentina on the transfer of sentenced persons, on extradition of offenders and mutual legal assistance in the criminal cases, as the Minister wrote on Facebook.

From now on we guarantee that the criminals, who are trying to hide in Argentina, will be returned home and brought to justice. We can count on legal assistance and provision of important information from the Argentinian side during the investigation, Petrenko said.

According to him, the signed documents should guarantee the rights of the citizens of both states including those who had issues with the law, on the territory of Ukraine and Argentina. Moreover, the agreements have to increase the effectiveness of the investigative actions in both countries.

Ukraine has signed such documents with almost all the European and leading states in the world, he noted.

The signing of the agreement on transferring of the convicted individuals and extradition of the criminals means that under the request of law enforcement agencies, Ukraine and Argentina have all grounds to extradite and demand extradition of the criminals who are suspected in commission the crimes. Both states can arrest and transfer the suspects and accused (for a court proceeding) or the individuals convicted by the trial agencies of one state (to implement the sentence). When there were no such document between the countries, Ukraine and Argentina could refuse to extradite the criminals referring to the absence of the deal on extradition of the criminals.

The document on legal assistance in the criminal cases implies that Ukraine and Argentina are obligated to provide legal assistance to gather evidence, testimonies of the witnesses, experts and accused individuals etc.
Nathan Budoff

Defying darkness is a full-time job, Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell wrote to 516 ARTS curator Josie Lopez as she was in the throes of putting together an upcoming exhibition at the Downtown art hub. I knew immediately that had to be our title, Lopez recalled. And so it isis an exhibition featuring more than a dozen artists working in Puerto Rico and throughout the diaspora, confronting contemporary issues of economic struggle, identity and the vestiges of colonialism, as Lopez put it, while maintaining a long memory of history, and fighting literal darkness, too, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Maria was just part of a much larger story, Lopez explained, serving to underline more pervasive problems in the island's economic, social and political structures. It became clear to Lopez very quickly that any exhibition on Puerto Rico would have to tackle the economic situationa devastating debt, continued colonization and, of course, climate change and natural disasters.

I see this exhibition as an opportunity to raise questions and facilitate dialogue that will inform our communities about the current situation in Puerto Rico and hopefully encourage us all to find our voices on these issues, Lopez said. To that end, Puerto Rico: Defying Darkness will open with a formal reception on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 6 to 8pm at 516 ARTS (516 Central Ave. SW); happening in conjunction with the exhibition are a host of workshops and other eventsreadings, music, a pop-up lunch bar, and participating artist Chemi Rosada-Seijo and Democracy Now's Juan D. Gonzalez in conversation (on Friday, Sept. 28, with proceeds to benefit UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program).

Two weeks out from the opening, the gallery floor was dusted with drywall and sawdust. Artist Nathan Budoff had just arrived to stretch a few large canvases of his dynamic island topographies. His work is executed in bright colors in oil, charcoal and other mediums, juxtaposing, for example, an octopus floating above the San Juan skyline or whales coasting across the sky as seen from his Santurce studio. One of the really big things that I'm trying to do is kind of rediscover worlds that aren't really visible, that we're not seeing, Budoff said. My work is trying to re-contextualize how we live and where we live.  [Our environment] is such a vital place, there are all these creatures around us.

Nathan Budoff

This sensibility in his art has, in part, grown out of living on the island, where he has resided for the last 20 years. Puerto Ricoit's kind of a smallish place, 35 by 100 miles. But it's really hillythe terrain is folded, so you feel like you can really be in therethere's things growing on top of things, there's all this vital growth. Every space becomes much more charged, more weighted. You really begin to see how life is all tied together, how things help each other and take advantage of each other and nurture each other all at once. That symbiosis has been powerful for Budoff, and has generated work wherein these vastly different life forms are overlaid on top of each other, creating visual dialogues that reveal both connectedness and dislocation, resilience and tenuousness.

In a storm, Budoff said, of Hurricane Maria, a lot of stuff is literally thrown up in the air. Maybe that's something that's also literally happening in my paintings.  There's a literal event, and from that comes a feeling of the uncertainty of life, which is both threatening and freeing. In the wake of the stormand more potently, the economic storm, as Budoff put itthere's a feeling of desperation. Taxes are increasing, the electrical grid has been knocked out, people are leaving. I don't know that that has impacted art production, he said, because, you know, sometimes economic duress can compel people to be more creative, because it [gives you] freedom from the idea of selling things. More alternative spaces are opening, and the coming and going of people brings new energy and ideas in waves, but economically, it has become challenging to support the arts, particularly in the public sector, the effects of which are more cumulative. In turn, with fewer buyers and galleries, there arent as many opportunities for creatives to be validated in their efforts.

In part, that is why this exhibition is so crucialthere are some really incredible artists in this very small territory. They deserve to be more visible, to get out and have a chance to generate discussion. But, not a pitying, sort of worry about 'poor Puerto Rico,'  he continued, because we already came through the storm. Instead, Budoff would like to see more people challenged to examine the geopolitical history of the island and ask ourselves, How do we create structures where more people are pulled up into the middle class? Where more people have a productive and comfortable quality of life? Where fewer people are living in the margins?

From a place of uncertainty, with Puerto Rico poised at a critical juncture that will undoubtedly shape its future, Budoff's work seems to lean on the side of hope. There's a joyfulness in his surreal landscapes that bleed through the oil and acrylic paint. I always have the idea that something unexpected might happen, he said, and that's the whole wonder of it all.  There's just a kind of richness and urgency to our life on the planet. We have to keep reminding ourselves to grab onto things, the beauty and the pain, or something like that. The wonder and the strife.

Discover opportunities to engage with Puerto Rico: Defying Darkness online at 516arts.org, or find more of Nathan Budoff's work at natebudoff.com.
Jason Ponic Photography

A quick Google search tells me that men don't reach emotional maturity until the age of 43. This is blindingly obvious to theater-goers who watch star film director Guido Cantini's mental aerobics visualized on-stage in the musical Nine. As Guido approaches his imminent 40th birthday, he feels his creative genius flagging under the pressure to satisfy a new film contract after years of flops. His crisis is externalized and illumined for the audience (if not Guido himself) through several romantic relationships, and some seminal childhood experiences recapped, of course, by his mother.

Based on Italian director Federico Fellini's super-meta semi- autobiographical 8 1/2, Musical Theatre Southwest's Nine is as stylish, glamorous and thought-provoking (without sacrificing a drop of mirth) as you might expect. Led by Jonathan Gallegos in the role of Guido and guided by director Robb Anthony Sisneros, this production does a lot with very little. The set is very sparse, but the players are so talented and well- choreographed ever in motion in the spacethat the tableau stays visually interesting for the full two-and-a-half-hour run.

If you're fully aware of what Nine is when you head into the theaterthe overlapping fantasies and realities of an oblivious though self-important man, then it really is fun to watch and unpack. MTS's production of the the '70s play is, indeed, self-aware, turning what could be exasperated sighs into sort of endearing, head shaking aww, come on, Guido, sentiments.

It's the womenand there are lots of themthat educate and illumine the story here. They are primarily Guido's wife Luisa (played with great feeling by incredibly well-voiced Courtney Awe), Guido's lover Carla (given such flair by Kir Kipness), Sarraghina, who first teaches a young Guido about sex and romance (brought to life with a wonderful rendition of show-stopping number Ti Voglio Bene/ Be Italian by Ashley Lopez) and actress/ fantasy/ obsession Claudia (the graceful Christine Smith). And there are moreactually so many, many more. But these pivotal characters illumine Guido's egotism, his dilemmas. The entire cast is women save for Guidoand each actress's talent goes farnone of these faces or voices are lost in chorus. Costume designer Shannon Scheffler's glitz and gauze helps, too.

I suppose immaturityor perhaps that is too harsh a wordchildlike uncertainty and occasional bewildermentis the point hereproven by the appearance of 9-year-old Guido who charmingly guides his older self. What we land on is a rich show ready for critique and discussionplayed with admirable confidence by a cast of talented women and of course, alluring Guido. Whether you walk away examining the creative process or the treatment of women in such productionwhat most will agree on is how fun Nine is to watch, and how equally fun it is to discuss.

Catch Nine at Musical Theatre Southwest on weekends through Aug. 26. Tickets, times, and more are available online at musicaltheatresw. com.
Courtesy of Michelle Otero

When I asked Michelle Otero about what poetry can do to shape civic life, she described a poem by New York writer Martin Espada, Alabanza. It was written for the hundreds of immigrant hotel and restaurant employees working at the Windows of the World restaurant on the top floor of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Alabanza is a word of praise, Otero explained and in the poem, Espada imagines the smallest details of these peoples' lives, who had found themselves at the top of the world. Through Espada's words, readers are edified like this, Alabanza. Praise the kitchen radio, dial clicked/ even before the dial on the oven, so that music/ rose before the bread. Praise the bread. Alabanza. OteroAlbuquerque's newest poet laureateused Espada's work as an example of poetry's power to illumine the lives of others. I think poetry, and art in general, humanizes people. We need more of that in our civic life.

She went on to crib a metaphor her husband uses oftenas she steps into this role as poet laureate, she imagines herself as something like an acequiashe might have the platform, but she wants to use it to the benefit of all. Poetry is for everyone, she explained, I think a good poem should do what an anthem doesit is appealing to something that is not in the brain, but in the heart. I'm gushy, I cry a lot. I'm just going to say itI think if we were all more in touch with our emotions, the vulnerable ones, we would have a healthier, better society. I want to open up more space for that.

Otero also believes that in New Mexicohome to the longest expanse of Cottonwood forest in the worldwe all access the ambient power of poetry just by being here. I think all of us here, even if we don't grow up among artists, there's something about the way we speak herethe connection to the land, the attention to detail, the quality of lightthat is very poetic. It seeps into us even if we're not formally practiced, she said. Her conviction in the twin powers of the bosque and of poetry have driven Otero to create a monthly series called Walking with Poets, each hosted by a different poet, celebrating the work of another writer (the next one will be hosted by Yasmeen Najmi on Aug. 23, from 6 to 7:30pm). Also growing out of her two-year term as Poet Laureate will be a collection of bosque poems illustrated by artists Andrew Fearnside, and another monthly series, Alone, Together, which invites artists who often work in isolation to bring their work to a designated location, to work quietly with other creatives.

Otero is no stranger to this level of facilitation. Even though she didn't begin to strongly identify as a writer or poet until her 30s, she received a Fulbright Scholarship while in the midst of her MFA and hosted a series of creative writing workshops in Oaxaca City for women survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. My whole emphasis, she explained, was on process. Each and every one of you has a story to telllet's create ways for you to tell it. Whether that means penning your magnum opus or writing in your journal (which Otero wonderfully described as a mirror where you can stick your stomach all the way out and nobody's going to criticize you.).

I've made a conscious effort in the last several years, she continued, to go deeper and deeper.  I remember getting the Fulbright and going to Oaxaca and having this feeling likethere's this big life that has been waiting for me. I'd been waiting, because I felt I didn't deserve it or maybe I wasn't ready. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I needed to take a step in that direction, knowing that it was going to meet me where I am.

Otero is candid about feelings of self-doubt and the specters of depression, and has been working on a memoir about this inheritance, as she put it. The inheritance isn't always jewels or stocks and bondsit's mentally carrying stuff that your family couldn't. I think about who my grandparents would have been had they had more support or if there hadn't been racism or poverty. At the same time, she described not being able to imagine a life, where I had grown up really wealthy or in another city or hadn't been raised by people who always reminded me, 'yeah, but can you make tortillas?' 

Tucked above the screen of her laptop, Otero described a little sticker waiting for her each time she flips it open to write. It says, It's OK, mija. I'd love for someone to open up a book of mine and to hear, It's OK, mija, or it's OK, mijo, she said.

Look for Alone, Together and Walking with Poets events throughout the year and catch Otero reading at Sunday Chatter on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Las Puertas at 10:30am or at Jules Playhouse that same day at 7pm. Find more about the poet on her website, michelleotero. wordpress. com.
Cannabis research has been stifled under the federal ban, but recent changes in our political landscape have opened the door to more study. The only problem is lack of funding. Associate Professor Dr. Jacob Miguel Vigil of the University of New Mexico co-founded the Medical Cannabis Research Fund as a way to raise money for future projects. His colleagues have been responsible for some of the most compelling cannabis research currently available. We met with the associate professor to learn about the hurdles facing this burgeoning field.

Weekly Alibi: Can you give us a broad outline of what you and your colleagues are working on?

Dr. Jacob Miguel Vigil: I am an associate professor in the Psychology Department. I'm an expert in studying instincts, and I did a lot of work in pain perception. Now I work full time in medical cannabis patients outcomes research. And at this point in my career, I'm basically guided by the needs of the community, and I try to direct every ounce of my efforts towards helping who I can, as best as I can.

I've kind of gone from a specialists to a generalist, and it's not so much about me these days, it's about identifying problems and trying to engage in research that could eventually come up with a solution.

So you were initially a pain specialist?

Yes. I was trained as an evolutionary psychologist, so I'm really a theorist at heart, but I waited until I got tenure before I began to advocate more directly and transparently in regard to the need for cannabis research. I had to wait until I had a secure position, otherwise they would have fired medespite my academic record.

Just for showing an interest?

Well, it's still stigmatized at the formal levels of academia. Our medical systemour intellectual and scientific systemsare integrated with business interests, and they have been for a long time. These are entrenched, systemic issues that scientists still largely have to deal with in this particular area of biomedical research.

It's been an exciting ride so far. It's been very gratifying getting evidence that I'm helping people around me, and I'm very interested to see what kind of changes society is going to go through with regard to how medicine is appropriated, used, investigated, understood and thought about.

This big study about cannabis' effect on opioid use (Associations between Medical Cannabis and Prescription Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Patients)it kind of blows my mind just how many people know about it. Generally, the layman isn't looking too deeply into scientific research.

Yes that paper got a little press attention. It's interesting how press releases and media attention can really magnify our society's awareness of information. That particular paper got a lot of views on the website. My goal now is to disseminate as much information as I can to the public, because a lot of traditional channels have been controlled.

In some ways it's an uphill battle, going through traditional conventional means of the scientific process to disseminate information that's gathered, and in other ways it's an opportunity to engage in innovative processes for getting factual information out to the real peoplethrough social media and all the ways we can connect throughout society now.

I personally believe we're on the brink of some amazing societal paradigm changes, and cannabis is one of them.

What are these barriers in the way of cannabis research?

There are logistical barriers to being able to administer cannabis as a researcher. Even in Coloradowhere a researcher can smoke cannabis in the openthey can't administer it to patients who are likely to benefit from it, or even to investigate basic claims. There's a federal system in place now that is involved and requires the approval of several entities: the National Institute of Health, Drug Enforcement Agency, the FDA. You have to get your cannabis from certain locations. So, it's basically government controlled, and it has been for almost a hundred years, to be honest.

It is what it is. It's probably the most powerful plant that exists on planet Earth, and that's why it's been constrained from human access for so long. But those barriers are coming down, partly because we've reached a watershed moment where society has been exposed to the relative risks of using cannabis compared to what they have been fed and conditioned to believe.

There's also folks out there that are being more courageous and using innovative approacheslike we try to do here in New Mexicoto actually conduct work that has been largely restricted through conventional means.

A lot of my colleagues pride themselves on being so creative, but it's funnyat least from the outsideit seems as though they oftentimes live in these boxes, and if it hasn't been done before, then they don't know how to do it. The most innovative people I've met in the past five years in regard to medical cannabis have been people that work with patients directly. Providers, practitionerspeople who actually see real people and recognize the potential. For some reason, my academic colleagues are way behind the timesnot only in their understanding of the content, but of the relevance of cannabis in society.

What do you believe that relevance is?

Well the potential relevance is the changes in how people think about their medicinethe level of engagement they have with their medication. Cannabis requires people to continuously experiment through trial and error, because it's always variable. Even within clone batches, one plant is different from the next. This is caused by the different conditions its grown in as well as genetics and so forth.

So cannabis is interesting in that patients will never have access to the same exact product ever after that batch is used up. It requires interaction unlike any medication before. And what we're uncovering clinically is that in conventional pharmaceutical medicationswhether they're over-the-counter, prescription-based or at the highest levels of danger in terms of scheduled medicationsthe side effects are disproportionate compared to those that are known to exist and are documented for cannabis. Cannabis doesn't have the toxicity of most prescription medications.

There's going to be changes in how medicine is paid for, who pays for it. We're basically analyzing all these research questions and showing that patients are paying more out-of-pocket for cannabis to switch over from their opiates, and this is verifiable through their medical records and through urine testing. About 40 percent of patients on averageat least among our opiate using population ultimately quit using painkillers altogether in favor of using cannabiseven though they're paying more out-of-pocket for that medication.

Obviously insurers are saving tons of money. At some point there's going to be a balance that takes place. Insurers will start promoting the use of cannabis.

Do you think it's Big Pharma keeping the research from going ahead?

Oh I have no doubt about that. When we were analyzing some of the data that showed that opiate use dramatically dropped, not only did I get chills, but there was explicit thoughts of  that the information may put us at physical risk of harm if it were disclosed.

I have no doubt that the information I was looking atdramatic reductions in opioid usewould equate to dramatic, billions of dollars in revenue reduction. That information has been known by the pharmaceutical companies for probably decades. They're responsible for killingat this pointclose to a million people just through derivatives of opiates alone. We have data showing that just the introduction of a dispensary in a county tends to result in a reduction in all kinds of over-the-counter medications. These are trillion dollar industries.

The writing's on the wall. Cannabis is going to be substituted for other medications across the board. It's not going to replace everything at Walgreens, but it's going to be replacing a lot of products. That's a lot of money at stake.

Can you tell me about the Medical Cannabis Research Fund?

A couple of years ago I set up the Medical Cannabis Research Fund to procure the money that's required to conduct any type of study. Many of my colleagues have grant funding from the Institute of Health and so forth, but that is essentially unattainable for those advocating for our community through this type of work. I decided there was a lot of interest and the formal process wasn't working so I would create a solution to this problem, and that's what the MCRF is supposed to be.

Right now we're growing slowly. It's expanding both in scope and impact. We just recently incorporated a couple of biostatisticians from the statistics department. We have tons of data, and we're putting out tons of papers. It's exciting, and it's one of the few institutes out there in the country that are devoted to supporting medical cannabis work directly.

Its sole purpose is to target needs in our community and to engage our local researchers and people with amazing minds and skills to best help their families and neighbors. Unlike just about any other entity in science and academia, our efforts are devoted toward our community. The MCRF is devoted to improving the world one dollar and one toke at a time.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, 27,424 patients enrolled in the Medical Cannabis Program in June were suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This condition can seem nebulous to the laymen, so we sat down with Dr. Florian Birkmayer to get a better understanding. Dr. Birkmayer offers medical cannabis certifications and consultations in Albuquerque and the surrounding area.

Weekly Alibi: The majority of New Mexican cannabis patients say they are suffering from PTSD. What is the benefit of cannabis for these patients?

Dr. Florian Birkmayer: I have to start with where I'm coming from. I'm a psychiatrist. I worked for many years prescribing pills, and I did it in good faith thinking I want to help people. But especially for PTSDthere wasn't any drugs that were approved for PTSD. An anti-depressant would get approved and then the drug company would say, Well it sort of works for PTSD, too. All of these new drugsthey couldn't officially make any claims, but they would always say, Try it for PTSD. So it was really like throwing darts at a wall and seeing what sticks so that the status quo of PTSD treatmentat least on the pharmacological sidewas very limited.

Eight years ago, when the cannabis program started, people would come to me and ask, Can I try this? And I've always felt that with psychiatry, we have to be pragmatic. We're just throwing pills at people, so what have we got to lose? And what's remarkable is that I've seen for years now that people have better control over their symptoms, many of them are able to come off their psych medsand many of the psych meds have horrible withdrawal symptomsso the drug companies are happy because you're a lifelong customer since it's so hard to come off them.

If I had to put it in a nutshell: People get their lives back. I had many patients who would take their pill and come to their appointment every month, but all they were doing was sitting at home, watching TV and smoking cigarettes, because either the medications were causing side effects or weren't relieving the symptoms.

I'm sort of a neuroscience geek. There's an organ in the brain behind the eyeballs on the temporal lobe on each side that's called the amygdalathey're little almond-sized organsand it's kind of like a threat thermostat or a threat radar. It's preconscious. It takes your sensory input and decides if youre in a threatening situation or not. It's doing its own thingsort of like the sensors on your car that start beeping, and you don't know why.

That gets dysregulated in PTSD, so that if you've suffered trauma, you're always in this high alert setting. The amygdala is basically in overdrive, or hyperactive. And the cool thing is, it's actually covered in cannabinoid receptors, so when people are using cannabis, to me it's a more rational treatment for restabilizing the amygdala than just throwing some random Prozac or something at it.

So it starts for me with the clinical benefitpeople are turning their lives around, able to get off psych meds, get their lives back and there's more rational science behind it for me than for the conventional psych pills.

In terms of PTSDI think a lot of people with PTSD are burned out by the system, because they have that experience on the other side: Oh here, try this pill. Try that pill. Try yet another pill. And often their symptoms make it really hard to function. One symptom of PTSD that I find causes a lot of suffering is called irritability or overreactivity. If you think about it, PTSD is sort of like a hyperactive fight or flight response. There's flighttaking offor fightwhich is that irritability. And I think especially in Albuquerque, with the air force base, a lot of road rage in Albuquerque is actually PTSD.

So there's cannabinoid receptors on the amygdala? Are you saying that cannabis can somehow directly regulate it?

In terms of the dysregulation, there's quite a few studies out there. And in terms of the cannabinoid receptorsthat's been established. In terms of someone measuring what it actually does, I have to admit I don't know. There are some studies for cannabis and PTSD, but I don't think they're actually measuring activity in the amygdala, so this is theoretical, but if there are cannabinoid receptors there 

 Then it would lead you to think that it binds there. So we're not sure about whether it treats PTSD directly, but does it treat the symptoms?

Again, I would say it gives them their lives back. When a trauma happens, it's not like there's anything you can do to go back and erase itrewrite the videotape. So the real question is how do you deal with it? And with PTSD, if the trauma is overwhelmingand for different people, there's a different thresholdit has a negative impact on you. But the same eventwith the right processing, let's say, you can actually integrate it into your life story in a more healthy way.

I think that cannabis allows people toinstead of being overwhelmed by the symptomsit allows them to retell the story of their life saying, Yes, this bad thing happened. Maybe I suffered for a year or 10 years, but now I'm in charge of my life again. I have control over the choices I make in my life. The symptoms aren't controlling my life.

If you look at the oldest stories of mankind, like the Book of Jobwhich is much older than other parts of the Bibleor the epic of Gilgamesh, they're full of really traumatic events. Horrible things happen to Job and Gilgamesh is off with his friends fighting battlesand the descriptions of PTSD symptoms in Gilgamesh's epic are totally modern.

There's actually a study that came out 15 or more years ago that says the more coherent our narrative of a trauma is, the less our symptoms are. To me cure means that the story of your life gives you meaning. You can't go back and say, That never happened. But to say, This horrible thing happened, and here's how I grew from it is a better story than: This horrible thing happened, and I've been hiding in my bedroom ever since.

I think in that regard, cannabis really gives people the ability to rewrite their story.

It sounds like you're saying that cannabis makes the more emotionally overwhelming aspects of a trauma easier to analyze.

Exactly. I think with trauma, there's the story of what happened and there's all the feelings you have attached to it, which are overwhelming. That's when people get triggered by a certain smell or sound or going to the place where the trauma happened. You get flooded with memories, flashbackswhere you see what happened in your mind's eye again. Some people who meditate have this notion of the observerthere's a part of our brain that always watches what's going onand when we get triggered into PTSD symptoms, it's like the symptoms are a black hole and we get sucked in, and the observer disappears or falls unconscious. And on a psychological level, I think cannabis strengthens the observer so that as the sensory inputthe triggersare coming in, that observer is strong enough to say, This is reminding me of the trauma, but I don't have to get sucked into the symptoms.

I think often, the crude approach is to say, I just want to be numbed out. And that's why people use not just psychiatric medications, but drugs and alcohol to self-medicate to be numb. I don't think the cannabis makes you numband sometimes people will even say to me, The cannabis makes me think about [the trauma]. I think it's because of that observer thing, and sometimes you just need to look at something, even though the survival instinct says, I just want to be numb. I just don't want to think about it.

So I think the fact that you can be triggered, but the cannabis strengthens the observer so you can say, This is the here and now, and not back where the trauma was, means it's allowing people to heal from itto integrate it.

How does someone know they're suffering from trauma? Isn't it relative?

Trauma is really ubiquitous. The modern descriptions of it started it in the American Civil War and combat fatigue and shell shock in World War I. But those were the tip of the iceberg, and now we're realizing that there's many more forms of trauma and things that are traumatic. When a young man or woman goes off to war, you assume they had a normal life before and then this traumatic event happened, and how are they different before and after? But many of them grew up with horrible trauma as childrenabuse and neglect. So there isn't a before. There's now this notion of complex PTSD and the symptoms that go along with that.

Often people think mistakenly, I can't have PTSD because I wasn't a soldier or I wasn't a first responder at a car crash. But I think there are more subtle forms of trauma that people growing up with it think it's normallike emotional abuse or physical abuse.

Another form of trauma that is talked about very little is neglect. The obvious neglect is when some kid is found in a basement and has been locked up. But there are more subtle forms of neglect, where the child's emotional needs may not be met. The kid may be fed and not at risk of starvation, but no one engages with them in a way they need. People will say, Yeah, my parents just weren't there, but because there wasn't a normal before that happened, they don't think that's trauma.

The classic understanding of trauma is one big thinggoing to war or, again, being a first responderbut the cumulative effect of continuous low-grade trauma, I think, is often much more damaging. When you talk to people about traumatic eventsand it's not just the trauma, but how things were processedthe two terms that are in the DSM-5 and seem to be the hallmark is the sense of being overwhelmed and helpless.

How would a PTSD patient know if this is the right treatment for them?

Most people have some experience with cannabis. There's this sort of oral knowledge, where people experience it firsthand. For a lot of people it's through a friend or someone that they find out about it, and often they have to overcome their own bias from the propaganda that they've internalized.

A lot of people are willing to try cannabis in my experience that aren't willing to try psych meds, and in a way that makes sense to me. Because the psych medsagain, none of them are approved for PTSD, and the side effects can be horrible.

So I think anybody that wants to do something about their PTSD symptoms is a good candidate. And more and more, my clients aren't interested in smoking or even vaping it. They really want to take it in a more medical way. More and more people who renew are using edibles, oils, capsules and candies, because they don't want to be high, they want to be able to get a good night's sleep, be able to function.
Rob M.

The legality (or illegality) of CBD might be one of the most misunderstood aspects of cannabis law in the US.

Even though the Drug Enforcement Agency's repeated confirmations that CBD that was not derived from a hemp plant in a state with a hemp pilot program is illegal under the current scheduling of cannabis-derived extracts, the agency has stated that it doesn't consider cases of CBD possession to be a priority. This has allowed companies selling and transporting the substance across state lines to disregard the law and assume they were safe from prosecution.

So far (other than a failed attempt by a Tennessee District Attorney to raid retail CBD shops in February) it seemed as though sales and possession of CBD were going ahead without any intervention from authorities. Sellers continued to falsely maintain that CBD derived from hemp was legal in all 50 states and the drug was being bought by people from all walks of life seemingly without the fear of arrest. Earlier this year, a Ninth Circuit federal court decision clarified that CBD oil derived from a hemp plant in a state with a legally implemented hemp pilot program was exempt from DEA authority (though CBD remains a controlled substance). And the Senate recently put out their version of the 2018 Farm Bill, which, if approved as-is, will effectively legalize hemp by including an amendment to distinguish hemp from cannabis and remove it from the list of controlled substances.

So things have been looking good for the future of hemp-derived CBD.

But last week, a California woman who has been working in New Mexico for the last several months put up a GoFundMe page asking for financial support in her current legal battle over a small bottle of CBD.

Nita Maddux says she was driving from Taos to Montana to go see her mother and two grown children before returning to California. According to her account, she was working on a novel for the last seven months while staying in Taos. She also worked at a health food store called Cid's while she was there, where vendors sometimes sent samples. It was in possession of one of these samplesa 10ml bottle of hemp-derived CBD oil made by Colorado-based Functional Remedies (whose website incorrectly claims that hemp is legal in all 50 states)that Maddux was pulled over in Jackson, Wyo., for driving with expired license plates and an expired driver's license.

According to Planet Jackson Hole, Maddux was arrested after being determined a flight risk and transported to the Teton County jail. While in custody, her bag was searched and the bottle of CBD oil was found. Police tested the substance with a NIK drug test and determined that THC was present in the oil. It was then reportedly sent to a crime lab for analysis while Maddux stayed in a jail cell for 36 hours before being released on a $1,000 bond. Her hearing for the felony charge of possessing a controlled substance will be held Aug. 16.

Maddux is a 50-year-old yoga instructor who has spent much of her life traveling and volunteering in places like Haiti, the Philippines and Oregon prisons. She worries that her volunteer work will be endangered if she receives a felony charge on her record.

To help pay for legal fees, she claims she's had to use up all her funds, borrow money and sell her car to raise $5,000. She's now staying in Montana with a friend so she can travel more easily to Wyoming.

And to add insult to a kick in the teeth: At the time of her arrest the very same bottle of CBD oil was being sold on retail shelves in Wyoming. Two weeks after her arrestin a completely unrelated incident (so don't ask)police went into Jackson Whole Grocer and Luckys Market in Jackson and informed the owners that if they didn't pull the product off their shelves, they'd be facing charges.

The moral of the story: Give Wyoming a wide berth and insult their government at every opportunity.

N.M. Cannabis Tax Projections Considered

Joseph Bishop-Henchman, executive vice president of the Tax Foundation, spoke to the state's Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee last month about taxing legalized cannabis.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the Tax Foundation's calculations indicate that a 15 percent retail tax on the drug could raise about $34 million in a yeara 25 percent tax could raise about $57 million. Those numbers don't include licensing fees, gross receipts revenue or other factors (like cannabis tourism moneya market that is swiftly disappearing).

The report was based on data from states that have already legalized and initialized retail cannabis marketslike Colorado and Washington. The foundation's projections came from the states' initial demand with adjustments for sales made to tourists. It was recommended that a tax in the high teens or low 20s be adopted to discourage black market sales.

Bishop-Henchman made it clear that the organization did not support or oppose cannabis legalization in any state, however.

Some financial analysts have warned that revenue from cannabis taxes will still only make a small portion of states' yearly incomes though. Senior analyst at Moodys Investors Service Grayson Nichols has said there are only limited opportunities for significant market expansion in the cannabis industry in the long run. He called cannabis tax revenue marginally credit positive.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Back in the 70s, Hollywoods first-ever summer blockbuster,, spawned dozens of waterlogged knockoffs (, to name a few). Since Discovery Channel started broadcasting its annual Shark Week promotion back in 1988, however, ordinary sharks have lost some of their terrifying luster. If you wanna make a shark-based horror movie these days, youve got to amp it up. Syfy, for example, responded to Discoverys cable bonanza with its annual string offilms (the sixth and allegedly final one will air on Aug. 19). Now comes Hollywoods latest attempt to one-upis as much a by-the-numbersknockoff as any of those cheapjack Italian Xerox copies listed above. But at least its got the worlds biggest shark!

The Meg is based on Steve Altens preposterous page-turner MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror from 1997. Despite the fact that Altens book spawned six sequels, the film version only uses the barest outline sketch of the novelwhich would be great if the film swam in new and interesting waters. But it doesnt. This is nature disaster monster movie fare at its biggest, loudest and silliest.

In the films standard-issue flashback intro, we meet our main character, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham from some great Guy Ritchie films and a bunch of interchangeable Transporter/Expendables/Fast and Furious films). Taylor is the worlds greatest deep sea rescue pilot. While trying to rescue the crew of a nuclear sub stuck at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, he saves all but two sailors under death-defying conditions. For screenplay-based reasons, Taylor is blamed for these deaths and drummed out of business. Taylor also faults himself for failing to save everyone and spends the next five years getting drunk on a beach in Thailand.

Cut to the current-day underwater research facility Mana One. This Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-looking facility has been built off the coast of China to explore the Mariana Trench. (The film was largely financed by China, and much of the books action has been transplanted from San Diego to China.) Lead scientist Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao from Eat Drink Man Woman) and his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing from The Forbidden Kingdom) believe that the bottom of the Trench is not actually the bottom, but an ice-cold layer of frozen chemicals that hides a deeper more ancient world. Thanks to an investment from flippant, jeans-wearing tech billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson, The Office), the Mana One team is ready to send a fancy submarine to the bottom of the ocean. Immediately after penetrating the thermocline, the crew is attacked by a mysteriously unseen creature. Anyone looking at the poster or reading the title knows exactly what this creature is. Its an 80-foot prehistoric shark known as a Megalodon.

With the Manas research sub out of power and stranded more than 10,000 meters under the sea, who can our panicked oceanographers possibly turn to for help?  You guessed it: Jonas Taylor. Of course, the shell-shocked submarine jockey wants nothing to do with deep sea rescue anymore. He was quit when he left, and hes twice as quit now. Convenientlyin one of many overly familiar screenwriting contrivancesone of the scientists trapped on the bottom of the ocean just happens to be Taylors ex-wife (Australian actress Jessica McNamee). So, of course, Taylor plunges down into the Trench and saves the scientists. He also ends up doing battle with the giant toothy Megalodon that calls the trench beneath the Trench home.

Back on the Mana One, a veritable U.N. conference of stereotypesserious leader type (Cliff Curtis), fat nerd (Olafur Darri Olafsson), tough chick (Ruby Rose), wisecracking black guy (Page Kennedy), cute lil moppet (Sophia Cai)figure the danger is passed. After all, theres no chance the giant shark will swim up out of the Mariana Trench and start attacking the underwater research station, right? Right?

The Megs predictability shines through, however. Pretty soon the scientists are doing anything and everything they can come up with to fight this marine monsterother than, you know, alerting the government or the military or something. The characters vacillate between semi-likable (survivors) and semi-dislikable (sharkbait). Our billionaire financier argues against killing the Meg because its a gold mine. (Uh, how exactly?) People fall off the back of speeding boats and flounder in the open ocean with the regularity of church bells. Nearly as often Statham strips off his shirt, revealing the sort of abs you arent likely to possess following a five-year bender. Countless shots and plot twists are borrowed directly from Jaws and its spawn.

At least The Meg has the benefit of volume and velocity. Huge sonic bangs punctuate the soundtrack, telling viewers when to jump out of their seats. And, silly as it is, the story races forward with barely a breath to spare. Director Jon Turteltaub delivers speed and efficiency, continuing his unbroken string of popular- yet- forgettable offerings (3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon, Instinct, The Kid, National Treasure, The Sorcerers Apprentice). The Meg lacks the campy thrill of Renny Harlins Deep Blue Sea or the outright dread of Jaume Collet-Serras The Shallows. As a lumbering beast of a late-summer monster movie, however, it delivers on the promise of moderate action, credible special effects and one big-ass shark.
Laura Paskus

Anyone who watched recent floodwaters rip down the Santa Fe River or the Rio Puercoor had a skylight punctured by hailmight be tempted to declare that the annual monsoons ended New Mexicos drought.

But breaking the drought requires more than a handful of rainstormseven big storms. And grappling with its impacts means policymakers should listen to scientists and constituents, ranging from farmers to city-dwellers.

Even though we got a lot of rain, and theres great reporting on floods and great pictures on the internet, its a slow process to make up for what weve lost, said New Mexicos State Climatologist, David DuBois.

The weekly New Mexico Drought Monitor, released last Thursday, shows improvements in New Mexico, mainly in the eastern part of the state. But 99.9 percent of the state is still in drought, with 46 percent of the state experiencing exceptional or extreme drought conditions. Compare that with this time last year, when 95 percent of the state wasnt experiencing any drought conditions.

Even if storms continue dumping rains in certain parts of the state, it will still take another month of steady storms to improve conditions, said DuBois. Thats because the current drought episode began last fall. And the winters snow drought continues to hurt New Mexicos water supplies.

Navajo Reservoir on the San Juan River, has dropped about 100,000 acre feet since last month. On the Pecos, water managers released 30,000 acre feet from Santa Rosa Lake to Brantley Reservoir downstream for the Carlsbad Irrigation District. Heron Lake on the Chama River is down about 30,000 acre feet from last monthand nearby El Vado Reservoir is holding only 9,000 acre feet in total right now. Irrigation water is also being released from Elephant Butte Reservoir, which is at 6.4 percent capacity.

The Middle Rio Grande is flowing continuously for the first time since Aprilthanks to storm flows through the Rio Puerco and Albuquerques diversion systembut its levels are still low. So are the Jemez River, the Animas River and the Pecos River.

Even if winter precipitation looks good on paper, if it falls as rain instead of snow, thats a problem for New Mexico. Then you have the rain soaking in, and were not getting the storage we need for later when we have the runoff season, DuBois said. Even if we have good precipitation, it bites us in the tail because we dont get that delivery when we need it in the spring.

Better communication

DuBois regularly travels the state, holding workshops, visiting with farmers and ranchers and maintaining monitoring sites. He said most people he meets, from all walks of life, understand the climate is changing and the region is warming. But they dont know what to do.

Scientists can provide outlooks and projections. But people are unsure what to do with that information. There needs to be more discussion of problem-solving, he said. There also needs to be better communication between scientists and policymakers.

Scientists sounded the alarm last fall about drought conditions. By January, with a lack of snowpack in the mountains, the situation looked direand by spring, exceptional drought conditions had taken over the state.

Yet, the Office of the Governor failed to issue a drought declaration until July, when 98.6 percent of the state was already rated abnormally dry or worse. From San Juan County to Union County, crop reports showed that range conditions were poor and water availability low. Not only that, but aside from issuing the July 11 executive order, Gov. Susana Martinez does not appear to have taken any action on the emergency.

According to the order, the state has suffered a prolonged drought since October 2017, raising the risk of wildfire, agricultural losses and flooding due to severe wildfires. It also acknowledged that drought is threatening drinking water and irrigation suppliesand it might take several years of higher than normal levels of snowpack and precipitation for reservoirs and soil moisture conditions to recover.

The drought is of such a magnitude, according to the order, that it is beyond local control and requires additional resources. Not only that, but extraordinary measures may be necessary to protect public health, ensure public safety and well being, and provide for the economic stability of the state.

As part of the statewide emergency, Martinez ordered the State Drought Task Force to review and recommend actions, as well as recipients of emergency funding, to the governor.

But the governor has yet to convene the Drought Task Force, and drought planning links on the governors website show only a 2006 New Mexico Drought Plan and 2008 recommendations from the task force. Both those documents precede Martinezs tenure as governor.

NM Political Report called and emailed Benjamin Cloutier, the Office of the Governors communications director. Cloutier did not respond.

Cautiously optimistic about El Nino

The monsoon rains have been good for many places across the state, but Royce Fontenot, senior service hydrologist and incident meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, likes to use the human body as an analogy.

Your body expects food and nourishment at certain times, and when you dont get that, it suffers, he explained: Say someone handed you a Big Maca heavy monsoon stormthat might help you for a day or two, but youre still starving.

Its the same with the ecosystem: Even a few heavy rainstorms arent enough to make up for the lack of precipitation over months and months.

New Mexico is an arid state, he said, but that doesnt mean drought isnt a problem.

By and large, New Mexico is a dry statewe do go from White Sands to beautiful high-elevation forestsbut the ecosystem expects water, even if its not a lot of water, said Fontenot.

Mountain ecosystems are dependent upon snows, as are the states two biggest rivers, the Rio Grande and the Pecos River. Even in the desert, we have precipitation at certain times of year, and the system expects that, he said. When we dont have that, and dont have that over time, the deficits build.

There is some good news: El Nino is (probably) coming. Currently, theres a 75 percent chance of El Nino conditions in the northern hemisphere this winter.

El Nino is dependent on sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Oceanand for New Mexico, El Nino conditions can mean increased precipitation: better monsoons in the summer and increased snowfall in the winter.

Right now, the three-month outlook for August through October shows robust monsoon conditions, which will improve drought conditions, but probably not eliminate them altogether. Into the fall and early winter, forecasts indicate El Nino could bring normal and above-normal precipitation for the state.

Fontenot is cautiously optimistic about El Nino. The catch, he said, is how much precipitation will New Mexico and its watersheds receiveand in what form. El Nino sets up a good chance for cooler and wetter conditions over the winter, but its a system that can shut down.

The $64,000 question then is, What if we dont have a normal winter? What if we have a bust winter?  he asked. What if we dont have a good water year?

This years reservoirs are only as high as they are due to water stored from past good years. If New Mexico misses out on another snowpack, many of the states reservoirs will be nearing empty.

New Mexico experienced record high snowpacks during the winter of 2016 to 2017and then record lows in 2017 to 2018, Fontenot pointed out. How do you plan for one year, where youre worried about flooding, and then six months later, youre worried about having enough water to keep your community alive? he asked: You need to be planning for variability.

Climate change is changing the baseline, he said. And in New Mexico, that means changing what we expect in terms of water.

On Tuesday, July 17, NASA announced that June 2018 tied for the third-warmest June on record, continuing a four-decade long warming trend. The agencys monthly analysis is based on 6,300 meteorological stations worldwide, sea surface temperature readings and research stations in Antarctica. And the National Weather Service noted a week ago that Albuquerque is on pace for its warmest year on record.

In all sectorsfrom agricultural to urbanpeople should be planning for variability, said Fontenotfiguring out how to take care of this years boom, and this years bust.
Evidently there are pockets of civilization in Albuquerque, as shown by the Alibi and other things, but the face it shows to the visitor is amazingly barbarous and brutish. The hospitality industry in general is inhospitable to the point of using violence on the customers, and even if they accept you they waste no effort on being pleasant. With the exception of Little Anitas, the popular eating places I tried were dreadful. I have traveled a fair amount, and I have never seen anything like it.

Letter to America

Dear Editor,

The Mayflower pilgrims in Heaven would be astonished at American's present-day attitude towards God.

Their strong beliefs in God and Christianity were expressed in the Mayflower Compact. In that Compact they said they did it, "for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith" and signed "in the presence of God."

Over half of those pilgrims died and went to Heaven that winter.

But Hell is where most present-day Americans are headed because of disobedience of God and their unbelief.

Almost daily we see elected officials and other well-known individuals show their defiance towards God when they proudly defend the indefensible. They seem to have no idea that there is a righteous God who created them and that He set rules and Laws by which they are to live by.

Mankind will be judged by those laws and by the Word of God.

America erred greatly when it started its separation from God. His commandment to teach the children diligently all about him, including to keep his commandments, statutes and judgments, was forgotten by the Supreme Court and the other branches of government.

We took God out of America, so we should not be surprised when there seems to be more hate than love in America.

Foolish America has said there is no God, has become morally corrupt, doing abominable and bad things instead of good.

In Jesus name stop the baby killing.
The President went on to note that members of the Assembly talk about Kazakhstan abroad, familiarize foreign guests with the culture of the Kazakh people, calling for the continuation of such work.
To date, the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan has registered 307 foreign television and radio channels. Of these, 219 - opened their representative offices. As for the rest 88 channels, the ministry prepared orders to stop their broadcasting in the country. The ministry addressed the broadcasting channels to open representative offices and undergo re-registration procedure, the official website of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.





In accordance with amendments to Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Television and Radio Broadcasting "adopted in 2017 (Article 18-1), all foreign television and radio channels retransmitted in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan are obliged to register a legal entity on territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan or conduct registration of its branch (representative office) within six months from the date of enactment of this law " the message reads.





The law came into effect on January 9, 2018. Thus all foreign channels had to register a legal entity or conduct registration of its branch (representative office) on the territory of Kazakhstan.





After the expiration of this period, the Ministry, in accordance with part two of paragraph 9-1 of Article 42 of the Law "On Television and Radio Broadcasting", withdrew the certificate of posting to the account from all foreign television and radio channels that did not pass the registration of a legal entity or registration of a branch (representative office). That in the future will result in a ban on the retransmission of data from foreign television and radio channels on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.





To look through the list of foreign channels that that did not pass the registration procedure click here








gross

"In my opinion, the outlook is quite positive, asdomestic product has started to grow. This made Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) revise upwards its projection from 3.8% to 4% for 2018 , and that's good," Del Rio told El Peruano official gazette.
Presidente @MartinVizcarraC : La tarea es grande y por eso debemos trabajar unidos en la reforma politica y judicial que se lograra con el apoyo de todos ustedes. pic.twitter.com/JMHrP9sSBG

Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Asi como trabajamos a favor de la salud de Pucallpa, tambien lo hacemos para implementar los servicios basicos. Hoy hemos entregado el presupuesto que necesita el sector 12 para contar con agua potable y desague. #ExpoAmazonica pic.twitter.com/eR5VRkDURo
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Ecuador on August 8 declared a state of emergency due to huge flow of Venezuelan migrants crossing over the northern border with Colombia after fleeing the OPEC nations economic crisis, Reuters reports.

The state of emergency has been declared in three provinces.

The government of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency related to human migration in the provinces of Carchi, Pichincha and El Oro to provide urgent attention to the Venezuelan migrants on the northern border, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It added that Ecuador this week began receiving 4,200 Venezuelan migrants arriving each day. It did not say how many had been arriving before or why the numbers had increased.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The investigation of the appeal of attorneys to change the precautionary measure selected for 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has kicked off in the Court of Appeals, reports Armenpress.

Kocharyans attorneys appealed the court ruling to remand the 2nd President in pre-trial custody for two months.

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 currently remanded into custody.

45 MPs signed a petition to change Kocharyans precautionary measure, but the Prosecutor Generals Office rejected it, stating that the grounds to keep Robert Kocharyan in custody are maintained and the selection of another precautionary measure not related to detention is still unable to guarantee the uninterrupted process of the investigation.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of New Zealand (ANC-NZ) called on the countrys Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to change the governments stance regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as to avoid the statement made earlier according to which the issue of the Armenian Genocide should be solved between Armenia and Turkey, ANC-NZ said, reports Armenpress.

The Armenians of New Zealand are concerned over the governments position on the Armenian Genocide. The PMs stance is that New Zealand shouldnt call the 1915 events as genocide and must leave this issue to the consideration of the two sides. This position only contributes to the Turkish dictatorial policy, the statement says.

It is stated that the Armenians of New Zealand will continue to be engaged in lobbying for the recognition of the Genocide by the countrys parliament and make efforts to raise the awareness of the public and the countrys government on the 1915 events.

During a press conference in Wellington, Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern announced that the country has always recognized the 1915 tragic events, but its necessary to avoid using concrete terminology (genocide term) regarding these events and leave this issue for the consideration of the direct sides of the conflict. Earlier the Green party of New Zealand called on the countrys parliament to launch the process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Changes will be made in the law on Compensating the damages caused to the life or health of soldiers during the defense of the Republic of Armenia, according to which the families of soldiers and servicemen killed or disabled after January 1, 2015 will become its beneficiaries, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during todays Cabinet meeting, reminding that according to the current law, its beneficiaries are the servicemen and families of soldiers killed or disabled after January 1, 2017, reports Armenpress.

The PM said this means that the law also will cover the events that happened after January 1, 2015.

Defense minister Davit Tonoyan said the session of the board of trustees of the Military Insurance Fund will be held the agenda of which includes the issue of recognizing former servicemen as beneficiaries. 183 more families of the fallen soldiers and military disabled will be considered as beneficiaries, the minister said.

The PM said the families of soldiers fallen during the April war and the military disabled previously were not beneficiaries of the Fund, but this issue will be solved based on this change.

We must call on all companies to continue the payments. This Fund should further expand so that the wounded military disabled persons and families of fallen soldiers in early period will become beneficiaries, PM Pashinyan added.

According to the law, 1000 AMD is transferred to the Military Insurance Fund from each employed citizen in Armenia on a monthly basis. The Fund provides insurance money to the servicemen who were wounded during the military operations and the families of fallen soldiers.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. During todays session the government has set the procedure of proving monetary assistance to the family of soldier fallen during the military service, as well as the amounts of that assistance, reports Armenpress.

Defense minister Davit Tonoyan said according to the decision, the proper implementation of the process of providing monetary aid to the families of fallen soldiers and the military disabled will be ensured in accordance with the law on Military Service and Status of Servicemen.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government granted operation permit to the Bonvaron LLC at the Meghri Free Economic Zone aimed at conducting activities in processing industry, trade and logistics, reports Armenpress.

During todays Cabinet session, minister of economic development and investments Artsvik Minasyan said it is expected to reach the annual export volumes from 1 million USD to 5.1 million USD during the implementation of the program.

The company plans to make nearly 195 million USD investments, create 102 jobs. The export destinations are Russia, Georgia, Iran and other countries, the minister said, adding that the company is the first to receive operation permit in the Meghri FEZ.

We also need to conduct monitoring to understand what difficulties the company faces so that to solve them in the future, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Former prime minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan has not been charged over the 2008 March 1 case, Head of the Special Investigation Service Sasun Khachatryan told reporters, stating that its a preliminary investigation secret and added that if any person is charged, the SIS will announce that. As for Hovik Abrahamyans brother, at the moment he has a status of suspect, reports Armenpress.

At the moment Hovik Abrahamyans brother has a status of suspect, he is suspected in illegal possession of firearms, the SIS chief said. Asked what links the arms discovered at Abrahamyans mansion by the NSS can have with the 2008 March 1-2 events, the SIS chief stated: There is information, you are also aware of it, it has been repeatedly talked about that during the March 1 events in addition to the Army, there have also been armed groups, and now this version is being investigated.

Asked whether 3rd President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will be involved over the March 1 case, Sasun Khachatryan said all persons, who can have any information about that case, will be questioned.

Seyran Ohanyan, former defense minister, who was serving chief of the general staff of the Armed Forces during 2008 March 1 days, has not been charged as well.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. State minister of the Republic of Artsakh Grigori Martirosyan on August 9 received deputy director of Matenadaran, the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, and acting director of Matenadarans Artsakh branch Gandzasar scientific-cultural center Aram Torosyan, the Artsakh state ministry told Armenpress.

The state minister attached importance to the cooperation with Yerevans Matenadaran, stating that it is necessary to make all efforts to develop the scientific potential in Artsakh through the Gandzasar scientific-cultural center. He also welcomed the fact that this center became one of the most visited sites by the Artsakh people, tourists and guests in a short period of time and expressed hope that it will be supplemented by new manuscripts every year by becoming more attractive.

Armen Mkrtchyan thanked for the warm reception and stated that Artsakhs rich manuscript heritage is regularly being presented in Gandzasar scientific-cultural center, as well as they are organizing scientific conference by trying to involve foreign specialists.

During the meeting the officials also exchanged views on a number of issues relating to further expanding the cooperation programs.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says Armenias public administration system is exaggerated. I think this is obvious to everyone, and due to this the work is ineffective in many cases, and we think that we had occasions to be convinced on this during this period, the PM said during todays Cabinet session, reports Armenpress.

PM Pashinyan said during the discussion of the budget applications they met such expenditures that they are unable to give balanced reaction to them.

I call on the Cabinet members to be ready as we are going to make many serious solutions and reforms. Eventually, the Armenian citizens should be aware of on what every dram, every sum is being spent. This is definite, this must be so, the PM noted.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS/ARTSAKHPRESS: For the Sake of Artsakh youth NGO will participate in the August 17 meeting convened by Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevans Republic Square, reports Armenpress.

Today more than ever the Armenian people are united and link their bright future with the political events launched in the Motherland.

In this context we believe that Artsakh cannot remain indifferent to these processes, especially when the recent changes seem outline a decisive turn also for the negotiation process. Lets take our step, the organization said in a statement.

The NGO also announces that it searches for funds to cover the participation costs of all young people who want to attend the August 17 rally.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan called on the people to meet on August 17, at 18:30, at the Republic Square during which he will present the results of his 100-day term in office.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST9, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov met with a group of students of Russian-Armenian University and Humboldt University of Berlin on August 1 which was organized by the Director of the Institute of Politics and Law of the Russian-Armenian University Larisa Alaverdyan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, the meeting took place on the format of Q&A. The questions mainly referred to the foreign and domestic politics of Armenia.

Referring to Armenian-German parliamentary relations Sharmazanov highlighted its development and deepening, noting that Armenia is already a parliamentary country and the experience of Germany can have a significant role in the state administration of Armenia.

At the request of the students the Vice Speaker of the parliament talked about the Artsakh issue. In this context Sharmazanov noted that Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be settled exclusively peacefully in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs format.

Artsakh is a de-facto independent country, and the fair and pro-Armenian settlement of NK conflict is our top priority, he said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the members of Republican Union of Employers of Armenia, headed by Gagik Makaryan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the PM noted that he highlights the dialogue between the government and the unions and NGOs representing the different interest groups and added that it will give an opportunity to regularly discuss the existing problems and listen to opinions aimed at solving them.

During the meeting issues referring to the improvement of business environment, fostering FDIs, legislative reforms and other issues were discussed. The sides also touched upon the reforms in tax administration, development opportunities of public procurement system, construction and civil aviation.

Highlighting the necessity of holding such meetings regularly, Nikol Pashinyan tasked the Cabinet members to continue meetings with the members of Republican Union of Employers of Armenia for discussing the proposals aimed at solving the issues in the mentioned spheres.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. First Vice Prime MInister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan has sent a letter to the leadership of the World Bank for getting consulting and technical support for the identification and return of the property of Armenia that has been plundered and taken overseas, ARMENPRESS reports Mirzoyan informed by a note published on his Facebook page.

"It's not a secret that in corrupted societies sums accumulated through corruption, embezzlement of public resources, and other illicit ways are often taken out from the given country to another for finding a relatevly calm and safe shelter.

For putting end to this vicious practice and restoring the plundered public property, there is a tool created by the initiative of the World Bank and UNODC called Stolen Asset recovery Initiative.

I have written a letter today to the leadership of the World Bank for receiving consulting and technical suport from the Stolen Asset recovery Initiative with the expectation to launch the process of identification and return of the property plundered from our country and taken overseas", First Vice PM wrote.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
There are some great perks to being one of the 25 million lucky people who call Australia home.

But while most of you are probably thinking its all about the beaches and sunshine, you may be surprised to learn were entitled to a rather unexpected item just for being Aussie.

So brace yourselves people because were about to rock your world, particularly if you love the royals.

Every Australian citizen is legally entitled to a free portrait of the Queen. We feel you Meghan. Source: Giphy

Every citizen of the land Down Under is legally entitled to get their very own portrait the Queen, to hang with pride in your own home. Yep, strange but true.

Voters can cash in on this thanks to the constituents request program, which makes them eligible to receive nationhood material such as Aussie flags, recordings of the National Anthem and that glorious portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

The special image of Her Majesty was reportedly taken specifically for Australians, and features the Queen wearing a wattle spray brooch, given to her by then-PM Robert Menzies during Elizabeths first royal visit to Australia in 1954.

MP Andrew Hastie poses with his free portrait of the Queen, saying he will proudly hang it in his office. Source: Facebook/AndrewHastie

I mean, just imagine having your mates over for a barbie and showing that off. Youll be the talk of the town!

But the best part of all this is how easy it is to get your mitts on one. Its as simple as flicking your local MP an email.

Too easy!

If youre a major royalist, you can also request a Prince Philip portrait, Vice reports.

Sadly, proud portraits of William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan, are not available. Source: Getty

But sadly, official photos of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are not available. Were gutted.

Interestingly, the initiative is only for Australians, so when your family from the UK or Canada are visiting you get extra bragging rights #sorrynotsorry.

We know what well be doing later.



Got a story tip? Send it to tips@yahoo7.com.au

Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.
Five people have been stripped of their Australian citizenship for fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, with officials saying Thursday the country was a better place without them. They join notorious Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf -- who made headlines when he posted a Twitter image of his young son holding a severed head -- as the only nationals to be kicked out under tougher anti-terror laws. "I can confirm that five more individuals have ceased to be Australian citizens because of their involvement with Islamic State offshore," home affairs minister Peter Dutton said in a statement. "Fundamentally, citizenship requires allegiance to this country... these five dual-nationals have been acting against Australia's interests by engaging with terrorism and have effectively chosen to leave the Australian community." The five are all aged in their 20s and 30s. Dutton provided no further details on their identities but welcomed their exclusion. "Australia is a safer place for not having them return," he said. Canberra has become increasingly concerned about Australian nationals returning home after fighting alongside Islamic State abroad and has passed a series of tougher national security laws in recent years. That includes legislation where people can forfeit their citizenship if they also hold a passport from another country, and therefore are not left stateless. Sharrouf, the first Australian national stripped of his passport for Islamic State links, was also a Lebanese citizen. He left Australia for Syria in 2013 with his family. His Australian wife Tara Nettleton, who went with him, has since died and Sharrouf was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Iraq in 2015. Later media reports cast doubt on whether he was dead. The fate of their five children remains unknown. Sharrouf sparked international revulsion in 2014 when he posted pictures on social media of his young son Abdullah holding the rotting severed head of a soldier. Five Australians have been stripped of their citizenship for fighting alongside Islamic State, according to home affairs minister Peter Dutton
At least 17 Nigerian soldiers were killed in a fresh Boko Haram attack on a military base in the country's northeast, military sources told AFP Thursday, the third assault on three different bases in less than a month. On Wednesday evening, heavily armed jihadists riding in trucks stormed and looted weapons and vehicles from a military base in Garunda village in Borno State, the epicentre of the Islamist insurgency that has been raging for nine years. The attack is the latest of a series of bloody Boko Haram assaults on military bases in Nigeria, underscoring the continued threat the Islamists pose to the region and putting the spotlight on the Nigerian government's claim that Boko Haram is "decimated". "Our troops came under attack from Boko Haram terrorists in Garunda last night," a military officer told AFP. "Unfortunately we lost 17 troops, 14 others were injured while an unspecified number is still unaccounted for," said the military source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on the incident. The source added that the militants looted weapons and vehicles before fleeing. In the past month, Boko Haram jihadists have launched two other major assaults on military bases in the remote northeast region. On July 14, jihadists suspected to be loyal to Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, who is affiliated with the Islamic State group, attacked a base in Jilli village, in neighbouring Yobe state. Dozens of troops were killed, wounded or missing, according to several security sources. The army conceded the base was attacked but did not give a death toll, saying that the "troops reorganised and successfully repelled the attack and normalcy has since returned to the area". On July 26, the Islamists stormed a base on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno state. The base attacked yesterday in Garunda village of Borno state had just been set up for troops from the 81 brigade who had been stationed in Jilli village and forced to move after the July 14 assault. "The truth of the matter is that the troops in Jilli were relocated to Garunda where a new base was established," said the second military source, who gave a similar death toll. "Troops were just setting up and the excavator operator was working to fortify the base with trenches against attack from the terrorists when the attack happened," said the officer. The Nigerian army did not respond to to requests for comment. Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday confirmed in a statement that a staff member, an excavator operator attached to the military, "was killed by Boko Haram yesterday in Damasak, Borno state". Boko Haram no longer controls swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria as it did at the height of its insurgency in 2014, yet the Islamist militants still pose a threat to the impoverished region. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that the Islamists are a spent force as he gears up for elections next year. In an interview with Nigerian press published on Thursday, Buhari's information minister Lai Mohammed said "we promised to fight insecurity...despite what anybody says, we have decimated Boko Haram". Six months away from presidential polls, Buhari is under pressure to defend his track record as he battles insecurity across Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Heavily armed jihadists stormed and looted weapons and vehicles from a military base in Garunda village, killing at least 17 Nigerian soldiers, like the ones pictured here in June 2016
Geraint Thomas soaked up the cheers of his home town as the Tour de France champion was welcomed by thousands of fans on his return to Cardiff on Thursday. Team Sky rider Thomas is only the third Briton to win the legendary Tour and his presence in Cardiff sparked a rapturous reception from the Welsh public. Around 8,000 people lined the streets of Cardiff to salute the 32-year-old, who took to a stage to be congratulated by First Minister Carwyn Jones. "Thanks for coming, I was a bit worried it was just going to be the wife and the dog," Thomas joked as his wife Sara and dog Blanche watched in the crowd. "I'm used to racing in front of thousands of people but to walk out to this, this is bonkers." Asked what he planned to do to follow his Tour triumph, Thomas joined in the party mood: "A few more beers!," he said with a smile. "I thought the race would be harder, I felt pretty good. The race was a dream and couldn't have gone better." Thomas, whose Team Sky contract is about to expire, had been courted by rival teams after winning last month's Tour. But he is on the verge of signing an extended Team Sky deal and said: "I've made my mind up (about staying) in my head really and just need to get it done officially. "It's nice to have some good offers, but hopefully it will be done in the coming days." First Minister Jones saluted Thomas's unexpected success, telling the crowd it was a huge boost to Wales' reputation to have a Tour champion for the first time. "In politics you spend a lot of time selling Wales to the world and Geraint has done more in 21 days than I could've done in 21 years," he said. "From the whole of the country, thanks for what you've done." Thomas then got on his bike to ride through Cardiff, with hundreds of fans dressed in yellow jerseys, replicating the shirt given to the Tour leader after each stage. Thomas, who lives in Cardiff, urged the crowd to use his victory as inspiration to "follow their dreams". "Do what you love to do. Anything is possible with hard work. You're always going to have hard moments but if you really want to do something, go for it," he said. Britain's Geraint Thomas gestures to the crowd during a celebratory homecoming event in Cardiff
Eleven children found living in filthy conditions on a compound in rural New Mexico, US, were being trained to commit school shootings, a court has heard.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week after its alleged he abducted his three-year-old son in November, 2017.

Wahhaj, 39, was arrested, along with Lucas Morton and three women, after police received a message believed to be from inside a makeshift compound near the New Mexico-Colorado border.

Eleven children aged one to 15 were removed from the compound.

Eleven children found living in filthy conditions on a compound in rural New Mexico, US, were being trained to commit school shootings, a court has heard. Source: Getty Images

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj in court on Wednesday. Source: Getty Images

Documents filed in court on Wednesday claim Wahhaj was conducting weapons training at the compound, and prosecutors allege he was training children to commit school shootings.

The 39-year-old was also found with an AR-15 and multiple firearms.

He faces a number of charges  a warrant from Georgia seeks the extradition of Wahhaj to face a charge of abducting his three-year-old son, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, from the state in December, 2017.

The boy was not among the 11 children found on the property.

At an arraignment on Wednesday, Wahhaj and his four co-defendants, 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 was also charged with harbouring a fugitive.

Filthy trailer and a box of rice

The compound was made up of a trailer, which was found buried and covered in plastic. It had no running water, plumbing or electricity.

The compound is located in an isolated high-desert area in the small community of Amalia, 233 kilometres northeast of Albuquerque.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said the children and adults found there resembled third world country refugees and were wearing no shoes and dirty rags.

The only food we saw were a few potatoes and a box of rice in the filthy trailer, Sheriff Hogrefe told KOAT 7.

Police said the kids found living in the compound were found wearing no shoes and dirty rags. Source: Getty Images

Camping and exorcisms

Its alleged by the mother of Abdul-ghani that his father wanted to perform an exorcism on him.

The woman told police in 2017, while filing a missing child report, her son suffers from seizures and is unable to walk.

Story continues

She also alleged Wahhaj wanted to perform an exorcism on his son because he believed Abdul-ghani was possessed by the devil.

The mum said Wahhaj took their son for a trip to the park but never returned.

A missing persons poster for Abdul-ghani Wahhaj. His mother said his father wanted to perform an exorcism on him. Source: Getty Images

On December 13, Georgia police said Wahhaj was travelling with seven kids and another adult when their car overturned. He told police they were travelling to New Mexico to go camping.

But a report written by the attending officer claims 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.

Wahhaj told the officer that he owned the guns legally and had a Georgia permit to carry concealed weapons.

Mr Wahhaj seemed to be very concerned about his weapons and stated several times that they were his property and that he owned them legally, the report read.

Abdul-ghani is yet to be found but Sheriff Hogrefe said authorities have reason to believe the boy was at the compound several weeks ago.

The remains of a child have been found on the property but they are yet to be identified.

With Associated Press and Reuters
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. 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. 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 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
The European Union on Thursday called for a "comprehensive and transparent investigation" into a drone "assassination" bid on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. A spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement the bloc rejected "any form of violence and expects that a comprehensive and transparent investigation of Saturday's drone attack is conducted to establish the facts, in full respect for the rule of law and for human rights. "In this regard, the EU expects the recognition of the National Assembly's constitutional powers, including the full respect of its prerogatives concerning the parliamentary immunity of its members, in line with established constitutional rights, legislation and procedures," she added. Maduro, who has systematically sidelined the opposition as he tightens his grip over his troubled nation, accuses the opposition and Colombia of being behind Saturday's "attack". The embattled president says he was targeted by two drones carrying C4 explosives. Live images on Saturday showed Maduro halting his speech at a Caracas military parade following a detonation that prompted dozens of soldiers in front of him to run away in panic. A super-legislative body loyal to President Nicolas Maduro revoked the immunity of two Venezuelan opposition lawmakers Wednesday, in order to put them on trial for allegedly masterminding the drone "attack" bid. Maduro has singled out two lawmakers: Julio Borges, former speaker of the opposition-dominated legislature who now lives in exile; and Juan Requesens. Requesens has been seized by intelligence officers, while Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Borges' arrest. The Constituent Assembly -- a body set up last year by Maduro to arrogate powers from the elected legislature -- followed up by stripping Borges and Requesens of their immunity. "The EU reiterates its support for a negotiated, democratic and peaceful solution for the multiple crises affecting the country as the only way forward," the EU statement added. "This needs to encompass a return to constitutional normality restoring democratic process and the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, release of all political prisoners, and addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of the population." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, pictured July 2018, was the victim of a drone "assassination" bid, for which the EU expects a "comprehensive" investigation
By announcing he is formally stepping aside after 17 years in power, President Joseph Kabila has eased tensions in DR Congo but the volatile country remains gripped by uncertainty ahead of elections due at the end of the year. Domestic, regional and international pressures are likely to have played a role in the president's eagerly-awaited decision to pick a successor instead of running again. But suspicions will run deep that Kabila, by picking a loyalist to contest the December 23 ballot, wants to wield influence behind the throne, analysts say. "Kabila evacuated the question about his intentions from the agenda by choosing a successor," Hans Hoebeke, senior analyst for Congo at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told AFP. "This should not reassure too much. There are no guarantees that the elections will effectively be held and, if they are, that they will respond to minimal criteria of credibility." Kabila has ruled the country since 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire. His tenure has been stained by a reputation for corruption and conflict. After his two-term limit expired at the end of 2016, Kabila stayed in power, invoking a caretaker clause in the constitution to remain in office. In recent months, he has kept everyone guessing whether he would try to run again. On Wednesday, just hours before the deadline for filing election bids was due to expire, his office made the big announcement. Former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary was designated as Kabila?s ruling coalition candidate. By choosing a close ally who is under European sanctions for human rights violations, Kabila signalled that loyalty prevailed above all other criteria. - Small base - Shadary will run against a long list of other candidates from opposing parties, and does not have widespread recognition in the country. "His political base is in Maniema, a small artisanal mining province in the east, which includes less than five percent of the DRC?s electorate," said Indigo Ellis with risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft. If Shadary wins, Kabila will wield special clout in addition to his positions as senator and head of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), Ellis added. Kabila would "almost certainly remain the string-puller behind the scenes, at least initially, with Shadary as a figurehead president", he said. For this reason, and on the assumption that the opposition is able to unite behind a single candidate, a Shadary election victory is "bound to attract accusations of foul play," he said. The fate of Moise Katumbi, 53, a prominent opposition figure leading recent opinion polls who was barred from entering the country last week to lodge his candidacy, remains a concerning issue for some analysts. "We believe that the real goal, for the moment, must be an election in which the rights of all and of every individuals are respected, in peace and equality of opportunity," a church-based group, CENCO, in a statement this week. "That is the price for crediblity of the polls." Other key questions include the government's ability to organise the elections in time in a country the size of western Europe where infrastructure is notoriously poor. The electoral commission said in November they expected elections to cost about $420 million (362 million euros). The opposition, as well international players including the United States, have also expressed concerns with electronic voting machines that the electoral commission intends on using. The machines, imported from South Korea, are difficult to use and liable to be hacked they claim. - Regional pressure - The DRC was the theatre for two wars, from 1996-7 and 1998-2003, that sucked in states from around central and southern Africa. Embers of that conflict glow on a smaller scale in the east of the vast country even today. The international community is clearly relieved by the easing of tensions, while also mindful of the difficult road ahead. "We salute the decision by President Joseph Kabila Kabange to uphold his commitment to respect the Congolese constitution," the UN's special representative and the representatives of the African Union, European Union, Canada, Switzerland and the United States said in statement. The inflexion point for Kabila's decision may have come from African countries, which are deeply concerned by the instability, said a diplomatic source in Kinshasa, singling out Angola -- a traditional ally of Kabila -- as well as South Africa and the AU. "He can't be completely immune to the reality that in many ways regional opinions have turned against him (from running)," said Stephanie Wolters, Johannesburg analyst at ISS Africa, adding that the threat of new US sanctions may also have weighed on Kabila's decision. President Joseph Kabila, left, has said he will not seek a new term in office -- he has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (right), a loyalist, to be his successor in upcoming elections Map of the DR Congo, showing conflict zones, mineral wealth, UN bases, food insecurity and refugees, with close-up on North & South Kivu
An Uber driver whose passenger was struck and killed by a bus says he did not know the alleged victim had opened the door to get out when he drove off.

British tourist Sam Thomas, 29, was killed instantly after stepping into the path of the bus.

Uber driver Nazrul Islam pleaded not guilty on Thursday to negligent driving.

His passenger had travelled the world and his last stop was Sydney  but he was killed on a night-out with friends in June last year.

British tourist Sam Thomas had been on a night out with friends when the Uber tragedy happened. Source: 7 News

Nazrul Islam has pleaded not guilty to negligent driving. Source: 7 News

He had been at a party with two friends when he called an Uber.

The Uber had stopped at traffic lights on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Bathurst Street in Sydneys CBD when Mr Thomas opened the back passenger door to get out.

He was sitting and he reached for the door, he was in the motion of getting out, Mr Thomass friend Stephen Ronning told the hearing.

The car started moving forward.

I turned across and said, Stop mate, hes getting out, then I heard a loud pop, Mr Ronning recalled.

Behind the wheel of the bus that hit Mr Thomas was Robert Haviland, a driver with 26 years experience.

Bus driver Robert Haviland after his bus struck Mr Thomas when he got of the Uber. Source: 7 News

He could be hear screaming in the security vision: Someone just got out of the car and I think we just ran over him!

At 3.17am, the streets were quiet and weather conditions were clear.

Mr Islam was not distracted. He says he just did not see or hear Mr Thomas getting out of the car.

The hearing will continue on Friday.
A farmer has posted an impassioned plea to Malcolm Turnbull for help as 100 per cent of New South Wales is declared to be in drought.

Farmer Gus Greenaway, 27, lives and works on the land in Rowena, New South Wales, and has experienced the crippling drought first hand.

Mr Turnbull, if you have to see this video, my offer still stands. Get out here, have a look for yourself, see it with your own two eyes, Mr Greenaway said in a video posted to Facebook.

I just think the Australian people are starting to realise, and are believing that youre just not in touch with rural Australia.

I really think this should be classified as a natural disaster.

Gus Greenaway (inset) has challenged Malcolm Turnbull to come and see the drought first hand. Source: Facebook/AAP

Mr Greenaway spoke about the Federal Governments recent $190 million drought relief package, which will give farmers payments of $12,000, in two $6000 lump sums to be paid in September and March next year.

I think Im speaking for 99 per cent of farmers when I say this, I know thats not going to go towards putting food on peoples tables, he said.

Australian farmers are extremely proud people, resilient, theyre very proud of the product they produce.

I can probably tell you that moneys going to go towards buying feed for stock.

They look after their stock better than they look after themselves, thats a fact. I can tell you that first hand.

Farmer Gus Greenaway criticised Malcolm Turnbull for being out of touch with rural Australia which is ravaged by drought. Source: AAP

In spite of the challenges he faces, Mr Greenaway said he was working on a program to raise awareness about farming and drought in schools and remains optimistic that things will start to improve.

Its hard to not get angry about it and not get emotional about it, but its definitely extremely frustrating, he said.

Weve still got a long road ahead of us. But were Aussies, were tough and well battle on, thats what we do.
Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, who was pardoned last year while serving a long jail sentence for human rights abuses, was discharged from hospital Wednesday after treatment for heart problems, his personal doctor said. He returned to his home in the capital Lima after being cleared to leave the Centenario clinic, his doctor Alejandro Aguinaga was quoted as saying by the official Andina agency. "We must always pay attention to his health," added Aguinaga. Fujimori -- who just turned 80 -- ruled Peru with an iron fist from 1990 until 2000. He was rushed to the clinic on Sunday with signs of cardiac arrhythmia, which is an irregular beating of the heart, one of his aides said. He was also expected to undergo cancer screening for the lungs and tongue. The ex-president has had a number of operations as part of a long-running battle with tongue cancer. Fujimori was pardoned by presidential decree last December. He was 12 years into a 25-year jail sentence handed down to him over his ordering of two massacres by death squads between 1991 and 1992. The pardon, issued by then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski before he was himself brought down by a corruption scandal, triggered a wave of protests by human rights organizations and by victims of Fujimori's crackdown. This was Fujimori's fourth hospitalization since his release from prison. Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori has been released from hospital after treatment for heart problems
An appeals court in Paris has upheld a decision by judges to keep Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan in jail while he is being investigated on rape charges brought by two women, a legal source told AFP on Thursday. Lawyers for Ramadan had requested his release last month after unsuccessfully trying to have the charges dropped over discrepancies in testimony given by one of the women. Ramadan, who took leave from his post at Oxford University after the allegations surfaced, has also complained that his imprisonment has made it more difficult for him to receive treatment for multiple sclerosis. But the appeals court upheld his detention on Wednesday, considering Ramadan, who holds Swiss citizenship, is a flight risk despite his offer to surrender his passport and post 300,000 euros ($350,000) in bail. Investigative magistrates had already denied several requests for his release. Ramadan, whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement, has been held since February on charges that he raped two women in France in two separate incidents. His accusers came forward in October in the wake of the "Me Too" campaign which began after several women accused Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, prompting women worldwide to share accounts about sexual attack and harassment. Ramadan, a married father of four who is one of European Islam's best-known figures, has denied any sexual relations with the two women, saying he met with each of them only once and in public places. He has denounced the accusations as part of a smear campaign by his critics. His first accuser, Henda Ayari, who was questioned by judges last month in Ramadan's presence, had originally said that he raped her at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Paris on May 26, 2012. But investigators later determined she was attending her brother-in-law's wedding that day in Rouen, northern France. Ayari subsequently admitted she could not remember the exact date. On September 18, Ramadan will be questioned in the presence of his second accuser, a disabled woman identified as "Christelle" who claims he raped and beat her in a hotel in the southeastern city of Lyon in 2009. French investigators are also looking into rape claims made by a third woman with whom he has admitted to having had an affair. Those allegations have not yet let to charges. In Switzerland, a Swiss woman has also filed a complaint against Ramadan. Tariq Ramadan has denied rape accusations from three women in France and one in Switzerland
Thursday, August 9, 2018

The Port of Entry

Latino USA recently took an in-depth look at a port of entry at the US/Mexico border. The wait time for migrants seeking asylum at legal ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border has recently increased from hours to weeks, causing some families to camp out for days. We go to the border to meet some of the people waiting there and explain the asylum process in the United States.

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2018/08/latino-usa-looks-at-the-usmexico-port-of-entry.html
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. Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms has been granted permission to land at the southern port of Algeciras, it said Wednesdya
Dr. Isima Sobande was in medical school when she first heard of mothers who bleached the skin of their babies. She dismissed it as an urban myth. But it wasn't long before she saw it with her own eyes. At a health centre in Lagos, a mother brought in a two-month-old infant who was crying in pain. "He had very large boils all over his body," the soft-spoken 27-year-old Nigerian told AFP. "It seemed like they weren't normal." The baby's mother explained that she had mixed a steroid cream with shea butter and slathered his skin with it in order to make it whiter. "I was very appalled. It was distressing," said Sobande. Shocked, the young doctor now takes a different view on skin bleaching, also called lightening or whitening. For many Nigerians, it is a "standard procedure," a gateway to beauty and success, she said. "It's a mindset that has eaten into society. For a lot of people, it's the path to getting a good job, having a relationship." - Africa risk - Skin lightening is popular in many parts of the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. But medical experts say that in Africa -- a continent where regulations are often lax or scorned -- the widening phenomenon is laden with health risks. Cultural watchdogs, for their part, see it as the toxic legacy of colonialism. Africa is experiencing a "massive trend of increased use (of skin bleaching), particularly in teenagers and young adults," said Lester Davids, a physiology professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. "The older generation used creams -- the new generation uses pills and injectables. The horror is that we do not know what these things do in high concentrations over time in the body." Where statistics about Africa's skin-bleaching industry exist, they are often old or unreliable. But evidence from the range of products, suppliers and services points to a continent-wide market that may number tens of millions of people and possibly more. In Nigeria alone, 77 per cent of women -- by extrapolation, more than 60 million people -- are using lightening products on a "regular basis", the World Health Organization (WHO) said in 2011. - Bootleg creams - Experts say the African market is rapidly expanding as companies seek to cash in on the continent's booming youth population. "More clients want insight on the lightening market," said Rubab Abdoolla, a beauty analyst at market researchers Euromonitor International. The rich tend to opt for pricier registered products which are available in standard doses. Others are likely to buy creams, often bootleg concoctions mixed in the back streets, that may be dangerous and are blatantly sold in defiance of official bans or constraints. Ingredients may include hydroquinone, steroids, mercury and lead -- the same element that, at high doses, poisoned Elizabethan courtiers who powdered their faces ivory white. "These chemicals damage respiratory, kidney and reproductive systems," an official from the Nigerian drug control agency warned. "They cause cancer, affect the nervous system, deform unborn babies." In spite of the risks, authorities are struggling to control the bleaching innovations, which include a compound called glutathione, taken as injections or pills. Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have all banned skin bleaching products with high amounts of hydroquinone and mercury, with the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa urging people to "reject all colonial notions of beauty". In July, Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority issued a statement telling pregnant women not to take glutathione pills to bleach their unborn babies saying that there may be "serious toxic side effects" such as "asthma, renal failure and chest pains." The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stresses that it has not given approval for any of the injections on the market today. "These products are potentially unsafe and ineffective, and might contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants." - 'Addiction' - Those who start using skin lightening say they invariably stay with the practice. "Before you know it, it has become some sort of an addiction where you want to maintain that look," said Dabota Lawson, a Lagos socialite and cosmetics entrepreneur. "Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like it's never enough." In Lagos, the creams are assembled by a legion of cosmetologists and sold at a price anywhere from 5,000 naira to 20,000 naira ($14-55, 12-47 euros), a prohibitive amount in a country where the minimum wage is just 18,000 naira ($50, 42 euros). Instagram skincare star Pela Okiemute's "Russian White" body cream claims to give "firmness, intense beauty and a mixed race complexion". His "Cleopatra Royal" cream, whose label features Elizabeth Taylor in her famous role as the Egyptian queen, promises to "lighten and radiate". Customers should start seeing results in two weeks, says Okiemute, explaining that his creams, which include collagen, kojic acid and "anti-ageing" snail slime are safe, though he declined to divulge his formula. "We have a lot of customers who have used a lot of wrong products, they come to us and we give solutions," he says. He flicked through his phone to show before-and-after photos of a client who had a problem with dark knuckles, a telltale sign of a skin bleacher. Intravenous injections and pills of glutathione -- an antioxidant naturally found in the body that has a lightening side effect -- are the new frontiers of skin bleaching. At his clinic on the outskirts of Lagos, beside an abandoned Chinese restaurant, plastic surgeon Aranmolate Ayobami charges clients 150,000 naira ($415, 350 euros) for a five-week course of glutathione injections. Known as the "Buttmaster" for helping patients seeking an hourglass figure, Ayobami buys the injections from companies he trusts in the United Arab Emirates or the United States. He only gives certain dosages for a limited amount of time, he said. But sometimes clients will bring in their own cheaper product that they bought online and urge him to inject them. "We try to discourage that," he said. - #Melaninpoppin - If many millions of Africans lighten their skin without regret, others are dismayed. "Skin bleaching is one manifestation of folks trying to get power and privilege aligned with whiteness," said Yaba Blay, a researcher at North Carolina Central University. "We're seeing folks attempt to be perceived as having more value because of their complexion." Recent black movements are trying to challenge that perception. #Melaninpoppin, a hashtag celebrating black skin, and the smash-hit movie "Black Panther," which featured an almost all-black cast wearing African-inspired outfits and natural hair, are held up as testaments to a shift away from longstanding Eurocentric standards of beauty. But whether the tide of opinion is turning in Africa itself is another question. "The truth for me was that my beauty was more accepted abroad than at home," said Ajuma Nasenyana, a model from northern Kenya, who has walked for Victoria's Secret and Vivienne Westwood. "In the African industry the lighter your skin tone the more beautiful you are. Hopefully the industry is changing and starting to appreciate darker skin." Sobande, the doctor, said, "We're living in a more positive environment than a few years before. "But it's going to take a lot of effort to change the mindset." In many countries, skin lightening cream is mixed in beauty saloons or backstreet shops Risk: Edmund Delle, a dermatologist at the Rabito Clinic in Accra, holds up a picture of a woman with ochronosis -- discoloration caused by long-term application of hydroquinone to lighten the skin Cosmetics entrepreneur Dabota Lawson warns that skin lightening can become addictive: "Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like it's never enough." Glutathione injections are the latest craze in skin bleaching Back to nature: A billboard advertises products to restore natural skin colour on Spintex Road in Accra, the Ghanaian capital
With migrant arrivals to Spain's southern shores on the rise, more of them are heading north to the border town of Irun, some sleeping rough as they wait to cross into neighbouring France, locals and officials say. Residents and associations in the northern Basque city joined forces last month in an informal network to bring food and clothes for the migrants after they were alarmed at the increase, said Bibi Liras, an activist. She said that as a border town, Irun has always seen a drip-drip of migrants waiting to cross into France. But there has been a marked increase since last month, she said Thursday, the same day as 87 migrants rescued off Libya arrived in the southern port of San Roque on board an NGO charity ship. "It started to be unusual when we saw they were starting to sleep in the train station or in places where cars were parked," she told AFP. Liras said Irun now sees an average of around 40 migrants a day, from just four to five previously. The Red Cross says it manages a shelter in Irun that takes in 24 people, as well as three other such establishments in the rest of the Basque Country. Altogether, they have room for 177 people, a spokesman said, and they are allowed to stay three nights, sometimes four. He added the Red Cross attended to nearly 1,600 people in the region over the past two months. - Marked rise but manageable - Those in Irun who don't find a place in a shelter, or don't want to stay there, are taken care of by the network of volunteers who cook them meals and give them clothes, said Liras. A dance institute also lends its showers to those who need it. But they have nowhere to stay, and many sleep rough at the railway station. A source with the Basque government, who refused to be named, said the number of migrants coming to the northern region had "risen a lot in the past two weeks." But he cautions the numbers are still manageable. "We're not talking about hundreds." Many of the migrants are heading to France or Belgium where they have family or friends, he said. They come from sub-Saharan Africa, from countries like Ghana or Guinea. But crossing into France is tough. Authorities there have an agreement with Spain that they can quickly return any migrants they catch on the border, or who have been in France less than four hours, the Basque government said this week in a statement. This has been criticised by associations that argue they should be allowed to move freely within the European Union. Those who have been in France longer than four hours are entitled, by law, to a lawyer and the process to return them to Spain will take longer, said the government source. As a border town, Irun has always seen a trickle of migrants waiting to cross into France, but there has been a marked increase since Libyan migrants arrived in the southern port of San Roque in July 2018
Syria's Kurdish minority, hailed as an indispensable Western ally during the war against the Islamic State group, faces hard bargaining with Damascus to save its hard-won autonomy. Early last year, President Bashar al-Assad's government held just 17 percent of Syrian territory and was unable to do anything about the autonomous institutions the Kurds have set up in areas under their control. But a succession of Russian-backed victories over the jihadists and a range of rebel factions has transformed the balance of power. Assad's government now controls nearly two-thirds of Syria and is determined to reassert its authority over Kurdish-held territory which forms the lion's share of the rest. Recognising their weakened position, Kurdish leaders and their supporters last month opened talks with Damascus, desperate to salvage what they can of the institutions they painstakingly built over the years. "We are trying to preserve everything we built in terms of the autonomous system, the institutions, the democracy," said leading Kurdish figure Saleh Muslim. "But there's a mentality that won't accept this right away, so it has to happen gradually," Muslim told AFP. Before the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the Kurds were an oppressed minority in what was effectively a one-party state with an Arab nationalist ideology that had no tolerance for Kurdish traditions or the Kurdish language. Hundreds of thousands did not even have Syrian citizenship. But after government troops withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas in 2012, local authorities began forming their own security forces and institutions, including a Kurdish-language school curriculum. Trying to reconcile those institutions with the system in force in government-held areas will be a formidable task. "Syria will not go back to what it was. There needs to be decentralised democracy," Muslim said. "We have our project, which we believe will be a model for all of Syria -- and we're holding onto it." - 'Everything recalculated' - In late July, Damascus hosted the first round of talks with the Kurdish administration. Joint committees were formed to discuss economic issues, politics, military affairs and public services. The ultimate goal was "drawing a roadmap that leads to a decentralised Syria," says the political arm of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led alliance which Washington backed against IS. Between them, the SDF and its allies control around 30 percent of Syria, including several of its largest oil fields. "The government and Kurdish-led SDF are the two players that control the vast majority of Syrian land," said Mutlu Civiroglu, an analyst in Kurdish affairs. "One way or another, these two forces will find a solution. Either they fight, or they do it peacefully." The Kurds are ready to negotiate because of President Donald Trump's repeated pledges to end the US troop presence in northern Syria that has been their principal protection. In late May, Assad gave the Kurds a stark choice, warning that if talks fail, "we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force." Nonetheless, the Kurds feel they have a strong negotiating position. "We had never been part of the equation, but today, everything has been recalculated... We will defend what we established," Muslim said. - 'Red line' - As momentum builds, the talks' main stumbling block remains how much power Damascus will have over areas that have been under Kurdish administration for as many as six years. Other points of contention include whether to retain Kurdish-language education in the north and the fate of the SDF and other Kurdish armed groups. "They are not going to agree to go back to the old days. This is the red line from the Kurdish point of view," Civiroglu said. Ilham Ahmad, who headed the Kurdish delegation to Damascus last month, told AFP self-rule was one of "the things we won from fighting Daesh (IS) and confronting tyranny." But the central government will not relinquish control over nearly one-third of its territory so easily, and wants state institutions to return in force. "The Syrian state will not accept an autonomous administration," said Damascus-based analyst Bassam Abou Abdallah. Instead, the Kurds should content themselves with the provisions of an as yet unimplemented law granting more powers and responsibilities to municipalities, he told AFP. Abou Abdallah said Syrian Kurdish armed groups would eventually be "dismantled." The head of the SDF delegation denied the subject was even discussed. With such entrenched opposing views, the talks are likely be drawn out, said Haid Haid, of London-based think tank Chatham House. "Emboldened by its recent military gains, the regime appears more determined than ever to prevent the establishment of parallel centres of authority in Syria," Haid recently wrote. "The huge gap between what the two sides are trying to achieve makes it difficult to imagine they will be able to reach a substantive agreement any time soon." Syria's Kurdish minority, hailed as an indispensable Western ally during the war against the Islamic State group, faces hard bargaining with Damascus to save its hard-won autonomy The Syrian Kurds have made the Kurdish language, long banned from official use, the medium of education in areas under they control A succession of Russian-backed victories over jihadists and a range of rebel factions has transformed the balance of power in favour of the Damascus government, prompting the Kurds to sue for talks Syrian Kurdish police stand guard outside the central prison in the northeastern city of Hasakeh, one of the institutions Damascus wants back under its control
Syria's civil registries recorded 68,000 deaths in the war-torn country in 2017, pro-regime daily Al-Watan reported its head as saying Thursday. "Last year, we confirmed 68,000 without specifying the nature of their death and 32,000 this year," civil registries chief Ahmad Rahal said. He did not provide any additional details about those who had died, including in what part of Syria they had lost their lives or whether they had been victims of the ongoing conflict. Thursday's news come after activists accused authorities of quietly updating civil records to mark detainees in regime jails as "deceased" -- some backdated by several years. Human rights defenders say tens of thousands of Syrians are held in government jails across the country. Relatives and advocates say they are often tortured, denied a fair trial, and deprived of contact with their families. But Rahal said employees at the civil record did not have a "missing" box to tick. "If a document comes through from any government body -- whether a hospital or another -- to confirm a death, it is confirmed without specifying if they were missing or not." The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented around 400 cases in recent months, including those of nine children, where civil registry employees have told family members that their detained relative has died. There could be further such instances which are yet to be documented. Around 80,000 remain forcibly disappeared by the government, the rights group says. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's civil war started in 2011, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says. More than 33,000 were killed last year alone, including more than 10,000 civilians and 7,000 pro-regime fighters, it says. During the first seven months of this year, at least 14,000 people lost their lives among them more than 5,000 civilians and 7,000 soldiers and loyalists. Syrian children walk by the rubble of destroyed buildings in Harasta, on the outskirt of the capital Damascus on July 15, 2018
Syrian regime forces shelled rebel and jihadist positions in the northwestern province of Idlib on Thursday and dropped leaflets warning of an impending assault. The province is the largest chunk of territory still in rebel hands, and President Bashar al-Assad has warned it would be his military's next priority. The United Nations, for its part, appealed Thursday for talks to avert "a civilian bloodbath" in Idlib. "The war cannot be allowed to go to Idlib," the head of the United Nations humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, told reporters in Geneva. Egeland said he remained "hopeful" that diplomatic efforts underway could avert a major ground offensive that would force hundreds of thousands to flee. "It is bad now," in Idlib, Egeland said. "It could be 100 times worse." The warning came as government helicopters dropped leaflets over towns in Idlib's eastern countryside urging people to surrender, an AFP correspondent said. "The war is nearing an end... We are calling on you to join the local reconciliations, as many of our people in Syria did," said the leaflets, which were stamped with the military's seal. Such surrender deals typically see rebels hand over territory to government troops in exchange for a halt to shelling, the return of state institutions, and a chance to either join regime forces or be bussed out of the area. "The fate of your family, children, and future depend on your decision," warned the leaflets. Heavy artillery and rocket fire on Thursday morning slammed into territory around Jisr al-Shughur, a key town in the southwestern part of the province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The shelling is in preparation for an assault but there has been no ground advance yet," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "Regime reinforcements including equipment, soldiers, vehicles and ammunition have been arriving since Tuesday," he told AFP. They were being distributed along three regime-held fronts, including in neighbouring Latakia province just west of Jisr al-Shughur, in the Sahl al-Ghab plain south of Idlib, and in a sliver of the province's southeast that is already in government hands. Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government, also reported on Thursday that army troops had bombed rebel and jihadist positions in the area. Idlib, which has escaped regime control since 2015, lies along the border with Turkey but is otherwise nearly completely surrounded by government-held territory. Around 60 percent of it is now held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, while the rest is controlled by rival opposition factions. Syrian troops have recaptured key swathes of the country in recent months with help from ally Russia, which has brokered a string of surrender deals with rebels. - Dozens arrested - Apparently fearing a similar arrangement for Idlib, HTS has been arresting dozens of figures in the province that have been go-betweens with the regime. Early Thursday, the group detained several such figures from villages in Idlib's southeast, calling them "chiefs of treason", according to an HTS-linked media agency. The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said it had documented more than 100 such arrests by HTS and rival forces this week alone. Idlib province is home to around 2.5 million people, including rebels and civilians transferred en masse from other territory that fell to Syrian troops after intense assaults. It was designated last year as one of four "de-escalation" zones where violence was supposed to be reduced ahead of a nationwide ceasefire. It is the only such zone left, after Assad's troops in recent months recaptured the other three with a blend of military assaults and "reconciliation" deals. A man holds a leaflet stamped with the government forces' seal and dropped by helicopters over the northwestern Syrian town of Binnish warning of an impending assault on Idlib province and urging surrender A member of Syrian pro-regime forces looks through binoculars in Idlib province on November 11, 2017
A Thai court sentenced a disgraced former monk to 114 years in prison on Thursday, a court official said, more than a year after he was extradited from the United States. Wiraphon Sukphon made headlines in 2013 when footage emerged of him wearing designer aviator sunglasses with a Louis Vuitton bag on a private jet. The 39-year-old fled to the US but was sent back after he was accused of raping a minor and deceiving donors who gave him money to build the world's largest emerald Buddha image. A further probe revealed he owned luxury cars and multiple bank accounts valued at about $700,000. Wiraphon was convicted of money laundering, fraud and violating the Computer Crime Act for raising funds online, a Bangkok court official told AFP. "Judges convicted him and sentenced him altogether to 114 years," the official said, adding that under Thai law Wiraphon would not serve more than 20 years for the convictions. Wiraphon was also required to return 28.6 million baht ($861,700) to 29 donors who filed complaints. The ruling on the rape charge is expected in October, a public prosecutor said. The monk is accused of having sex with an under-age girl around a decade ago and fathering a child with her. He faces the prospect of an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted. Thailand is mostly Buddhist and the religion is woven into everyday life, with most men spending at least some time in a monastery as novice monks. But the junta that seized power in 2014 has taken a strong line against a Buddhist clergy mired in scandal. Extortion, sex and drug cases tied to the clergy have shocked the public, and authorities last year floated the idea of introducing digitised ID cards to better track monks with criminal convictions. In May the abbot of the tourist magnet "Golden Mount" temple in Bangkok surrendered to police after $4 million was found in bank accounts in his name. Police are also investigating whether millions of dollars under control of the National Office of Buddhism was misused. In a high-profile case in February 2017, troops laid siege to the temple of a mega-rich Dhammakaya sect on the outskirts of Bangkok for weeks in an effort to find and detain its controversial abbot, who remains at large despite accusations of massive fraud. Wiraphon Sukphon, 39, fled to the US after fraud allegations but was sent back after he was accused of raping a minor and deceiving donors
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. 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. Pro-government activists showed their support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with rally outside the presidential palace in Caracas on August 6, 2018 Screengrab taken from a handout video released by Venezuelan Television (VTV) showing Maduro (C), his wife Cilia Flores (L) and military authorities reacting to a loud bang in Caracas on August 4, 2018 Maduro profile
A Saudi-led coalition launched military operations in Yemen in 2015, helping the government to push back against rebels who had taken control of the capital and seized several provinces. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians, and injured more than 55,000. More than 2,200 others have died of cholera and some regions of the country are on the brink of famine. - Saudi air strikes - The Saudi-led coalition launches air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels in March 2015, six months after they took Sanaa and with large swathes of Yemen also in their hands. The coalition aims to prevent the fall of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and to restore his internationally-recognised government. In July, Hadi's embattled government announces it has retaken the southern province of Aden in its first success since the coalition stepped in. Having lost Sanaa, it makes Aden the country's de facto capital. By mid-August 2015, loyalist forces have retaken five southern provinces. In October, government forces reclaim control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. - Rebels kill ex-president - Splits emerge in the rebel camp in 2017 resulting in the assassination of Hadi's predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by Huthi fighters in December. Rebels strengthen their grip on the capital. Splits also emerge in the government camp, with fierce clashes erupting in Aden in January 2018 between southern separatists and fighters loyal to Hadi. - Missiles on Saudi Arabia - From November 2017 the rebels intensify missile attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which accuses its arch-foe Iran of supplying them with weapons. Iran denies the charges. Seven missiles are fired on March 25, 2018 alone, including three at Riyadh. On June 9, three civilians are killed in Jizan in the south of the kingdom by a rebel missile. According to the coalition, in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also plays a key role, the rebels have fired 165 ballistic missiles. - Advance on aid port - In December 2017, government forces make a breakthrough in efforts to reconquer the key port of Hodeida when they drive Huthi fighters out of a town en route called Khokha. Hodeida -- the entry point for the bulk of the country's food and aid -- has been in rebel hands since October 2014, taken without opposition from government forces soon after rebels captured Sanaa. Government forces press their advance and in April the insurgents' second-in-command, Saleh al-Sammad, is killed in a coalition air raid in the province. On June 13, government fighters, backed by Saudi and Emirati forces, launch an offensive on Hodeida town. On June 20, they say that they have taken control of Hodeida airport on the southern outskirts. - Heavy civilian toll - Civilians, in particular children, pay a heavy price during the conflict. Several raids blamed on the coalition have left civilian victims, including on a wedding hall in the town of Mokha in September 2015, killing 131 people. The alliance denies responsibility. In October 2016, a coalition air strike at a funeral in Sanaa kills 140 people. The coalition, accused of multiple mistakes, has admitted responsibility for certain raids, but accuses the rebels of using civilians as human shields. On Thursday, at least 29 children aged under 15 were killed in an attack on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen, the Red Cross said. The coalition said it had carried out what it called "legitimate military action" in the area, without giving further details. In July, Amnesty International said human rights violations in a string of Yemeni prisons run by the UAE could amount to war crimes, in a report rejected by Abu Dhabi. Yemeni police men, pictured July 2018, patrol the streets, as Yemen's ongoing conflict between the Saudi-backed government and rebels has killed nearly 10,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, pictured August 2017, was assassinated by Huthi fighters in December 2017 The Red Sea port of Hodeida, pictured November 2017, is the entry point for the bulk of the country's food and aid and has been in rebel hands since October 2014
We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.
Western governments and the UN expressed alarm Thursday as top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti appeared in court after a dramatic attempt to flee to neighbouring Zambia and claim asylum. Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence as well as the illegal declaration of election results. "We survive," Biti said after he was released on bail of $5,000 (4,330 euros) on the condition that he surrenders his passport and does not address any political gatherings or news conferences. "It's a pity that in most of Africa we don't respect the rule of law," added Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's 2009-2013 power-sharing government. Biti made a dash across the border on Wednesday, facing allegations of inciting protests last week by proclaiming victory for the opposition in Zimbabwe's first elections since the downfall of Robert Mugabe in November. Mugabe's successor at the head of ruling party ZANU-PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was later declared the winner according to the official results, but the MDC claims the election was rigged. Zambian authorities rejected Biti's plea for political asylum and handed him back to Zimbabwean police on Thursday morning, in defiance of a Zambia court ruling, according to his lawyers. - 'Deeply disturbed' - The UN refugee agency said it was "gravely concerned" that Biti had been deported while trying to claim asylum. "Forcibly returning refugees and asylum-seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law," the UNHCR said in a statement. It urged Zambia to investigate the incident, which comes after accusations that Zimbabwe's authorities are pursuing a heavy crackdown on the opposition as it pursues its claims of electoral fraud. Zambian government spokeswoman Dora Siliya said authorities had only received the ruling from its own court blocking Biti's expulsion after he had been returned. "His asylum was denied on the basis that in his country there is no breakdown in the rule of law," she told AFP, adding that Biti himself was "running away from the due process of the law" as he was wanted by authorities. Western nations said they were "deeply disturbed by continuing reports that opposition supporters are being targeted by members of the Zimbabwean security forces". In a joint statement, the EU, US, Canadian and Australian missions to Zimbabwe urged authorities to guarantee Biti's safety and human rights. - 'The new Zimbabwe' - Biti is accused of encouraging protests on August 1, when opposition demonstrators took to the streets in Harare angrily claiming ZANU-PF had stolen the election. Troops opened fire on the protesters, killing six people and sparking an international outcry. Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter that Biti was released after he intervened personally in the case. "At such a crucial time in the history of the new Zimbabwe, nothing is more important than unity, peace and dialogue," he posted. "Equally important, however, is an adherence to the rule of law," he said, adding that proceedings against Biti would continue "due to the serious nature of the allegations". Mnangagwa, who is seeking to reverse Zimbabwe's economic isolation and attract desperately needed foreign investment, had vowed the elections would turn a page on Mugabe's repressive 37-year rule. But the aftermath of the polls has been marred by allegations by rights groups as well as the MDC of a crackdown on opposition members, including beatings and arrests. MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to launch a legal challenge against the results, and must do so by Friday. Mnangagwa won the July 30 election with 50.8 percent of the vote -- just enough to avoid a run-off against Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent. The Zimbabwe Election Commission -- synonymous with fraud under Mugabe -- insists the elections were free and fair this time around. International monitors praised the conduct of the election itself, although EU observers said Mnangagwa benefited from an "un-level playing field" and a degree of voter intimidation. Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare under a heavy police presence to face charges of public violence Biti, a veteran figure in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was taken handcuffed into a courtroom in Harare A supporter of Zimbabwe's MDC opposition makes a gesture of the party's symbol from inside a prison truck after a court appearance in Harare on Monday President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa's inauguration is scheduled for Sunday. If the opposition's legal challenge makes headway, the ceremony could be delayed
Less than a week after inviting U.S. Rep. John Katko to participate in a series of joint town hall meetings, Democratic challenger Dana Balter is moving forward with plans for her own forums.

Balter's campaign announced Thursday that she will hold four town hall meetings over the next four weeks. The times and locations for the forums haven't been announced, but she will hold the first town hall meeting Saturday, Aug. 18 in Onondaga County.

The Wayne County town hall meeting is planned for Saturday, Aug. 25, and the Cayuga County forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 5. She will conclude the series of town hall meetings on Sunday, Sept. 9 in Oswego County.

Balter, D-Syracuse, released her reform agenda in July and pledged to hold at least four town hall meetings a year if she is elected to Congress. She held forums before the primary election in June, including a town hall meeting in Auburn.

Last week, Balter invited Katko, R-Camillus, to participate in joint town hall meetings. Katko's campaign responded by proposing four debates between the candidates in the final week before Election Day, Nov. 6.

Balter has criticized Katko for not holding open town hall meetings since he became central New York's congressional representative in 2015. He has preferred issue-specific forums on agriculture, the drug epidemic and other subjects.

Katko participated in a televised town hall meeting in May 2017. The event, which was televised by CNY Central and held at Onondaga Community College, wasn't open to the public. To attend, constituents needed to enter a lottery. The lottery was used to distribute the tickets.

Before launching her congressional campaign, Balter was an activist with the CNY Solidarity Coalition, which organized rallies calling on Katko to hold town hall meetings.

"You cannot represent people you don't listen to," Balter said at a press conference in July.

During a telephone town hall meeting last month, Katko said that he will hold "town hall-style forums" in August. No events have been announced, but Katko's office has said the congressman will lead more issue-specific forums in the district.

"I make myself as available as I possibly can on a regular basis and I'm proud of the fact that I'm very open," he said.

Katko will answer questions in a Facebook Live interview with The Citizen later this month. The interview is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20.

Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
In response to school security issues local and nationwide, the Cato-Meridian Central School District is looking at new safety and security measures.

District Superintendent Terry Ward said the district has included card-reading systems on doors, interior security doors and window film in the $65 million capital project approved by the community in December. The security features were added to the project earlier this year after the vote.

Ward said the details aren't set in stone but plans are being developed. For example, the district hopes to install card-reading systems on around 100 district doors. The idea is that the doors could be locked with the push of a button, Ward said.

The project's price tag hasn't changed, Ward said, noting certain elements originally set to be included in the project are planned to be covered by an energy performance contract the district is developing. The contract would include various upgrades the district hopes to save money through.

One part of the project to shift because of changes to be made under the contract, includes replacing the district pool's dehumidification system, which is set to cost $50,000. The district hopes to choose between two vendors for the contract by the end of the month.

Ward said the contract would not raise taxes, as the additions would be covered through a bonding company over 15 years. Ward noted the state Education Department doesn't allow these kinds of contracts unless the district can prove it will save money through the improvements.

"Going forward we really started to look at making the physical building more secure," Ward said.

Ward said the safety problems at schools across the country and the district's own incidents earlier this year inspired the security measures. In March, a 16-year-old male was charged with making a terroristic threat for allegedly making threats against the high school. That same week, the district went into lockdown after over 20 bullets were found in a student's locker in what the sheriff's office deemed an accident.

The district also brought in two school resource officers earlier this year. Ward said the district is revamping its safety plan, with a proposal likely to go in front of the board of education at the next meeting.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
AUBURN  The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office is looking to be among the first counties in the state with a specialized position to help jail inmates transition to civilian life, which Sheriff David Gould said would be the right thing to do both morally and financially.

At Wednesday's Cayuga County Legislature's Judicial and Public Safety Committee meeting, Gould said he'd like to soon bring forward a resolution to replace a retiring nurse position at the county jail with a transitional care coordinator.

A transitional care coordinator would help inmates exiting the jail set up any agencies providing services they need, such as transitional housing, substance abuse programs, mental health appointments, job training or any number of services, to help them find their way in life, Gould said.

New York requires such a position, but few counties currently have one. In addition to providing needed care, Gould said adding the position would protect Cayuga County from any liability, pointing to a case where Essex County was sued after an inmate was murdered shortly after leaving jail without the help of a coordinator.

The position would not cost the county anything, Gould said, as it would be replacing the current cost of the nurse position. In the long run, it would also ultimately save money by reducing recidivism.

Cayuga County Coroner Dr. Adam Duckett, said transitional care and helping inmates get the medicine and help they need can be the difference between succeeding in re-establishing themselves or falling "flat on their face."

"If they don't understand what they have to do once they leave, they end up back in jail," Duckett said.

Legislator Joe DeForest, D-Venice, asked Duckett what happens if an inmate becomes a repeat offender who ends up in jail again and again, costing the county each time exit services are provided.

While the county would always be required to provide those services regardless, Duckett said the county would still save money in the long run by reducing recidivism and helping even, say, 25 percent of inmates get the help they need.

Connecting inmates with services and the providing agencies would also have the added benefit of alleviating workloads on other county departments. Director of Community Services Ray Bizzari said, for example, helping inmates secure housing would eliminate the workload of his department needing to find emergency housing when ex-inmates are unable to do so on their own.

More importantly than saving money, Gould said, is that it would be the right thing to do.

Many of the inmates are good people who made a mistake, sometimes perhaps because they didn't know where to find the very services a coordinator would help them find, he said. While some might have the support of families or friends once they get out, others are often completely directionless in life.

"There's some out there that just don't know where their life is headed. For us to be able to help those people, that's what we should do, to help other human beings when they need it most. I feel when someone gets out of jail that's one time in their life when they need the most help they can get. If we can help them, that's what I'm here for and I'll do it as long as I'm sheriff," Gould said.

Legislator Keith Batman, D-Springport, asked if the amount of inmate releases and the need to develop exit plans for all of them could become overwhelming for a single coordinator, following up on Legislator Chris Petrus,' R-Brutus, comments about one day forming a release task force.

However, Duckett said the process would be streamlined once any hired coordinator becomes adequately familiar with all the area's agencies and could develop a simple form template to speed the process up.

Ultimately, no motion was brought before the committee as Gould said he would further develop any financial or other considerations for a full resolution. Gould said he would be prepared to have a resolution for the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee later this month.

Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin

Love 7 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
BERLINFederal police in Berlin are blaming the closure of a terminal Tuesday at Schonefeld Airport on sex toys.

According to reports on CNN.com, a routine screening of a suitcase led to an alert shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday. The X-rays showed suspicious content in a luggage piece, and the owner of the bag was reluctant to tell authors exactly what was inside, other than referring to the contents as technical stuff.

The terminal was closed and a bomb squad brought in to examine the suitcase. A vibrator and other sex toys were found inside.

The terminal was reopened before noon, officials said. No charges were filed.
VALENCIA, Calif.United Consortium, parent company of the System JO and Dona personal care brands, is celebrating the companys 15th anniversary in September, and there are plans for something special for retailers and consumers alike.

Were extremely proud to be celebrating such a big milestone, says United Consortium CEO, Mike Woolard. We have our loyal retailers to thank for our continued growth, and Im excited to see the range of creativity this contest generates.

First, for consumers, System JO has created the 15 Years of JO Couples Kit. This limited-edition collection includes six of the brands best selling items: Prolonger Gel; Gelato Creme Brulee Flavored Lube; All-in-one Warming Massage Glide; H2O Classic Lubricant; Refresh Foaming Toy Cleaner; and Warm & Buzzy Clitoral Stimulant. The kit will come in a specially labeled bag featuring JOs new 15th Anniversary logo.

The kitand logowere revealed to the industry at ANME last month, where JO retailers and distributors got to see brands new products and learn about how they can join in the anniversary celebration.

Bringing the party to the rest of the world, United Consortium is announcing its 15 Years of JO Display Contest. Throughout September, all retailers are encouraged to create a unique display of JO products. To help inspire creativity, the company is supplying a kit of decorative materials including JO branded balloons, banners, buttons, and confetti. These kits are available free with qualified orders of the Anniversary Couples Kits.

Participating retailers will submit photos of their displays, then at the end of the month, winning stores in each region will receive Apple iWatches for all staff members.

United Consortium is working closely with its preferred partners to manage the distribution of the kits and collateral. These kits are available in limited quantities, so retailers are urged to order their supply as soon as possible.

The company has also launched a dedicated websiteSystemJO.com/15Yearswhere retailers can get information, download marketing collateral and submit their images for the gallery.

Interested retailers should contact their distributor, JO representative, or visit SystemJO.com/15Years to learn more or get started celebrating.
MONTREALGamma Films, the parent studio behind Girlsway and Pure Taboo, presents a new standalone series with a Cops-style reality show premise titled Girls Under Arrest and debuting August 16 exclusively at girlsunderarrest.com.

The six-episode series was created by AVN Award-winner Bree Mills and Hall of Famer Craven Moorehead, with Moorehead handling directing duties. According to a company announcement, it "follows the activities and daily beats of corrupt officers of a fictitious police department. Incidents range from routine traffic stops; domestic disputes; high-speed chases; and stakeouts and raids."

The six episodes of Girls Under Arrest are as follows:

 "Little Lies" starring Brooke Karter, Dick Chibbles and Jack Vegas

 "One Way Exit" starring Khloe Kapri and Tommy Pistol

 "Two Vandals" starring Gina Valentina, Derrick Pierce and Honey Gold

 "Distracted Driver" starring Kendra Spade and Tyler Knight

 "Business of Favors" starring Julie Kay and Chad White

 "Deals Blow" starring Jaye Summers, Alex Blake, Donnie Rock and Dick Chibbles

"Girls Under Arrest is a take on reality crime shows," Mills explained. "It's about young women who get caught committing or aiding and abetting crimes, and the shady police officers who 'arrest' them. It's always fun to watch good girls go bad, so imagine what happens with bad girls!"

For more information, visit Twitter.com/Girls_Arrest.
Facebook made news this week when it finally imposed a ban on far-right wing radio and social media personality Alex Jones, and his ultra-paranoid InfoWars program, from the social media mega-platformafter initially refusing to do sobut according to a report published Tuesday on the tech news site Venture Beat, the platform still takes a dangerously inept approach to responding to user complaints about content, including porn.

In fact, Venture Beat writer Jeremy Horwitz reported, the platform was much quicker to respond to a complaint about porn in an advertisement than to a complaint about spam.

Horwitz made his complaints about advertisements that appeared on the Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram. He wrote that after reporting a spam account, Instagram responded saying that the account had been removed from the platform17 weeks after he submitted the complaint.

But when he submitted a complaint about what he said was porn in an advertisement, things went very differently.

Lest you think Instagram always takes four full months to take action on a report, I can assure you thats not the norm, Horwitz wrote. If you report an image or account for pornographic content, you can be pretty sure someoneor somethingat Instagram will take a look very quickly.

In fact, the writer said that it took the platform no more than eight hours to get back to himonly to tell him that the ad was just fine under Facebook policies.

He also registered a complaint about a fake news story that circulated on Facebook, a story that falsely reported the death of beloved actress Betty White. While Facebook responded promptly, he said, the company also declined to remove advertising containing the death hoax, saying that nothing about the ad violated its policies.

You probably wont be surprised to hear that its indeed a violation of Facebooks Ad Policies to use an ad to falsely claim the death of a celebrity, Horwitz wrote.

What counts as porn to Facebook remains unclearas does what counts as hate speech, or fake news apparently. According to a CNN report last month, well before Facebook finally pulled Alex Jones from the platform, the director of the Facebook news feed continued to allow Jones in the feed because, we created Facebook to be a place where different people can have a voice. And different publishers have very different points of view."

Jones is now being sued by the families of nine children murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook schoolhouse massacre. Jones has repeatedly claimed that the mass murder never happened and the children killed in the shooting were simply actors, faking their own deaths.

Followers of Jones have engaged in relentless harassment campaigns against the parents, forcing one set of parents now suing Jones to move seven times for security reasons.

Despite the platforms earlier refusal to take action against Jones, after Apple removed a series of Jones podcasts from its iTunes Store platform over the weekend, Facebook quickly followed suit and banned Jones.

Image by Mike MacKenzie / Flickr Creative Commons
LAS VEGAS  Brenna Sparks is giving her fans and members of Naughty America the PSE (Porn Star Experience) of a lifetime with her brand-new VR scene.

In the 42-minute scene, Sparks is working very hard to get Justin Hunts cock all fired up, and shes giving him an incredible show with her juicy tits, bubble butt, and luscious lips. Once shes hypnotized him, she deep throats him while giving him a footjob in her sheer stockings. When it comes time to put his cock inside her pussy, he moans as she grinds her ass on his lap. Sparks is all about the PSE.

Theres nothing quite like filming in VR. So much goes into the viewers experience to make it the best, says Sparks. It was a lot of fun to film and teasing Justin just enough to almost make him cum several times. I hope my fans enjoy the scene and give me five stars.

Naughty Americas VR scenes are available in 60 FPS, 180 degrees, 3D, and Binaural Audio. Watch the full scene here. Also check out the almost 300 high res photos.

Brenna Sparks is available exclusively through Society 15. Get her on set by phoning Randy at 310-801-1990 or Rita at 818-928-5189, or email [email protected]
Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average

1

2

3

4

5

Page: 1 2 Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy The Modest Poster

Registered User

User ID: 433612

08-08-2018 07:23 PM



Posts: 10,428









Post: #16 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

Advertisement LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:15 PM) <The production cost of the hydro-electric energy is 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. >



That is amazing!

Some energy companies outside Canada are selling at 1.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. There are efforts to make it 1 cent per kilowatt-hour.



SOURCE: Some energy companies outside Canada are selling at 1.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. There are efforts to make it 1 cent per kilowatt-hour.SOURCE: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/electri...-1.4417616 (This post was last modified: 08-08-2018 07:27 PM by The Modest Poster .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 454431

08-08-2018 07:28 PM











Post: #17 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:23 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:15 PM) <The production cost of the hydro-electric energy is 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. >



That is amazing!

Some energy companies outside Canada are selling at 1.7 cents per kilowatthour. There are efforts to make it 1 cent per kilowatt-hour.



SOURCE: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/electri...-1.4417616

Hydro is so cool! Why hasn't the Mississippi River been hydro used? There are so many U.S. rivers that could be used that way. Hydro is so cool! Why hasn't the Mississippi River been hydro used? There are so many U.S. rivers that could be used that way. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 453794

08-08-2018 08:00 PM











Post: #18 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

So why do they import electricity from Ontario? The Modest Poster

Registered User

User ID: 433612

08-08-2018 09:28 PM



Posts: 10,428









Post: #19 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 08:00 PM) So why do they import electricity from Ontario?

I don't think they do. What's your source? I don't think they do. What's your source? SevenThunders

Registered User

User ID: 451454

08-08-2018 09:35 PM



Posts: 3,747









Post: #20 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 05:44 PM) Aren't people upset that dams change ecosystems and kill off fish species?

This is the excuse leftist hell-holes like Massachusetts uses to always create power shortages and lack wherever they govern. This is the excuse leftist hell-holes like Massachusetts uses to always create power shortages and lack wherever they govern. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number,

and mighty is the army that obeys his command.

The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 450243

08-08-2018 09:39 PM











Post: #21 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

SevenThunders Wrote: (08-08-2018 09:35 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 05:44 PM) Aren't people upset that dams change ecosystems and kill off fish species?

This is the excuse leftist hell-holes like Massachusetts uses to always create power shortages and lack wherever they govern.

Oh I know, I was being facetious. In fact I lost my first job out of college to a bunch of liberal environmental whackos who's damage to the western united states hasn't been realized, yet. Oh I know, I was being facetious. In fact I lost my first job out of college to a bunch of liberal environmental whackos who's damage to the western united states hasn't been realized, yet. SevenThunders

Registered User

User ID: 451454

08-08-2018 09:49 PM



Posts: 3,747









Post: #22 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 09:39 PM) SevenThunders Wrote: (08-08-2018 09:35 PM) This is the excuse leftist hell-holes like Massachusetts uses to always create power shortages and lack wherever they govern.

Oh I know, I was being facetious. In fact I lost my first job out of college to a bunch of liberal environmental whackos who's damage to the western united states hasn't been realized, yet.

Yeah, I suffered from reverse discrimination myself after I graduated and got fired once for being a conservative as far as I could tell.



The real pollution is the anti-human philosophies regurgitated by the insane left. Yeah, I suffered from reverse discrimination myself after I graduated and got fired once for being a conservative as far as I could tell.The real pollution is the anti-human philosophies regurgitated by the insane left. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number,

and mighty is the army that obeys his command.

The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455482

08-08-2018 10:13 PM











Post: #23 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:28 PM) LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:23 PM) Some energy companies outside Canada are selling at 1.7 cents per kilowatthour. There are efforts to make it 1 cent per kilowatt-hour.



SOURCE: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/electri...-1.4417616

Hydro is so cool! Why hasn't the Mississippi River been hydro used? There are so many U.S. rivers that could be used that way.

Terrain and shipping.

Its hard to dam something when its just flat land.

A huge amount of freight is transported on the river. Terrain and shipping.Its hard to dam something when its just flat land.A huge amount of freight is transported on the river. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 454431

08-08-2018 10:46 PM











Post: #24 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 10:13 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (08-08-2018 07:28 PM) Hydro is so cool! Why hasn't the Mississippi River been hydro used? There are so many U.S. rivers that could be used that way.

Terrain and shipping.

Its hard to dam something when its just flat land.

A huge amount of freight is transported on the river.

Oh yeah, you right, the barges , but some smart engineer type could figure out a way to do it; water power is good stuff. Oh yeah, you right, the barges , but some smart engineer type could figure out a way to do it; water power is good stuff. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 388313

08-09-2018 01:33 AM











Post: #25 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

Ask how much Alberta sends to Quebec to subsidize them.... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 424701

08-09-2018 01:39 AM











Post: #26 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

Really now. Then just have the Dancing Fool sign a waiver to allow America take all that "nasty" oil, gas and coal off his hands for free. Won't cost him a dime we'll provide transportation. YPAFI. PuddyCat

I Want Tuna

User ID: 348173

08-09-2018 04:50 AM



Posts: 23,094









Post: #27 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

LOP Secret Agent Wrote: (08-08-2018 03:36 PM) Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy.



The provincial government controls the production of hydro-electricity through its public utility Hydro-Quebec.



One impact of this is that oil industry lobbyists don't have any political power at all because everything is based on hydro.



I believe many American states are a bit jealous of this system. Many northern states have expressed interest in importing large amounts of Quebec hydroelectricity into the USA.



For example, Massachussetts just signed a contract with Quebec to obtain cheap, clean energy from Hydro-Quebec. The energy will cost them about 5.9 cents per kilowatt-hour. The production cost of the hydro-electric energy is 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.







SOURCE: http://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/economie...quebec.php

Until NESTLE pinches all the water Until NESTLE pinches all the water Politics only interests me because it transforms

people into dribbling nincompoops (The World Is Mad)







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsjRpcgfmk



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oFzHx29PDo Corosive

Resident Time Wizard

User ID: 437414

08-09-2018 07:10 AM



Posts: 3,785









Post: #28 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

Quebec sucks, and it smells like bad poutine. sh*t! I thought I posting as an anon :( \_(  )_/



If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth (This post was last modified: 08-09-2018 07:10 AM by Corosive .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442468

08-09-2018 07:17 AM











Post: #29 RE: Quebec, Canada is entirely powered by cheap and clean hydroelectric energy

Well good for them for exploiting natural resources, like every other country is doing
















Brighton-based The Flour Pot Bakery has revealed plans to open two new sites next year, bringing the total number in its portfolio to eight.

The business told British Baker the new shops would also be in East Sussex and based on its bakery/coffee shop model. It follows the recent opening of The Flour Pot Kitchen  a licensed cafe restaurant on the Brighton seafront.

Were always getting asked to open different places in Brighton, said marketing manager Louise Tamadon-Nejad. We have two in the pipeline for next year.

The company currently has shops in Sydney Street, Preston Drove and Elm Grove in Brighton, as well as in First Avenue and Dyke Road in Hove.

Last month it opened its first Flour Pot Kitchen concept, featuring an open kitchen that produces artisanal sourdough pizza made with a 48-hour ferment, for its on-site restaurant, other shops and customers.

In addition, the shop makes handcrafted bread, sandwiches, and pastries, as well as rye bread croutons, crackers and crostini.

The pizzas have proved so popular they are now sold on a Friday as well as a Wednesday, said Tamadon-Nejad.

We havent got around to doing pizza delivery yet, but theres no reason why not [in the future], she added.
The minority party enjoys few advantages in North Carolina's General Assembly. Among them? Members of that party can occupy the ethical high ground when those in power engage in shenanigans.But partisan fervor can dilute that advantage.Last week's special legislative session offered two examples of minority-party Democrats stumbling in their attempts to portray themselves as reasonable, fair-minded alternatives to their Republican counterparts.Lawmakers returned to Raleigh on July 24 and approved two measures. House Bill 3 changes the way in which proposed constitutional amendments will be identified on the November election ballot. Senate Bill 3 blocks a judicial candidate from identifying himself with a political party if he joined that party within 90 days of filing for office.Both bills cleared the General Assembly in a single day. Outgoing Sen. Joel Ford of Mecklenburg County was the only Democrat to vote for either measure. Otherwise, Republicans "owned" the legislation, along with the process of calling the special legislative session in the first place.Regardless of the merits of either bill, Democrats had legitimate reasons to raise objections. They could - and did - complain about the special session's timing. They complained about the lack of prior notice for the two bills. They complained about the speed with which both bills scooted through the House and Senate.Turning to the substance of the two election-related measures, Democrats lambasted Republicans for rewriting election rules in the middle of an election cycle.Advocates of open, transparent government could find at least some basis to support each of these complaints.But through acts of commission and omission, Democrats blunted their efforts to present a clear distinction from their GOP counterparts. Rather than defenders of good government, leading Democrats came across at times as partisans seeking an edge in the November election. Just like their colleagues across the political divide.H.B. 3 essentially eliminated a process North Carolina never had used before to create short election ballot captions describing constitutional amendments. A 2016 state law assigned that job to an outside three-member commission of two Democrats and one Republican. This is the first year the new law would have come into play.Rather than risk the chance that the commission's Democrats would vote to adopt misleading captions for this year's six amendments, the General Assembly scrapped captions entirely. Instead each amendment will have the same simple identification: "constitutional amendment." Along with those words, voters will see the actual text of amendments as approved by three-fifths majorities of the state House and Senate.In arguing against the change, no legislative Democrat admitted the clear evidence that some party insiders were bandying about proposed captions that resembled Democratic talking points.For example, here's one proposed caption for an amendment that would adjust the makeup of the state elections and ethics board and clarify government appointments:Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's lawyer couldn't have written it any better.Speaking of Cooper, the governor's team launched a fundraising scheme based on H.B. 3.according to an email from the Cooper campaign to potential donors.If Cooper believes the amendments to be "harmful and unnecessary," Republicans can build a strong case that Cooper's fellow partisans would be unable to write accurate, neutral captions. And while a claim about "misleading ballot language" designed to "deceive voters" might prompt a Democrat to send Cooper $10, it's hard to square that campaign rhetoric with the facts.Each amendment will be identified as "constitutional amendment." Misleading ballot language? Deceptive? Hardly.What could have been a simple, justifiable argument against changing rules in the middle of an election looks more like standard-issue partisan jawboning. Democrats complain about Republicans. Shocking!Partisan considerations also influenced debate over S.B. 3. Though it applies to any 2018 judicial election, the legislation's highest-profile target is a state Supreme Court race. Republican Justice Barbara Jackson wants to keep her seat in November. Democrat Anita Earls wants to take it away. The two major parties have lined up behind those respective candidates.But because of quirks in this year's election process, attributable to Republican legislators' earlier efforts, a third name appears on the ballot. Longtime Democrat Chris Anglin changed his voter registration to Republican in June. He filed for the Supreme Court race on the last possible day. He has since hired well-known Democratic political operative Perry Woods to help him wage his campaign.It's clear to any fair-minded observer that - regardless of Anglin's original intent - elements within the Democratic Party have latched onto Anglin's candidacy as a tool to help blunt Jackson's vote among Republican voters. Their ultimate goal is to help ensure Earls' victory.S.B. 3 would allow Anglin to drop out of the race or to run without a party label. He would lose the "R" designation after his name since he changed his voter registration less than a month before filing to run.Republican legislators arguing in favor of the change point to the unusual nature of this year's judicial elections. Republican voters had no primary election to help them choose between Jackson and Anglin, lawmakers say. Candidates in nonjudicial races already faced restrictions on flipping partisan affiliations just before an election.Democrats responded - correctly - that Republicans created the "Anglin problem" themselves. Republican legislators canceled this year's judicial primaries. They permitted no other process for the major parties to identify the candidate of their choice on the ballot.Legislative Democrats also have legitimate reasons to scold their GOP colleagues for rewriting rules after the candidate list had been set. Acting roughly 105 days before the election, the General Assembly clearly rewrote election rules in the middle of the process.Yet no leading Democrat has stepped forward to disparage the chicanery on his side of the political aisle. References to Anglin have feigned ignorance about partisan political factors motivating either the candidate or his backers.It would have been easy for a legislator to distance himself from the Anglin team's questionable conduct.the mythical Democratic lawmaker could have said.Then the Democrat could have returned to the scolding.You want your plea to uphold the rule of law to sound more credible? Distance yourself from facts on the ground that suggest a naked partisan ploy to take advantage of the law.By failing to acknowledge partisan scheming on their own side, Democrats sacrifice at least some claim to the ethical high ground. Thus it's unclear whether the latest legislative shenanigans will offer the minority party much benefit.
Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 8 Vote(s) - 3.88 Average

1

2

3

4

5

Page: 1 2 RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S. spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 350320

08-09-2018 05:10 AM



Posts: 67,593









Post: #1 RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

Advertisement



Asbestos Products Manufacturers



Even with cries to ban the mining and production of asbestos resounding across the world, the industry continues to thrive. Concerns about the diseases caused by asbestos exposure prompted more than 50 nations  including the entire European Union  to ban or severely restrict asbestos use. Strict U.S. regulations took hold in the 1970s. Yet countries like Russia, China, Brazil and Kazakhstan still mine and sell massive quantities of the toxic mineral on a global scale.



https://www.asbestos.com/companies/





Quote: @Alyssa_Milano



Cool. Cool. Cool.



Is this real life?! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL f*#k?!



The Trump administration is letting asbestos back into products. RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.





____

Isnt it illegal to use asbestos ? You would think with all the lawsuits due to health issues as a [email protected] exposure that no company would use it.

|

Bean Counters - cheap materials. Lawsuits can be tied in court. They make billions and only pay out very few claims

|

Tell that to the shareholders of the dozens of companies bankrupted by asbestos litigation, several of which were my clients. Any insulation or other building product company that starts using it again will be eventually sued to death. You cant get insurance to cover that now.

@Alyssa_Milano

|

This is completely normal and not disconcerting at all. Trump loosens asbestos regulations and the largest supplier of asbestos is a Russian company that brands their product after Trump. Nothing to see here....

https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status...2063220739 Asbestos Products ManufacturersEven with cries to ban the mining and production of asbestos resounding across the world, the industry continues to thrive. Concerns about the diseases caused by asbestos exposure prompted more than 50 nations  including the entire European Union  to ban or severely restrict asbestos use. Strict U.S. regulations took hold in the 1970s. Yet countries like Russia, China, Brazil and Kazakhstan still mine and sell massive quantities of the toxic mineral on a global scale. Corosive

Resident Time Wizard

User ID: 433154

08-09-2018 05:11 AM



Posts: 3,785









Post: #2 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

You have no one to blame but consumerism. \_(  )_/



If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 350320

08-09-2018 05:30 AM



Posts: 67,593









Post: #3 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

knee jerk what-aboutisim took less than a minute from the time I hit the post thread button to be posted..



thattook less than a minute from the time I hit the post thread button to be posted.. spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 350320

08-09-2018 05:36 AM



Posts: 67,593









Post: #4 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.





LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455479

08-09-2018 05:47 AM











Post: #5 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.



Asbestos mining existed more than 4,000 years ago, but

large-scale mining began at the end of the 19th century,

when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos for

its desirable physical properties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos

Lets Bring back LEAD Paint and Leaded Gas!

Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals,Asbestos mining existed more than 4,000 years ago, butlarge-scale mining began at the end of the 19th century,when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos forits desirable physical properties.Lets Bring back LEAD Paint and Leaded Gas! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455479

08-09-2018 05:48 AM











Post: #6 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

Corosive Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:11 AM) You have no one to blame but consumer ism. "ISM" <~~~ Of Any Kind Should Be handled with Much CARE! "ISM" Loud Sneeze

lop guest

User ID: 455339

08-09-2018 05:54 AM











Post: #7 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

How is this a concern for you Australians living in Australia? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 449367

08-09-2018 06:05 AM











Post: #8 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

Loud Sneeze Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:54 AM) How is this a concern for you Australians living in Australia?

generally because often times your f**ked-up ideas are exported to us. generally because often times your f**ked-up ideas are exported to us. spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 350320

08-09-2018 07:09 AM



Posts: 67,593









Post: #9 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.



Russian mining firm puts Trump's face on its asbestos products



As US officials decide against banning product, producer Uralasbest puts Trump seal of approval on pallets



















As US officials decide against banning product, producer Uralasbest puts Trump seal of approval on pallets LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455569

08-09-2018 07:10 AM











Post: #10 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

That is frankly disgusting



I hope they are punished Corosive

Resident Time Wizard

User ID: 437414

08-09-2018 07:12 AM



Posts: 3,785









Post: #11 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

spo snouou Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:30 AM) that knee jerk what-aboutisim took less than a minute from the time I hit the post thread button to be posted..





hehehe







spo snouou Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:36 AM)



but not hehehe, wtf?



Good post btw. Interesting. hehehebut not hehehe, wtf?Good post btw. Interesting. \_(  )_/



If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth (This post was last modified: 08-09-2018 07:12 AM by Corosive .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 452749

08-09-2018 07:18 AM











Post: #12 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

Is it crocidolite or chrysotile or do you even know of the risks involved with each?



quick run away and google it fuckwlt. spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 350320

08-09-2018 07:35 AM



Posts: 67,593









Post: #13 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.







Quote: @ChelseaClinton

Aug 7



Chelsea Clinton Retweeted Architects Newspaper



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://archpaper.com/2018/08/epa-asbest...facturing/ LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 450018

08-09-2018 08:36 AM











Post: #14 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

AND imports Uranium from us. silversides

The bare necessities of life

User ID: 148291

08-09-2018 08:39 AM



Posts: 30,448









Post: #15 RE: RUSSIA is the only country that exports asbestos to the U.S.

When I was in Boy Scouts the troop had a asbestos steel mill glove.



And you could reach in a campfire and grab a log with it and never feel any heat... Voodoo'd

Advertisement


















Google Cloud in the Enterprise: What you need to know

If you asked any CIO at the turn of the century to predict who they would be sourcing their IT infrastructure from in 2018, it is fair to assume that few  if any  would name-check Amazon or Google.

Back then, the Amazon brand was synonymous with selling books, and Google was well on its way to establishing itself as the worlds most popular search engine. But  at the same time - both were investing heavily to ensure visitors to their respective sites enjoyed a consistent and responsive web-browsing experience, learning  no doubt  a few lessons along the way about how to run high-performing, efficient IT datacentres infrastructures at scale.

In Googles case, this groundwork has succeeded in helping the search giant become one of the worlds top three public cloud providers, behind Microsoft and Amazon. By its own admission, though, the company still has some work to do to improve the enterprise-readiness of its cloud offerings, and convince corporate IT buyers that  despite its background in delivering consumer services  it knows what makes the c-suite tick.

And there were some encouraging signs at this years Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco that its efforts on this front are paying off, with the firm announcing a slew of new customer wins, on the back of the firms cyber security commitments, the maturity of its Kubernetes play, and its emerging hybrid cloud story.

In this e-guide, we provide a round-up of everything that took place at this years Google Cloud Next, including a run through of all the key announcements made at the show and what they mean for the enterprise.
[I initially published this with the IAPP. They are the ones that chose CaCPA over CCPA.]

For years, many privacy professionals yearned for a comprehensive U.S. privacy law. So when California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, a comprehensive privacy law, youd expect the privacy community to cheer loudly. However, the celebration has been mutedfor good reason. Its impossible to cheer a terrible law that passed via a terrible procedure.

Here are some reasons why the law hasnt been enthusiastically received:

The law covers too many enterprises. The law was supposed to curb the purportedly abusive privacy practices of internet giants (like Google and Facebook) and data brokers. Unfortunately, the law overshot this goal; it reaches most businesses, online or off. Facebook may have been the target, but the local pizzeria will bear the laws brunt.

Specifically, the law reaches businesses that collect personal information from 50,000-plus consumers per year, regardless of revenue. This applies to businesses that accept credit cards from 137-plus unique customers per day, including Walmart, Amazon, and a typical frozen yogurt stand.

The law also reaches commercial online services that collect IP addresses from 137-plus unique visitors per day, including tiny websites. For example, my blog gets 50,000-plus visitors per year and makes about $400 per year in ad revenue, yet the law treats my blog like Google and Facebook. If the law doesnt change, Ill likely shut down ads and forego the associated revenue to avoid compliance costs that would vastly exceed my revenues.

The cost/benefit problem. CaCPA requires businesses to adopt a variety of nominally consumer-friendly offerings, such as letting consumers learn more about, and opt-out of, privacy-invasive practices. While this sounds like a win for consumers, businesses will pass along the compliance costs to consumers; or to the extent the law inhibits currently profitable practices, businesses will stop providing those services to consumers or find other ways to charge consumers more. Thus, consumers will pay for the CaCPA-mandated offerings one way or another, regardless of whether they value, or take advantage of, them. Its not a question of whether consumers value privacy; the question is whether the law is a good value for them.

Duplicative CaCPA/GDPR compliance. Because the CaCPAs requirements dont track the EU General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR-compliant businesses will incur additional compliance costs. Perhaps the duplicative compliance has some benefits (other than to privacy professionals!), but its more likely the extra costs wont make businesses or consumers better off.

Ends dont justify the means. CaCPAs path to approval sounds like a failure of democracy. A wealthy Californian spent $3 million to qualify a privacy initiative for the November 2018 ballot. The text was drafted behind closed doors without multi-stakeholder input. Not surprisingly, a wide range of constituencies considered that text unpalatable.

Once the initiative qualified for the ballot, the initiative sponsor made the California legislature an offer it couldnt refuse: pass a bill like the initiative, or if California voters approve the problematic initiative text, the bad provisions would become functionally permanent and beyond legislative supervision. This sparked a one-week frenzy where a few lobbyists made minor changes to the initiatives text, and then the legislature passed an important, incredibly long (10,000-plus words) and complex law without adequate scrutiny or public input.

Due to these process deficiencies, the law doesnt reflect the will of many affected stakeholders. Instead, it was just the less-odious option in a Hobsons Choice.

Worse, CaCPAs procedural trick is instructive to other policy entrepreneurs with pet topics and money to burn. CaCPAs success encourages these policy entrepreneurswith potentially more dubious objectivesto similarly strong-arm the California legislature.

The law is riddled with mistakes. A law as lengthy and complicated as CaCPA requires careful editing. Because of its speedy approval process, the final bill has many wince-inducing errors  such as the counterproductive requirement that businesses publish all of their consumers personal information in their privacy policies (see 1798.110(c)(5)). CaCPA also has innumerable ambiguities, such as whether employees are defined as consumers or how personal information excludes de-identified information. Ive detailed a fuller list of problems here.

Collectively, the laws mistakes make it look like the legislature was moving too fast (it was) and did an amateurish job (you can form your own opinion about that). The avoidable and embarrassing mistakes make it impossible to respect the law or the process that produced it.

CaCPA isnt a model for other states. Its not even a model for California. Other states will be interested in using CaCPA as a model law. However, with its many drafting defects, CaCPA isnt ready for prime-time in California, let alone anywhere else. Plus, the California economy is about to bear an unanticipated, expensive, and business-chilling burden as hundreds of thousands of businesses scramble to comply with CaCPA. Other states would be well-served to wait-and-see how Californias experiment goes before dropping a similar bomb on their economies.

Conclusion. There are many other unresolved questions about CaCPA, including its constitutionality. Even if CaCPA survives the inevitable constitutional challenges, it is bad policy resulting from an unacceptable process. Because of this, I dont think the privacy community will ever fully embrace CaCPA, no matter how much it supports consumer privacy.

Related Posts

* A First (But Very Incomplete) Crack at Inventorying the California Consumer Privacy Acts Problems

* Ten Reasons Why Californias New Data Protection Law is Unworkable, Burdensome, and Possibly Unconstitutional (Guest Blog Post)

* A Privacy Bomb Is About to Be Dropped on the California Economy and the Global Internet

* An Introduction to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
Univ. of Wisconsin Charged With Age Discrimination by EEOC

A recently filed federal lawsuit by the EEOC against the University of Wisconsin has been making headlines due to the seemingly blatant age discrimination that is alleged.

The case involves a laid-off marketing and communications specialist, Bambi Butzlaff Voss, who was denied re-employment into other rather similar (and open) positions within the university. The EEOC took up her case, and it was discovered that one of the open positions went to someone thirty-years younger, and (naturally) with much less experience.

Details of the Case

Voss, who is 53 years old, was employed on the university's Waukesha campus. After she was laid off, she applied for several positions at the university's Madison campus, many of which required the same duties and responsibilities as she had at her position in Waukesha. Unfortunately though, she was not hired, despite having 25-years of experience.

The EEOC alleges that the university refused to hire her because of her age, and the agency holds out the younger employee that was hired for the position as prima facie evidence of the age bias.

Notably, the action seeks injunctive relief ordering the university to re-employ Ms. Voss, and preventing further age discrimination. The case also seeks backpay and additional damages.

The university has a policy of not commenting on pending litigation, though it may want to consider taking a look at its hiring policies.

Related Resources:
Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 1 Average

1

2

3

4

5

New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442994

08-09-2018 05:22 AM











Post: #1 New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

Advertisement



Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.

Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.



Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.



Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.



At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.



Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u



 Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018





https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08...terrorist/



To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program! Democrat Darling Linda Sarsour Praises Imam Siraj Wahhaj  Radical Islamist Linked to World Trade Center Bombing and Father of NM Terrorist.Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442994

08-09-2018 05:23 AM











Post: #2 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

Democrats do not support the right to bear arms.



UNLESS YOU ARE A TERRORIST LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442994

08-09-2018 05:25 AM











Post: #3 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

It is clear the there is a civil war ongoing against decent law abiding people in the USA.



Even though you are not allowed to talk about it.



Democrats are murderers! Loud Sneeze

lop guest

User ID: 397577

08-09-2018 05:31 AM











Post: #4 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:22 AM) Democrat Darling Linda Sarsour Praises Imam Siraj Wahhaj  Radical Islamist Linked to World Trade Center Bombing and Father of NM Terrorist.



Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.

Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.



Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.



Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.



At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.



Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u



 Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018



https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08...terrorist/



To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program!

Dems are so retarded they think Mohammedans like Sarsour are their friends and political allies. Dems are so retarded they think Mohammedans like Sarsour are their friends and political allies. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 452303

08-09-2018 06:07 AM











Post: #5 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

Loud Sneeze Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:31 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:22 AM) Democrat Darling Linda Sarsour Praises Imam Siraj Wahhaj  Radical Islamist Linked to World Trade Center Bombing and Father of NM Terrorist.



Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.

Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.



Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.



Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.



At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.



Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u



 Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018



https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08...terrorist/



To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program!

Dems are so retarded they think Mohammedans like Sarsour are their friends and political allies.

They have to be mind controlled and blinded by greed. That is all that would explain acting against their own self interest. They have to be mind controlled and blinded by greed. That is all that would explain acting against their own self interest. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 450243

08-09-2018 06:45 AM











Post: #6 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:22 AM) Democrat Darling Linda Sarsour Praises Imam Siraj Wahhaj  Radical Islamist Linked to World Trade Center Bombing and Father of NM Terrorist.



Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.

Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.



Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.



Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.



At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.



Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u



 Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018





https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08...terrorist/



To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program!

Wow just like Hollyweird idolizes pedophiles like Roman Polanski. Wow just like Hollyweird idolizes pedophiles like Roman Polanski. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 454616

08-09-2018 07:08 AM











Post: #7 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing



He said he wanted to be a professional school shooter!



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.3822163 Don't forget:He said he wanted to be a professional school shooter! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 449194

08-09-2018 10:33 AM











Post: #8 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

LoP Guest Wrote: (08-09-2018 07:08 AM) Don't forget:

He said he wanted to be a professional school shooter!



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.3822163

obama pays them well



these nationally televised school shooting events exploded in 2011 with Tucson where a Republican judge was killed and Gabby Giffords pretended to be shot in the head. obama pays them wellthese nationally televised school shooting events exploded in 2011 with Tucson where a Republican judge was killed and Gabby Giffords pretended to be shot in the head. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442008

08-09-2018 11:30 AM











Post: #9 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

Marxists and Islamists have a history of uniting against the existing order of a nation, then fighting each other for domination of the conquered nation. GrimShaw

Asinus Asinum Fricat

User ID: 447734

08-09-2018 11:33 AM



Posts: 32,483









Post: #10 RE: New Mexico school shooter training camp is connected to Democrats WTC Bombing

Loud Sneeze Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:31 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (08-09-2018 05:22 AM) Democrat Darling Linda Sarsour Praises Imam Siraj Wahhaj  Radical Islamist Linked to World Trade Center Bombing and Father of NM Terrorist.



Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested last week at a compound in New Mexico.

Wahhaj was training children to commit mass shootings at US schools.



Siraj ibn Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.



Liberal leader Linda Sarsour is a huge fan of Imam Wahhaj despite his terrorist past.



At last year's ISNA conf, Linda Sarsour began the speech thanking her favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, & encourager of mine.



Whole Wahhaj fam just went down for setting up a terror training camp in NMhttps://t.co/1OIRlaR36u



 Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) August 8, 2018



https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/08...terrorist/



To support the Democrat false flag gun grab program!

Dems are so retarded they think Mohammedans like Sarsour are their friends and political allies.











(This post was last modified: 08-09-2018 11:33 AM by GrimShaw .)
















Millennial doctors are killing predatory health-care capitalism!

This June at the American Medical Association's annual meeting, a coalition of young doctors forced the AMA to debate its decades of opposition to single-payer healthcare. During the heated debate on the resolution, older doctors lectured their young challengers about the possibility that universal health care would erode doctors' income.

The AMA has led the opposition to national healthcare since the 1930s, but by the end of the meeting the AMA had chartered a study group to consider its position. Polls of younger doctors show overwhelming support for the idea. They're entering a field dominated by huge corporate practices and don't see themselves as entrepreneurs striking out on their own and worried about government interference in "their business."



Some of the shift in opinion has to do with the changing realities of medical practice. Doctors now are more likely to end up working for large health systems or hospitals, rather than starting individual practices. Combined with the increasing complexity of billing private insurance, many said, that means contracting with the government may feel like less of an intrusion. The debate is, at this point, still theoretical. Republicans  who control all branches of the federal government  sharply oppose single-payer. Meanwhile, single-state efforts in California, Colorado and New York have fallen flat. Also, doctors represent only one part of the sprawling health care industrial complex. Other health care interests  including private insurance, the drug industry and hospital trade groups  have been slower to warm to catchphrases like single-payer or universal health care, all of which would likely mean a drop in income. But increasingly physicians seem to be switching sides in the debate, and young physicians want to be part of the discussion.



Once Its Greatest Foes, Doctors Are Embracing Single-Payer [Shefali Luthra/KHN]



(via Naked Capitalism)

(Image:

Michael Fleshman, CC-BY-SA)
Uni's Kuru Toga Roulettes are mechanical pencils that solve a problem I've never had, which is that the tip wears differentially, eventually creating a blunt instrument (I am a clod whose draftsmanship looks like I tried writing in a zeppelin caught in a tornado, so this is not a problem for me)  the Roulette contains a tiny gearing mechanism that rotates the lead by a quarter-turn every time you lift the tip (e.g. between words); this creates an even wear around the lead's tip, keeping it sharp and reducing the likelihood that it will snap. (via Core 77)
Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of LunaticOutPost.Com. The owners or administration of this website can't be hold responsible for content hosted on sites that posters link to in; including, but not limited to, posts, signatures, private messages and such. This site may contain content not suitable for minors and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
Lordy, there are MORE tapes!

The Daily Beast is reporting that professional reality show villain Omarosa Manigault-Newman secretly taped Donald Trump during her time in the Oval Office as Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison. Her new book "UNHINGED: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House" comes out next week.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell The Daily Beast that Omarosa Manigault-Newman, the infamous former Apprentice star who followed Trump to the White House, secretly recorded conversations with the presidentconversations she has since leveraged while shopping her forthcoming "tell-all" book, bluntly titled UNHINGED. For months, it has been rumored that Manigault had clandestinely recorded on her smartphone "tapes" of unspecified private discussions she had in the West Wing. Audio actually does exist, and even stars Manigault's former boss.

Good thing Trump only picks the best, most loyal and trustworthy people.

Omarosa Secretly Recorded TrumpAnd Played the Audio for People, Sources Say [Lachlan Markay, Asawin Suebsaeng, Maxwell Tani/Daily Beast] [Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images]
Now that Consumer Reports is explicitly factoring privacy and security into its tech reviews, we're making some progress to calling out the terrible state of affairs that turned the strange dream of an Internet of Things into a nightmare we call the Internet of Shit.

Markets don't solve all our problems, but they can be a useful tool for shaping the behavior of lots of participants in big, complex systems  like the Chinese hardware manufacturers, the investors, the entrepreneurs, the techies, the product managers in incumbent businesses, the ad brokers, the regulators and the other players who make up the Internet of Shit ecosystem.

For markets to work at all, the participants need good information; the Market for Lemons phenomenon is well-understood and noncontroversial, and it predicts that if buyers in a market don't have a good way to evaluate what they're getting, the market will be taken over by substandard goods. That's as good a description of the Internet of Shit marketplace as any.





On Motherboard, Karl Bode asks a variety of commentators and experts what should go in a "food-safety-style" label for IoT devices to help people make better choices and discipline the companies whose products are substandard. The answers are really interesting!





I contributed a little to this piece, by suggesting that reviewers could score an easy win merely by noting whether the company behind a product is willing to promise to never, under any circumstances, retaliate against security researchers who go public with true information about defects in the product. That's a kind of graceful failure mode that ensures that there are as few barriers as possible for defects that the manufacturer and the reviewers missed to come to the attention of the devices' owners before they're exploited.





It's weird that this even needs to be said, at least in the USA with its First Amendment protections. Uttering a true fact about technology is so clearly protected speech that it's something of a dysfunctional miracle that companies have managed to make these utterances illegal through trade secrecy, anti-hacking laws, and even copyright. It's obviously true that there are irresponsible and responsible ways to make security disclosures, but the last people who should be making that call is the corporations who stand to lose money from public information about bugs in their products. I mean, obviously.





One more point that bears consideration: labeling is not enough when there aren't any good products in the marketplace. California's Prop 65 warnings are a good example: since 1986, companies have been required to post signs or affix labels that say "This facility (or product) contains chemicals that are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm." The idea was that customers would steer clear of Prop 65 labeled products and that this would incentivize companies to do better and remove them from their products.





But that's not what happened: as it turns out, a huge number of places and products now bear these warnings, so many that it's basically impossible to go about your day if you refuse to go anywhere or buy anything that bears a Prop 65 notice (not least because there is no penalty for posting a warning even if there are no dangerous substances involved, but failing to post a warning where needed carries the risk of a punishing lawsuit, so lots of businesses just post a warning "to be on the safe side").

So Californians have become entirely blind to these warnings, and any ability to use them to avoid risk has been completely destroyed.





I'm not sure what could have made this work better: maybe if companies were banned from using carcinogenic or tetarogenic chemicals in public spaces, and workplace safety rules required businesses to provide meaningful notice to employees, along with training to prevent exposure?

"Until now, reviewers have primarily focused on how smart gadgets work, but not how they fail: it's like reviewing cars but only by testing the accelerator, and not the brakes," activist and author Cory Doctorow told Motherboard. "The problem is that it's hard to tell how a device fails," Doctorow said. "'The absence of evidence isn't the evidence of absence,' so just because you don't spot any glaring security problems, it doesn't mean there aren't any." Countless hardware vendors field products with absolutely zero transparency into what data is being collected or transmitted. As a result, consumers can often find their smart cameras and DVRs participating in DDOS attacks, or their televisions happily hoovering up an ocean of viewing data, which is then bounced around the internet sans encryption. Product reviews that highlight these problems at the point of sale could go a long way toward discouraging such cavalier behavior toward consumer welfare and a healthy internet, pressuring companies to at least spend a few fleeting moments pretending to care about privacy and security if they value their brand reputation.



The Internet of Things Needs Food Safety-Style Ratings for Privacy and Security [Karl Bode/Motherboard]





(Image: Cryteria, CC-BY)
A federal lawsuit brought by voting security activists against the State of Georgia has revealed breathtaking defects in the state's notoriously terrible voting machines  and, coincidentally, the machines in question were wiped and repeatedly degaussed by the state before they could be forensically examined as evidence of their unsuitability for continued use.

Only four US states use voting machines that do not produce a paper audit-tape that can be used to verify their performance. Georgia is one of those states.

The most dramatic failing in the state's 16-year-old voting machines was in Habersham County's Mud Creek precinct, where 670 ballots were cast, even though only 243 voters are registered in the precinct. No one can explain how 243% of eligible voters turned out on election day, but the State of Georgia's official legal position is that nothing is wrong here.





Other failings include a husband and wife who live together but were assigned different polling places and different municipal districts to vote in; voters who were sent to the wrong polling place by the state's notification system; machines that froze up; machines that asked voters to vote in the wrong races and more.

Georgia's Secretary of State Brian Kemp insisted that nothing was wrong, in a statement sent by his spokesliar Candice Broce: "Alongside federal, local, and private sector partners, we continue to fight every day to ensure secure and accurate elections in Georgia that are free from interference. To this day, due to the vigilance, dedication, and hard work of those partners, our elections system and voting equipment remain secure."

Security researchers have long been anxious about electronic voting machines; and Georgia's machines have come under particular scrutiny for being the worst in the nation.

Earlier this year, the Georgia legislature passed a bill that criminalized routine security research; thankfully, the governor vetoed it.

In July, Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller's indictment indicated that Russian operatives charged with hacking into Democrats' emails also visited county election websites in Georgia, among other states. Kennesaw State University's Center for Election Systems, which was responsible for running Georgia's elections, was proven vulnerable by friendly cybersecurity experts both before and after the 2016 elections. Voter information and other important data, which gets disseminated to polling places in Georgia's 159 counties, was open to the public and could have been manipulated by bad actors, charged Logan Lamb, the first friendly hacker to notify the state of the issue. He sent that notification in August 2016, but the problem was not fully solved until March 2017.



Bizarre tales, confusing ballots from Georgia's primary contained in federal lawsuit [Christine Condon/McClatchy]

Georgia defends voting system despite 243-percent turnout in one precinct [Jonathan M. Gitlin/Ars Technica]
Comcast Xfininty's login page had an easily found bug that allowed anyone to gain access to the partial Social Security Numbers and partial home addresses of over 26.5 million customers.

Comcast spokesapologist David McGuire says the company patched the bug quickly after being notified of its existence by security researcher Ryan Stevenson, and added that the company "take[s] our customers' security very seriously," adding that the company didn't think anyone had exploited the bug.

I'm going to make a guess here: the bug was the result of one of the many mergers and acquisitions that has allowed Comcast to grow to be the country's largest and most hated cable operator, as they put profits and growth ahead of integration and security. It's just a guess, but it's an educated one. Merging IT systems is one of the most notoriously tricky and insecure things a corporation can do.



This vulnerability was particularly easy to exploit  and use to target someone. It's simple to obtain someone's IP address (or "Internet Protocol"), a string of numbers that links your internet activity to the Wi-Fi network you're using. Web administrators can see the IP addresses of everyone who visits their website. Many forums also disclose users' IP addresses, along with their usernames. A malicious actor can also send someone a link designed specifically to obtain a target's IP address. While an IP address alone is not sensitive information, paired with the knowledge of someone's internet service provider, it can help a bad actor confirm their target's specific location. And often, it's fairly easy to figure out someone's internet service provider, or ISP, because an area is typically limited to one or two high-speed internet options, thanks to the consolidation of internet companies. In the second vulnerability that Stevenson discovered, a sign-up page through the website for Comcast's Authorized Dealers (sales agents stationed at non-Comcast retail locations) revealed the last four digits of customers' Social Security numbers. Armed with just a customer's billing address, a hacker could brute-force (in other words, repeatedly try random four-digit combinations until the correct combination is guessed) the last four digits of a customer's Social Security number. Because the login page did not limit the number of attempts, hackers could use a program that runs until the correct Social Security number is inputted into the form.



Security Flaws On Comcast's Login Page Exposed Customers' Personal Information [Nicole Nguyen/Buzzfeed]

(via /.)

(Image: Abdul Rahman, CC-BY)
Stepping into a wardrobe was the way to get into Narnia. Stepping into the blue portable toilet (in a row of green ones) was the way get into a hidden rave at UK's Eastern Electrics Festival. Are they implying the DJ's shitty?

And, this isn't the first time this has been done. A music festival in Hungary did this last year:
I've known Richard Kadrey for a number of years. We generally mouth off at each other about technology, injuries we acquired while we were young/dumb, barbecue, tiki drinks and movies. There's not much jibba-jabba, however, about what either of us does for a living. He writes constantly. So do I. It's nice to talk about anything but your gig, from time to time.

That said, the rent must be paid, so here we go.

On August 28th, the tenth book in Kadrey's Sandman Slim series, Hollywood Dead, will be available in the United States. Last last week, after reading an advanced copy that was sent out to me, I got on the horn for a chat with him about the new book, his plans for Sandman Slim and what he's got cooking beyond the massively popular urban fantasy series.

SB: I read Hollywood Dead over the weekend. I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about the new book is how the tension ramps up as Stark came to understand how screwed he really was.

RK: I really wanted him off-balance. He felt off-balanced in The Kill SocietyStark was basically hiding who he was. But I wanted him to be genuinely fucked up in this book. He thinks everything's going to be fine now and nothing is fine. Everything is fucked up. There's no problem he can solve by punching it. Yeah, there's bad guys, but his overall situation can't be solved with violence. In the book, a lot of the truth of what[Stark]is comes out of Kasabian's mouth, the way it always has. The world without Stark has been better, in some ways, so he's begging Stark to just not be there. If nobody wants you there, that's kind of it. There's no way of getting around it. None of Stark's abilities will help him work through that.

SB: You've had a long time to live with this character. How does a character that's traditionally solved problems with blood and fire, grow?

RK: I'm growing and changing with the character. So, I'm seeing the world differently, too. I'm seeing the stuff that my friends are going through, for instance. That's how the issue of PTSD with Stark came up. Stark's never going to be OK unless he deals with his own trauma. That was never in my head when I started writing the character. But if I'm going to deal with somebody like him over a long period of time and have some kind of truth in it, first, he has to admit that he has PTSD. The second thing is that he has to, at least, attempt to do something about it. Of course, the world conspires against him. Every time he says that he's going to try and do something about it, something awful happens and it stops him. But he's at least acknowledging that there's something he can do to be more of a human being. Becoming more of a human being is at the core of what this series is about. In the first book, Stark is a genuine monster, just back from Hell and wanting to kill everything. Wanting to kill the world. Over the course of the books, that's changed. I want to keep exploring that. I don't know how far I can take that or how far I want to. I'm following what I think Stark would do and Stark would want. I'm hoping I'm getting that right, in letting the character lead me a bit in the rest of the series.

SB: Every time you set out to write a new book you crack out a new Moleskine to plot it out. Did you have any idea of what the series was going to look like or do you sort it out as you go?

RK: I worked out what happens to the end of the series. I know where it's going, although there are questions on how it's going to get there. I know what has to happen for the rest of the series because I needed to. The things I'm doing now, I can't just wing it forever, although there were points at which I was doing that. There's a certain amount of the series that I had to come up with as a matter of panicking, because originally, Harper only bought three books. I thought that might be it. When I finished the third book, and they were doing OK, they said that they wanted more. Suddenly, I had to get a lot deeper into the situation. That's when I started creating more. More of an arc than I had before. Where I left it in book, three, it could have stopped, easily. For it to go on, and again, for Stark to deal with who he is, back in the world, I needed to do a lot more homework. The last half of the series, I've pretty much mapped out what needs to happen and now we're getting towards the end of it. It's all coming together.

SB: Are you able to say how many books are left in the series?

RK: I could say it, but I don't want to.

SB: Let's talk about the movie. How does it feel to have someone else manhandling your characters after spending so much time with them. Do you have your fingers in the production?

RK: I'm doing some consulting on it. There's a brand new screenplay. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard really good things. Kerry Williamson is doing the screenplay. She's worked with the director, Chas Stahelski a lot, so I like that. Plus, you know what man? I'm really happy to have a woman working on the screenplay for this. Its been such a dude-heavy project all the way through. To have a woman with [Williamson's] credentials and her point of view is why Chad though of her as a good person to do it. Apparently, she worked in stunts: she has a writer's point of view and understands action. In her body, not just intellectually. I think that's great. I have a lot of faith with what they want to do with it. I have talked with Chad about the direction he wants to take things in. I'm excited. I trust this team completely. Top to bottom, I think they're really quality people.

SB: What are your plans do you have once you're finished with Stark? The books you've been writing outside of the series have been doing pretty well. Is getting past Sandman Slim something you're looking forward to or more of a 'shit, what do I do now? You've spent a long time with this stuff, man.

RK: It'll be weird to end it, but there's the movie is moving forward and there's the talk of a comic and things like that, which I've discussed with the movie people. If they want to do a comic, I have ideas of what it should be. And what it shouldn't be, which I think is more important. And yeah, I have a lot of stuff that I want to do afterwards. It's why I'm working very hard on this new book right now, called The Grand Dark. In the way that Sandman Slim reestablished my career, I want to take a chance towards the end of Sandman Slim of rebooting myself. I love writing Sandman Slim. I love writing violence and actionpulp sensibilities. But I don't want to be locked into that for the rest of my life. I want to do larger things, and that's what the Grand Dark is.

SB: Tell me more about The Grand Dark. Whatcha got? What's going on?

RK: I'm doing a massive rewrite right now, it's driving me crazy. It is the story of a young man in a very different world, a world that feelssome people would use the word 'steampunk.' I never used to like the word, but I'm ok with it now. I'm going to use that word, which I used to not like, to say "Steampunk-Kafka." That's what I'm working on now. It's not going to be a huge book, but it's been a huge undertaking because there's no aspect of it that's like my previous work. It's right down to my use to my use of language and the way that I write the book. With Stark there's very specific rules of how the text appears on the page. This is sort of the opposite of that. It's much more straightforward in someways and far more twisted in others than anything I've ever written.

SB: It sounds like you're challenging yourself. That's where it's at. If you get bored, whats the point?

RK: That's exactly it. It's me pushing myself to do something new and hoping to establish myself to a broader audience while trying to bring my current audience into a new kind of work that I want to do. Certainly, there's action and guns and crazy stuff going on. But it's not presented in the hyperbolic way that Sandman Slim is.

Headshot via Richard Kadrey, photographed by Tristan Crane; Book photo via Seamus Bellamy
Of all the service industries, tattooing naturally seems like a good one for crazy client stories, but some of these doozies would make even the most jaded inkslinger raise their eyebrows.

Bonus: here are a few tattoo taboos discussed by artists:

 25 Tattoo Artists Reveal Their Craziest Client Stories (YouTube / INKED Talk)
Pompeii is a vast archaeological site that continues to yield treasures buried beneath the pumice. This summer, workers discovered new murals and artifacts at the site of a wealthy homeowner's estate, nicknamed House of Jupiter for a statue of the god found there.

Via Inquisitr:

The house was fully decked out in what is referred to as first Roman style, or primo stile pompeiano, with many of its rooms painted in vivid shades of yellow, green, and red. In addition, there was a lavish central atrium that was also found inside the House of Jupiter.

To get a sense of how vast Pompeii is, this trippy drone video set to Pink Floyd's Echoes might help:

 Archaeologists Have Discovered New Hidden Treasures In Pompeii In The Home Of A 'Wealthy And Cultured' Man (Inquisitr)
A German 48-year old citizen and her 39-year old partner have been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of repeatedly raping her son. If that's not enough, the filth also sold the boy to pedophiles she found on the Dark Net, who further abused the child and filmed it, over a two-year period. It goes without saying that Germany, and most anyone else that's heard about it, has been horrified by the case.

From The Guardian:

In Tuesday's verdict, the couple was ordered to pay 42,500 (38,000) in compensation to the boy and another victim, a young girl. Local authorities have been accused of failing to protect the boy, who now lives with a foster family. The mother's partner was supposed to be banned from having contact with children. Officials removed the boy from the family in March last year, but a local court sent him back weeks later.

According to The Telegraph, six others were jailed for their involvement in the sexual abuse of the boy. Because of the way that Germany handles criminal cases that involve rape, none of the parties responsible can be named by the media.

I can't even begin to imagine the life-long harm that's been done to those kids in the name of self-fulfillment and greed, nor can I understand the how a system designed to protect society's most vulnerable failed them them so completely.

Image via Flickr, courtesy of Blogtrepreneur
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Orange Democratic Movement has refuted claims that Silas Jakakimba travelled to Harare on behalf of party leader Raila Odinga to cause election chaos.Zimbabwe police claimed Jakakimba went to Harare as Raila's envoy during the July 30 vote and incited protesters to reject the results. Supporters of the defeated Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa took to the streets in violent protests after Prrsident-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa was announced winner.In a statement on Tuesday, ODM executive director Oduor Ong'wen said the Orange party did not send anybody or any representatives to Harare."Jakakimba travelled to Harare on his own volition and was neither representing the party nor the party leader. Although he is known to Raila, he is neither an employee of ODM nor of the Raila Odinga Secretariat," Ong'wen said, Jakakimba is being sought by Zimbabwean police for interrogation on the the chaos that left at least six people dead.Zimbabwe police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, was quoted by the media saying: "The Zimbabwe Republic Police is keen to interview Silas Jakakimba, a Kenyan national, in connection with the disturbances which occurred in Harare on August 1." He asked citizens to inform police of Jakakimba's whereabouts.Jakakimba dismissed the claims saying his involvement "is not even remotely possible". He added that it was Raila who asked him to convey his goodwill message to MDC Alliance in its last public rally days to the July 30 election. Jakakimba said he was received at the airport by Tsvangirai's wife and his former PA, Joseph Mungwari, information he says can be verified by the country's immigration officers.
Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 5 Average

1

2

3

4

5

170 Voters in Ohio Race are "Over 116 Years Old" -- Worlds Oldest Person Is 115 VOTER FRAUD USA

lop guest

User ID: 453667

08-10-2018 01:05 AM











Post: #1 170 Voters in Ohio Race are "Over 116 Years Old" -- Worlds Oldest Person Is 115

Advertisement



ts becoming clear that Democrats will stop at nothing to get their blue wave to happen.



In Tuesdays special election for Ohios 12th Congressional District, Republican Troy Balderson won by a narrow margin  around 1,600 votes.



Thats less than 1 percent of the total number of votes in the entire district, making the election too close to call at the moment and requiring a recount under Ohio law.



Additionally, more than 3,000 provisional ballots still have to be counted  nearly twice the number of votes in the winning margin  so Baldersons victory is far from assured.



Such a slim margin in this special election has brought to light the dangerous consequences voter fraud can have for those who play fair.



According to expert Eric Eggers, research director at the Government Accountability Institute, 170 registered voters in Ohios 12th Congressional District are listed as being over 116 years old.



Considering that the worlds oldest living person is a 115-year-old resident of Japan, this is a big problem.



Thats 10 percent of Baldersons current margin of victory, pending provisional ballots, Eggers wrote. And 72 voters over the age of 116 who live in Baldersons district cast ballots in the 2016 election.



Completing this poll entitles you to Conservative Tribune news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

In fact, many of the voters on Ohios rolls list their birthdays as Jan. 1, 1800, making them 218 years old. Clearly something is amiss.



For four years now, Democrats in Ohio have been fighting efforts to prevent voter fraud, and it is easy to see why.



https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/170-vo...years-old/ 170 Voters in Ohio Race Over 116 Years Old, Worlds Oldest Person Is 115ts becoming clear that Democrats will stop at nothing to get their blue wave to happen.In Tuesdays special election for Ohios 12th Congressional District, Republican Troy Balderson won by a narrow margin  around 1,600 votes.Thats less than 1 percent of the total number of votes in the entire district, making the election too close to call at the moment and requiring a recount under Ohio law.Additionally, more than 3,000 provisional ballots still have to be counted  nearly twice the number of votes in the winning margin  so Baldersons victory is far from assured.Such a slim margin in this special election has brought to light the dangerous consequences voter fraud can have for those who play fair.According to expert Eric Eggers, research director at the Government Accountability Institute, 170 registered voters in Ohios 12th Congressional District are listed as being over 116 years old.Considering that the worlds oldest living person is a 115-year-old resident of Japan, this is a big problem.Thats 10 percent of Baldersons current margin of victory, pending provisional ballots, Eggers wrote. And 72 voters over the age of 116 who live in Baldersons district cast ballots in the 2016 election.Completing this poll entitles you to Conservative Tribune news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.In fact, many of the voters on Ohios rolls list their birthdays as Jan. 1, 1800, making them 218 years old. Clearly something is amiss.For four years now, Democrats in Ohio have been fighting efforts to prevent voter fraud, and it is easy to see why. Damrod

lop guest

User ID: 455249

08-10-2018 01:15 AM











Post: #2 RE: 170 Voters in Ohio Race are "Over 116 Years Old" -- Worlds Oldest Perso...

If you can't win ideologically or intellectually...



cheat



the lefturdian way...



no morals, no character, no temperance, no tolerance ...no redeeming qualities whatsoever.



They would prostitute their own grandmothers out without blinking an eye LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455946

08-10-2018 08:19 PM











Post: #3 RE: 170 Voters in Ohio Race are "Over 116 Years Old" -- Worlds Oldest Perso...

VOTER FRAUD USA Wrote: (08-10-2018 01:05 AM) 170 Voters in Ohio Race Over 116 Years Old, Worlds Oldest Person Is 115



ts becoming clear that Democrats will stop at nothing to get their blue wave to happen.



In Tuesdays special election for Ohios 12th Congressional District, Republican Troy Balderson won by a narrow margin  around 1,600 votes.



Thats less than 1 percent of the total number of votes in the entire district, making the election too close to call at the moment and requiring a recount under Ohio law.



Additionally, more than 3,000 provisional ballots still have to be counted  nearly twice the number of votes in the winning margin  so Baldersons victory is far from assured.



Such a slim margin in this special election has brought to light the dangerous consequences voter fraud can have for those who play fair.



According to expert Eric Eggers, research director at the Government Accountability Institute, 170 registered voters in Ohios 12th Congressional District are listed as being over 116 years old.



Considering that the worlds oldest living person is a 115-year-old resident of Japan, this is a big problem.



Thats 10 percent of Baldersons current margin of victory, pending provisional ballots, Eggers wrote. And 72 voters over the age of 116 who live in Baldersons district cast ballots in the 2016 election.



Completing this poll entitles you to Conservative Tribune news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

In fact, many of the voters on Ohios rolls list their birthdays as Jan. 1, 1800, making them 218 years old. Clearly something is amiss.



For four years now, Democrats in Ohio have been fighting efforts to prevent voter fraud, and it is easy to see why.



https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/170-vo...years-old/



...Except that there is ZERO evidence that:



1. Any of the registered voters cast actual ballots given that it would be against federal law for the alleged expert to review them since we vote in confidence aside from the electoral officials who actually count them. Clearly a bullshit claim he could not hope to substantiate.



2. That any of the alleged fraudulent ballots cast which no one can see would have voted Democrat...they may have been votes for the GOP.



3. That the registered voters who are 116 years old were in any way malicious attempts. Every state has a certain number of deceased people who arent taken off the rolls due to pure human fuckery and clerical error. Same thing happens to the credit bureaus, the IRS and anyone else tasked with keeping tabs on millions of people.



4. That any voters list their birthdate in the year 1800. Sheer hearsay and possibly possibly a clerical error in data entry.



5. That even if some of these DO exist...who is to say its democrats doing it? Every GOP loving armchair expert and pundit out there has a vested interest in propagating the voter fraud myth. Who is to say a couple of conservative shitbags didnt fill out a bunch of false voter registration cards so they could have something to whine about?



Critical thinking is a bit*h, huh?

LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 455885

08-10-2018 08:34 PM











Post: #4 RE: 170 Voters in Ohio Race are "Over 116 Years Old" -- Worlds Oldest Perso...

I bet they are all smokers

Oldest people alive smoke tobacco



That why they ban it everywhere



V good for longevity
















News / National

by Staff reporter

Businessman and Intratrek Zimbabwe Private Limited director Wicknell Chivayo's lawyers have approached the High Court seeking bail pending appeal, arguing bail is a statutory right, which derives from the Constitution and cannot be denied unless they are compelling reasons.Chivayo, who is being accused of defrauding Zimbabwe Power Company of over $5 million, money-laundering and violating exchange control regulations, was denied bail by Harare magistrate Mr Elias Singano. Denying Chivayo bail, Mr Singano said the businessman was a flight risk.Lead defence counsel Advocate Lewis Uriri confirmed filing the application for bail pending appeal at the High Court yesterday."We contend that there is no prospect whatsoever for a conviction," said Adv Uriri."To hold, as the magistrate did, that a remand court is only concerned with the allegations, which by description are serious, is such a gross misdirection that no court acting properly would have reached that conclusion." Adv Uriri said the finding that Chivayo was fleeing was not supported by evidence."The finding that surrendering of the passport and reporting conditions would not serve the interests of justice because of the porous nature of Zimbabwe's borders and the overall determination that the applicant is a flight risk are on the facts, the evidence and the law, so grossly unreasonable as to suggest that the learned magistrate must have taken leave of his senses," he said."The misdirection is so gross that it has to be vacated in the interest of justice and the applicant admitted to bail on the terms set out in the draft order."In his ruling, Mr Singano said Chivayo was a globetrotter and could skip the country to dodge prosecution. Mr Singano also noted in his ruling that Chivayo attempted to flee the country when he was fully aware that the police were looking for him.Chivayo, he said, never tried to surrender himself to the police despite knowing that the police were looking for him. Chivayo was remanded to August 17, pending trial.The State said the charges arose after Chivayo's company, Intratrek Zimbabwe, was corruptly awarded the Gwanda Solar Power plant tender by ZPC at the instigation of the then Minister of Energy and Power Development, Samuel Undenge. It is alleged Chivayo failed to execute the project despite getting $5 607 814, 24 from Government.
News / National

by Staff reporter

OPPOSITION supporters in rural areas have claimed widespread intimidation by suspected State security agents and Zanu-PF activists, forcing many of them to go into hiding as the post-election environment in the country remains tense.Violence broke out in Harare last week, culminating in the fatal shooting of seven people by soldiers called to help police quell the disturbances as opposition supporters protested alleged electoral fraud by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.Human Rights Watch on Tuesday confirmed receiving reports of widespread intimidation in rural communities, urging authorities to ensure the people's safety was guaranteed."Human Rights Watch has received reports of widespread intimidation and a witch hunt of suspected opposition MDC Alliance supporters in Muzarabani South, Marondera, Hurungwe East and Seke," HRW director for Southern Africa Dewa Mavhinga said."In Chivhu, groups of Zanu-PF supporters two days ago went round to homes of known MDCA supporters singing songs of retribution and promising vengeance for voting wrongly. Many opposition activists spoke to Human Rights Watch while in hiding."The government of Zimbabwe should stop pretending there is no widespread post-election violence and take responsibility to stop the violence and hold accountable those responsible. Zimbabwe cannot be open for business when the leaders turn a blind eye to serious human rights abuses."In Muzarabani South, losing MDC Alliance parliamentary candidate Tapiwa Choruwa said several losing aspiring councillors and election agents had gone into hiding after suspected Zanu-PF militia pounced on them."We have reports of such incidences in many places, especially ward 20. There is growing intimidation and people are afraid now. Some have chosen to flee, while those without anywhere to go are facing the risk of political victimisation. This must be addressed," he said.The losing ward 20 local authority candidate for MDC Alliance, Stephan Sado, said he had gone underground after receiving death threats.He said some people wearing masks had visited several homesteads threatening opposition supporters, while instructing them to publicly dump the opposition and join Zanu-PF."People covering their faces came in the middle of the night and start shouting and making many threats. We tried to establish who they were, but they were covering their faces.What makes the situation worse is that these people have the support of the traditional leadership," Sado said."This is very bad because our Constitution clearly stipulates that anyone can join his/her political party freely. We have a history of political violence in Muzarabani, but we were thinking it was a thing of the past. I hope this will stop soon and allow us to get back to our normal lives."However, the winning Zanu-PF candidate Tapera Saizi dismissed the reports, saying the elections had been peaceful and no one was intimidated.He urged those making allegations to report to the police.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THREE Zimbabweans arrested last week at Beitbridge Border Post for allegedly smuggling $30 000 worth of explosives into neighboring South Africa appeared in a Musina Court on Tuesday and were denied bail.Murino Floyd (26) Tonderai Munthisi (33) and Tichavavamwe Shupai (37), briefly appeared in court which ruled that they be kept in custody until August 13 pending further investigations by police, South African Police Services spokesperson, Moatshe Ngoepe, said in an update to the media."They were all denied bail and their case was postponed to August 13 2018 for further police investigations," he said.The three, whose addresses were not given, were arrested after their truck was stopped at the South African Revenue Services scan, which revealed suspicious images inside the horse of the truck, later identified as explosives.Police confiscated both the explosives with a street value of $30 000 and the truck, whose value was not given.It is the third time this year that people have been arrested for illegal possession of explosives at the South African side of the border post.The consignments will have passed undetected on the Zimbabwean side of the border, exposing the country's porous border posts.
News / National

by Ndou Paul

There are reports that Zambian Security agents have handed MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti over to Zimbabwe CID at Kariba.Biti's plight follows scenes of the military opening fire in the streets of Zimbabwe's capital a week ago, killing six people, and growing opposition claims of harassment.Dr Ibbo Mandaza on social media shared: "Colleagues, the latest on Biti and co: you won't believe it, but in defiance of the Court Order to have Biti appear before a judge in Lusaka today, Zambian Security have taken Biti and his comrades to the Kariba border post and handed them to Zimbabwean CID ."Biti's lawyer, Alex Muchedehama, has this minute confirmed these disturbing developments, but adds that lawyers are attending to the matter at Kariba CID, in the hope that the beleaguered compatriots will soon be brought before court in Harare today."
News / National

by Staff reporter

Nelson Chamisa, leader of the MDC Alliance, has said he will not accept the results of the hard-fought and blood-soaked July 30 election.According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) he lost, but could Chamisa legally challenge the results? And how would that process work?According to leading domestic fact-checking portal, ZimFact, in terms of Zimbabwe's Constitution, a court challenge against a presidential election must be lodged at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) within seven days after the declaration of the results.This means the opposition leader has up to Friday to file his court application.The ConCourt must hear and determine the petition or application within 14 days after the petition or application was lodged.The ConCourt's decision is final.Zimbabwe has a long history of contested elections.And those are often close elections, so you have a variety of appeals.But we have never had a major party candidate far in advance of an election saying that the only legitimate outcome is only his own victory like what Chamisa said.That was unprecedented.What he should have said is what every major, indeed every presidential candidate before him has said, which is, I will accept the outcome. And then, after the election, if there is some evidence that the election was tainted by fraud, then he could pursue that.But by saying that, two weeks before the election, he undermined the legitimacy of the election and the individuals who it elects.And it's very dangerous and it's destructive to the country, no wonder why that message was not received well by many people. This is not to disregard the disgraceful manner in which Zec ran the process.There have been contested elections and really fiercely fought elections with a lot of bad feelings almost since the beginning of the republic.What those have always produced is, with one pretty big exception, is the peaceful transition of power no matter how flawed the process was.That exception, of course, is 2008, where the losing Zanu-PF engaged the army to go on a murderous orgy, with results withheld for five weeks as the regime tinkered with ballots to fix the matrix of a runoff.But with that pretty big exception, everyone, despite challenges, ultimately come around with the formation of a government of national unity.Now, in 2018, Chamisa reserves the right to file a legal challenge to the questionable result.It's the most reasonable thing for him to do.The winner of the election, president-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa, has urged him to contest the result in the courts.But, he needs to waive this right.He doesn't need to claim that right at all.By doing so, he will be lending legal legitimacy to the poll result.He must instead pursue megaphone diplomacy, even though it's a long shot given that the chairman of the Southern African Development Community Cyril Ramaphosa has already endorsed Mnangagwa.Chamisa, of all people, as an advocate of the High Court, knows pretty well any judge assigned to a case pitting the government against any opposition groups, but especially against the MDC Alliance, will no doubt face overwhelming pressure from the Executive branch to ignore the rule of law and side with the government, regardless of the evidence.There is a consensus both inside and outside Zimbabwe that the post-coup regime is not a democracy any more.In the wake of the coup, it is impossible not to see that the country is being driven off a cliff as there is no independent judiciary; basic human rights like right of assembly, are constantly violated with soldiers killing unarmed civilians in the streets, the media barred from attending a news conference of the biggest opposition leader in the country.There is rampant fear and oppression, the capital city's central business district is being patrolled by soldiers with apparent discord between the securocracy and the bureaucracy and the country gradually becoming introverted and buried in its darkness.Everybody sees it.
News / National

by businessinsider

As a precautionary measure, we are recalling a few specific batches of Durex Real Feel and Durex Latex Free condoms. No other Durex products are affected. For more information please visit https://t.co/e553ZeNL0R / https://t.co/jHuBDdCACv https://t.co/T2Dbgqiebo pic.twitter.com/iFZbTlWAN4  Durex UK (@durexuk) July 31, 2018

Durex South Africa is "assessing the situation" on its Real Feel condoms after batches were recalled in Germany, Britain and Singapore over "burst pressure" issues."There is no safety concern for consumers at the moment, and therefore no market action is required," Reckitt Benckiser, the company which owns Durex, told Business Insider South Africa."We are working closely with the relevant regulatory authorities."Thousands of Durex condoms have been recalled in other countries over concerns over their shelf-life."We recently found that a limited number of non-latex Real Feel condoms made earlier this year are not passing our stringent shelf-life durability tests," the company said in a statement."Only for the batches of condoms affected by this issue, there could be an increase in the number of condoms that burst during application or use."But Reckitt Benckiser said the compromised batches were not distributed in South Africa."Each country has a unique situation with regards to the specific batches they have sold," Reckitt Benckiser said."There is no immediate safety concern for [South African] consumers and only a limited number of batches are affected."
News / National

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 APO

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 09 and Friday, 10 August 2018 undertake Working Visits to the Republic of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to hold consultative meetings with President Edgar Lungu and President Joseph Kabila respectively.President Ramaphosa will undertake these visits after addressing the Women's Day national event at Mbekweni, Paarl, in the Western Cape.The visits form part of a long-standing tradition in the SADC region whereby newly-elected Heads of State pay courtesy calls on the leaders of neighbouring countries. During the visits, President Ramaphosa and his counterparts will discuss bilateral cooperation as well as political and security developments in the region and continent, as well as global issues of mutual concern.President Ramaphosa will also have a stopover in Zimbabwe to have consultations with President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa on the recent elections that took place.On Sunday, 12 August 2018, President Ramaphosa will attend the inauguration in Harare of President-Elect Emmerson Mnangagwa of the Republic of Zimbabwe, following the July 30 2018 election.President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu and Minister of State Security Ms Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC)has called on citizens to report to it cases of violence after the just ended elections.The post election period has been marred with incidents opf violence some of it state sponsored."Citizens across Zimbabwe are advised to report cases of post election victimisation, intimidation or violence to the #NPRC Commissioners with oversight for specific provinces as shown below. Violators being arrested and prosecuted. NO TO VIOLENCE," NPRC tweeted.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Top MDC Alliance official Chalton Hwende has said he has removed a member of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces who was renting at his house following the soldiers rampage on unarmed citizens resulting to the death of about ten people on August 1.He said he did so after residents complained over soldiers abuse following the disputed elections held on July 30."Unfortunately I have had to ask my caretaker to remove a Soldier who was renting 2 rooms at my house in Chegutu after listening to complaints from Neighbours. Guns don't kill people Soldiers do kill," Hwende said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confirmed that Tendai Biti has been arrested and is now in police custody.Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest saying Biti is being charged for contravening Section 36 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9.23 on public violence and also contravening Section 66 1(a) of the Electoral Act Chapter 2.13 - unofficial or fake declaration of results.The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said they have managed to track down Biti and finally located him at CID Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station."A team of ZLHR lawyers is currently representing Biti. ZLHR will keep sharing updates regarding Biti's situation," he said.Zambian authorities on Thursday defied a court order stopping them from deporting top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti, handing him to police across the border, his lawyer said."They have defied the court order to allow him to seek asylum and as I am speaking to you right now he has been handed over to the Zimbabwean police," lawyer Gilbert Phiri told AFP.Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), fled to Zambia on Wednesday claiming asylum, reportedly facing charges at home of inciting post-election violence.Zambian authorities swiftly refused him asylum, but Phiri said Biti's legal team had managed to challenge the decision, keeping Biti in Zambia.But authorities have ignored the ruling and deported him, Phiri said.He is on the Zimbabwe side," he confirmed. "This is really embarrassing."A hearing at Zambia's High Court, where Biti was supposed to appear, will go ahead on Thursday in his absence, Phiri added.The MDC were defeated in last week's historic first elections since Zimbabwe's military ousted Robert Mugabe in November, ending 37 years of iron-fisted rule.Mugabe's successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner on Friday by a narrow margin - results the opposition has furiously contested, alleging fraud.Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government, had proclaimed a victory for the opposition before the results came in.According to Zimbabwe's state-run Chronicle newspaper, he is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests over alleged rigging which turned deadly.The army opened fire with live ammunition on the opposition protesters, killing six people and prompting an international outcry.The election has been marred by accusations of a crackdown on opponents, with arrests and beatings, as well as the deadly violence and rigging claims.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The 320th ordinary session of the Zanu-PF Politburo has described the just-ended 2018 harmonised elections, which the party won resoundingly, as peaceful, free and fair.In a post mortem analysis report, the party's Secretary for the Commissariat, Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje noted that Zanu-PF's reinvigorated effort to capture the urban vote paid dividends.He said this was exemplified by the increase in the number of votes cast for National Assembly members and the presidential candidate, President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa.The Politburo deplored the unfortunate violence perpetrated by MDC Alliance hooligans on the 1st of this month in Harare, which resulted in the death of six people, injury of 14 others and destruction of property.The Politburo also congratulated Mnangagwa for being declared winner of the presidential election by ZEC as well as various observer missions for witnessing Zimbabwe's harmonised elections.The Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo briefed the media after the politburo meeting.
News / Regional

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi activists Hloniphani Ncube have said he is surprised by people who still on this day makes it an issue when MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa seeks to appoint Shona councillors to lead Mthwakazi.He said to him MDC is a clear extension of ZANU PF, or in simple they are different sides of the same coin or they have the same mentality running in their blood. In spite of the differences in appearance they are all made up of the similar metal."ZANU PF is aware of the fact that, the people of Mthwakazi need their freedom restored and to appease the people, they brought on MDC a pain killer that stop the pain for a short time. MDC Alliance or whatever you can call it is simple an extention of ZANU PF and they are conformable on being the opposition party as long as they exist," he said."In 2013 alone, MDC T which was then led by Morgan Tsvangirai fielded 14 Shona councillors and some of our people including Thokozani Khuphe saw nothing wrong about that because they were blinded by the anticipation of removing ZANU PF which started in 1999 up to date. Due to the fact that our people are more focused on removing ZANU PF a dream which would exist forever as long as we do not wake up and become real. In the recent elections MDC Tsvangirai realised that, if Welshman Ncube was left behind and other Mthwakazi small parties their win was not certain. They regroup and preached the same message and imported more Shona councillors. I think if I am right they are now 19 which is 2/3 majority."He said when they were campaigning if ever Welshman addressed Shona people in his language he was stopped or humiliated."To him that was nothing and his goal was to remove ZANU PF. In simple both MDC and ZANU PF are implementing the 1979 grand plan. So having a Shona mayor is the ultimate goal. They are towards ensuring the total Shonalisation of Mthwakazi. It's only in Mthwakazi whereby we are led by people from other regions voted by our people and defended by our very own because of the pleasures of money. If we highlight it we are labelled," he said.
Opinion / Columnist

First, there's the voting. Then, there's the counting. But what happens next? This is the sad question now on everyone's mind after the military was deployed to suppress post-election protests in Zimbabwe last week. No one wanted the answer to be gunfire, tanks, deaths and injuries.A soldier fires live rounds at protesters in Harare on Wednesday last weekThe Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) had announced a resounding parliamentary victory for the ruling party, Zanu PF. But Zec, as yet, delayed the announcement of the presidential vote.The European Union election observer mission chief, Elmar Brok, reasonably commented that: "The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election are not known, the more lack of credibility it provides."So why the delay?In that vacuum, both of the main presidential contenders, President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa and the MDC Alliance challenger, Nelson Chamisa, talked up their chances.The MDC Alliance even went so far as to declare victory and continue its pre-election rhetoric about protecting the people's vote from the depredations of an untrustworthy State apparatus.It should have been clear to all observers, including Zimbabwe's neighbours and the regional body, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), that some form of post-election mediation effort would be necessary in such a polarised eventuality.Such was the opposition's manifest lack of confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. Chamisa didn't need to be photographed meeting Raila Odinga in February to make people realise that his refusal to accept a freshly-minted mandate for Mnangagwa's 'new dispensation' was always a real risk.I wrote before the elections that Chamisa faced an unenviable choice: boycott the elections and risk consigning the MDC to the political scrap-heap, or embrace the electoral process at the risk of conferring legitimacy on his opponent's subsequent (and pre-ordained) victory.The third option, of course, was to compete in the election, but be ready immediately to condemn the outcome as illegitimate.Prior to the election, Chamisa had said that as Zec was the election's referee it "must not only be fair, but it must be seen to be fair".International observer missions have differed in their emphasis and interpretations, but whatever the true outcome of last week's votes, it is hard to deny that Zec failed to do enough to win public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.In this light, the MDC Alliance's announcement that it had won the popular vote was undoubtedly unofficial and premature, but does anyone really know whether or not it was true?Given that, can it be right for regional and international actors to insist that opposition parties meekly accept the official account of an (possibly stolen) election?This is what happens when public institutions lose the people's confidence. Was there an alternative? In theory, an internationally supervised election might have made the difference, one in which Zec was not simply trusted to uphold its responsibilities, but was actively assisted and overseen at every turn by empowered, impartial international officials.But in practice, could anyone see Mnangagwa freely choosing, or being persuaded or cajoled into passively accepting such a process?It would be a clear blow to Zimbabwe's national pride and independence, to say nothing of neutralising one of the major advantages of his incumbency.Frankly, it's difficult to imagine a hypothetical scenario in which such an approach could have been made to work and gain the confidence of all parties.But, in the absence of a practical alternative, the July 30 election has only intensified and sharpened political tensions that have simmered since the November 2017 military coup that put Mnangagwa in the presidency as well as several top military men in his Cabinet.Should it surprise anyone that a military-dominated government, put in power by the military, then subsequently resorted to its default tendency, could negate a military-led solution to post-election protests?A deteriorating security situation was one post-election scenario that regional and international actors should have forecasted as sufficiently likely and consequential to merit careful, advanced planning.It would be inexcusable if the relevant regional bodies and influential foreign governments hadn't thoroughly prepared for this eventuality.Extemporising diplomatic responses in such a demonstrably foreseeable outcome would be unacceptable: there should already be a series of pre-scripted diplomatic moves.In a sense, if Sadc and others look into their recent history, there already is.For instance, Sadc urgently needs to send either the Organ Chair or, as in previous Zimbabwe elections, a senior South African such as International Relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu or National Security Adviser Charles Nqakula (who is a veteran of one previous facilitation effort), to meet all relevant party and senior military leaders in order to publicly ease the tension, shepherding the country away from violence and towards a mediated solution.Sadc should lead, but it must also be supported by the African Union and the wider international community, crucially including the United Kingdom and United States governments, as well as China.Mnangagwa appeared to have heeded calls for greater openness as a price worth paying for normalising Zimbabwe's international relations, accessing international financial assistance and new business.Unfortunately, this "new dispensation" narrative appears to have unravelled in just forty-eight hours after the election. It's hard to see these glittering prizes being awarded to a government that shoots at protesters in the street.Calling for South Africa and Sadc to step up and resolve a post-election crisis in Zimbabwe might sound like the political equivalent of the movie Groundhog Day, repeating the same thing over and over, each time expecting a different, better outcome.But neighbouring states can and should play a role of facilitating a return to peaceful dialogue between the key political actors and applying pressure to end the violence.This is the bare minimum, but it is a necessary precondition for the longer, slower and harder process of beginning to build mutual trust between Zimbabwe's political parties, as well as public trust in Zimbabwe's institutions, including its electoral commission and its security forces.-------Dr Joe Devanny is lecturer in war studies at King's College London and an associate at the Institute for Government
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.

Over the past two decades, the world could have been hoodwinked by Western governments' imposition of targetted sanctions on then Zimbabwean president Robert Gabriel Mugabe's tyrannical regime, on the pretext of human rights abuses and electoral fraud.However, was that the real reasons for these targetted sanctions on Mugabe and members of his ruthless regime?Are Western governments the torch-bearers of human rights and democracy, as they would want the world to believe - or are there some sinister motives behind their foreign policies?Mugabe never knew any democracy in his entire political history, so why did it take Western countries 20 years after he came to power in Zimbabwe, for them to finally act?The answer is quite simple.Western countries have never been, and still are not, interested in democracy and human rights in other countries, but have other ulterior motives.Barely two years after Mugabe assumed power in a newly independent Zimbabwe, he was already busy massacring tens of thousands of innocent and unarmed men, women and children in the Midlands and Matebeleland provinces - in the worst heinous crimes against humanity ever committed in the country.This genocide, which lasted between 1982 and 1987, targetted mainly those of the isiNdebele tribe, was neither condemned or acted upon by Western countries.In fact, the British government was at the forefront of supplying both arms and leadership to the Zimbabwe military, whilst it was engaged in these atrocious acts against an innocent people.At the same time, Mugabe was being invited to most Western capitals, where he was bestowed with numerous accolades on his supposedly examplary leadership - which was characterized by killing tens of thousands of his own people.Why were sanctions not imposed immediately on Mugabe and his regime, instead of rewarding him?The answer was very obvious...as long as Black people were busy killing each other, that would not be a problem for Western countries - in fact, that would be good for business in arms sales.Which is, more or less, what is still happening, with the West's supplying of arms and logistics to the Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) military assault on innocent and predominantly unarmed people of Yemen.It is also understood that Mugabe - who was poised to lose the country's first post-independence - elections to fellow liberation movement ZAPU led by Joshua Nkomo - fraudulently 'won' due to British rigging.Mugabe had apparently promised the British that their interests, including businesses and farms owned by Whites, would be protected from being nationalised.Therefore, Mugabe - no matter how evil and heinous he was - received unlimited support and protection from Western governments, especially Britain.So what changed in the early 2000s, when the British and their Western partners finally imposed targetted sanctions on Mugabe and his regime?Mugabe broke his previous promise to protect British interests, when he embarked on his chaotic and violent land redistribution exercise - which resulted in the expropriation of White-owned farms.In spite of having gotten away with massacring over twenty thousand mostly isiNdebele unarmed people, he would not get away with taking White-owned land in Zimbabwe!That is when the pretext of human rights abuses and electoral fraud were used to punish Mugabe!Fast forward to November 2017, Mugabe was ousted in a military coup d'etat, which ushered in the man who was the security minister during the isiNdebele massacres - Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa - as the new president.The West had absolutely no problem with the forceful removal of Mugabe, even swifly endorsed his long-time right-hand man.So why did the British and Western allies so readily accept a coup d'etat, and a man who was security minister during Zimbabwe's worst ever genocide?Did Mnangagwa promise them to continue with the promise that Mugabe had made, and later broken?Indeed, the new Zimbabwe leader had appeared a 'changed' man, preaching peace and democracy, as well as free, fair and credible elections.However, was that what primarily motivated the West to receive him with such open arms?I think not!The main reason could have been his 'Zimbabwe is open for business' mantra - it all has to do with doing business and making money in the country!...the very thing Britain and her Western allies care about more than the people of that country!Were the British not behind the coup d'etat itself?This would certainly not be the first time that Western countries have militarily removed governments, predominantly for business interests.They have done that in Chile (with General Augustino Pinochet), Indonesia (with General Suharto), in Zaire (with Mobuto se Seseko), as well as in Ghana against Kwame Nkhuruma, and in Iran - amongst a whole host of others.So why would the British and her allies not be behind the coup d'etat in Zimbabwe - not, ironically, to restore democracy by forcefully removing a blood thirsty tyrant - but, for purely commercial interests?Let us not forget that one of the first things that Mnangagwa pledged, during his inauguration last year, was to pay compensation to those White farmers whose farms were taken.Another possible sign of the new alliance between him and the British - as a 'correction' of Mugabe's broken promise!Nonetheless, the biggest circumstantial evidence which 'proves' the British have never been, and are still not, interested in democracy and human rights, is the apparent lackluster approach to the re-emergence of violence against the opposition in Zimbabwe soon after the 30 July 2018 harmonized elections.It is reported that at least six innocent and predominantly unarmed people were shot and killed by the military in Harare on 1 August 2018 - during a protest against perceived electoral fraud by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).Similarly, for nearly a week now, there have been numerous reports of people in various residential areas, especially where the opposition MDC Alliance won, being beaten up by suspected members of the military.A number of pposition activists are said to be in hiding, as a direct result of this alleged re-emergence of violent repression of the people - an unfortunate legacy from the Mugabe regime continuing into the so-called 'new dispensation'.The truth is that this is one of the consequences of allowing coup d'etats, as the military become de facto leaders of the country, and wantonly disregard basic human rights.We warned several times, after the November 2017 coup that there was nothing to celebrate and that the whole world should have unequivocally condemned this undemocratic action - which, will inevitably set a wrong precedence for the whole continent.How has the British and her Western allies responded?Very coldly, indeed!They have never come out openly and firmly to denounce these acts of violence against perceived opposition supporters, nor have they threatened further sanctions if this did not stop.The British and Western countries would rather respond to these acts of violence in a similar fashion to how they reacted towards the November 2017 coup d'etat - with acceptance!It is quite clear that Mugabe and his predecessor and former right-hand man Mnangagwa, are no different at all when it comes to issues of democracy and human rights, but the British would rather look aside when it comes to the latter as he has assured them to protecting their business interests....much the same way they looked aside when Mugabe was busy massacring tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children in the 1980s.Therefore, the MDC Alliance and the generality of Zimbabweans, should never allow the charades of the past 20 years, meant to hoodwink them into trusting the British and her Western allies, and believing that they are genuinely interested in democracy and human rights in this country.They are not!Zimbabweans, who are truly interested in democracy and human rights, need to know and accept that we are all alone - and we need to stand up for our rights, in a legal and democratic manner.The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), and the African Union (AU), have long since betrayed and abondoned the people of the continent, by preferring to band together as leaders and tyrants.We should be wary of being enticed by the West into believing that they are willing to help us, as they will throw us off the cliff's edge!As long as it is Blacks killing Blacks, they would not give a hoot - so long as Western interests are protected.The people of Zimbabwe, whilst maintaining peace and unity - as we are equally suffering and oppressed, no matter which party we belong to, including ZANU PF, or even apolitical - need to also band together and bravely stand for our democatic and human rights.No matter what those tyrants in power throw at us, with the tacit blessings of the British and their allies, we need to fearlessly remember the true sacrifices of those who came before us, and paid with their lives their desire for a genuinely free and fair Zimbabwe.Where everyone is equal, and where we all equally benefit from the country's wealth and resources without any 'chef', where people are not driven by fear of those supposedly there to protect them, and everyone's voice - no matter how opposed - is heard and respected.




Five years ago, Yahoo Canada News did a series on the dying small towns of Canada. The stagnation was largely blamed on the exit of one industry or another from many of the places visited. One of the towns featured in that series was Smiths Falls, Ont., struggling to recover from the exit of chocolate maker Hersheys in 2007. At the time, residents said tourism was the answer to the towns economic woes. Little did they know the industry that would breath life back into Smiths Falls was cannabis.

Entering Smiths Falls today, the town is a distant cry from its struggles of 2013, and thats largely thanks to Tweed, one of the brands of Canopy Growth (WEED.TO).

Bruce Linton, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Canopy Growth, says he keeps tabs on how many new restaurants have sprung up around town in the last year or so as a measure of its economic success.

The current answer is four have started, says Linton proudly in an interview with Yahoo Canada Finance. And theyre all very good in a town that had, really, your choice between Dairy Queen, McDonalds, and a couple of rundown pizza joints. And now its coming up.

But as one of the biggest players in medical marijuana, and soon in the recreational marijuana industry, Canopy Growth is looking to do more than revitalize a town.

In some circles they would call it corporate social responsibility  I think thats a bunch of crap, because corporations are not socially responsible, says Linton. What they are is responsible to the future of the corporation and the potential earnings. But if youre actually long term thinking, you know that what you want to do is use everything you can thats local. Be as supportive and integrated as you can. Because this town was in desperate state when I bought the building.

When Linton started Tweed in 2014, he began with just 30 employees. His workforce grew to 300 by 2017. This year, its up to 800. And the company has 900 more job openings to fill. From PhDs to marketing leads to production workers, Canopy Growth is looking to fill positions not just at Tweed in Smiths Falls, but at its facilities across Canada.

Story continues

Cannabis plants are seen in the flowering room at the Canopy Growth facility in Smiths Falls, Ont. (Yahoo Canada Finance/Tori Floyd)

M&A? No way

While Canopy is looking to expand rapidly in terms of hiring, theres one area where the company is bucking the trend of other cannabis industry heavyweights: its not interested in any more mergers or acquisitions at this time.

I think if I acquired anybody thats out there, I would probably have to rip everything out theyve built and redo it our way, because weve built so much ourselves, says Linton. Basically, Id be acquiring an iPhone 2 when Ive already invented the iPhone 11.

Its in stark contrast to the recent actions of Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO), which just closed its $3.2 billion acquisition of MedReleaf. The last acquisition by Canopy Growth was in early July, when it purchased cannabis supplier Hiku, which includes well-known Toronto-based cannabis retail brand Tokyo Smoke. The company is looking to find spaces where it isnt already fully present in order to reach a broader consumer base.

I think you will see as were doing with Hiku, acquisitions moving up, says Linton. You know, someday Ill probably buy a biotech company. And you say, well, why? Because Im not going to share our margins with the pharma company. Well just bake our own pharma company. Thats where were going.

Charles Taerk, President and CEO of Faircourt Asset Management Inc., says that its not a bad plan for Canopy to pull back from acquiring other companies for now.

This is an early-stage sector, and theres going to be more M&A activity, sayd Taerk. But mergers and acquisitions dont always necessarily work out. Theres some skepticism as to whether the Aurora takeovers of Cannimed and MedReleaf are going to pan out because there really hasnt been a lot of information provided by Aurora as to where the synergies, where the efficiencies are, how everything is going to be integrated.

Taerk explains that each of these big players has unique operational aspects, and he says Canopy Growth has become a good cultivator and processor on its own. It makes less sense to take over a company because they have square footage for more cultivation, since the cost to cultivate and generate capacity for more cultivation will be less integral as the market establishes.

Two Canopy Growth workers hold marijuana plants before the buds are removed in the trim room. (Yahoo Canada Finance/Tori Floyd)

Even as Canopy expands its footprint overseas, Linton says he doesnt currently see value in acquiring others for more square footage.

In Canada, I dont need any more capacity I think ever, says Linton. What I have to do is continually evolve from production, so that it becomes subordinated into being an ingredient. The conversation were having about production right now, in another 18 to 24 months, [competitors] will be saying well, we have production, and theyll be saying gosh I wish I had finished goods.'

Norman Levine, Managing Director for Portfolio Management Corp., agrees that Canopy has, based on speculation about how the recreational market will play out, positioned itself as best it can ahead of recreational marijuana legalization in Canada in October.

From a ready for rec[reational] perspective, Canopy is certainly well out in front. They have a combination of strengths, says Levine. First, the agreement both for equity and partnership on innovation with Constellation Brands, that was very early and well ahead of anyone else. Secondly, their current cultivation  not just that they have more cultivation than everyone else  they have been building up inventory, so theyre ready from a provincial supply standpoint that they have been winners in initial supply agreements, but they will also likely be winners when some of their competitors cant fulfill their supply obligations, or the second round, the six months after its legal.

If people dont have enough current capacity, heres Canopy with more than enough capacity to fill up where some provinces may be short.

Looking to what comes next

While legislation around the marijuana edibles market is still up in the air, many companies are betting big that beverages will be a hit with consumers when that legislation comes to pass. Molson recently entered into a deal with Hydropothecary to develop cannabis beverages. Earlier this year, both Aurora and Aphria (APH.TO) entered into deals with beverage producers to boost their presence in that market.

Canopy made a deal ahead of the rest of those companies, exchanging a 10 per cent stake in Canopy for a $245 million investment from alcohol supplier Constellation Brands.

Ive joked before, I think the entire reason we learned how to fashion clay and do pottery is they needed someone to store wine, says Linton with a laugh. Like, that wasnt about water, for sure.

And so I think the effect of that is its such a normalized social lubricant. I believe that when cannabinoids are the driver and not alcohol, people will say, I do have no problem finding enough calories elsewhere. Ill take the zero calorie mood modifierI think beverages done on a big scale are going to be hugely disruptive.

But Canopy isnt limiting itself to just cannabis-infused beverages. The companys research and development department is exploring various consumable options, but is keeping exactly what it has in store tightly under wraps for now. Based on what theyre researching, however, its safe to say theyre way beyond just pot brownies and marijuana-infused gummies.

Were going to make anything and everything thats lawful, says Linton. And we hope that [politicians] dont decide that gummy bears are a great idea, because thats just a tricky format to hide some bad oils. And its kind of weird format if youre trying to say we dont market to children.

Levine agrees that diversifying consumable product offerings is a smart plan, because no one knows what consumers will end up really adopting.

The larger companies should have a toe-hold in everything because they dont know whats going to work and what isnt going to work, says Levine. Just because theyre coming out with cannabis-infused beverages, they may be popular they may not be, you dont know. Some edible products may work, they may not. If youve got your toe in these things without committing too much to it, youre there if it works, but not everythings going to work just because it has cannabis in the name.

If somebody like Constellation Brands wants to pay you a humungous amount to produce cannabis-infused beverages, youd be crazy not to.

Not for the meek investor

With so much buzz around marijuana companies ahead of recreational legalization, many investors are curious whether they should take the plunge and put their money into one of the many cannabis companies out there now, including Canopy. But right now, investors need a pretty strong stomach to weather the ups and downs of some of the most volatile stocks on the TSX.

I have investors calling me asking why the stock went down three per cent today. Well, why did it go up five per cent the day before? says Linton.

If theres no tangible news, he says their guess is as good as his, and its just a matter of life for all publicly traded marijuana comapnies right now. Taerk says that at this stage, the volatility is to be expected, as investors arent quite sure what to make of companies like Canopy as they prepare for October 17.

A vacuum-sealed package of cannabis is seen in the vault at the Canopy Growth facility in Smiths Falls, Ont. (Yahoo Canada Finance/Tori Floyd)

[Canopys] growing quite quickly, theyre not yet profitable, so from a cash flow perspective, they are spending a lot of money, says Taerk. Some investors are worried that the cash burn may catch up with them. On the other side, theyve raised a lot of capital, and the cash burn is temporary in anticipation of when rec comes on stream and being able to significant revenue. Their one weakness would be their quarterly financial statements, but thats temporary in nature when youre looking at an early-stage sector.

But Levine says there are too many unknowns at this stage to confidently invest in any cannabis stocks.

I wouldnt do it, not now, says Levine. I preface this by saying marijuana stocks  which are sin stocks, like tobaco, alcohol and casinos  are usually great investments. The reason is theres a limited number of players, they have high margins, they have strong brands, and their customers are generally addicted to their product. As an investor, you can say with some certainty theyre going to grow.

But you dont have any certainty [with marijuana stocks] into any of the above what the sales are going to be. Youve got way too many companies chasing a market here, so there will be lots of losers. Until you know how things are going to sort out, you dont know what youre doing.

Linton, however, remains confident that while he cant speak to what his competitors are doing, his primary concern is what impact their choices will have on the marijuana industry as a whole.

Im more worried about if companies have falsely high market caps and I know what their actual production in sales will be over the next 12 months, Im more worried theyre going to implode and damage the sector, says Linton. So my principal worry is people who put out too many press releases and not enough productIm more worried about that frankly, than I am somebody passing us.

We dont particularly spend much time looking in the rear view mirror.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Google China

Reuters

Google used one of the sites it owns in China to test a censored search engine.

The site is 265.com, which Google acquired in 2008.

China's government has indicated Google is welcome back as long as it follows the law.

Details continue to trickle out about Google's work on a search engine built specifically to appease the Chinese government, which keeps a tight grip on the flow of information in that country.

To refine the search engine, Google engineers relied on samples of search queries obtained from 265.com, a Chinese-based web directory that Google acquired in 2008, the Intercept reported Wednesday.

It was the Intercept that broke the news last week, that Google was building a search engine that complied with China's strict ban on certain web sites and search terms. The move would be a reversal of a 2010 decision by the company to pull search operations out of China rather than censor information.

The apparent flip-flop brought heaps of criticism on Google's leadership, from politicians, media pundits, and even some employees. Earlier this year, Google appeared to put some distance between itself and the military when it promised never to use artificial intelligence to build weapons or cause harm.

Many people asked why Google refused to work with the US military but was seeking to help a communist government supress free speech. One group that wasn't critical of Google's decision was the Chinese government. Chinese state media welcomed Google back to the country, saying things will be fine as long as the company follows the law, according to a story in The Washington Post.

Right now, Google.com and some of the companies other services, such as YouTube are not accessible in China, but 265.com is not blocked, the Intercept reported.

"It appears that Google," the Intercept wrote, "has used 265.com as a de facto honeypot for market research, storing information about Chinese users searches before sending them along to Baidu (Google's largest competitor in China)."

Story continues

Google did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

NOW WATCH: A diehard Mac user switches to PC

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Some Google employees are confused and angry about a recent report that Google is creating a censored search engine for China
While the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's hopes Eastern Health will reconsider the closure of a public health clinic, the health authority says it's looking at other options.

At a public meeting Wednesday night, the town and Eastern Health met to discuss the news that the clinic would be closing in late September.

The town said it was blindsided by the decision, an oversight Eastern Health admits to.

"The town didn't get contacted in advance of our decision here, so that was certainly an oversight on our behalf," Judy O'Keefe, a vice-president with Eastern Health, told CBC's St. John's Morning Show on Thursday.

The clinic  which provides access to public health nurses, child health checks and immunizations and breastfeeding clinics, among other services  was described by Coun. Tina Neary as "everything" to the small community.

"We weren't consulted. No one spoke to us about this in advance, so it's really been a real blow to all of us," Neary told St. John's Morning Show on Wednesday.

'Constructive dialogue'

After the meeting Wednesday night, Mayor Carol McDonald said Eastern Health was reconsidering its decision to close the clinic.

"We had a very constructive dialogue, and both sides have agreed to work together," she said after the town council's Wednesday evening meeting with Eastern Health.

"They have agreed to go back and take another look."

However, Thursday morning O'Keefe said that was not one of the items discussed at the meeting.

"At this point, I guess anything is on the table. However, that's not one of the things that we did discuss. We did talk about lots of other options," she said.

"What we said to them was, let's both walk away, think about it for a few days. We both have some ideas to see if we can come up with some ways that we can ensure the citizens in the Portugal Cove-St. Philip's area aren't negatively affected."

Story continues

O'Keefe added the decision to close the clinic isn't a targeted one, but rather a result of the health authority's lease on the property ending.

"It just happened to be timely in terms of our responsibility to ensure that we're looking after the public's money," said O'Keefe.

Services would still be offered in the town through partnerships, like child immunization clinics at the schools and breast-feeding support groups at the church, but some other services would have to be moved to the clinic on Major's Path in St. John's.

It's an 11-kilometre drive from the town, she said, and for anyone who would be unable to get themselves to the clinic, other services would be an option.

Moving staff and services

O'Keefe added home visiting will still be "their major model of delivery" for people like seniors and others who have a hard time getting to St. John's.

The staff in the Portugal Cove-St. Philip's clinic would also move to the Major's Path clinic, she said, to meet the new demand there.

While both parties have gone to consider other options, with another meeting planned next week, Mayor McDonald said she remains optimistic.

"They did say they would look at it very, very shortly because time is running out," McDonald said.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
By Tom Westbrook SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Thursday promised radio gear and help to build parliament offices in Samoa's capital of Apia, the latest pledge of aid in the Pacific Islands where China and Australia have been ramping up tit-for-tat donations. The promises are part of vigorous new campaign by the United States and its allies to reassert influence in the region, where new figures show China has emerged as the second-largest donor. The size of Australia's backing for the Legislative Assembly Office was not disclosed in a government announcement it, nor did Foreign Minister Julie Bishop give a figure for a radio transmission facility she promised in a radio interview. Since 2011, China has spent $1.3 billion on concessionary loans and gifts ranging from computer hardware in Papua New Guinea to a new prime ministerial compound in Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila. That has stoked concern, as some of the loans fall due, that the small recipient countries are becoming increasingly beholden to Beijing financially, adding to strains in Sino-Australia ties and worrying the World Bank. "The challenge for all development partners is to ensure investments ... don't impose onerous debt burdens on regional governments," Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp. by telephone from Apia. Visiting for a meeting of regional foreign ministers and to announce the aid, she added that Australia welcomed China's donations to the region, although she has previously criticized the scale of its lending. Spending by China is almost 9 percent of total aid donations in the South Pacific since 2011, figures from the Australia-funded Lowy Institute show, well behind Australia's roughly 44 percent. But if pledged aid is included, China's promises total $5.9 billion, or nearly a third of all aid promised to the region's 14 countries by 62 donors. "There is definitely an element of briefcase diplomacy in the Pacific," the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands programme director, Jonathan Pryke, told Reuters by telephone from Samoa. The Lowy numbers also show China jostling with Taiwan to use aid to cultivate diplomatic ties in a region home to a third of Taiwan's allies. (GRAPHIC: China's lending in the Pacific - https://tmsnrt.rs/2LG3p6S) Taiwan's aid has helped its allies develop without incurring financial overload, the self-ruled island's economic and cultural office in Australia told Reuters, adding that it aimed for "reciprocal and mutually beneficial relations" with allies. Representatives of China in Australia did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment, nor did a spokeswoman for New Zealand's foreign minister or foreign ministries in Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue. Beijing considers the island a wayward province of "one China". (Reporting by Tom Westbrook in SYDNEY; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Yi-Mou Lee in TAIPEI; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Wednesday offered further evidence that a secretive annual conclave of senior leaders is being held at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, saying that Premier Li Keqiang had met a United Nations official there. Traditionally top party leaders visit the town every summer on an unofficial retreat to discuss personnel moves and policy ideas behind closed doors. Li and President Xi Jinping have not appeared on the main evening news since the start of the month, as opposed to almost daily appearances normally, suggesting they may have been in Beidaihe. The government typically does not confirm the Beidaihe meetings are happening, with the only clues coming from state media dispatches datelined Beidaihe about often quite mundane events, rather than describing the leadership discussions. In a brief dispatch, state radio said Li had met United Nations General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa in Beidaihe, where the two discussed the need to promote free trade, against the backdrop of China's trade war with the United States. Over the weekend, state media had also said Chen Xi, who as head of the Organisation Department oversees the ruling Communist Party's personnel decisions, had been told by Xi to visit "vacationing experts" in Beidaihe. It said Vice Premier Hu Chunhua had accompanied Chen. Sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats have told Reuters the Beidaihe meeting was likely in early August. Beidaihe, about two hours east of Beijing by high-speed train, is steeped in party history, though sources with ties to the leadership say Xi is not a fan of the place. Its beginnings date from the late 19th century, as a resort for Western missionaries and traders to escape the summer heat, though few buildings from those days still stand. After the communist takeover in 1949, it became a venue for leaders to relax with family and talk in private with peers. The founder of modern China, Mao Zedong, was particularly fond of it, and his calligraphy of a poem he composed there is displayed around the town. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has agreed with Madrid that it can send back to Spain migrants who have already applied for asylum there, a spokeswoman for the interior ministry said on Wednesday, in what is the first deal of its kind. The move comes after a dispute between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Bavarian allies over returning migrants that nearly split them and brought down the government. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann said the two EU countries had signed the deal on Monday that would, from Saturday, enable them to send such migrants back to Spain within 48 hours. Spain did not require anything in return, she added. A Spanish government spokeswoman said the deal was part of the agreements reached in the last European summit on migration in late June. She said Spain accepted Germany's demand to send back asylum seekers who got to Germany from Spain. Spain has become the new main entry point for asylum-seekers fleeing Africa. Around 19,000 asylum-seekers arrived in the first five months of this year, almost as many as in all of 2017, eclipsing for the first time the numbers flowing through north Africa to Italy. More than 1.6 million migrants have arrived in Germany since mid-2014, provoking tensions and propelling the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) into the national parliament. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, leader of Christian Social Union (CSU) - the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) - is keen to show he is taking action to reduce immigration as his party faces a tough October regional election in which the AfD is expected to fare well. Germany is seeking similar deals with Italy and Greece. The discussions with those countries are still going on, Petermann said, adding that both Italy and Greece had made counterdemands. Merkel is due to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the weekend and migration will feature in their talks, a spokeswoman for the German government said. Sanchez pushed migration up the agenda shortly after he took office in June by accepting the Aquarius, an NGO boat carrying 629 migrants that was blocked from docking in Italy and Malta, and says Spain is committed to a joint European response to illegal migration. Until now it has only been possible to reject migrants at the border if they enter Germany via a safe neighboring country without the necessary documents to enter and do not want to apply for asylum here. But those who wanted to apply for asylum in Germany could enter up until now even if they had already applied in another country. (Reporting by Michelle Martin and Markus Wacket in Berlin and Carlos Ruano in Madrid; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Over 190 people from Henvey Inlet First Nation will return to their homes today, some two weeks after they were evacuated from their homes due to wildfires near the Georgian Bay community in northeastern Ontario.

Chief and council made the decision after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry declared that the Parry Sound 33 fire is "almost" contained, as dozens of fires continue to burn across northeastern Ontario.

Chief Wayne McQuabbie says his community will remain on a three-hour evacuation alert in case the fire, which has been held at 11,362 hectares for the past few days, starts to grow again.

"I felt comfortable knowing hose line has been run on sections of the eastern flank west of our community off Highway 69, and felt safe to allow community members to return home," McQuabbie said in a release.

During the two weeks, people from Henvey Inlet, including Angele Dubois, stayed in hotels in Sudbury and Parry Sound.

"I'm just excited to get back to everyday life and grateful for the firefighters who ensured we had a community to go back to, but I'm still going to keep a go-bag by the door in case we have to leave, but I'm still really happy to be going home," Dubois said in a release.

The ministry said crews continue to work the 120-kilometre perimeter of the Parry Sound 33 fire and "containment around it is almost complete."

However, the ministry said "there is still potential for high fire behaviour given the very dry fuels in the area."

Some parts of the municipality of Killarney, not including the Village of Killarney, remain evacuated. An evacuation alert for about 1,000 people in the nearby town of Alban also remains in effect.

'Being held'

Meanwhile, the ministry said the Lady Evelyn fire in the Temiskaming district is now listed as being held, "which means that given current resource levels, this fire is not expected to spread under current and forecasted weather conditions."

Story continues

The ministry said crews have started removing sprinkler systems that were set up to protect buildings in the area.

Across northeastern Ontario, there are currently 43 active forest fires, 14 of them listed as not under control.

Almost 500 firefighters and support staff have been brought in from across Canada, the United States and Mexico to assist.

Smoke from the fires "will be visible until fire activity is reduced and weather patterns change," the ministry said, but no special air quality statements have been issued by Environment Canada.
A Saudi Arabian man has been granted release, under certain conditions, from the Laval, Que., detention facility he's been held in since July 26, pending his deportation.

"It was like an angel came and told me, 'You can stay with your kids and your wife,'" the man CBC is calling Omar said. "That nightmare finally disappeared."

CBC News is withholding Omar's real name due to his concern for the safety of family members still in Saudi Arabia.

Omar was set to be deported Wednesday morning when a United Nations committee stepped in and asked the Canadian government not to expel him to his home country.

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada granted his release after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recommended it based on the UN's request to put his deportation on hold, according to one of his lawyers, Chantal Ianniciello.

He was not present at the hearing today because he was in hospital due to a pre-existing medical condition that was aggravated by stress. He's expected to be discharged from hospital on Friday.

The conditions of his release include disclosing his home address and reporting to a CBSA office four times a year.

"There is a hope that the difficult part is done," Omar told CBC News.

Omar came to Canada by way of Roxham Road, where Quebec and New York meet, in the spring with his wife and two sons.

They all filed asylum claims, but his was rejected outright because he had withdrawn a previous claim.

He tried to get his removal stayed but lost his appeal.

Ianniciello said the team is now waiting to hear back regarding the request to reopen Omar's refugee claim request.

"It could take between a few weeks, a few months," Ianniciello said. "We're just relieved that everything comes to a positive end."

Omar will also be eligible for pre-removal risk assessment in October, one year after he withdrew his first asylum claim. Another option would be to join his wife's application for permanent residency if her asylum claim is accepted.

Story continues

Omar's wife was present at the hearing, and told CBC News she felt like she could finally breathe again.

Omar said he hopes to be able to volunteer at an organization that helps others in similar situations in Canada.

He said he plans to take his children to visit La Ronde amusement park.
Like clockwork, Ontario receives a new report detailing the staffing shortages at long-term care homes every few years. Still, the problem remains, the inquiry into long-term care heard Wednesday.

In cross-examination of Karin Fairchild, who works in compliance for the Hamilton Service Area Office and advised the province on creating the Long-Term Care Homes Act, counsel for the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) cited multiple reports dating back to 2001 that all came to similar conclusions about a lack of nursing power at long-term care homes.

These include:

- A 2001 report on long-term care by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which found that residents at Ontario facilities have higher needs and receive less nursing care than patients in other provinces.

- A 2004 report prepared for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, which found that nurses don't view long-term care as an appealing career path, and found pay inequities between long-term care and hospital nursing jobs.

- A 2006 coroner's inquest into deaths at the Casa Verde Health Centre in west Toronto, which recommended increasing staff levels in long-term care homes and ensuring pay equity between long-term care homes and hospital settings.

- A 2008 report by Ontario healthcare expert Shirlee Sharkey, which recommended that residents in long-term care receive four hours of total care every day, and one hour by a registered nurse.

Notably, the 2004 ministry report cited a nursing home that had just one registered nurse, one registered practical nurse and four aides tasked with the care of 160 people overnight.

That situation bore a similarity to the staffing mix at Caressant Care in Woodstock, Ont., where Elizabeth Wettlaufer was often the only registered nurse on staff during night shifts, and where she killed seven of her eight victims.

"All of these reports identify staffing as an issue, and I'm just wondering what the hesitation is in either legislating the one hour of care four hours of direct care or requiring a home to have more than one registered nurse depending on size?" counsel for the ONA asked.

Story continues

"I'm not the person to make those decisions. I would be happy for someone to make decisions at a higher level to fund those recommendations, but I don't have control over that," said Fairchild.

Compliance branch also under-resourced

Understaffing isn't just a problem for nurses, the inquiry heard Wednesday.

The offices charged with inspecting Ontario's long-term care homes do not have the manpower to conduct inspections "in a timely manner," Fairchild said.

Fairchild said care homes, nurses and the public have a number of ways to report problems at long-term care homes, and that the overall number of complaints continues to grow. But her team doesn't have enough people to respond, Fairchild said at the Elgin County courthouse in St. Thomas.

"Given the resources that I have now, I can't keep up. I'm lucky in that I have a very long-term set of staff, so it's not that they're not afraid of the work  it's just that there's too much of it."

The resourcing issues date back to the enactment of the Long-Term Care Homes Act in 2010, said Fairchild, who played a role in drafting the legislation.

Even so, she told the inquiry the province's inspection system has done a proactive job of catching problems and effecting change. Fairchild said a "large majority" of homes do report their problems to the province.

"Is it able to detect someone who wilfully hides their crime? Obviously not, because we didn't know about it until [Elizabeth Wettlaufer] confessed," Fairchild said.

"But I do think that for the residents in other long-term care homes where we have identified systemic problems, we've ceased admissions, we've required mandatory management orders, we've made a difference in the quality of care for those residents through our actions."

Wettlaufer worked at three Ontario nursing homes before she confessed to killing eight patients and trying to kill or harm six others between 2007 and 2016.

Following Fairchild's testimony, the inquiry was to hear testimony from officials with the South-West Local Health Integration Network, which oversees home care in southwestern Ontario. After leaving the Meadow Park nursing home in London, Wettlaufer worked for a temp agency and tried to kill others with insulin overdoses.

Wettlaufer, 51, was sentenced in June 2017 to eight concurrent life terms in prison.

The inquiry began in June and runs until September.
A wastewater leak into the Fish River in Fort Kent, Maine, may have short-term effects on the St. John River, the New Brunswick Department of Health said Wednesday.

The department is posting warning signs at the beach in Saint-Hilaire and advising the Village of Baker Brook to take precautions about drinking water.

The Department of Health is also taking water samples at both locations.

The risk from the sewage discharge is low in areas south of Edmundston, the department said.

- Blue-green algae confirmed as cause of dogs' sudden deaths in Fredericton

- Plant that threatens underwater life invades St. John River

U.S. officials had already issued a warning about sewage leaking into the St. John River.

The Aroostook Emergency Management Agency issued a public safety announcement Tuesday, warning people not to swim, fish, drink or come into contact with waters downriver from Fort Kent, Maine.

A treatment facility just across the river and the border from Clair, N.B., about 25 kilometres upriver from Edmundston, had failed to contain wastewater during a downpour.

"Basically, what happened was they had pump equipment failure," said Nick Archer, regional director of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. "Normally, you have two pumps in there, but one of them was out for repair and it was just overwhelmed by the high flow.

"They got a lot of rain all at once up there, like an inch and a half in a short period of time."

The warning shared on social media sites reads: "NO CONTACT ORDER for the Fish River and St John River in Northern Maine from Ft Kent to the Canadian border. "

Border down the middle

The Fish River empties into the St. John River directly across from Canada. The border between the two countries runs down the centre of the St. John River, splitting the body of water in half.

Archer estimates about 50 litres escaped every minute for about seven hours before the leak was stopped at around midnight Tuesday night.

Story continues

"But they were partially treating it  and they were chlorinating it as they were discharging it," Archer said.

The New Brunswick precautions will remain in effect until the province is sure the situation is resolved.

Samples are being tested by the Environmental Protection Agency and Archer expects results to be within acceptable limits when they come back Thursday morning.

Until then, he said, the warnings about coming into contact with the waters of the St. John River will remain.

"We expect because of the chlorination, it should be fine, but we'll have to verify that," he said. "But I would suspect that by the time we pull the samples tonight that everything should be OK."

The spill comes just days before a large muskie fishing tournament is set to start.

"Of course, this would be the week that they have the muskie derby in Fort Kent and they're going to have 500 fishermen going to be up there," said Archer.

"But we think everything is going to be fine."
Elizabeth Gilbert, in an On Being podcast, mentioned something she noticed about the creative Spirit and ideas. Ideas want to be found, and sometimes multiple people at different times find the exact same idea.

It used to irritate me to find out the very idea I have been so innovative in dreaming up has been discovered elsewhere. I had a particular view of God that I felt I had to perform for.

Holy Spirit looks for people whose hearts are open. Out of the open-hearted, there is usually one who is ready to move on an idea; like the parable of the ten virgins, this one has shown up with the extra lamp oil. In todays terms, for someone to start a genius inspired business or missions project that person would ideally be debt free with savings set aside, well connected, and at a place in their life where they can commit to something long term.

I caught an idea in my 20s while living in Australia called The Meeting Place Cafe. I lived the life of faith running it as an unpaid missionary with debt fearfully wondering what I could do to bring in more income. It was dramatic at times, but I saw the maker of miracles come through.

When a very stressful few months hit in my final year, my body became sick. I had no money to see a doctor and kept asking God for a miracle. Daily, I faced an emotional spectrum in my desire to keep doing for the Lord while putting myself last.

God deals in both miracles and process.

The Israelites had a season where manna fell from Heaven to sustain them as they walked through the wilderness. Later on, God found it more fitting to work out a miracle through training and process. Caleb trained his tribe in battle knowing they would eventually have to take the Promised Land. He was a man who heard the word of the Lord and set to work to make himself ready and open for the day it would come to pass.

I am not guaranteed manna every time I ask.

It became clear to me that climbing out of a bodily and spiritual sickness would be a process. This breaking point resulted in the choice to move back to the USA to heal. I knew I needed to break from all the doing for God. Moving meant putting down the version of me that I believed was better, to face the ghost of the girl I left in Montana. I dont think I fully realised that God was not benching me. God was going with me to love me well.

God used what was harmful to me to create a greater understanding of who He is and what my role in Him is. I learned the place of blessing I want is not something to be taken with sheer will. Churches can preach a Gospel to the young which creates a picture of God being hard to please: that too is harmful. Place is something that a loving God creates for me while He stoops low to delight in me. Yet my perspective of Him will colour the gift with love or with bitterness.

If I do the right thing, even if its innovative, with the wrong intentions, I reap bitterness every time.

The Lord can give and He can take away, and it has nothing to do with my value as a human being. The place of health and blessing is one of rest and knowing what responsibilities belong to me, and the grace the Lord has given in that moment to do them.

With each chance I take or idea I hatch, there is an opportunity to know God and understand more of His love. God will never ask me to do something that compromises who I am in Him or the destiny He has for me. God knows I am vulnerable, limited, and dependent, which is beautiful to Him.

Kali was born in the beautiful State of Montana, USA. She graduated with a double Bachelors degree in Fine Art and Art Education (K-12). She helped found the Meeting Place Cafe for Youth with A Mission, Brisbane Australia. Currently she works for a local church doing graphic design, and is a part-time art, design and marketing teacher. Her passions include creativity and championing young people to be developed into their God-given identity and potential. Rest looks like a good book, dinner parties with friends, or a good coffee spot.
The track record for companies who opt to skip an IPCPR Trade Show is not good, but for Southern Draw Cigars they went against all odds. They returned to the IPCPR Trade Show in 2017 and the consensus was they had an excellent IPCPR. The company returned in 2018, and they knocked it out of the park  earning the Cigar Coop selection for Best Performance by a Small Company at IPCPR.

Coming into IPCPR, the company had pre-announced two new lines in its portfolio  Cedrus  The Hogan and 300 Hands. While these announcements provided details of the releases, Southern Draw opted to literally world premiere these cigars at the Trade Show  complete with an unveiling and a presentation by the company on the releases.

Both cigars featured some unique blends combined with some innovative packaging.

Day One was for Cedrus  The Hogan. This was a project that paid homage to two people who co-owners Robert and Sharon Holt say were instrumental in the success of the company, Phil and Shelly Hogan. The Hogans were on hand for the unveiling and the presentation.

The Cedrus blend consists of a Sumatra wrapper from the Besuki region of Indonesia over a Habano 2000 wrapper from Nicaragua and a filler consisting of Habana 92, Corojo 99, and Criollo 98 from Nicaragua as well as Piloto Cuban from the Dominican Republic. While The Hogan is the first size being released under the Cedrus brand, there are other sizes planned for the future. The Hogan is a 5 1/2 x 52 box-pressed Belicoso Fino. The packaging features a uniquely designed box where the top is removed to reveal ten Cedrus  The Hogan cigars standing from the base.

While Cedrus was unveiled at 11am PST day one, it would be some 27 hours later before the world would see the 300 Hands line on day two. Originally the unveiling for 300 Hands was slated for 11am PST on day two, but the electrical fire that occurred at IPCPR pushed back the unveiling three hours.

The 300 Hands name pays homage to the people of Nicaragua involved in the 300 steps needed going from seed to store to deliver a hand-made premium cigar to the consumer. Many people live in poverty in Nicaragua, so the 300 Hands project has a charitable angle. Southern Draw will donate 25% of the profits of 300 Hands to (according to Southern Draw) those Nicaraguans that offered us their honest stories and identified specific needs in and around their own communities. The cigar is positioned as a premium value priced line with the cigars having an MSRP between $5.99  $6.49.

300 Hands consists of two blends  a Maduro and Habano. The 300 Hands Maduro consists of a Nicaraguan wrapper from Esteli, an Indonesian binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The Habano blend known as 300 Manos Habano consists of an Ecuadorian wrapper, Cameroon binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Both blends are available in five classic Cuban sizes: Petit Edmundo (4 3/4 x 52), Coloniales (5 1/4 x 44), Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), Piramides (6 1/8 x 52) and Churchill (7 x 48).

Southern Draw also positioned some unique packaging for this line. The company unveiled a patent-pending vertical display tray that holds 10 cigars of each size from both blends. The cigars also come with a series of cards that feature stories of the people involved with the activities around 300 Hands.

2018 Product Reports

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The agony of severe diarrhea can make some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) wish they were dead.

So claims a new survey that reveals the mental and physical fallout from the chronic disease.

"IBS can be an extremely tough, emotional and difficult condition to live with and, in addition to dedicating resources to improve the physical burden of IBS, it is essential that care and investment is committed to providing psychological and emotional support for the patient," said survey author Dr. Hans Tornblom. He's an associate professor specializing in gastroenterology at the University of Gothenberg, in Sweden.

About 11 percent of adults worldwide have IBS, which causes abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Diarrhea is the main symptom in about one-third of people with IBS.

For the study, researchers surveyed 513 IBS patients with diarrhea (IBS-D) in seven countries. One-quarter of them said IBS stops them from enjoying life, while 11 percent agreed with the statement, "When my IBS is bad, I wish I was dead."

More than one-third of patients said they constantly worry about whether and when their IBS symptoms will return, and one in five said IBS had harmed their working life.

On average, patients said they experience fatigue or a lack of energy for 18 days each month. Almost half the patients said they would use a daily treatment for the rest of their life if it prevented their IBS symptoms, and expressed a "willingness to try anything" to improve their condition.

One-third of patients said they don't think that health care providers take IBS seriously and should do more to help patients manage the disease.

An accompanying survey of 679 health care professionals found that two-thirds agreed that patients should feel heard and supported, and most said their main goal when managing IBS is significantly improving the patient's quality of life.

The study was published Aug. 8 in the UEG Journal.

One IBS expert noted that internet surveys like the ones used in this study can sometimes produce skewed results.

"Thirty-eight percent had never been evaluated by a gastroenterologist, which would be unexpected among patients with such severe symptoms, explaining why over 40 percent of respondents hadn't undergone a colonoscopy," said Dr. Arun Swaminath. He is director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"In the end, the data may more accurately reflect those with IBS-D, and some with an undiagnosed alternative illness, as well as those who are most prone to answering surveys from internet banners," Swaminath said.

Tornblom noted that "the majority of IBS sufferers do not seek medical advice for their condition. Of those that do speak to a health care professional, it is clear that there are high levels of dissatisfaction with the level of care that they currently receive," he added in a journal news release.

"Health care professionals experience a degree of uncertainty and complexity in managing IBS patients, and the research indicates the need for higher levels of communication between care providers and patients to facilitate improved patient outcomes," Tornblom said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more on IBS.
Cebu Air Inc., the operator of Cebu Pacific and Cebgo, said net income fell by more than a fifth in the first six months of 2018 on higher operating expenses brought about by costlier jet fuel prices. The airline, owned by the Gokongwei Group, said net income amounted to P3.30 billion in the January-to-June period, down 24 percent from P4.3 billion year-on-year Cebu Air registered revenues of P37.83 billion in the six-month period, up 6.1 percent from P35.65 billion revenues generated in the same period last year. Passenger revenues rose 6.3 percent to P28.30 billion from P26.62 billion a year ago. Cebu Air attributed the increase in passenger revenues to the 3.7-precent rise in average fares to P2,734 from P2,637 last year. The growth in passenger volume by 2.6 percent to 10.354 million from 10.094 million last year also contributed to the increase in revenues. Cargo revenues increased 28 percent to P2.652 billion, while ancillary revenues declined 1.2 percent to P6.87 billion from P6.96 billion last year.Cebu Air incurred operating expenses of P33.06 billion, up 14 percent from P29 billion last year. Cebu Air blamed the increase in operating expenses to the rise in fuel prices in 2018, coupled with the weakening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar. The peso averaged 51.98 per US dollar in the first six months from an average of 49.93 last year. The growth in the airlines seat capacity from the acquisition of new aircraft also contributed to the increase in expenses. Flying operations expenses climbed 18 percent to P14.52 billion from P12.29 billion incurred in the same period last year. This was largely brought about by the 22.7-percent increase in aviation fuel expenses to P12.337 billion from P10.05 billion last year. Jet fuel prices averaged $84 a barrel in the six months from $63 per barrel in 2017.
THURSDAY, Aug. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Postpartum depression isn't limited to moms.

Rates of depression among new fathers are similar to those among new mothers, and more needs to be done to help these men, two psychologists say.

"Recent research has shown that roughly 10 percent of new dads experience postpartum depression, and up to 18 percent have some type of anxiety disorder," said Dan Singley, of the Center for Men's Excellence in San Diego.

"Unfortunately, few psychologists receive focused training regarding identifying, assessing or treating common men's issues in the period from conception to a year or so post-childbirth," Singley said in a news release from the American Psychological Association.

Men tend not to seek mental health services during this period, so there's a lack of scholarly attention to this vulnerable group, Singley added.

Singley's work on male postpartum depression was scheduled for presentation Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, in San Francisco.

Sara Rosenquist is also addressing dads' postpartum depression at the meeting at the same time.

"The predominant narrative has attributed these experiences to hormonal changes and fluctuations specifically related to pregnancy and birthing," said Rosenquist, of the Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health Psychology in Cary, N.C.

"It is highly unlikely that the hormonal disruptions of pregnancy and birthing would explain the whole picture if fathers and adoptive parents all experience postpartum depression at the same rates," added Rosenquist.

Factors that could trigger anxiety and the "baby blues" in new fathers include sleep deprivation, exhaustion, time away from work, gender role conflict and concerns about being a good parent, the psychologists said.

New and expectant fathers should be screened for signs of depression, Rosenquist and Singley believe.

However, identifying depression in men can be a challenge because they can have different symptoms than women, Rosenquist said.

"Women are more likely to report feelings of sadness and frequent crying, whereas men are more likely to feel irritable and socially disconnected," she said.

One thing that can help men avoid postpartum depression is support from friends, Singley said.

"Fathers who maintain solid social support networks experience a buffer from the conflicts and demands associated with parenting," he said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on postpartum depression.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Johannesburg, August 9, 2018Cameroonian authorities should speedily investigate an alleged arson attack on community radio station Sky FM in the volatile Northwest region and ensure those responsible are prosecuted, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Unknown persons on August 3 set fire to the station, destroying the building and equipment, according to the station owner Abdou Borno, an article on Sky FMs official Facebook page, Cameroonian journalist Ndi Eugene Ndi, and two local website reports. The equipment included two transmitters, computers, four recorders, a video camera, a mixer, decoder, television set, and office furniture, according to Borno.

The radio station is based in the town of Ndu, about 124 km (77 miles) from Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest regionone of two regions where Anglophone separatists have been waging an armed struggle for an independent state called Ambazonia against the predominately French-speaking government of President Paul Biya, according to news reports. A recent Human Rights Watch report blamed both sides for grave abuses against civilians, including killings.

All parties to the conflict in Cameroon, whether government forces or Ambazonians, should stop targeting journalists and media organizations and allow them to operate safely and without fear of reprisal, said Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa Program Coordinator. The media is not the enemy. Journalists are simply trying to do their jobs by ensuring that citizens are armed with useful information in what has become an increasingly bloody phase in Cameroons history.

Borno told CPJ that he learned of the fire the morning of August 4 when the manager of the nearby Summit Hotel, Nformi Victor, called him to tell him that the radio station had burned down. According to Borno, Victor told him that a hotel receptionist heard a noise at about 11 p.m. the night before; she did not investigate further since she did not hear the noise again and because it was windy.

Sky FMs station manager, Bernard Tata Gibip, found a cutlass, gasoline container, and a box of matches near the radio station after he too was alerted by Victor, Borno told CPJ.

The station broadcasts in English and all other local languages including Limbum and Mbororo, on topics including culture, health, and the economy, according to Borno, who is a local official of Biyas ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement party. The station also broadcasts BBC programs and national broadcasts in French.

Borno told CPJ on August 7 that he believed his radio station was targeted because of its Back to School campaign, which began last year encouraging students to return to school. The new school year starts in September, and a school boycott has been in place since November 2016 when lawyers and teachers in both the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions began protesting the alleged marginalization of English by Biyas central government in Yaounde, according to news reports. The grassroots protest was then taken over by separatist factions as the conflict escalated with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing them of violently enforcing the boycott, according to the independent humanitarian news website, IRIN.

The station has been off air since May 19 after its two transmitters were damaged in a lightening strike; they were planning to relaunch the week of August 8, according to Borno.

Borno told CPJ that because the new school year starts next month, the separatist activists know very well our stand so they decided to burn the entire radio house with all equipment.

In a detailed emailed statement to CPJ, a spokesperson for the separatists Self Defense Council of the Ambazonian Interim Government (ASC), A.J.N. Mbiydzenyuy, said it controlled about 98 percent of the restoration forces who are the self-defense units of the separatist Ambazonia movement in the Northwest and Southwest regions and that there was no evidence that they were responsible for the arson attack.

The ASC leadership has never approved [an] arson attack, the restoration forces council in Nkambe is unaware of any involvement of their forcesand the field commanders of our forces in Ndu declined responsibility of the FM radio station arson attack, he said.

CPJ could not verify independently the alleged motive or whether separatists were responsible for the alleged arson.

Ndi, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the weekly NewsWatch, told CPJ that both the government and separatists were targeting journalists. Separatists are threatening us with messages that we are siding with government in our reports as we try to stay neutral or objective in the crisis. On the other hand, any report that seems to be propagating the agenda of the separatists is tantamount to the crime of apologies de terrorisme punishable under the anti-terrorism law by the government, he said.

Borno said he employed four staff members to report and produce programs. He said that the station, which he established in 2013, was not a profit-making enterprise, nor was it subsidized by the government.

Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who also serves as a government spokesperson, did not respond to CPJs request via Whatsapp for comment. The Northwest Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique had not replied to CPJs request for comment at the time of publication.

In a Cameroon special report about the abuse of anti-terror laws against journalists published last year, CPJ spoke to journalists who said they were increasingly caught between the Cameroonian government and separatists.

EDITORS NOTE: This text has been updated to correct that Cameroons government is predominately French-speaking.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



New York, August 9, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Maldives authorities to withdraw fines against and stop targeting the opposition-aligned broadcaster Raajje TV. The Maldives Broadcasting Commission yesterday fined Raajje TV 2 million Maldivian rufiyaa (US$130,000) the largest amount it can impose for airing a politicians statement made at an opposition demonstration in March, which the commission said was defamatory toward Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and threatened national security, according to news reports.

The fine is the fourth the commission, whose members are appointed by the president and approved by parliament, has imposed on the station since March 2017 and comes ahead of presidential elections scheduled for September 23. In a statement, Raajje TV said that the fine did not have legal standing.

The exorbitant and repeated fines against Raajje TV are clearly intended to cripple the TV station and amounts to a direct attack on whats left of press freedom in the Maldives, said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia Program Coordinator. The only conclusion is that President Abdulla Yameen Abdulla Gayoom is afraid the electorate wont choose him if it has a chance to hear critical coverage and opposing views.

The station can appeal after it pays the fine. The previous three fines totaled 1.7 million Maldivian rufiyaa (US$110,408), and the appeals are still pending, according to the Raajje statement. CPJ has previously documented how the repeated defamation fines against Raajje TV appear to be politically motivated and an attempt to shut down critical reporting.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Hundreds of protesters are expected to join a white civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., on August 11 and 12 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which became violent and resulted in the death of one woman. A coalition of local organizations is planning counter-protests in Washington on the same weekend, beginning on August 11. There are additional events expected in Charlottesville to coincide with the Washington rallies.

These demonstrations are taking place against a backdrop of hostile rhetoric against large sections of the media. Journalists should keep in mind that if violence breaks out they could face arrest by police or be the target of physical or verbal assault by protesters.

This has already happened at other protests. According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 31 journalists have been arrested at protests and 36 have faced some form of physical attack or interference at protests since the beginning of 2017. In January 2017, nine journalists were arrested as part of a kettle during inauguration protests.

Journalists are encouraged to be on the lookout for agents provocateurs in the crowd whose sole intent is to harm the media for doing their job.

CPJs Emergencies Response Team issued the following safety advisory for journalists covering or planning to cover these protests.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press will have attorneys on the ground in both Washington and Charlottesville to provide emergency legal support to journalists covering the protests and counter-protests. Journalists who need legal assistance can call the Reporters Committees hotline at 1-800-336-4243 or contact the Reporters Committee via email at hotline@rcfp.org. Journalists should consider plugging the emergency number into their phone, and carrying it in a separate piece of paper should their phone be confiscated or lost.

Basic preparedness:

Plan the assignment and ensure that you have a full battery on your mobile phone. Know the area you are going to. Work out in advance what you would do in an emergency.

Always try to work with a colleague and have a regular check-in procedure with your base. If you are a photographer, try to work with a partner who can keep their eyes on the street while you focus on shooting. It is easy to lose situational awareness while viewing a scene only through a lens.

Filming/recording equipment will obviously identify you as a journalist. There are times when looking like a journalist is important to signal to others, including police, that you are there to observe. However, in some instances, it is a good idea not to wear identifying logos, clothing or badges related to a media organization, or to be able to conceal them when necessary. Keep press credentials out of sight unless it is necessary to show them.

Maintain situational awareness at all times and limit valuables you are taking. It is important to understand the crowd dynamic. Be aware of the groups focus shifting toward the media.

Wear clothing and footwear that allows you to move swiftly. Avoid loose clothing and lanyards that can be grabbed as well as any flammable material (i.e. nylon). Wear camera straps on your shoulder, not your neck, to avoid being strangled if the camera is grabbed.

Consider your position. If you can, find an elevated position that might offer greater safety. Make sure elevated positions have multiple exit points, to avoid getting trapped.

At any location, always plan an evacuation route as well an emergency rendezvous point if you are working with others.

If working in a crowd, plan a strategy. It is sensible to keep to the outside of the crowd in order to not get sucked into the middle where it is hard to escape. Identify an escape route, and have a team emergency meeting point if working with others.

If dealing with tear gas:

Wear personal protective equipment including a gas mask, eye protection, body armor and helmet.

Individuals with asthma or respiratory issues should avoid areas where tear gas is being used. Likewise, contact lenses are not advisable. If large amounts of tear gas are being used, there is the possibility of high concentrations of gas sitting in areas with no movement of air.

Take note of any potential landmarks (i.e. posts, curbs) that can be used to help you navigate out of the area if you are struggling to see.

If you are exposed to tear gas, try to find higher ground and stand in fresh air to allow the breeze to carry away the gas. Do not rub your eyes or face as this may worsen the situation. Once possible, shower in cold water to wash the gas away from skin, but do not bathe. Clothing may need to be washed several times to remove the crystals completely or even be discarded.

When dealing with aggression:

Read body language to identify an aggressor and use your own body language to pacify a situation.

Keep eye contact with an aggressor, use open hand gestures and keep talking with a calming manner.

Keep an extended arms length from the threat. Back away and break away firmly without aggression if held. If cornered and in danger, shout.

If aggression increases, keep a hand free to protect your head and move with short, deliberate steps to avoid falling. If in a team, stick together and link arms.

While there are times when documenting aggression is crucial journalistic work, be aware of the situation and your own safety. Taking pictures of aggressive individuals can escalate a situation.

Journalists who are injured or require assistance can contact CPJ via report_violation@cpj.org.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has also published a brief guide for journalists covering protests in the U.S., which can be found here.

For more information on basic preparedness, assessing and responding to risk, or safety measures when covering civil conflict and disturbances, journalists should review CPJs Journalist Security Guide. For additional information and tools for pre-assignment preparation and post-incident assistance, visit CPJs resource center.

CPJ encourages local and freelance journalists and media organizations covering the August 11 and 12 rallies to closely follow the safety principles and practices of the ACOS Alliance, which can be found here.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Nicaraguas four-month-old popular uprising has not only weakened President Daniel Ortegas grip on power: it has eroded his governments control over the news.

Until recently, analysts told CPJ, most Nicaraguan news organizations supported Ortega or provided relatively benign coverage of his increasingly authoritarian regime. But amid a violent crackdown on demonstrators that has killed at least 300 people, more media outlets are providing hard-hitting reports about government abuses and some have joined in the calls for Ortega to resign.

The governments monopoly over information has collapsed, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, editor of the independent news website Confidencial, told CPJ. The independent media is becoming stronger.

This more militant stance comes amid rising dangers for journalists. One journalist was killed in April and many others told CPJ that they have been beaten, shot at by snipers or had their equipment stolen by pro-Ortega paramilitaries. In July, several reporters were trapped overnight in a Managua church occupied by student protesters that came under attack from government forces.

Providing some of the most hard-hitting coverage of this crisis is 100% Noticias, a privately-owned 24-hour cable and internet news station in Managua, founded in 2004. Reporters and editors in Nicaragua told CPJ that before the current crisis the station rarely criticized Ortega and often provided an open microphone to government officials.

Since protests began in April, however, the station has poured its energy into covering the unrest, including attacks by police and pro-Ortega paramilitaries on unarmed civilians. It is now a strident critic of the government. In response, the state telecommunications regulator Telcor ordered 100% Noticias off the air for six days in April.

Telcor asked us not to transmit news about the protests, but we said no,' Lucia Pineda, the stations news director, told CPJ.

Since then, 100% Noticias has become one of the go-to sources for news on the uprising, which was sparked by proposed social security tax hikes but has morphed into a pro-democracy movement that is demanding that Ortega call early elections. During a visit by CPJ to Managua and other Nicaraguan cities in June, TV sets in restaurants, hotel lobbies and homes were tuned to the station as people sought information on the protests and road blocks that have paralyzed much of the country.

100% Noticias used to be very reactive and careful in their coverage of the regime, Tim Rogers, a senior Latin America editor for the online news site Fusion, told CPJ. But now they have grown fangs.

Rogers, who has spent years covering Nicaragua, said that pro-government news organizations meanwhile are losing credibility because they largely ignored the unrest and parroted the government line that the protesters are terrorists and coup-plotters.

Also providing a counterpoint to the official story are mobile phone videos of street marches and demonstrations that residents post on Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Government propaganda efforts have been debunked by social media and Nicaraguans with cell phones, Rogers said. They are live-streaming the revolution from the streets. That is the loudest media voice right now.

Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla who led the Marxist Sandinista government in the 1980s, was re-elected in 2006 and over three consecutive terms has gained control and influence over the news media. Nearly all TV and radio stations are owned by allies or members of the Ortega family, anduntil recently provided relatively soft coverage of his government, CPJ has previously reported.

For much of the past decade, the main sources of independent news have been Confidencial, the Managua newspaper La Prensa, and Radio Corporacion, also located in the capital. Now, they are gaining allies.

Among them is Canal 10, which is owned by Remigio Angel Gonzalez, a Latin American media tycoon who owns dozens of TV and radio stations in Latin America and is known for avoiding editorial conflict with the regions governments. For years, the Canal 10s main news program, Accion 10, focused on crime reporting and said little about government affairs. When the protests began, news director Mauricio Madrigal said his supervisors at first told him to ignore them.

They did this to remain in good standing with the government, Madrigal told CPJ. But this was the time when we most needed coverage of what was really going on.

After a one-day blackout of the street marches, Canal 10 received a flood of criticism, the stations journalists began to complain, and Madrigal said that he threatened to resign. Finally, he said, they received permission to cover the protests and since then Canal 10 has focused on the crisis.

I didnt think this type of coverage was going to last because there had been so much self-censorship from TV stations, said Ismael Lopez, a veteran reporter for Radio Corporacion. But now Canal 10 is transmitting everything.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen Nicaraguan journalists have resigned to protest at their news organizations coverage of the crisis, said Octavio Enriquez, an editor at La Prensa. Among the most prominent is Dino Andino, a former news anchor at the pro-government Canal 2 who left in April. In a Facebook post following his resignation, Andino condemned the government crackdown on journalists and protesters.

El Nuevo Diario has also undergone an editorial about-face.

Founded in 1980, the Managua daily staunchly supported the Sandinista revolution then turned against Ortega after he returned to power 11 years ago. In 2011, its editorial line shifted once again after the newspaper was acquired by a Nicaraguan banking group.

The new ownership told reporters to soften their coverage of the government and focus on business and positive news, according to one El Nuevo Diario journalist who was not authorized to speak for the newspaper and asked to remain anonymous. The journalist added that numerous reporters quit because the newspaper became so bland.

But amid the governments violent crackdown on protesters, El Nuevo Diario is once again doing hard-hitting watchdog journalism, he said. These days, the front page is splashed with stories about political prisoners, human rights violations, and speculation about how long the Ortega government will last.

In a telephone interview with CPJ, Luis Rivas, a banker who sits on El Nuevo Diarios editorial board, insisted that the newspapers editorial line has remained consistent since the 2012 sale. He said that now most of the news coming out of Nicaragua is negative and that El Nuevo Diario is simply reflecting this.

Whatever the reason for the changes, the El Nuevo Diario journalist says that reporters at the paper are excited about covering the news again. He added, Theres no going back.

[Reporting from Managua]
An 84-year-old Australian professor was barred from entering the country when he landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Thursday night because he was listed in the bureaus Black Order for participating in political rallies in 2015. Gill Hale Boehringer was still being held at the Naias dayroom after a doctor advised immigration officers that he could not leave the country yet as the elderly professor is not fit to travel. Boehringer arrived in Manila past midnight at the Naia Terminal 1 from Guangzhou, China. He was excluded for being blacklisted. Boehringer was the subject of an order issued last year prohibiting Boehringers entry upon receipt of a report and recommendation for blacklisting from government intelligence sources, BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said. Boehringer reportedly participated in a rally in November 2015 which is in clear violation of the BI Operations Order prohibiting foreigners in engaging in political activities in the Philippines. But Sandoval clarified BIs policy on blacklisting of foreign nationals, saying foreigners may be included in the blacklist in the interest of public safety. She said they receive information on foreign nationals through various sources, including other government agencies and foreign counterparts to ensure that no undesirable alien enter or remain in the country, and that they immediately take action on reports on foreign nationals violating immigration laws. Foreign nationals found to possess grounds for undesirability when in the country will be deported. However, if the foreigner is outside the country, the process is summary, and he is immediately included in the BIs blacklist. Inclusion in the blacklist means that the subject is a threat to public order and safety, and blacklisting minimizes that risk, Sandoval said. She added that foreigners are afforded due process by allowing them to file a request for lifting to the Immigration commissioner. If he submits sufficient proof to reverse the blacklist, it may be lifted accordingly, Sandoval said.In 2014, nine foreign journalists were also similarly included in the blacklist for heckling then President Benigno Aquino III. The blacklist, however, is being questioned by lawyers of the Australian-American professor and human rights advocate. In a letter to Morente on Thursday, the National Union of People's Lawyers asked the BI chief to recall the ban on Boehringer. Boehringer, who is married to a Filipina, has been held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport since his arrival from Guangzhou, China midnight of Wednesday. The letter said Boehringer, a former law school head at a Sydney university, has had a history of an "almost fatal" pulmonary embolism, is "at risk" of having deep vein thrombosis, and is suffering from cellulitis on both legs, which had swelled. Dr. Geneve Rivera-Reyes, who examined him, recommended that he be checked by a medical specialist. "For humanitarian considerations, we pray that Mr. Boehringer's exclusion order be immediately recalled so he can be checked by a doctor and recuperate until he is fit to travel back home," it said. Boehringer's lawyers said they will face the case once they get hold of the documents with regards to the ban. Sandoval, however, said the professor's flight out of the country would push through if Morente does not approve of the NUPL's request before the scheduled departure.
Nepal: The importance of local voices in Nepals hydropower projects

August 09,2018 | Source: The Third Pole

A trip along the Karnali river, where a major hydro electric project is planned, showcases how different communities are impacted, and who can negotiate, and who cannot. When we arrived at a fishing village called Badi on the banks of the Karnali River in Western Nepal, the doors of many homes were locked. No sounds of children playing, no beating of rice, and certainly no sounds of laughter could be heard. The Badi community consists of Dalits (the most repressed community in the caste system in South Asia) who previously travelled as musicians, performing mostly at weddings, but now fish in the Karnali river for their livelihood. After passing several homes, we met a family perched on two small beds facing each other. Sitting in a small room that functions as a bedroom, kitchen, and dining room, this family is one of the few families still residing by the riverbed; most other fisherman have decided to go elsewhere. Faced with limited livelihood options, the family depends on the fish of the Karnali river for food and they shared their hope that the flow of the river will not diminish.



For some of Nepals most fragile communities, like those living in Badi, rivers not only support livelihoods, but are the sole lifeline. As new development and hydropower projects take shape in West Nepal, threats to many of these communities are intensifying as river and water resources are subject to change.



Plans for the Karnali



One planned project in the Far West is the Upper Karnali Hydro Electric project (Upper Karnali). With a budget of USD 1.15 billion, the Upper Karnali (900 MW) is a colossal undertaking of a private Indian company, GMR. The project has been in the making for a decade. A memorandum of understanding between the Government of Nepal (GoN) and the hydropower company was signed in 2008, with a detailed project report completed in 2011. Local communities heard about the planned project for the first time from their respective Village Development Committees (VDCs) in 2012, after which Upper Karnali Concerns Committees (UKCCs) were formed.



The project has encountered routine delays and issues regarding land acquisition and attacks on its offices, which have cast doubt on GMRs ability to complete the project. But a larger question remains over whether the project should be undertaken at all, and this question cannot be answered without consulting local communities.



The Upper Karnali project will directly impact 426 households in Dailekh, Surkhet and Accham districts, an area inhabited largely by fishing communities and small scale farmers with a heavy reliance on remittance income. Thousands of other households will be impacted downstream. To find out what these households think of the project, we conducted a series of focus group discussions with different UKCC members and farmers as well as villagers from 8 villages along the Karnali River in May-June.



For the upstream communities (Asaraghat, Thalpata, Sisne and Daba), the few thousand jobs coming on the heels of the project are an important point. As many in the area currently migrate to India for better wages, a new influx of jobs could mean that they may not need to migrate for good employment. One member of a Concern Committee, established to liaise with GMR, who currently resides in one of the villages that will be affected during the dam construction phase, is quite supportive of the project and wanted to ensure that our report does not portray the dam in a negative light.



Many have come from Kathmandu to conduct research only to go back to write a report that talks about the negative effects of the project. They stay in their air conditioned offices and nice homes and criticise the dam. Do they not see how we are living here? Our villages have never seen development; the government has not developed our area. Finally we have some jobs coming and now the so-called experts want to stop that as well. I want to make sure your research does not do the same (phone interview with UKCC member from Thalpata, Accham June 2018).



The construction of the dam also presents an opportunity to open new businesses to cater to the workers who will be hired and who will require food and lodging. One tea shop owner in Daba village shared that, if the project is to go forward, he expects a boom in business, envisioning at least a thousand workers coming into his shop to eat lunch. That would be a stark contrast to the often empty shop he currently runs.



Any kind of major infrastructure development also brings expectations of better roads, bridges, and mobile towers. For some displaced households, the land compensation provided by GMR would allow them to purchase land in the lowlands of the country adjoining India, which would provide better farming conditions, and better access to education and market facilities. For the upstream communities, the prospects of profiting from the project are diverse. It is a high priority for GMR to engage upstream communities to ensure access to the land where the dam is to be constructed, and so these communities have a more direct line of communication to GMR. With this large bargaining leverage, members of the UKCCs were able to negotiate a land compensation amount with GMR that exceeded both the designated government price and the price initially quoted by GMR. Initially the company had proposed to pay NPR 500,000 (USD 4,520) per ropani (500 square metres). UKCC members had proposed NPR 15,000,000 NPR per ropani but later agreed to settle at NPR 8-9,000,000 NPR per ropani. The government was not part of the negotiations.



As one UKCC member from Sisne said, When the company did not take UKCCs requests seriously, we would mobilize the local community to protest the planned dam project, or even padlock the company field office, then located in Daba village. The company has also built a mobile network tower and a pedestrian suspension bridge in the affected villages in Dailekh. Our conversations highlighted the role of this private company as a primary decision maker in hydropower development, to whom upstream communities turned in order to convey their development needs and concerns, unmet by their own government.



A different story downstream



As we travelled downstream from the Karnali from the dam site, the lucrative business scenario that many upstream villagers envision lost its steam; downstream communities, such as Ramaghat, Saura, Salkot, and Lower Dungeshwor, have less access to information and more concerns about uncompensated losses. While members of the Concern Committees upstream have been in frequent contact with project officials, the level of engagement and access to information for downstream Committees has been much lower. Unlike upstream village UKCCs that were formed in 2012, UKCCs from downstream villages were formed only later in 2013. Also, unlike in upstream villages where a UKCC was formed in each VDC that would be affected by the planned hydropower project, in downstream villages only one UKCC was formed out of the three villages that would be impacted by the dam.



This has fostered general mistrust amongst members, and a refusal by the company to establish inter-village Concern Committees has further hampered a unified voice from emerging. Intra-community dynamics, too, have further undermined the representativeness of these groups; for instance, the fishing communities, comprised mainly of Dalits, are not part of any of the UKCCs formed.





I do not think that the planned hydropower project would benefit villagers. Even when we would get free access to electricity, this would not benefit us if it means we have to lose everything else related to our farming activities. What is the use to turn on the light and see that you have lost all your farm land due to water scarcity? At present we have sufficient water supply for our farming activities. When the dam is build, it would take all the water and impact 10,000 households in three villages in Surkhet district (interview with villager from Saura, Surkhet, May 2018).



Downstream communities, like in Surkhet, are more concerned about the lack of water once the river is dammed than potential business opportunities, which are unlikely to manifest themselves so far from the dam. Communities along the river in Lower Dungeshwor, Dailekh are concerned with a loss in biodiversity, the direct impact on the fishing communities who rely completely on the Karnali river to sustain their livelihoods, and cultural and emotional losses  such as the joy of being able to listen to the flowing river.



Although the livelihoods and food security of downstream communities will be greatly affected by the dam, they are not eligible for compensation because they will not be directly displaced. Even this, though, is still not well-known to downstream communities, even to the UKCC members who are supposed to be the source of information about dam activities.



As one UKCC member from Saura village noted in an interview in May 2018, I am not sure as to whether the company would give farmers any compensation. The company should provide alternative livelihood options for affected villagers, especially when the planned hydropower project would badly affect 400-500 households relying mostly on agricultural and farming practices. However, until now, we have not heard anything from the company. A farmer from the same village echoed this uncertainty, saying, At present we are food secure. We do not have any cash but we are fine. When the dam project comes, perhaps we would get cash for compensation of our loss of agricultural land. But we do not know how much and whether it will be enough to secure our food needs for the long term.



This sentiment was heard from fishing villages in Badi, too. GMR has been able to overlook these needs and concerns since these communities are situated farther from the dam and the project can move forward with or without their support.



We went to the far west, as part of USAIDs Digo Jal Bikas project, to listen to local perceptions about the Upper Karnali Hydro Electric project. What we heard is that local voices are not homogenous and much of a communitys perception about the dam can be spatially fragmented, dependent on its proximity to the proposed dam site and, therefore, to bargaining power, information, and benefits.



Amidst the ongoing process of federalism and with a large number of development projects proposed, we must keep prominent in the discourse the need to incorporate local community views into decision making processes if we are to have regionally appropriate infrastructure that captures community development needs, priorities, and aspirations. This holds true, too, of any MOUs or agreements that the government enters into with private companies rather than publically administering. GMR is a private Indian company with no mandate in its contract to ensure small Nepali communities downstream benefit from the project. And the company is well aware of that, as attested to by its relationship  which could even be called a spatial alliance  with upstream UKCCs and communities but lackadaisical communications with downstream communities. Yet, without considering these local voices and the spatial fragmentation of power, hydropower development runs the risk of increasing socio-economic inequity and further marginalizing the poorest and most vulnerable, the opposite of the often-touted vision of hydropower as Nepals passport out of poverty.
The Sandiganbayan says about P74 billion in assets from the Coconut Industry Investment Fund belong to the government and should be distributed to coconut farmers. In a resolution dated Aug. 7, the anti-graft courts Second Division invalidated its 2017 decision calling for more hearings on the civil case involving United Coconut Planters Bank and the Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corp. or Cocolife by finding for the government. The government had argued that the Sandiganbayan had no authority to review the landmark Supreme Court ruling declaring the San Miguel Corp. shares in the fund as government property since these were acquired using the coco levy funds that were collected from coconut farmers during the Marcos administration. In 2014, the high court ruled with finality on the 2004 decision of the Sandiganbayan that awarded the ownership of the coco levy funds to the government. The Sandiganbayan said the high court decision was final with the issue of ownership the only one to be decided, and despite the fact that it gave UCPB and Cocolife the chance to assert their claim last year. The Sandiganbayan then issued a writ of partial execution, ordering all the income earned by 20 CIIF companies and the more than 753 million preferred shares of SMC be used to benefit the coconut industry. All income, interest or profit derived from these assets are to be used only for the benefit of all coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry, the resolution says.About P74 billion in coco levy funds is already with the National Treasury, but the Presidential Commission on Good Government said there were billions of pesos more that had yet to be recovered. The government now faces no legal hurdles to distribute the coco levy funds to farmers, but a law on its implementation has yet to be passed. President Rodrigo Duterte had urged Congress in his third State of the Nation Address to pass a law creating a trust fund for coconut farmers. The bicameral conference committee approved a bill last week creating a P100-billion coco levy trust fund to be used for 25 years for the benefit of 3.5-million coconut farmers. The bill says the fund will be invested in Treasury bills and handled by the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Bangladesh: Frozen fish exporters to be audited by the EU

August 09,2018 | Source: FIS Worldnews

The Bangladeshi government has asked frozen foods exporters to meet certain criteria as a top European Union audit team will inspect the sector in November to assess whether or not they maintain the standards required by the EU. The Department of Fisheries (DoF) sent a letter to the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) to inform on the European visit, in which it stressed that the audit report would largely affect the countrys fish export to the EU.



The EU-Food and Veterinary Office team would conduct the audit on residues of food of animal origin mainly to inspect whether there are any chemical substances in the fish the country exports to the European market. The DoF asked frozen fish exporters to ensure the standards of factories and products as per the EU directives and regulations and Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Rules.



It also asked the exporters to collect samples from registered farms and preserve the sample test reports as per the Factory Residue Control Plan -2018 and to ensure procurement of shrimps from registered service centre, landing centre and depot. The EU conducted such inspection in the Bangladeshs frozen fish sector in 2015 and after three years they were coming for the same type of inspection to evaluate the progress of compliance in the sector. The DoF asked exporters to strengthen their own checking system and laboratory facilities in the factories through ensuring qualified and trained manpower.



Ramjan Ali, deputy director of the DoF, said that the EU team would inspect all the stages of production and quality control of frozen fish. Although it is a routine audit of the EU, the prospect of the countrys fish export depends on the report of the audit team, he said. He also said that the DoF officials said that the delegation would inspect implementation of public health and residue control requirement in aquaculture products from root level to production level. The EU imposed 20 per cent testing requirement on cargoes heading to its ports from Bangladesh in July, 2010 followed by identifying serious shortcomings reported by a FVO mission that visited Bangladesh in January that year. Later in November, 2011, the EU withdrew the testing requirement after the country made progress in line with the recommendations made by the EU.
Three prisoners were executed at Minab Prison (Hormozgan province) on the charge of rape.





According to a report by Azad News Agency (ANA), on the morning of Wednesday, August 8, three prisoners were executed at Minab Prison.





The prisoners, whose identities have not been mentioned in the report, were sentenced to death on the charge of rape in 2016.





According to confirmed reports by Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 36 people were executed in different Iranian cities in the month of July, 24 of whom were sentenced to death on murder charges.





Prisoner hanged at Bandar Abbas Central Prison on murder charges





According to a close source, on the morning of Tuesday, August 7, a prisoner was hanged at Bandar Abbas Central Prison.





The prisoner, sentenced to death on murder charges, was arrested in July 2014.





The prisoner was identified as Amir Ali Kalivand, 46, from Lorestan. He was transferred to Bandar Abbas Prison from Hajiabad (a city in Hormozgan province) Prison.





A close source told IHR about his case, Amir Ali Kalivand was also charged with five kilograms of methamphetamine but he was executed on the charge of murdering a minibus driver.





The execution of this prisoner has not been announced by the state-run media so far.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!





"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
By social-media standards these days, a tweet sent last Thursday by Canadas Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, was hardly surprisingor a deviation from what other Western governments have said for years about Saudi Arabias egregious human-rights record. Her tweet addressed the case of siblingsSamar Badawi, a womens-rights activist honored by the Obama Administration as a woman of courage, and her brother, Raif , a blogger who has been imprisoned since 2012, after chastising the Saudi monarchy for things like banning Valentines Day. Freeland tweeted , Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawis sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. 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. The Canadian Foreign Ministry followed up with a tweet that called for the release of all peaceful #humanrights activists held by the Gulf monarchy. The Canadian Embassy in Riyadh then tweeted the message in Arabic.





The desert kingdom erupted in fury. Over the weekend, it expelled the Canadian Ambassador, recalled its own envoy, froze all new trade and investment, suspended flights by the state airline to Toronto, and ordered thousands of Saudi students to leave Canada and get their education in other countries. Its Foreign Ministry counter-tweeted, The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia and is in contravention of the most basic international norms and all the charters governing relations between States. Further, it issued a warning: 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.





Canada stood its ground . Let me be very clear, Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, Freeland said , in Vancouver, on Monday.









RELATED: Saudi Arabia crucified a man in Mecca while aggressively calling out Canada over human rights The flap underscores the volatilityand potentially even the fragilityof the Saudi government under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , the youthful and increasingly autocratic leader, who has been enthusiastically embraced by President Trump and has been consolidating power since his surprise appointment, a year ago. At thirty-two, he is one of the youngest leaders in the Middle East. His ailing father, King Salman, has the final word, but bin Salman rules political, economic, military, and diplomatic affairs day to day. M.B.S., as hes widely known, has been increasingly intolerant of criticism at home andnowfrom major foreign powers, according to Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A., Pentagon, and National Security Council staffer who is now at the Brookings Institution. He is very thin-skinned, Riedel told me.





President Trumps support, and a personal connection to Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner , may have caused M.B.S. to feel that he has impunity to do as he pleases on the global stage. Trumps first stop on his inaugural foreign trip as President was in Saudi Arabia, a visit orchestratedwith much fanfareby the crown prince. Unlike the government in Canada, the Trump Administration has shied away from invoking human-rights issues with the Saudis, despite a graphic State Department report , released in April, detailing the sweeping scope of violations in the kingdom. The section on Saudi Arabia in the State Departments 2017 Human Rights Report runs longmore than fifty pages. It cites the most significant abuses as torture; arbitrary arrest; unlawful killings; execution without requisite due process; restrictions on freedom of expression, religion, and peaceful assembly; trafficking in persons; violence and discrimination against women; criminalization of same-sex sexual activity; and the inability of its people to choose a government through free and fair elections.





Jamal Khashoggi, a former Saudi editor, now in exile in Washington, said that the crown prince has already become more authoritarian than any of the previous six kings who have ruled since 1953, when Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, died. Today, he is in charge of Saudi Arabia. He thinks everyone should treat him as such, Khashoggi told me.





During the past year, M.B.S. has run an intensive charm offensive in the United States and Europecourting political leaders, tech titans, celebrities, society names, and academics. At the same time, the crown prince is behind the most aggressive foreign policy since Ibn Saud conquered rival tribes on the Arabian Peninsula to create the current kingdom. The gambits in international affairs by M.B.S., who is the first member of the royal familys third generation to be chosen as heir, have been widely criticized.





The Canadian campaign is the latest in a series of disastrous foreign-policy initiatives from M.B.S., Riedel told me. In 2015, in the role of Saudi Defense Minister, the crown prince launched a costly military intervention in Yemen, in turn producing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Twenty-two million Yemeniseighty per cent of the populationnow depend on humanitarian aid for daily survival. Sixteen million people lack access to fresh water. Eight million are believed to be on the brink of starvation . Yemen is also suffering the largest outbreak of cholera in recent historymore than a million cases.





In 2017, M.B.S. masterminded the air, sea, and land blockade of Qatar, a small neighboring sheikdom, which the crown prince reportedly wanted to invade. A few months later, M.B.S. summoned Lebanons Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, and pressured him to resignon Saudi television.





They are all hasty and uncalculated decisions, Khashoggi told me. The crown prince is a poor decision-maker with a track record of incompetence, Riedel said.





M.B.S. is also daring to confront Western nations, including countries important to Saudi security and economic development. In 2015, the year his ailing father ascended the throne, Saudi Arabia recalled its Ambassador to Swedenalso in a dispute about the case of the human-rights activist Raif Badawi. The young blogger had been sentenced to ten years in prison, a thousand lashes, and a fine of more than a quarter million dollars for mocking the kingdoms rigid social restrictions on his Saudi Liberal Network Web site. Saudi officials charged the father of three with undermining national security. The lashes were supposed to be spread outfifty per week for twenty weeksthough they were suspended after the first round. Swedens Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom, called the sentence  medieval  and suggested that the Royal House of Saud was a dictatorship.





Tensions deepened with Germany , too, in November, after Sigmar Gabriel, then the Foreign Minister, criticized adventurism in the Middle East in remarks that the kingdom took as a reference to its intervention in Yemen and as a suggestion that the Lebanese Prime Minister was being held in Saudi Arabia against his will. In January, Germany suspended arms exports to the Saudis, citing the war in Yemen. In May, M.B.S. decreed that no more government contracts were to be awarded to German companies, Der Spiegel reported.





The same impulsive anger triggered the response to the initial Canadian tweetand translation into Arabicof the Foreign Ministers message, Khashoggi said. It is the pattern of behavior that has been dictating Saudi foreign policy since M.B.S. came to power, he said. It was taken as an offense on M.B.S.s own turf. He saw it as an insult to his ability to control the Saudi masses.





M.B.S.s motive may also be part of a strategy to challenge nations that advocate a U.N.-led inquiry into Saudi abuses in Yemen, including air strikes that killed civilians. Timing of Saudi crown princes lashing out at Canada for protesting his repression suggests his real aim is to dissuade governments next month from continuing the UN investigation of Saudi-led war crimes in Yemen, Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, tweeted, on Tuesday. Time to redouble support for the UN probe. The U.N. General Assembly, attended by dozens of heads of state, opens next month in New York.





The crown princes actions belie the image he is trying to create. He has grandiose plans for diversifying the kingdom economically, beyond the oil industry, but since last fall the government has arrested dozens of leading business figures. He has talked about moderate Islam even as some moderate clerics have been detained. And, as he opened the way, this month, for women to be allowed to drive, his government arrested several womens-rights activists, including the lawyer Samar Badawi. She has challenged cultural restrictions, including rules that require women to get a male guardians permission to get advanced education, a job, or a passport to travel abroad.





Unlike Trump, Canadian leaders have consistently supported the Badawi family. In 2013, a year after Raif Badawis arrest, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, of the Conservative Party, granted Badawis wife and children political asylum in Canada. This summer, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, of the Liberal Party, Canada granted them citizenship. After Canada called for the release Saudi Arabias peaceful activists, Marie-Pier Baril, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, vowed, Our government will never hesitate to promote these values.





Source: The New Yorker , Robin Wright, August 8, 2018. Robin Wright has been a contributing writer to The New Yorker since 1988. She is the author of Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World.









 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com







Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!












SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  Convicted prison guard killer Rodney Berget is set to be executed in the fall, South Dakota's attorney general said Wednesday.





Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a statement that Berget, 56, is scheduled to be executed between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3.





Jackley's office said the warden of the state penitentiary will choose the specific time and date, which will be announced within 48 hours of the execution.





Circuit Court Judge Bradley Zell issued a warrant of execution for Berget.





Berget pleaded guilty in April 2012 to killing Ronald "R.J." Johnson in a failed prison escape attempt in April 2011 along with fellow inmate Eric Robert, who was executed in 2012.





An attorney for Berget wasn't immediately available to comment to The Associated Press.





Berget's mental status and death penalty eligibility have played a key role in court delays.





Berget in 2016 appealed his death penalty sentence, but later asked to withdraw it despite the advice of his lawyers, the Argus Leader reported .





"I want this to be the last day I appear in court," Berget said at a September 2016 hearing.





The last execution in South Dakota was the lethal injection of Donald Moeller on Oct. 30, 2012, for the killing of Becky O'Connell.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!





"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
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.
The boat had 11 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, two from West Bengal and one from Kerala. (Representational Image)

Kochi: The Indian Navy and Coast Guard on Thursday continued their search for the missing crew of a fishing boat which capsized after it was hit by a merchant ship at high seas about 24 nautical miles off Munambam harbour near here.

The fishermen went missing after the boat was hit by the ship on Tuesday. At the time, 14 fishermen were on board the boat. Three fishermen were killed and two injured in the incident, police had said.

Also Read: 3 Kerala fishermen killed after boat hits unidentified vessel off Chettuva coast

The boat had 11 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, two from West Bengal and one from Kerala. "No missing person has been located as yet," a Defence spokesperson said here.

The spokesperson said the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have pressed into service their ships and aircraft to search and locate the nine missing fishermen of fishing boat 'Oceanic.'

Kerala Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma held a meeting with representatives of civil administration, Navy and Coast Guard on Wednesday night to review the rescue operation being carried out in the high seas.

According to a government release, the minister said the search operation would continue till the fishermen were traced.

Four ships and three helicopters of the Navy and Coast Guard were continuing their rescue mission, government sources said.

"As regards the search at sea, the navy has recommenced aerial search since morning. An ALH helicopter was sent early in the morning followed by a Dornier aircraft by Coast Guard... besides all the ships in the area since yesterday," the Defence spokesperson said.

During the air search on Wednesday, a 10-metre capsized boat, identified as 'Al Ma Rahan', was found in the area, a defence release said.

Offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna, with a full-fledged naval diving team on board, has joined the rescue effort. Officials of the Mercantile Marine Department, Coastal Police, Forensic Experts and under-water surveyors would examine the Indian merchant vessel which allegedly hit the boat.

The ship, which fled the scene soon after the incident, was directed by the Navy to anchor at Mangalore coast.
Occasionally when Signal is in the press and getting a lot of favorable discussion, I feel the need to step into various forums, IRC channels, and so on, and explain why I dont trust Signal. Lets do a blog post instead.

Off the bat, let me explain that I expect a tool which claims to be secure to actually be secure. I dont view but that makes it harder for the average person as an acceptable excuse. If Edward Snowden and Bruce Schneier are going to spout the virtues of the app, I expect it to actually be secure when it matters - when vulnerable people using it to encrypt sensitive communications are targeted by smart and powerful adversaries.

Making promises about security without explaining the tradeoffs you made in order to appeal to the average user is unethical. Tradeoffs are necessary - but self-serving tradeoffs are not, and its your responsibility to clearly explain the drawbacks and advantages of the tradeoffs you make. If you make broad and inaccurate statements about your communications product being secure, then when the political prisoners who believed you are being tortured and hanged, its on you. The stakes are serious. Let me explain why I dont think Signal takes them seriously.

Google Play

Why do I make a big deal out of Google Play and Google Play Services? Well, some people might trust Google, the company. But up against nation states, its no contest - Google has ties to the NSA, has been served secret subpoenas, and is literally the worlds largest machine designed for harvesting and analyzing private information about their users. Heres what Google Play Services actually is: a rootkit. Google Play Services lets Google do silent background updates on apps on your phone and give them any permission they want. Having Google Play Services on your phone means your phone is not secure.

For the longest time, Signal wouldnt work without Google Play Services, but Moxie (the founder of Open Whisper Systems and maintainer of Signal) finally fixed this in 2017. There was also a long time when Signal was only available on the Google Play Store. Today, you can download the APK directly from signal.org, but well, well get to that in a minute.

F-Droid

Theres an alternative to the Play Store for Android. F-Droid is an open source app store (repository would be a better term here) which only includes open source apps (which Signal thankfully is). By no means does Signal have to only be distributed through F-Droid - its certainly a compelling alternative. This has been proposed, and Moxie has definitively shut the discussion down. Admittedly this is from 2013, but his points and the arguments against them havent changed. Let me quote some of his positions and my rebuttals:

No upgrade channel. Timely and automatic updates are perhaps the most effective security feature we could ask for, and not having them would be a real blow for the project.

F-Droid supports updates. If youre concerned about moving your updates quickly through the (minimal) bureaucracy of F-Droid, you can always run your own repository. Maybe this is a lot of work? I wonder how the workload compares to [animated gif search][gif-shit], a very important feature for security concious users. I bet that [50 million dollar donation][big-bucks] could help, given how many people operate F-Droid repositories on a budget of $0.

No app scanning. The nice thing about market is the server-side APK scanning and signature validation they do. If you start distributing APKs around the internet, its a reversion back to the PC security model and all of the malware problems that came with it.

Try searching the Google Play Store for flashlight and look at the permissions of the top 5 apps that come up. All of them are harvesting and selling the personal information of their users to advertisers. Is this some kind of joke? F-Droid is a curated repository, like Linux distributions. Google Play is a malware distributor. Packages on F-Droid are reviewed by a human being and are cryptographically signed. If you run your own F-Droid repo this is even less of a concern.

Im not going to address all of Moxies points here, because theres a deeper problem to consider. Ill get into more detail shortly. You can read the 6-year-old threads tearing Moxies arguments apart over and over again until GitHub added the feature to lock threads, if you want to see a more in-depth rebuttal.

The APK direct download

Last year Moxie added an official APK download to signal.org. He said this was up for harm reduction, to avoid people using unofficial builds they find around the net. The download page is covered in warnings telling you that its for advanced users only, its insecure, would you please go to the Google Play store you stupid user. I wonder, has Moxie considered communicating to people the risks of using the Google Play version?

The APK direct download doesnt even accomplish the stated goal of harm reduction. The user has to manually verify the checksum, and figure out how to do it on a phone, no less. A checksum isnt a signature, by the way - if your government- or workplace- or abusive-spouse-installed certificate authority gets in the way they can replace the APK and its checksum with whatever they want. The app has to update itself, using a similarly insecure mechanism. F-Droid handles updates and actually signs their packages. This is a no brainer, Moxie, why havent you put Signal on F-Droid yet?

Why is Signal like this?

So if you dont like all of this, if you dont like how Moxie approaches these issues, if you want to use something else, what do you do?

Moxie knows about everything Ive said in this article. Hes a very smart guy and I am under no illusions that he doesnt understand everything Ive put forth. I dont think that Moxie makes these choices because he thinks theyre the right thing to do. He makes arguments which dont hold up, derails threads, leans on logical fallacies, and loops back around to long-debunked positions when he runs out of ideas. I think this is deliberate. An open source software team reads this article as a list of things they can improve on and gets started. Moxie reads this and prepares for war. Moxie cant come out and say it openly, but hes made the decisions he has made because they serve his own interests.

Lots of organizations which are pretending they dont make self-serving decisions at their customers expense rely on argumentative strategies like Moxie does. If you can put together an argument which on the surface appears reasonable, but requires in-depth discussion to debunk, passerby will be reassured that your position is correct, and that the dissenters are just trolls. They wont have time to read the lengthy discussion which demonstrates that your conclusions are wrong, especially if you draw the discussion out like Moxie does. It can be hard to distinguish these from genuine positions held by the person youre talking to, but when it conveniently allows them to make self-serving plays, its a big red flag.

This is a strong accusation, I know. The thing which convinced me of its truth is Signals centralized design and hostile attitude towards forks. In open source, when a project is making decisions and running things in a way you dont like, you can always fork the project. This is one of the fundamental rights granted to you by open source. It has a side effect Moxie doesnt want, however. It reduces his power over the project. Moxie has a clever solution to this: centralized servers and trademarks.

Trust, federation, and peer-to-peer chat

Truly secure systems do not require you to trust the service provider. This is the point of end-to-end encryption. But we have to trust that Moxie is running the server software he says he is. We have to trust that he isnt writing down a list of people weve talked to, when, and how often. We have to trust not only that Moxie is trustworthy, but given that Open Whisper Systems is based in San Francisco we have to trust that he hasnt received a national security letter, too (by the way, Signal doesnt have a warrant canary). Moxie can tell us he doesnt store these things, but he could. Truly secure systems dont require trust.

There are a couple of ways to solve this problem, which can be used in tandem. We can stop Signal from knowing when were talking to each other by using peer-to-peer chats. This has some significant drawbacks, namely that both users have to be online at the same time for their messages to be delivered to each other. You can still fall back to peer-to-server-to-peer when one peer is offline, however. But this isnt the most important of the two solutions.

The most important change is federation. Federated services are like email, in that Alice can send an email from gmail.com to Bobs yahoo.com address. I should be able to stand up a Signal server, on my own hardware where I am in control of the logs, and communicate freely with other Signal servers, including Open Whispers servers. This distributes the security risks across hundreds of operators in many countries with various data extradition laws. This turns what would today be easy for the United States government to break and makes it much, much more difficult. Federation would also open the possibility for bridging the gap with several other open source secure chat platforms to all talk on the same federated network - which would spurn competition and be a great move for users of all chat platforms.

Moxie forbids you from distributing branded builds of the Signal app, and if you rebrand he forbids you from using the official Open Whisper servers. Because his servers dont federate, that means that users of Signal forks cannot talk to Signal users. This is a truly genius move. No fork of Signal to date has ever gained any traction, and never will, because you cant talk to any Signal users with them. In fact, there are no third-party applications which can interact with Signal users in any way. Moxie can write as many blog posts which appeal to wispy ideals and moving ecosystems as he wants, but those are all really convenient excuses for an argument which allows him to design systems which serve his own interests.

No doubt these are non-trivial problems to solve. But I have personally been involved in open source projects which have collectively solved similarly difficult problems a thousand times over with a combined budget on the order of tens of thousands of dollars.

What were you going to do with that 50 million dollars again?
Xpander won Indonesias Car of the Year award this year from leading tabloid Otomotif.

Mitsubishi Motors Vietnam managed to boost its sales via crossovers while eyeing the expansion of manufacturing and assembly in the country.

The firm (MMV) yesterday debuted the all-new Xpander, a next-generation crossover MPV, in Vietnam.

Manual and automatic models of the seven-seat car will be imported from Indonesia, with orders starting in September, and cost VND550 million ($23,650) to VND650 million ($27,950).

They will take on the Kia Rondo, Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Rush.

The auto maker has to yet reveal the import scheme for Xpander, which won Indonesias Car of the Year award this year from leading tabloid Otomotif.

Early this year, even as many other automakers were struggling to import cars following the introduction of stringent technical regulations by the governments Decree No. 116, Mitsubishi launched the domestic-assembled crossover Outlander and gained positive cues.

More than 1,000 Outlander units were sold in the first half of this year, or one third of the total sales.

Meanwhile, the extensive operations of MMV is under consideration.

The company has reportedly discussed locations for its second plant in the country with the central province of Nghe An and the southern province of Long An. The first is in Binh Duong province near Ho Chi Minh City.

The proposed plant, would cost around $250 million and have an annual capacity of 30,000  50,000 units, vice chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Kozo Shiraji, told Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue during a meeting in January.

The factory is likely to begin production in 2020.
National flags of U.S. and China wave in front of an international hotel in Beijing February 4, 2010. Photo by Reuters/Jason Lee

Vietnams GDP could drop slightly as a result of the ongoing US-China trade war, a new report says.

The report, released Wednesday by the National Center for Socio-Economic Information and Forecast (NCIF), predicts a drop of 0.03 percent this year, 0.09 percent next year and 0.12 percent in 2020 and 2021.

This equals to a GDP drop of VND1.65 trillion ($71 million) this year and VND5.3 trillion ($228 million) next year. The decline will climax at VND8 trillion ($344 million) in 2021, says the NCIF, which functions under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

This drop is relatively low, even at the climax in 2021, said Tran Toan Thang, head of NCIFs Department of World Economic Issues.

While Vietnams exports will also decrease because of the negative impacts of the trade war, there will be negligible impact on foreign direct investment, Thang said.

He also expressed concern over the new U.S. tax law that lowers its business tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, he added.

The new law might make U.S. businesses reconsider their investment strategies to focus more on their home country instead of expanding in Vietnam, Thang said.

The tax deduction might also result in some countries creating more incentives to retain U.S. investments. China has recently said it would temporarily give U.S. firms tax exemptions to stop them from withdrawing from the country, Thang noted.

This move will lower competitiveness of the investment environment in Vietnam, he added.

Tension escalates

Trade tension between the U.S. and China continues to escalate. A Reuters report cited Beijing saying on Wednesday that it would slap additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports.

The announcement came after Washington said it would impose 25 percent tariffs on another $16 billion in Chinese goods after imposing tariffs on $34 billion last month.

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.

Experts have previously cautioned that Vietnam will suffer collateral damage from this trade war.

When large corporations no longer see the attractiveness of developing countries, their capital will flow back to the big countries, said Pham Sy Thanh, a department head at the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR).

For this reason, the abundance of labor will no longer be a perk for developing countries like Vietnam, Thanh told VnExpress.

Local economists are also concerned that the weakened Chinese yuan will result in a rush of low quality Chinese goods to Vietnam, including textiles, garments and wood products.

This is not just a trade war, but a war on power, technology and currency policy between the worlds two largest economies, Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade said at a government meeting last month.
An ownership cap is preventing foreigners from buying high-end apartments in Saigon, especially its eastern part.

Thiens apartment was in a prime area with a view of the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh Citys Thao Dien Ward, District 2.

He could have sold it for VND5.5 billion ($236,000) to a foreign buyer, but had to sell to a local investor for VND5 billion ($215,000) because the 30 percent cap of foreign ownership had already been reached.

Like Thien, Luong bought a high-end apartment on Ha Noi Highway, District 2, in 2017, and sold it to a foreigner early 2018. It was after the contract was signed that he learnt that the foreign ownership cap had been reached. It took him another month to find a Vietnamese buyer for lower profits.

The amended Housing Law 2014 expanded foreigners' rights to buy housing in Vietnam but stipulates a foreign ownership cap of 30 percent in each project.

Savills Vietnam director Matthew Powell said that many apartment projects in HCMC have reached the 30 percent foreign ownership limit since last year, especially in expat dense areas.

Song Hai, an experienced real estate broker, said many foreigners find property in the east of the city, like District 2, especially in Thao Dien ward, more attractive as it has been an expatriate haunt for some time.

Earlier, in the third quarter of 2017, a property project located in a prime location in District 1, accessible via the Thu Thiem Tunnel, was so attractive to a group of individual Korean investors that they were willing to take 50-year leases if they could not buy apartments outright as a result of the foreign ownership limit.

Nguyen Xuan Quang, Chairman of Nam Long Investment Joint Stock Company, said the participation of such individual foreign investors was a positive sign for the market at a time when apartment sales were slowing.

Foreign investors might see good market prospects here as returns from property in the city could be better compared to other countries, he said.

Nguyen Loc Hanh, deputy general director of sales and marketing at Danh Khoi Real Estate Joint Stock Company (DKR), said quite a few apartment projects in the eastern part of the city have reached the 30 percent foreign ownership limit, especially high-end projects with fewer than 500 apartments typically preferred by foreigners.

Luxury apartments in the city are still much cheaper than in Hong Kong or Singapore, Hanh noted.

Alan Kan, committee member of the Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam (HKBAV), told VnExpress International that Hong Kong property prices have risen to unaffordable levels, and so many people there are looking to investing in cheaper places like Vietnam and Thailand.

According to data from Hong Kong-based Golden Emperor, gross rental yields are between 4.5 percent and 5 percent in Bangkok and much lower in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, and cannot compare with the yields of 6-8 percent in Vietnam.

Powell of Savills Vietnam added that conditions and legal procedures related to foreign ownership have been eased but should be improved further to attract more investors.

He agreed it was important to have ownership limits to ensure proper oversight and avoid negative impacts on the economy, but Vietnam could consider relaxing the regulations in certain areas to meet demand, especially in the luxury segment, he added.

According to property consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Malaysia has a relaxed realty policy that encourages foreigners to buy various kinds of properties.

Thailand now allows foreigners to buy only 49 percent of a housing project, down from 100 percent earlier.

Indonesia only allows foreign individuals to hold a right of use title for 30 years extendable for another 20.
Vietnams plan to pilot a direct power purchase agreement for renewable energy in 2019 has drawn keen interest from investors.

On June 12 this year, at a seminar on renewable energy, the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) discussed and disclosed information about such a pilot DPPA.

Generally, a DPPA is an agreement between a power generator and a corporate customer in which power is physically delivered and sold to the customer for its operation.

ERAV said it is a time-consuming process since it and its consultants had to do research and collect massive amounts of information on fundamental issues, design, details, and criteria for DPPAs, especially for cases such as Vietnam.

It is also challenging for ERAV to consult other departments of the Ministry of Investment and Trade for piloting the DPPA.

ERAVs consultants have submitted a first preliminary report on international experience regarding the basic design, mechanism and operation of DPPA.

It is known that ERAV and its consultants also sent a questionnaire to several industries, sectors, companies and other stakeholders to seek their opinion on the consumer market, demand, participants, and other issues.

When the report is available, ERAV will organize a seminar to release it and seek opinions from all stakeholders.

At this stage there is no final decision on the capacity, licensing process, participants, location, wheeling fees, and contractual terms for the DPPA.

However, ERAV is considering some of the following models:

Firstly, physical DPPA: onsite DPPA where the power plants are constructed around the consumers, and/or offshore DPPA where power plants are constructed anywhere.

Secondly, financial DPPA: this would be formed with a competitive market for selling power.

ERAV also said that the pilot DPPA would be preferably designed for a 110 KV system (not 220 KV or 22-25 KV) since this is the most popular, efficient and feasible.

Investor interest in renewable energy

Vietnam has long recognized the important role of renewable energy in achieving energy security, sustainable development and stable growth rate.

The country has a wide range of primary energy sources such as crude oil, coal, natural gas and hydro power. However, it has experienced risks since its economy is based on fossil fuels.

For instance, in April 2015 thousands of people blocked a national highway for more than 30 hours in a protest against pollution by the Vinh Tan 2 coal power plant.

It seems most of the hydropower potential will be fully exploited soon.

These are just two examples of what could significantly affect the nations power security. Therefore, Vietnam must reduce its reliance on less environmentally friendly primary fossil fuels and quickly promote renewable energy.

The revised Power Development Plan for 2011  2020 (revised PDP VII), adopted in 2016, is evidence of a growing appreciation of the role of alternative sources of energy, and targets a 7 percent share of electricity generated from renewables by 2020 and 10 percent plus by 2030.

It forecasts electricity demand by projecting annual average growth of 10 percent between 2011 and 2030.

The demand will increase from 86 TWh in 2010 to 265 - 278 TWh in 2020 and 572-632 TWh in 2030.

The estimated installed capacity is 60 GW in 2020 and 129.5 GW in 2030.

Since early 2017 there has been a sharp rise in the number of solar and wind power projects approved by the government after the promulgation of new feed-in-tariffs for on-grid solar projects and other reform policies to attract foreign and local investment in this green industry.

Market access under CPTPP and EVFTA

There are no foreign ownership restrictions in the energy sector under local laws or Vietnams international commitments. A foreign investor could opt for a 100 percent foreign-invested company, joint venture or public-private partnership in the form of a BOT contract.

Vietnam is tied in first place with Singapore in terms of market access liberalization.

The recent conclusion of the EU - Vietnam FTA (EVFTA) negotiations and legal review and the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) further opens the market to foreign investors.

Investors now can bring their technology and know-how, especially from countries with a high level of development of the renewables sector such as Germany, to Vietnam with less market access barriers and more security.

In fact, the CPTPP and the EVFTA make it possible for foreign investors to sue the Vietnamese government for its investment-related decisions under arbitration rules.

The final arbitral award is binding and enforceable without any reference to local courts regarding its validity. This is an advantage for investors considering the fact that the rate of annulled foreign arbitral awards in Vietnam remains relatively high for various reasons.

*Oliver Massmann is General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC
Vietnam imported 2.6 million tons of metal scrap in the first six months of 2018. Photo by Reuters

The Vietnam Steel Association wants the ban on metal scrap waived so that its members can continue importing it as feedstock.

Making steel from steel and iron scrap is an environment-friendly process, which produces only a fifth of the emissions as using iron ore, the VSA said in a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

China has been restructuring its steel industry in recent years to prioritize using metal scrap, and a similar trend can be seen in the U.S. and EU, it said.

Since the supply of metal scrap in Vietnam can only meet 40 percent of their needs, steelmakers have to depend on imports for the rest, it said.

The VSA petition follows a recent government order to stop import of scrap, which warned that Vietnam is on the verge of becoming the worlds dumping ground after China stopped scrap imports on January 1.

The letter also proposed severe penalties for steelmakers violating import regulations and causing harm to the environment.

Seventy two Vietnamese steelmakers imported over 2.6 million tons of metal scrap in the first half this year, mostly from Japan, the U.S. and Hong Kong.

The figure is estimated to reach 19 million tons in the period from 2018 to 2020, according to the VSA.
Julia Mesner and Michael Burdge saw a monkey munching a plastic bag and decided to do something about it.

Julia Mesner and Michael Burdge had their first date on a helicopter in Grand Canyon National Park, in Arizona, United States. Photo by Zero Waste Saigon

And just like that, what was supposed to be their romantic getaway in Vietnam was turned into a mission against plastic consumption.

Julia Mesner said it was a Christmas gift from her husband, a holiday in the small beach town of Ho Tram, about 125 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

There, they headed up to the Ky Van mountain, which hosts a Buddhist monastery known locally as the Monkey Pagoda. Built in 1990, the sacred place is home to hundreds of the simians.

"It was a really beautiful, idyllic and heavenly experience.

But then, all of a sudden, the spell was broken.

"There was this baby monkey eating a plastic bag," Michael told VnExpress, adding that it really bothered his wife. Their son had just turned one a few months ago. "So she kind of had a motherly reaction to it. That thing tipped her over the edge."

Julia tried to take the bag from the baby monkey but he ran off. "Well, even if I had gotten this bag away from this baby, I am not going be here tomorrow," she thought.

"Theyre gonna find plastic and eat it anyway. What can I do about it?"

A search for the answer to this question began in the beautiful, quiet forest.

Soon after, Michael and Julia decided on social media project that will reduce plastic waste, starting from where they lived, Ho Chi Minh City.

With Michael running a real estate marketing company and Julia being a travel blogger, they were used to an itinerant life. Before moving to Saigon, theyd lived in Bangkok for over a year, long enough to realize that the consumption of single-use plastic items like shopping bags, straws and water bottles was absurdly high.

However it didn't hit them until they moved to Ho Chi Minh City last August. "There is plastic for everything. When I go get a coffee, I am getting a plastic cup with a plastic lid, with a plastic straw, thats also wrapped in plastic. And everything is put in a plastic bag," Michael said. "Once we got here, there was also the element of it not being picked up properly, so we couldnt help but notice, plastic was everywhere."

Michael comes from California, which is probably one of the most eco-conscious states in the United States. And his wife is from Paris which has banned plastic bags for a long time.

"We saw the contrast between where we come from and what is going on here. I would say a shocking contrast," Michael said.

Saigon, with its 13 million residents, churns out 80 tons of plastic waste every day. Around 20 percent of the waste is taken to landfills, where it is left unsorted and untreated, while the rest is either recycled or discharged into canals and rivers that flow into the sea, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

In 2015, Vietnam was named in an Ocean Conservancy report as being among the five countries dumping more plastic into the oceans than the rest of the world combined.

To do their bit to reduce plastic consumption, Michael and Julia focused on marketing some ecofriendly products under the brand name, Zero Waste Saigon.

And they started small, with straws.

Westerners selling straws

Zero Waste Saigon offers reusable straw made ouf of steel, bamboo, glass and green grass as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic straws. Michael Burdge showed a bamboo straw at his appartment in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Pham Hanh

Created in January, the Zero Waste Saigon Facebook page gathered 1,000 members in the first month itself. In seven months it attracted five times the number of followers.

Michael and Julia then launched an online store that offers reusable straw made ouf of steel, bamboo, glass and green grass as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic straws.

"Plastic straws may not be the biggest contributor to the ocean waste. But it is the easiest thing that people can give up," Michael said, citing a study done in Singapore in which participants were asked why they used a plastic straw and 60 percent of those said that restaurants automatically put a plastic straw in their drinks and they did not even want it.

Michael suggests that people simply say: "I would like my drinks with no plastic straw, please."

Zero Waste Saigon focuses on solutions for restaurant businesses to lower their use of plastic while raising public awareness.

"I believe that if you change one persons mind, youve saved a certain amount of plastic waste. And if you change the mind of a business, youve cut down a lot more of plastic use," Michael said as he showed us straws made out of rolled green grass leaves. These were the most sustainable solution because customers dont have to remember to bring them, while restaurants didnt have to clean them, he said.

In their small apartment in District 4, Julia and Michael have turned their bedroom into a storage place for eco-friendly products including canvas shopping bags, compostable sugarcane cups and food boxes and handmade crochet jar handles.

For now, Julia and Michael are buying straws from Vietnamese farmers with their own pocket money. It is easy to see that they are not making much profit.

"We're lucky to have apartments in Paris listed on Airbnb (home rental platform). So we can put in our time and effort," Michael said.

Along with online activities, Julia and Michael also use the old fashioned approach. They go to local schools to provide education and community support, and give out free samples to encourage people to become more eco-conscious in their daily lives.

"We chose Saigon specifically because its a really exciting city right now, theres a lot of growth happening here. Now is the time when changes are really shaping the future of what Saigon is going to be so we felt we could really come in and be a part of that."

Restaurants in the front

Zero Waste Saigon products available at Italianis at 17 Han Thuyen, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Zero Waste Saigon

It's not government officials or consumers who seem to be leading efforts to move away from plastic straws, but local restaurants. After 10 years of living in the United States, Kevin Bui returned home and started his own business. Since the first pizza bar opened in 2016, Kevin has become the owner of a chain of three pizza restaurants in the city center.

When his Pizza Pub, a take-away restaurant, launched its soft opening two months ago, Michael and Julia dropped by the place, which was already busy way before the start of lunch hour.

As soon as Julia saw her pizza served on a plastic plate, she came up with a "crazy idea" and asked Kevin to fetch some banana leaves as alternative plates.

"At first, nobody believed this idea would work out well," said the 28-year-old man with a baby face, smiling. After a two-month trial, 20 percent of his customers were excited about the environment-friendly approach, the rest seemed oblivious of the change. Even though banana leaves cost Pizza Pub around VND100,000-200,000 ($4.30-8.58) per month, which is three times higher than plastic plates, Kevin goes for it because he sees it as a way to expand his customer base to eco-conscious people.

"Because your brand is also what helps your business make more money," Kevin said, referring to thousands of Zero Waste Saigon followers as his prospective customers. He has since stopped putting out straws at all his restaurants though customers can get reusable stainless steel straws on request.

Michael and Julia are striving to turn the tide on plastic through restaurants. "We prove to businesses that the customers do care about environment so they want to switch over," Michael said. "Thinking about eco-conscious solution is a luxury for businesses because thats not their main priority. Their main priority is that they try to stay in business. They won't risk spending money on something their customers dont care about or maybe they dont even like."

Quan Bui, a well-known Vietnamese cuisine restaurant chain in Saigon, has quickly expanded into five outlets mainly in the central districts. And as waste management became a serious headache for the owner, "we decided to switch to paper cups and cutlery. We've also ditched plastic packaging of take-away meals. Even though packaging costs account for up to 10 percent of each bill, we are consistent with the approach to solve the problem," manager Mai Vu said.

Quan Bui has tried paper straws, stainless steel straws and bamboo straws before sticking with grass straws supplied by Zero Waste Saigon.

"Change is difficult. But we want to be one of the pioneers," Vu said.

Pizza Pub and Quan Bui are among over 50 local businesses which have purchased eco-friendly products from Zero Waste Saigon.

"We are definitely still in the beginning stages of everything. We are not the only one in town, thankfully, that are doing good things," Michael said.

Saigon is likely a long way from going completely straw-free, but Michael and Julia are optimistic.

"I imagine that one day my son will ask 'Whats a straw?' in the same way that kids now dont know what a typewriter is," Michael Burdge said.

"If he says that, it means that we've fixed it."
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (Incham) is holding its 10th successive Blood Donation Drive in Saigon on August 12.

The event is being organized in association with the Blood Transfusion Hospital in HCMC at the Youth Cultural Center on Pham Ngoc Thach Street in District 1 between 8 a.m.  3 p.m.

Incham, which represents the Indian business community in Vietnam, is celebrating 20 years of establishment this year.

Besides business and trade promotions, it conducts various charity events and cultural exchange events.

We consider donating blood a social responsibility; it is a healthy practice and a profound gesture, wherein one can make a difference between life and death, an Incham statement said.

We realize that at every moment, someone in distress needs blood. She or he may be a cancer patient, someone who needs the vital fluid after childbirth/surgery, or the victim of an accident. Unfortunately, many such patients are not lucky to receive blood in time, with potentially fatal consequences.

We want to make a difference to this situation with our annual blood donation drive, it added.

You benefit, too

The Blood Transfusion Hospital of HCMC says anyone 18 years and above is eligible to donate blood if she/he is in good health and weighs at least 45 kilos.

Donating blood has many proven health benefits. It has been linked to a reduction in heart attack rates and cholesterol levels.

Regular blood donations also reduce the risk of cancer. Besides these health benefits, donors get a chance for a free health screening and blood testing for some major maladies.

Furthermore, Blood Transfusion Hospital of HCMC will issue all donors with a donor card and undertakes to provide an equal amount of blood donated free in a situation where the donor needs it. This card does not carry any time limit.

To become a donor, call +84911418132 or email incham@gmail.com, incham@hcm.vnn.vn, or simply turn up at the venue in time. Incham called on all residents of HCMC to make this important humanitarian initiative a great success, by participating personally and persuading colleagues, friends and family to donate blood as well.
A Hanoi eatery serves wonton soup, not as ubiquitous as pho, but delicious in its own right.

An act of wonton kindness in Hanoi's Old Quarter An act of wonton kindness in Hanoi's Old Quarter

Near the Old City Gate (O Quan Chuong) of the Old Quarter in Hanoi, the Phuong Beo wonton noodles restaurant has been running for five years, opening from early in the morning until midnight, serving both locals and foreigners.

The space inside is pretty narrow and the furnishings bare. Red lanterns make the place very eye-catching at night, attracting the attention of people passing by.

The kitchen is placed right in front of the restaurant, with a small glass case that contains ingredients like shrimp, vegetables and boiled eggs.

The owner said that all the ingredients are prepared by family members. As soon as the restaurant closes, they get to work preparing ingredients for the next morning.

A bowl of wonton noodles with all the trimmings. The fragrant shrimp-based broth, the thin noodle strands and generous portions of wontons make this place special, regular customers say.

The wonton has a sweet filling that becomes even more tasty when had with the broth.

The tender orange pink shrimps add flavor and taste to the dish. Phong, visiting from Saigon, said: The flavor reminds me of the Chinese dishes that I can get in Saigon. The broth is light and tasty, but this restaurant is a bit messy, with so many tables.

Customers can enjoy their wonton noodle soup on plastic dining tables for VND30,000 ($1.29) a bowl. An extra serving of wontons and other sides will only cost another VND10,000. You can also order soft drinks to quench your thirst from the street stall immediately next to the restaurant.
Chinese state media on Thursday accused the U.S. of a mobster mentality in its move to implement additional tariffs on Chinese goods.

It also warned that Beijing had all the necessary means to fight back.

The comments mark a ratcheting up in tensions between the worlds two largest economies over a trade dispute, which is already impacting industries ranging from steel to cars and causing unease over which products could be targeted next.

Beijing late on Wednesday said it would slap additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports, in retaliation to news the United States plans to begin collecting 25 percent extra in tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods from August 23.

The two countries trade conflict, which is merely push and shove at the moment, is likely to escalate into more than just a scuffle if the U.S. administration cannot marshal its mobster mentality, state newspaper China Daily said in an editorial.

China continues to do its utmost to avoid a trade war, but in the face of the U.S.s ever greater demand for protection money, China has no choice but to fight back, it said.

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.

China has confidence in protecting its own interests, has many means, state broadcaster CCTV said on its early morning news show.

Another commentary, written by China Institute of International Studies research fellow Jia Xiudong and published in the overseas edition of the Peoples Daily newspaper, said the United States was trying to suppress Chinas development.

China should consider unconventional methods such as the stimulus plan used by Beijing during the global financial crisis if needed to sustain economic growth, the Global Times newspaper, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Partys Peoples Daily, said in a commentary.
Tens of thousands of homes, businesses and mosques were leveled by the quake, which struck on Sunday as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island. Photo by AFP

The death toll from a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has risen above 160, an official said Thursday.

Authorities urgently appealed for medicine, food and clean water for some 156,000 people displaced by the disaster.

Many frightened 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 powerful quake, which struck just one week after another tremor surged through the island and killed 17.

"The death toll rose to 164 people with at least 1,400 people seriously injured and 156,000 displaced," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.

Tens of thousands of homes, businesses and mosques were levelled by the quake, which struck on Sunday as evening prayers were being said across the Muslim-majority island.

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 of Lombok, which bore the brunt of the quake.

"We are still waiting for assessments from some of the more remote areas in the north of the island, but it is already clear that Sunday's earthquake was exceptionally destructive," Christopher Rassi, the head of a Red Cross assessment team on Lombok, said in a statement.

He estimated 75 percent of houses are damaged in some villages in east and north Lombok.

"There are still some evacuees that have not yet been touched by aid, especially in North Lombok and West Lombok," Nugroho tweeted Thursday.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Wednesday said his country is not seeking any expansion or influence in Libya as Rome gears up to host an international conference in November to bring stability to the North African turned lawless since the fall in 2011 of Muammar Gaddafis regime.

The fundamental interest lies in achieving stability in Libya, and we in Italy do not have any aspirations for domination and expansion in this country, Conte is quoted as saying in statements aired on Italian state TV channel.

Libya is of strategic importance for Italy for historical, geographical, and political reasons. Also, the migration routes that cross Libya are targeting Italy. That is why we have a major interest in relations with this country.

Italy is trying to overtake France in Libya which has become a divided country with two separate administrations; Government of National Accord (GNA) of Tripoli backed by the UN, on one hand and Beida-based administration supported warlord Khalifa Haftar who is supported by several countries including Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.

The oil-rich country slid into mess since 2011, following the removal of former ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed revolution.

France gathered under the auspices of President Emmanuel Macron, on two occasions, protagonists of the Libyan crisis to cobble together agreements including the organization of elections in December. The agreements have remained fruitless.

Conte last month met in Washington with US President Donald Trump to seek Americas endorsement for a major international conference in Rome that will to work on a roadmap that will help end chaos.

Italy has become the major destination target for thousands of migrants who cross the Mediterranean daily in view of reaching other European countries. Contes anti-migration cabinet has vowed to curb the arrivals and has already refused to welcome hundreds of refugees.

The Italian leader also stressed that calls for December elections in Libya proposed by agreement reached by Libyan protagonists will not solve lawlessness in the North African country.

We are aware that if we accelerate elections (in Libya), we will not achieve real stability. Therefore, we need gradual progress, he said.
What do you think about our new website?

Share your opinion
Anthracite coal stocks at Ukrainian TPPs shrink by 10% within week

In general, coal stocks at Ukraine's TPPs fell by 2.8% over the period under review, to 1.229 million tonnes.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter
Ukraine had no wheat supplies Saudi Arabia in the 2017/18 season.

A low harvest in Europe and Riyadh's decision to cancel grain imports from Canada might give Ukraine a chance to export wheat to Saudi Arabia again this season, analysts said on Thursday.

Ukraine is a major supplier of barley to Saudi Arabia but has not sold wheat to Saudi Arabia since 2016, Reuters said.

"Ukraine had no wheat supplies Saudi Arabia in the 2017/18 season, but in the current situation this market can be quite promising for Ukrainian grain exporters," analysts at APK-Inform said in a report.

Read alsoUkrainian farmers export almost 3 mln tonnes of grain since July 1

The consultancy said Germany and Poland were the leading wheat exporters to Saudi Arabia but poor weather could hit their exportable surplus this year.

It also said that Ukraine's share of Saudi Arabia's barley market could also rise from 22 percent last season given smaller barley harvests in Germany, France, and Australia.

APK-Inform said a recent decision by Saudi Arabia's main state wheat buying agency to avoid buying Canadian wheat and barley in its international tenders, due to a political dispute, could also enable Ukraine to sell more to Saudi.

Canada is one of the leading exporters of barley to Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine exported 1.9 million tonnes of barley to Saudi Arabia in the July 2017-June 2018 season and APK-Inform said that this season's export volume would be at least the same level despite a smaller harvest.

It said Ukraine could export around 4 million tonnes of barley in 2018/19.
The White House issued a statement strongly condemning the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Daniel Ortega regime in response to protests.

After years of fraudulent elections and the regimes manipulation of Nicaraguan law  as well as the suppression of civil society, opposition parties, and independent media  the Nicaraguan people have taken to the streets to call for democratic reforms, the statement said.

These demands have been met with indiscriminate violence, with reports of more than 350 dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of citizens labeled coup-mongers and terrorists who have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, or who have gone missing. The White House noted that President Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo are ultimately responsible for the actions of the pro-government parapolice who have brutalized their own people.

The United States stands with the people of Nicaragua, including members of the Sandinista party, who are calling for democratic reforms and an end to the violence. Free, fair, and transparent early elections are the only avenue toward restoring democracy in Nicaragua. The U.S. supports the Catholic Church-led National Dialogue process for good-faith negotiations toward that end.

The U.S. is promoting accountability of Ortega government officials responsible for human rights abuse and corruption. Three Nicaraguan officials  Francisco Diaz, Fidel Moreno, and Francisco Lopez  have been sanctioned under Executive Order 13818, issued by the President of the United States to build upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. These steps, the White House said, are a start, not an end, of potential sanctions in response to continued serious human rights abuses and corruption.

The United States is revoking or restricting visas of Nicaraguan officials and their families when those officials have been responsible for police violence against protesters and municipal authorities, and when they have been complicit in pro-government parapolice violence against peaceful protests, and related abuses.

The U.S. has also cut off further sales and donations of equipment that Ortegas security forces might misuse.

The United States has announced an additional $1.5 million in aid to continue support for freedom and democracy in Nicaragua, providing a critical lifeline for civil society, human rights organizations, and independent media currently under threat from the Ortega regime.

The White House called on the Ortega regime to immediately end the state-sanctioned violence perpetrated by police and parapolice forces. The United States will continue to closely monitor the situation in Nicaragua and work with the international community to hold those responsible for the violence to account.
Secretary of State Pompeo said for the people of Iran kleptocracy and terrorism have been the fruit of Irans revolution. The United States, he promised, in the spirit of our own freedoms will support the long-ignored voice of the Iranian people.
Saudi Arabia Wednesday said it will continue supplying oil to clients in Canada despite ongoing diplomatic crisis in which Riyadh said will not accept mediation.

The Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said oil delivery to clients will not be affect despite the kingdom Sunday decision freezing trade and transaction with Canada.

The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramcos relations with its customers in Canada, he said.

The overseer of the kingdoms oil in the statement also said political considerations do affect petroleum supplies.

Ties between the Gulf most powerful country and Canada have gone cold since Sunday after the Sunni kingdom blasted a statement by the Canadian foreign ministry calling for the release of all civil rights prisoners among whom dozens of women who campaigned against the ban on womens rights to drive and the imposed male guardianship.

Hundreds of dissents including clerics, journalists are squatting in Saudi prisons. Dozens of them according to rights groups have been arrested on bogus charges against a backdrop of seeming openness of the most conservative Arab country in the world under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman who is the kingdoms de facto ruler.

Riyadh also hit back Canada with several measures including banning the Canadian envoy to return and recalling its own ambassador and suspending on Tuesday all educational programs between the countries in a move that will affect over 7,000 Saudi students getting trained in the North American country.

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, Reuters reports.

Wednesday, Saudi Arabias top diplomat Adel al-Jubeir ruled out any mediation after it emerged that Ottawa would turn to Saudi ally the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Britain to help diffuse the crisis. Jubeir also insisted that Canada fixes its biggest mistake while adding that the kingdom was considering implementing more measures to protest against what it deems interference by Canada into its domestic affairs. The U.S., has declined to help patch up the crisis but called on the two countries to find a way out.

Canada has reiterated its support for civil rights activists in the kingdom but seemed Wednesday to tone down its stance. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday said he does not want to cut ties with Saudi Arabia that he described as country of great influence. He also added that Riyadh has made progress in the area of human rights.

Also, A lawyer for a Saudi asylum seeker in Canada told Reuters that he Ottawa has suspended under the influence of the United Nations, the deportation of his client. Stephanie Valois in an email told the news agency said that her client who she requested not to be named for safety reason has been admitted to a hospital in Quebec on stress-related reason. The man reportedly crossed into Canada from the United States earlier this year, with his wife and two sons.

A letter from the U.N. human rights committee called on Canada to halt the mans deportation until the committee could make its own decision on the case, Reuters reports.

The man was scheduled to be flown back to Riyadh on Wednesday. Canada deported 30 people last year over 362 refugee claim cases.
Columbia Wednesday announced its recognition of the state of Palestine in a move that stressed change in the foreign policy of the South American country.

The incoming government of inaugurated President Ivan Duque made public the decision August 3 of former leader Juan Manuel Santos.

I would like to inform you that in the name of the government of Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos has decided to recognize Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, a letter sanctioning the decision read.

The decision appeared to be made a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was called off a trip to Bogota to attend Duques inauguration. Netanyahu cancelled the trip saying he would focus of the alarming situation in south Israel.

It is unclear whether Bogotas decision possibly motivated Netanyahus decision to freeze his trip.

The Palestinian mission in the Columbia capital reportedly told AFP that they were informed of the decision on Friday. They said the move by Columbian authorities translates profound efforts to reach a rapprochement.

Columbia is an ally of Israel according to Israeli media Times of Israel, Santos was mulling plans to transfer the Columbian embassy to the disputed city of Jerusalem that Israel in May declared unilaterally its capital, with endorsement from the White House.

The new Columbian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said the decision is legal but the government will study its implications. Homes also noted that Bogota will maintain cooperative relations with its allies and friends, and to contribute to international peace and security.

Over 130 countries around the world have recognized the Palestinian statehood. Now that Columbia has joined the chorus, Panama is the only South American country that does not recognize Palestine as a state.
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

Google Ad

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
Larisa Alaverdyan about Kocharyan's case: The process is undergoing with violations of human rights (video)

Human rights defender Larisa Alaverdyan condemns that many blamed Robert Kocharyan's lawyers for defending him. Also, she considers the SIS's public statements wrong, as they will have an impact on the case study. She considers that the attorney should not be identified with the accused, and Armenia should overcome this problem as soon as possible. "I fully agree with Hayk Alumyan. It is not me that have to present his professional knowledge and honesty. As well as Aram Orbelyan, who is also involved in the case. He is a brilliant expert in international law. This shameful campaign against advocates is not good," says Larisa Alaverdyan. The former human rights defender also emphasized that such cases should be examined perfectly to reach a good result. She thinks that there should not be haste, otherwise Robert Kocharyan's rights are violated. According to her, the human factor is the reason of such haste as they want to express their loyalty to the new authorities as soon as possible. It is possible that the new authorities also have the same haste, and they also want to prove to the public very quickly.
Citizen hammers his legs in Republic Square (video)

The citizen hammered his legs in Republic Square. In this way, he tried to draw attention. Armen Yeranosyan has been dismissed from work for nearly two and a half years and cannot pay for loans. "I worked as a locksmith at Sotq gold mine for 3 years. It was my father's birthday. I went to concrete the tomb building, and I do not deny that I drank 8 cups and came to work. But I did not take part in the work. They released me from work without any ground." Armen Yeranosyan has appealed to the Human Rights Defender many ties, and in 2016, he sewed his mouth for the same purpose. "I appealed to all instances. I want to meet with Nikol Pashinyan to get me back to work, so I will be able to close my loans, and do not need their work for myself." Finally, the Ministry of Emergency Situations moved him to the hospital in order to organize further medical aid there.
United States President Donald Trump will meet his Kenyan counterpart later this month, specifically on August 27, The White House announced in an official statement.

According to the statement, the meeting between Uhuru Kenyatta and Donald Trump will reaffirm the long-standing relationship between the United States and Kenya as a cornerstone of peace and stability in Africa and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

The two leaders will also hold talks in the area of trade, investment and security cooperation. Kenya and Ethiopia are seen as crucial to U.S. counter insurgency combat in the East Africa region.

Washington describing Kenya as a vital partner of the U.S., said President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to broaden the strategic partnership based on our shared democratic values and mutual interests.

Kenya is a beneficiary of the preferential trade pact, Agoa, which allows sub-Saharan African countries to export goods to Americas tax-free. Textile accounts for about 80 per cent of Kenyas total exports to the US under the pact. While US exports to Kenya include agricultural products, aircraft parts and machinery.

Last year, Kenyan authorities said they were looking to expand the list of products that the country exports to the US under Agoa as competition intensifies in the garment and apparel market.

As a reminder, Trump called Kenyatta last year on the phone. He discussed a possible new arms deal to help the East African nation fight terrorism, especially in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
There is a positive side in his nomination: he will no longer be filmed in the movies - Ruben Babayan on Hayk Marutyan's candidacy (video)

Today, Director of the Puppet Theater Ruben Babayan said at a press conference that Yerevan Mayor should not be elected by the council, but by the residents of Yerevan. Referring to Hayk Marutyan, the candidate nominated by the Civil Contract party, he said: "There is a positive side in his nomination: he will no longer be filmed in the movies. This is positive. And there is no other blocking, it does not matter what kind of a profession he is. He can be an actor, architect, and sculptor." According to him, it is important to form a management system and to collect a good team to manage the city. Artist Haghtanak Shahumyan also added that the old system should be changed and if the new authorities come and try to adapt to the old system, they will fail. More information is in the video.
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
PM Pashinyan discussed issues of economic development with members of Republican Union of Employers of Armenia (video)

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the members of Republican Union of Employers of Armenia, headed by Gagik Makaryan. The official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia reports, the PM noted that he highlights the dialogue between the government and the unions and NGOs representing the different interest groups and added that it will give an opportunity to regularly discuss the existing problems and listen to opinions aimed at solving them. During the meeting issues referring to the improvement of business environment, fostering FDIs, legislative reforms and other issues were discussed. The sides also touched upon the reforms in tax administration, development opportunities of public procurement system, construction and civil aviation. Highlighting the necessity of holding such meetings regularly, Nikol Pashinyan tasked the Cabinet members to continue meetings with the members of Republican Union of Employers of Armenia for discussing the proposals aimed at solving the issues in the mentioned spheres.
The Belarusan National Platform of the EaP CSF issued a statement in connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the Belarusan media and the detention of journalists.

Statement

of the Belarusan National Platform

of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

In connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the media and the detention of journalists

Minsk, August 9, 2018

On August 7, 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus disseminated information on the initiation of a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 349 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (unauthorized access to computer information, committed with a different personal interest, which caused significant harm). Over the past two days, offices were searched by a number of Belarusan media: BelaPAN, Tut.by, the newspaper Kultura, Realt.by.

Dozens of journalists were interrogated in the Investigative Committee, a number of them carried out searches at home and seized computer equipment. As of the evening of August 8, journalists Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Galina Ulasik, Hanna Ermachonak, Paulyuk Bykouski and Aliaksei Zhukau were detained for 3 days.

We, the participants of the Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, fully agree with the previously published Statement of the Belarusan Association of Journalists, Human Rights Center Viasna, the Belarusan PEN Center and the Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities, and we also believe recent events are a flagrant violation of freedom of expression and media activities. The nature of the actions of law enforcement agencies is obviously excessive in relation to the charges being brought. The detention of journalists who are not of public danger for 3 days is an excessive investigative measure. Of particular concern is the campaign that began in the state-run media to denigrate the reputation of the media and journalists under investigation, including the allegedly revealing of investigative materials, which is unacceptable for any country that respects the presumption of innocence and the rule of law. Investigation of criminal cases should not affect freedom of journalists and the professional activities of media.

The greater concern about the nature of the investigation is against the backdrop of systematic violations of the right to disseminate information and intimidate journalists through the persecution of BelaPAN founder Alexander Lipai and a number of journalists of the Belsat TV channel.

We call on the authorities of Belarus to immediately release all detained journalists. We also call on the international community, professional journalistic and human rights associations, as well as diplomats and politicians to pay attention to this situation, give it an appropriate assessment and support actions to protect freedom of speech in our country.

The Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was founded in July 2010, it unites over 80 organizations and initiatives of various fields on the basis of pro-European values.
EuroChem, a major Russian fertilizer producer, reported a loss of $25 million on the divestment of distribution assets in Ukraine.

Following the import ban on specific products at the beginning of the year in Ukraine and further sanctions later against a large number of Russian suppliers, the EuroChem decided to divest 100% of its distribution assets in the country (two Ukrainian companies) in May to an unrelated party, the company said.

EuroChem sold 100% of shares in both companies for $53 million by the end of May. The consideration is subject to payment in five years; the discounted value is $29 million. The net assets of the sold subsidiaries exceed this amount and are estimated at almost $55 million.

Ukraine imposed sanctions in the fall of 2017 against a number of EuroChem Group companies, as well as other Russian fertilizer suppliers. The authorities said the sanctions were being imposed because the companies shipped product to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics through checkpoints and customs offices shut down or prohibited by the Ukrainian government. Ukraine later imposed a complete ban on imports of granulated and calcined ammonium nitrate, as well as ammonium sulphate produced in Russia from March 1, 2018 to the end of 2019.

EuroChem said it took all necessary measures to redirect its products from Ukraine to other markets with minimal losses to profitability.

Ukraine's share of EuroChem's sales has not been disclosed. The overall share of CIS countries in the company's sales shrank to 5% ($63 million of $1.31 billion in revenue) in the second quarter of 2018 from 8% ($86 million off $1.06 billion) in the same period a year earlier.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he is confident that Ukraine will begin mass production of large-caliber artillery ammunition in the near future.

"Today we are ready to move to the mass production of the most scarce ammunition in the near future," Poroshenko said during the launch of a new site for the production of 152mm artillery shells at joint-stock holding company Artem in Kyiv on Thursday.

He said that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry had drafted at his request a target program for the new production of artillery munitions.

He noted that this is impossible without new equipment, which was not sold to Ukraine in 2013, despite the diplomatic efforts of the leadership of the country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"I can state that there was such a low level of confidence in Ukraine, that the previous Ukrainian authorities were so uncompromising that nobody trusted us and nobody supplied the equipment," Poroshenko said.

He said that new equipment had currently been installed at the Artem plant.

"The newest machines [...] came from Turkey and are already operating. The newest machines arrived. I will not say which countries they came from, because there are conditions of confidentiality, but I can say that many countries of the world today supply the unique equipment that is used by employees of the Ukrainian defense industry," Poroshenko said.

He drew attention to the fact that the seized $1.5 billion, which was stolen from the Ukrainian people by the previous government, was working for Ukraine. He recalled that part of these funds had been spent on the country's defense industry, and "these funds were used to ensure the creation of a complex for the production of ammunition, both artillery and reactive ammunition."

The head of state also noted that artillery had ensured a reliable defense of Ukrainian lands over the past four years of the war.
Kness to build solar panel plant with 400 MW annual output in Vinnytsia by 2020

Kness Group intends by the end of 2019 to build a solar panel factory with an annual capacity of 400 MW in Vinnytsia, the press service of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine has said.

According to the agency, construction will be conducted in two equal stages in terms of output. It is planned that the company will create about 400 jobs.

The agency said Kness had already built 33 solar power plants with a total capacity of 225 MW in seven regions of Ukraine.

Kness is a large EPC contractor. It includes the engineering company Podilsky Energoconsulting, sells inverter equipment, power collection cabinets, generation monitoring systems and support structures for Ukrainian-made solar panels.

As reported, previously Enhol private enterprise launched a line for assembling solar cells in Energodar, Zaporizhia region. The capacity of the technological line is 15 MW per year.

The Ukrainian legislation provides for surcharges to feed-in tariffs for power plants that use equipment manufactured in Ukraine.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is finalizing work on the macro-prudential policy strategy and intends to present the document to the banking community in autumn, first deputy head of the central bank Yekateryna Rozhkova has said.

"The National Bank will announce the comprehensive vision of the issue this fall - by that time we will finalize the strategy of macro-prudential policy," she told Interfax-Ukraine.

Rozhkova noted that the main task of the relevant regulation is to monitor the accumulation of systemic problems.

"First, we analyze the historical data of the banks. When we collect all the banks together, we will be able to compare their expectations with our macro forecasts. For example, we see that lending to a particular industry is growing too fast, while the monetary unit of the NBU expects prices to fall. In this case, the macro-prudential policy requires setting limits, whether for the entire sector or for a particular segment," she explained, adding that the existing micro-prudential supervision does not allow seeing the whole picture, because it is focused on a particular bank, at which everything could be all right.

In addition, the National Bank together with the Individuals' Deposit Guarantee Fund with the support of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has started implementing Directive 2014/59/EC.

After this document is implemented, the central bank, in addition to the business plan, intends to demand the so called "recovery plan" from the banks.
One killed, three wounded in 44 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas over past day

One Ukrainian soldier was killed, three more were injured, and contact with another one was lost during a combat clash as militants have violated the ceasefire in Donbas 44 times over the past 24 hours, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters has said.

"The enemy opened fire on the positions of our troops 44 times, including twice from heavy weapons," the JFO HQ said in a report published on its page on Facebook on Thursday morning.

Militants used grenade launchers, large-caliber machineguns and small arms, as well as IFV weapons in some areas. They fired at the defenders of Krymske, Novozvanivka, Zolote, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Novoselivka Druha, Novomykhailivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Avdiyivka, Hnutove, Lebedynske, Pavlopil, Vodiane and Shyrokyne.

The enemy fired from 82mm mortars on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Krymske and Avdiyivka, and a combat clash was recorded near Mayorsk.

"During the current day, gunmen from Russian occupation troops opened fire seven times on the positions of Ukrainian defenders near Novozvanivka, Luhanske, Maryinka, Krasnohorivka and Lebedynske," the report said.
The proposed U.S. bill to tighten sanctions against Russia could hit Rosatom, as it proposes to extend restrictions on imports of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russia until 2031, national daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.

This could affect a key market for the state nuclear corporation. Rosatom subsidiary Tenex earned over 40% of its LEU export revenue from U.S. contracts in 2017. The owners of nuclear power plants (NPP) in the United States are interested in buying Russian uranium, because it is cheaper than alternatives.

The Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018 (DASKAA) included a proposal to restrict LEU imports from Russia. The bill proposes to extend limits on U.S. imports of Russian LEU until 2031.

While quotas for Russia will increase until 2020, the bill proposes to rapidly reduce them in the subsequent decade, to 463.6 tonnes in 2021 and to 375.8 tonnes in 2030. The bill also proposes to eliminate the current option to purchase uranium above the limit for the U.S. Energy Department's reserves, although Russia has not used this option, the paper said.

Russian LEU is exported to the U.S. by Tenex, which works primarily with the operators of NPP. As of the end of 2017, the company's total limits for uranium product exports to the U.S. in 2011-2020 were 95% filled. Tenex's overall portfolio of long-term contracts totals $17 billion, and a number of these agreements go beyond 2020, so they could be affected by the proposed reduction of the limits.

The U.S. is Tenex's largest market, accounting for about $700 million of the company's $1.7 billion in sales in 2017 and about $1.1 billion of the $3.3 billion in new contracts secured by the company.

Tenex's IFRS net profit dropped by 38.5% to $242.6 million in 2017 on revenue down 10% to $1.9 billion. Tenex noted difficulties on the world market, including high uranium stockpiles (equivalent to two to three years of consumption in Europe and the U.S.) and a drop in prices for uranium enrichment from $52 to $45 per separative work unit under long-term contracts, according to UxC estimates.

The U.S. nuclear energy sector has depended heavily on imports of both uranium and uranium enrichment services in recent decades, particularly since 2011, when prices for uranium, enrichment and nuclear fuel tumbled in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The U.S. now essentially has two suppliers of enrichment services: Russia's Rosatom and Europe's Urenco, which also has facilities in the U.S. Most uranium mining in the U.S. has been shut down due to unprofitability, including assets controlled by Rosatom.

This situation has for a long time essentially kept U.S. sanctions against Russia from affecting Rosatom. So far only scientific cooperation and a number of secondary sectors have been symbolically hit with restrictions.

But the situation has changed this year. Back in January, U.S. uranium miners proposed that the White House introduce quotas for purchases of local uranium for NPP and in July the Commerce Department began an investigation concerning this complaint. At the time, Tenex did not see this as a direct threat to the company.
The African Union has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections.

The central Africa mineral-rich nation is due to hold long delayed presidential elections in December this year. The deadline for submission of presidential candidacy papers expires today, August 8, 2018.

The Chairperson of the Commission Moussa Faki in a statement, emphasized, the need for the rights and freedoms of all Congolese voters be respected and that a level electoral playing field is ensured.

The A.U statement was issued after security forces on Monday battled pro-opposition leader Katumbis supporters in the south-eastern city of Lubumbashi. The forces were deployed in a bid to halt several simultaneous protests from different parts of the city  which is his stronghold and also capital of the Upper-Katanga province of which Katumbi was once governor.

The presidential aspirant exiled since 2016 is seeking to return to the country to file his candidature for polls slated for December this year. He has failed to get air clearance as well as entry through the borders.

The countrys Catholic Bishops Conference (CENCO) has also broken its silence on the case of the exiled presidential aspirant. In an eight-point release issued on Monday, the church deplored what it said was the interference of the government in blocking the former Katanga province governor from returning to the country.

The country is still yet to learn whether or not its current president, Joseph Kabila, has plans of continuing as president and what plans he has to actualize that move.
A car of Ukrainian servicemen came under fire from an anti-tank missile system near the town of Zolote in Luhansk region on Wednesday evening, with one soldier killed and four others injured, the press service of the Luhansk regional civil-military administration has said.

"The news of our losses among servicemen near Zolote has become another confirmation of the fact that the war continues, and the enemy is not going to stop the attempts to escalate the conflict. Together with all of Luhansk region, I express my sincere condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased defender of Ukraine, and I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded soldiers," the press service of the regional administration quoted Yuriy Harbuz, head of the Luhansk regional civil-military administration, on its page on Facebook on Thursday morning.

The Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters said in its report for August 8 that one Ukrainian serviceman was killed in Donbas, three others were wounded, and the search was underway for another soldier with whom the contact was lost during a combat clash.
Second Ukrainian president Kuchma gets greetings on his 80th birthday

Leonid Kuchma, who served as Ukraine's president from 1994 to 2005, marks his 80th birthday on Thursday, August 9.

"The second Ukrainian president celebrates this holiday in Kyiv. Birthday greetings come from all over Ukraine and from many countries of the world - from current and former heads of state, Ukrainian and foreign diplomats, politicians, representatives of the clergy, fellow rocketeers, scientists, journalists, and representatives of the arts," reads a report posted on the website of Kuchma's Ukraine Presidential Foundation.

The foundation's staff wished Kuchma good health, longevity and family comfort.

Kuchma was born on August 9, 1938 in the village of Chaikyne, Chernihiv region. In 1992-1993, he worked as Ukraine's prime minister.
Thirty-one civilians have been killed in Donbas since the beginning of the year, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Alexander Hug has said.

"So far this year we have confirmed 31 civilians have been killed and 137 have been injured. In total, 168 civilian casualties," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to Hug, of the 168 civilian casualties this year, 59 were from mines or unexploded ordinance (17 killed and 42 injured).
The facts documented and analyzed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirm that all sides in the conflict committed serious human rights violations near Ilovaisk in Donetsk region in August 2014.

The instances recorded and analyzed by the OHCHR in its report on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during the August 2014 events near Ilovaisk indicate that all sides in the conflict committed grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including acts that could even be classified war crimes. The report was made public at a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

It says that the Ukrainian authorities have failed to properly investigate the crimes that took place near Ilovaisk. The OHCHR recommends that the Ukrainian authorities continue the process of ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and introducing amendments to the Ukrainian Penal Code to make it possible to prosecute international crimes at the national level.

Ukraine's law enforcement agencies have been urged to conduct unbiased investigations into all reports of human rights violations.
A political prisoner, Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who is being held in the Polar Bear colony in Labytnangi, is currently experiencing a third crisis, he does not intend to give up on his hunger strike and agreed to videotaping in the colony by a public monitoring commission, the Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova has said.

"I've talked with Oleh's lawyer Dmitry Dinze who said that the situation is very bad. He said that Sentsov has a third protracted crisis now. They wanted to send him to the hospital twice, where they were going to connect him to medical equipment and begin compulsory feeding. The last time, when he was taken to the city hospital of Labytnangi, the doctors wanted to tie him to bed and start forcible feeding. According to Dmitry Dinze, Oleh said that he does not intend to stop the hunger strike," wrote Denisova on Facebook on Thursday.
KYIV. Aug 9 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Damage to Pak-Expo Leasing LLC (Slavutych, Kyiv region), a plant for production of one-component polyethylene caps for PET bottles, from an attempted raider seizure amounted to UAH 600,000.

"More than 40 unknown masked persons at 17:30 on August 8 seized the production facilities of Pak-Expo Leasing and had been holding them until 24:00. After the intervention of law enforcement officers, the raiders left the premises," director general of the company Valeriy Savchenko said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

The company reported that the leader of the illegal capture had been detained by the law enforcers.

According to lawyer of Pak-Expo Leasing Maksym Zavorotniuk, the "standard raider scheme - the alienation of property rights through the state registrar on fictitious documents" was launched in relation to the company.

"This happened on August 7-8, but we reacted quickly and noted the registration actions, thus renewing the property rights in the state register of rights to immovable property. A lawsuit has been filed with the Economic Court of Kyiv region on invalidating the documents on the basis of which the raider seizure took place," the lawyer said.

The core business of Pak-Expo Leasing, operating in the Ukrainian market since 2004, is the production and sale of single-component polyethylene screw caps for carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, juices, and dairy products.

Since 2004, the company has invested EUR8 million in its development.
The brother of Armenia's former prime minister Hovik Abrahamian was arrested on suspicion of illegal arms procurement and possession, Armenia's security service said on August 8.

Henrik Abrahamian was a member of parliament several times in the past and belongs to a wealthy and influential family, which owns several businesses in the Caucasus country of 3.2 million people.

The arrest is one in a series in recent months under Armenia's new prime minister, Nikol Pashinian, a former opposition leader who was elected by parliament in May after weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism in the government.

The National Security Service said in a statement that it found weapons on the property of a former mechanical plant believed to have belonged to Hovik Abrahamian, who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2016.

Among the weapons found were three hand-held machine guns, 74 guns, two sniper rifles, and bullets and ammunition for the weapons, the service said.

Also arrested on suspicion of illegal arms procurement and possession was a man connected with the mechanical plant, Ambik Gevorgian, it said.

The latest arrests come a month after an Armenian court ordered the detention of former President Robert Kocharian, who served from 1998 to 2008, on charges of usurping power and an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order during events following the 2008 elections, when his ally Serzh Sarksian became president.

Kocharian has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.

A month earlier the Armenian parliament stripped General Manvel Grigorian 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.

Based on reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Armenian Service


A controversial comment made by an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General has thrust him under the spotlight.

We (IRGC) told Yemenis [Houthi rebels] to strike two Saudi oil tankers, and they did it, IRGC-run Fars news agency cited General Nasser Shabani as saying on Tuesday, August 7.

Hours later, Fars news agency (FNA) amended the report by taking out the comment.

In the initial report, General Shabani was referring to an attack on the Saudi oil tankers that happened in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and is a narrow, strategic navigation lane for oil and international trade.

Immediately responding to the attacks by Yemens Iran aligned Houthi movement, Saudi Arabia temporarily halted oil shipments through the strait on July 25.

"All oil shipments through Bab al-Mandab Strait have been suspended temporarily until... maritime transit through the area is safe," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said at the time.

Three days later, Saturday, July 28, a statement by the Energy Ministry said shipments had resumed.

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, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in the ministry statement.

Yemens Houthi group, for its part, said on July 31 it would halt attacks in the Red Sea for two weeks to support peace efforts.

Despite repeated denial by Tehran and Houthis, Saudi Arabia has time and again accused its regional adversary, the Islamic Republic of Iran, of supplying missiles to the Houthis.

Tehran has frequently insisted that its assistance to the Houthi rebels in Yemen has no military dimension, but, comments attributed to IRGC General Shabani say otherwise.

Therefore, in a statement on Tuesday, Head of the IRGC Public Relations Department General Ramezan Sharif denied reports by certain Western media about the recent comments by Brigadier General Nasser Shabani, a retired IRGC commander.

Nevertheless, there has been no news so far on the retirement of the General.

Brigadier General Nasser Shabani is a senior commander of IRGC, serving in different capacities, including city, provincial and regional command posts of IRGC, as well as deputy commander of Tharollah [military] Headquarters which is responsible for defending Irans capital city, Tehran.

Shabani started serving IRGC 37 years ago by commanding its forces in city of Amol, in Mazandaran province, northern Iran, where in a bloody battle over controlling the city, his forces wiped out their adversary, the Union of Iranian Communists guerillas, in January 1981.

During the last years of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), Shabani was responsible for IRGC forces in the western parts of Iran, neighboring Iraq.

Furthermore, Shabani played a pivotal role in routing Mujahedin Khalq Organizations (MKO) forces who in an ambitious operation entered western Iran in 1988, hoping to reach Tehran and overthrow the Islamic Republic led by elderly Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

By personally fighting against MKO forces and later writing a book on it, Shabani strengthened his position in IRGC.

The book, Dead-end in Strategy, Defeat in Tactics, under the guidance of the current Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, was presented by Shbani as his Ph.D. thesis.

Reports by news outlets affiliated with the ruling establishment in Iran confirm that Shabani has been serving as the deputy of the Tharollah headquarters from 2014 to 2018. These outlets have not published one single news item concerning the retirement or dismissal of Shabani from his high-profile position.
BEIRUT, Aug 8 (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 program.

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 programs 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.
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 8 (Reuters)

MTN Group, Africa's 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.

MTN, which reported a 7 percent 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.

MTN's shares slumped by around 8 percent in late trading following the results and its warning on 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.

Companies doing business with Iran will be barred from the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

"The sanctions may limit the ability of the group to repatriate cash from MTN Irancell, including future dividends," the company said in an earnings report.

In March, MTN cut its 2018 dividend to reduce debt but said it aimed to increase payouts by 10 to 20 percent over the next three to five years, lifting sentiment in the firm which some investors had expected to scrap this years payout.

MTN said on Wednesday that it stood by this plan.

"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," Chief Executive Rob Shuter said on a conference call.

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 percent 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 percent 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 percent stake in Irancell, MTN said in May last year 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 percent 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.

GROWTH BLUEPRINT

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 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, e-commerce and mobile financial services.

Revenues from MTN Mobile Money were up 50 percent year-on-year with the number of users of the mobile payment and transfer service growing to over 24 million across 14 markets, outpacing competitors Orange and Airtel.

"We are putting a lot of effort and resources and money into the (Mobile Money) platform, the distribution, the kiosks," Shuter told Reuters in an interview later on Wednesday. "We think we can execute on the ground and carve out a good role for ourselves."

The company is also reviewing its presence in markets where it is not a major player.

MTN sold its tiny Cypriot business last month for 4 billion rand ($301 million) to Monaco Telecom, sparking vague talk that other smaller businesses in Liberia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau were next on the chopping block.

"We want to be a high-growth geography but we also need a decent regulatory environment, (a) stable trading environment. This means for example some of these markets in the more war-torn areas will always be under review," Shuter said.

His comments would likely put the spotlight on Syria and South Sudan, both of which have been gripped by civil war in recent years.


Russia, Iran and Turkey told a meeting of the Syria humanitarian taskforce on Thursday that they would do their utmost to avoid a battle that would threaten millions of civilians in rebel-held Idlib, U.N. humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said, according to Reuters.

He estimated that there were 4 million or more people in the potential battleground in northwest Syria and he hoped diplomats and military envoys could reach a deal to avoid a "bloodbath". But he said the U.N. was making preparations for a battle and would ask Turkey to keep its borders open to allow civilians to flee if the need arose.

Meanwhile, Syrian activists say government military helicopters have dropped leaflets over parts of the northwestern rebel-held province of Idlib, urging residents to reconcile with the government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published a copy of the leaflets. They say the Syrian war "is close to an end," that it's time to stop the bloodletting and that residents should join reconciliation "as our people did in other parts of Syria."

Under intense Russian and Syrian military pressure, rebels in other parts of Syria have gradually surrendered.

Activists say simultaneously as the helicopters dropped leaflets on Thursday, warplanes pounded several rebel-held areas elsewhere in Idlib, which has become home to tens of thousands of internally displaced people.

Reporting by Reuters, AP
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 83 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said August 9.

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. 9

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Exclusion of the Shah Deniz 2 and Southern Gas Corridor projects from the anti-Iran sanctions by the order of the US president is of international significance, Editor-in-Chief of the "Baki Kheber" newspaper Aydin Guliyev told Trend.

Guliyev said there is no longer any concern that the sanctions may affect Azerbaijan due to the fact that the Iranian Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO) owns a 10-percent stake in Shah Deniz 2.

"At the same time, the hope of the Armenian politicians and propagandists that an important project of Azerbaijan could fall under sanctions has faded away. Trump's order is not only a demonstration of the US commitment to the interests of energy security of its European allies, but also another manifestation of the constant support to Azerbaijan's energy policy. The US decision can be considered a step directed towards the long-term goals of Azerbaijan's energy diplomacy. We see signs of new success of the global energy diplomacy of Azerbaijan," the expert said.

Guliyev noted that Trump emphasizes the Southern Gas Corridor in all his official letters to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and this fact is of particular importance.

He said President Trump specifically showed that he firmly relies on the strategy pursued by President Aliyev on behalf of Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.9

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of the national holiday of your country. On this remarkable day, I wish you all the best and the friendly people of Singapore peace and prosperity, said the congratulatory letter.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on additional measures in the field of social protection of the population on August 9.

According to the order, two million manats will be allocated to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population from the Azerbaijani presidents reserve fund, envisaged in the 2018 state budget, to implement measures to organize the activity of the Agency for Sustainable and Operational Social Security (DOST) under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, establish DOST centers, and improve services rendered to citizens in the field of employment, labor and social protection.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on Aug. 9 to establish the Organizing Committee in connection with holding the 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Baku in 2019.

The Organizing Committee consists of its Chairman - Minister of Culture; members of the Committee - First Deputy Minister of Finance, First Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, Deputy Foreign Minister, Deputy Interior Minister, Deputy Minister of Education, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Deputy Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Culture, Deputy Chairman of State Customs Committee, Deputy Head of State Security Service, Deputy Head of State Migration Service, Deputy Head of State Border Service, Chairman of State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations.

Among the members of the Committee are also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the State Advertising Agency, Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, Ambassador at Large of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, Secretary General of the National Commission for UNESCO, Deputy Head of the Executive Power of Baku, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan State News Agency AZERTAC, Chairman of Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC, Vice-President of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC, and First Deputy Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

The closing ceremony of the "Masters of Artillery Fire" contest was held within the International Army Games 2018 at the Otar military base in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message Aug. 9.

After the closing ceremony, the "Masters of Artillery Fire" contest was declared closed.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Russia's Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) PJSC intends to supply metal to Turkey via the international transport route Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, the company said in a message.

MMK has already delivered a trial lot of metal products to Turkey via the railway route Magnitogorsk - Baku - Tbilisi - Kars.

"Currently, together with the Azerbaijani operator ADY Express, the possibility of delivering up to 250,000 tons of metal products annually, or about a third of the demand of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works in Turkey in a hot-rolled coil is being developed on this route," the message reads.

Four containers with a total weight of 120 tons were delivered to a subsidiary of Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine in Turkey. The train traveled 5,000 km distance in 17 days. Prior to this, supply of such products of the plant was carried out exclusively by sea through the port in Novorossiysk. Length of the sea route is more than 6,000 kilometers and the travel time is 30 days.

"The diversification of logistic flows will allow the company to reduce the risks associated with conventional prohibitions and bad weather in the Novorossiysk port. Reducing the number of transshipments will also help to avoid mechanical damage to marketable products and ensure the preservation of the quality of the metal. Reducing the delivery time will help to optimize the company's working capital. The new route allows considering the prospect of diversifying exports to the Middle East, Europe and Africa through MMK's own port in the Turkish city of Iskenderun," the message reads.

Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

The State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan does not exclude the revision of a number of duties in order to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Chairman of the Committee Safar Mehdiyev told Trend.

"We are ready to hold regular meetings with SMEs representatives and learn about their needs. If there is a need to revise tariffs or duties to support SMEs, we are ready to do so. These days we are constantly negotiating with entrepreneurs and we can consider new tariffs to either raise or decrease them," Mehdiyev said.

A new system of customs duties entered into force in Azerbaijan on January 1, 2018. From this year on, there are only three rates - 0, 5 and 15 percent.

Most of the production goods (raw materials and equipment) are taxed at a zero rate, including even those from which a customs duty of 0.5 percent was previously levied. This applies to commodity groups (in particular groups 84 and 85) that under an order of the Cabinet of Ministers are subject to VAT at a zero rate when importing.

A customs rate of 5 percent is levied on semi-finished products. When it comes to finished products, the rate is 15 percent.

For example,15 percent rate is introduced for the import of various gold and silver products. The rate for the import of books, magazines, newspapers, brochures and other printed materials has increased from 3 to 5 percent. On the other hand, paper used for newspapers is exempt from import duties. A number of plastic products, details of musical instruments, helicopters, airplanes, some varieties of live fish are also exempt from import duties. For some goods, such as baby food, import duties have been reduced.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan plans to expand the cooperation with similar organizations in various states in the territory of the former Soviet Union, Chairwoman of the Association's Board Sakina Babayeva told Trend.

The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan was established in October 2017. Babayeva noted that for a short period of work, the Association has concluded memorandums of cooperation with the associations of women entrepreneurs of Georgia, Latvia and Astrakhan, and is interested in expanding this list.

"We plan to conclude cooperation agreements with associations of women entrepreneurs of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus in the future. Our organization maintains contacts with foreign associations to learn from each other's experience and share it. We are opening our offices in these countries, and Azerbaijani business ladies are actively involved in this activity. At the same time, our women make speeches at international venues, where discussions on the development of women entrepreneurship take place. For example, on May 30, the fifth women's forum was held in Azerbaijan, which was attended by about a 1,000 entrepreneurs, 200 of whom were women entrepreneurs. This suggests that women entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan is seriously aimed at institutional development," Babayeva said.

She noted that 50 events with the participation of women entrepreneurs were held in the last seven months with the support of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, 21 of which were held in the regions.

"In the future, we intend to continue working with the ministries of economy and agriculture to develop new projects and expect the state to provide preferential loans to women entrepreneurs engaged in the agricultural sector, in order to further increase their contribution to the development of the economy of our country," Babayeva said.

She further noted that in recent years legislative acts related to entrepreneurship were adopted by the initiative of the head of state based on international experience and aimed at the national interests of Azerbaijan.

"The important documents signed by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the decisions he has taken provide a great support to the development of entrepreneurship in general, and the social projects implemented at the initiative of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva have a positive impact on the development of female entrepreneurship," Babayeva said.
New Breath for Mountainous Adjara

By Levan Khutsishvili

On August 6, 2018, Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze visited Adjara region to attend the holiday in Beshumi - Shuamtoba 2018.In his speech, the prime minister spoke about the importance of the development of the mountain regions and the government's strategy."The development of mountain regions for us is significant; strong mountain means strong Georgia, and, in this strategy, mountainous Adjara has a unique and special role. Mountains are significantly important for our country, and we are carrying out many projects regarding infrastructure and water supply, rehabilitation of local roads, but this is not enough. We need such projects that allow us to turn the mountainous Adjara into the four-seasons resort. For this, we will do everything. We are starting implementation of the vital project - this is the Khulo-Zarzma project, which has great importance for the development of our beautiful mountainous Adjara. However, it will not be enough. It is necessary to implement all the projects that will allow us to turn the mountainous Adjara into one of the main pearls of Georgia's tourism. There are two very important resorts in mountainous Adjara  Beshumi and Goderdzi. Beshumi, unlike the resort Goderdzi, unfortunately, has no general development plan. It's amistake, and we will fix it in the shortest possible time," the prime minister said.The project Mamuka Bakhtadze spoke about is a rehabilitation of the road that connects the municipality of Aspindza to Adjara. Reconstruction of Khulo-Zarzma road section was the part of the four-point plan that former Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili initiated in 2016. It was supposed to start the first stage of rehabilitation in 2017. According to the Roads Department, the Arab Economic Development Fund (KFAED) would fund the early stage (reconstructing the 47km road into a 29km one) the Government of Georgia should have financed the second stage. The project has not started yet, though former prime minister and other officials made the same promises several times in 2017. By the end of 2017, chairman of the Roads Department of Georgia announced that works would start in Spring 2018.The project for the development of mountainous Adjara is crucial. Nowadays, due to the poor road conditions, it is almost impossible to reach Beshumi and Goderdzi resorts, and accordingly, the number of visitors is deficient. If the road is repaired, it will take around 1,5 hours to reach Khulo from Adigeni, instead of 3-4 hours.Former Chairman of Adjara Government called the plan the Project of the Century, and it is not groundless, as rehabilitation of the road will better connect Georgian regions, and at the same time will positively change the economic and social situation in Mountainous Adjara.
Baku, Azerbaijan, August 9

Trend:

Irans commercial counselor to Indonesia Anwar Kamari said the countrys exported non-oil goods to Indonesia worth $250 million in the first three months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21).

Kamari added that the amount registered a 52 percent and 86 growth in tonnage and value respectively compared with last years corresponding period, Shata news agency reported.

The total value of the countrys exports to Indonesia during the same period last year stood at $134, he noted.

Indonesia also exported 292,159 tons of commodities worth $227.90 million to Iran during the 11 months to Feb. 19, up by 0.82 percent in tonnage and by 29.21 percent in value year on year.

During the same period, imports from Indonesia made up 0.96 percent and 0.46 percent of the total volume and value of Irans imports respectively. As such, Indonesia was the 26th biggest exporter of goods to Iran during the period.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan transferred 1.94 billion manats to the state budget in January-July 2018, which is 32.2 percent higher than in the same period in 2017, the SCC said in a statement Aug. 9.

At the same time, contributions for July amounted to 322.16 million manats.

Last month, revenues from customs duties amounted to 85.95 million manats, from VAT  to 214.51 million manats, from excise duties  to 18.25 million manats, from road tax  to 3.45 million manats.

Compared to July 2017, revenues from customs duties increased by 40.3 percent, from VAT - by 16.3 percent, from excise duties  by 2.3 times, from road tax  by 23.3 percent.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on August 9)

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.9

Trend:

During the first seven months of 2018, Heydar Aliyev International Airport served 2.5 million passengers. This indicator exceeds the same indicator of the previous year by 14 percent.

National air carrier Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) carried 1,070,000 passengers, while national low-cost airline Buta Airways  256,000 passengers.

2.15 mln. passengers (86% of passenger traffic) accounted for international flights. 33% of total number of international passengers accounted for AZAL, while 12 percent - Buta Airways.

Currently, Heydar Aliyev International Airport serves more than 30 airlines on over 40 destinations. Top ten most popular international destinations in July 2018 include Mosow, Istanbul, Dubai, Antalya, Sharjah, Kyiv, Baghdad, Tehran, Bodrum and Tel-Aviv. 371,000 passengers traveled to these destinations. The Kingdom of Bahrains national airline Gulf Air launched flights to Baku starting June.

The new airport terminal of Heydar Aliyev Airport (Terminal 1) was put into operation in April 2014. Its total area is 65,000 square meters.

In May 2018 Heydar Aliyev International Airport was awarded the maximum category of "5 stars" by Skytrax, which is influential British consulting company specializing in the study of the quality of services provided by various airlines and airports worldwide.

Also Heydar Aliyev Airport was named the best airport among airports of Russia and CIS countries for the level of the provided services, being awarded the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards for the second year in a row.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said a total of 180,000 trucks are commuting between Iran and Azerbaijan, which is a sign of high trade exchange between the two nations.

Annually, nearly 180,000 trucks commute between Iran and Azerbaijan, Akhoundi said paying a visit to the Parsabad border town in Iran's northwestern Ardabil province, ILNA news agency reported Aug. 9.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said, Fortunately, the Astara-Astara bridge has been constructed and a railroad to connect Irans northwestern city of Astara to a namesake Azerbaijani city has come on stream."

The two countries' bilateral ties are at a good level, Akhoundi said.

The Astara-Astara Railroad, which is a part of a bigger project to connect Iran and Azerbaijans rail systems, runs 8 kilometers in Azerbaijan up to the border from where it extends 2 kilometers to Irans port city of Astara.

The project also includes a bridge on Astarachay River that stretches along the border.

Tehran and Baku are working to connect their railroads as part of the International North-South Transportation Corridor, which is aimed at connecting Northern Europe with Southeast Asia.

The completed section of the railroad was tested in March 2017 after a train set off on a maiden journey from Azerbaijans Astara. The train traveled 8 kilometers to the border from where it entered the Iranian section of the route.

Qazvin-Rasht is a missing link in INSTC, which will connect Iran with Russias Baltic ports and give Russia rail connectivity to both the Persian Gulf and the Indian rail network.

This means goods could be carried from Mumbai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and further to Baku.

They could then pass across the Russian border into Astrakhan before proceeding to Moscow and St. Petersburg, before entering Europe.

The corridor would substantially cut the travel time for everything from Asian consumer goods to Central Eurasias natural resources to advanced European exports.

When completed, the INSTC is expected to increase the volume of commodities currently traded between Iran and Azerbaijan from 600,000 tons to 5 million tons per year, dramatically increasing bilateral trade from the current $500 million per year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Likinskiy Bus Plant (LiAZ) intends to arrange the supply of buses to Azerbaijan, Corporate Sales Development Director of GAZ Group Nikolay Odintsov said in an interview with the official website of the government of the Moscow Region.

"A transport exhibition was held in Baku on June 11-13, according to the results of which we expect the signing of several contracts for the supply of buses to Azerbaijan," said Odintsov.

He noted that in general about 10 percent of LiAZ products are exported to the CIS countries, primarily to Kazakhstan. "This year we will continue cooperation with the CIS countries. In addition, there are certain plans for deliveries to Eastern Europe; we have certified the Euro 6 bus."

Odintsov said LiAZ manufactures about 2,500 buses per year. Some 70 percent of the company's supplies fall to the share of the Moscow Region and the Moscow city.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Tehran-Baku bilateral economic ties are growing.

Tehran-Baku economic ties are expanding as the two countries share many commonalities, Akhoundi said on Thursday visiting Bileh Savar border crossing in the northwestern province of Ardabil, IRNA reported on August 9.

Bileh Savar is the capital city of Bileh Savar County in Ardabil Province, Iran. The city is the site of a border crossing with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Akhoundi added the two countries border crossings are active and working nearly all around the clock and last year over one million people used the crossings to commute and trade.

The number is expected to rise during the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21), the minister said.

Earlier, Akhoundi said a total of 180,000 trucks were commuting between Iran and Azerbaijan, describing it as a sign of high trade exchange between the two nations.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

SOCAR Trading SA, a trading house of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, supplied more than 12 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for a gas power plant in Malta, SOCAR Trading SA told Trend.

"We are showing increased interest in LNG operations after successful participation in the gas power plant project in Malta. After the start of operations within the project in January 2017, SOCAR Trading specialists began to look for similar projects around the world. Pakistan, Benin and a number of states in the Mediterranean region are being considered. Today, active work is also continuing in Cote d'Ivoire, where it is planned to build a terminal for re-gasification of liquefied natural gas. Construction has not yet begun; however, most of the necessary research and planning has been completed," the company noted.

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, August 9

Trend:

The head of Irans operational zone at the Caspian Sea expressed the hope that Tehran and Baku could boost their cooperation over the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the worlds largest enclosed inland body of water.

"Exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian Sea could be a turning point for the countrys oil industry," Mohammad Torabi said on August 7, Shana news agency reported.

He added, "We are hopeful that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan could boost their development activities in the south of the Caspian Sea".

On May 2, Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Irans deputy oil minister for international affairs and trading, said Iran and Azerbaijan had agreed to form a joint oil company in what could prepare both to cooperate over the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian Sea and elsewhere.

Zamaninia was quoted by Trend as saying that the company will be formed within the framework of a deal recently signed between the two parties.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 9

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 Aug. 7.

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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.9

Trend:

Reza Modir, Iran Oil Ministry's former deputy director for OPEC affairs, said it is a mistake to think that Moscow may betray Tehrans trust and renege on its oil deals, noting that Russia is only trying to serve its own interests in the region.

Russia has never adopted a consistent policy on OPEC and its cooperation with the organization had been always temporary and for tactical reasons and this time is no exception, Modir told ILNA news agency on August 9.

He added that Russias oil cooperation with both Iran and Saudi Arabia has never been a strategic one.

Everybody knows that Russia is dependent on oil revenues, and this time they have settled their differences with Saudis only to control prices in the (global) oil market, Modir noted.

However, it is still open to question whether Russia is a strategic partner of Iran, or whether it can be only regarded as an oil rival, the former official added.

It is a mistake to think that Russia will betray Irans trust, he stressed, adding that Moscow is only seeking to serve its interests in the region.

On June 23, OPEC agreed with Russia and other oil-producing allies to raise output from July, with Saudi Arabia pledging a measurable supply boost but giving no specific numbers.
7 Detained over Mine Accidents in Georgias Tkibuli

By Tea Mariamidze

Seven individuals have been arrested by Georgias Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) with the charges of breach of safety and labor rules at two mines in Georgias Tkibuli municipality.Out of the detained, six have been arrested regarding the death of miners in Mindeli mine on April 5, and one more person in connection to the death of two miners at a private coal mine on June 2, 2018.As a result of operative-investigative activities carried out by the employees of Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Police Department, based on a judge's ruling, Mindeli mine Director, Chief engineer, mine manager, coal district head, his deputy and one assistant have been detained, the ministry informs.MIA says the detainees were well aware of the breach of safety rules at the site but still let the miners continue works there; thus they have violated the requirements of "technical regulations on the safety of coal mines" which prohibits carrying out works at the places where the safety rules are violated.The mine ceiling was not fortified and was damaged, but in February 2018, mining works still were launched there, the statement reads.On April 5, at about 3:30 pm, there was an explosion in Mindeli mine, resulting in the ceiling collapse which killed six employees and severely injured two.Besides, one person was also detained by the police in connection to the death of two miners in his coal mine on June 2.The detainee is accused of violating safety rules of mining, construction or other works in his coal mine, causing the death of people, MIA stated.Moreover, the ministry says that a different investigation is underway in connection with the July 16, 2018 explosion at Mindeli mine which killed four workers and injured six. The investigation is ongoing according to the second part of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which implies a violation of safety rules in mining, construction or other works.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.9

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The procedure for selection of owner's engineer for the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), envisaging transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria has been resumed, ICGB AD, the project company, said in a message.

The project company ICGB AD notifies the potential participants in the open procedure for selection of owner's engineer for the project Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria that it resumes the procedure for selection of owner's engineer for the project Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria and extends the deadline for submission of offers, said the message.

The procedure was suspended due to a complaint filed and a request for suspension along with it. The Supreme Administrative Court rejected the request for suspension.

The new deadline for submission of offers is 5.09.2018, 5:30 p.m. and a new date for the public meeting to open the offers is 10.09.2018.

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.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The American gas chemical company Air Products is interested in long-term direct investments in Uzbekistan and in full-fledged presence in the market, rather than in the sale of equipment or services, the Uzbek oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz JSC stated.

According to the information, the US company is ready to invest in projects for production of industrial gases for the needs of the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical and other industries of Uzbekistan, as well as in the project for production of polymers from natural gas (MTO  methanol to olefins).

The corresponding announcement was made on Aug. 8 during the talks between Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegaz JSC Alisher Sultanov with Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and CEO of Air Products Seifi Ghasemi.

During the meeting, Ghasemi said that the company decided to continue investing in four priority countries of the world - China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Uzbekistan, which are the most promising, profitable and reliable for foreign investors.

Also, the president of the American company offered to organize in Uzbekistan a meeting of top managers of leading oil and gas companies of the world such as Total, BP, SOCAR, Honeywell/UOP.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed on establishment of joint working groups and on preparation of specific proposals within two months for joint implementation of projects in the oil and gas, chemical and metallurgical industries. The companies also developed a schedule of further actions for implementation of joint projects.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The Russian oil and gas company LUKOIL will continue to remain the dominant international operator in Uzbekistan's oil and gas sector in the coming years, Ashley Sherman, principal analyst, Caspian & Europe Upstream oil and gas, at Wood Mackenzie, told Trend on July 16.

He reminded that 2017 was a year of milestones for LUKOIL, with launch of new gas processing facilities at both of the companys projects: Kandym and Southwest Gissar.

Sherman added that LUKOIL will handle as much as 30 percent of total Uzbek gas production by the next decade.

On top of that, according to the analyst, it may generally prove more difficult to attract new entrants into the upstream in Uzbekistan due to existing investors deepening their role in the Uzbek energy sector.

A source in the Russian company earlier told Trend that LUKOIL is planning to produce 14.6 billion cubic meters of gas in Uzbekistan In 2018, which is 60 percent more compared to 9.09 billion cubic meters in 2017.

The company is currently conducting gas production in Uzbekistan within the framework of two Production Sharing Agreements on Kandym-Khauzak-Shady (KHSh) and Gissar gas deposits.

In April 2018, LUKOIL commissioned the Kandym gas processing complex (KGPC) located in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.

Earlier, in March 2018, the company opened the first gas station in Uzbekistan and the whole Central Asian region under the LUKOIL brand in Tashkent.

Pavel Zhdanov, Director for Capital Markets Operations, Acquisition and Sale of LUKOIL Assets, said earlier that LUKOIL is satisfied with implementation of projects in Uzbekistan and plans to reach the design the level of gas production.

In January-May 2018, Uzbekistan produced 466 thousand tons of gas, which is 0.6 percent more than in the same period in 2017.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 9

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmen officials met with Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran Esther Kuisch Laroche at the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message.

According to the message, the parties discussed the issues related to the holding of the meeting of the coordinating committee on the serial World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads in Ashgabat in November 2018.

Turkmenistan continues to prepare a number of initiatives and proposals to include not only new historical and cultural values in the UNESCO World Heritage List, but also unique natural sites of the country.

Turkmenistans unique historic-cultural monuments such as Ancient Merv, Kunya Urgench and Ancient Nisa were included to the UNESCO World Heritage List earlier.

At this stage, the work is being carried out to include Akhal-Teke horse breeding in this list, while the Koytendag ecosystem and the Badkhyz State Nature Reserve - in the UNESCO Natural Heritage List.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

Significance of the Southern Gas Corridor, which provides for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe, is far above anti-Iran sanctions for the US, Leading Expert and Analyst of the Bilig Brains Rafael Sattarov told Trend commenting on the recent order of the US President Donald Trump about the project.

The new US sanctions against Iran will not affect the Southern Gas Corridor, according to Trump's order, S&P Global Platts reported.

Trump's order contained a "natural gas project exception" that describes the SGC without naming it.

The expert said most likely the new sanctions related to the energy sector will affect the interests of large companies that do business with Iran.

"The lobbying efforts of the energy giants, SOCAR and BP, brought results and they were able to convey to the US president's team that it is unnecessary to undermine the positions of the new project that will serve the energy independence of the US allies. At the same time, Trump's order on the SGC shows the US has an understanding that this project will compete with Russian projects in Europe," said the expert.

Sattarov also noted that Azerbaijan, which has always been perceived in the region and the world primarily as an oil country, is now actively entering the world markets as a major supplier of gas, which also increases the interests of the US and Europe in Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

There are no preconditions for fluctuations of the manat rate in Azerbaijan today, expert, economist, Doctor of Economic Sciences Muslum Ibrahimov told Trend.

"The absence of significant fluctuations in the exchange rate of the manat in recent years, a fairly low dollarization of the economy, the positive dynamics of the current transactions account of the balance of payments  all these factors allow us to say that the stability of the national currency rate will remain in Azerbaijan. We can say that today the manat rate is at the right level. Citizens' confidence in the national currency has increased. The situation was stabilized thanks to the timely actions of the state, in particular in the field of monetary policy," Ibrahimov said.

The expert added that today the stable rate of the manat corresponds to the economic policy pursued by the state.

"The state has set the task to ensure stable economic growth. Strategic road maps are being implemented for this purpose. In this regard, it is appropriate to have a stable exchange rate. The state uses all the necessary tools to ensure this goal," Ibrahimov said.

The international rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch predicted a stable rate of the Azerbaijani manat in the medium term.

Also, the Russian rating Agency ACRA predicted in its report on Azerbaijan that the average annual rate of the Azerbaijani manat against the US dollar will strengthen to 1.67 manats in 2022. The exchange rate of the national currency will remain at a stable level, ranging between 1.72 and 1.67 manats in the period from 2018 to 2022, the report reads.

The Azerbaijani manat has strengthened against the US dollar, Euro, Russian ruble and Turkish lira since the beginning of the year, according to the data of Central Bank of Azerbaijan.

Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
During the president of the European Commission's last visit to the US, the sides agreed that the EU would start importing more US-grown soybeans and LNG in exchange for Washington lifting its hefty tariffs, Sputnik reported.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker stated on August 9 that US liquefied natural gas (LNG) could play an important role on the European energy market, but noted that Washington must take certain steps for this to happen.

"The growing exports of US liquefied natural gas, if priced competitively, could play an increasing and strategic role in EU gas supply. But the US needs to play its role in doing away with red tape restrictions," Juncker said.

Juncker traveled to the US in July to discuss lifting the US tariffs on European goods. The sides agreed that in exchange for revoking tariffs, the EU will start importing more soybeans and LNG from the US.

Trump has expressed discontent over Europe filling its energy market with cheaper Russian gas instead of buying LNG from the US.
Colombias new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos decision, which was detailed in an Aug. 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law, new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

Santos decided to recognize Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbors, the letter said.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and Palestine, who were furious over Trumps move. The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the full city.
An official newspaper of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday called for declaring an end to the war with the United States, Xinhua reported.

Declaring an end to the war is the first step to ensure peace and security not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the region and the world at large, the official Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary.

If the military confrontation between the DPRK and the United States comes to an end with a declaration, the atmosphere will become favorable for confidence-building, it said.

The DPRK government has proposed declaring an end to the war and turning the armistice agreement into a peace accord, which is the most reasonable way to defuse tension and ensure sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula, it added.

However, this has not yet been realized, the Rodong Sinmun said, calling for joint efforts to settle the problem.

"The Singapore DPRK-U.S. joint statement called for making joint efforts to build a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK-U.S. relations should make a big step forward as required by a new phase of the development of history," it said.

DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un met with U.S. President Donald Trump in June in Singapore, where they signed a joint statement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9

Trend:

Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries than any other airline in the world, pleases local customers once again by expanding the scope of its Stopover service to Azerbaijan. Stopover offers Azerbaijani passengers a complimentary accommodation and a great opportunity to discover the unique beauties of Istanbul.

This service will enable the transfer passengers departing from Azerbaijan to America Region (USA, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Cuba, Argentina and Brazil), Asia & Far East, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Israel and having more than 20 hours connecting time to stop over in Istanbul with an accommodation cheque prepared by Turkish Airlines' authorized staff after completing the flight booking process of the passenger. This cheque will enable the economy class passengers to stay 1 night at a 4-star hotel and the business class passengers to stay 2 nights at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim.

Free accommodation is available for round-trip tickets only and can be used on the outbound or return journey. The departure and return country of the round trip must be Azerbaijan for a stopover to apply. Important to note that the cost of travel around the city, and the cost of travel between the airport and hotel are borne by the passenger solely. Also, passengers must claim their baggage in Istanbul in case of stopovers with 24 hours or more.

In order to benefit from stopover service, passenger needs to fill the Azerbijan Stopover Information Form no later than 48 hours prior to departure time and then e-mail the form to [email protected], including Departure Airport in the subject field of the e-mail. Once the request is received by Turkish Airlines, passenger will receive a hotel voucher which must be presented at time of hotel check-in.

About Turkish Airlines:

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 324 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 304 worldwide destinations as 255 international and 49 domestic, in 122 countries. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Future of Digomi Forest-Park is Unclear

By Levan Khutsishvili

On August 3, Rustavi 2 reported that a large-scale construction would launch soon in Digomi Forest Park. Kakha Kaladze gave construction company Anagi prior permission to build a multi-functional building in the forest-park area.Civil activist Anna Gabriadze believes that Anagi is progressing its plans. Besides, the roadside of the Digomi forest-park, the company owns the area directly in the woods. At this time, it is confirmed that a new multifunctional building will be built on the Digomi highway instead of "Kia Motors" building and nearby. The City Hall has not stated the specific location yet.The City Hall started discussions 2-3 months ago to preserve the status of the public-business zone for the roadside. According to the original variant of the General Land Use Plan of Tbilisi, the Digomi forest-park had to have a landscape-recreational status along the front line, which would prohibit any new construction there.Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi Maia Bitadze confirmed the information about new construction:Prophylactic that already excites on the territory will be demolished and new multi-functional center that includes orangeries and exhibition hall will be constructed,  said Deputy Mayor.According to the new General Plan of Tbilisi, Digomi Forest-Park will have landscape-recreation zone status, that means that all kind of constructions will be forbidden there, and territory will be developed as a green space, but City Hall faces a challenge - according to the official information significant part of the territory is private property. The city government has begun negotiations with the owners of the lands to return Digomi forest-park in municipal ownership. So far it is unknown how successful the negotiations are. According to Maia Bitadze, some owners agreed on alternative lands and compensations, but almost half of the Digomi forest-park (around 10 hectares) is divided between more than 30 private owners. Mamuka Salukvadze, one of the authors of General Land Use Plan of Tbilisi says that Tbilisi City Hall will need to mobilize a significant amount of money for the redemption of the private territories. As for the planned construction, according to Mamuka Salukvadze, the area has a different status; therefore, in the General Plan, it is not considered as a landscape-recreation zone.The City Hall says that Digomi Forest-Park will have landscape-recreation status and that all kinds of constructions will be forbidden there, but the territory where Kia Motors and other buildings are already standing, alongside the highway, have different zone status, and accordingly, construction of new multifunctional complex is legal. But activists, part of the population and opposition deputies of City Assembly, underline the factor of Bidzina Ivanishvili, as Anagi is the company that replants trees for his Dendrological Park. They assume that Anagi might construct buildings in the forest as well, as the company owns the territory there, and according to them if it happens, it will utterly destroy ecosystem in the woods and will change the functions of one of the most important green spaces in Tbilisi.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis leaves on his first trip to South America on Sunday to visit Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia, the Pentagon said in a press release on Thursday, Sputnik reported.

"Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis embarks Sunday, Aug. 12 on his first trip to South America while leading the Department of Defense," the release said. "The White House declared 2018 the Year of the Americas, and the Secretary's trip underscores the Department's strong defense ties with Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia."

Mattis starts his trip in Brazil for meetings with senior officials, a speech at the country's war college and a trip to the monument honoring Brazilian service members killed in World War II.

In Argentina, Mattis will meet with senior defense officials, and in Chile, he will also meet with senior officials.

Mattis ends his trip in Colombia to meet with the newly elected members of that country's government.
By Noriyuki Suzuki, KYODO NEWS - Aug 9, 2018 - 19:51 | All, World

When U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres came to Nagasaki he underlined his solidarity with hibakusha atomic bomb survivors, calling them "true messengers" of peace.

He acknowledged the power of hibakusha as he reminded the world from Nagasaki -- one of the two atomic-bombed cities in Japan -- that the realization of a nuclear-free world is still distant and work remains for disarmament.

"When we see nonproliferation at risk, and when we see a lack of commitment to disarmament, to amplify the voice of the hibakusha becomes more and more important," Guterres said in an interview with Kyodo News ahead of the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing. Guterres became the first U.N. chief to attend the commemorative ceremony on Thursday.

(Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (far L) and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres (far R) observe a moment of silence)

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated the government's stance of not joining an international nuclear weapons ban treaty on the anniversary of the bombings, the role of survivors and people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is expected to come into sharper focus.

With its reliance on U.S. nuclear deterrence in the postwar era, Japan continues to face what appears to be the dilemma of pushing for a world free of nuclear weapons but not signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Terumi Tanaka, who represented atomic bomb survivors at the Nagasaki memorial ceremony, expressed displeasure with Japan's absence from the treaty.

"In line with the wish of its ally the United States, the Japanese government that should well understand the suffering of hibakusha and the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, will neither sign nor ratify the nuclear ban treaty. This is what the prime minister himself said a year ago on the atomic bomb anniversary," Tanaka said.

On the occasion of this year's peace ceremonies, Abe said Japan will serve as an "intermediary" between nuclear powers and non-nuclear states but it does not plan to join the treaty.

"Unfortunately not even one nuclear power has joined the treaty because it was created without taking into account the realities of security," Abe told a press conference on Thursday.

While Japan shares the same goal of eliminating nuclear weapons that the treaty also aims to achieve, what nuclear powers should do is reduce their arsenals for a nuclear-free world, according to the prime minister.

Japan's security policy has centered on its longtime alliance with the United States, a nuclear power. Since taking office in 2012, Abe has sought to strengthen the alliance while committing to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

Under Abe, who has cited the severity of security threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile development, Japan has also been beefing up the country's defense capabilities and increasing related spending.

While expectations for a quick breakthrough in denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea have somewhat waned, the mayors of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki still expressed hope for progress.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged nuclear powers as well as countries relying on them to rethink their security policies and shift away from nuclear dependence as more than 14,000 nuclear warheads still exist in the world.

(Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue (R) offers a wreath of flowers during a ceremony at Peace Park)

"I strongly request that you change to security policies not dependent on nuclear weapons before humanity once again commits a mistake that would create even more atomic bombing victims," he said.

The momentum for nuclear disarmament was still in place, a year after the adoption of the treaty as well as the awarding of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN.

ICAN led efforts to campaign for the treaty that had the backing of over 120 U.N. members.

Akira Kawasaki, an ICAN international steering committee member, said the presence of hibakusha has been felt abroad.

"Just because Japan did not sign and join the nuclear ban treaty, some say Japan is absent from the process. But that's not the case," Kawasaki said in Hiroshima. "It's only that the Japanese government is not there."

Kawasaki believes the nuclear ban treaty will be an "inheritance" from the hibakusha to future generations, who will be tasked with using it.

The aging of atomic bomb survivors is a pressing challenge for Japan with their average age now over 82.

Passing down their stories to future generations and educating them on the atomic bombs is taking on importance in achieving a nuclear-free world.

Sachiko Osumi visited Hiroshima's peace memorial park with her grandson Yu, a fifth grader, who brought 1,000 paper cranes to pray for peace from Tokyo.

"The Japanese government doesn't seem so enthusiastic so the power of citizens counts" in eliminating nuclear weapons, Osumi said.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2018 - 17:17 | Feature, All

An online petition demanding an apology from a female lawmaker who recently penned an article questioning public support for members of Japan's sexual minority communities had been signed by over 25,000 people as of Wednesday, the organizers said.

In a monthly magazine article in mid-July, Mio Sugita, 51, a Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives, wrote, "Can spending taxpayers' money on LGBT couples gain approval? They don't make children. In other words, they lack 'productivity.'"

Following public anger, the LDP instructed Sugita to be "very careful," posting a message on its website last week stating that Sugita's views did not conform with the party's official stance on issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Related coverage:

Disabled people protest over lawmaker's article on LGBT couples

Japan ruling party objects to lawmaker calling LGBT unproductive

Japan's ruling party lawmaker says LGBT couples lack "productivity"

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters last week that it is "only natural to aim for a society in which human rights are respected and diversity is cherished."

Parents of LGBT individuals have asked the ruling party to hold a press conference attended by Sugita and delete her name from the party's list.

(Mio Sugita)

They have called on others to join their campaign, launched in late July on the change.org website, which is used to gather signatures for various social issues.

"I feel like 'not productive' means 'not worth living,'" said a 66-year-old woman from Kanagawa Prefecture who signed the petition.

A member of nonprofit organization LGBT Families and Friends, the woman added that Sugita's views were similar to those of Satoshi Uematsu, indicted for killing 19 mentally disabled people at a care home near Tokyo in 2016. The man had said disabled people "should be eradicated from society."

The Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, a civic group seeking legal change to eliminate discrimination against sexual minorities, blamed the LDP for its attitude on the issue.

"If she continues as a lawmaker while thinking lightly of human rights, we cannot help but have fear and anxiety," the group said.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 9, 2018 - 22:04 | Feature, All

Relatives of a French woman who went missing in eastern Japan late last month made renewed calls Thursday for help to find her, as more than 10 days have passed without clues since the epileptic tourist disappeared.

"If anyone who has visited #Nikko #Japan on 29th July recognize #TiphaineVeron, please #HelpUs: make a call to Nikko Police Station or send us a message. We are seeking for #witnesses who have seen her over there," a cousin of Tiphaine Veron, 36, wrote on Twitter. The cousin, Emmanuelle, asks to be contacted with any information on Twitter @Ifemma.

Veron, from Poitiers in western France, was last seen on the morning of July 29 when she left her lodging house in the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, a popular tourist site north of Tokyo, according to police. She was carrying a shoulder bag when she set out on foot.

Her suitcase and passport were left at the inn where she was staying alone, and the manager called police the following day after she failed to return.

Emmanuelle describes Veron as having light brown hair and green eyes. Because of her epilepsy, every minute counts, the relatives say.

Veron's sister also posted on Twitter on Tuesday a photo of a letter addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron written by their mother asking for assistance to find Veron.

The letter said the Japanese police are making efforts but not all means have been used to search for Veron in rivers and woods.

Laurent Pic, the French ambassador to Japan, also directly asked a senior official of the Tochigi Prefectural Police on Tuesday to speed up and strengthen efforts to find Veron, to expand the scope of search areas and to take all necessary measures to find her, according to the embassy.
Mountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacation
The News in Brief

Declaration of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic on 10th Anniversary of the Russian - Georgian conflict



Ten years since Russia  Georgia conflict of 2008 the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic declares that the Slovak Republic continuously supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognizes borders and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Ministry calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to implement the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 and terminate its illegal military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Ministry also demands that Russia guarantees the EU Monitoring Mission and humanitarian organizations full access to the occupied territories of the Georgian breakaway regions.



We consider the ongoing actions of Russia, namely installations of the technical barriers at the administrative boundary line with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, to be contraproductive, damaging to contacts among the communities on both sides of the ABL and to the quality of their daily life.



We call on all sides of the conflict to commence the dialogue with even greater intensity and good will, including through the Geneva International Dialogue, in accordance with international law.



The Slovak Republic appreciates and supports the initiative of the Georgian Government Steps Towards a Better Future that aims at confidence building, improvement of humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, development of personal relations and economic cooperation, as well as at stepping up the process of reconciliation between the communities in the region.







1,137 students from breakaway region enrolled at universities since 2005



4,237 students have graduated from the schools in Abkhazia since 2005, out of which 2,458 registered for the National Assessment and Examinations Center exams.



According to Gali Educational Resource Center, the total number of enrollments at the universities of Georgia (except Abkhazia and South Ossetia) was 1,137, out of which by 1,049 received a public grant. Most of them were ethnic Georgians.



The number of ethnic Abkhaz who enrolled is not known, but according to information obtained by DFWatch, they number only 5 or 6 in total.



Statistics of graduates, enrollments, and social grant beneficiaries is relatively even by years, which implies that secondary schools in Abkhazia, especially Georgian schools, have enjoyed relatively stable demand despite many efforts by Sokhumi regime to degrade Georgian language in schools, particularly in Gali. (DF watch)







The Georgian wine Asian tour journey kicks off in Singapore and South Korea



Singapore and South Korea hosted Georgian wine tasting events this week, which were organized by the Georgian National Wine Agency and its contractor company, Meiburg Wine Media.



The Georgian wine tasting events were held within the Asian Tour 2018.



The head of the Meiburg Wine Media and master of wine Debra Meiburg led the Georgian wine presentations, where she introduced Georgian wine culture and history and the countrys contemporary wine industry.



In South Korea, Georgian wine was presented at one of the prestigious restaurants of Seoul  Kwonsooksoo. The guests had the opportunity to taste wines from 10 Georgian winemaking companies.



A chacha tasting event was also held.



Both events were attended by wine importers, representatives of media, restaurants and hotel chains.



Within the Asian Tour 2018 Georgian wine tasting events will also be held in the following cities of China: Shanghai, Macao, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong-Kong.



South-East Asian countries are a strategic market for Georgian wine. During the first seven months of 2018, export to South Korea reached 40,980 bottles (growth 1,305 percent), as for Singapore  40,800 bottles (increase 7,600 percent). (Agenda.ge)




Truckee (California), Aug. 9, 2018: Whale sharks, the world's largest fish, roam less than previously thought. Local and regional actions are vital for the conservation of this globally endangered species moving forward, according to a new study by researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, University of Southampton, and Sharkwatch Arabia. Their findings are published today in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Previously, genetic research indicated that whale sharks mixed within distinct populations in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, respectively. This new study used stable isotope analysis, a biochemical technique, to demonstrate that whale sharks feeding at three disparate sites in the Western Indian Ocean (Mozambique and Tanzania) and the Arabian Gulf (Qatar) rarely swim more than a few hundred kilometres north or south from these areas.

"Whale sharks are amazing swimmers, often moving over 10000 km each year, and they can dive to around 2000 meters in depth. Biochemical studies tell us more about where they go and what they do when they're out of our sight", said Dr Clare Prebble, who led the research as part of her PhD project at the University of Southampton.

The researchers used isotopes of nitrogen and carbon that have similar chemical properties, but vary in their atomic mass. Ratios between the heavier and lighter isotopes of these elements vary naturally across different habitats in the marine environment. For example, more of the heavier isotopes are found in near-shore environments than offshore. These ratios stay consistent as they are passed up through the food web, from tiny marine plants to top predators, and therefore provide a record of the animal's feeding and movement behaviours. Stable isotope analysis thereby provides a 'biological passport' for whale sharks.

Electronic tags are commonly used with marine animals to record their movements and diving behaviours. However, the challenge of keeping them attached to a large shark, while minimizing disturbance, has meant that only short-term deployments (weeks to months) have been possible. This study used tiny samples of skin tissue from wild, free-swimming whale sharks. These small pieces of skin, collected over 2-3 years at each location, were sufficient to reconstruct the sharks' movements and feeding preferences over the weeks and months prior to sampling.

Values of both carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes differentiated at each site. To complement the biochemical analysis, the researchers also took photographs of the natural markings on each whale shark to identify and track individuals over a 10-year timeframe. Every whale shark has a unique spot pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. The team recorded 4197 encounters with 1240 individual whale sharks within these three countries.

Only two sharks moved between sites, both swimming around 2000 km north from Mozambique to Tanzania. Taken together, these findings indicate that there are limited movements between these major aggregation sites over months to years. These results have implications for the conservation of this endangered species.

"The best data available suggests that more than half of the world's whale sharks have been killed since the 1980s. Although the Western Indian Ocean remains a global hotspot for the species, even the largest feeding areas only host a few hundred sharks. Our results show that we need to treat each site separately, and ensure good conservation management is in place, as the sharks may not re-populate if they're impacted by people's activities", Prebble added.

The study stresses the need to protect these filter-feeding sharks at the areas where they come together in numbers, particularly where human pressures are also present. Whale sharks are an incidental catch in coastal gillnets, which are frequently used in Mozambique and Tanzania. The Arabian Gulf is a huge oil shipping area where vessel strikes pose a major threat to the sharks when they are feeding near the surface.

"Whale sharks are fully capable of swimming across oceans, but it seems like the juveniles, at least, are choosing not to", commented Dr Simon Pierce, Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation and a co-author on this study. "They like coming back to the same sites each year to take advantage of predictable feeding opportunities. Looking on the bright side, that emphasises that local protection can have a major benefit for the recovery of this endangered species. The rewards can also be felt locally, with whale shark tourism now worth over $100 million each year around the world."

Earlier this year, colleagues reported that whale sharks regularly visit Madagascar to feed, which has led to a growing ecotourism industry between the months of September and December. To date, none of the sharks identified in Madagascar have been seen outside that country, further reinforcing the results from this new study.

Dr Clive Trueman from the University of Southampton concluded: "Interestingly, most sharks found at these feeding sites are juvenile males of less than nine meters. To truly assess how populations are globally structured and distributed, we need to learn more about where the sharks go once they reach adulthood. They may well move out of our sight to feed and breed in deeper offshore waters."

###

The study was supported by WWF Tanzania, Shark Foundation, Aqua-Firma, Waterlust, Maersk Oil Research and Technology Centre, Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment, PADI Foundation, Rufford Small Grants, and two private trusts.

Prebble et al. 'Limited latitudinal ranging of juvenile whale sharks in the Western Indian Ocean suggests the existence of regional management units' is published on 9 August 2018 and will be available here.

Notes to Editors:

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, growing up to 20 meters long and around 40 tonnes in weight.

They have been listed as 'endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2016, and received an Appendix I listing on the UN Convention on Migratory Species in 2017.

The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) was created in 2009 to research, protect and conserve the populations of threatened marine megafauna around the world. 'Megafauna' are large marine species such as sharks, rays, marine mammals and sea turtles. For further details, please see marinemegafauna.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For information about regional projects, follow the Marine Megafauna Foundation's Western Indian Ocean Facebook page.

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world's challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2019). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 24,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. http://www.southampton.ac.uk.

For questions about this study, please contact:

Dr Clare Prebble, whale shark researcher Marine Megafauna Foundation and University of Southampton

Email: clare@marinemegafauna.org

To request a pdf copy of the study and/or high-resolution images, please contact:

Sabrina Weiss, Press Officer, Marine Megafauna Foundation

Email: media@marinemegafauna.org

Tel: +44 7784 659 105

Charles, Media Relations, University of Southampton

Email: press@soton.ac.uk

Tel:+44 07879 431666
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."

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.

###
When Altria Group Inc (NYSE:MO) announced its most recent earnings (30 June 2018), I compared it against two factor: its historical earnings track record, and the performance of its industry peers on average. Being able to interpret how well Altria Group has done so far requires weighing its performance against a benchmark, rather than looking at a standalone number at a point in time. In this article, Ive summarized the key takeaways on how I see MO has performed.

Check out our latest analysis for Altria Group

Was MOs recent earnings decline indicative of a tough track record?

MOs trailing twelve-month earnings (from 30 June 2018) of US$10.59b has declined by -28.14% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 21.78%, indicating the rate at which MO is growing has slowed down. Why could this be happening? Lets examine whats occurring with margins and whether the whole industry is feeling the heat.

In the past couple of years, revenue growth has not been able to catch up, which suggests that Altria Groups bottom line has been propelled by unmaintainable cost-reductions. Scanning growth from a sector-level, the US tobacco industry has been growing, albeit, at a unexciting single-digit rate of 6.69% over the prior year, and 6.03% over the past five. This growth is a median of profitable companies of 15 Tobacco companies in US including Standard Diversified, Standard Diversified and British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad. This means whatever uplift the industry is profiting from, Altria Group has not been able to leverage it as much as its industry peers.

NYSE:MO Income Statement Export August 9th 18

In terms of returns from investment, Altria Group has invested its equity funds well leading to a 66.99% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 26.13% exceeds the US Tobacco industry of 9.98%, indicating Altria Group has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Altria Groups debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 32.84% to 27.55%.

Story continues

What does this mean?

Though Altria Groups past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. Companies that are profitable, but have unpredictable earnings, can have many factors influencing its business. I suggest you continue to research Altria Group to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for MOs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for MOs outlook. Financial Health: Are MOs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 30 June 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
Seattle-based Amazon is looking to add more than 200 employees to its 575,000-person workforce. The work-from-home opportunities allow people based outside of Seattle  and whatever city will house the companys secondary headquarters  to work for Amazon.

The companys jobs site lists 237 open virtual or work-from-home positions open to applicants in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Costa Rica. Of those openings at Amazon, 235 positions are full-time offerings.

The available jobs at Amazon span a wide range of levels and specialties. Job titles include market manager for devices, senior regional logistics leader, head of business for Latin America Prime Video Direct, and customer service associate.

Studies have shown that people who work from home are 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts and much happier and healthier. This has caused more demand from employees to work from home at least part-time. From 2012 to 2016, the percentage of people able to work from home at least some of the time increased by 4 points to 43%.

The workday as we know it is changing, and Amazon is onboard.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkiunas meets the Ambassador of Nigeria

09-08-2018

On August 9, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus non-resident, Steve Davies Ugbah.

Background Information: Ambassador Ugba visited Belarus several times after he had presented Credentials to the President of Belarus in early 2018, and today he is one of the most active African non-resident Ambassadors accredited in Belarus.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the state of friendly relations between Belarus and Nigeria and the ways of their progressive development.

Special attention was paid to the opportunities of a significant increase in supplies of complex machinery and other Belarusian products to the capacious Nigerian market with high demand for tractors and agricultural techniques. Both sides stressed the importance of creating favorable conditions for direct contacts between representatives of business circles of the two countries. The Deputy Minister and the Ambassador agreed that long-term strategies should be developed by the Belarusian exporters in order to enter and gain firm foothold in one of the largest and most promising in Africa national market of Nigeria, which is characterized by high degree of competition, diverse supply and wide demand.

The interlocutors recognized the development of a large-scale cooperation in the field of education of Nigerian students at Belarus universities, as an important direction of bilateral interaction.

Background Information: Nigeria is the leader among all African countries in terms of the number of students who study at Belarusian universities.

Belarusian and Nigerian diplomats discussed the issue of high-level visits and agreed on the need to intensify their preparation in order to give new impetus to mutually beneficial cooperation. The sides also discussed the continuation of the practice of consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the revitalization of inter-parliamentary contacts.

   

print version
softbank masayoshi son

Reuters / Kim Kyung Hoon

Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son about taking the electric-car maker private last year, Bloomberg reports.

The news comes one day after Musk said he was considering taking Tesla private.

SoftBank has previously invested in Uber, Nvidia and GM's Cruise.

Follow Tesla's stock price in real-time here.

Tesla's chief executive Elon Musk met with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son in April 2017 about the Japanese investment firm assisting in taking Tesla private, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The report came the day after Musk said he was considering taking Tesla private and that funding had been secured, but did not offer any specifics about the unprecedented move.

Bloomberg's Selina Wang and Giles Turner reported that Musk and Son failed to reach an agreement over the structure of the company, citing sources. Tesla was trading around $300 per share in April 2017 when the talks reportedly fell through. The talks are no longer underway, Bloomberg said.

SoftBank and its $100 billion Vision Fund have made a slew of investments in tech firms around the world. So far, it has bought a 20% stake in GM's Cruise autonomous driving unit and made smaller investments in Uber, Nvidia, WeWork, and more.

Musk tweeted on Tuesday that he would like to leave public markets at $420 per share  a 20% upside to their price that day. At that price, and given Musk's 20% stake in Tesla, roughly $60 billion would be needed to go private.

Also on Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia's public investment fund  a major backer of SoftBank's fund  had invested roughly $2 billion in Tesla for a stake representing 3% to 5% of the company.

Shares of Tesla skyrocketed Tuesday when the plan was announced, but sank about 1.5% in trading Wednesday.

A Tesla spokesperson declined to comment.

Read the full Bloomberg report here>>

Story continues

TEsla stock price

Markets Insider

NOW WATCH: Why you hold your boss accountable, according to a Navy SEAL

See Also:

SEE ALSO: SoftBank will invest $2.25 billion in GM's Cruise self-driving-car division
Stock Market News For Nov 6, 2018 The Dow and the S&P 500 climbed on Monday as energy, financials and defensive stocks rallied.

Equinix Inc. EQIX posted better-than-expected results for second-quarter 2018, wherein the top and bottom lines surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate and improved from the year-ago quarter as well.

The companys adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) advanced from $4.59 per share reported in the year-earlier quarter to $5.37 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at $5.06. The uptick primarily stemmed from robust top-line growth and strong operating performance, partially offset by an elevated cost of revenues.

Quarter in Detail

Total revenues came in at $1.26 billion, up 18% from the prior-year quarter, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.2 billion. Encouragingly, this also marks the 62nd quarter of consecutive revenue growth.

Equinix continues to witness solid demand for cloud services from corporations interested in enhancing firms networks. The company witnessed revenue growth across all three geographic regions and verticals. Stellar growth in the global Colocation and Interconnection platforms bolstered the top line.

Recurring revenues came in at $1.19 billion (94.2% of total revenues), up approximately 17.5% from the year-ago tally. Non-recurring revenues climbed 31.6% to $74.1 million (5.8% of total revenues).

Revenues from the three geographic regions increased on a year-over-year basis as well. Revenues from the Americas, EMEA and the Asia Pacific were up 15.9%, 18.6% and 11.5% to $618.3 million, $383.2 million and $260.5 million, respectively.

Gross margin was 48.3%, marginally down from 51% reported in the comparable period last year, primarily due to elevated cost of revenues as a percentage of sales. Total operating expenses flared up around 10% to $395.1 million. Nonetheless, operating expenses contracted 300 basis points (bps) as a percentage of revenues to 31%.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) came in at $604 million, up 18.6%. Adjusted EBITDA margins came in at 48% flat year over year. AFFO increased 18.9% to $428 million during the June-end quarter.

Story continues

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

Equinix exited the second quarter with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $984.5 million. The companys total debt principal outstanding was $11.5 billion as of Jun 30, 2018. It generated cash of $538.7 million from operating activities in the quarter under review.

Dividend Update



Concurrent with its Q2 earnings release, Equinixs board of directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $2.28 per share. The dividend will be paid on Sep 19 to shareholders of record on Aug 22, 2018.

Guidance

Equinix provided an outlook for the third quarter and revised a few full-year 2018 projections.

For 2018, the company now anticipates revenues of $5.037-$5.077 billion (prior guidance was $5.082-$5.122 billion), reflecting an increase of 16% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $5.1 billion.

The company now predicts adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $2.379-$2.419 billion (prior guidance was $2.395-$2.435 billion).

Equinix anticipates full-year 2018 AFFO to be in the $1.596-$1.636 billion band, reflecting year-over-year growth of 12%. Earlier, the AFO figure was estimated between $1.595 billion and $1.635 billion.

Coming to the third quarter, Equinix expects revenues in the range of $1.27-$1.28 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.3 billion. Adjusted EBITDA is likely to lie between $591 million and $601 million.

Our Take

We are impressed with Equinixs stellar performance in the April-June quarter. It witnessed higher bookings across all geographies. The top-line growth mainly stemmed from solid demand for cloud services from corporations and benefits from the companys global platform.

Additionally, during the quarter, Eqinix announced that it has formed a joint venture (JV) with Oman Telecommunications Company  also known as Omantel  to work on a new network-dense data center in Barka, located near Muscat, the capital of Oman.



The new Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data center will provide better access to the growing global subsea cable network to the companys Middle East customers and create a regional interconnection hub.

Nevertheless, we are concerned about the companys rising debt burden, which may affect its operating results as interest expenses are likely to flare up. Furthermore, intensifying competition from established Internet data-center operators such as AT&T T might impact product pricing while consequently denting margins. A highly leveraged balance sheet and industry consolidation add to its woes.

Equinix, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise



Equinix, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Equinix, Inc. Quote

Equinix carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Performance of Other REITs

Kimco Realty Corp.s KIM second-quarter 2018 FFO came in at 37 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a whisker. However, the reported tally came in lower than the year-ago figure of 38 cents.

Simon Property Group, Inc. SPG reported Q2 FFO of $2.98 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.91. The FFO per share figure also came in 20.6% higher than the year-ago tally of $2.47.

Note:Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represent funds from operations (FFO)  a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All



Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's second trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.



See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



AT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Kimco Realty Corporation (KIM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Ben Martin, Carl O'Donnell and Shashwat Awasthi

(Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc 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 Murdochs 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 formalised 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, signalling 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."

Story continues

ADVISER PAY

Fox also said it expects to pay its advisers, which include Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Centerview Partners, about 242 million pounds if its Sky bid succeeds.

Since submitting its first 10.75 pound per share bid for Sky in December 2016, Fox has agreed to sell the bulk of its TV and film assets, including its Sky stake, to Walt Disney.

Comcast had been vying with Disney for the Fox assets but last month dropped its pursuit to focus on buying Sky.

In a separate announcement, Sky acknowledged Fox's offer document and said its independent committee would respond to the offer within 14 days.

The Takeover Panel, which regulates merger and acquisitions in Britain, ruled earlier this year that Disney would have to make an offer for the rest of Sky if its deal for the Fox assets completes before either Comcast or Fox acquire the UK broadcaster.

The regulator said last month that the level of any mandatory Disney offer should be 14 pounds a share, the same price as Fox's current offer.

But the Takeover Appeal Board, an independent body, said on Wednesday that "several interested parties" had lodged appeals against the ruling and that it would meet to consider their petitions.

($1 = 0.7750 pounds)

(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru, Carl O'Donnell in New York and Ben Martin in London; additional reporting by Kate Holton in London; editing by Alexander Smith)
Franco-Nevada (FNV) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates For 2018, Franco-Nevada (FNV) expects higher revenues from oil and gas assets but trimmed its guidance for mining assets owing to lower deliveries from the Candelaria stream.

Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV reported net earnings of $54 million or 29 cents per share for second-quarter 2018, up from $46.1 million or 25 cents recorded a year ago. Earnings per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 30 cents.

The company recorded revenues of $161 million in the second quarter, declining 1% from the year-ago quarter. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $172 million. In the quarter, 84.5% of the revenue was sourced from precious metals (67.3% gold, 11.2% silver and 6% platinum group metals) compared with 91.9% in the prior-year quarter.

The company sold 107,333 Gold Equivalent Ounces in the quarter, down 12% from 122,541 Gold Equivalent Ounces in the prior-year quarter.

In the reported quarter, adjusted EBITDA was $126 million, up 1% from $126 million a year ago.

Franco-Nevada Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Franco-Nevada Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Franco-Nevada Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Franco-Nevada Corporation Quote

Prices

At second-quarter end, the average gold price was at $1,306 per ounce, approximately 4% higher than the year-ago quarter. Silver prices averaged $16.57 per ounce in the second quarter, a decrease of 4% year over year. Platinum fell 4% year over year to $904 per ounce while palladium prices increased 20% year over year to $979 per ounce.

Financial Position

Franco-Nevadas cash and cash equivalents fell to $72 million as of Jun 30, 2018, down substantially from $511 million as of Dec 31, 2017. The company recorded operating cash flow of $249 million for the six-month period ended Jun 30, 2018 compared with $239 million in the prior-year comparable period.

Franco-Nevada has 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. The company has committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to $100 million annually over the next three years to acquire additional mineral rights through a newly-formed company.

Story continues

Franco-Nevadas board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 24 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on Sep 27, 2018 to shareholders of record on Sep 13, 2018.

Corporate Updates

Cobre Panama: Franco-Nevada funded the additional precious metals stream on the Cobre Panama project for $356 million on Mar 16, 2018. Franco-Nevada now has exposure to the precious metals produced from 100% of the ownership of the Cobre Panama project.

2018 Guidance

For 2018, Franco-Nevada expects attributable royalty and stream production from its mining assets to total 440,000 to 470,000 GEOs, lower than the previous expectation of 460,000 to 490,000 GEOs, to reflect reduced deliveries from the Candelaria stream.

The company now expects revenues between $65 million and $75 million from its oil & gas assets for 2018, up from its previous guidance of $50 million to $60 million. This is driven by better than expected contribution from its previously acquired U.S. assets and stronger oil prices.

For the guidance, silver, platinum and palladium metals have been converted to GEOs using assumed commodity prices of $1,250 per ounce of Gold, $16.00 per ounce of Silver, $850 per ounce of Platinum and $950 per ounce of Palladium. The WTI oil price 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.

For 2019, production will likely improve at Candelaria. The company will also benefit from the ramp-up of its major precious metals stream at Cobre Panama. Further, the company will continue to witness growth from its U.S. oil & gas assets aided by the new Continental relationship.

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The shares of Franco-Nevada have dropped 4.4% over the past year, compared with the industrys decline of 12.3%.

Other Stocks

Some better-ranked stocks in the same sector include Ingevity Corporation NGVT, KMG Chemicals, Inc. KMG and Ashland Global Holdings Inc. ASH. While Ingevity and KMG Chemicals sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Ashland Global carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Ingevity has a long-term earnings growth rate of 12%. The stock has surged 74% in a years time.

KMG Chemicals has a long-term earnings growth rate of 28.5%. Its shares have been up 40% in the past year.

Ashland Global has a long-term earnings growth rate of 10%. The companys shares have gained 40% over the past year.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (ASH) : Free Stock Analysis Report



KMG Chemicals, Inc. (KMG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Ingevity Corporation (NGVT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
(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

Story continues

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.

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.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
FILE PHOTO: The Intel logo is shown at E3, the world's largest video game industry convention in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 12, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

By Stephen Nellis

SANTA CLARA (Reuters) - Intel Corp on Wednesday said it sold $1 billion of artificial intelligence processor chips in 2017, the first time the world's second-largest chipmaker disclosed revenue from the fast-growing computing segment that has fueled sales expansions at rivals such as Nvidia Corp.

As PC sales have stagnated, Intel has increasingly been depending on its sales to data centers, which provide behind-the-scenes computing power for mobile and web-based apps. Those apps, in turn, rely on artificial intelligence for features like photo and speech recognition.

But researchers widely believe that so-called graphical processors like Nvidia's are better suited to "training" artificial intelligence computer models than the central processor units, or CPUs, that have been Intel's mainstay for decades.

At an event for Wall Street analysts at Intel's Santa Clara, California headquarters to explain its strategy, Navin Shenoy, its data center chief, said the company has been able to modify its CPUs to become more than 200 times better at artificial intelligence training over the past several years. This resulted in $1 billion in sales of its Xeon processors for such work in 2017, when the company's overall revenue was $62.8 billion.

"The step-function increase in performance led to a meaningful business impact for us," Shenoy told the audience.

Naveen Rao, head of Intel's artificial intelligence products group, said the $1 billion estimate was derived from customers that told Intel they were buying chips for artificial intelligence and from calculations of how much of a customer's data center is dedicated to such work.

Story continues

"Honestly, it's probably a lot higher. We left a lot on the table because we wanted to be conservative," Rao told Reuters in an interview.

The new number is important because Intel's stock dropped last month after it delivered earnings that fell short of Wall Street's expectations for its data center business. Intel also said then its newest generation chips would be delayed until 2020, leading analysts to worry it will lose data center share to Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

"Intel must be very confident in its (artificial intelligence) roadmap and future performance given it committed to a revenue number, as analysts will ask them every quarter about it," said analyst and former chip executive Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy. He said the $1 billion figure was conservative because it only included CPUs and not its other product lines, he said.

Intel stock was up 22 cents at $49.92.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
As a policy, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party says it doesnt get involved in primary races between two Democrats. But it sure looks like the organization is ready to distance itself from state Sen. Daphne Campbell.

Triggered by a mail piece distributed to some voters in Campbells district that touts her reelection campaign alongside a slate of Republicans, the local party has asked Campbell to appear before them Tuesday to disavow any involvement. They summoned Campbell with a stinging letter that all but accuses her of consorting with the enemy.

There is suspicion that your campaign was associated with this mail piece because of your past links to the Republican Party and history of questionable ethics, wrote Steve Simeonidis, general counsel to the Miami-Dade Democatic Party. We will consider a failure to respond to this letter as a tacit admission of your involvement with the suspect mailer.

Campbell declined an interview, but said in a series of text messages that her primary opponent, Jason Pizzo, had created the Republican Neighbor mailer and placed her name alongside Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo in order to frame her. She texted pictures of another flier that she believed to be linked, urging voters to support Pizzo and several Democratic African American candidates.

Someone in his camp made the Republican flyer against me because he, she, or they are stupid, Campbell wrote in a late-night message that contained a few typos. They are desperate and stupid. Tell him to run his campaign on his records not making false accusations, lying to media and on TV.

The political ad in question includes a disclaimer that  while inadequate under the requirements of Florida law for political committee communications  attributes the campaign piece to Republican Neighbor. No such committee is listed by the county or state elections departments.

Pizzos campaign denies any involvement.

Though both Campbell and Pizzo are Democrats, a campaign aimed at Republicans could be helpful in the Aug. 28 election for Campbells Senate District 38 because the primary is considered open to voters of all party affiliations due to the fact that only Democrats are running for the seat. A memo released Wednesday to the Miami Herald by Pizzos campaign, for instance, found that 40 percent of absentee ballots cast in the race had been submitted by Republicans and independent voters.

While Campbell told the Miami Herald and other media that shes being framed, the local party wants to hear it straight from Campbell.

Click here to read the rest.
Michigan Democrat Is Likely to Become First Muslim Congresswoman

Rashida Tlaib is expected to become the nations first Muslim woman in Congress after winning the Democratic primary in Michigans 13th district Tuesday. She will run unopposed on Novembers ballot, as no Republican or third-party candidates have yet to step up in the majority Democratic region.

Tlaib earned 33.2% of the vote, facing a number of Democratic nominees, including Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, reports The Detroit News. All were vying to replace Rep. John Conyers, who stepped down in December amid sexual harassment allegations after serving in Congress since 1965.

Tlaib was born in Detroit, the eldest daughter of two Palestinian immigrants. She served in the state House of Representatives from 2008 to 2014, then worked as an attorney for the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, an employee-rights group, Business Insider reports.

She ran on a platform of expanding Medicare, implementing a $15 minimum wage, and fighting for worker and union rights. Her grassroots campaign, run with the same progressive tactics as New York Democratic nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, raised over $1 million, according to The Detroit News.

A longtime critic of President Donald Trump, Tlaib was once arrested for heckling the then-presidential candidate at a Detroit rally. She responded to criticism of her actions in a Detroit Free Press article.

I have heard critics calling it unbecoming of a former state legislator, she wrote. Well, I believe it is unbecoming of any American to not stand up to Trumps hate-filled rhetoric and tactics.

Tlaib and Jones will again face off on a special election ballot this November, which will decide who represents the district until Tlaib begins at the start of the next Congress in January.
shale oil young worker

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Oil prices fell more than 1% early Wednesday.

Beijing announced American crude exports to China will be subject to a 25% retaliatory tariff.

Watch oil trade in real time here.

Oil prices slumped Wednesday after Beijing announced it would retaliate against the Trump administration with a 25% tariff on another $16 billion worth of US exports to China, including oil products.

West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, shed 2% to $67.70 per barrel after the Ministry of Commerce released a new list of American goods that will be subject to tariffs. Brent was down 0.6% to just above $74 a barrel.

China also said it would levy tariffs on liquified natural gas, diesel, coal, chemicals, cars, steel products and medical equipment.

The announcement came after the Trump administration followed through with a 25% tariff on an additional $16 billion of Chinese goods Tuesday evening. The latest round of American and Chinese tariffs, which bring the running total of targeted goods to $50 billion on each side, are set to take effect August 23.

Jameel Ahmad, global head of currency strategy and market research at FXTM, said the escalation "is just reminding investors that their trade war concerns are going nowhere anytime soon."

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports to the US. Beijing can't match that dollar-for-dollar because it imports significantly fewer American products than the US does from China. But officials have threatened to retaliate in other ways, like increasing the rate of tariffs on additional American imports.

Oil prices had been edging higher prior to the announcement. A report by the Energy Information Administration showed a 1.4 million barrel drawdown in US inventories last week.

WTI is up 40% year-over-year.

See also:

Screen Shot 2018 08 08 at 9.55.45 AM

Markets Insider

Story continues

NOW WATCH: A diehard Mac user switches to PC

See Also:

SEE ALSO: ROUND 2: US, China announce newest round of tariffs as Trump's trade war shows no sign of slowing down
Elon Musk solarcity tesla spaceX

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Tesla stock surged more than 10% Tuesday after CEO Elon Musk said he was considering taking the company private.

The gains have since been wiped out, however, amid a lack of more information and a reported investigation by federal regulators.

Follow Tesla's stock price in real-time here.

Shares of Tesla have rolled over and given up their more-than-10% gains from Tuesday, when CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he was considering taking the company private at $420 a share.

The stock declined more than 4% Thursday, falling as low as $346.49 and closing at $352.45. When Musks cryptic tweet sent shockwaves through markets at 12:48 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the stock was worth $358.

Musk said funding was secured but offered no details as to which investor may be willing to cough up the billions needed to take Tesla off public stock exchanges. Those lingering questions, paired with a report from The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that said the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the tweet, only further seemed to drag down the price.

Bloomberg on Thursday afternoon confirmed the paper's report and said the federal securities regulator had been looking into Tesla's public statements before the tweet. That investigations is now "intensifying," it said.

Legal experts told Business Insider that if financing had not actually been secured at the time of his tweet  which would count as a material statement under SEC rules  the billionaire most likely broke federal laws. The SEC's requirements say a company must file an official disclosure within four days of a major event. Those events are generally defined as an acquisition, leadership change, or something relating to the company's financial situation.

In an email to employees that was later published on Tesla's website, Musk gave a few more details on the plan, leading with the fact that a final decision had not been made.

Story continues

Thursday's declines also wiped out the smaller gains that came just before Musk's tweet, when the Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia's public investment fund had invested $2 billion in the company.

Tesla is up nearly 13% this year.

Now read:

Tesla stock price

Markets Insider

NOW WATCH: Everything wrong with the iPhone

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Millennial investors are ditching Tesla during its wild week (TSLA)
Following a new licensing system for the cryptocurrency sector in July, Thailands Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has fielded nearly two dozen applicants looking to operate domestic cryptocurrency exchanges.

Thailand SEC secretary-general Rapee Sucharitakul has revealed that as many as 20 companies have applied for licenses to operate cryptocurrency exchanges within a month after a new regulatory licensing framework for ICOs and the wider crypto sector came into effect, on July 16.

As reported by the Bangkok Post on Thursday, the senior SEC official confirmed that license approvals are currently being processed, adding:

Many companies interested in opening digital asset exchanges have said digital assets and cryptocurrency trading in the Thai market are quite active.

As reported previously, Thai authorities pushed a royal decree to fast-track the regulation of the domestic crypto sector that mandates all exchange operators, ICO issuers and brokerages to register with the SEC before commencing operations.

The regulatory framework came into effect less than a month ago on July 16th, wherein the SEC became one of the worlds earliest securities market regulators to recognize cryptocurrencies in fundraising, allowing seven specific coins as payments for ICO users. They are namely Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic, Stellar and Litecoin.

ICO issuers will have to earn licensure through portals (companies operating marketplaces) wherein the latters management structure and plan of operations will be scrutinized by the regulator. Three of the five ICO portals have already submitted their applications to the SEC.

Notably, Rapee added that the SEC has seen interest from 50 ICO issuers looking to gain licenses to raise funds, five of which are likely to be approved at the present time as reported previously.

The news comes at a time when the primary body representing Thailands securities firms are also exploring the possibility of launching a joint cryptocurrency exchange by applying with the SEC, a sign of the growing institutional and retail investor interest in trading cryptocurrencies.

Story continues

Thailands embrace of the cryptocurrency space in a regulated capacity follows developments to its east in the Philippines wherein the countrys central bank approved the accreditation of two new cryptocurrency exchanges in July, raising the total to 5 regulated exchanges in the country presently. Beyond developments in the mainland, a government-controlled economic zone in the northern tip of the Philippines is also issuing 25 crypto exchange licenses within the economic zone.

It all makes for a rising trend among eastern Asian nations that began in Japan last year, wherein the countrys Payment Services Act was revised to recognize cryptocurrency like bitcoin as legal tender. The new legislation has also mandated domestic exchanges to register and earn licensure from Japans financial regulator. So far, Japan has licensed sixteen cryptocurrency exchanges to operate domestically.

Bitcoin baht image from Shutterstock.



The post Thailand: 20 Companies Have Applied for Crypto Exchange Licenses appeared first on CCN.


Tight Ohio special election is too close to call as Trump and GOP declare victory: NBC News

The Ohio 12th District House special election was still too close to call on Tuesday night, according to NBC News.

Republicans declared victory for the GOP's Troy Balderson, but Democrat Danny O'Connor has not yet conceded.

No matter the final result, the race will make Democrats more optimistic for their goal of taking a House majority in November's midterm elections.

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."

Story continues

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.





More From CNBC


Two children flying alone on Frontier Airlines last month were taken in a vehicle with an airline employee to a hotel room after severe weather diverted their Orlando-bound flight to Atlanta, their parents told news outlets.

The parents told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Frontier customer service could not give them information and that they heard from their children only because another unaccompanied minor let them borrow a cellphone to call that night.

Frontier said its employees followed "standard procedure" for the handling of children flying alone.

Two children flying alone on Frontier Airlines last month were taken in a vehicle with an airline employee to a hotel room after severe weather diverted their flight to Atlanta, their parents told the Orlando Sentinel and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The children  Carter Gray, 9, and Etta Gray, 7  traveled unaccompanied on Frontier Airlines Flight 1756 on July 22 from Des Moines, Iowa, where they were visiting their grandparents, to their hometown of Orlando, Florida. The flight, which was scheduled to arrive at 10:46 p.m., circled Orlando International Airport for 45 minutes before diverting to Atlanta because of storms, the Sentinel reported.

The children's mother, Jennifer Ignash, said she was left waiting at the Orlando airport, completely in the dark about what had happened to them.

"This was the first year I said OK, they're old enough to fly on their own, they know their phone number, they know their address," Ignash told The Journal-Constitution. But when the flight got diverted, she added, "it was like, OK, panic."

Ignash said she was not able to learn anything about her children's whereabouts from Frontier's customer-service line that evening and that she did not receive a call from a Frontier employee until the next day.

The parents said they heard from their children only when, shortly after midnight on July 23, an older unaccompanied minor on the flight let Carter borrow his cellphone to call his father.

Story continues

"Without that child, we would have had zero idea where our kids were," Ignash told The Journal-Constitution.

Ignash said a Frontier employee took her children in a personal vehicle to an Atlanta hotel, where Carter, Etta, and four other unaccompanied children from the flight stayed in adjoining rooms.

"We never gave approval for that to happen," Chad Gray, Etta and Carter's father, told The Journal-Constitution.

After providing the children a breakfast voucher for McDonald's, Frontier continued the flight to Orlando the following morning, and the children landed safely there at 1 p.m., Gray told the Sentinel.

Alan Armstrong, an Atlanta aviation attorney the parents retained who has been handling their public statements, did not confirm in a call with Business Insider whether they were seeking legal action against Frontier, but he did say he hoped to bring attention to what he described as a neglected issue.

"The real thrust of this is to make Frontier and the entire airline industry aware of the gross deficiencies in their procedures for dealing with unaccompanied minors and children," Armstrong told Business Insider.

Frontier said that the parents' going to news outlets was surprising and that its employees followed standard protocol.

"It has been more than two weeks since the flight diversion, but the family never contacted us," a Frontier representative, Jonathan Freed, told Business Insider. "The first we learned of their concerns was as a result of their lawyer calling media."

Freed said in a statement to Business Insider that in keeping with Frontier's "standard procedure" for unaccompanied minors, the children were accompanied at all times, placed in a hotel room overnight, and provided food.

"We understand how an unexpected delay caused by weather can be stressful for a parent, and our goal is to help passengers get to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible," Freed said.

NOW WATCH: An early bitcoin investor explains what most people get wrong about the cryptocurrency

See Also:

SEE ALSO: American Airlines kicked a woman off a flight after she brought her $30,000 cello on board, even though she bought a seat for it

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!
Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., has been arrested on insider trading charges lodged by the Justice Department, law enforcement officials said Wednesday morning.

The indictment obtained from a federal grand jury also charges Collins' son, Cameron Collins, as well as the father of his fiancee, Stephen Zarsky.

In June 2017, 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.

Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. was arrested Wednesday morning on insider trading charges lodged by the Justice Department, law enforcement officials said.

An indictment obtained from a federal grand jury also charges Collins' son, Cameron Collins, as well as the father of his fiancee, Stephen Zarsky.

The indictment relates to Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics IOP-INP-NZ , on which Collins served as a board member.

In June 2017, according to the indictment, 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."

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.

Zarsky, too, allegedly traded on the inside knowledge and passed it along to yet more unnamed co-conspirators.

In total, the three defendants avoided "over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred" had they sold their stock after the information was made public, according to the indictment.

In a statement to CNBC, attorneys for Collins vowed to "mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name."

They added: "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."

Story continues

The lawyers said Collins will have more to say on the indictment later on Wednesday.

Cameron Collins' attorney, Rebecca Ricigliano, said, "We look forward to addressing these charges in court, and will not be commenting on this case outside of the courtroom."

An attorney for Zarsky told CNBC they had no comment at this time.

Collins was President Donald Trump's first supporter in Congress, and was reportedly a member of his transition team after the 2016 presidential election. The 27th congressional district in New York, which Collins currently represents, voted for Trump at a higher level than any other district in the state in 2016.

The indictment related to Innate draws new attention to an ex-Trump administration official: former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who was grilled by lawmakers during his confirmation hearings in January 2017 about a tip on the company he allegedly received from Collins.

Price resigned last September following an embarrassing series of news stories detailing his use of pricey commercial and charter jet travel during his brief tenure as HHS chief.

HHS' Office of Inspector General last month said the department should try to recoup at least $341,000 that Price had wasted on the flights. Just one out of the 21 such flights he took met all federal requirements, the watchdog said in a report.

A spokesman for Price told CNBC, "Dr. Price addressed his ownership of Innate Immunotherapeutics stock during his confirmation hearings for HHS Secretary and sold any stock he held in February 2017." The spokesman declined to respond to CNBC's questions about whether Price has been contacted by the DOJ in relation to this case, or if he has hired attorneys.

Separately, a source close to Price told CNBC that the former HHS secretary was not questioned by investigators from the Southern District of New York.

Collins had already been being probed by the Office of Congressional Ethics , which found in October 2017 that "there is a substantial reason to believe that Representative Collins shared material nonpublic information in the purchase of Innate stock." The committee recommended further review, and the House Ethics Committee was investigating Collins on the heels of that recommendation.

The defendants are accused of multiple counts of securities fraud, as well as one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count each of making false statements.

The GOP congressman reportedly surrendered to federal agents in Manhattan on Wednesday morning. He is expected to appear in federal court in lower Manhattan later today. The U.S. attorney for the SDNY is expected to detail the charges in a press conference at noon.

Collins' alleged leak

The indictment reveals that the results from a more than three-year-long clinical trial for Innate's primary drug were passed to the company's board members on June 22, 2017. The trial, Innate CEO Simon Wilkinson told the board in an email, was a failure.

"I have bad news to report," Wilkinson wrote, explaining the "clinical failure" of the trial. The company's stock price "was tied to the success" of the drug, the indictment says.

Collins was attending a congressional picnic at the White House at the time he received the email. He replied: "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???"

About a minute after responding to the email, Collins called his son twice, but was not able to get through. Cameron Collins called him back three more times, apparently to no avail, as well.

On his fourth attempt, Collins connected with his son and spoke for just over six minutes, explaining that Innate's drug trial had failed.

Innate issued its press release on the night of June 26; in the next trading session, the stock plummeted more than 90 percent.

The company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

--CNBC's Dan Mangan contributed to this report.





More From CNBC


YouTube is about to pass Facebook as the second biggest website in US, according to new study

Facebook's web traffic has declined by nearly half in the last two years, while YouTube is climbing.

Amazon is poised to become the fourth most-visited website, unseating Yahoo.

Google still is far and away the most visited website on the internet.

In the competition to be top website, Facebook FB may soon cede its runner-up position to YouTube, according to a new study shared with CNBC by market research firm SimilarWeb.

The five websites receiving the most traffic in the U.S. in the last several years have been Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo and Amazon AMZN , in that order. However, Facebook has seen a severe decline in monthly page visits, from 8.5 billion to 4.7 billion in the last two years, according to the study. Although Facebook's app traffic has grown, it is not enough to make up for that loss, the study said.

Facebook took a market tumble last month when it reported that the number of daily active users remained flat in North America in the second quarter, and declined in Europe.

YouTube, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet GOOGL , has seen increased traffic, the study said. The app has also experienced in increase in viewership.

Yahoo is also poised to lose its position in the ranking. Amazon has already surpassed Yahoo during big spending months, including December 2017 and July 2018, when the e-commerce giant held its annual Prime Day .

"If current trends continue, Amazon will soon begin generating more traffic than Yahoo on a regular basis," Stephen Kraus, chief of insights at SimilarWeb, wrote in the study.

However, none of the bottom four of the top five comes close to Google. Although it has seen some decline in website traffic thanks to app use and voice search, it saw approximately 15 billion visits in July 2018, the study said. The others were all below 5 billion, according to the report.





More From CNBC


STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE
A suicide bombing in Afghanistan has killed three Czech members of NATO's Resolute Support force.

In a Twitter post, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis hailed the three soldiers killed early on August 5 as "heroes" and sent his condolences to their families.

Taliban militants claimed they carried out the attack, which took place near the Bagram military base in Parwan Province north of the capital Kabul.

The U.S. military said in a statement that the soldiers were targeted by a suicide bomber while on a routine foot patrol alongside Afghan forces.

A U.S. soldier and two Afghan troops were also wounded in the blast, the statement added.

The Czech government has recently approved a plan to deploy 390 troops in Afghanistan through 2020, up from the current 230, as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.

U.S. Army General John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in a statement, "Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history and further strengthen our resolve."

NATO formally concluded its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but thousands of troops are still providing support and training to the Afghan National Army, and carrying out counterterrorism missions.

Eastern Afghanistan remains one of the deadliest areas for the U.S. military since its main combat operation against the Taliban ended in 2014.

Last month a U.S. soldier was killed and two others wounded in an "apparent insider attack" in southern Afghanistan, NATO said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of mourners have buried the victims of a twin suicide attack on a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan, as the death toll rose to 35, officials said.

Two suicide bombers dressed as women struck a Shi'ite mosque in Gardez, capital of Paktia Province, on August 3 as it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
DENVER  A 16-year-old girl is being investigated in the death of a 7-year-old boy who was reported missing in Denver on Monday, authorities said.
An Iraqi refugee accused of shooting a Colorado Springs police officer was ordered held on a $1 million bond Thursday at a court advisement.

Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi, 31, appeared before El Paso County Judge Regina Walter.

The brief hearing came a day after the defendant's release from UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs. Al Khammasi sustained unspecified injuries in an Aug. 2 confrontation with police that left Officer Cem Duzel in critical condition with a gunshot wound in his head.

Duzel remains in critical but stable condition, police said Thursday.

Al Khammasi was ordered to appear before District Judge Robin Chittum on Aug. 16, when he is expected to be charged. The defendant is being held on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, weapon possession by a previous offender and menacing, all felonies.

The Gazette previously reported that Al Khammasi was slated for deportation in 2016, until a federal appeals court struck down the government's grounds for his removal.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story erroneously said that Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi appeared in court via video link.
Seven neglected horses and three dead dogs were found Wednesday on a property in northern El Paso County, the Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies investigating a case of "criminally neglected horses" executed a search warrant in the 7700 block of Stockholm Grove, the Sheriff's Office said.

A suspect has been identified, and charges are pending, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release without elaborating.

The horses were taken to a nearby boarding facility, where they will be treated. Necropsies will be performed on the dogs to determine the cause of death.

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and Bureau of Animal Protection agents helped the deputies.
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.
City Editor

Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.
An Iraqi refugee facing an attempted murder charge in the shooting of a Colorado Springs police officer has been released from the hospital.

Karrar Al Khammasi, 31, who suffered unspecified injuries during an Aug. 2 confrontation with police, was booked into El Paso County jail Wednesday upon his release from UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central. A mug shot shows he has a bandage on his neck.

The officer he is accused of wounding, Cem Duzel, remained in critical condition as of Tuesday. An update wasnt released by police Wednesday.

The defendant, who is being held without bond, declined to appear for his first advisement hearing Wednesday. That hearing was rescheduled for Thursday, a clerk said.

Al Khammasi has been linked to a string of crimes since his arrival in the U.S. in 2012.

The Gazette reported this week that he had been slated for deportation in 2016 after a conviction for felony trespassing, but immigration proceedings against him were terminated after a federal court struck down the governments basis for his removal.

Duzels shooting came roughly six months after El Paso County sheriffs Deputy Micah Flick was killed in the line of duty by a gunman who was then fatally shot by officers.
Of the 80 men who struck Americas first, and arguably most famous, retaliatory blow in World War II, Lt. Col. Dick Cole is the last living.

And while he misses his comrades, the 102-year-old Cole had a sense of humor about his long-lived status after he was lauded Thursday at the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs.

Its not my fault, he said with a grin as he sat in the shadow of a B-25 Mitchell bomber like the one he helped fly in Americas first raid against Tokyo in one of World War IIs most audacious missions.

Just months after Japan struck Americas Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Cole and his comrades were called to fly a secret mission. They were given few details other than that it posed great risk.

They took their land-based B-25s and trained to launch them from the deck of an aircraft carrier. The bombers, which normally used more than a mile of runway to get airborne, would take off in just 500 feet.

After training in Florida, the Raiders found themselves in mid-Pacific. Their mission had to take off prematurely when the task force was spotted by Japanese fishing boats  adding even more danger to a mission that required the planes to fly their maximum range.

Still, Cole says, the well-trained crews had no fear as they launched from the carriers rolling deck.

It was no different than if we were taking off from a runway, the Ohio native said.

Cole was co-pilot for the leader of the operation, then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, who became such an Air Force hero after the mission that he has a building in his name at the Air Force Academy.

As they neared the Japanese coast, the complete surprise of the secret raid became evident.

We were expecting anti-aircraft fire, Cole said. Instead, the B-25s flew unopposed over downtown Tokyo.

Our target was northwest Tokyo, because we had firebombs, Cole recalled.

Accuracy in bombing wasnt part of the Doolittle plan. The bombers had their high-tech sights removed so the enemy wouldnt capture them. The replacement was a simple device crafted from sheet metal that gave only rudimentary aim to the bombs.

That wasnt a problem, Cole said. With a massive neighborhood as a target, it would be impossible to miss.

He could drop them anywhere, Cole said.

The bombing was the easy part. Finding a safe place to land afterward was hard.

While the B-25s could take off from a carrier, it was impossible to land them back on the ships. The mission called for the airmen to fly to an airfield in China to land.

But they had taken off hundreds of miles farther from Tokyo than planned because theyd been spotted by the fishing boats.

Cole talked to the navigator aboard his B-25 about the predicament. They didnt have enough fuel to make it.

He told us that we would be 180 miles short of China, Cole said.

But luck sometimes favors the bold. A mysterious tailwind blew in from the Pacific, pushing the planes along even as their fuel tanks ran dry.

Cole remembers seeing the Chinese coast.

We were just happy to be there, he said.

Cole and Doolittle realized that while they had made landfall, they would never make it to a Chinese airfield. So as the engines of the B-25 started to sputter, the crew bailed out, parachuting into enemy territory.

Three of the Doolittle Raiders died in landing attempts as the 16 crews of the B-25s crash-landed or bailed out. Eight Raiders were captured, and four of them died as prisoners.

Cole and his crew were assisted by Chinese troops, American missionaries and other well-wishers and made it back to American lines.

The museums Scott Klaers said local efforts to restore World War II planes are driven by legendary figures such as Cole.

We are here every day to honor these men and women, Klaers said.

Cole donated a copy of the Congressional Gold Medal given to the Raiders that will be displayed at the museum, at 755 Aviation Way on the west side of the Colorado Springs Airport.

Cole said he hopes his story and the medal are a reminder for young people in the Pikes Peak region that liberty has a cost.

If you want to enjoy freedom, you have to step forward in case of emergency, he said.

Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240 Twitter: @xroederx
Two more animals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have died of injuries from Mondays hailstorm, bringing the total to four, and the zoo will remain closed until Saturday, zoo spokeswoman Jenny Koch said Wednesday.

A peacock named Snoop died of hail injuries, and a missing meerkat pup has not been found and is assumed to be dead, Koch said in an email. The meerkat, which likely burrowed underground during the storm, was from the most recent litter and had not yet been named.

As earlier reported, the hail also killed a 13-year-old rare Cape vulture named Motswari and a 4-year-old Muscovy duck named Daisy.

All other injured animals are either improving or stable, Koch said. A veterinary team from the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University in Fort Collins will come to the zoo Friday to consult on Twinkie, the Rocky Mountain goat with an injured eye.

The zoo, which has been closed since the devastating storm, is scheduled to reopen Saturday, Koch said. Members will be allowed in at 8 a.m., followed by the general public at 9 a.m.

Zoo staff have set up a way for fans to donate in the wake of the storm, which also sent five people to a hospital and severely damaged vehicles and buildings on the property.

Although the Zoo is fully covered by insurance, the revenue lost during these high-season days will still be a hit for our nonprofit budget, Koch said in the email. Our employees are also stretched financially, due to personal vehicle losses.

Four buildings  the Monkey Pavilion, the administration building, Primate World and the Scutes Family Gallery  were most severely damaged, with shattered skylights, zoo President Bob Chastain said Tuesday.

To donate, visit cmzoo.org/help.

As of Wednesday night, 101 undrivable guest cars remained in the zoos main parking lot, Koch said.

Zoo security will monitor them through 5 p.m. Thursday, then they will be towed to the south corner of the parking lot without security monitoring. If they arent claimed by 8 a.m. Tuesday, the vehicles will be towed to a monitored facility at the owners expense.

All of the zoos EdVenture programs are canceled for the rest of the week, including any birthday parties, ZOOMobile appearances, WildNights, Kids-Only WildNights, zoo exploration tours and teen programs. All programs will resume Monday.
Gail Sistrunk, right, says this photo from 2015 shows how happy her daughter, Carla Pena, was before she moved to Colorado and became addicted to heroin. The photo was edited to protect the identity of the minor child.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS  Sara Bak recalls a particularly difficult day a couple of weeks into her six-week stay at Valley View Hospital's in-patient Youth Recovery Center 12 years ago when, in her words, "I lost my cool." "They tell you when you come in that the doors aren't locked, and you're not being forced to be here," Bak said of the youth addiction treatment program. "We all have bad days, but teenagers don't always have the best coping mechanisms." So, only 16 at the time, she took off and managed to wander a few blocks to the grocery store in search of a cigarette. With no money, no phone and no place to go, she quickly began to rethink her decision. "The rule is, if you leave, you don't get to come
AURORA  A woman who was run over by a camping trailer and dragged for several blocks before being dislodged has died from her injuries, accor
Broncos have lost four straight after a 17-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns Thursday night.

You voted:
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has claimed that Railas popularity among his supporters has significantly reduced as a result of his unity pact with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking during an interview on Milele FM Wednesday morning, Khalwale further said that Odinga has been avoiding holding political rallies in the country as he is aware of his diminished charisma.

According to the outspoken politician, Raila loves when he sees a big crowd attend his political rally, but now that his political influence has reduced, he is afraid of convening a rally only for it to be attended by a few people.

You saw him hold a political rally in Kisumu in mid-March after entering into a peace pact with President Kenyatta. Did the Kisumu rally draw the thousands of followers he was used to? No. It flopped spectacularly, Khalwale said.

He further noted that Railas supporters were against him working with the Jubilee Government, which they accused of oppressing voices in the Opposition.

Khalwale observed that Odinga should have understood what his followers wanted before accepting to work with Jubilee.

He also revealed he was against the Uhuru-Raila peace pact, saying it was unrepresentative of what leaders in the NASA camp wanted.

The former Senator said after President Kenyatta was declared the winner in the race for president in October 2017, Odinga should have endorsed Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for the presidency in the 2022 general election, instead of seeking further political relevance.

Khalwale also claimed that Odinga won the August 8 presidential poll but was rigged out by Jubilee.
Theres a common rhetorical tactic that can be pretty handy in the entertainment business  particularly in detective and mystery novels. Ther
OTTAWA, July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSXV:ORE) (Orezone or the Company) is pleased to report ongoing results from its targeted shallow infill Reverse Circulation Drilling (RC) and Diamond Core Drilling (DD) within the Bombore mining lease. This programme totalled 196 RC boreholes (12,193 m) and 30 DD boreholes (3,756 m) that were drilled during Q2 2018 in the Maga, P11 and Siga East areas. These new results continue to show the presence and continuity of discrete higher-grade zones within the mineral reserve pit shells. Several zones have been drilled since July 2017 (see press releases of November 27th and September 12th, 2017 for previous results on some of these targets), and these current results continue to reflect the grade and continuity of each of these zones. It is expected that the improved definition of these discrete higher-grade zones in the next mineral resource update should have a positive impact on the mineral inventory within the infill drilling areas when compared to the current resource model that formed the basis of the recently released Definitive Feasibility Study.



A general location map is shown in the attached presentation (link). The results of each target are discussed below, with highlights presented from north to south across the strike length that was tested.

A. Maga Area

The 2018 drilling programme targeted four separate zones with higher-than-average gold grades with the objectives to better define the geometry (strike, dip and plunge) and continuity of the shallow portion of these zones. The programme was designed to complete the 25 m by 25 m definition drilling pattern in the oxide zone, and on three of the four zones, to step down into the top portion of the sulphide zone. Based on the recent results, further infill and step out definition drilling are warranted in all four areas, in both the oxidized and sulphide zones.

Footwall Zone (Oxide and sulphide targets)

The recent drilling programme targeted the northern portion of a 2.4-km reserve pit shell, over a strike of 450 m where 16 RC holes (1,194 m) and 5 DD holes (731 m) were drilled. In this area, the Footwall Zone mineralization is hosted in the nose of a mesoscopic tightly folded sequence of carbonaceous meta-argillite interbedded with metasandstones over a strike length of about 1.2 km. The sequence is oriented N045 and is dipping about 75 degrees to the SSE.

Highlights from Maga Footwall Zone Programme (True width is about 90% of the drill intercept length. Unless otherwise specified, all intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBD1022: from 34.50 to 41.00 m: 6.50 m @ 2.89 gpt, and from 101.00 to 109.00 m: 8.00 m @ 2.53 gpt;

BBC4935: from 63 to 75 m: 12 m @ 2.99 gpt, including 1 m @ 26.4 gpt from 63 to 64 m;

BBD1020: from 123.90 to 131.00 (sulphide zone): 7.10 m @ 2.30 gpt, including 1.15 m @ 8.9 gpt from 125.50 to 126.65 m; and from 161.00 to 166.00 (sulphide zone): 5.00 m @ 3.17 gpt, including 1.00 m @ 12.8 gpt from 161.00 to 162.00 m;

BBC4936: from 23 to 43 m: 20 m @ 1.64 gpt; and

BBC4941: from 26 to 44 m: 18 m @ 1.17 gpt.

Maga Hill Zone (Oxide and sulphide targets)

The Maga Hill zone is located on the hanging wall of the main Maga Footwall zone. The 2018 drilling programme consisted of 6 RC holes (367 m) and 10 DD holes (1,245 m), over a strike length of 175 m. The gold mineralization is hosted in a tightly folded sequence of meta-sediments, biotite schist (meta-gabbro) and meta-granodiorite. The sequence is oriented N045 and is dipping about 70 degrees to the SSE.

Highlights from Maga Hill Programme (True width is about 95% of the drill intercept length. Unless otherwise specified, all intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBD1033: from 22.00 to 31.00 m: 9.00 m @ 3.09 gpt, and from 93.00 to 103.00 m (sulphide zone): 10.00 m @ 2.29 gpt;

BBD1032: from 64.50 to 69.50 m: 5.00 m @ 2.07 gpt;

BBC4955: from 29 to 45 m: 16 m @ 4.62 gpt, including 6 m @ 8.1 gpt from 36 to 42 m;

BBC4956: from 65 to 72 m: 7 m @ 5.73 gpt, including 4 m @ 9.1 gpt from 65 to 69 m;

BBD1031: from 5.50 to 13.00 m: 7.50 m @ 1.96 gpt; from 35.00 to 50.50 m: 15.50 m @ 1.21 gpt; and from 123.00 to 129.55 (sulphide zone): 6.55 m @ 2.80 gpt;

BBD1030: from 16.00 to 29.00 m: 13.00 m @ 1.13 gpt;

BBD1024: from 21.00 to 44.50 m: 23.50 m @ 4.31 gpt, including 4.20 m @ 19.0 gpt from 40.30 to 44.50 m;

BBD1027: from 11.50 to 24.50 m: 13.00 m @ 3.99 gpt, including 2.00 m @ 18.9 gpt from 11.50 to 13.50 m; and from 56.50 to 69.00 m : 12.50 m @ 4.26 gpt, including 6.00 m @ 7.0 gpt from 58.50 to 64.50 m;

BBD1028: from 104.00 to 115.00 m (sulphide zone): 11.00 m @ 1.15 gpt;

BBC4951: from 14 to 25 m: 11 m @ 2.46 gpt, including 3 m @ 4.4 gpt from 16 to 19 m;

BBD1025: from 66.60 to 68.80 m (sulphide zone): 2.20 m @ 5.76 gpt, including 1.20 m @ 8.9 gpt from 67.60 to 68.80 m;

BBC4953: from 24 to 40 m: 16 m @ 5.20 gpt, including 3 m @ 12.1 gpt from 30 to 33 m.

3653 Zone (Oxide targets)

The 3653 zone is located on the hanging wall of the main Maga Footwall zone. The recent drilling programme consisted of 8 RC holes (777 m), over a strike length of 100 m (the oxide zone is open at both ends). The gold mineralization is hosted along the footwall contact of a porphyritic granodiorite intruding a metasandstone. The sequence is oriented N045 and is dipping about 75 degrees to the SSE.

Highlights from 3653 Zone (True width is about 90% of the drill intercept length. All intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBC4943: from 20 to 34 m: 14 m @ 1.26 gpt;

BBC4944: from 56 to 66 m: 10 m @ 1.11 gpt;

BBC4947: from 21 to 31 m: 10 m @ 2.20 gpt, including 1 m @ 13.4 gpt from 22 to 23 m;

BBC4950: from 12 to 22 m: 10 m @ 1.26 gpt.

3645 Zone (Oxide and sulphide targets)

The 3645 zone is located on the hanging wall of the main Maga Footwall zone. The drilling programme consisted of 16 RC holes (1,201 m) and 3 DD holes (435 m), over a strike length of 375 m. The gold mineralization is hosted within the same porphyritic granodiorite as the 3653 zone, on its structural hanging wall. The sequence is oriented N025 and is dipping about 70 degrees to the ESE.

Highlights from 3645 Zone (True width is about 95% of the drill intercept length. Unless otherwise specified, all intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBC4917: from 15 to 26 m: 11 m @ 1.03 gpt;

BBD1018: from 109.00 to 113.00 m (sulphide zone): 4.00 m @ 17.80 gpt, including 1.00 m @ 64.4 gpt from 111.00 to 112.00 m;

BBC4915: from 30 to 40 m: 10 m @ 1.04 gpt;

BBC4912: from 19 to 26 m: 7 m @ 1.49 gpt;

BBC4906: from 37 to 46 m: 9 m @ 1.14 gpt.

B. P11 Area

The 2018 drilling programme is a follow-up to the 2017 P11 RC drilling programme (see press release of November 27th, 2017). The 2018 programme was designed to complete the 25 m by 25 m definition drilling pattern in the oxide zone over a strike length of 1.2 km, and to step down into the top portion of the sulphide zone. The gold mineralization is hosted in a sequence of meta-sediments, biotite schist (meta-gabbro) and meta-granodiorite. This lithostratigraphic sequence defines a very tight synformal fold open to the north, with a west limb oriented N350 and an east limb oriented N360. The lithological contacts, the regional foliation and the mineralized envelopes are all dipping about 65 degrees to the ENE. The recent drilling programme consisted of 74 RC holes (4,015 m) and 12 DD holes (1,346 m).

Highlights from P11 (True width is about 95% of the drill intercept length. Unless otherwise specified, all intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBC4901: from 61 to 69 m: 8 m @ 1.94 gpt, including 1 m @ 5.4 gpt from 63 to 64 m;

BBC4897: from 43 to 49 m: 6 m @ 6.12 gpt, including 3 m @ 9.9 gpt from 44 to 47 m;

BBC4867: from 28 to 32 m: 4 m @ 3.64 gpt, including 1 m @ 10.0 gpt from 31 to 32 m;

BBC4862: from 8 to 15 m: 7 m @ 1.98 gpt, including 2 m @ 4.1 gpt from 10 to 12 m;

BBC4863: from 36 to 46 m: 10 m @ 1.61 gpt; BBC4848: from 37 to 43 m: 6 m @ 2.04 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.4 gpt from 38 to 39 m;

BBC4871: from 7 to 10 m: 3 m @ 3.52 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.2 gpt from 8 to 99 m;

BBC4861: from 3 to 7 m: 4 m @ 2.64 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.4 gpt from 6 to 7 m;

BBD1012: from 33.00 to 34.00 m: 1.00 m @ 48.85 gpt;

BBC4859: from 8 to 14 m: 6 m @ 3.86 gpt, including 2 m @ 7.7 gpt from 12 to 14 m;

BBC4858: from 14 to 19 m: 5 m @ 4.44 gpt;

BBC4845: from 4 to 11 m: 7 m @ 1.51 gpt;

BBC4848: from 37 to 43 m: 6 m @ 2.04 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.4 gpt from 38 to 39 m;

BBD1007: from 43.00 to 48.00 m: 5.00 m @ 2.17 gpt, and from 94.00 to 107.00 m (sulphide zone): 13.00 m @ 0.82 gpt;

BBC4835: from 1 to 14 m: 13 m @ 1.35 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.8 gpt from 5 to 6 m;

C. Siga East Area

The 2018 drilling programme is a follow-up to the 2017 Siga East RC drilling programme (see press release of September 12th, 2017). The 2018 programme was designed to complete the 25 m by 25 m definition drilling pattern in the oxide zone over a strike length of 800 m along the main Footwall Zone, and to advance the definition of various hanging wall mineralized zones. The gold mineralization is hosted in a sequence of meta-sediments, biotite schist (meta-gabbro) and meta-granodiorite. This lithostratigraphic sequence defines a large S-fold with long limbs oriented N350 and a short limb oriented N360. The recent drilling programme consisted of 71 RC holes (4,301 m).

Siga East Footwall Zone (Oxide targets)

The Siga East Footwall zone is located along the west limb of the S-fold. The lithological contacts, the regional foliation and the mineralized envelopes are all dipping about 55 degrees to the ENE.

Highlights from Siga East Footwall Zone (True width is about 100% of the drill intercept length. All intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBC4829: from 0 to 18 m: 18 m @ 0.98 gpt;

BBC4830: from 10 to 23 m: 13 m @ 1.17 gpt, including 1 m @ 6.2 gpt from 10 to 11 m;

BBC4831: from 52 to 55 m: 3 m @ 24.96 gpt, including 1 m @ 74.0 gpt from 54 to 55 m;

BBC4806: from 4 to 6 m: 2 m @ 7.59 gpt;

BBC4807: from 12 to 16 m: 4 m @ 14.36 gpt, including 1 m @ 54.7 gpt from 14 to 15 m;

BBC4803: from 55 to 58 m: 3 m @ 3.45 gpt, including 1 m @ 8.1 gpt from 55 to 56 m;

BBC4804: from 33 to 44 m: 11 m @ 1.02 gpt;

BBC4797: from 65 to 71 m: 6 m @ 3.83 gpt, including 1 m @ 20.5 gpt from 66 to 67 m;

BBC4798: from 27 to 33 m: 6 m @ 3.39 gpt, including 1 m @ 9.2 gpt from 28 to 29 m;

BBC4792: from 10 to 21 m: 11 m @ 0.92 gpt;

BBC4793: from 32 to 45 m: 13 m @ 1.43 gpt;

BBC4789: from 14 to 25 m: 11 m @ 0.95 gpt;

BBC4788: from 16 to 26 m: 10 m @ 1.47 gpt, including 1 m @ 5.1 gpt from 20 to 21 m; and from 55 to 70 m: 15 m @ 1.34 gpt;

BBC4770: from 34 to 36 m: 2 m @ 7.25 gpt;

BBC4764: from 11 to 12 m: 1 m @ 22.93 gpt;

BBC4762: from 15 to 25 m: 10 m @ 1.01 gpt;

Siga East Hanging Wall Zones (Oxide targets)

The Siga East Hanging Wall Zones are located along the short limb of the S-fold.

Highlights from Siga East Hanging Wall Zones (True width to be determined. All intercepts are from the oxidized and semi-oxidized units):

BBC4824: from 12 to 19 m: 7 m @ 1.52 gpt;

BBC4799: from 63 to 65 m: 2 m @ 10.64 gpt;

BBC4790: from 42 to 48 m: 6 m @ 2.41 gpt;

BBC4785: from 43 to 47 m: 4 m @ 3.65 gpt, including 1 m @ 12.2 gpt from 43 to 44 m;

BBC4777: from 0 to 14 m: 14 m @ 1.28 gpt;

BBC4778: from 14 to 43 m: 29 m @ 0.67 gpt;

BBC4779: from 0 to 20 m: 20 m @ 1.09 gpt;

Patrick Downey, President and CEO stated, The encouraging results from the 2017 drill program and this most recent Q2 2018 drilling program targeting higher-grade zones within the Bombore mining lease have further validated our belief that better-than-reserve grade mineralization exists within the reserve pit shells in specifically targeted areas. We are confident that once properly modelled within planned Resource updates that future mining of these zones could lead to significantly better gold grades in these areas than the grades currently predicted by the Companys mineral reserve model. Furthermore, these most recent drilling results show that these higher-grade zones may continue into the sulphide resources beneath the oxide pits and there is potential to add additional higher-grade sulphides similar to that at P17 (see press release of July 16th, 2018) which could add to the future production profile of Bombore.

Sampling, analytical and QAQC protocols

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade (LCOG) of 0.45 gpt, a minimal width of 2 m and up to a maximum of 2 m of dilution being included between samples above the LCOG. The true width of the mineralization is yet to be determined at Siga East Hanging Wall zones, and is approximately 90% of the drill length at Maga Footwall and 3653 zones, 95% of the drill length at Maga Hill, Maga 3645 and P11 zones, and 100% of the drill length at Siga East Footwall zone. The RC drilling samples were divided by Orezone employees using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 2-kg split was prepared by SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. at the Bombore sample preparation facility and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using RSDs. A 1-kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade in excess of 0.2 gpt were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. and then split by Orezone to 50 g using RSDs. A 50-g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for all of the drill intercepts reported. Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. A complete list of assay results from the current drilling programme can be found on the Companys website at the following link (Drill Results).

Qualified Person(s)

Tim Miller, SME and COO, Pascal Marquis, Geo and SVP and Patrick Downey, P.Eng and CEO of Orezone, are Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101 and have approved the information in this release. Readers should refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2018 available at www.sedar.com, for this detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein.

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone is a Canadian company with a successful gold discovery track record and mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 90% interest in Bombore, a fully permitted, undeveloped oxide gold deposit in West Africa, which is situated 85 km east of the capital city, adjacent to an international highway.

For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (613) 241-3699 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, potential, possible and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could, or should occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others; the drill results from the Maga Area (Footwall Zone, Maga Hill Zone, 3653 Zone, and 3645 Zone), P11 and Siga East (Siga East Footwall Zone and Siga East Hanging Wall Zones) will improve the definition of discrete higher-grade zones in the next mineral resource updates with a positive impact on the mineral inventory when compared to the current resource model; additional infill and step out definition drilling are warranted in the Maga Area; drill results from the 2017 and recent 2018 programs validate managements belief that better-than-average grade mineralization exists within the reserve pit shells in the targeted areas and future mining could lead to better gold grades than those currently predicted by the Companys mineral reserve model; and possible extension of these higher-grade zones into the sulphide resources which may add to the future production profile of Bombore.

All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
English Finnish

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
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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/78e18cc8-4357-4b79-8566-d1ff4b1c2e92

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: sstakiw@trevali.com

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.
Increased momentum in New Zealand postpaid net additions: Significant growth versus second quarter of 2017 driven by higher gross additions as well as reduced churn.

Significant growth versus second quarter of 2017 driven by higher gross additions as well as reduced churn. Solid growth in New Zealand Adjusted EBITDA: Increased 6% versus the same quarter last year and 17% sequentially.

Increased 6% versus the same quarter last year and 17% sequentially. Strong LTE adoption and data usage in Bolivia: Growth in data consumption was offset by promotional pricing in the market which led to an 8% reduction in service revenues.

Growth in data consumption was offset by promotional pricing in the market which led to an 8% reduction in service revenues. Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $8.1 million: Significant growth compared to the second quarter of 2017, primarily due to the benefits of the Q2 2017 debt refinancing.

Significant growth compared to the second quarter of 2017, primarily due to the benefits of the Q2 2017 debt refinancing. Consolidated LTE sites on air increased by 235 sites during the second quarter of 2018: Bolivia activated 204 LTE sites during the second quarter of 2018; 87% of its network is now LTE-enabled.

BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trilogy International Partners Inc. (TIP Inc.) (TSX: TRL), an international wireless and fixed broadband telecommunications operator, today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2018.

Our businesses turned in a solid quarter, with continued postpaid subscriber growth in both of our operating markets, said Brad Horwitz, President and CEO. We are encouraged by the progress we have made in reducing churn in New Zealand. We are also pleased to announce the completion of a refinance and upsize of our existing debt facility at 2degrees. This new facility demonstrates confidence in our business and provides further capacity to invest in our growth in New Zealand.

During the second quarter we improved consolidated postpaid churn, and we expanded our postpaid subscriber base on both a year-over-year and sequential basis in both New Zealand and Bolivia. We had over 11,000 consolidated postpaid net additions; nearly double last quarter. As a result, our postpaid subscriber base is 5% larger than it was at the end of Q2 2017.

Our consolidated subscribers data consumption continues to increase significantly. However, yields were impacted due to greater value for price in our operating markets, particularly in Bolivia.

Consolidated Financial Highlights

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions unless otherwise noted, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Total revenues 198.1 193.5 2 % 400.8 384.7 4 % Service revenues 147.6 151.4 (2 %) 296.5 303.6 (2 %) Net loss(1) (6.3 ) (10.8 ) 42 % (13.6 ) (22.1 ) 38 % Adjusted EBITDA(2) 37.5 39.5 (5 %) 70.3 80.1 (12 %) Adjusted EBITDA margin(2) 25.4 % 26.1 % (3 %) 23.7 % 26.4 % (10 %) Notes: (1 ) There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations in the periods presented. Thus, Loss from continuing operations presented in prior releases has been replaced with Net loss. (2 ) These are Non-GAAP measures and do not have standardized meanings under GAAP. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For definition and a reconciliation with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, see Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures; Basis of Presentation herein.



Certain amounts in prior year periods relating to the imputed discount on Equipment Installment Plan ("EIP") receivables have been reclassified from Other, net to Non-subscriber international long distance and other revenues on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive loss, to conform to the current years presentation. See About this earnings release below for further detail.

Conference Call Information

Call Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018

Call Time: 10:30 a.m. (PT)

US Toll Free: 1-844-826-3035

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

International Toll: 1-412-317-5144

Please ask the operator to be joined into the Trilogy International Partners (TRL) call.

Online info (audio only): http://www.trilogy-international.com/events-and-presentations

Live simulcast (listen only) available during the call. Participants should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

A replay of the conference call will be available at approximately 12:30 p.m. (PT) the day of the live call. Replay dial-in access is as follows:

US Toll Free: 1-877-344-7529

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9658

International Toll: 1-412-317-0088

Replay Access Code: 10121954

About Trilogy International Partners Inc. (TIP Inc.)

TIP Inc. is the parent of Trilogy International Partners LLC (Trilogy LLC), a wireless telecommunications operator formed by wireless industry veterans John Stanton, Theresa Gillespie and Brad Horwitz. Trilogy LLCs founders have an exceptional track record of successfully buying, building, launching and operating communications businesses in 15 international markets and the United States.

Trilogy LLC, together with its consolidated subsidiaries in New Zealand and Bolivia, is a provider of wireless voice and data communications services including local, international long distance and roaming services, for both subscribers and international visitors roaming on its networks. Trilogy LLC also provides fixed broadband communications services to residential and enterprise customers in New Zealand.

Trilogy LLC completed a transaction with Alignvest Acquisition Corporation (AQX) on February 7, 2017 (the Arrangement). For accounting purposes, the Arrangement was treated as a reverse acquisition and recapitalization. Trilogy LLC was considered the accounting acquirer and upon closing AQX was renamed Trilogy International Partners Inc. Accordingly, Trilogy LLCs historical financial statements as of and for the periods ended prior to the acquisition became the historical financial statements of TIP Inc. prior to the date of the transaction.

Unless otherwise stated, the financial information provided here is for TIP Inc. as of June 30, 2018.

TIP Inc.s head office is located at 155 108th Avenue NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, Washington, 98004 USA. Its common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker TRL and its warrants trade on the exchange under the ticker TRL.WT.

For more information, visit www.trilogy-international.com .

Business segments

TIP Inc.s reportable segments are New Zealand and Bolivia. Segment information is regularly reported to our Chief Executive Officer (the chief operating decision-maker). Segments and the nature of their businesses are as follows:

Segment Principal activities Bolivia Wireless telecommunications operations for Bolivian consumers and businesses. New Zealand Wireless telecommunications operations for New Zealand consumers and businesses; broadband network connectivity through fiber network assets to support a range of voice, data, and networking for New Zealand consumers, businesses, and governments.

About this earnings release

This earnings release contains information about our business and performance for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, as well as forward-looking information about the balance of fiscal year 2018. This discussion should be read together with supplementary information filed on the date hereof under TIP Inc.s profile on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov).

The financial information included in this earnings release was prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). In our discussion, we also use certain Non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our performance. See Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures; Basis of Presentation for more information.

Beginning with the second quarter of 2018, the amortization of imputed discount on EIP receivables has been reclassified from Other, net and is now included as a component of Non-subscriber international long distance and other revenues on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. This presentation provides a clearer representation of amounts earned from the Companys ongoing operations and aligns with industry practice, thereby enhancing comparability. We have applied this reclassification to all periods presented in this release. Amortization of imputed discount included within Non-subscriber international long distance and other revenues was $0.6 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $1.1 million and $1.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This change had no impact on net loss for any period presented.

All dollar amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. Amounts for subtotals, totals and percentage changes included in tables in this release may not sum or calculate using the numbers as they appear in the tables due to rounding. Differences between amounts set forth in the following tables and corresponding amounts in TIP Inc.s Annual Financial Statements and related notes are a result of rounding. Information is current as of August 8, 2018, and was approved by TIP Inc.s Board of Directors. This earnings release includes forward-looking statements and assumptions. See About Forward-Looking Information for more information.

Additional information relating to TIP Inc., including our financial statements, MD&A and other filings with Canadian securities commissions and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is available on TIP Inc.s website ( www.trilogy-international.com ) in the investor relations section and under TIP Inc.s profile on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) and EDGAR ( www.sec.gov ).

Consolidated Financial Results

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions unless otherwise noted, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Revenues New Zealand 136.5 126.5 8 % 278.5 251.1 11 % Bolivia 61.5 66.8 (8 %) 121.9 133.4 (9 %) Unallocated Corporate & Eliminations 0.1 0.1 (1 %) 0.4 0.2 65 % Total revenues 198.1 193.5 2 % 400.8 384.7 4 % Total service revenues 147.6 151.4 (2 %) 296.5 303.6 (2 %) Net loss(1) (6.3 ) (10.8 ) 42 % (13.6 ) (22.1 ) 38 % Adjusted EBITDA New Zealand 22.0 20.7 6 % 40.8 43.5 (6 %) Bolivia 18.3 21.7 (16 %) 35.2 42.4 (17 %) Unallocated Corporate & Eliminations (2.7 ) (2.9 ) 5 % (5.8 ) (5.8 ) (1 %) Adjusted EBITDA(2) 37.5 39.5 (5 %) 70.3 80.1 (12 %) Adjusted EBITDA margin(2) 25.4 % 26.1 % (3 %) 23.7 % 26.4 % (10 %) Cash provided by operating activities 5.2 (2.9 ) 279 % 12.2 1.7 601 % Capital expenditures(3) 20.8 17.9 16 % 38.2 30.8 24 % Capital Intensity 14 % 12 % 19 % 13 % 10 % 27 % Notes: (1 ) There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations in the periods presented. Thus, Loss from continuing operations presented in prior releases has been replaced with Net loss. (2 ) These are Non-GAAP measures and do not have standardized meanings under GAAP. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For definitions and a reconciliation with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, see Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures; Basis of Presentation herein. (3 ) Represents purchases of property and equipment excluding capital expenditures acquired through vendor-backed financing and capital lease arrangements.

Results of Our Business Segments

New Zealand

Financial Results

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions unless otherwise noted, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Revenues Wireless service revenues 67.4 67.7 (0 %) 137.5 137.7 (0 %) Wireline service revenues 15.9 14.2 11 % 31.1 27.7 12 % Non-subscriber ILD and other revenues 3.4 3.6 (5 %) 7.1 6.7 7 % Total service revenues 86.7 85.5 1 % 175.7 172.0 2 % Equipment sales 49.8 41.0 21 % 102.8 79.1 30 % Total revenues 136.5 126.5 8 % 278.5 251.1 11 % Adjusted EBITDA 22.0 20.7 6 % 40.8 43.5 (6 %) Adjusted EBITDA margin(1) 25.4 % 24.2 % 5 % 23.2 % 25.3 % (8 %) Capital expenditures(2) 12.8 10.7 20 % 25.9 21.0 24 % Capital Intensity 15 % 12 % 18 % 15 % 12 % 21 % Subscriber Results Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (Thousands unless otherwise noted) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Postpaid Gross additions 23.7 20.9 13 % 47.2 38.0 24 % Net additions 7.2 2.7 (3) 167 % 12.3 7.3 68 % Total postpaid subscribers 408.3 379.6 8 % 408.3 379.6 8 % Prepaid Net additions (losses) 0.9 (4) (32.5 ) 103 % (41.6 )(4) (27.3 ) (52 %) Total prepaid subscribers 983.5 1,039.4 (5 %) 983.5 1,039.4 (5 %) Total wireless subscribers 1,391.8 1,418.9 (2 %) 1,391.8 1,418.9 (2 %) Wireline Gross additions 7.7 7.2 6 % 14.6 15.1 (3 %) Net additions 2.9 3.7 (20 %) 6.1 8.6 (29 %) Total wireline subscribers 74.6 64.3 16 % 74.6 64.3 16 % Total Subscribers 1,466.4 1,483.2 (1 %) 1,466.4 1,483.2 (1 %) Monthly blended wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 16.20 15.74 3 % 16.30 16.06 1 % Monthly postpaid wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 35.65 36.06 (1 %) 35.94 36.75 (2 %) Monthly prepaid wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 7.90 (4) 7.73 2 % 7.85 (4) 7.94 (1 %) Blended wireless churn 2.3 %(4) 3.5 % (36 %) 3.0 %(4) 3.2 % (4 %) Postpaid Churn 1.6 % 1.8 %(3) (12 %) 1.7 % 1.5 % 13 % Notes: (1 ) Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Service revenues. (2 ) Represents purchases of property and equipment excluding capital expenditures acquired through vendor-backed financing and capital lease arrangements. (3 ) Includes postpaid deactivations of 3.0 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2017 due to the conversion to a new business support system. On an adjusted basis, net additions would have been 1.6 thousand and 5.7 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017, respectively. Similarly, postpaid churn would have been 1.43% and 1.56% for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017, respectively. (4 ) Includes approximately 12 thousand reconnections and 37 thousand deactivations of prepaid wireless subscribers in the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, relating to the 2G network shutdown that occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2018. On an adjusted basis, prepaid net additions would have been 11 thousand net losses and 5 thousand net losses, monthly prepaid wireless ARPU would have been $7.57 and $7.71 and blended wireless churn would have been 2.5% and 2.6% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively.

Revenues

Our total revenues in New Zealand increased $10.0 million, or 8%, for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017. This increase in total revenues was driven primarily by higher equipment sales as the sales mix shifted to higher priced handset devices. Service revenues increased by $1.2 million, or 1%, for the three months ended June 30, 2018, primarily as a result of the following:

Postpaid revenues increased by $2.4 million, or 6%, driven by an 8% increase in the postpaid subscriber base as a result of an increase in gross additions coupled with improvements in postpaid churn; and

Wireline service revenues increased by $1.6 million, or 11%, primarily due to a 16% growth in the wireline customer base.

The foregoing increases were partially offset by a decrease in prepaid revenues of $1.2 million, or 5%, primarily due to increased value in service offerings which impacted ARPU.

Adjusted EBITDA

Our Adjusted EBITDA in New Zealand increased 6% for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2017, primarily resulting from an increase in service revenues and the reduction in certain costs, including a $1.7 million decline in equipment subsidies, attributed to efforts to restore postpaid subscriber growth subsequent to our business support system conversion in 2017. In addition,

Cost of service decreased $1.9 million, or 6%, primarily due to a $2.1 million decrease in non-subscriber interconnection costs coupled with a $1.0 million decrease in national roaming expense, as a result of 2degrees investment in network coverage. These declines were partially offset by a $0.9 million increase in transmission expenses associated with the growth of the broadband business.

Adjusted EBITDA was also impacted by increases in general and administrative expenses, primarily due to a $1.0 million increase in bad debt expense and a $0.8 million increase in loss on sale of EIP receivables due to higher volumes sold in 2018.

Capital Expenditures

The $2.1 million, or 20%, increase in capital expenditures in the second quarter of 2018, compared to the second quarter of 2017, was the result of the timing of continued investment relating to network expansion and software development enhancements. Over 96% of our New Zealand network is now enabled with LTE technology.

Bolivia

Financial Results

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions unless otherwise noted, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Revenues Wireless service revenues 60.3 65.1 (7 %) 119.4 129.9 (8 %) Non-subscriber ILD and other revenues 0.5 0.7 (22 %) 1.1 1.5 (27 %) Total service revenues 60.8 65.7 (8 %) 120.4 131.4 (8 %) Equipment sales 0.7 1.1 (36 %) 1.5 2.0 (28 %) Total revenues 61.5 66.8 (8 %) 121.9 133.4 (9 %) Adjusted EBITDA 18.3 21.7 (16 %) 35.2 42.4 (17 %) Adjusted EBITDA margin(1) 30.0 % 33.0 % (9 %) 29.3 % 32.3 % (9 %) Capital expenditures(2) 7.9 7.2 10 % 12.2 9.7 25 % Capital Intensity 13 % 11 % 19 % 10 % 7 % 36 % Subscriber Results Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (Thousands unless otherwise noted) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Postpaid Gross additions 16.0 12.4 29 % 29.5 27.1 9 % Net additions (losses) 4.0 (4.1 ) 198 % 4.9 (3.7 ) 235 % Total postpaid subscribers 345.8 341.0 1 % 345.8 341.0 1 % Prepaid Net additions (losses) 18.4 (71.6 ) 126 % 73.1 (79.9 ) 191 % Total prepaid subscribers 1,871.8 1,729.0 8 % 1,871.8 1,729.0 8 % Total Wireless Subscribers(3) 2,277.8 2,133.3 7 % 2,277.8 2,133.3 7 % Monthly blended wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 8.87 9.99 (11 %) 8.89 9.95 (11 %) Monthly postpaid wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 23.28 24.25 (4 %) 22.55 23.58 (4 %) Monthly prepaid wireless ARPU ($, not rounded) 5.88 6.91 (15 %) 5.99 6.97 (14 %) Blended wireless churn 8.2 % 6.4 % 27 % 7.6 % 6.1 % 24 % Postpaid Churn 1.7 % 1.8 % (7 %) 1.8 % 1.8 % (1 %) Notes: (1 ) Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Service revenues. (2 ) Represents purchases of property and equipment excluding capital expenditures acquired through vendor-backed financing and capital lease arrangements. (3 ) Includes public telephony and other wireless subscribers of 60 thousand and 63 thousand as of June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Revenues

Our total revenues in Bolivia decreased $5.3 million, or 8%, for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, primarily as a result of the following:

Voice revenues declined $0.9 million, or 3%, due to the continued shift from voice to data usage; and

Data revenues declined $3.8 million, or 12%, primarily due to promotional pricing in the market. While demand for data continues to grow significantly, declines in revenue per megabyte more than offset the growth of data consumption as a result of promotional offers.

LTE adoption continues to be strong: 33.0 thousand LTE users were added during the quarter, an increase of 40% compared to the same period in 2017. LTE subscribers represented 22% of the customer base at June 30, 2018.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA in Bolivia decreased 16% in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017, primarily due to the decrease in revenues, partially offset by $2 million of lower operating expenses, largely due to the following:

Cost of service decreased by $0.8 million, or 4%, primarily due to reduced interconnection costs as voice traffic has declined; and

Sales and marketing decreased by $1.8 million, or 18%, due to a reduction in expenses related to changes to our customer loyalty program.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures increased $0.7 million, or 10%, in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017, primarily due to the timing of LTE investments in 2018. At June 30, 2018, 87% of our network in Bolivia was overlaid with LTE, compared to 60% of LTE enabled sites a year ago.

Review of Consolidated Performance

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions except per unit data, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (1) 37.5 39.5 (5 %) 70.3 80.1 (12 %) Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1) 25.4 % 26.1 % (3 %) 23.7 % 26.4 % (10 %) (Deduct) add: Finance costs(2) (11.5 ) (25.2 ) (55 %) (22.6 ) (44.2 ) (49 %) Change in fair value of warrant liability 2.8 3.5 (20 %) 5.1 3.5 46 % Depreciation, amortization and accretion (28.8 ) (26.5 ) 8 % (56.7 ) (53.8 ) 5 % Income tax expense (2.2 ) (1.8 ) 19 % (4.0 ) (4.6 ) (12 %) Other(3) (4.2 ) (0.2 ) n/m (5.7 ) (3.2 ) 79 % Net loss(4) (6.3 ) (10.8 ) 42 % (13.6 ) (22.1 ) 38 % n/m  not meaningful Notes: (1 ) These are Non-GAAP measures and do not have standardized meanings under GAAP. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. For definitions and a reconciliation with most directly comparable GAAP measures, see Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures; Basis of Presentation herein. (2 ) Finance costs includes Interest Expense and Debt Modification and Extinguishment Costs. For a description of these costs, see "Finance Costs" below. (3 ) Other includes the following: Equity-based compensation, (Gain) loss on disposal and abandonment of assets, Acquisition and other nonrecurring costs and Other, net. (4 ) There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations in the periods presented. Thus, Loss from continuing operations presented in prior releases has been replaced with Net loss.

Earnings per share

Three Months Ended June 30, Six months

ended June 30,

2018 Period February

7, 2017 through

June 30, 2017 (US dollars in millions except per unit data, unaudited) 2018 2017 Net loss attributable to Trilogy International Partners Inc. ($3.4 ) ($5.5 ) ($7.9 ) ($11.5 ) Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding: Basic 53,360,532 42,513,263 52,830,853 42,509,048 Diluted 82,004,171 81,703,117 81,941,029 81,681,579 Loss Per Share: Basic ($0.06 ) ($0.13 ) ($0.15 ) ($0.27 ) Diluted ($0.07 ) ($0.16 ) ($0.17 ) ($0.30 )

Finance costs

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Interest on borrowings, net of capitalized interest New Zealand 3.0 2.7 10 % 5.7 5.3 6 % Bolivia 0.2 0.2 26 % 0.5 0.4 40 % Corporate 8.2 15.6 (47 %) 16.4 31.8 (48 %) Total interest on borrowings 11.5 18.5 (38 %) 22.6 37.5 (40 %) Debt modification and extinguishment costs - 6.7 (100 %) - 6.7 (100 %) Total finance costs 11.5 25.2 (55 %) 22.6 44.2 (49 %)

Interest expense

Interest expense decreased $7.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, primarily due to the refinancing and repayment in May 2017 of the 13.375% Trilogy LLC senior secured notes due 2019 (the Trilogy 2019 Notes) in the aggregate principal amount of $450 million. In May 2017, Trilogy LLC issued its 8.875% senior secured notes due 2022 in the aggregate principal amount of $350 million and used the proceeds thereof, together with cash on hand, to repay the Trilogy 2019 Notes. This refinancing and repayment had the effect of reducing annualized interest costs at Trilogy LLC from approximately $60 million to approximately $31 million.

Change in fair value of warrant liability

As of February 7, 2017 in connection with the completion of the Arrangement, TIP Inc.s issued and outstanding warrants were classified as a liability, as the warrants are written options that are not indexed to Common Shares. The warrant liability is marked-to-market each reporting period with the changes in fair value recorded as a gain or loss in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The change in fair value of the warrant liability was due to changes in the trading price of the warrants. For the three months ended June 30, 2018, the non-cash gain decreased $0.7 million compared to the same period in 2017.

Depreciation, amortization and accretion

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg New Zealand 17.4 15.0 16 % 33.8 30.6 11 % Bolivia 11.3 11.5 (2 %) 22.6 23.1 (2 %) Corporate 0.2 0.1 191 % 0.3 0.1 276 % Total depreciation, amortization and accretion 28.8 26.5 8 % 56.7 53.8 5 %

Depreciation, amortization and accretion increased by $2.3 million, or 8%, for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, due to continued LTE network overlay and software development enhancement.

Income tax expense

Income tax expense increased by $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, due to individually insignificant changes in the period.

Managing our Liquidity and Financial Resources

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had approximately $32.4 million in cash and cash equivalents of which $1.9 million was held by 2degrees, $22.8 million was held by NuevaTel, and $7.7 million was held primarily at headquarters. The Company also had approximately $7.0 million in short-term investments at corporate headquarters and $2.6 million of available capacity under the line of credit facility in New Zealand as of June 30, 2018. Cash and cash equivalents decreased $14.7 million since December 31, 2017. For the three months ended June 30, 2018, cash outflows were primarily used for the investment in our network related to LTE overlay.

In July 2018, 2degrees completed a bank loan facility refinancing for NZD $250 million ($169.2 million based on the exchange rate at June 30, 2018). The new facility has a three year term and will pay off the existing NZD $200 million facility and provide borrowing capacity for further investments in our New Zealand business. The new facility also provides for an uncommitted NZD $35 million accordion facility which, after commitments are obtained, can be utilized in the future to fund capital expenditures.

Operating, investing and financing activities

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Net cash provided by (used in): Operating activities 5.2 (2.9 ) 279 % 12.2 1.7 601 % Investing activities (20.7 ) (47.6 ) 57 % (21.7 ) (59.6 ) 64 % Financing activities (7.2 ) (97.7 ) 93 % (5.1 ) 75.4 (107 %) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (22.7 ) (148.2 ) 85 % (14.6 ) 17.5 (183 %)

Operating activities

Cash flow provided by operating activities increased by $10.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. This change is mainly due to a decrease in cash paid on interest primarily due to the refinancing and repayment of the Trilogy LLC 2019 Notes in May 2017 along with other favorable changes in certain working capital accounts, including a decrease in cash used to settle accounts payable due to timing. These favorable changes were partially offset by an increase in EIP receivables driven by higher volume of EIP added in the first half of 2018 period.

Investing activities

Cash flow used in investing activities decreased by $38.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, primarily due to the maturities and sales of short-term investments in 2018 and a decrease in purchases of short-term investments. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in capital expenditures in New Zealand and Bolivia as network expansion and 4G LTE buildout was more significant during the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Financing activities

Cash flow used in financing activities increased by $80.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. This change is primarily due to the proceeds from the equity issuance that occurred on February 7, 2017, partially offset by the refinancing of the Trilogy LLC 2019 Notes and related costs incurred in May 2017.

Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures; Basis of Presentation

In managing our business and assessing our financial performance, we supplement the information provided by the financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP with several customer-focused performance metrics and non-GAAP financial measures which are utilized by our management to evaluate our performance. Although we believe these measures are widely used in the wireless industry, some may not be defined by us in precisely the same way as by other companies in the wireless industry, so there may not be reliable ways to compare us to other companies. Adjusted EBITDA represents Net loss (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) excluding amounts for: income tax expense; interest expense; depreciation, amortization and accretion; equity-based compensation (recorded as a component of General and administrative expense); (gain) loss on disposal and abandonment of assets; and all other non-operating income and expenses. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Service Revenues. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are common measures of operating performance in the telecommunications industry. We believe Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are helpful measures because they allow us to evaluate our performance by removing from our operating results items that do not relate to our core operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for Net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are not defined in the same manner by all companies and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies unless the definition is the same.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA Margin

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 % Chg 2018 2017 % Chg Net loss(1) (6.3 ) (10.8 ) 42 % (13.6 ) (22.1 ) 38 % Add: Interest expense 11.5 18.5 (38 %) 22.6 37.5 (40 %) Depreciation, amortization and accretion 28.8 26.5 8 % 56.7 53.8 5 % Debt modification and extinguishment costs - 6.7 (100 %) - 6.7 (100 %) Income tax expense 2.2 1.8 19 % 4.0 4.6 (12 %) Change in fair value of warrant liability (2.8 ) (3.5 ) (20 %) (5.1 ) (3.5 ) 46 % Other, net 0.5 (1.6 ) (131 %) (0.5 ) (0.3 ) 62 % Equity-based compensation 2.2 0.8 171 % 3.9 1.4 185 % (Gain) loss on disposal and abandonment of assets 0.1 0.1 (55 %) - 0.3 (100 %) Acquisition and other nonrecurring costs(2) 1.5 0.8 80 % 2.4 1.9 28 % Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA 37.5 39.5 (5 %) 70.3 80.1 (12 %) Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin 25.4 % 26.1 % (3 %) 23.7 % 26.4 % (10 %) Notes: (1 ) There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations in the periods presented. Thus, Loss from continuing operations presented in prior releases has been replaced with Net loss. (2 ) 2017 periods primarily include costs related to the Companys initial compliance and preparation expenses incurred in connection with the Arrangement and becoming a publicly traded entity. 2018 periods include costs related to the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard of approximately $0.8 million and $1.3 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, among other nonrecurring costs.

Other Information

Consolidated financial results  quarterly summary

TIP Inc.s operating results may vary from quarter to quarter because of changes in general economic conditions and seasonal fluctuations, among other things, in each of TIP Inc.s operations and business segments. Different products and subscribers have unique seasonal and behavioral features. Accordingly, one quarters results are not predictive of future performance.

Fluctuations in net income (loss) from quarter to quarter can result from events that are unique or that occur irregularly, such as losses or gains on the refinance of debt, foreign exchange gains or losses, changes in the fair value of derivative instruments, impairment of assets, and changes in income taxes.

The following table shows selected quarterly financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

(US dollars in millions unless otherwise noted, unaudited) 2018 2017 2016 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Service revenues 147.6 148.9 143.5 153.0 151.4 152.2 154.6 150.7 Equipment sales 50.5 53.8 58.9 38.8 42.1 39.0 58.8 41.2 Total revenues 198.1 202.7 202.5 191.8 193.5 191.2 213.4 191.9 Operating expenses (193.1 ) (200.4 ) (198.8 ) (184.1 ) (182.3 ) (179.5 ) (197.4 ) (179.8 ) Operating income 5.0 2.3 3.7 7.7 11.2 11.6 16.0 12.1 Interest expense (11.5 ) (11.1 ) (11.1 ) (11.2 ) (18.5 ) (19.0 ) (18.3 ) (18.4 ) Change in fair value of warrant liability 2.8 2.3 5.6 - 3.5 - - - Debt modification and extinguishment costs - - - - (6.7 ) - - - Other, net (0.5 ) 1.0 0.5 0.5 1.6 (1.2 ) 2.4 (2.4 ) (Loss) income before income taxes (4.1 ) (5.5 ) (1.3 ) (3.0 ) (8.9 ) (8.6 ) 0.1 (8.7 ) Income tax expense (2.2 ) (1.8 ) (1.0 ) (2.6 ) (1.8 ) (2.7 ) (0.1 ) (3.0 ) Net loss(1) (6.3 ) (7.3 ) (2.4 ) (5.6 ) (10.8 ) (11.3 ) - (11.8 ) Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and prior controlling interest 2.9 2.8 2.6 1.4 5.2 5.4 - 11.8 Net (loss) income attributable to TIP Inc. (3.4 ) (4.5 ) 0.3 (4.1 ) (5.5 ) (5.9 ) - - Net (loss) income attributable to TIP Inc. per share:(2) Basic (0.06 ) (0.09 ) 0.01 (0.10 ) (0.13 ) (0.14 ) Diluted (0.07 ) (0.09 ) (0.03 ) (0.10 ) (0.16 ) (0.14 ) Notes: (1 ) There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations in the periods presented. Thus, Loss from continuing operations presented in prior releases has been replaced with Net loss. (2 ) Earnings per share amounts have not been presented for any period prior to the consummation of the Arrangement, as the total net income (loss) of Trilogy LLC prior to February 7, 2017 was attributable to noncontrolling interests or prior controlling interest.

Supplementary Information

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenues Wireless service revenues 127.7 132.8 256.9 267.6 Wireline service revenues 15.9 14.2 31.1 27.7 Equipment sales 50.5 42.1 104.3 81.1 Non-subscriber international long distance and other revenues 4.0 4.4 8.5 8.3 Total revenues 198.1 193.5 400.8 384.7 Operating expenses Cost of service, exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately 50.8 53.5 105.6 108.0 Cost of equipment sales 55.0 47.9 113.0 91.2 Sales and marketing 24.6 25.8 52.1 50.0 General and administrative 33.9 28.3 66.1 58.6 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 28.8 26.5 56.7 53.8 Loss (gain) on disposal and abandonment of assets 0.1 0.1 (0.0 ) 0.3 Total operating expenses 193.1 182.3 393.5 361.8 Operating income 5.0 11.2 7.3 22.8 Other (expenses) income Interest expense (11.5 ) (18.5 ) (22.6 ) (37.5 ) Change in fair value of warrant liability 2.8 3.5 5.1 3.5 Debt modification and extinguishment costs - (6.7 ) - (6.7 ) Other, net (0.5 ) 1.6 0.5 0.3 Total other expenses, net (9.1 ) (20.1 ) (16.9 ) (40.4 ) Loss before income taxes (4.1 ) (8.9 ) (9.6 ) (17.5 ) Income tax expense (2.2 ) (1.8 ) (4.0 ) (4.6 ) Net loss (6.3 ) (10.8 ) (13.6 ) (22.1 ) Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest and prior controlling interest 2.9 5.2 5.7 10.6 Net loss attributable to Trilogy International Partners Inc. (3.4 ) (5.5 ) (7.9 ) (11.5 ) Comprehensive (loss) income Net loss (6.3 ) (10.8 ) (13.6 ) (22.1 ) Foreign currency translation adjustments (7.7 ) 5.6 (5.3 ) 7.3 Net (loss) gain on derivatives and short-term investments (0.0 ) - - 0.1 Other comprehensive (loss) income (7.7 ) 5.6 (5.3 ) 7.4 Comprehensive loss (14.0 ) (5.1 ) (18.9 ) (14.7 ) Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and prior controlling interest 6.9 1.8 8.6 3.6 Comprehensive loss attributable to Trilogy International Partners Inc. (7.1 ) (3.4 ) (10.4 ) (11.1 )

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

June 30, December 31, (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents 32.4 47.1 Short-term investments 7.0 24.2 Accounts receivable, net 66.7 75.0 Equipment Installment Plan ("EIP") receivables, net 18.1 17.2 Inventory 26.0 21.4 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 23.6 15.8 Total current assets 173.7 200.7 Property and equipment, net 393.9 415.6 License costs and other intangible assets, net 89.7 100.3 Goodwill 9.1 9.5 Long-term equipment installment plan receivables 17.9 14.8 Other assets 25.7 20.1 Total assets 709.9 761.0 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable 30.1 33.6 Construction accounts payable 24.6 26.3 Current portion of debt 6.9 10.7 Customer deposits and unearned revenue 17.6 20.8 Other current liabilities and accrued expenses 111.2 128.9 Total current liabilities 190.4 220.2 Long-term debt 495.3 496.5 Deferred income taxes 2.9 3.3 Other non-current liabilities 33.9 34.8 Total liabilities 722.4 754.8 Commitments and contingencies Total shareholders (deficit) equity (12.5 ) 6.2 Total liabilities and shareholders (deficit) equity 709.9 761.0

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Six Months Ended June 30 (US dollars in millions, unaudited) 2018 2017 Operating activities: Net loss (13.6 ) (22.1 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Provision for doubtful accounts 8.1 5.8 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 56.7 53.8 Equity-based compensation 3.9 1.4 (Gain) Loss on disposal and abandonment of assets (0.0 ) 0.3 Non-cash interest expense, net 1.8 2.0 Settlement of cash flow hedges (0.7 ) (0.9 ) Change in fair value of warrant liability (5.1 ) (3.5 ) Debt modification and extinguishment costs - 6.7 Non-cash loss from change in fair value on cash flow hedges 0.5 0.9 Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange transactions 0.2 (0.2 ) Deferred income taxes (0.4 ) 0.9 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (0.5 ) 1.6 EIP receivables (6.6 ) 5.6 Inventory (5.7 ) (3.6 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (8.2 ) (3.5 ) Other assets (4.8 ) (4.6 ) Accounts payable (3.2 ) (13.9 ) Other current liabilities and accrued expenses (7.3 ) (19.6 ) Customer deposits and unearned revenue (2.6 ) (5.3 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 12.2 1.7 Investing activities: Purchase of property and equipment (38.2 ) (30.8 ) Maturities and sales of short-term investments 24.2 - Purchase of short-term investments (7.0 ) (29.9 ) Other, net (0.7 ) 1.0 Net cash used in investing activities (21.7 ) (59.6 ) Financing activities: Payment of debt (97.0 ) (528.0 ) Proceeds from debt 96.5 418.4 Dividends to shareholders and noncontrolling interest (3.6 ) (0.5 ) Debt issuance, modification and extinguishment costs (1.1 ) (9.2 ) Proceeds from equity issuance, net of issuance costs - 199.3 Payment of financed license obligations - (4.4 ) Purchase of shares from noncontrolling interest - (1.7 ) Capital contributions from equity holders - 1.4 Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (5.1 ) 75.4 Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (14.6 ) 17.5 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 47.1 21.2 Effect of exchange rate changes (0.1 ) 0.5 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 32.4 39.2

About Forward-Looking Information

Forward-looking information and statements

This presentation contains 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 forwardlooking statements may relate to our future outlook and anticipated events or results and may include information regarding our financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, budgets, operations, financial results, taxes, dividend policy, plans and objectives. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as estimates, plans, targets, expects or does not expect, an opportunity exists, outlook, prospects, strategy, intends, believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, will, will be taken, occur or be achieved. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, estimates, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information and statements.

Forward-looking information and statements are provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding managements current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information and statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this presentation are based on our opinions, estimates and assumptions in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we currently believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. These opinions, estimates and assumptions include but are not limited to: general economic and industry growth rates; currency exchange rates and interest rates; product pricing levels and competitive intensity; income tax; subscriber growth; pricing, usage, and churn rates; changes in government regulation; technology deployment; availability of devices; timing of new product launches; content and equipment costs; vendor and supplier performance; the integration of acquisitions; industry structure and stability; and data based on good faith estimates that are derived from managements knowledge of the industry and other independent sources. Despite a careful process to prepare and review the forward-looking information and statements, there can be no assurance that the underlying opinions, estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which may be unknown, relating to TIP Inc.s business could cause actual events and results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking information and statements. Among such risks and uncertainties, are those that relate to Trilogy LLCs and TIP Inc.s history of losses; TIP Inc.s and Trilogy LLCs status as holding companies; TIP Inc.s significant level of indebtedness and the refinancing, default and other risks, as well as limits, restrictive covenants and restrictions resulting therefrom; TIP Inc.s or Trilogy LLCs ability to incur additional debt despite their indebtedness levels; TIP Inc.s or Trilogy LLCs ability to refinance their indebtedness; the risk that TIP Inc.s or Trilogy LLCs credit ratings could be downgraded; TIP Inc. having insufficient financial resources to achieve its objectives; risks associated with any potential acquisition, investment or merger; the significant political, social, economic and legal risks of operating in Bolivia; TIP Inc.s operations being in markets with substantial tax risks and inadequate protection of shareholder rights; the need for spectrum access; the regulated nature of the industry in which TIP Inc. participates; the use of conflict minerals and the effect thereof on availability of certain products, including handsets; anti-corruption compliance; intense competition; lack of control over network termination, roaming and international long distance revenues; rapid technological change and associated costs; reliance on equipment suppliers; subscriber churn risks, including those associated with prepaid accounts; the need to maintain distributor relationships; TIP Inc.s future growth being dependent on innovation and development of new products; security threats and other material disruptions to TIP Inc.s wireless networks; the ability of TIP Inc. to protect subscriber information and cybersecurity risks generally; health risks associated with handsets; litigation, including class actions and regulatory matters; fraud, including device financing, customer credit card, subscription and dealer fraud; reliance on limited management resources; risks associated with the minority shareholders of TIP Inc.s subsidiaries; general economic risks; natural disasters including earthquakes; foreign exchange and interest rate changes; currency controls; interest rate risk; TIP Inc.s ability to utilize carried forward tax losses; risks that TIP Inc. may not pay dividends; tax related risks; TIP Inc.s dependence on Trilogy LLC to pay taxes and other expenses; Trilogy LLC may be required to make distributions to TIP Inc. and the other owners of Trilogy LLC; differing interests among TIP Incs. and Trilogy LLCs equity owners in certain circumstances; an increase in costs and demands on management resources when TIP Inc. ceases to qualify as an emerging growth company under the U.S. Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012; additional expenses if TIP Inc. loses its foreign private issuer status under U.S. federal securities laws; volatility of TIP Inc.s common shares price; dilution of TIP Inc.s common shares; market coverage; TIP Inc.s internal controls over financial reporting; new laws and regulations; and risks as a publicly traded company, including, but not limited to, compliance and costs associated with the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (to the extent applicable).

Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information and statements in this presentation, there may be other risk factors not presently known to us or that we presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information in this presentation. Please see our continuous disclosure filings available under TIP Inc.s profile at www.sedar.com and 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 presentation represent our expectations as of the date of this presentation or the date indicated, regardless of the time of delivery of the presentation. 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.

Investor Relations Contacts

Ann Saxton

425-458-5900

Ann.Saxton@trilogy-international.com

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development

Erik Mickels

425-458-5900

Erik.Mickels@trilogy-international.com

Chief Financial Officer

Media Contact
piyali1979g wrote:

When Abel Ben and Carla started together, they finished half of the job in 2 days. So the part left is 1/2. This should be done by Ben and Carla only; and they should take 10/3 days to complete the remaining half portion, but Ben left 3 days prior to completion, that means Ben and Carla worked for only 1/3 days. In this 1/3 days Ben and Carla together finished 1/20 part, so the remaining 19/20 part of the work has to be done by the Carla alone. Carla should take 14 and 1/4 days. Hence the total duration of the work = 2+1/3+14 and 1/4 days.



Every answer so far shown here assumed that Carla should finish the job in 3 days after Ben left, but when Abel left, Ben and Carla started together, the time taken to complete the remaining job will be changed, so "T" is not fixed here. Every time "T" changes when some one leaves the job, so the answer 7 days is quite confusing.



Can any body explain with proper logic about the concept of "T" ?

Work sequence

Who worked-------Time(in no of days)=How many days?---------------Rate-------------------------Work done

Regards,



PKN



Rise above the storm, you will find the sunshine Signature Read More
Bongo actress Wema Sepetu has opened up about her well-known difficulties with conceiving.

The former beauty queen said she suffers from a disease that is preventing her from getting pregnant.

Let me be open today so that people can know this, I am suffering from a disease which causes my eggs (ovaries) to rapture and thus cannot be fertilized, said Wema, who couldnt recall the name of the disease.

According to Wema, she decided to speak up because the diseases was the reason she travelled to India for specialized treatment, refuting claims that she went to have her butt fixed.

Tanzanian fertility doctor Godfrey Chale confirmed that Wema is suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD). PCOD is a hormonal disorder whose symptoms are enlarged ovaries containing multiple small cysts that prevent the ovaries from fertilizing.

Wema was diagnosed with the condition by Indias specialized doctors and required an urgent operation to remove the cysts that would have resulted in Uterine cancer had she taken longer to seek treatment.

Wema further disclosed that she is currently on medication and expects to be fully recovered by next year when she will try to get pregnant again.
Political Analyst: "Although citizens of this state normally oppose [ #permalink

3 Kudos
Harley1980 wrote:

Power Plant Spokesperson: "The water quality of the Phage River as it passes through Praseopolis is below federal standards. The citizens of Praseopolis often blame the poor water quality on our coal-burning power plant, which is upstream from Praseopolis. But Vulcan Refinery, along a tributary of the Phage River even further upstream, releases several toxins into the water. Moreover, over 99% of the toxic materials measured in the Phage River in the vicinity of Praseopolis are consistent with metal refining, but not with the by-products of coal combustion."



In the power plant spokesperson's argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?



A) It is the main conclusion of the argument.

B) It introduces a judgment that the argument opposes.

C) It provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument.

D) It is a finding the argument seeks to explain.

E) It is an explanation that the argument concludes is correct.

Harley1980

solitaryreaper

Don't blame us for the problem! It's their fault!

(B)

(D)

explaining

refuting

not

People think that my Power Plant is responsible for the pollution of the Phage River, but we're not the culprits. It's really Vulcan Refinery who is responsible

can't

over 99% of the toxic materials measured in the Phage River in the vicinity of Praseopolis are consistent with metal refining, but not with the by-products of coal combustion

Vulcan Refinery is guilty



Magoosh Test Prep





Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Signature Read More

DearI'm happy to respond.I am also the author of this particular question.Notice the speaker. The speaker is a spokesperson for the Power Plant. This is a subtle clue about the tone of the argument. We can't draw a hard and fast conclusion just from the identity of the speaker, but this is the sort of detail that "nudges" us in the right direction. Obviously, the spokesperson for any company has that company's interest in mind, and is going to use his rhetorical skills to make his own company look "better," in some way, than other companies.The Phage River has poor water quality. Everyone agrees on this unambiguous fact.The BF statement tells us that citizen blame the Power Plant.The rest of what the spokesperson say after this BF statement is designed lay responsibility for the problem elsewhere --- specifically, with Vulcan Refinery. VR releases toxins into the water, and 99% of the toxins measured at Praseopolis come from metal refining (i.e. what VR is doing), not from coal combustion (what the Power Plant is doing).The conclusion is implicit. You have to infer the conclusion, asastutely pointed out. Essentially, the spokesperson was saying, "" Thus, the spokesperson completely disagrees with the idea expressed in the BF statement. The spokesperson is in fact 100% opposed to what the citizens think. In his view, the citizens mistakenly blame the Power Plant for a problem that Vulcan Refinery actually causes.Choiceis correct. The argument of the spokesperson 100% opposes the BF statement.Choiceis not correct. Why do the citizens of Praseopolis think the Power Plant is responsible for the poor water quality? We don't know: we could only speculate. The spokesperson is not interested in why the citizens have laid the blame for the problem with the Power Plant. He is only interested in changing their minds, so that the blame is laid with Vulcan Refinery. The spokesperson is not interest inthe BF statement: he is interested only init!I will also point out: in GMAT CR arguments, it is very helpful to have a real-world perspective. You see, in the real world, the spokesperson couldcome out and explicitly say, "." Something like this is certainly the spokesperson's conclusion, the conclusion he wants to impart to the listener, but hesay it explicitly, because if he did, Vulcan Refinery might slap a lawsuit on the Power Plant! Even if this conclusion is 100% factually true, it would be far to risky to come out and say it explicitly. That's precisely why the spokesperson's conclusion is not explicitly stated. Notice that the spokesperson in this prompt is very careful to stick to empirically verifiable factual statements, such as: "." That's a scientific measurement, totally factual. No one can sue you for saying that. But if he said a judgment such as "!", then the Power Plant could be sued for that. Does this distinction make sense? This is very important.Real world spokespeople for company have to make public statements all the time, so they are scrupulously careful about saying along the types of things that would not incur any lawsuits. Agreed-upon facts and scientific measurement are very safe to say, but accusation and judgments are extremely risky to say.For more on the important of real-world knowledge in GMAT CR problems, see:Does all this make sense?Mike_________________
Russia and the Philippines have discussed modernization of the Philippine Navy (PN) in the field of training, maintenance and acquisition, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Russia and the Philippines have discussed modernization of the Philippine Navy (PN) in the field of training, maintenance and acquisition, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).

A Project 636.3 submarine of the Russian Black Sea Fleet transiting in the Dutch EEZ. Royal Netherlands Navy picture.



"The Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral mentioned support to the PN in the course of his meeting with the service's Flag-Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad on July 29 in Saint Petersburg during the celebration of the Russian Navy Day. The draft memorandum of understanding for enhancing of security cooperation was discussed also," PNA quoted the official spokesperson for the PN Commander Jonathan Zata as saying.

Zata added Russia and the Philippines had also discussed cooperation in terms of potential acquisition of submarines by Manila during the abovementioned meeting. "Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy demonstrated his willingness to support the upgrade program of the PN ... namely, the submarine acquisition project," the spokesperson said.

Manila is considering the procurement of the Russian-made Project 636 Varshavyanka (NATO reporting name: Improved Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarines.

 Copyright 2018 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our staff is like our family. They might not be related to us by blood, but we respect and care about them like we would our own. Most of our staff members are actually related to one another, so it is like two families working together as one.

We hate to see a good employee go, but we have one who we are excited to send away. This weekend C.J. Martin will be moving away from home to attend college. He has been working for us since he turned 15, and he was even helping out around the farm for a couple of years before that. I can remember when he would be here, following his mom around whether she was feeding calves or milking cows. And when he wasnt with her, he would be shadowing one of us, helping and learning as much as possible.

C.J. has done an excellent job for us. He has definitely learned a lot while working here, from how to do something around the farm to good ol tough life lessons. Through it all, we watched him become a man. A man with a good work ethic, good faith, and motivation to work toward his life goals.

Before graduating high school, C.J. became president of his schools FFA chapter. He went on to compete for the dairy proficiency award at the state level. He won first place in the state and is now competing for the award on a national level. Just recently, we found out that he is one of the top four finalists for this award.

C.J. will be leaving us and heading to Tifton, Ga., where he will be attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). This was where my father went to school and then where I went  so needless to say we are extremely happy with his choice for college. His goal is to get a degree in agricultural education and one day become an agriculture teacher.

C.J. has been around us for so long, its going to be hard seeing him off. He is like a little brother to me. But Im proud to say that he worked for us, and I am proud of the person who he has become. Getting to watch someone start off here so young and watch them grow up on the farm is a blessing. We have watched him, his cousins, and will probably watch his younger brother and sisters do the same.

My last blog focused on Who in their right mind would pick a career like this? Well, getting to see the little ones grow up around the farm  that is what it is all about.

Mark and Caitlin Rodgers are dairy farmers in Dearing, Georgia. Their Father and Daughter Dairy Together column appears every other Thursday on HD Notebook. The Rodgers have a 400-cow dairy that averages 32,000 pounds of milk. Follow their family farm on Facebook at Hillcrest Farms Inc.





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.
Did actor Salinko from Ghana die in a German hospital after a translation mistake led to him being euthanised? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a satire website related to a network of fake news websites. It is not real.

The story originated from an article published on July 10, 2018 by [email protected] titled "Ghanaian Actor dies after publicity stunt went wrong - [email protected]" (archived here) which opened:

Ghanaian comic actor Salinko who staged a publicity stunt in Germany has died due to language barrier. The German doctor who speaks only German did not understand the actor's request and mistook 'Stunt' as a vaccine that kills men. According to the doctor, he told the actor was in for an assisted suicide and went ahead to administer the vaccine after the word STUNT sounded like ASSISTED SUICIDE in German language.

The social media description of the story was even more absurd:

Ghanaian Actor dies after publicity stunt went wrong - [email protected] He confirmed the news

In German, "assisted suicide" is translated as "Sterbehilfe", while "stunt" is "Kunststuck". Not words that sound like they are easily confused. And the correct medical term for "vaccine that kills men" is "poison".

The site [email protected] shares an Adsense account with jetsanza.com and a Google Analytics account with breaking-cnn.com, two sites that have been linked to or were part of a large network of Ghana-based fake news websites.

The site comes with a satire warning in the footer that was itself copied from a famous hoax website:

satire ~sati()r

noun

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, OR ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

If you disagree with the definition of satire or have decided it is synonymous with "comedy," you should really just move along.

We wrote about news7pm.com before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site:
The construction of a new aircraft carrier in Russia will take at least 10 years. This class of ship is unlikely to appear before 2030-2035, Valery Polovinkin, scientific director of the Krylov State Scientific Research Center, said.

The construction of a new aircraft carrier in Russia will take at least 10 years. This class of ship is unlikely to appear before 2030-2035, Valery Polovinkin, scientific director of the Krylov State Scientific Research Center, said.

Russian Navy Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Picture via Reddit



"The manufacturing capability of Russian plants make it possible to meet any assigned target. But I believe that its construction, if conditions are favorable, will take 10 years at least," the scientist said.

He believes that it is "impermissible" for the Russian Navy to have a small aircraft carrier because then it will be able to carry out only private missions and it will not have reconnaissance planes, aerial picket aircraft, target designation aircraft or assault aviation.

"At the same time, I do not agree that Russian aircraft carriers should necessarily have the same displacement as U.S. ships - 100, 000 tons and more. A gas turbine version of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy has displacement of about 60,000 tons and has all the necessary aircraft in its arsenal," Polovinkin went on to say.

According to him, advanced Russian aircraft carriers will be able to compensate for their relatively small displacement by introducing radical changes to their hull.

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has warned that the construction of advanced surface ships for offshore maritime zones could be postponed until 2035 due to underfunding if the Russian economy develops according to a pessimistic scenario.

 Copyright 2018 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
The constitution of the Islamic Republic technically includes provisions for a public referendum to resolve serious economic, social, political, and cultural issues, especially those that remain unresolved by familiar political processes. But as IranWire explains, there are significant restrictions on the application of those rules, including the need for approval by two thirds of the Iranian parliament and the designation of the hardline Guardian Council as the body with the power to oversee such referendums. Add to this the fact that Rouhanis supposed calls for referendum are opposed by the overwhelming majority of his fellow officials, and it is easy to conclude that those calls are not entirely serious.

As the IranWire article says in its conclusion, Rouhani has little chance of pushing the idea through even if he is dedicated to it. But in fact, he has never pursued the issue in practical terms despite having floated the idea publicly on multiple occasions. This leads to the conclusion that the appeal for a referendum is, like so many of his other tactics, just for show.

In other words, the article accuses the president of paying lip-service to popular sovereignty and the will of the Iranian electorate in order to give the impression of sensitivity to their demands at a time of particular domestic upheaval. During the past several months Iran has been rocked by numerous protests over a range of issues including water scarcity, endemic corruption, and a longstanding economic crisis. And in many cases, these grievances have fed into much more general expressions of contempt for the clerical regime, expressed through slogans like death to the dictator, which strongly imply a goal of regime change.

The economic protests may be accelerating in the wake of the re-imposition of formerly suspended US sanctions on Tuesday. And according to another IW article, the broader anti-government protests may be receiving fuel from the global Iranian expatriate community, via social media. That article underscores the fact that the nationwide uprising in December and January, as well as the various scattered protests that occurred between January and July, were recognizably homegrown. But it acknowledges that there were foreign-based calls for protest in July, preceding the latest phase or protests, which began in Isfahan on July 31 and have continued ever since, spreading to upwards of a dozen cities.

The takeaway from this, for IranWire, is that there is reason to believe that [foreign-based activists] influence could grow in the future. But another likely consequence of this story is the growth of efforts by the Iranian regime to attack those activists and the groups they represent, and to cut off the domestic populations access to their media and other communications.

In June, the Iranian regimes commitment to attacking foreign-based activists was revealed when European authorities disrupted a plot to blow up the annual rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran near Paris. The NCRI is a coalition of pro-democracy opposition groups led by the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, which Iranian officials credited with playing a leading role in the domestic planning and organization of the December-to-January uprising.

The Paris plot involved the provision of 500 grams of TATP explosive to two Iranian-Belgian operatives by a high-ranking Iranian diplomat stationed in Vienna.

In response to the unraveling of that plot, the NCRI and its political allies have been urging Western governments to take a more serious approach to monitoring Iran-backed terrorism and disrupting the networks that enable it. This call was echoed from inside Iran by the prominent political prisoner Arash Sadeghi, albeit in response to a different incident.

As the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported, Sadeghi recently wrote an open letter in response to the assassination of Eqbal Moradi a political activist in Iraqi Kurdistan. In it, he highlighted a number of incidents in the Islamic Republics long history of assassination and terrorist attacks targeting political dissidents beyond its borders. He went on to say that despite a period of relative silence, this trend appears to be accelerating again, and that the current Iranian regime will not only increase its human rights violations inside the country, it will also work on eliminating its opponents abroad with more ease, unless the international community takes pains to stop it.

In the months since Irans nationwide uprising, Western countries have been largely silent about the situation, although the White House has floated some ideas for supporting or safeguarding the protesters, including foreign protection for their access to the internet as informational and organizational tools. The obstruction of these resources is frequently among the first measures the Islamic Republic undertakes in response to an outpouring of domestic activism, and this has certainly been the case with regard to the last weeks protests.

The regimes paranoia regarding social media is sure to be intensified by the apparent fact that expatriate groups are collaborating with the demonstrators. Regime authorities may have hinted at the practical impact of their increased anxiety when, according to HRANA, they ordered the transfer of Alireza Tavakoli, an activist on the popular but now-banned social media platform Telegram, from the regular prison population to a separate ward controlled entirely by the repressive Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

Meanwhile, the Center for Human Rights in Iran points to the possibility that Tehran is experimenting with new ways of obstructing Iranians access to the resources used by Tavakoli and so many others. According to that report, the state-controlled Telecommunications Company of Iran briefly rerouted Telegram traffic to its own website, thereby making the instant messaging app inaccessible even with circumvention tools but also causing problems for users beyond Irans borders and potentially opening the door to closer scrutiny by the US or other nations with a potential interest in expanding the Iranian peoples access to information.
Sanctions on various Iranian imports and exports went back into effect at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, and sanctions on the countrys banking and oil sectors are set to return on November 4. The White House maintains that these pressures might be alleviated if the Iranian leadership sits down for negotiations that lead to a more comprehensive agreement regarding nuclear weapons, terrorism, and Irans intrusive role in the broader Middle East. But some commentators have described the administrations strategy as a de facto regime change policy, even as US officials steadfastly avoid using that phrase.

This interpretation of the administrations trademark assertiveness is arguably justified by the fact that Boltons recent denials are at odds with the positions that he has taken regarding Iran in the past. The current National Security Advisor has previously attended several major gatherings organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, where he has repeated the assertion that the declared policy of the United States should be regime change in Iran. It was not clear from those remarks what means Bolton envisioned for the pursuit of that goal, but the NCRI has long maintained that regime change can be achieved through protests by the Iranian people alone, and that foreign intervention should be neither sought nor accepted.

On one hand, it is possible that Bolton has changed his position or that he is dutifully advancing the official position of the White House even though it does not reflect his ideal policy preferences. Either of these conclusions could be supported by the fact that Bolton recently said, according to Reuters, If the ayatollahs want to get out from under the squeeze, they should come and sit down. This apparent invitation is reminiscent of President Trumps recent statements indicating that he would meet with his Iranian counterpart without precondition to discuss a new agreement. Both remarks suggest that the administration believes it can reach an acceptable agreement with the existing government, and thus does not need to promote an alternative.

On the other hand, Trumps statement to this effect was quickly undercut by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who outlined definite preconditions that the existing government would have to agree to before meeting with White House officials. Furthermore, Bolton was seemingly at odds with his own words when, according to The Hill, he dismissed Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis declared willingness to engage in dialogue with the US, saying that his return of Trumps outreach might be just more propaganda.

Along the same lines, the Washington Post quoted Bolton as saying that although the latest sanctions pressures are only intended to change the behavior of the current Iranian leaders, so far, theyve shown no indication theyre prepared to do that. This arguably implies that Bolton, and perhaps the Trump administration in general, is superficially open to the concept of negotiations with the Iranian regime, but does not seriously expect those negotiations to have a significantly positive outcome.

In other words, it may be that the administration intends to use economic pressure to bide its time until the Iranian nation experiences a change of government that is independent of any intervention by the US or other foreign powers.

This ambition would give greater context to Boltons remark, highlighted by the Associated Press on Tuesday, that Irans existing leadership is on very shaky ground. The comment was made in reference to the large-scale protests that have spanned the entire Iranian nation over the past several months, some focused on an escalating economic crisis and some giving voice to explicit calls for regime change and death to the dictator.

Other Trump administration officials, including the president himself, have called attention to these protests repeatedly since the outbreak of a nationwide uprising in December, which lasted through much of January before being partially suppressed by Iranian security forces. The protests were given new life in March when Maryam Rajavi, the head of the NCRI coalition and its leading constituent group the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, issued a statement urging a year full of uprisings leading to final victory over the clerical regime.

Trump and other US officials have expressed clear support for the resulting protests and for the Iranian peoples overall struggle against their theocratic overseers. Such statements fall just short of endorsement for the established Iranian Resistance, and they help to fuel speculation that the White House is maintaining an unspoken policy of promoting regime change at the hands of the Iranian people. If that speculation is accurate, it would be in keeping with the administrations maximal pressure on the regime, and it would lead to the conclusion that the Trump team intends to maintain that pressure until the Iranian people rise up en masse, and not simply until the mullahs submit to a deal.

While such a conclusion cannot be proven based on current information, the Trump administrations deep antipathy toward the Iranian regime is well-known, and now that sanctions are coming back into effect, the White House has shown little willingness to ease any pressures on that regime. The Hill quoted the president as proudly describing the current sanctions on Iran as the most biting ever imposed. At the same time, he and his foreign policy principals have been pushing for the broadest possible cooperation with the sanctions, warning European firms of severe consequences for continuing to do business with Iran and refusing to publicly consider waivers for at-risk countries until last month.

On Monday, just before the suspended sanctions came back into effect, Trump said, 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.

Nonetheless, he has continued to face pushback from the European Union, which initiated sanctions blocking measures at the same time that the US re-imposed its sanctions. As The Hill reported, an aide to Federica Mogherini, the EUs head of foreign affairs, said on Monday, If EU companies abide by U.S. secondary sanctions they will, in turn, be sanctioned by the EU. Nevertheless, many European firms have already ceased their Iranian operations, and it is generally expected that all large companies with business interests in both the US and Iran will do the same.

As responses to US pressure vary between European political and business leaders, so do they vary among other foreign partners of the US and Iran. On one hand, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had said he does not agree with the Iran sanctions but will abide by them anyway, in the interest of avoiding harm to the Iraqi economy. But on the other hand, Voice of America News described the government of Turkey as being on a collision course with Washington over the issue. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Ankara is only bound by international agreements and will not comply with the US. But it remains to be seen how much weight such warnings carry, considering that Turkey had previously helped Iran to evade sanctions, leading to legal consequences and the obstruction of former pathways to this circumvention.

The Trump administrations ability to overcome foreign defiance may depend in large part on the depth of its commitments in this area, which may in turn reflect its unspoken desire for regime change. In the same tweet in which Trump described the current sanctions as the most biting, he declared that his goal in isolating Iran is to achieve world peace, nothing less. It is difficult to imagine that Trump, who has described the Islamic Republic as a murderous regime that has funded its long reign of chaos and terror by plundering the wealth of its own people, sees the preservation of such a regime as being compatible with that goal.
Trump wrote: 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!

This tweet appeared to be a response to a joint statement released by all 28 EU member states, including the UK, France, and Germany, who remain parties to the nuclear deal, in which the EU expressed deep regret at US sanctions.

The statement explained that the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions was essential to the deal, otherwise known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is why the EU would block US sanctions.

It read: [The deal] aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people. We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran, in accordance with EU law and with UN security council resolution 2231. This is why the European Unions updated blocking statute enters into force on 7 August to protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran from the impact of US extra-territorial sanctions.

The EU has told its firms not to comply with US sanctions and stop doing business with Iran, unless they are granted authorisation by the European Commission. If they fail to get this permission, European companies could be at risk of being sued by EU member states.

The EU has also put in place a mechanism to allow EU firms affected by US sanctions to sue the US administration within the courts of EU member states.

One senior Trump administration official said that the sanctions on Iran were completely consistent with the pressure that the US has put on other rogue regimes.

The EU should not be fighting with the US on this issue, when it is well-known that Iran uses the money earned from business deals with the EU to finance terrorism abroad. This should be especially concerning, considering that Iran plotted a terror attack in France in June, using one of its ambassadors in Vienna to plot the bombing, which was thankfully thwarted.

If the EU really wants to stand with the Iranian people, they should increase sanctions against the Regime and support their legitimate protests against the mullahs.
Your voting habits may depend on when you registered to vote

A UF political science professor and a UF graduate assistant of political science examine research that indicates factors such as timing and major tragic events can influence who votes in contrast with who merely registers to vote.

Tour by activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to get young people registered. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

When eligible citizens register to vote, it doesnt necessarily mean that they will turn out.

Voting in the U.S. is a two-step process. Citizens in every state except North Dakota must first register before casting a ballot.

As we discuss in our recently published article in Electoral Studies, the timing of when a voter registers to vote affects whether they vote in the upcoming election. It also relates to whether they become a repeat voter, or what political scientists refer to as a habitual voter.

Our findings could have an impact on turnout this November and future elections.

Making registration easier

In Canada, Germany and many other countries, voter registration is automatic. Not so in the U.S.

But there have been efforts over the last 25 years to make voter registration easier in the U.S.

Since 1993, with the passage of the National Voter Registration Act, all U.S. citizens can register to vote when they apply for a drivers license or services at other governmental agencies. Citizens in 37 states are also able to register to vote online, making the process even more convenient.

More recently, a dozen states have enacted legislation changing voter registration at DMV offices from opt-in to opt-out. When applying for or renewing their drivers license, you are automatically registered to vote unless you choose not to. Initial research on this approach from Oregon suggests that people who are automatically registered, compared to those already registered, were much younger and geographically reside in areas with a racially diverse population, lower income and lower education levels.

Of course, eligible citizens fall through the gaps. Thats where voter registration groups come in, fanning across the country, pen and paper (or smartphones) in hand, to register new voters.

As a final measure to encourage voting, citizens in 15 states and the District of Columbia may register at the polls on Election Day. Most eligible citizens, however, reside in a state in which they must register at least 29 days before Election Day.

But registration doesnt equal voting. Not everyone who successfully registers prior to Election Day actually goes to the polls, especially in midterm elections.

From registration to the ballot box

In our study, drawing on nearly a decade of voting data in Florida, we find that when voters register affects their voting behavior.

Individuals who register in the waning months prior to Floridas 29-day registration cutoff are more likely to vote in the upcoming election than others who register throughout the previous election cycle.

However, these last-minute registrants are less likely to vote in future elections. The act of registering to vote, and even voting in the next election, does not translate into becoming a repeat, regular voter. We think this is because those who register close to the deadline may be mobilized to do so by campaign events tied to the upcoming election, but they may not become regular voters for the long haul.

Relatedly, we are looking at what effect tragic events that occur well before an election may have on getting people to register and then turn out to vote.

For example, current evidence is mixed as to whether more young people are registering after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Has the social movement really increased the number of registrations among young voters? Similarly, are the thousands of Puerto Ricans who were displaced by Hurricane Maria registering to vote in Florida and other states?

It remains to be seen whether these individuals who have registered will vote in the 2018 midterms, and whether they will become habitual voters. Our research suggests that its not a sure bet.

Enrijeta Shino, Graduate Assistant of Poltical Science, University of Florida and Daniel A. Smith, Professor and Chair of Political Science, University of Florida

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
The Free Iran gathering is an annual event held just outside Paris in support of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Tens of thousands of supporters of the NCRI from all over the world attend and there are traditionally dozens of distinguished speakers and guests that participate.

It is a very important event for the Iranian Resistance and progress is being made every year. It is a huge boost to the people of Iran to know that they have such widespread support and it is an important gathering in which policy makers and people that can make a difference share ideas to advance the movement.

This years gathering took place on 30th June and it was discovered that Iran had plotted to bomb the event. Earlier in the day, Belgian authorities arrested the couple.

At a press conference on 8th August, Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI, explained that the couple had been instructed to pose as supporters of the Iranian Resistance and carry out the attack under the instructions of Assadollah Assadi who was in turn instructed by Amiri Moghdam.

Amiri Moghdam, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is now one of the most senior members of the MOIS  Irans Intelligence Ministry. The decision to plan the operation was made by Irans Supreme National Security Council and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, personally approved the plot.

Assadollah Assadi was arrested by German authorities the day after the attack was planned for. He was on his way back to Austria where he has diplomatic immunity because of his position at the Iranian embassy in Vienna as third consular.

Assadi too is a member of the MOIS and is seen as the most important operative in Europe. He had explosive training in the Iran-Iraq war before moving on to the MOIS. He played a big role in the suppression and arrest of members of the political opposition.

There he became involved in kidnappings, bombings and terrorist activities in Iraq where he was third secretary at the embassy in Baghdad. He monitored the opposition members in Camp Liberty and he was involved in several attacks on them including on a bus transporting the members of the MEK.

The Iranian regime is planning on preventing the German authorities from sending Assadollah Assadi to Belgium where he would be prosecuted and held to justice. They want him to go to Austria so he can return to Iran.
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.
A CALL FOR BOLDNESS: Biddy Mason Unsung Shero Legacy Celebration

Over a decade ago, I started a company called Noir Steps that focused on tracing the roots and history of African Americans throughout the Los Angeles area. I started the company because people were always asking me if I knew of any tour companies that highlighted the contributions, neighborhoods and businesses of African Americans in the city of Los Angeles. This was especially of interest to school teachers, people planning family reunions, as well as conferences and conventions that were coming to Los Angeles. The contributions of African Americans in the foundation of Los Angeles is strong and one of those pioneers is none other than Bridget Biddy Mason.

The accomplishments of Biddy Mason are simply amazing. She was born August 15, 1818 in Hancock County, Georgia as a slave. Ms. Mason was brought to California by Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) that settled in the San Bernardino area (not far from where I was born and raised). She eventually was able to escape and traveled towards Los Angeles where she was granted her freedom. She was very active and during her lifetime she was a mid-wife, real estate entrepreneur, nurse and philanthropist. She is also credited as being one of the founders of First A.M.E. Church (FAME) in Los Angeles. Not enough can be said about her generosity and kindness towards the less fortunate. Because of her giving spirit many referred to her as Auntie Mason or Grandma Mason. Ms. Mason was also the proud mother to three daughters, Ellen, Ann and Harriet. She died in Los Angeles in 1891 at the age of 72.

When founder and chair of The Womens Group of Greater Los Angeles County, Diane Mitchell Henry, contacted me to participate in the 4th Annual A CALL FOR BOLDNESS Biddy Mason Unsung Shero Legacy Celebration that will be held on Saturday, August 11th beginning at 10:00am at the Biddy Mason Memorial Park, which is located at 333 South Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles I was excited. The event will celebrate the 200th birthday of Ms. Mason. It is free to the community and the Honorable Jan Perry will serve as the Honorary Celebration Committee Chair. There are many women from across the Southern California area and beyond that will extend their support to this event. I am proud to be this years keynote speaker.

ADVERTISEMENT

The event will honor women 100 years or older that have been nominated by community partners. These women have made valuable contributions in making our communities better and have exhibited a spirit of boldness that mirrors the gifts, talents and skills of Biddy Mason. The overall purpose of the event is to educate, empower, engage and encourage guests to emulate the character of Ms. Biddy Mason to be bold, brave, brilliant and to be better advocates for social and economic justice despite the obstacles that still seem to challenge our community. Now more than ever we must be diligent in the fight to not only keep our history alive, but to continue in the struggle to make our communities better for the next generation. We are grateful for the life and legacy of Ms. Bridget Biddy Mason.

Healing Without Hate: Its a choice. Its a lifestyle. Pass it on!

Visit www.WendyEnterprises.com and www.forgivingforliving.org. Wendy is a coach, consultant and speaker. You may email her at [email protected]
American Bishop Who Preached at Royal Wedding Has Surgery

The American clergyman who preached about the power of love at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has undergone surgery for prostate cancer.

An Episcopal Church spokeswoman says the surgery was performed Tuesday on the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry.

The 65-year-old Curry announced his cancer diagnosis last week and said he planned to have surgery to remove the prostate gland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Curry said he expected to spend four to six weeks recuperating. He said he would resume his duties as presiding bishop of the church in early September.

Curry is the first Black leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States. His fiery sermon at the May 19 royal wedding offered a contrast to the more solemn Anglican style that many guests were used to.
Annual NAACP Convention Closes with a Call to Vote

Thousands of people from across the country gathered in San Antonio, Texas for the 109th Annual NAACP Convention.

The daring theme of this years convention (Stop Hate, Vote) was right on target, given that the 2018 midterm elections are just a few months away. Panels and breakout sessions also focused on social justice and civil rights in the Trump Era, conversations that NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson deemed highly necessary.

As we begin to look at the critical landscapewith the increase in intolerance and hatredwe realize that the 2016 elections resulted in a new level of boldness for racists to display their racism, Johnson said. The only way to counter that is to voteVote on the midterm elections, so that we can hold elected officials accountable and make sure that they implement positive change.

ADVERTISEMENT

The convention also included a diverse career fair, educational seminars, workshops on public policy, and a special hip-hop summit. Johnson also spoke about the importance of millennials and their community and political engagement.

Millennials should understand that their role in democracy is the same as everyone elses, Johnson said. We are African Americans first and we owe it to our communities to use all of the tools necessary to better impact our society.

Championing this effort, NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell shared his own ideas during his annual convention address.

In this new era of xenophobia, neo-Nazism, White nationalism, and current efforts to take our nation back to a darker and more dangerous time, I have come to San Antonio, Texas to say to the NAACP and our allies, the time has come to defeat hate.

Russell continued: We call on voters, especially millennials of color, to stand against the face of bigotry and divisiveness.

Acknowledging that nearly 63 million Americans voted for the current president and that Black voter turnout declined, Russell still expressed hope for the future.

ADVERTISEMENT

Our hope is to vote out the hate and we need everyone to vote, Russell said.

The NAACP also honored Willie Brown, San Franciscos first Black mayor, with the Spingarn Medal, the organizations most prestigious award; the award was in recognition of his years of civil rights work and dedication to the betterment of the Black community.

Former President Bill Clinton presented the award to Brown and paid tribute to the civil rights activist. Brown said that the Spingarn Medal represented his dedication to public service and the community.

Dozens of millennials attended this years convention, much to the pleasure of former NAACP President and current National Newspaper Publishers Association President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

The NAACP is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago, Dr. Chavis said. The potential that the organization has with these millennials is even greater. The NAACP literally has the opportunity to embrace these young lives and thus be embraced, to create an even better, bolder organization for the lives of all people.
Black Pastors Praise Trump, Talk Prison Reform at White House Meeting

President Donald Trump recently met with a group of Black and Latino pastors about prison reform issues. Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been meeting with journalists in off-the-record briefings on the issue of prison reform and is working with Congress to build support for the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act (FIRST STEP Act).

Jared Kushners father, Charles Kushner, served time in federal prison in Alabama; Jared has taken a special interest in prison reform and pushed to pass the FIRST STEP Act. The bill has passed the House and awaits consideration in the Senate.

During the on-camera portion of the meeting, none of the pastors asked any substantive questions; some of them heaped praise on President Trump.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dr. Van Moody of The Worship Center in Birmingham, Ala., thanked President Trump for being compassionate and caring about all people.

Dr. Moody praised the presidents compassion, despite the recent revelation that officials with the Department of Health and Human Services warned the Trump administration that separating families would be dangerous for children, The New York Times reported.

Trump dropped the policy more than a month ago under fire from Democrats and Republicans alike, according to The New York Times. But of more than 2,500 children who were initially separated from parents and guardians, hundreds remain in federal custody including more than 400 whose parents left the U.S. without them.

Senior Pastor John Gray of Relentless Church in Greenville, S.C., prayed over the meeting.

Dr. King said we cannot influence a table that we are not seated at, Gray prayed. And so we pray that this conversation will be fruitful, and productive, and honoring of the best traditions of this nation.

The group of pastors included: Senior Pastor Dale Bronner of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral in Atlanta, Ga. ; Senior Pastor Choco Wilfredo De Jesus of New Life Covenant in Chicago, Ill.; Pastor Michael E. Freeman of Spirit of Faith Christian Center in Prince Georges County, Md.; Dr. Phillip Goudeaux of the Calvary Christian Center in Sacramento, Fla.; Senior Pastor John Gray of Relentless Church in Greenville, S.C.; Travis Hayes, the CFO of Our Relentless Church in Greenville, S.C.; Bishop Darrell Lynn Hines of Christian Faith Fellowship Church of God in Christ in Milwaukee, Wisc.; Senior Pastor Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md.; Dr. Alveda King of Alveda King Ministries in Atlanta, Ga.; Pastor Julian Desmond Lowe of Oasis Church in Los Angeles, Calif.; and Dr. Van Moody of The Worship Center in Birmingham, Ala.

ADVERTISEMENT

President Willie G. Owens of the Coalition of African American Pastors, Senior Pastor Benny Perez of Church LV in Las Vegas, Nev.; Pastor Jon Ponders of Las Vegas, Nev.; Pastor Darrell Scott of the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Bishop Kyle Searcy of Fresh Anointing House of Worship in Montgomery, Ala.; Senior Pastor Paula White-Cain of the New Destiny Christian Center, Apopka, Fla.; and Marvin Winans Jr. from Detroit, Mich., also attended.

Trump asked the pastors to each speak on the issue and share their thoughts. Many of the pastors, who of course were hand-picked by the White House, offered compliments on Trumps leadership and his commitment to faith-based initiatives and the recent efforts on prison reform.

Dr. Goudeaux asked President Trump not to give up on California, a line that made everyone laugh, while Travis Hayes, the CFO of Our Relentless Church said, Im honored to be here amongin the presence of greatness.

Pastor Darrell Scott said that Trump was going to be the, most pro-Black president that weve had in our lifetime.

This president actually wants to prove something to our communityour faith-based community and our ethnic community, Scott said. [President Obama] didnt feel like he had tohe got a pass.

Jared Kushner noted that President Trump asked him to lead efforts to try to reform Americas prisons and to see what could be done at the federal government-level.

According to the Sentencing Project, one in every 10 Black men his thirties is in prison or jail on any given day. The United States is the worlds leader in incarceration.

We were running into a little problem of politics in Congress, Kushner said, adding that he reached out to the pastors to help get the word out about the need for prison reform and to let people in Washington know that making progress on this issue was more important than whatever political differences people may have.

The session with the pastors at the White House lasted about an hour.

In addition to President Trump and the pastors, the White House attendees included Chief of Staff John Kelly; Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president on intergovernmental and technology initiatives; Andrew Bremberg, director of the Domestic Policy Council; JaRon Smith, special assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs; and Jennifer Korn, special assistant to the president and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison.
Boston readies to install first Black police commissioner

William Gross arrived in Boston in 1975 amid clashes over court-ordered desegregation of the citys public schools. More than four decades later, he is taking the reins as the first Black police commissioner in a city that in some ways is still struggling to overcome a reputation for racism.

Black leaders say they hope Gross will prioritize building a more diverse police force and providing closure for families of homicide victims in communities of color to strengthen trust in law enforcement.

Were at a pivotal time where the issue of race and racial animus and the disparities between people of color and Caucasians is front and center, said Rev. Jeffrey Brown, an anti-violence advocate and pastor in the Roxbury neighborhood. The city is looking to move forward in making sure the Boston Police Department is not only representative of the people, but serves effectively the entire city, not just parts of the city, Brown said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gross, 56, moved to Boston from a farm community in Maryland at age 12 as the forced busing of students to desegregate schools sparked violent unrest and trained the nations eyes on the city. At the time, police and communities of color were adversaries, and Gross has said his friends thought he was crazy for wanting to be a cop.

Despite that, he joined the force in 1985 and worked his way up from a patrol officer to the departments first Black superintendent-in-chief in 2014.

I didnt even know if Boston was ready for an African-American chief, but I knew that Boston was moving in the directions that would distance it from its horrid past of racism and exclusion, Gross said in an interview with WFXT-TV in February.

Gross will be sworn in Monday at the Morning Star Baptist Church. He replaces William Evans, who is leaving for a job at Boston College.

Under Evans, Boston police were recognized by the White House for their efforts to build relationships through neighborhood walks and other initiatives. Officials say they believe those efforts helped ward off the violent clashes that have occurred in other cities between residents and police.

At the same time, activists remain frustrated by the dearth of diversity in the department and the number of killings that have gone unsolved in Black communities.

Boston has the largest disparity among major U.S. cities in arrest rates in cases when the victim is White versus Black, The Washington Post reported last month. More than 250 out of 435 killings of Black victims since 2007 remain unsolved, compared with just six of 57 killings of White victims, the newspaper reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

And more than two-thirds of officers are White, even though Whites makeup a minority of the citys population. Among the upper ranks, five of nine deputy superintendents are Black. But all six superintendents are White, along with all but three of 21 captains and three of 50 lieutenants.

Some Black leaders say they believe Gross own experiences with racism and his upbringing in what has been described as a tough neighborhood will shape his approach as commissioner and help strengthen relations between minority communities and police. Gross has spoken about being called slurs and an Uncle Tom, and having to get past his own stereotypes about White officers as a young officer.

He understands why people have being protesting and what Black Lives Matter really means, said Segun Idowu, an activist who pushed for Boston police to wear body cameras and is running for state representative.

Jamarhl Crawford, an activist and editor of the website the Blackstonian, said he believes Gross was picked primarily as an effort to appease the citys Black community and expressed frustration that the public wasnt involved in the selection process.

Gross will face impossible demands to address all the departments and citys racial issues, said Larry Ellison, a Boston police detective who started as a cadet with Gross.

Its unfair to put unreasonable expectations on him because hes first and say all of a sudden he has a magic wand and is going to fix everything, said Ellison, president of the minority officers union. Race is a problem here. But its not just his problem to deal with.
Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald Celebrates Five Years

In 2013, Arnold Donald came out of retirement to accept a position as Carnival Corporations president and CEO after being recommended by then chairman and CEO, Micky Arison. Now, Donald is celebrating five years as the CEO of the worlds largest leisure travel company, making him one of only four African American CEOs currently leading Americas largest public companies.

Initially Donald accepted the title of CEO with slight hesitation. However, during his time there he has made record setting growth by successfully doubling the corporations earnings. Not to mention, Carnivals stock price has nearly doubled in value which has allowed its market cap to increase from $27 billion to $48 billion.

His career accomplishments dont stop there. Donald has also played a major role in the way Carnival Corporation has done business by bridging the gap between nine global cruise brands to work together. This resulted in the company generating new sources of revenue, increased cost savings, and enabled sharing of best practices globally.

ADVERTISEMENT

Prior to accepting the position as Carnivals CEO, Donald worked at Monsanto Company, as a leading global developer of agricultural products and consumer goods. He held various leadership positions there from 1980 to 2000. From there, Donald worked at Merisant Company where he served as chairman and CEO. After completing his time there in 2005, Donald worked as the president and CEO of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International until 2008, when he joined the Executive Leadership Council.

During his career progression, he found time to join the Carnival board of directors in 2001. Joining the board combined with his previous job experience and Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, and his masters degree in finance and international business, equipped him to hold his current position today.

My junior year in high school, I decided I wanted to be a general manager of a fortune 50 science based company and I mapped out a plan to do that, said Donald. I decided that if I am going to do that, I had to give myself a leg up. I needed a technical degree, I needed a business degree and preferably both from prestige academic institutions which would then enhance my probability of getting a job at a prestige company which would then increase my chance of achieving my objectives.

Aside from his education, Donalds family background also played a major role in the way in which he conducts business and his outlook on the world. Donald, the youngest of five children, was born and raised in the ninth ward of New Orleans during a time of segregation.

The time that I grew up in was a civil rights time, and it was a time for dramatic change in the world, he said. Everyday society was telling you that you couldnt do this and that and that you were less than. That you were inferior, you cant drink out of this water fountain and you cant use this bathroom.

Donald goes on to say, he felt liberated and believed he could be a part of change.

Because of my high school, my parents, and my church, I believed that I could do whatever I wanted to do despite what society was telling me, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Donald took that belief that was instilled in him and went on to completely transform Carnival Corporation. Among his many list of achievements, he is most proud of the diversity of thinking model and the first of a kind innovations that have taken place under his leadership.

The diversity of thinking model, proactively engineered by Donald, has been seen as a competitive advantage driving innovation by leveraging different backgrounds to create new solutions that help the brands [under Carnival] continually exceed guest expectations and support the companys aggressive growth goals. This model has been instilled at every level of Carnival Corporation allowing people from different backgrounds, cultures, and geographical areas to collaborate and be creative. As a result, innovation has flourished throughout the company.

In 2017, Donald, became the first ever travel industry executive to serve as the keynote speaker at CES where he unveiled the Ocean Medallion, the worlds first interactive guest experience platform. The Ocean Medallions primary goals were to enhance the overall cruise experience for both the guests and crew and establish a new standard for the entire travel industry. Additionally, Donald is behind the creation of Ocean Originals TV programs, a series of travel lifestyle shows that air on ABC, NBC, Univision, and Telemundo with five million viewers each week.

During the interview, Donald took time to talk to the LA Sentinel about his life lessons and advice he has for young people of color who are interested in pursuing a career in business.

[The first life lesson I learned] is listen, he said. If you learn how to listen well the world will reveal itself to you. In our business, if I listen to our guests, they will tell us how to achieve their expectations and if I listen to our employees, they will tell us how to exceed those guest expectations and how to execute that in a way that is sustainable and will work long-term for the corporation.

He goes on to say that the second lesson he learned is to do the right thing, have fun along the way and honor people. He encourages those who are thinking about a career in business to engage their time in things that they are passionate about.

Under Donalds tenue, Carnival Corporation has made history in Cuba by opening Cuba for the U.S. cruise industry and positively impacting the broader international travel policies. Donald has also pushed for global growth efforts in China and expanded cruising and long-term market opportunities in China. Additionally, he has accelerated fleet enhancement efforts to launch newer and more efficient ships across the brand. So whats next for Carnival Corporation? Donald has plans to continue increasing shareholder value and exceeding guests expectations.
Congressman Ron Dellums: A Fierce Focused Fighter

When the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) holds its Annual Legislative Conference this September (Sep. 1216), I hope there will be a tribute to one of its founders, Congressman Ron Dellums, who made his transition on July 30.

Dellums was a fierce, focused fighter for justice, an anti-war activist who served in the military, authored several CBC Alternative Budgets (budgets that focused on human needs rather than military buildup) and was an indefatigable fighter for South African freedom.

He is the epitome of congressional activism, progressive leadership, and stellar integrity. After 27 years in congress and a term as Mayor of Oakland, he had a much lower profile in recent years. Still, his name remains synonymous with principled leadership, and he will be sincerely missed!

ADVERTISEMENT

Dellums blazed on the national political scene, decried by then Vice President, Spiro Agnew, as a radical from Ber-zerkely. Dellums had the right response, telling the Washington Post:

If being an advocate of peace, justice, and humanity toward all human beings is radical, then Im glad to be called radical. And if it is radical to oppose the use of 70 percent of federal monies for destruction and war, then I am a radical.

With this as a definition of radical, the question really is, why arent there more radicals in our nation?

Im not sure what Congressman Dellums would think of the organization he co-founded. While he became somewhat less confrontational the longer he served in Congress, the fight never left him. He didnt mind calling presidents or his colleagues out, though he did it in a way that even conservative House Speaker Tom Delay (R-TX), described as gentlemanly.

Upon Dellums retirement from the House of Representatives in the middle of his term in 1998, Delay spoke on his greatness.

We are losing one of its finest members, a member that I have great respect for, because he always did his homework, was so articulate and eloquent on this floor, Delay said. He always got my attention when he stood up and took the microphone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Emphasizing Dellmus ability to stop every member of Congress in their tracks, Delay also mentioned the late congressmans aptitude to claim the respect that both sides of the aisle had for the gentleman from California.

And the incredible reputation that the gentleman from California has brought to this House, has elevated this House, Delay continued. He has elevated the distinction of this House by serving here, and this House will greatly miss him when he leaves.

Though Dellums ran for Congress as a Democrat and caucused with the Democrats, he did not register to vote as a Democrat until he ran for Mayor of Oakland.

Indeed, he was one of the vice-chairs of the Democratic Socialists of America. His alternative budgets reflected socialistic principles, elevating human needs over military needs, embracing pacifism instead of war and military intervention.

He had a masters degree in social work, and it showed, both in his interactions with people and in the alternative budgets he worked on.

When I was a professor at UC Berkeley, I brought a group of students (I called them Bey-Beys kids because some of them were so wild) to D.C. to soak up some public policy knowledge.

Congressman Dellums team told us that he only had 30 minutes, but when he met the group, got engaged with them and began to answer their questions. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, pulled out a flip chart and broke down the CBC Alternative Budget. We were there for almost two hours, far more than the allotted time.

He acknowledged that the Alternative Budget had no chance of passing, but said that he worked so hard on it, because it was a possibility. He persistently fought for the right thing, even if the right thing was a long shot.

His tenacity was responsible for the passage of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, legislation that imposed sanctions, urged US companies to stop doing business with South Africa, and set conditions, including the release of political prisoners, before sanctions could be lifted.

Ronald Reagan vetoed the legislation, preferring constructive engagement, but Congress overrode the veto, something that rarely happens in foreign policy matter. It is a tribute to Dellums political skills that a man who was ridiculed as a radical upon entering Congress, had developed the kinds of bipartisan relationships that would override a presidential veto.

Dellums got much criticism for his time as Oakland mayor, but it is essential to note that not many, after serving 27 years in Congress, would have signed up to run a troubled city.

He was drafted by the people of Oakland, who urged him to serve, and he defiantly told people that if they werent satisfied with his leadership, they could recall him! Ron Dellums used his national notoriety to lobby for his city, getting more recovery aid from the Obama administration than any other city except Chicago. He saw Oakland as a Model City and encouraged citizen participation, convening several task forces to help shape the direction of the city.

The best thing that Ron Dellums ever did was succession planning. He surrounded himself with young, bright leaders and encouraged them in their aspirations.

One of his proteges, Keith Carson, serves on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Another, Sandre Swanson, served on the California State Assembly and Congresswoman Barbara Leejust as fierce a fighter as Dellums, became his hand-picked successor.

The Congressional Black Caucus today needs more Dellums energy. Oh, the Alternative Budget is still annually prepared, but it doesnt get the visibility that it should.

Fierce fighters like Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters are often threatened and ridiculed, where not enough of their colleagues have their backs, while too many Black American politicians are pragmatic, instead of being principled. May the spirit of Ron Dellums always live among Black American and progressive leaders!
Enough with the Racism in the Rooftop Solar Industry

Recently, news came out that the electronics retailer Best Buy decided to reconsider their partnership with a company called Vivint. The partnership allowed Vivint employees to work inside Best Buy stores and to sell Best Buy customers products capable of reducing their homes energy usage.

The potential decision by Best Buy is apparently just business, but it is a welcome piece of news, because Vivint seemingly has a problem with African Americans.

Vivint isnt alone when it comes to struggling with race. There has always been bigotry in this country. In 2018, thanks to the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, who risked their lives fighting for equality and justice, things are much improved. But these days,some racists in this country are feeling encouraged to express their ugly views in public or discriminate against people of color.

ADVERTISEMENT

Recently, Vivint Solarone of the largest sellers of solar panels in this countrywas sued in California by a Black employee who alleges that his superiors likened him to a monkey; used a racial epithet against him; and that his coworkers used cardboard boxes to build a fort around their desks that was marked as White only. The complainants lawyer provided pictures of this absurd and abhorrent cardboard facade to the media and The Sacramento Bee published the photo.

David Bywater, the top executive at Vivint Solar, told the media that he was deeply disturbed by these allegations.

I want to firmly state that Vivint Solar has a zero-tolerance policy for racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace, Bywater said. Our company is built on the strength of diversity.

This is precisely what a CEO is supposed to say, but a person of conscience would back their words up with action.

A deeper dive into Vivints practices makes me question Bywaters sincerity.

In March, Hector Balderas, the Attorney General of New Mexico filed a against Vivint Solar, accusing them of fraud, racketeering, and unfair business practices. Balderas says the company, which sells rooftop solar panels employed high-pressure sales techniques and procedures designed to mislead consumers and lock their customers into contracts lasting 20 years, with rates that increase by over 72 percent, as the agreement matures.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also, according to the Balderas office: The complaint also charges Vivint with filing improper notices in consumer real estate records that operate to cloud titles, in some cases, making it difficult for New Mexico consumers to sell their homes.There is also some evidence that consumers of color and low-income consumers are targeted for these pressure tactics.

Vivint Solar is connected to Vivint Home Security, a company that also has had its run-inswith the law. Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxson reached a settlementwith the company for allegations the company violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

This, combined with the action by the New Mexico Attorney General, paints a picture of a company that is not treating customers fairly.

Ive been interested in the solar industry, because it is an expanding industry that increasingly provides new opportunities. However, there also seems to be additional opportunities to exploit consumers, especially minority consumers. Ive written about my concerns about the ways the industry targets less sophisticated consumers, echoing concerns raised by several members of Congress in a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in early 2017. In response to my concerns, the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) used a consultant to harass me and my staff. I received and acceptedan apologyfrom the CEO of SEIA. I hoped they were sincere in their stated concerns about consumer protection and also about diversity in their industry.

But Vivint Solar, with its White only fort, is a member of SEIA. The allegations of racial discrimination and harassment involving Vivint Solar seem inconsistent with SEIAs stated values. What must they do? I have some ideas:

First, SEIA should ask Vivint Solar to leave their trade association. If SEIA wants to represent rooftop solar makers that respect consumers and employees, then Vivint Solar needs to go. If SEIA doesnt take actionagainst Vivint Solar, there is no accountability, which only further erodes trust with minority communities.

Further, SEIA should back up their statement, that CEO Abby Hopper has established diversity of solars workforce and customer base as among her top three priorities. SEIA should also work to increase awareness about their Diversity Best Practices Guide by funding and hosting consumer education seminars around the country to better inform consumers, especially minority consumers, about their rights when it comes to the rooftop solar industry.

I have always been excited about the ways solar energy can reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, as a power source. But the solar energy movement is crippled when companies like Vivint Solar both take advantage of customers and discriminate against minorities.

Its not enough to have a Diversity Best Practices Guide. SEIA needs to let best practices be their guide in their dealings with Vivint Solar. Silence is complicity. It is time for good people to stand up against racism. Best Buy, SEIA: What say you?
Former Congressman Ron Dellums Dies at 82

Ron Dellums, the firebrand former Oakland, California mayor and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, who vigorously fought on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, died on Monday, July 30.

Dellums, who helped shaped politics in the Bay Area for decades, reportedly died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 82.

Tributes celebrating Dellums political and civil rights activism poured in from colleagues and friends.

ADVERTISEMENT

I have known and admired Ron Dellums since I was a child, former U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement. He, in part, inspired my interest in public service.

California U.S. Senator Kamala Harris also expressed her condolences.

Im deeply saddened by the loss of former congressman and mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums. His years of service to both the Bay Area and California will continue to serve as a beacon for change and progress, Harris tweeted.

Minnesotas Democratic U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison said Dellums counted as a courageous freedom fighter. He remembered Dellums for his inspiring example, courage, humor and relentless faith in our ability to make a better world.

Born on November 24, 1935 in Oakland, Calif., Dellums served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956 after he was denied the college scholarship he had sought, according to his biography at Blackpast.org.

After service in the Marines, Dellums, with the help of the G.I Bill and an outside job, attended San Francisco State College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960.

ADVERTISEMENT

He went on to earn a masters degree in social welfare from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962.

After teaching at San Francisco State University and at Berkeley, Dellums became a politician. He was elected to the Berkeley City Council, where he quickly became known as the spokesperson for African American community affairs and for his radical political beliefs.

After only three years on the Berkeley City Council, Dellums decided to run for Congress.

With crucial campaign assistance from Coretta Scott King, the widow of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as from Berkeleys powerful anti-Vietnam War organizations, 35-year-old Dellums was elected to Congress, where he quickly emerged as one of the most radical and outspoken lawmakers in Washington.

Within weeks of his election, Dellums called for congressional investigations into alleged war crimes in Vietnam and co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus.

Two years later he began a long campaign to end the apartheid policies of South Africa and in 1986 introduced the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, which called for sanctions against the nations government.

President Ronald Reagan vetoed the bill, however his veto was overridden, marking the first time a presidential veto of a foreign policy measure was overridden by Congress in the 20th Century.

In 2006, he was elected as the mayor of Oakland, succeeding former California Governor Jerry Brown. He left office in 2010.

We mourn the loss of one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC said in a statement. His work for his community and his work for the Caucus will be missed.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called Dellums a true progressive and courageous man.

We spoke often, Sharpton said. He was a brilliant man.

In a statement celebrating Dellums legacy, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) called him a great warrior and statesman.

The contributions that Congressman Dellums made to our East Bay community, the nation, and the world are too innumerable to count, Lee said in the statement. I feel blessed to have called Congressman Dellums my dear friend, predecessor, and mentor. I will miss him tremendously, and I will hold dear to my heart the many lessons I learned from this great public servant.

The statement continued: My condolences are with the Dellums family, friends, and loved ones. His legacy and spirit will be forever with us.

NAACP Board Chairman Leon W. Russell said that, Dellums created space for our voices to be heard.

It is said that the current generation stands on the shoulders of giants; Ron was a giant who blazed a path to empowerment that we still walk on today, Russell said.

Funeral plans havent been announced.

Dellums is survived by his wife, Cynthia Dellums and his five children.
Foster Care Advocates at CASA LA, Carry Out Mission, But Need More Support

Members of Los Angeles Court Appointed Special Advocates, an organization dedicated to the safety and well- being of foster children, recently announced a successful fiscal year, resulting in the ability to garner resources and markedly improve their services. The financial results for the year mark a new high point for the organization members said, shattering previous bests for unique children helped while also continuing to significantly reduce the cost per child of providing service and expand its volunteer rolls. But, while they are aggressively doing what they can to help as many children as possible there are still 30,000 kids in the LA County child welfare system, the vast majority of whom still need aid, they said.

2018 has been a triumphant, record-breaking year at CASA/LA, said CASA/LA CEO Wende Nichols Julien.

A massive thanks to all of our staff, volunteers and donors for believing we could accomplish this and working to achieve it. As long as there are children that need help, we will continue to grow and improve our services, until every child in the LA County foster care system that needs a CASA has a CASA.

ADVERTISEMENT

Benchmarks achieved last year, according to a spokesperson for CASA, include:

1,124 unique children served with intense one-on-one advocacy services, an 18% increase over 2017 and 39% over 2016.

with intense one-on-one advocacy services, an 18% increase over 2017 and 39% over 2016. 402 new CASAs trained , an increase of 25% over 2017 and 100% over 2016, greatly expanding volunteer base

, an increase of 25% over 2017 and 100% over 2016, greatly expanding volunteer base 931 unique appointed CASAs  an increase of 25% over 2017

 an increase of 25% over 2017 10% reduction on average cost-per-child-served, which beat forecasts for FY2018 by 2% and marks a 26% reduction from 2016.

which beat forecasts for FY2018 by 2% and marks a 26% reduction from 2016. CASA/LA also ended FY2018 with a significant surplus, enabling the organization to weather economic uncertainties regionally without risking cutbacks in advocacy services for children.

CASA started their first program in 1978 under the leadership of Judge Peter Giannini, who secured a four-year federal start-up grant. The program, then known as the Child Advocates Office, was under the guidance of Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court, Richard Skip Byrne and Supervising Judge Paul Boland. In 1983, Friends of Child Advocates, now CASA of Los Angeles, founded by Jacqueline Dolan, organized a public/private partnership to increase awareness and raise money for the recruitment, training and support of volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children under the care of the Dependency Court, according to the organizations website.

In 2015, CASA teamed up with FAME in Los Angeles, increasing their number of volunteers. One volunteer, Carol Truscott, gave her testimony that year, presenting a real life picture of how an organization like CASA can benefit children.

This is my second year as a CASA. I have three siblings. One is 18, 16 and one just turned nine, she told the Sentinel in an interview that year.

The two older ones said that before they got a CASA, they saw secondary education as unbelievable. But, after I talked about what they wanted for themselves, they were motivated to go that route. One graduated this past June, going to LACC and her goal is to transfer to USC and become a child psychologist.

Their mission, said officials, is to alleviate the feelings of abandonment and alienation that scars young lives as they are abused and neglected.

Nowhere in the nation is the problem greater than in Los Angeles County, where 30,000 children who have been abused or neglected are under the jurisdiction of the Dependency Court, CASA officials said.

ADVERTISEMENT

One-third of these children are age 0-5; infants and toddlers are the fastest growing group of abused children. CASA provided one-on-one advocacy to 949 children in FY2017, in addition to 4,097 children with day-of-court assistance through Shelter Care.

CASA accomplishes this mission they said, by harnessing the compassion and generosity of caring adults who can and do have an enormous impact on the development of the child at all ages.

Volunteers get to know the children and their circumstances, show them that someone cares, advocate for their best interests, encourage them to grow to their fullest potential, and become involved in key issues in their life, especially permanent placement, and school, health, and mental health issues, according to their website.

A CASA volunteer is often the sole consistent adult anchor for foster children. Children frequently remark how important it is to them that these tireless advocates are the only people in the system who are not paid to assist them. CASA volunteers give a voice to a child who cannot speak up for herself or himself and are frequently viewed as mentors or guides

CASA LA is community supported project and is among the largest of regional programs in a national and state-wide volunteer network serving foster children. Studies have shown that children with CASA receive more assistance and support than children without, and are more likely to be adopted or returned to their families and less likely to reenter the child welfare system. For more information, visit the CASA of Los Angeles website: http://www.casala.org.
Hire L.A,s Youth Interns Honored At DPW Bureau Of Sanitation Ceremon

The city of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation honored 25 HIRE LAs Youth interns at a closing ceremony held Friday July 27, 2018. For the past few years, the Bureau has utilized funding from the HIRE L.A.s Youth program for its Summer Introduction to Engineering and Science Program, a six-week program that allows participants to rotate through the Bureaus various divisions while working as assistants to engineers, office clerks and analysts.

My advice to you is to find a job you really love that youre passionate about. Youll be good at it, said Assistant General Manager Mas Dojiri to the participants. I hope you do pursue science or engineering and I hope a few of you come back to the Bureau of Sanitation and that you do great things for the city of Los Angeles.

As each student came to the podium they were joined by their mentors, who complimented participants on their intelligence, ability to quickly absorb information and for some, punctuality. Mariana Pedro, 19, worked as an intern for the Administration Division at the Hyperion Reclamation Plant. I hope someday L.A. would be so gracious as to offer me a job as well, she said. Mariana emigrated from Guatemala to the U.S. with her family in 2007 and attended Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in Downtown L.A. where most of her courses were in dance. The internship allowed her to interact with engineers who helped her decide to study mechanical engineering when she starts college this fall at the University of California, Irvine, which will help give her broader experience in her chosen field, aerospace engineering, she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The HIRE L.A.s Youth program has been invaluable, as it also taught her workplace etiquette and helped give her the confidence that she will succeed as an engineer, she said. Its important for us to be able to take that first step to be successful, Mariana said about the program. Its good to get the future generations to take action, to take that first step to see what their futures will be like and get the opportunity to try it. The interns were selected through a partnership with the city of L.A. Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD), the Bureau of Sanitation and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Holding Ground and Moving Forward: In Righteous and Relentless Struggle

Part 2. If we are to hold our cultural and moral ground in the midst of the life we live, the work we do and the struggle we wage, then, it must be done in the midst of quality relations and relationships that anchor, build and strengthen us as persons, families and communities, and cause us to develop and flourish. In spite of reports to the contrary, we, as people, are not lost or looking for directions from our oppressor, or seeking salvation in the arms of our oppressor, or striving to be responsible in the jaundiced eyes of our oppressor. We, at least most of us, understand, through a rightful reading of history and current realities, that we are our own liberators and that a people that cannot save itself cannot and will not be saved by others, no matter how sincere or allegedly saintly.

Thus, the third major ground on which we stand must be our quality relations with each other  principled, reciprocal, loving and caring relations with each other on every level, in every place and at all times. Our cultural and moral grounding give us the ground on which to anchor, orient and expand our relations. Indeed, it is within our relations that our cultural and moral grounding express and prove themselves and reveal whether the culture and morals we claim are real sources from which we draw, develop and flourish or little more than convenient references we make to seem more than we are and to appear to be the kinds of persons we, in reality, ought to be. The centrality of relations in African culture is summed up in the c that the hub and hinge on which the whole of human life turns is relations. Indeed, we come into being in relationship and our identities are rooted in and reflective of relationships. Therefore, to be a person, a woman, man, child, father, mother, husband, wife, daughter, son or relative of any kind is to be in relation. Likewise, to be anyone is to be in relation, i.e., whether a teacher or student; doctor, nurse or patient; a judge, jury member or person to be judged; a lawyer or a client; an author or a reader; a performer or member of an audience; an ancestor and parent or a descendent in the present or one who will come in the future. Thus, the quest, cultivation and commitment to quality relations and relationships is a moral imperative and moral obligation.

Here commitment and recommitment to the Nguzo Saba(The Seven Principles) is essential, for they offer us an African, Black value system, which provides a culturally and morally solid ground for our relations and relationships. Indeed, the relational ground on which we stand and which we must hold, begins and ends with our Umoja(Unity), our togetherness as persons and a people, as Black men and women and children in life, love, work and struggle. In this regard, our togetherness must be a principled and purposeful one. This means we must constantly strive to ensure our relations are always rightfully caring, mutually respectful, equal, reciprocal, mutually beneficial and constantly self-reflective to make sure we always measure up to the best of our cultural and ethical principles and practices. It is in this context that the principle of Umoja(Unity) calls for a practice of striving for unity in the family, (local) community, nation (national community) and race, i.e., the global African community.

ADVERTISEMENT

The principle and practice of Kujichagulia(Self-Determination) calls on us to define the right and wrong, the good and bad, the useful and unuseful in our building, developing and sustaining our relationships. Here again our oppressor cannot be our teacher and our allies cannot be our tutor. On the contrary, we must reach inside ourselves and within the rich, ancient and ongoing resource of our culture, consider carefully where we are, what we need, and then choose how to go forward to achieve and gain the good weve chosen. After all, what can an oppressive, unjust, hating and hostile society teach us about freedom, justice, love or the peace that comes from choosing, creating and sharing good together? It is our life, our struggle and our choice and we ourselves must choose to be ourselves and free ourselves from all forms of oppression, internally and externally.

Ujima(Collective Work and Responsibility) causes us to come together for good purposes to cooperate in all things for shared and common good, and to take personal and collective responsibility for building the good relations and relationships, community, society and world we all want, work for in our various ways, deserve and wish to leave for those who come after us. Again, it is about being actively responsible in and for our lives, families and community. Also, we know this must extend to responsibility to change the conditions of our lives in society, for they affect our relationships. And thus, the call and responsibility for loving freely in our own self-determined ways is at the same time a call and responsibility for creating the condition of freedom which foster, facilitate and cause to flourish such an expansive concept and practice of life-sustaining and life-enhancing love.

The concept of Ujamaa(Cooperative Economics) teaches us the principle and practice of shared work and shared wealth. Our relations must demonstrate we put people over profit, cooperation over competition, satisfaction of needs over crass consumerism and unbridled acquisitiveness as a substitute and surrogate for the possession and practice of freedom. Nia(Purpose) is about our choosing as a collective vocation a shared work and aspiration to restore our people to their traditional greatness, a greatness rooted in and reflective of doing good in the world. It means that restoration begins with restoring and strengthening our relations, on every level by doing good for and with each other, rightly caring, reciprocally serving and righteously contributing to each others happiness, well-being and development.

Kuumba(Creativity) calls on us to do always as much as we can in the way we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. For we are the embodiment of the community, its heart, head, soul and substance and thus this means helping each other to become and be more beautiful and beneficial than when we first met each other.

And finally, there is Imani(Faith) in ourselves and the Transcendent Good, faith in our mothers and fathers, our grandmothers and grandfathers, our elders, our youth; faith in all that makes us beautiful and strong. And faith that through hard work, long struggle and a whole lot of love and understanding, we can again step back on the stage of human history as a free, proud and productive people, ever conscious of our obligations to each other and humanity, and the well-being of the world.

Now with cultural, moral and relationship grounding, we can indeed hold our political ground. This means recognizing and retaining the victories weve won, the achievements weve made, and the aspirations we have for liberation and the good life in their largest and most meaningful sense. It means refusing to accept less than we deserve and our history and dignity demand and continuing to fight for the people and the principle when others counsel compromise, concession and calling it a day.

ADVERTISEMENT

And as always, it means that we must: continue the struggle; keep the faith; hold the line; love our people and each other; seek and speak truth; do and demand justice; be constantly concerned with the world and all in it; and dare rebuild an overarching movement that prefigures and makes possible the good community, society and world we all want, work and struggle for and definitely deserve.
Institute of the Black World 21st Century Conference

More than two thousand came from the greater Newark/New York region, Black America and the Pan-African world, drawn by the urgent impulse to connect, network, bond, share and unite in the wake of the most hate-filled, demagogic and divisive presidential campaigns that produced a presidential regime, elected by less than a majority of the popular vote, embedded with racism, white nationalism and Islamophobia. It was one of the most threatening moments since the arrival of Africans on these hostile American shores.

November 16, 2016, Africans from the U.S. and the Pan-African WorldSouth Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Costa Rica, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, Canada and Europe converged on Newark, New Jersey, one of the historical epicenters of the Black Freedom Struggle, for the State of the World Conference IVresponding to the Call. Its Nation Time Again! People of African descent, Black people, came to be inspired, revitalized, informed and armed to intensify the essential, continuing struggle to defend and promote the dignity, survival, development, interests and aspirations of Africans, Black people in America and the Pan-African world. As Its nation Timereverberated throughout, a spirit of Black love, sharing, bonding, healing, collaboration, resistance, self-determination and renewed commitment to build and strengthen Black institutions, to control the politics and economics of Black communities, territories and nations- engulfed the gathering.

While it is impossible to capture the full impact of the formidable array of speakers, panelists and resource people who shared their insights, knowledge and wisdom with this remarkable gathering, the following paraphrased expressions are illustrative of the powerful deliberations and proceedings:

ADVERTISEMENT

Prior to an Empowerment Plenary session, Atty. Faya Rose Toure led the assembly in a rousing rendition of the Freedom Song, Aint Going Let Nobody Turn Us Around.

Paramount Chief, Dr. Leonard Jeffries spoke on the significance of the gathering and recited a roll call of courageous African leaders to whom we should look for inspiration in this time of crisis.

Danny Glover expressed the feelings of many participants when he said, We needed this conferenceWe needed to be together at this moment. He encouraged a spirit of constant struggle by Black people, people of color and the oppressed to resist white supremacy and neo-liberal schemes of domination propagated by the U.S.

Rev. Waltrina Middleton graphically illustrated the contradictions and moral bankruptcy of the U.S. presidential election, recalling the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright was viciously denounced for simply condemning the hypocrisy of U.S. domestic and foreign policy, while Donald Trump waged a campaign of inflammatory insults to people of African descent/Blacks, Mexicans, immigrants, Muslims and women.

In discussing the shocking results of the U.S. presidential election and the rise of White nationalist and xenophobia movements in the U.S. and Europe, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles declared, We are not going back to the days of white supremacist domination and that the determined quest for reparatory justice will be the dominant movement of the 21stcentury.

George Fraser sternly reminded the gathering that White people will not save us; they arent even thinking about us; no one will save us but us!

ADVERTISEMENT

South African Counsel General Mathula Nkosi spoke passionately about the similarities of our struggles. She recounted the role Africans in America played in shattering apartheid and spoke to the urgent need to finish the struggle for genuine self-determination by achieving economic independence.

Susan L. Taylor reminded us of the resilience of African people as the survivors of the holocaust of enslavement. She shared an inspiring illustration of how love, compassion, culturally relevant education and mentoring can save thousands of our youth who have been marginalized under an oppressive system.

The brilliant poet, Lady Brion, brought the gathering to its feet with an inspiring spoken word oration on the indispensable role of women, of sisters, as leaders and partners in the struggle for the liberation of Black people.

The Conscious Ones of the Lola Louis Creative and Performing Arts Studio treated the assembly with a moving, dramatic presentation of Maya Angelous And Still I Rise!

Dowoti Desir opened the closing Ndaba/Plenary with an inspiring traditional African religious Invocation in which she invoked the memory of Boukman, the Haitian spiritual leader whose prayer help ignite the Haitian Revolution. That same spirit and power will arm this generation for the awesome battles ahead.

In a powerful, instructive and inspiring lecture, Dr. Maulana Karenga reaffirmed the value of the principles of the Nguzo Saba as a foundation and guide at this critical moment in our history and proclaimed that fundamental to the struggle for reparations is the repair and restoration of ourselves as African people  .When we repair ourselves, we repair the world.

Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan challenged and charged participants to rededicate to building independent Black institutions to achieve social, economic and political control over the spaces and places where we live, to create national/international structures of self-governance and reach out to other people of color, nationalities and ethnicities to build a new nation so splendid in its humanity that people of all races will feel compelled to follow.

It is impossible to capture the breadth, depth and scope of the deliberations of this powerful gathering and the resolutions, recommendations, projects and initiatives from Working Sessions in this Declaration. However, they were posted on www.ibw21.org-along with how each Session assigned responsibility for implementation. [email protected]
Interfaith Breakfast Highlights Second AME Anniversary

An interfaith prayer breakfast will be among the highlights as Pastor Carolyn Baskin-Bell and the members of Second AME Church prepare to celebrate their 110th Anniversary.

The prayer breakfast is set for Saturday, August 18, at 9 a.m., in the church edifice located at 5500 S. Hoover St., in Los Angeles. The guest speaker is the Rev. Dr. Barry Settle and his wife, the Rev. Rochelle Settle, will be the guest psalmist.

The Settles are the pastor and first lady of Allen Chapel AME Church in Riverside. Previously, they served as spiritual leaders at Willis Chapel AME in Kansas City, Missouri and First AME in Kansas City, Kansas.

The anniversary celebration continues on Sunday, August 19, at 10 a.m. with a worship service. The Rev. Vicki Hayden Lee, associate minister of the Institutional AME Church in Chicago, Illinois, will be the guest preacher.

ADVERTISEMENT

We invite the entire L.A. community to join us as we praise God for His past blessings and look forward to continuing our mission in making a difference in the lives of all people within and outside of the church walls, said Baskin-Bell.

The celebration theme is Interfaith Connection: A Faith Journey Through Prayer. Vivian Tinsley and Regina Howard-Johnson are the anniversary co-chairs.

Second AME was founded in 1908 and throughout its history; the church has been involved in the spiritual and social life of the South Los Angeles community. In addition to a vibrant ministry, Second AME operates an active outreach program that offers free meals and personal care items to those in need.

We firmly believe that helping those in need will help to shape a better future for the less fortunate, said Baskin-Bell.

To learn more or obtain tickets to the breakfast (donation $35), call (323) 753-2451.
JUUL Labs Offers New Device to Help Smokers Monitor, Change Their Habits

Kevin Burns, the CEO of the e-cigarette technology firm JUUL Labs, said his company is dedicated to eliminating traditional cigarette smoking by offering existing adult smokers a real alternative to combustible cigarettes.

The JUUL device uses an intelligent heating mechanism that creates an aerosol and is engineered to minimize combustion, according to the companys website.

Burns, who formally served as president and COO of the Greek yogurt brand Chobani, told the NNPA Newswire that JUUL remains focused on improving the lives of the more than 38 million adults who smoke in America and the one billion-plus who indulge in cigarette use around the globe.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black adults smoke cigarettes at roughly the same rate as White adults (16.5 percent for non-Hispanic Blacks vs. 16.6 percent of non-Hispanic Whites).

This is a product focused on the adult smoker and we want to eliminate smoke around the world and give the smoker the nicotine experience with the switch to e-cigarettes said Burns, who holds a bachelor of science degreefrom the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The JUUL is a slim device that looks like a flash drive. The company, which reportedly has an estimated worth of $16 billion, also manufactures e-liquid JUULpods that contain nicotine salts, which Burns said result in nicotine delivery that users find as satisfying as what they get from traditional cigarettes. The liquid pods contain benzoic acid, a naturally occurring ingredient that, when combined with nicotine, helps in mimicking the peak nicotine delivery of a cigarette.

A single JUULpod contains five percent nicotine; a three percent nicotine pod will be more widely available this month, Burns said.

We hope the availability of different nicotine strengths will continue to allow adult smokers the ability to explore whats best for them, Burns said.

Thats important for African Americans, Hispanics, lower-income individuals and many military veterans, all who tend to use nicotine products, he said.

We think we can bring a solution that can have an incredible impact on people switching from combustible tobacco products [to e-cigarettes], Burns said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The company has created educational materials to support underserved communities and they continue to encourage the use of their products by adults only, Burns said.

Our intent is not to have people who arent using nicotine products to [purchase our products], Burns said. We dont want non-users and we dont want underage users.

JUUL Labs has spared little expense in its educational efforts.

In the United States, youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes, according to the CDC, which makes those education efforts even more critical, as the company expands into new markets.

JUUL Labs established an advisory council for community outreach and youth education awareness and prevention in Baltimore, Md. Its the first city in which JUUL is attempting a hands-on approach, aligning with partners like the Black Mental Health Alliance and Baltimore Corps., an organization that enlists talented individuals in public service and social entrepreneurship in Baltimore.

When asked how does JUUL plan to market its products to African Americans and Hispanics, Burns said the company is evaluating options.

Were formulating a plan now. We have a partnership with Black Mental Health Alliancedoing community work and were working on the population thats underserved and over-harmed, Burns said.

The company is also making efforts in terms of retail auditing to make sure people are not selling their products to underage youth, Burns said.

The company takes underage smoking very seriously and, to that end, theyre also establishing the use of Bluetooth technology which could one day shut devices down around schools and other places, Burns said.

JUUL is also developing a Bluetooth-enabled device in international markets that consumers can link to health and wellness apps on their smartphones.

We are looking at the ability to allow them to reduce their dependence, Burns said. Connection to the app may have features that allow you to monitor and have active management of your device, which can actively manage nicotine levels; getting people off of [combustible] cigarettes is a big win.

Burns concluded: With the hardware and software, well be able to give people every opportunity to minimize their relationship with nicotine. This will be done through a very sophisticated technology where we will have a device connected to an app that will allow you to have active management of your use.

Learn more about the vapor alternative to traditional cigarettes at JUUL.com.
LAUSD Safety Report Calls for Building Upgrades, No Random Searches

City Attorney Mike Feuer released the final version of his School Safety report today, with recommendations that the Los Angeles Unified School District upgrade some of its buildings and suspend the practice of using hand-held metal detectors to randomly search students  but not arm teachers or have more armed personnel on campus.

The report was issued by the Los Angeles School Safety Blue Ribbon Panel, which Feuer formed in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14.

Our School Safety Report is the final result of bringing together students, parents, educators, other stakeholders and experts to tackle one of the most significant issues of our time. Our Blue Ribbon Panels recommendations would make a real impact on school safety, Feuer said. I look forward to continuing to work closely with educators, parents and residents across Los Angeles to translate these proposals into action and protect our kids.

ADVERTISEMENT

The panel included Los Angeles School Police Chief Steven Zipperman, retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, former Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith and other education and public safety experts. The panel held hearings starting in April in all seven LAUSD school board districts.

Speaking at a City Hall East news conference with some of the panel members, Feuer said some of the 33 recommendations would cost little money to implement, while others  including that each school should have a full-time psychiatric social worker on campus  would be costly.

The report did not contain any detailed cost estimate of the recommendations, but offered numerous suggestions on how to help get them funded, including that the business community develop a large-scale adopt-a- school program, the district pursue state and federal grants, and that the district advocate to include school safety provisions in a potential 2020 state school bond measure.

Zipperman, who was representing both the school police force and the district, said the district would begin evaluating each of recommendations.

I want to stress that we will take a look at  and weve already taken a look at  all of the recommendations. And as the chief of the school police department, it lies heavily on my shoulders to ensure that every child that attends our schools is safe, Zipperman said.

The report recommends that all schools have a single entry point to increase safety. It also notes that new schools built after 2013 in the district require a single entry point, but schools built before 2013 do not have this feature.

ADVERTISEMENT

The report recommends that the district suspend the practice of wanding students with a hand-held metal detector to search for weapons at all middle schools and high schools until it performs a full audit of the program, but Feuer said it was not a position held by every panel member.

The report found that of the 385 knives and firearms confiscated at LAUSD schools in 2016-17, a metal detector wand was involved in only five confiscations, and most confiscations happened when students came forward to present information to adults on campus.

Aside from being ineffective, the report said some students found the searches caused a breakdown in trust between students and adults on campus, and that they would be less likely to share information with adults.

Feuer also addressed the issue of arming teachers in schools, which is not included in the panels recommendations but which President Donald Trump has called for.

It seemed to me, from hearing those hearings, the panelists felt that putting more weapons on school campuses, especially in the hands of those who may not be fully equipped to use them in a crisis, was itself a recipe for less safe campuses, not more safe campuses, Feuer said. Its sort of a facile response to a much more complex problem.

The report also calls for the establishment of a robust district-wide safe passage to school program; the creation of a high-level district position to coordinate all safety issues; coordination with law enforcement on gang and crime reduction in neighborhoods surrounding schools; creation of a comprehensive safe gun storage project that assures parents know of their legal obligations to keep weapons at home safely stored; an increase in the number of mental health resources on campus including social workers and peer counseling programs; and the creation of a single, easy to navigate, anonymous system of reporting threats, bullying and other dangers to schools.
Local Specialist, Dr. Lorenzo Brown Makes Patient Care a Priority

Ive worked especially hard to become a respected member of the medical community, said otolaryngologist (or ear, nose and throat specialist) Dr. Lorenzo Brown.

When my peers have confidence in my abilities, it means my patients can too. My relationships with my patients are the kind that physicians are supposed to have. You have to know them.

If one was to look at Browns resume, he/ she would see that, that respect and confidence was hard earned. The (age) physician has been in Los Angeles medical community for more than 40 years and has shown no signs of slowing down.

ADVERTISEMENT

I should be retired, he told the Sentinel in a recent interview.

But right now, Im fighting to keep access to healthcare in the community.

And, hes happy to do it, he said. In fact, the ENT (or the otolaryngologist) continues his work as a labor of love, for patients who are underinsured. His mission: to be a part of the healthcare solution, especially in South Los Angeles where the need is great.

I want to bring the best medical care to South L.A., Brown said.

Currently, Brown is the lead otolaryngologist at the Martin Luther King outpatient center, where he and his team serve about 100 patients a week, he said. His private practice is located in Inglewood. He provides hearing tests; he takes care of ear, nose and throat issues, head and neck surgery and also performs reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Brown is one of only three specialists of his kind in the South L.A. area, the next closest, he said, is in Torrance.

Dr. Brown grew up in Detroit, cultivating a background in music before deciding to go into medicine. He arrived in the Golden State from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he received his M.D. in 1974. He began with an internship in general surgery at Martin Luther King Hospital that same year.

ADVERTISEMENT

By 1975, he was sharpening his surgical skills as a resident at California Hospital in Los Angeles, where he stayed until 1976 before heading to Chicago as an otolaryngologist resident at Northwestern University Medical Center. In 1979, The American Board of Otolaryngology certified Dr. Brown and he headed back to California, choosing to practice at MLK and subsequently choosing to share his knowledge and skills training others at Charles R. Drew School of Medicine and science.

He has trained over 40 otolaryngologists during his career. The National Medical Association deemed him outstanding in his field and he is a fellow with the American Academy of Otolaryngology  Head and Neck Surgery. He is a member of several professional medical organizations like the NMA, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, California Medical Association and Los Angeles County Medical Association.

But his accomplishments are not what Dr. Brown thinks about. In fact, during his interview, he seemed to hardly ever reflect on them. He is mainly focused on getting quality care to those who otherwise wouldnt have access.

We call our clinic the Butterfly Clinic, Brown explained.

We take care of things like thyroid tumors (for instance). We have a very high level of skill and we help people.

At the outpatient center, Brown and his team provide social services.

We find a way to get people the care they need, he said.

Brown is among a list of specialists at MLK, he said, specialists who would normally not be accessible to uninsured or underinsured patients. Those included podiatrists, neurologists and dermatologists for instance.

And, while his patients appreciate him and the others, he likes to make sure they know that he appreciates his patients also. He shows it by doing things like hosting luncheons for them. For instance. In 2015, Brown hosted his first thyroid cancer surgery survival celebration.

Per one patient review, Dr. Brown is an excellent doctor great conversation, very professional. [and his] office staff is very sweet.

Said another, Dr. Brown is an excellent physician. I would recommend him to anyone having a problem that needs his specialty. The staff is very helpful

And perhaps the most telling, Dr Brown saved my life when he found and removed the cancer tumors [sic] in my neck and in my throat. He has been concerned with my after care after my insurance [sic] and he had problems that he stills sees me regularly [sic] without being paid. I will always be grateful for Dr. BROWN AND HIS STAFF
Love, Peace and Happiness Plans Redeemed Womens Conference

Transformation is the focus of the 2018 Annual Redeemed Womens Conference hosted by Love, Peace and Happiness Family Christian Fellowship starting Wednesday, August 15 through Sunday, August 19, on the LPH campus at 4951 S. Figueroa St., in Los Angeles.

According to Bishop Leon and Dr. Jacqueline Martin, the theme is Women Desiring a Spiritual Makeover and the free event promises to be one of the greatest, inspiring, heart searching, motivating conferences of all times.

All women are invited to come be revived and refreshed. We will have dynamic speakers and great music. Every night promises to be a night of change and a heart searching experience, said the bishop.

ADVERTISEMENT

The agenda includes evening services at 7:15 p.m. as well as guest speakers Dr. Shervonne Wells of Spirit of Love Christian Fellowship, and Evangelist Audrey Williams-Love and Dr. Carla Williams-Love of Love, Peace and Happiness Ministries. Dr. Jean Perez of More Sure Word Ministries will address the conference on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

To register or obtain more information, call (800) 757-6552.
Michelle Obama Joins Voter Registration Drive for the Midterms

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is featured in a video along with celebrities Tom Hanks, Janelle Monae, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Lin-Manuel Miranda to encourage people to register and vote.

In less than 100 days, the midterm elections that will either expand President Trumps power or greatly restrict it, will take place on November 6. There has been much talk about the likelihood of a blue wave that could give Democrats the gavel and investigative power in Congress over the next two years of Trumps presidency. The underlying urgency of Michelle Obamas message is an unspoken aspect of her new registration effort.

The name of the new effort, When We All Vote, is also an indication that the former first lady is well aware of the fact that higher voter turnout usually leads to Democratic victories at the polls. The effort is also a challenge registered voters to participate in elections both big and small. Though the effort is billed as non-partisan, the sense of urgency about the countrys direction under President Trumps leadership is an unavoidable backdrop.

ADVERTISEMENT

Several live events are also expected as part of the effort between now and election day.

Former President Barack Obama is expected to hit the campaign trail to assist Democrats who are looking to take back the House and Senate in 2019. On July 31, the former President announced that he is endorsing 81 Democratic candidates on the ballot this November.

There is a record number of women on the ballot this year. Many of the endorsements former President Obama has focused on were candidates who worked in his administration, like Colin Allred, Lauren Underwood and Richard Cordray.

The Obamas have been relatively quiet since departing the White House in early 2017, but that is likely to change. The former president and the former first ladys launch of When We All Vote is likely to be only the first of several post White House efforts they will participate in.

Im confident that, together, theyll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity thats broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law, Obama wrote in his endorsement statement.
Power to Heal Details History of Integration in Healthcare at Haynes Lecture Series

As a part of the M. Alfred Haynes Lecture Series, Charles Drew University (CDU) hosted a screening for Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Movement, a documentary by Barbara Berney, on July 31 in the Keck Auditorium. The hour-long public television documentary details the story of the struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans. The documentary, narrated by Danny Glover, illustrates how Civil Rights Movement leaders and grassroots activists advocated for and collaborated with the federal government to achieve justice and fairness for African-Americans via the desegregation of healthcare.

Emboldened and legitimized by the separate but equal federal ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), racial segregation dictated every aspect of American life during the early half of the 20th century, and healthcare was no exception. Prior to the national rollout of Medicare, a national insurance program that played a pivotal role in hospital integration, disparities in access to hospital care were dramatic. Less than half the nations hospitals served Black and White patients equitably, and in the South, one-third of hospitals would not admit African-Americans at all. With this lack of access to mainstream medicine, African Americans often found themselves resorting to home remedies and opening their own facilities  however these facilities had few resources and little to no support from the U.S. Government.

African Americans did not only encounter barriers in accessing modern medicine  they faced barriers in practicing it as well. Following the closure of almost all Black medical schools in the early half of the 20th century, most Black doctors only trained at two institutions in the nation, Howard University and Meharry College. After completing their training, they were relegated to the poorest hospitals and charity wards in their regions and often had to rely on their white colleagues for the ability to admit patients to the hospital.

ADVERTISEMENT

The introduction of Medicare and the funding that came along with it virtually ended the practice of racially segregating patients, doctors, medical staffs, blood supplies and linens in a matter of months. Though the federal government faced some resistance and non-compliance issues, primarily from southern states, over 90% of hospitals in the United States were integrated by the end of programs initial rollout in 1965.

The film featured commentary from prominent figures in CDUs history, such as former dean and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and Sylvia Drew Ivie, current special assistant to the President. A Q&A session moderated by latter immediately followed the screening, and the audience was able to engage directly with the films creator, Barbara Berney and director Charles Burnett.
Sebastian Ridley-Thomas Pushes Back Against USC, Seeks Reinstatement as Both Student and Professor

Former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is fighting his dismissal from the University of Southern California both as a graduate student and as a professor of practice.

The LA Sentinel has learned that Ridley-Thomas legal team has filed two separate informal grievances on both issues. One regards his status as a student, and the other, his position as an adjunct professor. In both letters he calls his dismissals abrupt, unjust and unilateral. This is the opening shot and the first step toward filing formal grievances as well potential litigation. Sebastian Ridley-Thomas Status as a Student

In December of 2017, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, often called SRT, applied to the masters program at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at USC. On January 8, 2018, he received an email from USC stating that he had been accepted, and the next day he received another email stating that he had received a full scholarship for the program. The only conditions of the scholarship award were that he maintain a 3.0 GPA and also maintain continuous enrollment on his specified track and/or enrollment plan. Ridley-Thomas accepted these terms and began taking courses at USC.

ADVERTISEMENT

On July 18, 2018 he was notified that despite his compliance with USCs requirements, his scholarship violated university policies and had been rescinded.

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas Status of his contract as a Professor of Practice

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was accepted as a student at USC in January of 2018 and on March 10, 2018 (three months later) he was offered a non-tenured, part-time professorship at USC. There was no mention of his scholarship or his status as a student.

A few months later, however, he received a letter stating, Faculty members shall not be candidates for degrees in the same department or program in which they have an appointment. In addition, assistant professors on the tenure track should not simultaneously be candidates for degrees anywhere. Individual exceptions may be made only with the approval of the Provost or of a special committee appointed by the President.

The part-time professorship, however, had been approved by the Office of the Provost, and the universitys July 18 letter of dismissal does not provide any information as to why USC suddenly determined several months later that a violation had allegedly occurred.

Now USC and SRT are at odds, with the university apparently penalizing the former assemblyman for its own procedural failings.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the same time, the university is also alleging that a $100,000 donation by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas may have been tied to SRTs acceptance into the masters program and/or professorship, and the university has asked the U.S. Attorney to investigate the donation and the relationship between USC, the supervisor, and the former assemblymember.

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas attorney, Lance Olson, released a statement to the Los Angeles Times saying his USC admission was based on his own merits and went through normal

channels. As for the faculty job, Olson said USCs offer letter stated his client was hired with the enthusiastic recommendation of the faculty.

USCs campus sits in the heart of the supervisors District, and USC is one of the largest employers within all of Los Angeles County. So, a donation to the university does not appear to be improper or irregular.

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was hired as a professor of practice  a position routinely accorded to instructors who may not have typical academic credentials but have demonstrated excellence and effectiveness professionally, according to the USC faculty handbook.

Furthermore, USC has historically hired former and current politicians as adjunct professors. These officeholders include: former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former California Gov. Schwarzenegger, and former Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally.

USC, which has been embroiled in controversy over the past several months and is the subject of numerous legal proceedings and lawsuits, has now turned the matter of the Supervisors donation over to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The supposed link between the supervisors donation and his sons hiring at USC, however, appears tenuous.

After conducting its own internal probe, USC approached the U.S. Attorneys office in Los Angeles and told federal prosecutors they had concerns about a recent $100,000 donation from a campaign fund controlled by the supervisor, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A lawyer for Mark Ridley-Thomas, however, told The Times the supervisor was surprised to learn that his donation to USC has become an issue.

We do not believe that it raises any legal or ethical issues, and it had nothing to do with his sons scholarship or employment at the university, stated attorney Stephen Kaufman.

If neither MRT or SRT violated the universitys policies, that may leave USC on the hook.

Where USC may have created even more legal issues regarding this case is that Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was a student at the school and his rights concerning his status as a student, his financial assistance from the university and even his employment status may have been protected information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

The article was updated from the original published version.
The Constitution is a Shield for Civil and Human Rights

Its shaping up to be a hot summer in D.C.and for reasons having nothing to do with the weather.

In a few weeks, the Senate will decide whether a D.C. Circuit Court judge named Brett Kavanaugh should be the nations next Supreme Court justice. And from my office window, I can already hear the battle cries.

Kavanaughs opponents describe him as a threat to our democracy. They are shouting that the future of America is at stake. And they warn his confirmation will turn the clock back on our rights.

ADVERTISEMENT

Having been around politics for decades, I tend to ignore a lot of this type of stuff. But when someone says the clock may be turned back on our rights, it gets my attention.

Ive been involved in the battle for civil rights most of my life. As a 12-year-old student back in 1961, I helped integrate a Whites-only school in Richmond, Va. As a college student at Hampton Institute (now University), I protested for student rights. As a young mom, I volunteered with Housing Opportunities Made Equal to fight racism and achieve equal access. And as Virginias Secretary for Health and Human Resources, I fought for empowerment reform that helped low-income men and women achieve the pride and dignity of employment.

So I took the rollback of civil rights line seriously and looked into it. And what I found out just might surprise you.

Judge Kavanaugh has been a steadfast supporter of civil rights, because he has been consistently faithful to the Constitution. For example, during his 2006 Senate confirmation for the D.C. Circuit Court, he said:

some of the worst moments in the Supreme Courts history have been moments of judicial activism, like the Dred Scott casewhere the Court went outside its proper bounds, in my judgment, in interpreting clauses of the Constitution to impose its own policy views.

That means that, when questions have come before him, he hasnt answered them with a heres what I personally think type of answer. Instead, hes addressed them with a heres what the Constitution has to say ruling.

ADVERTISEMENT

And that speaks volumes about the type of Justice he will be.

You see, the U.S. Constitution is the very reason we even have a thing called civil rights. Before America was born, the world was a very different place. How a person lived depended on where they were born, who their parents and grandparents were, how rich they were, and so on. If you were born poor, you were likely to stay poor. And if you were a minority in your country, you were unlikely to ever have equal treatment under their laws.

America was created to be an exception to the global norm that limited freedom, curtailed liberties, denied due process, and caused poverty to persist across generations. We had to overcome huge obstacles, of course, but the extraordinary achievements weve realized would not have been possible without our Constitution.

Instead of being a sword against freedom and rights, the Constitution has been the shield thats made them possible.

Whenever obstacles stood in the wayincluding segregation and other evil Jim Crow lawsit was the Constitution that cast them aside. Liberty? The Constitution grants it in its very first sentence. Slavery? It was abolished by the Constitution in its 13th Amendment Citizenship? You can find that in the Constitution, tooits right there in the 14th Amendment. So is our right to vote, which is made clear for all to see in the Constitutions 15th Amendment.

Thats why its absolutely crucial that Judge Kavanaughlike all who do or may serve on the Supreme Courtis faithful to the Constitution.

Simply put, being true to the Constitution is the key to our democracy. Its more important than any single issue, any political party, or any partisan interest. Indeed, theres nothing more important than upholding the document that established and secures our rights.

Thats why the Constitution grants judges the power to determine whether a law is constitutionalnot the power to make or change it.

Good judges know this. They know they have to fulfill their awesome duty without ever overstepping it. Bad judges dont. They inject their own preferences into the law, they pick favorite issues and sides, and they invent new reasons to rule the way they want.

Bad judges denied Blacks equal rights in the Dred Scott v. Sandfordcase of 1857 I mentioned above. They banned interracial marriage in the 1883 case, Pace v. Alabama. And they institutionalized segregation with the separate, but equal doctrine in 1896 with Plessy v. Ferguson.

In each of those cases, bad judges put their own racist views ahead of the Constitutions protections. They were wrongand thats why, in each case, they were overruled by later Supreme Court justices who werefaithful to the Constitution.

And its because Judge Kavanaugh has proven throughout his career to be 100 percent faithful to the Constitution that he has my total support. Not for his sake, but for ours.
Warren: Criminal justice System RacistFront to Back

Potential Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren delivered what she called the hard truth about our criminal justice system: Its racist  I mean front to back.

While speaking at a historically Black college, the Massachusetts senator identified some of the systems failures: disproportionate arrests of African Americans for petty drug possession; an overloaded public defender system; and state laws that keep convicted felons from voting even after their sentences are complete.

Warren was participating in a Q&A session hosted by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond at Dillard University in New Orleans.

ADVERTISEMENT

She was among several possible Democratic White House contenders who spoke Friday at Netroots Nation, an annual conference for progressives. She was the only leading Democrat to appear at Dillard.

The stop is the latest sign of Warrens effort to forge ties beyond her largely White political base in Massachusetts and avoid the fate of fellow progressive icon Bernie Sanders, who struggled to win over African Americans during his failed bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

Warren has previously addressed the NAACP and the Rev. Al Sharptons annual civil rights gathering. She visited Martin Luther King Jr.s Atlanta church last year for a program alongside the Rev. Bernice King, the slain civil rights leaders youngest daughter.

Facing re-election to the Senate this year, Warren did not directly address her 2020 plans. But when Richmond asked her what might have changed since she decided not to run in 2016, the senator was ready.

Two words: Donald Trump, Warren said, before shifting to warn the audience that the November midterm vote is the immediate fight as Democrats try to break GOP control of Congress.

Other than on criminal justice, Warren did not focus her answers on race, offering her usual creed about bending public policy back toward working-class Americans. She called for support for unions, massive investments in infrastructure and more spending on education, including programs for preschool-age children and debt relief for student loans.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ahead of the event, Richmond said any aspiring Democratic nominee will have to address Black voters directly.

The biggest political frustration in the African-American community, Richmond told The Associated Press, is that we have a bunch of Democrats, both Black and White, but primarily White, they dont get it the Black experience, the Black struggle, what its like to raise a young Black man or Black woman from infant to high school.

Richmond praised Warrens work as a consumer advocate and her willingness to explain her policies with her personal story, principally her mothers venture into the workforce to support the family amid her fathers health problems. Warren opened with that narrative at Dillard, and it struck a chord with some who came to hear her.

What really resonates with me was her background, coming from a meager place and using hard work and education to get to where she is today, said David Hoey, a pastor in Shreveport, Louisiana.

C.J. Wiltz, a retired Dillard professor who came to hear Warren, said her work on Capitol Hill stands out. I was especially interested in whats shes been saying about the financial sector and how the impact of big banks on poor people has manifested, he said, adding that hed like to see her run in 2020.

In Massachusetts, less than 10 percent of the electorate is African American. Running for president, Democrats must navigate a primary calendar front-loaded with Southern states where African Americans determine the outcome.

In 2008, that helped Barack Obama sweep the South and build an early, insurmountable delegate lead over Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Clinton managed the same sweep against Sanders, a Vermont senator whose home base is mostly White.

The coming campaign could include several Black candidates such as Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Attorney General Eric Holder and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Sanders could make another bid. And while Obama isnt on the ballot, his vice president, Joe Biden, could be.

There will be a search for someone they can hear and see and immediately identify with, Aneesa McMillan, who worked for Sanders campaign, said of Black voters. But, she added, its not impossible for that to be a White candidate.
Watts Activist Frieda Gonzaque Burruss Memorialized at Ted Watkins Park Tree Planting Ceremony

A family tradition of community activism will continue to bloom in Watts following a tree planting ceremony memorializing Frieda Gonzaque-Burruss for her decades of work in supporting educational opportunities for youths and economic development for residents in the Watts/Willowbrook community. Three Jacaranda trees, two representing her father and mother, were planted in the Roy and Ozzie Gonzaque Commemorative Grove at Ted Watkins Park. The grove was named after her parents whose advocacy and activism on behalf of the Watts community is legendary.

During her 30-year professional career as an executive administrator for TRW (Northrop Grumman) Gonzaque-Burruss kept an eye on giving back to the community she was raised in. She was an officer in TRWs African American employee group and one of the founding members of the groups Bootstrap Scholarship Foundation providing college scholarship funds to students who show exceptional interest and high academic standards in the fields of math and science. She also co-founded Sisters Les Sevan (SLS) a group of David Starr Jordan High School, Class of 1964 graduates dedicated to support the schools Alumni Association and organizers of the ceremony. We wanted to recognize Frieda for her leadership in planning and initiating projects that benefited countless people in our community. She will be remembered not only for her philanthropic work with SLS and the Boot Strap Foundation but her many years of active support of the Watts community, noted SLS officer, Donna Wilson,

With an eye on economic development in the underserved communities of her childhood, Gonzaque-Burress served as an administrator and volunteer for the Wattstar Theatre Project and the Entrepreneur Educational Center, Inc., along with her sisters Barbara J. Stanton and Bernadette G. Robert. Hundreds of youth and young adults, held her in high esteem. The ceremony was attended by a host of officials, family and friends including representatives from the 44th District office of Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan, Commissioner Mike Davis, Mike Yamamota, L.A. County Dept Parks and Recreation and Park Manager Tenesha Ware.

ADVERTISEMENT
Argentinas Senate has rejected a measure that would have legalized ending a pregnancy during the first 14 weeks for any reason.

The Senate voted against the measure 38 to 31 on Thursday. The proposal narrowly passed Argentinas lower house in July.

President Mauricio Macri had promised to sign the bill if it passed, although he is against abortion. Macri called the debate a win for democracy.

The vote followed intense debate in the Senate that ran into the early morning. Supporters and opponents spent hours outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires to follow the debate.

Demonstrations were mostly peaceful. After the vote, small groups of protesters threw firebombs and set barricades on fire, the Associated Press reported. Police used tear gas to break up the crowd, but no injuries were reported.

The bill was supported by several womens groups and a growing abortion rights movement. The Roman Catholic Church is still strong in Argentina  the home country of Pope Francis. The Catholic Church and other groups opposed the measure. They argued the bill violated an Argentine law that guarantees life from the moment of conception.

Abortion is only allowed in Argentina in cases of rape and risks to the mothers health. Thousands of women, most of them poor, are hospitalized each year for problems linked to unsafe abortions. Supporters of the measure said legalizing abortion would save the lives of many women.

The Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that up to 500,000 secret abortions are performed each year, resulting in the deaths of many women. Activists have estimated about 3,000 women in Argentina have died from illegal abortions since 1983.

Jose Miguel Vivanco is director for the Americas for the rights group Human Rights Watch based in New York City. He had called on Argentine lawmakers to take a historic stand to protect the rights of women.

Rights group Amnesty International had told senators to keep in mind that the world is watching the vote.

Demonstrations in support of the measure were held in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and Ecuador. Efforts to ease or strengthen abortion restrictions have happened in other nations across South and Central America in recent years.

Last year in Chile, the Constitutional Court approved a bill that eased that countrys complete ban on abortions. The law now permits abortions when a womans life is in danger, when a fetus is not viable and in cases of rape.

Chile had been the last country in South America to ban abortion in all cases. Several nations in Central America still have complete abortion bans.

Argentina has supported several social movements in recent years.

In 2010, it became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.

More recently, the Ni Una Menos, or Not One Less, movement was created in Argentina. The movement aims to fight violence against women and has spread around the world.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Mario Ritter 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

abortion n. a medical operation used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus

barricade  n. something put on or across the road to block it

conception  n. the moment a woman becomes pregnant

fetus  n. young human that is still developing inside its mother

viable  adj. able to be successful
This is Whats Trending Today

The search engine Google celebrated on Thursday what would have been the 110th birthday of the first Native American woman engineer. Google honored Mary Ross with a special Google Doodle on its homepage.

Ross was born on August 9, 1908, in the state of Oklahoma. She was the great-granddaughter of John Ross, the longest-serving chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Her work is considered critical to the early stages of the age of space travel.

Ross showed special abilities in math and science from an early age. As a student, she developed an interest in aviation, or the practice of flying aircraft. She went on to earn a masters degree in mathematics from Colorado State Teachers College -- now called the University of Northern Colorado.

During World War II, Ross began working for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation as a mathematician. There, she was urged to complete work in aeronautical engineering. She earned a special certification in the field from the University of California - Los Angeles in 1949.

Ross was later chosen to join Lockheeds top-secret Skunk Works team that worked on aircraft designs. The name refers to a group that is permitted to work independently on advanced projects. She was the only female engineer among the teams 40 members.

Early on, she researched defense systems. By the late 1950s, her work centered on satellites and a series of space rockets called Agenda. The rockets were extremely important in the 1960s during the Apollo moon program.

Ross also helped develop early design ideas for space travel between planets, including flyby space flights to study Venus and Mars.

Ross retired from Lockheed in 1973. But she continued to give talks at high schools and colleges to encourage more women and Native Americans to study engineering.

Mary Ross died in 2008, a few months before her 100th birthday.

Many celebrated Ross life on social media. The National Science Foundation wrote on Twitter Thursday, engineers like Mary Ross are an inspiration to women everywhere. Women and minorities continue to face challenges and break through barriers in engineering.



Scientists on Twitter wrote that Thursdays Doodle introduced them to Mary Ross for the first time.

Twitter user Aaron Perez, for example, wrote: Mary Ross was an engineer who pioneered in the field of satellites. I never would [have] known if it wasnt for the doodle. Women engineers deserve more recognition.

And thats Whats Trending Today.

Im Lucija Millonig.

Ashley Thompson wrote this report. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

aeronautical - adj. related to the science that deals with airplanes and flying

challenge - n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do

inspiration - n. something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create : a force or influence that inspires someone

ballistic missile - n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes

rocket - n. a spacecraft or missile that is powered by a rocket engine

certification - n. official approval to do something professionally or legally

pioneer - v. to help create or develop (new ideas, methods, etc.) : to be a pioneer in the development of (something)
Romanian secret police agents watched her and persuaded friends to report on her activities. The agents took pictures of her when she was in her underwear.

About 70 informants and spies watched Katherine Verdery when she visited Romania in the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, the country was under Communist Party rule.

Verdery went to Romania for postgraduate research on village life. She is now an anthropology professor at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

After the collapse of communism in 1989, Verdery was given a copy of the once secret records about her activities. The documentation covered 2,781 pages. She used them for her book, which is called My Life as a Spy.

Verdery wrote the book in English. It was recently published in the Romanian language, a move that has opened old wounds. Her story is forcing Romanians to face a dark period in their history.

An American Spy?

Verdery admits being a young and innocent American when she first went to Eastern Europe. She failed to understand what her questions and efforts to become part of Romanian society looked like to other people.

Under Communist rule, Romanians considered Americans sent to Romania for study programs to be Western spies. Verdery did nothing to stop the idea. Once she mistakenly rode her motorcycle onto a military base.

By the end of her research, the officer responsible for her case decided she was not a spy.

When Verdery first learned of the existence of the secret police records, she was absolutely stunned... I couldnt believe my eyes, the level of surveillance was so much greater than anything I hadimagined.

Romanian Securitate agents reported on her movements, sometimes up to 16 hours a day. Hotel employees reported where she went, others looked at her belongings to read her research notes. She was filmed and recorded everywhere and friends reported on her.

Romanian officials feared she would present Romania badly or could affect the countrys Most Favored Nation position. Under international rules, a Most Favored Nation can openly trade with other nations.

The secret police had a number of names for Verdery. They included Vera, Vanesa and Folklorista.

Trying to understand

Angry and sad, Verdery returned to Romania to understand why she had been a target for the secret police.

(They assumed) that I was a spy, she told The Associated Press by telephone from Massachusetts. Finding out my friends were involved working with the secret police...was an unwelcome surprise.

Back in Romania, she met and discussed events with former close friends and co-workers.

Some people denied watching her. Others had died. One woman blamed Verdery for making her become an informer. Only one person apologized. Verdery forgave everyone.

Verdery believes spying is a product of culture. She understands why people might think she was a spy. She took notes and kept copies. Later, she sent them to the United States, mail that was shipped directly from the U.S. embassy in Bucharest.

Verdery does not name the friends who spied on her, but records that have appeared in Romanian media show they included two former government ministers.

Memories of the Securitate

Unlike other former communist countries, Romania has yet to deal with the destructive effect its secret police had on the country. Everyone was watched. Nearly everyone was an informer. People lived without trust.

Observers say the old system continues to operate.

Its as alive as it was before, and we havent healed yet, said Armand Gosu, a teacher at the University of Bucharest.

But the publication of My Life as a Spy in Romanian last month seems to be having an effect. The book has sold out as Romanians seem prepared to discuss their past.

Silvia Colfescu heads the publishing house Vremea. Colfescu was one of Verderys few friends who did not spy on her.

She was a foreign researcher from America, of course, they had their eyes on her, Colfescu told The Associated Press. All foreigners were naive, all of them, she said. We had foreign friends and I told them.

Why did so many people spy on others? The secret police used threats.

Your children wont get into university, your wife wont get cancer treatment, Colfescu said.

Armand Gosu calls the book sensational. He said it is unusual that an American understands the time of Nicolae Ceausescu better than Romanians.

Im Susan Shand.

Alison Mutler reported this story for the Associated Press. Susan Shand adapted her story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________
The Russian government has criticized the United States for ordering new sanctions against Russia.

The government said Thursday it has begun working on ways to answer the measures. U.S. officials say the order is meant to answer the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.

The State Department announced the sanctions on Wednesday. The Reuters news agency said they would restrict sensitive national security controlled goods to Russia.

The announcement said that Russia had broken international law by using a deadly nerve agent against its own nationals.

Former Russian military intelligence official Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in the English city of Salisbury in March. British officials said they found evidence the substance used in the attack was Novichok, a nerve gas developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s.

Both Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, but spent weeks recovering in the hospital. Britain, the United States and other nations have accused Russia of ordering the poisonings. The Russian government has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attack.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday the new sanctions represent a fresh attempt to demonize Russia. She added that ultimatums against Russia are useless, and noted the government is considering ways to answer the U.S. restrictions.

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin called the measures unfriendly and unlawful. The spokesman said the decision goes against a constructive process that began when Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Helsinki last month.

Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to improve relations between the two countries. But he has faced criticism from U.S. lawmakers for not taking a stronger position against reported Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.

In March, the United States joined European nations in expelling Russian diplomats to answer the poisonings. But U.S. officials had not yet confirmed the use of banned nerve agents in the attack.

This week, the State Department said Russia 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 decision. In a statement, she said the U.S. action sends a clear message to Russia that its reckless behavior will not go unanswered.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. George Grow 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

demonize  v. try to make a person or group seem very bad

ultimatum  n. a statement that you will do something that will affect someone badly if they do not do what you want

constructive  adj. serving a helpful or useful purpose

alleged  adj. said or thought by some people to be true, but without specific proof

lethal  adj. able to cause or causing death

reckless  adj. showing a lack of care about risks or danger
Editor's note: The Parker Space Probe's Saturday launch was delayed. NASA now expects to launch the probe early Sunday.

The United States space agency will launch a spacecraft to explore the sun more closely than ever before on Saturday.

NASAs Parker Solar Probe will fly through the hot solar atmosphere and come within just 6 million kilometers of the suns surface.

The spacecraft has a heat shield designed to resist temperatures of 1,370 degrees Celsius. The shield is unlike anything NASA has ever designed before.

Closer than ever before

The Parker Probe will get almost seven times closer to the sun than earlier spacecraft. To do this, it will fly past Venus seven times over seven years. Each pass will change the probes orbit by providing a gravity boost. It will move ever closer to the sun and straight into the corona, the suns outermost atmosphere.

By exploring the suns corona, scientists hope to learn why it is hundreds of times hotter than the suns surface. They will also study what drives the solar wind. Solar wind is the steady, high-speed stream of charged particles shooting off the corona into space.

Scientists expect the $1.5-billion mission to help them learn about both the Earths sun, and also the billions of other stars in the Milky Way and beyond.

This is where we live, said NASA solar astrophysicist Alex Young. We have to understand and characterize this place that were traveling through.

The project was proposed in 1958, the same year NASA was established. Now, 60 years later, and its becoming a reality, said project manager Andy Driesman. Driesman is with Johns Hopkins University, which designed and built the spacecraft.

The technology for carrying out such a mission was not available until recently.

The Parker spacecraft has a 2.4-meter heat shield that is 11 centimeters thick. It is made of two carbon sheets, with carbon foam between them. The front has a white ceramic coating to reflect sunlight. It is expected to glow red when it experiences the extreme solar heat.

Almost everything on the spacecraft will be behind this shield, which is expected to keep its scientific instruments relatively cool.

Besides extreme temperatures, the spacecraft will also be traveling at a high speed. The probe will reach 690,000 kilometers per hour in the corona at its closest approach. That is the same as going from Chicago to Beijing in less than a minute.

The spacecraft will make its first flight past Venus in early October. Its first pass by the sun is expected in November.

The Parker Solar Probe is the first NASA spacecraft to be named after someone who is still alive. Eugene Parker is a 91-year-old professor at the University of Chicago. He predicted the existence of solar wind 60 years ago.

He plans to be at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the southern state of Florida to see the launch.

Im Phil Dierking.

This story was originally written by Marcia Dunn the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted the story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

approach - n. to move or become near or nearer to something or someone

boost - n. to increase the force, power, or amount of (something)

ceramic - adj. made of clay that has been heated to a very high temperature so that it becomes hard

characterize - v. to describe the character or special qualities of (someone or something)

foam - n. a soft material that is used to make many products

probe - n. a device that is used to obtain information from outer space and send it back to Earth

solar - adj. of or relating to the sun
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
Grandfather remembers the family trip to Maine.

That was in 1961 and the family was Grandfather-yet-to-be, Grandmother-yet-to-be, a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.

The son was left with friends and the Three Remainders took off, in a 1959 VW Beetle, loaded as follows: 5.5-horsepower Johnson outboard motor on top, a 12-foot fiberglass boat over that, and an ice chest slung with rope from the transom of the boat so it hung down behind the car.

Inside, tent and camping stuff. Parents in front seats; Daughter in the cubbyhole behind the back seat, over the engine.

We started out from Arlington, Virginia, in what was to be a 24-hour steady rain. Near Baltimore, the wipers failed and Grandfather drove the rest of the way with his face a few inches from the windshield, peering through the rain.

Eventually we arrived at our destination in Baxter State Park, where the campground was flooded and we were directed to an alternate site. Grandfather pitched the tent. There were no pop-tents in those days; no siree, Bob. Tent, poles, stakes, and rope.

The tent collapsed on us in the middle of the night, but we just waited inside til dawn. There was no dry place anywhere else.

Then, Grandfather got the Coleman gasoline stove fired up and Grandmother started breakfast. Grandfather heard Daughter say No! I want to go camping! (Grandmother had suggested she ask Grandfather if they could go home.)

Well, the middle of the trip was as we had hoped. Some native trout fishing. Climbing Mount Katahdin; icy snowbanks up there, in July. Beautiful scenery. The fresh, bracing air only to be found in Northern latitudes and plenty of fiddleheads (look it up) to pick and eat with the trout. That was the middle. Now, as Paul Harvey used to say, The Rest of the Story:

Coming back home, somewhere north of New York City, the engine quit. No spark. On Sunday, of course; remember Murphys Law?

Grandfather found a phone booth (no cellphones, in those days) and got the home phone number of a local auto parts store owner in the phone book, who was kind enough to open his store and sell Grandfather the points and condenser the engines distributor needed for its restoration. Then Grandfather got the engine running again and that was that.

***

About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian from West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.

Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
Its 2018 and smartphones with 6.4 inch displays dont really seem all that strange anymore. So how do you make a device that stands out? Give it a tiny screen or something.

That seems to be the approach Chinese device maker TCL is planning to take with a new Palm-branded smartphone expected to launch sometime this year.

TCL makes and sells phones under the Alcatel name, and the company also manufacturers most BlackBerry-branded devices. A while back TCL also acquired the rights to use the Palm name and recently the phone received FCC and WiFi certification.

Now Android Police has received some exclusive images and details suggesting that the phone will have a 3.3 inch display, making it one of the smallest Android phones sold since screens started getting big.

If the report is to believed, heres what we can expect from the upcoming TCL/Palm phone, which is said to be code-named Pepito:

3.3 inch, 720p LCD display

Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor

3GB RAM

32GB storage

800 mAh battery

Android 8.1

Titanium and Gold color options

The phone is expected to be available from Verizon in the United States. Theres no word on whether it will work with other carriers in the US or other countries, and theres no word on the price.

Im also curious to know what kind of battery life the phone will get. While the small screen and low-power processor arent likely to be too power hungry, that battery still seems really small by modern standards.

Share this article: Share this: Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

Pocket

Tumblr

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Email


The Macau SAR government says it will not abide by a ruling of the Court of Final Appeal that a construction tender be recalculated after officials committed a mathematical error. But first, the courts will have to agree.

Last month, the Court of Final Appeal ruled that the tender for the construction of a depot for the Light Rail Transit system needed to be reassessed, after one of the interested parties claimed that there had been an incorrect calculation of the companys points performance in the bid.

The verdict followed a months-long legal battle in which even Chief Executive Chui Sai On weighed in, arguing that the courts had no authority to intervene in the awarding of a contract, which was a purely administrative matter.

That intervention was rejected by the Court of Final Appeal, which found that the administrative entities behind the tender had no legal basis to compel the courts to respect the governments decision.

Referring to article 175 of Macaus administrative code, the government now says that to abide by the ruling of the court would be detrimental to the public interest.

Article 175 states that the government is permitted to exempt itself from a court order when there is absolute and serious harm to the public interest in complying with the decision.

Macaus Transportation Infrastructure Office noted in a statement that, at present, more than 90 percent of [the] construction contract for [the LRT depot] is completed and what remains to be done consists fundamentally of final adjustments, tests and inspections.

It is expected that this contract will be terminated before the end of this year, and as such, if the contract is re-awarded for the small part that has yet to be completed, the time needed for the administrative procedures involved, for the mobilization of personnel, machinery and equipment and for the transfer of work, will have a major impact [] on the installation of the Light Rail System in Taipa.

The government is not defying the court or disobeying the court ruling, local lawyer Jorge Menezes told the Times yesterday. The government is making use of a faculty provided for by the law.

There are situations in which it is lawful for the government to claim that abiding by a court judgment would be highly detrimental to the public interest, he explained. In those situations, if the court agrees with the government, [] the company at stake can pursue compensation against the government.

Another lawyer in Macau, who requested to speak anonymously, confirmed Menezess interpretation. The lawyer told the Times that the decision is not unprecedented and that it is lawful provided that the courts accept the governments interpretation that compliance would harm the public interest.

Nevertheless, it is possible that the government will have to compensate the appellant company out of its own coffers.

Menezes said that, should the courts agree with the governments interpretation, then the relevant parties may discuss compensation. Alternatively, if the courts order the government to abide by the judgment anyway, then the individual person responsible will be fined per day of non-compliance.

Either the Court of Second Instance will force the government to comply with its January ruling (confirmed by the Court of Final Appeal) if it concludes that complying with the ruling would not be highly [harmful] to the public interest, or the parties will end up discussing compensation, he said.
The New Macau Association (ANM) has called on the government to stop manipulating the media, following proposed changes to the Civil Protection Law, which is currently open for public consultation. ANM has emphasized the medias civil responsibility to report on the governments exercise of authority.

The bill includes the establishment of a new crime of creating false social alarm.

Those who spread false rumors during crisis periods, such as catastrophes, accidents, disease outbreaks, or terrorist attacks, may be caught under the new regulation that imposes harsher penalties in addition to the ones currently established by the Macau Penal Code.

Under the proposed regulation, the punishment would be increased from six months imprisonment to three years.

The task of contributing to social harmony and the enforcement of these rules will also apply to the media, with the government addressing the added responsibility of support on the disclosure of information by media outlets in the proposed change.

No media should be responsible to government. The media should only obey the law, association member Sulu Sou said.

The association believes that the media will only become the voice of the government if it reports only on a specified range of topics regulated by the government itself.

Regarding the false social alarm crime, ANM considers it the governments responsibility to release timely, open and correct information.

Most of the articles related to crimes in [any] laws involving freedom of speech have a disclaimer: to avoid letting the government abuse the articles in order to prosecute the public, said Sou, adding that however, this draft does not have a disclaimer, and apparently the proposal has not considered how to protect the freedom of speech.

The association calls for the government to clearly define the social security matters that will be within the scope of this law, and to clearly exclude demonstrations and incidents in which people exercise their civil rights.

In addition, Sou commented that under the governments arrangement, Macau is a very dangerous city.

The media does not need the government to teach it how to do things, said Sou.

Regarding the heavy punishment that the new bill proposes, Sou commented, the public hopes that government officials can be accountable. [However, according to the proposal], there will not be just a little bit of punishment [targeting] the public.

Furthermore, ANM urges the government not to suppress freedom of speech.
Investigators in China have begun recalling defective vaccines produced by a Chinese drugmaker from domestic and overseas markets, health authorities said.

Investigators found Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd. had blended expired fluids in its vaccines and falsified records from as early as April 2014, the National Health Commission said in a statement this week.

The names of the overseas countries 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 Chinas sprawling pharmaceutical sector.

The commission did not immediately respond to a fax yesterday seeking comment.

Regulators ordered a production halt last month, but public anger soared after documents leaked online showed regulators had found inconsistencies in 2017 but failed to take immediate action.

President Xi Jinping and other top officials have reacted swiftly to contain outrage by condemning Changsheng and pledging improved regulation of food and medicine safety, two areas of perennial concern in China that could fuel anti-government sentiment among the growing urban middle class.

Regulators have launched nationwide spot checks on vaccine makers while the central government has set up a panel of experts to review vaccine safety in Chinas massive USD122 billion pharmaceutical industry. Changsheng was Chinas second-largest rabies vaccine manufacturer before the scandal hit.

Police in northeast China said last week they would seek the arrest of 18 Changsheng executives, including chairwoman Gao Junfang. AP
The rescue team had done everything it could to locate the body of the man, who had been killed instantly when a massive earthquake collapsed his home Sunday night on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

They used hacksaws to cut a square into concrete wall. They used crowbars and dogs and a power drill. But by Tuesday afternoon, with the unmistakable stench of rotting flesh in the air, they were sweating and at their wits end. The body of 60-year-old Abdul Malik, one of at least 130 people killed in the 7.0-magnitude quake, would have to stay under the rubble for a third day.

Its taking far too long, said 50-year-old Masini, the victims brother-in-law who watched more than a dozen helmeted emergency workers in orange jumpsuits drill into a thick layer of concrete.

The tragic scene underscored the challenges Indonesia faces after this natural disaster. The quake shattered homes and lives on this island, displacing more than 84,000 people, according to disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

At least 4,600 foreign and Indonesian tourists also have been evacuated from three smaller islands off Lomboks coast so far, Nugroho said. The islets are renowned for their crystal clear waters that draw snorkelers and divers from all over the world.

But with not enough boats to evacuate tourists quickly and too few planes to fly them out of Lombok, many visitors were forced to wait for hours or camp on beaches and the floor of the international airport in Mataram.

On the winding roads running north from the airport, which lead to destroyed villages shadowed by tall palm trees, the disasters impact was evident. Villagers fearing aftershocks could be seen camped by the thousands under makeshift blue tarpaulins held together with bamboo and sticks. Some held up simple cardboard signs begging for aid as ambulances and other vehicles raced by.

We need food and water, said one. Please donate, said another.

The international charity Oxfam said drinking water was scarce because of a recent spell of extremely dry weather in Lombok. Food, medical supplies, tarps and clothes are also urgently needed, it said.

By late Tuesday, the government appeared to be focused on finding bodies, and wherever possible, survivors.

Masini said his brother-in-

law, Abdul Malik, who owned a small grocery store next to his home in Tanjung, was sitting in his living room with family when the catastrophe struck. Although his family managed to make it out, Abdul Malik was crushed by a thick concrete wall.

The rescuers are working too slow, Masini said. They should be bringing in heavy equipment to speed this up.

Aprintinus Titus, from the National Search and Rescue Agency, acknowledged they needed better tools. But he said we will not give up until we pull him out of this rubble. We know how hard his family is suffering.

A few kilometers up the road, rescuers earlier Tuesday pulled a single body from a pancaked pile of broken concrete and twisted rebar that once held together the multistory Jabal Nur Mosque, whose green dome had shattered and collapsed.

A 66-year-old village elder, Supardi, said a 6.4-magnitude quake that hit Lombok a week earlier had caused countless cracks in the mosques walls.

Those were going to be repaired, he said, but people were just getting over the first quake and more than half the villages 1,500 people were sleeping outside.

Large earthquakes are often followed by less-powerful aftershocks. But nobody expected a stronger quake would occur in such a short amount of time, said Supardi, who said he was praying in the mosque when the tremor hit.

He described a roar that knocked out the electricity and sent people fleeing outside. It destroyed everything, he said.

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.

By Tuesday evening, the search effort at the mosque ended after dogs failed to find more bodies and no other families reported missing loved ones there, said Anak Agung Alit Supartana, who heads the regions Search and Rescue Agency office. There had been reports that dozens of people were killed at the site.

Supartana said two people had been found alive, along with three bodies. But the rescuers and heavy equipment were very much needed elsewhere, so we decided to shift the operation to other locations.

As it turned out, one was the crushed home of Masinis brother-in-law. The teams and one excavator arrived after dark Tuesday to investigate. But officials said they would have to resume their search for the body there at first light yesterday. Todd Pitman, Tanjung, AP
A Hawaii judge has ordered the eviction of the tenants of an Oahu rental home that advertised naked parties and gained the ire of neighbors.

The judge sided with the property manager, citing lease violations, multiple disturbances and running a business out of the Nuuanu home, Hawaii News Now reported last week.

Neighbors have complained of the so-called Freedom Houses loud parties, like naked yoga, and a fire that consumed a car. Neighbor David Brown said he frequently reported the parties to police.

An attorney for property manager Sakuma Realty said the home operated as an illegal business, which advertised online. The renters have denied that allegation.

Its just a website that I decided that I could have to have people come together, tenant Brent Thomas said.

Tenant Amy Highmoor said the property manager and neighbors are retaliating because of their alternative lifestyle and her complaints about the homes condition.

Im a naturalist. This is my religion and I have a right to be nude, Highmoor said. I am not offensive.

Lawyers for both sides will work out a moving date for the tenants.
Philippine troops killed two bomb couriers at an army checkpoint yesterday 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 yesterday, sparking a brief gunbattle in Mlang 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 theyre still a force to reckon with amid battle setbacks, he said.

Theyre running low on logistics and ammunition and cannot fight our troops face-to-face so theyre 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. AP
Local real estate agency Ambiente Properties was recently recognized at the UK-

based International Property Awards, winning two awards for its property-related services in Macau.

Managing director Suzanne Watkinson said Ambiente was thrilled to have won the awards and described the international recognition as a watershed moment in the companys history.

The awards come at an interesting time for Macaus real estate market. The chronic shortage of residential units in the city has been a major issue for the local government and a source of public dissatisfaction for years.

In the last 12 months, a number of policies have been implemented to curb market speculation, disincentivize non-local purchases, empower tenants and punish developers who fail to meet their land concession obligations. There is also talk of residents of both Macau and Hong Kong looking to neighboring Guangdong Province for a solution to the housing problem.

The Times sat down with Watkinson and the general manager of Ambiente Properties, Alex Cheng, to get their take on where the Macau property market is heading next.

Macau Daily Times (MDT)  What are your thoughts on the future of Macaus real estate market? Are we going to return to peak prices any time soon?

Suzanne Watkinson (SW)  Property is all about supply and demand. So, when we talk about [future] prices, it really depends on how much supply is provided. [] The pipeline of supply is very restricted for the next five years, and so we foresee that, if there is not enough supply and if the locals keep their money in Macau and do not invest outside, then that will push prices up.

Alex Cheng (AC)  Since the presidency of Xi Jinping [began], there have been tight restrictions on Chinese capital and liquidity. The property market in Macau responded to that and prices fell. Now things are becoming more stable again, but we are not yet back to peak prices. The prices will also depend on the policies introduced by the Macau government. Certain taxes now imposed on additional properties in Macau are having a negative impact on the demand and that might affect the price.

MDT  The government has introduced several new measures to curb speculation in the real estate market. Are these measures having the intended effects?

SW  Over the last year, we have seen some interesting developments, including new regulations to help first-

time buyers up to the age of 44. That has meant for us a tremendous turnover of the smaller properties below HKD8 million.

But I think the government needs to be really careful about how it implements [housing] policies, because its directly affecting the Macau people. The new policies are going to encourage people to move money out of Macau. Is that a good thing? I dont think so. The 10 percent extra tax if you are not a Macau ID holder has also really impacted the market and acted as a [disincentive] to outside investors. Also, the taxes on buying a second and third property has definitely depressed the market. With extra stamp duty for second and third properties in Macau, local investors are considering taking their hard-earned money and putting it elsewhere.

MDT  How is the rental market affected by the new regulations?

SW  We have clients who own multiple properties [in Macau] and because of the new regulations  where tenants have the right to stay for three years now instead of two  our clients said pull them off the market, we want to sell them before that time. [] The return on investment is so minimal compared to the capital value of the property that many owners dont want to go through the trouble of leasing their properties. So thats fewer properties on the market to rent  and guess what? The rental prices go up.

MDT  Speaking of new laws and regulations, what is your take on the controversial Pearl Horizon project and the reclamation of idle plots?

AC  I used to work in the land department [of the government] in Hong Kong and saw that it was quite common that when the land plot expired before the development was complete, the government would extend the concession until the development was finished and they would charge a premium [to the developer] as a penalty. There are over 1,000 individual buyers [in the Pearl Horizon case] and many have been paying mortgages for years. If the government wants a stable situation, then one of the solutions for the government is to do the same as in Hong Kong; grant an extension and charge a penalty to the developer.

SW  That is in the case when the developer is legitimately building but they have just run out of time to complete. There are instances when the developer will just have the land and sit on it. They will consider that it is too expensive to develop the land now and will wait for [construction] costs to come down. We are not so involved on the developer level, but I do hear these stories that it is extremely difficult to get these approvals from the government. First of all, you are approved that you can build for 40 storeys, and then the height is reduced. The goalposts keep changing and that makes it very difficult for the developer.

MDT  Hengqin is becoming a hub for local businesses, but what is the potential for residential areas to form there? Can a new supply of housing on the island impact local property prices?

AC  Right now, it is still too early for people [from Macau] to live in Hengqin. It might be another 10 to 15 years before [Hengqin] is ready. You need to move people into residential areas and that might take a few years. Then the commercial activity  like restaurants, shops and schools  will start a couple of years later.

SW  There may be demand for places outside of Macau, but that wont necessarily impact demand for residential units within the city. Its like in Hong Kong; Central will always be central. Doing [real estate] business in Zhuhai is not yet simple. Its really not ready yet. We have seen some other, bigger agencies being stung quite badly over there. You cant forget that its China  so its Chinese regulations. We know people; one minute they own the property and part of the public areas, and then the next they dont [] the changing of the rules makes it too [risky] to mess with clients money there. I wish that there were more clear policies on how to do business there. We need more clarity there in order to carry out work on the behalf of our clients.

MDT  Do you expect the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to make living outside of the MSAR more attractive for locals?

SW  I honestly dont think so. It will be great for the tourists, but when we want to go to Hong Kong, we dont want to go to Lantau and then onward [] we want to go straight to Central. The tragedy in my mind was that there is not going to be a train. That would really have given connectivity between the areas and that might have had an impact on the property market.
Samsung Electronics plans to spend a whopping USD22 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 yesterday 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 centers 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.

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 yesterday 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 yesterday 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 percent 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. Youkyung Lee, Seoul, AP
Already threatened by escalating U.S. taxes on its goods, China is about to find it much harder to invest in U.S. companies or to buy American technology in such cutting-edge areas as robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

President Donald Trump is expected as early as this week to sign legislation to tighten the U.S. governments scrutiny of foreign investments and exports of sensitive technology.

The law, which Congress passed in a rare show of unity among Republicans and Democrats, doesnt single out China. But theres no doubt the intended target is Beijing. The Trump administration has accused China of using predatory tactics to steal American technology.

As a policy signal, it speaks with a very loud voice, said Harry Clark, head of the international trade practice at the law firm Orrick. Leading decision makers and Congress are very concerned about technology transfer to China.

The Trump administration has already imposed tariffs on USD34 billion in Chinese exports, is preparing taxes on a further $16 billion and has threatened to target an additional $200 billion of Beijings exports and maybe still more.

As part of the same punitive campaign, Trump had initially ordered the Treasury Department to draft investment restrictions aimed specifically at China. But in late June, Trump decided instead to back Congress effort to tighten existing investment restrictions and export controls on all countries, rather than China alone.

The new law strengthens reviews of foreign investment by the existing Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The committee can now review any investments that grant foreigners access to a U.S. companys high-tech trade secrets. Before the change, such reviews were done only when a foreigner gained control of a company.

The new law also gives the committee oversight of real estate deals that are deemed to pose a national security risk by putting foreigners in close proximity to government offices and military bases. The legislation will also crack down on deals that appear structured to evade such oversight.

Congress is also directing the committee to go beyond specific cases to identify patterns in foreign investment  if, for example, Chinese companies are acquiring a specific technology  and to work with U.S. allies that share its concerns about Beijings high-tech ambitions.

Treasury can now share information, said Rod Hunter, a partner at the Baker McKenzie law firm and a former White House economic adviser. They used to have to do all kinds of backflips and workarounds with allied governments to deal with this sort of issue.

The new law also strengthens the Commerce Departments oversight of high-tech exports. Government agencies will identify sensitive emerging and foundational technologies that will be subject to tougher export controls.

Hunter said he thought the stricter oversight of high-tech exports could potentially impose a bigger impact on China than the tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on Beijings exports to the United States.

Still, the new measures could burden U.S. companies that will find it harder to attract Chinese investment or to share with Chinese partners or customers technology that the U.S. government might deem sensitive.

It could be that were pushing American tech firms out of China, said Derek Scissors, China specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

The crackdown reflects a sharp reversal in U.S. attitudes toward Chinese investment. From virtually nothing in 2000, Chinese direct investment in the United States (including new plants and offices and acquisitions of American companies) reached a record $46 billion in 2016, according to the Rhodium Group research firm.

Chinese investors sank money into U.S. companies involved in artificial intelligence, robotics and blockchain technology, which is used to do business in cryptocurrencies. U.S. policymakers began to worry about what the Chinese were up to, especially after leaders in Beijing made their ambitions clear: They intend to nurture homegrown Chinese companies that will contend for global dominance in such fields as electric cars, robotics and medical devices.

In March, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative reported that Chinese investors were using money provided by Beijing to outbid private companies and pay above-market rates for technology and talent. And last year, a Defense Department report sounded the alarm about China obtaining technology that could have military uses.

The line demarcating products designed and used for commercial versus military purposes is blurring, said the report from the Pentagons Defense Innovation Unit Experimental.

It noted that virtual-reality gaming was becoming as sophisticated as what the armed forces use for battlefield simulations and that facial recognition technology used in social media can track terrorists.

Even before the new law, U.S. reviews of Chinese investments were becoming stricter. In January, the government effectively blocked the acquisition of the Dallas-based money transfer service MoneyGram by the Chinese firm Ant Financial. Its concern was that the deal would give China access to the financial records of millions of Americans, including members of the military.

The result has been a deepfreeze in direct Chinese investment in the United States: It tumbled 36 percent last year to $29 billion. In the first half of this year, such investment dropped to its lowest level in seven years  $1.8 billion  down 90 percent from the first six months of 2017, according to Rhodium Group. Paul Wiseman, Washington, AP
The questioning of Paul Manaforts protege was confrontational and personal: Manaforts lawyer hammered Rick Gates about his own crimes, an extramarital affair and a guilty plea with prosecutors that may spare him severe punishment.

Gates, who faced a bruising cross-examination, returns to the witness stand today [Macau time] for additional questioning from a Manafort lawyer who accused the governments star witness of being immersed in so many lies that he cant even remember them all and who demanded to know how a jury could possibly trust him.

Lawyers for Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, are determined to impugn the credibility of Gates. Defense attorney Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of Gates, Manaforts longtime deputy and fellow Trump campaign aide, by confronting him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, getting him to admit to an affair and pressing him about hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

The aggressive questioning was aimed at shifting blame from Manafort onto Gates, who pleaded guilty in 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? Downing asked incredulously.

Gates said he did, but the defense lawyer wasnt satisfied. He scoffed at the idea that Gates had repented for his actions, noting that prosecutors have said they wont 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 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.

But the grilling got more intense, and personal, 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 Trumps inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

After Gates struggled to recall precisely what he had told Muellers team, Downing asked if he had been confronted with so many lies that he cant 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 Manaforts direction.

Prosecutors summoned Gates to give jurors the first-

hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate off 

shore 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 Muellers investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. 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. AP
[August 09, 2018] Gannett Reports Second Quarter Results Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) ("Gannett" or "company" or "we" or "our") today reported second quarter 2018 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2018 (1). "We are excited by the continued momentum in our digital business driven by strong growth in our marketing services and national media businesses," said Robert J. Dickey, president and chief executive officer. "On July 2nd, we successfully closed the WordStream acquisition, which adds more software-as-a-service solutions to our digital marketing services product portfolio and will further propel our digital transformation that is already well underway." "The strong margin improvement at our ReachLocal segment and the continued focus on driving efficiencies within our publishing and corporate operations reflect strong execution on our objectives," said Ali Engel, senior vice president and chief financial officer. "Adjusted EBITDA grew year-over-year and we delivered better than expected margin expansion in the quarter. We are increasing our Adjusted EBITDA guidance range for the year as a result of our stronger first-half performance, combined with the integration of WordStream." Second Quarter 2018 Consolidated Results (2) Operating revenues were $730.8 million, compared to $774.5 million in the second quarter of 2017.

Favorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates benefited revenues by $4.7 million.

Same store operating revenues declined 7.5% year-over-year, consistent with the first quarter decline of 7.2%.

Total digital revenues increased 8% to $260.9 million, or approximately 36% of total revenue.

GAAP net income was $16 million, including $22.8 million of after-tax restructuring, asset impairment charges and other costs.

Adjusted EBITDA (3) totaled $85.6 million, compared to $83.7 million in the second quarter of 2017, up 2.3% year-over-year reflecting strong earnings growth at ReachLocal and continued operating efficiencies across our publishing and corporate operations. Adjusted EBITDA margins expanded in the quarter to 11.7% from 10.8% in the year ago quarter. Second Quarter 2018 Publishing Segment Publishing segment operating revenues were $644.6 million, compared to $692.2 million in the second quarter of 2017. On a same store basis, segment revenues declined 8.9%.

Same store print advertising revenues for the quarter declined 19.1% year-over-year reflecting a negative impact from the timing of Easter, which instead benefited the first quarter. First half same store print advertising revenues fell 18.1% year-over-year, consistent with trends seen in the last six months of 2017.

Digital advertising & marketing services revenues increased 8.5% to $107.9 million, compared to the prior year quarter. On a same store basis, digital advertising & marketing services revenues increased 6.4%, consistent with the first quarter trend. Digital marketing services revenues of $20.0 million rose 72.0%, on a same store basis, driven by higher client counts and higher average revenue per client. Digital media revenues of $68.5 million rose 4.9%, on a same store basis, due to strong growth in national revenues. Digital classified revenues of $19.3 million fell 21.6%, on a same store basis, reflecting weakness across all categories.

Same store circulation revenues fell 5.0% from the prior year quarter, consistent with the first quarter trend, reflecting the continued benefit from our full-access subscriber pricing initiatives, offset by expected revenue declines in single copy.

Digital-only subscriber volumes grew 46% year-over-year and now total approximately 413,000.

Publishing segment Adjusted EBITDA was $94.4 million compared to $104.1 million in the prior year quarter. Second Quarter 2018 ReachLocal Segment ReachLocal revenues were $100.4 million, up 16.9% year-over-year. The increase was attributable to the migration of Gannett clients onto the ReachLocal platform and organic growth across ReachLocal's core business.

Adjusted EBITDA was $10.3 million, or a 10.2% margin, up materially from only $1.2 million in the second quarter of 2017. Improved profitability in the quarter was driven by continued solid growth in average revenue per client due to more successful cross-selling and the migration of Gannett clients onto the ReachLocal platform. Additionally, in the second quarter, we sold our business in Germany, which had been slightly unprofitable a year ago.

Second Quarter 2018 Cash Flow Net cash flow from operating activities was approximately $15.4 million, compared to $98.3 million in the prior year quarter. The decrease in net cash flow from operating activities primarily relates to the timing of pension contributions of $25 million in the second quarter of 2018, as compared to the third quarter of 2017, and a tax refund of $16 million received in the second quarter of 2017.

Capital expenditures were approximately $14 million, primarily for product development, technology investments, and maintenance projects.

The company paid dividends of $18.1 million; there were no share repurchases.

As of the end of the second quarter, the company had a cash balance of $209.7 million and $170 million drawn on its revolver plus $166.8 million in convertible notes, or net debt of $127.1 million. The company's revolver balance at the end of second quarter reflects the funding needed to complete the purchase of WordStream in early July. Outlook For 2018, the company is providing the following outlook: Consolidated revenues of $2.95-3.00 billion, compared to $2.93-3.03 billion previously, including a $27 million contribution from WordStream.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA outlook of $337-345 million, raised from prior guidance of $330-340 million, reflecting a $7 million contribution from WordStream.

Capital expenditures of $65-75 million.

Depreciation and amortization of $140-150 million, excluding accelerated depreciation related to facility consolidations and including an estimated $6 million for depreciation and intangibles amortization related to WordStream.

The non-operating cost associated with our pension plans, recorded in other non-operating items, is currently estimated to be a credit of $5-7 million as compared to an expense of $21 million in 2017.

A non-GAAP effective tax rate of 25-26% (3).



1 Both the second quarter of 2018 and second quarter of 2017 consisted of 91 calendar days. 2 Beginning in the second quarter of 2018, we have realigned the presentation of web presence and software-as-a-service revenues from other revenues to advertising and marketing services revenues on the Condensed consolidated statements of income (loss). As a result of this updated presentation, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, advertising and marketing services revenues increased and other revenues decreased $13.1 million and $23.9 million, respectively. Additionally, advertising and marketing services revenues increased and other revenues decreased $8.9 million and $15.9 million for the three and six months ended June 25, 2017, respectively. Operating revenues, net income, retained earnings, and earnings per share remained unchanged. 3 The company defines adjusted EBITDA as earnings before income taxes, interest expense, equity income, other non-operating items, restructuring costs, acquisition-related expenses, asset impairment charges, depreciation, amortization and other items. We define the non-GAAP effective tax rate as the tax rate excluding any non-recurring one-item tax adjustments. Because of the variability of these and other items as well as the impact of future events on these items, management is unable to reconcile without unreasonable effort the company's forecasted range of adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP tax rate for the full year to a comparable GAAP range. Conference Call Information The company will hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET today to discuss its second quarter results. The call can be accessed via a live webcast through the company's investor site, http://investors.gannett.com/, or listen-only conference lines. U.S. callers should dial 855-462-1958 and international callers should dial 503-343-6635 at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. The confirmation code for the conference call is 1179067. A conference call replay will be available through September 7, 2018. U.S. callers should dial 855-859-2056 and international callers should dial 404-537-3406. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding business strategies, market potential, future financial performance and other matters. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. The words "believe," "expect," "estimate," "could," "should," "intend," "may," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made and are not guarantees of future performance. Where, in any forward-looking statement, an expectation or belief as to future results or events is expressed, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations of our management and expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. Whether or not any such forward-looking statements are in fact achieved will depend on future events, some of which are beyond our control. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, trends, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things: our ability to achieve our strategic transformation;

an accelerated decline in general print readership and/or advertiser patterns as a result of competitive alternative media or other factors;

an inability to adapt to technological changes or grow our digital businesses;

risks associated with the operation of an increasingly digital business, such as rapid technological changes, frequent new product introductions, declines in web traffic levels, technical failures and proliferation of ad blocking technologies;

macroeconomic trends and conditions;

competitive pressures in the markets in which we operate;

increases in newsprint costs over the levels anticipated or declines in newsprint supply;

potential disruption or interruption of our IT systems due to accidents, extraordinary weather events, civil unrest, political events, terrorism or cyber security attacks;

variability in the exchange rate relative to the U.S. dollar of currencies in foreign jurisdictions in which we operate;

risks and uncertainties related to strategic acquisitions or investments, including distraction of management attention, incurrence of additional debt, integration challenges, and failure to realize expected benefits or synergies or to operate businesses effectively following acquisitions;

risks and uncertainties associated with our ReachLocal segment, including its significant reliance on Google for media purchases, its international operations and its ability to develop and gain market acceptance for new products or services;

our ability to protect our intellectual property or defend successfully against infringement claims;

our ability to attract and retain employees;

labor relations, including, but not limited to, labor disputes which may cause business interruptions, revenue declines or increased labor costs;

risks associated with our underfunded pension plans;

adverse outcomes in litigation or proceedings with governmental authorities or administrative agencies, or changes in the regulatory environment, any of which could encumber or impede our efforts to improve operating results or the value of assets;

volatility in financial and credit markets which could affect the value of retirement plan assets and our ability to raise funds through debt or equity issuances and otherwise affect our ability to access the credit and capital markets at the times and in the amounts needed and on acceptable terms;

risks to our liquidity related to the redemption, conversion and similar features of our convertible notes; and

other uncertainties relating to general economic, political, business, industry, regulatory and market conditions. A further description of these and other important risks, trends, uncertainties and other factors is provided in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2017. Any forward-looking statements should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. The company is not responsible for updating or revising any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release also contains a discussion of certain non-GAAP financial measures that the company presents to allow investors and analysts to measure, analyze and compare its financial condition and results of operations in a meaningful and consistent manner. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures can be found in the tables accompanying this press release. About Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an innovative, digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed to strengthening communities across our network. With an unmatched local-to-national reach, Gannett touches the lives of more than 125 million people monthly with our Pulitzer-Prize winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Gannett brands include USA TODAY NETWORK with the iconic USA TODAY and more than 100 local media brands, digital marketing services companies ReachLocal and SweetIQ, and U.K. media company Newsquest. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS) Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands (except per share amounts) Table No. 1 Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 Operating revenues: Advertising and marketing services $ 420,163 $ 454,107 $ 830,475 $ 896,588 Circulation 263,806 273,676 530,392 556,962 Other 46,799 46,724 92,852 94,414 Total operating revenues 730,768 774,507 1,453,719 1,547,964 Operating expenses: Cost of sales and operating expenses 452,053 480,926 909,037 980,644 Selling, general and administrative expenses 199,143 206,681 412,142 416,241 Depreciation and amortization 38,378 51,850 78,630 98,667 Restructuring costs 12,611 9,827 21,910 22,378 Asset impairment charges 10,483 14,719 14,239 18,497 Total operating expenses 712,668 764,003 1,435,958 1,536,427 Operating income 18,100 10,504 17,761 11,537 Non-operating expenses: Interest expense (5,935 ) (3,454 ) (10,413 ) (7,709 ) Other non-operating items, net 4,042 (5,301 ) 8,353 (9,188 ) Total non-operating expenses (1,893 ) (8,755 ) (2,060 ) (16,897 ) Income (loss) before income taxes 16,207 1,749 15,701 (5,360 ) Provision (benefit) for income taxes (99 ) 2,236 (228 ) (2,794 ) Net income (loss) $ 16,306 $ (487 ) $ 15,929 $ (2,566 ) Earnings (loss) per share - basic $ 0.14 $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 $ (0.02 ) Earnings (loss) per share - diluted $ 0.14 $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 $ (0.02 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: Basic 112,946 113,652 112,852 113,574 Diluted 116,219 113,652 116,035 113,574 SEGMENT INFORMATION Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 2 Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 Operating revenues: Publishing $ 644,551 $ 692,180 $ 1,283,211 $ 1,387,104 ReachLocal 100,435 85,926 196,923 163,491 Corporate and Other 1,809 1,041 3,785 2,009 Intersegment eliminations (16,027 ) (4,640 ) (30,200 ) (4,640 ) Total $ 730,768 $ 774,507 $ 1,453,719 $ 1,547,964 Adjusted EBITDA: Publishing $ 94,358 $ 104,120 $ 172,116 $ 195,784 ReachLocal 10,271 1,217 16,480 4,363 Corporate and Other (19,030 ) (21,683 ) (47,929 ) (46,812 ) Total $ 85,599 $ 83,654 $ 140,667 $ 153,335 Depreciation and amortization: Publishing $ 24,157 $ 37,638 $ 50,446 $ 71,063 ReachLocal 8,896 8,783 17,409 16,658 Corporate and Other 5,325 5,429 10,775 10,946 Total $ 38,378 $ 51,850 $ 78,630 $ 98,667 Capital expenditures: Publishing $ 6,321 $ 7,731 $ 10,430 $ 17,227 ReachLocal 4,234 4,214 7,742 7,900 Corporate and Other 3,419 2,846 9,350 4,704 Total $ 13,974 $ 14,791 $ 27,522 $ 29,831 SAME STORE REVENUE DETAIL Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 3 Three months ended June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 % Change Reported revenues $ 730,768 $ 774,507 (5.6 %) Acquired revenues (10,487 ) - *** Currency impact (4,165 ) - *** Same store revenues $ 716,116 $ 774,507 (7.5 %) Reported advertising and marketing services revenues $ 420,163 $ 454,107 (7.5 %) Acquired revenues (6,768 ) - *** Currency impact (2,600 ) - *** Same store advertising and marketing services revenues $ 410,795 $ 454,107 (9.5 %) Reported circulation revenues $ 263,806 $ 273,676 (3.6 %) Acquired revenues (2,579 ) - *** Currency impact (1,208 ) - *** Same store circulation revenues $ 260,019 $ 273,676 (5.0 %) PUBLISHING REVENUE DETAIL Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 4 Three months ended June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 % Change Publishing revenues detail Print advertising: Local $ 103,354 $ 124,708 (17.1 %) Classified 74,905 86,338 (13.2 %) National 49,636 62,377 (20.4 %) Total print advertising 227,895 273,423 (16.7 %) Digital advertising and marketing services: Digital media 68,513 64,068 6.9 % Digital classified 19,300 23,687 (18.5 %) Digital marketing services 20,047 11,643 72.2 % Total digital advertising and marketing services 107,860 99,398 8.5 % Total advertising and marketing services 335,755 372,821 (9.9 %) Circulation 263,806 273,676 (3.6 %) Other 44,990 45,683 (1.5 %) Total Publishing revenues $ 644,551 $ 692,180 (6.9 %) USE OF NON-GAAP INFORMATION The company uses non-GAAP financial performance and liquidity measures to supplement the financial information presented on a GAAP basis. These non-GAAP financial measures, which may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures and should be read together with financial information presented on a GAAP basis. The company defines its non-GAAP measures as follows: Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of our business. The company defines adjusted EBITDA as net income before (1) income taxes, (2) interest expense, (3) equity income, (4) other non-operating items, (5) restructuring costs, (6) acquisition-related expenses (including certain integration expenses), (7) asset impairment charges, (8) other items (including certain business transformation costs, litigation expenses, multi-employer pension withdrawals, and gains or losses on certain investments), (9) depreciation, and (10) amortization. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income.

is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of our business. The company defines adjusted EBITDA as net income before (1) income taxes, (2) interest expense, (3) equity income, (4) other non-operating items, (5) restructuring costs, (6) acquisition-related expenses (including certain integration expenses), (7) asset impairment charges, (8) other items (including certain business transformation costs, litigation expenses, multi-employer pension withdrawals, and gains or losses on certain investments), (9) depreciation, and (10) amortization. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company uses for calculating adjusted earnings per share ("EPS"). Adjusted net income is defined as net income before the adjustments we apply in calculating adjusted EPS, as described below. We believe presenting adjusted net income is useful to enable investors to understand how we calculate adjusted EPS, which provides a useful view of the overall operation of the company's business. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income.

is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company uses for calculating adjusted earnings per share ("EPS"). Adjusted net income is defined as net income before the adjustments we apply in calculating adjusted EPS, as described below. We believe presenting adjusted net income is useful to enable investors to understand how we calculate adjusted EPS, which provides a useful view of the overall operation of the company's business. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income. Adjusted diluted EPS is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of our business. The company defines adjusted EPS as EPS before tax-effected (1) restructuring costs, (2) asset impairment charges, (3) acquisition-related expenses (including certain integration expenses), (4) non-operating (gains) losses, and (5) other items (including certain business transformation expenses, litigation expenses, multi-employer pension withdrawals and gains or losses on certain investments). The tax impact on these non-GAAP tax deductible adjustments is based on the estimated statutory tax rates for the United Kingdom of 19.0% and the United States of 25.5%. In addition, tax is adjusted for impacts associated with new tax rates in the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is diluted EPS.

is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that the company believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of our business. The company defines adjusted EPS as EPS before tax-effected (1) restructuring costs, (2) asset impairment charges, (3) acquisition-related expenses (including certain integration expenses), (4) non-operating (gains) losses, and (5) other items (including certain business transformation expenses, litigation expenses, multi-employer pension withdrawals and gains or losses on certain investments). The tax impact on these non-GAAP tax deductible adjustments is based on the estimated statutory tax rates for the United Kingdom of 19.0% and the United States of 25.5%. In addition, tax is adjusted for impacts associated with new tax rates in the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is diluted EPS. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP liquidity measure that adjusts our reported GAAP results for items that we believe are critical to the ongoing success of our business. The company defines free cash flow as cash flow from operating activities as reported on the statement of cash flows less capital expenditures, which results in a figure representing free cash flow available for use in operations, additional investments, debt obligations, and returns to shareholders. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net cash from operating activities. The company uses non-GAAP financial measures for purposes of evaluating its performance and liquidity. Therefore, the company believes that each of the non-GAAP measures presented provides useful information to investors by allowing them to view our businesses through the eyes of our management and Board of Directors, facilitating comparison of results across historical periods, and providing a focus on the underlying ongoing operating performance of our business. Many of our peer group companies present similar non-GAAP measures to better facilitate industry comparisons. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION ADJUSTED EBITDA Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 5 Three months ended June 30, 2018 Corporate and Consolidated Publishing ReachLocal Other Total Net income (GAAP basis) $ 16,306 Benefit for income taxes (99 ) Interest expense 5,935 Other non-operating items, net (4,042 ) Operating income (loss) (GAAP basis) $ 48,998 $ (1,696 ) $ (29,202 ) $ 18,100 Depreciation and amortization 24,157 8,896 5,325 38,378 Restructuring costs 9,447 2,966 198 12,611 Asset impairment charges 10,483 - - 10,483 Acquisition-related items - 105 2,917 3,022 Other items 1,273 - 1,732 3,005 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 94,358 $ 10,271 $ (19,030 ) $ 85,599 Three months ended June 25, 2017 Corporate and Consolidated Publishing ReachLocal Other Total Net loss (GAAP basis) $ (487 ) Provision for income taxes 2,236 Interest expense 3,454 Other non-operating items, net 5,301 Operating income (loss) (GAAP basis) $ 52,206 $ (7,889 ) $ (33,813 ) $ 10,504 Depreciation and amortization 37,638 8,783 5,429 51,850 Restructuring costs 6,752 323 2,752 9,827 Asset impairment charges 14,719 - - 14,719 Acquisition-related items 244 - 1,326 1,570 Other items (7,439 ) - 2,623 (4,816 ) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 104,120 $ 1,217 $ (21,683 ) $ 83,654 NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION ADJUSTED EBITDA Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 5 (continued) Six months ended June 30, 2018 Corporate and Consolidated Publishing ReachLocal Other Total Net income (GAAP basis) $ 15,929 Benefit for income taxes (228 ) Interest expense 10,413 Other non-operating items, net (8,353 ) Operating income (loss) (GAAP basis) $ 88,163 $ (4,622 ) $ (65,780 ) $ 17,761 Depreciation and amortization 50,446 17,409 10,775 78,630 Restructuring costs 17,724 3,505 681 21,910 Asset impairment charges 14,239 - - 14,239 Acquisition-related items - 121 3,825 3,946 Other items 1,544 67 2,570 4,181 Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 172,116 $ 16,480 $ (47,929 ) $ 140,667 Six months ended June 25, 2017 Corporate and Consolidated Publishing ReachLocal Other Total Net loss (GAAP basis) $ (2,566 ) Benefit for income taxes (2,794 ) Interest expense 7,709 Other non-operating items, net 9,188 Operating income (loss) (GAAP basis) $ 95,725 $ (12,661 ) $ (71,527 ) $ 11,537 Depreciation and amortization 71,063 16,658 10,946 98,667 Restructuring costs 17,873 323 4,182 22,378 Asset impairment charges 18,497 - - 18,497 Acquisition-related items (89 ) 43 2,639 2,593 Other items (7,285 ) - 6,948 (337 ) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP basis) $ 195,784 $ 4,363 $ (46,812 ) $ 153,335 NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION ADJUSTED DILUTED EPS Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands (except per share amounts) Table No. 6 Three months ended Six months ended June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 June 30, 2018 June 25, 2017 Restructuring costs (including accelerated depreciation) $ 16,833 $ 23,625 $ 31,293 $ 45,957 Asset impairment charges 10,483 14,719 14,239 18,497 Acquisition-related items 3,022 1,570 3,946 2,593 (Gains) losses from non-operating activities (2,862 ) - (2,728 ) 158 Other items 1,272 (4,702 ) 1,986 (3,198 ) Pretax impact 28,748 35,212 48,736 64,007 Income tax impact of above items (7,173 ) (13,394 ) (12,100 ) (24,432 ) Tax benefit $ (2,094 ) $ - $ (2,094 ) $ - Impact of items affecting comparability on net income $ 19,481 $ 21,818 $ 34,542 $ 39,575 Net income (loss) (GAAP basis) $ 16,306 $ (487 ) $ 15,929 $ (2,566 ) Impact of items affecting comparability on net income (loss) 19,481 21,818 34,542 39,575 Adjusted net income (non-GAAP basis) $ 35,787 $ 21,331 $ 50,471 $ 37,009 Earnings (loss) per share - diluted (GAAP basis) $ 0.14 $ (0.00 ) $ 0.14 $ (0.02 ) Impact of items affecting comparability on net income (loss) 0.17 0.18 0.29 0.34 Adjusted earnings per share - diluted (non-GAAP basis) $ 0.31 $ 0.18 $ 0.43 $ 0.32 Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding (GAAP basis) 116,219 113,652 116,035 113,574 Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding (non-GAAP basis) 116,219 115,918 116,035 115,595 NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION FREE CASH FLOW Gannett Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited, in thousands Table No. 7 Three months Six months ended June 30, ended June 30, 2018 2018 Net cash flow from operating activities (GAAP basis) $ 15,377 $ 80,530 Capital expenditures (13,974 ) (27,522 ) Free cash flow (non-GAAP basis) $ 1,403 $ 53,008 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005121/en/

[ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ]
Data are reported for intelligence of children in China assessed by the Combined Ravens Test in 1988, 1996 and 2006. The IQ of the samples increased by 15.0 IQ points over 18-year period. The British IQ of China in 1988 and 2006 is estimated as 94.8 and 109.8, respectively.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A Monash University accountancy specialist is developing a data set that could help families make more informed choices about the potential success rates of IVF treatment.

Monash Business School's Daniela Juric and her supervisors are collating information provided by IVF clinics with the aim of creating a clear, comparable set of measures, including a consistent definition of 'success' and relevant age groupings.

Ms Juric believes applying accounting principles to IVF reporting could give women the confidence to pursue childbirth later in life. She and her supervisors have been working closely with the industry on the project.

Ms Juric says people who work in the industry are supportive of trying to standardise reporting to help people achieve their dream of having a family.

"For many, the decision to undertake fertility treatment may be the biggest decision of their lives. The physical and emotional undertaking is often excruciating. It affects the whole social network and not only the individual; it can also be expensive," Ms Juric said.

"The goal for accountants is to provide financial information to help people make informed decisions about the allocation of scarce resources. We can think of IVF patients as users of non-financial information that they rely on to make well-informed decisions, as there is not an unlimited amount of eggs or embryos that can be created."

The Australian Competition and Consumer Competition launched an investigation into IVF success rates in 2016. They found IVF clinics' reporting made it almost impossible for users to make an informed decision.

Ms Juric and her team collected publicly available success rate information from 31 IVF clinics' web pages in 2016 and 2017, as well as 30 clinics this year.

When the study commenced, there were five measures of IVF success including pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, live births and another unspecified measure of success. Approximately 20 percent of clinics didn't disclose any success rate information.

Women were also grouped into age brackets of five yearsmeaning the data representing someone aged 39 was the same for a woman of 35.

"When the analysis was completed, successful measures had been reduced to just twoclinical pregnancies and live births," Ms Juric said.

Confusion surrounded the data IVF clinics used to determine 'success'. Some clinics suggested a determinate of 'success' was a positive embryo transfer, not a clinical pregnancy or birth.

Explore further Egg freezingthe reality of putting your fertility on ice
A smartphone chatbot that reinforces positive thinking and emotion-tracking tech are designed to support users living with mental health conditions. Credit: Pxhere, licensed under CC0

Personalised smartphone applications and wearable technologies that are attuned to the user's state of mind are offering customised ways of helping people cope with mental illness.

The rising incidence of mental health problems places great strain on health systems and societies around the world. In the EU, mental health disorders are already estimated to cost the economy 798 billion a year  a figure that is expected to double by 2030.

Given the prevalence of mental health issues, some researchers seeking alternative ways to treat the more common conditions are turning to technology to help.

While there has been a boom in self-help and digital wellness apps on smartphones and tablets promising support for mental health issues, much of the data they generate needs to be first interpreted by health professionals before it can be used in an effective recovery programme.

'Most existing apps stop with the data  it's not part of a programme of interventions you can take,' said Professor Corina Sas, a researcher in human-computer interaction at Lancaster University in the UK. 'At present, data capture is very disconnected with the high-level-type thinking we make in terms of emotional processing.'

To tackle this, Prof. Sas and her colleagues are attempting to create more intelligent, interactive technologies that harness information about the emotional states of users over time to automatically offer tailored advice on dealing with mental health issues.

Through the AffecTech project, they are developing a personalised, low-cost toolkit using a range of technologies for individuals with 'affective' health conditions like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. They aim to support people with mild to modern conditionssome of whom may not visit a doctor, but could benefit from this technology.

'The idea is to support people in capturing emotional responses, but then to use new types of interactive technologies that can help people make sense of this,' said Prof. Sas, who is the principal investigator for AffecTech.

The project began at the start of 2017 and involves a consortium of universities, health and tech organisations. It is currently exploring different devices and technologies to help track patients' emotions and then suggest ways for people to manage their issues. These include using apps in conjunction with sensors on mobile phones, smart watches or other wearable devices, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality technology.

Emotional management

'My vision is that we build a toolbox of interfaces involving different types of technology,' said Prof. Sas. After interpreting a user's emotional state using technologies such as AI, the system would then offer relevant therapeutic activities to help the individual manage their condition.

One approach, she says, could be to use wearable cameras to allow users to record events taking place when they are in a particular emotional state, which they could later watch to help them understand the factors that may trigger positive and negative emotions.

The team has also tested prototypes of wrist-worn, colour-changing biosensors that help users track their own emotions.

Another idea stems from colouring in intricate mandala patterns, which some research has shown to reduce anxiety and is growing in popularity through the sale of adult colouring books. 'Imagine a cube on which you move your finger and start colouring in patterns,' said Prof. Sas.

She describes this type of emotional management as a 'paradigm shift' that could not only have long-term mental health benefits for patients, but also lead to major cost savings for health services.

The project, which includes the Leeds NHS Trust as a member, is also seeking to test the technologies with users recruited through national health services, charities and other communities.

But while technology can be used to help patients manage their emotional state, it can often lack a key element that personal contact with health professionals can provide  empathy. To address this, some researchers are using advances in AI to offer patients support on chat-based apps.

Chat app

The Shim project, run by a team of psychologists, researchers, writers, engineers and designers, is combining techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy  a talking therapy commonly used to treat people with mental health issues  with human-like support on a mobile-based chat app.

The system uses AI to spot language patterns and keywords to create personalised text-based conversations that help to shift the user's mental perspective when they report a negative thought.

Dr. Kien Hoa Ly, a researcher in behavioural sciences and learning at Linkoping University in Sweden and chief executive of the project's company Hello Shim, explained that the app uses positive psychology to help a user reflect more optimistically on their own life.

'In the everyday interaction, we are using positive psychology to make the user reflect upon positive things in life, experiences and what the user is grateful for,' said Dr. Ly. 'We are building a mental map of every user and their inputs. As a user talks to Shim it grows, which makes Shim remember more things and ask more questions.'

The app might ask the user, for example, how they felt when they were doing an activity they enjoy such as hiking in the mountains, getting them to reflect on positive emotions.

This use of empathy differentiates the app from other mental health apps, says Dr. Ly. 'Our mission is to build the world's best data model and predictive tools to help people improve their wellbeing,' he said. 'We do this by understanding what specific reply from Shim is most likely to be helpful given a negative thought from a specific user.'

The company is also experimenting with social features, such as sharing positive thoughts with friends and family.

Since launching on Apple mobile devices in Sweden last November, Shim has been downloaded 10,000 times. The company hopes to launch the app in the US later this year.

A pilot study published last year showed that participants who talked to Shim reported a higher level of emotional wellbeing and lower stress levels than a control group after using the app for two weeks. Shim is now planning a larger study, which may involve collaborating with several US universities.

'In the future, we will see a world where you pick up your phone when you are feeling down to get emotional support in the moment,' Dr. Ly said.
"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, Ph.D., 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 naloxonea lifesaving medication to reverse the effects of an overdosethrough 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, Ph.D., 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, Ph.D., 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 ideaa 16 percentage point jump.

The increase in support occurred across all demographic and socioeconomic categories.

"Our findings demonstrate that language matterseven 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.
(HealthDay)The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force published a final recommendation on Aug. 7 citing insufficient evidence to assess the benefits and harms of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) with electrocardiography (ECG) in asymptomatic, older adults. A series of editorials published in the JAMA network journals offer additional perspectives, with recognition of the need to develop a national screening strategy.

"It is now clear that although AF and AF burden are likely causally linked to cardioembolic stroke in some patients with AF, this association is not causal in a substantial number of patients. Thus, primary prevention of AF-associated cardioembolic stroke (AFACES) may need to expand beyond even ECG screening for successful stroke prevention," Jeffrey J. Goldberger, M.D., and Raul D. Mitrani, M.D., from the University of Miami, said in an editorial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The development of an effective screening strategy for prevention of AFACES should be a public health priority. ECG screening in at-risk populations is effective in identifying AF cases."

The call for further development of a screening approach was echoed in an editorial in published in JAMA Cardiology. "It is clear that we need a widespread, cost-effective approach to AF screening," write Rod Passman, M.D., from Northwestern University in Chicago, and Jonathan Piccini, M.D., from the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C. "Given the aging of the world population and the growing prevalence of comorbidities that contribute to AF, including obesity and physical inactivity, the predicted epidemic of AF is already upon us. The costs of unrecognizedand thereby untreatedAF are too great from a personal and societal perspective to make this anything short of a major public health issue."

John Mandrola, M.D., from Baptist Health Louisville in Kentucky, and colleagues call for caution. "If AF screening is adopted in the absence of any outcomes data, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people will rightly and wrongly gain the diagnosis of a cardiac disorder. Before turning this many people into patients, there should be compelling evidence," the editorial authors write in JAMA Internal Medicine. "We propose and strongly encourage randomized clinical trials of AF screening before adopting this practice."

Goldberger disclosed holding a patent pending for a system and method for mapping and quantifying in-vivo blood flow stasis.

Explore further USPSTF: insufficient evidence to screen for atrial fibrillation

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Older kidney disease patients who are sick enough to require the blood-filtering treatment known as dialysis are at high risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, according to a study led by scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The study, published Aug. 9 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society for Nephrology, found evidence that older kidney disease patients had a substantially higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia than community-dwelling older adults.

"The dementia risk in this population seems to be much higher than what we see among healthy community-dwelling older adults," says study lead author Mara McAdams-DeMarco, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School.

To McAdams-DeMarco and her colleagues, the findings suggest that doctors should be doing more to monitor, and if possible to slow or prevent, cognitive decline among older dialysis patients. "The high incidence of dementia seems to be overlooked in this population," she says.

Cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are principally age-related and relatively common in the elderly. However, research suggests that kidney disease appears to worsen the problem. Studies over the past two decades have found evidence that as kidney function declines, cognitive functions are apt to decline as well. One recent study in dialysis patients found that this kidney-related cognitive decline was particularly noticeable for executive functions such as attention, impulse control and working memory.

The precise biological mechanism linking kidney disease to brain problems isn't yet clear, but kidney disease has itself been linked to poor blood flow in the brain, so researchers suspect that as a key factor.

To get a better understanding of the dementia problem among elderly patients with advanced kidney disease, McAdams-DeMarco and colleagues examined a large national kidney disease registry, focusing on 356,668 Medicare patients older than 66 years who had initiated dialysis due to end-stage kidney disease during 2001-2013.

Their analysis was aimed mainly at estimating the risk of a dementia diagnosis within a given period after initiating dialysis. For the female patients in this group, the estimated risk was 4.6 percent for a dementia diagnosis within a year, 16 percent within 5 years, and 22 percenta nearly one in four chancewithin 10 years. For males, the corresponding figures were slightly lower at 3.7, 13 and 19 percent.

Alzheimer's disease represented a significant proportion of dementia diagnoses: The one-year risk of this form of dementia was 0.6 percent for women and 0.4 percent for men.

The study was not designed to compare dialysis patients directly to healthy people of the same age; even so, the dementia risk among these patients was considerably higher than what would be expected in this age group. For example, a well-known prior study following residents of a Massachusetts town found that community-dwelling 65-year-olds had only a 1.0 to 1.5 percent incidence of dementia within 10 years, while for 75-year-olds the incidence was only about 7.5 percent. By contrast, in this study the researchers determined that the 10-year risk of dementia after starting dialysis was 19 percent for patients in the sample aged 66 to 70, and 28 percent among 76- to 80-year-olds.

Even the Alzheimer's disease risk among the dialysis patients seemed higher than normalfor example, 4.3 percent of the 66-70-year-olds were diagnosed with the disease within 10 years of starting dialysis, compared to a 10-year incidence of less than 1 percent among 65-year-olds in the Massachusetts study. That suggests that older patients with end-stage kidney disease may even be vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease.

McAdams-DeMarco and colleagues also found that older dialysis patients with a dementia diagnosis were about twice as likely to die at any time in the study period, compared to older dialysis patients without a dementia diagnosis.

As stark as these findings are, they may understate the problem. "We know from other studies that only about half of patients with dementia receive a diagnosis, so the figures in this study could be seen as a lower limit," McAdams-DeMarco says.

She and her colleagues suggest that more in-depth studies need to be done to gauge the true extent of the dementia problem among older end-stage kidney disease patients. "Patients starting dialysis generally meet with health care providers a few times per week, so in principle there is ample opportunity to do at least brief cognitive screening," she says.

She also recommends more studies of potential measures to prevent dementia among these vulnerable patients. "We're currently setting up a large clinical trial to identify appropriate interventions to preserve cognitive function in these patients," McAdams-DeMarco says.

Explore further New research may explain the link between hemodialysis and brain function decline

Provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Airlines are not the only organizations grappling with the complexities surrounding emotional support animals. Colleges and courts are also questioning the need for these animals and the effects they may have on students and juries, respectively, according to research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

The recent, rapid rise of emotional support animals has left colleges and universities struggling to understand the laws and how they can be applied to best support their communities, said Phyllis Erdman, Ph.D., professor at Washington State University, who chaired a symposium on emotional support animals and service dogs.

College and university counseling centers are seeing an uptick in the number of students seeking mental health services, as students report anxiety, depression and stress about relationships and academic performance, she said.

"It's not surprising that many schools are confronted with the growing phenomenon of emotional support animals. For many, the topic is a contentious one centered on whether students are taking advantage of the laws," said Erdman. "This is further compounded by the fact that laws pertaining to emotional support animals are different from those governing disability service animals and therefore schools may need to develop new policies."

A service animal falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act and is usually a dog that is trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a physical, sensory, psychiatric or intellectual disability, Emotional support animals are not trained in specific tasks and are not recognized under the ADA. Although emotional support animals are allowed in campus housing, they may not necessarily be allowed in classrooms or elsewhere on campus, according to the study Erdman presented.

Erdman and her colleagues wanted to understand the state of emotional support animal requests on campuses and how colleges and universities are responding. They surveyed 248 university counseling centers about student requests for letters to allow them to have emotional support animals. The survey questions included how often the counseling centers received requests from students, how the schools handled those requests and how they handled requests to diagnose a disability in order to obtain an emotional support animal. It also asked counseling centers if they had emotional support animal policies in place.

Fifty-seven percent of the centers reported almost never receiving such requests. Thirty-one percent did several times a year and only 2 percent got requests more than once a week, according to the study.

Despite the lack of an overwhelming demand, a majority of university counseling centers reported concern about having policies in place to handle such requests, according to Erdman.

"Even a limited number of requests for emotional support animals can cause stress for student affairs offices, housing offices, counseling centers and disability offices," she said. "Most schools wanted guidance and support for developing guidelines and navigating requests that come through."

Erdman suggested that schools establish general definitions of the terms disability, service animal and emotional support animal when crafting a policy. The definition of a disability should adhere to ADA guidelines, she said. Any policy development must follow federal and state laws and should include the perspectives of various campus constituencies, including counseling centers, accessibility services, general counsel's offices, campus safety departments and students themselves, according to Erdman.

"College students today are facing a great deal of stress and emotional support animals may help some students," said Erdman. "We hope our study can serve as a guide for colleges and universities to develop policies that help students thrive."

Uncertainty about emotional support animals is also occurring in courts, according to Dawn McQuiston, Ph.D., of Wofford College, who presented her research at the symposium. While objects such as dolls or teddy bears have been used for decades to calm vulnerable witnesses, courts began to include dogs in the mid-1990s to provide emotional support to alleged victims of child abuse. At least 144 courthouse facility dogs are now included in about three dozen states, she said. These dogs are provided by the court at the request of prosecutors to assist victims with the anxiety of testifying and reliving traumatic events.

Supporters say the dogs have made a huge difference in helping children and vulnerable adult witnesses open up on the stand, but some defense attorneys say having a friendly, sweet-looking canine in the witness box can prejudice a jury against a defendant by making the witness appear more believable and sympathetic, according to McQuiston.

"The concern is that the presence of a courthouse dog emphasizes that the witness is a victim, thereby playing to jurors' sympathies. As a result, witnesses may be viewed as even more vulnerable or likeable, thus conflicting with a defendant's right to a fair trial," said McQuiston.

She cited two notable appeals cases involving courtroom dogs. In both cases, the victims had a support dog during testimony, the defendants were convicted and the convictions were subsequently appealed on the grounds that the presence of the dog led to undue sympathy for the victim and violated the defendant's right to a fair trial. In both cases, the courts found no sign of prejudice due to the dogs' presence.

McQuiston and her colleagues investigated whether courthouse dogs, compared to inanimate comfort items, resulted in more prejudice against defendants involved in two hypothetical crimes: a child sexual abuse case and a robbery of a child. They set up mock trials in which participants, in the role of jurors, read transcripts of the testimony and were shown several pictures depicting the child witness with a dog, with a teddy bear or with nothing.

They found that the presence of the dog had no significant effect on the juries' outcomes, which McQuiston called surprising because the researchers had expected the dog to prejudice the jury against the defendant. Interestingly, their findings showed some biasing effects when the child clutched a teddy bear.

"Across two studies utilizing mock jury paradigms we found that, contrary to popular beliefs and our own predictions, courthouse dogs did not exert undue influence on juror decision-making regardless of the severity of the crimes tested, and did not differentially impact perceptions of child witnesses," she said.

Explore further Public retains positive attitudes toward service and support animals

More information: Session 1034: "Emotional Support Animals and Service Dogs: Prevalence and Impact in Universities" and "Dogs in the Courthouse: Current Research and Implications," Symposium, Thursday, Aug. 9, 8 a.m. PDT, Room 157, Upper Mezzanine-South Building, Moscone Center, 747 Howard Street, San Francisco, Calif.
Picture of the dopamine neurons involved in social interaction. Credit:  UNIGE

Autism spectrum disorders are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, one of the main characteristics of which is impaired social communication. But what happens in patients' brains that disrupts their social skills? According to a study by scientists from the Universities of Geneva (UNIGE) and Basel (UNIBAS), in Switzerland, now published in Nature Communications, a malfunction of the synaptic activity of neurons present in the reward system seems to be at stake. By establishing a link between a genetic mutation found in people suffering from autistic disorders, a disturbance of the synapses and an alteration of social interactions, they are taking one step further in the understanding of a disorder that affects more than one child in 200 today.

In all mammals, the reward system is a fundamental brain circuit that reinforces certain behaviours by providing the motivation necessary for their achievement. Search for food, learning or emotional behaviours are, for instance, strongly linked to it. Recently, several studies have shown that a dysfunction of this system could be at the root of the alteration in social behaviours typical of autistic disorders. Dopaminergic neurons, essential to its proper functioning, would be deficient in people with these disorders, who would thus lose all motivation to interact with others. But what are the underlying neurobiological mechanisms?

Poor synapse construction

"Basing ourselves on the hypothesis of motivation, we wanted to decipher the role of dopaminergic neurons in social interactions to verify whether alterations could explain certain social deficits specific to people suffering from autism spectrum disorders," explains Camilla Bellone, professor in the Department of Basic Neurosciences at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who directed this work. To do this, scientists studied mice in whom a gene called Neuroligin 3 had been suppressed, or whose activity in dopaminergic neurons had been greatly reduced, in order to imitate a mutation identified in autistic people. And unlike their counterparts, these mice had a lack of interest in novelty and less motivation to interact socially, behavioural traits frequently found in some autistic individuals.

Scientists have also studied the synaptic plasticity of mice (synapses being the part of neurons that allows them to communicate with each other). Normally, exposure to social novelty generates a synaptic modification that maintains interest and social contact. In mice with neuroligin 3 deficiency, this plasticity was much less presentsynaptic reinforcement did not take place, which resulted in a poorer response to a new stimulus.

"We have observed the same synaptic deficiency in animals carrying another genetic mutationon the Shank 3 genealso common in autism. It is therefore a matter of poor maturation of the synapse which, in the end, prevents good social development," adds Camilla Bellone. More than 100 genes have already been identified as being linked to autistic symptoms, and many of them are involved in synaptic functioning. This explains why social disorders are so common in autistic people.

Autism presents such a variety of symptoms that it is impossible to provide all patients with the same treatment. "In order to better target treatments, it is imperative to classify behavioural disorders precisely on the basis of dysfunctions in certain brain circuits and to understand their genetic origin," says Peter Scheiffele, professor at the Biozentrum of UNIBAS, who participated in this work. Thus, patients with synaptic alterations in dopaminergic neurons should react positively to therapies aimed precisely at increasing their activity, while these same therapies would remain ineffective in other patients whose social disorders would be due to another cerebral dysfunction.

Moreover, since synaptic maturation occurs early in life, the earlier the exact causes of the disorder are identified, the more effective therapeutic interventions will be. This is what scientists in Geneva and Basel are doingdecoding the fundamental mechanisms to identify the most promising therapeutic targets.

Explore further Zebrafish interactions offer help in studying social behavior disorders

More information: Sebastiano Bariselli et al, Role of VTA dopamine neurons and neuroligin 3 in sociability traits related to nonfamiliar conspecific interaction, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Sebastiano Bariselli et al, Role of VTA dopamine neurons and neuroligin 3 in sociability traits related to nonfamiliar conspecific interaction,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05382-3
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Children who struggle with weak cognitive control at an early age are at most risk for trouble in adulthood following their engagement in risk-taking activities in adolescence, according to new research.

The study, published online last month in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, found that only a subset of children who engage in excessive levels of impulsiveness, such as acting without thinking during their teen years, later struggle with addictions or other problem behaviors as young adults.

"People have heard so much about the teenage brain being all gas and no brakes, stemming from an imbalance between the reward and control regions of the brain," said lead author Atika Khurana of the University of Oregon. "This study shows that this is not true. There is an imbalance for some youth, but it is not universal."

The findings challenge the traditional thinking that adolescence is a time of universal imbalance, with kids lacking cognitive control and taking risks to reap instant rewards, said Khurana, associate professor and director of prevention science graduate programs and member of the UO's Prevention Science Institute.

"Previous studies modeling changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking during adolescence drew conclusions based on age differences without looking at the same adolescents over time as they developed," she said. "This study looked at individual trajectories and captured distinct patterns of change that were not otherwise observable when looking at youth at different ages."

Khurana and colleagues analyzed six waves of data collected from 387 adolescents, ages 11 to 18, in the Philadelphia area. They looked at changes in sensation-seeking and impulsivity during in their teen years in relation to working memory, a measure of cognitive control, and as predictors of substance use disorders in late adolescence.

Cognitive control is the ability to exert top-down control over behavior, thoughts and emotions. This ability, tied to executive functions, rests in the brain's prefrontal cortex.

Only adolescents identified at the beginning of the study with weaknesses in cognitive control were at risk for impulsive action that put them at higher risk for substance abuse, the researchers concluded. While sensation-seeking rose in adolescence, it was not associated with weakness in cognitive control or later substance abuse.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, supported predictions of the Lifespan Wisdom Model developed by study co-author Daniel Romer of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

It also continued to support a series of published findings that have emerged from Khurana's work with the same data, which began while she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

In 2012, her group reported a positive association of working memory with sensation-seeking and a negative association with impulsivity. While children with sensation seeking engaged in exploratory forms of risk-taking, they were not getting stuck in unhealthy patterns of risk-taking.

Subsequently, the group has shown that weak working memory in combination with impulsivity can be used to predict trajectories of early alcohol use and risky sexual behavior in adolescents, and that adolescents with strong working memory are better equipped to escape early progression in drug use and avoid substance abuse issues.

"Our research focuses on preventing maladaptive outcomes," Khurana said. "We are finding that those who have early weakness in cognitive control will have increasing problems in behavioral regulation as sensation-seeking peaks during adolescence. Those without this weakness will still seek out thrilling and rewarding behaviors during the adolescent years, associated with the rise in dopamine, but they are less likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors."

The research speaks to the need for greater emphasis on early interventions that can strengthen cognitive control, she said.

"Executive functions develop rapidly between the ages of 2-5, but there is a second window of opportunity to intervene during adolescence, when there is rapid brain development," she said.

Adolescents need to engage in exploratory behavior, she added. That is how they learn and how the brain prunes synapses that are not needed, and strengthens the connections that are relevant, she said.

Explore further Adolescents with weak working memory and progressive drug use at risk for later addictions

More information: Atika Khurana et al, Modeling Trajectories of Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity Dimensions from Early to Late Adolescence: Universal Trends or Distinct Sub-groups?, Journal of Youth and Adolescence (2018). Journal information: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Atika Khurana et al, Modeling Trajectories of Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity Dimensions from Early to Late Adolescence: Universal Trends or Distinct Sub-groups?,(2018). DOI: 10.1007/s10964-018-0891-9
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

New research led by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the University of Adelaide has uncovered a significant hurdle for realising the potential benefits of gene editing in embryos.

The team, led by Professor Paul Thomas, investigated North American research published last year that seemed to demonstrate that gene editing in human embryos was highly effective in repairing a defective gene in a majority of the embryos.

Professor Thomas says their research provides an alternative explanation for the apparent gene correction, demonstrating that rather than the gene editing technology fixing small errors, much larger errors were being created.

"Gene editing technology is still relatively new, and part of this field of research includes understanding the flaws, which will ultimately allow us to develop the safest possible therapies for genetic conditions," Professor Thomas said.

Professor Thomas and the research paper's first author, Dr. Fatwa Adikusuma, replicated the North American study with preclinical animal models. Australia has strict legislation restricting gene editing in human embryos.

"We looked beyond the small deletions, exploring larger areas of DNA," Dr. Adikusuma said.

"When we searched a wider area, we found that repair of the DNA break generated by 'molecular scissors' resulted in deletion of large stretches of DNA."

The molecular scissors, or CRISPR-Cas9 as they are scientifically known, are a tool utilised by scientists to cut specific regions of a cell's genetic material (DNA). Repair of the cut can alter the target DNA sequence, resulting in a specific change or "edit". Faulty genes can theoretically be repaired by cutting them using CRISPR scissors. However, as Professor Thomas and his colleagues have shown, DNA can sometimes be lost during the repair process, resulting in large deletions that would not restore function to the faulty gene.

"CRISPR-Cas9 technology is very exciting, with researchers already using it to cure muscular dystrophy in mice, and a number of clinical trials are underway to test gene editing therapies for several cancers as well as blood diseases," Professor Thomas said.

"Understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which these tools work are important advancements for research and for clinical translation to treat a host of genetic diseases."

The research findings were published online today in the British multidisciplinary science journal Nature.

More information: Fatwa Adikusuma et al. Large deletions induced by Cas9 cleavage, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Fatwa Adikusuma et al. Large deletions induced by Cas9 cleavage,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0380-z
New York, NY - New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins was arrested and indicted on charges related to securities fraud Wednesday.

The indictment is tied to securities of an Australian biotechnology company, Innate Immunotherapeutics where Collins has served on the board of directors.

Collins latest sale of Innate Immunotherapeutics holdings was on June 20, 2018 and valued between $15,000 and $50,000 according to House periodic transaction reports. He bought at least 4 million shares between 2016 and 2018, according to the reports. Collins value in Innate went from $25,000,001 to $1,000,001, according to his most recent financial disclosure. He serves on the Health subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce.

Last August, the House Ethics Committee took up an inquiry into Collins and allegations that he had shared nonpublic information about the company, in violation of House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Collins gained personal benefit and provided nonpublic information to his son Cameron Collins who sold nearly $1.4 million of Innate Immunotherapeutics shares, according to a complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Christopher Collins knew or recklessly disregarded that he breached his duty by disclosing this inside information to Cameron Collins, the SEC said.

Collins, who represents the suburbs of Buffalo and rural counties in upstate New York, became the first House Republican to endorse Donald Trumps bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

The Australia-based biotech company is trying to develop a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Collins is the companys largest shareholder and serves on its board of directors, attending its meetings by phone.

The indictment obtained from a federal grand jury also charges Collins son, Cameron Collins, as well as the father of his fiancee, Stephen Zarsky.

Collins passed nonpublic information about Innates drug trial results to his son to help him make timely trades in Innate stock and tip others, the indictment alleges. Cameron Collins then allegedly traded on that inside information and passed it to Zarsky so that they could utilize the information for the same purpose, according to the indictment. Zarsky also allegedly traded on the inside knowledge and passed it along to yet more unnamed co-conspirators.

In total, the three defendants avoided over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred had they sold their stock after the information was made public, according to the indictment.

The defendants are accused of multiple counts of securities fraud, as well as one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count each of making false statements.

Rep. Collins lawyers responded quickly to the allegations.

We will answer the charges filed against Congressman Collins in Court and will mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name, Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New said in a statement Wednesday morning. 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.

After Collins surrendered to the FBI, Speaker Paul D. Ryan announced he would no longer sit on the House Energy and Commerce committee.

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.

Paul Fontelo contributed to this report.

Correction: This story originally misstated Collins sale of 4 million shares in Innate Immunotherapeutics between 2016 and 2018. He bought 4 million shares.
SMS messaging is still a key technology for direct marketing and other communications, the Wireless Applications Service Providers Association of South Africa (WASPA) has said.

SMS direct marketing hasnt decreased in any other market where people have moved to over-the-top services for messaging, WASPA chair James McNab said during a recent media event in Johannesburg.

The status of SMS as a core feature of a cellphone, and the fact that it is widely available, means it has remained a useful technology  even amidst the rise of mobile instant messaging applications.

On the topic of whether the new WhatsApp Business API might replace SMS for notifications and marketing messages, McNab said Lets see.

He said it is difficult to offer a prediction, as the WhatsApp Business API rolled out everywhere at once. There arent more mature markets to look at for examples of how the launch of the API impacted SMS.

McNab said that receiving an advertisement or marketing message on WhatsApp, where communication has generally been personal, may possibly be regarded as more intrusive than an SMS.

In six months we will have a more comprehensive answer, said McNab.

WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp unveiled its Business API at the beginning of August 2018, offering a way for companies to respond to messages from clients.

According to reports, WhatsApp will allow businesses to respond to clients through the API for free for up to 24 hours.

When the free period expires, WhatsApp will charge a fixed rate per message. Prices will vary by country.

Businesses will also only be able to send messages to people who contact them first.

Following the announcement of the API, reports emerged that WhatsApp will start showing adverts in the status screen from 2019.
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 Tuesdays second-quarter earnings call, according to Deadline. More detail to come over the next few months but well 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 networks 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 shows, to which he responded, Thats 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 Heres a story . . . of a shady Brady typed in bold print.

The story, according to Bass: An agent representing the estate told him that his bidwhich was WAY over the asking price of $1.885 millionhad 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 its not a good feeling. I feel used but most importantly Im 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 Scotts tweet a total coincidence? Will the future owners appreciate the Los Angeles River-bordering houses unique street-to-river orientation as much as Bass would have?

Perhaps! After news of HGTVs successful bid spread Tuesday morning, Bass tweeted, Id 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 Gregs room in the attic if Wiedenfels didnt deliver on financial projections.

That was not a fun place to be, Zaslav continued. It didnt have a door. There were beads, if you remember.

After news of HGTVs successful bid spread Tuesday morning, Bass tweeted, Id be pretty upset if it were anyone else, but how can you be mad at HGTV?? My television is stuck on that channel.
Set against the backdrop of an early 1990s gay-conversion program for teenagers, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is an earnest and affecting drama that, for the most part, avoids caricature and melodrama to make its points. Based on the 2012 novel by Emily M. Danforth, and sensitively directed by Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior), the film is at its best when evoking the painful labor of adolescent self-discovery, a processas rendered herethat is not unlike a butterfly struggling to emerge from a chrysalis.

In this case, that universal process is complicated by the misguided efforts of Gods Promise, a Christian reeducation campschool is too gentle a wordwhose leaders attempt to convince these young butterflies that their wings are broken. Most, but not all, of the teens in the film are coming to terms with their sexual identity. One (Christopher Dylan White) is a recovering addict who makes fun of the gay teens. Some other students have been caught masturbating.

The title character is a rising high school junior who, in the films prologue, gets caught making out with a girl in the back seat of a car. Played by Chloe Grace Moretz with a mixture of wide-eyed innocence and steely resolve, Cameron, or Cam, as she prefers to be called, almost immediately falls in with the problem kids after shes sent away to this rustic reprogramming facility in the woods. One of those troublemakers is an untamable free spirit namedI kid you notJane Fonda (Sasha Lane of American Honey). The other is Janes mellow, hippie-ish partner in crime, Adam Red Eagle (Forrest Goodluck of The Revenant).

And who wouldnt want to sit at the lunch table with these sharp-tongued wags? When Adam explains to Cameron that hes a two-spirit, or winktethe Lakotan word for someone whose male energy is being suppressed by female energyJane helps paint a picture with this explanatory zinger: Hes basically the Native American David Bowie.

Less amusing is the dialogue spouted by the schools director (Jennifer Ehle), a priggish cartoon who chides Cameron for her nickname: Cameron is already a masculine name. To abbreviate it as something even less feminine only exacerbates your gender confusion. Ehles one-dimensional portrayal of humorless certitudeshes given to making such pronouncements as Theres no such thing as homosexualityseems unflattering to Christians, especially in the context of a film that features a Jesus-centric exercise video titled Blessercise. (As it turns out, that tapes not satire. Akhavans producer and co-writer Cecilia Frugiuele actually foundand obtained the rights toa vintage exercise video from the 1990s that Akhavan has described as Jazzercise for Jesus.)

But Miseducation more often opts for nuance than burlesque, and that is its strength. Although the films climax involves an incident of disturbing violenceonly described, not shownits argument that gay-conversion is a form of abuse is made most powerfully not when its shouted, but when its whispered.

Two and one-half stars. Unrated. Contains sensuality, drug use, obscenity, brief nudity and mature thematic material. 91 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.
SACRAMENTO  California will become the first state to eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial and replace it with a still murky risk-assessment system under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Browns signature gives the states judicial council broad authority to reshape pretrial detention policies ahead of the new laws October 2019 start date.

Based on the councils framework, each countys superior court will set its own procedures for deciding who to release before trial, potentially creating a patchwork system based on where a suspect lives.

Most suspects accused of nonviolent felonies will be released within 12 hours of booking, while those charged with serious, violent felonies will stay in jail before trial.

The new law gives judges wide latitude to decide what to do with other suspects based on their likelihood of returning to court and the danger they pose to the public.

Its still unclear which suspects would fall into each category or how long they might spend in jail.

Californias new law is the latest development in the nationwide debate over bail, which many people say unfairly punishes people for being poor. Other states including New Jersey, Alaska and New Mexico have overhauled their bail systems, although no other state has completely eliminated bail.

Advocates of the California law say incarceration should depend on a suspects risk to public safety, not the ability to pay.

Our path to a more just criminal justice system is not complete, but today it made a transformational shift away from valuing private wealth and toward protecting public safety, the laws author, state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, a Democrat from Van Nuys, said in a statement.

Opponents, including some social justice groups, argue the new law gives judges too much power to decide who should be released.

Gina Clayton Johnson, executive director of Essie Justice Group, which advocates for women with family members in prison, says she worries the policy will lead to mass incarceration. She said theres not enough protection in the law to ensure it doesnt perpetuate racial bias in the criminal justice system.

This is a bill that has confused a lot of people because it does do something very positive, which is to end the bail industry, she said. Yet what we had to trade for that win actually sets us further back.

Others, meanwhile, argue it will allow dangerous people to go free and perhaps not return for trial.

In California, overarching rules will be set by the judicial council, the policy-making body for Californias courts headed by the states chief justice.

The new law lets counties set up their own pretrial assessment agencies or run their risk assessment programs through existing probation departments.

The legislation gives officials 24 hours to determine whether a suspect should be released before trial. That time can be extended by 12 hours if necessary.

Some criminal justice reform advocates worry defendants will spend weeks in jail while their lawyers try to prove they deserve to be set free.

Napa County

Napa County has been using its own assessment tool to determine whether pre-trial suspects can be released without bail.

Most mornings in Napa County, probation officers receive a list with the names of people arrested in the last 24 hours. They head downstairs to the jail and ask a few questions to those who are locked up.

Each answer to an officers questions is assigned a number. The officer adds up a defendants score  intended to predict whether that person will skip a court date or commit a crime if released  and writes an accompanying report for the judge, who will decide which defendants to release by the end of the afternoon.

Napas specific questionnaire, called the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) pretrial tool is one of many pretrial risk assessments used by counties across the state. San Francisco and Santa Cruz use the Public Safety Assessment (PSA), which was developed by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Some counties have worked with research organizations to design their own pretrial risk assessment tool.

Using different tools isnt necessarily a problem, said Marie VanNostrand, the co-founder of Luminosity, a company that focuses on developing data-driven solutions for criminal justice problems.

To me, it almost doesnt matter what risk assessment is used, as long as its valid and its accurately classifying the risk in an unbiased way, VanNostrand said.

Bay City News contributed to this story.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A local group, Blue Wave Napa Valley, has kicked off an online fundraising campaign to help elect Southern California Democrats Katie Hill, Harley Rouda and Mike Levin to the U.S. Congress in the Nov. 6 mid-term elections.

The campaign goal is $100,000; as of mid-day Monday, it had raised $1,700.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, has endorsed the three candidates and Blue Wave Napa Valley.

Hill, District 25, Simi Valley, is running against two-term incumbent Steve Knight; Rouda, District 48, Huntington Beach, is running against Dana Rohrabacher, who has represented his district for 28 years; and Levin, District 49, Dana Point, is running against Republican Diane Harkey, who is seeking to replace Republican Darrell Issa.

For the Democrats to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, they need to win some 23 seats, including seven in California.

We are lucky to live in a blue district, said Blue Wave Napa Valley founder Julie Jenanyan. Like many of my friends and neighbors, however, Im frustrated by the current chaos in Washington. We started Blue Wave Napa Valley to encourage our community to come together and raise money for strong candidates in flippable California districts.

Blue Wave Napa Valley has secured the services of Crowdpac, a platform set up to facilitate crowdfunding for political campaigns, to record and distribute of all donated funds. For more information go to bluewavenapavalley.com or contact info@bluewavenapavalley.com.
Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday _ "a very ugly yellow casting" _ as she peeked outside. A large cloud of smoke had begun to cover the sun.

By Tuesday, the smoke was so heavy that "even inside my apartment I've had to use my inhaler twice this morning, which is not a normal thing," said Dobrosky, a Riverside County, Calif., resident who lives about 30 miles from a fast-growing fire in the Cleveland National Forest.

"Today I'm stuck inside, there's no going out," said Dobrosky, 67, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung condition.

At least 17 large fires are burning across California, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres, sending toxic pollutants into the air and contaminating water supplies. The air quality in certain areas _ particularly near the massive Mendocino Complex Fire in the northern part of the state _ is among the worst officials have ever seen.

And conditions aren't expected to improve as new blazes break out and others rage uncontrolled. With temperatures at times reaching into the triple digits, unpredictable winds and desiccated brush that serves as kindling, there's no end in sight to this year's fire season.

"We are in a situation now where the wildfire season doesn't really have its normal beginning or end," said Lori Kobza, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.

The 629,000 acres burned this year follows large swaths torched last year in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Napa and Sonoma counties, causing dozens of deaths, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Many scientists attribute the more frequent and ferocious fires in the U.S. and around the world, at least in part, to climate change.

Meanwhile, air quality districts around the state have issued warnings to stay indoors _ with windows shut and the air conditioner running _ and to limit outdoor activities. In many places, kids' ball games, riding lessons and summer camps have been canceled.

NASA satellite photos show towers of smoke in California billowing into the atmosphere. Up and down the state, air quality officials have marked huge swaths as red with spots of purple _ places where air is unhealthy or very unhealthy to breathe. Smoke and ash can travel dozens or even hundreds of miles.

Children, older people and those with respiratory illnesses such as asthma and COPD are particularly at risk of smoke-related health problems. But otherwise-healthy people also may experience short-term breathing problems, eye irritation and coughing.

Fine particulate matter, which is mostly invisible, can lead to inflammation of the lungs and other organs. For people with cardiac problems, toxic smoke has been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and death, said Dr. Michael Schivo, associate professor of medicine at University of California-Davis.

Schivo, who has lived in the Sacramento area most of his life, said he can't remember the air being as bad as in the past few years. More patients with chronic lung disease are experiencing more uncontrolled symptoms, he said.

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."

Air quality experts and physicians said more fires are bound to occur, and people with health issues need to have a plan for the bad air days, such as keeping extra medications on hand. "This isn't the first fire season California has had and it won't be the last," said Patrick Chandler, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. "You can't really tough this out."

Some people say they have no choice but to take risks. Alyssa Mayo, 31, who has struggled with respiratory issues for two decades, runs a rehabilitation center for horses and dogs northeast of Sacramento. Now, she can't see the mountain range out her window because of the smoke.

But Mayo said she has horses and dogs to care for. "Unfortunately, with our business, we can't sit inside all day," she said. "I wish I could hunker down and stay out of it, but these animals depend on us."

Air quality may be the most pressing issue, but scientists say that ultimately water _ another human necessity _ is in danger, too. Ash, burned soil and toxic residue from incinerated houses, businesses and machinery can make their way into lakes, rivers and reservoirs, said Carmen Burton, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's California Water Science Center in San Diego. The extent of the contamination depends on factors such as topography and the number and type of materials burned.

Wildfires typically sweep through rural areas more than urban _ and this year follows that pattern, said Catherine Dunwoody, chief of the monitoring and laboratory division for California's Air Resources Board. Dunwoody cited some of the mountainous areas in and around Yosemite, in particular, where a 94,000-acre fire was substantially contained as of Tuesday afternoon.

Yet as housing complexes encroach on wild lands, residents increasingly risk their homes, their health and even their lives.

Some parts of the state suffer more than others. The entire San Joaquin Valley faces the ill effects of blazes not only in nearby Yosemite but throughout Northern California, said Anthony Presto, a spokesman for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. This region, he explained, is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges, making it easier for pollutants and smoke to funnel southward and become trapped in a bowl.

Kimberly McCoy, who lives in Fresno, has seen that firsthand. She and her son both have asthma, and she said her chest feels tight and her son has been wheezing. McCoy said she hasn't let her son outdoors in recent days. "That's really hard for an active 6-year-old," she said.

In Sacramento County, smoke is now trapped under a ridge of high pressure. Kobza, of the local air district, said that if masks are worn, they should be specialized to protect from the fine particulate matter. Dust masks from the hardware store won't cut it, she said.

"People have a false sense of security," she said. "If it's small enough to get into the bloodstream, it's small enough to get through paper."

Some people are wearing masks even in their cars. Dobrosky, of Riverside County, said she recently ordered a pack of specialized masks from Amazon after running out during last year's blazes. After those fires, she also bought a treadmill so that she could exercise inside. Even so, Dobrosky said, her lungs are sore.

"Breathing" she said, "has become a chore."
Davis J. Taylor has been named interim publisher of Napa Valley Publishing, which includes the Napa Valley Register, St. Helena Star, Weekly Calistogan and American Canyon Eagle, among other publications and services.

Taylor, 69, is currently the publisher of Lee Central California Newspapers, based in Hanford. He will continue in that job while Napa Valley Publishing searches for a permanent replacement for former Publisher Brenda Speth, who left in July.

He has 31 years of media experience, including sales and marketing executive positions at the Oakland Tribune and Media News Group, San Jose Mercury News and Harte-Hanks Communications. Before joining Lee Central California Newspapers, he was sales and marketing director for the Gannett-owned Times-Delta Media Group in Visalia and directed national, local and target marketing sales teams at The Seattle Times.

Were figuring out a sustainable business model and new ways of relating to our communities; that makes this an exciting time to be in the business, he told California Publisher magazine shortly after joining Lee Enterprises. Its especially exciting to be working in small community media, which is undergoing a rebirth right now.

Taylor and his wife, Vanessa, live in Visalia, though he intends to be active in the Napa community during this period. As publisher, he has served on the boards of Kings Economic Development Corporation, Kings Partnership for Prevention and Main Street Hanford, and was a member of Hanford Sunset Rotary.

Napa Valley Publishing says it intends to name a permanent publisher in Napa later this year.

Lee Enterprises is a leading provider of local news and information, and a major platform for advertising, in its markets, with 46 daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 300 specialty publications in 22 states.
Under increased pressure by outraged Californians to reduce waits of eight hours or more at some DMV offices, the besieged agency is sending in more reinforcements even as its asking the state for more funding to solve the growing crisis.

The DMV announced Tuesday that it will assign 240 employees from state headquarters and other agencies and departments to combat rising wait times at field offices. This comes after it has hired 500 new employees. But unbearable lines have been the norm for several months since applications for the federal-compliant Real ID driver license or identification card have been implemented.

Sacramento lawmakers have gotten the message, and at a hearing Tuesday evening, Assemblyman Phil Ting and his colleagues held DMV officials feet to the fire about lines that snake around the block at many branches.

I was shocked, the San Francisco Democrat told the Sacramento Bee after he recently visited a crowded DMV office in his district. What weve been hearing are horrific wait times of six or seven hours. Thats unacceptable.

Under sometimes intense questioning by lawmakers who were speaking on behalf of angry constituents, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto agreed that the long wait times in recent months have been unacceptable. She told lawmakers wait times spiked several months ago as Californians started to update their licenses to meet new federal security standards known as Real ID.

The agency underestimated how long it would take to explain the new requirements to customers and ensure they have necessary documents, Shiomoto said. And she asked lawmakers for additional funding to hire more employees, possibly as much as $26 million on top of the millions in additional funding the agency has already been granted.

Several of the panel members were visibly frustrated by what they saw as Shiomotos failure to grasp the scope of the problem and appreciate the anger that many Californians are now feeling toward her agency. In recent weeks, the DMV has become perhaps the most despised public agency in the Golden State. Lawmakers have given the department millions of dollars in additional funding to accommodate higher demand caused by the Real ID upgrade, but the lines dont seem to be getting any shorter. Each of the lawmakers who spoke on Tuesday offered up their own DMV horror stories while Shiomoto quietly listened.

For his part, Assemblyman Phillip Chen is requesting an audit of the department and how it is handling the Real ID changes. He told the Bee that the biggest complaint he gets about the DMV from his constituents is the long lines.

We want to make sure were not putting money into a broken system, the Diamond Bar Republican told the paper. After Tuesdays hearing, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee will consider Chens audit request Wednesday.

To ease the long wait times, the DMV is staffing 60 offices on Saturdays and extending morning hours at 14 offices.

We want to do better and we will do better, Shiomoto said. Our customers deserve it.

With the beefed-up staffing announced this week, the DMV says its trying to ensure customers have the required documents to complete their transaction and get a service number faster. They are also assisting customers with filling out the electronic driver license and ID card applications, the DMV said in a news release.

And motorists who provide their cellphone number when they check in can receive a text message shortly before their service number is called so they do not have to wait inside an office. This service could be ready in two weeks.

Shiomoto said this approach should help triage the longer lines at our offices. The move comes as state legislators this week begin holding hearings and undertake an audit of the DMV.

The DMV is also testing self-check-in kiosks. Those with appointments can bypass the Start Here window and use a kiosk to instantly receive their service number. This option is being tested at the San Jose Driver License Processing Center.

This month, the DMV will add self-service vehicle registration renewal kiosks to 10 additional field offices. Later this year, the department will expand to 50 additional grocery store locations, bringing the statewide total of DMV Now Self-Service Terminals to 160.

Despite the DMVs initial increases in service, customers have continued to complain about the waits.

Sheila Cahak, of Fremont, needs to renew her license next month but couldnt find an appointment opening anywhere in the Bay Area before October. She finally found one in Stockton on the Friday before Labor Day weekend.

Who would want to drive to Stockton under those circumstances? she said.

Instead, she went to Bishop and finally found help.

Because I had all my documents in a row, I walked in at 8, got a new photo, took a vision test, made a thumb print, and walked out at 8:20 a.m., she said.

Of course, I had to drive 300 miles to make it possible. I speak for the rest of humanity: Id rather have oral surgery without anesthetic than have business at the DMV.
Passing through the South Napa Targets parking lot on Tuesday night, you might think that children had taken over local public safety agencie
Each week, the Napa Valley Register runs photos of your fishing or hunting prizes in the feature "Bragging Rights" on the Sports page. Here ar
Vallejo police said Thursday afternoon that the mother of three young children set herself on fire resulting in the death of two of her daughters and injury to a third on Sunday.

Physical and electronic evidence and victim and witness statements indicate 47-year-old Mao Dao set herself on fire in the home at 2932 Georgia St.

Dao's 11-year-old daughter was injured but escaped the fire and flagged down officers. Police said she is with her father.

Dao's 14-year-old daughters perished in the fire. The Solano County coroner's office said it could not release their names.

"The Vallejo Police Department has classified this case as a suicide that resulted in two homicides," Capt. Lee Horton said.

"This was a tragic event for all involved. Incidents of this nature are exceedingly difficult for the family, but also for the community and its first responders," Horton said.
What once was a simple bend in the Napa River has become the citys newest visitor magnet, home of a food and wine center, a culinary market, restaurants and hotels.

But what exactly makes the Oxbow the Oxbow?

Finding an answer to that question formed the heart of a branding exercise Tuesday by the Napa City Council, which heard a team of advisers suggest ways to promote the once-sleepy area east of downtown as a destination on its own terms.

In plotting the Oxbows layout, development, transportation and even street life, Napa should keep the water  the namesake crook in the river  at the heart of the neighborhoods identity, argued volunteers with the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit urban-planning think tank working with the city. The report followed a meeting in July with local stakeholders in the Oxbow area, according to Peter Pirnejad, assistant city manager.

The river needs to be seen and experienced in order to positively contribute to the character of this place, Elizabeth Shreeve, an urban designer with the SWA Group in San Francisco and one of eight institute members to join the study on branding the Oxbow. Think of the river not as the edge, but as the center of the district.

According to advisers who visited Napa for their study, such a water-first outlook can be reflected in zoning that seeks to create easy access to the Napa River  including its recreational heart, the Oxbow Commons park and flood-relief channel  while ensuring new construction preserves views of the waterway rather than obscuring them. Planners also should be mindful of keeping open views out to the Napa Valley edges  a recent point of debate for multistory developments like the Black Elk hotel, which the Planning Commission endorsed last year for First Street west of the Oxbow Public Market.

Besides its unique riverfront setting, Oxbow also stands out for a diversity of older and smaller buildings, and an easily walkable streetscape that invites visitors to explore on foot and bicycle, advisers said. Jim Heid, founder of the UrbanGreen design consultancy in San Francisco, encouraged the city to keep and promote such low-slung building stock  with the potential of fostering small and start-up businesses  as a contrast to hotel high-rises like the Andaz and Archer that now anchor the downtown area on the opposite side of the river.

Even public events sponsored by Napa can add to the Oxbows river-friendly image, added Blaine Merker, managing director of the Gehl urban design firms San Francisco office. Annual festivals such as the city Earth Day celebration, Bike Fest and the Walk for Animals have moved to the district, but a steady flow of small-scale events would keep residents engaged in the rivers future, he said.

Preserve the river by loving it, said Merker. Let people get close; theyll take care of it.

Despite the growing number of Oxbow visitors, according to the advisory team, some roadblocks to its popularity remain  some of them as imposingly physical as the streets and bridges separating the district from the rest of Napas core.

Napa needs to ease access into the Oxbow and especially across the First Street bridge linking it to downtown, said Edith Ramirez, a project adviser who serves as economic development director in the South Bay city of Morgan Hill. A long walk over the First Street bridge and across four-lane Soscol Avenue dissuades some would-be visitors, who would be well-served with benches and shade structures along the bridges sidewalks to make the journey more pleasant in summer, she told the council.

Pathways into and through the Oxbow also need better and more eye-catching signage, added Sandra Kulli, a Malibu-based real estate marketing consultant. I went over the (Soscol Avenue) bridge 18 times, and never once did I have an idea there was a cool trail underneath, she said of her Napa visit, urging the city to name it, sign it and use it to capture the attention of residents and visitors.

Concept signs shown to the council Tuesday featured a square logo, in various colors, stylizing the Oxbow as the reverse-C formed by the Napa Rivers meandering course.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Tanned, rested and presumably ready, the Legislature reconvened this week for the inevitably hectic final weeks of its annual session.

The pressure cooker atmosphere that always envelops the final days is, history tells us, not conducive to thoughtful policymaking.

Preoccupied with pushing hundreds of their own pet bills through the Capitols sausage factory, legislators pay too little attention to larger issues with potentially huge long-term impact on the state.

Lobbyists for powerful interests thrive on the inattention, seeking measures that enrich their clients at the larger publics expense.

Thats how, in the dying moments of the 1996 session, the Legislature passed, without a dissenting vote, a misnamed deregulation of the states electrical power utilities.

It promised to benefit consumers but wound up picking their pockets for many billions of dollars while driving one major utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, into bankruptcy and almost making another, Southern California Edison, insolvent.

Three years later, in the last hours of the 1999 session, the Legislature passed a measure granting state employees a very large retroactive increase in their retirement benefits on assurances that it would cost nothing because the California Public Employees Retirement System could easily cover the higher pensions with investment earnings.

Local governments largely followed suit. But after CalPERS lost $100 billion in the recession a decade later, both they and the state were hammered by sharply increasing demands for mandatory contributions to cover the losses and pay the enhanced pensions. Much like the electric power debacle, the expedient pension grab is costing Californians tens of billions of dollars.

This trip down memory lane cautions us that Californians should be leery of two big issues  both dealing with electric power  that could be decided this month.

One is the plea by PG&E and other utilities for relief from laws that can hold them financially liable for damages from the wildfires that strike California with increasing regularity and intensity.

Without relief, they say, they can be driven into insolvency and their pleas are being backed by their employee unions and Wall Street banking and investment houses that have huge stakes in keeping the utilities financially healthy.

Wildfire victims, their insurers and attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases  the latter two the strangest of political bedfellows  want to keep inverse condemnation laws in effect as vehicles to gain compensation.

Gov. Jerry Brown, for whom this legislative session is the last of his career, is trying to work out a compromise. But with moneyed interests on both sides, its a tough slog.

Brown is an advocate, rather than a mediator, on the second issue  whether California will merge its electrical grid with those of other Western states not only physically but politically, allowing a new regional entity to decide who gets juice and who pays for it.

Browns advocacy is apparently driven by assumptions that a regional grid would make it easier for California to peddle its surplus renewable power, and also provide backup power so the state can wean itself from carbon-emitting coal and natural gas generation.

However, theres stubborn resistance from some environmentalists, who worry aloud about the states losing its political accountability for power system operations. Not surprisingly, they compare the regional plan to that disastrous 1996 deregulation scheme as an example of what happens when big decisions are made at the last minute.

Theyve got a very strong point.

CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
Affordable housing in California? Seems to be a classic example of an oxymoron to me.

The median price for a single family house in California is currently among the highest in the nation at $564,000. At the same time, the median price in the nation is $213,000. The high cost of California housing is largely driven by the excessive regulations and fees associated with building new homes in the state.

These mandated costs have been estimated to be approximately 40 percent of the total costs for constructing a new home. And California will continue to add to these costs by the extension of California's Solution for Global Warming act (SB32) as well as solar power and "net zero" mandates for future housing. Independent analysis shows current San Francisco home buyers need family incomes of $333,270 to keep up with median monthly home payments.

Locally, the 2018 Napa County Grand Jury reports current Realty Trac information showing the average wage earner in Napa would have to spend 85 percent of his wages to afford a median priced ($534,000) home in Napa.

Napa County is exploring an increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for hotels or similar temporary accommodations to support affordable housing projects in the county. Just as SB32 has not and cannot solve worldwide global warming, increasing Napa County TOT taxes by 1 percent can not solve the local adorable housing problem. It will increase the costs to tourists desiring to make a short visit to the ambiance of the Napa Valley.

San Francisco, Boston and San Jose are in the same boat as Manhattan, where prices are sky-high, and the market is on fire, while El Paso, San Antonio and Memphis boast an affordability similar to that of Cleveland. San Antonio stands out from the latter group with its thriving business activity, and the health and education sectors driving the economy in the area. The development pipeline is also robust, so San Antonio is definitely worth looking into, because with $200,000, you could buy a sizable 3,249-square-foot home there.

For the same amount, you could purchase a home ranging from 400 to 600 square feet in Los Angeles and San Diego or one as large as 2,000 square feet in Nashville or Orlando. Some might describe moving to L.A. as the American Dream, but youd need a lot more than $200,000 to buy your dream house there. Orlando can be seen as an alternative to L.A., with its pleasant climate, its nightlife and job opportunities the one major difference being that the cost of living is considerably lower.

We have done this to ourselves. We have a government that loves high taxes, bad regulations and creates policies that are adding tens of thousands to the cost of new housing. Recent examples include: Mandated solar panels for new homes in California will add $10,000 to $20,000 to new home costs.

The coming SB32 net zero mandate will add an estimated $98,000 to the cost of California new homes. Clearly these new mandates will not lead to increased Affordable Housing. Does California or Napa County have any actual plans for or interest in actually promoting Affordable Housing by cutting regulatory mandates?

Jack Gray, Director

Napa County Taxpayers Association
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Wednesday demanded that a thorough probe should be done into the release of dam water from North Eastern Electric Power Corporations (NEEPCO) Doyang hydroelectric project resulting in unprecedented flooding in upper Assams Golaghat district.

A report appearing in the The Times of India stated that the KMSS adviser Akhil Gogoi has charged NEEPCO with generating power at the risk of human lives in Golaghat, the worst-hit district in the second wave of floods.

The report further quoted Akhil as saying, Just to fulfill its target to generate excess power, the Doyang authorities have posed a grave threat to the lives and property of people living in the downstream areas of Golaghat district. Besides causing unprecedented flooding in the district, the NEEPCO-run hydroelectric project has flushed out huge silt, damaging houses of hundreds of families. The KMSS also blamed NEEPCO for the death of five people in Golaghat in the latest spate of floods, which, according to the farmers body, has affected 116 villages in the district.

Also Read: Assam: KMSS asks NEEPCO to compensate Golaghats flood-hit people

Fed by water released from Doyang, the Dhansiri in Golaghat was flowing above the danger mark on Wednesday. The latest Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report stated that over 75,000 people still remain affected in Golaghat district. Apart from Golaghat, only Biswanath district in northern Assam, where 2000 people are hit, is still reeling from floods. Akhil asked NEEPCO to give compensation to flood-affected families of Golaghat and appealed to the Government to waive off all loans of people in the district.

Citing the Central Electricity Regulatory Commissions (CERC) norms, he said though the Doyang hydroelectric project located in Wokha district of Nagaland was supposed to generate 14.28 Million Units (MU) of electricity in July, it produced 45.52 MU during the entire month.

NEEPCO was supposed to keep the water level down in July so that there is minimum risk of floods in the downstream areas. But, it reserved excess water in the Doyang project site for generating more power, resulting in massive devastation in Golaghat, added Akhil.

On the other hand, the flood situation in Assam improved marginally on Wednesday, with over 77,000 people still affected in Golaghat and Biswanath districts. Till Tuesday, over 81,000 people were affected in Golaghat district alone. Roads and bridges have been damaged in Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Kamrup (Metropolitan) districts, said ASDMA. The total number of people losing their lives in the two spell of floods this year stands at 46, including three in the landslides.

At present, 107 villages are under water and 6,883 hectares of crop area have been damaged, the ASDMA added. It said 19,636 people are still staying in 109 relief camps opened in the two districts.
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
Story Highlights 37% say managerial ability is most important in evaluating president

In 1990s, majorities said managing government was most important

Republicans less likely than previously to say moral values are important

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans are most likely to say a president's ability to manage the government is the biggest factor in their evaluations of him, of three possible leadership characteristics. Thirty-seven percent choose government management, while 29% say the president's issue positions are most important and 21% say his moral values. This division is similar to what Gallup measured during George W. Bush's presidency but is significantly less tilted toward managing government than was the case during Bill Clinton's years in office, when majorities selected this trait.

With the decline in perceived importance of managing the government between the Clinton and Bush presidencies, the percentages citing moral values or issue positions as most important increased. Gallup did not ask the question during Barack Obama's presidency.

The latest results are based on a July 30-Aug. 5 poll. President Donald Trump currently has a 41% job approval rating among all U.S. adults.

Republicans, Democrats and independents choose a president's ability to manage the government over the other dimensions as most important. At 42%, Republicans are more likely than other groups to choose managing the government, and they are least likely to choose moral values (14%). One in four Democrats and independents say moral values are most important.

Most Important Factor in Evaluating How a President Is Doing His Job, by Political Party Managing the government Issue positions Moral values % % % Republicans 42 33 14 Independents 35 30 24 Democrats 34 25 24 Gallup, July 30-Aug. 5, 2018

Republicans Put Less Emphasis on Moral Values in Trump Administration

Republicans' current criteria for evaluating presidents differ from what they have been in the past. Most notably, the 14% who say moral values are most important in how they view a president is down sharply from the 36% who said this in 2002, when George W. Bush was president, and is significantly lower than the roughly 25% who did so under Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Results from a May 2018 Gallup poll underscore this shift, finding fewer Republicans now than in the 1990s saying it is important for a president to provide strong moral leadership.

Meanwhile, the 33% of Republicans assigning the greatest importance to issue positions is the highest for the group to date by 11 percentage points. Republicans who may have reservations about Trump's leadership style or the controversies surrounding him may gravitate toward saying his stance on issues is more important, given their likely agreement with Trump's views on taxes, abortion and immigration.

The 42% of Republicans who say a president's ability to manage the government is paramount in evaluating his performance matches the average for the three polls conducted between 1996 and 2002.

Most Important Factor in Evaluating How a President Is Doing His Job, by Political Party, Over Time Managing the government Issue positions Moral values % % % Republicans 2018 42 33 14 2002 32 19 36 1998 45 18 27 1996 48 22 23 Independents 2018 35 30 24 2002 36 29 23 1998 53 25 15 1996 55 20 18 Democrats 2018 34 25 24 2002 44 29 17 1998 64 23 8 1996 50 28 15 Gallup

At the same time that Republicans are putting less emphasis on moral values, Democrats are placing more emphasis on that dimension than they did in the past. This is also consistent with the May survey that found an increase from the Clinton years in the percentage of Democrats saying it is important for a president to provide moral leadership.

Democrats are much less likely now to emphasize a president's ability to manage the government than they were under Bush and, especially, Clinton.

These party shifts provide some evidence that Republicans' and Democrats' criteria for evaluating presidents are influenced by the relative strengths and weaknesses of the sitting president. Democrats, who were inclined to support Clinton, gave more weight to managing the government and less to moral values when he was presiding over a strong economy but was tainted by personal scandals. Republicans appear to minimize the importance of moral values under Trump but said these were more important than the other factors when Bush was president.

Independents, like Democrats, are much less likely to say government management is the key factor for them in evaluating presidents than they were under Clinton. Their opinions today, however, are nearly identical to what they were in 2002, appearing to be less influenced by personal differences between Bush and Trump.

Importance of Moral Values Key Indicator of Trump Job Approval

The May survey found 40% of Americans saying Trump provides strong moral leadership and 59% weak moral leadership. Those who say moral values are most important for a president in the current survey appear to be critical of Trump in this regard. As such, there is a strong relationship between importance of moral values and Trump's job approval rating -- 25% who say moral values are most important approve of the job he is doing, while 71% disapprove, including 54% who disapprove strongly. Those who regard issue positions or ability to manage the government as the most important factors are about as likely to approve as to disapprove of Trump.

Job Approval Ratings of President Donald Trump by Most Important Factor in Evaluating How a President Is Doing His Job Managing the government Issue positions Moral values % % % Strongly approve 29 35 12 Moderately approve 18 14 13 Moderately disapprove 13 9 17 Strongly disapprove 39 40 54 Total approve 47 49 25 Total disapprove 52 49 71 Gallup, July 30-Aug. 5, 2018

Americans who regarded moral values as the most important criterion for evaluating a president were also quite negative about Clinton's performance in office, but not quite as negative as they are about Trump. In both the 1996 and 1998 surveys, 34% of those who said moral values were most important approved of Clinton, while an average of 60% across the two surveys disapproved. Clinton's job approval among all Americans in those surveys averaged 62%.

By contrast, in 2002, those who said moral values were most important gave Bush higher approval (86%) than did Americans overall (77%), suggesting they thought Bush had strong morals.

Implications

Americans are most inclined to say they base their opinions of the president on how he is managing the government, but the percentage who do so is lower now than in the 1990s. More say a president's issue positions and moral values are paramount in their evaluations of him than was true in the past.

These developments are consistent with the trend toward increasingly partisan views of presidents. More people now approve or disapprove of the president based on fundamental and unchanging aspects of the president than on an evaluation of how he, or the country, is faring at a given time. This broader pattern helps explain the lack of a honeymoon period for Trump. It also explains the lack of big rallies in approval of Trump, and of Barack Obama, in response to important international or domestic events -- a historical staple of presidential approval ratings.

The data presented here also suggest that Americans' beliefs about what is most important in evaluating a president are not fixed. In particular, partisans' evaluative criteria appear to shift to fit the strengths -- or weaknesses -- of the incumbent, and to better align with their inclination to support a president of their own party and oppose a president of the other party.

Explore President Trump's approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center.
Dear Newsie Readers,

Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019.

Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one.

Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures.

With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day.

Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles.

Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight.

The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions.

We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news.

The team at Newsie
Sen. Dianne Feinstein employed SPY for communist China as office manager for 20 years, during which 20 CIA operatives were murdered

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is in the hot seat, now that the public knows she employed a Chinese spy for over 20 years. Early reports indicated the spy was only a driver for the senator, but new reports have revealed that Russel Lowe, named as as the spy in question, was actually employed as her office manager.

To make matters worse, it turns out that Feinstein first learned that Lowe was a Chinese operative in 2013, while she was the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Lowe is a Chinese-American and worked alongside Feinstein as her aide for 20 years, though he is now Secretary General of the Education for Social Justice Foundation. As this shocking story unravels, it only continues to get darker: A report from Business Insider shows that dozens of CIA operatives were imprisoned or killed by China, and many operations were thwarted by the Chinese government during the time Lowe was employed.

CIA operations in China take a hit

In 2017, Business Insider reported that up to 20 CIA sources were imprisoned or killed by the Chinese between the years 2010 and 2012. At the time of that report, the source of the massive intelligence breach had not been identified, but now, some are wondering if Russel Lowe could somehow be connected to the plot. CIA officials were divided on whether or not the breach had been carried out by an unidentified spy or by way of hacking into the CIAs communication system. As reported:

The Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the CIA from 2010 through 2012, dismantling a network that was years in the making, the newspaper reported.

One was shot and killed in front of a government building in China, three officials told the Times, saying that was designed as a message to others about working with Washington.

The breach was considered particularly damaging, with the number of assets lost rivaling those in the Soviet Union and Russia who perished after information passed to Moscow by spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said. Ames was active as a spy in the 1980s and Hanssen from 1979 to 2001

Is it all connected?

The FBI and the CIA joined forces to investigate the matter as more sources were killed or arrested. U.S. Intelligence officials stated that Chinas scheme for identifying American agents had been brought to a halt sometime in 2013.

Sen. Feinstein has stated that Lowe was fired in 2013, after the FBI informed her of their concerns.

The FBI told me 5 years ago it had concerns that China was seeking to recruit an administrative member of my Calif staff (despite no access to sensitive information). I took those concerns seriously, learned the facts and made sure the employee left my office immediately, the senator tweeted.

Whether or not the issue of Lowe being a Chinese spy is connected to the deaths of 20 CIA operatives has not been confirmed. First, Lowe was depicted as just a driver, now even Feinstein admits he was an administrative member of her staff while she was the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The senator also claims in her tweet that Lowe and other staffers didnt have access to sensitive information, but as a member of Senate Intelligence Committee, Feinstein does have access to quite a bit  as would an employee tasked with spying for a foreign government. As the mission statement for the committee states:

The Committee was created by the Senate in 1976 to oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government, to submit to the Senate appropriate proposals for legislation and report to the Senate concerning such intelligence activities and programs, and to provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States to assure that such activities are in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States.

Youd need access to a fair amount of sensitive info to accomplish those goals, or so one would think. But Feinsteins tweet has nonetheless revealed another major issue: Hypocrisy in the FBIs handling of the allegations against the Trump campaign.

.



Double standards for liberals and conservatives abound

As Fox News reports, the news about Feinsteins former office manager have shown, yet again, that liberals and conservatives are treated differently, even at a federal level. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif, an ardent defender of Trump throughout the Russian collusion allegations, has been leading the charge on this front, stating that despite their similarities, both cases were handled immensely differently.

In a statement to Fox News, Nunes explained, Providing a defensive briefing, like the one given to Senator Feinstein, is a typical response to these kinds of situations. The refusal to give the Trump campaign a defensive briefing, and instead opening a sprawling counter-intelligence investigation of American citizens, is one of many alarming ways that intelligence leaders drastically diverged from normal procedures in their Trump campaign investigation.

As many Trump supporters have argued, the President was not treated with the customary respect as Senator Feinstein was, and he was not briefed about the situation before launching their investigation.

You can keep up with this story as it develops at Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

BusinessInsider.com

FoxNews.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

Intelligence.Senate.gov
MEXICO CITY (AP)  President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador promised Tuesday to bring justice to the families of Mexico's victims of violence, speaking at a "pacification and reconciliation" forum in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Lopez Obrador and members of his proposed security Cabinet held the first of a planned series of such meetings in the violence-stained border city, meeting with victims of violence, academics, authorities and others.

He gas promised a new approach to Mexico's spiraling violence.

One controversial proposal is an amnesty for people who commit non-violent crimes. Lopez Obrador says people must forgive without forgetting.

Victims' rights supporters briefly interrupted the forum at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.

On Aug. 3, the bodies of 11 people were found in a home in Juarez. Authorities announced the arrests of eight suspects Monday.
Newly appointed Leader of Opposition (LoP) Betty Aol Ochan has called for support and unity from all opposition members in parliament so they can push all push for good governance and democracy in the country.

Amidst applause from majorly the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party MPs, Aol said that everyone had something to offer to the country and pleaded with her colleagues to team up with her to form a formidable opposition that will push for better alternative policies.

Aol was making her first speech as LoP in parliament yesterday Wednesday afternoon. Her statement comes amidst divisions in the country's largest opposition party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) arising out of a reshuffle by party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat.

Betty Aol Ochan addressing parliament

Amuriat was elected FDC president in November last year after defeating the incumbent president Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu. In his first appointments after assuming the presidency, Amuriat dropped Winnie Kiiza, the Kasese Woman MP and several other legislators, who campaigned openly for his challenger in the race.



The changes have been described as a reward for loyalty to supporters of Amuriat, who was backed by former party president Dr Kiiza Besigye against pro-Muntu supporters. But Aol says the opposition in parliament is numerically disadvantaged and cannot afford to be divided in order to maintain relevance as a force that has the ability to hold government accountable.



She observes a need for dialogue to heal the wounds and divisions triggered by the reshuffle, adding that opposition members need to work together, respect each other and accept diversity in opinion.



According to Aol, the office of the LoP remains one line of defence for the people and especially a place to put government in check.



"On that note; while differences in opinion are healthy and should be encouraged, we cannot afford to be divided. We need every one of us to be together. Against that backdrop I'm cognisant of the mixed reactions that this recent leadership change, there is need for dialogue. We need to sit down as leaders and chart a way forward for the great for the greater good of the opposition," Aol said.



Aol praised her predecessor Kiiza for putting up a spirited fight against the removal of presidential age and exhibiting valor and leadership when she stood with those opposed to age limit lifting all the way.

Kiiza on her part thanked fellow MPs for working with her and congratulated Aol for being appointed as the LoP. She pledged to work with Aol and give her the cooperation she desires in order to make the country better for all Ugandans.

"I rise to heartily congratulate my dear friend, sister, colleague and honourable leader Betty Aol Ochan upon her appointment as the current Leader of Opposition in the parliament of Uganda. Honourable Betty, congratulations and I would like to take the same opportunity to thank you the Rt Hon speaker and colleagues for having given me utmost cooperation that I needed in my tenure as as Leader of Opposition. I dont take it for granted that you treated me as a friend, you treated me as a colleague, you treated me as leader with dignity and respect." Kiiza said.

It was a change in tone from Kiiza's last press conference earlier this week when she appeared to question Amuriat's appointments. Then she'd insisted that her term of office was supposed to end in December and therefore the reshuffle had come prematurely. She had also threatened to use any legal loophole to hold unto office. But addressing MPs on the floor of parliament yesterday, Kiiza attacked the media for having tainted her character that she did not want to hand over office to Aol.

"Contrary to the media speculations and actually the article that appeared in the Daily Monitor. It was sad that the Monitor could come up with such a statement about Winnie the person and my character that I said Im not going anywhere. Actually what I said was that; Im waiting for the parliamentary process so that I can do the handover process to my colleague Betty. It was so shameful for the Monitor to bring that cover story, tarnishing my image. It was unfortunate and I condemn it in the strongest terms possible. Otherwise thank you colleagues, I want to thank the FDC party under the leadership of Gen Mugisha Muntu for giving me the opportunity to serve my country." she said.

Kiiza said that she will hand over the office at an appropriate time. Government chief whip, Ruth Nankabirwa, congratulated Aol and assured her of government support. She also congratulated Kiiza saying that she did everything to defend the opposition on the floor of parliament.

First deputy prime minister Moses Ali said Kiiza was outstanding and that government supported her in a lot of ways. She singled out Kiiza's ability to visit Zoka forest and Apaa boundary where there is an ongoing dispute between Amuru and Adjumani districts.

Deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah read a letter written by FDC secretary general Nathan Nandala Mafabi which communicated Aol as the new LoP. The other appointments confirmed include that of Kiira municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda as the opposition chief whip and Harold Tonny Muhindo the Bukonzo East MP as his deputy.



Also confirmed are Rukungiri municipality MP Roland Mugume Kaginda appointed as a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Francis Mwijukye as a parliament commissioner, Mukono municipality MP Betty Nambooze as a representative at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).



The others are Busongora North MP William Nzoghu appointed as a Pan African Parliament (PAP) representative while Mbale municipality MP Jack Wamai Wamanga is sent to represent FDC at the African Caribbean and Pacific Parliament (ACP).



Oulanyah also confirmed the opposition changes at the committee level highlighting the appointment of Budadiri West MP Nathan Nandala Mafabi as new chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Agago Woman MP Franca Judith Akello as chairperson of the Local Government Accounts Committee, Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa as chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).



However, Oulanyah said that the status quo on two positions of opposition backbench parliamentary commissioner and representative to the Pan African Parliament are to remain until the necessary steps for changes are followed.



The positions are currently occupied by Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal and Agago North MP Prof Morris Ogenga Latigo respectively. Oulanyah said that the speaker's office was to make an official communication on the two positions.
United States of America ambassador to Uganda Deborah Malac has said if African countries are to develop, they should do more to support their women and children.

Speaking at a ceremony organized by the Forum for Women in Democracy [Fowode] to pass out girls and women who have been trained in leadership and entrepreneurship, Malac said calling for equality between men and women should never be construed to mean women wanting to take over mens spaces.

Sometimes we believe that we have to be better than men and men think that we are here to replace them; we are actually not here to replace them but we have to claim for what is ours on the basis of equality; we cannot do this without men so we need them on the table, Malac said.

Ambassador Malac in a group photo with some of the trainees

She thanked Fowode for building an army of strong determined and resilient women who are capable of providing leadership and standing up for womens rights.

I have been a proud feminist for many years and I know the challenges are many in different countries but finding solutions is the best thing. Countries which dont support their women and children cannot succeed, Malac said.

She said women have to be part of the decision making process not only in politics, but also in all other spheres of life.

I know its a life journey but I want to encourage you that we shouldnt give up; women have the inner force within them, we just need someone to awaken them.

Patricia Munabi Babiiha, the executive director Fowode said they have been implementing the young leaders mentoring program since 2004 with the goal of promoting values, building leadership capacity of young people to be able to solve local and global issues independently.

Our mentoring work was initiated by our concern as an organiasation about equity and equality between women and men which is not properly addressed on different levels. We therefore thought it was important to engage women and men in issues of gender equality, Munabi said.

She added that as a country that has been disturbed by war, conflicts, and economic and social crisis such as decline in agriculture productivity, high birth rate and high debt burden, collapse of public service systems among others, there was need for them to empower women and other marginalized groups to be able to confront these ills.

We believe that young leaders need to be aware of young leadership in Africa, interrogate the strength and weakness of our leaders both the past and the present, Munabi said.

bakerbatte@observer.ug
An initiative to expand the setback distance required for oil and gas drilling in Colorado just received a boost, potentially making the November ballot. The stricter drilling requirements could have significant implications for Colorado shale drilling, and the industry is decrying the measure as a ban on new drilling.

Initiative 97 would require oil and gas wells to be a minimum of 2,500 feet away from occupied structures, which means houses, and vulnerable areas, which includes parks, public spaces and fresh water, among other areas. That distance is much greater than the current distance of just 500 feet for occupied structures, and 1,000 feet for high occupancy buildings, such as hospitals and schools.

In other words, shale drillers would have to place their wells at a much greater distance from local communities.

The campaign to impose stricter drilling requirements on the oil and gas industry gained urgency last year after an explosion from a flow line attached to a vertical well run by Anadarko Petroleum (and drilled by a previous owner) killed two people and injured two others. Earlier this year, Anadarko settled with the victims and survivors on undisclosed terms.

The flow line was thought to be abandoned, but it was uncapped, and the well was only 170 feet from the victims house. Following the disaster, Anadarko temporarily suspended operations at 3,000 vertical wells across northern Colorado out of an abundance of caution, some of which were subsequently brought back online after inspections. Related: $90 Oil Is A Very Real Possibility

The incident is not directly related to the drilling of new wells within close proximity to houses and buildings, but it sparked ire against the oil and gas industry. An explosion in a residential area, stemming from a gas line, has led to growing opposition to a drilling presence right up against homes and businesses. And because drilling activity has increased so dramatically in recent years, public resistance has also increased in corresponding fashion.

The industry is obviously opposed to the setback measure, but organizers in favor of greater setback requirements apparently secured enough signatures to put the measure up for a statewide referendum in November. The November election in Colorado is likely an inflection point for the states oil and gas industry," according to a July research note from Height Securities LLC. In addition to the ballot measure, control of the state legislature and the governors mansion could potentially be in the hands of the Democrats, although what that means for the industry is still unclear. The leading candidate for governor, Congressman Jared Polis, has softened his opposition to oil and gas, after previously supporting bans on fracking.

Nevertheless, the ballot measure requiring greater setbacks could have a dramatic effect. In Weld County, Colorado, where much of the drilling in Colorados DJ Basin takes place, the greater setback distances would put roughly 78 percent of the surface land off limits to drilling, according to the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, a state regulator. Overall, roughly 54 percent of the states total land mass would be off limits. By forcing drillers to move away from buildings and neighborhoods, many fewer locations would be available to drill.

The industry paints the setback requirements in apocalyptic terms. That is effectively a ban on the industry," Dan Haley, president of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, told Bloomberg in a July interview. Youd basically have no new wells drilled in Colorado." Related: The Shale Boom That Will Never Happen

The share prices of companies that are active in Colorados DJ Basin are lagging behind some of their industry peers. Goldman Sachs notes that the stocks of companies like Extraction Oil & Gas Inc., SRC Energy Inc., PDC Energy Inc., Noble Energy Inc. and Anadarko Petroleum  all with a sizable drilling presence in the DJ Basin  are underperforming a broader ETF of shale companies by 4 to 12 percent. In fact, Extraction Oil & Gas Inc. and PDC Energy Inc. appear to be the most exposed to this referendum, based on our assumed value for their undrilled DJ Basin resources as a percent of total company value, Goldman Sachs wrote in a note.

It is not a certainty that the measure will qualify for the November ballot. Previous initiatives aimed at increasing setback provisions came up short. In 2014 several proposed initiatives were withdrawn after the industry and local and state governments reached a compromise to setup the Oil & Gas Task Force. In 2016, an initiative to grant local communities authorities to institute greater setback distances did not qualify for the ballot after not receiving enough signatures ahead of the deadline.

But after last years explosion, the issue is resonating a lot more with state residents. Moreover, the setback provisions will not be the only thing on the ballot. The high-stakes midterm elections promise to turn out a lot of voters, with the enthusiasm more clearly evident on the left of the political spectrum.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
An ongoing diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not affect crude oil exports from the Kingdom, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said, adding that Riyadhs policy has always been to keep politics and energy exports separate, Reuters reports.

Saudi Arabia earlier this week cut off diplomatic relations with Ottawa following criticism by Canadas Foreign Minister about Saudi Arabias detention of several womens rights activists. The Foreign Ministry has reiterated its stance on human rights, releasing a statement to that effect in response to Riyadhs announcement of the diplomatic cut-off.

As the row deepens, oil was bound to become the center of attention, albeit briefly. Canada imports around 75,000-80,000 bpd of Saudi oil, and these barrels can easily be replaced, CBC quoted analyst Judith Dwarkin as saying earlier this week. The chief economist of RS Energy Group referred to this amount as a drop in the bucket at less than a tenth of Canadian crude imports compared with imports from the United States, which amount to about 66 percent of the total. The United States could easily replace Saudi crude thanks to its growing production, Dwarkin said.

Whats more, total bilateral trade is only a small fraction of Canadas total trade, so if anyone is seriously affected by Riyadhs strong reaction to Ottawas criticism of its human rights record, it will be the Kingdom. Analysts are already warning that the row would further dampen investor interest in Saudi Arabia, which is on a quest for diversifying its economy dubbed Vision 2030.

Related: Canada Frees Itself From Saudi Oil Imports

If the Kingdom reacts so strongly to a piece of criticism, the argument goes, how safe are investments there? The impression Riyadh is creating with its response to the Canadian criticismthe Saudi Foreign Minister called on Ottawa to fix its big mistakeis of a trigger-happy, immature government that puts its perception of honor above rationality. After the so-called anti-corruption crackdown last year, which was used to supply fresh funds to the cash-strapped state coffers, investors are already wary enough of Riyadhs plans and tactics and the row with Canada wont help improve its international image.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Shells presence in Nigeria has been controversial, what with lawsuits for the pollution of the Niger Delta, chronic pipeline vandalism and, in recent years, militant attacks on oil-producing infrastructure. But instead of seeking ways to curb its presence in the West African nation, Shell has big plans for it, and these big plans have nothing to do with oil.

Last month, Shell signed an agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and two other companies for the development of natural gas projects worth some US$3.7 billion, as part of Nigerias efforts to deal with a looming domestic market shortage of the fuel. But it looks like this deal is just the start of a much larger-scale strategy.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Shell Gas Nigerias managing director Ed Ubong said the company eyes a complete transformation of the Nigerian energy system by betting on the development of its vast gas reserves, estimated by BP to be the largest in Africa at 5.2 trillion cubic meters.

Gas production in Nigeria as of 2017 was about 47.2 billion cubic meters, up from 35 billion cubic meters ten years ago. Consumption as of 2016 was 20 billion cubic meters, which given Nigerias population size is a very modest amount. The reason for this moderate gas demand is simple: lack of distribution infrastructure.

Meanwhile, investors are shunning Nigeria as a business destination because of the lack of a centralized, well-developed grid. And the lack of a centralized well-developed grid is related to heavy use of diesel generators and the unsuccessful privatization of the countrys power utility sector. Shell wants to change all this.

For starters, the company will target so-called industrial clusters: areas with high concentration of manufacturing activity where foreign investors could be persuaded to set up shop. If this happens, the energy needs of these clusters will rise sufficiently to make building a natural gas pipeline profitable. If there is enough activity, even building a gas-fired power plant could become profitable, according to Shells plans.

The big question, of course, is whether foreign investors are interested in setting up shop in Nigeria, and, according to Ubong, they are. Theyre calling me, he told Bloomberg. Thats how I know the demand is there. Related: $90 Oil Is A Very Real Possibility

A gas distribution network will help solve more than one problem in Nigeria. By making up the foundation of what could become a centralized national grid, such a network would stimulate foreign investment and consequently create employment in the West African nation, which was recently ranked the worlds poorest country in the world by the Brookings Institution. At least, thats the plan. Also, the move from diesel generators to gas-fired plants will reduce the countrys carbon footprint.

Shell certainly has the support of the Nigerian government in its gas initiative, challenging as it might prove to be: an earlier gas network projects incurred losses for several years until it turned into the back and now serves 90 industrial customers. And the government is doing its bit in encouraging the local gas industry. Recently, it launched a Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialization Program that aims to encourage investment in natural gas by tendering gas-flaring sites. LNG is also a growing business segment in the worlds fourth-largest exporter of the fuel, with the head of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd. eyeing the third-largest exporter spot after the addition of a new liquefaction train by the end of the year.

Nigerias Society of Petroleum Engineers recently noted in a statement that the countrys oil industry is losing its relevance and that the future more or less belongs to gas. Shell would agree. Besides being cleaner than oil, natural gas is also harder to steal, as Ubong noted in his interview with Bloomberg and abundant in Nigeria. It could indeed make the basis for a more industrialized Nigeria if Shells strategy pans out.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
After plummeting more than 3 percent on Wednesday, oil prices steadied early on Thursday, but still traded close to their seven-week low as the U.S.-China trade war is escalating and currently trumping fears of a significant Iranian supply loss later this year.

At 7:25 a.m. EDT on Thursday, WTI Crude was trading down 0.12 percent at $66.86, while Brent Crude was up 0.17 percent at $72.40, holding steady after a 3-percent plunge yesterday, when China and the United States traded a new round of tariffs and counter-tariffs on US$16 billion worth of each others imports, with China slapping tariffs on 333 U.S. goods, including petroleum products. China, however, removed crude oil from the list of products up for tariffs beginning on August 23.

Despite China backing off crude oil import tariffs for now, the escalating trade war has traders and investors worried that not only it could drag crude trade in the dispute, but also slow down economic growth in the two biggest economies in the world, which in turn could affect global oil demand and demand for other commodities.

The EIA weekly inventory report on Wednesday was also more on the bearish side, despite a draw of 1.4 million barrels of crude oil for the week to August 3.

Some analysts had expected a larger draw, of more than 3 million barrels. Gasoline inventories added 2.9 million barrels last week, the EIA said, against expectations for a drop of 1.7 million barrels in a Reuters poll. Related: Why Saudi Oil Production Suddenly Dropped

While the trade war and the U.S. inventories report dragged oil prices down on Wednesday, for the coming months, investors, traders, and analysts expect the return of the U.S. sanctions on Iran to continue keeping a floor under the price of oil.

The impact of it is the greatest known unknown of the year. If worst comes to worst and 1.5-2 million bpd of Iranian disappears from the market ... calculations will go out of the window and oil bears will have to brace themselves for a very rough ride, PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
While its true that China's crude oil imports recovered slightly in July, it was still among the lowest so far this year due to a decline in demand from smaller so-called independent teapot refineries.

However, for the first seven months of the year, China imported some 8.98 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, up 5.6 percent from a year earlier. Total natural gas imports, including both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), rose to 7.38 million tonnes during the same period, up 28.3 percent from a year ago, according to customs data.

Moreover, amid both economic growth as well as Beijings mandate that gas make up at least 10 percent of the countrys energy mix by 2020 to offset the effects of rampant air pollution from dirtier thermal coal power production, the long term trajectory for both Chinas natural gas consumption, as well as oil usage, will continue to increase, posing both a geopolitical and financial dilemma for the country that the U.S. and many western powers grappled with for decades.

Gas matters

Going forward, Chinas gas demand is projected by the IEA to rise by 60 percent between 2017 and 2023 to 376 billion cubic meters (bcm), including a spike in its LNG imports to 93 bcm by 2023 from 51 bcm last year. The IEA has also projected that China will become the worlds top natural gas importer (both pipeline and LNG) by next year.

This marked increase in Chinese LNG procurement has changed the global LNG market from one that was projected to remain in a supply overhang scenario until around 2022 or even later to one that is now projected to have possible shortfalls of the super-cooled fuel around the same time frame. It has also ushered in new confidence for global LNG producers and talk of pushing ahead more greenfield LNG projects to meet this demand, a possibility unheard of just a year ago. Related: Oil Prices Hit 7-Week Low As Trade War Heats Up

This increase in gas usage will also mean that China's domestic gas output, though it will be the worlds fourth largest gas producer by 2023, will be unable to keep up, with China increasingly becoming more reliant on gas imports from both established LNG producers like Australia, the U.S. (current trade tensions notwithstanding) and Russia, but also more geopolitically volatile producers such as Qatar, still the worlds top LNG producer, Yemen, Oman, Papua New Guinea, in time Mozambique, and others.

Stellar GDP growth

However, even more problematic for China than its increasing gas consumption projections will be its continued oil thirst. China's oil usage continues to increase amid a GDP growth rate that has been the envy of the western world. Admittedly, Chinas economic growth is slowing but the question has to be asked, slowing from what level?

China had double-digit real GDP growth for much of 19802005, and energy demand more than tripled during that time. In 2010, Chinas GDP grew at a stellar 10.61 percent, followed by 9.4 percent the next year. In 2012 and 2013 Chinas GDP growth for both years reached nearly 8 percent, followed by an average GDP growth rate of 6.925 percent between 2014 and 2017. Chinas economic growth rate did slip in Q2 this year but it still came in at an impressive 6.7 percent. The U.S., for its part, has not posted a GDP growth rate above 5.12 percent since 2006.

Oil thirst remains problematic

China surpassed the U.S. in annual gross crude oil imports in 2017, importing 8.4 million bpd compared with 7.9 million bpd for the U.S. China had become the worlds largest net importer (imports minus exports) of total petroleum and other liquid fuels in 2013.

Last year, 56 percent of Chinas oil imports came from OPEC members. Though that was a marked decline from a peak 67 percent in 2012, it still represents over half of the countrys demand derived from OPEC members. Moreover, as China prepares to decrease imports of U.S. crude oil, OPEC imports, in addition to Russia, will increase to replace lost U.S. barrels.

This over reliance on imports from individual OPEC members puts China in a geopolitically precarious situation. Related: Why The U.S. Wont Sanction Venezuelas Oil

Though China could indeed see oil demand growth slow in coming months, in part due to the ongoing trade row with the U.S., in the mid to long term Chinas oil consumption thus its reliance on foreign oil will continue to grow. The IEA said recently that Chinas oil demand could reach 15.5 million bpd by 2040, after peaking in 2030.

Along with supply risk attributed to over reliance of imported foreign crude, there is the issue of transfer of wealth, again something that plagued the U.S. for nearly 40 years and forced its hand as it became involved in countless military endeavors in the Middle East.

Oil demand problems for China are being exacerbated by its maturing onshore oil fields and the inability to discover and develop new fields in sufficient quantity to offset these production loses  perhaps one reason China has pushed so hard recently in the thought to be oil and gas rich South China Sea.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Following the end of a five-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling in public land in California, the Bureau of Land Management could open up 1.6 million acres in the state to oil and gas drilling, the Sacramento Bee reports, adding that environmentalists, which immediately condemned the possibility, were particularly worried about fracking.

The federal government controls some 15 million acres of public land in California. The BLM said it was considering plots in Fresno, San Luis Obispo, and another six counties in the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast to offer oil and gas leases.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an outspoken opponent of fracking, three years ago won a legal case against the BLM saying it did not adequately assess the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing on air quality, water, and wildlife.

Now, the BLM has issued a request for comments on the potential adverse effects of opening up 400,000 acres of public land and 1.2 million acres of federal mineral estate for oil and gas drilling.

According to a CBD-affiliated attorney, Greg Loarie, 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 other camp, represented by the Western States Petroleum Association, welcomed the BLMs move noting that more local production will reduce the states dependence on imported crude. Research from the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that the process of fracking itself does not increase the risk of earthquakes, but the wastewater reservoirs dug into the ground do increase the risk.

Meanwhile, California Governor Jerry Brown is being pressured to put an end to all oil and gas production in the state. Last month, more than two dozen climate scientists wrote to Brown urging him to ban oil and gas drilling in California, otherwise the state would never be able to achieve its share of the Paris Agreement goals.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As Chinese demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) surges amid the coal-to-natural gas switch, companies are looking to secure suppliesand one of the biggest Chinese firms is turning to the worlds biggest LNG exporter, Qatar.

PetroChina is in advanced talks with Qatar to buy short-term and long-term LNG supplies, Reuters reports, citing three sources briefed on the discussions.

China wants to secure LNG supplies and avoid last winters natural gas shortages, when natural gas demand spiked in the coldest months amid the massive push to have millions of households and thousands of industry users switch from coal to natural gas.

The push to cut pollution and make households switch to natural gas for heating resulted in China becoming the worlds second-largest LNG importer in 2017, outpacing South Korea and second only behind Japan, the EIA said this past winter.

Qatar, for its part, aims to boost its LNG export capacity from the current 77 million tons to 100 million tons annually by 2024.

According to two of Reuters sources, PetroChina and Qatar are negotiating a possible deal for several million tons of annual LNG supply beginning this year and ending in 2022. The Chinese company is also in talks to sign a longer-term deal with Qatar, according to a third source.

The short-term deal is to supplement an existing long-term agreement, one of the sources, a Beijing-based industry executive, told Reuters.

Related: Canada Frees Itself From Saudi Oil Imports

Although Qatar faces increased competition from Australia, the United States, and Russia, for example, it is one of the most competitive suppliers to China because of its low costs, large production volumes, and geographical proximity, Chen Zhu, managing director at consultancy SIA Energy, told Reuters.

Last week, China included for the first time U.S. LNG in its list of goods up for a potential 25-percent import tariff in the ongoing trade war. Chinese LNG end-users and suppliers say that they would likely deter spot procurement of U.S. LNG cargoes in the near term amid the uncertainty over the possible tariff.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Plains All American is fast-tracking two pipeline projects in West Texas in a bid to alleviate a worsening pipeline capacity shortage in the United States most productive oil region, Reuters reports, citing a company conference call.

The first of these, the Sunrise extension project, should start operating at partial capacity by the end of 2018, Plains said during the call. At full capacity, the extension will add half a million barrels daily to the flow from Midland to Colorado City and Wichita Falls, plus connections to Cushing, Oklahoma, where the national strategic petroleum reserve is kept.

The second project, Cactus II, will begin operating at partial capacity in the third quarter of 2019 and reach its full capacity of 670,000 bpd by April 2020, Plains All American said. Cactus II will ship crude from the Permian to Corpus Christi.

Oil producers in the Permian have been pressured by the combination of growing production and unchanging pipeline capacity, which has seen local crude plunge to a discount of as much as US$17 to the WTI benchmark.

The current pipeline capacity in the Permian is 3.1 million barrels daily. Railway capacity, according to S&P Platts, is around 315,000 bpd. However, the railway is mostly used to supply frac sand for the ever-hungrier wells. Production, as estimated by the Energy Information Administration, last month reached 3.33 million bpd and will further grow to 3.406 million bpd in August.



Related: Chinas Oil Futures Jump To Record High

The discrepancy between supply and transportation capacity has investors in shale oil worried, which in June led to a drop of US$15.6 billion in the market cap of the eight biggest oil companies with a presence in the Permian.

One new pipeline, with a capacity of 575,000 bpd, was completed earlier this year by Enterprise Products Partners and there is another 2.45 million bpd in new pipeline capacity coming on stream by the end of 2019, including the Cactus II.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Russias President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill to phase out Russias crude oil export duty by 2024, which is expected to increase export netbacks for oil producers.

Another oil-related law introduces the so-called negative excise duty, or excise refund for refiners, aimed at stimulating refinery upgrades and higher light oil product output.

At the beginning of June, Russias Finance and Energy Ministries said that they had agreed with the domestic oil companies to begin phasing out crude oil export duties by 5 percentage points annually over the next six years, from 30 percent now to zero as of 2024. The producers are happy about this: the dutyalong with a so-called mineral resource tax based on production sizewill be replaced by a profit-based tax that, oil companies say, will stimulate investments in oil production expansion.

According to Platts, the phase-out of the oil export duty actually seeks to reduce state support for the local refining industry, which hasover the last ten yearsexceeded industry spending on refinery modernization by five times. This success is largely due to the difference in oil export duties for crude oil and oil products.

Currently, oil product exports are taxed on the basis of a percentage of the crude oil export duty, which is tied to the price of oil. Changing that will save the Russian government some US$15.44 billion (1 trillion Russian rubles) a year from subsidies for refiners.

To cushion the impact on refineries from the rise in crude oil prices and the disappearance of the indirect subsidy, the Russian government will now be refunding refineries with the negative excise duty. Those excide refunds will be based on the amount of crude oil the refineries process, the light products they supply to the Russian market, and the distance to the markets.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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.
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.
Credit: Google Maps

There are few dams in the world that capture the imagination as much as Belo Monte, built on the "Big Bend" of the Xingu river in the Brazilian Amazon. Its construction has involved an army of 25,000 workers working round the clock since 2011 to excavate over 240m cubic metres of soil and rock, pour three million cubic metres of concrete, and divert 80% of the river's flow through 24 turbines.

Costing R$30 billion (5.8 billion), Belo Monte is important not only for the scale of its construction but also the scope of opposition to it. The project was first proposed in the 1970s, and ever since then, local indigenous communities, civil society and even global celebrities have engaged in numerous acts of direct and indirect action against it.

While previous incarnations had been cancelled, Belo Monte is now in the final stages of construction and already provides 11,233 megawatts of energy to 60m Brazilians across the country. When complete, it will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in the Amazon and the fourth largest in the world.

A 'sustainable' project?

The dam is to be operated by the Norte Energia consortium (formed of a number of state electrical utilities) and is heavily funded by the Brazilian state development bank, BNDES. The project's supporters, including the governments of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers' Party) that held office between 2003 and 2011, have justified its construction on environmental grounds. They describe Belo Monte as a "sustainable" project, linking it to wider policies of climate change mitigation and a transition away from fossil fuels. The assertions of the sustainability of hydropower are not only seen in Brazil but can be found across the globe  with large dams presented as part of wider sustainable development agendas.

With hydropower representing 16.4% of total global installed energy capacity, hydroelectric dams are a significant part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions. More than 2,000 such projects are currently funded via the Clean Development Mechanism of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol  second only to wind power by number of individual projects.

The dam is located about 200km before the 1,640km Xingu meets the Amazon. Credit: kmusser, CC BY-SA

While this provides mega-dams with an environmental seal of approval, it overlooks their numerous impacts. As a result, dams funded by the CDM are contested across the globe, with popular opposition movements highlighting the impacts of these projects and challenging their asserted sustainability.

Beautiful hill, to beautiful monster

Those standing against Belo Monte have highlighted its social and environmental impacts. An influx of 100,000 construction and service workers has transformed the nearby city of Altamira, for instance.

Hundreds of workers  unable to find employment  took to sleeping on the streets. Drug traffickers also moved in and crime and violence soared in the city. The murder rate in Altamira increased by 147% during the years of Belo Monte construction, with it becoming the deadliest city on earth in 2015.

In 2013, police raided a building near the construction site to find 15 women, held against their will and forced into sex work. Researchers later found that the peak hours of visits to their building  and others  coincided with the payday of those working on Belo Monte. In light of this social trauma, opposition actors gave the project a new moniker: Belo Monstro, meaning "Beautiful Monster".

The construction of Belo Monte is further linked to increasing patterns of deforestation in the region. In 2011, deforestation in Brazil was highest in the area around Belo Monte, with the dam not only deforesting the immediate area but stimulating further encroachment.

Indigenous protests against Belo Monte at the UNs sustainable development conference in Rio, 2012. Credit: Fernando Bizerra Jr / EPA

In building roads to carry both people and equipment, the project has opened up the wider area of rainforest to encroachment and illegal deforestation. Greenpeace has linked illegal deforestation in indigenous reserves  more than 200km away  to the construction of the project, with the wood later sold to those building the dam.

Brazil's past success in reversing deforestation rates became a key part of the country's environmental movement. Yet recently deforestation has increased once again, leading to widespread international criticism. With increasing awareness of the problem, the links between hydropower and the loss of the Amazon rainforest challenge the continued viability of Belo Monte and similar projects.

Big dams, big problems

While the Clean Development Mechanism focuses on the reduction of carbon emissions, it overlooks other greenhouse gases emitted by hydropower. Large dams effectively emit significant quantities of methane for instance, released by the decomposition of plants and trees below the reservoir's surface. While methane does not stay in the atmosphere for as long as carbon dioxide (only persisting for up to 12 years), its warming potential is far higher.

Belo Monte has been linked to these methane emissions by numerous opposition actors. Further research has found that the vegetation rotting in the reservoirs of dams across the globe may emit a million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year. As a result, it is claimed that these projects are  in fact  making a net contribution to climate change.

Far from providing a sustainable, renewable energy solution in a climate-changed world, Belo Monte is instead cast as exacerbating the problem that it is meant to solve.

Belo Monte is just one of many dams across the globe that have been justified  and funded  as sustainable pursuits. Yet, this conflates the ends with the means. Hydroelectricity may appear relatively "clean" but the process in which a mega-dam is built is far from it. The environmental credentials of these projects remain contested, with Belo Monte providing just one example of how the sustainability label may finally be slipping.

Explore further Brazil's Vale to halve stake in Belo Monte dam consortium

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Excavation of early site in Beringia. Credit: Ben A. Potter

A team of researchers with members from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Germany has found after studying available evidence that both interior and coastal routes were viable pathways for the first human migrations into North America. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers describe their analyses of current data and their interpretations of it.

The debate about the route taken by the first humans to migrate into North America has grown louder in recent years. Some researchers have insisted the first route was via an ice-free inland corridor (IFC), while others have maintained that it was via a route along the North Pacific coast (NPC). In this new effort, the researchers sought to shed new light on the debate by looking at the available evidence for both scenarios. Their study consisted of collecting all of the available data that provides evidence of the earliest humans living in North America and then comparing the two theories.

The researchers have concluded that even though more evidence exists supporting the IFC as the path of first migration, there is enough evidence to support the NPC as a viable route as well. They further note that it is conceivable that both routes were used.

Those supporting the NPC route suggest that the earliest people to move into North America crossed the land bridge that once connected North America and what is now Russia after the ice receded at the conclusion of the last Ice Age. From there they used canoes to make their way down the coast, perhaps making their way to South America. Those supporting the IFC theory, on the other hand, suggest that after crossing the land bridge, the earliest migrants made their way between inland ice sheets then down through what is now Canada and into what is now the United States.

Locations mentioned in the text. Credit: Potter et al., Sci. Adv. 2018;4: eaat5473

The researchers suggest that the available evidence shows that regardless of the route taken, the earliest migration occurred approximately 16,000 to 14,000 years ago. They further suggest that because of the evidence for both routes, there is no conflict between the two theoriesthe first migrants could have followed either or both routes.

Northwest North America with archeological sites older than 10,000 calibrated years before the present (Supplementary Materials) and proposed colonization routes: IFC and NPC. Credit: Potter et al., Sci. Adv. 2018;4: eaat5473

Explore further Spear points prove early inhabitants liked to travel

More information: Ben A. Potter et al. Current evidence allows multiple models for the peopling of the Americas, Science Advances (2018). Ben A. Potter et al. Current evidence allows multiple models for the peopling of the Americas,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5473 Abstract

Some recent academic and popular literature implies that the problem of the colonization of the Americas has been largely resolved in favor of one specific model: a Pacific coastal migration, dependent on high marine productivity, from the Bering Strait to South America, thousands of years before Clovis, the earliest widespread cultural manifestation south of the glacial ice. Speculations on maritime adaptations and typological links (stemmed points) across thousands of kilometers have also been advanced. A review of the current genetic, archeological, and paleoecological evidence indicates that ancestral Native American population expansion occurred after 16,000 years ago, consistent with the archeological record, particularly with the earliest securely dated sites after ~15,000 years ago. These data are largely consistent with either an inland (ice-free corridor) or Pacific coastal routes (or both), but neither can be rejected at present. Systematic archeological and paleoecological investigations, informed by geomorphology, are required to test each hypothesis. Journal information: Science Advances

 2018 Phys.org
Digital gig economy is bad for your wellbeing, new research suggests. Credit: Shutterstock

The poor quality working conditions associated with the digital gig economy may have consequences for employees' wellbeing, according to new Oxford University research.

The digital gig economy, defined as people who use online apps to complete gig-style work both locally and remotely, has expanded globally at a rapid and increasing rate.

While public discussion often focuses on local gig work such as food delivery, surveys suggest an increasing number of people are going online to find remote gig work, such as programming and translation services. It is estimated that 70 million workers world-wide are registered on online labour platforms such as Freelancer.com and Fiverr.

However, a new study conducted by researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford suggests that while the flexibility and autonomy of remote gig work may be initially appealing and benefit some people, there may be some unforeseen consequences to their well-being.

"Our findings demonstrate evidence that the autonomy of working in the gig economy often comes at the price of long, irregular and anti-social hours, which can lead to sleep deprivation and exhaustion," says Dr. Alex Wood, co-author of the paper. While gig work takes place around the world, employers tend to be from the UK and other high-income Western countries, exacerbating the problem for workers in lower-income countries who have to compensate for time differences.

The research found competition to be a mitigating worker in the potential wellbeing effects. Competition on online labour platforms is mediated by algorithms and rating systems. Workers with the highest client ratings tend to rank higher in the platform's search results, and receive more work.

Wood adds: "The competitive nature of online labour platforms leads to high-intensity work, requiring workers to complete as many gigs as possible as quickly as they can and meet the demands of multiple clients no matter how unreasonable."

Fifty-four percent of workers taking part in the study said they must work at very high speeds, and 22 percent reported pain as a result of their work. "This is particularly felt by low-skilled workers, who must complete a very high number of gigs in order to make a decent living," says Professor Mark Graham, co-author. "As there is an oversupply of low-skill workers and no collective bargaining power, pay remains low. Completing as many jobs as possible is the only way to make a decent living."

The research was undertaken with over 700 online labour platform workers in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. "Our findings are consistent with remote workers' experiences across many national contexts," says Graham.

"Hopefully, this research will shed light on potential pitfalls for remote gig workers and help policymakers understand what working in the online gig economy really looks like," sums up Wood. "While there are benefits to workers such as autonomy and flexibility, there are also serious areas of concern, especially for lower-skill workers."

Explore further Rise of online work captured in the first Online Labour Index
Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands have been given the green light to join planned strike action across Europe

A Dutch court told Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands Thursday they could join a wave of strike action planned across Europe, set to plunge thousands of passengers into summer travel misery.

"The strike may go ahead," judge Theo Roell told the Haarlem District Court, where Ryanair had filed for an urgent court order to halt the industrial action.

Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands announced Wednesday they were joining a European-wide walkout on Friday to ratchet up pressure on the cut-price airline in a row over pay and conditions at the height of the summer season.

The strike in the Netherlands "was part of bigger industrial action elsewhere in Europe with a far greater impact and against which no legal action has been taken," judge Roell added.

Ryanair, which in the Netherlands flies to holiday destinations such as Malaga in southern Spain, the Canary Islands and Ibiza, said it would have to axe around 400 out of 2,400 European flights scheduled for Friday, affecting 55,000 passengers.

Germany will be the worst hit with 250 flight cancellations.

In the Netherlands around 22 flights from Eindhoven airport could potentially be affected, the ANP news agency reported.

But Ryanair, in a statement said "there will be no cancellations (of flights to and from the Netherlands) as a result of the unnecessary strike action by the Dutch pilot union."

And in a later statement, Ryanair said that despite the "regrettable and unjustified strike action" more than "2,000 flights (85 percent of our schedule) will operate as normal) across Europe on Friday.

Customers were notified as early as possible and a majority of those affected had already been moved to another Ryanair flight, the airline added.

'It's the passengers who get duped'

Earlier, Ryanair's lawyer Jochem Croon told the court the airline did not file the case "to refute the pilots' right to strike".

Europe's second biggest airline has been grappling with staff unrest since it recognised trade unions for the first time in December 2017

"It's a fundamental right and Ryanair recognises it," Croon said.

This case "is about protecting the interests of vacationers".

"It's the passengers who get duped in the event of a strike during the summer vacation," he said, accusing the Dutch airline pilots union VNV of not giving advance notice of its plans to join the strike action.

But the VNV's lawyers refuted Ryainair's claims, saying the Irish-based airline's lawsuit "is not about putting passengers first".

"There is no question of social disruption," Alwin Stege told the judge, stressing that only a small number of flights from the Netherlands could potentially be affected.

VNV spokesman Joost van Doesburg told AFP he was "very happy with the decision".

He said though that the VNV "in the near future needs to give earlier warning of the strike action but then Ryanair would then not be allowed to fly in scab pilots" from other countries.

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.

Ryanair sought an urgent court order in the Netherlands to prevent pilots from joining the strike.

Public broadcaster NOS said Ryanair's lawyers chose to file the case in the Netherlands "as it had a better chance of success".

The Haarlem District Court for instance in August 2016 banned KLM airline ground staff from going on strike during the busy summer holiday period.

The Netherlands also does not have a strong labour action culture and when strikes happen "judges sometimes do not hesitate to ban them," the NOS said.

 2018 AFP
The way to shop for home services in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond has changed for the better. Google has stepped up with a new service that's supposed to separate professional, reliable companies from scammers.

This is long overdue.

Roofers and garage door repair companiesamong the most troublesome industriesmust prove themselves to Google or they disappear from top search results, especially advertising.

Google's ranking of approved service companies went online in our market about a month ago.

The Watchdog is pleased to share with you some news: A dozen other occupations also are now subject to Google's intense scrutiny. I'll share the rest of the trades involved. You may be as amazed at this development as I am.

Businesses that pass Google's scrutiny now show up in searches with little white checks in green circles. That's the Google Guaranteed seal of approval, called the "Badge of Trust."

This is a significant development. Google has vetted these companieschecking licenses, insurance, and in some cases, employees' criminal records. Because of this, Google backs up its guarantee with a slogan: "Get the job done right or Google pays you back."

CALLED 'LOCAL SERVICES BY GOOGLE'

Google seeks to filter out liars, thieves, jerks, incompetents and numbskulls who take money for a job and don't finish, or who do substandard work.

The tech titan especially wants to make sure it isn't helping these losers attract customers through its world-dominating search platformas was the case in the past. Google says it wants to help local companies that keep their promises to customers.

Texas consumers need the help, especially in rip-off industries like air conditioning repair, roofing and garage door maintenance.

For years, Google search results were manipulated by techies who knew how to work the system to get their businesses placement on the first page of search resultswhether they were honest or not.

When you hire a contractor, unless it's your brother-in-law (and even then ... ), you're rolling the dice. Is he local? Does he know what he's doing? Will he finish the job?

Google aims to fix that.

BUSINESSES CHECKED BY GOOGLE

Here's a list of trades that now carry the guarantee check when you search:

- ElectricianCarpet cleaningGarage door repairHouse cleaningHVACLawn careLocksmithMoving companyPest controlPlumberRoofingTree serviceWater damage restorationWindow cleaningWindow repair

CONSUMERS TO BENEFIT

Tom Waddington, a Google advertising expert who helps companies get good search placement, told me: "Fortunately, consumers will benefit with increased odds of finding a trustworthy contractor, but there are still opportunities for unscrupulous contractors to appear on the first page of results on Google.

"The regular organic search results, and particularly the map results, are still areas that are being abused to a large extent. And Google ads can still appear in the search results when local services ads are present.

"Locksmiths and garage door companies can't abuse Google ads like they did in the past now that Google is requiring them to also pass Advanced Verification."

GOOGLE'S ADVANCED VERIFICATION

How does Advanced Verification work?

Google arranges a video call with the company using its Google Hangouts platform.

"Please be at your business location during the call," Google tells businesses. "If you operate your business out of your vehicle, have the vehicle nearby during the call. Be sure to have with you any official documentation related to your business."

HOW DO SHOPPERS USE THE SERVICE?

Let's say you want a garage door repaired. Until recently, if you typed "dallas garage door repair" in a search box, you'd find companies that spent the most on advertising. They'd pop atop search results.

Now, those companies, some of whom engaged in unethicaleven criminalbehavior, no longer appear. Only companies that pass verification appear on top with the coveted check of approval.

Since most people never go beyond the first page of search results, the goal is to find honest companies up top.

Often, the results will show companies that operate businesses near you. Fly-by-nighters and crooks are now supposed to have a difficult time getting traction on Google.

The first page of Google results is the most precious real estate in advertising. The Watchdog hopes this helps consumers find honest repair people. We'll watch closely how this works.

IN THE KNOW

These professions in North Texas are now subjected to Google's tight standards for online advertising: electrician; carpet cleaning; garage door repair; house cleaning; HVAC; lawn care; locksmith; moving company; pest control; plumber; roofing; tree service; water damage restoration; window cleaning and window repair.

Google wants to block businesses that engage in untrustworthy behavior that conceals mistakes or misstates information about a business, product or service.

Google doesn't want ads to include superlatives such as "best," "No. 1," "better than" and "faster than."

If a business owner or a user believes a business listing is fraudulent, report it by clicking "Suggest an edit" on a business listing, then clicking the "report" button.

In its ad policy, Google warns. "We don't want users to feel misled by ads that we deliver, so we strive to be clear and honest."

2018 The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hospital building work in East Sussex. Credit: Shutterstock

Many of us pay close attention to how our taxes are spent, and how well governments invest in infrastructure projects such as roads, schools and hospitals. Value for money is key. Yet horror stories of waste, lateness and poor quality are common.

To develop and finance public services and infrastructure, governments around the world (but especially in Europe) have become increasingly keen on private sector involvement. These cross-sector collaborations can help provide value for money for taxpayers  but they are also at risk of wasting it.

In health care, collaborations between public and private partners have a direct impact on society. This is why it is important for health care professionals like doctors and nurses to talk directly to the designers and builders of a new hospital. It ensures that these projects not only deliver economic value for the private companies building the hospital  but also social value for the doctors, nurses and patients who will use the hospital for decades to come.

For instance, in one recently built British hospital, medical staff were able to bring valuable insight to the design process. A visit by some of the hospital's senior nurses to a children's hospital in the US led to the replication of a lighting design on the ceiling of a children's ward so that it mimicked a starry night sky. As one of the nurses explained to me afterwards: "It might sound like a small change, but it provides a much more homely surrounding than the normal NHS lighting. This is important for our young patients [providing a] less scary, hospital experience which positively impacts on the healing process. [] It creates a much nicer environment in which our little patients can recover."

In another hospital, input from senior nurses helped to establish a ward design that most suited their professional needs  right down to the placement of plumbing. This saved large amounts of money that might have been spent on undoing unnecessary building work had the nurses not been consulted.

As one project manager of the construction company told me: "Thanks to [the senior nurses'] input and telling us how they intend to use wards, we changed the ward layout, such as the position of sinks. This may seem to be a minor issue, but may have a huge impact when caring for a patient."

To see how social value can be best achieved through cross-sector collaborations we looked into the key building blocks that go beyond a mere focus on contracts.

We need a starry sky ceiling right there. Credit: Shutterstock

An organisations' prior experience of cross sector collaboration and a supportive climate is vital in creating social value. It also helps to have had some exposure to previous projects (good and bad). But a major ingredient is the individual employees in both public and private sector organisations.

Building mutual knowledge and aligning goals between doctors, nurses and design and construction professionals is key, as public and private sector employees often have different objectives for projects (making a profit vs healing patients). A shared understanding can come through listening to and appreciating the other parties' professional language and the expertise that language expresses.

Joint expertise

Beyond an understanding of the other parties' expertise, practical matters of shared goals and jointly developed timelines are necessary. Coordinating efforts between the two sectors needs to take priority at the outset  rather than emphasising project speed and completion.

To encourage these positive outcomes, the key people need to meet frequently to exchange information, address problems and discuss plans. Without this kind of coordination and collaboration, it will be impossible to make the most of both sides' specialist knowledge.

So when it comes to hospitals and clinics, the private company needs to actively seek the involvement of doctors and nurses in the design and construction phases. Similarly, doctors and nurses should not be threatened by private companies, but instead seek to become actively engaged. This will help drive creative design innovations such as the "night sky" ceiling in the children's ward.

It takes time and resources, but this kind of collaboration and coordination between public and private sectors provides an opportunity to increase value  both economic and social. And that's something that not only benefits construction companies and health care professionals  but patients and taxpayers, too.

Explore further Video recordings spotlight poor communication between nurses and doctors

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Colourful swirling cloud belts dominate Jupiters southern hemisphere in this image captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft. Credit: NASA

Scientists from Australia and the United States have helped to solve the mystery underlying Jupiter's coloured bands in a new study on the interaction between atmospheres and magnetic fields.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Unlike Earth, Jupiter has no solid surface - it is a gaseous planet, consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium.

Several strong jet streams flow west to east in Jupiter's atmosphere that are, in a way, similar to Earth's jet streams. Clouds of ammonia at Jupiter's outer atmosphere are carried along by these jet streams to form Jupiter's coloured bands, which are shades white, red, orange, brown and yellow.

Dr Navid Constantinou from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, one of the researchers on the study, said that until recently little was known about what happened below Jupiter's clouds.

"We know a lot about the jet streams in Earth's atmosphere and the key role they play in the weather and climate, but we still have a lot to learn about Jupiter's atmosphere," he said.

"Scientists have long debated how deep the jet streams reach beneath the surfaces of Jupiter and other gas giants, and why they do not appear in the sun's interior."

Recent evidence from NASA's spacecraft Juno indicates these jet streams reach as deep as 3,000 kilometres below Jupiter's clouds.

Co-researcher Dr Jeffrey Parker from Livermore National Laboratory in the United States said their theory showed that jet streams were suppressed by a strong magnetic field.

This image captures a high-altitude cloud formation surrounded by swirling patterns in the atmosphere of Jupiter's North North Temperate Belt region. The North North Temperate Belt is one of Jupiter's many colorful, swirling cloud bands. Scientists have wondered for decades how deep these bands extend. Gravity measurements collected by Juno during its close flybys discovered that these bands of flowing atmosphere actually penetrate deep into the planet, to a depth of about 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers). Credit: NASA

"The gas in the interior of Jupiter is magnetised, so we think our new theory explains why the jet streams go as deep as they do under the gas giant's surface but don't go any deeper," said Dr Parker.

The polar and subtropical jet streams in Earth's atmosphere shape the climate, especially in the mid-latitudes such as in Australia, Europe and North America.

"Earth's jet streams have a huge impact on the weather and climate by acting as a barrier and making it harder for air on either side of them to exchange properties such as heat, moisture and carbon," said Dr Constantinou.

The jet streams on Earth are wavy and irregular, while they are much straighter on Jupiter.

"There are no continents and mountains below Jupiter's atmosphere to obstruct the path of the jet streams," Dr Parker said.

"This makes the jet streams on Jupiter simpler. By studying Jupiter, not only do we unravel the mysteries in the interior of the gas giant, but we can also use Jupiter as a laboratory for studying how atmospheric flows work in general."

The research involved mathematical calculations for the instability that leads to jet streams when magnetic fields are present, as well as work comparing the theoretical predictions with results from previous computer simulations.

The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Explore further Data from Juno shows Jupiter moons causing footprints in aurorae

More information: Navid C. Constantinou et al. Magnetic Suppression of Zonal Flows on a Beta Plane, The Astrophysical Journal (2018). Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Navid C. Constantinou et al. Magnetic Suppression of Zonal Flows on a Beta Plane,(2018). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aace53
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
Mountain lions are the most common predator of mule deer in western North American ecosystems; their distribution, abundance, and population trends are closely tied to those of their prey (adult female in the Oquirrh Mountains, Utah) Credit: D. Stoner

Climate and land-use change are shrinking natural wildlife habitats around the world. Yet despite their importance to rural economies and natural ecosystems, remarkably little is known about the geographic distribution of most wild speciesespecially those that migrate seasonally over large areas. By combining NASA satellite imagery with wildlife surveys conducted by state natural resources agencies, a team of researchers at Utah State University and the University of Maryland, and the U.S. Geological Survey modeled the effects of plant productivity on populations of mule deer and mountain lions. Specifically, they mapped the abundance of both species over a climatically diverse region spanning multiple western states.

These models provide new insights into how differences in climate are transmitted through the food chain, from plants to herbivores and then to predators. Prey and predator abundance both increased with plant productivity, which is governed by precipitation and temperature. Conversely, animals responded to decreases in food availability by moving and foraging over larger areas, which could lead to increased conflict with humans. David Stoner, lead author of the study, "Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels" published today in the journal Global Change Biology, remarked that, "We expected to see that satellite measurements of plant productivity would explain the abundance of deer. However, we were surprised to see how closely the maps of productivity also predicted the distribution of the mountain lion, their major predator."

The study also reveals a disruption in the way scientists study the biosphere. Joseph Sexton, Chief Scientist of terraPulse, Inc. and a coauthor on the study, described the changing technology, "Up until about a decade ago, we were limited to analyzing landscapes through highly simplified maps representing a single point in time. This just doesn't work in regions experiencing rapid economic or environmental changethe map is irrelevant by the time it's finished." Now, given developments in machine learning, "big data" computation, and the "cloud", ecologists and other scientists are studying large, dynamic ecosystems in ever-increasing detail and resolution. "We're now mining global archives of satellite imagery spanning nearly forty years, we're updating our maps in pace with ecosystem changes, and we're getting that information out to government agencies and private land managers working in the field".

The mule deer is a common, widely distributed species closely monitored throughout western North America because of its economic value as a big game species (mule deer during fall migration, Oquirrh Mountains, Utah) Credit: D. Stoner

The authors predict that, by enabling land managers to monitor rangeland and agricultural productivity, forest loss and regrowth, urban growth, and the dynamics of wildlife habitat, this expanding stream of information will help humanity adapt to climate and other environmental changes. Stoner noted, "State wildlife agencies are tasked with estimating animal abundance in remote and rugged habitats, which is difficult and expensive. Integration of satellite imagery can help establish baseline population estimates, monitor environmental conditions, and identify populations at risk to climate and land-use change."

Explore further NASA satellites aid ecologists in mapping seasons, deer reproduction

More information: David C. Stoner et al, Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels, Global Change Biology (2018). Journal information: Global Change Biology David C. Stoner et al, Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels,(2018). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14364
William Sethares. Credit: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Researchers at the University of WisconsinMadison are using computers in new ways to develop a comprehensive picture of how people communicate about politics, and how those conversations can be shaped by media, social networks and personal interactions.

What their computer analysis finds, the researchers hope, could help bridge the divide between people on either side of the political aisle who are unable to come together to solve society's problems because they can't even talk to each otherso much so that they might as well be speaking different languages.

"One of the most important questions for us is: Does the communication system help people to understand the problems they define in their social and political lives?" says Lewis Friedland, a professor in UWMadison's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. "Or, do we have a system that actually exacerbates divisions among peoplethat makes it easier to divide up into 'ingroups' and 'outgroups,' to see others as unlike us or unworthy?"

Drawing on social media posts, public opinion polling, news coverage and in-person interviews from across Wisconsin stretching back to 2010, Friedland and collaborators will paint a picture of political interactions as a living, changing environmenta "communication ecology"with webs of interaction between people and institutions in the state. Supported by funding from the UW2020 initiative, it is one of the most ambitious efforts ever to understand how people in an entire state talk about politics, and how those conversations have changed over time.

"No one has attempted to model communication ecologies on a statewide level, especially over eight years," says Friedland. "It takes enormous creativity in gathering data, modeling relationships and developing analysis methods."

The researchers are harnessing the power of machine learning, in which UWMadison is a leading innovator, to detect how people of opposite political persuasions assign different meanings to the same words.

For example, the word "regulation" can carry substantially different connotations"helpful and necessary" or "onerous and invasive"for liberals and conservatives. While those sentiments might seem intuitive, it's difficult to rigorously define and quantify exactly how people assign meanings to words.

Machine learning offers a solution to that problem by transforming words into geometric concepts called vectors and using mathematical operations to make comparisons.

"Vectors show you something about the words," says William Sethares, a UWMadison professor of electrical and computer engineering and collaborator on the project. "Simple things like synonyms will have similar vectors, and vectors for analogous words will have the same relationships to each other."

Vectors are abstract objects that have length and direction; in two dimensions, a vector looks like an arrow symbol. Word vectors are similar to simple arrows, except they exist in many more dimensions. Even though it would be impossible to draw word vectors on a flat sheet of paper, the representations for "king" and "queen" would, in a sense, point in the same directions with respect to each other as those for "boy" and "girl."

After comparing vectors from roughly 2,000 tweets posted by liberals, conservatives and nonpartisans, the researchers identified the top 10 words with different usages between political ideologies, including "politician," "government" and "environment."

Revealing those differences required a new computational approach, developed by Sethares and graduate student Prathusha Sarma.

The process of transforming words into vectors is called embedding, and it typically involves programming algorithms to trawl through massive amounts of text, like the entirety of Wikipedia or every Google news story ever published.

The problem is that the powerful generic word embeddings from giant databases like Wikipedia often miss nuances in languageafter all, every word becomes one single vector, so terms with multiple meanings can confuse even the smartest algorithms (think of "hack," which can describe either what an ax does, a computer invasion, or an untalented writer).

While those subtle differences might emerge in specific data sets, like the text of 2,000 political tweets, there simply wouldn't be enough words to construct accurate vectors.

"Any small niche uses words in its own way," says Sethares. "The things that work really well require billions of words, so we're caught in a trap because we can't train algorithms on a small data set."

Instead, Sethares and Sarma found an effective method to combine the strength of word embeddings derived from Wikipedia with the specificity of political tweets. Their algorithm not only identified words that conservatives and liberals use differently, but also predicted the political ideology of a tweet's author with roughly 90 percent accuracy based on language alone.

Sethares and colleagues plan to apply the same machine learning approaches to Wisconsin political news and campaign speeches. The approach could enable them to draw comparisons between political dialogue in urban and rural communities as well as examine how partisan word meanings may have shifted over time.

They then will combine information about word meanings with additional layers of data, including insights from in-person interviews, election results and historical statistics from public opinion polling. The resulting communication ecology will offer unprecedented insights into how the Wisconsin political environment is evolving.

"The environment is getting noisier and noisier," says Friedland. "People who have limited time and attention can only focus on so much in a given day."

And even though untangling partisan gridlock will require substantial empathy and effort from people across the political spectrum, understanding the communication environment is an important first step toward bridging the divide, Friedland adds.

Explore further Machines just revealed the evolution of language
Vice President Mike Pence gestures during an event on the creation of a U. S. Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Pointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American public's long fascination with spacebut with a military focus. The plan faces daunting hurdles and requires congressional approval. Military leaders and experts have questioned the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has extolled in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," Pence said.

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes' potential aggression rather than any offensive U.S. military effort.

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years U.S. adversaries have "pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground."

"As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge," he said.

In June, the president directed the Pentagon to create a "separate but equal" space force, a complicated and expensive move that could take years to gain Congress' approval and become operational. On Thursday, Pence said the administration will work with Congress on the plan and will outline a budget next year. The last time the U.S. created a new uniformed military service was in 1947, when the Air Force was launched after World War II. It joined the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space-warfighting forces and create a new command, but he previously opposed launching an expensive new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, right, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Asked about the cost, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters the Pentagon doesn't have a number yet but will when the legislative proposal is finished by the end of the year.

"I would assume it's billions," he said. Shanahan said Mattis' opposition to a separate service last year was rooted in concerns about spending more on overhead while under strict budget capsimplying that those worries may not be as great now.

Deborah James, who served as Air Force secretary for the final three years of the Obama administration, estimated it would be five to 10 years before a separate service would be fully formed.

"Eventually, it'll settle out, but you will go through years of thrashing. And is that thrashing going to slow your momentum or is it going to help you achieve your goals and address the real challenges that we have on our plate?" she said at Brookings Institution last week. "I don't think so. I don't. I wouldn't vote in favor of it."

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis introduces Vice President Mike Pence during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The military's role in space has been under scrutiny because the United States is increasingly reliant on orbiting satellites that are difficult to protect. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the national economy.

U.S. intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China were pursuing "nondestructive and destructive" anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war. And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress on Thursday lays out plans to consolidate U.S. warfighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of technologies.

It says the department will establish a Space Command to develop warfighting operations, a Space Development Agency to more quickly identify and develop new technologies, a Space Operations Force of leaders and fighters and a new support structure. In the second phase, the Pentagon would combine all the components into the new sixth branch of service.

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis introduces Vice President Mike Pence during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In the meantime, the Space Command would be led by a four-star general, and Pence said a new high-level civilian postassistant defense secretary for spacewould also be created.

"We are glad that the Pentagon is finally taking these steps in enhancing our space strength," Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., leaders of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a statement. They said the Pentagon report was the start of a "multi-year process that we think will result in a safer, stronger America."

Much of the military's current space power is wielded by the Air Force Space Command, which has its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command has about 38,000 personnel and operates 185 military satellite systems, including the Global Positioning System and communications and weather satellites. It also oversees Air Force cyberwarfare.

Under the new plan, space elements that are now scattered across the department would be gathered under one command, which Pence said would better ensure integration across the military.

Vice President Mike Pence gestures during an event on the creation of a U. S. Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence, center, is greeted by Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, left, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis before speaking at an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event on the creation of a United States Space Force, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at the Pentagon. Pence says the time has come to establish a new United States Space Force to ensure America's dominance in space amid heightened completion and threats from China and Russia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Explore further Trump wants a Space Force, but Pentagon has different idea

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The theory that rain follows the plow was first used to entice people to settle in the Southern Great Plains. Subsequent research has tried to debunk the myth, though a consensus has never been reached. Credit: University of Arizona

What makes it rain? Many people joke it only takes washing the car or forgetting an umbrella to make rain fall, though in reality, those things are two of many rain-making myths that have been perpetuated throughout the years.

In the 19th century, the "rain follows the plow" myth was used to justify settlement of the Great Plains. The cultivation of semi-arid to arid land was said to increase rainfall by moistening the soil and humidifying the atmosphere. Subsequent research debunked the myth, though large discrepancies still existed between model representations and actual observations.

Enter Josh Welty, a University of Arizona doctoral student in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, and his thesis advisor Xubin Zeng, Agnese N. Haury Endowed Chair in Environment and director of the UA Climate Dynamics and Hydrometeorology Center and Land-Atmosphere-Ocean Interaction Group.

"In addition to, and partly motivated by, the 'rain follows the plow' myth, many scientific papers have been published with conflicting results: wet soil would increase, decrease or not change precipitation in different papers. Our goal was to resolve this controversy," Zeng said.

Welty and Zeng based their research on open-source data gathered at the U.S. Department of Energy's Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Using data collected during the warm season  June to September  from 2002 to 2011, they examined the relationship between morning soil moisture and afternoon rainfall accumulations over the Southern Great Plains.

Moisture, such as from soil, is one of three ingredients necessary to create rain. Also needed are an upward motion of air from the earths surface into cooler parts of the upper atmosphere, which drier soils are good at facilitating, and a source of water vapor. Credit: University of Arizona

There are three ingredients necessary to create rain, Zeng said, and moisture  from atmospheric humidity, plants, bodies of water or soil  is one of them. Also needed are an upward motion of air from the earth's surface into cooler parts of the upper atmosphere, which drier soils are good at facilitating, and a source of water vapor.

Welty and Zeng found that morning soil moisture can affect afternoon rain accumulations over the Southern Great Plains during the warm season and the impact differs based on atmospheric conditions. On days when the wind brings limited moisture to the region, drier soils enhance afternoon rain. But when the wind brings greater moisture to the region, wetter soils increase afternoon rain.

"The dry soils that enhance afternoon rain are acting like conveyor belts for warm air that's being sent into the upper atmosphere," Zeng said. "Combine that upward motion with moisture and a water vapor source, and the result is afternoon rain."

Conversely, when atmospheric conditions are bringing moisture to the region, it acts as a source of water vapor, which, when added to the upward motion of air, produces rain.

Their findings suggest that land surface changes in response to both climate and human activity could be significant.

Welty and Zeng's research showed that morning soil moisture can affect afternoon rain accumulations over the Southern Great Plains during the warm season, and the impact differs based on atmospheric conditions. Credit: University of Arizona

Zeng, whose research specialties include climate modeling, land-atmosphere-ocean interface processes and hydrometeorology, noted the ideas developed during the study could be further used for "global analysis based on NASA satellite measurements and climate models."

"While the current focus is soil moisture impacts on rain over the Southern Great Plains, there is exciting potential for global analysis," Welty added. "Soil moisture effects on afternoon rain over other regions may be more thoroughly understood by accounting for how much water vapor the wind brings on a daily basis."

The results of the study also carry implications for water resource management at a time when water availability is a growing concern in many parts of the central and western United States. While washing the car probably won't help make it rain, cultivating the soil and changing soil moisture under the right conditions could.

The paper "Does soil moisture affect warm season precipitation over the Southern Great Plains?" was recently published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Explore further Research connects soil moisture to next-day rainfall

More information: J. Welty et al. Does soil moisture affect warm season precipitation over the Southern Great Plains?, Geophysical Research Letters (2018). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters J. Welty et al. Does soil moisture affect warm season precipitation over the Southern Great Plains?,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018GL078598
The Sunday Assembly Brighton. Credit: The Sunday Assembly Brighton

Congregational meet-ups without the worship can boost wellbeing in the same way as going to church or attending other religious groups, a new study suggests.

Whether at the temple, church or mosque, worshipping together has long been linked to better mental and physical health.

Now people who regularly attend secular or non-religious groups are shown to get similar feel-good vibes, simply through social bonding, psychologists reveal.

Researchers at Brunel University London studied members of the growing secular community, The Sunday Assembly  described as a church without the religion.

"Secular congregations may be a good alternative for non-religious people who want the health benefits religious communities traditionally offer," said Dr Michael Price.

The psychologist tracked 92 people aged 23 - 73 as they attended Sunday Assembly sessions in the UK, US, Australia and Canada. With social bonding, inspirational talks and group singing, Assembly meetings take much the same form as religious gatherings  minus the religion.

Price, who led the study, spent longer than six months measuring Sunday Assembly goers' satisfaction with life, feelings of social connectedness and general happiness.

As religion's popularity steadily wanes across Western cultures, he wanted to see if non-religious people can tap into the same wellbeing benefits group worship offers.

Results just out in the journal Secularism and Nonreligion show going to Sunday Assembly sessions relates positively to wellbeing. Spending 2.5 hours a week doing Assembly activities was linked to an extra 10 percentile points on the UK national wellbeing scale. For example, an attendee's wellbeing score might go from being higher than 60%, to being higher than 70%, of other Brits.

"It is brilliant to have independent confirmation of what we see with our own eyes  people's lives improving," said Sunday Assembly founder, Sanderson Jones. "This is exactly what we wanted to happen.

"Society is experiencing a crisis of meaning and belonging. Congregational communities answer the most fundamental human needs for belonging and meaning. The problem is that today, religious stories don't ring true in our increasingly secular age."

Assembly goers started an average 1.2 close social relationships with people they met there, a degree of bonding similar to that experienced by traditional church-goers. And joining in Assembly activities was more strongly linked to wellbeing, compared with other kinds of social activities.

Surprisingly, the most important part of the meetings for social bonding was not the formal service but the informal socialising before and after it. Group singing was also commonly noted for creating a sense of community.

"If secular quasi-religious organisations like The Sunday Assembly continue to gain popularity," Dr Price said, "they could have a positive benefit on the wellbeing of many people who, for whatever reason, would affiliate more readily with them than with more traditional religious groups."

"The increase of social isolation, mental ill health and fractured cultural climate can all be alleviated with a renewal of inclusive, welcoming congregational communities," Jones added.

Explore further Family commitment blended with strong religion dampens civic participation, researcher finds
Mineta San Jose International Airport demonstrated a facial recognition system that will make it the first West Coast airport to launch, for all international flights, a technology that officials said has already slashed the processing time for travelers.

Facial recognition uses a digital image or a video capture to verify or identify a person. The airport launched the facial biometrics system in June for all arriving international passengers. Starting this fall, it also will be used for all departing international travelers, officials said.

By using the technology, the average wait time for arriving international passengers has decreased by roughly four minutes per passenger, federal officials estimated.

"The use of biometrics technology will help cut down wait times and enhance the overall experience for our international travelers," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.

For a roughly one-month period before the airport adopted the technology in June for arriving international flights, the average wait time was 25.1 minutes, according to Brian Humphrey, director of the San Francisco and Portland field offices of Customs and Border Protection.

Over a four-week stretch after the system was launched at San Jose airport, average processing times for arriving international travelers had dropped to 21.2 minutes, a roughly 16 percent decrease.

"Collaboratively, we are changing the face of international travel," said John Wagner, deputy executive assistant commissioner in the Office of Field Operations with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Passengers who arrived Monday, Aug. 6, in San Jose on a flight from Japan went through the system with no apparent hitches.

"This is a win-win," Humphrey said. "It's a win for protecting our border, and it's a win so those who wish to enter the United States legitimately can continue to do so efficiently."

Passengers looked into a small camera for a few moments to take their picture.

One traveler suggested the new technology made the arrival process more efficient than the old method.

"This seemed smoother than before," said Rikako Otomo, as she arrived from Japan and waited for her luggage. She traveled to the Bay Area to visit San Francisco and train with Apple and Google to sell the companies' phones in Japan.

The new technology comes as the airport in recent years has seen a sharp rise in passengers using the travel hub. In 2017, San Jose airport handled 438,800 international travelers, more than doubling the 199,900 such passengers in 2015, airport officials said recently.

San Jose officials believe the airport's new technology will help it maintain its status as a hub for brisk air travel.

"The technology will help us keep our reputation as no-delay San Jose," said City Councilman Johnny Khamis, who heads the council's Economic Development Committee.

The technology could also be used for other interactions at airports, including buying items, said Stephanie Gupta, a senior vice president with the American Association of Airport Executives.

"This is just the start of the future," Gupta said.

2018 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NASA scientist Melissa Floyd holds her 3D-printed FISHbot prototype, which she is advancing to search for bacterial life on Mars and other solar system targets. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Bill Hrybyk

A NASA scientist wants to create a planetary robot that would mimic what biologists do every day in terrestrial laboratories: look through microscopes to visually identify microbial life living in samples.

Although very early in its technology development, the concept would take NASA's hunt for extraterrestrial life to the next level by actually looking for bacteria and archaea in soil and rock samples. So far, NASA's rovers have carried tools and instruments designed to look for biosignatures or signs of life that indicate habitability, not life itself, regardless of how primitive.

"Life exists everywhere on Earth, even in places that are incompatible to humans," said Melissa Floyd, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who is using Goddard Internal Research and Development program funding to automate subsystems for a laboratory breadboard called FISHBot. "I had this idea, actually a major assumption on my part: what if life evolved on Mars the same way it did here on Earth? Certainly, Mars was bombarded with the same soup of chemistry as Earth."

It's not a huge assumption to make, she added. Nucleotidesthe molecules that form deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acidhave been found in comets. Better known as DNA and RNA, these molecules store and transfer genetic information at a cellular level in all living organisms on Earth.

Search for Bacteria and Archaea

To find life on another planet, Floyd's robotic instrument would concentrate on identifying bacteria and archaea, members of a large group of single-cell microorganisms that thrive in diverse environments and are thought to be the first organisms to appear on Earth about 4 billion years ago. On Earth, one gram of soil typically contains about 40 million bacterial cells and a milliliter of fresh water usually holds 1 million cells.

Her concept, which she believes could deploy as a stand-alone robot or one of several instruments on a rover, relies on a widely used technique called fluorescent in situ hybridizationor FISHdeveloped to detect and locate the presence or absence of RNA or single-stranded DNA sequences on chromosomes. These threadlike structures are found in the nuclei of most living cells and carry genetic information in the form of genes. Since its development, FISH has been used for genetic counseling, medicine and species identification.

When performed in a laboratory, FISH involves, among other things, applying a sample to a slide, fixing the cells to increase cell-wall permeability, adding a nucleotide "probe"a short sequence of typically 15 to 20 nucleotides along with a fluorescent tag for faster identificationand heating the sample. The slide is then placed under a microscope. When the nucleotide probe attaches to a similar nucleotide in the sample, it literally fluoresces or glows under a fluorescence microscope, helping researchers to identify the organism.

"I'm trying to determine whether I can do the same thing with a robot," Floyd said, adding that she would want the system to carry as many as 10 probes to identify a broad range of single-cell organisms. "If there are even fragments of highly conserved genetic sequences that we see in every corner of Earth, FISH will be the tool capable of detecting it."

The Automation Challenge

The challenge, she said, is simplifying and automating the process so that samples can be prepared on individual slides, heated, and automatically rotated for viewing under a microscope, which likely would have to be focused many times to see deep within the sample. With her funding, Floyd is developing the automated subsystems, including a focuser.

"The idea here is to replace with a robotic system what a scientist does in the lab," she said. "I could be completely wrong" about life taking root on Mars or another solar system body in the same way that it did on Earth. "But how do we know? We've never looked."
The maps show the diversity of Australian big herbivorous marsupials (a mammalian infraclass) as is today, and as it would be today, had most of the species not been extinct. The phylogenetic tree to the right shows the evolutionary relationships among a sample of extant and extinct species, while the circles illustrate the size of each species as well as their status: EP = Extinct in prehistory, CR = Critically Endangered, NT = Near Threatened, LC = Least Concern. Credit: Soeren Faurby, University of Gothenburg.

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 speciesnearly 6,000 in totaland 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 trees, 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 recently published in the journal 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, which 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 impoverished of giants.

The blue color shows the range of brown bear today. The red color shows, where you would also find brown bears today, had they not been driven away by human activity. Credit: Soeren Faurby, University of Gothenburg

"Even a species like the woolly mammoth, which we think of as prehistoric, lived up to the time that 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 pored 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.

"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 this accessible, publicly available database valuable. "We are already using the database to quantify and map human-induced biodiversity deficits and assess restoration potential around the globe.

Explore further Without humans, the whole world could look like Serengeti

More information: Sren Faurby et al, PHYLACINE 1.2: The Phylogenetic Atlas of Mammal Macroecology, Ecology (2018). Journal information: Ecology Sren Faurby et al, PHYLACINE 1.2: The Phylogenetic Atlas of Mammal Macroecology,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2443
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Among its many useful traits, the federally endangered snail kite helps wildlife managers gauge whether the Florida Everglades has sufficient water. That's one reason University of Florida scientists closely monitor the birds' activity  and to make sure it's surviving.

Like other animals, snail kites need to move in order to spread their genes to new places, which is important for species' survival. But movement alone is not enough. Once animals arrive at new destinations, they also need to reproduce, say UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers.

For a new study, UF/IFAS researchers used nine years of data to find out whether snail kites are reproducing after they move, and how these findings might change conservation strategies.

Ellen Robertson, a post-doctoral researcher and Robert Fletcher, a UF/IFAS associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation, co-authored the study in which scientists wanted to discover the factors that most limit snail kites from spreading their genes: movement or reproduction.

In the study, researchers showed the snail kite moves frequently across the Everglades and other wetlands in south-central Florida, but 90 percent of the birds that moved did not reproduce.

The study's findings will help guide UF/IFAS researchers' efforts to recover the snail kite's population in Florida  and water management, Robertson said.

"Snail kite reproduction is closely tied to hydrology," she said. "Monitoring snail kites helps us understand whether water management across Florida is working for snail kites and other wetland species."

Florida's snail kite population decreased from 3,500 in 2000 to 700 in 2007. Since then, the number of birds has rebounded back to more than 2,000, say UF/IFAS researchers.

Despite the recent uptick in the population, UF/IFAS researchers remain watchful over the snail kites' survival.

Many conservation strategies promote animal movement, said Robertson. These strategies also need to ensure that animals are reproducing after they move. For snail kites, conservation efforts should focus on managing water levels and habitat in ways that benefit snail kite reproduction, Robertson said.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Explore further Environmentalists sue for Everglades bird

More information: Ellen P. Robertson et al. Isolating the roles of movement and reproduction on effective connectivity alters conservation priorities for an endangered bird, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Ellen P. Robertson et al. Isolating the roles of movement and reproduction on effective connectivity alters conservation priorities for an endangered bird,(2018). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800183115
An aerial view of the ancient Tethys seabed . Credit: Boris Rezvantsev/Shutterstock.com

Researchers at Syracuse University are looking to the geologic past to make future projections about climate change.

Christopher K. Junium, assistant professor of Earth sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), is the lead author of a study that uses the nitrogen isotopic composition of sediments to understand changes in marine conditions during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)a brief period of rapid global warming approximately 56 million years ago.

Junium's teamwhich includes Benjamin T. Uveges G'17, a Ph.D. candidate in A&S, and Alexander J. Dickson, a lecturer in geochemistry at Royal Holloway at the University of Londonhas published an article on the subject in Nature Communications.

Their research focuses on the ancient Tethys Ocean (site of the present-day Mediterranean Sea) and provides a benchmark for present and future climate and ocean models.

"The nitrogen isotope record demonstrates that oxygen-free [anoxic] conditions initiated rapidly at the onset of the PETM, changing the way important nutrients, such as nitrogen, were recycled," says Junium, a sedimentary and organic geochemist. "The magnitude of this nitrogen isotopic shift is similar to those observed during rapid warming intervals in the Mesozoic Era [252 million to 66 million years ago], when broad areas of the Tethys and Atlantic oceans became depleted in oxygen, below the surface.

Such depletion, known as deoxygenation, triggered Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) in the Eastern Tethys during the Mesozoic Era. Scientists believe OAEs coincided with rapid changes in the ancient Earth's climate and ocean circulationchanges marked by an influx of carbon dioxide from periods of intense volcanism.

"While the exact cause of the PETM is an area of active debate, we are certain that potent greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, contributed to overall warming," Junium says.

The fate of the Tethys Ocean and areas surrounding it during the PETM has been the subject of much speculation by paleoclimatologists, notably Dickson, who has written extensively about it. He and Junium are convinced that a panoply of factorsincluding ocean acidification, intense rainfall and weathering on land, and an influx of nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur) from river dischargeset the stage for deoxygenation. Similar to what is happening today.

"Coastal marine systems may be more vulnerable to OAE-like conditions than previously thought," Junium says. "This is particularly so in enclosed basins, such as the Baltic Sea, or near large river systems, including the Mississippi, which are seeing major influences from anthropogenic activity. ... The expansion of anoxic waters, particularly during summer months, impacts marine communities, as well as those relying on coastal areas for food sources, commercial fishing or recreation."

Drawing on data from the ancient Kheu River system in southern Russia, Junium and his colleagues have confirmed that the nitrogen cycle of the Eastern Tethys underwent a "major reorganization" during the PETM. "Pertubations to the nitrogen cycle can have widespread consequences," says Junium, referring to the process in which nitrogen changes from one form to another, while circulating throughout the atmosphere, the terrestrial and marine ecosystems. "Nitrogen is critical for life on Earth."

The group's research goes a step further. Variations in nitrogen isotope data from the Kheu suggest episodes in which anoxic conditions relaxed, causing oxygen to mix into the water column.

"The transition between oxygen-free and low-oxygen conditions in the Tethys Ocean during the PETM may have created conditions that favored increased production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas made by microbes at very low oxygen concentrations," Junium says. "Studying conditions that fostered nitrous oxide production [during the PETM] enables us to calibrate current and future Earth system models. There is more to warming than just increased concentrations of carbon dioxide."

Nitrous oxide provides an interesting, albeit speculative twist to the group's research because the gas cannot be measured directly in ancient rock. "I think we can make a case for finding out whether or not conditions during the PETM favored increased production," Junium says.

Dickson agrees, adding that the mere suggestion of nitrous oxide contributing to global warming during the PETM is "fascinating."

"Events such as the PETM are some of the best geological analogues we have for a warmer world. And yet, for years, a satisfactory explanation of how the climatic drivers of these ancient events interacted to produce the level of observed warming has eluded climate modelers," Dickson says. "The suggestion of a nitrous oxide feedback on climate warming adds a new layer of intrigue to this discussion and highlights the role a changing nitrogen cycle might have on our future Earth."

Junium thinks his team is on the right track. As carbon dioxide concentrations dangerously approach 400 parts per million (levels not experienced in three million years), they are aware that warming will continue to increase. The ecological and societal implications could be huge.

Navigating such terrain, Junium says, requires better model-based forecasts for global warming.

"Indeed, there are gaps in our understanding between the model worlds and the fossil worlds. The past enables us to test and hone models on which future projections are based. It also helps us determine what processes are missing from our current Earth system models," he says. "These things combined help us understand and prepare for what is on the horizon.

Explore further Scientists draw new connections between climate change and warming oceans

More information: Christopher K. Junium et al. Perturbation to the nitrogen cycle during rapid Early Eocene global warming, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Christopher K. Junium et al. Perturbation to the nitrogen cycle during rapid Early Eocene global warming,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05486-w
Customers check out the Tesla X, at the Tesla showroom in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. 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. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is seeking relief from the pressures of running a publicly held company with a $72 billion buyout of the electric car maker, but he may be acquiring new headaches with his peculiar handling of the proposed deal.

Almost everything about the deal is outlandish, from Musk's out-of-the-blue disclosure in a nine-word tweet to the assertion that he has lined up adequate financing to a buy a company that seems to burn through cash faster than it produces cars.

If Musk can pull it off, he will have burnished his reputation as an eccentric visionary who has been compared to Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy depicted by actor Robert Downey Jr. in the "Iron Man" movies.

But if the buyout flops, Musk and Tesla will likely face class-action lawsuits from shareholders alleging they were duped, and potential legal trouble from the Securities and Exchange Commission, too.

The SEC already has opened an inquiry into the wording and method of Musk's disclosure about the deal, according to a Wednesday report in The Wall Street Journal , which cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.

"It's very obvious that Musk did not talk to any lawyers before he made his tweet," said John Coffee Jr., a Columbia University law professor and corporate-governance expert.

An image of a Tesla model X is seen reflected on the hood of a new model 3 in the Tesla showroom in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. 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. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Tesla didn't respond to requests for comment Wednesday. The SEC declined to comment.

Skepticism about the legitimacy of Musk's proposed deal surfaced almost immediately after Musk dropped the bombshell on his Twitter account a few hours after the stock market opened Tuesday.

"Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured," Musk tweeted, without elaboration or any corroboration from the company.

It took about two hours before Tesla posted a Musk email to company employees on its website elaborating on his reasons for wanting to do the deal, making it clear he was serious. Before that happened, Tesla's stock had already soared. Trading in Tesla's stock was eventually halted until everyone could figure out what was going on.

It wasn't until Wednesday when six directors on Tesla's nine-member board publicly acknowledged that Musk approached them last week about pursuing the financing for a buyout that would take the company off the stock market.

A Tesla emblem is seen on the back end of a Model S in the Tesla showroom in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. 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. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Like Musk's tweet and email to employees, the directors' statement didn't contain details on how the buyout would be financed.

The murkiness of the financing could turn into a legal mine field for Musk and Tesla, according to both Coffee and former SEC lawyer Pete Henning, now a law professor at Wayne State University.

That's because Musk tweeted that the financing for the buyout had been locked up without equivocation. If there is an indication the financing is shaky, it almost certainly will expose the company and its CEO to allegations of market manipulation or fraud, Coffee and Henning said.

News of the potential buyout already has stung investors known as "short sellers" who have long been a thorn in Musk's side. Short sellers borrow company stock and then resell the shares in the open market in a bet that they will be able to replace them at a much lower price in the near future to repay their debt.

Tesla's stock surged 11 percent on Tuesday, collectively costing short sellers more than $1 billion, by some estimates.

In this July 8, 2018, photo, 2018 Model 3 sedan sits next to a Model X on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo. 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, Aug. 8, that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

"If (Musk's) motive was frustration with short sellers, then that could be a case of market manipulation," Coffee said.

Those who believe Musk is carrying out a vendetta against short sellers may point to a May 4 tweet suggesting he might have something up his sleeve. "Oh and uh short burn of the century comin (sic) soon," he wrote.

Musk's use of Twitter to announce a huge deal also raised eyebrows, but that probably didn't violate any laws, Coffee and Henning said. The SEC has previously ruled that using social media to disclose company news is OK, as along as investors have been told that those channels may be used.

Tesla disclosed in a November 2013 regulatory filing that shareholders should follow Musk's Twitter account to keep up with company news.

Even though Musk has 22.3 million followers on Twitter, Tesla probably should have ensured even wider distribution of the news by simultaneously posting information on its website and filing documents with the SEC, Coffee and Henning said.

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)

Some of the fervor for a Tesla buyout faded Wednesday. Tesla's stock backtracked by more than 2 percent to close at $370.34.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the buyout is Tesla's long history of losing money while it has been investing in electric car technology and ramping up production of its vehicles.

The Palo Alto, California, 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 percent. Tesla lost another $717.5 million in its most recent quarter.

Musk has promised to begin making money on a consistent basis starting in the third quarter, escalating the pressure that he has already publicly acknowledged has taken an immense toll on him.

Just last week, he revealed he had been working 110 hours a week to deliver on short-term promises he had made to Wall Street, a load he traced to his boorish behavior toward two analysts earlier this year.

In this July 8, 2018, photo, a 2018 Model X sits on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo. 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, Aug. 8, that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

"It's very clear that he doesn't like to deal with being a CEO of a public company," said Gene Munster, a former stock market analyst who is now managing partner of investment fund Loup Ventures. "I am not sure it is beating him down, but I am sure he is sick of it."

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.

Buying Tesla in its entirety would cost $72 billion, based on the company's outstanding stock as of July 27. But Musk probably doesn't need that much financing because he owns a roughly 20 percent stake in the company and he is also creating a special fund that will allow existing shareholders to retain their stakes in Tesla in the private market, if they want.

Munster estimates Musk will need $25 billion to $30 billion to buy out all the Tesla shareholders who want to sell at $420. Tesla also would likely need to borrow billions more to help pay for its ambitious plans of its electric vehicle line and its battery manufacturing plants.

In a Wednesday research note, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas estimated Tesla will end up taking on about $50 billion in additional debt if the company goes private.

In this July 8, 2018, photo, clouds are reflected above the company logo on the hood of a 2018 Model 3 sedan on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo. 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, Aug. 8, that Musk began talking with the board about the move last week. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Explore further Tesla board weighs CEO's buyout bid as questions swirl

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Ferocious fires have blazed for a week in southern Portugal stoked by sweltering temperatures and strong winds, despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and soldiers

Smoke from raging wildfires billowed above popular tourist beaches in Portugal's Algarve Thursday after authorities ordered a fresh wave of urgent evacuations as the flames drew closer to a historic town in the region.

Ferocious fires have blazed for a week in southern Portugal stoked by sweltering temperatures and strong winds, injuring dozens and leaving a blackened trail of seared forest, charred homes and incinerated cars, despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and soldiers.

Fire crews and police conducted an urgent evacuation overnight of homes around the ancient town of Silves, as the fire continued to spread across one of Europe's top tourism destinations.

Aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop onto the creeping blaze Thursday, as firefighters continued their struggle to douse the flames, which have already consumed some 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of forest.

Smoke from the fires blackened the skies above the beaches of the Algarve.

"The sky is full of a sort of black mist, made of ash and soot," Tony Sanders, a 73-year-old Briton who runs a small bed and breakfast in the resort town of Carvoeiro, told AFP.

With winds forecast to reach up to 50 km/hr (30 mph) "there is a risk of reactivation in the afternoon along a perimetre that now exceeds 100 km", said national civil protection agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar.

The affected zone is planted with pines and highly-flammable eucalyptus trees and scored by difficult to reach valleys and ravines

Hundreds evacuated

A Europe-wide heatwave sent the mercury above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas of Portugal at the weekend, intensifying wildfires that began on Friday.

The fires have left 36 people injured, one seriously, with 19 of those hurt firefighters, according to Gaspar.

Hundreds of residents and tourists have been evacuated from around Monchique, a popular spa town of 6,000 people, some 160 kilometres from Lisbon.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Wednesday warned the blaze would continue rage "during the coming days".

Aircraft have scooped water from swimming pools and the sea to drop onto the creeping blaze, as firefighters struggle to douse the flames

On Thursday, more than a thousand firefighters and soldiers were battling in the affected zone, which is planted with pines and highly-flammable eucalyptus trees and scored by difficult to reach valleys and ravines.

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.

The spreading blaze has even necessitated the evacuation of some 29 endangered Iberian lynx to Spain from the national reproductive centre, according to a statement from the country's conservation institute.

In Spain, where more than 700 firefighters continued to battle wildfires in the province of Valencia, authorities said they were hopeful of bringing the blazes under control.

The blazes have left 36 people injured, one seriously, with 19 of those hurt firefighters

"We can start to talk about stabilising the fires," said Valencia regional president Ximo Puig, adding that while the temperature was not expected to drop very much, there were hopes of an imminent rain storm.

He said it had been established that the fires were started by lightning during an electric storm on Monday.

A sizzling heatwave across Spain has left 10 people dead in a week.

Explore further Portuguese wildfires encircle Algarve resort town

 2018 AFP
Comet17P/Holmes seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA, ESA, H. Weaver, A. Dyer

FEFU scientists are developing a methodology to calculate the ratio of dust and gas in comas and tails of comets. This will reveal more about the history of the solar system and its development, as well as to 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 astrophysicsto assess the reflectivity of cosmic dust particles and their ability to scatter 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 effectan inverse correlation between the reflectivity of a body and the degree of linear polarization of light scattered by it. The brighter an object, the lower its polarization. This relation was first formulated by the Russian physicist Nikolay Umov in 1905.

According to Evgenij Zubko, the Umov effect was previously studied only for surfaces, such as the lunar regolith and the surfaces of asteroids. The explanation of this effect, given in 1960s and 1970s, excluded its application to the individual dust particles that comprise the regolith. 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 characteristic of comae and tails of comets consisting of two types of dust particles. The Umov effect is also expected to be observed in three-component clouds of cosmic dust that are typical for protoplanetary disks.

By studying the degree of linear polarization acquired by sunlight when it is scattered by cometary dust particles, scientists can give a reliable estimation of the particles' albedo or reflectivity. This characteristic is an extremely important for retrieving 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 characteristics of cometary evolutionfor 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 the 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 light 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 10 times. This is a common issue nowadays, which 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 soin particular, polarimetry to measure the degree of linear polarization and, thus retrieve the reflectivity of cometary dust particles based on the Umov effect."

Comet Garradd and the Coat Hanger. Credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo

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 required collaboration among groups of astrophysicists from different parts of the world.

The analysis methodology based on the Umov effect may also 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 science in general is as high as the importance of the spectral analysis method developed by Gustav Kirchhoff. While spectral analysis reveals the chemical compositions of distant bodies based on the light reflected from them, the Umov effect can reveal their size.

Explore further Asteroids and comets shower Mars with organics

More information: Evgenij Zubko et al, The Umov effect in application to an optically thin two-component cloud of cosmic dust, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2018). Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Evgenij Zubko et al, The Umov effect in application to an optically thin two-component cloud of cosmic dust,(2018). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/sty938

Provided by Far Eastern Federal University
When the word "hygge" became popular outside Denmark a few years ago, it seemed the perfect way to express the feeling of wrapping yourself up in a crocheted blanket with a cosy jumper, a cup of tea and back-to-back episodes of The Bridge. But is it really only the Danes, with their cold Scandinavian evenings, who could have come up with a word for such a specific concept? And is it only the Swedes who could have needed the verb "fika" to describe chatting over a coffee?

The internet abounds with words that lack a single-word English equivalent. In order to be really lacking an English equivalent, it must be a single, indivisible unit of meaning, as phrases are infinitely productive and can be created on demand by combining different words. Take, for example, the claim by Adam Jacot de Boinod in I Never Knew There Was A Word For It, that Malay has a word for the gap between the teeth that English lacks: "gigi rongak." Well, this appears to be a phrase, and it translates literally as the perfectly cromulent English phrase "tooth gap."

In fact, English even has a single-word technical term for a gap between the teeth: "diastema." Okay, that's actually a Greek word, but it's in use in English, so it's also an English word. Does that matter?

Where we get our words from tells us something about our history. Take, for instance, Quechua  the language spoken by people indigenous to the Andes and the South American highlands. The Quechuan word for "book" is "liwru," which comes from the Spanish word "libro," because Spanish colonisers introduced written forms of language to the people they conquered. In fact, English does now have a word for "hygge"  it's "hygge."

Cultures in language

It is often said that Eskimos have 50 words for snow, but it's a myth that has been comprehensively dismantled, probably first of all by Laura Martin in 1986. "Eskimo" is a somewhat meaningless term anyway, but the structure of the languages spoken by peoples such as the Inuit or Aleut in the Arctic Circle are very synthetic, meaning that each "word" may comprise many parts or "morphemes."

Entire phrases can be contained within words in these languages  a single "word" may literally mean "fallen snow." For that reason, "having 50 words for snow" in these languages is about as remarkable as having 50 sentences to talk about snow in English.

And yet the myth and others like it snowball, because we are fascinated by the idea that language reveals something about our psyche - or perhaps even determines it. The economist Keith Chen has devoted some considerable effort to demonstrating that speakers of languages that grammatically encode the future and the present separately behave more recklessly with respect to their health and money. He argues that it shows that overt future tense marking makes a speaker more aware of the future as a separate time from the present and thus more distant, which has a corresponding effect on behaviour.

Many linguists have some reservations about his conclusions, but the main claim hit the news and people were intrigued by the idea.

False cultural judgements

While careful experimentation has shown that having words for concepts makes them easier or faster to name, it is not true that lacking a concept means you cannot conceive of it, and vice versa. For instance, many languages have gender-neutral pronouns (the same word is used for he and she) but are spoken in cultures with very poor levels of gender equality.

This might seem obvious  it's Orwell's Newspeak (from 1984) in action. In Orwell's dystopia, the word "free" was stripped of all meaning of individual freedoms and could be used only in the sense of a dog being free from lice, which in turn was supposed to remove the ability of the citizens of Oceania to conceive of such freedom. But it is not just science fiction. There is an important note of caution that linguists are always aware of: making claims about other cultures risks "exoticising" them.

At worst, this results in racism. The Hopi people of Arizona, who are sometimes claimed to have no way to express time based on a misunderstanding of Benjamin Lee Whorf's work on their language, were assumed by some to be incapable of following bus timetables or arriving at work on schedule, a mistaken belief that led to obvious problems.

But even an apparently benign conclusion about how some Australian languages encode space with compass directions ("north") rather than ego-relative position ("my left-hand side") suggests English speakers often miss out on knowledge about language and cognition because they are busy measuring things against an arbitrary English-centric benchmark. Different language conventions are usually not exotic or unusual; it's just that English speakers come from a position of very great privilege because their language is the default. People who speak other languages are seen as different, as outsiders.

I'm not a total killjoy. I still delight in "untranslatable" words. It's something special to learn a word and along with it make concrete a nebulous but recognisable concept like hygge, or indeed its wonderfully chilling opposite, uhygge. I just suggest a position of healthy scepticism when you meet claims that a language has "no word for X" or "50 words for Y," or, as the internet recently got excited about, that "tag" stands for "touch and go" (sorry folks, it doesn't).

Explore further Study finds dialects and languages are processed differently

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
5 hours ago

In the middle of a crisis, Facebook Inc. renames itself Meta

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Like many companies in trouble before it, Facebook is changing its name and logo. Facebook Inc. is now called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the  metaverse. But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

Read Article
WASHINGTON  A U.N. decision finding the Turkmen government responsible for the death in custody 12 years ago of a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) contributor is particularly significant because of continuing government actions against the news services correspondents, says RFE/RL President Thomas Kent.

We welcome the U.N. finding, which confirms what rights groups have long contended: that the death of Ogulsapar Muradova was a politically motivated crime by Turkmen authorities because of her human rights advocacy and reporting, Kent said. But the abuses continue. Twelve years later, at this very moment, our Turkmen colleagues, current and former  including Soltan Achilova, Saparmamed Nepeskuliev, Rovshen Yazmuhamedov and Khudayberdy Allashov  are persecuted by the government and its agents, and risk imprisonment because of their journalism. This must also be condemned and stopped.

Muradova was a co-founder of the independent Turkmen Helsinki Foundation and reported about several hundred dissidents she identified as being imprisoned under the regime of then-President Saparmurat Niyazov. She was arrested in June 2006, sentenced the following August in a closed court proceeding in Ashgabat to six years in prison, and died in custody one month later.

The complaint to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was filed by lawyers with the Open Society Justice Initiative on behalf of Annadurdy Khadzhiyev, Muradovas brother, who was also detained at the time and only released from prison in 2013. The complaint alleges acts by the Turkmen government, including retaliation for her journalism and torture leading to her death in custody, that constitute violations of the states obligations under the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

In a lengthy response to the complaint issued on May 24 this year, the UNHRC determined that Muradova was arrested and detained for her journalistic and human rights work. It condemned the governments conduct, drawing attention to its responsibility to care for [the] life of individuals who are arrested and detained; its failure to properly investigate allegations of torture and the cause of her death in custody, including its failure to release the results of an autopsy; and numerous violations of Muradovas due process rights.

The council declared that the Turkmen government is obligated to conduct an impartial investigation, compensate the family, and rehabilitate Muradovas name, and instructed it to to take all steps necessary to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future.

Journalists associated with RFE/RL and their family members have suffered harassment, violence, and imprisonment for decades in Turkmenistan, a country that ties with North Korea for the worlds worst record on press freedom, according to Freedom Houses Freedom of the Press 2017 survey. In 2014-2015, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service lost half of its reporting network to a systematic, government-sponsored intimidation campaign.

The targeted campaign has continued well into 2018, with veteran correspondent Soltan Achilova suffering no fewer than eight physical assaults over the last 15 months.

Known locally as Azatlyk Radiosy, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service has for 65 years provided audiences with accurate and uncensored news and information as an alternative to the state-run media monopoly. In 2018, its website has been visited an average of 1.2 million times and its YouTube page has logged 1 million video views monthly.

----
Algerian business tycoons close ties with the opaque Algerian regime are making genuine reforms harder to implement as the country faces a crisis reminiscent of the era preceding the 1990s civil war.

The Financial Times has published an analysis on the Algerian regimes vested interest in business and how top businessmen owe their success to the authoritarian figures who rule Algeria behind the scenes.

The paper recalls the dismissal of former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune who was sacked after criticizing the corruption and interference of businessmen close to the regime in political life.

The dismissal of Mr Tebboune last year was testament to the influence of Algerias politically connected corporate barons whose businesses have expanded dramatically under Mr Bouteflika as the president poured hundreds of billions of petrodollars into public works, The Financial Times said.

As the crisis bites with oil prices unlikely to return to their pre-2014 levels, Algeria has squandered its mantra of foreign exchange reserves. Calls for diversifying the economy fell on deaf ears so far as genuine reforms threaten the vested interest of the regime and its henchmen in the economic sphere.

We have asked the state to give a role to the private sector in all areas, leading businessman Ali Haddad, believed to be close to the Bouteflika clan, told visiting journalists given rare access to the country on a tightly controlled program of factory visits and meetings, the paper said.

The state may now rely more on private entrepreneurs, but they still have to demonstrate complete loyalty to the president, stay within the limits set for them and consult before launching new initiatives, an independent journalist told the Financial Times.

The paper sheds light on the opacity of the regime amid a succession crisis and notes that the business community has joined its voice to the calls for a fifth term for ailing President Bouteflika.

The businessmen have been one of the biggest interest groups behind Bouteflika. All made their money under him, said Riccardo Fabiani, analyst at Energy Aspects, a consultancy.

There is a risk that if he leaves, anyone can take aim at them. They would be in uncharted territory, the London-based paper said.
Irans Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a message on his official website Wednesday called on Iranians not to worry after the U.S. re-imposed economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic as pressure aimed at forcing authorities in Teheran to renegotiate a new nuclear deal that suits the US terms.

With regard to our situation do not be worried at all. Nobody can do anything, the message posted on his website Khamenei.ir read.

The message, Reuters reports, dates back to several weeks but was only published Wednesday, one day after US sanctions.

US President Donald Trump Monday signed an executive order directing new sanctions against Iran in line with his pledge to get from the Islamic Republic a new deal of the 2015 nuclear deal signed between world powers and Tehran. Trump said the sanctions were the most biting ever imposed on Iran.

The sanctions analysts say are in fact those in place before the Obama-era multinational nuclear deal which guarantee a gradual lifting of economic sanction for Irans commitment to end its nuclear enrichment program.

The Trump administration hopes through the sanctions to stoke domestic pressure on Iranian authorities that will force them to come back to the negotiation table.

The threats of sanctions have scared companies, mostly European companies to pull out from Iran after Trump indicated that companies have to choose either the Islamic Republic or the U.S.

Experts believe Trump has over exaggerated with the sanctions as they argue that there is a relative calm across Iran as opposed to claims by Trumps top Security Advisor, John Bolton who boasted that Irans leaders were already on very shaky ground after days of protests across the country against high prices and the lack of political reform, Israeli media Times of Israel reports.

Western observers are often quick to erroneously assume that localized demonstrations are wholesale rejections of the Islamic republic, Henry Rome of the Eurasia Group in a briefing note, according to the media.

Despite a rise in public protests, the regime does not yet face an existential threat. The security forces are brutal, efficient, and loyal.

The Experts also said the sanctions have made new friends for Iran as the European Union (UE) distances its from the Trump administration. The UE is poised to provide a shield to its companies operating in Iran.

As the U.S. looks to target Irans oil export in a new a wave of sanctions on November 5, China, India and Turkey have stressed that they would not cut their purchase of the Iranian oil. The EU has also stated that it will not abide by the decision.

Withdrawal of European firms, experts say, will not much affect the Iranian economy as Beijing and Moscow, both also signatories of the accord have pledged to continue trading with Iran.

Posted by North Africa Post North Africa Post's news desk is composed of journalists and editors, who are constantly working to provide new and accurate stories to NAP readers.
The Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Moroccan Sahara, Horst Kohler, briefed on Wednesday the UN Security Council on his second tour in the Maghreb region that led him to Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco from June 23 to July 1.

While in Morocco, after the talks he held in Rabat on June 27, he visited the Sahara cities of Laayoune, Smara and Dakhla from June 28 to July 1.

In his briefing to the Security Council, Horst Kohler expressed his thanks to the Moroccan authorities for facilitating his trip to the southern provinces.

According to diplomatic sources in New York, Kohler expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by Morocco to ensure the success of his visit to the Sahara provinces, during which he got in touch, in complete freedom, with all the interlocutors he had wished to meet.

The Personal Envoy had met with the Presidents of the two regions of the Sahara as well as with elected officials, local dignitaries and civil society activists who all expressed their support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative.

In his briefing, Horst Kohler also expressed satisfaction at the opportunity he had to witness first-hand the economic and social development of the region, the diplomatic sources said.

The Security Council members welcomed the atmosphere in which the regional tour of the Personal Envoy took place, in particular the visit to the Moroccan Sahara.

According to the diplomatic sources, the majority of the Councils members expressed their satisfaction with the results of the various meetings and visits undertaken by the Personal Envoy, and called on him to continue working and interacting with all parties to maintain the momentum of the resumption of the UN-sponsored process.

Likewise, they have unanimously reaffirmed their strong support for a realistic and pragmatic solution, based on compromise, to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, in accordance with resolution 2414, adopted on 27 April 2018.

The Council members have also expressed their support to the Moroccan autonomy initiative as a serious, credible and sustainable solution to the regional dispute.

Some members were keen on expressing appreciation for the efforts made by Morocco to promote the political empowerment and the economic and social development of the southern provinces.

The Security Council members renewed support for the realistic, pragmatic and compromise political solution to this regional dispute is a further reaffirmation that the theses of the Polisario and its mentor Algeria are obsolete, outdated and unrealistic.

Moroccan authorities expressed satisfaction Thursday at the support expressed by the UN Security Council to the Moroccan autonomy initiative, while insisting on the role of Algeria as main party responsible for the genesis and perpetuation of this dispute.

The involvement of Algeria is essential, an authoritative source told the news website le360, recalling that in its resolution 2414, the Security Council urged the neighboring countries, particularly Algeria, to cooperate more fully with the United Nations and with each other and to strengthen their involvement and to achieve progress towards a political solution.

No settlement of the Sahara issue is possible outside the full sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara, nor outside the autonomy initiative that the international community has recognized as seriousness and credibility, the source said.

Bottom line, with this new briefing before the Security Council, Morocco has scored new points.
Back in the 2016 tax season, there was a spate of fraudulent tax scams that unnerved the entire nation. The IRS reported a massive 400 percent increase in tax fraud, mostly perpetrated by a group of impersonators who used spoof TurboTax online software to steal user credentials through elaborate email phishing schemes.

Well, the tax scam menace has reared its ugly head once again, only this time its much bigger, more elaborate and more daring than ever before. The Justice Department has announced that it has successfully uncovered a massive telefraud scam that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has termed as the "first-ever large scale, multi-jurisdiction prosecution targeting the India call-center scam industry."

A total of 56 individuals and five Indian companies have already been charged in connection with the scheme of which 22 have been ordered to pay $8.97 million in restitution to the victims while another 21 were ordered to pay more than $72.9 million in judgments as a punishment for their crimes.

Extortion ring

The tax extortion ring was masterminded by criminals in the U.S. and India over a period of four years with 15,000 victims in the U.S. losing hundreds of millions of dollars and another 50,000 individuals having their personal data stolen. Fraudulent calls were placed by people impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of immigration officials who threatened arrest, deportation or fines if the victims failed to immediately pay their debts via wire transfers or prepaid cards. Related: Smart Money Moves Into Risky Territory

The shock and awe tactics seem to target vulnerable Americans including older people and immigrants, with the stolen cash routed through call centers to the ringleaders located in eight states in the U.S. An 85-year old woman in San Diego parted with $12,300 after being threatened with arrest for tax evasion by people claiming to be IRS employees.

A Chicago man paid $5,070 after being threatened with arrest and deportation by supposed immigration authorities.

A New Hampshire woman was told to pay $3,980 to the IRS in payment cards by a caller with caller ID U.S. Government.

Nobody is immune though, with none other than the Connecticut state tax commissioner and a lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission having received such calls in recent times.

Be on the lookout

The IRS has posted repeated warnings about tax phone frauds where impostors pretending to be IRS agents call victims claiming that they owe back taxes then threaten arrest or legal action unless quick payment is made. The criminals sometimes ask the individual to do a wire transfer but more frequently they direct them to obtain a prepaid money card at a retailer then provide the number to the caller. The callers are usually aggressive, relentless and ruthless. The also strive to appear authentic by using robocalling technology that displays I.R.S. on your caller identification screen. They may provide your social security number and fake IRS badges sometimes. In some cases, the victim receives a series of follow-up calls by people pretending to be the police or prosecutors.

Related; These Billion-Dollar Companies Started As Side Gigs

The IRS lists telefraud scams among a dozen tax scams that consumers should watch out for. The simplest and most effective advice to avoid becoming a victim is: ignore any calls from people purporting to be IRS agents. The first time you hear from the IRS is never through a phone call or email but rather through written correspondence through the United States mail usually involving countless notice streams in a highly formalized process.

The IRS typically initiates contact through a CP2000 notice that informs the recipient that the IRS has information that does not match their tax returns. Payments are requested for through organized and secure platform not an iTunes gift card.

If you receive any such dubious calls, file a report via the Treasury Website or call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

By Fred Dunkley for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
[SANTIAGO] The Americas could lose their status as a measles-free region due to the spread of the virus in eleven countries, among which Venezuela accounts for 65 per cent of 2,472 cases confirmed in 2018.

According to a recent epidemiological update (July 20) by the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), Brazil has reported an additional 677 cases  making up 27 per cent of the total for the region  of which 660 were registered in two states bordering Venezuela: Amazonas and Roraima.

All infections involve the measles virus of genotype D8, with a lineage identical to the one identified in Venezuela in 2017.

The outbreak in Venezuela is still active, also in Brazil, Desiree Pastor, regional advisor on immunization at the PAHO, tells SciDev.Net, warning that the number could increase as suspected cases are confirmed.

Cases of the disease have also been reported in the United States (91), Colombia (40), Canada (19), Ecuador (17), Argentina (5), Mexico (5), Peru (3), Antigua and Barbuda (1) and Guatemala (1).

In Colombia, 23 of the cases were people who crossed the border from Venezuela, and a further 16 were linked to those cases. In Ecuador, 11 of the 17 people affected are Venezuelans.

People have not been adequately summoned by the media to vaccinate their children. The government has not indicated where they should go, what vaccines they will apply or to whom, Jose Oletta

The Americas was the first  and remains the only  region in the world to be declared free of measles in September 2016, after 22 years of mass vaccination targeting children. The last endemic case was reported in 2002 and there has been no sign of transmission of the virus until 2017.

Pastor notes that PAHO has repeatedly warned about the possibility of losing measles-free status. If a country in the region has sustained transmission of the same genotype of measles virus for 12 months or more, it means that endemic transmission has been restored, she explains.

This has occurred already, says Jose Oletta, a member of the Venezuelan Alliance for Health (AVS) and of the Defender of National Epidemiology Network (RDEN), who is also the countrys former Minister of Health (1997-1999).

In July, Venezuela marked one year of transmission of autochthonous [endemic] cases, he tells SciDev.Net. An outbreak in the state of Bolivar, which was reported in August 2017 by the RDEN and the Venezuelan Public Health Society, in fact, dates back to the first week of July when the initial case was reported. Since then, the disease has spread across the country, putting an end to 10 years without new cases.

In light of this, describing the situation as an outbreak is a euphemism, says Oletta  a diplomatic way of referring to what should be considered an epidemic in Venezuela.

According to the former minister, the spread of measles in Venezuela is a result of insufficient immunization coverage over the last decade due to a lack of vaccines; the failure of the government to recognise the epidemic, which means people receive little information about the need to get vaccinated; and the massive displacement of Venezuelans inside and outside the country, which contributes to the rapid spread of the virus on the continent.

Indigenous people living on the border between Venezuela and Brazil  especially the Warao and the Yanomami in Venezuela, and the Yanomami and Ye'kuna in Brazil  are especially concerned because of a high vulnerability to measles and a low vaccination rate of their population.

PAHO reports that as of early July, there were 126 confirmed cases among Venezuela's Yanomami, including 53 deaths, many of which were among adults.

According to the agency, this makes necessary preventive or therapeutic interventions different from the rest of the population. For example, vaccination of other age groups [not only under five years] in which there is an increase in cases, says Pastor.

On July 25 the Venezuelan government announced it will implement the second phase of its National Vaccination Plan this month, using a rapid approach against measles and diphtheria in conjunction with PAHO.

The recommendation for Venezuela is to reach a minimum [vaccination] coverage of 95 per cent in the group of children from 6 months to 15 years, to interrupt the circulation of the virus, says Pastor.

Oletta is pessimistic about this campaign, saying it is poorly designed. People have not been adequately summoned by the media to vaccinate their children. The government has not indicated where they should go, what vaccines they will apply or to whom, he points out.



This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's Latin America & Caribbean desk.
Reuters

Canada's pandemic housing boom has attracted a larger-than-usual share of speculators, many of whom took advantage of falling variable mortgage rates to take out multiple loans, but the central bank's surprise warning this week about an early interest rate lift-off could douse a rally fueled by cheap debt. Earlier and faster rate hikes could trigger higher payments for many of these buyers, and investors with multiple properties could respond by selling some of them into ebbing demand if their commitments become too onerous. Already, the housing market has started to cool as fixed rate mortgages rose 60 basis points on average this year, according to Ratehub.ca, tracking rising bond yields.
Representative Chris Collins walks out of a New York courthouse after being charged with insider trading on August 8, 2018. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Democrats, already feeling encouraged by their candidates performance in Ohios special election, got another break on Wednesday when Chris Collins, a western New York congressman and Trump ally, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

The evidence against Collins is pretty compelling. The indictment from the U.S. attorney in Manhattan alleges that within minutes of learning that a drug from Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company he was heavily invested in, had failed an FDA trial, he went into a panic. After repeated calls, he got through to his son Cameron Collins, also a major shareholder, and passed along the news. Cameron dumped the stock before they even ended the call, allowing him to avoid $570,000 in losses when the news became public and the stock tanked.

The indictment cites phone records, texts, and bank records. And to make matters worse, Collins happened to make the call while he was attending a congressional picnic at the White House last summer. Theres even footage that appears to show him on the phone with his son.

WATCH: CBS News has video of the moment Rep. Chris Collins allegedly committed crime in June 2017; Colins was charged on Wednesday with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI https://t.co/Od7Wf5CpUs pic.twitter.com/4VE3yiiBLs  CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 8, 2018

However, Collins has pleaded not guilty, and on Wednesday evening he announced that he will continue seeking reelection in New Yorks 27th Congressional District. And theres a very good chance that hell be elected to a fourth term.

"The charges that have been levied against me are meritless." US Rep. Chris Collins vowed to fight criminal charges against him in court and win re-election, hours after federal prosecutors arrested him on accusations that he took part in insider trading https://t.co/hxiF8A3Twu pic.twitter.com/7aZynlCDdX  CNN International (@cnni) August 9, 2018

Collins did face some political consequences following his arrest. House Speaker Paul Ryan removed him from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, calling for a prompt and thorough investigation by the House Ethics Committee  though that was already underway. Last October the Office of Congressional Ethics released a report that concluded there was substantial reason to believe that Collins had violated both federal law and House ethics rules by updating shareholders with nonpublic information about the company, and using his position in Congress to benefit the firm. Yet, no further action was taken.

The Cook Political Report also downgraded Collinss seat from solid to likely Republican. FiveThirtyEights Nate Silver said a scandal can cost a House candidate more than ten points, and this one seems pretty bad.

Based on research using @baseballot's scandals dataset, I've found that a scandal costs a House candidate somewhere on the order of 10-12 percentage points of vote margin. It's a pretty significant effect. And this scandal is perhaps on the more severe side.  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 8, 2018

Democrats seized on the idea that the seat could be another battleground in the midterms. Collins is facing Democrat Nate McMurray, the town supervisor of Grand Island, a suburb of Buffalo. At the end of June, McMurrays campaign had around $82,000 in the bank, compared with Collinss $1.3 million. McMurray told reporters at a press conference following his opponents arrest that his campaign probably raised more this morning than we have in the whole race.

If this wouldnt have come out, he may have well just coasted in, McMurray added. Now its time for us to ask ourselves: Is this the type of leadership we want?

The district was already on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees target list of 111 seats that could be in play, as the Collins ethics scandal has been brewing for more than a year. Meredith Kelly, the groups communications director, said that with Collinss indictment, unprecedented grassroots energy, and the strong candidacy of Nate McMurray, this seat is firmly in play for Democrats.

Though McMurrays chances have clearly improved significantly, defeating Collins is likely to remain an uphill battle. According to the Almanac of American Politics, the district is the most Republican district in the state by most measures, and also the New York district where Trump performed best. In 2016, Trump won by 24 percentage points, and Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse him, won reelection by 34 points.

You dont have to look far to find an example of a member of Congress who won reelection despite facing charges. Six years ago, Republican Representative Michael Grimm was reelected in Staten Island while under a federal indictment for fraud and perjury. He resigned soon after the election, pleaded guilty to felony tax fraud, and spent several months in prison.

Its very possible for Collins, even under indictment, to win this seat and reelection, George Arzt, a longtime New York Democratic strategist, told the New York Times.

Even if Democrats cant win Collinss seat, his indictment may help them nationwide by bolstering their message that the Republican Party has plunged deeper into lawlessness under President Trump. Its also possible that other politicians could become entangled in the Collins scandal, as the Office of Congressional Ethics found he shared private information with some lawmakers to encourage them to invest. Several House Republicans, including Representatives Markwayne Mullin, John Abney Culberson, Doug Lamborn, and Billy Long, as well as former Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price, invested in Innate Immunotherapeutics.

The charges against Congressman Collins show the rampant culture of corruption and self-enrichment among Republicans in Washington today, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Wednesday.

The American people deserve better than the GOPs corruption, cronyism, and incompetence, Pelosi continued. While House Republicans enrich themselves and their special interest donors, Democrats are committed to cleaning up corruption to make Washington work For The People.

Democrats pushed a similar message about Republican corruption in 2006, the last Democratic midterm-wave election.
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 GST, which came into effect in April 2015, to finance crony projects and cover up the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

"GST money was used to cover the hole in 1MDB's chest. GST was borne of 1MDB. Without 1MDB, there would be no GST," Lim said when tabling the bill to repeal the tax in parliament.

"The people know that GST was introduced not to protect the interests of the people but that of Barisan Nasional cronies," Lim said, referring to the previous ruling coalition.

Najib's administration set GST at 6 percent, which was lower than the 16 percent rate under the previous sales and services tax (SST) regime but covered a much broader range of items and services.

The repeal of the consumption tax follows parliament's move to reinstate the SST, which the government plans to bring in on Sept. 1. However, the government has yet to announce the rate for the revived SST.

In his first week in charge, Prime Minister Mahathir reopened domestic investigations into 1MDB, from which, according to civil filings by the U.S. Department of Justice, $4.5 billion (3.5 billion pounds) had been siphoned by top fund officials and their associates.

Mahathir had blamed Najib, his former protege, for mismanaging the economy and saddling the country with up to 1 trillion ringgit (190.6 billion pounds) in debt.

Story continues

Najib, who was formerly Mahathir's protege, and his wife Rosmah Mansor have since been barred from leaving the country.

On Wednesday, Najib was charged on three counts of money laundering in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds at a former unit of 1MDB. The charges add to four earlier charges of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power.

A day earlier, Malaysia took delivery of the Equanimity, a $250 million (193.7 million pounds) yacht seized in Indonesia that is believed to have been bought using funds stolen from 1MDB.

(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Singapore holds the upper hand on Hong Kong as a place to build a business, with access to funding remaining a challenge in the latter, despite a rising number of venture capital (VC) firms targeting Asia as a whole.

A lack of affordable talent is also holding Hong Kong back, even with its lack of government red tape compared with some rival markets, its proximity to China, and rapidly improving societal attitudes towards entrepreneurs, according to start-ups and advisers.

The Hong Kong authorities launched a HK$2 billion (US$255 million) fund last September to encourage investment in local innovation and technology start-ups, particularly digital, and in the 2018 budget, Chief Executive Carrie Lam allocated HK$200 million more to Cyberport, the government-owned business park, known as a creative digital community, in the east of Hong Kong Island within easy reach of the main business districts.

Tommaso Tamburnotti, however, who co-founded Easyship in Hong Kong in 2014, an online platform that provides cross-border logistics solutions to e-commerce companies, said there is a lot of money [in Hong Kong], but it depends what you are looking for, adding Singapore is much better for middle-stage funding, with more VCs.

Hong Kong has 70 VC firms, while Singapore has 86, according to data and intelligence company Preqin.

Together, it said, the two cities have led venture capitalist numbers to grow in Asia year-on-year since 2012, boosting total deal value from US$7.9 billion in 2013 to US$84 billion in 2017.

While the two had a similar number of VC-backed deals between 2007 and 2017, at 1,829 and 1,869 respectively, Hong Kong scored better when it comes to value.

In 2016, investors based there generated the highest annual deal value yet  US$24 billion compared with USS$9.3 billion in Singapore.

HSBC targets China tech start-ups with 2bn yuan loan scheme offering lower rates, fee waivers

Much of that Hong Kong cash was ploughed into early-stage investments, with seed funding being the most dominant type over the past decade, according to data by Oddup, a Hong Kong start-up research platform.

Story continues

Deal numbers may have dropped, it said, from 85 in 2015 to 44 in 2016 and just 17 in 2017, but their value still represented 84 per cent of all VC funding in the city last year.

Average series-A and -B funding  more middle-stage investments by traditional VC firms  rose from US$2.66 million in 2015 in Hong Kong, to US$12.1 million in 2017. But there were no series-C deals last year, after four in 2016.

While Hong Kong investors begin to focus on larger funding rounds, however, they are still only targeting certain industries, and focusing more on businesses outside Asia.

Enterprise and finance companies, for instance, accounted for almost 40 per cent of total start-up funding in Hong Kong, Oddup found, and last year only 14 companies divvied up 92 per cent of all fresh funding raised in the city.

There are only a few VCs in Hong Kong, and they specialise in certain areas

Florian Simmendinger, CEO of Soundbrenner, which develops technical hardware for musicians

There are only a few VCs in Hong Kong, and they specialise in certain areas, said Florian Simmendinger, CEO of Soundbrenner, which develops technical hardware for musicians, such as financial tech.

If you do not fall into one of those categories you can try one of the all-purpose VCs  but there are very few of those.

George Harrap, CEO and co-founder of Spark, formally Bitspeak, the worlds first blockchain remittance platform, said start-up investors here have not really been exposed as much to venture capital as portfolio investment.

Hong Kongs tech start-up ecosystem sparking into life after slow start

There isnt the willingness to understand a new business. Often as a start-up you are doing something weird or disruptive and that is certainly difficult for traditional investors to grasp, he added.

It is not as easy as in Singapore to start a business, because there is a lot of money being offered there by the government, added Harrap, who set up Bitspark in 2014.

If start-ups survive in Hong Kong, they have a good chance of surviving anywhere.

Some suggest a lot of the investment being generated in Hong Kong is flowing out of the city, with Preqin estimating a third of deal activity involving Hong Kong-based investors since 2007 has been for companies based outside Asia, compared to a quarter involving Singaporean investors.

Because of the lack of available funding in Hong Kong, a recent survey of 100 entrepreneurs by KPMG revealed just 23 per cent used VCs as their primary source of start-up capital.

Cyberport landlord to put HK$100m into renewing Asian hub strategy

The majority, 82 per cent, used personal savings while 54 per cent turned to family, and others said they looked abroad, in the US, mainland China, or Singapore.

Many look outside Hong Kong for funding. The easiest in Asia is Singapore or China, said Simmendinger, who raised funds in Taiwan.

Hong Kong has, however, started to take steps to boost government-led initiatives, which 43 per cent of the KPMG study respondents said they had used.

For example in Cyberport you can apply for foundation programmes at the earliest stage of an idea and they offer funds to help you kick-start, said Abby Zhang, co-founder of the four-year old online designer dress rental company, Yeechoo.

She used personal money to launch before applying to the Cyberport Macro Fund.

Jeffrey Liu and Rob Pachter chose Singapore over Hong Kong, however, to set up GuavaPass in 2015, a fitness class subscription service, as the Singapore government was very apt in setting up accelerators and incubators for VCs firms to set up, said Liu.

But, he added: I have heard of there now being more capital in Hong Kong as the government is trying to create the same sort of eco-system as in Singapore.

This article Access to funding is holding Hong Kong back as a start-up hub as Singapore takes the lead first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
Argentine senators gathered to debate the legalisation of abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks on August 8, with pro-choice activists taking to the streets to rally into the early hours of the morning. Nearly two months after lawmakers in the country's lower house of Congress approved the bill by a slim margin, senators will vote on whether to send the bill on to President Mauricio Macri. If the bill is signed, the new legislation would significantly ease the deeply Catholic country's abortion laws. Despite pressure from the churches, the pro-abortion movement in Argentina is growing due to feminist dialogue brought to the mainstream. This video, shared to Twitter by Johanno Garabello, shows activists waving a flag and chanting.
By Ahmed Eljechtimi RABAT (Reuters) - Blockchain company Soluna plans to build a 900-megawatt wind farm to power a computing center in Dakhla in the Morocco-administered Western Sahara, its chief executive John Belizaire said in an interview. Work on the initial off-grid phase will start in 2019 and complete a year later, with the possibility of connecting the site to the national grid, Belizaire told Reuters. Soluna told the Moroccan government it expected to complete the site in five years at a cost of 1.4-2.5 billion dollars. It would invest 100 million dollars in an initial phase, from which it hoped to generate 36 megawatts. Bitcoin is earned -- or 'mined' -- by using your computer to help process the uncrackable "blockchains" or digital transaction records that underpin the currency. This requires huge computing capacity, and a lot of electricity, and so is mostly done with huge machines in aircraft hangar-sized warehouses in the cooler climates of Iceland, Canada, northern China and Russia, where it costs less to disperse the heat generated. Digiconomist, a cryptocurrency analysis platform, estimated in June that bitcoin mining used approximately 71 terawatt hours (TWh) per year, equivalent to almost 10 percent of China's annual energy usage. Soluna is backed by private equity group Brookstone and will mostly likely seek private equity and large institutional investors, Belizaire said. The project will cover 37,000 acres in one of the world's windiest regions enabling the company to own sustainable energy resources along with a utility-scale blockchain computing facility. Belizaire said the company will not make cryptocurrency transactions in Morocco where financial authorities have warned against the use of cryptocurrencies. The computer center will provide computing to blockchain networks offering calculation capacities to foreign entities in exchange for foreign currency, he said. Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975, and since then the territory has been the subject of a dispute between it and the Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by neighboring Algeria. Morocco has attracted investment in solar and wind power as part of a goal to generate 52 percent of its electricity from renewable energies. (Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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.
Brazil's top presidential candidates -- minus imprisoned frontrunner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- have clashed in the first debate of the campaign, showcasing sharp divides in Latin America's biggest nation. The debate in Sao Paulo, broadcast on TV Bandeirantes on Thursday, featured eight of the 13 candidates competing ahead of the October 7 first round of voting. Lula, who has a stunning lead in the polls despite serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, was absent. But four major players were on stage: right-winger Jair Bolsonaro, who is polling in second place after Lula, and his next hottest rivals -- center-right former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin and environmentalist Marina Silva, followed by leftist Ciro Gomes. The combative tone among the seven men and one woman quickly illustrated the battle lines after two years of severe recession, a tidal wave of violent crime, and one of the world's biggest corruption scandals. With deeply unpopular President Michel Temer not seeking a new term, it is the least predictable election in decades. Alckmin, who wants to be seen as the calm, authoritative, pro-business candidate, stressed the need for market reforms so that the economy can "grow and grow strongly." But Silva scored a point likely to have gone down well with voters angry at the ruling establishment, including Alckmin's center-right PSDB party, when she said: "Those who created the problems won't solve the problems." Bolsonaro is the candidate getting the most attention other than Lula. However, the former army officer appeared less confident in the live televised debate than he does when he meets his fervent crowds of supporters and spreads his message to a huge social media following. Asked about the rapidly rising rate of rape and violence against women in Brazil, Bolsonaro repeated his controversial call for "voluntary chemical castration" of criminals. Guilherme Boulos, of the leftwing Socialism and Liberty Party, used his national TV airtime to tell Bolsonaro: "Brazil knows you are racist, macho and homophobic," before going on to accuse him of corruption. - Lula's shadow - The elephant in the room was Lula. A court earlier Thursday turned down lawyers' request for Lula to be allowed to participate by video link in the event, arguing it was "essential" to the campaign. His leftist Workers' Party also failed to get TV Bandeirantes to mark his absence with an empty chair or to allow his vice presidential pick, former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad, to take his place. Instead, party leaders organized what they called an alternative debate in Sao Paulo, which was broadcast on social media, featuring Haddad and other allies. However surreal it might seem for a jailed ex-president to seek a third term, Lula, who ruled from 2003-2010, means business. His legal team hopes to persuade the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to allow him to participate, despite the country's clean slate law that would ban anyone having lost an appeal to a criminal conviction -- as is Lula's case. As one of the world's most prominent politicians during his presidency and still a household name in Brazil, Lula boasts the kind of following most other politicians would crave. That translates into remarkable support, partly based on memories of Lula's trailblazing policies to promote racial and social equality and his stewardship of a commodities-fueled economic boom. Opinion polls give him around 30 percent in a crowded first round, then winning easily in a second-round runoff. - Unpredictable - Lula's fate is only one part of the uncertain electoral picture. The October polls will also see elections of 27 governors, all 513 congressional lower house deputies and two thirds of the 81 senators. And so far voters appear hardly enticed by the prospect. A poll published this month by the National Confederation of Industries showed 45 percent of Brazilians "pessimistic or very pessimistic" about the elections. While voting is obligatory, a third plan to cast spoiled ballots, the poll found. Other polls point to between 33 and 41 percent of the electorate defying the law to skip voting. "Brazil's political system continues to generate a lot of frustration," political analyst Matias Spektor told AFP.
Brazil has hit another grim record of 63,880 homicides in 2017, or the equivalent of more than seven murders an hour, according to figures released Thursday. Although nearly all the victims were men, the annual report from the non-profit Brazilian Forum for Public Security also found a six percent increase in murders of women. These included 1,133 deaths as a result of femicide, or victims being deliberately targeted because they were female. The 60,018 rapes were up more than eight percent compared to 2016. Outrage over mounting violence against women has heated in the last few days after the widely publicized release of security camera footage showing a brutal beating of a woman by her husband in southern Brazil -- minutes before he allegedly threw her to her death from a window. The wider issue of murders, especially in the north of Brazil, has contributed to anger at the authorities which is expected to play heavily in the just-started presidential campaign. According to the authoritative annual study, which only includes figures through 2017, there were an average 175 killings a day, up 2.9 percent over the previous year. The average national homicide rate of 30.8 killings for every 100,000 people shot up to 68 per 100,000 in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, while dropping to 10.7 in Sao Paulo state, despite containing Latin America's biggest city. Reflecting the deep inadequacies of the country's justice system, the report said there are 729,463 people incarcerated in penitentiaries with room for just 367,217. Police killed 5,144 people on duty in 2017, a 20 percent increase, the study said, while 367 officers were killed -- down nearly five percent.
The New Mexico compound that housed five adults and 11 children. Photo: Taos County Sheriffs Office

A man who was arrested in New Mexico last week after police raided his squalid desert compound was training the 11 malnourished children found at the site to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents this week.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was among five adults arrested just south of the Colorado border Friday. Police also found children ranging in age from 1 to 15, along with the remains of one child.

Police were led to the encampment as they searched for Wahhajs son. Four-year-old Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj went missing last December from Georgia after his father told the boys mother that the child was possessed by the Devil. An arrest warrant for the elder Wahhaj said he planned to perform an exorcism on the toddler, who suffers from severe medical issues, but the mother, Hakima Ramzi, told CNN that there was a translation issue in the courts and Wahhaj only wanted to wanted to pray for Abdul-Ghani.

Georgia police were alerted to the remote New Mexico site by a tip that said, We are starving and need food and water. That was forwarded to police in Taos County who executed a search warrant. Inside the compound, which consisted of a partially buried trailer that was hidden by stacks of tires and an earthen berm, they found a disturbing scene.

The desert compound from above. Photo: Taos County Sheriffs Office

They looked like Third World refugees not only with no food or fresh water, but no shoes, personal hygiene and basically dirty bags for clothes, Taos County sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said in a statement.

One thing they did have were guns. Authorities said they found multiple firearms, including an assault rifle, at the compound, which also had a shooting range. Wahhaj was conducting weapons training with the children, the AP reports.
A British bankers last-ditch attempt to appeal against his convictions for brutally murdering two Indonesian women in Hong Kong four years ago was thrown out by the citys top court after eight minutes of deliberation on Thursday.

The decision left Rurik Jutting, 32, staring at the three Court of Final Appeal judges before correctional services officers escorted him back to maximum-security Stanley Prison, where he would continue life imprisonment.

Lawyers for the former Merrill Lynch banker had argued their client had been subjected to substantial and grave injustice in his 2016 trial, saying the judge misdirected the jury on his defence of diminished responsibility and erred in allowing psychiatrists to comment on his culpability.

But Justices Roberto Ribeiro, Robert Tang Kwok-ching and Joseph Fok followed the lower Court of Appeal, where the same criticisms had been raised, to dismiss Juttings application for leave to appeal.

For reasons that will be provided, we do not consider these questions reasonably arguable, Ribeiro announced after eight minutes of closed-door deliberations.

Jutting had previously declared that he cannot and will not object to the unanimous verdicts returned by the jury for what he did to Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his Wan Chai flat between late October and November 2014.

In a high-profile trial filled with grisly details, the court heard the Briton had tortured Sumarti for three days with increasingly cruel acts of violence using his belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists, until he eventually slit her throat on or about October 27. Five days later, he took Seneng back to his flat and cut her throat as well.

The Cambridge graduate said before his sentencing in November 2016 that life imprisonment would be a just and appropriate judgment, but went back on his assertion the following May and lodged his first appeal against his conviction on two counts of murder.

Story continues

There was no dispute that the only issue that arose at trial was that of diminished responsibility, a defence Jutting had relied on after his psychiatrists found that he was suffering from alcohol abuse disorder, cocaine abuse disorder, sexual sadism disorder and narcissistic personality disorder at the time of the killings.

What the case turned on was whether or not there was impairment to reduce legal responsibility

Mr Justice Roberto Ribeiro, Court of Final Appeal

Such a diagnosis was partly supported by the two psychiatrists summoned by the prosecution, except that they did not think his traits of narcissistic personality amounted to a disorder, and only one of them agreed with the finding of a sexual sadism disorder.

Juttings counsel at the time, Tim Owen QC, had argued the killings were manslaughter because the abnormal state of his mind had substantially impaired his mental responsibility in his killings.

But that was rejected by the jury after four hours of deliberations.

On Thursday, Juttings counsel, Gerard McCoy SC, argued that the trial judges summing-up directions to the jury had narrowed and contracted his defence of diminished responsibility.

McCoy complained there was an inconsistency between the judges oral and written directions, and said jurors were led to consider that only a mental disorder would amount to an abnormality of the mind that could reduce his clients culpability, when traits would suffice.

But Ribeiro countered there was no significant difference between traits and disorders in entitling Jutting to the defence.

What the case turned on was whether or not there was impairment to reduce legal responsibility, he said. Your attempt to construct a stark difference between traits and disorders seems artificial.

The top court will hand down a written judgment at a later date.

This article British double murderer Rurik Jutting has appeal bid dismissed by Hong Kongs top court first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
A British man was freed from prison in Bangladesh on Thursday after his name was dropped from charges over a deadly 2016 attack by Islamist extremists on a Dhaka cafe popular with Westerners. At least 22 people including 18 foreigners were killed when five militants with assault rifles and machetes stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in the capital's well-heeled Gulshan neighbourhood. The Islamic State group said it had carried out the brazen assault on July 1, 2016 -- a claim rejected by Bangladesh. Last month police pressed charges against eight homegrown extremists of local group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). A court on Wednesday accepted the charges. During the attack, military commandos stormed the cafe after a 10-hour standoff and freed more than two dozen hostages. One of the freed hostages, Hasnat Karim -- a 49-year-old British national of Bangladeshi origin -- was later detained by police for more than two years over allegations he played a role in the attack. "He has been freed from Kashimpur jail at around 4.30pm," Karim's wife Sharmin Parveen told AFP, referring to a high-security prison outside the capital. She said Karim was on his way to his home in Dhaka. Mohibul Islam Khan, counter-terrorism police deputy commissioner, last month said investigators found no evidence against Karim and his name had been left off the charge sheet. Karim, his wife and their two children were celebrating the 13th birthday of their daughter in the cafe when the attack took place. Karim was a lecturer at the North-South University in Dhaka, where two of the five attackers who were gunned down at the end of the siege had studied. Nine Italians and seven Japanese were among the victims of the attack. Two policemen were also killed during the carnage. The siege was by far the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last five years. Of the eight extremists charged, six have been arrested and two have absconded, police said. The eight face a maximum sentence of death by hanging under anti-terrorism laws. All five militants were killed when police stormed the cafe. Eight others -- including mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian of Bangladesh descent -- were killed during raids in Dhaka and its suburbs months after the attack. They included commanders of a new faction of the extremist group JMB. The government has repeatedly denied that international jihadist networks have a presence in Bangladesh. The IS-linked news agency Amaq however published extensive details of the attack, including photos from inside the cafe. The hostage crisis marked an escalation from a spate of murders claimed by IS and Al Qaeda of rights activists, gay people, foreigners and religious minorities. It was seen as a major blow to the country's image as a moderate Muslim nation. Dozens of atheist writers, publishers, members of religious minorities, social activists and foreign aid workers have been murdered in Bangladesh since 2013.
Colombia's new President Ivan Duque addresses the audience in Bogota, Colombia August 7, 2018. Fabian Ortiz/Courtesy of Colombian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos' recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos' decision, which was detailed in an Aug. 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

"Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law," new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

Santos decided to recognise Palestine as a "free, independent and sovereign state," according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

"Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbours," the letter said.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota said it was surprised and disappointed.

"We ask the Colombian government to reverse the decision made by the previous administration in its last days, which contravenes the close relations, extensive cooperation in vital areas and interests of both countries," it said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

The decision came to light during a visit to Colombia by United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She attended Duque's inauguration on Tuesday and on Wednesday visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

The United States, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the U.S. mission to the United Nations said.

"We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East," the Palestine representative said in a statement on Wednesday.

Story continues

Palestine has been recognised as a sovereign state by the U.N. General Assembly, the International Criminal Court and at least 136 countries.

Palestine seeks to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favour.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota and Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
The European Union on Thursday called for a "comprehensive and transparent investigation" into a drone "assassination" bid on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. A spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement the bloc rejected "any form of violence and expects that a comprehensive and transparent investigation of Saturday's drone attack is conducted to establish the facts, in full respect for the rule of law and for human rights. "In this regard, the EU expects the recognition of the National Assembly's constitutional powers, including the full respect of its prerogatives concerning the parliamentary immunity of its members, in line with established constitutional rights, legislation and procedures," she added. Maduro, who has systematically sidelined the opposition as he tightens his grip over his troubled nation, accuses the opposition and Colombia of being behind Saturday's "attack". The embattled president says he was targeted by two drones carrying C4 explosives. Live images on Saturday showed Maduro halting his speech at a Caracas military parade following a detonation that prompted dozens of soldiers in front of him to run away in panic. A super-legislative body loyal to President Nicolas Maduro revoked the immunity of two Venezuelan opposition lawmakers Wednesday, in order to put them on trial for allegedly masterminding the drone "attack" bid. Maduro has singled out two lawmakers: Julio Borges, former speaker of the opposition-dominated legislature who now lives in exile; and Juan Requesens. Requesens has been seized by intelligence officers, while Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Borges' arrest. The Constituent Assembly -- a body set up last year by Maduro to arrogate powers from the elected legislature -- followed up by stripping Borges and Requesens of their immunity. "The EU reiterates its support for a negotiated, democratic and peaceful solution for the multiple crises affecting the country as the only way forward," the EU statement added. "This needs to encompass a return to constitutional normality restoring democratic process and the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, release of all political prisoners, and addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of the population."
The family of a Hong Kong man serving a 40-year jail sentence in the Philippines for drugs possession are racing against time to find crucial immigration records they believe could prove he is innocent.

The deadline for Tang Lung-wai, 47, to submit supporting documents to the Philippines top court for an appeal against his case from 2000 falls next Wednesday.

Legislator Paul Tse Wai-chun, who has been helping Tang and his family, said Hong Kong immigration exit records from June 2000 could show Tang was not in the Philippines when the alleged offence for which he was convicted took place.

Hong Kongs Immigration Department gave the family the information back in 2006 and they passed the papers to Tangs lawyer in the Philippines. But for an unexplained reason the lawyer lost the document, Tse said. The law firm later shut down and staff could not be reached.

Hong Kong authorities would no longer have the records, Tse said.

We understand the immigration authorities do not keep such records for that long. But if there are other relevant documents that could support Tangs status at that time, it will certainly help a lot in the appeal, Tse said, citing as an example a declaration from the immigration officer who handled the request by Tangs family in 2006.

Through his contacts in the Philippines, Tse said they had obtained through unofficial channels information that showed the Philippine immigration bureaus records also had Tang entering the country after the alleged offence took place.

The records he obtained were not admissible in court. And the Philippine authorities would not present the records to the court either, Tse said.

Tse said Chinese embassy officers visited Tang on Wednesday and briefed him on the latest progress.

Lisa Tam Sin-man, a core member of the Tang Lung Wai Incident Concern Group, formed by his friends and supporters, said: It is the last chance. We hope the Hong Kong government will not give up helping Tang.

Story continues

Tam, who last visited Tang in June, said: He was sort of fine and strong-willed.

Tang, a bartender, entered the Philippines as a tourist in June 2000 to meet a friend, Cheung Tai-on. The day before Tang was meant to return to Hong Kong, he was arrested and taken to police headquarters where he was told to admit to drug offences but he refused.

According to Tang, he, Cheung and a third Hong Kong man were then taken to a room in a residential building. Officers later searched the room and found a plastic bag containing 8kg of the drug Ice, or methamphetamine, under the bed.

The trio were detained and their case dragged through the countrys legal system. It was not until 2011 that Tang and Cheung were sentenced. Tang received a life sentence  40 years jail. The third man was freed. Cheung died in prison.

Tang maintained he was innocent and had been framed. He applied to have his case reviewed in 2012 but it was abruptly called off by the authorities. The court later upheld the earlier ruling.

He is serving his sentence at the notorious New Bilibid Prison, about 20km from downtown Manila.

Tangs elder brother, Tang Lung-piu, said of the appeal: We are prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. The legal system in the Philippines does not seem much like that of Hong Kong.

Tang said the family never went to the Philippines to hear his brothers case in court or visit him, for fear they might also be detained. Mother heard rumours they would arrest family members of criminals as well. So she never let us go, the brother said.

Tam said the last resort might be to apply to transfer Tang back to Hong Kong to serve the rest of the sentence.

But Tang does not want to because the mechanism applies to convicted persons. He wants to return home as a free man, she said.

Hong Kong has prisoner transfer agreements with 17 jurisdictions, including the Philippines.

The Security Bureau, in a statement last night, said the immigration records had been destroyed after the 10-year retention period. However, the government would continue to proactively follow up and provide practicable and appropriate assistance, it said.

This article Hong Kong man jailed for life in Philippines running out of time in hunt for missing records for appeal first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
The sudden departure of several top executives at the MTR Corporation on Tuesday over a construction scandal in Hong Kongs most expensive rail project has rocked public confidence and shocked the citys engineering sector.

The government, which owns 75 per cent of the MTR Corp, said on Tuesday it found huge discrepancies in two reports on the HK$97.1 billion (US$12 billion) Sha Tin-Central line submitted by the rail giant in June and July.

Transport minister Frank Chan Fan said he asked the board to remove those in charge of the project, leading to four immediate departures and the early exit of the companys CEO.

The MTR Corp will reveal its interim results on Thursday afternoon.

1. What is the scandal about?

News that workers had cut corners on the work at the expanded Hung Hom station of the Sha Tin-Central link first surfaced in May.

Media reports accused a contractor of shoddy work in which steel bars were cut short to make it seem as though they had been properly screwed into couplers. Leighton Contractors (Asia) was responsible for building the platforms in question, but it has so far not publicly responded to allegations.

The MTR Corp then confirmed that between August and December 2015, it identified five instances where steel bars had indeed been cut short.

As the controversy unfolded, lawmaker and former rail boss Michael Tien Puk-sun cited a source saying 5,000 steel bars were faulty, instead of fewer than 25 as asserted by then MTR Corp projects director Philco Wong Nai-keung.

Jason Poon Chuk-hung, director of another subcontractor China Technology Corporation, which was responsible for pouring concrete over the steel bars, said substandard work on the project could be far more widespread than what the rail giant had admitted.

In June, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor launched an independent investigation into the scandal. The MTR Corp submitted two reports to the government in June and July. But authorities found that what the reports said contradicted each other.

Story continues

2. What discrepancies were found by the government in the MTR Corp's reports?

According to the report in June, work on the diaphragm walls supporting the platform at the site was done in accordance with the approved design, and 23,500 couplers were installed. Inspectors from the contractors and the MTR Corp signed off on the records.

But in July, the rail giant submitted drawings showing the design of the east diaphragm wall was modified without approval from the Buildings Department. The wall was built with 2,000 fewer couplers.

It was also discovered that the MTR Corp only used the approved design in two areas of the platform while in about 20 areas, the revised design was applied due to difficulties in connecting steel bars and couplers.

The government also pointed out that the installation of couplers took place between May 2015 and 2016 but the MTR Corps inspector signed off on the documents in 2017 after the concrete had been poured.

MTR Corp chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang said the board of directors was unaware of the inaccuracies.

CEO Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen said Leighton had decided to deviate from the approved design. He said the new design was better but admitted that it should not be an excuse for not following procedures.

3. What are the consequences of the government's revelation?

The scandal prompted Ma to resign but he said the government had asked him to stay on until a new CEO was hired in six to nine months. As for Leong, who renewed his two-year contract in February, he would step down earlier than expected once a successor is appointed.

Projects director Philco Wong resigned with immediate effect, while three other general managers of the project, Lee Tsz-man, Jason Wong Chi-ching and Aidan Rooney, also left.

People want heads to roll, but there are different levels of accountability

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong chief executive

The citys leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Wong should leave as the engineering team was responsible for providing inaccurate information. She said Leongs departure meant he was held accountable for the discrepancies.

But Lam said the board of directors, including Ma, had been kept in the dark, so they should stay.

People want heads to roll, but there are different levels of accountability, Lam said on Wednesday.

She also cited similar reasons to defend Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan.

Leong and the four who left had been promoted to their positions in 2014, when ex-chief executive Jay Walder and former projects director Chew Tai-chong resigned after an internal investigation into the delay and cost overrun of the HK$84.4 billion high-speed cross-border rail to Guangzhou.

4. What are the loopholes in the existing monitoring system?

On a radio programme on Wednesday, Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, deputy chairman of the Legislative Councils transport panel, said the existing mechanism mainly relied on signoffs made by professionals because this was taken to mean they were held accountable and had observed proper ethics.

But monitoring through documents is dysfunctional, Lam said. He alleged that the documents were falsified.

But monitoring through documents is dysfunctional

Lam Cheuk-ting, lawmaker

Lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, echoed Lams remarks, adding that the government put too much faith in paperwork. In fact, the government relied too much on its confidence in the MTR Corp, he said.

Jason Poon Chuk-hung, managing director of subcontractor China Technology Corp, questioned whether Ma had received inadequate information and relied too heavily on his colleagues to be honest and proactive.

This would be a structural failure. That means, if people under him do not talk [about the issues], then he wouldnt know, he said.



5. So what happens now?

On Wednesday evening, Lam announced the government had appointed three former officials as advisers to strengthen management of the troubled project.

The trio are former director of the Civil Engineering and Development Department Lau Ching-kwong, former director of the Buildings Department Hui Siu-wai and Wong Hok-ning, former head of the Geotechnical Engineering Office.

On Thursday morning, Lau said the best way to get to the root of the problem would be to break open the concrete for checks.

On the Wednesday radio programme, both Lam Cheuk-ting and Edward Lau suggested that more on-site inspectors should be involved in quality checks.

Lam also proposed that the CEO of the MTR Corp should supervise the quality of building works with a separate team, so staff at lower levels could easily inform them of any issues.

This article Hong Kong MTRs HK$97.1 billion link scandal: consequences, loopholes and solutions first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
Rick Gates had a lot of affairs. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The testimony of Rick Gates, Paul Manaforts longtime deputy and the star witness in the governments bank-fraud and tax-evasion case against the former Trump campaign manager, came to a dramatic end Wednesday with defense attorneys accusing him of lying about the number of extramarital affairs hes had.

The accusation came after Manaforts lawyer, Kevin Downing, established that Gates knew his plea deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller was contingent on his telling the truth. Then he suggested that Gates had not been honest.

Do you remember telling the office of the special counsel you actually engaged in four extramarital affairs? Downing asking, drawing an immediate objection from Greg Andres, the special counsels lead prosecutor. Downing said that the question, which came one day after Gates admitted to having a single affair ten years ago, was relevant because it could prove that Gates had lied to investigators. That, Downing said, would invalidate his plea deal.

Before Gates could respond to the question or Downing could provide evidence that Gates lied about the alleged affairs, Judge T.S. Ellis III forced the lawyer to change directions.

Wednesdays drama comes after Gates spent large chunks of Monday and Tuesday on the stand detailing a long list of crimes he and Manafort committed, sometimes together, sometimes separately. He admitted to committing fraud on a massive scale and extorting money from Manafort, along with assisting his former boss in filing false tax returns and bank fraud. So frequent were Gatess crimes that he could not answer definitively when asked if he had stolen money from the Trump inauguration committee, for which he served as deputy chairman. Its possible, he said. Then there was the affair, repeatedly referred to as his secret life, that he said took place for five months in London.

Emphasizing Gatess infidelity is a part of the defenses attempt to puncture his credibility and call into question the crimes hes accusing Manafort of committing. On Tuesday, Downing straight out asked Gates: After all the lies youve told and fraud youve committed, you expect this jury to believe you?

Yes, I made a decision, Gates said. Im here to tell the truth.

Later Wednesday, an FBI witness told jurors that Manafort collected more than $65 million in foreign accounts for his political work in the Ukraine between 2010 and 2014. He spent $15 million of it on gaudy clothes and other luxuries, the witness said.

Prosecutors also called an expert IRS agent to lay out in clear terms the financial crimes Manafort is accused of committing. The Washington Post has a run down of what he said:

Welch said Manafort received about $15.5 million from Ukraine which he then paid directly to vendors, and which he did not report or pay taxes on. The money never entered Manaforts business or personal accounts in the United States, Welch said. Manafort also falsely classified another $1.5 million in income as a loan, Welch testified.

Prosecutors ended the day by saying they have eight witnesses left to call and expect to rest their case on Friday.
Mandatory paternity leave for Hongkongers a mistake as city has dire shortage of workers, pro-establishment lawmaker says

A pro-establishment lawmaker representing catering sector employers continued to oppose a Hong Kong government proposal to increase statutory paternity leave from three days to five, claiming the benefit itself should not even exist, as demands for more would be never-ending.

Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, an executive councillor and chairman of the business-friendly Liberal Party, said on Thursday that the granting of paternity leave should be left to the employers discretion rather than being a statutory right, as the city had a severe shortage of workers.

Every year, its like this. When the government proposes to add two days, labour unions and lawmakers demand more meat on the bone, he said on a radio programme. Some will want seven days, others will call for 10.

I really dont think this is a desirable thing  It will be never-ending.

Cheung said that back in the 1980s there was no legally mandated paternal leave, but many companies would still grant white days for funerals and red days for auspicious events such as births and marriages without the need for inflexible labour laws requiring them to do so.

He added that firms able to afford paternity leave could offer it as a company benefit to attract talent if they wanted to, but there was no need to legislate.

The lawmaker has been chastised and challenged by labour groups and politicians from across the political spectrum, including members of his own party, after making similar comments on a television programme last week.

Ng Chau-pei of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions described Cheung as taking part in a barbaric form of capitalism and said the lawmaker should not compare the present and the past.

Cheung admitted that his opinions reflected those from the catering sector but did not represent the view of the Liberal Party, which supported the increase in paternity leave.

People used to live in caves and drink hill water, how can you do that now?

Story continues

Carol Ng, Confederation of Trade Unions chairwoman

Right now [the catering sector] is actually short of 10,000 to 20,000 workers, Cheung said. If people are gone, where are you going to hire help or temporary help? Their colleagues and those without this [extra] leave will not be as fortunate.

Citing other costs and pressures employers had to face, such as a rising minimum wage and the soon-to-be-scrapped offsetting mechanism for staff pension funds, Cheung added: No one issue will impact the industry too much, but cumulatively, there will be a straw that eventually breaks the camels back.

Debating him on the same programme, Carol Ng Man-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, which has been calling for a further increase of statutory paternity leave to seven days instead of five, said the city needed to move with the times as it was already behind international standards.

Nearly 40 countries have legislated paternity leave, with the average length in the European Union being as long as 1.4 weeks, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

If your argument is that it didnt exist before so it shouldnt exist now, then it would be very hard to accept, she said. People used to live in caves and drink hill water, how can you do that now?

Ng noted many studies had shown that close physical and mental support from the father after a birth reduced the chances of postnatal depression and would help a mother recover faster, enabling her to re-enter the workforce more quickly

She brushed off Cheungs claims that worker demands were putting firms out of business, saying that rents, if anything, were the biggest problem.

Most restaurants that shut are victims of heartless landlords who keep increasing rents. When have you ever heard of shops shutting down because of heartless employees increasing their salaries?

Following Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngors policy address in February, a proposal to extend statutory paternity leave from three days to five was formally put forward by the government in June.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said he expected the legislative process to be completed by the end of the year and the new bill to come into effect before the Lunar New Year.

Paternity leave was introduced into Hong Kong law in 2015.

This article Mandatory paternity leave for Hongkongers a mistake as city has dire shortage of workers, pro-establishment lawmaker says first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
Singapore rounded off National Day celebrations on Thursday (9 August) with the National Day Parade at The Float at Marina Bay.

The Yahoo News Singapore team brings you pictures from the parade as the nation celebrates its 53rd birthday.

Photos by Stefanus Ian and Nicholas Yong for Yahoo News Singapore.

Follow our full coverage of NDP 2018 here.
Orlando Gonzalez and his daughter attend the funeral of their neighbor who died in the aftermath of Maria. Photo: Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

The government of Puerto Rico is finally prepared to admit what academics and journalists have been asserting for months: The death toll from Hurricane Maria is far more than the official count of 64. The storm, which hit the southwest corner of the island on September 20, 2o17, actually killed 1,427 people, the Puerto Rican government says in a report set to be released Thursday.

The discrepancy between the official count and the one acknowledged in the new report is largely due to the types of deaths considered to have been caused by the storm. Some, including the drownings in the storms immediate aftermath, are obvious. But the many Puerto Ricans who died during the mass blackouts in the days, weeks, and months after Maria, havent been included in all death counts. As Matthias Schwartz explained in a December New York cover story, the long-term blackout that kept the island dark for months had a devastating effect:

The ripple effects of a long-term blackout can be deadly in ways that are difficult to measure directly. No electricity means no pumping stations moving clean drinking water into higher elevations. It means no electronic forms of communication, forcing entire communities to rely on word of mouth to stay informed. It means no electric heating, no air-conditioning, and no refrigeration. It means taking three cold showers spread across the night so ones body will be cool enough to sleep. It means buying ice by the kilo to store food and insulin. It means an increase in burns and explosions as people switch to candles, propane, and oil lamps. It means generators for the few who can afford them, and darkness for everyone else.

Some estimates put the death toll much higher than 1,400. A Harvard study published in May said that 4,645 more people died in the months after Maria than would have if the hurricane had never hit.
Revolution Precrafted: could Philippines first unicorn become the Ikea of homes?

A start-up from the Philippines is looking to blaze a trail in the emerging sector of property technology, or proptech, by supplying limited-edition, luxury prefabricated homes to a global market primed for new modular dwelling options.

Revolution Precrafted recently became the Philippines first unicorn, a start-up valued at more than US$1 billion, amid efforts to bring its luxury prefabricated houses  composed of modular parts that can be snapped together on-site like Lego bricks  into 25 countries by the end of this year.

Despite its high valuation, the company is yet to make its first shipment of prefabricated homes.

We want to be the Ikea of homes, said Jose Roberto Antonio, the founder and chief executive of Revolution Precrafted, in an interview. We want to be able to create homes that can be built in 60 to 90 days, as opposed to two years.

The Manila-based company, which expects to soon start talks with property developers in China, will deliver its first 100 modular home units this December in its home market.

Answer to Hong Kong housing crisis lies in prefabricated container homes

Its expansion initiative has come at a time when residential property prices are surging across Asias major economies, and prefabricated homes are increasingly viewed by many experts as cheaper and faster-to-build alternatives to traditional housing units.

A housing crisis in Hong Kong, for example, has led the citys government to embark on its first social housing project using prefabricated container homes, with the first batch of units expected to be ready for families to move in around September next year.

With an ageing construction labour force, and a five-year wait to get into low-rent public housing, the need to build quickly and cheaply has become paramount in Hong Kong.

Such modular buildings have already become commonplace in larger markets, such as mainland China and the United States.

While there are many companies around the world that specialise in modular homes, Antonio said Revolution Precrafted was the first one to focus on luxury prefabricated homes.

Story continues

The firm sells direct to property developers that establish the sites for prefabricated homes. Its first 100 units will be installed this December in Batulao Artscapes, a project described as a liveable art park under the Antonio family-owned Century Properties.

Antonio has enlisted the help of more than 80 prominent architects, artists and designers to create an exclusive range of prefabricated homes. These include experts from such firms as Zaha Hadid Architects, Jean Nouvel Design, Ron Arad Architects and Kravitz Design.

The average price of homes from Revolution Precrafted costs around US$120,000. A 23-square metre home, however, starts for about US$10,000, which is estimated to be 72 times less than what a similarly sized flat would cost in Hong Kong.

How proptech is changing Hong Kongs property industry

Antonio, 41, hoped to get costs down over time to make his firms prefabricated homes more affordable, especially in other countries in Southeast Asia.

I want to sell homes to the mid-market and later down the road, to the affordable market, he said. The goal, he added, was to help more people be able to afford their dream homes even if they are not wealthy.

Asa Bruno, a director at Ron Arad Architects, said the firm has already designed for Revolution Precrafted what it calls an Armadillo Tea Canopy  an independent shelter made of timber that is shaped like the leathery armour-shelled mammal  for both indoor and outdoor use.

For us, it was very important to make [the tea canopy] affordable, Bruno said. So while its luxurious, its not completely beyond the means of most people.

The asset-light model of Revolution Precrafted, in which it strikes deals with developers and works with factories to produce the homes, has helped make the firm profitable, according to Antonio.

The company, which counts 500 Startups and K2 Global as investors, currently has construction projects in 22 countries, including Myanmar, Japan, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates and Spain.

It is among a growing number of proptech start-ups in the Asia-Pacific, which have raised funding of about US$4.8 billion of the US$7.8 billion total invested globally from 2013 to June 2017, according to a report published in February this year by real estate consultancy JLL and regional start-up platform Tech in Asia.

What Revolution Precrafted is doing is structural disruption, and most of all, they make huge revenues from the get-go, said Khailee Ng, a 500 Startups partner who manages the venture capital firms Southeast Asian fund.

We want to be able to create homes that can be built in 60 to 90 days

Jose Roberto Antonio, chief executive of Revolution Precrafted

We always look for large industries which have little or no innovation. The property sales and construction value chain is one of the biggest there is, and has essentially been the same for too long.

The total value of investible global commercial real estate is forecast to reach US$65 trillion by 2020, with the Asia-Pacific accounting for more than 30 per cent of that amount, according to JLL.

Still, Antonio said the market for his companys luxury prefabricated homes would be places like Malaysia or China, where it was looking for a trusted developer as a partner and where there is plenty of land for such development. The company would not be able to provide value in densely populated markets, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, he said.

This article Revolution Precrafted: could Philippines first unicorn become the Ikea of homes? first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir signs of a cease fire and power sharing agreement with South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar in Khartoum, Sudan August 5, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

By Denis Dumo

JUBA (Reuters) - President Salva Kiir granted a general amnesty to rebels in South Sudan's civil war, including his former deputy Riek Machar, as a rights organisation said authorities in Africa's youngest country should also free its unarmed critics.

The amnesty order was read out on state-run television late on Wednesday, three days after Kiir, SPLM-IO leader Machar and the heads of other groups signed a ceasefire and power-sharing agreement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

A political row between Kiir and Machar degenerated in 2013 into a war that has killed tens of thousands, forced a quarter of the population to flee their homes and wrecked the country's oil-dependent economy.

The conflict has often been fought along ethnic lines. Previous deals to end it have failed, including one in 2015 that briefly halted hostilities but fell apart after Machar returned to the capital Juba the following year.

SPLM-IO is the largest of the rebel groups fighting Kiir's government, and fighters allied to it control several areas close to the capital. Other anti-government groups have also emerged, some of which have fought against each other.

Lam Paul Gabriel, SPLM-IO's deputy military spokesman, said the amnesty will only be genuine once Kiir observes all the conditions agreed upon in the deal signed on Sunday.

"Machar can only come to Juba after the pre-interim period when the unified forces are deployed in Juba and other major towns in South Sudan," he said.

Machar was freed this year from house arrest in South Africa where he had been held since fleeing South Sudan in 2016.

"It will now give Machar much confidence, including others (who are) estranged a genuine reason to return to the country without the fear of the replication of the 2016 incident," Majak Daniel, a Juba-based journalist, told Reuters.

Human Rights Watch called on Thursday for the release of a number of government critics jailed by the intelligence services, including Peter Biar Ajak, a prominent economist who has criticised both sides in the war.

Story continues

"South Sudanese authorities should release everyone being held arbitrarily and change the way the national security agency operates," Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at the New York-based rights organisation said in a statement.

Biar, a country director for the London School of Economics' International Growth Centre and a former World Bank economist, was arrested by officers of the agency in July.

"A lot still is needed such as the cessation of hostilities and ending the war of words," said Samuel, a 32-year-old resident of Juba.

(Reporting by Denis Dumo; Writing by George Obulutsa, Editing by William Maclean)
Foie gras paired with wasabi, Japanese-style open kitchens and a fierce work ethic: Joel Robuchon, hailed as "chef of the century" on his death this week, drew great inspiration from Japan, where 10 establishments now bear his name. The world's most-starred Michelin chef developed an immediate love for sushi, sake and Japan itself after arriving for the first time in 1976, his luggage bulging with "forbidden or unknown produce like shallots, tarragon and chives," he once recalled. Yosuke Suga, who worked with the famously perfectionist Robuchon for 17 years, told AFP that he would often talk fondly of his first impressions of Japan. "He arrived at Narita airport and saw how (the handrails) of the escalator were cleaned meticulously. And he said to himself, 'Japan is somewhere I can work'," said Suga, now 41 and running his own restaurant. Kenichiro Sekiya, head chef at Robuchon's "L'Atelier" restaurant in Tokyo, says the French master quickly became inspired by Japanese ingredients and surprised his hosts with the way he used them. "He used wasabi, soy sauce, yuzu citrus and shichimi (a blend of seven spices with chili) to give accents to various food," said Sekiya, 38, recalling his amazement when Robuchon added wasabi cream to foie gras terrine. "Japanese have fixed ideas for the spices so it's hard to break them. But Robuchon did his own interpretation and used them in his own way, which Japanese wouldn't normally do," he said. And one of Robuchon's most famous innovations -- the concept of the "Atelier" (or "workshop"), where customers dine in close proximity to the chefs, perched on high stools at a bar counter -- was also inspired by Japan. "He really wanted a connection with customers over a counter. Sushi chefs in Japan make sushi in front of customers and communicate with them," said Kazutoshi Narita, a pastry chef who worked for 10 years at Robuchon restaurants in Tokyo, New York and Taipei. In 2003, Robuchon opened his first Atelier restaurant in the central Tokyo district of Roppongi and his photo still overlooks the chefs there, dressed all in black as they prepare meals in full sight of the diners. He would fly to Tokyo at least three times a year to oversee his restaurant empire and would rarely miss the opportunity to enjoy his beloved sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, where US president Barack Obama dined with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Sekiya said Robuchon, who at one time held 32 Michelin stars, at first underestimated how hard it was to make sushi. "Apparently sushi was just sliced fish placed on rice to him at first," he said. "I heard he became fascinated by sushi after learning that it was actually something more delicate." Robuchon also fell in love with sake, a fermented drink made of rice, and recently opened a shop to promote the drink in Paris. - Champagne and camembert - Like most chefs, Robuchon was known to drive his staff hard and the famous Japanese work ethic appealed to him. "He was very demanding in terms of quality but we liked that a lot. We respected that and were happy to work with him. We're maybe a bit masochistic," joked Suga. After his death from pancreatic cancer in Geneva on Monday, Narita went to Robuchon's three-starred chateau restaurant in the trendy Ebisu district to honour his memory in his own way -- with champagne and cheese. "Chefs at Robuchon restaurants used to get together at the kitchen counter for champagne and camembert after work," said Narita. "That was my most peaceful moment with him. It was a moment in which I felt a sense of achievement." And Robuchon leaves more than just recipes and inspiration in Japan -- his 30-year-old half-Japanese son now runs a wine business in the southern city of Fukuoka.
Without getting drawn into the never-ending debate on what constitutes a fair ministerial salary in Singapore, thanks to Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong, our respect for the newly-minted Senior Minister of State for Law and Health, Member of Parliament Edwin Tong, just went up several notches.

Edwin Tong Chun Fai () is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. Like ESM Goh, he is a member of the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) in Singapore and is an elected MP in the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

Tong was a partner with law firm Allen & Gledhill LLP before he quit this year to become a full minister  at a big sacrifice financially.

ESM Goh disclosed at a South East District residents dialogue last week that Tong took a 75 per cent pay cut when he became a senior minister of state on July 1. Tong had previously earned more than S$2 million a year as a senior counsel and now makes about S$500,000, said ESM Goh.

Our respect for Tong went up after reading about this.

This is the kind of people we want in our government  with the passion to serve, even if they have to make some personal sacrifices. They clearly see this as a call to duty and as service to the nation.

Before ESM Goh brought up this thing about Tongs salary, he was last mentioned prominently in the news for his representation of Pastor Kong Hee of the City Harvest Church in the landmark City Harvest Church Trial. On 5 February 2018, the Singapore Attorney-Generals Chamber said it would take action against a man for contempt of court for publishing on a Facebook group a doctored image of Chinese tabloid Lianhe Wanbao, insinuating that Edwin Tong and his affiliated political party had saved Kong Hee from harsher penalties. The original title of the Chinese paper had used the word outdated law instead of PAP lawyer, to describe the reason behind Kongs relatively light penalties.

Story continues

Now, thanks to ESM Goh, everyone in the street will know Minister Edwin Tong as the lawyer who took a drastic pay cut in order to serve the country. Kudos sir! We need more men and women like Edwin Tong in our parliament who are willing to make personal sacrifices for the betterment of our nation.

After all, wasnt this the foundation of our founding team of good men led by our first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who brought Singapore from third world to first? The pioneer team made tremendous personal sacrifices by entering into politics during the uncertain and troubled period when Singapore was still a part of Malaya under British rule. It is with their tenacity, grit and leadership that we came to where we are now.

Minister Tong has not commented on ESM Gohs comment about his pay cut. He dont have to. We want to thank him instead, for stepping forward. What would you have done if you were in Tongs shoes? The Prime Minister tapped on you to step forward, but you would have to take a massive pay cut. Would you have done the same?

Featured image via Mothership.sg.

The post Thanks to ESM Goh, our respect for Minister Edwin Tong went up several notches appeared first on Alvinology.
Wildfires blazed along a smouldering stretch of Portugal's Algarve Thursday, as hundreds of firefighters battled to control flames that have menaced the popular tourist region for a week. Ferocious fires in southern Portugal, stoked by sweltering temperatures and strong winds, have injured dozens and left a blackened trail of seared forest, charred homes and incinerated cars. Aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop onto the creeping blaze Thursday, as firefighters continued their struggle to douse the flames, which have already consumed some 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of forest in the region -- one of Europe's top tourism destinations. With winds forecast to reach up to 50 kilometres per hour (30 mph) "there is a risk of reactivation in the afternoon along a perimeter that now exceeds 100 kilometres", said national civil protection agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar. The fires have left 36 people injured, one seriously, with 19 of those hurt firefighters,according to Gaspar. On Thursday more than a thousand firefighters and soldiers were tackling the blazes in the affected zone, which is planted with pines and highly-flammable eucalyptus trees and scored by difficult to reach valleys and ravines. Fire crews and police conducted an urgent evacuation overnight of homes around the historic town of Silves. A slight respite Thursday afternoon enabled local people to leave the schools, gymnasiums and reception centres where they had taken refuge and venture back to their homes. Dark clouds of smoke and soot from the wildfires had billowed above popular holiday beaches in the region earlier Thursday, but gusts of wind cleared the skies later in the day. - Evacuations - A Europe-wide heatwave sent the mercury above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas of Portugal at the weekend, intensifying wildfires that began last Friday. Hundreds of residents and tourists have been evacuated from around Monchique, a popular spa town of 6,000 people some 160 kilometres from Lisbon, where the blazes began. Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Wednesday warned the blaze would continue to rage "during the coming days". 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. The spreading blaze has even necessitated the evacuation of some 29 endangered Iberian lynx to Spain from the national reproductive centre, according to a statement from the country's conservation institute. In Spain, where more than 700 firefighters continued to battle wildfires in the province of Valencia, authorities said they were hopeful of bringing an end to the threat. The blaze "has been stabilised", said Valencia emergency services chief Jose Maria Angel, adding the hope of an improving situation over the course of the day. Authorities have established that the fires were started by lightning during an electric storm on Monday. A sizzling heatwave across Spain has left 10 people dead in a week.
Two Hong Kong tourists were killed in a car crash in Perth in Western Australia last week, immigration authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The women  both teachers  aged 54 and 59, were killed at the scene after the Toyota Camry they were travelling in collided with a four-wheel drive vehicle towing a trailer on Brand Highway at Bookara last Thursday.

The two drivers, aged 53 and 42, were injured, one of them critically, according to Australian news reports.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Immigration Department said officials had reached out to the Hong Kong office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese consulate in Perth to learn more about the case.

The Immigration Department has taken the initiative to contact the families and according to the wishes of the families, provide the appropriate assistance, the spokesman said. The department will continue to work closely with the office, consulate and the families for follow-up.

We are very much grieved at the departure of our two great teachers, said Chan Man-yin, principal of Hong Kong & Macau Lutheran Church Primary School, where both victims had worked for more than 10 years. She added that the school was in close contact with the families of the deceased, ready to provide any assistance needed.

Chan said the school had established a crisis management team of therapists and social workers to offer counselling sessions to the teaching staff as well as pupils with emotional issues.

Now most teachers have calmed down and started to prepare for the next semester, she added.

The incident drew comments from dozens of internet users on social media.

A 54-year-old and a 59-year-old  they should be preparing for retirement and starting to enjoy their lives. What a pity! a Facebook user named Kitty Kwong wrote.

This article Two Hong Kong women killed in Perth car crash first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
Isabella was born at 34-weeks and six days with a mild case of neonatal abstinence syndrome because of her mothers recovery from an opioid addiction. Photo: Andy Cross/Denver Post via Getty Images

The number of women giving birth while addicted to opioids more than quadrupled between 1999 and 2014, according to new data published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data illustrates, among other things, the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic on families across the U.S., including on the very youngest, said CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield. Each case represents a mother, a child, and a family in need of continued treatment and support.

To compile the numbers, researchers analyzed 15 years of data from 28 states. In 1999, 1.5 out of every 1,000 babies born were delivered by women suffering from opioid addiction. In 2014, that number reached 6.5 babies per 1,000 births. There were broad differences across states in the number of women giving birth while addicted. Vermont saw the highest rate, with 48.6 cases of opioid use disorder for every 1,000 deliveries. The numbers were the lowest in the District of Columbia, where 0.7 out of 1,000 deliveries were by addicted women.

The risks of opioid use disorder during pregnancy include stillbirth and neonatal abstinence syndrome, the name given to the withdrawal-like symptoms babies face after being born to an addicted mother. Babies facing neonatal abstinence syndrome can experience seizures, breathing problems, and developmental issues. Theyre often required to spend weeks in the hospital and can need methadone treatments to ease symptoms.

In other opioid research published this week, a new study out of Massachusetts suggests a link between manual labor and dying of an opioid overdose. The study examined the states 5,580 overdose deaths from 2011 and 2015 and found that construction workers were six times likelier than the average worker to die of an overdose. People working in the fishing, farming, and forestry industries were also shown to be more likely, on average, to fall victim to opioids.

In trying to determine why these sectors face more overdose deaths, the authors of the study hit on a couple primary factors. First, theres the pain and frequent injuries faced by laborers. That pain is often managed with opioids. Since employees in these sectors also tend to have low job security, substandard pay, and no paid sick leave, those opioids are often abused as workers pump pills so they can keep working.

Jodi Sugerman-Brozan, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, told the Boston Herald there a few things the state should do to address this problem, such as require employers to keep five years of workplace injury records, increase access to paid sick leave and empower unions.

These are steps we can take right now to help end all this needless suffering and loss, she said.
CK Asset Holdings, the property conglomerate chaired by Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, has won the tender for what could be Hong Kongs most expensive railway development, requiring a total investment of up to HK$38 billion (US$4.8 billion) for the Wong Chuk Hang site.

MTR Corp awarded the tender for phase three of the plot next to the Wong Chuk Hang MTR station on Thursday, two days after the tender closed.

Gentrifying Wong Chuk Hang on the up and up as Hong Kongs business hub with cheaper rents

CK Asset, which Li took over from his father Li Ka-shing formally in May, beat Hong Kong property giants including Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land Development, Chinachem Group and a consortium consisting of New World Development, Wheelock Properties, Sino Land, China Overseas Land & Investment and K Wah International to secure the site.

Grace Woo Chia-ching, executive director of CK Asset said the company was confident in the sites potential for development.

The railway development at the station, which is only two stations away from transport hub Admiralty Station, is the only remaining one on Hong Kong Island, she said, adding that the company expected to complete the project by 2023.

Surveyors estimate the total investment cost for the parcel would be between HK$27 billion to HK$37.65 billion.

The site, which will yield a total gross floor area of 1.5 million sq ft, will be developed into four towers with 1,200 units and a shopping centre of 505,908 sq ft.

CK Asset is required to pay nearly HK$13 billion in land premium to the government as a one-time payment, the highest among railway development projects.

Wong Chuk Hang Station attracts huge interest from property developers, showing worries over vacancy tax appear exaggerated

Flats are expected to sell between HK$30,000 to HK$45,000 per sq ft.

Analysts said the move marked CK Assets accelerating land replenishment programme after a two-year absence in successfully acquiring a major site in Hong Kong.

Story continues

It is not surprising, said Thomas Lam, senior director at Knight Frank, referring to CK Assets win. As the developer has sold a lot of flats in recent years almost immediately after they are available, it is time to replenish its land bank.

CK Assets sold 3,300 flats last year for a total consideration of HK$52.5 billion.

Raymond Cheng, head of Hong Kong and China research and property at CGS-CIMB Securities, said

CK Asset might have become even more optimistic on Hong Kongs property market now.

The recent [planned] redevelopment of Hutchison House and the winning of Wong Chuk Hang land suggest that they are [getting aggressive in their bids for] land in Hong Kong.

The acquisition comes two months after the completion of the HK$40.2 billion sale of The Center in Central, the worlds costliest office tower.

CK Asset, the second largest Hong Kong developer by market capitalisation, owns just six million square feet of land bank for development in Hong Kong, according to its 2017 annual report. Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land by comparison hold 21.4 million sq ft and 14 million sq ft respectively.

Li Ka-shings CK Property wins Sha Tin residential site with bid one third higher than market expectation

It was also the first land acquisition from the government after the developer won a mid-sized site for luxury residential development on Lai Ping Road, in Kau To Shan near Sha Tin for HK$1.95 billion in September 2016.

Lam said the developer is likely to continue to buy land in the worlds most unaffordable housing market, even if it is expensive.

I believe the company will continue to buy if they can locate good and profitable opportunities.

This article Victor Lis CK Asset wins tender for Hong Kongs most expensive rail development first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:
Some of Singapores favourite dishes. (Photos: Getty Images)

If there is one thing people in Singapore unite over, its a love of food. And even if the origins of some dishes remain under dispute, we each have our own favourite Singapore dishes.

This National Day, whats your favourite Singapore food? Take our poll, let us know why made your choice, and comment below if your favourite dish is not on the list.

Related stories:

10 Must-Try Local Foods in Singapore

Food has no boundaries, says Chef Wan on Singapore-Malaysia squabble over local dishes

Yahoo Poll: Are you proud to be Singaporean?

Yahoo Poll: What are the real Singaporean values?

Yahoo Poll: Whats your favourite National Day song?
Throughout our evolutionary history, human beings have migrated and moved in response to changing climates and the shifting availability of natural resources. Africa, the cradle of humanitys birthplace, has witnessed successive waves of human migrations moving outwards to Europe, the Arctic, across Asia, and eventually crossing the Bering Straits into the Americas. Today, the genes, languages and myths of indigenous peoples bear testimony to these early human movements to every remote corner of the globe.

The theme of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, held on 9 August, is focused this year on Migration and Movement. Building on a review initiated by UN agencies in 2006, indigenous peoples own experience of these displacements has been characterized by a dynamic tension of push and pull factors exerted on their traditional territories, marked all too often by forced and painful dislocations, but also by the struggles of nomads and pastoralists to maintain their ancestral migration corridors. With an ever-increasing share of the global population living in towns and cities, many of these movements have also resulted in a contradictory and ambiguous positioning of urban indigenous peoples (UN-HABITAT 2010).





Photo : Yi Lui, SGP China



On 16 July 2018, the world recently lost one of the great champions of nomads lifestyles, territories and rights. As one of the founders of the World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples (WAMIP) in 2003, Dr. Taghi Farvar was a member of the Shahsevan indigenous pastoralist peoples of Iranian Azerbaijan. In many senses a global nomad himself, for our over four decades Taghi was a charismatic and inspirational leader of numerous social movements. In his native Iran, he fought all his life for the recognition of the rights of mobile indigenous peoples not to abandon their collective ways of life and traditions. At the international level, Taghi worked for many years with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN); with pastoralists in the horn of Africa and beyond; as well as serving as the founding President of the Global ICCA Consortium.



Photo: Global ICCA Consortium



Starting in 2014 with funding from the German Federal Ministry of the Environment (BMUB), the GEF Small Grants Programme has been delivering small grants to ICCAs in twenty-six countries, as well as support to strategic partners and allies at the global level, including the ICCA Consortium; the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme; as well as the Global ICCA Registry hosted by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, towards the achievement of the CBD 2020 Aichi targets. To this end, the Global ICCA Support Initiative (ICCA GSI) has been funding numerous small grant projects looking to revitalize and restore the transhumant pathways, governance systems of mobile indigenous peoples, and livelihoods of nomadic peoples across the world.



Photo : Terence Hay-Edie (Song-kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan)



In Morocco, the ICCA GSI has strengthened efforts to recognize and protect the ancient system of Agdals, a customary system of summer pastures in the High Atlas Mountains which govern the grazing rights of pastoralists within sustainable use limits; as well as the Idaougnidif system of traditional agricultural terraces. In Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, China, and elsewhere in Central Asia, the SGP has worked with pastoralists to restore rangelands, diversify livelihood options, and revitalize the traditional knowledge of customary institutions negatively affected by decades of intensification of herd sizes through state-run agencies. At the global level, the GSI has supported South-South knowledge exchanges between mountain indigenous peoples in collaboration with the International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples (INMIP).

Photo : SGP Morocco (Idaougnidif terraces, Atlas Mountains)

As President of the ICCA Consortium, Taghi fought tirelessly to advocate for the migratory routes of mobile indigenous peoples as temporal conserved areas, supported by the co-creation of a solid scientific evidence base generated by a series of ecological, governance and landscape assessments to demonstrate the non-equilibrium conditions of semi-arid ecosystems  a point generally well understood by the dynamic spatial movements and livelihood strategies of mobile pastoralists, but often invisible to policy-makers in urban centres, far-removed from realities on-the-ground.

Through the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) SBSTTA in support of the diversification of governance types for protected and conserved areas (gradually expanding to include a broader, and more equitable, understanding of conservation and sustainable use), as much as through the innumerable lives he touched, Taghis legacy will be acutely felt far-and-wide, mirroring our nomadic origins, as well as presaging a return to collective territories of life as part of our common futures.

Story by: Terence Hay-Edie, 9 August 2018
Manafort, Collins, Ross. Photo: Getty Images

The entire Trump era has been a festering pit of barely disguised ongoing corruption. But the whole sordid era has not had a 24-hour period quite like the orgy of criminality which we have just experienced. The events of the last day alone include:

(1) The trial of Paul Manafort, which has featured the accusation that President Trumps campaign manager had embezzled funds, failed to report income, and falsified documents. His partner and fellow Trump campaign aide, Rick Gates, confessed to participating in all these crimes, as well as to stealing from Manafort.

(2) Yesterday, Forbes reported that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross may have stolen $120 million from his partners and customers. Meanwhile Ross has maintained foreign holdings in his investment portfolio that present a major conflict of interest with his public office. (The Dont worry, Wilbur Ross would never do anything unethical just to pad his bottom line defense is likely to be, uh, unconvincing to the many people filing suit against Ross for allegedly doing exactly that.)

(3) Also yesterday, ProPublica reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs is being effectively run by three Trump cronies, none of whom have any official government title or public accountability. The three, reports the story, have used their influence in ways that could benefit their private interests.

(4) And then, this morning, Representative Chris Collins was arrested for insider trading. Collins had been known to openly boast about making millions of dollars for his colleagues with his insider knowledge. He is charged with learning of an adverse FDA trial, and immediately calling his son  from the White House!  urging him to sell his holdings.

It has been, in sum, quite a day.

Some level of corruption is an inescapable part of political life in general, and certainly Democrats are not (and never have been) immune to it. But it has been especially chronic in the modern Republican Party, whose last experience with control of government ended in a series of corruption scandals so blatant they provoked widespread soul-searching on the right as to how the party and the conservative movement could so easily open itself up to grifters. (Remember Jack Abramoff? Bob Ney? Tom DeLay? Grover Norquist?) The temptation to use government as a vehicle for self-enrichment is especially strong in a party dedicated to a credal skepticism about the possibility government can do good.

But the Trump administration has, even in its embryonic stage, already brought it all to a new level. Several possible explanations present themselves. Trump appears to select for greed and dishonesty in his cronies. (Collins does not work in the administration, but was Trumps first endorser in Congress.) The sorts of people Trump admires are rich and brash and disdainful of professional norms, and seem unlikely to rat on him. The sorts of people who are apt to work for Trump seem to be those who lack much in the way of scruples.

The administration is understaffed and disorganized to the point of virtual anarchy, opening up promising avenues for insiders to escape accountability. Trumps public ethos, despite his professions during the campaign that he could drain the swamp and impose a series of stringent ethics reforms, runs toward relativism  he famously tolerates anybody who supports him, regardless of criminal history or other disqualifications, defining their goodness entirely in terms of personal loyalty. And above all there is the simple fact that Trump himself is a wildly unethical businessman who has stiffed his counterparties and contractors, and worked closely with mobsters, his entire career. A president who is continuing to profit personally from his office is hardly in any position to demand his subordinates refrain from following suit.

It has been frequently noted that the president is molding the party in his nationalist, populist, authoritarian image. He is likewise molding its governing class after his own personal business ethos.
A three-time loser in close statewide races in Washington, Republican Dino Rossi not looking all that strong in his upcoming House race. Photo: Elaine Thompson/AP/REX/Shutterstock

All the talk this year about Californias Top Two primary system may have obscured the fact that Washington State has used Top Two (in which the first and second place finishers in any primary, regardless of party or percentage of the vote, proceed to the general election) since 2008. And for decades before that, Washington had a similar but not identical blanket primary allowing voters to participate in either partys primary for any one post, until the Supreme Court invalidated this system in 2000. Political observers have noted that Washingtons primary results under Top Two seem to have a strongly predictive quality of how the two parties will do in the general election, making these results a bellwether of national as well as state trends. RealClearPolitics election analyst Sean Trende has suggested Washingtons relatively late primary serves a prophetic function much like Maine used to when it had a separate, earlier general election.

While Washington didnt have any primaries this year in which there was a serious danger of Top Two Lockout (an otherwise competitive party failing to place a candidate in the general election), that obsessive fear of California Democrats, the share of the total vote for each party remains significant. And on August 7, it didnt look good for Republicans, though its worth remembering that in all-mail-ballot Washington the votes are still drifting in. Heres FiveThirtyEights insta-analysis:

In Washingtons 3rd District, which was supposed to be a Likely if not Solid Republican district, Democratic candidates are currently winning more total votes than Republican candidates, 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. The GOP-held 5th District looks competitive too  Republicans have won an aggregate 51 percent vs. 47 percent for Democrats. And Democrats appear to have an edge in the 8th District, expected to be a pure toss-up: Democratic candidates are pulling 50 percent of the vote there, compared with Republicans 47 percent.

Sure enough, the Cook Political Report has already moved WA-03, defended by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, from Likely Republican to Leans Republican, with this comment:

Herrera Beutler hasnt had a real race since 2010, but the preliminary August 7 top-two primary results are a wake up call: she took just 41 percent to WSU-Vancouver law professor Carolyn Longs 37 percent. Overall, Democrats are currently combining for a narrow majority of primary votes. Long had raised $662,000 to Herrera Beutlers $1.5 million by mid-July. This onetime long shot has developed into a genuinely competitive race.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the fourth-ranking Republican (and highest-ranking Republican woman) in the House, was already facing a competitive race; Cook had her 5th district rated as Lean Republican before the primary. Even though this is a district that Trump carried by 13 points in 2016, its looking dicey for the GOP now. And because it is, you have to figure the House GOP majority that elevated Rodgers to a position of power is dicey as well.

The suburban 8th district is open thanks to the retirement of veteran Republican Dave Reichert. The GOP figured it had a great chance to hold the seat with veteran statewide candidate Dino Rossi, who lost a crazy close gubernatorial race in 2004, and did credibly in a 2008 gubernatorial run and a 2010 Senate race against Sen. Patty Murray. But the primary numbers show a decided Democratic advantage heading into November in what was already rated a tossup contest. Rossis opponent hasnt been identified just yet:

A pair of Democrats were in close competition for the second slot  physician Kim Schrier, who was endorsed by Emilys List and most labor unions; and Jason Rittereiser, a lawyer, who argued that his rural roots would make him more electable in November.

But either way, Rossi is in danger of finding that the fourth time isnt necessarily a charm. And as Trende emphasizes, thats not a good sign for Republicans everywhere:

If we really are talking about Republicans marginally overperforming the primary vote in Washingtons 3rd and 5th districts on Election Night, it doesnt bode well for what is occurring elsewhere.

Its all about the competitive landscape, and more and more GOP House districts are beginning to look shaky.
On April 25, 2018, members of the British military work to decontaminate the area where Sergei Skripal and his daughter collapsed in Salisbury, England. Photo: Matt Cardy/Matt Cardy

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it will impose new sanctions on Russia over the nerve-agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March. Russia is already under U.S. sanctions for its 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the Trump administration expelled 60 Russians from the U.S. and shuttered the Russian consulate in Seattle in response to the failed assassination attempt. (Authorities believe a British womans death was caused by accidental exposure to the nerve agent.)

Under the new sanctions, which will take effect in two weeks, requests by American companies to sell Russia items with a potential national-security purpose will be automatically denied, with few exceptions. An administration official said the list of affected items is enormously elaborate, but exports to Russia that could have a military purpose were already banned under the Obama administration.

When asked about how the new sanctions jibe with President Trumps desire to improve relations with Russia, which he made quite clear during last months summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, a State Department official said theyre perfectly aligned, as the entire Trump administration is tough on Russia.

This is a question not of Russia policy per se, but of implementing laws that Congress has put in place, the official said. This is not about different bits of the administration going in different directions. We are all one administration, and were all on the same page here  We are tough on Russia, and at the same time were quite committed to working to maintain relations because there are important things at stake here. We work on cooperative things where it is possible to do so, and we cry foul when its necessary to do so.

But the Trump administration actually could have moved more aggressively, and its only doing whats required by law. As Politico notes, in March House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce formally requested that the Trump administration conduct a probe to determine if Russia should face sanctions over the nerve attack. The Trump administration missed the two-month window to respond, and Royce sent a letter two weeks ago rebuking Trump.

In recent years, Vladimir Putin has steadily escalated his campaign to consolidate power and undermine the United States, Royce said in the letter. 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.

Under the law, once the government determines that a country has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, it must impose sanctions. If Russia does not meet three criteria  ending its use of such weapons, assuring the U.S. that it has no plans to use them again, and offering to let international observers verify that  then there will be a second, harsher round of sanctions in 90 days. That could include the U.S. withdrawing support for international loans and U.S. bank loans, blocking Russian airlines from landing in the U.S., and suspending diplomatic relations.

Experts say Russia is unlikely to meet those requirements, but its also hard to imagine the Trump administration cutting diplomatic ties with Russia in three months. As CNNs Jim Sciutto points out, the timing makes the next deadline even more interesting.
Given all the talk of Nazis and fascists and the shouts of America First, many Americans have spent the past couple of years experiencing whiplash, wondering how they got dragged back to the 1940s. According to Spike Lees new comic drama, BlacKkKlansman, liberals today arent alone in their bewilderment and despair. The 1970s, too, saw a backlash to the headway made during the civil rights movement. The fists raised for black power were swiftly followed by hoods donned for white poweras they were then, as they are now. Premiering on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the fatal Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, BlacKkKlansman may well be the first film to frame the Trump era as one of regression in response to the progress of the Obama years.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Based on the memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, the film is thematically dense and narratively twisty. After becoming Colorado Springs first black police officer, the movie version of Ron (played by John David Washington, son of Denzel) lands an undercover assignment to infiltrate the organization the precinct captain believes to be the greatest threat to national security: the Black Panther Party. After Kwame Ture (Straight Outta Compton star Corey Hawkins), born Stokely Carmichael, leaves town after a rousing talk, a slightly more politically attuned Ron stumbles into his next assignment. Spotting a classified ad for the Ku Klux Klan in the newspaper, he calls them up, seemingly on impulse. That call turns out to be as fateful as a call can be. Ron arranges a getting-to-know-you meeting with the Klan, with a white colleague, Flip Zimmerman (a picture-stealing Adam Driver), to appear in his stead, for obvious reasons. A later mix-up resulting in membership delays puts the real Ron in contact with David Duke (a Ned Flanderschanneling Topher Grace, in an inspired casting choice). With motivations that arent clear (a frustrating aspect of BlacKkKlansman is Rons emotional opacity, with Washington unable to make up for the flaws of the script), the real Ron continues to speak to the local Klansmen over the phone while catfishing the politically aspirant Duke as his ostensibly white friend.

Advertisement

BlacKkKlansman may well be the first film to frame the Trump era as one of regression in response to the progress of the Obama years.

What follows are long stretches of time embedded with the Klan, which feel not unlike being marooned for a couple of hours on 4chan or r/The_Donald. Because a paranoid Klan member named Felix (Jasper Paakkonen) suspects, correctly, that Flip is Jewish, the undercover detective is forced to outdo the white supremacists racism and anti-Semitism. The Holocaust never happened, scoffs Felix. Actually, retorts the fake Ron, it did happen, and it was a most beautiful event. As with the famous montage of slurs in Lees Do the Right Thing, which the writer-director liked enough to reprise in 25th Hour, its unclear whether Lee means these scenes to be shocking or accurate, or if theres a meaningful difference in this case. The sometimes unnerving suspense over whether the hair-trigger Felixmollified somewhat by the friendly, relatively normal Klan recruiter (Ryan Eggold) and a mouth-breathing hanger-on (Paul Walter Hauser, reprising his own performance from I, Tonya)will discover Flips true ethnic identity elevates the Klan scenes from sheer races to the bottom. But its also worth asking what purpose it serves to portray white supremacist groups as mostly dopey or sociopathici.e., as outlierswhen Trump enjoys an approval rating of more than 40 percent.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In contrast to recent period pieces like American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and The Post that re-examined the past through a modern lens, BlacKkKlansman uses history to illustrate how were repeating it. Deliberate anachronisms (like a reference to superpredators in a 1950s anti-integration video hosted by a Southern eugenicist played by Alec Baldwin) mix with recently recycled slogans (Reagans Lets make America great again, Charles Lindberghs aforementioned America first, which has long been popular among the KKK) to emphasize the cyclicality of the openness of hate. We see other kinds of racial pushback in the characters (not always Klan members) who complain about how Archie Bunker made racism uncool and how many more people of color there are on TV these daysa whine with too many echoes in the present day. Lees implicit argument that these reactionary anxieties are nothing new certainly resonatesand is clear long before an epilogue that consists of news footage of the Charlottesville protests, including graphic video of the killing of Heather Heyer.

Advertisement

What follows are long stretches of time with the Klan, which feel not unlike being marooned for a couple of hours on 4chan or r/The_Donald.

Amid such ugliness, the movies rare moments of respite are desperately welcome, particularly as the Klan prepares its own Charlottesville-esque violence in Colorado Springs. In their sights is the real Rons love interest Patrice (Spider-Man: Homecomings Laura Harrier, who is 28 but somehow still looks too young for the part), the head of a nearby black student union. Lee demonstrates an off-putting casualness when he cuts straight from a scene of a white cop groping her to a vibrant dance sequence set to Cornelius Brothers and Sister Roses Too Late to Turn Back Now, but the scene at the gilded disco proves infectious anyway. (The score too, by longtime Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard, is typically fantastic.) The longish speeches by Hawkins and Harry Belafonte, playing an elder activist, are moving. But nothing feels quite as fresh as the parody (or is it reality?) of the Klans bureaucratic banalities (hoods, one member notes, are not covered by the annual membership fee) and earnest solemnity (Duke whitesplains to Ron the difference between how white people and black people talk). For a deliciously long time, Lee tantalizes us with the inevitable moment when the real Ron will reveal to Duke his actual race. The filmmakers studious parallels make BlacKkKlansmans messages vital. Rons pranks make them bearable.
Of the many things Asian Americans have been stereotyped to be for the past two centuries (and Asians for far longer), charming has seldom been one of them. The model minority myth paints us as smart, diligent, and meek. The negative corollaries of that imageof Asians as uncreative, unemotional, and lacking individualitycontinue to proliferate, with real-life consequences. Asian American men are often viewed as asexual and less attractive. In contrast, Asian women here and abroad are fetishized for being docile and submissive when young, and feared as abusive and obsessive when they become mothers. In mainstream American media, the characters of Asian heritage afforded uncomplicated winsomeness are few and far between.

Advertisement

You might have heard that Crazy Rich Asians is the first major release by a studio about Asian Americans in a quarter-century. (Its predecessor is 1993s The Joy Luck Club.) The films arrival is undeniably momentous. But its nearly as vital that Crazy Rich is a romantic comedya genre that relies on charisma above all else. The films stereotype-busting approach is multifarious.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

You might have heard that Crazy Rich Asians is the first major release by a studio about Asian Americans in a quarter-century.

Theres the everywoman warmth of Rachel Chu (Fresh Off the Boat breakout Constance Wu), a young Chinese-American economics professor at New York University who hopes that her boyfriend, Nick (BBC TV host Henry Golding, making his acting debut), will propose during their first trip together to his hometown of Singapore. Theres the dashing romantic pluck of Nick, his best friend Colin (Chris Pang), and his fiancee Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno)heirs to inconceivable wealth whose simple tastes belie the grandeur of their imaginations and opportunities. Theres the gaudy lure of East Asias nouveau riche, embodied by Peik Lin (Awkwafina), Rachels best friend from college and the Americans wake-up call that Nick isnt just well-heeledhes so loaded hes famous for it. Then theres my guilty favorite, the sleazebag draw of Nicks cousins (Ronny Chieng and Remy Hii), who might as well have the words dynastic decline tattooed on their foreheads. Nick is certain Rachels the One. But choosing Racheland thus staying in America against the wishes of his mother, Eleanor (a fantastically subtle Michelle Yeoh)puts him at risk of being disinherited, and Rachel of being tormented out of not-so-polite Singaporean society.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Author Kevin Kwan, himself a member of the Singaporean aristocracy (but now a U.S. transplant), suffused his Crazy Rich trilogy with gabby, catty, name-dropping, secret-whispering intimacy. Director Jon M. Chus adaptation, written by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, largely forgoes Kwans designer-label obsession to tell a trans-Pacific love story whose charms are distinctly American. Emotionally layered, culturally specific, and frequently hilarious, Crazy Rich is a transportive delight, with food montages to die for (the film offers a splendid showcase of Singapores justly celebrated street-food scene) and a wedding processional so exquisite I started crying at its sheer beauty. (Not that the latters marvels keep the aunties from tutting that the $40 million event is too extravagantits just tacky to spend more than $20 million on a wedding.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

As a product designed for crossover appeal, Crazy Rich is canny, too: Here in a single package are characters of Asian descent as both relatable and exotic. The Oxbridge-educated Anglophiles of Singapores upper crust that Nick hails from, especially, offer an unexpected mix of the familiar and the foreign, shades of Downton Abbey among tropical foliage and spaceship-resembling skyscrapers. Crazy Richs Dowager Countess, Nicks grandmother (Lisa Lu), naturally sniffs at her daughter-in-laws handmade dumplings.

Advertisement

To satisfy, a rom-com just needs its emotional beats to land, and Chu hits most of his marks. We get nervous and excited for Rachel as she heads to Singapore, unaware that the closer she gets to an engagement ring, the more unwelcome she will be in Nicks world. (At Aramintas bachelorette partyon a private island, obviouslyRachel finds in her bed a bloody reminder that The Godfather was an international phenomenon.) The more she learns about Eleanors maternal sacrifices, the more convinced she is that she doesnt want her boyfriend to choose between his girlfriend and his family. But Rachel also realizes that, marriage or no marriage, she cant leave Singapore without earning the older womans respect.

Advertisement

As a product designed for crossover appeal, its canny, too.

Much of that tension between Rachel and her potential mother-in-law has to do with Rachels American-nessor as Peik Lin sees it, Rachels status as a banana. (If youve never heard this term before, think of what color that fruit is on the outside vs. on the inside.) Crazy Richs most Asian American element might be its simultaneous skepticism of and pride in the U.S. To goad his younger children into finishing their food, Peik Lins father (Ken Jeong) chides his children, Theres a lot of children starving in America. (Sad, but true.) Rachels own urban-professional-on-vacation wardrobe is treated like a quirky costume by the always dressed-to-the-nines Singaporean elite: Your Gap look? Brilliant. Im sure I wont be the only Asian American viewer who felt at home when the movie mined for humor in the space between Asia and Asian Americans, as well as what the blog Ask a Korean! calls the immigrant time warp, i.e., the fissure between the version of the Old Country that the immigrant remembers when they left decades ago and the contemporary Asia they no longer know as well as they think. Before Rachel leaves for Singapore, her mom (Tan Kheng Hua) suggests she take a red dress, as the color symbolizes fortune and fertility. At Peik Lins parents homea gilded monstrosity inspired by Versailles and Donald Trumps bathroomRachel parrots her mother: Red is a lucky color. Scoffs Peik Lins family, If youre an envelope.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The satisfaction that Rachel is ultimately able to find in the hardscrabble existence and aspirational success that she and her single mother eked outa fight for survival both widespread and remarkablefeels like a triumph not only for our protagonist, but for the affirmation of Asian American identity. Its only because the friendship scenes between Wu and Awkwafina are so funny and easygoingand the inevitable proposal scene so damn movingthat the achingly realistic heart-to-heart between Rachel and her mother, in which the two reflect on their lives together as first- and second-generation immigrants, doesnt become the films emotional climax.

But Crazy Richs American-ness also becomes its greatest area of (niggling) critique. The films agog celebration of wealth and excessnecessary for its Cinderella-like structureis an unnuanced departure from Kwans portrait of his native land, which is quite attuned to the deeply ingrained sexism, classism, and ethnic discrimination within Singapore. (You can hardly detect the ethnic and religious diversity of the actual city-state, which boasts four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.) Save for Eleanor and poor cousin Oliver (Superstores Nico Santos), the Singaporean characters mostly get the short shrift, including Nick and his glamorous fashion plate and philanthropist cousin (Gemma Chan), whose marriage to a resentful commoner (Pierre Png) is meant to serve as a mirror image of Rachel and Nicks relationship but is too underdeveloped for that symmetry to resonate. But Crazy Rich Asians isnt really about crazy rich Asians anyway, so much as one American who gains a greater appreciation of where she comes from. Its a great romance, but its most powerful as a story of her love with herself.
Remember last year, when Disney announced that it would be starting its own streaming service? Well, the site is set to launch at the end of next year, and were beginning to learn more about what it might look like. The New York Times reports that in anticipation of the launch, Walt Disney Studios new movies will no longer head to Netflix, starting with Captain Marvel, which hits theaters in March 2019.

Keep in mind that that includes all future Marvel Studios and Star Wars films, and it might also include movies produced by 20th Century Fox, which was recently acquired by Disney in a merger. That would make Disneys streaming catalogue even more massive, given that 20th Century Fox has produced over 300 films since 2000 alone, but a decision hasnt been made public yet. Since the platform is aimed at families, no content with an R rating will end up on the site, but Disney also acquired Hulu through the Fox deal, so its likely its more adult content will find a home there.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Disney will also produce original content for the platform, including a live-action Star Wars series directed by Jon Favreau, and two Lucasfilm animated series, one of which is a continuation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The streaming service will also be home to an adaptation of the Timmy Failure books, with Spotlight director Tom McCarthy at the helm.

Its worth noting that the Netflix Original Marvel series, like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, arent going anywhere, but pretty much everything else may be up for grabs, so if youre not planning to sign up for Disneys service, its time to start binging before titles start to disappear.
After being fired from his position as Guardians of the Galaxy director this July, James Gunns career is far from over. As the filmmaker navigates his complicated exit negotiations with Disney, many other big-name producers and executives are still interested, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

THR reportedly interviewed about 12 industry executives, although many chose to remain anonymousGunn is not allowed to consider other offers until his settlement with Disney is final. But several of the executives and producers expressed an interest in Gunn.

Advertisement

Many celebrities spoke out on Twitter after Gunn was fired, the result of a targeted campaign by far-right personality Mike Cernovich and others to resurface years-old Gunn tweets making light of pedophilia and rape. Gunn issued a public apology, and the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy has publicly supported him, with Dave Bautista going as far as to say he would not work on a third Guardians of the Galaxy that did not use Gunns already written script. (The latest reports suggest that the movie will in fact retain Gunns screenplay, although there is no indication he will be rehired as director.)

While others are still interested in working with Gunn, THR was told there is likely to be a several-month-long grace period for things to calm down before Gunn is hired on another project.
Dear Prudence,

My longtime friend Toni is getting divorced from her husband, Cal, after his affair. It has been very messy. Toni has gone scorched-earth and demanded everyone choose a side. Cal is very close to my husband and my daughters. I have known Toni for over 15 yearsincluding when she had an affair and had an abortion to keep it a secret. I held her hand during the procedure. Toni just accused my 23-year-old daughter of having sex with Cal because she wanted both Toni and Cal at her graduation. My daughter called me crying, and I dont know what to do. My immediate impulse is to call Toni and tell her off and then let everyone else know what Toni did. I know that is not the right thing to do, but I dont know what that is.

Scorched-Earth Friendship

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Oh, I think telling Toni off is absolutely the next right thing for you to do here. What she did to your daughter was unconscionable and a certified act of friendship-ending. Give yourself a day or two to calm down so that youre able to speak with composure. Dont call her names or throw her abortion back in her face, but aside from that, feel free to let her know how cruel and unnecessary her lie was, that shes utterly broken your trust in her, that you hope she never treats another person the way shes treated you and your daughterand that shes no longer welcome at the graduation ceremony. If you want to talk to your friends about Tonis latest accusation about your daughter, youre well within your rights to do so. But dont bring up her previous affair or abortion; thats a private and painful event worth protecting regardless of how badly she behaves.

Advertisement

Dear Prudence,

I recently attended the company picnic at a local amusement park. In the pavilion area we rented for games, I was interrupted during bingo (I know, I know, but the prizes were real!) an eventually frustrating number of times, being asked to come meet someones family. I understand this seems easier than them coming to meet me, since it was just me and my boyfriend, but one, I have no sincere interest in doing so, and two, theyve interrupted my game. As we have more holiday parties, what are my obligations here? I got one comment today already about how someones adult children were disappointed they didnt get to meet me (yet they made no effort to introduce themselves, which I wanted to, but didnt, point out to their mother). I understand I cant be left alone at a company function, but what can I say that will get me as close to that as possible?

Off-Site Etiquette

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Almost no one has a sincere interest in meeting co-workers families or fulfilling any of the many necessary functions of a company picnic, which is part of the terrible paradox of the forced fun of a company picnic: It looks like relaxation, but it isnt really. Your time isnt entirely your own at a work party. That doesnt mean you cant say something like, Ill come by after this game or Send them over! if youre interrupted multiple times in a row. It also doesnt mean you cant say to your co-worker with the disappointed children that you look forward to meeting them next time before cheerfully getting back to work. X was disappointed they didnt get to meet you is generally offered as more of a pleasantry or compliment than a reprimand, so I dont think you should worry that youre being scolded for attempting to play some company-provided bingo at a company picnic. In the future, if youre in the middle of a game or a conversation or a canape while a co-worker wants to steal you for just a quick second, you can always say, Let me finish this, and Ill be over in a few minutes. But more often than not, at a company party, these are conversations that will have to be deferred rather than escaped entirely.

Advertisement

Advertisement

How to Get Advice From Prudie:

 Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

 Join the live chat every Monday at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the live discussion.

 Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

Advertisement

Dear Prudence,

My parents are 76 and healthy, still drive, and participate in a range of community activities. They have had recent medical screenings and have normal cognition for people their age. They havent always made great financial decisionstaking jobs at a private school with no pension rather than a public school with a good pension system, for examplebut theyre not erratic or unreliable. Im their executor and have power of attorney, mostly because I live locally but also because my sister is horribly bossy and closed-minded. She wants to make our parents clear all their financial decisions with us and make various changes around their home. If my parents balk, she plans to nag them to death until they acquiesce. I told her that Id go along with anything (within reason) that our parents want to do but that theyre still capable of making their own decisions. Now, my sisters on my casethat Im too close to the situation, that Im too lackadaisical, that Im too afraid of confrontation. Can I just tell her to shut up?

The Rents Are All Right, All Right?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Yes, of course you can, and you should. Her plan is to nag you to death until you agree to join her in nagging your parents to death. Luckily, youre the one with power of attorney, she lives far away, and you can always hang up on her if she wont take no for an answer. Youre making an investment in your own future peace of mind (and your parents) by following through on the limit youve already established. Theres a reason youre close to the situation and she isnt, and you should make sure she stays at a remove from the situation for good.

Advertisement

Dear Prudence,

I live in an expensive city where housing is scarce, but Im fortunate enough to own a home. I offered the second bedroom to my friends Courtney and Ross. Theyre a couple who share a room, pay half the expenses, and do half the housework. We share meals and food costs. Its great, but I am expected to be ready to teach at 7 a.m. (so I cant eat my breakfast at work) and have a 40-minute commute. Courtney works 95 at a nearby bank, and Ross works an afternoon shift; theyre both night people. The house is large and echo-y, and Courtney, a delicate sleeper, is easily disturbed by the sounds of me preparing breakfast. She requested that since I work a nonstandard schedule, I eat breakfast out each morning so as to not wake her. I agreed but soon realized that it costs me an extra $50 per week to eat out while still paying for one-third of the groceries. I suggested that this cost be added into our weekly food expenses, but Courtney balked. Was I being unfair to ask this? Can I insist? Other than this, theyre great roommates.

Nonstandard Schedule Standards

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Eating breakfast out five days a week just because your roommate is a light sleeper was not a reasonable request, and youre under no obligation to abide by it just because your first instinct was to give in. Im all for being respectful of common quiet hours, and its certainly unfortunate that your respective schedules conflict as they do, but quietly making breakfast is a reasonable morning activity, and while you can be thoughtful and quick about it wherever possible, you shouldnt have to spend an additional $50 a week and hustle out the door by (or before) 6 a.m. You two can both do your best to be mindful of each otherit may be possible for you to occasionally prepare your breakfast the night before, and Courtney can get earplugs or a white noise machinebut its unreasonable for her to demand you clear out of the house the minute you roll out of bed and pay for it too.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Dear Prudence Uncensored

Daniel Mallory Ortberg and Nicole Cliffe will return next week to discuss one of the weeks letters in Dear Prudence Uncensoredonly for Slate Plus members.

Dear Prudence,

Our office shares a double restroom with another company that occupies the floor of our building. This has never been an issue because 10 women work in our office and no women worked at the other company. Then they hired a new female employee. A few weeks ago, I noticed that every single time I used the restroom, she was already occupying the other stall and stayed after I left. I understand that some trips take a bit longer, but even when I would leave the restroom to give her privacy, coming back after as long as 30 minutes, she would still be in the other stall. This has become such a frequent occurrence that every single other woman I work with has mentioned it, initially as a joke. But its turning into a very weird and protracted issue. Oftentimes we can hear her music (she wears giant over-ear headphones during these trips) and see the screen from her iPhone as she spends up to 40 minutes in a stall. Were left to awkwardly schedule the use of the other stall around the rare occasions she leaves the restroom. Recognizing that this could be health-related, is there any hope of solving this problem? The issue comes up multiple times a day, but none of us can see a solution to this beyond leaving a ridiculously awkward note in the bathroom. Are we all stuck playing hide-and-go-seek with a stranger?

Restroom Relaxation

Advertisement

Advertisement

If people are using both stalls in a bathroom, then yes, you do have to wait until one of them is free. I feel confident saying that a new hirethe only woman at a company full of menis not spending an hour or more of her workday in the bathroom for fun because she feels so confident in her job security, but because she has a medical issue. The fact that this woman wears headphones to the bathroom just means shes trying to make the best of a difficult situation. That doesnt make things easy for you, but try to keep your group scheduling to a minimum, and dont let it devolve into unnecessary speculation or mean-spirited commentary. If she could use the bathroom less often, she would; asking her to do something she almost certainly cant would be unkind and unhelpfuland doing it by leaving a note for her to read would only serve to humiliate her.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Dear Prudence,

When I was a teenager, my aunts husband pulled me aside after I made several particularly obnoxious homophobic remarks. He quietly told me that before he met my aunt, his longest relationship was with a man and that he had had a number of male and female lovers in his youth. He explained that my remarks were hurtful but also a sign of insecurity. It was something of a turning point for me, and a few years later he and my aunt took me in when my parents kicked me out of the house after I came out to them. They also paid for me to go to college. My boyfriend and I are getting married soon, and I really want to tell this story, but I am also aware that it is not my story to tell. My aunts husband sadly passed away last year, so I cant ask him whether hes OK being outed in this way. Whats the right thing to do here? Members of his extended family will be at the wedding, and I dont want to upset anybody, but at the same time I want to share one of the meaningful exchanges of my life on my wedding day.

Is It Ever OK to Out Somebody After Hes Gone?

Advertisement

Advertisement

I think theres enough usable material in this letter without outing him for a lovely toast (no one ever leaves a wedding saying, Man, I wish the toasts had been longer anyhow). Your aunts husband helped you realize that making homophobic remarks was wrong, then helped send you to college and took you in after the rest of your family rejected you when you came outtheres a lot there! You dont say that you feel comfortable asking your aunt about this, so I dont think youre going to get a strong sense about what he would have wanted. Since you want to honor him, I think its better to err on the side of not outing him. Confine your remarks to the (many) wonderful ways he showed you support and helped you become the man you are today.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Classic Prudie

I consider myself to be a borderline sociopath. I view this as a neural development disorder where many people fall along a spectrum, not something to be treated or changed. Dating is a problem. I do not feel love the way I imagine many people do. My love for someone peaks around the two-month mark in the relationship. But I have been the love of their life for many women, who form incredibly deep bonds and end up devastated after they realize our relationship will not progress and it ends for seemingly no reason. What am I to do?
This summer, after 32 years of animated Pixar shorts, Domee Shi became the first woman ever to direct one. Her eight-minute film, Bao, can be seen in theaters before the long-awaited Incredibles 2. At surface level, the heartwarming cartoon is about a lonely mother consoled by a dumpling that comes to life, filling the aching hole in her empty nest. Many writers have praised the short for its sharp attention to cultural detail, specifically the way it both celebrates Chinese culture and unpacks the relationship between immigrant parents and Americanized children. But at the heart of this story about motherhood, there is another complex relationship to be discovered: the rich connection between women and dumplings.

Advertisement

The short opens on a close-up of the mothers hands, carefully kneading, cutting, and shaping her dough into rounds that are healthily stuffed and then delicately wrapped into bao, a steamed Chinese dumpling filled with meat or vegetables. After serving her husband, who stuffs his mouth and runs off to work, the mother is left to savor her creation alone. Just before she takes a bite, she realizes that one of the dumplings has come to life as a baby bao that cries and giggles. As the dumpling baby grows up, the mother tends to it like her own child, constantly fixing its folds and keeping it full of meat stuffing.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The short isnt only animating a recipe, but a ritual passed from mothers to daughters. My mom and I would make dumplings together on weekends and holidays like Chinese New Year and Christmas, Shi told me via email. My mom learned how to make dumplings from her grandma  Dumpling making has always been an activity Ive associated with familyyou make them at home, with your mom, your aunties, your grandmas. And youre usually doing something else while youre folding dumplings, like watching TV, or gossiping with each other. It seemed obvious to me that dumplings were a perfect vessel to tell a story about a parent/child relationship.

Advertisement

While women have been traditionally relegated to the kitchen in many cultures due to gender norms and stereotypes, it is also a place where they have power to shape tradition and manifest self-expression. In Bao, the mother uses food as a way to express her loveshe always shares buns and bread with her dumpling son while they are out running errands. When he becomes a defiant teenager, she cooks a giant meal in an attempt to win back his attention. Her plan fails as he retreats to his room to eat shrimp chips and talk on the phone. The last straw comes when the dumpling tries to leave home with his new girlfriend. In a moment of desperation, the mother eats the dumpling whole. When the mothers human son returns, she bonds with him and his fiancee over the same dumpling ritual from the beginning of the short. The fiancees ability to follow the dumpling rules allows her to connect with her mother-in-law.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Theres so many interesting rules about dumplings that I learned from my momlike how mincing the meat with a cleaver instead of a meat grinder or food processor makes the dumplings taste better, or how theres two ways to fold dumplings: the easy way  or the harder aka better way, Shi said. Looking back, these rules were just her way of saying that the more love and effort you put into the dumplings, the better they taste. This principle is definitely something I used in Bao, where the mom character expresses her love for her dumpling child through feeding him and cooking for him. To me, thats how the Chinese women in my life showed they cared for me.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This connection between women and dumplings stretches beyond Chinese culture. In the 13th century when dumplings were said to be introduced to countries in Eastern Europe, Georgians named their dumplings khinkali, after the word for woman (kali). In the American South, chicken and dumplings has been a beloved home food for decades. In this case, chicken and dumplings helped women get their families through tough times with comforting, filling food that stretched ingredients as far as they could go. Food writer Ronni Lundy remembers her Great-Aunt Johnnie making the dish in southeastern Kentucky.

Advertisement

I am sure Johnnie was cooking chickens she had culled from the flock, and I remember they had a big flavor, she told me. She often cooked a huge pot with more than one bird in it, then canned the extra meat in broth and fat to be pulled out in the winter to make chicken and dumplings then.

Advertisement

In 2015, Part and Parcel started a program in Britain that taught migrant women how to make Polish pierogi. The organization aims to bring women from all different communities together over dumplings to bond and make new friends in a foreign country. As the women knead and shape the dough, they also have a chance to practice their English skills in conversation together.

As mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts all over the world spend time together folding and stuffing some form of dumpling, a connection is forged between the women and a beloved comfort food. Domee Shi harnessed the love and effort put into each and every dumpling, transforming the food into a meaningful parcel to carry a story about motherhood. Its only fitting that Shi became the first woman to direct a Pixar short while bringing the special connection between women and dumplings to life.
This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission.

Over the next few weeks, some students will be walking into their first day of kindergarten, others are moving into dorm rooms, and some are shipping off halfway around the world for a semester abroad. But what school supplies come in handy in Australia? Or when youre traveling around Europe? To pinpoint the essentials, we spoke with Adam Treisman, 20, who studied abroad in Melbourne last year.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The most key thing was a portable Bluetooth speaker. Id recommend the UE Boom because it has a really long battery life. Once, we were traveling down the coast of Australia and we happened to hear a party on the beach, so we stopped. Their speaker ran out of battery soon after, but we kept the party going for another four hours because we had this with us. It was coincidental and cool.

BUY: UE BOOM 2 Phantom Wireless Mobile Bluetooth Speaker

$119, Amazon

Advertisement

A good weekend bag is key. Youre moving around a lot, so its nice to have a good duffel bag or a backpack. I dont want to give you the one that I have because its not that great, but Uniqlo makes this bag that folds up into this little thing, and then when you unzip it, it opens up into a big weekend bag. Its the most functional thing of all time. I think when youre moving from apartment to apartment, its better to have something to carry, as opposed to roll. It depends, though. In Australia, we were outdoors a lot, and I didnt want to roll anything around.

Maybe in Italy it would be different. [Editors note: The Uniqlo bag is sold-out, but North Face makes a similar packable bag.]

Advertisement

Advertisement

BUY: The North Face Unisex Packable Flyweight Duffel

$45, Amazon

Advertisement

This is random, but an antimicrobial towel. I remember my dad was like, You need this. And I was like, I dont know. But once I used it, I was like, Wow, I needed that. It dries really quickly, so you can reuse it multiple times; and its small, so you can take it wherever, but still use it as a shower towel. Its good for not having to carry around a wet, disgusting towel that just has that stench, or using a gross towel at whatever shitty hotel youre staying at, where its like you dont even know what youre looking at.

Advertisement

BUY: Norwex Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Microfiber Bath & Hand Towels

$31, Amazon

Advertisement

Advertisement

The same goes for a small pillow. Thatll go a long way for long bus rides and flights, gross Airbnbs and shitty hostels.

Advertisement

BUY: SlumberLux Toddler Pillow

$20, Amazon

Always a quirky outfit to bring to festivals or anything themed. I always had a fun shirt that I could throw on.

Advertisement

BUY: Space Jam Reversible Tank Top

$29, Amazon

A good pair of walking shoes are really important. You need something comfortable. I like the Nike Presto or Adidas UltraBoost.

Advertisement

BUY: Air Presto Essential Sneaker

$72, Amazon

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

A portable phone-battery pack for obvious reasons. Youre always on the go, and this will save you from running out of battery wherever you are.

Advertisement

BUY: Xiaomi Mi 10000mAh Power Bank 2 Portable Battery Charger

$15, Amazon

Advertisement

A notebook to keep track of the memories. Like the beach party.

BUY: Moleskine Classic Notebook

$10, Amazon

Advertisement

Advertisement

I cant remember which exact one I used, but a travel adapter will be really essential, no matter where in the world youre going. [Editors note: Weve previously recommended a really great one that works in 150 countries.]

BUY: Flight 001 4-in-1 Adapter

$22, Amazon

I always had my Hydro Flask on me.

BUY: Hydro Flask Insulated Wide Mouth Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$40, Amazon
This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

A foreign adversary trying to curry favor with a major American political party. Surreptitious and illegal efforts to influence the election in that partys favor. A national officeholder and White House staff targeted. A resulting political furor, followed by criminal and congressional investigations. Replace Russia with China, the 2016 election with 1996, and President Donald Trump with Vice President Al Gore, and there are disturbing parallels. But unlike Trump, the Clinton-Gore White House adopted an approach of reasonable, albeit begrudging, accommodation of investigators, including Gores voluntary participation in an interview with federal prosecutors. It was a better legal strategy to protect Gore, and much healthier for the country, than Trumps scorched-earth attacks on intelligence and law enforcement professionals.

Advertisement

As a young attorney for Gore, I responded to congressional and criminal subpoenas in the ensuing investigations. The way the Clinton-Gore operation handled the crisis helped mitigate the political damage. Even more importantly, it navigated the legal and political minefield within the framework and legitimacy of essential American institutions of law enforcement and the intelligence community, rather than targeting them with political attacks.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

As details of the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting on the promise of Russian dirt on Hillary Clinton have emerged, a number of old Gore and George W. Bush staffers recall an episode from the 2000 campaign. A debate preparation binder compiled by the Bush campaign was delivered to an adviser to the Gore campaign. Instead of using stolen insider information, the Gore campaign immediately reported it to the FBI. That was the honorable path, and one that should have been apparent to Trump campaign officials when they were approached by Russians.

Advertisement

Another stark example of integrity occurred when Gore implored those of us on his staff to tamp down efforts by supporters to take to the streets in mass demonstrations after the Supreme Court decided the 2000 presidential election in his opponents favor. His deep-seated commitment to the rule of law and the peaceful transition of powereven under what we all considered outrageous circumstancesled him to understand that continuing the fight after that point could imperil the long-term health of the country.

Gores commitment to American institutions informed his management of fallout from an earlier controversyapparent Chinese efforts to influence the 1996 re-election campaign of President Bill Clinton against his challenger, Republican Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole.

Advertisement

Gores patriotism and common sense meant that Clinton and Gore did not go to war with federal law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community.

In April of that year, as the presidential campaign was in its early stages, thenVice President Gore attended an event at the Hsi Lai Temple in California. It later turned out that Maria Hsia, a longtime Gore fundraiser, had laundered some $60,000 in campaign donations to Democratic political entities through straw donors, including Buddhist nuns Gore had met at the temple. Gore had received support from Hsia dating back to his 1990 Senate campaign. He said that he originally understood the temple event as a Democratic National Committee occasion to reach a segment of the Asian-American community, but he later conceded it was probably finance-related. At the time, questions loomed about whether the campaigns top leaders might have known about the illicit contributions.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Republicans pounced. They designated a fellow Tennessean, Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, to conduct a congressional investigation with the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the precursor to what is now the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Republicans also wanted thenAttorney General Janet Reno to appoint an independent counsel. Although she didnt take that step, the Department of Justice nevertheless aggressively prosecuted the case.

The Thompson investigation, investigative reporting by news media, and ultimately a criminal investigation conducted by a Campaign Finance Task Force within the Justice Department revealed other foreign influence efforts emanating from Asia as well. The players included John Huang, a DNC official with responsibility for constituency outreach and fundraising among Asian Americans, and a fundraising entity called the Pacific Leadership Council formed by Hsia, Huang, and the wealthy Riady family of Indonesia.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Most disturbing were allegations that Chinese intelligence was orchestrating these efforts to cultivate political contacts within the Democratic Party. The Justice Department uncovered evidence that the Chinese Embassy had been used for planning illegal political contributions to the DNC. The Thompson investigation alleged that Hsia was a Chinese intelligence agent. Johnny Chung, a Democratic fundraiser, told federal investigators that Chinas military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Ji Shengde, had funneled $300,000 through Chung to support Bill Clintons re-election campaign.

The Chinese Embassy denied the allegations. White House spokesman Jim Kennedy responded by saying the White House had no prior knowledge of the source of Chungs funds and declined to comment further about allegations regarding intelligence matters.

Justice Department prosecutors won convictions against the primary players in the illegal fundraising schemes:

Advertisement

 In May 1999, Yah Lin Charlie Trie, who had been in the Clinton orbit for some time, pleaded guilty after he was indicted for campaign finance violations and obstruction of justice related to some $600,000 in opaquely sourced political donations.

Advertisement

 The same month, Huang pleaded guilty to a single felony charge in return for substantial cooperation in the investigation.

 In March 2000, amid Gores primary battle with Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hsia was convicted of funneling more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Democratic candidates during the 1996 campaign cycle. Significantly, at her trial, prosecutors contended [Gore] was unaware of any problems with Hsias activities.

Advertisement

 In January 2001, James T. Riady pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to defraud the United States related to illegal campaign contributions, and LippoBank California, which Riady headed, pleaded to 86 related misdemeanor charges and agreed to pay an $8.6 million fine.

Advertisement

The Chinese election interference scandal came at a political cost to Gore. Republicans did their best to maximize the damage in order to hobble Gores anticipated presidential campaign. Republicans on the Hill leaked the transcript of Gores April 2000 FBI interview on the eve of the Democratic National Convention that nominated Gore for president.

But Gores choices about how to respond to the scandaland when to avoid commentmitigated those political costs. More importantly, Gores patriotism and common sense meant that Clinton and Gore did not go to war with federal law enforcement and the U.S. intelligence community.

The following were the hallmarks of the Clinton-Gore legal, official, and political response:

1. Reinforce with public statements that American elections should be free of interference by foreign governments. Its a pretty simple concept, and it places the White House firmly on the side of American democracy. For example, Senate Democrats, who criticized perceived partisan excesses of the Thompson committee Republicans, still began their minority report by affirming the importance of election integrity: Clean and fair elections lie at the very heart of our democratic system of government, and the American people are entitled to know whether the electoral process was compromised or corrupted during the 1996 election cycle. I cant recall Trump or his Hill allies making a clear statement on the need for American election integrity in the face of foreign threats. To the contrary, he has denied or prevaricated at every turn, either insisting that the Russians didnt interfere, contrary to the findings of his own intelligence agencies, or falsely asserting that the agencies found there was no effect on the outcome.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

2. Assure the public that policy was not affected by tainted Chinese political donations. In response to the campaign finance investigation, Bill Clinton spoke about the process by which policy decisions had been taken. In one case, for example, he asserted, The decisions we made, we made because we thought they were in the best interests of the American people. On a sensitive trip to China, in the face of Chinese denials, Gore told Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng the allegations would not affect U.S.-Chinese relations unless the accusations proved true. Even there, Gore took for granted that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence professionals, rather than the White House, would make those determinations about Chinese culpability.

3. Allow the investigation to run its course. Unlike Trumps repeated attacks on the Russia investigation as a witch hunt, Clinton told the public, I think the investigation ought to proceed, and whatever the facts are, well take appropriate action at that time. Embedded in that statement are three important points: (a) The president is not trying to interfere with law enforcement processes; (b) he wont prejudge the facts; and (c) if there is wrongdoing, those responsible should be held accountable.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Its also notable that, while the White House under both Clinton and Trump responded to investigators requests for documents, Gore also submitted to an interview with campaign finance investigators. Gores interview performance and candor became the subject of debate, but there was no barrage of attacks from Gores team against the investigators. It remains to be seen whether Trump will follow suit with his own FBI interview.

Trumps continued public and private efforts to interfere and impede the Russia investigation will be one of his signature legacies of damage to American democratic institutions and the rule of law. In contrast, White House responses to the Chinese influence investigation in the 1990s did not seek to delegitimize the investigation or attack the investigators.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Such a principled response can also pragmatically cauterize the White House from subsequent factual revelations. As long as evidence does not directly implicate the knowledge or conduct of the president or vice president, they dont own it. Consider, in contrast, Trumps refusal to embrace the intelligence community findings that Russia interfered in the election and did so to support Trump. Now Trump stands in opposition to every additional fact about Russian active measures that comes out, even though each fact basically proves what the public, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement officials already collectively know to be true. Why take on all that unnecessary liability?

Advertisement

4. Minimize comment about the pending investigation. This approacha top-line recognition that a legitimate inquiry is ongoing that would limit commentarymitigates the additional legal problems brought on by public commentary about a pending investigation. Every criminal defense lawyer advises the client not to speak about the subject of the investigation absent some pressing justification. In contrast, Trump continues to engulf his administration in controversy as he pours gasoline on the fire with each statement. He has abandoned a time-honored approach of refusing to comment absent a few well-crafted and evidence-based responses. A principled refusal to comment also has the practical benefit of allowing the White House to move on to other topics and advance its affirmative agenda. Instead, the Trump White House criticizes its negative press coverage without acknowledging its own hand in fueling it.

Advertisement

Trump continues to engulf his administration in controversy as he pours gasoline on the fire with each statement.

The biggest problem Gore faced was that he had to walk back his initial characterization of the Buddhist temple event as community outreach. Once it became clear by a review of documents that there was a paper trail connecting the temple event to DNC fundraising efforts, Gore conceded it was finance-related. In January 1997, he told the press: I knew it was a political event and I knew there were finance people who were going to be present, Gore said. And so that alone should have told me this was inappropriate, this was a mistake, dont do this. And I take responsibility for that. On one hand, it was a sign of Gores character that he wanted to correct the record based on evidence. However, it also gave fodder to press skeptics and political opponents that a story that changed once could change again.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

This is another cautionary tale of investigative legal defense for political figures: Its critical to get your arms around the facts in the face of initial pressure to comment on a potential scandalworthy event. Better to hold off those demanding an immediate account of events to give the lawyers and communications staff time to figure out what happened.

5. Push back on political attacks or unsubstantiated allegations with evidence. Minimizing comment did not mean unilateral disarmament from political attacks. As the Republicans prepared to showcase Thompsons hearings, the White House released documents, memoranda, and emails demonstrating that Gore was unaware of any illicit fundraising scheme in connection with his appearance at the Hsi Lai Temple. These documents chronicled the evolution of the event planning that morphed into fundraising activity but also demonstrated a lack of awareness of that change on Gores part. White House communications staff and lawyers appropriately walked reporters through these materials. But rather than defense by screed, it was a defense grounded in facts and the reasonable inferences they supported.

Advertisement

It has been well-chronicled that the Clinton-Gore political operation and White House made mistakes and cut corners as they engaged in the arms race for campaign cash. But there was no evidence that Gore was aware of any straw-donor campaign contribution scheme by a foreign adversary, which he would never have countenanced.

I also do not mean to suggest that the Clinton-Gore White House response to scrutiny was perfect. Or that these events werent political, or politicized, at the time. But a responsible and effective strategy allowed law enforcement processes to run their course and minimized fallout for the White House. In the end, American institutions were preserved, Gore survived the period with limited damage, and the whole Chinese influence effort is a near-forgotten footnote of our political history.

More From Just Security:

Election Interference Is Just a Symptom. Evaporation of Trust Is the Disease.

Just Following Orders: Overdue Oversight and Unanswered Questions on Family Separations
I know it sounds crazy, Nancy, but bear with me. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Progressive policies dont always make for good politics. In many heavily white, sparsely populated parts of this country, it would be less than pragmatic for Democratic candidates to campaign on abolishing ICE, banning semiautomatic weapons, slashing the defense budget, revoking the tax-exempt status of churches, or a whole host of other excellent ideas. And in just about any part of America, progressive policies that require large middle-class tax increases come with genuine political risk  even when said policies are broadly popular in the abstract  as single-payer advocates in Colorado and Vermont recently discovered.

This much, stodgy pundits and centrist scolds get right. The trouble comes when they take the banal fact that moderating on some issues, in some places, is politically beneficial  and extrapolate that moderating on all issues, in (virtually) all areas, must be even more so.

In reality, theres often nothing in moderation. The correlation between the political utility of a given idea  and where a political scientist might plot it on a left-right ideological spectrum  is looser than Donald Trumps suit pants: Many proposals for dramatically expanding government intervention in the economy play well with red and blue Americans alike.

And if the Democratic Party had to pick a single policy  for all of its congressional candidates to run on this fall  they would be smart to pick the most downright socialist idea theyve got.

Earlier this year, Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced a bill that would give workers control over the means of production  or, partial control, anyway. The Reward Work Act would require every large company in the United States to have one-third of its board of directors directly elected by its labor force. Which is to say: It would force companies to give their workers a say in how profits are allocated. This arrangement, widely known as worker co-determination, is prevalent in Western Europe and a pillar of Germanys economic model. Both historical evidence and common sense suggest that, had workers representatives been in every corporate boardroom this January, the Trump tax cuts might have actually trickled down into workers paychecks (instead of pooling in wealthy shareholders bank accounts). At a time of record corporate profits, and stubbornly tepid wage growth, co-determination is a simple way of rebalancing the gains of growth in ordinary Americans favor  without raising taxes by a single cent.

And new polling suggests it is among the most broadly popular ideas in American politics.

For a while now, the progressive think tank Data for Progress (DFP) has been commissioning national polls on far-left ideas, and then applying state-of-the-art demographic modeling techniques (i.e., the ones used by well-funded political campaigns) to estimate the likely level of support for said policies in every state and district in the country. With the help of the data science firm Civis Analytics, DFP recently ran the concept of worker co-determination by the American public, and found that the proposal has a positive approval rating in 100 percent of the nations states and congressional districts.

Important reminder in their findings that what counts as radical versus moderate in elite circles doesnt necessarily reflect public opinion.



Of their big five the most popular  codetermination  is also by far the most substantively ambitious. pic.twitter.com/Iq9t45MxKK  Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) August 8, 2018

With the public as a whole, the policy boasted net support with likely voters who are Asian-American (+40), black (+38), college-educated (+31), Latino (+32), white (+28), and not college educated (+28). No demographic group registered a net-negative opinion to the idea. And in many critical regions of the country, a majority of Trump voters endorsed it.

And, by themselves, these findings actually understate the political virtues of the proposal. Most policy polls studiously avoid giving voters partisan cues that might bias their responses. In real life, however, voters perceptions of any given policy are inevitably influenced by which party is proposing it. Thus, to account for this reality, DFP characterized co-determination as a Democratic idea  and included the GOPs likely counterargument  in the wording of their question:

In many countries, employees at large companies elect representatives to their firms board of directors in order to advocate their interests and point of view to management. Democrats say this gives regular workers a greater say over how their companies are run and will increase wages, while Republicans claim that this makes companies less efficient and would be bad for the economy. Would you support or oppose mandating that large companies allow employees to elect representatives to their board of directors?

On first blush, one might think that this wording is biased in Team Blues favor. After all, the question portrays Democrats as being concerned with ordinary Americans wages, while painting Republicans as preoccupied with the mere abstraction of efficiency. Plus, it strongly implies that Republicans believe that ordinary workers lack business savvy  why else would giving them more influence over corporate governance make companies less efficient?

And yet, the question is (almost certainly) an accurate approximation of how the partisan debate would unfold. The GOP has roughly two strategies for countering liberal economic ideas that sound good to voters, in theory: (1) Claim that they would be bad for economic growth, or (2) Suggest that theyd only benefit nonwhite people. The latter isnt really an option with co-determination. And theres simply no way for the GOP to argue that giving workers a say in how their companies are run is bad for the economy without implying that most Americans lack the intelligence and judgment to make good business decisions  and should, therefore, defer to the wisdom of their bosses.

That is not the kind of argument Republicans want to make. As Tuesday nights election results in deep-red Missouri made clear, when American voters are asked to take sides between management and labor, there isnt much of contest. The GOP owes its grip on power to racial, cultural, and regional polarization. If class identity were more salient in American politics, a party as fervently committed to upward redistribution as the Republicans wouldnt have a prayer of competing in national elections.

And there are few better ways for Democrats to increase the salience of class identity in our politics than to start a national debate over whether workers deserve a seat in corporate boardrooms. Progressivism isnt always pragmatic politics. But calling on workers to seize (influence over their employers small share of) the means of productions sometimes is.
Asked by a reporter on Wednesday whether he identifies as a socialist, Ben Jealous gave a long-winded but generally on-point response implying he does not. Asked a second time for clarification, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Maryland gave a much shorter response: Are you fucking kidding me?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

You can guess which of the two answers people noticed. The Washington Free Beacon posted video of the exchange with a headline declaring, Ben Jealous explodes at reporter over being asked if hes a socialist, and Fox News likewise blared, Ben Jealous snaps at reporter for socialism question. Outlets like the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun went with a less active verb but still highlighted the profanity: Ben Jealous drops an f-bomb. The GOP quickly tried to capitalize: A top official at the Republican Governors Association called Jealous unhinged, and a spokesman for his GOP opponent, Gov. Larry Hogan, lamented that the curse word had lowered the level of political discourse in our state and in our country. Jealous quickly apologized, which kept the perpetual-motion machine moving. Ben Jealous apologizes for dropping f-bomb when asked if hes a socialist, announced a CBS News affiliate in Baltimore.

Advertisement

Even this litany of headlines fails to fully capture just how far and fast this episode spun out of control given how it began. Below is the full transcript of the exchange between Jealous and the Posts Erin Cox, who was asking the candidate to respond to comments Hogan made in a recent New York Times interview and charges leveled against him by the RGA in a misleading attack ad. (That ad cherry-picks the first half of a June remark by Jealous, who went into the tech sector after his time as the head of the NAACP: Go ahead, call me a socialist. That doesnt change the fact Im a venture capitalist.) After Jealous initial 90-odd-second answer, Cox did her journalistic due diligence to remove any and all doubt.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Reporter: Governor Hogan and the RGA have made a significant amount of effort and investment in trying to paint you as a socialisttheyve actually called you a socialist and a far-left socialist and [claimed] that the state cant afford you. What is your response to, first, the term socialist, whether you embrace it, identify [with] it to any degree, and secondly, the charge about whether the state can afford you. Jealous: You know, I about fell out of my chair when I read in the Times this weekend that Hogan was out there calling me names. And then it occurred to me, him calling me a far-left socialist is what the Tea Party called President Obama, its what Barry Goldwater called Martin Luther King. And when you see conservatives like Hogan name-calling, you realize that theyre scared. That theyre frankly afraid of the change that all of our families needwe need a more inclusive and robust economy. Now what I am is a venture capitalist. And what I do is invest in growing businesses. You can go talk to Jess Gartner atdown in Baltimore City, whose company Allovue, shell tell you, has benefited a lot more from my work as a venture capitalist than anything that Governor Hogan has done as governor. The reality is that when it comes to building our economy this governor has been lazy and were all now paying a price for it. We are dead last in the region as far as growthwere dead last as far as wage growth. Weve seen health care costs surge on his watch, as hes been part of the Republican effort to undermine Obamacare. And when Im governor, well turn things around and well do it by investing in our small businesses, by pushing everybody we can into Obamacare, and doing whatever it takes to get a better deal on health care for the people of our state. Reporter: Not to put too fine of a point on it, but do you identify with the term socialist? Jealous: Are you fucking kidding me? Is that a fine enough point? Reporter: Thank you, sir. Jealous: All right, thank you.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Sure, most people can agree that Jealous would have been better off keeping his response PG and simply answering the question with a yes or no. But you can watch the video and see him chuckle after he finishes, making it clear he was not swearing at Cox so much as expressing frustration at being cast as a socialist. As part of his apology, Jealous also offered up the unambiguous type of answer Cox had been looking for. Im a venture capitalist, not a socialist, he tweeted. I have never referred to myself as a socialist nor would I govern as one.

The whole mess obscures the far more interesting part of this, which is that Jealous, a chief surrogate for Bernie Sanders two years ago, is so adamantly rejecting the socialist label. Jealous has been consistent on that point, even as the term continues to gain traction on the left, particularly among younger Americans.

Advertisement

Given the terms amorphous nature todaySanders, the most well-known democratic socialist in the country, isnt all that socialist by traditional standardsJealous and other proud progressives like him have the luxury of defining the term however they want and then embracing it under that definition or rejecting it.

Advertisement

Jealous is calling for Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, and tuition-free college funded by ending mass incarceration. His progressive bona fides are not in doubt. And he made clear in the primary that he believes the best way to defeat Hogan, an extremely popular Republican in a blue state, is by running to the left as a way to mobilize disaffected liberals, especially voters of color. And yet here Jealous is reinforcing the assumption baked into the GOP attack and, to a lesser degree, Coxs question: that socialism, however defined, is a dirty word. That makes a certain type of sense given that Republicans have long used the term to smear anyone and anything they deem insufficiently conservative. And it was Sanders embrace of the term that many pundits and politicos used to discount his chances in 2016.

Still, Jealous full-throated rejection puts him at odds with Sanders, who has endorsed his campaign, and with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the lefts newest hero, both of whom are eager to erase the words stigma. Its a question more about politics than policy, but branding exercises matter in elections, and as spontaneous as Jealous profanity may have been, his rejection is a deliberate decision. Thats far more important than his uttering the F-word.
As of Tuesdays primaries, a record number of women have secured major-party nominations for this Novembers U.S. House elections. Democratic and Republican voters have nominated 185 women in House races so far, toppling the previous record of 167 nominees in 2016. And there may be even more women nominees to come, with 94 additional female House candidates running in upcoming primaries and one state runoff. (Three women in Washington are still waiting for the final results in their too-close-to-call races, too.)

Advertisement

That jump in absolute numbers from 167 to 185 obscures the real source of this gender shift. The previous record for Democratic women House nominees came in 2016, when there were 120. This year, there are 143. Meanwhile, just 42 Republican women have secured House nominations, the smallest cohort in a decade.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

After the 2016 election, the president of the National Federation of Republican Women told me that Donald Trump ignited excitement and enthusiasm among conservative women, providing a natural springboard for them to run for office. The numbers dont bear out that claim. In March, Politico counted 494 women running for the House and Senate; 76 percent of them were Democrats. This enthusiasm gap has also manifested at the polls. In the 2018 primaries, Democratic women running for House seats have mostly bested their male opponents. NPR reports that in open Democratic primaries with both genders represented in the candidate pool, women have won 69 percent of the time. In Republican races under the same circumstances, only 34 percent of female candidates have won.

Advertisement

Past research has shown that women are elected and re-elected at the same rates as men in comparable races. At the same time, a 2016 poll reported that a plurality of both Republicans and Democratic men said theyd be more likely to vote for male candidates than female ones, while Democratic women were the only group that said they prefer female candidates.

When Democratic women havent succeeded this year, its often because theyve lost to other Democratic women. In one Pennsylvania district, six women and four men were on the Democratic ballot. A woman won that race, but five others inevitably lost.

Advertisement

Progress in gender equity within the Democratic Party wont necessarily lead to a major gender shakeup in Congress. Many of the female Democratic nominees are running in heavily Republican districts they are all but certain to lose; others are running against incumbents, who enjoy a substantial statistical advantage. And though 185 seems like a lot of candidates, there are still far more men running for House seats, in part because this year saw a surge of new male candidates in addition to female ones. The New York Times reported in May that even if a female candidate won in every district where a woman was running, men would still outnumber them by almost 2-to-1 in the House. (Women currently hold 84 of 435 seats in the House, or 19.3 percent.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Still, advocates for greater representation for women in Congress see a few heartening trends in the types of women running for office. Historically, women have waited to run until they have a ton of experience and a good chance of winning. Men have not. (In one survey, 79 percent of women said the first office theyd seek would be local, compared to 67 percent of menand twice as many men as women said theyd pick a federal position as their first.) Thus, female candidates on the ballot have often had better qualifications than their male counterparts. This imbalance is a demonstration of womens logical decision-making, not succumbing to imposter syndrome: Some research has shown that when comparing candidates of equal quality, men win more often than women. In other words, an excellent female candidate will only fare as well as a mediocre male one.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But this election cycle, women arent letting a relative lack of experience hold them back, according to analysts at the Center for American Women in Politics. That may not bode well for the 2018 midtermsin addition to the barriers they face in voter perception, inexperienced women sometimes choose to run in districts that heavily favor their opponentsbut its a good precedent for future elections. Voters of all genders will get accustomed to seeing female first-time candidates with varying levels of experience, following their campaigns, and watching a few succeed. With role models like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a congressional candidate whos already become a national celebrity despite having never held public office, women may stop waiting to hit traditional thresholds of readiness before filing to runand if female candidates with low-to-average levels of experience become the norm rather than the exception, the biases in voter perception may finally begin to shift. Todays record-breaking roster of female candidates is best interpreted as an investment in gender equity, not an immediate payout.
On Wednesday, The Rachel Maddow Show released leaked audio of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes that was recorded at a private fundraiser for his Republican colleague, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The recording shows Nunes commitment to using the power of his office to obstruct Roberts Mueller investigation of Donald Trump, with the congressman acknowledging his aim to protect the president from investigators to ensure the GOP remains in power.

If [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president, were the only ones, Nunes said to the crowd of Republican donors. Which is really the danger. Thats why  we have to keep all these seats. We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

These private remarks are the opposite of shocking given what Nunes has said and done in public. Since Trump took office, Nunes has publicized classified information meant to support a claim by Trump that Barack Obama had personally tapped his phones without revealing that his source was the White House itself; hyped and produced a memo, which Trumps own Justice Department described as misleading, that was meant to discredit the FBI; prematurely closed the House Intelligence Committees Russia investigation and reached conclusions that contradicted the findings and beliefs of the intelligence community and even some of the committees Republican members; campaigned to publicize classified information that intelligence officials have described as directly threatening intelligence-gathering sources and methods; and spent the last few months building a campaign to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a way Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called cavalier.

Advertisement

There is one way, though, in which Nunes fundraiser comments might reveal something important: They show his belief that he has the support of Republican leadership in his campaign to shield Trump. For her part, McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Republican Conference, seemed to indicate he is correct in that view.

Advertisement

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, told me last week that he felt that Ryan has at least tacitly endorsed Nunes malfeasance. Ryan has portrayed the situation as otherwise, publicly distancing himself from the efforts to impeach Rosenstein and pressing his colleagues to back off that attempt after articles of impeachment were submitted last week.

Hardline Republicans, however, have promised that impeachment options remain on the table. Rosenstein has become the top target of the presidents defenders, because he has ultimate authority over the Mueller probe that Trump has so vocally and consistently declared to be a witch hunt. (On Thursday, he called it a rigged witch hunt.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Nunes comments reveal that his current plan is to wait until Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed to the Supreme Court by the Senate and then to return to trying to get Rosenstein impeached. Heres the relevant portion of audio:

Audience member: But also, on things that came up in the House on Rosenstein impeachment thing. And it appears from an outsider that the Republicans were not supported. Nunes: Yeah, well, so its a bit complicated, right? And I say that because you have to, so we only have so many months left, right? So if we actually vote to impeach, OK, what that does is that triggers the Senate then has to take it up. Well, and you have to decide what you want right now because the Senate only has so much time. Do you want them to drop everything and not confirm the Supreme Court justice, the new Supreme Court justice?  Ive said publicly Rosenstein deserves to be impeached. I mean, so, I dont think youre gonna get any argument from most of our colleagues. The question is the timing of it right before the election. McMorris Rodgers: Also, the Senate has to start  Nunes: The Senate would have to start, the Senate would have to drop everything theyre doing and start to, and start with impeachment on Rosenstein. And then take the risk of not getting Kavanaugh confirmed. So its not a matter that any of us like Rosenstein. Its a matter of, its a matter of timing.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Nunes states that the Rosenstein impeachment is merely being delayed, not entirely tabled. McMorris Rodgers, too, seems to acknowledge that the dynamics of the Senate, which is hoping to hold hearings on Kavanaughs nomination next month, prevent a Rosenstein impeachment from going ahead right now.

Its unclear whether McMorris Rodgers is speaking for the House Republican leadership. Its possible McMorris Rodgers is patronizing Nunes. Its also possible shes serious about giving him the chance to impeach Rosenstein. Given the persistence of Trumps House supporters and the timing of Kavanaughs Senate confirmation, well likely have answers to these questions very soon.
Former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, who was convicted of three felony sexual assaults in 2016, lost his appeal to overturn those convictions Wednesday when a three-judge California court of appeals panel ruled unanimously that Turner received a fair trial. Turner was convicted of assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person, and sexual penetration of an unconscious person after the college freshman was discovered by two student passersby on top of an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside a frat party on Stanford campus in 2015. Turner had taken off the womans clothes, was kissing her, and had penetrated her with his finger, all of which he said was consensual.

Advertisement

Following his conviction, Turner was sentenced to six months in jail, of which he served only three, sparking outrage at the leniency of the sentence that could have stretched 14 years. The judge who imposed the sentence ultimately lost his job, after a ballot measure calling for his recall made him the first California judge in 86 years to be voted out of office. Despite the light sentence, Turner still appealed the convictions themselves, which required him to register as a sex offender for life. Turner filed an appeal in December seeking a new trial, arguing that the evidence presented at his trial didnt support his convictions, the Associated Press reports. During an appeal hearing Turners attorney, Eric Multhaup, argued his client was not attempting rape but rather seeking outercourse with his victim, a unusual legal claim that experts called shocking and hurtful to survivors of sexual assault.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Judge Franklin Elia writing for the unanimous panel said there was substantial evidence to support conviction of all three charges. In particular, the judge pointed out that Turner tried to run from two graduate students who confronted him assaulting the then-22-year-old woman. The judge wrote that the victim was slurring her speech when she left a fraternity party with Turner and the graduate students testified the victim appeared unconscious when they showed up, chased Turner and held him down until police arrived. He denied running when questioned by police. He did not explain or defend himself to them, Elia wrote. And he lied to police about running.

Turners only remaining legal option is to petition the California supreme court to hear his case on appeal.
A federal judge threatened Attorney General Jeff Sessions with contempt of court on Thursday after the government broke a promise not to deport a mother and daughter fleeing gang and domestic violence in El Salvador until the judge had a chance to rule on their case.

Turn that plane around, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan reportedly told the government after learning that it had deported a pair of plaintiffs, Carmen and her daughter J.A.C.F.

Advertisement

We are complying with the courts order, and upon arrival in El Salvador, the plaintiffs will not disembark and will be promptly returned to the United States, the Homeland Security Department responded in a statement.



The ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of 12 immigrants against Sessions recently announced ruling making it harder for domestic and gang violence victims to seek asylum. The group said that the government had issued assurances in open court [on Wednesday] that no plaintiff would be deported before midnight [Thursday].

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Washington Post reported on the dramatic events that led the ACLU to discover that two of their clients had been deported in contravention of the governments promise:

[L]ead ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell, who was participating in the court hearing via phone from her office in California, received an email during the hearing that said the mother and daughter were being deported. During a brief recess, she told her colleagues the pair had been taken from a family detention center in Dilley, Tex., to the airport in San Antonio for a morning flight. After being informed of the situation, Sullivan granted the ACLUs request to delay deportations for Carmen and the other plaintiffs until the lawsuit is decided, and ordered the government to turn the plane around. Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni said he had not been told the deportation was happening that morning and could not confirm the whereabouts of Carmen and her daughter.

Advertisement

Four of the plaintiffs had already been deported, but on Thursday Judge Sullivan issued an order enjoining the government from deporting the eight remaining ones, including Carmen and J.A.C.F.

The case of Carmen and J.A.C.F. demonstrates the cruelty of Sessions decision in June to unilaterally overturn a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling that had granted domestic violence survivors the opportunity to apply for asylum on the basis of persecution for membership in a particular social group. That board had determined in 2014 that women in a certain country who are unable to leave abusive relationships counted as such a group for asylum seeking purposes, but Sessions overturned that decision.

Advertisement

Heres how Carmen and J.A.C.F.s case is described in the ACLU lawsuit:

Advertisement

Carmens husband routinely raped, stalked, and threatened her with death, treating her as his property, even after they were living apart.  Carmen also fears that she and her daughter would be killed by a violent gang, who targeted her because she was a vulnerable single mother living alone with her child, and because she had a good factory job. They held her up at gunpoint in May 2018 when she was on her way home from work and demanded that she pay a monthly tax, making clear that they would kill her little girl if she did not comply. The gang also threatened to kill her if she went to the police. Because four or five of her co-workers were killed by the same gang in the past year, she knew the threats were serious and fled with J.A.C.F. to avoid death.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This is pretty outrageous, Judge Sullivan said, according to the Post, upon learning that the pair had been sent back to El Salvador. That someone seeking justice in U.S. court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?

Advertisement

Im not happy about this at all, he continued. This is not acceptable.

Carmen and J.A.C.F. are exactly the type of asylum seekers who would have had the opportunity to pursue their cases under the previous regime. The ACLU says that they were found to have testified credibly in their credible fear interview in June, but rejected anyway, apparently because of Sessions earlier ruling. That rejection was affirmed by an immigration judge last month.

Advertisement

Now, though, the pair are apparently to be returned to the United States where Judge Sullivan, a Bill Clinton appointee, will rule on their eligibility for asylum and on Sessions decision to overturn the previous policy.

In its rush to deport as many immigrants as possible, the Trump administration is putting these women and children in grave danger of being raped, beaten, or killed, Chang Newell said in a statement. We are thrilled the stay of removal was issued but sickened that the government deported two of our clientsa mom and her little girlin the early morning hours. We will not rest until our clients are returned to safety.
Kansas Republican gubernatorial primary appears destined for a recount. After a major delay tabulating results Tuesday night, all of the states 105 counties have now reported, and the race is about as close as it can get: Trump-endorsed Kris Kobach leads interim Gov. Jeff Colyer by just 191 votes out of more than 311,000 cast, good for a lead of about 0.06 percent.* Election officials will need to review an estimated 10,000 provisional ballots, but Kansas law allows any candidate to force a recount if theyre willing to pay for it in the event it fails to change the outcome.

Advertisement

And thats where things get interesting. As Kansas current secretary of state, Kobach would be the public official tasked with overseeing the recounta job that includes determining how much the loser has to reimburse the state if the results stand. Given the painfully obvious conflict of interest, one would be forgiven for thinking Kobach would simply recuse himself and be done with it. But anyone who assumes that does not know Kris Kobach, who led the presidents now-defunct voter fraud task force designed to prove Trumps ludicrous claim that millions of illegal ballots cost him the 2016 popular vote.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Heres what Kobach had to say Wednesday, as reported by the Kansas City Star:

The recount thing is done on a county level, so the secretary of state does not actually participate directly in the recount, Kobach said . The secretary of states office merely serves as a coordinating entity overseeing it all but not actually counting the votes, Kobach said, contending that his role puts him at arms length from the actual recount.  Kobach said the concerns about his role are endemic to having an elected secretary of state, but of course there are safeguards. He pointed to the role of county officials and the fact that members of both parties would have a role in a recount.

Advertisement

The relevant state law paints a different picture, however. If this were a general election, Kansas would pay for any recount if the margin were within a half-point. But because this is a primary, the recount-requesting challenger has to provide a bond up front to cover any associated costs. As secretary, Kobach is responsible for determining the size of that bond, effectively giving him the power to set the price on his challengers recountor in the event Kobach trails after the provisionals, on his own. The law also states the county election officers supervising the recount would do so at the direction of the secretary of state.

Even if Kobach stays out of the nitty gritty, then, hed still be the official signing off on how the recount is conducted. In a world where Kobach didnt let his self-interest dictate his decision-making, it would still be impossible to avoid the appearance of a conflict in that kind of situation. But Kobach, it seems, does not care.
Former Apprentice contestant, White House staffer, and Zelig of cultural decline Omarosa Manigault-Newman has tapes of conversations with Trump, the Daily Beast reported.

The tapes, according to sources who have heard them, are anodyne, everyday chatter, but  they did appear to feature Trumps voice, either over the phone or in-person, the Daily Beast said.

This marks the second Trump confidante to have clandestinely taped him and then leverage those tapes to benefit themselves. An excerpt from Omaraosas upcoming book said Trump suffered from mental decline and that Donald rambled. He spoke gibberish. He contradicted himself from one sentence to the next. It appears the tapes themselves dont show any particular oddness from Trump.

Omarosa also, the Daily Beast reported, ironically details an extensive crackdown on White House leakers she had planned with Anthony Scaramucci and Ivanka Trump. It produced 10 namesbut went nowhere since the Mooch was fired after only 11 days on the job.
Muslims havent had a lot of reasons to be excited about our government lately. Under President Trump, open hostility has become business as usual. From the proposed Muslim ban to the president casually telling Anderson Cooper that he believes Islam hates the United States, a heightened sense of anxiety now infects the lives of Muslim Americans, and we have real reasons to feel abandoned by our government. Hate crimes against Muslims have surpassed even the spike after 9/11, and within the United States, American terrorists have targeted fellow Americans who happen to be Muslim. Meanwhile, Trump invites hatemongers into the White House, hires them to his staff, and retweets anti-Muslim propagandists.

Advertisement

But if Muslims see a failure of democracy under Trump, Tuesdays election results offer at least a glimmer of hope that the process can still work. In Michigan, Rashida Tlaib is now poised to make history by becoming not only Americas first female Muslim member of Congress, but also the first Arab-American Muslim, after winning the Democratic primary in Michigans 13th Congressional District, which covers most of Detroit and some of its suburbs. Tlaib will run unopposed in the upcoming election, and Muslims in the U.S. and abroad are already celebrating her victory.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In an email, Tlaib told me she thinks this win shows a lot of Muslim Americans that even with Trump in the White House and the Supreme Court telling us the Muslim Ban is legal, our voices are powerful, and reminds people that we belong in this country like everyone else.

Advertisement

As it turns out, Muslim Americans are happy to try and represent themselves if the current government refuses to. A former Michigan state legislator, Tlaib is one of the first to win in a wave of more than 90 Muslim candidates, mostly running as Democrats, whove entered the local, state, and national race for public office.

Her victory doesnt advance some kind of Muslim agenda. She ran on a platform focused on economic and environmental justice, Medicare for All, and a $15 minimum wageall issues that understandably resonate with people living in Detroit. Her identity, she told me, didnt play a central role. Im proud of my faith and am raising my family to be proud of our identity, she told me in an email. A lot of people expect that my race and religion was an issue in this campaign, but it really wasnt. Voters on the doors dont care that Im Muslim, they just want to know that Ill work hard for them and never sell them out. She received over 27,000 votes, edging her over her opponent by only 1 percent. How I pray doesnt matter to them, she added.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But to Muslims everywhere, her victory will help revive a marginalized communitys hope in fighting for an egalitarian democracy. Tlaibs win stunned American Muslims everywhere whod given up on seeing themselves in the people responsible for governing them. Representation, especially for American Muslims, matters. The Pew Research Center concluded that familiarity with a Muslim was directly linked with positive views toward Islam, and in America, more than half of the population have never met one. So with more Muslims in government, weve got a better shot at curbing the problem of Islamophobia, and well have at least a few elected leaders who can relate to the struggle.

For the first time in a long time, Im excited about democracy. Without it, the prospect of fighting for representationand winningwould be impossible. In her acceptance speech, Tlaib reaffirmed her commitment to our shared American values. Im going to push back against everything thats so un-American thats coming out of this administration, she promised a cheering crowd. And thats something all Americans should celebrate.
The police chief of Union City, California, announced Wednesday that his teenage son was one of the suspects in the Monday assault of an elderly Sikh man in nearby Manteca that sparked outrage from the Sikh community and led to calls for a hate crime investigation.

Around 6 a.m. Monday, Sahib Singh Natt was out for a walk in his neighborhood. According to a surveillance video, two young men approached Natt, and one of them kicked the 71-year-old, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the pavement. Natt tried to get up, but the assailants knocked him back onto the ground. With Natt lying motionless on the street, the two young men started to retreat, but one ran back to the man and kicked him and spat on him before fleeing. Natt, who does not speak English, was hospitalized after the attack; he has since been released.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The video of the unprovoked assault made waves on social media this week. The incident came on the heels of a July 31 assault in nearby Keyes, California, in which a Sikh man was viciously beaten and had his truck spray-painted with a neo-Nazi symbol. That case is being investigated as a hate crime.

The two attacks on Sikh men in Northern California have rattled the community. Approximately 200 Manteca residents attended a rally at the park where Natt was assaulted. Sikh residents of Union City, approximately 60 miles west of Manteca, also came to a National Night Out event on Tuesday in which they spoke about the incident and asked Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister what steps could be taken to prevent a similar attack in their own city.

Advertisement

Hours after the community discussion, McAllister received a call from Manteca police informing him that one suspect in the Manteca attack was his 18-year-old son, Tyrone. McAllister and his wife worked with Manteca police to help find and arrest their son, who has been estranged from his family for several months.

In a lengthy post on the Union City Police Departments Facebook page, Chief McAllister announced his sons involvement in the assault and expressed his deep pain over the situation.

Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now, McAllister wrote. Violence and hatred [are] not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values.

Advertisement

Advertisement

McAllister explained in the post that his son began to lose his way when he was a juvenile and that he had gotten involved with a bad crowd in recent years. My family is shaken to the core.  We simply dont know why, or how we got here, the police chief wrote.

Many local community members praised Chief McAllister for his honesty and professed commitment to supporting the Sikh community. Tyrone McAllister was arrested along with a 16-year-old on a string of charges for the assault on Natt, including attempted robbery and elder abuse. According to a press release, the Manteca police are also investigating whether the case fits all the legal criteria of a hate crime.
The first rule for improving the historically lackluster voting rate for millennials is to never, ever call them that.

Thats just one of the many nuggets in a major new research project that NextGen America, one of billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyers political organizations, will unveil at a presentation in Washington on Thursday morning. (This is a separate entity from Steyers other well-known project, Need to Impeach.) In what it calls one of the largest-ever research efforts on the political motivations of young Americansthe top-performing title for those who would also accept being called young people, young adults, or, more simply, people age 18-35the organization lays out which messages do and dont encourage young Democrats and independents to show up. (Two Democratic-aligned firms, Brilliant Corners and Global Strategy Group, conducted the focus groups and polling, respectively.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Beyond naming preferences, though, the surveys biggest takeaway is that young voters, unlike older cohorts, need to be reminded of the power they possessas both a bloc and as individual voters.

Among 17 messages polled for motivating young voters (and developed through focus groups), the most persuasive across multiple metrics related to power in numbersi.e., reminding young people that the roughly 70 million eligible voters between 18 and 35 are becoming the largest bloc in the country, but theyre ignored because they turn out in such low rates (especially in nonpresidential years). Though turnout in the 2014 midterm elections was low across the board, the roughly 20 percent turnout among young voters still registered as jarring. By contrast, the most reliable age cohort, those 65 and older, turned out at 60 percent. And young voters of today also turn out less than previous generations did when they were the young voters.

Advertisement

The emphasis on the power that young people have collectively, and on the fact that politicians who arent listening to them because they arent voting will have to listen if they do, is probably pretty unique to this age cohort, Jamison Foser, a NextGen America senior adviser who leads the organizations opinion research, told me. Baby boomers have been hearing about how powerful they are for 40 years.

Advertisement

The second most persuasive message rehashes the results of the Virginia state legislative elections in 2017, one of the all-time great examples of how much each vote can matter.

Some people think that one vote doesnt matter, the message reads. But last year, control of the Virginia legislature came down to a single vote in one single race. After Democrats gained 15 seats, they were able to expand Medicaid and give health care to 400,000 Virginians in need. Not every race this year will come down to a literal drawing of lots, though plenty of them seem to be coming down to hundreds of votes.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The least motivating messages, by contrast, included an abstraction about how tiring the chaos in Washington has become, a take-your-medicine line about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, and a declaration that the old guard of centrist Democrats has lost. (If someones already lost, then why bother showing up?)

The research also found, perhaps less uniquely to the younger voters, that negative messaging in the time of Trump beats aspirational any day of the week.

Half of the sampleexcluding super voters, the term researchers use for those young people almost certain to votewas read an aspirational message and the other half a negative one. The former described America as the land of the free and a place where we take care of each other, but right now, were not living up to what we are supposed to be as a country, and urged the sample to [vote] for new leaders who will bring change in November. The latter said that things are already terrible and will get worse if Donald Trump and his allies gain more power, citing their hateful, racist, and sexist attacks.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The negative message proved twice as effective a motivator and did especially well with the younger end of the cohort (aged 18 to 27), women, and Hispanic voters. That final category, though hardly a monolith, is especially important to motivate, the research finds, because non-whites have significantly lower intensity on caring about who controls Congressparticularly Hispanics.

As for labeling the opposition, the researchers also tested names for Republicans that make them sound bad. In general, the more congressional Republicans were linked with Trump, the worse they sounded. Neither the establishment nor the people in power performed nearly as well (poorly?) as Trumps enablers, the party of Trump, or Trumps allies in Congress. And Republicans are moving us backwards orthis was really testedRepublicans are fucking us over are found to be more effective than Republicans are stealing our future or Republicans are selling us out.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The researchers are not suggesting that these messaging recommendations will be a cure-all to the entrenched problem of young people voting in lower rates than older demographics.

Our messaging does a solidbut not spectacularjob of increasing intention to vote, they say in the conclusion of the presentation theyll make Thursday morning. This is not an easy task. Even though, for example, the negative messaging is twice as effective a motivator, the effect is still marginal: The aspirational message, for example, moved the mean likelihood to vote from 7.5 to 7.7 on a 1-10 scale (with 10 as mostly likely), while the negative message moved it from 7.5 to 7.9.

But for now, NextGen hopes this research can at least kick-start the arduous process of turning infrequent young voters into a reliable bloc.

Young voters, the largest eligible voting bloc in the country, are essential to propelling progressives to victory in 2018 and beyond, Steyer told me. The future of America is dependent on our ability to speak to them in a way that is meaningful and effective.
Divided by Pai. Photo: Alex Edelman/Getty Images

To all the world, Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Trump administration looked to have the perfect relationship. During the 2016 campaign, the local TV news giant acted as a propaganda arm of the Republican nominees campaign  forcing its affiliate stations to air fawning coverage of Donald Trump, and hard-hitting reports on Hillary Clintons secret health problems. And the Trump administration returned this favor upon taking power: After the president installed Ajit Pai at the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC rolled back a pair of rules that stood in the way of Sinclairs $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media.

In the ensuing months, the love between the White House and Sinclair continued to blossom. In addition to compelling its stations to air prepackaged, pro-Trump segments, the broadcaster began forcing all of its affiliated anchors to personally report to their viewers that the mainstream news media was biased against the president. The two entities fit together like peas in a pod, or a hand in a glove, or the Kremlin and Pravda.

But then Sinclair cheated.

Pai had relaxed media ownership rules, but he hadnt eliminated them entirely. Thus, to complete its merger with Tribune, Sinclair agreed to divest from a few of its acquired stations. But by divest, Sinclair appears to have meant officially sell for a pittance to our cronies, while actually retaining control over how the stations operate and what they broadcast. As NBC News reports:

Among other things, the FCC zeroed in on the business ties between Smith and businessman Steven Fader in connection with the plan to sell Tribunes WGN-TV Chicago to a new entity controlled by Fader for $60 million. That plan sparked concern from merger opponents because the purchase price was so far below fair market value for a Chicago TV station. Fader is CEO of Atlantic Automotive Group, in which Smith has an equity interest and also sits on its board. The commissions order noted that Fader had no prior broadcast TV experience, and the transaction was structured as to give Sinclair sway over the stations operations.

Upon this discovery, Pai announced that he had serious concerns about the merger, and referred the issue to an administrative law judge  a move could draw out the governments review of the deal for over a year.

On Thursday, Tribune Media ran out of patience. The company announced that it had withdrawn from its sale agreement, and filed a suit against Sinclair for breach of contract. In their agreement, Sinclair had reportedly pledged to make a good faith effort to comply with federal rules, so as to expedite the mergers approval. Sinclairs entire course of conduct has been in blatant violation of the Merger Agreement and, but for Sinclairs actions, the transaction could have closed long ago, Tribune said Thursday.

Tribune will now seek a new buyer, while Sinclair scours the market for smaller broadcasters it can gobble up. The breakdown of the merger represents a rare instance in which the Trump administration ostensibly put principle above both its own political interests, and its friends financial ones.

Still, in late July, after the FCC expressed concerns about the merger, the president made clear that his feelings for Sinclair had never changed.
The U.S. announced a new round of sanctions on Russia in response to the March assassination attempt of a former Russian spy and his daughter in rural England. The new measures, which are expected to go into effect on Aug. 22, target the export of dual-use technologies that could potentially serve a national security purpose, including engines and electronics, a move that could halve Americas $7 billion in yearly exports to Russia, a Trump administration official told the New York Times. In addition to the sanctions, the measure imposes further requirements on the Kremlin, including a clear indication within 90 days that Russia is no longer using chemical or biological weapons, as well as access for international inspectors to check compliance.

Advertisement

According to the State Department, the move comes in response to the United States determination Monday that the Government of the Russian Federation [-] has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. The sanctions are a significant and public vote of confidence in the U.K.s investigation of the use of the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, in March. The British government fingered Moscow as responsible for the attack on former Russian spy and current British citizen Sergei Skripal along with his daughter Yulia Skripal, but investigators havent released definitive findings of their ongoing investigation into the poisoning. In the immediate aftermath of the poisoning, Western allies expelled Russian diplomats, including 60 from the U.S., a move Russia countered with like-expulsions. Both Skripals survived the attack, but Russia denied responsibility, blaming anyone and everyone, including the British government, while fomenting online conspiracy theories and false equivalencies as part of its information misdirection effort.
A bot is an automated software program that does something. Beyond this rudimentary description, bots vary tremendously. They moderate chat room discussions, scrape the web to collect information, and provide customer service on websites. They also pose as real people on social media, where they can cause serious mischief. It is this last capability that has made bots a part of our common vernacular.

Both Congress and California are currently considering legislation that would require social media bots to disclose the fact that theyre automated. These bills are designed to respond to serious, well-founded concerns about the use of social media bots to spread misinformation and sow discord online, most infamously during the 2016 election season. Its a well-intentioned idea, but the proposals face a common challenge in the regulation of new technology: defining the technology itself. While perhaps not the most exciting part of any legislation, the definitions section is criticalit tells us who will be subject to the requirements and prohibitions that follow. While both the federal and state bills have definitions sections, neither tells us precisely what they mean by bot.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Sen. Dianne Feinsteins bill attempts to get around (or at least delay) definitional pitfalls by avoiding the word bot altogether. Instead, it applies to any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity online in the social media context. The bill then directs the Federal Trade Commission to define that term broadly enough so that the definition is not limited to current technology. If the bill becomes a lawwhich seems unlikely, given that its in the earliest stages of the legislative processit remains to be seen how the FTC grapples with this challenge.

Californias bill initially defined bot as an online account that is designed to mimic or behave like the account of a natural person in early drafts. This definition, by its terms, would sweep in a human parodying another human while excepting a bot impersonating an organization such as the ACLU. Despite this troubling definition, the bill passed comfortably in the California Senate, though it remains to be seen whether this law will make it all the way to enactment after amendments in the state Assembly. The Assembly revised the state bill so as to define a bot as an automated online account on an online platform that is designed to mimic or behave like the account of a person. While this is a marked improvement, the new definition still fails to account for the variety of bots, including the gray area between bots and people. As Robert Gorwa and Douglas Guilbeaults helpful typology of bots shows, a social media account could have automated components but retain some degree of human control, creating a sort of cyborg bot (a cybot). Cybots could, for instance, automatically share Instagram posts on other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. They could also automatically follow or respond to other social media users who mention or follow them.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Whose job will it be to investigate and determine whether a particular account is, in fact, a bot?

The prospect of a cybot creates real obstacles to effective enforcement of bot disclosure bills. Imagine a bill requiring the implementation of a familiar tool to identify bot accounts: a CAPTCHA (I am not a robot). At most this would slow the cybot down: A human could check that box for her several hundred cybot accounts with relative ease, then allow them to resume their automated activity. A definition of bot broad enough to cover such accounts would also apply to cybots.

How, then, should bot disclosure laws treat these hybrid accounts? Should we require a certain degree of automation in order for the disclosure requirement to apply? What metrics can be used to determine whether something qualifies as a bot for purposes of a disclosure requirement? And regardless of what boundaries we set, whose job will it be to investigate and determine whether a particular account is, in fact, a bot?

Advertisement

On the basis of certain account metricshow often the account posts, what kinds of language it uses, how many other accounts it follows, etc.platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have performed bot purges, deleting millions of bots in one fell swoop. If the government steps in, however, the rules would have to change: Some kind of appeals mechanism, through which an account wrongly labeled as a bot could petition to have its automated status removed, might be necessary in the name of fairness and due process. Ultimately, determining which accounts really are botshowever the term is definedwill likely be a more labor-intensive undertaking than legislators realize.

Advertisement

In addition to their wide range of applications and varying degrees of automation, bots vary significantly in terms of purpose and subject matter. Some bots are primarily commercial in nature, promoting products and services. Others are primarily political, expressing views on candidates and issues. Finally, there are many artistic, funny, and even useful bots, ranging from poetry bots like @accidental575 and @pentametron to Darius Kazemis hilarious @TwoHeadlines to natural disaster alert systems like @earthquakeBot. Some of these creative bots may utilize the unique ambiguity of the bot format to explore the boundaries between human and technology. The question for legislators is whether proposed disclosure requirements should apply to all such bots or only those that speak about particular subjects.

Advertisement

Advertisement

While several proponents call for a blanket disclosure requirement for all bots, the First Amendmentwhich prohibits unnecessary government interference with the right to free expressiongenerally disfavors broad speech regulation. Instead, laws must be narrowly tailored to address specific harms without sweeping in too much other speech. Noting this, California narrowed its disclosure bill to apply only to commercial bots and to bots intended to influence votes in elections. The federal bill, on the other hand, would require all bots to disclose their automated status. It is difficult to see how concerns about election interference rationalize disclosure requirements for creative bots that are unequivocally apolitical. And it is similarly difficult to envision how California will go about drawing boundaries between bots intended to influence votes in elections and bots that simply speak on current events and issues.

As legislators begin regulating social media bots, they should take note of the many ways in which bots vary. If they fail to account for the complexities of bots, they may pass laws at great risk of failure due to ambiguity and inefficacy.
Current stalemate paralyses the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Scientists and the Education Ministry dispute who is causing the delay in the transformation of SAV.

The transformation of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) was expected to make the lives of scientists easier. Instead, the institution is now struggling in a legal vacuum. To complete the transformation, it is necessary to register the academy on the list of public research institutions, administered by the Education Ministry. However, the ministry has refused to do so till now.

SAV has submitted all documents necessary for the registration, plus some extra ones, to the Education Ministry, its spokesperson Monika Hucakova told The Slovak Spectator.

The Education Ministry has responded that SAV is not telling the truth and that it is doing everything to complete the transformation process.

Scientists say that the current stalemate is hindering the proper operation of SAVs institutes, while the president, politicians and even foreign scientific institutions are calling for speedy solutions to the current state.

Here is what the involved parties say:

1. What do scientists say?

9. Aug 2018 at 6:30 | Radka Minarechova
Last Week in Slovakia: Kidnapping scandal disrupts Slovak political scene

Listen to all the headlines from the last week.

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/482757687&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true

Last Thursday, a report by the Dennik N daily detailing the kidnapping of a Vietnamese citizen from Germany to Vietnam via Bratislava set the Slovak politicians in motion.

Former interior minister decided to disprove his alleged involvment with a polygraph test.

Meanwhile, the summer tourist season has been in full swing and more and more people have been staying in the country through a shared economy platform.

This programme is part of The Slovak Spectator subscription and our readers are receiving it every Thursday morning as part of their subscription.

More information:

Print+audio: shop.spectator.sme.sk/newspaper

Online+audio: www.sme.sk/predplatne-spectator

9. Aug 2018 at 8:11 | Compiled by Spectator staff
How did Slovak America taste at the turn of centuries?

Fresh eggs ad written in Slovak in the shop window made it plain where the Slovak communities lived in the US.

Welcome Slovak Matica, reads the luminous sign covering several floors on the buildings facade. It is May 31st, 1936 and the building is Milwaukee town hall. Slovak community living in the city expects the Slovak delegation to come for visit.

Many Slovaks left their homeland at the end of the 19th century or at the beginning of the 20th. Some of them often used their last money to buy a ticket to ocean liner to start afresh in the US. There are no exact statistics from Hungarian offices since Slovakia was part of Hungarian Empire at that time and choosing Slovak nationality in the questionnaire was not possible.

However, data from American ports show that they accepted about 380,000 people at the end of 19th century. Later statistics showed that one quarter could be Slovaks, around 100,000 people. American statistic offices started to also monitor nationality, so we can tell today that until the end of WWI almost a half million people left Slovakia.

There were huge communities in American cities at the beginning of the 20th century. Slovak expats were active in preserving their national traditions and they created various Slovak societies and organizations. Even documents that heralded the establishment of Czechoslovakia, known as the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Agreement, were signed in the presence of the local societies.

Searching for expats

Matica Slovenska, in that time a respectable state institution that played a significant role in the national and cultural lives of Slovakia, was interested in the lives of the biggest group of Slovak expats on the other side of the ocean. They decided to send a delegation, consisting of Konstantin Culen, Jozef Cincik, Karol Plicka and Jozef Ciger Hronsky, to six-month long journey. Their visit encountered an unexpectedly strong response.

I would never see Slovakia again, but God sends you, so we can at least feel Slovakia among us, Jozef Ciger Hronsky describing in his travelogue, Journey through Slovak America, how one sightless Slovak expat among others welcomed them to the US.

It was the most powerful welcome speech he had ever heard, Ciger Hronsky admits in his book.

Who was Jozef Ciger Hronsky? Jozef Ciger Hronsky was a Slovak writer, teacher, journalist, later secretary and director of the Matica Slovenska national cultural institution, which made him a prominent figure of the infamous wartime Nazi-satellite Slovak state. After the war, he emigrated to Austria and Italy for fear of prosecution. He settled down in Argentina in the end. He remained active in his attempts to work with Slovak expats abroad. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989 his remains were repatriated to Czechoslovakia and later reburied at the National Cemetery in Martin in 1993.

Slovaks were not always welcomed in the US, Jozef Ciger Hronsky writes in his travelogue. America accepted them with mistrust, as they did not know who they were and what state they belonged to.

Slovaks later proved to America that they are not of unknown origin but members of a small nation without the fortune of being recognised by the world, Hronsky continues in the book.

The delegation visited six main areas where the majority of Slovaks settled  New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Scranton and Detroit. They wanted to map the lives of American Slovaks and together they visited 98 towns and cities of the US and Canada where Slovaks lived during the six-month-long journey. They prepared 609 lectures for 170,000 visitors.

I entered many Slovak buildings in the US and I dont know why I always felt like entering my parents house, wrote Jozef Ciger Hronsky in his travelogue Journey Through Slovak America.

Slovak areas

The first footprints of Slovaks from Trencin were from the surroundings of Philadelphia; however, they quickly moved further into Pennsylvania. The land of mining was the most famous US state in Slovakia, Hronsky writes.

The youngest Slovak area was the one around Detroit in that time. The westernmost area was around Chicago. After a researching the places they wanted to visit, the delegation prepared objects they wanted to exhibit for American Slovaks. Jozef Skultety, the head of Matica, returned to one specific object several times.

This will be the most beloved object of many American Slovaks, he said. Hronsky admitted how many times his words became true. Slovak visitors were often standing in front of a Slovak map, shouting at children and showing them: Look. Here is the village where your mom and I grew up, they would say as the whole family gathered around the map of Slovakia and tried to read the names of villages, rivers and hills.

Hronsky recalled one Slovak ball they attended in New York organized by Slovak National Sokol.

Words arose behind the tables, it was possible to recognize them according to accent  those were born in Saris, these in Bratislava, Orava, Nitra, Turiec and Zvolen, he writes, adding that he did not feel as a guest anymore, but like being home.

He also mentioned the shop windows with signs in Slovak like fresh eggs, Slovak ham, Lunch for 40 cents in certain areas in New York.

There are several streets where if you shout in Slovak, an echo is certain, wrote Hronsky.

American Slovaks did not forget about the significant figures of our past, as Hronsky mentioned. Milan Rastislav Stefanik, for example, has a bronze statue in a park in Cleveland. Once a year in May, the Slovak society gathered around the statue and Hronsky described the many Slovak folk costumes he saw and Slovak songs he heard when he attended the gathering to remember Slovak history.

A legendary hero lives in hearts and minds also here, he wrote in his travelogue and described that there was also a place for the American Bradlo, parallel of the Slovak monument dedicated to Stefanik.

There were two more Slovak statues in the Cleveland park besides Stefanik- Jan Holly and Jan Kollar. The Slovak delegation planted a lime tree here, the symbol of Slavs.

I believe that American Slovaks will continue to water it. If not in Cleveland park than in the national feeling in all Slovak America, Hronsky wrote.

9. Aug 2018 at 16:31 | Nina Hrabovska Francelova
Meteorologists issue warnings against extreme heat

Where should people be particularly careful?

Meteorologists expect that Thursday, August 9, will be one of the hottest days of this week. As a result, they issued a 2nd-degree warning for several districts where the temperature might be as high as 35-36 Celsius degrees.

Such temperatures are rare in the given season and area, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) stated on its website, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that there is a high probability that these weather conditions will have a negative impact on some peoples health.

The 2nd-degree warning was issued for the Bratislava, Nitra and Trnava Regions, as well as the districts of Lucenec, Revuca, Rimavska Sobota, Velky Krtis, Myjava and Nove Mesto nad Vahom, particularly between 14:00 and 17:00. At the same time, it issued a 1st-degree warning for several districts in the Kosice and Presov Regions, where the temperature might be as high as 33-34 Celsius degrees.

The hot weather will continue on August 10. For now, SHMU has issued a 2nd-degree warning for the southern districts of Trnava, Nitra, Banska Bystrica and Kosice Regions. The 1st-degree warning was issued for Bratislava Region and northern districts of the Trnava, Nitra, Banska Bystrica, and Kosice Regions, and eastern districts of the Presov Region.

9. Aug 2018 at 13:41 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Abduction: The accusations are absurd, Kalinak said

The session of the parliamentary defence and security committee was closed to the public.

Former interior minister Robert Kalinak (Smer) considers accusations that he gave direct orders in the abduction of Vietnamese businessman and ex-communist official, Trinh Xuan Thanh, misleading and absurd.

He said so after the August 9 special session of the parliamentary defence and security committee, also attended by the current interior minister, Denisa Sakova (Smer).

Originally, part of the session was to be public. However, the committee members approved Kalinaks proposal to hold the whole session behind closed doors, the SITA newswire reported.

Dennik N is lying, ex-minister said

The partial results of the investigation suggest that Slovakia was unintentionally involved in the whole operation of the Vietnamese intelligence service, Kalinak, who now serves as the ordinary member of the parliament, said. The Dennik N daily, which published a story about the direct involvement of Slovakia in the kidnapping on August 2, is lying and publishing unverified statements without any evidence, he added.

Read also:

Read also: Abduction: Vietnamese representatives in Slovakia remain silent Read more

The anti-governmental Dennik N published a story without any proof, based on some anonymous testimonies that we have disproved, Kalinak said, as quoted by SITA. Its a clear attempt to politicise the case.

Slovakias law enforcement bodies, meanwhile, launched the investigation into the case on August 3, after the journalist working for Dennik N submitted a criminal motion.

Kalinak opines that there was no reason for police to act beyond the law.

We had no information about the involvement of the Slovak governmental special plane or that we had been fooled by the Vietnamese, he said, as quoted by SITA.

The German investigators heard the airport employees and employees of the Borik hotel, where Kalinak, then acting as the interior minister, met with the Vietnamese delegation. They did not give Slovak authorities any reason to become involved, the ex-minister added.

Kalinak seemed nervous

As for the proposal to close the session, Kalinak explained it is hard to distinguish what information is confidential and what is not.

Read also:

Read also: Abduction: Kalinak took a polygraph test Read more

I proposed it in order to let MPs have complete information from the minister who would otherwise not be able to talk in detail, he explained, as quoted by SITA.

Non-affiliated MP Miroslav Beblavy commented that even after hearing the information concerning the abduction, it is hard to clearly say whether the Slovak authorities knew about it or not.

Moreover, Kalinak seemed to be nervous during the session.

Mr Kalinak said today that we did not knowingly participate in the kidnapping, but that the possibility of unwitting collaboration cannot be ruled out, Beblavy said, as quoted by SITA.

Sakova did not persuade Galko

It is necessary to wait for the results of the whole investigation, Sakova said after the session.

We dont investigate the whole case, she explained, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding she has already asked the Police Corps president to find out whether there was any information about the abducted person in the Schengen Information System.

Read also:

Read also: Abduction: President says he does not trust the interior minister Read more

At the same time, she confirmed they will ask the information systems administrator to confirm whether this information can be searched in their database.

Meanwhile, the Slovak investigation will be supervised by the general prosecutor and several prosecutors from the regional prosecutors office in Bratislava, the interior minister said.

Sakova has rejected claims that Kalinak still leads the ministry.

Responding to her performance in front of the committee, Lubomir Galko of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) said he has not persuaded him.

The special session of the committee has persuaded me that the Slovak state bodies, including ex-interior minister Kalinak, knew about what Vietnamese want to do in Slovakia, Galko said, as quoted by TASR. I'm not saying they knew about all the details. But after todays session, my suspicions are close to certainty.

Only a tiny bit of confidential information was revealed at the session. Moreover, it concerned mostly some procedural steps carried out in the past, conducted by Germans in the present. Little was said about whether Slovak state bodies were involved in the abduction or not, Galko added.

Police inspectorate involved

Meanwhile, the Sme daily reported that the investigation is being carried out by the police inspectorate running under the Interior Ministry. This indicates that the culprits will be searched mostly among the police officers who could only follow the instructions of their superiors, as the daily pointed out.

The suspicions lead to the Police Corps ranks, Deputy General Prosecutor Peter Sufliarsky confirmed, as quoted by Sme.

However, if the testimonies of police officers and other witnesses confirm that Kalinak was involved, there will not be much the police inspectorate can do. It would have to move the case to the police or the National Criminal Agency, former head of investigators Jaroslav Ivor told Sme.

9. Aug 2018 at 23:12 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Police uncover corruption scheme at environment department in Bratislava

NAKA detained seven people after raiding the office; three of them were taken into custody.

Dozens of police officers raided the Bratislava District Office in the early morning on Wednesday, August 8, with an investigator from the National Criminal Agency (NAKA) Anti-Corruption Unit charging six people and one legal entity with corruption. These suspects allegedly received bribes far exceeding 300,000. If they are proven guilty, they will be facing ten to twenty years in prison.

It was a detention operation of the national anti-corruption unit in which seven people were detained, five home searches were carried out, and two offices at the district office and five vehicles were searched, said Michal Slivka, the Police Corps Presidium, on August 8, as cited by the TASR newswire.

The suspects were identified by the courts as Miroslava G., Pavol B., Branislav R., Tomas W. and Vladimir M. They worked together, asking for bribes when issuing positive verdicts and stances. The last three men were also accused of money laundering.

The police were allegedly working on the case for two years, the Dennik N daily wrote.

The judge of the Specialised Court in Banska Bystrica put Miroslava G. the head of the environment office, and other two people in custody.

The police have not specified what the corruption activities pertained, Dennik N wrote.

They may suspect that the officers were taking bribes systematically via a company that was pretending that it represented developers during proceedings at the environmental department.

The environmental department issues various verdicts, stances and permissions important for developers that are related to proceedings of final building approvals as well as verdicts pertaining to waste. It also serves as a special construction office in the field of state water management. This means that it issues permissions for water constructions, for example sewer systems to development plans, water pipelines as well as discharge of sewage water, according to Dennik N.

The department allegedly had a price list when bribes for individual permissions amounted to thousands of euros. Bribes related to final building approvals for large projects allegedly amounted to hundreds of thousands of euros, according to TV Markiza.

9. Aug 2018 at 22:47 | Compiled by Spectator staff
The fiery enemy of phantom voter fraud is probably investigating this typo right now. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

When this tweet from the Associated Press came over the transom today, there were probably a lot of freakouts from friends and enemies of the fiery Kansas secretary of State, Kris Kobach:

BREAKING: Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's lead in GOP governor primary cut in half after vote mistake discovered.  The Associated Press (@AP) August 9, 2018

OMG. Would Kobach call a press conference and accuse his opponent Jeff Colyer of massive voter fraud of the kind that his friend the president alleged in 2016? Would MAGA people rush into the streets to defend him?

If, however, you happened to be aware of how small Kobachs lead was after Election Day votes were counted, it looked a little different, as the Hill explains:

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobachs narrow lead over Gov. Jeff Colyer in the GOP primary race for governor shrunk on Thursday after officials discovered a mistake in voting totals.

The Associated Press reported that Kobachs lead has been sliced from 191 to 91 votes after Thomas County miscounted Colyers totals.

The secretary of States website lists Kobach with 466 votes to Colyers 422 in Thomas County, but the county clerk told the AP that Colyer actually received 522.

When your lead can be more than cut in half by a typo, its not what youd call a very sustainable lead. As it happens, we probably wont know the final count until after provisional (as many as 10,000 votes) and late mail-in absentee ballots (the state allows ballots post-marked by election day and received by Friday) are counted, which could take a while. And then well probably find out if the candidate running second chooses to request a recount (which he will be entitled to do if he pays for it; the fact that Kobach will get to set the necessary fee could be problematic and trigger his recusal).

So Kobachs lead could swell, shrink, or disappear altogether in the next few days. The one thing we do know is that his handling of the final count as state election supervisor will be watched as closely as Kobach watches those frightening immigrants he thinks are trying to vote illegally.
11street launched the Sayangi Malaysia campaign consisting of exclusive deals and giveaways starting from 6 August 2018 to 30 September 2018. Customers of 11street will be able to get a buy 1 free 1 offer from selected brands such as Abbott, Chicco, Dettol, Mamy Poko, Mead Johnson, Nestle, Samsung, Senheng, Skechers, Watsons as well as Dale & Cecil. There will be flash deals ongoing throughout with products being sold below RM61. Not only that, there will be various discounts up to 88% along with free shipping for all the products.

This campaign also commemorates the progress as well as change of leadership in 11street bringing new improvements such as additional Payment Options allowing users to use the Boost or Presto e-wallets, Live Chat service for customers to get in touch with an 11street representative, improved speed and quality of their deliveries, a dedicated 11street mobile app for iOS and Android operating systems and much more. For more information, check out 11street's official website and stay, stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates like these.
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
A Yemeni child wounded in Thursdays air strike. Photo: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

Dozens of Yemeni schoolchildren are dead Thursday after an air strike by the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition hit a school bus that was carrying them through a crowded market.

As many as 50 people were reported dead after the attack, with another 77 injured. The bus, which was traveling through a city in northern Yemen, was carrying the kids to summer camp for Quran classes, according to local TV. On Twitter, the Red Cross in Yemen said a hospital it supports had received 29 dead children, all under 15 years old, and another 48 injured people.

Body parts were scattered all over the area, and the sounds of moaning and crying were everywhere, an aide worker who arrived at the scene an hour after the air strike told the Washington Post. The school bus was totally burned and destroyed.

Images broadcast by Houthi media showed scores of bloody children, some still wearing their backpacks as they were loaded onto stretchers.

An injured child in a Yemeni hospital. Photo: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen, said it was targeting rebel missile launchers. The attack, the spokesperson said, was retaliation for a missile fired into Saudi Arabia Wednesday, killing one and injuring 11 more. Despite killing dozens of schoolchildren, the spokesman called Thursdays attack on the school bus a legitimate military action and said it is in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs. He also accused Houthis of using kids as tools and covers for their terrorist acts.

International aid groups were quick to condemn the air strike. No excuses anymore! Unicefs Geert Cappelaere tweeted. Does the world really need more innocent childrens lives to stop the cruel war on children in Yemen? In a statement, Save the Children condemned the attacks and called for a full, immediate and independent investigation into this and other recent attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.

At least one lawmaker in the U.S., which provides the Saudi coalition with weapons, intelligence, and air support, is calling out Washingtons role in the ongoing war.

U.S. bombs. U.S. targeting. U.S. mid air support.



And we just bombed a SCHOOL BUS.



The Saudi/UAE/U.S. bombing campaign is getting more reckless, killing more civilians, and strengthening terrorists inside Yemen. We need to end this - NOW. https://t.co/P8V2L6Crgi  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 9, 2018

All told, the U.N. says more than 16,000 Yemeni civilians have been killed since the war began, and its not hard to argue that the U.S. is complicit.
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
The New York Glossier showroom. Credit: GothamBabeNYC

A couple months back, I asked AnneLaure Mais, the French designer behind Musier Paris, what home-good item she was hoping to procure next for her apartment. A bust, she said immediately. Im looking for the perfect plaster bust. Why? I dont know, she said. Its typical in old-fashioned French apartments to see a bust on the fireplace. But I have no idea why I want one now.

Mais, it turns out, is not the only one with a sudden affection for the ancient, waist-up statues. French model Fiona Zanetti recently posted a selfie in front of her dresser mirror; a foot-tall plaster bust lurked on the dresser. The Brooklyn shop Sincerely, Tommy currently has two neck-up busts for sale, one made of coral, the other of stone. Picture Room, a gallery-slash-shop in Brooklyn Heights, will begin selling bust sconces in the fall. The Wings new location in Washington, D.C., features wallpaper printed entirely with Joana Avillezs illustrated busts of accomplished women, like Julia Lathrop and Patsy Mink. And Glossiers New York showroom features a three-foot-tall bust, lovingly referred to by employees as our fine lady, flanked by very on-trend anthurium flowers (the It flower for our feminist moment, according to T).

This newfound predilection for busts (like the sudden popularity of the, lets face it, very vaginal anthurium flower) has feminist overtones (all of the busts Ive spotted, I should mention here, have been of women), but the trend also seems a result of the fact that busts are so aggressively old-fashioned that they feel new again, especially when held against the saturation of mid-century-modern everything. Picture Room owner Sandeep Salter has another theory: She thinks the trend has to do with the internet. For me its romanticism and classicism, she says. But more generally, I think it has to do with the current popularity of digitally collaging a mix of historical references with internet imagery  think gridded spaces decorated with ferns, Grecian busts, and California tiling. I think it signals an opulence of a bygone era  Versace meets Versaille. She first noticed the bust trend at the Johannes Vogt Gallery, when the artist Mac Horowitz, known for his video and web-based work, showed a pair of busts colored with neon oil pastels surrounded by glazed ceramics and artwork inspired by The Transformers. Avillez, for her part, said the idea for the wallpaper at The Wing had to do with paying homage to admirable women, but in a more budget-friendly way than the Romans mightve done it: They werent going to commission a marble artist to carve dozens of busts, she said. So Audrey [Gelman] had the idea to do it in a drawing instead.

Of course, wed be remiss not to mention the role the perennially popular French Cire Trudon bust candles played in 2018s Bust Revival. But for those looking for busts that make an impact, theyre just too subtle a statement. I did buy a wax one from Trudon, said Mais. But, not perfect. Im still looking.

get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best womens jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.


















Landing in Brisbane we were keen to head out of the city quickly, not because we dont like Brisbane, but because we knew the best of what Queensland has to offer exists outside of the city limits. Exploring the Sunshine Coast in our camper van was a dream, a bucket list ambition achieved and had that overwhelming feeling of freedom about it. Stopping off by the sea, jumping out of the van for a swim before pulling up at a campsite for the night. Its what backpacking Australia is all about. After a few days we pulled into Noosa and truly fell in love! Exploring the Noosa National Park and walking the incredible coastal trails we dreamt of when we began our Australian Adventures! Heres our Noosa national park walk guide!

Noosa: The beautiful surfers heaven with a hint of Miami!

Noosa itself is somewhere between the laid back surfer vibe of Byron Bay and the swanky condos of somewhere like Miami or a Californian seaside town. Its got that real mixture of well off vacationers dining in the fancy restaurants and the hippy backpacker and surfer crowd hanging out by the public BBQs and showering on the beach! On the surface it can come across a little little pretentious especially if you fell in love with the chilled out vibe of places like Byron Bay and it certainly does have a much more sophisticated and slick feel to it than places like Byron, and in many respects it does feel a little more up market, which is a good and a bad thing really. But step outside of the condos and fine dining and at its heart is still that laid back beach lifestyle, the rolling waves and incredible coastline that draws this eclectic mix of visitors to its blissful shores.

Noosa Main Beach

Noosa is a small town so really there is only one place to start when you arrive, hit up the main beach! Just like many locations along the Sunshine Coast, it is of course a world famous surf destination! The Main Beach at Noosa is a perfect place to learn to surf in Queensland with its amazing breaks and clean gentle waves. Its also a great spot for swimming or body boarding too and being one of the only north facing beaches on the East Coast of Australia it is quite sheltered. Its basically that picture perfect Australian beach that the country is so famous for, clear blue water and just the right temperature, powdery soft sand beaches with sun and waves guaranteed!

The incredible Noosa national park walk along the amazing coast

Starting at the end of Noosa Main Beach is the incredible Noosa national park walk. Noosa initially for us was just another nice coastal town along the Sunshine Coast, an incredible beach, great places to eat (if not out of our budget but hey ho!) and somewhere with that real holiday vibe.

But heading out of the town and into the beautiful Noosa National Park it was here where we really fell in love with the place. The trail wasnt too crowded, along the way were several much quieter beaches and the views out through the lush scrub on to the incredible sapphire ocean were out of this world. If you come to Noosa, the Noosa national park walk has to be your first port of call!

The Noosa national park walk is just under 7km and should take around 2 hours, though you probably want to give yourself much longer than that as you will be stopping for photos every few paces and might also want to take a dip or two along the way. The route starts at Noosa Main beach and finishes at Sunshine beach where you can get a short bus ride back to Noosa.

The initial section of the track is a boardwalk that snakes around the main incredible beaches and bays of Noosa national park walk, the trail itself is mostly covered by trees and shrub and provides good shelter. If you are lucky you might even spot a wild koala in the trees above you! Pretty much as soon as you set off walking you are greeted with amazing views out over the beach from its far end and the aptly named First Point is a great vantage point to take in the view. Further along and on the track proper is Boiling Point which due to its position provides 180 degree views of the stunning blue ocean.

Continuing around to one of our favourite spots on the Noosa national park walk is Tea Tree Bay, this sheltered and secluded little beach is the perfect hideaway from the business of Noosa itself. The unbelievably clear emerald waters are almost irresistible and the when framed by the enchanting Pandanus trees and incredible palms its like something from a postcard!

Further along Dolphin Point is a worth while mention as it was indeed where we were able to spot some wild dolphins playing just off the coast. It was quite a magical moment being our first time spotting them in the wild and a highlight of our day on the Noosa national park walk.







Other incredible spots include other small and secluded desert island type beaches such as those at Granite Bay and Picnic Cove, these being further down the track are highly unlikely to be too busy. These spots really are compete paradise with the golden sands, azure blue water and lush green forest beyond. If you want to do some swimming along the Noosa national park walk then these are two great spots.

Next comes the real highlight of the Noosa national park walk, the Fairy Pools, this is where the pathway changes from beaches to steep rocky cliffs and is no less magnificent. If youre looking for an instagram worthy shot then this is it! These incredible rock pools are crystal clear with an uninterrupted ocean view!

It really is like something from a dream! However, with great beauty comes great popularity, be sure to come early on and on a weekday if you want this magical place all to yourself!

From here the track rounds Noosa Head and Hells Gates, a steep, wild and wind swept bay with dramatic views down to the crashing waves below, quite a contrast from the beginning of the Noosa national park walk.

From here you will hit the long and sweeping Alexandria Bay. This 3km long beach is much more remote than many of the others in the area and apart from surfers catching waves at the end of the beach youll find it usually to yourself. Its somewhere for pure escapism! From here its a short walk to finish on Sunshine beach where you can take a dip to cool down before taking the bus back to Noosa from the Sunshine Beach surf and lifesaving club.

Tips

Take some water and food along with you as theres only one water point along the route and nowhere for food. Try to head out early so you can get a park for one, near the public toilets/ showers/ BBQ area and bus station is one of the best spots, secondly to beat the crowds! Take suncream and your bathers, a towel, hat, t-shirt. Many sections have no cover and it can get very hot. From Sunshine Beach you will need to walk an extra 1.2km to the surf and lifesaving club and catch bus Bus route 627 back to Noosa. Camping in Noosa is expensive, check out this list of free camps nearby.

Book your accommodation here

Hey, youve got your Travel Insurance sorted havent you?

Travelling and especially backpacking is a wild adventure, but make sure you are covered just incase something goes wrong, which if youre living it up to the fullest its always a possibility!

Check travel insurance prices with World Nomads here!

Have you ever done the Noosa national park walk? What was your favourite section?

See more from this country:

See more from our backpacking adventures:

Pin for later:
China expressed interest in joining TAPI

ISLAMABAD: China has expressed interest in joining TAPI natural gas pipeline project once it has been completed by observing the possibilities of building a link from Pakistans territory to China.



The TAPI project, which would be able to carry 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas, currently involves four countries: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan-owned Inter State Gas Systems (ISGS) Mobin Saulat stated that the Chinese have shown interest because TAPI could act as an alternative for a OBOR sub-project.



A pipeline between China and Turkmenistan would be far costlier, according to Saulat, than building it through Pakistani territory.



The financial close of this phase of TAPI is expected at the end of the next month. Once the pipeline begins generating revenue, financing is expected to increase significantly.
Diamer school attacker,high profile Afghan trained suspect: GB police

Police in Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday said that a 'militant commander' suspected of involvement in the Diamer school attacks, who was killed during a search operation earlier this week, was a "high-profile Afghan-trained suspect".



Diamer Superintendent Police (SP) Rai Ajmal in a report submitted to the Diamer deputy inspector general (DIG) of police said that the suspect, Commander Shafiur Rehman, was killed in an exchange of fire with police.



"On noticing the police raiding team, the accused opened indiscriminatory firing that resulted in the martyrdom of Constable Arif Hussain, while Head Constable Karamat Ali sustained bullet injuries," the report said.



In response to the incident, police cordoned off the entire area and started a search operation, the SP said.





Three suspects identified as Fidaur Rehman, Faizur Rehman and Saeedur Rehman allegedly involved in the attack were arrested, whereas Commander Shafi was killed during an exchange of fire, according to the SP's report.
Iranian President invited Imran Khan for a visit

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani telephoned Mr Khan and invited him for a formal visit to his country  an offer which the PTI chief gladly accepted.



The Iranian president congratulated Mr Khan over his partys victory in the recent elections. They discussed issues of mutual interest, including Pak-Iran relations and bilateral trade. President Rouhani was quoted as saying: Pakistan and Iran are not merely neighbouring countries but also bonded by religious and cultural values.
To mark Science Week ABC screens doco series Search for Second Earth, which tackles the question of whether we are alone.

Produced by Essential Media this is a four-part series using CGI to demonstrate the voyage of an autonomous spacecraft to a planet beyond our Solar System in search of life.

Do we get an answer in the final episode?

During the series we meet the greatest minds of today in the fields of space exploration, planetary science and astrobiology as they confront the overwhelming challenges that this future interstellar mission presents, driven by a need to solve the oldest human mystery: are we alone?

Just 25 years ago, the universe was changed forever. The discovery of the first exoplanet  a planet orbiting a star other than our sun  revolutionised astronomy. Since then weve learnt that every single star in the sky hosts at least one planet. And as many of a quarter of them could have the right conditions for life. There are literally billions of new worlds out there for us to explore within our own milky way. Could one of them host life?

Search for Second Earth brings to life, in breathtaking CGI, an epic future journey that our species has already begun: the voyage of an autonomous spacecraft to a planet beyond our Solar System in search of life. Join NASA planetary explorers Gentry Lee and Steve Squyres; and exo-planet hunters Sara Seager, Francois Forget and Natalie Batalha on their quest to find life beyond Earth.

Episode 1: The Planet Hunters

For as long as weve had eyes to see and minds to wonder weve marvelled at the stars. But it was only on the eve of the 21st Century that a handful of scientists dared to gaze into the gloom between, believing planets like our own Earth could be found there. Since the discovery of the first so-called exoplanet in 1994, the Planet Hunters have transformed the way we see the universe. We now know that every star in the sky has at least one planet. How many of them might host life?

8:30pm Tuesdays on ABC.
Network executives Michael Ebeid and Brian Walsh joined with industry creatives to launch a Media Pride initiative at The Beresford hotel in Sydney last night.

An initiative generated by the SBS Pride and Allies employee affinity group, it aims to focus on LGBTIQ+ diversity and inclusion in the Australian media.

The SBS and Foxtel execs were joined on stage by writer Bevan Lee (Seven Network), producer Darren Dale (Blackfella Films), ACMA board member Fiona Cameron and Tea Uglow from Google Creative Labs.

Michael Ebeid spoke about his personal experience, the significance of the recent marriage equality campaign and the importance of creating an inclusive and respectful culture for a diverse workforce, an area that he has personally championed at SBS.

The Feed presenters Patrick Abboud and Jan Fran were also panelists at the event held in partnership with Pride in Diversity and Screen Diversity Inclusion Network.

Chris Keely, Chair of the SBS Pride & Allies Committee said, Im thrilled that so many Australian media could join this important launch of Media Pride.

Last years campaign for marriage equality propelled LGBTIQ+ diversity and inclusion to the forefront of the media conversation but whats next?

The answer is that there is no room for complacency. The work building diversity and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ communities has only just begun, and that there is still much work to be done, particularly for the marginalised.

The key aims of Media Pride are:

 Focus on the unique responsibility of media in shaping community opinions of LGBTIQ+ individuals, communities, and their issues

 Highlight LGBTIQ+ media executives and talent, and their challenges and achievements

 Promote cultural change and diversity and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ Australians

 Send the message that all Australian media workspaces should provide an inclusive place of work which includes LGBTIQ+ communities, based on mutual respect, understanding and support of all LGBTIQ+ individuals

Media Pride was generously sponsored by PWC, L.E.K. and Deloitte, and attended by a broad range of Australian media including representatives from the production industry.

Anyone interested in attending future events can join the Media Pride Australia LinkedIn page.
SKY News will no longer be broadcast by Melbourne public transport group Metro Trains following a community backlash over an extremist interview earlier this week.

It had been seen on Melbourne underground screens.

Jacinta Allan, Victorias transport minister, revealed in a tweet she made the order.

Ive directed @MetroTrains to remove @skynewsaustralia from all CBD station screens. Hatred and racism have no place on our screens or in our community. #springst  Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) August 8, 2018

SKY News is also broadcast at train stations across the Sydney transport network, but a spokeswoman for the NSW transport minister Andrew Constance said the state would not be following Victorias lead.

NSW will not be changing whats aired on train platforms, she told The Guardian.

American Express, Huggies and Specsavers have also pulled advertising amid a social media campaign by activist group Sleeping Giants Oz.

Fairfax has reported former SKY News boss Greg Byrnes belatedly admitted he gave the go-ahead to interview Blair Cottrell because he thought his controversial views would be challenged on air.

Yes, regretfully, it was my error, he said.

The company undertook a review and advised me of an immediate change to the editorial structure.

Following an investigation Byrnes was appointed to the newly-created role of Acting Program Director and Kaycie Bradford became Acting News Director.

The Adam Giles Show has been suspended pending an internal review.
This weekend Sunday Nights Denham Hitchcock delves into a counter-terrorism operation on home soil, including an interview with former PM John Howard.

Sunday at 8pm on Seven.

Sunday Night is airing a story on Australia's largest ever terrorism case. Due to a prohibition order from a Victorian court, this story cannot be shown in Victoria, and has been replaced. It will be broadcast at a later date. The story will run in full in all other states.  7NEWS Spotlight (@7NewsSpotlight) August 12, 2018

Updated.
The Feed tonight features a special report on sexual assaults against foreigners in Bali, speaking to the sisters of an Australian woman assault at a local hotel.

For 20 year-old Bonnie, her birthday trip to Bali was the dream holiday that quickly became a nightmare. Two days into the trip, her older sister, Cody, returned to their room to find Bonnie crying on the bed.

She told me straight away that one of the attendants there had followed her into the bedroom and pinned her down on the bed and sexually assaulted her, says Cody.

In a special report airing tonight, 7.30pm, The Feed exclusively speaks to the sisters about the night Bonnie says she was sexually assaulted by a staff member at their hotel in Bali.

Far from home, without the support of friends and family, Bonnie and her sister Cody werent sure how to handle the situation.

The young sisters left the hotel the next day, but they didnt feel comfortable going to Indonesian police and only contacted consular services once they were back in Melbourne. Unfortunately, their story is all too common.

Schoolies support organisation, Red Frogs, has supported nine young Australian victims of sexual assault in Bali over the past six years. The Feed speaks to Red Frogs Team Leader, Nickey Bright, who says most victims just want to come home, and dont end up pursuing any legal action.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has received 432 reports of Australian travellers being sexually assaulted overseas in the past five years. 84 of these cases were in Indonesia.

SBS VICELANDs flagship news and current affairs program, The Feed, continues to present hard-hitting, issues-based investigative reporting from Australias most diverse prime time television news team; Marc Fennell, Jan Fran, Patrick Abboud, Michael Hing and Laura Murphy-Oates.

7:30pm tonight on SBS VICELAND.
Cookies op Tweakers

Tweakers maakt gebruik van cookies

Tweakers is onderdeel van DPG Media en maakt gebruik van cookies, JavaScript en vergelijkbare technologie om je onder andere een optimale gebruikerservaring te bieden. Functionele en analytische cookies die door Tweakers zelf geplaatst worden, worden gebruikt om de website goed te laten functioneren, bezoekersstatistieken bij te houden en a/b-testen uit te voeren. Ook kan Tweakers hiermee het gedrag van bezoekers vastleggen en analyseren.

Cookies kunnen daarnaast worden gebruikt om op Tweakers advertenties te tonen die aansluiten bij je interesses. Daarbij kan gebruikgemaakt worden van bezoekersprofielen die door derden zijn opgesteld. Ook kunnen derden je internetgedrag volgen, zoals bijvoorbeeld het geval is bij embedded videos van YouTube. Tot slot kunnen cookies worden gebruikt om op sites van derden relevante advertenties te tonen.

Content van derde partijen, zoals embedded videos van YouTube, wordt met een trackingvrij abonnement standaard uitgeschakeld. Indien je deze content wilt zien, kun je hier expliciet toestemming voor geven.

Wil je meer informatie over cookies en hoe ze worden gebruikt? Bekijk dan ons cookiebeleid.

Accepteer cookies ... Om deze pagina op Tweakers te kunnen bekijken, moet je cookies accepteren. Cookies accepteren

Heb je al een account? Dan kun je hier inloggen!
Alleged Parkland school shooter, Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people in February this year. On Wednesday (8th August), a video was released that showed snippets of his confession. In it, he claimed that "demons" made him do it. He also punched himself in the face, hit at himself and pleaded for someone to kill him. However, the dramatic footage is suspected by some people to be a pretence and some victims just don't buy it.

Cruz video released despite Defense attorneys objections

The video was released despite the objections of defence attorneys, according to AOL.com.

They were concerned that the video footage may "jeopardize potential jurors." The video was not the full confession and snippets were taken from the original 11-hour long process and condensed into a short clip. It showed Cruz with his brother Zachary, Cruze alone and Cruze being questioned.

The clip opens with Cruz apparently alone in the room

The video clip opens with Cruz alone in an interrogation room. He's wearing a hospital gown and has one leg shackled. Alone, he speaks to himself, saying, "kill me....just kill me." Then he makes a pistol of his hand and puts it to his head, before curling up in a ball and scratching frantically at his right arm. He also said that he deserved to die because he was "worthless." It looks like he is weeping, or perhaps not actually in tears, rather than in torment.

The New York Post (NYP) noted that he also punched and slapped at himself.

The next segment of the confession video

In the next segment, ABC noted that a detective sits in front of Cruz while he says he attempted to kill himself, "killed small animals, and heard a demon voice inside his head for years." When he was questioned further, he claimed that demon voices had talked to him, the night prior to the shooting.

When asked what the demons told him to do, he replied, "burn, kill, destroy." Questioned on what he had to burn and kill and destroy, Cruz replied, "Anything." It's a disturbing piece of footage as he replies without any apparent remorse or the emotion evinced when he was alone in the room. He also said that he purchased the AR-15 as it was "cool looking."

The brother, Zachary

Nikolas Cruz asked to see his brother Zachary, who asked him what their mother would think of what he'd done.

But Cruze did not reply to that. Zachary then spoke about how he shouldered some responsibility as growing up he was not very nice to him. At one stage, Zachary held him.

Not all the victims buy it

It seemed that Nikolas Cruz was trying to say that he was schizophrenic The voice is, is in me, Cruz said. To me, its me and then my bad side  Its a voice. The voice is in here and then its me, its just regular me, just trying to be a good person. But some of the victims just don't buy it. The families of the dead are just as much victims as their loved ones who had their lives taken that day. The NYP reported that Andrew Pollack the father of Meadow, who was killed, said, " I dont buy it that hes schizophrenic," and he's "a sick sociopathic criminal. He believes Cruz is not mentally ill and that he was hamming it up, like an actor in a play.

Fox News reported that Pollack also noted what else was known about Nikolas that pointed to premeditation by the alleged killer. This included, him saying, "It was pre-meditated...theres plenty of videos of what he posted before  that he was gonna plan it, everyone was going to know his name and that he was going to be famous  I think hes just trying to avoid getting the needle.

Meanwhile, another father, Ryan Petty, said to Local 10 News that Its painful" and that he doesn't like to "think about that day." But he feels it's necessary so that they can at least try and "understand."

Nikolas Cruz faces the death penalty if found guilty of the murders of 17 students and teachers at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. His attorneys requested a life sentence if he pleaded guilty, which was denied by the court.
FILE PHOTO: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Vienna, Austria July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

By Hyonhee Shin and Babak Dehghanpisheh

SEOUL/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told North Korea's foreign minister that the United States cannot be trusted, Tehran's state media said, as the United States seeks a deal to rein in the North's nuclear and missile programs.

Iran dismissed a last-minute offer from Washington for talks this week, saying it could not negotiate after the Trump administration reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's own nuclear program.

North Korea's top diplomat, Ri Yong Ho, visited Iran as the United States reintroduced sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

"The U.S. administration performance in these years has led the country to be considered untrustworthy and unreliable around the world which does not meet any of its obligations," Rouhani was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as telling Ri on Wednesday.

"In the current situation, friendly countries should develop their relations and cooperation in (the) international community," he said, adding Iran and North Korea have "always had close views" on many issues.

Ri traveled to Tehran after attending a security forum in Singapore, where he and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sparred over an agreement made at June's landmark summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The two sides vowed to work toward North Korea's denuclearization at the summit, but have since struggled to reach a deal to meet that goal. North Korea has been pursuing its weapons programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions and sanctions.

Ri told Rouhani that Washington's pullout from the 2015 pact and restoration of sanctions was an "action against international rules and regulations", IRNA said.

"North Korea's strategic policy is to deepen relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and confront unilateralism," he said.

Story continues

Trump decided to restore sanctions against Iran despite pleas from 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.

The sanctions 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, Trump said on Tuesday.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, said the country had nothing to be concerned about, his official website said on Wednesday.

"With regard to our situation do not be worried at all. Nobody can do anything," Khamenei said, the website reported.

"They can be sure. There is no doubt about this."

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL and Babak Dehghanpisheh in BEIRUT; Editing by Nick Macfie)

See Also:
Youre never too old to rock out.

Two elderly German men proved this to be true when they snuck out of their nursing home to attend the Wacken Open Air music festival, which is considered the biggest heavy metal festival in the world.

The men didnt go unnoticed, however, as the nursing home called the police to report them missing, according to a news release by the Itzehoe Police Department.

Police finally found the two headbangers 25 miles from their nursing home at the music festival at about 3 a.m. where Merle Neufeld, a police spokesperson, told German outlet Deutsche Welle they were disoriented and dazed.

The release mentioned the two men were, however, reluctant to go home.

Peter Berndt, another spokesperson for the police department, said the two men likely made it to the festival by foot and public transportation, according to the Washington Post.

They were then taken to the medical tent on the festival site and were sent back by taxi at around 6:30 a.m., Berndt told the newspaper. We had to explain to them why they had to go home  but in the end, they went back voluntarily.

Story continues

Some of the bands performing at the festival this year include Judas Priest, Arch Enemy, Cannibal Corpse and Die from Sorrow.

The Twitter account for the Wacken Open Air said it didnt discriminate against seniors when a fan alerted them to the news.

#translationtime Assisted wacken. No discrimination of seniors. Of course not, we might add. Because youre never too old [to] rock out #wacken #metalfamily #respect #buildingbridges, the tweet read.
Visitors attend the

Thomson Reuters

By Krisztina Than

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Sixty-four years after her death, the personal life and politics of Frida Kahlo have come under scrutiny in Hungary.

A right-wing pro-government newspaper has criticized a hugely popular exhibition of her work at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest for "promoting communism".

The criticism comes as part of a wider national debate on culture and cultural policy since nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a third consecutive mandate in April.

Orban's supporters and pro-government journalists have argued in the past weeks that after Orban won another strong mandate, it was now time for a shift in culture towards conservative values to end what they call a dominance of leftist-liberal artists.

In a July 14 article entitled "This is the way communism is promoted using state money", the Kahlo exhibition was listed in the right-wing newspaper Magyar Idok along with some other galleries, artists and exhibitions.

"You won't believe it but Trotsky has emerged in Budapest again, this time from Frida Kahlo's bed," the newspaper wrote, referring to her affair with Leon Trotsky, a key figure in the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia, during his later exile in Mexico. Trotsky was assassinated in 1940.

Kahlo was affiliated with the communist Party of Mexico and is also said to have decorated the head of her bed with images of communist leaders Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao, according to Mexico's Museo Frida Kahlo.

The Kahlo exhibition, the international musical Billy Elliot and a string of gallery shows have found themselves under fire in a series of articles in the newspaper.

The paper added there was "no aesthetic problem" with the exhibition of the "Mexican communist painter", which is drawing up to 3,000 visitors a day.

The National Gallery declined comment. Kahlo has become one of the twentieth century's most famous artists in the decades since her death, and her work draws huge interest.

Story continues

The Budapest exhibition of paintings coincides with a Kahlo exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum that focuses on her life story through personal artefacts.

NEW ERA

Galvanising the debate about cultural policy, Orban said on July 28 major changes lie ahead in this field and his third election victory was "nothing short of a mandate to build a new era."

"An era is determined by cultural trends, collective beliefs and social customs. This is now the task we are faced with: we must embed the political system in a cultural era," Orban told hundreds of supporters in a landmark speech.

A government spokesman declined comment when asked about the looming changes.

Since Orban was first elected in 2010, his Fidesz party has rewritten Hungary's constitution, gained control of state media, and businessmen close to Orban and Fidesz have built empires.

Orban has successfully challenged western liberal taboos, winning the 2018 election with a strong anti-immigration campaign and by focusing on the importance of national pride and unity, and a "strong Hungary".

A group of around 60 artists and art historians signed a manifesto rejecting the listing of artists in Magyar Idok saying the attacks were unfounded.

In June, Magyar Idok also published an article by a guest commentator who accused the musical Billy Elliot in the Hungarian State Opera of spreading homosexual propaganda among its young audience. Billy Elliot has been on the program for two years, with over 100,000 viewers so far.

The State Opera canceled 15 of 44 performances planned for June-July.

It said in a statement on its website the performances had not been canceled because of the press controversy. But it noted people had lost interest in seeing the show following the coverage.

Tamas Fricz, a right-wing political analyst who has helped organize mass rallies for Orban, said the aim was "not to destroy liberal culture" but to adjust the system to reflect the right-wing conservative political dominance, while also preserving the values of liberal arts.

"The autonomy of individual institutions should be preserved but I think the government ... has the right to firmly and consciously favor and support conservative thinking, artists, works of culture," Fricz said.

One way would be to channel more money to historical movies showing the grand chapters of Hungarian history, he said.

"A conservative culture must build itself ... which would show the historical strength of the Hungarian nation," he said.

(Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

See Also:
Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is fully in compliance with the rules of its post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, and wants further talks with French and EU officials over why a UK trawler has been detained by France, a government spokesman said on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday Britain condemned France's seizure of a British fishing boat in French waters as "disproportionate" in a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights that risks spinning out of control. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said London's ambassador to France was in touch with Paris's Europe minister over the matter and Britain's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister was working with the EU commissioners.
Pro-choice activists in Sao Paulo took to the streets to show support for the Argentina landmark abortion ruling on August 8. Nearly two months after lawmakers in the country's lower house of Congress approved the bill by a slim margin, senators will vote on whether to send the bill on to President Mauricio Macri. If the bill is signed, the new legislation would significantly ease the traditionally Catholic country's abortion laws. Despite pressure from the churches, the pro-abortion movement in Argentina is growing due to feminist dialogue brought to the mainstream. This video shows activists marching on the streets of Sau Paolo, many wearing green scarves around their neck to represent the characters from "The Handmaid's Tale", a novel about the oppression of women.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
Protesters have lit fires and thrown bottles at police after Argentina's senate rejected a bill to legalise abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Thousands of pro and anti-abortion protesters in rival colours gathered in heavy rain outside Congress in Buenos Aires as politicians debated the proposal for 15 hours.

Officers fired tear gas as some protesters reacted angrily to the result, setting up flaming barricades and throwing bottles at police in riot gear.

Meanwhile, at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral, a "mass for life" was held in support of keeping laws unchanged.

President Mauricio Macri, who is against abortion, had already said he would sign the bill after the country's lower house chose to support it - but senators voted it down 38 to 31.

Abortion is illegal in the South American country except in cases of rape or risks to a woman's health.

Many women, most of them poor, have dangerous and degrading abortions every year - and activists estimate 3,000 have died since 1983.

Some resort to using a clothes hanger wire or knitting needle to break the amniotic sac inside the womb, others take toxic mixtures or herbs that can prove fatal.

Supporters of the bill argued it would save lives, and the run-up to the vote sparked months of passionate debate and protest in the Catholic country.

Hundreds of doctors who opposed the bill had laid their white medical coats outside the presidential palace, while the pro-choice movement - in their signature green - held larger demonstrations and drew support from the likes of The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood and actress Susan Sarandon.

Amnesty International had told Argentinian politicians that "the world is watching", and Human Rights Watch said the country had a "historic opportunity" to protect women's rights.

But the city's archbishop, Cardinal Mario Poli, appeared to speak for many when he told churchgoers: "It's not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason. Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the state."

The Pope also reiterated the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion this year, urging families "to accept the children that God gives them".
FILE PHOTO: The Fuego volcano spews smoke and ash as seen from San Miguel Los Lotes in Escuintla, Guatemala June 12, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

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 sulfur 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 skeptical 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 Program plans a tiny outdoor experiment next year in the upper atmosphere.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle, editing by Larry King)

See Also:
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 harbouring 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)
Boris Johnson compared women wearing burkas to letterboxes and bank robbers in his Daily Telegraph column (Reuters)

Boris Johnson is facing a Conservative Party investigation into comments he made comparing Muslim women in burkas to letterboxes and bank robbers.

He faces claims that he broke the partys code of conduct with the remarks he made in an article for the Daily Telegraph.

It is understood that the process is being triggered automatically after the receipt of a number of complaints over the former foreign secretarys comparison of Muslim women in face-covering veils with bank robbers or letter boxes.

The party declined to comment on the disciplinary procedure.

A spokesman said only: The code of conduct process is strictly confidential.

Boris Johnsons comment have sparked a debate about Islamophobia (Getty Images)

The former foreign secretary has faced a storm of criticism, with Theresa May calling on him to apologise.

But today a prominent imam spoke out in support of Mr Johnson.

Taj Hargey, the imam at Oxford Islamic Congregation, has lent his support to Mr Johnson, saying he did not go far enough and should not apologise for telling the truth.

In a letter written to The Times Mr Hargey, who has spoken out in the past against Muslim-only schools and gender segregation in mosques, said that Islamic face coverings have no Koranic legitimacy.

The burka and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim, he said.

Johnson did not go far enough. If Britain is to become a fully integrated society then it is incumbent that cultural practices, personal preferences and communal customs that aggravate social division should be firmly resisted.

For this reason Britain must emulate France, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria and Denmark in banning the burka.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK TODAY

Venice cafe defends charging tourist 38 for two coffees and some water

Britain welcomes US sanctions against Russia over Salisbury nerve agent attack

France re-opens MH370 disappearance probe after claims of Malaysian cover-up

British van man drives around Europe spelling out Stop Brexit on map with GPS

Australia suffers worst drought in decades as farmers get increased powers to shoot kangaroos

Story continues

Mr Johnson has resisted calls to say sorry after writing in his Daily Telegraph column that face coverings are ridiculous and weird, and that women who wear them look like bank robbers and letter boxes.

He also argued against banning burkas and niqabs in the UK in the piece.

Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis called on him to say sorry after a flurry of criticism, supported by the Prime Minister.

Mrs May said: I do think that we all have to be very careful about the language and terms we use.

And some of the terms Boris used describing peoples appearance obviously have offended. So I agree with Brandon Lewis.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson backed calls for an apology today, calling Mr Johnsons column gratuitously offensive.

I think that this wasnt 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, said Ms Davidson.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polish police say they are evacuating more than 2,000 people after the discovery of an unexploded World War II-era bomb weighing some 250 kilograms (550 pounds).

The bomb was discovered in the Oder River in the town of Glogow, an area of southwestern Poland that was part of Germany during the war.

Lukasz Szulikowski, an official with the Glogow police, told the PAP news agency that authorities are evacuating some 2,000 to 3,000 people in the area by bus to a nearby school ahead of the removal of the bomb.

He said the bomb was discovered during the cleaning of the river bottom.

The private broadcaster TVN24 reported that it is the fourth World War II-era bomb found in the region over the past year.
The Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms said that its rescue boat Open Arms docked in Algeciras, Spain, on August 9. Local reports said the boat was carrying 87 people rescued in Libyan waters the previous week.

The migrants, including 75 men and 12 boys mostly from Sudan, had spent 50 hours at sea on board an inflatable boat without drinking water, local reports said.

Ahead of the scheduled arrival, the mayor of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landaluce, expressed concern with the number of arrivals in the port city, saying local support services were overwhelmed, according to local reports.

The UN Migration Agency said on August 7 that in the Mediterranean alone, 1,514 migrants had lost their lives since the beginning of 2018. Credit: Proactiva Open Arms via Storyful
FILE PHOTO: Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed during the national anthem at the Inauguration ceremony marking the reopening of the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri - RC1832CC62E0/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

By Maggie Fick and Alexander Cornwell

ADDIS ABABA/DUBAI (Reuters) - When the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea embraced in Asmara last month, promising to end the two-decade-old state of war between their two countries, it looked like a sudden breakthrough.

But the rapprochement was, in fact, the culmination of a year of back-channel talks, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

One of the drivers behind that process was the United States, which has been a major player in the Horn of Africa for decades.

More surprising was the role played by a much smaller nation: the United Arab Emirates.

The oil-rich Gulf state has gained increasing influence in the region in recent years, according to UAE and Ethiopian officials and diplomats.

Driven in part by a desire to tap Ethiopia's growing economy and in part by a fear that rivals such as Iran and Qatar could gain a foothold in the Horn of Africa, the UAE has pushed into the region for more than a decade.

Its newfound assertiveness underscores the shifts underway in the continent, where China now challenges the historic power of western nations and where Russia, Brazil and the UAE and its Gulf States are growing in prominence.

Publicly, the UAE downplays its influence. Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem al-Hashimy, told an event in Washington last month that her country had "played a humble role in trying to bring these two countries together".

But two diplomats in the Gulf told Reuters that the UAE has privately taken credit for the peace agreement.

The Ethiopian prime minister's chief of staff, Fitsum Arega, acknowledged meetings with UAE officials, but said the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea were responsible for ending the war.

Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, was not available for interview when Reuters visited the country's capital, Asmara, last month.

OPPORTUNITY

The UAE has enjoyed virtually unchallenged influence in Eritrea for at least a decade.

Story continues

Eritrea is the most diplomatically isolated state in Africa. The United Nations imposed sanctions including an arms embargo in 2009, accusing the government of supporting Islamist militants in neighboring Somalia - a charge it denies.

But Abu Dhabi has a military base there which it uses to help prosecute the war in Yemen, located just across the Red Sea.

Earlier this year, Hashimy, the UAE minister, met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, in Ethiopia.

When Abiy took office in April, Abu Dhabi ramped up that effort. The timing was fortuitious: the UAE's relationship with Somalia, another nation in the Horn of Africa, was falling apart and Abu Dhabi was looking for a new partner.

"After years of investing in Somali security forces, the UAE saw its gains swept away by what it perceived to be an axis of Qatari and Turkish influence," said Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group.

A month after taking office, Abiy visited the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to meet Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The new Ethiopian leader offered to mediate between Abu Dhabi and Somalia, two diplomats in the Gulf said.

Officials from the UAE affiliate of the Red Crescent society, Emirates Red Crescent, later visited Ethiopia to discuss aid projects with Abiy.

Those visits complemented efforts by Washington to move toward a restoration of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The United States has been conducting shuttle diplomacy for more than a year, according to regional diplomats. In 2017, Eritrean officials visited Washington twice and again once this year, leaving messages that the Americans passed to Ethiopian officials.

In late April this year, Donald Yamamoto, then the top U.S. official on Africa, met Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara  the first visit by a U.S. official of that rank in more than a decade  before meeting Abiy in the Ethiopian capital.

With the promise of financial support from the Gulf and with Washington's backing, Abiy made his move.

"Neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea benefit from a stalemate," he said on June 6, a day after his ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), announced it would implement a peace deal with Eritrea dating back to 2000.

"We need to expend all our efforts towards peace and reconciliation and extricate ourselves from petty conflicts and divisions and focus on eliminating poverty."

Nine days later, Sheikh Mohammed visited Addis Ababa with officials including Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of the state-owned oil company.

The prince announced a $3 billion support package, made up of a $1 billion deposit in Ethiopia's central bank and a pledge of $2 billion in investments.

Ethiopian officials said the deposit, plus an offer from Saudi Arabia of a year's supply of fuel with payment delayed for 12 months, helped ease a foreign exchange crisis that had caused shortages of medicine and a slowdown in manufacturing.

"[The UAE's] good relationship with both parties helped with re-establishing the relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea and we see that as a positive thing," Saad Ali Shire, Foreign Minister in the semi-autonomous state of Somaliland told Reuters.

DECISION

It's been a long time coming.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are linked by blood and history. An Eritrean secessionist movement helped overthrow a military regime in Addis Ababa in 1991 and the new Ethiopian government then gave Eritrea its independence.

For a few years the two countries co-existed peacefully. Landlocked Ethiopia depended on Eritrea's main port, which sits on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

But in 1998, the two went to war after a border dispute. Two years of brutal fighting left at least 80,000 dead. A shaky ceasefire followed.

Things finally began to change after the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in 2012. Members of his ruling coalition began quietly discussing how to approach Isaias Afwerki in Eritrea.

"It became clear to us that normalization was not only beneficial to Ethiopia but for the entire region," said Hailemariam, who succeeded Meles before resigning in February.

Ethiopia's ruling coalition agreed in principle during Hailemariam's tenure to accept the peace deal and withdraw Ethiopian troops from a border town awarded to Eritrea in 2002, he said. His story was confirmed by other senior politicians and diplomats in Ethiopia.

But it was the appointment of Abiy that really encouraged Eritrea, Ethiopian officials, politicians and diplomats in the region say.

Preaching forgiveness and an end to the Ethiopian state's preoccupation with security, Abiy cuts a very different figure from his two predecessors.

"The PM made it clear he will work to ensure lasting peace and ... he proved himself through real gestures like releasing political prisoners," said his chief of staff Arega.

Abiy was able to act because his party had seen off the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, long the dominant force within the ruling coalition and traditionally opposed to Eritrea.

When Isaias, the Eritrean leader, accepted the olive branch, he praised Abiy and welcomed the TPLF's weakening grip on power.

When Abiy and Isaias embraced last month, some in Africa likened the moment to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

A few weeks later the two leaders traveled to Abu Dhabi. A photo from that meeting shows the two men holding hands with the crown prince as he led them up a palace staircase.

(Additional reporting by Aaron Maasho in Asmara, Aziz El Yaakoubi in Dubai, Yara Bayoumy in Washington, and Cecilie Kallestrup in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Giles Elgood)

See Also:
rodrigo duterte threaten cops

Rappler/YouTube

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte summoned 102 allegedly corrupt cops to his palace driveway and unloaded on them in front of the media.

He also said he would deploy a "special unit" to hunt and kill cops involved with drug or crime syndicates.

Duterte's harsh drug war is estimated to have killed over 12,000 people.



Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte summoned 102 allegedly corrupt policemen to his palace, lined them up, and threatened to kill them in front of the media.

The president on Tuesday summoned the cops, who were accused of various crimes, to the presidential palace  or the Malacanang  and unloaded on them on the driveway, Philippines-based news site Rappler reported.

"You are useless to me," he said in front of the cameras. "You are a scourge to society.

"If you keep doing that, son of a b---h, I'll really kill you."

Watch Duterte deliver those warnings in a mixture of Tagalog and English in the video below. It's not clear whether the people standing behind him were the supposedly corrupt cops.

Youtube Embed:

//www.youtube.com/embed/MKhqI3aQ0ps

Width: 800px

Height: 440px

The cops presented to Duterte on Tuesday had been accused of robbery, extortion, serious illegal detention, kidnapping, rape, going absent without official leave (AWOL), serious neglect of duty, and grave misconduct Metro Manila police chief Guillermo Eleazar told Rappler.

Some of them had been taken out of prison just to be at the event, said Eleazar, adding that they would be taken back to jail afterward.

Duterte also warned that he would deploy a "special unit" to hunt and kill cops involved with drug or crime syndicates, as he continues his brutal drug war that activists estimate has killed over 12,000 people.

He said: "I have a special unit which will watch you for life and if you commit even a small mistake, I'll ask that you be killed."

Story continues

Duterte has been ramping up his rhetoric against corrupt police and military personnel in recent months.

Last month, Duterte promised to "terminate" officers who are involved in the drug trade or killed for money. Several politicians were shot dead in assassinations, and it was discovered that a police officer assigned to a drug enforcement unit was involved in an assassination attempt.

NOW WATCH: Inside McVities Manchester factory where 2 billion Jaffa Cakes are made every year

See Also:
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
Jamas nos callaran



Fisica y culturalmente



Nec plus ultra, nec variatur



Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript.

Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript.

Paginas vistas en total

Dolar USA Vs Euro

Sin ellas, no seremos



Deja vu



Nada que celebrar



Hasta cuando?



Colombia Hoy



Para nunca olvidar



'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England



Sin palabras



La UE le apunta a la paz



Cada vez mas solo



Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript.

LULA y su Pueblo



Bye Bye



Homenaje al genial Quino



Fueron ellos



Una imagen que resume



Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero?



Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante)



Ladrones al poder



Asi mira el perrito a su amo



Crazy



Clamor popular



La nueva inquisicion



Bolivia



Chile Hoy



Eso es todo amigos!



Piensalo!



Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



La Marioneta se desinfla



Asi o mas cinico



Almugre



Mexico en 1794



Mas arrastrado imposible



Hasta cuando!



La pura verdad



Solidaridad con Palestina



Serie Capitalismo



Espejismos de la clase trabajadora



Asi es!



Comerciantes o delincuentes



No pasaran!



Asi es la vida



USA HOY



01/01/1959



La avaricia no tiene limites



AYUDA HUMANITARIA?



Chile Hoy



Asi son las cosas



Mapa Electoral de Venezuela



Patagonia argentina?



Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad



Retrato del franquismo en Espana



Visca Catalunya!



El Chulo de Madrid



Cuando la policia se roba la democracia



Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras



La purita verdad



Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



Mi pobre clase media



Como Chavez nadie



Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear

Programa de la MUD



Asi o mas clarito



Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte?



Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



Una verguenza nacional



La luz que nos guia



La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz?



Feudalismo ayer y hoy



Obama, el mentiroso



Curiosa coincidencia



Un mundo de cerdos



No es extrano?



La Marioneta



Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



MARICORI Y OBAMA



Cuantas muertes este ano?



USA TODAY



USA HOY 6



USA HOY 5



USA HOY 4



USA HOY 3



USA HOY 2



USA HOY (1)



Insaciable



Cronologia de un agresor



Guarimbear en USA



Mexico hoy



Bolivar y Chavez



Primero Amargado



Dios los cria y ellos se juntan



USA hoy (III)



USA hoy (II)



USA hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Obama



La verdad sea dicha



Los ricos



Que no nos vea Obama



Pobre Obama



SOS PALESTINA



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



Archivo del blog Archivo del blog marzo (4) abril (9) mayo (8) junio (10) julio (11) agosto (10) septiembre (17) octubre (11) noviembre (15) diciembre (10) enero (9) febrero (10) marzo (8) abril (5) mayo (6) junio (8) julio (13) agosto (10) septiembre (7) octubre (12) noviembre (8) diciembre (15) enero (17) febrero (11) marzo (11) abril (12) junio (6) julio (11) agosto (15) septiembre (5) octubre (15) noviembre (14) diciembre (11) enero (13) febrero (9) marzo (10) abril (8) mayo (7) junio (12) julio (12) agosto (8) septiembre (8) octubre (4) diciembre (8) enero (35) febrero (20) marzo (29) abril (19) mayo (21) junio (27) julio (21) agosto (28) septiembre (40) octubre (47) noviembre (21) diciembre (34) enero (62) febrero (81) marzo (117) abril (141) mayo (114) junio (111) julio (126) agosto (98) septiembre (160) octubre (234) noviembre (493) diciembre (319) enero (219) febrero (267) marzo (230) abril (291) mayo (347) junio (223) julio (179) agosto (191) septiembre (239) octubre (350) noviembre (406) diciembre (353) enero (284) febrero (202) marzo (274) abril (250) mayo (232) junio (251) julio (188) agosto (249) septiembre (230) octubre (178) noviembre (141) diciembre (164) enero (187) febrero (147) marzo (211) abril (190) mayo (199) junio (164) julio (162) agosto (174) septiembre (182) octubre (225) noviembre (114) diciembre (132) enero (223) febrero (147) marzo (133) abril (108) mayo (387) junio (465) julio (785) agosto (748) septiembre (485) octubre (681) noviembre (754) diciembre (805) enero (708) febrero (896) marzo (735) abril (831) mayo (723) junio (555) julio (658) agosto (619) septiembre (457) octubre (455) noviembre (295) diciembre (269) enero (534) febrero (556) marzo (205) abril (119) mayo (194) junio (255) julio (294) agosto (182) septiembre (207) octubre (340) noviembre (351) diciembre (281) enero (114) febrero (128) marzo (216) abril (195) mayo (116) junio (141) julio (182) agosto (181) septiembre (50) octubre (72) noviembre (104) diciembre (88) enero (168) febrero (102) marzo (151) abril (207) mayo (43) junio (72) julio (35) agosto (146) septiembre (54) octubre (46)

Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







Translate













LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


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.

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.

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.

This footage shows Ali Mushaima protesting outside the Bahraini embassy in London. Credit: Sam Walton via Storyful
A South Carolina woman sobbed as she taken to a police station after being arrested for driving under the influence on August 4, telling the officer she was a pretty girl, a good student, and a clean, white girl to persuade him not to jail her.

Officer Baker Odom was not moved, however, and cited Lauren Cutshaw for driving under the influence, speeding, ignoring a stop sign, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Im a very clean, thoroughbred, white girl, Cutshaw told Odom at the police station, according to his written report. Im a white, clean girl.

Odom wrote: I asked what that had to do with anything and she replied among other things, You should know what that means.

She later stated, Youre a cop you should know what that means, and Youre a cop you should know based on the people that come in this room, Odoms report said.

Odom arrested Cutshaw when she failed field sobriety tests.

During the 20-minute drive to the station, Cutshaw told Odom she was a cheerleader, had a 3.8 grade point average, was almost valedictorian in high school, and went to a high accredited university with a scholarship. She repeatedly asked the officer to check her record.

Cutshaw had a .18 percent blood-alcohol breath test, according to the police report. The legal limit in South Carolina is .08 percent. Credit: Bluffton Police Departement via Storyful
A U.S. made F16 jet fighter takes off for a training exercise during military exercises in Taitung County, eastern Taiwan

Chiang Ying-ying/AP

Taiwan has reportedly moved advanced land-attack cruise missiles into position for strikes on targets along China's southeast coast, satellite images indicate.

Given the range of these missiles, their deployment would likely permit penetrating strikes on targets deeper into the mainland.

Reports that the missiles have been moved into position come just two days after local media in Taiwan reported that the new Wan Chien stand-off cruise missile is now operational.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday that she intends to boost the island's military spending by 5.6 percent to $11.3 billion.

Despite Taiwan's efforts to bolster its offensive capabilities, Chinese military experts argue that China has already taken steps to ensure that Taiwanese strikes on Chinese cities or bases would be ineffective.

Satellite images suggest Taiwan has positioned an advanced land-attack cruise missile capable of targeting Hong Kong and other targets along the southeast coast of Chinas mainland, as a deterrent amid rising tensions, experts have claimed.

The Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review has posted on its Facebook page satellite images taken in March that it said showed Taiwans home-produced Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missile had been sent to a base in Taoyuan city, about 50km west of Taipei. That would place it 250km from Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian province on the mainland.

The deployment started in March, which means the Taiwanese military is able to carry out in-depth strategic strikes against [the mainland], said Andrei Chang, the monthly magazines editor-in-chief.

Chang said the cruise missile, with a mid-range strike distance of between 1,000 and 1,500km, would be capable of making precision strikes targeting key cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai and provinces such as Guangdong and Zhejiang, if armed conflict were to flare up between the mainland and Taiwan.

Story continues

Based on its range, all nuclear power plant reactors, state strategic oil reserve facilities near Zhoushan [in eastern Chinas Zhejiang province], and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and other high-speed railways and tunnels would be targeted, Chang said.

Taiwans defence ministry declined to make any comments on the Hsiung Feng IIE deployment, saying any reports about the missile were all speculation by media.

The Republic of China has full confidence and is well-prepared to defend its territory from invasion, said defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi, referring to Taiwan by its official name.

On Monday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she was seeking to increase next years defence budget by 5.6 per cent to NT$346 billion (US$11.3 billion), as tensions with the mainland rise.

It is almost 20 years since the last Taiwan Strait crisis in the mid-1990s, when the Peoples Liberation Army conducted missile tests near the waters around Taiwan.

Taipei claims that since the 1990s crisis Beijing has deployed more than 1,500 short-range and mid-range missiles targeting Taiwan from the coastal areas of southeastern China.

However, Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based missile expert and former member of the PLAs then Second Artillery Corps, said Beijing had already taken precautionary measures to protect its strategically valuable cities and regions.

Song said the Hsiung Feng IIE cruise missile, developed by Taiwans National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), bears many similarities to the US Tomahawk long-range subsonic cruise missile.

But the missile is still an inferior version of the Tomahawks, said Song, now a military commentator for Phoenix TV, a Chinese-language channel.

The PLAs missile defence systems is able to intercept the Tomahawk, so the Hsiung Feng IIE is not a big deal, because now the mainlands defence system has also expanded from land-based to also ship-based.

On the other hand, the deployment of Hsiung Feng IIE was already under close watch by the PLAs Rocket Force [formerly the Second Artillery Corps].

He said the exposure of Hsiung Feng IIE, one of the Taiwanese militarys few killer weapons, would help the PLA to come up with more counter measures to cope with it.

I think Taipei can only use this weapon as a deterrent and a political card by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, not as an actual military weapon to target the mainland, Song said.

The PLA would be able to intercept it, so it would be impossible for Hsiung Feng IIE to hit Hong Kong or other important areas on the mainland.

Earlier this week, Taiwanese media cited an official source saying that the NCSIST had successfully developed the Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missile, capable of hitting the mainlands southern coastal bases.

Song said Wan Chiens strike accuracy is lower than that of the Hsiung Feng IIE missiles.

NOW WATCH: What the pirates in movies actually looked like in real life

See Also:
Theresa May has said the Scottish government should get behind her Brexit proposals, following talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The prime minister said Scotland should not try to "sow the politics of division".

Mrs May insisted all parts of the United Kingdom should support the deal, which was agreed by the cabinet.

The SNP leader said after talks with Mrs May she still has concerns Britain could be forced to quit the EU without a formal deal.

Ms Sturgeon said afterwards: "My concern about the increasing prospect of a no deal Brexit certainly wasn't allayed in that meeting.

:: Women may have to quit jobs to fill care roles post-Brexit, report warns

"We discussed obviously the position around the Chequers agreement. The prime minister's position continues to be that she thinks Chequers is the basis of an agreement on the future relationship, notwithstanding that everybody else thinks that it's not."

The Scottish government has repeatedly called for the UK to remain in both the European single market and the customs union after leaving the EU.

It has previously refused to back the European Withdrawal Bill, instead passing its own Brexit contingency legislation.

The Supreme Court is currently considering a Westminster challenge to this.

Mrs May said the government was "working to get a good deal for the whole of the United Kingdom".

"I think it is incumbent on all parts of the United Kingdom to be supporting the proposals that we're putting forward in their interaction with Brussels," she said.

"I think it important we see those proposals being supported, rather than sadly what I fear we see here which is an attempt to sow the politics of division.

"We're working to get a good deal, we've put forward a proposal that delivers on the Brexit vote, that protects jobs and livelihoods here in the UK, that will be good for all parts of the United Kingdom, that ensures we have that clear good trading relationship in the future with the European Union, and that delivers on other issues people want."

Story continues

:: Sterling sinks to 11-month low after Fox's no-deal Brexit remark

Asked if she would accept any request from the Scottish government to hold a second independence referendum, Mrs May said the focus should be on delivering for the UK.

"The Scottish people voted in 2014, they had a referendum, they gave a clear decision they wanted Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom," she said.

"I believe what we should be doing now is working and getting on with the job of delivering on the future of the United Kingdom, that's about Brexit, it is about getting a good Brexit deal, it is about all the other issues like the industrial strategy, like the city deals," she added.

She spoke after formally signing the 1.3bn city deal for Edinburgh and the south east of Scotland with the First Minister.

The agreement brings together the two governments, councils, universities and business.
A survey of adolescents carried out by researchers at Coventry University has shown that than less than half of e-cigarette users knew that vape products contain nicotine or that they are addictive, raising the possibility that they could be a gateway to smoking normal cigarettes. Nicotine addiction is a real problem but the health issues posed by e-cigarettes are potentially greater than just addiction.

The first Europeans to arrive in America at the end of the 15th century soon encountered the local custom of smoking tobacco  and they in turn introduced the practice to Europe. Successive English monarchs were opposed to it  King James I famously wrote a book entitled A Counterblaste to Tobacco  but, in the end, governments settled on taxing it.

The compound responsible for the pleasurable aspects of smoking tobacco (and for its addictive properties) is nicotine, a secondary metabolite produced by the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum as a defence against herbivores.

Smoking tobacco destroys most of the molecules present in it, including nicotine, but the small amount of nicotine that survives (around 10%) is carried from the lungs, via the blood, to the brain within less than ten seconds. Once in the brain, it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, including the pleasure molecule dopamine. The link between taking a drag on the cigarette and the brains pleasure response explains why smoking can be so addictive, as it associates pleasure with the act of smoking.

A dangerous game

Most of the dangers of smoking do not come directly from nicotine. Cigarette smoke contains around 4,000 different compounds and the most dangerous molecules are carcinogens such as benzo[a]pyrene and nitrosamines such as N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), which is derived from nicotine. Tobacco tar, which is carried in the smoke to the mouth and lungs, is rich in these toxic substances.

If you smoke tobacco, the smoke damages the DNA in organs exposed to it as well as others indirectly exposed, speeding up genetic mutations and increasing the risk of cancer  not just of the lung, but also of the mouth, larynx, liver, cervix, oesophagus, pancreas, bladder and kidney. Not all these mutations lead to cancer, but the more of them there are, the more likely it is that cancer-causing mutations will occur.

Story continues

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), smoking-related disease causes around six million deaths a year (about 600,000 of these from passive smoking). Around 100,000 of these deaths occur in the UK and half a million in the US. Nicotine does not cause these deaths directly, but addiction to nicotine does.

Within the past decade or so, e-cigarettes have been marketed as a way to enjoy smoking with fewer of the health risks of traditional cigarettes  for one thing, as e-cigarettes dont burn tobacco, they should eliminate the risks associated with tar. They contain a battery, a metal heating element and a reservoir of liquid, which is converted to a vapour by the heating element and is inhaled by the smoker. The liquid is made up of a solvent, either glycerol or propylene glycol, nicotine, and often food-grade flavourings.

So whats the problem with e-cigarettes, if they do not produce carcinogenic tar? Well, nicotine or other molecules found in e-cigarettes can still affect lung health. A significant number of the flavour chemicals used in many liquids are aldehydes, and these are often irritants of the mucosal tissue in the respiratory tract when inhaled.

Typical examples are cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon), vanillin (vanilla) and diacetyl (buttery). Tests on endothelial cells, the cells which line the blood vessels and the inside of the heart, show that some e-cigarette flavourings and their constituents (such as vanillin, cinnamaldehyde, diacetyl, isoamyl acetate and menthol) may harm blood vessels. They caused higher levels of an inflammatory marker (interleukin-6) and lower levels of nitric oxide, a molecule with several roles, such as inhibiting inflammation and clotting, and dilating blood vessels. In the body, these two changes are considered to be an early predictor of heart disease. Although the food flavourings are in themselves safe when used in food (as are the solvents) that does not mean they necessarily are entirely safe for a different use, such as in e-cigarettes.

Studies have shown that some of these molecules, notably the solvents, can be decomposed when heated to above 300C by the heating element in the e-cigarette. Three substances, all aldehydes, formed on the breakdown of glycerol and propylene glycol have come in for particular attention  acrolein, methanal and ethanal.

Youve probably met acrolein (propenal)  its the chemical formed when cooking oil is heated until it begins to smoke. It is toxic and can severely irritate eyes and nasal passages. Ethanal (acetaldehyde) and methanal (formaldehyde) are also toxic  methanal, in particular, is a well-known carcinogen.

These substances may also be formed by decomposition of the flavouring molecules.

The verdict

So are these molecules produced at dangerous concentrations in e-cigarettes? While use of e-cigarettes has been shown to lead to significantly lower levels of certain carcinogenic metabolites in the urine of their smokers, compared to the levels found in smokers of traditional cigarettes, they have been linked with higher levels of some particulates, including the metals cadmium, nickel, chromium, lead and zinc. These may have originated in the heating coil.

There is particular concern that the rapid growth in the use of e-cigarettes has not been accompanied by proper assessment of the risks accompanying their use, especially over the long term. While some reports have said that e-cigarettes are much safer than conventional cigarettes, one study has concluded that regular use of e-cigarettes by young people leads to them becoming heavier smokers of conventional cigarettes; another American study concluded that use of e-cigarettes by teenagers doubles the risk of coughs and bronchitis compared with non-smokers.

E-cigarettes are freely available in the UK, and US, but are banned or restricted in some countries, including Norway, Brazil, Singapore and Australia. A letter published in the British Medical Journal also warned:

Further basic science and epidemiological research is needed to increase our evidence base on the benefits and harms of e-cigarette vapour. Until then patients should not be misled into thinking that the likelihood of future harm is negligible when there is insufficient evidence to advocate this.

At present, then, the bottom line is that no one knows whether there are long-term risks associated with e-cigarettes. Caution is required.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Simon Cotton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)  Senior Zimbabwean opposition figure Tendai Biti on Thursday was charged with inciting public violence and declaring unofficial election results as fears grew about a government crackdown following the disputed July 30 election.

The court appearance followed dramatic events in which Biti fled to Zambia, was denied asylum and was handed over to Zimbabwean security forces in defiance of a Zambian court order. Western diplomats, including the United States, and the U.N. refugee agency quickly expressed concern.

"We will keep on fighting," Biti said as he arrived at court in the capital, Harare. The charge of inciting public violence could bring up to a decade in prison, while the charge of declaring unofficial election results carries a maximum six-month sentence. He was granted $5,000 bail but must surrender his passport, report to authorities twice a day and not address political rallies.

Biti's plight has raised concerns that the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who narrowly won the first election after the fall of Robert Mugabe, will treat the opposition just as harshly as before despite promises of reforms. The opposition says it is preparing a legal challenge to the election results, calling them fraudulent.

Shortly after Biti's hearing, Mnangagwa said he had been released "following my intervention," without giving details. In a series of posts on Twitter, the president said the case would continue "due to the serious nature of the allegations." He called on all parties to cease incitement and violence.

In a letter to Zimbabwean police, Biti's lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa alleged that they and military police "unlawfully abducted" Biti from Zambia and "maliciously damaged" the tires of a legal practitioner trying to follow their unmarked vehicles back to Harare.

The letter, seen by The Associated Press, says Biti should be immediately returned to Zambian immigration authorities, and "due to the traditional torture that abductees are generally subjected to in Zimbabwe" it called for a medical team to check him before then.

Story continues

Zambian border guards handed Biti over despite a court order saying he should not be deported until his appeal for asylum was heard, Zambian lawyer Gilbert Phiri told the AP. Zambia's foreign minister said Biti's reasons for seeking asylum "did not have merit."

The U.N. refugee agency said it was "gravely concerned" about the reports of Biti's forced return to Zimbabwe, calling such actions a serious violation of international law.

The U.S. State Department said the U.S. had "convoked" the ambassadors of Zimbabwe and Zambia "to register our gravest concerns" and would review its cooperation with Zambia's government.

A joint statement by the heads of missions in Zimbabwe of the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia urgently called on Zimbabwean authorities to guarantee Biti's safety and respect his rights. Diplomats from the U.S. and Britain attended his hearing along with EU election observers.

"This is a worrying development," said David Coltart, a fellow member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and a human rights lawyer who said Biti was arrested in 2008 on a similar charge and "brutally tortured."

Biti, a former finance minister and newly elected member of parliament for the MDC, last week urged opposition supporters to defend their votes in the disputed ballot, saying MDC candidate Nelson Chamisa had won the presidential race.

The day after Biti's remarks, the military opened fire to disperse opposition protesters in the streets of Harare, killing six people. Western election observers, whose endorsement of a credible election is badly needed for the lifting of international sanctions on Zimbabwe, condemned the "excessive" force.

While Mnangagwa has hailed a "flowering" of democracy since Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure, alarm has been growing about the role of the security forces and who controls them.

The state-run Herald newspaper in an "editorial comment" said Biti "sneaked into Zambia in a bid to evade the law."

Under Mugabe's 37 years in power, Zimbabwe was dogged by charges of rigged and fraudulent elections, along with violence against opposition figures.

Biti, one of the most outspoken critics of the government, was quick to warn that while Mugabe's resignation was welcome, the military takeover that led to it set a dangerous precedent for involvement in civilian affairs. "The genie is out of the bottle," Biti said in June.

On Thursday evening, the State Department said that "while Zimbabwe had a historic opportunity to move the country toward a brighter future for all its citizens, an electoral process marred by violence that does not respect constitutional rights and procedures is not a step toward that future."

___

Meldrum contributed from Johannesburg. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

___

Follow Africa news at: https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
Shares in outsourcer Capita rallied on Thursday as Jefferies upgraded the stock to 'buy' from 'hold', highlighting the potential of the company's software division.

Jefferies, which cut its price target to 180p from 200p, said it remains cautious on the outlook for UK outsourcing as attrition is expected to remain elevated. It said the company's interim results "removed investor euphoria" as free cash flow was weak and management's revenue growth narrative softened.

However, Jefferies argued that Capita's software business could be its differentiator, as it has a brighter revenue outlook, attractive free cash flow characteristics and recently won a contract in India.

In addition, it said Capita's FY20 margin guidance may be conservative.

"If we add in cost savings (Capitas targets are slightly more ambitious than peers as a percentage of revenue) and assume loss-making contracts are restored to break-even (a circa 30m profit tailwind) then the FY20E EBITA margin could move back toward the 11% figure reported in FY17.

"This is ahead of managements 10%+ target and our 10.5% forecast but consistent with the CEOs comment in April 2018 that a leaner business should generate a margin similar to the past."

In its interim results earlier this month, Capita posted a 59% drop in pre-tax profit but the company's CEO insisted he was making "good progress" on turnaround plans.

At 1115 BST, the shares were up 6.6% to 136.75p.
The US government said it would impose sanctions on Russia by the end of August after determining that Moscow had been involved in the poisoning of former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

A UK investigation determined that Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned by a liquid form of the Novichok nerve agent was applied to the front door of their home in the city of Salisbury in March.

The US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Wednesday that Moscow had used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals".

The sanctions will come into effect on 22 August, including a ban on sensitive national-security exported goods such as turbine engines, integrated circuits and calibration equipment used in avionics. Space flight activities, government space cooperation and commercial passenger aviation safety will be excluded on a case-by-case basis.

The US government also warned that there would be a second batch of sanctions such as the suspension of diplomatic relations imposed in 90 days unless Russia offers reliable assurances that it will not use chemical weapons. Officials said the new sanctions would be more draconian.

Russia has said the allegations of its involvement in the poisoning of Skripal were far-fetched. The Kremlin also said that it had grown accustomed to not hearing any facts or evidence of their guilt.

On the other hand, UK Prime Minister Theresa May thanked the US for its support: 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, said a Downing Street spokesperson on Wednesday.
For Immediate Release

The American Psychological Association (APA) today voted to keep a ban on military psychologists at Guantanamo Bay prison, maintaining its firm ethical standards at detention sites that violate international law. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) called the vote a resounding victory for human rights and has the following statement as a response, attributable to Sarah Dougherty, Senior Fellow, Anti-Torture Program:

PHR commends the American Psychological Association for defending human rights in the face of sustained pressure to weaken its ethics policies. Guantanamo remains a symbol of lawlessness, where detainees face indefinite detention without charge or trial. Many of these men were tortured by the U.S. government, with the systematic involvement of psychologists. The failed push to return military psychologists to Guantanamo is happening at a time when the U.S. president plans to expand the prison and regularly pledges to restore torture. The world is watching what the APA is doing. Maintaining high ethical standards and insisting on access to independent care are critical to upholding both the humane treatment of detainees and the ban on torture and ill-treatment  at Guantanamo and elsewhere. It is extraordinarily troubling that the APA allowed a proposed reversal to reach a vote in the first place, and the human rights community will continue to hold the association to its commitments.

Current APA policy, upheld at the APAs annual meeting this week in San Francisco, prohibits psychologists from working at sites determined by relevant United Nations authorities to violate international law, such as Guantanamo Bay detention center, unless specific safeguards are in place. Namely, the psychologist must work directly for the detainee or for an independent third party working to protect human rights. The proposed reversal would have allowed psychologists under the command of the detaining authority to resume clinical roles with prisoners who have been victims of serious human rights abuses.

Physicians for Human Rights is one of several human rights organizations that publicly opposed the policy changes voted down today, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First, Center for Victims of Torture, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Defending Rights and Dissent and North Carolina Stop Torture Now. In addition, Juan E. Mendez, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, voiced opposition to allowing military psychologists to return to the prison.

Indefinite detention and prolonged isolation violate the absolute ban on torture and ill-treatment under international law. In addition, UN experts and other independent observers have repeatedly raised serious concerns about detention conditions, the health status of detainees, inadequate medical and mental health care, secrecy surrounding accounts of torture, and serious problems with the medical system. As highlighted in PHRs recent letter to the APA, these concerns include the fact that clinicians are instructed to avoid documenting histories that include torture and ill-treatment and to avoid inquiring into the causes of post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric illnesses linked to severe mental and physical harm.

A policy reversal would have been a shameful capitulation to the U.S. governments interests and a tacit admission that the worlds largest psychology association had weakened its position on torture and ill-treatment. With todays vote, the APA has upheld detainees right to independent and trauma-informed care, and has closed the door on future complicity in abuses by psychologists at Guantanamo, Dougherty said.

PHR has repeatedly called for the closure of Guantanamo, and for years advocated for the APA to strengthen its ethics policies to prevent a return to complicity in torture for psychologists at national security detention sites. Since 2005, PHR has documented the systematic use of psychological and physical torture of national security detainees by U.S. personnel in a series of groundbreaking reports. PHR has also called for an end to the torture and ill-treatment of detainees by the United States, a federal investigation into the role of health professionals in the U.S. torture program, and full criminal and professional accountability for any health professionals complicit in detainee abuses.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.
Stocks on the Continent are on the back foot come midday in lacklustre summer trading, albeit amid significant volatility in Russian and Turkish assets, especially in foreign exchange markets.

Overnight, the US Department of State slapped new sanctions on exports of goods and technology to Russia deemed sensitive on national security grounds after finding that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning of its former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.

The move, required under existing legislation, raised concerns among investors that the US government may be hardening its stance against the Kremlin, especially given recent calls from some senators for "crushing sanctions" to be imposed until Moscow desists in its US election meddling.

Also on Tuesday evening, Turkish officials reportedly balked at pressure that they commit to releasing a detained US pastor. To take note of, the Financial Times was reporting that Ankara was set to announce a new economic model on Friday.

Against that backdrop, as of 1212 BST, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was slipping 0.30% or 1.25 points to 388.44, alongside a 0.44% or 23.70 point drop for the Cac-40 to 5,478.20

In parallel, Moscow's RTS index was shedding 2.02% to 1,091.24, paring its gains for the year-to-date in the process, although the Borsa Istanbul 100 Index was up by 1.71% to 98,630.19.

"Trade concerns remain to the fore, and not just between the US and China, with Washington set to slap more sanctions on Russia. Ahead of mid-term elections, this may help Trump look tougher vis-a-vis the Kremlin, distancing himself from Putin and, he will hope, allegations of collusion," said Mike van Dulken at Accendo Markets.

"While trade risks between the US and its allies are de-escalating, tensions between the US and China are likely to rise in coming months. We expect market volatility to pick up as the Trump administration presses ahead with tariffs," chipped-in Erin Browne at UBS.

Nevertheless, Browne added, "Investors should not underestimate growth stabilization outside of the US, including the effects of Chinas monetary and fiscal stimulus. We remain constructive on global equities."

On currency markets, it was the Turkish lira that was faring worse, with the US dollar flying 2.14% higher to trade at a record 5.3918, while against the Russian rouble the Greenback was 0.54% stronger to 65.9630, its best level in a year.

Shares of Russian airline Aeroflot and lender VTB Bank meanwhile fell as much as 6% in the wake of the fresh US sanctions.

The economic data calendar was fairly light on Thursday.

In Ireland, the Central Statistics Office reported a 0.4% rise in harmonised consumer prices during the month of July, which pushed the year-on-year rate of increase from June's 0.7% to a clip of 1.0%.

Over in Greece, ELSTAT reported that registered unemployment continued to trend lower in May, although the number of officially inactive persons remained exceedingly high.

A total of 3.824m Greeks were classed as officialy employed in May, with 924,941 said to be unemployed. Meanwhile, those classed as 'inactive' stood at 3.230m.
Reports suggest that the EU is considering a Brexit deal which will allow Britain to remain in the single market for goods if the UK replicated all environmental, social, and customs rules in return.

The deal would be comparable to the relationship Jersey and other Channel Island Crown dependencies share with the EU and is of an ilk that EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has previously ruled out, according to The Times.

Such a deal would also allow Britain to opt out from the free movement of people.

Barnier has indicated that he believes granting Britain access to the single market would "undermine" it and allow for 'cherry picking' beneficial elements of EU membership.

However, an unnamed senior EU source told The Times: "If May came with the Jersey model there would be a serious discussion among leaders for the first time."

The Jersey model, which would largely avoid the need for new borders between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, would keep Britain even more closely linked to the EU, meaning that the country would have to adopt future environmental and social legislation introduced by Brussels.

But a deal of this kind would be unlikely to pass through parliament after Prime Minister Theresa Mays Chequers proposals were deemed to align the country to closely with the EU by pro-leave Conservative MPs.

Critics say the deal would limit Liam Fox's international trade department's power to negotiate trade deals.

The potential deal is set to be discussed at a special meeting of all 28 leaders in Salzburg next month.
BHP Billiton on Thursday agreed to pay $50m to a group of shareholders in order to settle a US class action lawsuit related to the 2015 Samarco dam disaster.

The bursting of the dam at the Samarco mine resulted in a mudslide which killed 19 people and polluted a nearby river, leading to internal reports and police investigation as well as lawsuits.

The Samarco mine was jointly owned by the Anglo-Australian firm and Brazilian company Vale, who together commissioned a technical report that did not assign blame for the incident.

The US case, where the London-listed company has now agreed to pay plaintiffs $50m with no admission of liability, was brought on behalf of purchasers of American depositary receipts between 25 September 2014 and 30 November 2015.

The mining giant is also negotiating a $41bn civil claim in Brazil, where an agreement the firm signed in June with federal and state prosecutors allowing it and Vale to settle the claim over the course of two years was ratified on Wednesday by a federal court.

The disaster has already cost BHP about $2.2bn, including a total write-off of its investment in Samarco, due to uncertainty over when the mine will reopen.

BHP Billitons shares were down 0.49% at 1,710.60p at 0953 BST.
Randgold Resources updated the market on its second quarter on Thursday, reporting a 5% uptick in its profit from mining on a quarter-on-quarter basis, with net cash generated from operations rising 49%.

The FTSE 100 company did highlight the fact it paid a $188.8m dividend in the quarter as well.

It said gold production was 9% higher on a quarter-on-quarter basis at 313 302 ounces, with its total cash cost per ounce down 3% to $697 and gold sales rising 5% to $411.5m, despite a lower gold price.

Profit from mining was 6% higher at $190.6m, with net cash generated by the operations rising by 49% to $95.5m.

The firms profit for the period fell to $58.37m from $66.52m in the quarter immediately prior, however.

At Kibali, Randgold said underground mining was ramped up as planned, with continued improvements in throughput and recovery helping to boost production to a record 201,742 ounces, up 17% on the prior quarter.

Total cash cost per ounce decreased 11% to $651, which was said to be reflective of the higher grade as well as lower power costs from increased hydropower.

The mine's third and last hydropower station was currently being commissioned.

At the end of the quarter, Randgold said Kibali's underground operation successfully transitioned from contractor mining to owner mining, following the example of the Loulo mines.

As at Loulo, the move was expected to deliver cost reductions and efficiency improvements, with Kibali remaining on track to beat its 2018 production forecast.

The board said the Loulo-Gounkoto complex performed in line with its plan, increasing production by 4% to 150,117 ounces while progressing the Gounkoto super pit project.

Since the quarter, Randgold said itself and the Malian government had agreed on a revised investment convention for Gounkoto to support the development of the super pit.

At Tongon, Randgold said the project recovered well from a series of work stoppages in the first quarter, which carried over to the start of the second quarter to increase production by 12% to 65,259 ounces.

Since the end of the quarter, however, a new work stoppage halted operations, and the mine was now working on a recovery plan to get back to full production, with expected annual production revised to around 250koz.

Morila's results were also said to have been in line with plan, as it moved towards closure.

Its agripole project, designed to mitigate the socio-economic impact of closing the mine, was awaiting final government endorsement.

Randgold said that while the operation was mainly processing tailings, it had also started mining the Ntiola satellite pit.

In Senegal, an updated base case on the Massawa project confirmed the robustness of the project and the upside potential as it progressed through the final feasibility study to an investment decision expected by the end of the year.

Randgold said that in addition to the potential benefits of ongoing drilling below the central zone, the government's electrification roll-out plan - which envisaged grid power access at Massawa by 2022 - could have a significant impact on the project's economics.

On the exploration front, the company said its brownfields reserve replacement teams made significant progress at Kibali, Yalea and Tongon, which would reinforce the robustness of the group's 10-year business plan, which was profitable at a long term gold price of $1,000 per ounce.

The company said its greenfields exploration, including airborne and ground geophysical surveys, continued to advance the exploration portfolio which also included the new Bambadji permit across the border from Loulo in Senegal.

Chief executive Mark Bristow said the quarter's results highlighted the Randgold team's ability to deal effectively with multiple challenges, including the work stoppages, continuing negotiations with the DRC government about its new mining code, the sequencing of the Gounkoto pit pushback and Ntiola's permitting delay.

The Tongon work stoppage is obviously a challenge, but we take comfort from the government's leadership in ensuring measures are taken to protect the assets and that they are dealing with the situation, Bristow said.

We are still assessing its impact but at this stage we still believe that, given Kibali's strong performance, we are on track to be within the group production and cost guidance for 2018.
Cyclicals were pacing gains in the market on Thursday, with Industrial Engineering and Industrial Metals&Mining leading the advance.

Within the former, investors were continuing to bid shares of steam systems engineer Spirax Sarco higher a day after the release of its first half numbers.

The company posted a 28% jump in revenue to 547.6m, with organic growth for the six months ended 30 June put at 7%.

Adjusted operating profit meanwhile was ahead 24% to 125.7m or 15% higher on organic terms, while its adjusted operating profit margin fell 60 basis points to 23%.

Nevertheless, not everyone was on board, with analysts at Numis having reportedly downgraded their recommendation on the shares from 'add' to 'hold', although they kept their target price at 7,000p.

The broker's analysts conceded the company's long-term track record merited a "significant premium" versus the sector and said they could see upside risks to their revised estimates.

However, they cautioned that "recent share price run has pushed Spirax to a PER of 27x, which means we struggle to see sufficient upside on a 12 month view to maintain our Add rating."

Ferrexpo meanwhile was responsible for gains in Metals&Mining, with the shares coming off their 52-week lows, possibly helped by speculation of improved pricing for iron ore in the third quarter.

62% Fe iron ore prices had rising for a third week last week, averaging $67.34 per tonne, and while it had struggled to climb past $68 per tonne since March, there were upside risks present for the third quarter outlook, according to analysts at Metal Bulletin.

Those included ongoing high crude steel production and weak domestic iron ore supply.

"The Chinese government has announced that the winter cuts will be put in place again this year, from the start of October until the end of March this time, restricting capacity utilization at 50%. Our experience from last winter's cuts is that although production was dampened in specific regions in the north China, total national output still grew as mills operating in other regions more than compensated for the production losses."

Top performing sectors so far today

Leisure Goods 7,968.89 +2.40%

Industrial Engineering 13,477.65 +1.99%

Chemicals 17,139.51 +1.48%

Industrial Metals & Mining 5,007.70 +1.32%

Software & Computer Services 1,889.17 +1.18%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Fixed Line Telecommunications 2,643.07 -4.18%

Oil & Gas Producers 9,484.39 -1.85%

Construction & Materials 6,255.67 -1.62%

Beverages 22,436.97 -1.08%

Automobiles & Parts 10,837.93 -0.74%
About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
The latest updates and spoilers for "Spider-Man: Homecoming" reveal that former S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, Nick Fury and Maria Hill, have been added to the sequel. Vulture reports that Samuel L. Jackon and Cobie Smulders will officially reprise their roles as they help Tom Holland's character, Peter Parker, stop Mysterio in his next adventure.

Cast member, Laura Harrier, told Cinemablend that her character, Liz Allen, survives Thanos's universe-wide genocide in "Avengers: Infinity War." The sequel will feature Peter and his friends on a European tour sponsored by Stark Industries.

However, his vacation plans are halted when Mysterio steals one of Tony Stark's last inventions.

Nick Fury and Maria Hill in 'Far From Home'

According to Vulture, Samuel L. Jackon and Cobie Smulders will indeed return in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," after months of speculation and rumored news on the internet. The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents will guide Peter in the sequel after the possible demise of Tony Stark in "Avengers 4."

Peter, in the sequel, will feel lost and frustrated because he lost another father figure. Nick and Maria will do their best to help the young web-slinger on his journey to become the hero he was meant to be to honor Tony's legacy.

Nick Fury has been instrumental in guiding the Avengers in their numerous battles and fans believe that his wisdom and experience will be beneficial to Peter in the future.

There are also hints that Spidey could become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For now, Spidey needs to stop Quentin Beck in the sequel and he will be aided by MI6 agent Jessica Drew. He will also encounter Beck's partner Dimitri (The Chameleon) played by Numan Acar.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Liz Allen survives 'Infinity War'

According to Cinemablend, Laure Harrier believes that her character, Liz Allen, survived the aftermath of "Infinity War." Liz was Peter's love interest in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," but was cut short after Peter found out that her dad is Adrian Toomes (The Vulture).

"Did Liz disappear into dust?

I think she's around," Harrier told Cinemablend. "I think she's sticking around. She's tough."

The Russo brothers were kind enough to offer several names of surviving MCU characters, including Peter's aunt, May Parker. But not everyone has been discussed, meaning, there is still a chance that Liz did or did not survive the snap in the movie.
I am Waiting

I am waiting for my case to come up

and I am waiting

for a rebirth of wonder

and I am waiting for someone

to really discover America

and wail

and I am waiting

for the discovery

of a new symbolic western frontier

and I am waiting

for the American Eagle

to really spread its wings

and straighten up and fly right

and I am waiting

for the Age of Anxiety

to drop dead

and I am waiting

for the war to be fought

which will make the world safe

for anarchy

and I am waiting

for the final withering away

of all governments

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Second Coming

and I am waiting

for a religious revival

to sweep thru the state of Arizona

and I am waiting

for the Grapes of Wrath to be stored

and I am waiting

for them to prove

that God is really American

and I am waiting

to see God on television

piped onto church altars

if only they can find

the right channel

to tune in on

and I am waiting

for the Last Supper to be served again

with a strange new appetizer

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for my number to be called

and I am waiting

for the Salvation Army to take over

and I am waiting

for the meek to be blessed

and inherit the earth

without taxes

and I am waiting

for forests and animals

to reclaim the earth as theirs

and I am waiting

for a way to be devised

to destroy all nationalisms

without killing anybody

and I am waiting

for linnets and planets to fall like rain

and I am waiting for lovers and weepers

to lie down together again

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Great Divide to be crossed

and I am anxiously waiting

for the secret of eternal life to be discovered

by an obscure general practitioner

and I am waiting

for the storms of life

to be over

and I am waiting

to set sail for happiness

and I am waiting

for a reconstructed Mayflower

to reach America

with its picture story and tv rights

sold in advance to the natives

and I am waiting

for the lost music to sound again

in the Lost Continent

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the day

that maketh all things clear

and I am awaiting retribution

for what America did

to Tom Sawyer

and I am waiting

for Alice in Wonderland

to retransmit to me

her total dream of innocence

and I am waiting

for Childe Roland to come

to the final darkest tower

and I am waiting

for Aphrodite

to grow live arms

at a final disarmament conference

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting

to get some intimations

of immortality

by recollecting my early childhood

and I am waiting

for the green mornings to come again

youths dumb green fields come back again

and I am waiting

for some strains of unpremeditated art

to shake my typewriter

and I am waiting to write

the great indelible poem

and I am waiting

for the last long careless rapture

and I am perpetually waiting

for the fleeing lovers on the Grecian Urn

to catch each other up at last

and embrace

and I am awaiting

perpetually and forever

a renaissance of wonder
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
Vicky left her family to attend a school for the blind in Texas.

It was at the school where the little girl, who was born blind, met now-Superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools Raquel Reedy, telling Reedy of how scary it was to be in a new place without her loved ones.

Vicky would talk to Reedy in Spanish, the only language the 7-year-old spoke. Reedy said she was shy, bright and articulate.

So, when school officials said Vicky failed an IQ test and was mentally disabled, Reedy, who was student teaching, stepped in saying that only happened because the test was in English and advocated for the girl to get different care at the school.

It was that event and Vicky that inspired Reedy to further her career in education, the superintendent said at the Economic Forum of Albuquerque breakfast Wednesday morning.

Reedy, who began her career with APS in 1977, told the group of primarily business leaders about the strides she says the district is making.

APS is an integral part of Albuquerque, she said.

She highlighted APS reach into the business community takes many forms: from graduates who enter the workforce to construction projects the district provides.

The district spans 1,200 square miles with buses traveling more than 39,000 miles to and from schools each day, Reedy told the forum.

She touted graduation rates on the rise, PARCC scores improving and surveys that show parent satisfaction. And she emphasized truancy rates were down.

We know these numbers need to grow, she said, adding the district is going in the right direction.

The superintendent outlined The Superintendents Big Five, which are goals Reedy has to improve the district:

 Whole child.

 College and career readiness.

 Early learning.

 Attendance.

 Community and parent engagement.

Another point she emphasized is that about 64 percent of the operational budget goes to instruction, which is more than the state-wide average of about 60 percent.
Alexandria Germains summer has been filled with plenty of excitement.

The 22-year-old University of New Mexico student was named Miss Black New Mexico in early July in Hobbs.

With the win, Germain will travel to Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday for the Miss Black America Pageant to begin the full week of competition and represent New Mexico. The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 18.

This is something I wanted to do, and represent New Mexico and help younger girls realize they can achieve their dreams, Germain said.

The Miss Black America Pageant is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

It was founded by J. Morris Anderson and is the oldest pageant for women of color.

Anderson developed the pageant to reverse the negative propaganda of the black woman and her role in America.

Today, the nation embraces black beauty, we remain ever committed to the empowerment of women of color throughout America, representing all of our sisters of the African Diaspora, according to the Miss Black American pageant site.

The Albuquerque native is no stranger to the pageant circuit.

She competed in the Miss America organization until 2015, when she took a break to concentrate on school.

Germain is set to graduate in May 2019 and is majoring in psychology with a minor in child development.

I want to have my very own practice and work with kids who have been abused, she said. Those kids are our future and we have to protect them. Its something Im very passionate about.

Germain also realizes how tough the field is to get into.

I did shadow someone and I was nervous going into it, she said. Its such a hard job and you have to not get emotionally attached to your work. In this field, you realize how ugly the world can be. You are just trying to make the best outcome.

Germains mother told her about the Miss Black America Pageant.

In Hobbs, she competed against 10 other women.

What I like about this pageant is that its made to empower women, she said. Its focus is to put a spotlight on how women, especially black women, can be successful and strong.

In preparation for the pageant, Germain has been busy getting every aspect covered before her trip.

This includes, packing, practicing for the talent portion and going to the gym.

Its about perfecting my craft, she said. I realize more than anything that Im not nervous. Im anxious and excited.

Being able to represent her home state is the icing on the cake.

And her platform is in support of Black Lives Matter.

This movement has captivated the nation, she said. Its a broad platform and I want to help people understand it. It touched on gun reform and police brutality. This project isnt just about black lives, its about life in general. We all do matter and we have to get involved in order to make change.
WASHINGTON  Scientists say Californias record wildfires have been fed by an abnormally hot and dry fire season, but the Trump administration continues to insist that theres 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. Its 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 Zinkes 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 Sierras being allowed to flow into the Pacific Ocean to sustain fish populations in rivers rather than being used to irrigate farmland.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross picked up on that theme Wednesday, saying hes directed the National Marine Fisheries Service to facilitate access to the water needed to fight the ongoing wildfires affecting the state of California.

But Californias fire service says theres 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 Rosss move on Wednesday.

Michael Mann, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Pennsylvania State University, said a key contributor to the worsening wildfires is increased temperatures and drought linked to human-caused climate change.

Trump is trying to eliminate regulations designed to combat human-caused climate change, and to scuttle international efforts to deal with climate change, Mann said in an email. So the problem isnt environmental regulations. Its 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, Calif.

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.

Were deeply grateful to our incredible firefighters and first responders, Trump said. Theyre really brave people.
There is so much to love about New Mexico  family traditions; the beautiful land, water, and mountains; and the cultural diversity. For national companies that are looking to expand operations, New Mexico has much to offer. And with more clean energy, New Mexico can up the ante and compete with Colorado, Arizona, Utah and other surrounding states.

Facebook opened up a center in Los Lunas in 2017, largely because of an agreement with PNM to provide clean energy through three new solar plants representing a $45 million investment from PNM and a much-needed influx of construction and clean-energy jobs. New Mexico has the opportunity to send the right signal to other companies looking to locate here that renewable energy can power their companies for years to come. The result will be thousands of better-paying jobs for New Mexicans and an expansion of the tax base for cities, counties and the state.

A study last year by David Gardiner and Associates found 83 percent of manufacturers surveyed have established greenhouse gas reduction targets and 25 percent have established renewable energy targets. These goals, when combined with the continual decrease in cost for renewables, further cement renewable energy procurement as a top priority for many industries. Leading the field, companies as diverse as General Motors, Dow Chemical, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Owens Corning, P&G and Mars have significantly increased purchasing of clean energy to power their facilities. Clean energy is not just an interest for large companies. It is becoming a requirement.

If New Mexico is to be in the running for the expansion of large companies, it must provide more clean energy to power operations. Right now, clean energy accounts for 11,700 jobs in New Mexico. With a commitment to powering New Mexicos economy for generations to come, clean energy can create thousands more jobs and attract new companies to set up shop here. This expansion would help turn around the economy and could fund vital services like schools, roads and health care by expanding the states tax base.

Theres an easy way to start: New Mexicos policymakers should consider legislation that enables more consumer choice in energy procurement. Offering companies the competition that comes with third-party power purchasing agreements and setting benchmarks for the percentage of clean energy that utilities must create are both steps in the right direction.

Large employers looking to expand operations in the Mountain West want clean energy because its cheaper and the smart long-term play. New Mexico can be a leader among mountain states with stronger policies that answer the demand of companies that are willing to make an investment in the state to procure or source their power through clean energy options like wind and solar.

New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment, and also the Land of Promise, for a new way of attracting business to the state. Lets take advantage of New Mexicos abundant sunshine and wind, and power New Mexico into new jobs for the coming decades.
CARLSBAD  Shipments of nuclear waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are expected to increase to up to 10 per week by the end of the month, as mining continues a planned expansion of the underground repository.

Waste is being emplaced in Room 5 of Panel 7 in the underground, with the room expected to be filled along with its entrance drift by the end of the month, said Bruce Covert, president of Nuclear Waste Partnership  the contractor that oversees WIPPs day-to-day operations.

WIPP is currently accepting about eight shipments per week, and emplaced 328 since the plant restarted operations last year, with 12,214 since it first opened in 1999.

Next year, WIPP expects to accept 330 shipments, with 165 coming from Idaho National Laboratory.

Forty-three are expected from Los Alamos National Laboratory, with 80 coming from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, and another 37 from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

Another five shipments were expected to come from Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois.

Todd Shrader, manager of the U.S. Department of Energys Carlsbad Field Office said the estimate of 330 shipments is conservative, and could rise closer to 400.

We assume 40 shipping weeks per year, he said. That would make 400 a year. We come down a little from that just to be conservative. I would anticipate those numbers will stay there.

After Room 5 is full, Covert said workers would move on to Room 3, hoping to have that full by the end of the year.

He said he expected Panel 7 to be completely full by March 2021, and Panel 8 will be ready to accept waste the previous January.

While Panel 8 is mined, workers will also add mechanical bolts to control the salt drift, alternating between mining and ground control efforts, Covert said.

Employee safety is our highest priority, he said. Theres a lot of focus on ground control.

About 6,000 bolts were installed this year, Covert said, and temporary closure of the south end of the underground was successfully completed.

He said that additional work set back mining efforts slightly.

Other projects at WIPP include establishing an alternate waste transport path in the underground, while remediating an area contaminated by a 2014 accidental radiological release that led to a three-year closure of the facility.

WIPP officials are also hoping to increase air flow from the supplemental ventilation system, adding 20,000 cubic feet per minute of air to the underground.

For fiscal year 2018, WIPP is planning to upgrade the facilitys fire suppression loop, while adding new air compressors, replacing a salt hoist switch, and replacing an aging roof on the waste handling building.

The project scope for FY 2019 remained in the planning stages, Covert said.

Potentially the biggest capital project at WIPP, an almost $400 million rebuild of the facilitys ventilation system, broke ground last month and construction is underway, said Rodney Whisenhunt, project manager with NWP.
LAS CRUCES  On the eve of teachers return to school sites to prepare for the new school year, the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education met in public session for about three and a half hours on Tuesday.

The board unanimously approved changes to Superintendent Greg Ewings employment contract, after meeting in closed session before the public meeting. The amended contract maintains his annual salary of $180,000 and grants him 28 days of annual leave and 14 sick days of sick leave.

The superintendent is not asking for a raise; I want people to know that, board member Maury Castro said,

In 2017, the board issued a two-year contract running through June 30, 2019, increasing Ewings salary by $15,000.

Ewing has received support from some school personnel. But hes also garnered heavy criticism this year from some parents and staff over personnel changes.

School buses in their 9th year

The board unanimously approved a $5.7 million contract with STS of New Mexico for the 2018-19 school year, a figure that increased over last years contract by $387,500.

Operations Director Gabe Jacquez said $300,000 of the increase was for maintenance, with the remainder for anticipated fuel increases.

Because the buses were all purchased at the same time in 2010 and are now entering their ninth year of operation, maintenance problems are mounting at once across the fleet.

As an example, Jacquez said the department anticipated five buses will require replacement engines in the next month or two, at a cost he estimated at $35,000 apiece. He credited the contractor with helping to manage as well as share in the maintenance costs as the buses age.

Jacquez also advised the board that the first of what may be several satellite bus yards has been established at Onate High School to reduce fuel use for east mesa buses.

Mental health, family separation

Associate Superintendent Roberto Lozano led an extended presentation featuring several speakers on district initiatives to address suicide, bullying and other aspects of mental and social emotional health for students, including a proposed task force to engage the community and school sites.

Board member Maria Flores remarked that the accessibility of firearms in home settings was a factor the district should also account for in assessing risk and addressing student well-being.

The meeting closed with a discussion of a potential resolution by the board on the federal governments practice of separating children from their parents or relatives while crossing the United States border, in violation of the law or in numerous cases where immigrants presented themselves legally for asylum. The practice was part of the Zero Tolerance immigration enforcement policy announced by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in April. The separations were halted by an executive order on June 20.

No action was taken and the matter was postponed after some discussion of resolution language, and the need to make a statement in the first place as a moral issue rather than a partisan issue.

We all know that a father was followed to a school while he dropped off his son at Centennial High School, and then he was taken, said Flores. I know families that are afraid to go anywhere because theyre just afraid that any stop will separate their families.  We cannot be silent, we cannot be complicit. We do not support this action.

Its about saying no to the government kidnapping children, board member Terrie Dallman said, because thats what theyve done  Even if they get reunified with their families again they are carrying trauma for the rest of their lives.

Algernon DAmmassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonActor on Twitter.



2018 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)

Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
SANTA FE  The state Office of the Medical Investigator says it could take weeks to identify the remains of a small child that were found buried at a makeshift compound in Taos County on Monday.

The body possibly belongs to Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, who would have turned 4 on Monday. The boy was allegedly abducted by his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, in Georgia and taken to the compound near Amalia.

Kurt Nolte, chief medical investigator at OMI, said in a statement that decomposition of the body is making identification difficult and said it could take several weeks.

Investigators often try to compare remains to medical records, fingerprints, DNA or other identification materials, Nolte said. At this time, investigators are using all known methods to make an identification, but this will not be a quick process. If we must rely on DNA results, identification could take several weeks.

Wahhaj and four other adults were arrested after Taos County deputies and state officials raided the compound on Friday. Eleven children, ages 1 to 15, appeared to be malnourished and were taken into state custody.

Court documents filed in Taos County claim the children were being trained to commit school shootings and may have been taken to the compound to receive weapons training.
Residents of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands off Australias east coast are getting improved access to high-speed Internet thanks to a small Santa Fe-based startup.

IQCOMM Technologies signed a contract in July with Arete Community Telecom in Australia to provide its proprietary radio and antenna equipment to boost wireless Internet coverage for 2,658 homes on four islands near Brisbane. The contract is worth at least $2 million, and possibly up to $5 million, depending on the number of radio units and associated equipment Arete installs, said IQCOMM founder and CEO Leonard Pascual.

Its the companys first major contract after officially launching one year ago. But Arete is planning to expand to more remote places across Australia, and Australian telecom hardware distributor Warren & Brown Technologies is now promoting IQCOMMs radio equipment throughout the region.

Arete showed our product to (Warren & Brown), and that provider is now pushing it in the Phillipines, New Zealand and other places, Pascual said.

Pascual launched IQCOMM with CTO Bryan del Castillo, who previously worked on radio frequency jamming with the U.S. Navy. Castillo built proprietary hardware and software that can boost wireless accessibility beyond what many mainstream equipment suppliers generally offer, connecting more people over longer distances, Pascual said.

We use off-the-shelf products and assemble them in a certain way, and then add in our proprietary hardware and software. We compared our hardware head-to-head with others on the market and found its roughly 30 percent to 50 percent less expensive while offering more coverage, Pascual said.

Telecom providers need to install fewer units with less wiring, further reducing costs.

We tested a range of suppliers and found that the IQCOMM product outperformed the competition by several hundred percent in most metrics and was able to deliver, in many instances, where the competitors simply failed, said Arete CEO Greg Walter in a prepared statement. This means we can cover more homes and businesses with fast reliable Internet with less equipment. Thats disruptive technology  which is exactly what we need.

The company is largely focused on overseas markets, particularly in Southeast Asia, to avoid competing head-on with well-established companies like Cisco or Ruckus, Pascual said. But it may soon hit the U.S. mainland, since Arete is now working with a local partner to establish the system in some remote places in the Carolinas.

IQCOMM shares a 3,000-square-foot facility at 520 Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe with Sound Look, another Pascual company that offers customized wireless networking solutions for homes and businesses. The two firms together employ eight people.
ITC has received several accolades at the prestigious SABRE Awards South Asia 2018, which is considered one of the worlds largest and most coveted PR awards programme today. The SABRE Awards for South Asia this year was recently held in Delhi.

ITC Foods, in association with its media partner Madison Public Relations, won the SABRE Diamond Award in Superior Achievement in Reputation Management for its campaign  A Viral Truth  As pure as a Blessing. The campaign centred around managing the reputation of Indias No. 1 atta brand Aashirvaad in the face of malicious attempts to tarnish the image of the trusted brand through false videos on social media. Apart from this, a blogger-led PR campaign for ITCs leading notebook brand Classmate won the SABRE Gold award, while an experiential media trail to showcase ITCs India First philosophy won a Certificate of Excellence. Both these campaigns were driven in association with ITCs media agency First Partners. Another campaign aimed at promoting womens rights by ITCs personal care brand Vivel, in association with PR Pundit, also bagged a Certificate of Excellence.

The SABRE Awards, delivered by The Holmes Report, the authoritative voice of the global public relations industry, recognises superior achievement in branding and reputation in North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, South Asia and Africa.

The campaign titled The Viral Truth  As Pure As A Blessing, which won the SABRE Diamond Award for Excellence in Public Relations in the C-Suite focused on a 360-degree PR strategy to protect the reputation and trust of millions of Indian consumers on the Aashirvaad atta brand. Several mischievous videos, widely circulated in social media, made the false claim that Aashirvaad atta contained plastic, while in reality, the plastic-like substance found in the atta was actually wheat protein  a naturally occurring substance in wheat flour.

The campaign encompassed multi-dimensional PR initiatives, which included activities to prevent the spreading of false and misleading videos on social and digital platforms, making consumers aware of the truth and thereby alter perceptions, educating media and initiating favourable press coverages, building industry consensus leading to collective actions, and so on.

ITC also won the SABRE Gold Award for an innovative PR campaign linked to its market leading Classmate brand of notebooks in the Consumer Products / Services Category. The campaign titled: Classmate: Much more than a Notebook!, was aimed at creating excitement around Classmate notebooks and elevating them as a showcase of childs creativity and individuality. The challenge was addressed through Classmate Shop  a unique personalisation service provided by ITC Classmate brand for its consumers. The campaign drew on the expertise of child psychologists and mom bloggers and went on to become a success with the classmateshop.com portal witnessing a large number of visits during the campaign period. The campaign focused on a key differentiator  CREATE the front cover of the notebooks as an extension of ones own persona and imagination and link this creativity to the changing aspirations of a child  an increasing need for personalization and a natural flair for technology.

In addition to these two awards, ITCs Winning with India First campaign, an underscoring of the companys overarching and steadfast commitment to the nation as manifest in its India First credo, bagged the Certificate of Excellence in the Corporate Image Category at the SABRE awards.

ITCs Vivel #AbSamjhautaNahin also won Certificate of Excellence for its campaign Know Your Right  an initiative to drive awareness on womens rights.
Guardian Healthcare, one of the largest health & wellness supplements retailer in India, has signed renowned actor and fitness icon John Abraham as the companys brand ambassador, to promote GNC, a leading nutrition and wellness supplements brand globally. John Abraham is a strong proponent of living well and his personal beliefs align closely with GNCs values.

The partnership will help support further growth for the company in the market, particularly by elevating brand awareness and driving traffic and visibility for franchise locations throughout India. The Indian nutraceuticals market currently stands at $4 billion and is to grow at 20 percent each year, to reach $10 billion by 2022. GNC India aims to expand its availability across all large supplement and pharmacy stores by 2020 in all Metros and Tier 1 Towns.

Shadab Khan, CEO of GNC India, said, We are extremely delighted to sign on John Abraham as our brand ambassador, as he embodies the brand philosophy to Live Well. In John we have found a partner who reflects the right commitment and attitude in order to advocate and promote good health. He also allows our business to connect with millennial audiences, which is critical to our continued growth and success.

With the objective of laying a foundation to Live Well amongst the Indian consumers, Guardian Healthcare and GNC have identified four building blocks of nutrition  Multivitamins, Omegas, Proteins, and Probiotics. Having complete nutrition is essential for a healthy life. However, just consuming food is not enough, and todays hectic lifestyle leads to incomplete nutrition. With over 80 years of expert knowledge in health and wellness, GNC believes in bridging the gap created due to inadequate nutrition, through nutrition supplements. These scientifically developed formulas undergo as many as 150 quality and safety checks to ensure maximum Quality, Potency and Purity.

John Abraham, the newly-appointed brand ambassador for GNC India said, GNC is a one-of-its-kind brand devoted exclusively to helping people improve their quality of life and to encourage them to stay fit and healthy. I have been a loyal, long-time customer and use a range of GNC products. The brand believes in a holistic approach towards health and wellbeing. GNCs vision resonates with my own lifestyle and way of living. Im delighted to join GNC India to create awareness about the right line of nutrition for Indians.

In India, Guardian Healthcare is the master franchisee for GNC LiveWell, with exclusive manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing rights. GNC Indias products are also available at www.guardian.in, a site owned and managed by Guardian Healthcare, the master franchisee for GNC products in India.

Click here to read more in Marketing.
Diversity in the workforce has become a necessity today, and more so in the leadership positions. It cant be denied that women bring a high level of creativity and empathy while solving problems and handling crises. Women leaders bring to the table a different level of dexterity.

AdGullys The W-Suite series features interactions with influential women leaders in India, who share some deep insights on what being a woman leader means in Indias business landscape, the mantras to succeed, achieving work-life balance, pay parity and much more.

Srija Chatterjee is Managing Director at Publicis Worldwides India operations, which includes Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital, Publicis Beehive, Publicis Health and Publicis Business. She oversees growth and strategy at the agency and manages a plethora of brands, including LOreal, Nestle, ZEE, Bharti AXA, Heineken, Sanofi, Unilever, Citibank, UB Group, and HDFC MF, among others.

Her industry experience spans over 20 years and includes leadership roles across India and Singapore, managing key regional and multinational brands across markets. Chatterjee is an award-winner in her own right, having led integrated cross-disciplinary teams across digital, PR, shopper and activation for local, regional and global brands alike.

How would you define todays woman leader?

I have struggled with the word  Women leaders. For me, a leader is a leader, irrespective of gender. Yes, I do agree that women these days are becoming more serious about their careers and making their mark in the industry. I think these days people and organisations are also more open and accepting this trend. In my view, I can say that it has just begun and we will see more of them in the near future. According to me, its all about believing in yourself. Society and organisations can create several opportunities for you, but at the end of day its you who has to have belief in yourself.

What are the foremost attributes that women leader in todays business ecosystem must possess?

Traditionally, across industries, its a mans world. Its all about finding a way to command men, because Indian men traditionally do not believe in listening to women. So, finding a way to command men without being a man and making people follow them is something that women need to do. I think women can do this without being a man. For any good leader, its all about finding good strength in their team and then pulling it out of them. As long as a leader is able to do that, then I think it doesnt matter whether you are a male or a female leader.

Despite the qualifications, aptitude and experience, why do you think we dont see the expected number of women business leaders, especially when it comes to boardroom and decision-making?

As I said, I think thats changing only because there is a big diversity agenda across industries today. So, if women are not seen in leadership positions despite these agendas, then I think it is due to their inner fear or inner apprehensions, which they will have to overcome on their own. I think it will come from a lot of inspiration from the women leaders out there in the industry.

Also Read: The W Suite | We can easily have women leaders at top chairs of any organisation

How acute is the gender pay gap issue in India today? What needs to be done to address this in an effective manner?

Honestly, I havent faced it and we dont do the same thing here in Publicis. A person is seen and paid on the basis of his/her merit and skills, not gender. Yes, there are talks internationally about gender biases in salaries. This thing will change when more and more women leaders will come in.

What more do Indian corporates need to do to encourage and groom women leaders?

I think they need to understand that in our society there is a traditional role of a woman. But, the leaders out there have to do both. There is the role of nurturing their families, along with managing their professional lives. From an organisational point-of-view, its first about empathy and understanding. Secondly, to provide basic solutions to women so that they can balance it. Beyond this thing, an organisation just has to give a fair chance to women.

I think its about passion. It depends on the individual and her choices. If you think that the first three years you want to stay at home and look after your child, thats absolutely fine. Its your choice, but in reality you will miss out on those three years. In this industry, its experiences that teach you.

Do you think the leadership effectiveness of women is higher than men? Why?

Yes, of course. I believe that women make good leaders as they are way more understanding, there is a softer side to them along with a tough side. They are best at negotiating.

Over the years, who has inspired you?

I have been inspired by leaders, not women leaders. For a long time in my life I have worked with Joseph George and he is one leader whom I have really looked up to and have learnt a lot from. My current boss, Saurabh, is a fantastic leader. He is outstanding in certain things that he does and there is a lot to learn from him. When I was in Singapore with Lowe Lintas, my boss there, Rupendra Desai, had also influenced me for a long time. I had more men inspiring me than women and I still continue to get inspired by them.

Also Read: The W Suite | Lack of ambition holding back women leaders: Kranti Gada

How challenging has it been for you to maintain a balance between career goals and family responsibilities? What is your mantra to maintain that balance?

I think what a woman needs to do, which I have developed over the years, is be able to cut off. When you are at home, cut off from work and vice versa. To me, sometimes managing home when Im at work comes in my job list. Its all about being practical about what you do. Its fully manageable as long as it is planned well.

How proactive have our corporates been when it comes to addressing a serious issue like sexual harassment at workplace?

Its very proactive. We have got a full process in place. It is not just about sexual harassment, but work pressure. We have a community and process.

What are your tips to upcoming women leaders?

Dont give up. Fight with your inner fear and open up. Make yourself heard in the crowd.

Even if you are getting married or having a child, find a way to make it work. Put you mind into it and you will be able to find a way out of it.

Click here to read more W-Suite articles.
in Aerospace Ultra-low emission aircraft turn reduces CO2 emissions by 97% Bristol Airport and easyjet have announced they have achieved close to zero emission aircraft turnarounds through the use of electric powered ground equipment instead of diesel, thought to be the first of its kind.

in Aerospace Emirates upgrades Gatwick resumption to A380 Emirates will deploy its iconic A380 when it resumes operations to London Gatwick Airport from 10th December, upgrading planned capacity in response to an upsurge in passenger demand.

in Aerospace Government extends support for ATI R&D The UK Government is extending its long-term commitment to the aerospace sector by guaranteeing funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to 2031, co-investing with industry in world-class research and development (R&D).
Testing-services provider Element has bought Orbit Industries, a non-destructive testing laboratory headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Orbit, which is Nadcap and ISO 17025 accredited, also operates four satellite inspection facilities  two in Ohio and in Pennsylvania and New York. The company provides a number of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) services, including ultrasonic, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle and chemical processing for raw materials and finished components such as landing gear components, airfoils and aluminum wheels.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

Charles Noall, president and CEO of Element, said, We are delighted to welcome Orbit to the Group. In the past few years we have invested heavily in expanding our NDT platform in order to meet the strong-ramp up in engine and structure production that the aerospace industry is experiencing.

The addition of Orbit complements our existing aerospace NDT facilities in California, Connecticut, Houston, Portland and Monterrey, Mexico, strengthening our footprint, capacity and capabilities and enabling us to deliver cost savings for our clients.

John Alexandrovic, CEO of Orbit said, Since our formation in 1965, we have become one of the leading providers of NDT services to aerospace primes and tier one suppliers in the United States. We see partnering with Element as an opportunity to expand our capabilities and capacity, so we can continue to offer our customers testing solutions of the best quality, lead time and price in the industry.
Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop.

Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News

Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time.

Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up!

Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.
CAIRO  Heralding remarkable developments in Italian-Egyptian relations, Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi arrived Aug. 4 in Cairo, marking the first visit of an Italian foreign minister to Egypt since 2015. Relations have been tense for more than two years following the 2016 murder of Italian postgraduate researcher Giulio Regeni in Egypt.

Observers believe this visit promotes Italian-Egyptian relations and indicates the two countries have overcome their disputes in the aftermath of Regenis murder. Milanesi's trip came on the heels of a July 18 visit to Cairo by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, during which he met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and General Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel.

Milanesi met Aug. 5 with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, at the Foreign Ministry for a round of political deliberations. Afterward, during a joint press conference, the two officials talked about several common issues, primarily their concern over the Libyan civil war and illegal migration from many countries, in addition to the latest developments in Regenis murder investigation. Earlier, Milanesi also met with Sisi.

Italian-Egyptian relations went downhill after Regeni's body was found Feb. 3, 2016, bearing signs of intense torture. Regeni had disappeared nine days earlier, on the fifth anniversary of the January 25 Revolution. Cairo and Rome have always been allies in the Mediterranean area, and they have tight economic ties, but Italy recalled its ambassador in April for almost six months after the incident, citing a lack of progress on the inquiry.

Milanesi said at the press conference last week that the important issues discussed were worth the visit. He noted, I was happy to hear about the Egyptian governments strong willingness to reach tangible results in the judicial investigations into Regenis murder. We are sure that justice will emerge from this painful case. A joint investigation between Egyptian and Italian authorities is ongoing to find Regenis killers over two years after his murder.

Some reports claimed in 2016 that Egyptian that security forces were involved in Regenis death, which Egyptian authorities repeatedly denied. Regeni had been researching Egyptian trade unions, a sensitive topic in the country. Authorities later admitted the police had been investigating his activities for three days before he was killed, but said they let the matter go after determining he posed no threat.

Reuters has reported, however, that in 2016, intelligence and security sources told the news agency that "police had arrested Regeni outside a Cairo metro station on Jan. 25  and then transferred him to a compound run by Homeland Security."

About a month ago, the Egyptian public prosecutor's office and its Italian counterpart issued a joint statement saying that as experts recently re-examined evidence in the case, they found unexplained gaps in the footage from underground metro station cameras. Now they are trying to restore the gaps  and discover why the footage was missing  using advanced technology.

Bassam Radi, a spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, told local channel DMC on Aug. 5, There are positive developments, and we hope to reveal the identity of the criminals soon. He said the countries are transparent in exchanging information and special developments in the case, and their political will to reveal the truth is strong.

Tarek Radwan, head of the Egyptian parliaments Foreign Relations Committee, told Al-Monitor, I believe Egypt has overcome the ripples of Regenis murder. He said Italian authorities have shown satisfaction with Egyptian investigations amid cooperation between both countries' prosecutors.

Radwan said Italian-Egyptian relations are growing in political and economic arenas. Rome and Cairo are cooperating to ban migrants from illegally crossing the Mediterranean, many from Libya, to Italy. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior and its Italian counterpart signed in September 2017 a security protocol under which Egypt committed to training African police cadres from 22 nations where illegal migration is rampant on the latest ways to counter the problem.

Egypt and Italy have much to gain from each other. According to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement issued Aug. 5, Italy is Egypt's No. 2 trade partner in Europe and No. 4 in the world, with trade exchange equaling 4.75 billion euros ($5.49 billion). Italy is also the biggest importer of Egyptian goods, at $1.8 billion in 2016-2017.

Italy also supports Egypt's endeavors to become a regional hub for energy exchange through drilling and natural gas discoveries by Eni S.p.A. of Rome. In 2015, Eni discovered the Zohr gas field, deemed the largest such field in the Mediterranean.

According to the Egyptian State Information Service, 1,052 Italian companies operate in Egypt in different fields, mainly gas, with investments of about $9 billion.

During his meeting with Sisi, Milanesi discussed the new Italian governments intention to further develop relations and cement ties with Egypt. In June, a new Italian government made up of populist movements and radical rightists was formed. A few days later, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini reportedly praised Egyptian authorities for their cooperation in the investigation.

Hassan Nafaa, a political science professor at Cairo University, said the case still has deep repercussions for the countries relations, but the new rightist Italian government has expressed its desire to overcome them. Both countries want to improve economic relations, especially with the discovery of the Zohr gas field and the potential for additional discoveries in gas and oil.

As for Libya, Nafaa told Al-Monitor the crisis there is also pivotal for relations, as Italy is playing a key role in it. A political conflict is brewing between Italy and France over dominance in Libya. France launched an initiative to resolve Libya's political deadlock in May. Italy is preparing its own plan with the same goal.

Shoukry said Egypt supports all efforts to stabilize Libya.

Nafaa added that Italy wants Egypts support because of the latter's influence in Libya with Gen. Khalifa Hifter, head of the Libyan National Army.

Nafaa noted that the joint statements released after the visit were mostly optimistic, but they don't necessarily reflect the reality of the talks and don't mean the Regeni crisis has ended. The Italian public feels strongly and "won't give up on Regenis case  and that will pressure the regime," Nafaa said. "The issue might not remain the top priority, but it will not be extinguished.
The United States is stepping up its efforts to curb Irans regional reach and influence, premised on the belief that Tehran has never been so powerful in the Middle East. But Irans powerful hand is not merely a reflection of its successful strategic conduct. It has also come about as a result of its rivals miscalculated regional policies. Saudi Arabias catastrophic military and political campaigns in Syria, Yemen, Qatar and Lebanon, for instance, demolished much of Riyadhs traditional influence while elevating Irans positions. Such policies were encouraged by the US leading from behind policy, which induced more agency among some Arab states accustomed to the American security umbrella. The failure of the Arab campaigns strengthened the Iran-led Axis of Resistance on an unprecedented scale. Having been targeted indirectly by the leading from behind policy, Iran is now faced with a more organized US effort to establish a regional setting  an "Arab NATO," the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA)  that is supposed to push back against Iran.

President Donald Trump has been signaling different, sometimes contradictory, messages since taking office. His anti-Iran rhetoric and policy on the one hand amid his parallel call for an unconditional meeting with Iranian leaders on the other seem contradictory. Yet as the summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea in Singapore suggests, these contradictions may, in fact, be two sides of the same coin. It is for this reason that Iran hawks in Washington and in the Middle East are nervous about Trumps offer of unconditional dialogue. But Iran hawks should nonetheless be thrilled given the recent talk of the US creation of MESA out of eight Sunni Arab nations  in line with the Trump administrations anti-Iran campaign. The obvious goal is to counter Iran. At least from Tehrans view, this is at odds with the US presidents offer of unconditional dialogue. Whether Trumps messages are in harmony or not, the Islamic Republic cannot afford to negotiate with a threatening party. In fact, no one in Tehran can enter such dialogue.

Against this backdrop, Iran does not seem worried about US efforts to create MESA. In fact, Washingtons new anti-Iran campaign in the Middle East and beyond is interpreted as falling within the milking logic of the Trump administration. Mindful of its regional reach and influence and the strong position of the "Axis of Resistance" it leads compared with that of its Arab rivals, Tehran seems ready to confront any challenge. The latter can safely be assumed disregarding the fact that the idea of an "Arab NATO" is not new but rather a repeatedly attempted and failed enterprise of decades past. Yet Irans relaxed reaction to the current endeavor cannot merely be a reflection of the aforementioned understanding of the situation. Tehran knows that the Trump administrations campaign against it can bear bitter fruit both for Iran and the region. This begs the question of what precisely the underpinnings of Irans relaxed reaction toward MESA may really be.

It is evident that a more organized leading from behind policy seems at play in the Trump era. Instead of asking the Saudis to learn to share the Middle East with Iran, the US president is organizing an anti-Iran front to target and degrade Tehrans stakes in the region. But the feasibility of success in overcoming Arab differences and creating a new coalition appears to be a long shot. For instance, some Arab nations included in MESA are closer to Iran than Saudi Arabia, such as Oman and Qatar, while others  such as Kuwait  attempt to stay neutral. Therefore, Washingtons new policy will likely be more challenged by its sought partners as opposed to foes and rivals of the envisioned Arab military alliance.

But what if, against all odds, MESA moves ahead after the slated American-Arab summit in October? Such an outcome would have three main repercussions. First, by explicitly placing its weight behind Sunni Arab states, the new US policy could heighten the sectarian divide in the Middle East. Though this divide has greatly expanded over the past 15 years, the Trump administrations policy could potentially rally Shiites around the region behind Iran  at least when it comes to their dealings with the United States and its Sunni partners. Second, the inclusion of eight autocratic regimes in the envisioned new military setting is a self-delegitimizing effort. As the Arab Spring made clear, restoration of a policy of promoting autocratic stability in the Middle East is not a recipe for sustainable success. Lastly, the with us or against us mentality at the root of the decision to exclude countries such as Turkey from MESA in effect boosts the rival Iranian-led front by virtue of pushing Ankara closer to Tehran.

As such, the lack of alarm on the part of Iran in the face of plans for MESA stems from the fact that none of the potential repercussions of US policy are troubling for Iranian interests.

Nonetheless, Iran is keeping an eye on the new US effort. After all, there is a slight possibility of MESA expanding into a broader, hostile coalition. Such a scenario would clearly further enhance military and security threats by the United States, Israel and their Arab partners against Iran and its allies. Indeed, this would leave Tehran forced to allocate more efforts and domestically needed financial resources to counter the pressure. Under such circumstances, it can generally be expected that Iran will show resistance using the same playbook it used under the Obama administration, including acting within a coalition of state and non-state actors to confront the collective challenge, provided that it crystallizes militarily in the region; using existing divisions within the Gulf Cooperation Council to further weaken a MESA, banking on its close ties with some of the member states of such an entity; and undercutting the efficacy of US policy in the region, including its anti-Iran posture, through closer relationships with emerging powers on the global stage as well as marginalized states and non-state actors in the region.

To reiterate, the odds of the new US policy to push back against Irans regional reach succeeding appear quite low. Washington first has to close the deep gaps between the envisioned MESA member states, which is quite a task for a notoriously impatient president. Provided that these gaps are bridged politically, the United States also has to bring its partners closer militarily and security-wise, which could very well turn out to be an even tougher job. The United States would then have to begin the training and arms exports to forge the new military force, and finally, then confront Tehran and its allies all over the region. Supposing that pressure from Trump will make mission impossible possible, one can envision Iran and the "Axis of Resistance" to be equally ready for any confrontation. As such, it is unclear what precisely MESA can add to an already volatile region. Siding with one party of the sectarian divide, backing autocratic regimes and marginalizing major actors are not components of prudent policy aimed at reducing tensions and creating a more stable Middle East. Instead, such a posture will only lead to the exact opposite: namely more tension, more instability and an entrenched Iranian reach across a region more sharply divided along sectarian lines.
In January, the Trump administration informed the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that it was cutting tens of millions of dollars in aid to the organization. Recently, the administration declared that UNRWAs mandate must be changed.

The campaign launched by the Trump administration against the UNRWA has directed the spotlight once again at the issue of the Palestinian refugees who fled their homes or were expelled from them in Israels 1948 War of Independence, a tragedy they dubbed Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe. In emails he sent in January that were reported by Foreign Policy magazine, President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner suggested that the Arab states take in the Palestinian refugees and ensure their rehabilitation. Someone should remind Kushner that the Arab states did not expel the Palestinians and turn them into refugees, nor did they confiscate their property. On the other hand, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa and the Gulf states did expel the Jews living there, confiscate their property and turn them into refugees.

What Trump calls the ultimate deal that presumes to find a regional solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict must also offer a practical resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem and at the same time seek to rectify the injustice to the Jews who were expelled from their homes in Arab countries and Iran or fled from them. The riots against Jews and the anti-Semitic incidents that followed the UNs 1947 Partition Resolution and the declaration of Israels independence turned 865,000 Jews into refugees. In 1957, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees recognized them as refugees in accordance with the UN Convention on Refugees. Ambassador Zvi Gabbay, who died July 29, wrote in 2012 that while the UN has adopted dozens of resolutions in support of the Palestinian refugees, established the UNRWA to aid them and allocated huge budgets for its operation, the organization did nothing for the Jewish refugees. This one-sided approach, the Iraq-born diplomat said, has not solved the problem and has exacerbated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In September 2012, Israels Foreign Ministry launched the I am a refugee campaign to promote international awareness of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab states. A Facebook page highlighted the stories of Israelis who had fled Arab states or had been expelled from them. For the sake of true reconciliation with our Palestinian neighbors, wrote then-Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon of the Yisrael Beitenu party, the issue of Jewish refugees must be resolved. He took pride in the storm generated in the Arab world through the campaign he was spearheading.

Four years ago, the Knesset designated Nov. 30 as an annual commemoration of the Jews expulsion from the Arab world. The law tasks the minister of education with ensuring the issue is taught in schools and the foreign minister with raising international awareness of the existence of refugees from Arab states and Iran and their right to compensation for the personal and communal property confiscated by the countries where they lived. Nov. 30 was chosen as the closest date to the UN Partition Resolution of Nov. 29, 1947, that created the State of Israel and forced many Jewish communities in Arab countries and Iran to uproot virtually overnight for fear of the pressure their neighbors had begun to exert on them.

In 2014, at the first commemoration ceremony of the tragedy, President Reuven Rivlin remarked that over the years, the Israeli establishment had treated immigrants from the Arab world with arrogance and paternalism, blurring their footsteps on the pages of the countrys history. Supposedly, they, immigrants from Arab countries, did not march proudly along the path of the pillar of fire and smoke of our peoples annals, Rivlin added, referring to the fact that Israel was for years controlled largely by Jews of European origin. Rivlin called to right the historic wrong perpetrated against these immigrants.

At the time, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that a special section in his road map for Israeli-Palestinian peace refer to compensation for Jews from Arab lands. Special envoy Martin Indyk also spoke to Jewish leaders about the importance of recognizing the rights of those Jews who had been ignored for decades by the international community and Israeli society.

But Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who represented the government of Benjamin Netanyahu in negotiations with the Palestinians, gave Kerrys proposal the cold shoulder. Israels peace camp views inclusion of the Jewish refugee issue in negotiations with the Palestinians as a right-wing ploy designed to forge a troubling link with resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem and thereby sink the peace process. Thus, for fear of undermining prospects of an agreement with the Palestinians, the Israeli left has ignored the pain and rights of Jews from the Arab world who, together with their descendants, constitute about one-half of Israels Jewish population, which means over 3 million people. Although the right wing has been in power longer than the left, this attitude has led to the left being solely blamed for establishment arrogance toward Israelis displaced from Arab lands.

A scathing special report issued in 2014 by the State Comptroller showed successive right-wing governments did not go out of their way, either, for these Israelis. Despite the festive declarations by Israeli governments about their commitment to act on behalf of these groups, the findings show an unsatisfactory level of commitment by the government to carry out its decisions and very little work to ensure that proper attention was given to the issue, according to the report.

The Palestinian refugees displaced by the creation of Israel are not responsible for the injustice perpetrated by Arab states against their Jewish communities. Nonetheless, promoting a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is an excellent opportunity, if not a crucial condition, for realizing the rights of the Jewish refugees. The Israeli Regional Initiative, an organization dedicated to advancing regional peace based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, has included compensation of Jews from Arab states in its blueprint. This section appears separately, deliberately so, from the chapter relating to a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution, alongside other regional issues such as security, economic cooperation, environmental protection and more.

Arab states are highly unlikely to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by Trump, who has called for them to take in the Palestinian refugees, thereby freeing Israel and the international community from responsibility for them. Just as one cannot wave away the issue of Jerusalem from the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table (on a final-status solution), Trumps declaration to the contrary notwithstanding, shutting down the UNRWA will not wipe out the Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere. Either way, presenting the refugee issue in the context of a regional arrangement provides the Israeli left with an opportunity to wave the flag of regional peace with one hand and stretch out the other to Israelis whose mother tongue was Arabic, to recognize their narrative and to identify with them as equals. This may be the way to extricate them from the tentacles of the nationalist right and with them the entire state.
A week before Israels Knesset approved the Nationality Law, which defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his speech at the State Memorial Ceremony for Zeev Jabotinsky on July 12 to argue in favor of the controversial legislation. Jabotinsky was the founder of Revisionist Zionism and is often regarded as the ideological forefather of today's ruling Likud Party. The law was needed, the prime minister argued, to "ensure the Jewish character of our state for generations." Netanyahu did not elaborate. But against the backdrop of the recent pro-annexation surge in the prime ministers Likud Party, it is conceivable that the new legislation is laying the constitutional groundwork for continued Jewish hegemony if and when Israel moves to formally annex the West Bank to its territory  and millions of Palestinians to its census.

Netanyahu did not specify in his remarks what was endangering Israels Jewish character or how the statute would ward off that danger. But the first sentence of the Nationality Law offers a clue. The text states, "The Land of Israel, in which the State of Israel arose, is the historic homeland of the Jewish people. With the Knesset establishing this as the statutes initial Basic Principle, the law implies a latent Jewish territorial claim that goes beyond Israels internationally recognized boundaries, to the Biblical "Land of Israel." This term, increasingly used by the Israeli right, encompasses the geographical area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, hence includes the occupied West Bank. An annexation of those occupied territories and their residents would indeed pose a challenge to Israels dominant Jewish identity.

According to the most recent data of Israels Central Bureau of Statistics, 74.5% of Israels population is Jewish and 20.9% Arab. Non-Arab Christians and others account for the rest. The bureaus count includes the Palestinians of East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in 1967, as well as Israeli settlers in the West Bank, but it leaves out the Palestinian residents of the unannexed West Bank areas. An analysis by the bureau last year projected that the current demographic balance is not expected to change at least through 2065.

The demographic picture would undergo a drastic shift, however, were Israel to annex the West Bank. Hebrew University demographer professor Sergio DellaPergola told Al-Monitor that incorporating the remainder of the West Bank into Israel  i.e., beyond East Jerusalem  would add an estimated 2.55 million Palestinians to Israels population, resulting in a non-Jewish minority of approximately 40%.

The new Basic Law does not explicitly mention an annexation of the Land of Israel, and when, in its third Basic Principle, it grants the Jewish people an exclusive right to national self-determination, it does so within the context of the State of Israel alone.

Yet in right-wing Israel, the line between Land and State is frequently blurred and easily crossed. The 2011 Law Preventing Harm to the State of Israel by Means of Boycott, for example, legislated under a previous Netanyahu government, established a definition of the State of Israel that includes any area under [Israels] control  in other words, that encompasses the occupied territories beyond Israels recognized borders. In a similar vein, when Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) addressed the Knesset plenum following the vote to approve the Nationality Law, he taunted Jewish members of Knesset who had opposed the bill by posing a rhetorical question: Do you dispute the exercise of the Jewish peoples right over the Land of Israel? Isnt it our nation-state? And a proposed amendment submitted by the liberal Meretz Party that would have prevented the new law from being applied to territories beyond Israels current sovereign boundaries was roundly and tellingly defeated, 63 to 31.

The coalitions rejection of the Meretz proposal came as no surprise amid the myriad initiatives gaining traction on the Israeli right to have Israel annex the West Bank. On the last day of 2017, for example, the Likuds Central Committee unanimously approved a resolution that marked 50 years since the liberation of the Judea and Samaria regions [i.e., the West Bank] and called on the partys elected officials to apply Israeli sovereignty over that area.

The resolution, though not legally binding over the Likuds Knesset members and Cabinet members, was consistent with the partys constitution, which asserts the Jewish peoples unchallengeable and eternal right to the whole of the Land of Israel and lays down the goal of applying State sovereignty to all parts of it.

The bid for annexation is also being expressed in the parliamentary realm. In recent months, coalition members have submitted a flurry of bills that would make Israel sovereign over the West Bank or parts of it. Netanyahu, as reported by Al-Monitors Mazal Mualem, is sympathetic to such legislation, but feels it needs to be advanced in coordination with the Trump administration.

Some Israelis are taking notice and sounding a warning. Professor DellaPergola told Al-Monitor that were Israel to incorporate the entire West Bank, it would make the concept of Israel as a Jewish state absolutely untenable.

Ron Huldai, the Labor Party-affiliated mayor of Tel Aviv, told Israels Army Radio that coalition leaders had intentionally omitted any reference to democratic principles from the laws text. The law was legislated that way with one goal, he said. If you say the democratic Jewish nation-state, its clear that in order to be a Jewish nation-state, there needs to be a Jewish majority. The minute you leave out democratic  you're saying that the state belongs to the Jews, and even if they won't be a majority, they'll be able to continue ruling over another people."

Retired Supreme Court Justice Eliyahu Matza offered a prognosis that was even more explicit. Speaking to Kan, the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation, Matza said that the Nationality Laws distinction between Jews and non-Jews was a clear indication that the Netanyahu government was abandoning the two-state solution. The government, he argued, was aiming for an annexation of the administered territories, and was readying Israel to absorb several million Arab inhabitants who wont have rights. This, he warned, would turn Israel into an apartheid state par excellence.
President Donald Trump claimed to have resolved the issue of Jerusalems future when he took it off the table, according to his disquieting declaration in January, by announcing US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December. With this matter supposedly behind him, Trump is now turning to the issue of the 1948 Palestinian refugees.

His envoy Jared Kushner is reportedly pushing to annul the refugee status of millions of Palestinians and shutter the UN agency tasked with their welfare. Just as US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, even if justified historically, only served to move the issue to center stage and sever Palestinian ties with the US administration, the attempt to unilaterally shut down the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will only serve to deepen the enmity between the Palestine Liberation Organization, the United States and Israel.

True, the UNRWA should no longer exist, and like many other organizations in the world, its continued operation stems mostly from inertia. It was founded in December 1949, the same month the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 194 on resolving the plight of the Palestinian refugees displaced by the founding of Israel in 1948. It is the only UN organization devoted to dealing exclusively with only one group of people.

At the time, the Palestinians, as well as the Arab states, vehemently rejected Resolution 194 because it fails to reference the refugees right of return, resolving only that those wishing to return should be permitted to do so. It also stipulates the possibility of return on each refugees willingness to live in peace with his or her neighbors. It would take years for the Palestinians to decide that they should adopt the resolution, which they have since invoked as proof of their right of return. Israel then became the recalcitrant party, playing into the hands of its enemies.

Like many beginnings, the UNRWAs was auspicious. The agency began operating in 1950. Well-intentioned people were hired to take care of some 750,000 Palestinians who registered as refugees, providing crucial aid to people who had lost all their property and were not allowed to return home. The agency focused on establishing temporary schools and clinics, but when UN experts sought to relocate the refugees to areas adjacent to Israel, they were met with strong opposition from the Palestinian leadership and most Arab states (except for Jordan). Arab policy was to perpetuate the refugees temporary status, which meant leaving them in camps, rather than accepting their exclusion by Israel.

In December 1950, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established to help millions of refugees in Europe in the aftermath of World War II. Although it would have been natural for the UNHCR to absorb the UNRWA after the former's original geographical restrictions were removed, the UNRWA remained independent. The Arabs and nonaligned nations continued to insist on preserving the agency as one uniquely devoted to Palestinians, so it therefore relies on donations rather than the UN budget for its operations.

The UNRWA's current budget stands at $1.25 billion, funded mainly by the European Union, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The agency operates within Palestinian communities in the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan, employing some 30,000 people, most of them local Palestinians for whom it is a vital source of livelihood. Every few years, the UN General Assembly extends the UNRWAs mandate. When the current one expires on June 30, 2020, it is likely to be extended again.

There has been no love lost between Israel and the UNRWA over the years. Nonetheless, the agency obviously helps Israel with residents of the areas it has occupied since 1967 by being responsible for the welfare of 75% of Gaza Strip Palestinians and 33% of those in the West Bank still living in refugee camps, according to the 2013 UNRWA figures. Since UNRWA schools teach the curriculum of the host territory, Israel is not depicted very favorably in the West Bank and Gaza curriculum, which is determined by the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Education. Thus, Israel considers the UNRWA a necessary evil that employs teachers, some of whom are ideologically opposed to Israel. Hamas, for example, had in the past flatly rejected attempts by the UNRWA to include the Holocaust in the curriculum taught in Gaza schools.

The UNRWA has found itself adversely affected by the violent clashes between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, including being accused by Israel, justifiably or not, of collaborating with terrorists and allowing weapons to be concealed in its facilities. The main problem with its continued existence, however, is that it perpetuates the indefinite, multigenerational refugee status of millions.

The original 750,000 refugees have since spawned four generations, and the number of those defined as refugees has grown to 5 million, according to the agency's 2013 figures. There is no objective justification for this situation that makes life miserable for people born into what was originally thought to be temporary conditions and then dying there. Instead of helping ease the historical misery, the organization is helping to perpetuate it.

The Palestinian refugee problem can and should be resolved. To that end, the UNRWA should be shuttered, but not in the slam-bang manner advocated by Trump and his team  that is, by transferring UNRWA funds to the states where the refugees live. Do they really think the problem will be resolved if, instead of Palestinian teachers, Palestinian children are taught by local Syrian or Lebanese instructors? Who will get the budget currently allocated to Gaza? Hamas? Egypt wants nothing to do with the place, and Israel is not willing to re-enter the miserable quagmire. The Palestinians, who view the UNRWA as their ally, will vehemently oppose its dismantling. In addition, most UN member states will also reject such a proposal, as it would result in the collapse of Gaza's education and health care systems and deal a severe blow to Palestinians in the West Bank.

There is, however, another way. In the informal 2003 Geneva Initiative, of which I am a founder, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to gradually close the UNRWA over a five-year period and to annul Palestinian refugee status during that time. Those displaced from their homes in 1948 would receive compensation from an international fund, and a symbolic number of them would be repatriated to Israel. That is the most reasonable solution to this onerous problem.

Before the Trump team acts unilaterally and heavy-handedly to affect the future of the UNRWA and millions of refugees in ways harmful to all, they would do well to study solutions that stand a better chance of acceptance by the stakeholders.
MAFRAQ, Jordan  When her 12-year-old daughter Uala started bleeding, Siam thought it was her period. But after 45 days, it was clear something was wrong with her. It was August 2017, and Siam and her daughter were working in a greenhouse in one of the hundreds of farms in the Mafraq area of northern Jordan. In summer, temperatures reach 35 or 40 degrees Celsius (95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), usually 10 more inside the greenhouse.

Siam is from Aleppo. Five years ago she had no choice but to join her husband, who had already been working in Mafraq since 2005. Over the past few years, Syrian women picking tomatoes or cucumbers have become a common sight in the fields of Badia Shmali, as this area is called.

The pay for Syrians is the same anywhere: 1 Jordanian dinar ($1.41) per hour, pushing entire families, children included, to work 10 to 12 hours a day, depending on the weather.

At first it was very hard. My husband and I cried when we had to send our 11-year-old daughter to work, Siam told Al-Monitor. But going back to Syria was not an option. Siam ended up marrying off her eldest daughter last year when she turned 15 so that she could stop working in the fields. It was Uala's turn to replace her, at least until last year.

After 45 days of bleeding, Siam took her daughter Uala to the hospital in Mafraq. The doctor told her she had probably gotten sick due to the heat in the greenhouse. But Siam could not afford the tests the doctor recommended, so they still do not know what's wrong. Siam lives with her family in a tent 10 minutes from the farm where she works with her daughters and relatives. Fearing for her health, she decided not to send Uala back to work this summer. She had no choice but to send her younger sister, who is turning 12 this year, instead.

Every day at dawn, a car picks them all up from the makeshift camp where they live and take them to Abu Hamza's farm. Their faces covered in scarves as protection from the dust, the group of women aged 15 to 50 works bare-handed or in ripped rubber gloves, hunched over in the sun.

Every summer, Abu Hamza employs around 100 workers. All of them are Syrian, and 70% of them are women. I prefer working with women because they complain less and make less trouble, he told Al-Monitor while supervising a group of workers weeding a tomato field.

Syrian workers are also cheaper than Egyptians, he said. When Jordans Labor Ministry began to grant Syrian refugees work permits at the end of 2016, it also tightened restrictions on Egyptian workers that made it more convenient for farmers to hire Syrians.

As a result of the 2016 agreement between the European Union and Jordan  known as the Jordan Compact  the Labor Ministry made it easier also for agricultural workers to get permits. But despite those efforts, all the women Al-Monitor spoke to were working without permits. Most of them claimed to have a good relationship with their employer, but if problems arise they are unlikely to file a complaint for fear of retaliation.

Little official data is available. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that around 4%-5% of the Syrians working in Jordan are employed in agriculture. Compared to construction or other sectors, it is not so many, but conditions are particularly tough and concerning, Maha Katta, ILO's coordinator for response to the Syrian refugee crisis, told Al-Monitor.

Director of the Jordanian nongovernmental organization Tamkeen Linda al-Kalash told Al-Monitor that around 20,000 Syrians, mainly women, work between Mafraq and the Jordan Valley. The estimate falls far short of the 31,074 work permits issued so far by the Ministry of Labor to Syrians in the agriculture sector. The reason is simple: Syrians got the agriculture permit because it was the easiest to get, but then they work in different sectors, Katta said.

ILO recently conducted a survey among 1,400 Syrian agricultural workers, Katta said. Our main concern is child labor. Most of the families work as a group, 60% of them live in tents and most of the children do not go to school.

According to Katta, the situation is a vicious cycle: The war in Syria and turmoil in Iraq have made exporting produce uncertain, hitting farmers hard. At the moment the sector attracts mainly unskilled workers. But it has a great potential. Investments are needed to make it more efficient and profitable, and to preserve water. The problem is that international donors are not willing to invest in a sector where labor exploitation is such a severe concern, Katta said.

Gender-based violence is also a problem. Jordan has the highest rate of female participation in agriculture in the MENA region, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. Tamkeen puts it around 75% and says it is likely to increase.

Recently, Tamkeen has been conducting focus groups with Syrians working in agriculture. But women very rarely speak up. During awareness sessions, sometimes women noted, though vaguely, unwanted verbal attention or touching from the owner or co-workers, Hanan, a Syrian community facilitator working with Tamkeen in Jerash, told Al-Monitor. But most of the time, they say nothing for fear of shame or worse: honor killing, added Bader, a Jordanian facilitator.

When asked if she was worried by mens behavior toward her 13-year-old daughter, Siam lowered her voice and said that yes she is, because her daughter is so young. She had heard things elsewhere, she said, but believes there is no problem on the farm where they work. Anyway, they have no choice.
Maher Shamma, who was born in Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus and grew up in the United States, has held onto a map of his family house in Acre, a historical port city in northern Israel, that his uncle drew in 1948. To Shamma, the map is a symbol of his roots and his homeland.

It was this map that enabled Shamma, 57, to visit his familys home this summer, with the help of a project called We Were and We Are Still. Tarek Bakri, a 31-year-old researcher from Jerusalem, has reconnected dozens of Palestinians abroad with their towns and villages of origin and with their family homes.

Once he received Shammas map, Bakri researched the Acre maps from the British Mandate and compared them to Shammas hand-drawn map in search of the house. Despite never having visited Acre, Shamma seemed to know the roads like the back of his hand. Over the years, his uncle, who had left Acre at the age of 26, had described the town and the neighborhood, and the house that was surrounded by 24 cypress trees.

During his visit to the house, which once belonged to his grandfather, a Palestinian woman approached Shamma and told him that only one family with the last name of Shamma had remained in Acre after 1948. Shamma took their address and visited them before returning to the United States, carrying with him sweet memories of his familys old home, now a nursery run by the Israeli Ministry of Education, and newfound distant relatives.

Bakri also organized a visit for Zeina, a Canadian citizen, who visited Acre on July 26 to get married in front of her grandfathers old home there, which her father had left in 1948 when he was only 6 years old.

Bakri coordinated with the local authorities and wedding planner to end the zaffa  a traditional Palestinian wedding march with drums, bagpipes and belly dancers, that took the bride all over town  in front of the house.

Zeina stayed in contact with her father during her stay with his relatives whom he hadn't seen in years, and took pictures of all the places she visited. It was the happiest day of my life, she said in the video of the visit posted by Bakri. This felt like a dream. I feel like I have accomplished the impossible.

Bakri came up with the idea for the project in 2013, when he became interested in learning about the history of the houses that were abandoned by Palestinian families during and after what Palestinians call the Nakba (Catastrophe) in 1948, which marks the establishment of Israel. At first I would visit my friends' houses because I was allowed to move inside [Israel]. I then started documenting abandoned and destroyed villages  not like organizations do, but rather by conveying the story of a certain place by telling a refugee's personal story, he told Al-Monitor.

Palestinians abroad approach Bakri through his Facebook page or during his travels in the region. They provide maps or old pictures of their family homes and nearby locations, so that Bakri can either send them recent photos of the homes or coordinate a visit.

Bakri records the visits and posts short videos on his Facebook page, which has over 24,000 followers. The video of Zeinas visit got 654,000 views and 62,000 shares.

Bakri said that he never visits the locations beforehand if the original owner is to come and visit. He waits for them to arrive so they can take the trip together. I always feel as if I were the one finding my own home. I get the same feelings of sadness, anger and joy, all at once, he added.

Through the project, Bakri aims to create a connection between Palestinians abroad and their family's places of birth, and, at the same time, introduce to others the history of each home and land.

Bakri makes a living as a freelance researcher for cultural and educational institutions; he does not accept payment for his work with the project.

After Zeinas story went viral, Bakri received over 70 requests from Palestinians in the diaspora, who asked for help to find and visit their family homes. To cope with the demand, Bakri is currently recruiting and training a team of 15 young men and women.

While most requests come from Palestinians abroad, some Palestinians in the West Bank have approached Bakri.

Bakri recalls the time he took Halima Khaddash, 83, who lives in the Jalazone refugee camp in the northern West Bank, to her childhood home near Jaffa. Ziad Khaddash, Halimas nephew, told Al-Monitor, I would always tease my aunt, saying we would take her back to Beit Nabala, and she would tell me that she hadnt visited ever since she left in 1948 at the age of 13.

He contacted Bakri to make his aunts wish come true. Bakri arranged for the visit and took both in his own car to Beit Nabala, where they looked for the house which she said was near the four wells in the center of the village.

Halima Khaddash said that despite her age, she tirelessly walked through what was left of the village, exclaiming, My house is here! My house is here!

They then took her to the beach in Jaffa, an ancient port city on the Mediterranean Sea, where she once played as a child when her brother was treated in a hospital there  a memory that has stayed with her for decades.

Ziad Kaddash, who is a published author, said the visit had greatly affected his aunt, and that all she now talks about was the village she had left behind 70 years ago.

Kaddash said he believes in the importance of Bakri's work in keeping the dreams of Palestinians in the diaspora alive and encouraging them to return to their homeland. He said that Bakri should receive moral and financial support for his initiative, but that the initiative should not turn into an organization so it would not lose its true essence.
Political activists, families of prisoners and former prisoners have reacted angrily to the dismissal of Prisoner Affairs Minister Issa Qaraqe, who was replaced by fellow former prisoner Qadri Abu Bakr. In addition, the entire Prisoners Affairs Committee, which is headed by the minister, was also replaced. President Mahmoud Abbas ordered the changes in a presidential decree signed Aug. 2.

The reaction to Qaraqe's replacement ranged from assumptions that Abbas was pushing aside a minister he disliked to the change being a regular rotation at a ministry. The Prisoners Affairs Committee sets policies dealing with prisoners' issues and the concerns of their families.

Hamas and left-wing leaders issued strong statements criticizing Abbas' move and praising Qaraqe. They noted that Qaraqe had opposed payment cut-offs to Gaza prisoners and that he was a dedicated hard worker who always made himself accessible to prisoner families. Others simply felt the decision was long in coming and that such a change at the top of an important ministry was business as usual.

Jibril Rajoub, secretary of the Fatah movement, who served more than 15 years in Israeli jails, described the decision as routine. If you look back at the previous years, ministers of prisoners have been replaced at regular intervals, about every four years, Rajoub told Al-Monitor. This decision will not affect prisoners or their families and will ensure that their needs are met by a strong, well-respected group of their peers.

Qaraqe, who had been appointed to head the Prisoners Affairs Committee on Aug. 24, 2014, had previously not spoken to the media about his dismissal until opening up to Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview.

I was not surprised by the decision, Qaraqe said. I had been expecting this for 18 months. It started when [imprisoned Fatah member] Marwan Barghouti called for a hunger strike in April 2017. After that, things started to happen that led me to believe that there was an attempt to push me out of my position.

Abbas was not in favor of the hunger strike that Barghouti organized, but Qaraqe had supported it. Qaraqe, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, is also founder of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, a volunteer project aimed at drumming up public support for prisoners and advocating on their behalf.

Since creating the Prisoners Club 10 years ago, I have dedicated my time to this sacred mission of supporting prisoners and their families, Qaraqe told Al-Monitor. I loved my job, and I was given a task, and I tried to do it to the best of my ability.

Qaraqe, himself a former prisoner, was angered not so much by the decision to remove him but by the way he learned about it. He explained, This is a highly political position, and I know these jobs are not forever. I did my best while given the privilege to serve, but I was upset at the way it was done. I should not have heard about this decision from the media.

In a veiled reference to disagreements he had with the Palestinian leadership, Qaraqe wrote in Maan News on Aug. 1 that he was adamant about not apologizing to anyone, perhaps meaning the president and other top leaders.

The only person I will apologize to is Fadi Abu Eita, a former prisoner who lost his memory as a result of a 41-day hunger strike he participated in in April 2017, Qaraqe wrote. He is the last released prisoner that I visited on Aug. 1, the day news spread that he would lose his job.

Palestinian attorney Buthina Duqmaq, who regularly visits prisons and is close to prisoners from all the factions, told Al-Monitor that she was caught off guard by the strong negative reactions that some have had.

I am surprised because this is a normal change, Duqmaq remarked. I know the new minister and his team, and they are top-notch people dedicated to the cause of prisoners. Change is good, and the new team will work together for the cause of prisoners rather than having one person do all the work.

Duqmaq, who was recently elected deputy chair of the Arab Womens Jurists Network, said that the new minister, Abu Bakr, had been one of the guidance leaders, the person among political prisoners who sets and translates movements' ideology in prison, when Rajoub headed Fatahs prison committee.

A demonstration in solidarity with Qaraqe to protest his firing was held Aug. 3 in the Dheisheh refugee camp. While all those interviewed by Al-Monitor praised the new minister, many felt that Qaraqe had been punished because he had spoken out against some of Abbas policies toward Gaza. Along with Hamas and left-wing activists, a number of Fatah activists were also unhappy with the shuffle.

Mohammad Lahham, a member of Fatahs Revolutionary Council, participated in a protest in Ramallah against the decision. He was quoted by journalist Hamdi Farraj as saying that Palestinians' strategy is often based on those who dont work interfering with those who work, possibly a nod to Qaraqe's reputation for being dedicated to his job.

Yasim Izzedin, a political commentator, heaped praise on Qaraqe. In all honesty, Qaraqe was the only respectful minister in the Palestinian leadership, he told the Iranian news agency al-Alam on Aug. 3. He defended the rights of all prisoners, including the rights of prisoners that belong to Hamas.

Farraj, a left-wing columnist and former prisoner, observed about Qaraqe on the Wattan website Aug. 3, This dynamic leader showed up during all the painful times and has often joined hunger strikes for a day or two. I call him the prisoners monk given his dedication to the cause of Palestinian prisoners.
ALEPPO  The General Womens Conference for the Support and Empowerment of Women in the Aleppo Euphrates Shield area, which is under the control of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), convened July 25 in Azaz  a city in Aleppo's northern countryside.

The conference, which gathered more than 150 Syrian women working in various service and humanitarian sectors in the area, was organized under the auspices of the Stabilization Committee, affiliated with the Free Aleppo Governorate Council. Representatives of the Syrian Interim Government were also present at the conference, which also hosted several female activists coming from the cities of Gaziantep and Kilis in Turkey.

The conference resulted in the creation of a new organization for women's political, social and economic empowerment in Syria's opposition-held areas.

Activist Nivin Hotary, a member of the womens group affiliated with the Stabilization Committee, told Al-Monitor that the conference brought together women from all over Syria, including many displaced from areas such as Deir Ez-Zor and eastern Ghouta now living in the Euphrates Shield area.

Women attended the conference to emphasize that they can have an active role in society and are able to represent themselves and participate in various social and political sectors. The conference addressed the most important challenges and problems faced by Syrian women in the opposition-held areas and ways to overcome such challenges, as well as means to achieve participation in society and take on political roles, Hotary said.

Hotary added that the projects proposed during the conference included promoting communication among Syrian women in opposition-held areas, holding cultural seminars to promote womens capacities and skills, and communicating with pro-opposition civil institutions such as local councils to promote womens roles.

She went on, The outcomes of the conference included the formation of a civil society organization dealing with the affairs of women, defending their rights and empowering women politically, economically, socially and culturally so they become able to participate in decision-making. The organization also aims to establish strategic projects to further promote womens roles in society, launch community integration programs and organize training workshops to hone women's skills.

Syrian women played a major role in the Syrian revolution, which they saw as an opportunity to resist the restrictions imposed on them and restore their rights. Women participated alongside men in the protests and were prosecuted by the security services.

Many of Syria's women were left on their own to face major hardships after their husbands were killed, arrested or left disabled. They were often forced to become the breadwinners for their families and look after children alone.

The opposition-controlled areas, especially in the countrysides of Idlib and Aleppo, have witnessed major changes in women's activism since early 2013. Several organizations and associations concerned with women's rights and empowerment were established to help them such as the Barkat Amal (A Glimpse of Hope) organization, the Women Now center in Maaret al-Naaman, Space of Hope Organization, the Educated Women's Association and the Syrian Women's Gathering.

Local councils established offices for womens affairs such as the Council of Free Aleppo Governorate's Office for the Protection of Women and Children and the Women and Child Care Office in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib.

Womens rights activist Fatma Saadi, director of the Azaz Women Support and Empowerment Authority, told Al-Monitor, The organizations and associations that emerged in the opposition-held areas in northern Syrian in the past years have focused primarily on programs to support women economically such as sewing and beauty services training, literacy programs, language courses and handicraft programs, which help women to secure jobs. Many women have had to provide for their children without help from men.

Saadi added, Women have found some success in promoting themselves in a conservative society and have built a strong presence in the local councils in Idlib and Aleppo. But they need much more social care and legal and civil education to be able to reach leadership positions, especially in the political sphere.

The participation of women in local councils remains largely limited to positions in the civil registries and in administrative offices like the Diwan. They still make up only about 10% of their staff, according to the local council members Al-Monitor visited in the northern Aleppo countryside.

Salam Bakour, a teacher in a school in the city of al-Bab, is unimpressed. She told Al-Monitor, The training sessions and programs for women's empowerment in the opposition-held areas are just for show and do not benefit women on the ground. They end up taking photographs with the name of the organization and institution in the background, and promises of job opportunities are unfulfilled. I think we are merely a tool for the owners of these organizations to make money, as they charge for the courses and programs we take.
As with politics in most countries, it pays to have friends in high places in Turkey.

Turkey held its first Supreme Military Council meeting under the new presidential regime Aug. 4. In accordance with the new constitution, the ministers of treasury and finance and education attended the meeting for the first time. The council, which comes together twice a year, decides on the promotions and retirements of colonels and generals in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). This year, civilian members of the council outnumbered military members for the first time because of the new participation of the two ministers.

The most significant outcomes of the meeting were promotions awarded to officers close to new Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who was chief of general staff, and the retirement of those who aren't close to him.

The majority of the colonels promoted to general had worked with Akar before. With this, Akar  who already had close ties to new Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler and other force commanders  further consolidated his control over the TSK.

In a July 18 opinion piece, I emphasized that the mutual confidence between Akar and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will rebuild civilian-military relations. The supreme councils latest meeting confirms this, as well as the influence of the close relations between Akar and Guler. Akar will play a key role in sustaining this harmony.

Contrary to rumors circulated last year that he would soon get retire, Akar has become the oldest and therefore the most senior member of Erdogans first Cabinet under the new presidential system. His was also the most-applauded name during Erdogans announcement of the new Cabinet at a July 9 inauguration ceremony.

On April 4, then-Chief of General Staff Akar, accompanied by presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, made headlines when they visited former President Abdullah Gul, reportedly to ask him not to run in June 24 elections.

It's still not clear whether Akar received Erdogan's kudos after that visit. But it's clear that if the meeting took place with Erdogans knowledge, it shows how much confidence Erdogan has in Akar; if Erdogan didn't know about it in advance, that indicates Akars power.

Akar will serve as the most significant informal checks-and-balances mechanism on Erdogan, who appears to be totally immune from any formal kind under the new regime. Akar will be seen as the most prominent minister in the Cabinet, as Erdogan prefers to share his car with him in their travels and have him sit or stand closest during various meetings and events. Akar also accompanies Erdogan during his foreign travels.

Akars stance on the night of the botched military uprising in July 2016, his uncompromising struggle against the separatist Kurdish militants in Turkey and his "tough soldier" image have boosted his popularity with the majority of the public as well, particularly in the conservative and nationalist circles that constitute the ruling partys power base.

Yet what makes Akar so influential  a "first among equals"  in the new Cabinet? First, since his high school years, Akar has had good relations with conservatives. Gul is among his close friends, as both spent their childhoods in Turkeys central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

Could this association with the right wing explain his current strong standing in the Cabinet? I think many factors are at play in this, including his seniority, his former service as chief of general staff and his close ties with the Justice and Development Partys (AKP) conservatives.

Other major factors could be his affinity for the nationalists and personal friendship with Erdogans election partner Devlet Bahceli, leader of the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)  who, after all, was the unexpected major winner of the June 24 elections.

Bahceli undoubtedly played a key role in paving the way for Erdogan's new presidential system by forming an alliance with the AKP. Although the two preserve their alliance, Bahceli didn't demand a ministerial portfolio for the MHP or a vice presidential post for himself. In other words, today neither Bahceli nor the MHP are integral parts of the executive branch. Bahcelis remarks after the June 24 elections offer a clue to the mission he is defining for himself and his party: The Turkish nation won the June 24 elections. Those who had plots against Turkey once more suffered a blow. The Turkish nation has erased systemic impasses. We will work hard with determination to properly fulfill the duty of balances and audits given to us by the Turkish people.

In other words, Bahceli has opted to act from outside the Cabinet, without seeking a direct say. Akar, with his close relations with Bahceli, has become another element in the informal checks-and-balances system, as the big, compassionate brother of the new Cabinet.

That's why I dont totally agree with analyses that frequently make headlines in the Western media, asserting that Erdogan has fully consolidated his power in Turkey and that he controls everything with no restraint. Such conclusions overlook the informal but functioning checks-and-balances mechanism. One can ask, then, whether the alliance between Erdogan and Turkeys nationalists means the Erdoganification of the Turkish state or state-ification of Erdogan.
SUVs built in Tuscaloosa are being checked by customs authorities in Shanghai, according to Daimler.

Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS models, built in the United States between May 4 and June 12, have a brake issue which poses a "safety risk," according to a Chinese customs document circulating on Chinese social media.

Daimler released a statement saying the incident is "an entirely technical issue."

"We are aware of a technical issue affecting vehicles imported to China," the company stated. "We have been in contact with the relevant authorities for several weeks and are analyzing the case to solve the issue as soon as possible."

According to Reuters, the document said authorities in Shanghai found the rear brakes on these vehicles to be "insufficient."

Chinese authorities this week said they would impose additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports from steel products to autos, as and the United States continue to battle over tariffs.

Daimler earlier this year cut its 2018 profit forecast because of Chinese trade tensions.
Rite Aid and Albertsons are abandoning plans to merge.

A special stockholders meeting scheduled for today was cancelled Wednesday when both companies called off the deal.

"We have heard the views expressed by our stockholders and are committed to moving forward and executing our strategic plan as a standalone company," Rite Aid CEO John Standley said in a statement.

A statement from Albertsons said the company disagreed "with the conclusion of certain Rite Aid stockholders and third-party advisory firms that although they acknowledged the strategic logic of the combination, did not believe that Albertsons Companies was offering sufficient merger consideration to Rite Aid stockholders."

The merger would have created a new company with about $83 billion in annual sales and 4,900 locations across the United States, according to CNN Money.

Rite Aid has 37 locations in Alabama, while Albertsons has two, according to the company websites.
More than two dozen people were taken into custody in just a matter of days in the ongoing effort to rid the streets of Birmingham, and beyond, of those who have, or could, commit violent crimes.

A four-day roundup carried out by Birmingham police, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office led to the arrests of 29 people wanted on charges ranging from attempted murder to robbery and more. The goal was to reduce homicides and other violent crimes in the city.

The arrest phase of Operation Public Safety Partnership Plus began Tuesday, July 31, and wrapped up on Friday, Aug. 3. In addition to those arrested, said U.S. Attorney Jay Town, lawmen were able to locate 21 additional wanted suspects who were found to be either dead, in jail, in prison or in a mental facility.

Of the 29 people taken into custody, they had a combined history of 309 total previous arrests on other crimes. "These are our worst offenders walking around with outstanding warrants for their arrests,'' Town said. "What the Marshals Office and BPD did was go out and find them and at least get them in system. If we don't get them in the system, that's just justice delayed."

The Public Safety Partnership is a program started by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions designed to enhance the capacity of local law enforcement agencies to address violent crime in their communities. Birmingham was selected as one of the initial 12 locations to take part in the program, which reinforces the federal, state and local task force model as one of the most effective ways to reduce violent crime.

U.S. Marshal Marty Keely said the law enforcement partners sat down and discussed how they could most impact crime. In about a month's time, they identified a group of individuals with outstanding warrants, and then studied their criminal backgrounds. "The warrant outstanding might not be violent in nature but then you look at criminal history and previous arrests and that makes that individual someone of interest who has the potential to commit violent crimes against a person out here,'' Keely said. "We're looking at their backgrounds and the potential for something else to happen."

And with that, 40 to 50 officers - including U.S. Marshals from throughout Alabama - spent four consecutive days rounding them up.

"It's just a common-sense approach that we take if we're going to combat violent crime,'' said Birmingham police homicide Capt. Scott Praytor. "We get the ones already charged with violent crimes off the street and into the court system as soon as we can. We've got guys out there who haven't shown up for court and they run around out there re-offending while they're out."

"We're having an effect on crime just by getting them because they're not just hiding in hole somewhere because they know we have a warrant on them,'' Praytor said. "They're out there still committing the acts that got them where they're at in the first place. We're taking a proactive approach, an aggressive approach of getting people in custody as quickly as possible."

Keely said being proactive is key. As important, he said, is the ability through the Public Safety Partnership to get the job done. "It's a force multiplier bring everyone together for a single purpose,'' he said.

"They are the actors we're going after. The way the criminal justice system works, sometimes it moves slow, and these guys are getting out there and in some instances they don't even know a warrant has been issued, so they're freely acting however,'' Praytor said. "It's stuff that we do every day. It was just a more concentrated effort this week. And it's not over. It's ongoing."

"We had police teams all over the city and not just in our city but in the metro area as a whole because the other municipalities are having to deal with the same actors,'' Praytor said. "We've been working a lot closer with them, and with our federal partners, and we've been able to bridge that gap between us and the smaller cities so we're not having an effect on just our violent crime, but theirs as well which helps us all in the end."

As Town points out, crime doesn't know city or county limits. "What we've identified, because of the task force, is a need to include those new partners because we see the crime matriculating over into those cities and if we can bring their crime intelligence into the task force, that's just going to make us that much stronger,'' he said. "The farther it pushes out, the more partners we will have."

Many of those arrested have previously been arrested on the charge, made bond and are back out on the streets. Some, of course, have failed to show up for scheduled court dates after making that bond.

"They're walking around the streets being suspected of robbery, of murder. One of them had been previously arrest on a couple of counts of murder and had an outstanding count of murder and that was the warrant we picked him up on,'' Town said. "He had a couple of guns on him and dope. There's scores of them who had either firearms or controlled substances on them when we picked them up. These are people who had charges on them and then bonded out because they are, if you believe the bonding schedule, it's because they are not a threat to themselves or the community and that's why they are eligible for bond."

"Well, it's my personal opinion that anyone who re-offends while they are on bond forfeits their right to bond while awaiting trial and they're a threat to all of us, especially those who are walking around with guns, walking around with dope,'' Town said. "Those are people who continue to poison our kids, there are shootings every day in the city and these are some of the individuals who are responsible. At least they're not helping by being out there with guns. They're convicted felons and some of those are going to find themselves in a federal courtroom and so are the ones we believe are armed career criminals."

"It is my judgment that our law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and certainly our judges owe the public the increasingly dire responsibility of ensuring that a defendant's bond adequately reflects that defendant's criminal history,'' he said. "The right of pretrial release must be tempered with concerns for public safety, a virtue unto itself too often lost in the arbitrariness of bonding schedules and risk assessment tools."

"When they re-offend or are not appearing in court, it's a threat to the entire system and really puts our communities in continual jeopardy. I guarantee you these communities notice when they see someone who is charged with some of our most violent criminal activity and they get arrested and they're back eating pizza out on the street the next day,'' Town said. "It makes our system appear to be feckless. I don't believe our system is feckless, but I can understand why someone who hides behind their front door every night and every morning would think it so because the person they believe is responsible for a homicide is already back on the street doing what he was doing the day before he was arrested. And that is very frustrating to members of the community and community includes law enforcement."

The law enforcement leaders noted that it's dangerous for officers every time they make an arrest, and even more so sometimes when the suspect has been previously arrested. That won't deter them, however.

"It is dangerous but our guys, BPD and all of the other state and local federal partners are there to do it every day and keep going back,'' said Deputy U.S. Marshal Cliff LaBarge. "Some of the first things our guys said when arrested these suspects is, 'This guy should have never been on the street.' These guys have previous arrests for the same stuff, but we're willing to go back up and keep cleaning up the streets."

Praytor said when Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith was recently sworn in as the city's new top cop, his message to criminals was pretty clear: "Don't get comfortable. We're coming for you."

And that's the plan, but in a way that is less invasive for the law-abiding citizens who live or work around the criminals. "With the homework we do with going after these actors, it's a less- invasive method of policing for the communities because we're not interfering with the people trying to live a normal life,'' Praytor said. "We're getting better at locating the bad guy and we're going after the bad guy and removing them from their community without interfering with the community's lives."

Chief Smith said he's an advocate of the less-invasive policing. He likens his goals to those of two major business brands: Servpro and Lexus. "Like Servpro, we should go in, take care of business and get out of there just like it never happened for the people who live there,'' he said. "And Lexus has the relentless pursuit. We should always be in relentless pursuit of the suspects. We should always let them feel the relentless heat and pressure of us coming after them."

Smith said just a few months into the job, one of the main things he observed when he got here was the partnerships in law enforcement "who had a like mind of staying focused on our goal of going after the criminal offender while allowing the citizens of the community to go about their lives."

"This is just smart policing. It focuses on the goal of putting the community first, making sure their lives remain undisrupted,'' the chief said.

Town said the goal remains getting the worst offenders off the streets so the citizens can have peaceful neighborhoods. "If you were to list goals for the city of Birmingham or anywhere in the Northern District and ask anyone at the table what their primary goal for this city is, it's to get our worst offenders of the streets so we can have peaceful neighborhoods, so those abiding our laws are not stuck behind their locked doors,'' he said. "They can enjoy the city like we all want them to. Until we get these violent offenders off the street, that's going to continue to be a challenge we have here."

"Now we have a new police chief, we have an assistance chief, we have a lot of folks on deck and it's my belief the leadership in the various agencies in in place and that includes city hall to give us all the tools to be successful,'' Town said. "It's a really good time for us to be good at our jobs."

Those arrested were:

Christopher J. Stone, 40, parole violation for robbery

Andrew G. Turnbough Jr., 52, second degree assault

Jaquan D. Talley, 27, unlawful distribute of a controlled substance

Edward Sullivan, 61, federal felon in possession of a firearm

Amber McGriff, 27, failure to appear on drug possession

Fred L. Woods, 65, violation of the state's Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

Austin W. Fox, 21, drug possession

Cody A. Bland, 25, fraudulent use of a credit card

Ladarius D. Johnson, 23, drug possession, marijuana possession, probation violation on gun charge

James J. Hall Jr., 35, drug distribution

Anthony D. Crawford, 45, second-degree assault

Raphael O. Simmons, 23, failure to appear on drug charges

Stephen W. Jefferson, 23, two counts of attempted murder

Quadarius L. Henley, 26, first-degree robbery and failure to appear on gun charges

Demon M. Armstead, 31, probation violation on two counts of drug distribution

Jerome Kizzard Jr., 37, second-degree domestic violence assault

Laslie Cotchery, 42, heroin trafficking

Randy J. Williams, 31, two counts of attempted murder. He was arrested with three pistols, one rifle and illegal drugs.

Myron Bell, drug possession, marijuana possession, violation of the state firearms act

Demarsha Harris, drug and marijuana possession

Kadarius Kyneard, marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession

Tyrese Bosha, marijuana possession and certain persons prohibited form possessing a firearm

Cor'darius Terrance, failure to appear on failure to pay restitution

Joshua Henderson, first-degree robbery

Edwin M. Underwood, two counts of burglary and one count of theft of property

Benjamin Smith - convicted felon in possession of firearm during misdemeanor arrest. Semi-automatic pistol seized.

Latia Picket, 25, fraudulent use of a credit card and theft of property

Lakisha Morris, 40, possession of forged instruments.
The founder of The WellHouse ministry in Birmingham, a full-service shelter to fight sex trafficking, was arrested in a drug raid at a Tarrant home.

Tajuan McCarty, a 47-year-old woman who often tells her own story of drug addiction, prostitution and being trafficked herself all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is among three people busted in the Wednesday-morning raid on Jackson Boulevard.

Tarrant police officers said they carried out the search warrant at the home after a three-month probe into criminal activity taking place there. The search turned up several guns, large amounts of cocaine, heroin, prescription medication, stolen property, stolen identities and marijuana.

McCarty, who last year signed a movie deal about her life and also joined the staff of Truckers Against Trafficking as a field trainer, is charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking in stolen identities, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card. Her bonds total $95,000.

Tarrant police said they learned McCarty was the WellHouse founder and recently started her own ministry in 2018 called Tajuan McCarty Ministries. She has a PayPal account set up and seeks donations for that ministry via Facebook.

Also charged was Octavius Owens, 37, and Jordan Owens, 21, both of Tarrant. They are charged with possession of a controlled substance and their bonds are set at $2,500 each.

Tarrant police Sgt. Phillip George commended the detectives and officers for their hard work and dedication to this case.

McCarty is a well-known speaker in Alabama and beyond. She tells how she ran away from home at 15 and met a man who offered to help take care of her. She was exploited by a pimp who began selling her into prostitution and forced her to sell drugs, which led her into a cycle of drug addiction and prostitution. While she was being trafficked all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, she spent so much time in Birmingham it became her home.

In 2009, according to a 2017 AL.com story, McCarty walked into the Birmingham Dream Center, founded by the Church of the Highlands in Woodlawn. She met counselor and radio show host Lisa "Roxanne" Richardson, who helped McCarty turn her life to Christianity. They began working together to reach out to prostitutes with a message of faith.

In 2011, McCarty founded The WellHouse, using her knowledge of sex trafficking to help other victims escape. The ministry was initially started in Birmingham but later moved to St. Clair County.

In 2013, she was among the inaugural class of "20 Women who make a Difference," a joint venture at the time between The Birmingham News/AL.com and Red Mountain Theatre Company.

In 2016, McCarty was a Spear Hero winner at the Vulcan Community Awards.

Executive Director Carolyn Potter on Thursday said McCarty has not been involved in the non-profit's operations for about four years and said they are saddened to hear of her arrest. "We only wish the best for Tajuan,'' Potter said, "and our prayers are with her at this time."

Tanya Hallford, McCarty's attorney, issued a statement Thursday night said they won't taint the legal process by commenting on the charges against McCarty. "To the victims Tajuan has helped over the years, do not let this situation set you back. There are better days ahead for Tajuan and there are better days ahead for you. Keep fighting against the strongholds that come with being a trafficking victim and survivor."
A charge of sexual torture against a north Jefferson County teen has been dismissed.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in June announced Nicholas Cameron McCloy, now 17, was charged as an adult with two counts of sexual torture and jailed on $500,000 bond.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said school resource deputies at Pinson Valley High School were called to the office to investigate a complaint. A staff member had discovered information that the suspect had assaulted a young female. This incident was not school-related.

SRO's collected the information and turned the investigation over to sheriff's detectives, Christian said. The detectives reviewed the information and interviewed both McCloy and the young victim.

Court records stated McCloy on Feb. 18 "did penetrate the mouth of a female who was less than 12 with an inanimate object with the intent to torture or sexually abuse her." Additional details were not released.

Christian said McCloy admitted to assaulting the victim. He was arrested and taken to the Jefferson County Jail.

Court records show that on Tuesday, the adult felony charge against the teen was dismissed for "want of prosecution." Efforts to reach his lawyer for comment were unsuccessful.

Jefferson County District Attorney Mike Anderton gave this statement about the case: ""Looking at the facts and the circumstances of this case and this child, we're going to take a look at it in another judicial venue."
A suspect has been charged in the deadly stabbing of a man inside a downtown Birmingham furniture store.

Wesley Conor, 29, is charged with murder, Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said Thursday. He is charged in the Saturday, Aug. 4, slaying 22-year-old Ladaniel Willis.

Birmingham police South Precinct officers were dispatched at noon to Birmingham Wholesale Furniture at 2200 Second Ave. South on a report of a stabbing.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue transported Willis to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities said the stabbing happened in the break room at the furniture business. Willis was a temp worker who was assigned to the Birmingham Wholesale. Some kind of altercation between Willis and the suspect erupted. The type of weapon was not immediately known.

Conor is being held in the Jefferson County Jail. Police have not said what led up to the killing.
The grand opening of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's new $8.2 million police headquarters was celebrated on Thursday.

The two-story, 28,000-square-foot facility houses all of UAB's police operations, including staff offices, weight room, emergency call center and a storm shelter.

The facility was built at 1100 block of 14th Street South, adjacent to the old police headquarters building, which was later torn down to make room for a parking lot.

"This new facility provides a state-of-the-art space for police operations and room to accommodate continued growth of the department," said UAB President Ray L. Watts. "It is tailored to the specific needs of UAB Police. It gives our officers and staff the room and resources they need to perform even more effectively as they continue maintaining a secure environment for all on campus."

Construction on the new building began in April 2017.

UAB Police Headquarters grand breaking: (From left to right) Vice President for Financial Affairs and Administration Allen Bolton, Birmingham City Council President Valerie Abbott, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, Pam Benoit, UAB President Ray L. Watts, Associate Vice President & Chief of UAB Police and Public Safety Anthony Purcell, Deputy Chief of Police Zandral Washington, Deputy Chief of Police Marvin Atmore

On the ground of the headquarters is a lobby area for public information and interaction with UAB police, a records storage area, evidence processing and evidence storage areas, patrol department staff offices and an officer roll-call area. UAB Security Services staff offices, a breakroom, men's and women's locker rooms with showers, an in-house weight room, communication department staff offices, and a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency call center also will be located on the ground floor.

The second-floor houses senior staff and administrative, investigation and training departments, as well as a conference room, breakroom and 1,500-square-foot training room for police department staff, where UAB police officers will host public training courses.

UAB's new Collat School of Business and School of Nursing buildings will be ready for the fall semester.

The $37.5 million business building houses both the Collat School of Business and Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Its been under construction since December 2016.

The School of Nursing's new $32-million, 72,000-plus-square-foot building has been under construction since October 2016.
A late-night shooting in east Alabama left a woman dead, a man injured and another man behind bars.

Authorities received a 911 call about midnight Wednesday from a home on Clanton Street in Attalla, according to the Etowah County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said the caller told dispatchers there was an altercation between two males and that shots had been fired.

Lawmen arrived on the scene to find 22-year-old Cheyenne Humphries, of Attalla, dead. Brandon Gipson, 30, of Anniston, is hospitalized but the extent of his injuries isn't known.

The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Khalil Devadra Smith of Anniston. Gadsden Police Officer Colt Gregory took Smith into custody on a traffic stop in East Gadsden, according to Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

Smith was booked into the Etowah County Jail shortly before 3 a.m. Humphries' body is being taken to Huntsville for an autopsy.

Jacksonville State University's Center for Applied Forensics assisted in gathering and preservation of evidence. The Etowah County Department of Human Resources also responded to the scene.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and not additional details are available at this time.
A Mississippi woman is suing after she contracted salmonella from eating Goldfish and was treated in two Alabama hospitals.

Bailey Finch, of Columbus, filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against Goldfish manufacturer Pepperidge Farms and Associated Milk Producers Inc. According to her complaint, AMPI manufactures a dry whey powder used to season certain types of Goldfish.

On July 23, Pepperidge Farms recalled four flavors of Goldfish-- the Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavor Blasted Sour Cream and Onion Baked with Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and Mix Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel-- because the company was notified by AMPI a whey powder ingredient could have been contaminated with salmonella. Two days later, AMPI recalled certain batches of the whey powder.

No illnesses had been reported when the recall was issued, Pepperidge Farms said then in a statement.

According to Finch's lawsuit, her mother bought Goldfish from a grocery store in Mississippi on July 18, before the recall was issued. The next day, 26-year-old Finch ate the Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar crackers and hours later became "extremely ill with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea," the complaint states.

On July 24, Finch was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa and then transported by ambulance to UAB Hospital. She was tested for salmonella, and lab results confirmed she did have the bacteria. Finch was hospitalized for four days because of "severe complications" from salmonella, a press release stated.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses in the U.S. every year, with about one million of those caused by food. Most people who contract salmonella see symptoms in 12 to 72 hours, and the sickness usually lasts from four to seven days. While most people recover without seeking medical help, some can experience more severe symptoms that require hospitalization.

Finch is suing the two companies on a total of six counts of strict liability manufacturer defect and failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty and implied warranty of merchantability. She is seeking damages for "medical expenses, mental and physical pain, emotional distress, lost wages, and future medical expenses," a press release said.

Finch is represented by Patrick Wooten of the Mississippi firm Richard Schwartz and Associates, along with Ernest Cory, G. Rick DiGiorgio, Mitchell Theodore, and Robert LeMoine of the Birmingham-based firm Cory Watson.

"Salmonella kills. Pepperidge Farm failed in their duty to ensure that the food they produce is safe to eat, and as a result, our client almost lost her life," LeMoine said.

"There is no excuse that can justify the conduct of Pepperidge Farm in releasing 3.3 million packages of poison Goldfish into the market. The purpose of the suit is to not only hold the defendants accountable, but to make sure all other food manufacturers know that the public will not stand for this any longer," he said.

Wooten added, "We want to be sure everyone who has purchased Goldfish recently knows of the salmonella risk and takes the proper precautions to protect their families. We highly encourage consumers to check their pantries for these tainted items."

Court records did not yet reflect any attorneys listed for Pepperidge Farms or AMPI.
This week Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency asking that the 35th Avenue Superfund site be prioritized for cleanup in the wake of public corruption.

Now, he is asking for residents to get involved and sign a petition urging the EPA to make the North Birmingham Superfund site a priority and place it on the National Priorities List (NPL), which would speed up cleanup of the site.

Sign the petition here.

"In light of the recent revelations concerning the public corruption, we believe this situation demands a much more robust response," Woodfin stated in the letter to EPA. "The United States Attorney has already done their job by exposing this criminal hoax and bringing those responsible to justice. Still, these injustices continue until the North Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund site is placed on the National Priorities List and all necessary resources are provided to the people of this community."

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 to oppose the site's listing on the NPL, which would prioritize 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.

At a community forum on Tuesday, Woodfin spoke out against the actions of Robinson, Gilbert and Roberson, and announced he was sending a letter to the EPA.

He said their actions were "morally wrong," and he is "going to go to bat" for the people of north Birmingham.

"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."

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin's letter to EPA on Scribd
The mother of Shawn Bone, a Huntsville man gunned down at a local Taco Bell restaurant, has filed a lawsuit against the accused killer.

Shelia Hale is suing murder suspect Pete Morris McCullough III for the wrongful death of Bone, according to court records.

Bone was a manager at the Airport Road location of Taco Bell when he was fatally shot in the parking lot by 22-year-old McCullough, one of his employees, police said. Investigators have said Bone and McCullough argued about a work-related issue before the shooting. The gunfire erupted in the parking lot after the two went outside the evening of July 9.

McCullough "willfully" shot and killed Bone, the wrongful death lawsuit states. "The willful shooting caused Bones' death."

The lawsuit "makes a request for a verdict and judgement in an amount to punish the defendant and deter the defendant and others from doing the same or similar acts in the future."

Bone's mother is seeking more than $10,000 through a jury trial.

Court records don't list an attorney representing McCullough in the civil case. In the criminal case, McCullough is represented by Huntsville lawyer Jake Watson.

"It's obviously very unfortunate circumstances," said Watson. "We're in the preliminary stages of the investigation."

Bone, 41, also worked at a Krystal restaurant on Memorial Parkway in Huntsville.

Bone was the 14th person who died in a homicide in Huntsville this year. Since then the total has risen to at least 17. In 2017, 22 people died in homicides in the city.

The Taco Bell case is among at least 12 workplace shootings in Alabama since 1999. Others include the 2010 UAH murders in Huntsville and the UAB Highlands shooting earlier this year.
One of four suspects has been indicted for the robbery and killing of 34-year-old Raemon Ross, who was shot to death on camera inside his apartment.

Welton Brown is indicted on a capital murder charge for the Jan. 28 home invasion in which Ross was killed and cash was taken from his apartment, court records show. Brown is one of four people accused in the case.

A grand jury indicted Brown after it determined prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case to trial. A trial date hasn't yet been set.

The cases of co-defendants Fotino Davis and Charles Mosby haven't yet been presented to a grand jury, said Madison County Assistant District Attorney Melvin Lockett. Along with Brown, Davis and Mosby are held in the Madison County jail. A fourth suspect, Kason Grady, is held in a Florida jail, pending extradition back to Alabama.

Ross, 34, was home with his girlfriend and three children when he answered a knock at the door and two armed men came inside, according to police. Ross suffered a single gunshot wound that went through his arm and into his chest, Huntsville police investigator Julian Johnson testified at a previous court hearing. Ross was declared dead at Huntsville Hospital.

Video footage from inside the apartment shows Mosby and Davis enter with their guns drawn as soon as Ross opens the door, Johnson testified. It's unclear which man fired at Ross. Only one shell casing was found just inside the door of the apartment, the investigator said under oath.

Before the killing, Mosby and his girlfriend rode from New Orleans to Huntsville with Davis and Brown, Johnson testified. It was Brown's car the suspect's rode in. Once they got to Huntsville, the suspects dropped off Mosby's girlfriend at a relative's home and picked up Grady, the fourth suspect.

Ross was one of five people killed by gunfire in Huntsville during the first month of 2018. Since the beginning of the year, 16 people have died in homicides in the city.

Capital murder is punishable by either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
An Alabama lawmaker is renewing his efforts to have the start of school moved back.

Rep. Craig Ford, I-Gadsden, plans to reintroduce legislation that would require schools start no earlier than two weeks before Labor Day. Labor Day this year falls on Sept. 3, meaning if the plan was in place, no schools could start before Aug. 20.

According to the Alabama Department of Education, only one system - Athens City Schools- has a start date after Aug. 20 this year. Athens students will return to school Aug. 30, with the late date due to new school construction.

All the rest of the state's public schools start before Ford's Aug. 20 cutoff, with the earliest being Madison County on Aug. 1.

Ford introduced similar legislation in the 2017-2018 legislative session but it did not make it out of committee. In explaining his reasoning for the bill, Ford said the shortened summer vacation "hurts Alabama families."

"Kids no longer get to spend August playing, going to camp or doing some last-minute reading. Families miss out on important, quality vacation time together," Ford wrote in a Facebook post. "For teachers and other educators, the summer months are the only time they can do any professional development work, such as taking classes for an advanced degree or participating in training programs that help them learn more effective methods for teaching various subjects."

Currently, public schools in Alabama are required to have 180 days of student instruction or the hourly equivalent of 1,080 hours each year.

In 2012, Alabama's Legislature passed a bill mandating that school could not start earlier than the Monday two weeks before Labor Day and last no longer than the Friday immediately before Memorial Day The legislature failed to renew the measure in 2015, however, and systems reverted to earlier start dates.

Ford said he'd like to see the return of the flexible calendar act to give more control to the local boards, while still maintaining the requirement for instructional hours.

"And just because school is not in session doesn't mean we can't still have programs like summer reading to help maintain kids knowledge and learning skills. In fact, I would like to see us expand these programs to include more math and science work," Ford said.
The U.S. Department of Education found Alabama "needs assistance" in implementing the federal provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act for students aged 3 to 21, based on results of an annual assessment of compliance and outcomes for students in special education.

That determination, sent by letter to state Superintendent Eric Mackey, showed the Alabama State Department of Education performed well in complying with the rules and regulations of the law, but achievement results for students in special education were poor for the 2016-2017 school year, the period covered in the monitoring process.

The federal education department began using results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, in 2014 as part of the national accountability system. Fourth- and eighth-grade students are tested in reading and math every two years, and the most recent 2017 results were added to this year's federal assessment.

Achievement and compliance are weighted equally in the assessment.

The annual federal review found 21 states met the requirements in both areas, but 28 states, including Alabama, need assistance. Michigan and the District of Columbia were found to need intervention. No states or territories received the lowest determination: needs substantial intervention.

No additional funding is made available for states needing assistance, but the state department can tap into some federal resources for technical assistance, according to the state's special education director, Crystal Richardson.

Because this is the first year Alabama was found to need assistance, no direct actions are required, Richardson said, but the state department will continue to facilitate additional training for educators in districts participating in a statewide improvement process.

Twenty-four of Alabama's 137 school districts did not meet compliance requirements, Richardson said, which means those districts cannot reduce the amount of local funding they spend on special education services, known as maintenance of effort. Those districts are also not eligible for certain grant funding related to special education services, she said.

Achievement results are not a factor in local school district determinations made by the state department of education.

Richardson said the NAEP results may not be a good indicator to use to monitor special education achievement because the test is only given every two years and it's not given to all schools or even all districts. NAEP tests a statistically representative sample of students, including students with disabilities.

Students with disabilities receiving special education services are historically one of the lowest performing groups when it comes to standardized tests. And Alabama's students, with and without disabilities, typically are among the lowest performers on the NAEP.

Only 23 percent of Alabama's fourth-grade students with disabilities were at or above the basic level, which is roughly equal to grade level, in reading. Nationally, 30 percent of fourth-graders with disabilities were at or above basic in reading.

The results for eighth-graders with disabilities in reading were among the lowest in the country, with only 20 percent at or above basic, compared to 35 percent nationally.

In math, 35 percent of Alabama's fourth-graders with disabilities and 14 percent of eighth-graders with disabilities were at or above basic, compared to 45 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

For comparison, nationwide, students without disabilities reached the basic level in much higher percentages:

On the 2016-2017 Alabama state report card, students with disabilities had the lowest levels of achievement, academic growth, and graduation rates. Students with disabilities had the highest rate of chronic absenteeism---23.4 percent of all students with disabilities missed 15 or more days of school. The state's overall rate of chronic absenteeism was 17.7 percent.

Federal report card data for the same time period showed only 16.5 percent were proficient on the state's math test and 12.6 percent were proficient on the state's reading test. A further breakdown showed 70 percent of students with disabilities scored at Level 1, the lowest level, on the reading test, and 48 percent scored at Level 1 on the math test.

Asked what the state department is able to do to impact achievement, Richardson said, "We talk to [districts] every day about test results." She said the state's plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the replacement for No Child Left Behind, should help districts focus on improving results and outcomes for students with disabilities.

Richardson said gains are being made in districts participating in the state's special education improvement process.

According to documents produced by the Alabama State Department of Education, spending in special education for the 2015-2016 school year, the latest school year for which data was available, totaled $688 million out of $6.8 billion overall, or a little more than 10 percent.

Those amounts do not include expenditures at the state department of education level.

The percentage of students identified for special education within each school district varied widely during the monitoring period, from 5.4 percent to nearly 16 percent during the 2016-2017 school year.

Nearly 87,000 public school students ages 3 to 21, or 11.9 percent of the 730,200 students statewide, were identified with a disability during the 2016-2017 school year.

Alabama special education accountability results 2018 by Trisha Powell Crain on Scribd
One month after Alabama allowed "In God We Trust" displays on public property, the Blount County school board is poised to become the first system to act.

Superintendent Rodney Green said a policy could be crafted within the next month.

But first, an attorney has to be consulted.

"You would think that something that passes the Legislature won't be challenged in the courtroom but we all know that it can and probably will," said Green, who oversees a school system with more than 7,800 students spread out over 17 schools north of Jefferson County.

Government officials throughout Alabama could soon follow suit, calling up their lawyers to ask about the prospects of courtroom battles with organizations that advocate for the separation of church and state.

Students this month are returning to public schools all over the state. And when they arrive, most won't yet find symbols that promote Christianity or other religious faiths.

But for how long? The "In God We Trust" motto, now required to be prominently displayed in every public schools in Tennessee, could become more common in Alabama. Blount County is viewed as a testing ground.

Meanwhile, Alabama voters on Nov. 6 will also decide whether the state's 117-year-old constitution should be changed to allow public schools to display the Ten Commandments.

National politics are emboldening the local push, critics say. President Donald Trump's hard push to promote Christian forms of expression have made him a darling among evangelical Protestants, who dominate Alabama.

During December rallies in Mobile (2016) and Pensacola, Florida (2017), Trump spoke at events in which people brandished "Merry Christmas" signs. At each rally, the president bemoaned the removal of Christian symbols from the holiday season.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator, also announced last month that he was forming a "religious liberty task force." He has warned about a "dangerous movement" attempting to erode protections for religious Americans.

And the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court has been met with applause from religious groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

"It's a tsunami of Christian national laws in our country right now," said Annie Laurie Gaylord, co-president of the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation. "The upcoming election will say a lot about the direction of our nation. With the Republicans in charge of Congress and so many of these states, we are seeing a constant push for theocracy."

'Come from God'

A look back at previous elections involving socially conservative ballot initiatives in Alabama suggest success for the Ten Commandments amendment this fall:

In 2014, 72.5 percent of voters supported a ballot initiative that supported the right to bear arms and subject any Second Amendment restrictions

In 2012, 61 percent of voters defeated a ballot question to delete all remaining "Jim Crow" provisions written in the 1901 Alabama State Constitution.

In 2006, 81 percent of voters endorsed the "Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment" which made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriage.

In 2004, by 1,850 votes, a majority of Alabama voters shot down a referendum advocating for the removal of sections of the state constitution referencing racial segregation in schools and the poll tax.

National public opinion also remains on the side of those who support Christian displays, though it's not as strong as it was a decade ago. A Pew Research Center analysis last year showed that 66 percent of Americans believe Christian display should be allowed on government property. That's a slight dip from 2014, when 72 percent supported the displays.

This year, Alabama is the only state that will put the issue before voters.

Dean Young, chief strategist last year for the failed Senate bid of Roy Moore, is now chairman of the Ten Commandments political action committee.

"My hope is they have the Ten Commandments in the schools all over the state of Alabama as well as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the historical documents that go with this country," said Young. "That way, children will be able to see and ask, 'What are these documents' and a teacher can say, 'Those are the Ten Commandments and they come from God and this is what they say.'"

This is hardly the first time the Ten Commandments have been center stage in Alabama politics.

In the mid-90s, when Moore was an Etowah County circuit judge, he had a homemade Ten Commandments plaque on his courtroom wall. By 2001, when Moore was first elected to the Alabama State Supreme Court, he had a 5,200-pound Ten Commandments monument installed inside the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery. It was removed three years later, following a lawsuit. The legal battle over monument also cost Moore his job as Chief Justice -- that first time. He was re-elected as Chief Justice years later and served until he again got tied up in legal battle, this time over his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Moore isn't involved in this year's campaign, which is being run mostly by Young. Young is the only one to have contributed money to the Ten Commandments PAC, which he oversees. The PAC's only reported expenses to date are payments to Facebook.

"Facebook is exploding and we had 1.2 million views on one of the videos that I put out a month ago," said Young.

Young calls the concept of separation of church and state - argued for generations as being upheld in the First Amendment to the Constitution - as "fake education" brought about by left-wing groups.

He said the reason that most public schools are having to spend millions of dollars on improving school security and improving campus safety is because the Christian God has been removed from the public space, leading to moral decay.

Said Young: "I'm all for the governor trying to put in resource officers. Right now, we have such a problem that we got to do something. In the meantime, to have a long-lasting change, we need to bring the Ten Commandments into the schools, have the acknowledgement of God and make sure the students are accountable and know that there are absolutes."

He added, "We got to get back to what made this nation great and that would be, No. 1, getting back to what the founders believed and that was this country was founded in a belief in God and that is the Christian God."

'Secular republic'

Young's efforts are being watched by several organizations that promote religious secularism, including the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that tracks laws that might undermine the separation of church and government.

"The Ten Commandments is a religious document," said Maggie Garrett, legislative director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "Hanging it on a wall in the public schools or at the public school promotes that religious message. What it conveys for the school, of course, is that it supports that message and that schools want kids to adhere to that particular religion, and it's not right."

Said Gaylor, the co-president of the FFRF: "It's not OK to put these up in schools. The people who are behind this don't understand we're a secular republic. They believe we should be a biblical theocracy."

Recent attempts to have the Ten Commandments displayed in other regions of the country have been struck down by courts. A Pennsylvania high school had to remove a 6-foot Ten Commandments monument last year after the FFRF filed a federal lawsuit.

Garrett said she's "not surprised" that Young is pursuing the constitutional amendment. Young has a long working relationship with Moore, and has pushed for the amendment for years.

"This is deja vu all over again," said Gaylor.

Randall Marshall, executive director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, said he doesn't think the constitutional amendment will do more than "what exists now." He said even if the amendment passes, it doesn't include any protections "for a school district that displays it unconstitutionally."

The legislative action also specifies that taxpayer money will not be used to defend the constitutionality of the amendment.

"What they are doing is hanging out school districts to dry and to be on their own," said Marshall.

Young said several "Christian legal groups" are prepared to pony up resources for schools that are sued. But he also said that elected school boards need "to do what parents" request of them.

"The school boards are who are in charge," said Young. "The boards need to do what the people tell them do to do. That's the way it is supposed to work."

'In God We Trust" light

School boards could be hesitant on how to pursue the displays of "In God We Trust," the national motto approved by Congress in 1956 that is already displayed in 17 public venues in Alabama. Most of those locations are within city halls in Baldwin County. No new "In God We Trust" banner has been hung inside a public building in Alabama since 2014.

Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, sponsored the original legislation that gives public bodies the right to display the motto. The Alabama law became effective July 1.

But the legislation is not a mandate, and is a lighter version of what was approved by Tennessee lawmakers this spring that requires the motto's prominent display inside all public schools.

"Arkansas has a similar law in that it is a mandate inside the classrooms and I looked at these laws when I decided to sponsor the legislation and decided it seemed like a better approach to make it permissive than a mandate," said Standridge. "We're a diverse society and state and I just thought the local entities needed input."

Standridge attended Monday's Blount County School Board meeting to talk about the new law and answer questions. The School Board decided to consider a policy addressing the motto, and Standridge said it could serve as a motto for the rest of the state.

State Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, speaks to the media after legislation he sponsored allowing for "In God We Trust" displays on public buildings and vehicles was approved by the Alabama House on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

"They are kind of wanting to be the model, if you will, for any system that wants to go down this path," Standridge said.

A number of educational associations in Alabama are also preparing for the possibility of other school districts seeking advice on how to handle the new law.

Thus far, though, no district has inquired.

"If asked, I would simply provide them a copy of the legislation to share with board members and their school attorney to determine if what they might want to do is compliant with the law," said Lisa Woodard, government affairs director at the School Superintendents of Alabama. "No one has to do this, so our position throughout the legislative process was simply to provide information on the bill."

The Alabama Association of School Boards, for its upcoming district meetings, will dive into the topic of religion in public schools. Displaying the national motto will not be part of those talks, said Dana Vandiver, spokeswoman with the organization.

"We have not had any questions or conversations about it," she said, referring to motto displays. "It's been under-the-radar."

'Bloody shirt'

The push for "In God We Trust" has plenty of skeptics that include the separation of church and state groups, and also scholars and researchers.

They believe the push to display the motto is more political, and is aimed at getting Republicans re-elected in conservative-leaning districts.

"I think these bills are the beginning of a broader strategy to use religious freedom to maintain Christian power in the public sphere," said Michael Altman, a religious studies professor at the University of Alabama. "The goal is for Republicans to empower their base and to get Democrats on the record opposing them so they can run against them."

Frederick Clarkson, senior research analyst at Political Research Associations - a Massachusetts-based think tank that studies the political right -- was the first to write about a movement called "Project Blitz," coordinated by the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation (CPCF).

The group's mission statement is to "protect religious freedom, preserve America's Judeo-Christian heritage and promote prayer." A representative with he CPCF, which was formed in 2005 and labels itself as non-partisan, declined to comment for this story.

Project Blitz has released what Clarkson describes as a "legislative manual" that covers a range of initiatives that he says promotes "Christian nationalist perspectives on religion, history and law."

The 116-page manual includes promoting the displays of the "In God We Trust" motto, but also other legislative actions for states to consider: Approving a "Christian Heritage Week," recognizing the "Year of the Bible" through symbolic resolutions, and backing resolutions that favor "intimate sexual relations" between men and women only.

Said Clarkson: "It's remarkable and, I think historic, the way that the Christian right has reframed its issues under the rubric of religious freedom. Of course, not every initiative flying under the flag of religious liberty are necessarily directly connected to one another. That said, the campaign flag of religious liberty is being waved like a bloody shirt in the current phase of the culture wars across a wide range of issues."

Standridge, the "In God We Trust" legislative sponsor, confirmed with AL.com that he was approached by the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation earlier this spring. The group claims about 60 members from the Alabama Legislature, though Sandridge said he wasn't "recruited" to join them.

"They found out about the (legislation) and offered me assistance," he said. "They did support it, but they didn't do anything like drafting the bill. I did have discussions with them and they did support the process."

Standridge added: "I heard about them and found out about them after I started working on the legislation."

Clarkson said that different states offer different variations of the "In God We Trust" legislation. Alabama and Minnesota adopted their laws based on voluntary participation.

"The organizers of Project Blitz understand that different states and legislatures may require different approaches," he said.

He added, "For the better part of a decade, the Christian right has successfully reframed their agenda in terms of religious freedom, distorting its historic meaning to suit its purposes. They believe it is an effective political ploy and, so far, it is generally working."

Altman, at the University of Alabama, said he anticipates Alabama and other states will continue to attempt to bring Christianity into public schools and elsewhere.

"There is a lot of momentum, money and energy behind it in conservative circles and among religious leaders," he said. "As the United States gets more religiously and racially diverse, there will continue to be a backlash to defend the priority of Christianity in the public sphere."
A man indicted on a capital murder charge in Alabama has been captured in Georgia, authorities said.

Noe Mateo, 24, is held in the Cobb County jail in Georgia pending extradition back to Alabama. Mateo was indicted this week for the Feb. 21, 2017 death of a child, said DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris in a news release. The child's name hasn't been released.

Mateo, a relative, lived in the same Crossville home as the child, Harris said.

While the sheriff hasn't released details about the case, court records show Mateo pleaded guilty last year to intimidating witnesses. Court records say Mateo intimidated three people who were witnesses to the homicide investigation. Mateo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation, plus time already served in jail pending court, records show.

Details about the homicide case aren't included in the court file.

"I'm proud of the job our investigators have done over the course of this case," Harris said in the news release. "They have worked the case tirelessly, spending many hours interviewing people and looking over evidence, to bring it to a close for justice for the child. We continue to pray for this family as they grieve."

The sheriff's office didn't immediately return a call seeking further information.
A proposal to build a new interstate highway through Alabama ultimately faces long odds of being successful, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Tony Harris, government relations manager for ALDOT, said the department has no plans at present to move forward on the idea, has not had discussions with any of the groups in favor of the idea and doesn't have available funding to do the evaluations to begin planning a project like Interstate 14 through Alabama.

"There has been no discussion about a proposed Interstate 14 involving state transportation officials in Alabama and the advocates for this idea," Harris said. "In today's funding climate, this proposal isn't likely to get serious consideration."

A group of college students from Georgia and Alabama called the Youth Infrastructure Coalition recently launched a web site and YouTube video to promote the idea of building a new interstate highway from west Texas to Augusta, Ga., passing through Alabama's Black Belt, from Selma to Montgomery, then on to Phenix City, Columbus, Ga., Macon and Augusta.

While the Federal Highway Administration did conduct a study to explore the feasibility of the Interstate 14 project from Texas to the Atlantic coast, Harris said in Alabama that study was only the first step in what would be a very long and expensive process, if it ever happens.

"You need funding to do the federal studies that are necessary to identify a route, to clear all the environmental hurdles that are there and to do the preliminary engineering," Harris said. "That process would take a decade or more and would be quite expensive."

Harris said the FHA study lays out suggested routes, but there would be issues and complications that are not addressed in that report. For example, he said, one of the proposed routes cuts through the Tuskegee National Forest. Harris said it would be unlikely that federal officials would allow a new interstate to be built through a protected National Forest area.

"It's one thing to know that there's a federal study out there that's been conducted and to put up a website and say, 'hey, this is a great idea,'" Harris said. "It's another thing to confront the realities that we live in, in the transportation world that hasn't seen a meaningful increase in transportation funding in three decades."

Harris also said that many local areas in Alabama have ideas for new interstate projects. Dothan leaders are interested in an interstate connection with I-10 in Florida. Huntsville officials would love an interstate across north Alabama.

"There are more ideas floating around out there, more wants floating around around out there, than we can fund," Harris said. "And frankly, it puts us in a situation where we have to choose what to do with the funding we have and seek the maximum benefit that we can get from those funds."
NOAA released an update to its Atlantic hurricane season forecast on Thursday, and it can be considered good news.

NOAA has lowered the number of tropical storms and hurricanes expected to develop and said there is now a likelihood of a below average season.

A typical season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

NOAA is predicting a total of 9-13 named storms, 4-7 hurricanes and 0-2 major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or stronger storms.

There have already been two hurricanes so far this season, Beryl and Chris, and two other named storms, Subtropical Storm Alberto and Tropical Storm Debby.

Forecasters are now expecting an additional 5-9 named storms, with 2-5 becoming hurricanes and 0-2 of those becoming major hurricanes.

Those numbers are down from NOAA's initial outlook issued in May, which had predicted 10-16 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes and 1-4 major hurricanes.

NOAA pointed to below average sea surface temperatures in parts of the tropical Atlantic and the possible development of El Nino, which tends to suppress storm development in the Atlantic by increasing wind shear, among other things.

There is now a 70 percent chance that El Nino will develop during the hurricane season, which lasts until Nov. 30.

NOAA pointed out that this is not a forecast for landfalling storms, which are not possible to predict more than a week in advance.

And it only takes one landfalling storm to make it a bad season. A frequent example of this is the 1992 hurricane season, which had seven named storms, four hurricanes and one major hurricane. That was Andrew, which devastated South Florida and made a second landfall in Louisiana and killed 66 people.
State Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Montgomery this morning to charges involving Medicare fraud.

Henry had previously denied wrongdoing after he was indicted in May. But today's court appearance was the result of a second indictment issued in the case last month.

The 18-count indictment accuses Henry of conspiring to defraud Medicare, violating an anti-kickback law, health care fraud and conspiring to launder money.

Two internal medicine physicians, Punuru Reddy of Decatur and Nicole Scruggs of Huntsville, are each charged on two of the conspiracy counts. They referred patients to Henry's company, MyPractice24, for chronic care management, according to the indictment.

Scruggs and Reddy also pleaded not guilty today.

"Dr. Reddy remains one of the most talented physicians in this state and intends to continue to extend superior care to his patients as he always has," Anthony Joseph, an attorney for Reddy said in an email. "The care of his patients always come first." Joseph also said Reddy "has faith that the charges will be addressed in a court of law and his good name and professional reputation will be restored."

Lawyers for Reddy have filed a motion to dismiss the charges, saying the indictment wrongly lumps together three alleged conspiracies, only one of which was alleged to happen in the Middle District, where the case is being prosecuted. The motion says the actions alleged don't suggest a larger scheme with common objectives.

Gilberto Sanchez, who was the owner of a primary care practice in Montgomery called Family Practice, is accused in the indictment of being a conspirator but is not charged. Sanchez pleaded guilty in November 2017 to conspiracy to commit controlled substances, health care fraud and money laundering.

Medicare covers chronic care management for certain patients with at least two serious chronic conditions. Medicare will pay a provider about $32 a month for each beneficiary who receives at least 20 hours a month of care management, the indictment says. That can include services such as monitoring and updating a comprehensive care plan, arranging appointments and calling in prescriptions, the indictment says.

The indictment says the conspirators schemed to waive co-pays for chronic care management services, creating the potential that patients received unnecessary services that were billed to Medicare. It says actual charges were overstated to Medicare because of the waivers of the co-pays.

After today's arraignment, Henry reiterated his earlier statement that he had done nothing wrong. He said the service his company offered, chronic care management, is an important program that has saved taxpayers money.

"The travesty in all of this is that a program that Medicare designed and implemented and has proven saves them money to care for the most chronically ill is going to be put in jeopardy by the actions of the government in this case," Henry said.

Updated at 8:42 p.m. to add statement from Dr. Reddy's lawyer.
Austal USA presented a surprise guest on Thursday: U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who donned welder's gear for her part in a keel-laying ceremony.

Sotomayor, who in 2009 became the first U.S. Supreme Court justice of Hispanic descent, was revealed as the sponsor of an Expeditionary Fast Transport ship that will go into service as the USNS Puerto Rico. Sotomayor, who was born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, left no doubt about the personal significance of the ship's name.

"I am the daughter of a US Army WAC during WWII," she said, referring to her mother's service in the Women's Army Corps. "I am also the niece and cousin of many Puerto Ricans who have served proudly in the U.S. armed forces ... We serve Puerto Rico proudly and serve the United States even more proudly."

Sotomayor extended her "deepest gratitude" to those involved in making the ship a reality and said she was "thrilled and honored" to be a part of its story.

Such ceremonies call for the ship's sponsor to weld his or her initials on an aluminum plate, which is then attached to the hull. Sotomayor, assisted by A Class welder Eric Gallegos, accomplished the task in a few seconds, the shower of sparks lasting for less time than it took to put on the necessary protective clothing.

"I hereby declare that the keel of the future United States Naval Ship Puerto Rico has been truly and fairly laid," she proclaimed afterward.

The Expeditionary Fast Transports, designated EPFs in Navy parlance, are 340-foot aluminum catamarans designed to carry people and a wide range of cargo at relatively high speed. Features include a large helicopter flight deck and an articulated ramp that allows the ships to transfer vehicles on and off docks not necessarily built for that purpose.

Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Macus, representing the EPF at the ceremony, said the ships are "filling a critical need in the Navy fleet" thanks to their speed and versatility.

The Puerto Rico is the 11th EPF in the Navy's initial 12-ship order. Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said after the ceremony that discussions are under way on one or two possible additional orders. He also said Austal is developing plans for new variants that might lead to additional sales. "We're looking at medical variants, command-and-control variants and event autonomy, either it being a mother ship of autonomous vessels or being autonomous itself. So there's a lot of things we have brewing for the future of the EPF program."

Most of Austal's 4,000-plus employees work on the better-known Littoral Combat Ship program. Perciavalle said between 400 and 500 are dedicated to the EPF. Like the LCS, an EPF is first built as a series of modules, which are then welded together into a complete hull in Austal's large assembly halls on the Mobile River. The keel-laying ceremony is held during that part of the process.
pro-abortion rights activists say the war is not over after Senate votes against legalisation bill that divided the country.

Buenos Aires, Argentina  As Argentine senators laid out their positions ahead of an historic abortion rights vote, the streets surrounding the Congress building in Buenos Aires became a colour-coded battleground for those in favour and those against.

The blue wave of activists wearing the light blue of the Argentine flag represented those who believe allowing abortion for any reason up until the 14th week of pregnancy is tantamount to murder. Many also marched with the yellow Vatican flag, showing their support for Argentine-born Pope Francis.

His intense personal campaign to sway the vote against abortion had not gone unnoticed.

Its a complicated subject, but I am in favour of life. I am here with my two daughters, and since they were small I have taught them to always say yes to life, said Mariel, who only gave her first name.

{articleGUID}

While the debate continued, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires Mario Aurelio Poli, held Mass in the Cathedral to pray to God to illuminate the senators.

On the other side of the Congress building, a larger green wave of the pro-abortion rights movement began filling much of Buenos Aires huge 9 de Julio Avenue and the streets leading up to Congress from early morning.

They wore green scarves  the symbol of the right to free, legal, and safe abortion. Many also came with green hair, green makeup and giant green banners.

The outcome of years of campaigning and seven attempts to bring legal abortion before Argentinas legislature was hanging in the balance, and even under the freezing, pouring rain, they wanted to ensure their voices were heard.

Killed the bill

But unlike last month, when the lower house of Congress narrowly voted to approve the legislation to legalise abortion under all circumstances, this time thousands of women and men of all ages were holding a vigil with the knowledge they were almost certain to lose the battle.

It is incredible that senators from conservative northern provinces, who represent only 10 percent of the population, have enough votes to kill the bill, said Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.

They do not represent the sentiments of the majority of the Argentine people.





On the eve of the historic vote, Amnesty International posted a full-page ad in The New York Times. It consisted of a simple coat hanger and the word ADIOS, meaning goodbye, to the common practice of using a metal coat hanger to provoke a self-inflicted miscarriage because abortion is illegal.

Unsafe, illegal abortions are the number one cause of maternal deaths in Argentina.

Many of the activists also carried orange scarves, part of a parallel campaign against the payment of state subsidies to the Catholic Church, which is the harshest critic of abortion, contraception and divorce.

War is not over

The abortion debate has increased criticism of the Catholic Church in Argentina.

A group of 17-year-old girls sang a jingle: To the Catholic Church that wants to get into our beds, we say we do what we please with our bodies! Legal abortion now!

Abortion is permitted in the case of rape, or if the pregnancy endangers the mothers life. But very often, especially in the more conservative provinces of Argentina, public hospitals refuse to perform the procedure, according to human rights groups.

Even though the bill was ultimately struck down in the Senate, thousands of pro-abortion rights activists embraced and congratulated each other.

They said after 35 years of being ignored, in a short six months pro-abortion rights advocates managed not only to put the debate on the front page of newspapers but also to get a bill presented and voted on in Congress.

This was a historic, landmark battle, but the war is not over, said Sofia Mendez. Next year we will present another bill. Sooner rather than later the words we carry on our green scarf will become law.

Mendez added there also must be integral sex education to decide, contraception on demand to avoid abortion, and legal abortion so as not to die.
The former foreign secretary is yet to apologise for saying Muslims wearing the full face veil look like letter boxes.

Boris Johnson, the former British foreign secretary, is facing growing criticism following Islamophobic remarks about some Muslim women.

The Conservative MP wrote in his recent Telegraph column that Muslim women wearing full-face veils look like letter boxes and compared their appearance to bank robbers.

The burka, he said, is oppressive.

Muslim Conservative peer Lord Sheikh said that Johnson, a high-profile MP and a leading Brexit campaigner, should no longer represent the Conservatives  the UKs ruling party.

Boris Johnson, pictured here with the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah, has angered Muslims with his Islamophobic commentary on the full face veil [Handout/KUNA/AFP]

Following the remarks, Muslim Conservative peer Baroness Warsi renewed a call for the Conservatives to conduct an independent inquiry into alleged Islamophobia in the party.

And Prime Minister Theresa May has urged Johnson to apologise, acknowledging his comments were offensive.

Al Jazeera spoke to four Muslim women about Johnsons comments and their experiences of wearing the niqab  or full-face veil  in todays Britain.

Boris Johnson is dehumanising me

Nada UmmNour is a graduate biochemist and is originally Canadian. She has been living in Birmingham, England, for the last four years.

Ive faced a lot of harassment for wearing the niqab. Ive been walking down the street and have had people swear at me and use crude words. One guy  while I was driving, and while he was driving next to me  turned to me and made the gesture of a handgun and pretended to shoot me in the head. It definitely makes me feel scared.

Boris Johnson is just normalising this behaviour. Hes a prominent politician  and a former foreign minister of the country  and hes literally dehumanising me as a person. Normalising this kind of anti-Muslim hatred is definitely a big deal. But hes not just mocking the niqab  because the niqab is just clothes  but hes also mocking the people who wear it. He should apologise for his remarks  but I think the damage is done, especially against the backdrop of rising far-right movements in this country, which make his comments quite dangerous.

Im not oppressed  because wearing the niqab is my choice. Its like I have to prove to people Im not being oppressed. I think its a form of misogyny to put a woman in a position where she has to constantly justify her actions. There have been times when Ive chosen not to wear it because Im scared of harassment  and I worry for my kids safety.

Its like the whole Donald Trump thing, t hey have no respect

Chowdhury is from the East Midlands. She is doing a PhD in forensic psychology.

I have been wearing the niqab for almost 18 years now. Johnsons comments just seemed so childish and so ignorant. I found them so immature and completely inappropriate. But my next thought after that was, Right, whats the backlash going to be? Is it just going to give people an excuse to do what they want? Its like the whole Donald Trump thing  youve got one person who has a prominent position so they feel that gives them the right to do what they want  but they have no respect for individuals or people.

Ive been quite fortunate over the 18 years Ive worn my niqab  but in the last five years or so, I have had the odd comment here and there, such as the letter-box comment and being compared with a ninja. Thats about as bad as Ive had it fortunately  but I do know other people who have had much worse experiences.

Nobody should have pressure to conform to a certain way of dressing  its all about personal choice. I think there needs to be more interaction between people who are and [who are not] veiled  so I think on our part we need to be doing a bit more. But in Britain today, its hard work to wear the veil.

We have a white middle-aged man telling us this is not how we should look

Sahar Al-Faifi lives and works in Cardiff, Wales.

I dont think that I am oppressed. I am a geneticist by training  and last week I passed level one of solo sky-diving to become a licensed sky-diver. I cant be oppressed if I do all these things. Women have been choosing to wear the veil out of choice for centuries  its never been about the Islaminisation of Europe or Britain, its just about a woman who chooses to wear a certain piece of fabric to practise her faith.

Ive been told Im an f-word bomber, and there was another incident at the hospital site where I work, where I saw two teenagers trying to steal bikes and I attempted to stop them, and straight away they said, Youre an f-ing terrorist, go back to your country.

Sahar Al-Faifi is a geneticist and has been verbally attacked while wearing the veil [Courtesy: Sahar Al-Faifi]

Its very, very painful to hear this because I am from Wales  Wales is part of me and I am part of Wales. I am an active citizen and I contribute to this society and yet people cannot go beyond the face veil I want to wear  not all people but just a minority who happen to be vocal.

I found Boris Johnsons comments quite insulting and very offensive  because when you describe the Muslim woman as a letter-box, you dehumanise her, and when you describe her as a bank-robber, you are criminalising her. And we are already facing discrimination against our faith, and race and colour  and now we have a white middle-aged man telling us this is not how we should look.

Its my right to be wearing it

Shamim is from the West Midlands. She works in the Documenting Oppression Against Muslims (DOAM) project.

They say hes a buffoon and quite Donald Trump-like, but Boris Johnson is quite a clever man. So, for him to make comments like that, they may not seem big comments  not as bad as someone like [far-right former English Defence League leader] Tommy Robinson. Johnsons comments may not seem as direct or as offensive, but his are more detrimental than Tommy Robinson because at least with Tommy Robinson you get what you see, and he makes it quite clear how much he hates Islam.

Im a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the niqab  and every day I have to plan ahead  Am I going to be attacked today or am I going to be abused today? But its my right to be wearing it. Its my right as a woman  and even if your husband tells you to take it off, you could divorce him because thats your worship to God.

I see myself as a proactive Muslim  but the best thing I ever did in my life was to put on the niqab. I have been wearing it for more than five years but I regret not wearing it earlier.

Every day, Shamim fears being attacked [Courtesy: Shamim]

Follow Alasdair Soussi on Twitter: @AlasdairSoussi
Pat Dudgeon explains why suicide rates among young Aboriginals are so high and what can be done to stem the tide.

Young Aboriginal Australians are four times more likely to commit suicide than non-indigenous Australians and in one remote community in the countrys Kimberley region, the Aboriginal suicide rate is estimated to be seven times the national average.

Experts and Aboriginal elders believe this can be attributed in part to a feeling of disconnection from the land and traditional culture and that the solution rests in restoring that, rather than solely in combatting drug and alcohol abuse.

Professor Pat Dudgeon, from the Bardi people of the Kimberley, was the first Aboriginal psychologist to graduate in Australia and is the woman behind Australias first national suicide prevention strategy that specifically targets Aboriginals.

She talks to Al Jazeera about the mental state of Australias indigenous youth and what can be done to battle the suicide rate.

Al Jazeera: You were the first Aboriginal psychologist to graduate in Australia. What inspired your career path?

Pat Dudgeon: Growing up as an Aboriginal person, I became increasingly aware of the social and historical disadvantage that my people had suffered. I became determined to help them.

{articleGUID}

I wanted to help people with their mental health problems. Life at times can be very difficult  for some groups more than others. And I felt we needed to heal to become a happier, more positive and functional people.

Al Jazeera: Has anything changed since we spoke to you for our 2012 documentary Australias Lost Generation?

Dudgeon: Apparently, the national suicide averages have stabilised or even gone down. But for indigenous suicides, theres been no change; its stayed the same and theres still a lot of suicides happening.

However, I think theres more awareness. There is a greater voice demanding more programmes, but that isnt being provided as well as it could be. And also, its going to take a while. Its taken us a long time to get to this point.

Canadian professor Michael Chandler used to say that high youth-suicide rates are, in a sense, the miners canary; it tells you that things arent good. Its the sharp end of a very bad situation telling us that things arent good in a society. We need to work to turn it around. But for some communities, that might take a long time.

Pat Dudgeon is determined to help Australias Aboriginal youth [Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]

Al Jazeera: Are indigenous children at a greater risk of suffering from mental health issues than their non-indigenous peers?

Dudgeon: Indigenous Australians are twice more likely to commit suicide than other Australians. When you break it down by age groups, certainly our youth are more vulnerable to suicide.

We live in a society that is often very racist and doesnt give them much opportunity. But theres a whole range of different reasons why our youth are suffering from mental health issues and are taking their lives, among them an intergenerational trauma.

Youth suicide is not just an issue for Australian indigenous people but other indigenous people from Canada, the United States and New Zealand, as well. And the one thing that we have in common is the story of colonisation.

Al Jazeera: Do you believe that the high suicide rates are a result of this colonisation process?

Dudgeon: The difference between us and other Australian people is that weve gone through a process of colonisation. It was quite a brutal and horrible process that has disempowered indigenous people.

Often, there were genocides committed. People were forcibly removed from their countries, from their lands and put into reserves and missions.

Children were forcibly separated from families and put into institutions where they were trained to be menial workers, and so on. Aboriginal culture was looked down upon and discouraged. So, as well as colonising the lands, Aboriginal culture and people themselves were, in a sense, colonised psychologically.

That had a lasting impact. Certainly, if youve been removed from your family and culture, theres a whole lot of trauma that goes with that. Sometimes, that trauma is carried down from one generation to the next, so thats something we do need to heal from.

Its only recently that Australia has accepted responsibility and we had the national apology given by the then-prime minister, Kevin Rudd. For us, that was a big healing moment, a very big healing moment.

But certainly I think that the stolen generations, as we call it when people were removed from their family, is a big issue that we need to grapple with and a lot more healing needs to happen.

Al Jazeera: What needs to be done to help people heal?

Dudgeon: We have a national healing foundation that supports and encourages people from all across the country to undertake healing programmes, enabling them to heal and to reinstate a strong, healthy culture.

We know from our own research that for a programme to be effective, the local Aboriginal community must be involved.

And there needs to be a range of different programmes: from clinical services, to back to country, to cultural programmes. And we need a whole range of different services.

We need to support our youth, listen to them, hear what their issues are. We need to make our cultures strong to ensure that the youth has opportunities  that they have people to speak to and show them a way to engage in our culture, as well.

I think we could see change in our generation if we put in place good systems that supported the Aboriginal community, gave them a whole range of different services  including encouraging and supporting local communities to be involved in any programmes. And to develop local healing and cultural programmes.

So its not insurmountable. But I think it requires the government to change the way it views Aboriginal communities and their right to self-governing.

Al Jazeera: Why is the local approach so important?

Dudgeon: For a lot of Aboriginal people, or any person really, one of the things Ive seen as a mental health professional is the emergence of the consumer movement. People who are consumers of mental health services now have a voice.

To improve a service, those who will be using it need to be actively involved in deciding what it should be and how it should be delivered. So, if you empower people, the change will be much more effective than if theyre just receiving through some professional high up, an outsider who doesnt really understand the issue.

This applies to either indigenous or non-indigenous people, but particularly for indigenous people because of their history of colonisation.

Al Jazeera: Whats being done to help communities and individuals tackle mental health issues?

Dudgeon: There are a lot of programmes, including Gatekeeper Training that helps people identify the signs or symptoms of possible suicide and suggest strategies on how to deal with that.

Usually, people from within the community are also asked to go and see someone if there are concerns.

I think in todays society, both indigenous and non-indigenous, were much more comfortable talking about suicide, addressing it and helping each other.

It was a very taboo subject some years ago. But now its OK to say that youve got problems. Its OK to talk about it and to go and seek help. I think its good that were moving in that direction.

Suicide isnt just indigenous, its mainstream, as well. So, if we are all conscious about our mental health, acknowledge that different groups need different solutions and different approaches, and do our bit to ensure that everyone is healthy, thats an important first step.

Al Jazeera: Could you tell us more about different suicide prevention programmes that are needed?

Dudgeon: There needs to be a whole range of different projects. When we started the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander suicide evaluation project, we looked at the different types of services needed.

When people are very unhealthy they might need clinics that can provide urgent care, they might also need medication. So, you need programmes that can provide immediate relief.

You also need programmes that can help them build resilience and strengthen their culture.

The main message that came through at the round tables that we undertook across Australia was that people were saying, We need to build up our resilience. And the big thing that everyone was concerned about was self-determination. That Aboriginal people, or indigenous people themselves need to be in charge of any developments in the community.

According to some research done in Canada looking at First councils tribes, those with low suicide rates had a higher level of self-determination and cultural reclamation. So, those are important factors for indigenous suicide prevention. Feeling like you belong and youve got a future is important and empowering for any human being.

Al Jazeera: How do you empower communities and people?

Dudgeon: I was involved in a project called, The National Empowerment Project. It started in response to the suicides that were happening, so we developed a programme to help build a relationship with the communities we wanted to engage with us.

The communities chose people, we trained them as co-researchers, and then, they went and asked everyone in their community, what were the main issues and what were the solutions. And after, that we reported our findings to each of the communities.

We developed a programme from all those consultations called the Cultural, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Project. Its basically from an indigenous point of view, so its very much about indigenous wellbeing, culture and self-awareness.

The funding is provided by the government, and it enables people to deal with mental health issues and come up with psychological strategies, as well as strategies to navigate normal challenges of life. It also stresses the importance of elders and culture in a community. So, its all about self-awareness and cultural strength.

Al Jazeera: Is there any specific case that has stuck with you throughout the years?

Dudgeon: Yes. When we organised a big suicide prevention conference in Alice Springs, we decided to have it in Central Australia. There was a community that had suffered a high number of suicides.

They were giving a bursary for a couple of them to go to Alice Springs and attend the conference. But instead, they used that bursary to hire a bus for 12-15 people to go from Leonora all the way to Alice Springs, and they stopped in other communities along the way to exchange stories with them.

That stuck with me and it illustrates that the community is concerned about the high suicide rate, they will take action, and theyre determined to try and address things themselves.

Al Jazeera: Do you believe that this increased awareness can reduce the suicide numbers?

Dudgeon: I do get concerned that perhaps not enough funding is being put into Aboriginal communities and thats probably where the Centre for Best Practice in Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention comes in.

Im the director of the centre, and were setting up a clearinghouse with all the best practice programmes and services for indigenous suicide prevention. There will also be a lot of advice for communities. So, if they want to develop a programme and have it evaluated, theyll be able to come to our website for that.

We can provide good strategies and when communities do get funded, theyll be able to look at whats happening on our website and connect with other programmes that they might think will be useful for themselves  in their own time, in their own way.
The massacre of tribal peoples and colonial thinking lead to loss of identity, says Survival International researcher.

Near the top of the world, in Canadas sparsely populated northern Nunavut territory, the Inuit are known to have as many as 50 different words for snow.

Languages everywhere, from Nunavuts tree-less tundra to the southerly coral atolls of the South Pacific, are intertwined with the environments in which they are spoken.

But many are being lost at an alarming rate.

Approximately 600 languages have disappeared in the last century, with one dying every two weeks, according to UNESCO, the UNs education, science and culture agency.

If trends continue, up to 90 percent of the worlds languages could be lost before 2100, with indigenous varieties  those native to a country, or region  deemed most vulnerable.

The social, economic and environmental impacts of language loss among some of the worlds estimated 370 million indigenous people could be catastrophic.

On Thursday, to coincide with International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples, Al Jazeera spoke to Fiona Watson, a research director for campaign group Survival International about indigenous language loss and why our words matter.

Al Jazeera: Why are indigenous languages dying?

Fiona Watson: One way languages are being lost is quite simply through the massacre of tribal peoples, we are seeing the extinction of people and their languages in our time. Another reason is forced schooling and development, people like the Bushmen in Southern Africa, who in the last two centuries have had their land stolen from them and been forced in countries like Botswana into resettlement camps where the mainstream population, through racism and ignorance, say their way of life is backwards and primitive.

People are taken from their communities and put into schools  places like Canada, the United States and Australia have already undergone this  and thats where they are taught that everything about their identity, culture and language is wrong. Theres a colonial mentality, where a national language is forced on them.

Theres also homogeneity and globalisation, some indigenous peoples communities are being fragmented and broken up through land theft.

Loss of land means people often have no other alternative than to migrate to towns and cities in search of work and they have to speak the national language in order to be able to work.

Al Jazeera: How does this loss of language affect indigenous people?

Watson: The ultimate human right for anyone is self-determination, its the right to decide how you wish to live. Language is a vital part of that, its part of choice.

Language is also part of identity, so all that it means to be whatever your people is, when your language goes you lose your historical and geographical context.

Indigenous and tribal people have such amazing knowledge, theyre botanists, zoologists and healers, and their knowledge of the natural world is often massive. And language can be extremely valuable in terms of our future, the planet and science.

Approximately 28,000 Inuit live in Nunavut, Canadas northernmost territory [File: David Ljunggren/Reuters]

For example, the Inuit have so many words for snow, because they are such skilled observers and they have to be, because their life depends on it. They can grade very finely what type of snow it is, which has an impact on where they might hunt or where its dangerous or not dangerous to tread.

These fine descriptions could be very important for scientists looking into the melting of the ice caps and climate change, because its extremely detailed knowledge that anyone who hasnt lived in that environment wouldnt know.

Al Jazeera: What can be done to save languages?

Watson: One of the most important things is to school people in their maternal tongue. Where educational materials are in the native tongue, it instils not just identity but also a sense of pride that this is our language and now, we can read and write in it.

Language, like people, is not static. Its always changing. [But where] indigenous people still have their language, even if its continually adapting and changing, they are much more successful in surviving and living in their environment and passing on knowledge to a younger generation, which is going to keep the language alive.

What is [also] important is that non-indigenous people who are working with indigenous people, particularly health workers or teachers, learn some of the language so they can communicate with them.

Al Jazeera: Are new languages yet to be discovered?

Watson: Yes, because certainly there are tribes, mainly in the Amazon basin, who have their own languages and we dont know anything about them.

We might know they (the people) exist, but we dont know if their language belongs to a language trunk or whether it is an isolated one  such as Basque, which doesnt bear any relation to other languages in Europe.

The ultimate human right for anyone is self-determination, it's the right to decide how you wish to live. Language is a vital part of that, its part of choice.

Elsewhere, in Papua, the western part of New Guinea, there are some very remote if not uncontacted tribes and I should think there is massive linguistic diversity there which we dont know anything about.

And then there are the Sentinelese, the indigenous people of North Sentinel Island in the Andaman Islands, who are uncontacted. They dont want contact, they have made that very clear, and we still have no idea what language they speak.

Al Jazeera: Why should non-indigenous language speakers care?

Watson: Language is part of diversity. We value biodiversity in an ecological sense, its considered important to the planet, and I would hope that people value human diversity, too. We are living in an increasingly globalised and homogenised world, but actually, diversity is hugely important because it informs the way we think.

If you lose a language youre losing part of a window onto a people. It may not practically affect us if a language is lost on the other side of the world, but in terms of our human diversity, it does affect us in a remote way. If we dont have the ability to appreciate difference, then what sort of a humanity is that?

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The famed photographers arrest signals an escalation in institutional brutality and a day of reckoning for the elite.

The recent arrest of award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam raised important questions about human rights, freedom of expression and the role urban elite should play in social justice movements in Bangladesh.

Alam was arrested on Sunday for making provocative comments in an Al Jazeera interview about student protests that have convulsed the country for more than a week. The 63-year-old photographers Dhaka home was stormed by at least 20 plain-clothes police officers around 10pm, hours after the interview was first broadcast. A day later, he was charged under Section 57 of Bangladeshs Information Communications Technology Act, a broad law against electronic communication that tends to deprave or corrupt the image of the state.

Alam was not the first person arrested under Section 57  such arrests and enforced disappearances are now commonplace in Bangladesh. Authorities had already detained scores of journalists, activists and ordinary citizens under this draconian law.

All these arrests followed a very similar pattern: Plain-clothes officers storm into a house and take the target person without any warrant or explanation. They confiscate all CCTV or camera footage documenting the events before departing in haste. Later government agencies deny any awareness of the ordeal, keeping families clueless about the fate of their loved ones for a very long time.





Alam was indeed luckier than many that came before him. Due to his success as a photographer, he was well known to the media and news of his arrest spread like wildfire. Dozens of people immediately rushed to the Detective Branch Office, where he was believed to be held, to show their support and demand to know his whereabouts. After a tense 12-hour wait, the Detective Branch was forced to admit Alam had indeed been arrested by them. The official announcement was a big relief for his family, as they feared they may not hear anything about the photographers fate for a very long time.

Later on Monday, Alam was taken to court to face a judge for the first time. On his way to court, he seemed shaken and was visibly limping. He told reporters outside the magistrates court that he had been beaten so badly in police custody that his blood-stained tunic needed to be washed and given back to him before his court appearance.

But why did Alams interview attract the wrath of the Bangladeshi government?

The larger reasons behind the protests in Bangladesh

Given the environment of fear enforced on the Bangladeshi population by the government, Alam was unusually candid in his interview with Al Jazeera. He spoke of things that many in Bangladesh accept as true but never dare to mention in an interview  let alone in an interview with an international news network  due to fear of violent retribution.

Widespread demonstrations began in Bangladesh after a speeding bus killed two teenagers on July 29, with student protesters pressing the government to make the countrys chaotic and lethal roads safer. The government wanted the world to believe that the protests were only about road safety, but Alam told Al Jazeera the demonstrators were driven by larger factors than road safety alone.

{articleGUID}

He highlighted the looting of the banks and the gaggling of the media and widespread extrajudicial killings, disappearings, bribery and corruption as the real reasons behind the publics growing anger. He said civil discontent in the country was building up for a very long time and the killing of the two teenagers was only a valve that allowed these feelings of dissatisfaction and anger to go through.

He explained Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina lost all credibility in the eyes of the Bangladeshi public when she failed to reform the rigged quota system earlier this year after promising to do so amid widespread protests. [This week] the prime minister once again promised that she will see to the demands of [the protestors], Alam told Al Jazeera.

He also connected the governments brutal response to the current protests to the general election that is expected to take place later this year.

They know if there is a free and fair election, they would lose, Alam said. This was why, Alam asserted, the government is brutally attacking protestors  they are desperately trying to subdue the populace and cling to power.

Three problems with the interview

In the eyes of the Bangladeshi government, there were three major problems with the short interview broadcast on Al Jazeera:

The first was the identity of the interviewee. Shahidul Alam, as an internationally renowned photographer, is not a nameless student or an activist that can easily be discredited, but a very influential member of the Bangladeshi intelligentsia and urban cultural elite. In the past, this influential group mostly remained silent when the government carried similar attacks on opposition forces. The government knows that if the cultural elites in the country start speaking against them on the international arena, the legitimacy of their rule will be questioned.

Second, Alams interview challenged the governments narrative about the protest movement. Last week, government agencies released recordings of opposition leaders telephone conversations about their participation in the protests. These recordings were used to imply the protests were nothing but a ploy by the opposition to topple the government. Alams interview exposed this narrative as a lie.

Third, Alams interview linked the governments brutal response to the protests with the upcoming election and referred to the police violence as a ploy to terrorise and brutalise the nation into subjugation. The Bangladeshi government is acting out a carefully planned propaganda plan to legitimise the upcoming election, which every stakeholder of Bangladesh knows will be rigged in favour of the incumbents. Alams poignant interview which came at the peak of a civil disobedience movement that attracted international attention drove right into the falsehoods devised by a very unpopular and corrupt regime.

Considering these three aspects of the interview, the Bangladeshi government had no choice but to immediately arrest Alam and send a message to others like him who may consider taking a stand against the government.

A message to others

The elites in Bangladesh long ago opted to remain silent in the face of increasing government brutality towards opposition activists and ordinary citizens. They chose to stay out of politics and even cajoled the ruling party to guarantee their own protection and prosperity.

The governments brutal response to the last weeks student protests and treatment of Alam, however, violated two major boundaries of the Bangladeshi middle class and urban establishment:

First, the government is allowed to kill, injure, abduct and arbitrarily arrest opposition activists, but not neutral urban intellectuals. Moreover, these acts can only take place outside the capital and away from cameras and reporters.

Second, middle and upper-middle-class kids and private university students are out of bounds and cannot be touched by government forces, even if they participate in protest movements.

By allowing security forces to attack students from all backgrounds and arresting Alam, the Bangladeshi government signalled to the elites that it was now ready to break their tacit contract.

Today everyone appears to be fair game for the Bangladeshi government, and Alams arrest is a clear warning to the urban elite and the mostly secular cultural establishment: Either stay silent or face the consequences.

Shahidul Alam is a shining beacon among the urban elites, many of whom are either as corrupt as the regime or as mentally bankrupt as the government sycophants who are prepared to classify any protest movement as an opposition ploy to topple the government.

But after last weeks events, the urban elite in Bangladesh is facing a turning point. They will either follow Alams lead and finally take a stand against their government, or cower under pressure once again and ignore the suffering of their compatriots.

Their decision will help shape the future of their country.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Flying into Grozny, the Chechen capital dominated by brand-new skyscrapers and a massive four-towered mosque, its hard for me not to reflect on the other times Id travelled here.

In the past, I always arrived in Grozny by road. Sometimes I would come by car if I could find a driver willing to risk navigating multiple military checkpoints with a human rights investigator in the passenger seat. On other occasions, I would arrive by public minibus, wearing a headscarf and local dress, hoping the soldiers would not bother to check my documents.

I had never stayed in an air-conditioned room in Grozny either. Rather, I would stay with people who were kind and courageous enough to host me, in half-destroyed houses with no running water, on streets lit up by jets of fire from leaking gas pipes.

For years, during the so-called Second Chechen War of the early 2000s, I came here to document and expose unimaginable human rights violations. These violations were committed first by Russian troops fighting the Chechen rebellion. Later, they were carried out by the even more feared Kadyrovtsy  security forces under control of Ramzan Kadyrov, who still runs Chechnya, now as president.

It began with carpet bombings that wiped out entire villages. Thousands of civilians died in their homes and in the streets. Then there were the brutal sweep operations, in which hundreds of men and boys would be picked up at night, never to be seen again.

Women I interviewed spent days on end going from one mass grave to another, searching for husbands, brothers and sons. The men who were lucky enough to survive told of months and years spent in one of Kadyrovs secret prisons, tortured to the point that their wounds would never heal and forever haunted by the images of other prisoners executed in front of them daily. Hundreds of thousands fled and were constantly pushed back to return to their destroyed homeland because officially the war was over. Back then, the fear in Chechnya was palpable.

In those days, my first stop in Grozny would be the office of Memorial Human Rights Centre  a local branch of Russias most prominent human rights organisation. We would discuss recent abuses they had documented, strategise, visit witnesses together and, of course, drink a lot of tea in their tiny kitchen, which felt like the safest and most welcoming place amid the chaos.

It was difficult to comprehend that people could not only live in this hell, but also work, every day, keeping meticulous records of violations, trying to help the victims, confronting the authorities, and fighting seemingly unwinnable battles in the courts. I came often but I always left, while they stayed to face slander, attacks and death threats.

One of the most dreaded places in Chechnya at the time was Gudermes, Ramzan Kadyrovs headquarters, where his forces had completely free rein. People would try to make themselves invisible as the Kadyrovstys silver cars, with tinted windows and no licence plates, swished through the streets.

It was in Gudermes, in 2003, when I first met Oyub Titiev. Or, rather  Oyub. I didnt know his last name and didnt ask  the risks he faced working as Memorials representative there were enormous. He was careful and quiet, but relentless. His work documenting human rights abuses and helping their victims was courageous and immensely valuable and, of course, not unknown to the authorities. Over the years, the threats and warnings he and his colleagues have faced, at times coming from the very top of the Chechen administration, have become more and more explicit.

The abduction and murder in 2009 of Natalya Estemirova, a leading investigator in Memorials Grozny office, was clearly intended not only to silence her but also to send a message to others, like Oyub.

But rather than giving up, Oyub stepped up, becoming the head of Memorial in Chechnya. He refused to stop in the face of mounting risks and continued to lead the organisations work against all odds.

In January 2018, Oyubs car was stopped as he was leaving his hometown of Kurchaloy and he was arrested. Police claimed they found a bag of marijuana in his car. The accusation was unthinkable for anyone who knows Oyub. But the authorities here have never shied away from such tactics to silence their critics.

This week I found myself in a room with Oyub again. This time, rather than drinking sweet tea in Memorials kitchen, we are facing each other across a courtroom in Shali, Chechnyas third largest city. As the absurd, Kafkaesque trial unfolds, Oyub sits in a metal cage.

When we briefly have the opportunity to speak, Oyub greets me as an old friend. He asks me to pass on his thanks to the supporters who have sent him letters and messages to keep his spirits up. This support is much needed. But it will all be fine, he assures me. Same old Oyub: strong as ever, focused and fearless.

Witnesses for the prosecution, including the criminal investigator who brought the case against Oyub, fail to answer key questions. When quizzed by the defence they repeat their mantras like a broken record: it was long ago, I dont remember, I am not sure. As the unanswered questions mount, the patches of sweat spread ever further across the criminal investigators shirt. He clearly doesnt know what to say. He gets angry. The prosecutors get even angrier, interrupting the defence and whispering answers to the witness.

Watching this trial, I am reminded again that glittering skyscrapers and blooming parks in Chechnya do not hide the fundamental truth: the crimes of the past will continue to haunt this region until they are accounted for and the abuses of the present are brought to an end. Oyub Titiev is one of the few people who has worked tirelessly to ensure that the change in Chechnya is meaningful and that behind the shiny facades people can live without fear. As long as he remains behind bars, the impressive makeover does not fool anyone.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
More than 4,000 migrants are arriving in Ecuador each day in an attempt to flee the ongoing crises in Venezuela.

Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in three northern states after a large influx of migrants from crisis-ridden Venezuela entered the country via Colombia.

The move is intended to help establish the infrastructure to support the new arrivals, who do not have humanitarian refugee status in Ecuador, as they do in some other Latin American countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility said in a statement on Wednesday that in recent days, the number of Venezuelans arriving daily had risen to 4,200 and a contingency plan is needed to assist them.

Santiago Chavez, the vice minister of human mobility, said the plan would give an effective and forceful response in benefit of the preservation of those entering Ecuadorian territory.

As part of the contingency plan, extra immigration officials will be hired and more doctors, social workers and psychologists will be sent to the Carchi, Pinchincha and El Oro provinces along Ecuadors border with Colombia, to assist sick and vulnerable migrants.

International aid organisations will also assist in the efforts by providing tents, water and food.

This is the first time a state of emergency has been declared in these provinces. It will stay in place until at least the end of August.

Special measures

{articleGUID}

A number of Latin American countries are introducing special measures to cope with migration from Venezuela, which is led by President Nicolas Maduro and is suffering from ongoing political, social and economic crises.

In August, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, granted 440,000 Venezuelan refugees temporary residency permits, which allow them to study, work and get medical care in Colombia.

Brazil declared a state of emergency in May and briefly closed its northern border with Venezuela on Tuesday.

Argentina has taken in some 31,167 Venezuelans under a law that allows foreign nationals to remain in the country when there are exceptional reasons of a humanitarian nature.

Uncertainty in the country

Meanwhile, Venezuelas pro-Maduro Constituent Assembly revoked the immunity of opposition lawmakers Julio Borges and Juan Requesens for allegedly masterminding what the president called an assassination attempt against him.

Requesens was seized by intelligence officers overnight, while Venezuelas Supreme Court ordered Borges arrest.

Maduro said in a broadcast that Borges was living in neighbouring Colombia.

A drone loaded with explosives on Saturday detonated near a military event where Maduro was giving a speech. The president escaped unharmed but seven people were wounded.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said moves were being made to put Requesens on trial, while Maduro is pressing Colombia and the US to extradite opposition figures, including Borges.

Borges, who on Tuesday attended the swearing-in of Colombias new president, Ivan Duque, called Maduros accusation against him a farce.

Translation: Nicolas Maduro you have accused me of the economic war, of the cash crisis, of the hyperinflation, of the generalised scarcity.. And now of the farce of the attack? You do not cheat anyone. You are the only one to blame for the tragedy of the country, Borges wrote in Twitter.

.@NicolasMaduro me has acusado de la guerra economica, de la crisis del efectivo, de la hiperinflacion, de la escasez generalizada, de trata de blancas Y ahora de la farsa del atentado? No enganas a nadie. El unico culpable de la tragedia del pais eres tu.  Julio Borges (@JulioBorges) August 8, 2018

These events came as Venezuelas economy continues to struggle, the International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million percent this year.

The currency has fallen 99.99 percent against the US dollar on the black market since Maduro came to power in April 2013.

Many Venezuelans are choosing to leave their country as the recession is now entering its fifth year.

Maduro blames the crisis on an economic war led by opposition leaders with the help of Washington, which last year levied several rounds of sanctions against his administration.
Senate votes against controversial bill, which would have allowed elective abortion for pregnancies up to 14 weeks.

Argentinas Senate rejected a divisive bill that would have legalised elective abortion for pregnancies of up to 14 weeks.

Thirty-eight senators voted against the controversial legislation on Thursday following a debate that lasted more than 15 hours.

There were 31 votes in favour  falling short of the 35-vote majority needed for bills to pass  and two abstentions.

The bill had originally been passed by Congress lower house by a narrow margin in June.

The proposed bill provoked fierce debate in the majority Catholic country, where demonstrations for and against the legislation have taken place frequently in recent weeks.

Con 31 votos afirmativos, 38 votos en contra y 2 abstenciones se rechaza el proyecto de interrupcion voluntaria del embarazo pic.twitter.com/LmUDZYwMGI  Senado Argentina (@SenadoArgentina) August 9, 2018

TRANSLATION: With 31 votes in favour, 38 votes against and two abstentions the voluntary termination of pregnancy bill is rejected.

This is not over

Thousands gathered outside Argentinas National Congress in the capital, Buenos Aires, to watch the vote on large screens.

Anti-abortion campaigners and clergy waved Argentine flags outside Congress as the result was announced at 3am local time (0600GMT).

{articleGUID}

Many who support abortion rights also gathered to hear the result, wearing green scarves and headbands, which have become symbols of the pro-abortion cause.

Im still optimistic. It didnt pass today but it will pass tomorrow, it will pass the next day. This is not over, Natalia Carol, a supporter of the bill, told Reuters news agency.

Some pro-abortion campaigners have reacted angrily to the result, starting fires and throwing stones at police who responded with teargas and water cannon.

Several arrests have reportedly been made.

Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman, reporting from Buenos Aires, said despite strong feelings on both sides, the response to the results has been largely peaceful.

It was a very bitter debate, both out on the street and in the Senate itself. There were some clashes outside Congress but by and large it went peacefully.

Some reacted angrily to the result, starting fires and clashing with police [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Controversial issue

Abortion is legal in Argentina only in cases of rape or when the pregnancy poses a risk to a womans health.

According to Argentinas health ministry, there are at least 350,000 illegal abortions in Argentina every year, but international human rights groups claim the number is likely to be much higher.

Activists estimate about 3,000 women in Argentina have died following illegal abortions since 1983, when the countrys dictatorship ended.

Ahead of the vote, Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said Argentina had a historic opportunity to protect the rights of women.

Amnesty International told Argentine legislators the world is watching.

On Wednesday a Mass for Life rally was held at the capitals Metropolitan Cathedral, which was Pope Francis church during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires.

{articleGUID}

Its not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason, Cardinal Mario Poli, the current archbishop, told the congregation.

Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the state.

Prior to the vote, Argentine President Mauricio Macri said he would sign the bill if it passed, despite personally disagreeing with abortion.

On Wednesday, he said regardless of the result, the vote and the surrounding debate was a victory for democracy in Argentina.

The importance of this vote goes far beyond the specific issue its intended to resolve. It shows a peaceful way of promoting and making change as a society, he said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Lawmakers can propose a new bill in a years time, but it could be longer before the issue comes to a vote again.
Hasnat Karim is released after two years behind bars over the 2016 restaurant attack in Bangladeshs capital, Dhaka.

A British-Bangladeshi citizen has been released from prison in Bangladesh after being held for two years over suspicion of involvement in a major restaurant attack in the capital, Dhaka.

The Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal on Wednesday cleared Hasnat Karim of terrorism charges after accepting a police chargesheet that named eight suspects involved in the deadly 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan restaurant.

During our two-year long investigation, we did not find any involvement [of Karim] in this attack directly or indirectly, so he was acquitted from this case, said Monirul Islam, the head of Bangladeshi polices counterterrorism and transnational crime unit.

Karim, a businessman and former university professor, was released on Thursday.

He was in the upmarket restaurant on July 1, 2016, to celebrate his daughters birthday when a group of gunmen linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group attacked the venue, killing more than 20 foreigners.

The attackers spared many Bangladeshi guests and restaurant employees, releasing them the following morning.

Karim and his family were among those released.

Amnesty International voiced serious criticism over Karims two-year detention [File: AP]

The police later put Karim and student Tahmid Khan on the suspect list and held both men in secret detention for a month without court authorisation.

When they were formally arrested, the police said they were found on the streets of Dhaka.

Khan was released a few weeks later, but Karim remained in jail for another two years, accused of having links to the banned organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir without any evidence.

Inhumane and illegal



Amnesty International, a global rights organisation, voiced criticism over his detention.

Hasnat Karim and his family were victims of a terror attack. They should have never have been forced through two years of further trauma with Karim suffering unfairly behind bars, said Kate Allen, the UK director of Amnesty International.

Karims detention was inhumane and illegal. The end of his suffering is a cause for celebration, but we must not forget that sadly, he is not alone in being a target of the Bangladeshi authorities arbitrary force of law.

Speaking to Al Jazeera as Karim was released, his wife Sharmina Parveen said: I dont want to say much. Obviously, I am so relieved.

Sabera Karim, his older sister, who is based in the United States, said: Our father died whilst Hasnat was in jail. My brothers detention broke his heart and, and I wish he could have been here to see that he came home.

I am overwhelmingly happy right now but it feels incomplete as my father is not here.
The origin of the up to 5,000-year-old collection was identified after a unique archaeological detective work.

The British Museum is returning to Iraq a collection of looted antiquities up to 5,000 years old, after identifying the exact temple they came from in a unique piece of archaeological detective work.

The eight objects will be handed to the Iraqi embassy on Friday during a private ceremony at the London-based museum from where they will return to Iraq.

The main items of the collection are three clay cones.

It also includes a polished, yellowish river pebble, a fragmentary white gypsum mace-head, a white marble amulet pendant in the form of a reclining bull or buffalo and a red marble square stamp seal or amulet depicting two similar animals facing in opposite directions.

Trail of crime

The items were confiscated by British police in May 2003, a few months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, from a now-defunct dealer in London who failed to provide any paperwork for them.

Normally the detailed provenance of such items would be hard to establish, but three of them, fired clay cones, carried Sumerian inscriptions that gave a clue to their origins.

In a remarkable coincidence, they were identical to cones found on a site in the ancient city of Girsu, now known as Tello, in southern Iraq, where the British Museum has been training Iraqi archaeologists since 2016.

The broken objects the robbers left next to the looting holes were broken cones with exactly the same inscription that we have on the cones that were seized, said the teams lead archaeologist, Sebastien Rey.

Identical cones were also found in the walls of a site at the Eninnu temple  pinpointing the looted items source with a level of accuracy that Rey said was completely unique.

We could have an idea that maybe these objects came from southern Iraq, but to be able to narrow it down to the particular site, and even to the particular holes  this is extremely rare, he told AFP news agency.

The main items of the collection are three clay cones [The British Museum/AFP]

The marbles in the collection both date back to 3000 BC, whereas the cones are believed to be from about 2200 BC.

The identical cuneiform inscriptions on the cones reference the god the temple was built for and the king who built it.

Similar cones have been found in many other sites, but Rey said that until the Tello excavation began in 2016, no one really knew what they were for.

Finding them in their original positions inside temple walls led experts to conclude they were votive objects, dedicated to the gods by Mesopotamian kings.

Exceptional efforts

Iraqs ambassador to the United Kingdom, Salih Husain Ali, praised the museums staff for their exceptional efforts in identifying the antiquities.

Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage, he said in a statement issued by the museum.

The protection of antiquities is an international responsibility and in Iraq, we aspire to the global cooperation to protect the heritage of Iraq and to restore its looted objects.
Indigenous Filipino encourages empowerment through education

Thursday is International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People, a day that raises awareness of issues indigenous communities face, including poverty and discrimination.
Israel hits Gaza with air raids, shelling after Hamas fires about 150 rockets from the besieged enclave.

At least three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 18-month-old child, were killed by Israeli air attacks and artillery shelling on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli launched more than 140 attacks after about 150 rockets were fired from the coastal enclave, injuring at least six people in Israel.

Israels military on Thursday warned Hamas against a further escalation in violence, and Israeli media said officials were considering evacuating residents from areas near the Gaza border.

The way things continue to play out is significant. Hamas will understand in the coming hours, as in the past months, that this is not the direction it wants to choose, a senior military official was quoted as saying on the militarys Twitter account.

Military officials were quoted as saying by local media that Israel is close to a military operation in Gaza in which Hamas will be hit hard.

Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus inner cabinet, told Israel Radio: We are not eager for war and are not interested in a broader confrontation, but at the same time it could certainly happen because we will not make any concessions to Hamas.

Israels security cabinet will convene at 13:00 GMT to discuss the Gaza escalation.





Explosive exchange

Abdullatif al-Kanoo, a spokesman for Hamas, said in a Twitter post on Thursday: In regards to the continuing [Israeli] aggression  the Palestinian resistance is in self-defence and has a duty to respond to the aggression against our people.

The escalation of the barbaric shelling of Gaza and the deliberate targeting of civilians is premeditated and the occupation will suffer the repercussions and pay a higher price for its crimes.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing health sources, reported at least 12 Palestinians were wounded in the overnight barrage. A member of Hamas armed wing was also killed.

The heavy exchange of fire comes as attempts to secure a ceasefire were reportedly making progress.

Israeli forces said in a statement about 150 rockets were fired from Gaza and at least 25 had been intercepted.

A statement by Hamas military force said it was responsible for the rockets. It said the Palestinian resistance had fired a large number of projectiles at enemy positions in the Gaza envelope.

Sirens sounded in Israeli areas near Gaza, warning residents to seek immediate shelter, the Israeli army said.

Attacks continue

Wednesdays exchange came just a day after two members of the Gaza Strips ruling Hamas movement were killed by Israeli fire.

Hamas armed wing on Tuesday identified the dead Palestinians as Ahmed Murjan and Abdel-Hafez al-Silawi, both 23 years old, and confirmed they were members of the group.

The Israeli military, apparently referring to the same incident, said it returned fire after soldiers were fired upon from a Hamas post in the northern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel.

Palestinian sources said it was a drone attack, while the Israeli statement said it was tank fire.

Hamas had warned Israel it would pay for Tuesdays attack.

More than 160 killed

The attacks come as the UN and Egypt try to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a lasting truce.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UNs special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said on Wednesday he was deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, and particularly by todays mutiple rockets fired towards communities in southern Israel.

Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from Gaza, said the situation was moving so quickly.

There is a lot of alarm among Gazans in the centre of the city, he said while the attacks were ongoing.

As for the talks for a ceasefire  an Al Jazeera source in Cairo said Egypt is trying to mediate so that this situation doesnt escalate any more than it has already.

More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the Great March of Return protests were launched at the end of March. One Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. At least 16,000 Palestinians have been wounded, according to health officials in Gaza.

The protests call for Palestinians to be able to return to the land they or their families fled or were expelled from in the 1948 war that established the state of Israel.

Israeli forces have launched three military assaults on the Gaza Strip since 2008.
Ivory Coast amnesty: Wife of former leader leaves jail

Why the Ivory Coasts former first lady is out of jail after serving just 3 of a 20-year sentence.
Third and fourth-place finishers in first round of Malis election refuse to endorse either of second-round candidates.

The third and fourth-place finishers in the first round of Malis presidential election have declined to endorse neither frontrunner in Sundays runoff vote, dealing a blow to opposition leader Soumaila Cisses hopes of defeating President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Keita, who is seeking a second term, came in first in the July 29 poll with over 41 percent of the vote.

Cisse finished second with nearly 18 percent.

{articleGUID}

The opposition leader has alleged there was widespread fraud in the first round and has been trying to unite the other two dozen candidates behind him for Sundays vote.

He also urged the 22 candidates eliminated in the first round to create a broad democratic front against fraud and for political change.

But businessman Aliou Boubacar Diallo and former Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, who came in third and fourth place respectively, said on Thursday they would not rally behind anyone.

Neither IBK (Keita) nor Soumi (Cisse) corresponds with our political ideal. I will not support one or the other. Each person who voted for me is free to vote for whom they wish, Diarra, who won seven percent in the first round, told supporters in the capital, Bamako.

Diallo told his followers that it was to Malians that I leave the responsibility of expressing themselves as they wish in the second round.

Malis Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to the first round of voting in the presidential election, confirming August 12 as the date for the runoff.





Armed attacks and other security incidents disrupted voting at about a fifth of polling places in the election and prevented around three percent from opening at all.

That has fueled doubts about the elections credibility and worries that it did not fully reflect the will of Malians.

In the past three years, attacks have tripled and violent deaths have doubled, according to civil society website Malilink.

The United Nations said last month nearly 300 Malian civilians had been killed this year in inter-communal violence, which has been stoked by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

The international community is hoping the outcome of the poll will strengthen a 2015 peace accord, whose meaningful implementation has been challenging.
Government quietly recognises estimate, but says official death toll of 64 wont updated until new study is released.

Puerto Rican officials have quietly acknowledged that last years devastating Hurricane Maria killed more than 1,400 people, far more than the official death toll of 64 that was previously reported.

The figure was included in a draft report to Congress that outlined the governments reconstruction plan for the US territory.

In the report, Puerto Ricos government said there were 1,427 more deaths from September to December 2017 than the average for the same time period over the previous four years. The figure was also included in a report, dated July 9, which was recently published online, according to The New York Times, which was first to report that officials had acknowledged the new estimate.

Pedro Cerame, a spokesman for the Puerto Rican government, told the newspaper that the territorys officials definitely acknowledge this is a realistic estimate.

The report to Congress said the additional deaths resulted from the effects of a storm that led to cascading failures in infrastructure across the island of 3.3 million people.

{articleGUID}

In the days and weeks after the storm, which hit on September 20, the territory experienced an island-wide electricity outage, as well as blocked roads due to downed power lines and other debris, which made it difficult to move around and stretched emergency services beyond their capabilities.

The hurricanes devastating effects on peoples health and safety cannot be overstated, the government said.

The hurricane knocked out power to much of the island, including homes were hundreds of elderly lived [Carlos Barria/Reuters]

A second hurricane hit two weeks later, further complicating efforts to help those most affected.

While the official death toll stood at 64, some officials have publicly said that far more people died due to the indirect effects of the powerful storm. A study published by US-based The New England Journal of Medicine in May suggested that more than 4,600 people were directly or indirectly killed by Hurricane Maria.

Updated statistics, including the 1,427 count, were released in June, but the number had not been publicly acknowledged by officials. According to the New York Times, the government said it would wait to update its official tally until after it received a report it commissioned from George Washington University, which is due in the coming weeks.

$139bn recovery plan

The 1,427 figure came in a draft report to Congress that detailed the governments reconstruction plan, which is estimated to cost $139bn, 47 percent more than the bankrupt US commonwealth requested in November.

{articleGUID}

The economic and disaster recovery plan allocates the money to housing, water and energy systems, education, transportation, public buildings, communications, planning, municipalities, as well as to the economy and environment, according to Governor Ricardo Rossellos office.

Puerto Rico has a unique opportunity to innovate and rebuild in order to become that Puerto Rico we all want, Rossello said in a statement.

He added that the initiatives were aimed at making us stronger and resilient, while guaranteeing a long-term economic recovery.

Last November, Rossello requested $94.4bn from Congress to rebuild the islands infrastructure, housing, schools and hospitals devastated by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

That so-called Build Back Better plan contained a preliminary assessment of damages and an initial estimate of money the island needs to rebuild, according to the statement.

The final plan, which was submitted on the deadline day set in the 2018 US budget act, expanded the scope of the November request and was developed with input from federal agencies, the governors office said. It was also posted on the internet and subjected to public hearings prior to its submission.

Puerto Ricans have accused the federal government, including US President Donald Trump of failing to come to their aid in the days, weeks and months after Maria.
After 17 years in power, President Joseph Kabila is stepping aside  but what sort of a country is he leaving behind?

Kinshasa, DRC  After years of uncertainty, Joseph Kabila, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who has been in power for 17 years  has finally made it clear that he will not seek re-election in the countrys upcoming presidential elections.

His ruling coalition on Wednesday nominated former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as its presidential candidate for Decembers delayed poll.

The announcement ended a long period of speculation and anxiety characterised by protests and violent clashes between police and demonstrators angry at Kabilas decision to not quit power after his second term expired two years ago.

Some of his critics say Kabilas legacy is badly tainted while supporters say he unified a badly-divided country and did what he could under incredibly difficult circumstances.

Al Jazeera has spoken to two political figures in the DRC who offer different views about Kabilas legacy.

Fayulu says Kabila has not done anything positive for his country [Al Jazeera]

Martin Fayulu  presidential hopeful and leader of the Commitment for Citizenship and Development party (ECIDE)

Al Jazeera: What do you make of Kabilas decision not to seek re-election and the choice of Ramazani Shadary as his successor?

Fayulu: Kabila stepped down because of pressure. Im happy today that we have won the battle. Without that pressure, he would have changed the constitution. Without the international pressure, Kabila would have changed everything.

The nomination of Ramazani Shadary does not mean hes already president. He has to go to the election and win. I doubt that Mr Ramazani can win if the poll is serious and credible.

Where does he come from? A small province. He is not very well-known. I dont even know his strength in that area [Manyema]. His power really is just Kabila.

Al Jazeera: Do you think there will be a fair and credible election?

Fayulu: We will not accept the election to take place if we have the 10 million fake names in the register. We will not let the election happen if they use electronic voting machines. We will not let Congolese people go to an election that is open to rigging.

As we fought for Kabila to step down, well continue to fight to have fair and credible elections.

Al Jazeera: What is President Kabilas legacy?

Fayulu: Kabilas legacy is that DRC is in shambles. Today, we dont have any security. There is no peace. He has scattered the country.

Kabila legacy is poverty, Congolese have become poorer, there are no jobs. Unemployment is almost 99 percent.

People are dying today because of lack of clean water in a country where you have water everywhere. DRC has become a weak country.

Al Jazeera: Surely there must be one thing that hes done that you would consider positive?

Fayulu: I am honestly struggling to come up with anything. Im telling you the truth. I dont have a personal problem with Kabila. But I have everything against his system.

What has he done? Corruption is destroying the country, hes brought animosity among Congolese.

I have personally suffered because of my conviction and protests I have organised. I have been badly beaten and shot at by his security forces, the administration has shut down my boutique hotel.

Wait, I have just remembered one positive: he has learned French. Thats a good thing. I appreciate.

Bin Karubi says Kabila unified the DRC [Al Jazeera]

Kikaya Bin Karubi  Presidential diplomatic adviser

Al Jazeera: What legacy does President Kabila leave behind?

Bin Karubi: If there is one thing that the president did, to begin with, is to unify the country. When he took over in 2001, we did not have a Congo. We had a vast territory with six foreign armies and more than 20 armed groups roaming around the country killing, raping, stealing and doing all sorts of things.

When he took over, he decided to bring the warring factions together. He brought everybody, including the international community, to the table for an inclusive process that helped get back our country.

After that he embarked on a mission of rebuilding. He build roads, basic infrastructure, ports, airports, office buildings  you name it. He build a foundation for us to be able to have a good strong economy in central Africa.

Al Jazeera: What are some of the difficulties that might have made it hard for him to deliver on some of the promises made over the years?

Bin Karubi: People do not understand him and his vision. Had he been left alone, he would have done greater things.

His first government programme [was] to rebuild the Congolese economy and infrastructure. While doing that he was bad mouthed, sanctions were imposed, he was also dealing with internal conflicts some instigated by foreign countries.

Despite the challenges he still managed to build the basic infrastructure. He also wanted DRC to become an emergent country, but at the same time we were attacked time and again in the east.

Even today, we still have foreign armed groups and these are areas that are most rich in minerals. All the problems have impeded the president from fully actualising his vision, but he did what he could in building a foundation.

Al Jazeera: Are you concerned that the achievements you mention will be overshadowed by events of recent years? People accuse his government of being repressive, his security forces using brutal force to clamp down dissent and the president him causing a lot of anxiety and tension by not declaring his intention for a third term for two years.

Bin Karubi: People will remember what they want, but the truth is strong and it will always prevail. The president has never said he will stay on and become president for life.

The reason we did not have an election in 2016 is because of conflict. How do you prepare for an election when youre fighting a war.

The voter roll was corrupt to an extent that it was impossible to organise an election. The electoral commission is now prepared and the president has said DRC is ready for a free, fair and transparent election.
Moscow rejects allegations it used nerve agent against former Russian spy, saying sanctions no threat to its economy.

Russia condemned new US sanctions as draconian on Thursday after news of the measures sent the rouble tumbling to two-year lows and sparked a wider asset sell-off.

The US State Department said on Wednesday it would impose new sanctions by the end of August after determining that Moscow used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain. It was an allegation Russia has repeatedly denied.

Moscow has long cast the accusations as a Western plot to damage its reputation and provide a convenient pretext for more sanctions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters on a conference call, said the US move was absolutely unfriendly.

Making a linking to these events is for us unacceptable and such restrictions like those passed by the American side earlier  are absolutely illegal and do not correspond to international law, said Peskov.

Russias embassy in the United States said Washingtons findings against it in the Skripal case were not backed by evidence, also describing them as far-fetched.

We have grown accustomed to not hearing any facts or evidence, an embassy statement said.





Police state

A senior Russian legislator denounced the sanctions as lynch law.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said the US is behaving like a police state, threatening and torturing a suspect to get evidence.

Skripal, a former colonel in Russias military intelligence service, and his 33-year-old daughter 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 homes 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.

Western sanctions have already drastically reduced Western involvement in Russian energy and commodities projects, including large-scale financing and exploration of hard-to-recover and deep-water resources.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the government and central bank had the tools to maintain financial stability and would use them if necessary.

Russias economy had demonstrated it was stable in the face of past sanctions, as well as fluctuations in the oil price, he said in a statement.
Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists his country will always speak strongly on human rights.

By
President Kiir pardoned all those involved in the nations civil war as part of a recent peace deal.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir offered amnesty to all those involved in the nations bloody five-year civil war as part of a recent agreement to end the fighting.

Rebel leader Riek Machar was among those granted a pardon by Kiir.

Those who waged war against in the government were granted a general amnesty, Kiir stated late Wednesday.

The president also reiterated a call for his forces to observe a ceasefire agreed in June by both the government and Machars rebels.

The decision came days after the warring parties struck a power-sharing agreement to end the civil war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

The deal gives the parties eight months to form a transitional government. The agreement was one of many signed over the past few years that have failed.

Falling out





South Sudans war began after Kiir accused his then-vice president, Machar, of plotting a coup against him in 2013.

Sundays power-sharing agreement paves the way for Machar to return to South Sudan as one of five vice-presidents under Kiir. He was freed this year from house arrest in South Africa, where he had been held since fleeing South Sudan in 2016.

Lam Paul Gabriel, the rebel SPLM-IOs deputy military spokesman, said the amnesty will only be genuine once Kiir observes all the conditions agreed upon in the deal.

Machar can only come to Juba after the pre-interim period when the unified forces are deployed in Juba and other major towns in South Sudan, he said.

Majak Daniel, a Juba-based journalist, told Reuters news agency the amnesty will reassure the rebels about their safety.

It will now give Machar much confidence, including others [who are] estranged a genuine reason to return to the country without the fear, Daniel said.

Political prisoners

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch called on Thursday for the release of a number of government critics jailed by the intelligence services, including Peter Biar Ajak, a prominent economist who has criticised both sides in the war.

South Sudanese authorities should release everyone being held arbitrarily and change the way the national security agency operates, Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at the New York-based rights organisation said in a statement.

Biar, a country director for the London School of Economics International Growth Centre and a former World Bank economist, was arrested by officers of the agency in July.

A final peace accord must now be signed  under the auspices of a regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development  followed by the formation of a transitional government that will hold power for three years until elections can be organised.
US-Iran sanctions: Economic uncertainty hits hard

As US sanctions continue to bite, Iranians seek to protect their savings turn to buy gold and ironically, US dollars.
Red Cross says many children under 15 dead and wounded after air raid blamed on Saudi-UAE coalition hits bus in Saada.

The Saudi-UAE military alliance at war with Yemens Houthi rebels has been blamed for an air attack on a school bus that killed dozens of people, including at least 29 children.

The vehicle came under attack as it was driving near a crowded market in the Houthi-controlled province of Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.

The ICRC said on its Twitter account that its medical team at the ICRC-supported hospital in Saada had received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. The hospital also received 48 wounded people, among them 30 children.

In a separate Twitter post, Johannes Bruwer, the head of an ICRC delegation in Yemen, said that according to local officials a total of 50 people died and 77 were injured this morning.

Of these, the ICRC hospital in Al Talh received 30 dead and 48 injured, of which the vast majority were children.

According to multiple sources, the attack took place early on Thursday outside a busy market in Dahyan city.

Al Masirah, a pro-Houthi rebel TV network, said the bus, which was carrying a group of students attending summer classes learning the Holy Quran, was targeted.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports.

Body parts were scattered

The network posted several videos on Twitter showing the aftermath of the attack, including one with several dead children, and another of blood pouring from the heads of three child survivors.

The Saudi-UAE alliance later issued a statement to the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya network saying it launched the attacks on Saada, but that it had targeted missile launchers.

[The air strikes] conformed to international and humanitarian laws, a statement quoting coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said.

However, Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist based in the capital Sanaa, said there were no Houthi fighters in the vicinity of the market where the attack took place.





The place is known to be a market, [and] there is no military installation nearby  but the Saudis are known to have done this many times  target schools, weddings and so on.

He added that health centres in the war-ravaged province would struggle with the number of wounded, and the death toll was likely to rise.

Its difficult to treat such a big number of injured in Sanaa, let alone in Saada, which is very remote and primitive.

This makes the situation worse, with many of the wounded likely to die because there is no treatment, no medicine.

Arrabyee added, even first responders, were killed, with their body parts scattered.

Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said this latest attack was going to enrage Yemenis who are already aggrieved over the rising civilian death toll.

The Saudis tend to deny these kinds of actions, which have sadly become all too common, he said. Its all too rare for either party [the alliance or the Houthis] to take responsibility.

The United Nations agency for children UNICEF condemned the attack.

NO Excuses anymore! said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa. Does the world really need more innocent childrens lives to stop the cruel war on children in Yemen?

Needs to stop

Later on Thursday, sounds of blasts from air raids that hit Sanaa reverberated across its southern and western neighbourhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those attacks.

Jolien Veldwijk, the acting director of Care International, told Al Jazeera that at least five very intense air strikes targeted densely populated areas of the capital.

Planes are still circulating in the sky and we expect more strikes, she said.

Veldwijk added that if attacks on civilian areas continue, aid agencies would not be able to continue with their work.

This needs to stop, theres no way we can continue with our work with all these air strikes, she added.





With logistical support from the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have carried out attacks in Yemen since March 2015. The war effort is an attempt to reinstate the internationally recognised government of President Abu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

In 2014, Hadi and his forces were overrun by the Houthi rebels who took over much of the country, including Sanaa.

Earlier this month, dozens of people  including women and children  were killed in Yemens Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in air raids carried out by the Saudi-UAE alliance.

According to the UN, at least 10,000 people have been killed in the three-year war  a death toll that has not been updated in years and is certain to be far higher.

In June, Saudi and UAE forces carried out 258 air raids on Yemen, nearly one-third of which targeted non-military sites.

The Yemen Data Project listed 24 air raids on residential areas, three on water and electricity sites, three hitting healthcare facilities, and one targeting an IDP camp.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemens combatants to Geneva on September 6 to hold the first round of negotiations.
Yemens al-Mahra strike: New restrictions on imported goods

Yemeni custom workers at al-Mahra border crossing between Yemen and Oman carry out a strike protesting new tariffs.
Former finance minister Tendai Biti detained after Zambian authorities defied a court order not to deport him.

Zimbabwean police detained a former finance minister and now an opposition figure, Tendai Biti, after Zambian authorities rejected his bid for asylum and deported him.

An hour ago Biti was handed over to Zimbabwean law enforcement officers and as we speak he is on Zimbabwean soil, his Zambian lawyer Gilbert Phiri told the Reuters news agency by phone.

Authorities in Zambia on Thursday defied a court order stopping them from deporting Biti, handing him over to police across the border, he said.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change figure fled to Zambia on Wednesday but was denied asylum.

Police in Zimbabwe were looking for Biti and eight other opposition leaders for allegedly fomenting violence following a disputed national election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.

Biti was named along with the opposition presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa in a search warrant issued last week.

They and several others were accused of possession of dangerous weapons and subversive material, as well as public violence, according to a copy of the warrant.

Controversial results

Biti declared before the election results were announced on Friday that Chamisa had won, a claim also made by the opposition candidate himself.

In a normal country, Chamisa would be sworn in right now, Biti told reporters a day after the vote.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has said it is illegal to release results before its own official announcement.

Rights activists expressed concern over a violent government crackdown after last weeks disputed vote.

Police raided the opposition party headquarters on August 2, a day after the military rolled into the capital, Harare, and dispersed opposition protesters by force, killing six people.
Ex-finance minister ordered to surrender his passport and banned from addressing political rallies until case is over.

Zimbabwes former finance minister and leading opposition figure Tendai Biti has been charged with inciting public violence and declaring unofficial election results as fears grew about a government crackdown following the countrys recent elections.

The court appearance on Thursday followed events in which Biti fled to Zambia, was denied asylum and was handed over to Zimbabwean security forces in defiance of a Zambian court order.

Police in Zimbabwe were looking for Biti and eight other opposition figures for allegedly fomenting violence following the July 30 vote in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner amid opposition cries of foul play.

They and several others were accused of possession of dangerous weapons and subversive material, as well as public violence, according to a copy of the warrant.

If found guilty, Biti faces up to 10 years in jail, a cash fine or both.

State prosecutors did not oppose bail, which was set at $5,000. Biti was ordered to surrender title deeds to his house and his passport, and has been banned from addressing political rallies or news conferences until the case is over. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.

Speaking in court to lawyers and the media. Biti said: They wanted to abduct me (on Wednesday), I was terrified.

Soon after his release, he told reporters: Its been an ordeal, but we survive. We live to fight another day, I am glad to be home.

Mnangagwa later said he had intervened for Bitis release because nothing is more important than unity and peace.

STATEMENT ON RELEASE OF TENDAI BITI Tendai Biti was released earlier today following my intervention. At such a crucial time in the history of the new Zimbabwe, nothing is more important than unity, peace and dialogue. (1/3)  President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) August 9, 2018

But he highlighted that no one is above the law, thus to the serious nature of allegations of incitement, due process will continue, he wrote.

The United Nations refugee agency said it was gravely concerned about the reports of Bitis forced return to Zimbabwe, calling such move a serious violation of international law.

A joint statement by the heads of missions in Zimbabwe of the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia urgently called on Zimbabwean authorities to guarantee Bitis safety and respect his rights.

It said diplomats were deeply disturbed by reports of security forces targeting the opposition.

The persecution of leaders Tendai Biti, Komichi, Chidziva & other party officials by the state is unjustified & unacceptable.I raised this matter with President Cyril Ramaphosa whom we count on to persuade the perpetrators to halt this unmerited persecution. The weak terrorize!  nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 8, 2018

The polls were the first without longtime President Robert Mugabe on the ballot form, who was forced to resign in November after a military intervention.

Biti, a newly elected member of parliament for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), last week urged opposition supporters to defend their votes in the disputed ballot, saying MDC candidate Nelson Chamisa had won the presidential race.

The day after Bitis remarks, the military opened fire to disperse opposition protesters in the streets of Harare.

The opposition alliance called the states response disproportionate and unjustified.
Israeli Aid to Syrians Offers Hope for Future Peace

On August 3, The Times of Israel reported that Israel has frozen its aid to Syrian citizens, dubbed "Operation Good Neighbor," and has begun to dismantle its field clinic used to treat those wounded in the Syrian Civil War. These developments come in the wake of Syrian president Bashar Assad consolidating his power on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, following the end of the Southern Syrian Offensive on July 31 and the recapture of Daara and Quneitra Provinces. Operation Good Neighbor began in March 2013, when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) chose to allow seven Syrians to cross the border into Israel for medical treatment. It has since grown exponentially in scope, encompassing the utmost compassion and bravery from Israeli military, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society. Operation Good Neighbor's achievements demonstrate that Israel is not the problem in the Middle East and give a glimmer of hope for future Israeli-Syrian relations.

Since 2016 alone, Operation Good Neighbor has shuttled approximately 1,500 tons of food, 50 tons of baby food, 250 tons of clothing, 25,000 boxes of medicine and medical equipment, 250,000 gallons of fuel, 7,900 packages of diapers, and 14,000 hygienic products to Syrians. Donated by NGOs and sometimes even by the Israeli government itself, relief has included baby formula; 3-D printers to make prosthetic limbs; and even generators, cars, and mules. Humanitarian Aid from the IDF Important milestones of the IDF's humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people include the following: In June 2015, Israel privately threatened Syrian rebels led by the jihadist al-Nusra Front when they tried to sneak into the Syrian Druze village of Hader to avenge a Druze attack on an Israeli military ambulance transporting two injured Syrian civilians. (The Druze were trying to lynch the Syrians in the ambulance.)

In August 2017, the IDF opened a field clinic named Mazor Ladach ("Bandaging Those in Need") on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights with the support of international aid organizations such as the U.S. Christian charity Friend Ships Unlimited. To date, the clinic has treated about 6,000 Syrians. As mentioned above, recent reports indicate that the IDF is beginning to dismantle the clinic.

In November 2017, Israel once again pledged , this time publicly , to defend the Syrian Druze village of Hader from attacks from the al-Nusra Front. This pledge followed a car bomb attack in the village by the al-Nusra Front that killed at least nine people

In December 2017, Israel opened a maternity clinic in Syria. As of December 2017, the clinic had seen 200 patients and 30 births.

In June 2018, in an overnight operation, the IDF delivered 28 tons of food (including 15 tons of baby food), 30 tons of clothing, three pallets of medical supplies, and 300 tents to Syrians fleeing Daara.

In July 2018, the IDF successfully evacuated 800 Syrian aid workers known as the White Helmets, and their families, from southwest Syria following an "immediate threat to their lives." Humanitarian Aid from NGOs and Citizens The IDF's aid efforts have been augmented by Israeli NGOs and citizens: Gal Lusky, who recently Gal Lusky, who recently revealed her identity to the Israeli press, has been conducting aid missions inside Syria since 2011 as the leader of the Israeli NGO Israeli Flying Aid. Given that she is an Israeli Jew, Lusky would likely be executed if caught by the Assad regime. Israeli Flying Aid orchestrated 220,000 Israeli children through various youth groups to collect coats, blankets, and sleeping bags for Syrians. The group also donated most of the goods delivered by the IDF in the June 2018 operation stated above, as well as over $4.5 million's worth of medical equipment. Israel Flying Aid has trained 22 orthopedic doctors on four 3-D printers to make prosthetic limbs and has trained 300 Syrian firefighters and search and rescue personnel. The NGO also built Breka Hospital, a 17-bed women's hospital in Southern Syria that includes four delivery rooms and two surgery rooms. (It is unclear from the author's research if Breka Hospital is the same as the maternity clinic mentioned above.) Doreen Gold, who does not disclose her real name to protect her identity, heads IL4Syrians , a group of 200 Israeli volunteers also operating inside Syria since 2011. Gold's group works directly with Syrian NGOs and supports 17 Syrian field hospitals and surgery rooms. On one mission, IL4Syrians donated 3,000 chemical suits to protect Syrian doctors working with patients who were victims of chemical attacks. All volunteers sign a waiver stating that if they are captured in Syria, Israel will not negotiate for their release. Several hospitals in northern Israel treat Syrian citizens, including Ziv Medical Center (in Safed), Western Galilee Medical Center (in Nahariya), Rambam Medical Center (in Haifa), and Poriah Hospital (near Tiberias). Israeli hospitals have treated over 3,500 Syrians since 2013, in addition to over 1,300 Syrian children since 2016. In a crowdfunding campaign from October 2016 through April 2017, the Israeli grassroots group Just Beyond Our Border raised approximately $550,000 from Israeli and Jewish donors for aid to Syrian civilians. This aid is transported to Syria via Israeli Flying Aid. The Golan Regional Council, comprising 32 Israeli towns in the Golan Heights, makes repeated appeals to its citizens to donate food, clothes, blankets, and toys. The Council has also asked each Israeli child living in the Golan to prepare a care package for a child in Syria. Israeli entrepreneur and philanthropist Morris Kahn is buying hearing aids for an expected 100 Syrian children, at the cost of NIS 5,000 (about $270 USD) per ear. Conclusion While the future of Operation Good Neighbor remains uncertain, hopefully, its legacy will endure. Israel will continue to serve as a beacon of hope for those who do not live free. Israel will continue to provide humanitarian aid for those in need and even stands ready to assist citizens of its enemies. More importantly, through its good deeds, Israel has forever changed the hearts and minds of thousands of Syrians. Hopefully, those assisted by Israel will tell their stories to their families and friends. A collective memory may take root that would serve as both an antidote to any continued efforts by Assad to brainwash his people with anti-Israel sentiments and a fountainhead for future Israeli-Syrian peace.
Pope Francis has not changed Church doctrine. What he's said does not mean that the Church can change its stance on the morality of the active gay lifestyle or divorce and remarriage.

The fake news media (FNM) lie, through omission and commission, all the time about anything that impacts their political agenda. Hence, it's not surprising that they're distorting what Pope Francis said about the death penalty.

This is far from the first time that the FNM have distorted what Pope Francis really said. We've all heard a lot about what Pope Francis has said about our responsibility to preserve the environment for future generations, but how many of you have heard that Pope Francis wrote the following?

Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?

That's right: the pope has said that being "pro-choice" is incompatible with being green.

Similarly, during the election, the FNM told us the pope said Trump isn't a Christian. However, when the actual transcript of what the pope said was made available, it was clear that Pope Francis had said no such thing.

To understand what Pope Francis actually said, it's necessary to know what the Church has always taught about the death penalty. For 2,000 years, the Church has said society has the right to protect itself from criminals by executing those criminals. That is, the death penalty, unlike abortion, is not intrinsically and always immoral.

Saint Pope John Paul II said we should reject the death penalty not because it's intrinsically immoral, which it isn't, but because in doing so, we make a radical stand against the Culture of Death. In our world, leftists call for killing the unborn, the elderly, and the differently abled because they are a "burden" on society. What more blatant rejection of that utilitarian philosophy that treats people as commodities is there than saying we won't kill even those who are monstrously evil?

Saint Pope John Paul II also said that given the ability of modern society to prevent criminals from killing again without executing them, through life sentences, etc., it's rare that society needs to execute someone.

It's important to note that that is what Catholics call a prudential judgment, not a statement of moral theology. A prudential judgment is where people apply a moral principle to a real-world problem. Saint Pope John Paul II said that in his personal opinion, modern society can protect itself, in most cases, without executing anyone. That is assessing the state of the world, not defining what Christ taught about how we are to behave.

For example, Saint Pope John Paul II also taught that we need to have a preferential option for the poor, and the Church has always taught that we have an obligation to help the poor. But it's a matter of prudential judgment whether the best way to help the poor is through a massive, inefficient, and costly federal bureaucracy or by reducing taxes so individuals can give more to efficient private charities with the federal government running a minimal safety net, as Ronald Reagan called it, to ensure that no one starves.

On prudential matters, the Church teaches that good people can have different opinions and not be going against the Church so long as they are trying to achieve the moral objective that the Church promulgates.

While Catholics are obliged to listen to and think about what the pope says on matters of prudential judgment, they are not required to agree with him. Contrary to what many Americans think, while the popes can make infallible statements on matters of faith and morals, they do not do so with any regularity, and they are not infallible on matters of prudential judgment.

What Pope Francis has said about the death penalty is a matter of prudential judgment. He declared in his revision to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Lastly, 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[.]

Note that this is a prudential judgment. It's a statement about what works in the world, not about the relevant moral principle.

Even in the U.S., a prisoner incarcerated for life can be a threat to society. The person may escape and kill again, or he may kill a guard or a fellow prisoner. Even worse, he could be a gang leader who continues to order killings from his prison cell.

There is clearly room for discussion and investigation into just how safe life sentences are versus executions. In the U.S., the pope could be right. But just as clearly, when one looks at places like Somalia, Libya, and any number of other third-world countries with porous jails and corrupt judicial systems, it's not obvious that those societies can protect themselves without the death penalty.

It's obvious, then, that the pope hasn't changed the Church's doctrine that society has the right to execute criminals in order to defend the innocent. Rather, he's made the prudential judgment that in today's world, protecting society no longer requires the death penalty.

He may be right, and he may be wrong, but he is not changing Church teaching because the Church's moral teaching is that society has a right to protect itself. It's a matter of prudential judgment to apply that moral requirement to the real fallen world we live in.

When you see an article claiming that Pope Francis's position about the death penalty means that the Church's teachings on morality, such the morality of sex outside marriage between one man and one woman, can change, you now know why that's simply not true.

Pope Francis has not said the death penalty is intrinsically evil or that society doesn't have the right to protect itself from evil people, which are moral teachings of the Church.

Rather, he's said that in his prudential judgment, society does not need to execute people to protect itself. Furthermore, if execution is not needed, then it's better to allow evil people to live so that they may repent and be saved.

This issue is just one more example of the fact that the FNM can't be trusted on any issue.

You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.
Anti-Americanism is anti-Semitism's first cousin, but with an important difference. A person afflicted with this terrible condition is also a crank and a bore, but because anti-Americanism is so widespread both in America and abroad, it is all too easy for the sufferers never to realize they are cranks.

The anti-Semite is a crank and a bore. However, the anti-Semite has an important psychological and even spiritual advantage over certain other kinds of cranks: he knows that to other people, he is a crackpot. This leaves the door slightly ajar for him to discover that he is one.

After all, anti-Americanism is the norm among the globalist elites. In his book Anti-Americanism, Jean-Francois Revel writes that he had "formed [his] opinion about the United States through the filter of the European press, which means my judgment was unfavorable." But Revel wants us to understand that he has learned that anti-Americanism is more than simply a widespread climate of opinion. Instead, he labels it a "psychopathology" and an "obsession."

For Revel, the source of this malady is obvious. America has supplanted Europe, and the elites of Europe resent it. Europe once dominated the world. It no longer does, and the European elites blame America instead of themselves.

Revel believes that the Europeans:

... should force themselves to examine how they have contributed to that [America's] preponderance. It was they, after all, who made the twentieth century the darkest in history; it was they who brought about the two unprecedented cataclysms of the World Wars; and it was they who invented and put into place the two most criminal regimes ever inflicted on the human race  pinnacles of evil and imbecility achieved in a space of less than thirty years.

Revel is saying that obsessing over what's wrong with America helps Europeans ward off such thoughts. Warding off unwelcome thoughts is, after all, the psychological mechanism of blame. The greater the need for denial, the greater the intensity of the obsession.

Anti-Americanism has the same psychological dynamic as anti-Semitism. When the anti-Semite launches into his harangue, we instinctively recoil. We recognize that he is a troubled soul. We understand that he is obsessively tracing the inner contours of a mental cage that exists beyond the reach of rationality.

The mechanism of blame also explains the endemic anti-Americanism in Latin America. Revel turns to Carlos Rangel of Venezuela for an explanation of that variant of the malady:

For Latin Americans, it is an unbearable thought that a handful of Anglo-Saxons, arriving much later than the Spanish and in such a harsh climate that they barely survived the first few winters, would become the foremost power in the world. It would require an inconceivable effort of collective self-analysis for Latin Americans to face up to the fundamental causes of this disparity.

Once again, at the root of the condition is "an unbearable thought"  a thought so unbearable that the necessary "self-analysis" would require "an inconceivable effort."

The insights of Revel and Rangel suggest that the Americans who suffer from anti-Americanism must also be afflicted by an unbearable thought.

What unbearable thought? The answer is ready at hand. The Progressive project has gone from strength to strength politically in America  and everywhere it has brought ruin in its wake. Detroit was once an economic powerhouse, and San Francisco was once America's most beautiful city. Decades of one-party rule according to the Progressive project have wrecked Detroit, and San Francisco is becoming something truly strange, a modern city overwhelmed by human excrement in public places.

Just as the Europeans brought ruin on Europe and the South Americans keep on failing, keep on doing what has not worked and never will, the Progressives persist despite failing again and again the simple tests of common sense.

The Progressives' failure is not a failure to enact their agenda. They have dominated America politically for the past century. FDR gave us really big government, and the federal government has become a scandal of fraud, waste, and abuse  a scandal that even the Big Government Press cannot keep hidden from us. LBJ declared War on Poverty  and that war was lost. Instead of eliminating poverty, the War on Poverty has made poverty more pathological, creating an underclass, often now described as "permanent," living on government handouts. Even the Progressives' anti-Americanism was given free rein with the election of Barack Obama, who shared their obsession with "fundamentally transforming" America. Yet wave after wave of electoral victory has not made American Progressives happy.

Whenever the voters put the Progressives in charge, the result is governmental metastasis and social catastrophe  by necessity. The left is simply wrong about how things work. It is easy to come up with programs that defy common sense. It is also possible to use governmental power to impose those programs on society. But the power of government can't make them work.

Instead of learning from experience, the Progressives keep ramping up their anti-Americanism in order to keep deflecting their unbearable thought that Progressivism does not work. Today, the American left's anti-Americanism has become completely undisguised. Leftists now want to do away with America's borders. What would that mean? It would mean that the American experiment in liberty had failed; it would mean the end of America.

Destructive elements of European culture and politics brought Europe to ruin in the twentieth century, and destructive elements in South American culture and politics have kept South America down. The ascendance of Progressivism in American culture and politics threatens to do the same to America.

Robert Curry serves on the Board of Directors of the Claremont Institute and is the author of Common Sense Nation: Unlocking the Forgotten Power of the American Idea from Encounter Books. You can preview the book here.
This process was on display recently with the machinations going on with the annual federal legislation for our military: the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). To understand the missed opportunity here, one needs to have a bit of background as to how we got to where we are today.

There's a well known observation that close inspection of how legislation is made is like watching sausage being created. In both cases, it's unappetizing.

There have been several years of conflict between military operations (in the U.S. and elsewhere) and industrial wind energy. There have been multiple types of conflicts, ranging from tall structures obstructing low-level flight paths to weather and navigation radar interferences to specialized cases (like deteriorating the important ROTHR facility and having infrasound compromise sensitive military equipment).

Initially, commanding officers (C.O.s) of affected military facilities voiced their objections, and in most cases, the proposed offending wind project was not approved.

This was unacceptable to the powerful wind industry, and some of its well connected allies. Their plan was to get military base C.O.s out of the equation  while simultaneously giving the public the impression that military concerns were being fully addressed. Their end result was to create the DoD Wind Siting Clearinghouse (2011, during the Obama administration), and it accomplished their two objectives.

The clearinghouse was all about expanding U.S. industrial wind energy  not protecting our military or our national security. The rules and regulations for the Clearinghouse were written to assist the wind industry. If that wasn't enough, the initial people in charge of the clearinghouse were unabashed wind energy-promoters. (Upon retiring, the first head was quickly hired as a wind energy lobbyist!)

Not surprisingly, numerous conflicts continue to exist between wind energy and our military. The public has little awareness of these issues due to classified agreements, carefully enmeshed in bureaucratic double-speak. The wind industry repeatedly trumpeted that everything is just peachy. For those who didn't bother to closely look behind the curtain, things may well have seemed to be OK.

Following the creation of the clearinghouse, and the dilution of federal protections, military defenders had to then look for some refuge by enacting state-level legislation. The wind lobby has infiltrated state politics as well, so this was no easy solution. That said, there have been some major victories  e.g., Texas passing S. 277 North Carolina passing a two-year statewide moratorium (see here, Part XIII) while the state investigated the wind energy military interference issue.

Ultimately, the defense of our military, and our national security, is a federal matter. Toward that end, in early 2017, I sent to some key legislators an outline of this problem, which included three simple but effective NDAA solutions:

a) substitute a much better word for "mitigate" (like "remediate"), as the current term can easily result in no meaningful changes being made,

b) require that the developer pay for all costs incurred to accommodate them (presently, the taxpayer foots the bill for these accommodations  why?], and

c) broaden the allowable reasons for denying a permit  e.g., if the lives of military personnel are put at risk, a base maybe be affected by BRAC, etc.

The clearinghouse rules basically say that to reject a proposed wind project, there has to be substantial proof that it is an "unacceptable risk to national security." (How "national security" is defined has evolved, and is still subject to interpretation.) This has to be then endorsed by the DoD secretary, etc. In other words, the bar was purposefully set high so that it was almost impossible to turn down a proposed wind project. (Note: Only one project out of over 15,000 submissions has been so terminated via the clearinghouse process over many years now.)

One of my three recommendations was to reasonably expand the allowable reasons to deny a wind project. For example, a wind project shown to threaten the lives of our military personnel (by itself, irrespective of the "national security" part) would be an acceptable justification to deny a permit. The 2018 NDAA (see section 311) improved the wording in this regard from the original 2011 legislation, but further clarification and more conditions are advisable. (For example, military lives could be at risk due to the deterioration of the ROTHR signal from wind energy interference, and the current words do not seem to address that.) This year, both the House and Senate NDAA bills approved improving the clearinghouse rules to add some words to that effect. That was encouraging!

In later July 2018, this change was removed from the NDAA conference legislation (see page 1951 of 2019 NDAA)! An experienced D.C. lobbyist told me he could not recall a single case, ever, where an important bill provision agreed to by both House and Senate was then eliminated from the final conference legislation. The bottom line is that during all this research and negotiation about protecting the military, none of the significant deficiencies of the clearinghouse process was fixed.

As an apparent compromise, our legislators added a new last-minute provision to the NDAA: Section 318 (page 179). Basically, it authorizes the DoD to engage the National Weather Service (NWS) to do a study about the impact of wind turbines on weather radars and military operations. It seems as though the intent here is to convey the impression that legislators are serious about our military safety and national security.

The devil is in the details. From all appearances, this provision amounts to more delays. Furthermore, nothing in the study will be about protecting the lives of pilots from wind turbine obstructions. Nothing in the study will be about assessing the impact of wind turbines on navigation radar. Nothing in the study will be about protecting the exceptionally important ROTHR facility or the military lives impacted by it. Nothing in the study will be about evaluating the military consequences that turbine infrasound has. Lastly, who knows what will happen when the study is finished? In the meantime, our military and national security are being compromised.

What's disappointing is that several good reports have already been generated on the study issue. For example, here is a detailed NWS explanation of the problem. For example, earlier this year, the NWS wrote a blistering report about how wind development in upstate N.Y. was compromising five different important NEXRAD radar facilities! For example, Fort Drum (N.Y.) issued this official statement about wind energy interference. What else do legislators need to know? They want more pertinent studies? How about this, this, this, this, this, this, and this? We already have solid studies. We already know what the problems are and what some good solutions are.

The fundamental question is, why would any (even small) wind energy degradation of our military and national security be acceptable? The apparent reason why legislators allow this is that the wind industry has done a superior job in deceiving the public that wind energy is a good thing (i.e., a net societal benefit). However, the fact is that industrial wind energy is a technical, economic, and environmental net liability. Once that understanding were fully absorbed, no reasonable legislator would agree to allow such a detriment to interfere with our military or our national security.

The bottom line here is that the protection of our military (and our national security) is being compromised by powerful special-interest lobbyists  who have undue influence on the government and our lives. (For more info on that, see here.)

Please contact your federal legislator and insist that the clearinghouse wind energy siting rules be fully and properly fixed (via the NDAA or otherwise).
Why the EU Won't Comply with Trump

Two of the main points of contention between the European Union and President Trump are trade and military spending. Scrap away the rhetoric presented in the mainstream media, most of it reflexively anti-Trump, the fact is that what the president is demanding is nothing but what's fair and reasonable. As regards trade, Europe currently has significantly more barriers to our exports than America does to theirs. As for military spending on NATO, it is universally recognized that the United States carries the bulk of defending Europe. At first blush, recent news indicates that Europe is moving in the right direction under U.S. pressure. At the recent NATO conference, countries in the alliance committed to up their defense spending -- somewhat. And the tentative agreement between Trump and European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker for the EU to move to free trade and to buy more U.S. LNG is also a good start. Juncker also said Europe will work with America on curbing China's theft of technology and intellectual property.

But let's be realistic. Words and promises are one thing, deeds are another. Countries in Europe have long promised to increase their military spending but few have and some have actually decreased their defense spending. As for LNG, what's the big concession? Energy-poor Europe needs it, and the U.S. has it. Same with addressing China's aggressive mercantilism; Europe suffers from it as does America. On trade in general, Europe will find it hard, if not politically impossible, to open up. There are several reasons why aside from the natural tendency for people to want to keep whatever advantages they have had for a long time. Europe's Structure As wealthy as Europe may be, its budgets are stretch tight to support the welfare state it has created for itself since the end of WWII. Already, the Mediterranean countries of the EU are drowning in debt. The percent of debt to the GDP for Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Spain are 132, 180, 130, and 99 percent, respectively. And since these countries are yoked to the Euro, there's no way out for them. These southern countries want Germany, the powerhouse of Europe, to bail them out. And although Germany is wealthy and actually runs a budget surplus, this won't happen. Germany is facing a demographic nightmare. It has one of the oldest populations on the Continent with a meager fertility rate of just 1.5 births per woman. Demography is destiny, so it's only a matter of time before this affects German growth. The Germans know this and that they'll soon enough have trouble supporting their welfare state. This is why, aside throwing some crumbs to the Mediterranean countries, Germany will remain tightfisted. And financial prospects for Germany does not factor in the million or so uneducated and unskilled immigrants from Africa and the Middle East that are now domiciled in Deutschland. These new arrivals are people who seemingly can't or won't assimilate into a Western society. The delusional thinking of Frau Merkel and the German establishment is that Mohammad will step right in, replace Hans on the assembly line when Hans retires, and things will go on as normal. Good luck with that. The demographic problem of an aging population also affects trade. Even now, before the full effect of the demographic collapse hits, exports account for 46 percent of the German GPD. This means Germany cannot consume what it produces. It must therefore export to maintain viability. And as the German and the European populations diminish further, this factor will only grow more pronounced. The U.S. is a main market for German exports. In 2017, America ran a $63.3 billion trade deficit in goods with Germany and the trend is continuing into 2018. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the goods trade with the European Union was $146.7 billion in 2016. Such trade surpluses, which help underpin Europe's prosperity, are possible only with Europe maintaining its unfair trade barriers to U.S. exports. Inability to Compete Although not openly admitted, Europe knows in its heart that it cannot compete with the United States on a level playing field. A trading system devoid of tariffs and other trade barriers would hurt the economies of Europe. The political and cultural attitudes of Europe are highly adverse to risk taking and the entrepreneurship needed to create innovations. One Chinese official looking at the world situation summed it up as America being a robust adult, China as a growing teenager, and Europe as a feeble old rich man. Sounds right to me. The Europeans might give the appearance of moving to fair trade under U.S. pressure, but that's a smoke screen. In the end, they know that their societies, as presently structured, cannot afford it. The socialistic mindset affects Europe deeply. Socialist countries cannot compete with capitalist ones. But more than that, it also influences how Europe looks at America. Europe sees the U.S. as tremendously rich in natural resources, wealthy, and powerful relative to them. Given how Europeans arrange their own societies, it is only natural that they feel it is America's duty to subsidize them in terms of trade and providing for their defense. Sadly, most of the American foreign affairs establishment seems to agree with this sentiment -- a major reason why Donald Trump and his deplorable supporters are seen as an anathema to those 'experts.' And it must be noted, that subsidizing Europe (and China) on trade has not cost any of these elites anything, but it has helped devastate much of middle America. What's Europe to do? European strategy is clear. They dare not confront America directly. Instead, they will hunker down and engage in talks with U.S. trade officials, offering small concessions here and there. The real objectives of the talks will not be to work toward a resolution but to delay -- delay hoping for either a blue wave in November or a favorable finding in the Mueller witch-hunt that cuts Trump down to size. Europe's concessions are to appease Trump while he shifts his focus on China. Of course, Europe's fondest wish is for Trump to be repudiated in the 2020 election. But even should 2020 bring defeat, Trump has opened a Pandora's Box on trade that cannot be closed. The points he has made about the inherent unfairness of the current trade system will not vanish. There will be adjustments in America's favor with or without Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Simply put, there can be no going back to the way things were. Europe is in a fix. Sooner or later, it will have a stark choice to make: either radically reform its societies or suffer the consequences.
Can Kim Jong-un survive North Korea's swamp?

Foreign policy and intelligence pundits spend time regularly claiming that Donald Trump is ignorant in expecting that the North Koreans will eventually forgo their nuclear threat in favor of peace and better relations with the USA. They advance the theory that the North Koreans will offer symbolic procedures (such as the return of 55 purported American war remains) while essentially thwarting the real promises made in Singapore in June. Past practices demonstrate evidence for this view. In the past, the North Koreans have agreed to take American aid and end nuclear ambitions. However, such agreements made with President Clinton and others ended with secret programs that have led to the situation where missiles were fired and nuclear tests were routine for the first year of the Trump administration. In return, Trump initiated the aggressive Twitter behavior that the press challenged as potential nuclear warmongering. When Trump and Kim reached an agreement, the press then started the tirade that Trump was too trusting. Clearly, the president cannot win.

The president could always resume joint military activities with the South Koreans should the North disappoint. Trump could also begin more aggressive moves, as he did in positioning several aircraft carrier groups in the area last year. All this misses some issues that constrain Kim. For the first year of his rule, he consolidated his grip on power by killing and purging former advisers of his father (Kim Jong-il), including his uncle, whom he mistrusted. Later he had his half-brother killed in Indonesia, using chemical weapons, to eliminate a competitor. Outsiders would see this ruthlessness as evidence of a brutal dictator and one without any conscience. He is all that but much more. Kim is undoubtedly a worried and concerned person who must consider the future of his family (those he trusts, such as his sister, the head of propaganda and another brutal lovely), his own survival, and his regime's survival. After all, personal security is always suspect in a totalitarian regime. While the public fears his every whim, while professing its undying loyalty, he must provide sufficient inducements and luxuries for the military leaders who maintain physical control over the nation. Kim does not possess the guns, bombs, or other equipment of mass murder. He only manages the nation while those who do control the weaponry continue their support. Kim's inherited dictatorship is only three generations long. In many communist countries, rulers often leave office in coffins. Leadership requires the support of the party leaders and military. Only days before the Singapore meeting, Kim removed three older military leaders. Perhaps they were not happy with his attempt to realign the relationship with the USA. Prudence indicates that one cannot assume that Kim is honest. Further, we cannot assume that the government of North Korea is a willing and able partner for honest removal of all nuclear testing, material, and delivery systems. Pundits point to different definitions of ending nuclear capabilities, which they claim that North Koreans see as a freeze. Any real progress will take many years of patience. Clearly, Trump is not the most patient person. This leads to some to claim that the North Koreans cannot trust any promises we make not to initiate regime change in North Korea. In the past, Trump threatened to flatten the nation with our military superiority should it directly threaten our territory. The South Koreans' most populous city is within easy conventional weapon attack. The Japanese also fear any outbreak of war, as they are within short distance of missiles. These two countries were most anxious for any cooling of hostile intentions by Kim and his regime. The North Koreans have always felt that their future protection lay in possessing nuclear weapons. Weaponry is also a source of cash and income for the regime. All of this misses the essential problem facing Kim Jung-un: he has his own swamp. The bureaucracy established by his father and grandfather for almost 70 years is dedicated to its own survival. Kim must negotiate its alterations carefully and judiciously. These people are likely to turn on him if they are able and prepared. As Kim and his immediate entourage are aware, today's allies may become tomorrow's enemies. With no orderly legal and peaceful solutions to disagreements, dictatorships often resolve their disputes through physical force or murder. Kim must be aware of this point.
Dems and media celebrating loss in Ohio 12

I find it absolutely amusing that the Democrats are celebrating their close loss on Tuesday in Ohio. The main drivel coming from almost 100% of the media posits that the reason why Democrats are getting close is that people don't like Trump and that they want Democrats to get control of the House and Senate to stop Trump. I don't recall any similar reporting as Democrats lost over 1,000 seats while Obama was in office between 2010 and 2016. Where was a similar message that people didn't like Obama or his policies? I believe that a lot of elections where there is no incumbent end up being close, especially when the Democrat hides the Democrat agenda so well.

The Washington Post and other media outlets have a series of articles and reports about how great it is that Democrats came close in Ohio. What we essentially have is wishful thinking posing as news. Here is one of the articles: "Ohio special election shows Democrats remain on the march  even if they don't win Tuesday." I've got a series of easy questions for journalists to ask people throughout the fifty states to see if the people really want Democrats to be in charge of setting policies: Do you want Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to lead the House and Senate? Do you want Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to lead the House and Senate? Do you want the tax rates to go back up and increase regulations or leave them where they are and have a faster growing economy? Do higher taxes and more regulations increase costs for consumers, especially the poor and middle class, or lower costs? Do you think we should let manufacturing jobs go or fight to keep them and get them back as we are today? Are businesses or government more responsible when it comes to creating jobs? Should the government pay out a guaranteed annual income, or is it better to have more jobs and more opportunity to move up the economic ladder? Should mentally and physically able people under age 59 be required to work some, especially when jobs are plentiful, to get their government benefits like food stamps and Medicaid, or do you think that is unfair? Is it better for people to be dependent on government or independent? Has capitalism or socialism done more to reduce poverty throughout history? Do you think free college for all would actually be free, or do you think it would cause taxes to go up substantially? Are you for government health care for all and the massive tax increase that would require? Do you think the V.A. has given veterans excellent care and service? Did Obamacare, with its massive mandates, reduction in competition, over 10,000 pages of regulations, and over 20 new taxes, greatly increase costs and reduce freedom of choice for almost all of us, or did it control costs and give us more choice? Do you think open borders is the correct policy, or should we enforce immigration laws that Congress passed? Would a border wall or fence help enforce the border and save billions per year because we don't have as many illegal aliens residing in our country? Should we abolish ICE? Should businesses be able to hire whomever they like, or should we make sure they hire people who are here legally? Are you for sanctuary cities and states? Do you think sanctuary cities and states make people safer? Should people get into college based on merit or on more subjective analysis? Should there be more focus on vocational education instead of encouraging almost all to get a four-year or higher degree? Should there be abortion on demand at whatever stage of pregnancy, or should abortions be limited? Have fossil fuels increased the quality and length of life of billions of people, or have they killed people? Is CO2 a pollutant or a clear, innocuous, non-pollutant gas that makes plants thrive and allows the billions of humans on the planet to eat? Do you believe that politicians and government bureaucrats around the world can control temperatures, sea levels, and storm activity forever if the people and businesses just give them trillions of dollars? What have they done in the past that gives you such confidence? Has the climate always changed naturally and continuously through billions of years, including before man and fossil fuels? Should all people be treated equally when it comes to abiding by the nation's security laws? Was it OK when the Justice Department gave Hillary, her aides, Obama, and others a pass even though they all mishandled classified documents in emails on Hillary's home-brew server? My guess is, the majority of people would rather see a thriving private sector and a less intrusive and powerful government, but who knows? We do have a clear choice this fall and in 2020. It is sure a shame that almost all the media have so clearly taken sides for years seeking to destroy one party and elect the other since their jobs is actually to inform not indoctrinate. I do want to say, in support of the theory that Democrats are celebrating their loss, that I am celebrating that my Cardinals are losing a lot of close games. I feel so good that we are in third place. My Bears and Fighting Illini have also been good at losing the past several years, so I have a lot of celebrations when my teams lose. I know that my teams' strategies are correct but the other teams just aren't getting the message. Graphic adapted from Mark Skipper via Wikimedia Commons.
Unsurprisingly, Dinesh D'Souza's film Death of a Nation has made the loud voices on the left stark raving mad. A perfect example is the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. The eleven critics gave the film a zero. The voting audience gave it 90% approval. The same is true at all the typically left-wing sites that review films.



Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/death_of_a_nation

The Hollywood Reporter reviewer, Frank Scheck, was apoplectic. He does not bother to provide any countervailing facts. He cannot. D'Souza's history is accurate. But reviewers like Scheck are so committed to the lies they have been taught in college, or maybe J-school, for forty years that they leap to histrionic attacks on the film before bothering to do any research.

The hysterical reaction to this film by the left is yet another sad commentary on the state of American education. The film is thoughtful and balanced. Unlike privileged film reviewers like Scheck, D'Souza, an immigrant from India, sees so clearly what is great about America. He is grateful that it is his country now.

Few if any American leftists ever express gratitude for being born in America. They relentlessly complain and malign this country. They have no appreciation, no gratitude for their good fortune to be American. That's what they do. That is who they are.

Numerous reviewers posted vitriolic comments and reviews before the film was even released. They had not yet seen it but felt compelled to condemn it based solely on the fact that it was D'Souza's. This is probably how most of these pseudo-journalists got through school. They wrote papers on books they never read, on subjects they never bothered to investigate, and then they graduated with honors for toeing the party line. For these people, ideology trumps everything, even the truth. They are of the "there is no objective truth" crowd. But there is and always will be a clear demarcation between the truth and lies, between good and evil, no matter how much the left tries to blur those lines.

Peter Sobeczynski, writing on Roger Ebert's site, thinks D'Souza argues that Trump is the modern-day equivalent of Lincoln. D'Souza does no such thing. He does compare the venomous opposition that both Lincoln faced and Trump faces every day since he announced his candidacy. He also suggests that Trump's pardon had something to do with the film. It did not. D'Souza did not seek the pardon. His conviction was a case of Obama's revenge for his earlier film. His crime: funneling $20K, $15K over the limit, to a friend running for office. This is an act nearly every member of Congress, the media, Hollywood celebrities, and the rest of the left commit every day without a moment's thought to the law but are never charged with a crime. It is business as usual on the left and the right.

As we surely all know by now, there are two systems of justice in America: one for everyday citizens and a sort of nonexistent version for the Beltway elites for whom most laws do not apply. Hillary Clinton committed too many crimes to list here and has been charged for none of them as yet. She used her position as secretary of state as a get-rich-quick scheme via her "foundation," a pay-to-play set-up if there ever was one.

Given the known facts, Sobeczynki's screed is over-the-top ridiculous. It betrays his fear of the truth, of facts. He believes he knows what is true, but he has been badly educated  in history, current events, and film-reviewing. The film is not "haphazard"; it earnestly tries to inform viewers. If viewers are open-minded, they will learn some truths they were never taught in school.

There are, of course, some good reviews. Randy DeSoto writes for the Western Journal. He is right when he says the film "leaves you with a sense of pride for what the United States has stood for[.]" He is exactly right. If only the American left could feel pride in America and how its success as a democratic republic has benefited the world. But they don't feel pride; they feel anger and rage. Why is a mystery to behold. They don't leave for greener pastures, for the socialist paradises they envision. They don't leave even after they've promised to if Bush or Trump is elected. (Sean Penn and Danny Glover still live here, not in Venezuela.) They stay and complain, no matter how good things are.

Things are better since Trump was elected. Unemployment is at an all-time low. Food stamp use is down by a few million. The economy is so good; small businesses are optimistic for the first time in a decade. Iran is devolving toward regime change. North Korea seems to be de-nuclearizing. China is going to be brought to heel on trade and their theft of intellectual property.

Trump is the adult in the room, the guy who has arrived to fix all the things that have gone wrong over years and years. Death of a Nation does not claim all that; it only suggests that we are once again on the right track. Lincoln was killed by the pro-slavery hysterics who loathed him as much as our left loathes Trump for being right on the economy, on immigration, and on foreign policy, just as Lincoln was right on the abolition of slavery. Trump won the election because he pledged to put America first. The left hates him for that. Why this is leftists' mindset is anyone's guess. But know this: the hysterical reviews of this film are specious. Do not believe them. See the film.
A former Diablo Valley College professor who had been charged with several felony assault charges after he hit and seriously injured a demonstrator at a free speech protest in Berkeley last year will not see the inside of a jail after the most serious charges against him were dropped.

California convicted former Diablo Valley College ethics professor Eric Clanton of misdemeanor simple battery, but dropped three felony assault charges, according to the Alameda Superior Court database. Clanton allegedly smacked an individual on the head with a bike lock in Berkeley, California, on April 15, 2017. Users on the social media site 4chan matched the former professor's clothing, backpack straps and facial structure to that of the assailant. Police arrested Clanton on May 24, 2017. Clanton originally faced up to 11 years in prison. He was supposed to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday, but instead entered into a plea deal, reported Berkeleyside. Clanton submitted a "no contest" plea for misdemeanor battery and, in exchange, had three felony assault charges, a felony for inflicting serious bodily injury, and a misdemeanor mask-wearing charge dismissed. Berkeley police reported that the former professor had hit at least seven people in the head with a bike lock. He allegedly hit one victim in the back and neck, another on a helmet, severing a piece of it off, and another across the head, creating a wound that needed five staples to mend.

Well, it is Berkeley, after all. Apparently, the powers that be want to encourage Berkeleyites to bash in the heads of their political opponents rather than, you know, reason with them.

Prosecutors reduce charges in exchange for plea deals that clear their calendars all the time, so this isn't unusual. But the professor has been connected to Antifa by police, a fact that should have led to his incarceration.

Police wrote that they had found evidence last year during a search of Clanton's home in San Leandro linking him to "Anti-Fascists and Anarchy political groups," according to court papers. He was not home when police arrived, so officers moved to a second address in West Oakland where they said they found flags, patches and pamphlets "associating Clanton" with antifa and anarchist groups. Investigators arrested Clanton there. Detectives said they "recovered U-locks, sunglasses, a glove, jeans, and facial coverings" consistent with items worn during the April 15 assaults, according to court documents. And a camera found at the San Leandro home contained "selfies" taken by Clanton, police said, "with him wearing black clothing and facial coverings" consistent with April 15.

For Antifa, the message has been received: it's open season on political opponents.
The failure of a society is seen not in the emergence of the mob, but in the collusion between government and the mob.

The mob is an intrinsic part of society, a permanent moral underclass. Mobilized into action by appeals to the basest human instincts, it spreads destruction and chaos, feeding on the anarchy it creates.

In 1780, the mob came close to pushing Britain into civil war. The anti-Catholic riots of that year set London ablaze and caused destruction in London's poorest Irish neighborhood. From this riot came the famous epitaph "His Majesty King Mob," a slogan one of the rioters scrawled on Newgate Prison, which the rioters destroyed.

His Majesty King Mob reigned for barely a week. The unprepared government eventually called up 15,000 uniformed troops, who fired into the ranks of the mob, quickly quenching its thirst for violence and arson.

In the Jim Crow South, the mob was an integral part of the subjugation of black Americans. As the social psychologist Hadley Cantril notes, elites organized, directed, and controlled lynch mobs that served to reinforce the boundaries of the racial caste system under the watchful eye of a colluding legal authority.

Hitler's Brownshirts grew out of Germany's disgruntled veterans of World War I, the Freikorps. The Brownshirts were mobilized to precipitate mob-orchestrated chaos in the waning days of the Weimar Republic to undermine its fragile legitimacy and to enforce Hitler's authoritarian rule as his party took power.

The essence of fascism is the replacement of the state and its offices by the party. Government becomes an instrument of the party and a facade through which the external world deals with the party. The fascist state exists to serve the ideological interests of the party. In doing so, the state abrogates the social contract where people cede their use of violence to the state, and in response, the state is obligated to use its monopoly on violence fairly, judiciously, and without discrimination.

Regrettably, this brings us to the recent events in Portland, Oregon, where fascism reared its ugly head. Mayor Ted Wheeler decided to side with the fascist mob, "Antifa," against a legitimate law enforcement agency of the United States government that sought the protection of the Portland Police. The mayor, for clearly enunciated ideological reasons, refused to enforce the law he was sworn to uphold. He refused to protect the people who worked at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of Homeland Security from a violent mob.

The law became something to be selectively enforced for the promulgation of ideology in keeping with the Democratic Party's new face that seeks the abolition of ICE. The refusal to protect people for ideological reasons is not at all different from the elimination of the legal status of the Jews under the Nuremberg laws, which denied Jews the status of "juridical person." Having no legal protections, they were ripe to be victimized by Nazi thugs.

Although comparisons with the Nazis are often overwrought and painted in hyperbole, there is no denying that when any group is denied protection of the law, it is made vulnerable to the thuggery of the mob. Whether the black communities of the Deep South in the era of segregation, the Jews of the Nazi era, or the ICE employees of Portland, the philosophical and legal implications are the same. These people are all denied the basic human right of protection under the legal system for which the social contract has been created. Designated as victims, they stand outside the law, and there are no consequences for their victimizers.

The federal government should not have sent a handful of federal law enforcement officers to rescue the ICE employees. The government should have acted with the seriousness and severity that was required when Governor George C. Wallace stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama to defy the federal government.

Mayor Wheeler's act is as threatening to the foundations of the legal system and the social contract on which it is built as was any segregationist office-holder who ignored federal law. The Oregon National Guard should have been federalized, mobilized, and sent to Portland. Wheeler should have been detained.

To have done anything less only encourages those who call upon His Majesty King Mob to do their bidding. A law-abiding society cannot survive on a foundation of mob rule, thuggery, and the non-enforcement of law when it serves ideological interests and not the common good.

What happened in Portland is a failure of our legal and political systems. It cannot be permitted to continue unchallenged without giving legitimacy to continual episodes of local government-orchestrated mob violence.
NAACP's own poll reveals surge in black support for Trump  and they react badly

Dependence on 90% voting support from African-Americans for electoral success is the jugular vein of the Democratic Party. President Trump's rising support among black voters is correctly seen as an existential threat to the party's  and progressivism's  ability to win national elections. That's why I thought it was big news last Saturday when Rasmussen proclaimed that black approval of Trump had hit 29%, even though most of the media ignored it for reasons AT readers well understand. But the surge in black support for President Trump is real  so real that even the far-left NAACP discovered it in a poll, though that poll (perhaps with a differently worded question) put the support at 21%. Here is a graphic presentation of the result, showing the support for Trump among various ethnicities:

What's a race victimology group to do with this? Of course, double down on charges that Trump is a racist. Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner: The NAACP said in its poll analysis, "Voters across all racial and ethnic groups believe Trump is setting race relations back. Three quarters of African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans believe Trump is setting race relations back while a small majority of white voters believe so. Black women (89 percent), in particular, feel disrespected by President Trump." If calling Trump a racist hasn't stemmed the flow of black support his way, there is no reason to believe that shouting it more will start working. It's almost as if the groups that purport to represent the interests of African-Americans are really more worried about their own careers. Hat tip: Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit
But the bar keeps rising. Even Hillary Clinton felt the pressure way back in 1999, when, running for Senate, she realized that membership in one virtue group, women, might not be enough. So Hillary suddenly announced that she was part Jewish !

In the old days, if you were a Democrat, it was enough to be a woman. Or black. Or even a white man, like Bill Clinton, if, according to liberal logic, you had enough defects in character to qualify you to be an honorary minority (remember the "first black president" before Obama?).

But being 7% Seinfeld isn't enough to get any appreciation in today's Democratic Party. That's because of the rise of candidates with memberships in three  or more  victim groups.

Just look at the congressional candidates the Democrats just nominated two days ago. In Michigan, they nominated for a congressional seat Rashida Tlaib, who is (a) an Arab-American, (b) a Muslim, and (c) a woman (and she's actually Palestinian  that means she's getting free season tickets to all J Street events!). She's a member of three grievance identity groups. That makes her extremely virtuous.

By the same token, in Kansas, Democrats nominated Sharice Davids for a congressional seat. Davids is (a) a woman, (b) a lesbian, and (c) an American Indian. Who can challenge her virtue credentials with so many victim group memberships? In Venn diagram of overlapping virtue groups, Davids would be near the absolute center!

Then there is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in all her hyphenated glory, who is (a) a woman, (b) a "Latinx" (my new favorite liberal neutering word), and (c) a Millenial (not that Millenials are a victim class per se, but they are symbolic of a group that Democrats claim ownership of).

So you see, with this new crop of Democrats, being a member of one victim group doesn't cut it.

That's why Nancy Pelosi is facing a revolt. Her only credential is that she's a woman. She can't identify with any other victim group; she can't say she's 5% android or 10% mannequin or 15% stretch plastic.

That's why Cory Booker, whose only group credential is being black, is fanning stories that he is sexually attracted to other men.

people who think I'm gay, some part of me thinks it's wonderful.... I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I'm gay....

I'm sure he does.

That's also why Elizabeth Warren is desperately clinging to her 2% heritage from the Sioux or the Navajo (or the Redskins?).

And that explains why Kamala Harris, who is a female (for now?), an Indian-American (India Indian-American, unlike Warren's supposed American Indian-American status), is also relying heavily on her African-American heritage.

I think the days of leadership of single victim category Democrats is numbered. And dual victim category Dems are really going to have to scramble to keep up, because they're getting hammered down the totem pole of virtue by these triple-victimhood candidates.

This is what you get when leadership is determined by skin color, racial identity, what you've got in your pants, and how you use it, rather than ideas, ability, or vision for the country. It's a race for the bottom in the 21st-century Animal Farm, and the winner is undoubtedly going to be the political equivalent of a DNA-spliced pig-cockroach-sewer rat.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
CNN:

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia Skripal were hospitalized and treated for a nerve-agent attack in March. Yulia Skripal was discharged from the hospital in April, and her father was discharged in May.

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law. Unless Russia takes certain steps, a second set of penalties  more stringent than this first round  must follow, according to the law.

The first set of sanctions targets certain items the US exports to Russia that could have military uses  so-called dual use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported. With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied.

A senior State Department official said there would be carve-outs however.

The US would then require Russia to assure over the next 90 days that it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons and will not do so in the future. Additionally, the criteria in the law call for Russia to allow on-site inspectors to ensure compliance.

The official said that if Russia did not meet the demands, the US "will have to consider whether to impose a second tranche of sanctions as specified by the statute."

Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, dismissed the sanctions in a tweet on Wednesday responding to the news.

"The theater of absurd continues . No proofs, no clues, no logic, no presumption of innocense [sic], just highly-liklies. Only one rule: blame everything on Russia, no matter how absurd and fake it is. Let us welcome the United Sanctions of America!" Polyanskiy tweeted.

The United Kingdom welcomed the move from the US on Wednesday. In a short statement, a government spokesperson said, "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."
There's nothing more satisfactory than a sanctimonious jackass getting schooled on his own canards.

And enter Kimberley Strassel of the Wall Street Journal's editorial page, who schooled him good.

Check out her tweet:

Allow me to help YOU, Mr. Schiff. Here is a link to December USDA report showing a record 129 million dead trees in California, citing forest mismanagement for fires. Your own California state fire office signed on to it. https://t.co/kzGQclSpul https://t.co/vq3h4SkkxJ  Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) August 7, 2018

See, the left has been spreading the flammable rubbish that as California burns, it's not the green left's fault. It's global warming's fault, see, so let's have more green regulation. California's Jerry Brown, who runs the place, is the prime propagator of this dreck, but Schiff is happy to be his dutiful parrot. Strassel presented him with a Deep State document showing that even the Deep Staters could see that the problem with the fires was too much uncleared fuel for them left lying around, what with 129 million uncleared dead trees. Those trees are left up to keep the environmental wackos happy.

Yet truth never deterred Schiff, who snottily hectored President Trump in claiming that environmental regulations had nothing to do with the sudden upswing in vast forest fires, which are threatening California's suburbs.

Environmental protections have nothing to do with the wildfires in CA. Climate change does. We're not going to let you use fires as an excuse to clear-cut our forests.

Umm, Adam? The fires are clear-cutting California's forests. No need to get Trump involved, let alone blame him. Clear-cutting is happening whether you like it or not; all you can do is choose whether you want it done orderly or you like the current free-for-all system, blaming global warming.

And Strassel's Journal itself (in an editorial she probably wrote, because she pinned the tweet) points out exactly why.

Number one: President Trump was right that water is wasted over the fire issue in a certain sense. He may not have the details right about there being no water in the fire hoses, but he is right that water is being wasted to fight fires that could be irrigating crops and land.

But every gallon of water used to extinguish fires won't be available for Californians amid a severe water shortage, which has been exacerbated by wasteful environmental policies.

Two: Measures to protect the Delta Smelt, a non-native fish, have contributed to the dry tinderbox conditions that invite fires:

The state Water Resources Control Board last month proposed additional restrictions on water deliveries. While most major wildfires this season have been in the north due to heavy winds, lower levels of irrigation in the Central Valley and Southern California contribute to drier, more combustible land conditions.

Three, environmental wackos refuse to allow any dead forest-clearing, screaming, as Schiff does, that Republicans just want to clear out all trees. That lays out more fuel for fires.

The Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency, explained in a February report that "a century of fire suppression remains firmly entrenched within federal and state firefighting agencies and has left forest floors deep in flammable groundcover."

Four, the state is addicted to "green pork" and shovels that on thick as firefighting equipment gets rusty and broken.

This year the Democratic legislature appropriated a mere $30 million of cap-and-trade revenues for fuel reductions on 60,000 acres of forest land. They allocated $335 million for electric vehicle subsidies. Democrats have also spent billions on high-speed rail, but only this year did they get around to appropriating $101 million to replace a dozen or so Vietnam War-era helicopters unequipped with modern technology that enables night-flying for fire-fighting.

Disgusted yet? What a fine thing that Strassel has the right ammo and is willing to use it against the canards of Schiff. Just put the government reports before him. He loves big government, are we right?
An allusion to the wisdom of philosophers residing in the joint applies to media whiners: "if you can't do the time, don't do the slime."

The president's daily dose of name-calling by media includes the following: he's Hitler, Stalin, racist, Mussolini, Mao, Pol Pot, racist, Nero, racist, mentally deranged, tyrant, racist, unfit, fascist, racist, dictator, hateful, racist, liar, illegitimate, colluder of all things Russian, schmuck, jackass, warmonger, and racist, and that's just MSNBC.

But a presidential tweet calling some of the press "the enemy of the people" is a bridge too far, reaching all the way to Stalingrad  in which case, actually, they'd be gagged in a gulag instead of broadcasting their drivel worldwide.

These are elites who imagine that the First Amendment is their exclusive venue as watchdogs of the political galaxy. In their galaxy, no one gets to watchdog them.

They've yet to grasp that they're growling above their weight class. Presidents are supposed to silently suffer the barks and bites of junkyard press in the name of "looking and sounding presidential."

Until now.

"Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel" is an old adage irrelevant to someone with 54 million followers on Twitter and a host of supporters barking back at media on talk radio, the internet, TV, and assorted social platforms.

No one is arguing that media shouldn't criticize this or any other president. Before they do, however, there's a man with whom they should familiarize themselves and whom they should emulate.

His name is John Peter Zenger. The first time I participated in a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. was especially meaningful when I saw the "John Peter Zenger Room." I had studied his case in law school:

John Peter Zenger was a German immigrant who printed a publication called The NEW YORK WEEKLY JOURNAL. This publication harshly pointed out the actions of the corrupt royal governor, William S. Cosby. It accused the government of rigging elections and allowing the French enemy to explore New York harbor. It accused the governor of an assortment of crimes and basically labeled him an idiot. Although Zenger merely printed the articles, he was hauled into jail. The authors were anonymous, and Zenger would not name them. In 1733, Zenger was accused of libel, a legal term whose meaning is quite different for us today [from what] it was for him. In his day it was libel when you published information that was opposed to the government. Truth or falsity [was] irrelevant. He never denied printing the pieces. The judge therefore felt that the verdict was never in question. Something very surprising happened, however.

A summary of what Zenger endured and accomplished as a printer and as a voice for liberty and freedom of the press is mentioned in a 2002 case from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pap's AM v. City of Erie:

Freedom of the press  the right to freely publish and fearlessly criticize  was a plant of slow growth. It did not spring full-grown as Minerva did from the brow of Jupiter, nor rise as quickly as did the warriors when Cadmus sowed the dragon's teeth. It was planted by many hardy, freedom-loving souls and nurtured by public opinion for several centuries before it grew to be a tree of gigantic stature. Government both in England and the United States constantly tried to suppress or destroy it. Freedom of the press became a recognized inherent Right only after and as a result of the famous Zenger libel case in New York City in 1735. In that case Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, argued vigorously for the right of a newspaper to criticize freely and truthfully the acts and conduct of governmental officials. The Court refused to recognize the theory of freedom of the press, or permit Hamilton to prove "Truth" as a defense; nevertheless the jury, ignoring the charge of the Court, acquitted Zenger. Public opinion rallied to the cause which Hamilton pleaded and freedom of the press gradually became recognized as an inalienable Right which was ordained and affirmed in the Constitution of the United States and in the Constitution of Pennsylvania.

Why does President Trump call some of the media "fake news"? Because much of their criticism fails the Zenger test. As the court said, the press has every right to "criticize freely and truthfully" the acts and conduct of government officials. (Emphasis added.)

Press credentials are not a license to lie in the name of the First Amendment.

There's another man whose words all of us should heed. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jan LaRue is senior legal analyst with the American Civil Rights Union.
The climax of this green racket was the sudden dumping of $444 million by the Australian government into a small foundation controlled by big businesses and groups committed to one side of the man-made global warming debate. This gigantic green gift is designed to polish the green electoral credentials of the embattled Turnbull government but has prompted an inquiry by the Australian Senate. (A couple of days later, P.M. Turnbull announced $180 million for drought relief.)

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has become a money magnet for those with green political agendas.

Naturally, the Australian Labor Party Opposition wants the money returned so it can re-use it to buy green votes for its members when they take power.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (whose Brisbane office is far from the Reef) has a huge board whose members have current or past ties to Commonwealth Bank, BHP, Esso, the University of Queensland, Boeing, Qantas, Shell, Rio Tinto, Peabody Energy, Origin Energy, AGL, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Ballet, Suncorp, UNICEF, and James Cook University. All are infected with the green religion or see it in their interest to polish their green halo. There is even an Al -Gore-trained climate alarmist on the board, plus a director of Tilt Renewables Limited and a partner of Affirmative Investment Management, the world's first dedicated green bond fund management company.

The board and senior management of this newly rich foundation is so openly biased toward man-made global warming alarmism that the chairman in a TV interview felt free to say, "There are no climate skeptics here" (or words to that effect). And the managing director said that "without a doubt," climate change is the biggest threat to the reef.

This tsunami of money will thus flow to the alarmist side of the climate debate  the Green Team is drowning in dollars. Where are the funds for the Blue Team?

The need to be seen doing things will now create a new threat to the reef  an invading army of day tourists and resort residents  academics, students, reporters, U.N. busybodies, photographers, federal and state bureaucrats, doomsday merchants, company directors, and politicians from all sides.

The Great Barrier Reef has been "under threat" for at least 50 years. Each new "threat" brings a new flood of taxpayer money. The alarmist "science" changes, but the reef remains.

Corals are the great survivors on planet Earth  for millions of years, they have endured ice ages and global warming, mass extinctions, fluctuating sea levels, rivers of sediments, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis. They have even re-colonized the Bikini atomic testing site.

They will certainly outlast the Turnbull government and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Further Reading:

Government Green Gift:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/30/malcolm-turnbull-present-when-443-million-dollars-offered-to-small-group-without-tender-inquiry-hears

Labor Opposition calls for a return of the money:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/07/labor-calls-reef-foundation-return-444m-grant?utm

Cooling is more likely than Warming:

https://astronomynow.com/2015/07/17/diminishing-solar-activity-may-bring-new-ice-age-by-2030/

Climate is Always Changing:

https://carbon-sense.com/2009/10/03/climate-always-changing/

The Soda Water Scare:

https://carbon-sense.com/2012/05/27/soda-water-scare/
With Android 9 (Pie) rolling out to some devices, HMD-owned Nokia has now released the final developer preview for its Nokia 7 Plus handset. The download and instructions are available via the companys official developer preview page and the company is billing the release as a final opportunity to provide feedback before Android Pie is finalized for the device. More specifically, the updated firmware can only be applied to Nokia 7 Plus models bearing the model numbers TA-1046, TA-1055, and TA-1062. Chinese variants on the smartphone cannot be updated at this time. Nokia notes that OTA updates and rollback updates are supported in its developer previews. So those who already have prior previews installed may not need to manually install the newest one. Its also recommended that less tech-savvy users dont attempt to install the preview since there may be a variety of bugs that still need to be worked out. Additionally, some applications from Google Play are likely to stop working normally. The update is generally intended to garner feedback about the build and to give developers an opportunity to prepare their own applications for the full version of the new OS.

Setting aside features added with prior developer previews, the new firmware includes mostly finalizing touches. For example, system-level icons are updated to match the new OS and device theming options allowing for dark or light modes has been added. The new Material Design standards are also present in many more home screen icons and other areas of the U.I. Beyond that, Nokias 7 Plus is receiving new gesture navigation controls that fall more in line with changes to stock Android. That should mean the new contextual navigation icon changes are in place and users can slide a finger across the navigation area in order to view and scroll through their recent apps list. Adaptive battery, brightness, and app actions are implemented with this update as well and users should expect the Android Security Patch level to be brought up to August 2018.

Given that the final version of the OS has already released, it isnt necessarily likely that the Nokia 7 Plus will see stable Android 9.0 Pie any time soon. Thats going to depend on a variety of factors such as the number of bugs that still need to be ironed out and how big those bugs are. In the meantime, Nokia isnt offering any information as to whether or when the last Android P Beta might arrive on any of its other handsets.
Amazon has discounted the very popular, Sony WH-1000X M2 wireless noise cancelling headphones, bringing the price down to $298. That is $50 off of its regular price, and does also bring them back down to their all-time lowest price. These have not been discounted all that often, so now is definitely the time to pick up a pair.

The Sony WH-1000X M2 are a great pair of headphones to pick up. Not only because they are wireless and noise cancelling, but they also provide some great audio quality. Allowing you to really enjoy your music while youre ignoring everything around you. These are capable of Hi-Res audio, which is great for audiophiles out there. Additionally there is ambient sound in the WH-1000X M2s here, which is going to be great for still hearing whats going on around you, but not drowning out the music hitting your ears. This is a good mode for using on a plane, so that you can hear the announcements and when flight attendants ask you questions. Finally, the Sony WH-1000X M2 come with some incredible battery life. These will last you around 20 hours of continuous playback. Of course, if you want to plug these in you can, and theyll last forever. With noise cancellation turned off, these will last around 30 hours on a single charge.

This item is also eligible for Amazon Primes free shipping. Which includes free two-day shipping, and pretty cheap (usually $3.99) next-day shipping if you need it extra fast. If you are not an Amazon Prime member yet, you can sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime. Youll get 30 days free (if youre a student, you get 6 months), and then its $119/year (or $59/year for students). Prime members do get a whole lot more than just free shipping though, so be sure to check out the full benefits.
Google just took to its G Suite blog to break the news that it will officially begin to remove the Contacts button in all versions of Gmail, both legacy and new, app and web, effective immediately. While this was announced on the G Suite blog, the change seems to affect both enterprise and consumer editions of Gmail. In some cases, it seems that the option to pull up the Contacts menu within the Gmail interface is still present, but activating said option does nothing. Its worth noting that the shortcut was already gone for everybody on the new Gmail interface, which became the default a few months ago except for those who specifically opted out of it and went back to the old version.

To be clear, youll really only know this change occurred if you specifically chose to go back to classic Gmail. The Contacts shortcut was gone in the mobile version of Gmail for quite some time, and it was never included in the Gmail reboot that was pushed out to desktop users a few months back. Users will now have to hit the apps icon near the top right of the Gmail window and go to the Contacts Preview through there. For G Suite administrators that may have disabled the feature some time ago and forgotten about it, Google has automatically reinstated access for all G Suite installations.

This change, as with many changes made in the past few months, is merely part of a larger effort that Googles been making to push Material Design updates to all of its products. Gmail has long been a mainstay of the Google arsenal, and effectively got its turn long ago. This is just the final nail in the old contact manager interfaces coffin, so to speak. In time, users can expect similar changes across most of Googles product range, if not in everything, while the company works to unify its design language across all of its products. Those few administrators who still want access to the in-window Contacts interface for whatever reason can contact Google via the source link to ask for it.
Samsung has now officially unveiled its Galaxy Note 9 flagship phablet and a brand new infographic to highlight the features and changes made to its iconic S Pen. The biggest of those changes is the inclusion of Bluetooth Low Energy components in the 106.37mm x 5.7mm body of the accessory, which allows for far more uses. For starters, certain aspects of the phablets functionality can now be activated at a distance of nearly 33 feet from the device. Those include custom actions performed by the on-stylus button, as well as those made available in third-party applications starting some point later this year. However, the Korean tech giant points to camera and media control as places where users can get started trying out the new S Pen. More specifically, users can now snap photos, navigate through slides of a presentation, or control the playback of a movie with a simple click rather than having to interact with the Galaxy Note 9 itself.

The Bluetooth module used and a built-in Super Capacitor for power also mean the S Pen can be used for up to 30 minutes before it needs to be clipped back into its on-device slot. Thats around 200 clicks worth of use per charge, according to Samsung. That should be useful since it can also be used as a remote while the Galaxy Note 9 is connected to an external display via Samsung DeX. While docked, Galaxy Note 9 owners can also draw or write on the Note 9, with each stroke appearing on the connected display as well. However, the new features of the S Pen dont end there. Samsungs AR Emoji stickers can also be drawn or written on with the Galaxy Note 9 and the company is including the PENUP art-based social network on the flagship to encourage creativity.

Last but not least, the S Pen will be available in a total of four colors, to match the available color options the Galaxy Note 9 will ship with. Those include more standard black, purple, and copper offerings but the Ocean Blue variant of the Galaxy Note 9 will feature a new yellow-themed S Pen to accent the brand new color.
A proposal that would see new hires in ride-sharing halted for the time being in New York City has passed a vote in city council. The policy states that no new vehicle licenses for ride-sharing services will be issued for one year. All thats left now is for New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to sign the bill, which will codify it into city law. He is fully expected to sign the bill some time in the next few months, since he has personally spoken well of the initiative in the past.

The cap mainly targets Uber and Lyft, the two largest ride-sharing entities. According to city officials, the rapid growth of ride-sharing has caused congested roadways, among other issues. One of the more unique issues facing New York that other markets may not struggle with is the fact that New York City issues licenses for all professional drivers, so many Lyft and Uber drivers used to be taxi drivers. Given the transit infrastructure in the city, the taxi industry used to be one of the dominant ways to get around before Uber and Lyft arrived. Now, there are somewhere around 80,000 ride-sharing cars out and about, and less than half as many taxis, speaking across categories. Since ride-sharing services are often far cheaper than traditional taxis, and can easily be gotten on demand, they have stolen away most of the business that the taxi industry would likely otherwise be getting, on top of sending fare prices plummeting. This has caused many taxi drivers to change careers, and caused significant economic hardship for the ones that stay in the industry.

The voted measure will halt new vehicle registrations for one year, though existing drivers should be able to change vehicles if needed. This means that Uber, Lyft and others like it will be unable to experience any real growth during this time. New York City will reportedly be using this breathing space as a period to examine ride-sharings impact on the city and decide on a more permanent measure. Lyfts VP of public policy chimed in on the matter, saying, We will never stop working to ensure New Yorkers have access to reliable and affordable transportation in every borough.
The S Pen bundled along with Samsungs newly announced Galaxy Note 9 flagship will soon support third-party apps, the company confirmed Thursday. The ninth generation of the seminal smartphone lineup debuts its first-ever stylus with Bluetooth capabilities, with Samsung opting to utilize Bluetooth Low Energy to provide users with a wide variety of new remote features. While the tech giants first-party apps such as Video and Music will be compatible with those functionalities out of the box, third-party developers will be given the opportunity to embrace the same technology later this year, though Samsung has yet to attach a specific timeframe to that promise.

Third-party Android app support will likely debut in the form of a dedicated S Pen API that should allow developers to make their software remote-controllable but the actual volume of games and other apps that will utilize that feature will certainly depend on how commercially successful the Galaxy Note 9 ends up being. With this years Galaxy S9 line selling below the firms expectations, success is not guaranteed, as evidenced by the fact that Samsungs pre-order promotions for the Galaxy Note 9 are significantly more aggressive than what the company has been offering in recent years, going up to $300 in value in certain countries.

While the new S Pen can function as a remote controller, its basic drawing and note-taking capabilities still dont require it to be charged ahead of use. As for the former, a 40-second charging episode will provide you with up to 30 minutes of use, or approximately 200 clicks. The Galaxy Note 9 is already available for pre-orders in select markets such as the UK, with Samsung and wireless carriers in the U.S. being set to start receiving advanced orders from tomorrow. The 128GB variant of the device is priced at $999, whereas the 512GB model that also ships with 8GB of RAM features a $1,249 price tag. Samsung will be releasing the Galaxy Note 9 on August 24.
Samsungs in-house microchips may be susceptible to Meltdown vulnerabilities after all, according to researchers from Graz Technical University in Austria who recently provided details on their discovery to Reuters. The group is expected to reveal more about its findings during the Black Hat 2018 conference in Las Vegas tomorrow, but has already explicitly said it was able to successfully execute at least one exploit in Samsungs Galaxy S7 devices. Prior to this, the Korean tech giants hardware components were among the very few considered to be relatively untouchable by this particular vulnerability.

Although the researchers did not disclose whether or not Samsung had been notified, or when it managed to initiate the exploit, the smartphone manufacturer patched those devices most recently in January and again in July. Historically, affected companies are told about vulnerabilities and fix them well in advance of any announcement, so that is likely to be the case here as well. In the meantime, a Samsung spokesperson has reportedly said the company had not witnessed any real-world breaches of its handsets security as a result of the flaws associated with Meltdown. With that said, and in spite of the devices age, it is expected that a significant number of Samsung Galaxy S7 phones are still in circulation, and therefore the news of this discovery is still likely to be of concern to current Galaxy S7 owners.

Whats more, the news isnt at all likely to be the end of the ongoing issues being caused by Meltdown, according to the research team, as they plan to continue looking at other popular smartphones in order to determine whether millions of other users are still unknowingly affected by this, simply due to manufacturers remaining unaware of the problem. In regard to the vulnerabilities, Meltdown  and its PC counterpart Spectre  are effectively bugs that allow easy access to the heavily-secured side of a computer or smartphones hardware. Because those partitions are meant to be protected, access makes it relatively easy for a malicious entity to garner sensitive personal data such as passwords and/or credit card information from applications running on the hardware.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Samsungs Bixby 2.0 will ship first on the companys newly revealed Galaxy Note 9 phablet but the firm appears to be getting some help from Google with its updated voice assistant. As announced during the Samsung Unpacked 2018 event today, the new Bixby not only features native support for the search giants widely used Maps application but collaborative efforts are also ongoing between the two companies. As of this writing, Samsung has not given away any details with regard to what other Google features or services will be incorporated in support of Bixby 2.0 in the future. Instead, the company only indicated that a number of other key services are also being supported by the apparent partnership. While that statement is relatively vague, the announcement could mean that more of Googles products will be used to help prop up Samsungs A.I.-driven digital assistant in future updates.

Samsung could feasibly include native support for anything from Googles music or video offerings to email and there are a lot of ways the latter companys expertise with A.I. could be beneficial to Bixby. For example, Bixby 2.0s interactivity with third-party apps and services, machine vision tools, and natural responsiveness are aspects thats Googles own experience would be useful in helping flesh out. Having said that, Samsungs vagueness may be more simply explained as an indication that the features being created in conjunction with Google simply arent ready to roll out yet. Bearing that in mind, more information on the two companies efforts will most likely be unveiled as the virtual assistant lands on more devices and begins receiving updates.

On the other hand, there doesnt seem to be much to gain for Google from the collaboration. More directly, the arrangement seems to suggest that Google doesnt currently view Bixby as a competing service at all at this point. The search giant has spent the majority of its time in the A.I. assistant market in the shadow of Amazons hugely popular Alexa. Thats in spite of at least a few reports that suggest Google Assistant is far more accurate and responsive than most of its competition. In light of that, working with one of the worlds top Android device manufacturers could be helpful in promoting its own services without having to invest too many resources.

Advertisement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xBOkiSdo1I&feature=youtu.be




Guwahati : The Anti Corruption Branch of Assam police had arrested three government employees including a police officer for taking bribes in past 24 hours.





The Anti Corruption Branch had caught a police sub-inspector while he accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a person at a hotel in Guwahati on Tuesday night.





A top official of Assam police said that, the sub-inspector identified as Biren Bora posting at Paltan Bazar police station had demanded Rs 40,000 from a person for releasing him on bail.





Following complaint, we had launched operation and caught him red-handed from a hotel in Guwahati while he accepting bribe of Rs 20,000. We had also arrested the manager of the hotel in connection with it, the top Assam cop said.





On the other hand, the Anti Corruption Branch had arrested two government servants at Tezpur in Sonitpur districts for taking bribe of Rs 3,000 from a person.





According to the reports, Jagannath Saikia, Upper Division Assistant, has been caught red handed from his office at Deputy Inspector of Schools, Sonitpur (Tezpur) for accepting bribe of Rs 3,000 from one Bhashkar Jyoti Nath for clearing the file regarding Leave Salary encashment of his father, who had retired way back in 2011.





The accused officer had demanded a bribe of Rs 6,000 from the complainant.

Thus, Bhashkar Jyoti Nath approached the Anti Corruption Branch and registered ACB PS Case No. 19/2018 u/s 7(a)/13(1)(a)/7(b) of PC Act (as ammended in 2018), Rajib Saikia, Chief Public Releation Officer (CPRO) of Assam police said.





The Anti Corruption Branch had arrested one more identified as Dipak Singh in connection with the case.





Further Investigation regarding alleged demand by him is also being conducted.




BarcelonaERC MPs Josep Maria Jove and Jenn Diaz have filed a complaint with the Catalan police against a Spanish police officer who spat and insulted them on July 23 as they were walking to Barcelonas Palau de la Musica, the venue where an awards ceremony was about to be held, TV3 reports. The two Catalan representatives stated that, as they were walking past the Spanish Police station on Via Laietana, an armed officer in uniform who was standing guard outside spat on the ground. When the MPs turned around, he called them c****s.

There are security cameras outside the police station, so assuming they are keen to find out they should be able to identify the officer in question, Diaz said to TV3 as she explained the reasons why they have reported the incident. A Spanish police source has told this newspaper that they will release the footage to the judge once a judicial request has been made. Diaz noted that the officer might have recognised her colleague because he is a former government deputy (in the ministry of Economy and the Vice Presidency) and was arrested on September 20 last year for his leading role in the preparation of the independence vote, after Catalan president Carles Puigdemont tasked VP Junqueras with the job of organising the referendum. Jove was released three days later because no rebellion charge was pressed against him, but he has been indicted for disobedience, neglect of duty and misuse of public funds. The latter crime carries a prison sentence.

The two Catalan MPs hope that their case will help to put an end to what they described as police impunity. In fact, the complaint lodged by the representatives emphasises that the episode has caused them to experience distress and fear because this is not a one-off incident. For months we have been getting threats, slurs and damage to our property because of our political views by individuals who presumably do not sympathise with them, they explained. In early May a number of unknown individuals destroyed Diazs car while it was parked in Sant Andreu de la Barca, her hometown. The culprits have not been found yet. In a Twitter post, the ERC MP has complained about the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for the attacks and insults against independence supporters.

This incident comes after Catalan photojournalist Jordi Borras was physically assaulted on July16 by a Spanish policeman working in Barcelonas intelligence division. The officer has not been suspended. Even though the police force initially stated that he had been assigned a desk job, it turns out that he is actually a police inspector and not a mere constable. Officers with that rank belong to the forces executive scale and they tend to be specialists in a particular area. The officer in question is doing anti-terrorist work and monitoring extremist groups, the two main focus areas of the intelligence division in any police force. The Spanish police have argued that no formal probe will be launched against the officer until a court has agreed to see the case because the police officer also lodged a complaint against Borras for having allegedly assaulted him first. However, the Catalan photographer has always maintained that the police officer jumped him and attacked him viciously.
The Arab Air Carriers Association (AACO) has negotiated a new deal with Amadeus, a technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry.

The 15 airlines covered by the deal flew 110 million passengers in 2016. They will serve more than 1 billion passengers during the lifetime of the contract.

Working together with Amadeus, they will explore how they can further develop and maximise the potential of its travel agency network, including enhanced merchandising and retailing capabilities.

The framework deal came about because theres a need for ongoing technological innovation and improved skills to drive global travel volumes  particularly when faced by geopolitical and security issues.

In addition, booking of core travel elements needs to be made more straightforward and efficient through a better interconnectivity of different travel modes and services.

Digitalised services are an essential solution to gain a more competitive edge. Airlines have to look at their home markets and their distribution worldwide to respond efficiently to the whole ecosystem.

AACO secretary general, Abdul Wahab Teffaha, said: This efficient, long-term agreement with Amadeus represents a landmark for a number of members, giving them a technology partner dedicated to supporting new business strategies.

Amadeus has recently obtained its International Air Transport Association (IATA) new distribution capability (NDC) certification. It has done extensive work on the IATA one order standard, which aims to standardise the communication between airline order management, revenue accounting and delivery providers.

Amadeus will, thus, equip participating AACO airlines with tools to pursue the right distribution strategy to meet their individual business goals.

For the participating AACO members, the partnership will drive economies of scale, technological efficiencies and support the airlines vision for distribution in the future, said

Maher Koubaa, Amadeus VP head of airline group Middle East and Africa.

Whether their focus is on providing travellers with a premium product, capitalising on the region as a hub between Asia and Europe, or pursuing a partnership approach, airlines see the value in an omnichannel distribution strategy to maximise their sales with travellers across the world.

Koubaa stressed that partnership and cooperation are key elements for Amadeus to improve passenger experience, enhance the brand activity and maximise revenues of airlines. As a technology provider and a customer-centric organisation, we not only serve our clients but drive their businesses as their partners, he explained.

The whole industry is moving toward a more integrated system. We want to be at the heart of that trend. Technology is of the utmost importance and partnership is the way forward. Thats why we are promoting synergies to satisfy airlines and passengers.

Amadeus is also creating competency centres to support airline activities.

Booking remains a main challenge for Amadeus as customer experience is becoming more and more embedded in the industry. It is working on a hybrid system to provide booking facilities for both business aviation and commercial bookings.

The AACO agreement comes at a time when traffic is growing more and more from west to east. Amadeus wants to power this shift.

The airlines in this vibrant region are preparing themselves to face the growing challenges and competition as the travel industry continues to outstrip world GDP growth. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future, said Koubaa.

After three decades in business, Amadeus continues to invest in its platforms, ensuring that they are capable of delivering the flexible shopping experience demanded by modern travellers and its customers around the world.

With 46 airlines and 1.3 billion passengers boarded in 2016 Amadeus, which has a presence in more than 190 countries, shows that the indirect distribution model is a powerful and efficient tool.


Blog archive May 2006 (2) June 2006 (4) July 2006 (2) August 2006 (4) September 2006 (4) October 2006 (6) November 2006 (6) December 2006 (5) January 2007 (4) February 2007 (6) March 2007 (6) April 2007 (5) May 2007 (6) June 2007 (3) July 2007 (6) August 2007 (7) September 2007 (11) October 2007 (8) November 2007 (2) December 2007 (3) January 2008 (3) February 2008 (2) March 2008 (2) May 2008 (3) June 2008 (3) August 2008 (4) September 2008 (3) October 2008 (2) November 2008 (1) December 2008 (1) January 2009 (1) February 2009 (1) March 2009 (2) April 2009 (2) May 2009 (4) June 2009 (2) July 2009 (4) August 2009 (4) September 2009 (5) October 2009 (4) November 2009 (5) December 2009 (2) January 2010 (4) February 2010 (7) March 2010 (4) April 2010 (5) May 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) July 2010 (6) August 2010 (4) September 2010 (5) October 2010 (4) November 2010 (3) December 2010 (4) January 2011 (3) February 2011 (5) March 2011 (3) April 2011 (6) May 2011 (6) June 2011 (3) July 2011 (3) August 2011 (4) September 2011 (4) October 2011 (2) November 2011 (4) December 2011 (3) February 2012 (1) March 2012 (5) April 2012 (2) May 2012 (4) June 2012 (1) July 2012 (3) August 2012 (4) September 2012 (3) October 2012 (3) November 2012 (4) December 2012 (2) January 2013 (1) February 2013 (4) March 2013 (3) April 2013 (2) May 2013 (1) June 2013 (4) July 2013 (2) August 2013 (5) October 2013 (2) November 2013 (4) December 2013 (2) January 2014 (1) February 2014 (3) March 2014 (2) April 2014 (4) May 2014 (3) June 2014 (7) July 2014 (4) August 2014 (4) September 2014 (4) October 2014 (4) November 2014 (4) December 2014 (4) January 2015 (5) February 2015 (5) March 2015 (6) April 2015 (8) May 2015 (5) June 2015 (5) July 2015 (7) August 2015 (9) September 2015 (9) October 2015 (15) November 2015 (2) December 2015 (8) January 2016 (6) February 2016 (4) March 2016 (11) April 2016 (7) May 2016 (10) June 2016 (9) July 2016 (8) August 2016 (7) September 2016 (5) October 2016 (6) November 2016 (5) December 2016 (4) January 2017 (3) February 2017 (2) March 2017 (5) April 2017 (7) May 2017 (6) June 2017 (8) July 2017 (6) August 2017 (8) September 2017 (4) October 2017 (7) November 2017 (8) December 2017 (11) January 2018 (13) February 2018 (16) March 2018 (14) April 2018 (12) May 2018 (8) June 2018 (10) July 2018 (6) August 2018 (8) September 2018 (6) October 2018 (3) November 2018 (4) December 2018 (3) January 2019 (7) February 2019 (6) March 2019 (8) April 2019 (11) May 2019 (9) June 2019 (13) July 2019 (10) August 2019 (7) September 2019 (4) October 2019 (6) November 2019 (4) December 2019 (6) January 2020 (5) February 2020 (3) March 2020 (6) April 2020 (7) May 2020 (6) June 2020 (6) July 2020 (6) August 2020 (6) September 2020 (8) October 2020 (6) November 2020 (4) December 2020 (3) January 2021 (2) February 2021 (2) March 2021 (6) April 2021 (5) May 2021 (3) June 2021 (1) July 2021 (4) August 2021 (5) September 2021 (3) October 2021 (3)
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) made a significant leap forward in the use of technology, moving away from soldiers walking long distances in pursuit of an enemy to manufacturing and assembling armoured vehicles, Nixon Segawa reports in Chimpreports.



Assembly of a Nyoka armored personnel carrier (Picture source: Chimpreports)

The Nyoka vehicles were unveiled on 8 August at Magamaga Barracks in Mayuge District. I am glad now after a long period of sleep, Africa is waking up because such work is a result of no sleep, President Museveni observed. During the event, Museveni promised to look into the economies of making iron steel here as opposed to buying from Sweden. He pledged to work tirelessly to see that other industries such as Luwero Industries can combine ideas for better output and form a bigger industry which can employ more Ugandans.

Impala Service and Logistics Limited of South Africa was applauded for choosing to partner with UPDF and the President urged them to maintain such a wonderful working relationship.

At the same function the Chief of Defence Forces Gen David Muhoozi commended the Commander in Chief for being such a guiding star for UPDF and doing a very commendable job towards the professionalization of the Army: We have skilled our soldiers and we hope to upgrade, he said. The CDF also promised that the Army will soon construct a ship.

Asked to speak on the transformation of the armed forces, Defence spokesperson Brigadier Richard Karemire responded: It has been such a long journey to steadily transform the NRA guerilla army into the now mighty modern UPDF that continues to keep our people safe. He added: The correct pro-people and Pan Africanist ideology under the guidance of our Commander in Chief has under pinned UPDF successes along the path to professionalization. He, however, did not tell us the amount of money saved in the local assembling of the vehicles.

The Nyoka vehicles, whose ballistic protection is claimed to withstand a single anti-tank mine blast anywhere under the hull, are made from steel which Uganda has and that very soon a factory in Tororo will be making new steel from iron ore. Research shows the Nyoka 44 protected vehicle platform provides a cost-effective option for urban and rural operations. Its ballistic protection is equal to NATO Stanag Level 1 and can survive anti-tank blasts. The Nyoka is well suited for military and policing operations where cross-country mobility is required.

Nyoka 44s key performance areas are high-mobility all-wheel drive for urban and rural operations; exceptional on- and off-road performance; cost effective, reliable and maintainable protected 44 platform; mine blast protection up to 7kg of TNT anywhere under the hull and pneumatic-operated rear doors. The 15-tonne APC can carry 2 tonnes and is powered by a 450 hp six-cylinder diesel that provides a 30 hp/tonne power-to-weight ratio, which translates into acceleration (10.5 seconds to 60 km/h) and a high cruising speed (120 km/h claimed). A more powerful 530 hp diesel engines can also be supplied. Other charachteristics include air-conditioned interior; C-130 transportability; internal lighting; shooting ports; external storage bins; front grill ballistic protection and have a crew of 2 people plus 9 combatants.

In the Arab world, the Nyokas are known as Masmak  unveiled in 2011 by the Saudi Groups, a private Saudi Arabian company specialised on military armoured vehicles ad security systems.
COP26 may be a cop-out in the making COP26 is just about a month away. Delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has built up even more expectations and momentum during the intervening months
Remains of a settlement of the Slavs` ancestors have been found during excavations in the Belorussian Polesie. People lived there from the 2nd to the 5th century AD. This confirms that the Slavs come from the Pripyat basin, believes archaeologist Dr. Vadim Belavec.

"Our research confirms the hypothesis about the origin of the Slavs: that they spread to other lands of Europe from Polesie and adjacent lands of Kiev region" - says head of excavations, Dr. Vadim Belavec from the Faculty of History of the Belarusian State University in Minsk.

The settlement is located near the village of Yaskovichi, near the town of Soligorsk in the Minsk region. During the excavations that took place in July, archaeologists managed to dig out the remains of two buildings and objects from the period between the end of the 2nd and the first half of the 5th century AD.

Previously, archaeologists have discovered in Polesie the remains of the earliest stage of development of a Prague culture dated mid-4th - early 5th century. According to Dr. Belavec, this archaeological culture is identified with the Slavs who are mentioned in written sources only from the 6th century onwards.

Settlements in the south of Belarus, dated from the 1st to the beginning of the 3rd century, that were probably inhabited by the ancestors of the Slavs, have been studied for a dozen years.

"But until recently, what had been happening in the present southern Belarus between the 3rd and 4th centuries was one big archaeological blank spot. We did not know any sites that beyond a shadow of a doubt dated back to this period. The recent excavations, including those carried out in July, shed new light on this problem" - says Dr. Belavec. He believes that further research will allow to track the development of the Slavic tribes - from their ancestors to historical Slavs.

So far, archaeologists have unveiled the remains of two utility buildings, probably used to store grains. The inhabitants of the settlement specialized in goldsmithing, as evidenced by the discovered crucibles and casting spoons. The most spectacular artefacts are bronze alloy decorations and details - fibulae and lunulae, decorated with white and red enamel, as well as a coin with the image of the Roman emperor Commodus (161-192 AD).

According to the discoverers, most of the artefacts are similar to those from other places inhabited by the ancestors of the Slavs.

Archaeologists also found objects confirming the contacts of the settlement inhabitants with the Goths, who occupied the areas of today`s Eastern Poland, Ukraine and South-West Belarus during that period. They noticed a bronze object that has no analogy in Eastern and Central Europe. It is a sword sheath decoration that probably belonged to a Germanic warrior. The archaeologist suspects that he participated in an attack on the studied settlement. This raid could have ended its existence in the 5th century.

Belavec believes there is a need for further excavation in search of similar archaeological sites in Belarus. They could provide a full confirmation of the regardingtheory about the origin of Slavs from the Pripyat basin.

Dr. Vadim Belavec had participated in a scientific internship at the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw from 2014 to 2017. He carried out a research project financed by the National Science Centre. In 2018 he returned to Minsk, where he continues to work on the problems of the ethnogenesis of the Slavs.

PAP - Science in Poland

author: Szymon Zdziebowski

szz/ zan/ kap/

tr. RL
It looks like a go-kart cart and its easy and very cheap to built. The 1-person vehicle, created as part of the students graduation project, runs on compressed air. Its performance might not be much for a true petrolhead, but if you factor in all the other aspects, it could be overlooked.This is a true green car. It costs a little over $1,000 to build and can reach speeds of 40 km per hour. It can go about 30 kilometers before needing to refuel, so dont expect long drives from the start.The operational cost of the vehicle... will be almost nothing. You are basically using compressed air. You are not paying for fuel and also you do not need cooling, Mahmoud Yasser, one of the students involved in the project, says in an interview cited by Gadgets.NDTV The students are now looking for more funding to continue working on the project. Theyre convinced that further investments could lead to upgrades in the car, specifically in terms of speed and range. Their aim is to make it reach speeds of 100 km per hour and to run for 100 km before recharge.Since that could be a long way from today, another option for a very green car will arrive on the market in 2020. Its called the Sion from Sono Motors and its a vehicle that runs on solar power, but that can also be charged from a conventional electric outlet.The more expensive version of Sion, the Extender, starting at 16,000, has a range of 250 km on a single charge. Plus, you get to seat 3 other people, with you at the wheel.
Just look at William Bull Bullard. His resume already includes magnificent shots from a helicopter and while hanging 110 feet in the air, strapped to a harness at a Wildwood amusement park. But hed never done an airplane shot before. Until now, that is.In preparation for the teams 4 upcoming games at the Wildwood Convention Center, Bullard got himself on a plane, ready to perform a trick shot. He made sure it was one for the history books: he shot and he scored.The 2-person Super Cub plane flew at nearly 70 miles an hour over a landing strip near Wildwood, New Jersey, and Bullard managed to put the ball through the hoop on his first try. You can see it all go down in the video at the bottom of the page. It even includes multiple-angle views, so you can fully appreciate the kind of skill needed to pull it off.Theres no better way to arrive to Wildwood than with a trick shot from an airplane, Bullard says in a statement. I cant wait to meet up with my teammates next week and put on a great show for the fans!Ironically, in 2013, the 33-year-old Detroit native wasnt able to dunk a regular hoop, though through no fault of his own. He came very close to serious injury when he dunked the ball during a Globetrotters game and the entire backboard came down with him, shattering as it hit the floor. He was injured, but not as badly as he could have been, had he let go of the hoop as he fell.
The revelation came as part of a request from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT), sent to other local car manufacturers as well. Among them Mazda, which on Thursday released its findings in the matter.The company says it performed sample testing of fuel economy and emission levels on 1,472 vehicles and only found speed trace errors in 72 cases. A speed trace error represents a deviation of the vehicles speed more than the permitted amount from the trace pattern prescribed by the test mode.Although admitting and accepting the errors in these cases, Mazda states that its sample testing found no improper alteration or falsification of test data.Mazda accepts that errors were made on a small number of tests and the situation was identified quickly, and steps have been put in place to avoid it happening in the future, says the company in a statement.All test data has been re-examined, and the results show there was no effect on specification fuel economy and emission figures.To avoid any such readings in the future, Mazda said it will update the testing system to automatically treat test results as invalid in the event of a speed trace error.Additionally, the number of employees who check inspection data, including speed trace errors, has been increased.The Japanese emissions issue differs vastly from the one Volkswagen drew the automotive industry into. Unlike the Europeans, the Japanese have not installed so-called defeat devices to trick testing procedures, nor do they appear to have willingly tried to deceit regulators.So far, caught up in this Japanese debacle are Nissan, Mazda, Suzuki, and Yamaha, so expect more details to surface in the coming days.
For now, a space economy pretty much means tourism and private demand for rocket launches, but the possibilities are virtually endless. All that's needed is more companies launching more hardware out there.As a means to boost and support commercial activity in space, NASA said on Wednesday it has commissioned 13 companies to conduct studies into this matter. Among them are Jeff Bezos Blue Origin , Bigelow Aerospace, which plans to build the worlds first private space station in the near future, Boeing, and Deloitte.All will be tasked with looking at ways for making a profit from habitable platforms, assessing the role of the government in this new industry and how to incorporate the existing International Space Station in the new reality.When the International Space Station was established, we could not have anticipated all of the benefits it would provide, said in a statement Sam Scimemi, director of the International Space Station division at NASA Headquarters.Were 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 orbit.NASA says tasking these companies with the research will allow it to focus on bolder missions. At the same time, any possible tech and ideas that comes out of these studies could benefit the agency as well, as it still is the planets largest customer for space companies.As per NASA estimations, the combined value of the studies it commissioned is of around $11 million, with each contract not to exceed $1 million. The first results are expected to be published this December.In the document attached below you can find the full list of companies selected by NASA for the task.
Heavyweights of local auto manufacturing gathered at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for the 2nd Philippine Auto Parts Expo (PhilAPEX).

The event serves as a venue for auto parts manufacturers and related industries to highlight their manufacturing capabilities and potential to the local industry.

The event was organized by the Philippine Parts Makers Association (PPMA) with the theme, "Gawang Pilipino, para sa Pilipino! The event is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry - Board of Investments (DTI-BOI), Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Automotive Body Manufacturers of the Philippines (ABMAP).

Present at the opening ceremonies and offering keynote speeches were PPMA president, Ferdi Raquelsantos, Hon. Arthur Tugade, DOTr Secretary, and Hon. Ramon Lopez, DTI Secretary. Also present was LTFRB Chairman, Martin Delgra III.

Besides the presence of Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program participants, Toyota Motor Philippines and Mitsubishi Motors Phils., Corp., PhilAPEX 2018 also welcomes Isuzu Philippines Corp.

Besides the exhibition of parts suppliers and CARS participants, this year's PhilAPEX also highlights the participants of the government's PUV modernization program, with examples from Isuzu, Hino, Santarosa, Centro, Almazora, Mitsubishi, Foton, PhUV, Tata, Suzuki, and E-volution.

A series of lectures will also be held on the PUV Modernization's franchising and route rationalization, financing the new PUVs, and supporting PUV manufacturing.

The 2nd PhilAPEX is ongoing at Hall 4 of the SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, starting today until tomorrow, August 10, 2018.
Since its debut last year, the Mitsubishi Xpander has proven to be a sales hit with overbooked reservations and cars being delivered before they even reach the showroom floor. With that, the Japanese automaker has announced that they are boosting production to meet overwhelming demand for the crossover-MPV.

Built in Bekasi, Indonesia, the initial production target for the Mitsubishi Xpander was at 100,000 units for this year alone. Now, Mitsubishi will be increasing that figure by 20 percent, to an output of 120,000 for 2018. Mitsubishi Motors is currently doing plant upgrades aiming for a production capacity of 150,000 by 2019. To churn out more Xpanders, Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia (MMKI) has invested in additional welding and assembly facilities as well.

First launched in Indonesia last year, the Mitsubishi Xpander has become their best-selling vehicle with 80,000 orders from August 2017 to June 2018. I am very pleased that customers in Indonesia and other ASEAN markets have enthusiastically accepted the Xpander. We will continue to devote our efforts to deliver as quickly as possible to more customers, said Osamu Masuko, CEO of Mitusbishi Motors Corporation.

Launches in other ASEAN markets such as Malaysia and Thailand were delayed to Q3 of 2018 due to the supply shortage brought about by unexpectedly overwhelming demand in its domestic production market in Indonesia.

Locally, the Xpander debuted back in March. Prior to that, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) opened the order books for the tall seven-seater, as well as a dealer preview for interested car shoppers. There are 2,000 firm orders for the Xpander, says MMPC, and the first batch of cars arrived in May.

Read our review of the 2018 Mitsubishi Xpander GLS Sport.
Former online flight sharing service Flytenow says that the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is standing in the way of flight sharing by opposing a Senate bill introduced in April by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. According to both AOPA and Flytenow, representatives from AOPA, NATA and NBAA held a conference call with Flytenow earlier this week to discuss the organizations opposition to the Aviation Empowerment Act (S. 2650).

If passed, the Aviation Empowerment Act would redefine the term compensation to exclude flights in which the pilot and passengers share aircraft operating expenses or the pilot receives any benefit and introduce a personal operator category for pilots with at least a private certificate operating aircraft with eight or fewer seats. Flytenow cites European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) oversight of online flight sharing services in Europe as an example of how similar operations could be safely regulated and conducted in the U.S.

For pilots, [flight sharing is] a crucial method of financing a passion for flying, and for passengers, its an alternative way to reach a destination or experience flying in a private plane, Flytenow said in a statement released on Wednesday. To be clear, this is not Uber for the skies and there is no profit opportunity, rather, its pilots splitting the fuel costs with their passengers. So far, the FAA has disagreed, holding that flight sharing app services like those once offered by Flytenow count as common carriage. Flytenow contested that interpretation in court, where judges found in favor of the FAA. The case worked its way up to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear it, upholding the lower court ruling.

AOPA says the concept of online flight sharing isnt the reason for its opposition to the Aviation Empowerment Act, pointing to section 516 of the FAA Reauthorization bill (H.R. 4), which the organization says would allow flight sharing to move forward. Section 516 would require the FAA to conduct a study and issue clearer guidance on flight sharing, including a review of the rationale for flight sharing policy and related concerns. AOPA, NBAA and many other industry organizations voiced support for H.R. 4, which was recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

AOPA has always supported cost sharing for flights with others who have a common purpose and we have no issues with how pilots communicate, said AOPA President Mark Baker. We simply believe in order to facilitate this endeavor, especially given the recent court cases and legal interpretations on this matter, we must do this in a deliberate and safe manner [] with pilot and aircraft standards in place to properly manage risk. If, however, that risk is not managed, the reaction and ramifications could do real harm to general aviation.
On August 4, as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was giving a speech commemorating the countrys National Guard, two drones armed with explosives descended from the sky in an apparent assassination attempt. The presidents wife grabbed the arm of a nearby Supreme Court Justice as his bodyguards quickly surrounded him with bullet-proof shields and ushered him off the stage.

Where it stands: Later that night, Maduro gave a press conference denouncing the attempt on his life and blamed collusion between outgoing Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan opposition groups. Maduro offered no actual evidence to support this accusation, but nonetheless used it as a pretext to arrest six individuals allegedly implicated in the plot.

The scenario recalls the crisis in Turkey in the summer of 2016. After his government snuffed out a putsch attempt by the military, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan moved quickly to remove hundreds of judges seen as disloyal, purge the military and jail journalists, and later to consolidate power under his presidency.

The bottom line: While we dont know the validity of the Venezuelan government's charges against those six individuals  and may never know, given the politicization of the security forces and the judicial system, first under President Hugo Chavez and now under his protege Maduro  the genuine risk is that Maduro will use a potentially legitimate attempt on his life to take a page from the playbook of a fellow elected autocrat.

Christopher Sabatini is an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, executive director of Global Americans and a non-resident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.
An Army memo obtained by the Associated Press from last month directs high-ranking officials to immediately "suspend processing" discharges of enlistees in the special immigrant program, which can provide an expedited path to citizenship.

The backdrop: When the AP first broke the news regarding immigrant discharges last month, it was not immediately clear if the decisions marked a change in Army policy. But retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel Margaret Stock, who was a part of the creation of the immigrant recruitment program, told the AP that the memo serves as an "admission by the Army that they've improperly discharged hundreds of soldiers."
A California Appellate Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal sought by former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who wanted a new trial after being convicted of sexual assault and attempted rape of an unconscious woman after a fraternity party.

Why it matters: The three-judge panel ruled there's "substantial evidence" that Turner received a fair trial. Turner's six month sentence in 2016 had sparked widespread outrage with many arguing it was too lenient for the nature of the crimes. He was eligible for up to 14 years in prison, but served three months of his sentence. California voters in June voted to recall Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who issued Turner's sentence.
One Australian drug company  with only one (failed) product in one (failed) clinical trial  just keeps tripping up current and former House Republicans.

Driving the news: Federal prosecutors in New York indicted Rep. Chris Collins yesterday on charges of insider trading, stemming from the sale of shares in a company called Innate Immunotherapeutics.

It's the same company you may remember from Tom Price's confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary. He tripled his investment when divesting of the stock to become secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Collins had been an investor in the company for 15 years, the WSJ reports, and was a member of its board.

Price bought almost 500,000 shares in the company, most of them in 2016, at a discounted rate only offered to a few Americans. At least four other GOP lawmakers also bought shares of Innate a few months later, according to the watchdog group CREW.

Of those six lawmakers, four  Collins, Price, and Reps. Billy Long and Markwayne Mullin  sat on committees with direct health care jurisdiction.

The company did not have any FDA-approved drugs on the market, and had just one product in development at the time the members of Congress bought their stock. It was in the midst of clinical trials for a multiple sclerosis drug.

That trial was deemed a failure on June 22, 2017. According to the indictment, the company let Collins know, because he was a board member. From an event on the South Lawn of the White House, he wrote back: Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???

"Within about fifteen seconds of sending his email," the indictment says, Collins started calling his son, who  along with his girlfriend and her family  quickly unloaded their Innate shares.

Why it matters: An indictment on charges of insider trading, with a pharmaceutical company, while writing the laws for pharmaceutical companies, is not the look Republicans would have wanted heading into what's already a difficult midterm election.

The indictment, and other lawmakers' stock ownership, also raise substantive questions about whether Congress has strong enough protections in place to prevent members from profiting off information they possess or votes they cast.

 An earlier version of this story misstated the drug Innnate Inmunotherapeutics was testing. It was a drug for multiple sclerosis.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since being indicted on securities fraud charges, Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) said he would remain on the ballot for reelection this fall and called the insider trading charges levied against him "meritless."

The details: Collins turned himself in to authorities Wednesday morning on insider trading charges related to the Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics. Speaker Paul Ryan said Collins has been removed from the House Energy and Commerce Committee until the matter is settled.
Colombia's outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos took a secret and dramatic step in his last days in office, it was revealed last night, by recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state. Israel, a longtime ally of Colombia, was kept in the dark and is now furious, demanding the new government in Bogota reverse the decision.

Why it matters: This is a big deal. Colombia was and still is Israel's biggest ally in Latin America, sharing deep military, intelligence and political ties. After President Ivan Duque was elected, Israel discussed with people in his inner circle the possibility of Colombia moving its embassy to Jerusalem. Instead, Colombia recognized Palestine.

How it happened:

On August 3rd Colombia's outgoing president Santos made a secret decision to recognize Palestine. On the same day his outgoing foreign minister Maria Holguin wrote a letter to her Palestinian counterpart Riyad Maliki. Santos and Holguin asked the Palestinians to keep the letter secret until after the swearing in of Colombia's new president Ivan Duque.

Rumors about Santos' intention to recognize Palestine reached Israeli diplomats several weeks ago. They consulted officials in the outgoing and incoming governments, and both denied such a move was coming.

That explains the surprise and fury that emerged as the news broke last night.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota published a strong statement:

"Israel is very surprised and very disappointed by the outgoing Colombian government's decision to recognize Palestine and also by the way the decision was taken, without giving prior notice to a close ally like Israel. The decision to recognize Palestine is a slap in the face for a loyal ally by the outgoing government. We expect the new Colombian government to reverse this decision".

New Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Trujillo attempted some damage control, giving a statement which seemed critical of the previous government and hinting the decision might be changed:

"In view of possible omissions that could arise from the way in which this decision was made by the outgoing president, the government will carefully examine the implications and will act in accordance with international law."

But here's the catch: Outgoing foreign minister Holguin gave an interview last night to Colombian TV and said the outgoing government consulted the new government about the decision to recognize Palestine and got a green light for doing it:

"President Santos spoke with President Duque about recognizing Palestine and Duque told Santos - go ahead. I spoke twice with new foreign minister Trujillo and also got his agreement to this move."

Israel still hopes the new government might change the decision. The spokesman of the Israel's foreign ministry, Emmanuel Nahshon, said: "Israel was surprised by the press reports about Colombia's recognition of Palestine. We are waiting to get clarifications from the new Colombian government who is looking into the matter."

Worth noting: Last Thursday, August 2nd, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu announced he was canceling his trip to Duque's inauguration ceremony. A day later, Santos decided to recognize the state of Palestine. The reason Netanyahu gave for the cancellation was tension in Gaza. There is no indication Netanyahu's cancellation was due to information about the upcoming recognition of Palestine. There is also no indication the recognition was due to the cancellation.
Potential last-ditch efforts to avert the worst impacts of global warming by geoengineering Earth's climate could themselves be harmful, a new study suggests.

Why it matters: With global concentrations of greenhouse gases continuing on an upward trajectory, and no sign of the end of fossil fuel use  some researchers are turning to technological fixes for solutions to combating climate change. Geoengineering the climate is one solution being debated among scientists and policymakers.

In some ways this study is a note of caution that with a planetary scale technology like this there may be a lot of outcomes that surprise us. There is so much more that we dont know than we do know.

 Jonathan Proctor, University of California at Berkeley

The new study underscores the potential unintended and unknown consequences of the technology, as well as the need to focus on more than just the temperature changes associated with global warming.

Background: Right now, the world is on course to experience a greater amount of global warming than the 2C, or 3.6F, target under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Scientists are studying whether the planet can be veiled in particles that would reflect incoming sunlight and offset warming of the planet.

These solar radiation management (SRM) schemes are a type of geoengineering that would involve wrapping Earth in a "stratospheric veil."

Groups at Harvard and other universities are focusing on taking geoengineering from the theoretical to the technically deployable stage during the next several years.

What's new: A study published in Nature this week finds reason to be cautious about assuming that SRM would benefit crops by protecting plants from heat-related impacts and making sunlight more diffuse.

The study relies on computer modeling that incorporates two large past volcanic eruptions  El Chichon in 1982 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991  as an analog to SRM plans.

Powerful volcanic eruptions can loft the chemical precursors to sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere. Mount Pinatubo, for example, sent 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it was then formed into aerosols.

Such particles reflect incoming sunlight, cooling the planet down by reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface.

The study is the first to estimate how changes in sunlight from an analog to SRM would affect global crop yields.

Jonathan Proctor, the co-lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, said he regards geoengineering proposals such as SRM as "experimental surgery." The study, he said, suggests it's possible that ... [t]he side effects of the treatment are just as bad as the original disease.

What they found: The damages seen during the mid-20th century from the way that sulfate aerosols scatter sunlight are about equal to the projected benefits to crops from cooling the planet. The net effect, then, would "attenuate little of the global agricultural damage from climate change," the study says.

When Mt. Pinatubo erupted, sulfate aerosols were distributed around the planet and reduced direct sunlight reaching Earth by 21%. Diffuse sunlight increased by 20%. It also cut total sunlight by 2.5%, and cooled the planet by about 0.9C, or 1.62F.

The study found that changes in sunlight due to Mt. Pinatubo had a negative impact on crop yields for all the crops examined in the study, including such staples as corn and wheat.

This goes against the findings of studies that put forward the hypothesis known as the diffuse scattering effect  that scattering sunlight could increase plant growth by distributing light more evenly across leaves.

What it means: This study is one of many to come on the tradeoffs involved in deliberately tinkering with the planet's climate to offset the impact we're currently having on it. Some fear we may be compounding risks, rather than offsetting them.

At this point we have no idea whether solar geoengineering could be the best or worst technologies that we use this century.

 Jonathan Proctor, University of California at Berkeley

Any decision with respect to geoengineering will balance one risk, such as climate change risks, many of which are scary, Proctor says, against risks of geoengineering, which are also scary.

Yes, but: Researchers involved in the new study as well as in the geoengineering field in general cautioned that volcanic eruptions are an imperfect analogy for SRM methods, since they involve a one-time pulse of material into the upper atmosphere. In SRM, there would be a continuos dispersal of particles into the stratosphere, and the effects of the two might be different.

Geoengineering researchers said the study is an important contribution to the relatively thin scientific literature on this topic, but that it has some flaws.

"This is an important and impressive study," said Gernot Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, who was not involved in the new study.

"Scientists often point to past volcanic eruptions as reason to believe that solar geoengineering could work. Volcanoes, after all, have done something similar forever," Wagner said via email.

Douglas MacMartin, an engineering professor at Cornell University who was not part of the new study, told Axios in an email that the results of the study indicate the need for further research.

"It would be vastly premature to assume from this one study that the results will hold up after more research has been done. And, of course, this also illustrates the bigger observation that there is a lot we dont know about stratospheric aerosol geoengineering, and given the possible consequences of climate change, we ought to be doing far more research to better understand it."

Go deeper: We asked five experts about engineering the climate.
Lets say you are Iran. The U.S. has torn up a deal you were abiding by, and reimposed crippling sanctions that are exacerbating a currency crash and broader economic crisis. Youre in no mood to roll over for Uncle Sam  Washingtons demands are beyond the pale  but what are you gonna do about it?

Between the lines: You could threaten oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, or encourage your proxies in Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere in the Middle East to step up their attacks against U.S. allies and interests. But why go to all that trouble and expense when you could inflict pain on the Great Satan and its friends with a tap or two on a keyboard and the click of a mouse?

Iran has done cyber-damage before. Back in 2012 Tehran launched a series of cyberattacks against the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as tensions were on the rise. This time around, Tehran will almost certainly be tempted to do the same.

Heres one reason why it might not want to do anything too provocative  along with two reasons why you should be worried anyway.

First, the good news:

Unlike the Obama Administration, Donald Trump and his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton are almost certainly ready (if not actively itching) to respond ferociously to any Iranian cyberattacks, particularly if they cause any serious damage to people or property in the U.S.

Iran knows this and may reason that its better to go after something in the neighborhood and relatively low-risk, like Saudi companies business networks, rather than to invite U.S. wrath by going after something more sensitive in Uncle Sams own house, right?

But heres where things get dicey:

Cyber weapons arent like missiles that you can just stockpile and pull out whenever you want. Hackers access to networks comes and goes as their targets discover and defend against new threats. So if Tehran thinks it has a shot on goal, it might feel pressure to take it. Iran will step carefully, but it may be more likely to consider a riskier attack on a higher value American target  if the opportunity presents itself.

Theres another problem: Cyber weapons can be hard to control once you make the decision to use them. As an example, when suspected Russian hackers hit Ukraine with a big ransomware attack last year, the malware  which had been augmented with weapons-grade code stolen from the U.S. National Security Agency  spread well beyond its initial target.

Cyber weapons can be hard to control once you make the decision to use them. As an example, when suspected Russian hackers hit Ukraine with a big ransomware attack last year, the malware  which had been augmented with weapons-grade code stolen from the U.S. National Security Agency  spread well beyond its initial target. It caused billions of dollars of damage and wiped out IT systems in dozens of countries, including Russia. No one was killed. The attack didnt destroy the computers that regulate control systems in a power plant or take down the intensive care unit of a major hospital. But next time might not be so lucky.

Why it matters: Put together, Irans incentive to retaliate while it can, and the potential for unintended, even deadly, consequences adds a dangerous new dimension to an already-tense standoff.

Sign up for Signal, a twice-weekly newsletter from GZERO Media, a Eurasia Group company, and follow @KevinAllison on Twitter.
Court documents filed on Wednesday reveal that five suspects have been arrested at a New Mexico compound for abusing 11 children, and were training them to commit school shootings, reports CNN  but the filings lacked details about the alleged training.

The backdrop: The revelation comes after law enforcement authorities, searching for a missing 3-year-old boy, found 11 starving children living in a filthy compound in Amalia, New Mexico. Police said the compound lacked electricity or plumbing.

The five suspects  two men and three women  are each facing 11 counts of child abuse and neglect. The charges each of the suspects are facing has a penalty of up to three years in prison, reports The New York Times. The defendants appeared in court Wednesday and have not yet been formally charged, per CNN.

At least one of the 11 children, each aged between 1 and 15, was trained how to use an assault rifle in preparation for carrying out school shootings, per the Times.

Police reportedly found a child's remains on the property Monday, but it is unclear whether the remains are those of the missing boy allegedly abducted from Georgia by his father, Siraj Wahhaj, nine months ago. Wahhaj is one of the suspects.
Speaking alongside Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon Thursday, Vice President Pence announced that "establishing the Space Force is an idea whose time has come."

The big picture: The Vice President explained the Pentagon has begun the process of establishing Space Force as a 6th branch of the U.S. military by 2020, beginning with the establishment of a new combatant command overseen by a four-star general. However, only Congress has the power to establish a new branch of the military.

The details: Pence outlined the first stages of a plan that the Department of Defense will deliver to congress to develop a U.S. Space Force. The plan includes four pillars, including the need to "strengthen deterrence and warfighting options."

The report explains the Defense Department is requesting Congress appropriate another $8 billion for space security systems over the next 5 years and will work with Congress to enact a statutory authority in the National Defense Authorization Act for these programs.

Leading up to the establishment of a 6th branch of the military, the Defense Department has proposed to Congress that it will establish a Space Development Agency, a Space Operations Force, and a new U.S. Space Command to improve and evolve space warfighting, including integrating innovative force designs, concepts of operation, doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures.

The development of this branch will require a new position of assistant secretary defense for space who will report directly to Secretary Mattis, Pence announced.

Quickly after Pence's announcement concluded, the president expressed his support for the development in a tweet.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

The bottom line: The development of a Space Force comes in response to anti-satellite weaponry and other technologies by countries such as China and Russia, which Pence and Mattis cited as emerging threats that must be countered.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked Tesla for information related to CEO Elon Musk's tweets about taking the company private, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Musk tweeted "funding secured" for a possible $420 per share bid, but there has been lots of skepticism because he hasn't yet identified any participating investors. The SEC reportedly wants to know if the statement was factual. If it wasn't, he could be subject to accusations of market manipulation.

Go deeper: Toying with taking Tesla private
With his constant commentating and public negotiating, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is setting up unmeetable expectations for special counsel Robert Mueller  a kind of insurance policy with the president's base.

What he's saying: The former New York mayor told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an interview last night that the investigation should be "over by September," and that Mueller's case "isnt going to fizzle. It's going to blow up on them." He added, "[T]here's 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."

Giuliani told Axios that there are two topics the president's lawyers want to rule out in order to agree to a Trump sit-down with Mueller:

Why Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. What Trump said to Comey about the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Giuliani mentioned those as if they were minor details  totally reasonable areas for Mueller to agree to avoid.

In fact, theyre central to the question of whether Trump obstructed justice.

So here's how to read between the lines of Giuliani's frequent media appearances:

Rudy is pushing and pulling Mueller, and every day throws more mud over the investigation. The mayor is exploiting Muellers silence. Because Mueller cant and wont discuss the investigation, Rudy gets to monopolize the airwaves and frame the debate on his terms. Giuliani is publicly rushing Mueller to wrap up his investigation by September, and at the same time trying to rule out some of the key questions Mueller wants to explore with Trump before wrapping up the probe.

Giuliani is also personalizing it, framing everything as Mueller trying to entrap Trump.

The theater of going back and forth with Mueller is designed to create a public impression  or at least an impression in the eyes of Republican voters  that Mueller has personal animus towards Trump, and is trying to use legal trickery to steal the election from Trump voters. This is pure P.R.

Why it matters: Giuliani is publicly setting up Mueller with expectations he must know Mueller cant meet.

There's no way Mueller is wrapping this thing up by Sept. 1.

Mueller is wrapping this thing up by Sept. 1. And there's no way Mueller will agree to an interview with Trump on the condition that he wont ask him two of the critical questions about obstruction of justice.

Mueller will agree to an interview with Trump on the condition that he wont ask him two of the critical questions about obstruction of justice. By claiming them as totally reasonable asks, when Mueller ultimately doesnt deliver by Labor Day, Rudy helps fuel the bases rage all the way through to midterms.

Be smart: The strategy is working.

You see in polls that Trump has made the investigation a red-blue issue.

that Trump has made the investigation a red-blue issue. You see it in footage of Republican voters at town halls, echoing the anti-Mueller line.

Go deeper: Rudy late last month on Mueller: "They don't have a goddamn thing."
Tribune Media announced Thursday that it has terminated its $3.9 billion merger agreement with Sinclair Broadcasting and that it has filed a lawsuit for breach of contract.

Why it matters: The merger wouldve created the largest local broadcaster in America. Now, Tribune will likely sell its stations to another local broadcaster, and conservative-leaning Sinclair will likely pursue other deals to acquire more local stations, as its CEO Christopher Ripley suggested during an earnings call Wednesday.

Tribune seeks damages "including but not limited to approximately $1 billion of lost premium to Tribunes stockholders" as part of its lawsuit.

The backstory: The deal was thought to be a sure thing, but the FCC threw a wrench into it after Chairman Ajit Pai, who is favorable to industry consolidation, raised questions about the validity of some of the deal terms provided to the commission by Sinclair. An FCC spokesperson declined to comment on the merger's termination.

Pai's FCC accused Sinclair of not being upfront with regulators in trying get the deal approved, highlighting concerns about several station sales Sinclair set up to get the deal approved, including stations in Chicago, Dallas and Houston.

The commission's decision would send certain parts of the deal to an administrative law judge. That's often enough to kill a merger.

Pai's moves against the merger notably prompted the ire of President Trump, who tweeted that the decision was "disgraceful."

A source familiar with Tribunes decision says because of Sinclairs conduct, Tribune feels it's very unlikely that the transaction could ever receive FCC approval, and thus the transaction would not have been completed within a timeframe that would have been acceptable for Tribune shareholders.

Sources say that Sinclairs poor behavior could make it difficult to pursue other acquisitions, and will force them to deal with a complicated litigation process with Tribune in the interim.

The irony: It was the FCC's decision to roll back decades-old broadcast ownership rules last year that empowered Sinclair to pursue the deal in the first place.


The government of Lagos, Nigeria is considering allowing Veolia, a French-owned water company currently being sued for its role in the Flint water crisis, to take control of almost two-thirds of the city's crumbling water infrastructure, writes Monica Mark for BuzzFeed News.

Why it matters: With 21 million inhabitants, 70% of whom do not have access to "drinkable, piped water," Lagos is Africa's most populous city and an embodiment of how modern-day governments have turned to privatization as a means of solving their water shortage crises  while pocketing some extra cash in the process.

The backdrop: Veolia was hired by the city of Flint in February 2015 as a water quality consultant. According to Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office filed a lawsuit against Veolia, the company was "hired to do a job and failed miserably."

"Veolia filed an interim report on Feb. 18 of 2015 that completely misrepresented the quality of the Flint water. ... Veolia stated that the water, quote, was safe. Veolia also callously and fraudulently dismissed medical and health concerns by stating that, quote, some people may be sensitive to any water."

Schuette adds that, in March 2015, Veolia recommended that Flint add a chemical called ferric chloride to the water supply, which ultimately led to further corrosion of the pipes and "made a bad situation worse."

In Lagos, the state-run water company delivers 220 million gallons of water per day, only a quarter of what is needed.

When the water runs out, "citizens turn to private water hawkers and water trucks, bore their own wells, or use polluted rivers and streams."

That's why enlisting private providers makes sense in theory, Mark writes, as the government can "offload the huge costs of repairing infrastructure onto companies with deeper pockets and technical know-how."

But that also requires blind faith that the company will be "a good actor" and not structure their operations around squeezing every ounce of profit they can out of the city's residents.

The big picture: The privatization of water supplies dates back to the 1990s, when the CEO of Nestle dismissed the idea of water as a public right as "extreme." In Nigeria, which already has one of the world's highest child death rates due to water-borne illness, citizens fear they'll have to pay a huge price for a resource that much of the world takes for granted.

They [Veolia] have a history of poisoning black communities in the US and they should not be poisoning the largest African city on the continent.

 Nayyirah Shariff, an activist campaigning in Flint

Go deeper: Read Mark's full piece at BuzzFeed News.
By Rashid Shirinov

There were no explosions in the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Defense Ministry told Trend on August 8.

The message notes that the information disseminated by the Armenian side is false and is yet another provocation of the enemy.

There were no explosions in the combat positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces. The disseminated information is an unsuccessful attempt of the enemy to respond to the information disseminated by Azerbaijan about the explosion in the dugout in one of the positions of the Armenian armed forces on August 6, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry noted.

The ministry added that Azerbaijani armed forces fully control the operational situation.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

Mohammad Torabi, the head of Irans operational zone at the Caspian Sea, hopes that Tehran and Baku could boost their cooperation over the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the sea.

Exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian Sea could be a turning point for the countrys oil industry, Iranian media quoted him as saying on August 7.

He expressed the hope that Iran and Azerbaijan could boost their development activities in the south of the sea.

Earlier, Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, Irans Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs and Trading, said that Iran and Azerbaijan had agreed to form a joint oil company in what could prepare both to cooperate over the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian Sea and elsewhere. He noted that the company will be formed within a deal recently signed between the two parties.

During a visit of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Azerbaijan in March, the two countries signed "The Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Development of Relevant Blocks in the Caspian Sea."

The document, signed by Parviz Shahbazov and Bijan Namdar Zanganeh is viewed as a turning point in ties between the two littoral states since it would allow to jointly make use of resources of the Caspian Sea.

Previously, Baku and Tehran used to have serious disagreements regarding the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and joint energy cooperation.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Kamila Aliyeva

A total of 180,000 trucks are commuting between Iran and Azerbaijan, which is a sign of high trade exchange between the two nations.

This was stated by Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said during his visit to the Parsabad border town in Iran's northwestern Ardabil province, ILNA news agency reported on August 9.

Annually, nearly 180,000 trucks commute between Iran and Azerbaijan, he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that fortunately, the Astara-Astara bridge has been constructed and a railroad to connect Irans northwestern city of Astara to a namesake Azerbaijani city has come on stream.

The two countries' bilateral ties are at a good level, the minister stressed.

The Astara-Astara railroad, which is a part of a bigger project to connect Iran and Azerbaijans rail systems, runs 8 kilometers in Azerbaijan up to the border from where it extends 2 kilometers to Irans port city of Astara.

The project also includes a bridge on Astarachay River that stretches along the border. The completed section of the railroad was tested in March 2017 after a train set off on a maiden journey from Azerbaijans Astara. The train traveled 8 kilometers to the border from where it entered the Iranian section of the route.

The main goal of strategic cooperation between the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan is activating the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) which will eventually link Russia and Azerbaijan to High-Seas through the Islamic Republic.

Qazvin-Rasht is a missing link in INSTC, which will connect Iran with Russias Baltic ports and give Russia rail connectivity to both the Persian Gulf and the Indian rail network.

The main objective of the INSTC is to provide an alternative to the traditional routes carried out by sea through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. The major transit route is designed to facilitate the transportation of goods from Mumbai to Helsinki, using Iranian ports and railroads, which the Islamic Republic plans to connect to those of Azerbaijan and Russia. This means goods could be carried from Mumbai to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and further to Baku. They could then pass across the Russian border into Astrakhan before proceeding to Moscow and St. Petersburg, before entering Europe.

The corridor would substantially cut the travel time for everything from Asian consumer goods to Central Eurasias natural resources to advanced European exports.

When completed, the INSTC is expected to increase the volume of commodities currently traded between Iran and Azerbaijan from 600,000 tons to 5 million tons per year, dramatically increasing bilateral trade from the current $500 million per year.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Naila Huseynli

Azerbaijani companies will be represented by their products at the 6th China-Eurasia exhibition in China from August 30 to September 1.

This was discussed at the meeting of the Exporters' Club in the Baku Business Center on August 9 with representatives of local companies that will take part in the exhibition.

The representatives of 15 companies engaged in the field of food production participated in the event organized by the Ministry of Economy and with the participation of President of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev and Executive Director of Exporters Club Zohrab Gadirov.

The meeting emphasized international exhibitions held in various foreign countries, including the presentation of the China-Eurasia Exhibition under the Made in Azerbaijan brand, stressing that the event is an affordable platform for expanding the export of local products to China.

It is also noted that the exhibition is important for the study of Chinas market potential. The research on the Chinese market shows that this market is profitable for the supply of Azerbaijani products, especially wine, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

China is a huge opportunity and a priority market for Azerbaijan. The Asian country became Azerbaijans 4th largest trading partner last year. The trade turnover of Azerbaijan with China increased by 20 percent in 2017, reaching $1.3 billion.

Currently, more than 110 companies with Chinese capital operate in the spheres of trade, services, industry, construction, banking and insurance, agriculture. Some Chinese companies participate as contractors in projects implemented in Azerbaijan. Chinese companies have invested about $800 million in Azerbaijan, so far.

The importance of expanding the export of national products and introducing Made in Azerbaijan brand in foreign markets were also noted in the meeting. This year, various exhibition and other events will be held to promote the national brand in different countries of the world with the financial support of the state.

AZPROMO and Exporters Club will regularly hold meetings with representatives of local companies that will participate in international exhibitions and the discussions will be held with them on participation in international exhibitions.
By Laman Ismayilova

A piano concert dedicated to an outstanding Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev will be held in Italy.

The concert is organized as part of the 8th Livorno International Music Festival to be held in Italy from August 21 to September 8.

Acclaimed pianist Olga Domninan will perform works by Gara Garayev, Dmitri Shostakovich and Faraj Garayev.

The Livorno Music Festival provides courses for interpretation and instrumental master classes with the purpose of bringing together young musicians from all over the world, allowing them close contact with some of the most important names in the international musical scene. Students and professors meet each other at classes, concerts, and thanks to an agreement with the Festival, they can also share lunches and dinners facilitating ideas, friendships, projects and cultural exchanges.

This year marks the 100th birthday anniversary of a legendary national composer Gara Garayev.

Having synthesized Eastern and Western musical traditions, his works cover essentially all genres. The works by the legend are performed all over the world.

He knew Azerbaijani folk music very well and loved to sing.

In 1938, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by Rasul Rza. It was performed in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in the same year. He was only 20 years old at the time.

Garayev returned to Baku in 1941. He began teaching students at Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society.

In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's "Seven Beauties" ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, "Seven Beauties", it became the first Azerbaijani ballet and opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan.

His ballet, "Path of Thunder", staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in South Africa. In the same year, he wrote the score for the documentary film" A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea", directed by Roman Karmen and set at the Oil Rocks.

Through his life, Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces, including ballets, operas, symphonic and chamber pieces, solos for piano, cantatas, songs and marches, and rose to prominence not only in Azerbaijan, but also worldwide.

He brilliantly juxtaposed features of Mugham with jazz, blues, African music, European counterpoint styles, and developments related to the 20th century Western music such as the 12-tone technique.

Garayev died on May 13, 1982 in Moscow at the age of 64.

The composer leaved behind a legacy of music that will be felt for generations to come. The memory of great composer will always live in the hearts of Azerbaijani people.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of the national holiday of your country. On this remarkable day, I wish you all the best and the friendly people of Singapore peace and prosperity, said the congratulatory letter.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By 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."

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Rashid Shirinov

In accordance with the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which is expected to be signed at the summit of the heads of the Caspian countries in Aktau, the body of water will be recognized neither as a lake nor sea, Russian media quoted Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin as saying on August 8.

The Caspian Sea will have a special legal status. This is due to a set of specific geographical, hydrological and other characteristics. It is an inland body of water, which has no direct connection with oceans, and therefore cannot be considered a sea, Karasin noted.

At the same time, due to its size, composition of water and bottom features, the Caspian Sea cannot be considered a lake, he added.

In this regard, neither the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 nor the principles used in respect of transboundary lakes are applicable to the Caspian Sea. Only its bottom is delineated to sectors, but sovereignty over the water column is established on the basis of other principles, the diplomat said.

He noted that the Caspian states have long found ways to resolve disputes over the delimitation of the bottom of the Caspian Sea on a bilateral and trilateral basis.

In my opinion, the agreements that were previously concluded between Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, can serve as an example in the case of delimitation of the southern part of the sea, Karasin added.

The presidents of the five Caspian states will meet on August 12 at the 5th Caspian summit to sum up the long-term negotiations on the legal status of the sea. As expected, the main outcome of the summit should be the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

The issue of determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea became relevant after the collapse of the USSR, when the emergence of new subjects of international law - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - raised the issue of delimitation of the sea between the five littoral countries. The difficulties in determining the status of the Caspian Sea are linked, in particular, with the recognition of it as a lake or sea, the delineation of which is regulated by different provisions of international law.

The status of the sea remains a key topic of discussions at the Caspian states summits. The leaders of the five countries met for the first time in 2002 in Ashgabat. The second Caspian summit was held in Tehran in 2007, the third one in Baku in 2010, and the fourth summit  in Astrakhan in 2014.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Laman Ismayilova

The weather will be changeable cloudy and mainly dry in Baku on August 10.

Short-term rain is predicted in some places at night. Strong north-west wind will blow.

The temperature on the peninsula will be +22-24C at night, +25-28C in afternoon in Absheron peninsula, +22-24C at night, + 25-27C in the afternoon in Baku, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry reported.

Atmospheric pressure will be 762mm; relative humidity will be 70-80%.

Sea water temperature will be 24-25 degrees on Absheron beaches (Sumgayit, Novkhani, Pirshaghi, Nardaran, Bilgah, Zagulba), the sea water temperature will be 25-26 degrees in southern beaches (Turkan, Hovsan, Sahil, Shikh).

Strong north-west wind will blow, as a result of which going to beaches is not advisable.

Rainy weather is expected in in some mountainous areas.

West wind will blow.

The temperature will be +20-25C at night, +28-33C in daytime, +9-14C in mountains at night, +18-23C.

Medical-meteorological forecast

Although strong khazri wind in Absheron peninsula can cause anxiety among meteo-sensitive people, air temperature drops is a positive factor.

North-western wind expected to blow in Baku and Absheron peninsula until August 12.

Unstable weather conditions are expected in Azerbaijan's regions until August 12, lightning and intermittent rain predicted in some places. Showers expected in some places. West wind will blow and intensify in some places. Water level may increase in rivers and short-term floods expected in some mountain rivers of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The closing ceremony of the "Masters of Artillery Fire" contest was held within the International Army Games 2018 at the Otar military base in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a message Aug. 9.

After the closing ceremony, the "Masters of Artillery Fire" contest was declared closed.

---
By 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 us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By 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.

---
By 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 us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstans Energy Ministry said that there was an excess of AI-92 gasoline on the market, and therefore the import of gasoline from Russia was banned.

This was announced at a press conference by Vice Minister of Energy Bolat Akchulakov, Central Asian media outlets reported.

Today, after the modernization of the refinery is completed, there is an excess of gasoline in the country. This is mainly AI-92. And the ban is stipulated by the bilateral agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia within the framework of the EAEU, he said.

In this regard, the Ministry of Energy decided to ban the import of gasoline from Russia.

This decision was made because of a surplus of gasoline. All consumers feel - the price does not increase, it is lower than the level of January or even December of last year. Now the order is being coordinated, registered in the Ministry of Justice. I expect that it will be released on August 10, when the last remarks will be eliminated, the official said.

According to the vice minister, an agreement with Russia on the volumes of fuel delivery was signed when Kazakhstan experienced a deep fuel shortage.

Historically, Kazakhstan imported about 900,000 tons of high-octane gasoline, about 400,000 diesel fuel and 250,000-270,000 tons of aviation kerosene. After the factories have been modernized, we do not have the need in imported AI-92, that's why we are going to introduce a ban on import. Our Russian colleagues have been warned and they do not mind this and do not see this as a restriction. On the contrary, they believe that they will be able to sell these volumes of oil products to third markets, charging a duty, which is even more profitable. The prohibition concerns only the supply by rail. Perhaps, some volumes will be imported by road in the border areas, but there will not be large deliveries, he added.

The volume of gasoline production at three oil refineries of Kazakhstan, namely, Pavlodar, Atyrau and Shymkent, is expected to stand at 4.102 million tons by late 2018.

Modernization of the Pavlodar petrochemical plant was completed in December 2017. At the same time, the modernization of Atyrau oil refinery has been completed.

As for the reconstruction and modernization of the Shymkent oil refinery, the first stage was completed in June 2017, and the second stage was finished on March 15, 2018. Currently, commissioning work is underway there, which is expected to be completed by September 2018.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Kamila Aliyeva

Tajik energy holding Barki Tojik has selected ANDRITZ group of companies from three participants in the tender for the rehabilitation of the Nurek hydro power plant (HPP), which will allocate 120 million euros.

This follows from the message on the company's website, headquartered in Austria.

At the same time, the capacity of the power plant, which is now 3,000 MW, will increase by 12 percent. After the complete modernization of the Nurek HPP, the generation of electricity at the facility will reach 3,300 MW.

Nurek HPP provides more than 70 percent of all generated electricity in Tajikistan.

The modernization of the Nurek HPP in Tajikistan, which will be carried out in two phases, will require 10 years and $700 million.

The cost of the first phase of the project is $350 million and these funds are allocated by international financial institutions.

In particular, the International Development Association (World Bank) allocated $225 million, the Asian Bank for Infrastructure Investments (ABIA) - $60 million. About $57 million of the total amount are grant funds. The implementation period for the first phase of the project is 5 years.

The government of Tajikistan has attracted and spent 79 million for the modernization of the HPP, or, more precisely, for the reconstruction of the open switchgears (500-kV and 200-kV). However, other parts of the hydro power plant also need reconstruction, including hydroelectric generators.

In 2009, the turbine was modernized at Unit 3, which allowed increasing the generator's capacity from 150 MW to 335 MW. In 2013, the wheel was replaced and the turbines of the Unit 8 were modernized.

The Nurek HPP is the country and Central Asias largest hydropower facility providing over 70 percent of the total generation in Tajikistan. It is part of the Vakhsh cascade of hydropower plants. The plants installed capacity is 3,000 MW (eight 335 MW units and one 320 MW unit). It was commissioned in 1972; the latest unit was commissioned in 1979. At present, the plant is operating at 77 percent of its design capacity because of obsolete equipment and lack of maintenance. Therefore, the maximum capacity of the Nurek HPP in recent years has not exceeded 2,220 MW.

The storage volume of the reservoir is 10.5 cu km (the effective storage is 4.5 cu km); its surface area is 98 sq km and length about 70 km. The dam has 300 m in height (the worlds highest dam of this type until 2013). The average output exceeded 10,223 million kWh a year between 2014 and 2016.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
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















More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Coastal Spotlight



LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
A San Antonio-area school that trains military veterans on dog-handling was raided Wednesday by federal authorities who served a search warrant as part of an investigation, allegedly regarding fraud.

No arrests were made and federal officials would not explain why they were searching Universal K9.

District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, who was briefed at the scene, told reporters that this is an ongoing FBI investigation into fraud allegations of the business operator. This looks like one of the first steps in that investigation.

Pelaez said later in an online post that the IRS and the FBI just shut down an operation that was preying on veterans and not doing right by dogs. Thats a good thing worthy of mention and support.

Former agents said the FBI and IRS were likely involved because Universal K9 receives federal money from veterans programs and agents would want to look at tax records.

The FBI and the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation division were among the agencies that served the warrant at Universal K9, 15329 Tradesman, near Loop 1604. San Antonio Police Department officers assisted. The Express-News confirmed that the Department of Veterans Affairs also was involved.

Universal K Nine Inc., which does business as Universal K9, began in 2010 as a for-profit business, according to a lawsuit it recently filed against two ex-students and information on its website.

Universal K9 specifically outreaches to veterans and offers a two-week K9 Handlers course or a ten-week trainers course in which any veteran may utilize his or her GI Bill to cover 100% of course costs, including the canine, the Universal K9 lawsuit said.

It costs $12,500 for a 10-month course, according to exhibits included in the lawsuit.

Universal K9 is also listed as a nonprofit foundation that donates dogs to police departments nationwide and has been featured on local and national media, including CBS News. Its 2016 federal tax Form 990 shows contributions of about $170,000 from two sources Animal Farm Foundation of New York and the Veterans Commission of Austin  but assets of just $27,075.

Bradley Croft was identified as Universal K9 founder in multiple news stories. But in the lawsuit, Universal K9s lawyer wrote that Richard Cook is the founder and that Croft is a trainer. Other public records show Universal K9 bought the Tradesman property in April, and those documents list Cook as president. His LinkedIn account says hes Universal K9 director and lives in Richmond, Va.

Its principals and lawyer did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment.

Military veterans at the scene of the raid said they used their GI Bill to go to Universals training program to learn how to be dog trainers and handlers.

Andy Torres, 29, who served in the Marines from 2012 to 2016, said he has spent $10,000 so far paying Universal K9 and moving from Washington state to San Antonio to attend the training. After more than two months in the program, he arrived about 6 a.m. Wednesday for more training, but the FBI turned him and other students away, he said.

Now, Torres and other students  who watched the raid from across the street  said they may have to repay basic housing allowance and other schooling expenses to the VA.

They advertise it as nationally recognized, Torres said of Universal K9. They were targeting veterans, which is (expletive).

He said Universal K9 didnt have the proper tools for adequate training. While describing some dogs as seeming unhealthy, neither he nor any of the trainees had information of any mistreatment.

I came down here from Washington state, drove down here 36 hours, came down here with the hopes of being an instructor, Torres said. What happens now, Im not sure.

During the raid, Animal Care Services removed 26 dogs from the canine training school.

Shannon Sims, ACS assistant director, said the dogs owner, whose name was not released, agreed to surrender the animals because he didnt think he would be able to continue caring for them because of the ongoing federal investigation into Universal K9.

Sims said the dogs were in adequate but not optimal condition and were living in makeshift kennels created out of modified shipping containers cooled by window air conditioning units.

The animals are in pretty good condition, healthwise, Sims said. They all looked to be healthy. We didnt see any in there upon initial walk-through that appeared to be exigent in condition or requiring immediate medical care.

The search warrant, signed by a federal magistrate this week, denotes that it was to be served on a business/residence. The property is situated in an industrial corridor and a vacant business sits at the front. A motorhome sits behind the building, and veterans who attended the training said Croft lives in it. The modified kennels and Universal K9 occupied the rear of the property. It took five ACS trucks to transport the surrendered dogs to the ACS campus.

Pelaez, who represents the council district where Universal K9 is located, questioned whether some of the dogs were appropriate for use in training.

A lot of these dogs are not the kind of dogs that you would expect to be part of a security training organization, Pelaez added. Some of them, because of their age and their condition, just were not appropriate for this situation and for this operation. Im very happy we can step up and provide the dogs some shelter.

Sims said there were 31 dogs on the premises; the only five that were left behind were the dogs that were the owners personal pets, he said.

Stacey Coleman, executive director of the Animal Farm Foundation, said it previously had a detection dog training program through Universal K9.

The Animal Farm Foundation would take dogs from shelters and cover the cost of training the dogs to do detection work for police. Universal K9 provided the training and placement with police departments.

Our goal in that was to get good PR for shelter dogs, Coleman said. Her organization would sponsor the care for the dogs and pay for two weeks of training for handlers and their expenses while staying in San Antonio. Animal Farm Foundation contributed $111,750 to Universal K Nine in 2016. She didnt know offhand how much it contributed last year.

We ended our relationship with Universal K9 in 2017, she said, adding it did not renew its grant for 2018. Asked why the relationship ended, she answered, Just philosophical differences, I would say.

Universal K9 wanted to expand the program beyond what Animal Farm Foundation was willing to fund, she said.

San Antonio-based Petco Foundation spokeswoman Lisa Lane confirmed that it has provided grant funding to Universal K9 but had no information about the investigation.

The raid at Universal K9 comes less than a month after the nonprofit filed defamation and breach of contract lawsuits against two of its former students. It seeks more than $200,000 in damages from the pair.

Universal K9 alleges in its lawsuit that after David Palasek and Eric Ramos were terminated from training after confrontations with Cook, in which Croft had to intervene, they began disparaging Universal K9 with negative and false accusations, resulting in at least three students terminating their contracts. The remarks were made in violation of a nondisparagement clause in an enrollment agreement the pair signed, the suit adds.

Ramos, who lives in Nevada, said he was planning a countersuit but wanted his attorney to speak for him.

Palasek was among those watching the raid unfold across the street. He denied the suits allegations and said the training he received was of little value.

Their certificates mean nothing, Palasek said.
Almost a year after Tropical Storm Harvey ravaged Southeast Texas, residents who lost everything, and even those who didn't, continue to deal with stress and anxiety connected to the thousand-year flood.

Compared to the aftermaths of Hurricanes Rita and Ike, more people are suffering from Harvey-related distress and anxiety disorders, according to Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, who noted increased anxiety during downpours earlier this summer.

"All three were different storms," Branick said.

Hurricane Rita produced mostly "wind and vegetative" debris across the county in 2005. It was followed in 2008 by Hurricane Ike, a "storm surge event." Harvey, nearly a decade later, was "a rain of biblical proportions," according to Branick.

PHOTOS: 50 most iconic photos from Harvey

Harvey's historic rainfall caused "such widespread damage and such displacement," including 21,800 flooded single-family homes in Jefferson County, according to Branick. More than a quarter of the county's homes flooded, not counting apartment complexes, Branick said.

Port Arthur resident Donald Delasbour, 50, said he attended Spindletop Center's "Healing After Harvey Mental Health Symposium" on Tuesday to seek more resources after "losing everything" when hurricane floodwaters destroyed his Port Arthur home.

PHOTOS: Widespread flooding across Southeast Texas

Recovery "hasn't stopped," Delasbour said. But it's about more than getting back into his boarded-up house, he said.

Now sleeping on his sister's couch as he repairs his home, Delasbour said just "getting into a bed would help a lot" with his depression and bipolar disorder.

"As with cancer, diabetes and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological," said Rita Drake, clinical supervisor at Spindletop Center.

"Anyone at any time can have a mental illness, and there is always the hope and always the possibility that if you should have one, that there is hope available to you," she said.

Harvey's "unseen" toll on mental and physical health can materialize even a year later, said Spindletop's Lane Fortenberry, prompting the Tuesday evening event to give people an opportunity "to speak out" about their Harvey experience.

While communities, families and individuals "suffered a crisis" after Harvey, not everyone experienced trauma, according to Drake.

"A trauma is when you were in the dark and you felt the water climbing up and going up against your knees and you did not know what was happening," she said. "Those folks who went through that, they went through a traumatic event."

For one of Paula Moore's friends, Harvey floodwaters were so high "you couldn't see the top" of their Cooks Lake Road home in Lumberton.

"I may have lost power for maybe 20 minutes," said Moore, a Beaumont resident. "I started out telling people who would say, 'What did you do (during Harvey)?' that I'm blessed."

Another of Moore's colleagues, whom she considers "very religious," going to church twice a week, had to be rescued from her flooded home in Orange. "I was blessed, but they were not?"

The disparity didn't make sense for Moore, who said she experienced "survivor's guilt."

Survivor's guilt, a feeling of guilt after surviving a life-threatening situation when others have not, is "a normal response to loss," according to Psychology Today.

For Moore, survivor's guilt "is a definite problem when we experience things like this."

While the home of Spindletop's Heather Champion flooded during Harvey, she said it was difficult to tell her story at first because of survivor's guilt.

"We only had a foot of water compared to other people in my neighborhood, who had three feet or more," Champion said.

Survivor's guilt "is a real thing," said Champion, who has since learned to channel her guilt into helping and supporting others.

During the June storms that brought down 15 inches of rain in Port Neches and 18 in the Port Acres area, Branick said he received numerous calls from people who "were upset and worried about whether or not their home was going to flood again or whether or not the drainage system was going to be sufficient."

Since Harvey, Branick said he has heard stories from friends and acquaintances of people who became physically ill and were "crying as the waters pounded in the streets" during the recent summer rains.

"It's a true stress that would cause an individual to react in that kind of fashion," Branick said.

Steve Fitzner, a licensed psychological associate at Spindletop Center, said some storm-related anxieties can be stopped at the click of a button.

"If you're watching The Weather Channel obsessing over it, you're probably stressing yourself out too and probably stressing everybody around you, too. Just stop," said Fitzner. "Just change the channel and try to enjoy a normal life."

Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/PhoebeSuy
Anthony Starpoli, MD, a gastroenterologist based in New York City, discusses the biggest challenges and opportunities in GI today.

He practices at Greenwich Village Gastroenterology.

Question: What are the biggest challenges you're facing today as a gastroenterologist?



Dr. Anthony Starpoli: Gastroenterologists face the difficult challenge of declining reimbursement and a loss of control because of carrier influences in the marketplace, severe oversight and compliance requirements. We are forced into having to practice high-volume and, often, low-quality medicine. We and physicians alike are also being replaced with paramedical support staff, such as nurse practitioners and physician's assistants.

Q: How has your practice changed over the past three to five years?



AS: I have had a growing interest in obesity medicine as this disease affects all gastrointestinal disease. I recently acquired my boards in obesity medicine (in addition to board certification in internal medicine and gastroenterology) and have added a new array of incisionless procedures for weight loss, such as the swallowable Obalon stomach balloon system.

Q: Where do you see your practice evolving over the next few years? What are your biggest opportunities for growth?



AS: I anticipate less insurance carrier participation and an emerging self-pay model of practice. Patients are faced with high-deductible insurance coverage that has essentially created this self-pay market. I spend more time with patients, and I am having a positive impact on health by addressing the obesity epidemic.
A Pennsylvania man received two echocardiograms at Paoli (Pa.) Hospital: the first diagnosed a heart defect, and the second was to confirm a procedure was successful. The price was $339 for the first and $3,484 for the latter, according to the The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here are five highlights from the report:



1. George Hahn's first heart scan was administered by Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia in February 2017. The group has offices within Paoli Hospital, a part of Radnor, Pa.-based Main Line Health. The cardiology group also contracts with Mr. Hahn's health insurer, Independence Blue Cross, which negotiated a large discount for the test.

2. The group, which has its own ultrasound machines in the hospital-based office, billed Independence $1,335 for the echocardiogram. Independence negotiated the price down to $339. Since Mr. Hahn had met his deductible, the insurer paid half of his bill and Mr. Hahn owed $170, according to The Inquirer.



3. The echocardiogram revealed Mr. Hahn had a small hole in his heart. After he underwent surgery at another Main Line Health hospital, his cardiologist referred him to Paoli Hospital for a second echocardiogram to confirm the procedure was a success.



4. The test was performed in April by the hospital, which is in Independence's provider network, and not the cardiology group. Paoli Hospital billed Independence $3,484 for the test  more than double what the cardiology group in the hospital billed the insurer. Bonnie Graham, vice president of finance for Main Line Health, told The Inquirer the hospital's charge reflects the higher administrative and operating expenses it faces compared to provider groups.



5. Independence negotiated Paoli Hospital's charge to $3,101. Mr. Hahn was charged the full amount, as he has not met his deductible yet. Anthony Coletta, MD, president of Facilitated Health Networks at Independence, told the publication, "We want to give our members options by providing a broad network of participating providers, and the ability to go to different sites for services. At the same time, we try to make our members aware that it almost always costs more for non-complex, routine procedures to be done at a hospital."



More articles on healthcare finance:

CMS' final inpatient payment rule for 2019: 9 things to know

Operator of 22 freestanding ERs files for bankruptcy

How CHS, Tenet, HCA, LifePoint and UHS fared in Q2
FBI officials met with more than 100 leaders from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Medical Center  both in Houston  and roughly 18 other hospitals and health systems across the state Aug. 8 to warn officials about possible security threats from foreign entities, according to the Houston Chronicle.

FBI officials who spoke with the Houston Chronicle after the three-hour meeting said the goal was to understand how academic medical institutions can better partner with the FBI to prevent the theft of intellectual property and research. Officials said "inside threats," or employees of an institution, pose the No. 1 risk to academic medical institutions. The FBI said the academic community prides itself on maintaining free and open discourse and may find it hard to believe their employees may not have the best intentions toward the institution and the nation, the report states.

Government officials reportedly provided hospital leaders with "classified information about direct threats, both in Houston and nationally," one FBI official told the Houston Chronicle.

The gathering in Houston was the first step in a new initiative the federal agency plans to replicate around the country.

"We want to establish, cultivate, and enhance public-private relationships to mitigate attempts by foreign adversaries to steal from our institutions for their benefit. It is incumbent on us, given the importance of medical and academic institutions in Houston, to create platforms to share information to mitigate the risks and prevent theft," an FBI official said to the Houston Chronicle.

William McKeon, president and CEO of Texas Medical Center, told the publication the information presented Aug. 8 was not new to him, as he had spoken with the FBI several times during the past year. However, he said the meeting was likely "a real eye-opening experience" for other leaders in attendance.

"The TMC is definitely vulnerable, given the amount of research and materials and physicians present. There's a lot at stake here, and cyberattacks almost daily. For many of these countries, the fastest way to improve their economies is to steal technology, not develop it themselves," he said.

To access the full report, click here.
AFT Vermont, the parent of the union representing 1,800 nurses at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, is divesting its funds from New England Federal Credit Union to put pressure on the hospital's board, which includes two bank board members.

Union officials said the move, announced Aug. 9, is "to lean on the hospital to negotiate a fair contract with hospital nurses that will improve patient safety."

The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5221, part of AFT Vermont, has been negotiating with the hospital since before the workers' contract expired July 9.

Union officials are trying to pressure John Dwyer Jr., New England Federal Credit Union's CEO and a member of the UVM Medical Center board of trustees, and Kathleen Emery-Ginn, who is also on the bank and hospital boards.

"UVMMC board members have a unique influence on the hospital's direction, including contract negotiations with its employees. It's time for hospital board members to get involved, stand up for whats right and encourage the hospital to take their nurses seriously," Deb Snell, president of AFT Vermont and executive vice president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, said in a prepared statement.

According to union officials, UVM Medical Center board members previously declined a meeting requested by Ms. Snell to discuss patient safety issues.

In response to the union's Aug. 9 announcement, the hospital told Becker's Hospital Review: "Our goal from the outset of negotiations with the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals has remained the same: to address the concerns nurses have raised while also balancing our commitment to providing high quality, affordable healthcare in our community. We have done this by doubling our wage offer, agreeing to substantial increases for nurses in different roles, responding to staffing concerns and enhancing benefits instead of asking for concessions, as is common in many labor negotiations around the country."

Both sides are slated to return to the bargaining table Aug. 13 with the help of a federal mediator.

More articles on human capital and risk:

Timeline: The Lifespan-union dispute  Where things stand now

UPMC bans on workers violated law, labor board rules

Rhode Island hospital workers picket before talks with Lifespan
Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan and the union representing 2,400 nurses, therapists, technologists and other professionals at Rhode Island and Hasbro Children's hospitals in Providence continue to negotiate a new contract.

Talks have been contentious, with workers going on strike and picketing.

Below, a timeline of events between Lifespan and United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5098:

June 30: The workers' contract expires.

July 17: Lifespan announces it has paid $10 million to a temp agency to replace workers during a strike.

July 19: Workers reject a contract offer from Lifespan.

July 23: Workers return to the bargaining table, per an order from a federal mediator, but "the union rejected a restructured proposal from the hospital that included generous wage increases ranging from 9 [percent] to 25 percent over four years," Lifespan spokesperson David Levesque told the Providence Journal.

"UNAP leadership submitted wage increases of up to 28 percent and added significant additional economic proposals that rendered their offer simply unrealistic," Mr. Levesque said.

With no deal reached in the morning, workers begin a three-day strike at 3 p.m. The strike is followed by a one-day lockout.

July 27: Workers return to work after the strike and lockout.

Aug. 2: Workers vote "no confidence" in leadership, and agree to leave the option open for a strike if they can't reach a deal with Lifespan.

Aug. 6: Workers picket before negotiations.

Aug. 8: Both sides return to the bargaining table. Lifespan and the union do not reach a contract agreement, but the hospital says there was progress, according to WPRI. Mr. Levesque tells the TV station the hospital accepted "in full" a union proposal to "create a joint labor/management committee on staffing, equipment and supplies." He says the hospital has also given the union a new wages and benefits package to consider.

Aug. 15: Both sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table.

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 owner of Billing USA, a medical billing office in Miami, Fla., was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty for his role in a fraud scheme, according to the Miami Herald.

Mauricio Palma, owner of Billing USA, was sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Mr. Palma faces $2.1 million in restitution, and he lost $1.8 million in forfeiture.



Under the alleged scheme, Billing USA received or offered to create fabricated bills for its clinic customers. Clinics would submit patient information to the billing firm, and employees would bill insurance companies for allowable amounts, according to the report. Billing USA would then tell the clinic what it had billed insurers, so the clinic would create records to back up the charges. Billing USA collected a 6 percent fee on reimbursement from insurers.



According to court documents obtained by the Miami Herald, Billing USA, in concert with a local clinic, filed $5.7 million in fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Billings USA and another clinic filed an additional $5.9 million in fraudulent claims to Blue Cross and Cigna, according to the report.

Billing USA's office manager, Francel Rodriguez, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud Aug. 3. In addition, Rafael Izquierdo-Rios, who helped run Billing USA and allegedly used a similar scheme at his own billing company, American Fast Services, was sentenced to six years and five months in prison. The latter operation led to fraudulent payments of $2.3 million from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare, according to the Miami Herald.



More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Physician sentenced to prison for role in $30M billing fraud scheme

Third assisted living worker arrested in case of dementia patient duct-taped to chair

Neurosurgeon claims Wyoming Medical Center violated employment agreement
Neighborhood Health Plan, acquired six years ago by Boston-based Partners HealthCare, will change its name to AllWays Health Partners next year  a rebranding aimed at positioning the insurer as one of the top health plan providers in the state, according to The Boston Globe.

Here are five things to know:

1. Neighborhood Health Plan, before it was acquired by Partners, was a leading Medicaid carrier in Massachusetts known for serving the poor. Since Neighborhood shifted its focus to expanding, poor and low-income people now make up just a fraction of its members. It has about 110,000 commercial members and about 33,000 members in the state Medicaid program.

2. In June, Partners HealthCare said it would transition all its employees from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to its system-owned health plan by Jan. 1, 2019. The transition of coverage will affect about 100,000 people and nearly double the membership of Partners' Neighborhood Health Plan.

3. Partners is working to build its insurance arm to compete with the state's largest health plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, which all have more members than Neighborhood.

4. Regarding that building effort, Neighborhood CEO David Segal said the company is "going to be very assertive."

5. The rebranding is a chance for Neighborhood to break away from what it was historically known as: a local, Medicaid plan. "It's about what employers feel when they hear 'Neighborhood Health Plan'. ... They don't know it, and when they do know it, they associate it with a Medicaid plan," Mr. Segal told The Globe.
A reported 74 shooting victims sought emergency care at various hospitals throughout Chicago between 3 p.m. Aug. 3 and 6 a.m. Aug. 6, making it one of the most violent weekends in the city since at least 2016, according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune.

Roughly a dozen of the 70-plus shooting victims died.

Mount Sinai Hospital saw at least 13 victims. Jonathan Bean, MD, told the publication four of the victims were critical and "one of the four came with no heartbeat, wasn't breathing, and had gunshots all over his abdomen and chest."

The hospital called in extra physicians to work during the weekend to help treat the influx of patients. The 319-bed facility also limited visitation to immediate family, a Mount Sinai spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune. At one point, the hospital went on "bypass," meaning ambulances were diverted to other hospitals.

John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital treated at least 21 gunshot victims, or roughly one-third of the 70-plus individuals who were shot. Mount Sinai treated the second largest proportion of victims.

Stroger similarly only allowed immediate family members to visit patients so "the medical team could offer their full attention to the patients in our care," the facility said in a prepared statement to the Chicago Tribune.

The University of Chicago Medical Center treated at least 12 victims, while other hospitals across the city, including Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and Roseland Community Hospital, treated a smaller number of victims.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told the Chicago Tribune he visited Stroger and Mount Sinai Aug. 8 to thank the medical staff at both institutions for their work. Religious leaders also met at Stroger the following day to pray for the victims.

To access the full report, click here.
Clinician's misunderstanding of end-of-life documents can have significant ramifications for patients, yet most U.S. health systems and state regulators don't track these mix-ups when they surface, according to a column written by Kaiser Health News and published in The Washington Post Aug. 5.

Here are five things to know:

1. Pennsylvania has the U.S.'s largest system for monitoring patient safety events, which labels mix-ups pertaining to end-of-life documents as medical errors. In 2016, Pennsylvania healthcare facilities reported nearly 100 events relating to patients' resuscitation wishes. There were 29 cases of patients being resuscitated against their wishes and two cases of patients not being resuscitated when they should have been. These figures are likely an undercount, Regina Hoffman, executive director of Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, told Kaiser Health News.

2. These mix-ups are "surprisingly common," Monica Williams-Murphy, MD, critical care specialist at Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital Health System, told Kaiser Health News. Yet, these events are barely communicated to health systems and state regulators. As a result, information on how this miscommunication potentially harms patients is limited.

3. Physicians and nurses receive little training to understand and/or interpret living wills, DNR orders or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, according to Ms. Hoffman.

"Perhaps I'm a patient who's come to the hospital for elective surgery, and I have a DNR order in my chart. After surgery, I develop a serious infection and a resident [physician] finds my DNR order. He assumes this means I've declined all kinds of treatment, until a colleague explains that this isn't the case," Ms. Hoffman told Kaiser Health News.

4. Communication breakdowns in high-pressure environments emergency departments also foster misunderstandings. Ferdinando Mirarchi, DO, medical director of the department of emergency medicine at Erie, Pa.-based University of Pittsburgh (Pa.) Medical Center Hamot, has conducted several studies polling physicians on how they would react to various hypothetical situations involving end-of-life care decisions for patients in the ED.

5. In one study, only 43 percent of physician respondents said they would intervene to save the life of a 46-year-old woman who went into cardiac arrest after a heart attack, citing her living will refusing life-saving medical interventions. However, since the woman did not have a terminal condition, the living will would not apply to this situation and "every physician should have been willing to offer aggressive treatment," according to the report. Physicians are unsure what patients want when one part of their POLST form indicates to do nothing and another part says to do something, according to the report. In another study, Dr. Mirarchi described a situation involving a 70-year-old diabetic man with cardiac disease who had a POLST form, indicating he did not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but agreed to a limited number of other medical interventions, including defibrillation. Seventy-five percent of 223 emergency physicians responded they would have not used defibrillation, assuming defibrillation is included within cardiopulmonary resuscitation, even though they are separate interventions.

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:

IDSA names 25 hospitals Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence

Induced labor at 39 weeks linked to fewer c-sections, study finds

How Chicago hospitals handled most violent weekend since 2016
A proposed ballot initiative to mandate nurse staffing ratios in Massachusetts hospitals would lead to a reduction of 1,000 behavioral health beds, increase emergency room boarding for mental health patients and decrease access to recovery services statewide, according to a study by the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems.

The initiative, proposed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, calls for one nurse to be responsible for no more than four typical medical or surgical patients at a given time. Different guidelines would apply with sicker patients, according the Boston Globe. Staffing ratios would also differ by unit.

Supporters of the initiative, including union officials, argue that legislating nurse-to-patient ratios will improve patient care. They contend nurses are overworked, which keeps them from doing their best job and could lead to medical errors, the Globe reported.

The Coalition to Protect Patient Safety, which opposes the initiative and was assembled by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, argues the proposal would negatively affect nurse care delivery.

Under the initiative, emergency departments at the maximum nurse-to-patient ratios would have to turn away patients; patients seeking inpatient psychiatric or substance abuse care via an ED would have to wait longer for a bed; and mental health providers would face nurse recruitment challenges to meet the staffing mandate, according to the study.

"If [the initiative ] passes, it will result in a 38 percent decrease in patient volume. That's the equivalent of removing roughly 1,000 behavioral health beds from service," David Matteodo, executive director of the hospital associationsaid in a prepared statement. "This result could be devastating to both patients and the behavioral health system as a whole, as there would be no place for displaced patients to go when they are in acute distress and need immediate behavioral health services."

More articles on workforce:

5 findings on hospitals' employee health benefits

Healthcare adds nearly 17,000 jobs in July, but growth slower than in June, May

Florida health career fair set for Aug. 22
Westerville, Ohio-based OhioHealth Neurological Physicians' neurosurgeon Victor Awuor, DO, performed 23 free surgeries in 10 days during a trip to Kenya, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

1. Dr. Awuor performed the surgeries at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu County, Kenya. The county has a population of 1 million people and no neurosurgeons.

2. He is originally from Kisumu. In 2017, he partnered with four other neurosurgeons from Kisumu to form the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative, part of the Giving Back to Kenya nonprofit organization.

3. In May, Dr. Awuor performed the first neurosurgery in his hometown. DePuy Synthes, NuVasive and Columbus-based OhioHealth Grant Medical Center donated supplies.

4. Dr. Awuor is trying to recruit other surgeons to volunteer two weeks per year at the hospital, with the goal of getting one surgeon there a month. He hopes to establish a medical school and a neuroscience hospital in Kisumu.
Four spine surgeons weigh in on the ways in which physician extenders have been useful for their practice as well as the drawbacks of leaning too heavily on them.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.

Next week's question: What are most pressing reimbursement challenges facing spine practices today?

Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, August 15, at 5 p.m. CST.

Question: What are the pros and cons of hiring physician extenders, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners?

Payam Farjoodi, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Spine Health Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.): The main pro of physician extenders is that they allow for the physician to focus on tasks more dedicated to patient care, while having a qualified and trustworthy person who is able to perform some of the more tedious work which is unfortunately becoming an increasing part of medical practice. This is vital to minimizing burnout.



The con is really the need for adequate supervision and the liability associated with extenders acting outside of this supervision. It is important to have a provider who is trustworthy and capable to minimize the risks. One of the most important qualities I have realized is having an extender who knows when they do not know and has no difficulty asking for an opinion or help.

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: We don't use physician extenders in my practice. I enjoy making the important decisions about patients and keeping a close eye on developments and an eye out for potential problems. Extenders do allow you to be in more than one place at the same time. You can increase your productivity as well. I do feel that some physicians push the envelope in terms of the appropriateness of what they are managing on their own. Most doctors are responsible enough to know when to become more involved, but inevitably there are those that use physician extenders in lieu of attentive care.

Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Spine Surgeon at New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (Nashua): I have worked with a physician assistant for the past five years and find them very valuable to running a successful surgical practice. The only con is the expense, but a properly trained and utilized physician assistant will always "pay" for him or herself and more. They serve as excellent surgical assistants, help with inpatient postoperative care, help with preoperative counseling and postoperative follow-ups for my patients, and help with routine care for nonoperative patients with spine problems. It does take a good year to properly train a physician assistant before they could be used at their full potential, but it is well worth it, and my practice would be far less efficient without them.



Noam Stadlan, MD. Neurosurgeon at NorthShore University HealthSystem's Neurological Institute (Glenview, Ill.): For a busy spine practice, physician extenders (PAs or NPs) can be tremendously helpful in providing excellent patient care and allowing increased productivity by the team as well as lessoning the burden of routine tasks on the surgeons, which results in more time for patient care, research or other activities.

However, it is imperative for the physician to make sure that the extender is not being asked to perform duties outside of what their knowledge, experience or comfort allows, and to make sure that they are well trained and competent. Furthermore, there must be a collegial atmosphere, so the extenders know they can always reach out with any questions or concerns no matter what the time or situation. The extenders also must understand the physician will always support them in the decisions entrusted to them.
Almac Discovery, part of the Craigavon-based pharmaceutical group, has received a 2m grant for a cancer research partnership.

It will partner with Scottish company Elasmogen under a new oncology-based project.

The two companies were awarded the grant through Innovate UK's innovation in health and life sciences funding programme.

Stephen Barr, president and managing director at Almac Discovery, said: "It is heartening to be able to continue and also broaden our successful collaboration with Elasmogen so that we may remain at the forefront of oncology discovery and ultimately benefit patients."
Three businessmen from Northern Ireland who held senior roles in a company that leased fire engines to the London Fire Brigade have been banned from the accountancy profession and handed fines totalling half-a-million pounds

Three businessmen from Northern Ireland who held senior roles in a company that leased fire engines to the London Fire Brigade have been banned from the accountancy profession and handed fines totalling half-a-million pounds.

John Shannon (52), Frank Flynn (54) and Matthew Boyle, executives at AssetCo plc, were censured by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) over a scandal dating back to 2009.

A disciplinary tribunal found that the three committed misconduct when preparing and approving the group's financial statements for the years to the end of March 2009 and March 2010.

The finances were later restated in 2011, with a 146m reduction in assets and a 25m reduction in profit. It resulted in the AIM-listed company's share price collapsing from 60p to 1.75p.

The firm, which once supplied fire engines to more than 100 fire stations in the capital, had to be bailed out in 2011 before selling its UK business to focus on the Middle East.

The FRC said the misconduct was the most serious it had ever put before a tribunal, resulting in the lengthiest bans imposed to date.

Shannon had been chief executive of the firm, while Flynn had been chief financial officer. Boyle was financial controller.

The FRC's executive counsel brought a total of 27 allegations of misconduct against the three.

Chaired by Sir Bernard Eder, the tribunal made findings of misconduct in relation to them all.

It found the trio had acted with dishonesty and failed to act in accordance with core standards of integrity, objectivity and competence, which related to dealing with company funds, the preparation of financial statements, and the recognition of fictitious assets and revenue.

The tribunal also found that they had each misled the auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP.

Last year the auditor was fined 2.3m for failing to challenge "fictitious revenues" at the firm.

As a result, Shannon was banned from the accountancy profession for 16 years and fined 250,000.

Flynn was excluded for 14 years and fined 150,000.

Boyle was handed a 12-year ban and ordered to pay 100,000.

Claudia Mortimore of the FRC said: "The misconduct of the three accountants is the most serious the FRC has put before a tribunal.

"These sanctions should send a clear message that the manipulation of financial statements, and in particular dishonesty, will be dealt with robustly."
Security at Belfast International Airport could change as the airport deliberates over a multi-million-pound tender for the job.

ICTS, which also provides security personnel for Gatwick, Heathrow, Bristol and Cardiff Airports, as well as a number of other terminals and high-profile organisations, has held the contract for central security at Belfast International for at least 15 years it is understood.

Read More

It employs 250 staff at the site.

But responding to a recent incident at the airport where a wheelchair user carrying repair equipment as hand luggage was forced to abandon his flight, South Antrim DUP MP Paul Girvan confirmed that contractual discussions are under way in relation to security.

In April Belfast International announced that it was seeking a provider of security services via a tender process.

It said it envisaged five companies tendering for the contract that spans an initial period of three years with scope to extend to five years after the initial contract expires.

Belfast International Airport said it was engaged in a tendering process for the provision of on-site security services.

The tendering process is commercially confidential and, therefore, the airport is not in a position to comment further.

The airport came under fire this week when its security team, supplied and trained by ICTS, did not allow 48-year-old Steve Smithers to proceed with his flight because his wheelchair kit, containing spanners, was deemed a security risk.

There were also complaints last week over long delays at security

This year Aldergrove expects to exceed six million passengers for the first time.
TV presenter Anthony McPartlin is said to be making a good recovery (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Ant McPartlin will not host Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! for the first time since the show began in 2002.

The TV presenter, 42, has announced he will be taking a break from television presenting duties until 2019 and added that he and presenting partner Declan Donnelly had made a joint decision not to present a new series of Saturday Night Takeaway next year.

The past few months have seen McPartlin step back from TV commitments and public appearances following a drink-driving charge earlier this year.

He was banned from the road for 20 months and fined 86,000 after pleading guilty to driving while more than twice the legal limit.

McPartlin said in a statement: My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.

Id like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.

Thank you for all the messages of support. Ax  antanddec (@antanddec) August 9, 2018

Later he also posted to the duos official Twitter profile, thanking those who had sent him words of encouragement following the announcement.

Donnelly said: Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision.

Im looking forward to us both being reunited on screen in 2019.

Donnelly hosted the final episodes of ITV series Saturday Night Takeaway without McPartlin earlier this year.

Expand Close Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly have presented Saturday Night Takeaway for many years PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly have presented Saturday Night Takeaway for many years

But the duo said they will instead bring the show back (Saturday Night Takeaway) in 2020, bigger and better than ever.

Donnelly also hosted the live shows of Britains Got Talent without his long-time TV partner, although McPartlin appeared in the pre-recorded auditions.

The duo have fronted Britains Got Talent together since 2007.

ITV director of television Kevin Lygo said: ITV is completely supportive of Ant taking as much time as he needs in his recovery and of this mutual decision to rest Takeaway in 2019. Ant is clearly making good progress and we wish him all the very best and look forward to him returning to ITV next year.

An announcement on Im A Celebrity plans will be made in due course.
Hollywood movie star Liam Neeson wrapped up well as he took part in the filming of his new movie outside Belfast on Tuesday.

The Ballymena-born actor was spotted shooting scenes for Normal People on the Shore Road, Jordanstown.

The Schindler's List star has set aside his usual action roles for a more sensitive drama, based on a play by Irish playwright Owen McCafferty.

Oscar-nominated Neeson and Lesley Manville lead the cast of the love story as a happy and long-married couple, Joan and Tom, whose bond is challenged when Joan receives an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis.

The film will be directed by Lisa Barros DSa and Glenn Leyburn, who also helmed the 2012 Belfast-set film Good Vibrations.

Speaking about their new feature, Barros DSa and Leyburn said: It is a joy for us as directors to collaborate with Owen McCafferty, the justly celebrated playwright, on his first screenplay.

"We are thrilled at the prospect of bringing this beautiful, honest and unsentimental story to life with Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville in the starring roles, two of the most remarkable actors working on screen today.

Meanwhile, Neeson will return to the big screen this year in the Steve McQueen directed Widows, alongside Colin Farrell, and Hans Petter Moland's Hard Powder alongside Emmy Rossum and Laura Dern.
All the world's a stage, according to Shakespeare. But acclaimed English actress Imogen Stubbs, who's excelled in plays all over the world, admits that the Bard probably didn't have Portstewart Strand or Magilligan Beach in mind as he penned his famous speech for his classic As You Like It.

However, Imogen has no doubts it will be definitely as she likes it soon, when she gets the north coast sand between her toes performing in her most unusual ever theatrical locations later this month in tents on the beaches.

And the actress, who's one of a huge number of instantly-recognisable stars coming over here to take part in the third Lughnasa FrielFest: Brian Friel International Festival, will be packing her swimming costume too.

"I am a fanatical swimmer. It's my idea of heaven and I'm told the two beaches hosting my festival events are really special. They'll probably have to drag me out of the water to do my readings," says Imogen, who is thrilled at the prospect of being part of the only all-female team ever to tackle Homer's Odyssey, which was one of Friel's favourite literary pieces.

"I'm at a period of my life where things like this really interest me," says Imogen, who's 57 and a veteran of plays, TV series and movies.

"I've done a lot of work in traditional theatres, but the FrielFest is an extraordinarily-ambitious project with a remarkable amount of heart and ambition.

"I think it's fascinating to use site-specific venues like beaches to re-awaken and re-invigorate plays in a different context, drawing a whole new audience."

Expand Close Portstewart Strand Northern Ireland Tourist Board / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Portstewart Strand

The Friel festival is only half of the ambitious Arts Over Borders initiative running over three weeks this month. The sixth Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival honours writer Samuel Beckett in Fermanagh - where he was educated.

The veritable galaxy of stars from theatre and TV who've been attracted to the two cross-border festivals includes Natasha McElhone, Maxine Peake, Tamsin Greig and Enniskillen's own Adrian Dunbar - plus Jamie Lee O'Donnell and Ian McElhinney, from Derry Girls.

The performers will be celebrating their respective writers' works in quirky site-specific locations, including a police station, underground caves, an island on a lake, Derry's Walls, village halls, a crypt, a roadside, a pier and, of course, beaches.

Expand Close Adrian Dunbar / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Adrian Dunbar

Along with Natasha, Maxine and Frances Barber, Imogen will read passages from Emily Wilson's new translation of the Odyssey - the first by a woman - on nine beaches spanning the Atlantic coast in Donegal and in Northern Ireland.

Enhancing the mood, Greek food will also be served as live Greek music is played.

The Homer classics were read in 800BC by a man and that's the way it has always been - until now, with the stellar women breaking the mould.

It will be an exciting journey into the unknown for most of them.

Imogen says: "I've just received the passages that I will be reading and the translations are fantastic. I don't know yet if the tent I will be in will be a teepee or a boy scout one, though it might be a bit bigger than that.

"Who knows, there could be a storm and the marquee could blow away or nobody might be able to hear me with the wind. And maybe the tide will come in. We shall see. Everything affects the reading and that makes it a lovely challenge."

The fact that there'll be performances on both sides of the border - the last festivals in a pre-Brexit environment - is another major plus for Imogen, who says: "The idea that the arts are above borders and boundaries is tremendous and the Odyssey has new meaning nowadays, taking in the themes of migration and kinship.

"For me, my participation in the festival is not about money. It's about a belief that the arts can be in some way transformative. I know they've celebrated Seamus Heaney and Samuel Beckett before and along with Brian Friel, they are all really quite incredible writers.

"And if the Odyssey meant so much to Brian Friel, that's another reason why I want to read it. It's tremendous that so many English actors like me are getting the chance to be involved in such important Irish projects. I look on it as a real privilege to be honouring so many gifted Irish writers.

"In England, we are running out of people to celebrate. We have Shakespeare, David Attenborough and Judi Dench and that's about it, but in Ireland, it's fantastic to see people paying homage to so many literary figures that you are proud of.

"It's about using the arts as a way of transcending the memories of other things, transcending the reputation of something which is steeped in a sense of trouble."

The Odyssey, which is about the struggle of Odysseus to return home after the Trojan War, is among the oldest surviving works of Western literature and it is usually paired with the Iliad, an ancient Greek poem, which is traditionally attributed to Homer.

Part of the Iliad, which is set during the actual period of the Trojan War, is to be read in Irish, Greek and English by Belfast actor Niall Cusack on and around Derry's Walls, which Imogen says makes it even more relevant, given the nature of the sieges of that city and of Troy.

Somewhat coincidentally, Imogen was in Greece when the invite to the north coast came. She recalls: "I was sitting on a Greek island and even before I heard any real details or established if anyone would come to see me, I said 'yes'.

"I find the whole thing wonderfully inspiring.

"The audiences will be as challenged as the actors. It's going to be a very different experience from sitting in the dark in a theatre in uncomfortable seats and queuing for the loo at the interval and then if you're lucky getting a glass of repellent wine at vast expense.

"My only regret is that I mightn't get to see, or even meet, many of the other actresses involved in the Odyssey project. We are all performing at different times - and in different places."

Imogen has only been to Northern Ireland on a couple of occasions, to do radio and to act in the Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at the Theatre at the Mill in Newtownabbey eight years ago.

She says her friend, the Shameless actor David Threlfall, is a great ambassador for the province, having been here regularly to record a BBC radio series.

"He loves the place," says Imogen, who is more familiar with the Republic, having gone there regularly as a child.

Nowadays, as well as acting, Imogen is something of a globetrotter, wearing another hat as a travel writer.

"I've been all over the world to write about destinations like Alaska, Patagonia, Kyrgyzstan and China that really interest me. But I haven't travelled enough within the British Isles. After Brexit, of course, we mightn't be able to go anywhere else," she says.

Imogen admits she currently isn't as enthralled with the acting profession as she once was.

"To be honest, other than projects like the Irish festivals, which will take up a couple of days, it's life that interests me more now than theatre," she says.

"Not being pretentious, I am quite happy being me and I don't need to pretend to be somebody else. I've just been in a play, where I was doing eight shows over six days a week. That is really fun when you are younger. But I don't really want to be losing six days a week, where I can't go anywhere else or do anything else.

"I still have the same energy that I have always had, but I realise as I get older that you really should do the things that you enjoy and travelling is my passion.

"I've asked myself if I want to be in a hot theatre for six nights in London, going on my moped through all the smog and traffic with people getting road rage and talking about Brexit all the time, or if I want to immerse myself underwater in some beautiful place and bob around eating olives."

The answer for Imogen, who has also worked as a commissioning editor and adventure writer for Reader's Digest, is clearly a no-brainer. The daughter of a naval officer, Imogen and her family once lived on a vintage barge on the Thames and her life has turned full circle because she now resides on a houseboat on the same river.

She and her former husband, Sir Trevor Nunn, the renowned English theatre director who had a highly-publicised affair with Italian Nancy Dell'Olio in 2011, have two children together, a son called Jesse and a daughter, Ellie, who is also an actress.

Her actor/writer partner Jonathan Guy Lewis, who's best known for the TV series London's Burning and Soldier, Soldier, is currently directing a play with a military background at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

It's an updated version of his award-winning 1993 play, Our Boys, which was based on his own experiences of spending time in a military hospital after being invalided out of the Army with a rare back injury.

"I know he would enjoy what will be happening during the festivals in Ireland. And I think the audiences will have experiences that they won't forget," Imogen says.

"If someone asks them if they watched a programme like Love Island on the telly the night before, they can say, 'No, I went and heard a bit of the Odyssey on a beach and then ate with strangers and we all had a great time'."

For more details of the Friel and Beckett festivals. go to www.artsoverborders.com
Gary Lightbody is at home with his parents in Bangor for the weekend and feeling like a kid again. It's a place of refuge for the Snow Patrol frontman, who has been through the mill in recent years.

He has suffered from depression, vertigo, writer's block and a dependency on alcohol that he does not call alcoholism, but which resulted in his hand shaking if he felt in need of a drink.

But being at home lets the 42-year-old feel like a teenager.

"There is definitely a part of yourself that reverts to the age you were when you left home," he says, laughing.

"I think that's true of a band too, it doesn't matter how long you've been at it, there always is an element where you're still kids."

But it has been quite a journey for Snow Patrol to get where they are today, with numerous changes in name and line-up, as well as endless disappointments.

First founded at the University of Dundee in 1994 under the name Shrug, the band briefly flirted with the name Polarbear and released an EP before Snow Patrol was born.

Expand Close Gary Lightbody with the band / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Gary Lightbody with the band

Their first two albums, Songs For Polarbears in 1998 and When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up in 2001, failed to make much of a splash.

But in 2003, they released Final Straw on a major label. It blew up and the band became famous.

What came next was even bigger - the smash hit that was Eyes Open in 2006, with its anthem single Chasing Cars.

It topped the charts and was the best-selling British album of the year. Snow Patrol were global stars.

"It took us so long to have a hit, so I do think that most of the stuff that has happened to us over the last 15 years is like my dream, my fantasy," he says.

"It's very hard to take that completely seriously, so perhaps I tend not to live in the real world as much as most adults would."

But Lightbody has also become much more reflective as he's got older, more aware of his own weaknesses, but also better at protecting himself.

"I was always a very sensitive kid growing up. I wrote poetry from an early age, I wore my heart on my sleeve a little bit, maybe too much," he says.

"It probably wasn't good for me. But I also found that being open about my frailties, open about my frustrations or pain is actually the best medicine.

"I have suffered from depression my whole life. I actually feel good these days, but I'm a serious introvert and it was years playing gigs before I could look at the audience, before I could look up past my shoes and figure out how to be a frontman.

"There is a dual life where you're trying to present the songs as best you can, because you wrote them, so you may as well give it everything you've got on stage.

"But then you come back to the hotel and you're eating Quavers at three o'clock in the morning, watching 30 Rock.

"There's a dual existence and it can really mess with your head. There is a strange parallel to depression, because you can be the happiest you've ever felt, come off stage after playing to 20,000 people and feel 20ft tall, and three hours later I'm sitting in a hotel room, feeling completely devastated, isolated, alone.

"If you're not protecting yourself against it, it can happen at any time, and that's why talking about it first is the most important thing."

The band's latest album Wildness, released earlier this year, explores some of Lightbody's own conflicts.

Expand Close Gary Lightbody performing on stage Getty Images for Open Hearts Foundation / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Gary Lightbody performing on stage

"These aren't obscure things that no-one else goes through," he says.

"These are things that most people go through at some point in their life, be it just a general sense of not feeling right in the world, which happens to everybody at certain times, all the way up to very deep, dark depression.

"I've run the full spectrum of that, as have many."

That includes other songwriters and Lightbody lists Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, Chris Cornell and Prince as other artists who "dealt with the very fabric of our humanness".

He pauses for a moment. "Most songwriters, for the most part, sit on their own and stare at a blank page.

"Sometimes it's for seconds, sometimes years. So that's a very solitary, reflective existence just by itself."

But today, Lightbody feels better than he thought was possible.

"I'm waking up every day feeling like I'm ready to go, rather than waking up every day feeling like I'm ready to quit.

"It's a hell of a change and I'm very happy to have got to the other side of it.

"I know there are a lot of people that haven't got there. I know where they are. It's hard. I think the most important thing is reaching out to people that you can talk to.

"The first thing I did when I tried to deal with my mental problems was speak to people that I trusted.

"The band didn't even know. We are all very close. We are aware that sometimes we're having bad days or whatever. I just don't think they knew the extent of it."

His decision to stop drinking after a health scare two years ago - when he was diagnosed with infections in his ears, eyes and sinuses - also helped him "massively", he says.

"I was drinking for Ireland - and every day. I would do the decent thing and not drink until five o'clock, but by five o'clock, my hand was shaking.

"It was pretty much built-in. I couldn't think about a day without it, think about another way to be, because it seemed to insulate me against what I was feeling.

"The thought of not having a crutch or a protective layer around me felt insane. Why would I not do that?"

Does he think he's an alcoholic? "No. I have a strange way of looking at things," he says.

"It's perhaps an Irish way of looking at things, which is if you don't drink, you're not an alcoholic.

"I don't really truck with that whole thing. I totally understand people want to get on that train, if it helps them, that's fine - it doesn't help me. It doesn't help me at all, because I feel like there is no point if you've stopped.

"I'm not going to continually beat myself over the head with something that's not in my life anymore. Also, if it does come back into my life at any point, I don't want to feel like I've let people down or let myself down.

"I'm saying that today I don't drink, and that's enough for me.

"I don't give myself a label in that respect, but I do respect people who have gone down the AA route. If it works for them, that's great."

The change was profound and Lightbody feels and looks much healthier today.

"After a month, I felt so much better for not drinking, waking up without a hangover," he says.

"The first year was tough, but any time I think about drinking, my brain would put me back to when I had my last hangover."

It helps that Lightbody has no interest in revisiting his youth, or in growing old disgracefully.

"I don't want to be 20 again," he said. "I wouldn't want to go backwards. But I wouldn't mind seeing what I could have done with no booze and drugs from the age of 20.

"I would love to see what shape my body and mind would have been in without that.

"It's a terrible thing to say, for the band to have so much success, and I don't know how much I enjoyed it."

Still, he wouldn't do anything differently.

"I would be too afraid to not be right here, right now. This is what I always wanted, I just didn't know it. I wouldn't change anything."

Snow Patrol will bring their headlining tour to the UK and Ireland in December and January. More information is available at www.snowpatrol.com/shows
Signage for the recall petition which opened at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney

At first glance the sight of quite a few people heading into the three venues across north Antrim to sign a petition in favour of a recall by-election should unsettle Ian Paisley.

This, after all, isn't the sort of Orange/Green or Us/Them election we're used to in Northern Ireland. Indeed, this is the first election of its kind in the United Kingdom, so none of us can be overly confident in our predictions.

But the fact that Sinn Fein were first out of the traps, so to speak, and so free with the use of the word 'integrity' will probably do Paisley no harm. Even if he has let himself down in the eyes of many unionists, they will still rally to him if there is an election (which is, I think, likely) and it looks like it is being orchestrated by Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein cannot win this under their own banner; and nor can it be won by a candidate who has their nod of approval.

So Paisley will have some concerns that both Jim Allister and Robin Swann will be signing the petition. In a statement last week Swann said: "The UUP... would encourage any North Antrim electors who think that what Ian Paisley did was wrong to sign the petition and allow the entire North Antrim electorate to have their say."

Again, it's unlikely that a TUV/UUP endorsed candidate would beat Paisley, particularly if that candidate were also endorsed by SF/SDLP. But if that means two or three other candidates in the field he'd probably be happy enough.

It looks as though the DUP Constituency Association is behind him: that said, a lot of people, including key figures in the leadership, will be looking at the level of support he attracts at a pro-Paisley event being organised for him next Monday.

Any indication of a major split in the association, or a low turnout on the night, may embolden the leadership - who suspended him two weeks ago - to push for de-selection. The calculation they have to make - and they'll be doing their own soundings - is whether Brand DUP could win the seat from Brand Paisley.

The problem, of course, is that de-selection would tear the association apart and it would take a strong profile to challenge Paisley on his own turf; as well as risking a civil war across the entire party.

As it stands - although there are six weeks to go - the odds seem heavily stacked in Paisley's favour. A mixed field helps him. Any hint of Sinn Fein/SDLP supporting a candidate helps him. The fear of a split in the DUP helps him. The Paisley name and influence of his mother helps him. The near impossibility of finding a single candidate who could be endorsed by very big hitters and who could also attract the thousands of votes required helps him. The fact that most people seem to think he'll win no matter what happens also helps him.

North Antrim has been held by a Paisley since June 18, 1970. It would take an earthquake off the Richter Scale to unseat him. It's not impossible, but at this point it seems very unlikely.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The Paisley family at home in 1988. From left to right Ian Junior, Cherith, Rhonda, Kyle. Pic Pacemaker Ian Paisley hurdles a fence during canvassing for 2010 election. Pic Charles McQuillan Pacemaker Ian Paisley with Donald Trump. The North Antrim MP has supported the US president. Ian Paisley and Ian jnr eating buns in the campaign trail in March 1982. Ian Paisley at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena after retaining his seat in the 2015 general election Kevin Scott / Presseye Ian Paisley junior left pictured with his father during the Drumcree stand off in 1996. PACEMAKER BELFAST 15/04/98 Ian Paisley MP at a Remembrance Day commemoration in Kenya Pacemaker Belfast - Archive Ian Paisley Jnr with "Justice for the UDR Four " at his Ravenhill office. 19-12-90 1053-90-BWC Ian with Arlene Foster after she was made DUP party leader 9 / 6 / 17 PACEMAKER PRESS Ian Paisley Jr celebrates with his son Matthew and wife Fiona after winning his seat for North Antrim in the UK Parliamentary Elections. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS Ian Paisley Jnr, whose father founded the DUP in 1971, says, 'everybody hates us but we've got the cash' [Photo: Marc McKormick, www.independent.co.uk] Ian Paisley with his late father. Credit: Stephen Davidson/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST. Ian Paisley and Ian Junior in Studio. 16/8/94. 704/94/bwc PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 14/1/2011: Ian Paisley Junior pictured at the Adelaide Racer awards at the Ramada hotel PICTURE BY CHARLES MCQUILLAN Paisley with Miss North West 200 Jillian Frew 3/5/2010. PACEMAKER BELFAST. IAN PAISLEY JR POSES FOR THE OFFICIAL ELECTION ARTIST, SIMON ROBERTS WHILST CANVESSING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE OUTSIDE BALLYMENA THIS AFTERNOON. PICTURE CHARLES MCQUILLAN/PACEMAKER. Pacemaker Press Belfast 22-03-2013: Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Jr, MP is the Member of Parliament for North Antrim and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party and an author. He is the son of the DUP's founder and former leader, Ian Paisley. Picture By: Arthur Allison. Ian Paisley Jr met Amari Wijewardene, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, in Parliament to discuss a post-Brexit trade deal PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 11/7/2018: North Antrim MP, Ian Paisley at motorcycle racer William Dunlop's funeral at Garryduff Presbyterian church outside Ballymoney. Dunlop was killed in a crash during practice for the Skerries 100. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON PACEMAKER BELFAST 20/04/2017 Ian Paisley speaks to the Irish Times at Stormont Hotel in Belfast, about his father. Photo Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press Ian discusses the legacy of his father Photo Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press Ian Paisley Getty Images Pacemaker Belfast 18-06-2007: Junior Minister Ian Paisley Junior pictured at photocall at Stormont where ministers were encouraging people to cycle to work. PACEMAKER BELFAST. Copy pics from the book about the early years of the life of Ian Paisley. 13/8/86. 1197/86/bw PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 8/5/2015:DUP's Ian Paisley celebrates his victory in the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena . PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON A picture posted by Ian Paisley (right) of Arron Banks (second left), Sammy Wilson (second right) and Leave.EU campaigner Andy Wigmore Pacemaker press 21/4/15 The Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian paisley Junior launches election manifesto at Wrightbus in Co Antrim. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Paisley with Melania Trump Ian Paisley Junior PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 8/5/2015:DUP's Ian Paisley celebrates his victory in the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena . PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON DUP's Ian Paisley celebrates victory in the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena in the May 2015 General Election. Picture Stephen Davison Pacemaker 8/5/2015. PACEMAKER BELFAST. Ian Paisley and Ian Jnr. PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 8/5/2015: DUP's Ian Paisley celebrates his victory in the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena by singing the National Anthem. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 8/5/2015: Ian Paisley arrives at the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena with his wife, Fiona. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON 9 / 6 / 17 PACEMAKER PRESS Ian Paisley Jr celebrates winning his seat for North Antrim in the UK Parlimentary Elections. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS 3/5/2010. PACEMAKER BELFAST. IAN PAISLEY JR AND IAN PAISLEY SR IN HARRYVILLE, BALLYMENA. PICTURE CHARLES MCQUILLAN/PACEMAKER. Pacemaker Press 8/5/2017 DUP's Ian Paisley Jnr during the Launch of the DUP's General election campaign launch at the Castlereigh Hills Golf in East Belfast on Monday, ahead of the election on the 8th of June. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 8/5/2015:DUP's Ian Paisley celebrates his victory in the North Antrim constituency count in Ballymena . PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON Pacemaker Press: 22th December 2017: Ian Paisley Jr pictured with his new and old Passport Picture By: Arthur Allison. Ian Paisley Pacemaker Press Belfast 31-03-2014: Launch of North-West 200 road races at Titanic Belfast . Pictured at the launch Ian Paisley, Jr. and Arlene Foster, MLA Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. PICTURE BY: STEPHEN DAVISON Pacemaker Press Belfast 31-03-2014: Launch of North-West 200 road races at Titanic Belfast .Pictured at the launch Ian Paisley, Jr. and Arlene Foster, MLA Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. PICTURE BY: STEPHEN DAVISON 9 / 6 / 17 PACEMAKER PRESS Ian Paisley Jr celebrates winning his seat for North Antrim in the UK Parlimentary Elections. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Paisley family at home in 1988. From left to right Ian Junior, Cherith, Rhonda, Kyle. Pic Pacemaker

Sinn Fein is aware of this: but a by-election keeps a very hot, very embarrassing light on Paisley and the DUP for the next three months.

That's probably enough for Sinn Fein at this point.
Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly the Atlantic

Marie Curie has been voted the woman who has made the biggest impact on world history.

In a reader poll conducted by BBC History Magazine of 100 women who changed the world, the pioneering scientist came out top, above the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Diana, Princess of Wales, Emmeline Pankhurst and the Virgin Mary.

Amelia Earhart, who landed in a field in Ballyarnett in Londonderry in 1929, making her the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, features in the top 20.

Curie, a Polish-born French scientist, was the first person to win two Nobel prizes - one for physics and one for chemistry. She carried out important research into radioactivity, a term she coined.

Her discoveries launched effective cures for cancer and helped in the development of X-rays in surgery.

The magazine asked experts in 10 different fields of human endeavour to each nominate 10 women they believe had the biggest impact, to create the list of 100 women for readers to choose from.

Curie was nominated by Patricia Fara, president of the British Society for the History of Science, who said: "She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize in physics, first female professor at the University of Paris, and first person - note the use of person there, not woman - to win a second Nobel prize.

"The odds were always stacked against her. In Poland her patriotic family suffered under a Russian regime. In France she was regarded with suspicion as a foreigner - and of course, wherever she went, she was discriminated against as a woman."

The top 100 women were chosen for their achievements in areas including politics, science, sport, technology and literature.

In second place was Rosa Parks, who protested against racial segregation in America, with leader of the British suffragette movement Pankhurst third.

Ada Lovelace, a computer programmer and mathematician, and crystallographer Rosalind Franklin were in fourth and fifth places respectively.

Thatcher, the UK's first female Prime Minister, is in sixth place, while Diana, Princess of Wales, is at number 15.

Others in the top 20 include Mother Teresa, writers Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen, aviation pioneer Earhart and Queens Victoria and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

BBC History Magazine deputy editor Charlotte Hodgman said: "The poll has shone a light on some truly extraordinary women from history, many of whose achievements and talents were overlooked in their own lifetimes.

"I'm sure the full list will provoke conversation and debate."

The full list appears in the latest BBC History Magazine.
Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has promised to disclose details of the peace process in a new book. Brian Lawless/PA.

A woman who claims that senior IRA figures covered up her rape and forced her to face her attacker has branded a planned cookbook from former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams "sick".

Mairia Cahill, who now serves as an SDLP councillor, said that Mr Adams should withdraw plans to publish the cookbook and apologize to victims "who are continually traumatized by the IRA and Sinn Fein".

Read More

She said that Sinn Fein claim that the "interests of abuse victims are paramount" but that their actions were often to the contrary.

During a talk at the west Belfast Feile on Monday Mr Adams revealed that he was planning to publish the cookbook, and said it would include some of the best-kept secrets of the talks, which produced the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Ms Cahill was plunged into the spotlight in 2010 after she waived her right to anonymity to speak out, making allegations she had been raped by an IRA member when she was a teenager in 1997.

She further claimed that the IRA conducted its own inquiry into her account, subjecting her to interrogation and forcing her to confront her alleged attacker.

The man she accused of rape was later acquitted of criminal charges in court after Ms Cahill withdrew her evidence.

Charges were dropped against those allegedly involved in the IRA's internal inquiry.

Ms Cahill said she was also angry about the involvement of Padraic Wilson in the book plan who she says she met regarding her abuse during Feile week in August 2000.

The Lisburn and Castlereagh councillor said that the news regarding the release of the book has caused maximum hurt to me as a victim".

Expand Close Mairia Cahill / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Mairia Cahill

"Feile Week is a particularly difficult time for as it is the most raw in terms of memories of abuse," Ms Cahill said.

"Gerry Adams and Padraic Wilson should be well aware of this as I spoke about it not only in my court evidence, but also numerous times publicly."

Ms Cahill said that both men's involvement in the book was an insult to victims.

"I separately met with both Adams and Wilson for the first time regarding my abuse during Feile Week in August 2000, at the tail end of two IRA investigations forced upon me in 1999 and 2000," she said.

"Therefore, Adamss recent tweet announcing a cook book in which he states he has received help from Wilson, and whose smiling face appears on the cover has caused maximum hurt to me as a victim.

Branding the planned publication as sick, Ms Cahill said: The only thing cooked up by Sinn Fein was how to deny the IRA's role in the illegal investigation and cover up of child sexual abuse in both jurisdictions in Ireland.

The Belfast Telegraph has contacted Sinn Fein for a response to Ms Cahill's comments but have yet to receive a response.
Police have discovered a quantity of suspected cannabis during a search of a property in west Belfast.

Officers from PSNI Terrorism Investigation Unit tackling drugs related criminality carried out the planned search on Thursday under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Following the search a quantity of suspected cannabis was found. As a result a 47 year old man was issued with a Community Resolution Notice for possession of a Class B controlled drug.

Detective Inspector Andrew Hamlin, Terrorism Investigation Unit said: Officers from TIU are committed to bringing terrorism in all its forms to an end. Be under no illusion, paramilitary linked criminality at any level destroys peoples lives and harms our communities. We all need to take a stand.

We are committed to tackling and disrupting criminality linked to violent dissident republicans. I would encourage anyone with information to contact the police on 101 or alternatively information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
A charity has declined the money raised during an art exhibition for the loyalist killer Michael Stone.

Stone, while on day release from prison, attended an art exhibition in east Belfast last month which featured his own work and that of his wife Karen who he married in prison two years ago.

The exhibition features more than 20 paintings mostly focused on loyalist themes. The Milestones exhibition was hosted inside east Belfast community project Reach UK, which was set up by former members of the Red Hand Commando paramilitary group.

Read More

Organisers said 33% of the proceeds raised from the event would go to the Muscular Dystrophy UK charity, with the rest going to Stone and his family.

However, when the charity learned of how the money was raised it decided to decline the funds.

In a statement, a spokeswoman said: "We were not aware that Mr Stone had work on show at the Milestones exhibition. We understand the sensitivities in Northern Ireland about an exhibition including his paintings.

"After careful consideration, we will be declining the money raised at the event.

Former UDA man Michael Stone came to notoriety for his bloody gun and bomb attack on the Milltown Cemetery in March 1988, when he attacked the funerals of three IRA members, shooting and lobbing grenades into the crowd.

Three people died during the attack, with Stone admitting to three other murders after being arrested.

He was released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, but was imprisoned again in 2006 after attempting to kill Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Stormont, and is currently serving the remainder of the minimum 20-year jail term he was given in 1988.

As he is coming to his release date, he is eligible for 24 hours of unsupervised day release every four weeks in advance of this.
Arlene Foster has spoken with William Frazer and condemned the "hate-filled actions" of those who put a sign glorifying the murder of his father on a republican internment bonfire in Newry.

Bertie Frazer, the father of victims' campaigner William, was murdered by the IRA in 1975.

Read More

On Wednesday pictures emerged of the offensive sign on top of a bonfire in Parkhead in Newry.

It read: "Willie Frazer have you found your daddy yet?"

Expand Close The bonfire in Parkhead, Newry. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The bonfire in Parkhead, Newry.

Mr Frazer condemned the mentality of those who did it, calling them "mindless, uneducated, entrenched individuals".

On Thursday morning the DUP leader said: "I have spoken to William Frazer this morning about the vile sign placed on a bonfire in Newry. Such hate-filled actions compound the pain caused by the terrorists who inflicted such heartache on the Frazer family."
Robert Sharkey at Belfast Court on November 6th 2017 at a previous court appearance (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

A man facing a charge of preventing the burial of his neighbour, and of stealing her bankcards and cash, had his case returned to Belfast Crown Court.

Robert Sharkey (24) has been charged with 11 offences arising from the discovery of the remains of west Belfast pensioner Marie Conlon.

The 68-year old was discovered deceased in the bedroom of her Larkspur Rise flat last October. She had laid undiscovered for a period of around two years.

Sharkey, who at the time of the discovery was a neighbour of Ms Conlon, was arrested and subsequently charged with preventing the lawful burial of a corpse on dates between August 2015 and October 2017.

He was also charged with two counts of burglary - namely breaking into Ms Conlon's property and stealing her Bank of Ireland debit card, and stealing batteries tools and a coffee mug on a separate occasion.

Formerly from west Belfast but now living at a bail address in North Down approved by police, Sharkey also faces two theft charges - stealing Ms Conlon's First Trust bank debit card, and 50 cash.

In addition, Sharkey faces six separate offences of fraud by false representation, which are linked to the alleged usage of the stolen bank cards. One of the fraud charges alleges that Sharkey used one of the stolen cards to "purchase pizzas and other foodstuffs" amounting to 5,988.39 from Domino's Pizzas, on dates between October 2015 and October 2017.

He appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Thursday for a preliminary enquiry. Represented by Matt Higgins of HHD Solicitors, Sharkey nodded his head to confirm he understood the nature of the charges again him.

The accused shook his head again when he was asked if he "wished to say anything in answer to the charges."

A prosecutor told District Judge Greg McCourt that she believed there was a case to answer, which he accepted.

Mr McCourt then told Sharkey his case was being returned to Belfast Crown Court for arraignment, on a date to be fixed, before granting him continuing police bail.
A new plan to tackle domestic and sexual violence in Northern Ireland will be undermined due to a lack of funding, an MLA has said.

The Department of Health and Department of Justice jointly published the action plan under the Stopping Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Strategy on Thursday.

The plan will see the implementation of a Domestic Homicide Review process to promote good practice in responding to domestic abuse.

A 'Sanctuary Scheme' for victims will also be implemented to enable victims to remain safe in their own homes.

The Department of Justice will also commence a Crown Court Observers' study to gather information on victims' and witnesses' experiences of the court system in sexual offence cases.

Expand Close Dolores Kelly Liam McBurney / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dolores Kelly

However, SDLP policing and justice spokesperson Dolores Kelly MLA cast doubt over the plans, saying they will not be properly implemented because of a lack of funding.

This new plan based on cross-departmental partnership is, on paper, a welcome step towards tackling domestic and sexual violence," she said.

"In particular the Domestic Homicide Review process. However, in reality the lack of funding is going to make it impossible to implement the plan in its entirety.

Speaking with management and board members from Womens Aid on a regular basis, I am acutely aware that year on year, they are left to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get the funds needed to maintain their refuges and programmes.

"Likewise, it has been years since any of their staff have received a pay rise to acknowledge the very important, yet difficult job that they do, as well as not receiving any budgetary increase. "

The MLA for Upper Bann said it was unacceptable that the political spat between Sinn Fein and DUP meant the new plan could not be brought into legislation in the absence of an Executive at Stormont.

She added: "Victims of domestic abuse should not be left to wait.

"Without functioning institutions and an Assembly and Executive to pass and implement legislation, victims of domestic abuse are being let down.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said: "The action plan will directly contribute to the delivery of the 2016 Stopping Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Strategys vision, to have a society in Northern Ireland in which domestic and sexual violence is not tolerated in any form, effective tailored preventative and responsive services are provided, all victims are supported, and perpetrators are held to account."
The scene on Manor Street in north Belfast where a sectarian attack took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police are investigating the incident which seen three properties were damaged when painted was thrown at them. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

The scene on Manor Street in north Belfast where a sectarian attack took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police are investigating the incident which seen three properties were damaged when painted was thrown at them. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

The scene on Manor Street in north Belfast where a sectarian attack took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police are investigating the incident which seen three properties were damaged when painted was thrown at them. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

A DUP MLA has slammed a paint bomb attack on three homes in north Belfast as "utterly appalling and depraved".

Commenting on the incident, William Humphrey said: "For several years interface areas in North Belfast have been relatively quiet. Those republicans who carried out this attack are seeking to end that peace.

"I would appeal for calm and for condemnation of this attack from across the political spectrum.

Two young men were seen attacking these houses with paint bombs and rocks, just before midnight last night, before making off in the direction of the Oldpark Road."

Mr Humphrey said he would be meeting with the PSNI along with representatives from the Lower Oldpark Community Association.

Police are treating incidents of paint and objects thrown at three houses in Belfast as sectarian hate crimes.

The attacks, in the Manor Street area, were all reported within a 30 minute period on Thursday morning between 12.05am and 12.35am.

Inspector Robert McMurran said: We received the first report just after midnight that two youths had hurled an object at the window of a house, before throwing paint over it and running off towards the Oldpark Road. The window was shattered in the attack.

A second report was made to us around 12.15am in which two males, wearing grey tops, threw a paint bomb at the front window of a property.

"The window was not broken in the incident.

Expand Close The scene on Manor Street in north Belfast where a sectarian attack took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police are investigating the incident which seen three properties were damaged when painted was thrown at them. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The scene on Manor Street in north Belfast where a sectarian attack took place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police are investigating the incident which seen three properties were damaged when painted was thrown at them. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

And at around 12.30am, a third report was made that front living room window had been smashed at a house in the area. No-one was at home at the time.

While no-one was hurt in any of the incidents, the residents were left shocked by what happened.

"We are treating all three as sectarian hate crimes.

I would appeal to anyone who saw these two males in the area or any suspicious activity at the time the incidents took place, to get in touch with us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 12 of 9/8/18.

Expand Close The house that was attacked in Summer Street in the Oldpark area of north Belfast / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The house that was attacked in Summer Street in the Oldpark area of north Belfast

The incident comes just over a week after loyalist paramilitaries forced a grieving mother, whose son died only days before, out of her home in the Oldpark Road area.

It is believed the UFF threatened the woman and ordered her to leave her home. Hours later her home was attacked and the windows smashed.
Charity campaigner Willie Gregg has launched an appeal for the victims of the earthquake which rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok

Charity campaigner Willie Gregg has launched an appeal for the victims of the earthquake which rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok

A big-hearted charity fundraiser from Northern Ireland has launched an urgent appeal to help victims of the devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

Portrush man Willie Gregg has already sent a 1,500 donation to a children's charity on the ravaged island from a fund he set up to help young people orphaned in Thailand by the 2004 tsunami.

"The footage on the TV news from Lombok had the same impact on me that the tsunami did 14 years ago," he said.

"I was in tears. And I knew I just had to do something."

Sunday's powerful 6.9 magnitude quake is now known to have killed over 130 people and left at least 20,000 people homeless.

A second tremor hit the island and nearby Bali on Monday and thousands of tourists have been evacuated from the region.

Relief agencies have said the priority is to provide shelter for residents, many of whom are said to be too terrified to return to their houses and villages.

Mr Gregg said he made contact with a Dutchman called Chaim Fetter - the chairman and founder of a the Peduli Anak Foundation, which looks after street children on Lombok.

He told the Portrush bar manager that the earthquake had destroyed a series of shelters which he had built up over 14 years for abused, exploited and neglected children - only for it to be flattened in 10 seconds.

Mr Fetter, whose BBC World Service interview in front of the shattered shelters was seen by millions of TV viewers, said it was lucky that none of the 90 children in his care were killed or injured because they were all in a praying room, in an open space, when the quake struck.

He added: "We have nothing now. It's terrible that these children are homeless again. They are totally traumatised."

Mr Gregg said: "Chaim told me he's setting up a soup kitchen and there's an urgent need not only for water but also for pots, pans, cooking utensils, cups, plates and cutlery.

"So I went to the bank and got money sent out to Lombok as fast as possible. It really does seem to be a matter of life and death.

"Rather than wait for the money to come in on the appeal, the money that I dispatched is from Willie's Orphan Fund and I'm now appealing for people who have been extremely generous in assisting me to help the Thai orphans will rally around again."

Sunday's 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. Volunteers and rescue personnel were erecting more temporary shelters while food and medical supplies were being distributed from vehicles.
The application of the permit was filed by Tom Funderburg, president of Post Oak Clean Green Inc., who plans to build a state-of-the-art, double-lined landfill on 450 acres of a 1,200-acre tract off Farm-to-Market Road 1150.
Northern Ireland is set to miss out on the world record for being the country without a government for the longest period in peacetime.

In August, Northern Ireland will pass Belgium's current world record of 541 days without a government.

Read More

However, in a statement released to the BBC Guinness World Records have confirmed that Northern Ireland is not eligible for the record as laws can still be passed at Westminster.

"While the Northern Ireland Assembly has the power to make legislation relevant to the area, it is still limited with regard to certain powers and the Westminster parliament is technically still able to pass laws for any part of the UK, meaning that Northern Ireland still has a form of government in place," a Guinness World Records spokesperson told the BBC.

The Northern Ireland Assembly collapsed in 2017 when deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in the wake of the RHI scandal, also citing issues around equality.

Subsequent attempts at restoring the institutions have proved fruitless, though Sinn Fein have claimed that a resolution was close in February 2018, before the DUP backed away from a proposed agreement, a claim the DUP deny.

It has been suggested that talks could be set to resume in October, but there has been disagreement among Northern Ireland's political parties over whether talks are supposed to take place.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has called for Theresa May's Government to start taking decisions for Northern Ireland with little hope remaining of institutions in Northern Ireland being restored.
Veteran Bob Calvert gets into the pilots seat of a Hawk training jet (Ben Hanna/PA)

A former RAF radio operator whose team helped shorten the Second World War by two years has marked the air forces centenary.

Robert Calvert, 93, from Newcastle in Co Down, read Morse code military communications which played a vital part during the conflict.

He also worked on a seized German U-boat coding box as part of a special high-security project which spent six months translating its contents.

The decorated veteran said: They found out in the end about 120 U-boats all around the world  it reduced the war by two years.

The next stop on the #RAf100 Aircraft Tour is Newcastle, Northern Ireland, from 10-12 August. Visit https://t.co/cvJYIMCAXO for more information pic.twitter.com/GkEO4aG8hr  Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) August 7, 2018

Mr Calvert is a talkative nonagenarian about to celebrate his 94th birthday later this month.

After D-day he was based in Belgium, Holland and Germany. Following the war he served in Egypt, North Africa, Germany and Cyprus.

He was guest of honour as the RAF prepares to commemorate its own special 100th birthday at an airshow in the seaside resort town of Newcastle in Northern Ireland this weekend.

Full-size replica RAF aircraft will be on show from Friday at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

Northern Ireland became a vital base in World War Two, with 25 airfields from the Ards Peninsula to Lough Erne primarily focused on winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

Aircraft based in Northern Ireland successfully sank many U-boats and assisted in the scuttling of the most famous German battleship of the war, the Bismarck.

Mr Calvert recalled his important wartime role.

I was security-cleared, and I was very proud of it, to go on a little coding machine that was found in a U-boat that the Americans had sunk off the coast of America.

The Americans took the crew of the enemy submarine to shore and one who spoke German overheard a member of the captured group disclose: We did not take that top secret stuff with us.

That prompted a six-month effort processing the information and the discovery of large numbers of the enemy craft, Mr Calvert recalled.

Analysis of German military signals during the war meant Allied convoys could be directed away from the U-boats and helped win the Battle of the Atlantic.

The ex-serviceman, who proudly displays his medals on his wall at home, said: The RAF was my life. When it is a very interesting job you like it.

I loved the Morse code. It is always in your head, always ticking along, it does not do you any harm.

The RAF100 Aircraft Tour also includes interactive Stem-related activities allowing visitors to experience the science behind the worlds first air force to reach its centenary.

Paul Sanger-Davies, group captain of the RAF100, said: We recruit people from across the UK and we have a very special link with the people of Northern Ireland because we are focused on technical careers and keeping a very advanced air force operational.
The Irish government has received a mixed response after claims it will offer abortion services to women in Northern Ireland.

Irish Health Minister Simon Harris made the remarks during the leaders' debate at the west Belfast festival on Tuesday.

It remains unclear if this represents an intention or a firm commitment from the Irish government.

"While 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," he said.

"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."

Sinn Fein and human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the comments.

However, anti-abortion group Precious Life accused Mr Harris of an "outrageous attack" on Northern Ireland's unborn babies and the democratic process.

The DUP said: "Services available within the Republic of Ireland and how these are paid for are a matter for the Irish Government.

"The DUP is a pro-life party which upholds the value and worth of both mothers and unborn children."

The UUP said abortion remained a matter of individual conscience.

The SDLP and Alliance Party were asked for comment - however they did not respond last night.

Mr Harris said 919 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England and Wales last year to access abortion services.

Official figures from the UK government said 833 made the journey in 2015.

Abortion remains illegal in Northern Ireland except in cases where there is a serious threat to the mother's physical or mental health.

The debate in Northern Ireland has intensified since May when the Republic voted to relax its abortion laws.

Mr Harris said he intends to introduce new legislation after the summer recess.

The journey to Dublin will be substantially cheaper for women in Northern Ireland hoping to access the new services, but many feel this is still unacceptable.

Grainne Teggart is campaigns manager for Amnesty International in Northern Ireland.

"This will be a welcome form of remedy for some but it is no substitute for free, safe and legal services at home," she said.

"We call on Theresa May's government to bring an end to the harm being caused by our near-total ban on abortion by decriminalising abortion and putting a human rights compliant framework for access in place.

"It is hypocritical, degrading and insulting to women to force them to travel for healthcare. We are not second-class citizens, we will not accept this inequity."

The Prime Minister has previously resisted calls to reform Northern Ireland's abortion laws, stating any change must be agreed by a devolved Assembly.

Bernadette Smyth, director of the anti-abortion group Precious Life, slammed Mr Harris for an "outrageous attack on Northern Ireland's unborn babies and the democratic process".

"Simon Harris' blatant disregard for the right to life does not stop at the border, as he now wants to extend his government's abortion plans and kill unborn children from the north," she said.

"Once again we have a pro-abortion politician attacking Northern Ireland's democratic process.

"It's totally outrageous and it demonstrates a shocking level of utter contempt for democracy."

Sinn Fein said: "There is an overwhelming desire, within the wider public and within the medical profession, to see this addressed in a compassionate and caring manner to ensure that women's access to healthcare is harmonised across the island."
Orange Order grand secretary Mervyn Gibson has defended his decision to attend an art exhibition featuring and attended by the loyalist killer Michael Stone.

Stone, who was convicted of killing six people, displayed his art work at an exhibition in east Belfast while on day release from prison last month. The Milestones exhibition was held in the community centre run by Reach UK.

Details emerged in a BBC report on Thursday.

Read More

Orange Order Grand Secretary Mervyn Gibson defended his decision to attend the event. He said he was there in a personal capacity, as a local minister and a community activist.

"There was an exhibition in my parish, because I am involved in the Reach organisation, because I am of the belief it was certainly nothing to do with glorifying terrorism," he told the BBC.

"In fact it was the opposite. I had conversations with Michael and he said he didn't want to see people going to jail for what he did. He didn't want to see that repeated."

Rev. Gibson said he was happy to pose for pictures alongside Stone at the event.

When asked how meeting with Stone would look given the Orange Order's stance of refusing to meet with Sinn Fein, he said the Orange Order was a member organisation that had voted unanimously on that matter.

"And the reason for that was because of the hurt to their members. So there is no inconsistency in me as individual going to such an exhibition," he added.

"Indeed in my capacity over the years I have met many senior Sinn Fein officials who were terrorists, who caused immense hurt and I do so in the interests of progress and building peace.

"But as an institution we are entitled to make a decision and I stand by that.

"However, as an individual I will continue to go to events that I believe are moving people forward in the interests of moving away from conflict."
The claim was made at the first meeting of the councils Brexit committee (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Political parties have been accused of using Belfast City Council resources for campaigning.

DUP councillor Lee Reynolds made the claim at the first meeting of the councils Brexit committee on Thursday.

Read More

The committee has been set up to look at what implications the UK leaving the European Union on March 29 2019 will have for Belfast.

Committee chair Seanna Walsh (Sinn Fein) opened the inaugural meeting by telling members that its terms of reference include reflecting on areas of impact Brexit may have on Belfast, including economic and funding.

The first order of business was a motion of support for the so-called backstop option.

The EU has proposed a backstop which would mean Northern Ireland remaining with the EU customs union, large parts of the single market and the EU VAT system.

However the UK suggests a backstop would see the UK as a whole remaining aligned with the EU customs union for a limited time after 2020.

The motion at the council committee was proposed by Sinn Fein councillor Arder Carson, who described the backstop as an insurance policy.

What we have is political parties using council resources for their political campaigningLee Reynolds, DUP

He emphasised it should not be diluted, but rather extended.

The SDLP and Alliance Party backed the motion with minor amendments.

SDLP councillor Donal Lyons told the committee the backstop was the bare minimum, describing it as a safety net that we shouldnt fall beneath.

But unionist parties opposed the motion.

DUP councillor Brian Kingston directed his comments to the Sinn Fein members, accusing them of using the council, because they are boycotting Westminster and the Assembly.

EU negotiators and the UK Government are not waiting for the verdict of Belfast City Council before making their next move, he said.

Sinn Fein could have influence at Westminster which they boycott, or in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive  but there is a triple boycott going on.

Mr Reynolds described the discussion as just ridiculous, arguing that the committee had been given a remit and claimed the proposed motion and discussion went beyond it.

What we have is political parties using council resources for their political campaigning, he told the committee.

Sinn Fein councillor Ciaran Beattie hit back, saying his party runs for Westminster on an absentionist ticket, and claiming that the Assembly remains collapsed due to DUP scandals and the party refusing rights, including for Irish language speakers and equal marriage.

The motion was passed by 10 votes to 7, with Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance voting for, while the DUP, UUP and PUP voted against.

Later in the meeting, Ulster Unionist councillor Jeffrey Dudgeon proposed that the committee review the role of Belfasts Port Health Unit following the UKs departure from the EU.

The Port Health Unit at Belfast Harbour Estate is currently approved to act on behalf of the EU as a Designated Point of Entry, his proposal reads.

It also currently controls high-risk products of non-animal origin imported from outside the EU and is approved as a Border Inspection Post for the examination, sampling and clearance of third country imports of products of animal origin.

Given the changes after Brexit when the Unit may have to inspect direct imports from all the current EU states, as well as non-EU countries, the proposed review of its role and options will need to involve forward planning for various outcomes.

Belfast is the first council in Northern Ireland to have a dedicated committee to look at the potential impact of Brexit.

Council officers have been tasked with assessing the impact that Brexit may have on its services, and are undertaking an audit of services to identify the nature and extent of potential impact on funding, personnel, procurement/contracts and legislation.

The committee is next due to meet on September 20.
New plans for Belfasts Grand Opera House include revamping the much criticised Act 2 extension and refurbishing the main auditorium, with new seats, ceiling decoration and better sound, lighting and stage facilities

A new planning application for the Grand Opera House in Belfast has revealed that a previous 10.5m extension had limited success.

The 'Act 2' extension to the main building was opened in 2006, but according to the Grand Opera House Trust it has failed to meet expectations.

At the time the Arts Council of Northern Ireland had contributed 2.3m to the project.

Now the trust has submitted plans for a major revamp of the Act 2 extension, along with upgrading the main facilities.

It's hoped the work can be completed before the Opera House's 125th anniversary in 2020 and the application calls it "a once in a generation opportunity to restore the auditorium to its former grandeur".

The Act 2 building currently provides the Baby Grand Space, which hosts smaller performances and functions.

It also provides extra facilities for front of house, bleacher seating and bars at different levels.

The planning application said that although the relatively new extension provides "much needed accommodation", it required work to improve ambience and customer satisfaction to "better reflect the quality" of the main auditorium.

Key issues with the current accommodation include "poor quality" public realm and entrance area with "a cluttered and confusing arrangement of services".

In addition, the trust said the internal layout led to bottlenecks at key facilities such as bars, toilets, staircases and, in particular, the auditorium entrances.

It added: "There is a lack of continuity of theme or style between the original theatre and heritage to the Act 2 accommodation and many of the linking spaces are poor quality."

The problems were also affecting income, with the application saying the Baby Grand, Hippodrome Room and Shakespeare Room are all currently under-utilised and "not fulfilling their potential".

The BBC said the trust is also plans to use part of the reworked space as a permanent exhibition on the theatre's history.

The project also proposes to revamp the main auditorium with new seats, ceiling decoration and upgraded sound, lighting and stage facilities.

It's not known how much the proposed refurbishments would cost at this stage, but it's reported a restoration levy on ticket prices since 2011 will contribute to the "significant investment".
Sinn Fein have expressed their anger after Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes allegedly refused to meet with them.

Mrs Nokes allegedly turned down the chance to meet Sinn Fein representatives to discuss Brexit during a visit to Co Down on Thursday.

Read More

Sinn Fein South Down MP Chris Hazzard said Mrs Nokes was not willing to listen to the "deep concerns in this constituency about the disastrous affects Brexit will have on the area".

The lack of engagement by the British Immigration Minister is particularly ironic given the disgraceful anti-immigration and racist claims of senior Brexiteers," Mr Hazzard said.

This was another box ticking exercise by a British government with no plan, no strategy and which couldn't care less about the impact of Brexit on South Down.

Mrs Nokes visit comes after then Brexit Secretary David Davis apologised after making an unannounced visit to the Irish border in Co Armagh.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed Mrs Nokes was visiting Northern Ireland.

"She met Border Force officials at Belfast City airport and representatives from the fishing industry at Kilkeel harbour," the spokesperson said.
Aileen Fitzgerald and her daughter with Oliver ONeill, who found her wedding and engagement rings

A young boy in search of treasure on a beach has helped reunite a tourist with her lost wedding and engagement rings.

Oliver O'Neill (8) was happily playing on the sandy coves of Culdaff beach in Co Donegal when he noticed the sparking diamonds.

Unaware of just how valuable and precious his find was, he showed the rings to his father Ciaran.

Read More

Ciaran posted a picture of the items on his Facebook page when they returned home to Londonderry and asked people to share the post in a bid to get the lost jewellery back with their owner.

An incredible 13,000 shares later and the two rings were back on the fingers of a very relieved and grateful Aileen Fitzgerald from Dundalk, who had been on holiday in Donegal.

Mr O'Neill said his son was delighted to have been the hero of the day.

"Oliver and his wee cousin were up playing on rocks and I was a bit worried they were too high up so I went over to them," he explained.

"When I reached them Oliver was shouting out to me: 'Daddy, I found treasure, I found treasure'. He put his wee hand out and there were these two rings.

"He saw the glint of the diamonds in the sunlight as they were lying in the sand.

"I didn't realise what they were at the start, I thought they were just two ordinary rings.

"But when my wife Victoria saw them she knew straight away they were someone's wedding and engagement rings."

Ciaran wanted to find the owner.

So he turned to the power of social media to help him in his quest.

"I put a picture of the two rings up on Facebook and asked people to share the post.

"It ended up being shared over 13,000 times.

"I started to get messages from people as far away as America wondering if the rings were ones they had lost years ago while in Ireland.

"One of the people who shared the post was a guy who was big in the GAA in Donegal, and it was on his Facebook that a Guard saw it.

"The woman who owned the rings had been in the local Garda station and reported her lost rings, so the Guard put two and two together.

"There was an inscription on the inside of the rings which the woman - Aileen Fitzgerald - was able to describe, so I knew they were definitely her rings.

"She came to our house and picked them up and gave Oliver a very generous reward, which he was chuffed to bits about, and thinks he is a real hero - which he is to Aileen."
BT Consumer said it will no longer use contract roles (Nick Ansell/PA)

Telecoms giant BT is creating more than 1,000 customer service jobs.

The adviser roles will be created across BTs consumer division in the UK and Ireland to fulfil its promise to provide the best and most personal support for customers.

Were continuing to invest across the UK to give our customers the best connections, service, and experiencesMarc Allera, chief executive of BT's consumer business

Building on the 1,100 jobs created across the UK in the last year, BT Consumer said it will no longer use contract roles.

Marc Allera, chief executive of BTs consumer business, said: Were continuing to invest across the UK to give our customers the best connections, service, and experiences.

These new roles will provide better job security, and will mean our people can focus on putting our customers first and offer the best help and support, whether on the phone or online.
 The War on Kids Post #4 | Main | The Modern Eighth Amendment 

August 9, 2018

White House emails "startling facts about Americas prison system"

Though I will not be back on-line regularly for a few more days, I am finding ways to check my emails and felt inspired to report here on what appeared at the very top of the daily email blast from the White House today. Specifically, this text and these links appeared under the heading "The startling facts about Americas prison system":

Following successful bipartisan passage of the FIRST STEP Act in the House of Representatives, President Trump is hosting a roundtable with a number of Americas governors today to discuss implementing prison reform in their states. President Trump supports efforts to reduce recidivism  the return of former inmates to prisonas a way to make Americas streets safer. The Administration has worked closely with Congress to find a solution that reduces crime, enhances public safety, and increases opportunity for those who have earned a second chance. The facts about Americas prison system are startling, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner wrote in The Wall Street Journal in April. The U.S. has 4% of the worlds population, but roughly 25% of the worlds prisoners. . . . Of the 650,000 people who leave prison every year, two-thirds will commit a new crime within three years. The bottom line, says Kushner: President Trump promised to fight for the forgotten men and women of this countryand that includes those in prison. The starting facts about Americas prison system. Taking action: President Trumps principles for reforming our prisons

No White House gets any credit or congratulations from me unless and until actual legislation gets enacted into law. But this email, which also noted that today "President Donald J. Trump is hosting a roundtable discussion with governors on prison reform and the FIRST STEP Act before Congress," reinforces my sense that this White House is going to keep talking up at least some measure of criminal justice reform until at least something actually gets done. Or, at least, they are fooling me into believing this is a real priority for this Administration.

August 9, 2018 at 03:39 PM | Permalink

Comments

If the facts are startling imagine that.

Posted by: John Neff | Aug 10, 2018 10:21:25 AM

"Or, at least, they are fooling me into believing this is a real priority for this Administration"

I don't think it is a priority for this Administration qua Administration. It is a priority for Kushner because he has a personal history there thanks to Chris Christie and so long as Kushner has influence over the President it will remain on the radar.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 10, 2018 1:01:21 PM

Post a comment
The planned location of the UKs first spaceport in Sutherland on Scotlands north coast (UK Space Agency/PA)

The UKs first spaceport could launch around 2,000 satellites by 2030 as part of efforts to bring in 3.8 billion through the industry, according to new figures.

Business Secretary Greg Clark made the announcement during his first visit to the proposed site in the Highlands on Thursday.

Plans for the Sutherland spaceport were unveiled last month.

On his first visit to the site of a new #spaceport in #Scotland, Business Secretary @GregClarkMP said that the spaceport could be worth 400 jobs to the local Scottish economy https://t.co/cp9NX1AccS #IndustrialStrategy pic.twitter.com/clmWrttB6R  UK Space Agency (@spacegovuk) August 9, 2018

A new report released by the UK Space Agency suggests there is a significant gap in commercial small satellite launch provision, with demand for the sector estimated to be worth up to 3.8 billion to the economy over the next decade.

Mr Clark said: From our market leadership in small satellite construction to our world-leading universities, Scotland and the UK come from a position of strength in the global space sector which will be turbo-boosted by the first new spaceport and our industrial strategy.

However, I want to make sure that this giant leap for the UK will also deliver on the ground, thats why Im here today to discuss benefits in local jobs, uplifting tourism and businesses, helping to bring prosperity to all.

The spaceport will be developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which has approved investment of up to 9.8 million in the 17.2 million facility.

Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp (PA Graphics)

Last month it was announced the UK Space Agency would provide 31.5 million of funding for the project.

If approved, it could see a vertical launch site built for a new generation of small rockets to launch micro communication and earth-observation satellites.

Melness Crofting Estate near Tongue is the proposed location.

Scotland has been described as the best place in the UK to reach in-demand satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

It is estimated the spaceport could create 400 jobs in the area.

During his first visit to the Sutherland #spaceport site, @GregClarkMP viewed plans and discussed benefits in local jobs, uplifting tourism and businesses, helping to bring prosperity to all https://t.co/cp9NX1AccS #IndustrialStrategy pic.twitter.com/DKqVIBoDT8  UK Space Agency (@spacegovuk) August 9, 2018

Employment would come from activities at the spaceport, inward investment, and supply chain opportunities.

Roy Kirk, of HIE, said: Establishing the UKs first spaceport in Sutherland is a fantastic opportunity for the Highlands and Islands, and for Scotland.

The international space sector is set to grow very significantly in the coming years.

Crucially, we believe it will also stimulate further related investment and business activity more widely across the Highlands and Islands and other parts of Scotland.

The 2,000 satellites are forecast to launch between 2021 and 2030.
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.

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.
A protest was held near Boris Johnson;s Uxbridge and South Ruislip office on Harefield Road in Uxbridge (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Protesters have gathered in Boris Johnsons constituency to demand he steps down in the wake of comments he made on the burka.

In a controversial Telegraph column, the Uxbridge MP said Muslim women wearing face coverings look like letter boxes, and compared them to bank robbers and rebellious teenagers.

More than 30 protesters, almost matched in numbers by the media, chanted ban Boris and carried placards which read my dress my choice, and back off Boris.

The gathering, which was also flanked by more than five police officers, took place on Thursday outside a private tax returns company just down the road from the former foreign secretarys current constituency office.

Expand Close A woman wearing a burka joined the protest near Boris Johnsons office (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A woman wearing a burka joined the protest near Boris Johnsons office (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Azmat Parveen, who attended the protest wearing a burka, said it is her decision to wear the religious garment, and that the comments made by Mr Johnson were painful.

The 68-year-old told the Press Association: This is a way of life, I want to choose this way and somebody remarks on it, I cant bear it, it is very, very rude.

He (Mr Johnson) is the MP and he is not an ordinary man, we choose the MP, we expect them to have respect for the public, and he didnt show any respect.

That is annoying and so hurtful, because everyone has a right to if they want to wear it, and he doesnt think about what he said, it is so painful.

Mrs Parveen revealed she has suffered racism during her day-to-day life, and said Mr Johnson should leave because he doesnt have the manners to talk, adding: I want him to leave his seat.

Expand Close People with opposing views have a discussion near Boris Johnsons office as police look on (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp People with opposing views have a discussion near Boris Johnsons office as police look on (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Counter-protesters stood on the opposite side of the street shouting phrases including we love Boris, Oh Tommy, Tommy Robinson, and that there is no place for the burka in Britain.

They declined to speak to the media as they live streamed the shouting match.

Protest organiser Nahella Ashraf, from Stand Up To Racism, said it was important to make it clear to Mr Johnson that his comments are not supported.

The 48-year-old added: And to make it clear to the Tories that people like him have no place in mainstream political parties.

I think the Tories should take action it is clear he (Mr Johnson) has racist ideas, and is clearly racist.

She said it is unacceptable that people simply brush off his remarks as Mr Johnson putting his foot in it again, adding: He knows what he is saying.

He is clearly looking for a far right vote.

Describing the comments Mr Johnson made as leaving her feeling sick, she said they also left her feeling fearful for the women who do dress differently.
Argentinas Senate has rejected a bill to legalise elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, an issue that has divided the homeland of Pope Francis.

Politicians debated for more than 15 hours and voted 38-31 against the bill.

The decision could echo across Latin America, where the Roman Catholic Church has lost influence and moral authority due to secularisation, an out-of-touch clerical caste and an avalanche of sex abuse scandals.

For long hours, thousands of supporters wearing green handkerchiefs that represent the effort to legalise abortion and opponents of the measure, wearing light blue, braved the heavy rain and cold temperatures in Argentinas winter to watch the debate on large screens set up outside Congress.

Expand Close Pro-choice activists react after politicians voted against the bill (Natacha Pisaranko/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Pro-choice activists react after politicians voted against the bill (Natacha Pisaranko/AP)

The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but after the vote, small groups of protesters clashed with police, throwing firebombs and setting up flaming barricades.

Police officers responded with tear gas.

The lower house had already passed the measure and conservative President Mauricio Macri had said that he would sign it, even though he is anti-abortion.

In Argentina, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape and risks to a womans health.

Thousands of women, most of them poor, are taken to hospital each year for complications linked due to unsafe abortions, the main cause of maternal death.

Backers of the measure said legalising abortion would save the life of many women who now turn to dangerous illegal abortions.

Expand Close A woman in support of decriminalising abortion spreads coloured smoke (Natacha Pisarenko/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A woman in support of decriminalising abortion spreads coloured smoke (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

The Health Ministry estimated in 2016 that the country sees as many as half a million clandestine abortions each year, with dozens of women dying as a result.

The Catholic Church and other groups opposed it, saying it violated Argentine law, which guarantees life from the moment of conception.

There are positive points that have come out of this, first of all, that even when there are differing ways of thinking, theres a square in peace right now, with thousands of people defending their convictions, said Buenos Aires provincial Governor Maria Eugenia Vidal, who was against the measure.

There was talk of a green square and a light blue square.

But the truth is that these are people who are right there next to each other, coexisting and defending what they believe to be the truth.

Expand Close Demonstrators celebrate the decision by the senate (Luisa Balaguer/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Demonstrators celebrate the decision by the senate (Luisa Balaguer/AP)

But the contentious issue has divided Argentinians, pitting conservative doctors and the Catholic Church against feminist groups and physicians.

While thousands of people waited for the decision on the streets guarded by umbrellas, others gathered Wednesday night at a Mass For Life at the capital citys Metropolitan Cathedral, the church of Pope Francis during his tenure as the archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State

Expand Close Protesters demonstrate in support of loosening the abortion law, left, and against abortion, right (Delfina Linares/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Protesters demonstrate in support of loosening the abortion law, left, and against abortion, right (Delfina Linares/AP)

Its not about religious beliefs but about a humanitarian reason, Cardinal Mario Poli, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, told churchgoers.

Caring for life is the first human right and the duty of the State.

Pope Francis this year had denounced abortion as the white glove equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics programme and urged families to accept the children that God gives them.

Activists estimate that 3,000 women in Argentina have died of illegal abortions since 1983.

Lets recognise that were facing a public health tragedy because 3,030 women who have died is a tragedy, said Magdalena Odarda, a senator for Rio Negro province.

Were not deciding abortion yes or no.

Were deciding abortion in a hospital, or illegal abortion, with a clothes hanger, or anything else that puts a woman in a humiliating, degrading situation, a real torture, she said.
A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the New Mexico desert compound that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddlers grandfather said.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, found on Monday. Prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned four on Monday. Authorities said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

Expand Close The makeshift compound at Amalia, New Mexico (Morgan Lee/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The makeshift compound at Amalia, New Mexico (Morgan Lee/AP)

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and a youngsters remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tyres, wooden pallets and a wall studded with broken glass.

The missing boys grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandsons.

The imam said he did not know the cause of death.

Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable, Mr Wahhaj said.

Expand Close The compound site in New Mexico (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The compound site in New Mexico (AP)

A Georgia arrest warrant accused the boys father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the imams son, of kidnapping the child. Authorities said the father at some point told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the boy, who cannot walk and requires constant attention because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth.

The childs father was among five adults arrested on suspicion of child abuse at the compound after the children were discovered. In court papers, prosecutors also said Wahhaj had been training children there to carry out school shootings.

Expand Close Siraj Ibn Wahhaj in court (Morgan Lee/AP{) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Siraj Ibn Wahhaj in court (Morgan Lee/AP{)

Speaking at his Brooklyn mosque, the elder Wahhaj said his family was trying to make arrangements to bring the childs body to Georgia.

All 11 of the children, he said, were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

Im very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren, he said. He said he did not understand why his son had taken the family and disappeared into the desert, but suggested a psychiatric disorder was to blame.

My son can be maybe a little bit extreme, he said, though he added that he never thought he was extreme enough to kill anyone. High-strung, he said.

The grandfather heads a mosque that has attracted radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Centre in 1993.

New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator said it was still working to identify the remains.
Christians pray for the victims of US atomic bombing during a mass at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki (Takuma Kaneko/Kyodo/AP)

Nagasaki has marked the anniversary of the worlds second atomic bombing with the United Nations chief and the citys mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward world nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-general Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that they should never be repeated.

He raised concerns about the slowing effort to denuclearise, saying existing nuclear states are modernising their arsenals.

Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on earth to suffer nuclear devastationAntonio Guterres, UN secretary general

Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt, Mr Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park.

Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency.

Then he added: Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on earth to suffer nuclear devastation.

Expand Close People sing in front of the Peace Memorial Statue at Peace Park in Nagasaki (Takuma Kaneko/Kyodo/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp People sing in front of the Peace Memorial Statue at Peace Park in Nagasaki (Takuma Kaneko/Kyodo/AP)

The peace and nuclear disarmament movement, started by survivors of the atomic bombings, has spread around the world but frustration over the slow progress led to last years adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Japan, despite being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, has not signed the treaty, because of its sensitive position as an US ally protected by its nuclear umbrella.

Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japans government to do more to lead nuclear disarmament, especially in the region to help advance the efforts to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Expand Close United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, at Nagasaki Peace Park (Miyuki Saito/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, at Nagasaki Peace Park (Miyuki Saito/AP)

He said citizens of the atomic-bombed cities are hoping to see North Korea denuclearised.

Mr Taue said he hoped Japans government would take the opportunity to realise a nuclear-free Northeast Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Taue urged Tokyo to sign the treaty and fulfil its moral obligation to lead the world towards denuclearisation.

Expand Close Smoke billows up over Nagasaki, Japan, after the atomic bombing (US Air Force/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Smoke billows up over Nagasaki, Japan, after the atomic bombing (US Air Force/PA)

He said more than 300 local assemblies have adopted resolutions calling on Japan to sign and ratify the treaty.

Japan seeks to close the gaps between nuclear and non-nuclear states to eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, said prime minister Shinzo Abe, repeating almost the same phrase he used in his speech three days ago in Hiroshima.

The bombing of Nagasaki on August 9 1945 was the second US nuclear attack on Japan, killing 70,000 people, three days after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000.

They were followed by Japans surrender, ending the Second World War.
The forum will take place on September 11-13 under the theme ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



A record number of regional heads of state or government will participate in the event, said the WEFs press release.



In all, eight ASEAN countries will be represented by their prime minister, president or state counsellor.



Among the registered heads of state or government are President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines; Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad of Malaysia, and Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, it said.



Justin Wood, Head of Asia Pacific and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, said "the ASEAN region is currently one of the worlds bright spots for economic growth, and their presence shows the commitment they have to ensure this remains the case as the Fourth Industrial Revolution expands in economic scope and impact, and the geopolitical environment around them changes rapidly".



Participants will discuss issues ranging from the regions geopolitical friction points to entrepreneurship and employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. They will do so with the help of leaders of 100 early-stage start-ups, whose companies represent the dynamic nature of entrepreneurial spirit of ASEAN.



Issues to be discussed at the forum include Asias New Balance of Power, Factory Asias Next Frontier, the Future of Jobs in ASEAN, Asia Economic Outlook, Accelerating the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Pluralism and Designing Cities 4.0. Topics surrounding the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, blockchain, drones and fintech, will be highlighted. The meeting will also include workplace sessions on topics such as Sexual Harassment at Work, and Workplace 4.0.



Vietnams Acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung is expected to be one of those who will preside over discussion sessions at the forum.

Vietnamplus
The DUPs Simon Hamilton and Simon Harris TD took part in a lively leaders debate, one of a range of events at this years Feile. The festival has been running since 1988

Under direct rule the Northern Ireland Office used to prepare papers titled Iceberg Watch for ministers. They identified issues which were not up there in the news, but were problematic and had the potential to cause difficulty, hence the name.

They were internal documents, but occasionally they were leaked. I only ever saw one, but it came to mind this week when I was in St Marys University College on the Falls Road to take part in a panel debate at Feile an Phobail.

This is the 30th year of Feile an Phobail, otherwise known as the West Belfast Festival, and it started in 1988. West Belfast was coming under intense scrutiny and intense criticism and Sinn Fein responded by creating the event.

Feile was incorporated as a limited company in 1995 with four directors  Gerry Adams, former Sinn Fein president; Ciaran Quinn, a former Sinn Fein special adviser; Geraldine McAteer, now a Sinn Fein councillor, and the late Siobhan OHanlon, a former IRA volunteer and later secretary to Adams.

Today it has just three directors: Padraig O Muirigh, a solicitor and son of veteran republican Sean Spike Murray; Sean Baker, a Sinn Fein constituency manager, and Harry Connolly, director of Failte Feirste Thiar.

When I came home from St Marys I looked out the old NIO document from 2004 and the fourth issue on it was festivals with this comment: PQs on Transitional Funding of Festivals in Summer 2004 exposed a marked imbalance between those which would be viewed as Nationalist and those which would be viewed as Unionist. Loyalist and Unionist politicians have flagged up concerns about this and are likely to look for development support for new Orange and Ulster Scots festivals.

Back in 2004 a series of Parliamentary Questions had uncovered the marked imbalance in festival funding, and a series of Freedom of Information requests raised further concerns.

Nevertheless, the public money has kept flowing, from Tourism Northern Ireland, the Arts Council and Belfast City Council, and in 2016 the Culture Department channelled more money directly to Feile.

However, this is about much more than money, it is about what the money has enabled the organisation to do. As it reaches its 30th anniversary Feile an Phobail has managed to build up a body of experience and expertise and has been at the heart of the cultural infrastructure in west Belfast.

The NIO document said that unionist politicians would look for comparable development support and that happened. Indeed, I have notes of meetings where such requests were made, but Tony Blairs Government was more interested in placating Sinn Fein.

The difference was that Sinn Fein had a bargaining power that unionist politicians did not have, the firepower of the IRA. IRA weapons were not decommissioned until the following year.

More recently money has got tighter for Feile and while its most recent accounts (2016-2017) reveal a reported income of 1.25m, it also acknowledge a financial deficiency, which was met through some cutbacks and through increased funding and sponsorship.

Belfast City Council had agreed additional funding, and there was also the money channelled from the Culture Department.

Of course, Feile an Phobail relies on the work of many volunteers, and the other night I saw quite a number of Sinn Fein politicians giving of their time to the festival. But none of this could have happened without all those years of public funding, and yet when questions are asked about it, they seem to be quietly buried.

At some point there will be a new round of political negotiations. In preparation for that it is only fair to ask how much public money has been channelled into Feile and other cultural projects so that when the negotiations come round to equality everyone knows the landscape.

As Gerry Adams, the founding father of Feile an Phobail, once said: Who could be afraid of equality?
On the morning after that referendum I decided to renew my hitherto unused green Irish passport. I'd got it as a gesture when I travelled with a party of Irish journalists to one of the aspiring EC countries, Spain or Portugal, but kept using my dark blue UK one.

After the Brexit result, however, I felt instantly less British. The UK was where I paid my taxes, and where I felt most at home, but if a majority of my fellow citizens wanted out of Europe, I didn't. Renewing my Irish passport was a natural reaction.

I still haven't used it, out of habit as much as anything, but the whole tone of the Brexit debate, here and in Britain, is deeply alienating. The leavers are quite happy to turn their backs on their continental neighbours, in pursuit of some imperialist go-it-alone dream, but if this means a future under any of the current crop of British politicians, almost any alternative is worth considering.

The number one option for nationalists is, as always, Irish unity, which unionists naturally reject but which Peter Robinson has boldly placed at the centre of political debate.

By warning that it could happen before unionists had prepared their defence, he was admitting that Brexit has transformed the political atmosphere, so that relying on a largely sectarian pro-union vote was no longer enough.

The demographics dictate that there will be a nationalist majority within most people's lifetime, voting for unity unless Irish culture can be fully accommodated within a Northern Ireland that is comfortable with light-touch British oversight and support.

That would be the ideal, from a unionist perspective, but the chances of it coming about are minimal, with Sinn Fein in the ascendant.

Far more likely is that unionism will circle the wagons, resisting change until either it produces a more pragmatic leadership or is forced into reform by a new government in Westminster, Conservative or Labour, which will emulate Margaret Thatcher and her unexpected Anglo Irish Agreement of 1985.

Before then, there are the little matters of Brexit and the likelihood of a border poll to enforce division and paralyse politics for years to come.

Regardless of whether the break with Europe is hard or soft, it destroys the growing sense of all-Ireland commonality which royal visits to the Republic have helped to reinforce.

The two halves of the island are going their separate ways, against the wishes of a voting majority and virtually 100% of Irish nationalists.

Against this background, the DUP's support for Brexit, and its "stand and deliver" agreement with the Tory government, rubs salt into the wounds that have opened with the row over language rights, the RHI scandal and marriage equality.

Clashing red lines have kept Stormont empty for a record period and the chance of any resumption before - or perhaps even after - Brexit is remote.

To fill the vacuum, and enable nationalists unrepresented at Westminster to exploit Brexit worries, Sinn Fein will continue to push for a border poll, despite the Government's reluctance to increase division in these febrile times.

Even talking about a united Ireland, when there is no certainty about long-term relations between Northern Ireland, Britain and the Republic, stirs old animosities.

Dublin clearly wants no part of it, having no desire to shoulder the economic and political burden, but may be unable to withstand northern pressure.

All these swirling tides help to underline the anxiety expressed by Peter Robinson over unionism's lack of a strategy to deal with nationalism's new sense of confidence.

Is it already too late to stop the rot in Stormont? Or is there still time to steer a different course, involving a greater degree of compromise than ever before?

Concentrating on essentials and discarding outdated attitudes would be a start.

So, what would such compromise amount to, could it get devolved government up and running again and how would it impact the traditional nationalist and unionist policies?

We all know how Sinn Fein's demand for an Irish Language Act ostensibly brought the whole show down, despite reports that the DUP were close to agreement, but we've never seen a detailed explanation of the terms under consideration, or a professional estimate of the cost.

Personally, I have never met a unionist, big or small 'U', who is unequivocally against a language act. What kind of act, they say, does it mean dual language signs, translation services everywhere and discrimination against non-Irish speakers? So far, republicans have provided few uncontested answers, adding to fears that a little act might mean a lot.

The one thing unionists tell me they don't want to see is an equivalence between Irish, fully recognised in Europe, and Ulster Scots. It's good that a light has been shone on a traditional way of speaking and making music in many parts of the country, but that's enough, well short of legislation.

As for the equality agenda, that can surely be easily sorted.

The UUP has belatedly decided to leave the wrong side of history, by leading members endorsing the Gay Pride parade, and the DUP cannot be far behind, if it wants the votes of open-minded young people.

Theresa May needs DUP support so badly that she is afraid to raise the subject, but how long can any Westminster government tolerate a part of the UK where same sex marriage is invalid?

Already the abortion ban is being attacked on all sides, harming Northern Ireland's image.

When it comes to a border poll, all these factors will pale against the effect of Brexit in determining how the 'soft' unionist vote may go.

The prospect of severing sentimental and family ties with Britain would deter most, although some might be assuaged by guarantees towards pensions and NHS standards.

No one votes to be poorer, unionist or nationalist, so the debate over a border poll needs to start soon, and be much more fully informed than the referendum.

Barry White is a political commentator
The news the 130m improvement scheme to Belfast's York Street is facing delays due to errors in its procurement strategy has been met with frustration by the Freight Transport Association (FTA), an organisation representing more than 17,000 businesses across the UK logistics sector.

When the scheme was first announced around nine years ago local businesses involved in transport of goods greeted the project with a sign of relief.

The junctions around Belfast's M1, M2 and M3 experience very high levels of traffic, which can cause long delays to all road users whether they are commercial vehicle operators, public transport or private car drivers, and it wasn't a sustainable system.

By improving journey time reliability, traffic flow and lowering emissions, the project was set to help commercial vehicle operators move goods across Northern Ireland more swiftly and efficiently - boosting the economy in the process.

Yet again the scheme faces delay, with the High Court ruling there were mistakes in the way the Department for Infrastructure appointed a contractor. Every day the project is delayed Belfast's roads become more congested and difficult to navigate.

As commercial vehicle operators continue to face unnecessarily long journey times, the industry's ability to move goods across the North efficiently becomes compromised.

As a region, in terms of connectivity and infrastructure, we also continue to fall behind the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, which is a significant influencing factor for inward investment.

Despite facing several setbacks since its inception, most prominently in recent years a lack of funding, the project is now fully viable with funding secured via the DUP and Conservative Party 'confidence and supply' agreement of June 2017.

Our concern now is that, in the interim period of another delay, the project could suffer even more severe setbacks if that political agreement were to be compromised.

The High Court ruling is the sole obstacle it now faces. If the scheme collapsed due to this procurement error, it would be a serious setback to the prosperity of the logistics sector, and in turn, the wider Northern Ireland economy.

Whatever the outcome of the hearing, FTA hopes the plans for the scheme will stay in place, and its members - along with the wider public - will have the chance to benefit from a much-improved York Street Interchange.

Seamus Leheny is the NI manager of the Freight Transport Association
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (third from right), accompanied by leaders of parties in his political coalition, announces Maruf Amin (not pictured) as his running mate in 2019 elections.

Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET on 2018-08-09

Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo has picked a senior Muslim cleric as his running mate for next year's election, in a move seen as an attempt to bolster his religious credentials amid accusations by conservatives that he is not Islamic enough.

Jokowi said he chose Ma'ruf Amin, the 75-year-old chairman of the Indonesian Council of Muslim Scholars (MUI), because the two would make a nationalist-religious combination."

We complement each other, Jokowi told reporters after announcing the decision at the end of a gathering in Jakarta attended by the leaders of parties supporting his candidacy.

The choice of Maruf came as a shock as only hours earlier local media quoted former Constitutional Court chief Muhammad Mahfud as confirming he had been picked as Jokowis running mate.

I have been picked and I consider it a call of history, Mahfud was quoted as saying by the news portal Liputan6 .com.

Jokowi is seeking a second five-year term as president in the election scheduled for April 17, 2019.

Jakarta governor-elect Anis Baswedan (center), his deputy governor-elect Sandiaga Uno (left), and Prabowo Subianto (right), celebrate during a press conference in Jakarta on April 19, 2017. (AFP)

His rival in what is expected to be a two-horse race is former general Prabowo Subianto, who is teaming up with Jakartas deputy governor, Sandiaga Uno, a wealthy businessman and fellow party stalwart.

Gerindra, PKS and PAN have entrusted me and Sandiaga Uno to be their presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Prabowo said at his home in southern Jakarta, referring to his party and its coalition partners.

The Democatic Party of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is opposed to the choice of Sandiaga and said it would make a decision Friday on whether to support the pair.

We hope that in the next two or three hours there will be an agreement between Prabowo and the Democrats, Democratic Party deputy secretary general Andi Arief said.

Otherwise we will go separate ways, he said.

It is widely believed that the Democrats wanted Prabowo to pick Yudhoyonos son, U.S.-educated retired army major Agus Harimurti, as his running mate.

Helped jail Ahok

Jokowi narrowly defeated Prabowo in a bitterly divided presidential election in 2014.

It's clear the president wants to play safe and lock in the conservative Muslim vote but at the same time he is disappointing a lot of people who were looking for someone a little more inspiring, Keith Loveard, senior analyst at Jakarta-based Concord Consulting, told BenarNews.

Ma'ruf is the religious equivalent of a machine politician, he added.

Maruf was instrumental in the jailing last year of former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian, on charges of blaphemy.

Conservative Muslim groups held large protests against Ahok in 2016 and 2017 in the run-up to a gubernatorial election in which he was a front-runner, after an edited video made it appear like he said that the Quran deceived people.

An MUI fatwa declaring Ahoks remarks blasphemous bolstered Muslim opposition against him and paved the way for his prosecution.

Ahok lost the Jakarta gubernatorial election to a Muslim candidate, Anies Baswedan, and was later sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy.

There is a good chance that a lot of progressives will prefer to abstain. Generally there is a lot of gloom that the choice has come to this, Loveard said.

Arya Fernandes, a researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Jokowi had to settle with Maruf because some coalition politicians objected to Mahfud.

Jokowi wanted to accommodate the interests of the political parties supporting him, Arya said.

The sudden change in the vice presidential pick shows that political parties still hold sway, he added.

The president has been criticized by conservative Muslims for issuing a decree last year paving the way for the disbanding of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, the local branch of an international Islamic organization seeking the establishment of a caliphate through peaceful means.

Some Muslim conservatives have also accused his government of being hostile to Islamic clerics after police last year sought to question Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, a vigilante group, on charges of pornography after screenshots of alleged sex chats between him and a female supporter circulated on social media.

Shihab was among the leaders of Muslim groups behind the blasphemy campaign against Ahok, an ally of Jokowi.

Jokowi is worried that the issue of religion would be used to attack him, Arya said.

But I suspect identity politics wont sell in 2019 because in 2014 he won in spite of it, he said.
Malaysian authorities charged former Prime Minister Najib Razak with three counts of money laundering Wednesday, a day after taking control of a $250 million yacht that prosecutors allege was bought by one of his associates using money from a scandal-plagued state investment fund.

The latest charges were linked to three electronic transfers that occurred in 2014 and 2015 in which, according to anti-graft investigators, about 42 million ringgit (U.S. $10.3 million) were diverted into Najibs personal bank accounts from SRC International, a former subsidiary of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Each charge carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years, plus fines, lawyers said. Najib pleaded not guilty.

Anti-graft investigators under the new government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened their 1MDB probe soon after the Pakatan coalition defeated the Barisan Nasional bloc on May 9 in a stunning electoral outcome buoyed by public anger over allegations of corruption at the state investment fund.

The amount involved in the charges filed Wednesday were minuscule compared to allegations earlier made by United States prosecutors that at least $4.5 billion were stolen from 1MDB and diverted through acquisitions of real estate, artwork and luxury properties by Najib and his associates.

Najib was arrested and charged last month with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

The new charges will be consolidated with those four charges, lawyers said. The Malaysian 1MDB probe is independently being pursued in Switzerland, France and the United States.

Najib, who was also the former finance minister, founded 1MDB as a sovereign wealth fund ostensibly to pursue projects beneficial to Malaysians.

When U.S. prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture case related to 1MDB in July 2016, they described a breathtaking level of fraud in which more than $730 million of what seemed to be 1MDB money was rerouted in a complex maze of transactions before ultimately landing to the personal bank account of Malaysia Official 1, a veiled reference to Najib.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has described the 1MDB affair as the worst kleptocracy scandal in recent times.

Surprising display of iron-fisted rule

As Najib walked to his car, he waved to about 20 supporters who gathered at the court complex lobby.

This is a surprising display of the iron-fisted rule of Mahathir Mohamad, said Lokman Noor Adam who organized and led the gathering of Najibs supporters.



One supporter told BenarNews the accusations against the former leader did not shake his trust in Najib.

The accusations will keep on coming, but we will never believe that Najib is as bad as what they portray him to be, Zahalan Man said.

On Monday, Mahathir thanked Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo for handing over the Equanimity yacht, which Indonesia initially seized in February. Malaysian investigators boarded the vessel Tuesday after it docked at the Boustead Cruise Center terminal in Pelabuhan Klang.

The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel had been moored off the Indonesian island of Bali since it was boarded by Indonesian police and FBI agents on Feb. 27.

Washington had listed the yacht in court documents as among the assets allegedly bought by Malaysian financier Jho Low, a friend of Najibs stepson Riza Aziz.
Wirapol Sukphol, the former Buddhist monk who provoked outrage with his lavish lifestyle, arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Aug. 9, 2018.

A former jet-setting Buddhist monk whose lavish lifestyle infuriated Thais received a 114-year prison sentence Thursday for fraud, money laundering and computer crimes, a court official said.

Wirapol Sukphol provoked outrage in 2013 when a YouTube video showed him wearing designer sunglasses in a private jet with a Louis Vuitton carry-on luggage by his side.

As a result of the controversy, the 39-year-old, who is also known as Luang Pu Nen Kham, was defrocked. He was also accused of raping an underage girl and allegedly had sexual relations with several women, and had impregnated one.

Wirapol fled to the United States and was arrested in 2016 in California where a court ordered his extradition. He had denied the charges and claimed he was ready to fight them in court.

The Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok handed his prison term Thursday, a court official, who requested anonymity, told reporters.

Judges convicted him and sentenced him altogether to 114 years, a court official told reporters, adding that under Thai law Wirapol will serve 20 years because of legal technicalities stipulating the maximum penalty for multiple counts of the same offense.

Investigators said that between February 2009 and June 2013 Wirapol told his followers that the deity Indra told him in a dream to build the worlds largest Buddha image made from emeralds, and a golden image of himself. He also invited followers to donate to his projects and his plan to buy a boat to aid victims of flood disasters.

At least 29 followers filed a complaint that they had donated 28.65 million baht (U.S. $862,000) that he misused. The court ordered Wirapol to return that amount to his victims.

The Thai court had determined that he spent the donations to maintain his lavish lifestyle, including buying a private jet, a Porsche and a BMW.

A verdict on molestation and child abduction charges is expected in October.

Wirapol is among high-profile monks in Thai who have been arrested or defrocked in connection with money scandals and improper sexual relationships. Thai authorities have raided well-known temples and arrested monks tied to corruption scandals.

On Tuesday, the national anti-corruption commission announced it has undertaken 81 cases related to funding frauds at temples.

At least five senior monks were expelled and detained in jail along with several government officers involved in the scandals.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

A few clouds from time to time. High 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable.
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%.
They will begin their promising journey to Malaysia to seek business opportunities.







These startups consist of EyeQ Tech (with their smart camera application to detect human faces), Gcalls (with their solution to help enterprises make phone calls quickly), and Boom Potty (with their toilet accessories for young children from 8 months to 3.5 years old).





Runway to the World 2018 was officially launched in January 2018, being the cooperation between SIHUB and its South Korean partner  Shinhan Futures Lab.

At that time, three startups from South Korea visited Vietnam not only to seek business opportunities but also to connect the two startup ecosystems and the markets of the two nations.

By TAN BA  Translated by Thanh Tam
Strict US sanctions against Iran went into effect on Tuesday. They prohibit the government to purchase US dollars and will also affect the car industry and the countrys export of metals, agricultural products and carpets. In addition, Iran cannot buy US and European aircrafts and parts either. Another round of sanctions will go into effect on November 5 that will hit Irans oil exports. At the same time, the international payment transactions with Iran will also come to a halt.

With the reinstated sanctions, US President Donald Trump wants to exert maximum economic pressure on Iran. The goal is to renegotiate the nuclear agreement and to bring about policy changes in the Middle East. Iran supports terror groups in countries such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

Will the sanctions, however, weaken the governments power furthermore? What do Iranians think about the reinstated US sanctions and the desire of European allies to preserve the relationship with the Mullah regime? Since the beginning of the year, protests in the country have repeatedly flared up. Is the population worried about the sanctions or are they in favor of them?

BILD talked to experts, activists and regular people in Iran.

Lesen Sie auch Iranian protest With fast internet, the regime would be gone soon The founders of Amadnews, the biggest Telegram channel of the protests, about how they became the main platform, how the world can help.

300 Mio. for the Mullahs US asks Germany to stop cash deal with Iran Its an operation like no other. Iran wants to move 300 million euros out of Germany  in cash! This plan has been heavily criticized by the US.

We are not taking to the streets for fun

For almost a week now, young people have been taking to the streets in several Iranian cities and demonstrating against the Mullah regime. What do they think about the US sanctions, while Europe launches counter measures against the sanctions?

 Hassan* from Karaj, an employee at a car factory: There is no difference for us, whether there are sanctions in place or not. The government is taking the money anyhow and, with that, supports terror groups in other countries. Life is hard for us and our situation is dire. I think, when the sanctions go into effect, the government will spend even less money on us. But they will continue to give Hezbollah (Lebanese terror organisation) the same amount of money and not a penny less. Our situation will worsen and because the pressure will continue to rise, more people will take to the streets.

Auch Interessant



 Maryam*, a student from Teheran: I dont think that the sanctions will bear fruit. In the past, under Ahmadinedschad, sanctions led to sick people, children and elderly dying, because medical care in Iran got really bad. Getting pressure from above doesnt work here in Iran.

If Western countries truly want to support the Iranian people, then they should make sure that we get free internet. Then we will be able to defend ourselves against this regime.

An dieser Stelle findest du Inhalte aus Twitter Um mit Inhalten aus Twitter und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. soziale Netzwerke aktivieren

 Homa* from Mashhad: Young people, including me, dont have work. Our future is not good. We are not taking to the streets for fun. I dont understand, why Europe and Great Britain dont want to support the Iranian people. They are only considering their own gain. Thats why they are supporting the regime. They dont know, that our situation is getting worse every day. The governments dont have any respect toward the Iranian people. We live under high pressure.

 Mahmud* from Tabriz: We are worried that the sanctions will turn us into Cuba or North Korea. It is our desire to become a democratic country. Democracy takes time and a lot of work. Europes stance is better. They should keep their arms open and make sure that the country stays open. It gives democrats more time to bring about cultural change. The sanctions will help the revolutionary guards to spread anti-Western sentiment.

Iranians know that problems started with regime, not with the sanctions

Mina Ahadi is a human rights activist who fled from Iran. Every day, she talks to people in her home country.

Yesterday, my contacts told me that they have the feeling that the situation is tipping. People are at a loss and are very much afraid as to what will happen next. They are wondering, whether they will be able to buy rice tomorrow. Basic food stuffs were rationed in some places already, Ahadi says.

Yet Iranians know very well that these problems did not start with US sanctions but with the policies of the islamic regime, Ahadi says. The mullahs are trying to discredit the protests as started by foreign powers and to blame the US for the economic woes in the country. But the people see that the regime is responsible for their situation and criticizing it for sending billions abroad, to its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen instead of supporting their own people. Our enemy is here is therefore a typical chant at the current protests.

Internal tensions, divisions within regime will be amplified

The US sanctions will hit Irans economy hard, even without Europes full cooperation, says Emanuele Ottolenghi, who is an expert for sanctions at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, DC. No matter what governments do to mitigate their impact, companies will seek their own self interest and avoid risking U.S. fines or worse. Boeing and Airbus already cancelled their billion dollar deals even before the sanctions were reimposed.

Sanctions may also compound internal opposition to the regime, which is at an all time high, Ottolenghi suspects. Whether this means that Iran is ripe for another revolution is hard to tell. The regime, after all, is very good at repressing dissent. However, due to the economic pressure, popular discontent and internal tensions will rise, divisions within the regime will be amplified.

Europes strategy that they will hold on to the agreement as to not give the impression that they wont fulfill their contractual obligations will propably not persevere down this path, because companies dont want to endanger their economic interests to risk US sanctions. And ultimately, despite their differences with the Trump administration, America is their indispensable strategic ally.

* All names were changed
Ten years ago that day, Russian troops crossed the Georgian border to assist separatist forces in Georgia's South Ossetia region.

Four days later the war ended with a Russian victory and 20 percent of Georgian territory being occupied by Russian forces and their allies. More than 20.000 civilians are still displaced in what was called by an international investigation report "ethnic cleansing" of ethnic Georgians.

On the tenth anniversary of the Russian intervention, BILD interviewed Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili to get his view on the situation, both then and now.

BILD: In August 2008 a short war with the participation of Russia made you lose control over 20 percent of your territory. Who is responsible for this development?

Giorgi Margvelashvili: By the very definition, when military, armed forces of one country cross the border of another and attack, that implies that the decision for the war and aggression was taken in the country, which advanced. This was the case in August, 2008.

Let me remind the audience that the actual hybrid occupation of these two regions preceded two decades before these events, in the early 90s when the Georgia regained its independence. At the very starting dates of the new Georgian republic, Georgia was led into a warfare in these two regions, and, it was crafted by then Russias active hybrid participation. I remember, my predecessor President Shevardnadze, who was calling actively to international attention to Russias hybrid war activities in these two occupied regions.

As for 2008, the actions were determined, controlled and engaged thousands of Russian militaries on my countrys soil and hundreds of heavy equipment, as well as engaging the Russian army air force. So, the answer is evident that the activities were planned and executed by the Russian Federation.

Auch Interessant



BILD: Are there still Russian hostile influence attempts in your country today and if yes of what kind?

Margvelashvili: Its not just an attempt, this is imperial revenge policy undermining our common European welfare and security. As already mentioned, the hybrid war has not been finished. We are still witnessing Russias aggressive rhetoric, aggressive propaganda, military drills, permanent installation of barbwires and fences along the occupation lines to isolate and deprive people from each other despite their will for communication.

So, in August 2008, Russia not only invaded parts of Georgia, but also, they tried to craft two artificial states on Georgias sovereign territory. Furthermore, the policy was continued and has been totally unsuccessful on international fora, since, basically, no countries of the world, except for few exceptions, have ever recognized the independence of the so called Russian created states and, also, we have a growing support in the United Nations. Yet, Russia continues attempts to persuade international community in what they call fact on the ground.

In 2014, they have signed so called treaties of integration with so called marionette governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Together with these acts of trying to proclaim occupation as an international legal process, Russia is blocking all the contacts between societies for reconciliation and further stabilisation of the region. Although the documents are null and void according to the international law, they envisage full integration of Georgias occupied regions into Russias military, economic and social system.

Ten FSB bases "guard" the South Ossetian  Georgian de facto border today Foto: Julian Ropcke

BILD: Russia was never punished for its actions in Georgia in 2008 and some say this led to its intervention in Ukraine in 2014. What is your take on this?

Margvelashvili: We absolutely agree with this argument. Of course, our European and Western colleagues were very active to stop the actual process of aggression in 2008. We remember the five presidents visiting the capital while Tbilisi and Georgia were still bombarded. We remember President Sarkozys impressive ceasefire mission. But, at the end of the day, though Russia has completely neglected the agreement that they signed on August 12 on the ceasefire and withdrawal of military forces and though they have created new states on our soil, they had not been given an adequate response during the years to come.

We witnessed more or less tolerable relationships to the August war which resulted in attempts to label August 2008 events not as results of direct war and occupation, but an attempt to present the case as a disproportional response from the Russian side. The humble language to aggression that Russia committed in 2008 and not adequate punishment for the violation of international law, sovereign territories and the rights of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians who became refugees in their own country have resulted in boldness of Russias future decisions in Ukraine. In 2014, we witnessed that Russia has drawn conclusions of the 2008 campaign, they were more active, decisive, prepared to annex Crimea and occupy the Eastern Ukraine. In a way, all of us paid the price for not being harsh and direct on the first occasion of August 2008.

In August 2014, Russian tanks rolled into eastern Ukraine Foto: AP

BILD: Ten years on, which are the problems, your country suffers under from the war in 2008?

Margvelashvili: The humanitarian situation in the Georgian occupied territories is becoming even graver. It implies discriminatory measures against ethnic Georgians. Refugees and internally displaced persons are unable to return to their homes and families, while those left in the occupied regions are deprived of fundamental rights and freedom for education in native language, free movement, united family life and fundamental rights.

People are kidnapped, tortured and killed just because they are Georgians. The innocent and peaceful Georgian citizen, Giga Otkhozoria was executed in front of cameras at the occupation line, the murderer was identified but there are no charges against him. This year, another peaceful citizen Archil Tatunashvili was kidnapped, tortured and killed in the occupied part of Georgia and there are is no responsibility taken on this brutal crime. Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili cases obviously demonstrate the necessity of increasing and reinforcing international engagement in the occupied territories of Georgia.

Today both occupied territories are beyond monitoring of any international organisations, where practically, no international mechanisms of control of human rights or civil rights of the citizens. Even the EUMM is not allowed to access to the occupied regions, despite its mandate to cover the entire territory of Georgia.

Lesen Sie auch At the Helsinki Summit Putin proposed a Ukraine deal to Trump On Friday, BILD learned that NATO, Russia, and the US are discussing Vladimir Putins suggestion concerning a referendum in eastern Ukraine.

Russian Maria Motuznaya I will fight for my freedom Maria Motuznaya faces six years in jail for so-called "memes" she posted on Russian social media. Now she talks to BILD about the backgrounds.

BILD: Are you still trying to regain the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

Margvelashvili: This is the ultimate goal of the Georgian state and my nation. We are looking to future perspectives from the point of our history and the history of humankind. Georgia has been occupied for many times by big empires, but we have always been able to regain independence and rebuild out statehood. We are also looking at the example of Germany that was separated for decades, but reunited, as a positive example of what will happen.

We are sure that no matter that Georgia is a small nation in comparison to the Russian Federation, our resilience, our commitment, and our vision of future will succeed. Let me also note that when we are looking at the examples of other states, Georgia has a great advantage in having numerous friends now in the EU and NATO. We are a country that is a leader in the integration process to the both of these unions. So, having numerous friends, having clear vision of future, and having experience of resilience, we have never been doubting that the issue will be resolved and Georgia will be reunited.

BILD: Do you think a NATO membership of Georgia could improve the situation in your country?

Margvelashvili: Definitely, NATO membership is going to accelerate all the opportunities that Georgia, as a nation and as a country could bring as benefits to its citizens, as well as to its partners. Security of Georgia is playing extremely important role in the trans-continental cooperation between Asia and Europe, as Georgia is located on the decisive point of interconnection of those huge markets. It has always been holding an important geo-political location, as an interconnector between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. So, all the opportunities that Georgia has though its human capital, through its economic opportunities, through its connection of the regions will be quadrupled as soon as Georgia becomes a NATO member because security will bring more investments, more commitment, more stability and we are sure that this stability will be trans-passible. Stable Georgia is determining more stability in the region, as well as more intensive cooperation. So, NATO membership is going to be beneficial not only for Georgia, but for the Europe at large, its stability, security, and economic prosperity.
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, the loss of religion in America.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This technique has the potential to provide a low-invasive method of determining if breast cancer is present, as well as the form of breast cancer, without the need to take tissue samples via biopsy

Australian and Chinese scientists have developed a method using coded nanoparticles to detect and help diagnose disease.

The research team from Macquarie University and Fudan University hopes that their study will lead to less invasive disease detection.

"Currently for many more disease diagnosis such as for cancer, they rely on medical imaging but ultimately need to take tissue out for testing, we would like to move that to a different approach using optical imaging." said research author Dr. Yiqing Lu from the Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP) at Macquarie University.

In its current level of laboratory testing, the method has been successful in detecting multiple forms of breast cancer in mice.

"This technique has the potential to provide a low-invasive method of determining if breast cancer is present, as well as the form of breast cancer, without the need to take tissue samples via biopsy," joint-lead author Prof. Fan Zhang from China's Fudan University said.

Up until now it has been very difficult for the method to detect multiple biomarkers, or different forms of disease.

Light absorbing and scattering elements such as blood, muscle and cartilage produce too much interference making it difficult to determine if a range of disease biomarkers are present.

The team's solution was to engineer special nanoparticles which emit light for set periods of time.

It is the duration of the light-emission and the biomarker reaction to this timed amount of light that produces a clearly identifiable molecular signature.

"This enables high-contrast optical biomedical imaging that can detect multiple disease biomarkers all at the one time."Prof. Jim Piper, CNBP node leader at Macquarie University described the research as a major breakthrough.

"Next steps in our research collaboration are to further refine the nanoparticles, to examine issues related to a clinical roll-out of the technology and to explore further applications and disease areas where this technique could be best utilised," Piper said.
This Chinese Woman Speaks Better Punjabi Than Sikhs! Pulse oi-Syeda Farah

When we are travelling abroad, the first thing that we all miss is our 'desi stuff'. From the food to the people to even the language, we tend to miss it all.

The video is just too cute, see for yourself.

Here is a video that is going viral after a Punjabi man found a Chinese girl talking in fluent Punjabi.

The man who recorded the video is Rishiwant Singh Randhawa, 43. He was so impressed with her mastery of the Punjabi language that he recorded their conversation and posted it on Facebook.

Video Of An Army Man Dancing Is Going Viral

Since the time the video went viral, Lim was surprised to learn that the video had gone viral and people are looking up to her as they find her accent to be so good and perfect and now she is currently giving interviews as well.

When Rishiwant Singh Randhawa was having tea at a restaurant, Lim greeted him, and he decided to record a video of their conversation because he thought it was 'unique' and unrehearsed Punjabi accent that she used.

Man Creates China's 'First Flying Scooter'

While talking, the man Rishiwant asks her about how she learnt such good Punjabi to which she replied that it was from a friend and she has been speaking it for the past five years.

During the conversation, the man also asked her if she would want to marry a Punjabi man in the future, to which Lim shyly replied, "we'll just have to wait and see".

Rishiwant in a funny manner is also seen taking her permission of giving her number to his Punjabi friends. She denied saying that they trouble too much.

What do you think about the video? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. For more interesting updates, check our section Pulse.

GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 18:07 [IST]
Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION
We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.
PR Newswire

DUBLIN, Aug. 9, 2018

DUBLIN, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a plan to separate the Company's Prescription Pharmaceuticals (Rx) business following the Company's previously announced strategic portfolio review. Continuing its focus on enhancing shareholder value, the Board believes a separation of the Rx business will better enable this unique asset to capitalize on its platform of differentiated generic pharmaceutical products and allows Perrigo to focus on expanding its leading consumer business. The Board will consider all value-enhancing options, including a possible tax-efficient separation to shareholders, a sale or merger.

The Rx business serves patients and health systems with 'extended topicals' medications, to treat ailments at more affordable prices. The differentiated and diversified portfolio includes topical generic medicines in multiple dosage forms, including creams, foams, mousses, gels, liquids and inhalable products.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rolf Classon stated, "Perrigo's Board of Directors is committed to shareholder value creation. Perrigo's consumer and Rx platforms are both well positioned, but they are also navigating divergent industry dynamics with unique strategic, financial and operational opportunities and requirements. For these reasons, the Board believes the differentiated and diversified Rx business has the potential to realize greater value outside of Perrigo. After a rigorous analysis of the Rx business, we believe that fully pursuing this separation is in the best interest of Perrigo shareholders. We intend to begin the preparations for a separation of the Rx business to shareholders as we continue to analyze numerous value-enhancing options including a possible tax-efficient separation to shareholders, a sale or merger.

Chief Executive Officer, Uwe Roehrhoff stated, "Today's announcement to separate the Rx business enables management to focus on expanding our leading consumer businesses while unlocking potential value for shareholders. Committing our energy and capital to the healthcare needs of consumers and our retail and pharmacy partners better positions Perrigo to drive long-term growth. We look forward to providing a comprehensive update on our consumer businesses on a conference call scheduled for September 25, 2018."

While Perrigo has been subject to certain limitations to efficiently separate its businesses to shareholders since the acquisition of Elan Corporation plc, those limitations are set to expire in December 2018. The separation is currently expected to be completed during the second half of 2019, which may include a tax-efficient separation to shareholders, a sale or merger, although there can be no assurances as to the form or timing of a transaction or if a transaction will be consummated. Perrigo has engaged Barclays as its financial advisor to lead the separation process. Perrigo does not intend to disclose further developments on this process until it has determined that further disclosure is required or appropriate based on the current facts and circumstances.

About Perrigo

Perrigo Company plc, a leading global healthcare company, delivers value to its customers and consumers by providing Quality Affordable Healthcare Products. Founded in 1887 as a packager of home remedies, Perrigo has built a unique business model that is best described as the convergence of a fast-moving consumer goods company, a high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing organization and a world-class supply chain network. Perrigo is the world's largest manufacturer of over-the-counter ("OTC") healthcare products and supplier of infant formulas for the store brand market. The Company also is a leading provider of branded OTC products throughout Europe, as well as a leading producer of "extended topical" prescription drugs. Perrigo, headquartered in Ireland, sells its products primarily in North America and Europe, as well as in other markets, including Australia, Israel and China. Visit Perrigo online at (http://www.perrigo.com).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial performance, operations, strategies and plans and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "forecast," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Statements regarding the Company's separation of the Rx business, including the expected benefits, anticipated timing, the form such separation takes and whether or not the separation occurs, are subject to several risks and uncertainties, including future financial and operating results; the ability of the Company to separate the business; the effect of existing interdependencies with our manufacturing and shared service operations; and the tax consequences of the planned separation to the Company or its shareholders. These and other important factors, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as well as the Company's subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perrigo-announces-plan-to-separate-prescription-pharmaceuticals-business-300694571.html

SOURCE Perrigo Company plc
Five divisions of Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies will take place Friday night (Aug. 10) at Eldorado Scioto Downs with a first race post time of 6:30 p.m.

A total of 27 pacing colts will square off in three $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions, while 20 pacing fillies will line up behind the Scioto starting gate in two $50,000 splits.

Ohio-based stallions represented include Pet Rock and the ill-fated Dragon Again, with nine foals each competing in these OSS events, while McArdle has six and Western Vintage five. Ohio sire Big Bad John has four of his progeny going postward, while Rockin Amadeus and Yankee Cruiser have three each, and Nob Hill High has two. Stallions being represented by one foal each are Allamerican Native, Art Official, Beachtrea, Believeinbruiser, The Panderosa and We Will See.

Authentic Hanover heads up the first OSS test for colts (race one), having won both previous OSS legs  the first at Scioto on July 4 in 1:53.1, and the second on July 16 at Northfield Park in 1:53.4. Dustin Arledge trains and co-owns the son of Western Vintage with Hutchison Harness and M.J. Thompson. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Authentic Hanover has $47,944 in his coffers from three wins in four starts. He will start from post 5 with regular driver Tyler Smith in the sulky.

Looking to continue his sweep of the series as well is the Brian Brown-trained High On Paydaze, a son of Nob Hill High owned by breeder Scott Hagemeyer and partners Robert Mondillo and D.E. Robinson. This bay colt cruised to a 1:53.1 clocking at Scioto on July 4 in OSS leg one, then paced to a 1:54.2 victory in OSS leg two on July 16 at Northfield. Now three for three with $58,400 earned, High On Paydaze starts from post 2 with Chris Page aboard for the first time in the second OSS division (race three).

See You In Tuscany, also a winner of both previous OSS legs, battles in this same division. Conditioned by Jason McGinnis for Thestable Tuscany Group, the We Will See colt romped to a 1:53 effort at Scioto on July 4 and returned to score in 1:57.2 at Northfield On July 16 with Anthony MacDonald at the lines. Bred by Mark Marroletti, See You In Tuscany has lifetime earnings of $42,660 from two wins and a second in three starts, and gets the services of Dan Noble from the rail.

Kimberly Dailey will harness the striking chestnut gelding Rose Run Ulysses from post 2 in the third OSS division for pacing colts (race 11). This Western Vintage youngster, who has earned $58,400 thus far in his brief career with three wins in three starts, scored his first leg victory in 1:52.2 at Scioto on July 4 and then shipped to Northfield on July 16 to take the second leg in 1:54.4. Bred by the Rose Run Farm and owned by Dailey in partnership with Carl and Melanie Atley, Rose Run Ulysses also captured a $36,800 Ohio Fair Stake on July 28 at Scioto in 1:53.4. Dan Noble gets the nod once again.

Leg one winner Gold Digger King starts from post 7 in this same division for trainer Scott Mogan and driver Kayne Kauffman. This Pet Rock gelding, a homebred owned by Linda Van Camp, paced to a winning 1:52.4 effort in leg one at Scioto on July 4, and then finished second to High On Paydaze in leg two at Northfield on July 16. From three starts, Gold Digger King has one win and two seconds with $39,200 in his bankroll.

Carmen Ohio, a Brian Brown trainee owned by the Ohio quartet of breeder Milton Leeman, S. Manning, B. Meizlish and W. Calvert, leaves from post 5 in the first OSS division (race four) for fillies. A daughter of The Panderosa, Carmen Ohio put forth a 1:55.2 wire-to-wire effort in leg one at Scioto on July 6 before finishing second in leg two to Queen Of The Pride. A winner of $35,000 from two wins and a second in four starts, Carmen Ohio will have Ryan Stahl at the helm.

Leg two winner Sugar And Spite starts from the dreaded 10-hole in this same division for driver Tyler Smith and trainer Mary Birkhold. Bred by Midland Acres, this Pet Rock lass was third in leg one at Scioto on July 6 to Queen Of The Pride, then rebounded by scoring a 1:55.2 neck victory over rival Twinsburg on July 17 at Northfield Park. Owned by Tom Lehmann, Sugar And Spite has amassed $31,400 lifetime with that lone triumph and two thirds in four starts.

The aforementioned Queen Of The Pride is two-for-two thus far in this series for owner Frank Chick, having won leg one at Scioto on July 6 in 1:54 and leg two at Northfield on July 17 in 1:54.3. Bred by Brad Wallace, this McArdle filly is a four-for-four winner lifetime, with $80,250 in career earnings. Trained by Kevin Lare, all of Queen Of The Prides efforts have come in front-stepping fashion. She will start from post ten with regular driver Tony Hall at the lines in the second OSS filly division (race 10).

Rylee Roo, who won leg two at Northfield in 1:53.3, battles from post 2 in this same race with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Steve Carter. This Pet Rock lass was never a factor in leg one, but won leg two impressively for owner-breeder Steven Price. Rylee Roo has a win and a second in three starts and $36,875 earned lifetime.

Leg one winner Lofty Beach starts from post 7 with Ryan Stahl at the controls for trainer Scott McEneny. This black daughter of Beachtrea was timed in 1:55 in that effort for Canadian owner Bradley Grant. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Lofty Beach has $22,625 in earnings from one win and one second in four career starts.

Twinsburg won leg one in 1:54.4 for trainer Jason McGinnis and owner Brock O'Brien, and then was second by a neck to Sugar And Spite in 1:55.2. Bred by Steve Stewart and John Carver, this daughter by McArdle has $31,260 in her bank account. She will leave from post 9 in this same event with Danny Noble in the bike.

(Ohio Sires Stakes)
A week into her new role as minister of Crown Services, first-term Progressive Conservative MLA Colleen Mayer says she wants to find common ground with her counterparts as she navigates through hot button issues such as Manitoba Hydro and the ongoing legal dispute with the Manitoba Metis Federation.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/8/2018 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

A week into her new role as minister of Crown Services, first-term Progressive Conservative MLA Colleen Mayer says she wants to find common ground with her counterparts as she navigates through hot button issues such as Manitoba Hydro and the ongoing legal dispute with the Manitoba Metis Federation.

"You can come together; it doesnt have to always be at odds," said Mayer, who was elected as the MLA for St. Vital in 2016.

"I think you can always find a way to find a resolution that works out for everybody, so thats always how Ive governed myself  to be honest and open with people  and I cant see that changing who I am."

Mayer was appointed Crown Services minister last week following a mid-term cabinet shuffle that saw several changes to the heads of top government departments.

She replaces Spruce Woods PC MLA Cliff Cullen, who was promoted as minister of Justice and Attorney General.

Speaking to The Brandon Sun during a sit-down interview on Wednesday, Mayer said she was surprised by the announcement and thankful for the opportunity.

As minister of Crown Services, she will be responsible for overseeing Manitoba Hydro, an organization that has had a tumultuous year in light of a multibillion-dollar debt and the resignation last March of almost its entire board.

Board members cited a lack of communication from Premier Brian Pallisters part on important financial matters as the reason for their resignations.

Pallister has refuted this claim, saying there was a disagreement over a $67.5-million settlement with the MMF to ensure it did not oppose a Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line.

Pallister ordered Hydro to cancel the deal, which he said led to the resignation of Hydros board members. The MMF has since take the province to court over the legality of the agreement.

Mayer said she has spoken to neither the new board members at Hydro nor MMF President David Chartrand, whom she has met on a few occasions but didnt know well.

"Im looking forward to starting on the right foot," she said.

"Im looking forward to communicating with him on how we can go forward and I think it starts with building a relationship and building trust with each other. We have to get to know each other and thats the way you start."

Mayer said she did not know if her own Metis heritage played into the appointment, but she thought it was important to celebrate having another woman in the political ring, and the message it sends to young women and girls that they too can head down the same path  Mayer is one of five women in the premiers 13-member cabinet.

She also reiterated the governments commitment to keeping Hydro a public entity and keeping rates low.

"Ill be looking at it through the lens of how we can make services sustainable. Building relationships, building trust within our citizenry, I think, is really key."

However, Mayer didnt have any further details on the progress of an investigative review of Hydros operations, which her predecessor, Cullen, recently said would happen in the short term.

"Once I have a chance to be fully briefed on things, well be looking at all the plans and reviewing where things are, where weve come from and where we need to go," Mayer said. "Thats what Ill be looking at."

Mayer will also have a part to play in the sale of cannabis once it is legalized this fall, since provincial retailers will be required to buy cannabis from the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp.

Mayer said she has not been fully briefed on the file, but will evaluate the role that Crown Services will play in cannabis sales. Mayer admitted to trying cannabis when she was young, but hasnt partaken in more than 20 years.

Looking ahead to the coming challenges the government may face from the opposition parties, Mayer said the government is making headway and finding results, and that Manitobans are seeing it.

"The next election is a couple years away and you always look out to the horizon. But you know what, theres work today and were going to continue that because thats the right thing to do."

 mlee@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press

 Twitter: @mtaylorlee
Padraig Hoare

Whatever is in the EY report could sound the death march or be the elixir of life for Waterford Airport.

It looked bleak for the facility in April when Transport Minister Shane Ross seemed to suggest time was up for Waterford Airport.

Mr Ross said the airport has received substantial exchequer support of some 20m under the Regional Airports Programme as he announced a review by EY into its viability.

We must have regard to the prudent use of taxpayers money and we will not be in a position to consider further exchequer support for Waterford unless and until we have visibility on a sustainable future for the airport. The airport authorities in Waterford are aware of this position.

Local stakeholders are convinced that an extended runway could give Waterford Airport the boost it needs to be competitive.

However, that will cost money  millions of euro. Money the Government will not provide, according to Mr Ross.

Decisions of that nature  for example, the proposed runway extension at Waterford  are commercial matters for airports themselves and are outside the scope of the programme, said Mr Ross.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, a predecessor of Mr Ross in the transport ministry, offered a sliver of hope in June.

We are supporting Waterford Airport as best we can, though it does not have any flights any more. However, we think it is important that it is assisted in its efforts to encourage carriers to operate again between the south-east and England, he said.
Ben Martin, Carl ODonnell and Shashwat Awasthi

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 Murdochs Fox now has until September 22 to trump Comcasts 14.75 per share offer for Sky, which values the broadcaster at 25.9bn, after it formalised its own 14 per share bid.

Comcast gatecrashed Foxs attempt to buy the 61% of Sky that it does not already own earlier this year and the US cable giants latest, higher offer, which it submitted in July, has been recommended to shareholders by the broadcasters independent directors.

Fox posted its formal offer document, without improving its price, on Tuesday, setting in motion a timetable to end the uncertainty over Skys 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, Britains 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, sources said.

Sky acknowledged Foxs offer document and said its independent committee would respond to the offer within 14 days.

Since submitting its first 10.75 per share bid for Sky in December 2016, Fox has agreed to sell the bulk of its TV and film assets, including its Sky stake, to Walt Disney.

Comcast had been vying with Disney for the Fox assets but last month dropped its pursuit to focus on Sky.

The Takeover Panel, which regulates merger and acquisitions in Britain, ruled earlier this year that Disney would have to make an offer for the rest of Sky if its deal for the Fox assets completes before either Comcast or Fox acquire the UK broadcaster.

The regulator said last month that the level of any mandatory Disney offer should be 14 a share, the same price as Foxs offer.

But the Takeover Appeal Board, an independent body, said yesterday that several interested parties had lodged appeals against the ruling and that it would meet to consider their petitions.
Padraig Hoare

An independent review on the future of troubled Waterford Airport has been completed and sent to Transport Minister, Shane Ross.

EY was given the task of reviewing operations for the airport, which has been without a commercial carrier since mid-2016.

The Department of Transport said the review was now being considered by Minister Ross.

The future viability of the airport is essential if the south-east region is to prosper economically, according to Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) lecturer and foreign direct investment expert, Ray Griffin.

Unofficial reports have suggested a planning application was in the pipeline for an extension to the runway at Waterford, with private investors and local authorities set to foot the bill.

However, there has been no official comment from Waterford Airport management on any current or future planning application, and there is no record of one with Waterford City and County Council or An Bord Pleanala.

The airport has been without any commercial flights since mid-2016 and received 375,000 in State funds last January to support the Coastguard search and rescue service based at the facility for six months.

In 2012, Waterford Airport had more than 77,000 passengers but numbers dropped significantly in the years after. It carried only 13,500 passengers in 2016.

By contrast, Donegal Airport had more than three times that number in 2016 with 44,100, according to CSO figures. Airport chief executive Desmond OFlynn stepped down in January.

Mr Griffin, a co-author of the South-East Economic Monitor 2018, said regional airports were not expected to be profitable operations in and of themselves, but rather to facilitate the entire area to prosper.

Based on studies of other airports, it is reasonable to expect one million passengers would come to the region with commercial operations at Waterford Airport. Tourism will decline even further in the absence of infrastructure, while the south-east is also down in terms of the rate of foreign direct investment compared to other regions.

A combined investment from private sources and all the local authorities in the area in Waterford Airport would be a great boost to the region.

There is an entrepreneurial spirit here that hasnt been matched by the State. Airports are not profitable, but are essential to the regions in which they operate, Mr Griffin said.

Speaking about Waterford Airport in June, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that it is important that it is assisted in its efforts to encourage carriers to operate again between the south-east and England.
Joshua Franklin and Heather Somerville

Billionaire investor Elon Musk has always done things his own way, from designing space rockets to manufacturing electric cars.

Now the Tesla CEO is looking to re-engineer how a company can be taken private.

Mr Musk announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he was considering taking Tesla private for $420 per share, or $72bn (62bn), in what would be the biggest deal of this kind. He said the funding for the deal was secured, but did not provide details.

Tesla shares ended up 11%, indicating investors gave some credence to the plan.

But investment bankers and analysts reacted with scepticism, telling Reuters it would be hard for Mr Musk, whose net worth is pegged by Forbes at $22bn, to raise the equity and debt financing needed for the deal given Tesla is not turning a profit.

The company is cash-flow negative. How do you use any debt on a company that is cash-flow negative? said Steven Kaplan, a University of Chicago professor who researches private equity.

Finding equity partners and bank financing is key to take-private deals. When Michael Dell took his eponymous computer maker private for $24.9bn in 2013, for example, he brought in buyout firm Silver Lake that contributed $1.4bn in equity, raised more than $10bn in bank debt, and received a $2bn loan from Microsoft.

When a Twitter user commented on Mr Musks proposed deal by posting Just like Dell did. It saves a lot of headaches, Mr Musk responded by tweeting Yes.

Dells take-private deal, however, may not be possible to replicate with Tesla, which has a $10.9bn debt pile, is losing money, and whose bonds are rated junk by credit ratings agencies.

Without the ability to add more debt, Mr Musk may have to turn to sources of capital that are less accustomed to using debt to juice returns in the way private equity firms are.

One option could be sovereign wealth funds, investment bankers said.

Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken a stake of less than 5% in Tesla, according to one source. PIF did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would bankroll Mr Musks take- private deal.

SoftBanks $93bn Vision Fund, whose investors include the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, is seen as an obvious partner given its appetite for big technology investments, but was not contacted by Mr Musk and is not interested in a deal given its investment in Tesla competitor Cruise, the self-driving car unit of General Motors, according to a source.

Chinas Tencent Holdings, which took a 5% stake in Tesla last year, is another possible partner.

However, foreign capital sources would be subject to scrutiny by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, which reviews deals for potential national security risks.

Any proposal for funding from Chinese firms could face even tougher checks amid mounting US-China trade tensions.

Many attempts by founders and top executives to take their companies private have never come to fruition.

In March, Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs stepped down from the board to pursue a long-shot take- private bid for the US chip maker, which has a market capitalisation of $93bn. To date, this bid has not materialised.

US department store operator Nordstroms attempt to go private also failed earlier this year, after banks balked at providing the necessary financing to the founding family members seeking to put together the deal.

Mr Musk has said he would be looking to keep his ownership of Tesla at around 20% and that a special purpose vehicle, like the one that exists at his aerospace company SpaceX, would allow Tesla shareholders to remain invested if they so choose, and then cash out when they wanted.

But sources familiar with SpaceX told Reuters it is not clear how Mr Musk would apply it to Tesla.

Fidelity Investments, the major backer of SpaceX, did not invest in the company through a special purpose vehicle, according to the sources.

SpaceX only has a limited number of shareholders, who often choose to sell on their shares in the private market.

By contrast, allowing thousands of Tesla shareholders to remain invested through a special purpose vehicle would essentially mean that shares in that new vehicle are publicly traded in some way.

Even if such a deal was cobbled together, it is not clear whether so-called liquidity events, that Mr Musk said he organises at SpaceX every six months, would be sufficient for all existing Tesla investors to cash out.

To have a deal of this size, thatd be unprecedented as far as I can remember, Mr Kaplan said.
Joe Dermody

Teagasc has named Francis Quigley as farm machinery and milking machine specialist, and Tom Fallon as a farm buildings and infrastructures specialist.

These new roles reflect the changing demands in Irish farming. The National Farm Survey 2017 showed gross annual new investment on irish farms be 835m, much of which is in farm buildings and infrastructure.

From a dairy family in Co Waterford, Francis Quigley has worked as a machinery technician in Kildalton Agricultural College. He delivered training to a wide range of students on the safe operation and maintenance of farm machinery and the design and fabrication of farm equipment since 2013.

He has also worked as a farm machinery specialist for the Irish Farmers Journal, and performed technical sales roles for a number of farm machinery companies.

He brings 15 years experience working with farmers on the design and construction of milking parlours and other farm buildings. He qualified in Agricultural Engineering from Tralee IT and completed a Masters in Construction Project Management in WIT.

From a farming background in Co Meath, Tom Fallon holds a Masters from UCD and has diplomas in Rural Environment Management and Farm Financial Management. He is certified as a Cow Signals trainer.

He has been a dairy advisor in East Waterford for 28 years. During this time he has gained vast experience in building design andfarm layout. He enjoys engaging with the complexity of farmyard development.

These appointments follow the retirement of Tom Ryan after many years of dedicated service with Teagasc. Based in Kildalton, Mr Ryan provided a wealth of information for farmers and colleagues in both advisory and education services in Teagasc.
By Olivia Kelleher

Cork County Council is considering closing a junction on the main Cork to Limerick Road which has been the scene of a number of serious incidents and two fatalities in recent years.

The local authority has confirmed that the Waterloo Junction on the N20 will remain closed until the completion of current works.

In a statement Cork County Council said they were considering the future of the junction.

"Following some serious including fatal incidents, the Council is giving consideration to proposing the closing of the junction permanently.

"This is a statutory process, involving public consultation and further details will be made available in due course."

American tourists, Jim Baker (62) of Indiana and Peggy Sue Adams (59) from Ohio, were killed when their car was involved in a collision with a truck on the N20 at Waterloo Junction just north of Blarney in Co Cork on September 11th, 2017.

They arrived in Cork on a holiday a few days earlier with their respective spouses.

Jack Adams, the husband of the late Peggy Sue, was driving the hire car.

He and Mr Baker's wife, Deborah, were taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where they were treated for non life threatening injuries.

A second car, which was waiting to exit on to the dual carriageway, was struck in the aftermath of the crash.

Its female driver was uninjured in the incident. The woman was taken to CUH as a precautionary measure.

The driver of the truck was taken to CUH where he was treated for minor injuries.

The couples had travelled to the Cliffs of Moher prior to their trip to Cork.

They were making the journey from Mallow towards Cork and were turning right across the lane of traffic coming from Cork to descend the Kiln Hill towards Waterloo to head for Blarney when the collision occurred.

They turned right after being directed to do so by their Sat Nav.

Jim Baker with his wife Deborah

Jim Baker was a former electrical engineer who retired in 2012.

He was very interested in genealogy and had made a list of the various landmarks in Ireland he wanted to visit.

His daughter Diana travelled to Cork earlier this year to campaign for the right turn to be closed off at the junction.

While turns are possible at the junction, motorists then have to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic making the area notoriously dangerous.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner last May Diana Baker said she hoped to see an improvement in safety in the area.

"If I dont do something, every single accident that happens here after this is on me, their blood is on my hands. I have the opportunity to make a change.

"He died but nobody else has to. We all need to step up and get this right-hand turn closed."
Latest: A court in the Netherlands has confirmed that Dutch Ryanair pilots are allowed to strike tomorrow.

The airline had tried to prevent them from joining their colleagues in Ireland, Sweden, Germany and Belgium.

Ryanair has has been forced to cancel one in six flights tomorrow, affecting the travel plans of around 25,000 passengers.

The majority of passengers affected have either been offered another flight or a refund.

Bernard Harbor from the trade union FORSA denies it is a co-ordinated action.

"Tomorrow will be the fifth time that Irish-based pilots are out on strike so I don't think there is any question of co-ordination because there's been no other pilots on strike anywhere else in Europe up to now," said Mr Harbor.

"We represent pilots that are directly employed by the company and based here in Ireland and that's the limit of our activity in this."

Update for Friday August 10th: pic.twitter.com/g9qWugyRr0  Ryanair (@Ryanair) August 9, 2018

Earlier: Ryanair heading to court to stop Dutch pilots from joining strikes in four other countries

Ryanair will go to a Dutch court later to try to stop pilots in The Netherlands joining 24-hour strike action alongside colleagues in four other countries tomorrow.

The Dutch pilots announced last night they would walk off the job after their union said efforts to negotiate a collective labour agreement had failed.

Ryanair has now cancelled hundreds of flights with up to 25,000 passengers affected.

Employment law professor at Maynooth University, Michael Doherty, says the strikes could cause problems for the company's long-term business:

Mr Doherty said: "The danger for Ryanair is, while it may contain the numbers of passengers affected on Friday, people are thinking about booking October, Christmas and New Year trips and the question is are they confident now Ryanair will get them out of this?

"And, to be honest, there isn't a great sign of any movement forward in terms of resolutions from the company side."
Latest: The National Transport Authority has said that claims made by a Dublin councillor that some estates will lose their bus altogether due to the Bus Connects plan is inaccurate.

Independent councillor for Ballymun, Noeleen Reilly, said that areas such as Tolka Estate "are losing their bus service altogether" under the proposed plan.

A spokesperson from the NTA said: "Both of those estates mentioned will still be served by buses.

"It is the case that some - but not all - residents in those estates will have to walk further to get the bus, but that is not the same as saying that people are 'losing their bus altogether.

"In addition, the buses that they are walking to are far more frequent than the current services, some of which only come once an hour.

"So there is a lot more to it than the Councillor would suggest."

Councillor Noeleen Reilly

Earlier: 'Lot of anger and concern' over Bus Connects plan as app showing changes launches tomorrow

An interactive map showing how Dubliners will be affected by the redesign of the bus network is available online.

The interactive map will help users to explore the proposed bus network redesign.

Some of the changes include scrapping route numbers in favour of 'spines' which splinter off at various points.

Independent councillor for Ballymun, Noeleen Reilly, says that is a huge cause of concern.

She said: "We are seeing a significant increase in the number of buses people are going to have to get to a destination that they are only getting one bus to now.

"That's causing a lot of concern and anger. There are other areas like Tolka Estate that are losing their bus service altogether and we've a huge amount of senior citizens living in those areas."

* This article has been updated to clarify that the new route information is available as an interactive map and not as an app
Police in the North are investigating after a 14-year-old boy was abducted and assaulted by a gang of men near Belfast.

The boy was bundled into the back of a black car by three men in Newtownabbey on Saturday evening.
At least 20 people, including children, have died after air strikes in northern Yemen targeted a busy market and a bus, Yemeni tribal leaders said.

Another 35 people were hurt in the attack in Dahyan in Saada province, a stronghold of Shia rebels known as Houthis.
Former hard-line Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked current leader Hassan Rouhani to resign.

In a video published on his Telegram account, Mr Ahmadinejad said Iranians do not trust Mr Rouhani.

Addressing the president, he said: "Your continued presence is at the expense of the country."

Uncertainty resulting from the US pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers has led Iran's already anaemic economy to worsen.

On Wednesday, Iranian MPs voted to sack Mr Rouhani's labour minister, a victory for hard-liners opposed to the relative moderate amid the worsening economic crisis.

Mr Ahmadinejad has brought attention to himself since being blocked from running in last year's presidential election.

While he was president, Mr Ahmadinejad famously questioned the Holocaust and claimed there were no gays or lesbians in Iran.

PA
A rescue boat carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras.

Its arrival on Thursday comes as the political mood in Spain shows signs of tension over a spike in migrant arrivals.

The boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms delivered what it says are mostly Sudanese war refugees it picked up off the Libyan coast on August 2.

Spain allowed the boat to come after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain among governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa.

Spain's new centre-left Socialist government made fair treatment of migrants one of its headline policies after coming to power two months ago.

In June, it announced measures to "put people's rights first" in the country's migration policies. Among other things, it took the first steps toward extending public health care to foreigners without residence permits.

That same month, the government accepted the Aquarius rescue ship with 630 migrants on board after Malta and Italy turned it away.

Authorities gave those migrants who arrived in Valencia a special entry permit into Spain of 45 days for humanitarian reasons.

A further 60 who arrived on a rescue ship in Barcelona last month were given a 30-day permit while they decided what to do. Their paperwork was also fast-tracked.

But those who arrived in Algeciras on Thursday will receive no such special treatment.

They will be processed, the government said, like any other migrants rescued at sea: held by police for 72 hours at a migrant camp, given a medical check-up, identified and detained while they await asylum or are given an expulsion order.

Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

The government official overseeing immigration, Magdalena Valerio, said earlier this week there would be no extra money for migrant policies before the end of the year.

The Spanish Network for Immigration and Refugee Help, a non-governmental organisation, accused ministers of abruptly "changing course" in its immigration policies and "discriminating" against the new arrivals.

"We'd like Spain to remain a safe haven and be a bulwark against the populism of (Italian interior minister Matteo) Salvini and (French far-right nationalist leader Marine) Le Pen," the organisation's president, Daniel Mendez, told Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Critics of the new government's perceived softer approach toward migrants said its policies had backfired, by attracting ever higher numbers, and the government is increasingly wary of that criticism.

The UN migration agency said almost 24,000 refugees and other migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year - nearly three times the number last year.

The Open Arms Search and Rescue vessel arrives in Algeciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Javier Fergo)

The agency says Spain has become the most popular European destination for Mediterranean migrants, with just over 40 percent of the total, after Libya and Italy began cracking down. Most come on overcrowded smugglers' boats from Tunisia and Morocco.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado has targeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's immigration policies.

He said last month: "What Spaniards are looking for is a party which says clearly that we can't give documents to everyone, and Spain can't take in millions of Africans."

Such criticism has left Mr Sanchez politically exposed when he heads a minority government with just 84 of the 350 seats in the lower house of parliament.

PA
AustralianSuper burned $2 million of members' money to set up the New Daily, later selling its 30 per cent stake in the news website for nothing, the royal commission has heard.

The royal commission also heard that the superannuation regulator contacted AustralianSuper to ask about its participation in funding a controversial television advertisement, known as the fox and hen house commercial, which attacked super funds operated by big banks.

AustralianSuper chief executive Ian Silk was grilled on both the commercial and its backing of the New Daily during his testimony at the banking royal commission on Thursday.

Mr Silk told the royal commission that AustralianSuper, Australia's biggest industry super fund, sold its one-third stake in the New Daily for nothing to Industry Super Holdings in 2016 after only three years.
Is this company really just a pathological liar? Thats the question when it comes to National Australia Bank.

To the public and the regulator the bank tries to paint itself as making the odd mistake and when it does it fixes it, apologises and compensates.

That it has a strong organisational culture focussed on its members and doing the right thing. We have heavily invested in this culture over recent years, it wrote in a letter to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

But other letters and documents reveal a culture built around conflicts that favour NAB over customers, that breaches the law, blatantly rips off customers and drags its heels when it comes to remediation.
This is the third large earthquake to strike Lombok in the past month. On 29 July, a 6.4-magnitude quake killed 17 people and briefly stranded hundreds of trekkers on the slopes of the Mount Rinjani volcano. This geological event was followed by a M6.9 earthquake disaster last Sunday, which killed over 300 people. The latest magnitude 6.2 quake hit this morning, August 9, 2018, causing additional damage and building collapses as search goes on after Sundays cataclysm.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 has hit Indonesias Lombok island, less than a week after a 6.9-magnitude tremor that is believed to have killed hundreds of people.

Todays earthquake killed at least 2 people, 24 people were injured and many buildings were destroyed.

Thursdays earthquake struck just after midday, sending panicked residents into the streets. According to information from Indonesias meteorology agency the epicentre of the quake was 6km north-west of the island with a depth of 12km.

Residents in the city of Mataram and north Lombok, the areas hardest hit this past week, panicked after Thursdays strong tremor, pouring out of their homes and evacuation posts. There was one person who fell from the stairs because the tremor shook the stairs when they tried to get out of the building, Rangga, one local resident in central Lombok, told CNN Indonesia.

Thursdays was the biggest of 355 aftershocks since the 6.9-magnitude quake last Sunday which displaced more than 154,000 people, many of whom have been sleeping in makeshift tents by the roadside and in their fields.

Thursdays quake has caused additional damage, with some buildings and power lines collapsed. But the full extent of the accumulative damage caused by the Thursday quake was not immediately known.

Indonesias disaster and rescue agencies, as well as local officials and the military, which have been coordinating on relief efforts, were still trying to work out the exact death toll caused by Sundays powerful earthquake. Rescuers were continuing to retrieve bodies and attempting to get basic supplies such as food and water to the worst-hit areas.

Data from the national army has indicated that as many as 381 have died, while the governor of West Nusa Tenggara put the figure at 226, a number echoed by those from the search and rescue agency. The national disaster agency has reported 259 deaths so far. Indonesias top security minister, Wiranto, said on Thursday the death toll from last Sundays earthquake on the island of Lombok has climbed to 319.

The disaster agency spokesperson said it was not uncommon for confusion about exact death tolls to arise during emergency and crisis situations, as has occurred in previous natural disasters such as an earthquake in Padang in 2009 and the eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010.

Straddling an area of high volcanic activity known as the Ring of Fire, Indonesia is highly prone to earthquakes.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

The Guardian  Lombok earthquake: new quake hits as earlier tremor death toll rises
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.
National Australia Bank is under investigation over more than 100 potential criminal breaches of the Corporations Act over allegations it tried to keep breaches of its responsibilities from the corporate regulator.

The revelation at the banking royal commission came after the bank lost a bid to keep secret a series of documents outlining its suspected offending over the fees-for-no-service scandal.

After a fourth straight day of damaging evidence at the commission, NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn admitted the company had been too slow to deal with its problems.

NABs push to keep secret part or all of seven documents detailing its discussions with ASIC was thrown out. Credit:Pat Scala

Commissioner Kenneth Hayne on Thursday threw out NABs push to keep secret documents detailing its discussions with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) about how the bank planned to compensate customers incorrectly charged fees.
It was as early as February 2017 when concerns about the conduct of US President Donald Trumps man on the hill, Chris Collins, were first raised with regulators, including that he had allegedly contravened Australian corporations law. But local regulators chose not to act.

Under Australia's Corporations Act, a person who holds more than 5 per cent of the voting capital of a listed company is required to give a substantial shareholder notice to the Australian Stock Exchange within two business days of becoming a shareholder.

Representative Christopher Collins, a Republican from New York, exits federal court in New York. Credit:AP

Mr Collins  who was arrested on Wednesday in the United States and charged with securities fraud but denies any wrongdoing - did not make the disclosure within that timeframe, and now questions are being raised about why Australian regulators did not act at the time.

On Wednesday in Manhattan, the New York congressman and his son were indicted for insider trading related to the shares of an Australian biotechnology firm, Sydney-based Innate Immunotherapeutics.
US regulators are looking into Elon Musk's use of Twitter to announce that he is considering Tesla private, according to the Wall Street Journal, adding another twist to what could be the biggest buyout in history.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked the company whether the chief executive's announcement was factual and why it was done via social media rather than through a filing, the newspaper reported Wednesday, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. Judith Burns, an SEC spokeswoman, declined to comment. Tesla also declined to comment.

The SEC has established that companies can use social media to announce material and potentially market-moving information. But securities lawyers warned that Musk could find himself in legal difficulty if the "funding secured" portion of his statement posted on Tuesday was untrue or half-baked.

"To put that out unless he absolutely has financing secured and is ready to make the bid that could be market manipulation," said Keith Higgins, a Ropes & Gray partner who formerly led the SEC's corporation finance unit. "He could be in big trouble if that turns out not to have been true."
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.
A spokesman for the Australian Digital Health Agency said all access to the My Health Record is tracked and consumers can see who has accessed their record, and when. "The only way a health care provider can access an individuals My Health Record is when they have the required Individual Health Identifier," he said. Mr Ballantyne said doctors could access the My Health Record using a Medicare number. "On a strict reading of section 14(2), it would only apply if the healthcare identifier was used as opposed to the Medicare number," he said. "I don't agree that section 14(2) gives an absolute protection against an employer accessing My Health Record for that purpose. "We don't have clarity and there is ongoing confusion and that in itself is an enormous concern."

Mr Ballantyne said if the government was adamant that access to My Health Record was not to be used for employment-related health checks and insurance purposes, "the simplest thing would be to repeat this kind of exclusion clause in the My Health Record Act and not be pointing to some other legislation that predates this system". Private information National unions are advising tens of thousands of members to opt out of the controversial My Health Record because they fear it will give third parties access to private information about employees. The Australian Council of Trade Unions and affiliate unions have met and discussed shared concerns about the potential for employers to access the medical histories of workers through third parties. Employees in the transport industry and those claiming workers' compensation can be required to undergo medical examinations. Tram and Bus Union national secretary Bob Nanva. Credit:Marina Neil

The Rail Tram and Bus Union is advising its 35,000 members to opt out of the online health record because many are required to undergo pre-employment safety checks. "There is simply no justification for employers to seek access to personal health information that does not directly relate to workplace safety," RTBU National Secretary Bob Nanva said. Mr Nanva has written to Health Minister Greg Hunt urging him to tighten the legislation to prevent employers getting access to private health details through third parties including company doctors. A spokesman for Mr Hunt said it was illegal for employers to access employee health records and union concerns were ill-founded. The unions and lawyers argue the legislation allows an employer/insurer nominated doctor to access a person's My Health Record for employment purposes under the default setting. Health Minister Greg Hunt. Credit:AAP

Mr Nanva said the My Health Record was an important initiative that could improve the quality of medical treatment and save lives. But he was concerned unintended consequences could flow from the system. A spokesman for Minister Hunt said employers could not access an employee's My Health Record. A court order would be needed to access any information. 'Policy is clear and categorical' "The Digital Health Agencys policy is clear and categorical - no documents have been released in more than six years and no documents will be released without a court order," the spokesman said. "Individuals can choose to opt out at any time and permanently delete their record. They can also choose what information is put on their record and how their information is controlled.



"The Digital Health Agency does not consider that an employment check is healthcare and therefore use of the My Health Record would not be permitted. Loading The spokesman said legislation introduced by Labor in 2012 would be amended to allow people to permanently delete their record. The Electrical Trades Union of Australia has also advised its members to opt out of the My Health Record scheme or update their security settings. ETU National Secretary Allen Hicks said it could potentially expose members to privacy breaches.

The ETU has sought intervention from Minister Hunt because the Australian Digital Health Agency confirmed My Health Records can be accessed for employment purposes," he said. Were also concerned about the Turnbull governments woeful record when it comes to protecting Australians information online. We issued an urgent information video to our members urging them to either update their security settings or opt out." Health Services Union National Secretary, Gerard Hayes. Credit:Natalie Roberts Health Services Union national secretary Gerard Hayes said his union had "real concerns about who can access those records".

"We don't believe police or insurance companies should have access to people's personal health records," he said. "At the same time, we think it is important that these records be standardised to identify issues like doctor shopping. The program should not go ahead until these problems of access are addressed." 'Dud Act' The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said it had privacy concerns about My Health Record but has not asked members to opt out because "nurses and midwives are well-equipped to make their own decisions". Mr Hunt's spokesman said the Australian Medical Association, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Consumers Health Forum and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia supported the My Health Record initiative.
Every year, about 1200 people make a mad dash for the summit of Mount Everest during the climbing season that begins in May - taking on the arduous, often congested route to the world's highest peak that most will not complete and some will not survive.

Working against them: temperatures far below zero, altitude sickness with effects that range from disorientation to death, and the ever-present threat of frostbite. More than 200 corpses of ill-fated climbers line the mountain's slopes, a constant reminder of those climbers' fatal missteps.

Waste dump: Gorak Shep with part of Khumbu Glacier in the background. Credit:Dario Severi

So it should probably come as no surprise if people traipsing up a mountain with its own death zone don't give too much thought to one particular question: what should we do with all this poop?

In the roughly two months that it takes to climb Mount Everest, the average alpinist will produce nearly 27 kilograms of excrement. This season, porters who work on Mount Everest carried down 14 tonnes of human waste from base camp and other locations. It's dropped into earthen pits on Gorak Shep, a frozen lake bed near a village 5000 metres above sea level.
The corrugations on the old hall at Sutton look tired. The community hall has stood on the outskirts of town since the early 1900s and in that time very little has changed. The first time I visited the hall was as a child for a school dance. I had made the drive from our rural haven to the burgeoning city of Canberra and Mum had reluctantly spent $50 on a pair of shorts for me to wear. Unfortunately the new shorts made me no more enticing to the girls at the dance and the century old wooden floorboards creaked and willed me to sit.

Just under a decade ago I visited the hall again. This time it was to marry my wife. She was willing to look past my horrible dancing and we spent the night dancing, laughing and celebrating with friends; it really was the best night of my life.

The Sutton Village Hall.

The hall has been a special place. Its been a symbol of the community, a place of coming together, a place of celebration. Recently that has changed. The hall is no longer a place of smiling and laughter and bad dancing. It has become a war room; a meeting place for a divided community fighting against a much larger foe. It's become a familiar kind of fight playing out in community halls all across our region.

My family are sixth generation farmers, and all things going well, my children will be the seventh. I love reading the memoirs of my great grandmother who grew up on the land. She tells tales of riding to Gundaroo for school, the cranky teacher that made life difficult and how at night she would say a prayer that perhaps God could make him fall of his bike so that they could have a new teacher. She tells of going into Canberra in 1913 for the laying of the foundation stone and how in one awful week her husband and husbands parents all died of pneumonia, leaving her with a two-year-old daughter and a large farm to manage alone, which she did.
The ACT Minister for Housing and Suburban Development Yvette Berry MLA stated in response to a Question on Notice from Mark Parton MLA that: The government has not considered abolishing land tax; land tax helps homebuyers compete with property investors and is an important source of revenue for the government.

The Ministers response contradicts the position previously adopted by the government. The

The government agreed in principle in 2012, to the abolition of land tax in its formal response to

Recommendation 18 of the Taxation Review. In so agreeing, the government noted the Review Panels observation that land tax in its [then] current form was unfair, as it discriminated on the basis of tenure. It further noted that the purported benefits of land tax in helping homebuyers were not certain, and increases in land tax may actually be counterproductive.

ACT Minister for Housing and Suburban Development Yvette Berry said land tax helps homebuyers compete with property investors. Credit:Rob Homer

It is useful to distinguish the land tax imposed in the ACT and other jurisdictions from the broad based land tax promulgated by the Henry Tax Review. The tax, as imposed in states and territories, has a narrow base, being levied on commercial and rental properties. In the ACT, commercial land tax has been phased out, and the tax has an even narrower base, compared to other states. The broad based land tax envisaged by the Henry Review is akin to general rates, which are equally levied on owner-occupied and rental properties.

The generally well-accepted principles of taxation, adopted by the ACT Taxation Review, are stability, efficiency, equity, and simplicity. So how does land tax fare against these principles? The ACT Taxation Review found land tax to be the most volatile of all the taxes; even more volatile than tax on conveyances, when measured through its sensitivity to economic growth, and its variance from long-run growth. For every 1 per cent increase in the economy, land tax was estimated to increases by 1.68 per cent, leading to increasing economic burden.
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."
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.
Former ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has targeted Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury in a scathing critique of government inaction over the territory's prison needle exchange program.

The program, designed to stop inmates sharing dirty needles behind bars in a bid to curb the spread of diseases, was a key element of the Labor-Greens 2012 parliamentary agreement.

Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury, who blamed the stalled initiative on former chief minister Jon Stanhope. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prison guards have been strongly opposed to needle exchange programs in the past and comprehensively voted to reject a proposal in 2016.

Mr Rattenbury blamed inaction on what he said was Mr Stanhopes decision in 2008 to give the Community and Public Sector Union a veto over the program via a clause in guards enterprise agreements.
Fire truck driver Percival Hillyer enjoyed dressing up as one of Santa's elves each Christmas. He was the No. 1 elf, named Auberon. He'd done it since he joined in 1986. He would drive the truck to the Wendoree Park playground on the Central Coast with sirens and blue lights flashing at about 4-5km/h.

Three weeks before Christmas two years ago was no different. He and some others had changed into their outfits at his home and were just pulling away in the truck when another elf called out for him to stop and then, a moment later, to continue.

Mr Hillyer, 77, who is also known as Perce, said: "When we arrived at the park we were greeted with applause and much laughter because on the back of the truck was not only Santa and an elf but firmly ensconced between them was a scarecrow. I was horrified because I knew it had come from a neighbour's yard."

Perce Hillyer (right) gets into the festive spirit with fellow volunteers.

When they returned to his home (also under bells and whistles) there was an altercation with a neighbour demanding the return of the scarecrow. Elf No. 3 immediately owned up as being responsible.
A confessed killer screamed "die, bitch, die" when he beat a Korean woman to death as she walked through a Brisbane park, a court has heard.

Alex Reuben McEwan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Eunji Ban in November 2013, but guilty to a lesser offence of manslaughter on mental health grounds.

McEwan's trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court has heard evidence of what he told police during a formal interview after the killing.

Eunji Ban was found dead in Wickham Park in 2013. Credit:Internet

He told officers that he'd said to Ms Ban: "It's your fault you walked this way because you had to run into me" as he violently attacked her.
A Queensland coroner has decided not to hold an inquest into the 2012 death of Bruce Schuler, concluding it was unlikely to reveal new information about the gold prospectors murder in far north Queensland.

Gold prospector Bruce Schuler, who was murdered by the Strubers on their remote Palmerville property. Credit:QPS Media

In 2016, Stephen Struber and Dianne Rose Wilson-Struber were both convicted for the murder of Mr Schuler on their remote Palmerville property, hours west of Cairns on the remote goldfields.

Mr Schulers body was never found and the pair have refused to tell police where his body is on their huge, remote property through which the Palmer River snakes.

His partner of 27 years, Fiona Splitt, led a successful campaign to introduce Queenslands no body, no parole retrospective legislation following her husbands death.
Detectives are still searching for a car and three suspects after a man was shot during an alleged failed home invasion on the Gold Coast in January.

Police said the attack was a case of "mistaken identity", but the victim suffered "significant trauma" when he was shot in the hand and is still receiving therapy.

Detectives are still trying to find a green 2003 Daewoo, registration KIM 891, after a shooting in Carrara on January 8. Credit:Queensland Police Service

On January 8, it will be alleged, a green 2003 Daewoo with registration plate KIM 891 pulled over on Plateau Crescent in Carrara at about 4pm. A man and woman got out, leaving two others inside the vehicle.

Detective Inspector Mark Thompson said the man pulled a gun out of a rifle bag as the pair walked towards a home where a man, woman and child were inside.
Prime seafront blocks of land at the centre of a decades-long battle that began with a scam that saw thousands of migrants ripped off are set to be resold by the local council for a windfall.

The move, which has been described as wicked and immoral by one land owner and devious by another, is the latest in a long-running saga that began in the 1950s, when thousands of newly arrived migrants purchased blocks from a private developer on the promise they were buying a little piece of seaside paradise along Ninety Mile Beach in Gippsland.

Stunning Golden Beach had obvious allure for buyers who purchased blocks in the 1950s and 60s. Credit:John Krutop

Many bought the blocks  there were 11,800 in all  expecting to build their dream home or holiday house but planning changes and forecasts of rising sea levels in the decades that followed meant few were allowed to do so, the land deemed environmentally fragile and too unstable.

A series of buybacks and acquisitions have taken place, the landowners receiving a fraction of what they would have paid, if anything, even after years of coughing up for rates and other charges in addition to the original purchase price.
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.'
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.
Anthony Reid taught high school maths for 21 years, but will swap the classroom for the cab when Canberra's light rail begins running.

The former teacher is one of 16 drivers so far recruited to operate the light rail vehicles, and will get behind the wheel for the first time next week after weeks of intensive training.

Former Canberra maths teacher Anthony Reid has made a career change and is now a trainee light rail driver. Credit:Karleen Minney

Ive only sat in it for five minutes so it will be good to actually get in there and hopefully some of the lessons weve gone through will make more sense when all the buttons are right in front of us," Mr Reid said with a grin.

His cohort of learner drivers includes a former chef, ex public servants and truckies, and ranges in age from 19 right up into the mid-50s.
Full literature from the poorest country in the world Frankfurt lies on the main - Haiti, present time and again as a land of chaos and poverty, as lost island paradise in the middle of the Caribbean holiday Idyll. Unrest and disunity of the oldest black Republic offer a field of tension in which is a notable literature between life and poetry. "Louis-Philippe Dalemberts now appears in the Litradukt publishing house debut of God pencil has no eraser". His first novel, years, mid of nineties offers full descriptions of the everyday life of ordinary people in the Caribbean and a sensitive exploration of the themes of childhood and the home. The preferred residence of the little boy is a disused Peugeot 304 in its rear-view mirror to observe the world, colorful fauna of the district. A world that breaks down with the progress. This means the separation from his real family, Faustin, the Shoeshine boy, who transforms at night into the homonymous Emperor of Salbounda, and the other figures, for the boy grown up parents up to the veranda of his grandmother around through life beat.



"It is the man who returns twenty years later from abroad, is clear, that he hence the early childhood, this other country by itself" has forever left. Yet he's trying, with the help of his memories and imagination to inhabit this country again... "Good of one of the finest titles of this book fall" (A. Waberi, Le Monde diplomatique) already Dalemberts adventure novel the island at the end of dreams sensation in this country: A good humor book, a kind of head crime with a fabulous finish included political and socio-critical aspects "(DLF culture). The author Louis-Philippe Dalembert, poet, novelist, literary critic, and journalist, was born in 1962 in Port-au-Prince, has spent the first 25 years of his life in Haiti, and since then roams the world in his own words as a vagabond. (North and South America, Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the Middle East). He now lives between Rome, Paris and Port-au-Prince.



His books that already have been translated into several languages, are now finally also in German. The translator Peter Trier. Litradukt Publisher Kehl. 1970 born in Publisher, the founder was during his years of proofreaders and translators working in France with projects to black"literature concerned and discovered a young in this country almost unknown literature from overseas. Press contact: Timm Faust SHRINKAGE communication Schadow str. 4 D-60596 Frankfurt am Main Tel: 069 60 62 86 61 fax: 069 62 97 70 E-Mail: Web:
He helped select domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty as an Australian of the Year. The award ceremony produced an evocative image of the 196-centimetre warrior gently comforting a tearful Batty.

He was appointed chairman of the Australia Day Council, the deputy chairman of the Prime Minister's defence mental health committee and veterans' employment committee. He became the public face of a campaign against "one punch" violence and the "Stay Kind" campaign, which urges Australians to look after vulnerable mates.

Receiving the Commonwealth's ultimate bravery award made Roberts-Smith an instant celebrity. His agent began charging thousands to corporate clients to hear not only from "the most decorated soldier in the Commonwealth" but a man who had also been named "Australian Father of the Year".

The transformation from battlefield to boardroom was significant. For 10 years, Roberts-Smith had served with Australia's Special Air Service Regiment, a unit of elite soldiers who are mostly not allowed to speak about their work.

Having received a Victoria Cross for bravery during an assault on the Afghan village of Tizak in 2010  an award that was preceded by a Medal for Gallantry and followed by a Commendation for Distinguished Service  Roberts-Smith was in the midst of a seemingly successful transition into corporate life.

Hands clasped and head slightly bowed, Australia's most decorated Afghanistan veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, stood on stage with the Prime Minister as a living testament to success after the military.

When Malcolm Turnbull gave a speech four months ago about the struggle some veterans faced readjusting to civilian life, it was hard to ignore the man towering behind him in the Great Hall of Parliament House.

At the VIP table sat the unflappable Chief of Army and special forces veteran, Lieutenant-General Angus Campbell. Two years earlier, Campbell had commissioned the Inspector-General of the Defence Force to begin an inquiry into the nation's special forces  the most penetrating inquiry in the recent history of Australia's military.

Indeed, some of the most important people in the room that night knew of the allegations.

Over almost a year, Fairfax Media has interviewed dozens of veterans, officials and people with knowledge of Roberts-Smith's personal conduct including decorated soldiers who served alongside him. Their claims include bullying, intimidation and his involvement in small SAS teams suspected of the abuse of unarmed civilians and the use of force that goes well beyond what is acceptable in the theatre of war.

Among the assembled generals and politicians in the Great Hall that night were some who had trouble reconciling disturbing allegations about Roberts-Smith's behaviour in Afghanistan and back home with the grand public image.

But as he stood behind Turnbull at a veterans' function at Parliament House on March 28, serious doubts about his conduct were being discussed in senior defence circles.

Rosie Batty, having just been announced as 2015 Australian of the Year, is comforted by Ben Roberts-Smith, Chair of the National Australia Day Council. Credit:David Flannery

The photograph fitted his public ethos, which was to value "moral courage" above physical prowess and "cherish your family every single day".

But it wasn't only Roberts-Smith's conduct as an SAS operator that would prompt scrutiny. That evening at the Great Hall would result in further allegations that suggest he was struggling with the difficult task of living up to all that was expected of him.

Witnesses allege one was punched in the head by an angry Roberts-Smith after a battlefield bungle.

SAS veterans have also alleged to Fairfax Media that Roberts-Smith bullied and intimidated fellow soldiers, including two junior operators who made internal complaints about the impact of his conduct on their mental health.

The allegations concerned the patrols' treatment of detainees or unarmed Afghans. They included claims that the patrols may have failed to report accurately incidents in which Afghans had been subjected to the use of force, including acts of brutality perpetrated against unarmed men.

The patrols under scrutiny featured Roberts-Smith as a key player, either as a deputy or lead patrol commander. Those making the allegations were from the SAS itself and had served alongside Roberts-Smith's patrols in Afghanistan.

By the time of the Great Hall event, it was clear to an inner circle in defence that disturbing rumours about small SAS patrol teams  typically consisting of five to six men including a patrol commander and deputy commander  involved serious allegations about their conduct in Afghanistan.

Roberts-Smith is also silent on the question of whether he knows anything about who has been sending anonymous letters and emails to, or about, his accusers.

He did not respond to questions about allegations being made separately by some of his former SAS colleagues and what knowledge, if any, he has about the mistreatment of Afghans.

Through his lawyer, Roberts-Smith initially declined to respond to the allegations concerning his guest at the event.

Sources at the event questioned why Roberts-Smith risked revealing that he was having an affair by taking his mistress to a high-profile function where, beyond the Prime Minister, he was the most prominent guest. But, far more concerningly, senior defence officials later learnt of allegations she raised with police about what happened later that night at the Hotel Realm in Canberra: an alleged act of domestic violence and intimidation.

After completing a masters of business administration in 2016, the former Australian Army corporal had been appointed general manager of the TV network's Queensland operations by media tycoon Kerry Stokes. But the woman wasn't a Channel Seven client. Instead, Roberts-Smith was in the midst of a extramarital relationship with the woman.

Sitting on the same VIP table as Lieutenant-General Campbell, between ADF deputy chief Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs and Veterans' Affairs Minister Darren Chester, was a female lawyer whom Roberts-Smith had brought as his guest, and whom he'd introduced to military figures earlier that day as a client of his employer, Channel Seven.

A member of Roberts-Smith's 2009 patrol allegedly encouraged a more junior trooper to execute a detainee  a suspected militant  and was later overheard boasting about it. Fairfax Media has obtained a photo of the dead man and two witness accounts describing the circumstances in which the Afghan died.

Four defence insiders have alleged that they observed patrols under Roberts-Smith's direct or deputy leadership severely mistreat unarmed Afghans on four occasions.

RS [Roberts-Smith] repeatedly smashed this guy in the cheek and kneed him in the guts. I went, Whoa whoa whoa. Back off mate.'

During his deployments to Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, Roberts-Smith was deputy commander of a small SAS patrol. In his last overseas deployment, prior to leaving the army in 2013, he was appointed patrol commander. Fairfax Media has confirmed by speaking to multiple special forces insiders that among the allegations made to the Inspector-General's inquiry is that patrols he helped lead brutally mistreated unarmed Afghans.

His Victoria Cross citation puts this image in words, describing an "extreme devotion to duty" paired with "a total disregard for his own safety" as Roberts-Smith "stormed the enemy position killing the  machine gunners".

Shortly after the guns fell silent at Tizak in 2010, the sneakers Ben Roberts-Smith wore during the famous battle were photographed. The white shoes are splattered with blood. They evoke the image of a man racing towards danger, risking all.

One insider, an experienced SAS soldier, has vividly described intervening to stop Roberts-Smith bashing an unarmed Afghan whom two patrol commanders were seeking to arrest in 2010.

The bearded man had frozen in the foetal position when Roberts-Smith entered the room, wearing Kevlar gloves.

The insider describes Roberts-Smith unexpectedly attacking the man, pummelling him in the face with his fists, and in the stomach with his knees.

"RS [Roberts-Smith] repeatedly smashed this guy in the cheek and kneed him in the guts. I went, Whoa whoa whoa. Back off mate. We have this under control.'

Loading

"The fella's face immediately blew up. We stepped back and gave the fella some space. We then arrested him."

Two alleged incidents have been separately recounted by other SAS members and involve men under the control of a patrol being led by Roberts-Smith. Both involve the alleged mistreatment of Afghan men who witnesses claim were posing no threat to Australian soldiers and could have been arrested without the use of force. One of the men harmed was in custody and posing no threat at all when he was allegedly badly assaulted.

Sources from inside the SAS say this alleged mistreatment was not only unnecessary but potentially counter-productive. An essential purpose of the Afghanistan mission was the protection of the local population and the generation of confidence in the coalition and government forces.

The sources also concede that, while the allegations caused deep concern, and were discussed informally and sometimes raised with more senior SAS soldiers, they were not immediately reported to senior command in Canberra.

A new career

Keeping secrets is part of being in the SAS. Yet by late 2012 and early 2013, as Roberts-Smith was preparing to embark on his new career as a corporate and community leader and mental health champion, some of his SAS colleagues were asking if the decorated warrior might have shirked scrutiny because less experienced soldiers were worried about challenging him.

Much of the concern held by senior military officers about the cultural problems within the SAS have involved keeping quiet about behaviours that needed confronting. A report in March 2016 by then Special Operations Commander Major-General Jeff Sengelman described a culture of impunity that may have normalised allegedly disturbing behaviour. Sengelman's report also identified serious "governance and behavioural lapses" and ultimately helped spark the Inspector-General's inquiry.

A record of a discussion between two long-serving SAS patrol commanders, obtained by Fairfax Media, reveals some experienced soldiers in the regiment were worried that Roberts-Smith's apparent bullying meant some in his patrol were scared to question battlefield incidents or those which allegedly occurred back at base or in training.

The two patrol commanders identify that the first time Roberts-Smith came to attention for alleged bullying inside the SAS was in 2006, during his first deployment to Afghanistan.

SAS soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan in 2005. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Following a hair-raising battle early in the deployment, Roberts-Smith fell out with two members of a six-man patrol, in part over whether it was necessary to kill an Afghan who had earlier walked past the patrol's observation post.

One of the two patrol members later insisted to colleagues the Afghan appeared to be an unarmed teenager whose death could have been avoided.

But it was a perilous circumstance and a tough call apparently made in the fog of war. Roberts-Smith's version of events was backed by other patrol members.

The young male was presumed to be a "spotter". This meant there was a chance he might have seen the observation post and planned to report it to the Taliban, who could then attack. Roberts-Smith and other patrol members also said the male was armed with a smoke grenade, which exploded after he was shot.

The conflicting accounts are mirrored in official reports relayed by the patrol to senior officers and seen by Fairfax Media. Some post-incident reports describe an anti-coalition militant posing a "threat." Some reports go further, falsely stating the dead male was armed with an automatic rifle.

Roberts-Smith accused the two patrol members critical of his actions of cowardice and failing to prepare their weapons.

Multiple sources contend Roberts-Smith followed up this critique with repeated bullying of the smaller and quieter of the two patrol members, Trooper M. (Fairfax Media cannot name a serving SAS soldier but have confirmed he is still serving and has been promoted to patrol commander)

More than one witness claims to have overheard Roberts-Smith threatening to harm Trooper M, an alleged threat Trooper M relayed to colleagues.

The two patrol commanders alleged "years of bullying that RS [Roberts-Smith] put him through" and which impacted his mental health. A bullying complaint against Roberts-Smith was ultimately lodged inside the SAS by Trooper M , which led to mediation.

Commended for leadership

Roberts-Smith's promotion to patrol commander left him responsible for mentoring junior soldiers under his command. It was an appointment he relished, a realisation of leadership ambitions. Some other SAS soldiers were also pleased, considering Roberts-Smith a fierce and impressive soldier now able to pass on his knowledge to less experienced operators.

But not all felt that way. Concerns inside the SAS about the treatment of the least-experienced member of Roberts-Smith's patrol, Trooper J, were raised in mid-2012, just prior to deployment to Afghanistan.

During a training exercise in Perth involving the mock capture of an Afghan prisoner, three SAS soldiers witnessed Roberts-Smith instruct Trooper J to shoot the detainee.

"RS grabbed [Trooper J] by the shoulder and said, F--ing kill him, f--ing kill him'," an SAS soldier who claims to have witnessed the event said.

The soldier alleges Trooper J responded by half-heartedly simulating a mock execution ("he went bang' as a joke," recalls a witness).

This witness alleges that Robert-Smith then said, "You good with that?" The witnesses who observed the order said that two patrol commanders informally challenged Roberts-Smith, telling him to "pull your head in".

Loading

After arriving in Afghanistan in July 2012, the mentoring of Trooper J generated further controversy when a mission on July 15 to the Chora Valley to flush out the Taliban turned ugly, and one patrol member was nearly shot by a second SAS patrol in a near fatal "friendly fire" bungle.

Trooper J wasn't responsible for the friendly fire but he was accused of breaching protocol by firing his weapon in response and not adhering to Roberts-Smith's orders. He was formally investigated, placed on administrative duties with another patrol and soon after left the army.

According to statements later submitted to senior defence officials, Roberts-Smith ran his own, off-the-books disciplinary process. Multiple witnesses allege that Roberts-Smith castigated the trooper in front of his patrol, ordering Trooper J to stand up and then punching him in the head.

A further threat from Roberts-Smith was allegedly made several months later: if the trooper's account about the incident and aftermath was not consistent with his version, Roberts-Smith would report him to the International Criminal Court at The Hague for firing in the vicinity of civilians.

The treatment of Trooper J by Roberts-Smith concerned several experienced patrol commanders, who were also troubled about other aspects of Roberts-Smith's mentoring and leadership in 2012. The most pressing issue being discussed among a small number of senior SAS soldiers involved his patrol's involvement in an alleged assault on an unarmed Afghan.

Ive been under the microscope for the last six years and, you know what, my record is spotless. Ben Roberts-Smith

Those with concerns were surprised and angered, therefore, when Defence in 2014 released a formal assessment of Roberts-Smith's 2012 service as it awarded him a Commendation for Distinguished Service, praising his exemplary "mentoring  of his patrol and less experienced members".

Three patrol commanders, who are still serving with the regiment and who have also been recognised for their service in Afghanistan, signed a complaint written by one of the trio, Sergeant L. The complaint urged senior officers to investigate Roberts-Smith's mentoring, leadership and treatment of Trooper J.

"As SAS soldiers, we are responsible for accurate reporting and honesty, in the field and in camp. This citation is a contradiction of those values," the complaint said.

For two years, the complaint went nowhere. But it is one of many documents handed to the Inspector-General.

Denials and accusations

For his part, Roberts-Smith traces the complaints about his behaviour to the awarding of the VC in 2011. His forceful, driven personality  one shared by many in the regiment  stoked resentment.

When queried about this last year, he said: "I am hard, I get that, but there is no one I beat up harder than myself. You are supposed to be better. If not, you should not be there. Because if you make a mistake, someone is going to die."

His supporters insist the allegations stem from envy, most particularly from disgruntled veterans. Roberts-Smith's defamation lawyer also blames sensationalist journalists for seeking to bring down a war hero through a "smear campaign".

Ross Coulthart  a former TV investigative journalist who is now a public relations consultant for a firm, Cato and Clegg  is working closely with Roberts-Smith and his lawyer on his own investigation into Fairfax Media's reporting.

Coulthart has interviewed SAS soldiers close to Roberts-Smith and is privately insisting to people linked to Channel Seven there is no evidence of any wrongdoing. However, he and the PR firm's Sue Cato have declined to share their findings. Publicly, Coulthart refuses even to say who he is working for.

Australian SAS troops in Afghanistan. Credit:Forward Scout Films

Roberts-Smith has previously decried his critics as hypocrites, saying: "The bullying is what they do to me. Bullies are cowards. They stay in the shadows. This is about group cowardice. I don't like bullies. I am sick of it."

He has been unequivocal he has no questions to answer in respect of any of his actions in Afghanistan.

"I've been under the microscope for the last six years and, you know what, my record is spotless," he said in a newspaper interview when questions about his conduct in Afghanistan first emerged publicly in October 2017.

But the argument that critical accounts of Roberts-Smith amount to tall-poppy syndrome sits uneasily with the testimony of many who have served in the SAS, including in Afghanistan.

Some sources note that the reputations of that conflict's other Victoria Cross recipients Mark Donaldson and Dan Keighran (a VC was also awarded posthumously to Commando Corporal Cameron Baird) have faced no such challenges.

Most significantly, the allegations about Roberts-Smith and his patrols have, according to regiment sources, been made under oath before the Inspector-General  a step for those witnesses that is well beyond simply muttering darkly to colleagues and journalists.

Pushing back

Roberts-Smith has also been pushing back, apparently aiming to paint those making allegations about him as disgruntled liars.

In 2017, defamation lawyer Mark O'Brien, who is working for Roberts-Smith, separately wrote to the two soldiers who were members of Roberts-Smith's patrol in 2006 and who had expressed serious misgivings about his conduct.

The lawyer accused the two veterans of colluding to concoct false allegations.

Roberts-Smith sent a letter himself to a third SAS veteran, also threatening litigation.

The bullying is what they do to me ... This is about group cowardice. I dont like bullies. I am sick of it. Ben Roberts-Smith

Attention then shifted to a fourth SAS Afghanistan veteran, Sergeant L. He'd written the 2014 complaint that urged an investigation of Roberts-Smith's Commendation for Distinguished Service and which was signed by two other patrol commanders.

On October 18, 2017, in a letter sent to Fairfax Media, Roberts-Smith's defamation lawyer attacked the credibility of Sergeant L, accusing him of smuggling weapons into Afghanistan in 2012. (The two other patrol commanders who signed the 2014 complaint were not mentioned in the letter).

By now, more missives attacking Sergeant L were also circulating, although who was responsible for these remains a mystery.

On October 20, 2017, The Australian newspaper received an anonymous email. Fairfax Media has linked this email to a Queensland photographer, Nathan Richter but he has said he was just acting as a middleman and refuses to say who wrote and sent it.

This email repeated the historic gun smuggling claim and added some dramatic detail. It claimed Sergeant L was at grave risk of gunning down civilians in Perth. The baseless massacre allegation was also sent to Australian Federal Police in an apparent attempt to get police to raid Sergeant L. Days later, they did so, finding none of the weapons the mystery writer had promised would be located.

Six months later, another mysterious writer emerged.

In April, the female lawyer Roberts-Smith had weeks earlier taken as his guest to the Great Hall of Parliament House also received an email. It was from a "Danielle Kennedy" and claimed to have been sent on behalf of Roberts-Smith. By then, Canberra sources say the lawyer was alleging Roberts-Smith had subjected her to an act of domestic violence and intimidation in the hours after the Great Hall event in late March.

According to senior sources in Canberra, a relative of the woman complained about the alleged incident to a politician, who alerted a more senior colleague, who in turn alerted defence officials. Later, the alleged victim told police of her claims. Police have been told she had been drinking at the event, and as it ended, alleges Roberts-Smith appeared angry at her behaviour, worried it had exposed his affair to the military's top brass.

She stumbled and fell down some stairs at Parliament House as she left the event, causing further embarrassment. Police have been told that by the time the pair arrived back at the Realm Hotel, Roberts-Smith was allegedly furious and she was subjected to an act of domestic violence.

(Fairfax Media has decided not to name the lawyer due to the nature of her allegations. Defence and political figures who have been told of the allegations have said that once they learned she had gone to police, they took no further action.)

Police also have details of multiple phone and email accounts the married Roberts-Smith used to conduct the liaison prior to it ending on April 6, when the lawyer disclosed the affair to his wife.

Ben Roberts-Smith in front of his portrait at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Credit:Jay Cronan

On April 22, the lawyer received the email from "Danielle Kennedy", who claimed to "represent Mr Roberts-Smith" and be acting on his "instructions." Fairfax Media could not locate any lawyer by the name of "Danielle Kennedy". The photo used in the email appears to have been stolen by someone from the internet. It is of Anne Whelford, an administrator at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand.

After a university spokesman was supplied by Fairfax Media with a copy of the "Danielle Kennedy" email, he sent a statement saying: "Lincoln University was unaware of the use of Anne Whelford's photograph, as was she, and neither party sanctions its use in this way".

The use of the picture "is a matter which should be dealt with by the police," the statement said.

The woman at the centre of allegations declined to comment. Roberts-Smith has also declined requests from Fairfax Media to be interviewed, or to answer questions about any knowledge he might have of "Danielle Kennedy", or why a stolen photo was used, or to give his version of events.

It is understood that after he received questions, he told his public relations advisers that no affair had ever occurred (a claim undermined by copious evidence) and that the alleged domestic violence and intimidation is also a malicious invention. And on Wednesday of this week  six days after he was alerted that Fairfax Media knew of the allegations reported to police as well as the mysterious "Danielle Kennedy"  Roberts-Smith contacted a Queensland police station, claiming to be a victim of stalking by the lawyer.

I am hard, I get that, but there is no one I beat up harder than myself Ben Roberts-Smith

In respect of the claims made by SAS soldiers, Roberts-Smith has also privately dismissed allegations he is a bully or that he ever assaulted or bullied a fellow soldier.

Most significantly, Roberts-Smith privately and passionately dismisses all allegations he has ever breached the laws of armed conflict in Afghanistan. He recently retained a top Sydney barrister with expertise in military inquiries, Arthur Moses, SC.

In his recent public appearances, Roberts-Smith appears to have sought opportunities to burnish his image.

He recently appeared on a Channel Seven tourism and lifestyle program to highlight his family values  "family is the most valuable thing"  and his passion for supporting soldiers struggling with mental health problems.

Not a shred of evidence

In June, yet another mysterious letter writer was at work. A former member of Roberts-Smith's patrol received a letter from an anonymous source warning that he should withdraw what the letter described as false information given to the Inspector-General, or risk having adverse information about his own activities exposed.

The patrol member immediately reported the letter to the SAS Commanding Officer, who relayed it to the Inspector-General. The Inspector-General does not comment on ongoing investigations.

But the patrol member has told colleagues he is not scared by the threat.

Roberts-Smith's supporters privately insist the Inspector-General will clear him of any wrongdoing and there is not a "shred" of evidence that suggests otherwise. Roberts-Smith's supporters also say that the famous soldier is yet to give his version of events.

But SAS insiders aware of some of the adverse allegations about Roberts-Smith or the conduct of his patrols say credible evidence has already been placed on record and on oath.

Questions have dogged Ben Roberts-Smith from a time well before he became supersized by expectation, responsibility and pride in the spirit of the Anzacs. After two years of investigation, and having interviewed 200 witnesses on oath, the Inspector-General is expected to finalise his report in the coming months.

Roberts-Smith's response

On Friday Roberts-Smith released a statement via Seven West about this story. It read:

The article contains a catalogue of lies, fabrications and misrepresentations. It is the culmination of many months of malicious and highly damaging allegations, all of which will be vigorously defended.

I do want to say today that I unequivocally deny any physical abuse of any woman at any time ever, and that I have not at any stage been interviewed by Police about any purported complaint by any woman.

I am deeply troubled that alleged evidence given on oath before the IGADF inquiry has been canvassed in the press and that Fairfax has allegedly accessed it. Not only is it illegal, it is unfair to people who havent given evidence and it has the potential to undermine the fairness of the inquiry.

If and when I am given the opportunity to defend each specific allegation, I am very confident that direct witnesses will categorically demonstrate the falsity of them all.
Victoria's chief magistrate says his colleagues deserve more annual leave and pay to better reward them for their responsibilities and workloads.

Magistrates are paid $311,000 annually and get four weeks of annual leave per year. Their salaries are determined by a Commonwealth tribunal and their entitlements, including annual leave, are recommended by a state panel.

Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen

Amid the high scrutiny on some bail decisions made by magistrates and a focus on their workloads, Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen said his colleagues were not adequately rewarded given their responsibilities and pressures.

"I would have said no because the work of magistrates and judicial officers generally is not well that known," he said in an interview with The Age last week.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is in Perth to spruik the federal governments GST fix in preparation for a federal election due to take place before July 2019.

Mr Turnbull, who will spend the next three days in WA, told 6PR breakfast team Basil Zempilas and Steve Mills on Thursday morning that West Australians could trust the GST deal would be delivered.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull receives an honorary plaque from the 6PR Breakfast team.

You can always trust us, the PM countered when quizzed by Steve Mills if people could rely on the promise of an increased share of the GST pie.

In 2018-19, WA was on track to get back 47.3 cents for every GST dollar raised in the state.
Washington: Republican Representative Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appears to have moved from criticising the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to strategising about how to blunt its impact should it imperil President Donald Trump.

Republican Congressman Devin Nunes Credit:AP

The most promising instrument in this effort, he suggested in unfiltered remarks last month, is retaining a GOP-controlled Congress.

Even if he had been speaking publicly, the eight-term Republican might not have chosen his words differently. He is an adamantly pro-Trump lawmaker who in February released a memorandum accusing the intelligence community of conspiring against the president. In May, he sought documents from the Justice Department - as part of his investigation into the law enforcement officials leading the Russia inquiry - that senior intelligence officials maintained could expose a top source and endanger lives.

But it was in private, at a closed-door fundraiser for a Republican colleague, that Nunes took the new step of tying the investigation to the midterm elections this fall. In comments captured in an audio recording aired Wednesday by The Rachel Maddow Show, Nunes laid out in stark terms the rationale for preserving the GOP majority in Congress.
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

Choice Aggregation CEO Stephen Moore, explains why the role of the aggregator is changing and how brokers can make an impending data deluge work to their advantage

In a people-centric industry, the key to success is often as simple as meeting customers on their own terms; understanding their preferences, extrinsic motivations and the outcomes they value; then positioning solutions accordingly.

Traditionally, this process is the result of building personal relationships, but in todays tech-driven world, the same results can be achieved by mining the incomprehensibly huge digital footprints left on phones, computers and apps, every single day.

As concepts, big data and data governance need little introduction; as transformative tools for broking, much remains unexplained.

For Choice Aggregation CEO Stephen Moore, there is a clear and strong opportunity at the point where big data and broking converge. As a result, brokers are today in a unique position to combine digital and traditional customer service techniques to generate a deeper understanding of a clients complete personal circumstances and financial goals.

We are heading towards an environment where brokers are in the box seat because they know more about customers than any other channel today, says Moore.

What I see happening in the future is combining not just the upfront collection of customer data but also provision of that data on an ongoing basis, and combining that with the knowledge brokers have of

customers. It will put brokers in a really unique position.

Moores predictions are rooted in two key developments currently on the horizon: the introduction of comprehensive credit reporting (CCR) and open banking.

CCR was first introduced in 2014, but only this year will customers be able to leverage their entire transaction histories to potentially obtain cheaper finance. Hand in hand, open banking will make vast amounts of customer data available to institutions throughout the financial ecosystem, including brokers.

The combination of CCR and open banking means that, with the clients permission, brokers will be able to overlay the data an institution holds on their customer with the personal insight they have on that customer. This will enable a more proactive and efficient way to help clients better manage their money; it means brokers will be better positioned than anyone in the marketplace, but that needs to be managed in the right way, Moore says.

Supporting brokers as they move to capitalise on the strategic insight provided by CCR and open banking, Choice Aggregation has placed data governance and cybersecurity at the top of its curriculum for professional development days, along with business building and succession planning.

Data management will be a core role of the aggregator for broker businesses. As we are seeing today, the collection of customer data has never been more important, and, even more so, protection and appropriate use of that data has never been more important, Moore says.

The year-long calendar of educational events is designed to address the PD targets of both small and large brokerages and is reinforced with unprecedented investments in Podium, which Moore values in the millions of dollars.

We are heading towards an environment where brokers are in the box seat because they know more about customers than any other channel - Choice Aggregation CEO Stephen Moore

I cant give away too much on where we are going, but we are now working on the next generation of Podium. One of the exciting developments is that Podium will digitally enable broker businesses, and there will be more to come on that. Its pretty exciting, he says. It really is a sign of the level of sophistication of broker businesses and therefore the increasing sophistication aggregators are required to provide to brokers as well.

The changes will be rolled out in 2019 in tandem with enhanced digital and social media support for brokers. Moore continues, Our view is that the future is about combining the digital and social interactions many customers enjoy and marrying that with high-quality face-to-face interactions. Brokers are looking to their aggregator to help them through that, and thats really important for us.

Increasing sophistication

Data is only the start of how broking  and aggregation  are becoming more sophisticated. Moore observes challenges and opportunities in the evolving regulatory landscape and is quick to highlight the need for brokers to become business operators  as well as digitally savvy financial strategists  in order to maintain efficiency and results.

Equally, its no longer enough for an aggregator to simply provide access to software, training and lenders, he says.

The aggregator of the future is a true business partner and provides increasingly sophisticated support across critical elements, such as technology enablement  developing a true end-to-end platform to help with business efficiency and effectiveness, Moore says.

In an environment where more is expected from brokers  and thats where we are headed  business efficiency becomes even more critical. For any successful broker, their rarest commodity is time. Any way that we can streamline processes, capture data once and reuse it, automate through the CRM when it comes to client communications. It makes a lot of sense for a broker business.

Drawing on his own observations, Moore identifies three prime focus areas for brokers currently. Firstly, he says they must maintain the right perspective; after all, sentiment breeds sentiment. The second area of focus should remain on focus itself so brokers continue to provide great customer outcomes and experiences. Thirdly, Moore says brokers must recognise that the status quo is not an option.

We know that more Australians choose to see a broker today than ever before, but across the industry, brokers, aggregators and lenders need to raise the bar to meet the increasing expectations we are faced with. Dont be overwhelmed by negative sentiment; stay focused on this fantastic role you provide for clients, and look to associate with people who are in the same positive mindset, he says.

Staying ahead

Choice has enjoyed a strong start to 2018 across several key metrics. Settlements have increased 11% year-on-year, with the loan book also posting 11% growth to reach almost $70bn, a result Moore describes as very strong given market conditions. Further, Choice now boasts a network of nearly 1,700 brokers after welcoming 300 new brokers since the start of the year.

There are a number of further developments in the pipeline. PD days will continue to take a leading role, with focus falling on industry insight and creating an environment in which brokers can learn from each other on a peer-to-peer basis.

We recognise that not all brokers are the same and the best outcome a broker can have is to align themselves with someone who truly understands them and then tailor support to meet their needs, says Moore.

Looking ahead, data will remain central to the continued evolution of the financial industry and its role in peoples lives. While predominantly driven by CCR and open banking, the unprecedented level of customer empowerment these are likely to enable will put the broker in a new position.

The final piece in the puzzle is that, while financial institutions must find the balance between big data and personal interaction, brokers will be well placed to leverage both. There is little doubt this will require many new skills and the unwavering support of aggregators, but with the right groundwork data will have the scope to boost rather than burden brokers.

Moore concludes, Data is the new black, and this is a long-term, sustained trend that we will see over the next five years plus. The role of an aggregator in accurate data collection, ongoing data management, and, most importantly, the insights on the back of that data to help brokers run more efficient, effective businesses and tailored communications to clients, will be defining.
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

The broker landscape could change as a result of new credit reporting rules, according to one broker who adapted to the same changes in New Zealand.

From 1 July banks in Australia were required to start conforming to the new comprehensive credit reporting (CCR), which will provide a greater overview of a borrowers credit history than in the past.

Experts are warning brokers that lenders may be able to make different decisions on which customers are approved because of the new information they have.

The changes mean borrowers who previously qualified for a mainstream loan could now be declined and require alternative finance, because lenders will be able to see information such as the borrowers undisclosed credit accounts and repayment history, stretching as far back as 24 months.

In New Zealand, the system came into place a few years ago and one broker who went through the transition said he had to upskill in non-conforming loans as he found himself having to look for alternatives in some cases.

Bruce Patten said that New Zealand has seen an increase in non-conforming loans and he encourages brokers in Australia to prepare for the change.

He said, Youve got two options, you can do what I used to do which is refer to someone who specialises in it, but youre going to pass away a fair amount of income, or you can bite the bullet and upskill.

Youll be doing it more often which means youll learn about it more and youll find it easier. The more you do it the easier it becomes.

Patten also warned brokers that there needs to be a lot of education with their clients over the transition period while banks hand over their credit information.

By the end of September 2018 banks must have given at least 50% of their credit data and the rest must be provided by the end of September 2019.

This means there will be 12 months where different lenders have provided different information and not all of the information will be available.

He said, It was really about the awareness of what a lender was seeing and how that might affect their decision making. Thats what they need to be in tune with.

The main thing is brokers need to educate their clients so they understand it. They need to be careful theyre getting 100% correct information because the bank can see a facility the bank can apply for.

They might get a decline for nondisclosure whereas in the past they wouldnt have had that visibility of a change in credit limit.

If they accidentally or deliberately leave something out it puts the application at risk. Brokers should be educating the client so that they know the banks know all and see all. Dont just take it for granted that what the client has told you is correct.

Related stories:

Banks agree to CCR protections

Brokers urged to use data for better outcomes

Brokers urged to help combat fear about CCR
This Page

has moved to a new address:

Sorry for the inconvenience

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
For the Ahmedabad-headquartered Adani group, the fate of its ambitious coal mine-to-rail project in Australia could hinge on a court case, filed by native owners of the land in question, near the Carmichael mine in the province of Queensland. The verdict will be coming soon.

However, that is not where the problems of the groups first international project ends. It has not been able to do any mining since acquiring the mine in 2010. The Carmichael project involves constructing a thermal coal mine in the North Galilee Basin and a 388-km rail line linking the mine site with ...
Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
Ikea aims to reach 200 million people in India in the next three years and its journey is going to be based on affordability and accessibility, the Swedish home furnishings chains Group Chief Executive Officer Jesper Brodin said on Wednesday on the eve of the launch of the companys first Indian store in Hyderabad.

Brodin said the company would like to keep the product prices within the reach of various segments of the society without compromising on quality. The furniture retailer, he added, wanted to expand its footprint in other Indian cities as quickly as ...
Mazda Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp conducted improper fuel economy and emissions tests on their vehicles, the latest in a series of compliance scandals in Japan's auto sector, the Nikkei business daily reported. Mazda and Suzuki have submitted reports of their findings on their tests to the transport ministry and will publicise details on Thursday, the Nikkei said. Representatives for Mazda and Suzuki told Reuters they had submitted reports to the ministry but declined further comment. Mazda shares were down 1.4 per cent and Suzuki down 3.4 per cent in early trade, ...
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday allowed mining major Vedanta to access the administrative unit inside its copper plant at Thoothukudi in

A bench headed by chairperson A K Goel, however, said the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this.

The green panel also directed the State Pollution Control Board to submit data on pollution around the plant within 10 days and posted the matter for hearing on August 20.

At the outset, the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim and S P Wangdi, made it clear that it would hear Vedanta's plea on merits and rejected the state government's submission that the tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to hear the case.

On July 30, the court had refused to grant any interim relief to Vedanta, which has challenged the government's order to permanently shut down its copper plant in Thoothukudi, even as the firm termed the government action "political".

On July 5, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their responses after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objections with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea.

The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.

Earlier in April, the Tamil Nadu pollution control board had rejected Sterlite's plea to renew the Consent To Operate certification, saying the company had not complied with the stipulated conditions.

Following this, the government issued a permanent closure notice to the plant.

Vedanta's plea in the NGT seeks permission to operate the unit and a direction to declare as unlawful and illegal the exercise of powers by the Tamil Nadu government in passing the closure order under section 18(1)(b) of the Water Act.

Sterlite's factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure.

The company had then appealed to the NGT, which had overturned the government order. The state had then moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending.

The Supreme Court had then ordered the company to pay Rs 1 billion as compensation for polluting environment.

Following the latest protests and police firing, the plant was closed on March 27.

After Sterlite announced its plans to expand the Thoothukudi plant, villagers around it started fresh protests that continued for over 100 days, culminating in the May 22 police firing on protestors that claimed 13 lives and left scores injured.
India and the US are in touch over New Delhi's invite to President Donald Trump to visit the country, and the date, time and occasion of the possible trip are under consideration, official sources said on Thursday.

The sources indicated that India was not exclusively looking at his presence at the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest and that various other options are also being explored.

"The date, time and occasion of the visit is still being under consideration," said an official source.

India extended an invitation to the US President to visit the country and the option of his gracing the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest was explored during meetings between the two sides on the invite, it added.

Last week, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump has received an invitation to visit India, but no decision has been taken yet.



"I know that the invitation has been extended, but I do not believe that a final decision has been made," Sanders told reporters when asked whether Modi has invited Trump to be the Chief Guest at the next year's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited President Trump for a bilateral visit to India during their talks in Washington in June 2017.

If Trump accepts the invitation, it is expected to give a major boost to ties between the two strategic partners in key areas of defence, security and trade.

The Trump administration has been pushing for deeper strategic cooperation with India, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where China was expanding its influence.

Every year, India invites world leaders to attend its Republic Day celebrations.

In 2015, the then US President Barack Obama had attended it as the chief guest which was his second visit to India as American President.

This year, leaders from 10 ASEAN countries had attended the Republic Day celebrations.

In 2016, the then French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest of the parade while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebrations in 2014.

The heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.
The Karnataka Police has filed a charge sheet against Mehul Choksi, an accused in the Bank fraud case, in a court in Bengaluru in connection with a Rs 91.1 million cheating case registered against him in 2015.

The charge sheet against Choksi was filed before the First Additional Chief Metropolitant Magistrate court on August 7, IGP (Economic Offences) Hemant Nimbalkar told PTI on Thursday.

Police had registered an FIR against Choksi in 2015 based on a complaint by city-based jeweller Hari Prasad, he said.

The court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Choksi, who is now in Antigua, police said.



In his complaint, Prasad has claimed that Choksi, Managing Director of Gitanjali Gems, cheated him of Rs 91.1 million which included his investment.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for allegedly defrauding the Bank (PNB) of around Rs 140 billion.

India is looking to bring back Choksi from Antigua under the provision of a law of the island nation which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country.
Security has been beefed up in Maharashtra as Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday over reservation issue.

Addressing the media, a leader of the Sakal Maratha Samaj, Amol Jadhavrao said that the state-wide bandh would be observed in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm. However, the bandh will not be observed in the



"We have called for a state-wide bandh on August 9. The bandh will not be observed in Navi Mumbai, due to some sensitive issue. Essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh called by us," Jadhavrao said.

He also urged the community members to not commit suicide over the issue and maintain their calm.

Meanwhile, police officials have also been deployed across the state to contain any unpleasant situation. "Adequate police deployment has been done to ensure peaceful bandh," Manjunath Shinghe, Mumbai Police PRO said.

All departments and affiliated colleges of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad will remain closed today in view of the bandh.

The Maratha community has been agitating across the state demanding reservation in government jobs and education. Last month, Maratha Kranti Morcha had taken to streets to press for the community's demand for reservation. Some of its members had also committed suicide during the protest.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that his government will provide reservation to Marthas in accordance with law.
Road traffic was disrupted and schools remained shut in Maharashtra, while Internet services were suspended in Pune district during the state-wide bandh on Thursday called by Maratha outfits in support of their demand for reservation.

The agitation, which began on a relatively peaceful note on Thursday morning, turned violent in the afternoon.

A police car and two private vehicles were torched in Aurangabad, and the police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob.

While in Pune agitators attacked the gate and a cabin at the district collector's office and damaged some light bulbs in the premises, protesters threw stones at the office of ex-chief minister Ashok Chavan-controlled newspaper Satyaprabha in Nanded and broke its window panes, police said.

Stones were also allegedly pelted at the office of another Marathi daily 'Pudhari', located in the same area, they said.

In Latur, Congress MLA Trimbakrao Bhise faced the ire of protesters, who surrounded him and pushed him away, police said.

Despite an appeal from Maratha community leaders to observe the bandh peacefully, police said protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some places.

Two groups of protesters clashed at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district when someone allegedly raised slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, an official said.

A group led by Sena district chief Ambadas Danve objected to the slogans, following which members of both sides beat up each other, he said.

"One person was injured in the incident, but the situation was brought under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed them," the police official said.

Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour-mongering, SP Sandip Patil said.

Agitators held a sit-in outside the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Pune's Baramati tehsil, and were joined by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the demand for quota in government jobs and education.

Protesters stopped buses and other vehicles in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which is connected to NH 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said.

A police official said tyres were burned on roads in Jalna and Ahmednagar districts.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, who was not allowed to enter the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in support of the quota demand, sat outside the gate of the legislature complex in protest.

The call for band was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, but it excluded Navi Mumbai which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, had said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today. Another Maratha faction had given a call to hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.

The authorities had yesterday ordered closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.

Though Navi Mumbai was excluded from the bandh, Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe decided to remain shut today.

Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai, with deployment of city police personnel along with a company of Rapid Action Force and Reserve Police Force.

Public buses and local trains were running normal in the town. Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said.

Even though Maratha groups excluded essential services from the purview of the bandh, supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause. Protesters took out silent marches in Mumbai's Ghatkopar suburb and in Thane district.

A traffic official said the number of vehicles on Highway No.4 (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.

In Satara, all petrol pumps and vegetable markets were closed while all state transport busses were kept parked at the central bus stand.

In Latur, pro-quota agitators they blocked roads from midnight and disrupted traffic. There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts, police officials said.

State-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts, as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of stir last month.

The bandh call was given despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurance that his government was working on providing quota to Marathas in government jobs and education institutes, one that is legally sustainable.

He had sought time till November to take steps in this regard.

The Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent quota. They 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 stir late last month.
India on Thursday put up for bidding 25 discovered oil and gas fields, holding resources of an estimated Rs 1 trillion, as it looked to expedite production from areas lying idle for years.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launching the second round of Discovered Small Fields (DSF) said the government is expecting as much as Rs 450 billion in royalty, taxes and profit petroleum over the life of the fields.

In DSF-II, 59 discoveries have been clubbed into 25 contract areas spread over 3,042 square kilometers and eight sedimentary basins. The last date of bidding is December 18 and contracts will be awarded within January 2019.

"In the DSF-I round, Rs 346 billion of resources were bid out. In DSF-II, fields holding Rs 1 trillion of hydrocarbon resources are being offered," he said.

In the first round of bidding for DSF last year, 134 bids were received for 34 blocks out of 46 on offer.

Pradhan said the government is expecting a revenue of Rs 90 billion from fields bid out in DSF-I, with first oil expected in 2020. Also, DSF-II would generate 85,000 jobs, he said.

The government had planned to offer 60 discoveries clubbed into 26 contract areas spread over 3,100 sq km in DSF-II but curtailed the offer to 25 areas comprising of 59 discoveries due to some unexplained technical difficulty.

The fields are being offered in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch & Cambay shallow waters, Mumbai offshore, Assam and Tripura, Mahanadi shallow water, Andhra Pradesh onland and KG offshore.

V P Joy, Director General of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) said the main features of DSF-II include a single licence for exploitation of both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon, prior technical experience not a pre-qualification criterion, no upfront signature bonus and full pricing and marketing freedom.

"Royalty rates have been reduced 7.5 per cent from 10 per cent for offshore blocks," he said.

The government had in 2016 brought a new DSF policy, offering "idle" small discovered fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) in an auction on liberalised terms including marketing and pricing freedom and lower taxes.

In DSF-II, the fields on offer hold 190 million tonnes or 1.39 billion barrels of oil and oil equivalent in place gas reserves. On offer are 15 onland fields and 10 shallow water areas.

Of the 60 fields that were identified for DSF-II, 22 belong to ONGC, five to OIL and 12 are relinquished discovered fields from the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) blocks.

In DSF-I, 46 contract areas consisting of 67 discovered fields spread across nine sedimentary basins were put on auction.

Pradhan said the government will award exploration areas offered in the first bid round of a separate open acreage licensing policy (OALP) next week.

Mining mogul Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Ltd is likely to win 41 areas while state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) would get just two of the 55 blocks that were on offer. Oil India Ltd (OIL) is likely to get nine blocks.

Bidding for OALP-I round closed in May.
Praveen Chakravarty, head of data analytics at the Indian National Congress, speaks to Abhishek Waghmare on the pros and cons of the report, and Indias dire need for a strong and robust privacy regime. Edited excerpts: As the head of data in the principal Opposition party, what are your thoughts on the Srikrishna report on data protection? I am glad that the government, which had said that privacy is not a ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
State-run (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, today 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 today.

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 7-8 billion 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 86 billion from monetisation of its non-crore assets during FY19.

It had raised Rs 1.67 billion 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 per cent stake in PNB Housing Finance, while Carlyle Group, through its investment vehicle Quality Investment Holdings, owns 32.36 per cent 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 per cent stake in

Mehta said the bank will also dilute minority 4 per cent 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 9.4 billion due to higher provisioning for the multi-crore Nirav Modi scam and NPAs despite a recovery of Rs 84.45 billion of bad loans.

It's total provision in the quarter stood at Rs 51.35 billion. Of this, the provision for the Nirav Modi fraud was Rs 18 billion. It made a recovery of Rs 84.45 billion.
Five former dual nationals have been stripped of their Australian citizenship due to their involvement with the group overseas, a government minister said today.

A total of six people have now lost their Australian citizenship since the law was changed in 2015 to enable dual nationals to lose their citizenship rights for actions contrary to their allegiance to Australia, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said.

"I can confirm that five more individuals have ceased to be Australian citizens because of their involvement with offshore," Dutton said in a statement.

Dutton did not identify the five. The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Sydney said they were three men and two women who had flown to Syria and Iraq to join group fighters.

It is not clear when they travelled to the and when they lost their citizenship.

Broadcasting Corp. said they were aged in their 20s and 30s and might not be aware that they were no longer Australian. Intelligence agencies began investigating them last year, the ABC said.

"We've arrived at a position now where it's clear through their own conduct these people have renounced their Australian citizenship. They don't deserve to be Australian citizens and in our judgment, they would pose a great threat if they were to return to Australia," Dutton told ABC.

The first person to lose Australian citizenship under the law was Sydney-born convicted terrorist Khaled Sharrouf.

Sharrouf, 36, slipped out of in 2013 on his brother's passport because his own had been cancelled because of his conviction for his part in a thwarted terrorist attack plot. He was left with Lebanese citizenship after his Australian citizenship was cancelled in January last year.

Sharrouf horrified the world in 2014 when he posted on social media a photograph of his young son clutching the severed head of a Syrian soldier.

Then-US Secretary of State John Kerry described that image as "one of the most disturbing, stomach-turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed."



Under section 35 of the Australian Citizenship Act, a dual national's Australian citizenship automatically ceases if they act contrary to their allegiance to by engaging in terrorism-related conduct.

This includes those who fight for or who are in the service of a declared terrorist organization overseas. The Islamic State group was declared a terrorist organization for these purposes since May 2016.

"It is opposed to Australia, its people and its democratic rights and privileges," Dutton said in a statement.

"The government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible," he added.
Mazda Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor Corp and Yamaha Motor Co improperly tested vehicles for fuel economy and emissions, the Japanese government said on Thursday, revealing fresh cases of compliance failures by manufacturers. The results came to light after the government had ordered the automakers to check their operations after revelations of improper testing at Subaru Corp and Nissan Motor Co last year. The conduct of automakers globally has come under intense scrutiny after Germany's Volkswagen AG admitted in 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of US ...
A top Pakistani court on Thursday ordered authorities to produce jailed former prime minister on Monday in connection with the two other corruption cases against him spiralling from the leak.

The accountability court of judge Arshad Malik held first hearing of the two graft cases the Flagship Investment case and the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment case against Sharif after Islamabad High Court (IHC) this week accepted his plea to transfer the two cases to another judge.

Three cases were filed against Sharif and family last year.

Sharif, 68, along with his daughter Maryam, 44 and his son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar are already serving jail terms of 10-years, seven years and one year respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London.

Sharif launched an appeal against the conviction in the IHC on July 16. On the same day he filed an application to transfer the remaining two cases to another court.



The IHC this week approved the application seeking transfer of pending corruption cases against Sharif and his two sons to another accountability court headed by judge Malik.

As judge Malik resumed hearing on Thursday he asked the prosecution about presence of Sharif and was told by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) lawyer that he was in jail and was not brought to the court due to security reasons.

The judge adjourned the hearing till Monday and ordered that Sharif should be produced for the hearing.

Apart from Sharif, his two sons Hassan and Hussian are also co-accused on all three cases.

The court has already declared the two sons as absconders due to their persistent failure to appear before the court and they have been placed on the blacklist by the authorities, barring them from travelling on their Pakistani passports.



ALSO READ: Nawaz Sharif shifted to back to Adiala jail as health improves

Separately, the IHC will take up the hearing of the appeals of Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law against their conviction in the Avenfield properties corruption case on Monday.
An 18-year-old girl and a policeman escorting her were shot dead by three unidentified bike-borne assailants in a suspected case of honour killing in Haryana's Rohtak on Wednesday.

The incident took place after the girl, escorted by Sub-Inspector Narender Kumar and a woman police constable, had appeared before the Rohtak court for a hearing in connection with her date of birth at the time of her marriage.

While returning, three unidentified miscreants gunned down the girl and the police officer. The woman constable managed to escape unhurt.

According to Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, "Girl's parents had filed a case against her after she married against their choice and she was being produced before the court. She was killed in this regard."

Randhawa further revealed that the girl's mother-in-law has given some clue to identify the assailants.

The victim, who belonged to the Jat community, was 17-year-old when she had eloped with a Dalit boy last year. The girl's father had registered a complaint against the boy at the Rohtak City police station.

After questioning, the boy had allegedly showed forged documents to the police to prove that the girl was an adult and the two got married. But the victim's family produced original certificates to show that she was a minor at the time of marriage. After all this, the Dalit boy was reportedly arrested on charges of forgery and sent to jail.

Subsequently, police had asked the girl to go back to her parent's house but she refused. Hence, the girl was sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal.

Meanwhile, no arrest has been made in the matter so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least five terrorists have been gunned down by the security forces in an ongoing encounter in Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Yesterday, the security forces had killed four terrorists. The operation was later halted to due to a bad weather.

The security forces once again started the operation on Thursday morning.

This comes after security forces in another incident arrested a terrorist identified as Abdul Majid Shah, a resident of Iqbal Colony, in Pattan Baramulla in Awantipora on Tuesday.

On search, arms, ammunition and other incriminating material were recovered from him. The terrorist was travelling in a car bearing registration number DL9CM0213, and he was on his way to meet other terrorists active in the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Thursday took a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his participation in a protest against the government over Scheduled Caste/Schedule Tribe Atrocities Bill. This comes after the Lok Sabha passed the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 on August 6, overturning the Supreme Court ruling in March.

Shah took to social media, and in a series of tweets, launched a scathing attack on the Congress President. He recalled Rahul's much talked about "hug and wink" in the parliament, and said, "Rahul Ji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. NDA Government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?"

He further slammed the Congress Party for their treatment towards Dalits, and termed it "patronising and condescending." He said, "Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his Party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Sitaram Kesari. Congress' way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations."

Calling out United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her aversion to reservation for Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe before Rahul Gandhi became the President of the Congress party, Shah accused the Congress of resisting a tough Act. He said, "Is it a coincidence that the year Mrs. Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress Government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President they oppose a tough SC/ SCT Act and OBC Commission! Anti-backward mindset visible."

Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Shah accused him of opposing the Mandal Commission's report which recommended reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Shah tweeted, "Mr. Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr. Rajiv Gandhi's speech during Mandal when he opposed it tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare!"

He further blamed the Congress of insulting Dalit leaders, and opposing the recommendations of Mandal Commission, and heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring strongest amendments to the SC/ST Act. He tweeted, "PM Narendra Modi's legacy- strongest amendments to SC/ ST Act, OBC Commission, Panchteerth and more. Congress legacy- insult Dalit leaders, Dalit pride, oppose Mandal and block OBC Commission."

Even after the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday the Congress alleged that the government has now passed the bill thinking about next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The apex court, in its March 20 ruling, barred immediate arrests in cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Later, the Centre filed a review petition against the ruling, which went in vain as the top court refused to stay its order and asked all parties to submit detailed replies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Antigua has assured to cooperate with India for the extradition of India's fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, reported Antigua News Room.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Manpreet Vohra flew to Antigua on August 3 and met with Antiguan foreign minister EP Chet Greene to discuss on Choksi's extradition. During the meeting, Vohra handed over the extradition request to Greene, the news portal reported.

Vohra was said to be accompanied by High Commissioner Venkatachalan Mahalingam, who is the accredited representative to Antigua and Barbuda and senior legal consultant with the Indian government, Dr. Pradip Choudhary.

Antigua News Room quoted Greene as saying, "I give you the assurance that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will be a responsible actor and will cooperate with the Government of India in this matter. There are procedural steps that need to be followed, but behind it all, you will find in us a government committed to the rule of law."

The Indian delegation also held a follow-up meeting with the Antiguan foreign minister over the weekend before they left Antigua on August 5. Also, High Commissioner Mahalingam had spoken to the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne and other officials on Choksi's extradition on August 6.

On August 5, India formally handed over an extradition request to authorities in Antigua and Barbuda for fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi. The MEA had earlier confirmed that the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) was issued on the basis of a clear Police Verification Report (PVR) available on his passport.

This came after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had brushed off reports that it had given a positive report to Choksi, based on which he got an Antiguan citizenship.

The MEA on August 3, according to sources had received the extradition request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Antigua and Barbuda's Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), which deals with the matters regarding citizenship through investment, had earlier clarified that it took all steps to ensure Choksi was a 'fit and proper candidate' for the granting the citizenship.

In a press release, the CIU stated that Choksi's application was received by them in May 2017 with necessary documents, including a police clearance certificate as required by the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Act 2013.

Choksi, who is allegedly involved in the over USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank scam, has reportedly taken refuge in the Caribbean nation after moving there in July. His valid passport was revoked in February after this scam was unearthed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The life of the Polish-Australian-American entrepreneur, Helena Rubinstein who set up a cosmetics empire in the early 20th century is set to be made into a biopic.

The movie 'Helena', will focus in the year 1928 when she faced the greatest dilemma in her life, as she had to choose between giving up control of her empire or else had to lose her marriage to Edward Titus and the custody of her children, reports Variety.

The budget, as well as the cast, is yet to be announced, but producers say that shooting will commence on 2019.

Rubinstein's cosmetic empire was booming with successful salons present in London, Paris, Melbourne and New York.

'Helena' which is being funded by Studiocanal Australia, is set to pool in aspiring writers from Australian and New Zealand.

The movie is being produced by Anthony Waddington of 'The Eye of the Storm' fame and Marcus Gillezeau of 'Storm Surfers 3D' fame.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The divorce battle between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is getting murkier by the day as the ex-couple have now locked horns over their children.

A day after Jolie, in a court filing, alleged that Pitt has not paid any 'meaningful' child support since their split in 2016, the latter's lawyer, Lance Spiegel called the filing "a thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage", reported People.

Spiegel gave specific sums of how much Pitt has contributed, saying, the latter "loaned" Jolie $8 million to help the actress purchase a house and also contributed over $1.3 million "in bills for Jolie's benefit and the minor children".

Jolie on Tuesday had accused Pitt of evading child support. In a two-page brief, which was filed in L.A. Superior Court and obtained by NBC News, her attorney wrote that the actress plans to request a court order for the establishment of a retroactive child support order.

The ex-couple, who has six children together are still fighting over their children's custody. Financial documents are yet to be exchanged between the two since it is a routine for any divorce settlements around the world.

They were together since 2004 and tied the knot in August 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American actress Brie Larson is all set to join Michael B. Jordan in his upcoming flick, 'Just Mercy'.

Based on the memoir by Bryan Stevenson, the movie will feature the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative who fights on behalf of the innocent and death-row prisoners trapped in the criminal justice system, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie will also show Stevenson's first case of Walter McMillian, a black man who was convicted and given the death sentence for a crime he didn't commit.

Jordan will produce the movie, while the flick will be directed by 'The Glass Castle's Destin Cretton. 'Just Mercy' will hit the screens next month in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Larson will also be seen in 'Captian Marvel', which is slated to release in 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
'Dunkirk' star Tom Hardy is unrecognisable as gangster Al Capone - the character he is playing in his upcoming film 'Fonzo'.

Writer-director Josh Trank took to Twitter to share Hardy's still in which he wears heavy prosthetics. Wearing a striped shirt and blue satin robe, the 'Dark Knight Rises' star can be seen smoking a cigar in the tough look.

'Fonzo' will portray the final days of the legendary gangster's life, for which the 40-year-old Hardy had to undergo quite a transformation. He had previously shared shots of himself as Capone.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story of the film picks up with Capone at the age of 47, when dementia has rotted his mind, following nearly a decade of imprisonment. The release date of the film has not been announced as yet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Both China and North Korea are appearing to further intensify cooperation in the field of tourism sector between the two countries, despite the United Nations sanctions' being slapped on Pyongyang, sources said here on Thursday.

Sources told Yonhap News Agency that a delegation, comprising senior officials of North Korea's General Administration of Civil Aviation and a tour agency associated with Air Koryo, North Korea's national airline, had visited Guangdong Province in China in July in an effort to strengthen cooperation in tourism between the two nations.

The North Korean officials had also called on the top officials of Guangdong China Travel Service Co., a leading tour agency in southern China. The General Administration of Civil Aviation comes under the North Korean government and looks after international aviation and travel services.

Sources added that the two sides had discussed on the current trends and development of the tourism industries in China and North Korea, wherein they agreed to promote North Korean travel services and products for the Chinese tourists.

"The recent meeting between top officials of North Korea's civil aviation administration and a major Chinese tour agency seems to indicate considerable progress in bilateral tourism cooperation. Such progress is impossible without the support of the Chinese authorities. Beijing seems to help ease the North's foreign currency shortage through the tourism sector cooperation," a source was quoted by Yonhap News Agency, as saying.

Currently, three Chinese cities are connected by Air Koryo - Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang. Owing to popular demand, the number of weekly flights on the Pyongyang-Shenyang route has been recently increased from two to three, while train seats on Pyongyang-Beijing route have been almost booked out.

After months of tensions between Beijing and Pyongyang, especially on the latter's nuclear development programme, China seemed to have fulfilled its promise of giving "large scale" aid to North Korea.

According to Chinascope, Beijing reopened its aid to Pyongyang in the form of fertiliser, food, and cooking oil, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to China in June.

On July 10, North Korea established a free trade market at its China border in Rason city, where Chinese people can enter without obtaining a visa. This free trade market has enabled Pyongyang to obtain the much-needed foreign currencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Zimbabwe opposition leader Biti in custody after Zambia deports him

Reuters, Harare :

Zimbabwean police took former finance minister and opposition leader Tendai Biti into custody on Thursday after Zambian authorities rejected his bid for asylum and deported him, his lawyers said.

Police in Zimbabwe were looking for Biti and eight other opposition figures for allegedly fomenting violence following a disputed national election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.

"The information we have is that he is now being escorted back to Harare by detectives," said Alec Muchadehama, one of several Zimbabwean lawyers representing Biti, told Reuters.

Police national spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she had no information on Biti's case.

Six people were killed last week in an army crackdown on post-election protests against the victory by Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party. Mnangagwa's main rival, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, has accused the government of clamping down on members of his party. 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, another of his lawyers, Nqobizitha Mlilo, said.

The outspoken former finance minister finds himself in almost the same situation he was in 2008 when he was arrested for announcing that the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won a presidential vote.
Congress leader Kumari Selja on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government of not being pro Dalit.

Selja alleged that every 15 minutes, a crime is committed against Dalits and atrocities against them have been rising across the country especially in the BJP ruled states.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, Kumari Selja said, "Crimes and atrocities against Dalits are rapidly increasing across the country. Crime against Dalits takes place every 15 minutes."

Mentioning about the rise in the attacks against Dalits, she said, "Highest crime rates against Dalits are in BJP ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa, Bihar and Gujarat. Even on the smallest pretext that a man cannot have moustache, atrocities are being committed against Dalits."

The Congress leader also demanded the bill to be brought under the Ninth Schedule.

Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan attacked the opposition and said that the passage of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Bill is a slap on the face of those who called NDA government as anti-Dalit.

In an interview to ANI, Paswan said, "Lok Janshakti Party will rally across the country and expose Congress who ruled for 55 years but did nothing. It's a slap on the face of those who call NDA and Modi government as anti-dalit."

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018, which had got the nod of the Lok Sabha on August 6, was passed by the Rajya Sabha today.

The SC/ST Act protects the marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.

Even after the bill was passed in the Lower House on Monday, the Congress had alleged that the government has now passed the bill thinking about next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The Apex Court, in its March 20 ruling, had barred immediate arrests in cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Later, the Centre filed a review petition against the ruling, which went in vain as the top court refused to stay its order and asked all parties to submit detailed replies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested a person in connection with the vandalisation of a vehicle by a group of 'Kanwariyas' in Moti Nagar recently.

Violence broke out in South Moti Nagar area on Tuesday afternoon after a group of 'Kanwariyas' vandalised vehicle and broke windscreen and windows.

'Kanwariyas' are devotees of Lord Shiva, who undertake the Kanwar Yatra to Uttrakhand's Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch water of the holy river Ganges.

The group, armed with iron rods and sticks, smashed the car after a driver allegedly tried to brush past one of them while moving on a busy road.

The video of the incident has been doing the rounds on social media.

West Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police had said that there were two people sitting in the car when the Kanwariyas attacked, adding that both the persons had managed to escape unhurt.

The officer also added that the occupants of the car refused to file the complaint against the perturbed group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday demanded a signed response from the Pakistan Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan for voting in full public view at his NA-53 Islamabad constituency during the general elections last month.

According to Samaa TV, ECP rejected the written response submitted by Khan's legal counsel Babar Awan as it did not bear Khan's signature.

The four-judge bench ordered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman to submit a written and signed explanation over his alleged voting in full public view and in front of the camera in the recently-concluded general elections.

The notification for NA-53 (Islamabad-II) has also been withheld by the ECP, in view of the violation of the electoral code of conduct by Imran Khan, where Khan defeated former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

On July 30, the ECP issued a notice to Khan seeking a written reply since he violated the secrecy of the ballot when he allegedly cast his vote in NA-53 constituency while surrounded by friends and supporters. Apparently, neither the presiding officer nor the polling staff objected to the violation.

According to Section 185 of the Election Act, a person can be given a six-month jail sentence and/or fine of Rs 1,000 for not casting their vote in secrecy.

PTI leader Naeemul Haque has blamed the polling staff present at the booth for the controversial casting of the vote.

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an anti-terror money laundering global watchdog, is likely to visit Pakistan on August 13 to review the implementation of its action plan imposed on Pakistan to tackle terrorism funding.

Attributing to sources, Geo News reported that a group of delegates from the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering would be on a three-day visit to Pakistan from August 13.

Officials from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and others would also brief the FATF delegation on measures taken by Pakistan to curb terror financing, the sources added.

Pakistan was formally inducted to the FATF 'grey list' on June 27 during a plenary meeting in which Pakistan's caretaker finance minister Shamshad Akhtar was present with a delegation.

However, the FATF was not entirely convinced by Pakistan's 26-point action plan to cut off funding of terrorists and groups sanctioned by the UN Security Council, and therefore, went ahead to put Islamabad on its grey list for the second time in six years, the first being between 2012 and 2015.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Goa Chief minister Manohar parrikar is likely to fly to New York on Thursday evening, to undergo medical check up.

He will not be available from August 10 to 18.

Parrikar is suffering from a pancreatic ailment and flew to the US earlier this year for treatment. He returned to the country in June, after two-and-half months.

Prior to this, the Goa Chief Minister was earlier hospitalised at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for the same.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
is far from announcing its next-in-line Pixel 3 XL device, but an excited blogger from Ukraine appears to have released the photos of the upcoming flagship smartphone.

The blogger has posted the photos of the Pixel 3 XL, complete with its packaging, and wired USB-C Pixel Buds, leaving almost nothing to the imagination of Pixel fans.

As spotted by Android Police, the images hint at a big notch on the top front of the smartphone. Another image shows that the Pixel 3 XL will run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box, and come powered by octa-core Snapdragon SoC with 3.46GB of RAM. It is little surprising to see such a meagre amount of RAM in the flagship model.

What will mark a shift in Google's packaging is the inclusion of the headphones in-the-box. It appears to be the first wired version of the Pixel Buds.
A woman from Gujarat, will soon become India's first lady to give birth to a baby after undergoing a uterus transplant. Interestingly, it was her mother's uterus which has been transplanted in the lady.

The 27-year-old woman underwent the uterus transplant in Pune's Galaxy Care hospital and is now in her 20th week of pregnancy.

Talking about the case, Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar, Director of Pune's Galaxy Care Hospital informed that the lady was born without a uterus.

"The lady's mother's uterus has been transplanted into her. The uterus has not delivered for 20 years. Transplanting the uterus was a difficult task. It is not a very easy surgery, chances of infection were very high. The embryo was completely embedded in the lady so that she can conceive," Dr. Puntambekar told ANI.

He further said that this will be first delivery from a transplanted uterus in Asia and ninth in the world.

The lady expressed her happiness and said that that soon her dream to become a mother will come true. "This is my mother's uterus. I am happy that my baby will take birth from the same uterus from which I was born," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The invitation to United States President Donald Trump to visit India is not date-specific, said government sources on Thursday.

Earlier it was reported that India extended an invitation to the US President to be the special guest on the Republic Day function next year.

On August 2, US Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a press briefing in Washington stated that no decision had been taken on the matter yet. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis, however, would be visiting India next month to start a "dialogue process and a potential discussion for a presidential visit later in the year."

For the Republic Day function, the government invites a 'head of a country' to be the special guest.

Leaders from the 10 ASEAN nations -- Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei - were chief guests at this year's parade function.

Former US President Barack Obama has also been part of the celebrations and visited India in 2015 as the chief guest of the 65th Republic Day event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Janakpur-Jayanagar railway service, the only line linking Nepal and India underwent a successful test operation on Wednesday evening.

"In an optimism of resuming the operation of Nepal's only rail service (Janakpur-Jayanagar), the test operation was complete on Wednesday. The Indian side undertook the test to resume the operation of the train service, which has remained completely standstill for the last four years," the state-news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) stated.

The test operation covered a distance of 8.5 km from Jayanagar in Nepal to Khajuri in India. A railway engine with 53 bogies reached the Khajuri station smoothly throughout the journey.

The Indian government, which provided an assistance of Rs. 7 billion for the construction of the broad gauge railway began about four years ago and is now in its final phase.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday announced a relief fund worth Rs. 10 crores to the flood-hit Kerala. The Chief Minister has also directed his Chief Secretary T.M. Vijayabhaskar to send relief materials and a team of doctors to the state.

Kerala has been witnessing incessant rain since past two days, causing flooding and landslide. Till now, at least 22 people have lost their lives in the state in rain-related incidents.

"Expressing shock over death of 22 persons due to flood in Kerala, Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said that Government of Karnataka would extend every possible support for flood relief in Kerala," read an official statement.

On request of Kerala Government, Karnataka agreed to release 75000 cusecs water from Kabini reservoir in Mysuru districts as the backwaters are adding to the woes of flood-hit state.

Kumaraswamy also called Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed about the flood situation in the state.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took stock of the situation and offered all required assistance to the Kerala government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Saudi Arabia-Canada fight, explained in under 600 words

Vox News :

The fight started last week, when Amnesty International learned the Saudi government had arrested several female human rights activists.

One was Samar Badawi. An acclaimed activist herself, she's also the sister of Raif Badawi, a blogger who's been imprisoned in Saudi since 2012 and subjected to public flogging. Raif Badawi's wife and their three children fled to Quebec in 2015 and have since become Canadian citizens.

On Thursday, Canada's foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, tweeted she was "Very alarmed to learn" of Samar Badawi's arrest, adding, "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."

The next day, Canada's foreign ministry issued a tweet calling on Saudi Arabia to "immediately release" Samar Badawi as well as "all other peaceful #humanrights activists."

That royally pissed off the Saudi government.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Saudi's foreign ministry slammed Canada's statement as "an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia."

The fight just escalated from there - on the Saudi side, at least.

The recent arrests are part of a wider human rights crackdown by Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old crown prince who's next in line to the throne.

MBS (as he's known) has been hailed in the West as an "ambitious, energetic" young "reformer" who's upending the kingdom's conservative ways and ushering in a new era of modernization.

But while he's initiated some reforms, including lifting the ban on women driving, he's also ruthlessly consolidated power and cracked down on dissent, arresting many of the activists - including Samar Badawi - who championed those same reforms.

In November, as part of an "anti-corruption campaign," MBS rounded up hundreds of influential businessmen, including many in the royal family, imprisoning them in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton and seizing millions of dollars.

MBS has also pushed an aggressive foreign policy - overseeing the disastrous war in Yemen, spearheading a diplomatic blockade of Qatar, and cultivating close ties with the Trump administration.

Bessma Momani at Canada's University of Waterloo says the fight between Saudi Arabia and Canada should be interpreted in this context. "[T]his is less about Canadian foreign policy than it is about the Saudis," Momani wrote in the Globe and Mail.

"This is a new, bold Saudi Arabia trying to make its mark on global and regional affairs," Momani continued. "Led by the young and very brash Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ... this latest move is yet another red line that is being used to rile up nationalists and assert Saudi dominance."

So while this fight may have technically started over a tweet, it has a lot more to do with one man's power and ambition. And that man is next in line to rule Saudi Arabia.
Taking note of the flood situation in Kerala, which claimed the lives of at least 22 people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday offered all required assistance to state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the situation arising due to floods in various parts of the state. Offered all possible assistance to those affected. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Kerala in the wake of this calamity," the Prime Minister tweeted.

The Disaster Response Force in a pre-empt action to tackle the situation deployed six flood rescue teams at Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Palakkad to carry out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) work.

To augment the deployment, four additional teams have been airlifted from Rajali Airbase, Arakkonam to Kozhikode, Kerala. All teams are fully equipped with lifesaving equipment and also armed with modern communication gadgets like QD VSAT, HF and VHF including satellite phones, the NDRF said in a statement.

Additional teams have also been kept on standby at the NDRF base Arakkonam and will be mobilised as per demand. A 24X7 NDRF control room in Delhi is closely monitoring the situation round the clock in Kerala and is in touch with other agencies for further deployment.

After observing the situation, the District Collector announced that all educational institutions including professional colleges at Kothamangalam, Kunnathunad, Aluva, Paravur Taluk, and Kadamakkudy would remain closed tomorrow.

Army has also been deployed in three columns of an approximate strength of 75 persons- each at Ayannkulu, Idukki, and Wayanad. Two additional columns have been requisitioned and are moving to Kozhikode and Malappuram. Three Engineer Task Force would be deployed soon.

The Kerala State Disaster Management (KSDM) Authority has also issued an advisory in light of the possibility of water release from Idukki Reservoir via Cheruthoni Dam Shutters.

The advisory said that people in those areas that were flood affected when Idamalayar Dam was opened in 2013 should particularly give special attention to these directions. The KSDM advised people against panicking and spreading fake messages.

It also advised people against travelling to Vazhathopp, Mariyapuram, Kanjikkuzhi, Vathikudy and Konnathadi panchayaths of Idukki as tourists to witness the shutter operations.

It further warned people against crossing the rivers after water is released from dams and to not crowd small bridges and river banks. It asked people to communicate all information received from official sources to everyone, specifying the radio stations to pay attention to for updates on the situation.

After the toll touched 22, the Kerala state electricity board issued the third red alert in Idukki reservoir. The dam will be opened tomorrow morning to maintain the water level. Earlier, in the first time in 26 years, the administration was compelled to open the sluice gates of Cheruthoni dam on Idukki reservoir.

The incessant rains caused rivers in the region to swell, urging the authorities to open the shutters of as many as 22 dams.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As a part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, Kyocera Corporation hosted the 3rd Cultural Exchange Tour for Vietnamese children to visit Japan in the hope that they would grow up to become international citizens who will contribute to a more harmonious global society.

During the tour, children from Hanoi, Hung Yen and Hai Phong experienced everyday life and customs in Japan from July 31 to August 6, according to a press release by Kyocera.

The program aims to provide children with the firsthand experience of different cultures so that they could in turn act as a bridge for Vietnam-Japan relations, and to lead prosperous and fruitful lives as leaders in various fields in the future.

The tour included visits to Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka with a variety of programs to experience culture and life in Japan. During their stay, the children experienced Japanese traditional culture by visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha, known worldwide as one of the most iconic shrines in Japan, as well they learned about Japan's modern technological developments by visiting the Osaka Science Museum and the Knowledge Capital, a core facility of the Grand Front Osaka.

In addition, they visited a middle school where they interacted with Japanese students of the same age. The children also discovered Japan's culture of monozukuri, Japanese manufacturing style, through a factory tour at Kyocera's Shiga Gamo Plant.

A reception was held at Kyocera's headquarters to welcome the children and encourage them to utilize their discoveries in a different culture for their future. For the second half of the tour, the children experienced Japanese life through a three-day homestay with Kyocera Group employees.

The program was organised based on the experiences of Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corporation, as he was deeply moved by cultural interaction during his first visit to the United States for a business trip.

In 1976, Kyocera began inviting Japanese children on foreign tours, reflecting Inamori's hope that providing children with opportunities to interact directly with foreign cultures will help them to develop broad perspectives and dreams for the future.

Since 1978, Kyocera has conducted the tour for children from foreign countries to visit Japan with 1,000 children having participated to date. Vietnam is the third country from which children have taken part in the tour, following the United States and China. These are the countries where Kyocera has large-scale manufacturing bases.

As Vietnam stands out among emerging nations for the continued high economic growth rates, it has increasingly gained importance for Kyocera. For three years in a row, Kyocera has invited Vietnamese children to Japan as part of Kyocera's social contribution to Vietnam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the next human rights chief of the body.

The nomination came after High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein stepped down from the post, choosing not to seek another term in office. Bachelet's nomination will now go to the U.N. General Assembly for approval.

UN Secretary-general spokesman Farhan Haq said that Guterres has informed the General Assembly of the nomination for high commissioner of human rights, reported Fox News.

Chile's first woman president, Bachelet served the post twice- 2006-10 and 2014-18. After serving the first term as president, she was appointed the first executive director of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

A physician with studies in military strategy, Bachelet, is also a separated mother of three.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Conference Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Javed Rana has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him "killer of humanity."

"Where is the person who has killed lakhs of people in Gujarat? Now after becoming the head of the country he is calling is militant and terrorist. The biggest terrorist, biggest killer of humanity unfortunately is sitting as the Prime Minister of India," Rana said at a public gathering in Poonch district on Monday, the video of which surfaced on Thursday.

Rana, the MLA from Mendhar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, was recently in news when he said that he will not allow hoisting of Indian flag in Kashmir if Centre scraps Article 370.

In June earlier this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had pulled out of its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, following which Mehbooba Mufti submitted her resignation as the Chief Minister of the state. The state is currently under Governor's Rule and possibly heading towards another state election.

The state went to assembly polls in 2014 end. Late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed became the Chief Minister in March 2015 by joining hands with the BJP. His party, PDP, won 28 seats and the BJP bagged 25 in a house of 87 members. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti took over the CM following the death of Mufti in January 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of opposition parties on Thursday met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum appealing him to ensure that not a single Indian is excluded from the Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam.

The Opposition wrote in the memorandum, "We appeal and urge upon you to ensure that not a single Indian citizen is excluded from the NRC list in Assam."

The second final draft, which was released on July 30, included names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants in Assam. It left out names of nearly 40 lakh people.

Ever since the final draft was released, the Opposition has been cornering the Centre for exclusion of people from the list. The central government, however, clarified that it was not the final list and that it was updated under the Supreme Court's supervision.

The first draft of the NRC for Assam was released on the intervening night of December 31, 2017, and January 1 which included names of 1.9 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

The NRC draft for Assam features the names, addresses, and photographs of all Indian citizens who have been residing in the northeastern state before March 25, 1971.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
OPPLE Lighting, a Chinese multinational lighting corporation and one of the world's leading integrated lighting manufacturers is set to host a multi-city dealer's meet in 20 cities across India.

With a core focus of reaching out to over 1500 dealers nationally, the event aims to acknowledge channel partners for their contribution to the brand sales. The event will also witness the launch of their new LED Floodlight EQ series and also highlight the vast array of products and services - ranging from electrical appliances to large-scale commercial lighting solutions.

This new variant is touted as the most advanced product introduced under the category of professional luminaries and is also revolutionary in nature owing to its energy efficiency.

"At OPPLE, it's our constant endeavor to bring in the top of the league technology and advancement in the lighting industry and further transform the lives of our consumers. Through the years, we have built a mutually valuable relationship with our dealers and our 20 city meet is aimed to acknowledge the love and support of our dealers in India. The idea is to facilitate our precious partners and discuss various insights on the target achieved in 2017 along with a strong sales and marketing plan for 2018," said country head, OPPLE Lighting, Rambo Zhang.

"We feel extremely happy to launch the new LED Floodlight EQ series which is ideal for the outdoor lighting application. One of its major benefits is the optimized waterproof design against heavy seas making it the most durable product for discerning consumers in India," added Zhang.

LED Floodlight EQ series is specially designed to consume low energy. It is a progressive light that easily replaces the conventional high bays and has 90% lower energy consumption than halogen floodlights. One of its major features is its time span which is nearly 30,000 hours. Equipped with advanced features such as IP66 water and dust proof helps it adapts to the severe environment of -30?~+50? working temperature.

The 2.5 KV surge resistance makes the LED Floodlight EQ series robust and durable in poor grid environment with an amazing inbuilt feature of Aluminum housing, Vibration-proof, Wind-resistant, Rust-proof, makes it a worth-it professional luminary. Available in different variants - 10/20/30/50/70/100W, the LED Floodlight EQ series is available in two series EMC version, Non-EMC version. Some of the key applications for installing it are architectural, Monument, Landscape, Yard, Advertising, and Shop sign.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hollywood rapper Pharrell Williams is set to give arts education a much-needed boost through his charitable efforts.

The 45-year-old Williams, who is set to host a Yellow Ball gala at the Brooklyn Museum in New York on September 10, will attempt to raise awareness for arts education, reporter Page six.

The gala will see a performance by rapper Missy Elliot.

Speaking to Page Six, he said that every child should have the chance to nurture their creativity since not many of them are lucky enough.

Ten-time Grammy Award winner Pharrell is well known for his songs 'Frontin', and 'In My Mind'.

He also holds the distinction of being a two-time Academy Award nominee. In 2014, he received the 'Best Original Song' nomination for 'Happy', which was featured in a Hollywood animated 'Despicable Me 2'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Purna Chandra Thapa has taken charge as the acting Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of Nepal Army.

This comes after the incumbent Chief of Army Staff of Nepal Army General Rajendra Chhetri went on a formal leave for one month before retirement.

The Cabinet meeting on July 26 referred Thapa to be the future CoAs of Nepal Army, appointing him as acting chief of the Nepal Army.

A special ceremony was held on Thursday in Nepal Army Headquarter in capital Kathmandu when incumbent CoAS Chhetri handed over the responsibility to his successor Thapa.

Thapa will be sworn in as CoAS of Nepal Army next month after Chhetri formally retires.

Nepal's current CoAS Chhetri took the charge from Septermber 10, 2015 and will be retiring on September 9, 2018.

The Chief of Army Staff-designate Purna Chandra Thapa will remain in the post of the country's top security agency for three years.

After being anointed as the Chief of Army Staff Thapa will be visiting India to take oath from the Chief of Indian Army Staff, a tradition followed for long.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "neeyat" (intentions) towards Dalits, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that the former wants to marginalise the weaker sections of the society.

Rahul further while addressing a gathering at the Jantar Mantar, Gandhi took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign slogan for upcoming 2019 general elections, 'Saaf Neeyat, Sahi Vikas' (Good Intention, Right Development).

He said, "The things start with "neeyat" (intentions), whatever will be there in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's heart, the things will work according to that. Prime Minister Modi wants Dalits to remain marginalised. If Modi had a place for Dalits in his heart, his policies would have shown it by now. Prime Minister Modi had written in one of his books that it feels good when the house has been cleaned by a Dalit. The atrocities Act was given by the Congress party and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to India. I assure you, the Congress will not let the SC/ST Act to be diluted."

Recollecting the incident of Rohith Vemulla, a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad who allegedly committed suicide two years back due to alleged caste-based discrimination, the Congress President said, "Prime Minister Modi's thinking is anti-Dalit. We will all beat them together in 2019. The Congress has always protected the SC / ST Act and will continue to do so."

Along with Gandhi, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also attended the protest organised by Telangana-based group Mahadika Reservation Vikas Samiti.

The protestors at Jantar Mantar in the capital are demanding the release of all their leaders arrested under criminal charges during April's Bharat Bandh. The agitators are also demanding the arrest of all those involved in atrocities against Dalits.

However, the Lok Sabha, on Monday, unanimously passed the law with provisions for stricter guidelines, like no bail for anyone accused of atrocities on SC/STs and non-requirement of an inquiry for registering a criminal case and beginning a probe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said a radical change could happen in the agriculture sector by enhancing farmers' knowledge on the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA).

"We want to combine MGNREGA with farming in such a way that farmers' production increases and they get better return in the market yet their cost of production goes down. There is lack of awareness about MGNREGA in villages. Making the farmers aware about scheme can bring about a radical change in the lives of the poor, farmers and the labourers," Adityanath said while inaugurating a MGNREGA Convergence Workshop here.

"In 2016-17, only 60-63,000 houses were built under the Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana. After our government came in March 2017, accommodation was provided to 8.85 lakh poor in rural areas," he added.

Yogi Adityanath along with the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, West Bengal and Sikkim are part of a Sub-Group formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to coordinate policy approaches for agriculture and MGNREGA.

The first meeting of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers was held at NITI Aayog in July. The next meeting of the Sub-Group is scheduled on August 31.

Yogi Adityanath in the meeting in July had suggested use of MGNREGA funds in supplementing labour costs in agriculture and fencing of farm land to protect it from wild animals, etc.

In the meeting, it was also unanimously decided that all these issues required larger deliberations and wide range discussions with all stakeholders.

In an attempt to take it forward, five regional meetings or workshops would be organised with one each in Patna, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Guwahati and New Delhi before August 15. There would be brain storming sessions to discuss with experts, farmers and farmer's representatives and other stakeholders along with state governments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
22 private univ students sent to jail

Relatives rush at Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court while 22 varsity students being sent to jail as the court filed two cases against them during recent demonstrations in city for safe roads. This photo was taken from in front of CMM Court on Thursday.

Court Correspondent :

A Dhaka court sent 22 private university students to the jail in two cases filed over attacking on police during demonstrations demanding road safety.

Magistrate Sottobroto Shikdar of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka passed the order on Thursday in two cases filed with Badda and Vatara police stations of the city.

The students are Rislatul Ferdous, Redwan Ahmmed, Rashedul Islam, 'Bayezid', Mushfiqur Rahman, Iftekhar Ahmed, Reza Rifat Akhlaq, AHM Khalid Reza, Tariqul Islam, Noor Mohammad, Simanta Sarker, Iktider Hossain, Jahidul Haque, 'Hasan', Saber Ahmed, Mehedi Hasan, Shihab Shahriar, Shakhawat Hossain Nijhum and Aminul Ehsan. Fourteen of them were arrested in a case lodged with Badda Police Station and eight others in Vatara Police Station. They are students of East West University, North South University and BRAC University.

Badda Police Station Investigation Officer (IO) Julhas Mia and Vatara police station Investigation Officer SI Hasan Masud produced the accused before the court after two-day remand.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the court granted two-day remand in the two cases over alleged attacks on police and vandalism during protests for safe roads.




Candidates for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday voiced confidence of winning the same and claimed that their respective parties have the number to win majority in the House.

Speaking to ANI, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman candidate from the Congress, BK Hariprasad said that the opposition is united.

"We are very confident that we have the required numbers, opposition is united," Hariprasad, who is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress party, said.

Meanwhile, the candidate from the Democratic Alliance (NDA), Harivansh Narayan Singh, said that the election result is a foregone conclusion.

"We are confident of our win and election result is a foregone conclusion," Singh said of the elections, which will be held today--the second last day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to its Rajya Sabha members of Parliament (MPs) to be present in the house today for the voting.

The name of Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) leader Vandana Chavan was flagged as opposition's consensus candidate for the post.

The post of the deputy chairman has been lying vacant since June 2018 after the retirement of Congress leader PJ Kurien. At the farewell of Kurien, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu had urged the ruling and opposition parties to find a suitable replacement for the post.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least eight men have accused Ravi Karkara, a senior adviser for United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, of sexual misconduct.

An investigation is currently underway against the official, and the United Nations has "a job of work to do" to reform its culture and restore trust, a spokesperson of the organisation said, reported News Week.

Karkara is the senior adviser to Lakshmi Puri, former Deputy Executive Director, Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

A civil servant at the United Nations, Karkara is not an Indian diplomat.

According to Newsweek, multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation said that Karkara has been accused of using his prestige and position to sexually harass them. He is yet to comment on the matter.

In December 2017, the United Nations informed that it had been investigating, since June 2017, a case of sexual misconduct without identifying the subject by name. No charges have been filed in the 13-month ongoing investigation.

On July 26, a spokesperson for the United Nations entity, also known as UN-Women, said that the probe's "subject remains on administrative leave". While still on UN payroll, the person "is not currently performing any active function," the spokesperson added.

An official from the organisation confirmed on August 1 that an investigation is ongoing, but they declined to comment on whether Karkara was the subject of the probe.

The UN-Women is the youngest division of the United Nations, becoming a distinct branch in 2011. Aimed at setting global standards for seeking gender equality, UN-Women helps member countries turn those standards into laws, policies and programs.

Mandy Sanghera and Kerry Gibson, international human rights activists and U.N. Women Planet 50-50 Champions, have confirmed that Karkara, who is currently on "administrative leave" from UN-Women, is the subject of the investigation.

Along with an alleged victim, Gibson filed complaints that started the investigation, while Sanghera learned of it through a former United Nations official and confirmed it with several alleged victims.

Meanwhile, two other former staffers with knowledge of the investigation have confirmed that Karkara is the subject of the probe, as did one of his alleged victims whom the investigators from the organisation interviewed 13 months ago.

Calling Karkara a "predator," Sanghera told News Week: "What's finally coming to light is a long pattern of inappropriate sexual behaviour."

Sanghera, Gibson and Steve Lee (an alleged victim) said the sexual misconduct accusations against Karkara include touching or grabbing a subordinate's genitals in a hotel room, using work devices to send pornography and follow-up questions to male subordinates, creating a climate of sexual innuendo and obscene gestures in the workplace, and using his position and access as leverage to initiate sexual encounters.

They claim that Karkara is also accused of nonsexual harassment and abuse of power for his conduct with subordinates in and out of the workplace.

According to the US publication, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Office of Audit and Investigation is running the investigation and will ultimately submit its report to the development program's Legal Support Office to determine whether disciplinary proceedings, administrative actions or a public reporting of findings are warranted.

Even if charged locally in state or federal court, Karkara could avoid punishment if he has diplomatic immunity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday demanded the formation of a parliamentary commission to probe the alleged rigging of the recently-concluded general elections.

Sharif further raised some serious concerns while addressing media about the technical issues that led to the delay of the results, pointing at the malpractices in the elections, reported Geo News.

Sharif said that the parliamentary committee should have the members from all the political parties and should find out why the RTS shut down at the 11th hour and the reason behind non-allowance of polling agents in the polling booths during the vote counts.

He said, "Why did the result transmission system [RTS] stop working at the last minute? Why were the polling agents thrown out of the polling stations?"

Shehbaz Sharif also announced that the opposition will be demanding an investigation in the alleged election rigging rather than exchanging congratulations.

The former Punjab Chief Minister also shed the light on his meeting with former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar, who are currently serving time after getting convicted in the Avenfield case.

He said that Nawaz returned to Pakistan for the nation and further dismissed the rumours about a supposed National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) being discussed for former premier.

Geo TV quoted Shehbaz as saying, "Discussions do not mean NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance]. Who said it's about NRO?" Neither does anyone want to give NRO, nor does anyone want to take it."

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (CBI) has demanded detailed medical report of Brajesh Thakur, the key accused in Muzaffarpur rape case, from Muzaffarpur jail's doctor.

Thakur, who was arrested on June 2 by the police in the case, has been resting at a hospital ward inside the Muzaffarpur jail. He reportedly complained of a backache, severe diabetes and heart problem.

An FIR was registered against him on May 31. He is on a judicial custody as the POCSO court reportedly denied to grant his custody to the police.

On August 8, the froze the bank accounts of Thakur for further investigation into the matter.

The 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.
The Good Vibes', a new web-series is here and there's more than one reason to look forward. An endearing story of a couple, 'The Good Vibes' is one of a kind creative collaboration between Legrand, the innovative electrical brand and SonyLIV, India's premium OTT platform. Produced by LIQVD ASIA- a new-age communications company and Bohemian Films, the web-series brings together two brands that command a strong consumer connect with their respective offerings.

This collaboration stands out at a time when brands are finding innovative ways to tap their audience in the digital ecosystem, without being a force fit. Legrand's creative partnership with SonyLIV and its seamless fit in storytelling without being intrusive makes it a suitable offering. Through this association, Legrand plans to reach out to the larger captive audience of SonyLIV.

Starring the inimitable duo of Naveen Kasturia and MaanviGagroo, this 6-part web-series is a light-hearted story of a young couple and their encounter with societal expectations. Humorous yet heartfelt, the first episode of The Good Vibes goes live today on SonyLIV and the YouTube channel of Legrand India.

Abhishek Joshi, Head- Marketing, Subscription and Content Licensing of Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India: "With increasing digital viewership, content curations from brands on OTT platforms are on a rise. We, at SonyLIV, believe in the power of strong storytelling and intend to offer something unique with each property. We are happy to associate with Legrand India and LIQVD ASIA, who share our vision of keeping content at the core of the digital ecosystem. We have tried to blend technology, brand and storytelling seamlessly in The Good Vibes and I hope our viewers enjoy it. This is a perfect example of content marketing to its fullest."

Sameer Saxena, Director -Marketing, Legrand India: "Legrand supplies the essential fuels of daily life- power and data, thereby enabling uninterrupted living. This belief of un-interrupted living is just not limited to a market or a product, but also with daily lives of its consumers. Every relationship in your life is about getting the right vibe. A vibe is invisible but omnipresent. Good vibes improve things. In this series, the vibes of the house and the vibes between the couple become one. Video content is at the forefront of digital marketing today. Legrand as a company through this web series would like to take one step further into the digital ecosystem and engage our modern-day consumer into a meaningful dialogue. The younger India is adopting smarter ways of living and creating their spaces- be it in their connected homes or relationships. At Legrand, we are happy to be part of this modern environment though our products and we thought web series is an effective medium to showcase this to the young and technology-loving India."

Arnab Mitra, Founder of LIQVD ASIA:"It was high time a brand and agency came together to create content that is relevant to their category. More often than not, brands either sponsor content or force product placement into the storyline. We are happy that the brand had faith in the agency's suggestion of creating original content. The story of 'The Good Vibes' is not just that of a couple we can relate to. It is also the story of a brand that has been present in the Indian household for decades and understands its consumers and how it has evolved.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday ordered probe in the British Airways incident after the airline allegedly deplaned an Indian family because their three-year-old child was crying onboard while they were traveling from London to Berlin.

The British Airlines issued a statement in this regard, which read, "It is a safety requirement for all airlines, that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off. We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer."

The incident took place on July 23 in the British Airways London-Berlin flight (BA 8495).

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, father of the child A.P Pathak, a Joint Secretary level officer in the Government of India (Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways), narrated the whole ordeal.

He said, "We were traveling to Berlin from London in the British Airways. Our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to offload us if our child didn't keep quiet and after a while, he called security and we were offloaded."

Pathak wrote a letter to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu alleging "humiliation and racial behaviour" by the airline. The family also requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to get the matter investigated and take stringent action against the offending officials of the British Airways.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States of America is planning to establish a military base dedicated to space called 'Space Force.'

US Vice-president Mike Pence, in a speech at Pentagon on Thursday, announced the project as the sixth branch of the U.S. Military, reported USA Today.

USA Today quoted Pence as saying, "The time has come to establish the United States Space Force."

Pence further said that the force will be set up by 2020 and will be led by a four-star officer and draw forces from the other armed services.

The budget and authorization for the project will be sought from the Congress and it will be a part of next year's budget. The Vice-president also said that work on the venture has already begun.

However several officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, have opposed the separate space project in the past.

According to USA Today, Mattis wrote to the Congress that it would, "likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations."

This comes after US President Donald Trump called for the setting up of the sixth military command in June.

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From Drugs Controller General of India

Astrazeneca Pharma India has received Import and Market permission in Form 45 (Marketing Authorization- Additional Indication) from the Drugs Controller General of India for Osimertinib Tablet 40 mg and 80 mg (TagrissoTM) indicated as first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) whose tumours have Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitutions mutations.

The receipt of this Import and Market permission paves way for the launch of Osimertinib Tablets (TagrissoTM) for first-line treatment of patients in India, subject to the receipt of other related statutory approvals and licenses.

The first-line use of Osimertinib offers potential new standard of care.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Mainland China equity market inclined on Thursday, 09 August 2018, as investors continued hunting heavily battered stocks after the benchmark index fell to the lowest level in two and a half years early this week. Market gains were, however, capped amid intensifying trade tussle between world's two biggest economies after China threatened to impose tariffs on US$16 billion-worth of US goods in the latest tit-for-tat exchange in their trade row. Around afternoon, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index surged 1.8%, or 49 points, to 2,793.04, meanwhile the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, rose 2.7%, or 39.16 points, to 1,505.86. The blue-chip CSI300 index added 2.4%, or 80.70 points, to 3,395.21.

NEWS FROM PRESS: China announced a plan to slap additional tariffs on $16 billion US goods in retaliation the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday, 08 July 2018 that government will impose additional import tariffs of 25% on US$16 billion worth of U. S. goods ranging from oil and steel products to autos and medical equipment starting Aug. 23. The Commerce Ministry said it is responding to the United States' decision to slap 25-percent tariffs on another US$16 billion of Chinese goods Aug. 23. The U. S. Trade Representative's office made the announcement Tuesday as it published a final tariff list targeting 279 imported product lines. The action is the latest by U. S.

President Donald Trump to put pressure on China to negotiate trade concessions after imposing tariffs on US$34 billion in goods last month. China has vowed to retaliate to an equal degree. The latest US$16 billion list will hit semiconductors from China, even though many of the basic chips in these products originate from the United States, or South Korea. The 25-percent tariffs also will apply to a broad range of Chinese electronics, plastics, chemicals and railway equipment that the Office of the U. S. Trade Representative (USTR) has said benefit from the Made in China 2025 industrial plan, aimed at making China competitive in high-tech industries.

China FX Reserves rises in July -- China's foreign exchange reserves increased for a second consecutive month in July on asset prices changes, according to a statement by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) Tuesday. -FX reserves rose by $5.82 billion to $3.12 trillion as of July 30, compared with an increase of $1.51 billion in June. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, a division of the PBOC, said the higher value of China's FX reserve in U. S. dollar terms was due to non-dollar currency depreciation against the greenback and changed asset prices.

ECONOMIC NEWS: China Consumer Prices Climb 2.1% In July -- China consumer prices were up 2.1% on year in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday and was up from 1.9% in June. On a monthly basis, CPI added 0.3% after easing 0.1% in June.

CURRENCY NEWS: The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 4 basis points to 6.8317 against the U. S. dollar Thursday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The yuan has weakened almost 5% so far this year and hit a 14-month low last week, primarily driven by new tariff threats from the U. S. and retaliatory warnings from Chinese authorities.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The stock is quoting at Rs 223.35, up 1.25% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. Hindalco Industries Ltd is down 6.16% in last one year as compared to a 16.82% jump in NIFTY and a 4.21% jump in the Nifty Metal.

Hindalco Industries Ltd is up for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 223.35, up 1.25% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.19% on the day, quoting at 11471.85. The Sensex is at 38006.56, up 0.31%. Hindalco Industries Ltd has slipped around 2.49% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Hindalco Industries Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 1.36% in last one month and is currently quoting at 3453.6, up 0.44% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 89.1 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 144.78 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark August futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 224.7, up 1.4% on the day. Hindalco Industries Ltd is down 6.16% in last one year as compared to a 16.82% jump in NIFTY and a 4.21% jump in the Nifty Metal index.

The PE of the stock is 30.11 based on TTM earnings ending March 18.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reliance Communications Ltd, Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd, National Aluminium Company Ltd and Indian Overseas Bank are among the other gainers in the BSE's 'A' group today, 09 August 2018.

Reliance Communications Ltd, Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd, National Aluminium Company Ltd and Indian Overseas Bank are among the other gainers in the BSE's 'A' group today, 09 August 2018.

Hindustan Construction Company Ltd surged 11.14% to Rs 12.77 at 11:48 IST. The stock was the biggest gainer in the BSE's 'A' group. On the BSE, 29.76 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 13.84 lakh shares in the past one month.

Reliance Communications Ltd soared 7.03% to Rs 19.65. The stock was the second biggest gainer in 'A' group. On the BSE, 150.2 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 102.84 lakh shares in the past one month.

Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd spiked 6.70% to Rs 20.7. The stock was the third biggest gainer in 'A' group. On the BSE, 1.59 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 1.79 lakh shares in the past one month.

National Aluminium Company Ltd spurt 6.38% to Rs 71.7. The stock was the fourth biggest gainer in 'A' group. On the BSE, 11.63 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 6.18 lakh shares in the past one month.

Indian Overseas Bank added 5.35% to Rs 15.96. The stock was the fifth biggest gainer in 'A' group. On the BSE, 1.25 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 93880 shares in the past one month.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key benchmark indices were trading higher in early trade. At 9:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 75.53 points or 0.20% at 37,963.09. The Nifty 50 index was up 17.30 points or 0.15% at 11,467.30.

Among secondary barometers,the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.23%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.27%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On BSE, 756 shares rose and 358 shares fell. A total of 49 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, Asian shares were mixed on Thursday amid rising trade tensions between the US and China. Beijing said on Wednesday that it will retaliate against the latest round of US tariffs on Chinese imports. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced a 25% tariff on $16 billion worth of American goods. The 333 goods being targeted by China include vehicles such as large passenger cars and motorcycles.

The announcement came after the US Trade Representative's office released a finalised list of $16 billion worth of Chinese goods that will be hit with tariffs, taking effect on 23 August 2018. The latest US list brings the total amount of Chinese goods facing a 25% tariff to $50 billion.

US stock-market indices closed mostly lower on Wednesday as investors grappled with a fresh round of tariff clashes between the Trump administration and China and a batch of weak earnings from high-profile firms such as Walt Disney Co. and Snap Inc.

Back home, Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) was up 1.57%. The company reported 208% rise in net profit to Rs 2293.26 crore on 25.5% increase in net sales to Rs 71696.73 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 8 August 2018.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) was up 2.46%. The company reported 85.91% rise in net profit to Rs 1719.21 crore on 26.12% increase in net sales to Rs 67331.52 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 8 August 2018.

National Aluminium Company (Nalco) was up 6.68%. The company reported 432.8% rise in net profit to Rs 687.05 crore on 64.9% increase in net sales to Rs 2973.31 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 8 August 2018.

Siemens was down 2.05%. The company reported 25.5% rise in net profit to Rs 204.40 crore on 14.6% increase in net sales to Rs 2964.40 crore in Q3 June 2018 over Q3 June 2017. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 8 August 2018.

Pidilite Industries was up 0.42%. The company announced that as per the agreement dated 8 August 2018, the company proposes to invest an amount of $500,000 as equity capital contribution in Pidilite Ventures LLC. Pidilite Ventures LLC, incorporated in USA is proposed to be engaged mainly in investments in early stage operating companies in USA. Pidilite Ventures LLC will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 August 2018.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A small batch of 346 pilgrims on Thursday left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials said.

The yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 13 vehicles. "This includes yatris going to both Baltal and Pahalgam base camps," a police officer said.

Since it started on June 28, over 2.75 lakh pilgrims have performed the yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine that houses an ice stalagmite structure.

The structure wanes and waxes with the phases of visible moon. Devotees believe the structure symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

The 60-day long Amarnath Yatra will end on August 26, coinciding with Shravan Purnima festival.

--IANS

sq/pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 43 people, mostly children believed to be under the age of 10, were killed and several injured when Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit buses in northern Yemen on Thursday, officials said.

The buses were targeted as they were passing through Dahyan market in the rebel-held province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

"A total of 43 people, mostly pupils under the age of 10, were killed and 64 were injured when two Saudi-led airstrikes hit passenger buses in Dahyan popular market," Yahya Shayem, head of Saada Health Office, told Xinhua news agency.

"The victims were mostly pupils who were on their way to attend a summer school in Dahyan," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a hospital it supported in Saada had received dozens of casualties after the attack.

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television quoted a statement by the Saudi-led coalition as saying that "Thursday's airstrikes targeted Iranian-allied Houthi rebels who fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday at the Saudi commercial city in border Jazan region."

The coalition, backing Yemen's government in a war with the Houthis, said its actions were "legitimate", according to the BBC.

In response, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam called the coalition statement "absolutely ridiculous".

"They killed pupils driving to school ... this is a war crime," Abdulsalam tweeted.

The Houthi spokesman's comments came at the same time the coalition warplanes hit the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa 11 times, with no reports of casualties yet. The airstrikes targeted Sabeen Square and two military camps.

Houthi media aired gruesome footage appearing to show the bodies of children in school uniform. Other footage showed a young boy being escorted to a hospital, with blood all over his face.

The ICRC stressed that "under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict", while the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland called it a "grotesque, shameful" attack that showed "blatant disregard for rules of war".

It was not immediately clear whether the bus was the target of airstrikes, but coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki said the attack was "a legitimate military action, conducted in conformity with international humanitarian law".

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes since 2015 against Houthi positions -- causing thousands of civilian deaths in the process, according to war monitors -- in an attempt to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Last week, the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes struck the gate of al-Thawra hospital and adjacent fish market in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, killing 52 civilians and wounding 102 others.

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on Thursday said that it has identified six routes connecting four major metros for feasibility studies for high speed rail.

"Government has identified six routes connecting four major metros and growth centres of the country for feasibility studies for high speed rail," Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

He said that the feasibility studies have been taken up for the routes of Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Kolkata (via Lucknow), Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Nagpur segment of Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Nagpur segment of Mumbai-Kolkata and Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru.

Gohain said the study for the Mumbai-Nagpur, Delhi-Nagpur and Chennai-Bangaluru-Mysuru routes have been taken up under Government to Government cooperation with the Governments of Spain, China and Germany respectively.

He also said that presently, only Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (MAHSR) has been sanctioned with the financial and technical assistance from Government of Japan.

--IANS

aks/ahm/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Global hospitality services provider Airbnb has signed-up with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to provide tourists with local and traditional experiences in the country through the "Airbnb Experiences" platform.

On Thursday, the global hospitality services provider signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SLTDA.

Travellers can choose from more than 40 "Airbnb Experiences" in Sri Lanka designed and led by local experts, Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb's Country Manager for India and Sri Lanka said at the MoU signing event.

"Our Sri Lankan hosts offer a wide range of experiences, from heritage trails in Galle to surfing experiences in Mirissa, and adventure walks in Sri Lanka's national parks to discovering the best local food spots in Colombo," Bajaj said.

The experiences on offer would include local cuisines, water sports, walk around heritage monuments and tours of wildlife sanctuaries among others, all arranged by local people who are partners with Airbnb.

The company further said, under its "Social Impact" category of experience, it would facilitate tourists experiences such as visit to a traditional small scale industry such as a handloom industry, adding that Airbnb would charge any commission on such experiences.

"We are excited to work with Airbnb to promote experiences in Sri Lanka and we are of the view that an engagement of this nature would be of great value to the tourism industry of Sri Lanka," Kavan Ratnayaka, Chairman, SLTDA.

Airbnb's APAC Head of Strategic Partnerships, Thao Nguyen said: "Through the partnership announced today, we're excited to work with the Sri Lankan government to promote tourism that is local, authentic and sustainable."

The "Airbnb Experiences" platform was launched in 2016 with 500 experiences across 12 cities globally and now the platform offers over 15,000 experiences in over 800 cities, Bajaj said. In India, he said, the platform has been launched in Delhi and Goa so far.

"By the end of this year, we will have expanded into at least a thousand around the world," he added.

(Rituraj Baruah is in Colombo on an invitation from Airbnb. He can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in)

--IANS

rrb/rv/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Argentine Senate has narrowly rejected a bill to legalize abortion, dashing hopes of pro-abortion rights advocates in the predominantly Catholic country and the homeland of Pope Francis.

The legislation, which had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies on June 14, would have allowed abortions during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, reports Efe news.

The Senate vote on Wednesday night counted 31 in favour, 38 against and two abstentions out of the total 72 seats.

"Those of us who work on human rights know these are long-term fights. There is a momentum now that we haven't had in Argentina in the past," Tamara Taraciuk Broner, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CNN before the vote.

"If it doesn't move forward, then we'll have to continue pushing for it."

As senators debated the bill late into Wednesday night, pro-abortion rights activists rallied and the Catholic Church held a "Mass for Life" in the capital Buenos Aires.

The bill has ignited passions and sparked widespread protests in Argentina, with anti-abortion campaigners protesting in the streets under blue "save both lives" banners and members of the opposing side in the debate donning green bandanas.

Supporters of the bill rallied across the region on Wednesday in Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Peru as well as across the Atlantic in Spain.

While Pope Francis hasn't addressed the legislation directly, he did speak out strongly against abortion just days after the bill was approved by the lower house - comparing abortion to avoid birth defects to Nazi eugenics, CNN reported.

--IANS

ksk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared amendments to the triple talaq bill with the fresh version allowing a magistrate to give bail to the men found instantly divorcing their wives.

According to the new provisions of the bill which is pending in the Rajya Sabha, instant divorce will continue to be illegal and void, attracting a jail term of three years for the guilty.

"The offence has been made compoundable. If the wife and the husband desire to settle their differences, then the magistrate can compound the offence on appropriate terms and conditions. Magistrate can grant bail after hearing the wife," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

He was speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister said the cabinet approved three changes in the bill which has been stuck in the Upper House due to opposition demands on making the offence bailable.

He said if a husband instantly divorces his wife and breaks the marriage, then an FIR can become cognisable even if a blood relative or relative by marriage of the victim files the case.

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in December last year that made the practice a criminal offence for which a police officer may arrest an accused without warrant.

The practice allows Muslim men to call off their marriage by saying "talaq" thrice.

The bill proposes that a man who pronounces triple talaq shall be punished with a three year jail term and a fine.

The woman will be entitled to maintenance for her and her children. A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

--IANS

sar/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Bangladeshi national, working with Jamat-e-Islami foundation of Bangladesh, was arrested by troopers of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in Meghalaya, officials said on Thursday.

Md Jaharul Islam, 26, was arrested on Wednesday from the Zero Line of the India-Bangladesh border at Baghmara in South Garo Hills district.

During questioning, a BSF statement said, Islam revealed that he worked for Jamat-e-Islami foundation and wanted to become a Jihadi. He works for an international forum called SEBDA Children Denmark.

"Islam was not satisfied with the policy of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League government. He revealed that he wanted to become Jihadi due to torture inflicted upon him by some Awami League members. He is a supporter of Bangladesh Nationalist Party," the statement said.

Islam confessed that he knew that he would die but "will kill all 'kafir' (Non-believers) who do not respect Islam and the Holy Quran".

--IANS

rrk/qd/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chaos prevailed on the fourth day of monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly after Leader of Opposition in the House Vijender Gupta and other BJP MLAs indulged in a verbal duel with ruling AAP members over the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

Addressing Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, Gupta said Bangladeshis in his constituency are causing a problem and have also been involved in some criminal cases.

He then suggested that the national capital also adopt the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and drive the illegal migrants out of Delhi.

This caused an uproar in the Assembly, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators screaming at each other.

The situation further worsened when AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan almost attacked Gupta, who along with other BJP MLAs including O.P. Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan, was surrounded by the ruling party ministers.

As complete disorder prevailed in the House, with neither side ready to give in, Speaker Goel adjourned the House.

Gupta alleged that he was abused by AAP MLAs and almost assaulted by them in front of the Speaker.

He said that the opposition will submit a written complaint to the Speaker against such "terrorist-type behaviour".

"They tried but couldn't manhandle me. They said many derogatory things which cannot be spoken out publicly. This only shows how they are trying to terrorise the entire House. We condemn this kind of terrorist-type behaviour and we will submit a written complaint to the Speaker on today's incident," Gupta said outside the Assembly.

--IANS

sd/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh's vehicle was attacked by miscreants in Bankura district on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, adding that an FIR in the case has been lodged.

Ghosh's car was allegedly attacked by miscreants when he was returning to his hotel in Khatra after having dinner at a party worker's house in Jaldoba.

Though the leader was unharmed in the attack, some party workers accompanying him were allegedly beaten up and sustained injuries. The back screen of Ghosh's car was damaged by stone pelting, a BJP leader said.

"An FIR has been lodged in the case on the basis of the complaints received from Ghosh and local BJP unit leader Mrinmoy Mahato. Police is talking to the locals and eyewitnesses to trace the accused," an officer from Khatra police station said.

In his complaint, Mahato said six known locals and a few unidentified miscreants allegedly tried to heckle Ghosh and vandalised his car at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday when they were leaving from a party worker's house.

"They also attacked me and some of the fellow party workers with iron rods and threw stones and bricks at us when we tried to protect Ghosh. I was severely injured in the incident," he said.

Meanwhile, the car of another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samik Bhattacharya, a former MLA, was also attacked by miscreants on Wednesday afternoon while he was on his way to attend a meeting in Nadia district's Chakdah.

BJP National General Secretary P. Murlidhar Rao on Thursday strongly condemned the incident and accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of orchestrating the attacks and also accused state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not taking any action against the offenders.

"Our party President from Bengal was attacked by goons of Trinamool Congress yesterday (Wednesday). Another leader Shamik Bhattacharya's vehicle was vandalised by state ruling party workers in Chakdah on the same day. BJYM Tripura President Tinku Roy was also attacked by Trinamool workers in that state. Three such incidents in one day... One must understand the gravity of the situation," Rao, also the in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha (BJYM) said here.

"The Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo never condemned such incidents and never took action against the offenders. It is not just the BJP but there have been constant attacks on other opposition parties in Bengal," he alleged.

--IANS

mgr/qd/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taiwanese electronics giant BenQ on Thursday launched "EL2870U" -- the first 4K UHD monitor which is especially designed for eye care.

The monitor is available for Rs 35,000 on Amazon India.

BenQ "EL2870U" eye care monitor features High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology to increase the overall dynamic range between true black and bright white to duplicate what users' eyes see in the natural world.

"We at BenQ bring the most innovative, latest technology to our customers without compromising on the quality. 'EL2870U' has all the features, accuracy, performance and usability offering extremely vibrant and realistic images," Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ, said in a statement.

"We are delighted to introduce 'EL2870U', the first 4K UHD monitor that will cater to the wider audience base in India," Singh added.

The device has fast 1ms Gray-To-Gray (GTG) response time, which ensures a much more responsive and fluent in-game experience than a traditional 4K television.

--IANS

ksc/qd/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of misguiding the tribal and scheduled caste communities in the state and trying to buy their votes by giving them cash before the elections.

Without naming BJP, the Trinamool Congress supremo also hinted that the saffron outfit was orchestrating the infiltration of Maoists into Bengal's Jangalmahal (western districts having large forest tracts) from neighbouring Jharkhand to cause unrest in the area.

"There is a political party that misguides the people here before the elections and asks for their votes by giving Rs.1000 in cash to each villager. Do not believe them. They will you give money for two-three days and then disappear," Banerjee said at a public meeting in Jhargram on occasion of 'Adivasi Dibas' (Tribal's Day).

"We have not allowed any tension in this region for the last seven years. We haven't allowed the Maoists to foment trouble. But now some parties are helping the Maoists from Jharkhand to infiltrate here. They are trying to bring back the days of bloodshed and violence in Jangalmahal," she claimed.

She urged the locals of Jhargram not to let the Maoist guerillas enter their area and also stop those who are influencing the Maoists.

The BJP had performed well and picked up a significant number of seats in Bengal's Jangalmahal area comprising Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts in the recent state rural body elections.

Referring to the incidents of lynching in the country, Banerjee said the BJP was not interested in people's welfare and was always trying to divide people along communal lines.

"We do not divide Hindus and Muslims, Sikhs and Chirstians. BJP, the ruling party in Delhi, does these things... They are not interested in the welfare of people. See how the dalits, tribals and minorities are being lynched across the country," Banerjee said.

"Let us take an oath to stop the communal forces. There is no room for communalism, fundamentalism, hatred, conspiracy and propaganda," she said.

Giving out a detailed list of her government's welfare schemes in the backward districts, Banerjee said the state Backward Classes Welfare Department (BCW) has provided caste certificates, reservation in the government sector and higher education, educational loans and scholarships, educational and job opportunities, healthcare facilities, and training in different skills.

She also laid the foundation stone of a new University in Jhargram.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/ahm/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amazon chief Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin is among the six companies NASA has selected for developing 10 "tipping point" technologies that have the potential to significantly benefit commercial space economy and future NASA missions, including lunar lander and deep space rocket engine technologies.

The US space agency on Wednesday said it will invest for the purpose approximately $44 million -- a significant investment in the US space industry.

The other five companies selected for the award are -- Space Systems/Loral (SSL), United Launch Alliance (ULA), Frontier Aerospace Corp, Paragon Space Development Corp and Astrobotic Technology.

"These awards focus on technology collaborations with the commercial space sector that leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA's exploration goals," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement.

"While these key technologies will support NASA's science and human exploration missions in the future, these awards are yet another example of NASA's commitment to our nation's growing commercial space industry today," Bridenstine added.

NASA requires these companies to focus on areas such as expanding utilisation of space, enabling efficient and safe transportation into and through space, and increase access to planetary surfaces.

Selections were based on the agency's third competitive Tipping Point solicitation.

A technology is considered at a "tipping point" if investment in a ground or flight demonstration will result in significantly maturing the technology and improving the company's ability to bring it to market.

--IANS

gb/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma released three books, including one on "secret broadcasts" during the Quit India movement, at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here on Thursday.

The books are titled "Jewellery: A Scientific Study of Social Tradition", "Ghats of Banaras" and "Untold Story of Broadcasting".

"Untold Story of Broadcasting" has been authored by historian Gautam Chatterjee.

This book, the organisers said in a statement, is about hidden developments during the 1942 Quit India movement -- the "secret broadcasts" of the time -- and the contribution of political leader Ram Manohar Lohia in the movement.

"Chatterjee dug out archival material to rewrite the history of Quit India in a new light, and with new information.

"It's about day-to-day broadcasts and reporting from various parts of then-India", IGNCA Member Secretary Sachidanand Joshi said at the launch.

The second book, "Jewellery", written by author-journalist Gulab Kothari, examines a ritualistic use of jewellery worn on occasions, and the meaning of possessing jewellery in an Indian context.

Calling jewellery-making a traditional occupation, Sharma said that now it is also being studied as a specialised stream of knowledge.

Another book, "Ghats of Banaras" has been co-authored by IGNCA Cultural Informatics Director Pratapanand Jha and Sachidanand Joshi.

It is a monograph highlighting the importance of ghats, and is derived out of a documentation conducted at Varanasi, the organisers said.

--IANS

sj/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
London's population has been rising steadily since the mid-1980s but evidence has emerged that Brexit and the high cost of buying and renting homes is deterring new people from coming to live in the city.

The London Intelligence Report published on Wednesday by the think-tank the Centre for London showed that in the year to mid-2017 London's population experienced the slowest rate of growth in over a decade, Xinhua news agency reported.

The growth rate in the city's population, which stands at 8.1 million people, nearly halved in the first full year since the Brexit referendum in June 2016 to 0.6 per cent per year, down from the 2015-16 figure of 1.1 per cent.

This is the slowest rate of growth in over a decade, and means the 2017 population was 79,000 (0.9 per cent) lower than expected within 2016-based projections.

Tom Colthorpe, researcher on the report told Xinhua: "There are many fewer people coming to London from other countries."

"There is a bit of a nosedive. There is a pretty significant drop in international immigration which some might point to Brexit."

The contribution of net international migration has declined considerably year-on-year to a net gain of just under 83,000 individuals.

Though international migration remains the largest contributor to population growth, it now only contributes 5,000 more individuals than those added through natural change (births and deaths).

Registrations for national insurance numbers (known as NI, a form of health tax necessary for most types of work) continued to fall, a trend seen since the Brexit vote.

The number of EU nationals registering for NI fell by a quarter over the year, and the most recent quarter available (Q1 this year) saw the total 16 percent smaller compared to a year previously, and only just over half the Q3 2014 peak level.

At the same time, non-EU registrations grew by 9 per cent, reversing the trend seen in the previous four consecutive quarters of falls.

"It is obvious with EU citizens, that some of that (decline) is down to Brexit and that is down to the uncertain status of EU nationals in the UK," Colthorpe said.

Figures in 2014 for EU nationals getting NI numbers spiked, when Romanian and Bulgarian nationals were allowed to apply for the first time, as part of the EU accession agreement for those countries in 2007.

Colthorpe said: "When you see that in 2014 after the accession of Romania, Bulgaria, a lot of that causes a big spike of 80,000 in a quarter. Some of the decline has been because that pent-up demand has tailed off, but the fall has been accelerated by the Brexit factor."

British nationals were also leaving the city, in higher numbers than previously.

"Looking over a longer period, after the financial crisis people flocked to London, but now that trend is reversing,"he said.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of a pro-Khalistan rally scheduled in London on August 12, India on Thursday said it is for Britain to decide whether to allow an event that seeks to promote violence and secessionism.

"We have drawn their (Britain's) attention to the fact that the event in London is a separatist activity, which impinges on India's territorial integrity," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

"We have said that it seeks to propagate violence, secessionism and hatred.

"And of course, we expect them (Britain) to take into account the larger perspective of the relationship when they take a decision in such matters."

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a human rights advocacy group with radical leaning, has announced that it will hold what it calls a "London Declaration" on an independence referendum for the Indian state of Punjab at Trafalgar Square in London on August 12.

Last month, India issued a demarche to Britain.

Following reports that similar events were being planned in other European countries as well as Canada and the US, Kumar said that Indian missions had been directed to take this up with the respective countries.

"We are aware that something similar is being planned in some other locations as well and we have written to our missions to take it up with the foreign offices of the respective countries," he said.

--IANS

ab/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress' Delhi unit on Thursday took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party for not supporting its candidate in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman's election, saying that AAP would have been "history" but for the Congress support in 2013.

"AAP says ' not run on egos'. Yet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is sulking because he didn't get a call from Congress President Rahul Gandhi to seek support, thus helping the BJP. Using this logic, in 2013, the Bharatiya Janata Party would have formed the government in Delhi and AAP would have been history," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said in a series of tweets.

His remarks came after AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that his party was expecting a call from the Congress President to seek support for B.K. Hariprasad's candidature for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair's post. NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh earlier in the day won the election, from which the AAP abstained.

Referring to Congress support to the AAP after the December 2013 Assembly polls in Delhi, Maken said: "Kejriwalji, did we not, without asking, support the formation of an AAP government in 2013 to stop the BJP?

"But soon after forming the government with our support, you spread lies, lodged FIRs against our leaders and also fielded candidates against all sitting Congress MPs in Delhi to ensure the BJP's victory."

"Why are you supporting the BJP by selectively fielding candidates against the Congress?" Maken asked.

--IANS

aks/tsb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Indonesia on health cooperation.

The MoU paves way for cooperation in the areas of research and development; active pharmaceutical ingredients and IT-based medical equipment; human resource development; health services; and any other area as may be mutually agreed upon, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press briefing.

"A working group will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this MoU," Prasad said.

--IANS

rak/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday gave its approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Indonesia on scientific and technological cooperation.

Signing of the MoU will open a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries as both sides will now leverage complementary strengths spurred by a significant convergence of mutual interests in science and technology, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference here.

"The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation in the fields of science and technology between India and Indonesia on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. The stake-holders will include researchers from scientific organisations, academia, Research and Development laboratories and companies from India and Indonesia.

"Information and Communication Technology; Marine Science and Technology; Life Sciences (including Biotechnology, Agriculture and Biomedical Sciences); Energy Research; Water Technologies; Disaster Management; Space Sciences, Technology and Applications; Geospatial Information and Applied Chemistry were identified as potential areas for immediate collaboration," Prasad said.

The Minister further said the MoU was signed in May by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan and Mohamad Nasir, Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education, Indonesia.

--IANS

rak/qd/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPAC).

The Cabinet's nod has been granted to the ex-post facto approval of the MoU signed in 2011, and approval for signing of MoU between ICAI and CPAC, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference.

"The MoU envisages arrangements for reciprocal membership that will apply to the respective members of both the Institutes subject to specified criteria. It also includes further collaboration on the definition, learning, and evaluation of the professional qualities and skills and competencies of entry-level chartered accountants," said the Minister.

Prasad said the aim is to work together to develop a mutually beneficial relationship in the best interest of ICAI members, students and their organizations. "The MoU will provide an opportunity to the ICAI members to expand their professional horizon and simultaneously the institute will become an entity to aid strengthen brand building of local nations. It will foster strong working relations between the ICAI and CPAC."

As per Cabinet statement, the MoU would help encourage more and more young Indian chartered accountants to take up the recognition of CPAC professional designation to further help them pursue opportunities in Canada.

A number of Indian chartered accountants are holding top level positions in Canadian companies and with the recognition from CPAC, the Canadian corporates would trust Indian talent and skills more and proceed to hire them, said the statement.

"The MoU will apply to members of good standing who have gained membership in the ICAI or one of the Canadian Provincial CPA bodies by meeting the education, examination and practical experience requirements of the ICAI or the Canadian Provincial CPA bodies respectively. This agreement does not automatically apply to individuals who have gained membership of the ICAI or the Canadian Provincial CPA Bodies through another agreement with a third party," it said.

ICAI is a statutory body established by an act of Parliament of India, The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949', to regulate the profession of chartered accountancy in India. CPAC Institute is the national organization established to support a unified Canadian accounting profession.

--IANS

rak/anp/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aimed at strengthening the disaster response setup in the country, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved four additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions.

"The Union Cabinet has given approval for raising four additional battalions of the NDRF at an estimated cost of Rs 637 crore," said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad during a press briefing, after a decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said that two of the four battalions will initially be raised in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and one each in the Border Security Force and Assam Rifles.

"Based on the vulnerability profile, these battalions will be placed in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi and the National Capital Region. Later, these will be converted into NDRF battalions," Prasad added.

Created in 2006, the disaster response force currently has 12 battalions stationed across the country for easy deployment during natural disasters and other emergencies.

The force is specially trained to deal with calamities like earthquakes, floods, cyclones and man-made disasters.

The NDRF has earned laurels for its services during floods in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Tamil Nadu; cyclones in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and earthquake in Nepal.

An NDRF team was also sent to Japan a few years ago to help the authorities there in handling a tsunami.

--IANS

rak/mag/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the revival plan for fertilizer plants in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri (Jharkhand) and Barauni (Bihar) by Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited (HURL).

"The revival of Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL)/ Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL) will ensure substantial investment in the fertilizer sector," said an official statement.

HURL is a joint venture company of Coal India Ltd, NTPC Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd and HFCL. It was incorporated in 2016 to revive the three fertilizer units.

"These units will act as anchor customer to Jagdishpur-Haldia ... gas pipeline being laid for development of critical infrastructure in eastern India," it said.

This will create job opportunities in the region and boost the economy of the eastern states. Further, the revival of fertilizer unit will also augment indigenous production of urea, thereby enhancing self-reliance in urea, it added.

The revival plan includes providing land on lease for a period of 55 years at a nominal lease rent of Rs 1 lakh per annum to HURL and concession agreements for the three projects.

The concession agreements will help HURL to carry out complete design, engineering, construction, procurement, testing, commissioning, operate and maintaining fertilizer plants and market its products.

--IANS

mgu/ahm/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The much-awaited CCTV project of the Delhi government will soon be put up before the Cabinet, PWD Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday in the Delhi Assembly.

"The project has been delayed by more than a year. We will soon approve it in a Cabinet meeting," Jain said in the House.

Installation of CCTV cameras in Delhi was one of the key points in the manifesto of the Aam Aadmi Party to improve the security and safety of the citizens.

In the reply, Jain also informed that the PWD had finalised the rate contract for different types of cameras and also the items for networking to the control room, installation and maintenance for three years.

The work was scheduled to be awarded by the PWD in October 2017.

Under the plan, every constituency in Delhi will have 2,000 cameras.

--IANS

nks/qd/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday accused the Centre of "misinterpreting" the Supreme Court verdict on the Delhi government's powers vis-a-vis the Lt Governor whom he dubbed a "pawn".

Holding a copy of the Constitution of India in his hand in the Assembly, Sisodia compared the central government with the British Raj.

Sisodia said that the Centre shouldn't misinterpret the Constitution because that is how the British were kicked out and the "L-G may be sacked too".

Addressing the Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Vijender Gupta, Sisodia said: "According to the Constitution and the apex court order, your pawn (L-G) does not have any independent decision-making powers. He should only act on the aid and advice of the state government."

Sisodia, a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader, claimed that just as the British thought they were indestructible, the Centre too is thinking so by "openly defying the Supreme Court orders".

The 5-Judge Constitution Bench on July 4 ruled that the executive powers in Delhi -- except for law and order, police and land -- were vested with the elected government and the L-G was bound to act on the "aid and advise" of the government.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal, however, kept the 'services' subject with him by citing a 2015 Home Ministry notification which, in turn, referred to the constitutional provisions to keep 'Services' out of the Delhi government's purview.

The Services Department handles posting and transfers, and the appointments of IAS and other officers with the Delhi government.

Terming 'services' as the most crucial element in the smooth governance of Delhi, Sisodia cited examples from the past when he claimed Baijal "deliberately obstructed" the Aam Aadmi Party government's work.

"We had (come up with) a loan scheme to help over 400 students in their education, but the L-G waived it by telling us to take permission from other departments," Sisodia said on the fourth day of the Assembly's monsoon session.

Similarly, he said, the L-G made one or the other excuse regarding the Arvind Kejriwal government's Mohalla Clinics project, delaying it by 101 days, and the funds for the families of martyrs by telling the government to get permission from the Home and Defence Ministries.

Sisodia also presented the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2018-19. These were later approved by the Assembly.

These include grant of Rs 104 crore for General Administration Department, Rs 20 crore for administration of justice, Rs 4.34 crore for social welfare, and Rs 4.75 crore for development.

--IANS

sd/tsb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Film: "Christopher Robin"; Director: Marc Forster; Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss; Voice Cast: Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Toby Jones, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Sara Sheen; Rating: **1/2.

"Nothing comes from nothing."

"When you do nothing, it leads to the best of something."

"Dreams don't come for free, one has to work for dreams to come true."

These dialogues from Disney's live-action film Christopher Robin which is based on A.A. Milne's classic Winnie the Pooh book series, seem innocuous, but they are loaded. Packed with similar life's lessons, the film tells us that the most important things in life are family and being happy, not work and deadlines.

Designed like an illustrated story book, this fantasy drama opens at a young Christopher Robin's farewell party, deep in the Hundred Acre Woods, the magical land where Christopher's friends Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Leo, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit and others live. The gang is celebrating their friendship with Christopher before his parents ship him off to a boarding school and away from the magical door that links Pooh's world to his.

What follows, through an illustrative montage, is Christopher's slow march to adulthood. Now, as a middle-aged man Christopher is a hardworking and stressed, corporate man who neglects his family as his boss at Winslow's Luggage forces him to work on weekends.

On the other hand, ever since Christopher left the woods, his friends have been living in fright and often recall how he used to save them from Heffalump, the elephant like character. So one day Pooh passes through the magical door and goes to London in search of him. And after finding him, how they all reconnect, forms the crux of the narrative.

Ewan McGregor as the adult Christopher, Hayley Atwell as his wife Evelyn, Bronte Carmichael as his daughter Madeline, Mark Gatiss as Giles Winslow Jr. Christopher's boss at Winslow Luggage, are all ace performers who deliver near realistic performances.

The Stuffed animals are ably voiced by an ace-cast list that make the animals sound real. They are all pitch-perfect and they all do justice to their characters.

The animation too is near perfect and they mesh seamlessly with the live action shots. The visuals are adequately vibrant and colourful. The frames are aptly balanced with the right shades enough to make it seem like a period drama.

Overall, Christopher Robin is a cute film that will engage every member of the family.

--IANS

troy/ahm/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday advised Congress President Rahul Gandhi to give "some time to facts", accusing his party of treating Dalits with "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"Rahulji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. NDA Government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?" Shah said in a series of tweets.

The Bharatiya Janata Party chief's remarks came soon after Gandhi said the government's "anti-Dalit mindset" became clear when Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewarded with re-employment a judge who diluted an Act that sought to deter atrocities against the marginalized.

Gandhi also said the BJP and the governments it led at the Centre had no space for Dalits in their hearts.

"Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.

The Supreme Court had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the Act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.

The ruling had angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.

The government had made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused.

The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Rajya Sabha MP also said: "Is it a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President, they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission! Anti-backward mindset visible."

--IANS

aks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP governments at the Centre and Gujarat of trying to sweep under the carpet the Rs. 4,000-crore groundnut scam in the state and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into it.

"The BJP governments are trying to bury the Rs 4,000-crore groundnut scam in the state," Congress MP and AICC in-charge of Gujarat Rajeev Satav said at a press conference.

He was accompanied by legislature party leader Paresh Dhanani.

Dhanani alleged the groundnut scam was linked to the Chief Minister's office.

He said officials of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation Limited (GUJCOT) along with local politicians and middlemen allegedly stole and sold off the groundnut procured from farmers to oil millers.

"The stocks of groundnut were then adulterated with sand and pebbles to show that there was no loss of weight in the stocks after groundnut was illegally sold off to millers," Dhanani said.

He also said there have been four instances of fires in the last six months in warehouses where these groundnut stocks were stored.

According to the Congress leaders, in October last year, just ahead of the assembly polls, the Gujarat government announced that it will purchase groundnut from farmers at Rs 4,500 per quintal, even as the existing prices of groundnut at that time was around Rs 3,750 per quintal. He said the state government purchased 10.46 lakh metric tonne of groundnut worth Rs 4,000 crore through 139 purchase centres across the Saurashtra region.

The Centre had appointed NAFED to procure groundnut from farmers of Gujarat at an MSP of Rs. 4,450 a quintal and the State government had announced Rs 50 bonus over and above the MSP.

--IANS

aks-sid/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of CPI-M activists sustained injuries in clashes with police at different places in West Bengal on Thursday as Leftists protested in all state districts against the Centre's "imperialist-driven and pro-corporate" economic policies.

The clashes occurred in districts like Hoogly, Howrah, North Dinajpur, West Midnapore and North 24 Parganas, leaving some CPI-M cadres injured.

The agitation was in response to a countrywide call for a "jail bhoro" (fill prisons) struggle given by the Communist Party of India-Marxist's peasants arm All India Kisan Sabha to highlight various issues, including central government's failure to secure minimum support price for agricultural produce.

The AIKS also demanded foolproof implementation of farmers' loan waiver scheme in the state.

In Kolkata, CPI-M trade union wing Centre of Trade Unions organised a protest rally in the city heart, with protesters jostling with security forces after breaking two barricades. No one was injured.

Participating in the protests in Kolkata, CPI-M State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep his word on the promises made ahead of the 2014 general elections.

The AIKS had announced it would collect 10 crore signatures and send these to Modi through the District Collectors.

--IANS

ssp/tsb

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The alleged incident of an Indian passenger and his family being asked to de-board a British Airways flight in the UK is under investigation, the airline said on Thursday.

"We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer," the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off."

The investigation has been started after the Indian passenger, identified as A.P. Pathak a Joint Secretary level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, complained that he and his family were discriminated against on racial lines.

The alleged incident took place on July 23, when the family was travelling from London to Berlin on a British Airways flight.

Pathak has also informed the Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj about the incident.

"After the security announcement was made my wife tied my child to the window seat but he started crying as he was feeling awkward and was a little hungry," he told a news channel.

"Crew member shouted at my child and said I will throw you and your family out of the window."

According to Pathak, another Indian family seated behind them "who tried to console the child" was also asked to de-board.

"The plane returned to the airport and the security personnel threatened us, "If you don't come out, we will handcuff you. We were thrown out of the airport."

"I have contacted my lawyers in India and London, he is working on it. If we don't get an apology from the British Airways, and the compensation for the same we will sue British Airways."

"It was totally a racist behaviour."

--IANS

ravi-rv/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday granted permission to operate wide-bodied aircraft at Calicut airport that will see Saudi Arabian airlines operate direct flights to the Kingdom from the city in Kerala, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said.

The operation of international flights from Calicut would also likely lead to its becoming an embarkation point from Haj pilgrims, Prabhu told reporters here at a briefing. He was accompanied by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha and Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam.

"The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has today decided to start operations from Calicut, which will facilitate a large number of people from Kerala who are living abroad," Prabhu said.

Sinha said that the Saudi Arabian national carrier plans to fly aircraft like A330 and Boeing 777 to Calicut and technical clearance had been given for these wide-bodied planes.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had suspended wide-bodied aircraft operations at Calicut airport in May 2015 following a directive from the DGCA, citing safety concerns.

"Safety and passenger convenience are our primary concern and we have to ensure that these are not compromised," Prabhu said.

"AAI has informed us that all mitigation measures (to enable wide-bodied flights) will be in place by August 20," he said.

Ministry officials said the Saudi Airlines had not intimated a date for starting operations from Calicut.

Work is underway to construct a new international terminal at Calicut which will increase its current passenger handling capacity of 3.5 million people per annum to 5 million when completed, officials said.

"Calicut is likely to be an embarkation point for the Haj pilgrimage from next year," Sinha said.

It was also announced that Kerala's fourth international airport at Kannur will start commercial flight operations in October.

"It is rare that a new greenfleld airport like Kannur starts with operating international flights," Prabhu said.

Kerala will also soon start twin-engine sea-plane operations following the DGCA's issuing of the regulatory framework for such aircraft and the waterdrome certification, the Minister announced.

"Operators can now apply for the licence to ply sea-planes on specified routes. Other possible destinations for such services can be island areas like Lakshadweep and Andamans," Sinha said.

--IANS

bc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dozens of people were killed and injured as an airstrike hit buses carrying children in northern Yemen on Thursday, according to the Yemeni branch of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

The school buses was targeted as they were was passing through a market in the rebel-held province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10. @ICRC_ye sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx," Johannes Bruwer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, wrote on Twitter.

The humanitarian organization said that the victims had been taken to one of the hospitals it supports in Sa'ada, located 230 kilometres to the north of the capital.

A spokesman for the Health Ministry of the Houthi rebel-controlled government, Yusef al-Hadari, said that the children were on their way to an educational summer camp organized by the Ministry for Islamic Affairs and that three buses had been targeted in the bombing.

Houthi media aired gruesome footage appearing to show the bodies of children. Other footage showed a young boy being escorted to a hospital, with blood all over his face.

CNN quoted witnesses as saying that the attack could be heard from neighbouring districts.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes since 2015 against Houthi positions -- causing thousands of civilian deaths in the process, according to war monitors -- in an attempt to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The UN, the EU and numerous humanitarian organizations warned that the consequences of the Saudi-led intervention, such as a famine threatening almost 18 million people or a cholera outbreak infecting hundreds of thousands, reached the level of a humanitarian "catastrophe".

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An elderly Sikh man was viciously attacked in California, leading to fears among the community that he may have been a victim of hate crime, the media reported.

On Wednesday, two teenagers aged 16 and 18, were arrested in connection with the assault on Sahib Singh Natt, 71, in Manteca which took place on Monday morning, reports CNN.

The incident caught on a resident's surveillance camera shows Natt walking around a park, when two men confronted him, kicked him several times and spat on him, police in Manteca said.

In the video, the suspects appear to walk away, and then one of them returns, kicking the man several more times while he is still on the ground, reports ABC News.

Hundreds of people gathered on Tuesday night at Greystone Park in Manteca, just feet away from where Natt was beaten.

Supporters, community leaders and neighbours of the victim voiced their concerns about the attacks.

"It's not an attack on an individual, it's an attack on an entire community," said one speaker.

Natt was at the community event with his family by his side. His daughter, Rupinder Kaur, told the media that Natt is paralysed on the left side of his body because of previous medical issues and could barely speak.

The assault on Natt was the second recent attack on a member of the Sikh community, reports CNN.

On July 31, Surjit Singh Malhi, 50, was attacked as he was putting out political signs in Stanislaus County, 25 miles south of Manteca.

Malhi said the two attackers yelled, "Go back to your country", and then began beating him.

The Sikh Coalition released a statement on Wednesday for others to remain vigilant.

"This is the second violent assault of a Sikh man in California's Central Valley within the last week and we strongly encourage the Sikh sangat in California to remain vigilant."

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has nominated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to succeed the controversial Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her nomination was sent by Guterres on Wednesday to the UN General Assembly which must approve the appointment.

Zeid's four-year term ends this month and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak had convened a session on August 3 to consider her nomination.

Zeid decided not seek a second term for which he was eligible.

Bachelet, who completed a second term as Chile's President in March, personally experienced human rights violations during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

A doctor, she also has done advanced studies in defence in the US and served as health and defence minister -- unique qualifications for a human rights chief who must confront military organisations involved in human rights violations that inflict physical and mental harm.

Bachelet now faces a task of reestablishing the credibility of her office and of the UN Human Rights Council, which have come under attack during Zeid's stormy tenure.

India had accused Zeid of being biased after he had issued a report on human rights violations in Kashmir and called for a Security Council investigation.

India slammed the report and Deputy Permanent Representative Tanmaya Lal said it reflected "the clear bias of an official who was acting without any mandate whatsoever and relied on unverified sources of information".

The US pulled out of the Human Rights Council in June with Permanent Representative Nikki Haley calling it a "hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights".

Bachelet's father, Air Force Brigadier General Alberto Arturo Miguel Bachelet Martinez, died in custody after being tortured following his arrest by Pinochet who overthrew the democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973.

She herself was detained and tortured before being exiled to Australia.

She moved to what was then East Germany before being allowed to return to Chile in 1979 and resume her medical studies.

After Pinochet's defeat in a referendum in 1988 and the restoration of democracy, she received a scholarship to study at the Inter-American Defense College in Washington.

She was first elected President in 2005 but could not seek re-election as the constitution prohibits the head of state from holding two consecutive terms.

Bachelet joined the UN in 2010 as the executive director of UN Women, the office for empowering women and for gender equality.

She was again elected president in 2013.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

al/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that 65 per cent of the people killed in road accidents belong to the age group of 18-35, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday called for cooperation from all political parties to pass the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.

Gadkari said: "Safety of citizens is not a political issue, hence the Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha in April 2017, should also be passed in the Rajya Sabha."

The Bill amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to address issues such as third party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators, and road safety.

Under the Act, the liability of the third party insurer for motor vehicle accidents is unlimited. The Bill caps the maximum liability for third party insurance in case of a motor accident at Rs. 10 lakh in case of death and at Rs 5 lakh in case of grievous injury.

The Bill provides for a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund which would provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India for certain types of accidents.

He also said 786 black spots ( where most accidents take place) have been identified on the highways and road engineering work is done to rectify them. "About 189 spots have been rectified. Rectification measures at 256 spots have been sanctioned which are in various stages of implementation," he said.

The minister also said Rs. 12,000 crore has been allocated to rectify the black spots.

He also said the Bill does not dilute state governments powers in registration of vehicles by involving the private parties.

Gadkari said the government has approved a National Road Safety Policy that provides measures to establish a road safety information database and ensuring safe road infrastructure.

--IANS

sid/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
Actor Grant Gustin has slammed body shamers who mocked him for his skinny physique.

The actor, 28, took to Instagram after a leaked photograph of him in his new costume for season five of the show "The Flash" sparked criticism of his weight, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Responding to comments about his thin physique, he wrote: "I've had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin. I've had my own journey of accepting it. But there's a double standard where it's okay to talk s*** about a dude's body."

"I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can throughout these seasons. I'm naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus, gaining weight is a challenge for me," Gustin added.

Talking about getting the role on "The Flash", which is aired in India on Colors Infinity, he said: "I didn't cast a slim actor as 'The Flash'. I went to an audition for a role I never dreamed I'd actually book. But here I am five seasons later. I'm happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way.

"Not only that, but they should be able to feel like they could be a superhero on TV or film or whatever it may be some day."

He also said the leaked image, believed to have been taken during a costume fitting, was "a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken".

Gustin told fans that the costume is "a cool suit" adding: "Some things need work and they will be worked on. We'll get there."

--IANS

sug/nn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Education, particularly higher education, has an important role to play in helping create a just society, and Australia and India through their strong collaboration in the field of can help in strengthening democracy and overcoming the challenges faced in creating a balanced and equitable society, prominent personalities said here on Thursday.

Participating in a discussion on the 'Role of in Creating a Just Society', Rod Hilton, Deputy High Commissioner Australian High Commission, C. Raj Kumar, founding Vice Chancellor O.P. Jindal Global University, and Gabrielle Appleby, Associate Professor in the School of Law at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, stressed on the strong relationship between higher and the creation of a just society.

Hilton, who was moderating the discussion held at UNSW's new office in New Delhi established to attract more students from India, said the new 'India Economic Strategy to 2035' report released by the Australian government focuses on the strong cooperation in the education sector between the two countries as one of the major pillars of their partnership.

"Education is the flagship sector outlined in the report," Hilton said, adding that there are 68,000 Indian students in Australia and the figure was growing in double-digit numbers in the last few years.

The cooperation in the education sector was not just in student enrolments but also in research collaboration, partnerships between educational institutions, drawing up of curricula, courses, knowledge discourses, Hilton said, adding that education was one of the strongest pillars of people-to-people linkages between Australia and India.

Raj Kumar said that education, and higher education, helps in developing informed and enlightened citizenry and strengthens democracy.

He pointed out that education has a meaningful role to play in preventing India's large youthful populace from slipping into "vulnerabilities" by creating "greater resilience" in society.

He said that "the relation between education and employment has been over emphasized", and there needs to be focus on the role of education in strengthening democracy and empowerment.

Appleby said the UNSW Law School focuses on helping in creation of a just society with encouraging students and faculty to have "a questioning mind and the power of questioning".

Through the art of analyzing and challenging assumptions, like the role of judges and judicial appointments, the UNSW Law School encourages students into critical thinking, which is aimed towards creation of a just society, she said.

Appleby cited the Australian Feminist Judgments Project, through which women activists are asked to re-write judgments with a feminist outcome. In another move towards creating a just society, the UNSW Law School has started a legal clinic where the students have to help in providing legal services to the underprivileged.

Amit Dasgupta, UNSW's India Country Director, said the Sydney-based university and OP Jindal Global University have entered into an agreement between their two schools of business.

He said UNSW stresses on the twin pillars of education and research as a means to make a difference to people's lives.

He also spoke about the UNSW's Knowledge Exchange Discussion Forum that provides a platform to different stakeholders to share thoughts and brainstorm design solutions to development challenges.

--IANS

nks/sar/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after drivers and technicians of the 108 Ambulance Service were restrained from going on strike, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday summoned government officials to explain the action taken against the erring employees.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Sharma observed that "we are assured that all authorities, including the District Magistrate(s) and Superintendent(s) of Police shall effectively enforce the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act.

"Let the Deputy Commissioner of Shimla and the Superintendent of Police remain present in the court on August 10."

The court was apprised, among others, by Advocate General Ashok Sharma that despite the court's order on August 8, the employees have not resumed work.

The bench impleaded Bikramjeet Saini, Puran Chand and Dinesh Kaushik, who are the President, General Secretary and Cashier respectively of the Jeewan Rakshak Bharatiya Ambulance Karmchari Federation NHM Delhi, as the respondents for instigating the employees not to join their duty.

A day earlier, the court cautioned that any violation of the order of going to the strike would amount to contempt of court. It clarified that the court would not hesitate in taking any strict action against the erring employees.

But the judges said: "We are of the considered view that simultaneously, genuine grievances of such persons must be addressed."

--IANS

vg/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Nikitin Dheer says he is honoured to be chosen by filmmaker Rohit Shetty and to get a chance to work with "prolific" actor Shah Rukh Khan in the film "Chennai Express".

"Chennai Express" completed five years of its release on Wednesday and Nikitin shared a still from the film, which he described as a wonderful ride.

"'Chennai Express' completes five years today. A wonderful ride filled with invaluable moments. Honoured to have been chosen by Rohit Shetty the privilege of sharing the screen with someone as prolific an actor as SRK sir and the beautiful Deepika Padukone," he captioned the still.

Nikitin essayed the role of a negative character named Thangaballi in the film.

"Chennai Express" tells the story of Rahul, who has to immerse his late grandfather's ashes in Rameshwaram, unwillingly boards the "Chennai Express" (Shah Rukh) and finds himself entangled with Meena (Deepika), the daughter of a gangster.

--IANS

dc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man reported missing from Jaipur for the past 36 years has been found in a Pakistani jail and will be released on August 13, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra said on Thursday.

He said Gajendra Sharma was traced in May in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.

Bohra, accompanied by Sharma's wife, their son and local BJP leaders, met Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on Thursday and sought Sharma's early release.

The MP said the Minister assured him that Sharma would be released on August 13 from the Lahore jail.

Bohra said Gajendra Sharma was initially jailed for two months, but due to lack of consular access, he had to spend over three decades behind bars in the Pakistani jail.

Sharma's family says he had disappeared in 1982 and that they were clueless about his whereabouts till May 4, 2018 when they received a letter from the local police.

The Superintendent of Police (Rural), Jaipur, had received a few papers from Pakistan asking for Sharma's citizenship.

The documents were forwarded to the Samod police station for further verification as Sharma's original address came under the jurisdiction of that police station.

The documents were enough to confirm Sharma's presence in the Lahore Central Jail, Bohra said.

Sharma's wife said her husband worked as a labourer and had left home without informing anybody. Since his disappearance, she had started working as a peon in a private hospital.

It is not known how Sharma ended up in the Pakistani jail.

--IANS

arc/prs/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indians are becoming more tolerant when it comes to accepting new forms of music, says Subir Malik, who is one of the band members of Parikrama.

"India is growing (when it comes to accepting indie music). A lot of people now are open to accepting new forms of music. At least musically, we are becoming more tolerant and that is good news," Malik said in a statement to IANS.

Malik feels the music industry is not promoting indie artistes as it should.

"It is still a niche category if you take India as a whole. Record companies themselves are not in the same positions as they were a decade ago or more and all have limited funds in hand now," he said.

The keyboard player along with his bandmates will participate in a multi-city Facebook Live relay session on August 15 as part of Independence Day celebration by Vh1 India. The channel has also planned "Vh1 Soundnation" -- in which they have curated a special play list supported by 72 indie musicians.

Bands like Dualist Inquiry, Grain, Komorebi, The Koniac Net, Laxmi Bomb, The Quarter and Azadi Records Collective will also take part in the live session from cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

--IANS

sug/nn/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian aerospace and defence manufacturers should indigenise more to help achieve self-reliance in arms production for the three armed forces, an official said on Thursday.

"As the government is keen on self-reliance in the defence sector, the manufacturers -- especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups -- should strive for greater indigenisation in arms production," Defence Production Secretary Ajay Kumar said at an event here.

Addressing the fifth 'Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Show', Kumar said that the MSMEs and start-ups should make the best use of opportunities in the sector as the government had liberalised the procurement process and simplified procedures.

"The MSMEs and start-ups should meet the needs of state-run defence units and the armed forces with greater indigenisation," asserted Kumar.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Chairman T. Suvarna Raju, speaking at the inaugural session, said that MSMEs and start-ups have huge potential to reduce imports in the defence and aerospace sectors.

"As defence units like HAL depend on private suppliers for critical components and systems, MSMEs and start-ups should ensure high standards and quality of the parts they make and supply to the original equipment manufacturers," said Raju.

Inaugurating the two-day event at the HAL Convention Centre, Karnataka Industries Minister K.J. George said it will give an opportunity to the MSMEs and start-ups to showcase their capabilities and manufacturing prowess to the state-run defence units, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the armed forces.

"The event highlights Karnataka's leadership in the aerospace and defence sectors. Many state-run defence units and OEMs across the country will find suppliers of components and systems at the show," said George.

Organised by the city-based Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI), the trade show saw the participation of over 70 exhibitors from both public and private sectors.

The exhibitors included HAL, Defence Research Development Organisation labs, Indian Army, Navy and Indian Air Force, Blaser SwissLube, Siemens and Alpha Design Technologies.

The second day of the trade show on Friday will include sessions on indigenisation of IAF and Navy, and opportunities for the industry.

--IANS

bha/tsb/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sent his special envoy to Turkey to discuss the US sanctions on Tehran.

Rouhani's special envoy Mahmoud Vaezi had a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevut Cavusoglu on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We discussed the issues on the common agenda of Turkey-Iran with Mahmoud Vaezi, head of the Iranian Presidential Office," Cavusoglu said on his official Twitter account.

Vaezi visited Ankara amid ongoing talks between Turkey and the US over the latter's sanctions on Iran, a neighbour and a major energy supplier of Turkey.

As result of the US pullout from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the first round of the US sanctions on Iran were restored on Tuesday.

The second round of sanctions, which include an oil trade ban, will take effect in early November and will directly impact Turkey's import of crude oil from Iran.

The Turkish foreign minister has repeatedly said that Ankara will refuse to comply with the US sanctions.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel has carried out large-scale airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, targeting "12 terror sites", a military spokesperson said.

Israel struck Hamas sites in Gaza, bombing a concrete factory and a maritime assault tunnel shaft, after at least 36 Gaza rockets hit Israel, the army said on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The airstrikes came after an eight-rocket barrage hit the southern city of Sderot, lightly injuring at least six people, the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon said in a statement.

Afterward, sirens continued to wail throughout southern Israel in the night, warning of more projectiles, as residents took shelter inside their homes.

On Tuesday, two Hamas snipers were killed in Gaza in an Israeli artillery attack, which Israeli forces said was carried out under the misconception that Hamas had shot toward them.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military raised the level of alert along the Gaza border. The military warned Hamas that it "will not tolerate any aggression against Israeli civilians or Israel Defense Forces soldiers, and is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios."

The recent incidents are expected to distance the chances of a quick Egyptian-brokered cease-fire. Egypt has been taking efforts to achieve a deal between Israel and Hamas, the group that runs Gaza, but has yet to achieve an agreement between the two.

The recent round of violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave has claimed the lives of at least 140 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three people were killed in the Gaza Strip after Israel launched 140 airstrikes in response to more than 150 rockets that had allegedly been fired by Palestinian militias, raising tension in the embattled enclave, officials said on Thursday.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman and her toddler were killed and her husband was wounded when an Israeli missile fell on their house in Deir al-Balah, Gaza's Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra was cited as saying by Efe news.

"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," said Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

"I have been warning that the humanitarian, security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants," Mladenov said.

Another Palestinian, a 30-year-old militant of the Islamist movement Hamas, was killed after Israeli airstrikes hit his vehicle a few hours earlier.

"The strike was conducted in response to the rockets launched from Gaza at Israel throughout the night," the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) tweeted. "We are determined to secure the safety of Israelis, is on high alert and prepared for a variety of scenarios. Hamas is responsible and bears the consequences for the ongoing events," it added.

The Israeli forces claimed that 150 rockets had been launched towards them since Wednesday -- 80 of them since midnight -- of which 25 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile shield system.

Most of the remaining projectiles fell in open areas, however several of them hit inhabited areas and injured at least six people.

Yuval Steinitz, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, said the government was not eager for war nor an extension of the confrontation but was also firm that no concessions would be made to Hamas.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu was set to call a Cabinet meeting on Thursday to assess the crisis.

--IANS

anp/soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that apparently "total moral policing" is going on in Maharashtra and sought to know from the state why it has not allowed a single dance bar to operate.

A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan asked the Maharashtra government why it has not issued a single licence to dance bars even after court's repetitive orders.

The apex court observed that with the changing times, the definition of obscenity has also changed and now even the law and society have recognised live-in like relationships, which earlier were not acceptable.

Earlier, filmmakers used to show two flowers or two birds chirping instead of showing kiss or love-making scenes in movies but now the time has changed, Justice Sikri said.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the state argued that even today society at large has not changed as far as perception is concerned. No traditional families would allow their children to visit places like dance bars, he added.

The court was hearing a batch of plea filed by hotel and restaurant owners, bar girls and others challenging the new law of the state imposing new restrictions on licensing and functioning of dance bars there.

The new law is Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016.

As the hearing remained inconclusive, the court has now posted the case for August 23.

--IANS

gt/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll of militants killed in a gunfight with the security forces in a forested area in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district increased to five on Thursday, police said.

"A fifth militant was killed on Thursday morning after he fired at the security forces surrounding the Dooniwari forests in Rafiabad," the police said.

The gunfight broke out on Wednesday morning following specific information about the presence of militants in the area. Four militants were killed and a para commando of the Indian Army was injured.

The gunfight officially ended on Thursday but searches were still ongoing in the area.

Police sources said the group of slain militants had infiltrated into the hinterland from across the Line of Control in Uri sector a few days ago.

--IANS

sq/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vishwaroopam 2: Starring Kamal Haasan, Waheeda Rehman, Shekhar Kapoor, Anand Mahadevan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jermiah; Directed by Kamal Haasan: Rating: ***  (3 and a half stars).

The best thing about this lengthy lumbering but never uninteresting ode to anti-terrorism is the lovely wizened Waheeda Rehman. But we have to wait till after interval point for her to show up.

The veteran actress is cast as the protagonist's mother who suffers a memory loss and can only remember her son as a dancer not a nationalist fighter.

If you've seen the first Vishwaroopam film 5 years ago you'd remember what the lady has forgotten. Kamal Haasan's Kathak recital in the film resonated rather quaintly with all the macho desh bhakti/jihadi stuff as he had infiltrated into a Jihadi camp as an Islamic insurgent.

Those scenes of snarling militancy return in the sequel as flashy flashbacks, meant to flesh out the tale as it plods along from London to Delhi via Pakistan.

In the sequel, our hero Wisam Kashmiri (no room for subtlety here) is still being sneered at by his colleague Anant Mahdevan at RAW.

"At the end of it all you are what you are," Mahadevan smirks. "Jo tum ho woh ho."

Kamal Haasn being Kamal Haasan sneers right back with the kind of taunting rhetoric that sounds a little phoney when translated from the Tamil original. But his two heroines clap and cheer the performance.

"Maybe I am a good actor," he wonders after a session of cerebral pow-wow maybe.

Throughout its ruminative running-time Vishwaroopam 2 moves a little off-beam. It is somewhat breathless and out of sorts in parts specially when all the espionage stuff with Shekhkar Kapoor (looking suave still at 70), Anant Mahdevan and of all people Rajendra Gupta (who as a RAW boss seems... well, a little raw) comes to a standstill, while Kamal Haasan playing a RAW double-agent banters, flirts and romances with his female associates played by Pooja Kumar and Andrea Jeremiah.

Is he sleeping with both or only the one who is Kashmiri's legally wedded wife. As we are told, he is not very good with societal rules.

It is hard to say which of the two our hero Wisam is married to. He behaves exactly the same way with both. The antics of the menage a trois somehow never achieve any of the seductive peaks they are meant to hit. Perhaps the flirty dialogues lose their edge in translation. Both the ladies are annoying in their servitude and thraldom to the Kamal Haasan School Of Hero Worship.

What gives this sequel its spin and spell are the bouts of action shot with the dizzying urgency one witnesses in the war zone. There are two lengthy fights in public restrooms, a la Mission Impossible Fallout.

But let's not even go there.As long as we don't compare the action sequences with their firangi counterparts things appear pretty engaging in Vishwaroopam.

This is not a dumbed-down militancy movie. Yes, this is a learned view of terrorism filled with sly references to Obama and 9/11. The unintiated may find the narrative hard to keep up with.

As Kamal Haasan if he cares. But those who enjoy watching a good wack on the back of militancy, Vishwaroopam 2 is an engaging if somewhat choppy ride through the terror terrain.

At times one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at the coiling-recoiling plot. At one point a RAW senior colleague tells Kamal Haasan that he would like to stare his killer in the eye whenever it happens.

A little later he is dead. Our hero, not one to let go the chance for poetic justice, drags the killer to his dying colleague's range of vision.

"Here he is," pants our hero. Here indeed.

--IANS

ahm/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police on Thursday arrested a youth, who was part of the Kanwariyas, on the charges of vandalizing a car after it brushed one of them, police said.

The police identified the accused as Rahul, a resident of west Delhi's Uttam Nagar. "He was clearly seen in a CCTV camera footage on Tuesday while he and over 20 kanwariyas were damaging a car in west Delhi's Moti Nagar," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.

Police teams scanned over 20 CCTV footages installed in nearby shops. "Rahul was arrested and has confessed to his involvement in vandalism. He works as a labourer and was earlier arrested in a theft case," Kumar said.

"On the day of crime, one of the Kanwariyas got pushed by the vehicle, which resulted in heated arguments. One of occupants, a man and a woman, slapped a kanwariya, infuriating the entire group. They started damaging the car," the officer said.

The occupants of the car, he said, immediately left the spot and later refused to make a written complaint.

"On the basis of inquiries conducted by the police and the CCTV footage, a case has been registered," said Kumar, adding efforts are on to nab others.

A video clipping showing the pilgrims damaging the vehicle with sticks has gone viral on social media.

--IANS

sp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in rain-related incidents over the last 24 hours in Kerala reached 22 on Thursday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan postponed Saturday's annual Nehru boat race in Alappuzha following forecast for more rains.

"In the intervening night of August 8-9, 22 person died in various districts of Kerala due to heavy rain and landslides," said a Home Ministry statement, quoting Kerala Emergency Operations Centre.

As per the statement, the death includes 11 from Idukki, five from Malapuram, three from Wayanad, two from Kannur and one from Kozidkode.

Four teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) left from Chennai to Kerala at 1.30 p.m. on Friday. An Inter-ministerial Central team is also visiting the flood-affected area and the Army support is being mobilized from Bengaluru, the statement said.

Earlier, Vijayan, while talking to media, said rains have caused extensive damage to life and property across the state.

"As we speak, the trial run of opening one shutter of the Idukki dam might have taken place," Vijayan said.

As a precaution, the Cochin International Airport Limited has informed that till 2.30 p.m. all incoming flights will be diverted to other destinations, while there will be no problem for outgoing flights.

"Since more rains are forecast, as a matter of abundant caution, it has been decided to postpone the upcoming Nehru boat race on the Punnamada lake. The new dates will be announced by the organisers," said Vijayan.

He said that the Central team has agreed to provide all help.

"Since heavy rains have led to widespread loss and destruction, we call upon all to donate to the Chief Minister's Fund," Vijayan said.

Earlier State Power Minister M.M. Mani, who is from Idukki, said: "I visited the affected areas on Thursday morning; things are pretty bad."

"The shutters of the Idamalyar dam were opened. We will open a shutter of the Idukki dam also," Mani said.

At 12.30 p.m., after a gap of 26 years, one shutter of the Idukki dam was opened as part of a trial run and to assess the water flow. The shutters will be closed after four hours.

Earlier Vijayan held an emergency meeting and appointed senior official P.H. Kurian to lead the rescue and relief operations.

A special monitoring cell has been opened in the state secretariat and all the 14 district collectors have been directed to open one monitoring centre in each district.

--IANS

rak/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in rain-related incidents over the last 24 hours in Kerala reached 24 on Thursday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan postponed Saturday's annual Nehru boat race in Alappuzha following forecast of more rains.

Following the opening of the Idamalayar dam, the waters flooded the Periyar river and reached the compound of the Cochin international airport, which was sbut for all arrivals in the afternoon. But after the waters receded at 3 p.m., the airport was reopened.

On the night of August 8-9, 22 persons died in various districts of Kerala due to heavy rains and landslides, said a Home Ministry statement.

The deaths included 11 in Idukki, five in Malapuram, three in Wayanad, two each in Kannur and Ernakulam one in Kozhikode.

Two Class 12 students who ventured out for fishing in the flooded waters near Kochi were swept away. Their bodies were found later.

Four teams of of the National Disaster Response Force left from Chennai to Kerala. An inter-ministerial Central team is visiting the flood-ravaged area and Army support is being mobilized from Bengaluru, the statement said.

Earlier, Vijayan said the rains had caused extensive damage to life and property across the state.

"Since more rains are forecast, as a matter of abundant caution, it has been decided to postpone the upcoming Nehru boat race on the Punnamada lake. The new dates will be announced by the organisers," he said.

He said the Central team had agreed to provide all help.

"Since heavy rains have led to widespread loss and destruction, we call upon all to donate to the Chief Minister's Fund," Vijayan said.

Earlier, Power Minister M.M. Mani, who is from Idukki, said the situation in the district was "pretty bad".

"The shutters of the Idamalyar dam were opened. We will open a shutter of the Idukki dam also," Mani said.

At 12.30 p.m., after a gap of 26 years, one shutter of the Idukki dam was opened as part of a trial run and to assess the water flow. It would be kept open for the night. If the water level does not fall, the other shutters also might be opened on Friday morning.

Earlier, Vijayan held an emergency meeting and appointed senior official P.H. Kurian to lead the rescue and relief operations.

A special monitoring cell has been opened in the state Secretariat and all the 14 district collectors have been directed to open one monitoring centre in each district.

The Southern Naval Command has sent four diving teams and a Sea King helicopter while another aircraft is flying out the NDRF members from Kozhikode to Wayanad to evacuate the stranded people.

--IANS

sg/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kerala government on Thursday sought the Army's help as the death toll in the rain-related incidents rose to 24 with large-scale damage reported from various parts of the state.

A team of the Army's Military Engineering Group is set to arrive at Kozhikode and Ernakulam, officials said, adding that some Army officers from Kannur had already reached the flooded Wayanad.

The worst affected districts include Idukki, Malappuram, Palghat, Kozhikode, Wayanad and parts of Kannur.

Following the opening of the Idamalayar dam gates, the flood water from the Periyar river entered the Cochin International Airport compound, forcing the authorities to temporarily shut operations in the afternoon. The airport reopened after the water receded at 3 p.m.

A Home Ministry statement said 22 persons died in overnight rains and landslides on August 8-9. Idukki alone accounted for 11 deaths.

Two Class 12 students who ventured out for fishing in the flooded waters near Kochi were also swept away. Their bodies were found, officials said.

Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force have left Chennai for Kerala. An inter-ministerial Central team is visiting the flood-ravaged area and Army support is also being mobilized from Bengaluru, the statement said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said rains have caused extensive damage to life and property across the state. "The Centre has agreed to extend all help," he said.

Since more rains are forecast, as a matter of abundant caution, it has been decided to postpone the upcoming Nehru boat race on the Punnamada lake, he said.

"We call upon all to donate to the Chief Minister's Fund," Vijayan said.

Power Minister M.M. Mani, who is from Idukki, said the situation in the district was "pretty bad".

"The shutters of the Idamalyar dam were opened. We will open a shutter of the Idukki dam also," he said.

The capacity of the Idukki dam is 2,403 meters. At 12.30 p.m., when the water level crossed 2,399 meters after a gap of 26 years, one shutter of the dam was opened.

"At the moment everything is under control," said Idukki legislator Roshy Augustine.

The Malampuzha dam, which was opened a few days, sent out waters which have created havoc in certain areas of Palghat, which borders Tamil Nadu.

Water has entered houses in many low-lying areas of the district.

Earlier, Vijayan held an emergency meeting and appointed senior official P.H. Kurien to lead the rescue and relief operations.

--IANS

sg/prs/mr/ahm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South and North Korea will hold a high-level meeting next week to review implementation of their previous summit agreements and discuss preparations for new talks between their leaders, Seoul's Unification Ministry said on Thursday.

The meeting will be held on August 13 on the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjom that separates the two Koreas, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"Through the upcoming high-level talks, the two sides will have in-depth discussion on ways to bolster the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration and exchange views on things needed to successfully hold an inter-Korean summit," the Ministry said.

The declaration referred to the agreement that South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un adopted when they met in April.

Under the agreement, the two sides promised to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, halt hostile acts against each other and bolster cross-border exchanges. They also promised to meet in Pyongyang later this year.

The high-level talks will be the fourth since the start of this year. They last met in June.

--IANS

ksk/soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned on Thursday again for a third time over the issue of Rafale jet deal after Congress members created a ruckus.

Soon after the House met at 1 p.m., Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajn asked Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal to introduce three bills in the House.

When Goyal stood to introduce to amend the integrated Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, 2017, amend the Union Territories GST Act, 2017, and amend the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, the Congrerss members started raising slogans.

Following the ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Earlier, Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge raised the issue during the Zero Hour and said that national security had been compromised. The government was trying to mislead the nation on the Rafale deal with France, he added.

Kharge said that under the UPA government, the Rafale deal was finalised at Rs 526 crore per aircraft. "Now there is a three-times increase in the price of the aircraft to 1,600 crore per aircraft.

"Rafale is the biggest scam of the country worth Rs 45,000 crore," he said. He demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the deal.

After Kharge's statement, all the Congress leaders approached the Speaker's podium holding placards that said "Stop misleading Parliament and People" and "Constitute JPC on Rafale".

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan then adjourned the House for 20 minutes till 1 p.m.

The House was earlier adjourned for 10 minutes during the Question Hour after the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) members created ruckus over the allocation of defence land in the state.

--IANS

sid-aks/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that proposes to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to enable the overseas electors to appoint proxies to cast their votes in the elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Replying to the debate on the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Law Minister Ravi Shankar said it was a "momentous event" and a big opportunity was being given to non-resident Indians (NRIs).

He said the constitution makers had given the right to vote to all Indians and as such the NRIs also had the right. "Let us not deride the contribution of NRIs. They have made a place for themselves by their hard work. Their commitment to India is truly remarkable," he said.

Responding to the apprehension of some members that the proxy provision can be misused, he said rules will be made in such a way that if law is flouted, it will lead to cancellation of the mandate.

Responding to members' concerns about migrant workers, Prasad said the Election Commission was already working on it.

"Our sympathy is with them. They should be given the right to vote," he said.

Prasad said migrant workers can at present vote from their original place of living or by satisfying the Election Commission that they were ordinary residents of their place of work.

Referring to the concerns of members about the word "proxy", Prasad said it is not a dirty word.

"It is a properly defined legal word. Armed forces are also given right of proxy voting," he said.

About the suggestion for introducing e-voting, Prasad said there were a lot of difficulties in it and more advancement in technology will be needed to make a secure architecture.

Pointing to opposition benches, he said they should not have any objection if NRIs want to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he travels abroad.

He said India is seen as a global power.

The Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides for allocation of seats and delimitation of constituencies for elections, qualifications of voters, and preparation of electoral rolls.

The Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides for the conduct of elections and offences and disputes related to elections.

The statement of objects and reasons of the bill states that the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 provide that the overseas electors can register themselves in the electoral rolls and exercise their franchise in person on production of original passport.

"The existing rules stipulate the physical presence of the overseas electors in the respective polling station in India on the day of polling. This causes hardship to the overseas electors in exercising their franchise by being present in India on the day of polling.

"In view of the above difficulty faced by the overseas electors, the Government has considered the feasibility of facilitating external mode of voting i.e. voting by proxy, whereby such electors can exercise their franchise from their place of residence abroad," the statement said.

The bill proposes to amend section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to enable the overseas electors to appoint a proxy to cast the vote in an election on their behalf, subject to certain conditions to be laid down.

According to a UN survey, India's diaspora population is the largest in the world with 16 million people from the country living in 2015.

The bill also proposes changes in the Acts to make provisions gender neutral and replace the term wife with spouse.

--IANS

ps/anp/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Antigua and Barbuda government is examining India's request for the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud and who has now taken citizenship in that Caribbean nation, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

"We have submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda a request for extradition on August 3," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing here.

"There is an extradition arrangement between India and Antigua and Barbuda pursuant to our respective Extradition Acts," Kumar said.

"As per the provisions of Extradition Act 1993 of Antigua and Barbuda, a person can be extradited to a designated Commonwealth country or a state with which there are general or special arrangements or a bilateral treaty."

According to Kumar, the Antigua and Barbuda government notified India as a designated Commonwealth country in 2001 while New Delhi issued a gazette notification on August 3 which directs that the provisions of its own Extradition Act of 1962 shall apply with respect to Antigua and Barbuda with effect from 2001.

"Now, since the submission of the extradition request, we have been told that they are examining the request," he said.

"So, it is little bit premature to react at this stage as to what their formal response is."

Regarding Nirav Modi, the other accused in the massive scam, the spokesperson said the request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his extradition, was forwarded by the External Affairs Ministry to British central authority on August 3.

Acknowledging that this was based on the two red corner notices issued by the ED, he said: "Now, we of course wait for the response of the British government on this matter."

As for absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in the over Rs 9,000-crore bank fraud case, Kumar said following India's extradition request sent in February 2017, the matter is pending adjudication with the Westminster Magistrate's Court in London.

"The extradition hearing began in December 2017 and the last hearing was held on July 31," he said.

"We understand that the matter again will be heard on September 12, 2018."

--IANS

ab/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated JD-U's Harivansh Narayan Singh, the joint ruling NDA candidate, on being elected the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

"I congratulate Harivanshji on being elected the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha," Modi said in the upper House, describing the journalist-MP as a "well read" person who "has written a lot".

"He has served society for years," Modi said.

"I also want to congratulate B.K. Hariprasad (opposition candidate) for being a part of the election."

Janata Dal-United member Narayan Singh defeated Hariprasad of the Congress by 20 votes in the election for the post.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley, who attended the Rajya Sabha for the first time in the ongoing monsoon session, also congratulated Harivansh Singh on his election.

Jaitley said he was confident that Harivansh Singh would uphold the integrity of the post.

Rajya Sabha members cutting across party lines felicitated the new deputy chair.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad while congratulating the new deputy chair said he hoped his experience in journalism would benefit the House in its conduct.

--IANS

sar/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the government's anti-Dalit mindset became clear when Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewarded with re-employment a judge who diluted an act that sought to deter atrocities against the marginalized.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the governments it led at the Centre and in state had no space for Dalits in their hearts.

"If Modiji had space for Dalits in his heart, then the policies for Dalits would have been different," Gandhi said.

The Congress leader was addressing a protest rally by Dalits and tribals at Janatar Mantar here.

Gandhi said when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister he wrote in a book that "Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai" (Dalits feel happy when they do cleaning work).

"This is his (Modi's) ideology," Gandhi said.

He said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was brought by the Congress when his father Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

"But that was allowed to be diluted by Modiji. And the judge who diluted the act was given a promotion," he said, referring to the appointment of Justice A.K. Goel as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman

Justices Goel and U.U. Lalit had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.

The ruling angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.

The government, however, made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused. The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Gandhi in his speech said it was not enough to protect the interests of the Dalits in the country.

He said whereever the BJP was in government, Dalits were being "beaten up and suppressed".

Pointing out the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a University of Hyderabad PhD student, the Congress leader said Dalits were crushed if they tried to advance in life.

"We don't want an India where Dalits are suppressed. We want an India where everyone grows.

"His (Modi's) thinking is anti-Dalit... The entire country will stand up against him, the BJP and the RSS."

--IANS

aks/sar/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A large number of farmers, ex-serviceman and representatives of Left-affiliated organisations on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading and providing wrong information to the nation on MSP and other policies of his government.

Converging at Parliament Street here to protest on "Quit India Day", farmers demanded that the Central government write off crop loans taken from banks and implement the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report which recommends that minimum support price (MSP) be raised to 1.5 times the input cost.

All major farmer outfits from Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh participated in the protest.

All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah said: "He (Modi) is a 100 per cent liar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misleading and providing wrong information to farmers saying they have raised the MSP for the Khariff crops by 50 per cent. It's not true."

Mollah said the present hike only factors in the cost of farm labour and investment on fertiliser and seeds.

"Effective hike is only 13 per cent and PM Modi has failed to honour his promise," he said.

The general secretary said around 20 lakh people in 400 districts of 25 states in the country are protesting against "false promises" made by the Narendra Modi government.

United Front of Ex-Servicemen also protested against what they called faulty implementation of the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme, saying continuous degradation and ill-treatment to the defence forces is taking place in the country.

Colonel R.D. Sharma (retd) said: "After the BJP came to power, it promised to implement the OROP within 100 days. But now it is ignoring our cause and has changed the actual definition of OROP."

Sharma said now he receives less pension compared to his juniors and urged the government to pay uniform pension to all armed forces personnel.

--IANS

sm/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of people, including grieving family members and friends, here on Thursday received the mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane who was killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rane was among the four Army personnel killed in a gunfight with terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipura district on Tuesday.

His body reached his home in Mira Road town here early on Thursday, an official said.

Late on Wednesday, the coffin, draped in the national Tricolour, arrived in Mumbai where it was solemnly received by Rane's grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.

Early on Thursday, decked with flowers the coffin was brought to his hometown in a military truck for the last rites which will be performed with full military honours later in the day.

Thousands of emotional onlookers lined the roads on both sides or from building tops and terraces as they showered flowers on the coffin, raising slogans of "Major Kaustubh Rane, Amar Rahe" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", waving the Indian flag. Many women could be seen weeping.

Since Tuesday, the Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely five km north of Mumbai.

Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.

His father had retired from a Tata Group company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining 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.

The Major had visited Mira Road town in April for a brief period before returning to the front.

It was a proud moment for the family when Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.

--IANS

qn/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday defeating the Opposition's nominee B.K. Hariprasad.

Harivansh, a veteran journalist representing Bihar as a member of Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in the Upper House, received 125 votes as against 105 of Hariprasad.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 but the members present in the House were 230.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and YSR Congress party abstained from voting.

Following his election, Harivansh was conducted to his seat, which is beside the Leader of Opposition, by Leader of House Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananath Kumar and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harivansh on his win, saying: "I congratulate Harivanshji on being elected the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha."

Modi described Harivansh as a "well read" person who "has written a lot".

"He has served the society for years," the Prime Minister added.

"I also want to congratulate B.K. Hariprasad for being a part of the election."

He said that there were two "Hari's" in the race and hoped that with Harivansh victory, there will be "harikripa "(God's blessings) in the House.

Jaitley, who attended the Rajya Sabha for the first time in the ongoing monsoon session, also congratulated Harivansh on his election, saying that he was confident that he would uphold the post's integrity.

Rajya Sabha members cutting across party lines felicitated the new deputy chair.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said he hoped his experience in journalism would benefit the House in its conduct.

He expected that Harivansh will discharge his duties in a non-partisan manner and work for all sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena and leaders of other parties also conveyed their congratulations.

On his part, Harivansh assured the members that he will conduct the proceedings of the House in a non-partisan manner.

"Now, I do not belong to any party," he said seeking cooperation of the members in the smooth conduct of the House.

He said that it is a matter of pride for him to reach the corridors of power and pledged to work for the development of the nation.

After Harivansh ended his speech, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu invited him to conduct the House proceedings.

"The House stands adjourned to meet again at 2 p.m.," Harivansh said in his first ruling.

--IANS

bns/ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Divisions in the ranks of the opposition helped National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh score a comfortable victory in the election for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday defeating Opposition nominee B.K. Hariprasad.

In a development billed as one of the several battles ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Harivansh, a Janata Dal-United (JD-U) member and a veteran journalist, secured 125 votes as against 105 of Hariprasad in a House of 244 besides the Chairman. Only 230 members were present.

The easy sailing for the ruling coalition nominee came on the back of support from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Telangana Rashtra Samitai (TRS), both of which fight the BJP in Odisha and Telangana respectively but extended their hand of friendship in Delhi. As expected, 13 MPs of the AIADMK also backed the NDA candidate. BJD and TRS have 9 and 6 members respectively.

However, the Opposition numbers got a boost with the support of the TDP (6) which decided to back Hariprasad, apparently to return the favours extended by Congress which backed the no-confidence motion moved by the TDP at the start of the monsoon session.

Roughly, the BJP and its allies account for 112 MPs while the Opposition that includes parties like BJD and TRS account for 113.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and K. Chandrasekhara Rao (Telangana) seeking support for Harivansh.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with three members, abstained with party leaders saying the Congress did not involve them in consultations while the YSR Congress party with two MPs also abstained, raising the margin of victory.

Out of 50 Congress members, two were absent while one of the 12 TMC members absented. The SP has 13 members, of whom two were absent. Of the four members of DMK, whose chief M. Karunanidhi died just two days ago, two were absent. Two members of PDP also absented.

Following his election, Harivansh was conducted to his seat, which is beside the Leader of Opposition, by Leader of the House Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Modi congratulated Harivansh on his victory and Harivansh as a "well read" person who "has written a lot".

"He has served the society for years," the Prime Minister added. "I also want to congratulate B.K. Hariprasad for being a part of the election."

He said there were two "Haris" in the race and hoped that with Harivansh victory, there will be "harikripa "(God's blessings) in the House.

Jaitley, who attended the Rajya Sabha for the first time in the ongoing monsoon session after a kidney transplant surgery he had a few months ago, also congratulated Harivansh.

Members cutting across party lines felicitated the new deputy chair.

Azad expressed the hope that Harivansh will discharge his duties in a non-partisan manner and work for all sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

He hoped his experience in journalism would benefit the House.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena and leaders of other parties also conveyed their congratulations.

On his part, Harivansh assured the members that he will conduct the proceedings of the House in a non-partisan manner.

"Now I do not belong to any party," he said, seeking cooperation of the members in the smooth conduct of the House.

After Harivansh's speech, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu invited him to conduct the House proceedings.

"The House stands adjourned to meet again at 2 p.m.," Harivansh said in his first words from the Chair.

--IANS

bns/vsc/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aided by divisions in the ranks of the opposition, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh sailed through easily in the election for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Thursday defeating Opposition nominee B.K. Hariprasad.

Harivansh, a Janata Dal-United (JD-U) member and a veteran journalist, secured 125 votes as against 105 of Hariprasad in a House of 244 besides the Chairman. Only 230 members were present.

The comfortable win for the ruling coalition nominee came on the back of support from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Telangana Rashtra Samitai (TRS), both of which fight the BJP in Odisha and Telangana respectively but extended their hand of friendship in Delhi. As expected, 13 MPs of the AIADMK also supported the NDA candidate. BJD and TRS have 9 and 6 members respectively.

Roughly, the BJP and its allies account for 112 MPs while the Opposition that includes parties like BJD and TRS account for 113.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and K. Chandrasekhara Rao (Telangana) seeking support for Harivansh.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with three members, abstained with party leaders saying the Congress did not involve them in consultations while the YSR Congress party with two MPs also abstained.

Following his election, Harivansh was conducted to his seat, which is beside the Leader of Opposition, by Leader of the House Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Modi congratulated Harivansh on his victory and Harivansh as a "well read" person who "has written a lot".

"He has served the society for years," the Prime Minister added. "I also want to congratulate B.K. Hariprasad for being a part of the election."

He said there were two "Haris" in the race and hoped that with Harivansh victory, there will be "harikripa "(God's blessings) in the House.

Jaitley, who attended the Rajya Sabha for the first time in the ongoing monsoon session after a kidney transplant surgery he had a few months ago, also congratulated Harivansh.

Members, cutting across party lines felicitated the new deputy chair.

Azad expressed the hope that Harivansh will discharge his duties in a non-partisan manner and work for all sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

He hoped his experience in journalism would benefit the House.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena and leaders of other parties also conveyed their congratulations.

On his part, Harivansh assured the members that he will conduct the proceedings of the House in a non-partisan manner.

"Now I do not belong to any party," he said, seeking cooperation of the members in the smooth conduct of the House.

He said that it was a matter of pride for him to reach the corridors of power and pledged to work for the country's development.

After Harivansh's speech, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu invited him to conduct the House proceedings.

"The House stands adjourned to meet again at 2 p.m.," Harivansh said in his first words from the Chair.

--IANS

bns/vsc/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia's Lombok Island on Thursday, less than a week after a major earthquake in the region left at least 168 people dead, more than 1,500 injured and 156,000 affected.

The US Geological Survey said the hypocentre was located at a depth of 10 km and 23 km from Mataram, the capital of the province, reports Efe news.

The quake caused people to rush out of their houses and damaged some buildings, National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

In an earlier tweet, Sutopo had raised the death toll from the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck the island on Sunday to 168, adding that official data on casualties was slow due to the verification process.

He referred to informal figures provided by other entities, which in one case put the number of deaths at 381.

The agency also reported that 1,467 people have been hospitalised and more than 156,000 displaced.

The search and rescue teams on Thursday continue to try to locate victims or survivors under the rubble of thousands of demolished buildings.

The Sunday quake occurred a week after another 6.4-magnitude tremor struck Lombok and left 16 people dead, 355 injured and 1,500 buildings destroyed.

The Indonesian archipelago is situated along the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area known for its intense seismic and volcanic activity, which produce about 7,000 earthquakes each year, most of which are of moderate magnitude.

--IANS

ksk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has been in close touch with Bangladesh over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update issue in Assam and Dhaka is of the view that it is an internal matter of India, a senior official said here on Thursday.

"We have been in very close touch with the government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issuance of the draft NRC," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing here.

"At all points, we have repeatedly assured the government of Bangladesh that it is still a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and the process of identification of citizens of Assam is still underway," Kumar said.

"The Bangladesh government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India. We do not apprehend any impact on our ties with Bangladesh which remain excellent."

As many as four million people, mainly illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh, did not find their names in the final draft of the Assam NRC which was released last month.

There has been disquiet in some quarters following reports about India giving assurances to Bangladesh regarding the NRC process.

According to one media report, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar gave such assurances to a visiting Bangladeshi leader.

Al-Hajj Sayed Nazi, leader of the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, a religious party allied with Bangladesh's ruling alliance, said that he has been assured by the Narendra Modi government that no one will be deported.

Following this, former Assam Chief Minister and AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta, who as the then President of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) spearheaded the historic Assam Movement against illegal infiltration, rejected the contention that the problem of Bangladeshis is India's internal matter and that there is no reason for Bangladesh to be concerned about. It is unacceptable, he said.

"All earlier governments as well as all parties have agreed that, according to the Assam Accord (of 1985), all those Bangladeshis who have infiltrated into India after March 24, 1971, should be deported," Mahanta told the media here on Wednesday.

He said that the NRC is the first step that will make the process of detecting foreigners easy and this will help in the full implementation of the Assam Accord.

--IANS

ab/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 31 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers have benefited under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on Thursday.

"More than 21 lakh beneficiaries were enrolled under PMMVY - Common Application Software (PMMVY-CAS) for receiving maternity benefits under the scheme during the financial year 2017-18," she said.

Under the scheme, pregnant woman and lactating mother apart from regular government employees are entitled to receive Rs 5,000 and the remaining cash incentive of Rs 1,000 for maternity benefit is given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery.

The scheme aims at providing partial compensation for wage loss in terms of cash incentives so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first living child.

--IANS

som/ahm/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Police on Thursday foiled a Congress procession to offer floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the the 76th anniversary of Quit India movement.

Police in riot gear fired several rounds of tear gas shells. Okram Ibobi, Opposition leader and former chief minister, said Congress members were prevented from coming out of the party office.

Prohibitory orders are in force in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, police said, adding the procession was stopped because the organizers had not sought permission.

Ibobi said the Congress members were planning a walk for about 500 metres from the party office.

He termed the police crackdown as unwarranted. "The BJP-led governments at the Centre and Manipur are functioning like dictators", he said, adding "denying us passage is murder of democracy."

Later the Congress members offered floral tributes to the Mahatma within the party office compound.

--IANS

il/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Priyanka Chopra says she spent an "emotional night" at her mother Madhu Chopra's home.

"Emotional night today at my moms house. Full of memories... reminders of every victory and heartbreak. She has kept everything," Priyanka tweeted on Wednesday night.

The actress thanked her mother for preserving the memories.

"It is like a museum of our family's life. Love you ma. Thank you for preserving us," she said.

On the work front, Priyanka has started shooting for National Award winning director Shonali Bose's upcoming film "The Sky Is Pink" with actors Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.

-*-

Tamannaah enjoys shooting Yash

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia says she had a great time shooting for a song titled "Jokae" with Kannada film star Yash for the film "KGF".

"Having a great time shooting 'Jokae' song with Yash. The team has made me feel so much at home, thank you guys. Watch out for 'KGF' very soon in your nearby theatres in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada," she tweeted.

"KGF" is written and directed by Prashanth Neel and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner Hombale films.

-*-

'New Amsterdam' is compassionate medical drama: Anupam

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who is shooting for the upcoming American drama series "New Amsterdam", has called it a "compassionate medical drama".

"Actors as doctors in slow motion look more confident and hopefully in control. With Tyler Labine at the shoot of 'New Amsterdam' - A compassionate medical drama," Anupam tweeted.

Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in the US, the series follows the brilliant and charming doctor Max Goodwin played by Ryan Eggold, the institution's newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care.

In addition to Anupam and Eggold, the cast of the series include Janet Montgomery, Jocko Sims, and Tyler Labine.

-*-

Producer Manish Goswami to open a playschool

Producer Manish Goswami will soon open a preschool and daycare centre.

Goswami, known for "Aisa Des Hai Mera", "Aashirward" and "Kittie Party", will open the playschool in western suburb of Mumbai.

"It is my son Siddhant's vision and belief that we are about to realise. He had a unique concept to create a large warm space where we strive for our kids to know and grow," Goswami said in a statement to IANS. --IANS

dc-sug/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the promoters of Jaiprakash Associates cannot bid for Jaypee Infratech, which is facing insolvency proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Rejecting Jaypee Associates plea to bid, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud allowed the NCLT to proceed.

Taking recourse to Article 142 of the Constitution that confers plenary powers to the top court to tide over any situation, the court said that the mandatory period of 180 days to complete the insolvency proceedings by the Interim Resolution Professional would commence from August 9.

The court also directed the constitution of a new Committee of Creditors (CoC) that would include the representatives of the home buyers who are now been recognised as operational creditors under the amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

While directing the transfer of Rs 750 crore that were deposited by the Jaiprakash Associates to the NCLT, the court allowed the application of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ask the banks to initiate insolvency proceedings against Jaiprakash Associates.

--IANS

pk/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of being anti-Dalit. BJP President Amit Shah hit back saying the Congress must stop treating Dalits with a "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"If Modiji had space for Dalits in his heart, then the policies for Dalits would have been different," Gandhi told a protest rally by Dalits at Jantar Mantar here.

He said when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister he wrote in a book that "Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai" (Dalits feel happy when they do cleaning work). "This is his (Modi's) ideology."

Gandhi said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was brought by the Congress when his father Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

"But that was allowed to be diluted by Modiji. And the judge who diluted the act was given a promotion," he said, referring to the appointment of Justice A.K. Goel as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman

Justices Goel and U.U. Lalit had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.

The ruling angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.

The government, however, made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused. The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Gandhi said whereever the BJP was in power, Dalits were being "beaten up and suppressed".

Pointing out the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a University of Hyderabad PhD student, the Congress leader said Dalits were crushed if they tried to advance in life.

"We don't want an India where Dalits are suppressed. We want an India where everyone grows. His (Modi's) thinking is anti-Dalit... The entire country will stand up against him, the BJP and the RSS."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief advised Gandhi to give "some time to facts", accusing his party of treating Dalits with "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"Rahulji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. The NDA government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament, ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?" Shah said in a series of tweets.

"Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronizing and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.

The Rajya Sabha MP also said: "Is it a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President, they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission!"

--IANS

aks/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russia on Thursday slammed as "categorically unacceptable" and "illegal", the Trump administration's decision to impose tough new US sanctions on Moscow following the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK earlier this year.

During a press call, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was "too early" at the moment for possible retaliatory sanctions to be discussed and reiterated the claim that Russia was not involved in the poisoning of Skripal in Salisbury, England, Sputnik news agency reported.

The US State Department announced on Wednesday that sanctions would be imposed under a chemical and biological warfare law and would go into effect around August 22. The statement also accused Russia of violating international law.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal were hospitalized and treated for a nerve agent attack in March. The woman was discharged from the hospital in April and her father was released in May. The UK and its allies blamed Russia for the attack.

"Once again we totally reject any allegations of possible Russian government involvement over what happened in Salisbury," Peskov said, adding that "Russia did not have and does not have anything to do with the use of chemical weapons".

Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it would lay out counter-measures in order to address the new sanctions. It said that Washington's actions put pressure on the investigators of the Skripal poisoning case.

The first set of sanctions targets certain items which the US exports to Russia that could have military uses -- the so called dual-use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported. With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied, according to CNN.

A senior State Department official said on Wednesday that there could be exceptions.

The US would then require Russia to assure over the next 90 days that it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons and will not do so in the future. Additionally, the criteria in the law call for Russia to allow on-site inspectors to ensure compliance.

The official said that if Russia did not meet the demands, the US "will have to consider whether to impose a second tranche of sanctions as specified by the statute."

The second package of sanctions may include a decrease in the level of diplomatic relations and a ban on flights by Russia's Aeroflot carrier to the US.

On the possibility of a ban on Aeroflot, Peskov labelled the US administration an "unpredictable participant in international affairs," adding "you can now expect anything".

The UK welcomed the move from the US on Wednesday.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that its oil supply to Canada will not be affected despite an escalating diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid Al-Falih, said that the current crisis will not, in any way, impact the state-owned Armco oil company's relations with its customers in Canada, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The minister said that oil supplies will not be subjected to political considerations.

Khalid Al-Falih stressed that the Kingdom continued to invest in its production capacity, considered a key factor in protecting from market volatility that is damaging to the interests of producers and consumers alike and the global economy at large.

Saudi-Canadian ties deteriorated earlier this week over statements made by Canadian Foreign Minister and Canadian Embassy in Riyadh demanding the release of Saudi civil society and women's rights activists.

The jailed activists included Saudi-American human rights campaigner Samar Badawi, sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.

Saudi Arabia considered the Canadian announcements as an "interference" in its affairs and took various measures, mainly cutting the diplomatic ties and freezing new investments between the two countries.

The Middle Eastern nation on Wednesday announced halting of all medical treatment programmes for Saudi citizens in Canada and was coordinating their transfer to medical facilities outside of the country.

Before that, it decided to suspend all training and scholarship programmes in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September. Also, Saudi Arabia's state airline suspended its direct flights to Toronto.

Canada responded to the action by saying it "will continue to advocate for human rights".

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking a CBI inquiry into the killing of 15 alleged Maoists by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on August 6.

The plea was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra which posted it for hearing on August 13.

An NGO, Civil Liberty Committee, approached the apex court seeking investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or constitute a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the killings.

It sought direction to constitute a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of high hourt.

On August 6, 11 alleged Maoists were killed and two others, including a senior cadre and an injured woman rebel, were held after a gun battle with security forces in Sukma district.

The police had said that operation was based on an intelligence input about the presence of a large number of Maoists in the area and they were killed as they retaliated with firing when the police asked them to surrender.

Eight Maoists, including four women, were gunned down in a similar operation conducted by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on July 19.

In April, eight Maoists -- six of them women -- were killed in a joint operation by Chhattisgarh and Telangana security personnel near the inter-state boundary in Bijapur.

--IANS

gt/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese scientists have folded DNA molecules in an origami-like process to make a nano "Trojan horse", which is thinner than 1/4000 of a hair and can release "killers" to fight cancer tumours.

Cancer cells need a lot of nutrition to multiply, but they do not produce nutrient substances, said lead researcher Nie Guangjun, from China's National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST).

All the blood, oxygen and energy are conveyed to cancer cells through blood vessels, so many scientists are trying to create blocks on the blood vessels feeding tumours, Xinhua news agency reported.

Through precision control, researchers folded a single-strand DNA of a phage (a type of virus) into a rectangular sheet.

Then they put four "killers" -- molecules of thrombin (a clotting enzyme in blood plasma) -- on the sheet and rolled them up.

At the interface, "locks" made by fragments of nucleolin protein DNA were installed, forming a tube-shaped nano "Trojan horse" or nanorobot, which is 90 nanometers long and has a diameter of 19 nanometers.

After injection, the "Trojan horse" travels in blood vessels and only tumours have the "key" to open the "locks".

Once unlocked, the killer thrombin molecules are released, attracting platelets and fibrinogen protein to form a large thrombus, or clot, in the blood vessel within hours to cut off the blood supply and "starve" the tumour to death, Nie said.

The nanorobot can be cleared out of the body after it has finished its task.

Researchers have conducted controlled experiments on more than 200 mice with melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and primary lung cancer, and found the nanorobots are effective in strangling the tumours, Nie said.

In one experiment on eight mice with melanoma, the tumours in three mice totally disappeared. The average survival life of the mice was prolonged from 20.5 days to 45 days. No metastasis was found, Nie noted.

--IANS

rt/mag/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An accountability court here has summoned deposed Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to appear before it on August 13 in two pending corruption references against him and his family.

It was the first hearing of the the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment graft cases after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) shifted the references from the court of accountability judge Mohammad Bashir to the court of judge Arshad Malik, Geo News reported.

The trial against the Sharifs commenced on September 14, 2017 after Pakistan's anti-corruption body NAB filed cases relating to the Avenfield, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, and offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Limited on the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark Panamagate verdict.

The officials of National Accountability Bureau told the court on Thursday that Sharif, who was supposed to appear before the court, could not be produced due to security concerns.

The court then ordered the prosecution to present Sharif, Panamagate Joint Investigation Team head and prosecution's key witness Wajid Zia for the hearing on August 13.

On July 6, accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference handing 10-year jail term to Sharif for owning assets beyond declared income, seven years to his daughter Maryam Nawaz for abetment and one year to his son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar Awan.

Later, the three-time Premier, through his counsel Khawaja Haris, had filed an appeal in the IHC for the transfer of the other two references to another accountability court since the arguments in both cases were similar to the ones given in the Avenfield reference.

Following that, Judge Bashir recused himself from hearing the pending references.

--IANS

soni/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Muslim husband wants to perform a ritual for his dead Hindu wife and a temple society in a New Delhi Bengali-dominated neighbourhood has not allowed because they believe the woman was no longer a Hindu after her marriage even as she hadnt given up her faith.

Imtiazur Rahman, who is based in Kolkata, lost her wife Nivedita Ghatak in the capital after she suffered from multi-ogran failure last week -- 20 years after the couple married in accordance with the Special Marriages Act that allows inter-faith wedding of couples irrespective of their individual faith.

Ghatak was cremated as per Hindu rites at Delhi's Nigam Bodh Ghat but the family could not perform shradh -- a set of Hindu rituals performed for the deceased.

Rahman, who works as assistant commissioner, commercial taxes in the West Bengal government, said he had booked an August 12 slot at Kali Mandir Society in the Bengali-dominated Chittaranjan Park after paying Rs 1,300 for the ceremony on Aug 6. But he was later told by the temple society that his booking has been cancelled "for obvious reasons".

Ashitava Bhowmik, the president of the temple society, told IANS that Rahman's request could not be taken up for "more than one reason".

He alleged that Rahman "concealed his identity" and made the booking in his daughter Ihini Ambreen's

name "which doesn't sound like Arabic or Muslim".

Bhowmik said "we got to know about his religious identity when a priest got suspicious and asked him about gotra" -- the lineage which forms an important factor in determining Hindu ancestry.

"Obviously, he had no answers. Muslims don't follow gotra system. His wife can no longer be considered a Hindu after marrying the Muslim because a woman adopts the surname and belief system of her in-laws and becomes a part of that society," Bhowmik told IANS.

Unapologetically, he said, "It was done in keeping with and respecting the Hindu traditions and rites."

Asked since it was the last wish of the woman, who followed the Hindu belief system, Bhowmik said "who knows the man has some ulterior motive and could bring in 50-100 of his relatives inside the temple and start praying Namaz" there.

"What will we do in that case? Should we allow that?" he asked.

Being probed further that it was only the temple society's hypothetical fear, Bhowmik said if Rahman was too keen on performing the ritual of his wife he should do that at his home.

"Why insist on a temple in Delhi? Why doesn't he do it at his home in Kolkata?"

But Rahman countered the allegations saying faith was a personal matter for him and it had never hurt his relationship with his "practising Hindu wife" as she would perform any ritual the way she wanted and he would do it his way.

"This time I wanted to do it her way because she would have wanted to me do it like that. But am not being allowed." He has not been able to hold the shradh ritual till now.

--IANS

sar/hs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lance Naik Vikram Jit Singh, who was killed fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated with full state honours at his native village Tepla in Ambala district of Haryana on Thursday.

Army and police contingents presented a guard of honour to the brave soldier by reversing firearms, while hundreds of villagers gave a tearful farewell to the son of the soil.

Health Minister Anil Vij laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the soldier's body.

The mortal remains of Vikram, 26, were airlifted to the Air Force Station in Ambala Cantt on Wednesday, from where they were taken to Tepla on Thursday in a decorated Army vehicle.

Vikram, who joined the Army five years ago, made the supreme sacrifice while fighting terrorists trying to infiltrate into India in the Gurez Sector on August 6.

Vij said that financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh had been transferred to the bank accounts of the soldier's wife Harjit Kaur, father Baljinder Singh and mother Kamlesh Kaur.

Haryana will also provide a government job to Harjit Kaur.

--IANS

js/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is being treated for an early-stage malignant tumour, the office of the Syrian Presidency announced.

Born and raised in London, 42-year-old Asma al-Assad has been a highly controversial figure. She was one of 12 people placed under EU sanctions in 2012 over the Syrian government's violent response to the civil war.

A photograph of the First Lady and Assad was posted on Twitter on Wednesday with the President's office saying: "With strength, trust and faith... Asma al-Assad begins her preliminary treatment of a malignant breast tumour that was discovered early.

"From the heart, the presidency and the staff wish Asma a speedy recovery," it read.

Asma al-Assad, a dual British-Syrian national, attended school and university in London before becoming an investment banker.

She shifted to Syria in 2000 and married former ophthalmologist Assad, just months after he succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad as President, the BBC reported.

She has been in the news for standing by Assad throughout Syria's seven-year civil war.

In her first comments about the bloodshed in Syria, Asma al-Assad said in 2012: "The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role."

The same year, activists released thousands of private emails purportedly from Assad and his wife apparently showing that the latter continued to buy luxury goods even after the uprising had begun. She was also personally sanctioned by the EU.

Asma al-Assad also rose to prominence on social media during the Syrian war. Her Instagram feed showed images of her cradling children, sitting by the bedside of injured war victims and touring sites with local women.

She did not speak to foreign media again till 2016 when she told Russian state-backed television that she had previously rejected offers of asylum abroad.

--IANS

soni/MR

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of people, including grieving family members, bid a tearful goodbye to Major Kaustubh P. Rane, who was consigned to the flames with full military honours in his hometown here on Thursday afternoon.

Rane, 29, was among the four soldiers killed in a gunfight with terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipura district on Tuesday.

A stoic Prakash Rane lit the funeral pyre of his son while the soldier's wife Kanika and minor son Agastya stood behind, amidst cries of "Major Kaustubh Rane Amar Rahe," "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram" in Mira Road town.

A military band played the last post. Soldiers, police officials and elected representatives offered their last respects to the Major before the funeral pyre was lit.

Nearby, women soldiers consoled his mother Jyoti, his sister Kashyapi and other relatives who cried inconsolably.

Earlier on Thursday, Major Rane's coffin, draped in the national tricolour, arrived at his hometown in an Army truck where it was received by the family, Army and civilian officials. It was flown to Mumbai late on Wednesday from Srinagar.

As the funeral cortege wend its way through the town, thousands lined the roads on both sides or waited on buildings and terraces, showering flowers and waving the Indian flag.

Since Tuesday, the Mira Road township was in mourning over the death of the Major who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely five kilometres north of Mumbai.

Large parts of the town observed a spontaneous shutdown as a mark of respect as the funeral procession journeyed from the Rane home in Sheetal Nagar to the Mira-Bhayander crematorium.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining the armed forces by completing his military training from Pune and was commissioned as an officer from the elite Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2011.

Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.

--IANS

qn/in/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the 76th anniversary of the historic Quit India Movement, the Maharashtra Congress on Thursday said the "the time has come to say 'Chale Jao' (go away) to the Bharatiya Janata Party government" at the Centre.

The main opposition party gave a call to Congress activists to "prepare" for a battle against those who sided with the British to oppose the freedom struggle and are now attempting to bring in dictatorship in the country.

Addressing a large meeting of Congress workers at the August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai, Maharashtra party President Ashok Chavan said it was from this venue and this day (August 9) that Mahatma Gandhi had issued the clarion call of Quit India in 1942.

"People from all walks of life, including caste, creed and religion, forget their difference and wholeheartedly participated in the Quit India Movement. It laid the foundations for national values like secularism and democracy," Chavan said.

Today, he said, those who had sided with the British to oppose the Independence movement, are now ruling the country and attempting to erase those very values, and this needs to be challenged.

Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said the time has come to issue a 'Chale Jao' call to the present BJP regime to free the country from growing atrocities against its own people.

"We have to unitedly fight against the BJP to re-establish the atmosphere of peace, progress, social justice and communal harmony," Nirupam said.

Both Chavan and Nirupam cited how over 45,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state so far, there are ongoing agitations by farmers and different communities for their rights, a huge rise in violence against women, the minorities and the oppressed sections of society.

"There are restrictions on what the people should eat, what they should wear, innocents are being lynched by violent mobs and injustice is being meted out to Dalits and minority communities all over," Chavan said.

Nirupam said the freedom of media, which is one of the pillars of democracy, is being curbed, those speaking out against the government and its scandals are dubbed as 'anti-nationals'.

"There is a growing sense of discontent among the people everywhere. They do not feel secure anymore under the government. There cannot be peace and harmony in the country till the BJP government is overthrown in 2019," said Nirupam.

Earlier, Chavan and Nirupam led the Congress and Seva Dal activists to pay homage at the August Kranti Memorial with top leaders joining them.

The gathering also paid respects to the slain Indian Army Major K.P. Rane, whose last rites were performed in Mira Road, Thane, earlier this afternoon.

Later, they took out a large procession from August Kranti Maidan to the famous Mani Bhavan in Girgaum, where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked for several years.

--IANS

qn/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) chief M. Kodandaram on Thursday met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to discuss about TJS's preparedness and strategies for the upcoming elections.

This is Kodandaram's first visit to the national capital after establishing his party in March this year with a "people-centric agenda."

He came here to attend senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy's book launch event, which was on Wednesday.

He has already visited the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's Mohalla Clinics and lauded Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for his efforts in transforming Delhi government schools.

In June, when the AAP was struggling with the IAS officers on strike and the Lt. Governor obstructing every work of the Kejriwal government, TJS came out in support of Kejriwal's protest against the centre and LG.

"Telangana Jana Samithi extends support to Arvind Kejriwal's dharna against undue interference by the Lt. Governor in the functioning of the constitutionally elected government leading to the subversion of democratic processes," the TJS chief had tweeted.

It is worth mentioning that AAP leader Somnath Bharati and Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav met Kodandaram in April this year and discussed strategies to be adopted for 2019 elections.

--IANS

sd/pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Trains will soon have captains to ensure that rail passengers have an enjoyable journey, the government said on Thursday.

"In order to introduce the concept of a single person or leader responsible for coordinating the entire team and facilitating all services during the complete journey of the train, instructions have been issued to introduce the concept of Train Captain," Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

He said that in trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto Express, or other trains, where a Train Superintendent (TS) is on end-to-end basis, shall be nominated as Train Captain and made responsible for all the facilities on train.

"In all other trains, where TS is not present, Zonal Railways are to nominate the senior-most ticket checking staff as Train Captain," Gohain added.

--IANS

aks/qd/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lawyers for US President Donald Trump said they have responded to the latest proposal from special counsel Robert Mueller over a potential interview with the president as part of the wide-ranging Russia probe.

"We have responded in writing to the latest proposal from Office of Special Counsel regarding the request to interview the President," Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow said in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"It is not appropriate, at this time, to comment publicly about the content of that response."

Rudy Giuliani, another lawyer for the president, reportedly rejected Mueller's terms.

Trump's legal team has also suggested a narrow path for answering questions and do not want the president to be asked by investigators about whether he obstructed justice, according to The New York Times, citing sources familiar with matter.

The two sides have gone back and forth for months over the scope and conditions of an interview with Trump, raising speculation that Mueller would seek a subpoena for the president, a move set to prompt a high-stakes legal battle.

Mueller is looking into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and any potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, among other matters that may arise from the investigation.

Mueller's team has questions for Trump over the firing of FBI Director James Comey last year and his public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who rescued himself from the Russia investigation against the president's wishes.

It was reported earlier this month that Mueller has offered to reduce the number of obstruction-related questions that investigators would ask the president but wants obstruction to be addressed in person, not just in written answers.

Giuliani said Wednesday that millions of pages of documents have been provided to Mueller along with testimony from dozens of witnesses, while reiterating a call for ending the Russia inquiry "without further delay."

Since Mueller began to lead the probe in May 2017, he has indicted or secured guilty pleas from 32 people, including several former Trump campaign aides.

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was indicted by Mueller last fall, is facing trial for bank and tax fraud in federal court in state of Virginia.

As the Russia probe continues with no immediate end in sight, Trump and his political allies have in recent months ratcheted up pressure on Mueller and his team.

The President escalated his attacks against the Russia probe last week, urging Sessions to shut down inquiry overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a defender of the special counsel.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US has said it will impose fresh sanctions on Russia after determining it used nerve agent against a former Russian double agent living in the UK.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury in March. The attack left them seriously ill, but they recovered after several weeks of hospital treatment.

A UK investigation blamed Russia for the attack, but the Kremlin has strongly denied any involvement.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the US state department confirmed it was implementing measures against Russia over the incident, BBC reported.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it had been determined that the country "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals."

The British government has welcomed the move.

"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 UK foreign office statement said.

The new sanctions will take effect on or around 22 August, and relate to the exports of sensitive electronic components and other technologies.

The state department said "more draconian" sanctions will follow within 90 days if Russia fails to give reliable assurances it will no longer use chemical weapons and allow on-site inspections by the United Nations.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Venezuela's Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of opposition leader and former congressional speaker Julio Borges in connection with the failed attempt on the life of President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday said Borges is also responsible for the attempted homicide of seven army officers who were injured in last Saturday's attacks, Efe news reported.

The lawmaker was also charged with "terrorism, funding terrorism, and conspiracy to commit crimes".

Borges, who remains a member of congress, is currently in neighbouring Colombia.

The order to arrest Borges comes as the National Constituent Assembly debates lifting the immunity of various legislators accused of links to the attack on the president.

Maduro was presiding over a military ceremony last Saturday when attackers launched two drones carrying explosives toward the president, his wife and other dignitaries.

Electronic counter-measures diverted one drone and the second hit an apartment building several blocks away.

The ceremony was being aired live on television and viewers could see images of Maduro and the first lady looking upward before security officers gathered around the president to shield him.

Six alleged perpetrators are in custody.

On Tuesday night, Maduro accused Borges and another lawmaker, Juan Requesens, of being involved in the attack.

Primero Justicia, the party to which both lawmakers belong, denounced that Requesens was arrested in his home by the Sebin intelligence service.

Borges condemned the arrest of his colleague.

"You are the only person who is responsible for the tragedy in the country," Borges wrote on Twitter from Colombia, addressing Maduro.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister has met the top US diplomat in the country to present evidence linking a Venezuelan living in the US with last weekend's failed attempt on the life of President Nicolas Maduro.

Jorge Arreaza said on Wednesday here after the meeting that he had delivered the US charge d'affaires James Story "a preliminary report" that details the involvement of Venezuelan national Osman Delgado in the attack with explosives against Maduro last Saturday, Efe news reported.

"Venezuela will request the extradition of this citizen and we will carry out the request through the official channels," Arreaza told reporters.

The minister also said that Story had expressed "his concern regarding the events" as well as the willingness of the US "to cooperate" in the investigation.

"For many years, the US has considered the fight against terrorism as one of its main goals. We want to see this in practice by means of cooperation with Venezuela," the foreign minister added.

Also present for the meeting was Attorney General Tarek Saab, who told Globovision television that the conversation was "very cordial."

Saab said that his office had already started the procedures to request the extradition of Delgado, who he associated with the theft of hundreds of firearms and several grenade launchers from a military headquarters last year.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Although Facebook's app traffic has grown, it is not enough to make up for that loss, CNBC reported on Wednesday citing the study by market research firm SimilarWeb. Owing to a severe decline in monthly page visits, from 8.5 billion to 4.7 billion in the last two years, is set to cede its long-held second position among the top websites in the US to YouTube, according to a new study.

earlier reported that in the second quarter of this year, its number of daily active users remained flat in North America and went down in

Owned by parent Alphabet, YouTube, on the other hand, has seen increased traffic and rise in viewership, said the study that found Google's position as the biggest website in the US remaining unshaken.

The researchers project that is set to overtake as the fourth most-visited website in the US in the next couple of months.
The Union government will reportedly hold discussions with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in an attempt to have the regulator dilute the capital requirements for Indian banks. The hope is that the RBI will reduce the common equity tier  I (or CET-I) ratio for Indian banks.

This is the ratio of common stock and reserves divided by its risk-weighted assets; as a percentage, Indian banks are currently required to keep at least 5.5 per cent of such capital in reserve. However, the international Basel-III standards are less stringent, requiring banks to keep 4.5 per cent in hand. The ...
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".
Congress chief on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset and asserted that his party will fight for an India where there is place for everybody.

Gandhi joined a protest over the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, at Jantar Mantar.

"The atrocities act was brought by the Congress and the party will protect it together with everybody," Gandhi said.



are being openly beaten and crushed in states where the is in power, Gandhi said while addressing the gathering.

"We don't want an India like this. We want an India in which there should be place for everybody, whether Dalits, poor, or minorities... everybody should progress. We will fight for such an India," he said.



Attacking the prime minister, Gandhi said, "His thinking is anti-Dalit. All and people from the weaker sections know that the prime minister has no place for in his heart and mind and wants to crush Dalits. That is why we are standing against him.
Police today recovered 17,000 kilograms of explosive material suspected to be delivered to Maoists, from a village in the district.

Altogether 340 sacks - each containing 50 kg of ammonium nitrate - were seized from a house at Bhaunri village under Belhar police station area, Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha said.

The owner of the house was suspected to be a supplier of explosives to Maoists but he was not found during the time of the raid.

One of his associate was arrested, Kushwaha said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six people were killed in two separate accidents in Uttar Pradesh' Pratapgarh city, police said today.

Three persons were injured when their bike was hit by a tempo in the city -- around 160 km from Lucknow -- last night. Arvind Kumar Singh (32), Arun Kumar Dubey (30) and tempo driver Abdul Karim (30) were rushed to a hospital, where they succumbed to injuries, said Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Dev Ranjan Verma.

In the other incident this morning, two bikes collided against each other, killing Badri Prasad Yadav (70), Kedar Nath (75) and Jitender (35), while a woman got injured, the SP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 22 people have died in Kerala due to heavy rains and landslides, the Home Ministry said today.

According to Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre, 22 people have lost their lives due to the heavy rains and landslides last night.

According to a home ministry spokesperson, of the total deaths, 11 people died in Idukki district, five in Malappuram district, three in Wayanad, two in Kannur and one in Kozhikode.

Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 45 personnel each, have left Chennai for Kerala to assist the rescue and relief operations.

An Inter-Ministerial Central Team of the central government is also visiting flood-affected areas in Kerala, while Army troops are being mobilised from Bengaluru for deployment in the rain-battered southern state.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 22 people have died in Kerala due to heavy rains and landslides, the Home Ministry said today.

According to Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre, 22 people have lost their lives due to the heavy rains and landslides last night.

Among the total deaths, 11 people died in Idukki district, five in Malappuram district, three in Wayanad, two in Kannur and one in Kozhikode, a home ministry spokesperson said.

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 45 personnel each, have been deployed in Kerala to assist the rescue and relief operations.

An Inter-Ministerial Central Team of the Union government is also visiting flood-affected areas in Kerala, while Army troops are being mobilised from Bengaluru for deployment in the rain-battered southern state.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

Heavy rains for past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted into localised flooding in low lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

The flood water also triggered landslide in some places.

The NDRF teams have been deployed in various flood affected districts -- Ernakulum (1), Alappuzha (1), Wayanad (1), Kozhikode (2) and Palakkad (1) to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief work, the spokesperson said.

To augment the deployment, four additional teams are being airlifted from Rajali Airbase (Arakkonam) in Tamil Nadu to Kozhikode in Kerala. All teams are fully equipped with lifesaving equipment and also armed with modern communication gadgets like satellite phones.

Additional teams are kept on standby at NDRF base Arakkonam and will be mobilised as per demand.

An NDRF control room in Delhi is closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock and is in touch with other agencies for further deployment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least twenty eight cows have died in two days due to suspected food poisoning at a cow shelter in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district.

Nearly 300 cows got sick due to suspected food poisoning and 28 cows have died in the last two days, the 'gaushala' (cow shelter) president Dayanand Khokhewala said.

There are nearly 2000 cows in the shelter run by a trust.

Joint Director of the state's Animal Husbandry Department, Madanlal, said that a team of veterinary doctors are monitoring the situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three persons including an engineering college dropout, have been arrested from the city by Kolkata Police for their alleged involvement in ATM fraud cases, a police officer said today.

Two skimming devices, mobile phone, one laptop and pinhole cameras have been seized from their possession, the officer said.

The security guard of an ATM outlet at Elgin Road in South Kolkata caught a man while he was trying to insert a skimming device into the machine last evening, he said.

The security guard who handed over the person to the police, has been awarded for his brave act by the Kolkata Police.

The police arrested the man, who was identified as Rohit Nair, an engineering college dropout from Mumbai.

Two of his associates - Sahil Khan and Sudhir Rajen - were arrested from the airport area and from the CIT Road respectively, the officer said.

Nair and Khan were staying in a south Kolkata hotel while Rajen had put up in an accommodation in Howrah, he said.

"We are trying to find out whether the three persons have any links with the Romanian nationals arrested in connection with the same case," the police officer said.

Nearly 80 customers of nationalised banks in the city have been duped by ATM fraudulent transactions made using cloned debit or credit cards.

The Kolkata Police has formed a SIT to probe into the matter.

Two Romanians have been arrested from New Delhi for their alleged involvement in the ATM fraudulent withdrawal cases.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three men have been found guilty of kidnapping and ruthlessly killing a 74-year-old Indian-origin jeweller in the UK's Leicester city earlier this year.

Ramniklal Jogiya had gone missing as he walked home from his store on the city's famous "Golden Mile" of jewellery shops and was later found dead in a lane nearby, triggering a murder investigation by Leicestershire Police.

Following a five-week trial that ended at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, Thomas Jervis, 24, and Charles Frances Mcauley, 20, were found guilty of murder. A third member of the gang, 20-year-old Callan Reeve, was found guilty of manslaughter. All three had denied killing Jogiya and pleaded guilty to kidnap and robbery.

"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, said Detective Chief Inspector David Swift-Rollinson from Leicestershire Police, who led the murder investigation.

"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," he said.

The court heard how the gang had spent weeks planning to rob a safe at Jogiya's jewellery shop on Belgrave Road.

On the evening of January 24, they kidnapped him as he walked home, having locked up his shop for the night. After bundling him into a stolen van, they launched a horrific attack forcing him to hand over the keys to his shop, and torturing him until he told them the shop's alarm de-activation code and critically the combination code for a safe.

But despite their meticulous planning, they had not realised the safe was on a 12-hour delay, and they could not get into it. The terrified jeweller was then dumped and left to die alone in the middle of the countryside, said the police, who described the attack on the jeweller as "horrific and brutal".

All three gang members have been remanded into custody and will be sentenced on September 10.

A fourth suspect, 30-year-old Javon Roach, was acquitted of kidnap, robbery and murder.

At around 7.45 pm on the evening of January 24, Jogiya locked up his jewellers shop in Belgrave Road and, as he did every night, set off on his short walk home. But he did not arrive, and by 8pm his family knew something was wrong.

Having visited the shop, phoned his mobile phone, and made other enquiries, the family raised the alarm and a major investigation was launched.

Tragically, around 10 am the following morning, the body of the "loving husband and devoted father of three" was found beside Leicester Airfield.

What had begun as a missing person inquiry immediately became a murder investigation.

Jogiya had suffered a total of 27 injuries including broken ribs, wounds to his face, hands and arms, and had died from a major brain injury caused by a severe assault to his head. In short, he had been beaten to death.

During the six-month investigation, officers found CCTV images of Jogiya locking up the jewellers and beginning his walk home. Other images showed three men jumping out of a white transit van and bundling the terrified shopkeeper into the vehicle.

Further images showed that, about 50 minutes later, a man dressed in a burqa and pulling a shopping trolley entered Jogiya's shop. This person was seen to deactivate the shop alarm, go to the back of the shop where Jogiya kept a safe, before emerging a little time later, seemingly empty-handed.

DCI Swift-Rollinson said: 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 could not 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.

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."



He described the jeweller as a "kind, gentle and devoted family man", who fell victim to the savage beating of a defenceless, elderly man, who was left to die. He added: "It almost defies words what they did to him. My thoughts, first and foremost, remain with Mr Jogiya's family.

"I thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation team, and I cannot praise more highly the dignity they have shown throughout this nightmare. I can only hope that the verdicts of the jury will bring them some, small, solace."



The police chief reached out to the wider community of jewellers from Belgrave Road, mostly of Indian origin, for their help with the "truly shocking" incident, which had an "awful impact" on the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three villages in Rajasthan -- Ismail Khurd, Miyon ka Bara and Narpada -- have been renamed as Pichanwa Khurd, Mahesh Nagar and Narpura respectively, officials said today.

The decisions came months ahead of the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, which currently has a BJP government headed by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Ismail Khurd of the Jhunjhunu district has been renamed as Pichanwa Khurd, Miyon ka Bara in Barmer district has been renamed as Mahesh Nagar while Narpada in Jalore district has been renamed as Narpura, an official source said.

The names were changed after the home ministry received no objections from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India which conveyed that no railway station, no post office and no village exist with the new names.

The decisions to change the names were taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs following three separate proposals of the Rajasthan government.

Another source said there have been demands from the villagers that due to their names, there were difficulties for the residents to receive matrimonial proposals.

The renaming of the three Rajasthan villages came in the wake of change of name of Mughalsarai railway station to Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry, has not yet received the West Bengal government's proposal to change the name of the state from West Bengal to 'Bangla'.

The West Bengal Assembly had passed a resolution on July 26 for this.

The name of any state was changed last time in 2011, when Orissa became Odisha. Names of Bombay was changed to Mumbai in 1995, Madras to Chennai in 1996, Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001.

The central government had approved the name changes for 11 cities of Karnataka, that include Bangalore to Bengaluru, in 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A fresh batch of 346 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here today for the holy cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, a police official said.

The yatra commenced from the twin routes of Baltal in Ganderbal and Pahalgam in Anantnag district on June 28. So far, over 2.75 lakh pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the cave shrine.

Yesterday, 659 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave, the official said, adding that till date 2,75,125 pilgrims have had darshan.

The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26 coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four policemen were suspended for allegedly beating an elderly man to death in Sangrampur village of Bisauli area.

Sub-Inspectors Sunil Kumar and Ajit Kumar, constable Suresh and a home guard allegedly beat 60-year-old Mashkur Nabi yesterday when they had gone to his house to arrest his son Akbar on charges of involvement in an illegal money transaction racket, Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Verma said.

An FIR was lodged against the four under section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Verma said, adding that post-mortem report of the victim stated heart attack as the cause of death. A probe is on in the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha government will set up a 42-feet tall Martyrs' Pillar at the Freedom Fighters' Ground here, officials said.

On the occasion of the 76th Quit India Movement Day today, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today put 38 pots of soil collected from the birth places of martyrs of the Freedom struggle at the base of the proposed pillar.

A special prayer service was held at the spot.

"Our non-violent freedom fight is a great inspiration for the people across the globe. People from different walks of life had participated in it and made sacrifices for the liberation of our motherland," Patnaik said.

"I pay my highest respect to our martyrs and hope it will be a pillar of inspirations for the next generations," he said.

Tribute to the indomitable spirit of our freedom fighters and their march for freedom in the face of greatest of adversities & oppression. #QuitIndiaMovement #JaiHind, Patnaik tweeted.

State Freedom Fighter Samiti president Padmasri Bhabani Charan Patnaik presided over the meeting which was attended by several ministers and family members of freedom fighters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 5,000 opposition Left supporters today courted arrest from various parts of Tripura in a civil disobedience agitation against the alleged anti-farmer policy of the central government, police said.

Police said there was no report of violence during the agitation, though Left leaders alleged that they were attacked by ruling BJP supporters at different places.

In the first major political protest since the poll debacle of the Left Front in Tripura in February, seven Left trade unions organized the stir as part of a nationwide protest by different peasant bodies.

Assistant Inspector General (Law and order) Smriti Ranjan Das said 5,222 supports were arrested from across the state and no violence was reported.

However, All India Krishak Sabha state secretary and Narayan Kar alleged large-scale violence by ruling "BJP supported goons" on the agitators.

"BJP-supported goons attacked farmers at Gandacherra in Dhalai district, Panisagar in North Tripura and Amarpur in Gomati district on their way to protest rallies," he said.

Police used tear gas shells and water canon to disperse the agitators at Paradise Chowmuhani here where former chief minister Manik Sarkar joined the protest, the AIKS leader alleged.

Former state assembly deputy speaker Pabitra Kar said Agartala city was barricaded in a war-like situation to prevent the rally.

He also alleged that BJP workers tried to prevent left supporters from joining the movement.

BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb, however, denied the charges and said left parties were trying to sensationalize the situation.

"Democratic atmosphere prevails in the state. The opposition party was able to organize the civil disobedience after new government's formation is proof enough that there is no political victimization."



Kishan Mazdoor Joint Forum organized the movement in 450 districts of the country today.

The agitators submitted deputations to District Magistrates in all eight districts of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 65-year-old cattle trader was allegedly beaten to death in Rajasthan's Baran district by a man who complained that the cows sold to him were not producing enough milk, police said today.

Dhannalal Gujar suffered critical injuries after he was beaten with sticks by Prakash Gujar (30) yesterday afternoon in Baran city -- around 270 km from Jaipur. The sexagenarian was rushed to a district hospital, from where he was referred to another hospital in Kota. He succumbed to his injuries late last night, said Baran city SHO Kalu Ram Verma.

Initial investigations revealed that the two had a heated argument after Dhannalal's son had sold some cows to the family of Prakash, who complained that they were not producing enough milk, the SHO said.

Police have lodged murder case against the accused, who is absconding, he said adding The postmortem is underway by medical board, he further said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
John Abraham says at a time when the world is getting polarised, it is important that one community is not blamed for everything that goes wrong in the society.

The 45-year-old actor, who has made a number of films dealing with patriotism, including his next release "Satyamev Jayate", was asked about the lynching incidents in the country and how religion has become a controversial topic today.

"The whole world is getting polarised and by polarised I mean that it is going against a particular community right now. It has become our mind-set that if there is something wrong, then that particular community is causing all the harm. I think we should first get that out of our heads because only then you can judge people rightly," Abraham said in a group interview here.

The actor, whose film tackles the issue of corruption, said communalisation creates more problems.

"If you are communalising them, then they become fringe elements and after that they become extremists. You are creating the terror. So I think the world is kind of a dangerous place to live in right now," he added.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who stars with Abraham in the Milan Zaveri-directed film, said he had also undertaken a 'Kanwar Yatra' at the age of 17 and has wonderful memories of that journey.

He, however, said he did not identify with what he was reading about 'Kawariyas' in the news, hinting at the widely circulated video in which a group of Kanwar pilgrims were seen wrecking a car in the middle of the traffic in Delhi.

"When we are not sure about who we are, we try to rely on something to establish our identity. Religion is the easiest way to do that. I also took 'Kanwar Yatra' from Sultangunj to Baidyanath temple at the age of 17... I have wonderful memories of that time. I would like to keep those memories with me and not the ones that I am reading about in the newspapers.

"People like us, who are aware, we have to decide what we identify with and what we don't. We are not protecting the religion, we are making it a thing of ridicule. We should not let that happen. Religion means trust. How can I let my trust be a thing of ridicule? It is our duty to stop that."



""Satyamev Jayate" is releasing on Independence Day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray today urged the Union government to bring pre-primary admissions under the purview of the Right To (RTE) Act.

The Sena leader today met Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Harsh Vardhan in Delhi over a range of issues.

In a letter addressed to Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, Thackeray demanded that the pre-primary admissions be brought under the purview of the RTE, as young parents find it daunting to pay donations for their wards.

"The little child and parents are interviewed for admissions. The child is expected to know poems and parents are expected to have a certain educational or economic status. Such pre-conditions prevent many families from attaining the quality in our country," he stated.

"There should be a law that covers the pre-Primary and should include minimum quality and safety norms each pre-primary school needs to have," Thackeray demanded.

Referring to rising incidents of sexual assaults on young girls, the Thackeray scion urged Javadekar to make it mandatory in all the schools across the country to teach all kids from standard fifth the meaning of "right and wrong touches".

He demanded that pre-primary schools should have a common syllabus.

Thackeray also demanded that all schools should have a lesson on gender sensitivity and on treating each other as equal.

Further, he demanded that girls of class 8, 9 and 10 be taught self-defence in schools compulsorily.

Thackeray requested Harsh Vardhan to take steps to curb plastic pollution and ban the production, possession and sale of single-use disposable plastic by 2019.

He requested Gadkari to install solar panels on both outer sides of highways which will act as barriers for grazing animals as well as generate electricity.

The Yuva Sena chief also recommended that rain water harvesting system running alongside the roads or median which could help government harvest large amounts of fresh rain water for agricultural purposes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government today thanked the Supreme Court for its "historic" verdict which ended the "obstructionist" role of Lt Governor and the "manipulations" of opposition by empowering the elected representatives of people.

Speaking during the Monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was referring to the July 4 verdict of the apex court which held that



Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal did not have independent decision-making powers, and was bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

Sisodia said several months were "wasted" as important proposals of the government, including educational loans, mohalla clinics, patient welfare committees and health insurance were delayed due to the "obstructionist role" of the L-G.

"With its clear verdict on aid and advise provision and powers of elected government on subjects barring three reserved entries, the apex court also did away with any scope of manipulation by opposition," he said during a discussion in the House on the Supreme Court's verdict on powers of the elected government in Delhi.

The senior AAP leader also slammed the BJP legislators, saying the opposition was "master of manipulation".

However, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta hit out at the AAP government for "misinterpreting" the apex court verdict.

"The Delhi High Court verdict of (August 4, 2016) specifically upheld the Centre's notification of May 21, 2015 that the L-G will discharge the Union's 'functions'........in respect of services.

"The Supreme Court did not rule on this notification and the powers conferred on L-G under Article 239AA of the Constitution are operative," he argued.

The contentious services matter that includes transfers and postings of Delhi government officials continues to be a bone of contention between the AAP government and Lt Governor of Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajya Sabha members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stayed away from voting for the election of the deputy chairman of the Upper House today, slamming the Congress as the "biggest" hurdle in the way of opposition unity.

"We stayed away from voting for the deputy chairman's election. We attended the House proceedings after that," AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told PTI.

The party has three MPs in the Rajya Sabha from Delhi.

Bitter over not being asked by the Congress to vote in favour of Opposition candidate B K Hariprasad, Singh said, "The Congress is the biggest hurdle to opposition unity. How will he (Congress chief Rahul Gandhi) ensure the victory of his candidate, if he cannot ask for votes."



The AAP had yesterday said its MPs would vote for Hariprasad if Gandhi asked party chief Arvind Kejriwal for it.

Singh lashed out at the Congress for keeping a distance from the AAP, saying they had unconditionally supported the Gandhi-led party in the elections of president, vice-president and on several other occasions.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had called Kejriwal yesterday, seeking support for NDA candidate and JD(U) MP Harivansh, he said, adding that the AAP supremo refused to oblige.

"If Nitish could ask for support for his candidate, why not Rahul," Singh wondered.

He also alleged that the Congress wanted to weaken the AAP in Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his party will not join the proposed opposition alliance against the BJP for the 2019 general elections.

He said the parties who are joining the proposed alliance have had no role in the country's development.

"The AAP will not be a part of any alliance in 2019," Kejriwal told reporters in Rohtak.

He said his party will contest the Haryana Legislative Assembly polls and the general elections from all seats.

Blaming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government for the pending development works in Delhi, he alleged that hurdles were created for every step taken by his government for people's welfare.

"We have done revolutionary work in the education and health sectors in Delhi," he asserted.

Kejriwal said compared to Delhi, Haryana lagged behind in development.

He said his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar should learn from the Delhi government how development is done.

The Delhi chief minister asked when the AAP government can bring a revolution in the power, water, health and education sectors without full statehood, then why can the Khattar government not do it.

He also demanded a compensation of Rs one crore for the family of a soldier from Haryana's Ambala district who lost his life while foiling an infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez sector on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Afghan man has been arrested by the customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold valuing about Rs 1.28 crore at Delhi airport.

The accused was intercepted after his arrival from Kabul here yesterday.

On detailed examination of his baggage and personal search, four gold bars wrapped in black adhesive tape, total weighing 4.3 kg, kept in pockets of 'kurta' worn by him were seized, a statement issued today by the customs said.

The market value of the gold bars, which have been seized, is assessed to be Rs 1.28 crore, it said.

The passenger, who is about 26 years, has been arrested.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mehul Choksi

India today said Antigua and Barbuda is considering its request to extradite Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in connection with India's biggest banking fraud and currently living in the Caribbean nation.

An India team led by a senior official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on August 3 handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of Choksi who obtained citizenship of the island nation.

"We have been told that they (Antiguan authorities) are examining the (extradition) request," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, responding to a volley of questions on the issue during a media briefing.

He said it will be premature to talk about what would be the response of the Antiaguan authorities on India's request.

India is trying to bring back Choksi from Antigua under the provision of a law of the island nation which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country.

He faces various charges in India in connection with the USD 2 billion Punjab National bank scam.

Kumar said as per the provisions of the Extradition Act, 1993 of Antigua and Barbuda, a fugitive may be extradited to a designated Commonwealth Country or a State with which there are general or special arrangement or a bilateral treaty.

On August 3, the MEA issued a notification specifying that the provisions of India's Extradition Act, 1962 shall apply to Antigua and Barbuda with retrospective effect from 2001 when the Caribbean nation notified India as designated Commonwealth Country under the island nation's extradition law.

Choksi had fled India on January 4 this year and took oath of allegiance in Antigua on January 15. His citizenship was cleared in November 2017.

According to probe agencies, Choksi and his uncle Nirav Modi are the masterminds of the PNB fraud.

Kumar said the MEA has forwarded to the British authorities the request it received from the Enforcement Directorate for extradition of Modi.

Choksi and his companies allegedly availed credit from overseas branches of Indian using the fraudulent guarantees of PNB given through letters of undertaking (LoUs) and letters of credit issued by the Brady House branch which were not repaid, bringing liability on the state-run bank, the officials have said.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.
NBC network has given pilot order to a legal drama with Archie Panjabi attached to star.

In the show, Panjabi will play a successful LA attorney who leaves her comfortable, coastal bubble to practice law in her home state of Wisconsin. She is forced to confront preconceived stereotypes and realise there is more that unites us than divides us, reported Variety.

The one-hour project comes from Alex Berger, who will serve as writer and executive producer. Panjabi will also be a producer on the series.

Gero's Quinn's House banner will produce the show in association with Warner Bros.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Argentine senators today voted against legalising 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 in June.

According to an official tally, 38 senators voted against the measure to legalise the termination of a foetus during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, 31 in favour, while two abstained.

The vote was welcomed by fireworks and shouts of joy among anti-abortion activists gathered outside of Congress.

At the other end of the square, tears were seen streaming down the faces of pro-abortion advocates, many wearing the green scarves that had come to symbolise their cause.

A handful of demonstrators started fires and threw stones as they clashed with riot police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Army has deployed three columns comprising about 75 personnel each in flood-hit areas of Kerala, sources said today.

The Army columns have been deployed at Ayannkulu, Idukki and Wayanad.

Two more columns have been requisitioned and are moving to Kozikode and Mallapuram, they said.

Three Engineer Task Force will soon assist in the operations, the sources added.

At least 22 people have died in the state due to incessant rainfall and flooding in the past two days, the Home Ministry said today.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan describing the situation as "very grim".

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted into localised flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

The flood water also triggered landslides at some places.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kashmiri terrorist Irfan Hussain Wani was sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) and grilled by security agencies, including the Delhi Police, in connection with a terror plot of Al-Qaida linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGUH) to disturb the Independence Day celebrations in Delhi.

Wani was arrested on Sunday night here and eight grenades were seized from his possession.

Sources in the security establishment said he was sent to the JIC at Miran Sahib here and was being interrogated about terror plots and sleeping cells.

They said two officers from the Delhi Police had also joined the interrogation and they wanted to take Wani to Delhi for further investigation.

As per the sources, Wani was in touch with top AGUH terrorists and his mobile, which was seized by the police, was sent for decoding to the national capital.

They said he had given some leads about the person to whom he was supposed to deliver the bag containing grenades.

He was reportedly staying in a hotel in Jammu and was given the bag and some cash by member of the sleeper cell, whom the security agencies were tracking, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arrival operations at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) resumed nearly two hours after it was suspended in view of possible inundation in the airport area following a rising water level in the Periyar river.

The CIAL is situated close to the river.

"As the situation is improved we are resuming all operations from 3.05 pm today," a CIAL spokesperson said. The CIAL had earlier stopped arrival operations from 1.10 pm, as a precautionary measure.

The decision to resume arrival operations was taken after the situation was reviewed by Ernakulam District Collector and top officials of the airport management, the spokesperson said.

Earlier, the Ernakulam district administration conducted a review of the situation at the airport after the water level in a canal near it started rising.

The decision to suspend the arrival operation was taken after four shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened this morning to release excess water.

One shutter of the Idukki dam was also partially opened as a trial run.

The opening of the dam shutters had resulted in an increase in the water level in the Periyar river.

Heavy rains have been lashing several parts of Kerala for the past few days, leading to a copious inflow into the state's reservoirs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A strike on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen killed at least 29 children today, the Red Cross said, as the Saudi-led coalition faced a growing outcry over the attack.

The coalition said it had carried out what it called "legitimate military action" in the area targeting Huthi rebels responsible for a deadly missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan yesterday.

But the International Committee of the Red Cross said the strike hit a bus filled with children in the Huthi stronghold of Saada, causing dozens of casualties.

"A hospital supported by our team in Yemen received the bodies of 29 children under the age of 15 and 48 wounded, including 30 children," the ICRC said on Twitter. A spokesman for the Red Cross in Sanaa told AFP the toll was not final as casualties from the attack were taken to several hospitals.

The Huthis' Al-Masirah TV, quoting the rebel health ministry, reported that 50 people were killed and 77 wounded, "mostly children", though it was not possible to verify that toll.

International aid agencies denounced the attack and the loss of civilian lives. "Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict," the ICRC said.

Geert Cappelaere, the UN Children's Fund regional director in the Middle East and North Africa, said all the children on the bus were "reportedly under the age of 15". "Does the world really need more innocent children's lives to stop the cruel war on children in Yemen?", he added.

The Save the Children charity, quoting its staff, said that at the time of the attack the children were on a bus heading back to school "from a picnic when the driver stopped to get a drink".

"Save the Children condemns this horrific attack and is calling for a full, immediate and independent investigation into this and other recent attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure," it said.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a tweet that it was "deeply saddened" by the strike.

The coalition, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government after the rebels drove it out of the capital Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by the Huthis on Wednesday, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, the coalition said. The missile was fired from the rebel-held Yemeni province of Amran towards Jizan, the coalition said.

"The coalition will take all necessary measures against the terrorist, criminal acts of the Huthi militia, such as recruiting child soldiers, throwing them in battlefields and using them as tools," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said, referring to Thursday's attack.

The Huthis have in recent months ramped up missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh usually says it intercepts.

Yesterday's attack brings the tally to 165 rebel missiles launched since 2015, according to the coalition, which that year joined the Yemeni government's fight against Huthi rebels.

On August 2, attacks on a hospital and a fish market in the strategic rebel-held port city of Hodeida killed at least 55 civilians and wounded 170, according to the ICRC. The coalition denied responsibility for those attacks.

Aid agency CARE International noted that air strike came a week after the Hodeida attacks "This latest air strike, only a week after the attacks on Hodeida city, demonstrates a continued disregard for human life and suffering," said Johan Mooij, the agency's country director in Yemen.

"It is beyond cruel; innocent children's lives have been lost." The war in the impoverished country has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, told the Security Council last week that "a political solution" to end the war in Yemen was "available" and that the warring sides would be invited to talks on September 6 in Geneva.

UN-brokered negotiations on Yemen broke down in 2016 amid demands for a rebel withdrawal from key cities and power-sharing with the Saudi-backed government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 29 children were killed in an attack on a bus in rebel-held northern Yemen today, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"A hospital supported by our team in Yemen received the bodies of 29 children under the age of 15 and 48 wounded, including 30 children," the ICRC said in an Arabic-language tweet.

A Saudi-led coalition fighting alongside the government against rebels in Yemen said it carried out a "legitimate military action" in the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after the body of a woman was found floating in the Najafgarh drain in Dwarka, her six-month-old daughter's body was recovered today, the police said.

The body of Sonika (23) was recovered yesterday from Najafgarh drain but her six-month-old baby was missing.

Meanwhile, Sonika's parents accused her husband Pawan of harassing her in a statement to the sub-divisional magistrate, following which a case of dowry death was registered against the accused, the police said.

They said police teams searched the outer periphery of the Najafgarh drain for up to three kms from where Sonika's body was recovered but no clue was found.

Following which the police approached the Delhi government Boat Club, who provided four divers for a search operation, but could not make a boat available to them, the police said.

"This time, police personnel from the Najafgarh police station along with professional divers started their operation from the broken boundary wall of Najafgarh drain," a senior police officer said.

There was a possibility that Sonika entered the drain from that spot only since the rest of the boundary wall was quite high and it was not easy for anyone to scale those.

After a search of around two hours by the professional divers, the body of the baby was found below the flyover of Najafgarh Drain at Sector 16-B Dwarka, they said.

In the meantime, a team from the National Disaster Response Force also reached the spot which helped in bringing out the body from the drain.

Sonika used to live with her husband Pawan Singh and six-month-old daughter at a rented accommodation in Najafgarh.

On August 7, Pawan had lodged a missing report about his wife and daughter at Najafgarh police station.

Pawan told police that on August 6, when he returned home from office, he was informed by their house owner that his wife and daughter, who had left for Anganwadi at 11 am, had not returned.

Following which Pawan contacted all his relatives in Delhi and Uttarakhand from where they hail. But he could not ascertain their whereabouts.

During investigation, Pawan told police that he and his wife were not on good terms.

The couple had been married for three-and-a-half years. Pawan works for a private firm in Dwarka, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BCCI today revised the dates for the men's U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, giving more time to some state associations to prepare for the tournament.

The U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy was scheduled to start from October 3 but state associations, including Mumbai, Kerela and Tripura, had requested the BCCI to reschedule the tournament as they needed more time to prepare at their respective venues.

The BCCI accepted their requests and revised the dates.

"BCCI has rescheduled the dates for the U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy. Several associations put forward a request to the Board to postpone the dates for the tournament due to lack of preparation time in their respective venues," BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a release.

"Keeping this in mind, the Men's U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy that was initially scheduled to be played from the 3rd October, 2018 will now be played from the 21st October to 2nd December, 2018. The Knockouts for the tournament will begin from the 8th December, 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghoshs car was attacked by unidentified miscreants at Khatra in Bankura district, the police said today.

The incident happened when Ghosh was returning to his hotel in Khatra after attending a dinner at a party worker's house in the area, they said.

"Stones were hurled at my vehicle by some miscreants last night," Ghosh said adding that they were also abusing the BJP.

Ghosh, who is an MLA, later filed a complaint with the police.

The BJP blamed miscreants "associated with the ruling TMC" for the attack.

The Bankura district TMC leadership termed the allegation as "baseless" and said the attack was a fallout of the infighting in the state BJP and has nothing to do with the ruling party.

The police said they were enquiring into the incident.

The car of another BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya, a former MLA, was yesterday attacked by miscreants while he was on his way to attend a meeting at Chakdaha in Nadia district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To boost the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which have been doing well in the state, the West Bengal government is trying to aggressively promote a two-day 'Synergy State MSME Conclave' on August 20-21, 2018.

State MSME Secretary Alapon Bandhyopadhay today held a roadshow at Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to woo MSMEs to participate in the conclave apart from conducting district-level meetings.

West Bengal has the highest number of MSMEs in the country with 52,69,814 units, accounting for 11.62 per cent of the overall number.

In 2017, the state recorded the biggest bank credit flow to the MSME sector in the last five years at USD 15 billion.

The conclave, scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is expected to be attended by over 5,000 MSMEs besides experts from various fields.

The conclave will focus on lean manufacturing, rural entrepreneurship, and sensitise alternate bank financing routes like initial public offering.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A private nursing college here has kicked up a row by allegedly placing curbs on growing beard citing hygiene, with some students from Kashmir claiming that it affected their religious beliefs.

The management of the Adarsha College of Nursing said the move was mainly to promote hygiene but the issue has now been resolved.

When asked whether the college had passed any order pertaining to growing beard, a college official told PTI, "No. It is not true. Already we have sorted it out. Students are already in the classroom.

There was some misunderstanding between the students and the management. Now everything is fine."



He said the students were allowed to come sporting beard.

"We have given some direction that they can trim and come in a good shape," the official said.

According to reports, some students alleged that they were not allowed to sit in the classroom because they refused to shave off their beard.

Some students from Kashmir claimed that it affected their religious beliefs.

They alleged that at the time of joining, the management did not have any problem with their beard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Auto components maker Bharat Forge today reported a 33.91 per cent jump in standalone net profit at Rs 234.45 crore for the June quarter.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 175.07 crore during the same period of the previous fiscal.

Total income during the quarter under review stood at Rs 1,513.91 crore. It was Rs 1,283.7 crore in the year ago period, Bharat Forge said in a BSE filing.

The company said revenue from operations, part of total income, for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 is not comparable with the corresponding period a year ago due to implementation of GST since July 1, 2017.

The company's stock was trading 0.66 per cent up at Rs 643.65 apiece on BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Auto components major Bharat Forge today posted a 33.91 per cent increase in its net profit at Rs 234.45 crore for the first quarter ended June 30.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 175.07 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal.

Total income during the quarter under review stood at Rs 1,513.91 crore. It was Rs 1,283.7 crore in the year ago period, Bharat Forge said in a BSE filing.

The company said revenue from operations, part of total income, for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 is not comparable with the corresponding period a year ago due to implementation of GST since July 1, 2017.

Bharat Forge Chairman and Managing Director B N Kalyani said the company has secured new business worth Rs 120 crore across domestic and export markets.

"As part of our focus on enhancing our presence in the light material space, the board has approved setting up of Aluminum Forging facility in BF PMT in Tennessee, US," he added.

This facility will be set up at a cost of USD 55 million and will address the needs of the North American car market, Kalyani said.

The plant will commence production in 2020, he added.

On the business outlook, Kalyani said the company expects to see demand sustaining at current elevated levels.

"While demand is extremely strong on the export front across sectors, domestic demand especially on the CV front could be volatile due to the recent regulatory change in axle load norms and the understanding of its impact on end demand," he added.

Shares of Bharat Forge were trading 1.94 per cent down at Rs 627 on the BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bill to extend the facility of 'proxy voting' to overseas Indians, on the lines of service voters, was passed by the on Thursday.

Moving the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 2017 for consideration and passage, Law Minister said the provision would help non-resident Indians (NRIs) to participate in the electoral process.

The Bill, which was passed by a voice vote in the Lower House, proposes that overseas Indians, who are entitled to vote in India, could now appoint a proxy voter to cast their votes.

As of now, were free to cast their votes in the constituencies where they were registered. The Bill seeks to give them the option of proxy voting, which till now was only available to service personnel.

Responding to various objections expressed by members regarding proxy voting, the Minister said: "let us trust the NRIs about proxies."



According to estimates of the Ministry of External Affairs, there are about 31 million NRIs living in different countries across the world.

Prasad said that the country needed to respect and recognise the achievements of NRIs who have done well in different spheres of life across the globe.

While framing the rules, the government will ensure that the system of proxy voting is not misused by anyone, he said, adding "proxy is not a dirty word. It is a legal word...a defined word."



On the issue of allowing to vote without having to travel to their place of residence, Prasad said it was "work in progress...our sympathies are with them...they should be given the right to vote."Some members demanded that the facility of postal ballots to be extended to them.

Regarding the demand for e-voting, Prasad said there were several difficulties in implementing such a scheme in a large country like India.

There are several security concerns, he said, adding that e-voting has not been adopted by even developed countries with a large population.

An expert committee of the Election Commission, working on the issue, had in 2015 forwarded the legal framework to the Law Ministry to amend the electoral laws to allow the to use proxy voting.

Unofficial data with EC shows that only 10,000 to 12,000 overseas voters have exercised their franchise because they do not want to spend foreign currency to come to India and vote.

The bill said the necessary provision of coming to India to cast ballot caused hardship for overseas electors.

Another provision in the amendment bill relates to the spouses of service voters. As of now, an armyman's wife is entitled to be enrolled as a service voter, but a woman army officer's husband is not, according to the provisions in the electoral law.

The bill proposes to replace the term 'wife' with 'spouse', thus making the provision gender neutral.

Members of the armed forces, central armed police forces, personnel of state police forces posted outside their state and employees of the centre posted outside India are eligible to be enrolled as service voters.

Partipating in the debate, Mohammad Salim (CPI-M) said that it was an important bill and should be forwarded to the Standing Committee for further scrutiny.

He also accused the foreign missions of distributing literature to influence the voting pattern in favour of the ruling party.

Dharam Vira Gandhi (AAP) said he was not in favour of proxy voting as it could lead to misuse. The government, he said, should introduce e-voting for NRIs.

Prem Singh Chandumajra (SAD) the proposal would allow the NRIs to remain connected with the country. As regards migrant workers, he said, provisions should be made to allow them vote at their place of residence.

Dushyant Chautala (INLD) wanted to know how the government would facilitate voting of lakhs of NRIs living in countries like the US, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Raising concerns, R Gopalakrishnan (AIADMK) said this facility could be misused by political parties by persuading the proxies appointed by the NRIs.

It could lead to vote trading, he said, adding electronic voting should be allowed so that the voters should cast their vote directly without any role of a proxy.

Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena) said when the Constitution talks of 'one Indian one vote', how can a proxy cast multiple votes.

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo (BJD) said the Bill violated many provisions of Constitution including Article 19. It is against level-playing field as regional parties will not have the wherewithal to campaign in foreign countries.

It only suits the ruling party as they "have the entire government machinery including embassies to garner support for them." He also said that voters could be coerced to vote for the ruling party.
A bill that seeks to set up DNA data banks across India to store profiles and proposes jail term for those who leak the information stored in such facilities was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

It also states that all DNA data, including DNA profiles, DNA samples and records, will only be used for identification of the person and not for any other purpose.

The bill, based on the one prepared by the Law Commission recently, says that national and regional DNA data banks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of suspects in cases, undertrials, victims, missing persons and unidentified human remains.

According to it, those leaking the DNA profile information to people or entities who are not entitled to have it, will be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs one lakh.

Similar, punishment has also been provided for those who seek the information on DNA profiles illegally.

The bill's provisions will enable the cross-matching between persons who have been reported missing and unidentified dead bodies found in various parts of the country, and also for establishing the identity of victims of mass disasters.

Opposing the bill, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress) expressed apprehension that the law enforcing and investigating agencies could misuse the DNA samples.

Chowdury said as the bill provides for collection of DNA samples, willing or unwillingly, it is a "gross violation" of the principles laid down in the Constitution.

He also urged that the legislation be forwarded to the competent experts for scrutiny.

Responding to the concerns raised by Chowdhury, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, who introduced the bill, said the legislation was initiated by the then NDA government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee and since then it has undergone scrutiny at all level.

It has also been cleared by a committee comprising the Home Minister, Law Minister and himself, Vardhan said.

Vardhan assured that care has been taken by the government to ensure that privacy remains paramount.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's champion shooter Abhinav Bindra has been appointed member of the prestigious Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the rare honour adding another feather to his illustrious cap.

Bindra became only the second Indian sportsperson, after badminton ace Saina Nehwal, to be appointed to the IOC's Athletes' Commission.

"Humbled and privileged to be appointed a member of the @Olympics Athlete's commission. Look forward to work hard for the athletes and the Olympic movement !" Bindra wrote on his twitter handle.

The 35-year-old Bindra, now retired, remains India's lone individual Olympic gold medallist, having claimed the top prize in men's 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Games.

A former world champion who came close to winning a second Olympic medal at the Rio Games in 2016, Bindra shared the IOC letter on his social networking page.

"As every year and as per recommendation 40 of the Olympic Agenda 2020, I have reviewed in consultation with the Chairs the scope and composition of the IOC Commissions. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I appoint you as a member of the Athletes' Commission," IOC president Thomas Bach said in the letter addressed to Bindra.

The IOC chief also mentioned about the composition of the Commission.

"As you are aware, due to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October this year, please note that the Commissions' meetings for 2018 will exceptionally take place from 14 to 20 January 2019.

"For 2019, we will go back to the previous schedule with the review of the composition of the Commissions in spring and the Commissions' week in November 2019.

"Thank you in advance for your valuable participation and looking forward to seeing you soon."



In 2014, Bindra was elected chairman of the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) Athletes Committee, becoming the first Indian to receive the honour.

Olympic bronze medallist shuttler Nehwal was appointed member of IOC's Athletes' Commissions in October 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP winning over the BJD and TRS in the election to the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman's post is seen as a blow to the Opposition's attempts to forge larger unity against it and a boost to the ruling NDA as both camps gear up for the next Lok Sabha elections.

There was jubilation in the BJP camp after it managed to get the better of the opposition in the number game in the Rajya Sabha, with NDA nominee Harivansh fetching 125 votes against 105 of opposition's B K Hariprasad.

Its senior leaders pointed out as to how the BJD and TRS had chosen to abstain during the voting in the Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion against the government on July 20 but decided to back the NDA today.

The decision of the two parties is also significant as the BJP has emerged as the main challenger to Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik while TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was till recently exploring the possibility of a federal front of regional parties against the BJP.

If Naveen Patnaik is taking a decision, it must be based on his calculations for the future, a BJP leader said.

Patnaik has had an uninterrupted reign since 2000 and was an ally of the BJP before he broke ties in 2009 following Kandhamal riots.

However, there is also a view that the new-found bonhomie between the two parties could lead the BJP to tamp down its campaign against him ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, making things easier for the BJD.

Both elections are held simultaneously in the state.

The BJD had won 20 of 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014 and the BJP one.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had called up Patnaik to seek his party's support for Harivansh, a JD(U) member and NDA nominee for the Deputy Chairman post. This was followed by a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Patnaik which sealed the deal.

BJP leaders believe that cordial ties with non-NDA parties may come handy for the party after 2019 elections in case its tally fall below the majority mark.

In Telangana, political watchers believe, Rao has a firm grip in absence of a strong opposition after he won 11 of its 17 Lok Sabha seats and swept the assembly polls in 2014.

Like Odisha, Lok Sabha and assembly polls are held simultaneously in Telangana as well.

Rao had last week met Modi following which TRS sources said their party was open to a post-poll tie-up with the BJP in 2019.

Both regional satraps may have reckoned, sources said, that a friendly relationship with the BJP- which had been working aggressively to expand its footprints in their states- may help them to return to power.

An opposition leader said somebody like Rao could go either way depending on the results of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah today hailed the government's decision to provide a discount of Rs 15 per kilogram on pulses for distribution under welfare schemes, saying it reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sensitivity towards ensuring nutritious food to the poor.

"It highlights the Modi government's commitment to ensuring the welfare of the poor and their upliftment," Shah wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

The Union Cabinet earlier today decided to provide a discount of Rs 15 per kilogram on pulses over wholesale market price to states for distribution under welfare schemes. States and UTs will be offered to lift 34.88 lakh tonnes of Tur, Chana, Masoor, Moong and Urad at a discount of Rs 15 per kg over the prevailing wholesale market price on first come first serve basis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A central BJP delegation today visited the venue of party president Amit Shah's rally here on August 11 and insisted on deployment of a drone for mass surveillance in view of the tent collapse incident at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Midnapore rally in June.

The delegation comprising party's national general secretaries Kailash Vijayvargiya and P Murlidhar Rao and other state leaders visited Mayo Road, in the heart of the city, and took stock of the preparations for Shah's rally.

The drone is essential as lakhs of people are expected to gather at Mayo Road in Kolkata on Saturday. So from the security point of view, a drone is a necessity, Vijayvargiya told reporters.

Yesterday, the BJP's state unit had asked the Kolkata Police to grant permission to fly a drone during Shah's upcoming rally.

The saffron party, which has become wary after over 90 people were injured when a section of a tent caved in at Modi's rally on June 16, also urged to the police to allow the use of walkie-talkies by party workers during the gathering.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh yesterday said a drone would help keep an eye on the proceedings in and around the rally venue and the request was merely for security reasons.

A senior officer of Kolkata Police yesterday said nothing has been decided on the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several BJP members stayed away today from a parliamentary panel meeting that was to adopt a report on "Sino-India relations" in wake of the Doklam stand-off and the border situation, resulting in a lack of quorum, sources said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has prepared the draft report but it could not be adopted as most of the BJP members were not present and the quorum could not be reached, sources present in the meeting said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also member of the 31-member panel, where a majority of the members are from the BJP.

The panel had also met on Tuesday to adopt the report but some members complained of not receiving the draft therefore meeting was postponed for today.

The committee had also travelled to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to take stock of ground situations and meet senior officials there.

It has been briefed several times on the issue by the former and current foreign secretaries and other officials.

The foreign ministry officials had informed the panel that Bhutan was firmly with India on the issue.

During discussions, Rahul Gandhi had questioned foreign ministry officials on China's objective and why Beijing chose Doklam to create a confrontation, sources had said.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped construction of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP sees Telangana's ruling TRS, which supported the NDA in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election, as a potential ally post the general elections in 2019, a leader of its state unit hinted today.

BJD, TRS and AIADMK, which supported the NDA candidate Harivansh who won the election held earlier today, were described by Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao as the ruling alliance's "new friends in the making" for the Lok Sabha elections or post the polls.

But Rao hastened to add that the TRS has categorically made it clear that its support to the NDA is issue-based, as he recalled the party's backing to the introduction of GST and in the Presidential elections.

TRS might have considered today's election as one of those issues, according to him.

Asked if the BJP saw the TRS as a potential NDA ally, Rao told PTI: "We don't see they (TRS) being a potential ally; but we don't know what will happen after 2019 (Lok Sabha poll)".

On whether the BJP does not see TRS becoming NDA ally before the Lok Sabha election, he said: "We don't see it happening before 2019 (poll)".

After next year's elections, there might be "many friends" who would want to join the NDA as the ruling alliance was all set to return to power, Rao claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The body of a militant was recovered from an encounter site in the forests of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir today, taking the number of ultras killed in the operation since yesterday to five, the Army said here.

The body of one more militant was recovered this morning from the encounter site in the Ladoora forests in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir, an Army official said.

He added that the number of militants killed in the operation so far had risen to five.

Four militants were killed in a gunbattle yesterday after security forces launched a search operation in the forest area on Monday, following information about the presence of militants there.

One soldier was also injured in the gunbattle.

Weapons and other war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site, the Army official said, adding that the search operation was going on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The ruling NDA today comfortably bagged the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha with journalist-turned politician Harivansh of the JD(U) beating Congress' B K Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for the opposition unity ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In a boost to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA), its candidate Harivansh, the 62-year-old first-time MP from the Nitish Kumar-led party, got 125 votes as against 101 polled by Hariprasad, who was the opposition nominee.

Hariprasad's vote count was revised downwards to 101 from the earlier 105 by the Rajya Sabha secretariat after tallying the final figures.

A total of 228 members out of an effective House strength of 244 voted thereby reducing the majority mark to 115, according to the final official figures.

Though the BJP-led NDA was present in the House in full strength with 97 MPs it needed the backing of other parties to clinch the deputy chairmanship. The alliance got the support of fence sitters BJD(9) and TRS(6). The AIADMK with 13 members also voted for the NDA.

The NDA also benefitted from the absence of some opposition members.

As many as 16 members were not present during voting, according to official figures.

Three members each of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party(SP) and the AAP besides two each from the TMC, DMK and PDP and one from the Naga People's Front(NPF) were the absentee members.

Two members of the YSRCP abstained from the voting.

The post of the deputy chairman is lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien of the Congress on July 1.

The entire House congratulated Harivansh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a lighter vein, saying "ab sub kuch 'Hari Bharose'. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari Kripa bani rahegi (everything is now in the hands of Hari or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy)."



Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also led the felicitations. Jaitley, who is recuperating after a renal transplant, attended the house after a long gap.

Harivansh said it would be his endeavour to uphold the dignity of the Upper House and expressed the hope that differences would be ironed out through constructive debates, consensus and guidance.

He exuded confidence that all members will work together and imbibe the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jai Prakash Narayan to ensure a smooth run of the House. He hails from the same village in Ballia-Saran region in Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border where Jai Prakash Narayan, a socialist leader and anti-Emergency crusader, was born.

"Treading on rules and procedures framed by our Constitution makers, we can lead the country to greatness...There would be differences in debates, there would be different opinions... We can find out a way.

"I got this opportunity to be here...I am frightened, surrounded by so many experienced people but this is my strength too as you all will guide me and I assure you I will run the House in a fair and decent manner," said Harivansh, who is known to keep a low profile and is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu initiated the process of the election by calling for division of votes in the House.

The nomination of Harivansh was proposed by Ram Prasad Singh(JD-U) and seconded by union minister and RPI member Ramdas Athawale. BJP president Amit Shah, Shiv Sena's Ranjay Raut and Akali Dal's Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were also among the proposers.

The voting had to be carried out for the second time as some members pointed out mistakes in the first polling. Result displayed for the first voting was "122 ayes, 98 noes, 2 abstain. Total: 222.

"We may have lost the battle but we will win the war," Hariprasad told reporters, exuding confidence that the UPA will win the next Lok Sabha polls.

Soon after the election result was announced by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Jaitley, Azad and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar accompanied Harivansh to the seat designated for the Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

In his speech, Modi also spoke of the achievements of Harivansh, a journalist for about four decades.

Hoping that Harivansh would do justice to all members of the House, Modi in a lighter vein said the situation in the House is such that the umpire faces more problems than the players.

Azad hoped the new Deputy Chairman would give enough opportunity to the opposition members to raise their issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The row over Britain's former foreign secretary Boris Johnson's disparaging remark comparing burqa-clad women to letter boxes and bank robbers refuses to die down, forcing the Conservative party to launch disciplinary action against him today.

In a newspaper article on Monday, Johnson had opposed a complete ban on Islamic clothing in line with the recent burqa ban in Denmark, but said that "it was absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes".

The ruling party has reportedly received dozens of complaints about his comments. The complaints will now be looked at by an independent panel.

If the three-member panel find a breach of the party's code of conduct, they could refer Johnson to the party's board, which would have the power to suspend or expel him.

The party's code states that elected representatives must "lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance" and not "use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others".

"The code of conduct process is strictly confidential," a Conservative party spokesperson said, refusing to elaborate on the procedure.

The inquiry comes as the former Cabinet minister refused to buckle under pressure from Prime Minister Theresa May and many of his former UK Cabinet colleagues to apologise for his remarks.

"I do think that we all have to be very careful about the language and terms we use," May said.

A senior Tory party Muslim peer, Lord Sheikh, called for him to be kicked out of the party, referred to as withdrawing the party whip.

Johnson's remarks have come under severe criticism, with some branding them as a sign Islamophobia in the UK's ruling Conservative party.

A hundred Muslim women who wear the niqab or burqa have signed a letter to Tory party chairman Brandon Lewis, calling on him to withdraw the Conservative whip from Johnson and launch an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the party.

However, Johnson has also received some support for speaking out bluntly over the issue. A leading imam from at the Oxford Islamic Congregation, Dr Taj Hargey, said the MP and former Mayor of London should "not apologise for telling the truth".

"The burqa and niqab are hideous tribal ninja-like garments that are pre-Islamic, non-Koranic and therefore un-Muslim," he wrote in The Times'.

Scotland Yard was also forced to wade into the debate, with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick saying that while many have found Johnson's remarks offensive, officers had decided that he did not commit an offence.

"I also know that many other people believe strongly that in the whole of the article, what Mr Johnson appears to have been attempting to do was to say that there shouldn't be a ban and that he was engaging in a legitimate debate," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A former British-Bangladeshi teacher today walked out of jail following his acquittal in the 2016 Dhaka cafe attack case nearly two years after his arrest in the brazen terror assault in which 22 people, including an Indian girl, were killed.

Former North South University teacher Hasnat Rezaul Karim and his family were at the Holey Artisan Cafe and Bakery on July 1, 2016 when five militants with assault rifles and machetes stormed the popular cafe in the capital's posh Gulshan neighbourhood.

Hasnat, a 49-year-old British national of Bangladeshi origin, was among the several other diners released by the terrorists in the early morning of July 2 before the army stormed it.

Hasnat, though apparently a hostage during the attack, had been kept under close watch since the day.

Police detained him in August 2016 under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows making arrest without a warrant.

One of the five attackers killed in the raid to free the hostages was also found to be a student of North South University.

However, investigators found no evidence against Hasnat and his name had been left off the charge sheet, the bdnews reported.

An anti-terrorism tribunal in Dhaka yesterday issued arrest warrants for two fugitives after accepting the charges



against eight suspected Islamic State militants in the cafe attack case.

The tribunal ordered the release of Hasnat after police investigation found no evidence of his terror link.

The authorities at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur released him this afternoon after court documents reached the prison last night.

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.

None of those arrested alive named Hasnat. His involvement was not found during any stage of investigations. That's why we have not included his name in the charge sheet, Monirul Islam, chief of police's Counterterrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit, said after filing the charge sheet.

Hasnat had tried to secure bail several times but failed as the court agreed with state lawyers that he might be named in the charge sheet.

After his detention, Abdul Baten, who was a joint commissioner of the Detective Branch, said the former university teacher was shown arrested in the cafe attack case because specific evidence of his involvement in the attack was found.

Hasnat's wife had denied the allegation, saying they had to act on orders from the militants.

The Islamic State group said it had carried out the cafe attack -- a claim rejected by Bangladesh.

Law enforcers in Bangaldesh have blamed the revived faction of home-grown militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Neo-JMB for the attack in which 22 people including an Indian girl and 17 foreigners were killed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The British Museum said today it is returning to Iraq a collection of 5,000-year-old looted antiquities seized from a London dealer shortly after the US-led invasion in 2003.

The eight objects were confiscated by police in May that year after the dealer failed to produce proof of ownership, and were passed to the museum for analysis earlier this year.

Three of the objects carry Sumerian inscriptions which identify their origin as the Eninnu temple in the ancient city of Girsu, now known as Tello, in southern Iraq.

Their identification was made easier by the fact that Tello is one of the excavation sites where the British Museum has been training Iraqi archaeologists since 2016.

"The other items are identical to objects known from excavations at Tello and most likely also originate from the same site," the museum said in a statement.

The objects are believed to have been removed at night by a small number of people over a short period of time -- the scale of the looting is more limited than elsewhere in southern Iraq.

They will be formally handed to the Iraqi embassy during a ceremony at the museum tomorrow, from where they will return to Iraq.

Iraq's ambassador, Salih Husain Ali, praised the museum's staff for their "exceptional efforts" in identifying the antiquities.

"Such collaboration between Iraq and the United Kingdom is vital for the preservation and the protection of the Iraqi heritage," he said in a statement issued by the museum.

"The protection of antiquities is an international responsibility and in Iraq we aspire to the global cooperation to protect the heritage of Iraq and to restore its looted objects."



The objects include three fired clay cones, each with an identical cuneiform inscription which has been seen on many other items, and references the deity Ningirsu.

There is also a polished, yellowish river pebble and a fragmentary white gypsum mace-head, both of them also inscribed.

Another object is a white marble amulet pendant in the form of a reclining four-legged animal, dating back to around 3,000 BC.

A red marble square stamp seal or amulet pendant, depicting a pair of four-legged animals facing in opposite directions, is from the same period.

The final item is a white chalcedony stamp seal with a flat oval face engraved with the design of a reclining sphinx.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Implementation of the new real estate law RERA from May last year has forced developers to focus on execution of projects, leading to 33 per cent rise in deliveries of flats to over 1.93 lakh units in 9 major cities during January-June 2018, says a report.

According to the findings of Corp-backed realty portal PropTiger, nearly 8.6 lakh units are scheduled to be handed over to buyers by 2019-end.

It also said the developers delivered 1,93,061 units during first half of 2018 against 1,44,654 units in the corresponding period of last year.

The top nine cities tracked by the company are - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune. Noida includes Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway, while Mumbai includes Navi Mumbai and Thane. Gurugram includes Bhiwadi, Dharuhera and Sohna markets.

"Since the advent of RERA, developers have shifted their focus on completing existing projects rather than launching new ones in order to avoid penalties. This has resulted in increasing home deliveries across cities, which is a very positive development," said Ankur Dhawan, Chief Investment Officer, PropTiger.com.

This trend is expected to continue in the second half of 2018 as well as in 2019 when a total of 8,59,437 units are expected to be delivered, he added.

As per the report, the trend of increasing deliveries was seen across cities except Pune and Chennai where there was a slight drop in number of units delivered.

In Noida, 28,510 units were delivered during January-June 2018, up nearly three times from 10,510 units in the year-ago period.

Mumbai saw 85 per cent jump in deliveries at 44,663 units as against 24,169 units earlier.

The developers handed over 13,380 units in Ahmedabad, 28,279 units in Bengaluru, 24,677 units in Gurugram, 11,887 units in Hyderabad, 8,314 units in Kolkata.

Chennai saw 28 per cent drop in deliveries at 11,122 units from 15,485 units, while Pune witnessed 8 per cent decline at 22,229 units from 24,200 units.

PropTiger said increase in deliveries would further boost consumer sentiment, and could result in higher sales during the upcoming festival season.

Singapore-based Elara Technologies had formed the portal PropTiger.com in 2011 and later acquired Makaan.com in May 2015 and Housing.com in January 2017 to create India's largest full service online-to-offline real estate platform.

While PropTiger helps developers in selling flats available in primary market, Makaan.com largely deals in buy-sell of re-sale properties (secondary market).

Housing.com is a classified platform for both developers and brokers. Unlike Makaan.com, developers and brokers need to buy a package for listing of their properties on Housing.com.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government today approved a pact between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA), Canada.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister gave ex-post facto approval of the MoU signed in 2011 and approval for signing of MoU between ICAI, India and CPA, Canada, according to an official statement.

"The MoU also includes further collaboration on the definition, learning, and evaluation of the professional qualities and skills and competencies of entry-level Chartered Accountants," the statement said.

The pact intends arrangements for reciprocal membership that will apply to the respective members of both the Institutes ( ICAI and CPA) subject to specified criteria, it added.

According to the statement, it will provide an opportunity to the ICAI members to expand their professional horizon and simultaneously ICAI will become an entity to aid strengthen brand building of local nations and fostering strong relations between the ICAI and CPA Canada.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet today gave the nod to raising of four new battalions of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) which will be based in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the national capital region.

A government statement said the Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "has given the approval for raising of four additional battalions of NDRF to strengthen India's disaster response set up at an estimated cost of Rs 637 crore".

The aim is to reduce the response time, keeping in view the vast geographical area of the country, according to the statement.

An NDRF battalion comprises a little over 1,000 personnel.

The statement said these four battalions will initially be raised in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (2 battalions) and one each in Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles.

"Later, these battalions will be converted into NDRF battalions. Based on the vulnerability profile, these battalions will be positioned in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the national capital region of Delhi," it said.

The NDRF has 12 operational battalions at present. It is a specialised force that was raised in 2006 for specific tasks of relief and rescue during natural and man-made disasters or threatening situations.

The operational battalions are located in Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, NCR (Ghaziabad), Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Trend





SOCAR Trading SA, a trading house of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, supplied more than 12 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for a gas power plant in Malta, SOCAR Trading SA told Trend.

"We are showing increased interest in LNG operations after successful participation in the gas power plant project in Malta. After the start of operations within the project in January 2017, SOCAR Trading specialists began to look for similar projects around the world. Pakistan, Benin and a number of states in the Mediterranean region are being considered. Today, active work is also continuing in Cote d'Ivoire, where it is planned to build a terminal for re-gasification of liquefied natural gas. Construction has not yet begun; however, most of the necessary research and planning has been completed," the company noted.

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.
To revive fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni, the Centre today decided to give land on lease to Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) as also other concessions to implement these projects.

The decision in this regard was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

HURL, a joint venture company, was incorporated in June 2016 to revive these three plants.

The cabinet approved the proposal to provide the concession agreements and land lease agreements for the revival of Gorakhpur and Sindri units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) and Barauni unit of Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL) by HURL, an official statement said.

The lease deeds are to be signed with HURL by FCIL/HFCL. The lease of land is for a period of 55 years. "The Lessee (HURL) would pay a nominal lease rent of Rs 1 lakh per annum to the lessor (FCIL/HFCL)," it said.

With regard to the concession agreements, the government said they are to be entered between FCIL/HFCL and HURL (concessionaire) for the purpose of giving a right to HURL to carry out complete design, engineering, construction, procurement, testing, commissioning, operate and maintaining fertilizer plants and market its products.

The government further said that the substitution agreement might be required to signed to enable HURL obtain finance to revive these projects. This would be a tri-patriate agreement amongst HURL, lenders' representative for the specific project and FCIL/HFCL.

The Cabinet also authorised an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to approve substitution agreements and approve other agreements, if any to be signed between FCIL/HFCL and HURL for the three projects at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni, it added.

"The revival of Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni units of FCIL/HFCL will ensure substantial investment in the fertilizer sector," the statement said and added this will help country becoming self-sufficient in urea.

These units will act as anchor customer to Jagdishpur-Haldia Pipeline (JHPL) gas pipeline being laid for development of critical infrastructure in Eastern India. This will create job opportunities in the region and also boost the economy of the eastern region/state.

At present, the country produces over 30 million tonnes of urea annually and imports about 6 million tonnes to meet domestic demand.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cabs and taxis of other states plying in the national capital will have to get Delhi government's permit as it is firming up a policy to regulate such vehicles.

In reply to a question by BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan, Delhi's Transport minister Kailash Gahlot today told the Delhi Assembly that taxis and cabs of aggregator services are plying in Delhi through agreements.

"Licensing and Regulations of App based Aggregators Rules were formed. A high powered committee has been formed to give final shape to it," Gahlot said.

The Rules will be implemented after the committee submits its report, Gahlot said and added "Cabs of other states entering Delhi will have to seek permits to ply in the national capital. I think that there will be such provision in the proposed taxi scheme for app-based cab aggregators."



The transport vehicles registered in other states can enter Delhi if they have national permit, all India tourist permit or if they are covered under agreements between states, he said in his written reply.

The minister admitted that taxis from neighbouring UP, Haryana and other states were running without legal permit in Delhi.

The enforcement wing of Transport department takes action against such vehicles from time to time under the laid down rules, he said.

In June month, drivers of 404 such taxis were challaned by the enforcement teams of Transport department and 104 such vehicles were impounded, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Canada is quietly working back channels to prod allies including Germany and Sweden to help resolve its row with Saudi Arabia, a government source confirmed Thursday.

The senior official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke with her counterparts in the two European nations.

Germany and Sweden previously were targets of Saudi backlashes for calling out the kingdom for human rights abuses.

Freeland sought to learn how they resolved those disputes, and asked for their support, the official said. Ottawa also planned to reach out to regional heavyweight the United Arab Emirates and Britain, which has strong historical ties to Saudi Arabia.

Tensions have been high between Canada and Saudi Arabia since Monday when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments.

The kingdom was angry at Ottawa for openly denouncing a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood firm, saying: "Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights ... at home and abroad, wherever we see the need." "Canadians expect that, and indeed people around the world expect that leadership from Canada," he said.

Trudeau noted that Freeland had "a long conversation" on Tuesday with her counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to try to resolve the dispute.

"Diplomatic talks continue," he said.

Canada has been disappointed that Western powers including the United States -- a key ally of Saudi Arabia -- did not publicly support Ottawa.

"Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can't do it for them. They need to resolve it together," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing on Wednesday.

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 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Naseem waited three years to be accepted to a Canadian postgraduate program. With two years left before she would receive her PhD, the Saudi student's plans have been upended thanks to a diplomatic spat.

The kingdom this week suspended all scholarships to Canada as part of a rupture between the two countries over Ottawa's criticism of Riyadh's human rights record. Saudi students will be relocated to other countries.

For Naseem, that could mean she and her husband, who is studying to be a medical doctor, may never earn their degrees.

And she feels totally lost, having left Saudi Arabia just after her father passed away in 2017 to pursue her academic dream, 6,500 miles (10,500 kilometers) away from home.

"Everything is gone," said the mother of two, who lives in Toronto but spoke to AFP during a family visit to Riyadh.

"I still have two years to get a PhD, and my husband needs two years to graduate as a doctor. We had the perfect plan. Now we might have to start from zero, but I cannot do it. I just can't," she said.

For Samira, the complications are similar. She and her husband were married in Jeddah on Tuesday, a day after the Saudi measure was announced.

They'd planned to live in Canada until he completes his studies, but at the wedding she felt "broken, disappointed," she said.

"I am about to quit my life to go live with my husband in Canada, where he owns a house. Now, I don't know where we will go. All our plans were smashed with one decision, and we weren't even married yet."



According to Canadian government figures, there were 192,000 international students from 200 countries enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges last year.

Saudi students, who currently number about 8,000, are among the largest group.

For universities, the loss of fees from the students, who pay from Can$30,000 to Can$80,000 annually for tuition and living expenses, will hurt.

International students contributed Can$15.5 billion (US$12.0 billion) to the Canadian economy last year, including tuition, textbooks, housing and other expenses.

"That's more than the auto parts and lumber industries in Canada," said Pari Johnston of Universities Canada, an association which represents 96 universities.

In Ontario, where one in five of all Saudi students are enrolled, the recall could cost "tens of millions of dollars," according to the Council of Ontario Universities.

"Attracting international students is an essential part of a broad economic development plan for Ontario since Ontario's ability to draw top talent from around the world in turn helps attract global investment and business," a spokesperson for the council said.

Students face far greater difficulties as they seek transfers, less than a month before the start of classes.

"This is a major disruption for them. They may lose a semester or a whole year of studies," said Johnston.

It is not easy to just relocate people who have been living in Canada for years. "It's just not easy. I don't know what to do," Naseem said.

"Now we have to find a place where we are both accepted, and where we can pursue our studies. Is it possible?! I don't think so," she said.

"We're still trying to sort out the situation," the University of Ottawa's Veronique Vallee told AFP. "Our main concern is the wellbeing of the students." -



The school has 246 Saudi students, the majority of whom are enrolled in medicine, science or engineering programs.

In Western Canada, 150 Saudi students at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan were told they have a month to leave the country.

"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," Livia Castellanos, the school's chief international officer, told public broadcaster CBC.

Medical students will be especially hit hard by the chaos unfolding, with about 800 Saudis being trained by Canada to become doctors.

"Many medical trainees are in the middle of their residencies and any disruption would delay completion of their training," said Genevieve Moineau of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.

She noted that a medical degree typically takes three to four years to complete and is followed by an additional two to seven years of "residency training."



According to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, up to 25,000 patients could also be affected by the loss of Saudi medical residents.

"This could impact healthcare in Canada," Johnston said. "Residents provide care to Canadians every day as part of their training. The Saudis represent one third of care teams at teaching hospitals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sitting on a huge stock, the Centre today decided to sell nearly 3.5 million tonnes of pulses to states at Rs 15 per kg lower price than the wholesale rate for distribution under PDS and other welfare schemes, costing exchequer Rs 5,237 crore.

The decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Centre will provide 3.48 million tonnes of pulses to state governments from its stock procured under the price support schemes (PSS), it added.

"Under this approved Scheme, the States/UT Governments are offered to lift 34.88 lakh tonnes of tur, chana, masoor, moong and urad at discount of Rs 15 per kg over the prevailing wholesale market price of the sourcing state on first come first serve basis," an official statement said.

This will be one-time dispensation for a period of 12 months or complete disposal of 34.88 lakh tonnes of pulses stock, whichever is earlier, it added.

"Government will spend Rs 5,237 crore for implementation of this scheme," said Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad after the Cabinet meeting.

The states/UTs can utilise pulses for supply through ration shops and other welfare schemes such as mid-day meal, integrated child development programme, among others.

As pulse prices fell after record production in last two years, the Union Agriculture Ministry decided to intervene in the market to procure dals at the minimum support price (MSP) to protect farmers' interest. Under the PSS, it procured 4.54 million tonnes of pulses.

The ministry is selling pulses from its stock to clear storage space for coming Kharif harvest when it might have to buy more stock under the PSS in view of higher production following sharp hike in MSP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Justice Rajendra Menon was today sworn in as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court by



Lt Governor Anil Baijal at a ceremony held at the Raj Niwas here.

On the very first day, Justice Menon heard 11 matters listed before him and told his court staff to inform the lawyers that he would be taking up some of the matters in the regular list, which have been pending for long periods, from tomorrow.

While hearing an NGO's plea against unauthorised construction in south Delhi, he asserted that he would not be entertaining any petitions or PILs which were not in public interest, but filed to exact vengeance or settle personal scores.

He told the NGO that its petitions were not in public interest and that it should seek recourse to other legal means to agitate its grievance.

Justice Menon, who was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court, replaces Justice Gita Mittal at the helm of the Delhi High Court after she was elevated to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The Lt Governor administered the oath of office to Justice Menon in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, senior members of the judiciary, officers of Delhi government and other officials.

Justice Menon's inclusion has not added to the depleted number of judges of the Delhi High Court, which despite a sanctioned strength of 60 judges, continues to function with 35 judges.

Justice Menon had also served as a judge in the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was elevated as the Patna High Court Chief Justice in March last year.

The Supreme Court collegium had recommended the transfer of Justice Menon to Delhi High Court on July 16.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Chinese Naval ship has arrived at the port of Colombo on a four-day goodwill visit, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

'Qian Weichang', the ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China, was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lankan Navy in accordance with the force's traditions upon its arrival yesterday.

During its stay in the country, the ship's crew is scheduled to participate in events organised by the Lankan Navy as well as visit places of tourist attraction in the island nation.

The 129-metre-long and 17-metre-wide vessel which has a displacement of 4,900 tons is manned by 158 officers and sailors.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
District units of the Congress have been authorised to take a decision at the local level about forging an alliance for the urban local body polls, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said today.

Polls to 105 urban local bodies in the state are scheduled for August 29.

During the recent constituency wise meeting about preparations for Lok Sabha polls, a majority of the party's local leaders had reportedly expressed their opposition to alliance with the JD(S) in the urban local body polls.

"We have left it to district units, they will decide. In the local body election....there is no alliance (across the state), we have left it to local district units to decide," Siddaramaiah, congress legislature party leader, told reporters at Hubballi.

However, he said there would be an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls.

Seat sharing arrangement between both the parties for Lok Sabha polls, especially in the old Mysuru region where JD(S) is strong and Congress too has its sitting MPs, is going to be a test for the coalition.

Not wishing to comment on questions relating to certain issues on the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, Siddaramaiah, who is also the chairman of the coalition coordination committee, said it is important for both parties to follow "coalition dharma."



"....we will discuss in the coordination committee, it cannot be discussed openly. It is a coalition government," he said in response to a question.

"We will have to follow coalition dharma....every one has to follow it, we will also have to follow, and they will also have to follow," he added.

Congress and JD(S) which had bitterly fought against each other in the assembly elections, especially in the old Mysuru region, joined hands to form a coalition government in the state as the May 12 assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sweden's wildfires and drought have caused the environment to become the second most important issue after immigration for Swedes before the September 9 general election, a poll showed today.

The heatwave and drought triggered dozens of wildfires, from the south up to the Arctic Circle as the country registered the hottest month of July in two centuries, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).

The Nordic nation, where summer temperatures are usually closer to 23 Celsius, is not equipped to deal with this kind of natural catastrophe and asked for help from Italy, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Poland and France.

An opinion poll carried out by the Swedish consultancy Demoskop between August 2 and 7 showed that 16 per cent of respondents saw the environment as the most important issue, replacing health care on 13 per cent.

"It's a shame that drought and fires had to happen in order for the environment to become a major issue," Michael Arthursson, secretary general of the Centre party, told the Daily Expressen, which published the poll today.

According to Swedish officials, around 20,000 hectares of forests were burned.

The government last week announced 1.2 billion kronor (117 million euros, USD 137 million in aid to help farmers hit hard by the drought.

Emergency services SOS Alarm said there were seven wildfires across the nation today. No casualties have been reported so far and foreign firefighters have left the country.

According to the Demoskop poll, immigration is still the most important issue for voters at 23 per cent in Swedne which has registered around 400,000 asylum requests since 2012, a record in Europe.

For Sweden's deputy prime minister Isabella Lovin, climate change and immigration can go hand in hand.

"If we don't do something about the climate threats then we're going to have hundreds of millions of refugees fleeing hurricanes, drought and crop failures," she told Expressen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

A piano concert dedicated to an outstanding Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev will be held in Italy.

The concert is organized as part of the 8th Livorno International Music Festival to be held in Italy from August 21 to September 8.

Acclaimed pianist Olga Domninan will perform works by Gara Garayev, Dmitri Shostakovich and Faraj Garayev.

The Livorno Music Festival provides courses for interpretation and instrumental master classes with the purpose of bringing together young musicians from all over the world, allowing them close contact with some of the most important names in the international musical scene. Students and professors meet each other at classes, concerts, and thanks to an agreement with the Festival, they can also share lunches and dinners facilitating ideas, friendships, projects and cultural exchanges.

This year marks the 100th birthday anniversary of a legendary national composer Gara Garayev.

Having synthesized Eastern and Western musical traditions, his works cover essentially all genres. The works by the legend are performed all over the world.

He knew Azerbaijani folk music very well and loved to sing.

In 1938, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by Rasul Rza. It was performed in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in the same year. He was only 20 years old at the time.

Garayev returned to Baku in 1941. He began teaching students at Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society.

In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's "Seven Beauties" ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, "Seven Beauties", it became the first Azerbaijani ballet and opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan.

His ballet, "Path of Thunder", staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in South Africa. In the same year, he wrote the score for the documentary film" A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea", directed by Roman Karmen and set at the Oil Rocks.

Through his life, Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces, including ballets, operas, symphonic and chamber pieces, solos for piano, cantatas, songs and marches, and rose to prominence not only in Azerbaijan, but also worldwide.

He brilliantly juxtaposed features of Mugham with jazz, blues, African music, European counterpoint styles, and developments related to the 20th century Western music such as the 12-tone technique.

Garayev died on May 13, 1982 in Moscow at the age of 64.

The composer leaved behind a legacy of music that will be felt for generations to come. The memory of great composer will always live in the hearts of Azerbaijani people.
Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) on Thursday asked the TRAI chairman to outline his major focus areas and priorities for the next two years, so the industry can look to "predictable and stable regulatory environment" crucial for growth.

The comments of - which has, in the past, been severely critical of major TRAI decisions under Sharma's watch - comes against the backdrop of re-appointment of Sharma as the chairperson of Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for two more years.

When contacted, Sharma declined to comment on his re-appointment.

Meanwhile, the said the sector's financial health, focus on 5G and challenges on spectrum pricing and pesky call rules need to be urgently prioritised from an industry standpoint.

"It is up to the TRAI chairman to articulate what his major focus areas will be in the next two years so the industry can look for predictable and stable regulatory envrionment essential for growth and attracting investments," Director general Rajan Mathews told PTI.

Mathews said the industry is seeking from the regulator a relationship of "trust, information sharing and predictability".

"We would want TRAI to clarify some of the challenges we are facing on implementation of pesky call rules. We want to discuss the outstanding issues with TRAI," Mathews said.

The COAI had raised a red flag over TRAI's new regulations on curbing pesky telemarketing calls and messages, saying tailoring of systems, and use of blockchain technology will involve Rs 200-400 crore investment and 18 months for the rollout, at a time when the sector is financially-stressed.

However, Sharma had told PTI yesterday in an interview that "reasonable time" has been given to operators on the issue and that the norms came about only after a prolonged discussion with the industry.

"It is not the knee-jerk reaction of TRAI...," Sharma had said.

ALSO READ: CAG raps Power Grid for inadequacies in pricing methodology in telecom biz

In the past, TRAI's decisions, ranging from slashing of call connect charges, to its stance on provision of points of internet (sought by Reliance Jio at the start of its services), and predatory pricing rules have been slammed by older operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular.

Earlier this year, TRAI's predatory pricing rules sparked off a furore as established players and the trade body criticised the new norms. The COAI had indicated that the order distorted the market, placing all operators, except one (it had not named Reliance Jio) at a serious disadvantage.

Sharma stood his ground all through, and maintained that while he takes industry's 'fair criticism' in his stride, the levelling of allegations of bias without any proof bothers him as it discredits and lowers the institution's esteem.

The fiery TRAI chief also engaged in a verbal spat with the Twitterati late last month over potential misuse of Aadhaar. Sharma had 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.

Sharma yesterday said that no information was "discovered" about him on account of sharing of Aadhaar number, but had conceded that one of his takeaways from the episode had been that social media was not a suitable forum to discuss complex policy matters.
The Congress' claim on "faulty" NRC draft of Assam has been vindicated by the Supreme Court rebuking the registrar general of India and NRC



state coordinator and directing them to concentrate on preparing an error-free citizen's register, party leader Tarun Gogoi said today.

Alleging that the officials were under pressure from the RSS and BJP, Gogoi claimed that the apex court had doubts about the integrity of the NRC authorities.

The former chief minister of Assam also accused the BJP of giving importance to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and not to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"We have been saying that the draft NRC is full of errors and the Supreme Court's directive to the officials that they have the responsibility to prepare a correct NRC, proves our claim," he told reporters here.

The apex court has reminded the two officials of their "duty and responsibility" of preparing a correct NRC as defined by it on the basis of the Assam Accord, Gogoi said.

"The exclusion of 40 lakh people in the draft NRC is a matter of serious concern and the authorities must ensure that genuine citizens of the country are not left out," he said.

The Congress leader also criticised Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for being "silent" on the issue and claimed that the latter has not clarified on what action would be taken to include the names of genuine Indian citizens and detect the foreigners.

Sonowal has also not asked for the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 despite widespread protests, he said and accused the BJP of giving importance to the Bill and not NRC.

"BJP president Amit Shah speaks about NRC being the 'soul of Assam Accord', but does not say anything about withdrawing the Bill. If the Bill is not withdrawn, the entire NRC list will go waste. The whole exercise will be a waste of money, energy and resources," Gogoi said.

The former chief minister also accused the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) of "double standards" as he said although the outfit was demanding the withdrawal of the Bill, it was continuing its alliance with the BJP to remain in power in the state.

Both BJP and AGP are not interested in publishing the NRC as they want to keep the foreigners' issue alive to divert attention from their failures, he alleged.

"I thank the Supreme Court for fixing the dates for the publication of the draft NRC or else it would not have been published," he said.

Gogoi claimed that it was he who had taken the initiative to begin the work of compiling the NRC and the application process was completed during the Congress rule in the state.

Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's reaction to the NRC issue, the Congress leader said she had no right to interfere in Assam's matters.

"But at the same time, the Trinamool Congress delegation should not have been denied entry. The TMC delegates had the right to come and clear their doubts though they cannot create tension in the state," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress members today created uproarious scenes in the Lok Sabha demanding a probe into the Rafala fighter aircraft deal by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, forcing an adjournment of the proceedings.

The Congress members raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began with their leader Mallikarjun Kharge



seeking the Speaker's permission to speak on the alleged scam.

As Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with the listed business, the opposition party members stormed into the Well of the House carrying placards and raising slogans.

They were heard demanding a JPC probe into the deal and a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As they continued their vociferous protests, the Speaker adjourned the House first for 20 minutes till 1 PM.

When the House met again, the protests continued, forcing Mahajan to adjourn it again till 2 PM.

Amids the ruckus, the Speaker allowed some members to speak on issues concerning tribals to mark the Tribal Day today.

BJP MP from Hamirpur Pushpendra Singh Chandel spoke about threat to his life allegedly from the mining mafia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today alleged a Rs 4,000 crore scam in the procurement of groundnuts in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, and demanded a judicial probe into it by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Congress leaders Rajeev Satav and Paresh Dhanani alleged that the multi-crore scam had links to the chief minister's office and other higher-ups in the BJP, who were trying to bury it.

Satav said while the Congress had given representations to the state government to initiate a probe monitored by a Supreme Court judge, it was open to taking legal recourse through a PIL or other measures in case the government did not order a judicial probe.

Dhanani, who is the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the Gujarat Assembly, said the party gave several representations to the state government, which had started investigating the matter and 27 people, including officials, were arrested.

He, however, said the bigwigs and the "real accused" in the scam were getting away.

Dhanani said the scam involved the procurement of groundnuts from farmers. He said the procured groundnuts were sold to millers and the stocks were then adulterated with sand and pebbles to show zero loss.

He added that before the Assembly elections, the government had announced on October 24, 2017, that it would procure groundnuts from farmers at a higher rate of Rs 900 per 20 kg against an earlier rate of Rs 550 after the polls.

"We demand that the state government order a judicial probe into the groundnuts scam by a sitting Supreme Court judge," they told reporters, alleging that the scam involved Rs 4,000 crores.

"If the government continues to suppress the truth in this case, the path to file a PIL or other legal recourse is open before us," he added.

He alleged that the state government was seeking to bury the groundnut scam, the threads of the which were linked to the chief minister's office.

Dhanani said the Congress was protesting in every district and outside the godowns where the groundnuts were stored.

The Congress alleged that several BJP leaders were involved in the scam, along with officials of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), the Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation Limited (GUJCOT), as well as local politicians, who allegedly stole and sold off procured groundnut to oil millers.

The stocks of groundnut were then adulterated with sand and pebbles to show that there was no loss in weight of the stocks, the party alleged.

The leaders also alleged that there were four incidents of fire at the warehouses where such stocks were kept over the last six months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congo's president is not running again in December's long-delayed elections, easing concerns by the opposition and international community that he would try to stay in office and positioning one of Africa's most turbulent nations for what could be its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power.

President Joseph Kabila will remain influential, however. He chose former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the ruling party's permanent secretary, as the candidate for the newly formed Common Front for Congo coalition. Kabila is considered its moral authority.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende announced the decision yesterday, just hours before the deadline for candidates to register.

The 57-year-old Shadary is among nine Congolese sanctioned by the European Union last year for obstructing the electoral process and related human rights violations.

After submitting his candidacy, Shadary praised Kabila, saying he kept his word about not running for another term and that the submission was made under his moral authority.

"The people need peace...People have a need for social reconstruction. That's what we will do," he said.

International pressure had been growing on Kabila and his government over the election delay since late 2016, with the United States in June taking the unusual step of announcing visa bans on several Congolese senior officials but not naming names. It cited their involvement in "significant corruption" related to the electoral process.

Kabila, who came to power in 2001 after the assassination of his father, former President Laurent Kabila, by law cannot run again after his mandate ended in late 2016. Congo's government has blamed the election delay on the difficulties of organizing a vote in the vast country.

Demonstrations over the delay have turned deadly, with Pope Francis and others appealing for calm after police in January used tear gas to disperse ambassadors and others at a mass at Kinshasa's Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed.

The Catholic Church immediately called the decision by Kabila "a big step," while the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, welcomed the but said Congo's electoral commission must "take all steps necessary" to guarantee a free and fair vote. The UN said it welcomed "continued progress" toward that goal.

"Congo's 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." Sawyer pointed to the barring in recent days of opposition leader Moise Katumbi from entering the country to register as a candidate. He fled Congo in 2016, months after resigning from the ruling party, as prosecutors announced their intent to try him on charges of hiring mercenaries, which he denied. His party did not register him in his absence.

As submissions closed yesterday, nearly 20 candidates had been registered, including three female candidates. They include the leader of Congo's largest opposition party, Felix Tshisekedi.

Former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, fresh from acquittal of war crimes on appeal at the International Criminal Court, had registered last week. He had been convicted for murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in neighboring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

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.

Congo's 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.

Unrest in the northeast poses a challenge to Congo's latest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, with health officials comparing the situation to a war zone and the UN peacekeeping mission offering support.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several CPI(M) activists were injured in clashes between the Left and the police during a Jail Bharo today to protest against the alleged apathy of the state government towards farmers.

Police said several activists of the Left party were arrested after the clashes.

The CPI(M) farmer wing, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) organized the 'Jail Bharo' across the state during the day demanding proper implementation of loan waiver scheme for farmers and the West Bengal government's failure to secure the minimum support price(MSP) for agriculture produce, the party sources said.

"Our demand is either the government fulfills our demands or arrests us," senior CITU leader Subhas Mukherjee said.

According to Kolkata Police, the CPI(M) activists shouting slogans against the state government tried to break the police cordon and a scuffle broke out between protestors and police.

As the police failed to pacify the crowd, it resorted to the use of force to push them back and arrested a few of them.

In districts such as Hoogly, Howrah, West Midnapore, North 24 Parganas several incidents of clashes were reported between police and the activists, reports said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several CPI(M) activists were injured in clashes between the Left parties and the police during a 'Jail Bharo' today in various parts of West Bengal to protest against the alleged apathy of the state and central governments towards farmers, police said.

The agitation was a part of a nation-wide programme to protest against the "pro-corporate" economic policies being allegedly pursued in the agricultural sector by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

The CPI(M) farmer wing, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) organized the 'Jail Bharo' across the state during the day demanding proper implementation of loan waiver scheme for farmers and the West Bengal and the central government's failure to secure the minimum support price(MSP) for agriculture produce, the party sources said.

"The prime minister has to fulfill the promises he had made during his election campiagn in 2014," CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said.

The AIKS said that it will collect at least 10 crore signatures across the country in support of its demand and will send it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the district collectors.

"Our demand is either the government fulfills our demands or arrests us. The Kisan Sabha will submit a charter of demands to the Centre and if the government is not willing to change its anti-farmer policies then we will launch nation wide struggle," said a senior AIKS leader.

According to Kolkata Police, CPI(M) activists shouting slogans against the state government tried to break the police cordon in the city and a scuffle broke out between protestors and police.

As the police failed to pacify the crowd, it resorted to the use of force to push them back.

There were, however, no arrests or injury during the agitation in the city.

In districts like Hoogly, Howrah, West Midnapore and North 24 Parganas several incidents of clashes were reported between police and the activists, reports said.

A civic volunteer was among several people who were injured when protesters clashed with the police in front of the Uluberia sub-divisional office at Howrah, the reports said.

The protesters allegedly threw stones at the police who retaliated with laticharge to disperse the gathering, it said.

At Barasat in North 24 Parganas a clash broke out between the protesters and police in which several people were injured, the reports said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of BMW owners in South Korea filed a criminal complaint against the German automaker today over alleged delays in recalling more than 100,000 cars after a spate of engine fires, their lawyer said.

The timing of the recall, which was issued last month, is already the subject of a government probe, after more 30 BMW cars -- mostly the 520d sedan model -- caught fire this year in South Korea.

BMW apologised on Monday for the fires, blaming a faulty component that was aimed at reducing emissions from diesel engines, but that has done little to allay the concerns of angry consumers, who say the firm should have issued the recall sooner.

Johann Ebenbichler, vice head of BMW in charge of quality, told reporters the carmaker became aware of a problem with the component in 2016 but managed to identify the root cause of the fires only in June this year. He did not provide further details.

Lawyer Ha Jong-sun said he had filed a criminal complaint against six people including Ebenbichler on behalf of 20 BMW owners and one victim of a BMW vehicle-related fire.

"It is hard to believe that BMW took two years to determine the cause of the car fires.... A criminal investigation is necessary to secure evidence of a cover-up," Ha told AFP.

The offence carries a prison term of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 100 million won ($89,400) under South Korean law.

Images of BMW vehicles bursting into flames have made headlines in the South recently, with some parking lots refusing to accept the cars because of fears they could catch fire.

BMW has blamed a faulty component called the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler that generated excessive sediment and caused engines to catch fire, and said the problem was "not Korea specific".

The company also issued a recall for 323,700 cars across Europe this week due to the same problem.

Apart from the criminal complaint, the beleaguered automaker is also facing a class action lawsuit in the South, filed by 17 owners who are demanding compensation from the company, Ha said.

In South Korea, six out of 10 imported cars are from Germany.

BMW sold nearly 39,000 cars in the first six months of this year, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today agreed the concern over rising "criminalisation" of politics" but said there is a 'lakshman rekha' which it should not cross and venture into the law making authority of Parliament to bar politicians facing criminal charges.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which commenced its hearing on PILs seeking to bar persons facing serious criminal charges from electoral politics, also referred to the doctrine of separation of power and said the job of the court was not to legislate and rather test the validity of the statute.

"Your (senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi) submission basically is that we should safeguard the rights of all citizens. You are exhorting us to deal with criminalisation of politics.

"You want us to exhort Parliament to lay down generally that such a law should exist which prevents criminality among legislators," the bench, also comprising justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said.

The bench said that there was a 'lakshman rekha' with regard to separation of power when senior lawyer Dwivedi, appearing for NGO Public Interest Foundation, argued that the court should step in as the legislature was not doing enough and rather silent on the issue.

"Let me correct myself, it is the 'lakshman rekha' to the extent that we declare the law and don't make the law. We cannot create the law," Justice Nariman said.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, however, opposed the petitions saying that the issue squarely fell under the domain of Parliament and the court should not venture into the territory.

The top law officer also referred to the concept of separation of power, the Article 21 (right to life) and the concept that a person is presumed to be innocent till proven guilty.

The bench also asked should the court "lay down the principle" since legislature is silent on it.

"You are asking us to issue a (writ) of mandamus to the Election Commission to lay down a norm that all three stages of criminal procedure (FIR, filing of charge sheet and framing of charges) should form basis for debarring candidates from contesting elections. But, the issue is should we go into this or the Parliament should make a law," the bench said.

It also said so far as the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA) is concerned, there was automatic disqualification of a lawmaker in the event of conviction.

The bench also raised objection to the submission that instead of laying down guidelines itself, the court can ask the poll panel to frame the norms which would ensure disqualification for a lawmaker and also stop the entry of such persons into electoral fray as the case may be.

"It is difficult to direct a body to add the grounds for disqualification... The moment a charge sheet has been filed against a person who files his nomination, then some sort of fast track procedure should be put in place," the bench suggested.

Lawyer Gopal Shankarnarayan said that such directions like fast tracking of the hearing involving politicians had been passed by the apex court earlier, but they have not been implemented and hence, desired results could not be achieved.

The bench concurred with the concerns raised by the lawyers and said, "definitely criminalsiation of politics should not enter into the political system".

The bench, however, added, "Once the trial commenced and the judgement is delivered pronouncing a person guilty, he is automatically disqualified."



It said that the law making power fell under the domain of Parliament and some kind of "fast tracking" of cases from the stage of FIR to filing of charge sheet, framing of charges and judgement can be done and a person would get disqualified automatically after the conviction.

The bench referred to the constitutional provision relating to oath of a minister and asked the attorney general whether a person facing a murder charge "can still take the oath that he/she will uphold the Constitution of India".

"There was nothing in the oath which can establish that a person facing criminal charges will not uphold the Constitution and moreover there are provisions of right to fair trial in the Constitution and a person is presumed to be innocent till proven guilty," Venugopal said.

Today's proceedings also saw a different kind of legal battle where the attorney general and his son and senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal appeared for rival parties and opposed each other in the court.

While Venugopal opposed the plea, his son and senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal, representing BJP leader Ashwini Upadjyay, supported the submission that the apex court should must step in to fill the void as the legislature was not doing its duty to stop criminalisation of politics.

Krishnan Venugopal suggested that the court can pass a specific direction to the political parties that they cannot allow such individuals from contesting elections and this direction can be inserted in their party constitutions.

The hearing will resume on August 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Colorado-based footwear company Crocs Inc is closing company-owned manufacturing plants in Italy and Mexico by year's end and replacing its chief financial officer.

The company announced the outsourcing of additional manufacturing and the closure of a distribution facility in Mexico Tuesday while reporting a second-quarter profit of USD 30.4 million, or 35 cents per share.

Crocs is also closing less productive retail stores as leases expire and focusing more on online sales.

Executive vice president Carrie Teffner will leave the company by next April, but is stepping down as CFO on August 24.

Anne Mehlman, a former vice president of corporate finance for Crocs and current CFO of Zappos, will take over as CFO.

Crocs shares were trading at USD 18.70 at mid-day Thursday, compared to USD 8.50 on August 9, 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Trend





Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of the national holiday of your country. On this remarkable day, I wish you all the best and the friendly people of Singapore peace and prosperity, said the congratulatory letter.
Engine-maker Cummins India today reported 17.56 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 183 crore for the first quarter ended June 30.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 222 crore during the same period of previous fiscal.

Sales of the company stood at Rs 1,296.49 crore for the first quarter ended June 30. Cummins had reported sales of Rs 1,387.69 crore in the April-June period of 2017-18, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"Domestic sales in the current quarter declined 7 per cent over the same quarter last year. However, the same quarter last year had a strong tailwind from pre-buy on account of impending GST implementation effective July 1, 2017," Cummins India Managing Director Sandeep Sinha said.

The company is also carrying forward orders into the current quarter as few of our suppliers faced supply constraints, he added.

"We expect fulfilment of these carry forward orders in the current quarter," Sinha said.

On business outlook, he added, "We are positive on the medium to long term outlook for domestic sales as underlying demand remains positive arising from sustained investments by the government in creating infrastructure for the Indian economy."



Shares of the company today ended 4.06 per cent down at Rs 651.80 on the BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dalit organisations held a protest at Jantar Mantar here today over the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and accused the Centre of trying to suppress their agitation.

The protest -- 'Sinha Garjna' -- organised under the banner of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act Protection Committee received support from different political and social organisations.

The agitators were addressed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and others.

At the protest, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset, and asserted that a government for the welfare of the weaker sections will be formed in 2019 following the BJP's defeat



Dalits are being openly beaten and crushed in states where the BJP is in power, Gandhi said.

Prominent Madiga community leader from Telangana, Manda Krishna Madiga, who organised the event, accused the Centre of adopting an "indifferent attitude" towards the Dalits.

The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) also extended its support to the two-day protest meeting that started yesterday and it was attended by the party's Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

"Dalits are natives of this land who can achieve power through unity as a majority of the country's population was scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward castes," Gautam said.

National Confederation of Dalit Organisations accused the NDA government of trying to "suppress" the agitation by dalits.

The two-day protest was also attended by Rajya Sabha MP Hanumantha Rao, AAP legislator Sandip Kumar and various social outfits including Bhairchra Samiti and Balmiki Samaj.

A bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the SC/ST laws was unanimously passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

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.

Several Dalit groups have voiced their protest against the Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society was "diluted" by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Some Dalit groups are still protesting, demanding further protection for the act by putting it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, release of leaders who were arrested under criminal charges after the Bharat Bandh held in April and the arrest of all those involved in atrocities against Dalits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on the victory of NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh for the post of deputy chairman in the Rajya Sabha.

The win is the result of political acumen of the prime minister and the BJP president, Das said.

Along with it, the "unity" of the opposition has been exposed, an official release said quoting Das.

The chief minister also congratulated Singh on his victory.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das vowed to eradicate poverty and unemployment from the state by 2022 today, an official release said here.

The vow came in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's 'do or die' slogan which was given on August 9, 1942, it said.

"By 2022 we will make Jharkhand a place where there won't be any person without housing, without medicine and without employment," the release said quoting Das.

Tribals have become aware and they want participation in development, he said adding that his government has set up the foundation for change of tribals and working for their empowerment.

He was addressing a programme organised by the social welfare department under Jharkhand tribal empowerment and livelihood project, the release said.

In the programme, the chief minister gave away Rs 43.60 lakh seed capital to 218 youth groups and cheques of Rs 1.66 crore to 40 Gram Sabha project implementation committees, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TRAI chief Ram Sewak Sharma, whose tenure saw major decisions on issues like termination charges and predatory pricing, was today given two-year extension, a day before his term was to end, according to an official order.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved reappointment of Sharma as chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for a further period beyond August 10, 2018 upto September 30, 2020, i.e. the date on which he attains the age of 65 years, the order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

He was in July 2015 named as the TRAI chief for a three-year period.

Sharma, a 1982 batch (retired) IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, was recently in as he had disclosed his Aadhaar number on the microblogging site Twitter and threw an open challenge to people to show how mere knowledge of the 12-digit unique number could be used to harm him.

The move had caused a social media flutter as he was criticised by many for throwing such a challenge.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar, had thereafter asked people not to share their unique identification number publicly or pose such challenges to others.

Some of the decisions by the TRAI, ranging from slashing of call-connect charges to its stance on the provision of points of interconnect (sought by Reliance Jio at the start of its services), and predatory pricing rules have come under the industry's attack.

Earlier this year, TRAI's predatory pricing norms sparked-off a furore as old telecom operators and industry association criticised the new rules.

More recently, industry body COAI raised a red flag over TRAI's new regulations on curbing pesky calls and messages, saying tailoring of systems, and use of blockchain technology will involve Rs 200-400 crore investment and 18 months for the rollout, at a time when the sector is financially-stressed.

Before becoming TRAI chief, Sharma worked as Information Technology secretary. He has been credited for playing a key role in implementing Aadhaar project. He worked as the Director General and Mission Director in the UIDAI.

Sharma is credited to have designed key digital services, such as digital locker, and for fast execution of schemes to push electronics manufacturing in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Commission for Women has sought details of shelter homes running in the city from the Women and Child Development Ministry and the Department of Social Welfare for conducting audits.

The DCW has setup an expert committee for social audit of shelter homes being run in Delhi and sought complete information about shelter homes for women and children and old age homes running in the national capital, the women's organisation said in a statement.

The commission has sought information such as - details of all shelter homes for women and girls, old age homes, homes for mentally challenged.

The information sought also includes details of grants released by the government, number of social audits undertaken by the government along with detailed reports of each, complaints received against the mismanagement of these shelter homes and details of sanctioned staff and current staff allocated for each shelter home.

The move has come after girls were rescued from two shelter homes in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh where they were allegedly sexually abused. The two cases have put the safety and security of girls, women and children at shelter homes at the centre of the public discourse.

In the Muzaffarpur case, the owner of the NGO, which runs the shelter home for destitute girls, has been arrested. Nine other people have also been arrested after the matter came into fore.

The Deoria case came to light after a 10-year-old girl managed to flee from her shelter home and informed authorities about the plight of the inmates, who were reportedly sexually abused by the couple running the home.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The toll from the California wildfires rose to 10 Thursday after a heavy equipment mechanic assigned to the Carr Fire was killed in a road accident, authorities said.

The Carr Fire, near the city of Redding, has proved to be the deadliest of nearly 20 major fires raging across the state, having previously claimed seven lives, including two firefighters.

Two other people have died in the Ferguson Fire, which has forced the partial closure of Yosemite National Park.

"We are saddened to report the death of a CAL FIRE heavy equipment mechanic from the Butte Unit assigned to the Carr Fire," Cal Fire, the state's department of forestry and fire protection, said.

"He was killed early this morning as the result of a traffic accident on Highway 99 in Tehama County," it said.

The Carr Fire is 48 percent contained but has burned through 177,450 since it ignited July 23.

The biggest fire currently is the Mendocino Complex fire, which actually consists of two big fires -- the Ranch Fire and the River Fire -- that together have consumed more than 300,000 acres.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government has admitted before the Delhi High Court that the 99-year-old building of a government school on the land belonging to the Ministry of Defence in Delhi Cantonment was dilapidated and unsafe for children.

The Delhi government's Directorate of (DoE), in an affidavit, proposed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) should construct a new building on the land to run an aided school or it may hand over the complete possession of the land to the department for construction of a new school building.

The affidavit was filed in a pending petition by NGO Social Jurist in which it was alleged that Rajputana Rifles Heroes Memorial Senior Secondary School in Delhi Cantonment, taken over by the Delhi government since 1975 and getting 100 per cent aid from the state government, was in a horrible condition.

"Since the building is dilapidated and unsafe for the children, as a measure of abundant caution, the students of the school may be shifted or adjusted to nearby schools with the consent of the parents," it said.

The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing tomorrow before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon.

The DoE said that in pursuance to the court's July 13 direction, joint inspections were carried out by the senior officials of Ministry of Defence, DoE and others on July 23 and 25.

It said that after the joint inspections, Garrison engineer of MoD highlighted that the school building was constructed in 1919 and it has outlived its useful life and is unsuitable for habitation from the next on completion of 100 years.

Due to the condition of the building, no major repair or alteration is recommended to the building owing to safety issue. Even the building is not compliant with latest codal provisions laid down for school, architecturally and structurally, by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Hence, functioning of the school from the current building is no recommended, it said.

The DoE said the military engineer services takes the rent for the school building including the water and electricity charges from it for running the school.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for the NGO, had earlier said around 450 students are studying in the school and they have been unjustly deprived of adequate physical infrastructure and academic faculty to educate them.

The plea has said though the school is open for all, it mainly caters to the children of servants of military officials who are not in a position to educate their kids in private school.

It has alleged that the school lacks basic amenities, including potable drinking water, functional toilets, science and computer labs, clean classrooms and proper boundary wall and several posts of teaching staff are lying vacant.

The petition has sought direction that the existing building of the school be demolished and rebuilt as a state of art school.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The demand for action against the AAP rebels Sukhpal Singh Khaira and MLA Kanwar Sandhu gets louder with the party's district heads and zonal presidents today demanding "tough stance" against the dissidents for allegedly trying to "break" the party.

A meeting of 15 district presidents and five zonal presidents was today chaired by Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann here. Khaira is leading the group of seven dissident legislators.

"In a meeting here, district presidents and zonal chiefs of Punjab unit today sought action against Khaira and Sandhu for trying to break the party," AAP MLA and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema said here.

No decision has been taken on the demand, he said.

Cheema further said that the scheduled meeting of AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia, who is also the party's state affairs incharge, at Jalandhar has been postponed.

"Because of some pressing engagements, Sisodia ji will not be able to hold a meeting of block president, district presidents, zonal president at Jalandhar on August 13. It has now been postponed and new date will soon be announced," said Cheema.

He said an appeal was also made to Bholath MLA Khaira to jointly fight for the burning issues of Punjab.

AAP plunged into the crisis after Khaira was removed from the LoP post last month. The dissidents MLAs had accused the "Delhi leadership" of the party of removing Khaira in an undemocratic way.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A high drama was witnessed today in Jaleb chowk area here where a man climbed on a mobile tower.

Pradeep Goyal, aged around 52 years, was under depression due to family disputes so he climbed the tower, police said.

A rescue team brought him down safely and he was arrested under section 151 of CrPC, the SHO of Manak Chowk police station Chena Ram Bera said.

People gathered around the tower and traffic was also affected for nearly two hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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 Aug. 7.

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.
Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari today said given a choice he would prefer dishonest people who makes mistakes than the honest who do not want to take decisions.

Speaking at the launch of motivational author Shiv Khera's book 'You can achieve more- Live by design not by default', he said there is no dearth of money or technology in the country or in the government, but there is shortage of people who want to work.

In this context, he cited the instance of the National Highway Authority of India signing an agreement with the State Bank of India (SBI) for a long-term unsecured loan to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore last week.

Gadkari, during his stint as the minister in the Maharashtra government between 1995 to 1999, was known for executing construction of several flyovers in Mumbai and the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.

He said people often ask him what is the reason behind his success since he has no experience in civil engineering.

"I don't have the knowledge and science required (for these projects), but I am a dare-devil. I have written on my table that I like people who can get things done. I tell my people that I even like dishonest people who can take the wrong decisions, but I dislike honest people who don't want to take the decisions. I only do what convinces my conscience, I don't fear anyone," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Novak Djokovic sent Peter Polansky of Canada to a 6-3 6-4 defeat on Wednesday as the four-time champion powered into the third round at the Toronto Masters before insisting he's "comfortable" with the controversial 'shot clock' innovation.

The match was played under threatening grey skies which eventually dumped heavy rain on the courts just after Djokovic wrapped up his win.

In a match which began slightly late due to heavy overnight rain which continued into the morning, ninth-seeded Wimbledon champion Djokovic repeated a victory he scored over the Canadian at the same tournament in 2009.

Djokovic said he was having no problems with the shot clock despite being a player who regularly picks up violations for the length of time he takes between points.

"I actually feel like there is more time now than before because the shot clock starts counting down once the chair umpire calls the score," Djokovic said.

"Sometimes it takes several seconds before the chair umpire calls the score if it's a long exchange or a good point and the crowd gets involved.

"I'm pretty comfortable with it -- it's good to have shot clock in the tournaments prior to the US Open."



Djokovic, 31, took 84 minutes on Wednesday to advance with seven aces and two breaks of serve while never facing a break point against Toronto-based wild card Polansky, the world number 121.

The 13-time Grand Slam title winner has now won 21 of his last 24 matches after a rollercoaster start to 2018 which saw him go 6-6.

Djokovic, the winner of 30 career Masters titles. will next face either seventh seed Dominic Thiem, who has yet to step on to a hard court this summer with the US Open just over a fortnight away, or rising Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Leading seeds who enjoyed first-round byes swing into action later Wednesday with number one Rafael Nadal starting against Frenchman Benoit Paire with second seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev facing American qualifier Bradley Klahn.

Meanwhile, third seed Juan Martin del Potro was forced to withdraw prior to his opening match due to a left wrist injury.

The Argentine, who looked to be in good form after reaching the final last week in Los Cabos, was replaced in the draw by Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny. Del Potro had a bye into the second round and was scheduled to face Dutchman Robin Haase.

The 29-year-old former US Open champion has struggled with a series of wrist injuries and was almost forced into an early retirement from the sport in 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a shocking incident, a female doctor mistakenly decapitated a baby, leaving the body inside the mother's womb and its head in her hands during childbirth in a private hospital in southwestern Pakistan, a media report said today.

The body, however, was later removed through surgical operation in a civil hospital in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, the Express Tribune reported.

Abdul Nasir claimed that he took his wife to Dr Alia Naz Taran's private clinic yesterday. The doctor demanded Rs 10,000 for the delivery and also ensured that it would be normal without any complications, the paper said.

He claimed that the doctor ripped apart the head and body of the newborn, it added.

The father also said that after the baby's maimed body was left inside the mother's womb, the doctor advised him to take his wife to the civil hospital.

The body was taken out of the mother's womb following surgical procedure at the civil hospital.

He said the staff of the private hospital refused to give him a medical report.

Citing its sources, the paper said that the accused doctor is also working as the deputy district health officer.

Balochistan's Caretaker Chief Minister Alauddin Marri has ordered a high-level probe into the incident.

Health Minister Faiz Kakar said that he was going to civil hospital in person to investigate the after which strict legal action will be taken against those found responsible.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
have employed 298 and the carriers have been advised to reduce their dependence on overseas pilots, according to the government.

The Civil Aviation Ministry today informed the Lok Sabha that the existing provision for allowing to fly India-registered aircraft on the basis of Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) is up to December 31, 2020.

The total number of employed by various is 298, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply.

"Keeping in view the projected requirements of 1,043 aircraft to be inducted by schedule airlines over a period of next eight years and air crew/ aircraft utilisation, there is a projected requirement of approximately 12,516 pilots in the country by 2025," he said.

The minister said all have been advised to develop their in-house strength to reduce the dependency on foreign pilots.

"Accordingly, airlines train their pilots to upgrade them as Pilot-in-Command/ Commanders and to reduce the dependency on foreign pilots by phasing out foreign pilots," he added.

In a separate written reply, Sinha said the capital expenditure for setting up a new airport near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh is estimated to be around Rs 15,754 crore and the construction is to be done in four phases.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) is the implementing agency for the airport project.
A Dutch court told Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands Thursday they could join a wave of strike action planned across Europe, set to plunge thousands of passengers into summer travel misery.

"The strike may go ahead," judge Theo Roell told the Haarlem District Court, where Ryanair had filed for an urgent court order to halt the industrial action.

Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands announced Wednesday they were joining a European-wide walkout on Friday to ratchet up pressure on the cut-price airline in a row over pay and conditions at the height of the summer season.

Ryanair, which in the Netherlands flies to holiday destinations such as Malaga in southern Spain, the Canary Islands and Ibiza, said it would have to axe around 400 out of 2,400 European flights scheduled for Friday, affecting 55,000 passengers. Germany will be the worst hit with 250 flight cancellations.

In the Netherlands around 22 flights from Eindhoven airport could potentially be affected, the ANP agency reported.

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.

Ryanair sought an urgent court order in the Netherlands to prevent pilots from joining the strike, but the Dutch airline pilots' union told judges only a small number of flights from Dutch airports could potentially be affected.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Education Minister Krishnanandan Prasad Verma was given the additional charge of the Social Welfare Department after its minister Manju Verma resigned in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal case.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Cabinet Secretariat Department. Though the notification had yesterday's date, it was put on the official website today.

Manju Verma had stepped down yesterday following allegations of links between her husband and Brajesh Thakur, who was the key accused in the case of sexual abuse of young girls at the state-funded shelter.

The call details of Thakur's phone revealed that he had talked to her husband 17 times from January to June this year.

Speaking to media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur yesterday, Thakur said he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".

The official website of the Bihar Social Welfare Department promptly replaced the name and photograph of Manju Verma with that of Krishnandan Verma.

Political observers see the allocation of the Social Welfare Ministry to Krishnandan Verma as part of efforts to placate the Kushwaha caste to which both Manju Verma and Krishnandan Verma belong.

In the midst of intense demand for her resignation after name of her husband cropped up in the case, Manju Verma had alleged that she was targeted as she belonged to the backward Kushwaha community.

Kushwaha caste was the second largest block after the Yadavs among the politically dominant OBC in Bihar.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the beginning had carved out a strong support base in his own OBC Kurmi caste and the Kushwaha caste, popularly called as "Luv and Kush".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of mourners today bid an emotional adieu to Major Kaustubh Rane, who was killed while foiling an infiltration bid by terrorists from Pakistan on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

People lined up the roads in Rane's native place Mira Road on the outskirts of Mumbai and many showered flowers as a flower-bedecked military truck carrying the mortal remains moved slowly towards the cremation ground.

A stretch of the route was carpeted with yellow flowers for the funeral procession of the brave soldier whose body in a casket was draped in the national tricolor.

The entire township was in a state of mourning.

Major Rane and three other soldiers were killed while foiling an infiltration bid in north Kashmir's Gurez sector two days back. At least two militants were gunned down in the operation.

Rane was cremated with full military honours amid 21-gun salute and slogans like 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Major Kaustuch Rane Amar Rahe'.

At the cremation ground, chaos was witnessed for some time as there was a huge gathering of emotional mourners.

Rane's family members had to appeal to the people gathered there to maintain calm.

His wife Kanika, who carried their two-and-a-half-year old son Agastya in her arms, was inconsolable.

Rane's sister and four cousin sisters placed their rakhis while his parents placed his favourite chocolates on the body before the pyre was lit by the martyr's father.

People climbed trees and stood on terraces of neighbouring buildings as well as on the compound wall of the crematorium to witness the funeral.

Among those who attended the cremation were local politicians, South Western Army Commander Lt General Cherish Mathson and several other senior Army officials.

Earlier, scores of mourners thronged Rane's house in Shital Nagar area in Mira Road in the morning to catch his last glimpse.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Estonia's defense minister has ordered a halt to NATO air exercises in Estonia pending an investigation after a missile was accidentally fired over the Baltic country's airspace by a Spanish fighter jet on a military exercise this week.

The air-to-air missile that was erroneously launched Tuesday over southern Estonia has not been found, but no people were reported injured or killed by the misfiring, Defense Minister Juri Luik said yesterday.

"The Spanish defense minister has apologized and expressed deep regret," Luik said at a conference in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, adding that the commander of the Spanish Armed Forces apologized as well.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, expressing Estonia's concern over the "serious incident."



The AMRAAM-type missile has a range of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles.) It may have crashed into a remote nature reserve in the eastern Jogeva region, not far from Estonia's border with Russia, or triggered its built-in self-destruct mode and exploded in midair, Luik said.

The Eurofighter Typhoon jet belonging to the Spanish Air Force was part of NATO's Baltic air-policing mission based in Lithuania and was carrying air-to-air missiles containing up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of explosives. While Luik urged Spain to conduct a thorough investigation, he also launched an internal review of the safety regulations for arranging military air exercises in the tiny NATO nation of 1.3 million.

Until the completion of that review "I have suspended all NATO exercises in the Estonian airspace," he said. Luik reaffirmed Estonia's trust in NATO's Baltic air mission, which started in 2004 as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the military alliance. The three former Soviet republics don't possess fighter jets of their own.

The air policing is carried out from NATO's bases in Siauliai, Lithuania, and Amari, Estonia. French, Portuguese and Spanish fighter jets are currently in charge of the rotating four-month mission.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday the Estonian missile incident showed that NATO's air drills are security risks for the region.

"What happened is yet another vivid demonstration of the fact that NATO's actions, including in the Baltic states, pose extra risks to security rather than improving it," Zakharova told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Special CBI court here today sentenced a former manager of a nationalised bank to seven years rigorous imprisonment for siphoning off Rs 3.6 crore in 2012.

The court convicted S Satyanarayana, then manager of Bank of India in Attapur branch here and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment after he was found guilty under IPC section 409 and under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, a release from CBI said.

Satyanarayana was also convicted under various IPC sections and sentenced to 5 years and three years rigorous imprisonment respectively.

The court also slapped a total fine of Rs 1,55,000 on him.

All the sentences shall run concurrently.

The period of remand in judicial custody, during pre-trial and trial state, if any shall be given set off, the release said.

The case was registered on September 24, 2012 against Satyanarayana.

According to prosecution, the accused fraudulently and dishonestly sanctioned three fictitious loans against two TDRs (Troubled Debt Restructuring) in the name of AP Diary Development Cooperative Federation Ltd and AP Forest Development Corporation Ltd and siphoned off an amount of Rs 3.60 crores, thereby causing corresponding loss to the bank, the CBI release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstans Energy Ministry said that there was an excess of AI-92 gasoline on the market, and therefore the import of gasoline from Russia was banned.

This was announced at a press conference by Vice Minister of Energy Bolat Akchulakov, Central Asian media outlets reported.

Today, after the modernization of the refinery is completed, there is an excess of gasoline in the country. This is mainly AI-92. And the ban is stipulated by the bilateral agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia within the framework of the EAEU, he said.

In this regard, the Ministry of Energy decided to ban the import of gasoline from Russia.

This decision was made because of a surplus of gasoline. All consumers feel - the price does not increase, it is lower than the level of January or even December of last year. Now the order is being coordinated, registered in the Ministry of Justice. I expect that it will be released on August 10, when the last remarks will be eliminated, the official said.

According to the vice minister, an agreement with Russia on the volumes of fuel delivery was signed when Kazakhstan experienced a deep fuel shortage.

Historically, Kazakhstan imported about 900,000 tons of high-octane gasoline, about 400,000 diesel fuel and 250,000-270,000 tons of aviation kerosene. After the factories have been modernized, we do not have the need in imported AI-92, that's why we are going to introduce a ban on import. Our Russian colleagues have been warned and they do not mind this and do not see this as a restriction. On the contrary, they believe that they will be able to sell these volumes of oil products to third markets, charging a duty, which is even more profitable. The prohibition concerns only the supply by rail. Perhaps, some volumes will be imported by road in the border areas, but there will not be large deliveries, he added.

The volume of gasoline production at three oil refineries of Kazakhstan, namely, Pavlodar, Atyrau and Shymkent, is expected to stand at 4.102 million tons by late 2018.

Modernization of the Pavlodar petrochemical plant was completed in December 2017. At the same time, the modernization of Atyrau oil refinery has been completed.

As for the reconstruction and modernization of the Shymkent oil refinery, the first stage was completed in June 2017, and the second stage was finished on March 15, 2018. Currently, commissioning work is underway there, which is expected to be completed by September 2018.
Air traffic at the Jodhpur Civil Airport was affected for nearly an hour today following a fighter aircraft tyre burst, officials said.

No damage, however, to the aircraft has been reported but the runway was damaged to some extent.

"A tyre of a fighter aircraft got burst on the runway at about 12.25 pm, after which the runway was taken under control by the air force staff," defence spokesperson Col. Sombit Ghosh said.

He refused to divulge further details about the incident.

However, according to the airport sources, the tyre of the aircraft burst when it was back from a regular sortie and was taxiing.

It took Air Force staff about an hour to repair the tyre and restore the aircraft. Till then the traffic of the passenger aircrafts was held up, the sources said.

Director (Airport) G K Khare said two flights - one from Mumbai and another from Delhi - could not arrive on their scheduled time on account of this disruption.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Karan Dev Kamboj today said an FIR has been registered against 94 defaulting rice millers for not delivering rice for the period between 2013 and 2017.

The minister said besides taking action against rice millers for not delivering the Custom Milled Rice (CMR), actions are also being taken against the concerned inspector and sub-inspector, assistant food and supplies officer.

The minister in a release here said that the delivery of 47,352 tonnes of rice of Kharif crops of rice millers were pending to Food Corporation of India in 2013-14.

This pendency of CMR is continuously been decreasing due to the efforts of the present government and now the pending delivery has reduced to 1,736 tonnes in 2016-17.

He said the present state government has launched special campaign for recovery from rice millers, resultantly, in the last two years about 99 per cent CMR has been recovered.

He said the state government has recovered about Rs 11 crore for pending CMR of 2013-14 and 2015-16, from two rice millers.

Besides this, directions were issued to attach property of three other rice millers of Kurukshetra by Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, to the tune of about Rs 25 crore.

The minister further said with a view to making the state pollution-free, all the brick kilns would have to adopt 'Zig Zag' technique.

No brick kiln owner would be allowed to use old techniques in brick kilns after October 1.

Kamboj said the technique, which is approved by Pollution Control Board is modern one and help in reducing pollution.

He said that 75 per cent of the brick kiln owners have adopted this technique.

Haryana minister further said that cashless facility would be started as a pilot project in district Panchkula for depot holders and Public Distribution System (PDS) consumers.

Thereafter, the scheme would be implemented across the state. For this, current bank accounts of all depot holders are being opened in PNB bank.

Kamboj also said the state government would also launch flour fortification scheme in district Ambala and Karnal from November 1, 2018. Thereafter, the scheme would be implemented across the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Heavy rains in Kerala today claimed 20 lives, leaving a trail of destruction across the southern state.

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost its maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in the state have been opened to drain out excess water.

Of the total deaths, 11 people were killed in a massive landslide in high range Idukki, six in northern Malappuram district, two others in Kannur and one in Wayanad district since last night, disaster control room source said here.

Five members of a family were killed in Idukki's Adimali town.

Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the locals and police, they said.

For the first time in the last 26 years, a shutter of the Cheruthoni dam of the Idukki reservoir, considered the biggest arch dam in Asia, was opened by noon today with the water level touching 2,398.98 ft.

The full reservoir level (FRL) of the dam is 2,403 ft.

Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam in Kochi district were opened this morning and people living in the banks of Periyar river and its other tributaries were asked to be vigilant as the released water was likely to inundate low-lying areas.

The government has asked tourists not to go to high range areas and dam sites.

Talking to reporters after a review meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the flood situation in the state was "very grim" and it was for the first time in the history of the state that 22 dams have been opened at a time following the water level reaching its maximum capacity.

The annual Nehru Trophy boat race, scheduled to be held at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha district on August 11, has been postponed due to floods, he said.

"There is a possibility of water level increasing in Kuttanad in the district in the event of the Kakki reservoir lifting shutters. So, the boat race has been postponed. The new date will be announced later," Vijayan said.

He said an assistance of Army, Navy and Coast Guard has been sought and six more columns of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been requested to be deployed in the flood-hit areas.

"The flood has caused large-scale damage across the state. Water levels in rivers are on the rise. Thus, there is a need to open the shutters of many dams," the chief minister said.

The deployment of Navy helicopter has been sought for the rescue of those stranded in the remote areas of Wayanad district, he said.

The Left leader added the services of Army and NDRF had also been sought in the worst-hit Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Idukki districts.

A 24x7 monitoring cell has been set up at the Secretariat here to coordinate the relief works with various district collectors.

Members of the central team, who are in the state to assess the damage, held a meeting with the chief minister this morning.

Vijayan said the state would submit a detailed memorandum to the Centre seeking financial assistance for taking up relief works.

Meanwhile, many places in Palakkad town were under flood water.

High range roads in Idukki and Wayanad were damaged due to landslips and uprooting of trees, causing traffic blocks.

Educational institutions have declared a holiday in Idukki, Kollam and other districts of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French hotel and restaurant owners are lobbying the government to regularise more illegal migrants in order to fill 100,000 jobs for which they have found no French takers.

"We're facing a huge shortage in our sector," Roland Heguy, president of the hotel industry body UMIH, told AFP.

"Companies are finding no one, which is why we want to facilitate the integration of refugees in our businesses," he said.

France, like many developed economies, is struggling to fill low-paid, manual jobs.

Turnover is high in the hospitality sector, where kitchen work and cleaning jobs are seen as particularly unattractive by many.

At a meeting with government in mid-July, industry representatives called for measures to make it easier to hire migrants.

In an interview yesterday, Heguy said the industry was in a position "to issue 100,000 job contracts straight away", half of them for permanent positions and half for seasonal jobs.

France received a record 100,000 asylum requests in 2017, up 17 per cent from the year before.

Under French law, refugees can work once they get their papers but asylum-seekers must wait nine months after filing their claim for refugee status before taking up a job.

An immigration bill passed by parliament last week -- but which President Emmanuel Macron has yet to sign into law -- cuts the waiting time to six months.

The CGT, France's biggest trade union, said it supported the idea of regularising undocumented workers but said employers also needed to try to make low-paid jobs more attractive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French rescuers backed by helicopters evacuated about 750 people, including many children and tourists, from campsites in southern France after torrential rain swelled rivers in the Gard region yesterday. One person was reported missing.

After a hot spell, flash flooding hit the northern part of the Gard region, turning the Ceze and L'Ardeche rivers into churning waterways that quickly spilled out of their banks. Nearby regions - all part of the verdant and mountainous Cevennes - also were hit with flooding.

A top regional official, Thierry Dousset, told French channel BFM TV that the some 750 people evacuated came from five campsites.

The missing man, a 70-year-old German citizen, was a monitor at one of the campsites who was feared to have been swept away by flood waters along with his van, BFM-TV reported.

A search was underway for him. However, Dousset, the top aide of the Gard administration, said no one knew for certain yet that the man was in his van at the time.

The Gard administration also said four German children were hospitalized yesterday for hypothermia in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, a town on the Ceze River. They were among 10 people hospitalized with minor injuries, the Gard Gendarmerie said on its Facebook page.

The mayor of Bagnols, Jean-Yves Chapelet, told BFM TV many Dutch tourists were among the 350 campers evacuated in the town.

Authorities also said 119 children in nearby Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas were sent to an emergency shelter. Hundreds of firefighters, many sent in from other regions, helped in the evacuations, using helicopters to spot camp sites and occasionally to perform rescues.

Numerous roads in the area remained cut off as night fell.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail today posted a 3.56 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 153.12 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, against a net profit of Rs 147.85 crore in the same period a year ago.

Future Retail also announced resignation of Rajan Bharti Mittal as non-executive director of the company "due to preoccupations".

Mittal came on board of Future Retail after merger of Bharti group's retail business under the EasyDay chain with Future Group in an all-stock deal.

In June 2018, three years after the merger, Bharti group sold more than half of its stake in Future Retail for nearly of Rs 1,697 crore through open market transactions.

Bharti group entity Cedar Support Services disposed of 3.03 crore shares, amounting to 6.04 per cent stake in Future Retail.

Cedar Support Services, which held 9.23 per cent stake in Future Retail as on March 31, 2018, also exited from Biyani's Future Enterprises by selling its 13.64 per cent stake for nearly Rs 243 crore.

According to a regulatory filing by Future Retail, total income during the April-June quarter stood at Rs 4,541.94 crore. It was Rs 4,707.44 crore in the year ago period.

The company said revenue from operations, part of total income, for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was reported inclusive of excise duty. Goods and Service Tax (GST) was implemented with effect from July 1, 2017, which replaced excise duty and other input taxes.

"Revenue from operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 is reported net of GST. Therefore, revenue from operations for the current periods are not comparable with the corresponding earlier periods," it added.

Future Retail also announced appointment of Rahul Garg as additional (non-executive) director on the board of the company.

Future Retail shares settled 1.06 per cent lower at Rs 515.05 apiece on BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The SIT probing the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh today arrested a 37-year old hotelier from Belagavi on charges of harbouring two key accused in the case, police said.

Bharat Kurne, a resident of Sambhaji Gali in Belagavi, had 'harboured' the mastermind of the crime Amol Kaleand sharp shooter Parashuram Waghmare, an official of the Special Investigation Team said.

With this, the total number of suspects arrested in the case has risen to 12.

"We have arrested one Bharat Kurne.He has been remanded to judicial custody (by a court) and we have appliedfor police custody," the official told PTI.

The police plea seeking custody of Kurne has been posted for hearing tomorrow, police said.

Left leaning Lankesh, who was stronglyopposed to Hindutva, was shot dead on September 5 last yearby two bike-borne assailants near her house here, triggering outrage.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gaza militants halted rocket fire at Israel at noon on Thursday after a deadly flare-up of violence that had again raised fears of a full-blown war between the two sides, Palestinian officials said.

A member of the joint command of militant factions in Gaza said all groups had "stopped around 12 noon all the operations, shooting and rockets, which were a response to the Israeli aggression. They consider this round of escalation over." A source with Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas confirmed the move.

There was no immediate reaction from Israel.

The rocket fire which began late Wednesday appeared to be in response to an Israeli strike which killed two members of Hamas's military wing on Tuesday.

Israel says some 180 rockets and mortars were fired at its territory.

In response Israel struck more than 150 Hamas sites in Gaza overnight, killing three people, including a one-year-old baby.

At least seven Israelis were hurt by the Gaza rocket fire and residents near the border rushed to get to bomb shelters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
is set to launch its international operations in October, making it the fifth Indian carrier to fly overseas, the Centre said on Friday.

At present, the Air India group, IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet fly abroad. The Air India group comprises Air India and its low-cost subsidiary

has been given permission to start international operations from the new to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Civil Aviation secretary R N Choubey told reporters here, adding that IndiGo will operate a flight from the city to Doha and Jet Airways will start a service from there to Abu Dhabi.

The services are expected to start from the winter schedule, beginning October end.

At present, operates only domestic flights despite meeting the eligibility criteria for flying on international routes as it has a fleet of over 20 aircraft. In a written reply in Parliament on Friday, the government informed that the 'air operators certificate' has been endorsed for GoAir to start international operations.

Asked about the bailout package the government is considering for Air India, the secretary said they are working on a turnaround plan to make the airline competitive and holding consultations with the Finance Ministry before taking a final view on the matter.

"We are working out on those details on infusing more funds into Air India. We would like to make sure the airline remains competitive and that its market share does not go down. All that may require capacity induction. We will take all those into consideration to take a final view in consultation with the Finance Ministry," he said.

According to sources, the is in discussions with the Finance Ministry for a Rs 110-billion bailout package for the ailing airline.

Choubey said the appointment of renowned industrialists Kumar Mangalam Birla and Y.C. Deveshwar as non-official independent directors of Air India would will help the airline get "high quality" guidance. "We will also ensure sufficient delegation is given to the board to decide on operational matters," he added.

Talking about the sea plane operations, the guidelines of which was issued by the earlier, Choubey said they are proposing to look at such operations under the third phase of the UDAN scheme, the contours of which are being worked out.
Seeking to allay fears that a proposed law which makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and imposes a jail term of up to three years on the husband could be misused, the government on Thursday approved certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here that the Union Cabinet has approved three amendments to the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' which has been cleared by Lok Sabha and pending approval of Rajya Sabha.

Thursday is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments in Rajya Sabha. If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments.

While the proposed law will remain "non-bailable'', the accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail.

Under a non-bailable law, bail cannot be granted by police at the police station itself.

Prasad said a provision has been added to allow the magistrate to grant bail "after hearing the wife".

"But the offence of instant triple talaq under the proposed law remains non-bailable," he clarified.

Sources later said the magistrate would ensure that bail is granted only after the husband agrees to grant compensation to the wife as provided in the bill.

The quantum of compensation will be decided by the magistrate, as per the bill.

"There were fears and we have plugged the holes ... nothing has been done under pressure," Prasad said in response to a question.

Another amendment makes it clear that the police would lodge FIR only if approached by the victim (wife), her blood relations or people who become her relatives by virtue of her marriage.

"This would settle fears that even a neighbour can file FIR as is the cases in any cognisable offence. This would check misuse," the minister said.

The third amendment makes the offence of instant triple talaq "compoundable". Now, a magistrate can use his powers to settle the dispute between a husband and his wife.

Under a compoundable offence, both parties have the liberty of withdrawing the case.

Giving instant triple talaq will continue to be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Prasad wondered whether the Congress, the BSP and the TMC would continue to oppose the bill even after insertion of provision of bail.

"Under the Dowry Act, Muslims and others go to jail ... they are also jailed under the Domestic Violence Act ...why oppose jail for triple talaq," he said.

He said the bill should not be opposed by Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee as it seeks to achieve gender equality.

The minister said in 2017, a total of 389 cases of instant triple talaq were reported. Between January and August last year, 229 cases were reported. "This shows that the bill is required even after the Supreme Court struck down triple talaq as illegal."



Even after the bill was introduced, 160 cases were reported.

Provision of bail was one of the demands of the opposition parties.

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.
Saudi Arabia's total revenues for the second quarter of the fiscal 2018 amounted to SR273.588 billion ($72.94 billion), an increase of 67 per cent over the same quarter last year, the Ministry of Finance's quarterly report said.

Non-oil revenues for the second quarter amounted to SR89.423 billion, a growth rate of 42% compared to the same quarter last year, a Saudi Press Agency report quoting the ministry's quarterly report said.

Oil revenues during the quarter amounted to SR184.165 billion, a growth rate of 82% compared to the same quarter last year, driven by improved oil prices in the world markets.

Total expenses during Q2 was SR280.950 billion, an increase of 34% compared to the same quarter last year.

Budget deficit for the quarter was SR7.361 billion, as the deficit rate declined due to positive growth in revenues.

Public debt rose from SR443.253 billion at the beginning of the year 2018 to SR536.954 billion by the end of the second quarter, it said.

The financial indicators for the performance of the general budget of the state for the first half of the fiscal year (H1) were as follows:

* Total revenues for the first half amounted to SR439.851 billion, an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year;

* Total expenses of SR481.542 billion, an increase of 26% compared to the same period last year;

* The actual disbursement rate at the end of the second quarter (first half of the year) was about 49% of the total estimated budget for the year.

* H1 deficit amounted to SR41.690 billion.

* Social sectors such as education, health, social development and municipal services accounted for 42% of the total expenditure, in the first half.

Commenting on the financial results, Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Jadaan said: "The financial figures announced for the second quarter of this year reflect improvement in the performance of public finances and continued efforts to implement our reform-wise plans."

He pointed out that the improvement in financial performance was also accompanied by an improvement in economic performance, as the real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.2% during the first quarter of this year, while the non-oil sector grew by 1.6%.

Preliminary economic indicators showed continued improvement in economic activity in the second quarter of this year, especially private consumption, cash sales and cash withdrawals increased during the period, as did private investment, the report said.

These indicators provide a positive outlook that bolsters optimism that the Saudi GDP will continue to improve for the second quarter, boosted by improved levels of government spending and investment, as well as the recovery of global oil markets.
The government today gave ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Korea on trade remedy cooperation.

The MoU was signed in July during the State visit of President of Korea to India, an official statement said.

It "will promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of trade remedies -- anti-dumping, subsidy and countervailing and safeguard measures, which will enhance the bilateral trade relations," it added.

The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government today said an amount of Rs 268.10 crore has been collected as levy from various airlines towards regional air connectivity scheme.

The scheme, also known as 'Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik', seeks to connect unserved and under-serve airports. To fund the scheme, an amount of Rs 5,000 is collected from airlines on every flight operated on major routes.

"All scheduled airline operators have been remitting the RCS levy. Total funds collected from RCS levy till August 3, 2018 is Rs 268.10 crore approximately," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply, he also said that no revenue has been earned by the Regional Air Connectivity Fund Trust (RACFT) under the scheme except for deposits of RCS levy.

Responding to a query, he said the Tourism Ministry has requested for introduction of "cities/ towns/ places of tourist importance" under the scheme.

Many routes awarded under UDAN are already operational.

"Deccan Air and Air Odisha stopped their services in four sectors duee to technical snag and slot allocation issues," Sinha said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A verbal duel broke out between Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge and Finance Minister Piyush Goyal with the latter challenging the Congress leader to contest an election against him from Mumbai.

Goyal, during his 45-minute speech while moving the amendments to GST laws in the Lok Sabha, had said that Congress would be reduced to just four seats in the 2019 general elections.

Kharge retorted by saying that Goyal has "not won" a local election but was brought to Rajya Sabha and made the Finance Minister.

The exchanges took place when Goyal was speaking and the Congress members were in the Well, raising slogans to demand setting up of a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Rafale jet deal.

Kharge also alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into it.

As Kharge continued to raise the issue of the Rafale deal, BJP members objected to it saying that the House has taken up GST bill for discussion and not Rafale.

"This has got no relation with GST. The Rafale deal was entered into with France for the benefit of the country. Congress government during its tenure has witnessed many scams including Agusta Westland," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

He also urged Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai to remove Kharge's remarks on Rafale deal from the record.

As Kharge continued to attack the government, Thambidurai called out Subhash Chandra Behria (BJP) to speak on the GST bills.

Goyal said he had "four times" appealed to the Opposition to support the GST amendment bills. "But by disturbing the House, you are only showing your colour, you are exposing yourself," he said.

"In my speech, I had made no personal attack against anyone. I did not know that Khargeji will take the level of this discussion down to a point where he will start making personal attacks. I challenge you to come and fight an election against me in Mumbai," an agitated Goyal said.

Coming to his defence, Nishikant Dubey (BJP) said the rules allowed a Minister to put forth his observations while moving a bill.

Kharge, however, continued saying he had made no personal allegation against Goyal.

"You (Goyal) said that Congress would be reduced to 3-4 seats. Everything NDA is doing is for the benefit of the country and whatever Congress did was not for the betterment of the country," Kharge said.

Congress members, who were in the Well, demanded that Kharge be allowed to continue with his speech. Later, the Congress members staged a walk out from the House.

TMC's Saugata Ray, in his speech, raised the issue of Goyal speaking for 45 minutes and said that Congress has said the Finance Minister has never won an election.

Thambidurai asked Ray to stick to GST discussion and not deviate from the topic.

Ray, however, said that Constitution provided for freedom of speech in Parliament. "The ruling party members are throttling the voice of the opposition when any inconvenient questions are raised," he said.

He also objected to Goyal speaking for 45 minutes while moving the bills, saying "this is not the convention of the House" and it is only after the opposition and other members speak the Minister gives a detailed response.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vaghji Boda, chairman of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) who had questioned the BJP government's role in the alleged groundnut procurement scam in Gujarat, today resigned as a member of Congress.

He should have refrained from making comments about the scam at a party event, he said.

"NAFED is a national-level organisation and its directors are associated with different parties. It was my mistake to comment about the groundnut (scam) at an event held under the banner of Congress. In the interest of NAFED, I hereby resign from Congress," Boda said in his resignation letter.

Yesterday, Boda had said that although the Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation (GUJCOT) is a bankrupt entity, it was chosen by the state to procure groundnuts from farmers on behalf of NAFED.

He made the comment at a meeting of Tankara tehsil Congress Committee in Morbi district.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel then accused Boda of shirking the responsibility for the alleged scam.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi today admitted that Boda was a Congress member, though "not actively involved in party affairs".

"He has resigned because of the ongoing blame-game. Just like Congress, Boda too wanted a free and fair probe in the scam. He has resigned in NAFED's interest," Doshi said.

Doshi also said that Boda and his son are more close to BJP leaders of Rajkot and Morbi.

State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said he will request the state government to set up an inquiry against Boda for his alleged involvement.

Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Paresh Dhanani avoided naming Boda because of his party affiliations, Vaghani alleged.

"Boda had fought Assembly polls twice on Congress ticket...Dhanani never said a single word about him and always attacked BJP to divert the issue," said Vaghani.

Rajkot police have arrested 27 persons, including officials of NAFED and GUJCOT, after government-procured groundnuts stored at a godown at Pedhla were found to be adulterated with stones and soil.

The matter came to light when the traders who had purchased the groundnuts refused to accept delivery of sub-standard stocks from warehouses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of ministers (GoM) headed by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will meet tomorrow here to look into issues related to the proposed mega free trade agreement RCEP, official sources said.

The GoM, which also consists of Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, will deliberate upon the issues being raised by the industry as well as other government departments, they said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) bloc comprises 10 Asean group members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Formation of the GoM assumes significance as domestic industry has raised several apprehensions about the presence of China in the bloc, with which India has huge trade deficit.

India had trade deficit with as many as 10 member countries, including China, South Korea and Australia, of the RCEP grouping of 16 nations which have been negotiating a mega trade pact since November 2012.

The trade gap with China, Korea, Indonesia and Australia has increased to USD 63.12 billion; USD 11.96 billion; USD 12.47 billion and USD 10.16 billion in 2017-18. It was USD 51.11 billion, USD 8.34 billion, USD 9.94 billion and USD 8.19 billion respectively in the previous financial year, 2016-17.

An official from an industry chamber said that giving zero duty access to China would led to flooding of Chinese goods in the domestic market and impact the manufacturing sector.

The pact, negotiations for which started in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in November 2012, aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights.

Pressure is also mounting on India for early conclusion of the proposed trade pact.

Member countries are looking to conclude the talks by end of this year but a lot of issues are yet to be finalised including the number of products over which duties will be eliminated. Domestic steel and other metal industries want these sectors to be kept out of the deal.

Under services, India wants greater market access for its professionals in the proposed agreement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today nominated Chile's twice-serving president and prominent women's rights advocate Michelle Bachelet to be the global body's next human rights chief.

Bachelet, 66, will succeed Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who had been one of the most outspoken critics of abuses by the governments in many countries.

Following consultations with the Chairs of the regional groups of Member States, Guterres informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Bachelet as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her name now goes forward for consideration and approval by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Bachelet, a women's rights champion, ended her second four-year term as President earlier this year, having already held the post between 2006 and 2010.

She was the first woman to be elected to Chile's highest office. After her first term, she came to New York as the first-ever Executive Director of the UN gender equality office, UN-Women. She also held ministerial portfolios in the Chilean Government as Minister of Defence (2002-2004) and Minister of Health (2000-2002).

The UN Human Rights High Commissioner is the principle official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system, strengthening human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality; fighting discrimination in all its forms; strengthening accountability and the rule of law; widening the democratic space and protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuses.

Al-Hussein will step down from his role at the end of this month. He served a single term, beginning in 2014.

During his tenure, al-hussein had been outspoken in his criticism of abuses in dozens of countries from Myanmar and Hungary to the US.

At a farewell conference at UN headquarters this month, he had said he does not regret speaking out against human rights abuses as "silence does not earn you any respect none."



In June, he released a first-ever report on Kashmir in which he called for a commission of inquiry by the Human Rights Council to conduct an independent, international investigation into the human rights situation.

India had rejected that report, terming it as "fallacious, tendentious and motivated" and a selective compilation of largely unverified information.

In a strong reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the report is "overtly prejudiced", seeks to build a "false narrative" and violates the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Headquartered in Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is mandated to promote and protect the universal exercise and full realisation of human rights across the world as established in the UN Charter.

Bachelet's nomination received cautious reactions from diplomats and human rights organisations.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the US had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council in part because of the Council's consistent failure to address extreme human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere, in Venezuela and Cuba in particular.

"The failures of the Human Rights Council make the Secretary-General's selection of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights all the more important," she said.

Haley said that the Human Rights Commissioner can have a strong voice on these critical issues, even when the Human Rights Council fails to live up to its name. It is incumbent on the Secretary-General's choice, 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. The United States will," she said.

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth said that 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.

"As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defence of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful," he said.

The Trump administration withdrew from the Human Rights Council in June. Haley had called the Council a "cesspool of political bias" that disproportionately takes aim at Israel and protects many rights abusers.

Al-Hussein's office had also criticised the White House over the separation of young children from parents at the country's borders amid a government crackdown on illegal immigration.

He had cited remarks by president of the American Association of Pediatrics that locking the children up separately from their parents constituted "government-sanctioned child abuse.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel launched air strikes on Gaza today, 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.

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.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gaza's Hamas rulers has said that a truce had been reached with Israel, ending an intense two-day burst of violence that had pushed the region closer to war.

But the deal did not appear to address the deeper issues that have prevented the bitter enemies from reaching a longer cease-fire arrangement.

Hamas' Al Aqsa TV channel reported late Thursday that the Egyptian-brokered deal has taken hold "on the basis of mutual calm." It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other unidentified regional players.

A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the agreement merely ended the latest round of violence, in which Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel and the Israeli military carried out a similar number of airstrikes in Gaza.

He said Egypt, which often serves as a mediator between the sides, would continue the more difficult task of brokering a long-term cease-fire.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media, denied a deal had been reached. But early today, the situation in Gaza appeared quiet.

The Hamas announcement came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet ordered the army to take unspecified "strong action" against Gaza militants as the military reinforced units along the border.

In this week's fighting, the Palestinian Health Ministry said three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 1-year-old daughter and a Hamas militant, were killed in separate airstrikes. Israeli officials said seven people were wounded by rocket or mortar fire on the Israeli side.

At times, Thursday's fighting resembled the 2014 war. In Israel, air raid sirens warning of incoming rocket fire wailed in southern Israel overnight and throughout the day, sending families scrambling into bomb shelters, canceling outdoor summer cultural events and forcing summer camps indoors. The Israeli air force, meanwhile, pounded targets across Gaza.

A Palestinian rocket struck the southern city of Beersheba late in the afternoon, landing in an open area. It was the first time a rocket had hit the city since the 2014 war.

Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike flattened the five-story cultural center in the Shati refugee camp, a crowded neighborhood of Gaza City. The airstrike set off a powerful explosion and sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air, causing crowds to scream in panic. Medical officials said at least seven bystanders were wounded. The building is home to a popular theater and exhibits plays and other shows on a daily basis. An Egyptian-Palestinian cultural society also has an office in the building.

"The deliberate targeting of a cultural center with airstrikes and destruction ... is a barbaric act," said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman. He said the destruction of the Egyptian cultural office was "an Israeli attempt to sabotage" the Egyptian cease-fire efforts.

The Israeli military said the building served as a Palestinian military installation. Hamas' Interior Ministry, including its secret police, has offices in an adjacent site, but those offices were not hit.

Despite the animosity, the enemies have signaled, through their contacts with Egypt, that they want to avoid another war. Reaching a deal, however, will likely require major concession on both sides.

Gaza's Health Ministry identified those killed in the airstrikes as 23-year-old Enas Khamash and her daughter Bayan, as well as a Hamas fighter, Ali Ghandour.

Kamal Khamash, the woman's brother-in-law, said the family was asleep when the projectile hit the house, and that her husband had been critically wounded. "This is a blatant crime and Israel is responsible for it," he said. In southern Israel, two Thai laborers were among the seven wounded, and rockets damaged buildings in the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon. The military said it intercepted some 30 rockets, while most of the others landed in open areas.

At the United Nations, Israel's ambassador, Danny Danon, urged the secretary-general and U.N. Security Council to condemn Hamas militants for what he called "the unprovoked terrorist attack" on southern Israel. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. officials were concerned by the situation in Gaza.

"Overall, we condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel, and call for an end to the destructive violence. We've seen reports that 180 or so rocket attacks have taken place, shot from Gaza into Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to defend itself, and to take actions to prevent provocations of that nature," Nauert said. Tension along the Israel-Gaza border has escalated since late March, when Hamas launched what have become regular mass protests along Israel's perimeter fence with Gaza. The protests have been aimed in part at trying to break the blockade.

Israel and Hamas have engaged in several bouts of fighting over the past month. The latest round erupted Tuesday, when the Israeli military struck a Hamas military post in Gaza after it said militants fired on Israeli troops on the border. Hamas said two of its fighters were killed after taking part in a gunfire parade inside a militant camp.

Over the past four months, 163 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including at least 120 protesters, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. An Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Newly elected Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh preferred the struggle of journalism to a cushy government job in his early days and did well in his chosen field while also maintaining good ties with politicians.

The 62-year-old first time MP from Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had briefly worked as an adviser to the former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar but went back to journalism after that government fell.

A candidate of the ruling NDA, he was elected to the deputy chairman's post today securing 125 votes against 105 for Congress MP B K Hariprasad, who was a joint opposition candidate.

Born in Balia in Uttar Pradesh, Harivansh's close aides say he was a meritorious student and went on to do M.A. in Economics and Diploma in Journalism from Banaras Hindu University.

He comes from the same region where socialist leader and anti-Emergency crusader Jai Prakash Narayan was born.

While he landed a government job as a bank officer, he chose to work as a journalist and rose to become the Chief Editor of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar.

He has authored and edited several books in Hindi, especially on Bihar and Jharkhand. His bio data on the Rajya Sabha website says he has also been honoured for his outstanding contribution to Hindi.

Considered to be close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Harivansh was chosen as one of nominees of the party for the Upper House in 2014.

That time, Harivansh was candidate of a party whose allies included the RJD and the Congress.

Many believe his affable and low-profile personality coupled with friendship across political divides will come handy for him in conducting the business at the Rajya Sabha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court today directed the Idol Wing police to conduct a probe into the allegedtheft of idols and other antiquities from the famous Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Tiruchirapalli district.

A Special division bench of Justices R Mahadevan and P D Audikesavalu gave the direction to Idol Wing Chief Pon Manickavel on a petition by Rangarajan Narasimhan and ordered the official to file a reportwithin six weeks.

Meanwhile, the Idol wing police gave an undertaking to the High Court that for now it would not arrest Additional Commissioner of HR & CE N Thirumagal in connection with alleged misappropriation of gold and funds collected for making two idols at the Sri Ekambareswarar temple in Kancheepuram.

Recording the undertaking, the bench posted the anticipatory bail petition filed by Thirumagal for hearing after six weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesias National Standardisation Agency (BSN) and National Accreditation Committee (KAN) to officially recognise halal certificates issued by KAN, said a report.



Esma director-general Abdulla Abdul Qader Al Maeeni told Salaam Gateway, a joint effort between Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre and Thomson Reuters, the cooperation will harmonise the standard for halal in the two countries and help increase bilateral trade between UAE and Indonesia, reported state news agency Wam.



Al Maeeni added that cooperation between the two countries would increase the volume of bilateral trade, especially as the official data indicate that the volume of trade exchange between the UAE and Indonesia is about $3.7 billion and target the increase of $5.5, it said.



BSN chairman Bambang Prasetya told Salaam Gateway he is optimistic Esmas recognition will boost Indonesias exports to the UAE, especially food and beverages.



He added that they have about 13 F&B companies that possess an already existing market in the UAE, which ranges from instant noodles, biscuits, processed meat products, candy, jelly, cake, as well as flavours and sweeteners.



Under the MoU, Esma will recognise halal certificates issued by KAN and products certified by certification bodies accredited KAN, based on UAE halal requirements set by ESMA.



The parties agree that KAN will comply with the relevant clauses of UAE.S 2055-3: Halal Accreditation Bodies, added the report.
The Delhi High Court today pulled up an NGO for moving PILs targeting individual properties for unauthorised construction, saying they appeared to have been filed to extract "vengeance" or settle personal scores.

Right at the outset, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice C Hari Shankar made it clear it was not going to entertain the pleas and asked the NGO to withdraw the petitions or face consequences, which would include being barred from filing such matters in future.

"The properties are not on government land. You (NGO) file a suit and seek an injunction against the properties. You have filed 22 petitions to target 22 properties. We can read between the lines.

"Article 226 and PILs are not meant for this. We have better things to do. We will not be a party to this," the bench said and added that such matters take away judicial time which can be better spent on actual PILs.

Article 226 of the Constitution empowers high courts to issue directions, orders or writs to ensure enforcement of the fundamental rights.

Sensing the mood of the bench, the lawyer for the NGO, Samadhaan Aur Niwaran Apradh Aur Bbharshatachar Se, agreed to withdraw the petitions.

"Dismissed as withdrawn," the court said and gave liberty to the NGO to take recourse to any other legal means, like filing a suit, on the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has upheld a lower court's order awarding death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl, observing that "humanity is more in danger in the hands of persons like the convict".

Describing the offence as an act of "extreme depravity" and taking note of the rise in crimes against minor girls, the court said in such cases, an extreme punishment would deter other criminals.

"The extreme judgment conveys a message to these predators that it is not a soft state where criminals committing such serious crimes may get reprieve in the guise of humanity," a division bench of Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla said yesterday.

"Crimes against the girl child are on a rise, therefore, extreme punishment may deter other criminals from indulging in such crimes," the bench said, dismissing the appeal filed by Rahul Chouhtha (23) against his conviction by a trial court in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.

Chouhtha had lured the four-year-old girl with biscuits in Shahdol on May 13 last year, before raping and killing her.

Shahdol District and Sessions Judge R K Singh had sentenced Chouhtha to death on February 28 this year.

The high court said such a crime sent a "shockwave" in the society when committed against a girl child.

It was an act of "extreme depravity" when the appellant prompted a young child, whose only fault was that she believed the appellant to be her well-wisher, to accompany him, it observed.

"Humanity is more in danger in the hands of persons like the appellant. Therefore, we find that the capital punishment awarded to the appellant is one of the rarest of rare cases where the extreme punishment is warranted," the bench said.

The court said it had the social responsibility to make the citizens of the country know that law could not come to the rescue of such a person on the basis of humanity.

"The appellant was a young unmarried boy, aged 22 years at the time of commission of the offence, but he breached the trust of a girl child of four years when he tempted her by offering biscuits to accompany him to meet her father," the court said.

He violated her and took her life within three-four hours of taking her with him, the bench observed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
High drama prevailed in the Delhi Assembly today, as members of the ruling AAP and opposition BJP sparred over the latter's demand to bring in bill for an NRC-like exercise to identify and evict illegal immigrants from the national capital.

As soon as Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta and his party colleagues raised the demand, the AAP legislators started protesting it.

The two sides continued to indulge in allegations and counter-allegations, even as Speaker Ram Niwas Goel appealed to them to maintain order in the House.

Some of the legislators entered the well of the House arguing over the matter.

Following the uproar, Goel adjourned the House proceedings.

Meanwhile, Gupta, BJP MLAs O P Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan filed a complaint with the Speaker against alleged "unruly behaviour" of ruling party legislators.

"The Opposition members complained that a number of AAP MLAs threatened and attempted to physically assault them," Gupta alleged in a statement.

The BJP legislators also met the DCP (north), demanding registration of an FIR in connection with the sit-in by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues at the Raj Niwas in June.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
holds a key role in creating a just society and strengthening democracy, experts said while discussing higher education's impact on inequality and empowerment of youth.

Participating in the discussion titled 'Role of in Creating a Just Society' at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) centre here, Rod Hilton, deputy high commissioner- Australian High Commission, Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor of O P Jindal Global University and Gabrielle Appleby, associate professor at School of Law- UNSW, stressed on the strong relationship between higher and the creation of a just society.

Talking about the two-fold role of education in a democracy, Kumar said that education plays an important role in strengthening democracy while working on perfecting it.

"Education, and higher education, helps in developing informed and enlightened citizenry and strengthens democracy. By addressing inequalities, education helps in empowering people, he said



He pointed out that education has a meaningful role to play in preventing India's large youthful populace from slipping into "vulnerabilities" by creating "greater resilience" in society.

Acknowledging that India is at a "rudimentary stage of education" facing a number of challenges like lack of funding for research and mediocrity in institutions, he added that the heart of higher education system "should not be only building a just society, but also building a sense of justice".

Hilton, who was moderating the discussion, said the new 'India Economic Strategy to 2035' report released by the Australian government focuses on the strong cooperation in the education sector between the two countries as one of the major pillars of their strategic partnership.

"Education is the flagship sector outlined in the report," Hilton said, adding that there are 68,000 Indian students in Australia and the figure was growing in double-digit numbers in the last few years.

While emphasising on the tools of analysis, evaluation and critical thought, Appleby said that students and faculty should be encouraged to have "a questioning mind and the power of questioning".

"Education's focal contribution is developing students who go on to become and contribute to their country's civil society," she added while citing the Australian Feminist Judgments Project, through which women activists are asked to re-write judgments with a feminist outcome.

The UNCW and Jindal Global University recently signed an agreement between the School of Law and two schools of business where students will be part of an exchange program for a semester.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his cabinet colleagues watched a short Hindi film, titled "Chalo Jeete Hain", based on the early life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, screened at the Gaiety Theatre here this evening.

Talking to the media later, Thakur said, "This is an inspiring film which shows the innocence of childhood and young people helping each other. Narendra Modi is an inspiration for the entire world who, despite a humble background, rose to become the prime minister."



The movie directed by Mangesh Hadawale depicts an episode of Modi's early life whereby he is inspired by Swami Vivekananda, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-run Hindustan Copper today reported a three-fold rise in standalone profit at Rs 35.26 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

The company had posted a standalone profit of Rs 10.21 crore in the year-ago period, Hindustan Copper said in a filing to BSE.

The profit for the period is from continuing and discontinued operations after tax.

The company's standalone income from operation during April-June period was at Rs 427.04 crore against Rs 426.84 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal.

Total expenses of the company during April-June dropped to Rs 376.07 crore from Rs 410.61 crore in the year-ago period.

Hindustan Copper Ltd had recently said that it will spend Rs 5,500 crore over six years to expand its production capacity by six times to up to 20 million tonnes per annum.

The company is primarily engaged in the business of mining and processing of copper ore to produce refined copper metal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
M Karunanidhi used the medium of films and his command over Tamil language to reach out to the people and promote the Dravidian ideology, according to two books related to the late DMK patriarch.

"Tamil was his 'uyir moochu' (life breath) in more ways than one. It dominated his politics and his political career. Over time, as the first-generation leaders of the Dravidian movement passed away, Karunanidhi attempted to take over the mantle of the 'protector' of Tamils worldwide," the book "Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics" by journalist Sandhya Ravishankar says.

Karunanidhi discovered early that his gift was language. Wit, clarity of thought and a firm grasp over Tamil history dominated his writing - whether as editor of "Maanava Nesan" (Friend of Students), a handwritten newsletter started by him during those days in school, or as the founder of DMK organ "Murasoli" (Drum roll), or as contributor to "Dravida Naadu" (Dravidian Land), a magazine started by Annadurai.

The other book "The Dravidian Years: Politics and Welfare in Tamil Nadu" by S Narayan, who was the economic adviser to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Karunanidhi also talks about the phenomenal reach of Karunanidhi through the media and films.

The people of Tamil Nadu have always been avid cinema fans. Up to the 1980s, 'touring theatres', basically thatched sheds with a screen, used to be the hallmark of all small towns. The DMK transformed the medium of films into a platform for reaching out to the Tamil people about their Tamil and Dravidian identities.

Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay of over 70 films including hits such as "Parasakthi", "Manthiri Kumari", "Malaikallan" and "Manohara".

"The frequency of people going to the cinema in Tamil Nadu has been very high, and Annadurai and Karunanidhi used films as major propaganda vehicle for promoting Dravidian ideology," Narayan writes in the book, published by Oxford.

Karunanidhi's love for the written word perhaps stemmed from the nature of the Dravidian movement itself.

Karunanidhi began his autobiography in 1975. Called "Nenjukku Needhi" (Justice for the Heart), its five volumes cover in great detail his life and experiences until 2002. Even during his stints in between this period as chief minister, Karunanidhi continued to write.

In the late 1930s, when there was a move to make the learning of Hindi in schools compulsory, there was furore among the intelligentsia of Tamil Nadu.

By 1938, at the age of 14, Karunanidhi had cobbled together a band of boys as well as a cycle rickshaw.

"This ragged gang roamed the streets of Tiruvarur with the Tamil Thaai (Tamil mother) flag perched on a pole atop the vehicle. A picture of Rajaji stabbing the Tamil Thaai with the dagger of compulsory Hindi was soon added to the melee. Karunanidhi composed little ditties that his gang shouted as they went along," says the book "Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics", published by HarperCollins India.

When he was 15 years old, Karunanidhi first put his writing skills on display. He founded the fortnightly magazine for students called "Manava Nesan". The manuscripts were handwritten and 50 copies were made by hand and distributed by him and his friends.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A huge quantity of explosives, suspected to be RDX, was found at Nallasopara in Palghar district tonight, police said.

The explosives were found at Bhandar aali in Nallasopara west, they added.

After getting information about the explosives, officials of the Maharashtra ATS and senior officials of Palghar Police rushed to the spot and an investigation was on, an official said.

"A forensics team have been called and we are analysing the substance to determine if it is RDX," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A hydrographic survey ship of the Chinese Navy has arrived at the port of Colombo on a four-day goodwill visit, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

'Qian Weichang', the ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lankan Navy in accordance with the force's traditions upon its arrival yesterday.

During the ship's stay in the country, the crew will participate in events organised by the Lankan Navy as well as visit places of tourist attraction in the island nation.

The 129-metre-long and 17-metre-wide vessel which has a displacement of 4,900 tonnes is manned by 158 officers and sailors.

The arrival of the Chinese naval ship assumes significance in the wake of the communist giant recently gaining control of the Hambantota port in Lanka, raising concerns that China could use the harbour for military purposes.

Several media reports suggested that the deepwater port, which is near a main shipping route between Asia and Europe, is likely to play a major role in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI, also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt, is a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government which focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.

The Chinese government calls the initiative "a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future". However, other nations see it as a push by China to take a larger role in global affairs with a China-centred trading network.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kangana Ranaut might have an opinion about the country's politics but the actor says she is does not see it as a career option.

During her interaction with yogi Sadhguru last evening, Kangana addressed a range of topics, including lynching.

When a reporter asked if she sees herself joining politics in the future, the actor told reporters, "Politics shouldn't be a career. I feel if someone like me wants to join politics, then first of all they have to achieve detachment."



The 31-year-old actor said one should give up one's family, home and children to best serve the country.

"Right now, I am so successful (in films) that I don't want to make career anywhere else. But if I want to serve my land then I can't do it if I have some vested interest in some other department. That becomes conflicting then. So, if people want to pursue politics they should, but they need to achieve some kind of renunciation," she said.

Last week, she attended a screening of a film, based on the childhood of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where she spoke highly of him, calling him the rightful leader of the country.

The actor also spoke about how it's unfair that her contemporaries in Bollywood shy away from speaking about politics.

"Artistes always say that we should not talk about it (politics), we get into trouble but if (someone), who is so successful and has 25 cameras and mediapersons covering him or her, doesn't talk then who else will? Then why are you successful?



"What does success mean to you? Just earning money, eating and having fun? You haven't been kept at a pedestal so that you can live your small life easily, the people have kept you there so that you also think about them," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 26 people have died in rain-related incidents across Kerala over the last 24 hours with 17 of them being killed in landslides in Idukki and Malapuram districts as heavy rains lashed the south Indian state.



Landslides and flash floods have hit parts of the state thus throwing normal life out of gear, reported local media citing State Disaster Control Room sources.



The situation has turned gim in the state with water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, thus forcing the authorities to open shutters of at least 22 reservoirs to drain out excess water.



The Army and National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in affected areas in Idukki, Kozhikode, Waynad and Malappuram districts to assist the civil administration in the rescue operations, officials said.



According to Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre, the vigorous southwest monsoon has left a trail of destruction across Kerala, killing at least 22 people over the last 24 hours.



Of the total deaths, 11 people died in Idukki district, five in Malappuram district, three in Wayanad, two in Kannur and one in Kozhikode, reported the Indian Express citing a home ministry spokesperson.



Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons said Kerala has been witnessing an "unprecedented flood" situation since Wednesday and incessant rains for the last two weeks.



"It is the biggest rain we had in 50 years. 22 people have died. Armed forces to fly to Kerala immediately, 6 central rescue teams already there. All the dams opened," Alphons was quoted as saying by ANI.



Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 45 personnel each, have left Chennai for Kerala to assist the rescue and relief operations, it stated.



An Inter-Ministerial Central Team of the central government is also visiting flood-affected areas in Kerala, while Army troops are being mobilised from Bengaluru for deployment in the rain-battered southern state.



Due to a steady rise in the water level in the Idukki reservoir, one of the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam, one of the largest arch dams in Asia, was opened as part of a trial run. The shutter has been opened 50 cms to release the water into the Cheruthoni river, said the report.



People living near the banks of the Periyar and in low-lying areas have been asked to exercise caution as a result of the release of the sluice gates, it added.



Meanwhile, the government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions including professional colleges at Kothamangalam, Kunnathunad, Aluva, Paravur Taluk, and Kadamakkudy on Friday in view of heavy rainfall.
The country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank today said it is aiming to disburse retail loan to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in Punjab and Haryana by the end of the current financial year.

"In FY'18, retail consumer loans grew faster in the states in comparison to the bank's overall retail loan growth in the country of over 20 per cent.

"With robust growth in the economy of the states, this fiscal too, we see potential to grow faster in Punjab and Haryana than the national average. We will increase the retail loan disbursement by one-fourth to Rs 10,000 crore," said Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank here today.

In last fiscal, bank's retail loan disbursement stood at Rs 7,675 crore in Punjab and Haryana, he said.

The bank will reach the target by expanding its consumer-personal, vehicle and two-wheeler-loans, Bagchi said.

"In 2018-19, the bank envisages to grow its disbursement of consumer loans by over 45 per cent to more than Rs 3,500 crore," he said.

Consumer loans of personal, vehicle and two-wheelers have also witnessed an upswing across Punjab and Haryana. The bank plans to expand its distribution network in the states for these products.

The bank is expanding its network across tier 2-3 towns like Moga, Barnala, Jind, Sirsa, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Hisar, Bhiwani, and Fathehabad, thereby making it more accessible, the executive director said.

"We plan to increase our home loan disbursement by one-fourth in Punjab and Haryana to Rs 2,500 crore. To drive this growth, we have a multi-pronged strategy - expanding our presence in tier 2-3 markets like Manesar, Rohtak Ambala, Sonepat and Bhatinda, launch of 'Extra Home Loans' for affordable housing, Step-up home loans for young salaried individuals as well as introducing products especially for self-employed segment," Bagchi said.

ICICI bank has a network of 475 branches across Punjab and Haryana.

"We are committed to service the semi-urban and rural markets in the states. Over 50 per cent of our branches and nearly a quarter of our ATM network is in the semi-urban and rural areas," said Bagchi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
plans to give bigger role to Cellular Managing Director and CEO Himanshu Kapania, including first ever position of vice-chairman at after completion of company's telecom business merger with

" Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla has internally announced that will join board of as a non-executive director and be the vice-chairman of Grasim. This will be the first time in the history of Grasim that a vice-chairman will be appointed," according to company sources.

When contacted, Cellular declined to comment on the development.

Kapania, who has been with the Cellular since 2006, will also be appointed as non-executive director of merged business of India and Idea Cellular. He will be an advisor to Birla on telecom business as Director, Telecom, Chairman office once the merger is complete, the source said.

Birla will lead the new telecom entity proposed to be named as Idea Limited and Balesh Sharma (currently Chief Operating Officer of Vodafone India) will be the CEO.



Kapania has been leading operations of Idea Cellular as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer since 2011.

However, the company has been posting loss since October-December quarter of 2016-17.

In its last financial result before merger with Vodafone India, firm Idea Cellular reported total comprehensive income of Rs 2636 million in the June quarter, mainly on account of one time gain from sale of mobile towers.

Blows from turbulent tariff war was, however, visible on its operational performance.

The company had posted loss of Rs 8.16 billion in the same period a year ago.

Kapania will also be made member of cement and aluminium business review councils, the source added.
India has conveyed its concern to Beijing over Chinese construction activities in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has asked them to stop it, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha,



V K Singh, Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry, said India's consistent and principled position has been that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

He asserted that Pakistan was in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Government is aware of Chinese construction activities in PoK. The government has conveyed to the Chinese side, including at the highest level, its concern over these activities, which we see as violating our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have asked the Chinese side to cease these activities," Singh said.

In response to another question on 'Pakistan-promoted propaganda' on social media to mislead the people of Kashmir, the MoS said the government consistently monitors the situation and takes all possible measures to maintain law and order and safeguard national interest and security.

He said during an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan on April 27-28 this year, the two leaders discussed the possibility of cooperation between India, China and Afghanistan.

"Both sides agreed to undertake capacity building programme for Afghan diplomats in India and China later this year," Singh added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India today said it was in touch with Bangladesh on the issue of the draft citizens' list rolled out in Assam with an aim to detect illegal immigrants in the state.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has repeatedly assured the Bangladesh government that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and the process to identify the citizens is still underway.

"We have been in very close touch with the government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issuance of draft NRC," Kumar told reporters.

He said the Bangladesh government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India.

"We do not apprehend any impact on bilateral ties with Bangladesh which remains excellent," Kumar said.

The draft NRC, released last week, excluded over 40 lakh people in Assam. The NRC is an outcome of nearly a six-year-long agitation All Assam Students Union, demanding deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior bureaucrat of the government has alleged "racial discrimination" and "rude behaviour" by the British Airways, which deplaned him and his family from a flight to Berlin from London last month minutes before take off because his three-year-old son was crying onboard.

The bureaucrat, in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on August 3, has alleged that another Indian family, sitting behind them, was also offloaded as they offered biscuits to the child to console him.

The incident happened on July 23.

The bureaucrat alleged that the crew got the plane (BA 8495) to return to the tarmac, where the security personnel took their boarding passes away. The customer care service manager did not give reasons for offloading them nor the management took action against the crew despite lodging a complaint, he claimed.

"We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount," he said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though.

The bureaucrat is a joint secretary-level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

When contacted, a British Airways spokesperson said, "We take such claims very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in contact with the customer."



Narrating his family's ordeal in the two-page letter to Prabhu, the officer demanded a thorough investigation and strictest possible action against the British Airways staff.

He said while his wife managed to calm their son, an "aggrieved" crew member approached them and started scolding the boy, asking him to get back to his seat. The boy had a window seat, but the mother had taken him into her arms to console him.

"With this unusual behaviour of the male crew member, my son got terrified and started crying intensively. My wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat-belt, even though he kept on crying intensively being in a terrified state of mind due to the scolding by the male crew member," the officer wrote to Prabhu.

He alleged that when the plane started moving towards the runway, the crew member came back, shouting, "You bloody keep quite, otherwise you would be thrown out of the window.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dozens of Indian pilgrims in Nepal today left for Simikot from Nepalgunj on 10 commercial flights as the Kailash-Mansarovar route was re-opened for travellers following improvement in weather conditions.

Now, the regular flights have started operating between Simikot and Nepalganj from yesterday after the weather conditions improved, the sources said.

Dozens of Indian pilgrims today left for Simikot from Nepalgunj on 10 commercial flights. Around one hundred pilgrims had left Simikot and Humla on their way towards Kailash-Mansarovar yesterday, they added.

Meanwhile, all the Indian pilgrims who were stranded this week in Hilsa and Humla areas while returning from Kailash-Mansarovar were airlifted to their respective destinations.

Out of the 165 pilgrims who were stranded in Simikot due to bad weather, 110 were evacuated from the area on Monday and Tuesday following improvement in weather conditions. The remaining 55 were flown to Nepalgunj yesterday, the Indian Embassy sources said.

The pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibetan region of China is considered holy by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Every year, hundreds of Indians undertake the 'yatra' which involves trekking under inhospitable conditions.

Last month, more than 1,500 Indians were stranded at various places in Nepal while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar.

There is basic lodging and fooding facilities for about 500 tourists in Simikot. In case of emergency, the Indian Embassy could safely evacuate the stranded pilgrims, sources said.

Following the incident, the Indian government had issued a travel advisory.

The advisory had stated that Simikot and Hilsa are places lacking good medical and lodging facilities and therefore, pilgrims should get themselves medically examined before starting their pilgrimage and also carry medicines for up to a period of one month.

Simikot and Hilsa are connected to the rest of the world only by small aircraft or helicopters and there is no other way to travel in and out of these places.

These small aircraft or helicopters can operate only when the weather is absolutely clear, as the terrain and route is extremely dangerous.

The embassy has deputed its representatives at Hilsa, Simikot and Humla for monitoring and taking action in case of emergency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian official in the UN agency for gender equality and women empowerment is under investigation for sexual misconduct after at least eight men accused him of sexually harassing them.

Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director at UN Women, is under investigation for sexual misconduct and at least eight men have accused him of using his position to sexually harass them, five sources with knowledge of the investigation told Newsweek.

UN Women, in a statement, said the investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a UN Women staff member by the Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) of UNDP is nearing its completion and UN Women continues to urge for the speedy finalisation of the investigation process.

UN Women continues to ensure that the case is investigated thoroughly and receiving the priority it deserves. We recognise the gravity with which such cases should be treated and have taken the allegations very seriously at every stage, the statement said.

While the UN Women statement does not name Karkara, a UN spokesperson confirmed to PTI that the individual under investigation is Karkara.

There were no immediate comments available from Karkara.

A UN Women spokesperson said the agency cannot confirm nor deny the subject's name and it cannot comment on any specifics of the case, as that could harm the investigation and disciplinary process.

UN Women said it aims to be as transparent as possible while ensuring that the integrity of the investigative, and disciplinary process, if any, is safeguarded.

For this reason, we cannot comment on any further specifics of the case, as that could undermine the accountability process, it said.

UN Women had said back in December 2017 that it received allegations of sexual misconduct involving one of its staff members, again not naming Karkara. It had then said that the case is currently under investigation.

The Newsweek report said that the probe's subject remains on administrative leave and that, while still on U.N. payroll, the person is not currently performing any active function.

According to Newsweek, Steve Lee, a 25-year-old policy activist, who has addressed the United Nations and was a member of the Major Group for Children and Youth, is among the men accusing Karkara of misconduct.

The UN Women statement said that it will continue to implement its zero-tolerance policy and will take all necessary actions that are within its purview in the case.

"Once the report setting out the findings of the investigation is shared with UN Women, if the facts warrant it, UN Women will initiate a disciplinary process under the UN Women Legal Policy for addressing non-compliance with UN Standards of Conduct.

The disciplinary process includes charging the subject, terminating the contract, and, if appropriate, imposing a sanction. Steps may then be taken to refer the matter to national authorities if warranted, it said.

"Ending all forms of sexual and gender-based violence is at the heart of UN Women's mission. As recent events have shown, the United Nations and UN Women are not immune from allegations of sexual misconduct. We are particularly committed to placing the rights and dignity of victims at the forefront of our response efforts and have been in contact with the reported victims of this case and offered our support and assistance," it said.

According to his profile, Karkara has worked with UN Women, UNICEF, Save the Children among others.

He serves as Global Advisor on Youth with UN-HABITAT and had represented UN-HABITAT as the co-chair of the UN Interagency Network on Youth Development.

He also co-chaired the Policy Strategy Group for World We Want 2015 largest UN & civil society post-2015 data-curation-visualization Big Data platform. It said he has written more than 80 publications and has given keynote and panel addresses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indonesia's top security minister, Wiranto, says the death toll from last Sunday's earthquake on the island of Lombok has climbed to 319.

The announcement comes after an inter-agency meeting that was convened to resolve wildly different figures for deaths from different agencies.

Lombok was hit by another earthquake on Thursday, the third in a little over a week, causing panic, injuries and damage to buildings.

Wiranto uses one name like many Indonesians.

Lombok was hit by another earthquake today, the third in little over a week, causing panic and damage to buildings.

A strong aftershock has shaken the Indonesian island of Lombok where tens of thousands of people are homeless after a powerful earthquake on Sunday.

Indonesia's geological agency said the quake this afternoon had a magnitude of 6.2 and was shallow, at a depth of 12 kilometres, centered in the northwest of the island. It said it didn't have the potential to cause a tsunami.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 5.9.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said people ran onto roads in panic and buildings were damaged, causing more "trauma" for people on the island.

It's the third big quake to hit Lombok in little over a week. Buildings still standing on the island have been weakened after Sunday's 7.0 quake that killed at least 131 people and a 6.4 quake on July 29 that killed 16.

The Indonesian Red Cross says it's focusing its Lombok earthquake relief efforts on an estimated 20,000 people in remote areas in the north of the island where aid still has not reached.

Spokesman Arifin Hadi says the tens of thousands people left homeless by Sunday's magnitude 7.0 quake need clean water and tarpaulins most of all. He says the agency has sent 20 water trucks to five remote areas, including one village of about 1,200 households.

He says, "People are always saying they need water and tarps." He also says they're continuing to look for people with untreated injuries.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency says at least 131 people have died but other agencies are giving higher much higher figures. The disaster agency says the higher figures are unverified.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal today played down the infighting in the party's Punjab unit, calling it a family matter.

"Fights do take place among members of a family. It will be resolved," he told reporters here.

He also hit out at Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, saying, He doesn't know how to work.

The Punjab unit of the AAP went into a crisis after party legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira was removed recently from the post of Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly.

Khaira and seven other MLAs have now declared the AAP's Punjab unit "autonomous" and dissolved the present organisational structure.

The dissident have also set up an ad hoc political affairs committee which will choose a parallel head of the state unit.

Khaira has called Kejriwal and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia "dictators."



But Kejriwal today said, The "issue is within the family and it will be resolved."



On being asked about the resignations tendered in March by Sangrur MP Bhagwant Singh Mann and Sunam MLA Aman Arora as president and co-president of the state unit, Kejriwal said both posts are vacant.

At the same time, he added that the resignations were not accepted by the party.

The two had resigned in protest after Kejriwal apologised for accusing Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia of being involved in the drug trade.

However, Bhagwant Mann has recently traded charges with Khaira, indicating that he is not with the dissidents.

Kejriwal said Haryana lagged behind Delhi in terms of development, and asked Khattar why he had failed to revolutionise the power, water, education and health sectors.

"Khattar should learn from us how to work, the Delhi Chief Minister said.

He claimed that the Delhi government had brought in a revolution in the sectors of water, power, education and health despite the hurdles created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the lieutenant governor's office.

He demanded that the Haryana government should distribute Rs 1 crore each to the families of martyred soldiers, on the pattern of Delhi.

On the contentious issue of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, he accused the Congress, the BJP and the SAD in Haryana and Punjab of playing

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahsat, the UAE based satellite operator, has announced the launch of YahClick Wi-Fi Enterprise Solution in partnership with Italian Wi-Fi cloud management software provider Tanaza, a media report said.



The announcement coincides with the signing of an agreement between the two companies the terms of which allow Tanazas cloud based Wi-Fi management platform to be used along with YahClick Wi-Fi Enterprise Solution across YahClicks footprint, reported Emirates news agency Wam.



The solution provides a cost-effective, high-speed, and reliable Wi-Fi solution developed to address the connectivity requirements of enterprises, NGOs, governments, and communities across Africa, the Middle East and Central and South West Asia.



Featuring a simple multi-user management platform and seamless access for the end user, the solution also promises to drive sustainable socioeconomic development by providing reliable high-speed connectivity to remote schools, clinics, and government offices as well as facilitating humanitarian aid and relief operations.



"In our fast-paced, always-on world, it is crucial that organizations of all kinds perform at peak productivity and therefore receive uninterrupted, high-speed internet connectivity, said Farhad Khan, Yahsats chief commercial officer.



"Many of the public and private-sector organisations we serve operate in the remotest parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South West Asia, where high-performance internet connectivity is not readily available. With the launch of YahClick Wi-Fi Enterprise Solution, we look forward to supporting even more users with an internet service they can depend on."



"Were excited to see Yahsat using our software to deploy cost-effective high-speed wi-fi hotspots," said Sebastiano Bertani, Tanaza CEO. "And we love the idea of contributing to a better world by serving public and private organisations in remote areas with our wi-fi cloud management platform. This distribution agreement will create a wide range of new opportunities for socioeconomic development across multiple continents."
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset, BJP president Amit Shah today asked the Congress chief to look at facts when "free from winking" and alleged it was the opposition party that had a legacy of insulting Dalits.

In a series of tweets, Shah said the prime minister's legacy includes "strongest amendments to SC/ST Act" and setting up of the OBC Commission, while the Congress legacy was about insulting Dalit leaders, opposing the Mandal Commission report and blocking a move to empower the OBC body.

His attack at the Congress and its president came after Gandhi joined a protest at Jantar Mantar and criticised Modi over his government's policies towards Dalits.

In a series of tweets scoffing at Gandhi, Shah asked him to spend some time on facts "when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament" and asserted that the NDA government has ensured the strongest amendment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

He was referring to Gandhi's apparent wink in Lok Sabha after hugging Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.

"Why are you protesting that?", Shah asked Gandhi while taking about the new bill that seeks to reverse a recent Supreme Court order that put additional safeguards against arrest of accused in cases of atrocities against Dalits.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had said the Congress government had brought the atrocities act and his party will protect it together with everybody.

Alleging that Dalits are being openly beaten and crushed in states where the BJP is in power, Gandhi said the prime minister's "thinking is anti-Dalit".

"All Dalits and people from the weaker sections know that the prime minister has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind and wants to crush Dalits. That is why we are standing against him," he had said.

Attacking Gandhi, Shah said it would have been good if the Congress leader had spoken about his party's treatment of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari.

"Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah said.

He asked whether it was a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the third front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi became the party president, it opposed a tough SC/ SCT Act and the OBC Commission. "Anti-backward mindset visible," Shah tweeted.

"Mr Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr Rajiv Gandhi's speech during Mandal (row), when he opposed it (its recommendations) tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare!" he said.

Shah further said the Modi government has developed a 'panchteerth' -- a reference to five places associated with the life of Ambedkar, while the Congress insulted Dalit leaders and pride.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police today said it has busted an inter-state gang involved in organised crime and arrested 10 members from Puri in Odisha, a senior officer said.

Late last month, a businessman had lodged a case following a burglary incident in his shop in Kamani Centre under Bistupur, Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay said.

A police team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (CCR), Sudhir Kumar was formed to investigate and apprehend the culprits, he said adding that the team acted swiftly and arrested 10 members of the inter-state gang from a hotel in Puri yesterday.

Police has recovered 17 mobile phones, Rs 63,000 in cash, among other items from their possession, he said.

In course of the interrogation, Birtharay said the arrested gang members have confessed to have committed crime in Ranchi, Chaibasa, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, Cuttack in Odisha, Gorakhpur in UP and Delhi.

They further told the police that they have disposed the stolen items in Nepal and Bangladesh as well as Motihari and Sitamarhi in Bihar, the SSP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The general overseeing US military operations in the Middle East said today 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former hard-line Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked President Hassan Rouhani to resign.

In a video published on his Telegram account today, Ahmadinejad said that Iranians do not trust Rouhani.

He says: "Your continued presence is at the expense of the country." Uncertainty resulting from the US pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers has led Iran's already anemic economy to worsen.

Yesterday, Iranian lawmakers voted to sack Rouhani's labour minister, a victory for hard-liners opposed to the relative moderate amid the worsening economic crisis.

Ahmadinejad has brought attention to himself since being blocked from running in last year's presidential election.

While president, he famously questioned the Holocaust and claimed there were no gays or lesbians in Iran.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nationalist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's joint list with communists won Iraq's legislative election in May according to a manual recount, the electoral commission said today, paving the way for a government to be formed nearly three months after the polls.

Allegations of fraud prompted the recount, but Sadr's alliance retained all 54 of the 329 seats it won in the May 12 vote, with the only change being an extra seat for the Conquest Alliance of pro-Iranian former paramilitary fighters, which remains in second place.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) today said it would offer programmes in hotel management, travel and tourism management, and intensive culinary arts.

The Gurugram-based institute was inaugurated today.

ISH Founder and CEO Dilip Puri said 50 students have joined today for the Bachelor of Hotel Management programme.

From October 1, 20 students would be joining for the 18-month certificate course in Intensive Culinary Arts.

The institute would also be offering Bachelor of Travel & Tourism Management programme.

"Every aspect of ISH promotes critical thinking, life skills, and the courage to take an idea and bring it to life something we Are actively promoting with our in-house start up incubator Ignite," Puri said.

ISH has partnered with Ecole htelire de Lausanne (EHL) for international exchange and collaboration opportunity for students.

About expansion plans, Puri said, "we will be monitoring our academic session here for at least a year before we begin our expansion plans".

The expansion plans include opportunities to develop schools in South Asian countries and within India in the South and the West, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Ruby Rose believes that her casting as the lesbian superhero Batwoman in a new series is a game changing moment which will open new opportunities for LGBTQ people.

The 32-year-old actor recently appeared on The Tonight Show where host Jimmy Fallon asked about her casting as Kate Kane aka The Batwoman in The CW series.

"It's a game-changer. I found out an hour before I did the premiere for The Meg and I was so nervous doing the red carpet, so I basically skipped everybody because I kept spontaneously crying," Rose said.

The actor said growing up there were hardly any characters on TV that were openly gay or lesbian, a thing she believes will change after her casting.

"I feel like the reason I got so emotional is that growing up, watching TV, I never saw someone on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero," Rose said.

"I have always had this saying I mean, not me, Oscar Wilde which is be yourself because everyone else is taken. So I always live by that motto, and the second motto when I came into the industry was be the person that you needed when you were younger. I feel like one motto led to another," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shares of Jaiprakash Associates and Jaypee Infratech plunged up to 5 per cent today after the Supreme Court asked the National Company Law Tribunal, Allahabad, to deal with insolvency proceedings against the group.

The scrip of Jaiprakash Associates tumbled 5.15 per cent to close at Rs 14.19 on BSE. During the day, it plunged 9.75 per cent to Rs 13.50.

Shares of Jaypee Infratech also went down by 4.90 per cent to end at Rs 4.66, its lower circuit limit, on the BSE.

In a setback to the Jaypee group, the Supreme Court today asked the NCLT, Allahabad, to deal with insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) and barred the group or its promoters from participating in the fresh bidding process.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the limitation period of 180 days to conclude the insolvency proceedings will commence from today.

The top court also allowed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct the banks to initiate separate insolvency proceedings against JIL's holding company Jaiprakash Associate Limited (JAL).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Arun Jaitley today attended the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for the first time after undergoing a kidney transplant in May.

Jatiley, who has been recuperating after surgery, came to the House on a day when Rajya Sabha voted to elected JD (U) member Harivansh as Deputy Chairman.

Rajya Sabha MPs, including Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, welcomed him back in the House. He is Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed happiness on Jaitley's presence in the House.

Jaitley, who had kept away from public appearance for almost four months, acknowledged the greetings.

Jaitley was holding the charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs ministries before the surgery.

As he underwent the renal transplant on May 14, his ministerial charges were given to Piyush Goyal on an interim basis.

While welcoming Jaitley, Azad suggested that he should take more rest.

Modi, who joined the House after completion of the voting process, said: "I am happy that the Leader of the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley is present today" and recovering.

Jaitley also accompanied Harivansh to the designated seat of Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, members welcomed him with thumping of desks.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked members not to go near Jaitley or touch him, apparently to protect him from contracting any infection.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Kathleen Turner has said she did not feel welcomed by the cast of 'Friends' when she appeared in a cameo role.

The popular sitcom starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt Le Blanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow in the lead roles.

Turner played Chandler Bing's dad who divorced his mum, Nora Taylor Bing, when he came out as transgender.

Known as Helena Handbasket, Turner's character appeared in seventh season after a number of previous mentions for Chandler and Monica's wedding.

Turner told Vulture that she "didn't feel very welcomed by the cast" when she made her appearances.

"I remember I was wearing this difficult sequined gown and my high heels were absolutely killing me. I found it odd that none of the actors thought to offer me a seat. Finally it was one of the older crew members that said, 'Get Miss Turner a chair'.

"The Friends actors were such a clique, but I don't think my experience with them was unique. I think it was simply that they were such a tight little group that nobody from the outside mattered," she said.

Asked how she found them as performers, Turner replied, "I won't comment on that. Maybe if I'd had months to work with them, I'd be in a better position to evaluate their skill. But I could only judge based on the period I worked on the show, which wasn't long. I do respect the camaraderie they had. You can see camaraderie on the screen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia has clarified that the current diplomatic crisis between the kingdom and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada.

In a statement issued today, Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Falih said that the petroleum policy of Saudi Arabia emphasises that the kingdoms petroleum supplies to countries around the world are not to be impacted by political considerations.

He reiterated that this is a firm and longstanding policy that is not influenced by political circumstances, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

Al-Falih stressed that the kingdom continues to invest in its production capacity, which is considered a key factor in reducing market volatility that is damaging to the interests of producers and consumers alike and the global economy at large.

Riyadh on Sunday froze new trade with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador in a dispute sparked by Canada demanding the release of jailed Saudi rights activists. It also ended state-backed educational and medical programmes in Canada.

On Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir ruled out the possibility of a third party mediating to mend the rift between the two countries.

He said Canada needed to fix its big mistake. He also said Saudi Arabia is "considering taking further measures".
Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch has asked Kathua police to file FIRs based on the complaints of two witnesses in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old who have alleged they are being threatened by the family members and friends of the accused, officials said today.

The Crime Branch has also asked the district police in Kathua to provide protection to the two witnesses who made written complaints.

They said they were being harassed and threatened by the friends and relatives of the accused and were under pressure to change their statements before the district and sessions court in Pathankot, Punjab, which is hearing the case.

"Legal action is being taken in accordance with the law," a senior police official from Kathua said.

"The Crime Branch has forwarded the complaints to the Kathua district police and said the witnesses should be provided protection and FIRs should be registered against those named by them," a Crime Branch official added.

The names of the two witnesses were not immediately known.

The Crime Branch cited last month's Supreme Court order directing protection of witnesses in the case of the child from a minority nomadic community who was allegedly kidnapped on January 10 in a village in Kathua and sexually assaulted before being killed. Her body was found on January 17.

The witnesses include a government official whose testimony was recorded by the Crime Branch during its investigation into the case that shook the nation with its brutality.

The Crime Branch has named 221 witnesses in its first charge sheet and more than 100 in its supplementary charge sheet filed on July 30.

It has arrested eight people -- Sanji Ram, custodian of the temple where the chid was allegedly confined, his son Vishal, his nephew (a juvenile), friend Parvesh Kumar, two special police officers Deepak Khajuria alias 'Dipu' and Surender, and two police officials, sub inspector Arvind Datta and head constable Tilak Raj.

The two police officials were arrested for destroying evidence and have been dismissed from service.

The Crime Branch will also bring the issue before the court in Pathankot where the case was transferred on directions of the Supreme Court, officials said.

Members of the Kathua Bar Association had physically prevented Crime Branch officials from submitting a charge sheet on April 9 in Kathua.

Defence lawyers had argued in court that they should be given advance information about witnesses appearing before the court. The court last week agreed that names of those not facing threats could be shared with the defence.

The Crime Branch submitted an application before the Pathankot court giving reasons for non-disclosure of names of witnesses in advance due to security reasons.

It said some vested groups in Hiranagar and Kathua area had started a well-organised campaign against the investigating agency and were resorting to large scale propaganda on electronic, print and social media to "mislead the masses".

"One such instance where a material witness in the case was influenced by some groups has already been brought to the notice of the honourable trial court," the application said.

It asserted that the case has acquired "communal overtones" with some political leaders backing the accused in the case.

The role of state BJP MLA Choudhary Lal Singh was brought before the judge along with the newspaper cuttings.

"...former minister and BJP MLA from Basohli assembly constituency, Choudhary Lal Singh, who hails from Kathua district has reportedly floated an organisation namely 'Dogra Swabhiman Sanghathan' on July 22. The purpose of this organisation, has among other objectives, been formulated to defend the accused in the case as well as discredit the investigating agency.

"A number of rallies have already been held to mobilise and unite a particular community," the application said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here has absolved Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of charges of giving false information in an affidavit filed in run up to 2013 assembly polls.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal discharged Kejriwal in the case saying "merely due to the fact that a person has other residential addresses apart from where he has enrolled himself as a voter, cannot be a ground to presume that he is not a resident of that place from where he registered as a voter".

It was alleged in the complaint that Kejriwal had filed a "false affidavit" along with his nomination papers before the Election Commission on November 16, 2013 for contesting the 2013-Delhi assembly election.

The criminal complaint filed by Neeraj Saxena on behalf of the NGO, Maulik Bharat Trust, had alleged that Kejriwal had concealed his correct address and suppressed the market value of his property in his affidavit given before the Election Commission.

It was alleged that the AAP leader had falsely given the address of Delhi so as to qualify for contesting the polls in the capital while he was living at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

In its order, the court said that there was no evidence that the accused was not residing at the address given in his voting identity card.

"A place of resident is a place where a person ordinarily reside. This may or may not be his permanent address. Therefore, it cannot be said that by registering himself at this address 41, Bunglow, Hanuman Road, New Delhi- 110001 the accused has committed the offence of making any false declaration for the purpose of inclusion of his name in electoral roll...," it said.

It further noted that the Election Commission had not take any action in this case despite the fact that the complainant had brought the issue to its notice.

"The accused has been summoned only for the aforesaid alleged misinformation. The aforesaid discussion shows that these offences are not made out. Therefore, the accused is discharged from this case," it said.

A Delhi court had on March 22, 2016 summoned Kejriwal as accused in the case, saying he had prima facie "wilfully concealed" and "suppressed" the details.

The offence under section 125-A of the Representation of People Act, under which the complainant had sought Kejriwal's prosecution, entails a punishment of six months' imprisonment and/or fine or both.

Earlier, the NGO had approached Delhi High Court with a plea seeking quashing of Kejriwal's nomination papers on the grounds of "illegalities" in his affidavit.

The high court had refused to entertain the plea and directed the petitioners to approach a magisterial court for remedy.

The NGO in its petition before high court had alleged that Kejriwal violated provisions of the RP Act by submitting an affidavit which had incorrect details of his assets and income at the time of the filing of nomination.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu together received close to 60 per cent of the total remittances in the country in financial year 2016-17, according to a RBI survey.

Of the total remittances into the country in 2016-17, 74.2 per cent was routed through private sector banks, while the share of public sector banks stood at 17.3 per cent. Foreign banks accounted for 8.5 per cent of the total remittance, according to RBI's 'Inward Remittances Survey'.

"Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu together received 58.7 per cent of total remittances in 2016-17," it said.

The findings is based on the responses from 42 major authorised dealers (ADs), accounting for 98.3 per cent of total remittances in 2016-17.

Nearly 82 per cent of the total remittances received by the country originated from eight countries - the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

In the reporting year, 70.3 per cent of all reported transactions were of more than USD 500 and only 2.7 per cent were of less than USD 200, the survey showed.

More than 50 per cent of remittances received by Indian residents were used for family maintenance such as consumption (59.2 per cent), followed by deposits in banks (20 per cent) and investments in landed property and shares (8.3 per cent).

The findings showed that the rupee drawing arrangement (RDA) was the most popular channel of remittances, accounting for 75.2 per cent of remittances, followed by SWIFT (19.5 per cent), direct transfers (3.4 per cent) and cheques and drafts (1.9 per cent).

RBI said cost to the remitter for sending remittances through RDA is relatively low in the case of private /foreign banks.

The cost of receiving remittances through the RDA route is lowest in the case of public sector banks, the survey showed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US today issued an advisory, asking its citizens not to visit Kerala because of the flash floods in the state.

In the advisory, the US said the heavy southwest monsoon rains triggered landslides and floods in the state, and American citizens should avoid visiting all affected areas in the state.

"Avoid all areas throughout Kerala affected by landslides and flash floods," it read.

At least 22 people have died in Kerala due to incessant rainfall and flooding in the past two days, the Home Ministry said today.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the situation as "very grim".

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost their maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in Kerala have been opened to drain out excess water.

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted into localised flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala.

The flood water also triggered landslides at some places.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Karnataka cabinet today gave its approval to waiving Rs 9,448.61 crore existing farm loans in respect of cooperative banks, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said.

At today's cabinet meeting, approval has been given to waiving existing crop loans up to Rs 1 lakh borrowed from the cooperative sector,Kumaraswamy said.

"It is estimated to be Rs 9,448.61 crore, about 20.38 lakh farmers who have obtained loans up to July 10 this year would benefit from this," he told reporters.

He said there was no shortage of money for the farm loan waiver.

During the next cabinet meeting, a decision would be made regarding waiver of farm loan obtained from nationalised banks and modalities were being worked out with the banks, he said.

Kumaraswamy said he would make an announcement either on Independence Day or Ganesh Chaturthi, which will be a 'gift' to farmers and the people of Karnataka.

He hit out at the BJP for its continued attack against him on farm loan waiver issue and asserted that his government was committed to the betterment of people and farmers.

Kumaraswamy reiterated that all programmes announced in the previous budget by the then chief minister and finance minister Siddaramaiah would continue, even as he dismissed reports about cuts in allocation to schemes like 'Shaadi Bhagya' and 'Mathru Poorna.'



Appealing to farmers not to commit suicide, the chief minister assured them that his government was there to 'protect' them.

"It is our priority," Kumaraswamy said.

To a question about state governments meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on the Mekedatu project, he said the state government was working towards getting permission from the central government for the project.

He said government was also trying to convince the chief minister and the Tamil Nadu government along with farmer leaders there as the project would benefit both states.

Tamil Nadu is opposed to the Mekedatu multi-purpose (drinking and power) project across the Cauvery which involves building a balancing reservoir with a capacity of about 66 tmcft, near Kanakapura in Ramanagaram district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) today said its power business has won orders worth Rs 1,080 crore in the domestic market.

"The business has received two orders from NTPC for setting up flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems at its supercritical thermal power plants at Khargone, Madhya Pradesh and Lara, Chhattisgarh," L&T said in a BSE filing.

Installation of FGD systems in existing and upcoming thermal power plants has been made mandatory by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, (MoEFCC) to curtail sulfur dioxide emissions, it added.

L&T said it has a long-term technical licence agreement with Chiyoda Corporation of Japan for FGD technology.

It said its power business through its joint venture companies has also won orders in the domestic and export markets for engineering services and supply of components.

Shares of the company were trading 0.33 per cent higher at Rs 1,302 apiece on BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Northern Provincial council observed a moment of silence in the assembly today to pay tributes to DMK leader M Karunanidhi as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe hailed Tamil Nadu's former five-term chief minister for his role in strengthening ties between Sri Lanka and India.

The Tamil-dominated council noted Karunanidhi's strong voice in support of Sri Lankan Tamils and their struggle over the past years.

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 on August 7 after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days.

In a special message, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said the cooperation the veteran leader rendered in widening diplomatic relations between the two countries should be remembered.

"I convey my deepest sympathies on behalf of all Sri Lankans for the bereaved, on his passing," he added.

Sri Lanka's incumbent Maithripala Sirisena, his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other political leaders in the country have also expressed sorrow at the demise of former Tamil Nadu chief minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court today dismissed applications filed by a film production firm seeking to stall the release of actor Kamal Hassan's "Viswaroopam II", set to hit the screens tomorrow, over a financial dispute.

Justice M Sundar dismissed the applications by Pyramid Saimira Productions International for recovery of Rs 5.44 crore which the company claimed it had paid as advance to Hassan and his production house Raj Kamal Films International for making a film over 10 years ago.

Pyramid Saimira had originally filed civil suits for recovery of the Rs 5.44 crore, contending that Hassan had not discharged his obligations as per an agreement it had signed with him for producing the film titled "Marmayogi" in Tamil and Hindi.

The actor had also filed a suit against Pyramid Saimira Productions claiming damages of Rs 11 crore for alleged breach of conditions of the agreement, saying the firm had not honoured committed payments.

In the meanwhile, Pyramid Saimira Productions filed two applications seeking to stall the release of "Viswaroopam II", citing the pendency of the suit.

In his counter, Hassan termed as false Pyramid Saimira's claim that he had not commenced the work on 'Marmayogi'.

He further submitted that the company through its director K S Srinivasan had agreed to pay Rs 1 crore as remuneration for directing the movie and Rs 15 crore for acting with an initial payment of Rs 3 crore.

Though it paid Rs 4.5 crore to him and Raj Kamal Films as advance, Pyramid Saimira Productions did not keep its promise to pay further amounts as per the agreement for the pre-production expenses.

Giving break-up of pre-production expenses totalling over Rs two crore incurred by him, he said the Pyramid Saimira Productions did not make the payment.

Also, Hassan denied the Pyramid Saimira Productions's claim that he had made an assurance to book Bollywood actors like Amitabh Bachan, Hema Malini, Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra.

The "deliberate omission and failure" to pay the amount caused a lot of hardship to him personally as well as to Raj Kamal Films in producing the movie, he said, adding that hence, he also filed a civil suit claiming damages against Pyramid Saimira Productions.

Pointing to the suits filed by both the actor and the Pyramid Saimira Productions, Justice Sundar said,"It is not clear as to why the parties have not sought for joint or simultaneous trial of the suits."



He said a person seeking relief under relevant rule of the Civil Procedure Code should be able to establish that there were actions which intended to defeat the rights of the applicant and also a possible decree in future



"There is no categorical and specific allegation in this regard," he said, adding that the bank guarantee furnished already in favour of Pyramid Saimira Productions over the suit was being renewed from time to time.

Noting that it was not the desirable to approach the court at the eleventh hour in cases of this nature, the judge said the parties would do well to seek a joint trial in all the suits in a manner known to law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the occasion of Quit India movement anniversary, the Maharashtra Congress today attacked the Central government over "growing" incidents of mob lynchings and "attack" on the freedom of media.

Congress leaders, including state unit president Ashok Chavan, took out a "Tiranga yatra" from the August Kranti Maidan to Mani Bhavan in South Mumbai, to mark the 76th anniversary of the movement.

Gowalia Tank Maidan is a park in central Mumbai where Mahatma Gandhi had delivered the Quit India speech on August 8, 1942 decreeing that the British must leave India immediately or else mass agitations would take place.

Mani Bhavan, located in Gamdevi in south Mumbai, had served as the Mumbai headquarters of the Mahatma from 1917 to 1934.

Chavan said the current situation in the country is reminiscent of the British era before 1942.

"Just like in 1942, unrest is currently prevailing in the country. Incidents like mob lynchings are on the rise. The freedom of press is being gagged. Farmers are committing suicides; the backward classes are being attacked," Chavan said.

He said the BJP-led NDA government should "quit".

Chavan, Mumbai unit Congress president Sanjay Nirupam and other leaders paid homage to the martyrs of the freedom struggle at the August Kranti Maidan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sugar factories and district banks in Maharashtra that fail to implement the state government's drip irrigation programme for sugarcane crop will face strict action, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

The government had last year made drip irrigation mandatory for sugarcane crop in all the irrigation command areas across the state.

Speaking at a meeting held in Mumbai, Fadnavis said it is mandatory for banks to process at least 50 per cent of the total loan applications received from farmers and sugar factories for implementing the drip irrigation system before the start of crushing season, which generally begins in November every year.

The government had last year made it compulsory to install drip irrigation system in the fields of total 3.7 lakh hectares in a phased manner by 2019. The amount of loan will be Rs 85,400 per hectare.

As per the programme, the government will borrow a long term loan from National Agricultural Bank and Rural Development (NABARD) and it will be distributed in a cycle through state cooperative bank (Apex Bank) to District Central Cooperative (DCC) banks and then to farmers.

Fadnavis said today that the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) will make a provision to enable district banks to provide loans to the farmers for implementing the programme.

He directed officials to ensure that the loan applications of farmersand sugar cooperatives be processed immediately.

"The banks and sugar factories that fail to implement the drip irrigation programme will face strict action. The power purchase contracts of the sugar cooperatives would be stopped if they failed to comply with," the CM said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Social Media Summit is finalising preparations to host the third edition of the largest social media gathering on August 15 at the Century Park Hotel in Amman, Jordan.



The event, to be held under the theme Social Media and Its Pivotal Impact on the Tourism Sector, is being organised by Hits Marketing  a leading regional marketing and event management company based in Dubai  in cooperation with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and Jordan Hotel Association, with the participation of a host of local media partners and sponsors.



Social Media Summit executive director, Ehab Heissat, explained that social media networks play a significant role in attracting local, Arab and international tourists to Jordan. Accordingly, the summits third edition will include several exciting sessions featuring Jordanian, Arab and international experts and speakers.



On its sidelines, the summit will organise a workshop on the optimal use of social media networks to promote tourism and market tourist attractions. The workshop will be led by a group of experts specialised in e-marketing, social marketing, and content creation. Around 200 workers from the local tourism and hospitality sector are expected to attend the workshop, which will be held for the first time in Jordan.



In addition to the partaking of JTB general manager, Dr Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, as a keynote speaker, Heissat confirmed the participation of numerous international speakers and experts from some of the leading companies in the fields of social media networking, digital media, and consultancy.



Moreover, Heba Abdulwahab, Moments Lead at Twitter, will speak at the summit and accompanying workshop, in addition to Olga Egorsheva, founder and CEO of Lobster  one of the largest licensing companies for user-generated content. Sarah Begum, TV presenter and social media activist, will also be in attendance to discuss storytelling through social media. Other speakers include Andrea Frahm, founder of German-based agency Frahm & Partners Communication, and Courtney Brandt, a social media activist behind the blog A to Za'atar that assesses restaurants and hotels in various tourist destinations.



Participants will be able to listen to and debate a host of local and regional speakers and trainers, including Ameed Awad - International Digital Marketing and Social Media trainer; Amir Ounallah - founder and CEO of Batuta.com, a leading Arabic online travel agency; Gaith Adaileh - co-founder of Khaberni.com; and Amjad Sawalha from Siyaha.org.



The Social Media Summit is the first and largest social media conference in the Middle East. In 2018, a series of conferences are scheduled to be held in Dubai, Sharjah, Riyadh, Muscat, and Oman. - TradeArabia News Service


The Maharashtra government employees, who had gone on a three-day strike over various demands including salary hike, withdrew the stir today after receiving positive assurances from the state administration.

Around 17 lakh Class-3 and Class-4 employees of the state government were on strike since Tuesday over their various demands, including implementation of recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and filling up of vacant posts.

"We held discussions with the chief minister and the finance minister in the past and with the chief secretary today. The government has agreed to most of our demands," Milind Sardeshmukh, president of the organisation which called for the protest, told PTI.

He claimed the situation in the state was not good, in view of protests by the Maratha community over its demand for reservation and the health and other emergency services being affected due to the strike by government employees.

"Our first priority is to help people and so, we have taken a step back. The government has assured us that our demands will be fulfilled," Sardeshmukh said.

The Class-3 and Class-4 government employees from various departments, including zilla parishads, teachers and state-run corporations, took part in the three-day strike.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said last week that recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission will be implemented for state government employees from January 2019.

"The arrears of the Seventh Pay Commission will be given with retrospective effect from January 2016, while the Dearness Allowance will be given retrospectively for the last 14 months," he had said after holding a meeting with various employees' unions.

Sardeshmukh claimed that 1.85 lakh posts of Class-3 and Class-4 employees were lying vacant in Maharashtra and that the vacant posts in various departments increased the workload on employees.

Around 30-40 per cent of total posts are lying vacant in hospitals and other essential services departments, he claimed.

Besides, the employees unions have also been demanding implementation of a five-day week working system, raising the retirement age from 58 years to 60 years, filling up various posts on compassionate grounds, continuation of the old pension scheme and two-year child care leave to women employees.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP national general secretary P Murlidhar Rao today accused the TMC government of "throttling democracy" in the state and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "supporting infiltrators" to secure her vote bank.

He mocked at Banerjee for reaching out to various political parties in the country over the issue of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The BJP, he said, will never "tolerate" infiltrators.

"Mamataji is supporting infiltrators from Bangladesh ... She is touring the entire country to garner support for infiltrators just to secure her vote bank. She is trying to communalise the issue," Rao told reporters here.

But she did not receive support from any of the political parties on it, he claimed.

"The BJP will never tolerate infiltrators coming to India and staying in our homes. We will fight till the end," Rao said.

Banerjee had been at the forefront in opposing the final draft of the NRC in Assam that was published on July 30 and had sent a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation to Silchar to assess the situation in the Bengali-dominated Cachar district.

The BJP leader said before talking about the lack of democracy in the country, Banerjee "should look after her own state where democracy is being throttled on a regular basis".

He said, "There is a serious defecit of democracy in the state under the TMC. The BJP leaders and activists are attacked on a regular basis. During the last panchayat polls, we have seen how democracy was throttled in Bengal."



Referring to the proposed August 11 Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) rally, which is scheduled to be addressed by BJP national president Amit Shah, Rao said the TMC is so scared of it that they have resorted to "serious violence".

"But BJP will keep fighting in Bengal till democracy is restored," he added.

He claimed that there would be a massive turnout at the rally which will take the pledge to "overturn the corrupt and immoral TMC government".

Meanwhile, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee termed the allegations levelled against the party as "baseless".

"We are not afraid of any rally by BJP. The people of Bengal stand firmly with Mamata Banerjee and the TMC," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man wanted for allegedly killing a truck owner 18 years ago in the district has been arrested from Rajasthan, police said today.

Abdul Saleem alias Mangu Bhai, a driver, allegedly killed his employer, the owner of a truck, following an altercation in 2000 near Gummidipoondi, about 54 km from here, they said.

He allegedly committed the crime with the help of the vehicle cleaner and the latter had already been arrested.

Saleem fled to Rajasthan, his native place, and had been keeping a low profile to avoid getting arrested.

A special police team arrested him from Rajasthan after tracking his movement for several days, police said.

He was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There is no such thing as a free lunch but not for this 25-year-old man in Noida who brandished weapons in restaurants to avoid paying for meals.

The accused, identified as Rahul, a resident of Agahpur village in sector 41 here, was arrested yesterday, the police said.

A complaint was made at the Sector 49 police station in Noida against Rahul by a fast food outlet, popular for its rolls.

"For past several days, Rahul would barge into my food outlet, threaten the employees there and take away food," the complainant said, according to the first information report (FIR).

Station House Officer of Sector 49 police station Anita Chauhan said acting on the complaint, they have arrested Rahul.

"Sometimes he would brandish dagger inside food outlets, other times a pistol to get the food," she said, adding that often he would be accompanied by his friends.

He has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Arms Act, the SHO said.

She added that the accused has been remanded in judicial custody and faces a jail term of up to seven years.

Earlier the accused has been booked on the charges of robbery and attempt to murder, the police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 38-year-old man allegedly committed suicide today by hanging himself from a grill of the Dhaula Kuan flyover using his shirt, the police said.

The deceased, identified as Satendra, lived with his family in MCD Colony near Azadpur, they said.

A passerby, who spotted the body hanging from the flyover at 6 am, informed the police.

No suicide note was found from the spot, the police said.

The body was handed over the deceased's family after a post-mortem examination and a probe is underway to ascertain the reason behind the extreme step, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 54-year-old businessman was found killed by unidentified persons at Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra's Thane district, police today said.

Prakash Kashani, the victim, was found dead in his flat with his head smashed by a piece of wood this morning.

Kashani lived with his family elsewhere in the town, but last night he was sleeping in his another flat, his wife told police.

Police registered a case of murder under section 302, said inspector V C Dolas. Further probe is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Jaipur resident who is languishing in a Pakistan jail for 36 years is likely to be released next week, according to the local MP here.

Union minister of state for external affairs minister V K Singh told a delegation led by Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra in New Delhi today that Gajanand will be set free on the eve of Pakistan's Independence Day.

The minister has assured us that Gajanand would be released from the jail in Lahore on August 13, Bohra said.

He said the man, now 68, was sentenced to two months in prison but languished there because he did not have consular access over the years.

Jaipur (Rural) police were told in May that Gajanand is in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. The police received a request for the verification of his nationality.

This raised the hopes of Gajanand's wife Makhni Devi and two sons Rakesh and Mukesh about seeing him again.

The MP said that it was not clear how Gajanand reached Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A local court sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old girl, after completing the trial in three working days.

Datia Additional Sessions Judge Hitendra Dwivedi awarded life sentence to Motilal Ahirwar (25) after convicting him under section 376 (A)(B) of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 introduced recently as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, prosecution officer Pushpendra Kumar Garg said.

He said police had filed a charge sheet in the case on August 3 and the court delivered the verdict yesterday, after three working days.

Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi said the victim had gone to attend a wedding along with her parents in Tharet village, and in the early hours of May 29 Ahirwar raped the girl at a government school nearby.

While searching for the girl, her parents caught Ahirwar in the act and handed him over to the police, the Awasthi said.

The police officer said 11 witnesses and other evidence collected during the investigation were presented before the court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The call given by Maratha organisations for shut-down across Maharashtra to press the demand of reservation received a good response in Nagpur city today with most shops, offices and schools remaining closed.

A tragedy was averted when police pulled away protesters lying on tracks just in time before a speeding train passed on Mankapur railway over-bridge in the city.

Protesters had gathered at the bridge this morning, and around 12.30 pm, when police arrived on the spot, seven or eight of them rushed to the tracks and lay down, said inspector Mahesh Chavan.

Police dragged them away moments before a train passed, he said.

While most shops, offices, schools and colleges remained closed in response to the Bandh call by Maratha organisations, no incident of violence was reported anywhere, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Internet services were suspended in Maharashtra's Pune district on Thursday to prevent rumour-mongering in view of the agitation, police said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandip Patil told PTI the Internet services were temporarily suspended in Baramati, Shirur, Khed, Junnar, Maval, Bhor and Daund rural tehsils of the district.

The step was taken to prevent any untoward incident after violent protests were witnessed during the Maratha community's protest for the reservation last month, he said.

Chakan, an industrial hub located in Khed tehsil, witnessed large-scale violence during the agitation on July 30, when around 70 buses were torched and damaged in the area.

Patil said there was no information of any untoward incident in the district so far.

The agitators held a sit-in protest outside the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief in Baramati today.

The Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a "bandh" today across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, over the community's demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Over 7,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city, along with some companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, to maintain law and order, Pune Commissioner of Police Venkatesham K said.

He added that the pro-reservation Maratha groups had earlier said they would stage peaceful protests at the collector's office.

The police official urged the citizens to carry on with their daily routine.

Fearing violence during the bandh, Pune Collector Naval Kishore Ram issued an order yesterday that schools and colleges will remain shut today.

A release issued by the collectorate earlier had said 70 to 80 vehicles were torched and damaged in the Chakan area during the violence on July 30.

"Two school buses were also torched and the lives of students were endangered," it had said.

"Even if there is no untoward incident during the protest, roads might be blocked and we do not want students to be inconvenienced and parents to be anxious unnecessarily," the collector said.

In view of the bandh, a majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area have also decided to remain closed today.

"There are over 1,000 companies in the Chakan MIDC area and a majority of them have decided to keep their plants shut," Chakan police station's senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi had said yesterday.
Central Hotels has appointed Shady Dawad as general manager of Canal Central Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai.



An Egyptian national, Dawad is an experienced hotelier with over 10 years spent in the UAE working with a number of prestigious brands.



Ammar Kannan, group general manager of Central Hotels, said: We are delighted to welcome Shady as the general manager of the luxurious Canal Central Hotel Business Bay. Shady has extensive management experience and wealth of knowledge, particularly in the GCC region, which covers all key areas in terms of operations. I am confident that he will successfully lead the team at this stunning hotel and orchestrate its strong market positioning with his proactive leadership and strategic approach."



Upon joining Canal Central Hotel Business Bay, Dawad commented: I am thrilled to join the Canal Central Hotel Business Bay, a distinctive five-star hotel overlooking the spectacular Burj Khalifa and Dubai Canal. The beautiful hotel offers exceptional facilities and unique experiences with the signature Stay Fresh concept including atmospheric dining venues. I look forward to working with the team in positioning the hotel as a preferred destination for both local and international travellers.



Dawad began his career in 2004 at the Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi joining the front office. Subsequently, after completing a number of pre-openings for an acclaimed local brand, he moved to Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and Resorts in 2008 as rooms division manager. He held several key positions within the front of house before working his way through to executive assistant manager at the Millennium Plaza Hotel, Dubai in 2017. He then went on to join Lavender Hotels, Dubai as hotel manager until mid-2018. - TradeArabia News Service


MEP Infrastructure Developers is planning to sell its entire stake in six road projects to Indian Highways Developers (IHD) for over Rs 450 crore.

It had signed a non-binding term sheet with IHD on August 4 in respect of divestment of its total stake in its six special purpose vehicles (SPV), MEP said in a release.

"A consideration of over Rs 450 crore will be received from the sale of 100 per cent stake in the SPVs," it added.

The SPVs to be sold include MEP Nagpur Ring Road 1, MEP Sanjose Nagpur Ring Road 2, MEP Sanjose Arawali Kante Road, MEP Sanjose Kante Waked Road, MEP Sanjose Talaja Mahuva Road and MEP Sanjose Mahuva Kagavadar Road.

The company hopes to complete the sale proceeds before to March 31, 2020, in conformance with the provisions of the respective concession agreements, it said.

Indian Highways Developers is a company set up in Singapore with the objective of acquiring and operating of transportation projects, the release said.

MEP Infrastructure Developers' shares ended 0.59 per cent higher at Rs 59.65 apiece on the BSE today, against 0.36 per cent rise in the benchmark.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Mexican environmental agency has said that is constructing barriers at sea just beyond its famed Riviera Maya beaches to decrease the huge amounts of seaweed washing up onshore.

Alfredo Arellano Guillermo, chief for Quintana Roo state, said yesterday he hopes to have the anti-sargassum structures in place by next week.

His agency said in a statement that the barriers don't pose any risk to marine fauna and commercial boats.

Since June 19, dump trucks have hauled off more than 4 million cubic feet of sargassum from Quintana Roo's beaches, including at the resorts of Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Similar waves of floating seaweed have coated beaches throughout the Caribbean.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkey's state-run agency says a boat carrying migrants has capsized off the Turkish coast in the Aegean sea, killing seven children and two women.

Anadolu Agency says four other migrants were rescued from the rubber boat that sank early on Thursday off the resort of Kusadasi.

There was no information on the nationalities of the migrants, who were attempting to reach one of the Greek islands near Kusadasi.

Kusadasi district administrator Muammer Aksoy told Anadolu the bodies have been recovered and no further migrants are reported missing.

Many migrants continue to attempt to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast, hoping to eventually move to more prosperous European Union countries. Others try to cross the river that runs along the land border between the two countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A legislator from north Kashmir, along with a few of his supporters, was detained today after he took out a protest march here in support of Article 35-A of the Constitution.

Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, an Independent MLA representing the Langate constituency in north Kashmir, along with the supporters of his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), assembled near the Sher-e-Kashmir park here and marched towards Lal Chowk, a police official said.

He added that the protesters were shouting slogans in favour of Article 35-A and in support of the Muslims living in the Jammu region.

As the march reached near the Press Enclave, a posse of policemen stopped the protesters and asked them to disperse peacefully, the official said.

However, the protesters tried to march further towards the Ghanta Ghar (clock tower), forcing the police to take few of them, including Rasheed, into custody, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Polish police say they are evacuating more than 2,000 people after the discovery of an unexploded World War II-era bomb weighing some 250 kilograms (550 pounds).

The bomb was discovered in the Oder River in the town of Glogow, an area of southwestern Poland that was part of Germany during the war.

Lukasz Szulikowski, an official with the Glogow police, told the PAP agency that authorities are evacuating some 2,000 to 3,000 people in the area by bus to a nearby school ahead of the removal of the bomb.

He said the bomb was discovered during the cleaning of the river bottom. The private broadcaster TVN24 reported that it is the fourth World War II-era bomb found in the region over the past year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russia will decide on retaliatory measures to US sanctions imposed over a nerve agent attack in Britain blamed on Moscow, which it denies, the foreign ministry said today.

"The Russian side will work on developing retaliatory measures," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists.

The Kremlin earlier today called the latest action by the US State Department "unacceptable." The announcement of US sanctions caused the value of the ruble to plunge early Thursday and Russian stock markets to fall.

Zakharova said the United States was "knowingly presenting demands that are unacceptable to us" as conditions for the sanctions to be lifted.

"We are being threatened with further escalation of sanctions pressure," she said.

"In this way, the US is consciously taking the path of further heightening of tensions in bilateral relations that have already been brought practically to zero by their efforts." She accused Washington of picking the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, as a "contrived excuse" for sanctions.

Russia has denied any involvement in the Skripals' poisoning and also the subsequent death of a British woman Dawn Sturgess after she was exposed to the agent.

The US is trying to play up this "anti-Russian topic as a way to continue demonising Russia" and make it appear that it is not fulfilling its international obligations, Zakharova said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A physically-disabled teenager, who writes with his legs due to his hands being deformed, has been admitted to a government school in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district after being denied admission by several other institutions due to his disability.

Parsingh Parihar (14), a tribal student from Ambapani village, had complained about his plight to the administration of Barwani district, over 150 kilometres from here, on August 7 during a public hearing.

"I belong to a poor family and wish to study after the eighth standard. But no private or government educational institution is giving me admission. Teachers are stating that since I write with my legs, they cant admit me to school," Parihar said in his application.

A senior government official said that a probe had been ordered and action would be taken against the erring schools.

"We have admitted Parsingh to a government school in Barwani. The District Project Coordinator (DPC) has been directed to probe why schools denied the teenager admission. Action will be taken against the schools once the report is submitted," Barwani district collector Amit Tomar told PTI.

Iqbal Adil, principal of the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Number 2 in Barwani in which Parihar has got admission, praised the teenager and called his writing skills "very good".

"He is happy and is studying like any other child here. His writing is very good and nobody can claim, after seeing it, that Parsingh writes with his legs," Adil said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here extended today by three days the police remand of a woman journalist who was arrested in connection with the suicide of a Hindi daily's



group editor.

Saloni Arora (40) was arrested from Mumbai on August 4 for allegedly abetting the suicide of Dainik Bhaskar group editor Kalpesh Yagnik.

She was presented before a court today which extended her remand till August 12.

Additional SP Shailendra Singh told PTI that a laptop, pen-drive and some other electronic gadgets had been recovered from Arora's residence in Mumbai but a mobile phone, which was allegedly used to blackmail the deceased, had not been found as yet.

He said that the accused kept changing her mobile number and used to record her conversations with Yagnik.

Arora is accused of demanding Rs 5 crore from Yagnik and threatening to frame him in a false case if he failed to pay up.

Police said that she was miffed with Yagnik after being sacked from the newspaper and allegedly blackmailed him in order to get reinstated.

Yagnik had allegedly committed suicide on July 12 by jumping off the three-storey building on AB Road that houses the newspaper's office.

Arora was booked on the charges of abetment of suicide, extortion by putting a person in fear and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An 18-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide after being raped in Bothia village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, police said today.

According to police, the tribal woman was kidnapped by two men and sexually assaulted by one of them outside her village on Tuesday night. She returned home next morning and consumed poison after narrating her ordeal to her mother. She died at a hospital last evening.

"Two men, residents of Jhallar town, kidnapped the woman while she was washing utensils in the backyard of her house in nearby Bothia village late Tuesday night. They took her to an isolated place outside the village," Jhallar police station in-charge Nepal Singh Thakur said.

"While one of the accused, identified as Pravin Rathore, raped her, his unidentified accomplice filmed the act on his mobile phone," he said.

After the crime, the accused threatened her that if she told about the incident to anyone, they would make the video public.

"The woman returned home around 5 am on Wednesday and narrated her ordeal to her mother. After some time, she consumed a poisonous substance," Thakur said.

As she started vomiting, her family members rushed her to a nearby hospital. When her condition worsened, she was admitted to Betul district hospital in the afternoon. She died during treatment yesterday evening, the officer added.

According to Thakur, police could not record her dying declaration.

A police team has been formed to nab the accused, who were booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 366 (kidnapping), 306 (abetment of suicide) and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim's mother told the police that Rathore also called the woman's fianc over phone and informed him that he has raped her and filmed the act. They also allegedly threatened him to kill.

The victim's post-mortem report is awaited, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kuwait Airlines inaugural flight from the new Kuwait International Airport landed in Bahrain yesterday (August 8) and was warmly welcomed by state and airport officials.



Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of Finance, received his Kuwaiti counterpart, Dr Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf and his accompanying delegation, who arrived at Bahrain International Airport aboard the special flight.



Shaikh Ahmed was accompanied by Bahrain Airport Company chairman, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed; Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain, Shaikh Azzam Mubarak Al Sabah, and other officials.



Shaikh Ahmed extended his congratulations to the Emir of Kuwait, HH Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; the Crown Prince, HH Shaikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; and the Prime Minister, HH Shaikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, on the historic achievement the new terminal represents. He also stressed the importance of improving the level of cooperation between Bahraini and Kuwaiti authorities and praised the efforts of both countries governments to strengthen bilateral relations.



The new terminal, which will be used exclusively by Kuwait Airways and its subsidiaries, will play an important role in the ongoing development of Kuwaits aviation industry. It also brings the country another step closer towards its Vision 2035 of becoming a leading financial and commercial centre.



The Minister of Transportation hailed Kuwaits rapid development, particularly its aviation industry, and expressed his appreciation to Kuwait Airlines for choosing Bahrain as its first destination from the new terminal.



He said: This demonstrates the close and historical ties between our two countries and the high level of cooperation between them. It shows the marked difference in the cooperative relationship between Kuwait Airways and BIA, which began in the 1960's when it operated its first flight to the kingdom. It will also help accommodate the increased demand for travel to Kuwait, which exceeds 70,000 passengers every year.



The Emir of Kuwait personally inaugurated the new passenger terminal, which has a total area of 55,000-sq-m, 14 departure gates consisting of nine bridge gates and five ground gates, as well as 10 arrival gates consisting of nine bridge gates and a ground gate. - TradeArabia News Service
Hollywood star Lupita Nyong'o has opened up about being "shunned" for her natural hair texture.

In an interview with Porter magazine, Nyong'o pushed back on historically racist and sexist ideas and spread a message of self-acceptance to young people with hair and complexions like hers.

"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 uncivilized or wild," she said.

It is not the first time the Oscar-winner has spoken about this in the media.

Last year, Nyong'o called out Grazia magazine for editing her hair in their cover shoot to look smoother and "fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like".

In the interview she also opened up about being sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein and shared how her mother gave her the strength to speak up about the harrowing experience.

"I come from a very patriarchal world, but not within my family. My dad listened to my mom. My mom held her own. There was never a sense of her deflecting from my father. She had the power to say no to things, and I saw her hold that power," Nyong'o said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Top seed Rafael Nadal blew past patchy Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday to begin his quest for a fourth Canadian trophy at the Toronto Masters.

The world number one Spaniard was untouchable as he schooled Paire for the fourth time without a loss, taking 74 minutes as he broke six times.

Nadal won the event in 2005, 2008 and 2013.

"I was not at my 100 per cent today," Nadal said. "It's true that I did good work here the last five days, but at the same time it's true that I didn't work very hard at home.

"So the first match is an important victory for me, for my confidence. It's important that I have another match tomorrow too. So just try to keep going.

"I played a solid match, in the second set I had some troubles, but my return worked well. It was more about the mistakes from the baseline." The 32-year-old will bid for the quarter-finals here for the first time since 2015 when he plays Stan Wawrinka, who staged another fightback in three sets, beating Marton Fucsovics 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (12/10).

Defending champion Alexander Zverev, seeded second and winner at the weekend in Washington, also advanced easily beating Bradley Klahn 6-4, 6-4. Former top-ranked Novak Djokovic, a four-time champion, sent Canadian Peter Polansky to a 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

Two generations of local players split the difference with Milos Raonic, 27, heading out while teenaged gun Denis Shapovalov moved on. American Frances Tiafoe beat Raonic 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1 in a match hit by a weather interruption of more than two and a half hours.

Teenaged prodigy Shapovalov eliminated Italian 14th seed Fabio Fognini winner last weekend in Los Cabos, 6-3, 7-5.

Djokovic expressed support for the new 25-second shot clock innovation designed to cut down on time wasting between points.

"I'm pretty comfortable with it -- it's good to have shot clock in the tournaments prior to the US Open." The 13-time Grand Slam title winner has now won 21 of his last 24 matches after a rollercoaster start to 2018 which saw him go 6-6.

Djokovic, the winner of 30 career Masters titles, will next face rising Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat seventh seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). It was the second straight opening defeat for the Austrian, who also last last week at home in Kitzbuehel; he reportedly arrived carrying a virus.

Wimbledon semi-finalist John Isner defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

Third seed Juan Martin del Potro was forced to withdraw prior to his opening match due to a left wrist injury.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nagasaki is marking the 73rd anniversary of the atomic bombing over the city, joined by the head of the United Nations for the first time amid the effort to push forward North Korea's denuclearization.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to take concrete steps as he raised concerns about the slowing effort.

He said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that they should never be repeated.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japan's government to do more to lead nuclear disarmament around the world.

The bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, was the second US nuclear attack on Japan, killing 70,000 people, three days after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh was today elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, securing 125 votes as against 105 polled by opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.

The post of the deputy chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

The entire House congratulated Harivansh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad felicitating him.

The nomination of Harivansh was proposed by Ram Prasad Singh and BJP President Amit Shah among others.

Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Senior Congress leader Azad accompanied Harivansh to the seat designated for the Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

The Prime Minister congratulated Harivansh on his election.

Jaitley, who is recuperating after a renal transplant, attended the house after a long gap.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi talked about achievements of Harivansh, a journalist for about four decades.

Hoping that Harivansh would do justice to all members of the House, Modi in a lighter vein said the situation in the House is such that the umpire faces more problems than players.

Modi said Harivansh was offered a job by the Reserve Bank of India but he did not take it.

He said while the outcome of the election was known, yet there was a contest as per procedures and the new members got training on how to vote in the House.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Azad hoped that the new Deputy Chairman would give enough opportunities to opposition members to raise their issues.

He said Harivansh has done a lot of work for promotion of Hindi language.

Jaitley said Harivansh never made personal attacks on anyone and hoped as Deputy Chairman he would further better the discourse in the House.

Modi, Azad and several other MPs welcomed Jaitley for attending the House after the transplant.

Azad advised Jaitley to take some more rest.

Harivansh later presided over the proceedings of the House and was applauded with thumping of desks by members. Soon thereafter he adjourned the House till 2 PM.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The ruling NDA today comfortably bagged the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha when journalist-turned politician Harivansh of the JD(U) beat Congress' B K Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for the opposition unity ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In a boost to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA), its candidate Harivansh, the 62-year-old first-time MP from the Nitish Kumar-led party, got 125 votes as against 105 polled by Hariprasad, who was the opposition nominee.

The post of the deputy chairman is lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien of the Congress on July 1.

The entire House congratulated Harivansh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a lighter vein, saying "ab sub kuch 'Hari Bharose'. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari Kripa bani rahegi (everything is now in the hands of Hari or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy)."



Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also led the felicitations. Jaitley, who is recuperating after a renal transplant, attended the house after a long gap.

Harivansh said it would be his endeavour to uphold the dignity of the Upper House and expressed the hope that differences would be ironed out through constructive debates, consensus and guidance.

He exuded confidence that all members will work together and imbibe the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jai Prakash Narayan to ensure a smooth run of the House. He hails from the same village in Ballia-Saran region in Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border where Jai Prakash Narayan, a socialist leader and anti-Emergency crusader, was born.

"Treading on rules and procedures framed by our Constitution makers, we can lead the country to greatness...There would be differences in debates, there would be different opinions... We can find out a way.

"I got this opportunity to be here...I am frightened, surrounded by so many experienced people but this is my strength too as you all will guide me and I assure you I will run the House in a fair and decent manner," said Harivansh, who is known to keep a low profile and is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar.

As many as 232 members out of an effective strength of 244 voted thereby reducing the majority mark to 117.

The BJP-led NDA was present in full strength in the House and also got the support of fence sitters BJD(9) and TRS(6). The AIADMK with 13 members also voted for the NDA.

Two members each of the Congress, TMC, DMK and one from Samajwadi Party(SP) were absent from the house at the time of voting. The PDP and the AAP, which have two and three members respectively, did not participate in the voting, sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

Two members of YSRCP abstained from the voting.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu initiated the process of the election by calling for division of votes in the House.

The nomination of Harivansh was proposed by Ram Prasad Singh(JD-U) and seconded by union minister and RPI member Ramdas Athawale. BJP president Amit Shah, Shiv Sena's Ranjay Raut and Akali Dal's Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were also among the proposers.

The voting had to be carried out for the second time as some members pointed out mistakes in the first polling. Result displayed for the first voting was "122 ayes, 98 noes, 2 abstain. Total: 222.

However, the final vote count was 125 votes in favour of Harivansh, 105 for Hariprasad along with two abstentions.

Soon after the election result was announced by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Jaitley, Azad and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar accompanied Harivansh to the seat designated for the Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

In his speech, Modi also spoke of the achievements of Harivansh, a journalist for about four decades.

Hoping that Harivansh would do justice to all members of the House, Modi in a lighter vein said the situation in the House is such that the umpire faces more problems than the players.

Earlier, Azad hoped the new Deputy Chairman would give enough opportunity to the opposition members to raise their issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A new policy forum created in Britain is set to boost healthcare partnerships between India and the UK and also identify avenues of new research and investments.

The BAPIO India-UK Healthcare Policy Forum, launched at the Indian High Commission here yesterday will harness the contribution made by an estimated 60,000 Indian-origin doctors to the UK's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) and influence healthcare initiatives in both countries.

I am sure this initiative will go on to make a significant contribution to the healthcare sector in both countries, particularly as people of Indian origin play such an important role in healthcare delivery in the UK, said India's High Commissioner here, Y.K. Sinha, who also supported the BAPIO in setting up the new forum.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO's) new forum is aimed at developing a network of experienced clinicians, policy-makers and entrepreneurs to provide advice and practical support to the health services in the two countries.

It will also serve as an important vehicle in implementing the slew of healthcare policies, shaping themes for debate in the two countries, encouraging bilateral training programmes for healthcare professionals as well as strengthening healthcare-related infrastructure through greater two-way investment flows.

As this new forum comes up, we need to look beyond just healthcare issues to explore ways to nurture and foster this very special India-UK relationship. We really need to appreciate doctors of Indian origin as influential members of the communities they live in, who can play a significant role in advising the government and promoting bilateral ties, said Sinha.

BAPIO, set up in 1996 as a representative body for doctors from the Indian sub-continent to promote diversity and equality in the NHS, vowed to closely work with the Indian High Commission in London to ensure the new forum addresses issues of concern within the India-UK bilateral space.

BAPIO President Dr Ramesh Mehta hailed the initiative as an excellent opportunity to boost healthcare ties between the two nations.

We need to be equal partners in this initiative, because there is lots to learn on both sides. India can benefit from the UK's skills in governance, monitoring, leadership and ethics and the UK can benefit from aspects such as wellness and Yoga in India, he said.

The creation of the forum coincides with the ongoing 70th anniversary celebrations of the NHS and India's own healthcare drive as part of the National Health Protection Scheme, dubbed as Modicare.

The forum held its first roundtable discussion at the Indian High Commission this week, attended by stakeholders from across the NHS, healthcare companies and medical associations such as the General Medical Council (GMC).

The next generation doctors of Indian origin, born and trained in the UK, have natural affinity for India, said Dr Dev Chauhan, chair of the new forum.

He mentioned that a proper workforce planning beneficial to both the countries, public health to promote greater awareness of blood and organ donation among South Asian communities, and working with the community to ensure appropriate infrastructure for elderly care are the three key objectives of the new body.

Representatives from the Uttarakhand government, who were on a UK visit, also made presentations on the state's attractiveness to British investments in the healthcare infrastructure sector.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The farmer suicide case in Nagaur district of Rajasthan took a new turn today with the district SP receiving a complaint that it was a murder and not suicide.

Superintendent of Police (Nagaur) Harendra Kumar said that three-four people of the farmer's community met him today and handed over the complaint alleging that Manglaram was murdered and it was not a case of suicide.

"I forwarded the complaint to additional SP of Didwana for a probe into the matter. Statements of the complainants will be recorded," he told PTI.

Manglaram was found hanging from the ceiling fan at his residence on Sunday morning and his family members alleged that he committed suicide due to mounting debts.

The family members had claimed that the farmer was depressed after the bank from which he had taken the loan issued a notice to attach his property.

State Congress chief Sachin Pilot visited the family of Manglaram in Charanwas village of Nagaur yesterday and announced to repay the dues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bangladesh police have arrested 23 people including the CEO of an online portal for allegedly trying to create anarchy by publishing fake and spreading rumours over the student protest which had left over 1,000 people injured, media reports said today.

Thousands of students of schools, colleges and universities took to the street on July 29, demanding strict implementation of road safety rules, following the death of two teenage students - a boy and a girl - by a speeding bus.

The unprecedented protests lasted nine days, paralysing the country and leaving over 1,000 people injured in clashes with the riot police.

Yousuf Chowdhury, 40, Chief Executive Officer of 'Zoom Bangla', was held for inciting the peaceful safe roads movement by publishing "illogical and irrelevant" photographs of police, Nazmul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Monitoring Team of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate (DMP) was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Twenty-two others, including two students, were also arrested under the Information and Communication Technology Act for spreading rumours on social media during the protest, the report said.

They were arrested for trying to create anarchy by publishing fake and spreading rumours on social media over the ongoing student protest, it said.

"Zoom Bangla has been practising yellow journalism, which is against the basic norms of journalism for a while now," Nazmul said.

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student Daiyan Alam was arrested for playing a role in turning the ongoing protest into a violent one through spreading rumours on social media, he said.

The officer said that the DMP will strictly continue its operation against spreading rumours online.

Zahid, a student of Bogra Govt Azizul Haque College, was detained for giving posts against the prime minister, road transport and bridges minister, home minister and spreading rumours through Facebook, Nazmul said.

The massive agitation by the students prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Cabinet to approve a tougher transport law and launch a crackdown on reckless driving.

At the height of the protest, students were seen managing Dhaka's notorious traffic and checking whether drivers of the cars and buses have valid licences and proof of roadworthiness of their vehicles.

The accident had taken place when two buses were racing to pick up passengers on Dhaka's main Airport Road.

Despite being peaceful initially, the protests turned violent. Buses were torched, hundreds of vehicles vandalised as activists from the ruling Awami League's student front and transport workers allegedly attacked protesters, journalists, photographers and even the US ambassador's car during the protests, leaving several injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The NIA has arrested another member of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in the city, a day after the nabbing of the outfit's top leader Mohammed Jahidul Islam, wanted in several terror cases, officials said today.

29-year old Adil Alias Assadullah, a resident of a village in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was arrested near the Cantonment Railway station on August 7 in connection with the bomb blast at Kalchakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya in January 19, a statement from the National Investigation Agency said.

He was said to be the close associate of Jahidul Islam, who was arrested by an NIA team from nearby Ramanagara.

Assadullah was produced before an NIA special court which granted transit remand for being taken to Patna.

The NIA said its sleuths recovered three mobile phones, bank paying slips, handwritten notes in Bangla language regarding chemical formulas for preparation of improvised explosive devices from him.

Jahidul Islam was the top leader of the JMB in India and wanted in the Burdwan blast case and in many other cases in Bangladesh also. He was the master mind in the Bodh Gaya case, the agency had said.

On October 2, 2014, a blast had occurred in a house at Khagragarh in West Bengal's Burdwan district in which a man identified as Sakil Gazi died on the spot, while another named Sovan Mandal died in hospital.

Both of them were suspected of having terror links.

The NIA had alleged that the JMB members wanted to establish Sharia rule by overthrowing the democratically-elected government in Bangladesh.

A low-intensity blast was reported at a kitchen set up at a ground in the temple town of Bodh Gaya on January 19, causing panic among devotees gathered to hear the Dalai Lama's discourse.

The NIA said seven people had been arrested in connection with the blast so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Ubaid ur Rahman for TwoCircles.net

A fortnight ago, The Wire published an article titled Zakir Naik Is Anathema to Secular Democracy, His Communal Agenda Must Be Halted in which a Supreme Court lawyer Sunil Fernandes tried to build a case against Muslim preacher Dr. Zakir Naik as a promoter of communal division and radicalism.

A lot issues in this article that I would like to respond to. The response is in the form of questions and/or comments after the Sunil Fernandess comments in bold. So, lets cut straight to the chase.

Support TwoCircles



Zakir Naik polarises opinions like none other.

This statement should be enough to give any editor a signal to cut the story out. It is way too hyperbolic. Not Trump, not Netanyahu, but Zakir Naik. Why globalize, lets consider just India. Not Adityanath, not his (rape-muslim-dead-body fame) party man, not the many of the prime time anchors polarising day and night, not even Narendra Modi, who was called out by the Wires founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan himself, but Zakir -Naik.

On one hand, we have legions of his fans, unsurprisingly almost exclusively Muslim, from all walks of life. On the other, the government of India considers Naik to be guilty of indulging in unlawful activities, imparting hate speeches and indulging in money laundering. He is accused of being the ideological mentor to a motley group of Islamic radicals and fundamentalists spanning from the Middle East to Bangladesh and beyond.

So what?

Sunil, what exactly are you trying to establish here? Are you trying to equate his powerless fans to the powerful government? Ever heard of the term false equivalency?

The truth can be ascertained by an analysis of Naiks lectures and speeches, which I attempt in this piece.

Hopefully, some substance will follow.

Naiks origins







OK, you are trying to build your narrative

Naik, a la Deedat, claims to have read and memorised major texts of all religions. Going by his ability to rattle off names of books, chapters and verses of major religious texts of the world, it is difficult to doubt his claim.

Looks like you accept his claim, albeit grudgingly. You could have been direct.

Anyway, hopefully, some substance will follow.

Public speeches







OK, you are building your piece

A typical Naik show has him standing centre-stage, in an ill-fitting suit and a skull-cap, answering various questions on religion and theology.

Oh What? an ill-fitting suit? tsk tsktsk, a below-the-belt attack. Not Zakir Naiks but below-your-own-belt. You hurt whatever argument you were trying to build.

Hopefully, some substance will follow.







Naik expertly exploits this emotion and creates a fear psychosis amongst his viewers.

You express your opinion, which you are entitled to. Fine.

For example, in response to a question on whether is it impermissible (haraam) to wish a Hindu on her festivals or eat prasad, Naik will pull out a verse and interpret it to mean that it is impermissible.

An example, i.e. some substance. Good. Now, looks like we will get somewhere.

Under the garb of these so-called religious lectures, all that Zakir Naik has done is to promote an extremist and supremacist version of radical Islam.

Hold on, Sherlock. How did you arrive at this conclusion? You barely gave an example, describing the format of his question-answer session. Was that the example of his extremist version? If it was then I am lost, ask any other scholar of any other persuasion, i.e. Barelwi or Deobandi and let us know if they differ from what he said. If they do not, will you call them extremist and supremacist too?

His reliance on Quranic verses, the Hadith and the Sunnah to explain his point of view

Man, you are totally ignorant which is in naked display with this statement of yours. Why a scholar, ask any layman what is the source of their rulings they follow and this is exactly what they would reply: Quran and Sunnah.

creates mental panic in the minds of the listener. The listener feels that they have not been true to the faith, shuddering at the consequences that will inevitably follow for not following the righteous path as laid down in Islamic theology. Naiks lectures effectively brainwash the audience and act as a diaphanous fig-leaf, veiling his agenda.

OK, Fine. Your opinion is your Right. Hopefully, you will establish it as fact.

This is religious scare-mongering at its worst.

You are a lawyer, arent you? Where is your evidence, leave alone proof? Where is the link from your opinion to this conclusion? This is still an opinion.

A religious preacher will always extoll the virtues of his own religion and what is the harm in Naik doing that, one may ask. There are three crucial differences between Naik and your standard religious preacher.

Looks like, at least now, we will get somewhere. By the way who/what qualifies as standard religious preacher? [I will let slide the fact that a non-Muslim will now dictate to Muslims who their standard religious preacher is/should be.]

Ultra orthodox interpretation of Islam

Firstly, the sole aim of his lectures is to prove, by convoluted interpretations of Quranic verses and texts, that Islam is superior to all religions.

Convoluted? OK. Dont you think that without an example this claim is hollow?

He says only Muslims will go to heaven and everyone else to hell, therefore one must revert (according to him, every person is born a Muslim) to Islam to save oneself.

Man, you havent done your homework at all. None. That indeed is a basic belief of Muslims, not at all an Ultra orthodox interpretation of Islam. Ask any layman or a scholar regardless of persuasion.

For good measure, there will invariably be a non-Muslim in the audience who will revert to Islam instantaneously under the spellbinding effect of Naiks oratory.

What are you trying to insinuate? That non-Muslim is planted?

So when a Muslim hears his lectures, there is a good chance of them becoming radicalised and intolerant.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on! How did you jump to good chance of them becoming radicalized? Where is the logical flow? You do know logic, right? Or because Zakir Naik uses that word a lot, you stopped applying any logic altogether?

Invariably, all questions are answered by an interpretation that is ultra-orthodox, conservative, supremacist and incompatible with a modern world or a society.

No coherence, just opinion(s) and some extreme conclusion devoid of any supporting logic or facts. Still accuse someone else of extremism. Pathetic.

Criticism of other faiths is a recipe for conflict

One would expect a person who spent so many years memorising various religious texts to have realised that all religions are essentially the same. God is one. No religion is better or worse than the other.

Talk about missing the point. Who set that expectation? You? Can there be a difference of opinion? Regardless, why then are you an atheist after accepting that God exists?

Man, you are all over the place, making stuff up, trying to thrust your understanding on others while accusing Zakir Naik of the same.

Justification of Islamic terrorism

He considers the US to be the worlds biggest terrorist threat

Theres really no way to sugarcoat it: The rest of world believes that the United States is the country that poses the greatest threat to world peace, beating out all challengers by a wide margin.

Now what, Sunil? What do you brand the rest of the world?

The rest of this section (and your article for that matter) can be summarized as: Innocent until proven guilty but since the target is powerless, one can be lax and even opposite.

Misogyny and views on LGBTQ community

Ask any other scholar of any persuasion and let us know how they differ on these questions/issues? And then feel free to brand them with whatever label you want.

Muslim victim card

I would be repeating myself since whats under this paragraph is more of the same: opinions, irrelevant information and disconnected, radical, extreme, bizarre conclusions. However, the following stand out:

 false sense of siege mentality by spreading canards and stereotypes

Sunil, I cant even ask you smell some coffee, because what is happening in the country, especially to Muslims, couldnt have escaped you. Then what explains your claim that Naik is seeing to create a false sense? Selective amnesia, just to prove a point? sick.

One small fact would suffice to prick the bubble of Muslim discrimination that Naik has sought to raise: three Muslims have served as presidents of India since its independence.

This is straight from the RW talking points. Hope you realise it.

Still, for your convenience: Party feels Muslims cannot win in present environment

His trial will be conducted under full media glare  national and international  by a fiercely independent judiciary.

You are an advocate on record in the Supreme Court; I shouldnt even have to break it to you. Anyway, here you go, for your claim of media glare Former Judges, Journalists Condemn Media Gag in Sohrabuddin Trial.

You couldnt be such a naive lawyer; still Former CJI Lodha Says Independence of Judiciary is Under Challenge. Needless to say that CJI Lodha was being diplomatic. Do I need to cite more?

Having said that, I do want him to come back and face the court but for entirely different reason: He thrust himself into a leadership position, now face the adversity bravely.

Conclusion

Wow. After playing prosecutor passing on hearsay/beliefs as evidence, you will be passing the judgement. Just wow. Anyway lets see what you have to say.

People like Naik are anathema to any modern secular democratic society.

Tackled above.

However, it is unfortunate that criticism of Naik has mainly emanated from the right-wing Hindutva brigade.

Congratulations, your piece reeks of the same.

Sadly, the secular, progressive liberal class of India  who I believe constitute the majority  is deafeningly silent on Naik.

Given how you havent done your homework and the exaggerations you have made, I will bet on this not being true.

The Muslim intelligentsia must take the lead in being vocal critics of Naik and presenting a counter-narrative to Naik from within their own community.

Do your homework, Sunil, there is no way around it. The DarulUloom first issued fatwas against Naik in 2007.

We must speak up, equally, on all forms and colour of communalism and religious radicalism in India. That, in my view, is the true version of secularism that India needs so desperately.

You should have just posted this statement on your social media and call it done and spared us your writing. Of course, there will be readers who say they liked it. How do you think fake news websites survive?

To conclude, the question arises is How come a shoddy piece like this gets published in the first place? That too in a reputed news website like www.thewire.in? Perhaps, the reply of Siddhrath on Twitter explains it:

Oh, i have seen a lot. His videos are always short Qs and As so seeing them full length is never an issue. The man emerges as totally distasteful.

Now lets see how this is played out. See how the people disagreeing (So, far I have seen only disagreements) are branded as Islamists.

Read the comments.

Facing backlash from islamist Zakir Naik followers ( 90% of wire audience) for writing against Zakir Naik Two more articles against Zakir Naik, The wire will end up losing majority of its followers and Zakir has terror links.

Finally, just to make clear, please do not conflate the criticism of this article with the defense of Zakir Naik, for it is not meant to be.
The Supreme Court today asked the Maharashtra government why it has not allowed a single dance bar to operate and wondered if there was total moral policing in the state.

The top court questioned the state for denial of licences to dance bars and observed that with the changing times, the definition of obscenity has also changed.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said now even the law and society have recognised live-in like relationships, which earlier were not acceptable.

Questioning the state government, the bench said why it has not given a single licence for operation of dance bars even after court's repetitive orders and rejected applications.

"It seems like total moral policing is going on in the state," the bench said.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade and advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, appearing for Maharashtra, said that all the 81 applicants who sought licences for dance bars did not have clearances from fire department, among other things.

On the fateful night of December 28-29, last year, a massive fire had swept through two resto-pubs at the Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai, resulting in the death of 14 people.

Naphade further said that in 30 years of his association with Mumbai, he have hardly seen a single restaurant which is fire compliant.

He contended that even today society at large has not changed as far as perception is concerned as no traditional families would allow their children to visit places like dance bars.

The senior lawyer said whenever a young boy and girl are seen together, adverse inferences are drawn.

The bench observed that with the change of time, the definition of obscenity has also changed and now a days even live-in relationships are accepted by the society and the law (the court referred to the domestic violence Act), which earlier was not acceptable.

"Earlier, filmmakers used to show two flowers or two birds chirping instead of showing kiss or love making scenes in movies but now the time has changed", the bench said in a lighter vein.

Hotel and restaurant owners, bar girls and others have challenged the new law -- the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016 by separate petitions.

At the outset, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, appearing for hotel and restaurants owners who have challenged the new law regulating dance bars, said, under the new law, the state has imposed conditions of installation of CCTV cameras in dance bars, which was in violation with the Right to Privacy.

"People visiting the dance bar may not want to be seen on CCTV cameras or even the bar girls may not want them to be seen on the cameras. This was violation of fundamental rights," he said.

The bench, said, the CCTV installation may not be disputed as it could help in collecting evidences after an incident at the bar.

"The question is whether the dance bars can be considered as public place as in public place CCTV can be installed," the court said.

Naphade intervened and said "dance bar is a public place".

Bhushan further argued that there is no empirical data to show that bar girls are trafficked or coerced to take up the job in entirety.

He said that there cannot be a blanket allegation or the data suggests that bar girls indulge in obscene dance or in the flesh trade.

"Moreover, indulging in sex trade in India is not illegal per se but what is illegal under the Immoral traffic Act is running a brothel or trafficking," he said.

He said that people in well-off places say that the dance bars are immoral but at the ground level it is not such situation.

"It is wrong to take a moralistic view of the dance bars," he said.

The hearing remained inconclusive and would continue on August 23.

Yesterday, the apex court had commenced final hearing on pleas of hotel and restaurant owners challenging a Maharashtra law imposing new restrictions on licensing and functioning of dance bars in the state.

The Maharashtra government, in an affidavit filed before the court, had earlier defended the operation of a new law meant to regulate licensing and functioning of dance bars in the state.

"It was observed that such dances were derogatory to the dignity of women and were likely to deprave, corrupt or injure public morality," the state government had said in its reply.

"It was also brought to the notice of the state government that the places where such dances were staged were used as places for immoral activities and also as a place for solicitation for the purpose of prostitution," it had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government has not received any proposal from foreign universities for setting up their campuses in India, the Parliament was informed today.

The information was shared by Minister of State for HRD Satya Pal Singh in response to a written question in Rajya Sabha.

"The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical (AICTE) have informed that they have not received any proposal from foreign universities for setting up campuses in India," Singh said.

"However, UGC and AICTE have issued guidelines on collaboration between Indian and foreign universities with a view to increase synergy between Indian and foreign academic institutions, to offer students additional choices and to improve curriculum and the delivery of knowledge and educational content," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Chief of Army's Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, arrived here on a two-day visit to review the security situation in Kashmir in the wake of recent anti-militancy operations in the valley.

He, accompanied by Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt, visited the hinterland formations in south Kashmir and was briefed by the commanders on ground about the current situation, defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.

"The Army commander arrived in Srinagar on a two-day visit today.The (purpose of the) visit is to review the prevailing security situation in the wake of recent counter infiltration and counter terrorist operations which led to elimination of many terrorists," he said.

Lt Gen Singh was appreciative of the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units and formations to minimise civilian causalities, he added.

The need to be prepared for effectively meeting emerging security challenges was also reinforced.

Lauding the excellent synergy amongst all the security forces, the Army commander exhorted all ranks to maintain a safe, secure and peaceful environment for the people of Kashmir, the spokesman said.

Later in the day, Lt Gen Singh called on Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhavan. He also attended the high-level security review meeting chaired by the governor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The owner of Priya Cinema, where a fire had broken out during the night show on August 6, today said he was not sure when screenings would resume at the theatre as the fire department has given a lot of conditions to fulfill for obtain the no-objection certificate to resume show.

Some of the conditions involve alterations in the layout of the auditorium and surrounding areas, Priya Cinema owner Arijit Dutta said.

The fire department had sent a letter to the owner of the hall recommending certain changes in the seat arrangement, exit-entry gates, lay out in the building and the surrounding area.

"We are not sure when all these changes can be incorporated and we can finally throw open the theatre for the public," he said.

Fire Services Minister Sovan Chatterjee earlier said the government would take every step to ensure safety of the audience and those visiting the restaurants functioning on the ground floor of the theatre, he had stated.

The fire originated from a food stall located on the ground floor and the main theatre was not affected as the employees managed to evacuate the audience immediately after the incident, Dutta had said earlier.

The fire had broken out at the theatre in Deshapriya Park area of south Kolkata during a show of a Bengali film on August 5 at around 10:15 pm.

Cinemagoers had managed to exit after smoke filled the auditorium in the middle of the show. Four members of Dutta's family and a staff member were trapped on the roof, but were evacuated safely by fire brigade personnel



There was no report of any casualty.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said the revision of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state is not a major issue as it is not the final one.

Sarma and a senior BJP leader from the northeast, said it would be premature to conclude anything on the NRC at this stage since only 40 per cent of the work had been done.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who was present during the interaction with newsmen, said he was unaware of any such demand of NRC in the state.

Sarma said the number of people excluded from the draft citizen's register in Assam will change "drastically" after the claims and objections were taken into consideration.

"There is no issue with NRC (in Assam) yet. It is still in the draft stage. Claims and objections will soon start," Sarma, who is the convenor of the NEDA, a political coalition formed by the BJP along with regional political parties, said.

The NRC revision has rocked Assam since the publication of its final draft on July 30. Names of over 40 lakh people have been excluded from the draft NRC, which is touted to be a proof of Assamese identity.

"But it is not proper to come to a conclusion regarding the NRC in Assam. It is just in a draft position. In our NRC, names of many people are not there. So going by the number, a lot of attention has been created. This number will drastically change after claims and objections," he added.

Sarma suggested that other states could also try to replicate the Assam model of NRC after the process was complete. "Let Assam produce a correct and perfect NRC. Then people should try to replicate it."



"Ideally, the entire country should have a register of citizenship," he said.

On NDA ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura's demand of NRC revision in Tripura, he said there was no "huge requirement" for such a decision.

"Going by the demography of Tripura, I dont think there is a huge requirement. Assam's demography has changed. NRC revision was done in Assam as per the Assam Accord. But in Tripura, there is no accord, no cut-off date, neither any way to generate any legacy document," Sarma said.

Another regional party, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra, too had demanded an NRC revision and deportation of foreigners who had illegally migrated to Tripura from neighbouring Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Odisha government today said it wouuld reward people who returned OMFED plastic containers and empty packets after use from Octiober this year.

The government would issue a public notice by the end of August in this regard, it said.

The government has been following a directive issued by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to ban use of plastic and polythene containers in the state from October 2.

"People will be paid on returning the OMFED (Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers Federationn) packets and plastic bottles," Forest & Additional Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra told reporters after Chief Secretary A P Padhi discussed the matter at a high-level meeting here today.

The meeting also discussed the rules to be framed for plastic ban in Odisha. The plastic packets and bottles will be collected through agents, it said.

The state government will give 15 days time to the people for their opinion in this regard while a law to this effect would be enacted by September 15, Mohapatra said.

He said the chief secretary has directed the department concerned to implement the ban order within two weeks after the enactment of the law.

Mohapatra said that as plastic has posed a serious threat to the environment, the use of plastic bag and polythene will be banned in Puri and all municipal corporations in the first phase and it will come into force in the remaining civic bodies over the next two years.

Urban and Housing Development as well as Panchayati Raj departments have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the ban in the urban and rural areas respectively, Mohapatra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia shot down a missile fired by Yemen's Huthi rebels, with debris killing a Yemeni man and wounding 11 others, a Riyadh-led coalition fighting the insurgents said.

The ballistic missile was fired yesterday from the northern Yemeni province of Amran towards the southern Saudi city of Jizan, said a coalition statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"Shrapnel from the intercepted missile scattered over residential areas, leaving a Yemeni resident killed and 11 other civilians wounded," the coalition said.

The Iran-backed Huthis have in recent months ramped up missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh usually says it intercepts.

Yesterday's attack brings the tally to 165 rebel missiles launched since 2015, according to the coalition, which that year joined the Yemeni government's fight against Huthi rebels.

In 2014, the Huthis overran the Yemeni capital and seized control of much of northern Yemen as well as a string of ports on the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies intervened in the conflict the following March, aiming to push back the Huthis and restore the internationally recognised government to power.

Riyadh accuses its regional rival Tehran of supplying the Huthis with ballistic missiles, a charge Iran denies.

The war in the impoverished country has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A month-old girl child was found dumped near a drain in northwest Delhi's Bhalaswa Dairy area, police said today.

On August 6, police received information about the baby girl.

Some children, who were flying kites a few metres away from the drain, saw the baby and informed their parents. The children's parents then informed the police who informed the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance staff.

The baby girl was immediately rushed to the Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital, said a senior police officer.

The child was doing fine and was discharged today and handed over to Child Welfare Committee, said a hospital official.

A lady police personnel was deployed in the hospital to take care of the baby and the other personnel posted in the police station also visited the baby at regular intervals to check on her, the police officer said.

The parents of the girl have not been traced yet.

A case under section 317 of the IPC, which pertains to exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years by parent or person having care of it, has been registered, police said. The crime is punishable with a maximum term of seven years and a fine.

"There were animals roaming around the drain and had the girl not been spotted in time, she could have been devoured by any of them," he added.

There was no CCTV footage found near the spot and it is suspected that she was dumped by someone from her family.

"The baby was either dumped because she was a girl or that she was born out of wedlock," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC and the Left, urged President Ram Nath Kovind today to ensure that not a single Indian citizen was excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

A memorandum submitted by the delegation to Kovind accused the government of undermining the nation's democratic and secular values and alleged that the draft NRC had resulted in the exclusion of 40 lakh Indians.

It also accused the government of spreading misleading statements against the Supreme Court over the NRC issue.

The memorandum claimed that the NRC had resulted in the exclusion of over 40 lakh Indian citizens, including Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gorkhas, Punjabis, those from Uttar Pradesh and the southern states and tribals, who were residents of Assam for a very long period.

The aftermath of the NRC 2018 was an example of the ruling dispensation threatening and attempting to ruin the country's great institutions like the Constitution, Parliament, the judiciary and the media, it alleged.

"As the custodian of these great institutions, we appeal and urge upon you to ensure that not a single Indian citizen is excluded from the NRC list in Assam," it added.

The delegation included Anand Sharma of the Congress, Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC, Mohammad Salim of the CPI(M), H D Deve Gowda of the JD(S), Y S Chowdhary of the TDP and Sanjay Singh of the AAP among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In Delhi, more than 12,800 trees have been cut in the last three years for various government projects, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

"Department of forest and wildlife, Government of Capital Territory of Delhi has informed that 12,849 trees have been cut during the last three years - 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 in Delhi for various government projects," Puri said in a written reply to a question.

In another question, the Union minister said over 1 million trees will be planted in different parts of the capital.

"It has been decided to plant more than 10,00,000 trees in different parts of Delhi including 25,000 by NBCC, 50,000 CPWD, 20,000 by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and 10,00,000 by Delhi Development Authority (DDA)...," the minister also said.
Over 250 activists and journalists demanded immediate release of a Bangladeshi photographer who was detained by the country's police for making "provocative comments" while speaking to a channel about the student protests.

The "detention and murderous attack" on Shahidul Alam was "symptomatic" and writers, journalists and social media activists in Bangladesh over the last several years suffered similar repression, according to the letter signed by artistes, photographers, scientists and intellectuals.

"We condemn, in the strongest possible way, the arrest, brutality and dishonour done to Shahidul Alam. The message is simple. Alam exercised his right as a citizen. No charges must be bought under section 57 of the draconian ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Act," the letter said.

The letter was signed by 250 photographers, artists, journalists and activists, including Ram Rahman, Vivan Sundaram, Parthiv Shah, Pushpamala N, Raghu Rai and Devika Daulet-Singh.

Alam was arrested this week after police officers entered his home and bundled him into a waiting van just hours after his interview criticising the government for its crackdown on peaceful protest was broadcast by a channel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan today said it is prepared for a visit by a team of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is likely to discuss the progress on commitments made Islamabad to curb terror financing.

FATF, an inter-governmental body aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, has placed Pakistan on its 'grey list' for failing to curb terror financing.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal was asked at a media briefing about the visit of the FATF team "during this month".

"Pakistan is prepared for the FATF visit, Faisal said, without giving any further details.

He also refused to share the agenda of FATF team and even the exact dates of the visit, which will the first such trip by FATF after Pakistan was officially placed on its grey list.

However, sources in the Ministry of Finance said that team is expected to arrive on August 13.

Faisal also said that Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue at every forum, including the Human Rights Council.

He alleged that the discussion on Article 35A was part of efforts by India to change the demography of Kashmir.

To a question, he said, Pakistan believes in a peaceful neighbourhood but our armed forces are fully equipped and prepared to defend the motherland against any threat, including strengthening of surveillance.

On Pakistan's ties with Russia, he said the relations between the two countries developed steadily over the years and they have established regular military-to-military contacts.

"The two countries have been able to construct a positive trajectory in sustaining high-level interactions and exploring new avenues to cement bilateral relations in all spheres including the defence sector, he said.

For the first time, Pakistani soldiers will undergo training at Russian military institutes after the two countries signed an agreement related to it on Tuesday, in a sign of further strengthening their defence ties amid Islamabad's increasingly uneasy relations with the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India today said Pakistan should stop "state repression" and "gross violation of human rights" in Balochistan.

It also urged Pakistan to take care of its minorities in accordance with the international obligations.

Asked about the issue of Balochistan during a press briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Our position remains the same. Pakistan should take care of its minorities in accordance with the international obligations. It should stop state repression and gross violation of human rights in that region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Palestinian toddler and her mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza early today, officials in the strip said, as Israel hit a series of sites in retaliation for dozens of rockets.

Enas Khammash, 23, and her 18-month 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. The ministry said Enas was also pregnant. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed in a night of violence to three, again raising fears of a new war between the foes.

At least one Israeli was injured as Hamas and other groups fired dozens of rockets at the Jewish state late yesterday.

Israeli strikes subsequently hit a series of targets, including killing a Hamas militant.

The United Nations late yesterday called on the sides to step "back from the brink".

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A parliamentary panel has urged the ministries of external affairs, labour and employment, and home, along with state governments, to develop a strong mechanism to protect overseas Indian workers from exploitation and punish the unregistered agents who lure them.

The Standing Committee on Labour, in its report, tabled in Parliament on overseas employment of women workers including nurses and maids, issues and regulatory framework, said it has come to light that thousands of workers are lured in the name of overseas jobs by illegal agents and are exploited in foreign countries.

The panel, headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, said the government departments in India, including state governments, state police, ministries of home and external affairs, do not "proactively" accept the complaints of such people, thus leaving them helpless in a foreign land.

Some of the major complaints of are non-payment of salaries, denial of legitimate labour rights, longer working hours, non-provision of medical and insurance facilities, confinement or abandoning of maids, it noted.

The Committee said it has observed that in a large number of cases, unregistered or unscrupulous agents send uneducated and semi-educated persons on tourist and other such visas, and not on the legal work visas/permit, to foreign countries by promising lucrative employment opportunities upon extracting substantial sums from them.

Thereafter, these workers, including women, are left in the foreign soil at the mercy of private employers, it said.

The panel said it has felt that a strong mechanism for grievance redressal and penalties or punishment to unscrupulous agents needed to be developed immediately in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Home Affairs, along with state governments.

The committee said it has strongly recommended that such a mechanism should be developed and made public to save from exploitation and to take strong action against those unscrupulous or unregistered agents who lure them.

It also recommended setting up of cells as well as appointment of a nodal officer for the purpose by all state governments, the report added.
Parliament today passed a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe law, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopting it amid din.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote, had got the nod of the Lok Sabha on August 6.

The bill rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order.

It provides that no preliminary inquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.

The legislation 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.

Replying to the debate on the bill in the Upper House, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said all those who spoke on the bill have supported it.

He said that after the implementation of the law, people belonging to SC/ST communities were able to get justice and relief.

"However, some people went to court due to some reason. On 20 March 2018, Supreme Court gave some decisions which put brakes on the Act implemented by us," he said, referring to the provisions related to filing of FIR and arrest.

"Due to these controls, the criminals started getting protection and the affected families stopped getting justice and relief," Gehlot said.

The minister said there was also scope of interference in the police procedures and therefore the government filed a review petition, which was accepted.

He said the members have expressed some apprehensions about the rights of the deprived classes. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured his government's commitment towards (the interests of) backward classes. I today say that we are committed towards safeguarding their interest."



"Some members have suggested constitution of special courts for the Act. We have made a provision for this in the bill. As many as 14 states have constituted 195 special courts for deciding cases related to SC and SC Act. Some states have declared District and Session Courts as special court for the purpose," he said.

Elaborating on the bill, he said "we have provided for presenting a challan in the court within two months of first information report with complete investigation. We have also provided for disposal of the case with two month of presenting challan in the court."



The minister also maintained that the amendment in this bill was not brought due to "any pressure" because it was the Prime Minister's commitment.

During the debate, some members were of the view that the government has brought amendment bill under pressure from the opposition and coalition partners ahead of 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.

These groups have been asking the government to overturn a Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying it had "diluted" and rendered "toothless" the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

Supporting the bill, Abir Ranjan Biswas (Cong) said "we are supporting the bill but the genuinity of feelings of the government are fake. They have brought the bill only after 9 people were killed and many injured in a nation wide protest against Supreme Court judgment."



He alleged that the government brought the bill due to pressure of the opposition and its coalition partners. He also said the conviction rate in cases of atrocities against SCs was 1.4 per cent and in case of STs, it was 0.8 per cent.

Sarojini Hembram (BJD) also supported the bill saying all the ministries of law, social justice and law should coordinate properly to implement the law.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JD-U) too supported it but suggested that the cases should be investigated by an officer of DSP and above level, while K Keshava Rao (TRS) said this law will again be challenged in the court.

K Somaprasad (CPI-M) supported the bill and said that the apex court judgment had diluted the law, while Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) said the government could have brought an ordinance to overturn the judgment.

Kumari Selja (Cong) accused the government of not being 'pro-Dalit" and said otherwise, it would have brought the law under the Ninth Schedule.

She alleged that every 15 minutes, a crime was committed against Dalits and atrocities against them have been rising even as the conviction rate was low in such cases.

Selja also alleged that the government had rewarded the Supreme Court judge who delivered the judgement (diluting the provisions of the SC/ST Act) by appointing him Chairman of a crucial tribunal after retirement.

Kirodi Lal Meena (BJP) claimed that the Supreme Court crossed its 'Lakshman Rekha' on the issue.

He objected to the collegium system, saying it promoted casteism and dynasty and called it "unconstitutional".

Meena demanded that the collegium system should be abolished and replaced by the Indian Judicial Sevice so that SC/ST and other backward communities get an opportunity to occupy higher positions in courts.

He also urged the government to seriously consider introducing the Indian Judicial Services.

As Meena started naming opposition-ruled states where atrocities against SC/ST communities have taken place oin the recent past, members from the opposition objected noisily.

Amid the disruptions, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for ten minutes till 2:43 PM.

Later, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) supported the bill and said it seemed as if the Supreme Court has become the third chamber of Parliament as it was framing legislations.

Vijila Sathyananth (AIADMK) said the conviction rate under the SC/ST Act was low at just 15 per cent as per the National Crime Records Bureau. She said a comprehensive anti- discrimination law was needed as crimes against SC/ST are manifested in various forms like social boycott.

Rajaram (BSP), Narendra Jadhav (nominated), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP), D Raja (CPI), Ram Kumar Kashyap (ind) and Wansuk Syiem (Cong) also supported the measure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will leave for the United States of America on August 10 for a medical check-up and return on August 17, a senior official said today.

Parrikar (62) is suffering from a pancreatic ailment and had, earlier, flown to the US on March 7 for treatment. He returned to the country on June 14.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office today informed that Parrikar would not be available in the state between August 10-17.

A senior CMO official said that Parrikar would be leaving for Mumbai tonight from where he is scheduled to fly to the USA for medical treatment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan today said the passage of a bill to strengthen a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals is a befitting reply to the Opposition, which had accused the Modi government of being "anti-Dalit".

Parliament today passed a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order introducing certain safeguards against arrest under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopting the legislation.

"We are glad that the SC/ST Bill was passed by both the Houses without any amendment in the original Act. This is a befitting reply to the opposition parties which called the NDA Government as anti-Dalit," Paswan, who is also a Union Minister, said in a tweet.

Referring to other major demands of Dalit groups, he said the government is committed to providing reservation in promotions and to rollback the order passed by the UGC, which adversely affects the quota for Dalits and tribals.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the LJP will organise a thanks-giving function to honour him August 11 and hold another ceremony in Patna on August 12.

Paswan's LJP is a BJP ally and he has been a key voice within the government on Dalit issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Vice President Mike Pence is visiting the Pentagon today to discuss progress in implementing President Donald Trump's order to build a new military branch known as Space Force.

Trump in June ordered the creation of Space Force, which would become the sixth service in the US military, arguing the Pentagon needs it to tackle vulnerabilities in space and assert US dominance in orbit.

Currently, the Air Force oversees most space capabilities and there is some push back from officials who worry Space Force's mission would be duplicative and add bureaucratic bloat.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this week that Pence is Trump's "point man" for Space Force, and Pentagon officials are working closely with his office.

Mattis last year voiced skepticism on the need to create a separate Space Force.

In a letter to a US congressman, he said he did "not wish to add a separate service that would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations," adding it would create extra bureaucracy and cost.

On Tuesday, however, the Pentagon chief said he fully supported the idea of creating a new command that would draw in members of existing military branches.

"We need to address space as a developing, war-fighting domain and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish," he said.

The vast US military divides the globe into various commands, such as Central Command in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific Command in Asia, and so a new Space Command would be on an equal footing as these.

Though it would not be a full new branch of the military, it would still require a new headquarters and major organizational changes.

The Pentagon is set to release a report to Congress later Tuesday outlining steps towards meeting Trump's order. Only Congress can approve the creation of a new military branch.

Pence is due to deliver an address at around 11:15 am (local time).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI(M) today alleged that the petitions challenging the validity of Article 35A are meant to create another divisive issue in tune with the Hindutva of the BJP and the RSS.

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution empowers Jammu and Kashmir's legislature to define permanent residents of the state and provide them special rights and privileges.

Prakash Karat, former general secretary of the CPI(M), alleged that the petitions, which are being heard by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, are aimed at nullifying the "special status given to Jammu and Kashmir".

He made the remarks in an editorial in the latest edition of party organ 'Peoples' Democracy'.

"The petition challenging Article 35A of the Constitution before the Supreme Court is meant to open up another divisive issue in tune with the Hindutva espoused by the BJP and the RSS. It has been the long cherished aim of the Hindutva forces to get people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to settle in the state and change its demographic character," Karat alleged.

The Modi government is playing with fire. Such disruptive, communal must be defeated, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset and asserted that a government for the welfare of the weaker sections will be formed in 2019 following the BJP's defeat.

Dalits are being openly beaten and crushed in states where the BJP is in power, Gandhi said in a scathing attack against the prime minister at a protest organised by Dalit organisations over the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

"Everything starts from intent. If he (Modi) would have had place for Dalits in his heart, then policies would have been framed differently. In Gujarat, he brought out a book of his speeches in which he wrote that Dalits get spiritual satisfaction out of cleaning. These lines throw light on his thinking and ideology," Gandhi said at the protest held in Jantar Mantar here.

He alleged that the prime minister, the BJP and the RSS don't want Dalits to have a share in education and in progress of the nation.

Attacking the prime minister, Gandhi said, "His thinking is anti-Dalit. All Dalits and people from the weaker sections know that the prime minister has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind and wants to crush Dalits. That is why we are standing against him."



He added that the BJP will be defeated in 2019 and a government for Dalits, weaker sections, tribals, farmers formed.

The atrocities act was brought by the Congress and the party will protect it together with the people, Gandhi added.

"The atrocities act was given to India by the Congress party and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, it was attacked and the judge who attacked it was promoted and rewarded by the Modi government," he said, referring to the appointment of A K Goel as head of the National Green Tribunal.

"Wherever there is a BJP government, in those states Dalits are openly beaten and crushed. We don't want an India like this. We want an India in which there should be place for everybody, whether Dalits, poor, tribals or minorities...everybody should progress. We will fight for such an India," he added.

Declaring that there will be no stepping back, he said Dalits are crushed whenever they try to progress and cited the case of Rohith Vemula, the PhD scholar at Hyderabad university who committed suicide in the campus on January 17, 2016.

Several Dalit groups have voiced their protest against the Supreme Court ruling of March 20, saying the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society was "diluted" by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused.

A bill to overturn the Supreme Court order was unanimously passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Some Dalit groups are still protesting, demanding further protection for the act by putting it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, release of leaders who were arrested under criminal charges after the Bharat Bandh held in April and the arrest of all those involved in atrocities against Dalits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with freedom fighters during an 'At Home' reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan, saying their valuable contribution to the nation would always be cherished.

"Interacted with freedom fighters during the reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. We all cherish their valuable contribution towards the nation," the PM said in a tweet.

President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated 89 freedom fighters from across the country at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 76th anniversary of Quit India Day, attended by the PM, Union minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries.

On August 9, 1942, the 'Quit India Movement' was launched under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which resulted in freedom of the country from British rule five years later on August 15, 1947.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The political fight for the Dalits' cause escalated today with Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset and the BJP chief Amit Shah alleging the opposition party had a legacy of insulting the community.

Shah also hurled a jibe at Gandhi by asking him to look at facts when "free from winking", latching on to the Congress chief's wink at fellow party MPs in the Lok Sabha last month after hugging Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.

Dalits are being openly beaten and crushed in states where the BJP is in power, Gandhi said in a scathing attack against the prime minister at a protest organised by Dalit organisations over the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

"Everything starts from intent. If he (Modi) would have had place for Dalits in his heart, then policies would have been framed differently. In Gujarat, he brought out a book of his speeches in which he wrote that Dalits get spiritual satisfaction out of cleaning. These lines throw light on his thinking and ideology," Gandhi told the rally at Jantar Mantar.

He alleged that the prime minister, the BJP and the RSS don't want Dalits to have a share in education and in progress of the nation.

Targeting Modi, Gandhi said, "His thinking is anti-Dalit. All Dalits and people from the weaker sections know that the prime minister has no place for Dalits in his heart and mind and wants to crush Dalits. That is why we are standing against him."



He added that the BJP will be defeated in 2019 and a government for Dalits, weaker sections, tribals, farmers formed.

The atrocities act was brought by the Congress and the party will protect it together with the people, Gandhi added.

"Wherever there is a BJP government, in those states Dalits are openly beaten and crushed. We don't want an India like this. We want an India in which there should be place for everybody, whether Dalits, poor, tribals or minorities...everybody should progress. We will fight for such an India," he added.

In a series of tweets, Shah said the prime minister's legacy includes "strongest amendments to SC/ST Act" and setting up of the OBC Commission, while the Congress legacy was about insulting Dalit leaders, opposing the Mandal Commission report and blocking a move to empower the OBC body.

Scoffing at Gandhi, Shah asked him to spend some time on facts "when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament" and asserted that the NDA government has ensured the strongest amendment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

"Why are you protesting that?", Shah asked Gandhi while taking about the new bill that seeks to reverse a recent Supreme Court order that put additional safeguards against arrest of accused in cases of atrocities against Dalits.

Attacking Gandhi, Shah said it would have been good if the Congress leader had spoken about his party's treatment of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesri.

"Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.

He further asked whether it was a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the third front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi became the party president, it opposed a tough SC/ SCT Act and the OBC Commission. "Anti-backward mindset visible," Shah tweeted.

"Mr Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr Rajiv Gandhi's speech during Mandal (row), when he opposed it (its recommendations) tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare!" he said.

Shah further said the Modi government has developed a 'panchteerth' -- a reference to five places associated with the life of Ambedkar, while the Congress insulted Dalit leaders and pride.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police have foiled two bids to smuggle bovines and rescued 21 animals, an official said today.

A police party intercepted a truck at Khanpur area and rescued 17 bovines, he said.

Two people, identified as Gafoor Mohmmad and Shakil Ahmed, were arrested and a case was registered against them, the official said.

In another incident, four bovines were rescued at Nagrota last night, he said, adding that a man, identified as Rafaqat Hussain, was arrested in this regard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police did not let the Congress take out a rally here to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the 76th anniversary of Quit India movement today in view of prohibitory orders in place in Imphal West district.

Senior police officials also maintained that no prior permission for the procession was sought even though Congress workers were aware of the prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC being imposed in the district since July 25 in view of the unrest in Manipur University.

Members of the Congress party, following a meeting in the afternoon, had decided to take out a rally to pay floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located some 500 metres from their headquarters, on the occasion of the 76th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement, as observed across the nation.

The law enforcers in riot gears, however, prevented the Congress workers, led by former chief minister O Ibobi Singh, from exiting the main gate of the party office.

Later, as a commotion broke out, security personnel fired tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the agitated workers.

Meanwhile, Ibobi strongly condemned the police action and denounced the crackdown. He alleged that both "the central and the state governments under the BJP are functioning like dictators".

He said the action taken by police was a "murder of democracy".

Floral tributes to Gandhiji were later paid within the party compound, a Congress functionary said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi today stressed the need for nurturing polytechnic collegeswhere first learners are from families of daily wage earners.

The former IPS officer visited the colleges here along with the secretary to A Anbarasu and later said in her twitter handle that "I, along with the Secretary to Education, visited the colleges where first learners are from families of daily wage earners. The visit is to help nurture the institutions towards better performance and management, and create an atmosphere for apprenticeships, internships and placements.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A postmaster in Odisha's Malkangiri district was abducted and killed allegedly by Maoists on suspicion that he was a police informer, a senior police official said today.

Around 20 armed ultras stormed Kamalapada village last night and abducted the postmaster of Papular post office, Narayan Palashi (45), Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said.

The body of Palashi, with gunshot wounds, was found by his family members and villagers on a road on the village outskirts, he said.

On being informed about the incident, a team from Chitrakonda police station rushed to the site and launched an investigation, the SP said.

A handwritten note in Odia, which was found near the body, stated that the postmaster was "eliminated as he was operating as a police informer", police said, adding the note, which had CPI (Maoist) mentioned on the letter-head, also warned that "anyone found assisting the police in anti-naxal operations would be punished in a similar manner".

Combing operations and patrolling in the area have been intensified by the security forces in the aftermath of the killing, the SP said.

A high alert was sounded in Malkangiri district on August 7 to prevent possible influx of Maoists from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, where security forces gunned down 15 ultras on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today announcedconcessions of Rs 370 crore in power tariff to the textile industry in the state.

It will help revive sick textile mills and generate jobs, the chief minister said at a review meeting of textile department officials here.

He also directed officials to provide interest and capital grants to the industry, the chief minister tweeted.

The land belonging to the Maharashtra State Textile Corporation, which is struggling financially, should be sold and the proceeds should be transferred to the textile department, he directed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said ONGC is the new promoter of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) as he tried to put an end to the row where HPCL had refused to recognise the former as its promoter despite it acquiring majority shares.

Pradhan made the comments after HPCL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Kumar Surana virtually rejected ONGC's demand for being recognised as the promoter of the company.

"Today, it is ONGC. ONGC is the promoter of HPCL," Pradhan told reporters when asked who is the promoter of HPCL.

ONGC, he said, has invested in acquiring majority stake in the company and so it is the promoter, he said.

Earlier, Surana had stated that "Whatever we are doing, whatever we have done and whatever we will be doing will be as per our understanding of the statute and the guidelines and Companies Act and the SEBI guidelines... Beyond that who is interpreting whatever, it is his understanding of the situation. We need not subscribe to that".

He was asked about ONGC seeking recognition as the promoter of the company post-acquisition of majority stake in HPCL.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) had in January this year bought the government's entire 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore. Post that, HPCL had become a subsidiary of ONGC.

But HPCL in its regulatory filing to the stock exchanges, the latest being on July 12, still lists 'President of India' as the promoter with 'zero' per cent shareholding. ONGC, on the other hand, is listed under 'Public Shareholder'.

ONGC has written to HPCL management asking it to take steps to rectify the filings to reflect the true promoter of the company.

Asked about ONGC's request, Surana said, "Everybody is free to express their views... Our actions will be guided by what we think is right."



Since ONGC takeover in January, HPCL has made two stock exchange filings about the shareholding pattern of the company -- the first on April 20 and then on July 12. In both, ONGC is shown as the public shareholder and President of India listed as the promoter.

Sources said ONGC feels the HPCL management is bound to take corrective action to reflect the true picture.

According to the Securities and Exchange Board of India's rules, the entity that owns the controlling stake should be listed as promoter even if it was not the original promoter of the company.

When Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) had bought government's stake in fuel retailer IBP Co Ltd, it was listed as the latter's promoter in every instance after the deal. The same was the case when IOC acquired a majority stake in Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd (CPCL).

Surana has retained the title of Chairman and Managing Director despite corporate governance structure require a group having just one chairman and subsidiaries being run by managing directors and CEOs.

ONGC's overseas subsidiary, ONGC Videsh Ltd, is headed by a Managing Director and CEO. Its refinery subsidiary Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), which is listed on BSE, too is led by a Managing Director and CEO. ONGC Chairman is the head of boards of both the companies.

Since acquiring a majority stake in HPCL, ONGC has only been able to appoint one director to that firm's board.

ONGC has appointed its Director (Finance) Subhash Kumar to HPCL board. He has replaced Sushma Taishete Rath, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Prior to this, HPCL had two government nominee directors -- Rath and Sandeep Poundrik, Joint Secretary (Refineries) of the Oil Ministry. After the appointment of Kumar, there remains only one government nominee director on HPCL board.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A doctor, who had examined two policemen after Tulsiram Prajapati "escaped" from their custody at Himmatnagar in Gujarat, today told the CBI court here that no trace of chili powder was found in their eyes.

While the CBI's contention is that Prajapati, an aide of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, was killed in a fake encounter, according to Gujarat and Rajasthan police forces, he "escaped" from custody after throwing chili powder in policemen's eyes and was later killed in an alleged encounter.

The Mumbai court is currently conducting the trial in the case related to alleged fake encounters of Shaikh and Prajapati and killing of Shaikh's wife.

As per the police, Prajapati escaped near Himmatnagar station in 2006 when he was being taken back to Udaipur jail by train after a hearing in Ahmedabad court.

After the alleged escape, policemen Yudhvir Sinh and Kartar Sinh who were escorting Prajapati were sent to a civil hospital for treatment.

Dr Manishbhai Suvera, who examined them, told in his testimony before CBI judge S J Sharma yesterday that he had not found any trace of chili powder in the eyes of two policemen.

He referred them to an eye specialist who too did not find any foreign material in their eyes, Suvera said.

Shaikh, a gangster with alleged terror links, was killed in an alleged fake encounter by the Gujarat Police in November 2005. His wife Kausar Bi too was allegedly killed.

Prajapati, witness to the killings, was killed in another alleged fake encounter by Gujarat and Rajasthan police in December 2006.

The CBI had named 38 people including many senior police officials as accused in its charge sheet. The court here discharged 15 of them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of activists held a meet at the Jantar Mantar today, demanding justice for the victims of hate crimes.

They demanded immediate implementation of the July 17 Supreme Court directives to prevent vigilantism and compensation for victims of hate crime.

The activists also sought prosecution of political and public figures who through action or speech support vigilantism.

Criticising the NDA government over the rising violence in the country, filmmaker Saba Dewan alleged minorities including Muslims and Dalits are being targeted.

"Union Minister Jayant Sinha was seen openly garlanding those convicted of lynching. It is shameful that we have a lynch map of India now," she said.

Rahul Roy, the organiser of the gathering, urged the people to come out on the streets and raise their voice against such acts of violence.

Representatives of the Socialist Party of India, National Alliance of People's Movements and Khudai Khidmatgar began their three-day hunger strike against hate crimes.

Advocate Vrinda Grover lashed out at the government over the Hapur lynching case.

"Fake FIRs were registered and the accused were let out on bail. Police and adminstration were trying to cover up the matter," she alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, officials said.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a 'bandh' today across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, said yesterday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 AM to 6 pm today,



Another Maratha faction has, however, given an a call to hold a sit in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.

The authorities had yesterday ordered closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township has decided to remain shut today.

Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.

In Satara, no state transport buses were running today and all vehicles were parked at the central bus stand.

All petrol pumps and vegetable markets were also closed in Satara.

The pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today.

A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted the vehicular movement.

There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said.

The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, claimed last night that he had sought permission of the state Assembly Speaker to hold an agitation in the Vidhan Bhawan premises in Mumbai today to extend support to the Maratha community's demand for reservation.

However, it was not clear whether he was granted the permission.

The 'bandh' is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurances that his government was working on providing reservation to 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.

Senior state minister Chandrakant Patil said yesterday that "nothing can be done" on their demand till November 15.

Maharashtra Police has stepped up security so as to maintain 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.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protesters today vandalised property at the Pune district collectorate during the 'Maharashtra bandh' called by Maratha groups over their reservation demand.

Authorities had taken all precautions to prevent any untoward incident and suspended Internet services in seven tehsils of the district to check rumour-mongering.

As the strike began, around 4,000 to 5,000 agitators gathered outside the collectorate this morning.

The agitation had started on a peaceful note as the community members were holding a sit-in, Collector Naval Kishor Ram said.

"After some time, as decided, some representatives of the 'morcha' came to my office and submitted their memorandum...they were happy with the administration and looked positive," he said.

However, as the group went out of the building, some members turned violent.

"According to my information, the main gate of the administrative building and the security cabin's glass were damaged," the collector said.

According to sources, the protesters also damaged some light bulbs in the premises.

Some of the agitators scaled a wall at the collector's office and shouted slogans in support of their demands.

The protesters apparently wanted the collector to come out of his office and accept the memorandum and since he did not do so, they resorted to vandalism, the sources said.

Ram said for the last two days he was coordinating with conveners of the Maratha Kranti Morcha and also held a meeting with them, adding "everybody looked positive".

Following the incident, heavy police security was deployed around the collectorate.

Shantaram Kunjir, one of the conveners of Maratha Kranti Morcha here, said it was decided to hold the sit-in for two to three hours outside the collector's office and then give the memorandum to the officer in his cabin.

"As per the plan, we went to the collector's cabin and handed over the memorandum. The gathering was then informed that the memorandum was handed over to the collector," he said.

It was decided to observe a minute silence for those who have sacrificed their lives in support of the reservation demand and recite the national anthem before ending the agitation, Kunjir said.

"However, some agitators aged between 15 and 25 years, became violent and resorted to vandalism and damaged window panes of the security cabin," he said.

"The morcha leaders tried to pacify the angry agitators and asked them not to resort to violence. The police also maintained restraint and tried hard to pacify the agitators," he added.

Earlier, Internet services were temporarily suspended in Baramati, Shirur, Khed, Junnar, Maval, Bhor and Daund rural tehsils of the district to prevent rumour-mongering in view of the Maratha quota agitation, Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said.

Chakan, an industrial hub located in Khed tehsil, had witnessed large-scale violence during the Maratha quota agitation on July 30, when around 70 buses were torched and damaged in the area.

Over 7,000 police personnel were deployed in the city today along with some companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order, Pune Commissioner of Police Venkatesham K said.

The Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, had called for a bandh today across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, over the community's demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It was all in a day's work for a couple as they tied the nuptial knot amid the cacophony of sloganeering during the Maratha quota stir today.

Tejaswini Gawande and Abhimanyu Adhav exchanged wedding garlands at Akot in Akola district even as they took part in their community's protest for reservations in jobs and education.

The ceremony took place at the Akot agricultural produce market committee (APMC) and was attended in large numbers by friends and family of the couple.

The family members had planned to participate in the Maratha quota stir before the rituals began but it was later decided that the marriage would be solemnised in the APMC premises itself.

The couple was seen joining the Maratha protesters in raising pro-quota slogans before taking their wedding vows.

The Marathas, who form around two-third of the state's 13 crore population, today staged a state-wide bandh seeking quota in education and government jobs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
R Madhavan, presently executive director at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, has been appointed chairman and managing director of the state-run behemoth, officials said.

He will take charge of the top post when incumbent T Suvarna Raju retires on August 31, they said.

At present, Madhavan looks after operation of HAL's accessories division in Lucknow.

Raju was appointed as chairman of the company with effect from March 5, 2015. Subsequently, he was re-designated as chairman and managing director of HAL on April 1, 2015.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit Chhattisgarh tomorrow to inaugurate the newly-built office of the party's state unit.

During the visit, Gandhi will also hold meetings with doctors, traders and senior journalists, a party office-bearer said.

The Congress president will arrive at Swami Vivekanand Airport here at around 2.20 pm and head to the party's newly-built state office 'Rajiv Bhawan' in Shankar Nagar area, state Congress general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.

"During the inaugural ceremony, Gandhi will also flag off the Jungle Satyagraha campaign of Adivasi Congress in the state," he said.

He will later hold meetings with the groups of invited doctors, traders and senior journalists there, Trivedi added.

After taking part in a programme of senior Congress leaders, MLAs and chiefs of various wings of the party, he will leave for Delhi in the evening, Trivedi said.

Gandhi had visited poll-bound Chhattisgarh in May this year, during which he had taken part in several programmes apart from holding a mega road-show from Durg to Raipur. Assembly polls are due in Chhattisgarh later this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will launch the election campaign in Rajasthan on Saturday with a day long visit to the state capital where he will address scores of party leaders and workers who will gather from across the state.

Rahul Gandhi is giving top priority to Rajasthan and he will launch the election campaign of the party in the state on August 11. He is likely to visit the state again in the month end and another visit will be scheduled in September, Senior party leader Sachin Pilot said.

He was speaking to reporters here after reviewing the preparations of the meeting that will be held at Ramlila ground.

Pilot said the party has already covered 195 out of total 200 assembly constituencies under 'Mera Booth Mera Gaurav' campaign in the last two months.

According to AICC general secretary Avinash Pande, Gandhi will discuss the roadmap and strategy for the polls and guide the party leaders and workers during his visit.

Another party leader informed that Gandhi will be welcomed at over 14 points from Jaipur airport to Ramlila ground and he will travel in a specially designed bus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Railways' multi purpose stalls (MPS) at stations could soon stock generic low-cost medicines, the has decided, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said at present, three chemist stalls are operational - all of them in Mumbai - one each at Churchgate, Mumbai Central and Andheri Railway stations.

" has decided that a policy provision will be made that existing Multi Purpose Stalls (MPS) at railway stations may be authorized to stock generic low-cost medicines also in accordance with the (PMBJP) scheme," he said.



Gohain said that under the existing Multi Purpose Stall (MPS) policy, in order to have single outlet/stall at platforms for non-catering items required during travelling, it has been decided such stalls wherein items permitted for sale are miscellaneous items, books/magazines/news paper, chemist stall items-OTC (over the counter) medicines and non-pharmacy items viz.dry/spray milk powder and other such items.



In the MPS policy, retailers/individuals/self help groups (SHGs)/registered sole proprietorship firms or a partnership firm/company, incorporated under Partnership Act 1932/ Companies Act 1956 amended from time to time are eligible to participate in the bidding process, he said.
Heavy rains pounding Kerala triggered a series of landslides in the hilly Idukki district and northern parts, killing 26 people since last night with chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today describing the situation as 'very grim'.

The Army and National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in affected areas in Idukki, Kozhikode, Waynad and Malappuram districts to assist the civil administration in the rescue operations, officials said.

State Disaster Control Room sources said 26 people have died in rain-related incidents since yesterday with 17 of them being killed in landslides in Idukki and Malapuram districts.

With several rivers in spate following the incessant rains, as many as 24 dams in different parts of the state have been opened in an 'unprecedented' development.

A red alert has been sounded ahead of the impending release of water from the Idukki Reservoir, the largest arch dam in Asia.

More than 10,000 people have been shifted to 157 relief camps across the state in the last two days, the government said.

It has asked tourists not to go to high range areas and dam sites in the state.

The incessant rains also disrupted landing operations at the international airport in Kochi for nearly two hours in view of the possible inundation in the airport area following a rising water level in the Periyar river, flowing nearby.

The arrival operations were resumed from 3.05 pm this evening, a spokesperson of the airport said.

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), which maintains the Idukki dam, issued the red alert saying the shutters of the reservoir would be opened at 6 AM tomorrow and asked people living downstream to be "extremely vigilant".

Talking to reporters here after a review meeting, the Chief Minister said the flood situation was "very grim" and it was for the first time in the history of the state that 24 dams have been opened at a time following the water level reaching their respective maximum.

"Twentyfour dams have been opened so far which is unprecedented and is telling of the seriousness of the situation. People living in downstream areas of these dams must be cautious," a tweet by the Chief Minister's Office said later.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) here,the South west monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala with Nilambur in Malappuram district receiving "exceptionally heavy rainfall"of 40 cmand Mananthavadyin Waynad 31 cm in the last 24 hours ending 8 am today.

A Red alert has been sound in Waynad district, which has received 39.87 cm rains in the last two days, causing severe damage, according to district administration sources.

The Cheruthoni Dam, part of Idukki reservoir, the largest arch dam in Asia was opened after 26 years.

The water level in the Idukki dam stood at 2,399.58 feet (in relation to mean sea level) at 4.30 pm today against the full reservoir level of 2,403 feet, prompting the authorities to issue the red alert, officials said.

Water from the dam would be let into Cheruthoni and Periyar rivers.

Waynad district accounted for three deaths, while Kannur, Ernakulam and Palakkad two each, officials said.

The casualty in Idukki district included five members of a family in Adimali town.

Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the locals and police in a nearby town, they said.

Vijayan said the annual Nehru Trophy boat race, scheduled to be held at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha district on August 11, has been postponed due to floods.

"There is a possibility of water level increasing in Kuttanad in the district in the event of the Kakki reservoir lifting shutters. So, the boat race has been postponed. The new date will be announced later," he said.

"The flood has caused large-scale damage across the state. Water levels in rivers are on the rise.Thus, there is a need to open the shutters of many dams," the chief minister said.

A 24x7 monitoring cell has been set up at the Secretariat here to co-ordinate the relief works with various district collectors.

Ernakulam District administration officials said over 2,300 people living on the banks of Periyar river have been shifted to 38 camps opened in view of rising water level following release of water from Cheruthoni and Idamalayar dams.

Members of the central team, who are in the state to assess the damage caused by the rains since the onset of the monsoon on May 29, held a meeting with the chief minister this morning.

Vijayan said the state would submit a detailed memorandum to the Centre seeking financial assistance for taking up relief works.

The monsoon has so far claimed over 175 lives, besides causing destruction to crops and dwellings, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today announced a contribution of Rs 5 crore to rain ravaged Kerala as a mark of support to the neighbouring state.

Heavy rains in Kerala led to a series of landslips in the hilly Idukki district and northern parts, killing 26 people since last night.

Referring to the situation, Palaniswami conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.

The chief minister said he has ordered "immediate contribution of Rs 5 crore," from the chief ministers public relief fund.

This was a token of support and solidarity of Tamil Nadu people and their government with Kerala and its people in the neighbouring state's hour of need, he said.

Kerala was faced with the arduous task of ensuring immediate rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures,he said.

"The government of Tamil Nadu stands ready to render any other assistance as may be required by the government of Kerala," Palaniswami added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore today took to Quora to talk about the government's achievements in what appears to be the first instance of a Union minister using the question-and-answer platform to highlight the Centre's performance.

Quora is a question-and-answer site where questions are asked, answered and edited by its community of users.

Rathore, who is also the Union minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, listed several flagship schemes such as Ujjwala Yojana, Mudra and Jan Dhan Yojana, while replying to a query on the Modi government's achievements.

"Ujjwala, by providing an LPG connection for rural women below poverty line, has single-handedly solved the problem of kitchen smoke for women," he said.

Describing Mudra scheme as a "paradigm-changing" initiative, he said nearly 12 crore small entrepreneurs have benefitted because of Mudra, out of which 76 per cent were women, and over 50 per cent from the SCs, STs and OBCs.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana is a scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 8, 2015, for providing loans up to 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small and micro enterprises.

Highlighting the government's Jan Dhan Yojana, Rathore said there were 31.76 crore beneficiaries of the scheme.

Rathore also pointed out to the electrification of villages under the government and said that for the first time after independence, "not a single village of the country remains unelectrified.

"This answer can go on. From connection of Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram on India's rail map for the very first time, to covering nearly 27 lakh hectares under micro irrigation, there is not a single field where this government has not promised, and delivered," he said in his answer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka BJP unit today urged the Centre to bring down the GST on pan masala to 5 per cent from the existing 18 per cent and also hike the minimum import price (MIP) of arecanut to Rs 300/kg to save domestic growers reeling under the crisis due to lower prices.

Domestic prices of arecanut have fallen sharply to Rs 280/kg at present from the high of Rs 380/kg last year owing to cheaper and poor quality import of the commodity from Sri Lanka and other producing nations, it said.

A representation in this regard has been made to the union ministries of agriculture, commerce and finance separately by the Karnataka BJP Arecanut Cell President and MLA Araga Jnanendra.

"Arecanut growers are in distress due to falling prices. There is a need to curb cheaper imports and encourage value addition of arecanut," Jnanendra told reporters here.

Arecanut is used in making of pan masala, but the goods and services tax (GST) has been fixed higher at 18 per cent.

"We have requested the union finance ministry to slash it to 5 per cent level as pan masala is manufactured by small scale industries," he said.

That apart, the Centre has been requested to further increase the MIP of arecanut to Rs 300/kg from the current Rs 251/kg so that to restrict cheaper and poor quality shipment of the commodity, added.

Jnanendra further said that the imports need to be monitored strictly as shipments are being made with under invoicing. Even quality of the commodity needs to be checked before allowing the shipments to enter India.

Cheaper imports are happening through Sri Lanka taking advantage of the lower duty benefit under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

Recently, the Centre raised the MIP of arecanut to to Rs 251 per kg from Rs 162 per kg.

The country's annual arecanut production is around 5,00,000 tonnes, out of which 60 per cent comes from Karnataka. Tamil Nadu, Goa and Assam are other major growing states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu today said despite the strict protocol that he had to follow due to his post, he tried to meet as many people as possible and stressed that he had "retired from political life" but was not "tired of public life".

He was speaking at the launch of Book 'Bebak Baat', a book authored by Union minister Vijay Goel. Naidu said as the vice president, he had to follow certain protocols, but even then he tried to meet as many people as he could.

"I'm not in now. I also do not belong to Goelji, Ashwini Chaubey's party...I've retired from political life but not tired of public life. I have always been with the public 24x7...Now, as VP occupying the constitutional responsibility I can't do it...

"In the programmes that I go, they tell me what the protocol is...I cannot digest this, but I still try and adjust protocol during my visits across the country to meet people. I cannot live without meeting people," he said.

The vice president said making people aware of their actions and thoughts through books by MPs is a healthy method of continuous communication.

He further said the members of Parliament should follow the democratic method of constructive dialogue and everyone should work to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the country, he added.

He expressed concern over the present trend of disrupting Parliament by members hampering the developmental activities.

"The government should propose, the opposition to oppose and finally the House should dispose," he added.

He also said the opposition had the right to be heard and he had even told the government to let them speak.

"The opposition must have its say, the government must have its way. That is the only way of governance," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Armed robbers attacked a cash van near a private ATM here and decamped with Rs 18 lakh after killing a security guard here in the district, police said.

Two robbers fired at Sunil Thakur, guard of the van, killing him on the spot, Superintendent of Police Harpreet Kaur said.

Thakur came along with personnel of a cash logistic company for loading cash into an ATM in Keshabpur Chowk under Sahebganj police station area of the city.

After the killing, the robbers fled with the cash, said to be about Rs 18 lakh, Kaur said.

Search was on to nab the culprits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US-based Rockefeller Foundation today said it has appointed Deepali Khanna as Managing Director for Asia with immediate effect.

Khanna will be the first Indian female leader of the Foundation in Asia and will oversee the Foundation's programmes, initiatives, policy, advocacy, grant making, and partnerships in the Indian sub-continent, China, and Southeast Asia, the Foundation said in a statement.

The Rockefeller Foundation has a global grant making portfolio of around USD 200 million per year.

Khanna joined Rockefeller Foundation in 2015. Prior to that she served as Director of Youth Learning with The MasterCard Foundation. She also held multiple leadership positions with Plan International, including Country Director, Vietnam (2003-2007) and Regional Director for East and Southern Africa (2007-2010).'



Khanna earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology from Delhi University and holds a certificate from the Humanitarian Leadership Programme at Harvard Business School.

"Expanding our work and partnership in Asia is an important priority for The Rockefeller Foundation," Rajiv J. Shah, President of the Foundation said adding that "her valuable experience and leadership at the Foundation will help us build on our transformative work in India and other parts of Asia".

Khanna most recently served as Senior Director of the Smart Power for Rural Development (SPRD), with an initial commitment of USD 75 million. In this role, she provided leadership and direction across the initiative's portfolio in India to provide affordable and clean energy access to over a million people in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Romanians who live abroad have begun arriving back home for an anti-government protest where they will call for the left-wing government to resign and an early election.

Expatriates are staging a protest tomorrow in Bucharest to protest the way Romania is governed.

Some of the estimated 3 million Romanians living abroad say they left because of corruption, low wages and lack of opportunities.

There were small anti-government protests in several cities, and by today a handful of protesters had arrived in the large square outside the government offices where the demonstration will be staged.

Amid fears of violence at the protest, anti-riot police today called for a peaceful demonstration.

Local residents in western Romania applauded compatriots arriving by car late yesterday with flags and banners opposing the ruling Social Democratic Party.

Romanians who live abroad mostly oppose the party.

Since the Social Democrats won elections in 2016, Romanians have regularly protested government moves to implement new laws that critics say will weaken the nation's fight against corruption.

The party's powerful leader, Liviu Dragnea, was handed a 3 -year prison sentence for official misconduct in June in a no-work job contracts' case.

He has appealed the ruling.

Hundreds of thousands of Romanians have signed a petition demanding a law that would ban people indicted for corruption and other offenses from office.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today said that his government will set up a tribal museum at a cost of Rs 100 crore at Rajpipla town, about 75 kilometres from here, in the state's tribal-dominated Narmada district.

In his Independence Day speech in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed a desire to have "permanent museums in the states where tribal freedom fighters lived".

Rupani made the announcement today at a function at Nizar village in Tapi district in connection with the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

He said that the 70-acre museum will be completed by 2020 and would be dedicated to tribal movements in the country and would have 3D and 7D technology-enabled display.

The museum would display events that took place during three time periods- pre-1857, 1857 to the end of the 19th century, and 20th century up to Independence.

The state government and the Centre would be contributing Rs 50 crore each, he said.

"The Gujarat government has also set up the Birsa Munda Tribal University in Rajpipla town," Rupani said.

The university, currently, functions from the premises of the Adarsh Nivasi Shala and would later shift to its campus being built on 25 acres of land at Jitnagar village on the outskirts of tribal-dominated Rajpipla.

The new university would offer graduation, post- graduation, diploma and certificate courses covering the subjects of Arts, Commerce, Science, Traditional Art and Skill, Herbal Medicine as well as Sanskrit.

"With this university, 90 lakh tribals in the state will get access to good education," Rupani said.

He also spoke about 196 forests being declared as revenue villages and opening of 91 "Eklavaya schools" for students of 14 tribal-dominated districts of the state.

He said 13 lakh acres of forest land had been distributed to 90 thousand tribals in the state and added that the literacy rate among the tribal communities had gone up to 62 per cent from 47 per cent.

Meanwhile, Naran Rathwa, Congress Rajya Sabha MP, alleged that there has been no tribal development in the state and asked why the state government had not declared a holiday for the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

He said that Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had declared a holiday on the occasion in that state's tribal-dominated districts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah today said the PDP's decision to abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election proved that it continued to be in a tactical alliance with the BJP even after the national party pulled out of Jammu and Kashmir's ruling coalition in June.

"There was no doubt that the PDP and the BJP continue to be in a tactical alliance despite the BJP's withdrawal of support to the PDP," Abdullah said at a party convention in Chadoora area of Budgam district.

"This became clear again when the PDP's two MPs in the Rajya Sabha abstained from voting in the election for the deputy chairman's post," he added.

The NC vice-president alleged that the PDP was part of an intrigue against Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

"An elaborate and comprehensive 60-page report on Article 35A has still not been submitted in the Supreme Court and the file continues to gather dust on the law secretary's table. This proves beyond doubt that the PDP is a part of this intrigue and continues to facilitate this anti-J-K agenda from within the state," he said.

Abdullah said if the NC had not raised the issue of assault on Article 35A in the legislative assembly, the PDP would have "brazenly surrendered" on the crucial issue.

"It was the duty of the Mehbooba Mufti government to submit the elaborate report on Article 35A in the Supreme Court but her government chose inaction and surrender, which brought us to the current situation. The PDP chose not to confront the BJP and its longstanding agenda to weaken the state's special status," he said.

He said Mufti tells people that she drank a cup of poison by aligning with the BJP and that the BJP-led central government was using the NIA and CBI to coerce her MLAs to revolt against her.

"If this is true, then why did Mehbooba Mufti instruct her party's two members of parliament in the Rajya Sabha to not vote against the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election?" he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bill to replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) with a board of governors and aimed at bringing accountability and quality in homeopathy education, was passed by the Rajya Sabha today, amid noisy opposition protests.

The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House, replaces the ordinance promulgated by President in May 18. It was adopted by the Lok Sabha on July 30.

The HCC regulates homoeopathy education and practice in the country.

Replying to a short debate, Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said "Some malpractices by members of the council were taking place. However, there were no provisions in the law to remove them. An Ordinance was brought to take action against members involved in malpractices."



Till the HCC was reconstituted, a Board of Governors was constituted by the Centre to exercise the powers of the Council. The Board met twice and the council held five meetings, he said.

The Minister also informed the House that as many as 223 homoeopathy colleges have been inspected and 45 of them have applied for the recognition. A list of colleges for grant of recognition, has been sent to the government, he said.

The bill also states that homoeopathy medical colleges set up or opened new courses before the ordinance was promulgated will have to take recognition from the central government within a year.

If these colleges fail to get such permission, then the medical qualifications granted to the students will not be recognised under the law.

Earlier participating in the debate, Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP) sought to know if the government has taken action against the members allegedly involved in malpractices.

He also sought to know the parameters used to assess the quality of colleges and the need for colleges to reseek the central recognition within a year.

Sushil Kumar Gupta (AAP), Ravi Prakash Verma (SP) were among others who participated in the debate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jeremy Corbyn has been under pressure from the Israel lobby once again. ( Chatham House/Flickr

An app operated as part of an Israeli government propaganda campaign issued a mission for social media users to make comments against Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of anti-Semitism.

This is the latest evidence of an Israeli campaign of psychological warfare against the UKs main opposition party.

The Act.IL app on Sunday falsely accused Corbyn of comparing Israel to Nazi Germany in a 2010 meeting which had been resurfaced by The Times last week

The mission was documented in this Tweet by Michael Bueckert, a Canadian researcher who has been monitoring the app since last year

The reality is very different from the apps claims.

As my colleague Adri Nieuwhof explains , Corbyn hosted a meeting titled Never Again  For Anyone with Hajo Meyer , a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp and an anti-Zionist who spoke out strongly for Palestinian rights.

Meyer passed away in 2014.

The Act.IL app asks users to comment on Facebook in response to a Huffington Post UK story about Corbyns alleged anti-Israel remarks, which it claims are often a way to hide anti-Semitism.

The mission directs users to click like on a comment by Facebook user Nancy Saada, and write their own comments echoing her criticisms of Labour.

Nancy has posted elsewhere on her Facebook profile a photo of herself in an Israeli army uniform posing on an armored vehicle draped with an Israeli flag.

Israeli sabotage

As The Electronic Intifada reported earlier this year, the Act.IL app is a product of Israels strategic affairs ministry

Its top civil servant is a former army intelligence officer and the ministry is staffed by veterans of various spy agencies whose names are classified.

The Act.IL mission is another piece of evidence of the Israeli campaign of psychological warfare against Labour.

It is part of a long-running influence operation by Israel and its lobby groups to smear Corbyn, a veteran Palestine solidarity activist, and to label the party he leads institutionally anti-Semitic.

The operation also aims to push Labour, where there is strong support for Palestinian rights among the grassroots, in a more pro-Israel direction.

A covert element of the effort revealed last year by the undercover Al Jazeera documentary The Lobby involved attempts by the Israeli embassy to set up a grassroots pro-Israel organization for Labour youth.

The campaign has found support among the declining Labour right, including many of the partys lawmakers, some of them involved with pro-Israel groups.

The Jewish Labour Movement , an anti-Palestinian group deeply linked to the Israeli government, has been at the forefront of the effort.

Masot was also spearheading the effort to manufacture a grassroots pro-Israel organization within the party, a tactic known as astroturfing

JLM demands

The Israel lobby group is also demanding that Labour drop Chris Williamson  a leading leftist  as a lawmaker.

Instead of shutting down these claims as the bad faith attacks that they clearly are, Corbyn has continued a strategy of concession after concession that has only fueled the attacks.

He has rolled back his position on important matters of principle , like BDS  the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement for Palestinian rights.

In a Guardian opinion piece on Friday , Corbyn offered dialogue with community organizations, including the Jewish Labour Movement to discuss their demand that the IHRA document be adopted in full, even as he acknowledged that some of its provisions have been used by those wanting to restrict criticism of Israel that is not anti-Semitic.

It is unclear what Corbyn hopes to achieve in dialogue with a group that has close ties to a hostile foreign power committed to manipulating his party from within.

Not surprisingly, the JLM immediately dismissed Corbyns opinion piece as another article bemoaning a situation.

In his list of demands, the JLMs Langleben admits that any concession Corbyn makes will not be enough.

These measures would have been welcomed, and maybe even celebrated, two years ago, he writes of his demands.

But now Langleben claims that matters have reached the point of no return.

Decisive and significant actions, not words, are the only thing that can bring us back from the brink, Langleben states.

He doesnt say who must take this action, or what the action is.

This is certainly open to the interpretation that the Jewish Labour Movement expects the party to take the action of ousting its leader.

As for that brink, I warned in a widely shared Twitter thread last month that the Labour right and the Israel lobby may be planning a damaging split from the party.

Since I made that prediction, there are more signs that this could be coming to pass.

The most common response to my prediction on social media was to welcome their departure.

But be warned: Mainstream media which have fueled sensational and often baseless smears will falsely portray any combined exit of right-wing lawmakers and anti-Palestinian activists as an exodus of Jews from the Labour Party. And yes, columnists supporting them will probably even use the same hackneyed biblical allusion.
The Kremlin today slammed as "unacceptable" US sanctions over Moscow's alleged involvement in a nerve agent attack in Britain, but said Russia still hopes for constructive relations with Washington.

"We consider categorically unacceptable the linking of new restrictions, which we as before consider illegal, to the case in Salisbury," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, referring to the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal, adding that "Moscow retains hopes of building constructive relations with Washington.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The SAD-BJP combine today urged Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore to refuse assent to the appointment of "Congressman" Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd) as the Lokpal, saying he did not meet the Constitutional, political and moral qualifications needed for the post.

A joint Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP delegation led by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parveen Bansal submitted a memorandum to the governor detailing Justice Gill's "close association with the Congress party as well as Chief Minister Amarinder Singh".

"Justice Gill (retd) abused power as head of the Commission of Inquiry formed by the Congress government to look into cases during the Akali-BJP regime," the delegation said.

The delegation stressed that the Lokpal should be a person of impeccable character and represent public interest.

Badal said the judge was also barred from holding this august post as per the Punjab Lokpal Act (1996) which stated that the Lokpal shall not be connected with any political party.

He said Justice Gill (retd) wore his allegiance to the Congress party on his sleeves.

"During the run up to the 2017 Assembly elections Capt Amarinder appointed Justice Gill to a committee which was assigned with preparing the blueprint for the Congress party's election manifesto," Badal said.

Detailing Justice Gill's role as head of the Commission of Inquiry to look into alleged false cases, the delegation members said the retired judge had brazenly misused his powers and transgressed into the jurisdiction of investigative agencies and courts by arbitrarily cancelling FIRs purely based on his proximity with the Congress government.

They said Justice Gill (retd) had thus followed the whip, command and dictate of the Congress government as head of the Commission of Inquiry.

The delegation also submitted a record to the governor regarding Justice Gill's functioning as judge of the high court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia's diplomatic dispute with Canada over its arrest of women's rights activists will not affect the ultraconservative kingdom's oil sales to Canadian customers, the Saudi energy minister said today.

The remarks by Khalid al-Falih show the limits of the ongoing quarrel and may calm some of the bluster surrounding the dispute that suddenly erupted on Monday over Canadian diplomats' tweets asking the kingdom to release the detained activists.

A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted al-Falih as saying oil sales are not affected by as there is a "firm and longstanding policy that is not influenced by political circumstances."



"The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada," the statement said, referring the state-run oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Canada, itself one of the world's five top energy producers, gets some 10 per cent of its oil imports from Saudi Arabia. Bilateral trade between the two nations is USD 3 billion a year.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze "all new business" with Ottawa over its criticism of the kingdom's arrest of 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.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that his nation would continue diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia but wouldn't back down on raising human rights issues.

"Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights," he said.

Saudi Arabia plans to pull out thousands of students and medical patients from Canada over the spat.

Since the crisis began, Saudi state-run television and other channels backing the kingdom have been airing programs criticizing Canada and accusing it of jailing "prisoners of conscience."



The sudden decision bore the hallmarks of Saudi Arabia's assertive 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also was the architect of the country's war in Yemen and involved in the ongoing boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard today continued their search for the missing crew of a fishing boat which capsized after it was hit by a merchant ship at high seas about 24 nautical miles off Munambam harbour near here.

The fishermen went missing after the boat was hit by the ship on Tuesday. At the time, 14 fishermen were on board the boat.

Three fishermen were killed and two injured in the incident, police had said. The boat had 11 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, two from West Bengal and one from Kerala.

"No missing person has been located as yet," a Defence spokesperson said here.

The spokesperson said the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have pressed into service their ships and aircraft to search and locate the nine missing fishermen of fishing boat 'Oceanic.'



Kerala Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma held a meeting with representatives of civil administration, Navy and Coast Guard last night to review the rescue operation being carried out in the high seas.

According to a government release, the minister said the search operation would continue till the fishermen were traced.

Four ships and three helicopters of the Navy and Coast Guard were continuing their rescue mission, government sources said.

"As regards the search at sea, the navy has recommenced aerial search since morning. An ALH helicopter was sent early in the morning followed by a Dornier aircraft by Coast Guard... besides all the ships in the area since yesterday," the Defence spokesperson said.

During the air search yesterday, a 10-metre capsized boat, identified as 'Al Ma Rahan', was found in the area, a defence release said.

Offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna, with a full-fledged naval diving team on board, has joined the rescue effort.

Officials of the Mercantile Marine Department, Coastal Police, Forensic Experts and under water surveyors would examine the Indian merchant vessel which allegedly hit the boat. The ship, which fled the scene soon after the incident, was directed by the Navy to anchor at Mangalore coast.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a setback to the Jaypee Group, the Supreme Court today ordered re-commencement of resolution process against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) and barred the firm, its holding company and their promoters from participating in the fresh bidding process.

The apex court also allowed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct the banks to initiate corporate insolvency resolution proceedings (CIRP) against Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL), the holding company of JIL, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said there was "no manner of doubt" that JAL and JIL lacked financial capacity and resources to complete unfinished housing projects in which 21,532 home buyers have not been given possession of their flats.

The bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that the initial period of 180 days for the conclusion of CIRP in respect of JIL would commence from today, and if it becomes necessary to apply for further extension of 90 days, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Allahabad, would pass appropriate orders in accordance with IBC provisions.

It also directed that a committee of creditors (CoC) be constituted afresh in accordance with the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 which says that home buyers should also be included in it.

The top court permitted interim resolution professional (IRP) "to invite fresh expressions of interest for the submission of resolution plans by applicants, in addition to the three short-listed bidders whose bids or, as the case may be, revised bids may also be considered".

"The amount of Rs 750 crores which has been deposited in this court by JAL/JIL shall together with the interest accrued thereon be transferred to the NCLT and continue to remain invested and shall abide by such directions as may be issued by the NCLT," the bench said while disposing of the pleas pending before it.

The court noted in its order that during the arguments, there was a unanimity of opinion that liquidation of JIL would not subserve the interests of home buyers.

"The home buyers have made valuable investments by contributing hard earned monies in the hope of obtaining a roof over their heads. A home for the family is a basic human yearning. In diverse contexts it has been held by this Court to be a part of the right to life, as a fundamental constitutional guarantee," the bench noted in its 46-page judgement.

Referring to section 29A of the IBC, which deals with the issue of persons not eligible to be resolution applicant, the court said that Parliament had introduced this provision to ensure that those responsible for insolvency of corporate debtor do not participate in the resolution process.

"The bar under section 29A would preclude JAL/JIL from being allowed to participate in the resolution process. Moreover, the facts which have been drawn to the attention of the court leave no manner of doubt that JAL/JIL lack the financial capacity and resources to complete the unfinished projects," it said.

"To allow them to participate in the process of resolution will render the provisions of the Act nugatory. This cannot be permitted by the court," the bench said.

The top court also dealt with the issue related to claim of the home buyers, who want refund of their money, and said that though this deserves to be considered with "empathy", the same cannot be acceded to.

It referred to the data placed before it by an advocate, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, which indicated that eight per cent of home buyers have sought a refund while 92 per cent of them preferred possession of homes.

"Directing disbursement of the amount of Rs 750 crore to the home buyers who seek refund would be manifestly improper and cause injustice to the secured creditors since it would amount to a preferential disbursement to a class of creditors," it said.

"Once we have taken recourse to the discipline of the IBC, it is necessary that its statutory provisions be followed to facilitate the conclusion of the resolution process," the court said.

It said that court should follow the "discipline of the IBC" which has been enacted by Parliament specifically to streamline the resolution of corporate insolvencies.

"Matters involving corporate insolvencies require expert determination," it said, adding, "The legislature has made specific provisions which are conceived in public interest and to facilitate good corporate governance. The Court should not take upon itself the burden of supervising the intricacies of the resolution process."



The court agreed with RBI's submissions that further delay in resolution would adversely impact a viable resolution being found for JAL and JIL.

It noted that in June 2017, RBI had published a list of top 12 defaulters, including JIL, which was declared to be in default of amount of approximately Rs 8,000 crore to its lenders.

It also noted that total financial debt due to financial creditors on the date of commencement of corporate insolvency earlier on August 9 last year stood at Rs 9,984.70 crore.

IDBI Bank had moved the Corporate Insolvency Resolution application before the NCLT against JIL after it allegedly defaulted in paying back a loan of Rs 526 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has arrested Bhushan Steel's erstwhile promoter Neeraj Singal for allegedly siphoning off funds worth over Rs 20 billion, according to officials.

This is the first time that the has arrested a person for fraudulent activities, a senior official told PTI.

Singal was arrested in the national capital and has been sent to judicial custody till August 14, the official added.

The probe agency, which comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry, got powers to arrest people for violations of law last year.

The finance ministry said Singal is "accused to be guilty of siphoning off funds of over Rs 20 billion from the loans availed by Limited using more than 80 companies".

The were used for fraudulent activities of rotation of funds through bogus loans and advances, and investments, among others, it said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the ministry said fraudulent activities contributed to the company becoming insolvent.

" Limited is one of the 12 big cases that had been referred for insolvency resolution by banks. Tata Group has taken-over management of the company from the Singals. investigation is on-going," it said.
BJP president Amit Shah today congratulated Harivansh on his election as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman and expressed the hope that everyone in the House will benefit from his experience.

Shah met Harivansh to greet him on his election and also expressed gratitude to all BJP allies and non-NDA parties which supported his candidature.

The JD(U) member emerged victorious winning 125 votes against 105 of B K Hariprasad, the opposition candidate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As Shanghai swelters under a summer heat wave, it sometimes looks as if people are dropping dead from the torrid temperatures on the city's best-known shopping avenue.

Normally bustling Nanjing East Road has turned into an open-air slumber party on recent nights as local residents try to escape the heat of their cramped nearby homes by sleeping outside on benches or directly on the pavement.

The city of more than 24 million people has endured an extended hot spell over recent weeks, with temperatures on Thursday topping 35 degrees Celsius (95 F) for the 16th day this summer.

Many homes in some of Shanghai's low-rise older neighbourhoods lack air conditioning, while residents that do have it will often seek ways to keep electricity bills from skyrocketing during summer.

Around 4 am today nearly 100 people -- including women and children, but mostly bare-chested men -- were seen sleeping out on sidewalks normally crowded with shoppers and tourists during the daytime.

Dozing upon newspapers, blankets, or nothing at all, they sought relief from a night breeze blowing off the Huangpu River, which flows through the city centre and includes the famed Bund financial district.

Some bivouacked in nearby People's Square -- Shanghai's main park -- or snored while curled up outside clothing-store windows as mannequins stood guard inside.

For a number of men, the night's bed was no more than a flat stretch of pavement, shirt and shoes off, with a large bottle of water and a Chinese bun placed nearby for breakfast.

Shanghai residents are known for flocking to subway stations, shopping malls, libraries, and supermarkets to escape the heat.

Outlets of Swedish retailer IKEA are particularly popular with overheated visitors, who come to nap on sofas and beds in its air-conditioned showroom.

The al fresco sleeping phenomenon isn't likely to go away soon.

Shanghai is getting hotter, logging a new record high of 40.9 degrees in July of last year, and eight of the 12 highest temperatures reached over the past century were hit only in the last five years, according to the city weather bureau.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar was today admitted to the country's top hospital after his health deteriorated in the high security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Capt (retd) Safdar has a stomach condition and his sugar level is high, the Geo TV reported, quoting prison sources.

The 55-year-old husband of Sharif's daughter Maryam was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from Adiala prison after his condition deteriorated, the channel reported.

His hospital room is likely to be declared sub-jail.

Safdar is serving a jail term of one year in Adiala jail after his conviction and sentencing by an accountability court over the Sharif family's ownership of four luxury flats in London.

He was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on July 8, following the court's verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption case in which Sharif and his daughter Maryam have also been sentenced.

Sharif was also previously shifted to PIMS after ill-health.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Demanding stern action against the culprits in the Deoria and Muzaffarpur shelter homes cases, the CPI(M) today staged a protest in front of Parliament.

The party claimed that these were not isolated cases and said women and girls all over the country are unsafe.

"It happened in Kathua, it happened in Unnao, now it is happening in Deoria and Muzaffarpur shelter homes. It is happening because the governments of the BJP and its allies are not taking any step to stop the crime or taking effective steps against those who are responsible for such crimes," CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim told reporters.

"The BJP government at the Centre says 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', but we think 'BJP Hatao, Beti Bachao'," he added.

Salim alleged 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' has only been a propaganda slogan for the BJP, while the ground reality is "completely different".

The Left party was also joined by RJD MPs in their protest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Days after local authorities stopped export of livestock from a port in Kutch, Gujarat, to Gulf countries ahead of Bakr Eid, the Union Shipping Ministry has revoked permission for shipping of animals.

A livestock exporters association said traders will incur huge losses due to the decision, as animals are in great demand ahead of the Bakr Eid festival.

Earlier, Kutch Collector Remya Mohan had stopped the export of livestock from Tuna port in the district after some activists complained that animals were being subjected to cruelty.

As per the circular issued by the Directorate General of Shipping yesterday, "the permission for certain mechanised sailing vessels to operate during the month of August from ports in Gujarat during the year 2018 is withdrawn with immediate effect".

On August 3, the Directorate had approved operation of these mechanised sailing vessels specifically for export of livestock, following a representation made by a vessels owners association.

Livestock are generally exported by 'country crafts' (wooden mechanised vessels).

Around 10,000 sheep and goats, supposed to be sent to Gulf countries on August 6, are now stranded at the port, according to the exporters.

"Due to bad weather, country crafts are usually not allowed to sail till September. However, the traders' association told the DG Shipping that they would incur a huge loss if they do not export the livestock to Gulf countries before Bakr Eid on August 22," said Nautical Surveyor-cum Deputy Director General of Kandla Port Trust, A K Patel.

"The DG Shipping had given permission on August 3. But we were informed yesterday through another circular that the earlier permission has been withdrawn," he said.

It did not refer to the collector's decision, he added.

On August 6, when the livestock cargo was about to sail, collector Remya Mohan set up a three-member committee to probe whether the exporters were violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

She also directed Deendayal Port Trust (Kandla Port Trust) to stop any exports from Tuna "until further decision".

The collector took the action after some animal rights activists approached the Gujarat government, alleging that the livestock were subjected to cruelty.

In its report submitted yesterday, the committee, headed by Anjar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vijay Rabari, said the traders were found to have violated "some provisions of the Act".

The ban on export will affect the livelihood of over 40,000 families dependent on this trade, said Adil Noor, secretary of Livestock Exporters Association of Gujarat.

The livestock are being exported from Tuna port since 1971, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened this morning to release excess water from it, resulting in an increse in water level in Periyar river.

Ernakulam district administration officials said relief camps have been opened in Choornikkara and Kombanad villages as it is anticipated that the release of water may cause inundation in these areas.

Kerala State Disaster Management Authority officials said there was no need for people living on the bank of river Periyar to panic.

The dam shutters were opened at 5 am, 6 am and 8 am.

They were opened 1 metre each after the water level reached maximum storage capacity.

The authority had yesterday sounded a red alert at Idamalayar dam after water level in the reservoir touched 168.20 metres.

The authority said 164 cumecs (cubic metres/sec) water is being released.

Considering the tide levels, the KSEB dam safety department advance the opening of the shutters to 5 a.m.

Earlier, it was proposed to release water from Idamalayar dam at 8 a.m today.

Opening of the shutters of the dam cause the rise of the present water level in River Periyar by 1-1.5 metres.

An orange alert was sounded earlier at the dam after water level in the reservoir reached 167 metres.

Red alert was issued to make necessary preparations for the authorities for evacuation of people in vulnerable areas in case of a water surge.

Ernakulam district collector Mohammed Y Safeerulla is reviewing the situation at Kochi International Airport Limited after water level in a canal near it started rising.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six persons, four of them members of the same family, died of suffocation after inhaling poisonous gases when they entered a septic tank in East Champaran district, police said.

The incident took place at the house of Dinesh Mahto (45) in Bela Jeepur village under Jitna police station area, Deputy Superintendent of Police Alok Kumar Singh said.

He said Dinesh entered the septic tank to clean it and the five others also went inside it to rescue him after realizing that he had fallen unconscious.

They also died after inhaling poisonous gases in the tank, the DSP said.

The other five were his wife Bachani Devi, sons Mohan Mahto and Basant Kumar, besides neighbours Sachin Mahto and Saroj Mukhiya, the deputy SP said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mortal remains of Lance Naik Vikramjeet Singh, who was killed in a counter-infiltration operation at Gurej Sector in Jammu and Kashmir on August 6, was cremated with full state honours at Haryana's Tepla village today.

Several political leaders, officers of the Army and district administration and a large number of villagers were present to pay tributes to the martyr.

The wreath-laying ceremony was held and the martyr was given a gun salute by the Army jawans.

Singh is survived by his parents, wife, who he married a few months ago, and his younger brother.

Health Minister Anil Vij said the state government has given an amount of Rs 50 lakh to the family members of the martyr. He said a government job would also be provided to the wife of the martyr.

State minister Nayab Saini, MLA Ambala City Aseem Goel, MLA Santosh Sarwan, former HPCC chief Phool Chand Mulana, former minister Nirmal Singh and former MLAs Jasbir Malor and Rajbir Barara also paid tributes to the martyr.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court was today informed that AAP MLA Somnath Bharti and his wife have settled the matrimonial dispute between them through mediation.

When Bharti urged the court to quash the criminal case lodged against him by his wife Lipika Mitra, Justice R K Gauba asked him to wait for some time so that his spouse and two minor children were comfortably settled in the house with him.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on March 7 next year and stayed the proceedings in the trial court.

The court was hearing a plea by Bharti seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him by his wife for the alleged offences of attempt to murder, harassment cheating, criminal intimidation, causing miscarriage without the woman's consent, causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal breach of trust under the IPC.

"Let the dust settle. Let's wait for sometime. Let her (wife) and the children be comfortable. First comes the comfort of the wife and children, then rest," the court said.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Bharti, told the court that the AAP leader and his wife had participated in the mediation and they have settled their dispute.

He said they wanted to live together peacefully along with their children.

Asked by the judge whether Bharti and Mitra were living together, the couple, who was present in the court, replied in affirmative.

The court issued notice and sought response of Mitra and Delhi Police on the former Delhi law minister's plea.

The investigators had on April 5, 2016 filed a charge sheet before the trial court in the case, claiming that the woman had alleged that Bharti had endangered the life of an unborn child she was carrying by unleashing his dog on her.

The MLA from Malviya Nagar assembly, who was granted bail in October 2015 after being in jail for eight days, had denied the allegations.

Mitra had on June 10, 2015 filed a complaint against him with the Delhi Commission for Women and an FIR was lodged by the police on September 9, 2015 for allegedly subjecting her to domestic violence and trying to kill her.

The AAP leader was arrested in the wee hours of September 29, 2015 after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender.

The trial court had granted bail to Bharti observing that he was no longer required for investigation and since he was a member of Delhi Assembly, there was no ground of apprehension that he may flee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Srinagar airport was "technically" cleared for night operations after first night landing and taking off of a commercial aircraft was undertaken here this evening, officials said.

A GoAir Airbus with nine members of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indian Air Force personnel and the crew took off from the Sheikh-ul-Alam airport this evening at 1935 hours, the officials said.

After being airborne for over 30 minutes, the aircraft successfully landed at the airport at 2015 hours after making third approach towards the runway, they said, adding that "technically it has been cleared but a final decision will be taken soon".

Director of the Srinagar International Airport Aakash Deep Mathur said, "Everything went off smoothly and now the DGCA will meet in the national capital and discuss other modalities."



"We are looking for a date anytime after August 15 to start the night operations," he said.

The test flight was carried out to assess the feasibility and allied issues pertaining to landing of the aircraft during night, the officials said.

The DGCA team took off from the airport after holding a meeting at the Srinagar airport.

So far, only GoAir has opted for night slots, Mathur said.

At present, the last flight from the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir takes off at 5.45 pm. Once night flying operations begin, this is expected to be extended till 10 pm.

The Srinagar airport, which was given international status in 2005 and is the main airport in the Kashmir Valley, handles 38 domestic flights a day. The only international flights operating from the airport are during the Haj pilgrimage.

The proposal for night flights in Srinagar was mooted by the Omar Abdullah-led government in 2011 but was kept in abeyance as the strategically located airport is also used by the Indian Air Force.

The Centre recently decided to finalise the operations and asked the IAF to clear the decks for night flights after state Governor N N Vohra took up the matter with the ministries of defence and civil aviation, officials said.

The increase in flying hours is likely to boost the tourism sector in the state. However, airport authorities may not allow night flights during winters as part of safety measures against snow and fog, officials said.

The Jammu airport has been designated as an alternative airport in case of exigencies, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today allowed mining major Vedanta to enter its administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, observing that no environmental damage would be caused by allowing access to the administrative section.

A bench headed by chairperson A K Goel, however, said the plant would remain closed and the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this.

"The district magistrate will ensure that the appellants do not have access to the production unit. We are concerned with the environment. No environmental damage can be caused by allowing access to the administrative section," the bench said.

The green panel also directed the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board to submit an analysis of the baseline pollution data of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd in Tuticorin to ascertain the level of pollution.

The matter will be next heard on August 20.

At the outset, the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim and S P Wangdi, rejected the state government's submission that the tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to hear the case and said that it would hear the case on merits.

Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for the state government, said the tribunal should pass a written order if it was rejecting its objection over maintainability of Vedanta's plea.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the state pollution control board, said that Vedanta was indulging in "forum shopping" and the NGT should not entertain it.

The tribunal, however, said that it would proceed ahead with the case on merits.

Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for Vedanta, said this is a "completely motivated" litigation as no prior notices were issued to the copper smelting plant before issuing the closure order.

"The company produces 40 per cent of India's copper and if we shut down, then we have to go back to importing copper from China and Germany. Not one order issued to us refers to pollution, it just said that people have complained. We are a zero discharge unit. It is a completely politically motivated litigation where truckloads of people were brought from outside to protest. Today, there are protests on the other side as the entire area has become unemployed the senior advocate said while blaming the politicians for causing a mistrust.

The tribunal then asked the senior lawyer whether "they are polluting?".

Sundaram replied in the negative and said, "Give us a chance for a month. We will run and show you that we are not polluting."



He said that there were around 65 units, of which seven are red category units, but Sterlite was being singled out.

The state pollution control board, however, said that Sterlite was causing air and water pollution and to protect the environment, it ordered closure of its units.

Seeking scientific data from the state pollution control board, the bench observed, "You keep on saying Sterlite is polluting but not providing any substantiative data for that."



Reacting on the tribunal's order, the company said in a statement, "We welcome the National Green Tribunal's decision to accept the maintainability of our petition and hear the same. We further welcome the NGT's interim order that gives us access to the administrative section of the plant."On July 30, the court had refused to grant any interim relief to Vedanta, which has challenged the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently shut down its Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, even as the firm termed the government action "political".

On July 5, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their responses after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objections with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea.

The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.

Earlier in April, the Tamil Nadu pollution control board had rejected Sterlite's plea to renew the Consent To Operate certification, saying the company had not complied with the stipulated conditions.

Following this, the government issued a permanent closure notice to the plant.

Vedanta's plea in the NGT seeks permission to operate the unit and a direction to declare as unlawful and illegal the exercise of powers by the Tamil Nadu government in passing the closure order under section 18(1)(b) of the Water Act.

Sterlite's factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure.

The company had then appealed to the NGT, which had overturned the government order. The state had then moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending.

The Supreme Court had then ordered the company to pay Rs 100 crore as compensation for polluting environment.

Following the latest protests and police firing, the plant was closed on March 27.

After Sterlite announced its plans to expand the Tuticorin plant, villagers around it started fresh protests that continued for over 100 days, culminating in the May 22 police firing on protestors that claimed 13 lives and left scores injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pro-Tamil activist Thirumurugan Gandhi was today arrested at the international airport in Bengaluru based on a Look Out Circular issued against him by the Tamil Nadu police.

He was arrested upon his arrival from Geneva, where he attended a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting recently and raised the issue of Anti-Sterlite protests in Tuticorin district and subsequent police firing that left 13 dead, a release from May 17 movement said.

"Gandhi landed in Bengaluru this morning from Germany and was detained by the airport Immigration officials based on a Look Out notice they had received from Tamil Nadu police.

Later, he was handed over to us," Kempegowda International Airport police told PTI.

However the city police remained tight-lipped when contacted by PTI for details.

Meanwhile, MDMK Chief Vaiko condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate release.

(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 today said the TDP government was committed to the development of tribals and would consider their sentiments with regard to bauxite mining in the agency areas (tribal tracts in the eastern ghats) in the district.

In his address at World Tribals dayin Vizag Agency,Naidu alleged that ignoring the sentiments of tribals, the Congress government, in undivided Andhra Pradesh, during 2005-2007 period had attempted to allot the bauxite mining to AP Mineral Development Corporate and supply of the ore to some private companies.

He further alleged that then Congress government had tried to loot thebauxite mineral found in Jerrela, Sapparala and Ananthagiri (over 8,000 acres) areas within Vizag agency.

Charging the BJP with have doing 'injustice' to Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had been fighting to protectthe interests and the rights of the people of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Clothes make the man, it is said, and sometimes maybe the politician too, as in the case of TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad who today dressed up as Hitler to send Prime Minister Narendra Modi the message that he should not "follow" the the Nazi dictator's footsteps.

Sometimes a woman, other times a farmer or a cattle herder, depending on the political point he wants to convey, Sivaprasad said he decided to don the Fuehrer's avatar today to remind Modi of his promise to give Special Status Category (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh, post bifurcation of the state.

Wearing a khaki coat and sporting a toothbrush moustache, Sivaprasad said, "I wanted to send a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to follow Adolf Hitler.

"During elections, he promised SCS to the people of the state but has then back-tracked. He does not get the pulse of what people want and I want to urge him to not be like him."



Sivaprasad, who attended the House in his Hitler costume, also raised his hand in "heil Hitler" salute for camerapersons outside.

The TDP was a constituent of the NDA until March this year, but quit the government and the NDA over the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

"Ours is a democracy and it is necessary to understand the aspirations of the people," said the two-time MP who represents Chittor in Andhra Pradesh.

An actor, whose has worked in several Telugu films, Sivaprasad has in the past donned various avatars to attract attention.

During the last Budget session, Sivaprasad had dressed up as a woman, a farmer, a cattle herder, a Muslim cleric and a 'swachch' Bharat worker.

"I am an artist and cannot sit quiet. I have to express myself. To represent the plight of women who were hit by demonetisation, I also dressed like one," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet today extended the term of a five-member panel which is looking into the sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), till November, an official statement said.

The commission, headed by Justice G Rohini (retd), was formed with the approval of President Ram Nath Kovind on October 2 last year and was stipulated to submit its report within 10 weeks from the assumption of charge by the chairperson, it said.

It started functioning on October 11 and has since interacted with all the states and Union territories that have reservation for OBCs and the state backward classes commissions.

The commission has held extensive meetings with the stakeholders, including the state governments, state backward classes commissions, various community associations and people belonging to various backward classes.

It also obtained caste-wise records of OBCs admitted in higher educational institutes as well as similar caste-wise data of recruits in central departments, Central public sector undertakings, public sector banks and financial institutions.

"Based on the emanating information from the data as processed and analyzed, the Commission has expressed that a round of discussion with the states and their backward classes commission was required before finalising the sub-categorized lists and the report," the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Textiles Secretary Anant Kumar Singh has been shifted to the Land Resources department as part of a minor top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected today.

Culture Secretary Raghvendra Singh has been moved as Textiles secretary in place of Anant Singh, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Arun Goel will be new Culture secretary. He is at present special secretary, Ministry of Culture.

Anant Singh, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, was appointed secretary, Ministry of Textiles, which is headed by Union Minister Smriti Irani, in May last year.

He has been appointed in the vacancy caused by the superannuation of Dinesh Singh on June 30, 2018, it said.

Raghvendra Singh, a 1983 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, was in November 2017 appointed secretary in the Ministry of Culture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Thailand court has ruled in favour of India's request for extraditing gangster Chhota Shakeel's close aide Mudassar Hussain Sayyed alias Munna



Zingada, whom Pakistan was trying to claim as its national, an official said here today.

The order was passed by a court in Bangkok yesterday and is in Thai language, he said, terming it as a "victory" for the Mumbai Crime Branch in an international court.

The court's ruling is being seen as a setback for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as Zingada's extradition could help India's claim about Ibrahim's presence in Pakistan.

Dawood Ibrahim is the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that left nearly 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.

The Thailand court ruled in favour of India's request for extradition as Zingada is an Indian national, the official of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.

The court has given one-month time to Zingada to challenge the order, and in the meantime authorities at the Indian embassy in Thailand will issue a warrant against him to start his extradition process, he said.

Zingada, 50, a native of the Jogeshwari area in Mumbai and a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, had gone to Bangkok in 2000 to eliminate gangster Chhota Rajan at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Rajan had survived the attack but his close aide Rohit Verna was killed.

After the attack, Zingada had fled to Pakistan and returned to Thailand in 2001 with a Pakistani passport.

He was then arrested in Thailand and convicted in the case of attack on Rajan.

Zingada served 16 years in a Thailand prison after the conviction, the official said, adding that India was constantly trying for his extradition since last few years.

Pakistan was also trying to take his custody through the diplomatic channel by submitting his Pakistani passport and school leaving certificate to the Thai authorities.

However, the Indian authorities provided a strong proof of Zingada's nationality by submitting his finger print details, ration card, voter identity card and DNA samples of his kin, the official said.

In 2016, the Crime Branch team had travelled to Thailand to expedite the process.

The police team had submitted in a Thai court a dossier on Zingada, mentioning his crime record in Mumbai during his stay between 1994-97 along with his personal details, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Thai court today sentenced a disgraced former monk to 114 years in prison, a court official said, more than a year after he was extradited from the United States.

Wiraphon Sukphon made headlines in 2013 when footage emerged of him wearing designer aviator sunglasses with a Louis Vuitton bag on a private jet.

The 39-year-old fled to the US but was sent back after he was accused of raping a minor and deceiving donors who gave him money to build the world's largest emerald Buddha image.

A further probe revealed he owned luxury cars and multiple bank accounts valued at about USD 700,000.

Wiraphon was convicted of money laundering, fraud and violating the Computer Crime Act for raising funds online, a Bangkok court official told AFP.

"Judges convicted him and sentenced him altogether to 114 years," the official said, adding that under Thai law Wiraphon would not serve more than 20 years for the convictions.

Wiraphon was also required to return 28.6 million baht (USD 861,700) to 29 donors who filed complaints.

The ruling on the rape charge is expected in October, a public prosecutor said.

The monk is accused of having sex with an under-age girl around a decade ago and fathering a child with her. He faces the prospect of an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted.

Thailand is mostly Buddhist and the religion is woven into everyday life, with most men spending at least some time in a monastery as novice monks. But the junta that seized power in 2014 has taken a strong line against a Buddhist clergy mired in scandal.

Extortion, sex and drug cases tied to the clergy have shocked the public, and authorities last year floated the idea of introducing digitised ID cards to better track monks with criminal convictions.

In May the abbot of the tourist magnet "Golden Mount" temple in Bangkok surrendered to police after USD 4 million was found in bank accounts in his name.

Police are also investigating whether millions of dollars under control of the National Office of Buddhism was misused.

In a high-profile case in February 2017, troops laid siege to the temple of a mega-rich Dhammakaya sect on the outskirts of Bangkok for weeks in an effort to find and detain its controversial abbot, who remains at large despite accusations of massive fraud.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of mourners today bid a tearful adieu to Major Kaustubh Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation to foil an infiltration bid.

Major Rane was cremated with full military honours at a crematorium in Mira Road township in the district around 12.30 pm.

Scores of mourners thronged Rane's house in Shital Nagar area in Mira Road in the morning to catch the last glimpse.

The funeral procession started from his residence around 9.30 am. His body, kept in a casket draped in tricolour, was carried in a flower-bedecked truck. At a few junctions on the way, flowers were showered on the vehicle carrying the mortal remains.

When the procession reached the crematorium two hours later, chaos prevailed for some time due to a huge rush of mourners. People even climbed trees and stood on terraces of neighbouring buildings as well as on the compound wall of the crematorium to witness the funeral. Rane's family members had to appeal to the people to maintain peace.

When the family members placed floral wreaths on his body, mourners shouted slogans like 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Major Kaustuch Rane Amar Rahe'.

His wife Kanika, who carried their two-and-a-half-year old son Agastya in her arms, was inconsolable.

Before the martyr's father lit the funeral pyre, a 21-gun salute was given.

Apart from local politicians, Army officers, including Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) of South Western Command, were present on the occasion.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan's Suzuki Motor, Mazda and Yamaha have admitted using false emissions data for some vehicles, the transport ministry said today, in the latest product quality scandal to hit the country's auto sector.

The companies came forward after the ministry last month ordered 23 auto and motorbike companies to conduct in-house probes after it emerged Nissan and Subaru had cheated on fuel economy and emissions data.

All three reported "inappropriate handling" of vehicle inspections, the ministry said.

They said incomplete emissions tests were done on some of its vehicles, but its officials certified the results as though the tests had been administered properly.

Suzuki admitted improper inspections on 6,401 vehicles, or nearly half of those subject to sample checking, between 2012 and 2018.

Mazda said it 72 vehicles or 3.8 per cent of those in its sample were affected, while Yamaha put the figure at 2.1 per cent of its motorbike sample.

The ministry said it would "examine their reports and take strict measures if necessary". It said most of the 20 other companies asked to examine their data had reported no misconduct, while several others were still investigating.

The admissions are the latest in a string of scandals involving data falsification and testing standard breaches in Japan's key auto sector.

In July, Nissan admitted data on exhaust emissions and fuel economy had been "altered" for some of its vehicles, and last year the firm was forced to recall more than a million vehicles after admitting staff without proper authorisation had carried out some inspections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Intermittent rain delayed the start of the second Test between India and England here today.

Hosts England lead the five-match series after their 31-run victory in the gripping first Test at Birmingham.

The Indian team would expect its floundering batsmen to take more responsibility in pursuit of a series-levelling win at the Lord's.

If captain Virat Kohli had got support from his batting colleagues in Birmingham, the scenario would have been completely different.

The world number one Test side came close to taking the lead but fell short in the end.

India could make changes in the playing XI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) members today staged protest in the Lok Sabha over the issue of transfer of defence land to the state government.

Jithender Reddy (TRS) said the state government has been seeking defence land for building a secretariat in Secundarabad as the existing one has become a "pigeon hole".

He said land was also needed for widening of National Highway-4 and State Highway-1 to clear several bottlenecks.

The state government, he said, took up the matter with the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitey, who said compensatory land measuring over 500 acres must be transferred to the Defence Ministry, and an additional Rs 95 crore.

Reddy said the state government has agreed to it, but no action has been taken in this regard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy today said the TRS extending support for the candidature of NDA nominee in the election for the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha has proved that the ruling party in Telangana was an "undeclared ally" of the BJP.

"The TRS support to JD(U) candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election has proved again that KCR's (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) party was an undeclared ally of BJP," Reddy said.

On the visit of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Hyderabad on August 13 and 14, he alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders were resorting to "cheap tactics" to prevent a meeting of Gandhi in the Osmania University (OU).

The TRS leaders were unable to enter OU campus (due to alleged opposition from students over unemployment and other issues), he claimed.

Gandhi has been invited by the Students' Union and the OU authorities are yet to take a final decision on granting permission on August 14, he claimed.

In his meeting at Shamshabad here onAugust 13, Gandhi would highlight issues concerning members of women Self Help Groups, he said.

The Congress president would address a massive public meeting at Serilingampaly in the city and speak on different issues, including the problems of those settled in Hyderabad, he said.

OnAugust 14, Reddy said Gandhi would also have a tele-conference with presidents of nearly 33,000 polling booths in Telangana "which would be a kind of record in itself."



Gandhi would also interact with industrialists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To strengthen inter-state cooperation among the security forces, a contingent of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) has gone to Mizoram and Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) personnel have arrived in Tripura to participate in the Independence Day parade of the neighbouring state.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Smriti Ranjan Das said that a recent directive from the Ministry of Home affairs to all the states had asked for inter-state participation of the security forces in the Independence Day parade of neighbouring states.

In January last, during a meeting of the DGPs and IGs at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested that security forces of the neighbouring states could participate in each others Independence Day programme to improve inter-state cooperation among the security forces, a top police official said.

In line with the directive, a contingent of 44 TSR personnel has gone to Mizoram and a contingent of the same number of MAP personnel has come to Tripura, the police officer said.

The MAP is now jointly exercising with the Tripura police and the TSR contingent is in Mizoram for participation in the Independence Day parade, the AIG said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TVS Motor Company's chairman Venu Srinivasan today moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with an idol theft case.

In his bail application, Srinivasan cited a writ plea filed by advocate Elephant G Rajendran which refers to the FIR against him.

Srinivasan said he too understood that an FIR was registered by the Mylapore police and it was later transferred to the CB-CID Idol Wing.

The FIR against the industrialist alleges that he replaced an antique peacock idol with a new one at the Sri Kapaleeswarar temple here and it was registered on the complaint from a devotee Rangarajan Narasimhan, Rajendran told PTI.

Asserting that he was innocent, Srinivasan submitted that he had spent around Rs 70 lakh in 2004 from his personal fund for painting and flooring work at the Sri Kapaleeswarar temple.

Though he was appointed a member of the government-constituted Temple Renovation Committee that year, the officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department oversaw the renovation work, the industrialist said.

Beyond this, Srinivasan said, he has no other connection with the temple except that he is also a devotee of Lord Kapaleeswarar (Shiva).

He claimed that as the chairman of the board of trustees of Ranganathaswamy Temple at Tiruchirappalli, he spent nearly Rs 25 crore for its renovation in 2015.

A trust funded by him and his company had undertaken renovation work of over 100 temples in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, he submitted.

In view of the serious allegations and the FIR against him, Srinivasan said, he sought anticipatory bail.

The bail application is likely to be taken up for hearing by Justice M Dhandapani tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Health minister Anil Vij today suspended two officials of the Health department for providing wrong information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The action was taken against Superintendent Rohtas and Assistant Pankaj, the minister said, adding that the matter would be investigated by a senior IAS officer, who would submit a report within a month.

Replying to a Gurugram resident's query filed under the RTI Act, the officials had wrongly stated that no new hospital building was constructed in Haryana after 2014, which Vij said was an attempt by the accused to malign the department.

In an official release, the minister said the present state government had not only completed buildings of hospitals approved by the previous dispensation, but also built new ones.

Vij said 86 buildings approved during the tenure of the previous Congress government were completed by the present state government after 2014 and a sum of Rs 282.21 crore was spent on them.

Similarly, the present regime constructed 12 new buildings of hospitals at a cost of Rs 122.83 crore. Apart from this, administrative approval has been given for construction of 136 new buildings at a cost of Rs 643.41 crore, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two brothers were arrested in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh today after one of them allegedly tweeted that he was going to kill Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, police said.

"We arrested Jitendra (32) and Bharat Arjunwar (25) under the Information Technology Act and releant IPC sections. Jitendra had tweeted five times between August 2 and 7 that he was going to kill the chief minister," Bhopal Police Cyber Cell's Additional Superintendent of Police Sudeep Goenka said.

Bharat (25) had allegedly bought a mobile SIM card for his brother to activate his Twitter account, he said.

Jitendra Arjunwar had returned from Pakistan in May. He had been imprisoned in Pakistan after he inadvertently crossed into the neighbouring country from Gujarat border in 2013, the police officer said.

Police came across the threatening tweets on August 7 when Chouhan was visiting Seoni district.

"Both were brought here and questioned thoroughly before they were set free on bail," the ASP said.

"No organisation was found to be behind the threat. Jitendra appears to have made the threat due to some personal reasons or just for publicity," he added.

He is also suffering from sickle cell anaemia and has a problem in the hipbone which requires him to walk with support, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is facing a Conservative Party investigation over a column comparing women who wear face-covering veils to mailboxes and bank robbers.

The party has received complaints that the comments breach its code of conduct, and under Conservative rules they must be investigated by an independent panel. Possible penalties include expulsion from the party.

The party confirmed it had received complaints but declined to give details today, saying that the process is confidential.

The Conservative code of conduct says members should "lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance."



Johnson, who quit the government last month in a dispute over Brexit, wrote in the Daily Telegraph this week that it was "absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes."



He said he opposed banning burqas and other face-covering garments won by some Muslim women, but referred to a woman wearing the attire as "looking like a bank robber." Johnson's comments were criticised by Muslim groups and politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May, who urged Johnson to apologise. He has not said sorry.

Tousle-headed Johnson is one of Britain's best-known politicians, a popular but divisive figure known for Latin quips and verbal blunders that have included calling Papua New Guineans cannibals and accusing people in Liverpool of "wallowing" in victimhood.

Critics claim Johnson is using the burqa comments to boost his appeal among right-wing members of the party. Many expect May to face a leadership challenge soon if faltering Brexit negotiations with the European Union don't improve and Johnson is likely to be a contender to replace her.

He is popular with the pro-Brexit wing of the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided over its attitude to the EU. His Brexiteer credentials were bolstered when he resigned as foreign secretary in July, accusing May of killing "the Brexit dream" with her plan to seek close economic ties with the bloc after Brexit next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United Nations chief has urged an "independent and prompt" probe into a strike at a market in rebel-held northern Yemen that killed at least 29 children.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday called "on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the fundamental rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack," his spokesman said in a statement, emphasizing that "all parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations."



He also reiterated his call "for a negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue as the only way to end the conflict.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he welcomes the ongoing talks between the US and North Korea to achieve total denuclearization and also supported the Japanese initiative of dialogue with Pyongyang.

"As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I am obviously totally committed to the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions on North Korea," he told reporters in Tokyo yesterday.

He said he fully supports the negotiations taking place between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) with the objective that "we all share to see a total denuclearization that is verifiable, that is irreversible, to make sure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region."



The UN extended its full support for the Japanese initiative of dialogue with North Korea.

In June, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in Singapore, signing a joint statement which included a pledge to end DPRK's nuclear weapons programme. Days after conducting its sixth nuclear test last September, a North Korean ballistic missile flew over mainland Japan, drawing condemnation from the Security Council, which had just ratcheted up sanctions.

Flanked by Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, Guterres went on to express his support for Japan's willingness to hold fresh talks with the North Korean leadership, following Prime Minister Abe's offer of a high-level summit with the country.

The UN chief hailed these developments as timely, coming in the wake of a United Nation's disarmament initiative, launched in May of this year. The new agenda, "Securing Our Common Future", sets out his bold new vision for a world without nuclear arsenals and other deadly weapons. It focuses on three priorities weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons and new battlefield technologies.

He said that "the North Korea and the Iran situations are two central aspects of our concerns to make sure that we preserve non-proliferation, but also recognizing that non-proliferation needs to be accompanied by effective disarmament, progressive disarmament measures in the nuclear dimension. And, at the same time, the full implementation of the ban on chemical weapons and biological weapons."



He added that the agenda represented "disarmament to save lives", taking into account the "devastating impact" of conventional weapons on civilian populations in urban centres and "disarmament for the future generations, namely to make sure that we do not develop arms, systems of arms, that fully escape the control of human beings and responsibility of human beings".

The Secretary-General travelled to Nagasaki later on Wednesday, where he was due to meet Mayor Tomihisa Taue, and other local officials, as well as with some hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bombs. He would also visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, before taking part in the 73rd Nagasaki Peace Ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Millions still live in fear of nuclear war with many countries ramping up their atomic arsenals, the head of the United Nations warned today, marking the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing.

Antonio Guterres, the first sitting UN secretary general to attend ceremonies honouring those who died in the bombing, said that even 73 years later, there was still a "shadow cast by the dread of unthinkable carnage.

"Nuclear-armed states are spending "vast sums" to modernise their arsenals and "disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," noted Guterres.

"There is an urgent need for disarmament of all kinds, but especially nuclear disarmament," stressed the secretary general.

The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 140,000 people. The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.

Three days later, the US dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people.

Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15, 1945.

Today in Nagasaki, crowds flocked to pray and pay their respects at the 10-metre (33-foot) high peace statue.

Guterres and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid wreaths to honour the dead and family members carrying buckets of water to purify altars bowed in memory of their loved ones.

The ceremony came amid lingering worries over North Korea's nuclear threat and in a year when President Donald Trump has pledged to bolster the US arsenal.

Mayor of Nagasaki Tomihisa Taue also issued a passionate call for denuclearisation.

"To the great concern of those in the atomic-bombed cities, a shift towards openly asserting that nuclear weapons are necessary and that their use could lead to increased military might is once again on the rise," Taue said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet today condoled the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister and a doyen of Dravidian M Karunanidhi, a day after he was laid to rest on the Marina beachfront in Chennai, and observed that the country has lost a "veteran and distinguished" leader.

The Union Cabinet, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condoled the demise of the 94-year-old leader, who had passed away on August 7 at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.

It observed a two-minute silence in his memory and passed a condolence resolution.

"The Cabinet expresses profound sorrow at the sad demise of Dr M Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on August 7, 2018 at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai. In his death, the country has lost a veteran and distinguished leader, affectionately called 'Kalaignar'," the resolution stated.

The DMK patriarch was 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 had descended on the city to pay their last respects to the "Thalaivar" (the leader), a school dropout, who left an indelible imprint on the state's public life over decades through his literary, cinematic and political achievements.

Muthuvel Karunanidhi, born in Thirukkuvalai village in Nagapattinam District on June 3, 1924, had held various important positions in his public and political life during his long career in Tamil Nadu political arena.

He entered Tamil Nadu Assembly winning Kulithalai seat in the 1957 elections at the age of 33 and became a minister in the Tamil Nadu government in 1967, and then rose to become the chief minister of the state for the first time in 1969.

He held the position of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister five times.

"Apart from his political life and career, he has been very popular screenwriter in Tamil cinema. He used medium of cinema for propagating the ideals of the Dravidian movement.

"Dr M Karunanidhi was also famous for his writing and oratorical skills. His contribution to Tamil literature has been profound and prolific covering a wide range i.e. poems, screenplays, novels, biographies, stage-plays, dialogues and movie songs," an official statement said.

In his death, people of Tamil Nadu have lost their popular leader.

"The Cabinet extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family as well as the people of Tamil Nadu on behalf of the government and the entire nation," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has directed the Disaster Management department to send a team to monitor the unusual high tides in Siang river in Mebo area of East Siang district, according to Mebo MLA Lombo Tayeng.

The MLA said the chief minister directed the department to send a team after he took up the issue of unusual high tides in Siang river with Khandu



"Jarring tides have been running unusually high in a very normal weather condition and concentrated to affect Mebo areas only while the flow is totally normal upstream in Namsing and its adjoining areas, about 31-km upstream of Mebo," Tayeng, who is also the advisor to the chief minister told reporters last night.

The chief minister has directed the disaster management department secretary to depute a team to monitor the tides for better understanding and examine the possible causes of the of unusual phenomena of the river, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader R P N Singh today said the BJP government at the Centre has deported only 1800 Bangaladeshi infiltrators since 2014, while 82,000 such illegal immigrants had been sent back during the 10 years of the UPA rule.

Singh, the party's in-charge of Jharkhand, also accused the BJP led NDA government at the Centre of failing to fulfill its promises.

BJP president Amit Shah have been claiming that the government would initiate action against Bangladeshi infiltrators but deported only 1800 during its four-and-a- half-year tenure, he said.

In between 2004-2014, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deported 82,000 Bangladeshi infiltrators, Singh said.

"These figures were not ours but presented by the government in Parliament," he said.

Singh said the government has recently assured the parliament that no Bangladeshi would be deported.

The Congress Working Committee member also lambasted the BJP for allegedly politicising the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year.

The NRC was in fact initiated by the Congress as the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had signed the Assam Accord in 1985, Singh told a press conference here.

Asked whether the Congress would favour implementation of NRC across the country, he said it was framed specifically for Assam following the Assam accord signed in 1985.

Demanding that the government make the Rafale deal public, Singh charged it with failing to fulfill promises like providing employment to two crore youths every year and to check corruption in the country.

On who would be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the UPA in the Loks Sabha poll, Singh said the clear stand of the Congress as well as some of its allies was that Congress president Lok Gandhi should be the candidate for the post.

On Jharkhand, he said, "We have discussion with leaders of various allies and our effort will be to form a grand alliance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Historian Audrey Truschke's talk in the city scheduled for Saturday was cancelled, with the American author claiming that right-wing outfits were behind the cancellation.

A representative of Krishnakriti Foundation, one of the organisers of the event, confirmed that the lecture titled "Unpopular Stories: Narrating the Indo-Islamic Past and Navigating Present-day Prejudices" was cancelled but did not elaborate.

"I deeply regret that my presentation and the subsequent exchange of ideas will not occur.

"Today is a sad day for the pursuit of knowledge and academic freedom, and it is a happy day for proponents of the Hindu Rashtra," Truschke wrote in a Facebook post.

The assistant professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, tweeted that her lecture in Hyderabad was cancelled.

"The subject of 'Unpopular Stories', proved a bit too true, perhaps, when the Hindu Right protested to the police."



"The revised schedule is that I will not visit Hyderabad on this trip to India, regretfully," she said in another tweet.

In the Facebook post, Truschke claimed the organisers took this decision after being informed by the Hyderabad Police that several individuals had written letters protesting her appearance.

"I saw only one such letter, and it was from an individual with self-admitted connections to the RSS, BJP and BJPM," Truschke claimed.

She said she was to speak on several areas of her academic research, including Mughal history and Sanskrit literature.

Truschke said she was especially looking forward to talking with Hyderabadis about 'Aurangzeb's brutal assaults' on sultanates in the Deccan in the 1680s and debates concerning what brought about the end of Indian Buddhism in the early second millennium CE.

However, a senior police official told PTI they had not asked the organisers to cancel the event.

"We have not withdrawn permission nor asked them to cancel the event, they themselves took the decision," the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US national has been apprehended by the CISF at the airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle out gold biscuits worth over Rs 12 lakh, a senior official today said.

He said M S K Reddy was intercepted at the airport yesterday based on suspicion, he said.

Four gold biscuits, weighing about 400 grams in total, were recovered from the man who is a United States of America (US) national. He could not produce valid reasons for carrying the gold and the cache is estimated to be worth Rs 12.40 lakh, he said.

Reddy, who was supposed to take a flight for Dallas via Dubai, has been handed over to Customs authorities for further probe, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US investor T Rowe Price has approached the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the finance ministry and Sebi to prevent four PSUs from stalling the Unit Trust of India's bid to come up with an IPO.

In its petition, T Rowe Price International Ltd, which owns 26 per cent of the UTI Asset Management Company, claimed the four public sector undertakings State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda were trying to stall the company's proposed IPO.

The petition, filed in the high court yesterday, has sought for implementation of the Sebi's rules and regulations and to extend the term of UTI's chief executive Leo Puri for another year to see the IPO through.

According to T Rowe Price, the four PSUs, which together own 74 per cent in the UTI AMC, are not in favour of granting Puri a second term.

"In the absence of confirming Leo Puri's appointment for a further period of 12 months, the performance of UTI shall be adversely affected and consequently, the interest of unit holders shall further deteriorate," the petition said.

The petition has also sought a direction to Sebi to ask the four domestic shareholders to bring down their holding in the fund house to 10 per cent each from the present 18.25 per cent.

It claimed that as per a regulatory order issued by Sebi in March this year, no shareholder of one asset management company can own more than 10 per cent in another, and those who own such stakes need to bring them down.

The petition will be placed before a division bench of the high court which is likely to hear it on August 16, according to the high court's website.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US today said it will impose tough new sanctions on Russia after determining that Moscow used a deadly military-grade nerve agent to kill a former Russian double agent and his daughter in the UK.

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia Skripal were hospitalised and treated for a nerve agent attack in March. While Yulia was discharged from a British hospital in April, her father recovered and left the hospital in May.

The State Department said in a statement that the sanctions were in response to the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen and his daughter on March 4.

Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that it was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury.

The US, on August 6, determined that the Russian government "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

The statement said that following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect around August 22.

The State Department notified Congress yesterday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law. Unless Russia takes certain steps, a second set of penalties -- more stringent than this first round -- must follow, according to the law.

The first set of sanctions targets certain items the US exports to Russia that could have military uses -- so-called dual use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported. With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied, CNN reported.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

Relations between Russia and the West hit a new low after the nerve agent attack in the UK. More than 20 countries expelled Russian envoys in solidarity with the UK.

The Washington Post quoted a State Department official as saying that the sanctions could have a significant impact on trade with Russia, including prohibition of licenses on sending some US goods there, such as electronic devices.

"But unless Russia agrees within 90 days to stop all use of chemical weapons and permit inspections to confirm their elimination, additionally mandated measures could cut off almost all trade between the two countries, prohibit landing rights for Russian airlines, and lead to a suspension of diplomatic relations," the Post report said.

In March, the Trump administration had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russians from the US, following similar actions taken by other countries in the wake of the allegation by the UK that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack.

Of the 60 expelled, 12 are intelligence operatives from the Russian mission to the United Nations who have been accused of abusing their privilege of residence in the United States.

"After a review, we have determined that the 12 intelligence operatives engaged in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. Our actions are consistent with the UN Headquarters Agreement," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said.

Russia had responded with a similar number of diplomatic expulsions and ordered the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.

Britain welcomed the move from the US. In a short statement, a government spokesperson said, "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."



The Russian embassy in the US hit back today, criticising what it called "far-fetched accusations" from the US that Russia was behind the attack.

Russia had become "accustomed to not hearing any facts or evidence", it said, adding: "We continue to strongly stand for an open and transparent investigation of the crime committed in Salisbury.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Trump administration said today it would impose new sanctions against Russia to punish Moscow for the use of a nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former spy and his daughter in Britain.

The State Department said in a brief statement that the sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in March".

The US, on August 6, determined that the Russian government "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The statement said that following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect around August 22.

Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that Moscow was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 that had left Skripal and his daughter hospitalised in critical condition.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which "requires the President to make a determination with respect to whether a country 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.

The Washington Post quoted a State Department official as saying that the sanctions could have a significant impact on trade with Russia, including prohibition of licenses on sending some US goods there, such as electronic devices.

"But unless Russia agrees within 90 days to stop all use of chemical weapons and permit inspections to confirm their elimination, additionally mandated measures could cut off almost all trade between the two countries, prohibit landing rights for Russian airlines, and lead to a suspension of diplomatic relations," the Washington Post report said.

In March, the Trump administration had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russians from the US, following similar actions taken by other countries in the wake of the allegation by the UK that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack.

Of the 60 expelled, 12 are intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission to the United Nations who have been accused of abusing their privilege of residence in the United States.

"After a review, we have determined that the 12 intelligence operatives engaged in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. Our actions are consistent with the UN Headquarters Agreement," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said.

Russia had responded with a similar number of diplomatic expulsions and ordered the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A leading business group in the US has welcomed the clearance to American retail giant Walmart's proposed acquisition of Flipkart, saying it will support the Indian government's ambitious 'Make in India' initiative.

(CCI) yesterday said in New Delhi that it has cleared 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.

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), a new organisation set up to enhance business relations between India and the US, lauded the approval.

"The deal is good for India as a whole. It will strengthen the agriculture supply chain and create new skilled jobs, supporting the 'Make in India' initiative," the USISPF said in a tweet.

Congratulations to @Walmart @Flipkart for receiving the approval of CCI @narendramodi it shows confidence in continuing economic reforms in India. This deal will benefit farmers, consumers, create jobs and bring new supply chain technologies @USISPForum  Mukesh Aghi (@MukeshAghi) August 9, 2018

USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi congratulated Walmart and Flipkart.

ALSO READ: Walmart bullish on omnichannel retail format to beat competition in India

"Congratulations to @Walmart @Flipkart for receiving the approval of @narendramodi it shows confidence in continuing economic reforms in India. This deal will benefit farmers, consumers, create jobs and bring new supply chain technologies," Aghi tweeted.

In May, Walmart announced the acquisition of 77 per cent stake of Flipkart in its biggest takeover till date.

Mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain threshold require the approval of
A 22-year-old woman was allegedly sexually exploited for two months by the husband of a village pradhan in Bhadohi district, officials said today.

The accused was identified as Kamta Prasad Bind, husband of Manisha Bind, the village pradhan of Kishunpur Basahi village.

According to the victim, Kamta promised her a house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and on that pretext raped her repeatedly for two months.

Later, the victim told her family members about the harassment and a case was lodged, said Satya Narain Misra, Koirana police station in-charge, adding that the victim's husband is the tractor driver of the accused.

The accused was arrested and the woman was sent for medical examination, Misra added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The pro-quota bandh called by some Maratha groups today was marked by sporadic violence and arson, disruption of road traffic and rallies in various parts of Maharashtra.

The day-long agitation began on a relatively peaceful note in the morning but turned violent in the afternoon.

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.

Violence and arson was witnessed today despite the appeal by the Maratha community leaders for carrying out the protests in a peaceful manner.

The Maratha groups organised the bandh despite the assurance by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that his government was working on providing reservation in a legally sustainable manner.

Pune was one of the worst hit by today's agitation, with a mob vandalising property at the district collectorate and violence being witnessed at some other places.

Authorities had ordered closure of schools and colleges and suspended internet services in Pune to prevent rumour- mongering.

Plants of many companies also remained shut.

"According to my information, the main gate of the administrative building and the security cabin's glass were damaged," Collector Naval Kishor Ram said.

According to sources, the protesters also damaged some light bulbs in the premises.

Authorities had taken precautions to prevent any untoward incident and suspended internet services in seven tehsils of the district to check rumour-mongering.

In the evening, some miscreants resorted to stone pelting at the police in Chandni Chowk area of Pune.

"After the agitation, some anti-social elements started pelting stones at the police and even tried to block the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway," Shivaji Bodkhe, joint commissioner of police (law and order) of Pune police said.

"When the policemen tried to stop them from blocking the highway, they started pelting stones, prompting the police to chase them and resort to mild lathi charge in order to disperse them," he said.

He said the police was in the process of detaining all such people who are "not agitators but miscreants".

"The vehicular traffic on the highway has been resumed now and the situation is under control," he said.

Chakan, an industrial hub about 40 kms from Pune which saw violence on July 30 during a similar agitation, remained peaceful, the police said.

In Aurangabad city, a mob pelted stones on the police and set ablaze four vehicles, including a police vehicle, the police said.

Some industrial units in the area were also targeted by the mob, he said.

The police lobbed tear gas shells on the protesters and tried to disperse the mob, he said.

Two groups of protesters clashed when someone allegedly shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district, a police official said.

"One person was injured in the incident but we brought the situation under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed their members," a police official said.

The internet service in some parts of the city was temporarily suspended for some time, the official said.

In Hingoli district of Marathwada, the protesters torched a godown of the Panchayat Samitee in Sengaon area, an official said.

The protesters also created road blockades and staged sit-in protests in Hingoli city and rural area, he said.

The violent protesters vandalised a toll plaza at Manvat in Parbhani district, he said.

A railway gateman was thrashed by the protesters at Purna railway station, he said.

In Latur, Congress MLA Trimbakrao Bhise faced the ire of Maratha protesters, who surrounded him pushed him away, police said.

Protesters targeted the former chief minister Ashok Chavan-controlled Satyaprabha newspaper in Nanded. They broke window panes of the office, police said.

A mob approached the newspaper office and pelted stones at it, they said.

Stones were also allegedly pelted at the office of another Marathi daily Pudhari, located in the same area, police said.

Protesters held a sit-in outside the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati tehsil of Pune, and were joined by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No. 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said.

Some agitators burnt tyres on roads in Jalna and Ahmednagar districts, a police official said.

The call for bandh was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, but excluded Navi Mumbai, which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe in the densely populated township decided to remain shut today.

Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai, with deployment of city police personnel along with a company of the Rapid Action Force and the Reserve Police Force.

The public transport buses and local trains were running normal in the town. Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said.

Even though Maratha groups excluded essential services from the purview of the bandh, supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A traffic department official said the number of vehicles on National Highway number four (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A history-sheeter was today shot at by two unidentified assailants in Sikar district of Rajasthan, police said.

The victim, identified as Manoj Ola, was standing near the Jaipur-Sikar highway when the two men came and shot at him, they said.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors referred him to SMS hospital in Jaipur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States called for a "thorough" investigation following the deaths of 29 children in northern Yemen in a strike on a bus carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US was "concerned" by reports of an attack resulting in civilian deaths.

"We are calling the Saudi led coalition to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident," she said.

Nauert added the US takes credible accounts of civilian casualties "very seriously." "We call on the parties to take appropriate measures to protect civilians," she said.

A hospital in Saada province supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross "received the bodies of 29 children under the age of 15, and 48 wounded, including 30 children," the organization announced on Twitter.

A spokesman for the Red Cross in Sanaa told AFP the toll was not final as casualties from the attack were taken to several hospitals.

The coalition acknowledged carrying out a "legitimate military action," but spokesman Turki al-Maliki told AFP claims that children were inside the bus were "misleading," adding that the bus carried "Huthi combatants."



Saada is a stronghold of Huthi rebels, whom the Saudi-led coalition are fighting in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's forces.

The war in Yemen has left more than 10,000 dead since 2015, sparking what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The US has lent its Saudi allies support in the form of arms, intelligence and aerial refueling.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel carried out a wave of strikes across Gaza today in response to some 180 rockets and mortars fired at its territory, killing three Palestinians including a toddler in another severe flare-up of violence.

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.

Beginning last night and into today, fireballs and explosions shook the Gaza Strip while plumes of smoke rose from the enclave.

In nearby Israeli communities, residents were sent scrambling to bomb shelters.

Most of the rockets fired by Palestinian militants landed in open areas, but at least two hit the Israeli town of Sderot near the Gaza Strip and sirens sounded throughout the night and into the morning.

Medics reported at least four wounded taken to Israeli hospitals, including a 30-year-old Thai woman in moderate to severe condition after being injured in the Eshkol region bordering the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military reported seven civilians wounded.

Those killed in the Gaza Strip included Enas Khammash, 23, and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

They were killed in an air strike in Jafarawi in central Gaza, the ministry said, while her husband was injured. The ministry said Khammash was also pregnant.

A Hamas militant was also killed in the strikes and at least 12 others injured, the health ministry said.

Rockets and mortars targeting Israel continued sporadically today morning as did Israeli strikes in parts of the Gaza Strip.

"I rented this house to civilians and I'm surprised that this house was bombed," said Abdul al-Hakeem Abu Amra, the owner of the house where the woman and child were killed.

In Sderot, the Israeli city near the Gaza Strip, a gaping hole could be seen in front of a small, three-storey building. A car parked nearby was smashed.

"I will never leave, never," said Hagit Shetreet, 45, who had to run to a shelter due to the rocket fire.

Israel's army said it targeted more than 150 Hamas military locations, including militant compounds and weapons manufacturing sites.

Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said he had no information on the woman and child being killed, but noted a pregnant Israeli woman was taken to hospital last night after a rocket landed nearby.

"What I can say is that we targeted by definition only military targets that were clearly used by Hamas where there was an active presence of Hamas and nothing else," he told journalists.

The military said Israel was targeted with around 180 rockets and mortars from late yesterday into today. Thirty of them were intercepted by air defence systems, according to the army.

The military said it was "determined to secure the safety of the citizens of Israel and is on high alert and prepared for a wide variety of scenarios." A statement from the military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the rockets.

It said the Palestinian "resistance" had fired a large number of rockets at "enemy positions in the Gaza envelope".

The three flare-ups since July, which follow months of tensions due to protests and clashes along the Gaza border, have raised fears of a fourth war between the two sides since 2008.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN envoy for the Middle East conflict who has been seeking to negotiate a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas, said he was "deeply alarmed." "For months I have been warning that the humanitarian, security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants," he said in a statement.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called on the international community to "immediately and urgently intervene." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convening a meeting of his security cabinet.

The flare-up that began last night followed an incident the previous day. In that incident, two fighters from Hamas's military wing were killed by Israeli fire along the border.

Israel initially said the two fighters were shooting at Israeli soldiers, but Hamas said they were involved in a training exercise that senior officials were attending.

Israeli media reported that army officials later acknowledged a mistake had been made and the militants had not been firing at soldiers, though the military would not confirm that information to AFP.

Hamas warned Israel it would pay for the attack, and on Wednesday the army said shots were fired at civilian engineers working on an underground barrier along the border, prompting the military to respond with tank fire. That was followed by the rockets and then the Israeli strikes.

The escalation comes after the Hamas leadership convened for a rare meeting in Gaza on Friday, raising hopes for a lasting truce with Israel with the backing of Egypt and the United Nations.

Protests and clashes along the Gaza border began on March 30 and peaked with the May 14 move of the US embassy for Israel to the disputed city of Jerusalem.

At least 165 Palestinians have killed by Israeli fire since March 30. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Spending a weekend in Europe's 10 most popular cities during summer could have the same health impact as smoking one to four cigarettes per day, according to a study.

Emissions from cars are the main source of particulate matter in the 10 cities during summer months.

Car makers consistently violate fuel efficiency laws by manufacturing vehicles that generate more pollution than the permitted levels, the study said.

"Industry claims modern diesels are clean, but checks reveal this is false, with most emitting up to 18 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide pollution," according to the study by Transport & (T&E), a European umbrella for NGO working in the field of transport and the environment, promoting sustainable transport in Europe.

"City breaks are supposed to be refreshing. But tourists are being warned that spending a long weekend in Europe's 10 most popular but polluted cities could have the same health impacts as smoking between one and four cigarettes," the study said.

London, hosting 19 million overnight international visitors per day, was ranked first, followed by Paris at 15 million.

Other cities are Istanbul, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Prague and Dublin, the study said.

The study reveals that air quality is far worse than what the official data shows in Italy, Germany, Bulgaria and Belgium.

Meanwhile, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Romania face billions in fines for breaching EU air pollution standards, the study claimed.

"When air pollution is bad, we are told to avoid eating or exercising outside. But walking around cities and eating on restaurant terraces is what city breaks are all about. Right now, tourists, including kids, are more or less forced to smoke, in terms of the health impacts," said T&E air quality and diesel coordinator Jens Mller.

"City bosses need to get a grip on air pollution or risk a tourist backlash. Cars are the worst cause of air pollution in cities during the summer. Cheating carmakers should be given a deadline to truly clean up the mess they created. If they fail, polluting cars should quickly be banned from cities to protect residents," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New York Rep. Chris Collins was one of the first House members to back Donald Trump for president in 2016 and quickly became a ubiquitous surrogate for the future president on cable television.

Yesterday, federal prosecutors announced indictments of the Buffalo-area congressman, his son and a friend on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Collins pleaded not guilty.

Some snapshots of the relationship and the case: EARLY ADOPTER Collins, 68, backed Trump on Feb 24, 2016 well before it was clear Trump had a shot at winning the Republican nomination in a crowded field of seasoned politicians.

But that's why, Collins said at the time, he was backing Trump.

He said the country needs "a chief executive, not a chief politician."Collins became one of Trump's most ardent and public backers, promoting him as a businessman who would boost the economic fortunes of areas that have suffered.

He spent time in the Trump family box at the Republican National Convention and seconded Trump's nomination there. In the process, his status rose on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.

"Truly my profile, both locally, nationally and within my conference, is significantly more visible," Collins told Politico earlier this year. "I've enjoyed it."



Collins staunchly backed Trump's biggest legislative achievement, a USD 1.5 trillion tax cut.

The congressman's effusiveness, however, got some blowback after he told reporters that pressure from donors was a factor in passing the bill.

"My donors are basically saying, 'Get it done or don't ever call me again,'" Collins said.

Reeling from the failure of the GOP effort to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, Congress passed the tax cut and Trump signed the measure into law in December.

The congressman has also echoed Trump's call for an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian campaign collusion. The president has called the Mueller probe a "witch hunt" and blamed it on Democrats.

"I share President Trump's continued frustration as the left continues to try to nullify the 2016 presidential election with claims of Russian interference," Collins said.

Collins, a conservative county executive first elected to the House in 2012, has denied any wrongdoing in his involvement with Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited, a biotechnology company based in Sydney, Australia.

He was company's largest shareholder, with nearly 17 per cent of its shares, and sat on its board.

When the House Ethics Committee began investigating his trading of the stock a year ago, his spokeswoman called the probe a "partisan witch hunt."



Yesterday, Collins was arrested and charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

Prosecutors filed parallel charges against his son, Cameron Collins, and a third person, Stephen Zarsky.

A carousel spun on the White House's South Lawn on June 22, 2017, as Trump paid tribute to the "wonderful tradition" of the annual congressional picnic and said he and his wife have "developed friendships with some really great people - mostly."



Among those gathered under the twinkling lights was Collins, whose reply to an email that night triggered what would become the indictment unsealed yesterday.

Collins received an email from Innate's chief executive saying that a trial of a drug the company developed to treat multiple sclerosis was a clinical failure.

According to the indictment, Collins responded to the email saying: "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???"



The charging document said Collins then called his son, Cameron, and, after several missed calls, they spoke for more than six minutes.

The next morning, according to the indictment, Cameron Collins began selling his shares, unloading enough over a two-day period to avoid USD 570,900 in losses before a public announcement of the drug trial results.

Prosecutors said the son traded on the inside information and passed it to Zarsky. Their combined trades avoided over USD 768,000 in losses, authorities said.

They said Zarsky traded on the information and tipped off at least three other people.

After the public announcement of the failure in the drug trial, the company's stock plunged 92 per cent.

In an email obtained by The Buffalo News, Collins vowed to his supporters yesterday that he will stay in office, run for re-election and fight to clear his name.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Collins would be removed from the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee "until the matter is settled."



Trump has no connection to the Innate Immunotherapeutics case.

He promised during his presidential campaign to "drain the swamp" of Washington corruption.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to support the bill on banning instant triple talaq and wondered if she stands for women's dignity and equality than why does her party continue to oppose the measure in Parliament.

He also questioned demands to remove the provision of up to three year jail term for husband for giving instant triple talaq to his wife.

"It is asked if the husband is jailed, who would take care of the wife. Under the Dowry Act, Muslim husbands and mothers-in-law go to jail, in Domestic Violence Act people go to jail ... Don't Muslim criminals go to jail in other offences ... why only raise the issue of triple talaq," he told reporters here.

He said if Congress does not support the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill,' Gandhi should not talk of gender justice, dignity and equality.

Prasad said the bill should not be opposed by Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee as it seeks to achieve gender equality.

Provision of bail was one of the demands of the opposition parties



Seeking to allay their fears, the government today approved certain safeguards in the bill such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

The minister said in 2017, a total of 389 cases of instant triple talaq were reported. Between January and August last year, 229 cases were reported. "This shows that the bill is required even after the Supreme Court struck down triple talaq as illegal."



Even after the bill was introduced, 160 cases were reported.

The bill has been cleared by Lok Sabha and pending approval of Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments in Rajya Sabha. If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Changing the name of Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens Delhi and not a street named after Prithiviraj Chauhan, who "did some pretty violent things", reflects the "targeted nature" of the government of the day, says author and Indologist Audrey Truschke.

Aurangzeb Road was renamed Dr APJ Abdul Kalam road in August 2015 by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

"I will certainly not lobby to name after Aurangzeb today because there is no particular reason to do that. But the problem with renaming Aurangzeb Road was the targeted nature of it," said the author of "Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth".

"Why only Aurangzeb Road? Why not Akbar Road or Prithviraj Road, he did some pretty violent things in his days?" she asked.

Her lecture in Hyderabad, titled 'Unpopular Stories: Narrating the Indo-Islamic Past and Navigating Present-day Prejudices', scheduled to be held on August 11, has been cancelled allegedly following threats from Hindu groups.

"I was told the police received letters of protest. I was also told that the police requested that there be protection for the event, and then refused to provide it on only on one week's notice," Truschke told PTI.

Truschke, who recently hit the headlines for her controversial tweet on Valmiki's Ramayana, said stripping Aurangzeb's name from street signs and then replacing it with another Muslim name was good political strategy but also overt judgement of what sort of Indian Muslim is acceptable.

"It is the BJP's way to say these ways of being an Indian Muslim are ok and these ways are not right. To narrow the range of being an Indian Muslim and practice Islam in India, specifically to what is acceptable with the culture of Hinduism... this is a sort of direct assault on the minority," said the historian, who teaches at Rutgers University.

Describing Aurangzeb as someone who was "complicated" and "enigmatic", the author said, contrary to popular belief, the Mughal emperor "protected more temples than he destroyed".

"When I say he protected more temples than he destroyed, I do not mean that through sort of laziness or lack of destruction. I actually mean he protected them. In Aurangzeb's reign, protection and destruction of temples went together," she said.

In 1659, for instance, he ordered that temples in Benares be protected but the order also said you cannot build more, Truschke explained.

"Throughout his reign, he issued a bunch of different orders, some to protect specific temples, some to protect 'maths' and some to protect specific people," she added.

Her revelations about Aurangzeb, the man who many love to hate, has not been taken well by people, especially alleged Hindu extremists.

"Yes, the trolling and hate mails have only gone worse during my visit to India this time. But then I am very thick skinned, I can read most stuff and go to bed and sleep alright," she said.

Truschke is currently in India on a speaking tour.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje today said her government will waive overdue loan of farmers of Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) area of the state.

She made the announcement at a rally under Rajasthan Gaurav yatra in Pratapgarh district today.

The chief minister said the government will waive overdue long-term loans taken from cooperative banks by small and marginal farmers of all categories in the TSP area.

The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) is a strategy for the rapid Socio-economic development of tribal people.

She also announced increase the loan subsidy from 5 to 7 per cent for the farmers who timely repay loans borrowed from cooperative land development banks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A woman died today after falling from Nagoi hill near Parihar village in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, the police said.

The deceased was identified as Gohdu Devi of Bainska village. Gohdu was cutting grass, along with her husband and sister-in-law, atop Nagoi hill, when she suddenly slipped and fell 150 metres downhill, the police said.

Chamba Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said there was no foul play in the death. The statement of eyewitnesses were recorded and an inquest was carried out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the BJP of creating division among people on the basis of religion, caste and creed, while asking them to repose faith in her as she would never allow anybody to act against their interests.

During a visit to Jhargram district, her first after the panchayat polls in May this year, the Trinamool Congress chief urged the people to stay united against communal forces and stop them from entering the district.

The BJP had fared well at the rural polls in the tribal-dominated district.

Banerjee directed the MLAs, TMC leaders as well as the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police to help solve people's problems. She also inaugurated a number of health care projects for the district.

Accusing the BJP of trying to disrupt peace in this erstwhile Maoist-affected area, she said, "In the last seven years, we have not let anybody disrupt peace in this region. We have not allowed the Maoists to enter this place. A few people are bringing in Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand to create bloodbath in Jhargram."



"If you (people) have faith in me, I will ask you not to trust anybody else other than us (TMC). Till I am alive, I will never let anybody to act against the interests of the people. You are my family. I love the Adivasis (tribals)," she said at a public meeting here.

Banerjee claimed that during the Left Front government, around 300 people were killed in Jhargram in a year, while it was almost nil now.

Hitting out at the BJP, she said, "I do not create any division among people. I do not create division among the Hindus and Muslims, nor among the other communities. It's the ruling BJP at the Centre which does that. We are not with them (the BJP)."



"They (BJP) want the poor to face problem. They do not want them to get rice at Rs 2 a kg, free education, job and health care," the TMC chief alleged.

Calling upon people to stay united in the fight against communal forces, Banerjee said, "Let us strengthen the unity. Let us take oath today that there would not be no place for communalism in our state. We will stay together and create a new Bengal," Banerjee said.

Against the backdrop of the BJP making inroads in Jhargram district, the TMC had made some organisational changes last month at block level in the district.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee tweeted that her government has ensured all-round development for the tribal people in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels hit a bus in a market in northern Yemen today, killing at least 20 people, including children, and wounding as many as 35, Yemeni tribal leaders said.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south the previous day, killing one person.

Yemen's rebel-run Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers.

According to Yemeni elders, the attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many school children, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

There was no breakdown in the casualties and it was not immediately clear how many of the victims were on the bus itself and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it.

It was also unclear if there were other airstrikes in the area. Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack in Saada targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdom's south, killing one person and wounding 11 others.

The coalition said Wednesday's projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, also said the missile was launched "deliberately to target residential and populated areas."



Al-Malki insisted Thursday's attack in Saada was carried out "in accordance with international and humanitarian law and customs." Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that an ICRC supported hospital received dozens of dead and wounded following the attack that hit the bus with children.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten," the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is "sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx." Al Masirah TV gave a different casualty toll, saying 39 people were killed and 51 wounded, mainly children. Disparate casualty tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of large attacks.

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the city's southern and western neighborhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

Yemen's stalemated, three-year war has killed over 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemen's infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for its airstrikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

Last week, Yemeni medical officials said the coalition conducted airstrikes in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, killing at least 28 people and wounding 70. But the coalition denied carrying out any attacks in the city, saying it follows a "strict and transparent approach based on the rules international law." The fight for the port of Hodeida, a key lifeline for supplies and aid for Yemen's population on the brink of starvation, has become the latest battleground in the devastating war.

The Iran-aligned Houthis regularly fire into Saudi Arabia and have targeted its capital, Riyadh, with ballistic missiles. They say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition.

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing to bring the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemen's warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 to hold the first round of consultations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress' youth wing today celebrated its foundation day by flagging off a rally from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat to fight "hatred and violence" in the country.

A new logo of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) was unveiled on the occasion and a 'Jan Sewak' programme was also launched to felicitate its "committed and hardworking" members.

A certificate of excellence was presented to IYC members from different parts of the country for their outstanding performance.

The 'Nafrat Chodo Pyaar Baaton (shun hatred spread love)' rally will conclude at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat in Delhi on August 15, after passing through Rajasthan and Haryana, IYC spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey said.

"The rally is aimed at eliminating the evil of hatred and discrimination in the name of religion, caste, community, gender and race. At this point, when the country is getting deeper into dangers of killings, rape, murder, lynching and mass violence, IYC had taken a pledge to remove this hatred from the country," a statement from the Congress youth wing said.

The branches of Youth Congress also launched state-wise campaigns today with an aim to further peace and love among people, Pandey said.

National president of IYC Kehav Chand Yadav unfurled the organisation's flag at its headquarters at Raisina Road here.

Also, office bearers of the Youth Congress took out a march for Gyarah Murti to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and all other leaders who participated in freedom struggle of the country. Besides Yadav, AICC in-charge to IYC Krishna Allavaru, vice president Srinivas B V among others participated in it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Zambian authorities today defied a court order stopping them from deporting top Zimbabwe opposition figure Tendai Biti, handing him to police across the border, his lawyer said.

"They have defied the court order to allow him to seek asylum and as I am speaking to you right now he has been handed over to the Zimbabwean police," lawyer Gilbert Phiri told AFP.

Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), fled to Zambia yesterday claiming asylum, reportedly facing charges at home of inciting post-election violence.

Zambian authorities swiftly refused him asylum, but Phiri said Biti's legal team had managed to challenge the decision, keeping Biti in Zambia.

But authorities have ignored the ruling and deported him, Phiri said.

"He is on the Zimbabwe side," he confirmed. "This is really embarrassing."



A hearing at Zambia's High Court, where Biti was supposed to appear, will go ahead today in his absence, Phiri added.

The MDC were defeated in last week's historic first elections since Zimbabwe's military ousted Robert Mugabe in November, ending 37 years of iron-fisted rule.

Mugabe's successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner on Friday by a narrow margin -- results the opposition has furiously contested, alleging fraud.

Biti, an internationally-respected finance minister in Zimbabwe's troubled 2009-2013 power-sharing government, had proclaimed a victory for the opposition before the results came in.

According to Zimbabwe's state-run Chronicle newspaper, he is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests over alleged rigging which turned deadly.

The army opened fire with live ammunition on the opposition protesters, killing six people and prompting an international outcry.

The election has been marred by accusations of a crackdown on opponents, with arrests and beatings, as well as the deadly violence and rigging claims.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Tomo UetakeTOKYO (Reuters) - The hugely successful IPO by online marketplace Mercari in June was a bonanza for its shareholders - and may transform lukewarm attitudes among mainstream asset managers about investing in startups, according to major Japanese institutional investors and industry officials. Mercari became Japan's first home-grown unicorn, with a pre-IPO valuation of more than a billion dollars in early 2016. Its value increased further and led to rich rewards for early backers who had invested in the firm either directly or through venture capital (VC) funds. The stock ...
By Matt ScuffhamTORONTO (Reuters) - Two of Canada's biggest insurance companies on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings which beat market expectations, benefiting in part from strong growth in Asia.Canadian insurance companies are expanding rapidly in the region, selling products to its growing middle class, and the strategy is helping them drive growth and diversify from domestic markets where competition is intense.In an interview, Sun Life's Chief Executive Officer Dean Connor said the company's performances in Hong Kong, the Philippines, India and Malaysia had been particularly ...
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday China must counteract tariffs implemented by the United States and that Beijing had the confidence to protect its own interests as well as the means to do so.Its comments came after China slapped additional tariffs of 25 percent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports of fuel and steel products late on Wednesday. That was in retaliation against U.S. plans to begin collecting 25 percent extra in tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods from Aug. 23. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Wang Jing; Editing by Paul Tait)(This story has not ...
Chinese state media on Thursday accused the United States of a "mobster mentality" in its move to implement additional tariffs on Chinese goods, and warned Beijing had all the necessary means to fight back. The comments mark a ratcheting up in tensions between the world's two largest economies over a trade dispute, which is already impacting industries ranging from steel to cars and causing unease over which products could be targeted next. Beijing late on Wednesday said it would slap additional tariffs of 25 per cent on $16 billion worth of US imports, in ...
By Douglas BusvineFRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom said it expects to get initial feedback in late August from U.S. regulators on the proposed takeover of Sprint Corp by its T-Mobile unit, expressing confidence that the $26 billion deal will go through.Europe's largest telecoms group, which has a total of 172 million mobile phone subscribers, is pushing for strategic deals as it also invests in networks and customers to sustain growth in its U.S. and European markets.The Bonn-based group also said on Thursday tough market conditions in the Netherlands reinforced the case for the ...
By Tom Westbrook and Daniel LeussinkSYDNEY/TOKYO (Reuters) - Australia's Suncorp Group is selling its life insurance division to Dai-ichi Life Holdings for $540 million, making the Japanese firm Australia's biggest in a sector that domestic companies are scrambling to quit.Suncorp shares hit a 10-year high on Thursday as investors cheered the A$725 million ($540 million) sale, even though Australia's second-biggest insurer will book an A$880 million non-cash loss, as it will exit a bumpy business where rising claim rates and a slew of scandals have heaped pressure on earnings.Insurers from ...
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom raised its profit outlook for the second time this year as it reported second-quarter results which showed underlying growth, although this was offset by a drag from the weaker U.S. dollar.Europe's largest telecoms operator said it now expected adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to reach 23.4 billion euros ($27.17 billion) in 2018, up from 23.3 billion previously, at constant exchange rates."We remain firmly on track," Chief Financial Officer Thomas Dannenfeldt said of the results. "The trends in Germany ...
By Greg Roumeliotis(Reuters) - Donerail Group, an investment firm led by former activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP executive Will Wyatt, is in talks to acquire Tronc Inc , the publisher of Chicago Tribune, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.If the talks lead to a deal, Tronc would become the latest U.S. newspaper publisher to fall in the hands of a private equity firm or a hedge fund, as regional papers struggle with declining circulation amid the proliferation of online media.Donerail Group has secured financing for the deal and is in advanced negotiations with Tronc, the ...
By April Joyner(Reuters) - Although the United States and Russia have imposed economic sanctions on each other since 2014, several large U.S. corporations, including PepsiCo Inc and McDonald's Corp , still count Russia as a growth market.But new developments have raised the possibility of fresh challenges for U.S. companies in Russia.The United States on Wednesday announced it would impose fresh sanctions on Russia after Washington determined Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain. Russia on Thursday condemned ...
By Jonathan StempelNEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc was sued on Thursday by a former managing director who said the Wall Street bank retaliated against him and fired him after he complained about its dealings with an unidentified, "notorious European businessman."Christopher Rollins, now chief executive of BTIG Ltd, a London-based unit of investment banking and trading firm BTIG LLC, is seeking at least $50 million plus punitive damages in his complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.The 2000 Harvard University graduate accused Goldman and Jim Esposito, promoted ...
By Martinne Geller and Richa NaiduLONDON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc's incoming chief executive Ramon Laguarta is the latest of a new generation of leaders tasked with reigniting growth at the world's best-known food and drink brands as they fight back against media-savvy independent rivals.Six of the world's ten biggest food firms, including Nestle, Mondelez International Inc and Kellogg Co, have replaced their CEOs in the past three years. Campbell Soup Co and Hain Celestial are also on the hunt, with more in the broader consumer industry expected to follow. Traditional titans that ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian private refiner Nayara Energy, part-owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft's, will shut its 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) Vadinar refinery on the west coast for about a month from mid-November, a company spokesman said."The Nayara Energy Refinery will be undergoing a scheduled turnaround starting in the middle of November 2018 for a month for inspection/maintenance and upgrade," the company said in an email response to Reuters query.This would be the first major shutdown at the refinery since it was acquired by Rosneft and its partners - including global trader ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India will provide 3.5 million tonnes of pulses to welfare schemes at subsidised prices as the world's biggest producer tries to dispose of surplus output.The central government will offer pulses at a discount of 15 rupees ($0.2185) per kg to state governments for schemes such as a mid-day meal run for school children, the government said in a statement.India will spend 52.37 billion rupees ($762.91 million) to provide chickpeas, pigeon peas, black matpe, green gram and lentils at a subsidised price for 12 months, it said.State-run agencies have procured a record 4.54 ...
(Refiles to spell out 'capital expenditure' in full in paragraph 1)By Stanley WhiteTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders tumbled in June at the fastest pace in six months, with firms expecting another modest drop in the third quarter in a sign capital expenditure may have peaked out as global trade friction clouds the horizon.The 8.8 percent fall in core machinery orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending, was more than the median estimate for a 1.3 percent decline in a Reuters poll and marked the biggest drop since December ...
By Stanley WhiteTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders tumbled in June at the fastest pace in six months, with companies expecting a further modest drop in the third quarter in a discouraging sign that capital expenditure may slow.The 8.8 percent fall in core machinery orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as an indicator of capital spending, was more than the median estimate for a 1.3 percent decline in a Reuters poll and marked the biggest drop since December 2017.Manufacturers surveyed by the Cabinet Office have forecast that core orders will fall 0.3 percent in ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - Mazda Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor Corp and Yamaha Motor Co conducted improper fuel economy and emissions tests on their vehicles, Japan's transport ministry said on Thursday.The report is the latest episode in a growing list of data falsifications in Japan that has tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry, known for high-quality, efficient production.The findings were the results of internal investigations ordered at Japanese auto makers by the ministry after improper testing at Subaru Corp and Nissan Motor Co.Representatives for Mazda and Suzuki confirmed ...
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 ...
PARIS (Reuters) - Maybelline parent L'Oreal is pairing up with Facebook to roll out virtual tests for shoppers to see how they might look with different lipsticks or eye shadows, adding to its push to drive more sales online and through social media networks. Cosmetics firms including L'Oreal rival Estee Lauder and retailers like LVMH's Sephora are investing heavily in technology, in an age of selfies and beauty bloggers that has helped shift the industry onto the web. France's L'Oreal, the world's biggest cosmetics group, bought Canadian augmented reality and artificial intelligence ...
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Shipping group Maersk said on Thursday 94 companies and organisations have so far joined a blockchain platform developed with IBM aimed at boosting efficiency and limiting the enormous paper trail of global container shipping.The industry has seen little innovation since the container was invented in the 1950s, and cross-border trade still leaves an enormous trail of paperwork and bureaucracy.Under its new strategy, which includes the creation of an industry-wide blockchain-based trading platform, Maersk aims to expand its transport and logistics business in areas such ...
TOKYO (Reuters) - Mazda Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor Corp and Yamaha Motor Co improperly tested vehicles for fuel economy and emissions, the Japanese government said on Thursday, in the latest cases of data falsifications by the nation's manufacturers. The government had ordered the automakers to make checks after revelations of improper testing at Subaru Corp and Nissan Motor Co last year. The growing list of improprieties has tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry, known for high-quality, efficient production.Suzuki, Mazda and Yamaha cleared vehicles for emissions or fuel ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday granted Vedanta Ltd conditional access to its copper smelter in Tamil Nadu, which was shut down by the state government two months ago on environmental grounds.The court said Vedanta employees could enter the smelter premises for "administrative purposes" but the company was not allowed to resume operations.The court was hearing Vedanta's request to reopen the plant and the hearing will resume on Aug. 20. The government of Tamil Nadu ordered the permanent closure of the Thoothukudi plant and disconnected its power supply in ...
By Aaron SheldrickTOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices on Thursday eked out gains on concerns about Iranian crude supplies as the U.S. hit Tehran with renewed sanctions, halting the previous session's declines amid the escalating China-U.S. trade dispute and worries over China's demand.Brent crude futures were up 30 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $72.58 barrel by 0417 GMT, following a decline of more than 3 percent on Wednesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures had gained 11 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $67.05 a barrel, after dropping 3.22 percent the previous session. "The market is ...
By Jessica Resnick-AultNEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude prices settled slightly lower on Thursday, extending the previous session's losses as the escalating China-U.S. trade dispute casts doubt over the outlook for oil demand.Brent crude futures fell 21 cents to settle at $72.07 a barrel. U.S. crude fell 13 cents to $66.81 a barrel. Both benchmarks tumbled more than 3 percent on Wednesday after U.S. data showed a smaller-than-expected weekly draw in crude inventories and a surprise build of 2.9 million barrels in gasoline supplies. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a 1.7 million-barrel ...
By Sethuraman N RBENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices in India held steady this week as concerns over lower production due to below-normal rainfall offset sluggish demand in the world's top rice exporter.Prices for India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety were hovering between $392-$396 per tonne this week, unchanged from last week.India's rice exports in April to June rose 4.4 percent from a year ago to 3.15 million tonnes due to good demand from African countries."Rice planting has been lagging due to poor rainfall. Yields could (be) impacted if rainfall fails to improve next week," said an ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow was starting to work on retaliatory measures after the United States announced a new round of sanctions against Moscow.Washington said on Wednesday it was imposing fresh sanctions on Russia by the end of August after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian agent and his daughter in Britain, something the Kremlin denies.Zakharova told reporters at a briefing that no evidence had been presented to prove Russia's blame, and that the pretext for the new round of ...
By Nivedita Balu(Reuters) - Urban Outfitters Inc, American Eagle Outfitters Inc and other retailers are filling stores with styles from the 1990s in a bet that fanny packs, chunky-soled sneakers and high-waisted "mom jeans" will lift back-to-school sales.U.S. apparel retailers, hurt by more consumers shopping online and declining mall traffic, have been starved for a major new fashion movement to entice finicky millennial buyers.With back-to-school spending expected to rise due to a strong economy and high consumer confidence this year, retailers are hoping renewed interest in '90s fashion ...
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Ram Sewak Sharma, the head of India's telecoms regulator who took on global giants Facebook and Apple, has been given two more years in his assignment, which was due to end on Friday.As chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Sharma shaped rules barring internet service providers from having different prices for accessing different parts of the Web, in a setback to Facebook's plan to roll out a pared-back free internet service.He has also pushed Apple Inc to allow spam detection on the latest version of its iOS mobile operating software, used in ...
By David Shepardson(Reuters) - Tribune Media Co said on Thursday it had terminated a $3.9 billion deal to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group and was suing Sinclair for breach of contract, after regulators objected to the acquisition that was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump.Tribune filed the lawsuit against Sinclair, the largest U.S. broadcast station owner, alleging material breach of contract over its failure to win over regulators 15 months after the merger was first announced. Tribune seeks about $1 billion of lost premium to Tribune's stockholders and additional damages in ...
(Reuters) - Tribune Media Co has terminated its $3.9 billion deal to be bought by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the company said on Thursday, after regulators objected to the acquisition that had received support from U.S. President Donald Trump.Tribune also filed a lawsuit against Sinclair, alleging material breach of contract, the company said."To maintain control over stations it was obligated to sell, Sinclair engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the Department of Justice and the FCC over regulatory requirements," Tribune said.The Federal Communications ...
By Omar MohammedNAIROBI (Reuters) - Taxify, an Estonian ride-hailing company aiming to take on Uber in emerging markets, will invest millions of euros in East Africa in the next five years with a strategy focused on motorised rickshaws and motorcycles, it said on Thursday.The company, which already operates in five cities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and will continue to offer regular car rides, said it saw the best opportunity for growth via taxi services in locally popular forms of motorised transport.In East Africa, that means "boda bodas" and "bajajis", also called "tuk tuks", - local ...
LUSAKA (Reuters) - Vedanta Resources' Zambian unit said on Thursday work at its Konkola Copper Mine was stopped after one miner was killed in an underground accident to allow for investigations into the incident, the company said. In July production was halted at the same shaft, shaft 4, after a miner died in an accident. Vedanta said in June it planned to double copper production at Konkola to 200,000 tonnes in 2019. (Reporting by Chris Mfula, editing by David Evans)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) - Viacom Inc reported quarterly revenue below Wall Street estimates on Thursday, as domestic advertising sales fell and the media company collected lower fees from cable TV operators and online distributors.The company said worldwide affiliate revenue fell 3 percent to $1.15 billion, missing estimates of $1.16 billion, according to research and data analytics firm Factset.Viacom, the owner of MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures, said domestic advertising revenue fell 3 percent to $922 million.Since taking the helm in 2016, Chief Executive Officer Bob Bakish has focused on a ...
There is suddenly a clamour for regulating the international proxy advisers firms in India, which advise investors, especially foreign institutional investors, to vote for or against a particular resolution of a corporate. Since Indian corporates have large foreign institutional holdings, there is a fear that global proxy advisory firms would play a big role in tilting the votes. In India, a debate started last week when Deepak Parekh, who built the HDFC Group, barely managed to get a majority vote in a resolution seeking his continuation as director in the HDFC Ltd. Globally, these firms have wider acceptability. Then, why is there this fuss in India about these firms?

Any proxy advisory firm's job is to give its recommendations. It is ultimately up to the investor(s) to decide whether he wants to go with the advice of the proxy advisory firm or not.

India has attracted huge inflows through portfolio investments in the last two decades. Many of the foreign investors have been present in India for years. These investors come with decades of history and a global perspective on seeing the journey of corporates, sectors, and industries.

The domestic proxy advisory firms have been raising many governance issues in the Indian corporate sector, but there is no voice supporting their moves. In fact, the domestic institutions especially mutual funds, insurance companies hardly go by their advices. The adoption is very little. Nobody wants to go against the promoters in India. The corporate sector or the industry leaders, association or at times the board remains silent on issues of grave corporate governance lapses.

Many supporters have cited the uniqueness of Indian corporate sector to put forward the point that the international proxy advisory firms are not in sync with the Indian ground realities. Take for example; the fact that they reasoned that "we in India know the contribution of Parekh for the HDFC Group". This may be true, but we shouldn't judge foreign proxy advisory firm with just one decision. Many forget that the independence of the board (with well qualified independent directors) is also unique (often comes under questioning) in India. In India, promoter-driven or professional-driven companies (with star CEOs or Chairman) still have to cover a long distance when it comes to good corporate governance standards.

The recommendations of the foreign proxy advisory firms will not change in any way even if they are registered in India tomorrow.

HDFC's Parekh got 77.3 per cent voting as against the minimum 75 per cent. There will always be investors who will vote against a resolution. You just cannot expect all the investors to act in the same manner.
India is Facebook's biggest user market with 250 million users, 13 per cent more than the next biggest market, the US. Yet there has been no India head steering the company since last October. But now the social media giant is reportedly planning to rejig the top management's structure, entrusting whoever eventually occupies the corner office with a bigger role.

Internal emails reviewed by The Economic Times suggest that Facebook is planning a major change of face for its India operations. To begin with, the new country head will be designated managing director and vice president (MD & VP), India, and will report directly to David Fischer, Facebook's global VP of business and marketing partnerships. Earlier India heads - Umang Bedi and Kirthiga Rao - were designated as MD, India, and they reported to Facebook's Asia-Pacific head in Singapore.

In fact, Facebook India's functional heads for communications, partnerships, marketing, sales continue to report to the Asia Pacific office executives in Singapore.

Fischer, who is based in the company's US headquarters, incidentally is leading the hunt for the new India head. He reports to chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who in turn is CEO Mark Zuckerberg's second-in-command. In other words, the new MD & VP, India, will be fourth on the totem pole.

The buzz earlier was that among the names being considering for this high-profile position were Star India MD Sanjay Gupta, Tata Sky MD Harit Nagpal, Sudhanshu Vats, Viacom 18's Group CEO, Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan, and former Karnataka IT Secretary Srivatsa Krishna. Reports even claimed that the remuneration for this position could go up to $2 million, setting new standards across new media companies in the country. But Facebook is yet to zero in on a suitable match.

"India is our fastest-growing market and we've concluded as a company that we need to change our organisational structure to set us up for the greatest success," read an internal email sent by Joel Kaplan, Facebook's VP of global public policy. "There is significant complexity in the market across multiple functions and operating as an integrated business externally in India has proved challenging," he added.

The other big change is that the new India chief will reportedly be responsible for global marketing sales, partnerships, communications and policy, except content policy. Kaplan's email made it clear that Ankhi Das, Facebook's director of public policy, India, South and Central Asia, and her team, will "report directly to this new VP". In contrast, Facebook's previous two India MDs were said to be mostly responsible for sales, without much of a say in the other functions.

Currently, most people consider Das as Facebook India's most powerful official given the market's growing importance from a policy point of view - especially in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It's certainly a lot weightier than product or sales, since the Indian market accounts for less than 1 per cent of Facebook's total revenue. As of March 2017, Facebook India Online Services Pvt Ltd earned about Rs 341.8 crore in revenue for FY 2016-17, up 93 per cent year-on-year. That's a fraction of Google's India revenues.

"Ankhi [Das] will have a dotted line to me, and her team will also remain connected to me and our global team - continuing to participate in all of the leadership and other policy meetings - to ensure our strategy in India is aligned with our overall policy objectives," Kaplan's email added.

Sources in the know also told the daily that this new development may eventually lead Facebook's India operations to get delinked from its Asia Pacific setup.

Edited By Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal
The online grocery business in India has many players, but no one dominates the segment despite huge transformation in the way every day household items are sold online. Flipkart Pvt Ltd, which has made its second entry in the segment after a failed attempt with Nearby, aims to make a difference by launching an extensively separate supply chain, bringing in its own label, giving every day discounts, etc.

Flipkart's grocery offering is called Flipkart Supermarket Select, which has already been launched in Bengaluru. The Supermarket Select has its own supply chain that is being used extensively for handling its grocery business.

"Currently available in Bangalore, we are very soon expanding to other cities in the country as well," a Flipkart statement said. Reports suggest the company is going to launch Flipkart Supermarket in five-six cities in the next four months. Online grocery market leaders like BigBasket, Amazon India, and Grofers, etc, are already vying to capture the bigger share of the segment but there is still room left for others.

"Grocery is the largest retail category but it's not a solved problem from an e-commerce perspective," Flipkart grocery head Manish Kumar told Mint. Grocery is a category where you need a dedicated supply chain with separate fulfilment centres and a last-mile logistics network. Our offering is differentiated because we've built a different shopping experience on the same platform, Kumar told the newspaper.

The company has brought in three major changes to attract customers towards its online grocery store. Flipkart, being the largest homegrown e-commerce company that's now owned by retail behemoth Walmart, has enough cash to splurge as discounts. Grocery is a high-repeat category where customers land regularly. So, the company will offer discounts on every day basis, which will help in customer acquisition.

Flipkart feels other horizontal players have not succeeded in offering quality, and Supermarket Select will ensure people get the quality stuff; the company wants to focus on things like proper display of manufacturing dates to build trust among customers. Delivery is another major challenge in the online grocery business. Most players offer specific dates and time slots for the delivery of products but Flipkart says it will come up with preferred delivery slots.

The company is planning to bring in everything - from fresh staple for your day to day meals to delicious snacks and beverages to packaged food -- people need to run a household.

Flipkart was planning to foray into the grocery business since December 2016 when it roped in Manish Kumar and Nitin Rajput to handle their new adventure. Both of them had quit Flipkart in 2015 to start their own business ventures. Flipkart's expansion to other cities of India would pose a challenge to other horizontal players in the grocery segment, say experts.

According to market research firm RedSeer, the Indian e-commerce has seen a steady growth over the years from 2014 and is currently pegged at $53 billion. The company says some segments like groceries, online fashion, and e-tailing are sectors that have grown to a good market size but have very low online penetration. "There are these bunch of smaller sectors like online food delivery, e-pharmacy, groceries etc. which are currently less than $1 billion but have huge headroom for growth," said the company.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)
IKEA, the world's leading Swedish home furnishings retailer has entered the Indian market with the launch of its first store in India at Hyderabad.

It is a landmark moment for IKEA after it got FDI approval in 2013 that allowed 100 per cent FDI for single brand retailers in India. IKEA has been sourcing from India for its global stores for more than 30 years. It today has close to 60 suppliers from India and in this 15 have been additions in the last two years across 10 new product categories going beyond textiles. IKEA, according to the company officials, has been sourcing from India for the last 30 years and in value terms crossed the 350 million euro mark, which is about 2,500 crore.

It plans to open stores in over 40 cities across the country, starting with Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi. Responding to a question from Business Today on key take away from India for the Swedish giant, Jesper Brodin, CEO, IKEA group said, it was really around affordability of the products it offers while ensuring its highest quality standards and those lessons it would want to bring to practice in its future roll outs in other parts of the country and abroad.

Peter Betzel, CEO of IKEA India, told Business Today that while the store was a blue and yellow box and huge in scale and size, like how it is globally, from the outside, it brought local flavour and products that suit Indian needs. These are for small and functional kitchens or bedrooms and dining spaces. Our surveys into some 1,000 Indian homes, he said, revealed that many people live out of small spaces and would like increased functionality and multifunctionality with clever storage spaces. That plus, meeting local needs like those for an idly - maker or a steam cooker, have all been looked into here.

The store is 4,00,000 sq. ft. large and is spread over 13 acres in the heart of Hyderabad's tech hub HITEC City and promises to be a 'fun day out' for the family. It will offer 7,500 affordable, good quality, value for money home furnishing products, all under one roof. The store will remain open 365 days from 10 am to 11 pm each day.

The IKEA store in Hyderabad will offer ideas, inspiration and solutions. It will exhibit 2 full homes that reflect life at Home in Hyderabad, besides different room sets based on different parts of the home like bedroom, kitchen, children's room and living room. It will also have a market hall where you will find home kitchen utensils and accessories, textiles, rugs, lighting, decoration, stationary and even live plants.

The store houses a 1,000-seater restaurant, IKEA's largest and possibly India's largest restaurant, a cafe which will offer coffee, bakes, frozen yogurt and many more for purchase, a kids' play area named Smaland where customers can leave their children safely. The IKEA 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 food will be very affordable, for example a plate of samosas will cost Rs 10. The IKEA store is to offer as many as 1,000 products priced below Rs 200!

IKEA's goal, says Betzel, is to reach 200 million people in the next 3 years. The store, set up with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, employs 950 people (called co-workers) directly and 1500 indirectly in services and is expecting to host 7 million visitors each year. Next year, it also plans to start e-commerce so that customers in other locations can also start buying IKEA products.

IKEA India HR head Anna - Carin Mansson says IKEA has a non-negotiable commitment to hire 50 per cent women co-workers at all levels in India including forklift drivers and assembling co- workers. It will also come with a strong and affordable service offer including delivery and assembly to help customers who are not familiar with the DIY (Do it yourself) concept just yet!

There are currently 403 IKEA stores in 49 countries accounting for sales of 38.3 billion euros. The first IKEA India store in Hyderabad this year, will be followed by the Navi Mumbai store in 2019. IKEA has four land sites in Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi-NCR and apparently is continuing to look for more in other major cities.
A year after IDBI Bank dragged Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) to bankruptcy court for defaulting on Rs 526 crore loan - and after a protracted battle that made the rounds of the NCLAT and the Supreme Court - the ball is back in the National Company Law Tribunal's court.

The top court today asked the Allahabad bench of the NCLT to deal with the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech, allowing a second round of bidding. Significantly, in a major setback to the Jaypee group, the Court barred parent firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) as well as the group's promoters from participating in it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the 180 day timeframe set by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to conclude the insolvency proceedings - not including the grace period of 90 days - will commence from today. The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, has disposed off all the petitions and applications pending before it.

The Supreme Court further said the Rs 750 crore it had directed JIL to deposit in the court registry - in order to protect the interest of homebuyers - shall be transferred to NCLT Allahabad.

The fresh Committee of Creditors (CoC) that will now have to be set up will include homebuyers. As the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) previously pointed out, homebuyers are now considered financial creditors under the amended IBC. Hence, the CoC, which usually included banks and FIs, will henceforth have to consider the views of homebuyers while deciding the resolution plan of a company.

Compounding the Jaypee Group's woes, the apex court also allowed the Reserve Bank of India to direct the banks to initiate separate insolvency proceedings against JAL.

In the previous round of bidding for JIL, Lakshadweep Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Sudhir Valia-led Suraksha Asset Reconstruction Company and Mumbai-based Dosti Reality, had emerged the front-runner with a bid of around Rs 7,350 crore. But plenty of disgruntlement followed since the bid was far lower than JIL's liquidation value pegged at Rs 15,000 crore.

Can JIL's lenders get luckier in the second round? That's seems slightly far-fetched at the moment given that the beleaguered company posted a net loss of over Rs 1,818 crore in the year ended March 31. In fact, according to the Supreme Court, it was estimated that the liability of the firm had snowballed to Rs 30,000 crore from Rs 2,000 crore.

With PTI inputs

Edited By Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal
India's Rs 100,000 crore Indian dairy industry is buzzing with action. Just a few days ago, the country's largest FMCG company, Hindustan Unilever, acquired Karnataka-based ice-cream manufacturer Adityaa Milk. The bigger news, however, is the world's largest dairy company, New Zealand-headquartered Fonterra, joining hands with Indian retail king Kishore Biyani's Future Group. Biyani has been aggressively building his FMCG business in the last few years and aspires to scale it up to a Rs 21,000 crore entity by 2020. This joint venture will certainly play a huge role in scaling up its dairy products business under the Nilgiris brand.

This is Fonterra's second entry in the Indian market. It had earlier partnered with Britannia Industries way back in 2002, and by 2009 it divested its stake to Britannia and exited the country. The complex milk procurement model (perfected by Amul and other cooperatives such as Nandhini) had psyched most multinationals, who are used to corporate farming. But the 1.3 billion consumption opportunity in India is hard to ignore. In 2014, Groupe Lactalis SA bought out Hyderabad-based dairy company, Tirumala.

Britannia has gone back to the drawing board and has launched its own milk procurement system near Pune. The company is getting ready for an aggressive dairy roll out.

ITC Foods on the other hand, has launched pouch milk in Bihar. It entered the dairy business with the launch of Ashirvad Ghee, and is soon going to enter the premium value added milk-based beverages segment.

Will these corporate biggies shake the supremacy of co-operatives such as Amul? Only time will tell as the dairy business in India is a tough nut to crack.
In its first arrest, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on Thursday took under its custody the former promoter and managing director of Bhushan Steel Limited, Neeraj Singhal, for siphoning off over Rs 2,000 crore through several loans availed by BSL from the public sector banks using its 80 associate companies.

Neeraj Singhal was produced before the court, which sent him to judicial custody till August 14. Apart from Bhushan Steel, the SFIO is also investigating into the affairs of several of its group companies. "Fraudulent activities contributed to the company becoming insolvent. Bhushan Steel Limited is one of the 12 big cases that had been referred for insolvency resolution by the RBI. Tata Group has taken over management of the company from the Singhals," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

.He is accused to be guilty of siphoning off funds of over Rs. 2000 crore from the loans availed by Bhushan Steel Limited using more than 80 companies. The companies were used for fraudulent activities of rotation of funds through bogus loans & advances, investments, etc. - Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) August 9, 2018

During the investigation, the SFIO team found that former promoters of BSL used a multitude of complex, fraudulent manoeuvres to siphon-off funds amounting to thousands of crores raised by the management of BSL. This has led to wrongful losses to the banks and other investors in these companies.

Singhal has been arrested under Section 212 (8) of the Companies Act, 2013. Based on the material recovered, Neeraj Singhal has also been accused of indulging in serious corporate fraud, punishable under Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013.

The probe, assigned by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to the SFIO, was initiated after the ministry received several tip-offs of fraud committed by the BSL promoters. Now the SFIO has said that the accused promoters are not cooperating with the investigation and that they are trying to dodge interrogation. "They have been concealing material facts," said the statement.

Bhushan Steel was among 12 non-performing assets referred for insolvency resolution by the Reserve Bank of India in 2017. After Insolvency Resolution, the ownership and control over BSL, which had a debt of over Rs 50,000 crore, was transferred to the Tata Group. Fair trade regulator CCI on Wednesday approved Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of debt-ridden Bhushan Power and Steel.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)
Swedish furniture giant IKEA formally launches its first store in India today, a massive 400,000 sq. ft. facility in Hyderabad. By 2025, it plans to take up the count to 25 stores across nine cities, and kick-off online sales when it opens its second store in Mumbai next year. And the recently-released first draft of the national e-commerce policy reportedly does not change its plans at all.

The draft bats for equal footing for domestic and international players and, hence, has sent alarm bells ringing in foreign-owned companies operating in India, like Amazon and Walmart. But according to The Economic Times, IKEA Global CEO Jesper Brodin has a different take on the situation. "Our business is long term. Of course, politics follows its own cycles," said Brodin, adding, "For me and for us, there is logic in what India is doing for [its] development and we have to trust and believe that. And it will continue to happen. So I would say we are not sleepless over that."

According to Brodin, India is one of the biggest future markets for IKEA and the company is prepared for some eventualities. "India is a big commitment for us and as a group, we are prepared to take risks for years to come," he told a select group of reporters at the new store on the eve of its launch.

How big a commitment? The world's largest furniture and home products company's Rs 10,500 crore investment plan, proposed about six years back, is the largest investment in the single-brand retailing since the government allowed foreign investment in this sector. IKEA has, so far, invested Rs 4,500 crore from that kitty on different projects, including Rs 1,000 crore in the Hyderabad store.

The Swedish major has no choice but to grow its footprint in order to make an impact and move towards profitability. In order to leverage economies of scale, IKEA would require at least need 8-10 stores in India. "Now we will try our best to speed up our expansion to move quicker than normally we do in IKEA," said Brodin.

Last month, the daily reported that the company sees potential to set up large or small format stores in at least 49 Indian cities with a population of more than a million each over the years. IKEA's India Chief Executive Officer Peter Betzel told the media that the company is "also looking at opening multiple small format stores of 1,000-5,000 square meters each in bigger cities like Mumbai for having more touch points".

Moreover, recognising that India is a very price sensitive market - annual per capita income was just Rs 1.13 lakh in the last fiscal - IKEA is deliberately looking to keep prices lower in India than it typically does elsewhere. That's not an easy task for a brand that is already associated with affordability. For instance, IKEA's newly-launched India website shows a variation of its best-selling Billy bookcase priced 20% cheaper than in the US.

"We have taken a very offensive strategy, meaning we step in bravely into low prices," said Brodin. Out of the 7,500 products that IKEA will make available in India, 1,000 are priced at less than Rs 200, and 500 of them cost under Rs 100 - a clear indication that the company is not chasing short-term profitability in India.

Significantly, IKEA is so bullish on India that it is actually looking at upwardly revising its investments here. "We see India more positive today than we thought when we arrived. We arrived with a positive outlook. But we see a very strong demographic growth and the economy is strong," IKEA India deputy chief executive Patrik Antoni told the daily. "We see bigger opportunities now," he added, explaining that the changed economic environment and exploding retail market should help IKEA India expedite the rollout of its India stores and amplify investments.

IKEA has also voiced its intentions about a multi-channel, long-term growth. According to Brodin, in the coming years, the company aims to "exponentially increase" efforts into a digital interface with customers. About 5 per cent of IKEA's 38 billion euros global revenue in 2017 came through online sales, but it expects the online pie in India to be bigger than that.

With agency inputs
09 Aug 2018, 5:49 PM

IMF sees Indian economy as an elephant that is starting to run

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes the $2.6 trillion economy is an elephant that is starting to run.

What's more, its latest report on India not only reaffirms that the country is "again one of the world's fastest-growing economies" - accounting for about 15 percent of global growth - but also that India it could be what China previously was for the world economy.The report's favourable medium-term outlook reflects continued robustness in private consumption and a recovery in investment, which is supplemented by progress in bank balance-sheet repair and improved credit growth.

Instant messaging app WhatsApp has finally rolled out the limited 'forward message' option for India, which restricts a forward message to just five users, the company said on Wednesday. The Facebook-owned company has been under fire ever since several incidents of lynching, linked to rumours spreading through WhatsApp, were reported from different parts of India. "The limit has started to appear this week for people in India who are on the current version of WhatsApp," the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ikea opens its first store in Hyderabad today

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 today.

Flipkart-Walmart deal: CCI nod to US retail giant's Flipkart acquisition for $16 billion

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) cleared the acquisition of India e-commerce major Flipkart by the United States-based retail behemoth Walmart. The approval from the competition watchdog clears the path for the biggest FDI deal in the history of Indian corporate sector. Back in May, Walmart had announced acquisition of 77 per cent stake in Flipkart in lieu of $16 billion. Once the deal is complete, the 11-year old Indian e-commerce firm will be valued at $20.8 billion.

SBI launches a unified payment terminal MOPAD

State Bank of India, the largest lender with a fifth of the market share, launched a payments machine that would help merchants eliminate the multiple choices that they keep to facilitate transactions from cards to QR code based payments. The new device titled MOPAD, or Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device, is a Point of Sale (PoS) terminal that would along with cards accept payments through UPI, Bharat QR, and SBI Buddy wallet which till now required different tools to receive payments as reported by the Economic Times.

Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has this suggestion on ownership for Indian startups

Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has a suggestion on ownership for Indian startups. 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. Bansal's decision to sell his entire stake to Walmart was reportedly the result of differences with the investors.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai questioned by US senators over reported Chinese search engine

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is being questioned by six US senators on reports about the company's plan to release censored search engine in China as reported by the Indian Express. Reports that came out last week stated that Google is planning a censored search engine project for China via The Information. Following these reports, six US senators including Florida Republican Marco Rubio have written to Pichai. Google has neither confirmed nor denied these reports.
An IAS officer has written a letter to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu, highlighting the harrowingly racist encounter he, along with his wife and three-year old child faced onboard a British Airways flight. AP Pathak, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was on board the British Airways flight, BA8495 from London to Berlin on 23 July. He was accompanied by his wife Manjubala Pathak and child Puranjay Prakash. The officer wrote in his letter to the minister that they were met with the crew member's rude behaviour as soon as they were on board and were struggling to find their seats.

Once they found their seats and the sign to put their seat belts were on, Pathak's wife fastened the seatbelt for the child. But the child who felt uncomfortable started crying. The wife then brought him to her seat and tried to pacify the child when the crew member scolded the three-year old and asked him to return to his seat.

The IAS officer said that the child, terrified at being scolded started crying even more. In fact, another Indian family, seated near the Pathaks tried to console the child and offered him biscuits. The plane started to move but as the child would not stop crying, the crew member came to their seats and said, "You bloody keep quiet or you will be thrown out of the window and offloaded from the plane."

"We were petrified with the rude and aggressive behaviour of that crew member," wrote Pathak.

As things were not calming down, the crew member asked the pilot to take the plane back to where it was stationed. The crew member called security personnel who took away their as well as the other Indian family's boarding passes and deplaned them. Pathak said that he pleaded the crew with folded hands but they were not ready to listen. Another Indian passenger was threatened with the same treatment when he protested against the rude treatment.

The Pathaks as well as the other Indian family were finally deboarded.

Pathak says that he even tried to complain to the customer care but that too, was in vain. Neither the customer care nor the crew members on the flight gave away the crew member's name.

The official also said that he went to a customer service office in London to complain of the racist and humiliating treatment but no action was taken.

"I would like to reiterate and emphasis that the said crew member made racist remarks and used hatred word like bloody for Indian's which is highly undesirable and contumacious to the respect of myself and nation. I would request for strict action against the crew member and officials of British Airways," said Pathak in letter to Suresh Prabhu.

Suresh Prabhu has asked Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to obtain a detailed report from British Airways regarding the issue.

In a response, British Airways said in a statement, "We take such claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in direct contact with the customer."

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)
The Samsung Unpacked event in New York saw several new devices - Samsung Galaxy Note 9, coupled with an imporved S Pen, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Samsung Galaxy Home - coming to the fore. Out of the amazing line-up Samsung had prepared for the evening, the Galaxy Note 9 remained the showstopper for the event.

Samsung promises to deliver faster performance, better camera capabilities, superior network connectivity and enhanced storage, along with a battery powerful enough to carry this device smoothly through a day's usage.

On the performance front, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes in two memory configurations: 6GB of RAM coupled with 128GB of internal storage, or with 8GB of RAM with 512GB of internal storage. The processer running the phablet will be a Snapdragon 845 for US model, and Exynos 9810 for other markets.

In the optics department, the Galaxy Note 9 gets a dual camera setup at the back with two 12MP sensors. One of these sensors has wide angle lens and variable aperture mode that can switch aperture between f/2.4 and f/1.5, whereas the other has a telephoto lens and fixed aperture at f/2.4. The rear camera setup comes with dual OIS, 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. The front camera is an 8MP sensor with auto-focus with 80-degree wide field of vision.

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a 6.4-inch Infinity Display with Super AMOLED panel and Quad HD+ resolution (2960x1440 pixels). The imporved S Pen with the Galaxy Note 9 comes with better pressure sensitivity and Bluetooth remote technology.

The 6GB variant of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be priced at $999 (around Rs 68,700), whereas the 8GB variant will be available for $1,249 (around Rs 86,000). There is no word on an India launch yet.

Here are the highlights from the launch event of Samsung Galaxy Note 9:

- The new Samsung Galaxt Note 9 comes with diamond cut finish for cleaner design.

- The Galaxy Note 9 will be available in Metallic Copper, Lavender Purple, Midnight Black and Ocean Blue colour options.

- Samsung claims that the 4,000 mAh battery with Galaxy Note 9 will be enough to get the device through the day with ease.

- The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will come with 128GB or 512GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded to 1TB.

- Epic Games has partnered with Samsung to bring Fortnite Beta for Android to the Galaxy Note 9 first, along with other Samsung Galaxy devices.

- For stable performance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes equipped with water-carbon cooling system to keep the device at a favurable temperature.

- In the optics department, the Galaxy Note 9 gets dual aperture camera, with f/2.4 and f/1.5 aperture modes for adjusting according to the lighting conditions.

- The camera on Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes with flaw detection technology with sends automatic notifications whenever it detects a flaw in the frame, like blinks, blurs or backlighting.

- The camera also comes with scene recognition for adaptive light settings.

- The S Pen bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Note has been improved a great deal too. The new S Pen comes with Bluetooth remote technology which can be used to take images, play and pause Youtube videos, control Powerpoint slides, and more.

- The S Pen SDK will be made available to developers soon so that they can develop more uses for the Bluetooth remote-enabled stylus.

- The Galaxy Note 9 comes with Samsung Dex built into it, doing away with the need for a separate Dex dock.

- Dual Canvas, developed with Adobe for streaming changes on a Dex-enabled smaller screen to a connected bigger screen.

- The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be available from August 24.

Edited by Vivek Punj
Amazon Freedom sale has begun and the e-commerce giant is offering noteworthy deals on smartphones ranging from budget to premium segment. The smartphone brands on offer also include some of the best-selling names.

Here are the smartphone deals you should check out that will be offered during the three-day sale:

OnePlus 6 will be offered with an extra Rs 2,000 off on exchange and also avail no-cost EMI for multiple tenures.

Up to 37% Off on Samsung Smartphones; Extra up to Rs 8,000 off on Exchange and avail No-cost EMI. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will get an exchange bonus of Rs 8,000. Samsung On7 Prime is selling at Rs 11,990 down from Rs 14,990.

Amazon will also be conducting sales for popular Xiaomi devices including the Redmi Y2 that starts at Rs 9,999. Mi Power banks starting at Rs 799 are being sold with an extra 10% cashback of up to Rs 150 using Amazon Pay balance.

Realme 1 is being offered with extra Rs 1,000 off on exchange for the 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, Red colour. The buyer can also and avail No-cost EMI with the device.

Popular Honor smartphones with dual cameras are available at up to 35% off and no-cost EMI. Honor 7X is selling at a discount of Rs 6,000 and is now priced at Rs 10,999. Honor 7c is also selling with a flat discount of Rs 5,000.

Motorola phones are also getting up to 35% discount with up to Rs 2,000 off on exchange and No-cost EMI. Moto G5s Plus is selling at Rs 11,999 down from Rs 12,999 for the Lunar Grey 64 GB variant.

Huawei P20 Lite one of the more popular phones by the Chinese brand is getting a flat discount of Rs 6,000 and the buyer can even avail No-cost EMI.

Vivo and Oppo smartphones selling with an exchange of up to Rs 5,000 off and No-cost EMI. Vivo V9 is selling at Rs 20,990, Vivo V9 Youth at Rs 16,990. Oppo F7 is selling at Rs 23,990 for the Black, 128GB variant, down from Rs 27,990.

Amazon India is offering up to 50% off on 10.or smartphones. The 10.Or E is selling at Rs 5,499 down from Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM variant. The 2 GB RAM variant is selling at just Rs 4,999 down from Rs 8,999.
news, crime

Former Canberra woman Barbara Mary Eckersley has been charged with the murder of her 92-year-old mother who was in a Bundanoon nursing home. Eckersley did not appear in the Goulburn Local Court when her case came up on Thursday afternoon and did not enter a plea through her solicitor Sam Rowland. Nor did she apply for bail and Magistrate Geraldine Beattie formally refused it. Eckersley, 67, was charged with murdering her mother Mary White. Dr White was a formidable figure in the world of paleobotany and conservation in Australia and worked at the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra until the 1980s. Police said in a statement before the court hearing that at about 9.35pm on Sunday, August 5, they were called to an aged care facility in Bundanoon, in the Southern Highlands, after the death of a 92-year-old woman at the complex. On Wednesday, August 8, Eckersley was arrested at the Southern Highlands police station. In court in Goulburn on Thursday, solicitor Mr Rowland said it was a complex matter. I have spoken to her in the cells, he said. I am instructing that defence barrister Hugh White will be appearing on her behalf tomorrow for a release application. This is her first time in custody. The barrister Hugh White is not related to the alleged victim, Mary White. Magistrate Geraldine Beattie adjourned the matter to the Goulburn Local Court for Friday, August 10, where Eckersley will appear by audio-visual link. Dr White was born in South Africa and raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and was fascinated by nature since childhood. She attended the University of Cape Town, where she received a Masters degree in paleobotany - plant fossils and prehistory. Her lifelong interest in the plant life of Africa meant she travelled extensively through the wild with her husband and young children. She moved with her family to Australia with her husband in 1955, and until the 1980s, she worked as a consultant to the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra, reporting on field collections of plant fossils. She also worked part-time as a consultant to mining companies, and as a research associate to the Australian Museum, where she curated the plant fossil collections. She eventually became a full-time writer and lecturer, publishing several award-winning books on climate change, among them After the Greening: The Browning of Australia, which received a Eureka Prize in 1994. In 2009, she was awarded the OAM for service to botany as a researcher and through the promotion of increased understanding and awareness of the natural world. She also received a Lifetime Conservation Award from the Australian Geographic Society in 2010, two honorary degrees, and the Riversleigh medal for services to Australian paleontology. Throughout her latter career, she published numerous books and papers, and in 2003, she bought property at Johns River near Port Macquarie, where she established a covenant on the land to maintain biodiversity. She also developed it as an education centre, welcoming groups who wanted to learn more about the natural environment and how to protect it. She sold the property in 2013, and had been living in Bundanoon ever since. Dr White was also a patron of Sustainable Population Australia, an advocacy group for a sustainable Australian population. The groups vice-president Jenny Goldie is a long-time friend of Dr White, and said she saw her and her daughter just weeks ago. She said that Dr White had been in a vegetative state due to dementia for some time. She was much admired within our organisation, and it has been a source of terrible sadness that in the last four years she was unable to contribute mentally, she said. She was the perfect patron until she got sick.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c8536f08-dfa7-4f0e-954a-be6ab1d1007e/r0_381_2970_2059_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
news, act-politics

The target of a vicious smear campaign has called on the head of ACT Labor to resign, as the contest for preselection formally begins. The local Labor branch's preselection for the next federal election began on Wednesday, after an external investigator could not find the source of a dirtsheet circulated about lobbyist and right faction member Kel Watt. The National Executive passed a motion on Monday allowing the preselections to go ahead, on the condition ACT Labor secretary Matt Byrne withdrew a complaint he lodged against Mr Watt around the same time Mr Watt launched his bid for preselection, and if he sent out an email to all party members condemning the dirtsheet. It was revealed on Monday Mr Byrne - who is of the left faction - moved to expel Mr Watt from the party in June, after Mr Watt attended a fundraiser for Liberal MLA Mark Parton at the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club. Mr Watt told Labor's disputes tribunal he was a non-paying guest at the event and was mistakenly thanked in a Facebook post by Mr Parton, who'd meant to tag greyhound race caller Kel O'Rourke. The investigator hired to determine the source of the dirtsheet said it was unusual that a complaint from a Labor branch secretary against a preselection candidate was left unresolved for two months. Mr Byrne told The Canberra Times on Monday he had decided to withdraw the complaint when it "became clear it would potentially colour the upcoming preselection". But sources within the party suggested on Wednesday the complaint had not been withdrawn, despite explicit instructions from the national office. It is understood the national executive could have taken formal action if the complaint was not withdrawn. Mr Byrne told The Canberra Times he wrote to the chair of the disputes tribunal on Monday to formally withdraw the complaint. "What he does with it is up to him," Mr Byrne said. He also said it was a recommendation, not an order, from the national executive to withdraw the complaint. Nineteen minutes after The Canberra Times spoke to Mr Byrne, the head of the disputes tribunal Marc Emerson emailed Mr Watt to say the dispute had been closed without a finding. That email stated the withdrawal request had been lodged on Monday. The ACT Labor branch also emailed some members a letter on Thursday morning, drafted by the national executive, that condemned the dirtsheet. "ACT Labor condemns the distribution of anonymous, unsubstantiated and defamatory material targeting a member of our branch (Kelvin Watt)," it read. "ACT Labor believes that such acts damage the party as well as cause harm to the people involved. "In participating in the preselection, members should not be swayed by anonymous dossiers and instead cast their votes based on the values and platforms of each of the candidates in good faith. "If members have legitimate complaints to make concerning any member of our branch then they should use the formal complaints processes at their disposal." However, Mr Watt was not satisfied and has called on Mr Byrne to resign or be sacked. "Through a combination of action and inaction through this preselection he's shown nothing but bias by deliberately perverting an open democratic process," Mr Watt said. "It's time for him to step down or be removed at conference." Mr Byrne said he rejected the "silly claims". Nominations for preselection close next Wednesday, with voting to take place until the end of the month. The ballot will be counted and declared on September 1. The factional muscling within ACT Labor comes as embattled Labor MP Emma Husar claims members of her own faction in NSW Labor that had been opposed to her since her preselection encouraged ex-staffers to come forward with damning allegations about bullying and sexual harassment. The findings of an investigation into the allegations are due on Friday however, Ms Husar has already announced she will not re-contest the marginal seat of Lindsay at the next federal election because of the damage to her reputation.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/36ff4402-60e5-4972-a21d-9578888bb643/r0_112_2000_1242_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
news, latest-news

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. "Theres no point hitting an arbitrary short-term headcount target if it just means building higher consultancy costs into the budget in the future." Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has previously defended the government's use of contractors, saying it kept the overall cost of administration low when it temporarily needed access to relevant skills and expertise, or when these were more efficiently obtained in the private sector. Labor's promise comes as a parliamentary inquiry probes the Coalition's contractor spend after the national auditor found it poured $47 billion into contracts last year. The opposition has previously vowed Labor would unveil the cost of government outsourcing with reforms forcing agencies to record their contract spending on a central database. In a draft paper for an independent review of rules for government agencies, former Telstra chief executive David Thodey and Medibank Private chair Elizabeth Alexander said there was a lack of transparency around expenditure on contractors. Dr Chalmers will argue the number of contracts for management, business professionals and administrative services has blown out and that agencies under a Labor government would have to give public service employees a greater role in IT projects. "Its not a radical idea to say that public service work should predominantly be done, where possible, by public servants," he will say. "We will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise go to consultancy firms for work that public servants with expertise and experience can  and should  do." He will welcome the review of the Australian Public Service led by Mr Thodey - separate from the inquiry into rules for government agencies - but will warn the Coalition should not use it to conceal more cuts to services, or to delay reforms to the bureaucracy. Labor would cut contractor spending and the public service's staffing cap before the review's conclusion. The Coalition says the overall cost of the federal governments administration as a proportion of its total expenditure - including spending on consultants and other contracts for goods and services supporting government administration - has fallen from 8.5 per cent in 2007-08 to 7.1 percent in 2015-16 and is projected to continue to fall to 5.6 percent by 2020-21. It has also defended the transparency of its spending on contractors and consultants, saying it is already included in the audited financial statements of agencies' annual reports. Federal government spending with Australia's biggest consultancy firms has more than doubled since the Coalition was elected, costing taxpayers nearly $1 billion since 2013, despite pledges to drive down public service outsourcing. After the change of government in 2013, annual expenditure on labour contractors for 18 of the largest workplaces has ballooned from $318 million to more than $730 million as the Coalition imposed staffing caps and shed public servants.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/8077bb18-0641-4488-b211-c3c2bdde0d73/r0_239_4702_2896_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), which was established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has started the registration process for the MBA in international business course for the academic year 2019-21. Annually, IIFT conducts the national-level entrance examination for an admission to the management course in IIFT campuses such as Delhi, Kolkata and Kakinada. Here are the important details about the IIFT 2018 entrance examination.

How To Start CAT Preparation: 10 Steps You Shouldn't Miss

IIFT Eligibility

Aspirants should have a recognised bachelor's degree of minimum 3 years duration in any discipline with 50% marks. Students appearing for their final year of graduation can also apply. There is no age limit for applying.

IIFT Admission

Candidates registered for the IIFT admission have to appear for the written test which will be conducted on December 2, 2018, between 10 am and 12 pm. One who qualifies in the written test will be called for the writing skills assessment, the group discussion and the interview which will be held in January/February 2019.

IIFT Exam Pattern

Candidates have to appear for the admission test to secure a seat in the IIFT campus. The admission test is a multiple-choice objective-type written test that lasts for two hours. It will cover the topics related to English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension, general knowledge and current affairs, logical reasoning, data interpretation and quantitative analysis.

IIFT Course

As stated above, the entrance exam is conducted for an admission to the MBA course in international business. This is a six-trimester general management programme that focuses only on international business with an aim to develop a competent cadre of business executives.

Candidates should also pick one elective along with the core course. Some of the top elective courses are general management and strategy, quantitative techniques & operations management, information technology, finance, marketing, international trade operations & logistics, human resource and the economics of strategy.

IIFT Placement

IIFT, one amongst the prestigious business schools, has a placement cell that provides guidance and assistance to full-time MBA (IB) students who wish to secure a career. Currently, IIFT alumni are holding top positions both in India and abroad.

IIFT Fees

The annual tuition fee for the full-time MBA is INR 16,70,000 which can be paid in three instalments. They are also charged with INR 55,000 for computer facilities, Internet, a library and other amenities. Students belonging to the SC, ST and PwD categories are given 50% concession on the tuition fee.

IIFT Scholarship

IIFT is operating the Need Based Scholarship Scheme under which the institute pays interest subsidy on education loan. Students whose family income is less than 4.5 lakhs per annum can apply for this scholarship. Some of the scholarships by Government of India:

Merit cum means scholarship for students belonging to minority communities.

Central sector scholarship scheme for top-class education for SC students.

Scholarship for higher education for ST students.

IIFT Admit Card

Registered candidates can download the admit card for the entrance exam from November 16, 2018. Candidates should reach the exam centre on December 2 by 9.00 am with any of the following documents - passport, voter ID, PAN card, driving licence or aadhar card.

Steps To Download The IIFT Admit Card 2018

Step 1: Visit the official website of IIFT - www.iift.edu

Step 2: Go to the Admission tab

Step 3: A new page will be displayed

Step 4: Click on the link ''IIFT Admit Card 2018''

Step 5: Enter the registration number and password

Step 6: Download the IIFT admit card 2018

Step 7: Take a printout of the IIFT admit card 2018

Click here to download the IIFT admit card 2018

IIFT Application Process

Candidates should visit the IIFT official website to apply online. The application fee for the entrance exam is INR 1650. Candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PwD categorises have to pay INR 825. The application fee for the foreign national/NRI candidates is USD 85 (approx. INR 5800).

IIFT Exam Date

Last date to apply online: September 14, 2018

Last date for request for test centre change (centre change fee - INR 1,000): November 5, 2018

Admit card download: November 16, 2018

Written examination: December 2, 2018

Also Read: Is Pursuing An MBA After Engineering A Good Option?
Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Trainee in various disciplines. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here.

HMT Limited Recruitment 2018 For Associates

SCI Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Trainee (Machinist Mechanical (MM), Trainee Machinist Mechanical, Deck Fitter (POM) and Trainee Deck Fitter) Organisation Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) Educational Qualification Diploma in mechanical engineering from a recognised university Experience Six months Skills Required Technical skills Job Location Mumbai (Maharashtra) Salary Scale INR 10000 per month Industry Shipping Application Start Date August 8, 2018 Application End Date August 30, 2018

Maximum Age Limit: 45 years

Also Read: Boost The Researcher In You, Join HPCL!

How To Apply For SCI Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for SCI Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log on to the SCI official website.

Step 2: Click on the Careers tab on the home page and select Fleet Personnel.

Step 3: The list of notifications will be displayed on the screen. Click on the link that reads, Walk in Interview on 30.08.2018 (Thursday) at 10:30 am for recruitment of Machinist Mechanical (MM), Trainee Machinist Mechanical, Deck Fitter (POM) and Trainee Deck Fitter on DIRECT CONTRACT employment.

Step 4: The link for the detailed advertisement will be displayed on the screen. Download the same and read the details carefully.

Step 5:Attend the walk-in interview on the mentioned date.

Venue

Shipping House The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. 245, Madame Cama Road Mumbai400021.

Click here to read the detailed official notification.
Photo: VPD Daine Vonbillings, 58

UPDATE: Thursday 10:10 a.m.

Vancouver Police say Daine Vonbillings, wanted Canada-wide for failing to return to his halfway house, has been arrested without incident.

Vonbillings was on day parole for second-degree murder committed in the 1980s.

ORIGINAL: Wednesday 4:30 p.m.

Vancouver Police are on the lookout for a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for failing to return to his Vancouver halfway house.

Sgt. Jason Robillard says Daine Vonbillings, 58, was last seen leaving the downtown halfway house at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 driving a pickup.

The truck was found later that day at Cypress Bowl with the back window smashed. Vonbillings failed to return by midnight, as per his curfew condition, said Robillard.

Vonbillings is Caucasian, six feet three inches tall, 186 pounds, with long, grey hair often in a ponytail, a beard and blue eyes.

He has numerous tattoos, including a butterfly and skull on his right hand, a unicorn and heart on his right arm, and a black rose and flaming star on his left arm. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with a design or logo, light blue jeans, black shoes and a black zip-up jacket.

Vonbillings was on day parole for second-degree murder committed in the 1980s. If you see him, call 911.
Photo: The Canadian Press

An endangered orca is not letting go of her newborn calf, whose body she has been pushing through the water for more than two weeks.

The whale known as J35 was spotted in coastal waters near the border between British Columbia and Washington state Wednesday with the carcass of her calf that was born and died on July 24.

Sheila Thornton with Fisheries and Oceans Canada says scientists are becoming concerned that the whale's behaviour will interfere with her ability to forage, but no intervention is planned.

They spotted J35 while searching for another of the 75 southern resident killer whales, labelled an endangered species in both Canada and the United States.

Scientists on both sides of the border have been working together on an emergency rescue plan for a young female orca known as J50, that appears emaciated but continues to swim alongside her mother.

Brad Hanson of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says difficult conditions have prevented the teams from collecting breath and fecal samples but they are hoping weather conditions improve by Sunday.
Eagle Cement Corp grows net profits by 5%

09 August 2018

Philippine-based Eagle Cement Corp grew its net profit by five per cent YoY to PHP2.3bn (US$43.3m) in the 1H18 with higher sales volume compensating for lower selling prices. The company's first-half net sales rose by some 10 per cent YoY to PHP8.21bn. Gross profit margin was maintained at 48 per cent.



Cash flow as measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by five per cent during the period, translating into an EBITDA margin of 43 per cent. As of end-June, Eagles total assets amounted to PHP43bn.



For the second quarter alone, Eagle posted net sales of PHP4.2bn, 14 per cent higher from a year ago. Net profit rose by six per cent YoY to PHP1.26bn.



"As we strengthen our brand and increase our sales capacity, we remain focussed on achieving our cost synergy and productivity targets with the use of the most efficient and energy saving cement manufacturing technology," Eagle President and CEO, Paul Ang said.









Published under
Cemex Latvia's turnover rises 35% with strong export sales

09 August 2018

Cemex generated EUR78.067m turnover in Latvia in 2017, up 34.6 per cent against 2016, selling 970,000t of cement, while the copany's share of export sales grew to 70 per cent.



Growth was recorded in all segments thanks to a robust growth of the Latvian construction sector in 2017.



Growing exports to markets such Sweden and Finland as well as sales in Estonia, Lithuania and Belarus compensated for the sanctions-related drop in exports to Russia.



However, interest and depreciation costs stemming from more than EUR 300m spent on the construction of the Broceni cement plant in western Latvia led to a EUR4.007m loss. Cemex more than doubled the output at its Broceni plant to 1.6Mta.





Published under
North Koreas Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong Ho traveled to Iran on Wednesday to meet with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The meeting comes as the administration of President Donald Trump doubles down on its efforts to levy sanctions against both governments. As Newsweek writes in an article "Iran and North Korea: leaders meet as Donald Trump hits countries with crippling sanctions", Irans state-run media said that the two leaders had discussed ways to expand the ties between the two countries and claimed, using vague language, that the two foreign ministers had discussed issues of mutual interest. The North Korean emissary is also meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

North Korea has been subjected to numerous international sanctions over its development of nuclear weapons, its use of cyberattacks and for human rights violations. On Monday, North Koreas state media slammed the Trump administration for its failure to drop sanctions as the two countries pursue peace.

"There have been outrageous arguments coming out of the U.S. State Department that it won't ease sanctions until a denuclearization is completed, and reinforcing sanctions is a way to raise its negotiating power," North Korea's main newspaper said in an editorial. "How could the sanctions, which were a stick the U.S. administration had brandished as part of its hostile policy against us, promote the two countries' amity?"

In June, Trump traveled to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time, and the two men signed a joint statement pledging to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Nevertheless, a report issued by the United Nations last week revealed that Pyongyang had not yet started to denuclearize and has continued to develop its controversial missile program. Several days earlier, the Trump administration sanctioned the Russian bank Agrosoyuz Commercial Bank for doing business with a North Korean citizen who the Treasury Department says is a representative of the hermit kingdom's primary foreign exchange bank. Two North Korean companies and a North Korean citizen were also subjected to new sanctions for illegal financial activity.

The Trump administration has continued to pursue diplomatic negotiations with North Korea, but has remained steadfast in its efforts to hit the isolated country with crippling sanctions until its nuclear weapons program has been completely abandoned.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration also re-imposed sanctions against Iran on Tuesday. Trump announced his governments decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, which put curbs on Irans nuclear development program in exchange for sanctions relief, in May. European allies had urged Trump not to pull out of the deal because experts agreed that Iran was complying with its terms. However, Trump has claimed that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name for the deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama, was a terrible deal and should be abandoned. He has also warned all European businesses that they will be hit with secondary sanctions if they do not stop working with Iran.

The European Union has said it hopes to provide some legal protections for European companies seeking to do business in Iran, but some European companies have already announced that they will halt their planned expansion into the country.

A second round of sanctions against Iran is planned for November. The Iranian rial has lost around half of its value since April due to the threat of U.S. sanctions. Trump has said that he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Rouhani, but Iran's leadership responded that it would only be willing to come to the negotiating table if Washington was first willing to "pull out the knife."
Turkish energy minister Fatih Donmez says Ankara would continue to import natural gas in line with its long-term supply deal with Tehran, and hopes the planned Turkey-US talks in Washington could produce a solution for the issue. As TRT Turkey writes in the article Turkey to continue buying Iran's gas despite US sanctions  minister, Turkey will continue to buy natural gas from Iran despite US sanctions, 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. 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. "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 in Washington to discuss growing friction between the NATO allies over differences regarding the trial of US pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey and also on Syria policy.

"We can confirm that a Turkish delegation will meet with State Department officials today," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Wednesday. "The meeting will be led by our deputy secretary John Sullivan."

Donmez said Turkey's long-term supply contract with Iran was valid until 2026 and Ankara was set to buy the 9.5 billion cubic metre of the contract amount. "We will be continuing this trade [with Iran] as we can't possibly leave our citizens in dark," he said. Nearly 40 percent of Turkey's electricity production is sourced from natural gas.

Trump unilaterally 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 US sanctions against Iran took effect on Tuesday. The sanctions target Iran's purchases of US dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software and the auto sector and did not include Iran's oil exports, but global oil prices rose on anticipation.

US sanctions on Iran's energy sector are set to be re-imposed after a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on November 4. "Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States," Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

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."
On August 8, 2008, Russia joined an armed confrontation in the post-Soviet region for the first time. There were no "polite people," no "volunteer formations," no "veteran detachments," no "private paramilitary groups." The Russian army was fighting against Georgia. According to Moscow, it was forced to deploy regular units to South Ossetia to save its peacekeepers and protect civilians, most of whom had Russian citizenship. According to Tbilisi, it was Russia who started the war, and military actions were preceded by multi-day provocations against the Georgian population and the Georgian peacekeeping contingent.

The seeming equality of forces in the five-day war was only on the first stage, before the Russian aviation joined in. If the Georgian leaders hoped for active help from the West, they were deceived. Nobody wanted to fight against Russia, Georgia received a conditional military aid - of humanitarian nature, aside of the US aircraft carrier that entered the Black Sea, which Russia "did not notice" for a long time. The West turned its efforts to the diplomatic vector, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement, named after former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was making shuttle trips between Moscow and Tbilisi in order to sign it, as well as former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The conclusion of the agreement and Georgia's refusal to sign a treaty of peace with uncontrolled autonomies of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, was followed by the recognition of their sovereignty by Moscow and a pair of smaller players, Georgia's disruption of diplomatic relations with Russia, arrangement of Russian military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia to guarantee security, Georgia's naming of them as "occupation forces," and of Russia - as "occupier." These terms, nonetheless, were eagerly picked up by the West and today are often used in statements about Moscow with calls to withdraw troops from the territory of Georgia.

This war of words lasted ten years. Russian units continue to guarantee peace and security of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia unsuccessfully continues to demand their withdrawal, referring to the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan, one of the points of which says that the conflicting parties must withdraw troops to their pre-crisis positions. Moscow, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali require Tbilisi to write a peace treaty and reconcile with the new realities, i.e. to recognize the sovereignty of former autonomies. But Tbilisi refuses to sign such a document, calling the peace treaty with its own regions a nonsense, and instead of recognizing sovereignty, it proposes uniform (it looks like the only it come up with) integration schemes for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, calling Abkhazians and Ossetians its brothers and sisters every once in a while.

Trade and humanitarian ties between Moscow and Tbilisi have been restored, but the absence of political ties continues to affect them. Each other's frequent calls to make a conciliatory gesture, in the end, turn into a presentation of mutual claims. Georgia's unsettled relations with Moscow, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi became an obstacle for its admission to NATO. At every summit Tbilisi continues to receive assurances of support and promises to be accepted into the alliance someday, without even indicating an approximate date.

Several NATO members quite frankly explain their reluctance to see Georgia in the alliance with fears of Russia, whose leaders unequivocally warned about serious consequences which could be brought by the reception of this Transcaucasian state into the alliance. Georgia's sporadic attempts to improve relations with Russia receive a positive response from the leadership of the North Atlantic alliance, and it's not hypocrisy. Obviously, Georgia's accession to NATO is possible, only when Moscow will be fine with it, or could not object to it.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia, having received recognition of its independence by Russia and several smaller countries, continue their local development attempts with a practical absence of ties with other states. Both strongly depend on Russian financial influences. And just as many years ago, Abkhazia is able to somehow claim for relative self-sufficiency in the future. But South Ossetia's ability to remain independent still raises doubts. It is no accident that the region's aspirations to join Russia are strong enough, albeit at the cost of a complete loss of sovereignty - through unification with North Ossetia. This idea is much less popular in Abkhazia, where the dream of recognizing the republic's independence worldwide remains the dominant one. But it seems to be mired in a deep political crisis. No power can dramatically improve the situation as a whole. Here is a short version of events in this part of the South Caucasus region 10 years after the Russian-Georgian war in South Ossetia. And there is no sign of some splash that can change the local regularity.
On August 10-12, the Turkish Festival will take place in the Krasnaya Presnya Park. Its organizers have prepared a program of educational and entertaining nature. "The festival aims to promote the rapprochement of Turkish and Russian peoples, which have deep roots. Such events make a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations in all spheres: politics, economy, culture and public communications," Turkish Ambassador to Russia Huseyin Dirioz said.

According to him, the year 2019 was declared a cross-year of culture and tourism: "We regard the Turkish Festival as an event preparing us for the Year of Tourism and Culture. We expect that a large number of Russians will take part in the events to be organized during the cross-year."

"Now the event is a record in its scope and number of participants. Last year, it was visited by 153 thousand people in three days. We expect no less this year. The format of the event that takes place in the Krasnaya Presnya Park is represented, in particular, by decorative buildings, we tried to show the most famous sights of Turkey in the form of sand figures," the festival's general producer Zelimkhan Zarmayev said.

According to him, special attention will be paid to the Turkish cuisine: "Its peculiarity and richness is in the combination of different cultures and peoples that lived on the territory of the Ottoman Empire. For example, the southeastern region of Gaziantep, which we will be represented at the festival, has more than 500 traditional dishes. It is impossible to present all the dishes, but this year we plan to break the record as the most massively presented in Russia Turkish cuisine. We plan to feed at least 150 thousand people with a wide variety of Turkish dishes and at an attractive price, which will be cooked by Turkish chefs brought by us from Turkey."

In order to participate in the festival, 150 artists from Turkey have already arrived in Moscow. "Last year we performed Russian and Turkish songs with my Russian colleagues. And this year you will have as much surprises. For my performance I prepared a program of the most famous Turkish and world classics," mezzo-soprano of the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Serap Ciftci said.

She said that she would devote her performance to the colleagues from the Alexandrov Russian Army Song and Dance Ensemble who died in a plane crash. On December 25, 2016, the Alexandrov ensemble (including the artistic director of the ensemble Lieutenant-General Valery Khalilov, the choreographer and People's Artist of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Ermolin, the main choirmaster and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mayorov, soloists and honored artists of the Russian Federation Viktor Sanin and Grigory Osipov) was on its way to the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria to congratulate Russian servicemen with the coming New Year.

"As an artist, as a creative person, I believe that only culture, beauty and art can save the world and bring peoples together," Serap Ciftci said.
A total of 180,000 trucks are commuting between Iran and Azerbaijan, which is a sign of high trade exchange between the two nations.

This was stated by Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said during his visit to the Parsabad border town in Iran's northwestern Ardabil province, AzerNews reports citing ILNA news agency.

Annually, nearly 180,000 trucks commute between Iran and Azerbaijan, he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that fortunately, the Astara-Astara bridge has been constructed and a railroad to connect Irans northwestern city of Astara to a namesake Azerbaijani city has come on stream.

The two countries' bilateral ties are at a good level, the minister stressed.
Listeners interested in the deeper issues raised by the Bill Hybels allegations may also be interested in Episode 102: When You Hear Sexual Misconduct Allegations About Your Pastoror Episode 80: Supporting the Opposite Gender in the Christian Workplace.

Last year, Willow Creek Community Church founder and lead pastor Bill Hybels announced he was passing the baton to two heirs and would be retiring in October 2018.

A lot has changed in 10 months.

Since that announcement, 10 women have accused Hybels of misconduct. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that one of leaders former assistants accused the Willow Creek founder of repeatedly groping her. And on Sunday, Steve Carter, whom Hybels who indicated would succeed him as teaching pastor, announced his resignation.

All of this occurred several days before Willows Global Leadership Summit, an annual event hosted at Willows Barrington campus and streamed at hundreds of locations around the world.

As CT, the Chicago Tribune, and now The New York Times have reported on allegations of sexual misconduct and complaints about the Willow Creek boards response, some less familiar with Willow Creek wonder why the ministry deserves all this attention.

Willow Creek was revolutionary in that previously, churches assumed that all that was needed to reach unbelievers with the gospel was simply to say it one more time and not do anything particularly different, said Marshall Shelley, a longtime editor for Leadership Journal.

Rather than just continue to sling religious language at the world, Willows leaders realized that our culture is spiritually blind and is not going to respond to positively to a message that has grown overly familiar or has grown stale, said Shelley. Willow Creek said We need to communicate in a way that is going to get peoples attention. Not say it the way weve said it thousands of times before but say it in a way that theyve never heard it before.

This insight grew the ministry of the church and spawned the Willow Creek Association, a network for like-minded churches thousands of congregations strong. Its this latter ministry that organizes the annual Global Leadership Summit, which is simulcast around the world at hundreds of locations.

Shelley joined associate digital media producer Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss what influenced and drove Hybels to do church the way he did, what inspired the churchs leadership and business mentality and focus, and whats next for Willow in the wake of allegations of misconduct against its founder and former leader.

This episode of Quick to Listen was brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. To learn more about the Christian Standard Bible, visit CSBible.com/CT.

What is Quick to Listen? Read more

Subscribe to Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts

Follow the podcast on Twitter

Follow our host on Twitter: Morgan Lee

Subscribe to Marks newsletter: The Galli Report

Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee, Richard Clark, and Cray Allred
In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new.
The brother of Armenias former prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan was arrested on suspicion of illegal arms procurement and possession, the security service said.

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 Armenia.

The Armenian 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, Reuters reported.

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.

A month earlier the Armenian parliament stripped general Manvel Grigoryan from the former ruling party of immunity. The parliament supported a prosecutors motion to open criminal proceedings against him after the National Security Service confiscated weapons and ammunition from his home.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The age of "Why?" and "How?" is upon us.

Records of catastrophe are being smashed. A huge chunk of California is now ablaze with the largest wildfire in the state's history. A year ago we in Houston were on the brink of Hurricane Harvey, the rainiest of Atlantic storms, which would dump twenty-seven trillion gallons of water on my town, with $1.25 billion of devastation, not to mention the incalculable human grief.

"Why?" and "How?" are sparked by mind-scrambling inconsistencies. Hollywood douses society with lavish sexual spectacles, then is aghast when some of its grandees wind up on #MeToo. Passionate people deplore the separation of children from their mothers at the nation's gates, but crusade to the keep the gates open where babies are separated from their mother's wombs. Journalistic titans tutoring on how to interpret current events fall before our eyes like worm-eaten Herod soiling his clothes before a sycophantic audience from Nowheresville.

Astounding tragedies and disappointments break upon us like tsunamis. A couple about to embark on a missions career dies tragically before they can cross the ocean. A Duck-Boat gets swamped and whole families die, several of them committed Christians. Savages slaughter entire communities of Christians in Africa. Pastors are martyred at the front doors of their churches. Faithful people are locked in prisons where they suffer torture and deprivation, and become the pawns of heartless tyrants. Instability in fractured nations cast waves of immigrants surging toward increasingly quivering borders.

Heroes who preach to us, teach us, lead us politically, seem to be exemplars of family leadership, are exposed as moral, ethical, and even spiritual frauds.

Bitterness and doubt crowd into believing hearts and minds. People abandon callings, suppress gifts, and turn away from ministering to a world in pain.

Bible students wonder: Is the Tribulation upon us?

"Tribulation" is thlipsis in Greek. It is the label given the hefty stone rolled over grapes or olives, squeezing out juice or oil.

That's an apt picture of our day. We live in an age of "squeezing" worldwide. It may not be mega-thlipsis (Great Tribulation), but it is a period of immense stress.

Jesus' disciples mulled over such concerns one day as they walk with the Lord through the Temple complex. Jesus' young followers, county boys mostly, are agog at the massive stones composing the mighty structure.

Then Jesus bursts their bubbles.

There will come a time when "not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." (Matthew 24:1-3)

Now come the questions. "When will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your coming?" Lurking in their souls are the two killer questions: "Why will this happen?" and "How could this possibly occur considering the massive edifice right here before our eyes?"

"Why?" is so often the question of theodicy, the doctrine of evil: "Why, if God is loving, and good, and kind would this bad thing happen to me/us/them?"

"How?" too frequently is the question of skepticism: "How can a man walk on water... open blind eyes... rise from the dead... ascend to heaven?"

"Wow!" is the answer of faith. It is the way of the child. "Wow! A Man walked on water!" or even, "Wow! A dead man came out of a tomb." Jesus said we would not see the Kingdom without being childlike.

"Doubting Thomas" gets it. He goes from "Why?" and "How?" in a split second when He sees the living Jesus, and declares, "My Lord and my God!"

Which is another way of saying, "Wow!"

The word does not come easy in such a time as this. It has to be coaxed from a reluctant will, resisting mind, and roiling emotions. The temptation is to scamper out of Gethsemane with the first of Jesus' disciples.

Theyand weforget what Jesus told them that day at the Temple. All the things Jesus prophesied would happen "are merely the beginning of birth pangs." (Matthew 24:8)

In such a time as this we need to comprehend what God is saying to us in Jesus Christ and the written Word. "Hows?" of scholarly minds are important, and God has grace and mercy for our "Whys?" spoken from broken, confused hearts. But we cannot get to the Spirit-revealed essence of the revealed Word from the "How?" position. "Why, Daddy?" moves the heart of the heavenly Father even more than it does an earthly dad. But we cannot reach true solace while mired in "Why?"

We walk by faith, not by sight. "Wow!" is the way to read the Bible, and walk one's life journey.

I wrote recently that this is not a time for the church to wallow in ambiguity and ambivalence. Instead, we must live in the midst of the "Why?" and "How?" age as "Wow!" people.

Like Dr. Francis Collins, head of the group that unraveled the mysteries of the human genome. As a young medical intern dealing with people nearing death, who might be inclined to ask, "Why?", he could not help but note the hope and peace in those with deep faith in contrast to others. That would be a major factor in him giving his life to Christ.

Years later, after the breakthrough regarding the genome, he wrote that, "for me the experience of sequencing the human genome, and uncovering the most remarkable of texts, was both a stunning scientific achievement and an occasion of worship."

Wow!

Wallace Henley, a former White House and congressional aide, is senior associate pastor at Houston's Second Baptist Church. He is co-author of God and Churchill, with Sir Winston Churchill's great-grandson, Jonathan Sandys. Henley is the principal architect of Belhaven University's Master of Ministry Leadership degree.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 1996) is now the largest living generation. There's over 83 million Millennials in the United States, including myself, and Generation Z's 70 million (those born after 1996) are right on our heels.

There is no ignoring it, these young Americans will soon be guiding our nation, for better or for worse.

These next two generations of Americans are different than the generations before us in several ways. We are the first to have lived our entire lives immersed in and shaped by technology  we were basically born with smartphone in-hand! During our lifetimes, American culture has been shifting from secular to blatantly anti-Christian.

The percentage of people who have a biblical worldview has been declining in each of the past few generations. Ten percent of Baby Boomers have a biblical worldview, 7% of Generation X, 6% of Millennials and only 4% of Generation Z.

You might think this means all hope is lost for the future of America, so why bother with these young Americans  but this is dangerous thinking. Give up on actively reaching, teaching and engaging the next generations and we run the risk of our country being led even further away from its biblical foundation.

And I'm not the only one with this belief. President Ronald Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Frighteningly enough, Russian Communist leader Vladimir Lenin understood this too, saying, "Give me just one generation of youth and I'll transform the whole world."

A respect for civic duty must be cultivated in the next generation of Christian voters. This is why My Faith Votes and im2moro have teamed up to target Christian universities, whose students often share Christian values but don't necessarily vote. We've created a compelling non-partisan faith-based initiative, Because I Care, I pray. I think. I vote, to challenge every student on Christian university campuses to take their biblical worldview with them to the ballot box. Our goal with these resources is to speak to the heart of Millennials and Generation Z-ers and provide tools to inspire students to use their votes to make a difference.

During the 2016 presidential election, we were on over 40 different campuses and reached 172,000 students  73% who used our tools actually voted! The 2018 fall semester is about to start, and our goals are to recruit 100 campuses and double the number of students reached. Hope is not lost to reach my generation, but we have to act now.

A biblical worldview provides the only comprehensive answers to life's biggest questions, and we've seen it connect and resonate with young Americans. These youngest of American generations just need to be inspired to carry on the responsibility of protecting and preserving the ideals that have brought peace, prosperity and freedom to our nation since its first generation.

Audrea Decker is Communications Director at My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan movement focused on motivating Christians in America to participate in local and domestic elections. By partnering with local churches, pastors and national faith leaders, My Faith Votes mobilizes and resources Christians to lead the conversation on the place of faith in culture and politics. Gov. Mike Huckabee serves as the organization's honorary national chairman.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

I will always remember the first time I heard Bill Hybels speak in person. I had been invited to be one of the teachers at an evangelism conference hosted by Willow Creek Community Church. Hybels addressed the opening session, calling us to use our influence to reach the unreached with urgency and creativity.

His passion for the lost was palpable. His leadership charisma was unmistakable. It was not surprising that he was leading not just one of America's largest churches but one of our generation's most influential ministries.

In the last year, so much of his story has changed. And now the crisis at the church he founded has reached a new level.

Last night, Lead Pastor Heather Larson resigned her position. The entire elder board of the church resigned as well. Christianity Today is calling their resignations "a seismic shock for one of the nation's most influential churches."

Elder Missy Rasmussen spoke for the board, stating: "We are sorry that we allowed Bill to operate without the kind of accountability that he should have had." She added: "We exhort Bill to acknowledge his sin and publicly apologize." As a consequence of their handling of this crisis, she announced: "Willow needs and deserves a fresh start, and the entire board will step down to create room for a new board."

Steve Gillen, lead pastor of Willow Creek's North Shore campus, will serve as interim pastor. The church still intends to move forward with an independent investigation into the allegations against Hybels.

Why is the story of a single church's struggles so significant? Because that church is one of the most significant congregations in American history.

A model for churches around the world

Bill Hybels was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the son of a wholesale produce operator. He came to personal faith in Christ as a teenager.

In 1971, Hybels was a youth pastor in Chicago when he started a worship service called "Son City." The service targeted young people by using contemporary music and language, skits, and multimedia, virtually unprecedented innovations for a church at the time. Son City grew from twenty-five to 1,200 in three years.

In 1975, he and his leadership team opened a new church, naming it after the space they rented: Willow Creek Theater in Palatine, a residential suburb of Chicago. Costs were paid by one hundred teenagers who sold 1,200 baskets of tomatoes door-to-door. Attendance grew exponentially, leading the team to buy and build on property where the church is located today.

The congregation grew to more than 25,000 members. Its "seeker-sensitive" approach to reaching unchurched people became a model for churches all over the world.

In 1992, Hybels launched the Willow Creek Association (WCA) to link and resource thousands of like-minded churches. In 1995, he began the Global Leadership Summit, an annual training event for hundreds of thousands of ministry leaders. The 2018 Summit begins today.

A day for grief

Last March, I wrote a Daily Article responding to allegations of sexual misconduct against Hybels. Monday, I wrote another Daily Article on this issue after Hybels' former personal assistant came forward with very serious accusations against him.

Her statements and the handling of this issue by the church's elders led Steve Carter, then the church's Lead Teaching Pastor, to resign. Now the church's Lead Pastor and elder board have resigned as well.

Willow Creek Community Church was one of the largest and most influential churches in American history.

And so, today is a day for grief.

Grief for women who have felt that their stories of abuse were not heard or believed. Grief for the families who have shared their suffering.

Grief for Heather Larson and Steve Carter, gifted leaders whose ministries at Willow Creek ended so tragically. Grief for their families and all who love and support them.

Grief for the staff ministers and leaders of Willow Creek and its related ministries, thousands of women and men who have dedicated their service to Christ through this global movement.

Grief for the multiplied thousands of Willow Creek members, so many of whom found Christ through their church. Grief for the pain and shame this is causing them in their community.

Grief for the reputation of Christianity in our culture. Willow Creek was lifted high as a stellar example of a relevant church for our day. Now, critics have even more ammunition in their ridicule and rejection of our faith. The image of Jesus' bride has been tarnished by this tragedy.

A day for faith, hope, and love

But this is also a day for faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Faith in the Father who rules the universe. Our faith is to be in God, never in man. Our security is as sure as the omnipotence of God.

Hope in the Son who founded the church and promises that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Our future is as bright as the providence of God.

Love produced by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that extends to sinners and their victims, knowing that we have all been both. Our compassion is as needed as the grace of God.

Brother Lawrence: "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues."

The church of Jesus Christ is the mightiest movement in human history. Rasmussen closed her statement last night by affirming, "We believe that God is still building his church." And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

The best is yet to be.

Originally posted at Denison Forum.
home US Bethel Church donates to families that lost homes in Carr Fire

An influential charismatic church is giving $1,000 to every household that lost their home in the Carr Fire, a move it says is a "God-sized step of faith."

Bethel Church, which has several thousand members and is home to Bethel Music, announced on its website that it would be giving the money to those whose primary residence was destroyed in the fire that began raging near Redding, California, two weeks ago.

"We are incredibly blessed as a church by people all around the world praying for us, donating and supporting our community here in Redding. The generosity of gifts coming towards us is both humbling and much needed. Christians around the world are coming together and supporting a cause that is bigger than any one individual alone can carry," the church explained.

"When we first made the decision to give a financial gift for the people in our city who had lost their home, the numbers being reported were 150-200 homes. Within just three days, that number had climbed to over 1000 homes, and the amount we had expected to raise and give went from $200,000 to over $1,000,000 dollars."

Bethel's original plan to give $200,000 "was a challenge, but doable in our own strength and resources," the church said.

"But $1,000,000 is a God-sized step of faith. We are believing Him for it, and are now in the process of reaching out to our friends around the globe to be the hands of Christ to our city in this moment. We are determined to honor this commitment, whether the generosity comes from gifts from the global community or from our own church finances."

The only Redding and Shasta County residents who will qualify to receive the sum of money are those whose homes were their primary residence. Their houses must also be listed on the Housing Authority report as more than 50 percent destroyed. The money will not benefit those who lost their vacation homes, second homes, or rental properties. Only one gift of $1000 will be given per household.

Days after the fire began, the church came under criticism on social media for not opening its doors for evacuees. Bethel maintained that it offered to be such a site but was told that it was situated too close to the fire zone and that it would not work to have people stay overnight given that there is only one road in and out of its premises. The Red Cross subsequently confirmed to local reporters this was indeed the case. The church is presently serving as a Salvation Army aid distribution site.

Bethel Global Response has also deployed "Ash Out" teams, in which hundreds of volunteers help residents sift through the ashes of their homes to recover any valuables.

"We cannot begin to describe the feeling of helping someone who lost their home find something that they thought was gone forever. This is part of what it means to live like Jesus-- to link hands together as we move forward," the church said on its Facebook page.

Sources in Redding told CP Tuesday that the community is coming together wonderfully in the recovery efforts. From the Hearth Cafe, a popular eatery in town, has announced that it would be personal cooks for those families who lost their homes in the fire. Several announcements on the restaurant's Facebook page read: "If you've lost your home in the Carr fire, we are your kitchen. #weareyourkitchen." They will be serving these individuals free food for the month of August.

Bill Johnson, senior leader of Bethel Church, said Sunday that they have been thrilled to see "incredible cooperation" in the city as Bethel volunteers, other churches as well as various organizations have stepped up to help.

"What is happening really is a sign in the natural of a display of God's power being released across the city," he told the congregation.

"This destruction was not caused by a loving Father. As I mentioned last week, you heard the voice of the Devourer for several days, you're about to hear the voice of the Restorer for months on end. God is going to restore at such a higher level, a greater place than anything we've seen happen."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Carr Fire is ranked the sixth most destructive fire in California's history, seven people have died because of it, and the blaze is 47 percent contained, reports say. The fire began on July 23 as a result of a vehicular failure near Whiskeytown National Park and has devoured almost 170,000 acres and 1,599 structures, according to CalFire, the state's fire agency.

Source: The Christian Post
home Faith Florida church offering Hummer as a prize to teenagers who bring others to church

An evangelical church in Florida will give one lucky teenager a free Hummer at the end of August as part of a giveaway designed to boost youth ministry attendance.

At the 11 a.m. service on Aug. 26, The Source Church in Bradenton will hand over the keys to a 2006 Hummer H3 to one high school student who has proven to be one of the most actively involved students in the church's Wednesday night youth group services and has also worked to grow the group by inviting others.

That new car owner will have won a point-based contest that began this January as a promotion to help grow the the high school youth group.

Youth Pastor Gran Dew told The Christian Post Wednesday that the contest awards three points for each time a student attends the Wednesday night services and three points for each first-time attendee the students bring to the services. At the end of the contest, one of the top five point-getters in the contest will be randomly selected to be the new owner of the used SUV.

"It is anybody's game at this point," Dew explained. "If you are a grinder and you network, it could be yours. The spread really isn't that far out and if you are incentivized to get out there and do some marketing, you could be right up there in the top five as well."

Dew, who was hired as the church's first full-time youth pastor in May, explained that the contest was the idea of church staff and leaders who were looking for a way to do something different to market to their students.

"The whole idea behind it is incentivize them to get in there on Wednesday nights. Really in essence to us, this is just a vehicle," Dew said. "We know the real investment occurs when kids encounter the Gospel. That is what our main goal is a to do something that hasn't been done."

Dew said that the funding for the car was donated to the church by prominent individuals and different organizations in the area who were looking for a way to invest in today's youth to be sure they are "healthy spiritually."

According to Kelley Blue Book, the fair market value for a 2006 Hummer H3 is around $8,200 to $10,584.

Along with the Hummer promotion for high school teens, the church is also running a similar giveaway for middle schoolers. The promotion has the same point system but instead of a Hummer, the victor will win a ride to see the movie of their choice in a Hummer limo for the student and eight friends.

The result of the promotions, Dew said, has been an increase in exposure with as many as 80 first-time attendees coming on Wednesday nights over the course of six months.

But since the program was being run by volunteers and also lacked "vision" and a curriculum up until Dew's arrival in May, Dew admitted that the youth ministry has had trouble retaining many of those newcomers the promotion has brought in.

Since joining The Source team, Dew and his wife, Ashlee, have been working to revamp and rebuild the youth ministry.

"[W]e are expecting to see the fruits of that now," he said. "I am reaching out to those students that did come through."

Dew isn't sure if the church will do another car giveaway in the future but suggested that the church would continue to do other similar promotional giveaways.

"Sometimes when you have so much buy-in in an item like this, there are some emotions that get involved. Me being the new guy and trying to revitalize things, I saw a little bit of pushback from the parents who have [argued] that their child has been [in the youth group] for so many months," Dew said. "I said, 'Look, I get it but this is not going to be an idol to us. This is a tool.' It is inevitable that people's emotions are going to get tied in. That is the only negative aspect I see. From a pastoral point, we have to get that across."

Source: The Christian Post
Hillsong's Carl Lentz defends pastor John Gray after heavily criticized meeting with Donald Trump

Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz has come to the defense of his friend, John Gray, who was highly criticized for being among about 20 black pastors and Christian leaders who met with President Donald Trump at the White House last Wednesday.

Gray attended the roundtable event, dubbed the president's "Meeting With Inner City Pastors," and discussed a number of topics, including urban workforce development, prison reform and possible public-private partnerships with the faith community. The minister served at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, before taking the helm at the 21,000-member multi-campus Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina, in June of this year. The church is now called Relentless.

Photos of the discussion showed the pastor seated to the right of Trump, and reports revealed that Gray was asked by the president to open the meeting up in prayer. After the event, he received a great deal of backlash for his participation, with some arguing he was "uncle tomming" for Trump.

Lentz pushed back against the criticism and explained that pastors have to be obedient to whatever God instructs them to do.

"I am baffled at times, at the responses from people when we see prayers answered. I don't know a single person who hasn't prayed 'God help our President see what we see, see the hurting, help him live and lead with compassion and empathy,'" Lentz wrote on Instagram Monday underneath a photo of himself praying over Gray.

He then publicly addressed Gray. "Yet, when a man like YOU gets an invitation to GIVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW on how we as a nation can help REFORM AND CHANGE OUR FAILING AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED PRISON SYSTEM, people are somehow objecting to this."

The Hillsong pastor explained that he understands somebody's choice to decline such an invitation to the White House. However, he made it clear that he would never bash anyone for following God's direction. He was upset that people painted Gray as a prop for his attendance.

"John please remember, we are not allowed to pick and choose who we lead, who we love, who we influence. It doesn't matter if the person is hated, or universally loved. It doesn't matter if the person is homeless, or internationally famous. It does not matter if people will impugn your motives, or the motives of a person in this case, inviting you to HIS TABLE. We are under orders to do what's right. Especially in the face of what is wrong," Lentz continued.

The New York pastor then drew a comparison with the flak that he receives for mentoring some Hollywood celebrities such as Justin Bieber.

"Trust me John, I've heard so many people say 'Let's go reach the world!' And then when you start doing it? [They say] 'You have changed. How could you be associated with such a person.' The idea, is always easier than the reality. I love the reality of who you are. Keep on shinin' my man," he maintained.

On Thursday, Gray responded to the naysayers on Instagram. He clarified that he didn't participate in the meeting to show support for the president.

"I did the one thing I can't shake: I prayed again and asked God. Do you want me in that room? My attendance gives the answer. My heart was pure as was my motive and intention. But the pain of those who have been hurt is real. And I would be a dishonorable man not to acknowledge that. But I will honor what I believe was the mandate on my life to be there and available to God should He choose to give me voice."

Gray asserted that he went to the meeting to listen and to "pray for comprehensive prison reform so people can have the second chance they need."

Source: The Christian Post
Sex abuse inquiry: Leading Catholic schools 'put their own reputations over protection of children'

Abuse carried out at leading Roman Catholic schools over several decades was covered up because they 'prioritised monks and their own reputations over the protection of children', according to a new report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published today.

While 10 individuals, including monks, were convicted or cautioned at Downside School in Somerset and Ampleforth in North Yorkshire over 40 years, IICSA said the extent of the abuse was likely to be 'considerably higher'.

It says pupils were often abused in front of each other, and that: 'The blatant openness of the activities demonstrates there was a culture of acceptance of abusive behaviour.'

IICSA chair Prof Alexis Jay said: 'For decades Ampleforth and Downside tried to avoid giving any information about child sexual abuse to police and social services.

'Instead, monks in both institutions were very often secretive, evasive and suspicious of anyone outside the English Benedictine Congregation.

'Safeguarding children was less important than the reputation of the Church and the wellbeing of the abusive monks.'

She added: 'Even after new procedures were introduced in 2001, when monks gave the appearance of co-operation and trust, their approach could be summarised as a "tell them nothing" attitude.'

The report gives graphic details about the abuse to which children were submitted  as young as seven at Ampleforth and 11 at Downside.

One survivor described his abuser at Ampleforth as 'an out-and-out sadist'.

The report said Ampleforth's headmaster Timothy Wright 'clung to outdated beliefs about "paedophilia" and had an immovable attitude of always knowing best'. It said records had been destroyed by both schools.

Ampleforth issued a statement saying it was 'in the process of developing our first ever Safeguarding Charter', adding: 'It is our goal that this charter is shared with other organisations and becomes recognised as best practice for safeguarding in education.

'We would also like to once again offer our heartfelt apology to anyone who suffered abuse while in the care of our schools, parishes or other ministries. '

It has provided contact details for anyone wanting to report abuse.
Should the UK ban the burqa? Why Boris Johnson is right

Not much happens in August, news-wise, which in part explains the furore over remarks made by a back-bench MP about burqas. When the MP is Boris Johnson, however, publicity is guaranteed.

Boris was rude about women in burqas, the all-enveloping garment worn by some Muslim women out of which they look at the world through a sort of grating in front of their eyes. He said the garment was oppressive and that it was 'weird and bullying' to expect women to cover their faces. What got him into trouble, however, was his next line, where he said: 'I would go further and say that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.'

The final straw, as it were, was when he referred to one of his predecessors as foreign secretary, who said in 2006 that he invited constituents wearing burqas or niqabs  which reveal the eyes  to raise them when they visited him. 'If a constituent came to my MP's surgery with her face obscured, I should feel fully entitled  like Jack Straw  to ask her to remove it so that I could talk to her properly,' said Johnson. '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.' (Straw said Johnson's language was 'insulting and inflammatory').

Straw's strictures, however, are mild compared with the rage that has greeted his comments from other quarters. He's been widely accused of racism; he's facing a Tory party inquiry; the prime minister has suggested he apologise. On the other hand, some Muslims say he didn't go nearly far enough.

It is, of course, an understatement to say that there are various issues in play here, not least the capacity of Boris to infuriate someone whatever he says. More significantly, there's the perennial question of his ambition to lead his party, which means the 'Stop Boris' wing will take any advantage they can get. Furthermore, the reactions reflect different attitudes to burqas and niqabs in the Muslim community. Are they oppressive and Islamically unnecessary? Plenty think so. Are they just a freely-chosen expression of personal devotion? Plenty of those, too.

More contentiously, do they make women look like letter-boxes or bank robbers? Here, Johnson is guilty of letting his penchant for heavy-handed humour outrun not just any respect he might feel for those who inhabit these garments, but his political instincts. That one was never going to go down well.

However: commentators who've alleged that Johnson was channelling his inner Steve Bannon and appealing to the extreme right of his party have rather spectacularly missed the point. On the contrary, he was articulating  unnecessarily rudely  a classic liberal position, in contradistinction to the deeply illiberal laws attracted by European countries like Denmark that have banned the burqa. That kind of ban is supported by nearly 60 per cent of British people  among them, no doubt, a disproportionate number of Conservatives. If Johnson really wanted their backing for a leadership bid, he would have written quite a different article.

Because the whole thrust of his piece is that banning burqas is wrong. And while he may have misjudged his attempt to win over his Tory Telegraph readers by trying to assure them he's really one of them, in this he is absolutely right.

In the UK, we wear what we like, unless it is an outright outrage to public decency. Banning items of clothing is for countries that lack the confidence to be truly liberal. It might be justified in certain circumstances  like the banks that tell people to take motorcycle helmets off, or the shopping centre that banned people wearing hoodies  but it's an extreme and unusual move. And that's especially true when the clothing involved is associated with a particular religion. As Johnson said  though his critics have generally not read that far  'I am against a total ban because it is inevitably construed  rightly or wrongly  as being intended to make some point about Islam.'

In banning burqas, he says, 'you play into the hands of those who want to politicise and dramatise the so-called clash of civilisations; and you fan the flames of grievance'.

He's not wrong. We don't ban anything in this country unless it can be shown that it's harmful. Does that apply to burqas? Well, there's an argument, certainly, and on the face of it it's pretty oppressive. But there is something unpleasantly colonial about the idea that the West knows best, and that we have a right to impose our view of what a woman should wear on everyone else. We should not automatically assume that someone is being compelled to bear this garment, and we should not overrule her free choice if that's what she wants. And a ban would come nowhere near addressing wider questions of women and Islam, if that's the plan. In the UK, we believe in the maximum possible liberty for the individual, constrained as far as possible only by the liberties of other individuals.

Calls for a burqa ban, however  supported, let's remind ourselves, by nearly three-quarters of Brits  aren't generally based on concern for oppressed Muslim women. They are because they make people feel uncomfortable. People are uneasy about not seeing faces. They don't know how to engage or where to look. And a burqa-clad woman is alien, because there are so few of them, and threatening, because there might be more  and we need to step up and defend our national  white, Christian  identity, don't we?

This kind of thinking is far, far more Islamophobic than anything Boris has said.

We have, in fact, no right not to be made uneasy, any more than we have the right not to be offended. If the sight of a burqa-clad woman worries us, the best thing we can do is get over it. Beneath that outer garment is a human being just like us  who can, and should, wear what she likes. And a Christian national identity that needs the support of a burqa ban is not worth having.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Researchers at UT Austin will help develop new rotor technology for Uber's proposed aviation ride-share network, called uberAIR.

The Cockrell School of Engineering announced Thursday that it will work with the U.S. Army Research Labs and Uber Elevate to develop this technology.

Last year, Uber announced that the first Uber Elevate cities would be Dallas and Los Angeles, with a goal of flight demonstrations in 2020 and plans to make uberAIR commercially available to riders in those cities by 2023.

INTO THE FUTURE: NASA to run simulations on Uber's 'flying car' concept in Dallas

The uberAIR vehicles will be designed to take off and land vertically. It will be a fully electric vehicle with cruising speeds of 150 mph to 200 mph, cruising altitudes of 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet, and the ability to fly up to 60 miles on a single charge.

The UT team leader on the project is Jayant Sirohi, associate professor in UT's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. He is an expert in unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones, vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and fixed- and rotary-wing aeroelasticity.

He and his team will explore the efficiency and noise level of stacked co-rotating rotors, or propellers, for vertical take off and landing. This technology has two rotor systems stacked on top of each other and rotating in the same direction.

Preliminary testing shows that stacked co-rotating rotors could be more efficient than other approaches. It could also improve the versatility and overall performance for a flying vehicle.

"UT is uniquely positioned to contribute to this new technology, and Uber has recognized that," Sirohi said in the news release. "In addition to the technical expertise we bring to this area, we also already have a rig to test new rotor configurations right here on campus."
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
A Grad rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has landed on territory close to the large Israeli city of Beersheba, the Israel Defense Forces stated, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

Later, Al Mayadeen reported that, responding to the attacks from the Gaza, an Israeli drone struck a building at the Gaza territory.

The local police warned the city's residents not to go to the impact site of the Grad rocket. According to the Jerusalem Post, the bomb squad experts are on their way to the place of the attack, Sputnik reports.
Christine Mansfield/Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

It's against the law to feed alligators in the state of Texas.

"We have a bit of a saying: A fed alligator is a dead alligator," says Kelly Norrid an urban wildlife biologist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "Once they get habituated to people, that's when measures have to be taken to remove them. But keeping a good, healthy respect of the alligator, and making sure the alligator has a good, healthy respect for people is your best bet."
GREENWICH  When Greenwich resident James Schreiber was eating at Blackstones Steakhouse three years ago with his wife, Wendy, waitress Saranda Aliu greeted them in accented English that took him back to the Albanian refugee camps he had once visited.

Kukes, Albania, 1999: Barefoot refugee children from Kosovo milled about the thousands of tents in the camp, the destination of Kosovars fleeing a war with parallels that Schreiber saw with the Holocaust. He knew he had to help.

It cant just be for Jews, it has to be for all human beings when you say, Never again, said Schreiber, who is Jewish himself. He helped by buying 20,000 boots, which were distributed to children  including Aliu  in Albania and Macedonia.

She was 12 at the time, and had lost family members and her home in the war.

When I got those shoes, I think it was the best thing that happened in my life, Aliu said.

Schreiber has lived in Greenwich since the 1970s, but his desire to help has taken him outside its borders: from Poland, where he restored an historic synagogue, to Kosovo. Now, as the new chairman of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy  a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., that focuses on the Middle East  that same motivation extends from Saudi Arabia to Israel, Palestine and the Gaza strip.

I think we all want to help our country, he said.

Schreibers career has been as expansive as his world travels. He was a federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York from 1969 to 1974, where he helped to try President Richard Nixons doctor for tax evasion and assisted on trials that took down an influential leader in a Democratic political machine and leaders of two crime families.

He had a private law practice for nearly 30 years before making his fortune as the chief executive officer of Dairy Enterprises Inc., which was the largest dairy processor in the Northeast at the time.

But Schreiber decided to give up business and devote himself to philanthropy. For his first project, he helped to restore the last synagogue standing in Oswiecim: the Polish city where Germany built the infamous death camp, Auschwitz, and where they bombed more than 30 synagogues.

Only a few countries separated Schreiber from the Kosovo War, which raged from 1998 to 1999 and displaced 90 percent of the Kosovar Albanian people.

He toured the refugee camps and bought boots for children and enough computers to make two centers, but Schreiber said the need overwhelmed his efforts.

Its like you threw a pebble in the ocean and thought you made a difference, he said.

When he met Aliu, however, his generosity came full circle.

His identity as an American motivates all his work, Schreiber said.

Something really important about Jim is his overriding passion for America, said Shelly Kassen, president of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Thats something that really drives him and inspires him to work hard at the Institute.

Being chairman is not a full-time job, but Schreiber said it takes time to ensure that the Institutes professionals have the resources and the general guidance they need, and to approve the think tanks direction and the hiring of new scholars.

I feel honored and humbled, said Schreiber, who has also served as the senior vice president.

David Makovsky, a distinguished fellow of the Institute, said Schreiber has been indispensable, attracting support around the country and making a case for the think tank.

Hes a prince of a guy, Makovsky said. He is very articulate, and makes a very cogent case that people outside government have a vital role to play in the national security and foreign policy dialogue of this country.

Makovsky helped to popularize the idea of swapping land between Israel and Palestine to advance the peace process. His speeches across the country and interactive maps gave concrete examples of the two-state solution and became part of the policy landscape.

Its a valuable asset for the executive, Schreiber said. The Washington Institutes focus is 75 people in the executive branch who make and implement U.S. policy: the State Department, the CIA, the National Security Council, the White House and the Defense Department.

Schreiber has worked with Kassen, a Westport resident, to bring more donor events and talks by scholars to the area.

By becoming a trustee, Schreiber said he can see how policy is made, how issues are analyzed and argued and who makes decisions.

Schreiber has met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu as well as senior Turkish officials  privileges he said stemmed from the international respect for the Washington Institute.

You get to meet these people, and guess what, theyre human beings, he said. You get to see these people and process what theyre telling you through a highly informed lens.

Sitting down with famed politicians is just part of Schreibers story, however.

When he talked to Aliu years after he donated the thousands of pairs of boots, she put a face to an act of generosity and patriotism he said had felt insufficient.

For Alius part, meeting an American who knew about the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and wanted to help was a one in a million chance.

I made it to America to say thank you to someone who gave us so much, she said. We are a small country, just 1.5 million people. I didnt know regular people knew about us. I was really happy to be able to say thank you to him.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
STAMFORD - Mayor David Martins administration is considering converting one of the citys underused office parks into a school.

Martin said Thursday that he and his staff have taken several elected officials on tours of 800 Long Ridge Road, once a headquarters for Xerox Corp.

The idea, still in its infant stages, is that a pair of aging elementary-school buildings could be closed and those student populations consolidated on Long Ridge Road, Martin said. Another possibility is closing an elementary and a middle school and sending those students to a K-8 building on the site, he said.

Theres a less than 50 percent chance of likelihood at this point, but its enough of an opportunity that we are taking it seriously, Martin said of the idea. There are complications all over the place. Its one of the most complicated things weve gotten involved in.

The 265,000-square-foot building is owned by developer Building and Land Technology and under lease to GE Capitals Energy Financial Services division, he said. The length of the lease is unclear, but the building is unoccupied, Martin said.

GE moved the last of its 300 employees from Long Ridge Road to offices in Norwalk and New York City late last year.

The building is not new, but they completely redid it in the last eight to 10 years, including all the mechanicals, Martin said. It looks like a new building, and the mechanicals are probably better than anything weve got in our system, with the exception of Strawberry Hill School, which opened two years ago.

In the last few weeks, Martin said he showed the property to members of the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives.

A lot of work has to go into exploring this opportunity, and its not worth us trying if we think people dont like the idea, Martin said. So far no one has told us no.

The next step will be to run it by community leaders, he said.

City and school officials have been working to determine whether the idea is viable, Superintendent Earl Kim said.

We cant engage the community until financing is in order and we know whether its a do-able project, Kim said. Were doing this because of the opportunity that vacant properties in the city provide.

In Stamford  and other U.S. cities  its become increasingly difficult to find tenants for office parks. The citys latest Master Plan recommends repurposing the half-dozen corporate campuses on High Ridge and Long Ridge roads.

For the school district, the need is clear, Kim said.

The latest enrollment projections indicate the district will be short 25 elementary-school classrooms in 10 years, he said. Overcrowding is a continuing problem barely offset by the opening of Strawberry Hill School in 2016. Children in lower grades attend the inter-district magnet school now, and it is slowly being expanded to include eighth-graders by 2023.

A building study showed $150,000 million in deferred maintenance  work that includes repairing roofs and boilers, upgrading lighting and plumbing, replacing windows and furnaces, Kim said.

Theres no manna coming down from the state to help us, Kim said, a reference to Connecticuts ongoing budget crisis. We need a solution that brings the buildings up to where they need to be. Its going to require some pretty creative ideas to catch up.

If the office-park idea progresses, officials will have to examine whether it would work financially, which school buildings make sense to close based on condition, which student populations could be moved with the least disruption, and many other factors, all while weighing the concerns of residents.

Deputy Superintendent Tamu Lucero said the work now is to figure out what is possible. After that, she said, we can run a scenario, then start to engage people. They might come up with better ideas.

If the former Xerox site doesnt work, maybe another office park will, Kim said.

Cindy Grafstein, Martins special assistant for education, said its been her job to reach out to city representatives and finance board members.

This is so big that it would be difficult to begin without the support of the elected boards, she said, but if it were to work out  it would be a flagship building.

Whatever happens, the conversation is important, said Michael Pollard, Martins chief of staff.

Regardless of the outcome of this exercise, we have to address the outdated buildings and the need for significant maintenance, Pollard said. Well still have to figure out how to fix those problems.

Converting office space to classrooms is not a foreign concept in Connecticut, Pollard said, citing a building other GE divisions left in Fairfield to move to Boston. Its now used by Sacred Heart University.

Theres a lot more homework to do, officials said.

We need more concrete information before we can take this to any board for consideration, Kim said.

It should work, in theory, the mayor said. In practice, we dont know.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
Southern Maid Donuts is now open in the Fall Creek area on 14954 Mesa Dr., Humble.

Open since July 21, the local doughnut shop offers pastries, croissants, kolaches, biscuits and breakfast tacos.

The Rustic Brush

The Rustic Brush is expected to open on Labor Day weekend at 8650 N. Sam Houston Pkwy Ste. 12, Humble.

The Rustic Brush offers wooden signs and home decor workshops and specialize in private parties for adults and children.

Code Ninjas-Kingwood

On Aug. 23, the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the recent grand opening of Code Ninjas at 4525 Kingwood Dr. Ste.120 in Kingwood.

Code Ninjas officially opened on June 25 and allows kids from ages 7-14 to learn about coding through game-based curriculum to help them determine how to use logic, be resourceful and solve problems.

kaila.contreras@chron.com
Oil traded near a seven-week low as China retaliated against the U.S. administration's latest tariffs, heightening trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

West Texas Intermediate futures fell 0.2 percent after sliding 3.2 percent Wednesday. China will slap 25 percent duties on an additional $16 billion worth of American goods, including petroleum products, from Aug. 23. Prices declined on Wednesday as Energy Information Administration data showed U.S. diesel and gasoline stocks gained and crude inventories dropped less than forecast.

Crude has retreated from the highs of June as the U.S. and China show no sign of backing down from the trade fight, raising concerns over global economic growth. Investors are also closely watching whether Saudi Arabia and other producers will increase output to replace potential supply losses from Iran as President Donald Trump is set to impose sanctions on the country's oil exports from November.

"The fears of a slowdown in trade activities spilling over to the oil market weighed on prices," said Michael Poulsen, an analyst at Global Risk Management Ltd. "A slowdown in the world's two largest economies could affect demand for oil."

WTI crude for September delivery was at $66.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 7:41 a.m. local time. The contract declined $2.23 to $66.94 on Wednesday, the lowest close since June 21. Total volume traded was about 17 percent below the 100-day average.

Brent for October settlement traded at $72.33 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, up 5 cents, after dropping $2.37 on Wednesday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $6.12 premium to WTI for the same month.

China will apply 25 percent tariffs on American diesel, gasoline, propane and other petroleum products, according to the country's commerce ministry. While crude has been spared this time, the Asian nation may impose duties at a later date if Trump doesn't back down, according to Li Li, a research director at ICIS-China.

As recently as June, China was the top buyer of U.S. crude, importing a record 15 million barrels that month. However, Chinese refiners are unlikely to increase purchases even after crude was removed from the list of goods slated for tariffs, according to Michal Meidan, an analyst with Energy Aspects Ltd.

In the U.S., nationwide crude stockpiles dropped 1.35 million barrels last week, according to the EIA, less than the 3 million barrels decline forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Supplies stored in the key hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, slid for a 12th straight week. Gasoline inventories increased by 2.9 million barrels, the data show.

Oil-market news:

The new U.S. sanctions may put Russia's longer-term crude production potential at risk. Occidental Petroleum Corp. is selling a Texas oil terminal that funnels millions of barrels of American crude to Asia and Europe and has help drive U.S. exports to a record high. This earnings season, the shale rally started to show some growing pains. After a year in which soaring oil prices buoyed the industry, second-quarter reports brought some nasty surprises for investors.
Madison Hayes, sat in the front row of a small classroom, listening to a former law enforcement officer explain how to fight a potential gunman by grabbing the barrel of the shotgun and hugging it close to her body while fighting off the assailant.

On May 18, Madison, 15, was in ninth grade, sitting in her classroom at Santa Fe High School while on the other end of the building, a teen-aged shooter barged into an art room, killing and injuring teachers and students.

I think its just good to know in case Im in that situation, Madison said from her seat inside the Arms Room in Dickinson where the active shooter response class was held on Aug. 7.

Her mother, Heather Hayes, and brother Patrick, 12, and a student at Santa Fe Junior High School, sat nearby.

Weve been telling everybody about it, Heather said of the class. Because nobody knows about it.

Parents in Santa Fe may not be aware of the class taught by two former military and law enforcement professionals, but the instructors say the word is out among public school teachers in the area.

More Information Preparing for the worst What: The Arms Room offers training for surviving an active shooter scenario and administering first aid to the victims. When: Contact the business for the schedule for the next classes. Additionally, the business will offer a course on hurricane disaster and survival preparedness at 6 p.m. Aug. 29. Where: 3270 Gulf Freeway South, Dickinson 77539 Cost: The active shooter/first aid classes are free for anyone with a school district identification badge. Other adults pay $30, and students can take the classes for $15. Information: 832-226-5252; www.thearmsroomtx.com See More Collapse

The store offers the active shooter/first aid classes to anyone with a school district identification badge for free. Other adults pay $30, and students can take the classes for $15.

The classes began in late 2017. The instructors say that since that deadly attack at Santa Fe High, theyve gone from offering the classes monthly to weekly. Travis James, co-owner of Arms Room, said that 70 percent to 80 percent of the class is made up of teachers. Sometimes, the classes have had as many as 40 participants.

I hate to say it, but it seems like more of a common occurrence recently, James said of mass shootings. Weve seen a huge increase in the overall attendance in the class.

Even though the store, 3270 Gulf Freeway South, sells and trains people to use firearms, these classes dont involve guns, instructor Jeffrey Kimball said.

Youre best chance of survival in something like (active shooter situation) is to get out, to run, said Kimball, who was a Friendswood police officer for over a decade and who teaches an array of other classes at the store including firearms training. Your No. 1 goal is to get out of the situation, not to engage. If you have to fight, thats your last resort.

The class is split into two portions.

The first is a lecture on how to escape or hide during a mass shooting or any situation where someone is trying to harm you. The second, taught by another instructor who has combat medical training, addresses how to provide life-saving measures until victims can be transferred to ambulances or hospitals.

The Hayes family, along with another classmate, Richard Russell, all said they would be back for the Level II portion of the training, which dives into more medical response training as well as techniques to fend off attackers in other scenarios.

In the first half of the class at each level, Kimball focuses on situational awareness and tools to escape a variety of scenarios involving an attacker.

He teaches a method called, Run, Hide, Fight, that he said is recommended by U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Kimball said people stand the greatest chance of survival in an active shooter scenario if they can escape the area. He explained to the class how to help police and medical responders find the shooter or victims inside the building by paying attention to detail as they escape.

However, if you cant escape, he said, nothing is off the table if you have to engage the shooter.

If this is your last option, youre wanting to give them the fight of your life, Kimball said.

The second portion of the classes covers immediate life-saving techniques and is taught by Spencer Frink.

Frink said he emphasizes utilizing good judgment on when to help someone and not to help someone.

Were trying to save people that can be saved, he said.

Frink received his medical training in the U.S. Navy. He was a combat search and rescue crewman for seven years with deployments were in Kuwait and Iraq.

My main job was flying in a helicopter, in the back, picking up downed pilots and service members, keeping them stable and keeping them alive till we got them to higher level medical care, he said.

The two main injuries students in his class are trained to treat are massive bleeding and chest wounds, Frink said.

Before demonstrating the application of tourniquets to stop bleeding or how to check if someone is breathing, he explained various ways to help save a life without putting yourself in harms way.

Simply whispering to someone who is injured but still mobile to follow you out of a dangerous area instead of trying to carrying them can increase the chances of survival for both of you, he said.

Never try to be a hero, be a lifesaver, Frink said to the class.

During the class, Heather Hayes sat by, occasionally glancing at her children as the instructors emphasized the importance of being aware of surroundings and how to judge whether intervening medically will do more harm than good. The mother said she wanted her kids to have some knowledge outside of whats provided at school to prepare themselves in a dangerous situation.

Said Madison, I just want to know how to act next time if Im ever in that situation.

Jaimy.jones@chron.com
The Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constables Office put out a call for any residents to call dispatch after they believe a Porter man may have allegedly exposed himself to others.

Jesus Devora, 34, was arrested on a warrant Tuesday at approximately 11:30 p.m. in 21000 block of Juliann Alyes in Porter. He is charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure from a July 25 incident.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Man allegedly had sex with 14-year-old girl in park and ride lot

According to court documents, Devora allegedly exposed his genitals and was reckless about whether another was present who would be offended or alarmed by his act. The victim was offended or alarmed by said act of exposure.

The victim pulled into the Stripes gas station located at 150 Forest Center Drive in Porter which is within the Houston Police Department Jurisdiction, court documents said. The victim was at one of the gas pumps when the suspect, identified as Devora, pulled up to the pump on the other side of the victim.

This gas station is located in front of the Villas of Kingwood apartment complex along U.S. 59.

The victim became suspicious when the driver did not exit the vehicle while she was pumping gas. She was startled when she went to put her credit card back in her wallet and noticed the other vehicles door open and the suspect staring at her directly.

While staring at her, Devora exposed himself, court documents said. The victim immediately notified police and was able to obtain the suspects license plate number.

'WEE WILLIE DANGLES': Police ID man suspected of walking naked inside of north Houston stores

NABBED: Nude shopping suspect "Wee Willie Dangles" arrested in Oklahoma

Although Devora did not any form of identification and has never been arrested, Houston Police Department officers found the suspect through the license plate, surveillance videos from the gas station and social media where Devora was pictured, wearing the same clothing described by the victim during the alleged incident.

The Houston Police Department issued the warrant for Devoras arrest through Montgomery County on Tuesday. Devora has since bonded out of the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond. He is on the jail docket for Aug. 17 in Judge Mary Ann Tuckers County Court-At-Law 4.

Precinct 4 deputies issued the warning to other residents after receiving several reports of an alleged flasher in the area, but that information has not been confirmed, law enforcement stated.

For any information about possible other exposures or crimes Devora may have allegedly committed, residents are encouraged to call dispatch at 936-760-5800.
A group of local activists and an archaeologist on Wednesday pushed for more African-American historical and scientific oversight at a construction site in Fort Bend where 95 remains of possible convict laborers were discovered earlier this year.

At a press conference at the site, the group also questioned how DNA testing would be funded for possible descendants of the convict laborers interested in coming forward.

"To step out onto the site and see nothing but Caucasian workers, it made me feel worse," said Deric Muhammad, a local community activist. "It compounded the pain. I'm very well aware, that inside one of those graves could be my ancestor. My history has been lost throughout this process."

The group completed a tour of the site on Wednesday, which comes after last month's news that the remains exhumed so far are all African-American and likely part of the convict-leasing system, where prisoners were contracted out to perform cheap labor in Texas.

Fort Bend ISD is building the James Reese Career and Technical Center on the construction site, located on University Boulevard and Chatham Avenue, which is expected to be completed by Fall 2019. The discovery of the remains was announced in April by the school district.

Kofi Taharka, chairman of the National Black United Front met with the superintendent last month, but said the school district has not provided a clear answer on how the DNA testing will unfold and who will underwrite the cost.

"It should never be a question of money given the free labor that they provided in this unholy alliance between the state of Texas and the Imperial Sugar Company," said Taharka. "Where is Governor Abbott?"

In a press release issued Wednesday evening, the school district noted that it had entered into a partnership with the city of Sugar Land to have a planned reburial of the remains at Old Imperial Farm Cemetery, which is located near the construction site.

The school district also noted in the release that it's working with experts such as Dr. Helen Graham, with Houston Community College, George Mason University and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.

"The ability to identify descendants is one of the shared goals for all of the stakeholders and the district remains open to partnering with other organizations to identify possible funding and hopefully permission for this destructive analysis," the district said in the release.

During a court hearing earlier this summer, Reginald Moore, a community activist who warned the school district to not build in this historically significant area, also sought more African-American representation on the site. Both Moore and Ken Brown, anthropology professor at University of Houston, told the judge during the hearing that the school district should hire someone with a specialized knowledge of African-American history to help examine the remains.

"You need to be able to have somebody that can not only do the history, but can also bring in somebody that can talk to people today," Brown said after the hearing in June. "It's the people that really count. That's why I'm so irritated. They're treating them like they're dead bodies with nobody attached to them at all today."

Dr. Fred McGhee, an African-American archeologist and anthropologist based in Austin, also took a tour of the site with the group on Wednesday. He discussed a list of concerns the group has including lack of African-American representation on the construction site, funding for DNA testing and how the bodies will be memorialized.

McGhee said that Reign Clark, cultural resources director from Goshawk Environmental Consulting Firm which is completing the exhumation of the bodies, noted their antiquities permit must be amended for DNA testing to be completed on the remains.

McGhee also noted how a museum should be built, so that students and the community can continue to be educated about the system.

Moore has also urged that a museum be built to tell the story of the convict-leasing system and properly recognize the bodies at the construction site.

"I think the proper frame of reference when we speak about this is a concentration camp," said McGhee about the site. "Remember concentration camps were not just extermination camps, they were forced labor camps and that's what this was. At its peak, the Imperial Sugar Company was the largest and most important sugar company in America."

During a tour of the site last month, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre spoke about the remains found in the ground.

"It tugs at the heart honestly because these are people and they lived a life," Dupre said. "They lived a hard life and we know that about them."

At the tour in July, Patricia Mercado-Allinger, the archeology division director for the Texas Historical Commission, also urged community members who believe they may have ancestors buried at the site to come forward.

During Wednesday's tour, Muhammad noted he was told by an archaeologist that four names have been tied to the burial site after going through historical records.

He wants those names to be made public, so descendants can come forward and have their DNA tested.

"When you look at the wealth on top of the land, it is a reflection of the free labor that took place and the bodies that are buried underneath the land that did that free labor," said Muhammad. "It should not be a question of money when you look at all the wealth that's on top of the land. The only question that's really looming is do you even really give a damn or do you just really want to continue to build on this construction site?"
Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office

A 77-year-old man who went missing in Fort Bend County on Thursday was found dead on Friday afternoon.

On Thursday at about 5 p.m., a driver found Tai Park walking on the westbound Interstate 10 frontage road near FM 1463. The driver dropped Park off at a McDonald's restaurant near that intersection, the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office reported.
Montgomerys Big Little Fudge has been announced as a finalist in H-E-Bs search of the most delectable culinary creations from talented Texans with a flair for food.

Only 25 finalists were selected from more than 700 entrepreneurs from nearly 140 cities across the state. The finalists will go head-to-head in the fifth annual Quest for Texas Best competition Aug. 9-10 at the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin.

When I learned we were a finalist at a surprise party H-E-B threw I was ecstatic and pretty taken back, said co-owner Big Boss Robin Strickland of Montgomery on Wednesday, who shared that H-E-B tricked the five Houston finalists by telling them they were showing up for an interview.

Strickland, a lifelong lover of fudge, runs the Big Little Fudge with her business partner Kevin Graham and a small staff of people. It is located at 15522 Summit Park Drive No. 201, in Montgomery. The business strives to put a unique twist on an old fashion product that is packaged fresh and moist while remaining hip and relevant to today.

I immediately drove back to Big Little Fudge from Houston and announced it to my staff, Strickland added. This was a really big win for all of us. My entire team is here in Austin where we hope to take home the big prize.

The top 25 finalists will present their creations to a panel of expert judges, who will select four winners based on quality, marketability, and product readiness. Winners will receive a combined $70,000 in cash prizes and sought-after space on H-E-B shelves.

H-E-B will award the Grand Prize winner $25,000, the coveted title of Texas Best Primo Pick and placement on store shelves; the first-place winner $20,000; the second-place winner $15,000; and the third-place winner $10,000. To celebrate the fifth anniversary, in addition to the $25,000, this years Grand Prize winner will also get the keys to a brand-new Toyota Tundra.

Over the past five years of this competition, we have tasted more than 2,700 of the most creative Texas-based food and beverages in pursuit of Texas very best, selecting 125 finalists since 2014, said James Harris, director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity for H-E-B in a release. Each year keeps us on our toes with innovative products, and this year is no exception. We are proud to continue a program that gives small business owners the opportunity to share their pride and joy with H-E-B shoppers across the state.

The 2018 Quest for Texas Best finalists are:

1885 Coffee Co.

38 Pecans

Afia Foods

Barbecue Wife

Bellefontaine

Bellville Meat Market

Bernards Gourmet Foods

BIG Little Fudge

Cappadona Ranch

Chef Rey Inc.

Collin Street Bakery

Deanan Gourmet Popcorn

Deep River Specialty Foods

Loving Libbie Memorial Foundation

Mad Hectic Oatmeal

Maika Foods

Mirth Soup

mmmpanadas

Nuts and Cows

Pennymade

Pretty Thai

Sing and Shout Foods

Texas Black Gold Garlic

Tiny House Coffee

Tio Pelons Salsita LLC

This years competition generated a delicious mix of brews, breads, falafel, fudge, sauces, soups, sausage and sweets, according to H-E-B. Throughout two qualifying rounds, H-E-B Business Development Managers selected submissions on taste and flavor, customer appeal, value, uniqueness, market potential, and differentiation from products already available at most H-E-B stores.

The Quest for Texas Best is a signature program for H-E-Bs Primo Picks brand, which labels best-in-store products that are all unique, delicious, and new. Since its inception in 2014, the Quest for Texas Best competition has yielded more than 432 new products on H-E-Bs grocery, bakery, deli and market shelves across the state.

Previous Winners

2014

Frio Farm (Concan) - Grand Prize winner $25,000

MaxFrut (Arlington) - First Place Winner - $20,000

Habibi Gourmet Dip-It (Mission) - Second Place Winner - $15,000

Vela Farms (Victoria) - Third Place Winner - $10,000

2015

TEO Gelato (Austin) - Grand Prize winner - $25,000

Slaton Bakery (Slaton, TX) - First Place Winner - $20,000

Blackbird Foods (Houston) - Second Place Winner - $15,000

Blackbird Bakery (Austin) - Third Place winner - $10,000

2016

The Texas Pie Company (Kyle) - Grand Prize winner - $25,000

KITCHUN (Austin) - One of two First Place Winners - $20,000

Bagel Dots (Houston) - One of two First Place Winners - $20,000

The Culinary Cowgirls (Austin) - Second Place winner - $15,000

Humble House Foods (San Antonio) - Third Place winner - $10,000

2017

Skull & Cakebones (Austin) - Grand Prize Winner- $25,000

The Texas Pecan Cake Shop (Bertram) - One of two First Place Winners - $20,000

WarPigs F.U.B.A.R. BBQ Sauce - For Use on Butts and Ribs Sauce (Houston) - One of two First Place Winners - $20,000

Tamale Addiction (Austin) - Second Place winner - $15,000

La Familia Cortez Restaurants (San Antonio) - Third Place winner - $10,000

mellsworth@hcnonline.com
The 5th Caspian summit, which will involve the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan, will take place in Kazakhstans city of Aktau on August 12. The five Caspian states are expected to adopt the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which was agreed on by the five states foreign ministers at their Moscow meeting on December 4-5, 2017.

The legal status of the Caspian Sea remains the key issue discussed at the regional countries summits.

The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea will grant special status to the Caspian Sea, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said, adding that the convention will be beneficial to all the parties equally. "The formula is very simple - mutual respect for interests multiplied by sensitivity to the negotiating partner," Karasin said in an interview with the Kommersant daily.

According to the diplomat, the Caspian will be declared neither a sea nor a lake. "The Caspian Sea will have special legal status because of a number of geographic, hydrological and other features," Karasin explained. "It is a continental body of water not directly connected to oceans so it cannot be considered to be a sea," Karasin said.

At the same time, the senior Russian diplomat said that given its size, water chemistry and seabed features, the Caspian Sea cannot be viewed as a lake. "This is the reason why the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is not applicable to the Caspian Sea, as well as the principles concerning cross-border lakes, as only its seabed is divided into sectors, while sovereignty regarding its waters is established based on other principles," the diplomat noted.

Karasin noted that issues concerning the division of resources are resolved at bilateral and trilateral levels. "In my view, agreements that Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, have made can serve as an example for conducting delimitation in the southern part of the Caspian Sea," he stressed.

However, according to the Russian diplomat, the Convention points out that such delimitation should be carried out only for the use of resources and obliges the parties to resolve issues through negotiations based on international law." "The littoral states will have the full jurisdiction over resources in their sectors of the seabed," Karasin said.

Head of the Center for Central Asia and Caucasus Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Stanislav Pritchin, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the Aktau summit will be the beginning of a new era for the Caspian region. "All legal issues have been resolved, which means that all issues related to the uncertainty of the status of the reservoir and the principles of its separation fell off the agenda, leaving only issues concerning cooperation," he said.

"Of course, with regard to the Convention, there is still a certain probability that something will not work out at the last stage, but in general the parties now may use the established five-sided format of regular meetings at the level of deputy ministers. They should establish new structures, which will help the Caspian states to develop cooperation in a new era,using the created legal basis," Stanislav Pritchin stressed.

The leading expert of the North-South Political Science Center, Alexander Karavaev, also stressed that at the Aktau summit will close the era of legal disputes over economic activities in the Caspian region.

The Convention will allow us to finally move from resolving differences to enjoying productive cooperation. "There are a lot of practical issues ahead in terms of joint economic development, including the parameters of the organization of the Caspian economic cooperation, which should have such economic instruments as an own investment bank engaged in financing international projects. For example, the construction of a ring road, development of ports, resumption of bioresources, the search for integrated solutions in the power industry and the interaction in the industrial and innovation zones," Alexander Karavaev listed.
David Gottlieb, former president and CEO of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, passed away Wednesday at age 90.

A celebration of Life will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at The Woodlands United Methodist Church at 2200 Lake Woodlands Drive in The Woodlands.

While he is known for his role at the Pavilion, Gottliebs legacy reaches far beyond the position. Former Chairman of The Woodlands Township Bruce Tough, mentored by Gottlieb for many years, first served as a student under Gottlieb, his dean at the University of Houston.

I always treasured the time I had with him because he was a remarkable man who had such a keen insight and passion for life, Tough said. Everyone associates him with the arts and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion but he was so much more than that. He was involved with charitable organizations and created and identified what is today known as The Woodlands Arts Council. I served on several boards with him and he always had a new idea or new concept or new visionhe is a visionary we celebrate his life and everything he gave to The Woodlands and its blessing to have shared that experience with Dr. Gottlieb.

Born on July 7, 1928 in Detroit, Gottlieb was the third of four boys born to Maishul Morris and Tzipeh Sophie Gottlieb, immigrants from Belarus who came to America in the early 1920s. He would later become a major influence in bringing arts and culture to The Woodlands. In addition to his role at the Pavilion from 1995-2002, he served as Chairman of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council, on the board of the Woodforest Charitable Foundation and as vice president of strategic relations at Woodforest National Bank.

As a teenager, Gottlieb was kicked out of several schools in Detroit. He would later earn his GED, graduate from Wayne State University, earn his doctorate in Sociology at the University of Chicago with an emphasis on Education and Adolescent Behavior. As a professor at Michigan State University, he received the Governors Award for Outstanding Service from Governor George Romney for developing programs for disadvantaged youthone of many recognitions that would be bestowed upon him throughout his life.

CWMP President Jerry MacDonald who followed Gottlieb in 2003 shared he was a strong advocate for the arts and for cultural education for everyone in the community, not only those who were typically able to attend or participate. He had a mission to reach out to those who were not exposed to the arts or performing arts.

That is what he really concentrated on and how I remember himhe would reach out to those that wouldnt normally attend performing arts and just get them exposed to that, especially kids in school that just never had the opportunity, MacDonald said. He created a lot of programs that brought in kids that would not have been exposed to the performing arts otherwise. I think that has meant a great deal to the area and children that were exposed that went on and pursued music as a career. He was all about performing arts.

MacDonald shared Gottlieb was hired by oilman and Pavilion founder George Mitchell to his position despite having no background experience running a performing arts center. Mitchell initially hired Gottlieb, who he met in Houston, as a consultant to coordinate conferences on Sustainable Societies at The Woodlands and to assist with the development of higher education partnerships in The Woodlands.

In 1985 Mitchell lured Gottlieb to The Woodlands as vice president for Institutional Development for The Woodlands Development Company, where he assisted companies and institutions to develop projects in the newly created Research Forest and worked to establish the Montgomery Community Collegenow Lone Star College. It was in The Woodlands where Gottlieb met his wife, Brenda. They were married in 1994. The next year Gottlieb began his role as president and CEO to fulfill George and Cynthia Mitchells dream of making The Woodlands Pavilion an outstanding showcase of music (to use the phrase he coined) from rock to Bach, according to his obituary.

I think George Mitchell thought he would be a good fit because of his love for the performing arts and thats really what the Pavilion is all about and what our mission is, so it was a good fit, MacDonald said. Even though he never had any experience before he stepped in and did a great jobit all started with George Mitchell giving him a break to work at the Pavilion.

Gottlieb was active on several boards and organizations, including The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival Board and the Town Center Improvement District Committee. He was also one of the first and strongest advocates for the new vision of an arts and cultural center to serve the region. The Township is conducting a feasibility study to look into the possibility of creating the center.

One of the reasons I am here today is to do whatever I can in our region to develop a performing arts center and an academy where work can be done and classes can be held and kids can be encouraged and we dont have to have one venue for everybody, Gottlieb told The Courier in 2015. There is no economic development without human development.

There is an abundance of talent in this area  what there is not an abundance of is opportunity. We dont have that.

Tough shared why Gottlieb, who he remembered also for his wit and humor, as well as his preference to refer to senior citizens as super adults, had such a heart for the arts.

Because Art Matters, Tough said. It transcends cultural boundaries, religious, boundaries, and political boundaries. It was a way of bringing people together and crossing boundaries and that is what David Gottlieb was all about. He didnt see the boundaries and limitations and he never stayed within the lanes. He was a visionary and that is where all of the art made the most impact and difference in the community. I think that is the part of him I knew and experienced.

Gottlieb was a member of Congregation Beth Shalom in The Woodlands and was involved in its restoration efforts to save a 150-year-old sacred scroll, The Torah, that survived the Holocaust. He helped create a nonprofit, the Actions of ONE, dedicated to working with Christian and Jewish leaders to develop comprehensive educational programs about the Holocaust.

He embraced heritage, culture and religion, said Tough, describing Gottlieb as faithful, and remembering the ceremony when a proclamation was presented for his involvement.

It was an emotional and meaningful mission for Gottlieb, a former crew member on the Josiah Wedgwood, a ship that secretly transported more than 1,000 Holocaust survivors from Europe to Palestine. He also was decorated by the Israel Ministry of Defense for his participation in the Israel War of Independence and also honored by the Houston Holocaust Museum, the Houston Chronicle reported in 2013.

As a retired dean from the University of Houston and a successful local businessman, Gottlieb shared his travels as a Jewish boy from inner city Detroit to the evacuation of the Holocaust survivors following World War II. The lecture, Almost a Mensch-The Birth of a Nation was held at Lone Star College-Montgomery in 2016 and sponsored by the LSC-Montgomery Government Department.

On July 6, 1946 the SS Josiah Wedgwood was thirty miles from the Port of Haifa, Gottlieb told The Courier in a 2016 article. I was an 18-year-old crewman on that vessel, which was carrying 1,257 Holocaust survivors from camps in Italy to Palestine. Passengers and crew alike were on high alert, watching for two things: British vessels and Haifa. The British had set up a blockade of Haifa and ships caught running it were forced to return their Holocaust survivors to the same countries that had refused them entry.

Our Haifa gambit ended happily. We made it into port and our ecstatic passengers disembarked to singing and cheers of Eretz! Israel! How I came to be caught up in one of the great events of the twentieth century is an improbable tale. I was not an experienced sailor, had no technical qualifications, and a lackluster past. Most of the blockade runners were Jewish veterans of World War II.

Life has a way of sending me down roads I never dreamed of taking, some the last ones I would have chosen. Maybe Bashert explains it. It means destiny or what must be. Maybe it helped that I was open to life, for life has been open to me. It has sent me mostly the good, sometimes the bad and occasionally the ugly.

Gottlieb served as a visiting professor at Harvard, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as authoring seven academic textbooks. He had also been a deputy director of Job Corps in the Office of Economic Opportunity, working with Sargent Shriver  President John F. Kennedys White House Council on Science and Technology and Director of Research White House Conference on Children and Youth.

The 2007 Hometown Hero spoke at Special Angels of The Woodlands Touched By An Angel Banquet, in 2013, which benefited adults with mental and physical challenges.

I am a strong, strong supporter of what Special Angels does, and I admire the people involved in the organization. They are doing a magnificent job and truly are heroes, Gottlieb told The Courier in 2013. These adults with challenges are very special and are angels. I take exception to the labeling of Special Angels as having Special Needs. The research facts on human development are very clear  the needs of humans are exactly the same and are inclusive of every culture and society. Those basic needs are: physiological needs; safety needs; love and belonging needs; self-esteem needs; self-actualization needs; and self.

For more information, visit https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/the-woodlands-tx/david-gottlieb-7956773.
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."

gabrielle.banks@chron.com

twitter.com/gabmobanks
The saga of the Shenandoah Hampton Inn continued Wednesday night as the City Council tabled a possible action on a special use permit sought by local hotel owner Grace Jacobson until their Sept. 12 meeting.

The council initially failed to approve the SUP, with council members Ted Fletcher, Byron Bevers and Ron Raymaker voting against approval. Early on in the discussion about the issue, Raymaker introduced a motion to deny the application, which if approved would have started a 6-month waiting period before Jacobson could reapply for development.

Council Member Charlie Bradt said he believed the benefits the hotel would bring to to Shenandoah would, Outweigh any negative things.

Shenandoah Community Development Officer Jackie Thompson said this is the second time this year that the council opted to postpone approving or denying the SUP to Jacobson, who was awarded a similar SUP in 2016 and then denied one in October 2017 due to a lack of clarity in the application.

With another Hampton Inn already operating in Shenandoah, Raymaker said he felt that the redudant services offered would hurt both businesses.

Approving this hotel and allowing both hotels to remain doesnt seem to be getting us to a rebirth, Raymaker said, referencing Jacobsons public comments on new development in Shenandoah.

The proposed 5-story Hampton Inn was set to open in April 2019 and would house 106 rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, spa, meeting rooms and banquet facilities. According to Jacobsons 2018 application, the property would bring in $4.3 to $4.5 million in revenue and would contribute $300,000 in hotel occupancy tax to the city annually.

For Fletcher, the concern came from Jacobsons past performance in her two other properties in the city.

I think the asset is valuable  the question for me is the operator, not the asset, Fletcher said. We always have to chase the (hotel occupancy) tax down.

Bevers asked Jacobson to provide information on the Hampton Inns potential impact on other hotels in the area at the July 25 meeting where the vote was originally tabled.

The hospitality industry in the greater Woodlands area has thrived since 2014, which coincides with Montgomery County becoming the seventh fastest-growing county in the country, Bevers noted. Because of that growth, the hotel room count in Shenandoah has almost tripled, but the occupancy rate averages at about 53 percent.

We went (from) roughly 600 to close to 1,800 total rooms, Bevers said. I think that this project could very well be a good project, but Im concerned with the overall community and how many rooms our community can support.

Council Member Mike McLeod, who voted to approve the permit, expressed concern at the number of limited service hotels in Shenandoah.

I dont want to be known as the value spot, McLeod said. I dont want it to be, Well, if you dont want to stay in The Woodlands, youve got this little community just north of it where you can stay for $69 a night.

The failure to approve the permit didnt deny Jacobsons application; the council will evaluate further reports from Jacobson and make a decision in September.

We are a diamond, McLeod said. I think everyone here recognizes that, and I want our hotels to reflect that.

mrincon@chron.com
Summers end is quickly approaching as children prepare to return to school and many begin thinking of pumpkins, autumn leaves and cooler weather.

A long standing family holiday tradition in The Woodlands makes its return this fall as the YMCA will once again host the annual Run Thru the Woods on Thanksgiving Day. Registration for the event  which consists of a 5-mile race, a 3-mile race, a 3-mile walk, and a 1-mile kids race  is now open.

Roxanne Davis, community liaison with The Woodlands Family YMCA, noted that this will be the 29th year for the run.

What makes our event so unique is it truly is a community race. It benefits many organizations in the community such as the local high school junior ROTC programs, the community education outreach program at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, operation graduation at the local high schools here along with serving the (Conroe ISD) key clubs, Davis said. The funds raised through the events are funneled back into those organizations

Run Thru the Woods has raised more than $2 million over its lifespan. The funds benefit the community programs as well as The Woodlands Family YMCA Annual Campaign, which helps the organization continue its mission of helping everyone regardless of age, income or background, have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

Were all about youth development and social living at the YMCA and the race encompasses all of that, Davis said.

The Woodlands Township and The Pavilion sponsor the event each year. Davis noted that the Thanksgiving Day tradition would not be possible without local community partners and, she added, sponsorships are still available.

Run Thru the Woods attracts more than 4,000 participants each year. Those interested in running in any of the races are encouraged to register early to get the discounted fee. The cost of registration will increase on Oct. 17. Those who register before Oct. 17 also will receive a personalized race number with their name printed on it.

We really encourage everybody to register early, Davis added.

The event provides an opportunity for everyone to participate no matter their fitness level. The top three winners in each of the races will receive a trophy to recognize their achievement. The first through third place overall winners in the 5-mile race also will receive a cash prize.

Davis said it takes 400 to 500 volunteers to organize everything and that the YMCA is currently looking for those willing to help.

To learn more about sponsorships, how to volunteer or registration, visit http://runthruthewoods.org.

patricia.dillon@chron.com
Iraqs Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the re-imposition earlier this week of U.S. sanctions on Iran.

In a statement, ministry spokesman Ahmed Mahjoob said his country rejected the use of economic sanctions, of which, he said, the general public tended to be the primary victims.

Mahjoob also praised Iran for its continued support for Iraq and for the latters ongoing fight against terrorism.

We call on the international community to exert pressure to discourage the U.S. administration from continuing these sanctions, he said, Anadolu agency reported.

The spokesman went on to warn of the sanctions potentially negative effects on Iran and the entire region, both in economic and social terms.
Brenda Jones will be a member of Congress for 18 days

Detroiters were not happy about the way former congressman John Conyers Jr. was pushed out of office. They were even less happy when Gov. Rick Snyder, R-Mich., scheduled the special election to replace him in November 2018 - leaving much of the city, as well as suburbs such as Dearborn, without a member of Congress for 11 months. As a result, voters in Tuesday's race were voting not just to replace Conyers, but, separately, to fill the last few weeks of Conyers's term.

They ended up nominating two different Democrats for the job. Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones is the party's candidate for the lame duck session of Congress, while former state legislator Rashida Tlaib is its candidate to represent Michigan's 13th district in the next Congress. No Republican is running in the gerrymandered seat, making the Democratic nomination tantamount to victory. Both women will arrive in Washington in November - but only Tlaib will be allowed to vote on the party's leadership for the next Congress.

This, understandably, has roiled politics in a city that had not fully recovered from the loss of Conyers. Jones may not be forced to leave her powerful municipal role to cast "no" votes for a few cold weeks in November and December - and return to Detroit with no political job at all.

- - -

7,608 Kansas voted for gubernatorial candidates who were too young to vote

Did you know that Kansas' Constitution does not specify any requirements whatsoever to become a candidate for governor? Kansans do, after a number of teenagers - all male, all khaki'd - declared their candidacies last year and became minor celebrities.

At one point, six teenagers were running for governor; in the end, just three appeared on Tuesday's ballot. Democrat Jack Bergeson won 3,850 votes, leading the pack, with Republicans Tyler Ruzich and Joseph Tutera getting the rest of the vote. Bergeson was a non-factor in the Democratic race, but had a fraction of the votes for Ruzich or Tutera - who described themselves as moderates - gone to Gov. Jeff Colyer, he'd be entering the gubernatorial recount against Kris Kobach with a lead.

Another way to look at this is that Kobach, who has spent much of his tenure as secretary of state looking for evidence of voting fraud, may well clinch his nomination with help from candidates who were themselves too young to vote.

- - -

Michigan Democrats cast 93 percent as many ballots as they did in the 2016 presidential primary

In 2016, the first clue that not everything would go right for Democrats was the party's weak turnout in Michigan. In the state's first real Democratic presidential primary since the 1990s, its voters cast 1,205,542 ballots; Republicans cast 1,326,589 ballots. That was, needless to say, unusual in a state where Democrats held a registration advantage but independents could vote in either primary. More ominously, Republicans cast 124,893 votes in Macomb, while Ds cast just 97,536 votes. And in November 2016, Macomb County put Donald Trump over the top.

It was a different story last night. Statewide, Democrats cast 1,126,208 votes to just 985,249 for Republicans. That was the largest Democratic turnout in any midterm Michigan primary ever, and it amounted to 93 percent of the vote in the 2016 primary - compared to Republicans, who mustered 74 percent of their vote from two years ago. In Macomb County, Democrats cast 89,505 votes, and Republicans cast 79,259 votes.

- - -

Eight Kansas Republicans lost their seats in the legislature

For the past eight years, Kansas has effectively been a one-party state, with Republicans in control of every office. The balance of power that's mattered has been the number of moderate Republicans in the state legislature - largely suburban, and fully willing to team up with Democrats to override vetoes of their bills. In 2016, even as Hillary Clinton was losing Kansas in a rout, Democrats gained seats across the state and moderates beat conservatives in primaries.

The dial turned back somewhat last night. Eight of Kansas' 85 state House Republicans, most of them moderates, lost their primaries. For Democrats, that significantly raises the stakes of November's election, raising the possibility that a Gov. Kris Kobach would have a more reliably conservative legislature to work with.

- - -

Three Washington state Republicans couldn't get 50 percent of the vote

There are plenty of ballots to count, but in three House districts - the 3rd, 5th and 8th - Republicans got less than a majority of the vote in Tuesday's "top two" primary. All three of them - Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dino Rossi - advanced to November's election. But as recently as 2016, Republicans had no trouble winning a majority of the vote in the first round.

"I think we can flip all three seats," state Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski crowed last night.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday described the probe into Russian election interference being led by special counsel Robert Mueller as "a different kind of Watergate," lashing out at the investigation as both sides continue to tangle over the conditions for a potential presidential interview.

In an interview with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity that happened to coincide with the 44th anniversary of President Richard M. Nixon's resignation, Giuliani suggested that a scandal of historic proportions is currently unfolding - but in contrast to the 26-month scandal that led to Nixon's downfall, the wrongdoing is on the side of the investigator rather than the president.

"You know how sometimes the coverup is worse than the crime? In this case, the investigation was much worse than the no-crime," Giuliani said, maintaining that "the president did nothing wrong."

He added that if the investigation itself is one day investigated, "I think it's going to lead to some very big reforms, just like Watergate."

"It's a different kind of Watergate. It's on the side of the investigator," Giuliani said. "Corrupt investigations through and through."

The comments by Giuliani are just the latest instance of Trump's legal team seeking to discredit the Mueller probe. Trump himself has publicly attacked the investigation as a "hoax" and tweeted last week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now." Sessions has recused himself from the investigation.

On Wednesday, the debate over the Mueller probe took a new turn after an audio recording was released in which Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appeared to suggest that a House Republican majority is necessary in order to protect Trump from any negative repercussions of the investigation.

"If Sessions won't unrecuse and Mueller won't clear the president, we're the only ones, which is really the danger," Nunes said on the secretly recorded tape, which was aired by "The Rachel Maddow Show."

Trump's legal team on Wednesday sent a letter to Mueller rejecting his conditions for a voluntary presidential interview, arguing that it would be inappropriate for Trump to be questioned about possible obstruction of justice.

Asked by Hannity whether the letter left open the possibility that Trump might answer questions in writing rather than in a sit-down interview, Giuliani declined to say. Instead, in a defiant prediction of the probe's eventual end, he argued that "this case isn't going to fizzle; it's going to blow up on them."

"I said a long time ago, the investigation here has to be of the investigators, because we can't let this happen again in American history," Giuliani said. "We may not have a president as strong as President Trump. A lesser president could have really been cracked by this."
In dueling news conferences held just blocks apart in the Baltimore suburbs Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Democratic challenger Ben Jealous presaged a fierce battle for votes in one of Maryland's key bellwether counties.

Each announced endorsements by Democratic elected officials from Baltimore County and went on to describe the vote-rich region as crucial to winning the governor's mansion.

The emphasis on the swing jurisdiction comes as Hogan, a popular Republican seeking a second term in a heavily Democratic state, and the national GOP are relentlessly trying to portray Jealous and his progressive agenda as extreme.

Jealous has stumbled in responding to their attacks, including cursing Wednesday when a reporter asked about them. His Democratic allies have let more than $1 million in television attack ads go unanswered.

Both candidates told reporters gathered in Towson that they would aggressively court Baltimore County's half a million voters, the biggest prize outside of the populous D.C. suburbs.

Hogan announced his first endorsement from a sitting Democratic state lawmaker, outgoing Sen. James Brochin, Baltimore County, who said Jealous was pulling the party too far to the left and urged fellow Democrats to choose the person - regardless of political affiliation - they think is right for the job.

Jealous, a former NAACP president who decisively won a six-way Democratic primary, rolled out endorsements from Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., and seven other current officeholders.

Sarbanes described Jealous as the candidate best positioned to appeal to Democrats who say education is their top issue this year. The congressman also repeatedly called Jealous "an investor" in the state's future, trying to reframe Republican claims that the candidate's proposals for universal health care and debt-free college would be too costly for Maryland.

Although Baltimore County has twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans, voters there have been willing to cross party lines, backing Hogan in 2014 over Democrat Anthony G. Brown by 53,202 votes. Hogan's statewide margin of victory was 65,510 votes.

But Jealous and his supporters say they are confident that they can persuade Democrats to support him this year, in part because progressives are surging in key races nationwide and many Marylanders are disgusted with President Trump.

"We're talking about delivering a powerful narrative," Sarbanes said. "It's a new day. It's a new election."

Minutes later, Jealous made a gaffe that threatened to drown out that message.

Asked about a new ad from the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and recent comments by Hogan that described him as a "socialist," Jealous dismissed that criticism as "name-calling" and cited past examples when terms such as "socialist" and "communist" were used to discredit African American leaders.

"Him calling me a far-left socialist is what the tea party called Barack Obama. It's what Barry Goldwater called Martin Luther King," Jealous said. "When you see conservatives like Hogan name-calling, you realize that they're scared."

Jealous' campaign could not provide an example of Goldwater making such a comment about King, who was famously - and inaccurately - labeled a communist by J. Edgar Hoover.

Jealous was a chief surrogate during the 2016 campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who identified himself as a democratic socialist. Although Jealous has embraced many of Sanders' policy ideas - Medicare for all and debt-free college among them - he has not called himself a socialist.

At the news conference, pressed to say whether he identified with the term, Jealous responded with profanity. "Are you f---ing kidding me?" he said.

The vulgarity ricocheted across Twitter, onto national cable news and through Maryland political circles. Within hours, Jealous apologized and clarified his thoughts. "I'm a venture capitalist, not a socialist," he said in a statement posted on Twitter. "I have never referred to myself as a socialist nor would I govern as one."

Jealous' top campaign staff and the Maryland Democratic Party separately convened political reporters from across the state Wednesday for an unusual joint briefing to outline their strategy and make the case that Jealous has a realistic chance of toppling Hogan.

Democrats are counting on a record turnout. Their target is 2.1 million voters - a 20 percent increase over the 2014 election - with Jealous capturing 1 million of those votes.

No Republican has ever received 1 million votes in Maryland, and with a 2-to-1 registration advantage, campaign officials said Jealous would benefit if high numbers of Democrats show up at the polls.

Party leaders also played down the significance of Brochin endorsing Hogan, pointing out that the lawmaker has split with mainstream Democrats on several high-profile issues, including repeal of the death penalty years ago.

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 Assembly's most dogged campaigners and promised to focus his energy for the next few months on helping Hogan win votes in Baltimore County.

"I'll do whatever he wants, whatever he needs," Brochin said.

Hogan has significantly more to spend in the race than Jealous. According to the most recent campaign finance filings - from a week before the June primary - Jealous had $260,190 cash on hand while Hogan had $8.2 million.

Hogan also has been boosted by the RGA, which has aired three television ads on his behalf. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has not aired any in response, but a spokeswoman for the group said it will invest heavily in the race to ensure that Hogan is "a one-term governor."

Kevin Harris, a senior adviser to Jealous, said the campaign has been in close contact with the DGA since the primary but has yet to ask the organization to help with advertising.

"Larry Hogan has to run his campaign how he sees fit," Harris said. "And we will run ours the way we see fit. We don't feel the need to bombard Marylanders with negative advertising in July and August."
Indonesian President Joko Widodo picked Ma'ruf Amin, the head of the nation's influential clerics' council, as his running mate for next year's election, setting the stage for a rerun of the 2014 race with former general Prabowo Subianto.

Amin was chosen for his vast experience in religious and political affairs and the pair will file their nominations on Friday, Widodo, known as Jokowi, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday. The duo will fight Subianto, who leads Indonesia's main opposition party Gerindra, and is paired with incumbent Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno.

Jokowi's choice of the 75-year-old cleric from the nation's most influential Muslim organization will bolster his re-election prospects and can thwart potential attempts by the opposition to sway voters on religious grounds. Jokowi enjoys a considerable lead in opinion polls and partnering Amin may help him to build on the margin among the country's more conservative Muslim voters.

"By choosing a religious figure, Jokowi wants to minimize any race, ethnicity and religion based issues," said Arya Fernandes, an analyst at Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. "Jokowi has concerns over issues related to identity."

The Jakarta governor election last year was marred by sectarian tensions and mass street protests, which saw Anies Baswedan and Uno, who were backed by Subianto, emerging winners. The incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, a Jokowi ally, was later jailed after being held guilty of blasphemy.

Amin is an Islamic scholar and heads the Indonesian Ulema Council. He is also the chairman of the advisory council of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic organization with about 140 million members.

Jokowi has gained endorsements from at least six major parties, including his Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and former ruling party Golkar. The 57-year-old has worked hard at maintaining an image as the "people's president" that helped catapult him to the top job. His alliance also controls more than 60 percent of parliament.

While the nominations close on Friday, official campaigning will begin in September with voting scheduled for April 17.

Indonesia's economy has expanded at about 5 percent under Jokowi with the unemployment rate falling to a two-decade low. The president has also been praised for a massive infrastructure program and reform agenda that's helped secure sovereign rating upgrades and much-needed investment.

Jokowi said he would focus on developing Indonesia in "an equitable and just" way if elected again. Calling Amin a wise religious leader, Jokowi said his running mate's experience as a legislator and his role as an adviser to the president will complement his own strength.

Indonesia, the fourth-most populous country with 262 million people, is also home to the world's largest Muslim population. But the country has more than 25 million living in poverty, according to the World Bank.

The Subianto-Uno pair pledged to work for more equal distribution of wealth, creation of jobs, and ensure affordable food prices while accelerating the nation's development.

Jokowi, the first president to come from outside the political elite or the military, has often faced questions about his Islamic credentials. Days before the 2014 election, Jokowi made a dash to the holy city of Mecca after he fended off allegations over his religion and ethnicity during the campaign. That's something he would have considered while picking Amin.

"The biggest flaw of Jokowi is the perception about him that he's anti-Islam," said Achmad Sukarsono, a Singapore-based analyst at Control Risks. "By picking Amin, Jokowi is showing that he's a Muslim and fighting for the interest of Muslims. By doing that, he hopes to secure Muslim votes."

Jokowi's choice of a cleric may also be lauded by investors as they won't need to worry about religious and ethnicity issues, which were often a distraction for the president while pursuing economic reforms, according to Lana Soelistianingsih, chief economist of Samuel Sekuritas.

"Jokowi's economic platform won't change that much," Soelistianingsih said. "Investors may well appreciate Ma'ruf if he's able to address religious and ethnicity issues that have worried them all this time. This will create stability, something that investors long for."
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday new funding and efforts to crack down on human trafficking, which he described as one of the "most heinous" crimes.

The Republican signed an executive order creating a statewide anti-human trafficking director and said the state was allocating $5 million to provide trafficking victims with support services and $4 million to help counties target gangs and criminal networks.

The governor, who spoke at a news conference in Rockville with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, a Democrat, said Maryland's central location makes it a "hotbed for human trafficking" up and down the Interstate 95 corridor.

Three Germantown residents were charged in June in connection with running a trafficking and prostitution operation at four massage parlors in Montgomery County. In February, two Baltimore men were charged with trafficking three teenage girls - ages 15, 16 and 17 - in Laurel.

"As a father, I'm heartbroken for these daughters and sons who are being victimized and brutalized," a visibly emotional Hogan said.

There were 115 human trafficking cases reported in Maryland last year to the National Human Trafficking Hotline - up from 84 in 2012. There were 156 cases reported to the hotline in Virginia in 2017 and 61 in Washington.

The anti-human trafficking director will work out of the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention, focusing in part on improving data collection and state coordination with counties.

"We know it's bad, but we want to know how bad," said Glenn Fueston, who heads the governor's anti-crime office. "It's about creating an environment where people feel safe coming to us."

In January, Hogan signed an executive order requiring state agencies to prominently display information about the human trafficking hotline (1-888-373-7888) and text line (text HELP to 233733) on their websites.

Hogan, who is running for re-election, said he will reintroduce legislation in 2019 that died in the General Assembly this year and would classify felony human trafficking as a violent crime, which means offenders would spend more time in prison.

He also announced that a $500,000 grant will be awarded to the University of Maryland to help fund the creation of a center focused on innovation in the criminal justice field.

Leggett, who has pointedly not endorsed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous, repeatedly praised Hogan's leadership Thursday. He said people too often think that human trafficking would not be a problem in a state as affluent and highly educated as Maryland.

"This is a national problem, and Maryland is no exception, and Montgomery County is no exception," Leggett said, noting that the county has focused on training employees at hotels and motels on how to spot human traffickers.

Montgomery County will receive $257,000 in grant funding; Prince George's County will get $195,160.

D. Michael Lyles, who chairs the anti-human trafficking task force in Prince George's, said he "applauds any effort by the state to help," adding that the county does not have enough resources for a facility where victims can receive medium to long-term support.

"If they don't have help, these victims are back on the street being victimized," Lyles said.
First lady Melania Trump's parents became U.S. citizens in a naturalization ceremony in New York on Thursday, completing a years-long immigration process even as President Trump has called for new laws to bar Americans from sponsoring parents and other relatives.

Michael Wildes, an attorney for Viktor and Amalija Knavs, who had been living in the country as legal permanent residents after leaving their native Slovenia, confirmed that his clients took the oath of citizenship.

News photographers captured images of the couple as they arrived at a Manhattan federal building accompanied by Department of Homeland Security officers. Wildes did not elaborate, citing the couple's privacy.

"Citizenship was just awarded," Wildes said. "They have prevailed in a wonderful journey as millions have."

Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, also declined to comment "as they are not part of the administration."

The Washington Post first reported in February that the Knavs had gained legal permanent residency and that legal experts believed it was likely that the first lady had sponsored their applications for family-based green cards.

Wildes said the Knavs satisfied the requirement that permanent residents hold their green cards for five years before they can apply for U.S. citizenship. It is unclear when the Knavses first moved to the United States, but by late 2007, Viktor Knavs was listed in public records as residing at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Knavses received no special treatment because of their relationship with the first family, Wildes told reporters in New York.

"The application, the process, the interview was no different than anybody else's, other than the security arrangements to facility today," he said. "This is an example of it going right. They're very excited."

Questions about the couple's immigration status intensified last year as Trump mounted a push to slash legal immigration, including provisions to constrict the ability of U.S. citizens from sponsoring their parents, adult children and siblings for green cards.

In fiscal 2016, the United States granted nearly 1.2 million green cards, of which 174,000 went to parents of U.S. citizens, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump has railed against what he calls "chain migration," which the president contends has resulted in fiercer competition for blue-collar jobs for native-born Americans and introduces increased national security concerns.

Studies have shown, however, that immigrants have boosted the economy and commit crimes at lower rates than the native born.

Trump falsely asserted in November that Uzbekistan-born Sayfullo Saipov - who had gained legal permanent residency in an annual visa lottery before allegedly killing eight people on a bike path in New York - had brought nearly two dozen relatives into the country on family visas. Saipov has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for next year.

"We want to get rid of chain migration," Trump said at the time.

The Senate defeated several immigration bills in the spring, including one that included the proposals backed by Trump. A spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who sponsored that bill, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did spokespeople for Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Okla., who have authored similar legislative proposals.

Critics said the Knavs' ability to secure green cards and citizenship smacks of hypocrisy given the president's hard-line immigration stance.

"This is the most anti-immigration administration probably in history of the country except when it comes to this family, and the hypocrisy is just stunning," said David Leopold, an immigration attorney in Cleveland. "He and his administration are on a crusade to rid the country of immigrants, particularly immigrants of color. What can you say when the first lady and her family have such an easy time?"

A White House spokesman declined to comment when asked about the criticism Thursday. The president is on a working vacation this week at his private resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Supporters of Trump's efforts to slash family-based migration said the first lady and her parents should not be criticized for taking advantage of current laws.

"Until the rules change, the rules are there to be used," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration levels.

"If they didn't break the rules, there's really no issue here," Krikorian said. "I want the rules to be changed for the future. But that doesn't delegitimize anyone in categories I want to get rid of who are already here fair and square."

The first lady's own immigration path also has been scrutinized. A former model known as Melania Knauss, she arrived in New York in 1996 and began dating Trump in 2000.

In 2001, Knauss was granted a green card in the elite EB-1 program, which was designed for renowned academic researchers, multinational business executives or those in other fields, such as Olympic athletes and Oscar-winning actors, who demonstrated "sustained national and international acclaim."

The year that Knauss got her legal residency, only five people from Slovenia received green cards under the EB-1 program, according to the State Department.

The Knavs raised Melania Trump in the rural town of Sevnica when Slovenia was a part of communist Yugoslavia. Viktor Knavs, now 74, was a car dealer while Amalija Knavs, now 73, worked in a textile factory.

In an interview on CNN in June, amid a public outcry over the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant families at the border, Wildes said that his immigration firm was in "overdrive because of the challenges that are going on here."

Asked by host Don Lemon if the Knavs's successful journey to join their daughter in the United States amounted to "family reunification," Wildes replied: "I think so, don't you? And I'll do it again and I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it for people in provocative ways."
The Caspian five summit in Kazakhstan is expected to end with a convention stipulating the legal status of the basin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said.

"The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which is expected to be adopted by the leaders of the Caspian five summit in Aktau, clearly captures the principles of development of naval forces and Russias interests will also be taken into account," RIA Novosti cited Karasin as saying.

The presidents of the five coastal states will meet on August 12 in Aktau at the 5th Caspian summit to take stock of many years of negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. As expected, the main outcome of the summit should be a Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, Mehr News Agency reported.

Karasin, speaking with the Kommersant newspaper, noted that he did not agree with the statement that only Russia is actively expanding its military forces in the Caspian Sea.
The New York City Council on Wednesday passed a cap on Uber, Lyft and other for-hire vehicles in the city along with a minimum wage for drivers, becoming the first city in the nation to impose such sweeping measures to offset the growth of the ride-hailing industry.

The legislation imposes a one-year ceiling on non-wheelchair-accessible for-hire vehicles while the city undertakes a study on the impacts of ride hailing. Uber and Lyft had objected to the proposal, arguing it would increase wait times and make rides harder to find in neighborhoods across the city.

In a statement, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, D, commended the council for its vote, arguing the cap would "stop the influx of cars contributing to the congestion grinding our streets to a halt." De Blasio called the growth of ride-hailing a "crisis" and said the services are clogging streets and "driving New Yorkers into poverty." He said he intends to sign the bill.

The City Council also agreed to impose a minimum wage for ride-hail drivers recommended by a recent study commissioned by the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission. The study recommended a $17.22 hourly minimum wage after expenses, arguing the measure would cover the costs of owning and driving a car in the city and allow for paid time off. City officials would set the wage.

Uber was fiercely opposed to the freeze in part because ride-hailing companies rely on a business model aimed at maximizing the number of available vehicles in an effort to reduce wait times for passengers.

"The City's 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," the company said in a statement.

Uber spokesman Josh Gold said in an interview Wednesday that the company will shift its strategy from opposing efforts to freeze the number of vehicles, to gobbling up the outstanding for-hire vehicle licenses available under the new cap. Ride-hailing services have an estimated 80,000 of the 120,000 available for-hire vehicle licenses in New York, the companies say.

Gold said the outstanding 40,000 licenses belong to black car and livery drivers, workers Uber will aim to recruit. The council's newly imposed minimum wage will assist the company in those efforts, he said.

"We're going to aggressively go after the 40,000 existing [for-hire vehicle] licenses to add to the 80,000 that we already dispatch to," Gold said.

In a statement, Lyft decried the measure's passage - arguing the cap would make hailing a ride more difficult across the city, particularly in less dense areas.

"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," said Joseph Okpaku, Lyft's vice president of public policy.

The city's measures follow mounting public pressure to confront the rise of the ride-hailing services, as taxi industry fortunes have fallen and workers have struggled to make a living. Six city taxi drivers have committed suicide in recent months under the financial pressure, according to the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.

The Independent Drivers Guild, a labor group representing more than 60,000 app-based professional drivers in the city, said the wage floor was the culmination of a two-year battle aimed at eliminating what is described as a loophole that allowed Uber and Lyft to subvert minimum wage requirements by classifying drivers as contractors.

"More than 65,000 working families will be getting a desperately needed raise because of today's vote. We hope this is the start of a more fair industry not only here in New York City, but all over the world," the labor group's founder, Jim Conigliaro Jr., said in a statement. "We cannot allow the so-called 'gig economy' companies to exploit loopholes in the law in order to strip workers of their rights and protections."

The guild says nine in 10 of its members drive for ride-hailing companies as their primary source of income, underscoring the need for a minimum wage.

City planners have argued in favor of measures to curb the growth of app-based services, which is most acute in city centers. Officials have pushed for congestion-based pricing and measures such as ride-hailing revenue taxes - that aim to capitalize on the growth of ride-hailing to supplement public transit. Uber and Lyft support congestion-based road pricing in part because it targets all private vehicles, rather than singling out ride-sharing.

Uber and Lyft contend they reduce users' dependence on private vehicles and complement public transit. But studies have shown Uber increases traffic congestion in major urban areas, including Manhattan, in part by pulling from more sustainable modes.
The suspected child abductor found last week with 11 children and four other adults at a squalid New Mexico compound had trained at least one of the minors to use an assault rifle in preparation for a school shooting, prosecutors said in court documents filed on Wednesday. The children, who officials have said were between the ages of 1 and 15, were taken to the compound by some adults for the purpose of receiving weapons training for future acts of violence, the documents said.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, who was wanted on suspicion that he had abducted his 3-year-old son, was arrested along with four other adults after Taos County officials raided the barren property in the midst of scrubland in Amalia, New Mexico, on Friday. Prosecutors are asking that all four adults, who are each charged with 11 counts of felony child abuse, be held without bail. They are Lucas Allen Morten, 40, who prosecutors said was in joint control of the property and have charged with harboring a felon because they said he was knowingly giving aid to Siraj Wahhaj; Hujrah Wahhaj, 37, a sister of Wahhaj, Subhannah Wahhaj, 35, another sister, and Jany Leveille, 35. The women are believed to be the mothers of some, if not all, of the children.

A judge ordered the group to be held without bond on Wednesday.

The arrests were the culmination of a months-long search for the missing child, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj. The young boy was not among the 11 children found at the property, though investigators are working to identify a child's remains that they say they found in the area after getting a second search warrant.

The search for Abdul-Ghani began nine months ago in Jonesboro, Georgia, where his mother told police that her husband had taken him to a park and never returned. The boy was encephalopathic, had trouble walking, suffered from seizures and required an emergency medication that the father did not have, his mother told police, according to a report in the Clayton News-Daily from December. Abdul-Ghani and his father had been seen that month traveling through Alabama with several other children and adults. They had been involved in an accident and given an officer who helped them the impression that they were going to New Mexico for camping.

Tyler Anderson, a 41-year-old auto mechanic who lives near the compound, told the Associated Press that the group had arrived at the end of last year. He said he had helped them install solar panels but fell out of touch with them after that.

"We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid," Anderson said.

Law enforcement officials in Taos County said they received information about a child who had been abducted by their father in May. And the compound in Amalia had not gone unnoticed by local law enforcement authorities, who surveilled the location in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and noticed that it had a shooting range. Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said that the FBI did not feel there was probable cause to search the property. But eventually the Sheriff's office received a tip from a detective in Georgia that was believed to have originated from the someone at the compound: "we are starving and need food and water."

"I began working on a search warrant right after I got that intercepted message," Hogrefer said in a statement earlier this week. "It had to be a search warrant and 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. We also knew from the layout of the compound they would have an advantage if we didn't deploy tactfully and quickly."

Law enforcement officials arrived to what they have described as a stark scene: a trailer covered in plastic and ringed with tires that was buried in the dirt on a property littered with trip hazards, woods with upturned nails, broken glass and open trenches. A unsupported tunnel, about three to four feet wide and two and a half feet tall, extended for approximately 100 feet, constituting another danger on the property, prosecutors wrote.

A small utility truck nearby was cluttered with clothing, and makeshift beds, prosecutors said. Investigators also found four pistols, a military-style rifle and a large quantity of ammunition. The property was scattered with trash, and had no clean water, electricity or indoor plumbing, according to court documents.

At the time, Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe described the conditions at the compound as the "saddest living conditions and poverty I have seen." He said the children "looked like third-world country refugees not only with no food or fresh water, but with no shoes, personal hygiene and basically dirty rags for clothing."

Prosecutors did not raise the allegation that a child was being trained for a school shooting in court on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Hakima Ramzi recorded a desperate plea on Facebook in January about her son's disappearance.

"He's sick, he needs his medications," she said through tears in January. "He needs everything. I don't know if he's alive, or he is, well, I don't know his condition now. So please, please, I need your help to find my husband and my son."

Wahhaj's father, Siraj Wahhaj, is the imam of a mosque in Brooklyn in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

"In light of the recent events, The Masjid At Taqwa community would like to ask that you just please continue to pray for our Imam and his family," the mosque posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

In January, a note on Wahhaj's Facebook page spoke about Siraj, Hujrah, and Subhanah, his children, and Morton and Leveille, who he identified as his son and daughter in law, and 12 grandchildren.

"We believe they may be traveling together," the note said, asking people to call the police if they had any information.

Facebook posts show how the information about Abdul Ghani and Siraj Ibn Wahhaj reverberated through the community around the mosque. In January, a Facebook account of Naeemah Rashid, who said she is the imam's daughter-in-law, posted a picture of other children around the missing poster for Abdul-Ghani.

"I wanted to take the time now to make sure we also focus on praying for the other children as well, because of their parents making these choices it's going to affect these children as well," she wrote. "AND AGAIN THE FATHER (SIRAJ IBN) AND SON (ABDUL GHANI) WAS THE ONLY ONES REPORTED AS MISSING TO THE POLICE, BUT THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE TRAVELING TOGETHER WITH ALL IN THE PICTURE BELOW."

Rumors floated about the whereabouts of the other adults, who some claimed had turned off their phones.

Subhanah Wahhaj posted an ominous message seemingly in response to the speculation in January.

"Deception and lies!" she wrote. "Be careful what you believe. And be careful who you believe. The truth will come to light. Don't worry everyone. I am safe and well."

The compound was found on property that had been purchased by a couple, Tanya and Jason Badger, according to documents released by court officials. The Badgers told news outlets that they had tried to get authorities to help them get the group out.

"We had told them several times that you know they're not tenants, they're not paying this rent, they're squatters, they're there illegally - I don't want them there," Jason Badger told CNN.

It was unclear why an eviction noticed filed by Badger against Morton was dismissed by a judge in June, according to court records.

- - -

The Washington Post's Abigail Hauslohner and Avi Selk contributed to this report.
3,000 Muslims from Kazakhstan will make the hajj to Mecca this year, the Caucasus Ministry of Social Development's press service said.

First 300 hajj-goers have already left Almaty for Saudi Arabia, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported.

The majority of the first pilgrims' party consists of Muslims from Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Aktau.
A person, who had gone missing in Armenias Lori Province, has been found dead.

The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations received a report on August 7 at 20:19 local time, informing that a Yerevan resident (born in 1990) had gone to the nearby forest from a holiday cottage at around 10:30, but had not returned,

Police officers conducted a search for this person. A fire and rescue squad was dispatched to the scene. At 13:45 the man's dead body was found, News.am reported.
Defense attorneys for a Jordanian immigrant facing the death penalty for killing his son-in-law and his daughters close friend in two 2012 honor killings spent Thursday trying to elicit support and sympathy for their client, calling family members to testify about beatings he endured during a strict upbringing in the Middle East.

Brothers and sisters of Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan -testifying from Jordan using a Skype computer link and an Arabic translator - told of the rigors of growing up with an abusive father in a country torn by war.

Earlier in the seven week capital murder trial, the 60-year-old Irsan was quickly found guilty of orchestrating the two homicides as part of broader plot to kill five people, including his daughter, after she ran away from the family compound in rural Montgomery County, converted to Christianity and married a Christian man. His daughter survived and testified against her father.

On Thursday, Irsans older sister testified that he was frequently beaten and kicked out of the house by their father who was often angry.

He would get mad, Nawal Rawabdeh Irsan said about their father in Jordan, through a court interpreter. He used to beat him with his hand, with a cord, with a stick.

The sister talked about a 1970 war involving the Palestine Liberation Organization that resulted in a path of dead bodies the children had to traverse to get water from a well or to get food.

We went up to the bakery, she said. At the bakery there were dead people.

Irsans brother, Omar Rawabdeh, also said their father, who was in the Jordanian army, often physically abused Irsan and the other children.

He would beat us, Rawabdeh said.

Irsan was convicted last month for the double homicide of 28-year-old Coty Beavers in November 2012 and Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a 30-year-old Iranian activist who was a close friend of Irsan's daughter, 11 months earlier.

Irsan, a father of 12, was enraged that his adult daughter ran away from the familys rural Montgomery County compound to convert and marry a Christian. Testimony showed that he stalked his daughter and her husband for months before slipping into the couples apartment and shot Beavers, who was hit by five bullet rounds.

Bagherzadeh, an Iranian activist and close friend of Irsans daughter, was shot once in the head while on the phone in her car outside of her parents Galleria-area townhouse in January 2012.

After jurors convicted Irsan last month, the trial moved to a punishment phase in which prosecutors worked to show that Irsan would be a continuing danger to the community and should be sentenced to death.

The defense has mounted an effort to sway the jury to sentence Irsan to life in prison without parole.

The trial, in state District Judge Jan Krockers court, is expected to last another week.

Brian Rogers covers Houston crime and courts. You can email him at brian.rogers@chron.com and follow him on Twitter at @brianjrogers.
A federal judge in Houston heard arguments Wednesday on whether he should end a temporary work permit program for young immigrants who came here illegally as children.

Such a finding by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in the closely-watched lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and nine other states would set up conflicting rulings about the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.

That would likely force the issue into the hands of higher courts, further prolonging a state of limbo for more than 700,000 young immigrants who have qualified for DACA since President Barack Obama unveiled the program in 2012.

President Donald Trumps administration rescinded it last fall, though three federal judges have since kept the program alive. A ruling last week ordered the government restart accepting new applications. Texas has the most DACA recipients in the nation after California, with more than 120,000 such young immigrants.

In the three-hour hearing in Houstons downtown federal courthouse, Hanen focused much of his questioning on how the program compares with his ruling several years ago against an expansion of DACA and another initiative that would have granted provisional work permits to a few million parents of Americans who have been here illegally for years.

A Texas-led coalition of 26 mostly Republican states successfully sued in federal court in Brownsville before Hanen to block those programs. Hanens injunction was appealed to a short-handed Supreme Court in 2016, which split on the issue and left his ruling in place.

A PRIORITY FOR THE AG: Paxton takes legal action in hopes of ending DACA program

Lawyers with the state attorney generals office argued Wednesday that the program is as unlawful as the two Hanen halted, and that Texas has legal standing to sue because it suffers financial damage as a result of having to provide services to DACA recipients in the state.

This is not a close case, said state attorney Todd Disher. The issue in front of the court are legal questions that have already been decided.

Paxton, who attended the hearing, said in a statement that DACA is unconstitutional.

It rewrote federal law over the objections of Congress, Paxton said. DACA represents a dangerous view of executive power, which would allow the president to unilaterally set aside any duly enacted law.

Lawyers for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, an advocacy group representing 22 DACA recipients in Texas, argued that the claims about them draining state resources are both irrelevant and grossly inflated, and that Texas had not provided specific evidence of their costs.

They noted the state had also not complained this time about the expense of issuing drivers licenses to such immigrants, which had been one of the main arguments to block the two earlier programs.

Disher said those licenses had already been granted so the cost was moot.

Nina Perales, an attorney for MALDEF, argued that Hanens previous ruling was not a magic wand that resolved this case.

She questioned why Texas had waited six years to fight a program it said was causing irreparable damage, and had not even tried to include it in its efforts to stop the expanded DACA program before Hanen.

It certainly doesnt line up with any claim of injury, Perales said.

The judge, who was appointed by President George W. Bush and has often taken strict views on immigration, questioned lawyers about whether the DACA program was truly discretionary, an issue in arguments on the blocked programs.

All three rely on the legal concept of deferred action, a practice the federal government has employed for decades to delay the deportation of certain immigrants and grant them provisional work permits. The policy allows the government to weigh certain factors  including if immigrants are very young or very old and what contribution they have made to society  in delaying their deportation.

Texas never disputed the governments right to grant deferred action, but contended the blocked programs would allow a mass group of immigrants to apply, who would almost all be approved, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

GRIEDER: Texas AG Paxtons lawsuit challenging DACA is a waste of time and money

Rachel Wainer Apter, a lawyer with the New Jersey Attorney Generals office arguing the case with MALDEF, said in court that DACA was different because it applied to a much smaller pool of recipients who had to meet certain criteria and was related to a population whom Congress has not yet addressed.

Hanen wondered whether it would act against congressional intent to continue the program since lawmakers have not been able to agree on what to do with such young immigrants. But Wainer Apter said those failed proposals all included a pathway to citizenship; DACA does not.

The judge asked lawyers to provide him with arguments Monday on whether the program would still be unlawful if it was truly discretionary.

The clock is ticking.

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia, who has said the governments decision to rescind DACA was arbitrary and capricious, ordered last week that it must resume accepting new applications. He delayed his order until Aug. 23.

Several protesters in orange shirts gathered Wednesday outside the federal courthouse in their support of DACA.

This is a decision, not on random people and faces, but on people that live here, said 29-year-old Daniel Candelaria, who is from Mexico and has DACA. Ken Paxton and his lackeys in Texas government are only puppets in Trumps administration.

Karla Perez, a 25-year-old recent graduate from the University of Houston who is one of MALDEFs clients in the suit, said she came here from Mexico when she was 2-years-old and that DACA has allowed her to remain and become a lawyer.

Six years ago we asked immigrant youth to come out of the shadows if you met certain criteria, said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who attended the hearing. This country was really the only country they called home. For six years, the state of Texas did nothing  and somehow it is now unlawful.

lomi.kriel@chron.com

@lomikriel
A senior Russian lawmaker has denounced new U.S. sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain as "lynch law."

Chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament Konstantin Kosachev said that the U.S. has behaved like a "police state, threatening and torturing a suspect to get evidence."

The State Department said the U.S. made the determination this week that Russia had used the Novichok nerve agent to poison former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, and that sanctions would follow later this month. Russia has vehemently denied any involvement in the poisoning.

Kosachev argued that the new sanctions amount to "inflicting a punishment in the absence of a crime in the tradition of lynch law," ABC News reported.
A man in a wheelchair was struck by an 18-wheeler on Houston's east side Thursday, witnesses told police.

The crash happened around 3:20 p.m. along the East Freeway outbound feeder road at Federal Road, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith.

The truck, operated by Gulf Winds International, was turning south on Federal Road from the eastbound feeder road when the collision occurred.

Investigators on scene said the man in the wheelchair, who suffered from poor eyesight, was struck by the left rear tires of the truck.

The truck driver told police he looked both ways before making the turn.

Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department rushed the man to Memorial Hermann Hospital in an unknown condition, Smith said.

Gulf Winds International is a warehouse and distribution company based out of Fort Worth, with operations in Dallas and Houston, according to the company's website.

The company describes itself as a faith-based organization, with the following mission statement: "to glorify God by providing world class logistics services through continual investment in our people, clients, community and the world we live in."

A representative with the company was not immediately available.

HPD's Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating the crash.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com
A home in the Humble area was damaged in a fire Thursday morning, according to the Houston Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived around 1:30 a.m., one resident had already evacuated from the home on Sweetgum near Pinetex Drive, near the North Sam Houston Parkway and Old Humble Road, said District Chief M. Gercia.
A jury gave the getaway driver in a MS-13 gang killing Wednesday a 27-year prison sentence, the final assailant convicted for a violent carjacking and assault in 2015 on a southwest Houston street.

Anival Guevara, 32, who was convicted of being the wheelman, was found guilty last week and sentenced Wednesday by a Harris County jury.

Guevara was the third and final suspect to be convicted in the death of Hector Daniel Diaz, 28, on Nov. 22, 2015.

Guevara, Giovani Antonio Herrera, 23, and Jonathan Steven Guevara, 21, gunned down Diaz after he jumped out of a sedan on Harwin Drive in southwest Houston, according to a news release from the district attorneys office.

An anti-gang task force determined that the three documented MS-13 gang members believed Diaz was a rival, so they chased him down, got him out of his car and took turns shooting him in the head and stomach with a .40 caliber handgun.

Diaz was shot eight times, including once in the back of the head.

We will never know what Hector said in those final moments of his life to these three killers, but the violent way in which they chose to take his life after only a brief conversation with him is what makes this gang so dangerous, said Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lisa Collins in a prepared statement. They showed a complete disdain for the value of human life.

Jonathan Guevara was convicted in February and sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Herrera entered into a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 40 years.

Diaz was a construction worker who lawfully immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras and had no criminal record. Prosecutors said there was no evidence Diaz had ever spoken to his killers prior to the night of his shooting.

MS-13 is a criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles by refugees from El Salvador, and now has a presence along the East and West U.S. coasts and in major cities like Houston, the news release states.

In 2017, MS-13 membership in Texas had dropped to about 500, accounting for less than 1 percent of the states total gang members, according to the Texas Department of Public Safetys annual gang assessment.

The MS-13 is ranked by DPS as a Tier 1 gang, in the same classification of The Texas Syndicate, Texas Mexican Mafia and Tango Blast.

brian.rogers@chron.com
The board of the Harris Health System, the county's safety-net hospital district, voted Thursday to give its two Houston medical school partners notice it is terminating its existing agreement "without cause."

The action triggers a five-year wind down of the existing contract, during which Harris Health and Baylor College of Medicine and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth will work to negotiate a new contract with "updated terms," according to a Harris Health news release.

"We've been operating and negotiating with the schools under a framework that was developed 25 years ago," George Masi, president and CEO of Harris Health, said in the release. "The existing contract language no longer reflects the realities of today's medical landscape and does not lend itself to the goals of our strategic plan, which include modernizing our delivery of healthcare services to the community."

GROWING THREAT: FBI warns Texas academic and medical leaders of classified security threats in HoustonChronicle.com report

The three institutions had been attempting to negotiate a new contract for the past 18 months.

Under the agreement, Baylor doctors staff Ben Taub and McGovern doctors staff Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, Harris Health's two large acute-care hospitals. The medical schools' residents and medical students also staff the hospitals as trainees.

Baylor and Ben Taub have been partners since 1966. McGovern and LBJ have been partners since 1990.

Spokespeople for both Baylor and McGovern said they did not have an immediate comment.

Terminating the contract "without cause" means the two medical schools are not at fault in the breakdown of negotiations and Harris Health doesn't want to terminate the existing agreement more quickly.

"The wind down gives us ample time to craft a new partnership that will be in the best interests of Harris County patients, taxpayers and the community," said Anne Clutterbuck, chair of the Harris trustee board. "A new contract will give us the ability to implement strategies for the delivery of healthcare services that are in the best interests of the people we serve."
As more and more countries finally develop the capability to leave Earth's atmosphere, Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday the United States needs to "prepare for the next battlefield": space.

"Not all of [these countries] share our commitment to freedom, to private property, and the rule of law," Pence said during a Thursday news conference at the Pentagon that was livestreamed. "So as we continue to carry American leadership in space, so also will we carry America's commitment to freedom into this new frontier."

Shortly after Pence's speech, Secretary of Defense James Mattis delivered a plan to Congress to develop the country's first new military branch in 70 years: the U.S. Space Force.

"This report reviews the national security space activities within the Department of Defense, and it identifies concrete steps that our administration will take to lay the foundation for a new Department of the Space Force," Pence said, words that were met with a rousing round of applause.

Congress must authorize the creation of a new military branch, but Pence seemed confident Thursday that they would do so by 2020. He added that President Donald Trump, who recently called for the creation of a space force, would ask for funding authorization next February.

After Pence's speech, Trump exuberantly tweeted "Space Force all the way!" But the idea was met with mixed responses from political leaders.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-East Texas, told Fox Business Network on Wednesday that a Space Force was a necessity.

"I don't think we can afford not to do this," Gohmert said. "Since I was a little kid in the '60s, it appeared clear to me that, despite movies like 'Alien' where corporations owned space, I thought, 'We can't allow corporations to own space.'"

The government needs to control space, he added, "because whoever controls space can control planet Earth."

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, had a different take on the matter. He tweeted his frustration with the idea Thursday, calling it "silly and dangerous."

Pence "just announced a new military branch  a 'Space Force,' because no R[epublican] is willing to tell [the president] it's a dumb idea," he said. "Although 'Space Force' won't happen, it's dangerous to have a leader who cannot be talked out of crazy ideas."

If approved, the Space Force would be the first new military service created since the Air Force in 1947. But a military operation dedicated to space is not a new idea.

Just last year, some members of Congress proposed the creation of a "Space Corps" within the Air Force. But the Pentagon  including Mattis  opposed the idea, and, ultimately, it was stymied.

By comparison, Trump's plan would create a whole new branch with a group of elite warfighters, led by an "assistant secretary of defense for space," a civilian position that would report to the defense secretary.

Trump directed the Department of Defense "to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces" just seven weeks ago.

But Congress will need to debate whether it should be an independent branch or housed within the Air Force, Houston Republican Rep. John Culberson said in a statement.

"America must not surrender the high ground of outer space to any other nation in the 21st century and beyond," he said. "It is essential that America protect our vital telecommunications infrastructure in outer space."

During his Thursday news conference, Pence said there are "growing security threats emerging in space" that America needs to be prepared for.

Those threats, he added, come largely from China and Russia, who are developing hypersonic missiles, technologies to track and destroy satellites and "an airborne laser to disrupt our space-based system," for example.

"Recently, our adversaries have been working to bring new weapons of war into space itself," Pence added. "And just as we've done in ages past, the United States of America ... will meet the emerging threats on this new battlefield with American ingenuity and strength to defend our nation, protect our people, and carry the cause of liberty and peace into the next great American frontier."

Russia has been a U.S. ally in low Earth orbit -- where the International Space Station flies -- for 20 years. The two nations worked together to build the space station and the Russians have been transporting U.S. astronauts to the space station since 2011, when the space shuttle program was shuttered.

China, on the other hand, is barred from the station. In 2011, then-U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., a longtime critic of the Chinese government, spearheaded a move prohibiting the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and NASA from collaborating with China on any scientific activities. The prohibition was dropped into a congressional spending bill that year. It has since become known as the Wolf Amendment.

BARRING ACCESS: Why Chinese astronauts are banned from the International Space Station, NASA activities

"As President Trump has said, in his words, 'It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space; we must have American dominance in space,' " Pence said. "And so we will."

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's car import volume in the first half of 2018 apparently dropped 22.1% year on year to around 452,000 units. Especially, the automobile imports in June tumbled 87.1% to 15,000 units, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA).

Besides, China also saw its imported vehicle sales slump 21.2% over the previous year to around 63,000 units in June and fall 9.8% to some 394,000 units for the first six months.

Wang Cun, director of the import car committee at the CADA, said that such decline was historically rare and attributed the imports plunge to the latest tariff policy change in China. China's authority announced on May 22 that it would slash import tariffs for imported vehicles and auto parts to 15% from 25%, and the policy has taken into effect on July 1. Therefore, potential imported car buyers chose to hoard their money until the tariff drops indeed. Meanwhile, importers were slowing the pace of importing cars so as to gain higher profits after July.

However, as Chinese government has imposed an additional 25% import tariff to vehicles made in the U.S. from July 6 amidst the escalating China-U.S. trade tension, certain U.S. car brands or the brands which have vehicles assembled in the U.S., witnessed their June sales grow a bit over the previous month prior to the tariff rise.

As to specific segments, the import volume of the car, SUV and MPV accounted for 43.4%, 53.2% and 3.4% respectively of the national PV import totals last month. Although the SUV enjoyed a higher proportion than the car segment in June imports, it suffered year-on-year decline of 29.1% and 17.3% in both monthly imports and sales, which were higher than that of the car.

The top 3 brands by Jan-to-June imports were Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus. Among of them, only Lexus achieved a positive growth of 9% over the year-ago period. The imports of the three brands aggregated around 213,000 units in the first half of the year, accounting for 47.1% of China's total car imports during the same period.
The new United States sanctions on Russia will be a very great sweep of the Russian economy, a senior US State Department official said.

"We are applying these sanctions against essentially all state  Russian state-owned or state-funded enterprises. Thats potentially a very great sweep of the Russian economy in terms of the potentially affected end users. I would not sure the specific numbers, but it may be that something on the order of 70% of their economy and maybe 40% of their workforce falls within those enterprises," he stressed.

"It is possible that this trade it affected could reach potentially hundreds of millions of dollars, but it also depends upon what Russia  Russian entities in fact apply to purchase," the State Department official added.

The diplomat noted that overall, something upwards of 50% of Commerce Department licenses for Russia have included at least one national security controlled item. By dollar value, the top categories of items historically tend to be things like aero gas turbine engines, electric  electronic devices and components, integrated circuits, test and calibration equipment of various sorts, materials, production, equipment, and various things like that.

At the same time, the US State Department official could not answer the journalist's question of whether exports of RD-180 rocket engines to the United States, which NASA depends on for its Atlas rockets, will be stopped.

The Russian embassy in the United States has called on the US Department of State to publish correspondence on the introduction of new sanctions on Moscow over the Skripal incident.

"For our part, we reiterated our principle stands on the events in the UK, which the Embassy had been outlining in corresponding letters to the State Department. We confirmed that we continue to strongly stand for an open and transparent investigation of the crime committed in Salisbury and for bringing the culprits to justice," the statement reads.

"We suggested publishing our correspondence on this issue. No answer has followed so far," the Russian embassy added.

The British government has welcomed the move. "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 UK foreign office statement said.

On March 4, Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been convicted in Russia for spying for the UK but later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury. Police said they suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent.

Later on, London claimed that the Novichok-class toxin had been developed in Russia. The UK rushed to accuse Russia of being involved failing to furnish any evidence. Moscow refuted the accusations stating that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had ever done research on that toxic agent.

First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, a representative of the legislative body of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vladimir Dzhabarov, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Washington does not think about the consequences of such a sanction war at all. "But the consequences will be the heaviest. Now they say they want to limit the flights of Russian airlines - it will cause a mirror response and US companies will stop flying to Russia and through Russia. Many US transcontinental flights are carried out through the territory of Russia, that is, the United States, in fact, will limit themselves," the senator pointed out.

"It's clear that the elections are coming there, but in my opinion, they have crossed the line. They are threatening to cut the staff of the diplomatic missions again - ok, we will do the same. Our relations have already been practically frozen. But it does not mean that Americans are able to isolate Russia, it will never happen," Vladimir Jabarov emphasized.

As for the reason for imposing sanctions, it was chosen quite arbitrarily. "But it must be understood that Russia is not the DPRK or Iran, Russia is an absolutely self-sufficient country with which many countries want good relations, including such powerful economies as India, China and others," the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs concluded.

The director of the Institute of Political Studies Sergei Markov, in turn, explained the sanctions with the development of the US attack on Moscow. "It seems to me that this is the continuation of the war against Russia, conducted by the so-called 'deep state'. They continue this war, because Russia pursues an independent policy," he said.

"The ban on flights is the most obvious element of persecution. I think that it will lead to the fact that the US allies will also refuse to travel with Russian airlines.Unfortunately, the Russian government is not able to introduce any response measures, except for the ban on flights of American aircraft. But if other countries actually join these US sanctions, their total impact will be stronger than a possible Russian response," Sergei Markov warned.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump mocked Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz as "Lying Ted" and disparaged both his wife and his father.

What a difference two years can make. Cruz, locked in a tight re-election fight with U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, is seeking Trump's endorsement and help in the coming fall campaign -- one of the stranger development in a campaign season that just seems to be getting more and more colorful.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met today in Washington with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. They discussed the strong U.S.-Egypt partnership, U.S. military assistance to Egypt, and close cooperation on bilateral and regional security issues, including Syria, Libya, and efforts to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians," the spokesperson said.

According to Nauert, they also discussed the vital role of civil society in Egypt and the importance of the protection and promotion of human rights. "Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Shoukry look forward to holding the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue in Washington later this year," she added.
Being the boss can be lonely. You cant be everyones friend. Youre the man.

If youre lucky, you have a team you trust and the confidence to get out of their way. More likely? You sometimes find yourself playing the heavy.

Do you ever wonder, though, if your team hates you? Do you find yourself rationalizing that thought with, Im a tough boss! I get things done!

There is a thread-thin line between toxic and tough. But, when it comes to results, these two management styles couldn't be further apart.

A tough, fair boss inspires devotion from a team willing to accomplish the impossible.

But when the boss is a bully, outcomes range from mutiny and death to an erosion of trust, increased turnover, domestic violence, absenteeism, and increased alcohol and drug use, says Teresa Daniel, Dean and Professor of Human Resource Leadership Programs at Sullivan University.

Which kind of boss you are?

Most bullies dont recognize that they are bullies, says Patricia Barnes, author of Surviving Bullies, Queen Bees & Psychopaths in the Workplace (Amazon Digital Services, LLC). They are shocked when they are told they are bullies.

Ask yourself the following questions to find out if you are one of them.
It was a new twist on a familiar Rudy Giuliani scene. The pugnacious ex-prosecutor and New York City mayor was sparring on live television  this time as President Donald Trumps lawyer, branding Trumps onetime counsel, Michael Cohen, a pathological liar, in order to cast doubt on recordings of Cohen talking with Trump in 2016 about hush money payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Yet months earlier, Giuliani praised Cohen as an honest, honorable lawyer. Giulianis flip-flop invited scrutiny  just like his claim that collusion with a hostile foreign government is not outlawed and his conflicting statements on Trumps involvement in payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Its nothing new to see Giuliani on the attack; as mayor, he notoriously started fights with such unlikely targets as the family of an innocent man killed by police and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. But political and legal analysts have been baffled by Giulianis performance since taking on Trump as a client, often making statements that would seem to harm Trumps case in court  or, at least, in the court of public opinion.

That may lead some to wonder whether Giuliani, who first rose to prominence as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, was ever actually an effective attorney at all.

Some New York lawyers say his TV appearances these past several months revealed a good lawyer losing his edge, increasingly cavalier about the cat-and-mouse game played by federal prosecutors. His judgment seems flawed, his comments seem hurtful, he seems to be saying things against his clients interest, said one former Southern District prosecutor who worked with Giuliani and is now in private practice, who did not want to be identified in order to speak freely.

It all comes across to people who knew him as tragic, the former colleague said. Theres a look on his face that has almost a crazed quality to him. All of us are flawed. Rudy was flawed, but there was a great man there.

Giuliani, who could not be reached for comment, first made his name as a crimefighter. As an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District, he rose to chief of the Narcotics Unit, and later executive U.S. attorney. He went on to serve in a series of positions in the Department of Justice, culminating in associate attorney general, before being appointed U.S. attorney for the Southern District.

In that role, from 1983 to 1989, Giuliani and his prosecutors built cases like the commission trial convicting mafia bosses and the corruption case against Bronx Democratic leader Stanley Friedman. He popularized the perp walk while his office racked up 4,152 convictions and just 25 reversals.

But onetime colleagues credit him for strictly following the rules. Former federal prosecutor Paul Shechtman has an anecdote to illustrate Giuliani, the prosecutor: Shechtman was serving as Giulianis appellate chief when a judge suppressed evidence in one case. Shechtman wrote the briefs as Giuliani prepared for arguments. Schechtmans research uncovered an important clue on what lawmakers were thinking when they wrote the statute at the appeals core.

The bit of legislative history cut against the governments arguments, though no one else found it. Giuliani said they were duty-bound to divulge it, and the prosecutors lost the appeal. You couldnt be more hard-charging than Rudy Giuliani, said Shechtman, a partner at Bracewell, who joined the firm after Giuliani, a former partner, left for Greenberg Traurig in 2016. He was aggressive, publicity-seeking for himself and the office. He was a risk taker.  The lesson is, he taught prosecutors had ethical obligations. That is an important message for an office to know.

Giuliani had shortcomings, Shechtman acknowledged, like tending to surround himself with people who confirmed his judgment. But he was a good lawyer and a good U.S. attorney, and that office thrived under his leadership.

But a former opponent said Giulianis prosecutorial work may have been less impressive than it appeared to the public. Part of the reason Giuliani looked good at the Southern District is that its always been the best-staffed and most prestigious U.S. attorneys office in the country. Veteran defense lawyer Gerald Lefcourt said its easy to shine when backed by an office stacked with some of the best and brightest prosecutors, along with the full arsenal of federal law enforcement agencies. The Southern District of New York U.S. attorneys office makes all the big cases in the country, no matter who heads it, he said.

Lefcourt repeatedly squared off with Giuliani and was not impressed. One case was the Friedman corruption trial, where Lefcourt represented co-defendant Marvin Kaplan, a businessman. The trial unfolded in New Haven, using Hartford-area jurors. The venue change was needed because Giuliani kept leaking, biasing the pool of potential jurors in New Yorks media market, Lefcourt said.

When Giuliani personally cross-examined Friedman, Lefcourt said he and the other defense attorneys successfully objected again and again. Lefcourt said the defense absolutely destroyed the prosecutions key cooperator, Geoffrey Lindenauer, a man who once used a bogus psychotherapy institute as a way to bed patients.

The crash and burn was so complete, Lefcourt said, prosecutors needed a brief break to bring in more witnesses, each with prosecutorial immunity.

Friedman, Kaplan and others were convicted, and the verdicts were largely upheld on appeal. But Lefcourt linked the results to the other trial prosecutors and extra witnesses. Whatever Rudy did was totally ineffectual, he said.

George Arzt, now a public relations consultant, closely followed Giuliani and the Friedman case as the New York Posts City Hall bureau chief. Boy, did that office leak, said Arzt, whod later become Mayor Ed Kochs press secretary and a Democratic consultant.

Arzt said that these days, Giuliani is sort of a high-priced PR person, doing his advocacy in the court of public opinion, not a court of law. I dont know the last time he was in the courtroom. But as for muddying the waters, hes done a great job, said Arzt. He loved the headlines then, but now hes much more in love with the limelight and his national status.

That pull to stay a bold-faced name may lead Giuliani to spout off provocative or overstated comments in media interviews, said the same former colleague who did not want to be identified. The problem with the press is its really a narcotic.  Its hard when the music stops, and it stopped for him.

If theres one common thread in Giulianis recent gaffes, its a lack of caution. What Rudy doesnt talk about, in our world, it is not uncommon for clients to mislead and/or lie, or color the facts when speaking to their lawyer, said Ira Lee Sorkin, a prominent white-collar defense attorney who was a young prosecutor with Giuliani in the 1970s. Though working in different sections of the office, Sorkin said Giuliani had a good reputation.

But Giuliani was now overlooking some key things, Sorkin said.

Im not hearing really good lawyers say, He didnt rob the bank. They are saying, My client denies robbing the bank, Sorkin said. And Giuliani hasnt been making those critical caveats here.

For Lefcourt, that illuminated a key point about how Giulianis lawyering has changed: I dont think he shot as much from the hip as he does now.
The government has today published its Civil Society Strategy outlining its ambitious plans for working in better in partnership with charities, social enterprises.

Its ambitions have been broadly welcomed by the sector, but there are calls for the government to go further in some areas.

NCVO: 'An encouraging start but government could do more'

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said that the strategy was an "encouraging start" but said the government could do more to help community groups.

"The real test will be embedding the strategys aspirations across government, ensuring expert charities are truly involved in policy-making, and that procurement processes work as well for smaller charities as they do for big outsourcing companies," he said.

Etherington said NCVO was pleased to see the government renew its commitment to the Compact, which NCVO has been calling for, as it is "an important symbolic gesture to show the government takes its relationship with charities seriously".

He said NCVO was also pleased by the "recognition of grants as an effective funding mechanism" because "the bureaucracy and complications involved in payment-by-results contracts often means the costs outweigh the benefits" and the measures to increase volunteering in public services.

But he also called on the government to release more funding from dormant assets to support charities.

"Its positive that the government continues to encourage communities to take control of the things that matter to them," he said. "But it takes more than good will to make this happen. Community groups need to be able to get the capital required to take on a village hall or local pub.

"There is an estimated 2bn in dormant assets which the government can use to start a real revolution in community ownership and participation, but three years after they began work on this, progress seems limited and there is no mention at all of dormant assets in todays strategy. We hope they will provide more detail on this area in the near future."

Locality: Welcome statement of intent

Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality, said it was a welcome statement of intent but that the ultimate challenge will be the impact the Civil Society Strategy has across government.

He called for more funding and said the strategy is unlikely to have the impact it deserves without further resources being made available.

"Community organisations are under huge strain, with demand for their services skyrocketing, and recent reports have shown local authorities moving from being on the brink to going under, he said.

He also called on the government to release more dormant assets: The big prize is the upwards of 2bn identified by the Dormant Assets Commission. These funds are already committed to being used for good causes. We believe this new funding could be channelled into strategic, long-term investment in civil society by endowing a new Community Ownership Fund. The Civil Society Strategy is silent on this, but it remains the biggest opportunity we currently have to truly and transformationally, unlock the power of community.

Charity Finance Group: Disappointed it doesnt go further

Caron Bradshaw, chief executive of CFG, said the government needs to go further.

There are some positives in the strategy," she said. "Were pleased to see a renewed commitment in principle to Grants 2.0, though we need to see more detail. Theres clearly more support for small and local charities in the pipeline, and we will do all we can to ensure that finance training is a priority. Were also pleased to see a greater emphasis on leadership, governance and digital skills.

Despite the positives we are disappointed that it doesnt go further. We need to see cross-government support for the role the sector plays and appropriate investment if this is to avoid being just more warm words, she said.

IoF: 'Positive ambitions but could do more'

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Insitutue of Fundraising, said there were "positive ambitions", particularly around philanthropy and place-based giving, but that "the strategy could have gone further in clearly setting the government's role in promoting philanthropy and giving across all government departments".

Acevo: 'Positive steps but could go further'

Joe Irvin, chair of Acevo, said he was pleased that the strategy touched on a number of "issues that are currently affecting charity leaders including the importance of voice, support for the digital code of practice, and a commitment to improving and enhancing social value" and that Acevo hopes to be involved in further discussions about strengthening leadership.

"But there are areas in which we would like to have seen the strategy go further," he added, particularly around the Lobbying Act and, diversity and on dormant assets.

He added that: "We look forward to continuing to work with government and our members to make sure this 'living and breathing' document helps us build a stronger civil society, one which supports and enables communities and creates lasting change."

Social Enterprise UK: We must turn ambition into action

Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK, said that the strategy could be a good springboard for social enterprise but that we must turn that ambition into action.

He added: We are pleased to see a new cross-governmental social enterprise forum announced in the strategy, but this must have teeth.

Holbrook warned of the risk that the strategy may simply push the big issues facing society and the sector back into the long grass. We must make sure that this doesnt become the reality.

ACF: 'Welcome change in mood music'

Carol Mack, chief executive of the Association of Charitable Foundations said: There is much to welcome in this strategy, which rightly, and with significant cross-governmental backing, identifies the vital importance of a thriving, diverse voluntary sector, and explicitly recognises the invaluable contribution of charities & social enterprises to our communities and public life.

ACF was particularly pleased to see the explicit acknowledgement of the role that civil society has in helping shape expertise-led policy and in speaking up on behalf of beneficiaries, the aspiration that the UK become the global centre for philanthropy practice and the recognition that grants are a powerful and flexible tool in the funding toolbox.

She said some questions remain but such questions should not obscure the very real and welcome change in mood music that the strategy represents.

Charities Aid Foundation: Vital to work together

Sir John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: The governments recognition of the power of place and the potential for civic philanthropy is particularly encouraging, given that it is accompanied by 750,000 of newly-announced funding, and echoes a view long-held by CAF. In addition, the idea that the UK could become the global centre for philanthropy practice is one we fully support and believe is achievable, given the rich history and well developed public policy environment in this country.

He added that: As this strategy is progressively implemented, it is vital that civil society organisations and cross government departments work closely together. CAF looks forward to engaging on the detail and implementation of the strategy, to ensure the ambitions the government has set out reach their full potential.

Bond: Revise the Lobbying Act

Claire Godfrey, head of policy and campaigns at Bond, an umbrella body for international development NGOs, was pleased with the commitments to speaking out, but said the government needs to do more.

The best way of giving civil society the confidence to speak out would be to revise the Lobbying Act and stop inserting anti-advocacy clauses into grant agreements, and this strategy does neither," she said. "We welcome the offer to work with civil society, regulators and other government departments to determine how to support advocacy and campaigning in the UK, but this is not enough. Real confidence will now have to come from actions rather than words.

Directory of Social Change: 'It's a start, but not enough'

Daniel Ferrell-Schweppenstedde, said: Its a start but not enough. There are some good elements. Encouraging civil society to speak up more, a revival of grant-making and making it work for small charities, support for people to give and place-based giving schemes, and giving citizens more voice in collaborative commissioning.

But he said it was overly focused on social investment and that: The biggest challenges that civil society is facing right now are a result of the austerity agenda. Government should listen to what charities have to say about that. Reform of the Lobbying Act is also desperately needed.

We still have a commissioning regime for public services which suffocates charities. Wider reform is still needed her as well. Providing the Charity Commission with an adequate budget settlement could go a long way to support the sector. We hear only that options are being explored. Charging charities should not be one of them, we hope.

Lloyds Bank Foundation: We need action on the ground

Paul Streets, chief executive of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales said: The government has responded to our suggestion for a living, breathing strategy.

"We now need to see government driving action on the ground  providing the leadership, effort and commitment to deliver real change for charities. They must also make available the resources hard-pressed small and local charities on the frontline need, and ensure their voices are welcomed around the policymaking table.

"And we would challenge the government to go further in replacing contracts with grants and releasing more of the billions in dormant assets.

Big Lottery Fund: A moment to recalibrate relationships

Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund, said: We all have a part to play in enabling charities and community to thrive, creating a civil society which engages and empowers everyone. As we look towards the opportunities and challenges ahead, its publication is an important step forward. It is a moment to recalibrate the relationships between state, civil society and market, but also between those institutions and the people they serve.

UnLtd: More to do to embed social value

Mark Norbury, chief executive of UnLtd, said: We welcome the strategys announcement that DCMS will account for social value when procuring major contracts, but we want to see the rest of Whitehall follow suit without delay. It is only right to expect the whole of Government to procure in line with its own legislation, which gained Royal Assent over six years ago. Theres much more to do to embed the Social Value Act and we look forward to working with our partners on the promised new forum for social enterprise to make this happen.

We would have liked to see more support for initiatives which put social entrepreneurs, rather than investors and intermediaries, right at the heart of social investment. Again we will work with government and our partners to see if we can address this through our forum and exciting innovations we have in the pipeline.

360 Giving: 'Welcome commitment to open data'

Rachel Rank, chief executive of 360Giving, which promotes open data for grants, said: The government made good progress with this last year and we look forward to more data being released in the autumn. We also welcome the emphasis on grant funders committing to greater transparency.

As more data is shared we will be able to get a better sense of who is being funded, how much and what for. This is important if we are to build a more accurate picture of the true size and scale of the third sector and to better identify funding needs.

National Youth Agency: Young people deserve access

Leigh Middleton, chief executive of the NYA, said: We are pleased to see youth work officially championed by the Government and recognising the transformational impact of youth services. Young people deserve access to effective and widely available youth services. We know local councils want to invest more in youth service but have been forced to de-prioritise youth services in the face of budget cuts in recent years - we believe this government review will recognise this and hand down the stronger appropriate guidance to address it.

Generation Change: Good ideas but lacks ambition

David Reed, director of Generation Change, said: The strategy has the right principles and many good ideas, but ultimately lacks ambition for young people and for socially responsible business - with a checklist of funding or policies that have no timeframe beyond 2020.

Generation Change believes that the proposal for joint work between DCMS and the Department for Education will be the most groundbreaking part of this strategy - to ensure that social action is a rich part of our educational offer in the UK. There is a huge scope for progress in this area.

Step Up To Serve: We love the focus on young people

Charlotte Hill, chief executive of Step Up To Serve, which coordinates the #iwill Campaign, said: We love the focus on how young people should have a central role in shaping and improving our society, building on the collective work of the #iwill campaign. Its great that this approach is extended to policy and programme development through a proposed Youth Steering Group model, which we encourage other government departments will follow. Working with organisations to encourage more young people to take up trustee positions will make the sector more robust by bringing new ideas, energy and enthusiasm to boards as well as building a pipeline for the future.

NPC: 'The whole issue of public service markets should be reopened'

Nathan Yeowell, head of policy at NPC, said: "It provides us with a decent starting point for the conversations that the government and civil society need to have if we are to have a better, healthier and more functional society in the future."

He added that: "We agree with the government that there is scope to improve the use of the Social Value act. Charities and social sector organisations often generate more social value than their competitors but the problem is the act is not currently allowing commissioners to spend more to buy this additional impact. We want to examine this and think the whole issue of public service markets should be reopened, to allow more sustainable, impactful commissioning from civil society."
The United States authorities are imposing new sanctions on Russia because of the Skripal case, the US Department of State said in a statement on August 8.

"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 statement runs.

The sanctions will take effect on August 22, the State Department noted.

The sanctions are structured in two tranches. The biggest impact from the initial sanctions is expected to come from a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia, which in the past have included items like electronic devices and components, along with test and calibration equipment for avionics. Before the sanctions, such exports were allowed on a case-by-case basis.

A second round kicks in three months later unless Russia provides "reliable assurances" that it won't use chemical weapons in the future and agrees to "on-site inspections" by the United Nations. The second round of sanctions could include downgrading diplomatic relations, suspending the state airline Aeroflot's ability to fly to the United States and cutting off nearly all exports and imports.

A senior US State Department official said that the new US sanctions on Russia will particularly concern "national security sensitive goods.

"We intend to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation in a number of respects, the most significant of which is the imposition of a presumption of denial for all national security sensitive goods or technologies that are controlled by the Department of Commerce pursuant to the Export Administration Regulations," the official said, adding that "these goods are currently subject to a license - a case-by-case license determination, but we are - henceforth, when these sanctions go into effect, we will be presumptively denying such applications."

"We anticipate that a Federal Register notice will be put out that will make these official," he noted.

"We are applying these sanctions against essentially all state - Russian state-owned or state-funded enterprises. Thats potentially a very great sweep of the Russian economy in terms of the potentially affected end users something on the order of 70% of their economy and maybe 40% of their workforce falls within those enterprises," the State Department official added.

On March 4, Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been convicted in Russia for spying for the UK but later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury. Police said they suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent.

Later on, London claimed that the Novichok-class toxin had been developed in Russia. The UK rushed to accuse Russia of being involved failing to furnish any evidence. Moscow refuted the accusations stating that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had ever done research on that toxic agent.
The government has announced it will unlock 20m of new money from dormant charitable trusts, to be given out in the sector, in todays civil society strategy.

The strategy also includes plans to establish two new institutions to give away 145m of money from dormant bank accounts. That money will be spent on youth services and financial inclusion. It was originally announced last year, but the government has now provided more details on how it will be spent.

But there is no clarity about a much larger pool of money from dormant assets such as stocks, insurance and pensions, which is estimated to be worth 2bn, and is earmarked to be spent in the sector.

20m from dormant charitable trusts

The government commits to unlocking 20m from dormant charitable trusts, which spend less than 30 per cent of their annual income, to support community organisations over the next two years.

The work will be carried out in conjunction with the Charity Commission and UK Community Foundations.

UKCF says that it has already been working with the regulator to identify charities which are not active in their spending, and that these charities will be approached to understand why they are not spending.

Vicki Papworth, director of programmes and development at UKCF, told Civil Society News that the approach will not force charities to hand over money.

If youre building an endowment or saving for a capital project, no problem, well go away, she says.

The money will be pulled into a central endowment, and will be allocated depending on which cause areas and locations the original charity was working in. Some will be held centrally.

UKCF is currently designing a process to distribute the cash, Papworth said. At present, it has not been decided whether there will be an open application process.

She said UKCF is looking at how the money might be best spent. This could well include a focus on core costs, and on cold spots where little grant capital is distributed.

145m of dormant accounts money

The government announced several months ago that it was unlocking 330m of dormant accounts cash, of which 145m would go to combat financial inclusion and help youth organisations. It has now said it will set up new organisations to manage these funds.

The report says: The government will allocate 90m to an ambitious youth initiative, delivered by a new organisation which will operate independently of government. This organisation will have at its heart ensuring that major employers and social sector organisations work together to help the most disadvantaged young people transition into work.

It also says: The government will direct funds for the establishment of a new financial inclusion organisation responsible for deploying 55m of funding from dormant accounts. It will primarily address the problem of access to affordable credit and alternatives.

In both cases the new organisations will act primarily as distributors of funds to third parties, including charities, which are tackling these issues.

For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here.
Campaigners are calling on Leonard Cheshire Disability to reverse a decision to sell one of its care homes, fearing that it will be taken on a by a private company.

But the charity says that the sale of the property, which is home to around 30 people, is necessary and that it is looking for an organisation which shares its values.

Leonard Cheshire informed residents that the Marske Hall care home would be sold at the end of July and the families of some of the residents have started a campaign calling on the charity to reverse the decision.

They say that there has been no consultation and that they are "fearful for the future of residents, workers, volunteers and the impact on the local community in Marske and Cleveland". Campaigners also suspect that the home will be sold to a "private for-profit business".

A petition on 38 Degrees has attracted over 1,400 signatures.

Local MP, Anna Turley, a former Labour shadow minister for civil society, has also written to Leonard Cheshire's chief executive, Neil Heslop, urging him to rethink the decision and requested a meeting with him.

"People fear a decline in service, they fear the loss of the volunteer network which contributes so much to the quality of the life of residents and they worry that a future owner will decide to close the home entirely," she said.

The community's response to the news that Leonard Cheshire are to sell Marske Hall shows how loved and respected the home is. I have written to the CEO of the charity to ask for a meeting and will give any support I can to the @save_hall campaign. #SaveMarskeHall pic.twitter.com/1KvCSHuQWO  Anna Turley MP (@annaturley) August 6, 2018

Leonard Cheshire response

But the disability charity said that to make a bigger impact it needed to make "difficult decisions" about some services and was looking for an organisation with "similar values" to take over at Marske Hall.

In a statement it said: We know this is a difficult and worrying time for many, including the residents and their families, and we will continue to support them throughout this process.

The standard of care at Marske Hall is excellent and we know the service is a key part of the local community with a unique culture. When considering potential buyers we will be looking for evidence of similar values to Leonard Cheshire, the ability to provide first class care and make long-term investment in Marske Hall.

In 2018 all charities must continue to challenge themselves to make a bigger difference. Leonard Cheshire has set out to reach significantly more disabled people and to make this ambition a reality we have had to make some difficult decisions about some of our services.

All funds raised from this sale will be invested in the provision of UK community, residential and outreach services.
Who gets to tell our stories? Why should newsroom managers care about diversity? Should objectivity be the journalists goal? With these questions swirling around the journalism field, Northwestern announced this week a new endowed professorship that will focus on social justice in reporting, with a specific emphasis on LGBTQ issues. Steven Thrasher, a contributor to BuzzFeed News and The Guardian who is also a doctoral candidate in American studies at NYU, will be the inaugural holder of the Daniel H. Renberg Chair at Northwesterns Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

Thrasher, who was named Journalist of the Year in 2012 by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, will being teaching at Medill after defending his thesis in spring 2019. He spoke with CJR about his own career as a queer journalist of color, the value of diversity in reporting, and the lessons he hopes to impart on students at Northwestern. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

The position youre taking on is unique in J-schools in that it focuses specifically on the intersection of LGBTQ issues and journalism. Whats the value of an LGBTQ approach to journalism education?

There are many. Queer history and queer studies are integral to any understanding of the United States. LGBTQ people have made incredible contributions in history and in the contemporary US, and are leaders in a lot of the things Ive covered as a journalist: same-sex marriage, obviously, but also Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter. Its important to understand the role of queer people in American history, but also to understand how queer people should always be central to conversations about whats happening in the country now. I say that because you can often look at whats happening to queer people as something that other groups are affected by as well; were often policed in very specific ways.

I first started thinking about this in terms of media the week Trump was inaugurated. A journalist named Lewis Wallace, who worked on Marketplace and was the only out transgender national radio reporter, wrote this really thoughtful piece about objectivity in the media, and how we all have subjectivitiesnot just black or queer peoplethat we need to wrestle with. He was fired almost immediately because American Public Media said, essentially, we are objective and this violates our beliefs. That made me think about how, as journalists, we always have to be wrestling with our subjectivities. Having journalism education oriented around queer studies will really help students understand that, whether they are LGBTQ or not.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

RELATED: This deepening division is not inevitable: The failing diversity efforts of newsrooms

Teaching journalism students from the perspective and theory of LGBTQ studies will help them know what to look at and what to question as theyre going into the world as reporters. If you look at the policing of queer people, you understand the policing of gender and how many systems operate. In the past couple of years, weve seen that play out. Ronan Farrow just won the journalist of the year award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for the reporting hes done on sexual harassment. If you understand journalism from the perspective of those who have had their sexuality or their gender policed in very specific ways, you will also understand how, for example, sexual harassment is happening out in the open.

With a lack of diversity we miss what I think is a central role of journalism, which is to question the status quo.

You mention Lewis Wallace, and in a piece about his firing last year you took on the lack of diversity in newsrooms. What do we as a profession lose because of the overwhelming whiteness of our offices?

We lose a lot, both in the whiteness of offices and in the straight, cisgenderedness of our newsrooms. I made a video in May of 2016 for The Guardian where I was predicting that Trump would win, and it was taken very seriously by other journalists of color and other queer journalists because those of us who were out in the fieldboth for our jobs and in our lives were seeing this is really ugly ramping lots around the support of Trump. We knew, as queer people, that there had been these wins on same-sex marriage, which were great, but we also saw a building backlash around issues like bathroom bills.

A lot of the mainstream press missed the rise of Trump, and missed asking questions and doing important reporting about it because they just didnt see it. Their experience told them that this isnt that serious of a threat. When we dont have diversity in the newsroom, we miss important storiesstories that are important to people we might call marginalized. But those peoples stories deserve to be told, and the stories of people who are marginalized often stand in for for things that are more broadly applicable as well.

With a lack of diversity we miss what I think is a central role of journalism, which is to question the status quo. Particularly in the Washington press corps, we see a lot of upholding of the status quo and the desire to maintain accessto be close to power in a way to further ones career and create a safe and often predictable exchange between the press and the people that were covering. A lack of diversity reinforces that if you have mostly straight, cisgender, white journalists who have gone to particular schools and have not had an education which has questioned these things, then theyre not going to be challenging the status quo.

That lack of diversity in newsrooms has been an acknowledged issue for years, but the overall statistics havent moved much. What do you attribute that to? Is it a lack of commitment, or failure to understand the values of diverse staffs, or something else?

Its a lack of commitment. It is actually not hard to hire diverse staffs; its just hard to make the people who have the power to do it do it. BuzzFeed, where Ive done some of my most important work, has a really good, diverse staff. HuffPost is doing pretty well, too. Theres no lack of talent, its just something that journalism management needs to commit to. But power doesnt like to give itself up.

Given that youre taking on a new position, what are some examples of journalism youll be drawing on to form the curriculum?

Ill turn a bit more to specific curriculum development in the spring, but I see my job as teaching social theory and American history to journalism students through the craft of writing. So for example, Ill draw on my own background as a reporter on social movements, and Ill develop a class around having reported on Occupy Wall Street, the same-sex marriage fights, and Black Lives Matter to walk students through what it means to be a critical reporter, and to understand the difference between being an activist and a reporter.

Im also going to teach a class about HIV/AIDS. From my American studies background, AIDS is such an important part of American history that was woefully under taught. As journalists, its something that we need to understand historically, but also contemporarily. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control predicted that one in every two black men who have sex with men are going to become HIV-positive in their lifetime. Thats staggeringa million people globally still die of AIDS, and half of all people like me become HIV-positive in our lifetime. Thats a really important thing to wrestle with as reporters; if half of white women were going to become HIV-positive, thats all that would be in the news, every day. So thats a way to teach students about something that is actually important, that needs to be covered, but also to teach the sort of critical analysis and thinking about what is getting covered.

You cant just accept the position of power in understanding whats happening in the country. You have to look around the corner and look in the margins because the people who are most in the margins are often the ones who are often suffering the most.

One of the things I would like to do with my students is to train them to always be looking in the margins and look for the story thats being missed.

One of the topics that newsrooms have struggled to adapt to is coverage of gender identity and trans issues. Im thinking specifically about the controversy around the recent Atlantic story, or even language issues that seem to present a challenge for some outlets. When you think about 20 or 30 years from now, what will we look back and ask, How could we have got it so wrong?

I think were going to look back and and say it was wrong that that such a monolithic group of people got to speak for so much of the culture.

We look back now at the civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century, and at the time it was super suspect for black reporters to be in news positions in general, and certainly to be covering civil rights matters. Newsrooms now are much better at saying that we need to have black reporters covering these things, but in terms of gender identity and expression, transgender peopleespecially those of colorhave very little say in their own narrative. Often things come back to this concept of objectivity, and so often the person who is imagined to be objective is the straight, white, cisgender man. Im not saying that we have to be raving polemicists, but any time we write we are bringing our experiences, and the straight, white, cisgender, male journalist has a lot of investment in the existing power structure. So I think we will look back in the future and say, Clearly there is still a subjectivity with the person weighing in on these things and everyone should have the right to tell their story.

A second-tier issue that we have right now is that people from different races and background are getting opinion gigsIve certainly seen in my career a big sea change in whos writing think pieces. But often those think pieces are getting paid a couple hundred dollars, and the person is being mined for their experience but theyre not being rewarded with a career and a job. If youre doing those types of pieces, youre much less likely to get the jobs where one is supposed to be objective. That makes a very big difference in whos making up the media.

What experiences in you own career as a journalist helped form the views that youre going to take into this role at Medill?

My first job out of college was actually as a researcher for Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, and then I worked in film production. But a very formative experience was working to the StoryCorps project [ed. note: StoryCorps is a nonprofit that records and shares stories from people around the country]. I facilitated interviews with about 500 people in 22 states, and really got to listen to people. The quote that StoryCorps always uses is that listening is an act of love. It taught me to be with people as interview subjects.

Since then, Ive been privileged to watch and observe Americans in what I have found to be a really exciting moment of political and cultural change and expression. Ive gotten to observe activists over the years sharing their lives in open ways that made life dangerous and difficult for them. I feel so privileged that they trust me with their stories, and Ive felt that its been my responsibility as a journalist to be very careful with their stories, and I want to train students to do the same.

As I head into this job, one of the things I would like to do with my students is to train them to always be looking in the margins and look for the story thats being missed. Same-sex marriage was a big thing to cover, and Im proud of how Ive been able to cover it, how my colleagues have been able to cover it. But we cant let go of the other things; we cant forget to look at HIV/AIDS, we cant not look at how sex workers are being policed in terrible ways that particularly harm queer people, we cant forget about queer youth, and we certainly cant forget about how these really nasty bills affecting transgender students are being passed at the local level. So I want to train my queer students to not stop thinking queerly [laughs]. As gay life moves towards what straight people would call normal, I think we have a real gift being queer. We have a way to look at things slightly off center. And I think that can create a really powerful journalist.

ICYMI: Youre probably not quoting enough women. Let us help you.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
Legislation pending in New Jersey could make it easier to file bad faith lawsuits against insurers.

The New Jersey Insurance Fair Conduct Act is currently under consideration by the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee after having been passed by the Senate.

If approved, SB 2144 would take effect immediately.

Jack Vales, a partner in the Short Hills, N.J. office of Dentons US, and colleague, Erika Lopes-McLeman, a senior managing associate in the same office, issued a bulletin on the legislation recently.

Under current law, if an insurer can show a debatable reason for a coverage decision, that will defeat any type of bad faith claim, said Vales, who added that there has been a movement to broaden the ability of policyholders to bring suits against insurers for extra contractual damages for some time.

This proposed legislation would do exactly that, said Vales. It would give aggrieved claimants on their insurance policies the ability to sue not only for the policy benefits, but for attorneys fees and treble damages. And the standard by which to achieve those remedies would be very low under this Act.

The bill is bad for consumers, he said, because it would increase the cost of doing business in the state for insurance companies, increase their claim costs, which could in turn result in increased premiums to consumers.

It could also prompt insurers to cease doing business in the state, he added.

The vague language in the latest piece of legislation is concerning. The law would give policyholders the ability to file a civil action against its insurer for:

(1) an unreasonable delay or unreasonable denial of a claim for payment of benefits under an insurance policy; or

(2) any violation of the provisions of section 4 of P.L.1947, c.379 (C.17:29B-4).

b. In any action filed pursuant to this act, the claimant shall not be required to prove that the insurers actions were of such a frequency as to indicate a general business practice.

c. Upon establishing that a violation of the provisions of this act has occurred, the plaintiff shall be entitled to:

(1) actual damages caused by the violation of this act;

(2) prejudgment interest, reasonable attorneys fees, and all reasonable litigation expenses; and

(3) treble damages.

Vales said a New Jersey court ruling already exists allowing claimants that have won bad faith claims to obtain reasonable attorneys fees.

Thats already permitted by law in a third-party context. That court rule doesnt also provide for treble damages or for causes of action based upon a violation of theAct like this would.

Because current law allows an insurer that shows a debatable reason the opportunity to shut down a bad faith claim, Vale said the proposed legislation should be worded similarly.

The statute should specify the conduct of the insurer, which would effectively protect them from any type of liability, i.e., if theres a fairly debatable basis for the claims decision, said Vales.

Another problem with the proposed legislation is that it has two different triggers that can give rise to liability, Vales said.

One is the unreasonable delay or denial of a claim for benefits on their insurance policy. The statute also provides that you would have a cause of action against the insurer for any violation of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act, said Vales. And that is particularly concerning, because theres no good faith protection built in to it. There could be an inadvertent error by the insurance company in the process of the claim that technically violates the Act. But it was not undertaken in bad faith. And, also, it didnt injure the consumer. So, this is almost a strict liability type situation. Now youre on the hook for treble damages and attorneys fees. Thats crazy.

Vales said that no private party can bring a lawsuit for violations of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.

Those types of matters are broughtby the government. And they would only do so if they saw some type of pattern or practice of activity, said Vales. This Act waives any requirement that the claimant prove the insurers actions were such a frequency as to indicate a general business practice.

Our view is traditionally New Jerseys done a pretty good job of balancing the interest between policyholders and insurers. This proposed act would really upend that balance and unfairly tilt the playing field again the interest of insurers, said Vales.

As to whether the legislation will be passed prior to the two-year legislative period ending in January, Vales remained uncertain.

Its difficult to say. Certainly, the assembly is under Democratic control and the governor is a Democrat. The chances of the bill becoming law are certainly greater now than they were in 2013 when Governor Christie, a Republican, was the governor, Vales said.

The Dentons partner doesnt think the bill, as currently worded, fairly protects the interest of consumers and insurers.

I think this bill, if it became law, would seek to solve a problem that doesnt exist, Vales said. It also would serve as sort of bonanza to trial lawyers and incentivize them to convert any insurance claim issue into a bad faith suit under this Act, which would escalate the cost for insurers to do business in the state and ultimately punish consumers.
Waterloo Fire Rescues proposal to bill insurance companies for its emergency response costs has been rejected.

The Iowa city council members voted 5-2 Monday against the plan that would seek payments for the citys manpower and equipment costs when responding to car accidents, fires and other emergency calls, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.

Councilman Bruce Jacobs said the plan is just not politically acceptable right now. He was joined by Sharon Juon, Steve Schmitt, Jerome Amos Jr. and Margaret Klein in rejecting the measure.

I thought it was a good source of revenue to reduce our budget for public safety, Jacobs said. But after talking to many people in my ward, not one person was in favor of it.

The departments proposal wouldnt have billed victims directly and wouldnt have sought payment when insurance didnt cover the fees.

But several residents still voiced objections to the plan before the vote, noting that they already pay taxes for public safety services.

Resident Todd Obadal called the plan a backdoor, off-the-book tax aiming to make the property tax rate look lower without actually reducing costs.

More than 900 cities in more than 40 states utilize fire recovery fees, said Fire Chief Pat Treloar. He said insurance experts have told him that about 50 percent of insurance policies have some level of coverage for fire rescue response.

I thought we had support to pass the initiative but I was wrong,Treloar said. I respect the decision of the council.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AKRON, Ohio - On the Table Greater Akron is set to return to Summit and Medina counties this October.

Led again by Akron Community Foundation, On the Table will bring together small groups of people across the area on Wednesday, October 3, to talk about the community's most pressing needs.

The foundation is looking for hosts to facilitate On the Table discussions. Anyone is eligible to host a mealtime conversation, which can be held in homes, offices, parks, places of worship or other community locations. The gatherings can take place any time on Oct. 3 over any meal, from breakfast to dinner to brown bag lunches or coffee.

Hosts are asked to invite eight to 12 people to attend a conversation. The hosts are also asked to attend an in-person training or watch an online video before the day. Those interested in hosting a conversation can sign up here.

Those interested in joining a conversation should visit the On the Table website in September to locate conversations that are open to the public.

Last year, Akron was as one of 10 U.S. cities to host the event, which brought together friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members and even strangers. The event is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with Huntington Bank also sponsoring this year.

About 6,000 people participated last year, with more than 3,500 completing a survey distributed after the event. Results of the survey revealed five top issues that require action in our community.

This year, participants are asked to focus on those issues, which include:

Economic Issues & Poverty

Equity & Social Inclusion

Drugs & Addiction

Education & Youth Development

Public Safety & Judicial System.

This year, a grant program offers up to $2,000 for ideas that can spark action. More information about applying for an On the Table Community Impact Award will be available closer to the event.

For more information about Akron's On the Table event and to get involved, contact John Garofalo, vice president of community investment at Akron Community Foundation, at 330-436-5624 or send an email.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron's Zoo's nearly 10-week-old Humboldt penguin chick took his first swim Thursday.

The dip is the first in a series of test swims he'll take before eventually joining his colony at the zoo's habitat - Penguin Point. Before then, the chick must be able to eat on his own, molt his downy feathers and pass a series of swim tests. So far, he's been eating on his own and has started molting. He could be in the penguin habitat by early September.

"Like all penguin chicks, he wasn't sure about the water at first," said the zoo's Senior Zookeeper Vicky Croisant in a new release. "He quickly settled down and was even dunking his head underwater by the end of the 20- to 30-minute session, which is not something we usually see right away. At this point, he's still a little awkward and doesn't know what to do with his feet, but his confidence will build the more time he spends in the water."

Hatched on June 1, the Akron Zoo's Humboldt penguin chick must be able to eat on his own, molt his downy feathers and pass a series of swim tests before he can join the rest of his colony.

The yet-to-be-named chick hatched June 1. His parents are Pez, hatched at the zoo in 2011, and Gabriella, who was hatched in 2010 and came to the Akron Zoo in 2013.

The zoo recently hosted the "Oh Deer! Waddle We Name Them!" naming contest, to help choose names for a Siberian musk deer fawn and the Humboldt penguin chick.

Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Akron Zoo is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participates in 45 different species survival plans, assisting in breeding programs for animals ranging from red wolves to North American river otters.

The Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave. in Akron, is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $9 for children ages 2-14. Kids under two are free and parking is $3. For more information visit the zoo's website or call or call 330-375-2550.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
AKRON, Ohio - The Siberian musk fawn born June 13 at the Akron Zoo is now out in the habitat daily, bonding with her mother, Anastasia.

The fawn has grown from 1.5 pounds at birth to six pounds. Musk deer look like tiny kangaroos, with the males sporting large, canine-like fangs. They can weigh from 15 to 35 pounds as adults. The deer are native to Russia's and northern Asia's forests and mountains.

Anastasia and Vlad, the fawn's father, came to Akron from the Bronx Zoo last fall under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' managed-breeding program.

Akron participates in 45 different species survival plans, assisting in breeding programs with zoos around the world, from the endangered Golden lion tamarin to the critically endangered Sumatran tiger.

The zoo's musk fawn, born to musk deer Anastasia and Vlad, at five days old.

The zoo recently hosted the "Oh Deer! Waddle We Name Them!" naming contest, to help choose names for the fawn and a Humboldt penguin chick. The chick was born in Akron June 1 to Pez and Gabriella, bringing the zoo's penguin colony to 13.

Both babies' names will be revealed soon, the zoo says.

The Akron Zoo is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $9 for children ages 2-14. Kids under two are free and parking is $3. For more information visit the zoo's website or call or call 330-375-2550.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
RAVENNA, Ohio -- Former Macedonia Mayor Joseph Migliorini surrendered to Streetsboro police charges of burglary and violating a protection order, court records show.

Migliorini resigned as mayor last month citing an April incident outside a Palm Beach, Florida restaurant in which he pulled his girlfriend's hair and slapped her, according to police. Migliorini, who served as mayor from 1988 to 2001 and was re-elected in 2015, was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Police said Migliorini on Monday violated a protection ordered issued by the state of Florida while committing a burglary at a home in the 9800 block of Creekside Way. Migliorini's former girlfriend was visiting a friend, the homeowner, when the former mayor entered the home, prompting them to call 911.

Portage County Municipal Court records show that Judge Barbara Oswick on Wednesday set Migliorini's bond at $10,000 and continued the no contact order with his former girlfriend.

His preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 17.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The election results for the Ohio 12th district race between Troy Balderson and Danny O'Connor have grown even tighter after many news networks determined the race too close to call.

Wednesday evening, Democrat Danny O'Connor gained 190 votes in Franklin County. The gain shrinks Republican Balderson's lead to 1,564 votes.

About 3,500 provisional ballots remain to be counted. It's possible O'Connor may not pick up enough votes to win outright, but enough to trigger an automatic recount. Ohio law calls for a recount if the difference between to candidates is less than half a percentage points.

Ultimately, a recount between Balderson and O'Connor will occur win the two face off again in November for the midterm elections.

The race wasn't too close to call for President Trump, who patted himself on the back in a tweet for delivering a victory for Balderson.

"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 will BIG in Nov."

Trump did show some restraint by not declaring Balderson's victory was as YUGE as his Inauguration crowd.

Kasich repeats claim that Balderson did not invite Trump

On MSNBC Wednesday, Governor John Kasich said when he asked Balderson why the heck he invited Trump to speak, Balderson said he didn't invite Trump. Kasich made the same claim Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

In several interviews Kasich repeated his talking points that the race should never have been this close and that suburban women turned off by Trump made it so.

"This district is so Republican, there should never even have been an election here. And it was so close and-- in one of the counties that's so solidly Republican - where a Republican would normally win by 70 percent, it broke basically 50-50.

So, some Republicans sat at home, but what I think happened, and we don't have all the numbers yet, I think you will find a lot of Republican women who not only didn't sit at home, but a significant percentage, or some percentage of them voted for the Democrat," Kasich told CBS News

"Suburban women in particular here are the ones that are really turned off. It's really kind of shocking because this (special election) should just be a slam dunk and it's not," Kasich said in another interview.

Are Kasich and Pelosi more responsible for Balderson's lead than Trump?



Delaware County accounted for more than 3 and 10 Balderson votes, higher than Trump earned in the county. Because of those results, Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report credited Kasich's late endorsement with having a greater impact than Trump's visit.

O'Connor's hemming and hawing over whether he would support returning Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker, when asked in an interview with Chris Matthews, was also mentioned by voters as one of the reasons they voted against him.

Some Hollywood celebrities blamed Green party candidate Joe Manchik for costing O'Connor a victory. Manchik received 1,127 votes.

Trump impact

The fact that it's debatable whether or not Trump helped or hurt Balderson would suggest he may not have been a deciding factor, or that the pro-Trump and anti-Trump motivated votes canceled each other out.

A county breakdown of the votes do mirror a pattern seen in the 2016 election. Balderson did better in rural areas and O'Connor did better in the suburbs and areas closer to Columbus.

Bad Omen for GOP

Overall, the election results provide a bad omen for Republicans heading into the midterms.

If the Democrats came a little over 1,000 votes from flipping a seat held by Republicans since 1982, how will Republicans fare in keeping seats in Congressional districts that are not Republican strongholds?

This election does give both Balderson and O'Connor, and their parties, a preview of what they must do to shore up support and gain new votes in the November elections.

Ohio isn't Republican Red or Democrat Blue, it's been Trump Orange, but the 12th District race proved that's beginning to fade.
The White House said that a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin was meant to introduce Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul to the Russian leader.

"At Senator Paul's 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 spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

While in Russia, Paul announced that he was "honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putin's administration."

"The letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges," Paul said on Twitter.

A White House official said that Paul wanted this letter from Trump in hopes of setting up a meeting with Putin during his trip to Moscow this week, CNN reported.
MEDINA, Ohio -- The Children's Center of Medina County is moving into a larger space.

The current Children's Center at 200 Highland Drive in Medina was sufficient in 2011 when the center employed one part-time person -- Rhonda Wurgler -- but now it is bursting at the seams with three full-time and three part-time staff members working every day.

Yesterday (Aug. 8), a group of 50 community supporters met for an official groundbreaking at the site of the new center, 724 E. Smith Road.

Shovels await the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new, larger Children's Center of Medina County. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

Anna Guy Leach, development director for the center, explained that a week earlier, the back yard of the house on the property was covered in grass. But now it contains the foundation for the two-story addition.

Because the goal is to complete the work in six months, the groundbreaking with shovels was purely symbolic.

Moderator Jen Graham, capital campaign chair and former president of the center's board of trustees, welcomed the crowd and introduced current board president Brian Cullen. He explained the need for a new facility.

Brian Cullen, board president of the Children's Center of Medina County, talks about the reasons why the expansion of the center is important for the county's children and families. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

"We clearly outgrew our space and our lease was coming up. This will become a place of safety, a place of healing, a place where the hurting stops," he said. "This is the best day ever."

The next speaker was Roman Paich, a partner in Pride One Construction, the company that will be building the new center. He said he learned about the center years ago as a member of Medina Sunrise Rotary and that he is glad to be a part of building the new facility.

Children's Center Executive Director Rhonda Wurgler reminded the crowd that children are vulnerable. At the center, they learn that people care, and they are given hope. Families and children can come to the center for help any time of the day or night.

In the last 10 years, the center has served more than 1,500 children -- both abused children and for foster care visits.

"There have been some very positive stories," Wurgler said.

Because the current house is yellow, the new building will also be yellow, to provide a familiar and welcoming environment for children.

Wurgler said the new building will cost $575,000 and will be financed through donations from the community: private, corporate, personal and foundational. The center kicked off the project with financial support from 100 percent of the board, staff, volunteers and capital campaign committee members.

A generous lead gift of $50,000 for the new building was presented by the Medina County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Board to sponsor the center's conference room.

The final speaker was Mayor Dennis Hanwell, who explained that he has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years "and the numbers are not going down" when it comes to child abuse.

He noted that in 2015, Medina reported 495 cases of child abuse; in 2016, there were 466 cases and in 2017, there were 627 cases.

To demonstrate the necessity of supporting the center, he shocked the audience with a story from his past experience as a police officer. He told of a three-month-old baby whose 4-year-old brother served as a witness to his abuse. The boy demonstrated with a doll that his parents had first shaken the baby, and then when he still didn't stop crying, they briefly smothered him with a pillow. Upon examination at Akron Children's Hospital, it was discovered that all of the baby's joints had been broken at some point in his short life.

Hanwell said this is why the Children's Center is so important. "We're very thankful that you're expanding here."
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Another 38 physicians were certified this week to recommend medical marijuana in Ohio.

Currently, 222 physicians have active certificates to recommend cannabis to patients with one of 21 medical conditions. That's a far cry from what industry experts say will be necessary to serve an estimated 200,000 patients. State regulators expect Ohio's program will start with far fewer patients and say more physicians will sign on as the program grows.

All currently certified doctors can be found in a searchable database on cleveland.com. Click this link to find a certified doctor by name or zip code.

The database is updated monthly after the medical board approves physicians' applications for the certification. Participating physicians must hold an active, unrestricted MD or DO license from the Ohio State Medical Board and complete two hours of continuing education credits about cannabis and Ohio's qualifying medical conditions.

Patients will register for Ohio's program through doctors, who must sign off on several requirements:

The doctor has a bona fide relationship with the patient,

The patient has a qualifying condition,

The doctor has discussed the pros and cons of marijuana use and has reviewed the patient's history in the state's controlled substances database.

Ohio's patient registry was supposed to go live last month but was put on hold because marijuana won't be available to patients in early September as planned.

Three of the 26 businesses chosen to grow medical marijuana have passed final inspections and been allowed to start growing plants. Buckeye Relief LLC in Eastlake planted its first seeds last week and expects its first harvest to be on dispensary shelves in January.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 200 people returned to pursue a degree at Cleveland State University last year because the university and college access advocates reached out to bring them back.

The partnership between CSU and College Now provides a new path for to students who dropped out. In its first year, about 13 percent of the students who came back graduated.

Nine students, which amounts to about five percent, dropped out again.

CSU is one of four public institutions across the country that received a grant this year to support new approaches to boosting student success by engaging with the community. The $50,000 renewal grant will take the (Re)Connect to College program into its second year and potentially expand it.

What benefits are there to reaching out to students who dropped out?

Retaining students is a problem at CSU. The university, which serves a large group of nontraditional students, is striving to improve their graduation and retention rates.

CSU is on track to graduate 45 percent of students who entered as full-time first-year students in 2012. About 43 percent of freshmen who entered in the fall of 2011 graduated. This doesn't include the number of students that start at CSU and transfer to receive their degrees somewhere else.

It's not just a Cleveland problem, it's a national problem. Nationally, graduation rates at public institutions are around 59 percent. At private nonprofits, the rate is 66 percent, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The cost of college also continues to rise, leading more people to question the value of college.

Reconnecting with students and figuring out why they dropped out leads to a whole group of students already on their way to a degree.

After some time away from school, these students might be able to return with a clear reason to be there or the means to graduate -- especially with additional support.

What do we know now about students returning to college?

College Now advisors reached out to students that left CSU. College Now would then work with them on the issues that led them to drop out. After that, the potential returning students were referred to CSU's Transfer Center.

Peter Meiksins, vice provost for academic programs at CSU, said students who "stopped out" -- dropped out of college and then returned -- often were struggling to juggle everything they needed to do in their lives.

A student could be trying to pay their way through school through working long hours. He or she could be supporting a parent, a sibling or a child while trying to take classes.

"They gave up the easiest thing to give up, which was college," he said.

When College Now reaches out now, former students might be in a much better situation where they now have the means or time. They just didn't think about going back or didn't know the steps to do so.

Sometimes there's a outstanding bill or an academic problem barring the person from returning to campus.

Another problem is that students couldn't see how the degree they were pursuing connected to their life goals. Meiskens said this is common with students who return to school, but the current generation of students in general, especially after the 2008 recession.

If there's no clear connection between a degree and how it will help the student get a job or start a career, the costs could outweigh the benefits.

What's next for (Re)Connect to College?

A new challenge, Meiksens said, is figuring out why students drop out again when they come back to school. It could be that the financial aid still isn't there or the student figures out college still doesn't fit in their schedule.

If there's a class or particular obstacle students struggle with, CSU and College Now can help with that. Organizers are currently looking at data to see where they can intervene.

Meiksens said the program is also looping in CSU's continuing education efforts because students who return after a long time might be unsure about how best to approach school.

The program is also looking at partnering with an area employer to expand outside of students who previously attended CSU. Part of a partnership would be working to train employees on skills that the company needs, either through degrees or new certifications.

If you're interested in the (Re)Connect to College program, click here for more information. To learn more about College Now and their services, click here.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fentanyl was a factor in at least 14 of the 16 drug overdose deaths from a recent five-day period in Cuyahoga County, according to preliminary test results released by the medical examiner's office.

Fentanyl overdose deaths are still projected to significantly decrease this year compared to last year's record total. But the continued prevalence of other opioids such as heroin, and an increase in deaths involving cocaine, has Cuyahoga County on pace to approach last year's total of 727 fatal drug overdoses, according to statistics released by the medical examiner's office.

Officials have not offered a cause of the recent increase in overdose deaths. The medical examiner's office is still conducting tests, a spokesman said Thursday.

The recent increase in drug overdose deaths is the latest example of the danger that drugs -- and fentanyl in particular -- pose to the community, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.

"This most recent wave of fatalities demonstrate once again that there is no safe amount of drugs in the current climate," Herdman said in a statement. "Whatever people think they're buying on the street, whether it's cocaine, heroin, or pills, they must assume that it contains fentanyl. In other words, it will kill you."

The medical examiner's office reported earlier this week that 14 people died of overdoses from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. Additional test results have since increased the number of deaths to 16, a spokesman said Thursday.

The test results also revealed:

Fourteen deaths involved fentanyl, 10 likely involved heroin, and seven involved cocaine. One case remains undetermined.

The victims ranged in age from 27 years old to 72 years old. Seven victims were over the age of 60.

The victims included 12 men and four women. Ten were white, five were black and once was Hispanic.

Nine deaths happened in Cleveland, three in Euclid, two in Lakewood, and once each in Garfield Heights and Maple Heights.

Cuyahoga County in on pace for 406 fentanyl overdose deaths this year, which is still down from a record 472 last year. Heroin is a projected to be a factor in 217 deaths in 2018, a decrease from 240 in 2017, according to the medical examiner's most recent monthly report through July 31.

Officials have seen a notable decrease in deaths involving carfentanil, an animal sedative that has been linked to the opioid epidemic. The drug has been a factor in 21 overdose deaths this year, putting Cuyahoga County on pace to see a significant drop from 191 last year.

Earlier this year, statistics suggested opioid overdose deaths might have leveled off after eight straights years of dramatic increases. But an increase in deaths involving other drugs, such as cocaine, have Cuyahoga County on pace for 702 drug overdose deaths this year, approaching last year's record total of 727.

Cocaine is projected to be a factor in 372 overdose deaths this year, up from 290 last year, statistics say. It would be the fourth straight year cocaine-related deaths have increased in Cuyahoga County.

Officials have attributed the decrease in opioid deaths to the availability of naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug; Ohio doctors decreasing the number of opioids they are prescribing; and a law enforcement focus on arresting and prosecuting drug dealers, among other factors.

To comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A large fight broke out on the Goodtime III cruise boat while the popular tourist ship docked in downtown Cleveland.

A 25-year-old Garfield Heights man was arrested in connection with the fight, but formal charges have not been filed in the case.

The fight happened about 11:45 p.m. Friday as the ship was docking off the East 9th Street Pier after the cruise's Dance Party night, according to police and the Goodtime III's owner, Rick Fryan.

Several off-duty Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputies working security on the boat, along with witnesses, gave different accounts of what led to the fight. Cleveland police detectives are investigating, according to police reports.

Some deputies told police that the 25-year-old man started the fight and some said they he didn't. The 25-year-old man told police he saw a man who attacked him years ago, confronted him just before four or five men jumped him, police reports say.

Several Goodtime III employees and a sheriff's deputy, however, told police that the man started the fight that broke out on the second deck of the ship.

A security guard employed by the Goodtime III who was not an off-duty member of law enforcement stepped into break up the fight along with the deputies.

He said he stepped in between the 25-year-old man and another man, and the 25-year-old punched him in the face.

The security guard went to Fairview Hospital, where he got two stitches to repair a cut above his eye, police reports say.

A deputy initially told the 25-year-old man he could leave, but another deputy told a Cleveland police officer to arrest the man on assault charges, police reports say.

The officer stopped the man and tried to arrest him, but the man struggled with officers and deputies, police reports say. An officer told the man if he didn't allow the officers to put handcuffs on him, the officers would use their stun gun.

The officers then forced the man to the ground and arrested him. He was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail and released on Monday.

Fryan said he employees several off-duty police officers or deputies on his boat and that he planned to hire more after the fight.

"We don't want fights on the boat," Fryan said. "The Goodtime is supposed to be a fun experience. Everyone usually just has a good time and we want to keep it that way."

To comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Love him or hate him, President Donald Trump motivates voters.

And whether they're Trump fans or foes, Ohio political operatives say that Trump's Saturday campaign visit to Delaware County motivated people to vote in Tuesday's tight special election for an open congressional seat.

Unofficial election results showed GOP candidate Troy Balderson, a state senator from Zanesville, with a 1,754-vote lead over the Democratic candidate, Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor. Although Balderson claimed victory, O'Connor has not conceded because thousands more provisional and absentee ballots haven't been counted.

.@realDonaldTrumps support has been immeasurable in this #OH12 race. Nobody energizes our base like President Trump.  Bob Paduchik (@Paduch) August 8, 2018

Trump grabbed credit for Balderson's showing on Twitter, saying "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."

There's a kernel of truth to his bluster. While early votes were always expected to break O'Connor's way, polling in the race indicated the candidates were deadlocked. Both sides focused on getting their backers to the polls at a time when most Ohioans aren't focused on voting. Having Trump in Ohio the weekend before the election helped publicize the race.

In a victory speech to supporters, Balderson thanked his family, his volunteers, as well as Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who headlined a July 30 rally for Balderson in Licking County.

"Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great again," Balderson said in a riff on Trump's presidential campaign slogan. Balderson and O'Connor will face off again in November for the seat vacated by Patrick Tiberi's departure to head the Ohio Business Roundtable.

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

Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken said Trump's visit played a "very big role" in energizing the Republican base, along with GOP voter mobilization efforts that made nearly one million voter contacts.

"President Trump brings Republicans home, which translated into Troy Balderson's win," said Timken. "People in Ohio vote their wallets. Because of President Trump and Republican leadership in Congress they are better off than they were 18 months ago and that will help Republicans win in November."

But Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper ridiculed Trump for maintaining Balderson's finish was "a good result" in a district "with Republican DNA" that Trump carried by 11 percentage points in 2016 and that Tiberi never won by less than 28 percent. He said that the "chaos" that Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress created in Washington made voters in that district more willing to back "a good Democratic candidate."

Pepper said Trump's visit motivated some voters for to cast ballots for Balderson, and others to back O'Connor because he'd act as a check on the Trump agenda.

"His inability to show any difference from Trump, even on things that most Americans disagree with Trump on, will hurt him," Pepper said of Balderson.

There will probably be a GOP effort to explain away a Balderson loss or narrow victory w/ a local excuse. But what could the common denominator in closer-than-usual races in #OH12, #MT-AL, #KS04, #SC05, #AZ08, #PA18, #ALSen?



Answer: @realDonaldTrump  Nathan Gonzales (@nathanlgonzales) August 8, 2018

O'Connor disputed Trump's influence in a CNN interview, saying that Balderson could "have all of the people he wants fly in from D.C.," but "I don't think it makes too much of a difference. I think the reason we're having so much success and that this race is a tied ball game is because we've been crisscrossing this district talking to voters about important issues, about stuff that matters to them when they sit around the kitchen table."

Retired Ohio State University political science professor Herb Asher called Trump's tweet claiming credit for Balderson's narrow edge "wonderfully self-serving," saying it's possible Trump energized both Republicans and Democrats. Even if Balderson lost, Trump would have claimed that his visit made a big difference, says Asher.

"The Republicans threw everything into this election," said Asher, citing the White House visits millions of dollars spent by outside groups to help Balderson. "To win it so narrowly should be a warning sign to every Republican operative and GOP incumbent."

Baldwin Wallace University political scientist Tom Sutton believes that the visits from Trump and Pence reminded voters in the district's rural areas not to forget to vote in the unusual August special election, and prompted their fans to cast ballots for Balderson.

"To put Trump's visit in the context of any president supporting a candidate, it mobilizes those who already identify themselves as supporters of the president and his party," said Sutton, who predicts that Trump will visit Ohio many more times between now and November to plug candidates in other tight races.

"What I hope is a major takeaway from yesterday is that literally, every vote counts," said Sutton. "This is an extremely tight election and it is officially not over yet. We may see similar results in November with Democratic challengers in seats that might traditionally be safe for Republicans."
AKRON, Ohio -- Police are searching for a woman they say opened fire on the father of her three children as he stood on the porch of a home.

Kayla K. Lenoir, 22, of Akron, is wanted on two counts of felonious assault, discharging firearm into an occupied structure, and domestic violence.

Police accuse Lenoir of being in a car that drove by a home on the 400 block of Storer Avenue in West Akron at about 3 p.m. Tuesday and firing a shot from the passenger window.

The bullet went through the front of the house and lodged in a closet wall, police say.

The father, a 34-year-old male, and two other people standing on the porch of the home were not injured.

Lenoir is 5-foot-9, and 130 pounds and is considered armed and dangerous, police say.

Anyone with information can the police department's detective bureau at 330-375-2490, the police tip line at 330-375-2TIP, the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-866-4-WANTED, or Summit County Crimestoppers Inc. at 330-434-COPS. Information also can be sent by text to TIPSCO at 274637 (Crimes).

To comment on this story, visit the crime and courts comments page.
Featured stories

North Korea rejects repeated US proposal to slash nuclear arsenal: report (The Hill)

Nunes on leaked audio: Rosenstein hasn't been impeached because of 'timing' (USA Today)

IRS agent testifies Manafort failed to report $16.5M in taxable income (The Hill)

Omarosa secretly recorded Trump and played the audio for people, sources say (Daily Beast)

WH pushes back after Rand Paul suggests Trump asked him to deliver letter to Putin (Fox News)

Congressman Chris Collins says insider trading charges are 'meritless,' refuses to give up election bid (USA Today)

National news

'Nothing bodes well': Lackluster election results spark debate over Trump's midterm role (Washington Post)

Missouri prosecutor who didn't charge officer in Michael Brown killing appears to be ousted in primary (CNN)

Detroit's Rashida Tlaib poised to become first Muslim woman in Congress (NPR)

Russians have penetrated some Florida voter registration systems, Sen. Bill Nelson says (Miami Herald)

WV House committee approves 14 articles of impeachment against justices (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

California's largest wildfire tops 300,000 acres; containment remains at 47 percent (USA Today)

ICE raids a dozen businesses in Nebraska, Minnesota in vast tax fraud investigation (The Hill)

Florida authorities release interrogation video of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz (Associated Press)

State of emergency declared in Charlottesville for 'Unite the Right' anniversary (CNN)

New Mexico compound suspects were training children for school shootings, prosecutors say (CNN)

Brock Turner loses appeal of his conviction in Stanford sexual assault case (San Francisco Chronicle)

Father of infant found dead in East River detained in Thailand, suspected of killing baby in Bronx apartment (New York Daily News)

Florida cows thwart carjacking suspect, herd her straight toward police (Fox News)

World news

Indonesia quake: Survivors wait for aid as families mourn 347 killed (CNN)

China to ignore Trump sanctions, continue doing business with Iran (The Hill)

Skripal attack: Russia faces U.S. sanctions over Novichok use (BBC)

No sign of breakthrough as Turkey delegation holds talks in Washington (Reuters)

Israel and Hamas exchange fire in sudden Gaza escalation (CNN)

Saudi Arabia reassures Canada on oil supplies as dispute drags on (Reuters)

Australia's most populous state now entirely in drought (Associated Press)

Argentina's senate rejects contentious abortion bill (Al Jazeera)
NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- This is one of the stranger stories being toad ... uh, told ... by law-enforcement officials.

A man involved in a car crash ended up in a confrontation with a Lincoln County Sheriff's deputy in which he used a frog as a hostage, according to reports. Not surprisingly, drugs and alcohol are suspected factors.

The North Platte Telegraph says the suspect was in a single-car rollover crash at about 1 a.m. Wednesday but was not seriously injured. The man then left the scene as a passenger in another vehicle.

Deputies tell WVLT Channel 8 that the man called 911 to report the crash but said he didn't want to talk to deputies and would assault any officers who attempted to speak with him.

A deputy eventually pulled over the vehicle and the man got out, yelling at the officer, the Telegraph reports. He then picked up a frog from the ground and first offered it to the deputy, but changed his mind and said the frog was a hostage while also threatening the deputy.

The man threw paper and trash at the deputy before he eventually was stunned with a Taser.

The suspect was taken to a hospital for emergency evaluation. The frog escaped the ordeal unharmed, reports say, although his current whereabouts are unknown.

To comment on this story, visit the crime and courts comments page.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new Ohio General Assembly bill would require all county sales tax increases to go before the public for a vote - a proposal that has counties nervous as funds have been cut and needs have increased.

Montgomery County Republican Reps. Niraj Antani and Todd Smith say their bill would stop county commissioners from unilaterally increasing taxes.

"Tax increases at all levels are unacceptable," Antani said in a statement. "However, if one is going to occur at the local level, it must be a voice of the people. There should be no new taxes without a voice."

Sales taxes are a county's No. 1 source of revenue, said Jon Honeck of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.

The state in recent years has decreased the amount of local government funds it has sent to counties. Over the past decade, state actions have resulted in $351 million less in annual revenue, the county commissioners' association estimates. At the same time, counties feel squeezed by the opioid epidemic. Many county funds have been tied up in the court system and public safety, Honeck said.

"Counties, over time, have made their cuts and they've also in some cases raised their sales taxes because they're getting less money from the state," he said.

Ohio counties are allowed to increase taxes beyond the state rate of 5.75 percent by an additional 1.5 percent.

Fifty of Ohio's 88 counties have the additional 1.5 percent. Not all counties have increased taxes to the limit, Honeck said. Transit authorities can also tax at 1.5 percent.

Generally, county commissioners increase taxes with a resolution. State law requires commissioners to take some tax increases to the voters, such as when there is a bond issuance, with a tax increase attached to it that's necessary to make the debt payments, Honeck said.

He said there are checks and balances in state law to protect the public. The public can have a referendum on a sales tax increase.

"I think the commissioners feel they've been entrusted by the voters to make the county budget issues and make the decisions," he said.

The Ohio General Assembly can increase sales taxes without going to the public for a vote.

Antani and Smith said their bill is in response to a 0.25 percent sales tax increase enacted by Montgomery County commissioners. A group of residents tried to get a referendum on the ballot but didn't succeed because they didn't get the required number of signatures - 10 percent of the number of county residents who voted in the past gubernatorial election.

Lawmakers are on summer recess and won't have many sessions before the end of the year. The bill's chances of getting vetted by legislative committees and passing both chambers is slim.

"It's late in the legislative session," Honeck said. "We wanted to make sure we are on the record responding to this."

A spokeswoman for Cuyahoga County government said the bill will need to be vetted before it takes a position on it.
A passenger plane owned by the Rossiya air company en route from Simferopol to St. Petersburg made an emergency landing at the Rostov-on-Don airport after a woman had given birth to a premature baby boy, a spokesperson for the airliner said.

"During the SU6888 flight of the Rossiya air company from Simferopol to St. Petersburg a passenger complained of some ailment. It emerged later that she felt unwell because of the started labor. There turned out to be medics on board the plane, who agreed to help the crew perform the delivery," TASS cited the spokesperson as saying.

The spokesperson added that the delivery was successful, a boy was born, and the crew decided to make an emergency landing at the Rostov-on-Don city airport.

The plane made an emergency landing at the Rostov-on-Don airport at 13:50, she said. "The passenger and the baby were hospitalized," the source said.

The airports press service said that the mother and the baby are in satisfactory condition. "The flight will continue after refueling," the spokesperson added.
Rotunda Rumblings



ECOT fails in court: The Ohio Supreme Court rejected, in a 4-2 decision announced Wednesday, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow's argument about how attendance should be counted. The result of this ruling, writes The Plain Dealer's Patrick O'Donnell, is that the now-shuttered online charter school remains on the hook for $80 million it overcharged the state for educating students.



Innocent victims: The effects of children born with physical and developmental disabilities due to their mothers' opioids abuse have become part of several of the hundreds of federal lawsuits against drug companies. Cleveland.com's Eric Heisig and David Petkiewicz have a story and videos that show what happened to some Ohio kids born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.



Phone home: Residents in southwestern Ohio, including Dayton, will soon have a second area code. Cleveland.com's Laura Hancock explains the timetable for the new 326 area code and other details.



Midterm blues: Even though Democrat Danny O'Connor lost to Republican Troy Balderson Tuesday in the 12th Congressional District, the results of the special election were welcome news for Democrats. As cleveland.com's Seth Richardson writes, the victory opened up the possibility of Dems being competitive in a number of Ohio congressional districts once thought completely unwinnable.

Look what we found: Franklin County elections officials announced Wednesday that they identified 588 uncounted 12th Congressional District special-election ballots from three precincts in Worthington. The discovery gives O'Connor a net total of 190 votes, cutting Balderson's lead to 1,564 votes districtwide. But as cleveland.com's Jeremy Pelzer explains, O'Connor's chances of victory are still pretty slim.

If you want something done right... Matthew Brendan O'Connor needed just five valid petition signatures to become the Libertarian nominee for Ohio's 12th Congressional District this November. But as Pelzer reports, O'Connor - no relation to Danny O'Connor - won't make the ballot after he delegated the task and fell one signature short.



Headed red: After months of moving ratings of several Ohio congressional races in the Democrats' direction, the Cook Political Report is now improving the GOP's odds in two Buckeye State districts. Following Balderson's unofficial win in Tuesday's 12th District special election, the non-partisan publication changed its general-election race rating from "toss-up" to "leans Republican." In the neighboring 15th District, the race between Republican incumbent Steve Stivers and Democrat Rick Neal was adjusted from "Likely Republican" to "Solid Republican."



Alternate ideas: The County Commissioners Association of Ohio offered ideas on how Ohio could use its expected budget surplus: justice, public safety, child protection to mitigate the opioid epidemic and updates to infrastructure. The association's statement comes after Gov. John Kasich announced Tuesday he'd like to put surplus money in the rainy day fund and in an income tax withholding reduction.



Drug inhibitors? Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jenifer French decided that only some of an Ohio Medicaid report with details on pharmacy middlemen can be released, the Columbus Dispatch's Cathy Candisky reports. CVS Caremark -- which as a pharmacy benefit manager negotiates rebates with drug manufacturers, sets pharmacy rates and processes claims -- didn't want the report released because it argued it contains trade secrets. It also contains information about how it makes money in Medicaid. The judge set a hearing for Sept. 7 over whether to permanently block release of the full report.



Trump takes: The cleveland.com/Plain Dealer editorial board members, who represent different backgrounds and political ideologies, sound off on President Trump calling LeBron James stupid. Many thought his claim that a black man has a low IQ plays into a classic racial stereotype.

Just kidding: The two Ohio men whose cleveland.com photo of them wearing "I'd Rather Be A Russian Than A Democrat" shirts went viral last weekend told Newsweek's Jeff Stein that they "were just fooling around" and didn't actually prefer to be in Russia. "I'm for the United States," said James Alicie of Delaware, Ohio. "Obama was my president too, even if I didn't vote for him."



Welcome to General Election season: An ad from Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot attacking Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval began airing on TV Wednesday.



Business and politics: Procter and Gamble's political action committee held a fundraiser for Chabot - even though Pureval used to work there as an attorney. However, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Scott Wartman notes the company's executives have contributed over seven times as much money to Pureval than to Chabot.



Pence's tax tour continues: Vice President Mike Pence is set to tout the Republican tax overhaul in downtown Cincinnati next Tuesday, according to a release from America First Policies, a group linked to President Donald Trump. Pence attended similar events in Cleveland and Columbus earlier this year. While in town, the veep is also scheduled to attend a fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial nominee Mike DeWine, according to the Enquirer.



Moving on: Joe Helle, a Democrat running for state rep in District 89, resigned this week as Oak Harbor mayor in a dispute over his residency, the Toledo Blade reports. Helle, a vocal critic of Ohio's voter purge process, says he temporarily moved out of the village while his home was being renovated. Helle "said he decided to resign instead of putting the village through a potentially messy and expensive legal dispute and said the controversy will only fuel his campaign," the Blade said.



Home motivation: A new Stanford University study of 18 million voters in Ohio and South Carolina finds that "buying a home leads individuals to participate substantially more in local elections, on average." In addition, the researchers found that the more expensive the home, the more its owners tend to vote. The reason, not surprisingly, is "their ownership motivates them to pay attention and to participate."



Full Disclosure



Five things we learned from the April 24 financial disclosure statement of Ohio Supreme CourtJustice Terrence O'Donnell, a Republican. O'Donnell is retiring when his term ends this year.



1. O'Donnell reported income last year from the Supreme Court, BP dividends, an Ohio Public Employees Retirement System pension, Social Security, an American National Insurance annuity and an Ohio Deferred Compensation 457 (b) plan. He earned $163,547 from the Supreme Court last year, according to the Ohio Treasurer.



2. At some point in 2017, he owed at least $1,000 each to Discover and Chase.



3. He reported having a 527 education savings plan with over $1,000 in it through the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. He said he's in an investment club with at least $1,000 invested.



4. He didn't report receiving any food or beverages connected to his official duties valued at over $100. He also didn't report receiving any gifts valued at over $75 from nonprofits, corporations or trade associations.



5. He traveled for the Supreme Court last year, which amounted to $439.52.



Straight From The Source



"If a Democrat can bring it to 1,754 votes in terms of margin of difference between the two candidates in this district, I am terrified as a Republican."



Republican strategist Evan Siegfried, speaking on MSNBC about Republican Troy Balderson's unofficial victory margin over Democrat Danny O'Connor in Tuesday's special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District.

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.
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Republican Troy Balderson's narrow lead in the special election for Ohio's 12th Congressional District got even narrower on Wednesday, as Franklin County elections officials discovered additional uncounted ballots that favored Democrat Danny O'Connor.

The 588 ballots, which the Franklin County Board of Elections announced it found in three Worthington precincts during a routine audit, cut Balderson's lead over O'Connor by a total of 190 votes, from 1,754 votes to 1,564 votes.

While Balderson and other Republicans have claimed victory, O'Connor has refused to concede the race, as 8,483 provisional and absentee ballots have yet to be processed.

But even with the new votes, it's still likely that Balderson will prevail. Even if all of those ballots are deemed valid and counted - which is very unlikely in the case of provisional ballots - O'Connor would still need to win about 60 percent of them to erase a 1,564-vote lead. Of the outstanding ballots, only 2,440 are from Franklin County, the lone county that O'Connor won.

Adding in the new ballots, O'Connor would have to narrow Balderson's lead further to 1,017 votes - 0.5 percent of the vote total - to trigger an automatic recount under state law.

Asked about the significance of the new votes, O'Connor campaign manager Annie Ellison said it wasn't going to change the campaign's plans to ensure every special-election vote is counted and to focus on a rematch with Balderson in the November general election.

"We're going to just keep doing what we're doing," Ellison said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - WKYC Channel 3 is adding a key management position, director of content, and Northeast Ohio native Adam Miller, senior producer at NBC's "Today" show, will be taking on those duties starting in October.

What are those duties?

"Adam will oversee the vision, hiring and strategy for all Channel 3 editorial coverage and the distribution of news across all content platforms," the Tegna-owned Cleveland station's president and general manager, Micki Byrnes, said in a statement released Wednesday. "He will lead collaboration across our broadcast, digital and marketing teams at the station. WKYC is the second Tegna station in the country to build a 'triad' of content leaders to drive integrated product creation on all platforms as part of its digital-first strategy."

The other two members of the "triad" are Denise Polverine, who continues in her dual role as director of digital and regional digital director, and Jon Adkins, promoted to director of news content. The creation of this content leadership team is part of what the NBC affiliate station calls a continuing effort "to transform local journalism in the digital age."

Director of news content basically is the news director's position with some added responsibilities. Adkins replaces Brennan Donnellan, who had been at Channel 3 for seven years and resigned as news director in May.

Miller, who grew up in Orange, did his senior project at Orange High School at Channel 3 before enrolling at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

"It has always been my dream to come home and work in Cleveland," Miller said in the statement released by Channel 3. "I am looking forward to taking my 10 years of experience at 'Today' and using it to create a unique, consumer-oriented news product that I think our audience will love."

As senior producer at "Today," Miller manages a team of producers, overseeing programming, series development and daily operations. Miller began his career at NBC as a production assistant for the "Today" coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Polverine is responsible for directing the digital editorial strategy at WKYC, training and directing all content producers to support Channel 3's goal of being "a 24/7 digital-first newsroom." As regional digital director, she works closely with eight Tegna stations to develop and support digital strategy and engagement initiatives.

Adkins and Polverine will report to Miller in this new management structure at the station. Adkins will oversee day-to-day editorial coverage, including content creation, investigative journalism and distribution across multiple platforms.

The announcement comes two days after it was confirmed that former Channel 3 anchor and reporter Leon Bibb, 73, was returning to the station to do special reports and commentary. Bibb, a class of 1962 Glenville High School graduate, announced last year that he was retiring after a 22-year run as an anchor and reporter at WEWS Channel 5.

WKYC formerly was owned by NBC and Gannett. Formed in 2015 when the Gannett Co. split into two publicly traded companies, Tegna, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, owns and operates 47 stations in 39 markets.
Having faith in the stocks of companies with strong leadership is critical to successful investing, CNBC's said on Wednesday. But in some cases, investors give companies too much credit. For Cramer, the most glaring example was Amazon, a company the "Mad Money" host refers to as the "Death Star" for its seemingly unfaltering ability to crush any rival in its path. For example, in 2016, a Jefferies report warned that Amazon could go after auto parts retailers like AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. Shares of those companies plummeted as a result, spending much of 2017 in decline. "Well, guess what? The big calamity? It never materialized," Cramer said. "We overestimated the prowess of Amazon in the auto parts space and we underestimated the power of AutoZone." Until recently, shares of CVS exhibited a similar pattern. As the drugstore operator prepared to merge with Aetna, investors worried that Amazon's moves in the pharmaceutical and health care spaces would encroach on the deal's potential. But after CVS' better-than-expected second-quarter earnings report, "I think we've given Amazon too much credit and CVS too little," Cramer said. "As powerful as the Death Star may be, it can't wipe out a whole industry overnight." For more on why investors should have faith in particular companies including Disney, click here.

Sounding off on Sonos

Sonos celebrates its IPO at the Nasdaq, August 2, 2018. Source: Nasdaq

Smart speaker maker may have come public earlier this month to , but Cramer had some reservations after reviewing the company's business model. With high-end wireless and voice-enabled speakers on its product list, Sonos' key selling point is its repeat business: 37 percent of its new product registrations in 2017 came from existing customers. But as consumer technology becomes more durable, Cramer worried that Sonos' recurring business could eventually become saturated: how often will customers really need to replace their costly speaker systems? Sonos' business, which has produced conflicting results quarter to quarter and is further complicated by its , reminded Cramer of a not-so-hot name he once backed: . For more on why Cramer finds Sonos' stock risky, click here.

The issues facing Tesla's short-sellers

Elon Musk James Glover II | Reuters

Short-sellers might be rigorous in their methods, but CEO Elon Musk hasn't made it easy to short the stock of his automaker, Cramer said Wednesday. "There are four fundamental problems that make shorting stocks especially dangerous, problems that are bedeviling these professional pessimists as they confront perhaps the greatest short-buster in modern memory, ... Elon Musk," Cramer said. Cramer spoke one day after of taking Tesla private on Twitter, igniting an in the stock and roughly $1.3 billion. maintained in a statement on Wednesday that no final decision has been made. Musk's $420-a-share price target showed "why it's so tough to bet against individual companies," Cramer argued, turning to the first flaw: the notion that Musk did something wrong by opining on his company's future. For the rest of Cramer's list, click here.

Idexx Labs CEO on importance of preventative care for pets

Jonathan Ayers, CEO, Idexx Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Consumer spending on health care for their pets is undoubtedly on the rise. Now, Idexx Laboratories, a leading player in the veterinary tech and diagnostics, is bringing a new type of treatment to the mix: preventative care. "We see preventative care, including bloodwork, as one of the major long-term growth drivers," Idexx Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ayers told Cramer in a Wednesday interview. Ayers said when veterinarians run blood work on healthy, adult dogs, there is a one-in-seven chance that they find "significant underlying disease." "[Pets] can't tell you how they feel, and so the diagnostics is sort of the voice of the pet," Ayers told Cramer. "And what our innovation does is it expands their vocabulary so they can tell us more about their health status." To watch Ayers' full interview, click here.

CarMax v. AutoNation: A clear winner

Cramer also took an interest in the performance of shares of CarMax and AutoNation, two competing car dealers with totally divergent stock paths. Since the start of 2018, shares of CarMax have gained 17 percent, beating the S&P 500's performance, but AutoNation's stock has sunk 7 percent. "They're both big auto dealership chains with hundreds of locations, they both sell new and used vehicles, so how the heck has the stock of CarMax been able to leave the stock of AutoNation in the dust?" Cramer wondered. The answer boiled down to their businesses. While the two companies look similar on the surface, they are differently structured, with CarMax focusing primarily on used cars and AutoNation raking in twice as much revenue from new cars as used ones. Therefore, as tariffs on steel and aluminum boosted prices on cars and car parts, AutoNation ate those costs while CarMax profited from selling its lower-tax used cars. "No wonder CarMax is wiping the floor with AutoNation," the "Mad Money" host said. "The bottom line? At the beginning of the year, I told you to avoid AutoNation's stock and stick with the better-run, used-car-vehicle heavy CarMax. That's been a good call, and, if anything, things are looking even better for CarMax here, especially since its stock remains darned cheap, selling for just 15 times next year's earnings estimates."

Lightning round: Challenged groups, risky stocks?
Short-sellers might be rigorous in their methods, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk hasn't made it easy to short the stock of his automaker, CNBC's said Wednesday.

"There are four fundamental problems that make shorting stocks especially dangerous, problems that are bedeviling these professional pessimists as they confront perhaps the greatest short-buster in modern memory, ... Elon Musk," the "Mad Money" host said.

Cramer spoke one day after Musk floated the idea of taking Tesla private on Twitter, igniting an 11 percent run in the stock and costing Tesla's short-sellers roughly $1.3 billion. Tesla's board of directors maintained in a statement on Wednesday that no final decision has been made.

Musk's $420-a-share price target showed "why it's so tough to bet against individual companies," Cramer argued, turning to the first flaw: the notion that Musk did something wrong by opining on his company's future.

"Musk has every right to say that he has a potential $420-per-share takeover bid lined up, provided that he doesn't sell stock into the hype," Cramer explained. "As long as there's no dump with the pump, it's arguably a legitimate thing to say."

"Why not? The SEC doesn't specifically say you can't ponder what a company's worth or whether the company might get a bid," he continued. "In fact, Twitter's absolutely ... the place to disseminate this possibility."

Second flaw? The presumption that a government agency like the Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC) or the Justice Department will get involved if something illegal or inappropriate is occurring, Cramer said.

To illustrate this flaw, the "Mad Money" host referenced "When the Wolves Bite," a chronicle by CNBC's Scott Wapner of the heated battle between Wall Street titans Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman in the stock of Herbalife.

"This is something that Bill Ackman learned the hard way when he publicly shorted Herbalife," Cramer said. "Ackman, in desperation, did everything he could to get any federal agency to crack down on Herbalife and put it out of business because of what he saw as some really atrocious business practices."

"In the end, Ackman lost a fortune because no agency took the bite," he said.

Third, the short-sellers  whose strategy involves borrowing shares of a stock on the belief that it will decline, selling them and then buying them back at a lower price, thus turning a profit  rely on other sellers to knock their desired stock down.

"Who in his right mind is going to sell Tesla if there's even a possibility of a leveraged buyout?" Cramer said, referring to Musk's assertion that funding has been "secured" and a Financial Times report that said Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund bought a 3 to 5 percent stake in Tesla.

Fourth, Cramer took some inspiration from the words of legendary investor and economist John Maynard Keynes: In the long run, we're all dead.

"I think Elon Musk can keep the balls in the air longer than the shorts can stay short," he said. "He could've told the Saudis that he'd sell them $2 billion in stock right from the company if he wanted to, right? Then what?"

All in all, Musk's power to sway Tesla's investors and secure funding from giants like Tencent for his electric car maker made Cramer believe in his ability to out-maneuver the shorts in the near term.

"You've got to understand: Elon Musk is a weird mix of Thomas Edison, David Blaine, and the Punisher. He's a showman, a visionary, and he's ruthless," Cramer said. "I wouldn't recommend Tesla up here, but you know what? You'd be crazy to short it."

Shares of Tesla ended Wednesday's trading session down 2.43 percent, at $370.34. Tesla's most high-profile short-sellers include Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn and Kynikos Associates' Jim Chanos.
Before he became the successful journalist that he is today, NBC anchor Lester Holt faced rejection.

The NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor tells Seth Meyers that he actually received a rejection letter when he first applied to work for an NBC radio station in 1977. "I'm still just a little bitter," Holt jokes.

Holt received the letter, dated August, 11, 1977, just two months after he graduated from high school. Though young, the 59-year-old says he had applied to multiple companies in hopes of getting his first shot.

Eventually, Holt landed a job as a weekend disk jockey at a radio station in Sacramento, California. He continued to work there until college, when he was offered a full-time position  if he agreed to cover news.

"They put me in a Jeep Cherokee with police scanners and two-way radios and I hit the streets and started covering news and I never looked back," he tells Meyers.

In 1981, Holt landed a job at a CBS television station in New York. He went on to work at local CBS stations in Los Angeles and Chicago. In 2000, he was demoted from his anchor position in Chicago, despite having worked at the station since 1986.

"It knocked me back on my heels more than I think most people knew. People joke about Iron Pants and my work ethic," Holt told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "I've always had a strong work ethic, but I think it was hyper after that. It lasted for a number of years, where I felt, 'You're not good enough, you've got to be better.' It really rocked me."

After his demotion, Holt tried again to land a job at NBC. This time, with more experience, he secured an anchor position at MSNBC. Since then, he's held roles that include anchoring the weekend edition of TODAY, working on the weekend edition of Nightly News and anchoring Dateline NBC. In 2015, Holt was tapped to replace departing Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.

Looking back on his professional experiences, Holt told The Hollywood Reporter, he's learned to never take anything for granted. "For a long time, except for weekends," he says of his current role at Nightly News, "I didn't anchor this broadcast, I watched it."

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

Don't miss: Hoda Kotb landed her first job in journalism after 27 rejections
Rite Aid Corporation and Albertsons Companies announced on Wednesday they are terminating their merger agreement, the evening ahead of a shareholder vote over the deal.

The announcement is a blow to the pharmacy and the grocer, which are both facing mightier competitors in their respective industries, but were unable to structure a deal that sufficiently appealed to investors.

The $24 billion deal, announced in February, has faced push-back from a number of retail investors as well as top ten shareholder Highfields Capital Management. Critics have argued the deal provides Albertsons' private equity owner, Cerberus Capital Management, a vehicle to take the company public without rewarding Rite Aid shareholders in turn.

Adding to mounting challenges, influential investor advisory firms Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services in July urged investors to vote against the tie-up.

Albertsons, though, said Wednesday it was unwilling to renogotiate the terms of the deal

"After careful consideration of all information available to our board of directors through today, we were unwilling to change the terms of the merger," it said in a statement.

Rite Aid CEO John Standley, meantime, said in a statement, "While we believed in the merits of the combination with Albertsons, we have heard the views expressed by our stockholders and are committed to moving forward and executing our strategic plan as a standalone company."

Rite Aid also said Wednesday that its board is "evaluating governance changes at the company." The company added it will "continue to engage with stockholders" as it evaluates those changes. Neither Rite Aid nor Albertsons will pay a break-up fee.

The pharmacy will hold an annual meeting Oct. 30, 2018.

Shares of Rite Aid closed Wednesday at $1.74 a share, up 1.16 percent, giving it a market capitalization of $1.86 billion. Its shares had tumbled roughly 24 percent since it announced the deal in February.

Albertsons was formed by Cerberus and a consortium of investors in 2006. The investment firm later merged Albertsons with the grocer Safeway in 2015. But plans to take Albertsons public were sidelined by market volatility and, later, Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods that upended the grocery market.

The grocer has also stumbled in comparison to its peers like Kroger, which has had positive same-store sales the past two fiscal years, ISS said. Albertsons, by contrast, showed same-store sale growth in the most recent two quarters, preceded by negative same-store sales in the past two fiscal years, ISS said.

The grocer is also highly leveraged, with $12 billion in long-term debt and capitalized leases.

Rite Aid has had its own challenges. Regulators thwarted its attempts to sell to Walgreens Boots Alliance, forcing them to whittle down a sale of Rite Aid's entire 4,600 store footprint to just 1,932 locations. Its competitors, which now include a larger Walgreens and a proposed CVS Health-Aetna tie-up, dwarf it in size.

It earlier this week cut its 2019 guidance, citing pressure from generic-drug makers.

Still, investors and shareholder advisory firms weres unsure the deal as structured, and the $375 million in cost-savings the retailers say it will generate, would sufficiently absolve them of their woes.

"Strategically, the proposed merger appears to be a step in the right direction, as it provides [Rite Aid] with increased scale and diversification. However, the transaction would introduce a new set of risks associated with the grocery business, and the combined company's leverage could limit investment in two evolving business environments," ISS wrote.

ISS also said that potential conflicts of interest in the negotiating process "heightened" its concerns about the deal's benefit for Rite Aid shareholders. Among them, Albertsons notified Rite Aid CEO it would like him to be chief executive of the combined company, while still negotiating the deal. Rite Aid later created a negotiating committee that excluded Standley, to negotiate with Albertsons.
Millennials are the driving force behind a resurgence in popularity for heritage sneakers, according to the chief executive of the world's second-largest sportswear brand.

"The newest trend you are seeing in the high street is the mock-ups or the new models from what we had in the '90s, so the big clunky shoes are now coming in  which aren't for everybody's taste, but that's the new taste," Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday.

"You are seeing shorter product lifecycles now so the consumer is becoming more fickle. He or she will look upon a product or cycle for six or nine months and they will change," he said, before adding: "That's on one side an opportunity, but also a threat because you can be in one day and you can be out on the next and that's why our relationship with a creator farm in Brooklyn or Kanye West or Stella McCartney is so fundamental to ensure that we are right in front all the time."

The German sportswear giant reported stronger-than-anticipated second-quarter net profit Thursday, underpinned by robust revenue growth in key markets such as North America and China.

Adidas shares, already up more than 14 percent so far this year, surged nearly 8 percent on the news during Thursday morning deals.

Earlier in the year, the German sportswear giant said it had sold more than 1 million shoes made entirely out of ocean plastic. The 2017 launch of Adidas' Ultraboost Uncaged Parley sneakers comes amid a broader industry effort to embrace recycled materials.
A woman pushes a cart of groceries to her car outside an Albertson's store in Denver, Colorado.

It also spurred a furious grocery war with country's largest retailer, Walmart . The giant, which has 5,000 stores cross the U.S. has been investing heavily in technology and focused on going after higher-income shoppers than its traditional base.

The most notable of those challenges is Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods, which gives Amazon a brick-and-mortar distribution network and brand name it can combine with its powerful Amazon Prime membership program.

Cerberus and a consortium of investors formed Albertsons in 2006 and merged it with Safeway in 2015. But the grocery industry has gotten significantly more difficult over the past decade, and Albertsons now finds itself confronted with fortified competitors and hampered with $12 billion in debt.

The scuttled deal is just the latest in a string of disappointments for Cerberus, which has unsuccessfully tried to shed Albertsons multiple times. Those efforts include an IPO it abandoned at the last minute in 2015 as well as attempts to combine with both Sprouts Farmer Market and Whole Foods Market last year.

Albertsons Cos last night called off its merger with Rite Aid that would have provided its private equity owners, Cerberus Capital Management, a long-awaited means to unload its more than decade-old grocery investment.

"They [Walmart] are in the 800-pound guy in our industry," Albertsons Chief Operating Officer Jim Donald recently acknowledged to CNBC in an interview.

Meantime, both giants are shifting the demographic focus, with Walmart going after higher-income shoppers than traditional, and Amazon going after lower-income. That means Albertsons is getting squeezed from both ends.

To keep pace with its competitors, Albertsons would likely like need to go public to pay down its debt. But there, it faces a dual-edged sword. In its first IPO attempt in 2015, it pitched to investors unrealized savings from the Safeway merger and further acquisitions across the still fragmented grocery industry. That pitch is no longer consistent with how the industry is thinking about growth.

Retailers are now focusing away from broadening their footprint to investing in technology and capabilities. That shift is in part why Supervalu had a difficult time unloading its retail businesses, people familiar with the matter have told CNBC, opting instead to sell its whole business to food distributor United Natural Foods. UNFI has said it plans to divest its retail business, includes banners like Cub Foods and Shoppers in a "thoughtful and economic manner."

That shift in focus is highlighted more clearly by Kroger, Albertsons' public and better capitalized competitor, which has spent the year building its digital business while scaling back its non-grocery business.

New competition from the likes of Amazon "challenge traditional business models and have pushed traditional players such as Walmart and Kroger to invest in online/home delivery businesses," investor advisory service ISS recently wrote. Albertsons' debt places it "at a disadvantage in the challenging environment."

The Cincinnati-based grocery chain, whose digital efforts are led by Chief Digital Officer Yael Cosset, has taken a stake in British online supermarket Ocado, acquired meal kit company Home Chef and launched a grocery delivery service called Kroger Ship.

In the interim, it has also announced the $2.15 billion sale of its convenience store business and potential sale of its Turkey Hill ice cream brand to fortify its resources.

To be sure, Albertsons had made some headway in its own digital business, acquiring meal kit company Plated and expanding its partnership with delivery service Instacart. But those efforts have been distracted by the efforts to integrate Rite Aid over the past few months and are limited by Albertson's own capital constraints.

Meantime, Kroger's performance has consistently surpassed Albertsons, noted advisory firm Glass Lewis

"In light of Albertsons lower sales growth and profit margins relative to Kroger and other peers, which place Albertsons in the lower quartile among peers on those metrics," Glass Lewis recently wrote.

The question now  with its debt load and emboldened competitors  whether it can sufficiently improve on its own.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an 'Unleashing American Energy' event at the Department of Energy in Washington, U.S., June 29, 2017.

The United States has been sprinting toward energy independence over the last decade, but that progress has come to a halt under President Donald Trump, according to new research from Goldman Sachs.

The Trump administration is pushing a policy of "energy dominance," rolling back regulations and actively pushing sales of the nation's growing oil and gas supplies to all corners of the globe. But Goldman's head of energy research is highlighting a surprising trend in light of that policy.

The precipitous drop in the nation's dependence on foreign energy commodities during the Obama administration slowed last year and is set to flatline in 2018.

U.S. net energy imports have plunged 95 percent from their peak in 2008 through the end of last year, hitting levels not seen since the 1970s, Goldman's Damien Courvalin notes in research released Wednesday. However, higher oil prices have created a speed bump to achieving energy independence, and the trade war Trump is pursuing against China threatens to further delay the long-sought goal, he says.

According to Courvalin, the rapid progress toward energy independence is mostly due to surging U.S. natural gas shipments and a boom in oil sales after Congress and President Barack Obama lifted a 40-year ban on exporting crude. OPEC's deal with Russia and other producers to boost oil prices by cutting output has also helped to shrink the U.S. trade deficit in energy products.

But oil prices hit 3-year highs above $80 a barrel this year after Trump sanctioned Iran and as OPEC members cut output more deeply than intended. That rise in crude prices is the primary reason the U.S. energy trade deficit is no longer shrinking, Courvalin says.

Goldman expects the United States to start closing the deficit again in the second half of next year as oil and natural gas exports pick up and crude prices stabilize around $65 a barrel. It forecasts the United States will be energy independent by 2019 and oil independent in 2021.

That does not mean the United States will no longer buy foreign oil or energy commodities. It means the United States well sell more oil and energy products overseas than it imports.

Goldman sees U.S. oil and gas output from shale fields getting a boost from a favorable regulatory environment under Trump. However, the White House's trade war with China could affect the bank's outlook for energy trade, especially as Beijing begins to target U.S. exports of oil, natural gas and other petroleum products, Courvalin says.

"Even before their implementation, these proposed tariffs are starting to have an impact, with Chinese imports of US crude falling by 70% from April to July," Courvalin writes.

However, unless the trade war has a "major impact" on global economic growth and clips demand for oil, Goldman believes the outlook for U.S. energy exports remains strong because an oil-hungry world will need American supplies in the coming years.
Image Source: Cheniere Energy

China's threat to slap tariffs on U.S. natural gas exports is injecting uncertainty into a construction boom for the multibillion dollar facilities that ship American shale gas around the world. By the end of next year, six facilities in the United States are expected to be exporting liquefied natural gas. During that same period, several companies are slated to decide whether they'll move forward with another wave of American LNG export terminals. Many of those projects are looking to line up buyers in China, which is poised to surpass Japan as the world's largest consumer of LNG, a form of natural gas super-chilled to its liquid form for export by sea. But Beijing cast doubt on the prospect of signing deals with the developers last week when it threatened to slap a 25-percent tariff on U.S. goods including LNG, firing back as the Trump administration mulled hiking tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

China is targeting Trump's energy dominance agenda. They want to bring the U.S. back to the negotiating table. Hugo Brennan Verisk Maplecroft Asia analyst

To be sure, tariffs would have to remain in place for months or years to spoil the dealmaking, according to analysts. But the threat comes at a time when industry watchers say some of the terminals are already at risk of being shelved because there's too little capital available to finance so many projects. "Even ignoring the politics with China, there are too many of these early stage projects," said Pavel Molchanov, energy analyst at Raymond James. "The vast majority of them will never get built, no matter what happens with China, because the scale of the demand is disconnected from the excessive, absurd number of early-stage players that want to build an LNG plant." The U.S. projects chasing capital include a slate of brand new terminals, most of which would be built on the U.S. Gulf Coast. It also encompasses expansions of first-wave terminals operated by LNG pioneer Cheniere Energy, which signed the first long-term contract with a Chinese company earlier this year. At the time, Cheniere CEO Jack Fusco said the contract to sell LNG to China National Petroleum Corporation would support future expansion at its terminal in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., used campaign funds to pay legal bills while he faced investigation for alleged insider trading for more than a year.

A federal criminal investigation culminated in his arrest Wednesday, but before that he was under scrutiny by congressional ethics investigators.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege that Collins, while he was a board member of Australian company Innate Immunotherapeutics, gave a tip to his son Cameron last year about a failed drug trial that would soon be announced. His son used that information to dump the stock and avoid a six-figure loss, the Justice Department alleges, and Cameron Collins passed that information along to his father-in-law.

The two men were charged along with Collins. All three pleaded not guilty.

Since July 2017, Federal Election Commission records show Collins' campaign has been paying up to $60,000 per month in legal services to prestigious law firm BakerHostetler. The firm is representing Collins in the case.

While it is legal to use campaign funds to pay for legal fees, it's not clear whether Collins' constituents and supporters were aware that donations were being used to assist his legal fight.



These legal fees covered the time period of two separate House probes, including one by the Office of Congressional Ethics and another by the House Ethics Committee.

A spokesman for the Collins legal team confirmed that the payments from the campaign were for the investigation by the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics and an ongoing inquiry by the House Ethics Committee. Going forward, the congressman will pay for his legal bills out of his own pocket, the spokesman added.

A spokesperson for the Collins campaign did not return a request for comment. Collins retired from Innate's board in early May 2018.
Published Thu, Aug 9 2018 2:20 AM EDT Updated Fri, Apr 12 2019 6:33 AM EDT

Cryptocurrencies: Regulating the new economy
This week in Las Vegas, some of the most talented cybersecurity minds have gathered to take part in two of the year's biggest hacker conferences, Blackhat and Defcon.

The highlights of these conferences are often what can best be described as cyber magic tricks, where technicians show off their skills by proving how they can break into various devices, such as computers inside cars, voting machines and medical instruments.

These demonstrations may lead you to imagine that cybersecurity professionals need technical abilities. But there are many career paths in the increasingly high-demand and lucrative field, and some may require only small tweaks in skills and experience.

Corporations in the U.S. and globally are seeing a major shortage in qualified applicants for cybersecurity jobs, meaning more people with transferable skills will need to be trained into them. Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates there are around 350,000 cybersecurity jobs currently unfilled in the U.S. Cybersecurity analytics and research company Cybersecurity Ventures released data that indicate 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs are likely to go unfilled globally by 2021, making this an excellent career path.

These jobs can pay exceptionally well, too. Top cybersecurity jobs, like chief information security officer  typically the highest-ranking cybersecurity employee in a company  often fetch salaries above $300,000 in top metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco, according to cybersecurity recruiting firm SilverBull. Salaries for cybersecurity staff range from $90,000 to more than $200,000 for more experienced employees, including jobs such as information risk managers and security engineers, according to career information company Glassdoor.

"I think we have perpetuated this myth that cybersecurity is based on this hacker stuff, sitting in a basement and only working on technical things," said Vyas Sekar, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon's Cylab.

"In fact, it's those with an analytical mindset that can do very well in the cybersecurity field. The sort of basic computer science that is necessary can be taught later. It's maybe more useful to think of cybersecurity as solving a bunch of interesting puzzles."
Members of a pro-government group gather outside the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong to protest a scheduled talk by pro-independence advocate Andy Chan Ho-tin.

Mainland China and local authorities are calling for the cancellation of a scheduled speech from a member of a pro-independence Hong Kong political party, raising concerns about the state of free speech in the city.

The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club has planned to host Andy Chan Ho-tin, leader of the Hong Kong National Party, on Tuesday of next week for a talk entitled "A Politically Incorrect Guide to Hong Kong under Chinese Rule."

Chan's party advocates independence for Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region of China that was a British colony until 1997. The local government is considering a police request to ban the party on national security grounds.

Under a Sino-British accord, Hong Kong kept its legal system, currency and civic freedoms, famously guaranteed for 50 years under the "one country, two systems" formula.

Hong Kong is a major global financial and trade center of about 7.4 million people and its combination of low regulation, free speech and rule of law have contributed to the city as a favored center for international banks and multinational companies.

But scholars and rights organizations say Hong Kong's autonomy has eroded over the past two decades as China increasingly exerts pressure on local authorities to curtail democratic aspirations.

Hong Kong was rocked in 2014 by street protests calling for more democracy, with local authorities eventually taking a hard line as Beijing watched closely.

The central government has come down hard on any calls for independence which, while rare, are seen as a red line over which authorities will never compromise.

The Chinese government has called for Chan's invitation to be withdrawn.

"We are firmly against the attempt of any external forces to provide venue to the advocates for 'Hong Kong independence' to spread their nonsense," the foreign ministry's office in Hong Kong said in a statement on its website.
Ikea has finally opened its first store in India on Thursday, targeting the country's growing middle-class in an environment that Chief Executive Jesper Brodin has described as "more committed to progress."

The expansion had been on the cards for over a decade. Speaking to CNBC's affiliate TV18, Brodin characterized the delay as being down to domestic "uncertainty some decades ago (whereas) today it's a super-strong commitment throughout India for progress."

"Today, it's a braver India and it's a more open India that is more committed to progress," he said, although Brodin warned that it could take years for the economics of scale to pay off in the company's new market.

The maiden 400,000 square foot (37,000 square meter) store is located on the outskirts of the southern city of Hyderabad.

The Swedish furniture retailer has already invested 4.5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) into India, Brodin said, adding that this would continue as the firm moves into new cities and e-commerce.

According to its website, Ikea currently has 48 suppliers with approximately 45,000 direct employees already in India. "The commitment that we make is not short term, it is long term," Brodin said.

Ikea's next store is planned to open in Mumbai in the summer of next year, followed by another in Bangalore in 2020. But, the firm has been shifting its strategy in more established markets towards city center showrooms to support the rise of online shopping  a tactic that may also be brought to India.

Ikea aims to provide e-commerce to Indian consumers in 2019, Brodin told CNBC.
Puerto Rico has come to terms with bondholders on how to divide sales-tax revenue among them, marking the largest debt settlement to date as the island works its way through bankruptcy.

Shares of insurers that have exposure to the island's debt surged on the news of the plan. MBIA jumped nearly 8 percent, and Ambac rose nearly 5 percent Thursday. Assured Guaranty, which has less insured exposure, moved 3.6 percent higher.

The agreement concerns investors who hold bonds issued by Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation, also known as Cofina. It will slash the debt by about one-third and cut the amount of future debt payments by $17.5 billion.

The deal means Puerto Rico's government saves an average of about $425 million a year on debt payments for the next 40 years, according to a statement issued by the governor.

The investors will swap their old bonds for new ones under the plan, which still needs court approval. The senior Cofina bondholders will recover 93 percent of their investment and the junior creditors will get 56.4 percent.

The deal, announced Wednesday evening, is supported by creditors representing about $10 billion of the total $18 billion of outstanding Cofina debt, as well as the Oversight Board, which is overseeing the island's financial restructuring.

The agreement represents "a huge positive" for insurers, according to BTIG. Ambac, for example, has a net insured exposure to senior Cofina bonds of just under $805 million, or nearly 41 percent of the company's total exposure to Puerto Rico's debt.

Mark Palmer, an analyst at BTIG, also said it is a "significant positive" for MBIA, which has about $684 million of gross insured exposure to the senior bonds. Those bonds accounted for more than 20 percent of its gross insured exposure to Puerto Rico's debt.

Assured Guaranty insures $273 million of the junior Cofina bonds, but says it expects to offer the new bonds with insurance in the hope of recovering more than the projected 56.4 percent.

"The agreed terms represent a significantly better recovery when compared with recent market prices," Dominic Frederico, president and CEO of Assured Guaranty, said in a statement.

Assured Guaranty is hopeful that the nearly full recoveries seen for the senior Cofina bonds is a sign that a high level recovery is achievable for Puerto Rico's other top tier security, the General Obligation ("GO") bonds, which are backed by Puerto Rico's constitution. The insurer has $1.4 billion of exposure to the GO bonds, which make up the bulk of its insured Puerto Rico exposure.

If the agreement receives approval through a confirmation hearing, it will be the largest debt restructuring deal to date since the beleaguered island entered into bankruptcy-like proceedings more than a year ago.
Mazda Motor, Suzuki Motor and Yamaha Motor conducted improper fuel economy and emissions tests on their vehicles, Japan's transport ministry said on Thursday.

The report is the latest episode in a growing list of data falsifications in Japan that has tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry, known for high-quality, efficient production.

The findings were the results of internal investigations ordered at Japanese automakers by the ministry after improper testing at Subaru and Nissan Motor.

Representatives for Mazda and Suzuki confirmed they submitted reports regarding improper testing to the ministry but declined further comment. Yamaha Motor confirmed it carried out inappropriate testing.

"Regarding the emissions inspections... it is a fact that there were improper actions," a Yamaha spokesman said. "We sincerely apologize."

Mazda shares were down as much as 1.8 percent, their lowest in nearly four weeks, and Suzuki shares were down as much as 5.2 percent, its worst session since November 2016, versus a 0.5 percent fall in the benchmark Nikkei. Yamaha shares were down 4 percent.

In July this year, Nissan admitted it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 vehicle models sold in Japan.

Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi Materials and Toray Industries all key suppliers of motor parts to global manufacturers  admitted to product data fabrication last year.

Many of the automakers, already hit by lacklustre sales, have also been under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on imported vehicles.
Managing director of Tokyo Medical University, Tetsuo Yukioka (L), and vice-president Keisuke Miyazawa (R) bow as they attend a press conference in Tokyo on August 7, 2018. The Tokyo medical school on August 7 admitted entrance test scores for female applicants were routinely altered to keep women out and apologized for the discrimination after a probe.





A prestigious Japanese medical school has confessed to systematically rigging its entrance exams against women, in a scandal that has highlighted the nation's deep problem with gender discrimination.

An internal investigation found that Tokyo Medical University had for more than a decade subtracted marks from female applicants in a deliberate effort to produce more male doctors, and falsified exams to help specific individuals.

The revelations have shocked the nation and turned a spotlight on a number of other Japanese universities that admit a suspiciously small number of women.

They show an ingrained culture of sexism in Japan, which is stuck at 114 out of 144 on the World Economic Forum's rankings of gender inequality, despite frequent boasts from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about his programme of "womenomics" aimed at boosting female participation in the workplace.

The manipulation at Tokyo Medical only came to light after prosecutors began a corruption investigation against university officials for allegedly admitting the son of a senior bureaucrat in return for government grants to the university.

"We have caused a great amount of trouble to everyone and betrayed the trust of society," said Tetsuo Yukioka, managing director of the university. "I apologize from my heart."

Mr. Yukioka said the marking down of female applicants "absolutely" should not have happened. He vowed to eradicate the practice and said the university was considering "in all sincerity" what to do about past female applicants who lost out on places.

For the crucial essay section of this year's entrance exam, which was marked out of 100, Tokyo Medical University first subtracted 20 percent from all marks. Then it gave 20 bonus marks to men who had taken the exam three times or less. So if a woman and a man had both taken the exam and scored 70 out of 100, the woman was given a score of 56 while the man was given a score of 76.

"This can only be described as serious discrimination against women and it deserves strong criticism," said the university's internal report.

Female doctors said they were outraged by the university's practices but not surprised. "I first heard rumours about universities marking down female students 10 years ago," said Ruriko Tsushima, a doctor and member of the Japan Joint Association of Medical Professional Women.

The proportion of women admitted to Japanese medical schools rose steadily until 2003 when it peaked at 33.8 percent, but has remained broadly stable since.

Whereas Japanese women have a higher pass rate on entrance exams for almost every other university subject, including physics and engineering, in medicine the pass rate is 6.85 percent for men and 5.91 percent for women.

Dr. Tsushima said her group had been trying to draw attention to the low pass rate for female applicants but got little attention before the scandal broke. "In a way we should thank Tokyo Medical University for bringing this to light," she said.

People connected to Tokyo Medical have told local media that the reason the exams were rigged was that women are more likely to quit the profession when they have children. They said this created an intolerable burden for already overworked doctors, and the university was within its legal rights to choose who it accepts.

That was not an adequate excuse, said Dr. Tsushima. "If doctors are having to work long hours to cover maternity leave, that is not a problem with the capability of female doctors, it is a problem with the system," she said.

More from the Financial Times:

Japan medical school hit by claim it lowered women's exam results

Japan's ageing population hit hardest in deadly flood crisis

Japan begins to embrace the 100-year life
JD.com is one of the biggest e-commerce and logistics company in China.

A Chinese online grocery delivery company Dada-JD Daojia said on Thursday it has raised $500 million from U.S. retailer Walmart and JD.com in its latest round of financing.

Dada-JD Daojia was formed from the merger of JD Daojia, which is JD.com's online-to-offline business, and Dada Nexus, a large crowd-sourcing delivery platform in China with operations in more than 400 major cities.

JD Daojia delivers goods from local supermarkets and other partners via a location-based smartphone app and has about 20 million monthly active users.

"By working with strong partners, and investing in digital capabilities, we will create easier and more convenient shopping experiences for customers," Wern-Yuen Tan, president and CEO of Walmart China, said in a statement.

Walmart first partnered with Dada-JD Daojia in 2016, according to the Chinese company.
Private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners announced plans Thursday to acquire The Shade Store, a customized window treatment company.

The deal was valued at about $325 million, sources familiar with the situation told CNBC, which first reported the deal. The sources requested anonymity because the terms are confidential.

The acquisition highlights the opportunity private equity firms continue to see in niche retailers that marry online and offline businesses, despite the challenges the retail industry has seen over the past several years. For Leonard Green, it marks a shift in strategy away from its larger retail bets in recent years, like J.Crew, David's Bridal and BJ's Wholesale Club. Many private equity firms with retail expertise have shifted their focus away from large retailers with expansive real estate, as they look instead toward smaller brands with more runway.

The Shade Store sells its window products online and in 60 showrooms across the country.

It started in 2006 as a website that offered customized window treatments. Two years later, it launched showrooms in New York and San Francisco to promote its products and allow customers see them in person.

Many online retailers, including Bonobos and Warby Parker, have opened brick-and-mortar stores in recent years, because the market for digital shopping has become flooded and the cost to compete for online eyeballs has risen.

The Shade Store sold to private equity firm Great Hill Partners in 2013. Great Hill's investments have included online brands like home furnishings company Wayfair and vitamin and supplement seller Vitacost.

Under Great Hill, the drapery retailer built out showrooms across the East Coast and on the West Coast, the Northwest and states including Arizona, Ohio and Illinois. It often places those showrooms in clusters, to appeal to shoppers whose interest may be piqued by driving past one, but who may not be quite ready to buy drapes.

Its shoppers spend on average $2,800 in showrooms and $1,000 online. Its products includes shades, drapery and blinds, which it customizes with designer materials, trims and decorative borders. It offers installation and free shipping.

Under Leonard Green's ownership, the company expects to continue to expand its footprint across the U.S. The customized window treatment business remains highly fragmented, dominated by mom-and-pop offerings.

It may also go further into private label, having already signed a partnership with RH, the home furnishings company formerly known as Restoration Hardware. It will also look to increase its sales to hotel chains, restaurants, gyms or other businesses.
[The stream is slated to start at 11:15 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]

Vice President Mike Pence is set to lay out on Thursday a detailed plan for President Donald Trump's vision of a Space Force, which would establish a sixth military branch.

Pence's speech at the Pentagon is also expected to coincide with the Defense Department's release of a report about the Space Force, which is required by Congress. Trump made a surprise announcement in June which pushed these plans into action, as he directed the Pentagon to immediately begin the creation of the new branch.

He first floated the Space Force idea as a part of his national security strategy on March 13, saying "space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea." The president described then how he had originally coined the term as a joke, while discussing U.S. government spending and private investment in space.

The Pentagon's top brass is hesitant to form a new military branch, former Air Force secretary Deborah Lee James told CNBC on July 30.

"None of them are in favor of a space force but they are stuck," James said. "The president has said it and it will be interesting to see how they now deal with it."

Currently the U.S. Air Force manages the domain through the U.S. Space Command. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday threw his support behind the idea of creating a space-focused military command but stopped short of promising the new branch of service that Trump has touted.
With about 25,000 employees in the United States and another 23,000 in Canada, automotive supplier Magna International sits squarely in the center of an ongoing trade dispute.

In June, the Trump administration placed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Canada responded by placing tariff on $12.5 billion worth of U.S. food products.

A senior administration official told CNBC in August that the White House would not rule out placing tariffs on vehicles made in Canada, a lingering threat to car part manufacturer Magna.

Magna's second-quarter earnings report didn't shy away from the tariffs' effects: while the manufacturer posted "record sales [and] record earnings," according to CEO Don Walker, it lowered its full-year forecast for North America on account of the tariffs.

"If the tariffs stay the way they are  and who knows if anything more gets ratcheted up in China  it's about a $60 million a year hit," said Walker, who spoke to CNBC's on Thursday.

But with a market capitalization of $18.7 billion and $41 billion in revenue, Magna might be able to absorb the annual $60 million for the time being, Walker told the "Mad Money" host.

"We would hopefully be able to talk to our customers, and [the cost] has to be passed through to the consumer at some point in time," Walker said. "But I also think, at some point in time, NAFTA does get re-negotiated and the tariffs within NAFTA go away because ... it's bad for all three countries."

NAFTA talks have been reportedly fraught, but ongoing between the three key players in the Clinton-era deal: the United States, Canada and Mexico. President Donald Trump has said he would like to wait until after the midterm elections to sign a new pact.

But even with the tensions, Walker, whose company recently entered joint ventures with Lyft and Beijing Automotive Group, said he sees brighter times ahead for the mass-market auto giant.

"I think the industry is the highest-tech industry in the world," he said, nodding to the race to create reliable self-driving cars and the growth in electric vehicles. "We have lots of technology, we're spending a lot in R&D, so I think there's huge opportunities globally in the automotive industry."
Even some market bulls can't deny sell-off risks right now.

Wall Street veteran Bill Stone, who spent 18 years as a chief strategist at PNC Financial, told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Wednesday that a 5 to 10 percent stock market drop is conceivable in the coming weeks.

"Since we are back close to the highs for the S&P 500, risks of a pullback have certainly risen," he wrote in a note to CNBC.

The has been flirting with fresh records. The index is now just fractions of percent from its all-time high of 2,872.87.

But there's concern on the Street that seasonal headwinds may prevent the next leg up in the coming weeks. Historically, August is vulnerable to stock market declines during midterm election years.

Yet it's not alarming Stone.

"I would honestly look at it probably as a buying opportunity if we did get that pullback," he said.

Stone, who runs Stone Investment Partners, contends the strong earnings numbers could help the market overcome seasonal sluggishness, thus averting a pullback altogether.

"Third quarter earnings are probably set to grow around 20 percent," he said.

Regardless of whether or not a near-term sell-off comes, Stone sees stocks closing the year higher than current levels. His favorite groups in the U.S. are technology, energy and real estate. For investors looking to venture outside the country, he views Japan as a profitable spot.

"Japan is susceptible to the whole tariffs spat between the U.S. and China. But Japan is selling at 13x earnings," he said. "They even have a dividend yield of about 2.1 percent right now  so, even above the S&P 500."

As for 2019, he's not too concerned about the market.

"Everything that I track really says there's very little chance of us going into a recession any time in the near future," Stone said. "The backdrop is good."
A national flag flies above the headquarters of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation in Moscow. Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Following Washington's announcement of fresh sanctions on Russia for its alleged poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain, a raft of more sweeping and binding measures is in the pipeline  if they can be passed by Congress. And several experts believe these measures are likely to push their way through to becoming law before the midterm elections. On Wednesday, Russian newspaper Kommersant published the draft by U.S. senators of the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018 (DASKAA), which details broad sanctions on investments in Russian energy projects, Russian sovereign debt, oligarchs and national banks. The bill also calls for new protections for the NATO alliance and requires U.S. intelligence agencies to report President Vladimir Putin's personal wealth. If passed, it would completely prevent American entities from purchasing Russian debt securities, sanction Russian state banks and potentially issue secondary sanctions on investing in the country's oil sector, something that would draw particular opposition from the European Union. Sanctions experts have described the measures as "extreme" and "nuclear" as well as broad-based and more likely to be effective than previous efforts to deter Russian election interference. While likely to be heavily debated and amended before going to a final vote, the measures detailed in the bill are expected to be a more powerful tool against Moscow. "The document clearly shows the determination to go further than before in order to cause damage for Russia," Liza Ermolenko, emerging Europe economist at Barclays Plc, wrote in a client note Wednesday.

Previous sanctions have failed

Six senators  three Republicans and three Democrats  led by Republican Lindsey Graham penned the DASKAA legislation, which Graham described as intended to "impose crushing sanctions and other measures against Putin's Russia until he ceases and desists meddling in the U.S. electoral process, halts cyber-attacks on U.S. infrastructure, removes Russia from Ukraine, and ceases efforts to create chaos in Syria." Graham also admitted that previous sanctions legislation had failed to prevent Russian election meddling, which national security officials say is currently targeting the 2018 midterm elections. "If the bill restricts access to all Russian sovereign banks and commercial banks closely allied with the government or with oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin and his regime, that would be meaningful," said Evelyn Farkas, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. "It would effectively put a whole slew of banks on a no-go list."

Energy sanctions will set up a fight

The most controversial area of DASKAA? Energy sanctions. It calls for sanctions "on transactions related to investment in energy projects supported by Russian state-owned or parastatal entities," which experts say is an issue for U.S. energy companies and will likely be actively lobbied against. Oil and gas comprise about 40 percent of Russian budget revenues. Far-reaching energy sanctions could doom the bill to fail, said Brian O'Toole, senior vice president and the anti-money laundering executive for sanctions at BB&T Bank. "I just don't see how we could credibly do that," O'Toole told CNBC via phone. "We could probably force U.S. companies to get out, but are we really going to go ahead and sanction [international oil companies] ENI and BP and Shell in Russia? That's not realistic." BP on its own has a 20 percent stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft. But these measures are likely to be watered down or altered in order for the bill to succeed, O'Toole added, sharing the view among many commentators that the stipulations on Russian bonds will be what makes DASKAA most hard-hitting.

Worker at Vankor Field, operated by Russian national oil company Rosneft, in Igarka, Russia. Stanislav Zalesov | Kommersant | Getty Images

"The bill includes strong and potentially effective sanctions, including on Russian sovereign debt, and closes a channel for corrupt Russian money flows by requiring disclosure of high-end real estate deals," said former U.S. Ambassador Dan Fried, who served as National Security Council senior director under Presidents Clinton and Bush and helped formulate NATO policy. "Its energy provisions are more problematic," he added, "but overall it is a good piece of work." Wednesday saw Russia's currency fall on the news of separate sanctions from the executive branch over what the U.S. has determined to be its poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal in the U.K. in March, charges the Kremlin strongly denies. The ruble fell to nearly two-year lows while Russian bonds fell across the curve, indicating market fears of what may be yet to come. Moscow has shot back at the sanctions, calling them "illegal" and "draconian." The Kremlin has not yet specifically commented on DASKAA. The backlash following President Donald Trump's controversial summit with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, where he appeared to accept the Russian president's denials of election meddling, has spurred some of this action.

Congress taking the lead
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks attends the forum on working youth while visiting the Uralvagonzavod, a machine plant on March 6, 2018 in Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk oblast, Russia. Vladimir Putin is having a campaign trip to Nizhny Tagil prior to the 2018 Presidential Elections on March 18.

The Kremlin on Thursday lashed out at new U.S. sanctions on Moscow, calling them "absolutely illegal" and assuring investors that the country's financial system is firm despite declines in the ruble and domestic equities.

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it would impose additional penalties against Russia by the end of the month after concluding that Moscow used a nerve poison against a former Russian spy and his daughter in an attack in England.

Russia assets tumbled following news of the sanctions, with the U.S. dollar strengthening to its highest level against the ruble since November 2016.

The Russian RTS index dropped nearly 2 percent Thursday after falling nearly 3 percent Wednesday. Meanwhile, the U.S.-traded VanEck Vectors Russia exchange-traded fund fell more than 4 percent Wednesday, its worst day since April.

Moscow's 10-year note yield hit a high above 8 percent Wednesday, its highest level since April 13, 2017.

"Making a linking to these events (the British poisoning) is for us unacceptable and such restrictions like those passed by the American side earlier ... are absolutely illegal and do not correspond to international law," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Reuters. He added that the U.S. move was "absolutely unfriendly," but reiterated Moscow's hope for improvements to the stressed relations between the two countries.

U.S.-Russian relations have soured in recent months over the White House's new tariffs on foreign aluminum and an investigation into Moscow's alleged hacking and disinformation campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

"Confusing seems to be the message when administration actions seem disconnected with actions and words coming from the President," Thomas Block, Washington policy strategist at Fundstrat Global Advisors, said in an emailed statement.

Russian markets plunged in April after President Donald Trump's administration slapped its harshest sanctions to date against the country. The U.S. penalized several Russian oligarchs, officials, businesses and agencies and froze assets from those entities that were under U.S. jurisdiction.

One of the people slapped with sanctions was oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire who ran Russian aluminum giant Rusal, which was also sanctioned. Deripaska has also been charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation regarding Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

Those penalties sent the Russian RTS down 11.4 percent, its largest one-day decline in more than three years.

"Predictability is a core principle of good public policy and the lack of predictability of the Trump administration makes corporate and investment decision making more challenging," Block added.
"In the future you're going to see it proliferate," said Mike Sagely, a senior helicopter pilot with the L.A. County Fire. "Night firefighting is important because typically fires tend to lay down at night and the fire behavior is much less aggressive."

Night-flying by California fire agencies could become more frequent in coming years given the increasing wildfire risk and drought conditions around the state. Fire agencies in local jurisdictions in Southern California have taken the lead and are already conducting night operations using rotary-wing aircraft to slow or stop fires quickly before they can get out of control.

The largest wildfire in California history serves as a reminder that the state is in the grip of a dangerous trend of increasingly larger and faster-moving blazes that may require new methods and strategies to fight in the coming years.

Overall, Cal Fire has 50 aircraft in its fleet but currently doesn't have nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities with its equipment. That could change once the agency gets a dozen new Black Hawk helicopters, including some capable of flying with night vision goggles.

"It's a new step for us," said Scott McLean, Cal Fire deputy chief. "Some of the Black Hawks we're getting in over the next five years have night-flight characteristics."

The Mendocino Complex fire in Northern California this week became the largest wildfire in the state's history but there's been no night aerial firefighting activities for that blaze, according to fire officials. The monster fire has burned 119 structures and charred more than 253,000 acres, or some 395 square miles  bigger than the entire city of San Diego.

The surge in wildfire activity comes as the recent Drought Monitor shows about two-thirds of the state is in "moderate" or "severe" drought, and portions of the state near the Arizona line are in "extreme" drought.

In all, 15 large wildfires are burning in the state, according to Cal Fire. Another large blaze is the Carr fire near Redding, where more than 1,000 structures were destroyed and seven fatalities reported.

According to Cal Fire, about 14,000 firefighters are on the lines fighting fires throughout California, including crews from 17 other states as well as New Zealand and Australia. The cost of fighting the wildfires has been so great that the state has already spent more than one-fourth of its annual emergency fire fund for the fiscal year that began only July 1.

"Fires are more a part of our ordinary experience," Gov. Jerry Brown said last week. "We're in for a really rough ride. It's going to get expensive, it's going to get dangerous, and we have to apply all our creativity to making the best out of what is going to be an increasingly bad situation."

The night aerial firefighting that does occur in the state is focused on rotary-wing aircraft operated by fire agencies in several counties of Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura and Kern. One night water drop that took place in the region this week was for a fire in the Riverside area that threatened structures.

In Northern California, though, daily air attack operations tend to shut down at sunset. But Kern County Fire last year sent one of its copters fitted with night equipment to the scene of the Tubbs fire about 350 miles away in Northern California's wine country to assist firefighters on the ground. October's Tubbs fire remains the state's most destructive wildfire ever, causing the loss of more than 5,600 structures and 22 fatalities.

While rotary-wing aircraft have proven useful in controlling night fires, there's still debate whether fixed-wing air tankers are safe enough to use after dark to combat fires. Advances in technology could make them more acceptable for night missions in the coming years to slow or stop spreading fires.

"As far as fixed wing, that would be something that we'd have to sit down and look at if it's feasible," said Cal Fire's McLean.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor, there are no specific regulations pertaining to nighttime aerial firefighting operations but there are rules "that prohibit careless or reckless operations. A pilot involved in nighttime wildfire fighting operations should fly so that he or she can remain safely away from any other aircraft as well as obstacles and/or terrain, and doesn't pose a hazard to people on the ground."

"It will have to be a pretty slow and deliberate process to progress into flying a loaded airplane of that size into the mountainous terrain and the altitudes that they have to fly in," said Sagely, a former Army pilot with extensive experience using night vision goggles. "But I'm sure it's coming."

One fixed-wing aircraft that could benefit if night firefighting takes off is Lockheed Martin's LM-100J FireHerc, which supports night vision goggles after modifications were made to the panel lights. It is a firefighting variant of the company's C-130J military aircraft.

"There's a lot of interest in night firefighting," said Tony Frese, vice president of business development for air mobility and maritime missions at Lockheed. Still, he suggests more technology maybe needed before fire agencies use fixed-wing aircraft for night firefighting.

Frese said the company has looked at various sensor technologies for the FireHerc that borrow from the defense company's knowledge of its fighter and missile programs. For example, he said sensor data and processors could fuse together information and display it to pilots so they can get a real-time view of the terrain and fire environment.

"We've done a lot of hard things on military missions," he said. "I think we can do hard things on the civil side when it comes to firefighting."

Regardless, Frese said Lockheed is talking with certain "U.S. government offices" to discuss the capabilities of the FireHerc as well as looking at international business for the firefighting aircraft.

The U.S. Forest Service currently doesn't conduct nighttime firefighting using fixed-wing aircraft but has one helicopter in California contracted for night vision goggle flying to fight forest fires. The Forest Service had a ban on nighttime flying in place for about 30 years due to safety and cost reasons but reversed course in 2012 after facing pressure from several California elected officials.

Lockheed's FireHerc can carry up to 5,000 gallons of retardant, or just over four times the amount that can be held by the Grumman S-2T fixed-wing air tankers operated by Cal Fire.

Besides having 23 S-2Ts, Cal Fire's fleet includes 13 Vietnam War-era UH-1H Super Huey copters to drop water or fire retardant on the wildfires. The agency also has received help from California National Guard's CH-47 Chinook, a copter manufactured by Boeing and fitted with a large bucket to drop water or retardant.

"Some of the water buckets [on the Chinook] can hold up to 3,000 gallons of water (more than 16,000 pounds)  the equivalent of dropping a small swimming pool on a forest fire," said Andrew Africk, a spokesman for Boeing.

At the same time, Cal Fire has other firefighter aircraft at its disposal under a "call when needed" contract to battle fires. Those include a handful of DC-10 airplanes and a retired Boeing 747 dubbed the Global Supertanker  all currently based near Sacramento. The 747's passenger area on the plane was retrofitted to hold a whopping 19,200 gallons of retardant or water.

A Boeing official said the aerospace and defense company's commercial airplanes division doesn't offer firefighting airplanes or capabilities. He explained that those capabilities are retrofitted into aircraft in the aftermarket.

Even before Cal Fire takes delivery of its new Black Hawk copters, it is getting a helping hand in fighting the Northern California wildfires from the California Army National National's Black Hawk copters fitted to drop water or retardant.

According to Jeanette Eaton, regional vice president for North America for Sikorsky, the increase in wildfires in recent years has generated interest on the part of government agencies for the commercial version of the military's Black Hawk known as Firehawk.

At present, there are three Sikorsky-made Firehawks in operation with L.A. County Fire and 20 orders from various agencies, including Cal Fire and San Diego County Fire. Some of the Firehawk's firefighter features such as the snorkel water pump and tank are added by an outside company, United Rotorcraft.

"Counties up and down the West Coast and Cal Fire have been fighting to secure funding and keep the funding," she said. The Sikorsky executive said the strength of the copter is in the initial attack phase of fires to give "a knockout punch when minutes matter."

L.A. County was the first local jurisdiction to buy the Firehawk in 2000 and took delivery of two additional copters in December that offer better speeds and performance. The Firehawk's 1,000-gallon belly for water isn't as large as some other copters used in firefighting such as the CH-47 but it wins on speed.

"Getting aircraft and water to the fire as quickly as possible helps you buy time by slowing the fire for ground resources to get there," said Sagely.. "Sometimes you can put the fire out with the aircraft because you have enough water. So the initial attack game is everything for us"
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings shares jumped more than 4 percent Thursday after the company outpaced earnings estimates and raised its outlook for the year, citing strong demand for cruises and the recent success of its newest ship, the Norwegian Bliss.

"Global consumer cruise demand shows no signs of slowing as evidenced by solid organic growth and the hugely successful introduction of Norwegian Bliss, whose record-breaking performance surpassed our high expectations," said CEO Frank Del Rio, in a press release.

In the second quarter, the company said its net income rose to $226.7 million, or $1.01 per share, from $198.5 million, or 87 cents a share, a year ago. After adjusting for one-time items, the cruise line earned $1.21 per share, which was 19 cents better than analysts were expecting.

Revenue rose 13.2 percent to $1.5 billion, which also was higher than expected.

In the wake of the strong second-quarter earnings report, the company raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share forecast to a range of $4.70 to $4.80. Previously, it estimated earnings of $4.55 to $4.70 per share this year, on adjusted basis.

The Bliss is the latest ship to join Norwegian's fleet of 26 vessels. It may not be the biggest ship in the company's fleet, but it is one of the more impressive ones, with amenities that include a race track to keep guests busy while cruising to their next destination. The Bliss cost about $1 billion to build and is setting its sights to dethrone rivals Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

"The cruise industry is growing like a weed and every ship is full to the hilt. Every cruise line company is reporting record profits," said Del Rio back in May 2018.

According to Cruise Line International Association, more than 25 million people boarded cruise liners in 2017. That number is expected to hit more than 27 million in 2018.

To accommodate the influx of new and returning customers, cruise lines aren't just building bigger ships; they're building more of them. There are more than 80 new ships that are currently in development. Twenty-seven of those ships are expected to hit the seas this year. In July, Norwegian Cruise Line holdings confirmed that the orders for eight new ships including a new class of ships, the Leonardo Class. Norwegian also has a new ship that will be delivered in 2019 called the Norwegian Encore.

Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian together control close to 80 percent of the cruise market.
A poster of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricketer known for his charisma and international name recognition.

Pakistan is on the brink of economic disaster, experts say.

Foreign exchange reserves are at four-year lows, pressuring the local rupee and triggering worries that Islamabad may soon be unable to finance monthly import bills. The developing country is also awash in external debt, having taken on loans from China for the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

To avoid a full-blown balance of payments crisis, Islamabad needs outside help. It has two options: the International Monetary Fund or Beijing. Neither, however, may solve its economic woes in the long run.

The South Asian nation is no stranger to IMF bailouts  it has gone through 21 programs in total, with the most recent one ending two years ago. If the administration of incoming Prime Minister Imran Khan seeks out another loan, estimated at $10 billion, the country will be subject to the IMF's strict austerity measures that're likely to hurt growth. It also wouldn't bode well politically for Khan, who called on the campaign trail for Pakistan to become self-sufficient.

The U.S., meanwhile, has taken issue with the idea of IMF funds going toward Pakistan's Chinese debt obligations. "There's no rationale for IMF tax dollars  and associated with that, American dollars that are part of the IMF funding  for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNBC last week.

In response, Pakistan's finance ministry has refuted Pompeo's linkage of IMF assistance with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Alternatively, Khan's government could turn to China for fresh loans. But that would mean Islamabad wading even deeper into the so-called "Chinese debt trap"  a frequent criticism of Beijing's infrastructure spending spree that's known as the Belt and Road Initiative, of which the CPEC is a part.

Last month, the Asian giant loaned Pakistan $1 billion to boost its shrinking foreign currency reserves. For the current fiscal year thus far, China's lending to Pakistan is set to exceed $5 billion, according to Reuters.
UBS analysts said the stocks in their coverage universe most impacted by trade tensions have underperformed the by about 4.5 percent since trade frictions began to intensify in mid-March.

They identified 34 companies from diverse sectors, including machinery, retail, semiconductors, energy and autos. Companies and industries in sectors affected could see an earnings per share hit more than double the impact on the overall S&P 500 if trade tensions worsen. The full brunt of trade escalation is not priced in, they said in a note released earlier this week.

The analysts said the hardest-hit semiconductor companies would include Qualcomm and Micron, because they have the most direct revenue exposure to China. About 65 percent of Qualcomm's revenue is from China and Micron's is just over 50 percent.

In retail, companies that import higher amounts of goods from China would be more adversely affected. For instance home furnishings sellers import anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent of their products from China, so Pier 1 is on the list. Consumer electronics retailers source an estimated 50 percent to 60 percent of their merchandise from China, and that affects Best Buy.

Companies affected by tariffs on agriculture also made the list and that includes Deere.




Rep. Chris Collins' son and his son's fiancee bought shares of an Australian biotech company just days before dumping the shares after the New York Republican allegedly tipped his son off about a failed clinical drug trial in a phone call from the White House lawn, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a complaint. Collins' son, Cameron Collins, and the son's accountant fiancee, Lauren Zarsky, had purchased the stock of Innate Immunotherapeutics in June 2017 because they believed  mistakenly, it turned out  that the trial of the company's multiple sclerosis treatment would yield positive results, the SEC said in its complaint. The complaint was filed at the same time as a federal criminal indictment Wednesday accusing Chris Collins, Cameron Collins and Zarsky's father Stephen Zarsky of insider trading. It details how and why Lauren Zarsky's parents started investing in Innate in September 2016. Chris Collins, who represents a Buffalo-area district, had been touting Innate Therapeutics' prospects for years. At the time, he was a member of the company's board of directors, even while serving in Congress. Chris Collins also was Innate's biggest shareholder in early 2016, owning more than 17 percent of the company, or almost 34 million shares. Cameron Collins and his sister Caitlin were the third- and fourth-largest shareholders, with each owning 2.65 percent of the company at that time, or 5.2 million shares apiece. "I think we all need to consider investing in innate therapeutics," Lauren Zarsky wrote her mother Dorothy in a text message in August 2016, according to the SEC complaint. "I might put in $15k and that has a greater than 50% chance of going up to $250k ... that is actually unheard of and cams dads almost guarantees it within the next 1 to 2 years."

The next day, Lauren texted her mom: "And we'll always keep in touch with cams dad who I'm guessing would know how things are looking as we get closer to the end of the trial," the complaint said. Several days later, the complaint alleges, "She told her mother, 'I'll make sure cams dad keeps us in the loop.'" In September 2016, Stephen Zarsky and his wife, Dorothy, bought a total of 250,000 shares of Innate Therapeutics between the two of them. With subsequent purchases by Stephen, the couple ended up owning a total of 353,005 shares of the company, the SEC said.

The failed trial

The following April, Innate revealed publicly that the last patient had finished the clinical portion of the trial of its multiple sclerosis drug, M1S416, and "that the final results would be available in August or September of 2017," the complaint said. Chris Collins learned in June that he and other directors would not be allowed to trade in Innate's stock between June 5 and July 11, 2017, because the results of the trial were planned for release around that time. Innate's CEO emailed Collins and other directors on June 9 to say that data from the trial had been sent to the company's consultants and that the "verdict" would be delivered June 22, the complaint said. Cameron Collins on June 15 "opened a new brokerage account and used funds from his 401(k) account to purchase 16,508 extra shares," according to the SEC. "Likewise, five days later, Cameron Collins' girlfriend invested in Innate for the first time on June 20, 2017, buying 40,464 shares in a brokerage account that she had opened the previous day," the complaint said. Two days later, authorities allege, Chris Collins got an email along with other Innate board members from the company's CEO, who told them he had "extremely bad news to report," as the results of the trial "pretty clearly indicate 'clinical failure.'" "Within about 15 seconds of sending his email response" to the CEO from the South Lawn of the White House, where he was attending a congressional picnic, Collins began trying to contact his son, and eventually reached him for a six-minute discussion on the phone, the complaint said. Authorities said that Cameron Collins, who was with Lauren Zarsky at the home they shared in New Jersey, soon afterward went to her parents' house. The next day, all four of them, as well others allegedly tipped off about the still-secret clinical test results, began selling off their shares in Innate, according to authorities.

Fighting the charges
This courtroom sketch depicts Rick Gates, right, answering questions by prosecutor Greg Andres as he testifies in the trial of Paul Manafort, seated second from left, at the Alexandria Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Monday, Aug. 6, 2018.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's team of U.S. attorneys told a federal judge that they plan to rest their case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort by Friday, after days of salacious testimony from Manafort's ex-business partner, Rick Gates.

Gates had been pushed to admit at least one extramarital affair from a decade earlier under intense cross-examination from defense attorney Kevin Downing. The lawyer later suggested that Gates, as part of his "secret life," had maintained four separate affairs using a London apartment paid for with funds embezzled from Manafort.

Prosecutors objected before Gates had a chance to respond to Downing's suggestion and no further questions were asked about his adulterous behavior. But while Gates had already admitted to stealing "hundreds of thousands" of dollars from Manafort, he denied using that stolen money to support his infidelity.

Manafort's beleaguered protege testified under a plea deal struck with the special counsel in February, which dropped many of the charges against him in exchange for his full cooperation with the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential collusion by the Trump campaign.

Manafort and Gates had both been charged with financial crimes, including bank fraud and filing false income tax returns, in indictments obtained by the special counsel. Manafort, 69, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and could face up to 30 years in prison for each count of the most serious charges if convicted.

Prosecutors seek to show that Manafort intentionally broke the law to hide income from the U.S. that he earned while working for Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's pro-Russian Party of Regions. They allege that he resorted to bank fraud to continue funding his opulent lifestyle when Yanukovych was removed from power in 2014.

The defense has centered its case on Gates, 46, accusing him of deceiving Manafort and breaking the law in the process in order to embezzle money from his boss.

The trial, which is the first to be brought by Mueller's team, is not directly related to the Trump campaign or Russia's election meddling. But President Donald Trump's name came up in court nonetheless. Gates testified that Manafort recommended a banker who reportedly loaned him $16 million be appointed Trump's secretary of the Army.

"We need to discuss Steve Calk for Sec of the Army," Manafort wrote in a November 2016 email to Gates after the election. Manafort was Trump's campaign chairman until August 2016, but Gates stayed on and assisted during the post-election transition phase.

After Gates left the stand, the government brought forward two more witnesses from the FBI and IRS to testify about how Manafort moved money through overseas accounts.

At the end of the court session Wednesday, prosecutors told presiding Judge T.S. Ellis that they planned to call eight more witnesses.
At age 35, Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek is successful by any standard: He's worth a reported $2.9 billion, Spotify had 170 million monthly active users as of May, and the newly public music streaming service reported bringing in nearly $5 billion in revenue last year.

His success is due in part to strict time management rules and a commitment to focus, Ek tells Fast Company. For example, Ek considers the time it would take to catch up with friends better used elsewhere.

"I don't do social calls," Ek says. "For so many people, you're beholden to this social thing, if I don't show up, someone is going to be sad. I'm just pretty ruthless in prioritizing. What I tell my friends is, I like to be invited, but I probably won't come."

While that may seem harsh, Ek explains his behavior is about concentrating his efforts on one thing at a time.

"It's not a personal thing. It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy your company. It just means that I'm focusing on something," he explains.

Ek says he has "daily, weekly, monthly goals," and reviews his progress each night, "over allocating" his time toward those goals, he tells Fast Company.

"People think that creativity is this free spirit that has no boundaries. No, actually the most creative people in the world schedule their creativity," Ek says. "If you're really, really focused, those are the times when the breakthroughs come. I might go for three days and not sleep because I'm focused in that moment."

Ek isn't alone in his obsessive strategy.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk similarly hones in on the tasks he deems important.

"Focus on signal over noise. Don't waste time on stuff that doesn't actually make things better," Musk says.

In fact, Musk is so focused, he has said he sleeps on the factory floor and in April, he revealed didn't even take time to go home and shower when the company's production of Model 3s was behind schedule.

In the early days of his career, Bill Gates was also known for relentless focus on his work at Microsoft. Gates wouldn't stop working to eat lunch most days, according to Mark Penn, Microsoft's former chief strategy officer.

"When I worked with Bill Gates, he would eat right through a meeting, never stopping for lunch. At precisely 12:00 p.m. a hand would come through the door holding a white bag for Mr. Gates," Penn writes in his book "Microtrends Squared." "In it were two McDonald's Quarter Pounders and a large fries, his daily choice for years."

There are, however, well-documented benefits to down-time and social relationships.

In fact, "good relationships keep us happier and healthier," according to a 2015 "Ted Talk" by Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. In his research, Waldinger found that good health is positively correlated to feeling connected.

"It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community are happier, they're physically healthier and they live longer than people who are less well connected," he says.

Today, even Bill Gates is taking time to relax more.

"When I was in my 20s and early 30s, my whole life was focused on work," Gates says. "These days, I'm better at balancing the work that I love to do with my foundation and taking time off to spend with family and friends."

Don't miss: Charlie Munger uses this simple productivity hack  and anyone can do it

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!
Actress Margot Kidder attends the Presidential Premiere of 'Superman' on December 10, 1978 at Eisenhower Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

"Superman" actress Margot Kidder's sudden death in May is being ruled a suicide.

The actress, who brought Lois Lane to life on the big screen opposite Christopher Reeve in the "Superman" movies, "died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose," Park County coroner Richard Wood said in a statement Wednesday.

No other details were released.

News broke about Kidder's death after a friend found her body in the actress' Montana home on May 13. At the time, her manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, confirmed to USA TODAY that Kidder "died peacefully in her sleep." She was 69.

Maggie McGuane, Kidder's daughter with ex-husband Thomas McGuane, told the Associated Press that she instantly knew her mother died by suicide the moment she arrived at her home, in a small town near Yellowstone National Park.

More from USA Today:

McGuane called today's announcement about her mother's death freeing.

"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.

Kidder battled mental illness much of her life.

She was aware that she suffered from constant mood swings from an early age, according to her diaries, and even tried to kill herself as early as age 14. Kidder would learn she suffered from bipolar disorder, a condition characterized by "up" and "down" phases in which the patient experiences periods of elation or mania, followed by bouts of severe depression.

The condition followed the Canadian native to Hollywood.

Kidder became a bonafide movie star alongside Reeves in four Superman movies between 1978 and 1987, with her role as perky reporter Lois Lane.

She has more than 130 movie credits to her name, including "Black Christmas," "The Great Waldo Pepper" and "The Amityville Horror."

In 1996, she had a much-publicized manic episode, which resulted with her living on the streets for several days. Kidder eventually was found "dirty, frightened and paranoid," hiding in the bushes of a suburban backyard in Glendale, California after a search was launched, according to police at the time. She was taken to a psychiatric hospital for observation.

"It's a very unique sort of grief and pain," Kidder's only daughter McGuane said Wednesday. "Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them."

Kidder later started advocating for mental health awareness. In 2007, she said she had not had a manic episode in 11 years, and credited her health to alternative medicine through nutritional supplements.

Despite her battles, Kidder continued working. In 2015, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding performer in a kids' series for "R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour."

She spent the last decades of her life living in Montana and engaging in political activism as a liberal Democrat, including protesting U.S. military action in Iraq.

Joan Kesich, a longtime friend who found Kidder's body, said the actress 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."

Friends and fans also said their goodbyes to Kidder:

"On-screen she was magic. Off-screen she was one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring woman I've ever known," "Star Wars'" Mark Hamill tweeted about Kidder. "Your legacy will live on forever."

Mark Hamill tweet

"Brady Bunch" star Maureen McCormick said, "I was such a fan of yours from the first moment I saw you on the screen as Lois Lane in Superman! I will treasure the moment that I met you forever! Sweet dreams Margot."

Maureen McCormick tweet

"RIP Margot Kidder," said "Mortal Kombat" co-creator Ed Boon. "She will always be THE Lois Lane to me."

Ed Boon tweet

Contributing: The Associated Press and Maria Puente
Tribune Media Co said on Thursday it had terminated a $3.9 billion deal to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group and was suing Sinclair for breach of contract, after regulators objected to the acquisition that was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tribune filed the lawsuit against Sinclair, the largest U.S. broadcast station owner, alleging material breach of contract over its failure to win over regulators 15 months after the merger was first announced.

Tribune seeks about $1 billion of lost premium to Tribune's stockholders and additional damages in an amount to be proven at trial, according to a copy of the lawsuit filed in Delaware.

The deal's termination, which holds back Sinclair's efforts to dramatically expand, comes after criticism by Democrats and public advocacy groups over whether the merger was in the public interest. It also follows a significant blow from the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission last month, when it questioned Sinclair's candor over the planned sale of some stations.

The FCC said Sinclair did not "fully disclose facts" about the planned sale of three stations, including pre-existing business relationships between the company and prospective buyers. It also said the $60 million purchase price for Tribune's WGN-TV in Chicago "appeared to be significantly below market value."

Sinclair shares sank nearly 4 percent to $26.02 in early trading, while Tribune climbed 2.7 percent to $34.55.

"To maintain control over stations it was obligated to sell, Sinclair engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the Department of Justice and the FCC over regulatory requirements," Tribune said. "Sinclair's entire course of conduct has been in blatant violation of the merger agreement and, but for Sinclair's actions, the transaction could have closed long ago."

Sinclair said in a statement that "we unequivocally stand by our position that we did not mislead the FCC with respect to the transaction or act in any way other than with complete candor and transparency," adding that "as for Tribune's lawsuit, we fully complied with our obligations under the merger agreement and tirelessly worked to close this transaction."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been vocal in his opposition to the deal, a stance that was criticized by Trump. "So sad and unfair that the FCC wouldn't approve the Sinclair Broadcast merger with Tribune. This would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People," Trump said in a Twitter post in July.

Advocacy group Free Press said in an FCC filing in August 2017 that Sinclair forces its TV stations to "air pro-Trump propaganda and then seeks favors from the Trump administration." The group praised Tribune's announcement Thursday.

Pai told Congress after Trump's tweet that he stood by his decision to refer the issue to a hearing. The FCC declined to comment on Thursday. Sinclair, which owns 192 stations, said in May 2017 that it planned to acquire Chicago-based Tribune's 42 TV stations in 33 markets.
U.S. trade pressure on China could push Beijing to speed up efforts to restructure its economy, some local analysts say.

President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on more than $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. After already implementing duties on $34 billion worth of imports, his trade office is planning to impose tariffs on an additional $16 billion in Chinese goods on Aug. 23. China's Ministry of Commerce has responded in kind by announcing two phases of tariffs on the same amount of U.S. goods, with the latest salvo hitting Wednesday night local time.

But as Beijing faces a slowing economy, high debt levels and a slumping stock market, the pressure is on to maintain stable, and healthy growth.

In response to Trump's tough trade stance, the Chinese government will likely need to move more quickly than planned on structural reforms in areas such as state-owned enterprises, taxation, and income and wealth distribution, according to Hong Liang, chief economist at Beijing-based investment bank China International Capital Corporation.

Some of the latest official announcements indicate officials are still intent on pushing forward with changes in those areas.
An LNG carrier ship is docked at the Cheniere Energy terminal in this aerial photograph taken over Sabine Pass, Texas.

China's threats of new tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. imports will create shifts in the energy market, as American liquefied natural gas makes the list of goods Beijing will target, analysts said.

The move to include LNG raised eyebrows as China had previously held back at including the fuel on the list of products subject to tariffs. That is as the country looks to natural gas as part of its efforts to clean up politically sensitive air pollution.

But things have changed since trade tensions with the U.S. escalated dramatically in recent weeks and some have questioned if Beijing's move will hit American gas exports. The U.S. is the world's top producer of natural gas and is a growing major exporter of LNG.

If implemented, a tariff on LNG "would deal a serious blow to the U.S. gas industry and President (Donald) Trump's 'energy dominance' agenda," said Hugo Brennan, senior Asia analyst at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

"Chinese gas demand forecasts are underpinning a raft of proposed LNG export terminals along America's East Coast, which align with the Trump administration's bid to turn the U.S. into an energy superpower. But some of these projects will struggle to attract financing if (China) goes ahead and raises tariff barriers on U.S. LNG," Brennan wrote in a Tuesday note.

China was the world's second-largest importer of LNG last year. The country is expected to become the world's top importer of the super-chilled fuel next year, the International Energy Agency said in June. Last year, about 15 percent of U.S. LNG exports went to China.

The current standoff is a sharp shift from the situation earlier this year when Beijing offered to buy more U.S. energy exports to reduce the massive bilateral trade deficit.

Now, that "looks like a distant prospect, given that high-level talks have broken down against a backdrop of threats and counter-threat," said Brennan.

Still, there are analysts who counter that the U.S. gas export boom is something that cannot be stopped  with or without China.

Currently, most U.S. LNG exports are secured on long-term contacts, so the impact will be fairly limited until the deals expire. However, the spot LNG market  which has been growing steadily  will be hit. Longer term contract negotiations could also be affected.
Two weeks after reaching a handshake agreement to calm trade talks and back off new tariffs, the United States and European Union are beginning to lay the formal groundwork underpinning any deal.

On Tuesday, the State Department sent a cable to U.S. embassies across Europe, directing them to identify business areas ripe for lowering of tariffs or cutting of red tape, according to a readout of the cable provided to CNBC. The communication placed particular emphasis on deals that would increase U.S. energy and soybean exports, two areas highlighted in a joint statement the U.S. and the EU put out following the July 25 meeting.

One of the ideas that had been discussed is potential American involvement in a Russian natural gas pipeline into Germany that President Donald Trump had criticized. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Trump at the White House last month that "most" EU countries disagreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to broker the deal with Russia, according to a senior administration official.

The State Department declined to comment, citing a policy not to confirm or deny internal communications. But the move represents an effort to source deliverables for talks set to take place when a delegation from the European Union visits Washington later this month.

Juncker and high-level U.S. counterparts have been discussing additional meetings to take place in the coming weeks, an EU spokesperson told CNBC. In the meantime, Juncker's senior trade advisor and an unnamed senior EU trade official will visit Washington on Aug. 20 to "flesh out the ideas that are being exchanged."

Business executives dining with Trump at his Bedminster, N.J., property on Tuesday evening peppered Trump with questions about the status of various trade negotiations. According to attendees, he demurred on China ("It's really hard to get to a deal," one attendee paraphrased him as saying) but pivoted to Canada, Mexico and Europe, citing "good discussions with the EU" led by top Trump economic advisor Larry Kudlow.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting that a strong economy was helping the labor market weather ongoing trade tensions between the United States and a host of other countries.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000 for the week ended Aug. 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported.

The claims data is being closely watched for signs of layoffs as a result of the Trump administration's protectionist trade policy, which has left the United States embroiled in tit-for-tat tariffs with major trade partners including China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union.

Washington imposed duties on steel and aluminum imports, provoking retaliation by the nation's trade partners. The United States has also slapped tariffs on Chinese goods, with Beijing responding in kind. Manufacturers are increasingly complaining about more expensive steel and aluminum raising production costs, as well as causing disruptions to the supply chain.

There have been reports of some companies either laying off workers or planning to as a result of the import tariffs.
The court-appointed watchdog who had been reviewing evidence seized from President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen by the FBI in a raid has completed her work, she said in a court filing Thursday.

Barbara Jones, the "special master" in Cohen's case, in her filing said that lawyers for Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization had claimed 4,808 items as exempt from disclosure to prosecutors, saying the items were subject to attorney-client privilege or were highly personal.

But Jones said she agreed that just 2,260 of those should be kept from prosecutors: 1,972 of those items are privileged, 285 are highly personal, and three are partially privileged.

Jones did not agree that the remaining items should be kept from prosecutors.

She also indicated in her filing that prosecutors have been given 2,558 items that were designated as "not privileged" and/or "not highly personal."

Cohen, 51, is under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in New York but has not been charged in that case.

Jones was appointed as special master by U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood after an April 9 raid on Cohen's office and residences to review questions relating to the hundreds of thousands of files seized in those raids.

Prosecutors are reportedly investigating Cohen's business dealings, possible tax fraud and a $130,000 hush-money payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 presidential election for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier.

The White House has denied that Trump had sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Camerique | Getty Images

Do you really know how your financial advisor makes his or her money? Even if the answer is yes, you may want to double check that those services  and what you're paying for them  fit your needs. There are many ways to pay for advice, typically through fees or commissions. And financial advisors may earn their compensation in different ways  whether you pay them hourly, or an annual retainer or as a percentage of assets under management. While the Securities and Exchange Commission wrestles with how advisors and broker-dealers should be required to operate in the best interests of their clients, consumers are largely on their own. "You need to be very clear on what services you're buying," whether it be financial planning advice, money management or tax preparation, said Ted Jenkin, CEO of Oxygen Financial. Then, you need to make sure you understand how you're paying for those services. "The overarching thing for every consumer is to get complete and full transparency, but it can be hard sometimes because you don't always know what questions to ask," Jenkin said. Here are some points to keep in mind for the next time you talk to your advisor.

Watch for conflicts of interest

Ideally, the person you work with will use a compensation model that fits the services you're seeking. But there's still room for clashes to occur, said Jeffrey Levine, CEO and director of financial planning at BluePrint Wealth Alliance. For example, if your advisor charges you based on assets under management, and they advise you to move your retirement savings from your employer's 401(k) plan to an individual retirement account that they will manage, that is a conflict. More from Personal Finance:

Here's what you need to know about this new 'investor protection' rule

Tax holidays may not be the bargain you think they are

Not checking your credit report comes with risks Commissions can also create incentives that get in the way. If an advisor gets paid based on the transactions they make, that could motivate them to buy and sell your assets more frequently. But that does not mean paying by commissions is never right for you. "If you're going to buy a municipal bond and hold on to it for 30 years, you don't need to pay somebody even a small fee to sit on it," Levine said. A better idea would be to pay a commission through a broker and amortize that over those 30 years, Levine said.

Look for hidden incentives

One question you want to ask, according to Jenkin, is: "Do I have full transparency about how you're going to make money?" Watch to see if your advisor has incentives to sell a certain product, Jenkin said, such as the prospect of winning a trip or becoming part of a club at their firm. Ask if they earn more in their pension or deferred compensation plans for selling certain products or services or making a certain amount of revenue. Also be sure to inquire if they have wholesalers, or product companies, who pay for their events in return for the sale of their products. "There's so much murkiness in the world of compensation," Jenkin said.

Match what you pay to services you receive

In the world of retailers, there are stores like Tiffany & Co. and there are others like Kay Jewelers. "Both are very good companies, but they serve a different part of the marketplace," Jenkin said. Likewise, you may pay more to work with a certain financial advisor based on their education, experience, expertise and various designations. While one may charge $800 per hour, another may set their rate at $200 per hour. "The reality is you need to determine the results and the value that they bring you," Jenkin said. The most important question to keep in mind, Levine said, is "How can you help me solve my problem?" "At the end of the day, I will gladly pay someone more if I'm going to get a good answer," Levine said.

Don't be fooled by labels
Melika Aghaei's fingers move slowly across the keys of the digital piano as she softly sings a children's song to the delight of the cafe's customers, while Mehdi Khakian takes orders for espressos and lattes.

Located near the bustling Vanak Square in north Tehran, the "Downtism Cafe" stands out from other coffee shops in the affluent neighborhood for its unique staff. All have either Down syndrome, like Aghaei, or autism, like Khakian, and run the entire operation themselves.

Opened only three months ago, the cafe  whose name combines "Down" with "autism"  is bustling.

"All of the people are kind and affectionate toward us," says Khakian, 31. "I invite everyone to come to our cafe and support us. I promise that we will give them very clean and perfect service when they come."

With the restoration of American sanctions that had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal, and unemployment at 12.5 percent, jobs are hard to come by in Iran. It's especially difficult for those with disabilities.

But the cafe not only provides work for those with Down syndrome and autism, it also shows how capable they can be, said Aylin Agahi, a 36-year-old musician who came up with the idea.

"The goal I had in mind by opening this cafe was to give these guys a role in society," said Agahi, who has taught music to people with disabilities for 17 years and led several concerts with her students around Iran. "I wanted the people to become familiar with them  many people do not have enough knowledge of Down syndrome; here they get to meet them face-to-face."

From her initial idea in 2016, she was able to open the cafe on May 1 with the help of 10 of her students' families and some funding from Iran's State Welfare Organization.

Agahi arranged for a month of training with a professional barista, and the cafe started out with 10 staffers. Three months later, it has 40 workers, mostly teenagers and adults in their 20s, who work short, three-hour shifts.

They earn minimum wage, and split tips equally at the end of the month.

Unlike many dimly-lit cafes, the entrance and walls are covered with bright colors, framed paintings by the staff and balloons. The menu is currently limited to coffee, traditional beverages and cakes but they are seeking to expand to offer snacks and meals.

At 14, Aghaei is the youngest staff member.

"I work in this cafe as a server," the soft-spoken high school student said. "I play the piano too."

Customer Farzaneh Heidari heard about the coffee shop on social media and gushed about receiving "excellent service."

"I am really pleased to be here and see that people with extraordinary conditions are being given the opportunity to work," said the 28-year-old, who works for a pharmaceutical company. "They are doing their best to prove themselves and show that they are capable of many things if given the chance."

Even in the short time, working at the cafe has done wonders for Aghaei's self-esteem, her mother, Pari Zamani, said.

"To me, it is more than just a job for my daughter, it means more self-confidence for her," said Zamani, a high school physics teacher. "Many children with Down syndrome are pushed into isolation for various reasons and are unable to make friends, but here everyone's in the same situation."

Aylin said other families of younger staffers have also noticed huge changes, with them now eager to get out and go to work instead of preferring to stay at home.

"Sometimes parents of these kids send me photos late at night showing them having neatly prepared their shoes and work uniforms to go to the cafe the following day," she said. "When they are told that it is not their shift, they insist on going anyway and say they just love to be here no matter what."
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Motor Company Limited (DFL) launched the DFL Green Program 2022 at its 15th anniversary on August 8 that elucidates the company's initiative and framework in vehicle electrification, energy conservation and emission reduction.

At the event, DFL also announced that the Venucia brand will launch 3 EV (electric vehicle) models in 2019, including SUVs and sedans. Besides, DFL will roll out 20 NEV (new energy vehicle) models, covering BEVs (battery electric vehicle) and the e-POWER technology-based models, with the aim of increasing its EV sales proportion up to 30%.

As the Green Program 2022 showed, DFL plans to introduce Nissan's Intelligent Mobility technologies and applies them in the R&D of Dongfeng, Venucia, Nissan and Infiniti branded vehicles. In addition, the automaker is ambitious to realize a complete localization of key auto parts for the vehicle electrification over the next three years.

Meanwhile, to accomplish environmentally friendly manufacturing process, DFL will utilize the energy-saving diagnostic methods developed by Nissan's NESCO (Nissan Energy Saving Collaboration), the task-dedicated team that conducts energy-saving audits at the company's production sites by inspecting the way energy is used and suggests improvements. Moreover, DFL plans to update 3600-plus sets of energy-intensive facilities, set up 3 photovoltaic power generation parks in order to slash carbon dioxide emissions of 680,000 ton and reduce 20% energy intensity.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Indian PM, President felicitate Singapore counterparts on National Day

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated their counterparts in Singapore on the latters 53rd National Day.

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana National Day Observance Ceremony. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@leehsienloong

Modi, who delivered the keynote address at the Shangri La Dialogue this June, recalled his visit to the island nation in an official communique to Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong.

Hon Prime Minister @narendramodi s greetings to H E Prime Minister of Singapore @leehsienloong on the occasion of 53rd National Day of #Singapore on 09 August 2018 #NDP2018 #SG53 #SG2018 pic.twitter.com/i1vV898Clo  India in Singapore (@IndiainSingapor) August 8, 2018

The memories of my recent visit to Singapore and your warm hospitality are still fresh in my mind. The India-Singapore strategic partnership has expanded by leaps and bounds in recent years, he said, adding, I also take this opportunity to convey my best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of Singapore.

President Kovind, in a letter addressed to Singapore President Halimah Yacob, echoed the PMs sentiments. He wrote that relations between the two nations were marked by mutual affection and trust, and expressed confidence that their partnership would go from strength to strength.

On behalf of the government and people of India and on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency, the government and the people of Singapore on the occasion of your National Day, Kovind wrote.

Hon President H E Ram Nath Kovinds greetings to Hon President of Singapore H E Mdm Halimah Yacob on the occasion of 53rd National Day of #Singapore on 09 August 2018 #NDP2018 #SG53 #SG2018 pic.twitter.com/SyK4gP2zf1  India in Singapore (@IndiainSingapor) August 8, 2018

Top officials from other nations sent greetings as well.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wished Singapore a year of peace, success, and happiness in a National Day greeting on behalf of the US government.

In a post on the Facebook page of the US Embassy in Singapore, Pompeo hailed Singapore as a "longstanding valued partner" and "friend in the Indo-Pacific region".

"We look forward to further strengthening this partnership to achieve mutual goals and co-operate on regional challenges in the region," he said.

"Congratulations on your 53rd anniversary and best wishes for a year filled with peace, success, and happiness."
Johnsons standing with grassroots members soars after row

Tory chiefs accused of bottling out by not disciplining MP  The Sun

Former mayor right about burqa, says leading imam  The Times

Warsi accuses Johnson of making hate crime more likely  The Guardian

Davidson compares religious dress to crucifixes  Daily Telegraph

Tories at war over ex-Foreign Secretarys remarks  Daily Mail

Johnsons relationship with the grassroots, many of whom have long regarded him as their future leader of choice, took a hammering when he became foreign secretary and, for the most part, fell into line behind Theresa May on Brexit. But after he resigned over the Chequers deal his popularity has apparently soared. A ConservativeHome survey of party members last week put him top, with almost a third of respondents backing him as their preferred choice. He last led the table in March 2016, just after he came out for Leave. Mark Wallace, executive editor of ConservativeHome, told the Guardian: The old love affair between Boris Johnson and the Tory grassroots dwindled over time  the battle with Gove after the referendum, and the tribulations of the Foreign Office, took their toll. Tory members learned to be somewhat sceptical of him. So his rising support among the grassroots comes despite that scepticism, which is a measure of quite how unpopular the Chequers fudge is.  The Guardian

>Today: ToryDiary: Where bungling the burka row has got the Conservative Party. Damned if it investigates Johnson. And damned if it doesnt.

Iain Martin: Downing Street must kill Johnson off now if May is to survive

She may win that confidence vote, just, but it is unclear how many votes would count as a decisive win or a moral defeat leading to a demand from the party establishment for her resignation. Its a secret ballot, says more than one anti-May minister, when asked how they would vote. In that scenario, Johnson will have his moment and others such as Sajid Javid, the home secretary, must decide whether to run or join forces with him. That is why the Tory high command is battling like mad to put out fires. Right now, the firefighting centres on stopping Johnson because he is the biggest threat. They know that even if he did not win he could, in losing a leadership challenge, precipitate a change of prime minister mid-Brexit.  The Times

No, these comments were not a plot to topple the Prime Minister  Stephen Glover, Daily Mail

Johnson is auditioning to lead a grim, insular Britain  Martin Kettle, The Guardian

The burqas defenders do Muslim women like me no favours  Suad Farah, Daily Telegraph

Angry at Boris? I just rage for the women trapped by the burqa  Ruth Dudley Edwards, Daily Mail

Its a fiction to suggest there was no Islamist schools plot  Nick Timothy, Daily Telegraph

Editorial:

Boris-bashing politicians are ducking questions which need asking  Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Difficult, and often embarrassing, conversations

Conservatives aim for half their candidates to be female

Party faces cash-for-access charge over conference  The Times

Mays public sector wage hike criticised

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. 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.  Daily Mail

Theresa Mays public sector wage hikes have left tens of thousands of public sector workers with LESS take home pay. Experts last night said nurses and teachers were among those facing huge disappointment despite increases billed as the biggest for a decade by the Government just weeks ago. The pay hikes have moved certain workers into a higher pension contribution band  meaning the state takes more towards their retirement. Insurer Royal London said an employee on 26,500 who gets a 2 per cent pay hike could have as much as 146 a year less in their pocket to spend because their pension contributions move from 7.1 per cent to 9.3 per cent. One NHS source said a number of young nurses were shocked to see their most recent pay packet go DOWN. Others had seen an increase of as little as 60p a month.  The Sun

Civil service unions take legal action over pay  The Guardian

Javid declines to fly the flag at border posts

Mordaunt orders officials to spend aid on Overseas Territories in future

Sajid Javid has refused a request to have the Union Jack flown at all border posts as people leave and arrive in Britain. The Home Secretary was asked to make it mandatory for the flag to be displayed at ports and airports, demonstrating national pride as the country leaves the EU. Janice Atkinson, an independent MEP for the South East, said it would provide a warm and welcome sign of national embrace for returning and departing UK citizens and act as a reminder that they belong to a patriotic, decent and proud country. In a letter to Mr Javid, she wrote that the UK should follow other countries that fly their national flags at ports of entry as a matter of routine.  Daily Mail

Foreign aid cash will be used to help overseas territories rebuild after devastating hurricanes. The Government is prepared to defy international rules that stop development budgets being directed at countries deemed too wealthy. It meant the Treasury had to find cash from outside the 13 billion aid budget when UK territories were wrecked last autumn by hurricanes Irma and Maria. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has ordered her officials to fund disaster relief from her budget for such countries in future. She said: The public support the tremendous work our armed forces and UK aid do to help people in dire need, especially in countries which have a close connection to the UK. It is ridiculous that a country which had been flattened by natural disaster shouldnt qualify for aid as the day before it was doing quite well.'  Daily Mail

Zahawi calls for boarding schools to admit more children in care

Ministers must not backtrack on their promise to children  Peter Wanless, The Times

Private schools should provide boarding places for thousands of children from the care system to boost their life chances, an education minister has urged. Nadhim Zahawi called for more independent schools to give places to vulnerable youngsters in childrens homes and with foster carers. It follows a pilot which saw Norfolk County Council place 52 vulnerable or at risk children in boarding schools over a ten-year period. The council found that nearly two-thirds came off the at risk register after three years, while GCSE grades improved substantially when compared with the wider cohort of at risk children. Leading private schools such as Eton and Rugby have already signed up to offer places. But Mr Zahawi said more should do so to prove they help society and were worthy of their charitable status, which gives them tax breaks.  Daily Mail

>Today: James Hockney in Local Government: Too often its not the bullies being excluded from school  but the victims

Ministers investigate failure of Cleggs parental leave scheme

Ministers have launched an inquiry into the failure of a shared parental leave scheme aimed at encouraging new fathers to stay at home with their children. It follows new evidence that only a tiny minority of couples who qualify for the initiative have taken it up. Shared parental leave, introduced at the urging of Nick Clegg three years ago, means that new mothers can share their maternity leave with fathers. Couples can share 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of state-subsidised pay of at least 145.18 a week after they have a baby. Earlier this year Whitehall admitted that only one in 50 couples entitled to take shared parental leave had done so. A fresh share the joy campaign  costing 1.5million  was launched by the Department for Business to highlight the scheme.  Daily Mail

Whitehall urged to put leave policy online  FT

and mull introducing direct democracy into local government

Media and Sport said that the issues at stake and the precise decision-making methods would be up to individual authorities, which will submit applications to take part in the trial.  The Times

Brits set to get first citizen juries  The Sun

Residents are to be offered radical powers to veto or approve plans that affect their communities in an attempt by ministers to reconnect with voters who have lost faith in conventional politics. Decisions to approve housing developments, sell public assets such as community centres and swimming pools, or spend more on fixing potholes could be made using new forms of direct democracy. Ministers are proposing that local authorities use online polls and citizen juries to give residents a direct say in their communities, particularly in poor or remote areas. Local authorities in six areas will take part in a trial over the next 12 months. It is part of a government strategy announced today with the aim of strengthening communities. The Department for Digital, Culture,

More:

New bid to boost charities role in public services  The Guardian

Corbyn faces fresh antisemitism storm over BBC protest

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 Corbyns 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 leaders public words, his local branch were encouraged to head down to the picket in a move which risked fuelling the bitter controversy.  Daily Mail

McDonnell criticised over claims of Israeli genocide  The Times

Hodge brands leader a blip in Labour history  Daily Express

as he faces ambush over Brexit

Accept the ECJ or criminals will walk our streets  Sir Ed Davey MP, Times Red Box

Jeremy Corbyn faces an ambush by 300 regional Labour parties to force him into backing a second Brexit Referendum. A nationwide campaign will be launched next week urging activists to sign a motion to be put to the vote at the Labour Partys annual conference in Liverpool next month. A vote in favour at conference would compel the Labour leadership to accept a so-called Peoples Vote. Sources told The Sun the motion may also demand Labour then campaign to remain in the EU. Some 130 constituency Labour parties (CLPs) are already though to be supporting the move. But a draft memo seen by The Sun shows campaigners want 300 to sign up to boost the chances of having the motion selected at conference.  The Sun

>Today: Andrew Robathan in Comment: New evidence of corruption in Romania casts doubt on the European Arrest Warrant

Khan criticised for misrepresenting crime statistics

Sadiq Khan has been blasted by the head of the UK statistics agency for misusing figures on violent crime. The London Mayor was rebuked and was forced to delete a tweet which claimed violent crime had doubled in several areas of England. But actually the statistic, which claimed that crime had doubled in Hampshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk, specifically referred to knife crime. Sir David Norgrove, head of the UK Statistics Authority, said violent offences were on the up, but his tweet on July 17 was wrong A spokesman for the London Mayor said the tweet was a mistake, but that crime problems required national solutions.  The Sun

Paisley opponents complain of barriers to ousting him

the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland has decided to open only three. Local politicians say this is not enough in the largely rural constituency.  The Times

Ulster MP could be the first to be recalled from Parliament  Daily Telegraph

US to sanction Russia over Salisbury poisoning

Ian Paisleys political opponents have complained that the authorities are making the process for unseating the suspended DUP MP too difficult. A petition has been set up to recall the North Antrim MP after he failed to declare tens of thousands of pounds worth of hospitality from the Sri Lankan government. It is the first petition of its kind since the law was changed to allow recall and Mr Paisley would face a by-election if 10 per cent of the electorate signed it. However, Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) say there are too few sites where people can fill in a ballot paper to indicate they want to oust him. Under electoral law, up to ten petition centres could be opened but

The United States is to impose new sanctions on Russia after concluding that it was responsible for the Salisbury nerve agent attack. The surprise measures were announced by the State Department, which said that the Kremlin has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals. The British government welcomed the move, which is a boost for its diplomatic efforts to win support for its assertion that Russia was behind the attack in March on Sergei Skripal, 67, a former double agent, and his daughter Yulia, 33. The Skripals survived being targeted with a Russian-created novichok nerve agent. Three months later a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after being poisoned by novichok in a town close to Salisbury.  The Times

News in Brief:
James Hockney: Too often its not the bullies being excluded from school  but the victims

James Hockney is a member of the APPG on Bullying, Political Liaison Officer for Red Balloon Learner Centre Group and has twice been Parliamentary Candidate in Barnsley.

Increasing numbers of pupils are being excluded from schools  with special education needs (SEN) being over six times more likely to be excluded.

I have written previously about the 16,000+ bullied school children that are school-phobic and who are pushed outside the mainstream education system, but the issue is broader  affecting pupils with a range of challenges, including; mental health (50% of mental health issues are established at the age of 14), SEN, poverty, home environment, and personal trauma to name but a few.

To be clear, I support schools having the right to expel unruly children. Disruptive children in class can absorb ten minutes of every teaching hour.

However, there is a growing evidence base that exclusions are being used in some schools for all the wrong reasons and casting pupils into the Alternative Provision (AP) sector, which has little oversight and patchy academic results (only 1.1 per cent of pupils in Alternative Provision secure five good GCSE passes).

Exclusions

Fixed term exclusions have risen to 381,865  an increase of 114,345 since 2012  with at times a limited paper trail of decision making (16% of the time, the reason is left as other!).

The Childrens Commissioner Report of 2017 flagged specific concerns over the use of exclusions and reported breaches of the UNCRC. The call for action is not new; in 2010, Barnardos report Not present and not correct highlighted concerns over the use of fixed-term exclusions and evidence of unofficial exclusions.

The cost to society of exclusion is high, the Institute for Public Policy Research estimates this to be 370,000 per young person in a lifetime due to education, benefits, healthcare and criminal justice costs.

Exclusions are not capturing just the knife wielding bullies, but a wider group. For instance, every school week, 4,610 SEN pupils receive permanent and fixed term exclusions.

One pressure point could be that some schools cannot cope with complex pupils needs. The Teacher Omnibus survey found that 18 per cent of teachers do not feel able to meet the needs of a child with SEN, with 30% stating that there is insufficient training provided to support SEN students.

For parents to fight an exclusion, the odds are stacked against them, many not knowing their rights or being able to respond to the complex process involved. The safety net of the Independent Review Panel does not have the power to reinstate a pupil.

When a child is excluded, the school can effectively and neatly wash their hands of responsibility, which passes to the Local Authority.

Home Schooling

Another route out of the education system is known as off-rolling. Officially, parents must formally request to home educate their child. Although the reality can be somewhat different.

It is now estimated that over 45,000 children are being homeschooled, a near doubling compared to five years ago.

We heard reports of non-attending bullied childrens parents being threatened with truancy action and given the option to home educate.

Shouldnt Ofsted inspections show what is happening?

According to the latest National Audit Office report, 1,620 Outstanding schools have not been inspected for over six years, of which 296 have not be inspected for over 10 years. This lack of transparency provides for the opportunity of opaque decision making.

Alternative Provision (AP).

Alternative Provision is an umbrella term to include state AP, independent AP, third sector provision and work based learning providers.

When schools exclude, responsibility passes to the Local Authority. If schools had a responsibility going forward, imagine the difference this would make  a real motivation for early intervention and ensuring quality AP provision if exclusion is required.

However, in many areas, AP is a postcode lottery, with a lack of capacity in the system to support those with complex mental health and/or behavioural issues coupled with poor Ofsted ratings.

Best practice can be observed in Cambridgeshire  where schools have set-up successful partnerships to scale up Alternative Provision and provide economies of scale. In 2015/16, the exclusion rate for Cambridgeshire was nil.

This model has been proven successful by the Department for Education itself. Between 2011 and 2014 a series of pilots commenced involving 11 local authorities delegating funding and responsibility of excluded pupils to the individual schools. The results of the pilots realised improved outcomes for pupils.

In the sector, the DfE has no framework of what a model AP looks like, nor any real monitoring of the sector. It is an adjunct to the education system, rather than as part of the system. Due to this, we do not know exactly how many pupils are in AP, but an analysis of available data by the Education Select Committee found that at least 48,000 pupils are in AP  and this figure is increasing.

Even when Schools commission AP themselves, the 2016 Ofsted report into Alternative Provision found that under a third of Schools embark on any systematic review of the education provided.

AP needs to be viewed not as a permanent silo, but as a short-term intervention, with the aim of pupils, where possible, returning to mainstream education. For example, this has been achieved in the majority of cases at the Red Balloon Learner Centre Group, TBAP Intervention Centres and The Family School, London.

Conclusion

In a system that requires rigour and oversight, we are seeing youngsters being failed  through a lack of transparency, accountability and silo-based thinking.

Only a systematic change, facing up to the weaknesses of the system and embracing the best practice that exists will help some of the most vulnerable youngsters in our society.

Recommendations:
What next for the Johnson investigation? Seven questions about the Conservative Partys rules

The Mexican stand-off over Boris Johnsons Telegraph article has intensified a degree this afternoon, with the news that he will face a formal investigation under the Partys new Code of Conduct.

That code is not a widely-read document (before today, at least), but Paul gave a run-down of what its process entails this morning.

If that process is indeed being invoked for Johnson, it poses a number of questions about how its all going to work:

What happened to the confidentiality bit? Almost the first element of the codes stated procedure commits that: When we receive a formal complaint, we will investigate it in a timely and confidential mannerThe investigation should be thorough, impartial and objective, and carried out with sensitivity and due respect for the rights of all parties concerned. Its not clear quite how that squares with someone apparently informing national newspapers that complaints have been received and are set to be investigated.

Almost the first element of the codes stated procedure commits that: When we receive a formal complaint, we will investigate it in a timely and confidential mannerThe investigation should be thorough, impartial and objective, and carried out with sensitivity and due respect for the rights of all parties concerned. Its not clear quite how that squares with someone apparently informing national newspapers that complaints have been received and are set to be investigated. Who appoints the investigator? The code requires investigation by someone with appropriate experience and no prior involvement in the complaint. With the Party Chairman and the Leader both having given public comments criticising Johnsons actions, itd be interesting to know who picks that person.

The code requires investigation by someone with appropriate experience and no prior involvement in the complaint. With the Party Chairman and the Leader both having given public comments criticising Johnsons actions, itd be interesting to know who picks that person. Has an Investigating Officer been appointed, and if so, who are they? The code enshrines the Nolan Principle of Openness as a requirement for the actions of all Conservative representatives, so on that basis presumably we will be told who is investigating.

The code enshrines the Nolan Principle of Openness as a requirement for the actions of all Conservative representatives, so on that basis presumably we will be told who is investigating. How long will the investigation take? The complaint presumably relates to this single newspaper article, and will therefore be relatively swift, but we dont know the planned timescale.

The complaint presumably relates to this single newspaper article, and will therefore be relatively swift, but we dont know the planned timescale. Who will appoint the panel to judge the case? Unless the investigator deems the complaint obviously trivial, and/or lacking in merit and/or cannot fairly be investigated or cannot be investigated, the evidence he or she has gathered is passed to a panel for judgement. There were reasonable questions about whether Brandon Lewis could fairly do so, given that he has already given a public opinion on Johnsons actions. However, Im told that the Party Chairman wont appoint the panel in this case as it relates to an MP. That itself throws up a bit of a mystery  the Code of Conduct specifies only a panelappointed by the Party Chairman, so it isnt clear on what basis someone else would have the power to pick the panel, or the existence of any exception for cases relating to MPs. One would have imagined a code exists in order to provide general, not intermittent, rules. Plus, if the Party Chairman wont appoint a panel in this instance, then the question remains: who will do so in his place?

Unless the investigator deems the complaint obviously trivial, and/or lacking in merit and/or cannot fairly be investigated or cannot be investigated, the evidence he or she has gathered is passed to a panel for judgement. There were reasonable questions about whether Brandon Lewis could fairly do so, given that he has already given a public opinion on Johnsons actions. However, Im told that the Party Chairman wont appoint the panel in this case as it relates to an MP. That itself throws up a bit of a mystery  the Code of Conduct specifies only a panelappointed by the Party Chairman, so it isnt clear on what basis someone else would have the power to pick the panel, or the existence of any exception for cases relating to MPs. One would have imagined a code exists in order to provide general, not intermittent, rules. Plus, if the Party Chairman wont appoint a panel in this instance, then the question remains: who will do so in his place? Who will the panel report to? Again, the Code of Conduct is quite specific that the panel will provide their findings to the Party Chairman, who then decides whether the matter is passed on to the Leader or the Board. But Lewis has already gone on the record to give a verdict on the case before investigation  can he play a role in this process while fulfilling the Codes requirement for the Nolan Principle of Objectivity? Even if so, if the convention is that he doesnt involve himself in picking panels when a complaint relates to an MP, does that apply to this role, too?

Again, the Code of Conduct is quite specific that the panel will provide their findings to the Party Chairman, who then decides whether the matter is passed on to the Leader or the Board. But Lewis has already gone on the record to give a verdict on the case before investigation  can he play a role in this process while fulfilling the Codes requirement for the Nolan Principle of Objectivity? Even if so, if the convention is that he doesnt involve himself in picking panels when a complaint relates to an MP, does that apply to this role, too? Who will decide the penalty, if hes found guilty? If the investigator presents a case, and the panel concludes that Johnson is guilty of breaching the Code, then Lewis or whoever acts in his place passes the case on for punishment to either the Leader and/or to the Board of the Conservative Party. The Leader has, like Lewis, already publicly said things that appear to pre-judge whether Johnson did something wrong, so presumably ought to be ruled out on the grounds of objectivity, too. That would leave the Party Board  a group which, you guessed it, officially includes the Party Chairman and the Prime Minister. It also includes various other MPs, whom we might imagine to be ruled out on the same (unwritten) basis as Lewis not judging his Parliamentary colleagues. So who, if anyone, can resolve the case?

In other words, it all gets less and less clear by the minute.

To complicate matters further, although May swiftly agreed with the Party Chairmans decision to publicly demand an apology from Johnson, Downing Street now appears to be at some pains to deny any prior involvement in his decision to do so, suggesting that Lewis was freelancing without asking them beforehand. Oddly, that implies that they share his analysis but do not wish to share any responsibility for expressing it in public, even though the Prime Minister chose to do so on television.

We will report the answers to the above questions as and when we received them.
Andrew Robathan is a Conservative Member of the House of Lords. He is a former MP and minister.

Over the past week, Tudorel Toader, the Romanian Justice Minister, has been conducting interviews for a new head of the Anti-Corruption Directorate (known as the DNA). Despite four applicants eventually coming forward, the vacancy hardly generated excitement amongst wannabe corruption fighters, with Sky News reporting that zero people had applied only 24 hours before the deadline. Perhaps this shouldnt be surprising given the air of controversy that has hung over the organisation under the recently dismissed director, Laura Kovesi. Her removal was eventually decided by court order and brings to an end an era which has raised grave concerns that Romanias anti-corruption fight may have itself become corrupted.

The on-paper success of Romanias anti-graft drive in recent years, in particular the actions of Kovesi, has won lavish praise from across the EU. Given the DNAs impressive headline figure of a 92 per cent conviction rate, its not hard to see why. But not all is as it seems. Such figures are seemingly presented to the EU with the aim of pleasing those responsible for ensuring Romanias deeper integration into the bloc. In this respect, it seems that the EUs Schengen accession criteria, which include a requirement to demonstrate clampdowns on corruption, have been egregiously abused by Romania.

In the build-up to the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, set to begin in less than six months, the DNA has made louder noises about cracking down on corruption. However, commentators have questioned the integrity of this anti-corruption campaign, condemning it as a fiction concocted for far-away bureaucrats in Brussels.

In a report published last year, the Henry Jackson Society concluded that Romania is falsifying the results of its anti-corruption drive in order to secure accession to the Schengen zone. The EUs willingness to believe the convenient fiction that progress is being made risks exposing it to a form of political contagion.

Evidence has emerged that the DNA has been secretly colluding with the Romanian Secret Intelligent Service (SRI). Domestic whistle-blowers have likened the SRIs actions to the sinister Securitate, the hardline enforcers of Ceaucescus brutal regime. The targets seem to be political opponents and public figures deemed a threat to the establishment. The methods used by the SRI, in collusion with the DNA, include secretive recordings, later broadcast on Romanian TV, planting evidence in cars and homes, falsifying witness statements and official records, fabricating evidence and blackmailing witnesses.

In May of this year, The European Bar Association (FBE) published a troubling report highlighting the scale of SRI involvement in Romanias ostensibly independent justice system. The FBE noted [SRI] interference with the independence of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and the administration of justice through the conclusion of the (secret) protocols of cooperation between the secret service and the Romanian justice authorities.

These allegations, dismissed out of hand by the DNA, have finally led to Kovesis dismissal. Sadly, many of the anti-corruption convictions that have previously been praised could have been a consequence of corruption and collusion amongst the authorities, often at the expense of human rights, civil liberties and judicial independence. In pursuit of opponents, Romania has become one of the most zealous users of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), raising the risk that these abusive practices may have been exported across the continent, including several high-profile legal cases ongoing in the UK.

Last month, the European Court of Justice published a statement on a recent judgment regarding the EAW. The statement referred to the case of a Polish national, subject to three different European Arrest Warrants. Crucially, it asserted that the Irish Courts had the right to decide whether they believed the suspect in question would receive a fair trial in their respective home country.

This ruling questions the legitimacy of the EAW as it is applied across the European Union. This is especially the case in the UK, where our longstanding and proud tradition of judicial independence and the rule of law are under threat from practices that threaten over these values. Far too often this has been the case with the jurisdictions of some former Eastern bloc states, with Romania the most flagrant example. In a recent case in London in April, a judge upheld an EAW saying that Romania was a signatory to the ECHR and he was entirely satisfied that it will abide by its Convention obligations; this flies in the face of the evidence.

The dismissal of Kovesi represents an equally important precedent. It demonstrates that some countries whose judicial systems are not up to our standards are still transitioning from Soviet notions of justice to a truly independent judicial system. It leaves Romania at a crossroads, now free to quell concerns of a politicised justice system and shift to one that prioritises the liberty of the individual and the rule of law above all else.

Romania offers a stark example of why the United Kingdom must pay closer attention to the political motivations and abuses of justices that may lay behind EAW requests. Britain has always found the legislative instincts of the European Union suspiciously Napoleonic. In welcoming the opportunity a new head of the DNA presents, the UK would be demonstrating its historical adherence to the sacred presumption of innocence, contrary to the of prevailing trends of Europes Corpus Juris.
DUP row deepends as Robinson stands by comments

As I reported last week, a ferocious row has erupted inside the Democratic Unionist Party after Peter Robinson, the former leader and First Minister, called on unionists to prepare for the possibility of a referendum on leaving the UK.

But despite strong criticism from members of his own party Robinson, who left front-line politics when he lost Belfast East to the Alliance Party, has stood by his remarks and insisted that the battle for the Union has started, whether unionists are ready to admit it or not.

More interestingly, the News Letter reports that Arlene Foster, his successor as party leader and First Minister, saw Robinsons controversial remarks before they were published  and that she doesnt consider them to be an attack on her leadership.

Whilst Robinson may be right that unionism needs to start making preparations to fight a border poll, it is a pity that under his leadership his Party did so little to strengthen Northern Irelands place in the UK either by winning over Catholics or by better integrating Ulster politics with the mainland. Those tasks now fall to Foster.

Welsh Labour MP facing calls to stand down from Shadow Cabinet

Carolyn Harris, the deputy leader of Welsh Labour, is facing calls to resign her shadow equalities post over her alleged use of the word dyke, according to Wales Online.

Despite complaints from numerous Assembly Members, Jeremy Corbyn and the national leadership, as well as several MPs are standing by the Swansea East MP. Harris has apparently apologised for clumsy language after a former aide claimed in court that she is a homophobic bully.

However, a member of the executive of her Constituency Labour Party reportedly posted on Facebook that other MPs have been suspended for less.

Meanwhile Carwyn Jones, the First Minister, has been urged to investigate allegations that a Labour AM broke the ministerial code.

The charge is that Julie James, the Leader of the House, should have recused herself from deciding on the level of state funding assigned to women-in-work organisation Chwarae Teg  which totalled 351,000 last year  because it was a client of a lobbying firm which employed her son.

Electoral Commission drops investigation into DUP

The Democratic Unionists will not face an investigation over claims that they coordinated spending with other Leave campaigners during the EU referendum, the Guardian reports.

Critics have complained that the party received a major donation from anonymous donors via the Constitutional Research Council, a pro-Union group.

Less creditably, some have also tried to present as suspicious the fact that the DUP spent much of their referendum spending allowance on the mainland  such as a 280,000 in the Metro  despite only standing in Northern Ireland. Of course, in a UK-wide referendum without constituencies there is no reason for them not to do this.

Now the Belfast Telegraph reports that the DUP are claiming that the BBC, whose investigation on the Spotlight programme prompted the Commissions probe, have questions to answer over their coverage and alleged bias.

Earlier this week the Herald revealed that David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, had also benefited from so-called dark money donated by the Scottish Unionist Association Trust, a secretive outfit whose status as a donor is currently under investigation by the Commission.

SNP under fire over educational under-performance

The Scottish Nationalists have come under fresh criticism after the latest data showed a continued fall in exam pass rates, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Measured from the introduction of the Nationalists new exam system five years ago there have been some astonishing falls in pass rates  up to three quarters, in the case of National 3 exams, intended for the least-able pupils  and experts suggest that only around half the fall can be explained by external factors such as declining rolls.

One also warned that the collapse in results in the National exams could now be feeding through into the results for Highers too.

Long-time readers of this column will find devolved authorities failure on education a depressingly familiar theme: I was writing about the legendary post-devolution collapse in Welsh standards back in 2013, and whilst not quite as precipitous the SNPs own record on the subject has long belied any claim that its priority is anything but independence.

Paisleys opponents complain of difficulties in removing him

According to the Times, politicians attempting to oust Ian Paisley Jr from his North Antrim fastness have complained that the authorities are making their task too difficult.

Both Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists have reportedly complained that there are too few places where people can fill out the paper saying they want to oust him. The recall petition is in six locations across the large, mostly rural seat.
Fury said to a mouse, That he met in the house, Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you.

Last year, in the wake of a series of sexual harrassment scandals and allegations, the Conservative Party published a new code of conduct that covers Tory MPs. They are expected to follow the minimum standards of behaviour expected from anyone representing the Party as an elected or appointed official or office-holder; support equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion, and follow the seven Nolan principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

Furthermore, they must be willing to challenge poor behaviour; lead by example to encourage and foster respect and tolerance; treat others in a professional and straightforward manner; act with honesty and probity and in a manner which upholds the reputation and values of the Conservative Party; not use their position to bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others, and take reasonable steps to ensure that people who wish to raise concerns about bullying, discrimination, harassment and/or victimisation by others feel able to do so.

It is fair to say that these are wide-ranging criteria which provide grounds for wide-ranging complaints.

Come, Ill take no denial; We must have a trial: For really this morning Ive nothing to do.

So how are complaints assessed? The code says that when we receive a formal complaint, we will investigate it in a timely and confidential manner. There will then be an assessment by someone with appropriate experience and no prior involvement in the complaint. This investigating officer will then either dismiss it, or pass it on to a panel consisting of no fewer than three people, appointed by the Party Chairman. This panel must contain at least one person nominated by the Chairman of the 1922 Committee.

Having considered the complaint, the panels members must then provide their findings to the Party Chairman, recommending the appropriate level of the Party at which the complaint should be resolved and/or dealt with according to the Partys Constitution. The code goes on to say that the complaint may then be referred by the Chairman to the Leader and/or to the Board of the Conservative Party, who shall take such action as they see fit. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, suspension of membership or expulsion from the Party.

There is more than this in the relevant sections of the code, but it is a summary of its main elements.

Said the mouse to the cur, Such a trial, dear sir, With no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.

Let us now apply the code to Boris Johnson and his Daily Telegraph column of earlier this week. As this mornings papers make clear, at least one claim that he has breached the code has been lodged with the Party. It follows that this complaint must be investigated in a timely manner  which implies a certain speed  before being dismissed or furthered. In either event, there will be press enquiries about the identity and qualifications of this investigating officer. But the media and others will clock the following features of the process in any event.

First, this officer will presumably be appointed, directly or indirectly, by the Party Chairman. Second, in the event of the complaint being pursued, there will be no ambiguity about who selects a panel to hear it: as we noted above, it will in these circumstances be appointed by the Party Chairman (although, interestingly, the Chairman of the 1922 Committee is entitled to nominate at least one member of it). Third, the Party Chairman can refer the complaint to the Leader  as well as to a board to which that leader is able to appoint as many members as she wishes.

Readers will see where all this is going.

Ill be judge, Ill be jury, Said cunning old Fury; Ill try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.

Not so long ago, complaints such as those made about Johnsons column would either a) simply have been swept under the carpet by the powers-that-be or b) have been met by the suspension of the whip, if those powers thought they could get away with it. It was inevitable that such establishment fixes by old boys clubs operating a magic circle would be swept away  and no bad thing, either. That sunlight is the best disinfectant is the spirit of the age. The old informal understandings were bound to be modernised, reformed and codified.

But a moments thought will confirm that, if any complaint against Johnson is pursued, one lot of injustices risks simply being replaced by others  an illustration of the perils of hastily thrown-together codes. For if this happens, the Party Chairman who said that Johnson should apologise will, first, appoint the jury in the case: second, act on that jurys findings and, perhaps third, refer them to the Party leader, who has already agreed with his viewand who will thus become the judge of the fate of a rival for her job, empowered by the code to bar him from a future leadership contest.

It is unlikely that, even in these extreme circumstances, Johnson would commission his learned friends  or perhaps his learned wife, a distinguished human rights barrister  to pursue the legal ramifications of such potential breaches of natural justice. (We arent lawyers here at ConservativeHome, but such a claim would surely be arguable.) After all, Julian Smith has the power to suspend or remove the whip from the former Foreign Secretary anyway, without all this procedural malarkey. And the Johnson case is ultimately about politics, not law.

None the less, the new Code of Conduct reveals yet another dimension of the net in which Brandon Lewis and Theresa May have entangled themselves in the Johnson case. Spooked by a weird combination of Islamist campaigning, Remainer point-scoring, real and justified Muslim fearfulness, virtue signalling, ignorance of the divisions within modern Islam, by double standards, the desire to score off Labour over anti-semitism, and the apparent incapacity to distinguish between the hijab and the burka, they are now damned if they do and damned if they dont.

If they dont ease the way for complaints about Johnson, having called on him to apologise, those whom they seek to appease will turn on them. If they do, they will open up consequences which they may not be able to control. At least one Cabinet Minister is gobsmacked by CCHQ and Downing Streets mishandling of the case. Thanks to their overkill, we are now on day four of what would otherwise have been a two-day story. Truly, Alice in Wonderland sometimes has nothing on the Conservative Party.
Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju

Thousands of peopled from former East Pakistan thronged to Assam in search of shelter from barbaric brutality of the Pakistani army. We supported these refugees, who were subjected to unprecedented atrocities. How we welcomed them can be illustrated by the emotional outpouring of poet-intellectual Harindranath Chattopaday, who in the Ismail Yusuf College in Mumbai was seen waxing eloquence in fostering bond between us and the vulnerable people of East Pakistan. His poem Hamar Sonar Bongla embodied the extreme fraternity and love between the people of our Bengal and Bengalis from across the border.

However, with the passage of time, the scenario has changed and the same Bangladeshis, who were once our darling, are being hated. It is the same Bangladeshis who have become the bone of contention in Assam.

Assam has seen fierce move to oust Bangladeshis. The situation against the illegal migrants or even Indian non-Assamese aggravated to such an extent that one of the worst massacres of Muslim Bengalis took place in Nelly. The killing operation of Muslims, mainly women and children, continued unabated for six hours on February 18, 1983 under the very nose of the so-called secular administration, which left the world stunned. It was one of the worst cases of brutal massacres in human history. Police was informed of the impending tragedy, but it looked the other way. It goes to the credit of prominent journalist Arun Shouri to bare the truth about the horrific grotesque loss of life.

The fact is that anti-Bangladeshi agitation played a major role in whipping up hatred and deep sense of resentment, leading to the to the gruesome massacre. The hawks in Assam took the anti-migrants agitation to a feverish pitch, creating a violent turmoil. The hatred against Muslims was so intense that even the supply of water was blocked in protest against the chief ministership of Anwara Taimur. Ironically, decades later, Taimurs name does not find itself in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC)!

The Congress, which earlier capitalised on the votes of these immigrants, felt no compunction in politically flirting with the violent agitationists against the illegal immigrants or outsiders. It was Rajiv Gandhi who signed an accord with the All-Assam Students Union. The Assam Accord gave all the required legitimacy to the violent AASU. Such was the diabolical approach of the government.

Mandated by the Supreme Court, the draft NRC, which was meant to find out genuine Indians and detect illegal immigrants, so as to weed them out, has excluded about 40 lakh people, or nearly 10% of the population, most of them Muslims, leading to new humanitarian crisis. The future of those who are proposed as illegal immigrants is uncertain. Those left out of NRC are facing a precarious situation with the likelihood that their rights could be jeopardised. Yet, AASU is jubilant; it even distributed sweets. What sort of sadistic pleasure is it to smile at some ones tragedy? Meanwhile, BJP Present Amit Shah, blowing his own trumpet of implementing the Assam Accord, said that Bengali migrants are intruders and would be a strain on the rights of the natives.

No doubt, part of the problem lies in the fear of demographic changes. In the name of the lurking fear citizenship, the credential of Indian Bengalis and other nationals have also been put to question. Not less significant is the fact that there is widespread discontent over the NRC draft, as genuine citizens are also missing from the list. The possibilities of discrimination in todays communal atmosphere cant be ruled out.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has made it clear that the exercise being conducted under its aegis to identify the alleged aliens residing in Assam would not stop, but nipped the fear of any immediate fallout for those who have not made it to the NRC draft, saying that no coercive step would be taken against them. In the light of the direction of the apex court, the response of the implementing authorities should not be structured on the basis of discrimination and coercion. Notwithstanding apex court directions, fear psychosis and extreme vulnerability continues.

In the teeth of the simmering crisis, Bangladesh has refused to accept these alleged aliens. Any aggravating of the plight of illegal migrants, mainly Muslims, has the potential to generate widespread discontent and would destabilize the current political establishment in the neighbouring country.

The basics question is, is it fair to strip the people of their citizenship on the basis of the cut off date of 1971, as these people have remained for pretty long in India? The issue is onerous, leading to chaos and disruption in the life of ordinary people. It is a human rights issue, which cannot be brushed under the carpet in the name of interests of natives and painting alleged or real aliens as devil.

---

*Based in Kalyan, Maharashtra

Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju recently said that the Rohingayas living in India dont have the status of refugees but are illegal migrants, who would be deported once their details have been prepared. The statement shows how insensitive has Government of India become towards a community, bulk of whose population is of Indian origin. Rohingiyas are descendants of the plantation workers, taken by the Britishers to Burma during the colonial rule. This can also be illustrated by a visit to some of the Khoja Muslim households, many of whom have returned from Burma and settled down in Karimabad, Bhendi Bazar, Mumbai. Some of these Burmese Khoja females even today wear typical Burmese lungees, and carry with them imprints of Burmese ethos and culture.Rohingayas fled from Myanmar or Burma due to extreme persecution they were subjected to by the Myanmar army and the government. Violence against them was so brutal that the US Holocaust Museum, which had conferred award to the country's president, Aung Sui, withdrew it early this year. She silently reconciled to the brutal massacre of the Rohingayas, which drew the ire and condemnation across the world. It is unfortunate that those in the corridors of power in India have a different logic to apply on what essentially is a humanitarian crisis. It is treating them a threat to the security of the country.The minister has found their involvement in illegal activities. Due to their economic deprivation, some of them may have been involved in such activities, but these are exceptional incidents, and cannot be cannot be thrust upon the entire community.While nobody in the government is shedding tears on one set of people, there is a move to accommodate Hindus persecuted in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. While Hindus persecuted in these countries do deserve strongest sympathy, in a complex situation, in these countries, Muslims too are not spared. In Afghanistan every other day worst terror attacks take place on Muslims. In Pakistan the situation is not any different. Even children are not spared during terror attacks. In Bangladesh liberals are not safe, despite all tall talk by the Sheikh Hasina government.Governments in these countries cannot escape their responsibility of providing safety to minorities from their hawkish attitudes. Why only government, even people in these counties are required to provide security to Hindu minorities.It is strange, indeed, that while the Government of India is ready to accommodate Hindus persecuted in these countries, and is contemplating even a law for this, there is an attempt to exclude Muslims. Would that law not run contrary to the secular spirit of the Constitution? Would the approach of the present government not run contrary to Article 15 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth?
Since coming to Salesforce five years ago, Keith Block has been a driving force in the CRM leader's surge past $10 billion in revenue -- faster than any software company before it.

Promoted Wednesday to co-CEO, the former Oracle exec's new position formalizes his role as the key architect and implementor of Salesforce's strategy to also hit $20 billion in record time.

Block's elevation frees founder and now co-CEO Marc Benioff to focus on loftier issues of vision, technological and marketing innovation, stakeholder engagement and culture, according to a statement from the company.

[Related: Salesforce Doubles Down On Its Vertical Strategy As New Channel Chief And His Predecessor Align Partners And Industries]

Partners applauded Benioff's decision to delegate leadership over execution and operations to an equal officer.

"It's a smart, strategic step for Salesforce," Gireesh Sonnad, CEO and co-founder of Silverline, a New York City-headquartered Salesforce partner, told CRN.

Benioff will be able to focus on what he does bestdriving innovation and increasing the standard of customer success, Sonnad said.

"Ive seen first-hand how Keith's [Block] focus on industry verticalization of the Salesforce platform has increased growth over the last five years," Sonnad said.

Pat Morrissey, CMO at Altify, a Salesforce partner headquartered in San Jose, Calif., said Block's promotion is a smart move on Benioff's part, as the founder's job has always transcended running day-to-day operations.

"Partnering with Block frees Marc [Benioff] to spend more cycles on product, people and culture," Morrissey said.

As co-CEO, Block will remain dedicated to commercial operations, customer success, and expanding Salesforces push into verticals, he said.

"This move is a win for Salesforces employees, customers and partners," Morrissey said.

Eran Gil, CEO of AllCloud, a Salesforce partner headquartered in Israel that recently moved into the North American market, said Block's operational skills complement Benioff's vision in a way that will benefit Salesforce and its ecosystem.

"Keith's nomination makes perfect sense as a next step in Salesforce's evolution and growth," Gil told CRN, adding he and his team have directly "seen and experienced Keith's abilities" in areas that touched AllCloud's business, including collaboration with partners.

After a rancorous split with Oracle, Block landed at Salesforce in 2013 to lead customer-facing operations across the rapidly growing SaaS vendor's global sales, customer support and consulting services organizations. As the new Salesforce president, he simultaneously took a seat on the company's board.

Block, increasingly perceived as Benioff's right-hand man, was promoted to chief operating officer in early 2016, reflecting the integral leadership role he was playing across the company.

Block left Oracle as executive vice president of the company's North American sales operations, including the software giant's channel organizationa position he held since 2002.

After 26 years at the software giant, he was dismissed in June 2012 for reportedly writing emails critical of Oracle's management and $7.3 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010.

In his new role at Salesforce, Block will report directly to the board of directors on which he sits.

"Keith has been my trusted partner in running Salesforce for the past five years, and I'm thrilled to welcome him as co-CEO," Benioff said in a prepared statement. "Keith has outstanding operational expertise and corporate leadership experience, and I could not be happier for his promotion and this next level of our partnership."
Oracle has long been steaming about the Pentagon's looming multi-billion-dollar cloud computing contract, and weeks into the bidding process the company has filed a formal complaint with the federal government.

The software giant is challenging the winner-take-all nature of JEDI, a massive initiative to modernize IT resources by migrating the military to public cloud infrastructure. Oracle has argued the RFP appears crafted to give Amazon Web Services a leg up in the bidding process.

Oracle has led a coalition of tech vendors in voicing opposition to awarding the contract to a single provider, and on Monday officially filed a bid protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

[Related: AWS CEO Jassy Pledges 'Very Competitive' Bid in Jedi Pentagon Contract]

The JEDI program is expected to amount to $10 billion over 10 years.

The Pentagon confirmed a single award last month, despite vocal pushback from across the industry.

In May, military leaders defended that plan.

A coalition of tech giants has gelled around Oracle's protest, including Microsoft and IBM, two of Amazon's most-prominent cloud rivals, as well as hardware giants Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The Information Technology Industry (ITI) Council's IT Alliance for Public Sector, a consortium that's comprised of all the cloud providers involved in the dispute, has argued a multi-cloud approach would adhere to best practices for ensuring price competitiveness and avoiding vendor lock-in.

At a media event at Oracle headquarters in May, Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd vowed Oracle would be "very active" in the bidding process once the final RFP is released.

"I think it would only make sense for the government to leverage its installed base  I'm sure they will do it fairly on who can bring the government the furthest along, modernize and certainly at the same time save them money," Hurd said.

Heather Babb, a Department of Defense spokesperson, told CRN via email that while the JEDI Cloud is a full and open competition that will result in a single-award contract, it does not preclude multiple vendors from participating in the project.

"Multiple vendors may form a partnership and offer a solution to compete for the single-contract award. Extensive market research has shown that multiple vendors are capable of meeting the requirements of the department," Babb wrote.

"The JEDI Cloud is a critical first step toward an enterprise cloud solution that enables data-driven decision making and allows DOD to take full advantage of applications and data resources. While JEDI Cloud is an initial step toward a department-wide cloud solution, DOD will continue to operate in a multi-cloud environment due to diverse mission needs," she wrote.
Dell Technologies is projecting total sales to reach upwards of $103.3 billion by fiscal year 2022, a sales figure channel partners said they are optimistic the infrastructure giant can hit.

"Honestly if anyone is capable of that much growth, it's Dell," said Dan Serpico, president and CEO of FusionStorm, a top Dell global partner, ranked No. 51 on CRN's 2018 Solution Provider 500 list. "They have an enormous amount of solutions for arguably the broadest portfolio in the market, bar-none, between servers, storage, security, networking, cloud solutions, VMware  and are number one or number two in market share for nearly every platform. Based on our own growth with them, and our own growth as a company, I continue to see enormous opportunity in the industry for all of us."

In its longest reaching guidance since becoming private in 2013, Dell Technologies said it expects to generate $87.5 billion in total revenue for its current fiscal year 2019, up 9 percent from $79.9 billion in fiscal 2018, according to an Aug. 6 S-4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

[Related: Dell VMware, Public Stock Deal By The Numbers]

The Round Rock, Texas-based vendor is projecting strong double-digit revenue growth over the next several years, with expectations to reach between $99.5 billion and $103.3 billion in total revenue in fiscal 2022.

Dell expects revenue for its Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), which includes storage, servers, data protection and networking, to reach $34 billion for fiscal year 2019. The company predicts ISG revenues to increase by more than $1 billion annually over the next three years, hitting $38 billion by 2022.

The vendor expects Client Solution Group (CSG) sales, which includes PCs, notebooks and workstations, to generate $42.5 billion in fiscal year 2019. Dell projects CSG revenues to grow more than $1 billion annually over the next three years to $47 billion in fiscal year 2022.

Scott Winslow, president of Winslow Technology Group, a Waltham, Mass.-based Dell partner, said he was "impressed" by the growth projections. "I don't know many large companies that are growing at this large clip," he said. "It's pretty impressive growth numbers."

Winslow was interested by VMware's importance to Dell Technologies overall earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA).

"VMware is the golden child in the portfolio," said Winslow.

Dell is expecting VMware to reach $8.8 billion in total revenue in fiscal 2019, representing approximately 10 percent of Dell's overall $87.5 billion sales projection. However, VMware's contribution to Dell's overall $9.7 billion EBITA for fiscal year 2019 is $3.2 billion.

VMware's total revenue is expected to reach $11.6 billion by fiscal year 2022 and represent $4.3 billion of Dell's total $9.1 billion EBITA in 2022.

Dell's SEC filing comes as the company is striving to win over investors for its bid to go public again as part of a share swap with its DMVT VMware software business tracking stock. The information in the 300-page SEC filing makes the case to investors to buy out the tracking stock linked to VMware. The move will require an approval vote from a majority of DVMT shareholders expected to take place later this year.

"I'm excited that Dell's as bullish as they are," said FusionStorm's Serpico. "For decades they've done a very good job in meeting the market where it is and positioning itself for the changes that are coming. If Dell is as bullish as they are, then they have to be bullish about both their own technologies and the industry as a whole. That speaks volumes for the opportunity that exists for us and the rest of the solution provider community."
Having fully absorbed Level 3 Communications last year, telecommunications firm CenturyLink said it's now able to offer better products -- such as hybrid cloud, SD-WAN, and managed services -- than each company could ever offer on their own.

"By combining the best of both company's portfolios, our responsiveness to the market will be enhanced  and will enable us to compete for a broader set of opportunities," Jeff Storey, CenturyLink's president and CEO said during the company's second quarter 2018 earnings call on Wednesday evening.

Storey, the former CEO of Level 3 Communications prior to its merger with CenturyLink, stepped up as CEO of CenturyLink this past March following the retirement of the telecom's longtime CEO, Glen Post.

[Related: CenturyLink CEO To Retire Earlier Than Expected As Former Level 3 CEO Storey Steps Up]

CenturyLink today is the second-largest U.S.-based communications provider to global enterprise customers behind cable competitor Comcast. The carrier is also living up to its promise that business services would account for 75 percent of its revenues post-Level 3 integration. Today, the business services segment brings in about 74 percent of CenturyLink's revenue.

Despite the push, CenturyLink's business sales declined slightly overall -- about 1.6 percent -- during the carrier's second financial quarter.

IT and managed services, however, continued to be a bright spot in CenturyLink's business sales in the second quarter of 2018. The segment pulled in $162 million, an increase of 5 percent from Q2 2017's result of $154 million. The Monroe, La.-based service provider has been pushing its focus on strategic IT solutions and away from legacy services, and the shift is paying off, according to the provider.

Wholesale and indirect revenue, on the other hand, dipped 3 percent from $1.28 billion in Q2 2017, down from $1.32 billion this quarter. At the same time, enterprise sales, a segment that includes CenturyLink's high-bandwidth data services, managed services, and SD-WAN packages, stayed flat year-over-year at about $1.29 billion for both this quarter and 2017's second-quarter.

Small and medium business sales slipped slightly to $884 million during the quarter, compared to $993 million in Q2 2017. CenturyLink has recently focused more of its efforts on this space, and in 2017 revealed several new offerings specifically to SMB customers, including CenturyLink Business Wi-Fi, CenturyLink Business VoIP for small business customers, and CenturyLink Managed Enterprise with Cisco Meraki.

Sunit Patel, CenturyLink's executive vice president and CFO, said CenturyLink is seeing "improved productivity" from its sales teams, and is now selling into larger enterprise accounts, which is expected to translate into a trend upward for business revenues. CenturyLink did not specifically comment on the productivity of its channel partner community during the earnings call.

The carrier touted some of its enterprise customers that are now relying on the carrier as its primary service provider during the call, including General Mills.

CenturyLink expects to grow its wallet share with its large business customers as more enterprises seek integrated IT and communications solutions, Storey said.

"We find that customers want an integrated network solution, and we have a product portfolio able to meet those needs," he said. "We believe the CenturyLink of today is very different than the [company] of the past."

Voice and collaboration sales continued its downward trajectory during the quarter, falling 8 percent with revenues of $1.66 billion. In the same year-ago period, voice and collaboration saw $1.80 billion in sales.

Consumer revenues declined by 6 percent to $1.35 billion during the quarter compared to Q2 2017's result of $1.44 billion, which the provider attributed to declining legacy voice revenues, lower broadband, and video revenues, and increased cable competition. Consumer broadband subscribers also fell to 4.91 million from a year-ago total of 5.23 million.

For the quarter that ended June. 30, the provider reported consolidated total revenue of $5.90 billion, in which business services accounted for $4.37 billion. Total revenue declined about 2 percent overall from Q2 2017's result of $6.04 billion. CenturyLink reported net Income of $292 million for the quarter, compared to $69 million last year.

CenturyLink beat Wall Street's prediction of $0.24 per share this quarter, reporting diluted earnings per share of $0.27 for its second-quarter, an increase compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.06 for the same period in 2017.
Two Democrats vying to replace U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty as the 5th Districts congresswoman faced off for the 10th and final time Wednesday during a livestreamed debate.

Mary Glassman and Jahana Hayes battled about the source of some of Hayes political contributions, and they battled over Glassmans decision to leave office as Simsburys top elected leader over a pay-cut dispute.

The candidates stated similar positions on representing the 5th District and working with the GOP in Washington, D.C., protecting Obamacare and opposing President Donald Trumps hard line on issues such as immigration.

We need to make sure we can work together to get changes we need in health care, and to relieve our student loan debt, but we also need someone who can stand up against this administration, said Glassman, the former longtime first selectman of Simsbury who won the Democratic endorsement at the May convention. Some issues like immigration and putting children in cages we cannot compromise on.

Hayes agreed.

Some of my positions are progressive because I believe government needs to step up and help people, but some of my positions are more moderate because I believe people have a responsibility to work with government, said Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year who now supervises professional development at Waterbury schools. But nobody in our party believes that what is happening with this White House aligns with our values or morals.

Glassman and Hayes, who have been battling all summer to raise money and get their name out to a district that stretches from greater Danbury to Massachusetts, have six days left to make their case to Democrats before Tuesdays primary.

My campaign has raised 85 percent of my contributions right here in Connecticut and my opponent has received 35 percent of her money from in-state, said Glassman, who also criticized Hayes for accepting donations from a church that has taken a position against gay marriage.

Hayes, who said she supports LGBT rights and has no plans to return the donations, said her out-of-state money proved she was innovative.

The fact that I am able to inspire people from across the country shows that people are listening, said Hayes, who has raised over $500,000  more than Glassman or Republican candidates, who are locked in their own Aug. 14 primary. It was hard work, but this is what innovators do  and it is evidence of what I can do as a legislator.

The hourlong debate, which was moderated by NBC Connecticut Political Reporter Max Reiss, was held in the networks West Hartford studios, and did not include a live audience.

That was in contrast to a Glassman-Hayes debate on July 30 in Torrington, where a Danbury Democratic Town Committee member who attended said she felt alienated because Hayes identified herself as a woman of color.

That Danbury Democrat, Martha Rhodes, posted her frustration on Facebook, accusing Hayes of veiled racism. Democratic leaders, including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, condemned the remarks, and Rhodes apologized, saying her comments had no place in politics.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
The three Trump Republicans vying to represent the 5th District each propose to be the key to what west-central Connecticut voters need in Washington, D.C.

Front-runner Manny Santos, a former mayor of Meriden, is being challenged by Ruby Corby ONeill, a retired psychology professor from Southbury, and Rich Dupont, a Watertown businessman, in the Aug. 14 Republican primary.

Santos, who won the Republican endorsement at the party convention in May, says obstruction by Connecticuts all-Democratic Congressional delegation to President Donald Trumps economic agenda is keeping the state from recovering as quickly as other parts of the country from the Great Recession.

The majority of voters see representatives from Connecticut to Washington, D.C., obstructing the good work of this administration, Santos said at a recent GOP debate. The condition this state is in now was created by Democratic policies.

ONeill, who has raised more money than her male rivals and has charged that neither of them can beat the Democratic candidate for the 5th District in November, says she connects best with the Connecticut voter. An immigrant who fought through a crisis marriage and earned advanced degrees as a single, working mom, ONeill said she is a staunch defender of Conservative principles.

I am what the American dream looks like, ONeill said at a debate in late July. I am the best choice for our Republican Party.

Dupont, the former director of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, who runs a consulting firm for manufacturing, health care and municipal clients, says creating jobs are the key to Connecticuts recovery, and he knows how to create them.

I am a collaborator with a record of working with people to get things done, Dupont said at a July 31 debate. We can break the cycle of poverty in our cities - there is a way out.

The Republican race has unusual energy this year because 2018 is considered the best chance the GOP has had in three elections to capture what has traditionally been Connecticuts most competitive Congressional seat.

The Republicans considered their chances improved in the spring when U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a three-term Democrat, dropped her plans for re-election after admitting her role in covering up an office abuse scandal.

With Esty and her $1.5 million out of the picture, the only candidate in the race was Santos. Both parties scrambled for candidates, and at least one Washington, D.C., election forecaster upgraded the GOPs chances for an upset in Novembers midterm elections.

But following a narrow victory at the Democratic convention by former longtime Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman over 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes, the primary race was on for the Democrats as well. The Democrats went on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the Republicans, prompting the Washington, D.C.-based election forecaster, Cook Report, to downgrade the GOPs chances of winning the 5th District.

The GOP candidates responded that observers did not understand voter anger with Democratic policies in the 5th District, which stretches from greater Danbury to Massachusetts and includes parts of central Connecticut.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
BRIDGEPORT  FBI agent puts bad guy behind bars, bad guy does his time, gets released and puts the G-Man on his payroll.

Even in Hollywood, that story line might be rejected as too unbelievable. But this is Bridgeport, where a mayor convicted of corruption got re-elected and is now running for governor.

And so, for two-and-a-half years, retired FBI Agent Edward Adams has been working for returned Mayor Joe Ganim, the man Adams helped convict in 2003 of running a pay-to-play operation out of City Hall. Adams earns $91,800 a year handling a variety of duties as a mayoral aide, including letting the ex-felon mayor and staff know if they ever cross an ethical line  something Adams claimed he has not had to do with Ganim.

Hes not cutting corners or doing favors or anything like that, Adams said.

Adams municipal employment has become a gubernatorial campaign talking point for Ganim. Granted a second chance in 2015 by Bridgeport voters, the mayor is trying to convince fellow Democrats statewide he can be entrusted with running Connecticut.

(I) have even garnered support from those that were on the opposite side of that corruption investigation, Ganim recently said on radio station WNPRs Where We Live program, noting the head investigator works in Bridgeport City Hall.

I didnt personally put him away, Adams told Hearst Connecticut Media this week. It was a joint investigation ... of corruption in Bridgeport. And then, of course, it went through the federal court system and a jury found him guilty.

Joining the team

Adams has been publicly allied with his former perp since the retired federal agent supported the fallen mayors successful 2015 comeback campaign. Back then Ganim similarly used Adams endorsement to try to blunt attacks on his criminal past.

There was a bit of disbelief around a lot of it, followed by us overall just asking, Why?  recalled someone who was affiliated three years ago with then-Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, whom Ganim defeated in the 2015 Democratic primary. If normally a story line like that is too good to be true, it is.

Adams dismisses his support of Ganim as no big deal, saying, I firmly believe hes learned his lesson.

But what motivated Adams? Did he feel sympathy for his one-time criminal target?

The mayors father, George Ganim, for example, has condemned his sons 2003 conviction and subsequent, nine-year prison sentence  he was released after seven  as a terrible miscarriage of justice.

The evidence that was presented warranted the outcome, Adams said. I dont think he got too harsh a sentence.

Did Adams come to admire Ganim, then a rising political star, during the investigation?

No, I did not admire him. No, Adams said.

Adams said he had no subsequent contact with Ganim until early 2015, when the mayor reached out and the two men met on several occasions to discuss Ganims possible comeback campaign.

Adams, of Fairfield, retired from the FBI after 26 years on Dec. 31, 2003. He later opened and still runs a Fairfield-based investigative and security consulting company.

In fact, Adams online company biography highlights how he successfully managed the FBIs Bridgeport public corruption investigation which resulted in a dozen convictions, including that of the mayor. Ganims name is not mentioned.

2003 Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim convicted on corruption charges after an investigation in which FBI agent Adams participates. Adams retires from the federal agency at the end of that year. 2015 Ganim and Adams have a series of meetings to discuss a possible mayoral comeback. Ganim goes on to beat incumbent Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch in a primary and wins the election in November. Ganim hires Adams for a multifaceted City Hall job. 2018 Ganim , now running for governor, uses his professional relationship with Adams as a campaign talking point in support of the mayor's changed ways. See More Collapse

Varied duties

Even before he went to work for Ganim, Adams post-G-Man consulting career proved he was not averse to working for people from the other side of the criminal justice system. Adams was part of Danbury-based trash hauler James Galantes legal team. Galante pleaded guilty in 2008 to racketeering and fraud charges and was sentenced to federal prison.

Federal prosecutors, FBI agents, they retire, they go and work for the defense, Adams said.

Still, after Adams backed Ganim in 2015, Michael Wolf, the FBI Special Agent in charge of Connecticut during the Bridgeport investigation, was compelled to write a letter to Hearst stating: Many investigators and attorneys who worked tirelessly on the Ganim case and prosecution are appalled and dismayed that he may again have the opportunity to victimize the city and its people.

Wolfe wrote that Adams was not the lead investigator and did not bear responsibility for making strategic case decisions.

The returned mayor rewarded Adams and other key supporters with politically appointed city jobs. Ganim and Adams pitched creating a new government accountability office, but the failed proposal had big flaws: The director  presumably Adams  lacked independence and could be fired by the mayor.

According to Ganims office, Adams responsibilities have since included: Reviewing documents before the mayor signs them; reviewing purchasing procedures; ensuring departments follow policies; handling Freedom of Information Act requests of the mayors office; acting as a liaison with the Housing Authority; assessing security within municipal buildings; and special projects, like trying to salvage a widely panned system of new downtown parking meters installed last year.

Many people probably know Adams mainly from his work on the meters. He took over as the citys representative on the project from another mayoral aide, and began meeting with angry downtown businesses, looking into ways to better publicize the new parking technology and to change enforcement policies. But ultimately Adams efforts did not satisfy critics, and the Ganim administration has since decided to replace the meters.

Joe wanted me to be part of his administration to make sure ... that hes doing things right, were doing things right, Adams said.

But there have been recent examples of the mayor seemingly abusing his authority  or at the least acting with a sense of entitlement  while running for governor: Campaigning in a city vehicle driven by a police detective; campaigning on city time; getting the superintendent of schools to help criticize his opponent; and promoting two staffers who are also key campaign aides. One of those raises was rescinded after it was reported by Hearst.

I know hes got a lot of individuals who think hes doing a lousy job, whether it be the tax rate or campaigning while working, things like that, Adams said. But when you realize how many hours a week he works for the city as mayor, its incredible.

And like many other city staffers hired by Ganim, Adams supports the boss desire to move on to higher office, having contributed $2,375 to the mayors gubernatorial campaign.
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."
Currently Reading

What you need to know about Conn. tax-free week, Aug. 19-25
The undersigned are current and former members of the Bridgeport Board of Education with approximately 55 years of combined service.

We value public school education.

We volunteer our time to serve the public school children of Bridgeport.

That is why we support Aaron Turner in the Democratic primary for state senate in the 23rd Senatorial District, rather than his opponent, current Bridgeport BOE member Dennis Bradley.

We endorse Turner because we firmly believe that he is an independent thinker and a committed public servant.

His opponent, on the other hand, has been a cog in the Bridgeport political machine that has deliberately underfunded public education and has resisted meaningful reforms advocated by our superintendent of schools.

Given a choice between the politics of patronage and sound education policy, Dennis Bradley can always be counted on to support the political machine. This brand of naked political posturing and loyalty to politics is what has denied our school children the opportunities to succeed in school and in life.

Aaron Turner has demonstrated a determination to fight for the best interests of Bridgeport families and children. He will be guided by the enduring principles of integrity, respect and justice. He has a deep understanding of the needs of the people of our school district and has promised to use his energy, strength and love of community to make sure that Bridgeport receives its fair share of benefits and resources from the state of Connecticut.

Bridgeports families and children need someone who will intelligently and compassionately advocate for them in Hartford; we can no longer afford to send representatives who unquestionably salute whatever the political machine runs up the flag pole.

Aaron Turner is the candidate who will act in the best interests of the people of Bridgeport, rather than in the best interests of the politicians of Bridgeport.

Please join us in voting for Aaron Turner for state senate in the Democratic primary in the 23rd Senatorial district on Aug. 14.

The letter was signed by: Maria Pereira, John Bagley, Bobby Simmons, Ben Walker, Howard Gardner, Maximino Medina Jr., Joe Sokolovic and Sauda Efie-Baraka, all current or former Bridgeport BOE members.
CUNA and the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) saw a victory late Tuesday with the dismissal of a frivolous lawsuit against Aurora (Ill.) Policemen CU. CUNA and the league worked with the credit union to file an amicus brief on its behalf.

Credit unions around the country are facing frivolous lawsuits due to uncertainty regarding how the ADA applies to websites. CUNA has deployed its 360-degree advocacy to find a solution, and this latest dismissal is a promising victory on the legal front, said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle. As we continue our work in the courts, were also engaged with policymakers in Congress and the Department of Justice to find a permanent solution to this exploitation of a law designed to protect disabled Americans.

Judge Thomas M. Durkin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted Aurora Policemans motion to dismiss for lack of standing. Since the defendant is ineligible to become a member, he cannot allege an injury for failure to access the credit unions website.
STORY LINK Pound Sterling to Turkish Lira (GBP/TRY) Exchange Rate Up 3.4% despite Brexit Handicap

What I want to see is as we sit and negotiate that deal with the EU, I think its 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.

Daily GBP/TRY News: Pound Sterling Rises 3.4% against Turkish Lira despite Brexit Fears

Turkish Lira to Pound (TRY/GBP) Exchange Rate Tumbles as US-Turkey Feud Worsens

With [Turkish] President Recep Tayyip Erdogans troubling consolidation of power in the past year, the spat over Brunson is likely only the beginning of a series of conflicts, in which the United States will have little leverage or bargaining power.

Pound Sterling to Turkish Lira (GBP/TRY) Exchange Rate Forecast: Are Greater Gains ahead on UK GDP Data?

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

Wednesdays trading session saw the Pound to Turkish Lira (GBP/TRY) exchange rate open in the region of 6.8206 and close higher at a level of 6.8410.The Pound has struggled against most other currency peers this week, so yesterdays GBP/TRY exchange rate rise was mainly down to the Lira being the weaker currency.On the UK side of proceedings, Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that there could be dire consequences to the UK ending up with no Brexit deal.In something of a recurring theme, Mrs Sturgeons warning echoed similar recent sentiments from parties such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) and Bank of England (BoE) Governor Mark Carney.Prime Minister Theresa May attempted to defend the ongoing Brexit process, saying:The Pound (GBP) has risen by a phenomenal 3.4% against the Turkish Lira (TRY) today, although other GBP exchange rate movement has been more volatile by comparison.The Pounds spectacular advance in the GBP/TRY pairing is mainly down to the Lira being heavily devalued  GBP traders are still concerned about a possible no-deal Brexit occurring.Despite the lack of solid support for the Pound during the week so far, its possible that a small part of todays GBP/TRY appreciation is because of Pound trader hopes for positive UK GDP stats on Friday.Signs of a worsening relationship between Turkey and the United States have drained TRY trader confidence today, causing the Lira to Pound (TRY/GBP) exchange rate to fall to an all-time low.The latest deterioration in international relations came on Wednesday, when it was reported that US and Turkish officials had failed to resolve the case of a US pastor held in Turkey.The case of Andrew Brunson made international headlines last week, when the US imposed sanctions on Turkish ministers and threatened greater penalties if Mr Brunson was not released.While the two sides are currently at an impasse, the Liras sharp devaluation today shows that TRY traders are worried about a potential worsening of an already bad situation in the future.Predicting just such a scenario, Foreign Policy Interrupted CEO Elmira Bayrasli says:The Pounds (GBP) favourable performance against the Lira (TRY) today could improve further on Friday, when potentially supportive UK GDP stats will be released.Preliminary estimates for the Q2 2018 GDP readings are expected to rise from 0.2% to 0.4% on the quarter and from 1.2% to 1.3% on the year; such results could push the GBP/TRY exchange rate higher.Another source of support for the Pound may be the preliminary UK Q2 business investment reading, which is expected to shift from -0.4% to 0.3%.On the other side of the currency pairing, the next Turkish data to watch out for isnt due until Wednesday next week.Expectations are for the unemployment rate in May to reduce from 9.6% to 9.5%; such a result might restore Lira trader confidence and cause a brief TRY/GBP exchange rate rise.

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 Lira Forecasts
Election Day in Pa: Know these rights when you head to the polls
Eight villages in Rajasthan that had Muslim names have been rechristened.

One would have to go back a little  not too long back  in the past to know why this has happened.

In February this year, the BJP in Rajasthan, under the leadership of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, faced an embarrassing by-election defeat in the Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha constituencies and the Mangalgarh Assembly seat.

No go: The BJP suffered a major loss in Ajmer Lok Sabha by-poll. (Source: PTI)

All three seats were wrested from the BJP by the Congress.

While winning and losing is part of politics, it is the magnitude of defeat that often decides how bitter the battle ahead will be.

The BJP failed to win even a single one of the 16 Assembly segments in Ajmer and Alwar. In the 2013 Assembly elections, the BJP won 15 of them, the Congress just one.

In a rude shock, the party came to find that in some booths, it had not won even a single vote, despite the efficient booth management the BJP is known to have mastered.

The by-election showed the BJP just how disenchanted people on the ground are.

Party insiders threw open the results of the post-mortem of the drubbing. Fingers were pointed at Raje's leadership. Voices against her that had been simmering now rose by several decibels, accusing the chief minister of being cut off from party workers and not taking them along.

Royal, with no challengers? The party declared Vasundhara Raje as its official CM candidate. (Source: PTI)

She only made her case worse by openly opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah's choice of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the state unit chief.

While the party has gone ahead to declare her the chief ministerial candidate for the election likely to take place around November-December, the road for her is not an easy one because it is not just the government but her own career which is at stake. A loss in the election could well spell an end to the 65-year-old chief minister's active political career.

When careers of political leaders come to depend on a single election, people must know they are in danger because most find the high of power too hard to give up. It is for this reason that they try all kinds of tricks to occupy the throne. Often, human lives are then counted as collateral damage.

The Rajasthan government had sent a proposal to the Union Home Ministry to change the name of 27 villages, apparently bearing Muslim names. The Union Home Ministry has given its nod to change the name of eight villages as of now.

This name change exercise of villages is Raje's bid to stay seated in the chief minister's chair.

But it is communal politics at its worst in a state where not just people, but police too are turning into mobs, killing in the name of religion giving rise to a new trend of 'custodial lynching'. The recent brutal killing of Rakbar in Alwar is a case in point. There have many more such cases in the state, the litany of which has been repeated over and over again.

Who killed Rakbar? A lynching that had state sanction written all over it. (Source: Twitter)

Even a cursory look at the reasons dished out by the Raje dispensation for this grand 'name change' politics could send one's head spinning.

One of the 'reasons' states that a majority of those staying in the villages with 'Muslim names' were Hindus. In a state where the Muslim population is just 9.07 per cent, just what are the chances of villages or towns or cities being Muslim-dominated?

Muslim, or Sikh, or Christian names are a reflection of India's composite culture. An assertion that this country is not a theocratic nation, but one that belongs to everyone who is a citizen under the Constitution.

The problem is not that Raje is oblivious to this reality. The problem is that she is aware  and yet chooses to play politics with human lives, under the watchful eyes of party president Amit Shah and PM Modi.

Another excuse is that renaming these villages would boost matrimonial prospects as the earlier names gave an impression that these villages were inhabited by Muslims.

The policy simply falls short of saying that the word 'Muslim' is a pariah.

With election months away, many are calling this a political masterstroke, one which could give a huge boost to the sagging fortunes of the Raje government.

But political parties often tend to forget, or just don't care to remember, that after elections are over, such moves leave environments that are communally vitiated and that people are left to bear the consequences of it. It is because of this politics, which actually fans hatred, that mobs turn bloodthirsty and come to believe that killing someone for carrying a minority name  if caught with a cow, sometimes not that either  is official policy.

The Rajasthan BJP this June suffered a setback when Ghanshyam Tiwari, a Brahmin who has an RSS background, quit the party to contest under the banner of Bharat Vahini Party, formed by his son Akhilesh.

Tiwari was considered a leader of the Brahmins who constitute approximately 14-15 per cent of voters in the desert state. They can make a difference in at least 30-35 out of the total 200 Assembly seats.

While Rajasthan is known to be a two-party system, for a party facing anti-incumbency, and infighting at the same time, this is a desperate situation.

Raje stands accused of running an inefficient government. A Comptroller and Auditor General report stated that nearly a dozen government departments in Rajasthan failed to act promptly on the ambitious initiatives announced by chief minister Vasundhara Raje during the 2016-17 budget speech.

Throwing up one's hands: The recent CAG report was a serious indictment of the Raje government's functioning. (Source: PTI)

The report, tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly, said: "Slow pace in follow-up action and laxity in starting the works is indicative of lack of monitoring and pursuance of initiatives announced by the chief minister during budget speech."

The CAG investigation found that no expenditure was incurred by at least seven departments on major project/policy initiatives announced by the chief minister.

The government keenly involved in this naamkaran exercise drew flak from the Rajasthan High Court over its failure to set up adequate number of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) courts.

People with Masters degrees in the state works as house painters.

While government vacancies remain so, the private sector hasn't shown much interest in the state's employment subsidy programme. Kasba Bonli town has even reportedly warned that it won't vote for the BJP if its youths don't get jobs.

The state had given the BJP 23 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 elections.

Government policies take time to make a difference to people's lives. With politicians lacking both vision and intention, people are made to feed on the toxicity of communalism instead.

A new ground to justify the renaming exercise has been raking up examples from the past. Names were changed in the past, so the current regime claims a licence to do it. This is as good as parties telling people that India was poor, so it should remain poor, there have been many unemployed, so no one should ask for jobs now, people died in lynchings earlier, so they should now.

If the status quo has to remain, why hold elections?

Why change regimes?

This renaming exercise, blatant in its intent to divide, will be remembered as Raje's legacy  whether she wins or loses.

Also read: UP govt to pay people Rs 25,000 a month to publicise its schemes: This is truly sabka sath, sabka vikas
Wall Street analysts have given Invesco BulletShares 2024 Corporate Bond ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Invesco BulletShares 2024 Corporate Bond 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 The AES: 25 Ashdown Road Solar LLC, AES (India) Private Limited, AES (NI) Limited, AES Abigail S.a.r.l., AES Accabonac Solar LLC, AES Africa Power Company B.V., AES AgriVerde Holdings B.V., AES AgriVerde Services (Ukraine) Limited Liability Company, AES Alamitos Development Inc., AES Alamitos Energy LLC, AES Alamitos L.L.C., AES Alicura Holdings S.C.A., AES Americas International Holdings Limited, AES Andres (BVI) Ltd., AES Andres BV, AES Andres DR S.A., AES Andres Holdings I Ltd, AES Aramtermelo Holdings B.V., AES Argentina Generation S.A. (1), AES Argentina Holdings S.C.A., AES Argentina Investments Ltd., AES Argentina Operations Ltd., AES Arlington Services LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Holdings LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Wind 2 LLC, AES Aurora Holdings Inc., AES Aurora Inc., AES BES Jordan B.V., AES Bainbridge Holdings LLC, AES Bainbridge LLC, AES Ballylumford Holdings Limited, AES Baltic Holdings BV, AES Barka Services Inc., AES Barry Limited, AES Barry Operations Ltd., AES Beaver Valley L.L.C., AES Belfast West Power Limited, AES Belleville Solar LLC, AES Big Sky L.L.C., AES Botswana Holdings B.V., AES Brasil Ltda, AES Brazil Inc., AES Brazil International Holdings Limited, AES Broadalbin Solar LLC, AES Bulgaria B.V., AES Bulgaria Energy Solutions EOOD, AES Bulgaria Holdings BV, AES Bussum Holdings BV, AES CC&T International Ltd., AES CLESA Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita de Capital Variable, AES Calaca Pte. Ltd., AES Calgary Inc., AES California Management Co. Inc., AES Caracoles SRL, AES Carbon Exchange Ltd., AES Carbon Holdings LLC, AES Caribbean Finance Holdings Inc., AES Caribbean Investment Holdings Ltd., AES Cartegena Holdings BV, AES Cayman Guaiba Ltd., AES Cayman Pampas Ltd., AES Central America Electric Light LLC, AES Central American Holdings Inc., AES Central American Investment Holdings Ltd., AES Central Asia Holdings BV, AES Ceprano Energia SRL, AES Changuinola S.R.L., AES Chhattisgarh Energy Private Limited, AES Chigen Holdings Ltd., AES China Generating Co. Ltd., AES Chivor & Cia S.C.A. E.S.P., AES Chivor S.A., AES Climate Solutions Holdings I B.V., AES Climate Solutions Holdings I LLC, AES Climate Solutions Holdings II LLC, AES Climate Solutions Holdings L.P., AES Climate Solutions Holdings LLC, AES Colon Development S. de R.L., AES Columbia Power LLC, AES Communications LLC, AES Communications Latin America Inc., AES Connecticut Management L.L.C., AES Coop Holdings LLC, AES Costa Rica Energy SRL, AES Costa Rica Holdings Ltd., AES DE AssetCo VI LLC, AES DE Class B Holdings LLC, AES DE Class B I LLC, AES DE Class B II LLC, AES DE Class B III LLC, AES DE Class B IV LLC, AES DE Class B V LLC, AES DE Class B VI LLC, AES DE Class B VII LLC, AES DE Construction LLC, AES DE DevCo I LLC, AES DE DevCo NC LLC, AES DE Holdings I LLC, AES DE Holdings III LLC, AES DE Holdings IV LLC, AES DE Holdings V LLC, AES DE Holdings VI GB LLC, AES DE Holdings VI GB Owner LLC, AES DE Holdings VI LLC, AES DE Manager LLC, AES DE RS IX LLC, AES DE RS VI LLC, AES DE RS VII LLC, AES DE RS VIII LLC, AES DE RS X LLC, AES DE RS XI LLC, AES DE RS XII LLC, AES DE Residential Holdings I LLC, AES DE Solar Access Holdings I LLC, AES DE-GIE LLC, AES DPL Holdings LLC, AES DPP Holdings Ltd., AES Deepwater LLC, AES Desert Power L.L.C., AES Development de Argentina S.A., AES Disaster Relief Fund, AES Distribuidores Salvadorenos Limitada, AES Distribuidores Salvadorenos Y Compania S en C de C.V., AES Distributed Energy Inc., AES Dominicana Cooperatief UA, AES Drax Financing Inc., AES Drax Power Finance Holdings Limited, AES EDC Holding L.L.C., AES ES Alamitos LLC, AES ES Deepwater LLC, AES ES Gilbert LLC, AES ES Holdings LLC, AES ES Tait LLC, AES Ecotek Europe Holdings B.V., AES El Faro Electric Light Ltd., AES El Faro Generating Ltd., AES El Salvador Electric Light LLC, AES El Salvador LLC, AES El Salvador S.A. de C.V., AES El Salvador Trust, AES Electric Ltd., AES Electroinversora B.V., AES Elpa S.A., AES Empresa Electrica de El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, AES Endeavor Inc., AES Energia SRL, AES Energy B.V., AES Energy Developments S.L., AES Energy Ltd., AES Energy Services Inc., AES Energy Solutions LLC, AES Energy Storage Arizona LLC, AES Energy Storage Holdings, AES Energy Storage Holdings LLC, AES Energy Storage LLC, AES Energy Storage UK Limited, AES Energy Storage Zeeland B.V., AES Engineering LLC, AES Europe Services EOOD, AES Finance and Development Inc., AES Florestal Ltda., AES Fonseca Energia Limitada de C.V., AES Forca Ltd., AES Foreign Energy Holdings LLC, AES GEI US Finance Inc., AES GEO Energy OOD, AES GPH Holdings Inc., AES Gabreski Solar LLC, AES Gas Supply & Distribution Ltd., AES Gener S.A., AES Generation Development LLC, AES Global Insurance Company, AES Global Mobility Services LLC, AES Global Power Holdings B.V., AES Globales B.V., AES Grand Dominicana Ltd., AES Grid Stability LLC, AES Griggs Solar LLC, AES Guaiba II Empreendimentos Ltda, AES Guayama Holdings BV, AES Hawaii LLC, AES Hawaii Management Company LLC, AES Highgrove Holdings L.L.C., AES Highgrove L.L.C., AES Hispanola Holdings BV, AES Hispanola Holdings II BV, AES Holdings B.V., AES Holdings B.V. - Vietnam Rep Office, AES Holdings Brasil Ltda., AES Honduras Generation Ventures Ltd., AES Honduras Holdings Ltd., AES Horizons Holdings BV, AES Horizons Investments Limited, AES Hungary Energiaszolgaltato Kft., AES Huntington Beach Development L.L.C., AES Huntington Beach Energy LLC, AES Huntington Beach L.L.C., AES IB Valley Corporation, AES Ilumina Holdings LLC, AES Ilumina LLC, AES Ilumina Member LLC, AES India Holdings (Mauritius), AES India L.L.C., AES Indiana Holdings L.L.C., AES Integrated Energy LLC, AES Intercon II Ltd., AES Interenergy Ltd., AES International Holdings II Ltd., AES International Holdings III Ltd., AES International Holdings Ltd., AES Investment Chile SpA, AES Italia S.r.l, AES James Baird Solar LLC, AES Johnsville Solar LLC, AES Jordan Holdco Cayman Limited, AES Jordan PSC, AES Jordan Solar B.V., AES Juniper Point Holdings LLC, AES K2 Limited, AES Kalaeloa Venture L.L.C., AES Kekaha Solar LLC, AES Keystone L.L.C., AES Keystone Wind L.L.C., AES King Harbor Inc., AES Kuihelani Solar LLC, AES LA FIT Dedeaux LLC, AES LA FIT Francisco LLC, AES LA FIT Sun Valley LLC, AES LATAM Energy Development Ltd., AES Landfill Carbon LLC, AES Latin America S. de R.L., AES Latin American Development Ltd., AES Laurel Mountain LLC, AES Lawai Solar LLC, AES Levant Holdings B.V., AES Levant Holdings B.V/ Jordan PSC, AES Lion Telecom Investments B.V., AES Lumos Holdings LLC, AES Maritza East 1 Ltd., AES Maritza East 1 Services Ltd., AES Mayan Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida B.V., AES Merida III S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida Management Services S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida Operaciones SRL de CV, AES Mexican Holdings Ltd., AES Mexico Farms L.L.C., AES Mexico Generation Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES MicroPlanet Ltd., AES Mid East Holdings 2 Ltd., AES Mong Duong Holdings B.V., AES Mong Duong Project Holdings B.V., AES Monroe Holdings B.V., AES Mount Vernon B.V., AES NA Central L.L.C., AES NEXT Ltda. de C.V., AES Nejapa Gas Ltda. de C.V., AES Nejapa Services Ltda. de C.V., AES Next LLC, AES Nile Power Holdings Ltd., AES North America Development LLC, AES OPGC Holding, AES Oahu LLC, AES Oahu Wind Holdings LLC, AES Oasis Holdco Inc., AES Oasis Ltd., AES Oasis Mauritius Inc, AES Ocean Springs Trust Deed, AES Odyssey L.L.C., AES Ohio Generation LLC, AES Operaciones Laguna del Rey S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Operadora S.A, AES Orissa Distribution Private Limited, AES Overseas Holdings (Cayman) Ltd., AES Overseas Holdings Limited, AES Pacific Inc., AES Pacific L.L.C., AES Pacific Ocean Holdings B.V., AES Pak Holdings Ltd., AES Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., AES Pakistan Operations Ltd., AES Panama S.R.L., AES Parana Gas S.A., AES Parana Holdings Ltd., AES Parana IHC Ltd., AES Parana II Limited Partnership, AES Parana Operations S.R.L., AES Parana Propiedades S.A, AES Parana Uruguay S.R.L, AES Pardo Holdings Ltd., AES Pasadena Inc., AES Peru S.R.L., AES Phil Investment Pte. Ltd., AES Philippines Power Partners Co. Ltd., AES Platense Investments Uruguay S.C.A, AES Puerto Rico Inc., AES Puerto Rico L.P., AES Puerto Rico Services Inc., AES Redondo Beach L.L.C., AES Renewable Power Group S.R.L., AES Renewables (India) Private Limited, AES Riverside Holdings LLC, AES SACEF Investment LLC, AES SEB Holdings (Delaware) LLC, AES SEB Holdings Ltd., AES Saint Petersburg Holdings B.V., AES San Nicolas B.V., AES SellCo III LLC, AES Services Inc., AES Services Ltd., AES Services Philippines Inc., AES Servicios America S.R. L., AES Servicios Electricos S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Servicos TC Ltda., AES Shady Point LLC, AES Silk Road Energy LLC, AES Silk Road LLC, AES Solar Energy B.V., AES Solar Energy Holdings B.V., AES Solar Energy LLC, AES Solar Espana S.L., AES Solar Holdings LLC, AES Solar Power PR LLC, AES Sole Italia S.r.L., AES Soluciones Limitada de Capital Variable, AES Solutions LLC, AES Solutions Management LLC, AES South America Holdings Cooperatief U.A., AES South America Holdings I B.V., AES South America Holdings II B.V., AES South American Holdings Ltd., AES South Point Ltd., AES Southland Development LLC, AES Southland Energy Company Holdings I LLC, AES Southland Energy Holdings II LLC, AES Southland Energy Holdings LLC, AES Southland Energy Investment LLC, AES Southland Energy LLC, AES Stonehaven Holding Inc., AES Strategic Equipment Holdings Corporation, AES Sul L.L.C., AES Summit Generation Ltd., AES Swiss Lake Holdings B.V., AES TEG Holdings I LLC, AES TEG Holdings LLC, AES TEG II Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG II Mexican Investments S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG II Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Management Inc., AES TEG Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Mexican Investments S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Power Investments B.V., AES TEG Power Investments II B.V., AES TEGTEP Holdings B.V., AES TEP Holdings I LLC, AES TEP Holdings LLC, AES TEP Management Inc., AES TEP Power II Investments Limited, AES TEP Power Investments Limited, AES Tamuin Development Services S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Texas Funding III L.L.C., AES Thames L.L.C., AES Thomas Holdings BV, AES Tiete Eolica S.A., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia I Ltda., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia II Ltda., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia Ltda., AES Tiete Integra Solucoes em Energia Ltda, AES Tonawanda Solar LLC, AES Transgas I Ltd., AES Treasure Cove Ltd., AES Trinidad Services Unlimited, AES Trust III, AES Tucano Holding I S.A., AES Tucano Holdings II S.A., AES U&K Holdings B.V., AES U.S. Holdings LLC, AES U.S. Investments Inc., AES U.S. Solar LLC, AES UCH Holdings (Cayman) Ltd., AES UK Datacenter Services Limited, AES UK Holdings Limited, AES UK Power Financing II Ltd, AES UK Power Financing Limited, AES UK Power Holdings Limited, AES UK Power L.L.C., AES UK Power Limited, AES US Distributed Solar Holdings LLC, AES US Generation Holdings LLC, AES US Generation LLC, AES US Services LLC, AES US Wind Development L.L.C., AES US Wind Generation Holdings LLC, AES Union de Negocios S.A. de C.V., AES Uruguaiana Empreendimentos S.A., AES Venezuela Finance, AES Volcan Holdings B.V., AES WR Limited Partnership, AES Waikoloa Solar LLC, AES Warrior Run L.L.C., AES West Oahu Solar LLC, AES Western Power Holdings L.L.C., AES Western Power L.L.C., AES Western Wind L.L.C., AES Western Wind MV Acquisition LLC, AES Wind Bulgaria EOOD, AES Wind Generation LLC, AES Wind Generation Limited, AES Wind Investments I B.V., AES Wind Investments II B.V., AES Yucatan S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Zephyr 2 LLC, AES Zephyr 3 LLC, AES Zephyr Inc., AES- IC Ictas Enerji Uretim ve Ticaret A.S., AES-3C Maritza East 1 Ltd., AES-RS Spanish Holdings LLC, AES-RS Sunshine Cooperatief U.A., AES-RS Sunshine Holdings LLC, AES-VCM Mong Duong Power Company Limited, AESCom Sul Ltda., AESEBA Trust Deed, AGV Solar IV Geradora de Energia S.A., AGV Solar V Geradora de Energia S.A., AGV Solar VI Geradora de Energia S.A., AM Solar B.V., AM Solar B.V. - Jordan Co., APR Walden Solar 1 LLC, ARNIKA Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, AZ Solar I LLC, AZ Solar II LLC, AZ Solar Phase Zero LLC, AgCert Canada Co., AgCert Canada Holding Limited, AgCert Chile Servicios Ambientales Limitada, AgCert International Limited, AgCert Servicios Ambientales S.R.L., Agilion Energy Private Limited, Allis Medina Solar LLC, Altai Power Limited Liability Partnership, Alto Maipo SpA, Amaterasu LLC, Andes Solar SpA, Arizona B&GC Solar LLC, Assonet Solar 1 LLC, Atlantic Basin Services Ltd., B.A. Services S.R.L., Bakersfield Industrial PV 1 LLC, Bakersfield PV I LLC, Beals Medina Solar LLC, Boa Hora 1 Geradora De Energia Solar S.A., Boa Hora 2 Geradora de Energia Solar S.A., Boa Hora 3 Geradora De Energia Solar S.A., Bolton Solar I LLC, Brasiliana Participacoes S.A., Bridgeport Solar LLC, Buffalo Gap Holdings 2 LLC, Buffalo Gap Holdings 3 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Holdings LLC, Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 2 LLC, Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 3 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 4 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Wind Farm LLC, Bullock Freetown Solar 1 LLC, Bosforo de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable, CCS Telecarrier, CDEC-SING Ltda, CIA.TRANSMISORA DEL NORTE CHICO S.A., CO-CA Wholly Owned LLC, Camille Ltd., Camille Trust, Cavanal Minerals LLC, Cayman Energy Traders, Cemig II C.V., Centrais Eolicas Ametista S.A., Centrais Eolicas Borgo S.A., Centrais Eolicas Caetite S.A., Centrais Eolicas Dourados S.A., Centrais Eolicas Espigao S.A., Centrais Eolicas Maron S.A., Centrais Eolicas Morrao S.A., Centrais Eolicas Pelourinho S.A., Centrais Eolicas Piloes S.A., Centrais Eolicas Seraima S.A., Centrais Eolicas Serra do Espinhaco S.A., Centrais Eolicas Tanque S.A., Centrais Eolicas Ventos do Nordeste S.A., Centrais Eolicas da Prata S.A., Centrais Eolicas dos Aracas S.A., Central Electricity Supply Company of Orissa Limited, Central Termoelectrica Guillermo Brown S.A., Cerulean Properties LLC, Clean Wind Energy Ltd., Coastal Itabo Ltd., Colon LNG Marketing S. De R.L., Compania de Alumbrado Eletrico de San Salvador S.A. DE C.V., Compass Circle Solar LLC, Compania Transmisora Angamos SpA, Compania Transmisora La Cebada S.A., Compania Transmisora del Norte Grande SpA, Costa Norte LNG Terminal S. de R.L., Cronin Road Solar 1 LLC, DPL Capital Trust II, DPL Inc., Daggett Ridge Wind Farm LLC, Delano PV1 LLC, Diamond Development Inc., Distribuidora Electrica de Usulutan Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Domi Trading S.L., Dominican Power Partners, Dublin Solar I LLC, Dunstable Solar 1 LLC, EMLP Controladora S. de R.L. de C.V., ENERAB S. de R.L. de C.V., ENERGEN S.A., Eloy ESD Solar Holdings LLC, Empresa Electrica Angamos S.A., Empresa Electrica Campiche S.A., Empresa Electrica Cochrane II SpA, Empresa Electrica Cochrane S.A., Empresa Electrica Guacolda S.A., Empresa Electrica Ventanas S.A., Empresa Electrica de Oriente S.A. de C.V., Empresa Generadora De Electricidad Itabo S.A., EnerAB Cogeneracion I Laguna del Rey S. de R.L. de C.V., EnerAB Suministro Calificado S. de R.L. de C.V., EnerAB Tenedora S. de R.L., Energetica Argentina S.A., Energia Eolica Los Olmos SpA, Energia Eolica Mesamavida SpA, Energia Verde S.A., Energy Trade and Finance Corporation, Energia Eolica Curauma SpA, Energia Eolica Paposo SpA, Energia Natural del Este Enadom, Eolica Mesa La Paz S. de R.L. de C.V., FTP Power LLC, Finchville Solar LLC, Fluence Energy LLC, Founder's Homestead Farm Solar LLC, Fundacion AES Dominicana Inc., Fundacion AES Gener, GENERGIA S.A., GNRY Holdings & Investments Limited, Gas Natural Atlantico II S. de R.L., Gas Natural Atlantico S. De R.L., Gasoducto GasAndes Argentina S.A., Gasoducto GasAndes S.A., Gener Argentina S.A., Gener Blue Water Ltd., Genergia Power Ltd., Georgia Solar Holdings LLC, Georgia Solar Parent LLC, Global Energy Holdings C.V., Goller Enerji Uretim Ltd. Sti., Gray Springs Vista Solar LLC, Greenwich Solar 1 LLC, Guacolda Energy S.A., Guaimbe I Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe II Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe III Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe IV Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe Solar Holding S.A., Guaimbe V Parque Solar S.A., Health and Welfare Benefit Plans LLC, Hipotecaria San Miguel Limitada de Capital Variable, Hipotecaria Santa Ana Limitada de Capital Variable, INVERSIONES NUEVA VENTANAS S.A., IPALCO Enterprises Inc., Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Indimento Inversiones S.L., Instituto AES Brasil, InterAndes S.A., Inversiones Cachagua SpA, Inversiones Energia Renovable Limitada, Inversiones LK SpA, Inversiones Termoenergia de Chile Ltda., Inversiones Zapallar Limitada, Inversora de San Nicolas S.A., Itabo III S.R.L., Jemeiwaa KaI S.A.S., Johnstown Solar 1 LLC, KA Energy OOD, KMR Power Company, Kazincbarcikai Iparteruletfejleszt Kft., Kings Rooftop PV LLC, La Plata I Empreendimentos Ltda., La Plata II Ltd., La Plata III C.V., Lane Ave Solar LLC, Lemoore PV 1 LLC, MFP CO Holdings II LLC, MFP CO Holdings LLC, MFP CO I LLC, MFP CO II LLC, MFP CO III LLC, MFP CO Parent LLC, MM Solar Holdings I LLC, MM Solar Parent LLC, MSP Master Tenant I LLC, MSP Master Tenant II LLC, MacGregor Park Inc., Manteca PV 1 LLC, Maple Solar LLC, Maui 17-2 LLC, Mauka FIT Twenty LLC, Mercury Cayman Co II Ltda Agencia en Chile, Mercury Chile Co. II Ltd., Mercury Chile Holdco Ltd., Mercury Chile I Limitada, Mercury Chile II Limitada, Miami Valley Insurance Company, Miami Valley Lighting LLC, Mid-America Capital Resources Inc., Middletown Solar 1 LLC, Mong Duong Finance Holdings B.V., Motor EV LLC, Mountain Minerals LLC, Mountain View Power Partners IV LLC, Mountain View Power Partners LLC, Murcia Generation Holdings B.V., NY RNM Project1 LLC, NY RNM Project1A LLC, NY RNM Project2 LLC, NY RNM Project3 LLC, NY RNM Project4 LLC, Na Pua Makani Power Partners LLC, New Caribbean Investments SRL, Norgener Inversiones SpA, Norgener Renovables SpA, Norgener S.A., Nova Energia Holding S.A., Novus Barre Town Solar LLC, Nurenergoservice LLP, Oahu SPE 101-14 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-19 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-2 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-33 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-4 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-9 LLC, Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited, Omega SpA, PARQUE EOLICO NOLANA SpA, PARQUE EOLICO TOPOLOA SpA, Parque Eolico Beata SRL, Parque Eolico Litueche SpA, Parque Eolico Campo Lindo SpA, Parque Eolico Los Cururos SpA, Parque Eolico Victoria SpA, Punta del Sol SpA, Quebrada Seca SpA, RMR Solar LLC, RT52 Walden Solar 1 LLC, Ransomville Solar 1 LLC, Remittance Processing Services LLC, Rep Office of AES Silk Road in Almaty, Rep Office of AES Silk Road in Tajikstan Republic, Richmond Solar Power 1 LLC, River Street Solar 1 LLC, Riverside Canal Power Company, Rosamond Solar LLC, Ryan Road Solar LLC, SD Solar I LLC, SEPV Imperial LLC, San Bernardino Solar LLC, Scituate Solar I LLC, Scottsdale Solar Holdings LLC, SeaWest Asset Management Services LLC, SeaWest Energy Project Associates LLC, SeaWest Properties LLC, SeaWest Wyoming LLC, Shazia S.R.L., Simple Energy Inc., Solar Access America LLC, Solar Access CA LLC, Solar Access California LLC, Southern Electric Brazil Participacoes Ltda., Store Heat and Produce Energy Inc., Stow Solar I LLC, Sudbury Ervin GMC Solar LLC, SunE Solar XVII Project5 LLC, SunE SunHoldings4 LLC, T&T Power Holdings I SRL, T&T Power Holdings II Ltd., TEG Business Trust, TEG/TEP Management LLC, TEP Business Trust, Tau Power BV, Tecnoma Energia Solar S.L., TermoAndes S.A., Termoelectrica Penoles S. de R.L. de C.V., Termoelectrica del Golfo S. de R.L. de C.V., Terneuzen Cogen B.V., The AES Barry Foundation, The Dayton Power and Light Company, Thermo Fuels Company Inc., Tozer Road Solar LLC, USVI Solar I LLC, University Solar LLC, Vientos Neuquinos I S.A., Village of Waterbury Solar I LLC, W. Orange RD Solar LLC, West Brookfield Boston Post Road Solar LLC, West Street Solar 1 LLC, Western Solar Parent LLC, Wilbur Woods Solar LLC, Wildwood Trust, Williamsburg East Street Solar LLC, Winchendon Ash Street Solar 1 LLC, Winchendon Lincoln Avenue Solar 1 LLC, Winchendon Lincoln Avenue Solar 2 LLC, Your Energy Holdings Limited, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-001 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-003 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-006 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-007 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-008 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-011 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-014 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-017 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-023 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-024 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-038 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-044 LLC, sPower, and sPower OpCo A Blocker LLC.
The following companies are subsidiares of The Allstate: AIMCO Private Fund I Holding LLC, AIMCO Private Fund I LLC, AIMCO Private Fund II LLC, ALIC Reinsurance Company, ALINV Mosaic LLC, ANIHI Newco LLC, AP Real Estate LLC, AP Riverway Plaza LLC, AP Timber LLC, Allstate Assignment Company, Allstate Assurance Company, Allstate County Mutual Insurance Company, Allstate Digital Ventures LLC, Allstate Distributors L.L.C., Allstate Enterprises LLC, Allstate Exchange Services LLC, Allstate Finance Company Agency Loans LLC, Allstate Finance Company LLC, Allstate Financial Advisors LLC, Allstate Financial Corporation, Allstate Financial Insurance Holdings Corporation, Allstate Financial LLC, Allstate Financial Services LLC (1), Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Global Holdings Limited, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, Allstate Insurance Holdings LLC, Allstate International Assignments Ltd., Allstate International Holdings Inc., Allstate Investment Management Company, Allstate Investments LLC, Allstate Life Insurance Company (2), Allstate Life Insurance Company of Canada, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Allstate Motor Club Inc., Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company, Allstate New Jersey Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Non-Insurance Holdings Inc., Allstate North American Insurance Company, Allstate Northbrook Indemnity Company, Allstate Northern Ireland Limited, Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Settlement Corporation, Allstate Short Term Pool LLC, Allstate Solutions Private Limited, Allstate Texas Lloyds, Allstate Texas Lloyds Inc., Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company, American Heritage Life Insurance Company, American Heritage Service Company, Answer Financial Inc., Answer Marketplace LLC, Arity 875 LLC, Arity International Limited, Arity LLC, Arity Services LLC, CE Care Plan Corp, Castle Key Indemnity Company, Castle Key Insurance Company, Complete Product Care Corp, Current Creek Investments LLC, E.R.J. Insurance Group Inc. (3), Encompass Floridian Indemnity Company, Encompass Floridian Insurance Company, Encompass Home and Auto Insurance Company, Encompass Indemnity Company, Encompass Independent Insurance Company, Encompass Insurance Company, Encompass Insurance Company of America, Encompass Insurance Company of Massachusetts, Encompass Insurance Company of New Jersey, Encompass Insurance Holdings LLC, Encompass Property and Casualty Company, Encompass Property and Casualty Insurance Company of New Jersey, Esurance Holdings Inc., Esurance Insurance Company, Esurance Insurance Company of Canada, Esurance Insurance Company of New Jersey, Esurance Insurance Services Company of Canada, Esurance Insurance Services Inc. (4), Esurance Property and Casualty Insurance Company, First Colonial Insurance Company, Identity Protection Strategic Solutions LLC, InfoArmor Aggra Inc., InfoArmor Inc., Insurance Answer Center LLC (5), Intramerica Life Insurance Company, Ivantage Insurance Brokers Inc., Ivantage Select Agency Inc., Kennett Capital Inc., NBInv AF1 LLC, NBInv AF2 LLC, NBInv AF3 LLC, NBInv AF4 LLC, NBInv AF5 LLC, NBInv AF6 LLC, NBInv AP1 LLC, NBInv AP2 LLC, NBInv AP3 LLC, NBInv AP4 LLC, NBInv AP5 LLC, NBInv AP6 LLC, NBInv AP7 LLC, NBInv AP8 LLC, NBInv APAF1 LLC, NBInv Riverside Cars1 LLC, NBInv Riverside Management LLC, North Light Specialty Insurance Company, Northeast Agencies Inc. (6), Pablo Creek Services Inc., Pafco Insurance Company, Pembridge Insurance Company, PlumChoice Business Services Inc., PlumChoice Inc., Protection Plan Group Inc., Right Answer Insurance Agency LLC, Road Bay Investments LLC, ST Product Care Corp, Signature Agency Inc., Signature Motor Club Inc., Signature Motor Club of California Inc., Signature Nationwide Auto Club of California Inc., Signatures Nationwide Auto Club Inc., SquareTrade Australia Pty Ltd, SquareTrade Canada Inc., SquareTrade Europe Limited, SquareTrade Holding Company Inc., SquareTrade Inc. (7), SquareTrade Insurance Services Inc., SquareTrade Limited, SquareTrade Protection Solutions Inc., SquareTradeGo Inc., Tech-Cor LLC, and West Plaza RE Holdings LLC.
Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (Artis) is an unincorporated closed-end real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company's objective is to provide stable, reliable and tax efficient monthly cash distributions, as well as long-term appreciation in the value of Artis' units. Its segments include Western Canada, which comprises British Columbia and Alberta; Central Canada, which comprises Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Eastern Canada, which comprises Ontario. The Company's properties are diversified across industrial, retail, and office asset classes, and geographically across western Canada, Ontario, and in select markets in the United States. Its REIT portfolio includes over 250 commercial properties totaling approximately 26.2 million square feet of gross leasable area. Artis' portfolio includes Hudson's Bay Centre, Union Crossings II, Cargill R&D, Stampede Station II, Park 8Ninety, 601 Tower at Carlson, Corridor Park, Crowfoot Village, Shoppes of St. Vital and Union Crossings III.

Read More
New York Yankees fans will reportedly get to enjoy the work of Ken Singleton in their broadcast booth for one more year.

According to NJ Advance Media, Singleton has opted to delay his previously announced retirement by a year and will once again call Yankees games in 2019, albeit on a lesser schedule than this season.

Singleton has decided to return for a 23rd season in 2019 on a reduced work schedule, NJ Advance Media has learned. Weve also learned that YES and the Yankees are all for the popular Singleton returning regardless of how many games he calls.

The drop in Singletons schedule will indeed be significant  hell be going from 55 games this season to just (roughly) 24 in 2019. Those 24 games will include two of New Yorks three road trips to both Baltimore and Tampa Bay, two home series at Yankee Stadium, and another road trip.

Singletons wife apparently reminded him about how much he enjoys working for YES, which led to him compromising on his 2019 season.

His response to family, friends, fans and colleagues has been standard: He wants to spend more time with his three young grandchildren and play more golf. But when Singletons wife recently reminded him how much he still loved calling games for the YES Network, he thought about it and came up with a compromise to delay retirement.

Singletons been broadcasting since 1985, and joined the Yankees in 1997 after stints with the Blue Jays and Expos.

[NJ.com]
The following companies are subsidiares of Occidental Petroleum: 1PointFive Inc., 1PointFive P1 LLC, APC Aviation Inc., APC International Holdings LLC, APC Midstream Holdings LLC, APC Venezuela Srl, ARCO Long Beach, Altura Energy, Amarok Gathering LLC, Anadarko 20-25 Company, Anadarko 20-36 Company, Anadarko 20-47 Company, Anadarko 20-48 Company, Anadarko 20-49 Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 403 c/e Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 406B Company, Anadarko Algeria Company LLC, Anadarko Algeria Oil & Gas Company, Anadarko Brazil Investment I LLC, Anadarko Brazil Investment II LLC, Anadarko Canada E&P Limited, Anadarko China Holdings 2 Company, Anadarko Colombia Company, Anadarko Consolidated Holdings LLC, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Block 103 Company, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Company, Anadarko DBMOS Operator LLC, Anadarko Development Company, Anadarko Development Holding Limited, Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC, Anadarko Egypt Holdings Company, Anadarko Energy Holding Limited, Anadarko Energy Services Company, Anadarko Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo e Gas Natural Ltda., Anadarko Finance Company, Anadarko Gabon Company, Anadarko Ghana Mahogany-1 Company, Anadarko Global Energy S.a.r.l, Anadarko Global Funding 1 Company, Anadarko Global Funding II Ltd., Anadarko Guyana Company, Anadarko Holding Company, Anadarko International Development S.a.r.l, Anadarko International Energy Company, Anadarko International O&G Company, Anadarko International Trading Corporation, Anadarko Jordan Company, Anadarko Kenya Company, Anadarko LMM S.a.r.l, Anadarko Land Corp., Anadarko Mexico B.V., Anadarko Mexico S.a.r.l, Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell BR Corp., Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell LLC, Anadarko Natural Gas Company LLC, Anadarko New Zealand Company, Anadarko OGC Company, Anadarko Offshore Holding Company LLC, Anadarko Offshore Well Containment Company LLC, Anadarko Oil & Gas 5 LLC, Anadarko Peru B.V., Anadarko Petroleum, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Anadarko Realty LLC, Anadarko Rockies LLC, Anadarko Royalty Holdings Company, Anadarko UK Corporate Limited, Anadarko US Offshore LLC, Anadarko USH1 Corporation, Anadarko Venezuela Company, Anadarko Venezuela LLC, Anadarko Venezuela Srl, Anadarko WCTP Company, Anadarko West Texas BR Corp., Anadarko West Texas LLC, Anadarko Worldwide Holdings C.V., Atlantic Rim Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aventine LLC, Baseball Merger Sub 2 Inc., Bear Branch Exploration LLC, Big Island Trona Company, Bitter Creek Coal Company, Bravo Pipeline Company, Cain Chemical, Cain Chemical Inc., Carbon Finance Labs LLC, Concord Petroleum Corporation, Conn Creek Shale Company, D.S. Ventures LLC, DMM Financial LLC, Deerwood Exploration LLC, Downtown Plaza II, Elk Hills Field, FLAG Development LLC, FP Westport Commodities Limited, FP Westport GmbH, FP Westport LLC, FP Westport Limited, FP Westport Services LLC, FP Westport Trading LLC, Fosters Mill Exploration LLC, Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., Globrep Representaciones S.A., Grand Bassa Tankers Inc., Grupo OxyChem de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Headwater II LLC, Houndstooth Resources LLC, INDSPEC Chemical B.V., INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Export Sales LLC, INDSPEC Holding Corporation, Ingleside Cogeneration GP LLC, Ingleside Cogeneration Limited Partnership, Interore Trading Ltd., Joslyn Partnership, KERR-McGEE TT E&P LTD., KM BM-C-Seven Ltd., KM International Insurance Ltd., Kerr-McGee Corporation, Kerr-McGee Natural Gas Company Inc., Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP, Kerr-McGee Shared Services Company LLC, Kerr-McGee Stored Power Corporation, Kerr-McGee U.K. Energy Corporation, Kerr-McGee Worldwide Corporation, Kerr-McGee do Brasil Ltda., Kerr-McGee of Canada Northwest Ltd., Laguna Petroleum Corp., Laguna Petroleum LLC, Liwa Oil & Gas Ltd., MC2 Technologies LLC, Mariana Properties Inc., Marico Exploration Inc., Miller Springs Remediation Management Inc., Moncrief Minerals Partnership L.P., NGL Ventures LLC, Natural Gas Odorizing Inc., New OPL LLC, OEVC Energy LLC, OEVC Midstream Projects LLC, OIH LLC, OLCV CE Holdings ULC, OLCV CE US Holdings Inc., OLCV Net Power LLC, OLCV Services LLC, OOG Partner LLC, OOOI Chem Holdings LLC, OOOI Chem Sub LLC, OOOI Chemical International LLC, OOOI Chile Holder LLC, OOOI Ecuador Management LLC, OOOI Oil and Gas Sub LLC, OOOI South America Management LLC, OPM GP Inc., OPM Holdco LLC, OTCF LLC, OTH LLC, OXY CV Pipeline LLC, OXY Campus LLC, OXY Inc., OXY LPG LLC, OXY Libya E&P Area 103 BR4 B.V., OXY Libya E&P Area 35 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P Concession 103 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 102 B.V., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1981 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1985 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P NC 143 144 145 150 B.V., OXY Libya Exploration SPC, OXY Libya LLC, OXY Little Knife LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings I LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings II LLC, OXY Middle East Holdings Ltd., OXY Oil Partners Inc., OXY PBLP Manager LLC, OXY Support Services LLC, OXY Tulsa Inc., OXY USA Inc., OXY USA WTP LP, OXY VPP Investments LLC, OXY West LLC, OXY of Saudi Arabia Ltd., OXYCHEM (CANADA) INC., OXYMAR, Oakwood Exploration LLC, Occidental (Bermuda) Ltd., Occidental (East Shabwa) LLC, Occidental Advance Sale Finance Inc., Occidental Al Hosn LLC, Occidental Angola Holdings Ltd., Occidental CIS Services Inc., Occidental Canada Holdings Ltd., Occidental Chemical Asia Limited, Occidental Chemical Belgium B.V.B.A., Occidental Chemical Chile Limitada, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Occidental Chemical Export Sales LLC, Occidental Chemical Far East Limited, Occidental Chemical Holding Corporation, Occidental Chemical International LLC, Occidental Chemical Investment (Canada) 1 Inc., Occidental Chemical Receivables LLC, Occidental Chemical de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Occidental Chile Investments LLC, Occidental Chile Minority Holder LLC, Occidental Colombia (Series G) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series J) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series K) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series L) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series M) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series N) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series O) Ltd., Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (Canada), Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (International), Occidental Dolphin Holdings Ltd., Occidental Energy Marketing Inc., Occidental Energy Ventures LLC, Occidental Exploradora del Peru Ltd., Occidental Exploration and Production Company, Occidental Hafar LLC, Occidental International (Libya) Inc., Occidental International Corporation, Occidental International Exploration and Production Company, Occidental International Holdings Ltd., Occidental International Oil and Gas Ltd., Occidental International Services Inc., Occidental Joslyn GP 2 Co., Occidental LNG (Malaysia) Ltd., Occidental Latin America Holdings LLC, Occidental Libya Oil & Gas B.V., Occidental MENA Manager Ltd., Occidental Middle East Development Company, Occidental Midland Basin LLC, Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, Occidental Oil Asia Pte. Ltd., Occidental Oil Shale Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas (Oman) Ltd., Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, Occidental Oil and Gas International Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas International LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas Pakistan LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas of Peru LLC, Occidental Oman (Block 27) Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 65 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 65 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 72 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 72 LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Company LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman North Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oriente Exploration and Production Ltd., Occidental Overseas Holdings B.V., Occidental PVC LLC, Occidental Peninsula II Inc., Occidental Peninsula LLC, Occidental Permian Ltd., Occidental Permian Manager LLC, Occidental Permian Services Inc., Occidental Peruana Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 101) Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 103) Inc., Occidental Petroleum (Pakistan) Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Petroleum Corporation Political Action Committee, Occidental Petroleum de Venezuela S.A., Occidental Petroleum of Nigeria, Occidental Petroleum of Oman Ltd., Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd., Occidental Power Marketing L.P., Occidental Power Services Inc., Occidental Qatar Energy Company LLC, Occidental Red Sea Development LLC, Occidental Research Corporation, Occidental Resource Recovery Systems Inc., Occidental Resources Company, Occidental Shah Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental South America Finance LLC, Occidental Specialty Marketing Inc., Occidental Tower Corporation, Occidental Transportation Holding Corporation, Occidental West Texas Overthrust Inc., Occidental Yemen Ltd., Occidental Yemen Sabatain Inc., Occidental del Ecuador Inc., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Bab) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Shah) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi LLC, Occidental of Abu Dhabi Ltd., Occidental of Bahrain Ltd., Occidental of Bangladesh Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Chipiron) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Cosecha) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Medina) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Putumayo) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia (Teca) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia PUT-36 LLC, Occidental of Dubai Inc., Occidental of Iraq Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Iraq LLC, Occidental of Oman Inc., Occidental of Russia Ltd., Occidental of South Africa (Offshore) Inc., Occidental of Yemen (Block 75) LLC, Oceanic Marine Transport Ltd., Opcal Insurance Inc., Oryx Crude Trading & Transportation Inc., Oxy BridgeTex Limited Partnership, Oxy C & I Bulk Sales LLC, Oxy Canada Sales Inc., Oxy Carbon Solutions LLC, Oxy Carbon Storage LLC, Oxy Climate Ventures Inc., Oxy Cogeneration Holding Company LLC, Oxy Colombia Holdings LLC, Oxy Colombia TopCo Ltd., Oxy Delaware Basin LLC, Oxy Delaware Basin Plant LLC, Oxy Dolphin E&P LLC, Oxy Dolphin Pipeline LLC, Oxy Energy Canada Inc., Oxy Energy Services LLC, Oxy Expatriate Services Inc., Oxy FFT Holdings Inc., Oxy Holding Company (Pipeline) Inc., Oxy International Ventures Ltd., Oxy LPG Terminal LLC, Oxy Levelland Pipeline Company LLC, Oxy Levelland Terminal Company LLC, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC, Oxy Midstream Strategic Development LLC, Oxy Oleoducto SOP LLC, Oxy Overseas Services Ltd., Oxy Permian Gathering LLC, Oxy Permian Plaza LLC, Oxy Petroleum de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Oxy Renewable Energy LLC, Oxy Salt Creek Pipeline LLC, Oxy TL LLC, Oxy Taft Hub LLC, Oxy Technology Ventures Inc., Oxy Transport I Company LLC, Oxy Vinyls Canada Co., Oxy Vinyls Export Sales LLC, Oxy Vinyls LP, Oxy Westwood Corporation, Oxy Y-1 Company, OxyChem Ingleside Ethylene Holdings Inc., OxyChem do Brasil Ltda., OxyChile Investments LLC, Oxychem Shipping Ltd., Permian Basin JV Tax Matters Member LLC, Permian Basin Limited Partnership, Permian VPP Holder LP, Permian VPP Manager LLC, Phibro, Placid Oil LLC, Ramlat Oxy Ltd., Rio de Viento Inc., Rodeo Midland Basin LLC, San Patricio Pipeline LLC, Scanports Shipping LLC, SequestCo LLC, Stetson Exploration LLC, Sun Offshore Gathering Company, Swiflite Aircraft Corporation, Transok Properties LLC, Troy Potter Inc., Turavent Oil GmbH [in liquidation], Tuscaloosa Holdings Inc., UP Petroleo III Ltd., Upland Industries Corporation, Venezuela US SRL, Vintage Gas Inc., Vintage Petroleum, Vintage Petroleum Argentina Ltd., Vintage Petroleum Boliviana Ltd., Vintage Petroleum International Finance B.V., Vintage Petroleum International Holdings LLC, Vintage Petroleum International LLC, Vintage Petroleum International Ventures Inc., Vintage Petroleum Italy Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America Holdings Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America LLC, Vintage Petroleum Turkey Inc., WGR Asset Holding Company LLC, WGR Canada Inc., Wardner Ranch Inc., Western Gas Resources Inc., Western Gas Resources-Westana Inc., Western Midstream Holdings LLC, Woodlands International Insurance Ltd., and YT Ranch LLC.
BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read More
Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, counter-service packaging, foodservice disposables, take-out food packaging, first aid products, point of purchase displays, stationery, bags, and cleaning and hygiene supplies to grocery stores, supermarkets, retail chains, convenience stores, food wholesalers, ethnic grocers, and organic food outlets. It also provides food packaging, napkins, disposable tableware, food service disposables, guest amenities, light and heavy catering equipment, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, caterers, the leisure sector, and food processors and packers; and footwear, gloves, safety helmets, workwear, harness equipment, tools, safety signs, traffic management, and ancillary site equipment, as well as ear, eye, respiratory, and face protection products to customers in the industrial and construction markets. In addition, the company offers cleaning systems, floorcare items, hand cleansing products, hygiene paper, janitorial products, cleaning machines, mops, polishes, and protective clothing and washroom chemicals to facilities management companies, contract cleaners, and other industrial and healthcare customers; and counter service packaging, point of purchase display items, stationery, and cleaning and hygiene products to department stores, boutiques, office supply companies, retail chains, and home improvement chains. Further, it provides gloves, aprons, bandages, facemasks, gowns, headwear, mattress covers, overshoes, procedure packs, tapes, wipes, incontinence products, and swabs to the healthcare sector, including hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, and doctors' surgeries and clinics; and various products to government and education establishments. Bunzl plc was founded in 1854 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. Ltd., Carnival Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Carnival Corporation Korea Ltd., Carnival Corporation Ports Group Japan KK, Carnival Finance LLC, Carnival Grand Bahama Investment Limited, Carnival Investments Limited, Carnival Japan Inc., Carnival License Holdings Limited, Carnival Maritime GmbH, Carnival North America LLC, Carnival Port Holdings Limited, Carnival Ports Inc., Carnival Support Services India Private Limited, Carnival Technical Services (UK) Limited, Carnival Technical Services Finland Limited, Carnival Technical Services GmbH, Carnival Technical Services Inc., Carnival Vanuatu Limited, Costa Crociere PTE Ltd., Costa Crociere S.p.A., Costa Cruceros S.A., Costa Cruise Lines Inc., Costa Cruise Lines UK Limited, Costa Cruises Shipping Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Costa Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Costa Cruzeiros Agencia Maritima e Turismo Ltda., Costa Group Digital & Strategic Services GmbH, Costa International B.V., Costa Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Creative Travel Lab Ltd., Cruise Ships Catering & Services International N.V., Cruise Terminal Services S.A. de C.V., Cruiseport Curacao C.V., D.R. Cruise Port Ltd., Ecospray Technologies S.r.L., F.P.M. SAS, F.P.P. SAS, Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services International Limited, GXI LLC, Gibs Inc., Global Experience Innovators Inc., Global Fine Arts Inc., Global Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Grand Cruise Shipping Unipessoal LdA, Grand Turk Cruise Center Ltd., HAL Antillen N.V., HAL Beheer B.V., HAL Cruises Limited, HAL Maritime Ltd., HAL Nederland N.V., HAL Properties Limited, HAL Services B.V., HSE Hamburg School of Entertainment GmbH, Holding Division Iberocruceros SLU, Holland America Line Inc., Holland America Line N.V., Holland America Line Paymaster of Washington LLC, Holland America Line U.S.A. Inc., Ibero Cruzeiros Ltda., Iberocruceros SLU, Information Assistance Corporation, International Cruise Services S.A. de C.V., International Leisure Travel Inc., International Maritime Recruitment Agency S.A. de C.V., Milestone N.V., Navitrans S.R.L., Ocean Bahamas Innovation Ltd., Ocean Medallion Fulfillment Ltd., Operadora Catalina S.r.L., P&O Princess American Holdings, P&O Princess Cruises International Limited, P&O Princess Cruises Pension Trustee Limited, P&O Properties (California) Inc., P&O Travel Limited, Prestige Cruises Management S.A.M., Prestige Cruises N.V., Princess Bermuda Holdings Ltd., Princess Cays Ltd., Princess Cruise Corporation Inc., Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., Princess Cruises and Tours Inc., Princess U.S. Holdings Inc., RCT Maintenance & Related Services S.A., RCT Pilots & Related Services S.A., RCT Security & Related Services S.A., Roatan Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Royal Hyway Tours Inc., Santa Cruz Terminal S.L., SeaVacations Limited, SeaVacations UK Limited, Seabourn Cruise Line Limited, Shanghai Coast Cruise Consulting Co. Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd..
The following companies are subsidiares of Cardinal Health: A+ Secure Packaging LLC, Access Closure, Access Closure Inc., Aero-Med Ltd., Alaris Medical Systems, Allegiance Corporation, Allegiance Healthcare, AssuraMed, AssuraMed Inc., Automatic Liquid Packaging, Bergen Brunswig Corp, Bindley Western Industries, Boron LePore & Associates, Borschow Hospital & Medical Supplies, Cardinal Health 100 Inc., Cardinal Health 104 LP, Cardinal Health 105 Inc., Cardinal Health 107 LLC, Cardinal Health 108 LLC, Cardinal Health 110 LLC, Cardinal Health 112 LLC, Cardinal Health 113 LLC, Cardinal Health 114 Inc., Cardinal Health 115 LLC, Cardinal Health 116 LLC, Cardinal Health 118 LLC, Cardinal Health 119 LLC, Cardinal Health 121 LLC, Cardinal Health 122 LLC, Cardinal Health 123 LLC, Cardinal Health 124 LLC, Cardinal Health 126 LLC, Cardinal Health 127 Inc., Cardinal Health 2 LLC, Cardinal Health 200 LLC, Cardinal Health 201 Inc., Cardinal Health 222 (Thailand) Ltd., Cardinal Health 247 Inc., Cardinal Health 249 LLC, Cardinal Health 3 LLC, Cardinal Health 414 LLC, Cardinal Health 5 LLC, Cardinal Health 6 Inc., Cardinal Health 7 LLC, Cardinal Health Australia 503 Pty. Ltd., Cardinal Health Austria 504 GmbH, Cardinal Health Belgium 505 BVBA, Cardinal Health Canada Holdings Cooperative U.A., Cardinal Health Canada Inc., Cardinal Health Chile Limitada, Cardinal Health Colombia S.A.S., Cardinal Health D.R. 203 II Ltd., Cardinal Health Denmark ApS, Cardinal Health Finland Oy, Cardinal Health Foundation, Cardinal Health France 506 SAS, Cardinal Health Funding LLC, Cardinal Health Germany 507 GmbH, Cardinal Health Germany Manufacturing GmbH, Cardinal Health IPS LLC, Cardinal Health International Philippines Inc., Cardinal Health Ireland 419 Designated Activity Company, Cardinal Health Ireland 508 Limited, Cardinal Health Ireland Unlimited Company, Cardinal Health Italy 509 Srl, Cardinal Health Japan G.K., Cardinal Health Korea Limited, Cardinal Health Malaysia 211 Sdn. Bhd., Cardinal Health Malta 212 Limited, Cardinal Health Managed Care Services LLC, Cardinal Health Medical Equipment Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cardinal Health Medical Products India Private Limited, Cardinal Health Mexico 244 S. de R.L. de C.V., Cardinal Health Mexico 514 S. de R.L. de C.V., Cardinal Health Middle East FZ-LLC, Cardinal Health Netherlands 502 B.V., Cardinal Health Norway AS, Cardinal Health P.R. 120 Inc., Cardinal Health P.R. 218 Inc., Cardinal Health P.R. 220 LLC, Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Contracting LLC, Cardinal Health Pharmacy Services LLC, Cardinal Health Poland Spolka z ograniczonaa odpowiedzialnossciaa, Cardinal Health Portugal 513 Unipessoal Lda., Cardinal Health Singapore 225 Pte. Ltd., Cardinal Health Spain 511 S.L., Cardinal Health Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Cardinal Health Sweden 512 A.B., Cardinal Health Switzerland 515 GmbH, Cardinal Health Systems Inc., Cardinal Health Technologies LLC, Cardinal Health Technologies Switzerland GmbH, Cardinal Health U.K. 432 Limited, Cardinal Health do Brasil Ltd., CareFusion, Cirpro de Delicias S.A. de C.V., Convertors de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Cordis, Cordis (Shanghai) Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Cordis Cashel Company Unlimited, Cordis Corporation, Cornerstone Partners G.P.O. L.P., Covidien Manufacturing Solutions S.A., Curaspan Health Group Inc., Denver Biomedical, Dik Drug, EPIC Insurance Company, Emerge Medical, Enturia, Especialidades Medicas Kenmex S.A. de C.V., Futuremed Health Care Products, Gala Biotech, Geodax Technology, Griffin Capital LLC, HLS Freight Services, Healthcare Solutions Holding, Innovative Therapies Inc., Instant Diagnostic Systems Inc., KPR Australia Pty. Ltd., KPR Italia S.r.l., KPR Switzerland Sales Gmbh, KPR U.S. LLC, Kendall Patient Recovery BVBA, Kendall-Gammatron Limited, Kinray, Leader Drugstores Inc., Limited Liability Company "Cardinal Health Russia", Ludlow Technical Products Canada Ltd., MCD, Magellan Laboratories, Marin Apothecaries, MedMined, Medicine Shoppe International Inc., Mediquip Sdn. Bhd., Medtronic - Patient Monitoring & Recovery, Mirixa Corporation, NaviHealth, Nippon Covidien Ltd., One Cloverleaf LLC, Outcomes Incorporated, Owen Healthcare, PCI Pharma Services, ParMed Pharmaceuticals, Pinnacle Intellectual Property Services Inc., Pinnacle Intellectual Property Services-International Inc., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Pyxis Corporation, Quiroproductos de Cuauhtemoc S. de R.L. de C.V., R Cubed Inc., R.P. Scherer Corporation, RGH Enterprises Inc., RainTree GPO LLC, RainTree Oncology Services, Renal Purchasing Group LLC, Rxealtime Inc., Sonexus Health LLC, Syncor International, TelePharm, TelePharm LLC, The Harvard Drug Group, The Harvard Drug Group L.L.C., Tradex International Inc., Viasys Healthcare, WaveMark Inc., Zuellig Pharma China, mscripts, mscripts LLC, and mscripts Systems India Private Limited.
China Mobile Limited provides mobile telecommunications and related services in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The company offers local calls; domestic and international long distance calls and roaming services; and value-added services, such as caller identity display, call waiting, conference calls, and others. It also provides wireless Internet service, as well as digital applications comprising music, video, reading, gaming, and animation; wireline broadband services; and wireline voice services. In addition, it offers dedicated line and IDC services to corporate customers in a range of industry sectors; and basic corporate communication products comprising corporate VPMN and SMS, and tailor made solutions. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, which includes IDD, roaming, Internet, MNC, and value added business services. Additionally, it offers telecommunications network planning, design, and consulting services; roaming clearance, IT system operation, and technology support services; value-added platform development and maintenance services; mobile data, and system integration and development services; network construction and maintenance, network planning and optimizing, and training services; electronic communication products design and sale of related products; and non-banking financial services. It also provides mobile cloud research and development services; call center services; e-payment, e-commerce, and Internet finance services; and mobile Internet digital content services, as well as operates a network and business coordination center. The company serves 950 million mobile customers and 187 million wireline broadband customers. The company was formerly known as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited and changed its name to China Mobile Limited in May 2006. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. China Mobile Limited is a subsidiary of China Mobile Hong Kong (BVI) Limited.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (South Africa) Pty Limited, Accenture (UK) Ltd, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Azerbaijan Ltd, Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BV, Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A, Accenture CAS GmbH, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc., Accenture Capital DAC, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd., Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SAS, Accenture Customer Services Limited, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Delivery Poland sp. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital France Holdings SA, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance (Gibraltar) III Ltd, Accenture Finance GmbH, Accenture Finance GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II GmbH, Accenture Finance II GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II Ltd, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services Srl, Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Ghana Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Ltd., Accenture Global Services Ltd, Accenture Global Solutions Ltd, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services Ltd, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc., Accenture Holding GmbH, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holding GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SAS, Accenture Holdings plc, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazylym Cozumleri Limited irketi), Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture Insurance Services SAS, Accenture Insurance Services SpA, Accenture International BV, Accenture International Capital SCA, Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture International Sarl, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea BV, Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Managed Services SpA, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Middle East B.V, Accenture Middle East BV, Accenture Minority I BV, Accenture Minority III Ltd, Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi (Pty) Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Newco LLC, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations Sp. z o.o., Accenture Outsourcing SRL, Accenture Outsourcing Services, Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations BV, Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru S.R.L, Accenture Peru S.R.L., Accenture Post Trade Processing SAS, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process Ltd, Accenture Product Lifecycle Services, Accenture Properties, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture S.A., Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture SAS, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sendirian Berhad, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Ltd, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.r.l., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services Sp. z o.o., Accenture Services Sp. z.o.o., Accenture Services and Technology Srl, Accenture Services fur Kreditinstitute GmbH, Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Servicos Administrativos Ltda, Accenture Servicos de Suporte de Negocios Ltda, Accenture Solutions Co Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Sp. z o.o., Accenture Sp. z.o.o., Accenture SpA, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc., Accenture Sub Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag KFT, Accenture Technologia, Accenture Technologia Consultoria e Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions SAS, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures BV, Accenture Technology Ventures S.P.R.L., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co., Accenture Vietnam Co. LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Benext, Bionic, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Boomerang Pharmaceuticals Communications Ireland Limited, Bow & Arrow, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brand Learning LLC, Brand Learning Ltd, Brand Learning Partners Limited, Brand Learning Pte Limited, Bridge Energy Group LLC, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CadenceQuest Inc., Capable Marketer Limited, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc., Certus Solutions Consulting Services Ltd, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cimation UK Limited, Cirruseo, Cirruseo SAS, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas (SN) (PTE.) Limited, Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Ltd., Cloud Talent Limited, Cloudsherpas, Cloudsherpas Inc., Cloudworks, Codagenic Pty. Ltd., Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda., Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda., Context Information Security, Coritel S.A., Corliant Inc., CreativeDrive, CustomerWorks Europe SL, Cutting Edge Solutions Ltd, D5 Global Holdings LLC, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., DMA Solutions Limited, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (Australia) PTY LTD, DayNine Consulting (Deutschland) GmbH, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting France SAS, DayNine Consulting Japan K.K., DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings, Declarative Holdings LLC, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digiplug SAS, Digital Consulting & Software Services LLC, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Ltd., Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies LLC, Deja Vu Security LLC, ESR Labs, Elcurator SAS, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting L.P., End-to-End Analytics, Energuia Web, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Ltd., Energy Quote Private Ltd., EnergyQuote JHA, EnergyQuote JHA Ltd., EnergyQuote Trading Ltd., Enimbos, Enkitec, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V. , Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enterprise System Partners PR LLC, Enterprise System Partners S.A.S., Entropia, Epylon, Ethica Consulting Group, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Exton Consulting, Fairway Technologies Inc, Fairway Technologies LLC, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, First Annapolis International, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Focus Group Europe Limited, Formicary, Formicary Holdings Limited, Formicary Limited, FusionX, FutureMove Automotive, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, Genfour Limited, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gestion Altima Canada Inc., Gevity, Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Hytracc Consulting UK Limited, Hytracc Holding AS, I-Faber S.p.A., IBB Consulting, IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INCAD, INSITUM, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Imagine Broadband (USA) Ltd, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Industrie&Co, Infoman AG, Infoman Schweiz AG, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Infusion Development Inc., Infusion Development UK Limited, InfusionDev LLC, Innoveer Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria Brasil LTDA, Insitum Consultoria Colombia SAS, Insitum Consultoria Europa SL, Insitum Consultoria Peru SAC, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., Intrepid, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Advertisement (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inventor Technology Limited, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, Javelin Group (Bulgaria) EOOD, Javelin Group Limited (UK), Javelin Group SASU, K Comms Group Limited, KCS.net AG, KCS.net AG West, KCS.net Deutschland GmbH, KCS.net Holding AG, KCS.net Osterreich GmbH, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Ltd, Kogentix Singapore Pte. Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kunstmaan NV, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon UKI, Kurt Salmon UKI Ltd., Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LabAnswer, LabAnswer Government, LemonXL Limited, Logistics Market Place Limited (UK), Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Corporation, Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte. Ltd., Mackevision UK Ltd, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd., Maihiro, Matter, Matter Llc, Maud Corp Pty Limited, Maxamine International, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing Corporation, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mindtribe Product Engineering LLC, MobGen, MobGen Technology S.L, Moonrise NV, Mortgage Cadence, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, N3 LLC, NBS Marketing Inc., NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile, Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Chile SpA, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda., New Energy Aborda, New Energy Associates Ltd, New Energy Group, New Energy S.r.l., NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage China Ltd., NewsPage Pte Ltd, Nice Agency Limited, Northstream, Northstream AB, Northstream Holding AB, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology LTDA, Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Octo Technology SPRL, Octoman SAS, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Openmind, Openminded, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium Consulting Ltd, Orbium GmbH, Orbium Holding AG, Orbium Inc., Orbium International AG, Orbium International sp. z o.o., Orbium Licences AG, Orbium Limited, Orbium Pte. Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sinnerschrader, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight Inc, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH.
6 hours ago

In the middle of a crisis, Facebook Inc. renames itself Meta

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Like many companies in trouble before it, Facebook is changing its name and logo. Facebook Inc. is now called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the  metaverse. But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

Read Article
Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. provides software-as-a-service core systems to the property and casualty insurance industry in North America. It offers Duck Creek Policy, a full lifecycle solution for the development of products and quoting, binding, and servicing of policies across various channels from agents and brokers to end-users; Duck Creek Billing that provides payment and invoicing capabilities, such as billing and collections, commission processing, disbursement management, and general ledger capabilities for insurance lines and bill types; and Duck Creek Claims that supports the entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss through investigation, payments, negotiations, reporting, and closure. The company also provides Duck Creek Rating that allows carriers to develop new rates and models and deliver accurate quotes in real-time based on the complex rating algorithms; Duck Creek Insights, an insurance analytics solution that allows carriers to gather and analyze data from internal and external sources and facilitate rapid analysis and reporting on a single system; Duck Creek Digital Engagement that offer digital interactions between property and casualty insurers and their agents, brokers, and policyholders; and Duck Creek Distribution Management that automates sales channel activities for agents and brokers, including producer onboarding, compliance, and compensation management. In addition, it offers Duck Creek Reinsurance Management that automates critical financial and administrative functions; and Duck Creek Industry Content that provides pre-built content, including base business rules, product designs, rating algorithms, data capture screens, and workflows for insurance lines of business. The company serves insurance carriers and leaders. Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Read More
Embraer SA engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and its parts for commercial, defense, and executive aviation sectors. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Aviation, Defense and Security, Executive Jet Business, Service & Support and Others. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production, and sale of commercial jets; and the provision of support services to regional aviation and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security segment engages in research, development, production, modification, and support for defense and security aircrafts, as well as other integrated products and solutions including satellites and information and communication systems. The Executive Jet Business segment deals with the development, manufacture, and sale of executive jets. The Service & Support segment provides after-service solutions and support to its customers through a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure operational efficiency of products manufactured by Embraer and by other aircraft manufacturers, extending the useful life of commercial, executive and defense aircraft. The Others segment refers to

Read More
Equinor ASA engages in the exploration, production, transport, refining, and marketing of petroleum and petroleum-derived products. It operates through the following segments: Exploration and Production Norway, Exploration and Production International, Exploration and Production USA, Marketing, Midstream, and Processing, and Other. The Exploration and Production Norway segment includes the commercial development of oil and gas portfolios on the Norwegian continental shelf. The Exploration and Production International segment covers offshore and onshore activities in the USA, Mexico, and other operations worldwide. The Exploration and Production USA segment covers both onshore and offshore exploration, development, and Production of oil and gas in USA. The Marketing, Midstream, and Processing segment markets and trades of oil and gas commodities. The Other segment includes new energy solutions; global strategy and business development; technology; projects and drilling; and corporate staffs and services. The company was founded on September 18, 1972 and is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway.

Read More
FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. provides real-time communications with aircrafts for the aerospace industry. It offers AFIRS, an automated flight information reporting system that is a satcom aircraft interface device, which enables real-time streaming of flight information, cockpit voice, and black box data streaming; TAMDAR, a tropospheric airborne meteorological data reporting system that aggregates and streams airborne weather data in real-time; AirMap, which provides real-time monitoring and insight of fleets; and UpTime, a ground-based, enterprise server that communicates with AFIRS through satellite connectivity and serves its customers with real-time applications. The company also offers FLYHTStream, a technology that performs real-time triggered alerting and black-box data streaming in the event of an abnormal situation in aircraft; FLYHTFuel that provides intelligent and real-time fuel data; FLYHTLog, which enables operators to monitor the status of their aircraft and have detailed out, off, on, and in time information; FLYHTVoice, a private communication channel for flight deck; and FLYHTMail, a two-way text messaging system for the flight crew and dispatch personnel. In addition, it provides aircraft health monitoring and automated engine trend reporting systems; and FLYHT Weather Observations that offers real-time weather data. The company serves in the United States, Mexico, Asia, China, the Middle East, Canada, Australasia, Africa, Europe, and South/Central America. The company was formerly known as AeroMechanical Services Ltd. and changed its name to FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. in May 2012. FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read More
Wall Street analysts have given CGI Group a "Buy" 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 CGI Group 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 Harte Hanks 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 Harte Hanks wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 09, 2018 | 02:25 PM | MAYFIELD

A Mayfield couple were arrested on methamphetamine and other charges Wednesday night.According to the Mayfield Police Department, officers were dispatched to a domestic disturbance call at a home on North 4Street. Police responded to the home and found 62-year-old Michael Boatfield and 47-year-old Angela Cannon arguing.

According to police, Boatfield had conditions of release not to be around Cannon or her seven-year-old son, and to not have any violent contact with either of them. Boatfield was arrested, and marijuana was allegedly found in his possession.

After consent was given by Cannon to search the home, methamphetamine was reportedly found in multiple containers throughout the home. Officers said large knives and other dangerous objects were easily accessible to the child. Cannon was also placed under arrest, and the child was placed in a safe location.

Both Boatfield and Cannon were lodged in the Graves County Jail. Boatfield was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, probation violation, violation of conditions of release and promoting contraband.

Cannon was charged with wanton endangerment, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
Wall Street analysts have given iShares S&P 500 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 500 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 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.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.
Wall Street analysts have given iShares Core S&P U.S. 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 Core S&P U.S. Value 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 Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos.
WASHINGTON, August 8. /TASS/. The US authorities are imposing new sanctions on Russia because of the Skripal case, the US Department of State said in a statement on Wednesday.

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 statement runs.

The sanctions will take effect on August 22, the State Department noted.

On March 4, Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been convicted in Russia for spying for the UK but later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury. Police said they suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent.

Later on, London claimed that the Novichok-class toxin had been developed in Russia. The UK rushed to accuse Russia of being involved failing to furnish any evidence. Moscow refuted the accusations stating that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had ever done research on that toxic agent.

More:

http://tass.com/world/1016528

I am still waiting for proof!

WtR
The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Advisors S.r.l., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe (Services) Limited, AIG Europe Holdings S.a.rl., AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Insurance Company (Switzerland) Ltd, AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG Shared Services Corporation, AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE EOLA LLC, AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American Home Assurance Company Escritorio de Representacao no Brasil Ltda., American International Group Inc., American International Group UK Limited, American International Overseas Association, American International Overseas Limited, American International Realty Corp., American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A., American Security Life Insurance Company Limited, Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Avondhu Limited, Blackboard Customer Care Insurance Services LLC, Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Services LLC, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., Chartis Takaful Enaya B.S.C. (c), Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Fortitude Group Holdings LLC, Fortitude Life & Annuity Solutions Inc., Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Group Risk Services Limited, Group Risk Technologies Limited, Illinois National Insurance Co., Jefferson Eola Venture LLC, Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, MG Reinsurance Limited, Mt. Mansfield Company Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Private Joint-Stock Company AIG Ukraine Insurance Company, Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SA Affordable Housing LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners Inc., SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., Thai CIT Holding Company Limited, The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., Western World Insurance Company, and Western World Insurance Group Inc..
Wall Street analysts have given iShares Core Aggressive Allocation 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 Core Aggressive Allocation ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.
Magna International Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. Its Body Exteriors & Structures segment provides body and chassis systems, as well as engineering and testing services; exterior systems, including fascia and trims, front end modules, front integration panels, liftgate modules, active aerodynamics, engineered glass, running boards, truck bed access products, and side doors; and roof systems, such as modular and textile folding roofs, and hard and soft tops. The company's Power & Vision segment offers dedicated hybrid, dual and e-clutch, and manual transmissions; engine drive plates and accessories; AWD/4WD products, rear drive modules, and hybrid and battery electric drive systems; transmission, engine, and driveline components; advanced driver assistance systems, camera systems, ultrasonic sensors, and electronic controllers; interior and exterior mirrors, actuators, door handles, overhead consoles, and camera monitoring systems; head, tail, and fog lamps; signal and other lighting products; and latching systems, door modules, window systems, power closure systems, hinges and wire forming, and handle assemblies. Its Seating Systems segment provides seat structures, mechanism and hardware solutions, and foam and trim products. The company's Complete Vehicles segment offers vehicle manufacturing and engineering services. It also designs, engineers, and manufactures tooling products. Magna International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Aurora, Canada.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Archer-Daniels-Midland: ADM (Shanghai) Management Co. LTD, ADM (Thailand) Ltd, ADM Ag Holdings Ltd, ADM Agri-Industries Company, ADM Agriculture Limited, ADM Agro Iberica S. L. U., ADM Agro Indust Latur and Vizag Pvt Ltd, ADM Agro Industries India Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries KOTA and AKOLA Pvt. Ltd., ADM Agro SRL, ADM Agroinvestimentos LTDA, ADM Alliance Nutrition of Puerto Rico LLC, ADM Americas S de RL, ADM Andina Peru SRL, ADM Antwerp NV, ADM Arkady Ireland Limited, ADM Asia-Pacific Trading Pte. Ltd., ADM Australia Holdings I PTY Limited, ADM Bio Science And Technology (Tianjin) Co Ltd, ADM Bioproductos SA DE CV, ADM CZERNIN SA, ADM Caribbean Inc, ADM Chile Comercial LTDA, ADM Clinton Bioprocessing Inc, ADM DO Brasil LTDA, ADM Direct Polska SP. ZO.O, ADM Dominican Holdings Inc., ADM Dominicana SA, ADM Edible Bean Specialties Inc, ADM Europe HoldCo SL, ADM European Holdings LLC, ADM European Management Holding GMBH, ADM Export Co, ADM Food Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ADM France, ADM Germany GmbH, ADM Grain River System Inc., ADM Hamburg Aktiengesesllschaft, ADM Holding (Thailand) LTD, ADM Holdings LLC, ADM Hungary Agro Trading LLC, ADM Industries Centers Ltd, ADM International Holdings Inc, ADM International SARL, ADM Interoceanic LTD, ADM Investments LTD, ADM Investor Services Inc, ADM Investor Services International LTD, ADM Ireland Receivables Company Limited, ADM Israel, ADM Japan Ltd, ADM MALBORK SA, ADM Mainz GMBH, ADM Medsofts Sarl, ADM Mexico Inc, ADM Mexico SA DE CV, ADM Milling Co, ADM Milling LTD, ADM New Zealand Limited, ADM Olomouc S.R.O., ADM Paraguay SRL, ADM Protexin Limited, ADM Pura Limited, ADM Receivables LLC, ADM Rice Inc, ADM Ringaskiddy Unlimited Company, ADM Romania Logistics SRL, ADM Romania Trading SRL, ADM Specialty Ingredients - Europe BV, ADM Spyck GMBH, ADM Szamotuly SP Z O.O, ADM Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., ADM Trading Co, ADM Transportation Company, ADM Trucking Inc, ADM Vietnam CO. LTD, ADM WILD Europe GmbH and Co. KG, ADM WILD Ingredients GmbH, ADM WILD Nauen GmbH, ADM WILD Valencia S.A., ADM Wild Netherlands BV, ADM Worldwide Holdings LP, ADMIS Holding Co Inc., ADMIS Hong Kong LTD, ADMIS Singapore Pte Limited, AOR, AT Holdings II Company, Agri Port Services Investments Ltd., Agri Port Services LLC, Agricolas Madagascar SARLU, Agrinational Insurance Co, Agriserve, Agrograin LTD, Alfrebro LLC, Alfred C Toepfer International Netherlands BV, Alimenta USA, American River Transportation Company LLC, Ameriseed, Amylum Bulgaria EAD, Amylum Nisasta Sanayi Ve Ticarek Anonim Sirketi, Archer Daniels Midland (UK) Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Asia Pacific Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Erith LTD, Archer Daniels Midland Europe BV, Archer Daniels Midland Europoort BV, Archer Daniels Midland Nederland BV, Archer Daniels Midland Singapore PTE LTD, Arinos Unlimited, Aston Foods & Food Ingredients, Balanceados Nova SA Balnova, Barbados Mills Limited, Bela Vista Bio Etanol Participacoes LTDA, Bern Aqua, BioPolis SL, Biopolis, Campa Sued GmbH & Co KG, Cattleman's Choice Loomix LLC, Chamtor, Ci ADM Colombia Ltda., Controladora ADM Sa De Cv, Crosswind Petfoods Inc., Daavision BV, Eaststarch, Eatem Corporation, Eatem Foods, Elstar Oils, English River Pellets Inc., Epicore Bionetworks INC, Epicore Networks (USA) INC, Erich Ziegler GmbH, Evialis France, Fasco Mills Co., Filozoo SRL, Florida Chemical, Florida Chemical Company LLC, GP Blanching Inc., Global Cocoa Holdings LTD, Golden Peanut Company LLC, Golden Peanut and Tree Nut Seed SA (PTY) LTD, Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts SA, Group Lysac, Guyomarc'h - VCN Company Limited, Guyomarc'h Vietnam CO LTD, HFR Shipping Company Ltd, HRA Shipping Company Ltd, HTI Shipping Company Ltd, Harvest Innovations, Hilltop Grain and Feed, Holding P and A Asia Company Limited, Hubei Meiweiyuan Biotechnology, Ilitchevskiy Maslo Extractionniy Zavod (IMEZ), Invivo NSA Asia PTE LTD, Invivo NSA Philippines Inc, Jamaica Flour Mills Limited, Julius Meijer-Alpharma BV, LLC ADM Ukraine, Liquid Feed Commodities, Malta Industries SA de CV, Malta-Texo De Mexico SA de CV, Master Mix of Trinidad LTD, Medsofts Investment Co, Medsofts L.L.C., Medsofts Trading Co, Mepla Comercio e Navegacao Ltda, NRG Inc, Naviera Chaco SRL, Neovia, Neovia Latina SL, Neovia Nutricao E Saude Animal LTDA, North Star Shipping S.R.L., P and A Marketing SA, PJSC ADM Illichivsk, PT Wirifa Sakti, Pancosma (Shanghai) Feed Additives CO LTD, Pancosma France SAS, Pancosma SA, Premiere Agri Technologies of Mexico Inc, Pura Foods LTD, Rodelle Inc., Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann, Sermix, Setna Nutricion SA, Societe Industrielle Des Oleagineux, Southern Cellulose Products Inc, Soy Investors LLC, Specialty Commodities, Specialty Commodities LLC, Sul Mineira Alimentos LTDA, SzSzV Kft, Toepfer International, Toepfer International Trading (Shanghai) Co. LTD., Vantage Corn Processors LLC, WILD Amazon Flavors Ltda, WILD Flavors, Wild Flavors Inc., Wild Flavors International GmbH, Wild Flavors Singapore Pte. Ltd., Wild Intermare GmbH, Wild Russia LLC, and Wisium SA (PTY) LTD.
Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Read More
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

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.
Wall Street analysts have given PetroQuest Energy 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 PetroQuest Energy 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 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.
Close Brothers Group plc, a merchant banking company, provides financial services to small businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. It operates through five segments: Commercial, Retail, Property, Asset Management, and Securities. The company offers various deposit products, including fixed term deposits and notice accounts. It also provides asset finance, asset-based lending, commercial vehicle hire, short-term bridging finance, insurance premium finance, invoice discounting and factoring, and property finance products. In addition, the company offers funding services for general aviation aircraft, and various leisure and commercial vessels; sale and rent back services for the brewing sector; broker finance services to agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and transport industries; leasing services for construction, manufacturing, IT equipment, and specialist assets; and loan, hire purchase, leasing, and refinancing services to the professional service sector, including dental, medical, pharmacy, and veterinary sectors. Further, it provides financial education, investment management, and financial planning and advice services; self-directed services that help investors to manage their portfolio online; and services for financial advisers. Additionally, the company offers liquidity and flexible execution services to retail stockbrokers, wealth managers, and institutional investors; market making, sales, research, and corporate broking services; and dealing, custody, and settlement services to the institutional, wealth management, and brokerage clients. Close Brothers Group plc was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd..
Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Kellogg: 545 LLC, AQFTM Inc., Afical - Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Afical Holding LLC, Alimentos Gollek S.A., Alimentos Kellogg S.A., Alimentos Kellogg de Panama SRL, Argkel Inc., Austin Quality Foods Inc., BDH Inc., Bear Naked Inc., Bisco Misr, CC Real Estate Holdings LLC, Canada Holding LLC, Cary Land Corporation, Eighteen94 Capital LLC, Favorite Food Products Limited, Gardenburger LLC, Gollek Argentina S.R.L., Gollek B.V., Gollek Inc., Gollek Interamericas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gollek Servicios S.C., Gollek UK Limited, Illinois Baking Corporation, Instituto De Nutricion y Salud Kellogg A.C., Insurgent Brands LLC, K (China) Limited, K Europe Holding Company Limited, K India Private Limited, K-One Inc., K-Two Inc., KBAR SRL, KECL LLC, KELF Limited, KJAL Limited, KPAR Limited, KT International Finance SRL, KTRY Limited, Kashi Company, Kashi Company Pty Ltd, Kashi Sales L.L.C., Keebler Company, Keebler Foods Company, Keebler Holding Corp., Keebler USA Inc., Kelarg Inc., Kelcone Limited, Kelcorn Limited, Kellman S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Kellogg (Deutschland) GmbH, Kellogg (Japan) G.K., Kellogg (Osterreich) Gesellschaft GmbH, Kellogg (Schweiz) GmbH, Kellogg (Thailand) Limited, Kellogg Activation Services Company, Kellogg Argentina S.R.L., Kellogg Asia Inc., Kellogg Asia Marketing Inc., Kellogg Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Kellogg Asia Products Sdn.. Bhd., Kellogg Asia Sdn. Bhd., Kellogg Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Belgium Services Company BVBA, Kellogg Brasil Inc., Kellogg Brasil Ltda., Kellogg Business Services Company, Kellogg Canada Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Inc., Kellogg Caribbean Services Company Inc., Kellogg Chile Inc., Kellogg Company East Africa Limited, Kellogg Company Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg Company Subsidiaries, Kellogg Company of Great Britain Limited, Kellogg Company of Ireland Limited, Kellogg Company of South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Kellogg Costa Rica S. de R.L., Kellogg Ecuador C. LTDA., Kellogg El Salvador Ltda. de C.V., Kellogg Espana S.L., Kellogg Europe Company Limited, Kellogg Europe Finance Limited, Kellogg Europe Services Limited, Kellogg Europe Trading Limited, Kellogg Europe Treasury Services Limited, Kellogg European Logistics Services Company Limited, Kellogg European Support Services SRL, Kellogg Fearn Inc., Kellogg Funding Company LLC, Kellogg Group LLC, Kellogg Group Limited, Kellogg Group S.a.r.l., Kellogg Hellas Single Member Limited Liability Company, Kellogg Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Holding LLC, Kellogg Hong Kong Holding Company Limited, Kellogg Hong Kong Private Limited, Kellogg India Private Limited, Kellogg International Holding Company, Kellogg Irish Holding Limited, Kellogg Italia S.p.A., Kellogg Kayco, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (One) Limited, Kellogg Latin America Holding Company (Two) Limited, Kellogg Latvia Inc., Kellogg Lux I S.ar.l., Kellogg Lux III S. ar L., Kellogg Lux V S.a.r.l., Kellogg Lux VI S.ar.l., Kellogg Management Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Manchester Limited, Kellogg Manufacturing Espana S.L., Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Limited, Kellogg Med Gida Ticaret Limited SirketiI, Kellogg Netherlands Holding B.V., Kellogg North America Company, Kellogg Northern Europe GmbH, Kellogg Pakistan (Private) Limted, Kellogg Rus LLC, Kellogg Sales Company, Kellogg Services GmbH, Kellogg Servicios S.C., Kellogg Snacks Financing Limited, Kellogg Snacks Holding Company Europe Limited, Kellogg Superannuation Pty. Ltd., Kellogg Supply Services (Europe) Limited, Kellogg Talbot LLC, Kellogg Transition MA&P L.L.C., Kellogg Treasury Services Company, Kellogg U.K. Holding Company Limited, Kellogg UK Minor Limited, Kellogg USA LLC, Kellogg de Centro America S.A., Kellogg de Colombia S.A., Kellogg de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Kellogg de Peru S.R.L., Kellogg's Produits Alimentaires S.A.S., Kelmill Limited, Kelpac Limited, Klux A Sarl, Klux B Sarl, Mass Food, Mass Food International SAE, Mass Food SAE, Mass Trade for Trade and Distribution SAE, McCamly Plaza Hotel Inc., Multipro Consumer Products Limited*, Multipro Private Limited*, Multipro Singapore Pte. Ltd*, Nhong Shim Kellogg Co. Ltd.*, Nikko Industries*, Nordisk Kellogg's ApS, PRUX S.a r.l., Padua Ltda, Parati Group, Parati Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Portable Foods Manufacturing Company Limited, Prime Bond Cyprus Holding Company Limited, Prime Bond Holdings Limited, Pringles, Pringles (Shanghai) Food Co. Ltd., Pringles Australia Pty Ltd, Pringles Hong Kong Limited, Pringles International Operations Sarl, Pringles Japan G.K., Pringles LLC, Pringles Manufacturing Company, Pringles Overseas Holdings Sarl, Pringles S.a r.l., Pronumex S de R.L. de C.V., RX Bar UK Limited, RXBRANDS Canada ULC, Ritmo Investimentos, Rondo Food Manufacturing S.A.E., RxBar, Saragusa Frozen Foods Limited, Servicios Argkel S.C., Shaffer Clarke & Co. Inc., Specialty Cereals Pty Limited, Specialty Foods L.L.C., Stretch Fibres*, Stretch Island Fruit Sales L.L.C., Sunshine Biscuits L.L.C., The Eggo Company, The Healthy Snack People Pty Limited, Trafford Park Insurance Limited, Uma Investments sp. z o.o., Vita+ Naturprodukte GmbH*, Wimble Manufacturing Belgium BVBA, Wimble Services Belgium BVBA, and Worthington Foods Inc..
Aug 9, 2018 | By Thomas

A modern version of famous Soviet sculpture, Girl with an Oar, has been unveiled in Moscows Gorky Park. The figure, which was restored through 3D printing, was assembled and decorated by talented 'calligraffiti' artist Pokras Lampas, from St. Petersburg, who covered with the body with quotes from modern Russian literature.

Ivan Shadr, an artist favored by Stalin, sculpted "Girl with an Oar" in 1934. The 23-foot nude statue which proved too sexy for the Soviet dictator was banished from pride of place in Moscow's Gorky Park to Ukraine in 1936 and replaced with a less sensual version.

Ivan Shadr working on the original 1935 version.

The statue as shown in Gorky Parky before the Nazi bombing destroyed it in 1941.

The new recreation of the statue marks the 90th anniversary of Gorky Park, and will also appear on the cover of the Russian edition of Esquire.

If you want to understand Girl with an Oar, just read the text [written on her], explained Lampas. The meaning of modern calligraphy is not to maintain the tradition of writing. This is a search for new forms, an attempt to understand how the culture will change under the influence of global trends.

The four-meter-tall copy of Girl with an Oar took 3-4 weeks to create using a dedicated 3D printer. The 3D models were created from photographs of the original sculpture. The large model was then divided into smaller segments and Temporum, a local 3D printing company, 3D printed the individual parts, each measuring just 30 centimeters. The parts were then assembled and reinforced from the inside. Post-processing took another two weeks.

"I'm not interested in making format projects, so for the magazine I wanted to come up with something different, unlike anything else," explained Lampas. "I decided that it would be good to paint an object... At some point, we remembered that Gorko Park plans to put out the sculpture "Girls with a paddle", printed on a 3D printer - it seemed an ideal combination of technology and art. I began to think out how to paint a sculpture, so that it became both a part of the cover, and an installation, and an art-statement."

"Usually I work in the format "I'm an artist, I create something, and the viewer sees an abstract thing." But the last year I began to actively use the typeface, which combines the message and art. The art part catches the eye and works with associations, and the printed one - makes the idea more understandable, because the meaning in calligraphy is always difficult to read, it requires concentrated attention and a certain context."

Images credit: Esquire

Posted in 3D Printing Application

Maybe you also like:












The following companies are subsidiares of Bayer Aktiengesellschaft: AB Seeds Ltd, AB Seeds Sales (2006) Ltd, AO Bayer, Adverio Pharma GmbH, AgrEvo Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, AgraQuest Inc., Alcafleu Management GmbH & Co. KG, Algeta, Artificial Muscle Inc, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Athenix Corp., Atlantic Breeders S. A. R. L., BUS C.V., Bayer (Proprietary) Limited, Bayer (Schweiz) AG, Bayer 04 Immobilien GmbH, Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fuball GmbH, Bayer A / S, Bayer AB, Bayer AS, Bayer Agriculture BVBA, Bayer Agriculture Limited, Bayer Algerie S. P. A., Bayer Altersversorgung GmbH, Bayer Animal Health GmbH, Bayer Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Bayer B.V., Bayer Beteiligungsverwaltung Goslar GmbH, Bayer Beteiligungsverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. OHG, Bayer Bitterfeld GmbH, Bayer Bulgaria EOOD, Bayer Business Services GmbH, Bayer Canadian Holdings Inc., Bayer Capital Corporation B.V., Bayer Chemicals GmbH, Bayer Consumer Care AG, Bayer Consumer Care Holdings LLC, Bayer Corporation, Bayer CropScience, Bayer CropScience (Portugal)-Produtos para a Agricultura Lda, Bayer CropScience Beteiligungsgesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Bayer CropScience Biologics GmbH, Bayer CropScience Deutschland GmbH, Bayer CropScience Holding Inc., Bayer CropScience Holding SA, Bayer CropScience Holdings Inc., Bayer CropScience Inc., Bayer CropScience LLC, Bayer CropScience LP, Bayer CropScience Limited, Bayer CropScience NV, Bayer CropScience S. L., Bayer CropScience S. r. l., Bayer CropScience Schweiz AG, Bayer CropScience Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Bayer East Coast LLC, Bayer Essure Inc., Bayer HealthCare Animal Health Inc., Bayer HealthCare Holdings LLC, Bayer HealthCare LLC, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer HealthCare US Funding II LLC, Bayer HealthCare US Funding LLC, Bayer Inc., Bayer International Trade Services Corporation, Bayer Medical Care Inc., Bayer New AU M1059 USD LLC, Bayer New AU M3650 LLC, Bayer New BE M3155 LLC, Bayer New CA M5015 LLC, Bayer New CH M3868 LLC, Bayer New CZ M3204 LLC, Bayer New DE M3385 LLC, Bayer New Gewas I M3640 LLC, Bayer New Gewas II M3640 LLC, Bayer New HU M3440 LLC, Bayer New MA M3130 LLC, Bayer New MX M3640 LLC, Bayer New MY M1455 LLC, Bayer New NL M3644 LLC, Bayer New Oogst M3648 LLC, Bayer New PL M3655 LLC, Bayer New RO M3695 LLC, Bayer New RU M3708 LLC, Bayer New TH M1763 LLC, Bayer New TK M3970 LLC, Bayer New UA M3702 LLC, Bayer New UK M3939 LLC, Bayer New Veggie M3617 M5157 LLC, Bayer New Veggie Mig M3617 M5157 LLC, Bayer New ZA M3743 LLC, Bayer Overseas Trade Services Corporation, Bayer Puerto Rico Inc., Bayer U.S. LLC, Bayer US Finance II LLC, Bayer US Finance LLC, Bayer US Holding LP, Bayer West Coast Corporation, Bayer World Investments B.V., Bayer d. o. o., Bayer spol. sr. o., Bayer-Handelsgesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Beeologics Admin LLC, Beeologics Holdings Limited, Beeologics LLC, Beeologics USA Inc, Berlimed S. A., Berlipharm B.V., Berlis AG, Biogenetic Technologies B.V., BlueRock Therapeutics, Care/of, Channel Bio LLC, Chemion Logistik GmbH, Collateral Therapeutics Inc., Conceptus SAS La Garenne, Cooper Land Company of New Jersey Inc., Coppertone LLC, Corn States LLC, Dihon Pharmaceutical, Dr. Scholls LLC, Dritte Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co. KG, Erste Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co. KG, Erste K-W-A Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, EuroServices Bayer S. L., Funfte Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co., GP Grenzach Produktions GmbH, Grass Roots Biotechnology LLC, Hornbeck Seed Company Inc., Icon Genetics, Intendis GmbH, Intraserv GmbH & Co., Jenapharm GmbH & Co. KG, KVP Pharma+Veterinar Produkte GmbH, KWA Investment II LLC Research, KWA Investment III LLC, KWA Investment IV LLC, KaNDy Therapeutics, MENADIER Heilmittel GmbH, MNL Luxembourg S. a. r. l., MONSANTO Hungaria Kft., MONSANTO Saaten GmbH, Merck-Consumer Care (MCC), MiraLAX LLC, Monsanto ACUA MHC LLC, Monsanto AG Netherlands I C.V., Monsanto AG Netherlands II C.V., Monsanto AGN Holding LLC, Monsanto Ag B.V., Monsanto Agrar Deutschland GmbH, Monsanto Agricultura Espana S. L., Monsanto Agricultura Italia S.p.A., Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Limited, Monsanto Burkina Faso SARL, Monsanto CR s. r. o., Monsanto Canada ULC, Monsanto Caribe LLC, Monsanto Company, Monsanto Crop B.V., Monsanto Crop Sciences Denmark A/S, Monsanto Crop Sciences Norway A/S, Monsanto Crop Sciences Sweden A.B., Monsanto Finance SA, Monsanto Gesellschaft m. b. H., Monsanto Gida Ve Tarim Ticaret Ltd, Monsanto Grain B.V., Monsanto Great Lakes Production Co LLC, Monsanto Hawaii Production Co LLC, Monsanto Hellas Agriculturals Ltd, Monsanto Holding I C.V., Monsanto Holding II C.V., Monsanto Holding III C.V., Monsanto Holding Ukraine Ltd, Monsanto Holland B.V., Monsanto II Lda, Monsanto Illinois Production Co LLC, Monsanto Inter-America Company, Monsanto International Sarl, Monsanto Invest B.V., Monsanto Iowa Production Co LLC, Monsanto Ireland Limited, Monsanto Jordan LLC, Monsanto Kenya Ltd, Monsanto Kool BV, Monsanto LA Holdings II Co LLC, Monsanto Latin America Holdings Co LLC, Monsanto MGCV MHC LLC, Monsanto MSCV Holding LLC, Monsanto MYCV MHC LLC, Monsanto Malawi Ltd, Monsanto Missouri Production Co LLC, Monsanto NL BV, Monsanto Northern Production Co LLC, Monsanto Oogst B.V., Monsanto Operations B.V., Monsanto Polska Sp. z o. o., Monsanto Production Supply LLC, Monsanto Romania SRL, Monsanto Rus LLC, Monsanto S.A.S., Monsanto Seed Supply LLC, Monsanto Seeds LLC, Monsanto Serbia D. O. O., Monsanto Slovakia S. R. O., Monsanto South Africa (PTY) Ltd, Monsanto Southern Production Co LLC, Monsanto Tanzania Limited, Monsanto Technology International LLC, Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Treasury Services SARL, Monsanto UK Limited Cambridge U. K., Monsanto Vegetable Holding LLC, Monsanto Vegetable IP Holding C.V., Monsanto Vegetable IP Management BV, Monsanto Vegetable Seed Holding LLC, Monsanto Western Production Co LLC, Monsanto Zaad B.V., Monsanto Zambia Ltd, Monsanto d. o. o., Pallas Versicherung, Pandias Re AG, Pianosa B.V., Relay Limited, SC Bayer SRL, SCEA De Ruiter Zonen Selection, Sechste Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co., Seminis Vegetable Seeds U. K. Ltd, Siebte Bayer VV GmbH, Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, TECTRION GmbH, TOO Bayer KAZ, The Climate Corporation International SA, TravelBoard GmbH, UAB Bayer, Vierte Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co., WeatherMe OU, Zeptosens, Zoner.ag, Zweite Bayer Real Estate VV GmbH & Co., and Zweite K-W-A Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH.
The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.
Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.

Read More
Clean Tecnica, August 8th, 2018 by Steve Hanley

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is leading a campaign to bring 1.4 gigawatts of solar power to Egypt. One of the 16 proposed projects is known as Kom Ombo. Scheduled to be built in the Aswan area of the country, it will provide 200 megawatts of renewable energy  about 14% of the total.

Credit: Complete Energy Solutions

The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company has received six bids for the Kom Ombo project in Egypt, according to PV Magazine. The lowest bid came from Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, a solar developer with headquarters in Spain. It is part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, which is based in the United Arab Emirates. Its bid was $0.02791 per kWh. The next lowest bid was submitted by the Saudi energy giant ACWA Power. Its bid was $0.02799 per kWh. The third lowest offer came from Norways Scatec Solar at $0.03045 per kWh.

EETC is now reviewing the bids before entering into a 25-year power purchase agreement with the winning bidder. Most of Egypts large scale solar installations will be installed in the Aswan region. The solar projects funded by EBRD are all located in a site near the village of Benban in that part of the country and will become Egypts first private utility scale renewable energy network.

In addition to the 16 solar installations being funded by EBRD, the World Banks International Finance Corp has pledged $203 million of its own financing to develop a further 13 solar power plants with a cumulative capacity of 650 MW. In total, the two organizations will manage $1.8 billion in investments  much of it from private investors  in Egyptian solar over the next few years.

Egypt currently gets 90% of its electricity from burning fossil fuels despite being one of the sunniest nations on earth. But things are changing, with the Egyptian government now proposing to increase renewable energy to 20% of the countrys total electrical power by 2022. Egypt has suffered serious economic issues lately, making it difficult to attract local investors to the renewable energy sector. With support from EBRD and the World Bank, however, it is now moving forward toward a renewable energy future.

Not long ago, people were talking about renewables being too cheap to meter. At under 3 cents per kWh, that possibility is getting ever closer to reality.
Wall Street analysts have given iShares S&P 400 MidCap 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 400 MidCap 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 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.
Wall Street analysts have given Amigo 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 Amigo 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 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..
The following companies are subsidiares of Ecolab: AO Ecolab, Abednego Environmental Services, Abednego Environmental Services LLC, Abednego Mexico Holdings LLC, Abednego de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alcide Corp., Anios America S.A., Anios Diffusion SAS, Anios Manufacturing SAS, Bioquell, Bioquell Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Bioquell Global Logistics (Ireland) Ltd., Bioquell Holding SAS, Bioquell Inc., Bioquell Limited, Bioquell SAS, Bioquell Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd., Bioquell Technology Canada Ltd., Bioquell UK Limited, Bioxyquell Limited, CALGON EUROPE LIMITED, CALGON LLC, CID LINES HOLDING NV, CID LINES INVEST NV, CID LINES NV, CID Lines, CID Lines Beijing Animal Hygiene Co Ltd., CID Lines France Sarl, CID Lines Iberica SL, CID Lines LLC, CID Lines Mexico S.A. DE C.V., CID Lines R&D NV, CID Lines Sp. z o. o., CORPAK MedSystems, Cascade Water Services, Champion Technologies, Chamtech L.L.C., Chemlawn, Chemstaff Inc., Chemstar Corporation, Cirlam BVBA, Copal Holding NV, Copal Invest NV, DERYPOL SA, DMD, E&M Bio-Chemicals LLC, ECOLAB NL 10 B.V., ECOLAB PEST FRANCE SAS, Ecolab (Antigua) Ltd., Ecolab (Aruba) N.V., Ecolab (Barbados) Limited, Ecolab (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Ecolab (Fiji) Pty Limited, Ecolab (GZ) Chemicals Limited, Ecolab (Guam) LLC, Ecolab (Proprietary) Limited, Ecolab (Schweiz) GmbH, Ecolab (St. Lucia) Limited, Ecolab (Taicang) Technology Co. Ltd., Ecolab (Trinidad and Tobago) Unlimited, Ecolab (U.K.) Holdings Limited, Ecolab A.E.B.E., Ecolab AB, Ecolab AP Holdings LLC, Ecolab AT 2 GmbH, Ecolab AU2 Pty Ltd, Ecolab Acquisition LLC, Ecolab ApS, Ecolab Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Ecolab B.V., Ecolab B.V.B.A./S.P.R.L., Ecolab Bahrain S.P.C., Ecolab CDN 2 Co., Ecolab CDN 4 ULC, Ecolab CH 1 GmbH, Ecolab CH 2 GmbH, Ecolab CH 3 GmbH, Ecolab CH 5 GmbH, Ecolab CH 6 GmbH, Ecolab Chemicals Limited, Ecolab Co., Ecolab Colombia S. A., Ecolab DE 1 GmbH, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab EOOD, Ecolab East Africa (Kenya) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Tanzania) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Uganda) Limited, Ecolab Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Ecolab Engineering GmbH, Ecolab Europe GmbH, Ecolab Export GmbH, Ecolab FR 1 SAS, Ecolab FR 4 SAS, Ecolab Finance Company Designated Activity Company, Ecolab Food Safety & Hygiene Solutions Private Limited, Ecolab G.K., Ecolab Global Business Services LLC, Ecolab GmbH, Ecolab Gulf FZE, Ecolab HK 1 Limited, Ecolab HK 2 Limited, Ecolab Hispano-Portuguesa S.L., Ecolab Holding Italy S.r.l., Ecolab Holdings (Europe) LLC, Ecolab Holdings Inc., Ecolab Holdings Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Ecolab Hygiene Kft., Ecolab Hygiene d.o.o., Ecolab Israel Holdings LLC, Ecolab JVZ Limited, Ecolab Korea Ltd., Ecolab LLC, Ecolab LUX & Co Holdings S.C.A., Ecolab LUX 1 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 2 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 4 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 7 Sarl, Ecolab LUX Sarl, Ecolab Limited, Ecolab Ltd., Ecolab Lux 10 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 12 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 13 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 14 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 15 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 9 S.a.r.l., Ecolab Lux Partner LLC, Ecolab MT Holdings LLC, Ecolab MT Limited, Ecolab Malta 1 Limited, Ecolab Malta 2 Limited, Ecolab Malta GPS, Ecolab Manufacturing IE Limited, Ecolab Manufacturing Inc., Ecolab Manufacturing UK Limited, Ecolab Maroc Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Ecolab NL 11 B.V., Ecolab NL 15 BV, Ecolab NL 16 B.V., Ecolab NL 23 B.V., Ecolab NL 3 BV, Ecolab NL 4 BV, Ecolab Name Holding Limited, Ecolab New Zealand, Ecolab Peru Holdings S.R.L., Ecolab Pest Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Philippines Inc., Ecolab Production Belgium B.V.B.A., Ecolab Production France SAS, Ecolab Production Italy Srl, Ecolab Production LLC, Ecolab Production Netherlands B.V., Ecolab Production Poland sp. z o.o., Ecolab Pte. Ltd., Ecolab Pty Ltd., Ecolab Quimica Ltda., Ecolab S. de R.L. de C.V., Ecolab S.A., Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Ecolab SAS, Ecolab SIA, Ecolab SNC, Ecolab SRL, Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Ecolab Services Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Services Poland Sp. z o o, Ecolab Sociedad Anonima, Ecolab Sp. z o o, Ecolab Spain Services S.L.U., Ecolab Temizleme Sistemleri Limited Sirketi, Ecolab U.S. 2 Inc., Ecolab U.S. 6 LLC, Ecolab U.S. 7 LLC, Ecolab US 1 GP, Ecolab USA Inc., Ecolab Viet Nam Company Limited, Ecolab Water Holding LImited, Ecolab a.s., Ecolab d.o.o., Ecolab s.r.l., Ecolab s.r.o., Ecolab y Compania Colectiva de Responsabilidad Limitada, Ecolab-Importacao E. Exportacao Limitada, Ecolabone B.V., Ecolabtwo B.V., Endoclear Equipamentos Medicos Hospitalares Ltda., Enviroflo Engineering Limited, Food Protection Services, GCS Service, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd., GallayTrac Pty. Ltd., Georgia-Pacific - Paper Chemicals Business, Gibson Chemical Industries, Green Harbour Mainland Holdings Ltd, Guangzhou Green Harbour Environmental Operation Ltd., HYDROSAN LIMITED, Henkel-Ecolab, Hicopla SL, Holchem Laboratories, Huntington Laboratories, Hydenet SAS, INDUSTRIAL) UNIPESSOAL LDA, INTERNATIONAL WATER CONSULTANT B.V., Immobiliare R.E.O.P.A. SRL, Instrunet Hospital SLU, Jianghai Environmental Protection Co., Jianghai Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., KATAYAMA NALCO INC., Kay BVBA, Kay Chemical Company, LHS (UK) Limited, Laboratoires Anios, Laboratoires Anios-Distribution SAS, Les Produits Chimiques ERPAC Inc., Lobster Ink, Lobster Ink Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Lobster International S.A., London & General Packaging Ltd, MALAYSIA SDN. BHD, MANUFACTURING S.R.L., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Europe Limited, Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, Midland Research Laboratories UK Limited, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM BVBA, NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND MANUFACTURING GMBH UND CO. KG, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO LUXEMBOURG HOLDINGS SARL, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO NORTH AFRICA LIMITED, NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO ZAO, NALFLOC LIMITED, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC, Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Nalco Gulf Response Corp., Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Shield Salvage Associates Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, Technical Textile Services Limited, Techtex Holdings Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, Wabasha Leasing LLC, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. The company provides life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners insurance and business insurance, as well as investment products, annuities, mutual funds, and college savings plans. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits and Hartford Funds. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products, primarily throughout the U.S., within its standard commercial lines, which consists of The Hartford's small commercial and middle market lines of business. The Personal Lines segment includes automobile, homeowners and home-based business coverage to individuals across the U.S. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, currently managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the company's asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment offers group life, accident and disabi

Read More
WEX Inc. provides financial technology services in North America, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Fleet Solutions, Travel and Corporate Solutions, and Health and Employee Benefit Solutions. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment processing services. Its services include customer, account activation, and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; premium fleet services; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions with access to web-based data analytics platform that offers insights to fleet managers; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to commercial and government vehicle fleet customers with small, medium, and large fleets, as well as with over-the-road and long haul fleets; and indirectly through co-branded and private label relationships. The Travel and Corporate Solutions segment provides payment processing solutions for payment and transaction monitoring needs. Its products include virtual cards that are used for transactions where no card is presented and that require pre-authorization; and prepaid and gift card products that enables secure payment and financial management solutions with single card options, access to open or closed loop redemption, load limits, and with various expirations. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to commercial and government organizations. The Health and Employee Benefit Solutions segment offers healthcare payment products and software-as-a-service consumer directed platforms for healthcare market, as well as payroll related and employee benefit products in Brazil. The company was formerly known as Wright Express Corporation and changed its name to WEX Inc. in October 2012. WEX Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Portland, Maine.

Read More
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 Dominion Energy: 96WI 8me LLC, Alamo Solar LLC, Align RNG Arizona LLC, Align RNG Arizona-Snowflake LLC, Align RNG California LLC, Align RNG California-Corcoran LLC, Align RNG Grady Road LLC, Align RNG LLC, Align RNG Magnolia LLC, Align RNG North Carolina LLC, Align RNG North Carolina-Bowdens LLC, Align RNG Utah LLC, Align RNG Utah-Milford LLC, Align RNG Virginia LLC, Align RNG Virginia-Waverly LLC, Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Azalea Solar LLC, BOE Holdings Inc., Blackville Solar Farm LLC, Blue Ocean Energy Marine LLC, BrightSuite Home LLC, BrightSuite Inc., BrightSuite Solar CT Inc., BrightSuite Solar SC Inc., BrightSuite Solar VA Inc., Buckingham Solar I LLC, CEA Americus LLC, CEA CO-Fort Morgan LLC, CEA Clovis LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Colorado LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Georgia LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Idaho LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Nevada LLC, CEA Dairy RNG New Mexico LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Texas LLC, CEA Greely LLC, CEA Mason LLC, CEA TX-Dimmitt LLC, CID Solar LLC, CNG Coal Company, CNG Power Services Corporation, Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, Catalina Solar 2 LLC, Clean Energy Asset USA LLC, Clean Energy Enterprises Inc., Clipperton Holdings LLC, Consolidated Natural Gas Company, Correctional Solar LLC, Cottonwood Solar LLC, Cove Point LNG LP, Cove Point LNG Limited, DE Arlington Solar LLC, DE Fluvanna Solar LLC, DE Hanover Solar LLC, DE Henrico Solar LLC, DE King William Solar LLC, DE Louisa Solar LLC, DE Newport News Solar LLC, DE Powhatan Solar LLC, DE Virginia Beach Solar LLC, DECP Holdings Inc., Dairy RNG Holdings LLC, Dairy RNG NY LLC, Dairy RNG NY-Curtin LLC, Dairy RNG OH LLC, Denmark Solar LLC, Dominion ACP Holding Inc., Dominion Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Dominion Capital Inc., Dominion Cogen WV Inc., Dominion Energy Fuel Services Inc., Dominion Energy Gas Distribution LLC, Dominion Energy Generation Marketing Inc., Dominion Energy Inc., Dominion Energy Kewaunee Inc., Dominion Energy Marketplace LLC, Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut Inc., Dominion Energy Overthrust Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Payroll Company Inc., Dominion Energy Questar Corporation, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings II Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings Inc., Dominion Energy Services Inc., Dominion Energy Solar CA LLC, Dominion Energy Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc., Dominion Energy Southeast Services Inc., Dominion Energy Technical Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies II Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies Inc., Dominion Energy Terminal Company Inc., Dominion Energy Wexpro Services Company, Dominion Equipment III Inc., Dominion Equipment Inc., Dominion Fairless Hills Inc., Dominion Fowler Ridge Wind LLC, Dominion Gas Projects Company LLC, Dominion Generation Inc., Dominion Greenbrier Inc., Dominion High Voltage Holdings Inc., Dominion High Voltage MidAtlantic Inc., Dominion Investments Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline Holdings Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline LLC, Dominion MLP Holding Company III Inc., Dominion Mt. Storm Wind LLC, Dominion Nuclear Projects Inc., Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration & Production Inc., Dominion Person Inc., Dominion Privatization Florida LLC, Dominion Privatization Georgia LLC, Dominion Privatization Holdings Inc., Dominion Privatization Kentucky LLC, Dominion Privatization Maryland LLC, Dominion Privatization Pennsylvania LLC, Dominion Privatization South Carolina LLC, Dominion Privatization Texas LLC, Dominion Privatization Virginia LLC, Dominion Products and Services Inc., Dominion Projects Services Inc., Dominion Resources Capital Trust III, Dominion Retail Gas Holdings Inc., Dominion Solar Construction and Maintenance LLC, Dominion Solar Gen-Tie LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings I LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings II LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings III LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings IV LLC, Dominion Solar Projects A Inc., Dominion Solar Projects B Inc., Dominion Solar Projects C Inc., Dominion Solar Projects D Inc., Dominion Solar Projects I Inc., Dominion Solar Projects II Inc., Dominion Solar Projects III Inc., Dominion Solar Projects IV Inc., Dominion Solar Projects V Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VI Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VII Inc., Dominion Solar Services Inc., Dominion State Line LLC, Dominion Voltage Inc., Dominion Wholesale Inc., Dominion Wind Development LLC, Dominion Wind Projects Inc., ESCT-SA-Suffield LLC, Eagle Holdco Solar LLC, Eagle Solar LLC, Eastern Shore Solar LLC, Enterprise Solar LLC, Escalante Solar I LLC, Escalante Solar II LLC, Escalante Solar III LLC, Four Brothers Solar LLC, Fremont Farm LLC, Granite Mountain Holdings LLC, Granite Mountain Solar East LLC, Granite Mountain Solar West LLC, Greenbrier Marketing Company LLC, Greenbrier Pipeline Company LLC, Greensville County Solar Project LLC, Hardin Solar Energy LLC, Hecate Energy Cherrydale LLC, Hecate Energy Clarke County LLC, Hope Gas Inc., Imperial Valley Solar Company (IVSC) 2 LLC, Indy Solar Development LLC, Indy Solar I LLC, Indy Solar II LLC, Indy Solar III LLC, Innovative Solar 37 LLC, Iron Springs Holdings LLC, Iron Springs Solar LLC, Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas, Maricopa West Solar PV LLC, Moffett Solar 1 LLC, Moorings Farm 2 LLC, Mulberry Farm LLC, Mustang Solar LLC, PSNC Blue Ridge Corporation, PSNC Cardinal Pipeline Company, Pavant Solar LLC, Phone House, Pikeville Farm LLC, Prairie Fork Wind Farm LLC, Public Service Company of North Carolina Incorporated, QPC Holding Company LLC, Questar Corporation, Questar Energy Services Inc., Questar Field Services LLC, Questar Gas Company, Questar InfoComm Inc., Questar Southern Trails Pipeline Company, Questar White River Hub LLC, RE Adams East LLC, RE Camelot LLC, RE Columbia Two LLC, RE Kansas LLC, RE Kent South LLC, RE Old River One LLC, Richland Solar Center LLC, Ridgeland Solar Farm I LLC, SBL Holdco LLC, SCANA, SCANA Communications Holdings Inc., SCANA Corporate Security Services Inc., SCANA Energy Marketing LLC, SCANA Pharmacy LLC, SRFI LLC, Scana Corporation, Scott-II Solar LLC, Seabrook Solar LLC, Selmer Farm LLC, Siler Solar LLC, Sol Madison Solar LLC, Somers Solar Center LLC, South Carolina Fuel Company Inc., South Carolina Generating Company Inc., Southampton Solar LLC, Summit Farms Solar LLC, Sussex Drive Solar Project LLC, TA - Acacia LLC, TWE Myrtle Solar Project LLC, The East Ohio Gas Company, Trask East Solar LLC, Tredegar Solar Fund I LLC, VP Property Inc., Virginia Electric And Power Company, Virginia Power Fuel Corporation, Virginia Power Nuclear Services Company, Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc., Virginia Power Services LLC, Virginia Solar 201 Projects LLC, Wakefield Solar LLC, Wexpro Company, Wexpro Development Company, Wexpro II Company, Wilkinson Solar LLC, Wrangler Retail Gas Holdings LLC, and Yemassee Solar LLC.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and deals in printing press and other print media industry products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Eastern Europe, North America, and South America. It operates through Heidelberg Digital Technology, Heidelberg Lifecycle Solutions, and Heidelberg Financial Services segments. The company offers printing machines, including digital, offset, narrow web, screen, and inline-flexo printing, as well as remarketed equipment; and finishing equipment comprising cutting, die-cutting and embossing, folding, inspection, folding carton gluing, and hot foil stamping. It also provides technical services, such as installation and relocation, maintenance and cleaning, remote support, repair, and overhauling services, as well as service parts; and performance services consisting of performance evaluation, color management, training, upgrades and retrofits, monitoring, output optimization, print shop optimization, and investment planning. In addition, the company offers financial services; and consumables, such as CtP printing and analog plates, films, platemaking chemicals, proofing materials, toners, glues, staple cartridges, hole punching supplies, inks, coatings and varnishes, blankets, rollers, chemicals, pressroom supplies, cutting knives, banderoles, dispersion glues, binding glues, stitching wires and sealing threads, and folding carton gluing supplies. Further, it provides software solutions; and consulting and other services in the field of mechanical, engineering, electronics, and electrical engineering, and the metal industry. The company was formerly known as Schnellpressenfabrik AG Heidelberg and changed its name to Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft in 1967. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1850 and is based in Heidelberg, Germany.

Read More
Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Read More
Market Research Future

The Analysis presents the study of Worldwide Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices facilitating the regional and country wise analysis covering the strategic analysis of each market player and the market share they hold

The Global Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices Market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 9.86% during the forecast period.

Key players for global wearable heart monitoring devices market:

The key players for the global wearable heart monitoring devices market are Medtronic (U.S.), Kinetec Products UK Ltd. (South America), Beurer GmbH (Europe), Medisana AG (Europe), Briggs Healthcare (U.S.), Polar Electro (Europe), SUUNTO (Europe), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Europe), Garmin Ltd. (Europe), and others.

Get Wearable Heart Monitoring Device Market Premium Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4714 .

Market Scenario:

Digital revolution and the rapid development of the information technology has transformed virtually every industry and healthcare industry is no exception. Recently, novel devices for wireless monitoring have emerged and begun to be integrated with cardiac patient care. This has led to the development of wearable heart monitoring devices market. By set-up, a majority of the wearable heart monitoring devices consists of wearable monitoring device and a portable data transmission device which transmits real time medical data for analysis. According to the National Health Service in 2015, an average American is constantly connected via high bandwidth to a vast network of data and sophisticated digital platforms with over 90% of American adults owning a cell phone and 55% having smart phones. Such exploitation of the technology has facilitated the development of mobile phones based wearable heart monitoring devices. Cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) requires extensive and continuous monitoring.

Conventionally, Holter monitoring is exploited for the same. But since the technology is expensive and risks of missing arrhythmias are associated, a number of new and effective technologies for wireless monitoring are devised which has facilitated the market growth. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, 2.7-6.1 million people in the United States have AFib. Moreover, it is reported that more than 750,000 hospitalizations occur each year in the U.S. because of AFib, accounting to the estimated medical cost for people who have AFib to be about USD 8,705 per person. Such trends in the prevalence of AFib along with high per capita healthcare expenditures in the developed countries and growing geriatric population is estimated to boost the market growth during the forecasted period. However, lack of awareness for the products, low healthcare expenditures in the developing countries and stringent FDA approvals will restrain the market growth during the forecasted period.

Apply for Exclusive Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4714

Segmentation:

The global wearable heart monitoring devices is segmented on the basis of products, type, application, and end users.

On the basis of products, the market is segmented as electric pulse based, optical technology based, and others. The electric pulse based segment is sub-segmented into chest straps, chest patches and others. The optical technology based segment, by product, is further segmented into smart watches, earphones, and others. On the basis of type, the market is categorised into chargeable, non-chargeable, bluetooth enabled, and others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into healthcare, consumer market, and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, retail pharmacies, academic institutes, and others.

Regional Analysis:

America dominates the global wearable heart monitoring devices market owing to a well-developed healthcare sector and a highly developed information technology sector. Moreover, high prevalence of AFib diseases, increasing healthcare expenditure have boosted the growth of the market in America. Moreover, the presence of developed economies like the U.S. and Canada and global players such as Medtronic, Briggs Healthcare within the regional boundaries fuels the market growth.

Europe is the second largest market for wearable heart monitoring devices, which is followed by Asia Pacific. Availability of funds for research, well developed healthcare infrastructure, huge patient population and government support for research & development will drive the market in the Europe.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of developing economies like India and China within the region which have increasing healthcare expenditures. This along with favourable government policies will boost the market growth in the presence of huge opportunity for the untapped market within the region.

The Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global wearable heart monitoring devices market due to presence of poor economies especially in the African region. Majority of the market of the Middle & Africa region is held by the Middle East due to a well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure by the presence of regional economies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar within the region.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restrains

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment

Continued!

Ask Query @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4714

Media Contact

Company Name: Market Research Future

Contact Person: Abhishek Sawant

Email: Send Email

Phone: +1 646 845 9312

Address:Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar

City: Pune

State: Maharashtra

Country: India

Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com
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.

Read More
Information Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides registry and information management services for public data and records in Canada and internationally. It operates through three segments: Registry Operations, Services, and Technology Solutions. The company provides land titles registry services that issues titles to land and registers transactions affecting titles; land surveys services, which registers land survey plans and creates a representation of Saskatchewan land parcels in the cadastral parcel mapping system; and geomatics services that manages geographic data in relation to the cadastral parcel mapping system. It also offers personal property registry services in which security interests and other interests in personal property are registered; and corporate registry for registering business corporations, non-profit corporations, co-operatives, sole proprietorships, partnerships, and business names. In addition, the company provides nationwide search, business name registration, and corporate filing services; corporate minute books, corporate seals/embossers, by-laws and share certificates, and rubber and self-inking stamps; Know-Your-Customer and collateral management services; and public records search services, which includes corporate profiles, business name, NUANS, PPSA, security, and real estate searches, as well as birth, death, and marriage certificate searches. Further, it offers security searches for present and historical information relating to debts and liabilities, pending and potential lawsuits, bankruptcy, liens, judgments, and sales of assets; recovery solutions that aids in facilitating and coordinating asset recovery; and RegSys, a multi-register platform. The company was formerly known as Saskatchewan Land Information Services Corporation and changed its name to Information Services Corporation in November 2000. Information Services Corporation was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Regina, Canada.

Read More
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.
 American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected].com | (844) 978-6257

MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.



Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information



 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.
 American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257

MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.



Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information



 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.


Awarded US$3.5M Contract for Plant in Argentina

Melbourne, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Fluence Corporation Limited ( ASX:FLC ) ( OTCMKTS:EMFGF ) is pleased to announce that it has received a US$3.5 million contract to design and build a water treatment plant for a prominent power plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Water treatment plant will support capacity expansion for the power plant- System will treat aquifer water and reuse process effluent to maximize recovery ratesFluence will design and build a complex system to treat water from aquifers and process water from the power plant's operations. The system includes several stages and uses multi-media filter (MMF), ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodeionization (EDI) technology. Fluence's system is expected to be delivered, installed and operational onsite by June 2019.Fluence and its local EPC partner were selected by the customer for this project due to their expertise in treating complicated water sources to reuse quality, the system's small footprint, and the combination of lower capital investment required and operational efficiencies to be generated. The plant design will ensure reliability and maximize water recovery rates, allowing the power plant to implement a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.In Buenos Aires, the standards for water quality discharged into the environment are among the strictest in Argentina. Fluence was able to achieve the client's desired water quality due to its extensive experience designing water treatment systems for power plants, with three other reference projects in the power industry in South America within the last year alone, and more across the globe - including the recently announced EUR3.9 million Belgian contract for an innovative wastewater-to-energy system for ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer.Fluence's Managing Director and CEO, Henry Charrabe said: "We're delighted that, working with our local EPC partner, we have been able to secure this contract for a prominent power plant in Buenos Aires. We continue to strengthen Fluence's position in South America as one of the leading water and wastewater treatment solution experts by developing systems that produce the highest quality results. Our continued success in South America, especially for industrial operations, is a testament to the skill and hard work of our local team."About Fluence Corporation Ltd

Fluence Corporation (ASX:FLC) (OTCMKTS:EMFGF) is a leader in the decentralized water, wastewater and reuse treatment markets, with its Smart Products Solutions, including Aspiral, NIROBOX, NIROFLEX and SUBRE. Fluence offers an integrated range of services across the complete water cycle, from early stage evaluation, through design and delivery to ongoing support and optimization of water related assets, as well as Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) and other recurring revenue solutions. With established operations in North America, South America, the Middle East, Europe and China, Fluence has experience operating in over 70 countries worldwide and enables businesses and communities worldwide to maximize their water resources.

Further information can be found at http://www.fluencecorp.com/
PetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a total length of 31,151 km, including 22,555 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,190 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,406 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Read More
Principal Financial Group, Inc. is a financial company, which offers financial products and services to businesses, individuals and institutional clients. It specializes in retirement solutions, insurance, and investment products through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. It operates its business through following segments: Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Global Investors, Principal International, U.S. Insurance Solutions and Corporate. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement and related financial products and services primarily to businesses, their employees and other individuals. The Principal Global Investors segment provides asset management services to asset accumulation business, insurance operations, corporate segment and third party clients and also refers to mutual fund business. The Principal International segment offers pension accumulation products and services, mutual funds, asset management, income annuities and life insurance accumulation products. The U.S. Insurance Solutions segment operates through two divisions. Specialty benefits insurance division consists of gro

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc..
Rayonier, Inc. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in investment in timberlands. It operates through the following business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate, Timber Funds and Trading. The Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber and New Zealand Timber segments reflect all activities related to the harvesting of timber and other value-added activities, such as recreational licenses, within each respective geography. The Real Estate segment reflects all U.S. land sales, which are reported in the following sales categories: Improved Development, Unimproved Development, Rural, Non-Strategic and Timberlands, and Large Dispositions. The Timber Funds segment represents operations of the three private equity timber funds included in the Pope Resources transaction. The Trading segment reflects the log trading activities that support New Zealand operations. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Wild light, FL.

Read More


Option Agreement to Acquire Ni-Cu-Co-PGM-Au Projects, Sudbury, Canada

Perth, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Rumble Resources Ltd ( ASX:RTR ) ("Rumble" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that in line with its clear strategy to proactively generate a pipeline of quality high grade base and precious metal projects, critically review them against stringent criteria, provide optionality to complete low cost systematic exploration to drill test for high grade world class discoveries on multiple projects, it has signed a binding option agreement to acquire up to 100% of the Long Lake and Panache Projects from well-known local (Sudbury) prospector, Gordon Salo.HighlightsLong Lake Project - Gold-Copper-Nickel-PGM, Sudbury, Canada- Potential for nickel-copper-PGM mineralisation and deposits associated with Sudbury Basin style Offset Dyke ore systems.o Project area lies some 10km southwest of the Kelly Lake Ni-Cu-PGM deposit (10.5Mt @ 1.77% Ni, 1.34% Cu, 3.6 g/t PGM reserve) which lies at the southern end of the major Copper Cliff Mine Sequence (Copper Cliff Offset Dyke).o Fieldwork (including a single shallow diamond drill-hole) has highlighted Sudbury Breccia and quartz diorite (known host for Sudbury Basin deposits) occurrences over several km of strike. The occurrence is inferred to be the faulted southern extension of the Copper Cliff Offset Dyke.o No deep penetrating ground TEM surveys have been conducted to test for Ni - Cu - PGM massive sulphide mineralisation.- The Long Lake Project also hosts the historic Lake Gold Mine which produced 57,000 ounces of gold from over 200,000 tonnes of ore mined in the periods 1910-1916 and 1932-1939, with an average recovered mill grade of 9 g/t Au.Panache Project - Cobalt-Nickel-Copper-Gold-PGM, Greater Sudbury, Canada- Potential mineralised feeder dykes associated with layered gabbroic intrusions (Nipissing Age - not related to the Sudbury basin) have been identified by mapping and surface geochemistry. No ground TEM has been completed.o Rock chip assays of up to 1.1% Co, 6.01% Cu, 1.47%, Ni, 3.5 g/t Pgm and 524 g/t Au collected from surface sampling.Rumble Exploration Strategy- Long Lake Project - Target blind Sudbury "Offset Dyke" style massive Ni - Cu - PGM type deposits by using high power ground TEM to generate potential conductors- Panache Project - Target high order base metal with PGM surface anomalism inferred to be potential feeders to gabbroic intrusions using high power ground TEM to generate potential conductors- Conduct diamond drilling to test conductors that may represent massive Ni-Cu-PGM sulphide mineralisation/deposit.Rumble is at an exciting stage for shareholders, having recently drilled the Munarra Gully high grade Cu-Au Project (awaiting assays) and the Nemesis high grade Au project (awaiting assays), is scheduled to drill the flagship high grade Braeside Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag -V Project in August and the Earaheedy High Grade Zn Project in September, and is fully funded with $3.8m cash in the bank.The Long Lake and Panache Projects have met the stringent criteria and will provide shareholders with another near-term opportunity to find a world class base and precious metal deposit.Overview of Sudbury Mining Camp, Ontario Canada - Image 2 (see link below)Since 1883, the Sudbury mining field has been globally significant with the Sudbury Basin the second-largest supplier of nickel ore in the world, and new discoveries continuing to be made. It is one of the most productive nickel-mining fields in the world with over 1.7 billion tonnes of past production, reserves and resources.Nickel-copper and platinum group metals ("PGM") bearing sulphide minerals occur in a 60 km by 27 km elliptical igneous body called the Sudbury Igneous Complex ("SIC"). The current model infers the SIC was formed some 1,844 million years ago after sheet-like flash/impact melting of nickel and copper bearing rocks by a meteorite impact. The SIC is within a basin like structure (Sudbury Basin) which had been covered by later sediments and has subsequently been eroded to the current level. Mineralization occurs within the SIC as well as in the neighbouring country rocks in close association with breccias and so-called 'Offset Dykes'. Offset Dykes with metamorphosed (hot) Sudbury breccias have become the target of progressively more intense exploration interest in recent years following the discovery of blind economic deposits. Offset dykes are typically quartz-diorite in composition and extend both radially away from and concentric to the SIC. It is important to note that the Offset Dykes developed downwards from the impact melt sheet. Melt material migrated down into the fractures caused by the impact below the SIC. The melt carried metal sulphides that accumulated into deposits within the Offset Dykes by gravity and pressure gradients (impact rebound). Nearly half of the nickel ore at Sudbury occurs in breccias and Offset Dykes in the footwall rocks of the SIC.The Copper Cliff Offset Dyke System (see Images 2 - 4 in link below)The Copper Cliff South (producing) and the Copper Cliff North mine have yielded some 200 million tonnes of ore along the north-south trending offset dyke system. Vale Limited's Clarabelle mill, Copper Cliff smelter and Copper Cliff nickel refinery are all located close to the Copper Cliff Offset dyke.The southernmost deposit discovered to date is at Kelly Lake which lies south of the Copper Cliff South mine (see image 2 and 4 in link below). The Kelly Lake reserve is 10.5 Mt @ 1.77% Ni, 1.34% Cu and 3.6 g/t PGM. Note that IGO's Nova - Bollinger Deposit which lies in the Albany Fraser Province of Western Australia has a reserve of 13.3 Mt @ 2.06% Ni and 0.83% Cu (2017).The Long Lake Project (see images 2 and 4 in link below) lies some 10km southwest of the Kelly Lake deposit.Long Lake ProjectThe Long Lake Project comprises of the historic Long Lake Au mine and over four km of Sudbury breccia/quartz diorite outcrops which are interpreted to be part of the prospective "Copper Cliff Offset Dyke" system that has been moved west by later regional faults. The area of tenure is approximately 19 km2.Nickel - Copper - PGM PotentialExploration by previous explorers (including the current owner - Gordon Salo) has highlighted the occurrence of north-south and northwest striking Sudbury Breccia style dykes with quartz diorite. Petrography and a single shallow diamond drill-hole (82m depth - 2011) has confirmed the presence of moderately metamorphosed Sudbury Breccia with elevated PGM (relative to the surrounding rocks) at a location called Anomaly 19 (see image 4 in link below). The location is coincident with a moderate VTEM conductor. Reconnaissance prospecting and petrography has confirmed the presence of numerous quartz diorite north trending dykes over 4km in strike.Electromagnetic surveys have been limited to VLF (1987) and VTEM (2008). Technical review of both surveys suggests the likely depth penetration for these systems is shallow at approximately 100m. Given there is a moderate VTEM conductor at Anomaly 19 (not explained), the use of high power ground TEM will be Rumbles priority in generating deeper conductive targets.Gold Potential- The Long Lake Gold Mine produced 57,000 ounces of gold from over 200,000 tonnes of ore mined in the periods 1910-1916 and 1932-1939. The average recovered mill grade was 9 g/t Au.- Long Lake historically was the largest gold mine in Ontario- Mine tailing dumps (200,000 tonnes) remain on site- The Long Lake gold deposit is a quartz - sulphide composite vein pipelike system hosted in quartzite with dolerite/gabbroic intrusions. The mineralisation was truncated by a low angle fault. Drilling in 1936 encountered high grade ore in unexploited areas beneath the fault which included intersections of 6m @ 13.8g/t Au with further drilling in 1970s intersecting 5.7m grading 27.5g/t Au & 1980s drill hole intersecting: 4.1m grading 14.8g/t Au.- Exploration from 2010 to 2012 focused on interpreted fault extensions and EM targets generated by a VTEM survey (2008). A number of targets were tested. The best intercept was 35m @ 2 g/t Au from 27m, which was located only 15m from the historic open cut.Panache ProjectThe Panache Project (approximately 30km2 in area) is located 40km southwest of the city of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The project hosts a large portion of the Panache gabbro intrusion which is part of the regional extensive Nipissing Gabbro Suite (2215 million years old). Prospecting operations by the project owner, Gordon Salo, has uncovered a series of prospects associated with disseminated to massive sulphides (pyrrhotite - pentlandite - chalcopyrite - pyrite) along gabbro contact margins. Massive sulphide pipes have also been discovered along fault corridors intercepting gabbro. High grade gold mineralisation (at surface) has been associated with gabbro/metasediment contact zones (tectonic). Refer table 3 (see link below) for detail on historical rock chip results.Area A (see image 6 in link below)Prospecting activities have exposed a set of massive sulphide pipes in metasediments. The gabbro intrusion appears to be truncated by a regionally extensive southwest trending fault corridor. Rock chip results include up to:- 6.01% Cu, 1.47% Ni, 1.6 g/t PGM and 0.49% CoArea B (see image 6 in link below)Trenching with grab sampling has highlighted strong base metal mineralisation with PGM's along the basal zone to a gabbro intrusion. Wide widths of gossan have been exposed (10m in width). Grab sampling has returned up to:- 1.61% Cu, 0.49% Ni, 1.1% Co, 1.64 g/t Au, 1.64 g/t Pt and 1.58 g/t Pd.Area C (see image 6 in link below)Grab sampling and petrography has identified a 2.5km zone of strong base metal and precious metal anomalism associated with an inferred gabbroic feeder. Grab sampling has returned up to:- 0.59% Cu, 0.16% Ni, 524.3 g/t Au, 0.45% Co, 0.64 g/t Pt, 1.18 g/t Pd.The grab sampling results are considered very significant as the average disseminated sulphide percentage for the gabbroic rock chips was approximately 5% indicating the sulphide is well endowed with base and precious metals.During 2006, airborne TEM (AeroTEM) was conducted in Area C on 100m line spacing. Numerous conductors correlating with the inferred feeder dyke trend and associated anomalous geochemistry were identified and a IP survey was planned, however, it was not completed. In general, the three zones of interest have not had ground TEM or subsequent drilling.Rumble Exploration StrategyRumble considers both the Long Lake and Panache projects as very prospective for high grade Ni - Cu depositsNo deep penetrating ground TEM has been conducted over the main targets of interest which include:Long Lake Project- North-south and northwest trending Sudbury breccia/quartz diorite outcrops which have been interpreted as "offset dykes".Panache Project- All three target areas strong Ni - Cu - PGM geochemistry with supporting petrography.Next Steps- Rumble plans to conduct a deep penetrating ground TEM survey over these targets with the aim of generating high order conductors for subsequent diamond drill testing.Key Commercial Terms of the Long Lake and Panache Binding Option AgreementsRumble has signed an option agreement and agreed to enter a joint venture agreement to acquire 100% of the title and interest in the Long Lake and Panache Projects from the vendor Gordon Salo on the below terms:Long Lake Project - 100%a. Rumble to pay Cad$20,000 Cash and 200,000 RTR ordinary shares on exercising the option agreement.b. Rumble to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in first 12 months.c. Rumble to make payment of Cad$20,000 Cash and 200,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 12 month period ends.d. Rumble will need to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in the second 12 month period.e. Rumble to make payment of Cad$30,000 Cash and 300,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 24 month period ends.f. Rumble will need to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in the third 12 month period.g. Rumble to make final payment of Cad$70,000 Cash and 2,000,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 36 month period ends, to earn 100%.h. Gordon Salo is free carried to decision to mine.i. Following a decision to mine, Rumble will pay a 3% NSR to Gordon Salo. Rumble can secure 1% NSR buy back for cash payment of Cad$1,500,000 to Gordon Salo. Rumble can secure a further 1% NSR buyback for Cad$1,500,000 to Gordon Salo.Panache Project - 100%a. Rumble to pay Cad$20,000 Cash and 200,000 RTR ordinary shares on exercising the option agreement.b. Rumble will also need to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in first 12 months.c. Rumble to make payment of Cad$20,000 Cash and 200,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 12 month period ends.d. Rumble will need to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in the second 12 month period.e. Rumble to make payment of Cad$30,000 Cash and 300,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 24 month period ends.f. Rumble will need to spend a minimum of Cad$50,000 in expenditure in the third 12 month period.g. Rumble to make final payment of Cad$70,000 Cash and 2,000,000 RTR ordinary shares before the 36 month period ends to earn 100%.h. Gordon Salo is free carried to decision to mine.i. Following a decision to mine, Rumble will pay a 3% NSR to Gordon Salo. Rumble can secure 1%NSR buy back for cash payment of Cad$1,500,000 to Gordon Salo. Rumble can secure a further 1% NSR buyback for Cad$1,500,000 to Gordon Salo.Upon completing minimum expenditure for each period, Rumble can walk away from the Agreements at any time without further obligation.To view tables and images, please visit:About Rumble Resources Ltd

Rumble Resources Limited (ASX:RTR) (FRA:20Z) is an Australian based exploration company, officially admitted to the ASX on the 1st July 2011. Rumble was established with the aim of adding significant value to its current gold and base metal assets and will continue to look at mineral acquisition opportunities both in Australia and abroad.
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr

Read More
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.
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..
Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. The company also provides mobile voice and data services to consumers and business customers; sells mobile devices and other hardware products; and sells mobile services to resellers and to companies that purchases and markets network services to third parties, such as mobile virtual network operators. In addition, it offers internet services; internet-based TV products and services; and information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions with an infrastructure of data centers and networks under the T-Systems brand, as well as call center services. The company has 242 million mobile customers and 22 million broadband customers, as well as 27 million fixed-network lines. Deutsche Telekom AG has a collaboration with VMware, Inc. on cloud-based open and intelligent virtual RAN platform to bring agility to radio access networks for existing LTE and future 5G networks; and partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance cloud computing experiences. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

Read More
SGL Carbon SE engages in the manufacture and sale of carbon fiber and specialty graphite products in Germany, rest of Europe, the United States, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Australia. The company operates in two segments, Composites-Fibers & Materials; and Graphite Materials & Systems. It offers products for automotive industries, including body and main parts; body shell components; carbon-ceramic brake discs; battery solutions; friction materials; chassis components; gas diffusion layers and bipolar plates; vanes and rotors; sealing materials; bearing and mechanical seals; commuter discs and carbon brushes; and miscellaneous products, as well as materials for temperature management. The company also provides composite components that include prepregs and semi-finished textile fiber products for secondary structural components, which comprise floor panels, partition walls, and water/wastewater systems for aerospace industry; fuel cells for energy conversion, as well as for passenger cars and trains or ferries for zero emission mobile applications; and carbon fibers and semi-finished products based on glass and carbon fibers primarily developed for the production of rotor blades. In addition, it offers isostatic graphite to produce compound semiconductor layers; silicon carbide coatings for semiconductor production; and heat exchangers, columns, quenchers, pumps, and pipings, as well as sealing materials for process technology. SGL Carbon SE was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Read More
CEMEX SAB de CV engages in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates. It operates though the following geographical segments: Mexico; United States; Europe; South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C); Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA); and Others. The Europe segment covers United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, as well as trading activities in Scandinavia, and Finland. The SCA&C segment includes Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Caribbean TCL, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Jamaica, the Caribbean, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The EMEA segment comprises of Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. The Others segment refers to the cement trade maritime operations, information technology solutions business, and other corporate entities as well as other minor subsidiaries with different lines of business. The company was founded by Lorenzo Zambrano Gutierrez in 1906 and is headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico.

Read More


Enrique Miret, Vlad Bilanovsky (WiseTech) and Guillermo Salafranca

Sydney, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - WiseTech Global ( ASX:WTC ) ( OTCMKTS:WTCHF ) today announced the acquisition of Taric, a leading customs management solutions provider in Spain.Headquartered in Madrid, Taric offers a range of customs management solutions, including regulatory and tariff services, consultancy, training, process control and documentation management solutions to carriers, customs brokers, logistics providers, multinationals, and public institutions. Taric's customers include GEODIS, DB Schenker, DSV, XPO Logistics, Daimler-Benz, Grupo Correos, UPS, the European Commission, and many other logistics providers and organisations.WiseTech Global's Founder and CEO, Richard White, said "Strengthening our presence across manufactured global trade routes is a central part of our growth strategy and Spain is a key European market for us. In joining the WiseTech Global family, the powerhouse Taric team bring Spanish customs capability, and tariff and regulatory expertise across Europe where its customs classification services have been widely used. With its strong track-record of bringing together highly specialised expertise in cross border trade operations, and developing innovative software solutions, Taric is a good fit for WiseTech Global."Together we will expand our footprint in Spain and Europe and our future development in Spanish-speaking Latin America to deliver high-productivity customs management solutions that improve our customers' operations in key trade flows. This acquisition brings strategic value to the WiseTech group as the Taric team can also accelerate the European development of our global BorderWise solution and extend customs and compliance capabilities for our recent acquisitions of leading freight forwarding solution providers, Forward and Softcargo, who together cover 16 countries in Latin America."Taric's co-founder and Managing Director, Guillermo Salafranca, said "Having provided customs management solutions and consultancy for over 30 years to what is a very dynamic trading region, we're looking forward to taking this significant step forward for Taric. We are excited to join WiseTech, a company with strong global innovation capabilities, which will help us scale up our customs management solutions in Europe and globally."Remaining under the leadership of Guillermo Salafranca, and co-founder and Technical Director, Enrique Miret, Taric's operations will be integrated within the WiseTech group and Taric will continue to deliver its customs software solutions directly to its own customers, along with WiseTech's flagship platform, CargoWise One.CargoWise One enables logistics service providers to execute highly complex transactions in areas such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, shipping, tracking, land transport, ecommerce, and cross-border compliance and to manage their operations on one database across multiple users, functions, countries, languages and currencies.This transaction follows WiseTech's other recent logistics solutions acquisitions in Argentina, Australasia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, North America, Taiwan, Turkey, and Uruguay, and is in line with WiseTech Global's clearly stated strategy of accelerating long-term organic growth through targeted, valuable acquisitions.About TaricSince 1987, Taric has been a leading provider of customs management solutions, specializing in regulatory and tariff services, consultancy, training, process control and documentation management solutions, to carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, logistics providers, multinationals and public institutions. Taric's customers include GEODIS, DB Schenker, DSV, XPO Logistics, Daimler-Benz, Grupo Correos, UPS, the European Commission, and many other logistics providers and organisations.Headquartered in Madrid, Taric has a team of over 75 people, together providing considerable customs and technical expertise.For more information about Taric, visit http://www.taric.es About WiseTech Global Ltd

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) is a leading developer and provider of software solutions to the logistics execution industry globally. Our customers include over 17,000 of the world's logistics companies across 160 countries, including 41 of the top 50 global thirdparty logistics providers and all of the 25 largest global freight forwarders worldwide2. Our flagship platform, CargoWise, forms an integral link in the global supply chain and executes over 50 billion data transactions annually.

At WiseTech, we are relentless about innovation, adding over 4,000 product enhancements to our global platform in the past five years while bringing meaningful continual improvement to the world's supply chains. Our breakthrough software solutions are renowned for their powerful productivity, extensive functionality, comprehensive integration, deep compliance capabilities, and truly global reach.

For more information about WiseTech Global or CargoWise, please visit wisetechglobal.com and cargowise.com


Revised Transaction Structure to Acquire DynamicOdds

Sydney, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of The BetMakers Holdings Limited ( ASX:TBH ) ( OTCMKTS:TPBTF ) ("BetMakers", "TBH" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update regarding the acquisition of DynamicOdds Pty Ltd ("DynamicOdds"). As announced on the 14th of June 2018, TBH entered into a conditional binding heads of agreement ("Heads of Agreement") to acquire 100% of the shares in the betting tools and data company, DynamicOdds, and the associated license brands ("Assets") owned by DynamicOdds' related party, C.D.K Software Limited ("CDK") (dynamicodds.com.au). At the request of CDK, the parties have agreed to revise the terms of the Heads of Agreement so that, rather than just purchasing the Assets, TBH will now acquire 100% of the shares in CDK (including the Assets owned by CDK).Highlights- $2.5M of the total consideration payable as completion payment in cash by 31 August 2018 (inclusive of $150k non-refundable deposit already paid), with transfer of shares upon receipt of funds.- Deferred payment of $4.5M of the total consideration payable to CDK in cash by 30 June 2019.- Additional performance payments between $0 - $3M may be payable to CDK dependent on first 12 months EBIT.- Dynamic Odds current staff to continue in the business for a minimum 3 years under an agreed Services AgreementThe Parties have now executed a share sale agreement in respect of the purchase of 100% of the shares in DynamicOdds ("DO Shares") and a share sale agreement in respect of the purchase of 100% of the shares in CDK ("CDK Shares").The BetMakers CEO, Todd Buckingham, commented: "This is a great result to finalise the DynamicOdds agreement including a long-term services agreement with the key employees. The team have done an amazing job with the business and we look forward to working with them under the BetMakers group."DynamicOdds CTO, Karl Begg, responded: "We are very pleased to be working with the BetMakers group in the next phase of our business. With the acquisition of both DynamicOdds and Global Betting Services, BetMakers is set to become the key player in the industry both in Australia and globally."Key Terms of the Revised TransactionTBH has agreed to purchase the DO Shares and the CDK Shares on the following key revised terms:1. on 1 August 2018, TBH paid to the shareholders of DO ("DO Shareholders") a non-refundable deposit of AUD$150,000. Previously TBH was required to pay the full AUD$1.5m at completion of the transaction;2. on 31 August 2018 ("Completion"), TBH must pay a total of $2.35m made up from:a. AUD $1.35m in cash to the DO Shareholders in consideration for the acquisition of the DO Shares; andb. AUD $1m in cash to the shareholder of CDK ("CDK Shareholder") in consideration for the acquisition of the CDK Shares;3. Completion is conditional upon the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions precedent:a. the parties executing the:i. share sale agreement in respect of the sale of the DO Shares to TBH;ii. share sale agreement in respect of the sale of the CDK Shares to TBH; andiii. services/management agreement for the provision of management services to DynamicOdds ("Services Agreement");b. the DO Shareholders transferring certain motor vehicles to an entity other than DO;c. the DO Shareholders and the CDK Shareholder procuring repayment of any loans or indebtedness due by them (or their associates) to DO and CDK (respectively); andd. the DO Shares and the CDK Shares being free of any encumbrances;4. On 30 June 2019 ("Deferred Payment Date"), TBH must pay to the CDK Shareholder AUD$4.5m in cash ("CDK Deferred Payment");5. On 31 October 2019 ("Performance Payment Date"), TBH must pay to the CDK Shareholder a performance payment ("CDK Performance Payment") to be calculated as at 31 August 2019 ("Calculation Date") as follows:a. if the operating profit of DynamicOdds (calculated as earnings before interest and taxes) ("EBIT") for the period from 1 September 2018 to the Calculation Date ("Performance Period") is less than AUD$1.25m, the CDK Performance Payment will be nil;b. if the EBIT for the Performance Period is equal to or greater than AUD$1.25m but less than AUD$1.5m, the CDK Performance Payment will be AUD$1.5m; orc. if the EBIT for the Performance Period is equal to or greater than AUD$1.5m, the CDK Performance Payment will be AUD$3m;6. TBH has the discretion to pay the CDK Performance Payment to the CDK Shareholder in cash, via the issue of ordinary shares in the capital of TBH ("TBH Shares") or a combination of both. If any or all of the CDK Performance Payment is paid in TBH Shares, the TBH Shares will be valued at the greater of:a. the 15-day VWAP immediately prior to the Performance Payment Date; andb. AUD$0.10 per TBH Share;**Subject to the CDK Shareholder (or nominee) not having a relevant interest in more than 19.99% of the total issued share capital of TBH.7. if TBH wishes to sell the DO Shares or the CDK Shares before the Performance Payment Date , TBH must first offer those shares for sale to the DO Shareholders and the CDK Shareholder (respectively) and, in any event, TBH cannot transfer the DO Shares or the CDK Shares before the Performance Payment Date ("Pre-emptive Rights Provisions");8. if TBH fails to discharge the CDK Deferred Payment or the CDK Performance Payment by the Deferred Payment Date or the Performance Payment Date (respectively), or breaches the Pre-emptive Rights Provisions, TBH must transfer the DO Shares and the CDK Shares back to the DO Shareholders and the CDK Shareholder (respectively) and shall not be entitled to any refund of the amounts paid in respect of DO Shares and the CDK Shares to date;9. Dynamic IT Group Pty Ltd ("Dynamic IT") (or its nominee) will no longer be issued 10m unquoted options over TBH Shares on Completion;10. under the Services Agreement, Dynamic IT will provide system management and development, and accounts administration services ("Services") to DynamicOdds for a period of 3 years from Completion ("Term") for a total fee of AUD$500,000 (plus GST) per annum ("Fee");11. DynamicOdds must not engage any contractor other than Dynamic IT to provide the Services during the Term, unless a related body corporate of DynamicOdds. If DynamicOdds engages another contractor as permitted, Dynamic IT must still be paid the Fee; and12. the Services Agreement may be terminated by mutual consent, upon 3 months' notice in writing by either party or for cause.Update to GBS transactionFurther to the announcement released on 18 July 2018, TBH advises that its wholly-owned subsidiary, BetMakers DNA Pty Ltd ("BetMakers DNA") is currently progressing its due diligence investigations in respect of Global Betting Services Pty Ltd ("GBS") and GBS's parent company ("Parent"), which is a condition precedent to completion of the sale of 100% of the shares in the Parent ("Shares") to BetMakers DNA.The parties are also currently renegotiating the composition of the purchase price of the Shares ("Purchase Price"), including restructuring the ability for the Purchase Price to be paid in cash and/or ordinary shares in TBH. For the avoidance of doubt, the total value of the Purchase Price, being $10million, will not change.TBH will update the market of any material changes in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations.About Betmakers Technology Group Ltd

Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX:BET) (FRA:T07) is an ASX-listed holding company and a global provider of online wagering products and services to both wholesale and retail markets through its various wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company operates a retail wagering business, offering consumers wagering, fantasy tournament and content products and services.
Zurich Insurance Group AG is a holding company. The Company and its subsidiaries provide insurance products and related services. Its segments include General Insurance, Global Life, Farmers, Other Operating Businesses and Non-Core Businesses. The General Insurance segment provides a range of motor, home and commercial products and services for individuals, as well as small and large businesses. The Global Life segment is engaged in providing unit-linked, protection and corporate propositions through global distribution and proposition pillars. The Farmers segment, through Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, provides certain non-claims administrative and management services to the Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, and their subsidiaries and affiliates. The Other Operating Businesses segment includes the Company's Holding and Financing activities. The Non-Core Businesses segment includes its insurance and reinsurance businesses.

Read More


Contract Signed for $1.3 Million Supply Contract in Victoria

Melbourne, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Environmental Clean Technologies Limited ( ASX:ECT ) (ECT or Company) is pleased to announce the signing of a binding contract for the sale of Coldry solid fuel in the Victorian market via the provision of a turnkey solution for steam services.Key points:- 5-year supply contract for Coldry solid fuel to support delivery of process steam via an existing solid fuel boiler system.- Provision of operating and maintenance service package in partnership with Australia's leading 'process steam' system operator, Mecrus.- Prime example of one of ECT's core pillars of its long-term revenue model.Following on from previous announcements outlining the Company's upgrades to its Coldry High Volume Test Facility (HVTF) northwest of Melbourne and subsequent trials of Coldry solid fuel with several potential customers (6 February 2018 & 29 June 2018), the Company has today signed a contract with a large food manufacturer in Gippsland, southeast Victoria.Key TermsValue: $1.3 millionTerm: 5 yearsFuel: Coldry solid fuelServices: Operate & maintain boiler system to deliver operational steam requirementsThe contract summarises the agreement between the parties to deliver steam required by the customer's operations and will be followed by a three-month construction and services commissioning phase which aims to establish the baseline steam demand, assess the efficiency gains from planned upgrades and maintain and monitor subsequent steady state of operations. If ECT is unable to deliver the expected steam demand during the trial period then GBP can cancel the contract, although the company does not foresee this to be an expected outcome.ECT Chairman Mr Glenn Fozard commented, "This is another positive step for ECT in the local market and is the culmination of business development and engineering activity over several months."The driver behind the client's adoption of Coldry lies in our close engagement and development of a packaged, turnkey solution to deliver steam. We've taken the time to understand and quantify the current operational profile of their boiler system, against which we were able to test and benchmark our Coldry solid fuel test product."The cost-effectiveness of Coldry solid fuel coupled with our turnkey approach to the provision of equipment, operations and maintenance, fuel and finance, where needed, presents a compelling business case."Lead-in analysis indicates we may be able to deliver potential savings of 15% per annum for our client."This packaged, turnkey approach is also designed to help mitigate further energy price shocks by locking in a stable monthly fee over five years."ECT COO Jim Blackburn commented, "Regarding the Company's broader local market business development strategy, we're currently working with several other potential customers on a similar basis and look forward to establishing further sales in due course."We understand shareholders would like to know who the potential customers are, how much Coldry they may buy and at what price. Would-be competitors would also like to know similar details. As such, it is not in shareholders' best interests to disclose potential customers before executing sales contracts. Further, it is not in the Company's best interests to disclose per-tonne pricing, as that may prejudice other sales negotiations.""This local market business model, entailing the provision of packaged solutions has a two-fold benefit. From the customer's point of view, it solves one of their significant operational 'pain points' via a holistic service offering. From our point of view, vertical integration allows us to maximise operational efficiency and control costs."Business Case for the Coldry Solid Fuel Turnkey SolutionFully integrated boiler and steam package offers the following key features and benefits:Feature: Multi-feedstock fuel systemsBenefit to customer: Diversified fuel supply options: With the high efficiency of Coldry solid fuel, systems are also able to blend a broader range of fuels including biofuels (such as pyrethrum briquettes and woodchip) and other similar solid fuels, where feasible and available, diversifying supply optionsFeature: Bespoke fuel handling systemsBenefit to customer: Lower maintenance cost and more efficient fuel handlingFeature: Guaranteed steam supplyBenefit to customer: Allows customers to focus resources on their core businessFeature: 5-year price freeze of production of steamBenefit to customer: Cost control: Steam production costs typically 10%-15% cheaper than individual or single-stream service models of fuel supply, boiler operations and maintenanceFeature: Boiler equipment, systems and programming designed for the highest available efficiencyBenefit to customer: Lower capital, operating and maintenance costsFeature: Single monthly price for the service, including any capital upgrades and installationsBenefit to customer: Cost controlColdry is the ideal solid fuel- Coldry is a lower cost, lower emission, brown coal-based solid fuel with high energy and volatile rating.- Coldry performs well as a high performance standalone solid fuel or in a blend to improve the efficiency of other biomass fuels such as woodchip, pyrethrum, sawdust and crop stubble.- Coldry can also be infused with anti-fouling agents to counteract some of the boiler performance issues experienced when using certain biomass feedstock (like pyrethrum, crop stubble and bagasse).- Coldry can be tailored specifically to suit the application, from highly dense briquettes to our higher-porosity 'baseline' pellet. The objective is to expend as little energy as required to produce the right product for the application. This benefit is passed on to the customer in the form of improved fuel combustion and increased boiler efficiency.- Coldry is sourced from local, abundant brown coal supplies and features a consistent specification. Supply agreements in place with Energy Australia (Yallourn) and Maddingley Brown Coal (Bacchus Marsh) ensure long-term access to supply.The Coldry High Volume Test Facility (HVTF)The Coldry processing facility in Bacchus Marsh has been in place since 2007 and has undergone significant upgrades over the past two years with a focus on increased scale testing of its R&D operations. As a consequence of this activity, the facility currently has ~10,000 tonnes per annum of available test product capacity which it is seeking to sell into long-term contracts. With further capital upgrades, the plant will be able to extend capacity by a further 25,000 tonnes per annum.Expert PartnershipsECT has partnered with Mecrus, Australia's leading provider of steam package solutions for boiler applications and is also engaged with boiler manufacturers (including John Thompson boilers). These strategic partnerships allow us to offer compelling steam and boiler packages. ECT non-executive director Barry Richards is the Managing Director of Mecrus.BackgroundGiven the level of interest received to date, the Company is confident a sustainable local market exists for a solid fuel to supply energy-intensive industries impacted by rising energy costs.In parallel to the activity at the HVTF, the Company continues to develop its feasibility study for the establishment of a large-scale Coldry demonstration plant in Victoria's Latrobe Valley.Importantly, the proposed large-scale Coldry demonstration plant will leverage existing resources and infrastructure, with site selection at Yallourn power station announced on 15 November 2017.It is envisaged that the Victorian demonstration plant will be designed to an output capacity of ~170,000 tonnes per annum and will feature a zero CO2 footprint, having no direct emissions.In support of ongoing R&D for the India project and future projects like the Victorian demonstration plant, the HVTF is targeting an output capacity of up to 35,000 tonnes per annum.The HVTF is solely an R&D facility and continuous production up to 35,000 tonnes per annum will continue to add to the testing of key features of both Coldry and Matmor in areas such as:1. Pellet integrity2. Blended additives3. Drying temperatures and residence times4. Airflow through the packed bed dryer5. Process improvements and equipment re-designAll product sold will be done so under the "Feedstock Rules" of the R&D tax incentive legislation.Solid Fuel MarketThe Victorian industrial energy market is defined by the price and availability of appropriate energy sources. Until 2014, brown coal briquettes dominated the local market, followed by gas and biomass. The closure of the Morwell brown coal briquette plant in 2014 saw many businesses switch to gas and biomass. The price of gas has since doubled or tripled for many businesses. Availability of biomass is variable, reducing the reliability of supply. Biomass typically has a lower energy density, and its ash contains elements that foul boiler systems, resulting in lower efficiency and increased downtime for maintenance.Coldry solid fuel is an ideal fuel for businesses requiring large volumes of process heat.Further, Coldry doesn't conflict with the Victorian government's renewable energy target, as neither wind nor solar are suitable for generating reliable, affordable process heat to such industries.In this respect, the Company is competing directly with the availability and price of natural gas and biomass alternatives, which given the current supply-demand profile, looks like remaining high and possibly escalating, well into the future.Beyond supplying energy-intensive industries such as agriculture, the Company sees potential to grow its Coldry capacity in Victoria over time to support any number of potentially high-value applications, including:- High-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) power generation to deliver reliable, affordable electricity- Hydrogen production- Upgraded coal products such as activated carbon, PCI (pulverised coal injection) coal, and hydrocarbon liquids and gases.These high-value applications can generate jobs and improve productivity while bringing down the emissions intensity of Victoria's world-class brown coal resource.The Company will continue to provide further updates on the above activities as they progress.Building Solid Foundations for ECT's long-term revenue modelThis contract gives shareholders an understanding of one of the core pillars of the Company's long-term revenue model.Following many months of engagement by the Company with a range of potential customers, it is apparent that the market for utility-scale steam and hot water is in desperate need of a solution that can deliver capital upgrades and fuel solutions that are reliable and economical. At present, no other companies are offering fully integrated steam and boiler solutions to Victorian and Tasmanian customers.Over the coming months, the Company aims to establish further contracts of this type while developing key relationships to improve the quality and pace of outcomes, including:1. Plant & equipment: Boiler manufacturers able to design boiler packages bespoke to Coldry as the primary fuel source2. Finance: partners able to support a zero-capital outlay solution for new boiler system upgrades3. Operations & maintenance: Staff with the essential skills to support boiler construction, operations and maintenanceECT Chairman Glenn Fozard commented, "Local businesses reliant on steam generation have been suffering terribly from skyrocketing gas prices and a shortage of reliable alternative fuels, resulting in an energy affordability and reliability crisis. This uncertainty is impacting the viability of many businesses. It also means ageing infrastructure is not being replaced as companies are reluctant to outlay capital on new equipment without viable fuel alternatives. ECT solves the problem of price volatility, fuel reliability and capital outlay and allows these companies to focus on their core business while we take care of their utility energy needs".As advised in previous announcements, ECT will be providing greater detail on its revenue model in the coming weeks.About ColdryWhen applied to lignite and some sub-bituminous coals, the Coldry beneficiation process produces a black coal equivalent (BCE) in the form of pellets. Coldry pellets have equal or superior energy value to many black coals and produce lower CO2 emissions than raw lignite.About MATMORThe MATMOR process has the potential to revolutionise primary iron making.MATMOR is a simple, low cost, low emission production technology, utilising the patented MATMOR retort, which enables the use of cheaper feedstocks to produce primary iron.About the India R&D ProjectThe India project is aimed at advancing the Company's Coldry and Matmor technologies to demonstration and pilot scale, respectively, on the path to commercial deployment.ECT has partnered with NLC India Limited and NMDC Limited to jointly fund and execute the project.NLC India Limited is India's national lignite authority, largest lignite miner and largest lignite-based electricity generator.NMDC Limited is India's national iron ore authority.About Environmental Clean Technologies Ltd

Environmental Clean Technologies Limited (ASX:ECT) is in the business of commercialising leading-edge coal and iron making technologies, which are capable of delivering financial and environmental benefits.

We are focused on advancing a portfolio of technologies, which have significant market potential globally.

ECT's business plan is to pragmatically commercialise these technologies and secure sustainable, profitable income streams through licencing and other commercial mechanisms.


Kachi Drilling Advances with Consistent Results

Brisbane, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Argentine-focused lithium exploration and project development company Lake Resources NL ( ASX:LKE ) has extended drilling activities with results reinforcing the large scale and quality of its 100%- owned Kachi Lithium Brine Project in Catamarca Province.- Drilling continues to confirm the large scale and quality of the Kachi Lithium Brine Project - a major discovery of a similar size to globally significant lithium producers.- Drilling advances with consistent results at Kachi supporting the preparation of a maiden resource statement, anticipated in October, over a partially covered salt lake 22 x 8 kilometres with potential to increase further.- Results show brines returning 250-276 mg/L lithium over 42 metres (358 - 400m) in drillhole K03R12 with best results from K03R03 averaging 306mg/L lithium- Brines extend from near surface to at least 400 metres depth consistently, with low impurities and low average Mg/Li ratio of 4.3, a ratio similar to large Argentine projects of Galaxy and Neo Lithium.- Drilling continues in the western sector of the project area with a diamond drillhole at Platform K02 and a rotary drillhole K08.Lithium brine is present in sandy sediments from near surface to over 400m depth in more than 14 rotary and diamond drill holes spaced over 15km across the project. Drilling and seismic geophysical surveying also confirms Kachi is a large-scale partially covered salt lake over an area of at least 22 x 8 kilometres.Recent drill results returned 250-276 mg/L lithium over 42 metres in drillhole K03R12. Best results to date are 306 mg/L lithium over 239 metres (3 - 242m) from hole K03R03 indicating consistent brine chemistry throughout the stratigraphic profile. To date the lithium brines analysed show positive chemistry with low combined impurities (boron, sulphate, calcium, magnesium, iron). Sediments indicate high porosities and permeabilities, with confirmation anticipated soon from core used for porosity assessment.The drilling advances towards an initial resource estimate, anticipated in October, with a further hole planned prior to final estimation. The western area of the basin is being targeted at present for this estimation. A number of sample results are pending from recent drilling, and regular updates will be provided as drilling progresses.Resource Drilling - Kachi Lithium Brine ProjectLake Resources' 100%-owned Kachi Lithium Brine Project in Catamarca province, Argentina covers over 50,000 hectares of mining leases owned 100% by Lake's Argentine subsidiary, Morena del Valle Minerals SA. These are held over the centre of the known Kachi salt lake in the deepest part of the basin. Surface sampling revealed positive lithium results in brines, supported by positive results in drilling from surface to depth and through geophysics programs.Drilling is currently underway at two new locations (platform K02 and 08). Table 1 (see link below) provides drill hole location details and lithium results which are averaged where multiple samples have been taken at a single interval.Recent drilling intersected different interlayered lithologies which are dominated by sandy sediments. Samples have been collected for porosity tests in a laboratory in the USA with extensive experience in analysing salt lake sediments for their porosity characteristics, in particular the specific yield (also known as drainable porosity). The company intends to conduct a resource estimate for the project in accordance with the JORC reporting code as soon as practical, anticipated to be in October. This will include the porosity data and systematic brine analyses from the drilling samples.Analytical results for lithium to date have been highest in drill-hole K03R03 (northern area). Brine samples in this hole display encouraging densities with a favourable Mg/Li ratio of 4.3. This area is a key target for ongoing investigation. Figure 2 (see link below) shows an extensive area with potentially very deep lake sediments in the vicinity of K03 that is yet to be investigated.Diamond drilling intersected thick intervals of intercalated sands, gravels and sandy clays with some clay horizons. The predominant litho-type of lake sediments is sand-dominant, and poorly consolidated, with relatively low core recoveries in sandy material. Initial indications from field hydraulic testing indicate high permeabilities for the sandy material, which will be further tested with the installation of large diameter production test bores.The deepest drilling to date at 405m has been undertaken in the south of the project area in diamond drill hole K06D08 (see Figure 1 in link below).To view tables and figures, please visit:About Lake Resources NL

Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE) (OTCMKTS:LLKKF) is a clean lithium developer utilising clean, direct extraction technology for the development of sustainable, high purity lithium from its flagship Kachi Project, as well as three other lithium brine projects in Argentina. The projects are in a prime location within the Lithium Triangle, where 40% of the world's lithium is produced at the lowest cost.



This method will enable Lake Resources to be an efficient, responsibly-sourced, environmentally friendly and cost competitive supplier of high-purity lithium, which is readily scalable, and in demand from Tier 1 electric vehicle makers and battery makers.
Maciej Onoszko and Sarah Algethami, Bloomberg News

Saudi Arabia said it will continue to ratchet up pressure on Canada for criticizing the recent arrests of women activists, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau upheld his stance on human rights.

The kingdoms foreign minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, said Wednesday the next wave of retaliatory steps could affect investment flows between the countries. Saudi Arabias central bank and pension funds have already begun selling Canadian assets, according to people familiar with the matter. A report on the asset sales in the Financial Times earlier Wednesday triggered a brief sell-off in the loonie. Canadian stocks and bonds were little changed.

Canada knows what it needs to do," Al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh, saying there was no need for mediation in the dispute. We dont accept interference in our affairs."

Canada will remain firm on human rights, Trudeau told reporters in Montreal, adding Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland had a good, long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday and that Canada doesnt want poor relations with the kingdom. He declined to say whether he would apologize to the Saudi government.

The Saudis 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 wont 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.

Fast Escalation

Since 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.

Badawis 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 Badawis wife is a Canadian citizen living in Quebec.

Loonie Falls

On Wednesday, 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 no matter the cost starting Tuesday. The loonie rebounded shortly afterward and traded 0.2 per cent stronger at 3:18 p.m. in Toronto.

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 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. Canadas main imports from Saudi Arabia are oil, while its exports include armored vehicles as part of a $15 billion arms contract signed in 2014 with a unit of General Dynamics Corp.

Grain Impact

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 per cent stake in the former Canadian Wheat Board for $250 million. Salic increased its share to 75 per cent a year later.

On Tuesday, G3 officials said the company continues to buy and sell grain as usual amid the diplomatic clash. Officials didnt immediately return requests for comment from Bloomberg News on Wednesday.


Youanmi Project Metallurgical Testwork Delivers High Grade Vanadium Concentrates

Perth, Aug 9, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Directors of Venus Metals Corporation Limited ( ASX:VMC ) ("Venus" or the "Company") are pleased to announce the results of preliminary metallurgical testwork on eleven historical diamond drill core samples from the Youanmi Vanadium Project, Western Australia. This testwork was carried out on two composites; oxide and fresh to assess the response of these materials to conventional magnetic concentration methods used for similar vanadium deposits in Western Australia.HIGHLIGHTS:- Vanadium-enriched magnetic concentrate grades averaging 1.40% V2O5 have been obtained from fresh rock drill core assaying 0.71% V2O5. Concentrate grades up to 1.46% V2O5 were obtained.- Vanadium-enriched magnetic concentrate grades averaging 1.32% V2O5 have been obtained from oxidised material assaying 0.67% V2O5. Concentrate grades were reported up to 1.37% V2O5.- Importantly, the test work has shown an excellent rejection of deleterious elements and compounds for downstream processingo Up to 98.6% rejection for silicao Up to 99.0% rejection for calciumo Up to 93.8% rejection for aluminaThese results show that the V2O5 grade can be doubled for both the fresh rock and oxide Youanmi samples by producing a magnetic concentrate whilst rejecting significant amounts of gangue constituents present in the material.The testwork also shows there is a relative ease to crushing the drill core material prior to magnetic separation as outlined by low to moderate comminution work indices.Venus Metals Managing Director Matthew Hogan comments: "These excellent results give the Company great confidence to advance our Vanadium Project. Being able to produce a high-grade Vanadium concentrate of 1.40% V2O5 by a simple process is significant. The Company is advancing discussions in relation to new process technologies for our concentrate which involve potentially fully integrated battery development opportunities".Youanmi Vanadium Project Overview:Venus's Youanmi Vanadium deposit is located on tenement E57/986 (198.5 km2) which is about 42km southeast of the world class vanadium mine at Windimurra, owned by Atlantic, a subsidiary of Droxford International Limited (see Figure 1 in link below). Youanmi Vanadium has good access to major infrastructure such as gas pipeline, roads and port facilities. Venus holds a 90% interest and the prospector holds a 10% interest in this tenement.JORC 2012 Vanadium Resource:Widenbar and Associates ("WAA") has reviewed the historical drilling, sampling and assaying data and produced a high-grade Inferred Resource of 167.7 Million tonnes @ 0.41% V2O5, 7.52% TiO2 and 24.6% Fe (0.25% V2O5 cut-off) for a Vanadium Pentoxide resource of 683,000 tonnes (ASX release dated 6 Feb 2015).The diamond drill core samples used for the metallurgical test work are located within this high-grade inferred resource (see Figure 2 in link below).Metallurgical TestworkThe Company commissioned METS Engineering Group ("METS") to develop a series of metallurgical tests suitable for the diamond core composite samples to assess the response of this ore to the conventional magnetic concentration methods used for similar vanadium deposits (refer ASX release 27 March 2018). The aim of this testwork was to:a) assess the ore's physical properties to determine the ease of crushing and grinding and;b) assess the upgrade of vanadium into a magnetic concentrate and to assess the quality of this magnetic concentrate producedThe testwork showed low to moderate comminution work indices, indicating favourable impacts on the comminution circuit and that magnetic separation was able to produce a Vanadium-enriched magnetic concentrate whilst rejecting significant amounts of gangue constituents that were present in the ore.This testwork was carried out on two composites; oxide and fresh. These composites were made up from historical half core sections, selected to include a spread through the orebody and to target the average grade of high-grade domains present within the orebody. The testwork was carried out at the Iron Ore Technical Centre, part of ALS Metallurgy, Wangarra, Western Australia and was broken down into two areas:a) Comminution and Physical Testing; andb) BeneficiationThe comminution and physical testing consisted of in-situ density measurements, Bond Crushing Work index ("CWi"), Bond Abrasion Index testing ("Ai"), SAG Mill Comminution testing ("SMC") and Bond Ball Mill Work Index ("BBWi"). Overall the results from the physical testing are positive. Low CWi's of 8.6 kWh/t for the fresh composite and 3.8 kWh/t for the oxide composite indicating low power requirements for the crushing circuit. Abrasion Index values of 0.0876 for the fresh composite and 0.0223 for the oxide composite indicate low wear on equipment and low media consumption in the grinding circuit. The SMC results can be seen in Table 1(see link below).The Drop Weight Index ("DWi") is a measure of the resistance of the sample to impact breakage. The Youanmi samples reported DWi's of 6.3 kWh/m3 for fresh and 1.4 kWh/m3 for the oxide. These values are in the 45th and 3rd percentiles respectively when compared to all historical SMC DWi results (40,000 global results). The BBWi testing is currently underway as it required initial beneficiation results to allow for a closing screen to be chosen so that the data is more relevant.The beneficiation testwork consists of Davis Tube Recovery ("DTR") testing to evaluate both sensitivity to grind size and magnetic field intensity during separation, wet Low Intensity Magnetic Separation ("LIMS") to confirm these conditions and higher intensity magnetic separation methods to investigate methods to improve vanadium recovery, particularly for the oxide composite. The grind sensitivity testing has indicated that the material is moderately sensitive to grind size when considering vanadium grade and recovery and the grade of gangue contaminants into the magnetic concentrate, which can be seen in Table 2(see link below). Importantly this testing has shown that a relatively coarse grind size of nominal P80 106 micronsm is capable of reducing combined silica and alumina to 3.59%. This testing has also shown that a coarse grind size of P80 150 micronsm is capable of achieving combined silica and alumina levels below 5%.The magnetic field intensity testing has indicated that it is not particularly sensitive to the range tested; 2000 gauss, 3000 gauss and 4000 gauss, approximately corresponding to 600 gauss, 900 gauss and 1200 gauss on a wet LIMS which can be seen in Table 3(see link below).The testing for the oxide composite can be found in Table 4 and Table 5(see link below). As expected the oxide composite shows a greater sensitivity to both grind size and magnetic field intensity during separation.Further Metallurgical workMetallurgical testing is on-going in order to assess methods of recovering additional vanadium from both composites (fresh and oxide) and to assess options for the extraction of valuable by-product minerals from the magnetic concentrates produced.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Venus Metals Corporation Limited

Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold and base metals exploration. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects.

The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%) (OYG JV); Indicated and Inferred Resources of the mine is 1.7 million ounces of gold.

Exciting new discoveries at the Youanmi Gold Mine have been made at the Grace prospect in footwall granites where very high grades of free milling gold have been intersected, including 25m @34.7g/t Au from 143m (RXRC 287) and 13m @60.49 g/t from 181m (RXRC 239). The Grace Prospect may substantially add to the Youanmi Gold Mine resources.
QUINCY, Calif. - Fire crews are keeping control of the Murphy Fire near Belden in the Feather River Canyon.



Fire officials with the Plumas National Forest say it is around 100-acres.



Highway 70 is under traffic control in the area, a precautionary evacuation notice is underway for several areas.



A Red Cross shelter is in place on Lawrence Street in Quincy.
Unhealthy air quality and hot temperatures will continue to be the big issues in your forecast today, but fire danger is on the rise for the end of your work week. A Red Flag Warning will go into effect at 2pm this afternoon, and is expected to stay in place through 11pm Saturday for the entire valley, the foothills and portions of the Sierra. Gusty South winds and low humidity will be the main driving factor behind higher fire danger. A more short lived Fire Weather Watch will be in place for Friday afternoon and evening in the higher elevations of the Sierra and Cascades.

Air quality will continue to range from moderate to unhealthy across Northern California today. Health official continue to advise people to limit their time outdoors, and do their best not to exert themselves in the poor air quality today. Temperatures have dipped into the mid 60's in the valley this morning, and mountain areas have dipped into the high 40's to mid 50's overnight. Winds are mostly light and out of the North this morning, but will be picking up out of the South this afternoon. Stronger South winds are expected to develop tonight. Sustained winds will be up to 15mph, with gusts up to 30mph tonight. Humidity will likely dip into the 10 to 25 percent range over the next few days, and will struggle to recover overnight. High temperatures will continue to top out in the high 90's to low triple digits in the valley this afternoon, and mountain areas are projected to end up in the mid 90's later today.

Temperatures will start to slide downward over the next few days, but will still be in the mid to high 90's in the valley this weekend. The low humidity and gusty South winds will be the main driving factor in elevated fire danger through Saturday night. Winds will start to slack on Sunday and humidity will not stay as low heading into the start of next week. Valley temperatures will stay in the mid to high 90's for the start to middle of next week. Mountain areas will mostly range from the mid 80's to mid 90's heading into next week.
The report, based on interviews with senior industry figures, reveals serious concerns at the prospect of an enhanced equivalence model for accessing the Single Market, described by one respondents as a soft Brexit on goods and agriculture and a hard Brexit on Services and the City of London. Deborah Newberry, Head of Corporate and Public Affairs, Kennedys, said: Our report clearly highlights a gulf between the type of Brexit which the insurance industry favours and the UK Governments recent White Paper. Industry leaders do not favour the decision to abandon discussions on mutual recognition for services before the negotiations have even started. The UK should be bolder in batting for Britains insurance and financial services sector, given the sectors contribution to the UK economy. The proposed implementation period to December 2020 offers an opportunity for common sense to prevail while the UK and EU forge a new trading relationship. But the publication of the Governments White Paper, and the political deadlock it has unleashed in the UK Parliament, potentially puts that proposal at risk. The UK must start to speak with one voice or risk losing whatever benefits might arise from Brexit. Brexit and the Insurance Sector: Towards 2020 and Beyond illustrates why the insurance industry must have a voice in shaping Brexit to serve the insurance industrys long-term interests, outlining different Brexit opportunities and threats envisaged by senior insurance executives. The report discusses the various options for the future EU-UK trade relationship and those which are favoured by insurance executives. Executives from across the insurance market all agreed that much greater work is required in the development of any future equivalence regime  if that is the market access mechanism to be adopted  amid growing fears that the UK simply wont be ready to Brexit in March 2019. Newberry added: If the industry is to retain its significant market shares in key industries  60% in global aviation insurance, 52% in energy and 33% in marine insurance, to name but a few  it is imperative for the UK Government to listen to the industry and protect its interests. The UK Insurance sector is a global success story. It provides employment for over 330,000 people, as well as helping many millions of businesses and householders to protect their lives and properties against everyday risks. With an export market worth 20bn annually, it is important that the UK sector maintains favourable single market access after Brexit. The insurance industry needs a significant voice in shaping the priorities for a future UK-EU relationship. Our six recommendations address the key concerns among insurers including the red lines for the industry. Richard West, Partner and Head of Innovation, Kennedys, said: Long term innovation in the insurance industry must also be safeguarded. This is core to maintaining the UK markets leading position in established classes, as well as growth areas such as FinTech, InsurTech and RegTech. Our report outlines some key considerations including R&D, regional funding, data protection and the free movement of people which must be given greater focus. Kennedys, which specialises in litigation and dispute resolution and acts for major domestic and international (re)insurers, conducted interviews with senior insurance executives and CEOs from across the market, providing a snapshot of opinions within the UK insurance industry. The research, report and recommendations move away from the chorus of negativity of the current Brexit discussions and provide an objective view of the post-Brexit environment for one of the UKs most important economic sectors. Kennedys report outlines the following six recommendations to secure the UK insurance industrys future post-Brexit: 1. Resolve the uncertainty surrounding the terms of the UKs exit

2. The UK should aim for flexibility around the exit date

3. Define best third country status

4. The UK should not become a rule-taker

5. Protect workers rights

6. Protect investment in research and development


Every year in October, we always scream Save the boobs! You see pink everywhere and those funny little buttons about boobs. It is truly a month for women to come together and support each other, and that is incredible. But, I have to ask you...
Walmart announced in May it was acquiring about 77 per cent of Flipkart for roughly $16 billion in the biggest deal for Indias e-commerce sector.

New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved US retail giant Walmart Incs $16 billion acquisition of online marketplace Flipkart, beefing up the competition to Amazon.com Inc in the fast growing e-commerce market.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart announced in May it was acquiring about 77 per cent of Flipkart for roughly $16 billion in the biggest deal for Indias e-commerce sector, which Morgan Stanley estimates will grow close to an annual $200 billion in a decade.

The CCI has approved the proposed acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart, the agency said in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.

The acquisition of Bengaluru-headquartered Flipkart will give Walmart, which runs 21 cash-and-carry stores in India, a stronger foothold in Asias third-largest economy where it has struggled to expand in the last decade, partly due to restrictions around foreign investment in bricks-and-mortar retail.

A local trader body, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), had opposed the Walmart-Flipkart deal, saying the combination would create unfair competition and drive local convenience stores out of business.

On Wednesday, CAIT said it was disappointed by the CCIs approval.

We will certainly move the court against the CCIs decision, Praveen Khandelwal, CAITs secretary general told Reuters. CAIT has called an emergency meeting of its governing council on August 19 at Nagpur, where we will finalise our strategy for a nationwide movement.

Walmart has previously said it supports local manufacturing in India by sourcing from small and medium suppliers, farmers and businesses run by women.

We believe that the combination of Walmarts global expertise and Flipkart will position us for long-term success and enable us to contribute to the economic growth, Walmart said in a statement after the CCI announcement.
Airline drew a blank in the first round of bidding with no private party showing up on the last day of bid submission on May 31.

New Delhi: Undaunted by the failure of Air India sale, the government may put on block the airlines ground-handling and engineering units soon. A preliminary information memorandum (PIM) on the two subsidiaries are being prepared at full speed to invite expression of interest (EoI) from interested private parties, a top official told FC.

A successful transaction would help the Modi government make up partly for the poor show on disinvestment of the debt-ridden carrier. The airline drew a blank in the first round of bidding with no private party showing up on the last day of bid submission on May 31.

We have been advised to offer subsidiaries for sale. The in-house teams are working on preliminary memorandum for ground-handling and engineering units, said the official.

Industry experts gave thumbs-up to the new move saying there was enough investor interest for these firms.

Previously, many companies were interested in parts of the Air India businesses but the government insisted and proposed to sell it as one entity. That became too big for anybodys appetite. I think it is a good idea to sell the airline piecemeal. There would be plenty of ground-handling and MRO companies interested in buying the units, said Rajan Mehra, chief executive officer at ClubOne Air and former India head of Qatar Airways.

Both ground-handling unit Air India Air Transport Services and aircraft maintenance wing Air India Engineering Services are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Air India.

Air India Air Transport Services is a leading ground handling service provider in India and offers ground handling services at most of the airports in the country. It clocked a revenue of Rs 624.52 crore in FY17 and earned a net profit of Rs 33.43 crore in this fiscal. The company has a total staff strength of 7,242, as per the airlines annual report.

Following the government decision to sell 74 per cent stake in Air India and the airlines entire 50 per cent holding in Air India Engineering Services, travel service provider Bird Group and Celebi had earlier shown interest in ground-handling business of Air India.

However, the plan has been put on hold with no private players placing initial bid for the offer.

The aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) subsidiary Air India Engineering Services reported a total revenue of Rs 740.48 crore in FY17. With expenditure surpassing the cash inflow, the firm bled profusely. Its net loss during the period stood at Rs 505.16 crore. But its future looks promising given the fast expansion of the aviation market in the country.

As per a Boeing estimate, the MRO market is expected to grow at 7 per cent CAGR to reach $1.2 billion by 2020. The total annual expense of domestic airlines on maintenance and engine overhaul is about Rs 5,000 crore.

Apart from domestic airlines, some of the major foreign carriers such as Silk Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Air Asia are among clients of Air India Engineering Services. The company has 4,755 employees on its rolls at the end of March 2017.
New Delhi: The RBI on Wednesday decided to pay Rs 50,000 crore as dividend to government in line with the Union Budget provisions, helping the Centre stick to its fiscal roadmap. The Reserve Bank, which follows July-June financial year, has paid about 63 per cent higher dividend than previous year (2016-17). The RBI made a dividend payout of Rs 30,659 crore for the financial year ended June 2017.

The central board of directors of the Reserve Bank of India, at its meeting held on August 8, approved the transfer of surplus amounting to Rs 500 billion (Rs 50,000 crore) for the year ended June 30, 2018 to the Government of India, the central bank said in an official statement.

Earlier in March, the RBI paid interim dividend of Rs 10,000 crore at the insistence of the government to support fiscal position. As per the Budget estimate, the government projected to collect Rs 54,817.25 crore as dividend or surplus of Reserve Bank of India, nationalised banks and financial institutions. The government realised Rs 51,623.24 crore under this head in the previous fiscal.

It is to be noted that the Reserve Bank of India transferred a surplus of Rs 30,659 crore as dividend to the government for the year ended June 30, 2017, which was less than half of what it paid in the previous year (Rs 65,876 crore).
Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) on Thursday asked the TRAI chairman to outline his major focus areas and priorities for the next two years, so the industry can look to "predictable" and stable regulatory environment" crucial for growth.

New Delhi: Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) on Thursday asked the TRAI chairman to outline his major focus areas and priorities for the next two years, so the industry can look to "predictable" and stable regulatory environment" crucial for growth.

The comments of COAI - which has, in the past, been severely critical of major TRAI decisions under Sharma's watch - comes against the backdrop of re-appointment of Sharma as the chairperson of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for two more years.

When contacted, Sharma declined to comment on his re-appointment.

Meanwhile, the COAI said the sector's financial health, focus on 5G and challenges on spectrum pricing and pesky call rules need to be urgently prioritised from an industry standpoint.

"It is up to the TRAI chairman to articulate what his major focus areas will be in the next two years so the industry can look for predictable and stable regulatory envrionment essential for growth and attracting investments," COAI Director general Rajan Mathews told PTI.

Mathews said the industry is seeking from the regulator a relationship of "trust, information sharing and predictability".

"We would want TRAI to clarify some of the challenges we are facing on implementation of pesky call rules. We want to discuss the outstanding issues with TRAI," Mathews said.

The COAI had raised a red flag over TRAI's new regulations on curbing pesky telemarketing calls and messages, saying tailoring of systems, and use of blockchain technology will involve Rs 200-400 crore investment and 18 months for the rollout, at a time when the sector is financially-stressed.

However, Sharma had told PTI yesterday in an interview that "reasonable time" has been given to telecom operators on the issue and that the norms came about only after a prolonged discussion with the industry.

"It is not the knee-jerk reaction of TRAI...," Sharma had said.

In the past, TRAI's decisions, ranging from slashing of call connect charges, to its stance on provision of points of internet (sought by Reliance Jio at the start of its services), and predatory pricing rules have been slammed by older operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular.

Earlier this year, TRAI's predatory pricing rules sparked off a furore as established players and the trade body criticised the new norms. The COAI had indicated that the order distorted the market, placing all operators, except one (it had not named Reliance Jio) at a serious disadvantage.

Sharma stood his ground all through, and maintained that while he takes telecom industry's 'fair criticism' in his stride, the levelling of allegations of bias without any proof bothers him as it discredits and lowers the institution's esteem.

The fiery TRAI chief also engaged in a verbal spat with the Twitterati late last month over potential misuse of Aadhaar. Sharma had 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.

Sharma yesterday said that no information was "discovered" about him on account of sharing of Aadhaar number, but had conceded that one of his takeaways from the episode had been that social media was not a suitable forum to discuss complex policy matters.
Tata Group has taken-over management from the Singals. This is the first arrest by SFIO.

New Delhi: Neeraj Singal, former promoter and MD of Bhushan Steel was arrested by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

He is accused to be guilty of siphoning off funds of over `2,000 crore from the loans availed by Bhushan Steel using more than 80 companies, according to finance ministry tweet.

The companies were used for fraudulent activities of rotation of funds through bogus loans & advances, investments among others. Fraudulent activities contributed to the firm becoming insolent, finance ministry tweeted.

Bhushan Steel is one of the 12 big cases that had been referred for insolvency resolution by banks. Tata Group has taken-over management from the Singals. This is the first arrest by SFIO.

Mr Singal was produced before the court of competent jurisdiction on Thursday and was sent to judicial custody till August 14, 2018, said finance ministry.

This arrest was made as part of the investigation into the affairs of Bhushan Steel and its several group firms by SFIO. The investigation was assigned by the corporate affairs ministry to SFIO based on the complaints received from various sources.

The arrest has been made by in exercise of the powers under Section 212(8) of the Companies Act, 2013, based on the material in its possession which has revealed that Mr Singal is guilty of indulging in serious corporate fraud punishable under Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013, said the ministry.
Mumbai: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros International are back with the second instalment of their much-loved rom-com franchise, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi.

With a distinctly oriental flavour attached to the adventures of its madly happy characters, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi features many Chinese elements such as its language, culture and characters.

China being such a strong plot-point of Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, the makers were moved to look back at one of the most unforgettable Bollywood landmarks inspired by China. The iconic dance number Chin Chin Chu, sung by the lilting Geeta Dutt and danced to, with extraordinary flair by the incomparable Helen Ji. A magical moment on celluloid that remains close to all our hearts.

Team Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi pays homage to Chin Chin Chu, with a fun and colourful performance featuring Chinese fans, oriental dancers and lots of drama along with Sonakshi and Jassie lending their voice to this song. The song will be out tomorrow, August 10.

Says lead cast member, Sonakshi Sinha, It is indeed a privilege to dance on a song featuring Helen Aunty, she is a class apart. So, I cannot even think of copying her, all I did was enjoy myself to the peppiest song of golden era. I love how Mudassar & Sohail Sen have added Punjabi tadka to the song and making it a very happy go lucky track.

Presented by Eros International and Aanand L Rai, A Colour Yellow Production produced by Aanand L Rai & Krishika Lulla, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi releases on August 24.
The first glimpse of Mahesh Babus 25th film is all set to be unveiled on Thursday, on the occasion of the superstars birthday on August 9. The makers are planning to release the first look, title and also a small teaser of the film. Vamshi Paidipally is the director while three top producers are producing the film.

Recently, they shot a long schedule in Dehradun and now, they are shooting in Hyderabad. Pooja Hegde is the female lead while Allari Naresh is playing an important role. In the last four days, the director has revealed that the name of Mahesh Babus character in the film is Rishi while the title will be unveiled on Thursday.

Mahesh Babu is playing the CEO of a top company in the US and the story revolves around that. The actor will also be seen sporting a beard for the first time in his recent filmography. Meanwhile, as per the script, the team is scheduled to leave for a shoot in the US shortly.

HT04
Mumbai: Theres no doubt that the hate celebrities receive on social media nowadays is growing day by day.

Sobhita Dhulipala, known for films like Raman Raghav 2.0 and Kaalakaandi, was the latest target on Twitter.

The actress had to face a barrage of negative comments for a mere, Thank you.

Sobhita, who is born and brought up in Andhra Pradesh, made her Telugu film debut with the recent release Goodachari.

Telugu star Mahesh Babu lauded the film on Twitter recently for being a slick spy thriller, and along with the lead Adivi Sesh, praised all the other actors.

Goodachari is a very impressive attempt in making a slick spy-thriller in Telugu. It's crisp, fast & gripping. Loved the performances of all the actors. @AdiviSesh shines all through. Congratulations to the entire team!   Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) August 7, 2018

Sobhita replied to the post with a Thank You, and thats where the problem began.

Fans of Mahesh Babu were furious with her reply, as it was not followed by words like sir, garu which is equivalent to Ji in Hindi, or superstar.

They mocked her, calling her a small artist, and saying that she wasnt fit to be even character artiste beside him and to show bloody respect to the big star.

Wen All d others are gvng respect can't she? Someone comes to us dad or mom n do d same thing is dat OK? And he is not just hero and dis is not just fanism anthaku Minchi...  RISHI..... (@urstrulyCAHITU) August 8, 2018

You've to say SIR 

Mahesh Babu Sir...  Superstar Fan Shiva (@NameisShiva) August 7, 2018

Show some bloody respect to Tolly wood superstar  SaikrishnaDHFM (@urstrulysai143) August 7, 2018

Thank You



"You" Can be Used for both Singular & Plural



 

 



    



Thank You

Your Royal highness

Your excellency

Your Honour

Thiru

Shri

Poojya

Super Star

Mahesh Babu

Sir

Garu

Ji



   @sobhitaD mam

  Next PSPK JanaSena Government (@StalwartOfCHIRU) August 7, 2018

Don't show ur attitude as if u r in industry for abt 20 r ruling the Tollywood...

He has taken tym to watch ur film n appreciating in some r other he is promoting Ur film...show some bloody respect  SuperstarMaheshFan (@venkatsai39) August 7, 2018

He is superstar ..not small artist like u  Nikhil Bharadwaj (@NikhilB23167187) August 8, 2018

Get lost @sobhitaD  Vaibhav Ane Nenu (@vaibhavrock999) August 8, 2018

Don't you know how to respect a big star.He is not your friend he is superstar of tollywood.First of all learn to respect a big hero.  Abhishek (@yoursabhi123) August 8, 2018

Please give respect to him using words like sir and Garu. .....your fan base doesn't get atleast 1/2% of his fan base......He is superstar of tollywood don't forgot it.....  Sudeep (@Sudeepstarts) August 8, 2018

Madam His such a Big star y don't u give respect where is respect ????;-)  Ashraf Ashu Dhfm (@Ashraf703627729) August 8, 2018

What r u thinking u r replying a superstar .....u won't even fit for a character beside him even in Advertisement

Respect ....  Maheshbabu Devudu (@MaheshbabuDevu1) August 7, 2018

Sobhita didnt expect the simple Thank You to get such extreme messages and told Pinkvilla, I was confused that a Thank you! was seen as disrespectful purely because I hadnt attached salutations like Sir/superstar/The great etc. Of course I have immense respect for him and find it rather saddening that social media is not a place of safety. Anonymity shouldnt be misused.

After actresses getting online hate for revealing outfits, nepotism or even random pictures or videos, this was surely a different kind of hate.
After turning a director and producer in Marathi with films like Ishq Wala Love and Mangalashtak Once More, Renu Desai is now set for an encore. The actress, who is currently penning a script, is keen to take the film on the floors soon, this time in Telugu.

Ive started writing a script on farmers suicides. When I came to Hyderabad as a judge for a dance reality show, everyone was asking when I would direct a Telugu film, so I decided to direct it next in Telugu. Im done with the script and am now working on the dialogues, reveals Renu.

To get a first-hand insight about the farmers way of life, Renu will soon set off to a village. I did farming during childhood (along with my father), so I have an understanding on how things work, but that was long ago. Now I want to go to a village and get a better insight into farmers lives, she says.

Interestingly, the Badri actress is also producing the film. I will be answerable to someone if I get an outsider as a producer, and I dont want that, she states, adding, The film will highlight not only the farmers plight, but also showcases the solutions. I am planning to start shooting the film early next year.

HT05
JERUSALEM: A gold earring believed to date back more than 2000 years has been unearthed near the site of the ancient Jewish temples in Jerusalem, in what Israeli archaeologists called rare evidence of Hellenistic influence.

The 4 centimeter (1.5 inch)-long filigree hoop with a rams head mould, shown here, was discovered during excavations outside Jerusalems walled Old City. The dig is around 200 meters (yards) south of the Temple Mount, which today houses al Aqsa mosque and is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said the trinkets crafting was consistent with jewelry from the early Hellenistic period - the 3rd or early 2nd-century BCE, roughly between Jerusalems conquest by Alexander the Great and the Jewish revolt against pagan rule recounted in the biblical Books of the Maccabees.

This is the first time somebody finds a golden earring from the Hellenistic times in Jerusalem, said Yuval Gadot, a Tel Aviv University archaeology professor involved in the find.

Such jewelry might have been worn by wealthy men or women, at the time, and its owner would probably have been either a Greek living in Jerusalem or a local Hellenised Jew, he said.

We connect it to other things and maybe we will have a better understanding of Jerusalem - not just the text but how people really behaved here, Gadot told Reuters.
Given the quality of the counterfeit notes, which look similar to the genuine Rs 2,000 currency notes, the NIA suspects that they have been printed and smuggled from across the border, said Mittal.

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Mumbai branch, on Tuesday seized fake Indian currency notes of face value of around Rs 7 lakh from four people, including a woman, in Bengaluru.

On credible information that a deal in high value and high quality counterfeit notes is likely to take place in Bengaluru, the NIA team with the help of local police conducted a raid at BDA Layout,

Alur in North Bengaluru and intercepted three people - M.G. Raju, resident of Devanahalli, Gangadhar Kolkar, resident of Bagalkot and Sajjad Ali, resident of Khejuriaghat, Malda, West Bengal.

The accused were found in possession of 217 pieces of fake Indian currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000 with the face value of Rs 4.34 lakh, said Alok Mittal, Additional Director General of Police and NIA spokesperson.

As a follow up the NIA on Wednesday with help of local police seized fake currency notes of the face value of Rs 2.5 lakh from a woman in Srirampuram in Bengaluru, he added.

Given the quality of the counterfeit notes, which look similar to the genuine Rs 2,000 currency notes, the NIA suspects that they have been printed and smuggled from across the border, said Mittal.

The Agency has registered an FIR - No. 0431/2018 at Madanayakanahalli police station against the accused under Sections 34 (common intent), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 489B and 489C (using as genuine counterfeit currency notes) of the Indian Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the two students approached him saying that he was doing an obscene act and asked him to give money.

Hyderabad: Two graduate students from Shamshabad robbed an unemployed youth when he was attending natures call at Bahadurguda on Monday. The police arrested the duo on Wednesday and remanded them to judicial custody.

On Monday , Praveen Kumar, was returning home on his bike from Shamshabad. At Laxmiguda, he went into the bushes to attend natures call. Meanwhile, the two students approached him saying that he was doing an obscene act and asked him to give money. As Praveen did not have money, they made him transfer Rs 15,000 to one of their Paytm accounts and fled, said Shamshabad detective inspector D. Dasru Naik.
According to the reports, the student identified as Rajineesh Parmar (25) joined the course at the university about two weeks ago.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: A first-year student of Integrated Master of Arts (English) student at University of Hyderabad, hailing from Uttarakhand, committed suicide by hanging to the ceiling in the varsity hostel on Wednesday night. It is said that he had cancelled his admission on Tuesday and was about to go his home on Wednesday.

According to the reports, the student identified as Rajineesh Parmar (25) joined the course at the university about two weeks ago. He was staying in the I hostel. For the last few days, Rajineesh was expressing disinterest in staying on the campus as he reportedly did not like the course.

A student from UoH shared that Rajineesh told one of his classmates that he had financial issues at home. The police, who registered a case, said he was reading o book Nausea at the tim of his death.
He convinced him by spinning a story about a trading business and persuaded to invest Rs10 lakh.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Chaderghat Police arrested a 23-year-old man for cheating a Gulf returnee, in the pretext of an online trading business and sent him to judicial remand.

The arrested has been identified as Mohammed Numan Ul Haque, 23. Explaining his modus operandi, police said that he gives out advertisement in newspapers stating that he is seeking an associate for an online trading business and traps them by taking money.

When the victim approached him, after noticing his advertisement in an English newspaper, he convinced him by spinning a story about a trading business and persuaded to invest Rs10 lakh. Believing his words and assurance that he will return money with an additional 25 per cent every month, the victim paid him the amount, after which he started avoiding calls and absconded, police said.

Based on a complaint from the victim, a cheating case was booked by Chaderghat police who arrested him based on a tip off and sent him to remand.
The victim told the police that she was taken to a guest house in Guntur, where she was offer drinks laced with sedatives. When she fell unconscious, four men had raped her. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: A 23-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by four unidentified persons at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. The incident which occurred around six months ago came to light when the woman, who stays in a private hostel, lodged a complaint with the SR Nagar police here.

In her complaint the woman said she came to Hyderabad last year searching for a job and stayed in a private hostel. There, she became friends with one Sirisha, who took her to Guntur in March this year.

She took me to the Secunderabad Railway Station on the pretext of meeting some people who offered me a job. We went to the station, but they did not turn up. She then took me to Guntur, from there in the train claiming to meet someone who also offered me a job, she said.

The victim told the police that she was taken to a guest house in Guntur, where she was offer drinks laced with sedatives. When she fell unconscious, four men had raped her.

She learnt that she was sexually exploited only after she regained consciousness hours later. The SR Nagar police booked a rape case as per law and started probe. As the offence occurred in Guntur, it will be transferred to the concerned police station.

The SR Nagar police said no arrests have been made yet.
Matter escalated early Thursday morning when the girl, whose room was on a different floor from the rest of her family, set herself ablaze.

Chennai: A 16-year-old girl on Thursday committed suicide at her residence after being shamed for being overweight at school, police officials say.

The girl, who was a plus -1 student at a girls government school, resided in Ranga Nagar in Chromepet with her family to whom she would complain endlessly about how her friends in school teased her and how she was upset by it. She would even cry about not wanting to go to school because of it, police sources informed.

Matter escalated early Thursday morning when the girl, whose room was on a different floor from the rest of her family, set herself ablaze. Her parents immediately called the 108 ambulance services and the girl was rushed to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. However, she suffered severe burn injuries and died from it this morning.

After a preliminary investigation, police found that the girls mother had visited her school twice and enquired with the teachers about her daughters constant complaints. The teachers had convinced her that the matter was not serious, both times and that the girls were all just making fun of each other playfully.

The headmistress of the school denied any knowledge of such complaints from the girl and teachers insisted that the bullying did not coax the girl into committing suicide. A case has been registered at the Shankar Nagar police station and further investigations are underway.
The gang has been caught for the first time in the last 15 years. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: For the first time in the last 15 years, five members of the Kanja Kherya gang of Kherwa Jageer village in Madhya Pradesh have been caught by the Cyberabad special operations team sleuths. The gang which steals gold, cash and other valuables from the passengers travelling in private buses was wanted by the police of at least 10 states in India.

Since April this year, as many as 12 cases of theft in private buses were reported at Kukatpally, KPHB, Miyapur, Bachupally, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Kodad, and Nalgonda. The gang follows the private buses in a car and waits for them to stop at the dhabas on the highways. Once the passengers travelling on the buses get down to have food, two gang members enter the buses and steal the valuables from the bags of the passengers, and flee immediately in their car.

Cyberabad police commissioner Mr. V. C. Sajjanar on Thursday said after receiving a tip-off that their families were living on hillocks at Multani-pura hamlet in Kherwa Jageer village, a team of 10 police officials went there and stayed for about 25 days and nabbed Md Haider Ali Khasham Multhani,35, Sikhender Razaq, 45, Mohsin Khan, 28, Mohammed Tayyub Khan, 33, and Afsar Khan, 20.

They have been brought to the city and remanded to judicial custody. The gang has been caught for the first time in the last 15 years. Based on their confession, 780 gm of gold pertaining to nine cases, and one car have been seized from them, said the commissioner.
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. (Photo: AFP | Representational)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday 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.
Union Minister Arun Jaitley at Parliament during its Monsoon session, in New Delhi on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: After a hiatus of three months, Union minister Arun Jaitley arrived in parliament on Thursday for his first appearance in the Monsoon session.

The 65-year-old Rajya Sabha member who stopped attending office in April for a renal transplant on May 14, participated in the vote for Deputy Chairperson of the House on Thursday.

After Arun Jaitleys health deteriorated in April, the charge of his finance ministry was handed to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.

Jaitley underwent a bariatric surgery soon after the BJP-led coalition came to power in 2014. The surgery was to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition, according to news agency PTI.

A Rajya Sabha member since 2000, Arun Jaitley was re-elected to the House from Uttar Pradesh in March. Though Jaitley was recovering from his ill health he was active on social media taking on opposition parties on several issues including cuts to the goods and services tax rates.

On Wednesday, Arun Jaitley took to Facebook to hit out at his former colleagues Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie for raising allegations in connection with the Rafale fighter deal.

He termed the allegations as "unsubstantiated" and "reprocessed lies" and said it being levelled by forces which are increasingly desperate to prove their relevance.

"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," Jaitley said in his post titled 'The Rafale Falsehood Repeated'.

Arun Jaitley is expected to resume work in the Finance Ministry from August 16.
Since the police could not contain the situation they can be seen reversing the car in the footage. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Bulandshar: Just a day after a mob of Kanwariya pilgrims vandalised a car in Delhi, another group of pilgrims ran riot after an altercation with locals in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr.

In a video, the so-called pilgrims can be seen vandalising and smashing the windows of a police van in Bulandshahr on August 7.

The Kanwariyas, which were present in large numbers, outnumbered the police personnel. Since the police could not contain the situation they can be seen reversing the car in the footage shared by news agency ANI.

#WATCH: Kanwariyas vandalize police vehicle after an altercation with locals in Bulandshahr on 7th August, police have registered a case. pic.twitter.com/UaIcNU55RV  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

Also Read: Watch: UP cop showers roses on kanwariyas from chopper, social media sees red

On Tuesday, over 20 Kanwarias damaged a grey Santro car in west Delhi's Moti Nagar after the car allegedly brushed past one of the devotees.

They even attacked the car with rods and tipped it sideways.

Each year, around this time, scores of devotees from across India commence on the Kanwar pilgrimage on foot on the first day of Hindu month, Saavan.

The devotees of Shiva, these pilgrims walk from their homes to fetch a pot of water from the Ganga. They then offer the Ganga water at their local Lord Shiva temples on Maha Shivratri Day.

However, over the last few years, devotees have faced criticism for their unruly behaviour and hooliganism during the holy journey.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar further said that the situation concerning Choksi's nephew, Nirav Modi, was similar and that they were awaiting a response from the UK Central Authority. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday informed that India is awaiting updates in connection with the extradition requests submitted for fugitive economic offenders Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.

Addressing a presser in the national capital, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed that India has received no word from the authorities in Antigua and Barbuda regarding the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Choksi, the request for which was submitted on August 3.

"We have been told that they are examining the request. We will have to wait, as and when there are developments, we will update," Kumar said.

Kumar further said that the situation concerning Choksi's nephew, Nirav Modi, was similar and that they were awaiting a response from the UK Central Authority.

"The request from Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the extradition of Nirav Modi, was forwarded to the UK Central Authority on August 3. This was based on the two red-corner notices issued by the ED. We wait for a response from the British government on this matter," Kumar said.

Choksi and Modi are implicated for duping the Punjab National Bank of nearly USD 2 billion, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the state-controlled bank.

In reply to questions regarding the extradition of absconding liquor-baron - Vijay Mallya, Kumar said that they will continue to press British authorities to facilitate in bringing him back to India.

"Presently, the matter is pending before the Westminster Magistrates' Court, London. The matter will be again heard on September 12, 2018. We will continue to press upon them to have all efforts made to bring him back to India," Kumar stated.

Mallya faces charges of defrauding a consortium of Indian banks to the tune of Rs. 9000 crores, and also faces charges of money laundering.

He is currently on bail from London's Westminster Court, which has set September 12 as the next date for hearing the 62-year-old's trial.
Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha alleged the entire Rafale 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.' (Photo: File)

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.

In a tweet, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the charges as "baseless", asserting that the government had already responded to the allegations on the floor of Parliament.

She said a recent attempt in Parliament to malign the government through baseless charges had collapsed.

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.

Both Shourie and Sinha have served in the previous BJP-led government at the Centre.

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 Narendra 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.
Mumbai: An Indian family was allegedly deplaned from a British Airways flight because their three-year-old son was crying.

According to reports, one of the crew members also reportedly shouted at the child saying you bloody keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out of the window.

The Indian passenger who was deplaned, A P Pathak, said, We were travelling to Berlin from London in British Airways, Our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to deplane us if our child doesn't keep quiet and after a while, he called the security and we were asked to deboard.

Pathak also wrote a letter to Union aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj alleging humiliation and racial discrimination by the European airline.

I have given a letter to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and EAM Sushma Swaraj and complained to British Airways. It was an act of racial discrimination. I request an apology and compensation for harassment of an Indian, Pathak added.

Meanwhile, Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe in the issue.

Pathak is a joint secretary-level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The alleged incident took place on July 23 on a London-Berlin flight (BA 8495). When the plane was taxiing for take off, the childs mother had managed to comfort him; however, a cabin crew came to them and shouted at the child asking him to be seated which scared the three-year-old who then started to cry inconsolably.

Following this, the plane was returned to the terminal and the family, along with some other Indians seated behind them who offered the child biscuits to console him, were asked to deplane.

The bureaucrat alleged that at the tarmac, security personnel took their boarding passes away. The customer care service manager did not give reasons for offloading them and the management also did not take any action against the crew despite lodging a complaint, he claimed.

"We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount," Pathak said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though.

Meanwhile, the airline in a statement said, We take claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

We have started a full investigation and are in direct contact with the customer, it added.

(With inputs from agencies)
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 four students, all from Kashmir, were shocked when the principal barred them from attending classes and threatened to cut their internal assessment marks if they continue to sport their beards.

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.

The problem started only after Ms. Priyadarshini joined the college as principal, the students told this newspaper. "For the last one week, we are being sent out of class on instructions from the principal for not shaving our beards. The management was fine with our beards when we got our admission at the college. All of a sudden, the principal, who joined just 20 days ago, asked us to shave our beards and barred us from attending classes.

The beards are part of our religion and I don't understand why it should bother the principal. Even on Wednesday, we could attend only two classes and when the principal got to know of it, she asked the lecturers to send us out," the students said.

The principal did not comment when asked if the rulebook of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Sciences (RGUHS), which governs all medical and nursing colleges in

Karnataka, had a rule prohibiting students from sporting a beard. However, RGUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr. S. Sacchidananda clarified that there is no such rule. "Barring a student from attending classes for sporting a beard is a clear violation of RGUHS rules," he said.

Deputy Registrar, RGUHS, Dr Riyaz Basha said that no one has the right to interfere in a student's religious practices and that the university does not have any rule that specifies that students should be clean shaven.

We will initiate an inquiry and take appropriate action against the principal if she is found guilty, he said.

The students said they were planning to write to the university, seeking help on this matter, which they claim has affected their studies.
Terming Congress a 'mean-spirited' party, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said AAP voted in favour of Congress candidates in President and Vice President polls, even without being asked for it. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to "boycott" the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson today, according to party parliamentarian Sanjay Singh.

Singh on Wednesday 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 have the courtesy to say thank you. The AAP supported the Congress on many occasions including the political crisis in Goa, Uttarakhand 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 L-G office barring the Congress," he said.

The AAP has three MPs from Delhi in the Rajya Sabha.
New Delhi: An advocate was on Wednesday 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 a 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 Vijay 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.
The breeding centre was provided with congenial lush green environment with least human disturbance.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The authorities at the Nehru Zoological Park said that the mouse deer released by them have been adapting themselves to the wild habitat and expressed their happiness that they were successful reintroduced in the wild.

About 10 animals two male and eight female were released, as a part of the third phase on July 2018 at soft release facility at Pichakuntla Cheruvu, Amrabad Forrest Area, Achampet, Nagarkurnool district. About 10 animals were released in June 2018, and eight animals, including two males and six females were released in September 2017.

The breeding at the park began in March 2010, funded by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.

Initially, the park started the breeding process with a stock of two males and four females. The breeding centre was provided with congenial lush green environment with least human disturbance. All the guidelines and protocols of the Central Zoo Authority have to be strictly followed.

The breeding was successful and the population in captivity at the park increased to 300.

As the animals are adapting to the wild life, more introductions will be done shortly, according to the park authorities.
The students said they will hold protests if the government does not release the reimbursements immediately. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Hundreds of students of SP College at Chilkalguda held a protest against the fee reimbursement issue and delay in scholarships on Wednesday.

The students alleged that the government has not reimbursed the tuition fees due to which they are facing problems.

The students said they will hold protests if the government does not release the reimbursements immediately.

They alleged that they are unable to pay the fees as the government is delaying the fee reimbursements. The colleges are not releasing the certificates of the final year students until the reimbursements are not paid due to which the students are facing trouble in applying for further studies and jobs.
District primary education department officials had nothing to say on students being utilised for manual labour when they should be studying in classrooms. (Representational Image)

Koppal: In a perfect world, schoolteachers create awareness in society against the practice of child labour. In Koppal district, at Hosalli village in Gangavati taluk, a physical education teacher at the Government Higher Primary School makes students wash his clothes, and deliver them to his home!

The headmistress, Monamma says she has no knowledge of this even though a video recorded by villagers of students washing the clothes has gone viral.

This is not all, at the Government Higher Primary School at Vanagera village in Yelburga taluk of Koppal again, students are being used as unpaid labour to construct the school compound wall!

At many villages across Koppal and other districts, teachers use students as domestic helps with the full knowledge of their parents who are unable to object to this abhorrent practice adopted by the teachers.

District primary education department officials had nothing to say on students being utilised for manual labour when they should be studying in classrooms.
Chennai: DMK president M. Karunanidhi had on his 86th birthday donated his Gopalapuram residence to Annai Anjugam Trust to run a hospital for the poor, after his and his wife Dayalu Ammas lifetime. The trust is run on his mothers name.

He had donated his residence in 2010. The proposed hospital to come up at the place would be named after Anjugam and Muthuvelar, it was announced. In 1968, he had registered the house in the name of his sons Alagiri, Stalin and Tamilarasu. After getting their consent in 2009, the DMK stalwart had gifted it to the trust.

Former union minister A Raja and Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu are among members of the Trust.

Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday at the age of 94, had lived in this house since 1955.

In order to enable the house to be used as hospital, the document regarding the transfer of ownership of the house was registered with the authorities concerned.
Mangaluru: It's a virtual massacre and all for a government sponsored scheme to build houses. Several massive trees have been uprooted, many chopped and transported and the stumps of a number of trees burnt in Shakthinagar, Mangaluru.

Fuming environmentalists have warned they will paint the faces of anyone who tries to continue the work, black. Claiming the land in question is a deemed forest and the trees have been chopped and uprooted without permission, National Environment Care Federation (NECF) state secretary, Shashidhar Shetty, says it was identified by former MLA, J R Lobo for building houses under a government scheme as an "election gimmick."

"The land was transferred from the revenue department to the city corporation and now the trees have been chopped without permission. The stumps of several trees have been burnt to ensure there is no evidence of the chopping," the activist alleges.

Going by him, the city corporation had sought permission to cut about 340 trees and when the forest department refused to permit this, it revised its request to around 40 trees. "Although the forest department has not given permission, the trees have still been chopped," he regrets, adding that going by a court ruling land of over five acres with 50 trees per acre is deemed to be a forest and the MoEF's permission is required to cut trees on it. "If anybody continues to chop trees, we will definitely paint their faces black," he declares.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik 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. (Photo: File | PTI)

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said his party will support the NDA candidate in the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson today.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken to me and our party will support the JD(U) candidate in the Rajya Sabha's 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 Jayaprakash 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 chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Patnaik said, adding his party waited for a unanimous decision to emerge, but it did not happen.

Patnaik 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 today between NDA nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh 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.
The number of those lining up to pay their tearful adieu increased by the day as celebrities too joined them.

Chennai: Several thousands of grief-stricken DMK members and well-wishers of the Dravidian icon and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi paid their homage at the Rajaji Hall here on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying homage to the departed leader who mortal remains were kept in a golden casket draped in the national tricolour.

Besides Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers H. D. Kumaraswamy (Karnataka), Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana) and N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat, and former Chief Ministers Oommen Chandy (Kerala) and Akilesh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) were among the dignitaries who paid their homage to the 94-year-old leader had breathed his last on Tuesday evening at Kauvery hospital here after battling for life for 11 days.

The number of those lining up to pay their tearful adieu increased by the day as celebrities too joined them. Later in the day, Karunanidhi was buried with full military honours with soldiers giving him a gun salute. Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping 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 where Karunanidhi's son and DMK working president M. K. Stalin received the national flag wrapped around his father's body from the army personnel.

Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam and leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala too paid the homage.

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 later said. Also, those from the Tamil film fraternity who paid tribute to the departed DMK patriarch include lyricist Vairamuthu.
TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad - donning a Nazi uniform, toothbrush moustache and a stick in hand - enacted Adolf Hitler while urging his fellow party members to take a stand against the Centre. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: Actor-turned politician and Telugu Desam Party MP Naramalli Sivaprasad is known to make appearances donning costumes of famous characters. The TDP MP who is protesting for the Andhra special status turned up as Adolf Hitler  the German dictator  in parliament on Thursday

Sivaprasad along with other members of his party has been protesting in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue since the Budget Session 2018.

Sivaprasad - donning a Nazi uniform, toothbrush moustache and a stick in hand - enacted Hitler while urging his fellow party members to take a stand against the Centre.

The TDP led by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh has been demanding a special status for the state from a long time.

Three days back, Sivaprasad had made an appearance as Lord Ram in Parliament. He has also donned the Sathya Sai and Narad Muni avatar in the past to protest over the same issue.

A doctor by profession, Sivaprasad has acted in movies too. He became a lawmaker in 1999 and has served in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minsiter N Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet as a minister.

As part of the protest, TDP leaders brought various placards featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu's photograph on it. Meanwhile, some placards had "We want Special Status for Andhra Pradesh" written over it.

Asked why they have used the Prime Minister's photograph on the placards, TDP MP Jayadev Galla told news agency ANI, "In Telugu it's written that, 'Everything he says is false and everything he does in false.' We are saying that he is not a man to be trusted. He doesn't keep his words. He makes promises and doesn't honour them. As he is called, 'Jhumla' seems to be the right word in Hindi. In Telugu, we call him 'Mosagadu,' which means to cheat someone."

The Centre and the ruling TDP have been at loggerheads for the past few months over the issue.
This is an over three-fold increase when compared to its existing allocation of 299 tmc.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has stepped up its demand for additional share of water from the river Krishna.The Brijesh Kumar Tribunal on Krishna water sharing commenced hearing on Wednesday on the issue. The hearing will go on for three days.

In its argument, the government has sought 936 tmc water to meet domestic, agricultural and industrial needs. This is an over three-fold increase when compared to its existing allocation of 299 tmc.

The state government submitted an affidavit before the tribunal stating that it wanted to bring an additional 9.34 lakh hectares under irrigation by completing pending projects and constructing new projects on the Krishna, for which it needs more water allocation.

The fresh argument by the state government on Krishna water sharing is being strongly opposed by the Andhra Pradesh government.

The government argued that out of 936 tmc which was being sought, 206 tmc would be required to meet the future demand on account of construction of new projects on the Krishna.

It brought to the notice of the tribunal that it had drafted an action plan to irrigate an additional 9,34,028 hectares (23,37,570 acres) for which 936 tmc was required.

For the Jurala project alone, the state government had sought 100 tmc to irrigate an additional 4.57 lakh hectares.

It also urged the tribunal to view it's share as only 771 tmc on the ground that 80 per cent of water used for domestic and industrial purposes would flow back to the Krishna

basin in some form or the other. The government pointed out that there was 36.45 lakh hectares of cultivable land available in the Krishna basin, but the state government could irrigate only 5.75 lakh hectares with the current allocation of 299 tmc in the Krishna.

The government informed the tribunal that if the pending Srisailam Left Bank Canal, Kalwakurthy, Nettempad, Palamur-Rangareddy lift irrigation projects were completed and 220 tmc was utilised, then an additional 10.38 lakh hectares could be irrigated.
Ram Sewak Sharma will continue as the TRAI chief till September 2020, when he turns 65. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: TRAI chief Ram Sewak Sharma, whose tenure saw major decisions on issues like termination charges and predatory pricing, was on Thursday given a two-year extension, a day before his term was to end, according to an official order.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved reappointment of Sharma as chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for a further period beyond August 10, 2018 upto September 30, 2020, i.e. the date on which he attains the age of 65 years, the order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

He was in July 2015 named as the TRAI chief for a three-year period.

Also read: After TRAI chief's Aadhaar dare, hacker busts Sharma's safety claim

Sharma, a 1982 batch (retired) IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, was recently in news as he had disclosed his Aadhaar number on the microblogging site Twitter and threw an open challenge to people to show how mere knowledge of the 12-digit unique number could be used to harm him.

The move had caused a social media flutter as he was criticised by many for throwing such a challenge.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar, had thereafter asked people not to share their unique identification number publicly or pose such challenges to others.

Some of the decisions by the TRAI, ranging from slashing of call-connect charges to its stance on the provision of points of interconnect (sought by Reliance Jio at the start of its services), and predatory pricing rules have come under the industry's attack.

Earlier this year, TRAI's predatory pricing norms sparked-off a furore as old telecom operators and industry association criticised the new rules.

Before becoming TRAI chief, Sharma worked as Information Technology secretary. He has been credited for playing a key role in implementing Aadhaar project.

He worked as the Director General and Mission Director in the UIDAI.

Sharma is credited to have designed key digital services, such as digital locker, and for fast execution of schemes to push electronics manufacturing in the country.
Barring one term, the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson has always been with the Congress. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: The opposition which has united to dethrone Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the Centre in the 2019 general election suffered a setback on Thursday after its candidate lost the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Reacting to the defeat, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said: Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose."

Barring one term, the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson has always been with the Congress.

Earlier, the Congress was considering names of Nationalist Congress Partys Vandana Chavan and DMKs Tiruchi Siva as a move to extend its support to the united opposition but later zeroed in on the name of BK Hariprasad.

However, ensuring a victory for its candidate proved to be a difficult task for the Congress.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which could have supported the Congress, abstained from voting as Arvind Kejriwal was upset with Congress president Rahul Gandhi for not asking for their support.

"If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why can't he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support," questioned AAP's Sanjay Singh.

The YSR Congress party also abstained from voting.

Also Read: Mean-spirited Cong didnt ask for support: AAP to boycott RS Dy chairman poll

The opposition received 105 in a house with a majority mark of 119.

Five lawmakers - two from the DMK and one from Trinamool Congress - did not participate in Thursdays voting.

The opposition had support of Trinamool Congress, DMK, Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party and Telugu Desam Party.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, In elections, someone wins and someone loses. But the Deputy Chairman is no longer a part of any single party. He belongs to the country now.
People watch in fear as heavy rains submerged the Sundaram Colony in Palakkad on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Thiruvananthapuram: The southwest monsoon continued to wreak havoc in the state claiming 22 lives during the past 24 hours even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the situation as extremely grave.

According to reports reaching state headquarters here, landslides and heavy rains killed 11 people in Idukki, five in Malappuram, three in Wayanad, two in Kannur and one in Kozhikode.

Out of 22 dead, five members belonged to a family each in Idukki and Malappuram.

Two were reported missing in Idukki and one each in Palakkad and Malappuram.

The shutters of Cheruthony dam, part of the Idukki dam project, were opened as water level reached 2,398.99, but it continued to rise. The storage level at Idukki was 2004.20 ft at 10 pm. It can go up to a maximum level of 2008.5 ft.

From 50 cubic metres per second, the discharge from Cherthony would be raised to 100 cubic metres per second at 7 am on Friday.

The intensity of heavy rains could be gauged from the fact that the shutters of 24 dams where the water level had reached maximum storage level during the past 24 hours were raised. Four dams each in Idukki, Thrissur and five in Palakkad were opened. Its perhaps for the first time in the state that the shutters of so many dams have been opened together. Mr Vijayan convened a high-level meeting at the secretariat to review the rain situation. Briefing media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the rainfall this monsoon had occurred in the state like never before. The heavy rains are continuing and gaining strength which is a cause of serious concern, he said.

Drinking water was in short supply in affected areas. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are deployed in Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts.

Heavy equipment required for the Army in the affected areas was being flown in from Bengaluru.

The situation is worsening with the weathermen predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in many districts.

People of Kuttanad are keeping their fingers crossed following the opening of shutters of Kakki dam in Pathanamthitta whose FRL is 981.45 ft.

Since the water from Kakki dam flows into Kuttanad, the possibility of the low lying areas getting flooded cannot be ruled out.

The chief minister directed the revenue authorities to involve local bodies representatives and other elected representatives in relief and rescue operations besides mass contact programmes to allay fears of the people.

He urged the people to stay away from reservoirs and dams to avoid mishaps. There are reports that people are thronging the dams whose shutters are being opened to click photographs and capture video.

Only those who have been deployed by government agencies and defence authorities would be allowed to go near the dams and reservoirs.

The presence of onlookers in these sensitive areas could even hamper the functioning of officials besides resulting in accidents.

The tourists who are already present in these areas should maintain vigil and follow the instructions of local authorities. The karkidaka vavu bali ritual is happening in many parts of the state on Saturday.

Most of the areas where vavu bali has to be offered have been flooded because of heavy rains. Those taking part in the ritual should maintain maximum vigil and cooperate with the instructions being issued by the district administration to avoid accidents.

The police department has been directed to provide adequate security for the devotees performing vavu bali ritual .

The all-party meeting decided that the minister in charge of districts should camp in their respective areas and coordinate the rescue and relief operations.

Police, fire force, irrigation, KSEB and the revenue department will coordinate their activities and work in close association with the local MLAs.

The NGOs and other voluntary organisations have been urged to cooperate with the activities of the government agencies.

Met predicts 2 more days of heavy rain

With the Met department predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in many districts during the next 24 hours, the state government has put all departments on high alert to deal with the situation. The Met department predicted rains in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur during the next two days.

Since all these districts are already affected badly because of the heavy rains, the situation is likely to worsen.

With water level in almost all dams in these districts rising, the government has directed NDRF and other agencies from the defence services to monitor the situation closely and be on standby for rescue and relief operations.

Met officials say the rainfall is expected to subside for day but on August 13 at least 10 districts are expected to receive heavy rainfall.
New Delhi: Seeking to allay fears that a proposed law which makes the practice of instant triple talaq illegal and imposes a jail term of up to three years on the husband could be misused, the Centre on Thursday approved certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here that the Union Cabinet has approved three amendments to the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill which has been cleared by Lok Sabha and pending approval of Rajya Sabha.

On Friday, is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments in Rajya Sabha. If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments. While the proposed law will remain non-bailable', the accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail. Under a non-bailable law, bail cannot be granted by police at the police station itself.

The amendment to the triple talaaq bill drew a mixed response from the Muslim community in the city. Nevertheless, they argue that there is no immediate need for the bill and there are more issues concerning women safety to be tackled.

Former chairman Telangana state minorities commission, Abid Rasool Khan said that the provision of grant of bail will hold no good to the husband as there are several thousand Muslims already languishing in prison for failing to arrange money for surety or bail.

In the first place, there is no need for such a bill to be enacted. Next making amendments will not help too as after a case is registered differences between the wife  husband increase and their wont be room for reconciliation later, said Mr. Khan. Woman activists Sana Parveen said that the move of the government is good as at least the husband will not go to jail and remain lodged there leaving at least his children in lurch. Children might benefit through the move. But women I think will not stand benefitted as difference will rise after approaching the courts or police, she felt.
New Delhi: The ruling NDA comfortably elected journalist-turned politician Harivansh of the JD(U) as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday, beating Congress nominee B.K. Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for Opposition unity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In a major boost to for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, its candidate Harivansh, a 62-year-old first-time MP from Nitish Kumars party, bagged 125 votes against the 105 polled by the Opposition nominee.

The post had been lying vacant since the retirement of Congress P.J. Kurien on July 1. Mr Harivansh was congratulated by the entire House, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in a lighter vein, said: Sab kuch Hari bharose. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari kripa bani rahegi (Everything is now in the hands of Hari, or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy). Leader of the House Arun Jaitley, who was in Parliament on Thursday, also congratulated Mr Harivansh as did Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

In his speech, Mr Harivansh said it would be his endeavour to uphold the dignity of the Upper House and expressed the hope that differences would be ironed out through constructive debates, consensus and guidance. While the NDA was present in full strength, there were as many as 14 people who were absent from the House. As many as 232 members out of an effective strength of 244 voted, thereby reducing the majority mark to 117.

The NDA got the support of fence-sitters like the Biju Janata Dal (9), the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (6) and the AIADMK (13). Two members each of the Congress, Trinamul, DMK and one from the Samajwadi Party were absent from the House during the voting. The PDP and AAP, which have two and three members respectively, did not participate in the voting, sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said. Two members of the YSR Congress also abstained from the voting. The nomination of Mr Harivansh was proposed by Ram Prasad Singh (JD-U) and seconded by Union minister and RPI member Ramdas Athawale.
Hyderabad: Contamination found in vegetables grown near the Musi River has reached alarming levels. Leafy vegetables like spinach, mint, and coriander grown on the banks of Musi from Puranapool to Uppal and beyond are sold in the city markets.

A majority of the leafy vegetables consumed in the city are grown on these banks. Much of the milk consumed by residents also comes from buffaloes that feed on fodder grown near the riverbed. More than 500 families depend on growing and selling leafy vegetables and the beautification of the Musi poses a threat to their livelihood.

We sell vegetables we grow here at Madannapet Mandi or Mir Alam Mandi, said V. Sudhamshu Kumar, Bhagyanagar Kisan Sangh Secretary. He also owns land under the Chaderghat Bridge adjacent to Musi River. He has around 60,000 banana trees in the surroundings. He also grows leafy vegetables, including spinach, curry leaves, mint, coriander, and drumsticks. People come and buy banana trees, and we sell them for Rs 400 to Rs 500, he said. After all the labour charges, a total of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 is left per month to run the family, he added.

The majority of the farmers belong to the Kacchi community. There are about 400 to 500 farmers growing vegetables in the surrounding areas of Musi from Puranapool to Uppal and beyond, he said. About 300 of them are members of the Bhagyanagar Kisan Sangh, he said. They supply more than 50 per cent of leafy vegetables consumed by the city. The rest comes from the surrounding villages, he added.

Many industries and hospitals, including the Osmania Hospital at Afzal Gunj, dispose their waste directly into Musi River, said environmentalist Thakur Rajkumar Singh. He said that the hospital should use Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) and the help of facilitators to dispose of their bio-waste into Musi River.

Earlier, the vegetation in the surroundings of Musi used to be up to Uppal, but now it has spread all the way to Edulabad, said another environmentalist Subba Rao. He said that contamination of food was a major problem that many people in the city did not yet realize. Contaminated vegetables may lead to many problems related to liver, kidneys and other organs, he added. The state government has plans for the beautification of Musi River.

The Musi Riverfront Development Corporation has been approved for raising about `1,500 crores for river cleaning, bank stabilization and building STPs. However, the farmers who grow vegetation have asked for compensation as their livelihoods are dependent on the lands surrounding Musi River.
Over 200 bank employees of IDBI bank Abids on Thursday held a protest opposing the move of the government to privatise the bank. (Image: DC)

Hyderabad: The two-day nationwide protest by the All India IDBI Officers Association (AIIDBIOA) in protest against governments nod for acquisition of IDBI by LIC began on Thursday. Over 200 staff of IDBI staged a protest at main branch Abids.

Mr Vinod Kumar, a staffer said, The GoI move to sell a significant portion of its stake in IDBI Bank Ltd, to Life Insurance Corporation of India where by the shareholding of the Government of India in IDBI Bank will fall below 51 per cent. We strongly oppose any such move taken, against the solemn assurance given by the then-BJP Government on the Floor of Parliament that the Government of India shall all times maintain its stake above 51 per cent in IDBI Bank.

Staff members of IDBI Bank across the country are in unrest over governments decision to reduce its stake below 51 per cent. If this is allowed to happen, the service conditions of the employees of the IDBI Bank would be changed, as it would be categorised as Private Sector Bank, after this proposed stake sale. Moreover, the fate of employees would become uncertain, who have been selected on the basis of their merit through All India Level Examinations conducted by the IBPS.

Thousands of employee have joined this bank after leaving other Public Sector Banks/Govt. Organisations etc and they all are feeling embittered with this move of the government. Also, it would be unfair to the certain classes of employees (in thousands), who have been recruited in reserved category SC/ST/OBC/PWD  as their future growth and career will be uncertain.

Strongly opposing the move of the government, AIIDIBOA has decided to observe two days nationwide, that counts August 10.
Lucknow: Kanwariyas resorted to violence in two districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. In Bulandshahr, the kanwariyas attacked a police vehicle, forcing the police personnel in it to flee. In Meerut, one person was killed and half a dozen injured during casteist violence that erupted during a kanwariya yatra on Thursday.

According to SSP Bulandshahr Praveen Ranjan Singh, a brawl had taken place between two groups led by one Pappu and Deepu over the installation of electricity meter, about a week ago. The matter had been sorted out between the two groups but on Wednesday, Deepu alleged that Pappu had misbehaved with her sister and had given a complaint at Narsena police station against Pappu.

When the police tried to arrest Pappu, he instigated fellow Kanwariyas to attack the police personnel and police vehicle. A video of the kanwariyas attacking police personnel and vandalising the vehicle has also gone viral on the social media.

In Meerut, a caste war erupted between Dalits and Thakurs while a kanwariya yatra was passing through the Udaipur village on Wednesday night. The matter was resolved in the night but on Thursday morning, one group went to the house of the other group to complain which led to a fresh bout of violence in which a youth named Rohit was killed and six persons, including two women were injured.
The airport authorities said its operations would be affected if the Periyar water level increased substantially following the opening of the Cheruthoni dam.

Kochi: Cochin airport was on Thursday partially closed for two hours due to the intrusion of flood waters from Chengal canal, a tributary of Periyar bordering the airport, forcing three flights to divert.

The airport authorities said its operations would be affected if the Periyar water level increased substantially following the opening of the Cheruthoni dam.

They said in a release that they suspended operations as part of precautionary measures in the light of the opening of the shutters of the Idamalayar dam.

The flood waters entered the drainage near the operations side and spread to the parking bay.

Following this, the landing stopped at 1.05 pm. The Indigo flight from Mumbai was diverted to Coimbatore, and a Spice Jet flight returned to Bangalore. An Oman Air flight from Muscat was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram.

Of these, the Oman flight later landed in Kochi.

However, a passenger who arrived at the airport in the afternoon to go to Chennai by an evening Spicejet flight said that he had to take the road route after the airline staff informed him that no plane was taking off and landing at the airport.

He also said that several passengers were seen stranded at the airport at that time.

The airport authorities said that they had opened a control room for giving information to the passengers at that time.

The release said that the decision to resume full-fledged operations was taken after the rate of increase in flood waters came down around 2.30 pm.

The operations turned normal at 3.05 pm, and the situation was under control by the evening.

However, they added that the airport operations would be affected if the Periyar water level increased substantially following the opening of the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam.
HYDERABAD: The YSR Congress continued to remain ambiguous on its preferred partner at the Centre by abstaining from the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post on Thursday. The ruling parties in TS and AP  the TRS and the TD  however made their choice by voting for the NDA and the Congress candidates respectively. In a boost to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), its candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh, the 62-year-old first-time MP from the Nitish Kumar-led party, got 125 votes as against 105 polled by Hariprasad, who was the opposition nominee.

TRS MPs voted for the winning side while TD MPs voted for the losing side. Till Wednesday night, YSRC MPs had said that they will vote against the NDA candidate and in favour of Opposition candidate. But in the last minute, YSRC took a u-turn and abstained from the voting. YSRC MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy declared that they are neither supporting the NDA candidate nor the Congress candidate as the BJP and the Congress have both cheated AP people.

He said that they thought the Opposition will field a candidate from other than Congress. but since the Opposition candidate belongs to the Congress, he said his party has decided to abstain from voting. There are speculations on a secret tie between the BJP and the YSRC. The decision of YSRC to abstain from voting helped the NDA candidate indirectly. In the polls to select President of India and Vice-President, YSRC had supported BJP-led NDA candidates in the President and vice-president elections.

The TRS and the TD have made their political stand clear through their vote in this election. The TRS is anti-Congress, while the TD is anti-BJP. However, none of them openly spoke about who they support. It is a known fact that Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is moving closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has a soft corner towards Congress. Former Union Minister and MP Y.S. Chowdary said that they have voted in favour of B.K. Hariprasad because he belongs to BC community.

Recently, Congress and TD were moving closely in many issues in Parliament. Y.S. Chowdary said that their relation with Congress is confined to Parliament only. TRS MPs said that since JDU Chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar personally requested CM KCR to support his party candidate, they voted for the JDU candidate and he is not a BJP candidate.

Meanwhile, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar telephoned to CM KCR and thanked for the support of TRS MPs to his party candidate in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman election. In addition to conveying his thanks for casting TRS members vote in favour of his party candidate, Nitish Kumar also mentioned that their support would be there in future for Telanganas development. CM KCR also congratulated Nitish Kumar on the victory of his party candidate in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Post.
Hyderabad: In close vicinity of Domulguda GHMC office, a pack of stray dogs attacked a three-year-old, ripping apart her face. The girl Bhavya has been hospitalised and is in a critical condition. The incident occurred on August 9.

Bhavya was being bathed by her mother, Lalitha, in a shed adjacent to her home, when the incident happened. It is unknown how the dogs entered the shed , however reportedly they attacked both the mother and Bhavya. The helpless mother tried to scare away the dogs, but failed. Lalitha saw with horror Bhavyas little frame being dragged against the concrete with the dog sinking its teeth into her face.

Lalitha screamed, alerting neighbours and locals who rushed to her aid. The locals managed to chase away the dogs but the damage was done. Bhavya lay on the ground, her face had a long gash, the skin ripped apart by the dog's teeth. Bhavya was rushed to Niloufer Hospital, where it was diagnosed witha severe head injury and was in a critical condition.

Balala Hakkula Sangham, Achyuta Rao, child activist stated, Children are defenceless when it comes to protecting themselves from stray dogs. This menace has crossed all bounds as the dogs continue to attack kids causing grave fatal injuries, Mr Rao said.
Around 4,000 students of Everwin Vidyasharam, Kolathur on Thursday, form the name of Kalaignar to pay homage to the late former CM M.Karunanidhi. (Photo:DC)

Chennai: When the DMK working president, M K Stalin visited Anna Square at Marina sands on Wednesday, he was more concerned about the lack of an instant roof over his father M Karunanidhis burial place, close to that of his mentor Annadurai, with Monsoon rains playing truant. The politics to unfold in days to come was hardly on his radar.

For now, the party itself would take steps for providing a cover for their legendary leaders final resting place. Yet, the range and status of leaders of various political parties from major Indian States where non-BJP parties continue to have a decisive say, who came not only to pay their last respects to the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi at the Rajaji Hall, but also took part in the funeral ceremony on the Marina sands on Tuesday evening, was more than custom, courtesy or protocol in an hour of immense grief for the DMK.

Sources here indicated that it all began with West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Ms. Mamata Banerjees flying visit on Monday night to pay homage to the DMK patriarch, when his body was first kept at his Gopalapuram residence in the city, followed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, the Congress President Rahul Gandhi and leader of the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha, Gulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday.

The trickling in of all top party leaders, particularly from the non-BJP side of the political spectrum, was a clear indication that the DMK was a valuable, potential ally from the south even post-Karunanidhi.

There was Karunanidhis long-time friend from J and K and National Conference leader, Farooq Abdullah who endorsed the spirit of the DMK governments State Autonomy Resolution in 1974 when the late Dravidian leader was the CM here, besides all the Chief Ministers from the other southern States, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kar-nataka, Kerala and union territory of Puducherry, Messrs.

N Chandrababu Naidu, Chandrasekhar Rao, H D Kumaraswamy, Pinarayi Vijayan and Narayanaswamy respectively. Not only did former Prime Minister, Deve Gowda whose JD(S) now leads a coalition in Karnataka with Congress, made it a point to again come down for the funeral, even the veteran Marxist leader, Prakash Karat, accompanied by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and G. Ramakrishnan, former State secretary, were among the dignitaries who paid homage, not to forget CPIs national secretary D Raja and even former Kerala Chief Minister, Oomen Chandy. In fact, Karat had recently drawn flak for terming the DMK as stagnating at a party meeting in Thoothukudi.

But death, as even comrades agree, is a great leveler. There was then the Maratta strongman, Sharad Pawar, accompanied by former Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, who said that Karunanidhi had shown the country the way in times of political instability in the past.

Ms. Sonia Gandhi had also in her message recalled how Karunanidhi was like a father-figure whose guidance and advise in both UPA-I and UPA-II regimes were beneficial factors.

While the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) leader, K. Veeramani took the occasion to also convey that the parent organisation- as DMK had been an offshoot of the DK, will stand by Mr. M.K. Stalins leadership, as indicated by his father  Karunanidhi before the 2016 Assembly polls had said in an interview that should Nature do something to him, then Stalin could have a role-, the best compliment to Stalin came from the MDMK leader, Vaiko, who said he would stand by Thalapathi.

This is not to brush aside harsher political realities like the problems Mr. Stalin could face from his elder brother M K Azhagiri. Nor is to entirely ignore the fresh overtures the BJP is now making to the DMK  a source told this correspondent that a saffron party ideologue already had a brief talk with Ms Kanimozhi at the Kauvery hospital where her father had been ailing. But the big picture suggests that DMK is all set to play a key role in the Federal Front, the opposition is mulling at the national level in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The process will create chaos all over: Pankaj Sharma

How can one even think of implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the whole country after experiencing the bizarre and haphazard way with which it has been executed in Assam? It will not only be premature to extend the NRC in other states at this juncture, but will be a social, cultural and political disaster. Is it not an indication that the process adopted in Assam was so seriously awry that more than four million residents of a single state were out of the Citizens Register?

If a process that ascertains the Indian citizenship keeps out a nephew of Indias fifth President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmeds, Ziauddin Ali Ahmed, can we take NRC as the final word for telling us that who is an Indian and who is not? The deputy speaker of Assams state Assembly was denied a place in the list of citizens. Even the people who have represented their electorate in the state Assembly, those who have worked or are still working in the police services and the Army, could not find a place in the NRC. Descendants of freedom fighters had been excluded from the list and they are now illegal migrants. A man and his family who fought the British in 1857 are out of the NRC. Fifty-five per cent of those disenfranchised in Assam are women.

Under the process of NRC implementation, people who have been living for generations, that is centuries, in places that were made part of Assam only in 1874 and still live there were asked to prove their citizenship under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955. The law provides a cutoff date of March 24, 1971 for distinguishing deemed citizens and illegal immigrants. For this one has to submit prescribed pre-1971 documents. This has essentially meant treating them as immigrants based mainly on their non-Assamese linguistic identity.

This part of the process was problematic. The people living outside proper Assam, the territory that the British annexed to their empire by the Yandabu pact of 1826, which is now called Upper Assam, are all immigrants. Their ancestors have been living in those places since before the Ahoms came into Upper Assam in the second decade of the 13th century. But most of them are declared as illegal immigrants. They are marginalised, landless and illiterate people who, due to their economic and social status, do not have the prescribed documents.

The poor and deprived sections of our population generally do not have access to documentation. If in a state of three and a half crore people, 40 lakh could not produce documentary proofs of their being Indian, just imagine what will happen if the NRC is extended to the whole country? Millions and millions of otherwise naturalised citizens of our country will fail to satisfy the demands of the NRC. Any such process is bound to create chaos, that will not serve any purpose.

I agree with those who feel that Indian citizenship is the greatest privilege because only those who have purified their souls by protecting cows  not cows of Bangladeshi origin  for seven consecutive births are reincarnated as Indian citizens. Thats the reason only one in six people on our planet enjoys the honour of being an Indian citizen. Therefore, even if a need to maintain a national register of Indian citizens is strongly felt by a particular section of our policymakers, I would request them to refrain, and not just eye immediate electoral gains.

The writer is the editor and CEO of News Views India and a national office-bearer of the Congress Party

Were sitting on a major time bomb: Neelkant Bakshi

After terrorism and global warming, the most compelling issue faced by humankind is the problem of illegal immigration. Looking for greener pastures and hoping for a better life, these people enter the country illegally risking their own lives and all savings. India is one of the top 10 destinations favoured by illegal immigrants.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been much delayed already. It should have been done much sooner. By and large, these people are unskilled and unemployable; they are absorbed as labour only and do not make any value addition to the host country. Being illegal migrants they are easily prone to exploitation by anyone and everyone. Also, they dont have a bond within the community or country. This gives rise to ethnic clashes. Political parties like the Congress have been using them as means for widening their votebank for a very long time, ignoring the fairly vocal resistance by local Assamese. Parliament did take note of the situation and passed the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act 1950, and this law extends to the whole of India. The political unwillingness due to short-term gains accrued has allowed the situation to become ugly. Back in 1985, Rajiv Gandhi had signed the Assam Accord, but eventually he also did nothing. Assam has been on boil for so long because influx of illegal immigrants has affected the social and cultural life of original residents irrevocably. The governor of Assam in 1998 had predicted that the implications of this mass unabated infiltration will have to be suffered not only by Assam but by the entire country. But he was very conveniently ignored. The Congress largely has been instrumental in enacting laws to keep this infiltration going on.

This illegal population is an unnecessary strain on our economy. The amount we have to spend on securing our borders and maintaining these infiltrators is huge.

We are living under the shadow of terrorism. This large, unaccountable population is a major threat to our national security. If any of our neighbours chooses to cause a mischief, one can imagine our country is sitting on a time bomb.

The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendera Modi has shown political will to finally take up this issue. It is high time we take stock and set the record straight. The NRC process in Assam is a step in finding out illegal immigrants. All over the world illegal migrants are being deported back to their native countries because the host countries are unable to deal with the complexities that these uninvited guests give rise to.

The United Nations and the European Union are working together towards sending back migrants to their native countries. There is no need to raise a hue and cry over the NRC. The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress are criticising and painting a distorted picture of this only to safeguard their voteshare now. It is only identification of the natives and settlers who came after 1971. And it should be done throughout the whole country to find out the complete statistics.

Once we have the data, we will know the depth and magnitude of the problem. Then only we can think about how to deal with these illegal millions.

The NRC in Assam is a welcome beginning and all political parties should join hands with one belief that the nation comes first.

The writer is head of media relations, co-in charge media, social media and IT of the BJPs Delhi unit

H09
The future of China is not rosy, but perhaps the most surprising aspect is that Muslim nations around the world are keeping mum about the fate of the Uyghurs; nobody has so far dared to question China about its Muslim policy.

It was a rare admission. On July 23, the Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), admitted that the party imprisons extremists, to educate them and reform their religious thoughts in Xinjiang.

Ma Pinyan, a research fellow at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences and vice-president of the Xinjiang Prison Association, told the newspaper that the State was inviting religious experts to reform the extremists thoughts in prison (they) need to transform their thoughts.

Another expert, La Disheng, former vice-president of the Xinjiang Academy of Governance, told the same publication: As a multi-ethnic region, Xinjiang has proven that prosperous development can only be achieved through ethnic unity, while ethnic conflicts and separatism may lead to disasters.

The problem is that the large majority of the population of the restive Muslim province is considered as extremist.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently reported that it had found fresh evidence that the authorities in one of Chinas most repressive regions are sweeping up citizens personal information in a stark example of how big data technology can be used to police a population.

Quoted by the Associated Press, the group found in Xinjiang the existence of a policing programme called Integrated Joint Operations Platform.

Local sources told HRW of computer and mobile app interfaces of the software that tracks almost all citizens of the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority and stores detailed information, including their travel history, prayer habits, number of books in their possession, banking and health records. The platform possesses devices to track vehicle number plates and uses facial recognition cameras to follow people in real time and provide predictive warnings about impending crime.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Rian Thum, a historian who has been conducting research in Xinjiang, wrote: What does it take to intern half a million members of one ethnic group in just a year? Enormous resources and elaborate organisation, but the Chinese authorities arent stingy. Vast swathes of the Uyghur population in Chinas western region of Xinjiang  as well as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other ethnic minorities  are being detained to undergo what the state calls transformation through education.

Mr Thum noted that the Chinese authorities are cagey and evasive, if not downright dismissive, about reports on these camps.

Since last year, a large number of studies detailing the proliferation of re-education camps and the rise of a totalitarian police state in Xinjiang appeared in the Western press.

China Digital Times, which has collected information from different sources, explained: Ever since former Tibet Party secretary Chen Quanguo was installed in Xinjiang to replicate his perceived successes (in Tibet where he was posted earlier), Xinjiangs re-education system alone grew to overshadow Chinas officially-abolished re-education through labour system Individuals can land in the camps for reasons such as contacting friends or relatives abroad, worshipping at mosques, or possessing Quranic verses on their phones.

Just read the Chinese press and you will realise that all is not well.

On July 6, the Peoples Daily said Beijing has relocated 461,000 poverty-ridden residents to work in other parts of the region during the first quarter of the year. An expert explained that it is a bid to improve social stability and alleviate poverty. The report asserted that the Xinjiang government planned to further transfer 100,000 residents from southern Hotan and Kashgar prefectures by 2019, to get employed somewhere else.

Yu Shaoxiang, another expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, admitted to the Global Times: Poverty alleviation in Xinjiang is more difficult compared to other places because, aside from poverty, Xinjiang also faces ethnic issues.

Mr Yu further commented: Organising people to work away from home would help them better integrate with the rest of China, and take their advanced skills back to Xinjiang later. The relocation also helps maintain regional security.

Xinhua News Agency said that in 2017, occupational education programmes covered 1.26 million people in Kashgar and Hotan, where 47,000 poor people found jobs while 317,400 individuals and 331 villages were lifted out of poverty. It is obviously a pretext in an area which is the hub of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In June, it was announced that Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regions government planned to teach standard spoken and written Chinese language to all 2.94 million students during their free and compulsory education period. Free and compulsory! Putonghua is the standard spoken and written Chinese language.

Let us remember that last year, President Xi Jinping had announced the construction of Great Wall of Iron to promote security and peace in Xinjiang, required to develop the BRI.

But all these policies are disproportionate, even taking into account the 2009 riots in the regions capital city of Urumqi.

A real issue: is there a terrorist threat in Xinjiang? There is no doubt that China faces serious challenges not only from infiltration from all-weather friends in the South, but also from the Syrian-trained Uyghurs returning to Xinjiang.

In its most recent the China Brief, the Jamestown Foundation explained: Western nations also face challenges with radicalised fighters returning to their home countries, as ISIS is gradually eliminated and the war in Syria winds down. Chinas returning fighter challenge, however, is also linked with the Al Qaeda affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) which has been active in Syria and had as many as several thousand Chinese Uyghur members.

The Brief concluded: As Assad consolidates power, Chinese nationals fighting alongside Al Qaeda may leave the fighting and attempt to return to China. How Beijing responds to these returning fighters may dramatically alter the security situation in Xinjiang and the rest of China.

It is therefore a legitimate concern for Beijing. Some sources estimate that 5,000 Uyghur jihadists were fighting in Syria. A Dubai-based media outlet reported the number as 10,000 to 20,000 Uyghurs, who were supporting the ISIS, mostly in Idlib province.

Whatever the number is, the issue is that ferocious repression or forced assimilation as it is happening today in the restive region, can only make the situation worse.

Another side of the coin, many China watchers believe that Xinjiang is a pilot project to extend the surveillance to the Middle Kingdom. China Digital Times spoke of an increasing concern about the expansion of the Xinjiang model to non-Uyghur Muslims such as the Hui and ethnic Kazakhs. The Hui minority group, traditionally treated with more acceptance by the Chinese government due to their higher levels of cultural and linguistic assimilation with the Han majority, have found themselves subject to increasingly greater levels of scrutiny.

The future of China is not rosy, but perhaps the most surprising aspect is that Muslim nations around the world are keeping mum about the fate of the Uyghurs; nobody has so far dared to question China about its Muslim policy.

Isnt it double standards? Especially when so-called honourable institutions like the United Nations are extremely critical of India for its policies in Kashmir? But we are living in a world of double standards.
Washington: The US is bracing for cyberattacks Iran could launch in retaliation for the re-imposition of san-ctions 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 US and other world powers eased economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme. The experts say the threat will intensify following Washingtons move on 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 firm. The Massachusetts-based company predicted back in May that the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement will provoke a cyber response from the Iranian government within two to four months.

US 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 US 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 US of targeting Iran. Several years ago, the top-secret Stux-net computer virus destr-oyed centrifuges invol-ved in Irans contested nuclear programme. Stuxnet, which is widely believed to be an American and Israeli creation, caused thousands of centrifuges at Irans Natanz nuclear facility to spin themselves to destruction at the height of the Wests fears over Irans plan.

The US has been the most aggressive country in offensive cyber activity and publicly boasted about attacking targets across the world, said Alireza Miryousefi, spok-esman for Irans diplomatic mission at the UN, contending that Irans cyber capabilities are exclusively for defensive purposes.
Bachelet's nomination will now go to the UN General Assembly for approval. (Photo: ANI)

Washington: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the next human rights chief of the world body.

The nomination came after High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein stepped down from the post, choosing not to seek another term in office. Bachelet's nomination will now go to the UN General Assembly for approval.

UN Secretary-general spokesman Farhan Haq said that Guterres has informed the General Assembly of the nomination for high commissioner of human rights, reported Fox News.

Chile's first woman president, Bachelet served the post twice- 2006-10 and 2014-18. After serving the first term as president, she was appointed the first executive director of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

A physician with studies in military strategy, Bachelet, is also a separated mother of three.
Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that Moscow was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 that had left Skripal and his daughter hospitalised in critical condition. (Photo: File)

New York: The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would impose new sanctions against Russia to punish Moscow for the use of a nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former spy and his daughter in Britain.

The State Department said in a brief statement that the sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in March".

The US, on August 6, determined that the Russian government "has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The statement said that following a 15-day Congressional notification period, these sanctions will take effect around August 22.

Russia has rejected allegations levelled by the UK that Moscow was behind the deadly nerve-agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 that had left Skripal and his daughter hospitalised in critical condition.

The sanctions are mandated under the Chemical and Biological Weapons and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, which "requires the President to make a determination with respect to whether a country 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.

The Washington Post quoted a State Department official as saying that the sanctions could have a significant impact on trade with Russia, including prohibition of licenses on sending some US goods there, such as electronic devices.

"But unless Russia agrees within 90 days to stop all use of chemical weapons and permit inspections to confirm their elimination, additionally mandated measures could cut off almost all trade between the two countries, prohibit landing rights for Russian airlines, and lead to a suspension of diplomatic relations," the Washington Post report said.

In March, the Trump administration had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russians from the US, following similar actions taken by other countries in the wake of the allegation by the UK that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack. Of the 60 expelled, 12 are intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission to the United Nations who have been accused of abusing their privilege of residence in the United States.

"After a review, we have determined that the 12 intelligence operatives engaged in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. Our actions are consistent with the UN Headquarters Agreement," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said.

Russia had responded with a similar number of diplomatic expulsions and ordered the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.
South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (center) speaks to the media before leaving for the border village of Panmunjom to attend South and North Korean meeting, at the Office of the South Korea-North Korea Dialogue in Seoul, in this June 1, 2018, file photo. (Photo: AP)

Seoul: The rival Koreas will meet Monday for high-level talks meant to prepare for a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, South Korea said on Thursday, the third such meetings between the leaders in recent months.

The announcement by an official at the South's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean issues for Seoul, comes amid attempts by Washington and Pyongyang to follow through on nuclear disarmament vows made at a summit in June between President Donald Trump and Kim.

Pyongyang has also stepped up its calls for a formal end to the Korean War, which some analysts believe is meant to be the first step in the North's effort to eventually see all 28,500 US troops leave the Korean Peninsula.

Washington is pushing for the North to begin giving up its nuclear program.

The South Korean official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of office rules, said the two Koreas will also discuss ways to push through tension-reducing agreements made during an earlier summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

It wasn't clear who would attend next week's talks, but such meetings have typically been handled in the past by South Korea's unification minister and his counterpart in the North.

It also wasn't clear when another leaders' summit might happen.

Earlier Thursday, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary that ending the Korean War is "the first process for ensuring peace and security not only in the Korean peninsula but also in the region and the world."

The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 fighting ended with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.

Seoul said it accepted the North's proposal after Pyongyang first suggested a meeting Monday to discuss another summit between the leaders. Kim and Moon met in April, at a highly publicized summit that saw the leaders hold hands and walk together across the border, and then again in a more informal summit in May.
Shaman will face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of coercing a minor into intercourse and may face other charges as well. (Photo : Gidi_Traffic | Twitter)

Indonesia: 28-year-old woman rescued from a cave after 15 years of disappearance. The woman was 13-year-old when her parents had taken her to a shaman in rural Indonesia and left her with him. But when she never returned, parents asked shaman about her, he said that she had gone to Jakarta to find work and since then they never heard from her.

But after 15 years, the woman was found in a cave near shamans house where he had kept her, raping her and convincing her that he is possessed.

According to the report, police rescued woman  whom authorities are calling H on Sunday after receiving a tip.

Muhammad Iqbal Alqudusy, police chief of Central Sulawesi province said, Shaman told H that she was possessed by a spirit of a boy called Amrin. He showed her photo of Amrin, brainwashed her and made her believe that he was her boyfriend. H was made to believe that Amrins spirit was in Samans body. It is obvious that he was satisfying his lust.

The reports also state that Saman provided H certain portions to terminate pregnancies over the years. Shaman will face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of coercing a minor into intercourse and may face other charges as well.

Police will be questioning Hs sister as she was married to Samans son and may have a role in tip-off.
The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a stronghold of the rebels known as Houthis, the elders said. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. (Representational/AP)

Sanaa: An airstrike blamed on the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen hit a bus in a busy market on Thursday in the countrys north, killing at least 20 people, including children, Yemeni tribal leaders said.

As many as 35 were also wounded in the attack, which took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a stronghold of the rebels known as Houthis, the elders said. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia.

The airstrike hit a bus that was ferrying civilians, including many school children, the elders said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. It wasnt immediately clear how many of the casualties were on the bus and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition, which is led by Saudi Arabia and which is fighting to restore Yemens internationally recognized government to power. The Saudi coalition has been at war with the Houthis since March 2015. The rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that an ICRC supported hospital received dozens of dead and wounded following the attack that hit a bus with children.

Following an attack this morning on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Saada, @ICRC_yemen- supported hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded. Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict. pic.twitter.com/x39NVB8G4p  ICRC Yemen (@ICRC_ye) August 9, 2018

Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of ten, the head of the ICRC in Yemen, Johannes Bruwer, said on his Twitter account, adding that the ICRC in Yemen is sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx.

The rebel-run Al Masirah TV gave a different casualty toll, saying the attack killed 39 people and wounded 51, mainly children. Disparate casualty tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of large attacks.

Later on Thursday, airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the citys southern and western neighborhoods. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in those strikes.

Yemens stalemated, three-year war has killed over 10,000 people, badly damaged Yemens infrastructure and crippled its health system. The coalition faces widespread international criticism for its airstrikes in Yemen that kill civilians.

Impoverished Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is now in the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance.

Last week, Yemeni medical officials said the coalition conducted airstrikes in the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, killing at least 28 people and wounding 70. But the coalition denied carrying out any attacks in the city, saying it follows a strict and transparent approach based on the rules international law.

The fight for the port of Hodeida, a key lifeline for supplies and aid for Yemens population on the brink of starvation, has become the latest battleground in the devastating war.

The Iran-aligned Houthis regularly fire into Saudi Arabia and have targeted its capital, Riyadh, with ballistic missiles. They say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition.

On Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency carried a statement by the Saudi-led coalition saying fragments of a missile fired by the Houthis into the kingdoms south killed one civilian and wounded 11.

The coalition said the projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed. It also said the missile was launched deliberately to target residential and populated areas.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has been pushing to bring the warring parties to restart peace talks. He recently announced plans to invite Yemens warring parties to Geneva on September 6 to hold the first round of consultations.
On this day in 1945, the Americans dropped their second nuclear device - part of the result of the Manhattan Project headed by Robert Oppenheimer - from the sky on Nagasaki, just three days after Hiroshima suffered the same fate.

Japan, which insisted on continuing the war even after Hiroshima was destroyed, was quickly forced to surrender amid fears of further nuclear attacks. Ironically, Nagasaki was not the initial target.

The team handling the targeting zeroed in on three Japanese cities.

The first was Hiroshima. The crew of the "Enola Gay", an American B-29 bomber, headed out of the Marinara Islands to Hiroshima, a distance of around 2,500 km, carrying with it the "Little Boy": a nuclear bomb with a uranium core and an estimated yield of 15 kilotonnes.

Dropped from a height of 9,700 metres, the bomb made short work of the bustling city, reducing buildings, streets and people to ashes, leaving behind a cloud of death and disease in the form of radioactivity. It is estimated that over 1,00,000 people died, including the Japanese soldiers stationed in the city.



The Hiroshima bomb's destructive radius.



The second targeting was complicated. While Hiroshima was a clear target, Nagasaki was not. The original target of "Fat Man", a plutonium bomb with an estimated yield of 21 kilotonnes, was originally meant to be dropped on the castle city of Kokura on August 11, 4 days after the Hiroshima bombing, as the Japanese reeled under the effect of hellish firepower and pressure from the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union to surrender.

However, the target was changed to Nagasaki due to weather conditions. The weather department had forecast storms around Kokura on the 11th, forcing the team to advance the test by two days. Undeterred, the weapons' developers delivered the device successfully and the "Brockscar" left for Kokura, while "Enola Gay", the Hiroshima bomber, was assigned to weather duty over the city.

The mission was wrought with complications. The Brockscar had an error with the fuselage pump, rendering the reserve tank unusable. The fact that the "Fat Man" was already armed at the time, made moving it to a different bomber impossible.

Once the "Brockscar" left after a 30-minute delay, there were more complications. Unlike Hiroshima, Nagasaki was not set aside for nuclear testing, and as such, had been subjected to Allied air assault. In addition, coal tar was being burnt in the city, creating a black smoke and making visual confirmation of targeting difficult.

With precious fuel being burnt and Japanese air defence closing in, the "Brockscar" decided to head to Nagasaki, the secondary target.

Upon arrival, the "Brockscar" found itself facing another conundrum: Nagasaki was under cloud cover and the Japanese had already sounded an alarm upon seeing two B29s, though that was clarified under the belief that those bombers were merely recon crafts.

The crew then decided to dispose of the bomb in the ocean if the Nagasaki situation was not favourable. However, a break in the clouds spelt good luck for the Americans and doom for the Japanese as the "Fat Man" was dropped following a visual confirmation of the target.



Nagasaki was probably luckier despite the more powerful bomb thanks to the Urakami Valley.



The fallout in Nagasaki was bigger than in Hiroshima owing to the more powerful bomb, but the fact that the bomb was confined to the Urakami Valley, reduced the damage. Nearly 80,000 people died, taking the total death toll to over 2,00,000.

The then Japanese Emperor Hirohito informed the imperial family of his decision to surrender to the Allied forces shortly after the Nagasaki bombing but said that if the national sovereignty of Japan was not preserved, the country would continue the war.

The decision led to an attempted coup on August 14, which was promptly crushed overnight, and the emperor announced the country's surrender on national radio the next morning.

And thus ended World War II, the biggest global conflict known to man, which claimed nearly 70-85 million lives.
The death toll in the encounter between militants and security forces in Dooniwari forests of Rafiabad in north Kashmirs Baramulla district has touched five with the killing of another ultra on Thursday.

A police officer said that a militant was killed on Thursday morning in the gun battle raging since Wednesday morning in the dense forests of Dooniwari, Rafaibad, 70 km from Srinagar.

State police chief Shesh Pal Vaid confirmed the death of the fifth militant. 5th Terrorist fired in the morning & was neutralised soon after (sic), he tweeted.

Four militants were killed while an army commando was injured in the gun-battle on Wednesday. The encounter occurred at a place which is used by militants as a transit point after crossing the Line of Control (LoC).

Sources said due to difficult terrain and rain in the area, the operation took a long time. The operation is going on as the security forces are searching for more militants in the forest area, they said.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar based 15-Corps Lt Gen A K Bhat complimented the armys counterinsurgency force for northern Kashmir, Kilo Force, for the operation. During the operation, special forces team was inserted in the area and they have done an excellent job, he said.

The police said it was not clear whether the militants were fresh infiltrators or they were already in the upper reaches of Rafiabad. The identity of the slain militants was being ascertained and police said they could be Pakistanis.

The encounter came a day after four army soldiers, including a Major and two militants, were killed in a gunfight along the LoC in Gurez sector of north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Tuesday.
Returning Assyrians Hold Procession in Iraq on Anniversary of Their Exodus

Hundreds of Iraqi Christians in Karamles took part in a procession last night, to commemorate the night four years ago earlier, when IS/Daesh drove many tens of thousands of Christians from the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain. Before the procession, there were prayers and a reflection on the pain and suffering caused by that dramatic mass exodus. The Gospel passage in which Jesus promises that he will pray to the Father to ask him to send the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter" to his disciples was also read. Then the procession with the candles began, and along the way the participants recited Psalm 150, celebrating in this way also the "new beginning" represented in their lives by the return to their village and their homes, after the years of jihadist domination. Karamles, with the other villages and towns of the Nineveh Plain, are home to the first Christian communities of ancient Mesopotamia. On the night of 6 to 7 August 2014, tens of thousands of Christians fled from Qaraqosh, Karamles, Talkief, Bartalla and other areas, after the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga Kurdish troops in the region withdrew before the jihadists. They found refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan. In recent years, there has been no initiative or declaration "in defense of Iraqi Christians" that did not refer to the need to guarantee and defend the return of baptized Chaldeans, Syrians and Assyrians in the towns and villages of the Nineveh Plain. It is not know exactly how many fled - or how many will be able to return. In Karamles, 300 Christian families came back last December and have already Christmas and Easter together.
India has assured Bangladesh that the process for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam would not have any adverse impact on the bilateral relations between the two nations.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that New Delhi had been in touch with Dhaka before and after the publication of the draft NRC for Assam.

"We have been in close touch with the Bangladesh Government, both prior to and following the issuance of the draft NRC. We have assured them that it is still a draft list prepared under orders of Supreme Court and the process of identification of citizens of Assam is still underway," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said.

The issue of 40 lakh people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, of Assam being left out of the draft NRC had triggered a political controversy.

The BJP-led government at the Centre as well as in the Northeastern state were criticised by the Opposition parties for trying to reap the political dividend out of it.

Since illegal migration from Bangladesh to India has been a major issue in Assam, the publication of the NRC had fuelled speculation whether the people, who would be left out of the final roll of citizens, would be deported to the neighbouring country.

New Delhi on Thursday sought to allay the concerns of Dhaka.

"The Bangladesh Government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India. We do not apprehend any impact on our relationship with Bangladesh which is excellent," the MEA spokesperson added.
With its longest-ever president M Karunanidhi passing away, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will soon hand over the baton to his son M K Stalin, who was identified as his political successor by the five-time chief minister himself.

That Karunanidhi's elder son M K Azhagiri, who was expelled from the DMK in 2014, might not play any role in the party, at least for now, was amply clear in the treatment that was given to him and his family at the Rajaji Hall, where the DMK chief lay in state for 12 hours.

DMK's new pecking order under Stalin's leadership was at full display through the 12 hours when a host of national and regional leaders paid their last respects to Karunanidhi.

Led by Stalin, his half-sister Kanimozhi, senior party leader Durai Murugan and former Union ministers Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and T R Baalu stood around Karunanidhis body.

Azhagiri, who once controlled the DMK in nine Southern districts with an iron fist, was seated in a corner beside Karunanidhis body. He left Rajaji Hall in the afternoon and was one of the first to reach Marina Beach, where Karunanidhi was buried.

That things were not quite normal between the brothers even during the testing times was visible from the fact that their younger sister Selvi was seated between them at the burial site. But they stood shoulder to shoulder when Karunanidhis body was transferred to the sandalwood casket.

The clear indication that Stalin will lead the DMK as its new president came from Durai Murugan, who shared the happy news of the Madras High Court allowing Karunanidhi to be buried at Marina Beach besides his mentor C N Annadurai.

"Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) was a fighter all through his life. He fought even after his death and got his rightful place in the history. This is the first victory for us under Thalapathy (Stalin) and now let us all resolve to bring our party back to power (under Stalin's leadership)," he said.

Sources in the DMK said the general council of the party will soon meet and elect Stalin as the president. Though General Secretary K Anbhazhagan is vested with all powers if the President of DMK passes away, according to the party constitution, Stalin is effectively the leader since the powers of the president were given to him when he was made working president in 2017.

Karunanidhi had announced that Stalin would be his political successor more than once and it was under his command that the latter took over as DMK working president when the former fell ill in October 2016.
The World Indigenous Peoples Day is observed to raise awareness about their rights. The United Nations recognises their contribution in solving the crisis of environment by adopting low carbon lifestyles and equity in sharing resources as an alternative to the present day consumer society driven by individual greed.

The 2018 theme will focus on the current situation of indigenous territories, the root causes of migration, trans-border movement and displacement, with a specific focus on indigenous peoples (IP) living in urban areas and across international borders. The observance will explore the challenges and ways forward to revitalise indigenous peoples identities and encourage the protection of their rights in or outside their traditional territories.

India is home to the largest population of IP, also known as Adivasis, in the world. Almost a quarter of the countrys population is IPs living across different parts of the country.

From Himalaya to central India and in south India, their ethnic and cultural diversity is unique. There are also uncontacted IP communities like Sentinelese in the Andamans to some of the largest, such as the Gonds and Santhals of central India.

India is still struggling to evolve a policy to protect their rights and territories. In Arunachal Pradesh, there are Apa Tani tribes that have benefited from pro-active policies. With an elevated social, cultural and economic status, some have become doctors and pilots. In contrast to this, the tribals in central and south India are living in acute cases of deprivation and destitution. Some of them are facing existential threats due to the spread of Left-wing violence.

Forest Rights Act

The Constitution provides rights safeguarding the interests of tribals and makes special provision for their economic, social and cultural empowerment. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) and Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act provides special powers to the village council in tribal territories, making it mandatory to seek approval of Gram Sabhas to get mining lease in the land belonging to scheduled tribal areas.

The historic Niyamagiri Bauxite Mining project of Vendata Group in Orissa was stalled due to the strict adherence to the above Act. The Supreme Court said Forest Rights Act confers powers on the Gram Sabha constituted under the Act to protect the community resources, individual rights, cultural and religious rights. Emphasising on the right to freedom of religion under the Constitution, the apex court said the right of the tribals to worship the deity Niyam-Raja has to be protected and preserved.

Similarly in Biligiri Rangana Hill range in Karnataka, the vesting of Community Forest Rights over huge tracts of forest land to Soliga tribes under FRA is a success story of empowering the IPs.

Unfortunately, these success stories are few and far between the many violations. The current model of development to chase a high GDP has resulted in appropriation of the land belonging to IPs for development like mining and power projects.

Over the years, political parties have deliberately diluted the constitutional provisions, including the FRA. The drafting of a new forest policy, implementation of Compensatory Afforestation Act has provisions that contradict the implementation of FRA.

Even though some states have implemented the FRA, the land allotted is very little, and in many cases the colonial mindset of the forest department is the biggest hurdle in allowing the IPs to own and collect minor forest produce like bamboo, honey or tendu leaf that provides monetary benefit to the tribal communities.

Large scale mining, dam construction and infrastructure projects have displaced the tribals form their natural surroundings.

In Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, they are ecological refugees forced to flee their ancestral land due to the escalating conflict between armed groups of Left-wing extremists and paramilitary personnel. The civil war-like situation has had adverse impact on their right to life and livelihood.

Kerala is a model state in India with development indicators on a par with developed countries. It has also passed the Land Restoration Act under which land purchased by a non-tribal belonging to the tribals is illegal. The Act provides powers to restore the land to its original owner. This law is operational since three decades, but not a single case of land restoration has happened till this date!

In the same state, Madhu, a 27-year-old mentally challenged tribal youth was beaten to death for allegedly stealing food at Kadukumanna hamlet in Attappady region of Palakkad district. This inhuman act was filmed and uploaded on social media.

Most people have a prejudiced view of indigenous people. Failure to implement constitutional provisions and rights is unpardonable. But lynching is indicator of our criminal mindset that needs to be changed.
ATTAPEU, Laos  Rescuers searched Wednesday for scores of villagers left missing when part of a newly built hydroelectric dam broke in southeastern Laos, flooding the surrounding countryside and killing at least 24 people, officials said.

Thousands of people lost their homes when the South Korean-built dam gave way on Monday, flooding surrounding villages.

Hundreds took shelter in nearby towns, traveling by bus and pickup trucks and sleeping on plastic sheeting.

"The water came so quick we just left the house and ran away," said Phon Vuongchonpu, whose family of 12 fled as the floodwater rose to roof level. "We've lost everything: motorbike, furniture our cows and pigs."

Bounyong Phommachak, a Red Cross official, said 24 bodies had been recovered and 96 people were officially listed as missing. He said by phone that about 6,600 people had been displaced from their homes.

China's state news agency, Xinhua, which maintains one of the very few foreign news bureaus in Laos, reported that Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said at a news conference that 131 people were missing and the homeless totaled 3,060. He did not give a death toll.

The discrepancies in the tolls could be due to difficult communications and heavy rains in the area which have hampered rescue efforts.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed people sitting on rooftops to escape the surging water, while others were carried to safety or rescued by boat.

One of five auxiliary earth-fill dams at the project began visibly weakening on Friday, said Korea Western Power, one of two South Korean partners in the hydroelectric project.

SK Engineering & Construction, the other Korean joint venture partner, said the top of the dam was swept away Sunday as workers were struggling to control the damage amid heavy rain. The situation worsened on Monday as water cascaded out of the reservoir, flooding seven out of 12 villages in the area, SK E&C said. It was helping to evacuate and rescue residents and sent its president and a team of 30 people to the disaster zone.

Continued heavy rain and strong winds forecast for the area could hinder rescue efforts, and risks from flooding persisted in the mountainous region. A report by the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission said storms had caused water levels along the river to rise by 3-5 meters (9-15 feet) in the past week.

Provincial authorities issued a call for emergency aid, and residents in Paksong were streaming to the evacuation shelter bringing food, as doctors attended to those needing help.

"I feel safe here, but worry for my husband and son who are still in the village," said Tem Namsakhunpiraded, who escaped the floodwaters with three of her children and a 6-month-old grandchild.

The International Red Cross said food was a concern because village food supplies were drenched in the flooding. It was arranging for water purification units to be sent to the area to ensure supplies of clean drinking water.

The presidential office in South Korea said President Moon Jae-in had ordered an emergency relief team to help with the disaster.

The $1.02 billion project encompassing several river basins in a remote corner of southeastern Laos is the first hydroelectric dam to be built by a South Korean company, and it was unclear how severe the damage would be to the overall plan. The dam was due to begin operating in 2019, with 90 percent of the power generated going to Thailand.

Shares of companies affiliated with SK E&C sank on Wednesday on concerns over potential costs for compensation and other financial setbacks from the disaster.

Laos has dozens of hydroelectric projects under construction and plans for sales of power to neighboring countries, now accounting for about a third of its exports, to grow substantially.

But dam building along the Mekong River and its tributaries, including those affected by this disaster, has raised concerns over environmental impact and other problems.

International Rivers, a nongovernmental group generally critical of such projects, said the catastrophe showed the need to improve warning systems.

"With over 70 hydropower projects currently built, under construction and planned across Lao PDR  most of them owned and operated by private companies  authorities must immediately review how dams are being planned, designed and managed," the group said in a statement.

___

Associated Press writers Tong-hyung Kim and Youkyung Lee in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.
SALT LAKE CITY  Makenzie Alexis Nolands graduation picture is anything but traditional.

The Texas A&M graduate went viral this week after posting not your typical graduation picture with a 13-foot-8-inch alligator in her photographs.

But its not just any old gator. Its Big Tex, an alligator who weighs 1,000 pounds and is currently the largest live-captured nuisance alligator in the world, according to Gator Country, an adventure park where the animal still lives.

Not your typical graduation picture  @ Gator Country Posted by Makenzie Alexis Noland on Friday, August 3, 2018

Noland told KTXS the alligator is one of my best friends here.

She said she first met Big Tex back in May while she worked at the park on a three-month internship.

In the beginning, she said she would stay outside the fence where the alligator lived. Over time, the two became more comfortable with each other by scooting closer, she told The Wichita Eagle.

Now, she said, they have the same relationship she would have with a dog.

Its just like how your dog would treat you if you treat him well, Noland told The Eagle.

Noland will graduate from the school with a major in wildlife ecology.

The Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge Facebook page said the alligator was a little too friendly while he lived in the wild.

The post said humans stopped fearing him.

While the animal had not aggressively attacked anyone yet, it was considered a little too close for comfort, the post said.
INDIANOLA, Sanpete County  Hope was improving as crews battled the Hill Top Fire on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after mandatory evacuations were ordered in the Indianola area of Sanpete County.

But into Wednesday evening, the nearby Coal Hollow Fire continued to grow.

Smoke from the Hill Top and Coal Hollow fires can be seen adjacent to each other. The lightning-caused Coal Hollow Fire started Aug. 4. The Incident Management Team said the fire was burning about 6,600 acres, while Carbon County estimated could be as large as 12,000 acres.

"It's continuing to move pretty solidly on all perimeters," fire information officer Sarah Wheeler said of the Coal Hollow Fire. "The fire is very active, and it was difficult to really engage firefighters just due to the fire behavior and the intensity we were seeing today."

As the blaze grew, the Utah County Sheriff's Office ordered evacuations Wednesday night for campers and residents north and west of Scofield Reservoir, including the Aspen Cove subdivision, Bear Canyon Road, Fish Creek and in the Soldier Summit area.

Between 60 and 70 homes were evacuated, officials said.

The office told others in the Scofield, Carbon County, area to prepare to evacuate should the need arise, including Madsen Bay and west Scofield.

The day had begun with progress reported fighting the Hill Top Fire.

"Much more optimism today on the #HilltopFire. Crews had a great night cutting line and back-burning on the northeast side of the fire. Type 2 team (with) significant resources hits the ground today. We have a window to beat this thing," Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted Wednesday morning.

Cox has a home in nearby Fairview and has been providing social media coverage on the fire since it started.

More good news for residents of the area came late morning Wednesday when the Sanpete County Sheriff's Office announced that Milburn area residents could return to their homes, but warned they should be prepared to evacuate again if the need arises.

Mandatory evacuations for Hideaway Valley south of South Ridge Road and west of Shadow Canyon Road remained in place.

The Hill Top Fire, which started Monday, has burned approximately 1,830 acres and was 12 percent contained Wednesday. Fire officials have announced that the wildfire was human caused and that "witnesses are being cooperative."

Wednesday's efforts focused on protecting U.S. 6. People traveling through the area were cautioned not to stop along the road.

"Up canyon winds moved the fire primarily to the east and across Dairy Fork Road. Firefighting resources continue to monitor all values at risk," according to the Fire Incident Management Team.

On Wednesday, the Great Basin Team 4 took command of both the Coal Hollow and Hill Top fires. Fire officials cautioned motorists along U.S. 89 and U.S. 6 to watch for crews driving between the fires and the fire camp.

Two structures have been burned in the Hill Top Fire, according to wildfire officials, and an estimated 350 people were evacuated. No injuries have been reported.

Previously, evacuations were ordered in Milburn and Blackhawk Estates. The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center in the LDS chapel in Indianola, 8000 E. 36500 North.

The Fire Incident Management Team announced that a community meeting about the fires will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant High School. The meeting will be broadcast through the Utah Fire Information accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Contributing: Ashley Imlay
SALT LAKE CITY  Carrie Underwood is coming to Salt Lake City and shes bringing an all-female squad of musicians with her.

The former American Idol darling and seven-time Grammy Award winner announced on Twitter on Wednesday morning that she is kicking off The Cry Pretty Tour 360 in Greensboro, North Carolina, on May 1, 2019. The tour will stop at 55 arenas across the United States and Canada, including Salt Lake City's Vivint Arena.

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

Underwood will perform in Salt Lake on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. The new show will feature an all-female bill, including award-winning duo Maddie & Tae (Girl in a Country Song, Fly) and trio Runaway June (Lipstick, Wild West)  described by Billboard as the next hot trend in country music  as openers.

Presale tickets for Citi cardmembers will be available for purchase on Monday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. MDT through Thursday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. MDT. Regular tickets sales start Friday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. MDT.

Underwoods upcoming album, Cry Pretty, will be the first of her own albums the country superstar has co-produced and her first with Capitol Records Nashville. She will release the album on Sept. 14.

The lead single and title track, Cry Pretty, has already rocked the nation since it debuted in April of this year as the No. 1 song in the U.S. in all genres. It also made it to the top of the charts in 38 other countries around the world.

To add to Underwoods long list of awards and accomplishments, Pollstar recognized Underwood as the top female country touring artist for her headlining tours in 2008, 2010 and her most recent The Storyteller Tour in 2016.

The 360 part of the tour name refers to the new stage in the center of the arena, allowing fans to sit in a circle around it and get a 360 degree view of the performance.

I love performing in the round, Underwood said in a recent press release. Its so much fun for me and the band to play in every direction and creates a much more intimate and immersive experience for the audience, even in a larger arena setting.

Underwood will donate $1 from each ticket sold for the tour to Danitas Children, an organization that provides a safe environment and resources for vulnerable children and families in Haiti.
SALT LAKE CITY  China wants its people to have more babies.

The country appears to be walking back a decades-old policy that aimed to limit its population, hoping to see a reversal of its dwindling birthrate, according to CNN.

The country held a one-child policy until 2015, when the policy was partially relaxed to allow some couples to have two children, but families have been slow to embrace official approval to expand, CNN reported.

A state-run newspaper shared a guest opinion piece that encouraged couples to have more children. It also called for young people to have more babies.

The article, published in the Peoples Daily, which is often seen as the newspaper for the Chinese Communist Party, inspired millions of comments online.

Reports from the last few months point to Chinas State Council scrapping its baby limits entirely by the end of the year.

But its not just op-eds and rumors. China released a new stamp last week for the upcoming Year of the Pig. Noticeably, the stamp includes a male and female pig with three young babies. This might be a nod of approval for three-child families, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In 2016, China released a stamp for the Year of the Monkey that included two baby monkeys, a sign of the changing one-child policy into a two-child policy.

Of course Chinas two-child policy created unintended consequences in the countrys labor market, according to The Economist. Specifically, companies felt reluctant to pay for multiple maternity leaves for working women. This led to these companies deciding to avoid hiring young women.

Theres no guarantee China will see a baby boom if theres no child policy, according to Quartz. China saw a spike in births after the two-child policy began, seeing an 11.6 percent increase from the year before (18.46 million live births in 2016)

But then, the number of births fell 3.5 percent to 17.23 million births.

China faces uphill battles against its own culture since the birth-control rules have existed for a long time, Quartz reported. Reproductive age for women is declining in the country. And the country has more men than women.

The truth is, it isnt that easy to shift a societys psychological feelings about how many children to have, whether youre trying to get people to make fewer babies or more of them, according to Quartz.
SALT LAKE CITY  A man accused of walking into University Hospital and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in a waiting area has been charged.

Armando Tobias Lopez, 23, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with sex abuse of a child, a second-degree felony. Court documents list a home address in West Valley City. But University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said he may have been a transient when he entered the hospital on July 28.

According to charging documents, an 11-year-old girl was sitting in the family waiting room at the hospital when Lopez walked in, sat next to the girl and inappropriately touched her. The girl eventually pushed Lopez away and went to tell her mother, the charges state.

Brophy said Lopez did not work at the hospital and did not have an appointment anywhere in the building at that time. When interviewed by police, Lopez said he "took a blanket out, and that's when all that stuff happened," according to charging documents.

"We're very concerned this happened," said hospital spokeswoman Kathy Wilets. "It is a deeply concerning incident and something we think is completely unacceptable. So we're doing what we can right now to see if there's anything we can do moving forward to improve our security or visitor policy."

Wilets said the hospital doesn't have a problem of transients wandering in, and she called the entire incident abnormal from what usually goes on there. Still, both the hospital and police say they would work to make improvements to security as well as continue regular patrols of the building.

Hospital administrators have been in contact with the girl's family since the alleged incident, she said.

Those who have experienced sexual abuse or assault can be connected to trained advocates through Utah's statewide 24-hour Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis Line at 888-421-1100.
OGDEN  A South Ogden man accused of stabbing his roommate to death has been charged with murder.

Jesus Martinez Ramos, 44, was charged Wednesday with the first-degree felony in addition to obstructing justice, a second-degree felony, and desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony.

On Monday, South Ogden police were dispatched to 3700 South and Washington Boulevard "on a report of a female body lying on the ground with flies on her," according to charging documents.

Investigators determined the 50-year-old woman was deceased and had obvious stab wounds, the charges state. One of the officers recognized the woman as someone he had dealt with in the past. Her name was not immediately released.

The officers went to the woman's apartment nearby where they found two of her roommates  Ramos and another woman.

"During the interview, Jesus admitted to stabbing the deceased female victim several times, and later carrying her body to where it was later discovered. Jesus also admitted to cleaning up the crime scene and discarding all possible evidence in a dumpster in close proximity to the house," the charges state.

The woman told police she witnessed the stabbing but Ramos threatened to kill her, too, if she called police, according to court documents.

The incident comes just a year after Ramos was charged with stabbing two of his roommates in Salt Lake City.

In June of 2017, Ramos stabbed the pair in Salt Lake City as they were sitting in a car so he could "join his brother in prison," according to charging documents. That case was ultimately dismissed in February after Ramos was determined not to be competent to stand trial and was given supervised release, according to court records.

In 2015, Ramos was convicted of attempted aggravated assault for pulling a knife on a woman who rejected his attempt to hug her, according to court records. He was sentenced to probation.
WEST JORDAN  During meetings with small groups of her constituents Wednesday at her 4th Congressional District office, Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, expressed frustration over President Donald Trump's trade policies targeting China.

Love said she is planning on being part of a delegation from the House Financial Services Committee headed shortly to Beijing and Hong Kong "and actually get information instead of getting it secondhand."

She said after meeting with the president's economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, and his top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, it's not clear what the administration will accomplish by imposing tariffs on products from China as well as other countries.

"From what I see, I disagree with it. The problem is I can't get a strategy out of the administration," Love said. "The only answer I got from them is, 'Hang in there. Stick with us. We'll wait and see.' I can't live with that."

Love described herself as a free trader and said there's widespread agreement that China "is a bad actor on the global market when it comes to trade. They have not been fair in their practices."

But she questioned actions taken by the administration that affect other countries.

"We should just target China," Love said. "We should try to get them to become good actors, and then everybody else. You try to deal with the biggest bully on the block. So I guess I don't understand the tactic of going after everybody else."

Trump-imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that largely come from Canada and the European Union have also been opposed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other GOP leaders.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, warned that if Americans "find ourselves mired in a full-fledged global trade war with no end in sight, all of the economic gains that (Trump) has helped bring us may well be lost."

Love, who faces a tough re-election battle against Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, did offer some support for the Republican president but said she's not afraid to be critical.

"There have been some strides in foreign policy. I will give some credit where credit is due," she said, citing Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as helping move toward denuclearizing the regime.

"You can see that I publicly mention when I disagree, all the time. I do that quite often at the dismay of the administration," she told a constituent quizzing her about the impact of Trump's foreign policy.

Later, Love had a similar response to another constituent urging her to choose "country over party" and hold the administration accountable.

"I'll be completely frank with you. My job is not to follow a person because of the letter behind their name. As a matter of fact, I've taken on my own leadership, especially on the immigration issue," she said, as well as Trump over trade.

There was brief applause from the constituents gathered in a conference room when Love said she corrects colleagues when they tell her she needs to stand by the president, telling them, "It's not our job to do that. His job is to stand by us."

What Love's office called "open office hours," similar to an event held a year ago, drew some complaints from members of the progressive Democratic CD4 Coalition who want the congresswoman to hold a town hall meeting.

"It's very difficult to have a dialog at a big town hall," Love said, adding that "a lot of people like and appreciate this process because they feel like it's less intimidating. They feel like they can come and actually have one on one."

Sitting down with a half-dozen or so constituents at a time is "an environment that I think is respectful. It's safe," she said. "We've gotten more out of that. I believe this has made me more effective."

In addition, Love said she conducts "all sorts of different town halls," including meetings in workplaces and private homes as well as tele-town halls over the telephone, usually in the evenings.

A member of the coalition, Susan Bowlden of South Salt Lake, brought in a plastic bag full of letters, some with 2 cents taped to them, that she said were from constituents unable to connect with their congresswoman.

"We can't get to you. We've tried," Bowlden said, calling for a town hall-style meeting where she and others could hear Love's answers to questions from many constituents.

"That's fair," Love said, before asking Bowlden to admit that by opening up the district office for several hours of constituent meetings, "we're actually getting people to talk to us."
Amid shouts of booming growth in the Beehive State, it may seem odd to hear the CEO of Zions Bancorporation announce hes off to India to find skilled employees. But such is reality for a growing number of Utah companies facing a shortage of highly skilled local workers. As state leaders address probable gaps in Utahs education system, they shouldnt overlook the possibility that industries can do more to keep skilled workers here.

Its hard to determine out whether the shortage correlates with a shrinking pool of skilled Utah graduates or whether a rush of new businesses has outpaced supply of qualified candidates. Either way, state leaders are right to express concerns over the gap. If companies cant source enough local talent, then Utahs favorable business conditions and quality of living arent as incentivizing as they could be for new companies to start or move here.

While the shortage tends to fall in the technology and engineering industries, nearly every company is burdened by the realities of the internet. When once a security guard roaming the perimeter of a brick and mortar store constituted security, now troves of personal digital data must be safeguarded against devious actors, requiring a skilled team of cybersecurity experts.

To correct the shortage, the State Board of Regents and various university presidents have suggested Utah take a second look at how it prepares young students to enter college and earn advanced degrees. Helping eighth-graders prepare for college is good, but it would be unwise to pressure junior high students to pick a preset educational path at such a young age. A rapidly changing global economy will require a core set of skills applicable to a variety of professions, some of which dont yet exist. Not to mention interests change, and students are more likely to stick with a degree if they dont feel locked in to a choice made years earlier.

On the other hand, ensuring young students are fully aware of their post-secondary options will be a positive step, especially if that means promoting trade programs and vocational schools. Institutions such as Utah Valley University and its dual-mission model give an array of options for high school graduates or for those already in the workforce and who need to upgrade their skill set.

Beyond the realm of education, companies also must take responsibility to provide competitive compensation to qualified candidates in addition to opportunities for growth and development.

A 2015 jobs study from Utahs Department of Workforce Services found only 2 in 10 employers thought low salaries were an overriding issue for difficult-to-fill jobs, but 68 percent of Utah establishments offered wages below the median for that occupation. There may be a disconnect between what employers are willing to offer and what it takes to maintain a highly skilled workforce. As the study concludes, its unreasonable to attribute the skills gap solely to a lack of training or education among candidates.

The competitive advantage currently enjoyed by Utahns could prove fleeting without ongoing access to talented workers. Although the precise reasons for a highly skilled labor shortage are likely many and gradated, its clear that solutions will require strong leadership from government, businesses and educators alike.
SALT LAKE CITY  Tasked with finding gaps in Utahs new homeless service system, a group of advocates and service providers saw a glaring need.

And they recommended that state officials consider an old-school solution: single-room occupancy housing, known in years past as boardinghouses.

Longtime homeless advocate Pamela Atkinson told the State Homeless Coordinating Committee on Wednesday that the seed for the group was planted a couple of years ago, when she was delivering meals and hearing from homeless people on a snowy and wet Christmas Day.

What I kept on hearing is, All I want is a room, she said. I dont want an apartment. I just want a small room.

Single-room occupancy housing consists of small, dorm-style rooms and shared bathrooms and/or kitchen.

The groups suggestion to help service-resistant homeless people calls for building three, 50-unit properties  it didnt say where  with rents limited to $200 per month and paid by the week when necessary.

Jonathan Hardy, director of Housing and Community Development Division at the Department of Workforce Services, said little was known about the homeless people who choose to avoid shelter, because their information doesnt enter databases that the state uses.

A June survey of 165 of those people provided some key insights: Most of those surveyed didnt want to live with family, friends or roommates. And nearly half had a source of income, including disability benefits.

Its not a lot of money, but they could pay some amount for housing, he said.

Single-room occupancy housing was once a staple of the American downtown  a private bed and a fixed address with costs to suit low-income renters or those in transition. They were known as boardinghouses, rooming houses or flophouses.

But the stock dwindled as cities prohibited them  portrayed by critics as having seedy clientele and drawing frequent police calls  and neighborhoods gentrified. Across the country, nearly 900,000 units costing less than $200 per month were demolished or converted to other uses between 1974 and 1983 alone.

Few remain in Utah, where single-room occupancy buildings housed railroad laborers and miners during the states formative years. Salt Lake City went from 780 units in 1978 to 315 by 1992, according to a 1995 Associated Press story. Today, Salt Lake City Planning Director Nick Norris said there are only 50 units left  all of them at the Rio Grande Hotel, 422 W. 300 South.

Tim Funk, a community housing advocate at the Crossroads Urban Center, said hed like to see two or three times as many new units, and he still believes state leaders are out of their gourd in planning to close the Road Home shelter at 210 S. Rio Grande and reduce the overall number of shelter beds.

Still, he said, if theres discussion of there being replacement housing at $200 a unit and its well-managed and its dedicated to that purpose, God bless. Couldnt be a better a thing. They need that housing now more than ever.

Matt Minkevitch, executive director of the Road Home and a longtime advocate for single-room occupancy housing, said its 150 steps in the right direction, and he hopes it becomes a starting point for even more investment in single-room occupancy.

If we get that into our housing inventory and we find the mechanisms to do that, we can transform our community, he said.

Hardy said there are numerous possible funding sources, including the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund. State leaders had also included $2 million in the funding plan for the new shelter system that could be used to erect an emergency overflow shelter, and at this juncture, Hardy doesnt believe that facility will be necessary. Because there are shared kitchens and baths, single-occupancy units tend to be cheaper to build than other developments.

The bigger worry, Hardy said, is that there will be local opposition where they site the three facilities, which marked the debate about the new homeless shelters in recent years.

This may be one where you get one 50-unit up and running and see how it responds, Hardy said.

Joseph Jensen, administrator of the states Homeless Management Information System, told the committee Wednesday that the recommendation for 50-unit buildings was made with local sensitivities in mind, and that it wouldn't be financially feasible to go much smaller.

The group recommended that a subcommittee of Shelter the Homeless, the nonprofit board that owns the Road Home shelter and will operate the three new shelters, be formed to explore development options.

Minkevitch said that in an ideal world, single-room occupancy would be available up and down the Wasatch Front, and people who might otherwise be homeless would be able to remain in their communities, attached and connected to the families and friends who care about them.

Asked to describe who might benefit from the units, Minkevitch said the question conjured the scenario of being outside the shelter on a winters night, shoveling snow.

More often than not, he said, somebody will introduce themselves and offer to help shovel.

They then tell him who they were: I was in the Navy, or I was a supervisor.

I was important, is what the subtitle to that conversation is, he said. Youve got a man or a woman who is eager to express to you his or her value.

People living on the street experience degradation and shame, Minkevitch said, that comes with defining themselves as homeless.

This kind of housing, I think, would be an answer to many peoples prayers, he said. Theyre not looking for much. Just a place to call home. They want to be able to go home from work and they want to be able to pay rent with the money theyve earned.
Kurds in Syria Shutdown Assyrian School for Refusing Kurdish Curriculum

(AINA) -- Kurdish PKK authorities closed an Assyrian school in Derbiseye, Syria after Assyrian school officials refused to adopt a Kurdish teaching curriculum. The Kurdish PKK prosecutor in Derik/Malikiye, Syria, issued the order on August 7, which is Assyrian Martyrs Day.

Letter from Kurdish PKK ordering closing of the Assyrian school in Derbiseye, Syria.

The Syrian government is expected to take control of all schools in the area in the upcoming weeks, but that did not stop PKK officials from attempting to impose the Kurdish curriculum on Assyrians.

The PKK has targeted Assyrian schools in the past. In November, 2015 sixteen Assyrian and Armenian organizations issued a statement protesting Kurdish expropriation of private property in the Hasaka province of Syria. The statement accused the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian wing of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), of human rights violations, expropriation of private property, illegal military conscription and interference in church school curricula (AINA 2015-11-02, 2016-05-24).

The Kurdish-language primary school curricula introduced by the PYD-led Kurdish authorities in northern Syria in October, 2015 was heavily criticized for being too ideological and "prioritizing a single view over all others." (AINA 2015-10-21)

The Assyrian Bishop in Hasaka, Maurice Amsih, denounced the Kurdish curriculum in September, 2016 (AINA 2016-09-16).
SALT LAKE CITY  States across the country will host county fairs this summer. Utah, with its rich agriculture history, has a strong showing in that field. According to utahstatefair.com, Utah held its first fair, The Deseret Fair, in 1856 near what is now Temple Square. Entries included large hens, a buckskin suit and bushels of cocoons, with prizes awarded for best stallion, best celery exhibit and best shepherd dog. Although we may not now hold a spirited plowing match or award a diploma for good penmanship, carnivals and ribbons are still in fashion, with county fair winners advancing to the state fair competition held in September.

So grab a funnel cake, visit the 4-H exhibits and take a step back in time at your local county fair. Many events are free but check the website for prices to ticketed events.

BEAVER

Catchin Air, Aug. 22-25, times vary, Fairgrounds, 1400 E. Highway 21, Minersville, free (435-438-7688 or beavercountyfair.com)

BOX ELDER COUNTY

Box Elder County Fair, Aug. 18-25, times vary, Fairgrounds, 320 N. 1000 West, Tremonton, free (435-695-2551 or boxeldercounty.org/fair)

CACHE COUNTY

Celebrating the Past, Creating the Future, Aug. 9-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 450 S. 500 West, Logan, free (435-554-8573 or cachecounty.org/fair)

CARBON COUNTY

Fun for the Whole Herd, Aug. 7-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 450 S. Fairgrounds Way, Price, free (435-636-3214 or castlecountryevents.com)

DAVIS COUNTY

The Greatest Fair on Earth, Aug. 15-18, times vary, Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 1100 West, Farmington, free (801-451-4087 or daviscountyutah.gov/fair)

DUCHESNE COUNTY

Tropical Nights and Carnival Lights, Aug. 6-11, times vary, 379 S. Center, Duchesne, free (duchesnecountyfair.com)

GARFIELD COUNTY

Fun for the Whole Herd, Aug. 16-18, Triple C Arena, 50 E. 800 North, Panguitch, free (435-616-2282 or panguitch.com)

IRON COUNTY

Passport to Fun, Aug. 30-Sept. 3, times vary, Fairgrounds, 471 E. 40 South, Parowan, free (435-477-8380 or ironcountyfair.net)

JUAB COUNTY

Juab County Fair, Aug. 4-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 400 W. Center, Nephi, free (435-623-3454 or juabcountyfair.com)

KANE COUNTY

70 Years of Fun, Families and Farming, Aug. 8-11, times vary, North Events Center, 475 N. State, Orderville, free (thekanecountyfair.com)

MILLARD COUNTY

Join Us on the Western Trail to the Millard County Fair, Aug. 8-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 187 S. Manzanita Ave., Delta, free (435-979-3966 or millardcounty.com)

RICH COUNTY

Country Pride, County Wide, Aug. 13-18, times vary, Fairgrounds, 20 S. Main, Randolph, free (435-512-5181 or facebook.com/RichCountyFairandRodeo)

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Family FarmFest, Aug. 9-11, times vary, Salt Lake County Equestrian Park and Fairgrounds, 11400 S. 2200 West, South Jordan, free (385-468-1606 or slcountyfair.com)

SAN JUAN COUNTY

Jam Packed with Fun, Aug. 4-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, Highway 491, Monticello, free (sanjuancountyfair.com)

SANPETE COUNTY

A Grand Celebration, Aug. 16-25, times vary, Fairgrounds, 64 W. 500 North, Manti, free (sanpetecountyfair.net)

SEVIER COUNTY

The Greatest Show, Aug. 8-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 410 E. 200 South, Richfield, free (facebook.com/SevierCountyFair)

SUMMIT COUNTY

Summit County Fair, Aug. 6-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 202 E. Park Road, Coalville, free (435-336-3249 or summitcountyfair.org)

UTAH COUNTY

Fair Fever, Aug. 15-18, times available, Spanish Fork Fairgrounds, 475 S. Main, Spanish Fork, free (utahcountyfair.org)

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Pirates of the FaiRibbean, Aug. 8-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 5500 W. 700 South, Hurricane, free (435-619-9522 or washcofair.net)

WAYNE COUNTY

Barnyard Beach Party, Aug. 14-18, times vary, Fairgrounds, State Route 24, Loa, free (waynecountyutah.org)

WEBER COUNTY

Its a Pig Deal, Aug. 8-11, times vary, Fairgrounds, 1000 N. 1200 West, Ogden, $6 for adults, $5 for students, $2 for children ages 6-12 (801-399-8799 or webercountyfair.org)

THE GREAT UTAH STATE FAIR

Sept. 6-16, times vary, Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West, $10 for adults, $8 for youth ages 6-12 and seniors, free for children ages 5 and younger (utahstatefair.com)

Note: This list is not all-inclusive, and events and prices are subject to change. Please send information on additional events to features@deseretnews.com.
CLINTON  Woodrow "Woody" Wilson New remembers creating a makeshift shelter between large crates of cargo aboard a military ship in the Mediterranean Sea in 1943.

He slept there to avoid the calamities of severe overcrowding below deck, as the U.S. Army was transporting thousands of troops in unsanitary conditions, as he recalls, to Port Said, Egypt.

It was during that trip that he saw one of the largest maritime disasters of World War II, a little-known event during which 1,138 men died when a British troop ship, the HMT Rohna, was sunk by a German missile. The only greater loss of life at sea was the sinking of the USS Arizona, a well-known and highly memorialized ship, which was docked at Pearl Harbor at the time of its demise.

New said the hole shot through the Rohna was "large enough for a semitruck."

The retired staff sergeant was drafted into World War II at the age of 23 and spent four years working with explosives, disarming deadly mine fields and testing atomic and hydrogen bombs. He counts himself lucky that he didn't contract cancer from exposure to radioactive materials and celebrated his 100th birthday on Wednesday.

"I tease him about having green blood from all the radiation," New's great-nephew Ren Holmes said. Holmes took New in several years ago after he broke an arm during a fall from his roof at age 94.

New moved to the Country Pines Retirement Community a little over a month ago and has been making friends, singing as he pushes a walker through the halls, and telling jokes ever since.

"I've never heard a negative word from him," said Becky Breitenbeker, resident care coordinator at the assisted living facility in Clinton. She said New is a joy to be around and is "quite the lady magnet."

The 100-year-old showed off a full head of silver-colored hair and never stopped smiling Wednesday, which staff said is completely typical.

"He's such a sweet, sweet man," said Jen Kay, activities director at Country Pines. "He calls us his 'precious girls.'"

New's mostly clear recollection of the war, during which he served in a number of countries (including China, Burma, India, North Africa and the Pacific), has earned him the respect of many, including Holmes  one of the centenarian's only living relatives  who has collected and archived his great uncle's stories, sometimes comparing them to research known about various events in history.

"These stories must be told and appreciated by all," Holmes said, encouraging others to "listen" to and respect veterans.

New, Kay said, doesn't subscribe to notions of post-traumatic stress disorder, even though he's seen a lot of death and hardship in his life. "He just lives and loves life."

His health is good and he requires very little assistance in his daily life, Kay said.

"I have good days every day, no matter what you say," the World War II veteran said. "I'm fine all the time."

New has a rhyme for everything  as if his smile isn't enough to spread his contagious optimism.

When asked to share his secret for a long life, New said, "my vitamins and me."

"I just keep going like that bunny rabbit with the battery," he said. "I may have to change the battery once in a while  but I always smile."

He poured over old photographs put on display during a celebration Wednesday, recalling many details about his decorated past. New has earned two Bronze Stars for his military service, but, there seems to be so much more to him now.

"I figure all of my years are good if I'm still here," he said.

The Ogden native remembers living in Mexico and filling up a tiled pool in the backyard for relief from the heat. Lush, green mountains framed the horizon outside his Hawaii home, which he loved. He talked about adopting a baby girl who was only 9 days old. He also spoke of his late wife, Jean, very fondly.

"Not everybody can be that upbeat," said Matthew Glencoe, executive director at Country Pines. He said New is a great influence to other residents at the home and "represents a lot that we can still touch of that whole generation."

New's keen mind keeps him talking, too.

"He's kept it lively," Glencoe said, adding that New's positive attitude "is infectious."

"I don't think I want to live to 100," he said. "But, if you could be like him, it might be OK."
The Sundance Kid is finally riding off into the sunset.

With Robert Redford announcing his retirement from acting with the upcoming Old Man & the Gun, Ive been reflecting on a career thats covered more than my lifetime. I came along too late for his political thriller heyday in the 70s, having to catch classics like Three Days of the Condor and All the Presidents Men long after their original releases.

Outside of Harrison Ford, Redford was probably the most visible movie star of my childhood. Like Ford, he always carried a kind of world-weary, down-to-earth quality that was warming and relatable. Even if he was good looking enough to be a "movie star," he never felt glossed-up. Redford, and his roles, always felt very real, and yeah, as a bald guy, I've always been jealous of his unkempt hair. Sue me.

As I was growing up in Utah, Redford was also the local guy, the Hollywood star who supposedly lived somewhere behind that fence my family would always drive past during our fall trips along the Alpine Loop. I never quite expected to see him out cutting the grass, but his everyman roles left you thinking he could be.

For all that, my first introduction to Redford came through Ivan Reitmans romantic thriller Legal Eagles, which paired him up with Debra Winger to solve a crime that involved a painting and a weird interpretive dance from Darryl Hannah. It wasnt the greatest movie, but I enjoyed it. And it did leave me with a strange fondness for the immortal Rod Stewart track, Love Touch.

I also remember The Natural, which didnt have Rod Stewart but did have Wilford Brimley. Its hard to believe theres anyone out there who hasnt already seen The Natural, now just one of a litany of movies to immortalize Americas Pastime, but Redfords final lap around the bases on a field showered by sparks is an image Ill never forget.

A few years later I caught Sneakers, an underrated thriller from the 90s that gave my generation a taste of vintage Redford. In Phil Alden Robinsons film, Redford plays a computer hacker in search of a little black box that breaks secret government codes.

But even if Sneakers and Legal Eagles bring back memories of trips to the drive-in with my family or sleepover parties with my friends in junior high, I have to go way back for my favorite Redford role.

For me, like many, I imagine, Redford will always be The Sundance Kid.

I cant remember the first time I saw 1969s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I know I loved it when I did. A lot of people will probably favor The Sting as their favorite team-up between Redford and Paul Newman, but Ill always take Butch and Sundance.

George Roy Hills offbeat take on the classic western (scored by Burt Bacharach!) is just about perfect. Set against the last fleeting moments of the Old West, Newman and Redford play the titular outlaw criminals  a little past their primes and a little out of touch with their times  who raise trouble as the Bandidos Yanquis. The comic timing between the two is note-perfect for the melancholy, understated mood, matching Butchs irresponsible goofiness against Sundances wearied and cynical seriousness.

In the opening scene, we meet an almost wordless Sundance at a card game, his eyes blazing as his fellow card player calls Sundance a cheat before realizing he's in the presence of the most dangerous gunman around. One of Redford's underrated gifts are his great looks, and this movie has a ton of them, right up to one of the most classic photo-finish endings to ever hit the screen.

As an adult, it has been fun to see Redford turn up in supporting roles like Alexander Pierce in 2014s Captain America: Civil War, or meatier stuff like his one-man turn in 2013s All is Lost. And of course, Im reminded of his impact every January when I drive up Parleys Canyon to cover the Sundance Film Festival once again.

I imagine even if the acting retirement sticks, Redford will still be involved in the festival. But a part of me is hoping the Sundance Kid will emerge from his mountain hideout for another performance. And if Rod Stewart shows up on the soundtrack, Ill consider it a bonus.
SALT LAKE CITY  As soon as American Fork dancer Jaxon Willard finished his emotionally charged dance, the 17-year-old ran to the front of the stage to hug his tearful, proud mother.

But Willards mom wasnt the only one in the crowd crying. Judge Jennifer Lopez and several members in the audience brushed away tears as they applauded Willards dance to Jack Garratts Surprise Yourself on Wednesday nights World of Dance episode.

Im looking around at the crowd. You got people in here crying, brother, judge Ne-Yo told Willard following his performance.

Making faces as expressive as his dancing, Willards moving performance began with a sense of pain and vulnerability before he broke into a wide smile midway through  with a triumphant leap to follow.

(The dance is) about my feelings towards my birth mom and how I was angry and I felt abandoned by her, he told the judges and crowd with visible emotion following his performance. But then I didnt know how to share these feelings with the mom I have now because I didnt want to hurt her feelings, and so Id just suppress all these feelings. But then throughout my journey and my growing, I would just learn that I cant just be mad at my birth mom because I dont know the full story, and so I just have to be grateful that I have the family I have now, and Im just so thankful for that.

Lopez praised the elegance of Willards dancing and told him it was an honor to watch him perform.

For me, God gives us a set of circumstances in life, right? Everybody has their story, she said. But then he gives you so much. He gave you so much talent. Honestly, he gave you the ability to fly. He gave you wings on your back by giving you your mom, by giving you your family, by giving you this talent, you know? And without your story, you wouldnt be able to be the artist that you are today.

Willard earned a combined score of 96 from the judges, beating out tap soloist Lucas Marinetto to advance to the shows next round, the Cut. His performance comes on the heels of another highly successful Utah showing: Last week, Springville dancers Charity Anderson and Andres Penate earned the shows first-ever combined perfect score of 100. The Pulse, an eight-member ballroom dance team from Orem, have yet to appear on the Duels round of World of Dance.

NBC's World of Dance airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. MT. Willard will next compete in the Cut round on World of Dance.
SCOFIELD, Carbon County  A wildfire ignited by lightning last weekend in southeast Utah County has quickly grown to 14,700 acres and threatens homes, power lines, rail lines and a highway.

Due to heavy smoke Thursday afternoon, fire officials closed both directions of U.S. 6 from Thistle turnoff to Sheep Creek Road for about an hour. The road reopened shortly before 6:30 p.m.

Officials cautioned anyone driving U.S. 6 to travel slowly and turn on their lights for visibility in the area "where fire traffic will be heavy" at the intersections of U.S. 89 and Dairy Fork Road.

Areas of Utah, Sanpete and Carbon counties are under evacuation orders, and many residents who are not yet evacuated have been told to prepare to leave their homes if the need arises.

Utah County evacuated Sheep Creek Road and campground as the fire continued to develop Thursday afternoon.

Some residents of Wasatch County have also been asked to prepare to evacuate.

"We're right on the border of the fire. It's burning toward us right now," said Carbon County Sheriff Jim Wood.

He said officials' "first concern" is making sure people and their livestock are out of danger and then protecting structures.

The blaze, dubbed Coal Hollow Fire, was 0 percent contained Thursday.

A map of all areas under evacuation and pre-evacuation orders can be found on the Incident Management Team's website at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6101/.

Almost 220 firefighters are trying to wrangle the fire, which is burning in brush, hardwood slash, chaparral and timber.

The fire is expected to continue "extreme fire behavior" due to the hot, dry weather, according to fire officials.

Firefighters' goals Thursday included constructing fire lines, protecting structures and keeping the fire south of U.S. 6.

While firefighters work to slow the spread of the Coal Hollow Fire, those fighting the nearby Hill Top Fire have noted progress. Residents of the Milburn area were allowed to return home Thursday, and others under evacuation will be able to return home Friday morning "if the suppression efforts continue to be effective," according to the Sanpete County Sheriff's Office.

The Hill Top Fire is burning about 1,800 acres and was 61 percent contained Thursday.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who lives just a few miles away from the fire in Fairview, has taken to Twitter since the fire began to share updates.

"The worst appears to be over. I love our small community and the way we respond together in the face of danger and tragedy. There is nowhere in the world I would rather live," he tweeted Thursday morning.

An evacuation center set up by the Red Cross in the LDS chapel in Indianola, Sanpete County during the Hill Top Fire remained open through Thursday, according to Red Cross officials.

The Incident Management Team fighting the Coal Hollow Fire held a community meeting Thursday at North Sanpete High School in Mt. Pleasant.

In a Q&A session at the end of the meeting, community members asked about expected fire activity, when they might be able to return to their homes and how they can stay updated on the fires.

Officials told them they can find current information by visiting the Incident Information website.

Impacts from the blazes aren't limited to the immediate area.

Utah's Division of Air Quality warned residents across most of the state that "smoke from wildfires could cause high concentrations of particulates in populated areas. If smoke becomes thick, persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity," the division said.
Richard Gere To Become Dad Again?

Hollywood actor Richard Gere is all set to welcome his first child with second wife Alejandra Silva. If we go by the reports, Richard Gere's wedding to Alejandra Silva, 33 years junior to him, took place earlier this year. The actor has an 18-year-old son Homer with former wife Carey Lowell.





Moreover, the 'Pretty Woman' star exchanged vows with Silva after four years together at a civil ceremony in Spain in April. It all happened before celebrating the occasion with friends and family at his home near New York. According to the report, it was not yet clear if the child would be born in Spain or the US, where Silva is now believed to be based most of the time.





Richard Gere will celebrate his 69th birthday at the end of this month. Silva, who met Gere while divorcing her first husband Govind Friedland, has a five-year-old son Alberto. Well, it is a moment of celebration for him and we just wish him our heartiest congratulations.





For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.









Source: www.newskarnataka.com
Sasikumar Will Not Be A Part Of SS Rajamoulis Next?

Earlier, actor-director Sasikumar posted a picture of himself along with Baahubali filmmaker SS Rajamouli on Twitter. Since then there has been a speculation doing the rounds that Sasikumar has been roped in to play an important role in Rajamoulis forthcoming yet-untitled film. However, the rumour has it the director has clarified that Sasikumar is not part of the project.





To our surprise, Sasikumar was in Hyderabad for a discussion regarding his next film with the director. The Subramaniapuram filmmaker reportedly met SS Rajamouli to discuss the pre-production work of his period film. In a recent interaction, Sasikumar talked about his dream project, which he wanted to make with actor Vijay. It is still to be known that whether Sasikumar is teaming up with Vijay or not.

On the work front, He is awaiting the release of Nadodigal 2, which is being directed by Samuthirakani and slated to release this year. Moreover, Sasikumar is presently shooting for Enai Noki Paayum Thota, directed by Gautham Menon. The actor is expected to play an important role in the film. Apart from this, he was last seen in Asuravadham, which received a good response from the fans and critics.





For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.





Source: akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com
Sai Pallavi To Join Hands With Sekhar Kammula Again?

It seems that after successfully releasing Fidaa, filmmaker Sekhar Kammula wants to give another shot to himself. The director is reportedly set to director another romantic family entertainer. And if we go by the reports, the director might team up once again with Malayalam actress Sai Pallavi.





According to the latest updates, Sekhar has narrated a pure love story to Sai, who has given a nod to join the film immediately. Dhruv, the son of Chiyaan Vikram, will reportedly play the male lead in the film. However, no official confirmation has been made regarding his collaboration yet.





It will be a Telugu-Tamil bilingual film which may mark Dhruvs entry into Tollywood. The actor is currently busy shooting for his debut Tamil film Varma, the Telugu remake of Arjun Reddy. He will be reprising the role of Vijay Devarakonda in the film. On the other hand, Sai Pallavi will be seen next in Hanu Raghavapudis Padi Padi Leche Manasu, which also stars Sharwanand.





For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.





Source: www.thenewsminute.com
MTN Group has seen its H1 net profit drop by 5% year-on-year despite growth in several of its African markets, including Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.

The groups total revenue stood at ZAR62.7 billion (US$4.65 billion), with its profit for the first half down to ZAR4.9 billion ($366 million). Profit from its 49% holding in MTN Irancell fell by 30% after the Iranian rial declined following the announcement in May that the US intended to impose sanctions on the country.

This loss of profit has significantly impacted MTNs overall earnings, with CEO Rob Shuter noting that the sanctions  the first of which come into force this month  may prevent it from repatriating dividends from the market. Iranian troubles aside, MTN has also faced a challenging macroeconomic climate in some of its African markets, including Cameroon and South Africa.

Nonetheless, the group reported increased service revenue, with voice and data the main drivers of this, while its mobile money revenue jumped 50% year-on-year. MTN now boasts 24.1 million mobile money customers in 14 different markets.

Shuter noted: MTN had an encouraging first half of 2018, with an acceleration in the second quarter, supported by an improved operational performance across many markets. This was led by Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Service revenue growth increased, driven by robust voice revenue growth and the continued expansion of data and digital revenue.
Indias government is looking to launch 5G services across the country by 2022, according to telecoms secretary Aruna Sundararajan.

Speaking to Bloomberg, the secretary noted that Japan and South Korea were aiming to launch 5G in 2019 and China was pushing for 2020. These nations are making a strong push towards 5G, and India will tail them by two to three years, with the minister saying that India is not there yet with the technology compared to its fellow Asian countries.

Sundararajan noted that 5G in India wont be driven by supply, itll be driven by demand and the rest of the industry needs to wake up to this. The countrys mobile sector has been embroiled in a fiercely competitive price war for 4G services since the launch of Reliance Jio in September 2016.

While India has typically been later to adopt new technologies than the three aforementioned Asian markets, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Digital India initiative is aimed at accelerating connectivity and driving access to digital services in the country, and a 5G rollout will be a major step towards this.

The availability of 5G will boost internet speeds across the country and reduce latency, as well as providing a foundation for the governments planned smart city initiatives. Sundararajan noted: If we want smart cities, clearly we need smart infrastructure for it.

India may in fact reap the benefits of deploying 5G after China, which is the only mobile market in the world larger than it. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Christopher Lane said: India needs China to launch to drive economies of scale and lower 5G handsets.

TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) recently recommended putting 5G-capable 3.6GHz spectrum up for auction at an unspecified date in the future, but does not seem to have learnt its lesson about setting reserve prices as these are still very high by global standards.

India is reportedly aiming to prepare for 5G by boosting its fibre network from 1.5 million km to 2.5 million km by 2022.
Samsung is all set launch its second flagship of the year, the Galaxy Note 9, at an Unpacked event today (August 9) in New York. The Galaxy Note 9 livestream will begin at 11AM New York time on August 9. The South Korean tech giant is expected to unveil a number of hardware products alongside the new smartphone. We could see the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Watch, a fast wireless charger that can juice up two smartphones simultaneously and a Bixby 2.0-powered smart speaker. All this is speculation, and in a few hours we will know what Samsung plans to 'unpack' this time around

How to livestream Galaxy Note 9 launch

Those who wish to catch what Samsung is launching today at the Note 9 launch event, can watch the livestream on Samsungs Galaxy Unpacked website or the company's YouTube channel. The event starts at 11AM Eastern Time in New York, which means the telecast will start at 8.30PM on Thursday in India.

What to expect

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specs

The string of leaks and reports have already made all the specifications of the Galaxy Note 9 public, but we still have to wait for an official word from the company to be 100 percent sure. According to leaks and listings, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be available in three colours - Black, Blue and Copper. Since it is a flagship device, the Galaxy Note 9 is claimed to have the Infinity Display design and sport a 6.4-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED display. When it comes to the camera, the smartphone will have a dual-camera setup at the back. There is 12MP primary lens with a dual aperture that can shift from F/2.4 aperture to a wider F/1.5 for low light shots. The secondary camera has a 12MP lens with F/2.4 aperture. On the front, there is an 8MP front shooter.

The Galaxy Note 9 could launch with a 6GB RAM + 128GB storage base variant and there are reports that claim that Samsung will also launch the 512GB version that may have 8GB RAM. The S-Pen stylus is said to have enhanced capabilities and could be used a Bluetooth remote control for the phone. It has been claimed that the S-Pen will have may also be used as a camera shutter for group photos and also have the ability to control music playback. The phone is expected to house a massive 4,000mAh battery, and will have an IP68 rating making it water and dust resistant.

Galaxy Watch: Samsung is tipped to have dropped the Gear moniker in favour of the 'Galaxy Watch' for its rumoured upcoming flagship smartwatch. The Galaxy Watch is reported to ship with a new version of Bixby and feature a 470mAh battery. Rumours suggest that the company will be combining the features of its Gear S3 smartwatch and the Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker for the Galaxy Watch.

Galaxy Wireless Charger Duo: A report had claimed that Samsung may launch a wireless fast charger, the Wireless Charger Duo, that can charge two supported phones simultaneously or a phone and smartwatch. An image of the box that was shared on Twitter has a diagram that shows two charging points on the charger and a caption, Dual fast wireless charging.

Bixby Smart Speaker: While its competitors, Google, Amazon and Apple, have already launched their smart speakers and are enjoying a fair share in the market, Samsung is yet to bring an AI Assistant-powered speaker. This could change today as a leak shows a trademark document owned by Samsung for a product named Magbee and it is said to be a Bixby 2.0-owned smart speaker. Samsung will pit the anticipated Smart Speaker against the Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod. As for specs, nothing much is known about the alleged Magbee smart speaker but it could have Harman audio. It is expected to have a bowled shape, with a legged bottom and lights at the top.
HSBC brings European operations under French unit ahead of Brexit

HSBC, Europes biggest bank, has shifted ownership and operational control of its Polish and Irish subsidiaries from its London-based entity to its French unit as part of its plan to shift European operations outside the city of London.

HSBC will be shifting ownership for seven more European branches, including those in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain, to the French unit as it prepares for Britains exit from the European Union, the British bank said on Wednesday.

This is to ensure that the banks operations continue unhindered as Britain exits from the EU in March 2019. Post-Brexit, British-based firms are expected to lose current rights that allow them to sell financial services across the EU.

HSBC is also expected to redeploy up to 1,000 of its staff in London to its French unit as it puts its Brexit contingency plans into action.

It is still uncertain how negotiations between Britain and the EU will impact the banking operations between the two post Brexit.

Banks, however, are not waiting for the outcome of the negotiations and are preparing for any eventuality. Banks are planning to go ahead with reorganizing their businesses so that even in the no-deal scenario under which Britain crashes out of the EU without any agreements, they will still be able to do business elsewhere in Europe.

In any case, post Brexit HSBC Holdings will not be operating European branches from its London office. These will now be subsidiaries with bases elsewhere in Europe.

Rival Lloyds Banking Group is also reported to be planning three such subsidiaries in Europe, while Barclays has made its Irish unit its new European hub while also shifting jobs to Frankfurt unit from Britain, Reuters quoted chief executive John Flint as saying on Monday.
RBI to transfer Rs50,000 cr surplus to govt

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer a surplus of Rs50,000 crore as dividend to government for the financial year 2017-18, which would help the centre stick to its fiscal targets.

The current dividend payout is about 63 per cent higher than that of the previous year (2016-17) and id in line with Budget estimates.

RBI, which follows a July-June financial year, had made a dividend payout of Rs30,659 crore for the fiscal ended June 2017.

The Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, at its meeting held on August 8, 2018, approved the transfer of surplus amounting to Rs500 billion for the year ended June 30, 2018 to the Government of India, RBI stated in a brief note.

RBI had in March, paid an interim dividend of Rs10,000 crore at the insistence of the government to support fiscal position.

As per the Budget estimate, the government was to collect Rs54,817.25 crore as dividend or surplus from Reserve Bank of India, nationalised banks and financial institutions.

While the government realised Rs51,623.24 crore under this head in the previous fiscal, RBIs contribution was lower at Rs30,659 crore, which was less than half of the Rs65,876 crore it paid in the previous year.

This was mainly on account of the expenses incurred in the demonetisation and post-demonetisation printing of new notes.

Under the RBI Act, the central bank is required to transfer its surplus, after making provisions for bad and doubtful debts, asset depreciation and contribution to staff and superannuation fund etc, to the government.
Flipkart-Walmart deal gets regulatory approval

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved US retail giant Walmarts $16-billion deal to acquire Indian e-commerce major Flipkart, clearing the path for the biggest FDI deal in the Indian corporate sector.(See: For $16 bn Walmart bags Flipkart).

Walmart had in May this year agreed to acquire a 77-per cent stake in Flipkart in a deal worth $16 billion, its biggest so far and had sought CCI approval for the deal.

The deal values the 11-year-old Indian e-commerce firm at $20.8 billion.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the CCI stated that it has cleared the Flipkart-Walmart deal. "@CCI_India approves proposed acquisition of Flipkart Private Limited by Wal-Mart International Holdings, Inc," the regulator said in a tweet.

The CCI approval comes despite objections by Indian retailers that the acquisition will pave the way for the entry of Walmart, a multi-product retailer, into the Indian retail market, which at present is not permitted.

However, the regulator did not agree with the argument that the deal between Flipkart and Walmart threatened the retail scenario in India.

Separately, CCI said Flipkarts discounting practices might need to be dealt with, an issue that assumes significance in the wake of the new draft policy that proposes further restrictions on discounting by online marketplaces. India already bans discounting by online marketplaces.

The issues concerning FDI policy would need to be addressed in that policy space to ensure that online market platforms remain a true marketplace providing access to all retailers, CCI said in its order.

While seeking CCI approval, Walmart had assured the CCI that the deal will not lead to any competition complications and the pecking order of the Indian retail sector will remain unaffected.

In fact, Walmart has maintained that the deal will ultimately benefit the small traders and farmers, and will create employment.

The CCI approval, however, is likely to face opposition from small retailer groups who have all along been opposing the deal, on grounds that the resultant entity will combine retail and e-commerce business to eat into what is now left of the market of small retailers.

Retailers had even threatened to move court if the government failed to stop the deal.

Early this week, Walmart had announced plans to hire 1,000 professionals for handling the technical aspect of its venture in India.

While the Flipkart-Walmart alliance is aimed at holding off competition from e-commerce giant Amazon, the US retail giant also said that the combination will generate at least 30,000 direct and indirect jobs by establishing 15 wholesale cash and carry stores across Uttar Pradesh.
A Donegal TD has written to the minister for health over the case of a 26-year-old Donegal man whose family say he needs urgent surgery.

The family of Dungloe man Jason Hanlon had expected the surgery to ease the acute pain he is experiencing from scoliosis to take place in the coming weeks but it has been postponed with no definite date.

His mother Elizabeth says she fears Jasons condition will deteriorate further unless he gets surgery as soon as possible.

Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher says he has emailed the consultant involved and the health minister raising the urgency of Jason's case.

I have a file going back to 2016 on this case," he said. "We received correspondence from the consultant in Dublin that he has been listed for surgery and our understanding is it was expected in August but there has been no confirmation of a date so I am asking for a date.

 I am asking the consultant to arrange a date for surgery at the earliest opportunity and I have written to the consultant by email this morning. I have also written to the minister for health and sent on all the correspondence from the last two years.

"I am asking them to deal with this urgently and if it is a case of resource they need to provide the resources. hope I don't have to wait until the Dail returns, but if I do it will be top of my priority list.
A starving dog passed stones after she had been rescued by good-hearted citizens and brought to the Animal in Need shelter in Donegal Town.

Hours later, the dog, now called 'Sansa' gave birth to five beautiful puppies.

The dog was found wandering on the car park, dodging cars, accompanied by a 6-week-old kitten in Donegal Town.

Gitte McMullan who runs the Donegal charity said that no micro-chip was found on either animal and following a nice dinner both settled down.

She said: "There was great shock when Sansa went into labour and gave birth to five stunning puppies, within only 6 hours of coming into our care. Sansa proved to be a great mummy despite her young age."

She said that the dog later passed stones which leads her to believe that the abandoned dog had been so hungry she had to resort to eating stones.

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/home/328569/donegal-animal-charity-appeals-for-new-fosterers.html
Tommy Peoples was born in Letterkenny in 1948 and raised in the townland of Kinny Cally, St. Johnston. There was music on both his father Toms side as well as his mother, Mary Ellen Martins.

His paternal grandfather, Jamie, as well as his uncles and cousins were some of the most gifted fiddlers in his locality.

Tommys earliest childhood memory was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs in his home rocking and humming tunes he had absorbed amongst his family. This early musical intellect would grow to become one of the most profound minds in the history of traditional Irish music.

As a young teenager he would come to attend the Letterkenny Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann sessions in the Letterkenny Institute. Rather than play in the main room with the larger session he favoured playing in the backroom with the older musicians such as Frank Kelly, Jimmy Houston and Vincent Campbell in an effort to learn their repertoire and techniques. In his late teens he moved to Dublin for work and was soon making his mark with his already fully honed personal style of fiddle playing. One observer of similar age remembered his arrival in Dublin stating we didnt know what he was doing, because we never heard anything like it before. But we could hear he was Elvis, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles all rolled into one and we loved it from the first note.

Tommy would eventually be recruited into such groups as the Green Linnet Ceili Band, 1691, The Kilfenora Ceili Band and the earth-shaking Bothy Band. He once said that his most enjoyable time playing on a stage was his time with The Kilfenora Ceili Band in that he could sit in the back out of the limelight and play music with his good friends and look out at happy couples and people of all age groups having simple, joyous fun dancing.

He married Maria Linnane and settled in County Clare raising a family. Tommys recording career had begun and would grow to be prolific even by modern standards. Increasingly those epic tunes which he had been quietly, and typically not publicly acknowledging as deriving from his pen, were finding their way into the national repertoire as precious melodic gems. As his solo career grew he was in constant demand for public performances. His reputation as an ethnic fiddler of astonishing ability was now globally recognised.

When the publishing house, Outline Press, produced its landmark 1991 limited edition work, The Violin Book, which definitively examined the violin family of instruments, the work illustrated the wonder of the instruments mainly through the greatest classical violinists such as Kreisler, Menuhin, Perlman etc. There were only two players of the instrument to be featured from outside the classical music masters. One of those was Tommy Peoples.

Tommy spent a brief period in Boston where he took America by storm and found solace in reaffirming old ties with near neighbour P.V. ODonnell who had emigrated from Buncrana years before.

A desire to spend life at home saw his return to the family home Kinny Cally where he saw out the remainder of his life and eventually publishing his epic work O Am go hAm, a tome which included a collection of his compositions, folklore, history, personal experiences and reflections on the music.

He was the only double recipient of the TG4 Awards; the first for his Lifetime Achievement and the second as Composer of the Year.

Tommy was a quiet, humble and private person. He had a tremendous and inquisitive intellect. He was a voracious reader and a writer of extraordinary talent. He was passionate in his love for the Irish language. But it was his fiddle playing that marked him as an extraordinary genius. He will be dearly missed by his widow, Maria and his children grandchildren and great grandchild as well as his very dear companion, Julie Pechilis Costello. His tunes will echo in the playing of his gifted daughter Siobhan, nephew Seamus Gibson and relation through marriage, Thomas Strain.

Whenever Irish traditional music is played in the generations to come, the name and music of Tommy Peoples will hold a central and greatly revered place. Every generation of players produces its gifted, shining individuals. Some emerge as glistening stars of various shades. Very rarely there comes a dazzling, wondrous comet. That was Tommy Peoples, a player whose prodigious gift challenged us to comprehend its awesome beauty. The firmament of traditional music has darkened greatly with his passing. Ar dheis De go raibh a Anam uasal.
In late November 2015 I happened to be in Derry when I met a wee man I know quite well coming down Shipquay Street.

We stood and nattered about everything under the sun for about ten minutes and then just as he was departing he remarked, Do you know, Pat, Stormont is likely to collapse real soon; things are bad up there.

Barely two months later a very ill looking Martin McGuinness went before the cameras to say Sinn Fein was pulling the plug on the Assembly over a whole host of issues, not least the alleged irregularities involving the Cash for Ash scandal.

That very same night RTEs Tommie Gorman went on air and stated that the Irish government were shocked by the move, that they had been unaware that it was imminent.

Just over a week ago at the MacGill summer school former DUP leader, Peter Robinson, caused quite a furore when he said unionists should really start addressing the possibility that a united Ireland could be on the cards. He used the analogy that while he thought Irish unity unlikely it still paid to insure your house against the risk of fire.

When it comes to the North I think this government has been one of the worst ever. Heres the thing  the debate about Irish unity has begun in earnest but, like the collapse of Stormont, our government doesnt seem to know or, indeed, want to know, anything about it.

Has any of the main parties launched a policy document? Have there been any debates in the Oireachtas about what stance our leaders would take in the event of a referendum on the issue? Have there been any heavyweight documentaries and/or discussions on RTE?

No one seems to be planning for what could prove to be massive upheaval coming down the tracks. I find that alarming.

The reality of the situation is that Brexit and changing demographics are rapidly changing the dynamics on this island. The North voted to remain in the Brexit vote yet it is being dragged out of the EU. Thats causing a lot of concern and resentment in nationalist circles in particular.

And then there are the demographics where its anticipated the unionists will have lost their voting majority by 2021.

One of the most astute commentators in the North is Alex Kane, an avowed unionist but also a very clear sighted realist. He suggests that unionism, a bit like our government, doesnt want to address the issue and is sleep walking towards Irish unity.

Kane wrote in last Fridays Irish Times: For most of my lifetime Ive been listening to unionist leaders telling me why successive outcomes cant or wont happen: no British government would ever get rid of the Stormont parliament; there would never be mandatory power sharing between unionists and nationalists; there would never be a formal Irish dimension in Northern Ireland politics; the British/Irish governments would never agree to a joint sovereignty deal over the heads of a unionist majority; unionists would never share power with Sinn Fein; the DUP would never share power with Sinn Fein; there would be unionist majority in Belfast City Council for decades to come; unionists wouldnt lose their majority in the Assembly.

All this has come to pass.

The tectonic plates that have been in place for almost a century are now starting to shift pretty rapidly.

Anyone who listened to Talkback on BBC Northern Ireland in the past week would have learned that the hare that is the debate on Irish unity is now very much up and running in the North. Its time our leaders got in on those discussions.

Its not particularly well known but that colossus of Ulster unionism, Dr. Ian Paisley, was far from ruling out unity back in the day. The story goes that in 1971 Paisley met a group of southern journalists at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Also in attendance was BBC journalist, Don Anderson, who tells the story that well into the night Paisley gave RTEs Liam Hourican an interview where he suggested that if the Republic ditched the 1937 Constitution and changed certain other laws he would consider becoming part of a united Ireland.

A few months later he went even further when he told the Irish Press that if the people of the South wanted the Protestants of the North to join them they should ditch the 1937 Constitution (which gave a special consideration to the Catholic Church) entirely. If this were done then the Protestant people would take a different view So if we are serious about unity maybe its time our political leaders started meaningful discussions.

CRUISING ALONG NICELY

Killybegs is now very much in the cruise ship business. 15 of the huge ships are expected to dock at the south-west port this year which is a massive increase on years gone by.

I was in the town some time back when one of the ships was in and everywhere I went I ran into Americans with cameras pointed looking to get a shot' of this or that.

Everywhere I went I found the pubs, hotels, and eating houses all packed.

It's great for tourism, and long may it continue.

AND FINALLY . . .

I came across an item on social media the other day where it was alleged that Ireland was the most corrupt country in Europe.

I didnt read the item, but on reflection I wonder if it is true.

When I look back over a long career as a journalist I can see that we tolerated a lot. For years people often got jobs on the basis not of what they knew but who they knew. I knew of solicitors having clients monies resting in their accounts for years. Some top Gardai were, to my own knowledge, more interested in playing politics than strictly enforcing the law. And it was often the case some people could get planning permissions/medical cards/pensions where others had been flatly refused.

The odd thing was that no one was ever held accountable.
Toyota has not ruled out recalling or replacing faulty air intakes of more than 170,000 Hilux, Fortuner and Prado off-roaders that can leave cars with significantly reduced power and without some active safety systems.

An extensive investigation is currently under way to learn more about the issue that can lead to dust getting past the air filter and into the mass airflow sensor (MAF), in turn disabling the stability and traction control systems  also dropping engine power and urging owners to visit a dealer - something vice president of national operations Sean Hanley says could lead to a permanent fix or recall of affected vehicles.

Were looking at it, were reviewing it again now, to make sure that weve covered every possible angle, that theres no inherent risk to our customers, says Hanley. If we do believe that inherent risk exists you can be one-thousand percent certain we will act as quickly as possible to rectify it.

The concession and ongoing evaluation appears to be a softening of the stance last month when Toyota said it had no plans to recall or repair affected cars.

However, the brand that dominates the off-road segment with cars marketed as unbreakable and better suited to rough Australian roads than any other says there are currently no plans to do more than warn customers of the potential issue and clean the air intakes of vehicles that have been driven in dusty conditions.

Despite disabling key safety software, Toyota is confident there is no safety concern to Prados, Hiluxes and Fortuners fitted with the latest 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel.

If we think and believe theres any risk we would initiate an immediate recall, Hanley says, adding safety is an absolute priority.

Were going through that process, at this stage we have no plan to recall.

Hanley points to internal data that suggests only 0.2 percent of the 170,000-plus cars have so far experienced the fault.

And, he says, of the 340-odd cars that have been reported to dealerships, most are with mining fleets that drive them in extreme conditions with a lot of dust.

Were looking at every aspect to determine our future actions but at this stage because of the low incidence and extreme driving its not warranting a safety recall, he says. Well continue to assess that.

However, any fix to new cars is at least a year away, slotting into the annual scheduled technical updates introduced by the brand, the next of which is due around August 2019.

Toyota Australias technical team is currently liaising with engineers in Japan regarding a potential fix, something likely to involve the redesign of the air intake system.

When the fix is implemented on new cars, Toyota says it will evaluate cars on a case-by-case basis as to whether the new components will be retrofitted to existing cars.

Owners who regularly drive their cars in very dusty conditions, for example, may have their cars air intakes replaced at no cost.

Toyota also said it was open to replacing the intakes of owners planning to drive in dusty conditions.
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine

Generic name: measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (MEE zels, MUMPS, and roo BEL a)

Brand name: M-M-R II

Dosage forms: subcutaneous powder for injection (-)

Drug class: Vaccine combinations

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Oct 6, 2021. Written by Cerner Multum.

What is measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine?

Measles, mumps, and rubella are serious diseases caused by viruses spread from person to person through the air. Measles, mumps, and rubella can cause minor symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, cough, swollen glands, runny nose, eye irritation, skin rash, muscle aches, and joint pain.

More serious symptoms of measles or mumps include pneumonia, hearing loss, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and rarely permanent brain damage or death.

Becoming infected with rubella virus (also called German Measles) during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage or serious birth defects.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is used to help prevent these diseases by causing your body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

MMR vaccine is for use in children between the ages of 12 months and 6 years old, and in adults who have never received the vaccine or had the diseases.

Like any vaccine, the MMR vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

Warnings

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Before taking this medicine

You should not receive this vaccine if:

you are allergic to gelatin;

you have had a severe allergic reaction to neomycin; or

you have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any vaccine containing measles, mumps, or rubella.

You should also not receive this vaccine if you have:

a cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma;

a bone marrow or blood cell disorder;

untreated tuberculosis;

a history of severe allergic reaction to eggs;

severe immune suppression caused by disease or by receiving certain medicines, chemotherapy or radiation; or

if you are pregnant.

You can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this vaccine.

Your vaccine may need to be postponed or not given at all if you have:

active tuberculosis infection;

a history of brain injury or seizures;

thrombocytopenia purpura (easy bruising or bleeding);

a weak immune system;

a neurologic disorder or disease affecting the brain (or if this was a reaction to a previous vaccine); or

if you have received an immune globulin or a blood or plasma transfusion within the past 3 months.

You should not receive the MMR vaccine if you are pregnant. Wait until after your child is born to receive the vaccine.

Avoid becoming pregnant for at least 3 months after receiving the MMR vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that you may continue to breastfeed a baby after you have received this vaccine.

How is this vaccine given?

MMR vaccine is recommended if:

you have been exposed to an outbreak of measles;

you are in the military;

you work in a laboratory or healthcare setting;

you live in a dormitory or other group housing; or

you are planning to travel outside the United States.

Adults born after 1956 should receive at least one MMR vaccination if they have never had the diseases or received an MMR vaccine during their lifetime.

This vaccine is given as an injection under the skin, usually in a series of 1 to 3 shots. You will receive this injection in a doctor's office or clinic setting.

In children, the first shot is usually given when the child is 12 to 15 month old. The booster shots are then given between 4 and 6 years of age, or before the child starts elementary school.

The CDC recommends an MMR vaccine for infants 6 to 11 months old who will be traveling outside the United States.

Adults who are not already immune to measles, mumps, or rubella should receive MMR vaccine in a series of 2 shots separated by at least 28 days (4 weeks).

Where there has been a measles outbreak, local health departments may recommend 1 or 2 doses of MMR vaccine for children as young as 6 months old, and for older children and adults who are not already immune to measles, mumps, and rubella.

If you have been exposed to measles, mumps, or rubella, you should receive an MMR vaccine within 72 hours after exposure.

A child who has received this vaccine before 12 months of age should still receive an MMR vaccine at age 12 to 15 months, followed by a booster shot at the recommended ages of 4 to 6 years for long-lasting protection.

Your booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.

This vaccine can cause false results on a skin test for tuberculosis for up to 6 weeks. Tell any doctor who treats you that you have received an MMR vaccine.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor if you will miss a booster dose or if you get behind schedule. The next dose should be given as soon as possible. There is no need to start over.

Be sure to receive all recommended doses of this vaccine or you may not be fully protected against disease.

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose of this vaccine is unlikely to occur.

What should I avoid before or after receiving this vaccine?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

This vaccine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. When you receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.

Becoming infected with measles, mumps, or rubella is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

red, tender bumps under your skin;

a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

high fever (within a few hours or a few days after the vaccine);

easy bruising or bleeding;

new or worsening cough, trouble breathing;

problems with balance or muscle movement;

a seizure; or

nervous system problems--numbness, pain, tingling, weakness, burning or prickly feeling, vision or hearing problems, trouble breathing.

You may have joint pain 2 to 4 weeks after receiving an MMR vaccine. This is more common in women and teenaged girls.

Common side effects include:

headache, dizziness;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

runny nose, sore throat, not feeling well;

muscle pain, joint pain or stiffness; or

feeling irritable (fussiness in a young child).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Mumps Prophylaxis:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once

Usual Adult Dose for Rubella Prophylaxis:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once

Usual Adult Dose for Measles Prophylaxis:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once

Usual Pediatric Dose for Mumps Prophylaxis:

12 months of age and older:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once



Comments:

-Primary vaccination is recommended at 12 to 15 months.

-Revaccination is recommended prior to elementary school entry.

-Children vaccinated when younger than 12 months should receive another dose at 12 to 15 months of age, as well as revaccination before school entry.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Rubella Prophylaxis:

12 months of age and older:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once



Comments:

-Primary vaccination is recommended at 12 to 15 months.

-Revaccination is recommended prior to elementary school entry.

-Children vaccinated when younger than 12 months should receive another dose at 12 to 15 months of age, as well as revaccination before school entry.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Measles Prophylaxis:

12 months of age and older:

0.5 mL, subcutaneously, once



Comments:

-Primary vaccination is recommended at 12 to 15 months.

-Revaccination is recommended prior to elementary school entry.

-Children vaccinated when younger than 12 months should receive another dose at 12 to 15 months of age, as well as revaccination before school entry.

What other drugs will affect measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine?

MMR vaccine is sometimes given at the same time as other vaccines. Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have recently received.

Also tell the doctor if you have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

steroid medicine;

chemotherapy or radiation treatments;

medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders; or

medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection.

Other drugs may affect MMR vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Does Measles virus vaccine/mumps virus vaccine/rubella virus vaccine interact with my other drugs? Enter other medications to view a detailed report. Drug name Add a drug to check interactions Add

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

Copyright 1996-2021 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 4.02.
Swords native Paul Hayes has been living in Dundalk since he was appointed director at An Tain Arts Centre in 2014.

Whats your favourite thing about Dundalk?

The Square, the fountain et al. A public civic space is so important to the life of a town.

What would your perfect day in the local area be  and why?

A meal at The Spotted Dog, which serves wonderful food, followed by a show at An Tain Arts Centre. Im a bit biased!

What would you like to change about Dundalk?

Ok, this one is going to be a bit controversial, but I have recently moved from Dundalk to Drogheda, and there are so many different places to eat and quality pubs in Drogheda. Dundalk is catching up, but it has a way to go.

What annoys you about the town?

Empty shop units are a blemish on so many towns in Ireland and Dundalk is no exception. I fear the days of the independent retailer are numbered with the growth of out of town retail parks but we need to find a way to bring life back to our towns. Perhaps one solution is to turn units into housing on the first floor which will need shops on the ground floor.

What plans do you have for the rest of year?

We have just launched our September to December program at An Tain Arts Centre, so it will be a very busy time for us. As an animal lover, I am particularly looking forward to our screening of Wes Andersons Isle of Dogs, where we are encouraging people to bring their dog along with them. And all proceeds will go to Dundalk Dog Rescue.

How would you describe Dundalk people?

Im not sure I can describe an entire people, Ive lived in nine Irish towns over the years and I suppose we are all the same.

We all seek happiness, we want our loved ones to be safe and if we can leave a positive impact on the world before we shuffle of this mortal coil, sure that would be great.

Where's the best place to go for a walk in the local area?

I enjoy walking the dog in the hills above Ravensdale, the views of Dundalk and the bay are stunning.

What local amenities could Dundalk do with?

I would like to see the amenities that we have maintained, we have a tendency in Ireland to build things and not look after them.

Whats your first memory of Dundalk?

On the day I moved here I was sitting outside the cafe in the square on a lovely summer's day when I saw a sign that read this could be the start of something wonderful. It has proved prophetic.

What's your favourite story you've heard about Dundalk?

I was recently involved in organising a grisly bus tour of Dundalk for families. We drove all around the town hearing many tales from the past. The Maid of Erin statue outside the courthouse has numerous stories; was it unfinished, was it damaged as an act of protest about a divided island?

What's your favourite Dundalk slang/phrase?

In our recent production of The Deadly Wizard of Oz by Quintessence Theatre, one of the characters was based in Dundalk and added a hi the end of every sentence. Are you going down the town, hi - Do you need anything from the shops, hi?'

Where is your favourite pub in Dundalk and why?

Not sure what this says about me, but I have many. For a quiet pint, The Wee House. To meet friends, The Spirit Store. For staff drinks the newly renovated Century bar I could go on.

What do you think of the local arts scene?

When we established An Tain Arts Centre four years ago, I described the then named Town Hall Theatre as a sleeping giant. We have definitely awoken the giant, but for any Arts Centre to thrive it needs to buy in from the local community. We have so many well-established community arts groups in Dundalk and their shows are very well supported, it's trying to get that support to national and international touring acts is always the challenge.

Is there anything you think Dundalk's arts scene in lacking/could do with more of?

A centralised arts hub, where both non-professional and professional groups can meet, rehearse and devise new shows that can then be staged at An Tain Arts Centre and further afield. We are looking into a way of getting this done, but finding a building in the centre of town is proving tricky.

READ: Dog-friendly movie screening planned for Dundalk's An Tain Arts Centre
An extremely cute and well-groomed local spaniel, who goes by the name of Ziggy, is in the running to take the Nose of Tralee crown home for the second year running in the upcoming national competition.

The Nose of Tralee is an annual pet competition organised by Pet Sitters Ireland which celebrates "the love that pet owners have for their pets in the 32 counties of Ireland". The competition has been running since 2014 and has 3 years of winners.

Louth Nose of Tralee Ziggy flashing a winning smile

We have some good pedigree here in the wee county, last year the national competition was won by Louth Nose Lenny.

But judging by the pictures on the 2018 Louth Nose Ziggy's Facebook page, we reckon that crown will be coming back to Louth this year.

Speaking on behalf of the star spaniel Ziggy's owner, local school teacher Nuala Mullen said: "Ziggy is very proud to represent Co. Louth in the Nose of Tralee. C'mon the Wee County!"

Nuala added: "Ziggy has his own Facebook page for the competition @ZiggyTheLouthNose. We are dependent on public votes to win. You can vote once every 24hours until the 21st of August. Any dog food won will be donated to Dundalk Dog Rescue."

"He is proud to have the title of the waggiest tail in Louth and when you meet him you can see why. He makes every day a happy day with his slobbery kisses and cuddles.

"Ziggy is very clever and loves learning new tricks, although if there is a bird/ball/frizbee in the location all commands go out the window. Ziggy is the most loved member of the family, and people are disappointed when I call over to their houses without him.

"He is well renowned with the local school children in Dundalk as his "Mammy" is a teacher! Ziggy is a funny character with a unique personality."

www.facebook.com/ZiggyTheLouthNose/


Instantly delete email threats for Office 365

With the free app, 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts + security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click. Download now!

The line between journalism and public relations can be fuzzy, and news organizations have wrestled with that problem for some time. However, that line recently has become more blurred than ever, with some publications enlisting armies of nonprofessional scribes to satisfy an insatiable appetite for content.

It's easy to understand why the problem has mushroomed. Demand for copy has gone up. The number of people to produce it and the revenue it generates have gone down. The result has been the rise of business models that embrace dubious editorial practices in the pursuit of fatter bottom lines.

One such practice is the use of contributor networks to fill Web pages. Networks of writers, usually with some measure of expertise in a subject, have become attractive to some publishers because they often can pay nothing or next-to-nothing for the content. They're attractive to subject experts, too, providing them with opportunities to get their bylines in prominent publications.

Since those networks largely depend on voluntary disclosure policies to vet contributors, the practice is ripe for abuse, as Stephen Gandel discovered several years ago, when examining contributors to financial websites.

"In the past year or so, several finance websites -- including Forbes.com, Seeking Alpha, Wall St. Cheat Sheet, and others -- have published articles by authors who were allegedly paid to promote the stocks they were writing about," he wrote in a 2014 Fortune article.

"These articles were not labeled as advertisements and carried no disclosures that the authors had been compensated by their subjects," Gandel continued.

Journalistic Netherworld

It doesn't appear that things have changed much since Gandel's piece appeared.

The practice of paying journalists and others for publishing promotional content while making no mention of the money changing hands is very much alive, according to Jon Christian, who conducted an investigation of "payola" in online publications and reported his findings in a 3,000-word article for The Outline last year.

Christian interviewed more than two dozen marketers, journalists and others about individuals and marketing firms that paid journalists to promote their clients in articles and keep the arrangements on the QT.

All the publications in which the journalists placed articles and took payoffs had strict policies prohibiting such behavior, but apparently that did not deter some writers from supplementing whatever the publication was paying them with some under-the-table money.

"In that journalistic netherworld, where business leaders can pay to write about their own industries and publicists are trusted to write about topics related to their own clients," Gandel wrote, "it can feel as though a dark new media zeitgeist has swept away old norms of integrity and independence and replaced them with a racket that, depending on your perspective, is either very funny or very sad."

Due Diligence

Payola is not limited to writers. "Earned" or "organic" public relations is among the services offered by firms such as JoTo PR of Tampa, Florida, for example. Earned PR is the result of a journalist following up on a PR person's story pitch and developing it into an article for publication.

For example, a company that has sponsored a survey may release results that reveal some insights about its industry or consumers, which can be spun into a trends story.

For the last several months, though, there has been a disturbing turn with respect to earned PR pitches, according to Karla Jo Helms, JoTo's chief evangelist and anti-PR strategist.

"I've noticed that more publications are coming back and saying, 'We're not doing earned media any more. You can pay us $350, and we'll do a mention -- more and we'll do an article,'" she told the E-Commerce Times.

That happens at only a small percentage of the publications JoTo deals with, Helms said. "It started to get on my radar when I started talking to my delivery team and found medical and health care publications doing it."

"How can they be doing their due diligence on these health care products and services?" she asked. "It would seem that they would be beholden to the person that paid them."

Power of Advertorial

As media outlets mine new ways to make money, the distinction between ads and editorial content can be a casualty. The rise of the "advertorial," or "native advertising," is an example of that. It is the practice of packaging advertising in a format that looks like editorial content, creating the illusion of earned public relations.

Advertorials succeed in misleading people, in part, by tamping down their skepticism and expectations for truth in advertising, according to a Dartmouth College-Stanford University study of health advertorial published in 2016.

An advertorial is supposed to be clearly identified. If it isn't, an advertiser is courting trouble, according to a media kit for pitch outfits prepared by The Seattle Times.

"Studies have shown that an advertorial can often generate better response [than] a direct promotion, but to avoid any confusion and potential customer backlash, advertisers must take extra care to clearly define the space as commercial, not editorial," the paper notes.

"In today's skeptical society, anything less than total transparency can be fatal to a company's reputation," it continues.

"Any time you do something and you don't disclose it, you know it's probably not OK," JoTo's Helms added.

Murky Distinctions

Making paid advertising look like earned public relations can be an effective tool if used correctly, noted Elizabeth Lampert, president of Elizabeth Lampert PR in Los Angeles.

"One could argue it's sort of like product placement where people pay for their product to be highlighted in movies and other venues," she told the E-Commerce Times.

"If you are providing content and you are using native advertising or advertorials, the line is blurred if and when you are being deceptive or providing false information," Lampert said.

"There is definitely a market for this, and in our content-driven world it has to be considered in any type of PR campaign. Today, there's no solid line where paid media ends and earned media takes over. You'll find people using a blend of the two," she observed.

"The tricky part about this for a PR company is it runs a fine line if there is any suggestion of deception," Lampert added. "You don't want to get a reputation for creating content that has every intention of tricking the audience into thinking an ad is actually editorial content."

There is no wiggle room when it comes to paying for product placement in news and feature stories, maintained Dan Kennedy, an associate professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston.

"Pay to play is completely unacceptable, but it's also understandable, since writers have to pay the rent just like anyone else," said Kennedy, author of The Return of the Moguls: How Jeff Bezos and John Henry Are Remaking Newspapers for the Twenty-First Century.

"Media organizations that pay their contributors little or nothing are reaping what they've sown," he told the E-Commerce Times, "and they have little credibility when they express outrage about the practice."

John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.




Instantly delete email threats with 365 Threat Monitor

With 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts, real-time security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click - for free! Learn More.

I just finished The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity, and it was one hell of a read.

A lot of us are concerned about the coming of robots that arguably will be substantially smarter and more capable than we are. This book likely will make some feel a tad more comfortable about the future, because it points out in some detail that a lot of the blue-collar jobs that supposedly would be going to these metallic false humans won't be.

On the other hand, a lot of the white color jobs we thought were safe -- well, they probably won't be around for long. Those of you who are in the fields where much of this coming effort is focused, like medicine -- well, you are either screwed or you're going to have an exciting time, depending on how much you like change.

I should point out that while there is a lot in this book that is impressively right, there also is a lot that is wrong. It showcases that the level of change we will be facing in the next decade or so will be so disruptive that no one, even the incredibly well-connected author of this book, Byron Reese, is going to be able to predict the future with much accuracy.

Yet this book lays a great foundation that will help you understand the changes that are coming, and understanding a change often goes a long way toward removing the fear surrounding it. It is survivable -- and I agree with Reese's point that there are stronger odds in favor of the future being far brighter than today than the other way around.

If widely read, books like this can become self-fulfilling prophecies. It can help ensure that bright future, which is one of the strongest reasons not only for reading it but also for getting your friends to read it.

I'll share some ideas on how artificial intelligence will impact the future of your career, and then close with my product of the week: a really handy International WiFi service that substantially could reduce your connectivity costs when you travel overseas.

AI and Your Job

It is really interesting to me how perceptions surrounding which jobs are most at risk have changed over the last five years. When I first started seriously covering AI, the consensus appeared to be that smart robots would take the jobs of blue collar workers first.

The logic was that those jobs were relatively easy to perform, the workers often were problematic because they really didn't enjoy their jobs, and, honestly, I think the folks making the predictions were biased in thinking the robots wouldn't take their jobs.

The book does the best job I've seen so far with regard to coming up with a way to calculate job risk -- and if you use the formula from the book, blue-collar employees are relatively safe. Since I want you to read the book, I won't share the entire formula, but in summary it suggests that the more expensive the job, the more knowledge it requires, and the more people who do it, the more likely it is that the job will be done by a future AI. This is economics at work.

AIs are great with anything that has to do with data, but they aren't good with breadth, particularly if there is a lot of random activity. The economics favor replacing highly paid workers at scale over low paid workers.

Looking the other way, the more variables you have, the closer to unique your skills are, and the less you make, the less likely it is that you will be replaced by an AI. For example, a radiologist is an ideal target for an AI while someone who repairs old clocks is not.

However, I should point out that the folks creating AIs often don't use this type of mechanism to decide on the economics of the result. For instance, another job that the book suggests should be at low risk is actor.

You might remember that a few decades back there were commercials featuring John Wayne that went up long after John had gone to that great western movie in the sky. Old footage of other deceased actors was repurposed in other such commercial efforts as well.

Now there is a substantial ongoing effort to create digital actors with their own performance capabilities.

Another profession that shouldn't be on the short list is truck drivers. The complexity of driving trucks in traffic is very high, truck drivers aren't that expensive, and while there are a lot of them, they have a powerful union that will resist the effort. When you factor in the cost of replacing the truck, the change is relatively expensive.

However, the U.S. is short something like 50K truck drivers, and folks have been predicting that if we don't fix this, it will drop the country into a recession. So, there has been a ton of effort expended to create autonomous trucks, because the need is so great. (Interestingly, this could be offset using immigrants -- particularly given that the trucking companies are willing to fund training and living costs during the training because they are so desperate -- but sadly, our government has been blind to that solution.)

This means that while the formula in the book can help you feel safe, you still need to maintain a high level of awareness of what is going on with AI research in your field, because the clear majority of folks building AIs clearly haven't been using this formula.

16-Hour Work Week

One of the really interesting things the book points out is that we could have a 16-hour work week in the future. It also points out that the majority of us still would choose to work more than 40 hours instead, because we would want the stuff the extra hours give us.

I have a couple of neighbors who live this life today. They live on a far tighter budget than I do, but they spend most of their days biking, hiking, going to concerts, and generally playing. The offset is they can't afford what I can, but they arguably have a far healthier life.

Author Reese points out that the basic rule is that every few decades the advancements are such that the living quality in all the classes moves up a range, and you can choose to work less and have the same lifestyle or work more and effectively have the lifestyle of the next higher class.

For instance, folks in the 1950s middle class mostly cooked their own food, and they didn't have air conditioning or many of the luxuries we now take for granted. You likely could work 40 percent of the hours you now do and have that same lifestyle.

The lifestyle many now have -- with cars, comforts and freedom -- matches well with very wealthy in the 50s. Many people effectively have moved up a class without realizing it. Thirty or so years from now, the quality of your life working a 40-hour week likely will rival the rich of today -- or you can cut the amount of work you do and have a lifestyle similar to what you have today.

You'll likely choose to keep working hard because you'll want that stuff. Granted, it likely will include using robotic maids, self-driving cars, and other automated solutions, but it will be like you have people taking care of your every need, like the rich do today.

Apparently, we are a tad greedy as a race and are more likely to trade off extra work for extra luxury, but I expect, many of us don't realize we have a choice. Quality of life may be better than quantity of robots.

Terminator Fears

One of the big concerns is that we will end up in a dystopian future with robots killing us all off. I'm one of those who think that is a valid concern, largely for two reasons: 1) We often release new technology without fully vetting it; and 2) There is the small issue that governments around the world are creating AI weapons.

I was watching a video of a Russian robot firing weapons and it was so close to The Terminator that it was frightening (it fired automatic weapons and blew away every target).

The good news is that in the short term, these things require a lot of servicing. In The Fourth Age, Reese points out that during a Russian test of an AI robot the robot escaped and then ran out of power in the middle of the street, causing a traffic jam.

Fortunately, we haven't yet been able to fix the power problem with these things -- but should someone fix the battery problem, we could very well be screwed. As it happens, I cover batteries, and there is no breakthrough on the horizon that creates a robot that won't run out of power... yet.

Wrapping Up

The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity is a must-read book for the summer. Byron Reese does an excellent job framing the issue, explaining the dynamics, and covering the current breadth of thought surrounding it.

What's more important is that this book gives you a strong baseline for understanding AI, covering many of the unique efforts currently going on. Those unique efforts could put you at risk, so it is critical not only that you read the book but also that you keep track of AI developments in your field.

The good news is that jobs will come up to build these new robots, train them, and service them -- possibly allowing you to survive the coming wave of the things.

One final thing: There is a ton of interesting information in the book that could allow you to dominate related discussions in the future. For instance, I didn't realize that as a race, we couldn't see most colors until relatively recently. Also, countries that were aggressive with robots lost fewer jobs than those that weren't as aggressive. (The economies of scale moved the related business to the firms with the robots, and the related growth offset significantly the inherent job losses.)

Reading this book likely will ensure your future, and I couldn't recommend it more highly.

I was traveling in Italy last week, and to address the very expensive data roaming charges I typically incur when I stream my TV programs overseas, I tried a new product called "iWiFiTravel. "

This is a service that sends you a special 4G WiFi puck with a daily US$10 charge for data. You log into the site, specify your days of travel, specify your shipping speed (we were leaving in two days, so I chose overnight) and you get the device in the mail for your trip. After you return home, you mail the device back -- much like a Netflix DVD -- and you're done.

iWiFiTravel Mobile WiFi Hotspot

The device worked flawlessly on the trip, and it was particularly useful for Netflix and Amazon Prime because the hotel WiFi sucked -- as is typically the case in the U.S. -- which caused my Amazon Fire TV to stop the program, forcing me to constantly restart it.

With iWiFiTravel, I was able to binge watch all of the Lost in Space reboot on this trip (decent show), which I wouldn't have been able to do without it.

Prime was more problematic because Amazon could tell I was in Europe and many of the Prime programs aren't licensed for Europe at the moment. This suggests that a nice option might be a built-in virtual private network.

Currently the service doesn't cover Asia -- that will come in August -- but if you are going to Europe, the iWiFiTravel is a great way to get your programs (and do some work) without dropping a ton of cash.

Because this reasonably priced service made my evenings in Italy more enjoyable, and got me through Netflix's Lost in Space, it's my product of the week.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network.

Rob Enderle has been an ECT News Network columnist since 2003. His areas of interest include AI, autonomous driving, drones, personal technology, emerging technology, regulation, litigation, M&E, and technology in politics. He has an MBA in human resources, marketing and computer science. He is also a certified management accountant. Enderle currently is president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group, a consultancy that serves the technology industry. He formerly served as a senior research fellow at Giga Information Group and Forrester. Email Rob.


By Daisy Dunne

Releasing aerosols into the atmosphere in order to limit the rise in global temperature would not stave off damage to crop yields, a new study suggests.

Scientists have suggested that intentionally releasing aerosols into the atmospherea type of "solar geoengineering"could help to limit global warming by reflecting away incoming sunlight in a similar way to a volcanic eruption.

The new research uses historical data to investigate how past major volcanic eruptions have impacted global crop yields. It finds that, following past eruptions, global crop yields have been negatively impacted by a reduction in direct sunlightwhich impairs the ability of plants to photosynthesize.

The findings suggest that, if ever used, solar geoengineering could benefit crops by cooling temperatures and reducing the risk of heat stress. However, this positive effect could be largely offset by the negative impacts associated with a reduction in sunlight, the authors say.

However, the new research is "limited" and does not take into account the differences that are likely to exist between volcanic eruptions and solar geoengineering, other scientists tell Carbon Brief. Therefore, they say, it should not be used to draw "solid conclusions."

Artificial Volcanoes

Solar geoengineering is a term used to describe a set of still-hypothetical technologies that could limit global warming by reflecting more sunlight away from Earth.

The most commonly proposed technology is "stratospheric aerosol injection," a technique where reflective solid particles known as aerosolssuch as sulphur dioxidewould be released high up in the stratosphere using, for example, a high-altitude balloon or plane.

Because the technique has never been tested, it is still unclear what its impacts would be.

However, previous research using modeling suggests that releasing aerosols could limit temperature rise and restore rainfall to pre-industrial conditions. This could benefit crop production, which is likely to face threats from heat stress and drought as the climate warms.

Yet, other scientists have postulated that solar geoengineering could be harmful to crops. This is because the presence of reflective aerosols reduces the amount of direct sunlight reaching plants. Plants absorb sunlight and use it to create energy during photosynthesis.

The new research, published in Nature, is the first to look at the potential impacts of solar geoengineering via the use of "real world" analoguestwo previous volcanic eruptions.

When a volcano erupts, it spews out ash, dust, CO2 and sulphur dioxide high into the atmosphere. The sulphur dioxide combines with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols, whichalong with the ash and dusttemporarily cool the planet by reflecting away sunlight.

The two eruptions include Mexico's El Chichon in 1982 and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991the latter of which, in its aftermath, released enough aerosols to cause average global temperatures to dip by 0.5C, according to the researchers.

Mount Pinatubo eruption, June 12, 1991, Luzon, Philippines Dave Harlow, USGS / Wikimedia Commons

The findings of the research suggest that, if solar geoengineering were to be used, its impact on incoming sunlight would "wash out" any potential benefits the technology would have for agriculture, lead author Jonathan Proctor, a Ph.D. student at the Global Policy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, told a press briefing. He said:



"The implications of this are that solar geoengineering, using sulphate-based aerosols like we saw emitted from these volcanic eruptions, may be an ineffective way to mitigate the damages that climate change poses to global agricultural production."

Yielding Results

For the study, the researchers used historical data taken from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to explore how the yields of several crops, including wheat, maize and rice, were affected in the aftermath of each eruption.

The chart below shows changes to several variables, including aerosol cover, average global temperature and average global crop yields between 1980 and 2010. On the chart, the dashed lines show when the eruptions of El Chichon and Mount Pinatubo occurred.

The researchers estimate that the impact of the Mount Pinatubo eruption on sunlight caused global yields of maize to fall by 9 percent and global yields of wheat, soy and rice to fall by an average of 5 percent.

The El Chichon eruption had a "significant" impact on maize yields, but only a small effect on yields of other crops, the research shows.

One reason maize could have been impacted the most is that it is a "C4" plant (meaning that during photosynthesis it produces a sugar compound that has four carbon atoms), while the other crops are "C3" plants (meaning they produce a sugar that has three carbon atoms).

Research shows that C3 plants require less sunlight to reach optimum levels of photosynthesis than C4 plantsmeaning they are likely to be less affected by the solar dimming caused by aerosol release.

Geoengineered World

To understand how solar geoengineering could impact crop yields, the researchers applied their results to a climate model.

The model looked at changes to crop yields under two future scenariosone with "moderate" climate change ("RCP4.5") and one with the same level of emissions, but also an injection of aerosols. The scenario assumes that the amount of aerosols released is enough to offset the temperature change caused by all emissions occurring after 2020.



The modeling results show that, in the solar geoengineering scenario, cooler global temperatures boost average maize yields by 6 percent, when compared to the climate change scenario.

However, the reduction of direct sunlight in the same scenario reduces maize yields by 5 percent over the same period. Yields are also slightly decreased as a result of the impact of aerosol release on rainfall and cloud cover.

The findings show that, in comparison to a scenario with climate change alone, solar geoengineering "has no statistically discernible effect on yields once we have accounted for optical effects," the researchers said in their paper.

The researchers also found that solar geoengineering had an "insignificant" effect on yields of soy, rice and wheatin comparison to the climate change scenario.

Food for Thought

The findings suggest that, on balance, solar geoengineering could "fail" to prevent the damage to global crop yields expected under climate change alone, said Proctor.

The new research could offer a new avenue for solar geoengineering researchers, said co-author professor Solomon Hsiang, a policy researcher from the University of California, Berkeley. He told a press briefing:

"A key innovation of this study was to find a way to study the potential side-effects of geoengineering without actually deploying it."

However, although the research is "useful and important" to understanding more about how the dimming of sunlight could affect agriculture, it does not provide "solid evidence" of how solar geoengineering would impact crops, said professor David Keith, director of the Solar Geoengineering Research Program at the University of Harvard, who was not involved in the research. He told Carbon Brief:

"Solar geoengineering would likely differ from volcanoes in two crucial respects. First, and most important, solar geoengineering would be a relatively continuous application of aerosols rather than a single pulse that lasts less than a year. The climate response to continuous and pulsed radiative forcingscience speak for dimming the sunwould be very different.

"Second, most serious proposals for solar geoengineering assume that it would be designed to have roughly even pole-to-pole radiative forcing. A volcano, in contrast, tends to produce a quite asymmetric radiative forcing. That asymmetry again produces a climate response quite different from what would likely happen under solar geoengineering."

The new research also does not consider how solar geoengineering could influence the occurrence of extreme events, such as heatwaves and droughts, which are likely to be important to crop production, said Dr. Anthony Jones, a research fellow from the University of Exeter, who was also not involved in the research. He told Carbon Brief:

"I suspect that the crop yields are sensitive to changes to extremes  for instance, droughts and heatwaves  that may be ameliorated by SRM and which are not accounted for in this model."

The methods used by the research team are "interesting" and provide "new results," said professor Alan Robock from the the department of environmental sciences at Rutgers University. He told Carbon Brief:

"But they are based on agricultural practices from 30 years ago. More study of whether modern and future farming, including new equipment, seeds, and fertilizers, would react the same way is needed."

The study takes an "important" step forward in understanding the potential socio-economic impacts of solar geoengineering, said professor Govindasamy Bala, from the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science. He told Carbon Brief:

"However, I do not think this is the last word on this subject. More similar studies would be needed to narrow down the uncertainty in process modeling."

Agreeing with Bala, professor Douglas MacMartin, an engineering researcher from Cornell University, who contributed to a hearing on geoengineering at the U.S. House of Representatives, said the results should provide "motivation" for more research. He told Carbon Brief:

"The study is important for looking at a possible impact of solar geoengineering that no one has yet explored. But because the data that goes into the study is so limited and so noisy, one shouldn't read too much into it, at least not yet. Instead, this should be taken simply as motivation for doing more research and only reaching conclusions after more studies have looked at this question."

Reposted with permission from our media associate Carbon Brief.


When I was in middle and high school, I remember being so excited to start a new school year. But I also recall feeling anxious, nervous, and sometimes even downright terrified to head back to school. Transitions to new schools were especially frightening. Would I be able to find my classes? Would the teacher be mean to me if I was late? Would I know anyone? And, oh my God, the cafeteria! What if none of my friends had the same lunch as me?! High school, in particular, petrified me. It didnt help that my older sister and her friends would look at me and shake their heads, saying, Youre never going to make it.

Now, Im a high school teacher. Suspecting that students today might feel the same first-day-of-school anxiety as I once did, I set out to talk to freshmen and upperclassmen as they arrived for the first day of school. Below are some of the major concerns students shared with me last year, along with some tips on how teachers can help alleviate those fears:

1. Im afraid Ill get lost. This was the No. 1 fear students articulated to me. My school is fairly small, but I know some school campuses encompass several buildings. To help students acclimate to a new environment, advisory and homeroom teachers can take students on tours around the building. Student-mentors from the senior class can also pitch in to help freshmen get acquainted with their new school. Dont forget how much reassuring words can help, whether theyre from teachers or fellow students. I usually tell incoming freshmen, Look, no one knows where they are going on the first few days. Just ask someone to point you in the right direction. Youll have it down in no time at all.

2. Im scared my teachers will be hard/mean/tough. The second biggest concern, especially from freshmen, can easily be allayed. I encourage my students to visit their teachers before or after school to say hello, to establish relationships, and to ask clarifying questions about the course and assignments.

During class, teachers should let students know when they are available after or before school. Even so, some students may be too shy or tentative to visit on their own, and teachers may need to reach out to them first. Sometimes Ill ask students to stop by after school because I have a quick question for them. Phrasing it that way is much less intimidating than saying, See me after school.

3. Im scared I wont be able to use the technology. Its critical to provide students with a friendly environment where they feel safe enough to take risks and ask questions about unfamiliar technology. I teach in a low-income, urban school, and many of my students do not have access to technology at home. I can sympathize with students who have never used Google Drive before, because not so long ago I was in their shoes.

Throughout the school year, groups of students at my school meet with an assigned teacher for academic and social support during advisory time . Recently, when my school transitioned from a 1:1 iPad program to a 1:1 Chromebook program, we held a three-hour advisory period to help students learn to use their new Chromebooks. Students helped one another during this time, with more advanced Chromebook users assisting the novices. It was exciting to see my students embracing the role of teacher, learning from each other, and sharing tips and strategies, so they could all master the use of their Chromebooks.

4. Im afraid I wont make friends. The social aspects of school can be frightening. I learned about the Buddy Bench from a nightly newscast and immediately thought the idea was ingenious: Students who are looking for a friend (whether on the playground, in the cafeteria, or in another location) can sit on the buddy bench, and students who are not sitting on the bench can ask that student to join them and make a new friend. This idea originated in Germany, and a Pennsylvania elementary school student is credited with bringing it to the United States.

In the upper grades, advisories can help. Since advisory classes or groups usually stay together for four years, students really get to know one another. Icebreakers like gatherings"an activity that was introduced in my school last year, in which students answer a common question and then share their thoughts with the groupenable students to feel safer and more comfortable.

Joining sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities can also help students build relationships. These provide opportunities for students to make friends who share their interests and to make great memories. Teachers and social workers can keep their eyes out for students who might benefit from clubs and activities, and then encourage those students to join. For example, I often recruit students from my classes to join the culture club I sponsor; after a few activities together, it is heartwarming to see new friendships grow and flourish.

5. Im terrified of my Advanced Placement or honors class. Students who challenge themselves with a rigorous curriculum frequently worry about keeping up. I often emphasize to my students that time-management and strong organizational skills are half the battlestaying on top of work, not waiting until the last minute, and keeping a calendar are extremely important for success. I also encourage students to meet with their teachers for extra help. Honors and AP teachers, like all teachers, want to see students succeed, and they are willing to stay late, provide extra practice, and answer questions. The student just needs to show up!

On my first day of high school back in 1972, I didnt disappoint my sister and her friends: I fell down a flight of stairs in my brand-new platform shoes and landed in front of the boys locker room. But after a few weeks, I connected with my teachers, joined some clubs, and carried around an assignment book that helped me stay on top of my work. Similarly, if educators at a school all work together to recognize and assuage students back-to-school jitters, we can ensure that school is a fun and safe place that offers students endless opportunities.

So, heres to starting a fun and exciting new school year! Just remember to leave the platform shoes at home.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
Dr. Andreas Noack, Fraunhofer IPMS gives the Tutorial Li-Fi at the Wireless Congress 2018

Five questions to Dr. Alexander Noack from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS on his tutorial From Wi-Fi to Li-Fi at the 15th Wireless Congress 2018 on November 14 in Munich.

Light instead of radio. At the 15th Wireless Congress, Dr. Alexander Noack from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS will present data transmission via light as an alternative to radio communication. His tutorial From Wi-Fi to Li-Fi on November 14, 2018 also deals with the question of whether local wireless radio networks can be replaced with wireless light networks.





? Mister Dr. Noack, what is Li-Fi?

! Dr. Alexander Noack: Li-Fi stands for Light Fidelity and means wireless data communication with light.



? With which goal and for which applications Li-Fi was developed?

Li-Fi for point to multipoint communication.

! Dr. Noack: Li-Fi provides several advantages over established wireless data communication solutions which are especially interesting for future data access infrastructure like 5G or beyond: high data rates, high security, no radio frequency interferences, high cell density, real-time capability.



? Who supports Li-Fi?

! Dr. Noack: Li-Fi is promoted and supported by several companies in Europe and in the World. There are efforts to standardize Li-Fi in the IEEE and the ITU-T. Beginning of 2018 the first Li-Fi Congress was held in Paris.





? How can system designer use Li-Fi?

14-15 November 2018Munichwww.wireless-congress.com

! Dr. Noack: As for other wireless communication technologies you will need a transmitter and a receiver to establish a Li-Fi link.

Usually one will include both in a transceiver-module to allow bidirectional data communication.

The Fraunhofer IPMS transceiver-modules are designed to be seamlessly integrated into any existing infrastructure for example with standard CAT6 Ethernet cables. Its Plug-and-Play, no software is needed.

? What will you show in your tutorial at Wireless Congress 2018 and who are you addressing?

Light (Li-Fi) for the board-to-board data communication.

! Dr. Noack: We will go through the Li-Fi communication basics, the pros and cons compared to the established communication technologies as well as some application examples.

It will be an interactive session where we will explore the potential and the limits of Li-Fi communication together.

We will also present some Li-Fi Demonstrators to get in touch with this interesting technology.



Wireless Congress: Systems & Applications Tutorial 4: From Wi-Fi fo Li-Fi 14 November 2018, 16:30  18:00 Munich www.wireless-congress.com

Dr. Alexander Noack, team leader of the Optical Wireless Communications Group at Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS

Dr. Alexander Noack

is working at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS since 2011. He is a team leader of the Optical Wireless Communications Group. Dr. Noack studied electrical engineering at the Dresden University of Technology and received his PhD in 2016 in the field of microcontroller-based signal processing.

alexander.noack@ipms.fraunhofer.de
What effect will climate change have on the insurance industry, and what can insurers do to mitigate climate risk? Participants in part two of this roundtable from InsuranceERM and DWS discuss the strategic transformations that are needed, and the influence of voluntary and regulatory initiatives on this process

Participants Otto Bedford, group deputy head of risk and ACM entities chief risk officer, Aspen

Zelda Bentham, group head of sustainability, Aviva

Rowan Douglas, CEO capital science and policy practice, Willis Towers Watson

Tom Herbstein, senior programme manager, Sustainable Finance and Climatewise, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Michael Lewis, head of ESG thematic research, DWS

Vincent Huck, editor, Insurance Asset Risk

Anne Marie Shepherd, director, international sales, DWS Chaired by: Christopher Cundy, managing editor, InsuranceERM & Insurance Asset Risk

Climate risk for a general insurer

Otto Bedford: As a general (non-life) insurer, one way you avoid the risk of a changing climate is writing short-term contracts. But in life insurance, you are forced to think much longer-term. How do you deal with the fact that the data you have is not applicable in five years' time?

Zelda Bentham: It is something we are very conscious of. There is also going to be a huge issue if the transition risks' impact on assets kick in before the physical impacts on the liabilities side, as this may mean that insurers are not as easily able to pay out the liabilities.

Christopher Cundy: Will the world be uninsurable with a temperature rise of four degrees? Or do you side with Warren Buffett and think more catastrophes will create more business for re/insurers?

Tom Herbstein: Warren Buffett's comment did surprise me, from someone that prides himself as a long-term investor. If the industry continues to simply re-price risk, in some markets insurance could become unaffordable. A focus on resilience will help to manage that.

The financial markets will face risk either way. If we go to a four-degree world, there is going to be a tremendous amount of physical risk exposure to manage. If we 'save the world', we are going to have less physical risk, but far more transition risk to manage.

From my perspective, I hope we have a lot of future transition risk to deal with as that would be a sign that we are moving in the right directions. However, physical risk undoubtedly captures people's attention more.

Otto Bedford: There might be an increase in the need for government-backed insurance pools, like the UK's Flood Re or US National Flood Insurance Program, because you are going to end up with pockets of uninsurable areas. If it is not a government scheme, it will be the government forcing the commercial industry to cross-subsidise by saying: 'If you want to write any of this, you have to write all of it.'

Also, in our own products, we will have to find ways to identify the risks and then credit people for taking actions to avoid them. The trouble is, we are in such a soft market at the moment, that it's hard to implement charging more for the people that do nothing.

Zelda Bentham: The insurance sector needs to get better at helping people take more responsibility for the risks themselves. In our Canadian commercial property underwriting business, provision of cover provides up to 10% of the loss of damage to make their property more resilient. It could be used for hurricane clips to secure the roof to the walls, anchors to hold the walls to the foundation or improve the type of roofing in hail-prone areas to more hail-resistant products. If the measures mean losses are minimised over a five-year period, then it has mitigated the risk and benefits both customer and insurer.

Otto Bedford: If governments could just make it mandatory that anything rebuilt with insurance money has to be rebuilt properly, it would be marvellous!

Rowan Douglas: We need to create a structural change in the way that governments view the insurance industry. It has happened before with urban fire: in the 1870s in the US  when bigger, industrialised cities were burning down  insurers said 'this is not sustainable unless we do certain things'. Effectively insurance became mandatory, because capital providers required it, but insurers then required governments to impose building codes, zoning laws and fire departments.

Now, governments have worked out there is a tremendous global pool of capital that can be brought to bear on these risks, and there is a desire to use the institution of insurance to crack big social or economic problems. Climate sustainability is going to drive wider changes, but we as an industry have got to be prepared to engage in that dialogue.

But the bigger picture is, if global temperatures rise four degrees, it is not really the direct physical risks to property that I am particularly worried about. What will be the effects on global agriculture and food production? Or on migration?

Tom Herbstein: What then should the insurance industry of the future look like? Will it be one that focuses primarily on financial risk transfer, or is it one that becomes much broader and where financing of disasters plays just one part?

Rowan Douglas: That is what the industry has always done. I know in most specific examples of property risk now they are not doing that. But it was the insurance sector that made the electric system of the world safe, through the underwriters' laboratories. We have, broadly speaking, safe cars and safe road layouts, because there was an economic agent called the insurance industry which demanded those things.

Otto Bedford: With all the mergers and acquisitions leading to fewer, bigger players, I wonder if it will be easier for the industry to talk with a unified voice?

Rowan Douglas: The consolidation may help. But the challenge for the industry is, in a sense, no longer risk, and it is no longer capital  apart from having too much of it. The challenge is growth and this huge level of underinsured populations and assets, even in developed countries, let alone developing ones.

Almost all insurance is bought because people have to, so the only way we are going to get structural growth is to convince governments that, to manage societal risks, they need to encourage, or even compel, people to have insurance.

The other side is our investment capital: we have the ability to drive investment capital into some areas that governments really want.

Asset strategies

Christopher Cundy: Let us stick on that point about what asset management can do in this space. Do insurers need to divest from firms that pose big climate risks?

Michael Lewis: You can do it on a case-by-case basis, but saying you should get out of fossil fuels is not the best approach. These companies are actually changing themselves, and they are going to be needed in the transition to a low carbon economy.

However, asset managers are moving away from 'do no harm' into 'doing good' in terms of their ESG investment process. As a result, they are increasingly screening their assets to see whether they are aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, for example. But you have to be rigorous in your approach and as an asset manager must not over-promise on what they are doing.

Zelda Bentham: The other tool that underwriters and asset managers can use in this space is TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)  if it is taken seriously, if it produces decision-useful information, and if insurance companies and asset managers use the information appropriately.

I think that will come over time and hopefully it will be voluntary  but to capture all companies it will probably have to be mandatory.

Tom Herbstein: There are strategic benefits and opportunities of staying invested in companies and working with them to decarbonise, but there is also the very real risk  portfolio risk, material financial risk  of a sudden transition.

We are in a carbon bubble and it will burst at some point, likely before the 2040 global warming limit set in the Paris climate agreement that many governments are aligning to.

Michael Lewis: The asset management community is introducing products that try to eliminate that sort of exposure. For example, we have created low-carbon ETFs where the carbon footprint is something in the order of 80% lower than a typical ESG fund.

Zelda Bentham: New products are fine, but it is the existing products that hold the risk, is it not? How do we make sure those risks are taken into account by the mainstream fund? That is more of a challenge. I think it will be slower to implement, but it has to happen at some point.

Regulatory push

Christopher Cundy: Is there any regulation or initiative on the horizon that will influence insurance companies or asset managers in this regard?

Zelda Bentham: The TCFD is probably one of the front-runners. Two thirds of the G20 are looking at it. Most governments would prefer it to be voluntary to start with, but the UK's Environmental Audit Committee have called for it to be mandatory by 2025.

Tom Herbstein: Whether it's the TCFD or the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG) or the UK Green Finance Taskforce, just to name a few  there is a tremendous amount going on, and it really feels like an exciting time to be in sustainable finance.

ClimateWise is working on two projects: one looking at geographic concentration of risk within portfolios, mainly real estate; and the second is contributing to the transition risk conversation. We have just published a summary document on an open-source model looking at transition risk, on infrastructure assets initially.

Christopher Cundy: Is there anything that your boards are beginning to pick up on?

Michael Lewis: The EU action plan will be a major clarification of the investor duties as it relates to sustainable finance. Another is looking at green discounting factors  the pricing of brown versus green assets as well as the need to understand the sustainability interests and preferences of our clients and the need to explain how sustainability considerations are incorporated into our investment products.

Zelda Bentham: For us as a pension provider, it's the DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] and FCA [Financial Conduct Authority] responses to the Law Commission on how trustees and pension providers mirror the values of customers and take into account climate risk in the way that they provide pensions.

Vincent Huck: What do you think of the EU's plans to create a sustainable taxonomy, and introduce green labelling of financial products?

Michael Lewis: I am in favour. I will be interested to see how we define 'green' and 'brown' as I think this will be very challenging, but we have got to start somewhere.

Zelda Bentham: Being able to highlight whether a product or investment meets a particular standard is great. The challenge will be that it makes it more niche, rather than it being something that all investments take account of. Does putting a label on a product mean the rest are not doing anything?

To read part one of this roundtable click here.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Airlines are not the only organizations grappling with the complexities surrounding emotional support animals. Colleges and courts are also questioning the need for these animals and the effects they may have on students and juries, respectively, according to research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

The recent, rapid rise of emotional support animals has left colleges and universities struggling to understand the laws and how they can be applied to best support their communities, said Phyllis Erdman, PhD, professor at Washington State University, who chaired a symposium on emotional support animals and service dogs.

College and university counseling centers are seeing an uptick in the number of students seeking mental health services, as students report anxiety, depression and stress about relationships and academic performance, she said.

"It's not surprising that many schools are confronted with the growing phenomenon of emotional support animals. For many, the topic is a contentious one centered on whether students are taking advantage of the laws," said Erdman. "This is further compounded by the fact that laws pertaining to emotional support animals are different from those governing disability service animals and therefore schools may need to develop new policies."

A service animal falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act and is usually a dog that is trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a physical, sensory, psychiatric or intellectual disability, Emotional support animals are not trained in specific tasks and are not recognized under the ADA. Although emotional support animals are allowed in campus housing, they may not necessarily be allowed in classrooms or elsewhere on campus, according to the study Erdman presented.

Erdman and her colleagues wanted to understand the state of emotional support animal requests on campuses and how colleges and universities are responding. They surveyed 248 university counseling centers about student requests for letters to allow them to have emotional support animals. The survey questions included how often the counseling centers received requests from students, how the schools handled those requests and how they handled requests to diagnose a disability in order to obtain an emotional support animal. It also asked counseling centers if they had emotional support animal policies in place.

Fifty-seven percent of the centers reported almost never receiving such requests. Thirty-one percent did several times a year and only 2 percent got requests more than once a week, according to the study.

Despite the lack of an overwhelming demand, a majority of university counseling centers reported concern about having policies in place to handle such requests, according to Erdman.

"Even a limited number of requests for emotional support animals can cause stress for student affairs offices, housing offices, counseling centers and disability offices," she said. "Most schools wanted guidance and support for developing guidelines and navigating requests that come through."

Erdman suggested that schools establish general definitions of the terms disability, service animal and emotional support animal when crafting a policy. The definition of a disability should adhere to ADA guidelines, she said. Any policy development must follow federal and state laws and should include the perspectives of various campus constituencies, including counseling centers, accessibility services, general counsel's offices, campus safety departments and students themselves, according to Erdman.

"College students today are facing a great deal of stress and emotional support animals may help some students," said Erdman. "We hope our study can serve as a guide for colleges and universities to develop policies that help students thrive."

Uncertainty about emotional support animals is also occurring in courts, according to Dawn McQuiston, PhD, of Wofford College, who presented her research at the symposium. While objects such as dolls or teddy bears have been used for decades to calm vulnerable witnesses, courts began to include dogs in the mid-1990s to provide emotional support to alleged victims of child abuse. At least 144 courthouse facility dogs are now included in about three dozen states, she said. These dogs are provided by the court at the request of prosecutors to assist victims with the anxiety of testifying and reliving traumatic events.

Supporters say the dogs have made a huge difference in helping children and vulnerable adult witnesses open up on the stand, but some defense attorneys say having a friendly, sweet-looking canine in the witness box can prejudice a jury against a defendant by making the witness appear more believable and sympathetic, according to McQuiston.

"The concern is that the presence of a courthouse dog emphasizes that the witness is a victim, thereby playing to jurors' sympathies. As a result, witnesses may be viewed as even more vulnerable or likeable, thus conflicting with a defendant's right to a fair trial," said McQuiston.

She cited two notable appeals cases involving courtroom dogs. In both cases, the victims had a support dog during testimony, the defendants were convicted and the convictions were subsequently appealed on the grounds that the presence of the dog led to undue sympathy for the victim and violated the defendant's right to a fair trial. In both cases, the courts found no sign of prejudice due to the dogs' presence.

McQuiston and her colleagues investigated whether courthouse dogs, compared to inanimate comfort items, resulted in more prejudice against defendants involved in two hypothetical crimes: a child sexual abuse case and a robbery of a child. They set up mock trials in which participants, in the role of jurors, read transcripts of the testimony and were shown several pictures depicting the child witness with a dog, with a teddy bear or with nothing.

They found that the presence of the dog had no significant effect on the juries' outcomes, which McQuiston called surprising because the researchers had expected the dog to prejudice the jury against the defendant. Interestingly, their findings showed some biasing effects when the child clutched a teddy bear.

"Across two studies utilizing mock jury paradigms we found that, contrary to popular beliefs and our own predictions, courthouse dogs did not exert undue influence on juror decision-making regardless of the severity of the crimes tested, and did not differentially impact perceptions of child witnesses," she said.

Session 1034: "Emotional Support Animals and Service Dogs: Prevalence and Impact in Universities" and "Dogs in the Courthouse: Current Research and Implications," Symposium, Thursday, Aug. 9, 8 a.m. PDT, Room 157, Upper Mezzanine-South Building, Moscone Center, 747 Howard Street, San Francisco, Calif.

Presentations are available from the APA Public Affairs Office.

###

Contact: Phyllis Erdman at perdman@wsu.edu or Dawn McQuiston at dawn.mcquiston@gmail.com.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.
ROCKVILLE, MD - The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) has named James R. Lupski, MD, PhD, as the 2018 recipient of the Victor A. McKusick Leadership Award. Dr. Lupski is Cullen Professor of Molecular & Human Genetics and Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and attending medical geneticist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas.

This award, named in honor of the late Victor A. McKusick, MD, recognizes individuals whose professional achievements have fostered and enriched the development of human genetics as well as its assimilation into the broader context of science, medicine, and health. ASHG will present the McKusick Award, which will include a plaque and $10,000 prize, to Dr. Lupski on Tuesday, October 16, during the organization's 68th Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

"I knew Victor McKusick quite well and have had many meaningful scientific discussions with him," said Dr. Lupski. "He was a terrific physician-scientist, visionary, and true leader, and this award in his name is a tremendous honor for me."

Dr. Lupski's research focuses on understanding mutational mechanisms and linking specific mutations and genes to human disease. Dr. Lupski started his laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine in 1989, where he still resides. His most significant contributions to genomics are centered around conceptualizing and understanding the mechanisms underlying genomic disorders. This is seen through his studies of Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT) disease - specifically, duplication of the CMT1A gene. In 1991, Dr. Lupski showed that CMT1A copy number variation (CNV) and gene dosage are causes of CMT-related peripheral nerve dysfunction. In 2014, he and his colleagues found that the presence of three copies of CMT1A on one chromosome 17, a phenomenon known as triplication, causes a more severe form of CMT.

His group was also the first to describe non-allelic homologous recombination as a mechanism for CNV formation and chromosomal aberrations. These discoveries, with parallels and potential applications to other genomic disorders, furthered scientific understanding of the relationships between genetic variants and disease outcomes, helped define the field of genomic medicine, and are paving the way for precision medicine.

"This award is a well-deserved recognition of Dr. Lupski's achievements as a physician-scientist and leader in human genetics research," said David L. Nelson, PhD, President of ASHG.

In addition to his scientific leadership, Dr. Lupski received an honorary doctorate in 2011 from the Watson School of Biological Science at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He has coauthored over 700 scientific publications, including 88 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, and is a co-inventor on more than a dozen USPTO DNA molecular diagnostic patents. A longtime member of ASHG, Dr. Lupski was on the ASHG Board of Directors from 2000-02 and was a member of the ASHG Nominating Committee in 2004.

###
BOSTON - Investigators have discovered that arsenic in combination with an existing leukemia drug work together to target a master cancer regulator. The team, led by researchers at the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), is hopeful that the discovery could lead to new treatment strategies for diverse types of cancer. Their findings were published today online in Nature Communications.

Despite its current reputation as a poison, arsenic is considered one of the world's oldest drugs, used for centuries as a treatment for ailments ranging from infection to cancer. While arsenic at certain levels in public drinking water has been linked conclusively to a variety of cancers, surprisingly, its presence at other doses has been linked to unusually low rates of breast cancer.

Researchers including Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at BIDMC, also demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) - an oxide of arsenic that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1995 - when used in combination with another drug called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), was effective against acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a discovery that has transformed the treatment of the disease from being highly fatal to being highly curable. However, it's not fully clear what cellular target(s) these drugs act on, how they interact with each other, or whether they might be effective against other types of cancer.

Now, led by Kun Ping Lu, MD, PhD, and Xiao Zhen Zhou, MD, investigators at the Cancer Research Institute at BIDMC, discovered a previously unrecognized mechanism by which arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid work together to combat cancer. They found that the two drugs cooperate to destroy Pin1, a unique enzyme that the researchers discovered more than 20 years ago.

Together, when given at clinically safe doses, the drugs effectively inhibited numerous cancer-driving pathways and eliminated cancer stem cells in cell and animal models as well as patient-derived tumor models of triple-negative breast cancer, which has the worst prognosis of all breast cancer subtypes.

"Our discovery strongly suggests an exciting new possibility of adding arsenic trioxide to existing therapies in treating triple-negative breast cancer and many other cancer types, especially when patients' cancers are found to be Pin1-positive," said Zhou. "This might significantly improve the outcomes of cancer treatment."

Known to be a master regulator of cancer signaling networks, Pin1 activates more than 40 cancer-driving proteins and inactivates more than 20 tumor suppressing proteins. It has been found to be over-activated in most human cancers and is especially active in cancer stem cells - a subpopulation of cancer cells believed to drive tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis, but not effectively targeted by current therapies.

In their study, Zhou, Lu and their colleagues found that arsenic trioxide fights cancer by binding, inhibiting, and degrading Pin1. All-trans retinoic acid also binds and destroys the Pin1 enzyme, but in addition, it increases cells' uptake of arsenic trioxide, increasing expression of a cell membrane protein that pumps ATO into cells. Mice that lack expression of Pin1 are highly resistant to developing cancer even when their cells overexpress oncogenes or lack expression of tumor suppressors. Notably, these animals display no obvious defects for over half of lifespan, suggesting that targeting this master switch of an enzyme may be safe.

The findings are especially promising when considering the wide-range effects of Pin1. Aggressive tumors are often resistant to targeted therapies aimed at blocking individual pathways, but targeting Pin1 would not only short circuit numerous cancer-promoting signals, but also eliminate cancer stem cells, the two major sources of cancer drug resistance. However, no effective Pin1 inhibitors have yet been developed.

"It's gratifying to see this combination of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide that my lab discovered to be curative in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia translate into possible approaches for the treatment of other cancers," said Pandolfi. "Indeed, it is interesting to speculate that this combination may even prove curative in other tumor types yet to be discovered."

Although the anticancer effects of arsenic trioxide are potently amplified by all-trans retinoic acid co-treatment, all-trans retinoic acid has a very short time span of effectiveness. "We and others have confirmed the ability of all-trans retinoic acid to inhibit Pin1 function in breast cancer, liver cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia, as well as in lupus and asthma; however, clinical uses of all-trans retinoic acid, especially in solid tumors, have been severely limited by its very short half-life of 45 minutes in humans," said Lu. "Our results stimulate the development of longer half-life all-trans retinoic acid to combine with arsenic trioxide or other more potent Pin1 inhibitors because they may offer a promising new approach to fighting a broad range of cancers without general toxicity, as proven in curing APL."

###

Study coauthors include BIDMC investigators Shingo Kozono, Yu-Min Lin, Xiaolan Lian, Chenxi Qiu, Megan K. Herbert, Chun-Hau Chen, and Ziang Jeff Gao. Other co-investigators include Hyuk-Soo Seo, Benika Pinch, Li Tan, Walter Massefski, Zainab M. Doctor, Brian P. Jackson, Yuanzhong Chen, and Sirano Dhe-Paganon. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health CA167677 and CA205153.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.org.
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a five-year Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) grant of $30 million to Binghamton University, Johns Hopkins University (the lead institute for the grant) and Morgan State University.

The award will allow Binghamton University to send students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty to train at NIST. Every year for the next five years, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Binghamton University will be able to send faculty member, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students to NIST for conducting collaborative research in standard development.

The grant will be a chance for Binghamton University to partner with NIST, a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce, and the two other universities involved to develop standards for regenerative medicine and biomaterial manufacturing.

"This exciting program will enable Binghamton students, postdocs and faculty researchers to gain vital laboratory experience and play a role in advancing the field of biomedical engineering," said Bahgat Sammakia, vice president for research at Binghamton. "Collaboration is a vital part of any researcher's career, and it's fantastic to see a program that puts our students and scholars in a position to work on projects of national significance."

The principal investigator (PI) from Binghamton University is Professor Kaiming Ye from the Biomedical Engineering Department. Ye will be working with $5 million of the grant.

Ye is also the director of Binghamton University's Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine (CBRM).

"This program is a natural fit for what we've been doing in CBRM," said Ye. "The center was established to identify and define standards for cell biomanufacturing and tissue biofabrication, and has been working with the scientists at Biosystems and Biomaterials Division of NIST to accomplish this."

The three universities will also help the researchers trained through the grant connect with each other in order to further advance the field.

"The grant will provide a learning opportunity, a way to network with fellow researchers and a chance to better define the standards that all researchers will use in regenerative medicine and biomaterial manufacturing. It's important that Binghamton University gets to be a part of that," said Ye.

###
Parker Solar Probe will soon become the spacecraft to travel the closest to the Sun, by positioning itself a little over 6 million kilometers from our star's surface. During its journey within the solar corona, the NASA probe will notably have an on-board instrument developed by researchers from the CNRS, universite d'Orleans, and the CNES. In total five French laboratories are involved in this mission seeking to lift the veil on phenomena observed in the Sun's atmosphere. The probe is planned to leave Earth on August 11, 2018.

A little closer to the stars, inside the plasma corona surrounding the Sun. That's the goal of NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission, in an attempt to solve one of the biggest mysteries of contemporary physics: how can its atmosphere's temperature rise above a million degrees when that of its surface only reaches 6,000 Celsius? Astrophysicists have already proposed that the corona could be heated by electromagnetic waves produced on the surface, although it is impossible to test this hypothesis without going to this environment of extreme conditions, as the probe will do. Its measurements will also make it possible to study other phenomena, such as the sources of solar wind.

Parker Solar Probe will reach its target in November 2018, just three months after its launch from Cape Canaveral scheduled for August 11, on board NASA's most powerful launcher, the Delta IV Heavy rocket. To reach its target so quickly, the probe will break the speed relative to the Sun[1] record: at the closest point to the star, it will reach 700,000 kilometers per hour. At that speed relative to Earth, Parker Solar Probe would travel from Paris to Sydney in less than 2 minutes! The probe will complete twenty-five orbits near the Sun on this mission, interspersed with flybys near the Earth's orbit, during which the collected data can be sent to scientists. Its last three orbits will take it very near the Sun, nearly 6 million kilometers from the solar surface.

This American mission made the most of the expertise of five French laboratories, including the Laboratoire de physique et chimie de l'environnement et de l'espace (LPC2E; CNRS/CNES/Universite d'Orleans), which developed an instrument aboard Parker Solar Probe, a search-coil magnetometer for measuring variations in the corona's magnetic field. These measurements will be crucial for understanding how the corona can be heated to temperatures above a million degrees.

In addition, teams from the Laboratoire d'etudes spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (Observatoire de Paris-PSL/CNRS/Universite Paris Diderot/Sorbonne Universite) and the Laboratoire de physique des plasmas (CNRS/Observatoire de Paris-PSL/Ecole polytechnique/Universite Paris-Sud/Sorbonne Universite) contributed to the development of a radio receptor and two spectrometers produced in the United States. With regard to l'Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planetologie (CNRS/CNES/Universite Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier), it will be involved in the utilization of the images taken by the probe's on-board camera. Finally, the solar oven from the Procedes, materiaux et energie solaire laboratory of the CNRS enabled the testing of Parker Solar Probe's materials and sensors in conditions similar to those they will face near the Sun.

###

The know-how of these laboratories will also benefit another solar exploration mission planned for 2020, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter mission, which will set out for the Sun with various on-board measuring instruments developed by a number of French laboratories.

[1] To express spatial speeds clearly, they are defined relative to the object exerting the strongest gravitational influence. The previous speed record relative to the Sun was set in 1976 by the Helios B mission, with a speed of 252,782 km/h.
ITHACA, N.Y. - New research provides details of how the structure of the HIV-1 virus is assembled, findings that offer potential new targets for treatment.

The study, authored by a multi-institutional team led by Cornell University researchers, was published in the journal Nature. It reports that a small molecule called IP6 plays key roles in the immature development of the virus -- which occurs within an infected cell -- and in the mature development of the virus, which occurs after the virus buds out of the cell membrane and cleaves from the cell.

"This small molecule acts in two different assembly steps in the pathway," said Robert Dick, a postdoctoral researcher and the paper's first author. Dick works in the lab of Volker Vogt, professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and the paper's senior author.

The findings open the door to possible new therapies. One option is for researchers to develop or identify compounds that are similar to IP6 and could bind to the same sites as IP6, thereby blocking it and preventing the virus from maturing.

"A cell can make millions of virus particles, but if they don't go through the maturation process, they are not infectious," Dick said.

###

Co-authors included teams of researchers from the University of Delaware; the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany; the Institute of Science and Technology in Klosterneuburg, Austria; and the University of Missouri.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the German Research Foundation.

Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.
In tests with mice and in vivo culture, molecule designed in Brazil was capable of killing Plasmodium resistant strains and reducing the number of parasites in the bloodstream by 62 percent without attacking cells of the host organism

A novel laboratory-synthesized molecule based in natural compounds found in marine gliding bacteria - known as marinoquinolines - is a strong candidate for the development of a new antimalarial drug.

In tests, the molecule proved capable of killing even the strain that resists conventional antimalarials. The molecule displays low toxicity and high selectivity, acting only on the parasite and not on other cells of the host organism.

The molecule was developed in Brazil at the Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery (CIBFar), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) funded by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP. The researchers tested the molecule in strains cultured in vitro as well as in mice using Plasmodium berghei, since mice is immune to infection by Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the most aggressive type of malaria.

"In mice, the number of parasites in the bloodstream (parasitemia) had fallen 62% by the fifth day of the test. After 30 days, all the mice given doses of the molecule were still alive," said Rafael Guido, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo's Sao Carlos Physics Institute (IFSC-USP).

Guido co-authors an article published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, on which the researchers describe the molecule's inhibitory action in the blood and liver stages of the parasite's asexual cycle, which is responsible for the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Potentializing the molecule's pharmacological activity

Marinoquinolines were first isolated from marine gliding bacteria and, when discovered, were evaluated for activity against malaria, Chagas disease and tuberculosis. However, the natural products exhibited only weak to moderate activity against these pathogens.

"The core of these molecules, known as pyrroloquinoline [which contains 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinoline], drew our attention. This is a rare structure among natural products and is rarely discussed in the scientific literature," said Carlos Roque Duarte Correia, a professor at the University of Campinas's Chemistry Institute (IQ-UNICAMP) and principal investigator at the FAPESP center.

In 2012, the research group published a description of one of the first molecules synthesized from natural marinoquinolines.

"During the synthesis procedure, we realized the huge pharmacological potential of these molecules," Guido said. "We then made new structural modifications to the pyrroloquinoline portion using efficient catalytic processes, and from the structure obtained, we created a new molecule with hundreds of times more firepower against P. falciparum and no increase in toxicity."

Starved to death

The molecular mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood, but one of them is clearly hemozoin metabolism, a classic pathway for inhibiting the parasite.

The strategy consists of maintaining low levels of hemozoin, which is toxic to the parasite. Infection of the host begins in the red blood cells, as the hemoglobin they contain is the only source of energy for the parasite. Hemoglobin contains heme groups, which are highly toxic to the parasite in their free form (when separated from hemoglobin).

As the parasite has evolved, it has developed a mechanism that polymerizes heme groups to eliminate their toxicity. "This strategy for obtaining energy without toxicity is like sweeping dust under the carpet. The heme group stays there, but in a polymerized insoluble form that isn't toxic to the parasite," Guido said.

Among other mechanisms, the molecule developed by the CIBFar group of researchers inhibits this polymerization so the parasite is killed by the heme group.

"The molecule prevents formation of the polymer hemozoin, which the parasite has created to rid itself of the heme group's toxicity. If you prevent hemozoin formation, you kill the parasite," said Celia Regina Garcia, a professor in the University of Sao Paulo's Pharmaceutical Science School (FCF-USP) and a coauthor of the article. Garcia partnered with CIBFar on the project and was responsible for testing the molecule's mechanisms of action against the parasite.

Drug-resistant strains

Another indication that the marinoquinoline derivative is a promising drug candidate is the finding that it kills strains resistant to the three main antimalarial drugs, namely, chloroquine, pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine.

"Chloroquine is no longer used much to treat falciparum malaria, which accounts for the severest cases and most deaths from the disease," Garcia said. "The same is expected of artemisinin, which is still the main antimalarial and still effective, but its days are numbered because of resistance. The drug-resistant strains are spreading throughout Asia. Hence, there is a worldwide concern to develop drugs for malaria. I believe Brazil has the potential to lead in this area."

Malaria kills some 445,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). "If the number of deaths is so high while we have an effective drug, it will be even higher in future if we don't develop new drugs," Guido said. "Malaria is the world's deadliest parasitic disease, even with the relatively effective treatment we currently have."

Next steps

According to Duarte Correia, the first 50 molecules developed from marinoquinolines were tested in the FAPESP-supported study. "This work hasn't ended with this publication. We're still developing other compounds," he said.

The researchers are also characterizing the potential of this class to treat malaria caused by P. vivax, the most prevalent form in Brazil and are developing the pharmacokinetic part of the project (how drugs move through the organism).

"If the pharmokinetic properties, especially solubility, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, aren't adequate, the compound can build up in the organism and become toxic to the patient, making it inappropriate for treatment. After completing this step, we plan to perform preclinical and clinical trials," Guido said.

###

About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. For more information: http://www.fapesp.br/en.
Boston, MA - Men who most frequently wore boxers had significantly higher sperm concentrations and total sperm counts when compared with men who did not usually wear boxers, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings of this study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, suggest that certain styles of men's underwear may inhibit production of sperm.

"These results point to a relatively easy change that men can make when they and their partners are seeking to become pregnant," said Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, lead author of the study and research scientist at the Harvard Chan School.

The study will be published on August 8, 2018 in Human Reproduction.

While previous research has shown that elevated scrotal temperatures can adversely affect testicular function, studies on whether and how different styles of underwear may impact sperm production have been inconsistent.

For this study, the largest of its kind to look at underwear and semen quality, researchers collected information and semen samples from 656 men who were part of couples that were seeking treatment at a fertility center. The men, who were between the ages of 32 and 39, completed a survey that included questions about the style of underwear they wore in the previous three months. Options included boxers, jockeys, bikini, briefs, and other.

Among the study participants, 53% reported usually wearing boxers. Analysis of semen samples showed that these men had 25% higher sperm concentrations and 17% higher total sperm counts when compared with men who did not primarily wear boxers. Men who wore boxers also had higher percentages of motile sperm, or sperm that are capable of moving through the female reproductive system and fertilizing an egg. The most significant difference in sperm concentration was seen between men who wore boxers and men who wore jockeys and briefs.

In addition, analysis of blood samples collected from 304 of the study participants showed that men who wore boxers had 14% lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with men who didn't wear boxers. FSH is known to play an important role in male fertility and is associated with sperm production. The simultaneous presence of lower sperm counts and higher FSH among men wearing tight-fitting underwear suggests the presence of a compensatory mechanism whereby the decreased sperm production among men in tighter underwear signals the brain to boost production of hormones that stimulate the activity of the gonads to try to increase sperm production.

"Beyond providing additional evidence that underwear choices may impact fertility, our study provides evidence, for the first time, that a seemingly random lifestyle choice could have profound impacts on hormone production in men at both the level of the testis and the brain," said Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology.

###

Other Harvard Chan School study authors included Audrey J. Gaskins, Yu-Han Chiu, Carmen Messerlian, Paige L. Williams, Jennifer B. Ford, and Russ Hauser.
During cell growth, cells copy their DNA through a process called DNA replication. For this process to be accurate, the genetic and epigenetic information must be copied flawlessly. In this regard, researchers led by Travis H. Stracker at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), in collaboration with Anja Groth's group at the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC), have identified a key role for the TLK1 and TLK2 enzymes in DNA replication.

"We demonstrated that TLK activity is critical to prevent extensive DNA damage and cell death during DNA replication. And in some human cancers, TLK1 and TLK2 correlate with clinical outcome, thus supporting the idea that they may be promising targets for inhibition," explains Travis H. Stracker, head of the Genomic Instability and Cancer Lab.

Published in Science Advances, the study is based on previous studies that pointed to TLK1/2 as potential candidate targets in cancer therapy, and it provides new molecular details on their key functions in cancer cell proliferation.

This collaborative study has used state-of-the-art molecular approaches to analyze DNA replication and DNA damage, as well as the computational analysis of publicly available cancer data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project.

Fueling the faithful duplication of DNA

The scientists have demonstrated that TLK1 and TLK2 activity is crucial for regulating the availability of histones, abundant proteins that protect DNA, provide structure and carry epigenetic information. "When DNA is copied, cells need to provide twice as many histones and deposit them properly in order to maintain genetic and epigenetic information. If there are too few histones, crucial information is lost and DNA damage occurs," explains Sandra Segura-Bayona, PhD student in the Genomic Instability and Cancer Lab and one of the first authors of the study.

Potential targets for cancer therapy

The researchers examined the status of the TLK1 and TLK2 genes in over 7000 patient samples made publically available by the Cancer Genome Atlas project. They found that these genes are rarely mutated in cancers, thereby suggesting a potentially conserved role. In many cases, the TLK1 and TLK2 genes were duplicated or overexpressed and in several types of cancer, high expression correlated with poor patient outcome.

Although previous studies had proposed that TLK1/2 were potential targets for breast cancer therapy, this study demonstrates that their inhibition could be useful for the treatment of various kinds of cancer and may enhance the activity of several chemotherapeutic agents currently in clinical trials. These enzymes therefore emerge as potential targets for future drug development.

###

The study also involved the collaboration of Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini, head of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility at IRB Barcelona. This study was supported by the former Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competiveness (MINECO), now Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and by a "la Caixa" PhD fellowship awarded to Sandra Segura-Bayona.

Reference article:

Sung-Bau Lee, Sandra Segura-Bayona, Marina Villamor-Paya, Giulia Saredi, Matthew A. M. Todd, Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini, Ting-Yu Chang, Travis H. Stracker and Anja Groth

Tousled-like kinases stabilize replication forks and show synthetic lethality with checkpoint and PARP inhibitors

Science Advances (2018) DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aat4985
KAUST, Saudi Arabia, Thursday August 9 -- The relationship between corals and the micro-algae that enable them to build reefs is considerably older and more diverse than previously assumed, according to an international team of scientists.

The team's research suggests that coral-algal partnerships have endured numerous climate change events in their long history, and offers a glimmer of hope that at least some are likely to survive modern-day global warming as well.

"Our research indicates that modern corals and their algal partners have been entwined with each other since the time of the dinosaurs, approximately 160 million years ago - 100 million years earlier than previously thought." Said Dr. Voolstra, co-author and Associate Professor of Marine Science in the Red Sea Research Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

"During their long existence, they have faced severe episodes of environmental change, but thanks to their biological characteristics have managed to bounce back after each."

According to Voolstra, the micro-algae, known commonly as zooxanthellae, live inside the cells of corals, allowing them to acquire energy from sunlight and to build the massive, economically valuable reef formations upon which countless marine organisms rely for habitat.

The team used genetic evidence, including DNA sequences, phylogenetic analyses and genome comparisons, to calculate the micro-algae's approximate age of origin. They also used classical morphological techniques in which they compared visual characteristics of these symbionts using light and electron microscopy, along with computer modeling and other methods, to discover that in addition to being older, the algae family is far more diverse than previously perceived. The results are published online in the scientific journal Current Biology, August 9, 2018.

"Using genetic techniques, we have developed an updated naming scheme that provides a new framework to identify different micro-algal symbionts." Said lead-author Dr. Todd LaJeunesse, Associate Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University, USA.

"Accurate taxonomy [the identification and naming of species] is a critical step in any biological research. This is especially true for studies attempting to understand how the partnership between reef corals and their micro-algae, which are needed for survival and growth, may adapt to climate change."

Voolstra noted that the team has been working for close to a decade to modernize coral symbiont taxonomy in order to improve communication among scientists and advance future research on reef corals. He emphasized that discoveries like this do not change the fact that coral reefs are facing an existential threat unless action is taken to avoid climate change but the new knowledge will enhance conservation efforts.

###

Other authors on the paper include; Todd LaJeunesse, Pennsylvania State University, USA; John Parkinson, Oregon State University, USA; Paul Gabrielson, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, USA; Hae Jin Jeong, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea; Scott Santos, Auburn University, USA; and James Davis Reimer, University of the Ryukyus, Japan.

This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Pennsylvania State University, the IOC-UNESCO-World Bank, the Republic of Korea and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
New study culminates decades of groundbreaking research and clinical initiatives on the effectiveness of population-based screening for colorectal cancer

Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California are 52 percent less likely to die from colorectal cancer since the health care system launched a comprehensive, organized screening program, according to a new study in the specialty's top journal, Gastroenterology.

"Since we launched our screening program we have seen a remarkable decline in the number of cases of colorectal cancer and related deaths across a large, diverse population," said gastroenterologist and co-lead author Theodore R. Levin, MD, clinical lead for Kaiser Permanente's colorectal cancer screening in Northern California.

The study, "Effects of Organized Colorectal Cancer Screening on Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Large, Community-based Population," confirms that since Kaiser Permanente Norther California's screening program for colorectal cancer was rolled out between 2006 and 2008, screening completion as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force increased to 83 percent among those eligible (adults 50 to 75 years old) by 2015, compared to 66 percent nationally. In that same timeframe, new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States dropped 26 percent.

Researchers compared the periods before and after the organized Kaiser Permanente screening program was rolled out between 2006 and 2008. The study found that mortality from colorectal cancer decreased 52.4 percent from approximately 31 deaths to 15 deaths per 100,000 people; and the incidence fell 25.5 percent from approximately 96 cases to 71 cases per 100,000 people.

"This most recent study is the culmination of more than two decades of groundbreaking Kaiser Permanente research and clinical care initiatives. It provides evidence for dramatic improvements to colorectal cancer screening by having an organized approach to making sure people get screened," said The Permanente Medical Group gastroenterologist and co-lead author Douglas A. Corley, MD, PhD.

Screening saves lives

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates more than 140,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and it's expected to cause more than 50,000 deaths during 2018.

Fortunately, regular screening allows for the early detection of colorectal cancers and polyps that can become colorectal cancer. Cancer detected early is more likely to be cured and removing polyps early can prevent the development of colorectal cancer.

The U.S. Preventive Task Force recommends three screening methods for colorectal cancer for adults beginning at age 50:

Fecal testing (such as with the fecal immunochemical test or "FIT"), every year

Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, and/or

Colonoscopy every 10 years

After a positive fecal test or sigmoidoscopy, physicians order a colonoscopy, the procedure that examines the full colon and can remove polyps.

Drs. Levin and Corley, both research scientists with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, noted that Kaiser Permanente has conducted, and continues to conduct, critical research on all three of these methods, with important studies dating back to the 1980s.

"Colonoscopy has long been an effective screening tool for colorectal cancer, but it can be expensive and time-consuming to deliver in large populations, and many people are unwilling to undergo the test," Dr. Levin said. "We have found that Kaiser Permanente members are more than willing to be screened with the FIT kit, which has greatly contributed to our high screening rates."

An initial Kaiser Permanente research goal -- led by James Allison, MD, FACP, an emeritus research scientist in the Division of Research -- was to generate evidence that the guaiac-based fecal occult blood test and/or sigmoidoscopy conducted in large, average-risk populations could save lives and decrease the incidence of colorectal cancer.

The Division of Research conducted landmark studies on the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy, which began at Kaiser Permanente facilities in the mid-1990s; these studies formed the basis for U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guideline recommendations.

In 1996, Kaiser Permanente conducted the first U.S. study showing that FIT kits had superior performance characteristics to the fecal occult blood test. A 2007 study provided evidence used by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to recommend FITs as a screening option in their guidelines. And a recent multicenter study within Kaiser Permanente was the first large U.S. study to estimate the effectiveness of colonoscopy for reducing deaths from colorectal cancer. (Although colonoscopy is commonly used, it has not been studied in large, randomized trials.)

Model screening program

Within a few years of initiating its population-based screening program, Kaiser Permanente was able to dramatically increase its screening rates by mailing FIT kits to the homes of its Northern California members of recommended screening age, 50 to 75 years old; systematically reminding members when they are due for screening; and quickly processing a large volume of FITs -- upwards of 3,000 per day -- that are mailed directly to a Kaiser Permanente laboratory.

"Kaiser Permanente's screening program for colorectal cancer in Northern California is a perfect example of how a large health care system can expertly use technology and data to create a program that promotes health, prevents illness and saves the lives of its members on an unprecedented scale," said Yi-Fen Chen, MD, associate executive director for quality and research of The Permanente Medical Group.

In 2014, the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable set a national goal of screening at least 80 percent of those eligible by 2018. Kaiser Permanente Northern California achieved the 80 percent screening rate by 2011. The Kaiser Permanente FIT-based outreach program, combined with colonoscopy, has become a model for similar programs to maximize the number of people screened in the United States, the Veteran's Administration and internationally.

Dr. Corley now also leads the National Cancer Institute's Population-based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens (or PROSPR) consortium, a multisite effort to evaluate and improve cancer screening processes, including colorectal cancer. The consortium's research has included important studies on the quality and effectiveness of colonoscopies and adenoma detection rates.

"Screening markedly decreases deaths from colorectal cancer and enables people to live healthier lives," Dr. Corley said. "The future of colorectal cancer research and care is furthering proven ways to increase screening rates; better understand the best ages to start, repeat and stop screening; and continue to improve the ease and effectiveness of the tests themselves."

###
[Background]

Uncovering the expansion processes of human habitats in the past is of great importance for understanding the origins and establishment of present-day populations and the acquisition of genetic characteristics of individuals as well as for investigating mechanisms of resistance against diseases and pathogens. Previous genetic/genomic studies aimed to uncover the expansion processes using present-day human genomes of different individuals and locations. However, it is not always possible to elucidate the expansion processes based on the genomic similarity of present-day populations due to the possibility of migrations of populations between regions in various periods. It is therefore impossible to uncover the precise expansion processes of populations in the past without knowledge of the genomic information existing in a designated region and period. Thus, expansion processes hypothesized so far were nothing but speculations based on assumptions about present-day genomes.

Recent developments of DNA analysis technology have made it possible to obtain whole genome information from ultratrace amounts of DNA; we are now in an era where whole genome information can be obtained directly from ancient human skeletons discovered at archaeological sites. There remain, however, technical problems for obtaining whole genome information of ancient human skeletons. In particular, there are two main problems: first, genomic analyses*1) of poorly-preserved ancient remains in hot and humid regions of the world have up until now failed (Figure 1). Secondly, there is the risk of contamination of present-day human DNA in the DNA samples of ultratrace amounts from prehistoric remains. To evaluate objectively the possibility of such contamination, several different research groups must cross-check*2) one another in order to achieve exact genome sequencing; in other words, establishment of a collaborative research system is a prerequisite for attaining the highest level of scientific authenticity.

In order to cope with these problems, the present international research team, led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen with the participation of three researchers from Kanazawa University has established technologies to efficiently extract human DNA from skeletons discovered at prehistoric remains even under very poor conditions for DNA preservation. At the same time, an international system of research collaboration has been established for objectively evaluating the effects of contamination by present-day human DNA. Thanks to these efforts, the team has uncovered the expansion processes of human habitats and genetic interactions in hot and wet Southeast Asia, which was not possible previously with conventional technologies and research systems (Figure 2).

Worthy of special mention, the present study has been successful in determining the "whole genome" sequence of an individual with typical Jomon culture, while previous studies were only able to show a very limited "partial genome" sequence of two Jomon individuals. Thus, the present study is the first successful example to show the possibility of whole genome sequencing of prehistoric individuals in regions like Japan where preservation conditions are quite poor, possibly leading to further major progress in prehistoric genome studies.

[Results]

In the present study, the international research team succeeded in extracting and sequencing DNA from 25 ancient individuals' skeletons from Southeast Asian remains, where the condition of DNA preservation is very poor, and from one Japanese Jomon female skeleton. Upon comparison of the genomic data of ancient human skeletons with those of present-day human skeletons, it has become clear that those prehistoric populations in Southeast Asia can be classified into six groups (Figure 3).

Group 1 contains Hoabinhians from Pha Faen, Laos, hunter-gatherers (~8000 years ago), and prehistoric populations discovered from Gua Cha, Malaysia (~4000 years ago), being genetically close to present-day Onge and Jarawa from the Andaman Islands and Jehai from the Peninsular Malaysia. To our surprise, group 1 has higher genetic affinities with Ikawazu*3) Jomon individual (Tahara, Aichi), a female adult*4), than other present-day Southeast Asians. In addition, the Ikawazu Jomon genome*5) is best modelled contributing genetically present-day Japanese.

On the other hand, Groups 2-6 consist of ancient skeletons from the Neolithic Age, when farming started, until ~500 years ago. It is now found that they are genetically much different from Hoabinhians, each group having histories of migration and genetic interaction, i.e., inter-population mixture. Group 2 is found to be genetically close to the present-day Austroasiatic language-speaking groups such as Mlabri, but to have few genetic components common with the present-day East Asian populations. Group 3 is found to be genetically close to Kradai, Thailand, in the present-day Southeast Asian populations and to the Austronesian language-speaking groups. Group 4 is found to be genetically close to the present-day populations in South China. Group 5 is genetically close to the present-day populations in the western part of Indonesia. Group 6 is most closely related to present day Austronesian populations, with one individual showing slightly elevated Denisovan ancestry, an archaic hominin which is classified as a sister group of Neanderthals.

As above, Neolithic Southeast Asians are found to have been partially genetically influenced by ethnic groups in South China and to have had a genetic connection with populations in Taiwan; Neolithic Southeast Asians are found not to have been indigenous hunter-gatherers passively accepting farming but to have accepted farming gradually in the process of migrations of populations between the continent and islands. Conventional archaeology proposed the two-layer hypothesis that, in those periods, a large population with farming culture with rice and millet migrated into Southeast Asia and that they replaced the indigenous population. Additionally, the present study indicates that the genetic influence from South China with rice farming was only partial and that the migrating population did not replace the indigenous population completely. The present analysis shows that there were at least four big migration waves; migrations of Southeast Asians should be investigated with a new "complex model" framework.

The present study successfully elucidates for the first time the expansion/migration of prehistoric populations by genome analysis of skeletons discovered in Southeast Asia; conventionally, it was thought that such population expansion/migration could only be investigated using archaeological artifacts. An important outcome of the present study is that the same or analogous analyses could be applied to various regions to evaluate the history of population expansion/migration in much more detail and in a more scientific manner.

[Future prospects]

The genomic data obtained from ancient skeletons in Southeast Asia and from a Ikawazu Jomon individual provides an important basis for investigations on the origins of populations in wider East Asia. The whole genome information of a Jomon individual will be useful for direct comparison of genomic similarity with ancient East Asians of the corresponding period to Jomon in present-day Korea, China, Russia and others in the vicinity of the Japanese archipelago. More comparative studies are in progress on populations in wider areas. Note that the whole genome sequence obtained in this study for a Jomon individual corresponds to the Draft Genome Sequence in the Human Genome Project for the present-day humans. We aim at Complete Genome Sequence with higher accuracy.

This study is an interdisciplinary undertaking combining anthropology and archaeology in a close collaboration, allowing us to establish ourselves at the starting point for research on the origin of Jomon and its diversity. By more genome analyses of more Jomon skeletons from different Jomon sites, genetic diversity of Jomon populations will be explored over the Japanese archipelago. It is expected through such studies that various interactions among Jomon groups should be revealed together with migrations of archaeological artifacts such as potteries and stone tools as well as migrations of populations. Based on the outcome of the present study, novel anthropological and archaeological approaches would be further developed.

###

[Glossary]

*1) Genomic Analysis

Analysis of whole genome of a species.

*2) Cross-check analysis

Cross-check analysis is an analytical method that evaluates whether the same result will be produced irrespective of different research institutions, different analytical methods, and so on. It is an important scientific index in research on ancient DNA.

*3) Ikawazu kaizuka (shellmound)

A kaizuka (shellmound) site at Tahara city, Aichi prefecture, dating back to late and final Jomon period. One of the best known archaeological site of Jomon period, where more than 200 individual skeletons have been discovered from Meiji era till today. A number of renowned anthropologists like Profs. Yoshikiyo KOGANEI and Hisashi SUZUKI performed morphological research on prehistoric skeletons from this site. There are also other kaizuka sites in Tahara city, such as Yoshigo kaizuka and Hobi kaizuka, representative Jomon sites. Those sites have been well studied and many skeletons have been excavated.

*4) A female skeleton dating back to late Jomon period, ~2500 years ago.

A Jomon skeleton discovered from Ikawazu kaizuka site in 2010. Recent studies indicate the beginning of Yayoi period to be ~3000 years ago, but the arrival of Yayoi culture differed depending on regions. The female adult skeleton from Ikawazu kaizuka site is accompanied with a pottery that is validated to date back to the period of Gokanmori type pottery, indicating that the period was still Jomon at those sites in Atsumi peninsula, Aichi prefecture. In addition, the female skeleton analyzed here shows typical Jomon morphology.

*5) Whole genome sequence

Whole genome sequence is the total DNA sequence of a species covering not only DNA sequences for genes but also DNA sequences for non-gene regions.
Kanazawa University-led researchers take measurements of the invisible electric and magnetic fields closely related to charged particles whirling through Earth's inner magnetosphere to help protect satellites from those particles

Kanazawa, Japan - Earth is constantly being hammered by charged particles emitted by the Sun that have enough power to make life on Earth almost impossible. We survive because Earth's magnetic field traps and deflects these particles, preventing the vast majority of them from ever reaching the planet's surface. The trapped particles bounce back and forth between the North and South poles in complex, ever-changing patterns that are also influenced by equally intricate and shifting electric fields. We get to enjoy the sight of those particles when the bands they move in (the Van Allen radiation belts) dip into our atmosphere near the poles creating the Northern (and Southern) lights. However, bursts of these particles can damage satellites and sensitive equipment on the ground.

It is therefore vital to understand the intricacies of the radiation belts. So far, NASA have launched twin satellites to study the Van Allen belts--however, their orbits only allow them to explore the equatorial regions. This limits our ability to understand flow of particles and prevents us from predicting their effects on all satellites.

To also explore regions further from the equator, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, a division of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launched the Arase satellite in 2016. A Japan-based research team centered at Kanazawa University equipped the Arase satellite with multiple different sensors (termed the Plasma Wave Experiment) to probe the electric field and plasma waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere. Now, they have collected their first set of data from their sensors, which they recently published in the Springer journal Earth, Planets and Space.

The Arase consists primarily of electric and magnetic field detectors covering a wide frequency range; it can also measure plasma/particles in a wide energy range. To improve efficiency, an on-board computer studies the correlations between the fields and the particles before sending only the most important information back to Earth.

"The Plasma Wave Experiment equipment has passed initial checks and has successfully acquired high quality data. Huge amount of burst waveform data has been taken, and we should soon know a lot more about mechanisms of wave-particle interaction occurring in the inner magnetosphere than before. Another strength of our project is that we can also compare the satellite data with data collected simultaneously on the ground. We expect those comparisons will greatly broaden our understanding of this area of science," first author Yoshiya Kasahara says.

Understanding how electrons and other particles are hurled out of the magnetosphere onto our planet could be key to predicting such bursts and protecting against them.

###
Among them: states should guide doctors in new role certifying which patients are too sick to work or require caregivers

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - New Medicaid rules in several states mean low-income people will have to work, or prove they're too unhealthy to work, to receive health coverage. Other states want permission to require the same, which could affect millions of Americans living in or near poverty.

Before these requirements get into full gear, a team of University of Michigan researchers is offering specific recommendations to help states ensure that work requirements don't harm the health of people enrolled in Medicaid.

The chance of such harm from losing Medicaid coverage forms the basis of a court case that has put Kentucky's Medicaid work requirement on hold and led to a public comment period that closes August 18.

The U-M team, which has studied Medicaid for years, published their recommendations in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their prior work on Michigan's Medicaid expansion showed that half of enrollees already work, and many others have health problems that limit their ability to work.

"We wanted to address the essential question: 'If we're going to have work requirements, then how can states implement them in the most humane way, so that the requirements focus on those who are more able to work and are less likely to experience worsening health if they lose coverage?'," asks John Z. Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P., lead author of the article and director of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. "We based our recommendations on the evidence we have about the current Medicaid expansion population. We hope state policymakers will take our recommendations into account as they seek to create reasonable, sustainable programs."

Ayanian and his co-authors are all general internal medicine physicians who provide primary care to patients at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. Their recommendations focus in part on the new role that physicians would play in states that implement Medicaid work requirements.

The team recommends that states:

Focus on adults under age 50 who enrolled in Medicaid expansions. Compared to people over 50 and those under 50 whose health problem are serious enough to qualify them for traditional Medicaid, this population is less likely to suffer harm if the state bases their health insurance on their ability to work, or do another activity such as volunteering, attending school, undergoing addiction treatment or caring for a relative with a seriously illness or disability. That's because research has shown they are less likely to have chronic health conditions or limits on their everyday function that could get worse if they lose their health insurance because they don't meet a work requirement. The team notes that Arkansas, which implemented a Medicaid work requirement June 1, already follows this recommendation.

Give doctors clear guidance. While doctors already play a key role in some certifications related to their patients' disability status or ability to do certain jobs, Medicaid work requirements would ramp up that role to include many more patients. So, states should make it clear to physicians exactly what health conditions and functional limits will make someone exempt from a work requirement - or what limitations a person must have in order to require the level of caregiving that a family member could provide in order to meet their work requirement. In the latter case, the physician certifying a patient's level of disability or need for caregiving could affect the health insurance coverage for the patient's caregiver - someone not in their direct care. The new requirements may increase the workload for physicians and their staff appreciably.

Support work-related needs. Although the Medicaid system itself cannot pay using federal funds for services such as job training, help finding a job, or help getting to and from work or caring for children while a parent works, states that require work should connect Medicaid enrollees to such services, the team says. Such services would improve the odds that people covered by Medicaid will be able to find and keep jobs that will allow them to meet their state requirement, or even find a job that pays enough or provides health insurance benefits so that they no longer need Medicaid.

Make work reporting line up with today's work environment. As more workers have work patterns with hours that fluctuate week to week, have occasional gaps due to temporary jobs, or work that is concentrated in certain seasons, states should take this into account in their Medicaid reporting requirements, the team says. Requiring that participants report their work histories less frequently, covering a longer period of time, could smooth out these fluctuations and reduce the chance that a person who is making an effort to work will have to leave the Medicaid program.

Ayanian and co-authors Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.S., and Susan Goold, M.D., M.A., M.H.S.A., note that as work requirements become more widespread as part of ongoing or new Medicaid expansion programs, the details of implementation will become more important. All are faculty members in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the U-M Medical School, and members of IHPI.

"If the goal is to help people improve their economic standing in life and become self-sufficient, they'll need support to do so," says Ayanian, who also holds faculty appointments in the U-M Ford School of Public Policy and School of Public Health. "States should prevent potential harm that will arise if people with chronic conditions lose their Medicaid coverage, and therefore their access to health care providers and medications, especially if the economy changes."

Adds Goold, "If the goal is to provide a 'leg up' to economic self-sufficiency rather than a 'hand out,' providing health insurance through Medicaid is just one piece of providing such support. Child care, transportation, education and training, as well as health issues, present obstacles to self-sufficiency."

###
At 3:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 11, while most of the U.S. is asleep, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be abuzz with excitement. At that moment, NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the agency's historic mission to touch the Sun, will have its first opportunity to lift off.

Launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Parker Solar Probe will make its journey all the way to the Sun's atmosphere, or corona -- closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history.

"Eight long years of hard work by countless engineers and scientists is finally paying off," said Adam Szabo, the mission scientist for Parker Solar Probe at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Nestled atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy -- one of the world's most powerful rockets -- with a third stage added, Parker Solar Probe will blast off toward the Sun with a whopping 55 times more energy than is required to reach Mars. About the size of a small car, it weighs a mere 1,400 pounds.

"That's a relatively light spacecraft," said Andy Driesman, project manager for the mission at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. "And it needs to be, because it takes an immense amount of energy to get to our final orbit around the Sun."

Zooming through space in a highly elliptical orbit, Parker Solar Probe will reach speeds up to 430,000 miles per hour -- fast enough to get from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in a second -- setting the record for the fastest spacecraft in history. During its nominal mission lifetime of just under 7 years, Parker Solar Probe will complete 24 orbits of the Sun -- reaching within 3.8 million miles of the Sun's surface at closest approach.

"We'll be going where no spacecraft has dared go before -- within the corona of a star," said project scientist Nicky Fox of APL. "With each orbit, we'll be seeing new regions of the Sun's atmosphere and learning things about stellar mechanics that we've wanted to explore for decades."

But getting so close to the Sun requires slowing down -- for which Parker will use the gravity of our neighbor planet, Venus.

"Parker Solar Probe uses Venus to adjust its course and slow down in order to put the spacecraft on the best trajectory," said Driesman. "We will fly by Venus seven times throughout the mission. Each time we fly by we get closer and closer to the Sun."

In an orbit this close to the Sun, the real challenge is to keep the spacecraft from burning up.

"NASA was planning to send a mission to the solar corona for decades, however, we did not have the technology that could protect a spacecraft and its instruments from the heat," said Szabo. "Recent advances in materials science gave us the material to fashion a heat shield in front of the spacecraft not only to withstand the extreme heat of the Sun, but to remain cool on the backside."

The heat shield is made of a 4.5-inch thick carbon composite foam material between two carbon fiber face sheets. While the Sun-facing side simmers at 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, behind the shield the spacecraft will be a cozy 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Parker Solar Probe is also the first NASA mission to be named after a living individual: Dr. Eugene Parker, famed solar physicist who in 1958 first predicted the existence of the solar wind, the stream of charged particles and magnetic fields that flow continuously from the Sun, bathing Earth. The spacecraft's path through the corona allows it to observe the acceleration of the very solar wind that Parker predicted, right as it makes a critical transition from slower than the speed of sound to faster than it.

The corona is also where the solar material is heated to millions of degrees and where the most extreme events on the Sun occur, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections -- accelerating particles to a fraction of the speed of light. These explosions create space weather events that can pummel Earth with high energy particles, endangering astronauts, interfering with GPS and communications satellites and, at their worst, disrupting our power grid.

This will be the first time that solar scientists can see the objects of their study up close and personal.

"All of our data on the corona so far have been remote," said Nicholeen Viall, solar physicist at Goddard. "We have been very creative to get as much as we can out of our data, but there is nothing like actually sticking a probe in the corona to see what's happening there."

And scientists aren't the only ones along for the adventure -- the spacecraft holds a microchip carrying the names of more than 1.1 million participants who signed up to send their name to the Sun. Sometime between Aug. 11 and 23, the close of the launch period, these names and 1,400 pounds of solar protection and science equipment will begin their journey to the center of our solar system.

Three months later, Parker Solar Probe will reach its first close approach of the Sun in November 2018, and will send the data back in December.

"For scientists like myself, the reward of the long, hard work will be the unique set of measurements returned by Parker," said Szabo. "The solar corona is one of the last places in the solar system where no spacecraft has visited before. It gives me the sense of excitement of an explorer."

Stay tuned -- Parker is about to take flight.

###
Hurricane Hector continued to move west through the Central Pacific Ocean when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead and saw the storm's large eye that was a result of eyewall replacement.

Now that Hector has passed the Hawaiian Islands and is headed west, a tropical storm watch is in effect for Johnston Island. A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. On the forecast path, the center of Hector is expected to pass to the north of Johnston Island late Friday, Aug. 10.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Aug. 9 (11 p.m. HST on Aug. 8) NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center said "Based on reflectivity data from the South Point WSR-88D radar om the Big Island, microwave images, and satellite data, it appeared that Hector went through an eyewall replacement cycle late this afternoon. Since this reorganization of the hurricane appears to be complete now, the eye of Hector has warmed and become much better defined in infrared satellite imagery during the past few hours."

On Aug. 9 at 8:25 a.m. EDT (1225 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed Hurricane Hector's cloud top temperatures in infrared light. MODIS found cloud top temperatures of strongest thunderstorms were located west of the center. In that area, cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 70 degrees (red) Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 degrees Celsius). Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain, so the heaviest rain was likely falling on Hector's western side.

Hector's Strength and Position

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Hector was located near 16.6 degrees north latitude and 160.1 degrees west longitude. Hector was moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 kph) and this general motion is expected to continue through today. A gradual turn toward the west-northwest is expected from tonight through late Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 kph) with higher gusts. Hector is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Little change in strength is forecast through Friday night. The estimated minimum central pressure is 957 millibars.

Hawaii Dealing with Dangerous Surf

Swells generated by Hector should begin to impact Johnston Island tonight. This will likely produce large and dangerous waves along portions of the island from late tonight through Friday night.

Keeping Watch as Hector Moves

Interests in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, including Midway and Kure Atolls and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument west of Pearl/Hermes, should monitor the progress of Hector. This does not include the main Hawaiian Islands.

For updated forecasts on Hector, visit the CPHC website:

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/

###
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Algae and corals have been leaning on each other since dinosaurs roamed the earth, much longer than had been previously thought, according to new research led by scientists at Oregon State University and Penn State.

The findings, published today in Current Biology, are a key advance toward a better understanding of coral reefs, the Earth's largest and most significant structures of biological origin.

Reefs are found in less than 1 percent of the ocean but are home to nearly one-quarter of all known marine species. They also help regulate the sea's carbon dioxide levels and are a crucial hunting ground that scientists use in the search for new medicines.

Corals are made up of interconnected animal hosts called polyps that house microscopic algae, commonly known as zooxanthellae, inside their cells. The coral-algal symbiosis, or partnership, is the foundation of the entire coral reef ecosystem; the polyps receive food from the algae, and the polyps in turn provide nutrients and protection to the algae.

That symbiosis goes back roughly 160 million years - about 100 million years longer than scientists had thought - according to an international research collaboration headed by John Parkinson of Oregon State and Todd LaJeunesse of Penn State. It's also more diverse than had been assumed.

"Presently, numerous algal lineages called 'clades' are lumped into just one genus," said Parkinson, a postdoctoral scholar in OSU's College of Science. "We provide evidence that the family actually consists of at least 15 genera that include hundreds and possibly thousands of species worldwide."

The distinctions are important, he said, because some symbionts are more resilient than others to changes in the environment.

Many corals bleach, or lose their algae, when exposed to higher than usual ocean temperatures. But others are far more tolerant of heat, and some of that resilience depends on the algal species.

In general corals are bleaching about 4.5 times as frequently as they did in 1980, with severe bleaching events now occurring about every six years instead of every 25 or 30 years.

"The updated naming scheme we came up with offers a clear framework to identify different symbionts," he said. "Accurate taxonomy is a critical step in any biological research and is especially true for studies attempting to understand how reef corals and their micro-algae may adapt to climate change."

The research also suggests that given their long history, coral-algal partnerships have endured numerous climate change events in their long history, meaning that at least some are likely to survive modern-day global climate change as well.

"Over all of those millions of years, partnerships have faced major hurdles and managed to bounce back," LaJeunesse said. "The fossil record shows today's reef-building corals, like the algae, arose around 160 million years ago. Finding that the origin of the symbionts corresponds to that of their hosts implies that the partnership was one of the major reasons for the diversification and success of modern corals."

LaJeunesse, Parkinson and several other researchers used genetic sequencing and other techniques to recalibrate the algae's molecular clock.

Parkinson noted the team has been working for close to a decade to modernize coral symbiont systematics and taxonomy - the identification and naming of species - to improve communication among scientists and facilitate further study.

"Until now, much research on these algae attempted to compare apples to apples, but we now know that often we are comparing apples to oranges considering how divergent some of these species are," he said. "Our work will help researchers to think more objectively about the comparisons they are making in experiments."

###

Other authors on the paper are Paul Gabrielson of the University of North Carolina, Scott Santos of Auburn University, Hae Jin Jeong of Seoul National University , James Reimer of the University of Ryukyus and Christian Voolstra of King Abdullah University of Science and Technoogy.

The U.S. National Science Foundation, Penn State, the IOC-UNESCO-World Bank, the Republic of Korea and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology supported this research.
A technology designed to improve CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mosquitoes and other arthropods succeeds with a high degree of efficiency, while eliminating the need for difficult microinjection of genetic material, according to researchers.

These results could pave the way for scientists examining a wide range of arthropods -- and even some vertebrates -- to more easily manipulate gene expression for fundamental research and practical applications such as control of vector-borne diseases like Zika virus and malaria, elimination of agricultural insect pests, and potentially gene therapy for human and animal health.

CRISPR -- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats -- is a relatively new and revolutionary way to modify an organism's genome by precisely delivering a DNA-cutting enzyme, Cas9, to a targeted region of DNA. The resulting mutation can delete or replace specific DNA pieces, thereby promoting or disabling certain traits.

Current approaches in arthropods rely on delivering the gene-editing Cas9 directly to eggs by embryonic microinjection, a difficult and inefficient process that works in only a small number of species, noted Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology and disease epidemiology, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.

"In addition, microinjection can damage the eggs, and it requires expensive equipment and training to implement," he said. "These restrictions dramatically limit the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology across diverse species."

To address these limitations, Rasgon's lab developed ReMOT Control -- Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo -- a method the researchers say can deliver Cas9 cargo to a targeted portion of the genome by easy injection into the blood of female arthropods, where it can be introduced into the developing eggs via receptors in the ovary.

Rasgon explained that during ovary and egg maturation, mosquitoes and other arthropods synthesize yolk proteins, which are secreted into the blood and taken up into the ovaries. The team hypothesized that molecules derived from these yolk proteins could be fused to Cas9 cargo and delivered into the egg at levels necessary to achieve genome editing in the embryo, bypassing the need for embryonic microinjection.

In the process of testing this hypothesis in Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that can spread pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever viruses, the team identified a peptide known as P2C, a ligand that is recognized by ovarian receptors and functions in five other mosquito species as well.

To visually show that P2C could achieve uptake in the ovary, the researchers injected the peptide, infused with green fluorescent protein, into mosquitoes. They subsequently found fluorescence in more than 98 percent of primary oocytes.

For gene-editing experiments, the scientists targeted a gene that, when knocked out, results in white eye color rather than dark, providing a visible phenotype to aid in screening. They found that P2C, when bonded with the Cas9 enzyme, was able to deliver the gene-editing cargo to the ovary, where the desired mutation was achieved at a high rate of efficiency, resulting in genetically modified offspring.

The results of the study, published recently in Nature Communications, show that compared to embryo injection, gene editing by ReMOT Control is efficient and technically much easier to accomplish, according to Rasgon.

"Whereas the microinjection apparatus can cost thousands of dollars and require extensive training to use, the equipment for ReMOT Control injections costs approximately $2, and the technique can be learned in less than an hour," he said.

"The lower cost and ease of adult injections makes this method a substantial improvement over existing embryo-injection techniques, putting gene-editing capability into the reach of nonspecialist laboratories and potentially revolutionizing the broad application of functional arthropod genetics."

###

Other researchers on the paper are Duverney Chaverra-Rodriguez, Vanessa Macias and Donghun Kim, postdoctoral scholars in entomology, Penn State; Grant Hughes, assistant professor of pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch; Sujit Pujhari, assistant research professor of entomology, Penn State; Yasutsugu Suzuki, postdoctoral scholar in virology, Institut Pasteur; and David Peterson and Sage McKeand, undergraduate students, Penn State.

The National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; the National Science Foundation; the U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and the Pennsylvania Department of Health using Tobacco Settlement Funds supported this work.
Not just a pretty logo, why tourism needs to get personal

Tourists considering overseas travel 'trust' a destination like London would provide a positive experience, says new research from QUT researchers.

Consumer behaviour experts from QUT Business School investigated the effectiveness of the official tourism website, Visit London, for tourists choosing the city as a destination to explore.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Strategic Marketing, have implications for the global travel industry amid an emerging trend to 'personify' places to build long-term bonds with tourists.

Professor Brett Martin said the research investigated psychology in tourism and the same principles could be applied other tourism-related websites.

"The key is to generate trust," Professor Martin said. "People who are looking online at holiday information need to trust the information.

"If they do, then they have a more positive attitude towards the destination.

"This is more important than making people feel happy."

Professor Brett Martin said study participants were told to imagine London as a person and rate what human characteristics they thought would represent the UK capital.

The survey of 515 ready-to-travel Australians rated London as a destination based on its vibrancy, contemporary, competence, sophistication and sincerity.

Professor Martin said the results showed London as a brand destination that was trusted, and as a result more desirable for tourists to invest their holiday dollars.

He said trust was created when a destination showed aspects of competence such as success, leadership, confidence, independent and intelligent.

"It turns out that when people regard a destination as competent they see the tourist organisation as more trustworthy," he said.

"This is more important than showing images that are unique and glamorous," he said.

Professor Martin said holiday destinations which conveyed an individual brand personality could create a set of particular associations in the tourist's mind and influence their choice to visit or not.

"The takeaway for managers is to think about a destination as a person and ask what sort of personality should be conveyed, then promote competence and communicate trustworthiness," he said.

"A glossy picture or a logo doesn't carry as much weight for tourists making a decision whether to visit a destination or not," Professor Martin said.

It's estimated 20 million international visitors flock to London every year.

###

The research was co-authored by QUT's Dr Hyun Seung Jin.

A pdf of the journal article can be provided upon request.

MEDIA CONACT: media@qut.edu.au
LOGAN, UTAH, USA- Climate and land-use change are shrinking natural wildlife habitats around the world. Yet despite their importance to rural economies and natural ecosystems, remarkably little is known about the geographic distribution of most wild species - especially those that migrate seasonally over large areas. By combining NASA satellite imagery with wildlife surveys conducted by state natural resources agencies, a team of researchers at Utah State University and the University of Maryland, and the U.S. Geological Survey modeled the effects of plant productivity on populations of mule deer and mountain lions. Specifically, they mapped the abundance of both species over a climatically diverse region spanning multiple western states.

These models provide new insights into how differences in climate are transmitted through the food chain, from plants to herbivores and then to predators. Prey and predator abundance both increased with plant productivity, which is governed by precipitation and temperature. Conversely, animals responded to decreases in food availability by moving and foraging over larger areas, which could lead to increased conflict with humans. David Stoner, lead author of the study, "Climatically driven changes in primary production propagate through trophic levels" published today in the journal Global Change Biology, remarked that, "We expected to see that satellite measurements of plant productivity would explain the abundance of deer. However, we were surprised to see how closely the maps of productivity also predicted the distribution of the mountain lion, their major predator."

The study also reveals a disruption in the way scientists study the biosphere. Joseph Sexton, Chief Scientist of terraPulse, Inc. and a coauthor on the study, described the changing technology, "Up until about a decade ago, we were limited to analyzing landscapes through highly simplified maps representing a single point in time. This just doesn't work in regions experiencing rapid economic or environmental change--the map is irrelevant by the time it's finished." Now, given developments in machine learning, "big data" computation, and the "cloud", ecologists and other scientists are studying large, dynamic ecosystems in ever-increasing detail and resolution. "We're now mining global archives of satellite imagery spanning nearly forty years, we're updating our maps in pace with ecosystem changes, and we're getting that information out to government agencies and private land managers working in the field".

The authors predict that, by enabling land managers to monitor rangeland and agricultural productivity, forest loss and regrowth, urban growth, and the dynamics of wildlife habitat, this expanding stream of information will help humanity adapt to climate and other environmental changes. Stoner noted, "State wildlife agencies are tasked with estimating animal abundance in remote and rugged habitats, which is difficult and expensive. Integration of satellite imagery can help establish baseline population estimates, monitor environmental conditions, and identify populations at risk to climate and land-use change."

###
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Women hold just 26 percent of executive-level positions in S&P 500 companies -- and sadly that is no accident, according to a new study by researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The study, which was made available online in March ahead of publication in the August print edition of Personnel Psychology, found that, on average, men are more likely than women to emerge as leaders.

The research team -- led by doctoral student Katie Badura and Emily Grijalva, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management -- aggregated 59 years of research, encompassing more than 19,000 participants and 136 studies from lab, business and classroom settings.

They discovered that although the gender gap has narrowed in recent decades, it still persists.

"As a society, we've made progress toward gender equality, but clearly we're not quite there," Badura says. "Our results are consistent with the struggle many organizations face today to increase diversity in their leadership teams."

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXV7mu7PNwQ&feature=youtu.be.

The researchers primarily attribute the gender gap to societal pressures that contribute to gender differences in personality traits. For example, men tend to be more assertive and dominant, whereas women tend to be more communal, cooperative and nurturing. As a result, men are more likely to participate and voice their opinions during group discussions, and be perceived by others as leaderlike.

"We found showing sensitivity and concern for others -- stereotypically feminine traits -- made someone less likely to be seen as a leader," Grijalva says. "However, it's those same characteristics that make leaders effective. Thus, because of this unconscious bias against communal traits, organizations may unintentionally select the wrong people for leadership roles, choosing individuals who are loud and confident but lack the ability to support their followers' development and success."

While group size and participants' ages did not affect the gender gap, the study found the length of time participants spent together was an important factor in whether men or women emerged as leaders. The longer a group spent together, the less gender influenced who emerged as the group's leader.

"The gender gap was strongest during the first 20 minutes people were together, similar to an initial job interview, but weakened after more than one interaction," Grijalva says. "During the hiring process, organizations should conduct multiple interviews to reduce gender bias and ensure they're hiring the best applicant."

For managers, the researchers suggest promoting the value of communal behaviors in performance evaluations, prompting quieter individuals to share their ideas and being mindful of any unconscious biases you or your staff may have.

"In the Obama White House, female staffers adopted a strategy of amplifying one another's comments during meetings and giving credit to the individual who said it first, to ensure that women's voices were being heard," Badura says. "Tactics like this help the most qualified individuals stand out and emerge into leadership roles -- regardless of gender."

###

The project was partially supported through a grant from the University at Buffalo Gender Institute.

Badura and Grijalva conducted the study with Daniel A. Newman, professor of psychology and labor and employment relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Thomas Taiyi Yan, PhD student, University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business; and Gahyun Jeon, postdoctoral research associate, Northwestern University.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.
A study by University of Melbourne researchers reveals clinically relevant epileptic seizure prediction is possible in a wider range of patients than previously thought, thanks to the crowdsourcing of more than 10 000 algorithms worldwide.

In 2016 researchers ran the Melbourne University AES-MathWorks-NIH Seizure Prediction Challenge on the online data science competition platform Kaggle.com.

The contest focused on seizure prediction using long-term electrical brain activity recordings from humans obtained in 2013 from the world-first clinical trial of the implantable NeuroVista Seizure Advisory System. Researchers rigorously evaluated the top algorithms and these findings are detailed in research published today in Brain: A Journal of Neurology.

University of Melbourne Dr Levin Kuhlmann, from the Graeme Clarke Institute and St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, said the contest was a huge success, with more than 646 participants, 478 teams and more than 10 000 algorithms submitted from around the world.

"Epilepsy affects 65 million people worldwide," Dr Kuhlmann said. "We wanted to draw on the intelligence from the best international data scientists to achieve advances in epileptic seizure prediction performance for patients whose seizures were the hardest to predict."

Contestants developed algorithms to distinguish between 10-minute inter-seizure verses pre-seizure data clips and the top algorithms were tested on the patients with the lowest seizure prediction performance based on previous studies.

"Our evaluation revealed on average a 90 per cent improvement in seizure prediction performance, compared to previous results," Dr Kuhlmann said.

"Epilepsy is highly different among individuals. Results showed different algorithms performed best for different patients, supporting the use of patient-specific algorithms and long-term monitoring."

Building on this success, researchers have developed Epilepsyecosystem.org, an online ecosystem for algorithm and data sharing to further develop and improve seizure prediction.

"Accurate seizure prediction will transform epilepsy management by offering early warnings to patients or triggering interventions," Dr Kuhlmann said.

"Our results highlight the benefit of crowdsourcing an army of algorithms that can be trained for each patient and the best algorithm chosen for prospective, real-time seizure prediction.

"It's about bringing together the world's best data scientists and pooling the greatest algorithms to advance epilepsy research. The hope is to make seizures less like earthquakes, which can strike without warning, and more like hurricanes, where you have enough advance warning to seek safety."

###

The research was led by the Graeme Clark Institute of Biomedical Engineering, in collaboration with St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, Mayo Clinic, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Seer Medical.
UNLV, Tufts University, and international research team offers new clues about which key proteins in the brain play a role in controlling epilepsy, anxiety, and other disorders.

New therapies could be on the horizon for people living with epilepsy or anxiety, thanks to a breakthrough discovery by UNLV, Tufts University School of Medicine, and an international team of researchers studying how proteins interact to control the firing of brain cells.

The study, published Tuesday in Nature Communications, provides new insight into ways to regulate a specialized "compartment" of cells in the brain that controls their signaling. If scientists and doctors can influence that compartment, they can control the firing of brain cells, which may in turn stop or prevent seizures, among other things.

UNLV neuroscientist and lead author Rochelle Hines said controlling patterns of activity are very important to the brain's function.

"If we can better understand how the brain patterns activity, we can understand how it might go wrong in a disorder like epilepsy, where brain activity becomes uncontrolled," Hines said. "And if we can understand what is important for this control, we can come up with better strategies for treating and improving the quality of life for people with epileptic seizures and maybe other types of disorders as well, such as anxiety or sleep disorders."

The six-year project moved one step closer to answering decades-old questions about brain wave control, by quantitatively defining how two key proteins -- the GABAA receptor a2 subunit and collybistin -- interact. When the interaction was disrupted in rodent models, EEG tests showed brain waves moving out of control, mimicking patterns seen in humans with epilepsy and anxiety.

"That's the piece that could potentially change textbooks: Previously, we had questions about how these pieces fit together and thought that maybe a group of three or more proteins interacted," Hines said. "But our team's research strongly suggests that there's a very specific interaction between two of them, and this has implications for how neuroscientists might be able to regulate this area."

Coordinating the research effort was Stephen Moss, professor of neuroscience at Tufts and director of the AstraZeneca Laboratory for Basic and Translational Neuroscience in Boston. Moss said that the study results should stimulate the development of drugs that target the GABAA receptor a2 subunit as new, more effective treatments for epilepsy.

###

Hines and her husband, UNLV psychology professor Dustin Hines, collaborated on the project with researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston USA, where Rochelle was a post-doctoral fellow with Moss; and also the University of Wurzburg in Germany; University of Turin in Italy; University of Zurich in Switzerland; University College London in the UK; and the IMED Biotech Unit of AstraZeneca, Boston USA.

The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the German Excellence Initiative.
Children who enter adolescence with weak cognitive control are the most impulsive and face problems as young adults, Oregon and Pennsylvania researchers find

EUGENE, Ore. -- Aug. 9, 2018 -- Children who struggle with weak cognitive control at an early age are at most risk for trouble in adulthood following their engagement in risk-taking activities in adolescence, according to new research.

The study, published online last month in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, found that only a subset of children who engage in excessive levels of impulsiveness, such as acting without thinking during their teen years, later struggle with addictions or other problem behaviors as young adults.

"People have heard so much about the teenage brain being all gas and no brakes, stemming from an imbalance between the reward and control regions of the brain," said lead author Atika Khurana of the University of Oregon. "This study shows that this is not true. There is an imbalance for some youth, but it is not universal."

The findings challenge the traditional thinking that adolescence is a time of universal imbalance, with kids lacking cognitive control and taking risks to reap instant rewards, said Khurana, associate professor and director of prevention science graduate programs and member of the UO's Prevention Science Institute.

"Previous studies modeling changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking during adolescence drew conclusions based on age differences without looking at the same adolescents over time as they developed," she said. "This study looked at individual trajectories and captured distinct patterns of change that were not otherwise observable when looking at youth at different ages."

Khurana and colleagues analyzed six waves of data collected from 387 adolescents, ages 11 to 18, in the Philadelphia area. They looked at changes in sensation-seeking and impulsivity during in their teen years in relation to working memory, a measure of cognitive control, and as predictors of substance use disorders in late adolescence.

Cognitive control is the ability to exert top-down control over behavior, thoughts and emotions. This ability, tied to executive functions, rests in the brain's prefrontal cortex.

Only adolescents identified at the beginning of the study with weaknesses in cognitive control were at risk for impulsive action that put them at higher risk for substance abuse, the researchers concluded. While sensation-seeking rose in adolescence, it was not associated with weakness in cognitive control or later substance abuse.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, supported predictions of the Lifespan Wisdom Model developed by study co-author Daniel Romer of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

It also continued to support a series of published findings that have emerged from Khurana's work with the same data, which began while she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

In 2012, her group reported a positive association of working memory with sensation-seeking and a negative association with impulsivity. While children with sensation seeking engaged in exploratory forms of risk-taking, they were not getting stuck in unhealthy patterns of risk-taking.

Subsequently, the group has shown that weak working memory in combination with impulsivity can be used to predict trajectories of early alcohol use and risky sexual behavior in adolescents, and that adolescents with strong working memory are better equipped to escape early progression in drug use and avoid substance abuse issues.

"Our research focuses on preventing maladaptive outcomes," Khurana said. "We are finding that those who have early weakness in cognitive control will have increasing problems in behavioral regulation as sensation-seeking peaks during adolescence. Those without this weakness will still seek out thrilling and rewarding behaviors during the adolescent years, associated with the rise in dopamine, but they are less likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors."

The research speaks to the need for greater emphasis on early interventions that can strengthen cognitive control, she said.

"Executive functions develop rapidly between the ages of 2-5, but there is a second window of opportunity to intervene during adolescence, when there is rapid brain development," she said.

Adolescents need to engage in exploratory behavior, she added. That is how they learn and how the brain prunes synapses that are not needed, and strengthens the connections that are relevant, she said.

###

Study co-authors with Khurana and Romer were Laura M. Betancourt and Hallam Hurt, both of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Source: Atika Khurana, associate professor, Prevention Science, College of Education, 541-346-5540, atika@uoregon.edu

Note: The UO is equipped with an on-campus television studio with a point-of-origin Vyvx connection, which provides broadcast-quality video to networks worldwide via fiber optic network. There also is video access to satellite uplink and audio access to an ISDN codec for broadcast-quality radio interviews.

Links:

About Atika Khurana: https://education.uoregon.edu/users/atika-khurana

Prevention Science: https://education.uoregon.edu/program/prevention-science
(PHILADELPHIA) - The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has received a $2 million gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation to establish the Blavatnik Family Fellowship in Biomedical Research in the Penn Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) program. Headed by industrialist and philanthropist Len Blavatnik, the Blavatnik Family Foundation has a strong history of supporting talented young scientists at premier institutions around the globe.

The Blavatnik Family Fellowship will be competitively awarded to six Penn BGS students for each of the next four academic years. By 2021, the Blavatnik Family Fellowship will have impacted 24 students, all Blavatnik Family Fellows, by providing a crucial boost at the very moment these talented trainees are launching as independent investigators. The Fellowship ensures support for students during their work with their mentors, a pivotal relationship in their scientific journey.

"We are delighted to be able to partner with the Blavatnik Family Foundation in accelerating critical research by cultivating outstanding young minds at the beginning of their careers," said University President Amy Gutmann. "We are deeply grateful to Len Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation for this visionary gift to Penn Biomedical Graduate Studies--one of the strongest training programs in the nation--and their support for the next generation of scientific thought leaders."

The inaugural class of Blavatnik Family Fellows was chosen in July 2018 from many nominees from the BGS program. The students selected are Divyansh Agarwal, Edward Chuang, Jinyang Li, Kamen Simeonov, Huchuan "Cedric" Xia, and Linda Zhou. They are focusing on research projects with translational implications across many disease areas, including: ocular diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, pancreatic cancer, cancer metastasis, psychiatric disorders; and trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders, such as Huntington's disease and Fragile X Syndrome.

J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, explained the power and influence these students bring to their research labs: "Many of our students are playing key roles in advancing major breakthroughs here at Penn thanks to BGS's thoughtful, expert mentors, a world-class research infrastructure, and a culture of collaboration. With the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, our talented Blavatnik Family Fellows will be able to transform their scientific passions into discoveries that improve human health."

Len Blavatnik--a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist--is the founder of Access Industries, a privately-held, global industrial group. "By establishing this landmark fellowship at Penn, we hope to empower talented students to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects in the lab," said Blavatnik. "This investment in our future will benefit cutting-edge science now and over time as these trainees grow and drive innovation in their respective fields." Blavatnik's forward-thinking philanthropy has made an impact in both the United States and abroad, enriching the research landscape and creating an elite community of creative and ambitious young scientists.

###

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $405 million awarded in the 2017 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital - the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, a leading provider of highly skilled and compassionate behavioral healthcare.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2017, Penn Medicine provided $500 million to benefit our community.

About The Blavatnik Family Foundation

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is an active supporter of leading educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, Europe, and throughout the world. The Foundation is headed by Len Blavatnik, an American and British industrialist and philanthropist. Mr. Blavatnik is the founder and Chairman of Access Industries, a privately-held U.S. industrial group with global interests in natural resources, media, technology, and real estate. For more detailed information, please visit: http://www.accessindustries.com.
HIV-1 replicates in ninja-like ways. The virus slips through the membrane of vital white blood cells. Inside, HIV-1 copies its genes and scavenges parts to build a protective bubble for its copies. Scientists don't understand many of the details of how HIV-1 can fool our immune system cells so effectively. The virus infects 1.2 million people in the U.S. and 37 million people worldwide in 2018. Supercomputers helped model a key building block in the HIV-1 protective capsid, which could lead to strategies for potential therapeutic intervention in HIV-1 replication.

Scientists found the naturally-occurring compound inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) promotes both assembly and maturation of HIV-1. "We discovered, in collaboration with other researchers, that HIV uses this small molecule to complete its function," said Juan R. Perilla, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware. "This is a molecule that's extremely available in human cells and in other mammalian cells. HIV has evolved to make use of these small molecules present in our cells to essentially be infectious." Perilla co-authored the study in the journal Nature in August 2018.

Perilla ran simulations of inositol phosphate interactions with HIV structural proteins CA-CTD-SP1 using NAMD through allocations on XSEDE, the Extreme Science and Engineering Environment, funded by the National Science Foundation. "XSEDE provides a unique framework which allows us to use computational resources that are tailored to the needs of a particular scientific problem. In addition, we benefit from the HPC training opportunities provided by XSEDE which allows us to develop novel analysis tools," Perilla said.

The allocation included time on the Anton2 system of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center to run atomistic simulations of bound IP6. "Anton2 enabled us to perform long-scale simulations to test the stability of the immature capsid assembly and IP6," Perilla said.

Through XSEDE, the Stampede2 system at the Texas Advanced Computing Center ran NAMD simulations of the Inositol phosphates IP3, IP4, IP5 and their interactions with HIV proteins CA-CTD-SP1. "What Stampede2 allowed us to do is establish what the molecular interactions are between the HIV proteins and this small molecule and to test the hypothesis that it was stabilizing a particular part of the protein using molecular dynamics," said Juan Perilla.

"I think Stampede2 is a great machine, and it's extremely beneficial to the scientific community to have a resource like that available on a merit-based system. What I would like the public to know is that it's important that these large-scale machines are available. They are not just a replacement of a small cluster. These machines really enable new science. If you didn't have machines of this scale, you couldn't do the kind of science that we do because our problems are larger than what you can have on a campus cluster. We really need to have the scale of these machines available to the scientific community to enable the kind of science that we do," Perilla said.

Perilla described the increasing use of the 'computational microscope,' the combination of supercomputers with laboratory data. "With the computational microscope, you can see how things move. Many experimental techniques are just a snapshot. With the computational microscope, you can actually see how things are moving," he said.

Supercomputer modeling of how building blocks of HIV-1 move in time made a difference in this study. "That discovery opens a door for development of new treatments. It's a therapeutic target. Because of that, it makes it very appealing for drug development and therapeutic development," Perilla said.

There remains much to be learned about HIV-1 behaves, said Perilla. "We're basic scientists. NSF's mission is to understand these systems as living organisms. The overall idea is that we want to understand the virus as a biological problem and ultimately this knowledge will be used to derive therapeutics," Perilla said.

###

The study, "Inositol phosphates are assembly cofactors for HIV-1," was published in the journal Nature on August 1, 2018. The study authors are Robert A. Dick and Volker M. Vogt of Cornell University; Kaneil K. Zadrozny, Jonathan M. Wagner, Barbie K. Ganser-Pornillos, and Owen Pornillos of the University of Virginia; Chaoyi Xu" and Juan R. Perilla of the University of Delaware; Florian K. M. Schur of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria; Terri D. Lyddon, Marc C. Johnson, and Clifton L. Ricana of the University of Missouri. The National Institutes of Health funded the research. This work used the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment, which is supported by National Science Foundation grant number OCI-1053575.
Two professors joining The University of Texas at Arlington this fall were announced as the winners of the Best Human Services App Idea Award at the Education and Social Development Conference in Dublin, Ireland, in July.

Kathy Lee and Rebecca Mauldin, who will start in the fall semester as assistant professors in the School of Social Work, began developing the SageServe app for aging-related services in April.

SageServe aims to provide older adults with opportunities to strengthen existing social roles and develop new ones by connecting them to online-based volunteer opportunities.

"To help vulnerable and frail older adults stay engaged to the community, we started talking about volunteerism they can do in their communities from home," Lee said. According to Lee, 10 percent to 43 percent of older adults in communities across the country are socially isolated with very limited social networks or activities in which to interact and engage. That lack of social networking can lead to higher levels of depression, worsened physical health, poor cognitive functioning and higher risks of mortality.

Lee says volunteering enhances social integration and is associated with higher levels of health and well-being. However, she noted that approximately 35 percent of Americans live with a disability and 12 percent live with cognitive impairment, both of which create difficulty for older adults to travel to volunteer locations according to Lee.

SageServe aims to connect older adults to volunteer opportunities they can participate in from within their own homes. The app will provide access to an array of offerings tailored to older adults who have any physical disabilities or cognitive impairments.

"The app intends to help older adults build community and reduce social isolation," Mauldin said. "We expect they will experience an increased sense of purpose, meaning of life and self-esteem."

The new assistant professors, who won first place in the contest, plan to work with community-based organizations in Arlington and the North Texas area.

"For our pilot study, we expect to recruit about 20 older adults who are willing to test the app and share their experiences with us," Lee said. "Through this study we believe we will learn more about the community needs and how we can develop this app for more adults. We are also expecting to apply for bigger grants."

Since the concept of the app is focused on virtual volunteerism, the need for transportation will be reduced greatly. SageServe's design also will make it easily accessible for older adults who have difficulties with vision, dexterity or memory, Mauldin said.

She believes the benefits of SageServe will be seen from both ends of computer screen.

"Community organizations will benefit from having a diverse pool of volunteers," Mauldin said. "SageServe will connect older adults with unique skills and distinctive experiences to volunteer locations that may have otherwise not been considered due to the missing link."

SageServe brings about an exciting development in the adaptation of technology in the field of social work. Scott Ryan, dean of the School of Social Work, looks forward to seeing the results of this new approach.

"When you combine technology and human services together, there is no estimating how impactful the research can become," Ryan said. "As technology continues to evolve how we approach creating community solutions, Kathy Lee and Rebecca Mauldin highlight how social workers are utilizing innovative technology to build sustainable urban communities."

Lee and Mauldin are excited to join the University because of its interdisciplinary research approach to building sustainable urban communities and improving the health and the human condition, two of the tenets of UTA's Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.

"As soon as we show up, we are going to start looking for people to help us design the app, particularly with computer science and engineering," Mauldin said.

###
Inducing labor in healthy women at 39 weeks into their pregnancy reduces the need for cesarean section and is at least as safe for mother and baby as waiting for spontaneous labor. Choosing to induce could also reduce the risk that mothers will develop preeclampsia and that newborns will need respiratory support after delivery, according to a study publishing online in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 8.

"This doesn't mean that everyone should be induced at 39 weeks," says the study's co-author Robert Silver, M.D., chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at University of Utah Health and a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City. Kim Hall, R.N., B.S.N., a research nurse coordinator at U of U Health and Intermountain Healthcare is also co-author on the study.

"Electing to induce labor is a reasonable option that may give the best chance for vaginal delivery and improve outcomes," says Silver.

Results were from 6,106 first-time mothers enrolled into the randomized ARRIVE clinical trial carried out at 41 hospitals participating in the National Institutes of Health-supported Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network. More than 1,200 women were at the Utah MFMUN, consisting of University Hospital and Intermountain Medical Center, the largest enrolling site in the trial.

A Rising C-Section Rate

Driving the study is a steadily increasing rate of babies being delivered by C-section in the U.S., a number that has been holding at 32 percent since 2016. Medically unnecessary cesarean deliveries in healthy first-time mothers account for 80 percent of those deliveries, a point of concern.

Although the procedure is generally safe, the major surgery increases risk for complications to both mother and baby, and to future pregnancies. Women who deliver by C-section once are more likely to continue delivering that way, increasing the likelihood of high-risk complications such as placenta accreta.

For years, health care providers had been taught to avoid inducing labor in healthy, first-time mothers based on the belief that inducing increases the chance for C-section births. However, recent results from small, observational studies indicated that this may not necessarily be the case.

ARRIVE was a prospective trial designed to test this premise by examining outcomes from two groups of healthy, first-time mothers. One group elected to induce labor at 39 weeks, when the baby is full term and it is considered safe for mothers to give birth. The other group took part in expectant management or "watchful waiting," the routine practice of waiting for spontaneous labor but undergoing active intervention should a medical need arise.

Inducing Labor vs. Waiting

On average, women who chose to induce at 39 weeks delivered nearly one week earlier than women who waited for spontaneous labor. C-section delivery was significantly less likely after elective induction than after expectant management (18.6 vs. 22.2 percent).

Based on these data, the researchers estimate that inducing labor at 39 weeks could eliminate the need for 1 C-section for every 28 deliveries.

"We're always trying to find the safest way to deliver babies and take care of our patients," says M. Sean Esplin, M.D., an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at U of U Health and chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Intermountain Healthcare. "If the primary goal is to keep rates of C-sections down, then elective induction is an option."

Choosing to induce labor at 39 weeks is at least as safe as spontaneous labor, according to results from the study. A composite score measuring several health indicators in newborns -- including death, seizures, hemorrhage and trauma -- was not significantly different between the two groups.

Inducing labor was linked to significant improvement in two specific outcomes: women were less likely to develop preeclampsia (9 vs. 14 percent), and rates of respiratory distress decreased in newborns. Silver says that the placenta tends not to function as well later in pregnancy, possibly explaining why mothers and babies who deliver earlier may fare better.

The study's findings held true regardless of the woman's age, ethnicity and BMI. Currently, researchers are evaluating whether inducing delivery at 39 weeks is cost effective.

"These results open the door for pregnant women and their health care providers to talk about what the woman wants to do," says Michael Varner, M.D., vice chair for research in Obstetrics and Gynecology at U of U Health and primary investigator of the Utah MFMUN.

"The opinions that matter most comes from the women we serve," says Varner.

###

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and publishes online as "Labor Induction versus Expectant Management in Low-Risk Nulliparous Women" in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 8, 2018.

About University of Utah Health

University of Utah Health provides leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health touts a $291 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's physicians and more than 1,250 health care providers at its Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Health. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals. For eight straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, including reaching No. 1 in 2010 and 2016.
Global research and learning company Wiley (NYSE:JWa) (NYSE:JWb), in partnership with Cochrane, is pleased to announce that the Cochrane Library, which provides high-quality, independently produced evidence to inform healthcare decision-making, has been redesigned and enhanced to improve user experience and functionality.

Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers, and people interested in health. Cochrane contributors and groups produce high-quality systematic reviews, which collate and summarize the best available evidence on the effects of interventions, to inform decisions about health. Cochrane Reviews are recognized internationally as representing a gold standard for high-quality, trusted information, and are published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, one of the databases within the Cochrane Library.

The new online platform, designed in collaboration with Cochrane's publisher Wiley and built by the technology platform provider HighWire, includes several features that will improve the user experience for people whose preferred language is not English, including improved visibility of non-English content, a new Spanish language homepage, and the ability to search in different languages. The new Cochrane Library also delivers a series of improved design features and functionality and allows users to search across varying content types, including Cochrane Reviews and Protocols, CENTRAL trials reports, Cochrane Clinical Answers, Editorials, Special Collections, and other systematic reviews from Epistemonikos, a collaborative, multilingual database of health evidence.

Cochrane's Editor in Chief, David Tovey warmly welcomed today's launch: "I am delighted to see the launch of our newly designed Cochrane Library today. This complex project has been all about improving user experience; we have ambitious plans for future development of the Cochrane Library and these can only be delivered by this move to a new and more flexible platform. With this launch, users will immediately notice a richer experience, but we see this is as merely the start of our journey."

Wiley's Editorial Director, Deborah Pentesco-Murphy added: "We are delighted that Wiley is able to offer Cochrane's gold standard Evidence, including the Cochrane Clinical Answers Database, on a new multi-lingual platform, including a Spanish interface, to serve our global audience of users better and with an improved ability to quickly locate relevant information to make informed health decisions."

HighWire CEO, Dan Filby, said, "The Cochrane Library is globally recognized for publishing world-leading research. We are proud to deliver a user experience for Cochrane that reflects the high quality of content; improving discoverability to help users in their research."

To learn more about the Cochrane Library or for training on how to use the new site, visit cochranelibrary.com/help/training.

###

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Media Contacts

Jo Anthony

Head of Knowledge Translation, Cochrane

T +44 207 183 7503

E pressoffice@cochrane.org

Dawn Peters Wiley (US)

+1 781-388-8408

About Cochrane Reviews

Cochrane Reviews are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy, and are internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care. Cochrane Systematic Reviews investigate the effects of interventions for disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. They also assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test for a given condition in a specific patient group and setting. Cochrane Library is published by Wiley.

About Wiley

Wiley, a global research and learning company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 210 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

About HighWire

HighWire is the technology partner of choice for world-leading commercial and academic publishers. With offices globally, HighWire provides digital publishing solutions and platform expertise across all aspects of the publishing life cycle, including content management and hosting, e-commerce, analytics, access and identity management, manuscript submission and tracking. HighWire also delivers strategic consulting services for system and application development, and improving the customer experience.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - August 9, 2018 - Although immunotherapy is seen as a very promising treatment for cancer, currently only 20 to 30 percent of patients respond positively. Being able to identify the people most likely to benefit from the costly therapy is a Holy Grail for oncologists.

In the current online edition of JAMA Oncology, scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center report finding a new molecular biomarker for gastric cancer -- the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Despite progress in the eradication of the bacteria helicobacter pylori, the major cause of gastric cancer, as well as earlier cancer diagnosis, the five-year survival rate for gastric cancer remains less than 30 percent. Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancer types in China but the incidence for gastric cancer has seen a steady increase in the United States in recent years.

"Immunotherapy treatment has shown remarkable benefit for some cancer patients whereas others experience toxicities," said Wei Zhang, Ph.D., professor of cancer biology at Wake Forest Baptist and lead author of the study. "More potential markers are urgently needed to help oncologists decide which patient would benefit from this promising new treatment strategy."

In this study, a team of scientists from Wake Forest Baptist and Tianjin Cancer Institute in China performed systematic and comprehensive analyses of 437 gastric cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) in the United States and 256 gastric cancer samples from an Asian cohort. The TCGA cohort was used as discovery set, while the Asian cohort was used as a validation set.

Zhang's team found that mutation of a gene called MUC16 was observed in 22 percent of Asian samples and 38 percent of samples from the TCGA cohort. Mutation of MUC16 was associated with higher tumor mutation load. Tumors with higher mutation loads tend to be more responsive to immunotherapy, Zhang said.

These findings identified a potential new marker that will guide immunotherapy for up to 38 percent of gastric cancer patients, Zhang said. Future studies will examine the relationship between MUC16 gene mutation and other forms of cancer.

###

This work was partially supported by the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University in China (IRT14R40 to Kexin Chen). Zhang is supported by a Fellowship from the National Foundation for Cancer Research, an Endowed Hanes and Willis Family Professor in Cancer at the Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. Boris Pasche, M.D., is the principal investigator of the Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute to the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (P30 CA012197).

Co-authors are: Boris Pasche, M.D., of Wake Forest Baptist, and Xiangchun Li, Ph.D., and Kexin Chen, M.D., Ph.D., of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital in China.
Singapore, 10 August 2018 - Yale-NUS Associate Professor of Science (Physics) Shaffique Adam is the lead author for a recent work that describes a model for electron interaction in Dirac materials, a class of materials that includes graphene and topological insulators, solving a 65-year-old open theoretical problem in the process. The discovery will help scientists better understand electron interaction in new materials, paving the way for developing advanced electronics such as faster processors. The work was published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Science on 10 August 2018.

Electron behaviour is governed by two major theories - the Coulomb's law and the Fermi liquid theory. According to Fermi liquid theory, electrons in a conductive material behave like a liquid - their "flow" through a material is what causes electricity. For Dirac fermions, the Fermi liquid theory breaks down if the Coulomb force between the electrons crosses a certain threshold: the electrons "freeze" into a more rigid pattern which inhibits the "flow" of electrons, causing the material to become non-conductive.

For more than 65 years, this problem was relegated to a mathematical curiosity, because Dirac materials where the Coulomb threshold was reached had never been made. Today, however, we routinely make use of quantum materials for applications in technology, such as transistors in processors, where the electrons are engineered to have desired properties, including those which push the Coulomb force past this threshold. But the effects of strong electron-electron interaction can only be seen in very clean samples.

In the work immediately following his PhD, Assoc Prof Adam proposed a model to describe experimentally available Dirac materials that were "very dirty" (contains a lot of impurities). However, in the years that followed, newer and cleaner materials have been made, and this previous theory no longer worked.

In this latest work titled, "The role of electron-electron interactions in two-dimensional Dirac fermions", Assoc Prof Adam and his research team have developed a model which explains electron interactions past the Coulomb threshold in all Dirac materials by using a combination of numerical and analytical techniques.

In this research, the team designed a method to study the evolution of physical observables in a controllable manner and used it to address the competing effects of short-range and long-range parts in models of the Coulomb interaction. The researchers discovered that the velocity of electrons (the "flow" speed) in a material could decrease if the short-range interaction that favoured the insulating, "frozen" state dominated. However, the velocity of electrons could be enhanced by the long-range component that favoured the conducting, "liquid" state. With this discovery, scientists can better understand long-range interactions of electrons non-perturbatively - something that previous theories were not able to explain - and serves as useful predictors for experiments exploring the long-range-interaction divergence in Dirac electrons when they transition between conducting to insulating phases.

This improved understanding in the evolution of the electron velocity during the phase transition paves the way to help scientists develop low heat dissipation devices for electronics. Assoc Prof Adam explains, "The higher the electron velocity, the faster transistors can be switched on and off. However, this faster processor performance comes at the price of increased power leakage, which produces extra heat, and this heat will counteract the performance increase granted by the faster switching. Our findings on electron velocity behaviour will help scientists engineer devices that are capable of faster switching but low power leakage."

Assoc Prof Adam adds, "Because the mechanism in our new model harnesses the Coulomb force, it would cost less energy per switch compared to mechanisms available currently. Understanding and applying our new model could potentially usher in a new generation of technology."

###

The team comprises researchers from the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM) and the Department of Physics at the National University of Singapore (NUS), at which Assoc Prof Adam also holds joint appointments, as well as researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Simon Fraser University in Canada and Universitat Wurzburg in Germany.

The work was supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF-NRFF2012-01), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 1170 ToCoTronics, project C01), NSERC of Canada, and Singapore Ministry of Education.

(MOE2014-T2-1-112 and MOE2017-T2-1-130).
this news is not available
Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.
The San Francisco Writers Conference will produce its 16th annual event with Laurie J. McLean as its director and a monumental move to the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero hotel. (The SFWC had been at the Mark Hopkins Hotel for the past 13 years!) The San Francisco Writers Conference is consistently ranked in the top five of writing conferences in North America and the world.1



Laurie J. McLean is the new SFWC director following the retirement of event co-founder and co-director, Michael Larsen late last year. Since McLean is also the founder of Fuse Literary with agents across the U.S., a priority will be incorporating more ways for attendees, presenters and especially literary agents to meet in small groups and one-on-one during the San Francisco Writers Conference.



Lissa Provost, who started at the SFWC as a volunteer, was promoted to Operations Director. Marketing Director Barbara Santos, Volunteer Director Linda Lee, and Registrations Director Richard Santos will continue in their directorial rolls.

The 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference will be held President's Day Weekend, February 14th-17th (Master Classes open to non-attendees are on Feb 14 & 18) at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. Participants from around the globe will find the new location, across from the Ferry Building, allows easier access to the event via ferry, bus and BART.



The San Francisco Writers Conference brings publishing industry leaders and bestselling authors to the Bay Area for its annual 4-day signature event each February. Writersboth published and aspiringlearn about craft and business in order to build their writing careers and become successfully published authors. The San Francisco Writers Conference will also offer several free events during the main conference and access to the exhibit hall as part of its outreach program. SFWC recently began offering educational classes throughout the year in conjunction with Mechanics' Institute Library. The San Francisco Writers Conference/ San Francisco Writers Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Event details are available at: www.SFWriters.org and www.SFWritingforChange.org



1. The Write Life named San Francisco Writers Conference #2 and the San Francisco Writing for Change conference #3. The Writer Magazine ranked the San Francisco Writers Conference #3 in the North America. https://thewritelife.com/writers-conferences/ https://www.writermag.com/2017/01/17/top-10-writing-conferences-north-america/



# # #

SHORTER VERSION OF THIS RELEASE:



2019 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE February 14th-18th Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel. The 16th Annual 'Celebration of Craft, Commerce and Community' for all writers offers quality interaction with 100+ literary agents, editors, publishers and bestselling authors at over 70 sessions. The SFWC Exhibit Hall and special presentations will be open to the public. The SFWC Master Classes are open to non-attendees on February 14 & 18. Updates, event details, and opt-in form for the complimentary SFWC Newsletter are available at www.SFWriters.org.





MORE ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE The San Francisco Writers Conference is an annual gathering that draws 100+ bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers, editors, and publishing industry professionals to the Bay Area. These presenters, from the West Coast, New York City, and beyond, come to the event looking for new talent, to share their expertise with the attendees, and do some quality networking themselves. For more information about the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference, go to: www.SFWriters.org. Attendees have access to the 70+ information-packed concurrent sessions covering a wide-range of topics (craft, publishing business, book/author marketing, self-publishing); keynotes and plenary sessions; on-site social events where they can mingle with presenters and fellow writers; and pitch sessions where they will get honest feedback on their work. The event is suitable for writers in any genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-publishing, marketing, etc.). There will be nearly 30 literary agents at the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference and publishers, authors and editors from top traditional publishing housesSt. Martin's Press, Penguin Random House, New World Books, Chronicle Books, Writer's Digest, and more. Traditional and self-publishing are equally valuable options for writers and the technology changes quickly. The SFWC self-publishing track keeps attendees current on trends and possibilities with panels and sessions featuring self-publishing leaders including Carla King, PBS MediaShift; Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, Angela Bole of IBPA, and Robin Cutler of Ingram Spark, plus many more. Attendance will be limited to 450 attendees and there will be more than 100 presenters for optimal interaction. REGISTRATION FEE: $895. Early discounts and scholarships are available. (Please note: This event always sells out and seats may not be available at the door.) The San Francisco Writers Conference is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.



To learn about San Francisco Writers Conference programs and events, go to www.SFWriters.org or call 925-420-6223
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has agreed to temporarily allow cattle fever tick spray boxes after his decision to halt their use drew outcry from the states leading cattle industry group and the Texas Farm Bureau.

Miller on Thursday said ranchers could resume use for 45 days while he worked with federal and state agencies to make sure the boxes were better ventilated.

Miller during a visit to a South Texas ranch last week shut down the states 16 spray box operations, saying hed gotten complaints of cattle dying from overexposure to Co-Ral, a Texas Department of Agriculture-regulated pesticide manufactured by Bayer-Monsanto.

Miller said the insecticide was being administered at seven times the recommended rate by Texas Animal and Health Commission personnel not authorized to apply the chemical. He said only officials with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were authorized to use the treatment and none were on the premises.

RELATED: Ag Commissioner Sid Miller tangles with Texas cattle raisers

Reaction was swift and loud, as cattle producers who have for years been battling a resurgence of the tick said the boxes had been in operation since the 1970s with no evidence that they killed cattle. Since the boxes can be trailered, they are a preferred treatment for ranchers who would otherwise have to haul their cattle to distant dipping vats.

The tick carries a disease known as bovine babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells resulting in cattle anemia, fever and death. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it spread north with longhorn cattle drives and nearly wiped out the U.S. cattle herd.

The pest was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1943, save for a narrow quarantine zone hugging the Texas-Mexico border as the ticks have been known to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico. But in recent years the ticks have increasingly been making their way into the Texas interior, forcing the cattle industry to double down on efforts to contain it. According to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, there are now nearly 1.4 million acres under some level of quarantine, compared to what had been 226,803 acres in the permanent quarantine area.

Following the backlash, Miller called a meeting of the producers groups along with the Texas Animal Health Commision the Environmental Protection Agency and APHIS. He said it was to resolve the issue so Texas cattle ranchers can back to business.

RELATED: Paxton rules against Texas Ag Secretary Sid Miller's 'BBQ Bill' rules

The meeting was Tuesday.

I appreciate the quick and professional response from USDA Undersecretary (Greg) Ibach and I look forward to working with him to find a more permanent solution to this issue, Miller said in a news release. I also appreciate the patience and input of our friends in the Texas cattle industry. I sincerely hope together we can find that solution that will protect Texas cattle, serve the public interest and strengthen the position of the Texas beef industry as a world leader.

TCRA President Robert McKnight, Jr. and Texas Farm Bureau spokesman Gene Hall said ranchers applaud the decision.

We are pleased to report that as a result of that meeting and further collaboration with state and federal agencies, a compromise has been reached that will allow the spray boxes to reopen temporarily, McKnight said. This crucial step will allow Texas cattle raisers to continue to protect and care for their livestock and prevent the spread of cattle fever ticks while a permanent solution is implemented.

It is regarded as a short-term solution while working on a long-term agreement, Hall said. This solution will allow Texas cattlemen and women to care for their livestock and prevent the spread of fever ticks until a permanent solution can be implemented.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
San Antonio software development company GlobalScape Inc. posted a 30 percent increase in profit on flat revenue in the second quarter.

GlobalScape reported Thursday it earned $593,000, or 3 cents a share, on $8.5 million in revenue in the three months ended June 30. It earned $457,000, or 2 cents a share, on $8.5 million in the same period a year ago.

Matt Goulet, GlobalScapes CEO and president, said in a statement that it expects a stronger second half and beyond based on various enhancements it has made to the business. On Tuesday, the company revealed it was slashing 40 positions. It had 135 employees as of March 31.

The following day, the company announced it promoted Karen Young to chief financial officer.

Young had been serving as interim CFO since March, when she replaced the retired James Albrecht. She previously served as GlobalScapes controller for three years.

RELATED: Valero earnings skyrocket more than 50 percent in second quarter

GlobalScape credited Young with strengthening the companys internal controls over financial reporting and for it regaining compliance with NYSE American listing standards in June.

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.

Theres also an ongoing criminal probe by federal prosecutors and the FBI into the companys dealings. Earlier this year, a former company official pleaded guilty to wire fraud for intentionally inflating sales numbers.

The company develops software that provides secure information exchange, data transfer and sharing capabilities for businesses and consumers.

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
St. Anthony is a striking presence in The Other Side of the Alamo, an exhibit of works by San Antonio artists on display at Galeria Guadalupe.

The stately saint appears to be sculpted from clay, though, in fact, he is made of Styrofoam. He holds a book open toward the viewer, its pages reading, Truth in History/History in Truth. He is standing atop the Alamo, which is flipped upside down beneath his bare feet.

The pivot bar attached to the saints thighs and the title of the 2009 piece  Spinning San Antonio de Valero, a.k.a. Upside Down Saint Anthony  reflects the fact that it wasnt designed to be stationary. Instead, artist Rolando Briseno created it as the centerpiece of performances for St. Anthonys feast day. The piece was carried through Alamo Plaza and spun so that, at any given time, either the saint or the Alamo was on top.

The piece spins because when you want something, you place Saint Antonio upside down, Briseno said via text from Prague. I want the truth about the Alamo. Many people think Texas began in 1836. San Antonio de Valero is much older.

Painting a picture of Alamo history that extends beyond widely held beliefs  and, in some cases, widely held misunderstandings  is the idea behind the thought-provoking show.

Art historian Ruben C. Cordova, who curated it, covers a lot of ground. The Other Side of the Alamo looks at the way the Alamo story has been told, including various myths and the storys place in pop culture. (Ozzy Osbournes notorious 1982 visit, during which he was arrested for urinating on the Cenotaph, gets a few shout-outs.) It also digs into racist elements in both popular conceptions of the story of the siege and in the way that history has been taught in schools.

The idea is to look beyond what has been presented as the official story, said Ruben Luna, who created two multimedia works for the show.

There is something else going on here, he said. We need to look deeper, and I think thats kind of what the show is about  really looking deeply into the Alamo and what it represents and what its all about.

The show dovetailed a bit with the research that Cordova did for his 2011 book Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas.

Id known about the early Alamo pieces, Cordova said. I was very curious to track them down. When I was writing the book, I dealt a little with the symbolism of the Alamo.

The oldest piece in the show is Felipe Reyes 1971 acrylic on canvas Sacred Conflict, which depicts the Alamo below the United Farm Workers flag, a provocative image. In a 1972 interview quoted in the text Cordova wrote to accompany the painting, Reyes noted that different people view the Alamo differently.

To the Anglos it represents what they call oppression by Mexican tyrants, he said. But to the Chicanos, the Alamo is the symbol of Anglo aggression. The Chicano flag over it represents our viewpoint, that is, that the Alamo was a victory for us, the Chicanos. Yet the Anglos claim the whole event as their victory.  To be brief, the Alamo to me represents vengeance for the Chicano, and the flag is the Chicano symbol for justice.

Among the newer works is Jose Esquivels Dreamers in Space, which references Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. In the painting, more than a dozen people clad in bright blue graduation gowns rise through the clouds.

Luna contributed Available for Purchase in the Gift Shop, a narrow case filled with a coonskin cap and a scary-looking toy knife and pistol; and Heavy Metal Capital vs. the Alamo City, which deals with the Osbourne incident and also references Calvin and Hobbes and Disneys interpretation of the story of Davy Crockett.

Luna remembers the Osbourne episode vividly. He was in second grade and recalls that his peers were scandalized, but the older kids were titillated.

I just kind of knew this was a sacred shrine, the Alamo, and so you hear those terms being used and then Ozzy doing that, you start to question, he said. It really did kind of make you question what is it and why is it sacred and what happened there, and you start to kind of come up with your own idea of what really happened there.

Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
A Northwest Side school that trains military veterans on dog-handling was raided Wednesday by federal authorities who served a search warrant as part of an investigation, allegedly regarding fraud.

No arrests were made and federal officials would not explain why they were searching Universal K9.

District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, who was briefed at the scene, told reporters that this is an ongoing FBI investigation into fraud allegations of the business operator. This looks like one of the first steps in that investigation.

Pelaez said later in an online post that the IRS and the FBI just shut down an operation that was preying on veterans and not doing right by dogs. Thats a good thing worthy of mention and support.

Former agents said the FBI and IRS were likely involved because Universal K9 receives federal money from veterans programs and agents would want to look at tax records.

The FBI and the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation division were among the agencies that served the warrant at Universal K9, 15329 Tradesman, near Loop 1604. San Antonio Police Department officers assisted. The Express-News confirmed that the Department of Veterans Affairs also was involved.

Universal K Nine Inc., which does business as Universal K9, began in 2010 as a for-profit business, according to a lawsuit it recently filed against two ex-students and information on its website.

Universal K9 specifically outreaches to veterans and offers a two-week K9 Handlers course or a ten-week trainers course in which any veteran may utilize his or her GI Bill to cover 100% of course costs, including the canine, the Universal K9 lawsuit said.

It costs $12,500 for a 10-month course, according to exhibits included in the lawsuit.

Universal K9 is also listed as a nonprofit foundation that donates dogs to police departments nationwide and has been featured on local and national media, including CBS News. Its 2016 federal tax Form 990 shows contributions of about $170,000 from two sources Animal Farm Foundation of New York and the Veterans Commission of Austin  but assets of just $27,075.

Bradley Croft was identified as Universal K9 founder in multiple news stories. But in the lawsuit, Universal K9s lawyer wrote that Richard Cook is the founder and that Croft is a trainer. Other public records show Universal K9 bought the Tradesman property in April, and those documents list Cook as president. His LinkedIn account says hes Universal K9 director and lives in Richmond, Va.

Its principals and lawyer did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment.

Military veterans at the scene of the raid said they used their GI Bill to go to Universals training program to learn how to be dog trainers and handlers.

Andy Torres, 29, who served in the Marines from 2012 to 2016, said he has spent $10,000 so far paying Universal K9 and moving from Washington state to San Antonio to attend the training. After more than two months in the program, he arrived about 6 a.m. Wednesday for more training, but the FBI turned him and other students away, he said.

Now, Torres and other students  who watched the raid from across the street  said they may have to repay basic housing allowance and other schooling expenses to the VA.

They advertise it as nationally recognized, Torres said of Universal K9. They were targeting veterans, which is (expletive).

He said Universal K9 didnt have the proper tools for adequate training. While describing some dogs as seeming unhealthy, neither he nor any of the trainees had information of any mistreatment.

I came down here from Washington state, drove down here 36 hours, came down here with the hopes of being an instructor, Torres said. What happens now, Im not sure.

During the raid, Animal Care Services removed 26 dogs from the canine training school.

Shannon Sims, ACS assistant director, said the dogs owner, whose name was not released, agreed to surrender the animals because he didnt think he would be able to continue caring for them because of the ongoing federal investigation into Universal K9.

Sims said the dogs were in adequate but not optimal condition and were living in makeshift kennels created out of modified shipping containers cooled by window air conditioning units.

The animals are in pretty good condition, healthwise, Sims said. They all looked to be healthy. We didnt see any in there upon initial walk-through that appeared to be exigent in condition or requiring immediate medical care.

The search warrant, signed by a federal magistrate this week, denotes that it was to be served on a business/residence. The property is situated in an industrial corridor and a vacant business sits at the front. A motorhome sits behind the building, and veterans who attended the training said Croft lives in it. The modified kennels and Universal K9 occupied the rear of the property. It took five ACS trucks to transport the surrendered dogs to the ACS campus.

Pelaez, who represents the council district where Universal K9 is located, questioned whether some of the dogs were appropriate for use in training.

A lot of these dogs are not the kind of dogs that you would expect to be part of a security training organization, Pelaez added. Some of them, because of their age and their condition, just were not appropriate for this situation and for this operation. Im very happy we can step up and provide the dogs some shelter.

Sims said there were 31 dogs on the premises; the only five that were left behind were the dogs that were the owners personal pets, he said.

Stacey Coleman, executive director of the Animal Farm Foundation, said it previously had a detection dog training program through Universal K9.

The Animal Farm Foundation would take dogs from shelters and cover the cost of training the dogs to do detection work for police. Universal K9 provided the training and placement with police departments.

Our goal in that was to get good PR for shelter dogs, Coleman said. Her organization would sponsor the care for the dogs and pay for two weeks of training for handlers and their expenses while staying in San Antonio. Animal Farm Foundation contributed $111,750 to Universal K Nine in 2016. She didnt know offhand how much it contributed last year.

We ended our relationship with Universal K9 in 2017, she said, adding it did not renew its grant for 2018. Asked why the relationship ended, she answered, Just philosophical differences, I would say.

Universal K9 wanted to expand the program beyond what Animal Farm Foundation was willing to fund, she said.

San Antonio-based Petco Foundation spokeswoman Lisa Lane confirmed that it has provided grant funding to Universal K9 but had no information about the investigation.

The raid at Universal K9 comes less than a month after the nonprofit filed defamation and breach of contract lawsuits against two of its former students. It seeks more than $200,000 in damages from the pair.

Universal K9 alleges in its lawsuit that after David Palasek and Eric Ramos were terminated from training after confrontations with Cook, in which Croft had to intervene, they began disparaging Universal K9 with negative and false accusations, resulting in at least three students terminating their contracts. The remarks were made in violation of a nondisparagement clause in an enrollment agreement the pair signed, the suit adds.

Ramos, who lives in Nevada, said he was planning a countersuit but wanted his attorney to speak for him.

Palasek was among those watching the raid unfold across the street. He denied the suits allegations and said the training he received was of little value.

Their certificates mean nothing, Palasek said.

Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Proponents for a citywide paid sick leave ordinance packed City Hall on Wednesday night, urging the city to either adopt a measure widely opposed by business groups or put it on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Its going to pass, Neighborhoods First Alliance organizer T.C. Calvert said to hearty applause. You can either do it the hard way or well just go to the streets.

Former Mayor and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro was the first to speak in what became a lively meeting, calling it a well-thought-out ordinance and absolutely tremendous opportunity to impact the life of hundreds of thousands of workers and families in San Antonio.

The supporters, many from local unions and workers rights groups, spoke of income disparity, the need for time to deal with domestic violence and other personal issues, and struggles to pay the bills or even losing their jobs after falling ill.

Of the 136 who signed up to speak during the public hearing called by the City Council, all but about 20 were for the proposal.

University of Texas at San Antonio student Justice Lovin and others portrayed the fight as one of workers against businesses.

But conservative groups say unions, which have experienced declines in power and membership, are using municipal ordinances to win pay raises and other benefits that used to be negotiated through collective bargaining.

In whats so far been a largely blue state phenomenon, there now are minimum-wage ordinances in at least 40 counties and cities and paid sick leave mandates in 43 jurisdictions, including a number of states along both the East West coasts.

City Clerk Leticia Vacek last week told the council more than 70,000 of the 144,000 signatures gathered by Working Texans for Paid Sick Time, a coalition of labor and community groups, were valid. The threshold to move the proposal forward was 69,950, or 10 percent of the registered voters during the citys last election.

City officials called the public hearing in advance of their Aug 16 meeting, the last scheduled before the Aug. 20 deadline to put initiatives on the fall ballot. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has said the council would not push the issue to the citys municipal elections in May.

As a community, we need to discuss all of the issues surrounding a potential paid sick leave policy at the local level, Nirenberg said in the July 30 notice of the hearing. We are inviting every constituency with an interest in the proposed ordinance to voice their opinions to ensure transparency and public discussion of the issue.

If the proposal becomes law, private employers with 15 or fewer employees would have to provide six days of paid time off a year, larger businesses eight. Workers would be able to use the days for their own or a family members physical or mental illness or preventive care. They also could be used for taking legal action, moving or obtaining victim services in situations related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Employers found in violation of the ordinance, enacted at part of the citys public health code, would have an opportunity to remedy before paying a $500 civil fine.

According to the Institute for Womens Policy Research, 350,000 people, or 39 percent of the San Antonio workforce, lack paid sick time.

Paid sick time is a basic human right. Its not a luxury, its a necessity, said Henry El Zapatista Rodriguez of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.

But many business leaders  even those who already offer sick leave  say not everyone can afford it and that city government shouldnt tell them how to compensate their employees.

One of the 20 speaking against the ordinance was San Antonio restaurateur Louis Barrios, who while waiting for his turn said the City Council should consider San Antonians like his mother, Viola Barrios, who for struggled for decades to cover expenses with only a few employees.

She was overdrawn three to four days a week, he said. Every other day, the Bank of San Antonio would call and say Mrs. Barrios, youre overdrawn, we covered the check, when can you get here to pay us?

The restaurant industry is the largest employer of minorities, the largest employer of 16 to 24 years old, the largest employer of females, Barrios said. This City Council needs to go knock on doors in those districts and talk to all these little restaurateurs and find out how this is going to impact their lives.

Another was Doug Carlberg of M2 Global Technology, who said his 55-employee company operated on multiyear Defense Department subcontracts that could not be easily renegotiated.

We cant dictate competitive wages, he said. At the end of the day, its going to force me to do one of two things: reduce my benefits  and I pay sick leave today  or its going to force me to move out of San Antonio.

He said that during his stint as vice president for Harris Corp., the company did just that, moving out of California because of excess taxes and regulations.

Most larger employers already offer paid sick leave. Its business owners with only a few employees who are most likely to be affected.

Also likely to feel the pinch are temporary staffing agencies, food service companies and businesses that employ high school or college-aged employees because they have tight profit margins.

The debate comes despite Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a July 9 letter warning city officials that state law prohibits it. Paxton said that under the Texas Minimum Wage Act, the city cant force private employers to pay for hours not worked.

San Antonio City Attorney Andrew Segovia said Paxtons letter was not binding on the council.

Whatever happens, its likely the future of San Antonios as well as an ordinance already passed in Austin will ultimately be fought out at the state level.

The attorney generals office has petitioned to join a lawsuit against the city of Austins paid sick leave ordinance, which is set to take effect in October.

State Sen. Donna Campbell, a New Braunfels Republican, filed a brief supporting the plaintiffs in June. She tweeted in February that she was fully prepared to pass statewide legislation to stop Austins intrusion into the private sector.

State Rep. Paul Workman, R-Austin, has said he will file legislation to reverse Austins ordinance on the first day possible for the 2019 legislative session.

lbrezosky@express-news.netl
REYNOSA, Mexico - Months of traveling by bus, foot and freight trains have brought Maria Torres, an unborn daughter and nearly 4-year-old son to a walled compound perched on the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande, which they hope to cross by raft in search of U.S. asylum.

We left with almost nothing and there is nothing to go back for, said Torres, 39, who hails from a small town in Honduras where the narcotics trade augments the farm economy. We can't live in our country any more. There is so much crime and so little work.

The Trump administration has argued that its zero-tolerance policy toward undocumented border jumpers would deter migrants who are fleeing from violence and poverty-racked corners of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Under the crackdown, U.S. border agents this spring separated migrant parents from their children until a public outcry forced an end to the separations. A federal court ordered the administration to reunify the families last month, yet hundreds of them remain separated.

RELATED: ICE denies report of child death at Texas immigration facility

The deterrent strategy appears to have had little effect. Border Patrol agents arrested 9,258 people jumping the border in family units in July, down just slightly from the tallies in May and June. The number of migrants apprehended as family units in July was up more 140 percent compared to the same month last year.

It doesnt appear that zero tolerance has yet had much impact, said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

For Torres and other mothers hunkered in this shelter in Reynosa, a gangster-besieged industrial city of nearly 1 million people just south of McAllen, the toughened U.S. policies arent their biggest concern.

Dread of returning home, they say, far outweighs any risks they'll face north of the border.

Its not easy to get here, said Ruth Flores, 31, who arrived at the Senda de Vida shelter in July with her husband and four children, ages 2 to 12 years old. We are just going to stay here to see what changes. It seems things change all the time.

We are only trying to live, to protect our children, the rail-thin woman said, grasping the hand of her 12-year-old daughter.

Evangelical minister Hector Silva said he's heard thousands of such stories in the two decades that he has run the shelter. Though he believes only a fraction of the tales, Silva said, he's convinced of the dire need of anyone arriving at his door.

All of these people are in very desperate shape, Silva said as he applied a fresh coat of paint in the shelters small office. We arent trying to get involved in the politics of any of it.

Silva's ever-expanding compound - financed in part with contributions from church groups from the U.S. and elsewhere - sits behind a metal gate and high walls on a riverfront bluff not far from Reynosa city hall. Another refuge operated by Roman Catholic nuns stands a few blocks away.

Senda de Vida, which has beds for at least 60 people, has separate quarters for women and children and bunkhouse-type dormitories for men. As migrants have become stranded for longer periods at the border, rules have been relaxed to allow for longer stays.

Flores and Torres said their families had been at the shelter for about a month.

People staying at these shelters have traveled through Mexico on the cheap, without the aid of smugglers. More fortunate migrants pay thousands of dollars for transit to U.S. destinations. They stay in stash houses operated by the trafficking gangs in Reynosa and other border cities until they can be crossed.

Then four months pregnant, Torres set out for the U.S. border in late April with her son and the unborn child's father, hoping to deliver the baby in Houston. After crossing into Mexico from Guatemala, the family traveled for two months, usually staying in church-run shelters, stopping for days at a time to earn money to continue their trip.

RELATED: Reunifications still fall short in chaotic process

They have been waiting in Reynosa for relatives to send the $300 per head demanded by gangs who control a 30-yard raft ride to the U.S. shore.

The father, Jose Angel Lopez, 34, said he was fleeing a local drug dealer in his hometown who police had forced him to testify against. Returning to Honduras, Lopez said, will mean certain death.

Still, Lopez said he has no intention of crossing the border himself because he would face almost certain prison time. Since first migrating to the U.S. at 16 years old, he's been deported nine times following arrests for driving infractions, public intoxication and other lesser offenses, Lopez said. His last deportation was in 2016 from Houston, where he was working construction.

But even Lopez's troubled history in the U.S. explains the strong pull northward for many Central Americans. He was earning $130 a day on that construction job in Houston, Lopez said. The only work he could find upon returning to Honduras paid $6 a day. When he lands an occasional day's work in Reynosa, he said, he's lucky to pocket $11.

There is no future in Honduras, Lopez said, slipping occasionally into English. The gangs are killing more, robbing more, extorting more. In my town, everyone either has left or is talking about leaving.

More than anything I want to give my daughter a chance at a U.S. life, he said.
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 the 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, 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. The Buda firm collected nearly all of the signatures submitted on the three petitions filed in April.

In a memo written by former Harris County prosecutor Alicia ONeill on behalf of the PAC, 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 and its political action committee under several sections of the Texas Election Code and the Texas Penal Code. The memo also seeks investigations of 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.

The fire union and its associates 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, which is run by political consultants Christian Archer and Kelton Morgan, 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.

LaHood confirmed that hed received the memo.

The Bexar County District Attorney's Office has received a memo from the Secure San Antonio's Future PAC, LaHood said in a statement. As with all complaints sent to our office, we will review the allegations to determine the appropriate course of action.

Neither Steele nor Hatch returned telephone calls seeking comment. But attorney Cris Feldman, a Houston attorney representing the union in a federal lawsuit it recently filed against the city, said the actions taken by the Secure San Antonios Future PAC are simply spurious.

Its never been a secret that San Antonio Firefighters Local 624 paid for and was fully behind the petition drive. The memo to the DA and AG circulated (Wednesday) is just an attempt to intimidate the San Antonio City Council from performing its ministerial duties and placing the charter amendments on the November 2018 ballot, Feldman said in an email.

Generally speaking, one should never file a lawsuit or threaten criminal prosecution unless they have a grasp of the law and the facts, he said. I look forward to getting the unions attorneys fees awarded by the Court and refunded from Secure San Antonios Future PAC and its Treasurer. They will be held fully responsible.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Wednesday that hell continue to oppose the charter amendments, which hes indicated is his top priority headed into the November election.

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.

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 difficult to 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.

The case could hinge on the question of whether its illegal for a labor union to spend union dues directly on political activity.

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.

After the Express-News revealed that the union and its PAC had failed to disclose any payments to Texas Petition Strategies, the firefighters PAC hastily amended campaign-finance reports to show that Texas Petition Strategies had given more than $500,000 in in-kind contributions to the firefighters PAC. But Steele and Hatch 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
Chris Steele has always been itching for war.

Ten years ago, while receiving a briefing on the city budget, the fire union president let City Manager Sheryl Sculley know just how badly he wanted one.

Chris Steele told me that he was a soldier without a war, Sculley told me on Wednesday, the first time she has publicly discussed the 2008 conversation. Those were his words, end quote, because I was taking care of business in the fire department.

I said, What do you mean? Sculley continued. He said, Well, I have to prove to the troops, that is the firefighters, that he had a purpose as the union president, and that he would have to lie and create issues to prove his worth. I wont forget. His exact words were, You need to know when you deal with me that I lie.

Steele did not return a call requesting comment on Wednesday. But Fire Chief Charles Hood, who was present at the meeting, confirmed the encounter.

I was at the meeting, and I will verify that he admitted that he would lie, Hood said. He said, I would just lie. It surprised me because you just dont hear people admitting that they would lie about something.

Related: PAC seeks criminal charges for fire union, others for allegedly violating election law

Six years later, Steele sounded more like an Army general than the leader of a public safety union. In an association newsletter, he assured members we are inflicting our damage on the enemy and referred to the unions burgeoning conflicts with the city as a war.

If war is what Steele has always wanted, he must love the heavy artillery fire hes taking this week.

On Wednesday, a political action committee urged state and county officials to charge Steele and others for allegedly violating election and state law. The move came a day after the same group sued the union over allegations it illegally funded a charter-amendment petition campaign.

City Council will vote next week on calling a Nov. 6 election on three charter amendments proposed by the fire union that would severely disable municipal government: Steeles latest  and potentially most damaging  attack on the city.

Its far from his first broadside, though, and not the first time Steele has told untruths to sustain an attack.

In 2014, Steele went full-bore against a proposed $280 million streetcar project.

Wake up! Wake UP! WAAAAKKKEE UUUPPPP!!!!! he wrote to firefighters in an email, rallying them to help collect signatures to force a public vote on the project.

If we cannot do this we will be seen as politically irrelevant and WE CAN BE IGNORED!!! he continued. And that means Council will have no problem voting against us.

Editorial: Ratings agencies offer a warning about charter changes, and voters should listen

That year, Steele circulated a flier that accused the city of ignoring basic services like Public Safety to pay for streetcar: Why does City Council want taxpayers to spend $400+ million dollars to build and maintain just 5.9 miles of track?  THE CITY IS NOT LISTENING!

That number was grossly inflated. At the time, the city was devoting more than two-thirds of its $988 million general fund budget to public safety; its proposed $32 million investment in the doomed streetcar project would have been spread over a 20-year period.

Steele lied again that year, and outrageously, in a news release blasting a Fire Department pilot program that proactively sent paramedics to a small number of residents making a disproportionately large number of 911 calls. The release trumpeted the inaccurate headline: Charles Hood Steps Down as Fire Chief, and Goes To Work for the Hospitals in San Antonio.

Steele hasnt stopped lying to stay relevant. Last month, speaking on Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calverts KROV-FM talk radio show about the fire unions protracted clash with the city over health care benefits for firefighters, he alleged that Sculley does not abide by the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Records Act, and claimed the Texas Attorney Generals Office had filed litigation against the city for not releasing information to the union.

Neither assertion is true.

In fact, Steeles admission to Sculley 10 years ago  You need to know when you deal with me that I lie  might be the most honest thing hes ever said.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
HONDO - U.S. Rep. Will Hurds drive to hold his swing district could be complicated by the likes of Victor Moreno, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and special ops soldier who has said adios to the Republican Party.

Last election, Moreno used social media to persuade friends to vote for Hurd, whom he still admires. But Trump administration policies along the border and around the world prompted Moreno to switch parties in the spring.

The Republican Party has lost its identity, said Moreno, who showed up last week at a campaign event for Hurds Democratic challenger, Gina Ortiz Jones.

Yeah, Hurd is one of the few Republicans who stood up to Trump. But the majority of his votes support the president, said Moreno, 42.

Hurd, 40, of San Antonio, is among Republican moderates trying to survive a potential Democratic tide fueled by an unpopular and erratic president.

He is a former undercover CIA officer in his second term who cites his bipartisan dealings as a strong reason for his re-election. He made news last month by accusing Trump of getting played by the KGB at the summit with Vladimir Putin. He was among the first in his party to decry the separation of migrant families at the border, labeling it bad policy after touring a detention center in Tornillo.

Jones, 37, a Filipina-American and former Air Force intelligence officer from San Antonio, has mounted a well-funded challenge after crushing Democratic primary opponents. She points to her work on security and trade issues in the Obama administration and says she would bring urgency to health care and other matters vital to Texans. She would be the first openly gay member of Congress elected in Texas.

The 23rd Congressional District in which theyre running is massive, stretching from west San Antonio to the outskirts of El Paso and taking in over 820 miles of border with Mexico. Hurd likes to say it takes ten and a half hours driving 80 mph to traverse its most distant points.

Besides big, the Hispanic-majority district is famous for being fickle. Until 2016, when Hurd won re-election, it had changed hands three times in three elections. Leading handicappers call the Hurd-Jones race a toss-up, or leaning slightly to Hurd.

The race is drawing national attention and cash as a top prize for Democrats, who may be within striking distance of capturing the 23 seats they need to regain control of the House. A GOP-aligned super PAC has an office in San Antonio. Jones was among 10 House candidates who recently split $2.4 million from Democrat Party financiers. Millions of dollars in ads already are booked for the stretch run.

In 2016, Hurds defense against former Rep. Pete Gallego became the most expensive Texas House race ever with at least $20 million spent by candidates, political parties and super PACS.

Rallying campaign staff and volunteers in San Antonio last weekend, Hurd predicted this years total will surpass $25 million.

This is a knife fight. Period. End of story, he said.

Hurd: Running like a good Republican

The biracial Hurd stands out in a caucus notably short on diversity - he is one of just two African Americans in the House GOP - one reason his party has armed him with enviable committee assignments and cash.

Hurd, a computer science major at Texas A&M, is a Capitol Hill leader on cybersecurity and IT issues. He achieved his signature legislative success last year with an overhaul of the federal governments outmoded, $80 billion-a-year computer-purchasing system.

He has been in the thick of Congresss tortured immigration fights, organizing moderates in high-profile efforts to rescue the Trump-rescinded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States as children. Those efforts thus far have gone for naught, with DACA kept alive by court injunctions.

Hurd said he believes the DACA issue will be resolved as early as December when election results are known.

Heres what I tell my colleagues: If the Republican Party of Texas doesnt start looking like Texas, there wont be a Republican Party in Texas, he said in an interview.

Jones outraised Hurd almost 2-1 in the most recent quarter  $1.2 million to $684,000  which Hurds campaign attributes to her far-flung support. Hurd was not among six Texas GOP House members who received campaign cash last month from Trumps re-election committee.

When you raise more money from Massachusetts than you do from Texas, that is not a good indication of your broad-based support, Hurd said of Jones.

Her retort: Does it matter if Im taking money from a grandmother in California when Will Hurd takes money from the gun lobby, which, I think, contributes to his lack of moral courage to speak on the need for safer gun laws?

Hurd insists that he knows how to run in a district nearly evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.

In this race, there is only one person who has proven the ability to actually do things in a bipartisan way. My opponent has not shown a willingness to deviate from her party. There has been nothing that she has done that shows that she is going to work in Washington, D.C., in a bipartisan way, he said.

Hurds approach includes being attentive to constituents, which he practiced last weekend knocking on doors of undecided voters.

Im the former CIA guy who has represented this district for three-and-a-half years, he said at one west San Antonio doorstep.

Hurd was received warmly wherever he went, but the response from Guadalupe Nettles, 65, underscored the threat with anti-Trump feelings running strong.

If youre a good Republican, then maybe you can convert the rest of them, she said.

Jones: Seeking a series of firsts

Gina Ortiz Jones enters politics with an appealing story: She is the daughter of an immigrant, single mother who became a domestic helper despite a college education. She overcame a modest upbringing to achieve academic successes, serve in the Iraq War and land a job in the Obama administration as a security adviser on global trade.

I know there are not a lot of kids who go from reduced lunch to the executive office of the president, she said in Hondo, plying her message about the need to create and protect opportunities.

Jones told her story in New Orleans last week at a Netroots Nation conference, featuring an array of left-leaning politicians, among them presidential hopefuls. Her GOP detractors assert that Jones liberal leanings are out of step with the predominantly rural district she wants to represent.

I look forward to being the first out-member of Congress from Texas. I look forward to being the first Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress from Texas. I look forward to being the first Filipina-American ever in Congress, she said in New Orleans.

Jones, who had not sought public office before, showed political instincts and easy rapport with people she met last week from Hondo to Eagle Pass.

Shes honest, she has integrity and shes so genuine, said Elizabeth Packer, 61.

Echoed Denise Lynn, 65, Shes out, shes proud and she says what she thinks.

In an interview, Jones said that more people approach her about children with special needs than about her achieving firsts.

I think there are some people who are excited about it and thats great, especially when you look at the direction of the policies in this administration for LGBT, which is very, very concerning, especially as it relates to LGBT members of the military, she said.

She noted that Hurd voted last year for an amendment that was narrowly defeated seeking to end the Pentagons policy of providing gender-reassignment surgeries and other treatment for transgender service members on active duty if deemed medically necessary by doctors.

Its a military readiness issue. If one person on the team is not 100 percent, the unit is not 100 percent and the unit is at risk, she said.

Referring to Hurd, she added: You cant talk to me about national security when youre taking active votes that threaten our national security.

At another point, she said: You ask Will Hurd what time it is and he will find a way to tell you he was in the CIA for nine-and-a-half years.

Jones could benefit from national trends. In recent polling, Democrats held a 6.9 percent advantage when voters were asked which party they supported in congressional races, according to an average tallied by Real Clear Politics.

Female voters could play an especially strong role in November, surveys suggest. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month found that separating migrant families is especially troubling to mothers. By a margin of 63-28 percent, mothers with a child under 18 at home disapproved of the Trump administration policy.

David Wasserman, who analyzes House races at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, nonetheless sees the race leaning Republican.

He observed that unlike other House Republicans in Texas who could be in jeopardy in November, Hurd has run a modern campaign. He notes, too, the Texas Democratic Partys difficulty every election turning out Hispanic voters.

Jones understands the challenge, which is why she exhorts audiences at every stop to reach out to families and friends.

We know this is going to be a close one, she told the crowd in Hondo.
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
NEWS FLASH





Nis Constantine the Great Airport has seen its monthly passenger numbers decline slightly for the first time in years. The airport welcomed 31.826 travellers in July, representing a decrease of 1.4% on 2017. It shed 436 passengers compared to last July. The decline comes as a result of the cancellation of several flights due to weather and strikes, as well as the absence of Germania Flug, which maintained services to the city last summer. Overall, during the first seven months of the year, Constantine the Great Airport handled 205.985 travellers, which is up 12% on the same period in 2017. Nis Airport anticipates welcoming up to 400.000 passengers through its doors by year's end. Wizz Air is due to launch a new three weekly service between Vienna and the south-east Serbian city this November with its Airbus A321 aircraft.
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.
FAIRFIELD  Police seized guns, drugs, cars and cash Wednesday following a monthlong investigation into crack cocaine sales in Fairfield and Bridgeport.

Arrested was the target of that investigation, Gregory White, 40, of Ogden Street in Bridgeport. A search of Whites home by Fairfield detectives and members of Bridgeports TNT unit uncovered 65 grams of crack cocaine, 41 folds of heroin, four unregistered handguns, a scale, packaging material and more than $18,000 in cash.

Police also seized two vehicles in connection with the investigation of White, a convicted felon.

White was charged with criminal possession of firearms, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of narcotics with intent to sell withing 1,500 feet of a school, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was held in lieu of $400,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Bridgeport on Aug. 9.
FAIRFIELD  A $3.4 million state project on Kings Highway East that improves pedestrian access is underway.

The town will receive an 80 percent state reimbursement for the work, which will install new, wider, concrete sidewalks along both sides of Kings Highway from Chambers Street to Villa Avenue. The new sidewalks will include handicapped-accessible ramps, and the project also calls for a landscaped pocket park.

Curbs will be relocated and replaced, and new driveway ramps and a stamped concrete median installed. The work also includes drainage improvements, minor traffic signal revisions and landscaping improvements, as well as the installation of new signs and lane striping revisions.

The project is scheduled to be completed on July 19.

The state Department of Transportation has released the following information on lane closures during the construction:

Kings Highway East (U.S. Route 1)

No interference with two lanes of operating traffic in either direction Monday through Friday between 6 and 9 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

All other roadways

No interference with one lane of operating traffic in either direction Monday through Friday between 6 and 9 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. The contractor may be allowed to maintain an alternating one-way traffic operation Monday through Friday between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The proposed schedule has the contractor working along U.S. Route 1 (Kings Highway East) from Chambers Street to Fairchild Avenue in 2018 and from Fairchild Avenue to Villa Avenue in 2019.

Residents can view the drawings at at the Fairfield Engineering Department or on the town website at http://bit.ly/2M5L30g

For questions or information, contact the towns Engineering Department at 203-256-3015.
FAIRFIELD  The day the kids dread and the parents long for is almost here  the first day of school, Aug. 30.

And this year, there are plenty of changes in store.

The Board of Education has adopted a Vision of the Graduate, which Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said has six tenets to it. All students are expected to be critical thinkers, collaborators, communicators, innovators, goal-directed and resilient learners, and responsible citizens.

How are we going to enhance instruction in the classroom to make sure they have what they need when they graduate? Jones said. One way, she said, is through the use of Chromebooks.

All incoming seventh-graders will get an assigned Chromebook starting this year.

Chromebooks arent new for us, Jones said. Weve had Chromebooks and weve used Google Suite.

But, Jones said, students shared the Chromebooks and laptops. Theyd go into a classroom and take a laptop off a cart, requiring them to log on again, and lose instructional time. Its to really help out in the classroom, she said.

Now students will get an assigned Chromebook, one they alone would use, and take home with them. Students at the high school level will also receive the laptops, starting this year with the ninth grade. The Chromebooks remain the property of the school district, much like a textbook.

At the K-5 level, Jones said, STEAM  science, technology, engineering, arts and math  will be on a rotation to make sure students are introduced to it an early age. And we want to make sure that they have access at all of the schools to things like coding and introduction to robotics.

New faces

The school district has also made some new appointments, a few from within the school system and some from outside.

Ian Banner is the new principal at Sherman School. Banner has served as the assistant principal at Roger Ludlowe Middle School since 2010, and has also worked as a teacher at North Stratfield.

Steven DeAngelo, the dean of students at Roger Ludlowe Middle School for 12 years, has been appointed the assistant principal at Roger Ludlowe and Fairfield Woods middle schools.

Teresa Gingrave, the new principal at McKinley School, comes to Fairfield from Rhode Island, where she was an elementary school principal, English language director, K-12 STEM director, and classroom teacher.

Brian Keating has been hired as a housemaster at Fairfield Warde High School. He was the interim director of an alternative high school program in Greenwich. He began his career as an English teacher in Danbury.

David Hudspeth is the new principal at Osborn Hill School. He was an instructional improvement teacher and a gifted program teacher for the district, and was a teacher at Osborn Hill.

First day

School starts for all students on Aug. 30, although teachers will be working Aug. 27-29 in professional development. Parents should check their schools website for information on orientation days and the open house schedule.

The elementary school day runs from 8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except for Holland Hill. Holland Hill hours are 8:10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Middle schools start at 8:10 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m., while Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. The Walter Fitzgerald hours are 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

greilly@ctpost.com; 203-842-2585
FAIRFIELD  Police said a Bridgeport woman stood by her man when he got into an argument with a co-worker Tuesday.

According to police, Porfirio Trochez, 57, and Ricardo Gonzalez, 47, were working at a job site near Greenfield Street when Trochez said Gonzalez dumped some asphalt when he was told not to. The two got into a verbal argument that resulted in Trochez swinging a metal rake at Gonzalez, and Gonzalez punching Trochez.
STAMFORD  Firefighters quickly put out a car fire near Scalzi Park that threatened a home early Wednesday afternoon.

Sgt. Robert Monck said a resident at 42 Prince Place on Stamfords West Side returned home in his Mercedes Benz just before 1:30 p.m. when he heard a pop and the car broke out in flames. The owner and his wife quickly got out of the car and out of harms way.

By the time firefighters got to the car, it was engulfed in flames and parked about 10 feet away from the owners home. Monck said the blaze cut the power wires to the house that were about 20 feet off the ground.

Monck said there were no injuries and no damage to the home.

Fire officials said the car fire, which was on Prince Place, caused a power line to the house to fall onto the lawn.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

Read More
KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Read More
Lonmin Plc explores, mines, refines, and markets platinum group metals in South Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The company explores for platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and gold, as well as chrome, nickel, copper, and cobalt deposits. Its flagship property is the Marikana mine located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld igneous complex in South Africa. In addition, the company holds 100% interest in Pandora mine. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Melrose North, South Africa.

Read More
One of the main things people ask me, upon learning that Im a writer, is how do you find things to write about?

My answer has always been and will continue to be, how do you not?

Example: There I was last night minding my own business when Boywonder called from the driveway, Mom, theres a peacock out here.

Sure there is son. Sure there is. Crazy kid.

We had to get up and look because, hello? Peacock in the driveway?

Nothing on Netflix is quite that compelling. Except maybe Pretty Little Liars. That show is the bomb. I digress

Boywonder was not wrong. There certainly was a peacock in the driveway. A gorgeous shade of blue-green with fabulous plumage.

It strutted across the backyard like it owned the place. So this wasinteresting.

Native peacock?

Im no expert on peacocks or birds of any type but Im pretty sure they arent indigenous to our region.

Ohio has a lot to offer. Peacocks are not (usually) one of those things. Just to be sure I consulted an expert  Google.

Accordingly, I learned, The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Burma. A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rainforests.

Not a single mention of the Midwest. This is why I dont trust nature.

Nature never gets the memo to stay where the Lord placed them. Bats and mice which should be outdoors end up in.

Bears and skunks dont realize they are supposed to be more afraid of us than we are of them. Geese are pretty but mean as snakes. Snakes meanwhile arent usually all that mean? Who can keep up?

Not me. I was picking out lip gloss colors during natural history class. I promise you that.

Attack dogs

All I know is that I was minding my own business and this peacock showed up to harass me. Our dogs went nuts.

According to further research (thank you internet, so this may or may not be true) their main predators are tigers, leopards, mongoose.

No mention of the mighty Shih Tzu or Jack Russell Terriers. Our dogs, however, remained fiercely vigilant.

The kids were running around the yard like we know a thing about herding peacocks. You apparently cannot just call a peacock to come to you.

Well maybe you can but I certainly cannot. That peacock swerved me so hard it practically held up a whatever hand (foot?). It was not interested in being friends and most certainly did want more space.

Fowl facts

I cant figure out how one shoos a peacock home. Remember, the things I know about peacocks = nothing.

Girlwonder posted a Found Peacock video on social media and within minutes I was being warned, repeatedly, that peacocks are big ol jerks!

My new internet masters degree in Peacocks led me to believe that they are omnivores and will eat both plants and animals. Fantastic.

More fascinating fowl facts: They are one of the largest flying birds. Their length (including tail) can reach five feet. They can weigh between 8-13 pounds.

Did I mention I have a tiny nine-pound dog? Hes cute and golden. He even looks like a loaf of bread.

Apparently, peacock attacks are on the rise. Commence panic now! Save Jack!

So now I have what Im led to believe is the equivalent of a land shark roaming my backyard. This right here is why I am indoorsy.

You know what never turns on you and tries to peck your eyes out? A remote control, thats what.

Peacock party

Update: the children have informed me that there may actually be two peacocks. They saw another, similar size bird, in a tree.

Of course, there would be. Fortunately, my research informs us that a group of peafowl is called a party because of course, it is.

Leave it to us to be the peacock party house. I did not sign off on this!

Will they keep multiplying? What is the gestation period for peacocks? I feel like Im going to wake up to an entire herd of peacocks.

Will we be giving them away the way other people pawn off an excess zucchini crop on unsuspecting friends?

Male peafowl is called peacock while female is called peahen. The male is the more colorful of the two.

This one was particularly bright and vibrant so that doesnt bode well for it finding its way home.

It appears to be a male so it probably wont stop to ask for directions.
For the second consecutive year, a pair of federally endangered piping plovers are raising chicks on Gull Point at Pennsylvanias Presque Isle State Park.

Adding to the excitement is news that a pair of state-endangered common terns also nested on the same beach. Unfortunately, the natural forces that helped create Gull Point  erosion, wind, and wave action  continually threaten its size and stability.

Thats why state and national conservation agencies banded together several years ago to manage sandy beaches for wildlife.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans reported in a recent press release, The investment we made to bring back piping plovers and common terns is starting to pay off.

Plovers

Last summer two pairs of state-endangered piping plovers nested successfully on a beach in Presque Isle State Park. The first pair hatched three chicks and ultimately raised two, the first Pennsylvania-hatched plovers since the 1950s.

A second plover nest on the same beach had four eggs rescued when strong waves threatened to carry them into Lake Erie. Those eggs hatched two more chicks; they were released last August on Lake Superior after being raised at the University of Michigan Biological Station piping plover captive-rearing facility.

One of the rarest birds in the Great Lakes region, piping plovers (kin to killdeer) are slightly larger than a sparrow and found in three geographically separate populations: Atlantic Coast and Northern Great Plains (protected as threatened) and the Great Lakes (protected as endangered).

The world piping plover population numbers just over 4,000 pairs. This summer, theyre back. And we know its them because theyve been identified by the leg bands placed on them last year.

Mary Birdsong, assistant director and lead shorebird monitor for Erie Bird Observatory, reported the nesting female plover was first observed May 3. The male was first seen April 21.

Common terns

Birdsong also discovered common terns nesting on the beach May 31.

Its extraordinary that both common terns and piping plovers have nested at Presque Isle this year, said Dan Brauning, game commission wildlife diversity division chief. This has not been documented recently in other Great Lakes states, or in Pennsylvania for decades.

Common terns havent nested regularly in Pennsylvania since 1966. Their breeding populations have declined throughout both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Coast. They are about twice the size of a piping plover.

After a territorial male piping plover was observed on Gull Point in 2005, Cathy Haffner, a game commission biologist who has studied piping plovers since 2001, recommended that woody and invasive vegetation be removed along the Gull Point Natural Area shoreline to improve plover nesting habitat.

Hard work

With time, patience, persistence and funding, anything is possible.

After years of hard work through partnerships, coordination and resource management, we have now seen two successful nesting seasons for piping plovers at Presque Isle State Park, said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.

The Great Lakes piping plover population bottomed out in the late 1980s when only 17 breeding pairs along Michigans shoreline were recorded. But steep declines in piping plover and common tern populations through the 1940s and 50s  accompanied by increasing interference from predation, development and human traffic on beaches  endangered the Great Lakes and coastal populations.

Piping plovers are highly vulnerable to disturbance during all phases of the nesting season. Consequently, the nests are in protected, restricted areas designated by signage and fences.

Upon their return to breeding grounds in April and May, male common terns and piping plovers set up and defend nesting territories. After the female lays her eggs in a sandy scrape, parents take turns incubating the eggs for about a month.

Shortly after hatching, plover chicks stay close to both parents and feed independently on small insects and invertebrates along shallow beach pools.

Common terns can walk after hatching, but they stay close to the nest and are fed by both parents. Until the chicks can fly, they stay safe by responding to vehicles, predators and hikers by freezing and crouching down in the sand to become almost invisible.
ITHACA, N.Y.  The sell-by and best-by dates on milk cartons may soon become more meaningful and accurate.

Cornell University food scientists have created a new, predictive model that examines spore-forming bacteria and when they emerge, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Putting dates on milk cartons is a big issue because consumers often discard the milk if it is past the sell-by date, said Martin Wiedmann, food safety professor and a senior author of the research. Often there is little science behind those dates, as they are experience-based guesses. The goal of this research was to put good science to use, reduce food waste and reduce food spoilage.

All along the milk production path  from farm to processing plant to consumers refrigerators  some spore-forming bacteria can survive even the best pasteurization regimens or the cleanest dairy production plants.

The bacteria can subsequently germinate and spoil milk. Ariel Buehler, Ph.D., the papers lead author, said members of the spore-forming bacillus, Paenibacillus and Viridibacillus genera are ubiquitous throughout nature.

Different locations

They have been found throughout the dairy chain, including in farming soil, silage, feed, cow bedding material, milking equipment and in raw and pasteurized milk. Additionally, the bacteria can survive harsh heat, desiccation (dryness) and sanitizers.

When they have the opportunity to grow in pasteurized milk, they can cause off-flavors and curdling.

This is a considerable problem. If we can reduce the spoilage from spore-forming bacteria  by reducing their presence and by controlling their outgrowth  we can see the shelf life for milk improve from two weeks to perhaps a month, said Nicole Martin, research support specialist at Cornells New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program laboratory.

Milk temperature

Spores can be reduced in microfiltered milk products, which is currently an emerging trend in the dairy industry, and the research finds that temperature is a key. The team created a new predictive model that showed refrigerated milk at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit dramatically lowers the mean concentration of spore-forming bacteria.

By decreasing the refrigeration temperature from 42.8 degrees to 39.2 degrees, only 9 percent of milk half gallons were spoiled after 21 days, compared with 66 percent of half gallons held at the higher temperature. Wiedmann imagines a day  perhaps in five to eight years  when consumers find no dates stamped on milk containers.

Instead, a scannable barcode could provide the milks production history and an accurate use-by date. Cartons could also sport a time-temperature indicator that communicates shelf-life prediction. This is the foundational work that could get us there, where consumers could manage their food inventory in the fridge, said Wiedmann. Thats the vision.
New grooming pavilion encourages kids to do their best in the show ring of life

ATHENS, Ohio  Respected as a young man who lived life to the fullest, Noah Cox will forever be remembered in Athens County.

The Noah Cox Grooming Pavilion made its debut with a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 6 at the Athens County Fair, paying tribute to Noah, a teen from Coolville, Ohio, who died in a tractor accident May 31, 2017.

Last year, following the teens death, 13 buyers joined forces to pay $26,000 for his grand champion steer, shown at the county fair by Coxs best friend, Austin Pullins. Including the 2017 sale, approximately $90,000 has been donated toward a memorial fund.

The first goal was to build a grooming pavilion at the county fairgrounds for 4-H and FFA members.

Its a place we can have some fun and get to work, said Stephanie Cox, Noahs mother.

The 40-by-80 pavilion was finished the week of July 23 and the 2018 fair started Aug. 3. The day before the fair started, the pavilion was a busy hub, with youth exhibitors stowing their show boxes and setting up grooming chutes.

It sits between the beef and dairy barn, and houses about 24 10-by-10 areas for youth to set up.

We used to groom cattle under the big tree. They all brought tents and it looked like tent city, Stephanie said. It is a lot nicer with the pavilion and the areas to plug in.

Right now, the floor is limestone dust, but they are planning to pour concrete before the 2019 fair.

We are thankful the fair board allowed us to do it, Stephanie said.

J&M Carpentry, Fredericksburg, built the pavilion; Trout Electric, Athens, did the electrical work; and R C Construction, Coolville, did the dirt work and brought in the gravel.

First and foremost, it puts a new face around the beef barns and looks very, very good, said Calvin Jarvis, fair board president and Cox family friend.

We have ideas to use the building for additional things, too, like grooming clinics or an additional show ring. There are lots of options, he said.

Original story about the community supporting Noahs memorial fund.Remember me

The new pavilion has also seemed to trigger other improvements on the fairgrounds, said Stephanie Cox said. It drew attention to the grounds and made people excited to see it and go to the fair this year.

It is emotional both ways. In one way, it is good to see it up, but sad to see it up  Id rather have my kid back, Stephanie said through tears.

Truthfully, it has made a difference on the community  its always been full of caring and people who would do anything for anybody  but its made everyone come together, she said about the accident.

There are so many good people in the world that dont get credit.

Memorial benches

A huge tree stood at the site of the new building, but, because of its age, it needed to come down. The Coxes connected with Dave Marcum, with 2M Lumber in Shade, Ohio, to create an additional way to remember Noah.

Marcum is now making as many benches and picnic tables as he can out of the tree.

There arent a lot of places to sit and relax at the fair, said Stephanie, Thats one thing Noah loved to do  just relax and have a good time.

During the 2018 fair, Cedar Mountain Designs was onsite, carving a two-sided bench, using wood from the same tree.

One side will have a silhouette of Noah and his calf, Dingo, and the other side will feature the 4-H and FFA emblems, two programs Noah loved.

Ribbon cutting

The public was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 6. State Rep. Jay Edwards, R-94, said a few words and Jarvis, who conducted Noahs memorial service, also spoke at the ribbon cutting.

If you are going to take one lesson away from Noahs life, it should be to give your 100 percent. He always did, Jarvis said about Noah.

I tried to impress to everyone at the funeral that day, that it doesnt matter what you do in life  work at the Farm and Dairy or in auto repair, like me  whatever you do in the show ring of life, give it your all.

Noah won a lot, but he also lost and he took that opportunity to learn and make improvements.

Jeff and Stephanie Cox plan to use the remaining donations to develop a scholarship in their sons name, and are working to put a scholarship in place for next year.

And they continue to help youth show cattle. The week the Athens County Fair started, they were at the Ohio State Fair with Austin Pullins, Noahs best friend, who was showing two steers and two feeder calves. They were also helping a couple other 4-Hers with their first time at the state fair.

The 4-H program and state fair will probably never get rid of us. We just love helping the kids, she said.
Forty sheep have been stolen from a farm in County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are appealing for information after sheep were reported stolen from a field in Rathfriland.

Approximately 21 ewes, 18 lambs and one ram were stolen from the field on the Bannfield Road sometime between the 24 and 27 of July.

If you have any information regarding the theft of the sheep, or their whereabouts, please call 101 quoting reference 521 of 6/8/18, the PSNI stated.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The incident comes just days after 48 sheep belonging to Bangor Universitys research centre were reported stolen from the Carneddau mountains in Wales.
There is an increase of rural crime within the UK, with the NFU Mutual which provides insurance for farmers, stating that crime is at its highest level since 2013. Farmers are seeing increased thefts of farm machinery such as quad bikes, 4x4s and agricultural-specific vehicles. There is a demand for agricultural equipment on a global scale and it is attracting organised crime gangs to target UK farmers and their machinery in the countryside.

Certain areas of the UK are more at risk than others

Scotland and the north west of England have seen a fall in rural crime but unfortunately, it is not the same for other areas of the UK. In the Midlands, Wales and the south east of England there is a sharp rise of 30% in rural crime and in an effort to beat thieves, farmers are enacting a combination of modern technology of CCTV, floodlighting and motion sensors with traditional ancient deterrents to deter thieves from trespassing and stealing their machinery.

A new era of rural crime

Many farms across the UK are home to machinery worth thousands. Whilst not only holding a monetary value to the farmers, the farm equipment is vital for the day-to-day running and success of the holding. Quad bikes, in particular, are highlighted as a vital part of farming as they are important in the looking after of sheep and other livestock.

The change in rural crime is as advanced as urban crime. A new breed of criminals are a combination of determined thieves, modern technology and brute force. A common tool is power grinders, often stolen from farms they have previously conquered.

These crimes have had devastating consequences for both rural farmers, residents and businesses alike.

But what else can be done to prevent farmers from becoming the victims of thieves?

A farming equipment finance scheme is a solution to machinery thefts on farms across the UK. If farmers reduce the equipment they have on site at any one time, there is less to be stolen if they have a security breach and farmers benefit from being able to use the best and up to date equipment when they need them.

For thieves staking out farms for potential items to steal, it will be a constant carousel of machinery with no guarantee of what will be there on the night they choose to strike  reducing their chance of stealing everything they might expect from a farm that owns all of its machinery. This can help to reduce the anxiety of farmers who feel as if they are being constantly monitored by criminal gangs.

Farms are often considered a low-risk target due to the large size of the steading and a lack of security and surveillance technology. Farm equipment finance companies hold all of their equipment in secure holdings similar to warehouses which may put off thieves from targeting them.
The sheep sector has disputed claims made by Lynx UK Trust claiming "major landowners" have approved access for lynx during a trial reintroduction.

Rewilding campaign group Lynx UK Trust has claimed that "major landowners" responsible for 700km2 of potential Eurasian lynx habitat in the Kielder Forest region in Northumberland have approved access during the planned trial reintroduction.

The Trust says all of the landowners approached have given their go-ahead.

The group says lynx would bring benefits such as helping to control and reduce the UKs over-populated deer numbers, reducing damage to forests and improving habitat for smaller animals.

However, the National Sheep Association (NSA), a fierce critic of the proposals to reintroduce lynx in the British countryside, said approval of landowners is a "moot point".

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive said: Approval of landowners is a moot point without the licence application being approved by Natural England  but, with no detail of the individuals claimed to be supporting them, all we can do is dispute this latest information from Lynx UK Trust.

The area the Trust is talking about is clearly a large proportion of Kielder and the majority of farmers weve spoken to there are opposed to the release.

It may be that Lynx UK has not drawn the important distinction between landowners and farmers, as land in that area is frequently farmed by tenants, Mr Stocker said.

The NSA also disputes the claim that the sheep sector are "baseless scaremongers".

"As the influential arguments we have put forward against the release are based on experiences from farmers in other European countries, Mr Stocker added.

If the release is successful it could lead to the further reintroduction of the mammals into the Scottish Highlands and other areas of Britain.

The Lynx UK Trust has already announced an agreement that will insure the UK's whole sheep population against lynx attacks throughout the proposed trial.
YFCs offered new support to upgrade club buildings

Clubs will also be offered help with new builds
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
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.
John Abraham has been working in films for nearly 15 years now 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, and Madras Cafe among others, he was often criticized 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. He added, "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.

Fanney Khan Debacle: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Flop Saga Continues

"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," he adds.

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.
Kangana Ranaut talks about spirituality with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev | FilmiBeat

Recently, in an interaction with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in Mumbai, Kangana Ranaut described lynchings in the name of cows as "wrong" and "a sad state of affair" in the country. She also stressed on the need to protect the animal. The actress was quoted as saying, "You feel conflicted. You want to save the animals but when the lynching happens, you feel heartbroken at what's going on. You feel this is wrong."

Speaking about the rising cow vigilantism in the country, Kangana also opened up about how a scene in her upcoming biopic, Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi based on Rani Laxmibai where the titular character is seen saving a cow, was changed.

The actress was quoted as saying, "I'm working on a martyr's biopic 'Manikarnika' where there is a scene where my protagonist, Laxmibai, goes and saves a calf. My crew had a discussion, we halted the shoot. They said 'we can't save a calf' because we don't want to look like cow savers."

Karan Johar Announces Takht With Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor!

She further added, "When such a prejudice thrives, as a person you feel very protective of who you are and what your values are, and you want to save all animals and you definitely want to save the cows because the prejudice is really agonising. But (then) lynching for cows takes place and you look like an idiot."

Kangana even took a jibe at the liberals saying that they "are always criticising, and never wanting to protect cows." She said, "Liberals are the people who won't include you in their group unless you hate the same people as they do. If it's for the betterment of the country, you don't mind hating on the BJP. It's fine to believe everything... whatever is happening is being practically done by Amit Shah. But what I don't get is this - what are they (liberals) doing to bring the country out of the pits?"

What Made John Abraham Say He's Not A Perfect Partner To Wife Priya Runchal?

The actress even questioned the liberal agenda and talking about the Kathua rape case she said, "When a war breaks, liberals are the first ones to say, in my industry people say 'why should we be bothered with war, we are artistes,' to demotivating an army man who is protecting the borders for you, a rape takes place in Kashmir and they say, 'Hindustan raped our daughter,' to be pointing fingers at each other when the country is so vulnerable and trying to break a civil war, is that what liberals do?"
Jhanvi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor & Alia Bhatt's Takht POSTER out! | FilmiBeat

It looks like multistarrer films are back in vogue. After Shashank Khaitan's Kalank, make way for yet another ensemble cast film, the cast of which will blow away your minds! This morning, Karan Johar announced his next directorial venture - a film titled Takht, which has a stellar star cast that includes names like Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Anil Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar.

Priyanka Chopra To Regret Walking Out Of Bharat; Her Hollywood Film Gets Delayed

The film-maker revealed the teaser poster of the film on Twitter with an announcement that read, " I am so excited and honoured to announce the lead cast of #TAKHT @RanveerOfficial #KareenaKapoorKhan @aliaa08 @vickykaushal09 @psbhumi #JanhviKapoor @AnilKapoor #HirooYashJohar @apoorvamehta18 @sumit_roy_ @hussainhaidry."

Giving a sneak-peek into the plot of the film, Karan Johar spilled the beans in an Instagram post that read, " An incredible story embedded in history...An epic battle for the majestic Mughal throne... A story of a family, of ambition, of greed, of betrayal, of love & of succession...TAKHT is about WAR for LOVE....

@dharmamovies @apoorva1972."

Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor had previously worked together in Udta Punjab, but the leading ladies didn't share the screen space in the same. Expressing her happiness over being a part of this historical film, Alia posted on Instagram, "TAKHT  Iove you karan.. Can't wait to get back onto set with you... this time for this historical magnum opus!  So honoured to be a part of this magnificent cast.."

This will be Ranveer Singh's third period film after Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. The actor who has always aced up challenging roles in the past wrote, "Proud, excited & honoured to be a part of KARAN JOHAR'S MULTI-STARRER HISTORICAL MAGNUM OPUS.#TAKHT @karanjohar @apoorva1972 @dharmamovies."

Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar who have always impressed us with their acting histronics are also a part of this film. Meanwhile, this is Janhvi Kapoor's second film after her directorial debut Dhadak.

With such talented cast on board, we just cannot wait for the camera to roll. Takht is slated to release in 2020.

Mira Rajput's Acting Debut Goes Wrong, Netizens Troll Her For Doing For An Anti-Ageing Cream Ad!
Sidharth Malhotra's Reaction Drops A Hint

When Sidharth was asked if he's dating Kiara, the handsome actor dodged the question but his smile hinted at something else.

What's Cooking, Folks?

The actor was quoted as saying, "Ab jo bhi padkar agar sach hota toh phir kya baat hoti. That's all I want to say. Mai abhi sirf apne kaam se relationship mein hu aur uthna baithna sirf usi mei chal raha hai aur kisi cheez ke liye mere paas abhi time nahi hai, toh yehi hai abhi."

Sidharth Was Previously Linked With Jacqueline Fernandez

The actor was previously rumoured to be dating his 'A Gentleman' co-star Jacqueline Fernandez, though time and again, both the actors denied being in a relationship. During the promotions of Race 3 when Jacqueline was quizzed about this, she had said, "These things crop up when you are promoting a film, but when they linger longer than they're supposed to, one needs to nip them in the bud and say there's no truth to them. Also, because its leading to more and more stories which I don't appreciate. I have dismissed it so many times, but people are not listening to me."

On The Other Hand,

After her breakup with Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt is reportedly dating her 'Brahmastra' co-star Ranbir Kapoor. The 'Sanju' actor made the revelation in an interview with GQ magazine where when asked if he's in a relationship with Alia, he had said, " It's really new right now, and I don't want to overspeak. It needs time to breathe and it needs space."

Sidharth Upset With Alia?

A Mumbai Mirror report stated that Sidharth was in no mood to respond to Alia's 'Hi' when the ex-couple recently bumped into each other at Ambani's party. Rumours also suggested that Alia also sent a message on Sidharth's birthday, which went unanswered as well. She later even invited him for the screening of Raazi, which he chose to give it a miss.
Sacred Games: Netflix alters controversial subtitles insulting Rajiv Gandhi | FilmiBeat

Ever since Netflix's first Indian original series was released, it has been dragged into several legal issues. The main legal issue concerning the series was usage of a certain derogatory word against the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, and misrepresentation of facts regarding Indian history. Congress members and Hindutva supporters had filed a plea against Netflix, the makers and actors of Sacred Games. In the recent hearing, Netflix told the Delhi High Court that they won't be changing the subtitles.

Senior advocate Chander Lal, who is the legal counsel for Netflix, told the Delhi High Court, "My instructions are that we don't want to change the word". The matter is being heard by the bench of judges that consists of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekar.

The bench told during the hearing, "Nobody is pressing or forcing you. You take your own decision, whether you want to change the word or not. We are not going to compel you". The next hearing is postponed to September 2018.

The Delhi High Court had told in the previous hearing that, criticism and expression of dissatisfaction were permissible and it did not want to curtail anyone's right. Congress member Rahul Gandhi also spoke about freedom of expression and tweeted in favour of Sacred Games, saying he wasn't bothered by the way his father Rajiv Gandhi was portrayed in the series.

He tweeted, "BJP/RSS believe the freedom of expression must be policed & controlled. I believe this freedom is a fundamental democratic right. My father lived and died in the service of India. The views of a character on a fictional web series can never change that." - (sic)

The initial complaint that was filed was against the cast of the series too. However, in the previous hearings, the court said that the actors can not be held liable for the subtitles, as they were enacting their characters.

Amidst battling legal issues, Sacred Games has already begun shooting for the next season and it is believed that the upcoming episodes will hold more twists. Reports are saying that despite Ganesh Gaitonde's death, other characters such as Guruji and Bunty will be taking the story further. However, Saif Ali Khan has hinted that Vikram Motwane won't be directing the next season.

Also Read -Rashami Desai Says Her Love Life Is A Mystery
The Selfie Was Worth Thousand Words

Though the couple hasn't openly spoken about patching up, Bhumika's Instagram spoke for them. The picture in which Bhumika is seen blushing while resting her face on Amit, captioning the image as, "The heart wants what it wants ", says it all.

Sources Confirm Their Relationship

Confirming the news regarding Bhumika and Amit getting back together, a source told SpotboyE, "Two are back as a couple and meeting quite often. Also, the two went for a movie date a few weeks ago."

This Is How They Met

Cherishing the time she and Amit first met, Bhumika said, "We met through a common friend. It was during the time when I was not even part of the industry; I was doing some other job. He has been a part of the industry from that time.The one thing that made me fall in love with him is the fact that he is such a great human being. He has a heart of gold. Apart from everything, I just love him for his pure heart."

Bhumika Was Vocal About Their Relationship

The actress had confirmed that she was dating Amit Singh. In an interview before her breakup with Amit, she had told, "Yes we are dating. It's been four years that we have been seeing each other. In fact, we will celebrate our 4 years of togetherness in the coming month."

Amit Singh aka Keithy Is A Choreographer

Bhumika introduced her boyfriend saying, "He is popularly called Keithy in the industry. He basically is an assistant choreographer. He has worked under Prabhu Deva, Bosco-Caesar and such. He was also the lead dancer in the Bollywood movie Daddy starring Arjun Rampal. Keithy also acts but that's only rare!"
Ekta Kapoors Caption Didnt Go Well With Tigers Mom!

Ekta wrote, "Promo in two hours max! Pls see a glimpse of this piece of cinema about raw timeless love untamed by the commerce of films helmed by the best @imtiazaliofficial and lived by two yet unknown talents who have no film legacy or star fathers or godfathers." - (sic). The caption (especially, the last part), didn't go well with Ayesha Shroff (Tiger is Ayesha and Jackie Shroff's son).

Its Not A Sin To Have A Star Father

Ayesha commented on Ekta's post, "It's not a sin to have a star father my dear! Hard work and talent is the same no matter what caste, creed or lineage!!!" - (sic)

Ekta & Ayesha Get Into Nepotism Debate

Although Ekta Kapoor agreed to Ayesha, she said that it is indeed difficult to make a film with two outsiders and market it. She also agreed that Tiger is a fantastic actor and she is not taking a dig at any star kid!

It Is A Request To Give Other Kids A Chance!

To which Ekta replied, "@ayeshashroff not at all mam! I have one ;) but u have to admit for a producer to sell market n turn around a film with newcomers is far tougher with no lineage attached ! This is no slight to any star kid least of all tiger who is FANTASTIC! But a request to give other kids a chance too." - (sic)
Mohammad Nazim Hits Back At Krrip!

Saath Nibhana Saathiya actor was quoted by HT as saying, "Making negative comments about any show is not a good thing. They were not even required. None of us owns the production house, and they are the final decision makers. I've been in the industry for long enough to understand that this is no big deal, and people should be professional enough to understand it."

How His Character Helped Him Understand The Dynamics Of The Industry Better

It has to be recalled that Nazim's character (Ahem from SNS) was shown as being dead on the show. He also explained as to how this incident involving his character helped him understand the dynamics of the industry better.

Last Minute Changes Are Common In The Industry!

The actor said, "These things always happen in the industry. I have been part of a show for over seven years, and I know how things change at the last minute."

The Actor Says

"I did Saath Nibhana Saathiya for so many years, and I got to know about my character of Ahem dying a week before the episode was supposed to go on air. I did not complain about it. Priyanka Chopra also left Bharat (the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer) for something else. Does that mean the team would crib and go on talking bad about her?"
Press Release

Outside trading hours - regulated information

Brussels, 9 August 2018, (07.00 a.m. CEST)

KBC Group: Second-quarter result of 692 million euros



KBC Group - overview (consolidated, IFRS) 2Q2018

(IFRS 9) 1Q2018

(IFRS 9) 2Q2017 (IAS 39) 1H2018

(IFRS9) 1H2017 (IAS39) Net result (in millions of EUR) 692 556 855 1 248 1 485 Basic earnings per share (in EUR) 1.61 1.30 2.01 2.91 3.49 Breakdown of the net result by business unit (in millions of EUR) Belgium 437 243 483 680 785 Czech Republic 145 171 183 316 364 International Markets 163 137 177 299 292 Group Centre -53 5 12 -48 45 Parent shareholders' equity per share (in EUR, end of period) 39.9 40.9 39.8 39.9 39.8

2Q2018

We recorded a net profit of 692 million euros in the second quarter of 2018. Yet again a good result, thanks, among other things, to a sound level of net interest income, a strong non-life insurance result and seasonally high dividend income, which partly offset the decrease in trading and fair value income, the slight drop in fee and commission income and the negative one-off impact related to the settlement of a legacy legal case. Given seasonal effects, costs remained under control and moreover, we were able yet again to release some loan loss provisions, mainly related to our Irish mortgage book. Adding the result for the second quarter to the 556-million-euro net profit figure for the previous quarter brings our result for the first half of 2018 to a solid 1 248 million euros. Our solvency position remained strong too, with a common equity ratio of 15.8% at the end of June 2018, comfortably surpassing the regulatory minimum levels in this respect.

In April, we successfully issued a new additional tier-1 instrument for an amount of 1 billion euros. And early July, we completed our announced buyback of 2.7 million own shares for a total consideration of 181 million euros. The cancellation of these shares has reduced the total number of KBC Group shares to 415 897 567. Lastly, in line with our dividend policy, we decided to pay an interim dividend of 1 euro per share on 16 November 2018, as an advance payment on the total dividend for 2018.

We also took important new steps in the implementation of our sustainability strategy. In May, for instance, KBC - as promoter - became the first financial institution in the Belgian market to launch an SRI pension savings fund. The fund in question is managed by KBC Asset Management and is fully compliant with BEAMA sustainability criteria. In June, we published our stricter policies for sustainable banking and insurance and in doing so, are responding to the constantly evolving expectations of our stakeholders and the wider community. And again in June, we were the first Belgian financial institution to launch a green bond.

On the broader economic front, European economic conditions have remained attractive, though we believe that the growth peak is likely behind us. The risk of further economic de-globalisation, with an escalation of trade conflicts, remains the main factor that could impede European economic growth.

In closing, I'd like to take this opportunity again to thank our clients and other stakeholders for the trust they place in our company and our employees, and to repeat that we remain fully committed and focused in our efforts to become the reference in bank-insurance in all our core countries.

Important non-adjusting post-balance sheet event

I'm also pleased to announce that KBC Bank Ireland reached an agreement with Goldman Sachs to sell a part (approximately 1.9 billion euros) of its legacy loan portfolio. As a result of that transaction, KBC Bank Ireland's impaired loans ratio reduces by roughly 11 percentage points to around 25% pro forma at end 2Q2018. The transaction is expected to result in a net profit impact of +14 million euros (based on 1Q2018 numbers and including all costs related to the transaction), a release of risk-weighted assets of approximately 0.4 billion euros at KBC Group, leading to an improvement of the KBC Group common equity ratio of 7 bps. The transaction is expected to close in the 4th quarter of 2018.

Johan Thijs

Chief Executive Officer

Important. As of 2018, we have started applying IFRS 9. In simplified terms, this means that the classification of financial assets and liabilities, as well as the impairment methodology, have changed significantly. As a result, some of the profit and loss and balance sheet figures are not fully comparable to the 2017 reference figures (which are still based on IAS 39, as KBC is making use of transition relief for comparative data). In order to enhance transparency, we have also, as of 2018 and in line with IFRS 9, moved interest accruals for FX derivatives in the banking book from 'fair value income' to 'net interest income'. We also shifted network income (income received from margins earned on FX transactions carried out by the network for our customers) from 'trading and fair value income' to 'net fee and commission'. A short overview is provided in the annex. Furthermore, related to IFRS 9, we changed, as of 2018, the definition of our loan portfolio from outstanding to gross carrying amount (i.e. incl. reserved and accrued interests) and slightly amended the scope. In order to enhance comparability, we have added certain comparisons with pro forma (recalculated) figures for 2017 (unaudited) in the analysis below. When this is done, it is indicated by the words 'on a comparable basis'.

Full press release & quarterly report attached

2Q2018_Quarterly_Report_en (http://hugin.info/133947/R/2210009/860197.pdf)

2Q2018_pb_20180809_en (http://hugin.info/133947/R/2210009/860196.PDF)



This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: KBC Groep via Globenewswire


Press Release

Outside trading hours - Regulated information*

Brussels, Dublin - 9 August 2018 (before trading hours)

KBC Bank Ireland sells part of legacy corporate and buy to let loan portfolio to Goldman Sachs

This morning, KBC Bank Ireland reached agreement with Goldman Sachs to sell a loan portfolio of approximately 1.9bn, comprising of:

Non-performing Corporate book

N on-performing Irish Buy-to-Let Mortgage Loans

Performing and Non-performing UK Buy-to-Let Mortgage Loans



to entities established and financed by Goldman Sachs (Beltany Property Finance DAC, Tramore Funding DAC and Banna Funding DAC).

As a result of the transaction, NPL levels in KBC Bank Ireland reduce by approximately 40% resulting in the NPL ratio reducing by roughly 11 %-points to around 25% pro forma at end 2Q18 (from reported 35.6% at end 2Q18).

The transaction is expected to result in a net P&L impact of +14m EUR (based on 1Q18 numbers and including all costs related to the transaction), a release of risk-weighted assets of approximately 0.4bn at KBC Group, leading to an improvement of KBC Group CET1 ratio of 7 bps.

Going forward, KBC reconfirms that its guidance for loan impairments in KBC Bank Ireland for full year 2018 is for a net release of 100 to 150 million euros.

The transaction is expected to close in the 4th quarter of 2018.

Prior to closing of the transaction, KBC Bank Ireland will contact the relevant customers to inform them that their loan(s) is/are being transferred, and to confirm that existing legal and regulatory protections continue to remain in place with Pepper Asset Servicing, managing the loans post completion on behalf of the buyer.

Johan Thijs, KBC Group CEO welcomed today's transaction: "KBC Bank Ireland has been building down organically its legacy portfolio of non-performing loans in Ireland over the past few years. However, over the last months, there has been a growing interest from the international financial markets for non-performing loan exposures. This is a clear market trend. KBC wishes to accelerate the reduction of non-performing loans by acting upon the increased interest presented in the market.

During the first quarter of the year, we assessed views on market valuations for this type of portfolio. Following this exercise and based on the value of the portfolios, we decided to proceed with a confidential process to maintain the efficiency and minimise the potential disruption to the business and the execution of our strategic plan in Ireland.

The sale of sub-portfolios fully fits within the bank's strategy and ambition. It will allow KBC Bank Ireland to achieve a NPL ratio reduction of approximately 11%-points (versus end 2Q18), thus accelerating KBC Bank Ireland's ongoing NPL reduction efforts. Moreover, the sale of the UK Buy-to-Let portfolio allows KBC Bank Ireland to enhance the focus on its core strategy 'Digital First' in (Irish) retail and micro SME banking and contributes to a de-risking linked to Brexit. At the same time, the transaction results in balance sheet optimization allowing KBC Bank Ireland to reduce future earnings volatility, to clean up legacy and to fully focus on sustainably and profitably growing its retail and micro SME business."

Wim Verbraeken, CEO KBC Bank Ireland concludes: "Over the past two years, KBC Bank Ireland has focused on the implementation of its new 'Digital First' strategy. KBC Bank Ireland has already launched a broad range of new products and services, now offering a full suite of competitive retail banking products. This has resulted in a continued expansion in the retail market. Going forward, our focus will be on retail and micro SME, as already confirmed during the KBC Group Investor Event and strategy update in Dublin in June 2017. "

For more information, please contact:

- Kurt De Baenst, General Manager, Investor Relations, KBC Group

Tel + 32 2 429 35 73 - E-mail: investor.relations@kbc.com (mailto:investor.relations@kbc.com)

- Viviane Huybrecht, General Manager, Corporate Communication/Spokesperson, KBC Group

Tel + 32 2 429 85 45 - E-mail: pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be)

* This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies.



KBC Group NV

Havenlaan 2 - 1080 Brussels

Viviane Huybrecht

General Manager

CorporateCommunication /Spokesperson

Tel. +32 2 429 85 45







Press Office

Tel. +32 2 429 65 01 Stef Leunens

Tel. +32 2 429 29 15 Ilse De Muyer

Tel. +32 2 429 32 88 Pieter Kusse

E-mail:pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be)







KBC press releases are available at www.kbc.com (http://www.kbc.com/) or can be obtained by sending an e-mail to pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be)



Follow us on www.twitter.com/kbc_group (http://www.twitter.com/kbc_group)



Check this document's authenticity (https://www.kbc.be/particulieren/en/verifieer.html)

20180809_KBCIE_loanportfolio_en (http://hugin.info/133947/R/2210052/860222.pdf)



This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: KBC Groep via Globenewswire


Third annual European user conference brings actionable insights to Kaseya customers to drive new business growth and streamline IT as the company continues to expand across Europe

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Aug. 09, 2018, the leading provider of complete IT infrastructure management solutions for managed service providers. The third annual European user conference returns to Amsterdam, Netherlands 2-4 October. Registrationfor the conference is now open with long-time Kaseya partner Webroot as the event's Diamond sponsor.



With GDPR now in effect, this year's pre-conference summit focuses on compliance. During this session, industry experts and MSP partners will share their experiences adapting and adhering to security and compliance issues, including GDPR. Together, the group will devise best practices for both the technical implementation and sales delivery of compliance and security focused services. Partners from Rapidfire Tools will highlight ways to leverage their solutions, and Kaseya technical experts will offer insights on the Kaseya platform's advantages in security and compliance response.

Kaseya Connect Europe brings together Kaseya users, industry experts, solution partners and Kaseya leadership for an impactful event filled with strategic insights and practical knowledge to help IT leaders optimise technical operations and grow their businesses. Highlights of this year's user conference include:

A two and a half hour executive business summit specifically designed to help MSP owners monetise and grow their business

Hands-on, interactive technical tracks with product deep dives to help users get the most out of their Kaseya investments

A dedicated professional workshop on business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) and the role BCDR plays in complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Technology talks centered on best practices and real-world examples from fellow Kaseya users

Networking opportunities with peers and the chance to speak with Kaseya executives to discuss company strategy, product vision and answer your questions

"Kaseya Connect Europe is our unique opportunity to intimately engage with our customers and partners across Europe and help them succeed," said Fred Voccola, CEO, Kaseya. "Each year this conference grows, and each year I'm energised by the opportunity to get to meet so many of our customers face to face so I can hear straight from them how we're doing. This event delivers a one of a kind experience for our European users to empower them with the knowledge they need to achieve the results they desire."

Sponsors and exhibiting partners of Kaseya Connect Europe 2018 include:

Diamond Sponsors: Webroot (https://www.webroot.com/)

Emerald Sponsors: Acronis (http://www.acronis.com) Bitdefender (https://www.bitdefender.co.uk/) Cisco Systems (http://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/index.html) Datto (http://www.datto.com) IT Glue (http://www.itglue.com) Kaspersky Lab (https://www.kaspersky.co.uk/) RapidFire Tools (http://www.rapidfiretools.com) Sophos (https://www.sophos.com/en-us.aspx) TitanHQ (https://www.titanhq.com/) Unitrends MSP (https://msp.unitrends.com/)



Register and learn more about Kaseya Connect Europe and the pre-conference Compliance Summit at: http://europe.kaseyaconnect.com

Kaseya Connect

Europe

2018 Conference Details

When: 2-4 Oct., 2018 (Pre-conference Compliance Summit, 2 Oct.)

Where: NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky (https://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-collection-amsterdam-grand-hotel-krasnapolsky?campid=10099504&ct=308032246&gclid=CJPfqs-u5tMCFYVbfgodO2sEIg&dclid=CK6buM-u5tMCFVSKfgodtvUNOQ), Amsterdam, Netherlands

Agenda and Registration: http://europe.kaseyaconnect.com/ (http://europe.kaseyaconnect.com/)

About Kaseya

Kaseya is the leading provider of complete IT infrastructure management solutions for managed service providers.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2019 / ZincX Resources Corp. ("ZincX Resources" or "the Company", TSX Venture Exchange: ZNX) announces the details of the voting results from its Annual General and Special Meeting, held on January 17, 2019 in Vancouver, BC.

By resolution passed via ballot, the five nominees referenced below were appointed as Directors of the Company to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the ballot were as follows:

Name of Nominee Votes For Percent Votes Withheld Percent Peeyush Varshney 52,971,655 99.89% 60,350 0.11% Marco Strub 52,474,605 98.95% 557,400 1.05% Praveen Varshney 52,951,655 99,85% 80,350 0.15% John Thomas 52,467,605 98.94% 564,400 1.06% Xinfu Hu 52,971,705 99.89% 60,300 0.11%

Shareholders also voted to approve the re-appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditors of the Company and to approve an amended and restated Stock Option Plan.

The Akie Zn-Pb-Ag Project

The 100% owned Akie property is situated within the Kechika Trough, the southernmost area of the regionally extensive Paleozoic Selwyn Basin and one of the most prolific sedimentary basins in the world for the occurrence of SEDEX zinc-lead-silver and stratiform barite deposits.

Drilling on the Akie property by ZincX Resources (formerly Canada Zinc Metals Corp) since 2005 has identified a significant body of baritic-zinc-lead SEDEX mineralization known as the Cardiac Creek deposit. The deposit is hosted by siliceous, carbonaceous, fine grained clastic rocks of the Middle to Late Devonian Gunsteel Formation.

The Company updated the estimate of mineral resources at Cardiac Creek in 2018, as follows:

5% Zinc Cut-Off Grade Contained Metal: Category Tonnes

(million) Zn (%) Pb (%) Ag (g/t) Zn (B lbs) Pb (B lbs) Ag (M oz) Indicated 22.7 8.32 1.61 14.1 4.162 0.804 10.3 Inferred 7.5 7.04 1.24 12.0 1.169 0.205 2.9

The Company announced robust positive results from the 2018 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The PEA envisages a conventional underground mine and concentrator operation with an average production rate of 4,000 tonnes per day. The mine will have an 18-year life with potential to extend the life-of-mine (LOM) through resource expansion at depth. Key parameters for the PEA are as follows:

Pre-Tax After-Tax NPV 7% IRR NPV 7% IRR $649M 35% $401M 27%

The base case parameters for the PEA used US$1.21/lb Zinc, US$1.00/lb Lead, and US$16.50/oz Silver

See ZNX news releases from June 20th, 2018 for important disclosures with respect to the Cardiac Creek PEA.

The PEA is considered preliminary in nature and includes mineral resources, including inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves have not yet demonstrated economic viability. Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to mineral resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of a mineral resource will be upgraded to mineral reserves. Therefore, there is no certainty that the results concluded in the PEA will be realized.

Kechika Regional Project

In addition to the Akie Project, the Company owns 100% of eight of eleven large, contiguous property blocks that comprise the Kechika Regional Project including the advanced Mt. Alcock prospect. The Kechika Regional Project also includes the Pie, Yuen and Cirque East properties within which the Company maintains a significant 49% interest with partners Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.B) and Korea Zinc Co. Ltd holding 51%. These properties collectively extend northwest from the Akie property for approximately 140 kilometres covering the highly prospective Gunsteel Formation shale; the main host rock for known SEDEX zinc-lead-silver deposits in the Kechika Trough of northeastern British Columbia. These projects are located approximately 260 kilometres north northwest of the town of Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada.

Ken MacDonald P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for the Company, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. Mike Makarenko P.Eng, JDS Energy and Mining, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the PEA technical information contained in this release.

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ZINCX RESOURCES CORP.

"PEEYUSH VARSHNEY"

____________________________

PEEYUSH VARSHNEY, LL.B

CEO & CHAIRMAN

SOURCE: ZincX Resources Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/533210/ZincX-Resources-Reports-Voting-Results-from-Its-Annual-General-and-Special-Meeting
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.
KURTEN, Germany and RIGA, Latvia, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

AVS Verkehrssicherung expands its geographical footprint through the acquisition of KMK Projekts, a leading provider of traffic safety products and road marking in Latvia

AVS Verkehrssicherung has acquired KMK Projekts, a leading provider of traffic safety products and permanent road marking in Latvia. For AVS Verkehrssicherung, this transaction is a step into a growing market and will lead to beneficial synergies for both companies. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728436/AVS_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728435/AVS_Dirk_Schonauer.jpg )



Founded in 1994, KMK Projekts provides and installs crash barrier systems and offers horizontal road marking, on both urban roads and highways. In addition, KMK Projekts designs and plans permanent traffic flow and temporary traffic organization solutions. The Company's clients include both public authorities and municipalities as well as private companies and individuals. Headquarter in Riga, KMK Projekts is a member of Latvian road construction companies' association (Latvijas Celinieku Asociacija).

"We are excited about this strategic opportunity, which will allow us to enter the Latvian market," commented Dirk Schonauer, Managing Director at AVS Verkehrssicherung GmbH. "Combined, AVS Verkehrssicherung and KMK Projekts will offer local experience and in-depth market knowledge together with working capacity and the resources of a larger group to its valued clients."

Pressekontakt:

AVS Verkehrssicherung

Dirk Schonauer

Tel.: +49-175-6876011

ds@avsvs.de


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Cruz Cobalt Corp. (TSXV: CUZ) (OTC Pink: BKTPF) (FSE: A2DMG8) is pleased to provide an update with respect to its 2018 Ontario Cobalt Camp exploration programs. The Company and its geological consultants APEX Geoscience Ltd. (APEX) confirm that exploration crews have commenced surface rock, soil geochemical and ground magnetic geophysical surveys at its 4,980 acre Hector Cobalt Property located 5 km southeast of the town of Cobalt, Ontario. To date crews have collected a total of 231 humus soil geochemical samples and approximately 22 line-km of detailed ground magnetic survey data over an approximate 2.5 square-km high-priority area containing numerous historic cobalt-silver-copper (Co-Ag-Cu) occurrences (Figure 1). The majority of the mineral occurrences lie within a strongly magnetic, northwest trending Nipissing diabase intrusive sill present over a 1.6 km strike length within the surveyed area. Large areas of the magnetic high anomaly remain untested by modern exploration. APEX expects the initial Phase 1 exploration of the Hector Property to conclude within a weeks' time. The Company will prioritize targets for follow-up diamond drill testing following receipt and review of rock and soil geochemical results, in conjunction with ground magnetic geophysical survey data.

James Nelson, President of Cruz states "We are very pleased to kick off the 2018 work program on our Ontario cobalt prospects, which surround the town of Cobalt, utilizing the flow-through funds on hand. As one of the largest landholders in this prospective cobalt camp, Cruz is optimistic about the results that may be achieved during this work program which will include multiple drill holes."





Figure 1.

2018 Gillies Exploration

Ground Magnetics (RMI)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4754/36396_a1533779780826_63.jpg

Cruz currently has nine cobalt projects located throughout North America, comprising of five in Ontario, two in British Columbia, one in Idaho and one in Montana. Cruz's five separate Ontario cobalt prospects are all located in the vicinity of the town of Cobalt making Cruz one of the largest landholders in this emerging cobalt district. Cruz's Ontario projects include the 1,265 acre Coleman cobalt prospect, the 900 acre Johnson cobalt prospect, the 4,980 acre Hector cobalt prospect, the 1,580 acre Bucke cobalt prospect and the 10,556 acre Lorraine cobalt prospect. The company's BC prospects include the 15,219 acre War Eagle cobalt prospect and the 11,821 acre Purcell prospect. Cruz's USA projects include the 1,940 acre Chicken Hawk prospect in Montana and the 880 acre Idaho Star prospect.

Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. is a qualified person for the project as defined by National Instrument NI 43-101. Mr. Raffle has reviewed and approved the portion of the technical content of this news release as it relates to the Hector Cobalt Property.

If you would like to be added to Cruz's email list please send an email to info@cruzcobaltcorp.com or twitter @CruzCobalt

James Nelson

President

604.899.9150

Toll free 1.855.599.9150

www.cruzcobaltcorp.com

twitter @CruzCobalt

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
Posted on: August 9, 2018 2:57 PM

Archbishop Justin Welby will become the first Archbishop of Canterbury to address the UN Security Council when he takes part in an open debate later this month. The Archbishop has been invited to brief an open debate on mediation and its role in conflict prevention by the UKs Ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce. The event, on 29 August, is one two big discretionary events being organised by the UK during their rolling presidency of the UN in August.

Over the years, the UN has been increasing the amount of effort it puts into mediation, Ambassador Pierce told journalists at a UN press conference. I think everybody agrees there is still more that could be done there: there is more that we can do to share best practice; there is more we can do to talk about what works.

A lot of countries  both off and on the [Security] Council  have very personal experiences of how mediation has helped resolve conflict or see off the threat of conflict and we want to tap into that knowledge.

Archbishop Justin has extensive experience of international mediation and the ambassador reminded journalists that he is a member of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres High Level Advisory Board on Mediation. He has a particular offering to make, she said. We wanted to have a briefer who we hope Council members will enjoy hearing from. I have heard the Archbishop speak; I think he will be a very good contributor.

I do know that he comes often to the United Nations and takes his contribution to it seriously.

She added: He makes frequent visits to New York [and] is very interested in the work of the United Nations. I had a very good chat with him before I took up my job as ambassador.

The Anglican Communion has official observer status with the United Nations. The Communions Representative to the UN, Jack Palmer-White, described the Archbishops invitation to address the Security Council as a really exciting and significant moment.

He said: Not only does his participation as an expert briefer for the debate acknowledge his own expertise on matters of peace and reconciliation, but it is also an opportunity to draw attention to the vital work of mediation, conflict resolution and peace building going on around the Anglican Communion.

I hope that those participating in the discussions can take away a really clear sense of the important role that churches and other faith actors can and do play in the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
AXA Property Trust

RIS announcement re Announcement of EGM

and Portfolio Update

AXA Property Trust Limited

("APT" or the "Company")

LEI Number: 213800AF85VEZMDMF931

9 August 2018

Recommended proposals for the voluntary liquidation of the Company and cancellation of the admission of its Shares to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange

Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Company has been in managed wind-down since 26 April 2013 during which time the Company has realised the Portfolio in an orderly manner and has distributed the realisation proceeds to Shareholders. There is now only one asset, the Curno property, remaining in the Portfolio.

An update on the discussions with the tenant at the Curno property was last reported on as at 29 May 2018. Since this date these discussions have continued although there is not yet an agreement secured with the tenant. Whilst the Investment Manager is confident an agreement will be forthcoming in the next three months, the prospects for disposing of the asset remain very weak until the leasing position with the tenant has been resolved. Moreover, and until the terms are finalised with the tenant, there continues to be uncertainty as to the impact of these negotiations on the valuation of the property. This is reflected in the valuation of the Curno property as at 30 June 2018 which has been reported by the independent valuers, Knight Frank, at 8.9 million, compared to a valuation of 11.35 million as at 31 March 2018. This is a reduction of 2.45 million, or 9.29 pence per share using the closing exchange rate of 1.129/1 as at 30 June 2018.

Further to the announcement on 22 June 2018 and in light of the Company's current position, the Board has now unanimously agreed that it is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders to wind up the Company voluntarily in accordance with the Companies Law, appoint Linda Johnson and Ashley Paxton of KPMG Channel Islands Limited as Liquidators and to cancel the admission of its shares to listing on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the London Stock Exchange.

In reaching their decision to recommend the winding-up of the Company, the Directors have considered the Company's operating cost structure having regard to the uncertain prospects of achieving a sale of the Curno property. As a result of this analysis the Board considers there are significant cost savings that will be achieved by placing the Company into voluntary liquidation. These savings are expected to be in the region of 275,000 in the first year, after allowing for the one-off expenses incurred in relation to the Proposals, and in the region of 360,000 for the following and subsequent years. In view of the Net Asset Value of the Company reported as at 31 March 2018 as well as the future cashflow generation of the Curno property, these savings are considered to outweigh the benefits of retaining the existing operating structure of the Company and its listing.

The Board is therefore putting forward the Proposals for approval by Shareholders at the EGM which, if approved, would commence the voluntary winding-up of the Company.

Further details of the Proposals, which require Shareholder approval, are set out in section 2 below.

A Circular will be published shortly which sets out details of, and seeks Shareholder approval for, the Proposals and explains why the Board is recommending that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions to implement them.

2. PROPOSALS

The purpose of the Circular will be to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company. At the EGM, the Board proposes:

(i) that the Company be wound up voluntarily;

(ii) to appoint Linda Johnson and Ashley Paxton of KPMG Channel Islands Limited as joint liquidators to the Company (the "Liquidators"), with a view to effecting the voluntary liquidation of the Company; and

(iii) to cancel the admission of the Shares to listing on the UKLA Official List and to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange,

(together, the "Proposals").

The Proposals will, if approved, result in the voluntary liquidation of the Company. It is anticipated that upon the appointment of the Joint Liquidators, there will be an assessment of distributable funds (if any) having regard to current liabilities, costs and expenses (including the costs of the Company's liquidation) as well as any cash reserves which may be released for distribution upon the finalisation of liquidating parts of the Company's German corporate subsidiaries, expected during Q3 2018. This assessment will be conducted within 30 days of the date of appointment of the Joint Liquidators, followed by an announcement in respect to the timing of the next distribution. The Liquidators will make the first distribution (after providing for the Retention, as defined below) as soon as practicable following their confirmation of the NAV. No financial statements of the Company or updated NAV will be prepared for the financial year ended 30 June 2018 or subsequent years.

It is anticipated that, subject to the continued review of the Company's financial position by the Joint Liquidators, there will be a further distribution to the Shareholders at the conclusion of the sale of the Curno property. This is not expected before Q1 2019 and will be dependent on the timing of the lease negotiations with the tenant and consequently the timing of any sale, as well as the amount of disposal proceeds generated. On this basis, it is anticipated that the final liquidation of the Company will be completed by the end of Q1 2020. However, these dates are estimates and there can be no guarantee that the liquidation process will not be delayed.

The board understands that the intention of the Liquidators remains to seek the sale of the Curno property.

Shareholders should note that the Proposals, if approved, will not have the effect of placing the Company's remaining subsidiaries into voluntary liquidation. Accordingly, the implementation of the Proposals, if approved, is not anticipated to have a material adverse impact on the valuation of the Curno property and the sale of the Curno property will take place in the ordinary course and Shareholders should not consider it to be a "fire sale".

If the Resolutions are approved by Shareholders at the EGM, (i) the Real Estate Advisory Agreement dated 14 March 2006 between the Company, Property Trust Limited Luxembourg 1, S.A.R.L. and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers UK Limited ( the "REAA") and (ii) the Investment Management Agreement dated 18 April 2005 between the Company and AXA Investment Managers UK Limited (the "IMA"), both as amended pursuant to an amendment dated 26 April 2013, will each be terminated following the cancellation of listing and trading of the Shares on the Main Market. As a result, all existing local advisory agreements and asset management agreements at the level of the Company's subsidiaries with AXA Real Estate Investment Managers UK Limited and/or its affiliates will automatically terminate.

Following the cancellation of listing and trading of the Shares on the Main Market, it is intended that a new asset management agreement ("AMA") will be entered into between the Company's subsidiary, Multiplex 1 Srl and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers Italia Srl ("AXA REIM Italia") pursuant to which AXA REIM Italia will provide asset management services in relation to the Curno property pending its disposal. The purpose of the AMA will be to continue to manage the Curno property and effect a realisation in a timely manner. The scope of the services under the AMA is expected to be substantially the same as the scope under the existing AXA REIM Italia asset management agreement.

In view of the proposed change to the role and duties of AXA Investment Managers and its various affiliates, the fees payable to AXA REIM Italia in respect of the new AMA will, with effect from the date of appointment of the Joint Liquidators, be as follows:

 an asset management fee of 0.50% of the gross market valuation of the property (as opposed to 1.10% of NAV at present) per annum to be paid quarterly in arrears initially based on the gross market value of the Curno property as at 30 June 2018;

 a transaction fee of 0.50% of the gross sale price achieved on a sale of the asset within nine months of the date of appointment of the Joint Liquidators (as opposed to a current transaction fee of 0.35% regardless of when a sale occurs); and

no transaction fee shall be payable should a sale occur more than nine months after the date of appointment of the Joint Liquidators.

The Board considers that the proposed changes will incentivise AXA REIM Italia to finalise discussions with the tenant and achieve a disposal of the property within a reasonable timeframe.

2.1 Suspension and cancellation of admission of the Shares to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the Main Market

The register of members will be closed at 6.00pm on 6 September 2018 and the Shares will be disabled in CREST at the start of business on 7 September 2018. Accordingly, to be valid, all transfers must be lodged before 6.00pm on 6 September 2018. Application will be made to the UKLA for suspension of listing of the Shares on the UKLA Official List and application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for suspension of trading in the Shares, in each case, at 7.30am on 7 September 2018. The last day for dealings in the Shares on the London Stock Exchange on a normal rolling two day settlement basis will be 4 September 2018. After 4 September 2018, dealings should be for cash settlement only and will be registered in the normal way if the transfer, accompanied by the documents of title, is received by the Registrars by close of business on 6 September 2018. The record date, being the date for determining which Shareholders are entitled to receive liquidation distributions, is close of business on 6 September 2018.

Transfers received after the time specified above will be returned to the person lodging them and, if the Resolutions are passed, the original holder will receive any proceeds from distributions made by the Liquidators.

If the Resolutions relating to the Proposals are passed, the Company will make applications for the cancellation of the admission of the Shares to listing on the UKLA Official List and to trading on the Main Market following the EGM with the cancellations expected to take effect at 8.00am on 10 September 2018.

After the liquidation of the Company and the making of the final distribution to Shareholders (if any), existing certificates in respect of the Shares will cease to be of value and any existing credit of the Shares in any stock account in CREST will be redundant.

2.2 Costs of the Proposals

It is anticipated that the expenses incurred in relation to the Proposals are currently estimated to amount to approximately 80,000, including professional advice and regulatory expenses. These exclude the fees and expenses of service providers in the ordinary course of business up to the date of the Liquidators' appointment in accordance with the terms of their engagement.

3. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

The Proposals are subject to Shareholder approval. Notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting, to be held at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QL at 12.00pm on 7 September 2018, will be published shortly. The Notice includes the full text of the Resolutions.

In order to become effective, the Resolution to voluntarily wind up the Company must be approved by a majority of not less than seventy five per cent. of the votes cast by Shareholders who, being entitled to vote, are present in person or by proxy at the EGM. The Resolutions to appoint the joint liquidators must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast by Shareholders who, being entitled to vote, are present in person or by proxy at the EGM.

4. CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSALS NOT BEING APPROVED

If the Proposals are not approved, the Proposals will not be implemented and the Board shall consult with Shareholders as to the future course of action. In doing so, the Board shall be required to consider the probability of a reduced level of rental income available to service the Company's current operating expense structure.

5. RECOMMENDATION

The Board unanimously considers that the Proposals are in the best interests of Shareholders as a whole. The Board recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of Shares which, in aggregate, amount to67,009 Shares, representing approximately0.286 per cent. of the total voting rights in the Company.

EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

The anticipated dates and sequence of events relating to the implementation of the Proposals are set out below:

Record date for participation and voting at the EGM 12.00pm on 5 September 2018 Latest time and date for receipt of Form of Proxy for the EGM* 12.00pm on 5 September 2018 Closing of the Company's register and record date for participation in liquidation distributions 6.00pm on 6 September 2018 Suspension of listing and trading of the Shares 7.30am on 7 September 2018 EGM 12.00pm on 7 September 2018 Liquidators appointed 7 September 2018 Announcement of results of the EGM 7 September 2018 Cancellation of listing and trading of the Shares on the Main Market 8.00am on 10 September 2018 Liquidators' announcement of amount of first distribution** By 7 October 2018

Each of the times and dates in the expected timetable of events may be extended or brought forward without notice. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised time(s) and/or date(s) will be notified to Shareholders by an announcement through an RIS provider. All references are to London time unless otherwise stated.

* Please note that the latest time for receipt of the Forms of Proxy is 48 hours (excluding any part of a day which is not a Business Day) prior to the time allotted for the meeting.

** The Liquidators will make their assessment of the amount of the first distribution (after providing for the Retention) within 30 days of the date of appointment of the Joint Liquidators, followed by an announcement in respect to the timing of the next distribution.



Company website:

retail.axa-im.co.uk/axa-property-trust



All Enquiries:



Investment Manager

AXA Investment Managers UK Limited

Broker Services

7 Newgate Street

London EC1A 7NX

United Kingdom



Broker

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited

150 Cheapside

London EC2V 6ET

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)20 7710 7600



Company Secretary

Northern Trust International Fund

Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

PO Box 255

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey GY1 3QL

Channel Islands




9 August 2018

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited ("VOF")

LEI No.: 2138007UD8FBBVAX9469



VOF exits private equity position in Ba Huan JSC



Ho Chi Minh City - VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (LSE: VOF), the flagship fund of VinaCapital (the 'Manager'), announces that it has reached an agreement with Ba Huan JSC, a Vietnamese poultry producer, to cease its investment, with all capital being returned to the fund.

In February 2018, VOF announced that it had invested USD32.5 million to acquire a significant minority stake in Ba Huan. Due to different interpretations of key terms by both parties, the Manager came to the conclusion that it would not be able to play a constructive role in helping Ba Huan grow as anticipated. The Manager has determined that it can better deploy capital in other opportunities.

About VinaCapital

Founded in 2003, VinaCapital is a leading investment and asset management firm headquartered in Vietnam, with a diversified portfolio of USD1.8 billion in assets under management. The firm has two closed-ended funds that trade on the London Stock Exchange: the VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited, which trades on the Main Market, and VinaLand Limited which trades on the AIM. VinaCapital also manages the Forum One - VCG Partners Vietnam Fund, one of Vietnam's largest open-ended UCITS-compliant funds, the Vietnam Equity Special Access Fund, numerous segregated accounts, and two domestic funds. VinaCapital also has joint ventures with Draper Fisher Jurvetson in venture capital, and Warburg Pincus in hospitality and lodging. VinaCapital's expertise spans a full range of asset classes including capital markets, private equity, real estate, venture capital, and fixed income.

VOF is managed by VinaCapital Fund Management Limited, an entity managed and regulated in Vietnam by the State Securities Commission of Vietnam, a member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

For more information about VOF, please visit https://vof.vinacapital.com.

Enquiries:

Michael Truong / Joel Weiden

VinaCapital Investment Management Limited

Investor Relations / Communications

+84 28 3821 9930

michael.truong@vinacapital.com / joel.weiden@vinacapital.com

David Benda / Hugh Jonathan

Numis Securities Limited, Broker

+44 20 7260 1000

funds@numis.com

Andy Dovey

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Company Secretary

+44 14 8174 5001

ad317@ntrs.com

Edward Gascoigne-Pees

Camarco, Public Relations (London)

+44 20 3757 4980

ed.gascoigne-pees@camarco.co.uk
LONDON, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

A.S. Watson Group the largest international health and beauty retailer has announced a major recruitment drive as it looks to employ almost 200 new colleagues across Europe and Asia for its digital business, eLab.

eLab was founded in 2014 to support A.S. Watson's businesses globally to ensure the Group became a leader in inspirational and innovative ecommerce that complemented and strengthened the bricks-and-mortar operations. eLab which currently employs 175 people in Europe, serves as a creative hub to deliver content, designs and enhanced digital marketing and is also responsible for managing the technology platform that powers the Group's online businesses.

To continue the momentum of recent successes, it is looking to strengthen its tech skills across its global business units (China, Hong Kong, Milan and London) with almost 200 new roles - 150 in Europe (Milan and London) and 50 across Asia. The roles include opportunities for developers, business analysts and coders. The team will support with driving the customer strategy, building on the analytics, surveys, digital analysis and social listening tools that enable A.S. Watson to stay close to customers and put into action their views and feedback.

The digital evolution has meant the way people shop, engage and behave has changed dramatically with consumers demanding more from retailers by way of innovative content, loyalty schemes and online offerings. eLab has helped to generate 600 million website visitors, with 80 million fans interacting with the A.S. Watson brands across the globe. To find out more about eLab click here.

Malina Ngai, Group Chief Operating Officer says, "Over the last four years we have invested more than US $60M on accelerating our digital offering and today's customer requires us to continue to invest and drive our digital strategy. It is an increasingly competitive jobs market with many businesses looking to recruit the very best coders, analysts and tech savvy individuals to help to drive the business forward. We are excited to start our recruitment process and believe A.S. Watson and eLab are one of the best placed businesses to offer ambitious, tech professionals and graduates excellent career opportunities'.

About A.S. Watson:

- Established in Hong Kong in 1841, A.S. Watson Group is the world's largest international health and beauty retailer with over 14,300 stores in 24 markets. Each year, over four billion customers and members shop with our 12 retail brands, both in stores and online.

- In Hong Kong, we operate more than 600 stores under four retail brands - Watsons, PARKnSHOP, FORTRESS, and Watson's Wine. In addition, we manufacture and distribute high quality drinking water brand Watsons Water, as well as the famous juice drinks Mr Juicy and Sunkist.

- For the fiscal year 2017, A.S. Watson Group recorded revenue of HKD156.2 billion. We have over 140,000 employees worldwide, including 12,900 in Hong Kong.

- A.S. Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has five core businesses - ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, energy and telecommunications in over 50 countries.

- Please visit http://www.aswatson.com/ for more in-depth information about A.S. Watson Group and its brands.


SAN FRANCISCO, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global kaolin market size is projected to reach USD 9.83 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period. Growth of ceramics and paints industries, owing to rapid infrastructural development, is anticipated to drive the market. Rising government spending in emerging economies such as India and China, has resulted in expansion of construction industry. This is expected to contribute toward an increased demand for kaolin.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg )

Kaolin is extracted from open-pit mines. Ore processing consists of enhancing certain properties through chemical and thermal treatment, removing impurities, and engineering particle size and shape. Prices of kaolin are expected to have a significant impact on application industries. Key manufacturers are mining kaolin for use in rubber, plastics, and paper industries. Growth of rubber and paints and coatings industries is expected to further propel demand for kaolin over the forecast years.

Several regulations such as European Union (EU's) Regulation 1169/2011, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) Food Labeling Guide, and India's Food Safety & Standards (Packaging and Labeling) make it mandatory to print food-related information on packaging. These regulations have promoted market expansion of paper-packaging materials. From marketing and branding perspective, it is very important for companies to print their logos and trademarks on packaging materials. This is expected to positively impact demand for kaolin in paper applications.

Increasing number of ceramic manufacturing companies in China has contributed to kaolin market growth over the past few years. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The Middle East is expected to be a potential market, owing to on-going and upcoming construction projects, which, in turn, is expected to augment product demand in near future. Economic slowdown in Europe has had a negative impact on regional manufacturing and construction industries. This may hamper product growth in the region over the forecast period.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Kaolin Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Paper, Ceramics, Paint, Fiberglass, Rubber, Metakaolin), By Region (North America, CSA, Europe, APAC, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025" at:https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/kaolin-market

Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:

In terms of revenue, the ceramics application segment is anticipated to reach USD 3.82 billion by 2025

by 2025 The paper application segment is anticipated to continue dominating the market in terms of revenue in the forthcoming years. Ability of kaolin coating to add gloss, smoothness, brightness, opacity, and printability to paper is expected to bode well for the market

The U.S. kaolin market is anticipated to exceed USD 1.22 billion by 2025 owing to presence of various kaolin mines in the country

by 2025 owing to presence of various kaolin mines in the country The market for kaolin is competitive with presence of a number of multinational companies with wide product portfolios

Some of the key companies present in the market are LB Minerals s.r.o., BASF SE, Kaolin AD, AKW Ukrainian Kaolin Company, Sibelco N.V., KaMin LLC, and Thiele Kaolin Company

Market players are increasing prices of kaolin due to continued rise in labor, fuel, energy, and freight/logistics costs.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Glass Scintillator Market - The global glass scintillator market size was valued at USD 21.14 million in 2016. Increasing demand from nuclear industry is expected to be a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period.

The global glass scintillator market size was valued at in 2016. Increasing demand from nuclear industry is expected to be a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period. Depth Filtration Market - The global depth filtration market size was valued at USD 1.52 billion in 2016. Growing applications in healthcare, medical, and food & beverages sector are expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period.

The global depth filtration market size was valued at in 2016. Growing applications in healthcare, medical, and food & beverages sector are expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period. Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Market - The global cerium oxide nanoparticles market volume was estimated at 9.1 kilotons in 2016.

The global cerium oxide nanoparticles market volume was estimated at 9.1 kilotons in 2016. Industrial Insulation Market - The global industrial insulation market size was valued at USD 11.49 billion in 2016. Application of thermal insulation materials help in increasing process efficiency, condensation control, noise reduction, freeze protection, and reduction in environmental pollution.

Grand View Research has segmented the global kaolin market on the basis of application and region:

Kaolin Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Paper Ceramics Paint Fiber Glass Rubber Metakaolin Others

Kaolin Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Europe Germany U.K. Russia Turkey Asia Pacific China India Japan Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa UAE



Explore the BI enabled intuitive market research database,The Grand Library, by Grand View Research, Inc.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company 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, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com



Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com
DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2018 / Altus Strategies Plc (LSE: ALS) (TSX-V: ALTS), the Africa focused exploration project generator, provides an update on its 100% owned 372km2 Birsok and Mandoum bauxite project ("Birsok" or the "Project") in the Adamawa province of central Cameroon. The Birsok project is subject to a joint venture with ASX listed Canyon Resources Ltd ("Canyon") whereby Canyon can earn up to a 75% interest in the Project. Canyon has announced today that it has been granted three exploration licences in Cameroon, which include the Minim Martap bauxite project ("Minim Martap") located adjacent to Birsok.

Highlights:

Altus JV partner Canyon (CAY) awarded Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon

Minim Martap reported to host a substantial high-grade bauxite deposit

Canyon has the potential to develop a significant Direct Shipping Ore mining project

Existing port and rail infrastructure may significantly enhance project economics

Discussions underway with Canyon in respect of vending-in the Birsok joint venture

Altus currently holds 8M shares in Canyon

A link to Canyon's news release is here: https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20180809/pdf/43x69v53y5w92j.pdf.

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus, commented:

"We are delighted that our joint venture partner Canyon Resources has received an exploration licence for the potentially 'world class' Minim Martap bauxite project, located adjacent to the Birsok joint venture project in Cameroon. Altus and Canyon are now in discussions in respect of vending the joint venture into Canyon. As part of our original joint venture terms, Altus currently owns eight million shares in Canyon, which had a value of approximately A$1M as at the close of trading in Canyon's shares prior to their announcement.

Altus staked the strategically located Birsok project and cost-effectively advanced it, spending approximately US$140,000 on exploration. Canyon has subsequently completed two drill programmes at Birsok, which have successfully confirmed the presence of a number of high grade bauxite plateaux.

Today's news is a strong validation of our project generator business model. Birsok represents just one of 18 projects in our portfolio, which is diversified across six countries in Africa. We look forward to updating shareholders in due course."

Qualified Person

The technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement has been read and approved by Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus. A graduate of the University of Southampton in Geology (Hons), he also holds a Master's degree from the Camborne School of Mines (Exeter University) in Mining Geology. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and has over 19 years of experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM rules and National Instrument 43-101 under the rules of the TSX.

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

For further information you are invited to visit the Company's website www.altus-strategies.com or contact:

Altus Strategies Plc

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive

Tel: +44 (0) 1235 511 767

E:info@altus-strategies.com

SP Angel (Nominated Adviser)

Richard Morrison / Soltan Tagiev

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470

SP Angel (Broker)

Richard Parlons / Jonathan Williams

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0471



Blytheweigh (Financial PR)

Tim Blythe / Camilla Horsfall / James Husband

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204

About Altus Strategies Plc

Altus is a London (LSE: ALS) and Toronto (TSX-V: ALTS) listed, diversified and Africa focused mineral exploration project generator. Through our subsidiaries we discover new projects and attract third party capital to fund their growth, development and ultimately exit optionality. This strategy enables Altus to remain focused on the acquisition of new opportunities to be fed into the project generation cycle and aims to minimise shareholder dilution. Our business model is designed to create a growing portfolio of well managed and high growth potential projects and royalties, diversified by commodity and by country. Altus currently has eighteen projects in six commodities across six countries. We aim to position our shareholders at the vanguard of value creation, but with significantly reduced risks traditionally associated with investments in the mineral exploration sector.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programs on schedule and the success of exploration programs. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this news release.

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.

Glossary of Terms

"Bauxite" means an aluminium-rich ore that is used for aluminium production

SOURCE: Altus Strategies Plc
Astro Aerospace adds even more depth to its industry leading design team with the addition of Kasaero GmbH, who is currently working alongside Paterson Composites to build Astro's soon to be unveiled PassengerDrone Version 2.0 and CargoDrone Version 1.0 models

Astro Aerospace (OTCQB:ASDN), the company creating autonomous, eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aerial vehicles and drones is excited to add to its design and development team, Kasaero GmbH.

Astro CEO Bruce Bent, "We are excited to have this amazing design team working with us, not only on enhancing our design for version 2, but also working with us for the certification process."

Kasaero is an aviation R&D company specializing in lightweight design, composite technology and certification. Kasaero was founded in 2008 and is based in Stuttgart, Germany. Since the beginning, Kasaero has been involved in innovative electric aviation projects including the NASA Green Flight Challenge entrant, e-Genius and Solar Flight's unique solar powered two-seater, and Sunseeker Duo. The Kasaero team combines extensive know-how of extreme lightweight manufacturing with experience in design analysis and the aircraft certification process. Kasaero has built up the composite prototype production for the Dornier Seastar amphibious aircraft in Canada and the EASA type-certified motorglider and small jet engine for M&D Flugzeugbau in Germany. Customers of Kasaero include small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the global players in the aerospace industry.

Karl Kaser (founder of Kasaero) says, "The Astro PassengerDrone is a new and innovative project, with a great technology at hand and an ingenious team. That's the way we like to work at Kasaero.

"The Astro PassengerDrone has the genes to become a major player in the drone world. At Kasaero we are used to combining our design and production knowledge with our certification knowledge for the benefit of a swift project progress. Our certification specialists are eager to enter into the relationship with Astro Aerospace in this new field of drone certification and operation, where guidelines are not yet known, and to contribute with our certification experience in the development of these new rules and regulations."

For more information on Kasaero please visit https://www.kasaero.de/en/

Rob Paterson of Paterson Composites states, "Karl Kaser and his team at Kasaero are bringing the design depth and experience Astro Aerospace needs to compete in this new drone market. Their combined experience in aircraft certification, engineering, problem solving and manufacturing make them an indispensable tool in our toolbox."

Astro Aerospace is the developer of the world's most advanced, autonomous, eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing), and aerial vehicles.

Our mission is to make self-flying unmanned and manned vehicles available to anyone, at anytime, from anywhere, and to turn this new and exciting aircraft into a mainstream means of transportation.

Visit www.flyastro.com for more information.

For inquiries contact Mike@flyastro.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005192/en/

Contacts:

Astro Aerospace

Mike White

Mike@flyastro.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

NRG Metals Inc. ("NRG" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NGZ) (OTCQB: NRGMF) (Frankfurt: OGPN) the Company is pleased to report pumping test results for the first 10 inch large-diameter pumping well at the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project, Argentina. The well is located on the Tramo Claim portion of the project group.

This pumping well was drilled immediately adjacent to the first exploration diamond core hole following the excellent results from the recent sampling that provided assay results of 401 meters of 900 mg/L lithium with very good chemistry as reported in the Company's press release dated June 28, 2018. Together with information from the diamond core drilling program, data from the pumping test will be used to calculate resources and reserves for the project. If warranted, this pumping well can be used for production as part of the fast-track development of the project.

NRG Metals completed a 72-hour pumping test that produced 26 liters per second of brine. The test was limited by the capacity of the pump causing our test to rapidly reach the limits of the pumping equipment and measurement devices at the site. The pumping test was designed and monitored by our independent technical consultants, Montgomery & Associates of Santiago, Chile.

Based on these positive initial pump test results, our technical team believes that the well could have significant additional pumping capability. The Company is planning to mobilize additional equipment to run a test with a higher capacity pumping system as soon as possible.

Jose de Castro, Chief Operating Officer of NRG Metals Inc., commented, "We are very pleased with the results of the pumping test at Hombre Muerto North. These results have removed a significant part of the risk associated with developing a lithium operation. We are seeing exceptionally high grades in clastic host rocks with good permeability, and the brine chemistry is very favorable. The Hombre Muerto North brine is unsaturated and has low sulfate and magnesium ratios. Brine with these characteristics has the potential to evaporate more quickly while using less pond area than would be the case for a typical saturated brine and will require lower consumption of chemical reagents potentially resulting in diminished capital and operating costs."

The project is located in the province of Salta, Argentina at the northern end of the prolific Hombre Muerto Salar, adjacent to FMC's producing Fenix mine and the Sal de Vida development stage project owned by Galaxy Resources Ltd. Galaxy recently drilled a brine pumping well on their property which is adjacent and contiguous to the south of the NRG Tramo claim. Galaxy has also announced it has entered into a letter agreement for the sale of their northern portion of the Sal de Vida project to the Korean lithium producer POSCO for US$280 million (subject to third quarter POSCO board approval). The sale includes that portion of the salar which surrounds the NRG Metals Tramo claim.

Full information and a pump test video is available at the company website at https://www.nrgmetalsinc.com/projects/hombre-muerto-north-project

About the Company

NRG Metals Inc. is an exploration stage company focused on the advancement of lithium brine projects in Argentina. In addition to the Hombre Muerto North project, the Company is evaluating its 29,000-hectare (72,000 acre) Salar Escondido project in Catamarca province where the company recently completed a 400-meter rotary hole, as described in the Company's press release dated June 27, 2018.

NRG Metals Inc. currently has approximately 132 million shares issued and outstanding, and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under symbol NGZ, on the OTC QB Market under symbol NRGMF, and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol OGPN.

Technical Disclosure

The preparation of this press release was supervised by Mr. William Feyerabend, a Certified Professional Geologist and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Feyerabend approves of the technical and scientific disclosure contained in this press release.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We seek safe harbor.

On behalf of the board of directors of NRG Metals Inc.:

Adrian F.C. Hobkirk

President and C.E.O.

T: Investors / Shareholders Call 855-415-8100

Direct to Adrian Hobkirk 714.316.3272

E: ahobkirk@nrgmetalsinc.com

W: http://www.nrgmetalsinc.com


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2018 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V: SKE, OTCQX: SKREF) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to report additional assay results for six drill holes from the Phase II underground drilling program at the Company's 100% owned Snip Gold Project ("Snip") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia.

The Phase II drilling program is now complete. A total of 9,583 metres was drilled over 48 underground drill holes and two surface drill holes. Building upon the data gathered from the Phase I campaign, the Phase II program was designed to expand newly modelled zones via widely spaced exploratory drill step-outs, further delineate known mineralization in areas of low drilling density and validate the historical data in preparation for a maiden resource estimate at Snip. A reference mine section is presented at the end of this release, and on the Company's website.

Phase II Drilling Highlights:

11.03 g/t Au over 3.00 m (UG18-101)

185.00 g/t Au over 0.60 m (UG18-101)

23.84 g/t Au over 1.50 m (UG18-103)

17.93 g/t Au over 2.00 m (UG18-103)

8.68 g/t Au over 3.90 m (UG18-103)

10.52 g/t Au over 4.10 m (UG18-104)

Eastern Twin Zone Continues to Demonstrate Continuity

Delineation drilling on the Eastern Twin Zone continues to add gold grade and confidence to areas that were not fully sampled during previous operators' historical drilling programs. The Phase II program is designed to populate this area with new drilling and analytical data in preparation for a maiden resource estimate at Snip.

2018 Phase II drillhole UG18-104, which intersected 10.52 g/t Au over 4.10 metres in the Eastern Twin Zone, is located 25 metres downdip of UG18-102 which intersected 11.14 g/t Au over 2.00 metres. These new intersections are bracketed up and down dip by previously reported 2018 drillholes UG18-093 and UG18-091 which intersected 9.14 g/t Au over 10.20 metres and 5.60 g/t over 19.85 metres respectively, for a total dip extent of 75 metres.

Additional mineralization surrounding the Eastern Twin Zone was also intersected by UG18-101 which averaged 11.03 g/t Au over 3.00 metres in the footwall. UG18-101 also intersected 185.00 g/t Au over 0.60 metres occurring 15 metres into the hangingwall to the Eastern Twin Zone, where a new zone of mineralization is beginning to be defined.

Discussion of Historical Data and Practices

Regrettably, prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 standards, reclamation of the mine in 1999 included disposal of all historical drill core, resulting in the inability to now validate any prior operators' databases to modern standards. This lack of historic drill core and supporting drilling documentation, paired with the wide spacing of historical drilling in undeveloped areas necessitates that Skeena devote a percentage of its drilling campaign to validate the historical data. This will allow for high confidence underground resources to be reported.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious and base metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company's primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Snip mine and the recently optioned Eskay Creek mine, both acquired from Barrick. In addition, the Company has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment on the GJ copper-gold porphyry project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Jr.

President & CEO

Qualified Persons

Exploration activities at the Snip Gold Project are administered on site by the Company's Exploration Managers, Colin Russell, P.Geo. and Adrian Newton, P.Geo. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration and Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities on its exploration projects.

Quality Assurance - Quality Control

Once received from the drill and processed, all drill core samples are sawn in half, labelled and bagged. The remaining drill core is subsequently securely stored on site. Numbered security tags are applied to lab shipments for chain of custody requirements. The Company inserts quality control (QC) samples at regular intervals in the sample stream, including blanks and reference materials with all sample shipments to monitor laboratory performance. The QAQC program was designed and approved by Lynda Bloom, P.Geo. of Analytical Solutions Ltd., and is overseen by the Company's Qualified Person, Paul Geddes, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and Resource Development.

Drill core samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry's analytical facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. The ALS facility is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for gold assays and all analytical methods include quality control materials at set frequencies with established data acceptance criteria. The entire sample is crushed and 250 grams is pulverized. Analysis for gold is by 50g fire assay fusion with atomic absorption (AAS) finish with a lower limit of 0.01 ppm and upper limit of 100 ppm. Samples with gold assays greater than 10 ppm are re-analyzed using a 1,000g screen metallic fire assay. A selected number of samples are also analyzed using a 48 multi-elemental geochemical package by a 4-acid digestion, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Table 1: Snip Project Phase II length weighted drillhole gold composites:

HOLE-ID FROM (M) TO (M) CORE LENGTH (M) AU (G/T) AREA UG18-099 69.00 70.50 1.50 6.25 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 72.50 73.00 0.50 16.30 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 83.00 83.50 0.50 7.76 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 91.50 92.00 0.50 7.65 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 67.50 70.50 3.00 11.03 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 67.50 68.00 0.50 11.55 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 68.50 69.00 0.50 33.10 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 80.00 80.50 0.50 5.15 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 85.30 87.00 1.70 11.56 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 86.50 87.00 0.50 19.40 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 93.00 93.60 0.60 185.00 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-102 90.00 92.00 2.00 11.14 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 90.50 91.00 0.50 33.80 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 57.00 58.50 1.50 23.84 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 57.00 57.50 0.50 48.50 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 57.50 58.00 0.50 21.30 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 68.50 70.50 2.00 17.93 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 68.50 69.00 0.50 67.60 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 99.10 103.00 3.90 8.68 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 101.00 102.50 1.50 19.00 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-104 79.10 83.20 4.10 10.52 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 79.60 81.10 1.50 11.95 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 81.10 82.20 1.10 21.10 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-104 89.90 90.90 1.00 17.16 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 89.90 90.40 0.50 24.70 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE

True widths cannot be accurately determined from the information available therefore core lengths are reported. Top cuts have not been applied to high grade assays.

Table 2: Mine grid Phase II underground drillhole locations and orientations.

HOLE-ID EASTING NORTHING ELEVATION LENGTH (M) AZIMUTH DIP UG18-099 4849.2 2308.8 572.8 115.8 180.0 9.8 UG18-100 4849.3 2309.0 572.1 110.0 180.1 -3.8 UG18-101 4849.2 2309.6 574.3 110.3 180.6 44.9 UG18-102 4849.3 2310.5 574.5 115.2 180.2 59.6 UG18-103 4849.5 2309.3 573.5 109.7 171.0 28.0 UG18-104 4849.5 2309.8 574.3 110.6 170.4 46.9





For a PDF version click here

SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited
PALM BEACH, Florida, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

MarketNewsUpdates.com News Commentary

Blockchain technology is severely disrupting data center infrastructure, especially in the avenue of Cryptocurrency. Investment firms are investing millions into the development and deployment of Blockchain technology to bolster data centers, as well as enhance mining operations. Digital currencies remain a hot topic in the markets and leaders in Cryptocurrency aim to leverage Blockchain to make it both more secure and accessible. Additionally, it enables leading miners to channel more computing power in order to more effectively manage mining efforts. When harnessed correctly, Blockchain could potentially provide immense benefits to Cryptocurrency miners and raise revenues in the already multi-billion dollar space. One trend in the market is acceptance of cryptocurrency by retailers. The rising trend of acceptance of cryptocurrency by retailers is one of the key factors driving the growth of the cryptocurrency mining hardware market. Large retailers are steadily adopting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether for carrying out their financial transactions. Active tech companies in the markets this week include Mining Power Group, Inc. (OTC:RCGR), Chineseinvestors.com, Inc. (OTC:CIIX), Bitcoin Investment Trust (OTC:GBTC), DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSX-V:DMGI) (OTC:DMGGF), Block One Capital Inc. (TSX-V:BLOK) (OTC:BKPPF).



Mining Power Group, Inc. (OTCPK:RCGR) BREAKING NEWS : Mining Power Group announced today that its majority-owned subsidiary, Northway Mining, LLC, ("Northway") which offers highly specialized data center hosting services for cryptomining, has signed a 2-year, $270,000 per month hosting contract with Proof Computing, LLC., a U.S.-based firm which will yield approximately $6,480,000 million in revenues to Northway over the 2 years.



The contract encompasses the hosting of about 3,150 miners, including up to 25,000 GPU's, projected to consume about 5 MW hours of electricity per month. Under the terms of the contract, the client is paying a $540,000, or two-month, advance deposit for the hosting services which will cover installation, set up and equipment testing services by Northway. The contract runs from approximately August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2020 and is renewable.



Northway is a cryptocurrency mining hosting facility that provides hosting, electricity, cooling, maintenance, insurance, downtime coverage, OS installation (GPU) assistance, setup & security, and more, including especially low rates for electricity, that reduces client costs and is a major competitive advantage in the marketplace.



The Company had just recently acquired a majority interest in Northway Mining, which has current revenues. In addition, it acquired real estate assets of substantial value including 30 acres of flat surrounding land that will be used for future expansion of Northway's data center facilities. Northway presently has over 5000 square feet of secure crypto mining space.



Dror Svorai

July 7, 2018

$10.38

$13.34

September 2018

Canada

Sheldon Bennett

One Meter

July 2018

US$2,000,000

US$10,000,000

US$300,000

forty nine hundred dollars

, President and CEO, stated, "One of the key reasons we did this acquisition, was that we saw that we were carving out a special niche in this market, where we were not actually competing with cryptomining companies, but we could provide top of the line & state of the art facilities and services that every company in the field would want and utilize. We are not competing with them but are servicing them. That way, the whole market could become our clients NOT our competition." R(OTCQB:CIIX) recently announced the official launch of its new cryptocurrency trading courses offered through its newly established Bitcoin Trading Academy LLC. The Company officially launched the following three part course offering on: Bitcoin Trading 101: Students are provided with a basic knowledge about Bitcoin including how to open and trade on different cryptocurrency trading platforms, how to set up a cryptocurrency wallet, futures trading strategies, both long and short, how to use Bitcoin Futures to properly hedge one's Bitcoin portfolio, and how to properly use beginner-friendly trading techniques. Bitcoin Trading 201: The second course in the program focuses on coins such as Ethereum, including coins with significant underlying technology such as EOS, XLM, ADA and NEO, and altcoin trading platforms, such as Binance and Bittrex. In addition, this course will provide instruction on how to use information such as a coin's underlying utility, current industry and sector news in combination with technical analysis in an effort to maximize returns; and effectively scrutinize and understand social media feeds.(OTCQX:GBTC) In the last year, Bitcoin Investment Trust's shares have traded in a range of 5.29 - 38.71. The share price has gained 91.49% from its 52 week low. The company's shares are currently trading below their 200-day moving average. The stock's 50-day moving average ofis below its 200-day moving average of. Shares of Bitcoin Investment Trust have gained roughly 0.98 percent in the past month and are down 54.27 percent year-to-date.(TSX-V:DMGI.V) (OTCQB:DMGGF) recently announced that it has begun installation of its own 85-megawatt capacity transformer and electrical substation, which will power the expansion of DMG's flagship cryptocurrency mining facility. DMG expects the substation to be connected to the utility power grid and commissioned for full operation in, at which time, it will have 60 megawatts available for energizing mining rigs. This facility will become DMG's flagship crypto mining operation inand further expand its mining-as-a-service (MaaS) capacity. Deployment of its new 85-megawatt substation will increase DMG's hosting capability by more than 20 times., DMG's COO commented, "Building and managing a cryptomining operation at an industrial scale requires a world-class supply chain as well as direct access to local government and electricity providers. Our management team at DMG is unique in that we have the experience, the relationships, and the capital backing to do this successfully."(TSX-V:BLOK.V) (OTCQB:BKPPF) announced the following corporate update. The first half of 2018 showed tremendous progress in partnership deals and technology development for OMAAT. The Dance for(D41M) initiative is being received with enthusiasm in the live events industry on a global level. D41M has signed agreements with three large scale clubbing and event promoters in multiple territories (Ushuaia Ibiza-Europe, RPM Presents-New York, RMD Group-San Diego). D41M is expected to be operational on approximately 360 individual events this year. In, OMAAT entered into an agreement with Token Foundry Securities LLC (an affiliate of ConsenSys) to undertake an equity offering of up toat an anticipatedpre-money valuation. Block Capital plans to participate in this capital raise for an additional investment ofDISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensatedfor news coverage of the current press releases issued by Mining Power Group Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:

email: info@marketnewsupdates.com

+1(561)325-8757


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) (OTC Pink: CBGZF) ("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities at its Vila Rica discovery (Figures 1, 2, and 3) within the Cuiu Cuiu Project, Para State, northern Brazil.

Highlights

Artisanal workers continue to expand the existing pit where initial sampling returned 43.3g/t Au over 0.5m 1 and have sunk two more pits nearby (Figures 2 and 3).

Rock chip samples from an artisanal pit developed 90m east of the original pit at Vila Rica returned grades of 8.1 g/t and 16.8 g/t Au . Recently reprocessed magnetic data shows a magnetic low extending east of this position, suggesting an E-W structural control.

Sampling of stockwork-style mineralization in the original pit, 30m south of the narrow high-grade intercept of 43.3g/t Au over 0.5m, returned 1.1g/t Au over 10 m . The interval remains open.

Sampling of a third pit recently developed 250m to the south of the above pits returned rock chip samples up to 6.1g/t Au, while channels returned an interval of 7.9 g/t Au over 1.9m at the southern end of the pit. Mapping suggests this may be a parallel structure.

The discovery of bedrock gold at Vila Rica was initially announced on March 21, 2018 (43.3g/t Au over 0.5m). This new undrilled target area was identified by Cabral's ongoing reconnaissance evaluation of the district's artisanal workings and prospective geophysical structures. Alluvial gold was historically exploited along the Vila Rica drainage system over a distance of ~1.5 km (Figures 1, 2 and 3), but no bedrock gold sources had previously been identified. With the placer mineralization in modern drainages becoming depleted, artisanal workers have begun to exploit buried paleo-placer deposits. Recently, while mining placer gold under a cover sequence, artisanal workers uncovered gold-bearing vein and stockwork-style mineralization within saprolite (highly weathered bedrock) in the Vila Rica area.

Further studies identified this cover sequence as young, unconsolidated, lake clays and channel sands and gravels that unconformably overlie primary gold mineralization within the older granite saprolite. This is schematically shown on Figure 4. The cover effectively buries the mineralization and renders conventional soil geochemistry ineffective. The recognition of this widespread cover sequence opens the door for detection of additional buried vein and stockwork style systems in areas that had previously been downgraded due to the lack of a surface soil anomaly.





Figure 1: Location of the Vila Rica prospect area



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/36394_a1533779676984_58.jpg

The artisanal workers continue to expand pits and other workings, and are uncovering previously concealed veins and stockwork zones in the process. Cabral's ongoing program continues to evaluate these new areas, and sampling has returned solid gold values from mineralization in saprolite.

Mineralization at Vila Rica has been exposed in a pit ~90m to the east of the first sampling site. Rock chip samples in this new pit have returned grades of 8.1 g/t and 16.8 g/t Au. Recently reprocessed magnetic data shows a corridor of demagnetization trending eastwards from these two northern pits, suggesting an E-W structural control (Figure 2). This structural orientation is similar to that which controls the Moreira Gomes deposit, with an Inferred Resource of 8.6MMt @ 1.45 g/t Au, as well as the Morro da Lua, Jerimum Cima and JN targets.

Additional mineralization has been identified in a third pit ~250m to the southeast. Rock chip sampling of a quartz vein within a sericitic envelope returned 6.1 g/t Au, with a number of additional lower grade samples present (Figure 2).

Additional channel sampling has been undertaken where the saprolite is exposed (Figure 3). Channel positions are limited to the extent of the advancing faces, and available exposures on the floor, which are partly covered by rejects and slurry. As a result, continuous sampling coverage over the floor is not always feasible in active workings. Observations include:

Pit 1: An area of stockwork style mineralization returned 1.1g/t Au over 10 m, ~30m SE of the initial vein position. The area between the higher grade vein trend (43.3g/t Au over 0.5m), and this new position is currently covered, and will be sampled by trenching in the future when artisanal mining activity wanes.





Figure 2: Location of the Vila Rica Area (east), in relation to surrounding prospects. Auger hole locations are marked (assays pending), along with past diamond drilling at Jerimum Cima. The recently reprocessed reduced-to-pole magnetics show areas of reduced magnetic amplitude in blue-green. These areas are being tested beneath the deep soil and alluvial cover, to test for a geochemical signature consistent with alteration and demagnetization. Rock chip assay results from Vila Rica and the surrounding prospects are shown. Alluvial workings in modern drainage are illustrated in transparency.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/36394_a1533779677140_78.jpg

Pit 2: A single channel sample in the pit to the east has returned an interval of 0.88 g/t Au over 7.4 m (open). The pit is small and does not reveal the full strike equivalent exposure to the mineralization seen in Pit 1.

Pit 3. The SE pit is not situated on an obvious magnetic gradient but includes areas of low-grade mineralization in a grade range of 0.14 to 0.65 g/t Au. Channel sampling here included a result of 7.9 g/t Au over 1.9m, adjacent to the southern boundary of the pit. The alteration envelope remains open at the limit of exposure.

Cabral has commenced an auger drilling program to test for base-of-cover / top-of-saprolite gold anomalism, with past surface soil geochemistry now thought to be ineffective over large areas due to the extent of transported cover. The paleo-valley (geologically ancient, buried river valleys which no longer function as active surface water systems) placer deposits extend over a significant distance, having been traced ~1km to the west of the modern Vila Rica drainage position. The cover sequence over Vila Rica averages 12m deep, and in places has been observed to extend up to 31.5m below surface.





Figure 3: Detail of the Vila Rica area, showing channel sample locations in accessible points on the floor of artisanal pits, targeting the placer mineralization to the east of the modern drainage system. Reconnaissance auger drilling indicates the cover sequence extends to the west.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/36394_a1533779677390_37.jpg

Reprocessing of the ground magnetic data has identified NE and NW trending magnetic lows beneath the cover sequence, which have not previously been drill tested. The first phase of auger drilling is being conducted at 400m line spacing, with intervals of 50 to 100m to test for gold dispersion. Results are pending (Figure 2).

Alan Carter, President & CEO, commented, "The Vila Rica program has given us our first indication of just how extensive the transported cover sequence is at Cuiu Cuiu, and the potential for this cover to conceal vein and stockwork style gold mineralization. The identification of stockwork style mineralization, as well as higher grade mineralization at Vila Rica, is a characteristic of the other four deposits with resources thus far identified at Cuiu Cuiu, but perhaps more exciting is the recognition of new targets under post-mineral transported cover identified through reprocessing of the magnetic data. It may well be that the best targets are yet to come as we commence our evaluation of these newly defined trends."





Figure 4: Schematic illustration of the cover sequence. In some areas such as Central and Moreira Gomes, the soil is developed directly above mineralized weathered bedrock and yields a geochemical anomaly. In positions such as Vila Rica, a transported cover sequence is present, and the surface soil geochemistry in not effective at detecting mineralized basement.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/36394_a1533779677703_30.jpg

About Cabral Gold Inc.

The Company is a junior resource company and is engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil.

The Company owns the Cuiu Cuiu gold project, which covers the largest of the historical placer gold camps in the Tapajos region of northern Brazil, having yielded an estimated 2MMoz of gold from the overall 20-30MMoz gold produced during the Tapajos gold rush2. Placer workings cover over 850ha on the property but are largely exhausted. The few remaining artisanal workers now process gold from palaeo-valley placer deposits and in places exploit high-grade gold mineralization from quartz veins in saprolite (shallow highly weathered bedrock).

Earlier this year, Cabral reported an updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate3 totalling 5.9MM tonnes grading 0.9 g/t Au (Indicated) and 19.5MM tonnes grading 1.2 g/t Au (Inferred), or 0.2MM ounces and 0.8MM ounces of gold, respectively. That estimate was based on four deposits drilled prior to the cessation of exploration in 2012.

The Company's current program is designed to improve understanding and expand existing prospects, evaluate newly identified discoveries, prioritize drill targets, and to build upon the existing resource inventory.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Alan Carter

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cabral Gold Inc.

Tel: 604.676.5660

Dr. Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, PhD. FAusIMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will", "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. This news release contains forward-looking statements and assumptions pertaining to the following: strategic plans and future operations, and results of exploration. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Notes

Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge). Analytical quality is monitored by the use of certified references, blanks, and checks higher grade samples checked by FAA525 or screen fire assay. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Channel sampling is conducted using a hand-trenching tool over exposed surfaces to maintain a consistent sample. Under the agreement with the Cuiu Cuiu condominium, local artisanal operators can process mineralization to a depth of 30m, unless otherwise negotiated.

1 TSX-V Press release: March 21, 2018

2 DNPM (National Department of Mining Production)

3 Micon NI 43-101 resource estimate reported June 7, 2018.
Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday Wishes
Posted on: August 9, 2018 12:01 PM

Anglican Care, the social action agency of the New Zealand Diocese of Christchurch, is to close its two residential elderly care centres. The agency cited exponential growth in the aged care sector as one of the reasons behind its decision to gradually wind down operations at Bishopspark and Fitzgerald residential centres. Currently, both sites offer independent living and rest home care. Fitzgerald also offers hospital and dementia care.

We know this will be a challenging time for our residents and staff, Moka Ritchie, chair of the Anglican Care Trust Board, said, adding that the agency will continue to provide the same quality of care to all residents at Bishopspark and Fitzgerald through this extended transition period.

As part of the wind-down, no new residents will move in to the centres, which will continue to operate with their existing residents until the closures are complete. The Diocese of Christchurch said that the complexes will continue to operate around the needs of the residents, and that there was no timeframe on how long that would continue.

A third Anglican Care complex, Churchill Courts, was demolished after the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011.

We started residential care an incredible 66 years ago when we saw a need that no-one else was meeting for the most vulnerable in our community, Ritchie said. Since then, the aged care sector has matured and grown exponentially, with commercial operators now delivering more highly-specified units and a wider range of services than we can provide.

Their scale means they can also offer their services much more cost effectively.

She added: Weve been losing money and subsidising our residential care from Anglican Care general funds for many years and that cant continue indefinitely. The earthquakes also dealt us further blows, with significant damage making some of our buildings uneconomic to repair.

This combination of factors led to the decision we are better to leave residential care of the elderly to businesses specialising in this, while we focus our efforts on other areas where we can serve the elderly in our communities.

Ritchie said that efforts to interest a buyer in taking over its operations at the two centres as a going concern proved fruitless because too much work was needed to bring the buildings up to market standards. We are still keen to find a buyer for either or both sites as going concerns, she said.

Anglican Care confirmed that 41 residents at Bishopspark and 32 at Fitzgerald had Occupational Rights Agreements (ORA). These give them the right to remain in their unit unless they chose to terminate the agreement and move elsewhere.

The agency said that residents with ORAs will not be asked to leave, or have to leave their village unless they want to; but said that that the complexes will slowly wind down over a period of years as residents with ORAs relinquish these agreements.

It stressed that the agency would work closely with the residents to ensure the sites and the services they offer are maintained throughout.
Covering Asia Pacific and the Pacific Ocean Regions, Horizons 3e to Complete Intelsat EpicNG Global Coverage

Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), operator of the world's first Globalized Network and leader in integrated satellite solutions, announced today that Horizons 3e arrived at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will undergo final preparations before its scheduled launch on an Ariane 5 rocket on the 7th of September, 2018.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005120/en/

Horizons 3e arriving in French Guiana in advance of its expected launch on September 7, 2018. (Photo: Business Wire)

Horizons 3e is owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, marking the fourth satellite project between the two companies. Built by Boeing and based on the award-winning Intelsat EpicNG design, Horizons 3e marks the sixth of our Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites ("HTS"). The satellite will complete Intelsat EpicNG's global coverage and provide wireless operator, mobility and government customers with unmatched performance, resiliency and redundancy.

Horizons 3e is the first Intelsat EpicNG satellite to feature entire Ku-band spot beams utilizing multiport amplifiers that optimize power across the satellite. This enhanced, advanced digital payload features the highest throughput of the entire Intelsat EpicNG fleet with full beam interconnectivity in two commercial bands and significant upgrades on power, efficiency and coverage flexibility. With the multiport amplifier, power can be adjusted to each beam to meet customer throughput demands.

By matching satellite power usage to traffic demands, aeronautical and maritime mobility, fixed and wireless network operators, corporate enterprise and government customers can leverage the additional efficiency improvements to expand their network and applications across the Asia Pacific region. In addition to the power sharing technology, Horizons 3e provides additional resiliency to the IntelsatOne Flex managed service platform, for use in enterprise and mobility applications.

Horizons 3e is currently scheduled for launch on 7 September, 2018 during a window that is currently scheduled to open at 5:56 pm EDT and closes at 6:31 pm EDT. Following a successful launch, Horizons 3e will be placed at the 169 East orbital location, where it will undergo in-orbit testing prior to its expected in-service date in the first quarter of 2019.

Supporting Resources:

Intelsat Epic NG http://www.intelsat.com/global-network/satellites/epicng/

http://www.intelsat.com/global-network/satellites/epicng/ Intelsat Epic NG : Unlocking Opportunities in a New Era : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DQVg9H139A

: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DQVg9H139A About High Throughput Satellites: http://www.intelsat.com/videos/a-high-throughput-satellite-teach-in/

About Intelsat

Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) operates the world's first Globalized Network, delivering high-quality, cost-effective video and broadband services anywhere in the world. Intelsat's Globalized Network combines the world's largest satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure, managed services and an open, interoperable architecture to enable customers to drive revenue and reach through a new generation of network services. Thousands of organizations serving billions of people worldwide rely on Intelsat to provide ubiquitous broadband connectivity, multi-format video broadcasting, secure satellite communications and seamless mobility services. The end result is an entirely new world, one that allows us to envision the impossible, connect without boundaries and transform the ways in which we live. For more information, visit www.intelsat.com.

Intelsat Safe Harbor Statement:

Statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. When used in this release, the words "may," "will," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "project," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "intend," "potential," "outlook," and "continue," and the negative of these terms, and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information.

The forward-looking statements reflect Intelsat's intentions, plans, expectations, anticipations, projections, estimations, predictions, outlook, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of Intelsat's control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks. Known risks include, among others, the risks described in Intelsat's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018, and its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and risks and uncertainties related to our ability to consummate the Offer.

Because actual results could differ materially from Intelsat's intentions, plans, expectations, anticipations, projections, estimations, predictions, outlook, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements with caution. Intelsat does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005120/en/

Contacts:

Intelsat

Michele Loguidice, +1 703-559-7372

Director, Corporate Communications

Michele.Loguidice@intelsat.com


TIE Kinetix, leading provider of Partner Automation solutions, announced today that they have released an exclusive digital marketing transformation program for channel organizations to help their channel partners adopt digital marketing. The program is developed and delivered in partnership with Google.

The Digital Marketing Transformation for the Channel program will only be made available to companies who fit the profile of a channel company and are able to move quickly. Participants will receive exclusivity in the markets they participate in, free media starter budget(s), and unprecedented access to industry experts and information in online advertising, digital transformation channel marketing solutions.

This digital marketing transformation program has been specifically developed for organizations with an indirect sales channel to market and sell their products.

During the program, participants get access to Google data and research that is generally not available to the public, benchmark information learnings from other program participants (anonymized), best practices and their own live campaign data to make fact-based decisions optimizations throughout the program and transformation process.

"We are very excited about the new digital marketing transformation program for channel organizations. Together with Google, we noticed the gap in the market and the potential to deliver digital marketing capabilities for smaller SME resellers of brands/vendors" stated Jan Sundelin, CEO of TIE Kinetix. "What we realized was that resellers don't choose to not adopt digital marketing, they simply struggle to do this on their own. What if you could help them? Through this combined program with Google, we see big opportunities for our customers to increase demand and sales within their channel community."

"We thrive to support channel organizations to make the shift into the digital age. The Digital Transformation program provides an easy way to get started. It enables channel companies to leverage Google technology and become successful online" says Floris van de Peppel, Strategic Partner Manager at Google.

Learn more details about the program and how to participate on our website

About TIE Kinetix

TIE Kinetix transforms the digital supply chain by providing Total Integrated E-Commerce solutions. These solutions maximize revenue opportunities by minimizing the energy required to market, sell, fulfill, and optimize online.

Customers and partners of TIE Kinetix constantly benefit from innovative, field-tested, state-of-the-art technologies, backed by 30 years of experience and prestigious awards. TIE Kinetix makes technology to perform, such that customers and partners can focus on their core business. TIE Kinetix is a public company and has offices in the United States, the Netherlands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia.

For questions about this press release, please contact Patrick van Boom, Chief Marketing Officer of TIE Kinetix via Marketing@TIEKinetix.com

Follow TIE Kinetix on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TIEKinetix

Follow TIE Kinetix on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/TIE-Kinetix

Follow TIE Kinetix on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TIEKinetix

END OF PRESS RELEASE

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005357/en/

Contacts:

TIE Kinetix N.V.

Patrick van Boom

T: +31-88-369-8000

E: info@TIEKinetix.com

W: www.TIEKinetix.com
Regulatory News:

Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT) announces that the first shipment of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the second train of the Yamal LNG project in Northern Russia is ready to leave Sabetta. This train adds an additional 5.5 million tons per year of LNG capacity to the facility, bringing the total capacity in operation to 11 million tons per year. At full capacity, the three-train facility will supply 16.5 million tons of LNG per year to Asian and European markets. The third train is expected to start up in early 2019.

"Following the successful start-up of Yamal LNG in December last year, the first shipment from the second train ahead of schedule is another major milestone for this world-class LNG project," commented Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of Total. "The Yamal LNG production adds competitive LNG resources to our growing portfolio. We will keep developing new LNG projects in the Russian Arctic with our strategic partner Novatek, as illustrated by the recent announcement of our entry in Arctic LNG 2 with 10% direct working interest."

Last May, Novatek and Total also agreed that Total will have the opportunity to acquire a 10 to 15% direct interest in Novatek's future LNG projects in Yamal and Gydan.

About Yamal LNG

The project is operated by the Yamal LNG Company, owned by Russian independent gas producer Novatek (50.1%), Total (20%), CNPC (20%) and Silk Road Fund (9.9%).

One of the biggest LNG projects in the world, Yamal LNG is developing the 4.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent of reserves (boe) from the giant onshore South Tambey gas and condensate field, located on the Yamal Peninsula.

The project includes an integrated gas treatment and liquefaction facility with three trains of 5.5 million tons per year capacity each, storage tanks, and port and airport infrastructure.

Yamal LNG's production is sold under long-term contracts in Asian and European markets, predominantly under oil-indexed price formulas. LNG will be supplied to the markets all year round through an innovative shipping approach involving a fleet of purpose-designed ice-class LNG carriers that will travel the Northern Sea Route to Asia through the Bering Strait in the summer.

About Arctic LNG 2

In May 2018, Total signed an agreement with Novatek outlining the terms upon which Total will acquire a direct working interest of 10% in Arctic LNG 2, a new giant liquefied natural gas project led by Novatek.

Taking account of Total's approximate 19% stake in Novatek and Novatek's intention to retain 60% of the project, the Group's overall economic interest in this new LNG project will be approximately 21.5%.

Located on the Gydan Peninsula, facing the Yamal Peninsula, Arctic LNG 2 will offer opportunities to develop synergies between the two projects. With a production capacity of approximately 19.8 million tons per year (Mt/year), Arctic LNG 2 will unlock more than 7 billion boe of hydrocarbon resources.

Total in Russia

Total has been present in Russia since 1991. The Group's equity production averaged 318,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in 2017. This production comes from the Group's 18.9% interest in Novatek, from the Group direct interest in Yamal LNG (20%) and from the Kharyaga (Total, 20%) and Termokarstovoye fields (Total, 49%).

About Total

Total is a global integrated energy producer and provider, a leading international oil and gas company, and a major player in low-carbon energies. Our 98,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative and accessible to as many people as possible. As a responsible corporate citizen, we focus on ensuring that our operations in more than 130 countries worldwide consistently deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.

Cautionary note

This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total" and "Total Group" are sometimes used for convenience where general references are made to TOTAL S.A. and/or its subsidiaries. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them.

This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005434/en/

Contacts:

Total

Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99

presse@total.com

@TotalPress

or

Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962

ir@total.com
BASEL, Switzerland, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gerald Schneider, a long-time business leader in the life science and advanced technology industries, has joined CRB Group GmbH as the managing director for European commercial operations.

At his previous company, Schneider established and developed multiple new offices, successfully restructured business units and integrated new teams. As chief financial officer, he held responsibility for company commercial affairs and led an international team of 60 employees.

"We are extremely excited to have Gerald join our team in Europe. Aside from being a great cultural fit with CRB, his broad experience in business operations outside of the United States will be a tremendous asset to our growing international operations," Ryan Schroeder, CRB's president, said.

Schneider's role will be to provide leadership for CRB's European offices, working collaboratively with operational leaders and staff. He will hold ultimate responsibility for CRB's European commercial operations and execute business support systems for legal services, business licensing, project and business contracts, project controls, human resources, finance and accounting.

"I am excited to join CRB, a well-known partner in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. It's a privilege to work with a team of first-class engineers and consultants, and I look forward to the continued growth and success of our European business," Schneider said.

About CRB:

CRB is a privately held company that has built a 30+ year reputation as the leading provider of design and consulting solutions for the global life science marketplace. Founded in 1984 as a single three-person office, CRB has grown to a team of more than 1,000 in 15 offices serving clients throughout the world. The European team executes engineering, architecture and consulting projects across each of CRB's markets, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, science + technology and food + beverage.

Media Contact:

United States:

Katie Helmsing

CRB

katie.helmsing@crbusa.com

Europe:

Patricia Zoebelin

CRB

Patricia.zoebelin@crbgroup.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/728853/CRB_Gerald_Schneider.jpg
TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2018 / ABCO Energy, Inc, (OTC PINK: ABCE) August 8, 2018, Tucson, Arizona, announced that they have signed a $950,000 commercial solar project and anticipate an additional $35,000 commercial lighting contract on the same facility with ABCO crews providing all construction. The project is on a 72-unit apartment complex and will consist of both roof top and car park shade structures. The owners will enjoy approximately $80,946 from the solar electric generation plant and $15,981 first year savings from the LED lighting project, for a total first year savings of approximately $96,927. In addition, the federal and state tax credits totaling $310,000 will further increase the owner's return on investment. Over a period of 25 years, this project is expected to provide cost reduction for the customer in excess of $3,445,000.

'Coupled with our first seven months of sales and booked backlog of over $1,500,000, ABCO's anticipated sales booked for the year already exceeds $2,500,000,' said Charles O'Dowd, President of ABCO Energy. 'With this large backlog of signed commercial and residential solar projects and several quoted projects in the pipeline at this time, we are hopeful for a record year in sales and profits.'



This is the roof top and parking shade layout of the Arizona Solar Project sold by ABCO.

ABCO Energy is in the Photo Voltaic (PV) solar systems industry, the LED and energy efficient lighting business, is a dealer for a solar powered air conditioning system. The Company plans to build out a network of operations in major cities in the USA to establish a national base of service operations centers. This combination of services, solar PV, solar HVAC systems and LED lighting provides the Company with a solid base in the growth markets of renewable energy applications. On July 1, 2018, we operated in Tucson, Arizona and provided installation and services to other cities from our Tucson offices. The Company plan is to expand to more locations in North America in the next year as funding becomes available.

Safe Harbor Statement

Note: Certain statements in this news release may contain 'forward-looking' information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-5 under the Securities Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than the statements of fact, included in this press release may include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. ABCO undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances or to reflect unanticipated events or developments.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Charles O'Dowd

Email: info@abcoenergy.com

SOURCE: ABCO Energy, Inc
After working alongside individual health care and childbirth professionals, HealFast Inc., recently sponsored the DONA International Doula convention, signaling its intent to help educate and support natural & surgical childbirth recoveries.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Today, HealFast, Inc, a physician-run nutraceuticals company specializing in advanced nutritional solutions to medical conditions; announced breaking new ground in the childbirth recovery market with the help of doula, midwife, and OB/GYN partners.

Its first official step into the market comes with its sponsoring of the DONA International Ft. Lauderdale convention July 22; which comes after months of meticulous research and surveys among qualified and trusted individuals in the doula and OB/GYN community. The US manufactured, over-the-counter supplement, touts an all-in-one formulation using premium ingredients to support healing, reduce inflammation, and aid in pain control for mothers recovering from both natural and surgical childbirth procedures.

HealFast Product



Cannot view this image? Please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6032/38002_a1533826690639_34.jpg

By leveraging baby-safe premium-grade nutrients that are scientifically backed by research & evidence from over 200 scientific publications; HealFast aims to help reduce wound healing complications, support recovery, and control inflammation, while minimizing interactions with common medications and perioperative anesthetics.

As Dr. Kim Langdon-Cull, M.D. states, "It is time to discuss with your doctor the role of a supplement program like HealFast. As a retired Obstetrician/Gynecologist, the numerous benefits of HealFast in the last two weeks of pregnancy and for the immediate postpartum period warrant serious consideration and pose minimal risk due to the short duration and timing of use."

Whereas prenatals are for the baby's development, HealFast is for Mom's recovery.

Dr. Myro Figura, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at HealFast Inc., underscored how critical it is for the childbirth community to educate patients on the importance of optimized recovery nutrition; stating, "For those moms seeking an optimized recovery that's baby-safe like prenatal vitamins, but more scientifically supported than placenta encapsulation products; HealFast offers the promising solution desperately needed in the industry."

While designed to optimize the nutritional states of patients; the HealFast Recovery Formula helps the body counteract surgery complications related to poor nutrition, infection, and elevated fatigue & pain scores, that CDC and NHANES say, can impact nearly 3 in 5 surgery patients.

HealFast removes the guesswork and aims to optimize Mom's nutritional state during natural or surgical childbirth!

Ultimately, HealFast, Inc hopes to educate the public on the importance of optimal nutrition during childbirth and the postpartum period to ensure more moms find their optimal recovery timeline every time.

As part of this goal, HealFast Inc, is working closely with doula, midwife, and OB/GYN professionals in both 1:1 education and cooperation venues as well as providing organizational-wide education and training materials to ensure that patients are always offered the complete picture and maximum number of available options.

HealFast is the industry leader in surgical and injury recovery nutrition and is the future of childbirth recovery that mothers demand!

If you are a doula, midwife, or OB/GYN professional and are interested in learning more or signing up to partner with HealFast's Childbirth programs, click here to learn more and apply today!

About HealFast, Inc.: HealFast is a nutritional supplement company with offices in New York and Los Angeles. HealFast uses physician experts, evidence-based research, and stringent manufacturing principles to produce quality healthcare grade nutraceuticals. You can find their healthcare commentary and advice at www.healfastproducts.com.

Media Contact Info

info@healfast.com

Twitter: @HealFastRx

Instagram: @healfast.Rx
A.M. Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "bb+" to Dunav Re Company a.d.o. Belgrade (Dunav Re) (Serbia), a subsidiary of Dunav Insurance Company j.s.c. Belgrade. (Dunav), a multi-line insurer operating in Serbia. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Dunav Re's balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorises as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. Dunav Re's credit profile is negatively affected by the financial strength of its parent company.

Since its incorporation in 1977, Dunav Re has developed its profile as a reinsurer for its parent company, and increasingly for third party cedants. Dunav Re's risk-adjusted capitalisation is assessed at the strongest level, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio, and is expected to remain at this level, with internal capital generation supporting the company's moderate growth plans. Offsetting factors in the balance sheet strength assessment include Dunav Re's asset concentration towards Serbian government bonds, the small size of the company's capital base, and its high dependence on reinsurance. This latter factor is mitigated partly by the good credit quality of Dunav Re's retrocession panel.

Dunav Re has a track record of improving, albeit volatile, underwriting profitability. In 2017, the company reported a combined ratio of 69%, significantly lower than its five-year average combined ratio (2013-2017) of 100.5%, with the longer-term average combined ratio negatively impacted by catastrophe losses in 2013 and 2014. The company's profit before tax was RSD 162 million in 2017, down from RSD 208 million in the prior year, as exchange losses impaired the company's investment returns. Prospectively, A.M. Best expects Dunav Re to achieve good but highly volatile underwriting results, and to report return on equity of approximately 10%, in line with 2017.

Dunav Re generates its business primarily in Serbia, with Dunav being its main cedant. The company is also active in the former Yugoslav region and to a minor extent, in central Europe. Dunav Re's profile is limited in terms of business volumes, with potential increasing competition from international players over the longer term, although the reinsurer currently has a dominant position in its core market of Serbia.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases

A.M. Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information

Copyright 2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005571/en/

Contacts:

A.M. Best

Alvise Argenton, +44-20-7397-0293

Senior Financial Analyst

alvise.argenton@ambest.com

or

Tim Prince, +44-20-7397-0320

Director, Analytics

timothy.prince@ambest.com

or

Christopher Sharkey, +1-908-439-2200, ext. 5159

Manager, Public Relations

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

or

Jim Peavy, +1-908-439-2200, ext. 5644

Director, Public Relations

james.peavy@ambest.com
SUNNYVALE, California, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Plug and Play announced today the 117 startups accepted into its Fall 2018 Batches. The selected startups will join one of the following programs: Brand & Retail, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Food & Beverage, New Materials & Packaging, or Supply Chain & Logistics. The full list of startups can be viewed on Plug and Play's website: bit.ly/pnpfall2018

"We're focused on startups creating disruptive technologies that can change markets and make incremental improvements for our corporate partners," says George Damouny, Partner at Plug and Play Ventures. "We have selected pre-seed to pre-IPO companies working on solutions from operational efficiency and security automation to food safety and augmented reality. We hope to see these companies grow immensely over the next few months through our expansive corporate ecosystem."

Throughout the next three months, the startups will be immersed in Plug and Play's network. They will be invited to attend mentor sessions, exclusive networking events, and business development matchmaking. Each startup in the batch is also thoroughly reviewed for the possibility of investment. Plug and Play does not take equity for participating in the program but actively invests in a large number of companies every year.

These startups will graduate October 23rd-25th at Plug and Play's Fall Summit. Tickets are limited for the public audience and press passes are available for media. Register today: bit.ly/fallsummit18

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

Media Contact

Allison Romero

allison@pnptc.com

(408) 524-1457
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Platform Eight Capital Corp. (TSXV: PEC.P) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that its shareholders approved all resolutions brought before them at the Corporation's special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held in Toronto on August 9, 2018, including the approval of all matters relating to its proposed three-cornered amalgamation (the "GrowForce Transaction") with GrowForce Holdings Inc. ("GrowForce"). The GrowForce Transaction is intended to constitute the Corporation's "qualifying transaction" pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV").

The matters approved at the Meeting include the following:

Election of Rishi Gautam, John Travaglini, David Sharpe, Lorne Sugarman, Robert Silver and Moya Cahill as directors of the Corporation to act as directors of the Corporation from the closing of the GrowForce Transaction until the next annual meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation; Reappointment of MNP LLP as auditors of the Corporation to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation, at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors; Consolidation of the Corporation's issued and outstanding common shares on the basis of up to 20 pre-consolidation common shares of the Corporation for every one post-consolidation common share and the change of the name of the Corporation to "GrowForce Holdings Corp." to take effect upon the closing of the GrowForce Transaction; and Approval of an amended and restated stock option plan of the Corporation and a restricted share unit plan of the Corporation to take effect upon the closing of the GrowForce Transaction.

More specific details of the matters approved at the Meeting are set forth in a management information circular of the Corporation dated July 13, 2018 and posted on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

In connection with the GrowForce Transaction and pursuant to TSXV requirements, the Corporation will file a filing statement on SEDAR, which will contain further details regarding the GrowForce Transaction, the Corporation, GrowForce and the resulting issuer. The GrowForce Transaction remains subject to the approval of the TSXV and satisfaction of closing conditions customary to transactions of this nature and there can be no assurance that the GrowForce Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

About Platform Eight Capital Corp.

The Corporation is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) and is a Capital Pool Company listed on the TSXV. The Corporation has no commercial operations and has no assets other than cash. For further information please see the final prospectus of the Corporation dated January 9, 2018, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information please contact:

John Travaglini

Chief Executive Officer

(416) 861-1100

Cautionary Notes

Completion of the GrowForce Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed GrowForce Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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 statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding: approval of the qualifying transaction and the terms, conditions, and completion of the GrowForce Transaction. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, the Corporation has made certain assumptions, including that: all applicable regulatory approvals for the GrowForce Transaction will be received. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.
VALLETA, MALTA / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2018 / Vectorspace AI (IDEX: VXV) a machine learning and financial informatics company providing alternative datasets and a 'feature engineering' platform will begin trading on decentralized exchanges, including IDEX.

Vectorspace AI is in dialogue with crypto exchanges on integrating the execution of Smart Basket ETFs. These are baskets of cryptocurrencies that have known and hidden relationships to global trends, topics, concepts, and headlines. The Vectorspace AI token is a utility token with a full circulatory system designed to enable Smart Basket ETFs to transact data with one another using the token in exchange for minimizing loss and boosting alpha. Subscription and curation services are also transacted using the token, VXV.

Vectorspace AI platform is powered by context-controlled Natural Language Processing (NLP) and facilitated by cryptocurrency transactions. A single trend represented by a concept, keyword, hashtag, URL or news story can represent a network of cryptocurrencies based on their relationship to one another and surrounding context or concepts. This relationship network of cryptocurrencies can represent a tradable token basket or closely related group of cryptocurrencies that have known and hidden symbiotic, parasitic, and sympathetic relationships. They may trade in a group and fluctuate together being impacted negatively or positively by outside events and sentiment.

About Vectorspace AI (vectorspace.ai)

Founded 2018 in San Francisco California and headquartered in Valleta, Malta, the team consists of scientific and technical founders with a well-known track record in Silicon Valley. Vectorspace AI maintains a deep understanding of the financial markets having developed algorithms for quantitative information arbitrage opportunities along with running public companies as well as advising hedge funds. Vectorspace AI holds a number of patents in the area of context-controlled Natural Language Processing (NLP) in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory along with academics that have contributed to leading Google's AI efforts. The platform has been registered by 300 enterprise customers that include Machine Learning (ML) companies, hedge funds, trading desks, asset management companies, technology partners and data vendors. All customers consume Vectorspace AI's alternative dataset building and 'feature engineering' platform which provides on-demand datasets and features for NLP, ML and AI operations.

Contact: info@vectorspace.ai

Site: vectorspace.ai

SOURCE: Vectorspace AI
Comedy special is now available worldwide via Vimeo On Demand

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Actor and comedy legend, Eddie Griffin, has launched an international release of his acclaimed special, "Eddie Griffin: Undeniable," exclusively on Vimeo On Demand.

The hilarious 70-minute stand-up comedy special reflects on Griffin's long-standing career incorporating hysterical one-liners and popular impersonations, all while paying tribute to close friends and late comedians Charlie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor. Viewers can expect to learn about Griffin's life experiences and relationships through a series of humorous anecdotes, as he celebrates 30 years of his stand-up comedy career. "Undeniable" is available to rent for $4.99, and $14.99 for purchase, featuring five never-before-seen bonus clips.

"The international launch of 'Undeniable' is special because now fans all across the globe can laugh along to some of the funniest jokes in history," said Eddie Griffin. "Before, my special was available only to Showtime subscribers, and now, I'm sharing it with the world. Enjoy!"

Rent or purchase "Undeniable" here, vimeo.com/ondemand/undeniable.

Griffin currently headlines a stand-up comedy residency titled, "The Eddie Griffin Experience," inside The Sayers Club at SLS Las Vegas . The comedy show runs weekly, Monday through Wednesday, at 8 p.m. In addition to Griffin's residency at SLS Las Vegas, the Eddie Griffin: Undeniable Tour is trekking across the United States, while the comedian also tours in his fifth year of "The Comedy Get Down" with comedians George Lopez, Cedric 'The Entertainer' and D.L. Hughley.

Become a Griffin Insider and get updates straight from Eddie by visiting www.eddiegriffin.com.

ABOUT EDDIE GRIFFIN

Griffin's career as an actor and comedian spans the stage and the screen with more than 50 movie and television credits to his name, including starring roles in the feature films "Undercover Brother" and "John Q," as well as his own television series currently in syndication, "Malcolm & Eddie." Currently, Griffin headlines a comedic residency at The Sayers Club inside SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. He makes a special guest star appearance in, "A Star is Born," to be released fall 2018 and stars opposite Dave Chappelle, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Griffin has also been named one of the "100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time" by Comedy Central. More information is available at eddiegriffin.com. Stay connected and become a part of 'Team Griffin' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/727908/Eddie_Griffin_Undeniable__2.jpg
The "Balkans TMT Steel Bar Market by Diameter, Application, Grade, and Country Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The market was valued at $1,769 million in 2017, and is anticipated to reach $4,065 million by 2024, registering a CAGR of 12.5% from 2018 to 2024. In terms of volume, this market accounted for 2,669 thousand tons in 2017, and is anticipated to reach 5,435 tons by 2024, registering a CAGR of 10.6% from 2018 to 2024.

The Balkans TMT steel bar market is anticipated to grow considerably in the near future, owing to different factors such as infrastructural development in the Balkans and advantages offered by TMT bars over torsional bars. Furthermore, support and cooperation from the EU for the development of the coal and steel industries in the Balkans supplement the growth of the market.

However, technical constraints associated with higher grade TMT bars are anticipated to hamper the market growth. On the contrary, rise in investment by countries such as China in Balkan heavy industry is anticipated to provide potential growth opportunities to the market players during the forecast period.

The report provides an extensive competitive analysis and profiles of the key market players such as ArcelorMittal Zenica, Balkan Steel Engineering Ltd., Essar Steel, HBIS Group, HUS Ltd., Metalopromet d. o. o. Kula, MMD, SIDERAL S.H.P.K., SIJ Group, and TATA Steel.

The other players in the value chain (not included in the report) include Eurometal Bulgaria Ltd., Ovako Bulgaria, and Metalfer Group.

Key Findings

The Fe 415 grade TMT steel bars accounted for the largest revenue in the Balkans TMT steel bar market in 2017.

Commercial application is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period.

By volume, Albania accounted for nearly one-sixth share of the Balkans TMT steel bar market in 2017.

Kosovo is anticipated to grow at the highest rate during the analysis period, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Key Topics Covered

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Executive Summary

Chapter 3: Market Overview

Chapter 4: Balkans TMT Steel Bar Market, by Diameter

Chapter 5: Balkans TMT Steel Bar Market, by Application

Chapter 6: Balkans TMT Steel Bar Market, by Grade

Chapter 7: Balkans TMT Steel Bar Market, by Country

Chapter 8: Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zrgtp2/global_balkans?w=4

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180809005687/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

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

Related Topics: Iron and Steel
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Quisitive Technology Solutions, Inc. (formerly Nebo Capital Corp.) (TSXV: QUIS) ("Quisitive") and Fusion Agiletech Partners Inc. ("Fusion") are pleased to announce that they have closed their previously announced business combination which resulted in a reverse take-over of Quisitive by the shareholders of Fusion (the "Transaction"). The common shares of Quisitive (the "Quisitive Shares") are expected to resume trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") under the symbol "QUIS" at the open on Monday, August 13, 2018.

The Transaction proceeded by way of a three cornered amalgamation (the "Amalgamation") pursuant to which Fusion amalgamated with Nebo Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quisitive ("Subco") incorporated under the laws of Ontario, and Quisitive acquired all of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of Fusion (the "Fusion Shares"), in exchange for Quisitive Shares on a 1:1 basis, such that Fusion became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quisitive. The Amalgamation also provided that all outstanding convertible securities to purchase Fusion Shares were either exchanged in accordance with their terms, on a 1:1 basis, for economically equivalent securities of Quisitive or became exercisable for equivalent securities of Quisitive in lieu of securities of Fusion and otherwise on the same terms and conditions. In connection with the closing of the Transaction, Quisitive also changed its name from "Nebo Capital Corp." to "Quisitive Technology Solutions, Inc.".

Upon completion of the Transaction, there are an aggregate of 84,831,013 Quisitive Shares issued and outstanding (non-diluted), of which the shareholders of Quisitive hold approximately 11.99%, and the shareholders of Fusion hold approximately 88.01%.

In addition, immediately following the Transaction:

12,283,644 Quisitive Shares are reserved for issuance upon exercise of all outstanding Fusion share purchase warrants issued in connection with the brokered private placement completed on March 29, 2018 and June 1, 2018 (the " Private Placement ");

"); 2,516,566 Quisitive Shares are reserved for issuance upon exercise of the compensation options issued to Clarus Securities Inc., PowerOne Capital Markets Limited and Primary Capital Inc., who acted as agents in connection with the Private Placement;

Quisitive, under the membership interest purchase agreement may be required to pay an additional amount of up to USD$2,500,000 as earn-out to former membership interest holders of Quisitive, LLC (" Quisitive "), a subsidiary of Fusion Agile Tech Holdings Ltd. (" Fusion Holdings "), which in turn is a subsidiary of Fusion, and which amount shall be payable in Quisitive Shares at a deemed price of $0.35 per share;

"), a subsidiary of Fusion Agile Tech Holdings Ltd. (" "), which in turn is a subsidiary of Fusion, and which amount shall be payable in Quisitive Shares at a deemed price of $0.35 per share; Quisitive will be required to issue 2,125,000 Quisitive Shares as employment incentives to certain employees of LedgerPay Inc., a subsidiary of Fusion Holdings; and

1,815,000 Quisitive Shares are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of all previously existing stock options of Fusion and Quisitive.

Complete details of the terms of the Transaction are set out in the filing statement of Quisitive dated as of July 27, 2018, available on SEDAR under Quisitive's profile at www.sedar.com.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Quisitive should be considered highly speculative. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Upon completion of the Transaction, all directors and officers of Quisitive resigned and were replaced by nominees of Fusion, as follows (i) Michael Reinhart - Chief Executive Officer and Director; (ii) Stephanie Ratza-Chief Financial Officer; (iii) Gord McMillan - Director; (iv) Dave Guebert- Director; and (v) Phil Sorgen- Director.

Information Concerning Quisitive

Quisitive exists under the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) with its registered office in Vancouver, British Columbia. Prior to completion of the Transaction, it was a capital pool company and the Transaction constitutes its "Qualifying Transaction" as such term is defined in the policies of the TSXV. Quisitive is a "reporting issuer" within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario), Securities Act (British Columbia) and Securities Act (Alberta).

Quisitive, through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, plans to build one of North America's largest capabilities in customer-oriented information technology solutions, specializing in transformative technologies including blockchain, cloud and agile software development. Quisitive, LLC is one of Microsoft's top US partners, a Microsoft National Solutions provider and a leading Microsoft Blockchain partner. Quisitives's growth strategy includes acquisition of IT services firms to build one of the industry's largest consulting services firms, bringing high value to Microsoft and their customers.

Quisitive will fund investments in blockchain product innovation to create industry Blockchain-as-a-Service solutions. These solutions will leverage cloud and distributed ledger technology to build trust, simplicity, operational efficiency and enhanced customer experience. Quisitive, in partnership with Microsoft, will be working with clients and developers across multiple industries to explore how blockchain can transform how business is done in areas as diverse as banking and financial services, supply chain, healthcare, travel and transportation, and energy and utilities. Quisitive's Ledgerpay initiative will leverage Quisitive, LLC's unique experience in payment system technology and its strong relationships in the US banking and merchant communities.

For further information regarding the Transaction, please contact:

Mike Reinhart, Chief Executive Officer, Quisitive.

Telephone: (972) 536-1025

Email: mike.reinhart@quisitive.com

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

NEITHER THE TSXV NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSXV) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the receipt of final regulatory approvals and the business and operations of Fusion and Quisitive after the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals. 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, Quisitive and Fusion assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Pima Zinc Corp. (OTC Pink: RAEWF) (the "Company"), formerly Rae-Wallace Mining Company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of 1139432 B.C. Ltd. (the "Acquisition").

1139432 B.C. Ltd. controls a 100% interest in the Pima Zinc property (the "Pima Zinc Property") located in southern Arizona, USA. The Pima Zinc Property consists of 133 BLM unpatented lode mining claims with a total area of 2,506 acres and, subject to approval, 7 Arizona State Land Department Mineral Exploration permit applications for an additional 2,080 acres. The Pima Zinc Property lies within fifteen kilometres of three current and past producing mines: the Mission mine, Asarco Grupo Mexico; the Twin Butte mine, Freeport-McMoran; and the Sierrita mine, Freeport-McMoran. The Company has recently completed a technical report (the "Technical Report") for the Pima Zinc Property prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), a copy of which will be filed on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned mineralization on the Mission, Twin Butte and Sierrita mines is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the Pima Zinc Property(1).

In connection with acquisition, the Company intends to complete a private placement for gross proceeds of $350,000 to assist with funding the exploration program on the Pima Zinc Property outlined in the Technical Report.

Highlights

The 4,486-acre Pima Zinc Property is located 29 kilometers southwest of Tucson, Arizona. The Pima Zinc Property is road accessible by an all-season road and lies within a 15-kilometer radius of three large porphyry mines, of which two are actively producing. The Pima Zinc Property is approximately 60 kilometers northwest of the Arizona Mining's Taylor deposit, which was recently acquired for an aggregate of US$1.3 billion cash.

Target mineralization identified to date at the Pima Zinc Property by the Company consists of zinc copper sulfide replacement and copper porphyry mineralization. Selective grab samples taken from various tailings and waste dumps for the purposes of due diligence sampling for the Technical Report, revealed up to 12.35% zinc ( 2 ) .

The historical CWT Mine, comprising a part of Pima Zinc Property, was exploited by Continental Exploration Ltd. in the mid 1960's, with development of a 1,000- foot shaft and lateral development.

Upon completion of the Acquisition, the Company intends to implement the next phase of exploration which will include airborne geophysics and prospecting, followed by diamond drilling.

Project Details

There is limited historical information available on the ground underlying the Pima Zinc Property. Several shafts, pits, and other workings are present on the claim block suggesting the Pima Zinc Property has undergone significant undocumented exploration. Exploration in the area dramatically increased in the early 1960's as a result of the discovery and opening of the East Pima-Mission mine in 1953, and the Sierrita and Twin Butte mines in 1960 and 1961, respectively.

As a verification exercise for the Technical Report, 12 selective grab samples were taken from mine dumps and waste piles proximal to historic workings. Zinc assays ranged from 72 ppm to 12.35% zinc, with three of these samples returning assays greater than 1% zinc, with associated enrichment in copper, lead, and silver. The highest-grade sample returned a value of 12.35% zinc(2).

Project Geology and Mineralization

The southern two-thirds of the Pima Zinc Property is underlain by Oligocene sediments and volcanics while the northern third is underlain by Cretaceous and Triassic sediments and volcanics which have been intruded by the Paleocene Ruby Star granodiorite.

The Pima Zinc Property is primarily a zinc-copper skarn and related copper porphyry target. During the 1960's Continental Exploration Ltd. mined the CWT Mine which lies within the property bounds. A historical resource was calculated on the CWT Mine consisting of 1,208,000 tons grading 7.2% Zn, 1.08% Cu, 0.30% Pb, and 1.54 oz/ton Ag, using 38 diamond drill holes.

In addition to the past-producing CWT Mine, several additional hydrothermal targets have been identified on or in close proximity to the Pima Zinc Property. These targets consist of areas where historical operators, Mag Exploration Services Inc., identified surface exposures of alteration and associated mineralization. The targets consist of domains ranging from 50 to 200-metres in diameter and consistently show heavy iron oxides and silica-rich cores. Several of these siliceous cores display gossan zones with limonite replacement of galena and pyrite.

A qualified person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Pima Zinc Property nor classify the historic mineral resource as current, therefore the historical estimates should not be relied upon. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Pima Zinc Property. The technical information in this press release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Kelly Malcolm, P.Geo., and Technical Advisor to the Company, a "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines.

Transaction Terms

Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Company will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of 1139432 B.C. Ltd., a private company, which controls a 100% interest in the Pima Zinc Property, in consideration of a cash payment of $162,000 and the issuance of 5,000,000 common shares of the Company to the existing shareholders of 1139432 B.C. Ltd., on a pro-rata basis. This is an arm's length transaction and the Acquisition will not create any new insiders of the Company.

References

(1) 43-101 Technical Report, Pima Zinc Property, Pima County, Arizona, dated July 26, 2018 and prepared by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. of Mammoth Geological Ltd. for Pima Zinc Corp.

(2) With respect to the historical resource calculated on the CWT mine, thicknesses ranged from a minimum mining thickness of 10 feet to a maximum of 48 feet ( 3 to 14.6 metres) and calculated a "drilled reserve" of 1,208,000 million tons grading 7.2% Zn, 1.08 % Cu, 0.30% Pb and 1.54 ounces per ton Ag. There is no technical report associated with the Cox (1964) estimate. Since the detailed data is not available to the author, he cannot comment on the reliability of the estimate other than to state that a decision was made to place the mine into production in 1966 based on the estimate. The estimate is relevant to the Pima Zinc Property as it indicates the presence of zinc, copper and lead mineralization on the present Pima Zinc Property. The estimate was based on drill cores, drill logs and analyses and the corresponding sections and plans for 38 drill holes. The estimate was determined by area distribution, geologic shape and thickness and grade to arrive at a weighted average. The tonnage factor was 11 cubic feet per ton. Dilution ranging from 0% to 100%, averaging 25%, was factored in the estimate. Cut-off grade was set at $6.00 net smelter based on the following net smelter values per ton of ore and per unit of metal: Zn - $1.10, Pb - $1.40, Cu $3.80 and Ag - $1.00. The categories used for the historical estimate were "drill proven" and "drill probable" which do not comply with current NI43-101 CIMM standards, as these standards were not in existence at the time the historical estimate was calculated. The author is not aware of any subsequent historical estimates. Since none of the data has survived to this day, the only way to upgrade verify this historical estimate to a current mineral resource would be to duplicate the entire 38 holes.

Investors are cautioned grab samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the property.

About Pima Zinc Corp.

Pima Zinc Corp. is a Cayman Island based exploration company listed on the OTC Market (OTC: RAEWF) and is focused on zinc exploration and development.

For further information, please contact:

Pima Zinc Corp.

Glenda Kelly

Corporate Communications

Tel: 403 830-1436

This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 9, 2018) - Commerce Acquisition Corp. (TSXV: CAQ.P) ("Commerce" or the "Company"), a capital pool company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") dated August 9, 2018 with Mimi's Rock, Inc. ("MR") which outlines the general terms and conditions of a proposed transaction (the "Proposed Transaction") that will result in Commerce acquiring all of the issued and outstanding shares of MR (the "MR Shares") in exchange for shares of Commerce (each, a "Commerce Share"). In addition, each convertible, exchangeable, or exercisable security of MR shall be exchanged for a convertible exchangeable, or exercisable security, as applicable, of Commerce on substantially the same economic terms and conditions as the original convertible, exchangeable or exercisable security of MR. The Proposed Transaction is currently expected to be completed by way of a three-cornered amalgamation or share exchange between Commerce and MR or other similar transaction which will result in MR becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Commerce.

The LOI is to be superseded by a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") between Commerce and MR with such agreement to include representations, warranties, conditions and covenants typical for a transaction of this nature. The Proposed Transaction is subject to, among other things, receipt of the requisite shareholder approval of MR, final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and standard closing conditions, including the conditions described below. The parties have agreed that during the period from signing the LOI through to execution of the Definitive Agreement, each of Commerce and MR will continue their respective operations in the ordinary course and will not solicit or accept alternative offers (subject to fiduciary duties).

The Proposed Transaction will constitute the Company's qualifying transaction (the "Qualifying Transaction") pursuant to Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies (the "Policy") of the Exchange.

The Proposed Transaction is not a Non Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Policy and, as such, the Company is not required to obtain shareholder approval for the Proposed Transaction. However, the Company intends to hold its annual and special meeting of shareholders to approve certain matters ancillary to the Proposed Transaction, including a name change, change in the board of directors and a consolidation of the Commerce Shares on a 4 for 1 basis (the "Consolidation"), effective upon closing of the Proposed Transaction ("Closing"), as well as standard annual meeting business. The Company currently intends to call the annual and special meeting as soon as practicable.

Upon completion of the Proposed Transaction, Commerce will continue on with the business of MR with MR as its wholly-owned, operating subsidiary (the Company after the Proposed Transaction being referred to herein as the "Resulting Issuer").

The Proposed Transaction

It is currently anticipated that the Proposed Transaction will be effected by way of amalgamation or share exchange whereby Commerce will acquire all of the issued and outstanding MR Shares such that, each shareholder of MR (each, an "MR Shareholder") will receive 1.5 Commerce Shares (on a post-Consolidation basis) (the "Exchange Ratio") issued at a deemed issue price of $1.00 in exchange for each MR Share held by such holder. The board of directors of each of the companies has agreed to relative pre-money valuations of each of Commerce and MR of $1.5 million and approximately $54 million respectively. The number of Commerce Shares (on a post-Consolidation basis) to be issued by Commerce to acquire MR will be approximately 46,294,380 Commerce Shares. Following completion of the Proposed Transaction, the approximate total issued and outstanding number of Commerce Shares will be 47,856,500 with MR Shareholders holding approximately 97% of such shares and Commerce shareholders holding approximately 3%.

It is currently anticipated that all of the current officers and directors of Commerce will resign from their respective positions with Commerce. It is currently anticipated that the insiders of the Resulting Issuer will include: David Kohler, as a director and Chief Executive Officer, Telfer Hanson, as a director and Executive Chairman, Florian Ihde as Chief Financial Officer, and the following directors: Norman Betts and David Grandin.

As a result of the Proposed Transaction, MR will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Commerce and Commerce will continue on with the business of MR. Upon Closing, it is anticipated that the name of the Resulting Issuer will be changed to "Mimi's Rock Corp." or such other name as may be acceptable to MR and the Exchange.

All Commerce Shares issued pursuant to the Proposed Transaction, except those certain Commerce Shares issued to U.S. persons who are affiliates (as defined in Rule 144(a)(1) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act")) of MR at the time the Proposed Transaction is submitted for vote or consent by the shareholders of MR, will be freely tradable under applicable securities legislation but may be subject to Exchange imposed restrictions on resale.

Certain of the Commerce Shares to be issued to the MR Shareholders pursuant to the Proposed Transaction, including up to 100% of the securities to be issued to "Principals" (as defined under applicable laws), may also be subject to escrow provisions imposed pursuant to the policies of the Exchange.

None of the securities to be issued pursuant to the Amalgamation have been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and any securities issued pursuant to the Amalgamation are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

Conditions to Proposed Transaction

Prior to completion of the Proposed Transaction (and as conditions of closing), among other things:

Commerce shall, with appropriate shareholder approval, complete the Consolidation;

Commerce shall, with appropriate shareholder approval, change its name to "Mimi's Rock Corp.," or a name substantially similar to such name or another name as agreed to by MR and Commerce and acceptable to the Exchange, each acting reasonably;

completion of satisfactory due diligence investigations by each of MR and Commerce;

approval of the Proposed Transaction by the board of directors of each of MR and Commerce;

approval of the Proposed Transaction by MR shareholders, if required; and

receipt of all required consents, waiver and approvals from the Exchange, any securities regulatory authority and any other third party having jurisdiction, including approval from the Exchange for the Proposed Transaction as its Qualifying Transaction and the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares on the Exchange.

Sponsorship of a qualifying transaction of a capital pool company is required by the Exchange unless exempt in accordance with Exchange policies. The parties will be seeking a waiver of any requirement for a Sponsor, but in the event a waiver is not available, will seek a sponsorship relationship for this transaction with an Exchange member firm, and will update the markets accordingly.

About MR

MR was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on October 6, 2017. MR is a widely-held private corporation and no single shareholder holds greater than 20% equity of the company. Telfer Hanson and David Kohler, both of Toronto, Ontario currently exercise control over 16.2% and 17% of the MR Shares on a converted basis, respectively, and will control approximately 15.7% and 16.46% of the Resulting Issuer common shares following completion of the Proposed Transaction.

MR owns the Dr. Tobias brand of vitamins and nutritional supplements. Dr. Tobias' portfolio of products includes over 40 branded products in the vitamin, health supplement and wellness categories and are sold in the United States through Amazon.com. The top products sold under the Dr. Tobias brand include: Fish Oil 180s, 14 Day Cleanse, Probiotics Deep Immune, and Multivitamin & Mineral. MR has unaudited financial information reflecting gross revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017 of US$23.178 million, EBIT of US$5.578 million, assets of US$6.71 million and liabilities of US$2.09 (EU to USD exchange rate of 1.20 at December 31, 2017).

MR acquired the Dr. Tobias brand of vitamins and nutritional supplements from Dr. Tobias Ihde on July 13, 2018 by way of a share purchase transaction whereby a wholly-owned subsidiary of MR acquired from Dr. Tobias Ihde all of the issued and outstanding shares of DTI GmbH, the operating entity through which the Dr. Tobias brand of products are sold. The financial information relating to MR disclosed herein is derived from the financial statements of DTI GmbH.

Proposed Management of the Resulting Issuer

Subject to Exchange approval, on completion of the Proposed Transaction, it is currently anticipated that the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will consist of four directors including: David Kohler, Telfer Hanson, Norman Betts, and David Grandin. David Kohler will serve as CEO of the Resulting Issuer and Telfer Hanson will serve as Executive Chairman. Biographies of the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer are set out below.

David Kohler - Director, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Kohler has significant experience in the OTC consumer health business through his 22 years of industry experience. Most recently Mr. Kohler was General Manager of the consumer products division of Apotex Inc., a multinational generic pharmaceutical company. Mr. Kohler has a Bachelor's degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MBA from Queen's University.

Telfer Hanson - Director, Executive Chairman

Mr. Hanson is an experienced capital markets professional having served 22 years in senior investment banking positions, including covering healthcare and medical technology companies. Most recently, Mr. Hanson was responsible for the sale of Medic Holdings Corp. to Agility Health Inc., a public healthcare services company. Prior to that Mr. Hanson held senior investment banking positions at several independent brokerage firms.

Florian Ihde - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Ihde has 12 years of experience in corporate finance, accounting and financial risk assessment and management having served as a senior consultant for major German banks. For the last 3 years, Mr. Ihde has been responsible for the financial matters in DTI GmbH, a subsidiary of Mimi's Rock Inc. Mr. Ihde has a degree in business engineering from Hamburg-Harburg University and a MA in Finance and Banking from Allensbach University Konstanz.

Norman Betts - Director

Mr. Betts has extensive experience in financing, accounting and audit in the public sector having served on the board of several public companies. Mr. Betts served as the Minister of Finance in New Brunswick from 1999 to 2001 and as and Minister of Business in New Brunswick from 2001 to 2003. He currently sits on the boards of New Brunswick Power Corp. and Bank of Canada. Mr. Betts has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Brunswick and a PhD in Accounting and Finance from Queen's University.

David Grandin - Director

Mr. Grandin has over 20 years of experience starting companies and building teams in the high tech sector. He combines a strong entrepreneurial skill set with an extensive background in software and integrated system development, digital media solutions and sports-related technology. Mr. Grandin has a Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA in High Technology from Northeastern University.

For further information contact:

David Mitchell

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Commerce Acquisition Corp.

Telephone: (416) 574-4818

Email: dmitchell@stillbridge.com

All information contained in this news release with respect to Commerce and MR was supplied by the parties, respectively, for inclusion herein, and Commerce and its directors and officers have relied on MR for any information concerning such party.

Completion of the Qualifying Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Qualifying Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Qualifying Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the timing and completion of the Proposed Transaction, the future operations of the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Proposed Transaction and the future plans and objectives of the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's, MR, and the Resulting Issuer expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions to completion of the Proposed Transaction set forth above and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer with securities regulations.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer. As a result, the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer cannot guarantee that the Proposed Transaction will be completed on the terms and within the time disclosed herein or at all. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company, MR, and the Resulting Issuer will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law.



NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S. OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES
(ASX:LEP)

Hello Im Rachael Jones for the Finance News Network. Joining me today from ALE Property Groupis Managing Director, Andrew Wilkinson. Andrew, welcome back.Im pleased to be back.Now ALE is a freehold owner of pubs, including some of the most iconic in the country. What more can you tell us about ALE?ALE listed on the ASX around 15 years ago. We do own a large portfolio of 86 pubs all around Australia, mainly in the major capital cities. Theyre all on long term leases to a company called ALH. ALH is the largest pub operator in Australia, 75 per cent owned by Woolworths Group, 25 per cent by the Mathieson Group. For example last year, the Group turned over nearly $4.3 billion and an EBITDA of more than $800 million. In terms of icon properties that we own, if I start in Melbourne the Young & Jackson Hotel, if I move to Sydney the Crows Nest Hotel and in Brisbane, the Breakfast Creek Hotel.Now to your 2018 results. What were the highlights?The highlights were the distributions went up two per cent, the value of the properties went up five per cent, to more than $1.1 billion. Our gearing fell to an all-time low of 41 per cent and our total return for our security holders, was 24.5 per cent. And that saw us outperform all other indexes.What was driving those results?The rents increase by CPI. That increased the distributions. And off the back of that and a very strong pub property investment market, the value of the properties increased to more than $1.1 billion.Can you provide us a comment on ALEs capital structure?ALEs capital structure remains very sound. As I said, the gearings fallen to an all-time low. We have debt maturity spread over the next five years, hedging spread very conservatively over the next seven years. And were in very good shape with an investment grade credit rating, fully maintained throughout the year.Now to the pub portfolio in more detail. What has happened to the value of those properties?As I said earlier, the value of the properties increased by five per cent to just over $1.1 billion. The properties sit across 97 hectares of land, mostly in the east coast capital cities. Theyve been operating in their current locations as pubs, for more than 65 years. So these sites are strategic, theyre important to ALH and theres evidence of that. Theyve continued to spend money on the properties, improving them and making them more profitable. Examples of that in the last 12 months include the Miami Tavern near the Gold Coast, and the Gepps Cross in Adelaide.You have a more significant rent review coming up in November. Where is that at?Almost all of our 86 properties review to market, during the coming financial year. The review to market can see the properties individually increase or decrease, by up to 10 per cent. As weve announced in the past, we do expect a positive result, but we have indicated that not all of the 86 properties will increase by that full 10 per cent. At the right time, well give updates to the market.Still on rent reviews now, the more significant event is for 2028. What happens then?After the completion of the 2018 review, well have a very helpful precedent. 2028 is different in that theres no caps or collars, theres an opportunity for rent to fully revert to market levels.Last question Andrew. What is the guidance for the financial year 2019?The distributions for many years have been 100 per cent tax deferred. Were seeing the carry forward tax losses come towards an end. So accordingly for financial year 19, we expect the distributions to be partly taxed deferred. Following the completion of the rent review, the Board will take an opportunity to look at distributions, look at capital management policy. And consider, what were the results of the review, what are the conditions in the capital markets or the conditions in the property markets. And after a consultation with the wide group of security holders, well make an appropriate decision around both distributions and capital management policy.Andrew Wilkinson, thanks for the update.My pleasure.
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.

New Delhi: 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 percent of the total issued and paid-up capital of Bhushan Power and Steel Limited," the regulator said in a tweet on Wednesday.

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 percent 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.
The Noida-based Amrapali Group has been accused of delaying its projects to the detriment of homebuyers' interest.

'Don't play smart or we will render you homeless'. That was the Supreme Court's (SC) categorical warning to real estate major Amrapali Group that is accused of delaying its projects to the detriment of homebuyers' interest.

The apex 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 Noida-based 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 400 crore, 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 400 crore against the expected cost of Rs 4,000 crore 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 50 lakh 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 4 crore. 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 4,000 crore 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 companies operational since 2008, the names of directors who are serving or have left the company, names of two companies 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 6,119 crore, including Rs 5,112 crore 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 companies 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 2.23 crore.

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 14 August.

The NBCC had on 2 August 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.
As of now, the tribunals hear violations involving fines of over Rs 5 lakh. Some 9,000 cases are pending before NCLT benches.

A committee set up by the government has suggested a higher threshold for cases referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), according to a media report.

The 14-member committee has also suggested decentralisation of power to the Registrar of Companies (RoCs), regional directors and an in-house adjudication mechanism to free-up the overburdened NCLT benches, The Economic Times reported. The report said that changes suggested by the committee could be implemented via a modification of rules and wont require amendments to the law.

As of now, the tribunals hear violations involving penalties of over Rs 5 lakh. A decision on what the new limit must be has been left to the Centre. Some 9,000 cases are pending before NCLT benches, the newspaper added.

In March this year, the State Bank of India (SBI) said that the NCLT, adjudicating on insolvency cases, requires superior infrastructure that allows the benches to be set up in proportion to the number of companies active in the region.

The central government has set up 11 benches of the NCLT. Of the 11, two are in Delhi including the principal bench, and one each at Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

"We suggest that the number of NCLT benches be set up in proportion to state-wise active companies operating in the region," said SBI, some of whose large non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, had already been referred to the NCLT.

The NCLT was set up under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for speedier resolution of non performing assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking system, which have crossed Rs 9 lakh crore.

"Areas with high concentration of active companies, namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata etc. require commensurate bench strength for efficient disposal of cases," the SBI Ecowrap report, authored by Chief Economist Soumya Kanti Ghosh, had said.

With inputs from IANS
The journey to its first store in India shows IKEA has been able to navigate the power corridors, coaxing successive governments into relaxing policies to suit its needs.

IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings giant, is known the worldover as much for its meatballs as for its do-it-yourself (DIY) furniture. But to do business in India, the retailer has had to tweak both, its furniture as well as its food.

Given Indians dislike of DIY methods, IKEA has put together an in-house furniture assembly team that will help customers assemble tables, beds and book cases. DIY furniture is IKEAs signature, something most of its customers are happy to do by themselves elsewhere, but not in India.

Then, pandering to Indian food sensibilities, IKEA will sell meatballs here, for sure, but of a different kind. It will not be offering beef or pork balls but those made from other meats like chicken. Alongside the customised meat balls will be Indian favourites such as biryani, daal makhani and samosas.

As the first IKEA store opens in Hyderabad today, spread over a mammoth 40,000 square feet, the IKEA people can be forgiven for forecasting unexpectedly high footfalls. After all, IKEA has waited for more than six years to open its first store in India, and not without reason.

It has displayed a prudent, watchful attitude peppered with loads of patience in starting to do business here, and this will surely help the company skip future minefields including a haphazard foreign direct investment (FDI) policy and anger amongst local furniture makers against its arrival. The six-year journey to the first store anyway shows how IKEA has been able to navigate the early bumps successfully, by coaxing successive governments into relaxing restrictive policies to suit its own needs.

IKEA finally set the ball rolling on its first India store at the beginning of 2018, despite announcing intentions to invest in India in 2012, when India relaxed sourcing norms under FDI rules in single-brand retail. This relaxation allows foreign retailers to delay meeting the mandatory 30 percent local sourcing norm by five years instead of complying with the norm from day-one. Also, approvals for single brand FDI proposals have now been put on the automatic route (instead of having to get government approval each time).

As per the amended rules, single-brand retailers can now set off incremental sourcing of goods from India for global operations during the initial five years, beginning 1 April of the year of the opening of the first store, against the mandatory sourcing requirement of 30 percent of purchases from India. After five years, the firms will have to meet the sourcing norm every year.

This is a significant boost for IKEA  which remains the single largest single brand FDI proposal to have come to India, waiting in the wings till the sourcing norms were tweaked to its advantage. On its website though, the Indian arm of IKEA proudly talks of its presence in the country for 30 years, sourcing many different products for IKEA stores worldwide. It says today we source products for approximately 315 million every year, with the aim of doubling it in the next few years to meet our global and Indian needs. We work with 48 suppliers in India, engaging over 45,000 direct co-workers and approximately 400,000 coworkers in our extended supply chain. IKEA is sourcing about a fifth of its global requirements from India as of now.

The coming of IKEA is sure to shake up the somnolent furniture market in India, where unorganised players rule the roost, with limited organised players selling their wares. IKEA is expected to offer a range of items at very low price points, to attract shoppers.

Given Indias lower income levels, the store features hundreds of products  from dolls to spice jars  priced at less than 100 rupees, or $1.45. In some cases, Ikea is selling a product in India for less than it charges elsewhere. #IKEAHyderabad https://t.co/qULSzuVg2A  Soutik Biswas (@soutikBBC) August 8, 2018

And this piece suggests that the food inside the IKEA store in Hyderabad would be easy on the pocket too.

For just Rs 149, hungry shoppers will get to sink their teeth into chicken meatballs, while a plate of biryani will be available for just Rs 99. Apart from its food offerings, IKEA will also serve combos of coffee or tea with cinnamon buns for just Rs 70, while customers with IKEA's family card will get the combo at a discounted rate of just Rs 50.

With over 7,500 items that will be up for sale in IKEA's store, including around 1,000 items that will be sold for just under Rs 200, IKEA says it wants customers to "have some energy boost halfway through" their shopping sprees. But in the process, IKEA is sure to trigger a price war in Indias fragmented furniture market.
In a setback to the Jaypee group, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the NCLT, Allahabad, to deal with insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) and barred the group or its promoters from participating in the fresh bidding process

New Delhi: Shares of Jaiprakash Associates and Jaypee Infratech plunged up to 5 percent on Thursday after the Supreme Court asked the National Company Law Tribunal, Allahabad, to deal with insolvency proceedings against the group.

The scrip of Jaiprakash Associates tumbled 5.15 percent to close at Rs 14.19 on BSE. During the day, it plunged 9.75 percent to Rs 13.50.

Shares of Jaypee Infratech also went down by 4.90 percent to end at Rs 4.66, its lower circuit limit, on the BSE.

In a setback to the Jaypee group, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the NCLT, Allahabad, to deal with insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) and barred the group or its promoters from participating in the fresh bidding process.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the limitation period of 180 days to conclude the insolvency proceedings will commence from Thursday.

The top court also allowed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct the banks to initiate separate insolvency proceedings against JIL's holding company Jaiprakash Associate Limited (JAL).
Choksi and Modi are wanted in India for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of roughly Rs 14,000 crore. The duo reportedly worked with PNB staffers to pull-off the scam.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on Thursday, confirmed it has tabled an extradition request for Gitanjali Gems' boss Mehul Choksi, with authorities in Antigua and Barbuda. The MEA hasn't heard from the island nation as yet.

Furthermore, the MEA told journalists in New Delhi that it is awaiting a response from the UK government as to the whereabouts of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, News18 reported.

Both Choksi and Modi are wanted in India for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of roughly Rs 14,000 crore. The duo reportedly worked with PNB staffers to pull-off the scam.

#BREAKING - India awaits response from Antigua for #MehulChoksi and UK for #NiravModi. We have sensitised other countries and we are aware that something similar is being planned in some other locations, says @MEAIndia in a media briefing | #HuntForChoksi #BringBackChoksi pic.twitter.com/HfnU8uH8W7  News18 (@CNNnews18) August 9, 2018

India is looking to bring back Choksi from Antigua under the provision of a law of the island nation which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country, official sources told the PTI on 6 August. The MEA issued a gazette notification on 3 August to make the Antiguan law enforceable. India and Antigua do not have a bilateral extradition pact.

Earlier in the month, the Indian High Commission in London handed over extradition request documents for Modi, to the UK Central Authority. The unit within the UK government's Home Office would process the request, which falls under mutual legal assistance requests, to assist in criminal investigations or proceedings, before an extradition warrant can be issued against Modi, the news agency reported on 4 August.

Modi's whereabouts remain unknown, but the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) informed the Indian government in June that New Delhi can initiate extradition proceedings despite the uncertainty.

With inputs from PTI
SEBI said 34 percent of the total cases taken up for investigation in 2017-18 pertained to market manipulation and price rigging.

New Delhi: A total of 117 fresh cases were taken up for investigation by SEBI in 2017-18, marking a decline of 52 percent from the preceding financial year, as per the markets regulator's latest annual report.

The cases were related to alleged violation of securities law including market manipulation and price rigging.

"During 2017-18, 117 new cases were taken up for investigation and 145 cases were completed compared to 245 new cases taken up and 155 cases completed in 2016-17," the report noted.

SEBI said 34 percent of the total cases taken up for investigation in 2017-18 pertained to market manipulation and price rigging.

Besides, insider trading, takeover violation, among others, accounted for 15 percent of the total cases, while 51 percent were related to other violations of securities laws.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)initiates an investigation based on a reference received from sources such as its integrated surveillance department, other operational departments and external government agencies.

"The purpose of such investigation is to gather evidence and to identify persons/ entities behind irregularities and violations so that appropriate and suitable regulatory action can be taken, wherever required," the regulator noted in the annual report for 2017-18.

During the year, a total of 888 adjudication proceedings were disposed of by SEBI and 594 fresh cases were initiated. As on 31 March, 2018, adjudication proceedings were pending in 1,053 cases.
The CAIT has been demanding the government to scrap the deal and constitute a regulatory authority to monitor the country's e-commerce market.

New Delhi: Traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Wednesday described as 'most unfortunate' the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) move to clear the Walmart-Flipkart deal and said it will approach the court against the decision.

The Competition Commission on Wednesday 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 19 August at Nagpur to take stock of the situation and finalise a strategy for a nationwide movement," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal told PTI.

The CAIT has been demanding the government to scrap the deal and constitute a regulatory authority to 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 the acquisition of 77 percent stake of Flipkart in its biggest takeover till date.

The deal values the 11-year old Indian e-commerce firm at $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 CCI.

The regulator keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the marketplace.
Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that AAP will not join the proposed Opposition alliance against the BJP for the 2019 general elections

Jind (Rajasthan): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday said his party will not join the proposed Opposition alliance against the BJP for the 2019 general elections.

He said the parties who are joining the proposed alliance have had no role in the country's development.

"The AAP will not be a part of any alliance in 2019," Kejriwal told reporters in Rohtak.

He said his party will contest the Haryana Legislative Assembly polls and the general elections from all seats.

Blaming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government for the pending development works in Delhi, he alleged that hurdles were created for every step taken by his government for people's welfare.

"We have done revolutionary work in the education and health sectors in Delhi," he asserted.

Kejriwal said compared to Delhi, Haryana lagged behind in development.

He said his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar should learn from the Delhi government how development is done.

The Delhi chief minister asked when the AAP government can bring a revolution in the power, water, health and education sectors without full statehood, then why can the Khattar government not do it.

He also demanded a compensation of Rs one crore for the family of a soldier from Haryana's Ambala district who lost his life while foiling an infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez sector on Tuesday.
MEA said that the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) released in Assam would not impact India's relationship with Bangladesh

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), days after the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released in Assam, said on Thursday that India has been in close touch with the Bangladesh government both prior to and following the issuance of the voters' list.

During a press conference in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the MEA had "assured" Bangladesh that the list released was still a "draft".

We have been in close touch with Bangladesh Govt, both prior to & following the issuance of the draft. We have assured them that it is still a draft list prepared under orders of Supreme Court & process of identification of citizens of Assam is still underway: MEA on #NRCAssam pic.twitter.com/v2A2GYcQPD  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

It was further stated that the draft would not influence Indias excellent relationship with Bangladesh, adding that Bangladesh has accepted that the ongoing process is "an internal matter of India".

The Bangladesh Govt has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India. We do not apprehend any impact on our relationship with Bangladesh which is excellent: MEA on #NRCAssam  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

The publication of the second and final draft of the NRC, which failed to include the names of around 40 lakh citizens out of 3.29 crore applications, led to a political battle between the BJP and the Opposition parties. The first draft, released in December 2017, had the names of 1.9 crore applicants.

Congress and Trinamool Congress had accused the Centre of dividing the people for electoral gains.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had urged people whose names were excluded from the list to not panic and assured them, saying, "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list."

A delegation of Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC and the Left, urged President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday to ensure that not a single Indian citizen was excluded from the NRC in Assam.

A memorandum submitted by the delegation to Kovind had accused the government of spreading misleading statements against the Supreme Court over the NRC issue.

It had claimed that the NRC had resulted in the exclusion of over 40 lakh Indian citizens, including Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gorkhas, Punjabis, those from Uttar Pradesh and the southern states and tribals, who were residents of Assam for a very long period.

"The aftermath of the NRC 2018 was an example of the ruling dispensation threatening and attempting to ruin the country's great institutions like the Constitution, Parliament, the judiciary and the media," it had alleged.

The delegation included Anand Sharma of the Congress, Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC, Mohammad Salim of the CPM, HD Deve Gowda of the JD(S), YS Chowdhary of the TDP and Sanjay Singh of the AAP among others.

With inputs from PTI
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 have alleged, demanding a time-bound probe into the contract by national auditor CAG.

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 have alleged, 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. Both Shourie and Sinha have served in the previous BJP-led government at the Centre.

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.

In a tweet, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the charges as "baseless", asserting that the government had already responded to the allegations on the floor of Parliament. She said a recent attempt in Parliament to malign the government through baseless charges had collapsed.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also took to Facebook and slammed the "reprehensible" effort "to tarnish the image of the Government" which came less than two weeks after a similar effort was made in the Parliament. Jaitley, in his Facebook post, 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. The Government had already responded effectively to each and every distortion and misinformation on the issue.

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 Rafale's India partner, 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.

With inputs from agencies
The statement comes six days after the senior bureaucrat wrote a formal letter to the minister detailing the incident and behaviour of the British Airways flight crew.

Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said on Thursday that a probe has been ordered into a controversy involving a senior bureaucrat and his family being allegedly deplaned from a British Airways flight minutes before it was scheduled to take off.

I have directed the DGCA to obtain detailed report from British Airways on the issue. https://t.co/57Gjvu4CAP  Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 9, 2018

Prabhu tweeted that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a regulatory body on civil aviation has been directed to obtain a report from British Airways on the issue. The minister's statement comes six days after the senior bureaucrat wrote a formal letter to the minister detailing the incident and behaviour of the flight crew towards him and his family.

The bureaucrat, in a letter dated 3 August, had alleged that another Indian family sitting behind them, was also offloaded as they offered biscuits to their child to pacify him. The incident is said to have happened on 23 July.

The bureaucrat alleged that the crew got the plane (BA 8495) to return to the tarmac, where the security personnel took their boarding passes away. The customer care service manager did not give reasons for offloading them, nor did the management take action against the crew despite a complaint, he claimed. "We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount," he said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though. The bureaucrat is a joint secretary-level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Narrating his family's ordeal in the two-page letter to Prabhu, the officer demanded a thorough investigation and strictest possible action against the British Airways staff. He said while his wife managed to calm their son, a crew member approached them and started scolding the boy, asking him to get back to his seat.

A British Airways official said, "We take such claims very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in contact with the customer."

British Airways has commented on the incident by saying, It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off. We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer.

With inputs from PTI
The CBSE 10th compartment result 2018 has been declared by the Central Board of Secondary Education on the official website cbseresults.nic.in.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared the Class 10th compartment result 2018. Candidates can check their scores by visiting CBSE's official website, cbseresults.nic.in.

Around two lakh students appeared for Class 10 and Class 12 compartment examination that was held from 16 to 24 July. Over 16 lakh students had registered to appear for the CBSE Class 10 exams.

To check the scores, the students should follow these steps:

- Log on to the official websites of the board - cbseresults.nic.in.

- Click on the link which says, 'Class 10 Compartment Exam Results'.

- Enter roll number and other details.

- Your result will be displayed on the screen.

- Download the result and take a print out.

CBSE had released the Class 12th Compartment Results on 7 August.

The CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams were marred by controversy this year, after question paper leaks were reported in Delhi-NCR and Jharkhand. The row triggered widespread outrage and confusion among students across India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development then set up a committee to examine the process by which the CBSE conducts examinations.
The incident took place at around 10.50 pm on Wednesday when the Kirandul-bound passenger train, which was stopped mid-way in Kamaloor, was on the way back to Dantewada. The train was evacuated at Kamaloor station in view of Naxalite arson in one of the areas falling in the route.

Raipur: 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 on Wednesday when the Kirandul-bound passenger train, which was stopped mid-way in Kamaloor, was on the 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 on Wednesday, 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 6 August encounter in neighbouring Sukma district, he added.
Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened on Thursday morning to release excess water from it, resulting in an increse in water level in Periyar river.

Kochi: Four shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened on Thursday morning to release excess water from it, resulting in an increse in water level in Periyar river.

Ernakulam district administration officials said relief camps have been opened in Choornikkara and Kombanad villages as it is anticipated that the release of water may cause inundation in these areas.

Kerala State Disaster Management Authority officials said there was no need for people living on the bank of river Periyar to panic.

The dam shutters were opened at 5 am, 6 am and 8 am. They were opened 1 metre each after the water level reached maximum storage capacity.

The authority had yesterday sounded a red alert at Idamalayar dam after water level in the reservoir touched 168.20 metres.

The authority said 164 cumecs (cubic metres/sec) water is being released.

Considering the tide levels, the KSEB dam safety department advance the opening of the shutters to 5 a.m.

Earlier, it was proposed to release water from Idamalayar dam at 8 a.m today.

Opening of the shutters of the dam cause the rise of the present water level in River Periyar by 1-1.5 metres.

An orange alert was sounded earlier at the dam after water level in the reservoir reached 167 metres.

Red alert was issued to make necessary preparations for the authorities for evacuation of people in vulnerable areas in case of a water surge.

Ernakulam district collector Mohammed Y Safeerulla is reviewing the situation at Kochi International Airport Limited after water level in a canal near it started rising.
Ganpati mandals are worried that signing the undertaking on the rules would mean they could be held responsible in case of a fire.

This year, Ganpati mandals in Mumbai will have to sign an undertaking issued by the fire department if they want to go ahead with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city. This undertaking comprises 23 safety guidelines, that Ganpati mandals are not entirely happy with.

Here is all you need to know about the new norms for the Ganpati festival this year:

The fire department guidelines are clear that the mandals need to submit a "self-certified declaration on a Rs 500 stamp paper about compliance of fire safety measures to the ward authority, and it would be the sole responsibility of organisers to comply with all fire safety measures under Section 3(3) of Maharashtra Fire Prevention and life safety measures Act  2006", according to the Hindustan Times.

Ganpati mandal owners are sceptical as earlier, the fire brigade only issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) after inspecting the location of the pandal. Signing the undertaking would mean they could be held responsible if anything goes wrong.

According to the rules, which came into effect from 16 July, organisers must ensure that the pandal is at least 10 feet away from a building so that in case of an emergency, fire engines can get easy access. Pandals also cannot be erected near a chimney, railway line or furnace unless a gap of 15 metres is maintained. The Ganpati mandals have also been clearly asked not to burst firecrackers near the pandals.

Organisers have also been asked not to put up structures more than 45 metres away from a motorable road. The rules also prohibit smoking, bursting firecrackers and cooking in and around the location. The fire brigade has also laid down rules on the number of extinguishers that need to be installed and the size of the stage, The Hindu reported. The department also asked every mandal to have a trained fire marshal wearing the requisite jacket and cap, who will take necessary measures until the fire engines arrive in case of a blaze.

The rules have also made it compulsory that no bulbs, flood lights or wiring be installed within 15 centimetres of any combustible decorative material. There should also be nothing stored beneath the stage of the pandal. Fire retardant paint must be used over the carpet laid out.

On 6 August, the Shiv Sena had attacked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over reports of permissions being denied to Ganesh pandals to erect mandaps and had demanded that municipal chief Ajoy Mehta ensure that they get the civic body's approval. A Shiv Sena delegation, led by the party's chief whip in the Maharashtra Assembly, met Mehta at the BMC headquarters and alleged that "restrictions" were being imposed on mandals the way the West Bengal government had done the last Durga Puja.

With inputs from PTI
Despite the areas history of terror and frequent attacks and bloodshed, the newly constructed link is now being used en masse by the villagers of the cut-off zone.

Editor's note: Probably one of the most delayed infrastructure projects in the country, Gurupriya bridge in the Naxal-hit Malkangiri district of Odisha, was finally inaugurated last month by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The chief minister also announced a special package of Rs 100 crore for people living in the cut-off areas. The bridge links the states mainland to 151 villages and nine gram panchayats that were severed when the Machkund reservoir was constructed in 1960 and the Balimela Hydro Power Project later in 1972. In this three-part series, we look at the change in lives of people inhabiting over 900 sq km of cut off area, the Maoist threat and the politics that delayed the project for over 35 years since inception.

Malkangiri, Odisha: It was in June 2008, when a 64-member team  comprising Andhra Pradeshs Greyhound anti-Maoist force and few Odisha Police personnel  was returning from a combat operation in the cut-off villages of Odishas Malkangiri district, that an ambush of Naxalites capsized their boats on the Sileru river and killed around 37 personnel.

The rebels had apparently been emboldened by the lack of security cover in the hinterland, long severed from mainland Odisha by the Balimela Water Reservoir. The incident became a major security breach in the district known as a Maoist-infested area and part of Indias Red Corridor.

The cut-off areas are situated near the border of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, where an inter-state Naxalite group is quite active. In the absence of a single concrete road or bridge to connect the 151 villages (hosting around 30,000 people) to the mainland, the Left Wing extremists were able to target the security forces through the hilltops along the river.

This was not the only incident highlighting the level of Maoist threat in the area and especially to the newly-inaugurated Gurupriya bridge in Odisha, which now connects the states Chitrakonda block with the hinterland.

In 2011, Malkangiri collector RV Krishna who was visiting the cut-off zone was abducted by the Reds near Jantapai village.

Under Maoist shadow

Dubbed the Swabhiman Anchal, the severed zone area borders Malkangiri, Koraput and Vishakhapatnam, and the Maoist wing that operates in the area is called the Malkangiri-Koraput-Vishakhapatnam Division (MKVD).

Anti-Maoist operations here have been entrusted to specialised forces like the Special Operations Group and the District Volunteer Force under the Odisha government, and the elite Greyhounds of the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Several times joint operations are also undertaken together by these specially trained groups of anti-Naxal combat forces.

The isolation and deprivation of Malkangiris interior villages have over decades turned them into fertile ground for the extremist ideology to take root. Such has been the clout of the Reds that they always opposed the construction of the ambitious bridge, issuing threatening posters and even calling strikes in the area to make their presence felt.

It took the bridge, for which the first tender was issued way back in 1982, as many as 36 years to come up in its concrete form this year.

Despite the areas history of terror and frequent attacks and bloodshed, the newly constructed link is now being used en masse by the villagers of the cut-off zone.

The threats persist, though, with the rebels threatening to blow the bridge up, but security personnel have chipped in with extra security to the people, contractors and others with the hope that the new link will lead to development work that would draw out the severed areas and abandoned people. The Reds are now also reported to be continuously inciting people against the newly-constructed bridge.

Despite the threat, Malkangiri superintendent of police Jagmohan Meena is an optimistic man.

"The Gurupriya bridge will not only help in tackling the menace of Naxalism in the area but will also bring facilities which were earlier a Herculean task, he says, adding that without the bridge, it was not possible to transport construction material, borewell machines or big electricity poles. Road construction was also a pain, while the lack of telecom services still remains a challenge.

The superintendent of police plans to continue with the security arrangements made at the time of the bridges construction. Companies of the Border Security Force, which has been tasked with ensuring security, were earlier deployed on either side of the bridge and will continue to be stationed there. We have ensured CCTV cameras on the bridge, lighting arrangement at night and check posts for scrutiny of passers-by, he says.

The security situation

Security personnel involved in making the Gurupriya bridge a reality pointed to the lack of concrete roads to reach the bridge in the past. "If roads are kuccha, threats of IED blasts increase. To tackle this, BSF troops were deployed on either side of the bridge. The challenge was to ensure uninterrupted supply of food and beverages to the troops. We developed a cordial relationship with the villagers nearby and in the process, they learnt to become involved in the areas economy," a senior security force officer explains.

Currently, there is only one police station for the entire population of the cut-off zone. Ajay Swain, inspector-in-charge of Chitrakonda police station, said the Papermetla police station in the hinterland serves the 151 villages there but is situated in the BSF camp on the other side of the bridge. The lone police station at Papermetla used to get maximum cases related to Naxal issues, says Laxmi Narayan Muduli, officer-in-charge at the Papermetla police station. "With the strength of our police force in the cut-off area, we tried our best to serve the people there."

The district administration and security personnel are making all efforts to wean away the Maoist base in the interiors. Venturing deeper into the hinterland, they have set up a camp 7 km ahead of the bridge, in the village named Jantapai which has been under the influence of the Maoists, a high-ranking police official revealed.

The camp, hosting around 100 personnel, was arranged overnight and around a month before the inauguration last week, because had the rebels got information of it they could have tried to mobilise people against the personnel. The camp is now expected to thwart the Naxalites from coming closer to the bridge.

Meena is hopeful that access to development will help people shun violence and build faith in the system.

"With better access to facilities and resources and improved telecommunication, the villagers are surely going to join hands with us. People were happy to see us and understood that we were there to help. They aided us in selecting land and installing the BSF camp. We went to Jantabei when the bridge was ready and people were happy," he says.

Also Read

Gurupriya bridge: Proposed in 1982, opened in 2018, this Odisha bridge bears testimony to decades of frustration

Gurupriya bridge: Political slugfest undermines big step towards development as parties fight over credit and rivals allege scam

The author is a Bhubaneswar-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com.
NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman with 125 ayes against 105 noes.

JD(U) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected the new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman candidate, after the NDA candidate defeated Congress' BK Hariprasad with 125 ayes against 105 noes. Harivansh has been a Rajya Sabha member of the Janata Dal (United) since 2014.

According to a report in NDTV, Singh, 62, is the former editor of Prabhat Khabar, one of the most prominent newspapers of Bihar and Jharkhand, which for years championed the cause of special category status for Bihar. He left the daily after becoming a Rajya Sabha member in 2014.

A first-time parliamentarian, Harivansh was given a seat in the Rajya Sabha by Nitish Kumar's party in 2014 and has a tenure till 2020. He has also worked with former prime minister Chandra Shekhar.

Born on 30 June, 1956, in Uttar Pradesh's Balia, Harivansh did his post-graduate in Economics from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), according to a report in The Economic Times. He also did his PG Diploma in Journalism from BHU. He has been an associate of renowned socialist Jai Prakash Narayan.

According to The Financial Express, Harivansh started his career with Hindi weekly Dharmyug in 1977. He then joined Bank of India in Hyderabad as an official language officer. He has edited or written 19 books and has also been a member of the World Editors Forum.

Harivansh adopted Bahuaara village in Rohtas after becoming an MP, according to the report. He gave a major part of the MLA LAD fund to open a river study-cum-research centre at Aryabhatta University. He also used the fund for the development of an endangered language centre for at IIT-Patna.

To follow live updates from the Rajya Sabha, click here
There are a number of enviable traits in the immeasurable profile of the man nicknamed Ajay  who officially became Harivansh Narayan Singh after being enrolled in school

Patna: In his childhood, he was an adept horse rider, during his college days he happened to be a good debater as well as a serious event organiser, and as a journalist, he was viewed as a workaholic with innovative ideas that were known for their human touch. Now as a politician, he is as dynamic as his leader Nitish Kumar.

These are a number of enviable traits in the immeasurable profile of the man nicknamed Ajay  who officially became Harivansh Narayan Singh after being enrolled in school. But among his friends in Banaras Hindu University, where he spent his precious and memorable six years, he used to be called Harivansh Bhai.

Perhaps that is why the soft-spoken and no-nonsense person who contributed 35 years of his life to active journalism chose to be known as only Harivansh for his rest life. "Narayan and Singh were like appendages to me. So I deleted them besides throwing away the sacred thread (janeu) around my body three-and-a-half decades ago," he had said. His journey in active journalism came to an end on 31 January, 2014 after he was nominated for Rajya Sabha by the Janata Dal (U).

Soon after, he told this reporter, "I will try my best to deliver my remaining time, energy and ability for the betterment of Bihar and humankind just as I had been doing as a journalist. But I will never stop writing." Harivansh happened to be one of the extraordinary personalities who knows the art of transforming a weak literary organisation into a strong one. When he took on the responsibility of editor of Prabhat Khabar in August 1989, its circulation was a mere 400 copies. The newspaper published from Ranchi was on the verge of closure. Within 10 years, the dying Hindi newspaper turned into Jharkand's most widely-circulated newspaper. Under his editorship, the newspaper got published from 10 centres in Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal and reached eight lakh in circulation.

"Hard work, team spirit, good content and above all, the trust of the readers in the paper helped us to achieve this miracle," said Harivansh. Some of his close friends had ridiculed him when he predicted that he would not be able to run the paper for even 20 months. "But with the assistance of my colleagues, I succeeded in publishing the paper with gusto for 25 years," he added. As editor of the newspaper, he used to suggest to his journalists to apply a human touch to their writing. He focussed on taking a firm stand on issues related to tribal welfare, the creation of Jharkhand, the fodder scam, local problems and for the special status to the states of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Born in 1956 to a farming family of Sitabdiyara village that has now been sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh (Balia district) and Bihar (Saran district), Harivansh left the village at the age of 14 to pursue his further education in Udai Pratap Singh College in Varanasi, after which he went to BHU, where he did his Master's in Economics and Journalism. Thereafter, he worked as a trainee with the Times Research Foundation.

While working as a reporter with Dharmyug, a Mumbai-based Hindi magazine, he took out some time to work as an officer in the Bank of India in Hyderabad to please his father who had wanted his youngest son to get into the banking services (Harivansh's eldest brother is a retired engineer). Despite being selected for a role as an officer at the Reserve Bank of India in Kochi, the journalist in his soul forced him to turn down the lucrative offer from RBI and to quit his Bank of India job. On the request of a retired journalist, the late Surendra Pratap Singh, Harivansh joined Hindi Ravibar as a reporter in Patna and then shifted to Kolkata.

Fed up with the metropolitan culture and lifestyle and in search of an opportunity to focus on rural reporting, he soon landed in Ranchi and joined five-year-old newspaper Prabhat Khabar, which was owned by veteran Congress leader, the late Gyan Ranjan. "Being his junior in BHU, I have encountered Harivansh Bhai's enthusiasm and concern for welfare of the downtrodden and his radical approach to the ills of society," recalled Birendra Singh, MP of Mirjapur in UP. According to him, six month before Jayaprakash Narayan launched his movement against the Congress in 1974 in Patna, the Lok Nayak had visited BHU on the invitation of Harivansh to address a meeting of 36 students. "I do not hesitate to say that the spark of the JP movement came from BHU. JP had then said the darkness of the nation would disappear soon with a new dawn," added Singh.

The Bhojpuri-speaking students used to gather in Harivansh's room in the Birla Hostel to listen to him speak on various social, political and spiritual subjects. "Also to eat Bhojpuri treats like tilwa, chura, bhunja and other homemade eatables that were sent to him from his family in the village," recalled Singh.

Further, his love for his village and the villagers will never disappear. "Whenever he goes to the village, he puts on a turban like a farmer and does not shy from carrying a lota with him on the way to answering nature's call a fair distance away in the fields," said journalist Swayam Prakash, who worked under him for long time, adding, "Even today, Harivansh's favourite food is litti and chokha, and dal, bhat and chokha. He is a teetotaler and a strict vegetarian."

Those who worked under him said that he is not an artificial person unlike many in the profession of journalism  right from taking his luggage himself from his home to the railway station or airport and back to doing his own laundry. His simplicity could be judged from the fact that he slept near a peon and junior members of staff when the time came to launch a new edition of the newspaper.

The good qualities that he has accumulated have been with him since childhood. "I am very inspired by my maths teacher in school. He was very simple, pro-people and used to teach poor students free of cost. Once he asked me to bring drinking water. I followed him. He asked if I had filtered the water through a thin cloth. I lied that I had. When he started pouring the water into his mouth, a live little frog jumped out of the small vessel. I was scared of being beaten up. But he lovingly told me not to worry. That very incident made me learn about the importance of tolerance," Harivansh said.

He does however get worried while talking about the present style of journalism. "Blackmailing has started dominating our profession. Profitability appears to become sole motive behind starting a newspaper and getting into the profession as a reporter," said he adding, "If it is not checked at the earliest, then the coming generation will never pardon us," he said. He also is of the view that paid news should be banned at any cost.

When it comes to spirituality, he said, "I have a firm belief that only spiritualism can eradicate evil thinking from the minds of the people. Our freedom fighters were laced with spiritual wealth that kept giving them fodder to fight against the British successfully. I am fond of reading spiritual books since my childhood and I am inspired by Swami Vivekananda's philosophy and the works of JP." He also felt that Nitish Kumar must have a spiritual heart in order to have turned around the fortunes of a near-collapsed state.

"Harivansh is an all-rounder. Even while delivering a knowledgeable speech, this man  short in stature  stays on top among the equals," said a senior journalist.
Chief Minister of Myanmar's Chin state Salai Lian Luai and Mizoram Commerce and Industries Minister H Rohluna jointly inaugurated the India-Myanmar land border crossing in Zowkhawtar village on Wednesday, an official statement said.

Chief Minister of Myanmar's Chin state Salai Lian Luai and Mizoram Commerce and Industries Minister H Rohluna jointly inaugurated the land border crossing between the two countries in Zowkhawtar village on Wednesday, an official statement said.

The two leaders expressed hope that the agreement on land border crossing by the two neighbouring countries would go a long way in cementing the friendship between Myanmar and India.

The two leaders crossed the bridge over Mizoram-Myanmar border river Tiau at the Rih Sector Border Trade Point on foot, it said.

Another check-post at Tamu-Moreh was also opened on Wednesday.

"The landmark Land Border Crossing Agreement between India and Myanmar, signed on 11 May, 2018, has been brought into effect with the simultaneous opening of international entry-exit checkpoints at the Tamu-Moreh and the Rihkhawdar-Zowkhawtar border between Myanmar and India," a statement by the Indian Embassy in Yangon said.

This is a historic day for both the countries, a giant step in our bilateral relations and Act East policy, said Nandan Singh Bahisora, Consul-General of India, in Myanmar during the event, The Indian Express reported.

RK Shivchandra, the convener of Act East Policy Committee, said the Indo-Myanmar land border is the last border point to be officially opened in entire Southeast Asia.

This is long cherished dreams of both the people of the countries particularly Manipur. We are very excited that now we can travel to other Southeast Asian countries easily, he said.

The opening of these checkpoints will facilitate travel on both sides as people holding passports and valid visa will be allowed to exit and enter through these border check posts, it added.

Luai thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for opening the border posts.

Earlier, Indians travelling to Myanmar had to hire a licensed guide costing about 60 dollars a day in addition to the special land route permit from the authority.

With inputs from PTI
Every year during the month of Shravan, devotees of Shiva, Kanwariyas, take part in annual Kanwar Yatra travelling all the way to pilgrimage sites on the banks of river Ganga to collect Ganga water in canisters, and then travel back to their villages to empty them on shiva temples

Every year during the month of Shravan, devotees of Shiva take part in an annual pilgrimage, travelling all the way to the banks of river Ganga to collect water in canisters, and then return to their villages to pour them on Shiva temples. The Kanwar Yatra, as the annual pilgrimage is known as, has been at the centre of controversy with the 'Kanwariyas' vandalising cars in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Here's what you need to know about these devotees of Shiva:

Who are the Kanwariyas?

The Kanwariyas are devotees of Hindu god Shiva and are also referred to as Bholas. They carry Kanwars  decorated wooden structures containing vessels full of Ganga water on their shoulder  and are hence called Kanwariyas. The yatra is thus called the Kanwar Yatra.

Some Kanwars are large, and are often pulled along the route in tractors or jeeps or on carts pulled by men. These vehicles often have loudspeakers playing bhajans.

According to a report in The Hindu, the Kanwariyas, dressed in saffron, trek along the route chanting 'bam bam bholey' or `har har Mahadev'. They usually travel in groups, and most of them come from Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Folk dance and bhajans in local dialects is an important part of the Kanwar Yatra. While men constitute a major chunk of Kanwariyas, women often join in the annual pilgrimage.

These devotees undertake the Kanwar Yatra from their hometown or village to pilgrimage sites on the banks of Ganga, and return to the village on or before Shivaratri.

What is Kanwar Yatra?

The Kanwar Yatra is the annual pilgrimage which Kanwariyas undertake from the first day of the month of Shravan. They walk with pitchers of Ganga water all the way from Haridwar to their hometowns and villages where the pitchers are emptied at Shiva temples. Sometimes, devotees arrive in large numbers to popular Shiva temples like Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi to empty their pitchers.

The Kanwar Yatra is done barefoot (a few also travel on bicycles, motorcycles, and four wheelers), and usually lasts two weeks. It sees participation from both young and old from across the country.

Haridwar is one of the main pilgrimage sites where Kanwariyas arrive to collect Ganga water, whereas some also travel to Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand. According to Free Press Journal, the Kanwar Yatra was a small affair till the 1980s, but it later started gaining popularity. Today, it's considered one of the largest religious events in the country.

The pilgrimage will end today.

The latest controversy around Kanwariyas

On Thursday, A new video of a group of Kanwariyas attacking a police vehicle in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday morning has emerged, hours after some Kanwariyas vandalised a car in Delhi on Tuesday.

A video of the incident shows around 50-60 Kanwariyas attacking the police vehicle, smashing the windows and a police officer trying to control the crowd in the Bugrasi Narsena police station area of Bulandshahr. Following the incident, an FIR was registered against 8 named and 50 unidentified Kanwariyas.

On Tuesday, a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a car in Delhi's Moti Nagar after it brushed past them. A video which surfaced online shows a dozen men smashing the windows of the car with sticks and then tipping the car over. Policemen and spectators are seen watching in silence.

Even as the reports of the vandalism hadn't died out, a video surfaced showing an Uttar Pradesh top cop showering rose petals from a helicopter on the Kanwariyas, which drew sharp criticism from every corner.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also been criticised for going out of its way to make Kanwariyas feel welcome. According to The Indian Express, not only did the top police officers shower flowers on the Kanwariyas, the government also made arrangements for DJ music for the yatris.

The DJs took a dig at the previous government which banned loud music during the pilgrimage. "Akhilesh ne hukum sunaya tha, DJ per ban lagaya tha, 2017 ke chunav me Bhole ne usey haraya tha. Chakke chuda diye Yogi ne. (Akhilesh had announced their order, DJs were banned; and in 2017 Lord Shiva ensured his defeat; Yogi has cut him to size)," they said while championing the Yogi Adityanath government for allowing DJs to play music: "DJ bajwa diye Yogi ne, Bhole nachwa diye Yogi ne (Yogi switched on DJ, Yogi made the devotees dance)."

The Delhi traffic police recently sent out an advisory for the Kanwariyas who would be travelling across the country, according to News18. They also made preparations to manage the movement of Kanwariyas and regular commuters to ensure minimum inconvenience to the public.
At least 26 people were killed as heavy rains and landslides hit parts of Kerala early Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the progress of various rescue and relief efforts.

At least 26 people were killed as heavy rains and landslides hit parts of Kerala early Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the progress of various rescue and relief efforts.

Kerala disaster control room sources told PTI that 26 people have died in rain-related incidents since Wednesday, with 17 of them being killed in landslides in Idukki and Malapuram districts. 10 people were killed in landslides in Idukki, five in Malappuram, two in Kannur and one in Wayanad district. Three persons are missing  one each in Wayanad, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts.

Five members of a family lost their lives in Idukki's Adimali town. Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the local people and police.

20 people dead in Kerala so far in flooding and landslides following heavy and incessant rains pic.twitter.com/GacCkXBvrP  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

The chief minister's official Twitter account posted updates on the measures being undertaken by the state government to "tackle the rain havoc".

Another 3 teams of NDRF will reach Palakkad by night. 28 members of this batch will focus on disaster management efforts in palakkad and a 48 member team will go to Idukki. An army team from Kannur is on their way to Wayanad through the Periya Ghat pass.  CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 9, 2018

A 15 member team of Navy is in Malappuram. Another 5 members are in Wayanad. A team from Ezhimala Naval academy has started for Wayanad.  CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 9, 2018

Around 600 cusecs of water were discharged from the Idamalayar dam on Thursday morning, with the water level rising to 169.95 metres against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 169 metres. The water level at Idukki dam was 2,398 feet at 8 am, 50 feet against the FRL of 2,403 feet. Of the five shutters of Cheruthoni dam, only one shutter was partially opened to release 50,000 litres of water per second from the swollen reservoir, said a senior official of the district administration.

IDUKKI RESERVOIR Dt: 09.08.2018 WL at 10.00 am : 2398.80ft F R L : 2403 ft.  Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (@KeralaSDMA) August 9, 2018

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) had decided to prepone opening of the dam shutters to 6 am from 8 am. "The increase in water level downstream due to this limited discharge is estimated to be contained within the river banks," it had said in a release. Due to heavy rains and resultant floods in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. Hindustan Times reported that Wayanad was cut off from the other districts due to the landslides and that the state had requested the Centre for the army to help evacuate or rescue those stranded in various places. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted on Thursday that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Ernakulam districts.

Three teams of NDRF have been deployed at Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. Army, Navy, Police and Fire Force are active in rescue efforts.  CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 9, 2018

Educational institutions have declared a holiday in Idukki, Kollam and some other districts due to the rains. All the higher secondary improvement exams scheduled for Thursday were also postponed due to the showers after the states education minister C Raveendranath gave the orders, The News Minute had reported.

It also said that many houses were underwater in the Adimaly region of Idukki since Wednesday and that the Wayanad district collector had ordered for the halting of all quarrying activities.

According to Times of India said that the state witnessed a 15 percent increase in the rainfall from 1 August to 8 August. Idukki district is reported to have received the most amount of rainfall in 2018, followed by Kottayam and Ernakulam.

Skymet Weather tweeted that Kerala would face heavy rainfall for another 48 hours.

As of Tuesday, Agumbe recorded 92 millimetres of rains, Kozhikode 20 millimetres, Thiruvananthapuram 14 millimetres and Karvar 10 millimetres.

With inputs from PTI
The southwest monsoon has brought huge miseries to people across Kerala with heavy rains since its onset on 29 May.

The southwest monsoon has brought huge miseries to people across Kerala with heavy rains since its onset on 29 May, claiming 175 lives and causing heavy damage to crops in 26,824 hectares worth Rs 342 crores so far, according to Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).

The rain also caused heavy damage to property. A KSDMA official told Firstpost that 461 houses were fully and 11,954 houses were partially damaged in the rains across the state. The loss is estimated to be of Rs 23.3 crores. More than 5,000 people are living in relief camps.

The state witnessed an unprecedented rain fury on Thursday with 22 people dying and five missing and shutters of as many as 23 dams, including the Idukki dam opened, in one day. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the situation highly alarming and sought the assistance of the army, air force, coast guard and military intelligence to help the state in the rescue and relief operations.

Most of the deaths have been reported from the central and northern districts of Idukki, Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode. Five members of a family died and one was reported missing in a landslide at Chettiyam Para in Malappuram district while another family at Adimali in Idukki lost five members in soil erosion.

The rain made a comeback on Wednesday, wreaking heavy damage in Malappuram, Kozhikode. Wayanad, Palakkad and Idukki districts. Torrential downpour accompanied by gusty winds in the past 24 hours has hit various parts of Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur districts and threw normal life out of gear.

Low-lying areas have been inundated and trees uprooted extensively due to rain. Power supply remained disrupted for long hours even in town areas, as electric posts were uprooted when trees fell on power lines. The landlocked Wayanad district has been fully cut off from outside world with the torrential rain bringing many parts of major highways under water.

Landslides added to the miseries of people. According to reports, more than 20 landslides have been reported from Palakkad, Idukki, Kannur and Kozhikode districts. Landslides in the Wayanad ghat section disrupted traffic on Kozhikode-Kollegal national highway, Palchuram and Periya ghat section of roads on the Mananthavadi-Kannur state highway and the Kuttiadi ghat section of road on the Mananthavadi-Kuttiadi highway.

Schools and colleges have been closed in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad and parts of Idukki, Malappuram and Kollam districts. The annual Nehru boat race in Alappuzha has been postponed in view of heavy showers forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) suspended all arrivals at the Nedumbaserry airport for two hours in the afternoon, fearing flooding of the runway after one shutter of the Idukki dam was opened. The water from Idukki reservoir flows to sea through the Periyar river. Therefore, any rise in the water level in the river can disrupt the operations at the airport.

The Idukki dam, which is the tallest arch dam in Asia, is being opened after 26 years. Only once before 1992 was the dam opened since it was commissioned in 1975. One shutter of the dam was opened at 12.30 pm on Thursday on a trial basis.

The decision to open the dam, which is tallest arch dam in Asia, was taken after the water level in the reservoir touched 2398.80 ft level following heavy rains in the catchment areas last night and throughout the first half of the day on Thursday. The full capacity of the dam is 2403 feet, the official said.

A KSEB official told Firstpost that the other shutters of the dam would also be opened if the rain continued like this. The shutter number three of the dam was lifted up by 50 cm, leading to discharge of 50,000 litres water per second during the trial run lasting four hours.

According to IMD forecast, the heavy rain will continue till Friday and come back again on Monday.

The catchment areas of the dam received 97.8 mm rainfall on Wednesday, according to IMD officials. Idukki district as a whole received 211.12 mm rainfall on Thursday. With this, the total rainfall received in Idukki district has gone up to 2,611 mm. This is the highest rainfall recorded in Idukki district in the last 17 years, said the IMD officials.

The full opening of the dam would lead to large-scale evacuation of residents of nearby areas and those living along the Periyar River may cause damage to property. The government has asked people living in the downstream areas to be prepared to move to safer places in the event of the opening of all the five shutters of the dam.

Besides human displacement, the opening of the dam could also cause heavy damage to property. According to KSDMA estimates, about 4,500 buildings may drown along 100 metres on both sides of Periyar River if all the shutters of the dam are opened.

Earlier in the day, the 22 other dams, including Idamalayar dam. were also opened. The opening of 23 dams on a single day is a never before seen event in in the state, according to KSEB officials. The water level in the reservoir of Kakki dam, another major dam in the district, is also rising alarmingly. KSEB officials said that the shutters of the dam may also be opened soon.

The opening of the shutters of the Kakki dam may inundate entre Kuttanad region, which is spread across Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanathitta districts. Alappuzha and Kottayam districts have already suffered huge loss due to the rain.

The chief minister advised people not to panic as the government had made all arrangements to deal with any eventuality. "There is no need to panic. All the safety requirements to be followed for opening the dam have been taken. Since the water level may rise in the river, people living on the banks should take precaution," Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

Later talking to reporters after reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said that the state government had sought the services of the army, air force and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). He said that directions had been given to police and fire force personnel to coordinate with other agencies in rescue operations. Officials have also been directed to involve MLAs and other people's representatives in the relief works.

The government has set up a 24-hour monitoring cell at the state secretariat under Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) and its units in all district headquarters under the district collectors to deal with the situation. The chief minister has urged people not to hinder rescue operations.

He has also cautioned people not to go near dams to view opening of the shutters. This will not only be harmful to the visitors but will also affect the rescue works. Only the officials assigned for rescue operations will be allowed near the dams, Vijayan added.

He said that the state government had asked the central team visiting the state now to take stock of the damage caused by the rains to ensure the coordination of all central agencies in providing relief to the affected people. He said that the government had submitted a detailed memorandum on flood assistance before the central delegation. The team led by Joint Secretary Dharma Reddy held talks with the chief minister and officials on Thursday.
Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld a lower court's order to give death sentence for a man who raped and murdered a 4-year-old girl in Jabalpur

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has upheld a lower court's order awarding death sentence to a man for raping and killing a 4-year-old girl, observing that "humanity is more in danger in the hands of persons like the convict".

Describing the offence as an act of "extreme depravity" and taking note of the rise in crimes against minor girls, the court said in such cases, an extreme punishment would deter other criminals.

"The extreme judgment conveys a message to these predators that it is not a soft state where criminals committing such serious crimes may get reprieve in the guise of humanity," a division bench of Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla said on Wednesday.

"Crimes against the girl child are on a rise, therefore, extreme punishment may deter other criminals from indulging in such crimes," the bench said, dismissing the appeal filed by Rahul Chouhtha, 23, against his conviction by a trial court in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.

Chouhtha had lured the four-year-old girl with biscuits in Shahdol on 13 May 2017, before raping and killing her.

Shahdol District and Sessions Judge RK Singh had sentenced Chouhtha to death on 28 February, 2018.

The high court said such a crime sent a "shockwave" in the society when committed against a girl child.

It was an act of "extreme depravity" when the appellant prompted a young child, whose only fault was that she believed the appellant to be her well-wisher, to accompany him, it observed.

"Humanity is more in danger in the hands of persons like the appellant. Therefore, we find that the capital punishment awarded to the appellant is one of the rarest of rare cases where the extreme punishment is warranted," the bench said.

The court said it had the social responsibility to make the citizens of the country know that law could not come to the rescue of such a person on the basis of humanity.

"The appellant was a young unmarried boy, aged 22 years at the time of commission of the offence, but he breached the trust of a girl child of four years when he tempted her by offering biscuits to accompany him to meet her father," the court said.

He violated her and took her life within three-four hours of taking her with him, the bench observed.
Maharashtra Bandh LIVE Updates: Demonstrators hold sit-in protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Baramati on Thursday.

Auto refresh feeds

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of today'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.

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.

The Maharashtra 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.

"Due to some sensitive issues, we have decided not to observe the bandh in Navi Mumbai," he said.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said the bandh would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai , on Thursday. "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.

Apart from this, the groups alos want unconditional waiver of all farm loans, expdetion of 2016 Maratha girl's rape trial, and a waiver on fees of poor Maratha students.

2. Changes to SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act: The groups are also protesting the misuse of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 and want it to be stopped. The act provides a legal protection to SC and ST population against caste-based atrocities.

1. OBC status and reservation in jobs and education: 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. The Marathas are demanding for 16 percent reservation, along with the Other Backward Classes (OBC) tag.

Another pro-Maratha organisation, Maratha Kranti Morcha, also announced a sit-in outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East). 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."

As precautionary measure to avoid violence during the pro-Maratha shutdown in Maharashtra, internet services have been suspended in seven tehsils of Pune district: Shirur, Khed, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, Daund and Bhor, reported ANI.

Government-run schools and colleges in state capital Mumbai are open, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also not announced a holiday for civic workers. However, several private schools in the city have announced a holiday for their students.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has denied it has declared a holiday for municipal-run schools, but said principals have the right to declare holidays for individual schools.

Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand. Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, officials told PTI.

According to The Indian Express , 500 Railway Protection Force and 200 Government Railway Police officials have been posted on Thursday on the Central Railway line. They, as per the report are posted at Igatpuri, Kalyan, Kasara, Thane, Ghansoli, Kurla and Ghatkopar stations.

Incidents of stone pelting are being reported from Somwar Peth in Pune, as per News18. In Maharashtra, protesters blocked roads in Budhgaon in Sangli, while in Mumbai, shops remained closed in Ghatkopar.

According to The Indian Express , BEST officials said that they would put up protective shields on bus windows as a precautionary measure. "We will impose diversion on the routes or cancel services if the situation worsens, Hanumant Gophane, BEST public relations officer said.

Shutters of shops were down in Maharashtra's Sangli during the statewide bandh on Thursday.

Maratha Kranti Morcha agitators sat outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East). Nanasaheb Kute, convener of the Morcha in Mumbai had earlier 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."

Over 7,000 police personnel have been deployed in Pune city, along with some companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, to maintain law and order, Pune Commissioner of Police Venkatesham K said.

Demonstrators hold sit-in protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Baramati on Thursday, according to News18. Pawar had earlier said that the Maharashtra government should not tamper with existing quotas while deciding the Maratha community's demands. "The reservation for SC, ST and OBC (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class) should not be touched," he said.

Incidents of stone pelting are being reported from Somwar Peth in Pune, as per News18. In Maharashtra, protesters blocked roads in Budhgaon in Sangli, while in Mumbai, shops remained closed in Ghatkopar.

A sea of protestors stormed the streets of Pune during the statewide bandh in Maharashtra on Thursday.

Maharashtra Bandh Latest Updates: Demonstrators hold sit-in protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Baramati on Thursday, according to News18. Pawar had earlier said that the Maharashtra government should not tamper with existing quotas while deciding the Maratha community's demands. "The reservation for SC, ST and OBC (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class) should not be touched," he said.

Maratha Kranti Morcha agitators sat outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East). Nanasaheb Kute, convener of the Morcha in Mumbai had earlier 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."

Five hundred Railway Protection Force and 200 Government Railway Police officials have been posted on the Central Railway line on Thursday. They, as per reports, are posted at Igatpuri, Kalyan, Kasara, Thane, Ghansoli, Kurla and Ghatkopar stations.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township has decided to remain shut on Thursday. Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand. Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, said officials.

Heavy police presence in Mumbai seems to have deterred protesters from getting violent, even as Maratha reservation protests gather steam elsewhere in the state.

As precautionary measure to avoid violence during the pro-Maratha shutdown in Maharashtra, internet services have been suspended in seven tehsils of Pune district: Shirur, Khed, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, Daund and Bhor.

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 majority of them have decided keep their plants and firms shut," Chakan police station's senior inspector Santosh Girigosavi said.

Pro-Maratha groups have organised a sit-in protest outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East) and a demonstration from Churchgate Railway Station to Hutatma Chowk and a 'jail bharo aandolan' at 5 pm on Thursday as well.

The Maharashtra 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.

Colleges in Marathwada's Latur, Hingoli, Parbhani and Nanded will remain shut today in view of the Maharashtra bandh, called by pro-Maratha groups. According to CNN-News18, some private schools in Mumbai have also announced that they will not be working today.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said the bandh would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, on Thursday. "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.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of today'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.

Maharashtra is bracing for a day-long shutdown on Thursday 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 15 November. 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 percent 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 23 July.

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 18 and 27 July, 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. Public and private property 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, on Wednesday said the 'bandh' would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai. "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 on Wednesday that schools and colleges will remain shut on Wednesday. A release issued by the collectorate said during the violence on 30 July 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 on Tuesday.

"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 on Tuesday 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.
Maharashtra is bracing for a day-long shutdown on Thursday called by an umbrella organisation of pro-quota Maratha groups, with the authorities ordering closure of schools and colleges in some areas fearing violence. However, Navi Mumbai has been exempt from the agitation.

Maharashtra is bracing for a day-long shutdown on Thursday called by an umbrella organisation of pro-quota Maratha groups, with the authorities ordering closure of schools and colleges in some areas fearing violence. However, Navi Mumbai has been exempt from the agitation.

The All India Kisan Sabha has organised a protest from Churchgate Railway Station to Hutatma Chowk and a 'jail bharo aandolan' at 5 pm on Thursday as well. "The protest is against the BJP government's anti-labour, Dalit and tribal policies," The Indian Express quoted general secretary of Mumbai unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, PM Vartak.

Another pro-Maratha organisation, Maratha Kranti Morcha, also announced a sit-in outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East). 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."

Bandh called over demand for 16 percent reservation for Marathas

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 on Wednesday that "nothing can be done" about their demand till 15 November.

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 percent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 percent 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 23 July.

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 18 and 27 July, 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.

Navi Mumbai exempt from bandh

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said the bandh would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, on Thursday.

"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 the bandh in Navi Mumbai," he said.

Bandh from 8 am to 6 pm

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 on Wednesday that schools and colleges will remain shut on Thursday.

A release issued by the collectorate said during the violence on 30 July 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.

Companies in Chakan MIDC area to remain shut

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 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 on Tuesday 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 high court 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.

Heavy deployment of security personnel

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.

With inputs from PTI
A day-long bandh called by pro-Maratha groups across Maharashtra saw sporadic incidents of violence from across the state on Thursday morning, with most shops and commercial establishments, private schools and colleges shut.

A day-long bandh called by pro-Maratha groups across Maharashtra saw sporadic incidents of violence from across Maharashtra on Thursday morning, with most shops and commercial establishments, private schools and colleges shut across the state. No incidents were reported in Mumbai.

However, dramatic visuals on CNN-News18 showed protesters entering offices of IT companies in Pune's Hinjewadi area waving saffron flags, pelting stones and asked the employees to leave. Earlier, protesters had vandalised property at the Pune district collectorate.

State-run buses did not ply in Pune and other places as a precautionary measure. In the Maratha protests between 18-27 July, both public and private property worth more than Rs 4.5 crore was damaged, with vehicles vandalised and buses set afire. News18 reported incidents of stone pelting from Somwar Peth in Pune and Solapur on Thursday. Protesters also blocked roads in Budhgaon in Sangli, while in Mumbai, shops remained closed in Ghatkopar.

Maharashtra braced for the day-long shutdown on Thursday called by an umbrella organisation of pro-quota Maratha groups, with the authorities ordering closure of schools and colleges in some areas fearing violence. However, Navi Mumbai was exempt from the agitation.

The bandh was 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 on Wednesday that "nothing can be done" about their demand till 15 November.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 percent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 percent reservation. The community members had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.

Internet suspended in Pune district

Internet was suspended in Maharashtra's Pune district on Thursday to prevent rumour-mongering in view of the Maratha quota agitation, police said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandip Patil told PTI the Internet services were temporarily suspended in Baramati, Shirur, Khed, Junnar, Maval, Bhor and Daund rural tehsils of the district.

The step was taken to prevent any untoward incident after violent protests were witnessed during the Maratha community's protest for reservation in July, he said.

Fearing violence during the bandh, Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram issued an order on Wednesday that schools and colleges will remain shut on Thursday. Chakan, an industrial hub located in Khed tehsil, had witnessed large-scale violence during the Maratha quota agitation on 30 July, when around 70 buses were torched and damaged in the area.

In view of Thursday's bandh, a majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area also decided to remain closed on Thursday.

"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.

Over 7,000 police personnel were deployed in Pune city, along with some companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, to maintain law and order, Pune Commissioner of Police Venkatesham K said.

Road traffic distrupted across Maharashtra

Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra on Thursday as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand. Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, officials said.

In Satara, no state transport buses ran on Thursday and all vehicles remained parked at the central bus stand. All petrol pumps and vegetable markets were also closed in Satara.

A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted vehicular movement. There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas on Thursday morning, police officials said. The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

Sit-in protests in Bandra, Baramati

Maratha Kranti Morcha agitators sat outside the Mumbai Suburban Collector's office in Bandra (East) on Thursday morning. Nanasaheb Kute, convener of the Morcha in Mumbai had earlier 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."

The agitators also held a sit-in protest outside the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati on Thursday.

Schools, APMC markets shut in Navi Mumbai

Though Navi Mumbai was excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township decided to remain shut. Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the bandh was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.

Schools in Navi Mumbai were also shut for morning and afternoon sessions, reported The Indian Express. The education department of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation declared a holiday. However, no such announcements were made in Mumbai and its suburbs.

Suburban rail services run smoothly in Mumbai

Western Railway services functioned normally in Mumbai, despite the day-long pro-Maratha shutdown across Maharashtra.

WR Mumbai Suburban services are running normal. #WRUpdates @drmbct  Western Railway (@WesternRly) August 9, 2018

According to The Indian Express, 500 Railway Protection Force and 200 Government Railway Police officials were posted on Thursday on the Central Railway line. They, as per the report, were posted at Igatpuri, Kalyan, Kasara, Thane, Ghansoli, Kurla and Ghatkopar stations.

With inputs from PTI
The crisis at the Manipur University has put the entire higher education atmosphere in the state in a fix, since about 90 colleges in Manipur are affiliated to the university.

It was on 30 May that the members of Manipur University Students Union (MUSU) shut down the central university located in Imphal, demanding ouster of the Vice-Chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey, accusing him of having an indifferent attitude towards the institute, especially because of his long absence from the office. He allegedly travels outside the state every month, which affects the functioning of the varsity.

Since then, till date  which is over 70 days  the university has remained non-functional. This has placed the state's entire higher education atmosphere in a quandary, given that about 90 colleges in Manipur are affiliated to the university. Thousands of students in Manipur are staring at uncertainty, with no sign of immediate relief, despite the efforts of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) and the Manipur government, though it has very limited say in the internal affairs of a central varsity.

However, it is no longer an internal issue of the university. People from across the districts in Manipur took out a protest rally on 6 August, demanding immediate re-opening of the university.

A group of public protesters clashed with agitators from MUSU and Manipur University Teachers Association (MUTA) at the varsity gate, forcing the police to burst tear gas cells. Eight volunteers of the varsity community were injured during the incident.

The MUTA and Manipur University Staff Association (MUSA), too, have extended unrelenting support to agitation launched by the MUSU. Deans of five schools in the university  humanities, life science, human and environmental science, social science, and mathematical and physical science  have already resigned protesting the stalemate prevailing in the varsity.

The deans of these schools have said that they tried to speak with both the parties regarding the issues but their efforts went in vain. The semester examination for different departments of the university, which were supposed to start from the second week of June, had to be postponed indefinitely.

Pandey, who has now been sent on a 30-day leave after a fact-finding team was constituted by the HRD ministry on 12 July, had stated before the media that the allegations made against him by MUSU were "false and baseless" and that he will not resign from his post.

On the charges leveled against him of not staying at the university for even 10 days a month, unlike previous vice-chancellors, he said that his visit outside the state were for official purpose and related to university works.

He also denied the allegation of irregularities in the installation of smart classes. He mentioned that the smart classes here proposed as per the decisions made in the meeting of higher authority for digitisation. The job of installation of smart classes was given to ITI Limited (a Government of India undertaking) after they won the tender which the university had floated.

Efforts made to resolve the crisis

Though the Centre sent a joint secretary-level officer in early part of June to hold discussion with the agitating students, the talks failed to break the ice and the impasse is still continuing in the institute.

Of late, there has also been pressure from various quarters for a solution to the varsity impasse.

After Pandey was sent on leave, the senior most professor of the varsity, W Vishwanath, was made the vice-chancellor in-charge.

However, the MUSU, MUTA and the MUSA had opposed the formation of the fact-finding committee, saying that their demand was to constitute an independent enquiry committee after Pandey's removal. They termed the committee an insincere attempt by the ministry meant only to divert the demands of the university community.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh requested HRD minister Prakash Javadekar for an impartial inquiry to be headed by a retired judge of a high court, and so, on 17 July, the ministry reconstituted probe panel.

The re-constituted fact-finding committee is headed by the former acting chief justice of the Meghalaya High Court, T Nandakumar. Also, UGC joint secretary JK Tripathi, and S Singh of the HRD ministry, would be functioning as members of the committee.

The reconstituted fact-finding committee would be free to devise its own procedure for conducting the inquiry, an order by the HRD ministry said. However, according to the order, while formulating the final conclusion, the committee will "rationally consider the response of the concerned persons in accordance with the principles of natural laws".

The committee has been asked to submit its report 17 August, after conducting a field visit and a discussion with all the stakeholders.

However, two days after reconstitution of the fact-finding committee, the MUSA and its allies called for general strike, paralysing life in the state. They stated that while the appointment of a retired acting chief justice as chairman of the committee is laudable, the reconstituted committee was neither independent nor judicial.

Even as the entire state is getting restive over prolonged closure of Manipur University that has put the future of students at stake, the agitating groups have decided to launch indefinite hunger strike from 10 August. Now, mudslinging is beginning among political parties over the issue, creating the atmosphere hazier in the state, where agitations refuse to die down easily.
Team TISS has blown the lid off from the state-sponsored, severely afflicted prophylactic institutions, established to protect the infirmly marginal.

Thou shall not be a victim

Thou shall not be a perpetrator

Above all, thou shall not be a bystander.

 Yehuda Bauer's Rethinking the Holocaust

Revelations made by Team Koshish, a Tata Institute of Social Science initiative on homeless and destitution, about the state of shelter homes in Bihar has not only rattled the political circles and the civil society but also put the entire nation to shame. Comprised of seven scholars under the tutelage of TISS associate professor Mohammad Tarique, Team Koshish, in a first of its kind endeavour, extending for six months, conducted an unprecedented audit of 110 state-run and private shelter homes across 35 districts of Bihar. What came out as findings were critical enough to commission a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry by the state government and forced the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue seeking an explanation from the authorities.

The recommendation to involve TISS in the survey came from none other than the head of the social welfare department in the state. Shelter homes included accommodation for women, childcare institutions, adoption agencies, rehabilitation centres for beggars and old age homes.

Supposedly, these homes are meant to be safe abodes where vulnerable, abandoned destitute like women, children, elderly and mentally unsound take refuge. Team Koshishs uniquely concerted exercise based upon punctilious examination lead to stark disclosures about mental, physical and sexual abuse of women and children. One Muzzaffarpur shelter home has left the country reeling with shock and disbelief. The child welfare committee president endowed with powers of a judicial magistrate was allegedly the abuser himself. The dire off-putting standpoint in this whole proceeding is that institutions created to safeguard and protect the vulnerable had become perpetrators of violence and abuse.

Ironically, the horrific abuse happened, despite a plethora of safeguards in the form of legislations like Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) 2012 among others. The existence of multiple legal administrative frameworks in the form of checks and balances from ministries, parastatal Children and Women Commissions, supervisory district level Child Welfare Committees and administrative departments did little to prevent these grave crimes. After all, the focus of officials was only on financial and administrative aspect of the functioning of these homes and not on the inmates.

The horror of these shelter homes is not that they deviated from human norms, horror is that it may be happening anywhere again. The Deoria home recently got unearthed as 12-year whistleblower inmate chanced to break free against odds, but not all can. The issue writ large the systemic failure of the administrative-legal apparatus and abuse getting institutionalised and protected by nefarious complicity making the vulnerable fall prey. In the aftermath, systemic problems get relegated amid political blame-game, tedious investigation and lengthy judicial processes.

Team TISS has blown the lid off from the state-sponsored, severely afflicted prophylactic institutions, established to protect the infirmly marginal. Koshish is an SOS alarm call of brutally tortured, tribulation prone children and women, reposed within state walls -- assuring safety and rehabilitation. Disclosures from Team Koshish have seriously challenged existing accountability mechanisms of public and public-private partnered institutions. There are grave lessons to be learnt. Alas! The alarms would die ensued by intricate investigative processes, unending litigation and media amnesia.

The crucial link among parallel state agencies conspicuous by its absence is coordination or working in tandem. Despite Deoria shelter home being blacklisted by social welfare unit, the local police continued to send children to it.

Active interface among agencies will only increase their efficacy. It requires fast track collaboration among social welfare department, local police, CBI, parastatal institutions and judiciary. The monitoring of these homes by apex authorities should be far more stringent. Then only culprits, colluders and abettors can be punished expeditiously and not end up showcasing the State as soft and plutocratic.

Any number of state mechanisms shall remain ineffectual unless stakeholders or beneficiaries are kept at the centre of a scheme. What made Team Koshish stand distinct from regular officials, child welfare committee, inspection teams inter alia was empathetic and neutral methodology considering inmates first vis-a-vis procedural and administrative aspects. The prime focus of custodial home management ought to be inmates' well-being and rehabilitation. Rest will follow suo motu. Exhaustive guidelines and sops must be framed keeping inmates primacy. Officials and caregivers should be trained and oriented in this spirit.

Social audits should be made mandatory for all such institutions. Bihar governments social welfare department must be commended for envisioning with TISS, an unparalleled audit. Such third party audits must not be one-time kneejerk action, but regular proviso of shelter management. Section 17 of Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA),2005 for the first time mandated regular social audits by gram sabha. Last year, Meghalaya became the only state in the country to operationalise Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act 2017, a law that makes social audit of government programmes and schemes a part of government practice.

Several elements of the ecosystem coexist alongside these shelter homes necessitating interaction for mutual benefit. The point is identifying these community subsets and engaging them for enforcing accountability and transparency. Only community-led initiatives can make the systemic loopholes foolproof. Norms may be prescribed for regular engagement of teachers, scholars

from universities, academic institutions, doctors, psychologists, senior citizens, retired public and private officials to provide mentorship and anchor. India has a vast network of universities and higher study Institutions. Regrettably theory-centric, these are bereft of real-time practical engagements. The motive of education is not only a vocation but also unleashing value and reform in society.

Irrespective of stream and background, community service, henceforth should be made mandatory co-curriculum for higher students. The involvement of vibrant demographic dividend will make any environment including shelter home positive and energy-laden. With life expectancy going up, senior citizens can be aged purposefully integrating them in such community-led initiatives.

Conscious citizens aspire to serve the community and seek purpose along with their personal and professional life. In absence of systemic institutional channels, they fail to act upon their intent. The emergent need is to institutionalise such bottom-up civic interventions as an inbuilt check within legal-administrative machinery.

The road does not end at Bihar and Deoria shelter homes. It gets connected across the nation to exterminate these challenges through civic innovation and empowerment. We need to moult out of our stereotyped inertia prone functionalism to a solution based reform-driven inventive democracy. Team Koshish deserves applause for highlighting to the nation, the exigencies of the most vulnerable and bottom of the pyramid.

The author works with the Indian Revenue Service, and served as a deputy collector in Uttar Pradesh for six years. Views expressed here are her own.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Naramalli Sivaprasad has quite the reputation when it comes to dressing up for Parliament. And he has the wardrobe to match.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Naramalli Sivaprasad has quite the reputation when it comes to dressing up for Parliament. And he has the wardrobe to match.

On Thursday, the Andhra Pradesh MP reached Parliament dressed as Adolf Hitler. It was the first time the MP, who has often been in the news for his get-ups, has dressed up as a foreigner. His previous get-ups have all been about Indian figures.

TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad is today dressed up as Adolf Hitler during protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. He had earlier also dressed up as a school boy, Narad muni and others. pic.twitter.com/pHKcSZpPv0  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Sivaprasad has dressed up in a variety of ways, often to protest the Centre's decision of denying Andhra Pradesh special category status. Chief among these have been Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and Sathya Sai Baba. He had also dressed up as a schoolboy.

Here are a few of the avatars Sivaprasad has dressed up as over the years:

Earlier this month, to remind the Narendra Modi government of its promise to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, he came to Parliament dressed as Lord Krishna.

A few days before that, he had gone the other extreme, donning himself in the garb of a dacoit, as if to suggest that if special status was not granted to the state, he would force them to grant it.

Among the more famous personalities from the state, he also invoked Sathya Sai Baba in Parliament.

As if to make a point that he doesn't look specifically at famous personalities but could also dress up as a commoner, he even went to Parliament dressed as a folk dancer one day.

And it doesn't even have to be all grown-up adult attires. During the Budget Session of Parliament in April, Sivaprasad attended a session dressed as a school student. He arrived in Parliament dressed in a shirt and shorts carrying a notebook, pencil and ruler, and reportedly said, "Modi is the bad boy of the class."
The green panel also directed the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board to submit data on pollution around the Sterlite plant within 10 days and posted the matter for hearing on 20 August.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday allowed mining major Vedanta to access the administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. A bench headed by chairperson A K Goel, however, said the company would not have access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this.

The green panel also directed the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board to submit data on pollution around the Sterlite plant within 10 days and posted the matter for hearing on 20 August.

At the outset, the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim and S P Wangdi, made it clear that it would hear Vedanta's plea on merits and rejected the state government's submission that the tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to hear the case.

On 30 July, the court had refused to grant any interim relief to Vedanta, which has challenged the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently shut down its Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, even as the firm termed the government action "political". On 5 July, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their responses after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objections with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea.

The Tamil Nadu government had, on 28 May, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns. Earlier in April, the Tamil Nadu pollution control board had rejected Sterlite's plea to renew the Consent To Operate certification, saying the company had not complied with the stipulated conditions.

Following this, the government issued a permanent closure notice to the plant. Vedanta's plea in the NGT seeks permission to operate the unit and a direction to declare as unlawful and illegal the exercise of powers by the Tamil Nadu government in passing the closure order under section 18(1)(b) of the Water Act.

Sterlite's factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure.

The company had then appealed to the NGT, which had overturned the government order. The state had then moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending. The Supreme Court had then ordered the company to pay Rs 100 crore as compensation for polluting environment. Following the latest protests and police firing, the plant was closed on 27 March.

After Sterlite announced its plans to expand the Thoothukudi plant, villagers around it started fresh protests that continued for over 100 days, culminating in the 22 May police firing on protestors that claimed 13 lives and left scores injured.
Despite having his name in Assams electoral rolls of 1971  the cut-off year for National Register of Citizenship (NRC)  Kumud Ram Das, 63, has been languishing in a detention camp for the last nine months.

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'.

***

Cachar: While campaigning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Silchar, Narendra Modi had promised to destroy detention camps housing Hindu migrants if his party came to power and free them of the harassment. Four years later, locals in Assams Hindu-dominated Cachar district are questioning those claims.

"Narendra Modi promised to abolish detention camps if his party comes in power. They captured both, Delhi and Dispur, but people's sufferings continue. If we check ground reality, we will see that harassment in the name of 'D-Voter' in Assam has increased almost three times after BJP came in power," says Sadhan Purkayastha, a social activist and former Congress leader who had won a municipality seat from Silchar.

Despite having his name in Assams electoral rolls of 1971  the cut-off year for National Register of Citizenship (NRC)  Kumud Ram Das, 63, has been languishing in a detention camp for the last nine months. The Foreigners Tribunal has now sent a notice to 10 other members of his family as they are suspected of being Doubtful or D-voters.

While the cut-off date set by the NRC in Assam is March 24, 1971, the electoral roll was released by the Election Commission on 1 January, 1971. This means that Das and his family members can claim Indian citizenship simply by appearing before the tribunal court with the document. However, the family which resides in the Mohankhal village under Dholai constituency in Cachar district is now in a fix.

Das was arrested by the police in 2017 and is in a detention camp at the Silchar Central Jail for over nine months now. His wife Kamakhya Das, 48, had to spend all her savings on the case but to no avail. With their 19-year-old son Kishan Das absconding, poverty has hit them so hard that she does not even have the money to visit her husband in Silchar.

I am happy that my husband is getting food at least twice a day in the jail which we are not able to have at home. This was never a situation in our house, she says adding that she had to dip into their savings earmarked for their daughters marriage this year.

I gave at least Rs 50,000 to lawyers which was not enough they said. According to them, someone complained against our family in the tribunal. I dont know who the person is, says Kamakhya. I had to sell the two cows that we had at a really low price because my husbands freedom is more important to me. My son left us due to the fear of being arrested and imprisoned as his name was also included on the D-voters list.

We are not criminals. We voted every time. The leaders even came to our doorsteps during political campaigns but now, no one is coming out to help me in this situation, says the anxious woman.

Compounding her problems, Kamakhya's husbands arrest and prolonged detention has led to a near ostracisation of the family. There is a strange sort of fear among the people in Mohankhal village and surrounding areas. They dont visit the Das family or invite Das on any occasion either. Though they sympathise with her and praise her strength, everybody is afraid to express it openly.

Over 90 percent of the population in Mohankhal and surrounding villages belongs to the Hindu community and most of them claim to have voted for BJP for decades. They are now angry and disappointed due to the harassment caused by D-voter notices they receive so often. Locals claim that more than 50 families in that village and nearby areas have been slapped with D-voters notice by the Foreigners Tribunal in recent years and a section of local police is allegedly trying to take advantage of the situation.

Prabodh Ranjan Das, 60, who is one of the few educated people in the locality, is also a suspected D-voter. He has a school leaving certificate of 1970 and land documents of his father which go back to 1954. He says he is not afraid and even challenges the police to arrest him if they have the courage.

It is alright that I was served a notice from the tribunal as I have the necessary documents to prove my Indian citizenship. But police came to my house when I was not at home and asked my wife about me. When she said she didnt know where I waswhich is the truththey used cuss words against her. We are poor people but our pride more important than the nation or a government, Prabodh says indignantly.

I am ready to give my life for this. Narendra Modi is not just the Prime Minister but like a god to common Hindu people like me. I know he is doing it for the betterment of our country but our sufferings are now exceeding a certain limit. I wanted to commit suicide after my wife was insulted by police, he reveals.

During his campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Cachar, Modi had promised to destroy each detention camp here and protect Hindus from this harassment  if he became a prime minister. Locals now claim that most of the notices in the area were served after 2016  the year BJP formed the government in Assam.

The lone minister from Barak Valley in the cabinet of Sarbananda Sonowal is Parimal Suklabaidya, who is the legislator of Dholai.

Suklabaidya is a renowned figure in Assams political fraternity and a great speaker who has rarely touched upon the D-voter issue. Breaking his long-standing silence on the NRC issue at a public meeting recently, he said, Having a citizen count, using the strongest possible rules, is important for the future of our state. Our chief minister intends to unite culture of Barak Valley and Brahmaputra Valley but we need to address the infiltration issue first. Mass presence of illegal migrants in our state should not be encouraged and people are happy to tolerate the trouble caused by NRC or D-voter issue.

The author is a Silchar-based freelance writer and member of 101Reporters.com
Replying to the debate on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said all those who spoke on the Bill have supported it

New Delhi: The Parliament passed a Bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe law, with the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopting it amid din. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote, had got the nod of the Lok Sabha on 6 August.

The Bill rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order. It provides that no preliminary inquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval. The legislation 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.

Replying to the debate on the Bill in the Upper House, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said all those who spoke on the Bill have supported it. He said that after the implementation of the law, people belonging to SC/ST communities were able to get justice and relief.

"However, some people went to court due to some reason. On 20 March 2018, Supreme Court gave some decisions which put brakes on the Act implemented by us," he said, referring to the provisions related to filing of FIR and arrest.

"Due to these controls, the criminals started getting protection and the affected families stopped getting justice and relief," Gehlot said. The minister said there was also scope of interference in the police procedures and therefore the government filed a review petition, which was accepted. He said the members have expressed some apprehensions about the rights of the deprived classes. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured his government's commitment towards (the interests of) backward classes. I today say that we are committed towards safeguarding their interest."

"Some members have suggested constitution of special courts for the Act. We have made a provision for this in the Bill. As many as 14 states have constituted 195 special courts for deciding cases related to SC and SC Act. Some states have declared District and Session Courts as special court for the purpose," he said.

Elaborating on the Bill, he said "we have provided for presenting a challan in the court within two months of first information report with complete investigation. We have also provided for disposal of the case with two month of presenting challan in the court." The minister also maintained that the amendment in this Bill was not brought due to "any pressure" because it was the Prime Minister's commitment.

During the debate, some members were of the view that the government has brought amendment Bill under pressure from the Opposition and coalition partners ahead of proposed nationwide protest later this month to demand the restoration of the provisions of the law which, the Dalit groups allege, were diluted by a Supreme Court ruling of 20 March.

These groups have been asking the government to overturn a Supreme Court ruling of 20 March, saying it had "diluted" and rendered "toothless" the law against atrocities faced by the weakest sections of the society by putting additional safeguards against arrest of the accused. Supporting the Bill, Abir Ranjan Biswas (Cong) said "we are supporting the Bill but the genuinity of feelings of the government are fake. They have brought the Bill only after 9 people were killed and many injured in a nationwide protest against Supreme Court judgment."

He alleged that the government brought the Bill due to pressure of the opposition and its coalition partners. He also said the conviction rate in cases of atrocities against SCs was 1.4 percent and in case of STs, it was 0.8 percent. Sarojini Hembram (BJD) also supported the Bill saying all the ministries of law, social justice and law should coordinate properly to implement the law.

Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JDU) too supported it but suggested that the cases should be investigated by an officer of DSP and above level, while K Keshava Rao (TRS) said this law will again be challenged in the court.

K Somaprasad (CPM) supported the Bill and said that the apex court judgment had diluted the law, while Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) said the government could have brought an ordinance to overturn the judgment.

Kumari Selja (Cong) accused the government of not being 'pro-Dalit" and said otherwise, it would have brought the law under the Ninth Schedule. She alleged that every 15 minutes, a crime was committed against Dalits and atrocities against them have been rising even as the conviction rate was low in such cases.

Selja also alleged that the government had rewarded the Supreme Court judge who delivered the judgement (diluting the provisions of the SC/ST Act) by appointing him Chairman of a crucial tribunal after retirement.

Kirodi Lal Meena (BJP) claimed that the Supreme Court crossed its 'Lakshman Rekha' on the issue. He objected to the collegium system, saying it promoted casteism and dynasty and called it "unconstitutional".

Meena demanded that the collegium system should be abolished and replaced by the Indian Judicial Sevice so that SC/ST and other backward communities get an opportunity to occupy higher positions in courts.

He also urged the government to seriously consider introducing the Indian Judicial Services. As Meena started naming opposition-ruled states where atrocities against SC/ST communities have taken place oin the recent past, members from the opposition objected noisily. Amid the disruptions, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for ten minutes till 2:43 PM.

Later, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) supported the Bill and said it seemed as if the Supreme Court has become the third chamber of Parliament as it was framing legislations.

Vijila Sathyananth (AIADMK) said the conviction rate under the SC/ST Act was low at just 15 per cent as per the National Crime Records Bureau. She said a comprehensive anti-discrimination law was needed as crimes against SC/ST are manifested in various forms like social boycott.

Rajaram (BSP), Narendra Jadhav (nominated), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), V Vijaysai Reddy (YSRCP), D Raja (CPI), Ram Kumar Kashyap (ind) and Wansuk Syiem (Cong) also supported the measure.
As many as 1,275 families in Ranchi are said to have lost their houses in an anti-encroachment drive at Islam Nagar on 6 April, 2011.

Ranchi: Samina Khatoon has three worries  avoiding the leaking roof while sleeping, arranging for food to survive, and praying for a miracle which cures her husband Mohammed Jibrail.

65-year-old Jibrail suffers from a liver ulcer and spends his days lying on the bed in his makeshift 8X8 feet house at Islam Nagar. The estimate provided by the hospital to cure his illness is Rs. 5 lakh.

Jibrail used to live with his wife and six children in a three-room kutcha house at Islam Nagar before it was demolished in an anti-encroachment drive by the district administration in 2011. After the demolition, Jibrails children went to live elsewhere, leaving him and his wife behind.

Having no place to stay, the old couple built a makeshift house using wooden planks and flex hoardings where their house once stood, and tried to get on with their life by resuming their work of selling firewood.

However, things worsened for the old couple when Jibrail was diagnosed with an ulcer. Unable to bear the treatment expenses, Jibrail now survives on painkillers and homeopathy medicine.

We do not have any source of income and survive on the food given to us by neighbours. I do worry about my husbands health, but a major concern right now is to ensure that the roof does not leak as we sleep, Khatoon said.

Jibrail and his wife are among the 1,275 families who are said to have lost their houses in an anti-encroachment drive at Islam Nagar on 6 April, 2011.

While some families who could afford moving out left the place, most of them, with nowhere to go, made makeshift tents where their houses once stood.

With Independence Day around the corner, 70-year-old Abdul Gaffar and his son can be seen sitting outside his tent, making the tricolored flags. We have been living here for generations and suddenly, the roof over our head was snatched away. Having nowhere to go, we have been living like this for the last seven years, he said.

Gaffar added, All of us here have always been poor, and the major sources of income for us are pulling rickshaws or working as labourers. But earlier, at least we had a house to come back to, which has now been pulled down by the administration.

Piled with garbage and overflowing with drains, Islam Nagar is situated at a distance of barely 4 kilometres from the main road of the state capital. Its situation makes a mockery of the award of 'best performing state' given to Jharkhand in the Swachh Survekshan, 2018.

Abda Khatoon, one of the displaced persons, said, We live in the midst of garbage. There is no road which leads up to our houses and during the rain, children have to skip schools because they are unable to cross the overflowing drains. If only the government were to give us one road to walk on, we would be grateful.

Earlier, the area had community toilets and a park which was constructed by Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Parimal Nathwani. However, they were demolished along with the houses during the anti-encroachment drive.

Now, despite the Ranchi municipal area being declared open defecation free, Islam Nagar does not have a single toilet and people are forced to defecate in open. Some of us have used flexes of hoardings to cover small areas and use them as bathrooms for girls and women, Khatoon said.

Drinking water is another major concern in the area, as all the families depend on the sole hand pump, which has now started releasing 'red water'. Mohammed Parwez, a resident said, We have no option but to drink the dirty water. Earlier, we had a pipeline connection from the nearby tank, but it was uprooted during the anti-encroachment drive.

The extremely unhygienic conditions have led to an outbreak of what locals call langda bukhaar .

Roshan Aras two sons, 18 and 12 years old, suffer from the above-mentioned disorder, as do around a dozen other people in the area. Ara said, We dont know what this sickness is, but it leads to tremendous pain in the joints along with high fever. Those suffering from it are unable to walk, and so we call it 'langda bukhar'.

She added, The outbreak began around a month ago, and many families are suffering from it.

How it all started

The land on which Islam Nagar is located was acquired by the government in the name of Indian School of Science in 1959. Here, an Industrial Training Institute, a women's polytechnic college and a boys' hostel were to be constructed, but the land remained vacant for years.

After a communal riot broke out in the city in 1967, many people came and settled on the vacant land, to which the government did not object. Gradually, the number of residents increased and soon, they were provided with several government facilities like water connections, electricity, ration cards and a community hall.

Mohammed Shakil, who has been the president of Humdard Committee (a local social group) for the last 40 years, said, All these years, the government did not bother about this land. It was only on 29 March, 2011 that a notice was sent to the residents here, giving them a days time to vacate the land, claiming it to be encroached.

When MP Parimal Nathwani, who had worked towards the welfare of the residents of Islam Nagar, was informed about the notice, he helped Shakil to file a petition in the Supreme Court to get a stay order.

I got the stay order on 6 April, but by the time I was able to send it to the district administration, many houses were already demolished, Shakil said.

After the demolition, Shakil filed a petition in the Jharkhand High Court for compensation for the displaced persons. The high court directed the state government to provide houses for them within 13 months.

The district administration directed the displaced families to submit documents for verification, so that beneficiaries could be identified. But out of the 1275 families which applied, only 444 were verified as beneficiaries.

When the displaced people were not provided shelter by the government until 2016, Shakil filed an amendment petition with the high court and after direction from the court, the state government decided to give the beneficiaries houses at Madhukam area of Ranchi. Unfortunately, the plan did not work out as the local residents of Madhukam protested against the residents of Islam Nagar moving to the area.

Later, it was decided that the residents would be rehabilitated back at the place from where they were uprooted, and an area of 6.9 acres was allotted for the construction of housing units.

The present situation

On 10 July this year, the state cabinet approved Rs 33.04 crore for construction of housing units at Islam Nagar. It was also decided that these housing units will be given to beneficiaries for free, rather than the earlier plan of charging Rs.50,000 per family.

Shakil said, We are thankful to the government for having allocated the houses for free. I hope the construction work finishes soon, and at least some of the displaced people get a roof on their heads.

State urban development secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said that out of the 444 beneficiaries who were identified by the district administration in 2011, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation has further identified only 247 families which live at Islam Nagar.

At present, 252 housing units are being constructed at Islam Nagar by the Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Company (JUIDCO) which will be completed in the next six to eight months. However, we can provide flats to up to 444 families if they turn up, he said.

Earlier, when Singh was informed about the lack of toilets and drinking water facilities in Islam Nagar area, he directed officials to install ready-to-fix toilets and temporary water connections.

On the issue of housing facilities to 831 families which did not make it to the first list of beneficiaries, the secretary said, "They will be given houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna. No one will remain homeless.

However, despite the construction having started, the residents do not believe that they would get the houses. Mohammed Imran, a resident said, We have been told hundreds of times that we will get houses, but nothing has happened till date. Now, until we actually move into the houses, we will not believe that we are really getting something.

The author is a member of The NewsCart, a Bengaluru-based media startup.
Systematic structural changes that address everyday normalised misogynistic attitudes and behaviours are more important than straight away jump to find an all-in-one solution for rapes, says Madhumita Pandey, a lecturer of criminology who interviewed 100 rape convicts

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on 9 November, 2018. It has been republished as it assumes relevance following the rape and murder of a 28-year-old woman veterinary doctor, whose remains were found on the outskirts of Hyderabad on 29 November. The gruesome incident found a mention during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The four accused in the case are in judicial custody and three police officials have been suspended.

***

Off all the evils for which man has made himself responsible, none is so degrading, so shocking or so brutal as his abuse of the better half of humanity; the female sex  Mahatma Gandhi

It has been five-and-a-half years since Jyoti Pandey was raped and left to die on a busy road in the national capital. The girl became a symbol of collective frustration against evils that are born and bred in the Indian society.

A week after 16 December 2012, when the incident took place, the Justice JS Verma Committee was set up to review existing laws and recommend necessary amendments to deter such crimes. Though not all the recommendations of the committees 644-page report were accepted, it helped amend the law were the courts discretion to give rapists a sentence lesser than the minimum of seven years was abolished. The punishment for rape was made harsher. The amendments also included improved standard of consent  it needs to be unequivocal and clearly communicated  and fast track courts were also set up for rape cases. Trial in rape cases now needs to be completed within two months of filing a charge sheet. Parallely, India now has laws on sexual assault offences. Stalking, unwanted sexual advances and touches, and voyeurism are specific offences under IPC Section 354A-D. These offences earlier fell under Section 354 on outraging the modesty of a woman.

In the light of these amendments and the new laws, are women in India any safer? The plight of young girls at the shelter homes in Muzaffarpur and Deoria seems to suggest otherwise. One has to merely go through the National Crime Records Bureaus data on women safety to understand that the two cases are not exceptions. Part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NCRB which collects annual data on crime in the country, reports an increase of 2.9 percent cases under crime against women category in 2016 over 2015. Rape cases have reported an increase of 12.4 percent from 34,651 cases in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

The fight for justice for Jyoti Pandey, for the eight-year-old who was raped in Kathua, and the 46 minors who have been rescued from Muzaffarpur shelter home is meaningless and does not make sense until we eliminate the reasons leading to the crime that repeats itself regularly. Is it because of the fault in our education system or due to lack of gender sensitivity in attitudes of the state and civil society?

Madhumita Pandey, a lecturer of Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University, UK, believes that convicted rapists are in a unique position to give information that has not been considered previously. For her doctoral thesis at the Criminology Department of Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, Madhumita visited and interviewed 100 convicted rapists at Tihar Central Jail in New Delhi. In an email interview, she opened up about insights and findings from her field work. Edited excerpts from the interview:

What drew you to the subject?

Amidst all the outrage (post the Jyoti Pandey rape case), everyone was thinking the same thing  why did this group of men do such a thing? or, "how could they do such a thing? To my surprise, while everyone was asking these questions on TV news channels, in the parliamentary debates or in social gatherings, no one bothered to think that perhaps the answers could come directly from the perpetrators of sexual crimes against women... so, I thought why not ask them. My research interests include sexual violence against women, particularly rape in India with a focus on offender perspectives.

Why is it necessary to read the mindset of those convicted with sexual crimes?

Convicted rapists are in a unique position to give information that we've previously not considered. We can learn a great deal about their motivation, their offending pattern, victim selection, etc, and at the same time also about their own lives  what made them commit such a crime, their thinking, feelings, personal relationships, and so on.

Among the 100 convicts you met for your thesis, you held back one case... Why?

I remember every case as all of them are very unique and useful to my research in their own way. The one particular story I am sharing is of Participant 49.

This 23-year-old convict had not completed primary school and was working as a temple cleaner. He was imprisoned in 2010 for raping a five-year-old girl. He described his victim as a small beggar girl who provoked him while he was busy with his duties.

When I asked him to elaborate on how she "provoked" him, he said, "She was touching me inappropriately, so I thought Ill teach her a lesson... Her mother is also like this, she too has a questionable character." Victim-blaming is a commonly found phenomenon in the narratives of sex offenders and this case was not any different.

What disturbed me more than the vivid description of the attack was the fact that he thought he could make up for his crime by marrying the girl after he had completed his sentence.

Before I spoke with him, he was asked to complete two questionnaires. He scored lowly in the Attitude towards Women Questionnaire, indicating conservative or traditional mindset towards women. His results for the Multicultural Masculinity Ideology Scale highlighted lack of sexual responsibility along with low sensitivity. He also ranked high on the toughness factor, indicating that he had internalised cultural norms on how men should act and what defines a man or manliness.

I have often been asked if this particular story impressed or troubled me the most. I decided to write about this case because: a) this convicted rapist was not included in my final research sample, so I didnt have to worry about revealing my findings prematurely, and b) I was writing an article about child sexual abuse and he was one of the handful who had been convicted of raping a young child so it seemed fitting that I use this case as an example.

It was also interesting to see that his idea of marrying the victim in order to pay for his actions had been previously suggested by other prominent people of our country  Madras High Court Judge P Devadass recently let a rapist out of prison on bail so he could "mediate" with his victim. Globally, a former Sharia judge Datuk Shabudin Yahaya in Malaysia suggested that the rapists should marry their victims as this way the victim would at least get a husband. Similarly, last year several West Asian countries also updated their laws that previously pardoned rapists who married their victims. People often forget that rape causes more than physical harm  the emotional hurt is far superior and many survivors of sexual assault are treated in the same way as individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Did the rape convicts you spoke with express remorse for their actions?

Very few men convicted of rape took responsibility for their crimes but there are two points to note here: first, in order for a rapist to feel remorse and apologetic, he must first understand and accept that his actions were wrong. Since most men in my research sample did not identify their actions as wrong (as many of them did not understand what consent meant) they did not feel like they had anything to apologise for. They said they are not guilty. Second, there are different ways in which remorse can be expressed. Some men out rightly said that they were repenting their actions while others said that they would not want anyone to do this to their sister or daughter, highlighting that at some level they did understand that their actions were wrong.

Of all, I recall one of my participants telling me that he has an older sister and he cannot even imagine what he would do to someone who might hurt her. A few minutes later he said, "She (the victim) would also have been someone's sister madam". So, while some participants did not out rightly say that they were remorseful, some of their statements suggested that they felt guilty. But only a few expressed this feeling.

In an average mind, what is it that triggers an act like rape? Is it done to fulfil desires or is there something darker behind it?

We think that there is something inherently (biologically or psychologically) wrong with rapists  "dark desires" as you've put it but that is not the case. Rape is a very complex crime and there are always several factors at play. I explored the socio-cultural aspect of the crime. While we cannot separate sex from a sexual crime, not all rapes are about lust and sex. I mostly found that men convicted of rape simply committed the crime because they "could"  they had motive as well as the opportunity. The motive was not always sex, but when it was, there was (also) a sense of entitlement present. The other times, it was also about power and dominance.

What was that one thing you found common in all or most of the rape convicts, you met during the study?

Victim Blaming and confusion about (the meaning of) consent.

How much would you blame our education system for sex crimes? Do you feel the absence of sex study in schools is one of the prime reason for this?

Yes, there is a severe need of sex education in India. How can we talk about a sexual offence when we can barely speak about sex?

A comprehensive curriculum-based sexuality module can not only make teenagers understand their bodies and the age related changes better but also about consent and respecting each other's personal space. Along with learning about menstruation, sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases and risks of pregnancy, young people also need to learn about the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, which, in turn, will allow them to recognise these (sex crimes) should they occur and also to protect themselves. They can learn to identify and access available sources of support. Sensitising children and giving them a safe environment to discuss these issues are essential steps in tackling sexual violence.

A few years back I saw an article by a senior of mine from school, Nikita Gupta from the School of Life Foundation and I was thrilled to see how this organisation was conducting workshops with parents, teachers and young children in order to teach them about how to communicate safe and unsafe touch. In a country that is battling child sexual abuse it makes so much sense to teach young ones about their body parts and how they alone have the ownership of them. There is no right age to start such discussions. Parents and teachers can create awareness by having age- appropriate interactions with children as young as 3-4 years of age. But there are hardly any initiatives around dispelling gender stereotypes or creating awareness on sexual violence against women in India.

Roughly 90 percent of the rape cases go unreported in India, what can be done to improve this?

Encouragement and support needs to come from all levels. On a personal level, family and friends should not think about the "reputation" or the "honour" of the family and remind the victims that its "not" their fault. On an institutional level, medical and psychological help should be made available at the earliest. The police and legal teams should undergo sensitivity training. The victim should feel comfortable in going to the authorities and registering a complaint. On a social level, we need awareness campaigns that focus on bursting popular rape myths such as victim blaming and other gender stereotypes.

These days we rely a lot on social media, which is an important tool in the modern world but in India it is limited in its accessibility as it doesnt always reach the remote and rural parts of the country where such crimes are often underreported or simply handled by Khap Panchayats. I also feel that awareness campaigns and discussions on consent, attitudes towards women and sexual violence should be in all regional languages. The government should also have an active voice on this matter and should not treat sexual violence as simply an "add-on" topic.

Is there a need to be alarmed by the latest figures from the NCRB, which show an increase in the number of registered cases of sexual aggression in India?

It may seem alarming but there are a few positives hidden there. First, it shows how more survivors and their families are coming forward to report the crimes. Due to more stringent laws, media reporting of cases and rise in public awareness, there is less stigma surrounding sexual offences. Second, it highlights an improved response from police officials in registering the complaints, which further inspires confidence among people.

Following the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Union Women and Children Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi have demanded death penalty for rape of minor. Is this the right way forward?

I do not share the same views in the matter of death penalty. I am a strong believer in reform and rehabilitation. Retribution is not a very helpful starting position, instead, we should direct our attention towards structural societal change that addresses the asymmetric power relationship between men and women in our country.

What was the most Important finding of your research?

I often said that these men are not monsters. There's a boogeyman mentality which breeds the idea of 'us'  the law-abiding do-gooders and 'them'  the wicked lot. Through this division we find an easy way to blame all that is wrong in the society on 'them' without having to ever look inwards. Self-reflection and awareness is important and that is why this research is also aiming to change the beliefs that allow us to isolate an entire group of men and label them as monsters without trying to identify the core elements that have shaped the collective attitudes of our society, which these men are also a part of. Rape in India is unique because of the diversity we see in the country  religious, political, cultural, geographical, economic and educational just to name a few. The population doesnt help either. It becomes a mammoth task to underpin a universal pattern of sexual offences.

Overall, I think the most important finding from my work is highlighting and reiterating that sexual violence takes place on a continuum. Because rape is on the far, more extreme end of the spectrum, we tend to pay more attention to it and consider it more severe. However, these acts of extreme violence occur because we tend to overlook the issues on the other side of the continuum such as everyday eve teasing, sexist jokes, degrading language against women, and harassment  which are not even considered a threat at all, and are more commonly accepted. Our focus should be on these 'less threatening' issues as they eventually lead up to extreme violence or build tolerance towards it. I strongly believe that we should focus our attention on more achievable and realistic goals that will help combat this issue long term.

In summary, a multi-disciplinary research puts forward different motivations for rape which can stem from biological, cognitive/psychological, situational/ criminological and social areas. My work explored the socio-cultural influence and highlighted the themes of traditional gender roles as observed through the domestic division of labour, cultural archetypes of femininity and a toxic or distorted sense of masculinity to name a few. There is no one answer for why rapists do what they do as rape is a complex crime. Every narrative is unique and highly subjective  some men were involved in a gangrape, some knew their victims while some had raped a complete stranger. There are also different types of rapists  anger rapist, sadistic rapist, and serial rapists. However, despite the differences in the nature of the crime, the underpinning commonality was a sense of entitlement which further points towards male privilege in our society. There was acute victim-blaming which again is not unusual given the presence of widespread rape myths and other stereotypes in our society regarding women. Lastly, there was a severe lack of understanding of "consent".

It's more important to make systematic structural changes that address everyday normalised misogynistic attitudes and behaviours than straight away jump to find an all-in-one solution for rape.
Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe mourned the death of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi

Colombo: Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena, his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other political leaders in the country have expressed sorrow at the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi by recalling his contributions to cinema and politics.

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 on Tuesday after waging a grim battle for life for 11 days.

Sri Lanka's current 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," President Sirisena tweeted.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he had spoken with MK Stalin over his father's health.

"His contributions to Tamil literature, cinema and politics are unparalleled. I join the millions of people who are mourning. My deepest condolences to the family and people of Tamil Nadu," Mr Rajapaksa tweeted.

CV Wigneswaran, the chief minister of Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated Northern Province, while paying tributes Mr 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)," Mr Wigneswaran said.

During the Rajapaksa presidency, Mr Karunanidhi was not seen in favourable light by Colombo for his pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) stand. In the 1980s during the LTTE's formative years, Mr 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".
Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the pleas about disqualifying lawmakers tried in criminal cases on 9 August

The Supreme Court would on Thursday 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 8 March, 2016, had referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY 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.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Updhaya has also filed a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and others "to bring in electoral reform and to make rules... and Code of Conduct for de-criminalization and de-communalisation of politics and for the 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 the 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 the case, the court had also said that lower courts will have to give an 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.
The Supreme Court Wednesday 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.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday 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 KS 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 KK 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 ANS 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.
Prashant Kumar, the Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh police (Meerut zone) showered rose petals on the Kanwariyas from a helicopter on Wednesday, after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath did the same earlier this month.

A day after a video showed a group of Kanwariyas vandalising a car in Delhi, the Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh police (Meerut zone) showered rose petals on the yatris from a helicopter. In a video, Prashant Kumar was seen taking bunch of petals and showering it from the helicopter. Incidentally, chief minister Yogi Adityanath was seen doing the same earlier this month.

ANI reported that along with ADGP Kumar, Meerut Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials also threw rose petals on the yatra.

#WATCH Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter yesterday pic.twitter.com/SvHH64DGxr  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

Times Now reported that Kumar was sitting inside the helicopter for the surveillance of the deployment of troops there on Kanwariya yatris. In the visuals, the policeman along with others on the helicopter can be seen showering them with 'blessings' while on surveillance duty.

He directed Baghpat district magistrate Rishirendra Kumar to supervise arrangements for the three-day Kanwar fair in Pura Mahadev Temple in Baghpat where lakhs of devotees will offer holy Ganga water to the deity, according to a report by The Indian Express.

We have divided the sprawling campus of the temple to six zones and 12 sectors to ensure that devotees dont face any hassle. A constant vigil is being maintained through the CCTV, while each sector is headed by a magistrate. We have deployed the PAC, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Special Task Force(STF) and the area police to ensure peace during the three-day fare which marks culmination of the Kanwar Yatra, said Rishirendra.

The video that surfaced sparked controversy and was shared by many on Twitter as many accused the policemen of deviating from their duty.

According to The Indian Express, the Uttar Pradesh government has gone out of its way for the Kanwariyas. Apart from the chief minister and the top police officers showering flowers on them, DJ music was arranged for the yatris.

"DJ bajwa diye Yogi ne, Bhole nachwa diye Yogi ne (Yogi switched on DJ, Yogi made the devotees dance)."

The DJs took a dig at the previous government which had banned loud music during the pilgrimage. "Akhilesh ne hukum sunaya tha, DJ per ban lagaya tha, 2017 ke chunav me Bhole ne usey haraya tha. Chakke chuda diye Yogi ne. (Akhilesh had announced their order, DJs were banned; And in 2017 Lord Shiva ensured his defeat; Yogi has cut him to size)."

A group of Kanwariyas on Tuesday, vandalised a car in Delhi's Moti Nagar after it brushed past them. A video which surfaced online shows a dozen men smashing the windows of the car with sticks and then tipping the car over. Policemen and spectators are seen watching them in silence.

A woman and her husband, who were the occupants of the car managed to step out before they got hurt. Eyewitnesses said the Kanwariyas were blocking the road almost completely, and the car touched the bag of a Kanwariya, leading to the altercation.

The Delhi Traffic Police had recently sent out an advisory for the Kanwariyas who would be reaching cities across the country, according to News18. They also made preparations to manage the movement of Kanwariyas and regular commuters to ensure minimum inconvenience to the general public.

The Kanwariyas undertake a pilgrimage from the first day of the Hindu month of Shravan, walking with pitchers of Ganga water all the way from Haridwar to their hometowns and villages where the pitchers are emptied at Shiva temples.
After the Charminar, biryani, and Hitech city, Hyderabad added one more 'star' to its firmament  India's first IKEA store

My mum did something yesterday that was as implausible as Salman Khan being appointed a brand ambassador for road safety/animal welfare. She posted a message on the family WhatsApp group, proudly proclaiming that her youngest was part of a media entourage that would be touring IKEAs mammoth new store in Hyderabad a day before its official launch.

The manner in which she made the announcement, my selection was possibly on par with acing the CAT, or getting married  both of which, I incidentally can list among my accomplishments at present. (I didnt have the heart to tell her that every journalist worth his/her crumpled kurta would be a part of that tour.) But how that WhatsApp group exploded, once my mother had passed on the news! The usual Good Morning!, Forward this message to 12 people for good luck messages were promptly discarded and all the attention was focused on the only non-engineer in the family. Journalism  hitherto considered the lowliest of careers  had suddenly become cool.

Find out the price of a dining table with six chairs, Uncle A texted. Cousin B wanted me to check if the prices of soft toys (They make for great birthday party return gifts, you know!) were cheaper than whats available online (they were!). Relatives C and D, who live abroad, typed out how nice it was that IKEA was finally opening a store in India. Over-the-top? Maybe to you, but not for those of us in Hyderabad who had for months, been flashed with IKEAs yellow-and-blue motif on every street boulevard, traffic signal and full-page newspaper advertisement that deserved its name.

Even the delay in the store opening  the initial launch date was 19 July, which was subsequently postponed to 9 August  couldnt undo the build-up. In fact, the delay might even have endeared the store further to the citys denizens where in true Hyderabadi style, abbich can mean anything from the next minute to the next year. And as the day grew near, oh how the hashtags trended, and how the chatter reached a crescendo, as we added one more star to a firmament that already boasts the Charminar, biryani, and Hitech city.

The store was to launch at 11 am, so the press representative asked me to get in an hour early if I wanted a (quieter) look around. Walking from the parking lot to the store entrance, my FitBit helpfully indicated that I was taking the highest number of steps I had over the past one month. Great start! I thought, silently thanking the visionaries who built up the store over an area of 400,000 sq ft and 13 acres (and to think some people actually complain about the lack of open/recreational spaces!) enabling us citizens to take our morning/evening/afternoon walks.

The IKEA philosophy was reflected even in the streamlined, orderly way the entire launch was organised  this, in a city where media events involving celebrities frequently devolve into a hysterical jamboree. I took a moment to appreciate this even as my friends et family continued to ping with last-minute requests, and I navigated the store without inadvertently photobombing the many Instagrammers/bloggers who were taking pictures with a level of dedication and intensity that Roger Federer or Serena Williams might aspire to.

Spread across two levels, the stores first floor is where the stock is displayed: think endless rows of Pinterest-worthy beds and dining table sets worthy of the Crawleys from Downton Abbey. Half of me rejoiced in these worthy offerings, but the other half hoped for an early lunch  all this walking was tiring!

Onwards to the cafeteria then, which, with 1,000 seats, is IKEAs largest ever. The menu has been tweaked to suit local tastes  nothing new, as IKEA cafeterias in Japan serve crayfish, and shawarma in Dubai. So the two-dollar Swedish meatballs here are made of chicken (no pork/other meat, we dont want to offend now, do we?) and theres that invention known as vegetarian biryani which really should be called pulao. The biryanis Rs 90 a plate (taxes included), samosas can be had for Rs 10 (take that, pricey multiplex food!) and the real winner  endless coffee refills for only Rs 35. If this doesnt lure the masses to walk into the store to browse the BILLY bookcase, KLIPPAN sofa, LACK table and POaNG armchair, I dont know what will. (Did I mention the play area for children  Smaland  ensures you have some toddler-free time while you discover your inner IKEAn?)

I walked out of the store some hours later  several grams lighter perhaps thanks to all the walking (but had I regained it after that cafeteria luncheon?). My phone was now adequately filled with photos of several models of dining tables and enough return gift options for a three-year-olds birthday party to soothe the most anxious parents mind. My newfound stature in the extended family circle too lasted a while  or at least until everyone discovered that even the most pressing queries would not make me divulge whether or not I had received that most coveted thing: an IKEA discount coupon.
With a grand alliance nowhere in sight for AAP, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will now have to face the 2019 Lok Sabha polls alone.

With a grand alliance nowhere in sight for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will now have to face the 2019 Lok Sabha polls alone. His recent move to increase the MLA funds in Delhi by 250 percent can be read as a reconciliation with this reality.

Whether Kejriwals plea to increase MLA funds from Rs 4 crore a year to Rs 10 crore in Delhi would be successful or face the same consequences as his attempt to strike an alliance with the Congress depends on the response of the central government. The proposal requires the Centre's assent.

In recent times, Kejriwal's attitude towards the Congress has seen a drastic change. The Delhi chief minister, who rose to power after continuously lashing out at the Congress which was then in power, has recently been seen trying to get cosy with it. But almost everytime, he was spurned by Congress.

Only recently, the Congress refrained from asking support from the AAP for its candidate in the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election. It was seen as a not so subtle message that the AAP is a non-grata in a possible grand alliance of the Opposition parties, with the Congress at the helm of affairs.

The AAP was quick to read the message and its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh retorted with a jibe, If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why can't he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support to his partys candidate?

It should be remembered that Kejriwal was among the few Opposition leaders who had welcomed Rahul Gandhis move to hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament.

This is not the first time the AAP has been left red-faced by the Congress. In fact, it has became a routine affair by now. Only recently, the AAP was criticised by Congress leader Sheila Dixit when top AAP leaders were continuing a protest in the Lieutenant-Governors office. The Congress leader termed this protest an excuse not to work.

Her statement came at a time when speculations were rife that AAP and Congress were heading to be a part of a national grand alliance, with support pouring in for AAP from non-NDA parties like Trinamool Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress' ally in Karnataka Janata Dal (Secular).

Congress has not only drowned AAP's hope of holding a greater stake in national politics but also of maintaining the party's present grip in Delhi.

In the last three years, AAP hardly made any progress outside the territory of the national capital despite several attempts.

The MCD polls held last year, in which AAP's performance was disastrous, indicate the partys sway in the national capital region too is fast shrinking. The MCD poll results were seen as a warning sign that the erstwhile Congress voters, who ensured AAP's historic victory in Delhi in 2015 Assembly polls, might be shifting back to the grand old partys fold. In such a situation, an alliance with the Congress would save the day for the AAP.

Now, Kejriwal seems to be trying to fight future elections only on a development-based narrative. But that too requires huge amount of funds to be spent on development projects seamlessly.

The abrupt increase in MLA funds, if it becomes a reality, would help the party in bypassing the L-G's office in a number of development works. Though the Delhi government has to keep the L-G office in loop to proceed with projects proposed by departments, in case of projects related to MLA funds, such formality is not required.

AAP MLA Anil Bajpai, when asked about the formality required to be observed while spending MLA funds, said, At present, we are not required to take permission from the L-G's office to spend MLA funds. But I do not know what would be the norm if it becomes Rs 10 crore a year.

The new proposal would also help shift focus from the work of a BJP MP to that done by AAP. For the fund, an MP can spend in his constituency only Rs 4 crore a year.
Congratulating NDA's candidate for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election Harivansh Narayan Singh for his victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the new deputy chairman's 'talent of writing' as a journalist and said Harivansh was a generous soul.

Congratulating the NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh for being elected as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman following a victory over the Congress' BK Hariprasad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the new deputy chairman's "talent of writing" as a journalist, and said Harivansh was a generous soul.

Mentioning how he would go out of his way to help the poor and needy, the prime minister said he hoped the new deputy chairman would bring these values to the House as well. Harivansh was also a favourite of former prime minister Chandra Shekharji, Modi said.

I congratulate Harivansh ji on behalf of the whole house. He has been blessed with the talent of writing. He was also a favourite of former PM Chandra Shekhar ji: PM Modi #RajyaSabhaDeputyChairman pic.twitter.com/jmySo2x6fI  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Modi went on to say, "There were 'Hari's at both sides, but I hope that with Harivansh Narayan Singh's win, Rajya Sabha will have 'harikripa'."

Talking about the achievements of Harivansh Narayan Singh, Modi said that he is a learned man. "He has read a lot of books and has also written extensively," Modi said.

Speaking of Harivansh's benevolence, the prime minister said Harivansh Narayan Singh collected money for slain soldiers' families.

Meanwhile, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said he is hopeful that under the leadership of the newly-elected deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the level of public discourse will be elevated manifold.

Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson on Thursday. The NDA candidate got 125 votes as against 105 polled by Opposition candidate, Congress' BK Hariprasad.
The Congress has been claiming that it has garnered support from various like-minded Opposition parties and is working to stitch alliances against the NDA.

3 August: A Congress top party source had asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wont get a second chance in office, if the Congress gets its alliance game right.

4 August: In a recent Congress Working Committee meeting, it was decided that the party would build a mass agitation on the issues of the economy, unemployment and farmers distress, by raising these matters both inside and outside Parliament. On the same evening, party president Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity by joining hands with Opposition party leaders at Jantar Mantar.

9 August: The NDA's nominee and Janata Dal (United) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh elected as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman by defeating Congress candidate BK Hariprasad with 125 ayes against 105 noes.

With this election, the Opposition has failed to display its united stand, on the basis of which it is hoping to stop the Narendra Modi juggernaut in the Lok Sabha election next year. This brings to mind what Delhis deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said at a News18 Baithak program on 7 August, in response to a question on his comments on the Opposition unity,

I only see it in news channels. When I look for it in reality, I dont see it anywhere, he remarked.

Is the Opposition unity only a chimera that the Congress is chasing in order to cobble together any kind of front to prevent Modi and the BJP from forming the next government?

With first-time parliamentarian Harivansh Narayan Singh being elected as the new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, the Opposition has lost yet another opportunity to take on the ruling coalition, with the 2019 election inching closer.

The Congress, whether in its core committee meeting or outside, has been claiming that it has garnered support from various like-minded Opposition parties and is working to stitch alliances towards the formation of a united Opposition against the Modi government.

But, the election of the NDA's nominee for the post of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman raises several questions where is the alliance, where is the unity in the Opposition ranks for a strong anti-BJP coalition?

Even if we take into account only the activities which have taken place in Parliament, the NDA has won two litmus tests  one each in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Last month, the NDA government comfortably won the no-confidence motion moved against it by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on 20 July. Such a debate on a no-confidence motion took place in the Lower House for the first time in 15 years. The numbers were on the Modi governments side, and they helped it to win the no-trust motion with confidence. The floor of the Upper House on Thursday saw similar scenes.

Fielding Harivansh as its nominee was a masterstroke on the part of the BJP, and it enabled it to keep its alliance partners in good humour. On the other hand, the Congress' decision to change its nominee at the last minute sent out a message that the anti-NDA consensus had failed to materialise. Instead of lending support to NCP candidate Vandana Chavan, whose name was proposed by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Chandra Mishra and seconded by Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien, so as to garner the support of all Opposition parties, the Congress took a U-turn and came up with its own candidate  BK Hariprasad.

The Congress had recently said that it would gherao the NDA government inside Parliament along with other Opposition parties on issues like the Rafale deal, banking scams, corruption, agrarian distress, unemployment, etc. However, only time will tell as to how far it will be able to create pressure on the government.

The Congress, aware of its weaknesses, said that it is open to alliances ahead of Assembly elections in poll-bound states this year, and thereafter for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

However, Opposition unityboth in letter and spirit  is yet to be seen on the ground, with barely four months left for Assembly elections to take place in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
Piyush Goyal said that the capacity to slash the GST rates on more items would go up as Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues and the compliance rate increases and the economy formalises.

Auto refresh feeds

Jaitley, 65, who stopped attending office at the beginning of April, underwent a renal transplant operation on 14 May. On that day the charge of his ministry was given to Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on an interim basis. Jaitley, a Rajya Sabha MP since 2000, was re-elected to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh in March.

Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as finance minister in May to undergo a kidney transplant, is likely to attend the House on Thursday to participate in the election for the Deputy Chairman's post, according to PTI. This will be the Jaitley's first appearance in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

"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: Sanjay Singh, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh told ANI after the party announced it's decision to abstain from the poll. Singh attacked the Congress for sidelining AAP by saying that, "Rahul Gandhi hugs PM, but can't call us."

The valid motions are then taken up in the House when it convenes. If there are motions that propose the names of more than one MP, then the majority of the House will decide who gets elected, but if the political parties arrive at a consensus candidate, then that MP will be unanimously elected as the Deputy Chair.

A Rajya Sabha MP can submit a motion proposing the name of another Rajya Sabha member for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. The motion has to be seconded by another MP. Additionally, the member moving the motion has to submit a declaration signed by the MP whose name he/she is proposing stating that the MP is willing to serve as the deputy chairperson, if elected. However, each MP is allowed to move or second only one motion.

BJP has issued a three line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the house on Thursday during the voiting for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, ANI reported.

"We have decided to abstain from voting for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman elections as both Congress and BJP have not fulfilled the promises made to Andhra Pradesh," said YSR Congress MP V Vijayasai Reddy.

The post of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman had been lying vacant since June following the retirement of PJ Kurien. The current strength of Rajya Sabh a is 244 and support of 123 members will be needed for a win in the full House.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has accepted the motions moved for both the candidates and the members will now vote. Division call for election of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha has been announced by the Chairman.

After the Upper House elected NDA's candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh as the Rajya Sabha's deputy chairman, Narendra Modi spoke in the House and praised the newly-elected dy chairman for his large-heartedness.

Narendra Modi while praising new dy chairman of RS, on a lighter note, said that he hopes there will be harikripa (God's blessings) in the House with his election.

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said that he is hopeful that under the leadership of the newly-elected deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, the level of public discourse will be elevated mainfold.

The members of the Opposition like TMC's Derek O'Brien and AIADMK MPs congratulated the newly elected dy chairman and also hailed the 'clean polls' where both the candidates cored 'centuries'.

Talking about the achievements of Harivansh Narayan Singh, Narendra Modi said that he is a learned man. "He has read a lot of books and has also written extensively," Modi said.

"An accomplished writer, journalist and active Parliamentarian, I am sure he will further enrich Parliamentary proceedings in his new role. My best wishes to him", Modi wrote in his congratulatory tweet.

The newly-elected dy chair of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh said that he hopes that all members will work together with cooperation and tread on Gandhian principles for a smooth run of the Upper House going forward.

We will all work together to run the House with Gandhian principles, says new deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha

Venakaiah Naidu invited the new deputy chairman to take hold of the House and Harivansh Narayan Singh announced for its adjournment till 2 pm, soon after.

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley tweeted to congratulate Harivansh Narayan Singh, while the NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said that it was "wonderful to see a fellow economist being elected as the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha".

Members of the House are holding a discussion on amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The government had bought in a bill to restore the original provisions of the Act which was first passed by the Cabinet and later the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, in Lok Sabha as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with normal proceedings, the Opposition members stormed into the Well of the House carrying placards and raised slogans against Rafale Deal forcing the Speaker adjourned the House first for 20 minutes till 1 pm. However, when the House met again, the protests continued and thus it was again till 2 pm.

Congress members on Thursday created uproarious scenes in the Lok Sabha demanding a probe into the Rafale fighter aircraft deal by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, forcing an adjournment of the proceedings. The Congress members raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began with their leader Mallikarjun Kharge seeking the Speaker's permission to speak on the alleged scam.

After Thaawar Chand Gehlot rose to introduce The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 for consideration and passing, Kumari Selja of the Congress said that every 15 minutes there is a crime against Dalits.

As the Lok Sabha was reconvened and Union Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Bills to amend the GST (Compensation to States), the IGST and the CGST laws for consideration and passing.

As Union Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Bills to amend the GST (Compensation to States), the IGST and the CGST laws for consideration and passing, the Opposition raised objections to his speech and asked for it to be expunged.

"Who authorised the prime minister to go ahead with the Rafale deal without consulting the Cabinet, without keeping in loop the Defence secretary, without making submissions with the CIC," Kharge asked.

Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge made is speech amid loud ruckus from the Treasury benches. Speaking on the Rafale deal, Kharge said that developments preceding the prime minister's France visit indicated that even the defence secretary had no clue about the fact that Narendra Modi is going to announce the deal.

Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut rose in support of the Bill. He, however, raised some questions about the possibility of misuse of the powerful legislation to settle personal scores. Referring to the Supreme Court ruling, Raut said that the courts function on the principle that no innocent person must never suffer under any law.

Raut said that the government initially supported the Supreme Court's ruling, however, it changed its stance later because of political restraints. He asked the government to ensure that their are strong provisions within the law to rule out a chance of it being misused.

According to it, those leaking the DNA profile information to people or entities who are not entitled to have it, will be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs one lakh. Similar, punishment has also been provided for those who seek the information on DNA profiles illegally.

It also states that all DNA data, including DNA profiles, DNA samples and records, will only be used for identification of the person and not for any other purpose. The bill, based on the one prepared by the Law Commission recently, says that national and regional DNA data banks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of suspects in cases, undertrials, victims, missing persons and unidentified human remains.

A bill that seeks to set up DNA databanks across India to store profiles and proposes jail term for those who leak the information stored in such facilities was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has said that the government must bring an Ordinance to introduce the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, which overturns a Supreme Court judgment on the issue. Yechury, who often criticises the government to take the Ordinance route, said that the government belatedly introduced the legislation because of which it may not be passed in the House as tomorrow is the last day of the Monsoon Session.

The mention of Rafale deal leads to slogan shouting from the Opposition benches in the House. The sloganeering and disturbance was so loud that it drowned out the voice of MoS Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore, who rose to introduce the National Sports University Bill 2018 for consideration and passing.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu objected to this and urged the members to at least respect the views of a woman member, who is also a sportswoman and from the North East India, where the new University is going to be built. He reminded the members that the slogannering and protests would be expunged from the records. However, the disturbance continued in the House.

Nominated member in the Rajya Sabha, and prominent sportswoman MC Mary Kom made a speech in support of the National Sports Univerity Bill. Her speech was drowned out by the constant sloganeering by Opposition members.

He pointed out that in introducing the GST, the funds given to Andhra Pradesh were nothing special but what was promised and given to all other states. "You are manoeuvring like Snowboarders to avoid the issue. Please don't cheat us," Galla said.

During a debate on The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Galla said, "Do not think that the people of Andhra Pradesh are political or legislative illiterates," Galla said as he warned the government that the people will show their anger at the time of elections.

He said that it was ridiculous that the Centre will compensate only for five years when Andhra Pradesh is also facing low revenue generation due to the unscientific division.

Galla said that the introduction of the GST into a consuming state from a producing state. "Andhra Pradesh has been a performing state, and it can be a performing state again but we are in a financial mess which was created by this Parliament while dividing the states," Galla said.

The Union Cabinet has approved amendments in the law relating to Triple Talaq. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We've proposed three changes. If any husband gives instant Triple Talaq and breaks marriage then FIR shall only become cognizable when it is filed by victim or blood relation or relation by marriage. It has been made compoundable, if the wife and the husband desire to settle their differences then the magistrate can compound the offence on appropriate terms and conditions. Magistrate can also grant bail after hearing the wife."

Introducing amendments to the Triple Talaq legislation, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urged Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her party for supporting the Bill. He said that the three proposed changes take care that deterrence is a part of the legislation, while it also offers opportunity for the couple to negotiate and overcome their differences.

The government first introduced the amendment Bill in My 2018. The act establishes the Homoeopathy Central Council to regulate and enforce standards with regard to homoeopathy colleges and homoeopathy practitioners. The Bill seeks to disallow admissions in homeopathy medical colleges which do not conform to the prescribed educational standards.

The Minister said the "GST Council has reduced rates on many items and services in the last round. We want the consumer to be burdened less by indirect tax." Elaborating, Goyal said that in the last one year, the GST Council has reduced rates on 384 items and 68 services. "186 items and 99 services were exempted from GST. Also sanitary pads were exempted from the GST," he said.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the capacity to slash the GST rates on more items would go up as Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues and the compliance rate increases and the economy formalises.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that he feels sorry about the commotion in the House as nothing will be going on the record. "I wanted to run the House properly but this is how you behave. None of this sloganeering will go on record and only what the Members said and the voting will be recorded," Naidu said before adjourning the House for today.

The Bill seeks to amend the Representation of People Act, 1950 and the Representation of People Act, 1951 to allow for proxy voting for NRI voters and to make certain provisions of the Acts gender-neutral.

Several Lok Sabha members mentioned that foolproofing the mechanism for proxy voting will remain a concern. MPs, including Mamtaz Sanghamita, said that even family members may have different political leanings and biases. Then how can an NRI be sure that the proxy will caste the vote according to his or her wishes?

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "My initial observation is that all migrant workers who have registered in the voters list, have the rights to get registered in the area where they're working. Those NRIs who will be allowed are those who have their names in the voters list. They will authorise the confirmed proxy to vote. This is good for the country."

AAP's Patiala MP Dharam Vira Gandhi said that by ensuring that over 1 million people living abroad could vote through a proxy, we may end up denying a level-playing field to smaller parties. He said that the small regional parties may not hold the means to reach those members and convince them to gain their vote, whereas national parties can. This may inadvertently help the big parties gain votes.

He said, "When the Constitution of India put so much faith in the people of India, why are we doubting the NRIs. I'm very proud to say that all NRIs have reached abroad due to their hard work. NRIs has earned millions, but yet, their passport is Indian. Proxy is not a dirty word in Company Law and many other places. All the concerns which has been raised by many members can be fixed with rules."

In his reply to the discussion on the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad objected to comments of MPs who suggested that NRI votes could be influenced or bought.

Replying to a member's suggestion that e-voting or digital voting may be facilitated for Indians staying abroad, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "E-voting may not be completely secure. We need further technology to ensure e-voting is safe. Plus there are problems in ensuring the secrecy of the vote, since it will be highlighted online."

He urged the Centre to intervene in the issue. "Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should set up a special medical facility in the area. This time, they have to provide adequate funds for the facility. Central government should integrate kidney patients in Ayushman Bharat," he said.

During the Zero Hour, TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu raised the issue of kidney ailment cases in Uddanam in Andhra Pradesh. "Previously, Uddanam was known for its lush green vegetation and coconut plantation. But it now has the highest number of kidney patients in one corner of the area. In the last 10 years, there have been deaths of 8,300 people. It's not even sparing the rich; two MLAs have also died."

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "My initial observation is that all migrant workers who have registered in the voters list, have the rights to get registered in the area where they're working. Those NRIs who will be allowed are those who have their names in the voters list. They will authorise the confirmed proxy to vote. This is good for the country."

AAP's Patiala MP Dharam Vira Gandhi said that by ensuring that over 1 million people living abroad could vote through a proxy, we may end up denying a level-playing field to smaller parties. He said that the small regional parties may not hold the means to reach those members and convince them to gain their vote, whereas national parties can. This may inadvertently help the big parties gain votes.

He said, "When the Constitution of India put so much faith in the people of India, why are we doubting the NRIs. I'm very proud to say that all NRIs have reached abroad due to their hard work. NRIs has earned millions, but yet, their passport is Indian. Proxy is not a dirty word in Company Law and many other places. All the concerns which has been raised by many members can be fixed with rules."

In his reply to the discussion on the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad objected to comments of MPs who suggested that NRI votes could be influenced or bought.

Replying to a member's suggestion that e-voting or digital voting may be facilitated for Indians staying abroad, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "E-voting may not be completely secure. We need further technology to ensure e-voting is safe. Plus there are problems in ensuring the secrecy of the vote, since it will be highlighted online."

He urged the Centre to intervene in the issue. "Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should set up a special medical facility in the area. This time, they have to provide adequate funds for the facility. Central government should integrate kidney patients in Ayushman Bharat," he said.

During the Zero Hour, TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu raised the issue of kidney ailment cases in Uddanam in Andhra Pradesh. "Previously, Uddanam was known for its lush green vegetation and coconut plantation. But it now has the highest number of kidney patients in one corner of the area. In the last 10 years, there have been deaths of 8,300 people. It's not even sparing the rich; two MLAs have also died."

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election LATEST updates: Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that the capacity to slash the GST rates on more items

would go up as Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues and the compliance rate increases and the economy formalises.

The Rajya Sabha has passed the National Sports University Bill 2018 despite the sloganeering by some Opposition members in Well.

The Rajya Sabha has passed The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has said that the government must bring an Ordinance to introduce the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, which overturns a Supreme Court judgment on the issue. Yechury, who often criticises the government to take the Ordinance route, said that the government belatedly introduced the legislation because of which it may not be passed in the House as today is the last day of the Monsoon Session.

The Union Cabinet has approved amendment in the Triple Talaq Bill. Although the offence continues to remain non-bailable but a magistrate can give bail, ANI reported.

As Union Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Bills to amend the GST (Compensation to States), the IGST and the CGST laws for consideration and passing, the Opposition raised objections to his speech and asked for it to be expunged. Whereas, Congress members on Thursday created uproarious scenes in the Lok Sabha demanding a probe into the Rafale fighter aircraft deal by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, forcing an adjournment of the proceedings. The Congress members raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began with their leader Mallikarjun Kharge seeking the Speaker's permission to speak on the alleged scam.

Meanwhile, in Rajya Sabha after Thaawar Chand Gehlot rose to introduce The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 for consideration and passing, Kumari Selja of the Congress said that every 15 minutes there is a crime against Dalits. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha Venakaiah Naidu adjourned the House for 10 minutes as Opposition continued to protest.

Meanwhile, in Lok Sabha as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with normal proceedings, the Opposition members stormed into the Well of the House carrying placards and raised slogans against Rafale Deal forcing the Speaker adjourned the House first for 20 minutes till 1 pm. However, when the House met again, the protests continued and thus it was again till 2 pm.

Members of the House are holding a discussion on amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The government had bought in a bill to restore the original provisions of the Act which was first passed by the Cabinet and later the Lok Sabha.

Chairman Venakaiah Naidu invited the new deputy chairman to take hold of the House and Harivansh Narayan Singh announced for its adjournment till 2 pm, soon after. Naidu will host a breakfast on Friday for all members along with the new deputy chairman.

The newly-elected dy chair of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh said that he hopes that all members will work together with cooperation and tread on Gandhian principles for a smooth run of the Upper House going forward.

'Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose', Sonia Gandhi said as NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh became the new Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. Whereas, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Assam chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal tweeted to congratulate the newly-elelcted Rajya Sabha deputy chairman.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated JDU MP Harivansh Narayan Singh and praised his good deeds and contribution to the field of journalism. Whereas, the members of the Opposition like TMC's Derek O'Brien and AIADMK MPs congratulated the newly elected dy chairman and also hailed the 'clean polls' where both the candidates cored 'centuries'.

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said that he is hopeful that under the leadership of the newly-elected deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh, the level of public discourse will be elevated manifold. Narendra Modi while praising new dy chairman of RS, on a lighter note, said that he hopes there will be harikripa (God's blessings) in the House with his election.

After the Upper House elected NDA's candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh as the Rajya Sabha's deputy chairman, Narendra Modi spoke in the House and praised the newly-elected dy chairman for his large-heartedness.

NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh elected as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman with 125 ayes against 105 noes. Chairman Venakaiah naidu had to conduct the voting for RS deputy chairman again due to mistakes.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has accepted the motions moved for both the candidates and the members will now vote. Division call for election of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha has been announced by the Chairman. Secretary-General explains the voting procedure to the members.

The Rajya Sabha has started has proceedings for the day as Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu addressed the Upper House members.

YSR Congress decides to abstain from Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election. Meanwhile, BJP has issued a three line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the house on Thursday during the voiting for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, ANI reported.

A keen contest is on the cards on Thursday between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint opposition candidate BK 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 on Thursday, soon after the laying of papers. The post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the retirement of PJ Kurien on 1 July. 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 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.
If Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami kicked up a needless fuss over where Karunanidhi should be buried, it was a tit-for-tat without respect for the dead

"I have respect for the dead, I have respect for all the dead," said Italian mobster Salvatore Riina Junior in a controversial 2016 interview. He said this when he was asked about a couple of men whom the dreadful Sicilian mafia had killed.

The conspiracies that Tamil Nadu's DMK and AIADMK hatch against each other are packed with all the cruelty of the tit-for-tat, eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth vendetta that Cosa Nostra is notorious for  but without the mobsters' honour for the departed souls. If Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami kicked up a needless fuss over where Karunanidhi should be buried, it was a tit-for-tat without respect for the dead. Till the Madras High Court permitted it on Wednesday, the government refused to allow Karunanidhi's burial on the Marina Beach close to the grave of his mentor Anna, as the late DMK patriarch CN Annadurai was known.

The AIADMK leaders may have congratulated themselves on striking up an ingenious way to pay the deceased Karunanidhi in his own coin. That's because Karunanidhi had failed to grant the same final resting place to AIADMK leader MG Ramachandran's widow Janaki when she died in 1996.

Never mind if Janaki was the chief minister for 23 days and Karunanidhi was in that job for 19 years over five terms. Even eye-for-eye feuds have a gruesome fairness to them: One eye for one eye. The ruckus that the Tamil Nadu government has kicked up has another name. It's called pettiness. And pettiness allows neither hatchets nor dead bodies to be buried in peace. It only buries decency and honour.

It's possible, if not probable, that there is an ideological and political twist to the ghastly episode. Did Palaniswami suffer from hallucinations that, if Karunanidhi was buried there, the DMK would walk away with the legacy of Anna? After all, it is the AIADMK that claims to be his ideological heir, and the second A in the partys name represents Anna. The AIADMK was an offshoot of the original DMK led by Anna.

Even if this was the case, it in no way reduces the meanness of the petty quarrel over the burial of a 94-year-old, five-term chief minister. The cruel joke is that there is no Anna legacy for anybody to claim in the first place. Watched by millions of people, Annas Dravidian legacy was buried along with his body on the Marina, after the tobacco-chewing ideologue died of cancer in 1969.

Anna's legacy? What's that?

The original Dravidianism had been fanatically anti-Brahmin, based on the fuzzy, unproven notion that India is divided into a Dravidian south and the Brahminical Aryan race of the north. The demand for an independent Dravidanadu was part of this so-called movement. But by the time Anna had become the first DMK chief minister in 1967, he had toned down the party's anti-Brahmin idiom, reducing it into a somewhat more tolerant ideology aimed at demolishing caste inequality.

Neither Karunanidhi (who belonged to the Isai Vellalar community of temple musicians) nor MGR (a Sri-Lanka-born Malayali who had an upper-caste father and a backward class mother) nor Jayalalithaa (a Brahmin) inherited Anna's Version 2 of Dravidian ideology that sought to fight for the rights of downtrodden castes. For all of them, Dravidian politics came to mean politics of dominant castes.

Anna must be stirring in his grave, with the triumvirate of Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalithaa buried close to him. Leave alone trying to fight the caste system, Karunanidhi and MGR used caste to win elections and finish each other off. Later, Jayalalithaa replaced MGR in this game. Legacy of Anna? Forget it.

In the modern form of Dravidianism, decimating the rival with the enthusiasm and dedication of a ninja is important. The means aren't, even if they are petty. If MGR wanted to abolish the state's Legislative Council because Karunanidhi had become its member in 1984, if Karunanidhi allowed his men to pull Jayalalithaa's sari pallu in the Assembly in 1989, which made her call the DMK leader a Duryodhana, if the police under the Jayalalithaa regime roughed up Karunanidhi in the middle of one night in 2001, which made the helpless man cry. "They are killing me, they are killing me", and if Jayalalithaa made a habit of slapping defamation suits on journalists critical of her, these were the manifestations of petty politics cloaked in fake Dravidianiasm.

Even Indira Gandhi, arguably the mother of Machiavellian politics in India, was subtle and even graceful in her machinations against rivals except during the Emergency. But the small-mindedness that Dravidian parties call forth against each other suffer from no sophistication.

The latest instance of this meanness on the part of Palaniswami in trying to deny the Marina burial place to Karunanidhi has serious potential for boomeranging on him. The mess in which the AIADMK continues to find itself following Jayalalithaas death in 2016 has already put DMK ahead in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The death of Karunanidhi and the shameful kerfuffle over his burial could only push up DMKs ratings even further. And that can only be bad news for Narendra Modi, because DMK is now part of the Congress bandwagon.

The author tweets @sprasadindia
Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh Narayan Singh was on Thursday elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, securing 125 votes as against 105 polled by opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.

Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh Narayan Singh was on Thursday elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, securing 125 votes as against 105 polled by opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.

The post of the deputy chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of PJ Kurien on 1 July.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu began the proceedings on Thursday, inviting MPs to submit the motion proposing a colleague's name for the constitutional position. The nomination of Harivansh was proposed by MP Ram Prasad Singh and BJP president Amit Shah among others.

Shortly after general secretary of the Upper House, Desh Deepak Verma explained the voting process, members of the House participated in a voice vote followed by a division of votes.

Naidu held the voting twice, after a few MPs complained that they couldn't register their vote on the machine.

After the results of 125 votes for Harivansh Narayan Singh against 105 votes for Congress' BK Hariprasad were announced, the entire House congratulated the former with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad felicitating him.

Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and senior Congress leader Azad accompanied Harivansh to the seat designated for the Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

Addressing the House, Azad said the deputy chairman must support the Opposition as they are more "undernourished". "In elections, some on wins and someone loses. But the Deputy Chairman is no longer a part of any single party. He belongs to the country now. In fact, I believe that Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House should in-fact support the Opposition as they are more undernourished than that of the ruling party," he said.

Prime Minister Modi also congratulated Harivansh on his election. Speaking on the occasion, Modi talked about achievements of Harivansh, a journalist for about four decades.

"Today we mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. Harivansh ji hails from Ballia, a land linked with freedom fighters. He has been inspired by Loknayak JP. He also spent time in Varanasi. Here is a leader who worked with a statesman like (former prime minister) Chandra Shekhar ji. Working closely with Chandra Shekhar ji, Harivansh ji knew in advance that Chandra Shekhar ji would resign. However, he did not let his own paper have access to this news. This shows his commitment to ethics and public service. He is a learned man. He has read a lot of books and has also written extensively," he said.

Harivansh, 62, is the former editor of Prabhat Khabar, one of the most prominent newspapers of Bihar and Jharkhand, which for years championed the cause of special category status for Bihar. He left the daily after becoming a Rajya Sabha member in 2014.

Hoping that Harivansh would do justice to all members of the House, Modi in a lighter vein said the situation in the House is such that the umpire faces more problems than players. He also said that Harivansh was offered a job by the Reserve Bank of India but he did not take it.

Speaking about the JD(U) leader's experience, Modi added, "His experience, commitment and expertise of dealing people will help the House. He had earlier run a column on how the parliamentarians of the country should work. Little did he know that he will one day be the Deputy Chairperson of the House. We all will benefit from his experience." The prime minister said while the outcome of the election was known, yet there was a contest as per procedures and the new members got training on how to vote in the House.

Union minister Arun Jaitley, who attended the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for the first time since undergoing a renal transplant in May, said the newly-elected deputy chairman never made personal attacks on anyone and hoped that he would further better the discourse in the House.

Born on 30 June, 1956, in Uttar Pradesh's Balia, Harivansh did his post-graduate in Economics from Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He also did his PG Diploma in Journalism from BHU. He has been an associate of renowned socialist Jai Prakash Narayan.

House chairman Naidu also congratulated Harivansh, outlining his reticent nature and encouraged him to work for the country, and not any particular party ideology. "For all those who think that I get emotional in the House, let me assure that Harivansh is a calm person. It is exemplary that he has been elected for the post despite being a first-time lawmaker. I congratulate the House for completing the election before the Monsoon Session is completed. Being a chairperson, I can suggest to him that we should neither look left nor right and work only for the country," Naidu remarked.

Soon after, Harivansh addressed the House and extended his gratitude and asserted that he belonged to neither party as a Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. "Now that I have been designated to this role, I belong to neither of the party. But I take this opportunity to thank the party that has given me this opportunity. I would also like to thank PM Modi and Arun Jaitley who came to Rajya Sabha today (Thursday)," he said.

The former journalist also expressed his nervousness and said he never imagined he would hold an office in the Parliament as important as this. "I have learned a lot working with you all, and am certain that it will help me deal with matters better. I am also nervous because I will be working with Parliamentarians who come with a lot of experience and knowledge," he said.

Harivansh later presided over the proceedings of the House and was applauded with thumping of desks by members. He, thereafter, adjourned the House till 2 pm.

With inputs from PTI

Follow LIVE updates on Parliament Monsoon Session
The election to the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha on 9 August will be a key contest, with the Opposition trying to muster a united front after the failure of no-confidence motion in the Parliament in July.

The election to the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha on Thursday will be a key contest, with the Opposition trying to muster a united front after the failure of no-confidence motion in the Parliament in July.

The Opposition parties, led by the Congress, will look to retain the post after losing out on the vice president post due to the pulling out of JD(U), which now sides with the NDA. Whereas, the NDA, which is in minority in the Upper House, will look to have a candidate of its choice in the deputy chairman post as it will help the government in passing crucial legislations.

The post had been lying vacant since June following the retirement of PJ Kurien, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha. The current strength of Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members will be needed for a win in the full House. Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu had suggested that the deputy chairperson should be elected by consensus on the last day of the Monsoon Session and thus the nominations for the same were closed on Wednesday.

While the NDA has fielded JD(U)s Harivansh Narayan Singh, a first-time MP representing Bihar and a former journalist, the Opposition has picked Congress' BK Hariprasad as its candidate.

Singh is the former editor-in-chief of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar and was one of the three JD(U) MPs elected unopposed from Bihar in 2014. Whereas, Hariprasad is a three-time MP on a Congress ticket and represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. He is also the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Congress leader Anand Sharma said that prior to Hariprasad's selection, five sets of nomination papers  five proposers and five seconders  were filed by the combined Opposition. Earlier, the names of DMKs Tiruchi Siva, NCPs Vandana Chavan, nominated member K T S Tulsi and BJDs Prasanna Acharya were doing the rounds.

As far as the support of various parties in the House go, the Opposition, reportedly has at least 116 votes, including two of the YSR Congress. Chandrababu Naidus TDP too has extended its support by decided to not vote in favour of the ruling party's candidate. Meanwhile, Opposition parties are also in touch with BJD, which is yet to declare of its support. Because of Assembly elections in Odisha in 2019, BJD may abstain or be absent during voting, a senior Opposition leader told The Indian Express. The Congress in itself has 50 members in the House at present.

On the other hand, besides the nominated and Independent members affiliated to it, BJP, which has 73 members on its own, is banking on the support of the likes of AIADMK, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal. Chandrasekhar Rao's TRS is also likely to support the NDA candidate on Thursday. But the vote of BJD, which has nine members in the House, will sill be a crucial and deciding factor to swing the election in the ruling party's favour or take away from it. Parties like AAP and DMK (in light of Karunanidhi's death) are yet to clear their stand, while PDP is, for all obvious reasons, likely to not support the NDA.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and the two contenders would require at least 123 votes to be chosen for the post. The BJP is the largest party in the House with 73 members. Its allies JD(U), Shiv Sena, Akali Dal have six, three and three members, respectively.

The nomination of the two candidates, however, was not without controversies. The Opposition took a considerable amount of time to decide on a final name. After several rounds of meeting on Tuesday, the Opposition had concluded that NCP's Vandana Chavan, whose name was proposed by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Chandra Mishra and seconded by TMC leader Derek O'Brien, would be the right fit as she might able to get the support of even a few of NDA allies. However, later the Congress decided to field its nominee as the joint Opposition candidate.

Whereas, by deciding to nominate Harivansh Narayan Singh as NDA's candidate, the BJP leadership has given a signal that the BJP and JD(U) are trusted allies and plan to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections jointly.
Despite being boxed into a corner for its coalition with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP seems to be keeping its options open for an electoral alliance with the BJP deciding to abstain in the todays Rajya Sabha elections.

Despite being boxed into a corner for its coalition with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, the Peoples Democratic Party seems to be keeping its options open for an electoral alliance with the rightwing party by deciding to abstain in the todays elections for the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha.

The National Conference has termed the move as a tactical alliance of the PDP with the BJP, despite the fact that their coalition collapsed in the state after the latter pulled out support from Mehbooba Mufti-led government citing deteriorating security situation.

Senior National Conference leader Ali Muhammad Sagar said the two parties are having extra marital affair despite having ended their marriage and all the differences projected by them publicly were for political posturing only to befool people.

It is obvious that the PDP still favours the BJP despite facing humiliation at the hands of none other than the Prime Minister himself. Amid the political uncertainty in the state, they (PDP) want to keep the Hindu rightwing party in good humour ahead of the next years general elections. Their greed for power has no limits, the NC general secretary said.

The PDPs decision to abstain from voting has come as a surprise for political observers in Jammu and Kashmir in the light of attacks and counter-attacks at each other by the leaders of two parties. The PDP has two members in Rajya Sabha and the National Conference has none.

The BJP is the single-largest party in the House but it falls short of the magical number of 112 to win the election by a simple majority. The election to post of the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha was necessitated after P J Kurien of the Congress retired from the position on July 2. The election is seen as a key test for the Congress as it looks to retain the position.

While the Congress has indicated that it was ready to back a non-Congress candidate from the opposition, the Left parties have agreed on a candidate from the Trinamool Congress, which is said to be keen to have its MP as a joint candidate. The election will test the BJPs floor management skills in the Upper House where several bills and other issues faced impediments from opposition parties.

Senior PDP leader and chief spokesperson of the party, Rafi Ahmad Mir, said the decision to abstain from the voting for the post of Rajya Sabhas vice-chairman has taken by the party president Mehbooba Mufti.

It is on the direction of the PDP president that our two members are going to abstain from voting in the election, Mir said. The move will favour the BJP as the opposition will be deprived of two votes of PDP members Nazir Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir.

But this is not the first time after the coalition government collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir that the PDP has supported the BJP. Last month, the PDP supported the ruling party at the Centre when the partys founding leader and lone member in the Lok Sabha, Muzaffar Hussain Baig abstained from voting on a no-confidence motion brought by TDP against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Political observers see the PDPs tacit support to the BJP as part of the strategy to keep its electoral options open for future alliance in Jammu and Kashmir which is presently under the Governors rule. The state assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020.

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said although the PDP and BJP have ended their coalition, the former, by abstaining from the Rajya Sabha election, has insulted the people of Kashmir once again, "This abstention explains the PDPs lust for power. Publicly, Mehboobaji castigates the BJP but her party tacitly supports their (BJPs) candidate in Rajya Sabha. This dichotomy shows the arrogance of the PDP," he said.

Noor A Baba, a political scientist and Dean of Social Sciences at the Central University of Kashmir said the BJP wave in Jammu has started to ebb and the electorate may favour a non-BJP party when the general elections are held in the country followed by the state assembly elections.

The BJP is likely to face some upsets in Jammu in coming elections due to the communal polarisation that has gripped the Hindu-majority region in the backdrop of Kathua incident. Although the party will not be dependent on the PDPs support for Lok Sabha elections, it will require the support of a regional party from Kashmir to form a government in the state. The PDPs move to abstain from Rajya Sabha election seems to be well-calculated, he said.
Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as finance minister in May to undergo a kidney transplant, is likely to attend the House on Thursday to participate in the election for the deputy chairman's post, sources said.

New Delhi: Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as finance minister in May to undergo a kidney transplant, is likely to attend the House on Thursday to participate in the election for the deputy chairman's post, sources said.

This will be the Jaitley's first appearance in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session. "Jaitleyji will be present in the house on Thursday to participate in the voting," a source said.

Jaitley, 65, who stopped attending office at the beginning of April, underwent a renal transplant operation on 14 May. On that day the charge of his ministry was given to Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on an interim basis.

Jaitley, a Rajya Sabha MP since 2000, was re-elected to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh in March.

Jaitley had undergone a bariatric surgery soon after the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014. The surgery was to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition.
The election for post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman was yet another occasion for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to prove their unmatched ability to turn a challenging situation to their advantage.

The election for post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman was yet another occasion for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to prove their unmatched ability to turn a challenging situation to their advantage.

They always punch above their weight and get the desired result. The numbers for deputy chairmans election read: 125 for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Harivansh and 105 for Congress-led Opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.

The significance of these numbers can be gauged from the fact that the BJP-led NDA is in the minority in the Rajya Sabha. They only have 92 seats in the 244-member House but they got 125 votes. The Modi regime would thus have the satisfaction of closing Monsoon Session on a buoyant note. This short session began with government surprising the Opposition by accepting the Congress and TDP sponsored no-confidence motion on day one, holding the debate and voting within 48 hours of the motion being submitted.

Modi used that occasion to not only display his characteristic oratory  listing his government's achievements and giving a point-by-point rebuttal to Congress president Rahul Gandhi  but also to show that after four years in government, he has a greater support in the House than the ruling NDA numbers suggest. The Opposition only mustered the support of 126 members and the government defeated the motion with flying colors with 325 MPs by its side. It should also be noted that in a House of 542 MPs, only 451 participated in voting: the Shiv Sena, a BJP ally in the Lok Sabha with 18 members, abstained.

These numbers, and the way Modi-Shah played out their parliamentary and political strategy, succeeded in getting the most of the important bills passed and turning public opinion in their favour over the highly sensitive National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam: all of this acquires additional significance ahead of Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.

This also comes around the time when the build-up for 2019 parliamentary elections in terms of setting agenda for public discourse has already begun. By nominating Harivansh, a first-time MP from the Janata Dal (United), for the post of deputy chairman, Modi-Shah sent the message that they care for their allies and are willing to walk the extra mile to give a position of prominence to deserving persons. The JD(U) does not have any representation in the council of ministers nor did it lay any claim to the post. This comes as an honour to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (who is also the JD(U) chief).

Modi's gesture: entering the House and walking up to Harivanshs newly-designated seat to compliment him and delivering a highly engaging speech in his honour with a larger political message to people in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand has its own significance. Though what the prime minister did was part of parliamentary procedure, the difference was made by how Modi did it: by injecting a personal touch into the exercise. A Union minister, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Firstpost, By moving a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha and making so much noise about the election of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, the Congress helped us gain a great advantage in terms of public perception and discourse, which we would otherwise only have achieved through six months of hard work.

The shrill noises made by the Congress and its ally TMC over the NRC and their determined bid to prevent Shah from speaking in the Upper House helped the BJP add to their advantage. On all these occasions, Modi succeeded in building the perception that despite the Peoples Democratic Party and Telugu Desam Party exiting the NDA fold and despite the Shiv Sena playing truant, the ruling coalition is alive and kicking. The BJP succeeded in getting All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Biju Janata Dal and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (all-non NDA parties) to stand with it and vote for it. The BJP can now claim that important non-NDA parties which rule three states have confidence in Modi, irrespective of their differences over policies and politics with the Centre and the BJP.

In contrast, Rahul failed to inspire confidence among Opposition leaders. His idea of moving no-confidence motion against the Modi government ended up benefitting the BJP. It exposed a schism in the Opposition ranks. The Congress and its allies built hype around the post of deputy chairman and then failed to get their candidate elected.

Rahul's inability to unify the ranks of the Opposition or make them believe in his ability and intent comes even as a great deal of hype is being built around the proposed mahagathbandhan or grand alliance against Modi and BJP for 2019. Even the Congress president's public admission  overruling the Congress Working Committee (his partys highest policy making body's resolution)  that he was willing to leave his aspirations of being prime minister in 2019 and step aside for Mamata Banerjee or Mayawati hasnt helped the cause of Opposition unity. On the contrary, it has thrown up too many prime ministerial aspirants from the Opposition ranks.

The tale of the 2018 Monsoon Session of Parliament may be a prelude to the 2019 polls.
With no guarantee which way 2019 will go, many regional parties clearly do not wish to take on the BJP openly, and would rather let Congress take the hit.

The one man who was relieved when Congress' BK Hariprasad was announced as the candidate fielded by the joint Opposition for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election on Thursday was K Chandrasekhar Rao. It would have made things very tricky for the Telangana chief minister if Vandana Chavan of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was to be fielded. KCR and NCP chief Sharad Pawar go back a long way, back to the days of the Telangana statehood agitation, when the Maratha strongman had backed the separatist demand.

In that case, the Congress made it easy for KCR by nominating Hariprasad. There was no way the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief would support a Congress candidate, thus providing him with a legitimate reason for voting for the NDA candidate. The fact that the BJP fielded a JD(U) candidate, and Nitish Kumar called KCR to ask for his support, made it even better. No one could now accuse KCR of doing business with the BJP, at least not officially.

In terms of political strategy, the BJP had bowled a wicket-taking googly while the Congress had scored a self-goal.

Across the border, the YSR Congress was in a dilemma. It could not have voted for the NDA because the Centre had denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Doing so would have invited barbs from the TDP and Chandrababu Naidu that Jaganmohan Reddy had cut a deal with the ruling establishment in New Delhi. Again here, putting Hariprasad in the fray allowed Jagan an escape route. There was also no way he was going to support the Congress which had divided Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

So, instead of abstaining from the vote, as his two MPs finally did, Jaganmohan might have been forced to vote for the non-NDA candidate had it been an MP from one of the regional parties who was contesting the election.

The third regional party from the South that helped the NDA cause was the AIADMK, which has been bending over backwards to please the BJP in recent times. The 13 AIADMK MPs voted for the NDA candidate, making it amply clear that it is just a technicality that they are not formally part of the NDA 'Parivaar'.

This was the second time in two months that the AIADMK demonstrated its love for the BJP. Its Lok Sabha MPs voted for the government in the no-trust vote last month, the party reasoning that the motion was moved by the Telugu Desam over its state-specific issue of special status. The AIADMK said it saw no reason to support the motion, as special status to Andhra would hurt Tamil Nadu's investment interests. And this time, AIADMK saw the vote for NDA as thanksgiving for having made Thambidurai the deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The TDP, meanwhile, voted for Congress' candidate, unperturbed by how it will be perceived back home in Andhra Pradesh. The TDP is clear that four years is a long time in the life of a state, and though people are annoyed with what the Congress did in 2014, their anger is more directed at the BJP now. For the TDP, it was about choosing the lesser of the two foes.

But there is nothing to cheer in it for the Congress, as this TDP support is unlikely to materialise into an alliance ahead of 2019. This is because an alliance with Congress brings next to nothing for the TDP in Andhra Pradesh. On the contrary, it might even prove to be a liability.

It was also bad judgment on the Congress' part to field an MP from Karnataka, a state where it came a poor second place in Assembly elections held just months ago. The party should have chosen a regional party's candidate, especially after the BJP did so by outsourcing the canvassing to Nitish Kumar.

The fact that none of the regional parties decided to bite the bullet is also indicative of how many of them are sitting on the fence. With no guarantee which way 2019 will go, many of them clearly do not wish to take on the BJP openly, and would rather let Congress take the hit.

The TRS  that made moves to form a non-BJP, non-Congress front in March  has put the idea into cold storage, and going by the three meetings that KCR and his son, Telangana Industry minister KT Rama Rao, have had with the prime minister in the last six weeks, it seems the stage is being set for a post-2019 marriage. But given the Muslim vote that KCR would not like to lose in Telangana, the charade of BJP as a poll rival will be played out.

Is this election in the Council of States a pointer of sorts to the general election, especially when it comes to south India, where the BJP is seen to be friendless and lacking in a support base?

Yes. The BJP may be unable to win a seat on the lotus symbol on its own in any southern state barring Karnataka, but it has taken steps to forge friendships with the likes of the AIADMK, TRS and YSRC. The fact that none of them have gone with the Opposition camp would gladden the BJP.

The three states in which these three parties operate have a catchment potential of 81 MPs. While the AIADMK could be a pre-poll partner, the other two are potential post-poll allies of the BJP. Just a phone call away should Modi fall short of numbers.
Top seed Rafael Nadal blew past patchy Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday to begin his quest for a fourth Canadian trophy at the Toronto Masters.

Toronto: Top seed Rafael Nadal blew past patchy Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday to begin his quest for a fourth Canadian trophy at the Toronto Masters.

The world number one Spaniard was untouchable as he schooled Paire for the fourth time without a loss, taking 74 minutes as he broke six times.

Nadal won the event in 2005, 2008 and 2013.

"I was not at my 100 per cent today," Nadal said. "It's true that I did good work here the last five days, but at the same time it's true that I didn't work very hard at home.

"So the first match is an important victory for me, for my confidence. It's important that I have another match tomorrow too. So just try to keep going.

"I played a solid match, in the second set I had some troubles, but my return worked well. It was more about the mistakes from the baseline."

The 32-year-old will bid for the quarter-finals here for the first time since 2015 when he plays Stan Wawrinka, who staged another fightback in three sets, beating Marton Fucsovics 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (12/10).

Defending champion Alexander Zverev, seeded second and winner at the weekend in Washington, also advanced easily beating Bradley Klahn 6-4, 6-4.

Former top-ranked Novak Djokovic, a four-time champion, sent Canadian Peter Polansky to a 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

Two generations of local players split the difference with Milos Raonic, 27, heading out while teenaged gun Denis Shapovalov moved on.

American Frances Tiafoe beat Raonic 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1 in a match hit by a weather interruption of more than two and a half hours.

Teenaged prodigy Shapovalov eliminated Italian 14th seed Fabio Fognini winner last weekend in Los Cabos, 6-3, 7-5.

Djokovic expressed support for the new 25-second shot clock innovation designed to cut down on time wasting between points.

"I'm pretty comfortable with it -- it's good to have shot clock in the tournaments prior to the US Open."

The 13-time Grand Slam title winner has now won 21 of his last 24 matches after a rollercoaster start to 2018 which saw him go 6-6.

Djokovic, the winner of 30 career Masters titles, will next face rising Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat seventh seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).

It was the second straight opening defeat for the Austrian, who also last week at home in Kitzbuehel; he reportedly arrived carrying a virus.

Wimbledon semi-finalist John Isner defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

Third seed Juan Martin del Potro was forced to withdraw prior to his opening match due to a left wrist injury.
tech2 News Staff

Editor's note: The Data Protection Bill series carefully examines the various sections of the draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 as laid down by the Justice Srikrishna Commission and submitted to MEITY for approval. This is Part IX of the series.

The biggest drawback of Indias existing privacy laws, in terms of Sections 43A and 72A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, was the complete lack of enforceability. The IT (Sensitive Personal Data) Rules, 2011, which were issued under Sections 43A, in fact embodied many of the privacy principles. However, without proper powers of enforcement backing the rules, they became largely recommendatory in nature. The result was that for many Indian companies, the requirement for reasonable security practices and other privacy-related rules went unimplemented.

To have this replaced with a full-fledged enforcement mechanism and a Data Protection Authority under the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 is thus a welcome step forward. More provisions, however, are required under the Bill to ensure transparency in the establishment and functioning of the DPA.

Setting up a DPA in India

The foremost recommendation is to set up a single, centralized Data Protection Authority of India (DPA) under Section 49 of the Bill. The DPA has been granted a wide range of powers, including in relation to monitoring and ensuring compliance with the law; dealing with legal affairs, policy and setting of standards; and conducting research and promoting awareness. It is good to note that promoting awareness among data principals as to privacy and their rights has been made a priority. In particular, a Data Protection Awareness Fund is to be created for this purpose under Section 77.

The DPA will be taking a number of crucial decisions, such as establishing lawful grounds of processing, determining when a data breach should be notified to the people, determining if the law has been violated, classifying entities as significant data fiduciaries, identifying new categories of sensitive data, and awarding data trust scores. This will, thus, play the most significant role in ensuring the proper implementation of the data protection law and thus in upholding the peoples right to privacy.

Ensuring transparency and accountability

Given the significance of the DPAs role, ensuring transparency in the establishment and functioning of the DPA is thus essential. It is for this reason that several persons raised issues with the constitution of the DPA, to ensure that its members would represent a wide range of stakeholders. The Bill, however, provides no clarification on thisit merely specifies the qualifications of the persons to be appointed.

Further, more provisions in the Bill are required to establish transparency in the decision- making process of the DPA. The current requirements include, for instance, the need to file reports of accounts and audit to the government, the requirement to furnish returns to the Government on proposed programmes for the development of data protection, requiring rules framed under the law to be laid before Parliament and so on. These provisions largely ensure the accountability of the functioning of the DPA to the government. Such provisions need to be backed up with provisions ensuring accountability of the DPA and the government to the public.

Need for public consultations and publication of reasons

For instance, under the requirements for cross-border transfer of data under Section 41, the Authority has the power to approve the standard contractual clauses required for the transfer. The Central government and the Authority together can also determine countries or sectors in other countries to which transfers are possible. However, the reasons behind these decisions have not been required to be made public. The Bill, under Section 60(2) only gives the DPA the option to make such information public, when it deems it to be necessary in public interest.

Better transparency needs to be ensured through the publication of (at least) the important decisions of the DPA. Further, public consultations should be required, allowing greater public participation and an opportunity to judge public sentiment before decisions are taken.

Public consultation and DPA approval for new laws

Additionally, the Bill, in several places, allows processing of data and sensitive personal data in compliance with the law. Under Section 60(2), the Bill requires the DPA to advise the Parliament and the Central and State governments on measures required to ensure the protection of the data. This needs to be backed up by requiring laws that have important implications for privacy to be approved by the DPA as well. This approval must also include a public consultation.

Consider, for instance, the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018, which was recently introduced in Parliament and has major implications for privacy. Governmental programmes which have major privacy implications must also undergo the same process. This can ensure some security before mandatorily enrolling people into a process with major privacy implications, as was done for Aadhaar.

Enforcement mechanism and adjudication procedures

In order to support the DPA in its adjudicatory functions, the Bill sets up the following process. In case of a complaint, the data principal must first directly approach the data fiduciary for remedying his issue. Data fiduciaries are required to establish grievance redressal mechanisms under Section 39 of the Bill for this purpose.

As discussed in Part VII of the series, there is a limit to the rights granted to a data principal, thus preventing him from requiring the fiduciary to take certain actions like deleting his data. Despite this, the ability to file a grievance allows the data principal to require the data fiduciary to comply with the law. However, if his grievance is not redressed properly, a data principal can approach the adjudication wing of the DPA, consisting of Adjudicatory Officers to be appointed under Section 68 of the Bill. Thereafter an appeal will lie to the proposed Appellate Tribunal constituted under Section 79. Appeals from the Appellate Tribunal lie directly with the Supreme Court.

The Bill does not clarify if the adjudication wing can be approached directly for any complaints, indicating that all complaints must first go the data fiduciary directly. A key factor that was brought up in the White Paper but did not make it to the Bill was possibility of filing class action suits. Permitting class action suits would have been a welcome step, given the scale at which data breaches can happen today.

Achieve public trust in the DPA

Despite the flaws in the enforcement process which need to be addressed, to have a formal Data Protection Authority set up in India is a welcome step. Hopefully, changes will be made to the final Bill to ensure greater transparency and accountability to the public. Particularly in relation to privacy, the trust of the people in the DPA is essential, and such provisions can go a long way in achieving that.

The next part of the series will deal with the penalties and offences under the Bill.

Part I: Quick overview of India's draft data protection law

Part II: Understanding jurisdiction within and outside the country

Part III: The importance if defining personal data

Part IV: Data protection obligations on data fiduciaries

Part V: Standard of consent and processing of data

Part VI: Non-consent based processing by state and non-state actors

Part VII: A person's right over data is compromised in the bill

Part IX: Transparency and accountability required for data fiduciary.

The author is a lawyer specializing in technology, privacy and cyber laws. She is also a certified information privacy professional.
tech2 News Staff

Facebook is reportedly shuffling the top management of its India operations, which handles the 250 million users in the country. Facebook has been sans an India head since October 2017 and has always been led by a managing director, who reported to Facebooks Asia-Pacific head in Singapore.

According to a report by The Economic Times, who claims to have gotten their hands on an internal email about this, Facebook is looking to appoint a new country head, who will be designated as the managing director and vice president of the India operations. The country head will reportedly work directly under the global VP of Facebook, David Fischer, who is also the leading headhunt to fill in the position in India.

The Facebook India head will apparently look after global marketing sales, partnerships, policy (except content policy), and communications.

Apparently, with this rejig, Facebook India employees will stop reporting to the Asia Pacific heads, and go directly to the US headquarters.

There is significant complexity in the market across multiple functions and operating as an integrated business externally in India has proved challenging, Joel Kaplan, Facebooks vice president of global public policy wrote in the above mentioned internal email.

Facebook believes that this organisational restructuring will make operations more efficient and successful.
tech2 News Staff

On behalf of a group of researchers and journalists, lawyers have sent out a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, asking that he alter Facebooks rules, which restrict them from conducting research on the site.

This was first reported by The New York Times, that reveals that this letter asks Zuckerberg to make amendment to the terms of service that would establish a safe harbor for certain kinds of journalism and research, while appropriately protecting the privacy of Facebooks users and the integrity of Facebooks platform.

The letter continues to explain the safe harbor as being limited by design, and adoption of the proposed amendment would not substitute for disclosure of information to journalists, researchers, and the general public through other channels. We believe, however, that Facebooks establishment of the safe harbor would meaningfully expand the space for digital journalism and research that is especially urgent.

Stating urgency of the request, the letter also asks Facebook CEO to respond to it by 7 September 2018.

If you are wondering what kind of research has been restricted by Facebook on the platform, they are reports that investigate how the platform tracks its users, the increasing role of chatbots on Facebook, or the way Facebooks adverts work. The platform has time and again restricted such content to be researched.

The said restrictions come when Facebook is under immense pressure because of its failure to stop Russias use of fake accounts during the 2016 elections, and of course the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The letter goes on to read: We understand that, in the wake of revelations concerning the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook is facing new pressure to protect the data that users entrust to it. This pressure is warranted and indeed overdue. Addressing legitimate privacy concerns, however, need not entail the obstruction of public-interest journalism and research.

Facebooks head of global news partnerships responded to this saying, Journalists and researchers play a critical role in helping people better understand companies and their products  as well as holding us accountable when we get things wrong. We do have strict limits in place on how third parties can use peoples information, and we recognize that these sometimes get in the way of this work. However, she did not say if the request will be taken in account or if any changes to the rules will be made.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is expected to launch at its Galaxy Unpacked event in New York at 8.30 pm. It is rumoured that Samsung will also launch the smartwatch which is expected to be named the Galaxy Watch.

Coming to Samsungs flagship phone, most of the leaks are already out. Moreover, we may not really be in for a surprise as the Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be similar to the Note 8. In fact, the focus of the event is the S Pen which will accompany the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Samsung might introduce some new features.

In terms of specifications, the smartphone is expected to sport a QHD+ sAMOLED 6.4-inch display with thin upper and lower strips, similar to the Note 8. A slight change is expected at the rear of the phone as the fingerprint sensor has been placed below the camera unit.

To know more about the Samsungs flagship you can catch the updates from our live blog below.
Reuters

Samsungs 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 worlds PCs, smartphones and other computing devices.

Researchers from Austrias Graz Technical University told Reuters they have figured out a way to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability to attack Galaxy S7 handsets.

The team had planned to release their findings on 8 August at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. They are looking into Meltdowns 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 dont know about yet, he said. 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.

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 devices 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.
Reuters

Ram Sewak Sharma, the head of Indias telecoms regulator who took on global giants Facebook and Apple, has been given two more years in his assignment, which was due to end on 10 August 2018.

As chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Sharma shaped rules barring internet service providers from having different prices for accessing different parts of the Web, in a setback to Facebooks plan to roll out a pared-back free internet service.

He has also pushed Apple Inc to allow spam detection on the latest version of its iOS mobile operating software, used in iPhones.

A cabinet panel approved the re-appointment of Sharma, a career bureaucrat, until Sept. 30, 2020, according to a government statement on 9 August.

Sharma declined to comment on his re-appointment.

He has previously served as the first director general of Unique Identification Authority of India, a government body running the countrys biometrics-based national identity card system, Aadhaar.

Sharma posted his Aadhaar number on Twitter last month challenging critics to do him any harm after users asked him to share the details to prove it was a safe system.
Press Trust of India

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 Aadhaar 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 Aadhaar. All this information was discoverable without Aadhaar...whatever was attempted to be discovered, could have been known even without Aadhaar," Sharma told PTI in an interview today.

Sharma, former UIDAI (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 national 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 Aadhaar number 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.
tech2 News Staff

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has confirmed that the platform will not ban InfoWars and its founder Alex Jones, because they do not violate Twitters rules.

Jones has accused social media platforms of unfair censorship of his accounts because a number of tech giants including YouTube and Facebook have deleted the content that he had shared. They were said to have propagated hate speech and popularly known for spreading unsubstantiated allegations about tragic events, including 9/11.

For instance, he has claimed on his radio show and on his website InfoWars that the Sandy Hook Elementary school attack was "completely fake" and a "giant hoax." For those who do not know, the shooting occurred on 14 December 2012 in Connecticut, US, when a 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members. Lanza then shot himself dead.

After calling this event hoax, Jones is now being sued for defamation by the parents of the children who were killed.

Jack Dorsey confirmed in a tweet on 8 August that the company will not be removing him from the platform because he simply does not violate any of its rules, but it will do that if he ever does in fact violate.

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

While there definitely must be a lot of pressure to ban him completely, Dorsey says that sticking to company policy is more important than trying to simply succumb and simply react to outside pressure.

Even Apple announced in a statement that the mobile app of US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones', Infowars Official, will continue to be available on its App Store because the application, in particular, had not violated any of the company's guidelines.

If you're someone who doesn't know what has Jones said and why is he being talked about, do go check out his twitter handle.

This year in July, he said that Democrats planned to launch a civil war on 4 July or US Independence Day. Similarly, last year, he tweeted that Muslims in England were demanding that the Queen either convert to Islam or leave the country. He also said that "transgenderism" is a CIA "plan to depopulate humanity," and back in 2013, he even went on to describe the then president Barack Obama as the "global head of al-Qaeda."

Now we can understand why the public could be unhappy that Jones is not being banned on Twitter. However, we also understand that the platform has its own policies and has hence taken this decision, even if Twitter may not have given us a clear explanation as to why. They are trying. Dorsey in his twitter thread goes on to say that the "truth is weve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. Were fixing that."
38 senators voted against legalising the termination of a fetus in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, 31 were in favour of abortion, and two abstained.

Argentine senators on Thursday voted against legalising 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 in June.

According to an official tally, 38 senators voted against the measure to legalise the termination of a fetus during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, 31 in favour, while two abstained. The vote was welcomed by fireworks and shouts of joy among anti-abortion activists gathered outside of Congress.

At the other end of the square, tears were seen streaming down the faces of pro-abortion advocates, many wearing the green scarves that had come to symbolize their cause.

A handful of demonstrators started fires and threw stones as they clashed with riot police.
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

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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
In a column in The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson said he opposed the Denmark burkha ban, but women who wore them looked like letterboxes and bank robbers.

London: Former British foreign minister Boris Johnson will be investigated for a possible breach of the Conservative Partys code of conduct after making comments about Muslim women who wear burkhas, a party source said on Thursday. The source said that a number of complaints had been received, and would be considered by an independent panel.

A spokesman for the party declined to confirm the investigation. The code of conduct process is strictly confidential, he said in a statement.

Johnson wrote in The Daily Telegraph on Monday that Denmark was wrong to ban the burkha, but added that it was "absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter-boxes". Johnson, who resigned in July over the governments Brexit plans, also said the robe was oppressive, prompting accusations of Islamophobia from other politicians and British Muslim groups.

British prime minister Theresa May backed calls for her former foreign minister to apologise for the disparaging comments, May said his remarks "have clearly caused offence" and agreed with the chairman of her Conservative party, Brandon Lewis, who had asked Johnson to apologise.

However, the former top diplomat, who has a reputation for causing controversy, refused to back down. "It is ridiculous that these views are being attacked. We must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues," a source close to Johnson told reporters. "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."

The Conservative partys website says suspension of membership or expulsion from the party is among the ultimate options open to its board on the conclusion of a code of conduct investigation.

With inputs from agencies
The Huthi rebels' Al Masirah TV reported that 39 people had been killed and 51 wounded, 'mostly children'. It accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Shiite rebels on the side of the government of hitting the bus in an air strike.

Sanaa: An attack on a bus carrying children in rebel-held northern Yemen today left dozens of people dead or wounded, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

"Following an attack this morning on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Saada, (an ICRC-supported) hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded," the organisation said on Twitter without giving more details. "Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict," it added.

The Huthi rebels' Al Masirah TV reported that 39 people had been killed and 51 wounded, "mostly children". It accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Shiite rebels on the side of the government of hitting the bus in an air strike. It was not possible to verify the toll or who was behind it.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition, which intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government to power after it was driven out of the capital Sanaa by the rebels. Yemen's war has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
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

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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
With this verdict, former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner will have to register as a sex offender for life.

San Francisco: An appeals court on Wednesday rejected a former Stanford University swimmer's bid for a new trial and upheld his sexual assault and attempted rape convictions. The three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose ruled Wednesday that there was "substantial evidence" that Brock Turner received a fair trial.

In 2016, a jury convicted Turner of sexually assaulting an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside an on-campus fraternity party. The case got national attention after the victim's powerful statement, which she read in court before Turner was sentenced, was shared widely online. She recounted the assault, her treatment by investigators and the ordeal of facing questions about her sexual activity and drinking habits. It quickly went viral.

"Instead of taking time to heal, I was taking time to recall the night in excruciating detail, in order to prepare for the attorney's questions that would be invasive, aggressive and designed to steer me off course, to contradict myself, my sister, phrased in ways to manipulate my answers," she wrote. "This was a game of strategy, as if I could be tricked out of my own worth."

Judge Aaron Persky rejected a prosecutor's demand for a lengthy prison term and instead sentenced Turner to six months in jail. He was released from jail in September 2016 after serving three months.

Persky's sentence sparked nationwide outrage by those who felt it too lenient.

Voters recalled Persky in June.

The sentence was not part of the appeal and the judges didn't address it.

Turner filed an appeal in December seeking a new trial, arguing that the evidence presented at his trial didn't support his convictions. The jury convicted him of sexually assaulting an intoxicated victim, sexually assaulting an unconscious victim and attempting to rape her.

Judge Franklin Elia writing for the unanimous panel said there was "substantial evidence" to support conviction of all three charges. In particular, the judge pointed out that Turner tried to run from two graduate students who confronted him assaulting the then-22-year-old woman. The judge wrote that the victim was slurring her speech when she left a fraternity party with Turner and the graduate students testified the victim appeared unconscious when they showed up, chased Turner and held him down until police arrived. He denied running when questioned by police.

"He did not explain or defend himself to them," Elia wrote. "And he lied to police about running."

Turner could petition the California Supreme Court to consider his appeal. Turner's attorney Eric Multhaup didn't return a phone call Wednesday.

Stanford law professor Michelle Dauber, who led the judge's recall campaign, called on Turner to drop any further appeals. "The appellate court has now rejected that idea and I think everyone, including Brock Turner, would be better served by accepting the jury's verdict and moving on," she said.

Turner lives outside Dayton, Ohio, with his parents. He is required to register as a sex offender for life.
In August 1968 Soviet tanks rolled into communist Czechoslovakia to crush a burgeoning democratic reform movement known as the Prague Spring. Here is a recap of the shock intervention that reined in the Soviet satellite state, its aspirations for democracy warded off for another 20 years.

In August 1968 Soviet tanks rolled into communist Czechoslovakia to crush a burgeoning democratic reform movement known as the Prague Spring. Here is a recap of the shock intervention that reined in the Soviet satellite state, its aspirations for democracy warded off for another 20 years.

Explosive context

"At 11:00 pm, Soviet, Polish, East German, Bulgarian and Hungarian troops crossed the Czechoslovak border," AFP reported early on 21 August, picking up Radio Prague's announcement of the overnight invasion.

Tensions had been mounting between then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and the reformist government that had taken over in the Central European state.

In January, Moscow's pointman was replaced by Alexander Dubcek, who became head of the powerful Communist Party. General Ludvik Svoboda became president in March.

Driven by Dubcek, reforms aimed at achieving "Socialism with a human face" were introduced. They included the abolition of censorship, freedom of assembly and association, and cautious economic reforms.

Moscow responded with warnings and an ultimatum.

Tanks in the cities

At 4:59 am Radio Prague announced that the capital and the rest of the country had been occupied.

Moscow and its communist allies poured 200,000 soldiers into Czechoslovakia that day, their numbers rising to 600,000.

The government urged citizens to "remain calm and not to take up arms against the foreign troops."

Many learnt of the invasion of their country only via their radios.

In Prague, the Soviet troops were concentrated around three nerve centres: the headquarters of the Communist Party's Central Committee, Prague Castle and the radio headquarters.

From dawn, hundreds of Prague citizens gathered in front of the radio building which was surrounded by tanks. Soldiers fired bursts of machine-gun fire at the building and nearby houses with people shouting insults at them like "Gestapo", or "Long live Dubcek".

Around 100 people were killed in the first days of the offensive.

Leaders arrested

Russia's Tass news agency said the intervention followed a request from "Czechoslovakian statesmen".

Historians would later establish that one was Vasil Bilak, a member of the Communist Party's politburo.

In the early hours of the invasion, the Soviet Red Army arrested Dubcek, prime minister Oldrich Cernik and others.

They were taken to the Kremlin on 22 August, joined a day later by another group that included the president, Svoboda.

All were forced to sign the Moscow Protocol, a diktat which formalised the Soviet occupation, cooperating after four days of fraught talks.

Dubcek was kept in power but he was deliberately and progressively weakened.

The people resist

The population, in the dark about the Moscow talks, had meanwhile mobilised non-violent resistance to the occupation.

Street signs were taken down to confuse the invaders. In the countryside, where farms flew the Czechoslovak flag at half-mast, road signs went up that showed a single arrow for "Direction Moscow".

Twelve free radios continued to operate, despite Soviet attempts to take them off air.

Car horns, factory sirens and church bells regularly sounded in unison in a sign of support for Svoboda and Dubcek, whose return was awaited restlessly.

Prague Spring extinguished

On the morning of 27 August, alerted by the radio of the imminent return of their leaders, jubilant crowds lined the road leading from the airport to the castle, where the national flag was flying again.

But their relief was short-lived.

In an address to the nation, Svoboda announced that the departure of the "occupiers" was conditional on a "normalisation of the situation".

"Freedom will be restricted for a time, to allow a return to normal," Dubcek added in "a broken voice... as if to take his breath or overcome his emotions," AFP wrote.

An agreement on the temporary stationing of Soviet troops was signed in April 1969.

Dubcek was ousted as head of the Communist Party in April 1969, and massive purges followed.

Democracy would not return until the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Four years later, the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Donald Trump has called for a 'separate but equal' space force, a complicated and expensive move that requires congressional approval.

Washington: Faced with growing competition and threats from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday said it will create the US Space Force as a sixth, separate military service by 2020.

Vice-President Mike Pence told a Pentagon audience that the plan fulfills President Donald Trump's vow to ensure America's dominance in space  a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested that has now become crowded and adversarial.

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," said Pence. "The time has come to establish the United States Space Force."

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

Trump has called for a "separate but equal" space force, a complicated and expensive move that requires congressional approval. On Thursday, Pence said that the administration will work with Congress on the plan, and will outline a budget in 2019.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space war-fighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching a pricey, new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

The Pentagon proposal, delivered to Congress on Thursday, lays out plans to consolidate the Pentagon's war-fighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of leading edge technologies.

The Pentagon's role in space has been under scrutiny because of a recognition that the United States is increasingly reliant on satellites that are difficult to protect in space. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the economy.

The US intelligence agencies reported earlier in 2018 that Russia and China are pursuing "nondestructive and destructive" anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war. And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.
The bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August, 1945, was the second US nuclear attack on Japan, killing 70,000 people, three days after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 1,40,000.

Tokyo: Nagasaki marked the anniversary of the world's second atomic bombing Thursday with the United Nations' chief and the city's mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward world nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that they should never be repeated. He raised concerns about the slowing effort to denuclearise, saying existing nuclear states are modernising their arsenals.

"Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park. "Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency." Then he added: "Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on earth to suffer nuclear devastation."

The peace and nuclear disarmament movement, started by survivors of the atomic bombings, has spread around the world but frustration over the slow progress led to last year's adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Japan, despite being the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, has not signed the treaty, because of its sensitive position as an US ally protected by its nuclear umbrella.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Japan's government to do more to lead nuclear disarmament, especially in the region to help advance the efforts to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. He said citizens of the atomic-bombed cities are hoping to see North Korea denuclearized.

Taue said he hoped Japan's government would take the opportunity to realize a nuclear-free Northeast Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

Taue urged Tokyo to sign the treaty and "fulfill its moral obligation to lead the world towards denuclearisation." He said more than 300 local assemblies have adopted resolutions calling on Japan to sign and ratify the treaty.

Japan seeks to close the gaps between nuclear and non-nuclear states to eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, repeating almost the same phrase he used in his speech three days ago in Hiroshima.

The bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August, 1945, was the second US nuclear attack on Japan, killing 70,000 people, three days after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 1,40,000. They were followed by Japan's surrender, ending World War II.
US will be slapping new sanctions on Russia over the 'lethal' Novichok nerve agent attack in Britain

Washington: The US said on Thursday 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.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill 100 police officers accused of corruption and abuse of power

MANILA (PHILIPPINES): 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.
By Ginger Gibson and John Whitesides (Reuters) - As Republican candidates backed by President Donald Trump clung to small leads in closely watched races in Ohio and Kansas on Wednesday, nervousness grew in Republican circles about their ability to continue extending millions of dollars in aid to candidates facing tight races in November. Republican Troy Balderson appeared poised to eke out a victory in a special election for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in a reliably conservative district in Ohio, leading the Democrat Danny O'Connor by about 1,700 votes or less than 1 percent.

By Ginger Gibson and John Whitesides

(Reuters) - As Republican candidates backed by President Donald Trump clung to small leads in closely watched races in Ohio and Kansas on Wednesday, nervousness grew in Republican circles about their ability to continue extending millions of dollars in aid to candidates facing tight races in November.

Republican Troy Balderson appeared poised to eke out a victory in a special election for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in a reliably conservative district in Ohio, leading the Democrat Danny O'Connor by about 1,700 votes or less than 1 percent. The final result could be days away as state officials count more than 8,000 provisional and absentee ballots.

In Kansas, firebrand Kris Kobach was unable to convert an endorsement by Trump into a resounding victory. He clung to a 191-vote lead over his Republican primary opponent, current Governor Jeff Colyer, with potentially thousands more provisional and absentee ballots outstanding.

Credit for Balderson's narrow margin in Ohio is going to the $4 million-plus the party and outside groups pumped into the district in the final weeks to boost voter turnout. The infusion of cash into a district that has been represented by Republicans for 30 years further triggered alarm bells for the party.

That kind of cash from the national party or its allies may not be there for every at-risk Republican on the ballot in November, many of whom have been already outraised by Democratic opponents.

"Moving forward, we cannot expect to win tough races when our candidate is being outraised," said Corry Bliss, executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican Super PAC that supported Balderson. "Any Republican running for Congress getting vastly outraised by an opponent needs to start raising more money."

In November, all 435 House members and one-third of the Senate stand for reelection. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to take control of the House, and there are dozens of seats currently held by Republicans with larger Democratic populations than the Ohio district.

Bliss's group - which has ties to House Republican leadership although they are prohibited from coordinating with each other - as of mid-July had raised $96.6 million and had $73.3 million in remaining cash.

Republicans hope Balderson's narrow win will jolt the field out of complacency.

"After last night's results, endangered members should be burning up the phone lines to donors - either to build their own fundraising or look for a job. The party won't be able to save everyone," said Joe Brettell, a Texas-based Republican strategist.

The biggest unknown may be just how much cash remains for Republicans to tap.

Casino executive Sheldon Adelson, historically a large donor, has already kicked in $30 million to help Republicans. But the Koch brothers' network of donors have gone the opposite direction, warning Republicans they may not support their candidates in large part because of Trump's protectionist trade policies.

There may still be a well of cash for Republicans thanks to the deep-pocketed donors delighted last year when Republicans passed sweeping tax cuts.

"There is going to be an awful lot of thank-you checks written for the tax bill," Brettell said.

DEMOCRATS PORTRAY OHIO AS A VICTORY

In Democratic circles, the Ohio results were cast as a win - even if their candidate was not victorious. Other Republicans, including Vice President Mike Pence and Ohio Governor John Kasich, had rushed to Balderson's aid in a district Kasich once represented.

He should be running scared this fall, David Pepper, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, said of Balderson, who faces O'Connor in a rematch on Nov. 6. He's not going to have Donald Trump, Mike Pence and all that money bailing him out.

Both races left unanswered questions about whether Trump will be able to lift endangered members to victory, regardless of how much cash they have.

Trump took credit for Balderson's lead, writing on Twitter that the campaign took "a big turn for the better" after he appeared in the district on Saturday. Mark Weaver, a Columbus-based Republican strategist who did not work for Balderson, said Trump's visit helped fuel the party's get-out-the-vote efforts in the race's final days.

The Ohio race mirrored other special federal elections over the past 12 months, including upsets by Democrat Conor Lamb in a Pennsylvania congressional race in March and by Democrat Doug Jones over Roy Moore for an Alabama Senate seat in December of last year.

In both cases, rural voters remained heavily in favour of Trump-supported candidates, but turnout in those regions fell short of heavy suburban turnout where Democrats expanded on margins won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Kobach had hoped to ride his ties to Trump to victory after the president endorsed him in a tweet. But even as Kobach sought to declare himself the virtual winner on Wednesday, he acknowledged he could still lose, and a protracted recount could aid Democrats.

Kansas state law allows for a recount if the vote margin is within half a percentage point, but the candidate has to request the recount. The candidate who requests the recount must pay for it if the results are unchanged by that process, Kobach said.

(Reporting by John Whitesides, Ginger Gibson and Brendan O'Brien; additional reporting by Susan Heavey; writing by David Gaffen; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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

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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he welcomes the ongoing talks between the US and North Korea to achieve total denuclearization.

United Nations: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he welcomes the ongoing talks between the US and North Korea to achieve total denuclearization and also supported the Japanese initiative of dialogue with Pyongyang.

"As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I am obviously totally committed to the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions on North Korea," he told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday.

He said he fully supports the negotiations taking place between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) with the objective that "we all share to see a total denuclearization that is verifiable, that is irreversible, to make sure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region."

The UN extended its full support for the Japanese initiative of dialogue with North Korea.

In June, US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in Singapore, signing a joint statement which included a pledge to end DPRK's nuclear weapons programme. Days after conducting its sixth nuclear test last September, a North Korean ballistic missile flew over mainland Japan, drawing condemnation from the Security Council, which had just ratcheted up sanctions.

Flanked by Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, Guterres went on to express his support for Japan's willingness to hold fresh talks with the North Korean leadership, following Prime Minister Abe's offer of a high-level summit with the country.

The UN chief hailed these developments as timely, coming in the wake of a United Nation's disarmament initiative, launched in May of this year. The new agenda, "Securing Our Common Future", sets out his bold new vision for a world without nuclear arsenals and other deadly weapons. It focuses on three priorities  weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons and new battlefield technologies.

He said that "the North Korea and the Iran situations are two central aspects of our concerns to make sure that we preserve non-proliferation, but also recognizing that non-proliferation needs to be accompanied by effective disarmament, progressive disarmament measures in the nuclear dimension. And, at the same time, the full implementation of the ban on chemical weapons and biological weapons."

He added that the agenda represented "disarmament to save lives", taking into account the "devastating impact" of conventional weapons on civilian populations in urban centres and "disarmament for the future generations, namely to make sure that we do not develop arms, systems of arms, that fully escape the control of human beings and responsibility of human beings".

The Secretary-General travelled to Nagasaki later on Wednesday, where he was due to meet Mayor Tomihisa Taue, and other local officials, as well as with some hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bombs. He would also visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, before taking part in the 73rd Nagasaki Peace Ceremony.
Google Chrome is getting a new beta update for Android bringing the version number to 69 and this includes the usual mix of interface updates and new developer features. Much like how Apple tweaked Safari-specific CSS attributes to help websites adjust with the notch-screen, Android too is following the suit including Chrome.

With Android phones embracing the notch, it is about time Google brings out support for notched phones. The Chrome 69 supports the same safe-area-inset properties that Apple introduced last year. This means that the sites already optimized for the iPhone X will work just fine. Theres a possibility that this feature only works on phones with an actual notch and not simulated cutouts.

Android Go is a modified version of Android that is intended to run smoothly on low-end phones with 1GB of RAM. Since Google Chrome ships with every Android phone, Google decided to add media player functionality to the browser. On devices running Android 8.0 and above with 1GB RAM, chrome now opens as a target app when trying to play a media file. This is definitely a useful feature, considering the browser can natively play many video and audio formats.

Chrome has supported Picture-in-Picture on Android for over a year, however, starting with Chrome 69, Picture-in-Picture is now supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. The Picture-in-Picture will pop the videos out into a floating window. You will have to switch #enable-surfaces-for-videos flag to Enabled for this to work. It will be enabled once chrome 69 hits stable. Google is also working on bringing a new Download manager, you can now enable the #download-home-v2 flag to see an updated Downloads page.

Other Chrome 69 features include Limited support for the AV1 media codec is available for desktop, new CSS features are available, the OS build number no longer appears in the user agent string, to prevent fingerprinting, Touch ID on the MacBook Pro can now be used as a login method for sites using the Web Authentication API. In case the update didnt hit you on Play Store, you can download the APK and side-load it.

Source
Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR) announced second-quarter 2018 results on Wednesday after the market closed. The global rendering and biodiesel leader highlighted strong raw material volume growth, the ongoing expansion of its Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) joint venture with Valero, and the strategic exits and restructuring of a number of non-core business segments.

Let's take a closer look, then, at what Darling accomplished over the past few months, and what we can expect to see in the coming quarters.

Darling Ingredients results: The raw numbers

Metric Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Year-Over-Year Growth Net sales $846.6 million $894.9 million (5.4%) Net income (loss) attributable to Darling $30.4 million $9.1 million N/A Net income (loss) per diluted share $0.18 $0.05 N/A

What happened with Darling Ingredients this quarter?

Darling's revenue decline was largely driven by the reclassification of billed freight under new ASC 606 accounting standards adopted at the start of the year. Global raw material volumes grew 4%.

Darling made a number of strategic moves during the quarter, including: Selling a majority stake in the Best Hides business, which it originally inherited as part of its $2.17 billion acquisition of VION Ingredients in early 2014. Selling the Terra Renewal Services (TRS) industrial residuals business to American Residuals Group, but retaining its used cooking oil (UCO) business. Closing its gelatin operation in Argentina because of ongoing macroeconomic headwinds, and then relocating production of profitable sales volumes to other gelatin locations.

Adjusted EBITDA grew 3.5% year over year to $115.1 million.

The company paid down $44 million of debt during the quarter.

Darling's net loss stemmed from a combination of $23.5 million in debt extinguishment costs related to refinancing its Euro bond, a $15.5 million loss from the TRS subsidiary sale, and $15 million in restructuring and impairment charges related to the gelatin plant closure.

Adjusted for those items, Darling's net income would have been $17.7 million, or $0.11 per share, in line with consensus estimates.

By segment: Feed ingredients net sales declined 9.2% year over year to $498.8 million, driven by the Best Hides divestment, the reclassification of billed freight under new accounting standards, and lower fats pricing given higher slaughter volumes. Still, the segment delivered solid operating margins across all major markets, as operating income declined a a more modest 6% to $37.3 million. Food ingredients net sales declined 0.6% to $276.7 million, also driven by the reclassification for billed freight under new accounting standards. The segment incurred an operating loss of $5.7 million, as strength in the China and North America gelatin markets was offset by restructuring and impairment charges from the Argentina gelatin plant shutdown. Fuel ingredient net sales (excluding DGD) grew 5.5% to $71.1 million, driven by higher low sulfur diesel pricing, strong biodiesel industry demand, improved performance at Ecoson, and steady results from Rendac. Segment operating income more than doubled to $5 million.

At Diamond Green Diesel: EBITDA came in at $1.05 per gallon without the benefit of the Blenders Tax Credit. Darling received a $25 million dividend during the quarter for its share of the joint venture. DGD's facility expansion from 160 million gallons to 275 million gallons is expected to be online with saleable product later this month.



What management had to say



Darling Ingredients chairman and CEO Randall Stuewe stated:

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. Strong slaughter activity drove global tonnage up 4%, and our expansion projects and recent acquisitions contributed as expected.

Regarding DGD's planned expansion, Stuewe added, "Spot margins remain attractive, and we look forward to the significant contribution this facility is expected to bring Darling."

Looking forward

As a reminder, Darling doesn't provide specific forward financial guidance. But after digging through the noise created by its accounting changes, debt payments, strategic sales, and the gelatin plant shutdown, this was as strong a quarter as investors could have hoped for. And given the impending commissioning of its ambitious DGD expansion, I think shareholders have every reason to be pleased with Darling's position today.
Tough Mudder Bootcamp Flexes Franchising Growth With Las Vegas Opening and Nevada Expansion

Leading Global Sports, Active Lifestyle and Media Brand Opens First Bootcamp-style Gym Location in the State

August 09, 2018 // Franchising.com // LAS VEGAS - Tough Mudder Bootcamp, active lifestyle and media brand, continues to tackle obstacles through teamwork with its second franchise location opening in Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 11, offering the brands signature high-intensity team training fitness courses.

Locally owned and operated by franchisee Alona Burns, Tough Mudder Bootcamp of Las Vegas is based on the Tough Mudder mission that centers on teamwork, camaraderie, courage, personal accomplishment and fun. The bootcamp gym is located at 6311 N. Decatur Blvd., and is open Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Im the perfect example that Tough Mudder Bootcamp is for everybody. I never participated in obstacle races before, but when I saw the tremendous energy and passion of the those involved, I was blown away and knew it would be incredible to work at a place surrounded by people who are always going outside of their comfort zones, said Burns. For me, Tough Mudder Bootcamp is the type of lifestyle business that makes it a joy to go to work every day, and opening my own bootcamp location is an incredible opportunity to bring accessible, high-impact fitness training to people of all skill levels in Las Vegas.

With Tough Mudder Bootcamp of Las Vegas open and actively accepting registrations for classes, an opening celebration is planned for Sept. 15 with more details on the event soon to come.

An experienced business owner, Burns emigrated from Russia in 2000 to the United States to pursue the promise of opportunity and a better life. Several years later, she moved to Las Vegas and started an air-conditioning company that quickly became one of the largest service firms serving southern Nevada. After selling the company, she began investigating new investment opportunities and was drawn to Tough Mudder Bootcamp because of the passionate community and strong return on investment.

I considered a variety of franchise opportunities, but when I was introduced to Tough Mudder Bootcamp, I had butterflies, and I knew it was what I wanted to do, added Burns. In my opinion, Im the perfect example of the American Dream  I came to the United States with no relatives, no one but myself and $3,000, and worked minimum wage jobs so I could eventually build my own business. Now, with Tough Mudder Bootcamp Im helping people of all fitness levels and backgrounds hold themselves accountable to accomplish their dreams too.

Tough Mudder Bootcamp of Las Vegas focuses on team training and community as it increases accountability and enjoyment. Each Bootcamp class acts as a community center to motivate members to achieve their fitness goals through realistic benchmarks and Tough Mudder events.

As part of a special opening promotion, the new Las Vegas location is offering local residents the opportunity to enroll in its monthly unlimited membership program starting July 23 through the locations grand opening event on September 15. Through this special promotion, new members will be offered a lifetime discounted monthly membership rate of $100, compared to the standard $160 monthly membership rate.

Tough Mudder Bootcamps 45-minute HIIT classes are less than $10 per class with an unlimited membership and delivers a full-body workout that is fun, customizable  to challenge all fitness levels  and highly motivating and social. Classes are team-based and designed around four pillars: Strength, Power, Agility and Endurance. Tough Mudder Bootcamps leverage Tough Mudders proprietary technology platform to deliver highly effective, enjoyable and safe workouts. All classes are drop-in ready; single classes are $20 each and membership packages range from $56-160 per month.

The opening in Las Vegas is part of the internationally acclaimed brands strategic franchise expansion initiative, with more than 30 units sold in the U.S. and nearly 15 in the pipeline.

Alona is the ideal candidate to introduce Tough Mudder to Las Vegas, and her opening is just the beginning of our franchising initiative, which will bring our bootcamp concept to individuals of all fitness levels in more markets than every before, from Tough Mudder enthusiasts to people who are interested in drop-in ready classes, said Dan Henry, director of franchise sales for Tough Mudder Bootcamp Franchising. With each new location opening, were dedicated to finding franchisees like Alona entrepreneurs who understand our brand, and have the experience and energy to introduce our unique team-based workouts to motivate a new wave of fitness enthusiasts.

As locations open in markets across the county, owners will be able to tap into an enthusiastic fan base, which includes more than 3 million participants who have competed in obstacle course races across the country. New franchisees will be able to access this motivated tribe even as they build their customer base with the new devotees in their markets.

In addition to the opening in Las Vegas and agreements in place for new locations this year and next, Tough Mudder Bootcamp has prioritized several key U.S. markets for further expansion. Initially, these include Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte and Phoenix.

As the fitness boot camp concept continues to rapidly expand through franchising, Tough Mudder Bootcamp is actively seeking qualified franchisees passionate about fitness and entrepreneurship to join its system and bring the Tough Mudder Bootcamps tribe-building mentality to their local communities. In order to be eligible to open a franchise, candidates should have a strong understanding of the Tough Mudder brand and must have at least $120,000 in liquid capital and net worth of $400,000.

The overall investment to open a Tough Mudder Bootcamp franchise location ranges from $297,000 to $521,350, which is fairly low in the fitness sector of franchising and offers excellent ROI on the initial investment. A small footprint (2,000 to 3,000 sq. ft.), each bootcamp class acts as a community center to motivate members to achieve his or her fitness goals through realistic benchmarks.

Backed with unprecedented brand awareness and unparalleled support from the starting line, including planning, opening, ongoing marketing and employee training, Tough Mudder Bootcamp has more than 2,000 franchise territory opportunities available across all 50 states as well as territories internationally.

For more information on Tough Mudder Bootcamp of Las Vegas, visit: https://bootcamp.toughmudder.com/las-vegas.

About Tough Mudder Bootcamp

Tough Mudder Bootcamp is the new brand expansion into the fitness studio sector by Tough Mudder, Inc., the leading sports, active lifestyle and media brand. Established in 2016, Tough Mudder Bootcamp is a 45-minute HIIT class that delivers a teamwork-oriented, full-body workout that is fun, customizable  to challenge all fitness levels  and highly motivating and social. Based on the Tough Mudder Mission that centers on teamwork, camaraderie, courage, personal accomplishment and fun, Tough Mudder Bootcamp focuses on team training and community.

Media Contact:

Mackenzie Coopman

All Points Public Relations

(847) 897-7486?

mcoopman@allpointspr.com

SOURCE Tough Mudder Bootcamp

###

Comments:

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Disqus
The World talks about the 2008 war - GeorgianJournal
Ultimate Ears announces Wonderboom Freestyle speakers priced at Rs 6,995 News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The Wonderboom Freestyle Bluetooth speakers come with an IPX7 rating which ensures a waterproof design.

Ultimate Ears, a subsidiary of Logitech has launched its latest range of speakers for the Indian market. The company has introduced the Wonderboom Freestyle lineup which is an addition to its previously available Ultimate Ears line-up of portable speakers. The Bluetooth speakers are available in five different models namely Concrete, Avocado, Patches, raspberry, and Unicorn.

The Wonderboom Freestyle Bluetooth speakers come with an IPX7 rating which ensures a waterproof design. The speakers have a battery back-up of 10 hours and can function at a distance of up to 100-foot (30 m) claims the company.

TAGG launches Sonic Angle 1 speakers in India priced at Rs 2,499

Sumanta Datta, Managing Director, and Cluster Head, South West Asia, and Indonesia, Logitech, commented on the launch, "The new collection by Ultimate Ears is all about expressing yourself. You curate your playlist and personal style - why not has a speaker that reflects that style too? WONDERBOOM Freestyle Collection gives you big sound and the freedom to express your style in a trendy, tough and worry proof speaker. The new collection strengthens the Ultimate Ears portfolio for the Indian market with industry leading speakers across the entry, mid and premium range."

The Wonderboom Freestyle speaker promises to deliver crisp and clear 360-degree sound. The speakers being IPX7 rated are waterproof, therefore can be carried around outdoors without the worry of getting them dirty. The speakers can be dipped under water up to 1 meter deep for a duration of 30 minutes. There is a UE button placed at the top of the speakers which allows the users to play, pause and skip the audio tracks. The company further claims that the speakers are drop proof tested from up to five feet in height. It also has a hanging loop at the top so that the users can easily hook the speakers with any backpack and other items.

Amazon Freedom Sale: Buy Amazon Echo and Echo Dot at discounted prices

As mentioned earlier the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Bluetooth speakers have a connectivity range of up to 100 feet (30m). Upon double tapping the UE button on the speakers, it can be connected to other devices.

The Wonderboom Freestyle speaker range will be available at a price range of Rs 6,995. The speakers can be purchased from Croma along with other leading retail stores across India and will come with a two-year hardware warranty.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
LG G6 receives Android 8 Oreo update in India: ThinQ branding, improved camera and more News oi-Vivek LG G6 has an 18:9 aspect ratio display with HDR capability

LG recently launched the LG G7 Plus ThinQ in India for a price of Rs 39,999 for the 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant. And now, the company is rolling out the Android 8 Oreo update for the LG G6 smartphone in India.

The software update is based on Android 8.0 Oreo and not the Android 8.1 Oreo and comes with the security patch for the month of July 2018. After the update, the LG G6 will be officially renamed as the LG G6 ThinQ. The update is around 1.8 GB and comes with a lot of features and camera improvements. Here are the major changes in the Android 8 Oreo update for the LG G6.

What's new?

Android OS upgrade

Comfort View or Blue light filter improved (up to 10 levels)

New home screen layout

New camera app layout

New icons shapes for apps

Improved app notification

Improved performance

Improved battery life

Support for Sony's LDAC codec for Bluetooth devices

Quick info

Overall user experience of the smartphone has been improved

LG G6 specifications

The LG G6 was one of the first smartphones to incorporate the taller 18:9 aspect ratio display and is also one of the first smartphones to offer HDR capable IPS LCD display. The smartphone has a 5.7-inch QHD+ IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection on the front and back.

The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage with a micro SD card slot for additional storage expansion.

The device has a dual camera set up at the back with a 13 MP normal sensor and a 13 MP wide-angle lens, which offers 4K video recording capability. On the front, the device has a 5 MP front-facing selfie camera with 1080p video recording capability.

The smartphone has a 3300 mAh Li-ion sealed battery with support for fast charging via USB type C port and the device also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack with a dedicated audio DAC. The smartphone is also IP68 certified and is water and dust resistant.

The smartphone has a dual SIM card slot with 4G LTE and VoLTE support on both the slots and also supports NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 and dual channel Wi-Fi.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Xiaomi to launch a new smartphone series (POCO) in India: Pocophone F1 expected News oi-Vivek Pocophone F1 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC

Xiaomi recently launched the Xiaomi Mi A2 in India for Rs 16,999. And now, the company is planning to launch a new series of smartphones under POCO branding, which is expected to offer affordable flagship smartphones to compete against the likes of the OnePlus 6 and the Asus ZenFone 5z.

Jai Mani, the Lead Product manager has shared a new information on Tweeter regarding the new product launch under POCO in India as well as in the international market to tackle the affordable flagship smartphone segment.

However, the exact information regarding the POCO range of smartphones is not being shared. Considering the recent leaks and speculations, the company is all set for the launch of the Pocophone F1 in India with the top of the line specifications.

Today is a special day. I'm excited to start sharing more about the new project I've been working on. Wish me luck! @IndiaPOCO @GlobalPocophone pic.twitter.com/tZcAUjmgI5  Jai Mani (@jaimani) August 9, 2018

Phocophone F1 specifications

According to the leaked images, the Pocophone F1 will be an affordable yet flagship gaming smartphone with top of the line specifications along with a liquid cooling system to keep the smartphone cool at all the time.

Going by the leaked images, the Pocophone F1 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with at least 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. In terms of design, the Pocophone F1 has a full metal unibody design with a modern 6.3-inch display along with a notch on top of the smartphone, which houses the important sensors, including the front-facing selfie camera.

On the back, the smartphone has a dual camera setup with a rear-facing fingerprint sensor on the back. The smartphone also has a massive 4000 mAh Li-ion battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

A leaked video of the Pocophone F1 confirms that the device will run on MIUI skin just like the majority of Xiaomi smartphones, which offers an additional set of customization options. The smartphone is expected to offer Android 8.1 Oreo and will be updated to Android P in the near future.

As of now, there is no information on the pricing or the launch date of the Pocophone F1. But, considering the competition, the Pocophone F1 is likely to launch in India in August or September and is likely to cost less than Rs 30,000 price mark for the base variant.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
ROME - The UAE will host a global space symposium next year where experts will discuss the latest developments in space research, the National reports. Also, in April 2019 the UAE plans to send its first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station.

The first Emirati in space will fly in a Russian Soyuz capsule, currently the only manned space ship capable of reaching orbit after the end of Nasa's shuttle programme. The 22nd International Academy of Astronautics Human in Space Symposium will be held in Dubai in 2019. It will be the first time it is held in the Middle East and North Africa.

Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the symposium would offer an opportunity to enhance knowledge "that will serve humanity and improve people's lives".

He said hosting the event was part of the centre's efforts to promote the UAE as a hub for space science and research.

Last year's symposium was held in Shenzhen in southern China in November. Astronauts from six countries and researchers from 60 countries attended.
U.S. To Impose New Sanctions On Russia Over Skripal Attack

Mike Eckel August 08, 2018

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.

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.

There was no immediate response to the announcement in Moscow.

On March 4, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench in the town of Salisbury, England. They were seriously ill but later 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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-to- impose-new-sanctions-on-russia-over -skripal-attack/29420798.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Imposing Sanctions on Russia Over Skripal Poisoning - State Department

Sputnik News

22:06 08.08.2018(updated 00:14 09.08.2018)

The US State Department announced Wednesday that it would be imposing sanctions against Russia regarding the poisoning of Yulia and Sergei Skripal in the UK earlier this year.

The department said that it determined Russia had used the nerve agent Novichok against the Skripals deliberately. Sanctions are expected to take effect on or around August 22.

Responding to the US' announcement, a spokesperson from the British Foreign Office welcomed the move and stated that it sends "an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behavior will not go unchallenged."

Prior to the announcement, the US had joined fellow European nations in blaming Russia for the incident; however, the Trump administration hadn't issued a formal statement on the matter.

According to NBC News, the immediate repercussions will act as an add-on to previous sanctions limiting exports and financing. "The biggest impact from the initial sanctions is expected to come from a ban on granting licenses to export sensitive national security goods to Russia, which in the past have included items like electronic devices and components, along with test and calibration equipment for avionics," the outlet states.

The sanctions could also suspend Aeroflot flights to the US and are certain to cool relations between the global powers, though a US State Department official noted after the announcement that Washington hoped to maintain relations with Moscow. The US wants assurances that Russia will not use chemical weapons and will allow inspections.

The State Department, however, is waiving some other sanctions on Russia. "We are also waiving sanctions with respect to space flight activities because of course there are space flight actions in which we are engaged with the Russian Federation upon which we depend on some regards," the department official said in announcing the new sanctions.

On March 14, days after the Skripals were found slumped on a park bench in Salisbury, England, UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she would be expelling 23 Russian diplomats from the country. May justified her decision by saying it was "highly likely" the mysterious poisoning had been carried out by Russia, in part because the substance used to poison the pair had been identified as novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union. UK labs have not since been able to trace the origins of the specific substance that poisoned the Skripals, however.

Months later, on June 30, two other people were found unconscious in the UK city of Amesbury, near Salisbury. According to UK officials, both Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley were exposed to the same nerve agent that the Skripals had come into contact with. This, too, was blamed on Russia. Sturgess later died.

Russia has adamantly denied that it played any role in either poisoning, stressing that the UK has failed to offer any solid evidence to back up their claims.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UK Def Sec Accuses Russia of 'Malign Behavior,' Hints at Skripal Poisoning Link

Sputnik News

15:23 08.08.2018

Gavin Williamson has been accusing Russian of many things, including the poisoning incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury despite any tangible proof of Moscow involvement in either one.

Russia poses a threat to continental Europe, Britain and many other countries around the world, UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson warned when addressing an Atlantic Council seminar in Washington on Tuesday.

"In 2015, when we evaluated the situation in the world, we declared that Russia was a threat. I think the experience that the world has acquired since 2015 shows that it poses a threat not only to Great Britain, or to continental Europe but to the many other countries of the world," Williamson said.

He described Russia as being "increasingly aggressive" and using its full military arsenal to pursue its interests.

"We see a growing competition between states. A terror-sponsoring Iran, a nuclear- armed North Korea, not forgetting to mention a rising China, an increasingly aggressive Russia using every weapon at its disposal to advance its interests. A Russia whose use of covert operations and cyber warfare, political subversion and increased military posturing is part of a wider pattern of malign behavior," Williamson noted.

He also hinted about Moscow's alleged use of military-grade chemicals on British soil.

"[We've seen] the first use of chemical weapons in Europe since the Second World War. It demonstrates the fact that dangers are diversifying with states adopting the tactics of terrorists and terrorists increasingly armed with more sophisticated weapons, including cyber capabilities, all blowing the line between peace and conflict. It's clear: we are in a new age of intertwined dangers," he continued.

On June 30, two Britons, Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, were rushed to a hospital in Amesbury, in critical condition after being exposed to what the UK authorities called "Novichok", the same nerve agent that allegedly struck down former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in neighboring Salisbury in early March.

A number of high-ranking UK officials, including Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson and Security Minister Ben Wallace, have claimed that the poison came from Russia, though no evidence supporting the claims has ever been presented.

Russia has strongly denied any involvement in either incident, dismissing all allegations as groundless. It has also offered Britain assistance in the investigation which was later turned down by London.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Slaps New Sanctions on Russia Over Ex-Russian Spy Poisoning in Britain

By VOA News August 08, 2018

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.

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 Trump's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Centcom Commander: Afghan Government Will Prosecute ISIS-K Terrorists

Aug. 8, 2018

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- Fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan terror group being held in Afghanistan will be prosecuted for their crimes, the commander of U.S. Central Command told Pentagon reporters today.

Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel also said ISIS-K is "not reconcilable" and must be eradicated. The group is an offshoot of ISIS operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it has claimed responsibility for terror bombings in both nations.

Some 200 ISIS-K fighters surrendered to Afghan forces. "The government of Afghanistan has assured us these ISIS-K fighters will be treated as war prisoners," Votel said. The ISIS fighters will be investigated and held to account for any war crimes they were found to have committed, he added.

"I want to highlight that the fight to eradicate ISIS-K being conducted by the United States and our Afghan partners continues," the general said. "We've killed numerous ISIS-K fighters this year, and as you may remember, we continued operations against other terrorist organizations like al-Qaida during the recent Eid cease-fire between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban."

Continuous, Effective Campaign

Votel stressed that the military campaign against ISIS has been continuous and effective, and that it was, in part, responsible for the surrender of the group in the first place.

Forces in Afghanistan are applying military pressure on the Taliban to convince them to enter talks toward reconciliation with the Afghan government, he noted. "We have no illusions about reconciliation with ISIS-K," Votel said. "Our mission is to destroy this organization."

The Khorasan group has adapted the mindless violence of ISIS, the Centcom commander told reporters. "ISIS-K is not a popular insurgency in Afghanistan," he said. "Everybody is against them."

The bottom line is that the ISIS-K fighters were taken off the battlefield, the general said. "Taking ISIS-K fighters off the battlefield through attrition or surrender will make not only Afghanistan a safer place, but also protects the United States, its partners and allies," he said.

Votel said he believes the strategy in Afghanistan is about right, but that he expects the incoming commander of forces there, Army Gen. Austin S. Miller, to make "tweaks" to it. Votel said he wants to look at minimizing vulnerabilities to Afghan forces, and especially wants to look at employment of high-end Afghan special operations forces and ensuring those forces are used correctly and not overused.

Votel said the U.S. Army's purpose-built security forces assistance brigade has been doing well, and that the unit currently in Afghanistan advising Afghan forces is sharing data, intelligence and information with the brigade due to replace it.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S., Allies Aim to Maintain Free, Open Indo-Pacific Region

Aug. 8, 2018

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- The current international order has been a boon for the nations of Southeast Asia, and the United States is working to ensure the nations of the region and world continue to enjoy the benefits of that order, the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs said yesterday.

Randall D. Schriver told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute here that the Defense Department has a key role to play in preserving the international order, but that DoD is only one part of a whole-of-government approach.

The whole-of-government approach, with security, economic and governance pillars, is the way forward for the United States and the region, he said. Southeast Asia is the heart of the Indo-Pacific region and thus, is an important part of the total Indo-Pacific strategy.

Competition

There is an unfolding competition in the region between China and nations committed to the current international order, Schriver said.

"Our strategy is an affirmative, positive one and it is inclusive," he said. "While it is not aimed at any particular country, there should be little doubt that much of the Chinese behavior is demonstrating objectives that run counter to our objectives for a free and open Indo-Pacific."

The United States wants a positive relationship with China, the assistant secretary said. However, he added, China's leaders "need to understand that while we seek cooperation where our interests align, we will compete where we must."

Schriver said nations of the region say they do not want to choose between the United States and China. But Chinese activities -- such as aggressive economic statecraft and illegally militarizing the South China Sea -- are forcing nations to contemplate the situation, he said.

The choice for nations "is really between partnership or domination, independence and self-reliance or a mortgaged future, full sovereignty or coercion, international law norms or irredentist claims and control," he said.

International Rules-Based Order

Schriver said the international rules-based order is aimed at maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. "By free, we mean nations will be free from coercion and able to protect their sovereignty," he explained.

Open refers to nations enjoying freedom of the seas and airways, Schriver said.

Southeast Asia is a growing trading partner of the United States, and the Philippines and Thailand are American treaty allies. Sea lanes through the region carry the life's blood of world prosperity and must remain open.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis realizes the importance of the area and has made seven trips to the Indo-Pacific region since taking office. Four of those trips included Southeast Asia.

"Our routine presence in the Indo-Pacific is a vital source of regional stability and serves as an important demonstration of our commitment to the region," Schriver said. "Freedom of navigation [exercises]  are the most visible part of that, but we are engaged in activities, exercises and operations across the region every day. The U.S. military is active on a daily basis to safeguard freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific demonstrating our commitment to fly, sale and operate wherever international law allows."

Countries are concerned about the challenge to the status quo and they are joining the United States to assert these basic right, he said.

The U.S. military is helping nations of the region build their defense capabilities and capacity, Shriver said, and the U.S. is working with individual countries and groups such as the Association of South East Asian Nations to increase intelligence sharing and exchanges of information.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Georgia Guardsmen deliver in multinational exercise

By Staff Sgt. R.J. Lannom Jr, August 8, 2018

VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, Republic of Georgia -- Militaries from four nations participated today in the first ever helicopter troop insertion exercise by Georgian Special Operation Forces at the Vaziani Training Area, Georgia on Aug.6, 2018. The exercise included the U.S. Army, U.S. Army National Guard, Ukrainian Infantry Marines and mechanized infantry from the German Bundeswehr.

This training evolution is one of many during Noble Partner 18. It is a Georgian and U.S. Army Europe-led exercise in its fourth iteration. The exercise is intended to support and enhance Georgian, participating nations, regional partners and U.S. readiness and interoperability during a multinational operation.

"We had a great training scenario today with the host nation of Georgia," said Georgia Army National Guardsman, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joseph J. McNamara, UH-60 pilot, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, Marietta, Ga. "Along with the host nation of Georgia, we operated with Georgian Special Forces to conduct an infiltration and exfiltration of a high-value target."

Units from the German 391st Panzergrenadier Battalion and cavalry scouts from the Vilseck based Headquarters Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment secured the landing zone before four UH-60 Black Hawks inserted the Georgian Special Forces and Ukrainian Infantry Marines.

"Through combined arms cohesion of international units, we were able to operate together." said 1st Lt. Brad Staby, scout platoon leader, Headquarters, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

Noble Partner is crucial in that it provides leaders at all levels the opportunity to exercise their staffs in command and control, execution of combined planning and complex joint operations, maneuver mission planning and movement.

"Working in a multinational environment offers challenges," said McNamara. "But, with the host country doing a wonderful job of ensuring we have everything that we require to conduct our mission sets safely and effectively, they have been fantastic."

The joint exercise between the Georgia Guardsmen and the country of Georgia also marked the most complex military training they have performed together in their 24 years of working together under the U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program.

The program, under the Department of Defense for security cooperation and global engagement, has 65 partnerships around the world to promote access, enhance military capabilities, improve interoperability and enhance the principles of responsible governance.

Noble Partner 18 continues with additional multinational training scenarios until closing ceremonies on Aug. 15.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Yemeni targets Saudi Arabia's Jizan Industrial City with ballistic missile

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 09:45PM

Yemeni army forces have targeted the Jizan Industrial City in southern Saudi Arabia with domestically-manufactured Badr-1 ballistic missile.

Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network made the announcement on Wednesday.

Following the announcement, Saudi state news channel al-Ekhbariya claimed that the kingdom's air defenses had intercepted the projectile.

Earlier in the day, Yemeni army forces targeted Saudi border posts in the kingdom's southern provinces of Jizan and Najran with a salvo of Katyusha rockets and artillery rounds, leaving a number of Saudi soldiers dead and injured.

Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees also attacked al-Hajlah and al-Muthalath bases in Najran.

Separately, Yemeni army forces and their allies fired a domestically-designed short-range missile at a position of Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Yemen's northern province of al-Jawf.

An unnamed Yemeni military official said the Zelzal-1 (Quake-1) missile hit the designated target in the al-Maslub district of the province.

Saudi airstrikes claim 18 civilian lives

Meanwhile, Saudi warplanes have carried out raids on residential areas in Yemen's Amran and Hajjah provinces killing at least 18 people.

At least 12 civilians were killed when Saudi warplanes bombed Amran province.

Elsewhere in Hajjah province, Saudi jets targeted a residential area and killed at least six people.

PressTV-Saudi air raids kill more civilians in northwest Yemen

At least seven civilians, mostly women and children, are killed in fresh Saudi airstrikes in northwestern Yemen.

Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen in March 2015.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.

A high-ranking UN aid official has warned against the "catastrophic" living conditions in Yemen, stating that there is a growing risk of famine and cholera there.

"The conflict has escalated since November, driving an estimated 100,000 people from their homes," John Ging, UN director of aid operations, told the UN Security Council on February 27.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Yemeni army soldiers, allies hit border posts in Saudi Arabia's Jizan, Najran regions

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 05:27PM

Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have targeted Saudi border posts in the kingdom's southern provinces of Jizan and Najran with rockets and artillery rounds, leaving a number of Saudi soldiers dead and injured.

A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Yemeni troopers and their allies launched a salvo of Katyusha rockets and artillery rounds at Muqrin and Utmah military base in Jizan on Wednesday.

Later in the day, Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees attacked al-Hajlah and al-Muthalath bases in Najran.

PressTV-Yemenis hit Saudi base with ballistic missile: Report

Yemeni forces have reportedly hit a Saudi military base in the kingdom's Jizan province with a ballistic missile.

Scores of Saudi troopers were killed and injured in the operation, and three of their military vehicles were destroyed.

Yemeni missile targets Saudi mercenaries in Jawf

Separately, Yemeni army forces and their allies fired a domestically-designed short-range missile at a position of Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Yemen's northern province of al-Jawf.

An unnamed Yemeni military official said the Zelzal-1 (Quake-1) missile hit the designated target in the al-Maslub district of the province.

There were no immediate reports about possible fatalities and the extent of damage caused.

Fresh Saudi airstrike leaves six civilians dead in northwestern Yemen

At least six civilians have been killed when Saudi military aircraft carried out an airstrike against a residential building in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah as the Riyadh regime presses ahead with its atrocious bombardment campaign against its southern neighbor.

Local residents, requesting anonymity, said Saudi fighter jets conducted the aerial assault against a house in the al-Jar area of the Abs district. They added that the victims were all members of a family, and that four women and a baby girl were among the deceased.

Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen in March 2015.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.

A high-ranking UN aid official has warned against the "catastrophic" living conditions in Yemen, stating that there is a growing risk of famine and cholera there.

"The conflict has escalated since November, driving an estimated 100,000 people from their homes," John Ging, UN director of aid operations, told the UN Security Council on February 27.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israeli regime to construct three new settlements in Negev desert

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 02:05PM

Israeli officials have approved plans for the construction of three new settlements in the Negev desert irrespective of the international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in occupied Palestinian territories.

The so-called West Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee approved plans for the building of the settlements in the Negev desert on Tuesday, Palestinian's official news agency WAFA cited a report broadcast by English-language i24NEWS television network.

The report added that the plans need the endorsement of the Board for Planning and Building Committee, before they could be submitted to the cabinet.

Around 250 settlers units are scheduled to be built in the planned Daniel settlement, while another 450 units will be built in Ir Ovot settlement.

Less than a month before US President Donald Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, calling on Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem" al-Quds.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.

Trump backtracked on Washington's support for a "two-state solution" earlier this year, saying he would support any solution favored by both sides.

"Looking at two-state or one-state, I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one both parties like. I can live with either one," the US president said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on February 15.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Imagine you receive an email from the Secretary of Education saying that youve been randomly selected for a test pilot program.

In an attempt to democratize the educational system, 20 citizens have been selected to develop a curriculum that will be added as a graduation requirement for every high school student in America. The only limitation is that the curriculum must pertain to a subject that is already covered in high school, must not be tied to religion or theology, and must take no longer than a total of 3 hours (half a school day) to implement.

For the typical student in America, the school year typically lasts for 180 days at 6-hour for 13 years (K-12). Thats roughly 14,040 hours of time theyll spend in school. You now have three of those hours to change the course of their education. What would you do?

Heres my proposed program:

Have every student read and discuss Frederic Bastiats That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen.

College-bound students would be required to read the entire essay while those who struggle would read only excerpts, perhaps only the first 400 words. The students would then briefly explain the point of the essay in their own words, discuss the essay amongst themselves, and then provide three to four examples of how they think it might be applied in their own lives and in the realm of public policy.

And thats it. Thats the entire program.

Not everyone would benefit from such reading and discussion, of course. Yet if even a fraction of Americans students grasped the concept it would quite literally change the future of our nations politics and policy.

No single essay or article in economics is more vital than Frederic Bastiats What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen, says Don Boudreaux. The fact that its simple but widely missed point is made crystal-clear by a writer intent on communicating in an easy and accessible style should not cause this essay to be viewed as an exercise in mere pop-econ.

Unfortunately, Im not likely to get an email from the Education Secretary offering to put my program in place. But I can do the next best thing: Encourage you to read the essay and encourage you to encourage others to read it. As Boudreaux adds,

So if youve not yet read Bastiats brilliant essay, do so. Do so ASAP. Then re-read it. Ponder it. Keep pondering it. Never forget it or its lesson. Let it prompt you always to ask about the visible that all-important question that probes the ever-present invisible: As compared to what? By doing so you will thereby become a better economist than thousands of econ-PhD-sporting people today.

After you read Bastiats essay be sure to read Boudreauxs brief explanation of the different levels of the not-seen.
ROME - At least 39 children were killed and another 50 were wounded on Wednesday in northern Yemen when airstrikes hit a school bus and a crowded market in the Saada province, according to international media reports.

Local tribal leaders said the attack was launched by the Saudi-led coalition.

Saudi Arabia had previously made known that one civilian died and 11 people were wounded by fragments from a missile launched by Yemeni Shiite rebels in the country's south.


Colombia swears in new president, fate of FARC deal in limbo

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 07:49AM

Colombia has sworn in a new president, Ivan Duque, who has been critical of the previous administration's landmark peace deal with FARC, formerly an armed rebel group.

In his inaugural speech to the nation on Tuesday, Duque vowed to fight corruption, revive the country's economy, and take "corrective measures" in the landmark peace deal signed between former president Juan Manuel Santos and FARC in 2016.

Duque, 42, who is a political newcomer hailing from the Democratic Center Party and is considered business-friendly, said he wanted the former FARC rebels who had been accused of war crimes to be brought to justice, even though they had laid down their arms and agreed to other terms under the deal.

He said his administration would "deploy corrective measures to ensure that the victims get the truth, proportional justice, reparations, and no repetitions of the past."

But it was unclear whether he would seek to scrap the deal with FARC or modify its terms, and whether the former rebels would be ready to renegotiate.

The deal between FARC and the Santos administration ended the country's brutal five-decade civil conflict.

The formerly leftist guerilla organization is now a legitimate political party known as the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force. The group's members won several seats in parliamentary elections last month.

The new president of Colombia is also taking the helm at a time of tensions with Venezuela. Caracas has accused Santos of being behind a failed assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

Bogota has denied any involvement in the incident.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ex-Manafort aide testifies his boss hid income in Cyprus

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 01:30AM

A close associate and business partner of US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has testified at a trial that his former boss ordered him to conceal information about payments from Cyprus-based accounts that held millions of dollars in earnings from consulting work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.

Rick Gates, the US government's key witness in Manafort's trial on tax and bank fraud charges, told a federal court jury in Virginia on Tuesday that Manafort had used offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, concealing the accounts and the income from the Internal Revenue Service.

Gates said Manafort had directed him to report overseas income as loans to lower his taxable income, adding that there were hundreds of emails showing Manafort had approved payments out of the Cypriot accounts.

"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.

"You created a loan agreement for a loan that didn't exist?" prosecutor Greg Andres asked Gates. "Yes, we did," he replied.

Gates himself admitted to creating fake invoices from luxury clothing stores and landscapers to make it look like Global Endeavor, a company in Cyprus that Manafort owned, was paying for the expenses instead of Manafort.

"Fair to say it was a fake invoice?" the prosecutor asked as Gates reviewed an invoice for $42,000 that gave the appearance of being sent from Alan Couture, a high-end New York City clothing store, to Global Endeavor.

"Yes," replied Gates, the 46-year-old former Trump campaign adviser.

Gates said setting up offshore bank accounts was an arrangement requested by wealthy and powerful Ukrainian businessmen who bankrolled Manafort's political consulting work in the country.

Gates also testified that he had stolen "several hundred thousand" dollars from Manafort over the years by filing false expense reports.

The Tuesday trial is considered the first courtroom test of US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

Gates pleaded guilty in February as part of a deal with Mueller's team. However, Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Court documents show that Manafort was interviewed by FBI agents twice when he worked as a consultant in Ukraine.

Manafort and Gates were among the first to be charged as part of Mueller's ongoing investigation into whether the Trump presidential campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 US election.

Mueller, a former FBI director, has been running a high-profile investigation into allegations that Trump won the 2016 US presidential election against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton only because Moscow had rigged the election in his favor.

US intelligence agencies claim Russia-linked hackers provided WikiLeaks with damaging information -- in the form of thousands of hacked emails -- about Clinton to skew the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump.

Trump has repeatedly denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians and has condemned the investigations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also denied the allegations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Manafort Deputy Details Delinquent Ukraine Payments; Defense Accuses Him Of Multiple Affairs

Mike Eckel August 08, 2018

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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/gates- wraps-up-testimony-in-trial-of-ex- trump-aide-manafort/29420661.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Poroshenko Confirms 2014 Meeting With Manafort Team

Christopher Miller August 08, 2018

KYIV -- Before he became the victor in Ukraine's 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 Manafort's 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 Poroshenko's administration on August 2, which read: "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."

RFE/RL inquired about the meeting between the teams of Manafort and Poroshenko after an email surfaced this month ahead of Manafort's 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 Manafort's 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 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 Poroshenko's presidential campaign. He claimed the plan never came to fruition.

"Manafort was trying to offer his services and his strategy for Poroshenko's 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 Poroshenko's 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 Manafort's ideas were suitable for the strategy he masterminded as Yanukovych's 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 Manafort's team was about joining up with Poroshenko.

The email was one of more than 400 released ahead of Manafort's trial by his lawyers, who accused Special Council Robert Mueller's 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 Yanukovych's 2010 victory speech, attached to his email to Gates a draft agreement for Manafort's 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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/poroshenko-administration -backtracks-confirms-2014-meeting- with-manafort-team/29420157.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Gates Claims Manafort Did Political Work For Ukraine's Poroshenko, Who Denies It

RFE/RL August 08, 2018

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 Mueller's case against Manafort, Gates testified how he and Manafort did years of lobbying and consulting work for Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, and Yanukoych's 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, Manafort's 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 among others, but they were not even considered," the press service said.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/gates-claims -manafort-did-political-work-for-ukraine-s- poroshenko-who-denies-it/29419579.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Venezuela Authorizes Arrest of Opposition Leader Accused of Attack on Maduro

Sputnik News

22:42 08.08.2018(updated 22:59 08.08.2018)

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The Venezuelan Supreme Court greenlighted on Wednesday the detention of opposition leader Julio Borges who had been accused of an assassination attempt against the country's President Nicolas Maduro.

On August 4, a military parade in Caracas attended by Maduro was interrupted by what the authorities said was an attempt on the life of the president. Venezuela's Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez has said several drones detonated close to where the president was giving a speech. The president was unharmed, but seven soldiers sustained injuries.

"The Supreme Court rules to immediately detain National Assembly member Julio Borges," the statement read.

Earlier, Nicolas Maduro accused Julio Borges of being linked to an alleged attempt to assassinate him, saying that "some evidence" points at the opposition leader. Maduro also said that he would ask extradition of all those linked to the attack residing abroad.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly head Diosdado Cabello said that the assembly plans to consider the question of lifting of parliamentary immunity for opposition lawmakers who could be linked to the assassination attempt.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Estonian Military Continues Search for Accidentally Fired Spanish Missile

Sputnik News

17:31 08.08.2018(updated 20:03 08.08.2018)

TALLINN (Sputnik) - The Estonian military continues searching for a missile that was accidentally fired by a Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon during NATO's Baltic air-policing mission, spokesman for the Estonian Defense Forces Capt. Aivo Vahemets said on Wednesday.

"At least three Robinson helicopters of the Estonian Air Force are participating in the search operation. If it is necessary, policemen and rescuers are ready to join the search. However, it is necessary to determine the search area more accurately. It is too early to form a chain of logistics because we have too little information," Vahemets told the Postimees newspaper.

According to the spokesman, the military received several signals from residents of the Tartu region who heard something that sounded like an explosion. This information has been verified. Vahemets also suggested that the missile could have exploded in the air.

"Perhaps now we should not look for a whole missile but for its small fragments," Vahemets added.

Later Estonian military stated that they found a possible weapon impact point in the Endla Nature Reserve.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas also discussed the incident with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"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, as quoted by the Estonian government's press service.

According to the press release, Ratas has called on NATO to pay serious attention to the incident and look into all the details surrounding it.

"There is no doubt that Estonian authorities contribute to it in every possible way. The Secretary-General confirmed that all allies including those involved in the air policing will do the same. The air policing mission of NATO is an important part of ensuring the security of Estonia and the whole alliance," the prime minister noted.

Later in the day, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles Fernandez expressed her regret over the recent incident in Estonian airspace, the Estonian Defense Ministry said.

"The Spanish Defence Minister regretted the incident had taken place during the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission," the Estonian ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, both ministers believe that NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission should be continued as it provides the Baltic states' airspace security.

Commenting on the incident, Luik noted that the two sides agreed to closely cooperate on the search of the missile, as well as on the investigation.

Estonian Air Force Acting Commander Col. Riivo Valge said that the Baltic country's air force, Spanish authorities and NATO had launched an investigation into the case.

On Tuesday, a Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 jet accidentally fired an air-to-air missile during its training flight over southern Estonia, the Baltic state's military said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the defense forces said that the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile had been equipped with a self-destruction mechanism and did not rule out the missile hitting the ground.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Colombia's New President Vows to Alter Peace Deal With FARC Rebels

Sputnik News

07:31 08.08.2018

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - New President of Colombia Ivan Duque said he wanted to make changes to a landmark peace agreement with leftist rebels.

Duque was sworn into office on Tuesday. "We will make corrections to those structural errors which surfaced when applying the accord. The victims [of the conflict] must receive moral, financial and economic compensation from executioners," Duque said at the inauguration ceremony.

Colombia's new leader said that within a month his government would also assess peace negotiations underway with National Liberation Army.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel movement waged a revolutionary struggle against Colombian authorities for over 50 years before signing a historic peace accord in 2016.

Previously, Duque promised that he would respect the peace accords with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia signed by then-President Juan Manuel Santos.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Afghanistan's Captured IS Fighters Being 'Treated as War Prisoners'

By Jeff Seldin August 08, 2018

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign in Yemen Falls Short

By Lisa Schlein August 08, 2018

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Airstrike hits school bus in Yemen, 39 children dead In the province of Saada, at least 50 wounded

(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 9 - At least 39 children were killed and another 50 were wounded on Wednesday in northern Yemen when airstrikes hit a school bus and a crowded market in the Saada province, according to international media reports.



Local tribal leaders said the attack was launched by the Saudi-led coalition.



Saudi Arabia had previously made known that one civilian died and 11 people were wounded by fragments from a missile launched by Yemeni Shiite rebels in the country's south.(ANSAmed).




US to impose 25% tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 01:26AM

The administration of US President Donald Trump says it will begin imposing 25 percent tariffs on an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese goods in the next two weeks, escalating a trade war with the world's second biggest economy.

The office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) made the announcement in an emailed statement on Tuesday, saying that the new round of tariffs will take effect on August 23.

The USTR said the duties would be imposed on 279 product lines, down from 284 items on the initial list, and that the new list covered goods such as electronic parts, plastics, chemicals, batteries, and railway cars.

This will be the second time Washington slaps tariffs on Chinese goods in about a month, despite pressure from US business companies coming out strongly against Trump's trade policies.

"The breadth of the trade war's impact on American businesses is evidence of the way trade is woven deep into the fabric of our economy. Almost 98% of exporting firms in the US are small businesses, and they represent about one-third of all merchandise exports. These companies rely on trade to stay competitive," US Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Donahue said on Monday.

The US president has threatened to slap tariffs on almost all of Chinese exports to the country.

In early July, Washington imposed 25 percent duties on $34 billion of imports from China as a first step in a possible series of increases that Trump says could affect up to $550 billion of Chinese goods.

China, for its part, announced that its retaliatory tariffs had taken effect on $34 billion of US goods that included soybeans and electric vehicles.

The US administration recently announced that it would impose 10 percent tariffs on an extra $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after China retaliated.

Beijing, in response, blasted American unilateralism and filed a complaint with the WTO against the new US-proposed tariffs.

China warned the US that it would have no choice but to take "necessary countermeasures" against Washington.

Washington has also accused Beijing of intellectual property theft, obstructing US businesses, and being responsible for America's 375-billion-dollar trade deficit with China.

China says Washington is "opening fire" on the world with its raft of tariffs aimed at Beijing as well as at trade partners in North America and Europe.

Amid escalating tensions between the two sides over trade issues, Washington and Beijing have been trying to restart high-level talks that broke off after Trump followed through on his tariff threats.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week that his country's door of dialogue with the United States on resolving bilateral trade disputes remains open, reiterating that Beijing is not after a trade war with Washington.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






With a Positive Spin, Chinese News Outlets Cover Africa

By Salem Solomon August 08, 2018

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, China's state-run news organization, typifies the country's coverage of Africa.

Rather than focus on corruption or disasters, China's news about Africa emphasizes positive angles, especially when it comes to the Communist Party's deepening involvement across the continent.

It's a media strategy that highlights China's mutual interests with Africa and reflects its broader approach to soft power, even if the whole story isn't told.

Positive news angles

In Chinese media, "what comes across is the government's interests," Emeka Umejei, a professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, told VOA.

Chinese news organizations don't 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 isn't 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 Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway, a project financed, built and managed by China.

Local media have reported on a range of concerns tied to the railway's impacts on Kenya's wildlife, economy and workers.

Last month, the Sunday Standard, one of Kenya's 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 wasn't 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 China's 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 China's soft power campaign and media strategies are working.

Afrobarometer, an African research network, reported in 2016 that about two-thirds of Africans see China's 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 country's 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 Party's interests and producing news for a worldwide audience.

Xinhua's 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 isn't allowed," Umejei said.

That means the powerful aren't held to account. But it also creates space for uplifting stories that show another side of Africa. It's an approach that resonates with African audiences, Umejei said, given what can come across as a fixation in Western media on Africa's 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 China's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump's security adviser says North Korea not taking steps to denuclearize

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 06:35AM

US President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton says North Korea has not lived up to its end of the Singapore agreement on denuclearization.

"What we really need is not more rhetoric," Bolton said in an interview on Fox News on Tuesday. "What we need is performance from North Korea on denuclearization."

Following their summit in Singapore in June, Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had promised to immediately start working to end Pyongyang's weapons programs.

North Korean state media has since highlighted steps the country has taken, including a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, the dismantling of a nuclear site, and the return of the remains of American soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Pyongyang has urged Washington to take reciprocal measures including officially declaring an end to the war and removing sanctions.

However, Bolton said the United States has lived up to the joint declaration that was issued after the June 12 summit between Trump and Kim.

"It's just North Korea that has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize," he said, adding that dropping sanctions was not currently on the table.

The comment came as The Washington Post reported that US officials believe North Korea could be in the process of building new intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Bolton said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was ready to return to North Korea for another meeting with Kim. He also said that Trump "is prepared to meet at any point."

Pompeo said last week that Pyongyang was "closer" to denuclearization, but that "the ultimate timeline for denuclearization will be set by Chairman Kim, at least in part."

CNN reported earlier this week that North Korea was seeking a second meeting between its leader and the US president.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korea Exceeding Commitment to Trump in Launch Site Dismantlement

Sputnik News

23:59 08.08.2018(updated 00:00 09.08.2018)

Satellite footage appears to show that North Korea is dismantling a satellite launch pad at the Sohae Launching Station in a move that would go beyond the country's agreement with the US to completely denuclearize.

The footage was taken on August 3, but the Korea-focused website 38 North didn't publish their analysis until Tuesday.

"While dismantlement of the vertical engine test stand represents a fulfillment of Chairman Kim's agreement with President Trump conveyed publicly during the post-Singapore Summit press conference, activity at the launch pad appears to go beyond that commitment," analysts wrote.

Moreover, "vegetation has started to fill in the previously barren blast area."

On Tuesday, longtime North Korea hawk and National Security Advisor to Trump John Bolton said the DPRK hasn't taken the necessary steps towards denuclearization, Sputnik News reported. "What we really need is not more rhetoric," Bolton said in a Fox News interview. "What we need is performance from North Korea on denuclearization."

Bolton's remarks came the day following highly-publicized complaints about US sanctions by a North Korean state newspaper. "There have been outrageous arguments coming out of the US State Department that it won't ease sanctions until a denuclearization is completed, and reinforcing sanctions is a way to raise its negotiating power," the Monday editorial of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.

Meanwhile, a six-month report by experts submitted to the UN Security Council was analyzed by Reuters. The report claimed North Korea "has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs," the outlet reported on Friday. However, no additional information or evidence was cited.

On July 30, The Washington Post cited unnamed "officials familiar with the intelligence" supposedly underpinning US spy agency allegations that North Korea is working on one or two liquid-fueled Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) capable of reaching the US.

"The reports about new missile construction come after recent revelations about a suspected uranium-enrichment facility, called Kangson, that North Korea is operating in secret, " the outlet wrote, referring to a July 13 article in The Diplomat.

What The Diplomat presented as a "covert enrichment site" could only be definitely called "consistent" and "suitable" for enrichment, according to research by Jeffrey Lewis of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

"What we feel comfortable saying is that we can't say whether it is, or is not, an enrichment plant," Lewis told The Diplomat. But, "this is a suitable building that has a number of signatures consistent with that and no obvious inconsistencies," he said.

The outlet cited a monument to Kim near the facility, which it posited "implies an unusual role for the site."

The veracity of The Diplomat piece was disputed by 38 North on Friday, which wrote that the article presents "little tangible evidence to support the claim that the Kangson site is a uranium enrichment facility or contributes components, parts or technology to North Korea's WMD program."

"There is nothing particularly remarkable about a DPRK industrial facility with security fencing, worker housing and Kim iconography," 38 North wrote.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Zarif: Trump's gestures, remarks just 'propaganda'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Aug 8, IRNA -- The Americans have never had honesty, and the US President Donald Trump's moves and remarks are just 'propaganda,' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said here on Wednesday.

'Trump has no sensitivity towards the Iranian people and the international commitments as well,' Zarif told reporters after the cabinet session this morning.

'The person who is claiming to be willing to negotiate today, has withdrawn from all international commitments from Paris Agreement to its business commitments with other countries.'

'Trump is against the Iranian people because the first sanction which he returned was on the purchase of 200 passenger planes.'

'We had two years of intensive negotiations with them and the result was the nuclear deal, but the Trump administration withdrew from it. Just imagine that we had another round of talks with them, how can we trust them to be loyal to the new agreement?'

The Americans' policies have left no confidence in them not only with Iranians but with everyone in the world, said Iran foreign minister.

1483**1771

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Zarif: International relations is not a beauty pageant

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Aug 8, IRNA -- The foreign minister International tweeted Monday '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'.

'Tantrums & CAPPED TEWEETS won't change the fact that the world is sick & tied 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 as EU, Russia, China & dozens of our other trading partners,' Mohammad Javad Zarif said in his tweet.

China, Russia and the European Union have announced that they would not abide by US anti-Iran sanctions.

Meanwhile, a special adviser to the 28-country bloc's top diplomat has warned that European firms that stop doing business with Iran because of re-imposed US sanctions could in turn be sanctioned by the EU.

"If EU companies abide by US secondary sanctions they will, in turn, be sanctioned by the EU,' Nathalie Tocci, an aide to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said.

1396**1396

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran rejects UK daily's claim on transfer of missile parts

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 8 August 2018 / 14:01

Tehran (ISNA) - Iran has flatly denied the claim made by the British newspaper Evening Standard on transferring missile parts from London to Iran.

Iran's embassy in London has described the news as a baseless report and "biased media brouhaha."

In a letter to Evening Standard's editor-in-chief, the Iranian embassy urged the paper not to repeat such fake cliche news any more.

"They are aimed at promoting Iranophobia," the letter reads.

The letter also underlines that Iran reserves the right to follow up the issue through relevant channels and use legal means to seek compensation for the damage to Iran's image caused by the false claim, IFP reported.

The British daily claimed that "a suspected attempt to fly missile warhead components to Iran via Heathrow [Airport] has been thwarted by the UK Border Force."

"At least two 'O rings'  which can be used to form seals in rockets  were detected during an inspection of freight being flown out from the airport," it added.

The UK media continued levelling allegations, saying "they were supposedly being sent for use in the Iranian oil industry. But Border Force staff halted the shipment after becoming suspicious that the real intention was to use them in missiles."

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






President in a meeting with N. Korean FM: Untrustworthy, unreliable US not meeting any of its obligations

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 8 August 2018 / 14:39

Tehran (ISNA)  Iranian President described establishment of full peace and security in the Korean Peninsula as the Islamic Republic of Iran's wish and said, "Tehran is willing to develop and deepen international relations and cooperation in all fields, including with Pyongyang".

Speaking in a meeting with the foreign minister of North Korea Ri Yong Ho on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani referred to amicable Tehran-Pyongyang relations in the past decades and said, "Iran and North Korea have always had close views and supported each other in many critical international points and the global community".

He also went on to refer to the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as an international agreement, saying: "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".

"In the current situation, friend countries should develop their relations and cooperation in international communities alongside each other," added the President.

At the same meeting, foreign minister of North Korea Ri Yong Ho also referred to the friendly, close relations between Tehran and Pyongyang and said, "North Korea's strategic policy is to deepen relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and confront unilateralism".

He also described US' withdrawal from the nuclear deal and attempts to restore sanctions as an action against international rules and regulations.

End Item

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






EU threatens to slap sanctions on firms cutting trade with Iran under US pressure

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 08:55AM

The European Union has threatened to impose sanctions on companies that stop doing business with Iran in compliance with the US sanctions snapback mechanism.

"If EU companies abide by US secondary sanctions, they will, in turn, be sanctioned by the EU," Nathalie Tocci, an aide to the 28-nation bloc's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, told Britain's BBC Radio 4 on Monday night.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, re-imposing a first round of unilateral sanctions on Iran, which had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The move came three months after Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the accord despite objections from the other parties to the deal  France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China  and the international community.

In a tweet, Trump described the fresh measures against Tehran as "the most biting sanctions ever," warning that the countries doing business with Iran will "NOT be doing business with the United States."

However, Mogherini and foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France issued a statement stressing that they deeply regretted the new US sanctions.

They also announced an update of the Blocking Statute to "protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran from the impact of US extraterritorial sanctions."

Tocci further stressed the need for such steps "in order to signal, diplomatically, to the Iranians that Europeans are serious" about the nuclear deal. The potential EU sanctions, the official added, were "politically and symbolically" an important step.

During a trip to New Zealand on Tuesday, Mogherini called on European firms to defy Trump over Iran.

"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," she said. "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."

The second phase of US sanctions against Tehran will come into effect in November targeting Iran's oil industry and foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.

In a televised interview on Monday, President Hassan Rouhani said that Trump wanted the entire world to impose sanctions on Iran, but had failed to achieve that goal.

"Even today, which sanctions have been re-imposed [by the United States], Europe has stood against America. This is while Europe was always an ally of America," Rouhani said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






German Auto Giant Daimler Quits Iran, Citing U.S. Sanctions Threat

RFE/RL August 08, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/german-auto- giant-diamler-mercedes-benz-quits-iran-citing-us- sanctions-threat/29418440.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






TEL AVIV - About 150 rockets and mortar shells were shot at southern Israel over the night between Wednesday and Thursday, the Israeli army said.

Israel targeted 140 positions in the Gaza Strip in response, it added.

Palestinian sources say that three people were killed including a pregnant woman and her daughter. Eleven people were injured in Israel including a woman still in critical condition. Alarm sirens went off in southern Israel 125 times and the missile defense system intercepted at least 25 rockets. Over the night Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman held an emergency meeting.

Initial reports say that a decision was made to send more soldiers around the Gaza Strip in southern Israel and to call up reservists for the Iron Dome missile defense system.

Further measures have been taken for the population in the areas around Gaza. The army said that it had hit at least 20 Hamas military positions in the attacks on the Gaza Strip including a factory used for components for tunnels, an areas used by the Hamas naval command, a weapons depot and a meeting place for officials in Khan Younis. On Thursday morning, an Israeli aircraft hit a team of rocket launchers that had ''just shot at Israel''.

Palestinian media say that at least 3 were killed in the Israeli attack on the central part of the Gaza Strip and 12 were injured.

Among the fatalities were a pregnant woman and her 18-month-old daughter. In the Israeli city of Sderot, the city hit the most often by rockets launched from Gaza, among the 11 people injured was a 30-year-old woman in critical condition. The latest outbreak of violence began on Wednesday evening with the first shots from Gaza at southern Israel and an intensification over the night. Hamas had warned that it would respond to Israel's killing of two of its fighters in recent days. As a precaution, the Israeli army had closed the roads in Israeli territory around the Palestinian enclave and warned the population.
Iraqi Leader Says Disagrees With U.S. Sanctions On Iran, But Will Honor Them

August 08, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iraqi- leader-abadi-says-disagrees-us-sanctions- iran-will-honor-them/29418380.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Scattered Protests, Heavy Security Across Iran After New Sanctions

By Edward Yeranian August 08, 2018

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Record Number of Israeli Women to Serve in Armed Forces' Combat Units - Reports

Sputnik News

13:52 08.08.2018(updated 13:56 08.08.2018)

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - A thousand Israeli women have volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces' combat units, the highest figure compared to those recorded in previous years, Galei Tzahal radio reported on Wednesday following the end of the military conscription period.

Galei Tzahal, the official radio station of the Israeli Army, reported that this year's number of volunteers turned out to be twice as high as that five years ago. There also was an increase in the number of religious women, even though Israeli law states that they can be exempt from military service.

The female draftees comprise not only native-born Israelis, but also youth from abroad, namely Europe, Latin America and Africa, including over 300 women from Ukraine, 285 from Russia and another 248 from the United States.

According to the radio station, a portion of these women will be serving as military engineers, and in paratroopers' brigades, armored divisions, artillery corps and air defense units.

Israel remains one of the few countries around the world where women are required to serve in the military. Starting from 2000, Israeli women were allowed to serve in almost all combat units.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN calls on Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya repatriation

Iran Press TV

Wed Aug 8, 2018 01:54PM

The United Nations has urged Myanmar to improve conditions in Rakhine to pave the way for the safe return of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in the western state into Bangladesh, and to ensure clear procedures to grant citizenship to those eligible.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Development Program (UNDP) said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they needed full access to Rakhine, where horrific atrocities were committed against Rohingya Muslims.

The statement noted that the Myanmar's authorities have not granted permission for international staff to be based in the town of Maungdaw in Rakhine after about three months of waiting.

In June, the UNDP signed an agreement with Myanmar's government to return some of the 700,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled persecution in their villages in Rakhine and who are now living in crowded makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

The deal has, however, disconcerted the refugees, who say they won't return unless they are given safety guarantees and citizenship by Myanmar's government.

The UN aid agencies called for substantial progress 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".

According to the UN, Rohingya Muslims remaining in Rakhine are subject to local orders that severely restrict their freedom of movement, banning them from reaching jobs, school and health care.

The Rohingya Muslims based in Rakhine have been subjected to a campaign of killings, rape and arson attacks by the military backed by the country's majority Buddhist extremists in what the UN has described as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

The brutal campaign has forced some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee their homeland since August 2017 and seek refuge in Bangladesh.

Human Rights Watch on Monday warned against the threat of natural disasters facing the Rohingya Muslim refugees living in an overcrowded mega camp in Bangladesh's border region near Myanmar, calling on Dhaka to relocate the hapless refugees to safer places.

The Rohingya, who have lived in Myanmar for generations, are denied citizenship and are branded illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, which likewise denies them citizenship.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Calls on Myanmar to Improve Conditions for Safe Return of Rohingyas

By VOA News August 08, 2018

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pakistan, Russia Sign Rare Military Cooperation Pact

By Ayaz Gul August 08, 2018

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."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pakistan's Opposition Alleges Rigging in July Polls

By Ayesha Tanzeem August 08, 2018

Pakistan's opposition parties gathered in Islamabad to protest what they said was rigging in last month's 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. We're 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.

Khan's 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 country's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan sees no room for talks with China on proposed undersea tunnel

ROC Central News Agency

2018/08/08 22:46:06

Taipei, Aug. 8 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday that under the current circumstances, there can be no bilateral discussions on China's proposal to build an undersea railway between the two sides.

The proposal is part of China's consistent united front propaganda and was made unilaterally, the MAC said.

The MAC said there never were any discussions between Taiwan and China on the issue, and given the current state of cross-strait ties, there simply is no room for such talks.

China is proposing to build a connecting undersea railway between the two sides, even as it is intensifying its efforts to squeeze Taiwan's international space and to put military pressure on Taiwan, the MAC said.

Such actions clearly show Beijing's disrespect for Taiwan's position and are meant to confuse the public, the MAC said.

The Taiwan government is well aware of China's political intentions and will not dance to its tune, the MAC added.

China has proposed building a 135-kilometer undersea railway tunnel that would connect Pingtan, a free-trade zone in Fujian province, to Hsinchu in northern Taiwan, according to a report in the South China Morning Post on Aug. 6.

Given a completion date of 2030, the railway will allow shuttle trains to whiz through the tunnel at up to 250 km per hour, the Chinese paper said.

(By Chai Sze-chia and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/pc



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan Positions Land-Attack Cruise Missile Toward Mainland China

Sputnik News

22:00 08.08.2018

Satellite imagery published by Kanwa Defense Review shows that Taiwan has positioned a land-attack cruise missile toward mainland China that is capable of targeting several cities along the country's southeast coast.

The image shows Taiwan's Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missile stationed at a base in Taoyuan, less than 200 miles from Fuzhou, the capital city of China's Fujian province, the South China Morning Post reported. The pictures were snapped earlier this year in March.

Kanwa Defense Review releases satellite image, showing Taiwan's Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missile stationed at a base in Taoyuan positioned toward mainland China.

Considering the cruise missiles have a range of approximately 620 to 930 miles, Taiwan has the ability to target cities and provinces including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang, if tensions with China escalate further, according to the Kanwa.

"The deployment started in March, which means the Taiwanese military is able to carry out in-depth strategic strikes against [the mainland]," Andrei Chang, Kanwa's editor-in-chief, said.

"Based on its range, all nuclear power plant reactors, state strategic oil reserve facilities near Zhoushan [in eastern China's Zhejiang province], and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and other high-speed railways and tunnels would be targeted."

In response to Kanwa's claims, Taiwan's defense ministry told the Post that the reports were overreaching, saying it was "all speculation by media."

"The Republic of China [Taiwan] has full confidence and is well-prepared to defend its territory from invasion," Chen Chung-chi, the spokesperson for Taiwan's defense ministry, told the outlet.

However, Kanwa isn't alone in reporting Taiwan's military capabilities against China. The Asia Times reported Monday that with Taiwan's Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles being fully operational, the island could strike mainland Chinese Air Force bases.

"All of the island's fighter jets, particularly the homemade Ching-kuo aircraft, have been upgraded to carry the new missiles to fire from the east of the central line in the Taiwan Strait to attack Chinese air bases, assembly areas, loading zones and military positions to neutralize any threats," the report states.

The Wan Chien missiles have an "effective" range of more than 120 miles, Asia Times reported. The Taiwan Strait has a width of 80 miles at its narrowest and roughly 136 miles at its widest points.

Earlier this week, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced that she was seeking to increase the 2019 defense budget by 5.6 percent to roughly $11.3 billion in an effort to bulk up military forces as relations with China intensify, the Post reported.

China and Taiwan have been on the outs for years, as Beijing sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory and in need of being brought back into the fold, even by means of force if necessary. Taiwan, however, does not agree. Since the election of Tsai, Beijing has conducted various military patrols encircling Taiwan, to which Taipei has responded by steadily bulking up its military forces.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ankara Seeks to Ease US Tensions Amid Currency Slide

By Dorian Jones August 08, 2018

A Turkish diplomatic delegation is visiting Washington Wednesday in a bid to to ease tensions between the two countires.

Reports of the visit helped to stem a sharp drop in the value of Turkish currency. Analysts warn rising U.S.-Turkish tensions are threatening to trigger a financial crisis in Turkey.

On Monday, the Turkish lira suffered its most significant drop in a decade. The sell-off triggered by reports that the Trump administration is considering ending Turkey's duty-free access to the U.S. market.

The lira recovered some of its heavy losses on news of the diplomatic visit. But the currency began to slide again Tuesday as subsequent reporting contradicted initial reports that a preliminary agreement had been reached between Ankara and Washington.

The Turkish deputy foreign minister, Sedat Onal, is set to lead the delegation, according to a Foreign Ministry source. Earlier reports suggested a far more powerful delegation would be sent to Washington, including foreign, interior, defense, and finance ministers.

Andrew Brunson

At the top of the agenda is expected to be discussions about the ongoing detention of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson is currently under house arrest while standing trial on terrorism charges. The White House dismisses the charges as baseless, accusing Ankara of hostage taking.

U.S.-Turkish tensions escalated last week, with U.S. President Donald Trump targeting two Turkish ministers with sanctions over Brunson's detention. Turkey hit back with reciprocal measures.

"He [Brunson] now has acquired symbolic importance more than the worth of the issue. And with him will be tied all the Americans detained, and the State Department employees in Adana, Istanbul and Ankara," said international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University.

Three locally employed consular and embassy officials are being held on terrorism charges.

"Things have piled out over the course of several years, which all needs to be solved," Ozel said. "For that to happen, things really have to calm down  the hysteria on both sides of public opinions."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have already prepared the ground for a compromise. He has carefully avoided personally attacking Trump.

"He opened a good room for maneuver by disassociating Trump from this wrongdoing, basically saying he was misled," Ozel said. "If this thing is allowed to subside, good diplomats can actually find a way out."

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey, too, sought to calm relations, tweeting Tuesday, the "U.S. continues to be a solid ally and friend of Turkey despite tensions. The two countries have an active economic relationship."

The embassy also emphatically denied widespread Turkish media reports quoting an unnamed U.S. official predicting further heavy declines in the Turkish currency.

Analysts suggest both sides have considerable experience resolving differences.

"Turkey's relations have always been troubled," noted international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Even in the 1970s the relationship was described as the troubled partnership. The question today is, are the problems solvable?"

Russia, Iran

There is a myriad of outstanding disputes between the two NATO allies. Relations are strained over Ankara's deepening ties with Moscow, in particular, and the planned purchase of Russia's S-400 missile system. Washington said the missiles threaten to compromise NATO systems.

Additionally, Ankara is refusing to enforce reintroduced U.S.-Iranian sanctions while differences over Syria remain and Turkish demands to extradite U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the 2016 failed coup in Turkey.

International investors are expected to watch Thursday's visit closely. Success would likely dial back fears that Washington could impose painful financial sanctions that would hit Turkey's fragile economy hard, adding further pressure on the currency. Failure would probably trigger another sell-off.

Turkish banks and corporations owe hundreds of billions of dollars in loans, many of which are due within a year. With the lira already falling by around 30 percent since the start of the year, concerns are growing over the ability to repay the debt.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






ANKARA - A boat carrying migrants sunk off the Turkish coast in the Aegean Sea on Thursday, leading to the death of seven children and two women. Reports were from the Anadolu news agency. Four other migrants were rescued. The incident occurred off Kusadasi and the nationality of the migrants is unknown. The boat was heading for nearby Greek islands. The head of the Kusadasi district, Muammer Aksoy, said that all the bodies had been recovered and that no one was still missing. Turkey has become one of the main countries of passage for undocumented migrants trying to reach Europe, above all since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011.

Most of the migrants held in Turkey last year came from Pakistan (about 15,000), followed by Afghanistan (about 12,000) and Syria (about 10,000).

Migrant flows to the country have increased by 60% since the 31,000 people recorded in 2016.
Royal Navy Monitoring Russian Warships' Passage Through UK Waters

Sputnik News

18:10 08.08.2018(updated 18:13 08.08.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) -The UK Royal Navy said in a statement on Wednesday that its destroyer HMS Diamond was monitoring the overnight passage of Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov through the English Channel.

"Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond shadowed two Russian warships overnight as they passed through the English Channel The Portsmouth-based ship sailed from Dover to monitor the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov as they passed through the UK's area of interest yesterday (Tuesday)," the statement said.

According to the statement, HMS Diamond is continuing to monitor the Russian warships, which are currently moving along the UK south coast to leave the United Kingdom's area of interest.

The Severomorsk and Marshal Ustinov have just concluded routine drills in the Baltic Sea with the participation of Baltic, Northern and the Black Sea fleets, prior to which the warships took part in Russia's Navy Day parade on July 29. The vessels are now leaving the area through UK waters.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UK's Next-Gen Nuclear Deterrent Risks Delays Over Faulty Welding in US - Reports

Sputnik News

13:03 08.08.2018(updated 13:04 08.08.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom's next-generation nuclear submarines may be delayed due to a welding defect in ballistic missile tubes designed and manufactured in the United States, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Bill Couch, a spokesman for the US Naval Sea Systems Command, confirmed that none of the missile tubes delivered by BWX Technologies, one of US contractors, had been fitted into the submarines under construction, according to The Times.

Welding by the company has been suspended until a special probe into the defect is completed, he added.

The newspaper suggested that the defect threatened to hinder the process of replacement of the Royal Navy's four Vanguard-class ballistic-missile submarines by new Dreadnought-class submarines.

A spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defence, however, said that the nuclear deterrent's modernization program remained on schedule.

"We are aware that a welding quality issue on submarine missile tubes manufactured by US company BWX Technologies is under investigation, but our Dreadnought programme remains on schedule and within budget to deliver the first boat in the early 2030s," the spokesman said, as quoted by the newspaper.

New Dreadnought-class submarines are due to put into service in the 2030s. While BAE Systems is responsible for building the four submarines, the program heavily depends on US technology and components delivered from the United States.

The UK-US cooperation in the sensitive area dates back to the 1962 Nassau Agreement, which paved the way for the launch of the UK Polaris program.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Defence Secretary confirms UK-US relationship remains unparalleled

The USA has no greater friend on the global stage than the UK, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has reaffirmed during a visit to Washington, DC.

8 August 2018

Mr Williamson was invited to America to be a guest of honour at a Sunset Parade in the US capital. He also reinforced close ties between the UK and US during a Pentagon meeting with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

This followed a keynote speech at the Atlantic Council think-tank, where he emphasised the vital role of NATO, the need for long-term planning and the depth of UK-US collaboration.

Speaking to the Atlantic Council, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"For more than a hundred years our Armed Forces have fought in defence of our common values and interests. From the turmoil of the Great War, through the dark days of World War II. From the heat of Korea, to the chill of the Cold War. From the mountains of Afghanistan, to the deserts of Iraq today."

"Our two countries have developed the deepest, broadest and most advanced Defence relationship of any two nations. The United States has never had nor will have a more reliable ally than the United Kingdom. Others may pretend, but you will find no greater ally than us."

After giving his speech to the Atlantic Council, during which he also outlined the UK's various deployments across the world, the Defence Secretary headed to the Pentagon to meet Secretary Mattis. Current threats to prosperity and safety, including Russia and the ongoing fight against Daesh, were among the issues that were high on the agenda.

Mr Williamson then attended an impressive Sunset Parade, where US Marines gave a skilled display of music from the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and a spectacular silent precision drill by the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.

The UK and US are the biggest overseas suppliers to each other's militaries and have worked closely on numerous key projects.

The most prominent of these is the F-35 fighter jet programme and a further five of the aircraft arrived at RAF Marham last week, two months after the first-ever RAF batch flew from the US. Unmanned Air Systems and a Common Missile Compartment for UK-US Ballistic Missile Submarines are other recent examples of collaboration.

Both nations play leading roles in NATO, which is vital to our transatlantic partnership. Both countries have been calling for other nations to invest more in security and to increase the readiness of their forces. By the end of 2018, eight members will be meeting the commitment of spending 2% of their GDP on defence compared with just three in 2014.

An even closer bond is expected after Brexit, as the UK establishes new relationships and trade deals outside of Europe.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Nagasaki - 09 August 1945

The next break in the weather over Japan was due to appear just three days after the attack on Hiroshima, to be followed by at least five more days of prohibitive weather. The plutonium bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man," was rushed into readiness to take advantage of this window. No further orders were required for the attack. Truman's order of July 25th had authorized the dropping of additional bombs as soon as they were ready.

To eliminate the need to remove and reinstall complex scientific equipment from The Great Artiste, Sweeney and Capt. Frederick C. Bock had exchanged aircraft. Thus Sweeney and his crew flew Bockscar, while The Great Artiste repeated its role as the observation aircraft, but with Bock and his crew aboard.

At 3:47 a.m. on August 9, 1945, a B-29 named Bock's Car lifted off from Tinian and headed toward the primary target: Kokura Arsenal, a massive collection of war industries adjacent to the city of Kokura.

From this point on, few things went according to plan. The aircraft commander, Major Charles W. Sweeney, ordered the arming of the bomb only ten minutes after take-off so that the aircraft could be pressurized and climb above the lightning and squalls that menaced the flight all the way to Japan. (A journalist, William L. Laurence of the New York Times, on an escorting aircraft saw some "St. Elmo's fire" glowing on the edges of the aircraft and worried that the static electricity might detonate the bomb.) Sweeney then discovered that due to a minor malfunction he would not be able to access his reserve fuel.

The aircraft next had to orbit the city of Yokohama for almost an hour in order to rendezvous with its two escort B-29s, one of which never did arrive. The weather had been reported satisfactory earlier in the day over Kokura Arsenal, but by the time the B-29 finally arrived there, the target was obscured by smoke and haze.

Two more passes over the target still produced no sightings of the aiming point. As an aircraft crewman, Jacob Beser, later recalled, Japanese fighters and bursts of antiaircraft fire were by this time starting to make things "a little hairy." Kokura no longer appeared to be an option, and there was only enough fuel on board to return to the secondary airfield on Okinawa, making one hurried pass as they went over their secondary target, the city of Nagasaki. As Beser later put it, "there was no sense dragging the bomb home or dropping it in the ocean."

As it turned out, cloud cover obscured Nagasaki as well. Sweeney reluctantly approved a much less accurate radar approach on the target. At the last moment the bombardier, Captain Kermit K. Beahan, caught a brief glimpse of the city's stadium through the clouds and dropped the bomb. At 11:02 a.m., at an altitude of 1,650 feet, Fat Man exploded over Nagasaki. The yield of the explosion was later estimated at 21 kilotons, 40 percent greater than that of the Hiroshima bomb.

Nagasaki was an industrial center and major port on the western coast of Kyushu. As had happened at Hiroshima, the "all-clear" from an early morning air raid alert had long been given by the time the B-29 had begun its bombing run. A small conventional raid on Nagasaki on August 1st had resulted in a partial evacuation of the city, especially of school children. There were still almost 200,000 people in the city below the bomb when it exploded.

The hurriedly-targeted weapon ended up detonating almost exactly between two of the principal targets in the city, the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works to the south, and the Mitsubishi-Urakami Torpedo Works (right) to the north. Had the bomb exploded farther south the residential and commercial heart of the city would have suffered much greater damage.

In general, though Fat Man exploded with greater force than Little Boy, the damage at Nagasaki was not as great as it had been at Hiroshima. The hills of Nagasaki, its geographic layout, and the bomb's detonation over an industrial area all helped shield portions of the city from the weapon's blast, heat, and radiation effects. The explosion affected a total area of approximately 43 square miles. About 8.5 of those square miles were water, and 33 more square miles were only partially settled. Many roads and rail lines escaped major damage. In some areas electricity was not knocked out, and fire breaks created over the last several months helped to prevent the spread of fires to the south.

Although the destruction at Nagasaki has generally received less worldwide attention than that at Hiroshima, it was extensive nonetheless. Almost everything up to half a mile from ground zero was completely destroyed, including even the earthquake-hardened concrete structures that had sometimes survived at comparable distances at Hiroshima.

According to a Nagasaki Prefectural report "men and animals died almost instantly" within 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) of the point of detonation. Almost all homes within a mile and a half were destroyed, and dry, combustible materials such as paper instantly burst into flames as far away as 10,000 feet from ground zero. Of the 52,000 homes in Nagasaki, 14,000 were destroyed and 5,400 more seriously damaged. Only 12 percent of the homes escaped unscathed. The official Manhattan Engineer District report on the attack termed the damage to the two Mitsubishi plants "spectacular."

Despite the absence of a firestorm, numerous secondary fires erupted throughout the city. Fire-fighting efforts were hampered by water line breaks, and six weeks later the city was still suffering from a shortage of water. A U.S. Navy officer who visited the city in mid-September reported that, even over a month after the attack, "a smell of death and corruption pervades the place." As at Hiroshima, the psychological effects of the attack were undoubtedly considerable.

As with the estimates of deaths at Hiroshima, it will never be known for certain how many people died as a result of the atomic attack on Nagasaki. The best estimate is 40,000 people died initially, with 60,000 more injured. By January 1946, the number of deaths probably approached 70,000, with perhaps ultimately twice that number dead total within five years. For those areas of Nagasaki affected by the explosion, the death rate was comparable to that at Hiroshima.

The day after the attack on Nagasaki, the emperor of Japan overruled the military leaders of Japan and forced them to offer to surrender (almost) unconditionally.

In error, The Great Artiste was named in some official reports as the superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb at Nagasaki. This mistake was discovered when preparations were being made to preserve the aircraft for later museum display. When the discrepancy was found, it was Bockscar that was retired in September 1946 to the desert storage facility at Davis-Monthan field near Tucson, Arizona.
MONTREAL, Aug. 9, 2018 - SRG Graphite Inc. (TSXV: SRG) ("SRG" or the "Company") announces that the Company's board of directors has approved a new corporate structure. The Company has appointed Mr. Raphael Beaudoin as Vice-President, Operations, Metallurgy and Process Design, Mr. Elias J. Elias as Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Mr. Mathieu Charette as Vice-President Finance and Corporate Controller, and Mr. Michel Labonte as General Manager of SRG Guinea. With these appointments, management and the board of directors are confident this will contribute positively to the Company as it moves closer to construction.

"Having worked with all of these gentlemen, I am thrilled by these appointments given each individuals' skills, qualifications and experiences. I believe this will directly contribute to creating shareholder value" declared Mr. Benoit La Salle, Executive Chairman of the Company.

"We are delighted to be announcing the bolstering of the executive and operational teams at SRG as we continue to meet our objectives and milestones and move towards advancing the feasibility study," said Mr. Ugo Landry-Tolszczuk, President and COO of SRG.

Mr. Beaudoin graduated from McGill University in 2010 with a degree in materials engineering. Mr. Beaudoin worked as a plant metallurgist at the Minto Mine in the Yukon before joining the Nunavik Nickel Project for Canadian Royalties Inc. in 2012. He participated in the implementation of the Nunavik Nickel concentrator as a plant metallurgist, and later secured the position of chief metallurgist, where he oversaw many strategic projects of the concentrator. Before joining SRG, Mr. Beaudoin worked as the concentrator superintendent also for Canadian Royalties Inc., overseeing the operations, metallurgy, maintenance and power generation of the concentrator.

In conjunction with the appointment of Mr. Elias, Ms. Kathleen Jones-Bartels has resigned her position as Corporate Secretary and will continue with the Company as Assistant Corporate Secretary.

Mr. Elias has extensive experience in West Africa in both the mining and the energy sectors. Before joining SRG, he served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Windiga Energy Inc., a Canadian-based independent power producer. Previously, Mr. Elias was Legal Counsel at SEMAFO (TSX: SMF), a gold producer with significant presence in West Africa as well as with Gildan Activewear, one of the world's largest vertically integrated manufacturers of apparel. Mr. Elias holds a civil law degree and a common law degree from the University of Ottawa and is a member of the Barreau du Quebec since 2007.

In conjunction with the appointment of Mr. Charette, Ms. Isabelle Gauthier has resigned her position as Chief Financial Officer effective August 31, 2018. The Company would like to thank Ms. Isabelle Gauthier for her services since January 2017. In addition to his position as President and COO, Mr. Ugo Landry Tolszczuk will be taking on the role of acting CFO.

Mr. Charette completed his bachelor's degree in business administration and further continued his studies in taxation at the HEC Montreal in 2004. Mr. Charette has been a member of the Ordre des Comptables Agrees du Quebec since 2006. He has worked in a financial role with mining companies in West Africa since 2008, first as corporate controller with GoviEx Uranimum Inc. (TSXV: GXU) and then for five years as CFO and secretary for WAI Capital Investments Corp. (TSXV: WAI). He has over thirteen years of experience in financial management, financial reporting, taxation, budgeting, forecasting and regulatory compliance for private and public companies within multiple jurisdictions.

The appointment of Mr. Labonte as General Manager of SRG Guinea brings to the team a wealth of experience with regards to constructing and operating mines in West Africa. Mr. Labonte has over 40 years of mining experience including over 15 years at Kiena Mine, Placer Dome and a decade of experience in Africa, most notably five years as General Manager of SEMAFO's flagship Mana mine in Burkina Faso. There, Mr. Labonte oversaw the construction, start of operations and continuous capacity building of the mine from the originally planned 2,500 tonnes per day plant to an 8,000 tonnes per day mine, as well as oversaw the operations of the mine for several years, including managing over 500 employees.

Grant of Stock Options

The Company is pleased to announce that, pursuant to its Stock Option Plan and subject to regulatory acceptance, it has granted an aggregate total of 2,285,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company, subject to certain vesting provisions. These options will be exercisable at a price of $1.10 per common share and will expire on August 8, 2028.

ABOUT SRG

SRG is a Canadian-based company focused on developing the Lola graphite deposit and the Gogota cobalt-nickel-scandium deposit located in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. SRG is committed to operating in a socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner.

For additional information, please visit SRG's website at www.srggraphite.com.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would" or "might". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and other risks and factors described or referred to in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form of the Company and the Amended Preliminary Prospectus which will be available at www.sedar.com, all of which should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this news release.

Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities and no material adverse change in mineral prices. 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, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is given as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE SRG Graphite
UAE to send its first Emirati astronaut into space in 2019 Dubai will host the international space conference

(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 9 - The UAE will host a global space symposium next year where experts will discuss the latest developments in space research, the National reports. Also, in April 2019 the UAE plans to send its first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station.



The first Emirati in space will fly in a Russian Soyuz capsule, currently the only manned space ship capable of reaching orbit after the end of Nasa's shuttle programme. The 22nd International Academy of Astronautics Human in Space Symposium will be held in Dubai in 2019. It will be the first time it is held in the Middle East and North Africa.



Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the symposium would offer an opportunity to enhance knowledge "that will serve humanity and improve people's lives".



He said hosting the event was part of the centre's efforts to promote the UAE as a hub for space science and research.



Last year's symposium was held in Shenzhen in southern China in November. Astronauts from six countries and researchers from 60 countries attended. (ANSAmed).




VANCOUVER, Aug. 09, 2018 - San Marco Resources Inc. (SMN: TSX-V) (San Marco or the Company") announces it has signed an earn-in agreement (the Agreement) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antofagasta plc (Antofagasta) over San Marcos 100% owned Chunibas Project in Sonora State, Mexico (the Project).



Under the Agreement, Antofagasta can acquire a 70% interest in the Project (the Earn-In Option) by expending or incurring US$8 million in exploration expenditures in respect of the Project (the Earn-In Expenditures) and making cash payments for an aggregate amount of US$200,000 over a period of 4 years. Of the Earn-In Expenditures, a firm exploration expenditure commitment of US$700,000 will be used primarily for an initial drill program. Included in that US$ 700,000 will be the reimbursement to San Marco of US$ 100,000 to cover its costs of recent Project exploration expenditures. The initial drill program is anticipated to start as soon as the rainy season ends, and local road conditions improve. San Marco will be the Project operator, under the direction of a Technical Committee consisting of an equal number of members from each company.

San Marcos CEO Chris Grijalva stated; We are pleased to have Antofagasta as a partner and look forward to a successful, team approached exploration program on our copper/silver discovery at the Chunibas project. The Project consists of stratiform, volcanic hosted copper-silver mineralization, similar to several ore deposits in northern Chile and is a style of mineralisation not previously discovered in Mexico."

Upon exercise of the Earn-In Option, San Marco and Antofagasta will participate in a joint venture in proportion to their respective interests (30:70) in the Project. If either partys interest is diluted to 10% or less, the diluting partys interest will convert into a net smelter return royalty (NSR), ranging from 1% to 2% depending on the circumstances of the dilution.

About The Chunibas Property

The Chunibas property is located approximately 160 kilometres east of Hermosillo, Sonora State; Mexico. The property is comprised of several mining concessions with an overall surface area of 530 hectares.

Chunibas is a stratiform, volcanic hosted copper and silver system represented by mineralized andesitic rocks. Bornite and chalcocite are the main copper minerals that are associated with a primary alteration assemblage of epidote, chlorite, albite and >quartz>calcite>specularite. The mineralized rocks have been recognized over an area of 1700 by 300 metres, and remain open along strike and down dip. Highest assay results include a 6.41% copper and a 27.3 g/ton silver sample.

About San Marco

San Marco Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of promising projects in mining-friendly Mexico, including the Chunibas, 1068 and Espiritu SMR Projects in Sonora State.

San Marco actively pursues a strategic project generation program focused on high-caliber, low acquisition cost opportunities in North-western Mexico. The Company has a committed management team with extensive experience in Mexico and a proven track record of building shareholder value. San Marco currently has 66,286,082 issued and outstanding shares.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Christian Grijalva, B.Sc.

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, contact:

Nancy Curry

info@sanmarcocorp.com

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

This news release has been approved by San Marco's Co-Chairman, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying such technical information by reviewing the assay reports provided to San Marco by its independent testing laboratory.

The Company has implemented quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) programs to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with the best possible practices. All sampling programs are carried out in a careful and diligent manner using scientifically established sampling practices designed and tested to ensure that the results are representative and reliable. Quality control programs appropriate to the type of sample and the mineralization are implemented, including such measures as external blanks, standards and duplicate samples. The security of samples from sample acquisition to analysis is a vital component of the sampling process. Procedures include the use of secure core logging, sampling, storage and preparation facilities as appropriate and the prompt, secure and direct shipping of samples to the laboratories. Appropriate sample security procedures are employed given the geographic and topographic conditions and the logistics created by the site location.

Forward Looking Information

Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of San Marco Resources Inc. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. San Marco's actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Paris, August 9, 2018: EURO Ressources S.A. ("EURO" or "the Company") (Paris: EUR) today announced its unaudited statutory interim financial results prepared in accordance with French Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") and its unaudited condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") for the six months ended June 30, 2018. These unaudited interim financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on August 9, 2018. All financial amounts are expressed in Euros ("?" or "euros") unless otherwise specified.HighlightsUnder French GAAP, EURO reported a net profit of ?8.5 million (?0.137 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to ?6.7 million (?0.108 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of ?7.7 million (?0.123 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to ?8.3 million (?0.133 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

EURO recorded revenues of ?11.6 million in the first six months of 2018 (?6.0 million in the second quarter of 2018) compared to revenues of ?13.0 million in the first six months of 2017 (?6.5 million reported in the second quarter of 2017).

On June 14, 2018, EURO paid dividends of ?9.4 million (?0.15 per share).

Liquidity and capital resources

Cash at June 30, 2018 totaled ?17.4 million as compared to ?15.5 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was mainly due to cash flow from operating activities partially offset by the dividends paid.

Marketable securities

EURO holds marketable securities related to mining companies which are part of a volatile market. Share market price exposure risk is related to the fluctuation in the market price of marketable securities. Investments in marketable securities are recorded at fair value.

As at June 30, 2018, marketable securities were comprised of 19,095,345 shares of Columbus Gold Corp. ("Columbus") (12.0% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2017: 12.0%) and 3,819,069 shares of Allegiant Gold Ltd. ("Allegiant") (8.2% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2017: 0%).

Following the approval of a spin-out arrangement by Columbus' shareholders on November 27, 2017, EURO received on January 30, 2018, a common share of Allegiant for every five Columbus shares held. This transaction resulted in a gain of ?1.7 million based on the fair value of shares received of C$0.68 per share on the date of the transaction.Under IFRS, this gain was accounted for in other comprehensive income, and under French GAAP, this gain was accounted for in financial income in net earnings.

During the six month period ended June 30, 2018, the Company recognized an unrealized loss following the decrease of the fair value of these marketable securities. Under IFRS, the loss of ?7.3 million was recorded in other comprehensive income. Under French GAAP, the loss of ?1.6 million was recorded in financial expenses in the statement of earnings.

Comments on financial results prepared in accordance with French GAAP for the six month period ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017

Under French GAAP and IFRS, revenues were ?11.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018, a decrease compared to revenues of ?13.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. These revenues were mainly attributable to the Rosebel royalty of ?11.42 million compared to ?12.85 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The decrease in revenues was due to the combination of three items: the impact of a stronger euro (?1.37 million) and lower gold production of 142,371 ounces in the first six months of 2018 compared to 155,572 ounces in the first six months of 2017 (?1.08 million), partially offset by the impact of a higher average gold price in the first six months of 2018 of US$1,317 per ounce of gold compared to US$1,238 per ounce of gold in the first six months of 2017 (?1.04 million). Other royalties were ?0.15 million from third parties in French Guiana during the first six months of 2018 (first six months of 2017: ?0.15 million).

Under French GAAP, operating expenses (excluding amortization expense) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were ?0.45 million compared to ?0.52 million during the same period in 2017. The decrease was mainly due to lower administrative costs and lower taxes in 2018.

The depreciation expense related to intangible assets was ?0.20 million during the first half of 2018 compared to ?0.29 million during the first six months of 2017. This decrease was related to a lower gold production and to the increase in Rosebel's gold reserves.

The Company also recorded as an exceptional income a reimbursement of ?0.1 million in 2017 by the Government of France of operating taxes paid in prior years.

Financial results include a foreign exchange gain on bank accounts under French GAAP of ?0.8 million in the first six months of 2018 compared to a foreign exchange loss on bank accounts and receivables of ?1.7 million in the first six months of 2017. This foreign exchange gain in 2018 compared to a loss in 2017 is mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in 2018 compared to a strengthening in 2017.

During the first six months ended June 30, 2018, EURO recorded an income tax expense of ?3.6 million compared to ?4.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. The decrease was mainly due to the absence of tax on dividends in 2018 compared to 2017.

Select IFRS financial results

Since December 31, 2010, EURO no longer prepares and publishes consolidated financial statements for French purposes; only French GAAP can be applied for the presentation of statutory financial statements and approval by the shareholders. However, in order to comply with Canadian requirements and have equivalency of information between French financial requirements and Canadian financial requirements, the following information on the IFRS financial results is provided for comparison purposes.

Six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 (IFRS)

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of ?7.7 million (?0.123 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to ?8.3 million (?0.133 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Under IFRS, revenues totaled ?11.6 million in the first half of 2018 compared to revenues of ?13.0 million during the same period in 2017, the same as under French GAAP as explained above.

Operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2018 were ?0.29 million compared to ?0.26 million in the same period in 2017. The increase is mainly explained by the reimbursement of operating taxes of ?0.1 million, recorded in 2017, by the Government of France paid in prior years, partially offset by lower administrative costs in 2018.

The amortization expense of ?0.23 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018 was lower than the amortization expense of ?0.37 million recorded during the same period in 2017, mainly due to lower production and higher reserves at the Rosebel mine and the impact of a stronger euro.

EURO recorded a foreign exchange gain of ?0.27 million in the first six months of 2018 compared to a loss of ?0.31 million in the first six months of 2017, mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in 2018 compared to a strengthening in 2017. This rate was used for the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax receivable.

EURO recorded an income tax expense of ?3.8 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018 similar to the income tax expense in the same period of 2017. Higher translation adjustments in 2018 were offset by the impact of a lower taxable income and the absence of the tax on dividends in 2018.

Second quarter ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 (IFRS)

Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of ?3.7 million (?0.059 per share) for the second quarter of 2018 compared to ?4.2 million (?0.067 per share) for the second quarter of 2017.

Revenues were ?6.0 million during the second quarter of 2018, lower compared to revenues of ?6.5 million for the second quarter of 2017. Revenues were mainly attributable to the Rosebel royalty of ?5.9 million (second quarter of 2017: ?6.4 million). The decrease in revenues was due to the combination of three items: a stronger euro (?0.57 million) and lower gold production of 73,579 ounces in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 77,300 ounces in the second quarter of 2017 (?0.30 million), partially offset by the impact of a higher average gold price in the second quarter of 2018 of US$1,306 per ounce of gold compared to US$1,257 per ounce of gold in the second quarter of 2017 (?0.33 million). Other royalties from third parties in French Guiana were ?0.1 million during the second quarter of 2018 (second quarter of 2017: ?0.1 million).

During the second quarter of 2018, the Company recorded operating expenses of ?0.18 million compared to ?0.11 million during the same period in 2017. The increase is mainly explained by the reimbursement of operating taxes of ?0.1 million, recorded in 2017, by the Government of France paid in prior years, partially offset by lower administrative costs in 2018.

The amortization expense of ?0.12 million during the second quarter of 2018 was lower than the amortization expense of ?0.18 million recorded during the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to lower production and higher reserves at the Rosebel mine and the impact of a stronger euro.

EURO recorded a foreign exchange gain of ?0.2 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to a loss of ?0.3 million in the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to the weakening of the closing foreign exchange rate of the Euro compared to the American dollar in the second quarter of 2018 compared to a strengthening in same period in 2017. This rate was used for the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax receivable.

EURO recorded an income tax expense of ?2.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to ?1.8 million in the second quarter of 2017. The increase was mainly due to translation adjustments partially offset by the impact of a lower taxable income and the absence of the tax on dividends in 2018.

Outlook

In 2018, the Rosebel royalty production per IAMGOLD's guidance is anticipated to be between 311,000 ounces and 326,000 ounces. In 2018, the Rosebel royalty is expected to provide revenues to the Company of between approximately ?23.7 million and ?24.9 million (US$28.0 million and US$29.4 million). These pre-tax numbers assume a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce and an exchange rate of ?1 for US$1.18. The impact of changes in the average gold price on EURO's annual revenues, based on an estimated production of 318,000 ounces, would be approximately US$3.1 million for each US$100 per ounce change in the gold price. The impact of a 5% change in the average foreign exchange rate on EURO's annual revenues would be approximately ?1.2 million. EURO's cash flow is expected to be primarily affected by income tax payments and eventual payment of dividends. The Company maintains certain cash available to pursue opportunities that would enhance the Company's long-term business.

About EURO

EURO is a French company whose principal asset is a gold production royalty from the Rosebel gold mine in Suriname (the "Rosebel royalty"). The Rosebel gold mine is 95%-owned by IAMGold Corp. ("IAMGOLD"), and is operated by IAMGOLD. EURO has approximately 62.5 million shares outstanding. At June 30, 2018, IAMGOLD France S.A.S., a wholly owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD, owned approximately 89.71% of all issued outstanding shares of EURO.

Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Additional information relating to EURO Ressources S.A. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Further requests for information should be addressed to:

Benjamin Little

Directeur-General

Tel: +1 416 933 4954

Email: blittle@euroressources.net Line Lacroix

Directeur-General Delegue

Tel: +1 450 677 2056

Email : llacroix@euroressources.net

EURO Ressources reports earnings for Q2 & 6 months ended June 30, 2018



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: EURO Ressources via Globenewswire


NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors arrested Rep. Chris Collins, President Donald Trump's first congressional supporter, for insider trading on Wednesday, alleging the New York Republican schemed with his son to avoid significant losses on a biotechnology investment.

Collins was at a congressional picnic at the White House last year when he learned that Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotechnology company, had received bad news about an important drug trial. Collins frantically attempted to reach his son, Cameron Collins, whom he tipped off to the confidential corporate information days before it would be made public, according to prosecutors. Cameron Collins and several others used the information to avoid more than $700,000 in losses, they said.

Collins "helps write the laws of this country," said Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. But Collins "acted as if the law did not apply to him."

Collins turned himself in to the FBI at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and then appeared in a Manhattan federal court in the afternoon wearing a dark suit and white button-down shirt open at the collar. He spoke only briefly during the nearly 20-minute hearing, telling the judge: "I plead not guilty."

Collins' attorneys said they would "mount a vigorous defense to clear his good name. . . . We are confident he will be completely vindicated and exonerated."

ALSO Why America is swarming with Paul Manaforts

The charges could turn into a headache for several House Republicans who invested in Innate Immunotherapeutics at Collins' encouragement. Prosecutors did not allege in the indictment that Collins tipped off any of his colleagues in Congress about the failed drug trial before it was made public, but Democrats pounced on the charges and said those lawmakers would have to answer tough questions about their investments in Innate.

"The American people deserve better than the GOP's corruption, cronyism and incompetence," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., removed Collins from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and called for a "prompt and thorough" investigation by the House Ethics Committee. "His guilt or innocence is a question for the courts to settle," Ryan said.

The charges against Collins gave new fodder to Democrats, who are seeking to run against congressional Republicans in part on an anti-corruption platform ahead of November's midterm elections. Collins, 68, was an early backer of Trump and has been one of the president's most ardent and outspoken supporters in the House, sometimes boasting of his ties to Trump.

He has represented New York's 27th Congressional District, which encompasses suburban and rural areas stretching east of the Buffalo metropolitan area, since 2013.

In November, Collins faces Democrat Nate McMurray, a local official in the Buffalo suburb of Grand Island, in his re-election campaign. McMurray's campaign had just under $82,000 in the bank at the end of June, compared with Collins's $1.3 million war chest, and few congressional forecasters had put the race on the national radar before Wednesday. But after news of Collins' arrest broke, the Cook Political Report shifted the race from solid Republican to likely Republican.

McMurray told reporters that his campaign "probably raised more this morning than we have in the whole race" before Collins' arrest.

"If this wouldn't have come out, he may have well just coasted in," McMurray said at a news conference. "Now it's time for us to ask ourselves: Is this the type of leadership we want?"

But it is far from certain that Democrats will be able to capitalize on the charges by unseating Collins -- his district is a Republican stronghold that supported Trump by a wide margin in the presidential election. Also, other lawmakers have won reelection despite facing criminal charges. In November 2014, Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., won reelection despite a federal indictment on charges of fraud and perjury. Grimm later resigned his seat and pleaded guilty to felony tax fraud.

Before Wednesday's indictment, Collins was already under scrutiny for his role in promoting Innate Immunotherapeutics, a small Australian companies that was developing a new therapy for multiple sclerosis. Collins served on the company's board of directors and was its largest shareholder, according to the indictment.

In October, the Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe" that Collins violated federal law and House rules by meeting with government researchers in his congressional capacity allegedly to benefit the firm. The office also said that he shared private information about the firm to solicit investors among friends, family and other lawmakers.

Among those who invested in Innate were House Republicans, including Reps. Markwayne Mullin, Okla., John Abney Culberson, Texas, Doug Lamborn, Colo., and Billy Long, Mo., as well as former congressman Tom Price of Georgia, who went on to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services before resigning under fire for his use of private air travel.

According to the indictment, while at the June 2017 congressional picnic at the White House, Collins received an email from Innate Immunotherapeutics' chief executive alerting the company's board that an eagerly anticipated drug trial had been a failure. Minutes later, Collins responded to the email: "Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???"

Almost immediately, Collins tried to get in contact with his son, who owned millions of shares of the company's stock, according to the indictment. Within a few minutes, Collins and his son called each other six times before connecting and talking for six minutes. During that last call, Collins told Cameron Collins, his son, about the failed drug trial, according to indictment, which cites phone and bank records as well as texts.

Over the next few days, Cameron Collins told others, including Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins' fiancee, about the bad news and advised them to sell their shares. They were all able to avoid significant losses before the news became public and the company's stock price fell more than 90 percent, prosecutors allege.

"Here's a better inside tip for those who think they can play by different rules: Access to this kind of information carries with it a significant responsibility, especially for those who hold a position of trust in our society. Act honorably and in accordance with the law, and do not lie to a special agent of the FBI," said William Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office.

The elder Collins is accused of lying to the FBI as part of the indictment. Cameron Collins and Zarsky were also charged on multiple counts of securities and wire fraud and pleaded not guilty. The three men each face at least five years in prison, legal experts said,

They were released on $500,000 bond each and ordered to give up their passports and firearms.

The Securities and Exchange Commission also filed similar charges against the three men.

- - -

The Washington Post's Erica Werner contributed to this report.
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
The two Democrats running in the Aug. 14 primary to become northwestern Connecticuts next Congresswoman are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on nuances.

Front-runner Mary Glassman is running ads letting voters know about her eight terms of public service as Simsburys top elected leader, but at the same time Glassman says she is neither a party insider nor an establishment politician.

In the same way, challenger Jahana Hayes is running ads touting her advantages as a political outsider who is connected with the real-life concerns of everyday 5th District voters as the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, yet Hayes bristles at questions about her qualifications as a federal lawmaker.

It doesnt help, of course, that Glassman and Hayes each criticize the other for trying to have it both ways.

Glassman, who won the party endorsement at the convention in May, accuses Hayes of being an outsider in more ways than one, for example, suggesting that Hayes out-of-state contributions means she lacks support in her own district.

I am running a local race and I have the right kind of experience to bring about the changes we need in the 5th District, Glassman said during a livestreamed debate Wednesday. I can unite the 41 towns of the 5th District and build a sense of collaboration and partnership.

Hayes disagrees, saying the Democratic Party needs generational change, and counter-arguing that her out-of-state campaign contributions prove that her message resonates from New York to California.

The fundamental difference between my opponent and me is I have the ability to inspire people, Hayes said during the same Wednesday night debate. The fact that I am sitting here separated from the endorsed candidate by two votes shows that there is an enthusiasm gap.

Hayes was referring to the difference in delegate votes that narrowly gave Glassman the convention endorsement. Hayes decided to challenge Glassman in a primary after encouragement from U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and her supporters in Waterbury.

The fact that the Democrats are running a primary in a district that has been represented for the last six years by U.S. Rep Elizabeth Esty, a Democrat, raises the stakes for Connecticuts most competitive Congressional seat.

Esty elevated the stakes by admitting she covered up an office abuse scandal, and dropping out of the race on April 2.

With Esty and her $1.5 million suddenly out of the race, Republicans saw their best chance in three elections to break into Connecticuts all-Democratic Congressional delegation.

Front-runner Manny Santos and challengers Ruby Corby ONeill and Rich Dupont head into their own GOP primary on Aug. 14.

Glassman and Hayes each promise to learn from Estys mistake, even if both candidates said they need to know more about how she made it. Esty failed to promptly dismiss her chief of staff Tony Baker after she learned Baker threatened to kill a former staffer in her office named Anna Kain. Esty compounded her mistake by recommending Baker for a job that he wound up getting with the Ohio office of Sandy Hook Promise, a homegrown non-profit started by several families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre.

I would not have given him a letter of recommendation to go somewhere else, Hayes said during Wednesdays debate. I would have fired him and let the chips fall where they may.

Glassman said she wanted to investigate what happened.

I would like to sit down with her and find out what rules she followed, Glassman said. I still to this day dont know what rules she was following and whether there are laws that need to be changed.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
JACKSON, Mississippi -- A Vancleave man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in federal prison for selling meth -- one week after his uncle was sentenced to 30 years for the same charge.

Marcus Shanord Reddix, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Louis Guirola Jr. to 210 months in prison, followed by three years of post-release supervision, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, on Jan. 2017, Reddix sold methamphetamine to a confidential source from his home in "The Hill" area of the Vancleave community.

Reddix had been selling meth and cocaine from that location for several years and law enforcement agents were able to make several purchases of meth from him.

Last week, Reddix' uncle, Terry Lee Reddix, was sentenced to 30 years for selling meth on "The Hill" an area of Vancleave behind Martin Luther King Jr. Park, north of Vancleave High School.

In both cases, prosecutors said the sentences reflected the defendant's prior criminal history and high positions within the drug organization they were running.
by

I am returning to the topic of Furtwangler because my previous blog produced a minor miracle  a thread of responses that yielded heightened understanding of a complex topic.

I wrote to William Osborne and Stephen Stockwell:

Thanks so much for this engrossing feedback. Maybe we could summarize that the truth about Furtwangler falls within these two polarities:

1.He stressed the communal experience of music, felt he couldnt access that outside Germanic lands (I find this credible), so he accommodated the Third Reich insofar as he had to, so long as he didnt have to join the Party and otherwise publicly endorse Nazi ideology, ethnic cleansing, book-burning. At the same time, his conservative cultural/political mindset created some degree of common ground with the Nazis. Think of Manns superiority posture in Reflections of a Non-Political Man (worth reading if you dont know it). I cannot envision WF feeling personally kindred to a Hitler or Gobbels; his breeding was aristocratic.

2.All of the above  but add to that some degree of actual enthusiasm for what the Third Reich stood for  eg concerts that were patriotic occasions, flaunting German exceptionalism/Kunst. Especially given the passions/exigencies of wartime. In other words: crossing the line Mann refused to cross, and doing so with some degree of fervor.

Both Osborne and Stockwell seem to think this is a useful perspective on an elusive reality.

(Meanwhile, thanks to Norman Lebrecht, a second thread of responses on slippedisc.com tackled another aspect of the Furtwangler phenomenon: his rejection of non-tonal music and its implications for musical interpretation.)

I now feel impelled to revisit Topic A  not Furtwangler the man (B), but Furtwangler the conductor  and see what A and B put together look like today. So Ive just re-read some of my own Furtwangler writings  from the 1979 New York Times (when I was a Times music critic) and from my most notorious book: Understanding Toscanini (1987).

The basic text for Topic A will always be Wagners indispensable booklet On Conducting (1869). It may be read as a Furtwangler bible. Everything Wagner here espouses may be found in Furtwanglers art (and also that of Wagners disciple Anton Seidl, the subject of my best book: Wagner Nights: An American History [1994]). I refer to plasticity of tempo, extremes of tempo and dynamics, and other activist strategies rejecting mere adherence to the score. There is also in Wagner, as in Seidl or Furtwangler, an insistence on interiority in the experience and performance of symphonic music.

Whence this interiority? Most obviously: harmonic subcurrents felt, explored, and shaped. This hidden foundational content is what the music theorist Heinrich Schenker  paramount for Furtwangler  extrapolated in new ways.

The occasion of my 1979 New York Times piece was the release of a live 1943 performance of Furtwangler conducting Schuberts C major Symphony. I decided to compare it with his famous studio recording of 1951 to see whether these readings, which seem so impulsive and personal, shared a fundamental groundplan. Heres what I found:

The fearless absorption Furtwangler stood for found its most obvious expression in interpolated changes of pulse, both as momentary rubatos and sustained alterations of a basic tempo. . . . In his book, Concerning Music, he defined rubato as a temporary relaxation of rhythm under the stress of emotion, and went on to say that, without inward veracity, any rubato would wind up sounding calculated and exaggerated.

Though the difference between good rubatos and bad is partly a matter of taste, the mastery of rubato evident in Furtwanglers best recordings is impressive by any reasonable standard. His Wagner performances, in particular, handle fluctuating tempos in manner that never seems to draw attention to itself. If in his Schuberts Ninth the tempo changes are more debatable, their clear intention, and frequent result, is to capitalize on the expressive potential of individual moments without losing sight of the whole.

A couple of comparisons may help clarify the point. If one wishes to investigate the consequences of unbridled subjectivity in this music, there is 193940 recording by Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra that moves in Dionysian fits. . . .

Toscaninis 1941 recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a wonderful performance about as famous as Furtwanglers, is an entirely different affair from Mengelbergs. In the outer movements, the steadily pounding rhythms accumulate tremendous force. At the very end of the finale, however, where Schubert has the orchestra hammer out four repeated Cs, Toscanini adopts a much slower speed in order to weight the strokes. With the pulse so rocksolid everywhere else, such a conspicuous shift sounds doubly conspicuous.

It so happens that the fournote figure Toscanini stresses is the same figure that is elongated by Mengelbergs big ritard at the beginning of the second movement  it is one of the scores basic ingredients. Furtwangler slows down in both places, but more subtly . . . In fact, the gearchanges are so slight that, unless you listen for them, only their effects will be apparent: the lyric breadth of the oboe phrase, the extra intensity of the hammer blows. It is not merely that Furtwangler reduces speed less than Mengelberg or Toscanini; by establishing an overall pulse that is firmer than Mengelbergs, but more plastic than Toscaninis, he establishes a foil for his rubatos  they are absorbed into the rhythmic flow without disrupting it.

Not all of Furtwanglers rubatos are so moderate. In fact, there are places where the change of speed is far more drastic than anything Mengelberg attempts. One example stands out, a spot in the Andante just before the main reprise of the oboe melody. Robert Schumanns description is nearly as famous as the passage itself: A horn is calling as from a distance. . . . everything else is hushed, as though listening to some heavenly visitant hovering around the orchestra.

It would be impossible to imagine a more rarefied affirmation of Schumanns imagery than the music Furtwangler conjures up [go to 20:50 here]. . . . the horn, shrouded and remote, speaks as from a void.

The chief catalyst here is a huge rubato: For a full minute, Furtwangler cuts the pulse by about 90 percent, folding open the space out of which the horncall materializes. Such an interpolation would derail any normal performance of a Schubert symphony, yet Furtwangler manages to integrate it. How?

Partly, he relies on transitions: A massive ritard prepares the horn entry; afterwards, when the horn finishes, the oboe returns with the principle theme slightly under tempo, as if recuperating from a trance. More important, the entire movement is shaped with an ear toward accommodating the interruption. Not only does Furtwangler introduce grand ritards at comparable structural junctures, he anticipates the serenity of the horncall passage in the manner he phrases and articulates the second subject, dovetailing its fourmeasure phrases into long, lofty spans of 13 and 19 measures. This may not satisfy everybodys notion of how the movement should go  to most conductors, it is a steadier, more propulsive Andante con moto  but it is a unified approach, and it incorporates breathtaking stretches of repose.

Throughout the symphony, in fact, Furtwanglers approach is unified by feats of planning based on longrange structural divisions and harmonic tensions. It is one of the trademarks of his art that the interpretation sounds spontaneous, even impulsive. To a certain degree, of course, it is. But anyone who doubts the existence of an encompassing master plan might compare the present Schuberts Ninth with Furtwanglers 1943 inconcert recording with the Vienna Philharmonic  though the range of tempos is wider in the 1943 performance, the overall scheme of tempo relationships is the same.

So thats what I wrote in 1979 (when such things could be written for a newspaper readership).

And heres part of what I wrote in 1987 in Understanding Toscanini, undertaking a detailed comparison of Furtwangler and Toscanini in Wagners Prelude to Lohengrin:

From the start, Toscanini has his [NBC Symphony] vocalize the melodic lines. Furtwangler, in his 1954 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, prefers a shimmery, incorporeal sound, with less string vibrato. Toscaninis tempo, while not hasty, is always distinctly mobile. Furtwangler is much slower (his performance takes 950 to Toscaninis 735) and initially much more relaxed: he makes little of swells Toscanini italicizes, preferring to let the music build cumulatively. Toscaninis pacing is steadier, with many downbeats perceptibly marked. Furtwanglers fluid pacing erases Wagners bar lines. The downbeats he marks are long-range stresspoints: unlike Toscanini, for instance, he articulates a series of eight-bar phrases beginning with measures 20, 28, and 36. Toscanini accelerates into the preludes climax, the whole of which moves at a new, faster tempo. His shiny trumpets, which enter only at this point, dominate the sound [5:20 here]. Furtwangler retards into the climax, the whole of which moves at a new, slower tempo. His trumpets are darker, making the preludes crest less sonically distinct [5:58 here]. Postclimax, Toscanini resumes his earlier, slower tempo; Furtwangler, his earlier, faster one. Toscanini retards for the full cadence eight measures from the end. So does Furtwangler, but more drastically  rather than a local event, this unprecedented punctuation point registers the harmonic resolution of the preludes entire, arcing span. . . .

No difference between the two performances is more crucial than the contradictory tempo changes at the climax. Toscanini, sensing one-bar units and relying on surface tension to keep the music whole, holds the line with a relatively tight rein. At moments of peak arousal, he grips harder and speeds up. Furtwanglers reliance on four-bar units (or multiples thereof) and sustained harmonic tension allows for more play in the line. At moments of peak arousal, he slows down to give the harmonic tensions space in which to expand and resolve. He can also let the line go slack without stopping longterm musical flow; unlike Toscaninis, Furtwanglers climaxes pre-empt repose and lead to exhaustion. Their slow, weighted pulse might be likened to that of a pendulum swinging with greater force as it spans ever longer arcs. Their visceral impact bears some relation to the Hollywood convention of shooting moments of crisis or ecstasy in slow motion. Inner turmoil produces a sensation of temporal dislocation. Time slows down, even stands still. In the Prelude to Lohengrin, Furtwanglers slow-motion climax seems to exist outside time. (pp. 364-365)

Its been a long time since I listened to Furtwanglers Schubert 9 and I have no particular desire to revisit it in any detail. Beyond a doubt, I would today regard it more as an acquired taste than I did in 1979. In this work, Furtwanglers antipode is not Toscanini. For me, it is Josef Krips (1902-1974). Krips name is today mainly forgotten  but back in the days of High Fidelity LP reviews, his Schubert 9 with the London Symphony was a basic frame of reference. (I remember in 1979 receiving a note from a Times reader advising me to listen to Krips.)

Krips was born in Vienna and I would summarize his art as Viennese. He cherished moderation, clarity, and song. His Strauss waltzes are the best I know. His Schubert is gemutlich  Schubertian. The demons Furtwangler discovers in Schubert  I am thinking especially of the astounding Cyclopean intensity of the central climax in the Schubert 9 Andante a la Furtwangler [24:20 here] are not for Krips. Schubert, assuredly, can be demonic. Furtwanglers Schubert demons, however, are massive Wagnerian demons.

I would also call Furtwangler an acquired taste in Beethovens Ninth (a Bruckner/Wagner reading, unforgettable in the first movement coda). He even has a live recording of Stravinskys Symphony in Three Movements wholly un-Stravinskian but (for me) readily acquirable. What I find I cannot acquire a taste for is Furtwangler in Bach, Mozart, or Haydn. And I cannot imagine liking his approach in my favorite Beethoven symphony: No. 8, with its Olympian coda (another intoxicating Krips recording with the London Symphony, once a benchmark).

One thing thats missing in those Furtwangler readings, and tangible in Krips, is a quality of wholesomeness. Furtwanglers art  and here we circle back to Topic B  is dangerous. The subcurrents he exhumes are unknowable, inchoate  and uncontrollable. This is the barbaric dimension of Romantic art that Thomas Mann extolled and worried about. In the world of conductors, Wilhelm Furtwangler was its last great embodiment.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

GREENWICH  Greenwich police are continuing to investigate a home invasion on Brook Drive, seeking more suspects and working to extradite a man from New York City who has been arrested in connection with the crime.

Extradition proceedings are ongoing against Hassan R. Washington, 46, of Cherry Street, New York City, who is currently in detention in New York. It could take a few weeks before Washington is charged in Greenwich, said police Lt. John Slusarz.
STAMFORD  Multi-colored rubber swim caps bobbed in the air as several dozen children practiced taking careful jumps into the pool.

The smell of chlorine was heavy in the air at the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford where many children this week experienced some of their earliest exposure to water.

Thats the goal of ZAC Camp, a four-day water-safety program for 110 club members between the ages of 5 and 9.

The camp was brought to Stamford by the Greenwich-based ZAC Foundation, established by Karen and Brian Cohn after their 6-year-old son, Zachary Archer Cohn, drowned in their backyard swimming pool 10 years ago. Since 2010, two years after the boys death, the foundation has been working to bring ZAC Camps to children around the country. After partnering with the Boys and Girls Club in 2012, the ZAC Foundation now brings its water safety camps to more than 20 cities nationwide.

The camp returned to the city for a second year one week after the family of a Chinese college student filed a $35 million lawsuit against the Stamford YMCA where the 22-year-old nearly drowned last October.

We really look at communities that have a higher-than-usual drowning rate and children who wouldnt be able to access instruction otherwise, ZAC Foundation Executive Director Megan Ferraro said. We want to go into communities where we know this is a significant problem...theyre learning how to be safe around water, how to tread, how to float.

According to data from the foundation, drowning is the main cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 and 4. The risk is higher for people of color, with drowning rates three times those of white children due to factors like generational fear of water and lack of access to instruction.

ZAC Camp is more than just learning the basics of water safety within the confines of the pool. Outside the club, the tooting horn of a police car pierced the air of gaggles of campers clamored around for a chance to play with the wheel. Nearby, another officer showed off one of the departments K-9s as a second component of the camp where students meet first responders to help them forge better community relationships.

Our goal is to get the kids familiar with the police department, Anna Edwards, school resource officer at Westhill High School, said as she supervised the children mobbing her vehicle in excitement. We want kids to see an up-close-and-personal view of things the public doesnt get a hold of.

A third group of campers were inside for classroom instruction where they learned the ABCDs of swim safety  adult supervision, barriers around the pool, classes and drain safety.

erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was introduced in 2012 as an opportunity to protect from deportation people who were brought into the United States as children. Many of these recipients had no control over relocating to America and as such this program was created to help them maintain a better life. But this legislation has been at the forefront of government debate since the Trump administration ended the program in September 2017.

Related: Every Entrepreneur Is a Dreamer. Ending DACA Is a Blow to All of Us, Wherever We Were Born.

Congress has been unsuccessfully fighting to pass legislation to save DACA. Lawmakers caught a break this spring when the Supreme Court denied a Trump administration appeal to cancel the program, disregarding the two injunctions issued by lower courts. And most recently, when a federal judge ordered the full restart of DACA citing the original rationale for shuttering the program as inadequate. The Trump administration now has until Aug. 23 to appeal the ruling or restart the program.

Congress can now use this time to work toward implementing replacement legislation to help those in the program, commonly referred to as "Dreamers." The Trump administration's ability to appeal could potentially extend this long-standing fight and Congress will need to proceed with urgency to help those individuals who have worked hard to support themselves and their families. Should DACA legislation lapse, there would be a massive impact on thousands of individuals and the economy. The close to 700,000 existing DACA recipients are able to stay in the country and obtain work permits, playing meaningful roles in our economy as both employees and employers.

Since our country's founding, immigrants have made up a major component of the U.S. employers demographic, and today a significant segment of this group holds DACA status. According to the Center for American Progress; 5 percent of DACA recipients started their own business after receiving the status -- compared to a 3.1 percent rate among the American public as a whole.

Related: This Venezuelan Chef and Winner of 'Chopped' Sought Political Asylum to Pursue Her Entrepreneurial Dreams

The American Dream for these immigrants is often a simple small business, which is the epicenter of American commerce. Businesses like local "mom and pop" restaurants and stores could be shuttered without DACA. There are over 28.8 million small businesses in America, accounting for a whopping 99.7 percent of all U.S. businesses. These businesses employ almost half of the country (48 percent), and these employees continuously add value to the U.S. economy. Take away a large portion of those jobs and a fiscal shock wave will occur.

When analyzing DACA immigrants as employees, there is continued proof of positive and longstanding impact to the economy. At least 72 percent of the top 25 Fortune 500 companies, including Walmart, Apple, GM, Amazon and JPMorgan, employ DACA recipients. Additionally, Dreamers hold an extremely high rate of employment, with 91 percent currently employed.

The Center for American Progress found that gaining DACA status has a positive impact on wages as well. The average hourly wage of recipients increased by 69 percent after receiving DACA status -- growing from $10.29 to $17.46 per hour. An increased salary means increased purchasing power. So, these individuals can continually add fuel to the country's economic engine by buying cars, purchasing homes and growing their families -- components of a better life constantly sought in the country founded on it.

Related: A First-Generation American Entrepreneur Reflects on the Immigration Proposal That Would Have Barred His Parents

If the Trump administration and Congress fail to pass any permanent plan to help DACA recipients stay in this country, the U.S. will face a series of repercussions as the number of small businesses decrease, along with the health of our economy as a whole. DACA allows for an increase in U.S. small businesses and new job creation. The continued hope of achieving the American Dream. It generates an influx of higher-earning members of the workforce. Sending these Dreamers out of the U.S. will hurt not only them but all of us.

Related:

Ending DACA Doesn't Just Hurt Immigrants -- Businesses Across the U.S. Will Feel the Impact

This Venezuelan Chef and Winner of 'Chopped' Sought Political Asylum to Pursue Her Entrepreneurial Dreams

How Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook and More Are Reacting to Separation of Children and Parents At U.S. Border



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
When my father was in his late teens, working as a ski-lift operator in Switzerland, he met a man named Andreas Geissberger. Andreas had skied for the Swiss team and led climbs in the Alps and the Himalayas. Hed lived an amazing life. And he had this canvas climbing jacket that hed worn everywhere.

Related: Why Travel Should Be a Top Priority for Every Entrepreneur

One day, my dad said, I really like your jacket. And Andreas, being the true mountain man that he was, just gave it to him. For the next 30 years, my father wore that jacket everywhere -- he skied in it, rode along the Colorado River on a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, sailed the south coast of Britain, climbed mountains. Whether in the city or the wilderness, he wore it.

My father eventually settled down and took a finance job. And since he didnt have much use for the jacket anymore, it went to its next owners: my brother and me. I put it on and instantly fell in love with it. It was faded, molded to those whod worn it and marked by history. Every scuff, mark and patch told a story. It was a blank canvas, and my father and Andreas had painted it with their lives. Now I could do the same.

Related: 5 Crucial Steps for Launching a Business This Year

And I did. Briefly. Then one night in 2013, I put the jacket down under a table in a crowded pub. When I came back at the end of the night, it was gone. It was just such a terrible moment, to lose something that special in the stupidest possible way. I was overwhelmed with loss and guilt. I went home, poured my father a gin and tonic, and said, Dad, we have to talk. I think the gin helped soften the blow.

I thought about that jacket my whole first year of university. At the end of the year I thought, This is the time. I felt like I owed something to my dad and to Andreas, and I wanted to give people the chance to share what we had with this special thing.

So I started my company, JAGO, and after 18 months of trial and error, I developed a jacket just like my fathers: timeless, indestructible and made of Ventile -- the heavyweight technical canvas, used to outfit Sir Edmund Hillary and generations of fighter pilots. I had my sister design a logo inspired by Andreas. And in our first year, we sold almost $100,000 worth of jackets, including two to Bear Grylls.

Related: 21 Ways to Get Inspired (Infographic)

Best of all, I gave one to my dad, and last summer I went to Switzerland and gave another to Andreas. It meant a lot to him. He said it was validation of the way he lived his life: that if you make these nice, small gestures to people, then nice, small gestures might come back to you, somewhere down the line.

Related:



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
In the Women Entrepreneur series Mentor Moments, female founders sit down to chat with their own mentors (and us!) about how and why the relationship developed, and the lasting impact its had on their careers.

Australia-born, New Yorkbased accessories designer Aimee Kestenberg launched her namesake fashion brand in 2012, and in 2014 launched Affordable Luxury Group, which serves as the parent company to her now multiple brands and licensing deals. But the success of her company all started with a fateful meeting at a past job -- one that introduced her to her now-husband, business partner and closest mentor, Sean Elan.

Women Entrepreneur: Talk me through the timeline of your relationship, and when you first met.

Sean Elan: We met in the elevator. Aimee had just started working at Li and Fung, now Global Brands Group, where I had been working. It was one of her first days there. We just hit it off, pretty friendly flirting, normal stuff.

Aimee Kestenberg: Thats what he thinks.

SE: Aimee thought she had found a great friend.

AK: And Sean was telling people we were dating when I didnt even know we were dating.

SE: We were dating.

AK: I had a strict no-dating policy when it comes to work, but I finally accepted that we were dating after about six months -- he went to hold my hand, and I decided to allow it. But from my perspective, we didnt hit it off right away, because I told him I was an accessories designer and had just graduated from Parsons, and he said hed never heard of it. Never heard of Parsons School of Design, working at this company? I thought he was trying to have a go at me. But it was just because he came from the business side. And as I watched him in action in the office, he was always the first one in, last one out, just outworked everyone. I remember thinking, This guy is so smart.

RELATED: She's My Adult Spirit Animal' Says This Social Entrepreneur About Her Mentor.

WE: So at what point did you go into business together?

AK: I got to a point where the corporate environment was really toxic for me. I felt like an ant in an ant farm. I realized, Im working so hard, what is it for if its for people who dont really care about me? Sean was going through his own issues when Vince Camuto reached out. They wanted to bring their handbag license back in-house and hire a strong team to run it. And Sean told them, Ive got the perfect team.' I was creative, Sean was business and logistics, and we had a friend that did finance. Between the three of us, we were fully operational. We love the brand, and we love Vince, but about a year in, it also started feeling very corporate.

SE: There were cultural differences; it just wasnt what we were looking for. But the experience taught us that we could build a brand on our own. I knew we could do it.

WE: You launched Aimee Kestenberg in 2012. How did you use those past lessons to guide the development of the company?

RELATED: 'Recognize When You Need Help'  the Ah-Ha Moment The Parachute Founder Learned From Her Mentor.

AK: I wanted to launch a heritage brand that was cool and that really considered who our girl is. I dont ever want to just get into activewear for the sake of it. I want to consider what my girl wants. And Sean always had a bigger picture -- it was always about building a thriving company. Im creative and the vision, and Sean is the brilliant business mind.

WE: That balance must serve you well as the company continues to grow.

SE: We always knew that division: Shes creative, Im business. But as for balance in our personal lives, I dont think there are any husband and wife entrepreneurs who can leave work at the office. Thats unrealistic, unless your company is so big that you have hundreds of employees. And that balance is hard -- as the company has gotten bigger, there are certain pressures that dissipate and others that creep up. We do our best to stay off our phones when we get home. And now we have a little boy, so thats another job in and of itself. We do the best we can, and we work really hard to make sure our personal relationship stays strong. I have mentors that are on, you know, their third wife. We are working to find that balance and make sure that doesnt happen. Our focus is on each other and the company and our little boy.

RELATED: How the Founder of This Multimedia Company Hired Her Own Mentor.

AK: We both ultimately want the same thing. When you have a common goal, it makes it easier to understand each others sacrifices. I grew up in a family that always had dinner together, and that was important. But I also know that if Sean is home for dinner every night at 6 p.m. to eat with our son, were never going to grow the company. Its about understanding that long-term vision and being aligned on sacrifices.

WE: In terms of your work at the office, what have you both learned from each other?

AK: When I met Sean I just did not understand the business side. Id go into meetings with CEOs and romanticize the business and talk about coors and trends, and people looked at me like, What the hell is she talking about? Sean taught me to talk money and business and finance. I think thats something most designers lack and something I hope theyll implement in design schools more, because a lot of creatives are kind of set up to fail when it comes to turning their vision into a business.

SE: From my end, its an understatement to say Ive learned a lot about creatives. You have to give them space, you cant talk too much business with them, dont talk pricing, just send them out and let them create the most amazing thing. Its been really beneficial to us, understanding how to treat the creatives in our company and shield them from outside noise. And on the other side of that, if you get a creative in the room and they try to articulate their vision, to a normal person they sound crazy, like theyre out of touch with reality. Ive told Amy, explain 10 percent of whats in your mind. Just let a few things out -- theyll get it. But at 11 percent, theyll think youre crazy.

AK: Internally, it kills me when I feel like I live on my own planet and no one understands me. So its been helpful to figure out how to get people to see things the way I do.

Related:

How This Handbag Founder's Husband (and Mentor) Helps Her Communicate Her Creative Vision

How the Founder of This Multimedia Company Hired Her Own Mentor

'Recognize When You Need Help'  the Aha Moment Parachute's Founder Learned From Her Mentor



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
Xiaomi's sub-brand POCO has been going around the web lately and the first device to be part of the new brand will be called Pocophone F1. It is believed to be the most affordable Snapdragon 845-powered handset and we finally have an official confirmation from the Managing Director of Xiaomi India.

Full throttle ahead! My best wishes to you @jaimani and the @IndiaPOCO team.



I can sense that something wonderful is about to happen  https://t.co/zanQrQvwl8  Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) August 9, 2018

In a recent tweet, Manu Kumar Jain teased the POCO brand by Xiaomi and hinted at nearing Pocophone F1 launch in India. This means that the phone won't be only for the European market as previously thought.

But aside from the Snapdragon 845 chipset and the affordable price, the Pocophone F1 might have a feature or two to impress. We could be looking at August launch if we are lucky.

Source
Samsung is keen for the Galaxy Note9 to sell well, its already accepting pre-orders in the US. Were still a few hours away from the official Unpacked event but we get a sneak peek at the Sprint promo (chances are other carriers will run the same deals).



Sprint's pre-order promo for the Galaxy Note9

If you pre-order a Note9, you can pick between a pair of noise canceling AKG headphones (worth $300) or a Samsung Game Bundle (worth $150). The latter option is likely the 15,000 Fortnite V-Bucks. You can get either option for free or both for $100.

We saw a Value Pack with AKG Y50 BT headphones, but those do not have noise canceling and cost $150. The AKG N60NC fit the bill, though. These are on-ear wireless headphones with aptX support and 15 hours battery life (with Bluetooth and NC on).



AKG N60NC

Previous Samsung deals have promoted VR and the DeX Pad, 360 cameras, the focus this time seems to be gaming and audio (remember that Samsung owns Harman, which is the parent company of AKG).

Source
Today Apple and Verizon have announced a new partnership that will net you six months of Apple Music for free if you subscribe to one of the carrier's Unlimited plans.

The deal is going to become available on August 16. You will need to sign up for it, so it won't automatically be added to your account. The good news is that both new and current Verizon customers can access it, as long as you have one of the Unlimited plans.

Once registered, you'll get the full Apple Music experience that lets you stream more than 45 million songs anytime via 4G or Wi-Fi, or even download for offline playback, and of course with no ads. For those six months you'll be able to use Apple Music on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, CarPlay, PC, or Android device.

To enjoy the same benefits afterwards and keep your subscription going when the six months are up, you'll pay $9.99 per month like every other Apple Music customer. You can cancel at any time.

Source
All campfires banned in Beaver Creek Park

Blaine and Hill counties are going under countywide fire restrictions Friday with a complete wood fire ban going into effect on Beaver Creek Park at the same time.

A notice from joint fire prevention and control agencies released Wednesday afternoon said, effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect in the two counties  on all state, private and Bureau of Land Management lands  and Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, which is in both Blaine and Phillips counties.

Hill County Commission Chair Mark Peterson said in an email that at 12:01 a.m. Friday a burn ban restricting all campfires will go into effect in Beaver Creek Park.

Petersons email said the park burn ban is due to extremely dry conditions in the region. People on the park can use devices fueled by liquid petroleum or liquified petroleum gas which can be turned on and off. Those devices only may be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable material within 3 feet of the device.

The topic arose during this weeks Hill County Park Board meeting. Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said with dry conditions and the heat expected this week he wanted a ban.

Several people said that, especially after last years East Fork Fire which burned nearly 22,000 acres in the Bear Paw Mountains including the south edge of Beaver Creek Park, a ban seemed like a good idea.

National Weather Service reports the high at the reporting station at the Havre City-County Airport hit 103 degrees Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., and the forecast for today is a high of 101, 107 Friday and 102 Saturday. The temperatures are expected to cool off Sunday with a high of 86 degrees and highs in the 80s early next week.

It also comes during a shortfall in accumulated precipitation. While the area has seen rain, at the Havre reporting station July came in far behind the norm, at .49 inches of precipitation instead of 1.64 inches.

So far in August, the station has recorded .31 inches, just ahead of the norm of .27 inches.

For the calendar year, the station has recorded an inch less than normal. Normally by Aug. 8 the station records 7.83 inches compared to this years 6.81 inches.

No rain is in the forecast for Havre through next Wednesday.

Weather Service issued a heat advisory in effect from noon today through 9 p.m. Friday through the region and a fire weather watch is in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening.

While the regional heat advisory is in effect through Friday night, with a high of 102 expected Saturday, people in the area of continued heat should continue to take care.

The combination of hot temperatures will create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible, the Weather Service advisory said. Take extra precautions, if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles, the advisory added. This is especially true during hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

The joint Stage 1 fire restriction release, issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Forest Service and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and County Firewardens, lists the restrictions implemented in a Stage 1:

Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to campfires and smoking. Under Stage 1 restrictions, the following acts are prohibited:

 Campfires and other fires are prohibited except in approved recreation sites, as designated on the fire prevention order.

 Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

Exemptions to the above Stage 1 prohibitions include the following:

 Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act.

 Persons using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device.

 Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.

 Any federal, state, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

 All land within a city boundary is exempted.

 Other exemptions unique to each agency, tribe or jurisdiction.

The public is urged to be extremely cautious during this fire season. Even the smallest spark has the potential to cause significant damage, so please do your part to prevent wildfires: crush cigarettes dead out and never leave a campfire unattended. Take precautions while recreating on public lands by always carrying a shovel, bucket and fire extinguisher in your vehicle or keeping them nearby and readily available. Make sure your campfire is dead out before leaving your campsite.

Fireworks are prohibited on all state and federal lands. Exploding targets available for sale to recreational shooters are considered a pyrotechnic product and are prohibited on federally managed lands year round.

Any individual who causes a wildfire intentionally or through negligence will be held accountable for damage and suppression costs.

For more information on fire restrictions, visit the fire restrictions website at http://www.firerestrictions.us or contact Lewistown Area Restrictions Coordinator Shannon Bonney at 406-538-1942.
Press release

HELENA  The Department of Commerce Wednesday announced grants to strengthen Montanas economy by helping Main Street businesses across the state expand and create jobs.

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund is a competitive grant in which the recipient may be reimbursed for eligible business expansion costs if the expansion creates good-paying jobs. For this cycle, Commerce will reimburse up to $790,000 to create an estimated 134 jobs.

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund is one of the best programs in our toolbox for supporting long-term, sustainable business growth by encouraging job creation and retention, said Commerce Director Pam Haxby-Cote.

Full list of current grant recipients:

 The City of Cut Bank will receive a grant on behalf of Pardue Grain Inc., which estimates it will create eight jobs and will be reimbursed up to $60,000. Grant funds will be used for machinery and equipment purchases for a facility on the Blackfeet Reservation. Pardue Grain, Inc. has expanded into pulse crop processing.

 Gallatin County will receive a grant on behalf of Ascent Vision Technology LLC, which estimates it will create eight jobs and will be reimbursed up to $40,000. Ascent Vision Technology, which is located in Belgrade, provides precision optical payload technology for Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems and stabilized imagery to the manned and unmanned aerospace industries.

 The Little Shell Tribe will receive a grant on behalf of Sustainable Resource Concepts LLC, which estimates it will create 10 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $50,000. The Little Shell Tribe plans to purchase and begin harvesting stone from a travertine quarry near Gardiner.

 Ravalli County will receive a grant on behalf of Pioneer Log Company, which estimates it will create 10 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $50,000. Pioneer Log Company, which is located in Victor, produces custom log and timber homes and custom log commercial and timber structures.

 The Town of Stevensville will receive a grant on behalf of Montana Fabrication Works LLC, which estimates it will create 30 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $150,000. Montana Fabrication Works is an industrial manufacturer that provides services in bulk material handling, agricultural machinery and water technologies.

 Missoula County will receive a grant on behalf of ClassPass Inc., which estimates it will create 40 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $300,000. ClassPass Inc., which is located in Missoula, connects members to a variety of fitness experiences and is the leading membership to the worlds largest fitness network.

 The City of Bozeman will receive a grant on behalf of Profitable Ideas Inc., which estimates it will create eight jobs and will be reimbursed up to $40,000. Profitable Ideas Inc. is a fast-growing professional services firm specializing in bringing communities of Fortune 500 executives together from across the globe to connect, collaborate and learn.

 The City of Bozeman will receive a grant on behalf of FreeAgent Network Inc., which estimates it will create 10 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $50,000. FreeAgent Network Inc. is a startup software company, and its software is used by small businesses to manage their sales, marketing and customer service.

 The City of Bozeman will receive a grant on behalf of XY Planning Network LLC, which estimates it will create 10 jobs and will be reimbursed up to $50,000. XY Planning Network is the leading organization for fee-only financial advisors who want to serve their Gen X and Gen Y peers by providing comprehensive financial planning services.

Applications will be accepted quarterly and must be submitted through an eligible public organization, such as a city, county or tribal government. The deadline for the next quarter, in which at least $600,000 in grant funds will be available, is Oct. 3. Interested parties may learn more at http://www.bsft.mt.gov/.

Commerce recently updated the program to review applications and award grants faster. Successful applicants will now be notified within 30 days of the application deadline.
High temperatures are currently a safety threat to people in Havre, as the National Weather Service in Great Falls issued a heat advisory, in effect from noon today to 9 p.m. Friday, that includes Havre.

Temperatures above 100 degrees may continue today through Saturday and reach a record-breaking 107 degrees Friday, National Weather Service forecast predicts.

Safety warnings

Heat exhaustion or stroke is possible if proper precautions are not taken, the heat advisory said.  Temperatures in parked cars can become lethal in a matter of minutes.

More than 600 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its web page.

People who are elderly, very young, ill, medicated or overweight are especially at risk, the page says.

If you are 65 years of age or older, the CDC page adds, have a friend or relative call to check on you twice a day during a heat wave. If you know someone in this age group, check on them at least twice a day.

Eagles Manor residents

As the heat intensifies, Havres Eagles Manor retirement living facilitys central air conditioning system remains broken while sale negotiations for the building continue to stall.

Some residents of Havres Eagles Manor retirement living facility are in their 90s, a residents council member told the Havre Daily News Aug. 2.

The manors board cant do much now about the broken air conditioning since ownership of the the building is still in transition, Tom Farnham, board president of Eagles Manor, said Wednesday.

Almost everybody has an air conditioner or a fan in their rooms, Farnham said. Some of them didnt care for A/C so they have fans.

A residents council member who wished to remain anonymous said today that only a few people had air conditioners in their rooms, which they had bought themselves.

Probably only half a dozen (people), the resident said.

Residents are moving out now, worried that the heat will not work in the winter, the resident added.

Four or five people have given notice for Sept. 1, the resident said.

Only two window air conditioners were visible on the building from the ground Wednesday, when AccuWeather.com reported temperatures reached 97 degrees with blazing sunshine.

Several residents had their windows open and did not have light-blocking curtains.

The common rooms have air conditioners, Farnham said.

The air conditioners were donated by Ron Harmon, owner of Big Equipment, who told the Daily News that they were installed in the common rooms on the top three floors.

Solutions to the heat

Electric fans will not prevent heat-related illness when the temperature is in the high 90s, despite any comfort they provide, CDC reports on its web page. The page adds, Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.

Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library  even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat, the page recommends.

The Havre City Pool will be open Friday, the hottest day. Lap swims will be held from 6 to 8 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., and 6 to 7 p.m., with recreational swims from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Future for Eagles Manor

Havre is known for its extreme summers and winters.

This winter, contrary to fears a residents board member expressed to the Daily News, should not be a problem for heat, Farnham said. He said the heating system at Eagles Manor will not be affected by the broken air conditioning system.

When they turn the boilers on theyll put the new pumps on, Farnham said. Its the pumps theyre having trouble with.

Kirk Bruce, executive director of Affiliated Developers Inc., said Tuesday that negotiations with the bank for his company to buy Eagles Manor were still ongoing. If Affiliated Developers buys the property they will assume the $125,000 loan the city of Havre approved in June to make repairs.

Bruce added that he would contact the Daily News when negotiations ended.
Jodi A. Murie, (O-Tah-w Ki-Si-Ko Is-Kwe-w) Center Angel Woman, 52, passed away due to natural causes on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at the Rocky Boy Clinic.

Wake services began at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, and will continue until her traditional funeral service, which will be at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, all at the Robert Murie Residence in Parker School. Burial will follow in the Rocky Boy Cemetery.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Jodi's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com/.

Jodi was born on Feb. 28, 1966, in Havre, to Robert and Sandra (Monteau) Murie. She was raised primarily in Rocky Boy, however, the family did spend some time in Bozeman and Hobbema, Alberta, Canada, while Jodi was young. She attended Box Elder schools, graduating from Box Elder High School in 1984.

She began working for the Rocky Boy Police Department as a dispatcher, and was training to be a police officer when her partner was in an accident. This caused Jodi to rethink her career choice. She worked as a cook for the next several years in a few different places, including Country Kitchen.

After her cooking years, Jodi became a paraprofessional, working for the Rocky Boy schools for many years. She attended Stone Child College, receiving her associate degree, and went on to attend the University of Great Falls, where she was only three credits shy of receiving her bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Jodi returned home to be with her family, and worked at Rocky Boy Headstart, Chippewa Cree Tribal Courts and Chippewa Cree Social Services. She retired July 13, 2018.

Jodi enjoyed beading, sewing, and playing games on her iPad. She absolutely adored her grandchildren, and family gatherings were her favorite place to be. Jodi was a member of the Native American Church, and she relished attending cultural gatherings and ceremonies.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, James and Florence Monteau; paternal grandparents, Lawrence Murie and Mary LodgePole; mother, Sandra (Moneau) Murie; brother Robert Lawrence Murie; nephew Cruz; and numerous aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her husband, Michael Seaton of Rocky Boy; children Michael L. (Ashley) Seaton, Josh (Adonius) Seaton, Garrett (Shalimar) Demontiney, Gabe Demontiney, and Karris Demontiney, all of Rocky Boy; her sixteen grandchildren; her father Robert Murie of Rocky Boy; siblings James (Lynn) Murie, John Murie, Geri Calvin, and Jacob Murie; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, white family of Arizona, other extended and adopted family and friends throughout the U.S. and Canada.
We are proud that the Australian HR Awards has been shortlisted in the Event of the Year category, acknowledgement that it is a benchmark award program, said Key Medias managing director for APAC Justin Kennedy.

The awards program has always been about showcasing the industrys commitment to excellence, recognising and highlighting the outstanding achievements of those at the forefront of industry best practice and leadership.

This years Australian HR Awards in September promises to be another celebration of the industrys best.

Overall, Key Media has received five finalist nominations across three categories this year.

Event of the Year

Business Publication of the Year

Website of the Year - Business

The Publish Awards recognise the best in print and digital publishing across Australia and Key Medias recognition is testament to the quality of the companys products. Key Media was awarded Business Publishing Company of the Year in 2016.
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.
I went to the industrial tribunal and through that experience realised I was interested in employment law, and had an interest in seeing people treated well at work.

2001  Discovers the world of HR

What started as a gap year for Paine (a dual citizen) opened up a new world of opportunity when, having already enrolled in an HR course in London, he landed a position as HR assistant at the Trafalgar Hilton in the days before the flagship location opened.

The HR manager was Aussie and took me under her wing  she could see that I was really passionate about HR as a career and eager to learn.

2006  Goes big at the Hilton

Promoted to HRM concurrent with studying for a masters, Paine was offered a position at the UKs largest hotel. I was 25 and the youngest HR manager at the Hilton. I got a call out of the blue on a Friday afternoon saying the role had come up; would I think it over on the weekend? At first I thought it was too big, but I enjoyed it.

2008  Brings consistency to YWCA

Paine returned to Sydney at the time of the GFC and took a post at the YWCA just as the organisation was gearing up for a major change.
New research led by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the University of Adelaide has uncovered a significant hurdle for realising the potential benefits of gene editing in embryos.

The team, led by Professor Paul Thomas, investigated North American research published last year that seemed to demonstrate that gene editing in human embryos was highly effective in repairing a defective gene in a majority of the embryos.

Professor Thomas says their research provides an alternative explanation for the apparent gene correction, demonstrating that rather than the gene editing technology fixing small errors, much larger errors were being created.

Gene editing technology is still relatively new, and part of this field of research includes understanding the flaws, which will ultimately allow us to develop the safest possible therapies for genetic conditions, Professor Thomas said.

Professor Thomas and the research papers first author, Dr Fatwa Adikusuma, replicated the North American study with preclinical animal models. Australia has strict legislation restricting gene editing in human embryos.

We looked beyond the small deletions, exploring larger areas of DNA, Dr Adikusuma said.

When we searched a wider area, we found that repair of the DNA break generated by molecular scissors resulted in deletion of large stretches of DNA.

The molecular scissors, or CRISPR-Cas9 as they are scientifically known, are a tool utilised by scientists to cut specific regions of a cells genetic material (DNA). Repair of the cut can alter the target DNA sequence, resulting in a specific change or edit. Faulty genes can theoretically be repaired by cutting them using CRISPR scissors. However, as Professor Thomas and his colleagues have shown, DNA can sometimes be lost during the repair process, resulting in large deletions that would not restore function to the faulty gene.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology is very exciting, with researchers already using it to cure muscular dystrophy in mice, and a number of clinical trials are underway to test gene editing therapies for several cancers as well as blood diseases, Professor Thomas said.

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which these tools work are important advancements for research and for clinical translation to treat a host of genetic diseases.

The research findings were published online today in the British multidisciplinary science journal Nature.

The University of Adelaide
Olga Kelly Farrell (30), a budding actress,had fallen by the wayside, solicitor Matthew De Courcy said. (Stock photo)

A budding actress "lost her way" when she developed a drug addiction and began stealing to feed it, taking a woman's iPhone during a trip to the cinema.

Olga Kelly Farrell (30) was also seen throwing away a bag of crack cocaine.

Judge Bryan Smyth jailed her for 10 months after she admitted theft, drugs and motoring offences. He also banned her from driving for six years.

Dublin District Court heard Kelly Farrell, of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, began illegally buying medication to deal with anxiety, then started using heroin to ease back injury pain.

The court heard that on October 10, 2016, Kelly Farrell was searched at Ballybough House.

She was seen throwing away a bag of crack cocaine worth 100. Cash of 575 was also seized.

On October 13, 2015, she was stopped while driving without insurance or a licence at Arran Quay.

She gave gardai her sister's name and a different birth date.

In an incident on January 22, 2016, she took 400 of clothes into a changing room at Arnotts, Henry Street, put them in a bag and left without paying.

Chaotic

She stole a 600 iPhone at the Odeon Cinema on Malahide Road, Coolock, on January 7 last year.

After the victim reported it missing, Kelly Farrell was seen on CCTV footage pocketing it. It was not recovered.

The court heard the defendant had 59 previous convictions.

She was a budding actress, but things had "fallen by the wayside", solicitor Matthew De Courcy said.

All the offences were in the context of a drug addiction that "developed and escalated quickly" and a chaotic lifestyle.

The mother-of-one came from a "strong academic background", had studied theatre at Colaiste Dhulaigh and got a diploma from the Gaiety School of Acting.

She had worked at the Irish Film Institute but "anxiety got the better of her". She was taking prescription medication and began buying drugs illegally.

Kelly Farrell suffered a back injury in 2015 that "threw her off kilter". She ended up taking heroin to ease the pain and stealing to serve the habit.

She had now "settled back down" and was on methadone.

"She is a lady who has lost her way," Mr De Courcy said.

"She is an educated lady who has significant prospects once she is clear of all drugs. She is at sea but trying to find her way back into port."
Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands are set to join a walkout by their colleagues in four countries tomorrow after claiming the airline is taking legal action to stop them going on strike.

The Dutch VNV union said it is "furious" after being told the budget carrier is going to court in Haarlem today to "prevent a Ryanair pilot strike in the Netherlands during summer time".

"The Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV) is surprised but also furious about this attack on Dutch labour rights," said a spokesperson.

"Nowhere else in Europe has Ryanair started this type of lawsuit in recent months."

In a statement, the union said the European pilots' strike should be a "wake-up call" for Ryanair management and claimed the legal threat makes the decision "easier".

It said its demands, including having Dutch law applied to contracts, no more "bogus" self-employment and "sufficient" sick pay and pensions, are modest.

Ryanair did not respond to requests for a comment on the union's statement.

The number of passengers facing flight disruption tomorrow has risen to at least 67,000 as pilots in five countries - including Ireland - are set to hold a 24-hour stoppage.

Twenty flights are being cancelled to and from Ireland, 22 in Sweden, 104 in Belgium and 250 in Germany after Vereinigung Cockpit said its members would join the industrial action.

This brings the total number of flights that will be grounded to 396, without counting any potential cancellations in the Netherlands.

Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said its members will strike from 3.01am tomorrow until 2.59am on Saturday.

The union said all permanent pilots employed at Ryanair stations in Germany will strike.

It added that it has received no "improved offer" from Dublin.

"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," the union said.

VC president Martin Locher said the union is demanding improvements in pay and working conditions.

Solutions

"Improvements are inconceivable without an increase in personnel cockpit costs," he said.

He added that Ryanair categorically ruled out any such increases at talks.

"At the same time, Ryanair has not shown any interest to find solutions," he said.

A Ryanair spokesperson said it has cancelled 250 of more than 2,400 flights scheduled to operate tomorrow in Germany.

It accused VC of refusing to give seven days' notice of the "unjustified" strike so it could minimise disruption.

It said the strike is unnecessary as Ryanair sent VC a revised proposal last Friday on a collective labour agreement and called for talks.

Ryanair's chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said it invited VC to meet yesterday but it did not respond.

"Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. 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," he said.

"Ryanair pilots earn at least 30pc more than Eurowings and 20pc more than Norwegian pilots."

Passengers have been offered refunds or other flights.
The High Court has dismissed a claim by Patrick Hutch, who is accused of carrying out the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne, that his detention at Cloverhill Prison is unlawful.

In a ruling yesterday evening, Mr Justice Donald Binchy found that Mr Hutch (below), who is on remand pending the outcome of his trial, was not being detained in a manner that breaches his constitutional rights.

Mr Hutch's lawyers argued his recent transfer from Wheatfield Prison to nearby Cloverhill left him isolated and unable to associate with other prisoners.

Murder

Mr Hutch (25), of Champions Avenue, Dublin 1, has pleaded not guilty before the Special Criminal Court to the murder of Mr Byrne (34) at the former Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. Mr Hutch also denies unlawful possession of three AK47 assault rifles on the same date. His trial currently stands adjourned.

Giving the court's decision, Mr Justice Binchy said that "for good reasons" Mr Hutch been put on a regime within the prison aimed at ensuring his safety.

He said Mr Hutch's detention could not be classed as being so extreme that his detention could be deemed unlawful.
Fiona Smith and Ondrej Gomola have been left devastated by the earthquake, which damaged their home in Indonesia

A Dublin woman has said she is heartbroken that her home on the Gili Islands has been "severely damaged" by the earthquake in Indonesia.

Fiona Smith (32) and her partner Ondrej Gomola (37) have been living on Gili Trawangan for six years, working as general managers for a diving company.

The scuba instructors, known as Fee and OJ by friends and locals, evacuated the island and headed to Bali after a magnitude 7.0 quake struck Lombok island on Sunday night.

Swords native Fiona said the couple were "devastated" at the destruction caused by the quake.

Expand Close Quake damage to the home of Swords woman Fiona Smith. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Quake damage to the home of Swords woman Fiona Smith.

"We are devastated and are trying to process what we have been through," Fiona said.

"We can't live in our house again but things can be rebuilt and stuff can be replaced."

Evacuated

Fiona added that staff were the couple's main priority, with more than 100 employees in need of help.

"We have been evacuated to Bali but we have 109 local staff who have all been affected in some way by the disaster," she said.

"Our priority is them and to get supplies to them as soon as possible. More than half of them have lost their houses."

Expand Close The home before the earthquake / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The home before the earthquake

According to Fiona, businesses in the "paradise" they have lived in for six years have been greatly affected.

"Our little paradise island that we have called home has taken a hit and the foundation of our island and its businesses, which are the local people, have taken the biggest hit of all," she said.

A GoFundMe campaign was started to help Fiona and her partner Ondrej, originally from Bratislava in Slovakia, "get back on their feet" and rebuild their home.

"We are hoping to raise a few bob to get them back on their feet with the essentials so then they can continue to help others," a close friend said.

"Gili Trawangan needs homes repaired so people like Fiona and Ondrej can live back here.

"Without the businesses open and repaired there will be limited tourists. Therefore, the impact on locals and the island itself is unthinkable."

Expand Close Quake damage to the home of Swords woman Fiona Smith. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Quake damage to the home of Swords woman Fiona Smith.

A separate fundraising campaign has been set up to help rebuild Blue Marlin Dive, the diving centre that Fiona and Ondrej work from.

According to the page, staff members are believed to be safe and hope to return to the island next week to start rebuilding.

"Fortunately, our facilities at Blue Marlin have minimal damage, but we cannot be up and running until all of our staff have taken care of their families," said Fiona.

Yesterday, the Irish ambassador to Indonesia said that all of the Irish people caught up in the earthquake had been accounted for.

Ambassador Kyle O'Sullivan said that up to 55 Irish people were on the Gili Islands when the earthquake struck.

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Sullivan said that around 30 of those were evacuated on Sunday night but the remainder were, in some cases, waiting on the beach for up to 36 hours to be evacuated.

The quake has left at least 131 dead and authorities say the death toll is expected to rise.

Nearly 2,500 people have been hospitalised with serious injuries and more than 156,000 people are displaced due to extensive damage to their homes.

The majority of the deceased are believed to be local.

Hope

In Gumantar, a rural hamlet in northern Lombok, around 40 people were killed in Sunday night's disaster.

"What is most important is that we're alive. But we are out of hope and we are out of energy," said farmer Haji Ruslan, who lost his house in the quake.

Like thousands living in the farmland and hills of northern Lombok, the people of Gumantar camp out under flimsy tarpaulin tents, too rattled by the huge quake and continuing aftershocks to sleep indoors.

Residents speak of neighbours and family members who died in the disaster, but there is little emotion in their voices. Many remain in shock.

"It's like being in a dream. I can't believe this has happened and everything is gone," one man said.

Some residents, like Mr Ruslan, have already started to clear up the debris with their bare hands.

"We don't know how to start over in the future and we hope someone will help us," he said.
A SUPERMARKET worker struck a colleague in the eye during a row while he was supervising her, it has been alleged.

Ludieku Malutiku (41) is accused of assaulting and injuring the woman while they were working at a store in west Dublin.

The case against him was adjourned when he appeared at Blanchardstown District Court.

Mr Malutiku, of Kilcronan Crescent, Clondalkin, is charged with assault causing harm to the woman.

The offence is alleged to have happened at Dunnes Stores, Mill Centre, Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin, last October 19.

Gda Sgt Geraldine McManigan said the DPP had consented to the case being dealt with summarily in the district court.

complaint

Sgt McManigan outlined the allegations against the accused so that Judge David McHugh could consider whether to acc-ept jurisdiction.

She said that on the day in question the woman made a complaint to gardai, saying she had been working at the shop when she was assaulted by her supervisor.

She told gardai that in the course of the alleged assault she was struck over her right eye after an argument.

A medical report outlined that the alleged victim sustained bruising.

After noting that there was no scarring, Judge McHugh accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case.

The judge adjourned the case to give the accused time to decide how he intends to plead.

Mr Malutiku was remanded on continuing bail to appear in court again next month.
Uninsured driver Deborah Rafferty (37) crashed into the back of a friends car but drove off before gardai arrived. (Stock photo)

A father who drank cans of alcohol and drove un- insured to his teenage son's grave has been banned from driving for four years.

Noel Reid (40) failed to give a breath specimen after a garda stopped him when he was seen slowly reversing out of a graveyard and swerving.

The defendant, of St Laurence Park, Drogheda, was found guilty before Drogheda District Court of drink-driving, failing to give a breath specimen and driving without insurance at The Twenties in Drogheda on July 24 last year.

Absence

He failed to appear in court and the case was heard in his absence.

Gda Sharon Meredith said she stopped Reid at 2.53am after she saw a car reversing out of a graveyard.

Reid admitted he had no insurance and had been drinking. He was visiting his teenage son's grave.

Gda Lisa Finglas, the breath test operator, said Reid tried to give two breath samples but was unable to provide them.

On hearing the evidence, Judge John Coughlan proceeded to convict Reid and fined him 60.

The judge fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
Warehouse Cinemas Leitersburg will bring movies and more to theater

"There's only so many movies you can watch at home," said Rich Daughtridge, CEO of Warehouse Cinemas.
Packaging wine in a can has been gaining momentum nationally, and it's obvious from the responses of a couple regional producers that it's a trend worth exploring.

An interview with Dr. Robert Williams Jr., a Susquehanna University marketing professor who has combined the efforts of his students and the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute into a research study on wine-in-cans (WIC), posted Tuesday night.

Since then, the two regional wineries that this year have started to sell wine in cans have chimed in with their experiences to date. In both cases, they had positive things to say about the experiment.

READ MORE: Wine in a can tipping past the point where it's just a fad: researcher

Old Westminster Winery in Westminster, Maryland, became the first winery in the region that I'm aware of to start filling cans when it released four wines last November: Carbonic (made from Cabernet Franc), Farmer Fizz (made from Chardonnay) and Seeds & Skins, made out of Pinot Gris. Click here to read the story on the decision and their debut.

By early spring 2018, they were releasing more options. Click here to read that story.

Contacted today, Drew Baker said that their priorities are directed toward "making the best wines they can and challenging the status quo."

He added: "In that spirit of innovation, we decided to take the leap into canned wines last year. But we didn't want to just can any wine; it's important the wines are true to our vision: 100% local & natural. All the grapes are grown right here in Maryland, fermented on our farm with wild yeast and canned on-site without fining, filtration or 'makeup.'

An Old Westminster winery promotional photo from this spring, touting several new releases of wine in a can.

"I have to admit - we had a moment of apprehension when we first thought to introduce canned wine into the marketplace. Questions like 'How will this impact our brand?' were considered daily. But we also recognized the potential for making delicious wine more accessible and unencumbered. This project is all about making delicious wine ready to enjoy - anytime, anywhere. Wine shouldn't be reserved for dinner parties, celebratory gatherings or restaurant experiences; it should be what you grab for the day at the beach, on the boat, by the pool, or hiking and camping. And leave the glass, corkscrew, and stemware behind!"

He said today in his email that the winery is planning to can for the fourth time the end of August. "We will have canned 19 unique labels totaling just shy of 4,000 cases," he said, adding that half of that production is distributed throughout Maryland and the other half to these nine states: California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina and Minnesota.

Baker: "I can't speak to the entirety of the canned wine market, but there seems to be a lot of interest in what we're producing. We've sold out of each release within the month of canning. In the future, we plan to grow as much as possible while staying true to our ethos."

Following in Old Westminster's footsteps is William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, about a 20-minute drive from a coupel of the Delaware River bridges. Rich Heritage, who oversees marketing and sales for the Gloucester County winery that parents Bill and Penni have been developing since 1999, wrote in an email Tuesday that their entry into wine-in-cans has been abundantly successful.

He said the winery canned 3,600 units and released its rose in can in late May to the general public. "The customers loved it, they couldn't wait to taste wine out of a can," he said. "It was our top-selling item almost every week and we sold out in mid- July."

Here are the notes on that wine, which sold for $8/can: A dry rose showing aromatic notes of rose petal and tea leaf. Bright flavors of pink grapefruit and strawberry finishing with herbal notes and a tangy citrus sorbet. 375 ml cans = 1/2 bottle of wine.

Heritage said they plan to can more in next spring. "Possibly a 2018 rose in can," he said. "The goal would be to triple production based on the overwhelming popularity of wine in a can. The sales most definitely exceeded our expectations."

A reader of Tuesday's post noted that Starr Hill Vineyard & Winery in Curwensville, Clearfield County, packaged wine in a can for several years. Contacted about that, someone from the winery responded that the hope is to have "a few [wines] in can next summer."
The new Ciaz can be booked with an initial payment of Rs 11,000 at any of the 319 NEXA showrooms.

The company plans to launch the new Ciaz on August 20.

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday said it will start accepting bookings for the updated version of its mid-sized sedan Ciaz, from tomorrow onwards.

The company plans to launch the new Ciaz on August 20 and the model would continue to be sold from the MSI's Nexa network.

The new Ciaz can be booked with an initial payment of Rs 11,000 at any of the 319 NEXA showrooms, MSI said in a statement.
The Tamil Nadu government ordered the permanent closure of the Thoothukudi plant and disconnected its power supply.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday granted Vedanta Ltd conditional access to its copper smelter in Tamil Nadu, more than two months after the southern state shut the plant down. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday granted Vedanta Ltd conditional access to its copper smelter in Tamil Nadu, more than two months after the southern state shut the plant down.

The court will resume hearing on the case on August 20.

The Tamil Nadu government ordered the permanent closure of the Thoothukudi plant and disconnected its power supply in May following protests that turned violent and culminated in police firing on protesters, killing 13 of them.

The protesters had demanded a permanent shutdown of the plant, which they said was causing air and water pollution. Vedanta says the protests were based on false notions.
The Congress on Wednesday accused Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of gross violation of child rights, claiming that schoolchildren were being forced to line up roads for hours to welcome him along the route of his Jan Ashirvad Yatra and attend his meetings as well.

It filed a complaint with the Madhya Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights, accusing Chouhan of violating the Supreme Court guidelines by forcing children to attend his meetings.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained the children came on their own to thank Chouhan for his welfare programmes as he is travelling across the state as part of the yatra (journey) to galvanize support ahead of the elections due this year.

There is a gross violation of child rights as they are being forced to stand on roads for hours to welcome Chouhan and attend his meetings. As per the Supreme Court guidelines, they cannot be forced to attend a political partys programme, state Congress media in charge Shobha Oza said in the complaint. Oza said the show of childrens affection for Chouhan was being orchestrated.

The complaint came after students in schools uniforms were seen lining up on roads and attending the chief ministers public meetings during the yatra. Some of them waved placards thanking Chouhan for giving them laptops and for waiving tuition fees.

The commissions chairman, Raghavendra Sharma, said it had received Ozas complaint. It is a matter of inquiry to see if her allegations are true.

A BJP functionary, who asked not to be identified, said instructions had been issued to the education department and other departments to ensure beneficiaries of the government schemes turn out in good numbers along the yatras route. The yatra has covered over 50 assembly constituencies since it started on July 14. Chouhan is expected to visit all the states 230 assembly constituencies by September 25.

Minister of state for school education Deepak Joshi claimed the students turned up to welcome Chouhan because the chief minister has done a lot for them, whether it is fee waiver or giving students laptops, uniforms, textbooks and cycles.

Omprakash Saklecha, the BJP lawmaker from Jawad, claimed the students had come out on the streets on their own to thank Chouhan.

Leader Opposition in state assembly Ajay Singh alleged students were spending hours, sometimes till late at night, waiting for Chouhan.

Joshi said if students were staying up to late night they couldnt be forced to do that. They were there because of their intense desire to see their mama (maternal uncle).

Educationist prof (retd) Zameeruddin said, Students should not be forced to become a part of any programme whether its political, religious or social. Such activities affect their studies and also their personality adversely.
In one of the fastest trials in Madhya Pradesh that lasted three days, a court in Datia sentenced a 24-year-old man to life imprisonment till death for raping a six-year old girl.

The sentenced was passed on Wednesday against Motilal Ahirwar, resident of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act by Special Judge Hitendra Dwivedi, in Datia, situated some 400 km north of Bhopal.

The accused was convicted under section 376 (AB) (punishment for rape on a woman under 12 years age) and 366 (abduction) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of POCSO Act.

Datia superintendent of police Mayank Awasthi said, The six-year-old girl was raped by Ahirwar on May 29 when she had gone to attend the marriage of a relative. Ahirwar lured the girl with flowers and took her to a government school and raped her. The girl was found by her parents in the school in a semi-conscious state. She was taken to a doctor who said she had been raped.

The family informed the police and the accused was arrested within 24 hours of the incident.

The district prosecution officer Puspendra Garg said this was one of the fastest trials in Madhya Pradesh. The judgment was pronounced on the basis of statement of 17 witnesses and a senior medical officer, he added.
Actor Kriti Kharbanda had the time of her life while shooting in London, UK for Housefull 4. Now that the actor has wrapped up the first schedule of the shooting  including a peppy dance number with Farah Khan  she talks about how it was working with names such as Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Riteish Deshmukh, and Kriti Sanon, and whether at any point she felt insecure about her screen space. Excerpts:

You get to share screen space with not one but two female actors in this film. Is there any insecurity about your screen time?

Before signing the film, every female actor is aware of the fact that they will be sharing screen space with other female cast in the film. I dont think theres any space for any negativity or insecurity on the set of Housefull 4. It feels like a big crazy family.

But otherwise, do you worry about the length of your role and how well your character has been etched out?

What matters to me as a creative artist is the credibility of the production house, the honesty in the script, and the way the filmmaker has conceived the characters in the narrative. Im a directors actor and go by what they say.

Was having established actors as co-stars intimidating for you at any point?

I was slightly intimidated by knowing the fact that they are huge pranksters, too. Actually, I have just started shooting the film with them... so far, so good!

Is there anything that you learned from any of these senior co-stars?

They are way too talented and focused when it comes to their craft. They are equally fun off the set. The way they switch to their respective characters once the camera starts rolling, is something worth observing and learning.

Are you hopeful that a mainstream film like Housefull 4 will open more doors for you?

Certainly! It would definitely give me a huge exposure in terms of reach. The film not just has a pan-India appeal but also has a huge market in the overseas as well. It will be seen and enjoyed by millions of people.

Interact with Monika Rawal Kukreja at Twitter/@monikarawal
Shatrughan Sinha has called out comedian Kapil Sharma for crossing the line while mimicking him. Sinha, a yesteryear star and current Member of Parliament, even said that his daughter, actor Sonakshi Sinha, had to reprimand Kapil for his jokes.

Sonakshi has appeared on numerous occasions on Kapils shows, which were once favourite pit stop on actors publicity tours. Kapil has since fallen out of favour, after several incidences of alleged unprofessionalism. The comedian would often cancel episodes of his show, which he blamed on overwork and a packed schedule. It was later reported that the comedian suffers from alcoholism and depression.

I am sporting enough to take it on the chin, Shatrughan said, according to a report in India Today. All the greats Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Amitabh Bachchan have mimics impersonating them. It is fine, as long as the mimicry does not cross the limits of decency. This happened to me when Kapil Sharma made fun of me on his show. My daughter Sonakshi even reprimanded him. The mimic should not forget that he is paying a homage to a man or a woman he or she admires. Limits of decency should not be crossed. Also, the mimicry should be restricted to the stage, and not taken out on the streets and certainly not into the Parliament.

Kapil was also involved in a very public meltdown after voice recordings of him verbally abusing a journalist were shared online. Kapil was most recently spotted last week, when a picture of him posing with his pet dog were shared by his fan clubs. Fans also expressed concern when a picture of his, in which he is seen shopping in an Amsterdam supermarket went viral. In the picture, Kapil appeared to have put on a lot of weight.

With Bulging Belly, Sunken Eyes, #KapilSharma Looks Unrecognizable As He Walks Into A Supermarket In Amsterdam - https://t.co/3lwXh7dhS1 pic.twitter.com/OOSjhGWaGI  MovieTalkies.com (@MovieTalkies) July 5, 2018

The difference in his appearance was also noticed when he had landed in Mumbai in July. Kapil accepted on Twitter that his weight has increased, but he is looking forward to making some positive changes to his lifestyle.

Kapil had quit Twitter and left the country days after his meltdown. The actor had also filed suits against a journalist and his former producer Preeti Simoes. In April this year, Kapil returned to the small screen with a new show titled, Family Time With Kapil Sharma. The launch of the show was accompanied by news of more cancelled shoots. The new show, too, was soon cancelled after three episodes.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Suhana Khan has got no time for haters. She has to friends to meet and places to be. After the eventful last week that she had with her debut on Vogue cover, Suhana decided to take a break from it all at a perfect tourist destination.

Actor Shah Rukh Khans daughter was spotted in Venice, Italy by her many social media fan pages, enjoying a beautiful evening with her friends. She was seen with a friend in a gondola, smiling for the camera. The 18-year-old and her friend were both seen in off-shoulder tops and gorgeous poses. Check out their pictures:

A post shared by Suhana Shahrukh khan (@_suhanaakhan2) on Aug 8, 2018 at 8:50pm PDT

Suhana was on the cover of Vogue magazines August. While many loved her photos, others called out the magazine for promoting nepotism in Bollywood by featuring a superstars child. I have nothing against star kids and tbh it is not even about nepotism but to see Suhana Khan in the cover page of the August issue of @VOGUEIndia with NO reason as to why she should have been is ridiculous. Is she a model? No. A socialite? No. An actor? No. A change maker? No, wrote a disappointed Twitter user. Student, theatre lover, future star, daughter of a star who will probably finance all her movies till she actually becomes a star.... but yea hello Suhana Khan. NepotismRocks: Karan Johar, wrote another.

A post shared by VOGUE India (@vogueindia) on Jul 31, 2018 at 11:03am PDT

In her interview to the magazine, Suhana talked about online criticism and how it affects her. I still find it hard because people feel like they can judge you. Especially on social media. Pictures from my private Instagram account get leaked. There are so many people talking about you. They dont know you, and they dont know what theyre talking about, but theyre just talking. And that can mess with your self-confidence. I keep telling myself that haters are going to hate, but I cant honestly say that I dont get upset by it. Its annoying, but I keep telling myself other people have bigger problems, she said.

Suhana has said that she will finish her studies before becoming a full time actor.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Even though the Delhi High Court on Wednesday decriminalised begging, there are several grey areas such as the rehabilitation of people involved in the activity and an audit of how many of them are there on the streets regarding which there is no policy, social activists said.

The activists working for the welfare of people who take to begging hailed the courts judgment but said it would not solve the long-pending problem of the rehabilitation of beggars.

I am yet to see the complete order. The court order to decriminalise beggary is a big step towards rehabilitation of such people. However, if the judgment doesnt address the rehabilitation component, it will not serve the interest of the people involved in it, said Mohammad Tariq , director Koshish, an NGO affiliated with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that works with issues related to beggary.

While most states including Delhi have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, said Tariq, the law lacks a community intervention.

The two shelter homes in the Capital for beggars are only those where they are kept after being picked up by the police and sent there by the orders of the court.

Until now, the police was empowered to arrest beggars. Last year, the Delhi Police, along with the city governments social welfare department officials, had conducted a drive to remove beggars from Connaught Place area. In the drive, around 250 beggars were removed.

Madhur Verma, Delhi Police spokesperson, said, Its a welcome move as begging is more of a social menace. It requires a more inclusive approach, which looks at possible solutions to rehabilitate beggars. Arresting someone for begging was hardly ever a solution.

According to Delhi government officials, the department of social welfare had framed guidelines suggesting rehabilitation of beggars but they are pending approval as the Centre is yet to bring a bill on destitution.

In the guidelines framed around a year and a half ago, we had defined beggary as a livelihood crisis. The guidelines suggested to identify skills of those found begging and provide them vocational training, said a senior official.

He said that the government had also prepared a scheme, Samarth Yuva, under which beggars between the ages of 16 and 18 years were to be provided skills training in a tie-up with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC). However, the proposal is yet to be sent to the cabinet for approval.

Sunil Kumar Aledia, who works for the homeless, said before taking up a rehabilitation programme the city should conduct an audit to check how many people are involved in begging.

The Delhi government, along with the United Nations, had conducted a survey of the homeless people in the city in 2011. However, the survey, mission convergence, was not completed. We have since been urging the government to conduct a survey, which can be followed up with a skills training programme, said Aledia.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday decriminalised begging, striking down as unconstitutional the provisions which made it an offence. The court also said that criminalising begging violates the most fundamental rights of some of the most vulnerable people in society.

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, a bench of the acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said.

In her last judgment as the acting chief justice of the Delhi high court, Justice Gita Mittal said, People in this stratum do not have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter and health, and in addition criminalising them denies them the basic fundamental right to communicate and seek to deal with their plight.

Delhi Prevention of Begging Rules, 1960, formulated under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, makes begging an offence. Under this offence, beggars were often picked up and produced before the courts from where they sent to beggar homes.

The 23-page judgment came on two pleas, challenging various sections of the Bombay Begging Act which was adopted by the Union Territory of Delhi in 1960.

The bench said that they are spared the necessity of striking down the entire Act and dealt with 25 sections which either treat begging as an offence committed by the beggar or deal with ancillary issues such as powers of officers to deal with the said offence among others.

These provisions either treat begging as an offence committed by the beggar, or deal 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 deserve, therefore, to be struck down, it said.

While striking down the provisions under the Act to criminalise begging, the court also slammed the government for its failure to ensure the bare essentials of the right to life to all its citizens, even in Delhi, the national Capital.

We find reports of starvations deaths in the newspapers and ensuring education to the 6 to 14 year old remains a challenge, the court said.

The bench, however, said that 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 aspects of the matter.

If the State wishes to criminalise 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 rights provided under the Constitution of India, it said.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) held its second convocation on Wednesday, 46 years after the first and only ceremony held by the varsity. The universitys first convocation in 1972 saw noted actor and theatre personality Balraj Sahni gracing it as its chief guest .

Among the former students who collected their degrees at the ceremony on Wednesday was 78-year-old Vishnu Swaroop Saksena, a retired postal department employee. Saksena came to collect his degree accompanied by his wife, two sons and a daughter. In 1998, after retiring as a member of the Indian Postal Board, Saksena, then 58-years-old, had enrolled in the university.

In the convocation ceremony that was held at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium near JNU, the chief guest was university chancellor VK Saraswat.

Saraswat, who is also a space scientist and Niti Ayog member, handed out PhD degrees to 400 students from 13 schools and special centres of JNU.

Speaking at the event, Saraswat, said that these students are the future of the country. Service to society is more important as compared to personal achievements, he told students, urging them to be humble in learning from their fellow workers.

JNU is generally perceived as a training ground for intellectual politicians and has produced some of the finest politicians and bureaucrats and researchers like Muzaffar Alam, Alok Bhattacharya, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sitaram Yechury and so on, Saraswat said while addressing the gathering.

Also speaking at the ceremony, JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said that the varsity was committed to encouraging critical thinking and freedom of thought among its students and faculty.

The best ideas are born when minds are allowed to be free and think critically. JNU is committed to this freedom of thought and critical thinking with an emphasis on our fundamental responsibilities, Kumar said.

Kumars comments came in the backdrop of the student unions decision to boycott the event. The union had accused the V-C of trying to muzzle dissent.

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 civilization, Kumar added.

Recalling the first convocation, professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, who was a student at that time, said Sahni had made a Left liberal speech during the event and talked of Lenin.

In 1972, our V-C was G Parthasarthi, who was a famous diplomat and was close to Nehru. Given the universitys radicalism, the V-C thought he would ask Balraj Sahni to speak, as Sahni was pro-Left. However, following Sahni, the students union president VC Koshy also gave a speech which was controversial in nature, after which the ceremony was discontinued, said Chenoy.
Traffic across Delhi and NCR was severely hit on Wednesday due to the movement of Kanwariyas along the arterial roads in Gurugram and Delhi. In the national capital, the proceedings of Delhi Assembly was delayed on Wednesday after Speaker Ram Niwas Goel reportedly got stuck in a traffic jam.

Goel, who was travelling to the Delhi Assembly from Shahdara, was delayed after getting caught in a jam on a stretch between Shastri Park and Seelampur in east Delhi. Meanwhile, the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway in Gurugram witnessed heavy congestion on Wednesday evening, as Kanwariyas passing through the city hampered vehicular movement from 4 pm onwards.

Traffic police officials said that the situation improved significantly by 6pm, after the flow of Kanwariyas reduced.

Delhi bore the brunt of the spillover of Gurugrams traffic jams with vehicular traffic coming to a standstill on many stretches. Traffic police officials said they were also forced to close portions of certains roads to accommodate Kanwar movement which further added to the chaos.

Additional deployment was made along arterial roads so that movement of traffic was not disrupted. The safety of the Kanwars was our priority, said a senior traffic official.

Traffic around Kashmere Gate, Majnu ka Tila, North Campus, Akshardham, Kalindi Kunj and Nigambodh Ghat was the worst hit, officials said. However, traffic police said that heavy deployment of personnel on the expressway prevented traffic from coming to an absolute standstill.

As per Gurugram traffic police officials, the problem started after a sudden rush of Kanwariyas started entering the city from Delhi around 3.30pm. Many of them, police said, were travelling on trucks that moved at a slow pace, and led to one lane of the Delhi-Gurgaon carriageway, heading towards Jaipur, being completely blocked.

Commuters complained that their schedules went for a toss as a result of the traffic congestion.

I had left IFFCO Chowk around 4.30pm to ensure that I was not caught in rush hour traffic. To my surprise, there was heavy congestion from exit number 9 itself. As a result, it took me 90 minutes to reach Civil Lines, Bhanu Sharma, a resident of Civil Lines said.
The violence in Moti Nagar on Tuesday, involving Kanwariyas, is not a one-off incident  confrontations and violence, mostly over right of way, are reported every year in the three states of the National Capital Region, keeping the authorities on their toes during the full fortnight of the pilgrimage.

The heavy police deployment in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana not withstanding, a mere spark, such as a vehicle brushing past a pilgrim, is all it takes to initiate full-blown violence. Last week, a brawl broke out between Kanwariyas and a bus driver in Gurugram after a pilgrim was allegedly hit by the vehicle.

In Tuesdays incident, Kanwariyas went on a rampage despite a police station being located just 300 metres away. Most confrontations, police say, arise from right of way disputes, and though authorities carve out separate lanes for Kanwariyas, they rarely stick to the earmarked lanes and weave their way through the chock-a-block traffic, thus giving rise to conflict.

Every monsoon, authorities issue statements that any lawlessness by Kanwariyas would be dealt with a heavy hand. The Delhi Traffic Police reiterates that Kanwariyas riding motorcycles without helmets will face action, but none is taken.

When it comes to implementation, the police pin their hopes on the pilgrimage passing incident-free. For the duration of the pilgrimage, all traffic and sound limits are relaxed for Kanwariyas. Many commuters say they drive slow and turn a deaf ear to the blaring music.

Authorities said they are compelled to deploy much of their resources and logistics just to ensure Kanwariyas do not come in contact with the general public, a situation that often threatens to escalate into violence.

Madhur Verma, Delhi Police chief spokesperson, said, Hundreds of personnel from the local police and traffic police are tasked with the job of streamlining traffic along the Kanwar route. The aim is to strike a fine balance between the pilgrims and the general public.

The Gurugram police, this year, has tasked more than 800 personnel and put another 100 on standby to prevent any mishap involving Kanwariyas. Their counterparts in Ghaziabad have deployed over 1,500 personnel on the Delhi-Meerut Road.

Like every year, they had to practically close the otherwise busy road to regular vehicles for three to four days towards the peak period (the penultimate days) of the pilgrim season. Schools and colleges in the entire Ghaziabad district is shut for five days just to ensure the school buses and students do not interfere with the movement of Kanwariyas.

We deploy policemen in the guise of Kanwariyas to check rumours and prevent anti-social activities that could infuriate the pilgrims, Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police (Ghaziabad), said.

Another officer said everything is done to ensure that no untoward incident such as an accident or spilling of the Ganga water takes place.

If anyones pot of Ganga water falls, we have people to immediately provide them with another pot. The instruction to officials in the field is to be extremely polite to the Kanwariyas at all times and be cautious while dealing with them, the officer said.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by social activists Padma Singh and Anuradha on Wednesday.

Lucknow: The Allahabad high court on Wednesday said that it would monitor the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the sexual abuse of inmates at the Deoria shelter home.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.B. Bhosle and Justice Yashwant Verma asked the investigation agency to table all the documents and findings by August 13.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by social activists Padma Singh and Anuradha on Wednesday.

The court asked the CBI if it had registered a case yet and it asked the government about the possible involvement of any politician or VIP in the racket.

The court has asked that the statements given by the 24 girls who were rescued from the shelter home be placed before it. The bench also pointed lapses in the action taken by the government so far and wanted to know why were police officers in the district not shunted out along the district magistrate.

The court also slammed the police for still sending girls to the shelter home over the last one year even though it had been blacklisted.

The court has asked ADG to find the whereabouts of the 18 missing girls and has also sought details of the vehicles and persons that used to come to the shelter home.

The court has also sought information on the rehabilitation of girls that have been rescued so far.

The racket at the shelter home came to the fore after 10-year-old girl managed to escape and informed the police about the dubious activities happening there on Sunday night.

Girija Tripathi and her husband, who were running the shelter home, have been arrested.

The Uttar Pradesh government had recommended a CBI probe into the case on Tuesday after the role of police came under the scanner.
The elections for the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha ended with a decisive victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Its candidate, Janata Dal (United) MP, Harivansh, got 125 votes, while the Opposition candidate, the Congresss BK Hariprasad, had to settle for 105 votes. The win is striking, for the government does not have an outright majority in the Upper House. It has had to suffer policy and legislative setbacks here, and the Opposition has often, through sheer numbers and aggression, put the treasury benches on the defensive. The Rajya Sabha deputy chair position was earlier held by the Congresss PJ Kurien. The election was also happening in a climate in which senior Opposition leaders have pushed the idea of a Mahagathbandhan. All of this should have enabled the Opposition to score a victory here.

Yet it did not happen. And in that lies a fundamental reality of contemporary Indian politics. On one side is a fiercely competitive Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which takes every election battle intensely. It has a deep desire to win and it is willing to do what is required to achieve its objective. In this case, it kept the alliance together, offering the seat to JD (U), which has been a little unhappy at not getting space in the power structure. It brought on board the Akali Dal, which was unhappy at a leader from its ranks not getting the position. It reached out to a bitter Shiv Sena. At the same time, it also went beyond the allies and got the support of AIADMK, the Biju Janata Dal, and Telangana Rashtra Samithi. The fact that PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar personally called Odisha CM Navin Patnaik reflects the seriousness with which they took the election. It showed in the numbers.

On the other hand was a foundering Opposition. The election announcement appeared to have taken them by surprise. It first appeared to narrow down a Nationalist Congress Party candidate, but when the NCP realised that it may not be able to muster the numbers, it backed out. The Congress then put up a candidate, but in a sign of the challenge any grand alliance faces, key regional players were uneasy with backing the party. The Congress leadership invested little in the election, with Rahul Gandhi not reaching out to potential allies and swing forces. The candidate, Hariprasad, too, did not have links across party lines to get support. So neither was there adequate preparation, nor institutional investment by the major parties, nor individual stature to pull numbers together. If this is a precursor to what the Opposition has in mind in an election year, it should be deeply worried about 2019.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)s second convocation on Wednesday, 46 years since the first and only ceremony courted controversy, was no different from the one in 1972.

At the first convocation,the chief guest was noted actor and theatre personality Balraj Sahni, and the then students union president had stirred a controversy by his anti-establishment speech, following which no such event was hosted until Wednesday.

The convocation on Wednesday stood out for all that it was not  it wasnt held in any of the rooms or auditorium at the universitys 1,100-acre campus; except for the reporters of two news agencies, no mediaperson was allowed to attend the ceremony; a former student, while receiving his degree, refused to shake hands with the vice-chancellor; and a section of teaching faculty and the universitys students union members boycotted the event.

Inside the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium ,where the function was held, while the vice-chancellor spoke about freedom of thought, student groups on the university campus accused the V-C and the administration of muzzling the voice of dissent.

JNU officials said they held the convocation outside the university campus because of space constraints. We dont have an auditorium huge enough to house so many students at a time, a senior faculty member, on condition of anonymity, said.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, in a statement, said, The V-C and the administration, after destroying JNU, have organised a photo-op convocation in the name of distribution of degrees of research scholars. As the JNU community strongly protested against this double standard by the V-C, the admin shifted the venue of the convocation from the campus to the AICTE.

The statement further read,  ..The way through which the convocation was held and restricted participation showed the JNU communitys resentment towards V-Cs anti-student, anti-social justice policies.

No JNU official was available for comment despite repeated calls and text messages.

Former student who refused to shake hands

Anoop Patel, the former student who refused to shake hands with the vice-chancellor, said he had done it to protest the V-Cs policies. Patel, who had completed his PhD in 2016, had come to collect his degree.

When I refused to shake hands with the V-C, the chancellor asked me if I would shake hands with him. I said I had no problem and shook his hand, Patel said.

Patel, who is currently the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson, said he is upset with the vice-chancellors way of running JNU.

 From Najeeb going missing to the administration reducing the seats, look at the controversies in JNU since the V-Cs appointment. He has politicised the campus and is following the policies of the RSS. He is not fit to run the university.

Patel said around 20 former students gave the function a miss. We have a world-class convention centre on the campus but they still held the function outside the university fearing protests.
Four police personnel, posted at Kherki Daula police station, were suspended and sent to the district police lines on Wednesday for allegedly demanding money for the release of an oil tanker impounded illegally, police said.

Officials privy to the matter said that inspector Parveen Malik, who was posted as a station house officer (SHO), assistant sub inspector (ASI) Dharmender, head constable (HC) Rajesh Kumar and munshi head constable (MHC) Sukhbir Singh, were suspended after they allegedly demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from the tanker owner to release his vehicle.

Rajesh Kumar , deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Manesar, confirmed that they had been suspended and a departmental inquiry ordered after a complaint was received against the officers from a Delhi-based tanker owner.

Kumar said the SHO, along with his subordinate colleagues, allegedly impounded an oil tanker from Narsinghpur on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Tuesday afternoon, on suspicion that the tanker driver had illegally sold diesel to a village shop while on way to Dharuhera, Rewari.

A complaint was received that personnel from Kherki Daula police station had illegally seized a tanker and tried to extort the owner for its release. I went to the police station and after a probe, the accused policemen were suspended and sent to police lines, Kumar said.

Kumar said that inspector Kuldeep Singh had been appointed the new SHO of Kherki Daula police station with immediate effect. Inspector Parveen Malik, ASI Dharmender and MHC Sukhbir Singh did not respond to repeated calls and text messages, while HC Rajesh Kumar refuted the allegation, saying it was not true.

On July 31, a police inspector posted in Nuh was suspended, after he had created ruckus and disrupted traffic on the Sheetla Mata Road near Sector 5, allegedly in an inebriated condition.

The officer was alleged to have parked a white SUV in the middle of the road in Sector 5 and dance with an acquaintance, throwing traffic out of gear.

Commuters, including some truckers and dhaba owners, tried to intervene and stop the officer, but he allegedly misbehaved with commuters, resulting in chaos and congestion, which lasted over 30 minutes.
A 23-year-old man was allegedly shot dead on Tuesday night in suspected cross firing during a joint raid by police teams from Uttarakhand and Haryana, in Nuh districts Patakpur village, about 90 kilometres from Gurugram.

Police have registered two cases at Punhana police station, booking 41 villagers for attacking officials who had gone to arrest a robbery accused from the village. No one has been arrested so far, police said on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Sahib Khan, a resident of Naheda village in Punhana, and a truck driver by profession. He and three of his cousins had gone to Patakpur to meet their maternal uncle Shabbir Khan  a robbery accused and wanted criminal.

According to Nuh police, cops from Uttarakhand had come on Tuesday to arrest Khan, who was allegedly involved in multiple cases of robberies and thefts in different states, including Uttarakhand.

Khans whereabouts were traced to the village on the basis of a Hyundai i20 car he had used during a theft at a mobile store in Dehradun cantonment area on July 24. This car was registered at an address of Lingua Kalan village, infamous as a bazaar for stolen cars.

On Tuesday, a team of 19 officials from Uttarakhand and Punhana police was taking Khan to the police station after arresting him when they were surrounded by villagers, who started pelting stones at them.

The accused took advantage of the situation and slipped into the fields, the police said, adding that the situation repeated itself two more times before police resorted to opening fire in the air.

The main accused (Khan) was nabbed from his house, but he slipped away when villagers started pelting stones at us. Police then chased and caught him in the fields. He was being taken to the police jeep when another set of villagers attacked us. Khan again escaped and we caught him, Nuh SP Nazneen Bhasin said.

Before we could get him (Khan) to the police station, villagers assaulted us with sticks and started pelting stones; they were carrying country-made pistols. The deceased was leading the villagers and he was demanding we leave the accused. The villagers started firing at us and the police team fired to escape from the spot, said DSP (Punhana) Ashok Kumar.

Police fired gunshots, but in the air and with our service revolvers. Four shots were fired from a revolver, three from a pistol and three rounds from an AK-47, DSP Kumar said.

Villagers fired around 50 gunshots at police teams, said Punhana sub-inspector Bachu Singh.

However, when the police took cover in the fields, they found a youths body lying in a pool of blood and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead. He was later identified as Sahib.

He was not shot with our bullets. He was injured while he was fleeing with Khan and the villagers were firing at us, Singh said.

Nearly 400 villagers attended the mahapanchayat soon after the shootout, where senior Congress leaders Aftab Ahmed and Raseen Khan, and INLD MLA from Firozpur Zirka Naseem Ahmad were also present. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

However, Nuh SP said that prima facie, its hard to tell whether the fatal shot was fired by the police or villagers. The details will be confirmed once the post-mortem is conducted. The investigation will proceed fast, Bhasin said.

But villagers have refused to sign for the body delaying the autopsy to be done at Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar, Nuh. They said that the police shot Sahib instead of Khan and have refused to claim the body.

We will not take the body till the police officers involved are not suspended and compensation is not declared, Akbar Khan, cousin of the deceased, said.

Villagers have demanded an enhanced compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the Haryana and Uttarakhand governments, arrest of police officers involved in the shootout, magisterial enquiry of the incident and a government job for the wife of the deceased.

The decision was taken at a mahapanchayat of 36 communities in Punhana Mandi. Nearly 400 villagers attended the mahapanchayat, where senior Congress leaders Aftab Ahmed and Raseen Khan, and INLD MLA from Firozpur Zirka Naseem Ahmad were also present.

The list of demands will be presented before the administration on Friday morning.

Mamman Khan, a Congress leader from Nuh, said, Haryana and Uttarakhnad governments will have to fulfill the demands within 48 hours, else we will sit on hunger strike and block roads.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand police is lip-locked over the incident. The case is now with the Haryana police and they will be investigating and dealing with it, Ajay Rautela, DIG, Garhwal range said.

Punhana police have registered a case against 41 villagers under sections 307 (murder),148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 225 (whoever intentionally offers any resistance or illegal obstruction to the lawful), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307(attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage) , 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

(With inputs from Nihi Sharma)
Two days after a 16-year-old girl delivered a baby at a private hospital in the city, police arrested the 22-year-old accused, formerly her neighbour, on Wednesday for allegedly raping her at his rented accommodation last year.

Police said the girl complained of pain in her abdomen last week after which her family took her to the hospital, where the doctors informed them that the teenager was pregnant. She delivered a girl on Monday.

The girl told police that the accused, who lived in the same building as her, lured her to his flat in November last year when she was home alone and allegedly raped her.

The victim alleged that she was raped twice or thrice by the accused over the next one month. He also threatened to kill her and her family members if she narrated her ordeal to anyone, she told police.

Once I entered the room, he bolted the door from inside. When I protested, he threatened to kill me. He then raped me, the girl told police.

Around four days ago, I started having an abdominal pain. I told my mother about it and she took me to a private hospital, where the doctor said that I was pregnant, the girl told police.

The victims family approached the police and filed a complaint on Tuesday night. An FIR was filed at Sector 14 police station under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Deepak, station house officer of Sector 14 police station, said, The accused hails from Uttar Pradesh and works at a private firm. He was arrested on Wednesday and was sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

The girls medical examination is yet to be conducted and her statement has also to be recorded before a magistrate.
A Dalit youth was killed and several others injured in clashes between Rajputs and Dalits over some Dalits watching a Kanwariya procession in a Meerut village on Thursday, police said.

Members of the Rajput community allegedly took offence to the Dalits watching a Kanwariya procession.

Clashes between members of the two castes were also reported from another Meerut village on Thursday.

Police said three Rajput men have been arrested for the alleged murder of Dalit youth, Rohit (19), who succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Heavy force has been deployed to prevent further clashes and senior officials are camping in the affected villages.

At least six persons from both the sides were injured.

We are trying to identify others who were involved in the violence, said Rajesh Kumar, SP (rural).

The first incident took place in Uldepur village, under Ganga Nagar police station on Thursday morning when Dalits and Rajputs clashed after a group of Rajput youths allegedly beat up three Dalit youths who had gone to see a Kanwar procession on Wednesday night.

The issue was, however, settled with the intervention of village elders.

However, upset over the incident, a group of Dalits allegedly rushed to Rajputs locality in the village and clashed with them for over half-an-hour, leading to the death of Rohit.

In retaliation, angry Dalits blocked the road by placing the body of the deceased on the Ambedkar crossing.

They also refused to perform the last rites of the deceased until the accused were arrested.

Sensing trouble, police swung into action and arrested three accused.

Reports said Dalits and Thakurs of Uldepur and neighbouring Sikhera village have not been on good terms for several years.

Tension has been brewing between the two castes ever since a statue of Ambedkar was installed on a government land in Sikhera during BSP rule.

The statue was once vandalised leading to a clash between the two castes.

Since then, security personnel have been guarding the statue.

In the other incident, a group of Rajput youths thrashed Dalits in Kasar village of Sardhana area on Thursday after a Dalit youth allegedly tried to molest a Rajput girl on Wednesday evening.

The angry Rajputs attacked Dalits and beat up whoever came in front of them.

Some Dalits alleged that police did not pay heed to them when they tried to lodge a complaint.

SP (rural) Rajesh Kumar is camping in the village along with police force of different police stations. He said the situation was under control.
Divesh Sharma has a simple answer for why he didnt speak up about the sexual abuse of minor girls in a place meant to shelter them. I have a family. I am not Superman. You know the might of this system. He may not be a superhero, but as the assistant director of Muzaffarpurs social welfare department, he was supposed to protect the 46 girls who lived in Balika Grih, a shelter home for girls found lost, abandoned by their families or rescued from sex work. Thirty four of them had been sexually abused by a network of men including the owner of the NGO that ran the short-stay home and government officers in charge of their welfare. Following an audit of Bihars shelter homes by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that singled out Balika Grih for grave instances of sexual violence, the girls have revealed chilling details in the court of being beaten up, confined, drugged and raped.

Not a hint of this torture was sensed by Sharma who visited the shelter home once in three months as a member of the district inspection committee, a team comprising the district magistrate, the civil surgeon and the child protection officer besides him. Why would one enter the place with negative perception, he explained, signing papers in his musty office in the social welfare section of the towns administrative headquarters. Sharma had a strong reason to enter Balika Grih with negative perception. In August 2017, when he arrived in Muzaffarpur to assume charge, he had heard stories. In my predecessors time, people told me, the [social welfare] ministers husband had visited Balika Grih, he said. His predecessor didnt report this unauthorised visit to his superiors. Sharma, too, thought it best to keep quiet.

What happened before I took over is not my concern, he said. He looked to his left and then right before speaking again. You tell me: is the minister under me or above me? He said it was impossible for him to raise an alarm while being in the system. To do that, I would have had to leave this job. Sharma said he felt a lot of angst, but he deals with it by writing poems rather than blowing the whistle. I was crying when I went to rescue them after the TISS report, he said. (The girls have since been transferred to other shelter homes in Bihar.) Sharma said people should cut him some slack because it wasnt his job alone to figure out the goings-on inside the shelter home. Everyone went for inspection: womens commission, UNICEF, juvenile justice monitoring committee, state child protection committee, district child protection committee.

Police personnel with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team investigate the government run shelter-home after the issue of alleged sexual abuse, in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India on Wednesday, August 01, 2018. (Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times)

Can of worms

In late July, the Balika Grih investigation was handed over to the CBI. By then, the local police had arrested 10 of the eleven people named in their FIR, including the owner of the NGO, Brajesh Thakur, and seven women employees of the shelter home. The one still absconding happened to be the chairman of the district child welfare committee, Dilip Kumar Verma, a man known to the girls as head sir who often allegedly stripped and spanked them. Those arrested for sexually abusing the inmates include a member of the child welfare committee, Vikas Kumar, and the district child protection officer, Ravi Roshan.

Roshans wife, Shibhi Kumari, has alleged that he is being framed to save some big people. She has claimed that the first name of Rajesh Roshan, a close associate of Brajesh Thakur, was replaced in the investigating officers case diary, by her husbands. The officer, Jyoti Kumari, has explained that when the said girl was shown photographs of men who frequented the shelter home, she identified Ravi Roshan as her abuser.

Ravi Roshans wife insists that he never went there alone and he was a well-wisher of the inmates. He even made a recommendation that CCTV cameras be installed in the building, she said, her eyes flooding with tears. She has claimed that the social welfare minister Manju Vermas husband, Chandeshwar Verma, frequently visited the Balika Grih and spent long hours with the girls. My husband never discussed work with me. But one day, when he came back home, he told me that the ministers husband had come with a few people, but he had ordered everyone including him to wait downstairs while he went up. He also told me that the ministers husband wasnt a nice man. She cant explain, however, why Ravi Roshan did not report Chandeshwar Vermas private meetings with the girls. He was a small officer and perhaps he didnt want to take on such powerful people. Manju Verma has refuted the allegations against her husband. The minister said that he went to the Balika Grih only once and was accompanied by her. Let CBI probe the matter. If found guilty, my husband will be punished. I will get him hanged. I myself will resign and withdraw from politics, she said.

In police remand, Ravi Roshan revealed other incriminating details of the shelter homes operation that he had previously buried. Ravi Roshan said everything happened according to his [Brajesh Thakurs] directions. Finances were monitored by Thakur, including annual audit where the money shown as being spent had never in reality been spent, according to the supervision report of Muzaffarpurs police.

The sealed door of Muzaffarpur short stay home after CBI took over the case where girls were alleged sexually abused, in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India on Friday, August 03, 2018. (Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times)

No one complained

Every year, Bihars social welfare department awarded Thakurs NGO, Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, Rs 40 lakh to run Balika Grih. The system was in place in Muzaffarpur but some aberration had happened, said a senior bureaucrat in the department at his office in Patna. Over the five years of Balika Grihs existence, he said, social welfare officers must have gone there on at least 60 inspections. No one said anything. Not a whisper. What action do you expect from us when no one is complaining. He argues that his department deserves the credit for having commissioned TISS to conduct an audit even though it was only an optional move. And for the fact that of the 110 shelter homes audited, grave concerns were raised regarding only a few, he said.

The residents inalienable right to life was in question at certain institutions, noted the TISS report. The details it provided amounted to as much. In Mungers Boys Children Home, a 3-inch-long scar on a boys cheek from the beatings given by the superintendent when he refused to cook for him; badly bruised knuckles in a government-run observation home in Araria (This place should be called destruction home instead of correction home, said one of the boys to the TISS team), a mentally ill girl locked up at a short-stay home in Munger, and at another short-stay home in Patna, a girls suicide after failing to cope with the violent atmosphere of the place.

No state can claim that it is a crime-free state, said the senior bureaucrat in the departments defense. He also explained why one of Thakurs NGOs was recommended by his department for a contract to run a shelter home for beggars weeks after TISS had submitted the first draft of its report. The recommendation is made by a different wing under the department, the NGO selection committee. We only received the print-ready report from TISS on 31 May. On 8 June, the selection was cancelled. More importantly, he added, Before the FIR, Brajesh Thakur was supposed to be a good man.

The Assistant Director of Muzaffarpurs Social Welfare Department, Divesh Sharma had heard about the sexual abuse at Balika Grih before his tenure, but kept quiet. (Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times)

A good man?

It is a doubtful claim considering that it took the local police only a few days to put together pages and pages of disturbing details about the life and career of the 50-year-old man at the centre of the scandal. Thakurs influence, their supervision report says, spanned the worlds of politics, bureaucracy, crime, police and media. Thakur ran several NGOs dedicated to several categories of social service, from fighting AIDS to promoting handicrafts, in several districts of Bihar. Many of them existed only on paper. He didnt hold a post in any.

On March 20, the social welfare officers had inspected another shelter home Thakur ran in Muzaffarpur, one supposed to skill adult women, and noted the presence of eleven residents. On 30 June, Divesh Sharma filed an FIR with the local police about the disappearance of all of them. On 1 August, the police raided the Swadhar Grih and found a bunch of suspicious objects including condoms and sexual stimulants.

It ran only on paper, said Jyoti Kumari of the womens police station. We have been told the 11 women were placed inside the home only for the purposes of the inspection. Together, his 11 NGOs earned an estimated Rs 2.5 crore in endowments from the Bihar government. The trio of [social welfare] departments senior officers, workers and bankers helped him in this, notes the police report. Thakur also made money through government advertisements awarded to his three newspapers that have only ever been seen in government offices. He was a member of the press advisory committee of the state assembly and the press accreditation committee.

Police inquiries reveal his earnings came through newspaper advertisement, NGO fraud, sex racket. With his unlimited wealth, he is said to have bought property in Delhi, Samastipur, Darbangha, Betia, Patna and grabbed a few flats in Patna through muscle power. His actual business, according to their report, was supplying  underage, abandoned, helpless, poor girls to officers to wield influence, win tenders.

Thakur has told the police that he has no connection with the shelter home or anyone working there. As their report wrly notes, his claims are miles away from truth. He is alleged to have physically and sexually abused the girls himself. Brajesh Sir kicked me in my abdomen. He also did the same with a pregnant girl, says one of the girls in her testimony. Brajesh Sir used to scratch me down there until blood came out, says another. Some mention Thakur doing bad things with them.

His lawyer and family remained unavailable for comment. His daughter, Nikita Thakur, has previously complained in interviews that Brajesh Thakur has been branded guilty even before the trial begins.

There is a general feeling in society here that if you are running a home for girls, you must be involved in dirty business, said one of his close relatives who didnt want to be named.  As a part of this society, I have had the same suspicions. Why didnt he intervene?  Who knows what anyone is up to. These days you cant even vouch for your children. The whole world knows that I had separated myself from him.

Why didnt anyone in Muzaffarpur speak out?

Why so quiet

The fear factor keeps coming up. Speaking to the police after his arrest, Thakurs neighbours said they knew enough to be concerned. We used to hear the girls cries at night; it seemed as if they were being subjected to torture, said one. Brajesh Thakur is of dabang (overpowering) character thats why no one had dared ask him what was going on protested against it, said another.

This man was very powerful. The impression was that everything at Balika Grih happened under governments protection, said Anand Patel, a school-education activist who has been trying to mobilize locals to protest since the news broke out. It hasnt been easy. The most outspoken members of Muzaffarpur society have remained quiet. For the first few days, the local newspapers didnt even mention his name in their reports about the case. Patel said that he tried reaching out to the towns cultural and literary organisations which actively support every other noble cause. They, too, are beholden to him for the donations they have been receiving from him for years. This is a city, said Sangita Sahi, a local lawyer, known for taking a stand. In Muzaffarpur, there is an active civil society. There is a press conference about every newsworthy event in the world, she said. People took out candle marches for Nirbhaya. But on this matter, even the feminist groups kept mum. I have trying to rouse the women into action: rotary club, mahila manch, inner wheel, student leaders.

At the core of Brajesh Thakurs clout is the unshakable support of people who belong to his dominant Bhumihar caste. The caste angle is the strongest reason, said Sangita Sahi, why the city known for making noise has remained silent. Meetings are being held and discussions happening across homes in Muzaffarpur. The consensus among Bhumihaar samaaj seems to be that he has been framed, said his relative. But they are not saying anything yet, We are all waiting for the judiciary to do its work, he added.

Not everyone is the community is being patient, though. These girls didnt come to Balika Grih from Ayodhya or Panchavati. The fact is they were picked up from the streets and from the red-light areas, said Balwant Mishra, coordinator for the districts Bhumihaar-Brahmin Ekta Manch. I have faith in law, he added. That doesnt stop him from pronouncing the Bhumihaar-Brahmin verdict on the matter: Brajesh Thakur is innocent. He is a good man.

No matter how outnumbered, a small group of concerned citizens continue to mobilize the locals against what Anand Patel called a case of government-sponsored sexual abuse. On 2 August, about 50 protesters, including activists, student leaders and ordinary people, took out a candle march through the streets of Muzaffarpur. I should add that I am from the same caste, said Sangita Sahi, who participated in the march, but what happened at Balika Grih was so beastly that I have to speak out.
A committee probing the alleged sexual exploitation of inmates at a shelter home in Uttar Pradeshs Deoria has said the district authorities failed to take appropriate action against the managers of the facility despite several orders from the government, an official has said.

The two-member committee handed over its report to chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday evening.

The senior state government official said the report blamed the then district magistrate Sujit Kumar for ignoring the direction of the child welfare department to take action against the non-governmental organisation Maa Vindhyavasani Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Grih for illegally operating the shelter home.

Kumar was also told to shut the Deoria shelter home and shift the children to another accommodation, the official said quoting the report. If the district magistrate had followed the order of the state government, the children would have been rescued in June last year when the state government had cancelled the NGOs recognition, he added.

The DM told the probe team that when district administration officers raided the shelter home, its manager Girija Tripathi poured kerosene and threatened to set herself ablaze.

The probe team said Tripathis threat indicated she was trying to cover up her misdeeds. Instead of succumbing to pressure, the district administration should have raided the shelter home with police assistance, the report said.

The chief minister has already ordered that a charge sheet must be filed against Kumar.

The role of the district police has also come under the scanner in the report.

The local police, the report said, ignored an order by the Deoria superintendent of police in September last year directing station house officers of all police stations against sending rescued children to the shelter home run by the NGO after the termination of its recognition.

Two first information reports were registered against members of the Maa Vidhvasani Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan management but the district police took no action.

Police officers told the committee they were left with no other option but to send the children to the home run by Girija as there was no other shelter home in the district.

The additional director general of police (Gorakhpur) has been directed to probe the role of Deoria Police.

The district probation officer (DPO) ignored the women and child welfare departments directives, the report said, as he did not shut the shelter home and shift the children elsewhere even after the NGOs recognition was cancelled.

It also observed that the district child welfare committee did not take any action. The welfare committee members neither visited the shelter home to review its working nor communicated with the inmates, the report said.

A home department official said the report and copies of the two police complaints will be sent to the central government with the recommendation for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The probe committee consisted of additional chief secretary (women welfare) Renuka Kumar and ADG (women power line) Anju Gupta. They visited Deoria on Monday to inquire into the working of the shelter home.

The chief minister had recommended a CBI probe into the matter on Tuesday and also ordered the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to check any tampering of evidence till the central agency took over the probe.

Police raided the shelter home, Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila aur Balika Sanrakshan Grih, on Sunday after a 10-year-old girl escaped from the home and informed them that inmates were allegedly being forced into flesh trade.

They rescued 24 women and found 18 others missing and also arrested the shelter home manager Tripathi, her husband Mohan Tripathi and their daughters Kanchan Lata Tripathi and Kanak Lata Tripathi.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved three amendments to the triple talaq bill, including adding a provision of granting bail to the men found guilty of giving instant triple talaq.

However, senior government officials, who did not want to be named, said the amendments notwithstanding, giving instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat will continue to be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years.

Also, instant triple talaq will continue to be a non-bailable offence, they added. The amendments will only allow the accused to approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail. The magistrate would, however, ensure that bail is granted only after the husband agrees to grant compensation to the wife, as provided in the bill. The quantum of compensation will be decided by the magistrate, as per the bill.

The provision has been added to allow the magistrate to grant bail after hearing the wife, said Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad during a press briefing.

This was one of the demands of the Opposition.

Under a non-bailable law, bail cannot be granted by the police at the police station itself.

The proposed law will be applicable on instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-biddat, and will give the victim the power to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and minor children. The law will also allow the woman to seek the custody of her minor children, the final call on which will be taken by the magistrate.

Prasad said the cabinet has approved three amendments to the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage bill. The bill has already been cleared by the Lok Sabha during the winter session in December and is pending the approval of the Rajya Sabha.

Friday is the last day of the ongoing monsoon session. Though Fridays are reserved for talking up private members bill, the Rajya Sabha can take up the bill. Once Rajya Sabha clears it, the bill will be sent to Lok Sabha again for approval.

There were fears and we have plugged the holes ... nothing has been done under pressure, Prasad said.

To check misuse, another amendment has been added that will ensure that the police would lodge FIR only if approached by the victim (wife), her blood relations or people who become her relatives by virtue of marriage. This would settle fears that even a neighbour can file FIR as is the cases in any cognizable offence. This would check misuse, the minister added.

The third amendment makes the offence of instant triple talaq compoundable. Now, a magistrate can use his powers to settle the dispute between a husband and wife. Under a compoundable offence, both parties have the liberty of withdrawing the case.

Under the Dowry Act, Muslims and others go to jail ... they are also jailed under the Domestic Violence Act ...why oppose jail for triple talaq, he said.
Piyush Goyal has been given the charge of finance ministry after Arun Jaitley relinquished the portfolio due to health reasons.

Jaitley, who is Leader of the Rajya Sabha, on Thursday made his maiden appearance during the current session. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Union minister Arun Jaitley is in good health and will soon be resuming his duties, finance minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

Goyal has been given the charge of finance ministry after Jaitley relinquished the portfolio due to health reasons.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha while moving two resolutions related to his ministry, Goyal said I want to inform the House that Arunji is in good health and soon he shall be with us.

Jaitley, who is Leader of the Rajya Sabha, on Thursday made his maiden appearance during the current session.

He also participated in the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman and spoke briefly.
An alliance between the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh could set the tone for a pan-India tie-up between the two parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to several Congress leaders familiar with the developments.

Seat-sharing talks between the parties for the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have entered a decisive stage, a Congress functionary said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath had last month said his party will try to prevent any division of Opposition votes in the state and confirmed that seat-by-seat negotiations were on with Mayawatis BSP to firm up the alliance.

Dalits, who constitute the main support base of the BSP, account for more than 15% of Madhya Pradeshs 75 million population. The BSP had contested 227 out of the total 230 seats in the 2013 assembly elections. Having a considerable presence in northern Madhya Pradesh, especially in Morena, it won four seats and bagged a vote share of 6.29%.

Congress in-charge of Chhattisgarh, PL Punia, said on Wednesday that seat-sharing talks between the two parties are on and a decision is expected soon.

The Congress is likely to offer nine seats to the BSP in Chhattisgarh, another party leader said on condition of anonymity. Dalits constitute 11.6% of the tribal-dominated states 26 million population. In the 2013 assembly elections, the BSP had fought all the 90 seats, winning one and accounting for 4.27%vote share.

In fact, BSP founder, the late Kanshi Ram, fought his first Lok Sabha election from Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh, a district where the BSP has around 40% Satnami vote.

In Rajasthan, state Congress leaders are not keen on an alliance with any party while the BSP and Indian National Lok Dal have already announced a tie-up for the Nov-Dec polls.

Once finalised, the two parties are expected to start negotiations on other states for the 2019 polls. The Congress has already reached a strategic understanding with the BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, the countrys politically most important state, which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha.

The BSP did not respond to requests for a comment.The BSP is one of the six national parties with a pan-India presence. Mayawatis party contested 503 out of the 543 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but failed to open its account.

It registered a vote share of 4.19%, the third largest after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. While the BJP bagged a 31.34% vote share and 282 seats, the Congress secured 44 seats with a 19.52% vote share.

The other three national parties  Communist Party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Communist Party of India  had a vote share of 3.28%, 1.58% and 0.79% respectively. The BSP is already a part of the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in Karnataka, and there is also talk of the Congress and the NCP incorporating the BSP in their alliance in Maharashtra.

Mayawatis party has made it clear to the Congress that it would like tie-ups, on respectable terms, in all the poll-bound states but the overall strategy of the grand old party so far has been to have state-specific alliances. Political observers are of the view that the Congress will stand to gain nothing if it goes for a national alliance with the BSP.

In fact, BJP and Congress are the only two national parties and the other so-called national parties are actually multi-state political outfits. It is wiser for the Congress to have state-specific alliances for one can adjust to local circumstances. There is not much to be gained for the Congress if it goes for a national alliance with the BSP, which on the other hand will have a great advantage, said Delhi-based political analyst Balveer Arora.
Initially reluctant to contest the Rajya Sabha deputy chairpersons election, the Congress took the plunge after the Nationalist Congress Party opted out of the contest at the eleventh hour and no other opposition party appeared keen to field its candidate, according two leaders familiar with the developments.

By the time BK Hariprasads name was put forward, the Congress knew that the numbers were not on the oppositions side, but did not want the election to go uncontested at a time when the party is taking an aggressive stance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party , said one of the leaders cited above. The Congress had decided at the time that former deputy chairperson PJ Kurien retired that the post should go to an alliance partner. Our first choice was the Nationalist Congress Party, and that is how the name of Vandana Chavan came up, the leader said.

But the NCP decided against contesting after the Biju Janata Dal and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi extended their support to the National Democratic Alliance candidate Harivansh, making it virtually impossible for Chavan to make it. Since no other opposition party was willing to contest, we decided to have our own candidate, the Congress leader said.

Besides, we wanted to expose the BJD, TRS, and Shiv Sena, which has been attacking the BJP while sharing power with it.

The ruling NDA candidate, Harivansh of the Janata Dal (United), eventually got 125 votes against 101 for Congress candidate BK Hariprasad in an effective strength of 244.

A second Congress leader said that the party would now use the deputy chairpersons election to attack the TRS in Telangana and the BJD in Odisha. Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik said the BJDs move gave credence to talk of it having reached an understanding with the BJP. This strengthens the rumours of seat-sharing discussions between the two parties, he said. The BJD has been betraying the people of Odisha for many years by making false claims about maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. But its real character has now come to the fore, he said. Similarly, in Telangana, the Congress will try to exploit what it describes as a tacit understanding between the BJP and the TRS. This was on expected lines. The TRS had supported the BJP on demonestisation, presidential elections and on simultaneous polls. This is a clear indication what the TRS is going to do in future. We will expose them in the 2019 elections, said senior Congress leader from Telangana, M Shashidhar Reddy.

Political analysts said the Congress decision to fight the elections was a good one because it has forced some parties to come out in the open with their preference of potential future alliances. The people should know which party stands where and to what extent it can go. The cards are open now. It has not been a bad election for the Congress in that regard, said Delhi-based political analyst N Bhaskara Rao.

But a section in the Congress suggested that the NDA gained the first-mover advantage by announcing its candidate even before the Opposition parties had started discussions on its nominee. It was like presidential elections. The BJP announced its candidate first and managed to get support of many non-NDA parties. We were caught napping and by the time we announced our candidate, the BJP had seized the advantage, said a Congress leader requesting anonymity.
Air traffic at the Jodhpur Civil Airport was affected for nearly an hour on Thursday following a fighter aircraft tyre burst, officials said.

No damage, however, to the aircraft has been reported but the runway was damaged to some extent.

A tyre of a fighter aircraft got burst on the runway at about 12:25 pm, after which the runway was taken under control by the air force staff, defence spokesperson Col. Sombit Ghosh said.

He refused to divulge further details about the incident.

However, according to the airport sources, the tyre of the aircraft burst when it was back from a regular sortie and was taxiing.

It took the Air Force staff about an hour to repair the tyre and restore the aircraft. Till then the traffic of the passenger aircrafts was held up, the sources said.

Director (Airport) G K Khare said two flights - one from Mumbai and another from Delhi - could not arrive on their scheduled time on account of this disruption.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
The head of a hostel for speech and hearing impaired women has been arrested from Bhopal for allegedly raping a 20-year-old tribal woman and sexually harassing two others at the shelter, police said.

Ashwini Sharma, the hostel director, was arrested after the three alleged he took them home about eight months ago and raped one of them besides sexually harassing the other two. He then allegedly raped the 20-year-old woman several times.

On the womens complaint, Ashwini Sharma was arrested last (Wednesday) night, deputy inspector general of police Dharmendra Choudhary said.

Gyanendra Purohit, a social worker, said Sharma, who is separated from his wife, also forced the women to do his household chores. The women came to us a week ago in Indore. They shared their ordeal with us. We informed Dhar and Bhopal police and Bhopal police registered their statements on Wednesday.

Inspector general, intelligence, Makrand Deoskar told reporters that the police would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and record statements of other women living in the hostel. Police said Sharma runs two hostels.

Congress media in-charge Shobha Oza demanded a social audit of such hostels as most of them are government funded.

She said the abuse at the Bhopal hostel was similar to the cases reported from Bihars Muzaffarpur and Uttar Pradeshs Deoria. It is shocking that deaf and mute girls are not safe in the hostels.

The women had been living at the government-aided hostel while undergoing training at a Bhopal institute.

In Bihar, the Balika Grih meant to give shelter to minor girls abandoned by their families has been shut after news came out that 34 of the 46 girls living there were being raped by a network of men including the owner of the NGO that ran the short-stay home and government officers in charge of their welfare.
Opposition parties failed to get their act together to win the Rajya Sabha deputy chairmans election in a a highly anticipated face-off with the ruling NDA on Thursday, and in the process squandered an opportunity to win a few additional votes in favour of their common candidate.

For the past month, all calculations by the anti-NDA camp had indicated that it would need the support of Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal to win the election. Yet, Nationalist Congress Party was asked to reach out to Panaik at the last moment.

By the time he did, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar had already spoken to Patnaik and secured the BJDs support for NDA candidate Harivansh, who emerged victorious.

Other things went wrong, too. Opposition leaders were scheduled to hold a second meeting at 6pm on Tuesday. But at 3.30pm, Pawar met senior opposition leaders to say that neither Patnaik nor the Shiv Sena, a Bharatiya Janata Party ally, would support an opposition candidate.

Under the circumstances, Pawar was not keen on his partys Vandana Chavan contesting the election as the Opposition nominee. Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were reluctant to throw their hat in the ring.

Some leaders suggested that a candidate of the Telugu Desam Party, which pulled out of the NDA earlier this year, contest the post. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had already communicated his willingness and CM Ramesh, who defeated Harivansh in the Public Accounts Committee election a day ago, was ready, a senior opposition leader said on condition of anonymity.

The Congress didnt warm up to the idea of a TDP candidate, according to two senior leaders. Had the TDP fielded a candidate, at least the Aam Admi Party would have voted in his favour and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi might have recalibrated its position, keeping in mind the Telugu factor, said another senior strategist. TDP and TRS are the ruling parties in the Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, respectively.

A floor manager from a regional party added, A day ago, Ramesh was supported by the Opposition camp in the Public Accounts Committee election and he won it. The same formula could have been repeated here.

To make matters worse, Arvind Kejriwals AAP said publicly that Congress president Rahul Gandhi must talk to the Delhi chief minister if the party wanted its support for the Congress nominee and joint opposition candidate BK Hariprasad. No opposition leader found Gandhi at fault for not responding to Kejriwals demand. Gandhi couldnt have been expected to accept such a public demand, said one regional party leader.

Other senior Congress leaders did try to speak to Kejriwal. But it didnt help, this person said. Some opposition leaders suggested that Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee speak to Patnaik, Kejriwal and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao. But when Trinamools Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien communicated the suggestion to Banerjee, she refused to get involved.

On Thursday, Hariprasad didnt sound dejected hours after the poll result was out. We might have lost the battle but we have won the war. The Opposition stood united while the election exposed the hidden agenda of the BJD. Also remember that no major UPA (United Progressive Alliance) partners ditched us, he told HT.

A few leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool were not present to vote on Thursday. TDP, BSP, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal ensured they were in the house at full strength.

Misa Bharti did a remarkable job. All of us thought that one particular RJD MP might slip away but she spoke to that MP separately and told him that this is a prestige fight. The MP voted for the Opposition, said an opposition leader.

The Congress needs to take away one lesson from the election, said an analyst.

If the Congress tries to impose its leadership, then opposition unity is bound to get disrupted. Also managing different Opposition parties is always a disadvantage against the BJP which is so good in handling elections, said political activist and economist Prasenjit Bose.
An Indian family travelling on a British Airways flight from London to Berlin has alleged they were forced to get off the plane because their three-year-old child was crying.

Reports said the alleged incident happened on July 23 when a 1984 batch officer of the Indian Engineering Services was on board with his family.

Our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to offload us if our kid doesnt keep quiet and after a while, he called security and we were offloaded, AP Pathak, the officer, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Pathak said he has complained to civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu alleging racial discrimination by the airline.

I have given a letter to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and EAM Sushma Swaraj and complained to British Airways but they have not replied yet. It was an act of racial discrimination. I request an apology and compensation for the harassment of an Indian, Pathak told ANI.

The airline on its part said that it takes such incidents extremely seriously and has initiated a full investigation into the matter.

We take such claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in direct contact with the customer, a British Airways spokesperson said.
Torrential rain claimed 22 lives over the last 24 hours in Kerala as the government sought the help of the army, navy and the air force and authorities were forced to open the shutters of Idukki reservoir, Asias biggest arch dam, after 26 years to release excess water.

The Kochi airport has resumed operations two hours after suspending it due to the heavy showers.

The situation in the state is really serious. We are forced to open 22 dams in the state due to incessant rains. Such a situation never arose in the recent past. We have sought the army, navy and air forces help. Control rooms will be opened in six worst-affected districts, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after an emergency cabinet meet.

The famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha has been cancelled, the chief minister announced.

Of the five shutters of Cheruthoni dam, only one shutter was partially opened to release 50,000 litres of water per second from the swollen reservoir, said a senior official of the district administration. The shutter will be closed after four hours. At least 3,000 families living near catchment areas have been shifted to safer places.

The 45-year-old Idukki dam had not filled to such levels in the past 26 years. The Idukki reservoir has three dams  the main dam on Periyar river that holds the maximum water has no shutters as it is situated between two imposing granite hills locally known as Kuravan and Kurathi mala. The other two are Cheruthoni and Kulamavu dams. The partial opening of a shutter at Cheruthoni means all other dams downstream will have to be opened to the ease the pressure of water. There are 14 dams in the district.

Wayanad district was completely cut off by landslides and the armys help was sought to restore road network to the hill district.

At least 22 people were killed and 10 are missing as heavy rains triggered landslides in many places in north Kerala. 11 people died in Idukki district, five in Malappuram district, three in Wayanad, two in Kannur and one in Kozhikode, a home ministry spokesperson said.

As the situation is improved, we are resuming all operations from 3.05 pm, a spokesperson of Cochin International Airport (CIAL) said.

Army units have been deployed in Wayanad and 3,000 people have been shifted to safer areas. More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed in the state.

Educational institutions were closed in six districts and people have been advised to avoid travel in hilly areas of the state. The CM also requested people not to crowd dam areas and take selfies.

Last month, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts were flooded due to the rains which claimed the lives of 40 people. A central team led by Union ministers Kiran Rijiju and K J Alpohns visited the areas and announced an initial relief of Rs 80 crore. The state had demanded Rs 1,000 crore relief to tide over the crisis.
Telugu Desam Party MP and former actor Naramalli Sivaprasad who is known to make appearances donning costumes of famous characters on Thursday turned up as Adolf Hitler  the German dictator -- in Parliament. Sivaprasad was protesting to demand special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

This is one of the few dramatic stunts pulled by the actor-turned-politician. Three days back, Sivaprasad had made an appearance as Lord Ram in Parliament. He has also donned the Sathya Sai and Narad Muni avatar in the past to protest over the same issue.

The TDP led by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh has been demanding a special status for the state from a long time.

In March this year, Naidus party had pulled out of the alliance with the NDA after it had accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not living up to the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

In a letter addressed to Amit Shah, Naidu had mentioned the reasons behind the drastic step by his party.

The TDP was the first party to leave the coalition since NDA came to power at the Centre in 2014.
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday described lynchings in the name of cows as wrong and a sad state of affair in the country while stressing on the need to protect the animal.

Her comments came during an interaction with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in Mumbai.

There have been several incidents of lynching in the country on suspicions of either cow smuggling or consuming beef, the latest one being in Alwar in Rajasthan last month when a man from Haryana was killed.

The outrage over the killing snowballed after controversial BJP MLA from Alwar, Gyan Dev Ahuja asked Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria to register a case of cow smuggling against the victim Rakbar Khan and his associate Aslam Khan.

You feel conflicted. You want to save the animals but when the lynching happens, you feel heartbroken at whats going on. You feel this is wrong, Kangana said when asked about lynchings.

To drive home her point, the outspoken actor brought in latest movie Manikarnika into the discussion.

Im working on a martyrs biopic Manikarnika where there is a scene where my protagonist, Laxmibai, goes and saves a calf. My crew had a discussion, we halted the shoot. They said we cant save a calf because we dont want to look like cow savers, she said.

When such a prejudice thrives, as a person you feel very protective of who you are and what your values are, and you want to save all animals and you definitely want to save the cows because the prejudice is really agonising. But (then) lynching for cows takes place and you look like an idiot, she added.

Lynch mobs were not the only ones in Kanganas line of fire. She also took on liberals, claiming that they only accept people in their group if you hate the same person they do.

And then you jump to the other side which has always criticised and they never want to be protecting cows and these people look sensible, these so-called liberals. Liberals, by definition, are people who have acceptance for other people and opinions, but these liberals will not take you into their group unless you hate the same people as they do.

(With PTI inputs)
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 Tuesday, 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.
Hyderabad store is the first of 25 outlets the Swedish furniture giant hopes to open by 2025 across the country.

Staff arrange furniture inside Indias first IKEA store ahead of its opening in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

Hyderabad: Curious customers lay on beds and nestled into armchairs Thursday as IKEA opened its first Indian outlet, hoping to wow a burgeoning middle class with offerings tweaked to local tastes, including its famous meatballs.

Opened with a military band, the store in the southern city of Hyderabad is the first of 25 outlets the Swedish furniture giant hopes to open by 2025 across the country of 1.25 billion people.

Analysts say, however, that the firm's concept of affordable, self-assembly furniture may have trouble translating to a market where do-it-yourself homemaking is an alien idea and spending levels are low.

Around 200 people queued up in the underground car park before the opening, and were greeted inside by hundreds of blue-and-yellow clad employees on the stairs waving Swedish and Indian flags.

"I've come all the way from Bangalore (575 kilometres, 360 miles away). I am excited to see what's there," garment factory employee Krishna Mohan Dixit, 39, who began lining up 90 minutes before the opening, told AFP.

"We are looking forward to it. Actually it's my wife who got me here. Her sister sends a lot of IKEA stuff from Dubai. So here we are," said IT manager Nasrullah Khan, 34, another early bird.

Read: Saare jahan se achcha, plays Army band as IKEA opens store in Hyderabad

Patrik Antoni, deputy retail manager for IKEA India, told AFP that he had tears in his eyes when the first customers arrived. "It is overwhelming, a dream come true," he said.

The changes compared with IKEA elsewhere start with the restaurant -- "Smaklig Maltid -- Enjoy your Meal in Swedish" is written on the wall -- with space for 1,000 people, the firm's biggest.

For religious reasons, the meatballs are not beef or pork but chicken or vegetarian instead, while Indians' beloved biryani dish was on offer for 99 rupees (USD 1.44).

On Thursday, the eatery was crowded, with people happy to queue up with their trays.

A staff arranges cakes inside Indias first IKEA store in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

Bhaskar Reddy, 35, who runs a stock-broking company in Hyderabad and who lived in Sweden for about two years, opted to compare the food first.

"I quite like the meatballs. It's chicken and not beef but nice they have tweaked the food for our sensibilities," Bhaskar told AFP.

Loveseats and tawas

Alongside standard IKEA furniture like Billy bookshelves and Klippan "loveseats", the chain has "locally relevant products" like 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, store manager, said have "big aspirations for their homes and small wallets". A six-piece bowl set with cutlery for kids costs 131 rupees, for example.

A staff arranges Indias first IKEA store ahead of its opening in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

Advertisement

The interior has a noticeable local feel too, with Indian-design bedspreads and framed photos of the Taj Mahal and other Indian monuments -- alongside Klimt's painting "The Kiss" recalling faraway Europe.

"We decided not to copy and paste," Juvencio Maeztu, IKEA'S finance chief, told AFP. "We met and interacted with 1,000 Indian families to understand what were their dreams, frustrations and what they want."

On Thursday, by midday the outlet was filled with people with more pouring in all the time, mostly just checking things out but with a few making their first purchases.

It was the living room section that attracted most attention with curious customers testing the softness of the sofas and stretching out on the king-sized beds.

A flop, I tell you

To overcome Indians' aversion to assembling their furniture, with people used to small, family-owned firms providing a bespoke service, IKEA teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform connecting handymen with consumers.

After Hyderabad, IKEA plans to open outlets in the financial capital Mumbai next year, followed by Bangalore and New Delhi as it seeks to grab a share of India's estimated USD 40-billion home goods market.

But Satish Meena from Forrester Research said the firm will also have to adapt its offerings to the "extremely diverse" Indian market.

Also Read: As IKEA opens first store in India, here are 5 major challenges it will face

"No two states or cities have the same furniture demand and behaviour, lifestyle and culture vary from one region to another. Hence, IKEA will have to address space, pricing and design issues and pick products accordingly," Meena said.

Locals in Hyderabad not at IKEA were sceptical.

"I will wait and watch," Mohammad Noor, a businessman, told AFP. "I have never been to an IKEA store before. But I believe there it's all compressed wood. Indian wood is much better."

And Siddharth, who is in charge of a Hyderabad furniture shop and goes by one name, said IKEA might attract hard-up students but in general people would stick with "quality".

"It will be a flop, I tell you," he told AFP. "The regular furniture consumer will stick with the more solid wood available in the Indian market... I don't think it will give us much competition."
In a political and psychological victory for the government, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Janata Dal (United) MP Harivansh, was elected deputy chair of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with the support of 125 MPs in the house of 244 MPs. The opposition candidate, Congress B K Hariprasad, got 101 votes.

The victory comes as a big boost for the government, especially since it does not have a majority in the upper house and has not had much luck in steering legislations through it. Both the chair, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, and the new deputy chair come from the NDA stable, although their roles put them above partisan affiliations. The speaker of the Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan, too, is from the NDA.

The electoral outcome reflected the hard political competition and cold arithmetic that marks the landscape ahead of elections in key states later this year and the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, as well as the continued edge the Narendra Modi-led NDA enjoys over an opposition thats struggling to unite.

The subsequent proceedings in the house, after the outcome, however, also reflected a democratic spirit of collaboration and bonhomie in the polity.

The BJP itself has only 73 MPs in the house, which has an existing strength of 244. But it succeeded in keeping its entire NDA flock together, and winning over three key players --Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi - through careful preparation and investing political capital from the very top.

Our party president had predicted 125 votes and we got exactly that. The numbers are a political and moral victory for us. It exposes the myth of the opposition unity. And it also shows at that a time when critics say BJP is getting isolated, we are able to expand our alliances and partnerships, said a senior minister, who did not wish to be identified. Ham haarne ki baazi nahin khelte. (We dont play to lose)

The opposition candidate, Hariprasad, was a last-minute pick after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided not to put up a candidate on Tuesday. The NCPs decision, in turn, was motivated by Sharad Pawars call to Patnaik, who made it clear to the former that the BJD would support the NDA candidate.

Not putting up a candidate was not an option for us. The ruling side often seeks to create a consensus for such positions. But the NDA showed no such inclination and wanted to impose a choice on us. We had to challenge the BJP, said a Congress leader who did not wish to be identified.

But having a Congress candidate meant that the partys rivals -- like the Aam Aadmi Party -- would stay away. It also meant the enthusiasm levels of key regional actors like the Trinamool Congress might have dipped. For instance, two Trinamool MPs and three Samajwadi Party MPs were absent. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) also abstained from the vote.

Across the opposition ranks in Parliament on Thursday however, there were two key refrains -- how the BJDs support to the NDA was a game-changer and how the opposition did not take the contest seriously enough. The Congress, however, sought to see a silver lining in the race and suggested that YSRCP and BJDs visible softening towards the BJP would open up the opposition space for them in Odisha and Telangana respectively.

Observers pointed out that the outcome holds lessons for 2019.

Neelanjan Sircar, senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, said there were three broad takeaways from the election. First, it shows that a grand pre-poll coalition bringing all parties together is not on the cards. There are intense contradictions among parties which oppose the BJP. Two, the outcome is not a complete reflection of the ground-level battles in politics. The BJD, for instance, may have voted for the BJP but both parties will fight each other on the ground in Odisha. And finally, it shows that the real game will open up post-polls, if and when no party is able to attain the majority mark of 273 (in the Lok Sabha.

After the outcome though, leaders from across the spectrum came together to congratulate Harivansh , a long-time editor of Prabhat Khabar, a regional paper published out of Ranchi, and a former media advisor to the late ex- Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, who commanded respect across party lines.

PM Modi said, Ab sab kuch Hari bharose hai (now, everything is dependent on Hari). And I am confident every member, on this side (treasury) or that side (opposition) will have his mercy. Modi recounted his association with both Chandrashekhar and the late socialist icon and anti-Emergency crusader, Jayaprakash Narayan. Both Harivansh and JP (as he was popularly called) hail from Balia in UP.

Union minister and leader of the house Arun Jaitley, returned to the Rajya Sabha for the first time after a surgery in May, to much cheer and goodwill. He said, In the house, he (Harivansh) has never made personal attacks on anyone. I am hopeful he will enhance the dignity of the house and maintain a balance between government business and the opposition raising issues of public importance.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the deputy chairman does not represent any party. I request him to look at the left and left of the centre.
Bhopal Police on Thursday arrested two brothers, including a Pakistan jail returnee, for threatening to kill Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Twitter.

The Bhopal cyber cell arrested Jitendra Arjunwar (32), who recently returned to India after serving a jail term in Pakistan, and his brother Bharat (25) from Seoni district in the state.

The cells SP, Sudeep Goenka said on August 7, they had come across a tweet threatening to kill Chouhan.

The tweet said that if Chouhan came with his Jan Ashirwad Yatra to Seoni, he would be killed, he said.

Investigation revealed five similar tweets made between August 2 and 5 from an account created a month back. Apart from the threats, there were no other tweets.

We got the account blocked and traced the account to Barghat village, Seoni, and arrested the two brothers who are now being questioned, Goenka said.

According to sources, Jitendra Arjunwar, who is a sickle cell anaemia patient had inadvertently crossed the international border in Munabao, Rajasthan, and entered Khokhrapar area of Pakistan and had been arrested by the Pakistani Rangers. He spent nearly six years in a Pakistani jail and it was only due to sustained campaigning by human rights activists from both sides that he was released from Karachi jail and he returned to India in May this year.

SP Goenka said that Jitendra comes from a lower-middle class background and is unemployed at present. Though he has only studied till Class 5, Jitendra is tech-smart and knows the use of social media very well.

According to sources, during interrogation, Jitendra said that he was peeved with the chief minister as he had not helped him or his brother when he was in Pakistan prison.

He also alleged that some promises had been made to him by the administration when he returned to India, but they had not been kept, so he decided to threaten the CM in revenge.

Incidentally, Chouhan had visited Seoni with Jan Ashirvad yatra on August 7, but faced no incidents.

The brothers have been booked under sections 506, 507 of Indian Penal Code and section 66 and 66 C of the Information Technology Act. They do not have any criminal record and neither any affiliation with any organisation, the SP said.
In a major boost to the Mumbai crime branchs efforts to seek custody of fugitive sharpshooter and key Chhota Shakeel aide Muzakkir Muddassar Sayed alias Munna Jhingada, 48, a court in Thailand has reportedly rejected the evidence submitted by Pakistan, claiming he was their citizen.

The Thai courts ruling may end the protracted custody battle between India and Pakistan for Jhingadas extradition, brightening Indias chances. Jhingada has been accused of masterminding the attack on Chhota Rajan in Bangkok in 2000, and faces trial in six other serious offences in the city.

A senior crime branch officer on Wednesday said they have been intimated about the developments in the Thai court informally, and the official communication is awaited. The court is likely to issue a notice to the rightful claimant (country) to take custody of the fugitive soon, the officer said.

Jhingada had fled to Dubai after coming out on bail in a murder case in 1997. He was involved in three more murders and a couple of attempted murder cases prior to that. From Dubai, he moved to Karachi to join his mentor Chhota Shakeel. An Interpol red corner notice (RCN) was issued against him in 1999.

On Shakeels instruction, he led a team that attacked Rajan. Though Rajan escaped with a serious injury, his trusted aide Rohit Verma and two more people were killed in the attack. Jhingada and five more from his team were arrested by the Bangkok police and subsequently a court sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment. However, before his release, the Mumbai police (through Interpol) applied for his extradition in 2012, but the claim was contested by Pakistan.

Crime branch officials said Pakistan produced Jhingadas fake identity and wedding documents to prove their contention. The Mumbai police responded with evidence such as Jhingadas fingerprints (taken during his four arrests), testimony of witness during identification parade and school/college admission forms (with photos). However, the DNA profiling proof of his parents is said to have played a decisive role in establishing his Indian lineage.
A back-of-the-envelope calculation of the house strength, man-to-man marking, a team to execute the plan, a set of phone calls, and the collective efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar helped the ruling National Democratic Alliance pull off an easy victory in the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairmans post on Thursday, three leaders familiar with the matter said.

The ruling alliance is short of a majority in the upper house, but the July 20 vote in the Lok Sabha, where the government (which is in a majority in that house) defeated the oppositions no-trust motion decisively, aided by the abstention of key regional parties, raised hopes that it could hope for the support of the same parties in the Rajya Sabha too.

Once a decision was taken about two weeks back that the election to the deputy chairmans post would take place in the current session, the BJPs floor leaders in Parliament got into the act immediately. The aim was straightforward: ensure the NDA stayed together; get as many non-committal parties on to the ruling side; and ensure that those who could not vote for the NDA abstained .

Shah then picked a team of six union ministers, rail and finance minister Piyush Goyal, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, health minister J P Nadda, and minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi , and a set of BJP office bearers  general secretaries Bhupendra Yadav, Ram Madhav and Anil Jain  to work with the objective of securing a win.

Each member of the team had specific assignments to reach out to selected parties that were not aligned to the Congress or were not part of the United Progressive Alliance, the first leader added. For instance, Sitharaman and Nadda spoke to the leadership of Telangana Rashtra Samiti and secured the support of its six MPs for NDA candidate, the second leader said. Nadda and Ananth Kumar remained in touch with the AIADMK, which has 13 MPs, and ensured that they voted for the NDA candidate. The AIADMK had voted against the oppositions no-trust vote in the Lok Sabha as well.

Modi and Shah themselves spoke to Odisha CM and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik, who was a key swing force. A BJD leader said, We did not have much at stake in this election. And a friendly centre suits us. Nitish Kumar too spoke to Patnaik. A JD (U) leader who asked not to be identified claimed that Kumar and Patnaik share a warm personal equation, that they met recently in Bhubaneswar, and that the JD(U) had always demanded a Bharat Ratna for Naveen Patnaiks father Biju Patnaik. Shah and Sitharaman dealt with the YSR Congress.

Poll strategist Prashant Kishore, who worked with Nitish Kumar in the past and is now associated with YSR Congress Party, was also pressed into service to soften the party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said the third leader familiar with the development. The YSR Congress Party, which had earlier announced support for Congress candidate, did not take part in the vote.

Two MPs of the Peoples Democratic Party of Mehbooba Mufti, a former ally of the BJP, abstained from the vote after Ram Madhav and Pradhan spoke to the partys leadership.

The PDP was in a mood to support the Congress, but we managed to convince it to abstain, another BJP leader familiar with the discussions between the two parties said.

The PDP was approached by the JD(U) separately, the JD(U) leader added. Goyal and Pradhan were even deputed to talk to bitter rival AAP, the first leader said. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, too, spoke to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday night.

The Delhi CM, however, made it clear that AAP could not support the NDA and if Rahul Gandhi did not seek its support, it would sit it out. On Thursday, three MPs of AAP abstained from vote, bringing down the number of votes for Congress candidate BK Hariprasad.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should check facts when his is free from winking and disrupting parliament, said Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Thursday, hitting backing at his political rival for criticising the governments Dalit policies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis legacy for Dalits includes strongest amendments to SC/ST Act and setting up of the OBC Commission, while the Congress legacy was about insulting Dalit leaders, opposing the Mandal Commission report and blocking a move to empower the OBC body, said Shah, in a series of four tweets.

Shah made the comments after Gandhi joined a protest at Delhis Jantar Mantar and accused Modi of being anti-Dalit in his thinking. Rahul Ji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. NDA Government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that? he said.

Mr. Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr. Rajiv Gandhis speech during Mandal, when he opposed it tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare!  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 9, 2018

Mr. Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr. Rajiv Gandhis speech during Mandal, when he opposed it tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare!  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 9, 2018

Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his Partys treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari.



Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 9, 2018

He was referring to Gandhi apparently winking in the Lok Sabha after hugging Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.

Shah said Gandhi should speak about his partys treatment of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations.

Mr Rahul Gandhi, expecting research and honesty is difficult from you but do read Mr Rajiv Gandhis speech during Mandal (row), when he opposed it (its recommendations) tooth & nail. The sense of entitlement and hatred for backward communities comes out so clearly. And today you talk about Dalit welfare! he said. Rajiv Gandhi, the former prime minister, is Rahuls father. The Mandal Commission proposed to give 27% reservation in government jobs to members of Other Backward Classes.
The National Democratic Alliances candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh of the Janata Dal(United) was on Thursday elected as the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha as he defeated oppositions BK Hariprasad by 20 votes.

Congratulating Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, He has been blessed with the talent of writing. He was also a favourite of former PM Chandra Shekhar ji...now, we are all Hari bharose (now we all depend on him).

Harivansh, a first-timer in the Upper House and a former editor of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar, got the support of 125 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs, and United Progressive Alliances Hariprasad got 105 votes, news agency ANI reported.

The proceeding to elect a new deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha began with the NDA moving four motions for its candidate and the opposition moving five for Hariprasad.

The position fell vacant after PJ Kurien retired in July.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harivansh after he was elected as the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman.

The NDA was confident of winning the post despite not having the numbers in the Upper House amid widening fractures in the opposition camp.

Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had promised to support Singh in the election after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Odisha chief minister on the phone in the third sign in recent weeks of a new warmth in the otherwise frosty, even hostile, relationship with the BJP.

Biju Janata Dal is supporting the JD(U) since JD(U) and BJD have similar ideological origins emerging from the Jay Prakash Narayan movement. The Congress candidate was AICC in-charge of Odisha till recently and was vitriolic in his statements against the BJD and the state, a BJD statement said on Thursday.

Patnaik on Tuesday turned down Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawars request for support to the oppositions candidate in the election for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, telling him that he had already told Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar that he would support Harivansh.

Harivansh also has the support of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), after JD(U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar called up TRS leader and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday.

The Congress had a tough time getting other opposition parties to rally behind its candidate and was involved in hectic last-minute parleys with regional parties in securing an anti-BJP front inside the House.

Several parties said before the election started that they will abstain and boycott the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election.

We have decided to abstain from the voting for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairmans election. Both the Congress and BJP have not fulfilled the promises made to Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress MP V Vijayasai Reddy was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has said it will boycott the election as Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not seek its support for the Oppositions candidate.

Kejriwal had rejected his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) president Kumars request to support the NDA nominee in the election as he has the backing of the BJP.
One of the main organisers of Referendum 2020, a referendum for liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation, tried to stall terrorist Jagtar Singh Taras extradition from Thailand to India and also put up a legal fight on behalf of another known Khalistani militant Paramjit Singh Pamma who was arrested in Portugal, and also has direct links with the Pakistani spy agency Inter Services Intelligence, say central and Punjab police officials who asked not to be identified.

A New York-based organisation Sikhs for Justice (SJF) is organising the referendum but Indian officials say it is a front for pro-Khalistan and anti-India activities in the US and other countries. On August 12, an event is being organised in London to unveil the case for Sikhs right to self-determination as guaranteed in the UN Charter and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Union home ministry and Punjab police officials familiar with the matter say a US-resident Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, prime mover behind the London event and the referendum, is associated with the SJF as a legal advisor.

He is closely associated with prominent Sikh extremists like Jagtar Singh Tara of Khalistan Tiger Force (a militant outfit), UK-based Paramjit Singh Pamma and Hong Kong-based Ramanjit Singh Romi, says a Punjab police report seen by HT.

Though Tara, an accused in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, was sent back to India earlier this year from Thailand, a court in Portugal refused to extradite Pamma to India in 2016.

Ramanjit Singh Romi too has been under provisional arrest in Hong Kong and the Indian authorities are hopeful of securing his extradition soon.

Pannun takes active interest in the legal matters of radical Sikh elements and leaves no opportunity to criticize India whenever they (the radical elements) are arrested for their involvement in terrorist activities in India, adds the report.

Officials say Pannun met Tara in a Bangkok prison and tried to stall his extradition to India. He also represented Pamma (who is also among organisers of the London event) and arranged for financial help to fight his case in Portugal where he was arrested in 2015. A court in Portugal refused to send him to India. Pannun also met Romi in Hong Kong in February this year. Romi is wanted in India.

The report further adds that Pannun is also a known collaborator of Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabu Fai who served a prison term in the US on the charges of being on payrolls of the ISI, which the Indian security officials suspect is the real organiser of Referendum 2020.

Few ISI officers are also visiting European countries and contacting Sikh extremist groups and leaders. Abbas Rana, an ISI officer has visited Canada and met several Sikh extremist and motivated them into instigating a campaign for the Sikh freedom. ISI has designated few senior officials like Lt Col Shahid Mehmood Malhi to handle the SJF-run campaign Referredum 2020, says the report.

Pannun, however, said linking Sikh right to self-determination campaign with the ISI is absurd and farcical. SFJs campaign is being funded by selfless, hardworking Sikh community across the world.

He said he went to Thailand to defend Tara, who said he had assassinated Beant Singh for leading a police force in extrajudicial killings of thousands of Sikh youth in the 1990s.

He insisted all the accused in the blast cases involving Pamma had been acquitted. The UK has also investigated Pamma and found no evidence against him.

The website of Referendum 2020 says: The campaign aims to gauge the will of the Punjabi people with regards to re-establishing Punjab as a nation state. Once we establish consensus on the question of independence, we will then present the case to the United Nations for reestablishing the country of Punjab.

Interestingly, the Sikh diaspora in the UK too is also raising voice against the August 12 event.

Parminder Singh Bal, a former International Sikh Youth Federation functionary, told HT over phone from UK that a false drama is being enacted in the name of non-binding referendum which will achieve nothing. We believe the referendum means nothing for the Sikh cause, said Bal.
Unruly mobs in the garb of religious devotees continued to unleash on Thursday the annual menace that citizens have come to associate with the kanwariya pilgrimage, as the police preferred to adopt a no-guns-just-roses approach to law enforcement.

Fresh incidents of wanton violence and random road blockades by several angry kanwariyas were reported from UP and parts of Delhi-NCR, where they were extended floral welcomes by some administrative functionaries and police officers.

One mans wild street party is another mans safety-cum-logistics nightmare. I had to commute by taxi for fear of rubbing the pilgrims the wrong way while driving and risk getting lynched or having my car destroyed at the very least, said Indirapuram resident Ritesh Kumar, who had to negotiate long traffic snarls on way to his workplace in central Delhi. Some kanwariya groups engaged in clashes with locals in places as diverse as the riverside town of Varanasi and the glass-and-steel Millennium City of Gurugram. While Delhi Police arrested one man over Wednesdays incident of a young couples car being vandalised in Moti Nagar, a video of a group of kanwariyas collectively destroying a police van in Bulandshahr was widely shared on social media on Thursday.

Those involved in the incident have been identified and eight persons have been named in the case and efforts are underway to arrest them, Praveen Ranjan, SP (city), Bulandshahr, said.

The man arrested for the Moti Nagar incident, Rahul aka Billa, was described by police as a drug addict with a criminal record who was out on bail. His accomplices were being identified based on photographic and video evidence, police said.

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar led the chorus of netizens coming down heavily on these rowdy kanwariya groups for their unruly behaviour.

Public display of hooliganism should be unacceptable. Behavior of Kanwarias on national highways is a public hazard. Why should state authorities not control this movement & stop loud offensive music & takeover roads for hrs. Should Hooliganism be allowed in the name of religion? Kumar tweeted.

Facing flak over showering flowers on kanwariyas from a helicopter hired for two days at a cost of R14.21 lakh to the public exchequer, a senior UP police officer said the matter should not be given a religious hue.

No religious angle should be given to this; flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals, said Prashant Kumar, the additional director general (ADGP) of Meerut zone.

Kumar, along with commissioner Anita Meshram, Meerut DM Anil Dhengra and SSP Rajesh Kumar Pandey showered flowers on kanwariyas on the Meerut route, while Saharanpur commissioner CP Tripathi, DIG Sharad Sachan, DM Alok Kumar Pandey and SSP Upendra Agarwal did the same in their respective ranges.

Ghaziabad police and administration officials, including SP (City) Akash Tomar, ASP (Indirapuram) Ravi Kumar, and Khoda municipal council executive officer KK Bhadan, showered petals on the pilgrims in Indirapuram on Thursday. Tomar said the event for welcoming the kanwariyas was organised by members of a citizen volunteer force and the venue saw good participation by members of the Muslim community.

A section of the kanwariyas appealed to the mobs to not give the yatra a bad name. After violence by kanwariyas in Haridwar last week, members of the Shiv Parvati Sheeshwal Dham Shiv Kanwd Sewa Samiti Mandi Adampur appealed for calm, asking participants to cooperate with law enforcement.

But another group of kanwariyas allegedly assaulted a cyclist after his bicycle grazed one of them in Chawan village near Pataudi on Wednesday evening, police said. The group allegedly attacked the victim with canes and sledge hammers, leaving him seriously injured.

Rajesh Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Manesar, said the victim decided against filing a police complaint.

A police team was rushed to the spot and took control of the situation. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment, Kumar said.

After the incident, a group of villagers gathered at the spot and protested against the brutality of kanwariyas, demanding strict measures, police said without elaborating what action was taken, if any.

Reacting to reports that some Muslim families in a Bareilly village left their homes recently fearing violence when the kanwariyas would pass through there, police said a few people may have been away on work.

They must have gone for some personal work and by now many have returned, Bareilly (Rural) SP Satish Kumar said. We have deployed adequate force in the village to ensure normalcy and there was no law and order problem today.

Last Friday, a group of kanwariyas had gone on a rampage on National Highway 58 near Daulrala town when a Provincial Armed Constabulary vehicle hit two motorcycle-borne pilgrims. The angry pilgrims not only damaged the patrol vehicle but also blocked the highway for hours.

The Uttar Pradesh government had this time lifted the ban on playing of DJs during the pilgrimage. District administration officers were directed to permit kanwariyas to play bhajans or film songs that were not vulgar or provocative.

(With inputs from HTC Varanasi, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, and agencies)
The Aam Aadmi Party has decided to boycott the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday as Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not seek support for the Oppositions candidate, according to party lawmaker Sanjay Singh.

The AAP has three MPs from Delhi in the Rajya Sabha.

Singh said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal rejected his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) President Nitish Kumars 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 AAPs support for the oppositions candidate, the Kejriwal-led party has no option but to boycott the poll tomorrow.

Hariprasad, a Congress MP from Karnataka, is the oppositions 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 partys 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 Kejriwals dharna at the LG office barring the Congress, he said.

(With PTI inputs)
Santhali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santhali Wikipedia went live earlier this month.

The Santhali Wikipedia got approval from the language committee of the Wikimedia Foundation on June 28 and went live on August 2, said Jayanta Nath of the Indian chapter of Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia.

Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content to make this page possible, Nath said.

It presently has content of about 70,000 words.

Santhali is written in Ol Chiki script and spoken by 6.4 million people, according to the 2001 census, in India alone and its speakers live mostly in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. It is also spoken in Bangladesh and Nepal.

The home page of the Santhali edition of Wikipedia carries an article on Raghunath Murmu, who created the Ol Chiki script.

There have been several initiatives in the past few months to push the Santhali language.

In November 2017, 24-year-old Shikha Mandi became the first radio jockey in the language. The programme is aired by Radio Milan 90.4 with listeners in West Bengals Jhargram and West Midnapore districts.

Several hundred students wrote their Class 10 board examinations under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) in the Ol Chiki script for the first time this year.

The Santhali language was heard for the first time on a global platform in March during the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a body made up of national parliaments from all over the world, when Uma Saren, a 33-year-old doctor by training and a Lok Sabha MP from Jhargram constituency, addressed a conference in Geneva.

The Wikipedia initiative was first taken up in 2012 when workshops were held, but lost steam soon after due to the lack of contributors.

The project was revived in September 2017 by the Bangladesh chapter of Wikimedia Foundation. Workshops were first conducted in Bangladesh in December 2017 and then in India in March this year.

We are soon going to conduct more workshops in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, said Manik Soren, information and research secretary of Jatiya Adibasi Parishad, a tribal-rights organisation in Bangladesh.

Soren was among the key contributors from Bangladesh.

Pashupati Prasad Mahato, an anthropologist, said this will help boost peoples interest in getting higher education in Santhali.

The scope of higher education in Santhali is increasing over the past few years. Coming at this juncture, this will increase the scope of reading in Ol Chiki script and enthuse Santhali speakers to pursue higher education in their mother tongue, Mahato said.

Among the 22 scheduled languages in India, Dogri, Bodo and Manipuri have no version of Wikipedia in their own language. The Assamese version of Wikipedia, which is live since 2002, is in the Bengali script.

Bishnupriya Manipuri, which is spoken mostly in parts of Assam and Tripura in India and Sylhet in Bangladesh, and Bhojpuri spoken mainly in Bihar are the only non-scheduled language to have its own Wikipedia edition.

However, the script of Bishnupriya Manipuri is Bengali.

Wikipedia is available in nearly 300 languages globally as of August 2018.
NC MLA Javed Rana has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him as 'killer of humanity.'

Rana, the MLA from Mendhar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, was recently in news when he said that he will not allow hoisting of Indian flag in Kashmir if Centre scraps Article 370. (Photo: ANI | Screengrab)

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir): National Conference Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Javed Rana has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him "killer of humanity."

"Where is the person who has killed lakhs of people in Gujarat? Now after becoming the head of the country he is calling is militant and terrorist. The biggest terrorist, biggest killer of humanity unfortunately is sitting as the Prime Minister of India," Rana said at a public gathering in Poonch district on Monday, the video of which surfaced on Thursday.

#WATCH: Hum logon ko militant aur dehshatgard kehte hain, sabse bada dehshatgard sabse bada insaniyat ka qatil Hindustan ka Prime Minister bana hua hai: Javed Rana, National Conference MLA in Poonch on 06/08/18 pic.twitter.com/IlbZXoRRYk  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Rana, the MLA from Mendhar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, was recently in news when he said that he will not allow hoisting of Indian flag in Kashmir if Centre scraps Article 370.

In June earlier this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had pulled out of its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, following which Mehbooba Mufti submitted her resignation as the Chief Minister of the state. The state is currently under Governor's Rule and possibly heading towards another state election.

The state went to assembly polls in 2014 end. Late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed became the Chief Minister in March 2015 by joining hands with the BJP. His party, PDP, won 28 seats and the BJP bagged 25 in a house of 87 members. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti took over the CM following the death of Mufti in January 2016.
The SIT probing the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh today arrested a 37-year old hotelier from Belagavi on charges of harbouring two key accused in the case, police said.

Bharat Kurne, a resident of Sambhaji Gali in Belagavi, had harboured the mastermind of the crime Amol Kaleand sharp shooter Parashuram Waghmare, an official of the Special Investigation Team said.

With this, the total number of suspects arrested in the case has risen to 12.

We have arrested one Bharat Kurne.He has been remanded to judicial custody (by a court) and we have appliedfor police custody, the official told PTI.

The police plea seeking custody of Kurne has been posted for hearing tomorrow, police said.

Left leaning Lankesh, who was strongly opposed to Hindutva, was shot dead on September 5 last yearby two bike-borne assailants near her house here, triggering outrage.
Four days after he was killed in an encounter with security forces, a 25-year-old militants name has showed up in the shortlist for a sub-inspectors (SI) post of Jammu and Kashmir police.

Khurhsid Ahmad Malik, a BTech graduate and resident of Pulwama in south Kashmir had appeared in the test before joining militants, police said.

His name appears at serial number 1913 in the list of candidates shortlisted for interview for sub-inspector (executive and armed wings) after qualifying in the written test which was conducted in June.

Maliks run as a militant was a very short one. He was killed along with his colleague Riyaz Ahmad Dar in a gunfight with security forces at Sopore in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on August 3, two days after he joined militancy. A soldier was also killed in the encounter.

Police said a total of 2,181 candidates - 1,525 from Jammu region and 656 candidates from Kashmir valley - have been shortlisted for Personality Assessment Test.

According to his relatives, Malik had completed his BTech from a university in Jammu last year and also cleared Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

On the day he went missing on July 31, he had left his home in Arabal village of Pulwama to fill the forms for the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) examination.

This is not the first time that a highly qualified youth joined militancy in the state.

Mannan Wani, a 26-year-old PhD scholar who had gone missing from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in January 2018, joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. And in May, a Kashmir University teacher Mohammad Rafi Bhatwho was a PhD scholar in sociology was killed in a gunfight with security forces just a day after joining the militants.

In April, 28-year-old Aitmad Hussain Dar, an MPhil student, was killed with four other militants in Shopian, almost six months after he joined militancy.
Pro-Tamil activist Thirumurugan Gandhi was on Thursday arrested at the international airport in Bengaluru based on a Look Out Circular issued against him by the Tamil Nadu police.

He was arrested upon his arrival from Geneva, where he attended a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting recently and raised the issue of Anti-Sterlite protests in Tuticorin district and subsequent police firing that left 13 dead, a release from May 17 movement said.

Gandhi landed in Bengaluru this morning from Germany and was detained by the airport Immigration officials based on a Look Out notice they had received from Tamil Nadu police.

Later, he was handed over to us, Kempegowda International Airport police told PTI.

However the city police remained tight-lipped when contacted by PTI for details.

Meanwhile, MDMK Chief Vaiko condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate release.
A Thailand court has ruled in favour of Indias request for extraditing gangster Chhota Shakeels close aide Mudassar Hussain Sayyed alias Munna Zingada, whom Pakistan was trying to claim as its national, an official said here today.

The order was passed by a court in Bangkok yesterday and is in Thai language, he said, terming it as a victory for the Mumbai Crime Branch in an international court.

The courts ruling is being seen as a setback for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as Zingadas extradition could help Indias claim about Ibrahims presence in Pakistan.

Dawood Ibrahim is the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that left nearly 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.

The Thailand court ruled in favour of Indias request for extradition as Zingada is an Indian national, the official of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.

The court has given one-month time to Zingada to challenge the order, and in the meantime authorities at the Indian embassy in Thailand will issue a warrant against him to start his extradition process, he said.

Zingada, 50, a native of the Jogeshwari area in Mumbai and a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, had gone to Bangkok in 2000 to eliminate gangster Chhota Rajan at the behest of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Rajan had survived the attack but his close aide Rohit Verna was killed.

After the attack, Zingada had fled to Pakistan and returned to Thailand in 2001 with a Pakistani passport.

He was then arrested in Thailand and convicted in the case of attack on Rajan.

Zingada served 16 years in a Thailand prison after the conviction, the official said, adding that India was constantly trying for his extradition since last few years.

Pakistan was also trying to take his custody through the diplomatic channel by submitting his Pakistani passport and school leaving certificate to the Thai authorities.

However, the Indian authorities provided a strong proof of Zingadas nationality by submitting his finger print details, ration card, voter identity card and DNA samples of his kin, the official said.

In 2016, the Crime Branch team had travelled to Thailand to expedite the process.

The police team had submitted in a Thai court a dossier on Zingada, mentioning his crime record in Mumbai during his stay between 1994-97 along with his personal details, the official said.
Thousands of people, including grieving family members and friends on Thursday received the mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane in Thane. Rane was killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rane was among the four Army personnel killed in a gunfight with terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipura district on Tuesday.

His body reached his home in Mira Road town here early on Thursday, an official said.

Late on Wednesday, the coffin, draped in the national Tricolour, arrived in Mumbai where it was solemnly received by Ranes grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.

Early on Thursday, decked with flowers the coffin was brought to his hometown in a military truck for the last rites which will be performed with full military honours later in the day.

Thousands of emotional onlookers lined the roads on both sides or from building tops and terraces as they showered flowers on the coffin, raising slogans of Major Kaustubh Rane, Amar Rahe and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, waving the Indian flag. Many women could be seen weeping.

Since Tuesday, the Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely five km north of Mumbai.

Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.

His father had retired from a Tata Group company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining 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.

The Major had visited Mira Road town in April for a brief period before returning to the front.

It was a proud moment for the family when Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.
The mortal remains of Major Kaustubh Rane who was killed in an encounter with terrorists in the Gurez section in Kashmir on Tuesday were consigned to flames at the Mira Road civic crematorium on Thursday afternoon with full military honours.

The funeral was led by Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding in Chief, South Western Command, of the Garhwal Rifles unit along with Naval Bajaj, IGP, Konkan Range, Thane Rural police and personnel from the three Armed forces of the Indian Army. Nearly 20,000 mourners joined the funeral procession.

Major Kaustubh Rane (29) of the Garhwal Rifles was killed in the fire fight after an army detachment engaged a group of infiltrators on the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector in Bandipora district, 125 kms from Srinagar.

Three other soldiers -- 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 Ambala district of Haryana -- were also killed in the shootout, while two infiltrators were shot dead by the Army jawans.

A pall of gloom descended in Sheetal Nagar as the body arrived in the early hours of Thursday. A public homage was arranged for two hours to allow thousands of mourners to pay their respects. Chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram rent the air when the coffin containing Major Ranes body was being taken in a military truck for the cremation.

Major Rane left behind his father Prakash Kumar, mother Jyoti, wife Kanika, sister Kashyapi, and two-year-old son, Agastya. The family stays in a first floor flat Punes Sheetal Nagar area.

Ahead of the cremation, the father of the fallen soldier complained of uneasiness at his residence, and doctors rushed to check on his health. Kanika was brave and tried to control her tears, but while paying her last respects to her husband, she broke down completely and had to be escorted by relatives to her seat while Agastya, oblivious to the tragedy, was playful in the care of another relative.

Prakash Kumar lit the funeral pyre of his son at the Vaikunthdham civic crematorium as the crowd jostled for a closer look at the pyre.
In June, a Reuters Foundation study declared India to be the most unsafe country for women. Although the findings were based on perception polls rather than actual crime figures, they triggered a political slugfest. The Opposition accused the government of failing to protect women. The government rejected the surveys findings.

With incidents such as the child rapes in shelter homes in Muzaffarpur and Deoria dominating the headlines, this debate is worth revisiting. Is India among the most unsafe places for women in the world? Have things changed for better or worse in the recent past? And last but not the least, can we even answer these questions conclusively?

Let us begin by comparing incidents of rape in India with other countries. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) gives country-wise statistics on rape crime rates (incidents per 100,000 population).

Crime rates are a better metric of comparing the incidence of any crime across place and time because they take into account the difference in population. For example, countries A and B with 100 and 10,000 women might have witnessed 10 and 50 rapes in a given year. Looking at incidents of crime might suggest that country B has a bigger rape problem. But this is a wrong conclusion. Women have a bigger threat of getting raped in country A as 10% of them were victims of the crime. This figure would be just 0.5% in country B.

India fares well in a comparison of all countries by number of rape crimes per 100,000 population in the last decade. In fact, India performs much better than even advanced countries such as the US and many countries in Western Europe in terms of the crime rate of rapes (Charts 1 A and 1B here). UNODC does not give these figures for India after 2013.

Does this mean that India is among the safest places for women on this planet? Are women in the US and Western Europe 10 times more prone to rape/sexual violence than their counterparts in India? These claims are as hard to believe as the Reuters Foundations claims of India being the most unsafe country for women.

How does one explain these numbers? Socio-economic statistics are often influenced by differences in social context and methodology. UNODC itself advocates caution while doing an international comparison of these figures because of differences that exist between the legal definitions of offences in countries, the different methods of offence counting and recording and differences in the share of criminal offences that are not reported to or detected by law enforcement authorities. Such issues are likely to have a role in the low crime rate of rapes in India. An example can make this clear.

India does not recognise marital rapes as a criminal offence. According to the 2015-16 National Family and Health Survey (NFHS), around 6% of Indian women aged 15-49 have experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. This figure increases by one percentage point in case of married women. Around a third of women surveyed believed that a woman is not justified in refusing sexual intercourse with her husband. If India had a law criminalising marital rapes, and if womens attitudes were to change significantly on such issues, the countrys rape crime rate would go up significantly.

As is clear from this, it is difficult, and probably even hazardous, to argue about relative prevalence (or the lack) of rapes in India vis-a-vis other countries from international statistics. It is perhaps better if we were to ask questions about the performance of our criminal justice system in preventing rapes and delivering justice in cases where the crime has been committed. The trends are far less dramatic on these counts. (Chart 2).

The number of rapes per 100,000 women in India shows a spike since 2013. Many commentators have pointed out that this could be result of increased reporting after the awareness which the 2012 anti-gang rape movement brought on the issue. Reporting of rape carries a lot of social stigma, especially in a society like ours. As far as convictions and acquittals in rape cases are concerned, there is not much of a change. This shows that our criminal justice system has not been able to live up to the expectations of the 2012 movement. Given the fact that it is state governments which control the police and lower judiciary, blaming any one political party is not the best way to explain this failure. A concerted effort will be required to take entrenched patriarchal notions head-on for us as a society to achieve significant advances in controlling heinous crimes against women such as rapes.

To be sure, it is not the case that the problems which plague this fight are in the realm of the unknown. The father of the Unnao rape-case survivor  a case in which a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA is an accused  died after being allegedly beaten up in police custody. He was demanding that an FIR be registered in the case.

The Committee chaired by the late justice JS Verma, which was formed after the 2012 gang rape protests in Delhi, had the following to say on the role of the police in dealing with gender crimes: We do notice that this concept of shame has somehow led the police to have an upper hand. The police have become arbiters of honour. The police, without registering even a FIR, assume that they have the moral capacity to pronounce upon the rights and wrongs of the rapist as well as the rape victim. This is simply deplorable and it is inconceivable in a modern society, which is governed by republican values.

The Unnao example is a classic case of what justice Verma had flagged in his report. The fact that such things continue to happen is proof that not much has been done to purge such tendencies from the criminal justice system. Sadly, such facts are mostly lost in the shrill rhetoric in both political and journalistic discussions on the issue of rape or safety of women.
A woman and a sub-inspector were shot dead by assailants outside the Rohtak court complex on Wednesday in an attack that is suspected to have been ordered by the womans father who was upset at her inter-caste marriage with a Dalit.

This is the seventh firing incident outside a court in Haryana in the past less than 16 months. In a recent incident in May 7 this year, a head constable, who was escorting an undertrial, was shot dead after three men reportedly opened fire in the court complex in Siwani town of Bhiwani district.

The police said Mamta Kumari was brought to Rohtak court from Karnals Naari Niketan by sub-inspector Narender Kumar for her testimony in a case when two motorcycle-borne assailants fired gunshots at them. Both received two bullet shots and were rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, where they died during treatment.

Police said Mamta, a resident of Rohtak city, married a Dalit man from Singhpura village some time ago against her familys wishes. Angered at the marriage, Mamtas father Ramesh filed a police complaint stating his daughter was a minor, following which her husband, an adult, was arrested.

Her husband was sent to Rohtak jail, where he is lodged at present. She had refused to go back to her parents, following which the court sent her to Naari Niketan in Karnal. On Wednesday, she was being brought to Rohtak court to testify in the same case, said Shri Bhagwan, the SHO of Civil Lines police station.

Police said the sub-inspector was bringing two women, including Mamta, to the court for hearing. After the hearing, they were going towards the van outside the mini-secretariat building, opposite the court complex, when the assailants opened fire at them. Shells of seven cartridges were recovered from the spot.

Since the policeman was carrying a gun, he was shot at first, and then the woman was targeted, the police said. The sub-inspector was a resident of Karnal.

We have registered a case of murder against the womans father and two unidentified gunmen. It has been found that the womans father was also present near the court when the incident happened, but he managed to flee. Police teams have been formed to arrest them, the SHO said.

Karnal superintendent of police Surender Bhoria said he will recommend Narenders name for the Presidents bravery medal.
A youth has succumbed to his injuries hours after he was allegedly abducted and tortured by suspected militants in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, police said on Thursday.

Militants had allegedly abducted Arif Ahmad of Khudwani and Mehraj Ahmad of Hawoora, Kulgam, from their homes on Wednesday, police said.

Arif was found unconscious by locals with torture marks on his body at Arwan and was rushed to the hospital, where he breathed his last, a police spokesman said.

While a police officer said Mehraj had reached home after he was reportedly let off, a local news agency CNS said that he was still untraceable.

The agency also said that thousands of people participated in the funeral of Arif at his native village where his father Fayaz Ahmad Sofi questioned the militants for killing his son.

If my son has been killed by militants, I want to ask them to provide me proof that he was an army informer. I will not repent over the death of my son if they will come up with sound proof, Sofi was quoted by the agency.

As far as my knowledge goes, my son was ardent supporter of militants and the ongoing movement, he said.

A police officer said both the youths, in their mid-twenties, were beaten by the abductors. He said that the families had not filed any missing report.

Superintendent of police, Kulgam , Harmeet Singh Mehta was not available for comments immediately.

There have been several abductions allegedly by militants in Kashmir. In some instances, militants released videos of people confessing they were informers of army and police before letting them off. On a few occasions, the people were shot in their limbs or killed. So far, no video of Wednesdays case has been released.

In April, 24-year-old Kifayat Bashir Mir, a resident of Moolu Chitragam in Shopian, was abducted and fired upon from a close range in his ankle leaving him critically injured.

In September 2017, a video of a youth Ishtiaq Ahmad Wagay, while a gun was pointed at him, owning up to spying on militants went viral on social media a month after his bullet riddled body was found in Shopian.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
YSR Congress party said on Thursday it would fight the forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh on its own to achieve the special category status to the state as it abstained from voting in the poll for the post of the deputy chairman in the Rajya Sabha.

The MLAs, MLCs, former MPs and other senior functionaries of the party undertook a day-long hunger strike in the name of Vanchana Pai Deeksha or protest against the betrayal of the state in Guntur.

The leaders, dressed in black, vowed to continue their fight for the special category status and implementation of all the promises made in The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The former member of Parliament YV Subba Reddy said while the Congress had betrayed the people by dividing combined Andhra Pradesh indiscriminately, the Bharatiya Janata Party had cheated the people by denying the state the special category status.

That is why we have decided to maintain equidistance from both the parties. We shall go alone in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Reddy said.

Another former MP from Nellore Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy echoed Subba Reddys views.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has ditched the state by denying the status and backtracking on its promises on important projects like railway zone for Visakhapatnam, Kadapa steel plant, Dugarajapatnam port and Kakinada petrochemical complex, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy said.

At the same time, the Telugu Desam Party, which had sailed with the BJP for four long years, has miserably failed to achieve any of the promised projects to the state and has taken a U-turn on special category status during the election year, he added.

Party MLC and its official spokesperson Ummareddy Venkateshwarlu demanded that chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu must tender an unconditional apology to the people for his inefficiency in securing benefits to the state during his four-year association with the BJP.

He said Naidu should be booked and prosecuted for cheating the people all these years with false promises.

The Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh has also been demanding a special status for the state from a long time. Chief minister Naidus party pulled out of the alliance with the NDA in March this year after it accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not living up to the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

YSR Congress national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy said in New Delhi his party did not vote in the elections for the Rajya Sabhas deputy chairman post because the Congress fielded its own candidate deviating from its earlier stand of giving the post to one of its allies.

We are opposing the Congress as it has failed to incorporate special category status in the state bifurcation act, he explained.

And the BJP, which had vociferously argued for the status for 10 years, remained silent and is now saying the status is not possible. Our position is like being caught between the devil and the deep sea. Hence, we abstained from voting, he added.
The IMDT Act made it almost impossible for a Bangladeshi migrant to be deported from Assam.

Activists of the Students Federation of India burning the effigy of Education and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a protest against his comments on giving citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus in Assam in Guwahati. (Photo: PTI)

On 30 July 2018, the Assam state government published a draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), aimed at identifying Indian citizens and legitimate residents following repeated protests and violence over irregular/illegal migration from Bangladesh. The register only lists those people as citizens who can prove that they or their ancestors entered India before midnight on 24 March 1971 the day when Pakistan Army opened fire on Bengali demonstrators in Syedpur, Rangpur and Chittagong, killing more than a thousand people and the beginning of the struggle which eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh. On demands by various political parties and ethnic groups in Assam, the process to update the register is being monitored by the Supreme Court.

Reportedly, the potential exclusion of over 4 million people, many of them Muslims, raises concerns over arbitrary detention and possible statelessness without due process.

The Assam government has said that this is a draft list and those whose names are missing from the register, have until 28 September 2018 to seek a correction. Assams finance and health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma stated: No one will be sent to detention camps Rights or privileges will not be taken away from them just because their names have not appeared in the draft NRC. The Central government has also said that after the final list is published in December 2018, applicants left out will have an opportunity to seek a correction from the foreigners tribunals. Even some Assam-ese persons including a few security forces personnel are reportedly affected so far.

However, the government has not formulated an official policy for those people who are excluded from the NRC and declared foreigners by the tribunals. In December 2017, Mr Sarma had said: The NRC is being done to identify illegal Bangladeshis residing in Assam.all those whose names do not figure in the NRC will have to be deported.

Bangladesh has not agreed to claims that these people are irregular migrants, making deportation to Bangladesh unlikely. India does not have an agreement on deportation with Bangladesh.

Irregular migration from Bangladesh has long been a volatile issue in Assam and concerns over the inclusion of these so-called illegal immigrants in electoral rolls has grown in recent years. In May 2018, protests erupted in Assam over a Citizenship Amendment Bill, which would grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While the proposed law deliberately excludes Muslims, including Shia and Ahmadiyya who also face persecution in Pakistan, many groups in Assam fear that this will increase influx of Hindu Bangladeshi migrants to the state.

Decades of illegal migration from erstwhile East Pakistan, later Bangladesh, into Assam eventually led to the bloody anti-foreigner agitation in 1983, in which at least 2,000 people were hacked to death at Nellie, a few hours from Guwahati. Those killed were Muslims, accused of being illegal migrants and occupants of land that belonged to Lalung tribals. The agitation culminated in the Assam Accord signed by the Central government and representatives of All Assam Students Union (AASU), which was largely an economic package.

Also in 1983, the ruling Congress, clearly driven by the political agenda of vote banks replaced the Foreigners Act of 1946 with the Illegal Migration Determination by Tribu-nal (IMDT) Act, which virtually regularised illegal migrants from Bangladesh who migrated into India up to March 1971 and even beyond. While peace was bought through a financial package, it was also ensured that the status-quo prevailed in terms of accepting Bangladeshis who migrated before March 1971 as Indian citizens. The vote bank was saved. The constitutionality of an accord between a students union and the Central government was never questioned.

The IMDT Act made it almost impossible for a Bangladeshi migrant to be deported from Assam. Under the act, the onus of establishing nationality rested not on the illegal migrant, not on the government, but on an individual who had to pay a fee to lodge a complaint to a stipulated jurisdiction. It took 22 years for the Supreme Court to repeal IMDT Act as unconstitutional in 2005.

Initiated by AASU, the agitation produced a political party called Asom Gana Pratishad (AGP), and an armed wing called United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), which, by late 1980s had penetrated all departments of the state government and had developed into a deadly menace, extorting money and killing with impunity. In late November 1990, when Presidents rule was promulgated and the army was launched against it, its boss, Paresh Barua and close cohorts fled to Bangladesh, thereby betraying that very cause.

Barua and gang soon came under the strong grip of Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) detachment in Bangla-desh. The Ulfa escapees not only became conduits for the ISI to enter Indias northeast region to establish contacts with other violent groups there, but also became its great assets for anti-India activities. Ulfa became an effective tool of ISI for pursuing its aim of inducting and settling illegal Bangladeshi migrants in various parts into Assam, raising new madarassas and controlling old ones and trying to convert ethnic Assamese Muslims to fundamentalism, creating communal tension, circulating fake Indian currency, trafficking arms and narcotics and sabotaging installations.

When late Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha was Governor Assam, (1997-2003), he had presented a paper to the President of India, elaborating that in at least five states of Assam, there had been a demographic shift resulting in Bangladeshi illegal migrants outnumbering the Assamese populace.

A book titled Assam Terrorism and the Demographic Challenge (Centre for Land Warfare Studies-Knowledge Wor-ld), authored by this writer and published in 2009, dwells upon how the demographic pattern of at least eight districts in Assam got adversely altered over two decades of terrorism by Ulfa, when its leaders were hiding in Bangladesh and under the grip of ISI, during the long tenure of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, under Mrs Khalida Zia.

This book assumed greater relevance in the light of the 2012 riots in Kokrajhar and all the more so, now, as at least eleven districts of Assam are affected by the demographic change mentioned.

While, most ironically, the Ulfa group in Bangladesh under Paresh Barua, was aiding the move of Bangladeshis illegally entering Assam, making a mockery of cause of the Assam Agit-ation against the influx of Bangladeshis to Assam, Congress leaders in Assam were actively legalising the Bangladeshi migrants by issuing them ration cards from their briefcases, with the aim of substantially enhancing the Congress vote bank in the state.

What is further ironic is that during UPAs tenure, both the Centre and Assam government, led by chief minister Tarun Gogoi, were releasing from jails the so-called pro-talks faction of Ulfa for enthusiastically negotiating with them. These members actively catalysed and greatly boosted the illegal migration by Bangladeshis and also got them settled in many areas by terrorising/massacring Assamese and non-Assamese-speaking communities and also ensured the Congress being voted to power in Assam for three terms.

It is now a complex problem. Fact-finding reports by civil society groups and the media indicate that the NRC process is not free from error or bias.

According to several reports, even people with legitimate documents proving their citizenship status were not registered because of technical reasons like spelling mistakes or different names were being used in the various documents. Sometimes, several people with the same name show up in old records, creating confusion.

Millions of Indians in Assam, often surviving on basic subsistence, have no access to historical documentation to establish citizenship claims. Changes in requirements for documents and notifications from the NRC authorities have also plagued the process.

For instance, in March 2017, the Gauhati high court ordered that a residency certificate issued by the panchayat secretary  an elected local official at village level  has no statutory basis and cannot be used as a linking document. This was a considerable setback for over 5 million married women who had reportedly used it to establish their connection to their parents. In December 2017, Supreme Court modified it, allowing the use of the document, subject to verification for its authenticity.

NRC allows those deemed D or doubtful voters to apply for inclusion but does not include their names unless the foreigners tribunals declare them as non-foreigners. However, in May 2018, the state coordinator for the NRC sent a notice to all districts saying that siblings and other family members of declared foreigners will also be put on hold and not included in the NRC until the tribunals decide their fate.

He also sent an order to the border police authorities, requiring them to refer family members of declared foreigners to the foreigners tribunals. The order did not mention the polices duty to conduct a prior inquiry before referring someone to a tribunal.

Once a persons case is referred to a tribunal, they can no longer be included in the NRC until their citizenship has been determined. The vital issue now is that while obviously deportation is not an option, at least the process of identification of the illegal Bangladeshi migrants must be done and they should be disenfranchised to ensure that Assam remains Assamese and Indian and not an extension of Bangladesh.

Thoroughness and great political statesmanship will be much required. While there remain other related issues, suggestions and conclusions are also popping up that the NRC should be made applicable to many other/all states of India.

The writer, a retired Army officer, is a defence and security analyst based in New Delhi
The district administration on Wednesday forwarded all details related to an alleged sex racket being run at a Deoria shelter home to the UP government. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday.

District magistrate Amit Kishore confirmed that the district administration has completed the initial proceedings to hand over the case to CBI. Details related to the alleged sexual abuse of inmates of Maa Vindhyavasini Mahila and Balika Sanrakshan Grih have been forwarded to the state government, Kishore said.

He said details, including the copy of the FIR against shelter home operators Girija Tripathi and her husband Mohan Tripathi, and the allegations made by the rescued girls had been mentioned in the report sent to the government.

The district magistrate said the officials were directed to prepare a complete file of documents required by the central agency to initiate its probe.

Kishore took over as the district magistrate of Deoria on Tuesday after the then DM Sujeet Kumar was removed following alleged lapses by the district administration.

Police raided the shelter home on August 5 after a 10-year-old girl escaped from the home and informed them that inmates were allegedly being sexually harassed.
Protestors disrupt traffic at several places in the state: PTI

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts. They blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No. 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur district, officials said : PTI

Maratha protestor detained at Chembur

Maratha Kranti Morcha activist detained near Chembur Panjrapole area.

Train halted briefly at Lonavla station

Coimbatore express was halted by protestors at Lonavla station of central railway. The train later left after protestors moved from the tracks.

BEST buses diverted

BEST buses diverted on nine routes in Ghatkopar, Bhayander, Chunabhatti and Barve Nagar, fearing protests.

Shops shut in Thane

Some shops are closed at Ramchandra Nager, Thane.

Market in Thanes Ramchandra Nagar during Maharashtra bandh called by some Maratha organisations on August 9, 2018. ( Praful Gangurde/ HT Photo )

Protest at Kalyan

Maratha protestors stage protest at Kalyan Tehsildar office

AC buses off the roads in Thane

Thane Municipal Transport keeps Air Conditioned buses off the roads. These have been replaced with non-AC buses

Extra police deployment at prime spots in Thane

Around 500 extra policemen have been deployed on prime spots within Thane commissionerate.

No disruptions anywhere in Thane: Police

Thane Police says there is no disruption anywhere in the city. Though there were protest at five places but those were silent protests.

Protest in Panvel peaceful

Protest by a Maratha group outside Panvel tehsildar office has been peaceful so far.

Protest by a Maratha group at Panvel Tehsildar office ( HT Photo )

Maratha group volunteers stage sit-in at Panvel

Maratha Sakal Morcha volunteers stage sit-in dharna at Panvel Tehsildar office

Situation peaceful in Raigad district

Situation is peaceful in Raigad district, but some protests are going on near Urse toll naka, towards Pune.

Navi Mumbai schools ordered shut by the civic body

Schools in Navi Mumbai were ordered shut by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The Panvel municipal corporation has not issued any such order but some private schools have declared holiday.

Several schools shut in Thane, Kalyan and Dombivli

Most private schools in Thane, Kalyan and Dombivli have kept shut as precautionary measure.

Smooth traffic on Sion-Panvel highway

The Sion-Panvel highway has seen smooth flow of traffic since morning

Heavy police presence at Kalamboli-Mumbai Pune eway

Heavy police bandobast at Kalamboli - Mumbai Pune Expressway entry point where large scale violence took place on July 25; shopkeepers cautious as they wait outside their shops

Police officials at the Kalamboli - Mumbai Pune Expressway entry point ( HT Photo )

State road transport buses not plying in Pune

Following statewide bandh called by Maratha Kranti Morcha over demand for #MarathaReservation, Buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, not plying as a precautionary measure in Pune pic.twitter.com/FDbs4VoCfO  ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2018

Domestic airlines issue advisories

Several domestic airlines have issued advisories for passengers in view of the Maharashtra bandh called by Maratha groups seeking reservation in jobs.

Internet services suspended in 7 Pune tehsils

Internet services have been suspended in 7 tehsils of Pune district- Shirur, Khed, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, Daund and Bhor, as a precautionary measure.

Intercity route buses off roads

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has kept its Intercity route buses off roads fearing vandalism as during Maratha agitation.

Suburban trains running normally

Suburban trains on all four corridors in Mumbai running normally up till now.

Navi Mumbai peaceful

Navi Mumbai peaceful, autos on roads, trains running, most shops opening; strict police bandobast in place.
The day-long shutdown called by a Maratha group demanding reservation in government jobs and education was peaceful on Thursday as buses and trains plied on time with heavy police deployment in Mumbai and its suburbs, officials said.

Navi Mumbai, which has been exempted from the shutdown, was peaceful as autorickshaws were seen on roads and most shops opened under police watch. There was no effect of the shutdown in Panvel as well.

Western Railway officials said the suburban trains on all the four corridors in Mumbai were running on time.

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST) officials also said its buses were on roads and that there were no diversions in the routes followed. Taxi and auto rickshaw unions said most drivers have brought their vehicles on the roads but some are cautious.

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has, however, kept its intercity route buses off roads fearing vandalism as during the Maratha agitation.

Several domestic airlines, including Indigo, Vistara and Jet Airways, issued advisories to passengers advising them to factor in extra time while travelling to and from the airport. They have also been advised to check departure timings before starting for the airport.

Several airlines have also waived re-scheduling fee for customers travelling to and from Mumbai and Pune.

One of the groups of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MMK) has called for a sit-in protest outside the suburban collectors office at Bandra and another faction has announced a shutdown demanding 16% reservation for the community.

The faction which has given the call for a shutdown has assured their protest will be non-violent. The groups leaders said essential services such as the supply of milk, vegetables, and schools and colleges will be exempted.

There has been a similar splintered response to the shutdown, with district units taking an independent call on the nature of the agitation. While Pune, Aurangabad, Latur and Ahmednagar units of the Maratha outfit have opted for the shutdown, sit-ins will be held outside collector, tehsildar and gram panchayat offices at Nashik, Sangli and Solapur.

The bandh call was given after the co-ordinators held a meeting in Aurangabad. The outfits also plan to start non-cooperation movement across the state from August 10.
Maratha protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some parts of Maharashtra on Thursday as part of their statewide shutdown to press for their demands for reservation, police said, despite an appeal from the communitys leaders for peace.

They stopped buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur, and Buldhana districts and blocked the Madha-Shetfal road, which connects to National Highway No 9 (Pune-Hyderabad) in Solapur, officials said.

They also blocked roads from midnight and disrupted traffic in Latur. Some agitators burnt tyres on roads in Jalna and Ahmednagar districts, a police official said.

Two groups of protesters clashed at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district when someone allegedly shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, a police official said.

A group led by Sena district chief Ambadas Danve objected to the slogans, following which members of both the sides beat up each other, the official added.

One person was injured in the incident but we brought the situation under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed their members, the official said.

One of the groups of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MMK) called for a sit-in protest outside the suburban collectors office at Bandra and another faction announced a shutdown demanding 16% reservation for the community.

The call for the shutdown was given by Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, but excluded Navi Mumbai, which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Authorities had on Wednesday ordered the closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence.

Agitators attacked the gate and a cabin at the Pune district collectors office and damaged some light bulbs in the premises, a police official said. Punes superintendent of police Sandip Patil said internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of the district to prevent rumour-mongering.

Protesters held a sit-in outside the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati tehsil of Pune and were joined by his nephew Ajit Pawar in support of the Maratha communitys demand for reservation in government jobs and education.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, who was denied permission to enter the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in support of the Maratha communitys quota demand, sat outside the gate of the legislature complex in protest.

The public transport buses and local trains were running on schedule in the city. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has, however, kept its intercity route buses off roads fearing vandalism as during the Maratha agitation.

The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

Several domestic airlines, including Indigo, Vistara and Jet Airways, issued advisories to passengers advising them to factor in extra time while travelling to and from the airport. They have also been advised to check departure timings before starting for the airport.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Turbhe in the densely populated township decided to remain shut.

Security was stepped up in Navi Mumbai with the deployment of city police personnel along with a company of the Rapid Action Force and the Reserve Police Force.

Heavy security was deployed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway near Kalamboli, a police official said.

Supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, even though Maratha groups excluded essential services from the purview of the shutdown, market committees officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbais Dadar area said the shutdown was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.

Protesters took out silent marches in Mumbais Ghatkopar suburb and in the neighbouring Thane district.

A traffic department official said the number of vehicles on National Highway No 4 (Mumbai-Pune) and on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was significantly less compared to other days.

All petrol pumps and vegetable markets in Satara were closed while all state transport buses were kept parked at the central bus stand.

The shutdown was being organised despite chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assurance that his government was working on providing reservation to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutes, one that is legally sustainable.

Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30% of the states population, have been demanding a 16% reservation. The communitys 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.
The Oppositions challenge in the Rajya Sabha deputy charimans election was over with Naveen Patnaik telling Sharad Pawar last Tuesday that he has committed support to Harivansh in response to a call by Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar.

The Bihar chief minister had reached out to his Odisha counterpart ahead of a similar request by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) stalwart. The Biju Janata Dals nine members in the Rajya Sabha tilted the scales decisively for Harivansh and the ruling NDA in what till then was a tight contest.

Another factor that made the NCP pull out its candidate Vandana Chavan was the Shiv Sena chief predicating his support to the Opposition on whether it had the numbers to defeat the NDA nominee. Uddhav Thackeray had said that in as many words to Pawar. That clearly wasnt the case with Patnaik taking a call in favour of Harivansh. The BJDs precondition for support was that the candidate shouldnt be from the Bharatiya Janata Party stable, a source privy to the discussions told HT. He said the JD (U) contestant passed that test.

It is difficult to say whether Nitish Kumars early overture to Patnaik made the difference. But a senior Opposition leader felt that things could have been different if Pawar had spoken first to the Odisha CM, with whom he has a good equation. Had that happened, the Sena wouldve followed suit on the plea of backing Chavan, who is from Maharashtra, in a repeat of its support of Pratibha Patil in the 2007 election for president.

The BJD has had a mixed record in the Upper House. It abstained from voting during Hamid Ansaris election as vice-president. But in 2017, it voted for UPA nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi against the BJPs Venkaiah Naidu on the completion of Ansaris term. Beside other thi- ngs, we are guided by the choice of candidate and Gandhi in our view was a better option, noted a senior BJD Lok Sabha member.

For their part, the NDA-BJP managers were better prepared. They moved faster and with determination to augment or retain numbers within their reach. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was unhappy with the treatment meted out to its Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral, who was ignored after being asked by a senior BJP minister to throw his hat in the ring. The partys Union minister Harsimrat Kaur was reportedly present when the offer was made.

According to an SAD insider, BJP president Amit Shah led his partys outreach, making several calls to Sukhbir Badal for the partys support for Harivansh. He succeeded eventually in making the sulking Punjab ally vote instead of its originally planned abstention.

The inevitability of defeat took the fight out of the Opposition ca- mp. So much so that the turnout from their side was marred by no- shows from within the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP). The Aam Aadmi Party did not vo- te as nobody sought its support. Ditto for the Peoples Democratic Party and the YSR Congress.

A senior SP leader wondered whether the token contest  by fielding the Congresss BK Hariprasad  served the Oppositions interest when weighed against the possibility of a consensus. He dismissed, however, the inference that the outcome was in any way indicative of the unity quotient on the non-BJP political spectrum.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Manish Tewari said, on Wednesday, that the Referendum 2020 had no takers in Punjab.

In fact, Referendum 2020 has no takers anywhere in the world. It is just a desperate bid by some people who want to stay in circulation for one reason or another, he said.

Interacting with a group of reporters at the sidelines of a meeting at the residence of party leader Palwinder Singh Taggar, Tewari added, The horrible memories of the dark decade of terrorism are too fresh in Punjabis memories to be forgotten. They will not let anybody fiddle with peace in the state.

To a query on whether the Referendum 2020 was being supported by Pakistans ISI, the former Ludhiana MP said, The ISI has been trying to stoke trouble in India right since Pakistans defeat in the 1971 war and it has never given up since.

On the issue of forming a united opposition alliance in 2019, he said that the Congress party was in favour of a broad-based alliance of like-minded secular and progressive forces to defeat the BJP-led alliance. He expressed confidence that the alliance will fructify in the form of state-level seat adjustments across India.

Tewari refused to comment on developments happening within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying that it was its internal matter. On plans to contest the 2019 elections, Tewari added, It is up to the party and whatever and wherever the party assigns me responsibility, I will gladly accept that.
Three men have been found guilty of the killing of Ramniklal Jogiya, a prominent jeweller in the east Midlands city of Leicester, who was kidnapped, tortured until he gave codes for his shop and safe, and killed on January 24.

The gang spent weeks planning to rob the safe in Jogiyas shop in the citys Belgrave Road. The killing worried Indian-origin businessmen in the area that has witnessed attacks on business establishments in recent years.

Belgrave Road is the hub of Indian and Asian business, and a key centre for Indian culture in a city that saw a large migration of Indians expelled from Idi Amins Uganda in the 1970s. They have since rejuvenated the city and regions economy.

Following a five-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Thomas Jervis, 24, Charles Frances Mcauley, 20, and Callan Reeve, 20, were found guilty of manslaughter. All three defendants were remanded into custody and will be sentenced on September 10.

The Leicestershire police said that on the evening of January 24, the three kidnapped Jogiya, 74, as he walked home after having locked up his shop for the night. After bundling him into a stolen van, they attacked and forced him to hand over the keys to his shop.

The three men convicted of murdering Ramniklal Jogiya. (Leicestershire Police)

He was then tortured until he told them the shops alarm de-activation code and the combination code for a safe. But despite their meticulous planning, they did not realise that the safe was on a 12-hour delay, and they could not get into it.

Jogiya was then dumped and left to die in the countryside.

David Swift-Rollinson, detective who led the investigation, said: 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.

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.

Jogiyas family paid tribute to their father in a statement: Our father was a true gentleman. He was kind, friendly, loyal, unassuming, generous and well-respected in his community. Dad loved his music and his films and he was a craftsman--a karigar.

He was affectionately known by our family as Mota Bhai - big brother - not just because he was the oldest but because he was big-hearted. Dad was taken from us before his time, but for him, we will always remember the happier times and he will forever live on in our memories and in our hearts.
Attempts by the United States, Japan and Australia to create an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative emerged from a trilateral discussion, Australian envoy Harinder Sidhu said when asked why India was not part of the combination.

The US, Japan and Australia have a long tradition of strategic cooperation and this is just one of many trilateral engagements that they have, she said. It does not necessarily exclude or include other countries.

She noted that other allies, such as South Korea and Singapore, too werent part of the grouping. Sidhu spoke during the release on Wednesday of An India Economic Strategy to 2035, a report commissioned by Canberra and written by former Australian envoy Peter Varghese.

Along with 90 specific policy recommendations, the report sets three broad goals. One, no market offers greater potential to Australia over the next 20 years than India. Australia should make India its third largest trading partner by then.

Two, the report calls for a large increase in Australian direct investment in India. It cites a target of $100 billion and making India the third largest recipient of Australian investment. Finally, it says India should be brought into the inner circle of Australias strategic partners.

Varghese identified 10 economic sectors with the most potential, with education topping the list. Sidhu noted it was already Australias single largest service export to India. Australia had 68,000 Indian students taking courses Down Under last year.

But goods exports remained largely raw materials. Varghese noted Indias economic rise will be different from what Australia had experienced with Southeast Asia and China, with technology playing a greater role in the Indian growth story. The report says Canberra needs to work directly with Indian states and lists 10 priority states.

Sidhu described reports in Australian media that Canberra had deliberately downplayed the report because of its blunt description of China as a strategic concern for both countries as misleading. She noted the report was to, not by, the Australian government and Canberra is in the process of reviewing the recommendations.

There will be slow rollout of the report, including two weeks of presentations to all the state capitals in Australia, she said. The true impact will lie in implementation, not the degree of splash regarding its launch, she said.

Stronger trade ties will be central to realising the potential of bilateral economic relations. Sidhu noted there is a strong correlation between the amount of Australian investment in a country and the amount of trade. India represents less than 7% of Australias external trade.

But things have improved, she said. Two years ago, our trade with China was 10 times what we had with India. Today, thats down to seven times.

Canberra continues to hope for the completion of a robust free trade agreement with India. She was mildly critical of Indias lack of focus on Australia, noting we cant be doing all the pushing but expressed pleasure that the Confederation of Indian Industries has said it will coordinate to publicise the report across India.
An Indian official of the United Nations body working for the empowerment of women has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight men and is under investigation for the allegations.

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women or UN Women, however, refused to share details of the case.

We cannot confirm nor deny the subjects name and we cannot comment on any specifics of the case, as that could harm the investigation and disciplinary process, it said.

US magazine Newsweek has identified the official as Ravi Karkara, a senior advisor, and said he had worked for Lakshmi Puri, an Indian diplomat who was formerly the assistant secretary-general for intergovernmental support and strategic partnerships at UN Women.

The United Nations indirectly confirmed the details of the case as reported by Newsweek.

I would not dispute any of the information contained in the Newsweek article. I can confirm that the individual from UN Women has been under investigation, Farhan Haq, a UN spokesperson, said in response to an email request for confirmation of the officials identity as mentioned in the article and if he was under investigation.

Haq did not name the official or the person he worked for.

The investigation is being conducted by the Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) of UN Development Plan and is nearing completion, according to the UN Women. No charges have been filed yet of any kind.

The official continues to be on the payrolls of the world body but has been on administrative leave. He is an Indian national but not an Indian government official or a diplomat at the Indian permanent mission to the UN.

Since the proceedings are still internal to the UN and relate to an international civil servant who is not an Indian diplomat the Indian Mission has not been kept informed of the developments in the UNs internal investigation, said a diplomat at the Indian mission on the background.

Newsweek identified Karkara citing an activist and an alleged victim, whose complaint led to the investigation. It said the official is accused by at least eight men of using his official prestige and position to sexually harass them.

The Guardian, the British daily, reported independently that sources who worked closely with Karkara alleged that the official abused his position of power to take advantage of young people who feared speaking out against the honour of an organisation they aspired to be a part of.

Neither publication was able to get a reaction from Karkara. The Hindustan Times is trying to reach him and has requested UN Women, his current employer, for his contact details.

The Newseek went on to add, citing sources and activists who had spoken to one of the victims, that the official had groped a male subordinate, sent them links to pornography, used sexually suggestive language in conversations and used his official position to set up sexual encounters.

Steve Lee, a 25-year-old policy activist, is the victim whose complaint triggered the investigation. He spoke on the record, the publication said, in the hope that the world body would do more to combat this kind of abuse and improve hiring practices.

Lee first met Karkara in 2009 as a 16-year-old delegate to the UNICEF and the two would meet several times more. For one of them, on December 1, 2016, Lee drove from Ottawa to Montreal to meet the official in his hotel room, where, he told the publication, Karkara grabbed Lee by his genitals through his pants.

He does this with a lot of young men, and I dont really think its sexual favours hes looking for. He enjoys the fact that hes at a position of such high authority that he can do this and they cant really do anything about it, Lee told Newsweek.
Pakistans election commission on Thursday demanded a signed apology from prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan for violating the electoral code of conduct while casting his vote in the general election on July 25, according to media reports.

A four-member bench headed by the chief election commissioner Muhammad Raza Khan heard the case against Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after the election commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the photos of him stamping the ballot paper in full public glare in the NA-53 Islamabad constituency.

Khans counsel Babar Awan, who appeared before the ECP, submitted a written reply stating that his client did not intentionally stamp his ballot publicly, Geo News reported.

According to the reply, photos of Khans ballot were taken without his permission. The curtain, used around the ballot for secrecy, had fallen due to the crowd inside the polling booth, it said.

The divider (at the booth) was removed due to rush, Awan told the bench. When Khan asked staff for instructions, he was told how to cast his vote, he was quoted as saying by The News.

Awan also sought an end to the case and requested the ECP to issue the notification for Khans victory from NA-53 Islamabad constituency.

The ECP, however, dismissed the reply submitted by Awan and demanded an affidavit from Khan apologising for the controversial vote casting complete with his signature.

The commission then adjourned the hearing till Friday.

Meanwhile, the ECP on Thursday accepted the apologies tendered by Khan, National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman for using indecent language during their election campaigns.

Do not use such language in the future, a four-member bench of the ECP headed by the chief election commissioner warned the four leaders while accepting their apologies.

Last month, the ECP had issued notices to the four politicians for using indecent language during their election campaigns.

The ECP had said notices were taken on the basis of media reports suggesting the use of foul language by the leaders.

Khan had defeated former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the NA-53 Islamabad seat by 48,577 votes.

The electoral body has withheld notification of Khans victory from the constituency in view of the pending case against the PTI chief for violating the electoral code of conduct.

According to Section 185 of the Election Act, a person can be given a six-month jail sentence and/or fine of Rs 1,000 for not casting their vote in secrecy.

On July 30, the ECP had sought a written reply from Khan, who has been nominated by the PTI as the next Prime Minister after the party emerged as the largest in the National Assembly in the election.

Khan had contested from five constituencies and had won from all of them. But the ECP has only granted him temporary permission to take oath as a Member of the National Assembly, pending the outcome of the case of violation of electoral code of conduct.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
In an earlier tweet, he had said that five militants were trapped in the area after the security forces launched operation.

The police sources said that a para commando of the Army was injured in the initial firing of the militants. (Representational Image)

Srinagar: Four militants were killed by security forces in the forests of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmirs north-western Baramulla district, the Army said on Wednesday.

The local police said that five militants were trapped in the area after the security forces launched a search operation to flush them out dead or alive.

The incident comes close on the heels of a similar clash in 2,600 metre high Gurez area along the Line of Control (LoC) in the states Bandipore district in which an Army major and three soldiers and also two Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) militants were killed.

A defence spokesman here said that the fighting in Dooniwari woods of Rafiabad was underway as reports last came in. So far, four terrorists have been killed, he said.

The police sources said that a para commando of the Army was injured in the initial firing of the militants. The fighting started after the Armys 32 Rashtriya Rifles and 9 PARA launched a cordon-and-search operation in Dooniwari woods following inputs about the presence of militants.

J&Ks director general of police Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted late Wednesday evening, 4 bodies of terrorists visible at encounter site, firing stopped.

In an earlier tweet, he had said that five militants were trapped in the area after the security forces launched operation.

Meanwhile, the Army on Wednesday paid tribute to four of its men who laid down their lives while fighting infiltrating militants along Govind Nallah in Bakhtor area of LoCs Gurez sector on Tuesday.

D04
Pakistans caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk has recommended the first session of the new National Assembly should be held on August 13, paving the way for Imran Khan to be formally elected as the premier by the House on August 15 or 16.

Following the election, Khans swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held on August 17 or 18, observers said on Thursday.

Thursday was the deadline for independent candidates to join a political party, and 28 independent members of the National Assembly officially notified the Election Commission about joining Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Pakistans Constitution calls for the National Assembly to be convened within 21 days of a parliamentary election. The first session will see the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected members of the House. After taking oath, the MPs will elect the Speaker and deputy speaker. Balloting for Prime Minister and leader opposition will be held after that.

In a related development, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday the party had achieved a simple majority in the National Assembly after the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) announced it would support the PTI at the Centre.

The PTI, which is expected to form the next government, has already named Khan as its prime ministerial candidate, while PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif is the joint candidate of all the opposition parties for the slot. However, Sharif is unlikely to win as the opposition parties do not have the numbers in the 342-member National Assembly.

Earlier, the interim government sent an official communication to the President seeking the convening of the parliamentary session between August 12 and 14. We have proposed to convene the new National Assembly session between August 12 and August 14, interim information minister Syed Ali Zafar said.
T he landscape of Call the Midwife country was created during the Industrial Revolution. Now a 21st-century revolution is replacing those gasworks, factories, and one-time slums with smart residential developments.

There are some 3,000 new homes in the pipeline at Poplar, an area starting to attract buyers priced out of nearby Canary Wharf, and first-time buyers could own a share in one of them from just 85,000.

Leven Wharf, a 160-home scheme with space for offices and/or shops, is being built in Leven Road on the site of a defunct metalworks beside the River Lea.

Aside from its waterside location Leven Wharfs biggest plus point is great transport links. It is a five-minute DLR trip from nearby Langdon Park station to Canary Wharf, and the site is less than a mile from Canning Town Jubilee line station.

The homes are being sold by Red Loft.

Popular BBC period drama series Call the Midwife is filmed in Poplar / BBC/Neal Street Productions

HOW THE COSTS STACK UP

That 85,000 will buy a 25 per cent share in a one-bedroom flat with a full market value of 340,000. Buyers will need a deposit of 4,250 and their monthly costs will come in at just under 1,100 including rent, mortgage and service charge.

There are also two-bedroom flats for sale at Leven Wharf. Prices start at 111,250 for a quarter share of a 445,000 property. The minimum deposit is 5,563 and monthly costs are estimated at 1,420.

From 85,000: a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom flat at Leven Wharf in Leven Road, E14, with 160 homes

LONG-TERM VISION

But anybody buying at Leven Wharf is going to need a degree of foresight. Right now Leven Road is unprepossessing, with boxy modern houses on one side, the old gasholders of Poplar Gasworks  also earmarked for redevelopment  on the other, and not a great deal else.

But the plans for this particular areas future are grand. The new neighbourhood of Poplar Riverside will have riverside walkways and footbridges, 3,000 new homes, a new park, two new schools and a redeveloped Chrisp Street Market with new homes, a market square, shops and a cinema.

While it might not yet have the bars, shops or pizzazz of Canary Wharf, Poplars big plus point is that it is around half the price of its riverside rival. Poplar also has a reasonable selection of basic shops on its high streets.



Poplar Baths has already had an impressive upgrade, while an imminent 3.6 million revamp of Bartlett Park will improve the areas open space no end.

WHAT ELSE CAN I BUY IN E14?

From the penthouses of Canary Wharf to the grotty ex-local authority flats of Poplar, there can be few other postcodes that so clearly illustrate Londons property contradictions.

First-time buyers looking for a bargain need to stick to E14s northern edge, where those with up to 400,000 to spend have plenty of choice. Felicity J Lord has a roomy flat with balcony in a smart period conversion in Follett Street, with a guide price of 400,000.

The same budget would buy a two-bedroom flat in a purpose-built block in the area, or a new-build one-bedroom flat at Bellway Homes Lansbury Square, priced at 399,995, with Help to Buy available.

399,995: a new-build one-bedroom flat at Lansbury Square

For 350,000 you could buy a one-bedroom flat with a view. At Harley House, Vanet estate agents has a one-bedroom flat with canal views, which also has the advantage of being close to the bars and restaurants of Limehouse.
W e are creating a space where working-class Londoners can express their creativity, says Darren Rodwell. We want to make Barking, rather than Berlin, the place where artists move.

The leader of Barking & Dagenham council is explaining why hes putting arts, crafts and culture at the forefront of the epic council-led regeneration scheme under way in one of Londons poorest boroughs.

There are already new festivals and events, but with 50,000 homes due to be built in the next 20 years, many at highly affordable rents, a promise to set aside ground floors in new-build blocks for maker spaces is key to efforts to revitalise this much-maligned corner of east London.

Funded in part by Section 106 payments from the developers building the new flats, these spaces will provide glass-fronted studios for artists, designers and craftspeople. The artists get high-class studios at affordable prices and, in return, help to give the borough a cultural makeover.

It creates a buzz. We dont want empty shopfronts and business units, we want a vibrant place where young people can see the aspiration around them, says Rodwell.

You can see the idea at work in The Ice House Quarter, where painters, a textile designer, a photographer, a theatre designer, a leather worker and a puppet maker are among those occupying 11 glass-fronted studios at the bottom of an attractive brown-brick residential block beside the River Roding.

Encouraging a flourishing arts scene will help grow the local economy which will benefit all people. But its also about enriching our cultural life, encouraging diversity and helping to make Barking a vibrant thriving town centre, says Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Barking and Dagenham's regeneration company Be First.

DISCOUNTED RENTS

At 12 a square foot, the studios cost roughly half market rent. Bow Arts, which runs the scheme, selects applicants who will make most use of the spaces and contribute most to the local community.

Other projects also illustrate Barking & Dagenhams commitment to the arts. Theres a revolving programme of artists in residence at The White House, a new public space for art and social activity on the Becontree Estate in Dagenham, while planning permission has just been granted for A House for Artists, a purpose-built block of 12 homes in Barking town centre backed by Turner Prize-winning Grayson Perry, where creatives get a third off their rent in return for working to promote art within the local community.

But the maker spaces are the flagship plan. Eventually there will be hundreds of similar units spread in residential blocks across the borough, including at the giant Barking Riverside site rising beside the Thames.

EMERGING ARTS HUB

The most eye-catching shopfront in The Ice House Quarter belongs to the Laura I.Gallery, run by artist Laura Iosifescu, whose colourful and dramatic oil paintings and paint-based sculptures have been exhibited around the world. Like many of her neighbours, she offers free classes and workshops to locals and is seeing the area changing as a result.

It was challenging at first, but slowly we are making progress, and theres real curiosity about this arts hub going on in a part of London that was known for being a bit scary.

Iosifescus efforts to find and encourage local talent have received support from Barking business. She grew up in violence and poverty in Romania at the end of the Ceausescu regime, fled to London, dodged human traffickers and spent some time living on the street, and she believes her dramatic life story has a message for her neighbours in what is still a deprived area.

It sounds like a fairy tale, but my story is real and its one that speaks to this community very much, she says.

A CULTURAL CAPITAL

Barking & Dagenhams plans are just one example of a trend among developers to harness the benefits of culture, some now turning entire neighbourhoods into arty hotspots.

At London City Island, a colourful new mini Manhattan on an old factory site on the Leamouth Peninsula in E14 near Canning Town, 1,700 new homes and shops have been joined by art galleries, recording studios and state-of-the-art workshops for artists and designers.

The Line, Londons contemporary art trail, will run through the centre, and purpose-built new headquarters for English National Ballet and the London Film School are under construction. Prices here arent cheap: from 420,000 for a one-bedroom flat, with no shared-ownership or Help to Buy options. Call 020 7820 4798. But the whole place has been carefully conceived as a place with soul for creative types.

From 420,000: for a one-bedroom flat at London City Island, E14, where galleries and recording studios are part of the development

Developer Ballymore has installed two art galleries, plus studios to rent out to artists to fund the galleries. Residents will get access to the English National Ballet and London Film Schools facilities and theres even a new magazine, The Islander, celebrating the achievements of local photographers, designers, animators and film-makers. A report last year from CBRE found that nearly 15 per cent of people who live at London City Island work in the creative industries, and that was before the opening of the galleries and studio.

This area already has a very strong cultural heritage, in the form of Trinity Buoy Wharf, a creative community of more than 100 individuals and organisations based in old warehouses and shipping containers overlooking Londons last remaining lighthouse.

SPACE FOR CROUCH END CREATIVES

The north London suburb of Crouch End is about to get a cultural boost from the arty redevelopment of Hornsey Town Hall. This magnificent Grade II*-listed Art Deco building will be converted into a new 30 million arts centre as part of a scheme that will also create 135 new studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom flats, a boutique hotel, bar and restaurant.

From 500,000: flats at the arty redevelopment of Hornsey Town Hall / Alex Lentati

The cheapest flat starts at 500,000 and some locals would have preferred affordable homes there. However, most are now satisfied the transformation of a neglected local landmark into a high-class community asset will bring real benefits. The restored 1,500-capacity Assembly Hall, where Queen and The Kinks played early gigs, will be at the heart of the centre, which will also include galleries, a cinema, rehearsal rooms and co-working spaces.

It is being masterminded by Piers Read, pictured with local painter, designer and branding consultant Ron Cregan, 55, holding a portrait of one of his two sons. Read lives locally and is managing partner of the arts and regeneration company Time + Space Co, while Cregan plans to take a studio at the new scheme. This has always been a much-loved asset and now its the perfect opportunity to bring most benefit to local business and the community, says Read.

Early plans include 3D hologram shows featuring performances by late stars such as Michael Jackson and Morecambe and Wise. Read also consulted locals and made room for am-dram from Crouch End Players. It will be a first for Crouch End, an area full of actors, artists and film-makers who have had few spaces to work, meet or exhibit.

EXCITING POSSIBILITIES IN POPLAR

Ian Felton is excited by the possibilities at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Poplar. The painter, sculptor and curator lives there and founded Trinity Art Studios there in 2005.

He was asked last year by developer Ballymore to set up Trinity Art Gallery on the ground floor of a London City Island tower. The first exhibitions showcased paintings by locals and high-end art from a Mayfair Gallery.

Painter/curator: Ian Felton set up Trinity Art Gallery, E14 / Juliet Murphy

Felton, 49, is organising the Unity festival next month to show how creative the Leamouth Peninsula is. Life can be difficult for a creative person and you need camaraderie within the community, he says.
Madras high court and some legal issues and the government was ready to allot land on Sardar Patel Road opposite to Anna University.

Chennai: Even after his death, the former CM and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, known in his lifetime for never giving up without a fight, won a battle before the Madras high court. The first bench allowed the party and family members to bury his mortal remains on the Marina in the space near the memorials of three Dravidian leaders and chief ministers. After a midnight hearing Tuesday night, which resumed Wednesday morning, the first bench comprising acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S.S Sundar allowed the plea of R.S. Bharathi, Organising Secretary, DMK, seeking a direction to authorities to allot land in Marina Beach near the tomb of Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, to bury the mortal remains of M.Karunanidhi.

Upon hearing the senior counsels on both sides and considering the entire conspectus of the matter, the bench said the writ petition was allowed with a direction to the authorities to provide a place for a decent burial to lay the mortal remains of (late) Dr Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, former Tamil Nadu CM on the Marina beach, within the precincts of the burial place of founder of DMK and former CM, Annadurai, at Anna Memorial, Kamaraj Salai in consonance with a rough sketch provided by the petitioner. Such an exercise shall be carried out by the authorities forthwith.

In the petition, R.S. Bharathi, sought direction to allot land in Marina Beach near the tomb of Annadurai, former Tamil Nadu CM, to lay the mortal remains of Karunanidhi. The entire state is bereaved by the demise of this tall leader. It is only right and proper to give this leader his due respects by laying his mortal remains next to his beloved 'Aringnar Anna' to fulfil the wishes of millions of Tamilians.

He sought to set aside the Chief Secretarys press release dated August 7 refusing to allot the land in the Marina beach tomb of Annadurai, citing pendency of cases before the Madras high court and some legal issues and the government was ready to allot land on Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road opposite to Anna University.

D03
Before leaving the venue, Modi greeted the teaming crowd of mourners with folded hands.

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.

The Prime Minister who arrived here by a special flight from New Delhi, paid homage to DMK president M. Karunanidhi after placing a wreath at his feet kept at Rajaji Hall here. Clad in white, Modi bowed before the mortal remains, and went around the casket in which Karunanidhis mortal remains were kept draped in the national tricolour. He consoled Karunanidhis son and DMK working president M. K. Stalin, and daughter Kanimozhi, MP, by holding their hands. After exchanging a few words with them, the Prime Minister consoled Karunanidhis wife Rajathi and other family members before leaving Rajaji Hall.

The 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 Dr 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.

D03
Pipeline

9 August 2018

The Hotel Group, a national hotel management and investment company, converted the former Helena Hotel into the Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial, located in historic Helena, Mont. This is Delta's first branded hotel in Montana.

"This hotel has been a bedrock of the Helena community for decades. We are honored to partner with Delta Hotels by Marriott and The Hotel Group to continue to offer guests the impeccable service and quality that has become synonymous with this hotel," David Veeder, owner of the Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial, said in a statement.

The hotel is located a short drive from Canyon Ferry Lake, Hauser Lake, Gates of the Mountains and the Great Divide Ski Area.

"The Hotel Group is elated to be opening our second full service hotel in the great state of Montana. The Delta brand allows us to offer our guests incredible benefits such as the Marriott Rewards Program while still maintaining the character and uniqueness of the hotel. The Hotel Group's mission to serve, inspire, and deliver hospitality greatness will be the foundation of Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial," Doug Dreher, president and CEO of The Hotel Group, said in a statement.

The 150-room hotel has more than 18,000 square feet of meeting space and 11 meeting rooms. Guests will have access to complimentary parking, free wireless internet, free bottled water and a fitness facility including an indoor heated pool. Guestrooms come with work stations, multiple located power outlets, upgraded lighting and upgraded bedding. The property's Coffee Corner will be brewing Starbucks Coffee in addition to offering grab-and-go items.

"The amenities and features of The Delta brand will fit seamlessly with the wants and needs of the Helena traveler. The team and I look forward to introducing the community to this innovative brand," Adrian Ambro, GM of the hotel, said in a statement.
Appointment

9 August 2018

Duncan Clements has been appointed general manager at The Elms Hotel & Spa, A Destination Hotel. The property is also revamping its sales and marketing team with the promotion of Kara Harrington to director of sales.

Clements joins The Elms after more than a decade working for resorts in Chicago and Coastal Florida. A native of the United Kingdom, Clements brings a wealth of luxury hotel knowledge to The Elms, having served in management positions at properties around the globe. Most recently, he was the general manager at YVE Hotel Miami, and prior to that held the same position at The Hall South Beach. Clements started his career with Intercontinental Hotels, where he served in hotel management positions in Budapest and Toronto.

Clements holds a degree in Hotel and Catering Studies from Manchester University in the U.K. He relocated to the Kansas City area for the position and is looking forward to exploring the region with his family.
Appointment

9 August 2018

Eric Horodas, President of Greystone Hotels, announces the selection of Brian Barden as the company's newest San Francisco Area Operations Manager. A motivated and highly-qualified addition to the team, Barden will oversee operations for Greystone's collection of San Francisco hotels, which includes the King George, the Hotel Griffon, and the Inn at Union Square. Before joining Greystone Hotels, Barden held the position of Director of Operations for Aegis Living.

Constantly striving for excellence, Barden began his career as a Task Force Consultant for HEI Hotels & Resorts in 2003. Barden has since held various positions in the hospitality industry, including Assistant General Manager at the Sir Francis Drake Union Square San Francisco and the Westin San Jose, Task Force Consultant at the Westin Minneapolis and Royal Palms Hotel in Miami, and Director of Room Operations at the Marriott Fremont Silicon Valley. With over 10 years of experience in hospitality, Barden is known for his impeccable communication, hands-on management style, and detail-oriented approach to brand growth and improvement.

Brian Barden attended Central Michigan University, where he majored in Business Administration. Originally from Michigan, Barden enjoys the bustle of the Bay Area and is excited by the challenges of his new role. In his spare time, Barden loves to entertain with family and friends, travel the world with husband Darron, explore the outdoors with his two English Mastiffs, and challenge his culinary skills in the kitchen.
Appointment

9 August 2018

Calistoga Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection is pleased to announce the appointment of hospitality veteran Avinash "Avi" Haksar as General Manager and Regional Vice President. In his new position, Haksar will oversee all operations for the 50-room resort including The Lakehouse restaurant, award-winning spa and the 22 owner lodges all situated on a 157-acre site marked by ancient oaks, majestic hills, a rock-hewn stream and private lake.

Haksar has traveled the world, spending time in India, France, Bangkok and the US to name a few destinations before landing in the idyllic Napa Valley. His experience with luxury brands paired with an extensive culinary background makes him the perfect fit for California's wine country and Auberge Resort Collection.

Most recently, he was the Managing Director for the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, Cali., where he oversaw all areas of the property including the luxury hotel, award-winning restaurant and spa. Before that, he served as the Managing Director at Rosewood Crescent in Dallas and Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok in Thailand. Haksar has also held management positions at notable hotels including the Four Seasons Los Angeles, MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Known to be a warm and nurturing leader, Haksar will focus on continuing to build Calistoga Ranch's success with the help of Auberge's strong and inspired team.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Haksar was initially interested in marine life and received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Chemistry at St. Xaviers in Bombay, India. After a few years in France, he redirected his focus and found a passion within hospitality and returned to school to obtain a certificate in Hotel Management, Operations and Sales from Les Roches in Switzerland.
Supplier News

9 August 2018

Markham, Ontario -- "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 Niagara's 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, Maestro's multi-property, multi-module integration is effective and efficient," Arcuri said. "Maestro's 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'

"It's 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. "Maestro's 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 doesn't 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. Maestro's 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. Maestro's 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.
External Article

9 August 2018

It's summertime, and the living is easy - when it comes to glamping, anyway. For those of us who enjoy being outdoors and want to camp, only with real beds, en suite bathrooms and running water (for the most part), glamping is the answer, and we're not alone. Glamping Hub has seen an increase of 300% over the past year in regards to its inventory of properties, as well as a 50% growth in visits to the website and growth in booking requests by 70%.

Advertisements

"Glamping is now wide open and allows for thousands of different experiences at different properties, and guests can tailor their search to find exactly what they are looking for in a glamping stay," said Ruben Martinez, co-founder of Glamping Hub.

According to John Romfo, chief operating officer with Glamping.com, "What started as a trend has evolved into a full-blown phenomenon.

"What we are seeing through the remarkable traffic growth to Glamping.com is that what is driving travel now is people seeking travel experiences that push themselves out of their comfort zones," he added. These experiences provide a shift in perspective that expands the way these travelers connect with the world, in real life, not through their daily data devices."

Wherever you want to travel, whatever activities you have planned, there is likely to be a glamping option or two (and likely more) from which to choose when it comes to accommodations. Here, we take a look at eight spots throughout the U.S. where you'll find the living easy:

Washington State: If you find yourself in Washington State's San Juan Islands, and specifically on Orcas Island, be sure to check out the glamping opportunities in the middle of 5,200-plus acre Moran State Park, operated by LEANTO. The handful of glamping sites within the park are platform tents, and though they don't have water or electricity, and cell phone service is elusive, there's plenty to keep you occupied - just let Mother Nature entertain you.

Oregon: Perched above the Columbia River in Hood River, Oregon sits Westcliff Lodge and its glamping sites. Imagine days filled with playing in and on the water, mountain biking, exploring the gorge and even wine tasting, and then returning to your glamping tent for the night. Wake up to views of the river from your front door - well, flap - and get out and enjoy all that the area has to offer.

Arizona & Nevada: If your glamping plans have you traveling in Arizona or Nevada, check out the Airstream options at Lake Powell Resort in Page, Arizona, and at Zephyr Cove Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The brand-new, 30-foot Airstream trailers within these resorts are found in premium, full hookup RV campsites. Inside, glampers will find the comforts of pillow-top memory-foam mattresses, comfortable seating, Samsung LED HD TVs, surround sound, climate control and top-of-the-line kitchen appliances. With all of the comforts of home, you may want to extend your glamping trip a bit longer.

Montana: Amidst Big Sky, Montana's Moonlight Basin community, which extends from Lone Peak to the Madison River Valley, sits Collective Yellowstone. This area of Big Sky Country is part of the 2.2 million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that links two sections of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness; the ecosystem provides migration routes and habitat for wildlife. Taking all of this into account, Collective Yellowstone is a terrific spot for immersing yourself in nature, while at the same time enjoying the luxuries of king-size beds with 1,500 thread count linens, wood-burning stoves, private decks and private bathrooms.

Florida: In River Ranch, about an hour and a half south of Orlando, Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo recently debuted 10 Luxe Teepees to their all-inclusive glamping options; the teepees are in an area surrounding a canopy of 100 year old oak trees. Each 651-square-foot teepee features a king bed, a full sleeper sofa (accommodates up to four), leather chairs, a/c, private en suite bathrooms, a double-sided stone rock hearth fireplace, heating (yes, it does get chilly in Florida), a mini refrigerator, microwave and a screened private patio deck. The resort debuted its glamping tents five years ago, and added more to its selection in 2014.

Georgia:

Climb up 70 feet above Snake Creek Gorge in Whitesburg, Georgia (about an hour west of Atlanta) and you'll feel like part of the Swiss Family Robinson at the Tree House Village in Historic Banning Mills. Accessible only by rope and wood sky bridges, the seven tree house rooms have all the perks you'd expect when glamping, including a jetted tub for two, microwave, small refrigerator, and even a Keurig coffee machine. Imagine sipping your cup of coffee on your private deck, surrounded by the forest and with a creek below.

Maine:

The second glamping season at Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport opened in May, and as of late-June, glampers can now find more options for their overnight stays, including 12 Camp Carriages and 12 Hideaway Huts, all decorated by Kennebunkport designer Krista Stokes. The camp carriages are essentially stylish cabins on wheels, while the huts are sleek and modern wooden A-frames, yet rustic at the same time. Louise Hurlbutt, also of Kennebunkport, took on the task of designing four new safari-style Glamp Tents for even more options. Sandy Pines Campground is also hosting myriad programs throughout the summer, such as TBT Movie Night by the Pool and Sundae Funday. They are also hosting a family-focused Great Maine Camp Out on September 22.

Anywhere: Have an idea of where you'd like to go glamping but can't find anyplace that fits the bill? Check out Camp'd Out - you choose and reserve the spot and they'll handle the rest, from set-up to tear-down. Customize your Camp'd Out experience with add-ons that may include a coffee cart, or even a campsite butler.
Revenue per available room up 2.8 Percent to CAD144.17

The Canadian hotel industry recorded mixed year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 29 July through 4 August 2018, according to data from STR.

In comparison with the week of 30 July through 5 August 2017, the industry reported the following:

Occupancy: -0.6% to 78.0%

Average daily rate (ADR): +3.4% to CAD184.94

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +2.8% to CAD144.17

Among the provinces and territories, British Columbia, reported the largest increase in RevPAR (+8.5% to CAD219.36), due to the second-largest lift in ADR (+9.7 to CAD248.84).

The Northwest Territories posted the only double-digit rise in ADR (+12.2% to CAD167.60) but the steepest decline in occupancy (-17.4% to 47.8%).

Saskatchewan experienced the largest jump in occupancy (+6.1% to 57.5%).

Newfoundland and Labrador showed the only double-digit decline in RevPAR (-17.6% to CAD107.03) and the second-largest decreases in occupancy (-12.0% to 72.6%) and ADR (-6.3% to CAD147.42).

Nova Scotia registered the second-largest decrease in RevPAR (-9.0% to CAD142.22).

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.

Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe

 2021 Hotel News Resource
Nicki Minajs fan base, lovingly referred to as the Barbz by Minaj, never fail at defending their Queen. Whether or not Nicki actually calls them to her defense, you do not want to be at the receiving end of an attack. They never miss a hateful comment, Tweet or Instagram post that targets their Queen, with the type of passion that is of a wholly different kind of fandom fever. They can definitely take things too far. On the flip side, they relish in any moment that Minaj shares herself with the public sphere-- they will always be there to support her movements, and they are vocal about it.

Here are 5 times the Barbz went to bat for Nicki Minaj.

Nicki Minaj at the 2018 BET Awards - Leon Bennett/Getty Images

The Barbz Vs. Tracy Chapman

Nicki Minaj recently announced a dilemma she was having concerning her album, Queen, originally set to be released August 10th. According to Minaj, the album has a record sampling the legend Tracy Chapman.

Unable to get in contact with Chapman in order to clear the sample, Nicki eventually decided to push the album back one week (a decision she also let the Barbz have some say in).

The Barbz didnt let the unresponsiveness of Chapman go, however. Once Nicki made it known, the ire of the Barbz was felt-- they slid in Chapmans Instagram DM, urging her to contact Nicki Minaj and clear the record. They even went as far as to ask how much Chapman would sue Nicki for if she released the album without clearing the record.

The Barbz also took to Chapmans Instagram, apparently run by her fans, and proceeded to ask, beg, and even threaten Chapman to reach out to Nicki. After flooding her page with comments from Nicki fans, Chapmans twitter page tweeted about the disrespect, calling it Not acceptable.

The Barbz vs. Wanna Thompson

Wanna Thompson is a Canadian freelance writer who also runs her own website, WannasWorld. She ended up at the receiving end of the vicious Barbz defense squad, by way of an innocuous tweet, expressing her opinion on Nicki Minaj. The tweet quickly turned into a plethora of insults, comment spamming, and even death threats. In hopes of sparking a musical conversation, Thompson initially tweeted out to her followers, You know how dope it would be if Nicki put out mature content? She proceeded to give her opinion: Just reflecting on past relationships, being a boss, hardships, etc. Shes touching 40 soon, a new direction is needed." What came after is proof that the wrong 140+ characters can make or break your social media existence, and put you in bad graces forever with the Barbz. Nicki herself decided to address Thompson in a direct message clap-back. Just say you jealous, Im rich, famous, intelligent, pretty and go.

While Thompsons tweet criticizing Nicki was deleted, that did not stop fans from chiming in, tearing Thompson to shreds. They bombarded her social media with insults and Thompson even received an email from a fan telling her to kill herself. Thompson was then eventually let go from her internship with Karen Civil, according to an NY Times article, for allegedly violating a company non-disclosure agreement. Thompson was a writer for Ms. Civils site KarenCivil.com. Hours after Thompson posted Nickis DM, she was emailed by the sites chief operating officer, Christian Emiliano informing her that her internship position had been terminated. Emiliano wrote that Thompson was asked to be respectful of any clients with whom the site is building a relationship with.' WOW. Power of the Barbz.

The Barbz & Black Ink Crew: Chicago

The Barbz prove that their fanatic support of Nicki Minaj goes past social media. Nicki Minaj featured on VH1s Black Ink Crew: Chicago, on Wednesday, August 1st, where she got a tattoo by celebrity tattoo artist Ryan Henry. Back in June, Nicki shared the tattoo experience on her Instagram story while fans wondered if she would be on the show. The episode shows Ryan tattooing Nickis wrist Barbie with pink ink while her song Barbie Tingz (also the name of the episode), played in the background. She then shared some special advice with Ryan and the episode ratings increased by almost 1 million viewers-- the shows highest ratings in two years, and record-breaking for the show at that. Nicki took to Instagram to share thanks to her fans for tuning in, while Ryan thanked Nicki for "bringing the barbs."

The Barbz vs. Jerome Trammel

Journalist Wanna Thompson wasnt the only one who has felt the Barbz's wrath on social media. Cultural commentator, Jerome Trammel, felt similarly. After sharing unfavorable tweets about Minaj, Trammel was on the receiving end of online harassment from the Barbz. Trammel tweeted his critiques of Minajs comments that compared Instagram models and modern day sex workers in a relatively recent interview with Elle Magazine. He stated that the rappers comments are hypocritical in light of her Queen single Bed, featuring Ariana Grande. "Dear Nicki Minaj, Your lyrics are hypocritical."

Nicki responded, explaining her comments to Elle Magazine on twitter. I was critiquing MYSELF more than ANYTHING. What I SAID was: I hope my overt lyrics and photos dont make my fans THINK that Im telling them to be promiscuous & to know their worth!

Fans quickly had her back, to the point where Trammel was allegedly receiving death threats. Fans found his old work address and posted it online for people in his city to pop up and kill him. Trammel explained he received messages enticing him to kill himself and slit his wrist.

He started a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising money for a lawyer in order to sue Minaj.

The Barbz & Ghost Nicki

After an exciting 2017 for Nicki Minaj, the Young Money rapper decided to keep a low profile when 2018 commenced, not posting on social media for quite some time, keeping her public appearances to almost zero, including no sight of her at the Grammys. Her fans, unable to deal with the absence, frantically launched a campaign to find her. They began to question her whereabouts under her last remaining tweet before the disappearing act-- and they were not happy.

The Barbz even created a website called Finding Nicki, which included a countdown down to the very minute Nicki Minaj went missing from social media. While some were concerned, others believed she was was working on something new, which now we understand to be Queen.
Only if such a life-giving situation for the cause of Tamil comes, I may part with my life, but not give it to anybody else, Karuna said.

Chennai: I do not believe that Lord Yama, as in the Puranic stories, can take away my life; Yama cannot snatch my life, asserted the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi at a public function once on his tryst with destiny and sharing a platform with superstar Rajinikanth.

You may ask why such extreme doggedness, egotism and arrogance on my part? the DMK leader posed in his inimitable style to drive home what his possible death-moment would be.

Narrating the story of ancient Tamil King Killivalavan, Karunanidhi said, when the monarch passed away, an ardent Tamil poet went rushing to see him and instantly composed a poem seeing the Kings body placed at his palace.

The poet in his lines wondered how Yama could have taken you away, Oh! King; Killivalva, the Lord of Death could not have come in the guise of your friends or relatives or even as your enemy to take away your life, recalled Karunanidhi, quoting from the poets lines.

The modus operandi Yama would have adopted to end your life is that he should have come like a Tamil poet, beseeched you, seeking alms, and taken your life as an offering from you Killivalava; for the sake of Tamil and for the sake of the Tamil poet, the king gave away even his life, said Karunanidhi.

Only if such a life-giving situation for the cause of Tamil comes, I may part with my life, but not give it to anybody else, Karunanidhi said.

This life will live beyond 100 years; if I have to part with my life earlier, it will be only for Tamil, Tamil society, Tamil Nadu, Tamil arts, culture and literature., the DMK patriarch rounded off. Such was Kalaignars total commitment to Tamil.
Tekashi 6ix9ine might be at the height of his career but his legal issues are putting him at risk of losing everything he's built so far. The rapper was recently arrested in New York City after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Houston. The rapper ultimately bailed out of jail in both cities, but the recent arrests could ultimately result in a few years behind bars.

The Manhattan D.A's Office spokesperson said they are suggesting the rapper spend 1-3 years in state prison after claiming that he violated the terms of his plea deal in his child sex case, The Blast reports. The rapper's arrest in Houston and NYC are being used against him as official say that he didn't hold up his terms of the agreement.

Additionally, they want Tekashi 6ix9ine to register as a sex offender because of the violation.

The prosecutor's letter to the judge says, "Defendant has had over two years to demonstrate to this Court that the role he played in the sexual exploitation of a thirteen-year-old child was an aberration in his otherwise law abiding life. He has failed to do so.

The rapper caught the case in 2015. He pled guilty to one count of Use Of A Child In A Sexual Performance.

6ix9ine was spotted by TMZ on his way into court earlier today. The rapper didn't speak a whole lot but he did say that he was "scared as fuck, right now."

The rapper is expected to be back in court on October 2nd.
I gather Diddy sees a lot of himself in French Montana, hence why he snapped him up so long ago, after years of riding shotgun to Biggavelli. The manner in which French Montana has created for himself, under the guise of a "wordsmith," is quite simply remarkable. So when French Montana sat down Billboard and pitched the cover story in red, white and blue, he was speaking of a sudden glow-up. Montana shared the wisdom he imparted from Sean "Diddy" Combs in this tell-all interview.

Those who rose from humble beginnings understand his choice of dialogue in social situations, like the time French ran up to Sandra Bullock and exclaimed Ahh, theyre singing that Happy Birthday, bro! after barging into the banquet hall she had booked. Afterwards his manager said something to the effect of "you can't bum rush the spot!" But he did and he will, even if doesn't exactly reflect his change of address.

Diddy even outlined a plan for him much like his own: quit rapping at the age of 40 with your ducks in a row. "One thing I learned from him is that you dont have to rap," Montana says. As in, you retire in your 40s and invest elsewhere? Its not that -- Puffy still raps, he explained. But when it becomes a business, that can take away from the love of music. And yes after brushes with the tabloids, French Montana still believes in love.

Check out the rest of his anecdotes here.
Drake's faced a lot of complications ahead of his joint tour with the Migos. A few weeks back, it was announced that they had to push the tour kickoff date back which resulted in several shows getting rescheduled. However, it seems like he has another problem he has to deal with before the tour starts tomorrow.

According to TMZ, Drake's tour bus was impounded after it was towed away from a hotel parking lot in Kansas City, MO at 3 a.m. today (Aug. 9th). Although it's unsure why their tour bus was towed away, sources at the hotel confirmed that's where the rapper was staying with his team. Thankfully, there weren't any citations or arrests made in connection to the tour bus but, there's a possibility it could be repossessed. Repo companies do not have to inform the police about towing away vehicles in Missouri.

Drake's rep told the publication that the "In My Feelings" rapper is renting the bus and if there's any sort of issues with money, the bus company has to deal with it.

Fortunately for them, the tour kicks off tomorrow night at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. In the case they don't get the bus back by then, Drake could just catch an Uber or even get a lift with Migos. However, they do have to play in Minnesota two days later so his team should get that sorted out soon.
Robb Bank$ isn't taking any days off. The Florida rapper's been hella busy this year with the release of his project, Molly World that he released in March. The project comes ahead of his anticipated forthcoming project, Falconia that he's been teasing for a while. As he gears up to release the project in the future, the rapper comes through with his new track, "Ou Ouuu."

Robb Bank$ is back with another new single titled, "Ou Ouu." The song was released alongside "SUPERRVRAZY" and both songs hail production from Cris Dinero. Bank$ comes through with something a bit more melodic and softer on "Ou Ouu," although Dinero's production makes it an automatic banger. It's unsure if either of the songs will end up on Falconia but we're excited to hear what he has up his sleeve with his next body of work.
This November will mark the 25th anniversary of Snoop Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle. Over the past quarter century, he's released sixteen studio albums, built an lengthy acting resume, produced television shows, movies and much more. Today, he revealed that he'll be taking his talents to theatre as he's teamed up with legendary playwright Je'Caryouos Johnson for the new play "Redemption Of The Dogg."

Snoop Dogg took to Twitter to announce that he'll be starring in the upcoming live play, "Redemption Of The Dogg" alongside Tamar Braxton. The play was produced, written and directed by Je'Caryous Johnson.

"I partnered up wit my guy @jecaryous to bring you REDEMPTION OF A DOGG, the live play," Snoop announced on twitter. "We goin on tour joined by the wonderful @tamarbraxton. We hittin a city near you this fall ! Tickets on sale tomorrow dont miss out !"

The play centers around a character that's based on Snoop Dogg. According to the press release, the play "examines the internal battle one man has between preserving his life-long legacy and losing the love of his life when he is faced with choosing fame and fortune over faith and family."

Uncle Snoop's upcoming play will also feature some of his greatest hits as well as cuts from his recent gospel album, Bible Of Love, as the soundtrack.

The tour starts on October 5th in Houston. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
It didn't take long for the euphoria to fade.

Two days after Elon Musk triggered a frantic rally with a tweet saying he was considering taking Tesla Inc. private, the stock erased all of those gains.

Doubts have mounted about Musk's ability to take the electric-car maker off the market, sending the stock tumbling much as 6.6 percent to $345.73 in Thursday afternoon trading, well off the $420 at which Musk said shareholders would be bought out. The shares have dropped on back-to-back days after having jumped 11 percent on Tuesday, when Musk vowed that he had "funding secured" at a spectacular $82 billion valuation.

Since that initial tweet, though, he has offered no evidence to back up the statement. Nor has anyone stepped forward publicly - or privately - to say they're behind the plan. People with or close to 15 financial institutions and technology firms who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they weren't aware of financing having been locked in before Musk's posts.

"I don't really understand the idea of what was suggested in the potential for them to go private," Dick Weil, chief executive officer of $370 billion asset manager Janus Henderson Group, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "That's obviously an incredibly large valuation to somehow take into the private market."

Now Playing: Elon Musk Teases Tesla May Go Private The Tesla CEO dropped the bombshell in his usual unorthodox fashion: on Twitter. Investors were initially skeptical about the announcement, and the confusion prompted a temporary suspension in trading of Tesla's stock. Tesla has never made a profit over the course of a calendar year. Recently, Musk has attempted to change that by cutting costs and reducing the Tesla workforce. The CEO believes that taking Tesla private Gartner analyst Mike Ramsey, via ABC News Video: Wibbitz

All of which could be problematic as the Securities and Exchange Commission intensifies its scrutiny of the company. SEC attorneys already had been gathering general information about Tesla's public pronouncements regarding manufacturing goals and sales targets, according to two people who asked not to be named because the review is private. Now, the attorneys are also examining whether Musk's tweet about having funding to buy out the company was meant to be factual, according to one of the people.

"When Musk tweeted this, was he saying this was something that was definitely going to happen? Something that might happen?" said Ira Matetsky, a partner at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer in New York. "How would a reasonable investor interpret that and was it consistent with the facts as they existed at the time?"

Judith Burns, an SEC spokeswoman, declined to comment. Tesla, which hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, declined to comment.

Musk had first raised the go-private possibility with the board last week, according to a statement from six of Tesla's nine directors. They said he had "addressed the funding for this to occur," without providing details.

As for Tesla shareholders, Musk said in one of his Twitter posts that "investor support is confirmed" for his plan. The company's largest shareholders have declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the California State Teachers' Retirement System, which held about 279,000 shares as of the end of June, said there was no heads-up given.

"We have not been contacted by Tesla IR," said Michelle Mussuto, the spokeswoman. "They didn't reach out before the tweet either."

Leaving the public marketplace isn't a new vision for Musk. "I wish we could be private with Tesla," he told Rolling Stone in an interview published in November. "It actually makes us less efficient to be a public company."

In April 2017, when Musk held talks with Masayoshi Son about SoftBank Group Corp. investing in the electric carmaker, they touched on the possibility of fulfilling Musk's wish, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. The talks failed to progress due to disagreements over ownership and have not started up again.

Musk's personal stake in Tesla is almost 20 percent, meaning he would need roughly $70 billion to take it out of the market. That kind of money may be accessible through sovereign wealth funds or other strategic investors, said Dwight Scott, president of Blackstone Group LP's GSO Capital Partners. The money-losing and cash-burning company is an unlikely candidate for debt investors to be willing to help go private.

It's possible Musk could persuade some large institutional and strategic investors to either newly become or remain shareholders in the private company, which could reduce his funding needs, said Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Bernstein who has long been bearish on Tesla shares.

But "if no firmer details emerge," he wrote in a report to clients, "investors would likely increasingly debate Musk's credibility and seemingly unhealthy focus on the shares' price and volatility."

It's also possible Musk has some unconventional plan that would take Tesla private without using traditional sources. On Twitter, he alluded to the creation of a "special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla."

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said investors would be slow to forgive if no buyout transpires.

"A failed attempt at a deal would create new challenges for Tesla as a stand-alone public company," wrote Jonas, who rates the stock the equivalent of hold. "It may be challenging for Tesla shareholders to fathom the 'forget-about-the-going-private-thing-let's-go-back-to-normal' scenario."
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article mistakenly attributed to Jim Bloom, managing partner of Vopne Capital in San Francisco, an upbeat analysis of NaturalShrimp. Bloom did not write the analysis or offer any comment about the company. The statements mistakenly attributed to him were published on a financial website by a writer of the same name. The Houston Chronicle regrets the error.

LACOSTE  After 18 years and $35.4 million in development, the founders of NaturalShrimp are convinced shrimp lot No. 180 at the company's remote Medina County fish-tank complex is their aquaculture pay dirt.

The translucent, beady-eyed crustaceans zooming through the salty water are now into their 22nd week of growth. They're about 5 inches long and weigh about 18 grams apiece. They are gulping down food pellets dropped hourly with abandon, well on their way to a harvest weight of 23 grams.

NaturalShrimp is one of the companies trying to prove you don't need a big body of natural saltwater like the Gulf of Mexico to raise shrimp  that they can grow to commercial proportions in specialized tanks on land. The business's aim is to deliver fresh shrimp to restaurants and markets far from the sea.

Survival rates at the NaturalShrimp facility are beating expectations and could wind up being well above the 50-percent rate considered notable in the industry. For the first time, workers haven't had to wade through the tanks with buckets, fishing out floaters.

Investors in the penny-stock company are perking up, with the share price rising 353 percent from Jan. 2 to its Jan. 31 close of 7.7 cents.

But despite the small burst of excitement, Dallas-based NaturalShrimp is just getting started.

The next step is to restock after harvest and add three more 65,000-gallon indoor tanks to the complex. From there, the company will attempt to replicate the process in places far from seawater but a less than a half-day's drive from metro areas teeming with markets clamoring for chemical-free, never-frozen shrimp.

Or salmon, sea bass, lobster, clams or oysters.

Natural Shrimp's patent, granted this past Christmas Day  patents are only granted on Tuesdays  covers all aquatic species.

"We know it works  it's just now ramping up production," co-owner Gerald Easterling said. "It's not a concept any more, it's a reality."

By "it," Easterling was referring to a pricey system of pumps, filters and a proprietary device that, after the latest round of tinkering, is in its fifth iteration. It essentially uses selective electrical currents to destroy the bacteria and break up the effluent ammonia that so far have destroyed crop after crop of shrimp  and globally made shrimp farming a shaky proposition.

"It basically singes (shrimp-killing bacteria) and disintegrates it so it's not able to spread," said Peter Letizia, CEO of Florida-based F&T Water Solutions, which partnered with NaturalShrimp to develop the technology.

Electrostimulation has been around for more than 100 years, Letizia said, and is commonly used to sterilize surgical equipment. But it's beginning to expand to commercial agriculture. Letizia also has been working with fruit, vegetable and marijuana growers to test its capabilities as an alternative to pesticides and herbicides.

But the expense and complexity so far has kept the technology from widespread use in food production.

"Trying to just put electricity in water is basically the science, but there is an art behind exactly how do you do it," he said. "What kind of electrodes do you use? What kind of power source do you use? What kind of spacing? How much volume? There are all those intricacies that take it from a science and make it more like an art.

"NaturalShrimp has it down to where they know exactly how much they can grow a pound of shrimp for, and basically they know how much they can sell it for. So it's actually a very predictable or predictive market, which is kind of why we like it."

NaturalShrimp started in 2001 in a tank in the basement of co-owner and Chief Technology Officer Tom Untermeyer. Untermeyer, then a newly retired Southwest Research Institute program manager, wanted to use his electronic engineering background to help start a business.

There's no doubt of the strong demand for shrimp.

Shrimp is the United States' top-selling seafood, with the average consumer eating 4.4 pounds of it per year. As ocean stocks have declined from overfishing and pollution, farming it has become a big business, overtaking wild harvesting in 2007.

Traditional shrimp farms are built on coastlines that have a ready supply of saltwater to fill open ponds. Inland shrimp farming has been evolving, but production has mostly been inconsistent and companies have had to stock their ponds at low density due to water treatments that introduce bacteria and cloud the water.

"The reason we're here, (why) we stayed with it, is we always knew the market and the need," Easterling said. "What we have here is phenomenal. It answers all the problems in the industry as far as raising aquatic species indoors."

Texas leads in U.S. shrimp cultivation. But that production has declined, from a 2003 peak of 9 million pounds valued at about $18 million to between 2.5 million and 2.9 million pounds per year. Texas shrimp farms in 2016 generated revenue of about $8.3 million.

Aquaculture consultant Granvil Treece said the farms have taken hits from young shrimp not surviving the transport or acclimating to man-made environments. Fewer than half make it to market. Bowers Shrimp Farm, which operates the state's largest shrimp farm, near Matagorda Bay, had the state's highest survival rate at 54 percent.

It's the same for farms around the world. And even when the larvae take, shrimp in all producing countries have frequently succumbed to disease outbreaks. There also are concerns about aquaculture operations damaging estuaries and contaminating natural fisheries with toxic outflows.

A 1999 disease outbreak in Ecuador nearly wiped out that nation's shrimp farm industry, as well as some 100,000 jobs. Mexico in 2016 suffered devastating losses to disease and premature harvest.

Many in the industry thought they'd found the solution with biofloc, a water-filtration method that uses probiotics to help neutralize bad bacteria. But after six years and an investment of $15 million, Natural Shrimp's leaders concluded biofloc didn't meet the needs of their high-density business plan.

One week they'd sell out their shrimp at the Pearl Farmers Market, the next they'd be no-shows. Harvests would, within a few days, drop from 1,000 pounds to 40 as bacteria quickly proliferated.

"We would have tanks full, and then we'd start having them die off," Easterling said. By the time they noticed the first few dead ones, it was too late.

While NaturalShrimp won't harvest the current tank till mid- to late February, the goal for the 30,000-square-foot facility is 4,000 pounds of shrimp a month. The aim is to produce 7,000 pounds each week once the new tanks are operational, sending truckloads rumbling past neighboring corn, cotton and sunflower fields to buyers like Michael Scott, the corporate chef at Rosewood Texas Raised Wagyu Beef.

Scott first came across the shrimp about a decade ago at a Dallas food show. He has since become a NaturalShrimp shareholder.

"I thought they were Hawaiian blues," a variety of shrimp, he said. "I walked over, snapped the head off and I bit into the tail raw. ... I said, 'This is buttery  this is very clean.' I said this is like the 'Kobe beef of shrimp.'"

Scott likes that the shrimp aren't washed with citric acid and sodium for extended shelf life, and haven't had exposure to water pollutants.

"When I clean these shrimp, we're not pulling big poop lines out," he said.

Lynn Brezosky is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering trade, agriculture and the economy. | lbrezosky@express-news.net | Twitter: @lbrezosky
WASHINGTON  The Trump administrations decision to impose tariffs on Canadian newsprint is hastening the demise of local newspapers across the country, forcing already struggling publications to cut staff, reduce the number of days they print and, in at least one case, shutter entirely.

Surging newsprint costs are beginning to hurt publications like The Gazette in Janesville, Wisconsin, the hometown paper of the House speaker, Paul Ryan, which has long felt a mandate to punch above its weight.

DENIED: Texas steel plant denied tariff exemption

The paper, with a newsroom staff of 22, was the first to publish the news in 2016 that Ryan would support the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump. And while its editorial board has endorsed Ryan countless times, the paper made national news when it chided him for refusing to hold town halls with his constituents.

Now Playing: China says it is prepared for a protracted trade war with US and has no fear about sacrificing short-term economic interests. This as concerns over growth battered financial markets, After a weekend of claims by US President Donald Trump that he has the upper hand in the trade war with China, Beijing responded through state media by saying the nation is ready to endure the economic fallout. US pork and beef have been targeted by China in the first round of the trade war. Xu Wei is the general manager of one of Shanghai's largest food importers. He says his US food imports have dropped sharply. "We used to pay just 24 percent tariffs for US pork in China," he explains. "But now the taxes have risen to over 50 percent. So there's a great impact. It's the US producers that will suffer from the policy and their income will see a drop." Chinese business' say the tariffs are not a major blow as they can easily find alternative suppliers from Europe and Australia. Video: Euronews

Now, with newsprint tariffs increasing annual printing costs by $740,000, The Gazette has made several cuts to its staff and is using narrower paper, reducing the number of stories published every day.

Were all paying a huge price, Skip Bliss, publisher of The Gazette, said of the tariffs effect on the industry. I fear its going to be a very difficult time. I think theres probably going to be some casualties.

The newsprint tariffs are just one of several trade measures Trump has rolled out as part of his administrations effort to protect U.S. manufacturers by stopping what he calls unfair trade practices. Tariffs were implemented in January, after the Commerce Department sided with North Pacific Paper Co., a paper mill based in Washington state, in a complaint alleging that Canadian manufacturers were selling newsprint at artificially low prices. Last week, publishers won a small reprieve when the department issued final tariffs of 3.38 to 16.88 percent, slightly lower than what it had initially imposed.

GULF COAST THREAT: Billions at risk with China's LNG tariffs, only on HoustonChronicle.com

Even if the tariffs seem to align with Trumps well-known disdain for the news media, the administrations ruling in favor of the company that filed the complaint was not unusual as the president carries out his trade fight.

The administration has encouraged companies to bring cases when they have complaints against foreign parties, and the countervailing duty process under which North Pacific Papers case was initiated is set up to defend U.S. companies against foreign competitors. As of mid-July, companies had brought 120 new anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations under the Trump administration  about a third more than in a similar time frame at the end of the Obama administration, according to Commerce Department statistics.

As with Trumps other tariffs on steel, aluminum, solar panels and washing machines, the newsprint duties will help some U.S. manufacturers but hurt many other domestic companies.

A study undertaken on behalf of a coalition of printers, publishers and paper suppliers projects that U.S. newsprint prices will increase more than 30 percent in the next one to two years, and that newspapers and printers will face an increased cost of roughly half a billion dollars from the remaining five U.S. mills producing newsprint. The study was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency that governs trade and could ultimately overturn or change the Commerce Departments decision in a ruling expected next month.

Papers throughout the country are already feeling the effects of the tariffs. At least a dozen newspapers across the country have cut publication days, and one newspaper, The Jackson County Times-Journal in Ohio, shut down, citing declining print readership and the tariffs. Larger publications, like The Tampa Bay Times, which won two Pulitzer Prizes in 2016 for local and investigative reporting, are also on the list of affected papers.

Paul Tash, chairman and chief executive of The Tampa Bay Times, said the price per ton of paper had increased $200, creating an additional $3.5 million in printing expenses annually. Tash said that as a direct result of the tariffs, he had to lay off 50 employees, combine sections in the Sunday paper and reduce the frequency of a free tabloid from five days to once a week.

Anything that contributes to the pressure on this paper has to be a concern, Tash said. But he asserted that the paper had not lost its mission of producing quality journalism. Were still doing great work. Were still doing great stories. Were still holding people to account. I dont want to leave the impression that all thats left are crossword puzzles.

In some rural towns, the local weekly newspaper serves as the areas only media outlet, said Crystal Dupre, publisher of The Bryan-College Station Eagle in Bryan, Texas.

There is no question that without a local newspaper, no one is holding officials accountable and serving as the local archives, Dupre said.

In response to printing cost increases of 30 percent, she said, The Eagle has reduced the number of pages it prints daily, and avoided filling vacant positions in every single department, from editorial to accounting. Dupre said she has tried to avoid cutting reporting positions, instead asking other departments to take on more work.

The readers suffer when you cut a reporter position. Its probably the easiest place to cut because you just run an AP story, she said. But it affects your local content. We wont survive if we dont have local content.

At The Blackshear Times, a paper in rural South Georgia, the tariffs have prompted a hiring freeze, and about 25 percent of its open positions remain unfilled. The paper serves a community of about 19,000 people with a weekly print circulation of about 3,700 and a total readership of 7,000.

The team is working harder for less money, said Robert M. Williams Jr., publisher and co-owner of The Blackshear Times and several other Georgia papers. And not many people are happy about it.

The paper has seen a stark rise in printing costs of 20 to 25 percent  a whopping increase particularly for a small business that is already trying to combat decreased revenues and increased costs, Williams said.

The paper has also cut down its page count  something readers have noticed and complained about. The circulation numbers have remained steady over the past several years  an anomaly given the sweeping national trend of falling circulations. On average, Williams said, only about a dozen subscribers sign into the website weekly to read the news online.

In rural communities, print newspapers are still very important, Williams said.

Blackshear is in what Williams called a news desert, where there is no local news station and the closest big city is Jacksonville, Florida. Residents rely on the paper to stay informed on Georgia politics and connected with their community, Williams said. There are no alternatives for The Blackshear Times in Blackshear, Georgia.

Newspaper publishers are optimistic that congressional pressure could ease the tariffs. Legislation introduced in May by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, would suspend the tariffs while Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, conducts a study of their effects on the industry. It has 31 bipartisan co-sponsors, and Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., introduced a companion bill in the House. Ryan has expressed his concerns about the tariffs to Ross, his office said Wednesday.

Bliss said relief from the tariffs is crucial to ensuring the survival of small, local newspapers.

When theyre gone, theyre gone. Theyre not coming back, he said. That means those communities  everything we do to hold governments and schools and law enforcement in check  theres not going to be anyone to do that.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
One of Iran's biggest oil customers is buying more U.S. crude as President Donald Trump sticks to his pledge to squeeze the Persian Gulf nation's energy trade.

State-run refiner Indian Oil Corp., which had been buying U.S. crude in the spot market, signed a term tender to purchase American oil for delivery every month between November and January, according to Finance Director Arun Kumar Sharma. That will help more than double the company's shipments from the U.S. so far this year compared to last fiscal year.

"This tender is the first step toward future imports of U.S. crude oil through term contracts," Sharma said in a phone interview on August 8.

RELATED: With oil boom on, U.S. tests geopolitical might

A greater commitment to U.S. crude may help shield India from supply disruptions when sanctions on oil aimed at curbing the Islamic republic's nuclear program begin in early November. It also gives American producers greater inroads to the fastest-growing oil consumer, a market that's currently dominated by Middle-Eastern suppliers.

American oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. is said to be courting Asian refiners with rare long-term U.S. crude export deals in a bid to expand its trading scope. Long-term contracts -- which involve the sale of cargoes of a certain quality, volume and price over a set period from as little as 6 months to multiple years -- for American oil are uncommon and most deals are done on a spot basis after a decades-long export ban was lifted in late 2015.

Crucial Strategy

"Long-term contracts will be central to the U.S. strategy," said Abhishek Kumar, a senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy in London. "That ensures the U.S. will have customers for its hydrocarbons in the medium-to-long term."

Indian Oil agreed to buy 6 million barrels of U.S. crude through the term-tender, taking its American crude purchases to 16 million barrels in total since April. That compares to its previous year's spot purchases of 6.6 million barrels from the shale producer.

RELATED: Trump tests oil markets in pulling out of Iran nuclear deal

The nation's biggest refiner said in May that it plans to nearly double its oil imports from Iran to 7 million tons during the financial year that began in April. But Trump's push to isolate the Islamic Republic is forcing it to prepare alternative plans. Indian Oil is still awaiting direction from its government on Iranian crude imports, Sharma said.

The ratcheting up of trade tensions between the U.S. and China could also help oil buyers in India, the world's third-biggest crude consumer, according to Interfax's Kumar. China's largest refiner, Sinopec, will delay making purchases from America, while Beijing has rejected Trump's call for its allies to cut to zero purchases from Iran.

"This presents India with an opportunity to negotiate hard, given the country's energy needs are rising and the U.S. is a more-than-willing supplier in present circumstances," he said.
The first sighting came last summer: Reports of a small, scaly swimmer in the Houston Arboretum & Nature Centers pond. With bulbous, beady eyes and a bumpy snout, there was no mistaking what this newcomer was  an alligator.

Still, when the summer camper and counselor whod discovered the creature while paddling around the pond told Arboretum officials theyd spotted a gator amid the lily pads and logs that cover the waters surface, they were met with plenty of disbelief.

Understandable, since employees cant remember a single gator living at the center in the four decades of collective memory theyve tapped.

We finally got photo proof that it was here a couple months ago, says the Arboretums marketing director Christine Mansfield. And what started as a potential big-fish  err, reptile  story among young campers became a Capital-F Fact.

Arboretum officials dont name the wildlife they work with. We try to educate the public that these arent pets, and theyre not someone you should come in close contact with, says Mansfield. But some among the staff have taken to calling this little guy  or girl, theyre not certain the Arborgator.

The alligator appears to be about 3 feet long, a size that would correspond to an age of about 3 years old, since gators grow about a foot a year until they reach about 6 years old. So for the moment, his presence is more of a novelty than a nuisance.

When theyre small, theyre really only a threat to frogs and snakes and other small wildlife, says Mansfield. But Mansfield is not exactly a gator expert, so she called on Kelly Norrid, an urban wildlife biologist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for guidance.

Typically, an alligator is going to eat something about the size of its head, says Norrid. This means that at this point, the centers new inhabitant isnt likely to be a threat. But still, hes an alligator.

I dont really want to say you shouldnt be cautious, because you should always be cautious around the edges of any freshwater body in southeast Texas, says Norrid. You should be leery about letting your dogs splash around, or even going up to the edge of water. This is southeast Texas. Anywhere theres freshwater, youre probably going to see an alligator. Or actually, not see an alligator.

Thats the thing about the Arborgator. He or she is a master of camouflage. Visitors can stake out the pond for hours and not catch a glimpse. When Mansfield saw the gators snout rattle a pile of lily pads on Monday, it was her first sighting since April. This makes sense. Alligators are ectothermic, meaning they depend on external heat sources to regulate body temperature. During a Houston summer, the gator is likely to spend most of its time at the bottom of the pond, enjoying the cold water as long as possible, before having to come up for air about once every 20 minutes.

If visitors want to catch a glimpse, early morning is their best bet in the summer. And even then, with all the lily pads and branches floating on the ponds surface, it could take binoculars or a camera lens to see the sneaky little thing, in a search that Mansfield likens to a Wheres Waldo puzzle.

But thats not the only puzzle surrounding the critter. Folks at the nature center arent sure when - or how - the Arborgator arrived.

It probably came up from the bayou, says Mansfield, noting that the south end of the 155-acre nature preserve isnt far from the shores of Buffalo Bayou.

But why would a baby gator waddle to a pond that has never hosted its kind? And how did it even know this body of water existed?

They can travel quite a distance, says Norrid. Its hard to say whats going through a gators mind without anthropomorphizing an animal. What we can say with confidence is that they need a certain niche, and the things they need are food water and shelter. And they will move around until they find an area that has all the criteria they need in their habitat and theyll set up a territory.

And this gator could stay in the pond for several years, until he or she decides he needs more food, water or space. If it turns out to be a female alligator, she would grow to about 9 or 10 feet. If its a male, Norrid says he can reach 11 to 14 feet. And this tiny pond, with red-eared sliders, small fish and an assortment of frogs, will no longer be able to meet his needs.

When that day comes, the gator will mosey on to a new location, who knows where.

But until then, he feels right at home, and the nature center is happy to have him.

maggie.gordon@chron.com;

twitter.com/MagEGordon
Govt has deployed 6 RAF companies, one each of CISF and SRPF at sensitive locations.

The protests held by Maratha groups last month had witnessed large-scale violence and arson in various parts of the state. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over the reservation demand.

Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, officials said.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a 'bandh' today across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community.

Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj, said on Wednesday that they would hold a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm today.

Another Maratha faction has, however, given a call to hold a sit in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office.

The authorities had on Wednesday ordered closure of schools and colleges in some cities, including Pune, fearing violence. Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township has decided to remain shut today.

Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said. A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.

In Satara, no state transport buses were running today and all vehicles were parked at the central bus stand. All petrol pumps and vegetable markets were also closed in Satara.

The pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today. Internet services have also been suspended in 7 tehsils of Pune district - Shirur, Khed, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, Daund and Bhor, as a precautionary measure. A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted the vehicular movement.

There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said.

The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

Shiv Sena MLA from Kolhapur, Prakash Abitkar, claimed Wednesday night that he had sought permission of the state Assembly Speaker to hold an agitation in the Vidhan Bhawan premises in Mumbai today to extend support to the Maratha community's demand for reservation. However, it was not clear whether he was granted the permission.

Maharashtra Police has also stepped up security so as to maintain law and order.

Six companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), one company each of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) have been deployed at sensitive locations, an official said.

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.

Police have also appealed to activists to hold protests in a peaceful manner and not take the law into their hands. There is a possibility that anti-social elements could infiltrate the protests for causing a disturbance, the official 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 'bandh' is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurances that his government was working on providing reservation to 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. Senior state minister Chandrakant Patil said on Wednesday that "nothing can be done" on their demand till November 15.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation. Community members had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.
Cory and Carley Giovanellas Meyerland home was under construction and about 85 percent done when Hurricane Harvey stalled out over the city and the inches of rain kept rising.

Their neighbors  at least those still standing after the 2015 Memorial Day and 2016 Tax Day floods  had nearly 4 feet of water in and around their homes. The Giovanellas builder, On Point Custom Homes, had elevated their new home five feet off the ground and even put a base of cinder blocks around their ground-floor garage. When the waters finally receded, nothing was damaged.

But the family already had suffered plenty. Cory and Carley had purchased a big ranch home in Meyerland in 2012 and spent 11 months updating it before moving in. Theyd been in it just 18 months when the Memorial Day flooding left 28 inches of water in the home.

Cory, 46, had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. He saw water seeping in under a door and wakened his wife so she could help with towels. When she saw a wall of water outside their glass French doors, she stopped: I was like, Cory, I dont think towels are going to do it. she said.

They felt like theyd just turned the 3,500-square-foot ranch house into their dream home, and in one night it was ruined. They gutted the interiors and moved into a rental while they considered their options.

Woodland Heights update: Couple expand and remodel their 1930s home with a more modern rustic flair.

We didnt know what to do for six months. Originally we thought wed remodel because everybody kept saying, Oh, its a once-in-100-year event, she said, laughing at the irony in what has happened since. No matter what you do, youre going to lose money and lose time, and the fastest and least expensive thing to do was remodel.

As they interviewed remodelers and builders, the weeks turned into months. In all, they lived in a rental apartment or home 963 days while waiting through two floods, the hurricane, hundreds of decisions and, ultimately, getting a whole new home built.

Carley Giovanella is a veterinary neurosurgeon  you may have seen her in episodes of the NatGeo Wild show Animal ER, which is filmed at the Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists hospital where she works  and a co-worker is a neighbor of On Point Custom Homes executives Earl Correll, the companys president, and John Leggett, its founder and CEO.

On her co-workers recommendation, they talked to Correll, who gave them an extensive plan and a detailed cost estimate. In the 2016 flooding, the home  empty but still standing  took on 17 inches of water. The following October, Cory Giovanella was driving down Braeswood in a heavy rain and noticed that the bayou was a foot from spilling water into the street.

I thought, This is not a once-in-100-year event. Were not going to take a chance; weve got to rebuild, said Cory, 46 and director of sales at DocuWare Corp., a software company. Thats when they knew they had to move full steam ahead and On Point broke ground in February 2017.

Like others forced into unplanned remodeling or homebuilding because of weather events, the Giovanellas new project was both exciting and painful. Their neighborhood is dotted with newly vacant lots, empty homes with for sale signs and new construction projects replacing homes that flooded up to three times in three years.

It was more difficult for me than for Cory, said 44-year-old Carley, a native of Maryland who moved to Houston in 2005. We were really excited, but at the same time it was bittersweet. I kind of resented having to build a house; I never wanted to have to build this new house. They were patient, Cory was patient; I had anxiety over many things.

Family-friendly style: West U home designed for playful kids and adults.

The Giovanellas, who met shortly after Carley moved to Houston, have been married nine years and have a 7-year-old son, Marcello and a 9-year-old dog, Billy.

Cory grew up in Meyerland and initially didnt want to buy a home there, but when they did, he embraced it. And when they had to rebuild, they both embraced modern architecture as a nod to the original homes midcentury modern bones.

When their contemporary, 4,300-square-foot two-story home was finished, they needed all new furnishings. As they were just about to move in, Cory saw an Indiegogo fund-raising campaign for a Sobro smart coffee table. It was modern and a pull-out drawer was actually a refrigerator; additionally, it had built-in Bluetooth speakers, LED lights and charging ports. He had to have one.

The idea is that once you sit on the couch to watch TV, you dont have to get up, he joked as Marcello pointed out the refrigerator and its stash of juice boxes.

From there, the only piece that could have driven the homes decor was a painting Cory purchased at a charity auction. His father, the late Dr. Beppino Giovanella, was a cancer researcher at the Stehlin Foundation, and when the firms offices moved, an artist turned the door from his office into a colorful work of art. Its covered in blues, reds and oranges and is a bold greeting on a wall you see as you step into the home.

Cory and Carley went shopping at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, who put together ideas for their living room: a gray sofa, teal chairs and another neutral chair, all on a dark gray rug. On one dark gray wall, cantilevered shelves were added when the Giovanellas spotted something similar on Houzz.com. They took a photo to their builder and asked if it could be worked in. No problem; they added more support in the wall so the couple can, over time, fill the shelves with art and family mementoes.

Modern dream: Houston couple finally get their dream home and architect.

One of the couples favorite concepts in their new home is the bar and wine room, which Carley initially thought wasnt necessary. But Corys a wine lover and the refrigerated room holds 216 bottles of wine, plus the non-refrigerated part of the room holds barware and liquor. A pass-through window makes it easy to serve drinks indoors and outdoors when they have parties.

While much of the main floor is neutral, the upstairs has bold strokes of color. The upstairs den, which serves as a TV room, has a single bright orange wall. Comfortable seating  including a couple of Lovesacs that nearly swallow you whole  is arranged on a pale rug with a gray-orange geometric pattern.

Down the hall is a reading nook with more pops of orange, in pillows on the cushion-covered window seat and in a David Trubridge geometric chandelier lined in orange.

Cory works from home, and his upstairs office has dark blue walls and barn-style glass doors. Because its on the second floor and the home is elevated, he looks out into the treetops. When the sun is at its harshest, he lowers the window shades.

Marcellos Superhero-clad bedroom is upstairs, too, and he claims another upstairs bedroom as his play room.

Now that the couple have space to entertain again, they host dinners as neighbors move back into their homes. And Thanksgiving isnt too far out; theyll host that dinner, too.

It finally feels like home. We went on a trip to Italy and stayed in really nice hotels, and when we got back it felt like Were home, Carley said.
I first block-walked for Congressman Beto O'Rourke in 2017 at an event in Atascocita hosted by Amy Bakken, fellow mom and all-around Suburban Superwoman.

Amy welcomed seven strangers into her home and trained us how to approach knocking for a political candidate, how to use the campaign's cellphone app technology, how to speak with passion. Between Amy's warm living room and the soft melody of her elementary teacher voice, we all quickly felt at ease and confident.

I asked Amy how she does it. "I'm an introvert by nature," she explains. "It is a special thing, though, to be the first one to introduce a voter to candidates I'm really proud to support. I love sharing my story and also listening about what is important to them. It's been surprisingly easy and rewarding to my introverted soul!"

Ever since Amy's party, I can't stop knocking. Yes, I could phonebank in the air conditioning or do data entry or join the text team, but there's something about the social experiment of knocking on doors that I find fascinating.

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco's got a great bit about what it was like when someone knocked on your door 20 years ago versus today. He jokes that his mother used to have "company cake" ready  a cake which no one but unexpected guests could eat. "Now your doorbell rings," he begins, pantomiming himself army-crawling across his living room, "your own mother's crawling across the kitchen floor, and she says 'Go get the sword in the living room-under the couch. Get the sword! Oh no, they saw movement!'"

It's funny, because it's true. Society's changed. We text before we visit. We like warnings and predictability.

But with only 90 days until the November midterms, volunteers for the upcoming Senate race know there's no time to lose. This last week alone, three polls have shown O'Rourke within single digits of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

THE RACE: Two new polls: Cruz-O'Rourke race a dead heat, or Cruz holds small lead

You can tell Cruz is nervous, because he rolled out his first three attack ads. With the same dramatic voice-overs we hear in Hollywood previews, the grainy ads grasp at straws.

Though O'Rourke has clarified at town halls that, "We should abolish the practices of ICE ... I don't think that abolishing any one department is going to solve all of these problems," the ads claim that he wants to abolish the agency.

Two of the commercials claim that O'Rourke is ready to legalize all kinds of crazy drugs  even though he's been clear. "I'm on a bill that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana," he says, arguing that money spent on the war on drugs could be put "into the classroom, into teacher pay, into treating an opioid epidemic, a methamphetamine epidemic that I'm seeing through lots of West Texas right now."

"Ted Cruz is running ads right now  not about what he hopes to bring to Texas  but about why you should be scared of me," O'Rourke told a packed room in Kerrville at a town hall on Sunday. "You're going to see more ads from our campaign running soon, but they won't be about the incumbent," he explains  avoiding Cruz's name entirely  "they'll be about the big bold ambitious things we want to accomplish."

He promised the crowd they would never see his campaign release an attack ad.

O'Rourke's first ad, titled "Showing Up," holds true to that promise. Edited entirely from cellphone video clips, a volunteer couple from San Antonio helped the campaign prepare the ad. It features him traveling everywhere in Texans. And I mean everywhere.

***

O'ROURKE REFUSES to hire pollsters or strategists or consultants for his Texas-sized campaign. Instead, he relies on "science," field director Zack Malitz jokes at a rally for volunteers in Houston.

Malitz explains that research shows that what really convinces voters isn't attack ads or mailboxes full of glossy flyers. "Talking to people, face-to-face, and making a connection is what inspires citizens to vote."

Lisa Garcia Bedolla and Melissa Michelson would agree. In their new book, "Mobilizing Inclusion," the political scientists follow six election cycles and study 268 different get-out-the-vote experiments: "Our analysis shows that citizens who haven't voted much in the past can be inspired by either door-to-door visits or live phone calls."

Knocking on doors is particularly impactful with one experiment showing a 40 percent increase in voter turnout.

Beyond the science and the research is O'Rourke's own experience knocking on doors. For him, knocking is "the most authentic, genuine way to connect with people." In the 2012 congressional election facing off against the eight-term incumbent, Silvestre Reyes, O'Rourke knocked on 16,000 doors with no paid staff.

He might've thought that jobs and health care were the big issues in that election, but three doors in, he realized that saving the Resler Canyon was on the minds of most of his would-be constituents. "He never would've discovered saving that canyon was so important if he hadn't knocked on doors," explains Chris Evans, O'Rourke's communication director. "That's how Beto works. You find out what Texans care about  not from pollsters, but by actually talking to Texans."

THE CANDIDATES: The difference between Beto O'Rourke and Ted Cruz

Still, there's an awkwardness about knocking on a stranger's door. Talking to someone you've never met about politics while standing on their private property  weird, right?

Surprisingly, not weird.

In conservative Kingwood, a retired police officer and O'Rourke supporter and his wife invited me into their home to show me their art collection and enjoy a glass of cold water. In liberal Montrose, a Cruz supporter shook my hand, told me she'd be voting red and thanked me for coming out on a hot day to talk to voters.

Town Hall with Beto O'Rourke What: Houston Education Town Hall with Beto O'Rourke When: Friday, August 10, 4:30 p.m. Where: The Villagio, 10901 Braes Bend Drive See More Collapse

But it was an interaction in Fifth Ward that left me stunned at the love and generosity of my fellow Houstonians.

Mauricio was doing some metal work in his yard two weeks ago when he noticed me knocking on his neighbor's door. "Mrs. Castillo is usually asleep right now," he said, walking over to explain in Spanish. "She takes her hearing aid out. Want me to leave her a message?"

I explained that I was canvassing, and I told Mauricio that O'Rourke is from El Paso and that he speaks fluent Spanish. I told him that he sends his kids to public schools, and he supports teachers like me.

"Are you registered to vote?" I asked.

"No, profe," Mauricio explained. He is still a legal resident and can't vote yet.

THE DEBATES: Ted Cruz vs. Beto O'Rourke debates will be risky for both of them

Then he surprises me. He tells me he knows everyone down the street. He can help me get past the gates and scary dogs to knock on the doors.

And he does.

Eighteen houses. Mauricio walks with me to each one, calling out his neighbors, telling them about O'Rourke by my side. "Epa, his kids go to the same schools as ours, and he speaks Spanish!," he proudly boasts, stealing all my favorite lines.

At the end of the street and half an hour later, we're drinking a cold Sprite an abuelita gave us. Mauricio starts to apologize that he can't help me with the next street because he has to work, and I can't hold back the tears. I shake his hand and thank him. I thank him over and over, embarrassed.

"Gracias a usted, profe," he tells me, and walks back to his pile of metal.

***

Knocking on doors for O'Rourke is just a microcosm of the spirit of his campaign. With hundreds of open town halls hosted and thousands of miles traveled, he reminds us that politics is really just about connecting with people in a spontaneous way.

In preparation for the upcoming debates, O'Rourke suggested to Cruz's strategist, Jeff Roe, that "at each debate, our fellow Texans should be able to raise any issue and do so in an unscripted town hall format" and that issues like "serving our veterans, public education, money in politics" should be included.

Roe curtly retorted, "Our debate plan isn't an open negotiation."

For now, I'm knocking for Beto, because he's showing up to listen to Texas teachers like me. But whether your favorite candidate wears red or blue or neither color, I encourage you to get out and knock. Knock in your neighborhood. Knock in Galveston. Visit your parents, and go knock down their street too. Go everywhere.

Gaby Diaz is an English teacher in Houston.

Get the Gray Matters newsletter. It will invite you into its home to show you its art collection and enjoy a glass of cold water.
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
Despite charming many customers of Nanas Main Street Cottage in downtown Tomball, three miniature goats were in danger of being removed after a neighbor complained to the city.

Now, it appears they will be allowed to stay at the antique shop, and property owners across Tomball could soon be allowed to have four pygmy goats each, if a new ordinance receives final approval.

BEAUTIFUL BABY: Meet the Houston Zoo's newest elephant

Tomballs ordinances ban horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and goats as livestock animals. One exception has been made to potbellied pigs that weigh less than 200 pounds and are shorter than 36 inches in height.

Goats can range up to 250 pounds. A pygmy is probably 15, maybe 40 pounds at the most. Theres a big difference in size. Its not even close to being the same animal, Dan Howes, co-owner of Nanas, told the city council Monday.

Now Playing: These boisterous little pygmy goats were having the time of their life while exercising in Bridge of Cally, Scotland. They frantically hopped, skipped, and jumped from one obstacle to another and ran around their pen like they had just been let loose for the first time. You could watch these guys all day! Credit: Clare Bailey via Storyful Video: Storyful

Howes, of Cypress, said the pygmy goats were friendly and docile with visitors. He also said the miniature animals are not a nuisance with loud noises or bad smells and are not dangerous, except for one thing.

Well, the biggest danger - and I hate to admit this part - is theyre just too darned cute, he said.

Kerron Dugan of Tomball said the goats are a nuisance.

"A lot of people take their animals to work with them, right? But, they take them home at night. They don't leave them in a pen behind their business if they're their pets. I thought we had restrictions where we live. You got to draw the line somewhere for animals. Where is the line drawn for this?" she told the council.

LOVE AND BEAVER NUGGETS: Couple's gas station photo shoot goes viral

The new ordinance was approved on first reading by the city council on Monday. It would reclassify pygmy goats as non-livestock animals and require them to be kept at least 20 feet from a home or building.

It excludes pygmy goats from the livestock standards ordinance and also allows four of them per property, said Craig Meyers, community development director for Tomball.

Like potbellied pigs, the ordinance would regulate pygmy goats by requiring that males be neutered.

According to the National Pygmy Goat Association, the miniature breed can give birth to one to four kids in a year.

During the meeting, Monique Dermaux with Tomball Goat Yago said the pygmy goats would help promote business in Tomball.

When you walk in, they welcome you there. You walk to the backyard, you see the goats and they let you pet the goats and they dont charge you. All I want to do is go back to Tomball to see goats. How can this be bad? she said.

Nanas Main Street Cottage received 15 letters of support to adopt the ordinance that would allow the pygmy goats to stay.

Located just east of downtown, the shop sells antiques and is full of welded metal art, furniture and other trinkets.

On Tuesday, the three pygmy goats - Casper, Hershey and Ramsey - at the center of the ordinance, ran in their fenced enclosure behind the store in the backyard.

They ate the hay and pellets offered to them and allowed themselves to be petted.

Howes' granddaughter, Caitlyn Strenk, first convinced her mother, Tiffany Romero, and the rest of the family to get pygmy goats after writing a presentation on their benefits to the business.

I had a bunch of pictures of them and then, they fell in love with them because they were so cute, she said.

The family obtained Casper, a five-month-old pygmy goat with a white goat and horns in mismatched black and white in April.

Hershey, with a brown coat, and Ramsey, in a white and brown coat, were purchased in May from a farm in Magnolia.

All three run, jump and play on a swing, seesaw and pond, that Romero's son, Logan Strenk, built in three weeks after finishing work as a landscaper.

While the city council members unanimously approved the proposed ordinance on the first reading, it will take a second vote on August 20 at another regular meeting to make it official.

Romero said she hopes to get a fourth pygmy goat and name it GOAT - Greatest Of All Tomball.

mayra.cruz@chron.com
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.

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.
A Galveston County grand jury Thursday indicted the 17-year old Santa Fe High School student accused of killing 10 people in a shooting spree at the school in May.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, is charged with capital murder and a first degree felony charge of aggravated assault on a peace officer. Pagourtzis 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.

Nick Poehl, Pagourtzis' attorney, said he was not surprised by the indictment and that he expected a court date to be set sometime over the next month.

"It basically went the way we expected in terms of the charges that were indicted and no additional charges," Poehl said.

CREECH: Start of football another step in healing process, according to HoustonChronicle.com column

Pagourtzis, a junior at Santa Fe High School, admitted to the mass shooting after his arrest, according to court documents. He planted explosives that did not detonate and selected his targets so as to spare the students he liked, he later told police.

Witnesses said Pagourtzis entered the school on May 18 with a long dark trench coat, the same attire as the Columbine High School shooters, concealing what police later identified as his father's sawed off Remington shotgun and .38 pistol.

Pagourtzis allegedly opened fire in an art class, moving through the room shooting at teachers and students, and talking to himself. He approached a supply closet where students were barricaded inside, and he shot through the windows saying "surprise," witnesses said.

WAVE OF PARENT INVOLVMENT: School shooting spurs Santa Fe parents to activism in this HoustonChronicle.com report

During the shooting, Barnes and another officer rushed into Santa Fe ISD High School, where they confronted Pagourtzis.

According to authorities, Pagourtzis fired the shotgun at Barnes. The blast hit the officer's right elbow, shredding veins and bone and sending blood spraying out onto the ground, according to reports.

Barnes spent 18 days at University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital before being discharged in June.

Pagourtzis was 17 when the shooting occurred -- considered a legal adult in Texas -- meaning he is eligible for a life sentence if convicted on the state charges, but theoretically could be eligible for parole in 40 years. He is currently being held without bail in Galveston County Jail.

Grand jury hearings on the Santa Fe shooting began last week. Pagourtzis' parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, were among the witnesses that testified to the grand jury.

Pagourtzis' parents are also defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by families of the Santa Fe High School victims, accusing them of permitting their son access to their firearms.

EIGHT AR-15s: Santa Fe ISD trustees accept donation of weapons

A federal investigation into the Santa Fe shooting is ongoing. 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.

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.

FAMILY, FRIENDS REACT: Portrait of alleged Santa Fe High School shooter emerges

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 assessment would have no bearing on the charges filed on Thursday, but could affect whether Pagourtzis is deemed fit to stand trial.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com
Alex Jones, the Austin-based conspiracy theorist, is a morally repellent opportunist whose influence in American politics is symptomatic of the deeply seated cultural pathologies that may ultimately be our collective undoing.

As proprietor of a website called InfoWars, Jones has used his platform to assert falsely that the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax  and that the grieving parents, whose 20 children were murdered along with six school staffers, are frauds.

Jones also spouted a lot of other garbage prior to that, and since. But theres no need to belabor the point. He is not an honest man, nor one of good character, and none of us should feel any sympathy for him over the fact that a number of major tech companies  including Facebook, Apple, YouTube, Spotify and Pinterest  have recently removed his content from their platforms.

Some conservatives, however, have expressed alarm at Jones shunning.

Am no fan of Jones  among other things he has a habit of repeatedly slandering my Dad by falsely and absurdly accusing him of killing JFK  but who the hell made Facebook the arbiter of political speech? U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted last week, after Facebook banned Jones from using its service for 30 days.

Free speech includes views you disagree with, continued Cruz, whos vying for re-election this November.

His statement is true. And, in fairness to Cruz, I know hell appreciate that I have the right to point out that his defense of Jones is ridiculous  albeit not as ridiculous as some of the others that have been offered by various right-wing voices.

READ MORE: Bigotry and ignorance shouldnt be Americas reality

This is about freedom and our access to information from the sources we as individuals trust and like, Fox News host Laura Ingraham declared during a segment on her show about what she deems the new corporate censorship.

For context, the First Amendment enshrines the right to spew lies, nonsense and vitriol  but not to do so on the privately run platforms of ones choosing.

Jones hasnt been targeted by the government, much less silenced by it. His own website is still up and running. And companies like Facebook have the right to bar someone like Jones from using their services.

Those that have done so have offered different explanations for their decision, which has perhaps fueled the impression that Jones is being targeted for ideological reasons by left-leaning tech companies. But Jones isnt ideological, as much as self-serving.

And the companies that have taken action against him dont really owe us an explanation, in the first place. In a sense, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the functional equivalent of a bouncer, and Alex Jones is like a belligerent drunk demanding entrance to his club, after disrobing and going for a long swim in a grimly neglected sewer.

READ MORE: Texans are tired of being insulted

Further, Jones hasnt actually been banished from all of the major social-media platforms previously available to him, even though the public furor over his antics has spurred them to consider the question. Executives at Twitter, for example, concluded that his InfoWars account hadnt actually violated its terms of service. In a series of tweets, CEO Jack Dorsey explained that he considered Jones case from a broader perspective.

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, Dorsey tweeted.

So the precedent being set, in this case, isnt particularly disturbing, even if you assume that Jones and InfoWars are indistinguishable from mainstream conservatism  which seems a bit uncharitable to conservatives, frankly, even in the Trump era.

We forget sometimes that companies like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are relatively young, and that there is not yet a consensus about how executives like Zuckerberg and Dorsey should deal with a user like Jones. As a matter of both business and ethics, they should strive to act in accordance with their own principles, and with an eye toward establishing parameters that might be invoked when similar situations arise  as they will, inevitably.

READ MORE: Census question about citizenship would be bad for Texas

But right-wing hacks like Ingraham should stop accusing these companies of ideologically motivated capriciousness, in the meantime. Its dishonest, and does a disservice to the Americans who trust them.

And conservatives like Cruz should stop fearmongering. As Americans, we have the right to say stupid and ghastly things. I agree thats a right worth defending. But Jones right to do so has not been infringed. The people who yearn to hear his toxic message will still be able to access it; they just may have to download a different app.

Plus, if conservatives are really worried about a slippery slope, theyre in a position to do something about it, rather than just grandstanding. Republicans control the White House, both chambers of Congress, and a majority of state governments; its not Facebooks fault if the party in power has less power than Facebook.

erica.grieder@chron.com

twitter.com/ericagrieder
People gather in large numbers to pay their last respects to DMK patriarch.

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.

A woman injured in the stampede being carried out in a stretcher. (Photo: Asian Age)

The injured persons were sent to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) but Shenbagam (60) of MGR Nagar in Chennai and an unidentified man died on the way to the hospital. Another person  Saravanan (37) died at the hospital without responding to the treatment.

Anitha (45), a police constable who was posted in the Rajaji Hall as part of the forces for crowd control, also sustained injuries in the stampede. As many as eight persons are undergoing treatment in the RGGGH. Meanwhile, Durai (55) of Madurai, who suffered injuries had died in Omandurar Government Super-specialty Hospital without responding to the treatment. Three injured persons are undergoing treatment in the Super-specialty Hospital.

The police were controlling the crowd well until the prime minister left after paying homage to M. Karunanidhi. The police made a mistake in crowd control soon after the PM left as they began allowing people in batches without considering the numbers present. Many people tried to reach the main entrance to the hall where the body was kept and from all sides, including from the adjacent Government super-specialty Hospital breaching the designated entry point, sources said.

D03
Brazos County Jail

A Houston woman was taken into custody by Bryan police on Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman with a tire iron in an argument over chicken.

According to TheEagle.com, authorities responded to a call at a residence. A 34-year-old woman, who is pregnant with twins, told them that she and her godmother, Gwendolyn Faye Diggles, 58, had gone to the grocery store and gotten in an argument.
The Texas prison system handed out more than $9 million this fiscal year on bonuses to aid recruitment as they grappled with extensive officer vacancies, but department data shows the cash outlay has hardly moved the needle.

Seven months after the state launched a concerted effort to bring down the 14 percent officer vacancy rate, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice still has 3,675 unfilled positions - roughly 30 more than in January when the leadership started tackling the problem.

But prison officials are optimistic that the tide is turning, pointing out that vacancy numbers are down from a peak in April.

I am in no way ringing the bell of victory, said TDCJ Executive Director Bryan Collier at a June prison board meeting. These numbers make me cautiously optimistic.

Still, critics say that longer-term solutions could require more money - for salaries and for air-conditioning - or more drastic measures.

More Information by See More Collapse

Theres really only one solution, truthfully, said Scott Henson, policy director with Just Liberty, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform. And that is that we need to reduce the incarceration levels enough to close more units and this time target units with high vacancy rates for closure.

****

Staffing shortages have long plagued the prison system, a problem driven in part by the lock-ups remote locations, the tough working conditions including a lack of air conditioning, and the relatively low pay.

Back in 2008, just over 13 percent of officer positions were unfilled and, though the vacancies decreased over the next two years, by 2012 some units were so poorly staffed the state was forced to take nearly 700 beds offline due to a lack of guards.

In 2015, TDCJ executives offered an across-the-board pay hike as vacancies climbed over 13 percent again. Afterward, the situation improved - but by late last year, numbers started creeping up, and as of October just over 14 percent of officer jobs sat unfilled.

Twelve of the systems 104 units were under 75 percent staffed and one - in the panhandle town of Dalhart, where a cheese factory pulls away the local workforce - had just 56 percent of officer positions filled.

Thats why at the start of the year the prison system attacked the problem head-on, bumping up recruitment efforts, expanding targeted $4,000 and $5,000 hiring bonuses to 29 particularly understaffed units, and increasing starting pay 12 percent systemwide effective Feb. 1. Now, new guards can start making $36,000 per year instead of $32,000.

The bonus funding was scheduled to come out of the systems existing budget, officials said at the time, and the bonus pay alone turned out to be a record-setting figure. In the first nine months of fiscal year 2018, the prison system shelled out just over $9.1 million on bonus pay, more than in any other entire fiscal year for the past decade.

At first, it didnt seem to have much effect. Through February and March the exodus continued, and by April, 3,930 jobs were unfilled, making for a 15.22 percent vacancy rate.

But in May, the numbers started to look a little better, with 3,772 open positions. By June, the figure was down to 3,675 almost back to where it was in October.

We are constantly recruiting in the communities that we serve, prison spokesman Jeremy Desel said in a statement. Hiring data shows that our recruiting efforts are working and progress is being made shrinking the number of unfilled positions agency-wide.

READ MORE: Prison turnover leaves units understaffed

But even though the overall figures improved, more units are severely understaffed now than last fall. The latest unit-by-unit figures - from May 31 - show that fourteen units were under 75 percent staffed. Dalhart was down to 51 percent staffed. At the Daniel Unit, between Lubbock and Abilene, staffing dropped from from 77 percent in October to only 62 percent of jobs filled in May.

And the notorious Ferguson Unit - where a teacher was allegedly raped by an inmate last year in an incident her lawyers blamed on understaffing - was down to 69 percent staffed.

Of the 29 units with hiring bonuses, 19 - including Daniel, Ferguson and Dalhart - had higher vacancy rates in May than they did in October. New unit-by-unit data from July 31 is expected to be released in the coming days.

Prison officials say the figures would be worse without the pay bumps and bonuses, but Lance Lowry, a Huntsville corrections officer and former union president who now runs a criminal justice nonprofit, said focusing on new hires only addresses part of the problem.

A bonus just gets people in the door, he said. Weve never had a problem getting people in the door - the problem is getting those employees to stay.

***

Its long been accepted as conventional wisdom that prison guard vacancies are linked to the success - or struggles - in the better-paying industries, like oil and gas.

Obviously the problem is the economy, not to mention oil, said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston. Its just hard to compete with the salaries that the energy sector pays in these areas that oil is doing so well.

But the Chronicle talked to a handful of corrections officers and criminal justice experts, who also cited a number of other factors driving the recurring vacancy issues.

One common concern was the lack of air-conditioning. As inmates fight for access to cooler quarters with the settlement of a federal class-action suit on behalf of prisoners at one geriatric lock-up in East Texas, officers at many units face the same struggles.

READ MORE: Plagued by staffing shortages, Texas prisons bump up officer starting salaries 12 percent

If they would air condition every unit across the state they would keep more people, said one officer, who asked not to be named because he wasnt authorized to speak on the record. If you as a corrections officer tell your lieutenant, Look Im hot, I need to go cool down, theyre gonna laugh you off the unit.

Other officers cited broader problems, like a good old boy agency culture, favoritism, sub-par pay and an advancement ladder that doesnt offer scheduled pay hikes after eight years on the job.

And even though the agency is striving to tackle those issues, theres the even tougher problem at hand: location, location, location.

When the prison system underwent a massive and abrupt expansion in the early 1990s, the state didnt turn to pricey real estate in urban areas. As a result, Texas ended up with dozens of lock-ups in far-flung places and tiny towns - exactly the sort of locale where hiring is tough, and a hiring bonus may not do the trick.

We built the prisons in all the wrong places, Whitmire said.

***

The potential problems that stem from understaffing are not hard to spot. Prisons can become more dangerous, and prisoners are let out less often for activities, making it harder to meet rehabilitative goals. But the solutions to understaffing arent as clear.

Adding air conditioning would be expensive, and boosting pay across-the-board even more so.

We already pay less to incarcerate people than just about every other state, Henson said. A 2015 Vera Institute of Justice analysis showed that Texas has 11.6 percent of the countrys state prisoners, but only accounts for 7.6 percent of prison spending.

Were underspending at pretty radical levels, he added. If you dont want to spend more, your options are: incarcerate fewer people. Thats it.

Marc Levin, vice president of criminal justice policy at non-profit Texas Public Policy in Austin, agreed.

I think its the ideal solution, he said. We would obviously want to look at the units with the biggest staffing issues and biggest capital costs.

But some officers were skeptical, and Lowry suggested mothballing beds at understaffed units rather than closing them entirely. And, looking ahead, he warned about the possibility of an even more dire staffing situation.

Coming out of the GOP convention in San Antonio, one of the partys platform planks included transitioning retirement plans for some state workers from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution plans.

If they do away with that defined benefit, they better call in the National Guard, Lowry predicted. Youre going to have the biggest mass walkout youve ever seen.

In the meantime - and absent any funding influx from lawmakers - the prison system plans to keep doing what its doing. The higher starting pay is a permanent change, Desel said, and theres no firm end-date or target goal for the unit bonuses.

For the foreseeable future, the bonus pay is in the mix and will be staying because its working, he said. Its been an upward trend for the last three months running.
On Kevin Leagos July CT scan, his torso looks like it has been riddled with birdshot. Dark splotches speckle his liver, his pancreas, his spine, marking where his neuroendocrine cancer has spread.

The pain in his bones has left the 38-year-old Houston Fire Department senior captain unable to work since the end of May. Within 30 days, he will exhaust all his sick and vacation time, leaving him with no income.

His doctors say his best shot at survival is a new treatment that is not offered at the hospital covered by Leagos city health insurance.

Workers compensation benefits would provide Leago a paycheck while he is ill and allow him to transfer to any hospital that accepts him, but the city of Houston denied his claim. The citys third-party administrator argued Leagos cancer is unrelated to his 17 years of service in the fire department, despite a Texas law requiring the government to presume that firefighters cancers are caused by exposure to carcinogens on the job.

Part of me thinks if the workers comp people would do what they are supposed to do, I wouldnt have to worry about my bills getting paid, or a lot of this treatment and insurance, Leago said during a chemotherapy session last week. You cant already be drained and trying to fight cancer at the same time.

LAGGING BEHIND: Texas launches probe of HFD safety procedures

Leagos predicament is hardly unique. In the past six years, more than nine in 10 Texas firefighters with cancer have had their workers comp claims denied, according to state statistics.

Union leaders and state legislators say cities have ignored Texas presumptive cancer statute for first responders, and face few consequences for denying claims. The result, they say, is that firefighters often see their personal savings evaporate even as they compromise on their care.

The sky-high denial rate of cancer is the first problem, said Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association. Firefighters with denied claims often have fewer treatment options and face the risk of financial ruin because of lost income.

All seven HFD members with cancer who have filed workers comp claims since 2016 have been denied, according to the union. That abysmal batting average has encouraged others to wait on the Legislature to strengthen the law protecting sick firefighters before filing their own claims.

Leago does not have that kind of time.

Law protects firefighters

The Texas Legislature in 2005 unanimously passed a change to state law that requires the government to presume, if firefighters are diagnosed with cancer and meet certain criteria, their illness was caused by exposure to carcinogens on the job.

The statute shifts the burden from firefighters having to prove their cancer was caused by firefighting to their employers, who must prove it was not. Legislators wrote the law to help doctors, lawyers, insurance providers and union representatives avoid wrangling over individual cases so firefighters can receive benefits quickly.

The state firefighters union and lawmakers say cities have subverted the law by denying workers comp claims from firefighters who qualify.

Of 117 workers comp cancer claims filed by firefighters in the state since 2012, 91 percent have been denied, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Charles Apple

It is astoundingly high, said John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Firefighters. Its higher than any other work-related injury that workers comp has denied.

Firefighters are substantially more likely to win benefits on appeal, prevailing in 64 percent of cases over that same period. Yet, less than one-fifth of firefighters disputed their denied claims, daunted by the prospect of spending months or years sparring with insurers in court while simultaneously battling cancer.

Houston attorney Mike Sprain, who has represented dozens of firefighters in their appeals, said the workers comp process has become so arduous that firefighters with cancer are unlikely to get a claim approved without an attorney.

The lawyer said a 2011 Texas Supreme Court ruling further puts firefighters at a disadvantage. That decision exempted workers comp administrators from bad faith claims. Previously, cities could have been held liable for dismissing a workers claim without evidence.

State Rep. Dustin Burrows said that since cities now can deny workers comp claims with impunity, they have an incentive to spend as little money as possible.

I am very, very, disappointed in what Im seeing, Burrows said. I think there is a really strong argument thats whats going on here  that maybe theyre making economic decisions rather than actually contractually living up to their obligations.

The Lubbock Republican filed a bill this past session that would again allow workers to challenge bad faith claim denials. It passed the House, but died in the Senate. Burrows said he plans to try again when the Legislature reconvenes next January.

Law interpretation questioned

The city of Houstons benefits provider did not respond to a request for comment, but a memo written by the Texas Intergovernmental Risk Pool, which handles workers comp for more than 2,700 other Texas municipalities, outlines the strategy firefighters say cities use to dodge the cancer presumptive law.

The memo states Texas law presumes only three types of cancer are caused by firefighting: testicular, prostate and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The risk pool cites a 2007 paper that states dozens of studies have linked firefighting to those three illnesses.

Dr. Robert Deuell, a physician and former state senator from Greenville who wrote the presumptive cancer statute, said that interpretation of the law is incorrect.

It was intended for any cancer caused by firefighting exposure and not limited to any particular number of cancers, Deuell said.

Firefighter unions say cities are ignoring a wealth of research that links their occupation to other forms of cancer. The presumption statute states it applies to cancers that may be caused by exposure to heat, smoke, radiation, or a known or suspected carcinogen as determined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The IARCs published research on cancer in the fire service is 559 pages long. It cites scores of academic papers, including a meta-analysis of 32 studies that concluded 12 cancers were possibly or probably caused by firefighting.

Deuell said he is not surprised the Texas Intergovernmental Risk Pool has taken a narrow view of the presumptive law because its administrator, the Texas Municipal League, lobbied against its passage.

David Reagan, counsel for TIRP, said the risk pool must balance the needs of firefighters seeking benefits with those of cities trying to spend prudently.

Its not that were not sympathetic to firefighters. We are, Reagan said. But at the same time, we have to follow the law in spending taxpayer money.

Even if firefighters eventually win their workers comp cases on appeal, they risk provoking lawsuits from the cities that employ them. The city of Baytown sued firefighter Patrick Mahoney, who has thyroid cancer, after he won workers compensation benefits on appeal. Mahoney sought workers comp because the citys insurance plan does not cover cancer treatment.

The city of Houston sued 23-year HFD veteran Margaret Roberts in 2015 after she appealed and won a workers compensation claim for her blood and bone cancer. Roberts died in 2017, but the citys suit against her estate continues.

Daniel Roberts said he and the couples three children have struggled to find closure in the 19 months since his wifes death because the citys lawyers refuse to concede her cancer was caused by firefighting.

How did she get this sickness? On your damn job. You know what Im saying? Roberts said. It should be against the law, the way they do families the way they do. They should be prosecuted.

Out of options

Kevin Leago feels fortunate doctors caught his cancer in the first place. Unlike the Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso fire departments, HFD does not send its firefighters for regular physicals, where illnesses can be detected.

Leago discovered he was sick after the ambulance he was driving collided with another vehicle in October 2012. Doctors ordered a CT scan to survey his broken back and wrist, and discovered a tumor in his pancreas. He was 32, and his wife, Breck, was 7 months pregnant.

The only thing that was going through my mind was, God, please let me see my daughter be born, Leago said. Because that cancer is usually a very quick killer.

A surgery in 2013 removed his spleen, 22 lymph nodes and 70 percent of his pancreas, and the cancer vanished for nearly five years. It returned in the fall of 2017, and he went under the knife again. When Leago fell ill after extinguishing a routine fire in May, a CT scan revealed the cancer had spread throughout his body.

The fentanyl patches he wears soothe the aching in his bones, but are so strong he cannot work or drive. Breck takes him everywhere, including chemotherapy sessions in Houston, more than an hour from their home in Winnie. Their lives have become an interminable cycle of doctors appointments, phone calls with insurers and pit stops on I-10.

Leago does not smoke and is physically fit, and believes the most likely explanation for his cancer is exposure to carcinogens  including benzene, formaldehyde, and asbestos  his body regularly absorbed on fire calls. He cannot pinpoint a blaze that was particularly hazardous, and researchers have been unable to conclusively link pancreatic cancer to firefighting.

Leago said his doctors, who declined to speak with the Chronicle, are reluctant to state his illness likely was caused by firefighting because they are worried about having to defend that position in court. Legislators say the presumptive cancer statute is supposed to relieve doctors of that burden, precisely because the provenance of an individual case of cancer is difficult to trace.

Now that his cancer has progressed to stage 4, Leago said his doctors believe his best chance for survival is a new treatment called PRRT, a molecular therapy used to combat neuroendocrine tumors.

The Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, where Leago receives chemotherapy, does not offer PRRT. MD Anderson Cancer Center, the famed cancer hospital 2,000 yards east on Holcombe Boulevard that was ranked last year as the best in the world, does perform the treatment.

Leagos city health insurance so far has refused to cover care from MD Anderson because the hospital is out of its network. If his workers comp claim is approved, he can choose any hospital that would accept him.

For now, Leago focuses on spending time with his family on their 13-acre ranch in the country, where cows, chickens and an affable pig roam the property. The couple has not told their five-year-old daughter, Kenzi, much about his illness. She sees how her daddys walk as slowed, though, how he is too sore to carry her to bed or unable to do many of the activities they once shared.

Leago finds purpose in his fight for benefits. Though his treatments leave him fatigued and nauseous, he still finds time to consult with his attorney and the firefighters union about his workers comp appeal strategy.

By having his denial overturned in court, Leago hopes to create a path for other firefighters to follow with their own claims.

I want people to be able to take my experience, and use that, and do them some good in the future, he said.

St. John Barned-Smith contributed reporting.

Zach Despart covers Harris County for the Chronicle. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at zach.despart@chron.com.
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 bureau plans to replicate 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 through internal threats.

We want to establish, cultivate, and enhance public-private relationships to mitigate attempts by foreign adversaries to steal from our institutions for their benefit, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner. It is incumbent on us, given the importance of medical and academic institutions in Houston, to create platforms to share information to mitigate the risks and prevent theft.

Deron Ogletree, FBI assistant special assistant in charge said inside threats, people hard to identify because theyve gained the institutions trust, pose the No. 1 risk to academic and medical institutions. He said FBI officials outlined tripwires institutions can create to alert them to cyber espionage.

Donald Lichay, FBI supervisory special agent, said the bureau really wanted the institutions to hear some of the information weve collected so they believe the threats real. He noted that the academic community prides itself so much on the free and open discourse of ideas that they may find it hard to believe that people working with them may not have the best of intentions toward the institution and the country.

FBI officials provided the leaders with classified information about direct threats, both in Houston and nationally, he said.

The meeting reflects the bureaus increasing concern, made in public comments and before congressional committees, about cybersecurity threats posed by adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran. Following a 2017 report that found intellectual-property theft by China costs the U.S. as much as $600 billion annually, FBI Director Christopher Wray this June called China "the broadest, most significant" threat to the United States and said its espionage is active in all 50 states.

The officials said the initiative is not a political or administrative change, but a new bureau and intelligence community mindset thats been building the past three or four years.

Turner, Ogletree and Lichay met with the Chronicle after the three-hour-long briefing. They mentioned no specific countries.

Lichay said the threat to academic and medical institutions is growing and evolving and that partnerships are needed to stay in front of it. Turner said the FBI doesnt have the resources to tackle the problem all by itself.

It makes sense Houston would be the initiatives starting location because the city is an epicenter of world-class and renowned academic and research institutions, Lichay said, adding that he hopes Houston leads the charge informing the academic community about the threat.

William McKeon, president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center, said the information presented Wednesday was something of a replay for him because hes met with the FBI several times in the past year. But he said it was likely a real eye-opening experience for many of those in attendance.

The TMC is definitely vulnerable, given the amount of research and materials and physicians present, said McKeon. Theres a lot at stake here, and cyberattacks almost daily. For many of these countries, the fastest way to improve their economies is to steal technology, not develop it themselves.

The Houston-area leaders represented about 20 institutions, including many in the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems, the University of Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Methodist Hospital.

McKeon said hed never seen such a meeting of the FBI and the states academic and medical firepower. FBI officials added that theyd never before convened such a large gathering.

A number of the Houston leaders could not be reached for comment after the meeting. Three, however, were quoted in support of the initiative in an FBI news release issued later Wednesday, including Dr. Peter Pisters, president of MD Anderson. Pisters said the inaugural briefing highlights the challenges and threats our society faces today.

Dr. Mauro Ferrari, president of Methodists Research Institute, said in the statement that when law enforcement agencies like the FBI ask for our help to protect our research environment and our nation, we heed that call.

Lichay emphasized that the FBI doesnt want to insert ourselves into private institutions  we want them to know were here to help, to share information, including concerns they may be being targeted.

He said that in the past  more in other cities than in Houston  there has often been friction between academic institutions and the bureau, a perception the FBI is maybe targeting in a specific way as opposed to simply enforcing the law.

Lichay and Turner said the goal is new relationships in which both parties share information with each other.

Today, we wanted to open our arms and bring them in the family and hope they will do the same with us, said Lichay. We want to spread a wide net.

The meeting also was attended by FBI officials from other parts of Texas and the region, who intend to bring points made in the meeting to their cities and states.
If immigrants who are victims of domestic violence are too afraid to contact authorities for fear they will be deported, Harris County prosecutors say theyll come to them.

The outreach initiative comes as the rate of domestic violence continues to rise in Texas, where more than 550 women were killed by theirpartners between 2012 and 2016.

The current political situation is driving many people back into the shadows; its discouraging that its keeping crime victims from reporting when their fear of deportation is greater than the desire to engage the system, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

The countys top prosecutor, in a press event Thursday, aligned herself with Houstons police chief in expressing concerns over the effects of ramped up immigration enforcement, as well as Texass anti-sanctuary city laws that allow officers to document the immigration status of those they arrest or detain. Houston was one of several Texas cities that have joined a federal court challenge of the 2017 law.

Last April, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said 43 percent fewer Hispanics reported rapes compared to the previous year, along with a 13 percent drop in reports by Hispanics of violent crimes.

By the numbers On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States - more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year. One in 4 women (24.3 percent) and 1 in 7 men (13.8 percent) ages 18 and older in the United States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Females ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experienced the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Between 30 to 60 percent of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household. Source: The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). See More Collapse

When you see this type of data, and what looks like the beginnings of people not reporting crime, we should all be concerned, Acevedo said at the time. A person that rapes or violently attacks or robs an undocumented immigrant is somebody that is going to harm a natural born citizen or lawful resident.

The DAs program will be directed by the offices Criminal Law Division and is a formal partnership with several nonprofit organizations to provide and enhance culturally specific advocacy services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault.

The program will focus on members of the South Asian, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Hispanic and African-American communities, targeting barriers faced by those residents when they attempt to use services that could help them deal with domestic violence, officials said Thursday.

When I learned that domestic violence accounts for 25 percent of our homicide rate, I talked with our domestic violence division chief and asked to come up with a plan to address the service gaps for victims in our justice system, said Ogg, after signing a memorandum of understanding for the new initiative.

Ogg said the primary purpose of the initiative is to bridge an existing gap between the time the victim tells someone about the crime and the time the system responds.

A lot of our clients dont have transportation and other means that allow them to go to downtown to the DAs office, said Susan Hastings, director of the Christian Ministries Crisis Center in Katy. She noted that victims, particularly immigrants and minorities, often face other barriers in attempting to obtain a protective order from a court, including a lack of language skills to unfamiliarity with the legal system.

In an effort to overcome those barriers, we are taking our services to the communities where people, and especially minority communities, are hesitant to come to the justice system, said Carvana Cloud, who heads the Family Criminal Law Division. We are really focusing on victims safety and not just locking the offenders up.

Ogg said her administration has been rethinking the way it serve communities, in part after the experience of Hurricane Harvey when we found ourselves without even an office due to the effects of flooding that closed the countys criminal court complex.

Harris County has the highest number of domestic violence deaths in the state, and about 7,000 charges are filed every year on average by Oggs office.

olivia.tallet@chron.com

twitter.com/oliviaptallet
Locals said they never saw any girl on terrace or outside the home but confirmed that cars used to come there in the evening.

A view of the shelter home from where girls were rescued after allegation of sexual exploitation of the inmates came to light, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to swing into a damage control mode by removing the district magistrate and ordering a high-level probe, in Deoria. (Photo: PTI)

Deoria: 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.

After a raid at the place on Sunday night, police said 24 girls were rescued. Eighteen others were missing, they added amid suspicion that the inmates were being subjected to sexual abuse.

On Wednesday, District Magistrate Amit Kishore and Superintendent of Police Rohan P Kanay said a register at the shelter home had 41 names. Of them, all but seven have been traced, they added.

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.

Also Read: Girls taken away at night, returned crying: Minor who escaped UP shelter

During a visit to the shelter home, now sealed, a PTI correspondent was told 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 on Tuesday, 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 in 2017.
A man in a wheelchair was struck by an 18-wheeler on Houston's east side Thursday, witnesses told police.

The crash happened around 3:20 p.m. along the East Freeway outbound feeder road at Federal Road, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith.

The truck, operated by Gulf Winds International, was turning south on Federal Road from the eastbound feeder road when the collision occurred.

Now Playing: A man in a wheelchair was struck by an 18-wheeler on Houston's east side Thursday, witnesses told police. Video: Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle

Investigators on scene said the man in the wheelchair, who suffered from poor eyesight, was struck by the left rear tires of the truck.

The truck driver told police he looked both ways before making the turn.

Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department rushed the man to Memorial Hermann Hospital in an unknown condition, Smith said.

Gulf Winds International is a warehouse and distribution company based out of Fort Worth, with operations in Dallas and Houston, according to the company's website.

The company describes itself as a faith-based organization, with the following mission statement: "to glorify God by providing world class logistics services through continual investment in our people, clients, community and the world we live in."

A representative with the company was not immediately available.

HPD's Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating the crash.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com
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

Now Playing: A man who can be seen in a video chastising a woman at a Chicago forest preserve for wearing a shirt with the Puerto Rican flag on it has been charged with committing a hate crime Video: Time

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




GPPD

Grand Prairie police arrested a woman on this week after accusing her of falsifying a report that said she was sexually assaulted by a cop impersonator.

Meagan Clark, 25, told police she was sexually assaulted last month by a Hispanic male wearing a tactical-style uniform and carrying a badge.
As more and more countries finally develop the capability to leave Earth's atmosphere, Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday the United States needs to "prepare for the next battlefield": space.

"Not all of [these countries] share our commitment to freedom, to private property, and the rule of law," Pence said during a Thursday news conference at the Pentagon that was livestreamed. "So as we continue to carry American leadership in space, so also will we carry America's commitment to freedom into this new frontier."

Shortly after Pence's speech, Secretary of Defense James Mattis delivered a plan to Congress to develop the country's first new military branch in 70 years: the U.S. Space Force.

"This report reviews the national security space activities within the Department of Defense, and it identifies concrete steps that our administration will take to lay the foundation for a new Department of the Space Force," Pence said, words that were met with a rousing round of applause.

Congress must authorize the creation of a new military branch, but Pence seemed confident Thursday that they would do so by 2020. He added that President Donald Trump, who recently called for the creation of a space force, would ask for funding authorization next February.

NASA/Handout

After Pence's speech, Trump exuberantly tweeted "Space Force all the way!" But the idea was met with mixed responses from political leaders.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-East Texas, told Fox Business Network on Wednesday that a Space Force was a necessity.

"I don't think we can afford not to do this," Gohmert said. "Since I was a little kid in the '60s, it appeared clear to me that, despite movies like 'Alien' where corporations owned space, I thought, 'We can't allow corporations to own space.'"

The government needs to control space, he added, "because whoever controls space can control planet Earth."

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, had a different take on the matter. He tweeted his frustration with the idea Thursday, calling it "silly and dangerous."

Pence "just announced a new military branch  a 'Space Force,' because no R[epublican] is willing to tell [the president] it's a dumb idea," he said. "Although 'Space Force' won't happen, it's dangerous to have a leader who cannot be talked out of crazy ideas."

If approved, the Space Force would be the first new military service created since the Air Force in 1947. But a military operation dedicated to space is not a new idea.

Just last year, some members of Congress proposed the creation of a "Space Corps" within the Air Force. But the Pentagon  including Mattis  opposed the idea, and, ultimately, it was stymied.

By comparison, Trump's plan would create a whole new branch with a group of elite warfighters, led by an "assistant secretary of defense for space," a civilian position that would report to the defense secretary.

Trump directed the Department of Defense "to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces" just seven weeks ago.

But Congress will need to debate whether it should be an independent branch or housed within the Air Force, Houston Republican Rep. John Culberson said in a statement.

"America must not surrender the high ground of outer space to any other nation in the 21st century and beyond," he said. "It is essential that America protect our vital telecommunications infrastructure in outer space."

During his Thursday news conference, Pence said there are "growing security threats emerging in space" that America needs to be prepared for.

Those threats, he added, come largely from China and Russia, who are developing hypersonic missiles, technologies to track and destroy satellites and "an airborne laser to disrupt our space-based system," for example.

"Recently, our adversaries have been working to bring new weapons of war into space itself," Pence added. "And just as we've done in ages past, the United States of America ... will meet the emerging threats on this new battlefield with American ingenuity and strength to defend our nation, protect our people, and carry the cause of liberty and peace into the next great American frontier."

Russia has been a U.S. ally in low Earth orbit -- where the International Space Station flies -- for 20 years. The two nations worked together to build the space station and the Russians have been transporting U.S. astronauts to the space station since 2011, when the space shuttle program was shuttered.

China, on the other hand, is barred from the station. In 2011, then-U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., a longtime critic of the Chinese government, spearheaded a move prohibiting the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and NASA from collaborating with China on any scientific activities. The prohibition was dropped into a congressional spending bill that year. It has since become known as the Wolf Amendment.

BARRING ACCESS: Why Chinese astronauts are banned from the International Space Station, NASA activities

"As President Trump has said, in his words, 'It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space; we must have American dominance in space,' " Pence said. "And so we will."

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook.

Richard Nixon made that infamous declaration during a press conference in November 1973. The American people got an answer on this day 44 years ago, when Nixon resigned the presidency, walking out on the south lawn of the White House to the helicopter that would carry him safely away from the levers of power he had so abused.

OPINION: Don't insult Nixon by comparing him to Trump

EDITORIAL: Texas Republicans should emulate Barry Goldwater's conscience of a conservative

RELATED: When Trump met Nixon in H-Town

It had taken more than six years for the cloud of corruption around Nixon to catch up with him. During much of that time, his supporters maintained that the negative stories over allegations of wrongdoing were the invention of the East Coast press. Thats not the only thing about those years that sounds familiar today.

The most famous part of Watergate was the breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. In those days, you had to commit the crime in person, and Nixons men fumbled the job.

In 2016, the servers of the DNC were hacked  a 21st century break-in  most likely by the Russian government. President Donald Trump has not been charged with a crime. No evidence released so far proves that Trump colluded with the Russians.

EDITORIAL: Trump's obeisance to Russian counterpart continues to mystify

But we do know that members of Trumps campaign, including his own son, leapt at the chance to meet with Russian government-connected messengers who claimed to have dirt on his opponents  which, if they had any at all, they most likely obtained through criminal activity. The president acknowledged the meeting on his own Twitter account this week, calling it totally legal and done all the time.

The final chapter of Watergate began when Nixon attempted to shut down a Justice Department investigation into his presidency. That was widely seen as beyond the pale, and it caused a constitutional crisis. Trump hasnt gone that far, although his presidency began with an attempt to shut down a Justice Department investigation into hacking during the 2016 election. Two days after firing FBI Director James Comey, Trump told NBCs Lester Holt that he fired Comey to stop the made-up story of the investigation, a statement later echoed by Rudy Giuliani, one of the presidents lawyers.

EDITORIAL: Trump Jr.'s email scandal reveals a question of priorities  and legality

OPINION: Reporter Carl Bernstein has seen it all, from Nixon to now - but nothing quite like Trump

During Nixons presidency, the scandals trickled out over a matter of years. In Trumps case, they have poured like one of the presidents late-night Twitter storms.

But Nixons scandal reached an inflection point when his authoritarian tendencies became too much even for members of his own party. Republicans voted to file articles of impeachment on grounds of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. When more started to defect, Nixon crumbled. On the night of August 8, he told the nation that his congressional support had faltered. The country needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, he told the nation, and he would not stay to fight.

For the very health of this country, we need to know that todays Republicans  like their predecessors  won't let any such high crimes and misdemeanors go unpunished if proven at the top levels of government. They cant, so to speak, let the president stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and get away with it, as he famously joked during the campaign.

The question today, on the anniversary of Nixons resignation, is one that ought be asked of every Republican candidate for Congress by his or her voters: Where is your red line? What behavior will you not accept from Americas chief executive?

Maybe Robert Muellers special investigation will end in no charges for Trump. Maybe it will even clear him. But what if the opposite happens?

EDITORIAL: "What did the President know and when did he know it?"

Dan Crenshaw, Ava Pate and Phillip Aronoff, what is your red line? Brian Babin, John Culberson and Pete Olson, are you willing to put country ahead of party? Kevin Brady, Michael McCaul and Randy Weber, can you see yourself voting for articles of impeachment against Trump?

No president is above the law, and any representative must be able to imagine a scenario where the Mueller investigation may reveal an impeachable offense. That investigation has already resulted in two guilty pleas from one-time Trump staffers: former campaign policy adviser George Papadopoulos and former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort is currently on trial. Rick Gates, who also worked on the campaign, has testified that he and Manafort committed crimes together.

The American people deserve to know whether our president is upholding the values of the office. And they also deserve to know that, if need be, their representatives in Congress will do the right thing and hold a crooked White House accountable.
The chamber of Congress that Democrats are best positioned to wrest control of in the midterm elections is the House. Thats indisputable. But the lopsided focus on it  I plead guilty myself  sometimes creates the impression that taking the Senate is a pipe dream and lost cause. And thats insane.

Its a reach, yes. Many more Democrats than Republicans in the Senate are up for re-election and thus defending their seats and many are doing so in states that Donald Trump won handily. I wouldnt bet on a Democratic takeover.

But I wouldnt give up on it, because a Democratic majority in the Senate means more than one in the House (Supreme Court, anyone?), and there really is a rationale for hope.

OPINION: Face the facts: Beto will lose

It starts with the general political climate and Trumps approval rating, which never crests 45 percent. Sad! Recent polls have shown that in congressional races, voters prefer a generic Democrat to a generic Republican by 6 to 10 points. Thats wave territory and Democrats are favored by the historical patterns of midterms.

Theyve also had some luck to counter rosy economic statistics. In key Senate races, the partys incumbents and preferred candidates havent faced tough primary challenges, so they havent been bruised prematurely, forced to tap financial resources early or pushed to places on the political spectrum that might be trouble in a general election.

The party needs to pick up two seats. It has more than two states to turn to. For a while now, Jacky Rosen in ever-bluer Nevada has been scaring the bejesus out of the Republican incumbent, Dean Heller. More recently, Kyrsten Sinema in reddish Arizona and Phil Bredesen in redder Tennessee have emerged as fearsome contenders for seats being vacated by Trump-averse Republicans (Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, respectively).

Democrats struck gold when Bredesen agreed to run: Hes a former two-term governor of Tennessee who exhibited bipartisan appeal. Hes polling strongly. And hes campaigning sagely. In one ad he tells voters that if Trump pushes a policy good for the people of Tennessee, hell support it. It doesnt matter where it came from.

That assurance reflects the strategically tempered approach that other Senate candidates in Trump-friendly states are taking. For example, Heidi Heitkamp, the vulnerable Democratic incumbent in North Dakota, uses one of her ads to say, I voted over half the time with President Trump, and that made a lot of people in Washington mad.

Jennifer Duffy, who handicaps Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, has both Arizona and Tennessee in the tossup category. Late last week, she moved Texas from likely Republican to leans Republican, upgrading the chances of an upset by Beto ORourke, the Democratic challenger to Ted Cruz. I just cant ignore Texas anymore, she told me. ORourke has too much money. Its largely small donations from individual donors, underscoring the romance of his bid and the contrast between him and Cruz, whos not exactly romantic.

OPINION: Off to the races for Cruz and ORourke

Democratic leaders have, among other smart adjustments, ramped up their digital efforts with an eye toward the youngest voters, whose turnout is typically disappointing but whose distaste for Trump is strong. The partys problem  a huge one  is that 10 of its incumbents are in states that voted for Trump. It cant afford for more than one or two to lose.

The four in Rust Belt states where Trump prevailed by single-digit margins  Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio  seem for now to be safe, amid signals of disenchantment with Trump in that region.

North Dakota, Montana, Indiana, Missouri and West Virginia all favored Trump by double-digit margins. But in none of them has the Republican challenger yet proved especially mighty. In Montana and in West Virginia, where a Democratic super PAC spent heavily and successfully to keep the Republican candidate it considered most worrisome from getting the nomination, the Democratic incumbents are looking sturdier every day.

Florida, where Trump edged out Hillary Clinton, will be noisy and nasty. Bill Nelsons Republican challenger is the states governor, Rick Scott, whos willing to pump his own millions into the race. But both the Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer and the American Civil Liberties Union are engaged in initiatives that could elevate Democratic turnout there. And Scotts two gubernatorial victories were mere 1-point wins in midterm years  2010 and 2014  when Republicans swaggered. In 2018, theyre slinking.

Some Republicans believe that they can snatch the Senate seat held by Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who was ensnared in a humiliating ethics scandal. Democratic leaders arent all that worried and Duffy sides with them.

Shes riveted by  wait for it  Mississippi. Thats the big asterisk that makes me crazy, she said. An open Senate seat there might not be decided until a Nov. 27 runoff of sorts. What if everything hinges on it and Democrats, emboldened by their Senate victory in a special election in Alabama last year make a similar stand in another usually hopeless state?

Mississippians, brace for a media invasion like youve never seen. Americans, buckle up.
'If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal to support his party's candidate?' AAP leader asked.

Terming Congress a 'mean-spirited' party, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said AAP voted in favour of Congress candidates in President and Vice President polls, even without being asked for it. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to "boycott" the election to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman today, according to party parliamentarian Sanjay Singh.

Singh on Wednesday 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 have the courtesy to say thank you. The AAP supported the Congress on many occasions including the political crisis in Goa, Uttarakhand 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.
Republicans seem to have held on, barely, to a U.S. House seat near Columbus, Ohio, that they have occupied continuously since 1983.

That outcome doesnt tell us much new, but it reinforces some conclusions we already had reasons to reach.

First: Democrats are enthusiastic about voting. There is a temptation to treat their turnout purely as a function of their hostility to the way President Donald Trump has conducted himself in office. But it's important to remember that partisans of the opposition party are typically more motivated to vote in midterm elections than supporters of a president - any president. Grievance is a more powerful motivator than satisfaction.

Trump has, however, probably angered Democratic voters more than another Republican president would have done. He may also be changing the mix of voters in each party. Some upper-middle-class suburban voters who backed Mitt Romney over Barack Obama in 2012 voted for Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016. They seem to be voting for Democrats this year, too. They may want to send a message to the Republicans about their support for Trump, or they may be on the way to long-term alienation from the GOP.

OPINION: Texas Democrats are optimistic for a change

Either way, the result was that the Democratic candidate in Ohio won a much higher percentage of Clinton voters than the Republican candidate won of Trump voters. That's why the race was so close.

Second: What might be called the Republican-establishment message is not generating countervailing enthusiasm within the Trump coalition. Congressional Republicans would in general like the election to be about the strong economy and the alleged role their tax cut played in creating it. They would rather not have it be about an unpopular president.

But Trump's political instincts might be better than theirs. Gratitude for the tax cuts does not seem to be bringing Republicans to the polls. It is probably even less helpful in getting those white working-class voters who backed both Barack Obama and Trump to side with Republican candidates for Congress. (Obama/Trump voters outnumbered Romney/Clinton voters nationally, although in many congressional districts the reverse was true.)

Again, grievance may do more to move voters. To the extent that it's working-class voters Republicans need, those grievances are likely to be more cultural than economic. The typical Republican message on economics tends to leave those voters cold, and most Republican candidates are too ambivalent and cross-pressured to adopt Trump's protectionist economics wholeheartedly.

OPINION: Texas Republicans stray from conservative roots

But a Trumpish cultural message - illegal immigrants are a threat to the country, and the Democrats and the media treat you as a bigot for wanting to defend it; the elites are going after your president because they hate you-could blunt the Democratic advantage on enthusiasm. Republicans don't need to endorse every Trump tweet or initiative to pursue this strategy. They will probably not want to defend the administration's family-separation policy, for example, and instead talk about the new left-wing campaign to abolish the agency that enforces immigration laws.

Third: Democrats may be on firmer ground talking about economics while Republicans raise cultural issues. I admit I'm biased on this point: I've long written that economic issues tend to help Democrats and cultural ones to help Republicans. So I may be looking for reasons to confirm a pre-existing belief.

But the dynamics of these midterms are offering such reasons. If liberals and Romney/Clinton voters are already enthusiastic about supporting Democrats this fall, and Republicans are likely to use cultural issues to gin up their own votes, it might make sense for Democratic candidates to spend most of their time talking about economic issues. Portraying the Republicans as self-dealing plutocrats could keep Democrats' existing voters while making it harder for the Republicans to get their sometime-allies in the white working class to show up.

One difficulty for Democrats in pursuing this strategy is that cable-news networks, even if they are broadcasting an anti-Trump message, are drawn toward the cultural rather than the economic issues. Democratic politicians would have to try to pull the discussion in a different direction.

Which side is successful in determining what the elections are about will go a long way to determining who wins them.

Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News.
Every #metoo scandal is different, but most are alike in at least one way: Whether among Hollywood moguls or Southern Baptists, congressmen or Catholic bishops, the fall of prominent men usually accelerates some pre-existing debate about where the larger institution or culture should be going, and which side of its internal arguments deserves to gain.

Lately the American Jewish community has presented an interesting case study, with the series of accusations against Steven M. Cohen, a sociologist who has spent much of his career studying the demography of American Jewish life, and linking trends in Jewish intermarriage and fertility to his peoples cultural continuity.

In answering his accusers Cohen has embraced the cliches of male big shot contrition  promising a consultation with clergy, therapists and professional experts and a process of education, recognition, remorse and repair. But meanwhile, his fall has inspired a critique not only of his behavior but also his lifes work, with three female historians writing in The Forward that his sexual sins should prompt a larger reappraisal of the troubling gender and sexual politics long embedded in communal discussions of Jewish continuity and survival.

OPINION: Is this the end of Israel?

What Cohens critics have in mind, specifically, is the way that the long-standing angst within the American Jewish community around assimilation, intermarriage and fertility tends to sustain a kind of soft traditionalist pressure even in liberal Jewish life  one that defines Jewish identity in exclusionist terms, they complain, while marginalizing single women, queer people, unwed parents, and childless individuals or couples.

What the authors are describing pejoratively, the way that a general Jewish liberalism can coexist with more conservative impulses and attitudes, has long been particularly obvious in debates about the state of Israel, where the most cosmopolitan of Jewish liberals can suddenly sound like strident nationalists. But it extends to a general Jewish interest in, and sometimes alarmism about, issues like fertility rates and cultural preservation that in the world of Gentile politics are associated with the social and cultural right.

This combination has often frustrated more thoroughgoing conservatives  Jewish ones especially  who dont understand why more American Jews dont extend their conservative impulses beyond the tribe and vote Republican. But a liberalism without/conservatism within combination is common to minority populations, and its a particularly reasonable reaction to the experience of Jewish history: An oft-persecuted peoples flourishing can both depend on maintaining a certain conservatism about its own patterns of marrying and begetting and cultural transmission (and, in the case of Israel, the safety of its lonely nation-state), on encouraging liberalism and cosmopolitanism in the wider, potentially-hostile order in which the diaspora subsists.

(And then, of course, this complicated combination also reflects the fear among many politically liberal Jews that if they dont sustain a certain familial traditionalism, theyll just cede the Jewish future to the ultra-fecund ultra-Orthodox.)

OPINION: The Star of David and the Lone Star State

The interesting question is whether the combination can survive the pressures of our own era. One form of pressure comes from the left, which is increasingly intent on rooting out all residues of traditionalism within the liberal order  treating any form of nationalism as suspect, any policing of religious orthodoxy as dangerous, any approach to sex and family and child rearing that isnt purely gender-egalitarian as a dangerous atavism.

That spirit, seeking ideological consistency and opposing (to quote Cohens critics) patriarchal, misogynistic, and anachronist assumptions about what is good for the Jews, may not be able to tolerate the mix of cosmopolitanism and tribalism, liberalism and traditionalism, that has defined American Judaism for years.

At the same time, there is a different pressure from Israel itself. As the Jewish states political and cultural debate has shifted to the right, Benjamin Netanyahu has embraced the view that European Jewrys old enemy, Christian nationalism, is less dangerous to the Jewish future than the dissolving effects of liberal cosmopolitanism and the threat posed by Islamist anti-Semitism. Thus you have the striking phenomenon of the Netanyahu government cultivating friends like Hungarys Viktor Orban, on the grounds that joining an alliance of conservative nationalisms actually offers a surer ground for the Jewish states survival than sticking with the secularism and anti-nationalism of the present liberal project.

These centrifugal forces, pulling leftward and rightward, have already alienated younger liberal Jews in the United States from the uncomplicated pro-Israel sentiments of their grandparents. And they may portend a future where the liberal politics with a dose of cultural conservatism combination gives way to a sharper choice for many Jews: a more consistently conservative Judaism bound to Israeli nationalism, and a liberal Judaism thats more consistently liberal and less identitarian  and perhaps ultimately more secularized and assimilated.

As for whether this divergence will ultimately be, as they say,  well, thats a question this Gentile columnist leaves to the chosen people to debate.

Douthat is a New York Times columnist.  2018 New York Times News Service.
While most of the attention in Tuesday's elections was focused on the special election for a House seat in Ohio, there was another surprising outcome: Voters in Missouri roundly rejected a "right to work" law that had been passed by the legislature, a rare win for labor unions and workers at a moment when the right's war on collective bargaining has been extraordinarily successful.

The question now is whether this will amount to just a momentary victory amid a wave of losses that continues to degrade workers' power, and how this issue will play out in future elections.

This initiative sought to validate a law passed by the Republican-controlled state government, which would have forbidden unions from negotiating contracts in which workers in a particular company who choose not to join the union still have to pay "fair share fees" to support the union's bargaining on their behalf. Calling such laws "right to work" is one of the right's greatest bits of political marketing, since no one is actually denied a right to work by those fees; all that they're asked is to contribute to those who are negotiating wages and benefits for them.

OPINION: Union values shine in the midst of Harvey

But that can take some time to explain, which is why right to work laws can get a good deal of support, particularly when there hasn't been much time to debate them. There are now 27 states, mostly in the South and Midwest, where they're on the books. Yet in Missouri, the voters rejected right to work by a stunning 2-1 margin. That's partly explained by a heavy investment from unions in an election with relatively low turnout, but it's still a significant victory. And we should note that Republicans in the legislature moved this referendum from the general election to a primary with only contested Republican races, in the hopes that Democratic turnout would be low and the unions wouldn't have time to organize. But their plan failed.

A note about right to work laws: The argument that corporations and their Republican allies make in their favor is that if companies know that unions are weak in your state, they'll be more likely to bring jobs there. What they don't say is if they're right about that, it's because companies know that if they don't have to deal with a union, that means they they can pay lower wages, offer fewer benefits, and generally treat their workers however they like.

OPINION: Unions did great things for the working class

Studying the overall effects of right to work laws isn't easy, because so many factors influence jobs and wages in any given state. But there's good evidence that while such laws have a minimal effect on job creation, they do depress wages. Which is exactly what you'd expect, since union members make higher wages than non-union members. This isn't even something worth arguing about, since the corporations who spearhead the fight against unions do so precisely because they want to pay the lowest wages they can. The whole point of collective bargaining is that workers can get a better deal together than each one can alone. Unions give workers the power to negotiate better deals, and that's why corporations hate them. It's not complicated.

Over the last few decades, the right has invested billions of dollars in its war on unions, not only so corporations can maximize profits but also because unions help Democrats get elected. They do that directly by aiding Democratic candidates, but also indirectly because they politicize workers. One of the most important things unions do is show workers that they aren't isolated, and that their problems may have collective solutions. It's not just that your boss is a jerk, it's that he's part of a larger system, including laws passed by politicians, that gives him all the power over you. Once you realize that, you become less likely to vote for Republicans who want to keep the minimum wage low, eliminate workplace safety protections, and give big tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. Your whole perspective on economics can change, which is what Republicans are afraid of.

OPINION: Workers are free at last  to sink

The unfortunate fact is that the long war on unions has been extraordinarily successful. Only 10.7 percent of Americans are now union members, half of the figure in the 1980s. The number is much higher among public-sector workers, but that could change. In June, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court essentially enacted a right to work law for all government workers, ruling that those who don't join unions can't be forced to pay fees to fund collective bargaining. It's only a matter of time before they issue a similar ruling covering private-sector workers, which will make all of America a right to work state.

So is the fate of unions sealed? In a way, the Trump presidency may be doing them a favor. He ran for president saying he would help "the forgotten men and women" who used to work in secure manufacturing jobs with good wages and good benefits. But what he never said was that those jobs were what they were because unions fought hard to make them so. The owners of coal mines and auto plants didn't grant those wages and benefits out of the goodness of their hearts; they did it because the unions forced them to.

OPINION: United Airlines catering workers deserve a union

Under President Donald Trump, job growth continues to be strong (as it has been for almost a decade), but wages are almost flat, and people feel less and less power on the job. The basic argument unions make - that whether you have a job is only the beginning - has seldom been more clearly true. The result in Missouri shows that people can be persuaded. And the party that continues to do everything in its power to create more inequality, giving gigantic tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy while it assaults the rights of workers, might want to worry just a little about the possibility of a backlash.

Waldman is an opinion writer for the Plum Line blog.
Two thirds of staff would prefer hours which reflected their own lifestyles and slotted into their natural patterns.

The most productive times of the day, according to employees, were;

In the morning  64.2%

In the afternoon  20.9%

In the evening  9.3%

Late at night  5.6%

Lee Biggins, MD of CV-Library, added: There are ongoing debates surrounding the traditional nine-to-five and whether this one size fits all approach is still beneficial. Its clear from the data thatprofessionals know their own work patterns and would prefer to tailor their working hours around when theyre at their most productive.

Allowing for more flexible hours could be hugely beneficial, not only to employees but also their employers. Something as simple as letting staff start an hour earlier or later depending on their needs could be all it takes.
Translations:

Acceleration de la demande dans le secteur passagers en juin (pdf)

La demanda de pasajeros se acelera en junio (pdf)



           (pdf)

6 (pdf)

Demanda de passageiros acelera em junho (pdf)



Geneva  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for June showing that demand (measured in total revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose by 7.8% compared to June 2017. This was up from 6.0% year-over-year growth recorded in both May and April. June capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.5%, and load factor rose 1.0 percentage point to 82.8%. The first six months of 2018 produced demand growth of 7.0%, a strong performance, but down from 8.3% growth recorded in the first half of 2017.

The first half of 2018 concluded with another month of above-trend demand growth, which is a good indicator for the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere. But the looming prospect of a global trade war is casting a long shadow. Additionally, rising cost inputsfuel prices have soared by approximately 60% over the past yearare reducing the stimulus of lower fares, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

June 2018 (% year-on-year) World share1 RPK ASK PLF (%-pt)2 PLF (level)3 Total Market 100.0% 7.8% 6.5% 1.0% 82.8% Africa 2.2% 6.3% 1.8% 2.9% 68.0% Asia Pacific 33.7% 11.2% 9.8% 1.0% 81.7% Europe 26.6% 5.8% 4.5% 1.0% 86.4% Latin America 5.2%

5.3% 6.5% -1.0% 80.3% Middle East 9.5%

10.3% 7.5% 1.8% 71.1% North America 23.0% 5.5% 4.3% 0.9% 87.2%

International Passenger Markets

June international passenger demand rose 7.7% compared to June 2017. All regions recorded growth, led by airlines in the Middle East and Africa. Capacity climbed 5.9%, and load factor increased 1.4 percentage points to 81.9%.

Asia-Pacific airlines June traffic rose 9.5% compared to the year-ago period, up from 7.7% growth recorded in May year-over-year. Capacity rose 7.4% and load factor edged up 1.5 percentage points to 80.6%. Demand is being stimulated by robust regional economic growth and increased city-pair options for travelers.

June traffic rose 9.5% compared to the year-ago period, up from 7.7% growth recorded in May year-over-year. Capacity rose 7.4% and load factor edged up 1.5 percentage points to 80.6%. Demand is being stimulated by robust regional economic growth and increased city-pair options for travelers. Middle Eastern carriers posted an 11.0% demand increase in June compared to the same month last year. This was a sharp turnaround from the flat traffic growth in May, which was partly attributable to the timing of Ramadan between the two years. Results were also affected by unfavorable developments in the year-ago period, including the ban on large portable electronic devices, as well as the travel restrictions imposed by the US for visitors from certain Middle East and African countries. Capacity rose 8.0% and load factor climbed 1.9 percentage points to 71.0%.

posted an 11.0% demand increase in June compared to the same month last year. This was a sharp turnaround from the flat traffic growth in May, which was partly attributable to the timing of Ramadan between the two years. Results were also affected by unfavorable developments in the year-ago period, including the ban on large portable electronic devices, as well as the travel restrictions imposed by the US for visitors from certain Middle East and African countries. Capacity rose 8.0% and load factor climbed 1.9 percentage points to 71.0%. European carriers saw traffic rise 6.1% in June compared to June 2017, down slightly from a 6.3% year-over-year increase recorded in May. Capacity climbed 4.8% and load factor rose 1.1% percentage points to 86.8%, highest among the regions. Growth is supported by a relatively healthy economic backdrop. However, the possibility of air traffic control strikes could affect growth over the coming months.

saw traffic rise 6.1% in June compared to June 2017, down slightly from a 6.3% year-over-year increase recorded in May. Capacity climbed 4.8% and load factor rose 1.1% percentage points to 86.8%, highest among the regions. Growth is supported by a relatively healthy economic backdrop. However, the possibility of air traffic control strikes could affect growth over the coming months. North American airlines demand rose 5.9% compared to June a year ago, an improvement from 5.0% growth recorded in May. Capacity climbed 3.6%, with load factor increasing 1.9 percentage points to 86.7%. Increasing momentum in the US economy is supporting growth in passenger volumes, but prospects of further escalation in trade disputes could affect future demand.

demand rose 5.9% compared to June a year ago, an improvement from 5.0% growth recorded in May. Capacity climbed 3.6%, with load factor increasing 1.9 percentage points to 86.7%. Increasing momentum in the US economy is supporting growth in passenger volumes, but prospects of further escalation in trade disputes could affect future demand. Latin American airlines experienced a 5.6% rise in traffic compared to the same month last year. This was down from 7.9% year-over-year growth in May and there are some possible indications of a slowing in demand growth. Capacity increased by 6.5% and load factor slipped 0.7 percentage point to 81.4%. Latin America was the only region to post a decline in load factor in June.

experienced a 5.6% rise in traffic compared to the same month last year. This was down from 7.9% year-over-year growth in May and there are some possible indications of a slowing in demand growth. Capacity increased by 6.5% and load factor slipped 0.7 percentage point to 81.4%. Latin America was the only region to post a decline in load factor in June. African airlines traffic soared 10.9% in June, up substantially from just 2.1% growth in May, although this partly also reflect volatility in the monthly data. Capacity rose 5.5%, and load factor jumped 3.3 percentage points to 68.0%. Higher oil and commodity prices are buoying the economies in a number of countries, including Nigeria.

Domestic Passenger Markets

Demand for domestic travel climbed 7.9% in June compared to June 2017, up somewhat from the 6.7% annual growth seen in May. June capacity increased 7.5%, and load factor edged up 0.3 percentage point to 84.5%. Led once again by double-digit gains in India and China, all markets reported demand increases, but with wide variation.

June 2018 (% year-on-year) World share1 RPK ASK PLF (%-pt)2 PLF (level)3 Domestic 36.2% 7.9% 7.5% 0.3% 84.5% Dom. Australia 0.9% 1.8% 1.2% 0.5% 78.0% Dom. Brazil 1.2% 5.3% 8.0% -2.0% 78.2% Dom. China P.R. 9.1% 15.3% 16.3% -0.7% 84.6% Dom. India 1.4% 17.6% 17.0% 0.5% 85.8% Dom. Japan 1.1% 3.7% 1.3% 1.6% 70.9% Dom. Russian Fed 1.4% 6.0% 5.4% 0.5% 84.3% Dom. US 14.5% 5.3% 4.8% 0.4% 87.9%





Brazils domestic traffic rose 5.3% in June, up from 3.8% in May. Despite the improved performance, demand was still affected by the residual impact of the recent general strikes.

domestic traffic rose 5.3% in June, up from 3.8% in May. Despite the improved performance, demand was still affected by the residual impact of the recent general strikes. Japans domestic traffic climbed 3.7% in June compared to a year ago, which was well up on the 1.7% growth recorded in May. However, there are some possible indications of a softening economic backdrop going forward.

Download complete economic analysis (pdf)

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:

IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic.

You can follow us at http://twitter.com/iata2press for news specially catered for the media.

All figures are provisional and represent total reporting at time of publication plus estimates for missing data. Historic figures may be revised.

Domestic RPKs accounted for about 36% of the total market. It is most important for North American airlines as it is about 66% of their operations. In Latin America, domestic travel accounts for 46% of operations, primarily owing to the large Brazilian market. For Asia-Pacific carriers, the large markets in India, China and Japan mean that domestic travel accounts for 45% of the regions operations. It is less important for Europe and most of Africa where domestic travel represents just 11% and 14% of operations, respectively. And it is negligible for Middle Eastern carriers for whom domestic travel represents just 4% of operations.

Explanation of measurement terms:

- RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers measures actual passenger traffic

- ASK: Available Seat Kilometers measures available passenger capacity

- PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used.
Fifth Our Ocean Conference (OOC) 2018 to be held in Bali in October

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host the fifth Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Bali on 29 and 30 October 2018 (http://ourocean2018.org/). OOC is focused on generating commitments and taking actions to maintain the sustainability of our oceans. Since 2014, OOC has successfully generated commitments totaling around 18 billion dollars (USD) and 12.4 million square kilometers of marine protected areas. OOC 2018 will demonstrate significant progress on past commitments and inspire new commitments made for the continuation of a more concerted and integrated actions for protecting the oceans.



The main objective of OOC is to increase as well as enhance the collaboration and partnership between various ocean stakeholders, which is translated into concrete and actionable commitments. Participants are encouraged to announce their commitments during the conference, as it critically contributes towards global efforts to preserve the oceans' health. Discussions during the OOC will highlight integrated and actionable solutions, which remove barriers between sectors, disciplines, and financing streams to comprehensively address the ocean as an inter-connected system and economy.



OOC 2018 will consist of plenary meeting, side events, exhibitions and Our Ocean, Our Legacy Youth Leadership Summit. OOC 2018 will convene participants from countries across the globe to ensure diverse perspectives from various stakeholders, including governments, commercial sectors, financing entities, scientific communities, civil society organizations, and young leaders. Heads of States, Ministers, and champions from various backgrounds will also be invited to influence concrete and actionable commitments to preserve the oceans' health.



Our Ocean, Our Legacy is the theme of this year's OOC, as it reflects our choices and actions to maintain the sustainability of our oceans' resources and to preserve our ocean's health, as a heritage presented for our children and grandchildren. There are six themes of area of actions namely on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, climate change-related impacts to the oceans, sustainable blue economy and maritime security.

Theme(s): Others.
African fishmeal factories under fire

by Efua Konyim Okai

August 08,2018 | Source: TheFishSite

Due to concerns over the pollution they generate and the impact they have on local forage fish stocks and the fishermen who traditionally rely on them, in the last few weeks, fisheries representatives and environmental activists in Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia have been complaining about the effects of foreign-owned fishmeal factories.



Despite the fact that West Africa has been hit hard by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a number of nations are promoting the exploitation of their remaining fish stocks to produce fishmeal for export to fish and other livestock farmers, mainly in Asia  a trend that is facing an increasing backlash.







In June, Gambias Parliamentary Select Committee on the Environment ordered the closure of the Nessim Fish Meal Factory, located close to the beach at Sanyang, after it was confirmed that it was operating without a waste treatment plant and discharging waste products directly into the sea. Prior to this, in June last year, the company paid a $25,000 bond in an out-of-court settlement, after the Gambia National Environmental Agency had taken it to court for bad waste management practices. And last month, demonstrations and media wars took place between Golden Lead, a Chinese-run fish feed factory with plants located in Gunjur and Kartong, and local residents backed by environmental activists.



For many Gambians, fishmeal factories are threatening their economic survival, because the discharge of waste, the foul stench and the emission of smoke are already affecting the tourist industry. Tourism is the main employer and foreign exchange source for Gambia, with most European visitors attracted by the white, sandy beaches and beach-front hotels.



Meanwhile, in the town of Nouadhibou in next-door Mauritania, where there are 32 fishmeal plants, many of the 120,000 population are incensed by similar discharges. Equally, in Senegal, there is increasing concern among local populations about the operations of 12 foreign-owned fishmeal plants.



As well as the pollution issue, there is also a concern that stocks of shad (known locally as bonga) and sardinella, major food sources in the region, are suffering due to their use in the fishmeal factories. Large industrial trawlers owned and hired by the fishmeal companies are threatening the long-term availability of fish. Matters are worsened by the fact that artisanal fishermen prefer selling their catches to the fishmeal factories, risking the livelihoods of thousands of female fish processors who traditionally rely on smoking, drying and salting these fish.



West Africas coastal resources have experienced more than a decade of IUU fishing by large foreign vessels, and overfishing by both local and foreign vessels. Under the World Bank-sponsored West African Regional Fisheries Programme, countries from Mauritania to Ghana are being assisted to develop and implement better management systems to restore fish stocks in the long term. There are also some aquaculture projects in this programme, which aim to enhancing fish output in the short and medium term. In Ghana such projects include the $53 million Dam Restocking programme, which is bringing fish production to 300 reservoirs and dugouts and offering training for pond and cage farmers.



Meanwhile, there are concerns about the efficiency of the fishmeal industry, with 4-5 kilos of forage fish typically used to produce 1 kilo of fishmeal. As a result, activists are asking governments to encourage these fish to be used directly for human consumption, and only allow the use of fish byproducts for fishmeal. Indeed, the Thai Union-owned Pioneer Food Cannery and the Thunnus Overseas Groups plants in the Ivory Coast, which export their products mainly to Europe, process their waste products into fishmeal for sale to local poultry and fish farmers. However, a Chinese investor operating in Mauritania dismisses this suggestion as currently unrealistic, due to the huge investment involved in setting up the fishmeal plants.



According to the IFFO, African countries contribute significantly to global fishmeal supply. Morocco is the largest producer with 84,000 tonnes, followed by South Africa with 69,000 tonnes, and Mauritania with 62,000 tonnes, Angola with 21,000, Mauritius with 13,000 and Senegal with 9,000. Angolan President Joao Lourenco aims to increase fishmeal production to 30,000 tonnes within six years, as he attempts to limit the country's dependence on oil exports.



As a result of such attitudes companies such as Golden Lead in Gambia, Flash Africa in Senegal and the Hong Dong Group in Mauritania are likely to continue to produce more fishmeal to fuel aquaculture in China and other Asian countries and Mauritania, for example, exports 43,000 tonnes out of 62,000 tonnes of its fishmeal to China.



However, protests against their operations are likely to increase and Nana Kofi Mensah, leader of a group of migratory Ghanaian fishermen who ply their trade all over West Africa, believes that authorities in the three countries should act quickly to avoid the depletion of shad and sardinella, as happened with anchovies in Ghana.



Anchovies were more than abundant along the coasts around Ghana. Poultry and livestock farmers depended solely on anchovies. But today, we hardly catch any anchovies at all. They have vanished from our coast. The people of Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal depend heavily on bonga and sardinella. Governments must act quickly to avoid trouble, he says.

 2000 ? 2018 ? 5m Publishing

Theme(s): Others.
Says India doesnt apprehend any impact on ties with nation.

New Delhi: Even as a controversy rages on over the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) list, India said it had assured the Government of Bangladesh that this is still a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and that the process of identification of (Indian) citizens in Assam is still underway and that India does not apprehend any impact on its ties with Bangladesh that remains excellent.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC and the Left, urged President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday to ensure that not a single Indian citizen was excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, We have been in very close to-uch with the Government of Bangladesh both prior to and following the issue of draft NRC at all points. We have repeatedly assured the Government of Bangladesh that this is still a draft list prepared under the orders of the Supreme Court and the process of identification of (Indian) citizens in Assam is still underway. The Bangladesh Government has taken the view that the ongoing process is an internal matter of India. We do not apprehend any impact on our ties with Bangladesh that remains excellent.

According to news agency reports, a delegation of Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC and the Left, submitted a memorandum to President Kovind on Thursday that accused the government of undermining the nations democratic and secular values and also alleged that the draft NRC had resulted in the exclusion of 40 lakh Indians.

The memorandum claimed that the NRC had resulted in the exclusion of over 40 lakh Indian citizens, including Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Biharis, Gorkhas, Punjabis, those from Uttar Pradesh and the southern states and tribals, who were residents of Assam for a very long period.
APEC economies committed to the ocean- IUU Fishing

August 07,2018 | Source: APEC

In June, experts and decision makers from around the world gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to focus on the commitment made by nations in 2015 to protect the health of the ocean.



Voluntary agreements have been pledged across the spectrum, from industries to NGOs, in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 Life Below Water.



The Global Oceans Program (GOP) of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) representative, Ms Katherine Radway said Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is diverting the commitment to reach the SDG 14 by 2020.



Ms Radway in her presentation on IUU to the APEC Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) said in order to reach the SDG 14, a combined effort is required by all groups and agencies involved in the monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of its oceans.



So globally we are not currently on course to combat IUU by 2020, which is the target for the UNs Sustainable Goal 14. IUU is still profitable for some and economic incentives still exist.



The good news is there are global solutions in place, theres legislation and policy that is being developed and enacted, theres also technology and platforms, theres also inter-country initiatives where cooperation between economies can help reduce the flow and state of IUU fishing, she said.



Ms Radway said TNC is working in unison with respective authorities and international bodies at the national, regional and global to help combat IUU fishing.



We dont need to reinvent the wheel, for we are focusing on is integrating these and for us the key areas to focus on are Governance, Transparency and International cooperation, she said.



In the Pacific Islands, IUU fishing has cost US$660 million annually in loss of revenue from ocean resources.

 2018 APEC PNG

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
Born in UPs Balia, Harivansh, 62, did his diploma in journalism from BHU to become editor of Hindi daily, Prabhat Khabar.

New Delhi: The ruling NDA comfortably elected journalist-turned politician Harivansh of the JD(U) as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman on Thursday, beating Congress nominee B.K. Hariprasad in an election that was seen as a test for Opposition unity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In a major boost for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, its candidate Harivansh, a 62-year-old first-time MP from Nitish Kumars party, bagged 125 votes against the 105 polled by the Opposition nominee.

The post had been lying vacant since the retirement of Congress P.J. Kurien on July 1.

Mr Harivansh was congratulated by the entire House, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in a lighter vein, said: Sab kuch Hari bharose. Aur mujhe vishwas hai ke sabhi, idhar ho ya udhar, sabhi sansadon per Hari kripa bani rahegi (Everything is now in the hands of Hari, or God. And I am confident that every member, whether on this side or that side, will have his mercy).

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley, who was in Parliament on Thursday, also congratulated Mr Harivansh as did Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. In his speech, Mr Harivansh said it would be his endeavour to uphold the dignity of the Upper House and expressed the hope that differences would be ironed out through constructive debates, consensus and guidance.

While the NDA was present in full strength, there were as many as 14 people who were absent from the House. As many as 232 members out of an effective strength of 244 voted, thereby reducing the majority mark to 117.

The NDA got the support of fence-sitters like the Biju Janata Dal (9), the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (6) and the AIADMK (13). Two members each of the Congress, TMC, DMK and one from the Samajwadi Party were absent from the House during the voting. The PDP and AAP, which have two and three members respectively, did not participate in the voting, sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said. Two members of the YSR Congress also abstained from the voting.

The nomination of Mr Harivansh was proposed by Ram Prasad Singh (JD-U) and seconded by Union minister and RPI member Ramdas Athawale. BJP president Amit Shah, Shiv Senas Sanjay Raut and Akali Dals Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were also among the proposers.

The voting had to be carried out for a second time as some members pointed out mistakes in the first polling. The result displayed for the first voting was 122 ayes, 98 noes, 2 abstain. Total: 222. However, the final vote count was 125 votes in favour of Mr Harivansh, and 105 for Mr Hariprasad, along with two abstentions.

Speaking after his election, Mr Harivansh exuded confidence that all members would work together and imbibe the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan to ensure a smooth run of the House.

He hails from the same village in the Ballia-Saran region on the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border where Jayaprakash Narayan, a socialist leader and anti-Emergency crusader, was born.

Treading on rules and procedures framed by our Constitution-makers, we can lead the country to greatness... There would be differences in debates, there would be different opinions... We can find out a way.

I got this opportunity to be here... I am frightened, surrounded by so many experienced people, but this is my strength too as you all will guide me and I assure you I will run the House in a fair and decent manner, said Mr Harivansh, who is known to keep a low profile and is considered close to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
There is pandemonium in Anyigba after a student of the Kogi State University identified as one Ali Shariff, a 300-Level student in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies was allegedly stabbed to death.

Shariff was said to have been killed by one Yusuf popularly known as Santa Cruise, a 100-Level student of the Department of Public Administration in same institution.

According to a source, the deceased, who marked his birthday on the day he was killed, was said to have attempted to separate a quarrel between Yusuf, his killer, and one other student when the incident occurred.

The source said the incident happened at about 4:00pm, on Wednesday, in front of the school gate behind MTN Office which is close to the deceased lodge.

The late Shariff, described as easy-going and gentle was said to have had similar misunderstanding with Yusuf, who was his roommate, in the past, but the issue was said to have been amicably resolved by their landlord.

The late Shariff, also the operator of Umbrella multimedia studio, was said to have been stabbed with a broken bottle in the neck and he bled to death before help could reach him.

He was confirmed dead by medical personnel at the Good Shepherd Hospital, Ayingba.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Joseph Edegbo, refused to pick several calls made to him on his cell phone neither did he respond to a text message sent to him.

The states Police PRO, Willy Aya, when contacted, claimed not to be aware of the incident, but promised to reach this reporter as soon as he was briefed.
Imperial Valley News Center

20th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Embassy Bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Washington, DC - Remarks at the 20th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Embassy Bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

DEPUTY SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Its a great honor for me to stand here today, and its a solemn day on which we gather.

I have had the honor of speaking at events like this. I speak at our embassies when I travel around the world, and I thank all of those women and men I meet, including our locally employed staff. I always make a point, as my colleagues know, of speaking first to the locally employed staff and tell them how important they are to us, to our mission. I also thank them for their service.

And Ive said this many times, and some of my colleagues are sort of sick of me reminding everyone, but I have a personal connection, a family connection to some of what you and your loved ones went through. My family  my uncle was a career Foreign Service officer and served for 32 years. And his last post was as our ambassador to Iran, and he was  he and my cousins and my aunt Marie  my uncles name was Bill Sullivan  they were  my uncle was recalled by President Carter before his colleagues were taken hostage on November 4th.

But as Ive reminded people  and I mentioned this when I testified in my confirmation hearing  what I most remember about his service in Tehran was the fact that on Valentines Day, February 14th, 1979, our embassy in Tehran was overrun, and my uncle and all of our  all of his colleagues at the embassy were briefly held hostage. They were eventually rescued, ironically enough by the Revolutionary Guards, but they were held hostage briefly.

But the memory that sticks with me the most from that day is on the same day our Ambassador to Afghanistan Spike Dubs was kidnapped and assassinated. And I at the time was a sophomore in college, and I always thought the life of a diplomat, I thought of my uncles life as glamorous and dinner parties and socializing. And it dawned on me, boy, this is hard, dangerous work; these are women and men who go out to their posts unarmed with  representing the United States, representing us, and subjecting themselves to enormous risks.

All of you here know and lived through what we came to realize were the even larger risks that materialized on August 7th, 1998. And its my honor to stand before you today to remember the victims of that terrorist attack on our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Before I continue any further, I want to first acknowledge Ambassadors Bushnell and Lange for their efforts in bringing everyone here together. Ambassador Bushnell has impressed upon me the need  although not necessary, but Im grateful to hear it  the need to both remember what happened on August 7th, but  and continue to work to make sure the United States Government not only remembers but does all that it needs to, to make everyone who was impacted by those events whole, to be respected and made whole.

I also want to acknowledge the Deputy Chief of Mission of Kenya David Gacheru and the Ambassador of Tanzania Wilson Masilingi for attending todays event.

Most importantly, I want to thank all of you, survivors and families who are here today. We are here to honor you today, and to honor those who lost their lives in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, 20 years ago. Twenty years after that fateful morning, were reminded of the bravery, heroism, compassion, and sacrifice of those who are here today and those who were taken from us. We remember especially the legacy of those who perished.

Many of you here today acted to save lives and help your colleagues and strangers. We thank all of you for your courage, bravery, and valor as you answered that call  call of duty, call of basic humanity  to respond to those attacks and to those who were injured and killed on that day.

It is to those brave women and men here and countless others who have perished defending the cause of freedom that we owe a great debt of gratitude.

Yesterday, we hosted an event  many of you here, Im sure, attended. The theme was Remembrance, reflection, and resilience. One thing we can draw from that powerful event is that no one who survived is untouched by the events of that day. Twenty years later  and I was commenting to some of you, it seems like in my mind  and I did not  I just witnessed those events through the media as a spectator, but theyre etched in my mind from 20 years ago, and it seems like just yesterday to me. I can only imagine what its like for those of you who survived. It must seem  the immediacy of those events, despite the passage of 20 years, must be profound. On the other hand, the pace of events, all thats happened in those 20 years, is also remarkable.

But despite the passage of time, the gravity of those events and the experiences we remember compel us to gather today to share our memories  your memories  and to discuss lessons  lessons in leadership from across the department, Ambassador Bushnell, Ambassador Lange, and all of you. I read in the Foreign Service Journal, I know theyve dedicated the recent issue to the embassy bombings. The leadership lessons, the memories  its important that they be recorded and not forgotten.

Leadership from across the department is whats represented here this morning, and I want you to know that the leadership of this department, the current leadership of this department, stands united with you in remembrance and respect of the human toll that these events took on our embassy communities. And of course, that includes other government agencies beyond the Department of State, some of whom are represented here  USAID, our military colleagues, et cetera, Commerce Department, Foreign Commercial Service  I previously served at the Commerce Department  and of course, innocent bystanders, all of who were affected by the devastating attacks on that day.

I spent time earlier this morning with some of you, speaking to the survivors and the family members of those who perished. Many of us, I included  millions of Americans will never understand the ultimate sacrifice made 20 years ago by those who perished in the attacks. Its just a fact of life. The pace of life in modern America, trying to remember what happened 20 years ago  I remember, but its difficult, I think, for most Americans, thinking about  something that happened 20 years ago seems like an ancient memory. Its not for this department, its not for those of you gathered here, and know that the leadership of this department will ensure that Americans remember. And this department certainly will remember.

We recognize the depth of you and your loved ones commitment to public service, and well never forget the price that was paid by so many of our colleagues, our friends, our loved ones, and innocent strangers.

August 7th was and still is a difficult reminder of the sacrifice members of our community make every day to answer the call to public service, a call that is inextricably tied to promoting and defending the interests of our republic. The women and men who serve in our embassies and consulates around the world, as you all know, do challenging work that is not always fully appreciated by many of those fellow Americans. They protect our interests and promote our values abroad. Our staff  Americans, locally employed staff, those who serve in uniform, all of those who serve at our embassies  endure hardships, often at great risk, far away from home, because it keeps the United States safer and stronger.

And as I mentioned at the outset, we cant succeed in this effort without the vital assistance of our locally employed staff who work hand in hand with us each day to advance the interests of the United States. And I would like to thank personally all those survivors, many of whom continue to hold important positions at our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam today, as we speak. And of course we recognize the valuable contributions of our locally employed staff who make those contributions every day at U.S. posts around the world.

Twenty years ago, al-Qaida tried and failed to undermine the values were sworn to uphold. While we may be facing new threats in different parts of the world, the imperative to remain vigilant endures. And to this end, we remain committed to ending the scourge of global terrorism by whatever means it now organizes and it calls itself. In so doing, we must honor the memories of those we continue to mourn today by pressing the cause of freedom and justice to which they dedicated their lives. The sacrifices of the victims and their families will not be in vain. We must continue to stand strong in our values. Those who would inflict violence on others in service to their countries will not be allowed to prevail. Those who preach intolerance and hatred will not break us.

Even as we remember our fallen colleagues, we continue our efforts to defeat al-Qaida, ISIS, and other global terrorist organizations, and to prevent further attacks on the United States and our citizens. Our resolve is as strong today as ever, and we owe it to those whose lives have been taken by terrorist violence to remain steadfast in our efforts to root out violent extremism wherever it exists.

I would now like to welcome to the podium Ambassador Prudence Bushnell and Ambassador John Lange to say a few words. Their leadership was inspirational, necessary, and recognized by all, and Im really honored that they are here today to be able to share some of their observations. It was their dedication that kept our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam running in the aftermath of August 7th. Theyve continued to serve as true champions for their communities, for all of you gathered here, and theyve been selfless patriots over the past 20 years. Its my honor to introduce Ambassador Bushnell and Ambassador Lange. Thank you.
New Delhi had earlier invited President Trump to be the chief guest for the R-Day celebrations on January 26, 2019.

New Delhi: With United States President Donald Trump having a busy schedule, government sources on Thursday said the dates for his India visit are still under consideration, whether it is before, after or for the Republic Day celebrations next year. The date, time and occasion are still under consideration, sources said. Sources pointed out that even when then President Barack Obama attended the R-Day parade in 2015 as chief guest, the US administration had confirmed his visit only in November, 2014. New Delhi had earlier invited President Trump to be the chief guest for the R-Day celebrations on January 26, 2019. The US administration had said last week that an invitation had been extended by India but that no final decision had been taken as yet on President Trump attending.

India and the United States will hold their the inaugural 2+2 dialogue with the United States at the foreign and defence ministerial level would be held in New Delhi on September 6.

Minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will host the US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and US secretary of defence James Mattis in New Delhi on that day for the 2+2 dialogue.
Secretary of State Pompeo's Call With Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Washington, DC - Secretary Michael R. Pompeo spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko today to discuss a range of bilateral issues. Secretary Pompeo reiterated strong U.S. support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He emphasized that the United States does not and will never recognize Russias attempted annexation of Crimea, as he made clear when he released the Crimea Declaration on July 25. 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.
Republic of Singapore National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Singapore as you celebrate your National Day on August 9.

"Singapore is a longstanding valued partner, and friend in the Indo-Pacific Region. For more than half a century, the United States and Singapore have enjoyed a close economic and security relationship based on a shared vision of stability, prosperity, and the rule of law. Singapores support and leadership in hosting the historic June 12 U.S.-DPRK Summit represents a commitment to our shared values. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership to achieve mutual goals and cooperate on regional challenges in the region.

"Congratulations on your 53rd anniversary and best wishes for a year filled with peace, success, and happiness."
Do You Know Why Toilet Doors are Cut From Bottom in Malls and Offices? Read On to Find Out
Imagine you're having dinner at your favorite neighborhood restaurant when a man walks in, takes a seat at the bar, and starts playing a ukulele. It's out of tune, and, though he's strumming it quietly, it cuts through the background din just enough to catch your attention, like a dripping faucet in a quiet house.

It should also be noted that this man has, attached to his shoulder, the red safety light that you see bicycle commuters wearing, which strobes continuously in the dim restaurant.

It's clear from their faces that your fellow diners are just as bothered by this man as you are, so you discreetly seek out the manager and ask her to have a word with Ukulele Guy. But when you do, she merely points to a copy of the restaurant rules posted above the bar. "I'm sorry," she says, "but as you can see, there's nothing in there about playing a ukulele or wearing a bicycle strobe light, so there's nothing we can do."

This is an absurd example, of course. What kind of business could claim to have its hands tied by rules the business itself wrote and expect its customers to go along?

Only the biggest and most successful companies of the 21st century, of course--the digital platform players like Facebook, Google, and Twitter. For years, they've been contorting themselves into ever more uncomfortable poses trying to reconcile a professed commitment to free expression with the awkward fact of their absolute control over the flow of information. Earlier this week, Apple yanked the yoga mats out from under them when it summarily booted from its platform all the podcasts produced by conspiracy-monger Alex Jones.

A holdout was Twitter, whose CEO, Jack Dorsey, sought to answer criticisms on Tuesday night. "The reason is simple: He hasn't violated our rules," Dorsey tweeted. "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."

This line of argument--a few people in Silicon Valley shouldn't be making decisions that govern what billions of people around the world can read or write--is a common one. It's the same idea Mark Zuckerberg was groping for when he tried to explain why Facebook lets users write posts denying the Holocaust happened.

It's a line meant to draw attention away from the other, deeper reasons companies like Facebook don't want to make those kinds of decisions. To name one, the costs of having human editors review content balloon at the scale of a Facebook or a Google; to name another, exercising a heavy editorial hand could jeopardize the "common carrier" status that indemnifies tech platforms of legal responsibility for what their users say and do.

There are also structural reasons that make it easier for Apple to take the bold action it did. While the iTunes and App stores are huge, Apple is primarily a hardware maker that doesn't have to worry about content-moderation costs eating up all its profits. Compared with Google or Facebook, its growth has depended far less on mergers that required government approval, meaning Tim Cook can worry much less about getting hauled in front of Congress to answer questions about bias.

But there's also corporate DNA to consider. Apple long made it clear it sees itself not as a neutral platform for others' content, but as a curator who will exercise discretion as it sees fit--with minimal explanation or recourse. That hasn't always been a popular stance. "It's Time to Declare War Against Apple's Censorship," Gizmodo declared in 2010 after Apple blocked two German newspapers from distributing content featuring nudity through their apps. Those decisions, and a number of others around the same time, earned Apple widespread condemnation from within the media world. "The fact is that they forced Stern and Bild to change their editorial content decisions, and anyone or anything could be next," Gizmodo wrote. "Apple is a corporation, and they can do whatever they want, after all."

That's true, of course. Just as it's true the restaurant with a sign that says "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" can kick out customers without providing a reason, as long as they're not discriminating illegally.

But we don't freak out when we see a sign like that because we understand the restaurant has no interest in abusing the policy by turning away paying customers. That's not why the sign is there. It's there so the restaurant can protect its relationship with its other customers by not letting, say, a guy with a ukulele and a bike light ruin their dinners.

"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibilities"--that was the mea culpa Mark Zuckerberg offered to lawmakers to explain why Facebook failed to stop Russia's social-media influence operations.

We all say we want the most powerful companies to exercise more responsibility. But there are different types of responsibility. Like a good restaurant manager, Apple has always seen itself as responsible for the quality of its customers' experience, even at the cost of being labeled arbitrary or priggish.
Dir Wim Wenders, 96 mins, featuring: Pope Francis

Wim Wenders absorbing if reverential documentary profile of Pope Francis gives viewers a far more intimate view of its subject than they will ever get from TV footage of papal rallies and services in the Vatican and around the world.

At the core of the film is a series of face-to-face interviews in which Francis speaks informally and frankly about everything from the obscenity of child poverty to climate change.

As if to underline his subjects saintly credentials, Wenders includes grainy, black and white footage which looks as if it was made in the silent era (but which he shot himself) of St Francis of Assisi, whose name the Pope has taken. The filmmaker follows Pope Francis, fly-on-the-wall-style, as he travels the world, meeting his followers in prisons, favelas, refugee camps or addressing the American joint houses of congress.

This is far from being a critical portrait but it still makes fascinating viewing. The director skims over the Popes life before he came to the papacy. We learn nothing of his childhood background or of how he dealt with the politicians and generals as a leader of the Catholic church in Argentina during a tumultuous period in the countrys history that saw dictatorship, disappearances and periods of economic turmoil. Wenders includes footage of one rally in Buenos Aires but otherwise leaves the past alone.

In the interviews, Francis emerges as a steely, thoughtful figure with surprisingly liberal views on many subjects. He speaks slowly in perfectly formed sentences as he tries to answer Wenders main question: How should we live today? His behaviour towards others is the same whether they are rich and powerful or poor and weak. He always looks them in the eye and listens.

He has a sense of humour, too, making jokes about mothers-in-law or the state of his digestion. At times, he appears startled by the pomp and ceremony surrounding the papal cavalcade wherever it goes. You could imagine Alastair Sim or Peter Sellers playing him in a comedy about an ordinary man elevated to a position of extreme power and influence. He likes to travel Mr Bean-style in a very humble car rather than an imposing limousine. He takes the side of the underdogs and will always find somebody whose feet he can wash.

The papacy as shown here is very different from the world of lavish ceremony, hierarchical manoeuvring and continual backbiting conspiracy shown in Pablo Sorrentinos entertaining mini-series, The Young Pope. In one sequence, though, we do see the well-heeled and well-fed cardinals shuffle uneasily as the Pope addresses them and rails against vanity and the trappings of wealth.

Go and restore my house. It is falling into ruins, St Francis heard God telling him when he embraced his life of poverty and devotion. His namesake warns that unless the church reforms itself, it risks turning into a glorified NGO.

Pope Francis induces the same exhilaration and sense of rapture in the filmmaker as he does in the thousands of followers who queue up to touch him or film him with their mobile phones at their rallies. At times, Wenders depicts the Pope almost as if he is one of those angels looking in on the suffering of the world in his earlier movie, Wings of Desire.

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

Like Al Gore in the Inconvenient Truth films, Pope Francis is always ready to remind his listeners that humans are destroying the environment. His economic message is clear too. If 20 per cent of the world owe 80 per cent of the worlds riches, it is not a model for any kind of social harmony.

Whatever reception A Man Of His Word receives on its initial cinema release, whatever the misgivings some audiences may have about Wenders softball approach, this film is bound to become a key resource for anyone analysing Pope Francis time as the leader of the Catholic Church. Its as personal and revealing a portrait of a living pope as has ever before been committed to screen.

A Man of His Word hits UK cinemas 10 August.
Significantly, the Antiguan government way back in 2001 had then notified India as a designated Commonwealth country.

New Delhi: Antigua is examining Indias request for extradition of Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam-accused Mehul Choksi, the MEA said on Thursday, adding that an extradition arrangement already exists between the two countries as per the extradition acts of the two countries.

India has recently handed over a request to Antigua for extradition of Choksi, who had earlier obtained citizenship of the Caribbean nation.

India is trying to bring back Choksi from Antigua under the provision of a law of the island nation which provides for extradition of a fugitive to a designated Commonwealth country.

As per the provisions of the Extradition Act, 1993 of Antigua and Barbuda, a fugitive may be extradited to a designated Commonwealth Country or a state with which there are general or special arrangement or a bilateral treaty.

Last week on August 3, New Delhi quietly issued a gazette notification that the provisions of the Extradition Act, 1962, shall apply with respect to Antigua and Barbuda with effect from 2001 i.e. when Antigua and Barbuda notified India as Designated Commonwealth Country under the provision of its own Extradition Act. This could enable New Delhi to seek extradition of Choksi from Antigua under this already-existing arrangement.

Significantly, the Antiguan government way back in 2001 had then notified India as a designated Commonwealth country.

Government sources had earlier said, The gazette notification on 3 August 2018 directs that the provisions of Extradition Act, 1962 shall apply with respect to Antigua and Barbuda with effect from 2001 i.e. when Antigua and Barbuda notified India as Designated Commonwealth Country under the provision of its own Extradition Act. These notifications constitute an extradition arrangement between India and Antigua and Barbuda under their Extradition Act of 1993 and provides the legal basis for extraditing offenders from each others jurisdiction.

The tiny Caribbean nation had last week claimed it was told by Indian agencies that there was no adverse information against Choksi when it did a background check on the fugitive billionaire before granting him citizenship in 2017, according to a local media report there.

But India had swiftly set the record straight last Friday evening, saying that the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) was issued to Choksi by Passport Office, Mumbai, for Antigua and Barbuda on March 16, 2017 since at that time there was a clear Police Verification Report (PVR) available on his passport. What New Delhi had essentially said last week was that there was nothing incriminating or adverse against Choksi at that particular time since the scam surfaced later.
Dir Stephen Susco, 93 mins, starring: Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Chelsea Alden, Betty Gabriel, Andrew Lees, Stephanie Nogueras

Unfriended  Dark Web is the latest in the series of Screenlife films produced by Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov in which the action unfolds (and is filmed) on computer screens, smart phones or other digital devices. Also produced by Jason Blum (of Get Out and The Purge fame), this is voyeuristic, nasty but very clever fare.

Charismatic young slacker type Matias (Colin Woodall) is delighted to have procured a new (stolen) MacBook. By a process of elimination and guesswork, he works out the password. In strangely compelling scenes, we see him trying to log in. Its games night, which is when he and his friends play online together.

He is also busy trying to charm his deaf girlfriend, Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras). What he doesnt realise is that there is a folder on the stolen computer full of torture and snuff videos. Thats one reason the computers owner wants it back. Another is the cryptocurrency hidden in an account accessed through the computer.

Writer-director Stephen Susco has a nice line in macabre humour. This is a movie in which computer glitches  software programmes quitting unexpectedly, wifi connections being lost, Skype calls being interrupted  only adds to the tension.

Matias and his friends are a little arrogant and very confident in their own computing and hacking skills. The idea that an outsider is playing them for fools doesnt even occur.

The film captures the way dramatic events in its characters lives are always experienced at a remove, through the filter of social media feeds. For most of the film, Matias barely moves from his desk but we see him experience the full gamut of emotions, from lust to anger, from joy to abject terror, because of what he is hearing and seeing on his laptop screen.

The hacker whose computer he has taken goes under the name of Charon  thats to say, the name of the ferryman in Greek mythology who takes the dead to Hades. Hell is where Matias and his friends will be headed too unless they can work out how to keep themselves and their devices safe.

Unfriended  Dark Web is convincingly acted by its young cast in performances made to look as if recorded entirely on their computers in-built cameras. (A cinematographer, Kevin Stewart, is listed in the credits  so some artistic license has presumably been taken.) Sometimes, the actors are seen in close up. Sometimes, theyre all on screen at once, in little boxes.

Just as they are looking in on each others lives, we are peering into their world. The film has a grim plot line involving kidnapped and tortured teenagers and a shadowy group which enjoys watching their suffering. This may be an exploitation movie but its an ingeniously made one with a highly original storytelling style which reflects perfectly the screen-dominated lives and leisure habits of its young protagonists.

Unfriended: Dark Web hits UK cinemas 10 August.
A Danish designer has made an emphatic statement against the burqa ban being enforced in Denmark by featuring models wearing traditional Muslim head and face coverings on the catwalk at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Reza Etamadi, who was born in Iran, showcased models wearing niqabs and hijabs alongside police officers in order to show his support for womens right to wear the religious attire.

The fashion show for his streetwear brand MUF10 took place days after a law banning niqabs and burqas came into effect in Denmark.

Recommended The countries around the world that enforce bans on niqabs and burqas

Niqabs are the Muslim item of clothing that shows the eyes, while burqas are full-face coverings.

Etamadi has stated that he doesn't think the way in which women choose to dress shouldnt be dictated by the government.

I have a duty to support all womens freedom of speech and freedom of thought, he said on Wednesday.

The designer believes that the new law is in violation of the free choice we in the western world are known for and proud to have.

Iranian-born Danish designer Reza Etamadi features models wearing niqabs and hijabs on catwalk at Copenhagen Fashion Week (AP)

People in Denmark who are found wearing niqabs and burqas can now expect to be penalised for the illegal act.

Individuals may be fined more than 100 for a first offence. However, this figure can reach 1,200 with a potential jail sentence of up to six months.

Last week, women in Denmark wore the banned Muslim dress in protest of the new law.

Recommended First woman charged in Denmark under new burqa ban

A spokesperson for Kvinder I Dialog (Women in Dialogue) informed The Independent that a large demonstration is going to be taking place in protest of the ban, explaining that the groups aim is to show that we do not accept this kind of unjust treatment regardless of who we are dealing with.

Fotis Filippou, Amnesty Internationals deputy Europe director, explained the negative impact that the ruling will have on the Muslim community in Denmark.

Whilst some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates womens rights to freedom of expression and religion," he said.

In March this year, British Vogue made history by featuring a model wearing a hijab, Halima Aden, on the cover for the very first time in the publication's 102-year history.
Economists from Yale University have come up with a technique to predict the price of bitcoin based on the cryptocurrency's past behaviour.

The notoriously volatile cryptocurrency has fluctuated between $6,000 and $9,000 over the last few months, with its current value hovering around $6,343, however there patterns within these market movements.

Yukun Liu and Aleh Tsyvinski analysed seven years of bitcoin price data to figure out which indicators can be used to determine the future price of bitcoin. The Yale economists also studied ripple and ethereum to see whether other cryptocurrencies followed the same price patterns as bitcoin.

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

Their findings, published in The National Bureau of Economic Researh, established that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are entirely distinct from stocks, currencies and other commodities in terms of factors affecting their market movements.

"In contrast, we show that the cryptocurrency returns can be predicted by factors which are specific to cryptocurrency markets," the study explains.

"Specifically, we determine that there is a strong time-series momentum effect and that proxies for investor attention strongly forecast cryptocurrency returns."

This momentum effect was found to strongly affect cryptocurrency, meaning that if bitcoin is performing well then it is likely to continue doing so, at least in the short-term.

The economists designed a "simple strategy" that investors could follow to take advantage of this trend. According to the strategy, an investor should buy bitcoin if its value increases more than 20 per cent in the previous week.

"This strategy generates outstanding returns," Tsyvinski told Yale News.

Bitcoin has experienced a turbulent few months, fluctuating between $9,000 and $6,000 between May and August (CoinMarketCap)

The economists also calculated that there is a 0.3 per cent chance that the value of bitcoin will fall to zero and become useless. This may seem very small, however it is still several degrees of magnitude higher than traditional currencies like the euro (0.009 per cent chance) and the Australian dollar (0.003 per cent chance).

The end of the study addressed the question of how much a typical investor should hold in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, concluding that it should be between 1 per cent and 6 per cent.

"Of course, one has to remember that, as with any other assets, past performance is not a guarantee of future returns," Tsyvinski said.

"Maybe cryptocurrency will completely change its behavious, but currently the market does not think it will."
Pioneering physicist and chemist Marie Curie has been named the most influential woman in history in a list of 100 female trailblazers.

The list was compiled by BBC History magazine after the publication conducted a poll among its readers.

Civil rights activist Rosa Parks came second in the list of 100 women whove changed the world, with other entrants including writer Mary Wollstonecraft, Celtic queen Boudica and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Among Curies many achievements, she became the first person to win two Nobel prizes, coined the term radioactivity and discovered two elements, polonium and radium.

For the poll, BBC History asked for experts from 10 different fields to nominate 10 significant women each from the history books, before providing its readers with the list of 100 women to rank.

Curie was nominated by Patricia Fara, president of the British Society for the History of Science.

She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize in physics, first female professor at the University of Paris, and the first person - note the use of person there, not woman - to win a second Nobel prize, Fara says.

Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Show all 4 1 /4 Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Jessica Sundquist: 787 Dreamliner captain at Norwegian Jessica Sundquist, a Swedish 787 Dreamliner captain for Norwegian, has spoken extensively about being a woman in the industry. In the past shes spoken about the concept of putting your femininity aside in order to succeed. Sundquist says today that she felt she didnt have to do it, but also wanted to fit into the industry without being known as the girl. Today, times are changing, she says, and more women are joining the industry  but its not all good news. Despite working hard to get to where I am today as a captain at one of the most modern and exciting airlines, the industry still has a lot more work to do to give women more opportunities, she says In the future, shed like the discussion on gender inequality to remain open and ongoing, but argues that real action also needs to take place to make any difference. Norwegian Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Joanna Riggs: A380 first officer at British Airways First officer Joanna Riggs says she was never particularly exposed to aviation as a career choice, but became a BA cabin crew member after university in order to see more of the world. She says that entering such a highly male-dominated profession wasnt daunting, but that she felt lucky to have two other females on her course. Colleagues have always been supportive in Riggs experience as have  for the most part  passengers, though some are surprised when they see a female pilot. I hope it will one day be normal to everyone, she adds. Some passengers give a thumbs up or a girl power sign. As for gender differences on the flight deck, Riggs says, We are very professional on the flight deck so it doesnt matter what the gender, race or sexuality of my colleague is. Flying with a fellow female is always a treat though. My brother is also a British Airways pilot, and although I havent flown with him, I get the feeling we would be very similar. British Airways Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Lucy Tardrew: Boeing 747 captain at Virgin Atlantic Lucy Tardrew had always wanted to join the RAF, she says, but it was never allowed to happen  because they werent taking girls at the time. Instead, she travelled to America, where she trained before becoming a flying instructor. After returning to the UK and converting her licences, she began flying night mail  literally all the posts around the country at night  before stints flying executive jets, and last-minute jobs including air ambulances and freighting transplant organs, before joining Virgin 23 years ago. Tardrew is enthusiastic about the company, but is saddened that the ratio of women in the industry as a whole remains low. As for challenges in the workplace, shes never experienced any discrimination. Noting the rare pay equality in the piloting industry, Tardrew feels the reason there arent more female pilots is down to the fact that there arent enough female role models for schoolchildren to think, Im going to become an airline pilot. Virgin Atlantic Four female pilots discuss life on the flightdeck Kate McWilliams: captain at easyJet At 26, Kate McWilliams became the youngest commercial captain in the world. I love being a captain for easyJet, she says. And Im really happy to be working for an airline that is working hard to increase the number of female pilots. Flying was always her goal  but she didnt realise how far she could take it. I joined the air cadets at 13-years-old, but it wasnt until much later that I realised I could become a commercial pilot, she says. EasyJet is aiming to inspire young women, with the Amy Johnson Flying Initiative and their sponsorship of the Brownies, giving girls aged seven to 10 the opportunity to earn an Aviation Badge. The work its doing is really important. The Amy Johnson Flying Initiative was launched in October 2015 with the aim of doubling the number of female new entrant pilots, to 12 per cent, over a two-year period. After achieving its aim in the first year, the airline set a target of 20 per cent for new entrant cadet pilots in 2020. easyJet

The odds were always stacked against her. In Poland her patriotic family suffered under a Russian regime. In France she was regarded with suspicion as a foreigner - and of course, wherever she went, she was discriminated against as a woman.

The women who made it onto the list hailed from many different fields, including literature, politics and sport, many of which were deemed as being rebellious in their times.

Margaret Thatcher, the UKs first female Prime Minister, placed sixth on the list, with suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst coming in third.

Recommended More women than ever will run for US governorships and House seats

Charlotte Hodgman, deputy editor of BBC History magazine, explains the significance of the list coming out on the 100th anniversary of womens suffrage.

The poll has shone a light on some truly extraordinary women from history, many of whose achievements and talents were overlooked in their own lifetimes, she says.

It is fitting that, in a year that has seen the 100th anniversary of the parliamentary Act that gave the vote to many British women, suffrage campaigners Emmeline Pankhurst and Josephine Butler have been voted into the top 20.

Whilst it is unsurprising to see queens such as Victoria and Eleanor of Aquitaine place high, it is refreshing to see some more unfamiliar names make the top 20, such as 19th-Century philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts. Im sure the full list will provoke conversation and debate.

 Large crowd gathers for statue unveiling of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins

Here are the top 20 entries from BBC History magazines '100 women who changed the world':

Marie Curie Rosa Parks Emmeline Pankhurst Ada Lovelace Rosalind Franklin Margaret Thatcher Angela Burdett-Coutts Mary Wollstonecraft Florence Nightingale Marie Stopes Eleanor of Aquitaine The Virgin Mary Jane Austen Boudicca Diana, Princess of Wales Amelia Earhart Queen Victoria Josephine Butler Mary Seacole Mother Teresa

You can find the full list of 100 influential women in the new issue of BBC History magazine.
UK rents are expected to rise by 15 per cent in the next five years due to a lack of supply, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has warned.

The group said its July survey showed a continued reduction in new property being put on the market in the lettings sector, with 22 per cent more respondents reporting a fall, marking the eighth consecutive quarter of decline.

This lack of available properties means rents are estimated to go up by almost 2 per cent across the UK this year, but RICS said the shortfall in the supply pipeline is more visible over the medium term, with rents predicted to rise 15 per cent by the middle of 2023.

Recommended London rents rise for first time in two years as UK growth slows

East Anglia and the southwest are viewed as likely to see the sharpest growth over the period, RICS warned.

The organisation said the lack of supply, which is evident in virtually all parts of the country was symptomatic of the shift in the mood music in the buy to let market in the wake of tax changes which are still in the process of being implemented. Tax relief for buy-to-let investors has been reduced, while stamp duty on second homes has increased in recent years.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: The impact of recent and ongoing tax changes is clearly having a material impact on the buy to let sector as intended. The risk, as we have highlighted previously, is that a reduced pipeline of supply will gradually feed through into higher rents in the absence of either a significant uplift in the build to rent programme or government funded social housing.

At the present time, there is little evidence that either is likely to make up the shortfall. This augers ill for those many households for whom owner occupation is either out of reach financially or just not a suitable tenure.

Abdul Choudhury, RICS London policy officer, said the survey showed the government must urgently look at the private rented sector and find ways to encourage good landlords.

He said: Ultimately, government must consider the impact of its policies, and if the wish is to move away from the private rented sector [PRS], it must provide a suitable alternative. If they wish to improve PRS, as we have suggested by professionalising through regulation and the PRS code, there is justification to reconsider the approach taken to tax.

Research released earlier this week from think tank Centre for London showed the lack of affordable housing in the capital was a major factor causing people to leave the city.

In its report, the group said: The continuing affordability crisis and the prospect of Brexit are dampening the citys appeal, with the former seen as driving the rise in the number of people in their mid-twenties to thirties leaving the capital.
Rebekah Hunter lay in the hospital bed, terrified. A nurse had taken Hunters underwear earlier in the emergency room and warned that an alarm would sound if they got out of bed. (Hunter, who presents as female, identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns they and them.) If Hunter had to use the bathroom or wanted to walk around the room, they needed to ask the nurses permission.

Hunter, then 28, was already on edge. They had tried to overdose on ibuprofen and acetaminophen and were being held in the hospital under observation. Anyone would find the experience distressing, but Hunters distress was magnified by the fact that they are autistic.

Like many people on the spectrum, Hunter suffers from bouts of depression and chronic gastrointestinal problems. At the time, Hunter was also in an abusive relationship. (Some research suggests that abusive relationships are common among people on the spectrum.)

Hunter had been seeing a therapist but says the sessions werent helping. I felt like a lot of the stuff I was going through was dismissed, Hunter, now 30, recalls. I would tell her that I felt like my partner didnt care about me, that I didnt feel safe; shed talk me down and say it was fixable. It felt like gaslighting.

The experience was one of many that left Hunter feeling that no one in the medical community was willing to listen to them. And so it was with the nurses in the hospital, too. Scared of angering them, Hunter shut down completely and complied with everything they said. Hunter felt helpless; they couldnt sleep because the lights were on all the time and the hospital gown was itchy. It took about four days of this sensory torture before they were released.

Like Hunter, many autistic adults struggle to receive good care from doctors and hospitals. These individuals often find it difficult to communicate with healthcare professionals and are misunderstood or ignored. Theyre less likely to have their routine health needs met, from dental check-ups to tetanus vaccinations. I think that as an autistic person, Ive had to habituate to other peoples rules and comfort levels, Hunter says.

For their part, primary care doctors and mental health providers are often unprepared to treat this population. Many are unaware that adults on the spectrum are at risk for a range of other ailments in addition to their autism: Adults with autism are almost twice as likely as their typical counterparts to have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, for instance. As a result, they die, on average, 16 years earlier than typical adults matched for gender, age and country of residence, according to one study. Making sure people on the spectrum receive routine and preventive care could help bridge that mortality gap.

A lot of adults with autism feel lost, says Lisa Croen, director of the Autism Research Program at Kaiser Permanente, a managed healthcare provider based in California. Itd be great if physicians had some more general training and awareness. Just like with any other condition, they really have to take into account that particular person in their office and adjust what theyre doing to meet the needs of that patient.

Croen and others are working on a number of potential solutions  including specialty clinics, online tool kits and training programs for community mental health workers. And some autistic adults, including Hunter, are eager to offer their input.

Growing pains

More than half of all adults with autism have additional diagnoses. Apart from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, they also tend to have obesity, autoimmune diseases, hearing impairment, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems  plus a laundry list of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Some of these conditions, such as constipation and sleep problems, are also common in autistic children, says Croen, which may be a consequence of the autism or reflect some common physiologic or genetic ground. But others, including heart disease, more often arise in adulthood.

Still, autism is often erroneously described as a childhood condition, and children are where the vast bulk of research dollars and media attention are focused. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 59 children has autism, up from 1 in 150 in 2002. These kids have been growing up and reaching their adulthood and now need medical care just like anybody, Croen says. But all evidence suggests thats not happening. One study last year, for example, analyzed the insurance records of more than 16,000 people with autism, aged 16 to 23, and found that outside of emergency-room visits, their use of healthcare services dropped significantly with age.

This is a huge issue; we see adults who still go to their pediatrician because there just arent enough providers for general care or psychiatrists who will see adults with autism, says Julie Lounds Taylor, a developmental psychologist at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Lounds Taylor studies the transition of autistic teenagers to adulthood. The challenge is: Can you find someone who will take you, and can you find someone who will provide competent care?

Andee Joyce, a former medical transcriptionist in Hillsboro, Oregon, says she has faced numerous barriers in trying to navigate the healthcare system as an adult. She was diagnosed with autism in 2007 at age 44. Thanks to her work, she knows all the diagnostic jargon. Even so, nearly everything about doctors appointments has been a challenge, starting with scheduling them, she says. Because telephone conversations often become garbled for her, she always procrastinates. I only have so many spoons for phone calls, she says. (Some people with a disability or chronic illness refer to the spoon theory to explain the limited energy they have available for daily tasks.)

Once she has an appointment  to see her therapist about her depression, her endocrinologist about her polycystic ovary syndrome or her primary care physician about sinus issues  arriving on time can be a trial. She has learned to write down in advance everything she wants to discuss with her doctor because, she says, my mind and my mouth arent always in sync. And she wants details  all of them. In May, for instance, when her doctor prescribed a nasal spray for ongoing sinus issues, she wanted to know exactly why, when and how she should use it, along with any side effects. I tell doctors, Err on the side of over-explaining, she says. Her doctor didnt mention the sprays terrible aftertaste, which startled and distressed her.

Joyce finds dental appointments to be the absolute worst, between her sensitive gag reflex and the discomfort of having her mouth stretched open like the Grand Canyon. Some women on the spectrum find gynecologic visits the most intimidating. Autistic women are significantly less likely to visit a gynecologist and get pap smears, which screen for cervical cancer, than other women of the same age. The gap may be due to a combination of factors: Primary care doctors may assume these women arent sexually active, for instance, or the women may avoid visits because they are hypersensitive to touch.

Few clinics cater to these special needs. The Women with Disabilities Gynecology Clinic at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is one of the few that treat women on the spectrum. Unlike a typical womens clinic, it has an array of charts, pictures and anatomically correct dolls, along with tiny speculums, so that the staff can tailor their explanations to their clients, including those with intellectual disability. Women who visit the office are also encouraged to bring advocates with them to help ensure theyre as comfortable as possible and receive all the information they require.

For the physicians at the clinic, flexibility is key, says Susan D. Ernst, the gynecologist who directs the clinic. Ernst regularly takes histories while women pace around the exam room; she doesnt force them to sit. She says one woman she sees communicates through a voice output device and requests that Ernst dim the lights so that the exam is less overwhelming. Many women need two or more visits to get through a full exam. It all comes down to accommodating the individuals needs, Ernst says. These patients really shouldnt have to be seen in a special clinic, she says. What we really need to do is educate providers so that any physician is able to care for them.

The doctor will see you now

After Hunter was released from the hospital, they decided it was time to find better care. I just left and found a new doctor, Hunter says. That might sound straightforward, but as it is for Joyce, making appointments can be difficult for Hunter. Phones are scary to me, Hunter says. Its a deterrent.

Over the next two years, Hunter was prescribed an array of antidepressants by various doctors. Hunter also developed gynecological problems in the form of irregular bleeding and says their doctor largely ignored their questions and didnt take notes during appointments. At first I thought it was that he was hard of hearing; I speak softly, Hunter says. But it became a horrible nightmare.

Hunters doctors approach is the antithesis of what Ernst and others have found to be effective when treating people on the spectrum. At the Neurobehavior HOME program at the University of Utah, for example, the entire clinic is designed around people who have disabilities. The center is funded entirely by Medicaid and provides medical and mental health care to about 1,200 people with developmental disabilities, 60 percent of whom are autistic adults.

Providers slot a full hour for each appointment, which allows for late arrivals and helps keep the waiting room quiet and uncrowded (crowded spaces are tough for people with sensory sensitivities). Exam rooms are large, allowing people to move around as needed and to bring caregivers along. Theres a phlebotomy lab on site, with staff trained to help ease anxiety during a blood draw. And a nutritionist works with clients to manage weight gain, a common side effect of seizure and antipsychotic medications that can contribute to other conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Being able to very closely integrate our care is huge, and were showing its leading to much better outcomes for adults with autism, says Kyle Jones, who directs the primary care team. Although autistic adults have elevated rates of conditions such as diabetes, the clinic has better-than-average rates of controlling those comorbidities and fewer hospitalizations, Jones says.

Most people on the spectrum join the program as theyre transitioning into adulthood and leaving their pediatrician, the structure and routine of school, and other familiar services. We can help with their needs, with some of those unknowns, Jones says. For example, in late May, a young woman with autism who was new to the program came in with her father. The father told Jones his daughter had been unable to have a dental exam because he couldnt find anyone to sedate her; even if he had, he would have had to pay out of pocket. Jones reassured him that the program pays for dental anesthesia through discretionary funds it receives for each client from the state. The dad started crying, Jones recalls. He said, This has been such a huge frustration.

The vast majority of adults with autism dont have access to anything like the HOME program, however. Other states either havent considered or have not been willing to fund similar clinics that provide ongoing care.

In Philadelphia, researchers are working to train community mental health providers to fill some of that unmet need. Last year, clinical psychologist Brenna Maddox and her colleagues interviewed adults with autism and surveyed therapists and case managers who connect them with community-based social services. She is now designing a training program, which she expects to roll out to clinics next year. One driver for the work, she says, is the fact that there is a dearth of psychiatrists and therapists who treat autistic adults  and those who do often dont take insurance. Of course, we could bring adults here to Penn, and I could treat them as part of a research study, says Maddox, a postdoctoral fellow working with David Mandells team at the University of Pennsylvania. But if we can train the clinicians in the community, theyre going to have a much broader and more impactful reach.

Better tools

For now, most clinicians feel ill-equipped to treat autistic adults. That was the message Croen received when she surveyed hundreds of primary care and mental health providers in 2015. They told us that they need more resources and training to work with adults with autism, she says.

The study Maddox conducted received similar responses. Treating depression and anxiety is their bread and butter  they do that all the time, she says. But the second its an adult with autism who has depression and anxiety, they dont feel like they have the comfort level or confidence to work with them.

Awareness is at least growing among the next generation of doctors. Ernst says dental and medical students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor are collaborating with a local advertising firm to create and distribute a list of providers who are good at working with people who have disabilities. (Ernst is on a national list compiled by the nonprofit organization Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network.) Whats more, she and her colleagues are developing a curriculum for the medical school on caring for people with disabilities, including autism. Educating providers early in their careers, these scientists say, will make treating autistic people less daunting and help them more fully address the needs of people on the spectrum.

Until medical schools incorporate information about autism into their curricula, doctors and autistic adults have another resource to help them communicate and build better relationships. In 2016, scientists developed an online healthcare tool kit that offers a multitude of resources, from medical, legal and ethical information to worksheets that can help autistic people manage appointments. The tool kit is accessible through the Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE), a research collaboration between several organizations.

The centerpiece of the tool kit is an accommodations report that an autistic adult or her caregiver can fill out and give to a doctor to inform treatments. Because everybody on the spectrum is going to be different and have different needs, its really hard for me to tell a provider, These are the things you have to do to take care of adults on the spectrum, says Christina Nicolaidis, an internist who leads the project. [The accommodations report] provides really concrete, actionable items that providers would need to know, she says  items such as an autistic person needing to have dimmed lights during an exam or to know how many test tubes of blood the clinician might draw.

Nicolaidis and her colleagues tested the tool kit in 170 adults with autism and 41 primary care doctors in 2016. The participants reported that communication with their doctor improved one month after they received the tool kit. The next step, Nicolaidis says, is to see if the tools can be incorporated into primary care practices, as opposed to something individuals take to their physician. To find out, shes collaborating with three large healthcare networks, two in Oregon and one in California. (Croen, at Californias Kaiser Permanente, is a collaborator.) In January, they launched the two-year study, which includes around 220 people at 12 clinics, about half of which will use the tool kit.

The tool kit incorporates data from interviews with dozens of autistic adults; another six actively helped to create it. Those pages include an extraordinary level of detail. That comes from our autistic partners saying: Wait, wait, wait. Dont just tell me I should make an appointment; I need a script to follow, Nicolaidis says. Her team also worked with doctors to streamline the accommodations report so that they could actually use it. When we first started doing cognitive interviewing with the doctors, it was a disaster: This is too long; I cant look at this; Its too much information; You need to make it shorter. she recalls them telling her.

The tool kit isnt meant to be a substitute for specialized expertise. Ive been focused on autism for years, and Im still not going to get it all right when I work with an autistic patient, Nicolaidis says. But its a first step to give people a way to try to make those interactions more effective, to help non-autism healthcare providers know enough about autism to be able to do their jobs.

Hunter has learned to self-advocate without the benefit of such a resource. Their new gastroenterologist finally diagnosed Hunter with irritable bowel syndrome and has been patient and communicative about finding a treatment. He listens to me, takes his time with me, remembers my history, Hunter says. I get the sense that he cares about me. Hunter has also started seeing a primary care physician who not only listens, but also actively encourages them to explain their needs  something many of the providers Hunter encountered did not support. Its so much better, Hunter says.

And Hunter is learning to advocate for others these days, too. While taking an abnormal psychology course last year, Hunter met a member of the AASPIRE team. Hunter jumped at the chance to pitch in and began reviewing and coding write-ups that struck close to home: descriptions of peoples negative healthcare experiences. In May, Hunter took on a bigger role with AASPIRE, becoming a community council member, offering feedback and creating resources to help others. In that capacity, Hunter will interact with adults on the spectrum and ensure that these individuals input is incorporated into programs and resources the group develops.

Hunter is in a much better place today than five years ago and eager to put their own negative experiences to use to help others: I think were the only ones that know what our lives are like.

This article was originally published in Spectrum  you can find the original article here. Further reading from Spectrum:
Why is the risk being highlighted now?

The review has been sparked in part by the growing popularity of tattoos, currently 12 per cent of Europeans have one, but this rises to one in four among people aged 18 to 35.

Because the dyes used remain in your body permanently there is a lifetime for any harmful chemicals that may be used to have an effect.

The EU was also concerned about the lack of oversight of what goes into tattoos. The inks are a blend of several ingredients, and their chemical components are often bought from one supplier to be mixed and sold to distributors and then on to tattoo parlours. Though ingredients are supposed to be thoroughly labelled, especially if they're hazardous, there are no standardised requirements across the EU.

Tony Raita, chair of the Finnish Tattooist Association said cheap coloured inks from China are a growing problem. They import a lot of colours to the European Union and people use them and they dont know what is in the colours, thats pretty dangerous," he said.
Coral is far older than we thought  and might survive much longer than wed expected.

Thats according to scientists who have discovered that we were roughly 100 million years out in our estimate of how long coral and algae had been around. They have in fact been on Earth for 160 million years, meaning they were around at the time of the dinosaurs.

Having survived so long means they have lived through various climate disasters and shocks in the past. As such, they might be more resilient to climate change than previously thought, the researchers suggest.

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

Coral are likely to be one of the most clear victims of global warming because they are so sensitive to changes in the temperature of the water. Already, natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef are being bleached by the increased temperatures of the sea that surrounds them.

Our research indicates that modern corals and their algal partners have been entwined with each other since the time of the dinosaurs, approximately 160 million years ago  100 million years earlier than previously thought, said Dr Voolstra, coauthor and associate professor of marine science in the Red Sea Research Centre at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

During their long existence, they have faced severe episodes of environmental change, but thanks to their biological characteristics have managed to bounce back after each.

Corals are made up of animal hosts called polyps, inside the cells of which are microscopic algae known as zooxanthellae. They live together in a partnership or symbiosis that underpins the entire coral reef system, with each one providing valuable resources to another.

The fossil record shows that todays reef-building corals exploded in diversity around 160 million years ago, said Todd LaJeunesse, associate professor of biology at Penn State. Finding that the origin of the algal symbionts corresponds to major increases in the abundance and diversity of reef-building corals implies that the partnership with symbiodiniaceae was one of the major reasons for the success of modern corals.

The research also suggests that the symbiosis is far more diverse than previously assumed.

Presently, numerous algal lineages called clades are lumped into just one genus, said John Parkinson, a postdoctoral scholar in Oregon State Universitys College of Science. We provide evidence that the family actually consists of at least 15 genera that include hundreds and possibly thousands of species worldwide.
The Perseid meteor shower is to pass over the UK and the rest of the world, lighting up the sky with a stunning celestial sight.

And the display could be even brighter than ever, since a new moon will mean that the shooting stars have a clear stage for the world to see them.

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the high points in the celestial calendar, occurs each year as the Earth ploughs through dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Perseids meteor shower around the world Show all 9 1 /9 Perseids meteor shower around the world Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-7.jpg EPA Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-2.jpg Getty Images Perseids meteor shower around the world 635004.bin Getty Images Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-5.jpg EPA Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-8.jpg AP Perseids meteor shower around the world AN26102353epa03821652-A-sho.jpg EPA Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-3.jpg AP Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-9.jpg EPA Perseids meteor shower around the world meteor-4.jpg Getty Images

As the particles, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pea, hit the Earth's atmosphere at 60km (37 miles) per second, they burn up and streak across the sky.

Once darkness falls on August 12, sky-watchers can expect to see one of the shooting stars every few minutes.

The Perseids reach their peak in the early hours of August 13 when up to 70 per hour should be visible.

Dr Robert Massey, from the Royal Astronomical Society, said: "The shower will be visible all over the UK, as long as the skies are clear.

"Unlike a lot of celestial events, meteor showers are easy to watch and no special equipment is needed, although a reclining chair and a blanket make viewing much more comfortable."

To make the best of the meteors, observers should avoid built-up areas and try to find an unobstructed view to the east.

The shooting stars will appear to come from a single point, or "radiant", situated in the constellation Perseus, that climbs higher as the night progresses.

Greater numbers of meteors are visible when the radiant is high. But the most spectacular long-lasting meteors, known as "Earthgrazers", can be seen when the radiant is still low above the horizon.

Lucky observers may see the occasional meteor sailing across the sky for several seconds, leaving behind a trail of glowing smoke.

Additional reporting by agencies
A man who posted anti-Muslim messages on social media and made a threat to kill Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been jailed for 16 months.

Jonathan Jennings used platforms such as YouTube and GAB  billed as the free speech social network  to make Islamophobic statements inciting religious hatred.

Prosecutors revealed the 34-year-old man from Carmarthenshire had written posts calling for all Muslims to be gassed and to be forcibly sterilised. He claimed those who tried to convert others to Islam should be sentenced to death.

He repeatedly called for the murder of Muslims and supported bomb a mosque day suggested by another extremist, Nigel Pelham, who was jailed last year.

Sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, Jennings pled guilty to four offences of inciting racial hatred and another six offences related to the sending of material with the intention of causing distress and anxiety.

The Crown Prosecution Service today said his jail sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

Between March and August last year, Jennings also posted a series of threatening messages about left-leaning public figures and one about the Jewish community, alongside his diatribes about British Muslims.

In March 2017 he called Gina Miller  the prominent lawyer who led a legal challenge against Brexit  a traitor and called for her to be executed.

A few months later he said if Jeremy Corbyn became prime minister he would be first in line to Jo Cox him  a reference to the murder of the Labour MP by a right-wing extremist back in June 2016.

Another message stated that Hitler was born a 100 years too soon. He went on to threaten the Jewish community, saying if they did not behave themselves they would share the same fate as Muslims.

Deb Walsh from the CPS said: Jonathan Jennings hatred of Muslims led him to post online messages stirring up animosity towards a whole community.

He did not limit himself to expressing his views but called on others to indiscriminately kill Muslims and bomb mosques. Jennings also targeted the Jewish community and called for public figures whose views he did not like to be executed.

The prison sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist Show all 4 1 /4 Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist 633996.bin David Sandison Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist 633997.bin David Sandison Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist 633998.bin AFP/Getty Images Back from the Front: Inside the mind of a reformed UK far-right extremist 633999.bin Reuters

Detective Superintendent Jim Hall of the Wales Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit said: We are committed to tackling all forms of extremism which has the potential to threaten public safety and security.

Such was the strength of evidence of Jennings activities that he entered guilty pleas to all of the offences.

There have been a number of successful prosecutions over recent years and this is testament to the work of police teams up and down the country."

DS Jim Hall hailed the help of the public in identifying incitement of racial hatred and other forms of extremism.

Nobody is better placed to detect something that is out of place in their communities than the people living in them, he said. To effectively combat the terrorism threat the police, businesses, government and the general public need to work together.

Anyone who sees or hears something that could be terrorist-related should act on their instincts and call the police in confidence on 0800 789 321.
Harivansh Narayan Singh defeated Opposition candidate B K Hariprasad.

NDA Candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman with 125 votes. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman with 125 votes.

Harivansh Narayan Singh defeated UPA's BK Hariprasad who received 105 votes.

Following Singh's win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him in the House.

(Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also felicitated him. Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Azad accompanied Harivansh to the seat designated for the Deputy Chairman in the House, which is next to that of the Leader of Opposition.

Addressing the House after the election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I congratulate Harivansh ji on behalf of the whole House. He has been blessed with the talent of writing. He was also a favourite of former prime minister Chandra Shekhar ji."

Hoping that Harivansh would do justice to all members of the House, PM Modi in a lighter vein said the situation in the House is such that the umpire faces more problems than players.

Earlier, Azad hoped that the new Deputy Chairman would give enough opportunities to opposition members to raise their issues. He said Harivansh has done a lot of work for promotion of Hindi language. Jaitley said Harivansh never made personal attacks on anyone and hoped as Deputy Chairman he would further better the discourse in the House.

It was an easy win for NDA after Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and K Chandrashekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) assured their support to the ruling government in the Centre.

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) however, abstained from the election.

The post of the deputy chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

(With PTI inputs)
The English region that could be crucial to a Conservative election victory and backed leaving the European Union in 2016 has swung against Brexit, according to a new poll.

A YouGov survey shows people in the southwest now oppose the UKs departure amid the chaos of the negotiations and the mounting prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

The poll  commissioned by the Peoples Vote campaign for a fresh referendum  adds that a greater proportion of people want another chance to vote on Brexit, by a margin of 42 per cent to 35 per cent.

The Independent has launched its own Final Say campaign, pushing for the British people to have a referendum on the final deal eventually proposed by Theresa May, with more than half a million people having signed the petition.

It also comes as the president of the Royal Society and Nobel prize-winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan warned that a no-deal Brexit would be devastating for the UKs science industry.

According to the YouGov poll, when respondents were asked how they would vote if a fresh referendum were to be held, 46 per cent said they would Remain a member of the EU, 43 per cent opted for Leave, 6 per cent replied dont know and a further 6 per cent said they would not vote.

When pollsters excluded the dont knows and would not vote, 51 per cent said they would back Remain while 49 per cent believed Leave would be the best option.

At the 2016 referendum around 53 per cent of voters in the southwest cast their ballot for Leave while 47 opted Remain.

The region is particularly crucial for the Conservatives as it often cited as being crucial to David Camerons surprise majority victory at the 2015 general election as his party swept away seats from the Liberal Democrats, who lost all of their 15 MPs.

And at the 2017 snap election Theresa Mays party held 47 seats in the southwest while losing four  three to Labour and one to the Liberal Democrats.

Peter Kellner, the former YouGov president, said the poll is the first significant test of public opinion in the region on Brexit since the 2016 referendum and demonstrates that attitudes are beginning to shift.

People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march  demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS

The poll also adds that 42 per cent of people would support a fresh public vote when negotiations with the bloc are completed and 35 per cent said they would oppose it.

But if the prime ministers negotiations in Brussels break down and the UK has to choose between staying in the EU or leaving without a deal, 47 per cent said they would prefer a fresh public vote while 27 per cent opted to hand the decision to MPs.

Voters in the southwest support a Peoples Vote on any final Brexit deal negotiated by the government by a clear margin which rises much higher with the prospect of leaving the EU without any deal, Mr Kellner added.

The findings come ahead of a rally  organised by the Peoples Vote campaign  in Bristol this weekend, with speakers including the senior Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston and the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable.

Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries  nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex

Mr Kellner continued: Opinion is still very polarised with big differences between the views of young people and older voters but it is interesting to see how many Leave supporters have concerns about the possible impact of Brexit on their region.

And the findings will put pressure on political parties as well. Labour voters in the southwest are at odds with their partys official pro-Brexit position and this poll will make uncomfortable reading for local MPs who are toeing the party line.

The Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who represents Exeter, said: Whether they voted Leave or Remain in the referendum, members of the public from all walks of life in the southwest now want to take back control of the Brexit process from Westminster and demand a Peoples Vote.

He added: The botched Brexit being dumped on the southwests doorstep by politicians in Westminster will be a disaster for this brilliant region, its economy, its culture and its young people.

My own party is in danger of letting down its voters and young people in particular. I urge my colleagues who do not yet support a Peoples Vote to study this poll and ask themselves whether they came into politics to stand against the views of our supporters or do they want to join us in the southwest in demanding our democratic voice is heard on Brexit.
Senior allies of Jeremy Corbyn have called on Labour to adopt the internationally-recognised definition of antisemitism at the heart of the row engulfing the party.

Jon Lansman, founder of the influential Momentum organisation, is reported to be among Labour figures urging Mr Corbyn to drop his opposition to the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.

Tim Roache, the general secretary of the GMB trade union, also spoke out, saying it was "abundantly clear" the party should agree to use the definition.

It comes days after Tom Watson, Labours deputy leader, said he supported the IHRA definition and wanted the party to adopt it.

Recommended Corbyn set for partial climbdown over antisemitism definition

The latest calls are likely to pile fresh pressure on Mr Corbyn to change tack after the Labour leadership faced sustained criticism over its handling of antisemitism. They also expose the rift among allies of the Labour leader over how the antisemitism crisis should be handled.

The Independent understands Mr Lansman, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and some trade unionists are urging a more conciliatory approach, while some of Mr Corbyn's closest advisers believe he needs to stand firm.

A source close to Mr Lansman told Jewish News: "Like many other leading party members close to the leadership, he recognises the necessity of agreeing that definition in order to be able to begin to rebuild trust with the Jewish community, whatever concerns we may have about the application of some examples.

The Momentum founder "regretted" that a newspaper article by Mr Corbyn last week "lacked a firm commitment" to the IHRA definition, they added.

Labour has agreed to use the definition in its new code of conduct but has only adopted seven of the IHRAs eleven examples of antisemitic behaviour. That decision was widely criticised by Jewish groups and the partys own MPs, reigniting the row over antisemitism.

The Labour leadership is facing mounting pressure to back down and accept the full IHRA definition, and the partys ruling executive has agreed to consult with Jewish community groups on the matter.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

Mr Corbyn is understood to be ready to accept three of the four examples originally omitted by Labour but has maintained his opposition to the fourth, which states that it is antisemitic to deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination, for example by calling the existence of a state of Israel "a racist endeavour".

The other three examples relate to comparing Israeli policies to those of the Nazis, suggesting Jewish people are more loyal to Israel than to their home countries, and holding Israel to different standards to other similar countries.

Mr Lansman had previously defended Labour's new code of conduct, calling it a "gold standard" for other political parties, and voiced concerns about the IHRA definition.

Writing in The Guardian last month, he said: I regret that for some Jewish communal organisations, the IHRA wording is so sacrosanct that it cannot be expanded and built on, contextualised and turned into a practical document for a party to enforce.

"It cannot be right that one vaguely worded subset of one IHRA example can deny other oppressed groups their right to speak about their own oppression.

That doesnt mean that there arent contexts in which claims about Israel being a racist endeavour are antisemitic or made with antisemitic intent. But the IHRAs wording is not sufficiently clear. Labours code of conduct provides the necessary explanation.

Mr Roache, leader of the Corbyn-supporting GMB union, also spoke out about the antisemitism row and insisted the party must adopt the IHRA definition.

 Jeremy Corbyn releases video apologising for antisemitism in the Labour party

Writing for HuffPost, he said: "Antisemitism is a problem in the Labour Party. Ive been shocked at what Ive seen on social media. For my entire life, and with every fibre of my being, I have campaigned against and fought racism.

"There is no place for antisemitism in our party, we need to tackle that head-on as well as providing political education and training for members. The Labour movement owes a lot to the contribution of Jewish members and campaigners and the party needs to get to work to rebuild trust across our Jewish communities.

"It is abundantly clear that Labour has to accept IHRA examples of antisemitism in full, while agreeing that criticising the Israeli government and supporting our Palestinian brothers and sisters is not being antisemitic."

It came after the UK's representatives to the IHRA criticised Labour's decision to amend the definition.

They said: "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."
Colombia has become the latest country to recognise the state of Palestine, the South American countrys foreign minister has said.

Carlos Holmes said the outgoing president, Juan Manuel Santos, made the decision shortly before leaving office last week.

The new president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, took office on Tuesday and was informed of Mr Santos decision a few days ago.

His government has said it would study the implication of Mr Santos last minute decision, which was detailed in a 3 August letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

The government acknowledged the decision was legal.

Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law, Mr Holmes said in a statement.

 Palestinians protest against demolition of Bedouin homes near jerusalem

Mr Santos decided to recognise Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbours, the letter said.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota said it was surprised and disappointed.

We ask the Colombian government to reverse the decision made by the previous administration in its last days, which contravenes the close relations, extensive cooperation in vital areas and interests of both countries, it said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator uses a racket to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Palestinian demonstrators run for cover from tear gas fired by Israeli forces Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator shouts Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli forces at Palestinian demonstrators Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A wounded Palestinian is evacuated Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator uses a sling to hurl stones at Israeli forces Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A female demonstrator uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli forces Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator with a slingshot looks on Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Female Palestinian demonstrators react to tear gas fired by Israeli forces Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Israeli forces fire teargas canisters toward Palestinian demonstrators AFP Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Female demonstrators run for cover from tear gas fired by Israeli forces Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded protester AP Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator moves a burning tire Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures A demonstrator uses a racket to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops Reuters Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops: in pictures Palestinian demonstrators during clashes with Israeli forces AFP/Getty

The decision came to light while the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, was visiting Colombia.

She attended Mr Duques inauguration on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

The US, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the US mission to the United Nations said.

The US does not recognise a Palestinian state, and Colombia long refrained from doing so due its close ties with Washington.

But in recent years Colombia has sought to chart a more independent foreign policy which has included calling for changes to US-backed anti-narcotics policies.

In a statement, the Palestinian representative to the UN said: We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East.

 Palestinian supporters protest as Israeli PM Netanyahu arrives at Downing Street

Palestine has been recognised as a sovereign state by the UN General Assembly, the International Criminal Court and at least 136 other countries.

It seeks to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem  lands Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Colombia is the last country in South America to recognise Palestinian statehood.

In December, it abstained from a vote by the 193-member UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for the US to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. The US president, Donald Trump, had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries which voted in favour.
A man has been arrested in connection with the Holy Fire in California that has caused more than 20,000 people to be evacuated from their homes.

Police in Orange County have arrested suspect Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, on suspicion of arson. Mr Clark was booked into Orange County jail for two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorise and one count of misdemeanour arrest, according to officials from the Cleveland National Forest. He has been held on $1m bail.

The Independent has reached out to the Orange County Sheriffs Department to enquire whether Mr Clark had entered a plea after his arrest and has not immediately heard back.

According to the Cleveland National Forest's Twitter feed, the Holy Fire had burned through more than 9,600 acres as of the morning of 9 August, as firefighters continued to battle the flames.

Firefighters continue to battle the blaze around the clock, a tweet read. We expect favourable weather conditions this weekend to help these efforts.

A video that surfaced online shows Mr Clark being interviewed in front of his cabin discussing the fire prior to his arrest. When asked if he knew how the fire started he responded: I have no idea, I had two earplugs in.

This is a monster, said Todd Spitzer, Orange County supervisor. Who would go out with low humidity and high wind and the highest heat temperatures this time of the year

California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Show all 45 1 /45 California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to limit the spread of the Carr Fire by backburning, a process by which areas in the path of a fire are burned up in advance to rob the fire of its fuel Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A street is devastated by the Carr Fire in the town of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A truck burned by the Delta Fire is abandoned along interstate 5 AFP/Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 This image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration highlights the major fire AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Ranch Fire spots out ahead of the main fire in Spring Valley, burning two homes AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A picture taken by German astronaut and geophysicist Alexander Gerst, showing wildfires in the state of California as seen from the International Space Station AFP/Getty/ESA/Alexander Gerst California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 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 The Press Democrat via AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The memorial for Redding firefighter Jeremy Stoke AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 REUTERS California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Holy Jim volunteer firefighter Luke Senger stands next to a home destroyed the Holy Fire in Trabuco Canyon AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to stop the spread of a massive fire in Lake County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A woman walks out of the water after taking a dip as smoke rises in the distance from the Holy Fire in Cleveland National Forest Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A pyrocumulus cloud (or cloud of fire) explodes in the Carr fire near the town of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Trees set alight near Whiskeytown Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 An firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant to slow the spread of the River Fire near Lakeport Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter lights backfires in an attempt to limit the spread of the Ranch Fire Reuters California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters light backfires to defend houses in the town Upper Lake from the Ranch Fire Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Flames consume a home in Lakeport AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Ranch Fire spread towards the town of Upper Lake AFP/Getty Images California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter lights a backfire in the city of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns near Whiskeytown AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters try to limit the spread of the Carr Fire by backburning Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Flames flare in the Cajon Pass near San Bernardino AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 An firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant to slow the spread of the River Fire near Lakeport Reuters California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A schoolhouse burns in the Carr Fire in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A car is seen amongst the devastation left by the Cranston Fire EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A firefighter waters down a backfire on Cloverdale Road in Igo AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters convene while battling the Carr Fire in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters assess the damage in San Bernardino County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 in Shasta County AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The land around Mountain Centre has been left devastated by the Cranston Fire EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Firefighters battle the Carr Fire in the town of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Cranston Fire burns south of Idyllwild AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns through the town of Shasta AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A collection of antique cars has been destroyed by the fire in the town of Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home on Sunflower Road in Redding burns in the Carr Fire Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A helicopter aids utility workers as they work to repair burned power lines EPA California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 A home burns in Redding Getty California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 The Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 by the city of Redding AP California in flames: wildfires rage across the US state in 2018 Sunflower Road in Redding burns in the Carr Fire Getty

According to the Orange County Register, of the several cabins in the area of Mr Clarks residence, his cabin was the only one not devastated by the flames.

The suspect apparently has a strained relationship with some of his neighbours. Weeks before the fire, Mr Clark allegedly sent a message to Mike Milligan, a volunteer fire chief in the community, reading: The place is going to burn just like you planned."

Meanwhile, officials in California have estimated that it may take until September to contain record-breaking Mendocino Complex Fire in northern California.
Flanked by Puerto Rican officials at a conference nearly two weeks after disaster struck the island, Donald Trump told locals to be "thankful" for Hurricane Marias death count.

"Every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina and you look at the tremendous  hundreds and hundreds of people that died," he said. "Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud. Everybody watching can really be very proud of what's taken place in Puerto Rico."

The US government has quietly walked back the presidents statements since then, adding onto an ever-increasing number of deaths related to the catastrophic hurricane.

However, the actual number is far higher than the government's official count of 64, according to a draft report the Puerto Rican government submitted to Congress this week, which puts the total amount of deaths over 1,400.

The report acknowledges 1,427 people were killed after Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico, while detailing a $139bn reconstruction plan for the island that has yet to fully recover.

"The hurricanes' devastating effects on people's health and safety cannot be overstated," the Puerto Rican government writes in its report. "Although the official death count from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety was initially 64, the toll appears to be much higher."

"According to initial reports, 64 lives were lost. That estimate was later revised to 1,427," the report continues.

 Trump says Puerto Rico's disaster has 'thrown our budget a little out of whack'

The draft report is one of several studies and reviews currently underway to determine the most accurate number of deaths related to Hurricane Maria. A Harvard University study has put the death toll anywhere between 800 and 8,500. George Washington University school of public health study commissioned by Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello is expected to be published later this month.

Pedro Cerame, a spokesperson for the Puerto Rican governments Federal Affairs Administration, described the draft report death count as realistic in an interview with the New York Times.

We dont want to say it out loud or publicize it as an official number, he said. The official number will come, and it could be close. But until we see the study, and have the accuracy, we wont be able to recognize the number as official.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Numerous victims were killed in the storm, along with hundreds who likely passed away while lacking access to medical services and other necessities.

The vast majority of the island lacked power and basic resources in the days and weeks following the hurricane.

Now, the island is requesting $26bn to overhaul its outdated energy grid, as well as $15bn towards the Department of Education and $6bn to repair public buildings. The draft report also details how at least $3.9bn will be used towards environmental restoration projects.

In a statement, Mr Rossello said Puerto Rico has a unique opportunity to innovate and rebuild the Puerto Rico that we all want.

For now, it remains unclear whether the federal government will accept the new figures and update its official death count. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
A child who was among a group of youngsters being held inside a rural New Mexico compound, said they were being trained by their captors to conduct school shootings.

Five suspects were arrested after police found 11 starving children between the ages of one and 15 inside a makeshift structure with a nearby shooting range. One of the children's foster parents told prosecutors "the defendant had trained the child in the use of an assault rifle in preparation for future school shootings", according to court filings.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe described the five suspects charged with child abuse as "[extremists] of the Muslim belief".

Recommended ICE joins manhunt for undocumented immigrants accused of rape

In a news release, the sheriff said police intercepted a message from someone within the Amalia, New Mexico, compound saying "we are staving and need food and water", causing the authorities to raid the site last week.

"I absolutely knew that we couldn't wait on another agency to step up and we had to go check this out as soon as possible," he said. "So I began working on a search warrant right after I got that intercepted message  it had to be a search warrant and 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 five suspects  who are all held in jail without bail include Siraj Wahhaj, his two sisters Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhannah Wahhaj, as well as Lucas Morten and Jany Leveille. Several of the women are thought to be some of the children's mothers, if not all.

Tyler Anderson, a 41-year-old mechanic who lived near the compound, told the Associated Press he helped the group instal solar panelling on the site.

We just figured they were doing what we were doing, getting a piece of land and getting off the grid, Mr Anderson said.

 Taos County Sheriff: remains of boy found on New Mexico compound

Mr Wahhaj's son, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, was reported missing by his mother in November 2017. Authorities later ordered a warrant for his arrest after he failed to tell his wife where he had taken their child.

"My husband said he was taking Abdul-Ghani to the park, and didn't come back," Hakima Ramzi told CNN. "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."

Police found the body of a dead child inside the compound, though it remained unclear as of Thursday whether it was that of the missing four-year-old boy. The site was squalid, lacking plumbing and electricity, and loaded firearms were located near the shooting range.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Prosecutors urged the suspects remain jailed during court proceedings due to their "planning and preparation for future school shootings". Other information surrounding the training children allegedly received in the compound wasnt yet provided.

All five suspects have pleaded not guilty, and are expected to attend a pretrial detention hearing on Monday.

Now, questions are arising as to why police did not investigate the compound sooner. Tanya and Jason Badger, a couple who owned the property where the makeshift site was built, told reporters they repeatedly attempted to kick the group off their land.

"We had told them several times that you know they're not tenants, they're not paying this rent, they're squatters, they're there illegally, I don't want them there," Mr Badger told CNN.
A California police chief has penned an open letter saying he was disgusted to learn his estranged son was allegedly involved in an attack on an elderly Sikh man.

Sahbit Singh Natt, 71, can be seen on security camera footage being beaten by two suspects while on his morning walk in Manteca, California. One of the suspects has been identified as Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllisters son, Tyrone.

The elder Mr McAllister wrote in an open letter to the community, located approximately 60 miles (96 km) west of Mr Natts home, that he was devastated by the suspected actions of his 18-year-old son.

Mr McAllister said after he had spoken with the Sikh community in Union City about preventing any similar attacks there, he had received a call from Manteca police identifying one of the suspects as his son.

Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now, Mr McAllister wrote in the letter posted on Facebook.

Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values. Crime has never been an element of our household, our values, nor the character to which we hold ourselves, he said.

 Sikh man attacked in hate crime while putting up signs for GOP

Mr McAllister said Tyrone has been estranged from the family for several months preceding the incident.

He also wrote: the fact remains that the father of the [alleged] perpetrator of this despicable crime is a police chief, period. One cannot expect the general public (our Sikh community in particular) to factor in any sentiment that would distinguish this from the integrity of my family name.

Several members of the local Sikh community immediately responded to the post expressing support for the police chief who, as resident Jaswinder Singh Jandi wrote, has been very supportive...in matters of hate crime and discrimination

The police department veteran of 37 years said his son had been in and out of jail since he was a minor and, with assistance from his wife in locating him, had been arrested in Modesto, California, following the attack.

Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Show all 2 1 /2 Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Pg-24-sikh2-ap.jpg AP Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Pg-24-sikh1-epa.jpg EPA

Elsewhere, a 50-year-old Sikh man, Surjit Malhi, was placing campaign signs for Republican House member Jeff Denham in Keyes, California, when two men waiting by his truck threw sand in his eyes, hit him repeatedly, yelled go back to your country!, and spray painted his vehicle with the phrase.

That incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

Both attacks have taken place the same week as the sixth anniversary of the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, mass shooting during which shooter and white supremacist Wade Michael Page killed six people and injured four others at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.
Washington state insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler is considering whether to take additional legal action against a NRA-branded insurance policy programme.

The states new investigation into the NRAs Carry Guard programme, which offers liability insurance for gun owners, comes after New York governor Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to other state governors earlier this week, urging them to investigate whether the NRAs Carry Guard programme is being sold illegally in their respective states  and to block the sale of products if so.

Mr Kreidler had already ordered a cease and desist for four of the NRA Carry Guard liability insurance products found to be in violation of state law back in April. The state insurance commissioner said in a press release that the new investigation resulted from concerns the NRA was still promoting misleading products.

Recommended How the NRA went from backing gun control to powerful firearms lobby

I am extremely concerned that the NRA continues to promote what appears to be a misleading product that may not provide consumers the protection it promises, Mr Kreidler said. Consumers deserve to understand what theyre buying. If theyre being misled, I will take immediate action to protect them.

Mr Cuomo launched a national effort to urge states to outlaw the Carry Guard programme after an investigation found the programme to be illegal under New York state law. The state subsequently issued penalties against insurance companies involved with the programme.

The NRA filed a lawsuit in May and amended in July, alleging Mr Cuomos actions have caused the organisation tens of millions of dollars in damages. The governor filed a motion to dismiss earlier this month calling the suit frivolous.

"Too bad," Mr Cuomo said in response to the lawsuit on CNN. "You violated the law, and it's not a defence to say, 'Well, I was committing illegal activity, but I was making money from it, and now I'm upset that I lost the revenue.'"

In a statement sent to The Independent, William Brewer, an NRA lawyer, said Washington state's announcement came as a "total surprise".

"As the NRA has previously stated, it acted appropriately at all times," Mr Brewer said. "The NRA has, since 2000, relied upon Lockton and its assurances that the insurance programmes in question complied with all applicable state regulations. To the extent there are questions about Carry Guard being sold as a lawful self-defence insurance program, the NRA relied upon Lockton to administer the program and oversee its availability to Washington consumers.

Mr Brewer added that the NRA had made changes to the Carry Guard programme after corresponding with the Mr Kreidler's office last year. He claimed they were "assured by the Commissioners staff that the program complies fully with the laws and regulations of the State of Washington". "Nonetheless, the NRA will continue to cooperate with all lawful inquiries."

Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Show all 10 1 /10 Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people march from the White House to Capitol Hill while participating in the national school walkout over gun violence. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Thousands of local students march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the US Capitol during a nationwide student walkout for gun control. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence A student has the words,'don't shoot,' written on her hands as she joins with other students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after walking out of their school to honor the memories of 17 students and teachers that were killed. Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students take part in a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Harvest Collegiate High School stand in Washington Square Park in New York to take part in a national walkout to protest gun violence. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students rally in front of the White House in Washington after walking out of school to protest gun violence in the biggest demonstration yet of the student activism that has emerged in response to last month's massacre of 17 people at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Airport High School juniors Tony LaFata, 16, left, and Noah Doederlein, 17, stands for a moment of silence during a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people rally on the West Front of the US Capitol to participate in the national school walkout over gun violence, in Washington. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Passaic High School hold photos of some of the 17 victims killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students join hands as they take part in a student walkout in Lafayette. AP

Washington state's governor, Jay Inslee, and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, issued a statement in support of Mr Kreidlers investigation this week.

The NRA is advertising potentially misleading and illegal insurance in Washington state, and we are glad that Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is considering action to protect our families and our communities, the statement read.
The lead pastor of one of the largest evangelical churches in the US has said she is stepping down along with the entire Board of Elders after a string of sexual harassment allegations against its founder, Bill Hybels.

Heather Larson said the Willow Creek Community Church needed new leadership.

"To all of the women who have come forward, the church should always follow in Jesus footsteps to help the wounded find healing, and we are sorry we added to your pain, she said in an announcement on the Chicago-area churchs website.

It has eight locations dotted around the Illinois city.

That was not our intention, and we regret that it has taken us this long to acknowledge that. While we will probably never know with certainty everything thats true about each of your stories, we have no reason not to believe you. We are sorry that our initial statements were so insensitive, defensive, and reflexively protective of Bill. We exhort Bill to acknowledge his sin and publicly apologise.

Mr Hybels former assistant, Pat Baranowski, alleged to The New York Times that he repeatedly demanded oral sex and groped her while she worked for him the 1980s. After leaving her job, she struggled for 25 years with depression, becoming unemployed and homeless.

A number of other women have also accused Mr Hybels of sexual misconduct.

Although he denies the allegation, Mr Hybels resigned from the church in April.

The announcement from the Board of Elders came as the Willow Creek Association ahead of the megachurch's 23rd annual Global Leadership Summit.

Heather Larson, lead pastor at the Willow Creek Commnity Church, says the church needs new leadership in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Bill Hybels (Steve Lundy/Daily Herald via AP)

Several speakers have backed out and over 100 churches cancelled plans to broadcast the event, after the allegations against Mr Hybels surfaced.

At least five participants, including Oscar winner Denzel Washington, also cancelled their scheduled appearances at the event, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Previous guests to appear at the summit over its 26-year history include U2 frontman Bono, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair.

Mr Hybels will not appear at the event, which he has previously hosted.
A strong aftershock has rattled the Indonesian island of Lombok, where tens of thousands of people are homeless after a powerful earthquake struck on Sunday.

Witnesses said people ran out onto roads in panic and buildings collapsed.

Indonesias geological agency said the quake had a magnitude of 6.2 and was shallow, with a depth of 12km, and centred on the northwest of the island.

The agency said the aftershock did not have the potential to cause a tsunami.

Evacuees ... ran out of houses when they felt the strong shake of the 6.2-magnitude quake ... People are still traumatised. Some buildings were damaged further because of this quake, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesias disaster mitigation agency, said on Twitter.

The US Geological Survey measured the aftershock at magnitude 5.9.

Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Show all 55 1 /55 Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Rescue workers extract a woman, who survived after being trapped in rubble since the earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia Antara Foto/Ahmad Subaid/Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A man inspects the ruins of houses AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A ten-month old baby girl survivor, Refi, is aided by volunteer doctors at an emergency hospital in Tanjung EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A man riding a motorcycle passes by a damaged house at Sira village in northern Lombok AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Rescuers with sniffer dogs search for victims at a mosque damaged by the earthquake AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian search and rescue teams look for victims at a collapsed mosque Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Search and rescue personnel look for victims AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesians carry an elderly woman at a temporary shelter in Pemenang Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A woman prays near her temporary tent near Tanjung hospital Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Search and rescue personnel look for victims AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Rescue teams search for victims in the rubble caused by an earthquake at a Mosque in North Lombok AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Tourists sleep while waiting to depart from the Praya Lombok International Airport on the West Nusa Tenggara AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A doctor and paramedics give medical treatment to a man injured in the earthquake AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Rescue teams search for victims AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Tourists sleep on the floor as they wait to depart from the Praya Lombok International Airport AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian search and rescue personnel work on a collapsed mosque in Pemenang, North Lombok AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island An elderly man rests in a makeshift hospital after surviving a major earthquake in Kayangan on Lombok AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Tourists affected by a strong earthquake line up on a beach as they wait to be evacuated on Gili Trawangan AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian rescuers search for victims under the ruin of a collapsed house after an earthquake struck in North Lombok, Indonesia EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A father accompanies his injured child outside of Tanjung hospital, Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A damaged in Pemenang, North Lombok AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Makeshift tents are erected to be used as a temporary shelter for those affected AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Usable items are salvaged from a home destroyed in an earthquake in North Lombok AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island According to media reports, a 7.0 magnitude quake hit Indonesia's island of Lombok on 5 August, killing at least 91 people AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Hospital patients are moved to an emergency tent outside of a hospital building in Denpasar, Bali EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Map locating the earthquake in Lombok Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian soldiers carry the body of an earthquake victim Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Evacuation from Gili Trawangan in Indonesia James Kelsall/PA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Workers cleanup parts of a shopping mall building which collapsed after an earthquake, in Denpasar, Bali EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Recovered items sit next to destroyed buildings in Pemenang in northern Lombok AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Hundreds of people attempting to leave Gili Trawangan AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian local residents stay outside of their collapsed houses EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Rescue personnel stands next to a motorcycle that fell down at a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Hospital staff treat patients outside a hospital after a major earthquake rocked Indonesia's Lombok island, in Mataram AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island People affected by the earthquake rest at a temporary shelter in Lombok AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A man removes debris outside a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island People react following an earthquake in Ampenan district, Mataram, Lombok Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A hospital patient is moved outside of the hospital building in Denpasar, Bali EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A policeman gestures as he walks next to damaged bikes and debris at a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island People next to an ambulance near the Golden Palace Hotel after an earthquake hit Lombok Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Residents stand next to bikes and debris at a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesian soldiers tend to a woman injured in the earthquake at a makeshift hospital in Lombok AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Tourists wait outside a hotel in Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island People clean up debris following a strong earthquake on nearby Lombok island, in Denpasar Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island An ambulance near Golden Palace Hotel after an earthquake hit Lombok Island Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Indonesians stand on road outside a mall in Bali's capital Denpasar AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Security and mall personnel walk over debris AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Residents wait as they evacuate to higher ground AP Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island An ambulance rushes out of the hospital AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Hospital patients and relatives wait outside in Mataram AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Hospital patients and relatives stand outside after being evacuated in Mataram AFP/Getty Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A hospital patient is moved outside EPA Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island Residents evacuate by motorcycle Reuters Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesia's Lombok island A hospital patient is moved outside EPA

It was the third big quake to hit Lombok in little over a week.

The buildings still standing on the island were weakened after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday and a 6.4 quake on 29 July.

The official death toll from Sundays quake stood at 131 on Wednesday but a government-run news agency put the figure at 347.

Thousands have been left homeless on Lombok and in desperate need of clean water, food, medicine and shelter.

Officials said around three-quarters of Lomboks rural north lost electricity after the initial earthquake, although power had since been restored in most areas.

Aid workers have found some hamlets hard to reach because bridges and roads were torn up by the disaster.

The Indonesian Red Cross said it was focusing relief efforts on an estimated 20,000 people in remote areas in the north of the island which has still not been reached by aid.

Spokesman Arifin Hadi said the tens of thousands of people left homeless by Sundays quake need clean water and tarpaulins most of all.

He said the agency has sent 20 water vehicles to five remote areas, including a village of around 1,200 households.

Thousands of tourists have left Lombok since Sunday, fearing further earthquakes, some on extra flights provided by airlines and others on ferries to the neighbouring island of Bali.

Additional reporting by agencies
JNU student Anoop Patel did a comparative study on India's Reservation Policy and South Africa's Affirmative Action for his doctorate.

New Delhi: A JNU student refused to shake with Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar at the convocation ceremony on Wednesday, 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, said "I hope you will shake hands with me."

"I told Saraswat sir, 'I will definitely shake hands with you," he said.

After 46 years, JNU hosted its second convocation on Wednesday.
A photograph of a homeless family sleeping in a Dublin police station has sparked a national debate in Ireland about the countrys housing crisis.

The mother and six of her children aged between one and 11, were forced to sleep in the Tallaght Garda station.

Police said they tried every emergency line for homeless shelters and phoned a number of local hotels, but were unable to find somewhere for them to stay.

Instead, the children were forced to sleep on rows of metal chairs in the station.

Their mother, Margaret Cash, posted a picture of them on social media, alongside the caption: Well after been 11 year on the housing list a year on the homeless dis is where my 7 kids have to sleep.

It was widely shared on social media.

Ms Cash later told The The Irish Times that one of her children, who had recently been in hospital, was staying with a family friend.

I have family but Ive seven kids, the 28-year-old said. Theyd take you in the odd night, but they couldnt take you in every night.

In a statement, the Irish police service said: Members of An Garda Siochana tried all the emergency lines in relation to homeless shelter and no accommodation was located, a number of local hotels were also phoned. The family were cared for during the night by the members working and received a hot breakfast this morning in Tallaght GS."

It added that after leaving the station, the family had sought help from the South Dublin Co-Council, Housing Department.

The story has added fuel to the flames of a national conversation about homelessness which has persisted as a dominant political issue in recent years and led to regular criticism of the current Fine Gael-led government.

A homelessness report from the government in June reported that there were 1,754 Irish families in emergency accommodation, including 3,824 children. A lack of council housing a affordable rental homes and an increase in luxury flats and hotels has been blamed for the problem.

After the picture of the sleeping children was widely shared, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive said in a statement that they were dealing with an unprecedented number of families seeking emergency accommodation.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Sinn Feins Housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin released a statement calling on the Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to take urgent action.

No adult or child should be forced to sleep in a Garda station or a van for lack of emergency accommodation. If Government focused more on preventing these families from becoming homeless and increasing the supply of social housing to get families out of homelessness then last nights ugly scenes would not be repeated.
The Kremlin has reacted strongly to the new round of US sanctions announced on Wednesday, describing them as categorically unacceptable and contrary to international law.

Such moves are absolutely unfriendly and at odds with the constructive atmosphere present at the last meeting of presidents in Helsinki, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

The sanctions follow the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. US authorities say they agree with the British assessment the Kremlin stood behind the use of a weapons-grade chemical agent. The new sanctions, which, when announced by the State Department took many by surprise, include the provisions of a 1991 bill on chemical and biological weapons control.

The measures come in two tranches. The first, due to be introduced on 22 August, does not add much to the sanctions regime in place since the annexation of Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine. The second stage  which will be implemented after three months if Russia does not agree to end a suspected chemical weapons programme  contains much harsher measures.

Possible new sanctions cover bans on flights to the US by government-backed airlines, including Russian flagship Aeroflot; on government credit; on exports to and imports from the US; and a downgrading of diplomatic relations.

Recommended US to impose fresh sanctions on Russia over Salisbury attack

A senior US State Department official told The Independent the United States hoped not to have to impose the second round of sanctions. That outcome would be possible if Russia provides guarantees of ending its alleged chemical weapons programme and allows a UN inspection regime into the country.

It is unlikely Moscow will agree to either condition. Speaking at her weekly conference, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would not respond to ultimatums and the language of strength. She described the demands as open hypocrisy, and said they were based on no evidence.

Ms Zakharova claimed the United States was hiding behind its own chemical weapons programme. Last year, Russia voluntarily liquidated its chemical arsenals, in stark contrast to the United States, she said.

According to US government sources, the sanctions bill followed automatically from the conclusion the Russian government was behind the Salisbury poisoning.

Unlike with earlier sanctions regimes, however, US President Donald Trump will have a much greater say as to when and how the penalties are applied. He can, for example, decide which three of the six listed measures to include in the second round of sanctions. He can also decide to cancel them  independently of Congress.

That detail is likely to provide some comfort for the Kremlin, which has invested much in what it describes as a constructive relationship with President Trump. At several times during Thursdays press conference, Mr Peskov was at pains to differentiate between what he described as the official US position and that of anonymous administration sources.

Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Members of the emergency services in hazard suits fix the tent over the bench where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March 2018. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Sergei Skripal The retired Russian colonel and former double agent for MI6 was in a critical condition in hospital for more than two months after being exposed to novichok in Salisbury. He was given refuge in the UK after being jailed in Moscow for treason. Mr Skripal came to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap in 2010 in which four men were exchanged for ten Russian "sleeper agents" in the US. In this image he is speaking to his lawyer from behind bars in Moscow in 2006. AP Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Yulia Skripal Yulia Skripal was struck down by a novichok poison alongside her father Sergei. Facebook Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi where the pair dined at before falling ill. It was boarded off whilst investigators worked on the building and later found traces of the chemical weapon within it. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Large areas of central Salisbury were cordoned off by police following the discovery of the Skripals. Traces of nerve agent were also found in The Mill pub. PA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Nick Bailey Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, rushed to the aid of the Russian ex-spy and his daughter who were targeted with a nerve agent. He was hospitalized after aiding them and didn't leave until three weeks after the attack. Wiltshire Police/Rex Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - Skripals home Police believe they were poisoned at home, and detectives found the highest concentration of novichok on the front door of Mr Skripals house. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Theresa May visits scene of attack Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May spokes with Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable Kier Pritchard near where the Skripal's were found. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal days before attack Sergei Skripal days before he was exposed to Novichok, that has left him fighting for life. ITV News Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - military involvement British soldiers were deployed soon after the attack to help a counter-terrorism investigation into the nerve agent attack. One of the places they were asked to help out with was Skripal's home and it's surrounding. They were asked to remove a vehicle connected to the agent attack in Salisbury, from a residential street in Gillingham. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation Personnel in protective coveralls and breathing equipment cover an ambulance with a tarpaulin at the Salisbury District Hospital. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The investigation extended to the grave of Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The Counter Terrorism Policing Network requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from Salisbury. EPA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Home Secretary visits scene of attack Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited the scene of the nerve agent attack at the Maltings shopping centre on 9 March. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time Yulia Skripal, speaking for the first time, said she felt lucky to have survived the nerve agent attack in Salisbury which left her fighting for life. Ms Skripal said her life had been turned upside down by the assassination attempt. But the Russian national added she hoped to return to her homeland one day, despite the Kremlin being blamed for the attack. Reuters

Russia would only introduce countermeasures once that official position was clear, he said.

A senior parliamentarian identified the space industry as an area where Russia might look to impose counter sanctions. Sergey Ryabukhin, chair of the upper houses Finance and Budget Committee, said restricting exports of RD-180 and RD-181 rockets  whose engines are used on Atlas V launches  would severely affect the US space programme.

We should understand we have the means to reply, said Mr Ryabukhin.

Russian markets have already responded to the prospect of three months of uncertainty.

The rouble extended a fall registered on Wednesday, in advance of the sanctions, reaching yearly lows of 66.51 roubles to the dollar and 76.7 to the euro. The countrys main RTS share index fell below the 1,100 level for the first time since June, at one point falling 3.2 per cent to 1,077 points, before recovering slightly.

Aeroflot shares led the losses, losing 8 per cent on the market opening before dropping further.

Moscow has angrily rejected any connection to the Salisbury incident.

 Putin talks a prospect of world war 3, the skripals and Russian security

There simply cannot be talk about this. It is impossible that Russia had any role in the use of chemical weapons, Mr Peskov said.

He said Moscow was yet to receive an answer to its proposal for a joint investigation into the incident.

In April that suggestion was rejected by the British permanent representative at the UN, Karen Pierce, who likened the offer to an arsonist wishing to investigate his fire.
A pregnant woman and her infant daughter have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after a second day of fighting.

23-year-old Enas Khamas and her 18-month-old daughter Bayan were killed on Wednesday night in Jafawari, Gaza health ministry officials said.

Hamas fighter Ali Ghandour was also killed in a separate strike on northern Gaza.

 Gaza militant groups prepare for war amid tough new sanctions from Israel

The deaths come after violence between the Palestinian militant group and Israel quickly intensified on Wednesday. Hamas fired dozens of rockets and mortar bombs on Sderot in southern Israel and retaliatory airstrikes on Hamas positions in Gaza from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

At least five other Palestinians have been wounded, along with seven Israelis, as families on both sides of the conflict were kept awake by bombing. In Gaza they huddled together at home, while in Israel, the wail of rocket sirens sent people rushing to bomb shelters.

The latest violence has left Egyptian mediators scrambling to save a long-term ceasefire proposal aimed at ending months of simmering violence.

Gaza blackout Show all 10 1 /10 Gaza blackout Gaza blackout A Palestinian man works at his workshop as he fixes mobile power generators in Gaza City, July 9, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Palestinians pray in a makeshift mosque lit by battery-powered lights during a power cut in Gaza City, July 18, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian vendor sells fruits and vegetables during a power cut in a makeshift shop lit by battery-powered light in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman is seen from the window of her kitchen as she uses a candle light to prepare food during a power cut in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Buildings are seen at night in Gaza City, July 18, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Buildings are seen at night during a power cut in Gaza City, July 18 REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman washes dishes in her kitchen as she uses a candle light during a power cut in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Members of a Palestinian family prepare food on a fire on a beach during a power cut in the northern Gaza Strip, July 12, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Palestinians make food during a hot weather on a beach during a power cut in the northern Gaza Strip, July 12, 2017 REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman holds her child as she walks out of her house lit by a torch during a power cut in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 3, 2017. REUTERS

The UNs Middle East Envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said he was deeply alarmed and warned of devastating consequences for all people if the hostilities were not contained.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to call a security cabinet meeting later in the day to assess the escalating situation.

The IDF said the round of fighting was sparked by Hamas fire on an IDF vehicle in Gaza on Wednesday.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri, however, said that Israel had killed two Hamas fighters carrying out a military exercise in northern Gaza on Tuesday in what he said was an unprovoked attack. The IDF said the fighters had shot in the direction of the border.

This year has seen the worst violence in the Gaza in years, exacerbated by US president Donald Trumps decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and deepening despair and frustration at the humanitarian crisis.

Israel imposed an almost total blockade on the Palestinian enclave after Hamas seized control in 2007. Since then the area has suffered three rounds of war, a collapsing economy and the strangling of electricity, medical supplies and other basic needs.

The latest indirect ceasefire talks, brokered by Egypt, are aimed to both stop the fighting and introduce measures to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation for Gazas two-million strong population.

Agencies contributed to this report
Crossing the Padi Open Water certification off my Asia travel bucket list seemed as essential as making it to Thailands full moon party or hiking Malaysias Mount Kinabalu (although I still havent done either).

Id done some tepid introductory dives off Zanzibar, Tanzania, Boracay  the currently shuttered party island in the Philippines  and Cebu, a slender island further south, where Id dived with whale sharks a few years previously. But I was always a beginner.

Where to do it

This beginner wanted to be a certified one. There are plenty of places to get certified in Europe, although the chances of seeing any interesting marine life are slim.

Which is how I arrived at the Philippines: its cheap (the Padi qualification costs just over 300, and living expenses are reasonable), the weather is great (summer typhoon season aside) and the waters are gin-clear. Plus the marine life is world-class, with whale sharks, tropical fish of all shades and green turtles all swimming about metres underwater. And its still got a little sniff of the unknown about it.

Green and hawksbill turtles swim in the waters off Cebu (Blue Orchid Resort)

Cebu, in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, has developed fast as a tourist-friendly resort and scuba island, with dive shacks dotting both coasts. It has marine life on its side, too. There are thresher sharks swimming around in the waters to the north and whale sharks abound in the south, near the town of Oslob, where Id dived a few years earlier.

I went in the middle and chose Moalboal, a finger of land on Cebus western flank. It has 19 different dive sites with varying degrees of interest  coral formations, sardines (more on those later) and wrecks. I was sold.

How to do it

First, I needed to find a resort to register with. I chose low-key, friendly Blue Orchid Resort, which comes with a house reef, enthusiastic instructors and a homely vibe to relax in afterwards.

Becoming Padi Open Water certified involves three things: diving theory, confined water dives (in a swimming pool) and then four open water dives.

Cebu is beautiful in and out of the water (Cathy Adams)

Id done the online knowledge course first, which saved a day spent in a classroom looking longingly outside at the blue-green Philippine Sea. Which meant it was straight into the pool to learn basic skills  such as how to fit the regulator (what divers breathe through) to the buoyancy device, how to affix the mask and which flippers to wear. Then came the more technical stuff: including removing the mask and draining it, removing the regulator and floating about in the pool for 20 minutes to prove that you can swim.

The underwater bit

Then for the fun stuff  open water diving. The Padi Open Water certifies you to dive to a depth of 18 metres, all tracked very efficiently via a dive computer thats strapped to my wrist.

My first dive was easy: my dive instructor Matt and I walked in straight from the shore to the reef, past the many moon jellyfish hanging around at the top. Reaching a depth of almost 11 metres, I swam with hawksbill turtles (critically endangered, recognisable by their colourful shells) and baby giant moray eel.

Cathy is A-OK under the water (Blue Orchid Resort)

The second dive, a couple of hours after the first, still ranks as one of the most exciting dives Ive ever done: the Moalboal sardine run. Around 20 metres from Panagsama beach in Moalboal, the reef drops off dramatically. Here, thousands of sardines congregate in a tight blob, swirling around underwater in an enormous ball. I spend half an hour gently swimming with them.

My third and fourth dives were at the Dolphin House dive site (spoiler: no actual dolphins). Here, its not just the marine life thats worth seeing, but rather the diverse range of coral, including staghorn and bubble coral. There are also wacky sea creatures like the nudibranch, a royal blue sea slug, and I clocked pipefish, an ugly stonefish wedged into a bit of coral and five green turtles, with visibility of around 15 metres.

The sardine ball is not to be missed (Blue Orchid Resort)

Out of the water, I downed a couple of happy hour Red Horse beers (a Philippine brand thats strong enough to strip walls with) to celebrate my newly gained Padi Open Water certification, which means I can dive with any Padi-recognised shop without doing the introduction dive first.

Ive since done better at the bucket list: diving with a pod of bottlenose dolphins and baby reef sharks in a remote atoll in the southern Maldives. Which is far better than a full moon party

What youll see

Clownfish

Better known as the colourful fish from Finding Nemo. The orange and white striped fish live among the stinging sea anemone (so dont touch them).

Triggerfish

These striking flat fish glow bright colours underwater. I spied blue and green striped versions in Cebu.

Divers can see clownfish, made famous by Finding Nemo (Blue Orchid Resort)

Lionfish

These fish are instantly recognisable by their red, white and black fanned out fins and headdress.

Turtles

Both green and Hawksbill turtles swim in the waters off Cebu. Even if you dont dive, you can occasionally see them popping their heads out at the surface.

Lionfish are on show with their fanned out fins and headdresses (Blue Orchid Resort)

Jellyfish

Translucent moon jellyfish like hanging around on the surface of the warm waters. To avoid them, dive down a few metres.

Sardines

Particularly around Panagsama beach. The best time to see the sardine ball is in the morning.

Travel essentials

Getting there

Philippine Airlines flies to Manila from London Heathrow. From Manila there are regular domestic flights to Cebu.

More information

A Padi Open Water course at the Blue Orchid Resort costs around 306.

padi.com
This artwork shows our story, my guide Kally says, gesturing towards a huge painting on the side of an apartment block, depicting a black woman putting on a white mask. Until a few years ago, people from this neighbourhood couldnt even get jobs if employers found out where we lived, so we used fake addresses. Then at the end of the day we would come home, take off our masks and become people from Quinta do Mocho again.

Located half an hour outside of central Lisbon, Quinta do Mocho is one of the citys many social housing projects, built cheaply and quickly in the 1990s and cut off from the main city thanks to a lack of public transport. Its residents are mostly from the former Portuguese colonies of Cape Verde, Guinea and Angola, and a combination of social exclusion, high unemployment and poor housing standards have contributed to the area suffering from high crime rates and a number of social problems.

However, residents are working to combat their forced ghettoisation by transforming the area into a tourist attraction through the use of street art. Over the past four years, 94 incredible works by artists from all over the world have been added to the sides of apartment blocks. Visitors can come see these independently or as part of a guided tour  an activity Im taking part in today.

Every artwork tells a story about the community (Carlos Almeida and Sonia Figueiredo)

First of all Kally, who was born in Angola and moved to Portugal as a child, takes me to a local cafe where Im served traditional Cape Verdian bean and pork stew and sticky rice. Between mouthfuls, he explains how the project began in 2014. This neighbourhood had a really, really bad reputation, he explains. The local municipality organised an urban art festival, with the aim of opening the neighbourhood up to wider society. We had six artists creating work, and local DJs played.

The three-day event didnt run completely smoothly  on the first day, men from a rival estate drove in and shot two boys in the middle of the street. But the artists involved told their contacts, and the following year the festival attracted twice as many artists, and has continued to grow annually. Although the municipality has taken a step back, residents have chosen to maintain the project and now offer guided tours to visitors. Because we are from here, we know about the community and the meanings behind the artworks, Kally says.

He gives a realistic assessment of the impact on residents day-to-day lives. If you ask most people here whats changed for them since the start of the project, theyd say nothing, he says, adding that most housing on the estate is inadequate  theyre the cheapest houses you can build, so theyre freezing in winter and boiling in summer  and unemployment is around 70 per cent.

However, the neighbourhood has changed, because its not just the people who live here walking down the street, its people from everywhere. And we have regained something that was lost in this community  self-esteem.

I ask Kally how he ensures the tours dont descend into poverty safaris where rich tourists come to gawp at those living below the breadline. When people first started coming they would photograph everything, as it was all new to them, he explains. It was like they were coming to a zoo, and the community did not like it. So we made it forbidden to photograph children.

Street art is bringing tourists to the estate for the first time (Jessica Bateman)

These days the tours feel more respectful. People come to see the art, they learn about the community when they hear the stories behind the art, and are curious to know more.

We finish up our lunch and wash it down with strong espresso, then venture outside to start the tour. The artworks themselves are varied and incredible, ranging from photorealistic portraits to surrealist lettering, to a huge bird sculpture made from discarded car parts attached to a wall. Many were created collaboratively with the community  one shows a child painting drawings created by kids in the local school. Another building is painted to look like a discarded cardboard box, and represents Europes treatment of immigrants  we are just uprooted, then not placed properly in society.

The festival has given residents back their 'self esteem' (Carlos Almeida and Sonia Figueiredo)

I ask Kally to elaborate on what he means by the project giving back self-esteem. Its changed outsiders view of the area, he says. Weve gone from being a dangerous neighbourhood to one thats an example to others. Before, our kids wouldnt get invited to the birthday parties at school. Nowadays, all those kids want to get invited to the parties here. We have great parties  the best afrobeat DJs in Portugal all live here.

He also explains that the tours have helped combat crime. We use the visitors as a shield, he explains. When its African-on-African crime, the cops dont want to know. But when outsiders are involved, theyre here in five minutes.

Tours provide insight into locals' lives (Carlos Almeida and Sonia Figueiredo)

Kallys next aim is to take the project further, and see how it can be used to improve the communitys lives. Were now encouraging entrepreneurship in the community through the tours, he says. We have four different African communities here, all with their own cultures, and together we create our own unique culture.

But mostly, we want to maintain and grow this open mindset.

More information

To arrange a tour of Quinta do Mocho, visit facebook.com/GuiasdoMocho
Feeling jaded? Well, youre in excellent company.

August 9 marks the annual Dull, Boring and Bland day. This auspicious day began in 2012 when the Scottish town of Dull decided to reclaim the negative connotations associated with its morose name and partner with an equally lacklustre location: Boring in Oregon, USA.

Although the two towns were unable to be officially twinned due to having very different population sizes, the partnership was fortified with a large sign welcoming visitors to the town in 2013, and stating its alliance with Boring in Oregon.

Dull is located in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (istock)

Not wanting to be overlooked in the assembly of monotony, Bland in Australia decided to jump on the bummed out bandwagon, becoming the third member in the trinity of tedium in 2017.

Spanning three continents, the three unfortunately named communities are now united in monotony.

Celebrations marking the day have been held in the league of extraordinary communities each year, with the Mayor of Bland, Tony Lord, travelling to the tiny Perthshire settlement to meet the Provost of Perth and Kinross, Denis Melloy in 2017.

The attention on the three modest towns has served to boost tourism, with many people travelling to the regions to capture the perfect shot of the towns signs.

One Dull man was so inspired by his home-towns partnership with Boring, he designed a unique tartan to honour the special relationship in 2015.

Jamie Pringle with the tartan he designed to celebrate the unlikely pairing (Jamie Pringle)

Kilts, scarves and rugs in the striking white, red, black and blue thread are available for purchase with money going to the Boring Foundation, which is raising funds to build a community centre in Boring. Jamie Pringle, 29, who was responsible for the enterprise, told The Independent that Dull and Boring will always have a unique connection."

While Dull is a small community outside Aberfeldy, surrounded by fantastic beauty, the community of Dull has always been a close community, and we are all looking forward to getting our dancing shoes on for a wee ceilidh and street party in Dull tonight to celebrate the day, he said.

Dull, Scotland

Dull is a small town located 75 miles north of Glasgow and home to around 85 people. Despite its name, this Highlands region is home to some of Scotlands most breath-taking scenery. Visitors looking to make the most of the great outdoors can enjoy hiking in the surrounding countryside, a range of outdoor activities, such as white-water rafting and abseiling at Splash, and exploring the waterfalls in the beautiful Birks of Aberfeldy. A nearby village also boasts the Fortingall Yew, a tree which is believed to be between 3,000 and 9,000 years old.

Boring, USA

The majestic Mount Hood can be seen from Boring, Oregon (istock)

Boring is located about 20 miles south of Portland, in the north-west region of the US. The town is home to around 7,500 people and is a farming community, like Dull. On 18 August, the town plays unlikely host to the fourth annual goth float on the towns Clackamas River. Black-clad members of the subculture will take to the water to tube four miles downstream, while presumably reflecting on death.

Those not so interested in the afterlife can check out the many hiking routes in the surrounding areas or admire the incredible views of the 3,352 metre Mount Hood, which can be seen from various places around the town

Bland, Australia

Bland is a county in New South Wales with a population of around 6,000. The Wetlands are a nature reserve providing rest and recreation facilities for local residents and a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Those interested in the areas historic gold mining legacy can explore this further in one of the regions gold trails.

Twinning towns was originally designed to promote tourism and good relations between different people and cultures. Town twinning began after World War II in an effort to rebuild relationships between the UK, France and Germany.
Sun seekers have a new option for the coming winter, as easyJet launches the first nonstop scheduled link from the UK to Aqaba in Jordan.

The maiden flight from Gatwick to the resort takes off on 10 November. The once-a-week link will also provide access to the ancient city of Petra and the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum.

Jordans minister of tourism and antiquities, Lina Annab, said: This collaboration will contribute towards increasing the number of tourists to Jordans Golden Triangle  Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum  and were working together to increase the number of routes into Aqaba with easyJet over the next few years.

The airline is hoping the link to Aqaba will prove more successful than flights to the Jordanian capital, Amman. That route was closed in 2014 due to heavy losses.

In a bid to secure some of the Santa Claus market, easyJet is also launching two flights a week from Gatwick to Rovaneimi in Finnish Lapland on 31 October.

The city straddles the Arctic Circle and has established itself as favourite Yuletide destination for British families. Santa Park, a collection of man-made caverns filled with festive attractions, is located in Rovaniemis municipal bomb shelter.

The city is also home to the Arktikum Museum, dedicated to the story of Lapland.

With dwindling options for new destinations in Europe, easyJet is also launching links in competition against rival budget carriers.

Poland has long been an aviation battleground between Ryanair and the Eastern European carrier, Wizz Air. Now easyJet is launching a route from Gatwick to Warsaw.

The four-times-a-week link will be the only flight from the Sussex airport to the Polish capital, but is in competition against frequent departures on Wizz Air from Luton, and British Airways and LOT from Heathrow.

In France, where easyJet is in second place to Air France, the budget airline is stepping up competition with the French national carrier. It is launching a link from Paris to Pau in the Pyrenees, previously an Air France monopoly.
Ten days after the final report into the disappearance of flight MH370, there are calls for investigations to continue.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board when it veered off course and then flew south across the Indian Ocean.

Despite two large-scale searches of the sea bed, only scattered pieces of debris have been found, washed up on Indian Ocean beaches.

A 19-strong team of Malaysian investigators said there was no reason to suspect a mechanical problem, and that nothing in the behaviour of the captain or the first officer suggested any malicious intent.

They concluded: The team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370.

But their report has been heavily criticised for failing to pay due attention to other theories behind the planes disappearance.

Philip Baum, editor of Aviation Security International and visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, said: No officials seem to want to even contemplate the possibility of a stowaway being on board.

He speculates that one or more individuals could have got on board the aircraft while it was on the ground at Kuala Lumpur, and hidden in the underfloor avionics bay just behind the flight deck.

Potential passenger belongings from MH370 Show all 13 1 /13 Potential passenger belongings from MH370 Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A bag and pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The sole of a shoe Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A satchel with pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The inside of a bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A shoulder bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The word Mensa, from the high-IQ organisation, on an item Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A phone case and pen Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A wash bag Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A backpack Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A camera case Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A prayer hat Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 The sole of a shoe Blaine Gibson Potential passenger belongings from MH370 A luggage bag and pen Blaine Gibson

This area is known as the E/E (electronics and engineering) bay, and has access from a hinged, self-closing access panel according to Boeings technical information.

There is also an external access door at the bottom of the fuselage.

Mr Baum first raised the theory within a week of the loss of MH370, and believes it has not been properly considered.

I think a stowaway is a strong possibility, especially as no officials seem to want to even contemplate the possibility, he told The Independent.

His magazine reports that 123 stowaway attempts have been reported internationally on 107 different flights. Many conceal themselves in the wheel wells, risking freezing to death or falling when the undercarriage is deployed. But others have boarded planes disguised as cleaners or airport officials and concealed themselves.

On the Boeing 777, there is a hatch in the floor behind the flight deck giving access to the main equipment bay, which has room for a person to hide.

The Malaysian accident report insists there was a total of 239 persons on board (227 passengers and 12 crew) and does not consider the possibility that anyone else was on the aircraft illicitly.

Separately, the newspaper Le Parisien is reporting that French investigators are keen to examine the data used by the Malaysian team on the likely path and location of MH370.

Four French citizens were among the victims. The Gendarmerie des Transports Aeriens is requesting evidence from Malaysia.
Tens of thousands of Ryanair passengers have had to reorganise their travel plans for Friday as pilots in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Sweden are staging coordinated 24-hour strikes.

More than 450 Ryanair flights have been cancelled - making it the worst day for strike action in Ryanairs history. So whats the background to this dispute, and what are the rights of passengers?

How many passengers are affected?

Across Europe I calculate 75,000 passengers have had their flights cancelled. Ryanair wont say how many are to or from the UK, but I have identified multiple cancellations from a range of UK airports to Dublin, Berlin, Frankfurt and Charleroi - or Brussels South as Ryanair calls it.

The airline says it has notified passengers. So if you are booked on Ryanair on Friday and you havent been told it's cancelled, theres no need to worry, unless thunderstorms or air-traffic control problems intervene.

What are passengers rights?

The airline says: All affected customers will be reaccommodated (or refunded) on other Ryanair flights.

Recommended Follow the latest updates as Ryanair pilots plan strike action

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. If you are abroad and your return home is delayed, the airline must provide meals and, if necessary, accommodation until it can bring you back.

In addition, 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.

Will there be knock-on disruption caused by Friday's stoppage?

No, Ryanair typically cancels flights early in order to protect its later schedules. Planes, pilots and passengers are all expected to be in position for the start of operations on Saturday.

Why are Ryanair employees striking?

From Sweden to Spain, the demands from both cabin crew and pilots are broadly similar: better pay and conditions, and a call to overhaul some of Ryanairs unconventional employment practices: such as the insistence that Continental staff are employed under Irish laws, and the curious personal-service contracts under which some pilots work.

The airline rejects these demands, saying Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. They are paid up to 190,000 [171,000] per annum. Ryanair pilots earn at least 30 per cent more than Eurowings and 20 per cent more than Norwegian pilots.

Will the Ryanair strikes end in some kind of compromise?

According to the unions, the strikes will end when Ryanair softens its hard-line approach. Martin Locher, president of the German pilots union, summed up the employees position by saying: Improvements are inconceivable without staff cost increases in the cockpit. But, he adds: Ryanair categorically ruled out any increase in staff costs in the negotiations.

The airline, which is by far the biggest budget carrier in Europe, looks as though it is digging in for a long war of attrition, warning investors: 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.

Should you avoid booking a Ryanair flight then?

No. Even on the worst day in Ryanairs history for strikes, as today is turning out to be, the majority of passengers will fly as booked.
Sources said Goel's vehicle was stuck in traffic jams in Shastri Park, Seelam Pur and other places.

Goel was commuting to the Delhi Assembly from his Shahdara constituency to attend the House proceedings that were scheduled to begin at 2 pm on Wednesday, but it started at 2.20 pm. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Delhi Assembly's proceedings 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 on Wednesday, but it started at 2.20 pm.

In the house, he said, "I got late due to traffic jam."

Sources said 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 Kanwariyas.

"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 on Tuesday.

In March this year, legislators had raised the issue of "worsening" traffic situation after several lawmakers and the speaker had reached the Assembly late due to traffic jams.
Turkish Airlines told a London charity executive his homeward reservation had been cancelled as he was a no-show on the outbound leg  even though he offered proof that he was aboard the flight from Heathrow to Istanbul.

John May, secretary general of The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation, was forced to spend 250 on a new ticket to get home.

He had flown out to Istanbul on flight TK1980 on 28 July, on a volunteering trip to Turkeys largest city. On arrival in Istanbul, Mr May  travelling with cabin baggage only  left the airport, went for dinner and checked into his hotel.

Recommended EasyJet denies woman boarding for holiday so someone else can use seat

Two days later, he returned to Istanbul to check in for his homeward flight, TK1987. But ground staff refused to check him in, saying that he had not travelled on the outward flight and therefore his return ticket was now invalid.

In common with many airlines, Turkish Airlines cancels a passengers full itinerary if they are a no-show for the first flight.

Mr May was shown the computer record for his booking, which contained the phrase: Pax [passenger] was late  not seen at check in.

He protested that the record was mistaken, but a Turkish Airlines supervisor said the only option was to buy a new one-way ticket to Heathrow.

Once home, Mr May contacted Turkish Airlines to explain that he had arrived at the gate early and that his boarding pass was queried briefly: it was rejected by the electronic reader, and instead was checked manually.

Aboard the Airbus A321, he sat in his assigned economy class seat, 14C, and ordered chicken rather than pasta for lunch.

But Turkish Airlines refused to accept his account, even though he supplied a copy of the boarding pass, marked by the airlines ground staff, and a GPS timeline tracking his movements to Heathrow Terminal 2 and from Istanbul Airport to the restaurant.

When Mr May sent the airline a message protesting about the incident and asking for his money back, the airlines customer service department merely expressed regret that he had been denied boarding from the Heathrow-Istanbul flight because of his late arrival.

In order to prove he was at the departure airport on time and that he boarded the Turkish Airlines plane, Mr May then contacted Heathrow Airport to make a subject access request for CCTV footage to show his progress through to the aircraft. He also contacted The Independent, which in turn made repeated representations to Turkish Airlines.

While Heathrow prepared the evidence, Turkish Airlines finally responded and acknowledged that its record-keeping was flawed.

The carrier explained that Mr Mays outbound flight had some technical issues with the check-in system. An unusual fix was implemented, which required some passengers to be regarded as offloaded. The plan was to rectify the bookings once the plane had taken off. But due to widespread disruption on the day, the manual update to show that Mr May had flown was overlooked.

Turkish Airlines offered sincere apologies for the incident and said it will be compensating Mr May.

The whole experience has been extraordinarily exasperating, though I pretty quickly shifted from anger to amusement at Turkish Airlines completely incompetent customer service, once Id got safely home, he told The Independent.
Ireland should seek exemptions from the EU State Aid rules to help businesses hit hard by Brexit, according to the leading lobby group for businesses with operations in the UK and Ireland.

The British and Irish Chamber of Commerce also called for the establishment of an EU-wide Brexit mitigation fund to help regions most affected by Britain's departure from the European Union.

The chamber's calls are found in its pre-Budget submission, which is published today.

"The Government must make key decisions to ensure that the Irish economy is robust enough to withstand the worst of the Brexit economic shock," the submission says.

Director general John McGrane said the EU should "enable Ireland to create such supports and remedies for affected Irish businesses as are necessary".

"What we need is an understanding that it is a potentially catastrophic matter and it needs a commensurate response from the EU, to recognise that normal state aid provisions don't apply."

He said this might include the Government providing direct financial support to a business in the form of a grant if necessary.

"We want individual businesses who are interrupted to be given grant aid. If they can show a case that the impact of Brexit is going to cost jobs, the State can give grant aid for the retention of those jobs.

"We also want the State to continue the support that it gives to its Brexit-facing state agencies, people like Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Tourism Ireland and others.

"Those agencies are very important in supporting our own businesses and supporting continuity of employment, trade and investment."

Mr McGrane said the chamber was working with members to try and promote Ireland as a destination for companies seeking to keep an EU foothold after Brexit.
Dublins docklands is at the centre of a boom in recruitment for financial firms

Ireland's allure as a post-Brexit base for global financial firms has driven wages for some roles higher with some positions offering 15pc more than a year ago.

Risk and compliance staff are particularly sought after, five of Dublin's leading recruitment consultants have 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.

International financial firms only account for 2pc 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 labour 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 15pc 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 EU 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 centres including Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Paris.

Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig, Sigmar Recruitment's chief commercial officer, said headhunted personnel were securing increases of between 10pc and 15pc, with front-office staff able to command the highest salary jumps. Two-thirds of employers surveyed by Sigmar and accounting firm EY 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 are 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 US, after many had left following the 2008 financial crisis. (Reuters)
Jorrit Postma (31) has to make a vital decision in the next few months

Phosphates regulations in The Netherlands are causing huge problems for around 800 farmers who face the harsh decision whether to invest in more phosphates rights or indeed sell up.

Jorrit Postma (31) is one of those who has to make that vital decision in the next few months, otherwise he will be forced to cut back his herd again and is fearful the banks will come calling in his loans that exceed 1.5m.

Back in 2008, Jorrit (pictured) took over the running of his uncle's dairy farm at Longerhouw in the Friesland province, after an accident claimed his uncle's life.

At that time the farm carried 30 cows with a 300,000kg milk quota but Jorrit was determined to expand his business and a few years later he got that chance.

Following the abolition of the EU milk quota system in 2015, Jorrit decided to expand the herd, taking out a loan of over 1m to build a new barn and install three Lely A4 robotic milking machines.

Today, Jorrit and his wife Frederika (29) milk 160 cows on their farm which extends to 47 hectares of land and run their 65 young stock on another farm that contract rears them.

However, with the herd's current phosphates production levels, Jorrit has 50 cows too many to meet his quota hence the young farmer's dilemma.

"When my uncle sadly passed away, my ambition was to grow slow and increase the herd to 200 cows," said Jorrit. "That was my goal. However, the most recent phosphates regulations have smashed my dream as I now find it impossible to expand and in reality I face the prospect of having to sell up just when I am really getting going.

"The Dutch dairy industry has produced too many phosphates since milk quotas ended, so in a bid to reduce these levels the government allocated phosphate rights to each dairy farmer based on their 2015 herd sizes.

"By then I had started to expand and was allocated 5,000kg of phosphate rights, which was enough for 110 cows.

"As it stands, a cow produces around 45kg of phosphates per year so in reality I need 9,000kg phosphates rights for 200 cows.

"However, at the moment I have 160 cows which requires phosphates rights of 7,200kg so I really have 50 cows too many in the barn.

"With phosphate rights trading at 220 per kilogram I would need to invest another half a million euro in phosphate rights just to stand still with current numbers, but I cannot afford to do that."

Jorrit receives 35c per litre for his milk and estimates his costs at 33c per litre. Both he and his wife work outside the farm to try and increase income in order to make the farm viable.

"I work outside the farm as a consultant making 25,000 per year and my wife works, too. We receive 160 per hectare from the EU in subsidies which is around 8,000 per year. I employ two part-time staff which costs me a total of 40,000 per year.

"I have already acquired bank loans of 1m to build the barn which has to be paid back in five years, plus I took a loan of a further half a million euro to buy the farm from my uncle's family.

"My feed costs are around 1,200 per cow per year so when I add everything up and take 25,000 for my salary, I would have around 300 left to pay bills, which is impossible. What do I do?" he said.

Jorrit has sat down with his wife to ponder over the choices open to them but none of them are an easy option.

Investment

"On one hand I need to invest in more phosphates rights," said Jorrit, "but there is no guarantee my investment would be required long-term, even if I could afford it.

"I can reduce my cow numbers but then I would be in a position where I could not repay my loans with a smaller herd.

"Another option is to sell the dairy herd and go into sheep or goats or even rent the farm to a beef producer for a number of years.

"Or I could simply sell up, pay off my loans and walk away and rely on the incomes from my job and my wife's.

"However, this farm has been in the family for generations and it would be sad to see it go. On the other hand, who has the money to buy the farm and stock it?

"We have a huge problem here in The Netherlands and it's not going away any time soon," he added.

Young farmers the biggest losers from the phosphate quota system

Dutch farmers culled 100,000 cows last year in order to bring numbers down to meet the phosphate quota.

The initial target was 160,000 cows but farmers exported young stock and sold heifers to bring the total down to 100,000. This year, individual farmers may cull more to meet their own phosphates rights.

While critics say the current phosphates restriction 'quota' is entirely the Dutch farmers' fault as they were the ones who agreed to them in the first place, that does not help those new-entrant young farmers who are facing possible closure because of it.

When the milk quotas ended, Dutch dairy farmers immediately started to pump out more milk from their herds from more cows which in turn produced more phosphates.

The government struck a deal to stop the overproduction of phosphates in 2015. This agreement was made in order for Dutch farmers to retain their derogation which allows them to use 250kg of nitrogen per hectare instead of the normal 170kg per hectare.

On January 1 this year, the Dutch government allocated each dairy farm phosphate rights based on the number of cattle each individual farm carried on July 2, 2015 - the date on which the system was announced, less the previously announced generic reduction of 8.3pc.

Rights

Land-based farms with plenty of land in proportion to the number of cattle on them were exempt from this reduction, which was deemed necessary to keep phosphate production below the European maximum.

The phosphate rights can be traded, meaning that farmers wishing to keep more cattle will have to purchase these rights from dairy farmers who are reducing their livestock or terminating their dairying businesses.

The system of phosphate rights follows the Phosphate Reduction Scheme, which saw trade associations and the Dutch government agree to curb phosphate production in 2017.

Considerable reductions in livestock have already been made over the past year through this plan.

The most recent figures, from October 2017, indicate that the Netherlands was on course to reduce phosphate production below the national ceiling by the end of 2017.

According to the latest figures from 2017, there are 17,500 dairy farmers in the Netherlands milking 1.63 million cows, producing around 14 billion litres of milk each year.

Milk production last year averaged 8,706kg of milk per cow at 4.36pc butterfat and 3.57pc protein.

In total, Dutch dairying utilises 864,000 hectares in the country with each farm averaging just under 50 hectares each.
An online Irish health food store set up by two young entrepreneurs is opening its first bricks-and-mortar store as demand for its produce has soared.

Evelyn Garland (24) and Luke Judge (26) established Simply Fit Food (SFF) in January 2016, delivering healthy meals and snacks using locally-sourced ingredients right to customers' doors.

In their first year, the company made over 18,000 meals and "a countless number of snacks" as it fought for a place in the somewhat saturated health food market.

Now, in response to customer demand for on-the-ground access to their meals, the first SFF store will be opening its doors in Drogheda, Co Louth.

"We started out in Ardee Business Park in a smaller kitchen, but we moved premises to a far bigger facility in Duleek at the end of May," Garland told the Irish Independent.

"Our online presence was already established, and it's still our baby, but we've gotten so much feedback and requests on social media for a physical shop. The local area knew our story and was really behind us."

As with most startups, the first 12 months for the business duo weren't easy - despite financial backing from the Louth Local Enterprise Office - and the leap of faith into the business wasn't a decision they made lightly.

"For the first few months, it took both of us to work two jobs at once, late nights sometimes with only two or three hours sleep, giving up a job that was very well paid.

"But we knew it could work and it's the best decision we ever made."

With degrees in health promotion and physical activity from DKIT and food and agribusiness management at UCD behind them, it actually was a health scare that led to the origins of SFF. Judge was diagnosed with a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

The couple were already passionate about fitness and GAA players for Skerries Harps and Dreadnots in Clogherhead respectively, but Luke wanted to change the way he was eating after he had an operation to treat his condition.

"He found meal prep a real pain, and it was also so time-consuming," Garland said.

"We just wanted to create simple, nutritious meals that had all the convenience of a takeaway."

After appearing on RTE's 'Dragons' Den', the pair impressed the TV dragons but walked away without funding.

However, the filmed pitch leveraged the firm's profile and they managed to secure investment from other sources.

In the last 12 months, SFF has won a number of accolades, including topping the Louth county final of Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur.

They've also signed deals to become the official nutrition partners of Louth and Monaghan inter-county GAA teams.

Getting their produce out to a wider market has also been a success in recent months, as SFF has managed to get on the shelves of a number of local SuperValu stores since April.

"We're in talks at the moment and are hoping to expand that out on a nationwide level.

"As we're an online brand, we wanted to try retail stores on a trial basis to see if that would work for us. Our sales have essentially tripled since April."

But now the focus is very much on the new shop, which is set to open on Trinity Street next Wednesday.

With the Fleadh Cheoil in Drogheda this year, Garland is hoping that the timing of the store's launch, right in the middle of the music festival, will be successful.

The shop will be open six days a week, selling healthy nutritious meals, snacks and coffees for the on-the-go consumer.

"We're hoping to leverage off the fleadh for the opening, and the additional footfall might help too as we'll be giving out tasty, healthy treats on the day," she said.

"We have the lease on the shop until Christmas and the option to extend that out if we see sales coming in."

Over the next two years, SFF is hoping to expand its product range, and their market base internationally. But the pair also want to share their passion for healthy living - and entrepreneurship - with others.

"Ideally, we would like to put out a cookbook. Our online presence needs to grow more, but the ideas and ingredients for our meals are so simple.

"What we make on a day-to-day basis is what you'd usually have in your fridge and press anyway.

"We would also love to take part in educational talks for the younger generation, addressing school and college kids, educating them about healthy eating but also about starting up your own business.

"Although we were both in college, and I had a focus on business, there was no real guidance on actually setting up a business.

"We want to share that it can be done at a young age."

With business booming, and many more plans on the horizon, the GAA-mad pair haven't been able to commit as much training time to their respective teams.

But that doesn't mean that they've abandoned their passion for fitness, according to Garland.

"We've both had calls from our managers asking us when we were going to come back to our respective teams properly, but at the moment we just don't have the time to get to all the sessions and that's not fair on the other players.

"But one of the main things that we've tried to keep up is training for at least five days a week.

"There's nothing like going for a run in the rain after a stressful day.

"If I didn't have that hour, I'd go mad."
Ryanair pilots in the Netherlands will join a walkout by their colleagues in four countries on Friday after a court order from Ryanair to halt the industrial action failed.

A court in the Netherlands has told Ryanair pilots that they can join a wave of strike action planned across Europe for this Friday.

A statement from Ryanair on Thursday said: "Ryanair took every step to minimise the disruption and we notified our customers as early as possible advising them of their free move, refund or reroute options."

"The majority of customers affected have already been re-accommodated on another Ryanair flight. We want to again apologise to customers affected by this unnecessary disruption and we ask the striking unions to continue negotiations instead of calling anymore unjustified strikes."

The Dutch VNV union previously said it was "furious" the budget airline was going to court.

In a statement, the union said the European pilot strike should be a "wake-up call" for Ryanair management and claimed the legal threat made its decision "easier".

Expand Close Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer of Ryanair, during a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Kenny Jacobs, chief marketing officer of Ryanair, during a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: Reuters

It said its demands were modest, including having Dutch law apply to contracts, no more "bogus" self-employment, and "sufficient" sick pay and pensions.

Ryanair did not respond to requests for a comment on the union's statement.

The number of passengers facing flight cancellations tomorrow has risen to 67,000 as pilots in five countries - including Ireland - are set to hold a 24-hour stoppage.

A total of 20 flights are being cancelled to and from Ireland, 22 in Sweden, 104 in Belgium and 250 in Germany, after Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) announced its members would join the industrial action yesterday. This brings the total number of flights that will be grounded to 396 - without counting cancellations in the Netherlands.

VC announced its members will strike from 3.01am on Friday until 2.59am on Saturday. In a statement, it claimed all flights scheduled to depart from German airports would be affected.

The union said all permanent pilots at Ryanair stations in Germany would strike.

It said it had received no "improved offer" from Dublin.

President of VC, Martin Locher, said the union was 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. "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 had cancelled 250 out of more than 2,400 flights scheduled to operate in and out of Germany on Friday.

It accused VC of refusing to give seven days' notice of the "unjustified" strike so it could minimise disruption.

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.

Ryanair's Kenny Jacobs said it invited VC to meet but it did not respond to the invitation.

"Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions," he said.
Lidl is to introduce electric car charging points at its new stores and across major store refurbishment projects.

The initiative will see the grocery chain provide more than 40 electric vehicle charging facilities in 20 stores across Ireland within the next six months.

The service, which will be free of charge for customers while they shop, will make Lidl the largest network of electric vehicle chargers in the Irish supermarket sector.

"Business must act responsibly, and Lidl will lead the way by installing electric vehicle chargers in all new store builds and investing over 150,000 in our electric vehicle charging programme," Alan Barry, of Lidl Ireland, said.

Lidl has already installed and trialled electric vehicle charging points at its Rathfarnham, Drogheda and Swords stores.

It will retrofit the technology to its stores in Cabra, Tallaght, Glenageary, East Wall, Gorey, Wilton, Virginia, Magherafelt, Lurgan and Andersonstown across the coming months.

The announcement was welcomed by the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland.

"Initiatives such as this will help to provide confidence in the charging network and ensure that there are sufficient charging locations available for a growing number of electric vehicle users," said Sustainable Energy Authority CEO Jim Gannon.
Samsung employees wave from stage beneath an image of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 during a product launch event in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

It looks like wed better get used to paying 1,000 for new phones.

Thats the price (1,019) Samsung has set for its Note 9 flagship model.

And thats just the basic version. The premium model costs a whopping 1,279.

The premium version has more memory and storage.

The Note 9 comes with a new, bigger, 6.4-inch screen and a 4,000mAh battery.

But it looks like a tough sell to Irish consumers. Perhaps fearing no-one will pay the big price, mobile operators say they wont sell the premium version in the Irish market.

Expand Close The new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is seen displayed during a product launch event in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is seen displayed during a product launch event in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Are they right?

After all, they all sell the 1,179 iPhone X. Is Samsung not a premium-enough brand?

Maybe not.

Read More

The move by operators to skip the premium Note 9 model comes after Samsung suffered lower-than-expected sales of its current flagship S9 model.

The S9 shipped 9m models in Samsungs second quarter, 1m lower than the previous three months. It is the first time in Samsungs history that it has seen such a decline.

The larger battery is the first time that Samsung is trying out a bigger power unit after the fires and overheating that almost destroyed the Note series of smartphones.

Airlines have begun allowing Samsung Note phones back on planes following the debacle two years ago.

Samsungs 1,019 price for its lower-tier Note 9 signifies that premium flagship phones look set to cost around 1,000 from now on.

Apples iPhone X currently costs 1,179 and is sold by Irish operators.

When Huawei launched its high-end P20 Pro, the device cost over 900.

Apple is set to launch its new range of iPhones at the start of September. The manufacturer is tipped to unveil three new iPhone devices, including one with a larger screen.
Two skimming devices, mobile phone, one laptop and pinhole cameras have been seized from their possession, the officer said.

The security guard of an ATM outlet at Elgin Road in South Kolkata caught a man while he was trying to insert a skimming device into the machine on Wednesday evening, police said. (Representational)

Kolkata: Three persons including an engineering college dropout have been arrested from the city by Kolkata Police for their alleged involvement in ATM fraud cases, a police officer said on Thursday.

Two skimming devices, mobile phone, one laptop and pinhole cameras have been seized from their possession, the officer said. The security guard of an ATM outlet at Elgin Road in South Kolkata caught a man while he was trying to insert a skimming device into the machine on Wednesday evening, he said.

The security guard who handed over the person to the police, has been awarded for his brave act by the Kolkata Police.

The police arrested the man, who was identified as Rohit Nair, an engineering college dropout from Mumbai. Two of his associates - Sahil Khan and Sudhir Rajen - were arrested from the airport area and from the CIT Road respectively, the officer said. Nair and Khan were staying in a south Kolkata hotel while Rajen had put up in an accommodation in Howrah, he said.

"We are trying to find out whether the three persons have any links with the Romanian nationals arrested in connection with the same case," the police officer said. Nearly 80 customers of nationalised banks in the city have been duped by ATM fraudulent transactions made using cloned debit or credit cards.

The Kolkata Police has formed a SIT to probe into the matter. Two Romanians have been arrested from New Delhi for their alleged involvement in the ATM fraudulent withdrawal cases.
Samsung chief Jay Y Lee, who was released from detention in February, met finance minister Kim Dong-yeon ahead of the announcement that the tech giant is to plough a chunk of its record profits back into research in South Korea

Samsung, South Korea's biggest conglomerate, plans to invest 180trn won (140bn) to ramp up its ability to produce memory chips and other products vital to future growth, lending its support to President Moon Jae-in's efforts to shore up a slowing economy.

The spending will boost research and expenditure in artificial intelligence, fifth-generation wireless networks, bio-pharmaceuticals, displays, semiconductors and other key programmes over the next three years, according to Samsung Electronics, the group's crown jewel.

Almost three-quarters of that investment will be made at home, it said in a statement.

Samsung made the announcement days after its de-facto chief, Jay Y Lee, met finance minister Kim Dong-yeon, at a chip factory south of Seoul.

The company posted a record profit last year and continues to ride a global rally for semiconductors, lead the world in smartphone sales and supply screens for Apple's iPhone X.

"Samsung's brimming with cash right now," said Kwon Sung-ryul, an analyst at DB Financial Investment in Seoul.

"There's a political side to it, too, because the government is calling for creating jobs and funnelling investment at home."

The investment is a boon for Moon, whose public approval ratings have been dwindling.

Consumption has slowed, unemployment is rising and investment has cooled since he came to power last year. Samsung said it may hire 40,000 more people, while the investment itself could help create 700,000 jobs in the country.

Samsung has a reputation for forging ahead with investment even when competitors brace for a slowdown, a strategy that's helped it emerge as the world's biggest chipmaker after surviving one crunch after another.

Samsung this year finished building the world's largest smartphone factory in India even as its Chinese market share shrinks.

Vice Chairman Lee met Moon at the Indian factory's opening this year, his first meeting with the nation's leader since Lee was released in February on a suspended jail sentence for a corruption conviction.

Lee had gone through a year of lockup at a facility south of Seoul after being detained on charges of bribing a friend of Moon's predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Lee, who has led Samsung since his father fell ill in 2014, denies wrongdoing and has appealed the ruling.
The remains of a man found 33 years ago on a Welsh beach have now been identified as a missing Irishman.

The body of Joseph Brendan Dowley, who was 63 and from Co 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 this year.

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.

It is understood that several surgical scars on the body matched those that Mr Dowley had.

Mr Dowley's son Alan had last year provided DNA to the Garda Missing Persons Bureau. At the time he told RTE's 'Prime Time': "I gave my DNA recently to Sergeant Richie Lynch in the Garda Missing Persons Bureau and I'm now waiting to see when the body in Wales might be exhumed for a DNA comparison to be carried out.

"I would encourage any other family of a missing person to give their DNA if they haven't done so yet. Each of these unidentified bodies is someone's loved one."

Detective Sargent Don Kenyon, of North Wales Police, who led the operation, said yesderday: "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 Dowley's 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."

There are 600 unidentified bodies buried in UK cemeteries and 114 of these were recovered from along the western seaboard, which indicates some may be those of Irish people who drowned and were swept across the Irish Sea.
Stephen Rea, Neil Jordan and Liam Neeson on the set of the movie

Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Neil Jordan has revealed he struggles to continue making the style of film that forged him as one of the industry's best filmmakers.

Mr Jordan (68) said Hollywood studios were not making films like 'Michael Collins' or his 1992 Academy Award-winning 'The Crying Game' for present-day cinema-goers.

He made the comment ahead of his donation today of his work archives dating back to 1993 to the National Library of Ireland, where he will be joined by Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Minister Josepha Madigan.

"The kind of films that I make, that people know me for, they're not really the kind of films that Hollywood studios are making at the moment.

"They're often made independently and it is becoming much more of a struggle to make the kind of movie that people know me for, like 'The Crying Game', 'Michael Collins', 'The Butcher Boy'," he told the Irish Independent.

"It has become a real struggle to make those kinds of films recently."

Mr Jordan said that he was "thrilled" to donate his archives to the library, saying that he had been approached by American institutions for them but preferred to add them to the collection of his work he had previously handed over to the library in 1993.

He said that the collection included "everything from 1993 to the present day, all the movies I did, all the notes and different drafts I have for different films... all the novels and fiction that I have written since then, basically everything."

Mr Jordan said he once used the reading room of the library to write short stories and scripts as a fledgling writer.

"It's one of the most beautiful places in Dublin I think, so I am very happy that they want it and I am very happy to give it to them," he said.

Mr Jordan, who was born in Co Sligo but who now lives in Dublin with his family, also said that he thought there were "brilliant" actors emerging from Ireland at the minute.

He said that he was sure Saoirse Ronan would be in line for an Oscar at some stage.

Items from the donation, including film and TV scripts, production files, storyboards, plays, notebooks, personal correspondence with artistic collaborators and political figures, as well as behind the scenes photography from 'Michael Collins', will be on display in the library's book-lined boardroom and director's office.
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.

Expand Close Cocaine seized by police as part of the major international drug bust Photo: Northern Territory Police / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Cocaine seized by police as part of the major international drug bust Photo: Northern Territory Police

"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."
Margaret Cash pictured with Andy (1) one of her six children. Pic: Colin O'Riordan

Margaret Cash and her children (from left) Johnny (11), Miley (7), Jim (4), Rocky (2), Andy (1) and Tommy (10). Pic: Colin O'Riordan

The family at the centre of the homeless controversy spoke openly this afternoon about their distressing experience sleeping in a garda station last night.

Margaret Cash, and her children Johnny (11), Tommy (10), Miley (7), Jim (4), Rocky (2), Andy (1) made headlines when the Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) charity posted photographs of the children sleeping on chairs in a waiting area with no bedding or blankets.

Yesterday they said they went to the homeless section of South Dublin County Council to try again to secure accommodation, but to no avail.

At lunchtime they said they then made their way to the offices of the ICHH on Amiens Street in the city centre where coordinated efforts were made to find them accommodation until Monday.

Speaking to members of the media, Ms Cash described how she spent the entire night in tears.

Ive no words to even describe it. I didnt even sleep, I just stayed awake and watched the kids. My heart was broken.

They were sleeping on hard chairs before blankets were brought for them. Until youre in a situation like that youd never know what it's like.

It was so horrible seeing your children having to go through that  its overwhelming.

Expand Close Margaret Cash pictured with Andy (1) one of her six children. Pic: Colin O'Riordan / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Margaret Cash pictured with Andy (1) one of her six children. Pic: Colin O'Riordan

The mother from Tallaght was advised to go to her local garda station after she claimed Focus Ireland could not secure suitable accommodation for her family.

You ring the council every morning and they give you a list of hotels to ring, but you cant get anywhere with them.

They all tell you theyre full or dont have anywhere big enough for your family. Ive been homeless for a year now.

Most nights [Focus Ireland] get you into a hostel, but youd be back out the door at 9am the next morning, walking the streets with six kids until 8.30 or 9pm.

Last night they couldnt find anywhere [suitable] and made us go to the local police station.

Ms Cash claims the Irish homeless charity offered her family accommodation in Co Meath, but said it would have been impossible to get to it so late at night.

Expand Close The young mother and six children were referred to Tallaght Garda Station as they had "nowhere else to go", according to Gardai. Photo: ICHH / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The young mother and six children were referred to Tallaght Garda Station as they had "nowhere else to go", according to Gardai. Photo: ICHH

Focus Ireland Advocacy Manager Roughan Mac Namara said that the fact that some families had nowhere to sleep last night except in a gardai station is "totally unacceptable".

Focus Ireland is working hard every day with Dublin Regional Homeless Executive to support families and help them when they become homeless," he said.

"While last night was exceptional it was part of an escalating crisis for families that Focus Ireland has been warning the Government about for over two years."

The mother of six is currently on South Dublin County Councils housing waiting list, but is frustrated how long the process is taking.

The council has an obligation to house you, but theyre just not doing it. I have done everything I can to get my kids somewhere to live. Its not my fault that the government is letting me and my kids down."

Read More

The six children are understood to have slept on chairs in the Garda station in Dublin.

The CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) said that last night was "one of the worst" for homeless families in recent memory.

"Yesterday was one of the worst days we had for homelessness services in five years," Anthony Flynn told Independent.ie.

"Last month we had 48 families referred to Garda stations because of the influx presenting themselves homeless. The month before it was 47 and that number is expected to be a lot higher this month."

According to Mr Flynn, up to eight different families were referred to Garda stations across Dublin last night.

"Unfortunately, by the time we knew the family were in Tallaght station, we hadnt got any accommodation available and two families previous to that had been refused," Mr Flynn said.

"Its shocking and its wrong. The question has to be answered, who put them there? Having to be accommodated in a Garda station is unacceptable. Its no life for a child."

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said they "were aware" of the situation.

Meanwhile the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), said an "unprecedented" number of families contacted the council seeking accommodation late last night.

The executives director Eileen Gleeson told RTEs News at One that 10 families sought emergency accommodation on Wednesday night. Of those, five were placed in emergency accommodation, two returned to their original region, outside Dublin, one refused the offer of emergency accommodation and two did not seek further assistance.

Im assuming they were one of the families that did not seek further assistance. If they had stayed in touch we could have helped.

Ms Gleeson said the executive is working hard to facilitate every request for emergency accommodation.

We have contingency plans, we have contingency beds for crisis situations. If people refuse it, thats their choice, but theres no good reason to refuse it, she said.
The damaged office of the scuba-diving business on the island run by Dublin-born Fiona Smith and partner Ondrej Gomola

Residents and tourists on Gili Trawangan island in Indonesia wait to be evacuated after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the region. Picture: AFP / Melissa Delport / @trufflejournal

An Irish woman has said she is heartbroken after her home on the Gili Islands was severely damaged by the earthquake in Indonesia.

Dublin-born Fiona Smith (32) and her partner Ondrej Gomola (37) have been living on Gili Trawangan for six years, working as general managers for a diving company.

The scuba instructors, known as Fee and OJ by friends and locals, evacuated the island and headed to Bali yesterday after a magnitude 7.0 quake struck Lombok island on Sunday night.

Swords native Fiona said the couple were "devastated" at the destruction caused by the quake.

"We are trying to process what we have been through," she said.

"We can't live in our house again, but things can be rebuilt and stuff can be replaced."

She said their staff was their main priority, with more than 100 employees in need of help.

"We have been evacuated to Bali, but we have 109 local staff who have all been affected in some way by the disaster," she said.

"Our priority is them and to get supplies to them as soon as possible. More than half of them have lost their houses."

According to Ms Smith, businesses in the "paradise" they have lived in for six years have been greatly affected.

"Our little paradise island that we have called home has taken a hit and the foundations of our island and its businesses, which are the local people, have taken the biggest hit of all."

A GoFundMe campaign was started to help Ms Smith and Mr Gomola, originally from Bratislavia, Slovakia, "get back on their feet" and rebuild their home.

"We are hoping to raise a few bob to get them back on their feet with the essentials so then they can continue to help others," a close friend said. "Gili Trawangan needs homes repaired so people like Fiona and Ondrej can live back here.

"Without the businesses open and repaired there will be limited tourism, therefore the impact on locals and the island itself is unthinkable."

A separate fundraising campaign has been set up to help rebuild Blue Marlin Dive, the diving centre where the couple work.

According to the page, the staff members are believed to be safe and hope to return to the island next week to start rebuilding.

"Many of our local staff have been left homeless and with limited access to food and water," Ms Smith said.

"Luckily, the Blue Marlin Dive team is safe.

"We hope to go back to the island next week when we can start receiving supplies to begin the rebuilding process."
The young mother and six children were referred to Tallaght Garda Station as they had "nowhere else to go", according to Gardai. Photo: ICHH

A FAMILY of seven was forced to sleep in a Garda station last night as they "had nowhere else to go" on one of the "worst days for homelessness services", according to volunteers.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed that a young mother and her six children slept in Tallaght Garda Station on Wednesday night.

Ranging from a one-year-old to 11 years old, the six children are understood to have slept on chairs in the Garda station in Dublin.

"I can confirm a young mother and her six children presented at Tallaght Garda Station during the night as they had nowhere to go," a Garda spokesperson told Independent.ie.

"Members of An Garda Siochana tried all the emergency lines in relation to homeless shelter and no accommodation was located, a number of local hotels were also phoned," the spokesperson said.

In the pictures, some of the children are wearing school uniforms.

The family was provided with breakfast this morning and has since been referred to a local authority.

"The family were cared for during the night by the members working and received a hot breakfast this morning in Tallaght GS," the spokesperson said.

"The family have now left the Garda station and are on the way to South Dublin Co-Council, Housing Department."

The CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) said that last night was "one of the worst" for homeless families in recent memory.

"Yesterday was one of the worst days we had for homelessness services in five years," Anthony Flynn told Independent.ie.

"Last month we had 48 families referred to Garda stations because of the influx presenting themselves homeless. The month before it was 47 and that number is expected to be a lot higher this month."

According to the Department of Housing, 9,872 people were in emergency accommodation during the week of June 18-24 this year - an increase of 26 from the previous month.

The number of families in emergency accommodation has dramatically risen in the past four years, with 1,121 families presenting themselves as homeless in December 2017 compared to 331 families in 2014.

According to Mr Flynn, up to eight different families were referred to Garda stations across Dublin last night.

"Unfortunately, by the time we knew the family were in Tallaght station, we hadnt got any accommodation available and two families previous to that had been refused," Mr Flynn said.

"Its shocking and its wrong. The question has to be answered, who put them there? Having to be accommodated in a Garda station is unacceptable. Its no life for a child."

For ICHH, one of the biggest challenges theyre preparing to face is for the Papal visit on August 25 and 26.

Mr Flynn is calling on the government for an immediate solution to the influx in families walking the streets.

"My fear around accommodation is for the Papal visit this month. We already have hotels not accepting homeless families," Mr Flynn said.

"Where are these people going to go? Some families were walking the streets until half nine last night before getting a call. That means they were walking the streets all day with no baby changing facilities or anything.

"The Minister needs to come back to work, the problem lies with him. We need an immediate solution to whats gone wrong here.

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said they "were aware" of the situation and that Minister Eoghan Murphy has spoken with the DRHE who have confirmed that they are reviewing the processes in place for those who present late at night in need of emergency accommodation.

"Emergency accommodation was available last night but there is clearly urgent need for better communication between the DRHE, our Partner Organisations and State Agencies to ensure families can be accommodated at short notice when they present," said the spokesperson.

While the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), said an "unprecedented" number of 10 families contacted the council seeking accommodation late last night.

"On the night of the 8th August 2018 an unprecedented number of families presented out of hours seeking emergency accommodation," a spokesperson told Independent.ie.

"We were notified by the Family Homeless Action Team that they were actively engaged with 10 families, who were unable to source their own accommodation.

"Our Central Placement Team were able to source emergency accommodation for five of the families, one family refused the offer of accommodation, two of the families were linked back in with their region (outside of Dublin) and two did not seek further assistance."
In Aurangabad, the police had to resort to firing in the air to control the mob.

There were reports of six ST buses getting damaged, while one was torched.

Mumbai /Pune: Several parts of Maharashtra saw a complete shutdown on Thursday during the Maharashtra bandh called by Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) to press for reservations in jobs and education for the Maratha community. Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai witnessed a partial bandh as many markets remained shut. However, places like Pune, Aurangabad, Solapur, and Hingoli saw violent protests.

In Aurangabad, the police had to resort to firing in the air to control the mob. In Pune, protesters ransacked the gate of the district collector's office and there was stone pelting in Chandani Chowk. There were reports of six ST buses getting damaged, while one was torched. In a preventive measure, aimed at curbing rumour-inspired violence, internet services were stopped in parts of Marathwada and Western Maharashtra.

Over 40 agitators were detained by Pune police. They were sitting on strike in front of collector's office even after 6 pm. Over 1,000 people sitting were not ready to move and hence police did mild lathicharge.

Major violence took place in Pune city and its periphery, according to reports. Protesters who gathered at the district collectors office were disturbed to know that the officer didnt come out to receive their memorandum.

I was in touch with co-ordinators of MKM, Pune. It was decided that a few of them would come to my cabin and give their memorandum. It made the other group upset. So, they did some damage to the office, reacted Naval Kishor Ram, district collector.

The stone pelting at police also took place at Chandani Chowk in Pune.

The city witnessed total bandh as shops, businesses, schools, and colleges didnt open on Thursday.

Agitators also forced shops and companies, including Cognizant in IT Park to shut down. Dr K Venkatesham, police commissioner, Pune City, said, The bandh was peaceful barring two incidents. A few miscreants damaged glass lamps and windows of security at collectors office. Otherwise Maratha morcha organisers were performing a peaceful Thiya strike.

He added, In other incidents, agitators pelted stones at police and did rasta roko for three hours on the Pune-Banglore Highway. We had to break gas shells to disperse the crowd. Otherwise there was peaceful strike. We had deployed 7,000 police personnel, including Ten DCPs, three SRPF coy, one RAF company, and 20 striking platoons among others.

Agitators forced shops and offices to shut. They forced Sungard Solutions in Aundh and asked all employees to leave. However, there was no problem at IT Park in Hinjewadi though rumours were doing rounds. In other incidents, a bus was torched in Hingoli, Marathwada. Also, police had to fire in the air in Aurangabad. Protesters performed rasta roko at Nashik-Manmad, Ahmednagar-Aurangabad, Latur -Solapur, Pune-Satara, Mumbai-Goa highways.

An official from ST Corporation said that there are 250 depots in the state. Of theses, 218 depots have been shut down. 93 per cent services had not resumed due to the bandh. He also said that 16 buses were damaged. Of these, 11 buses were damaged in Aurangabad, five in Nashik and one in Nagpur.

In Mumbai and its periphery, no incidents of violence took place. MKM coordinators declared a bandh in Mumbai, but gathered only in a few places and held protests.

Petition in Bombay high court seeks end to agitation

City-based social worker Arun Bawlekar has filed a petition in the Bombay high court through his lawyer Ashish Giri, seeking action against Maratha protestors who are allegedly conducting bandhs throughout the state and damaging public property. The petitioner also sought that the state government take action against the Maratha community's protestors under Bombay Police Act and Damage to Public Property Act. The petition further seeks that the state government constitute a high-level committee or the court direct the state government to implement the guidelines framed by the Bombay high court in a 2003 G Deshmukhs petition.
Potential presidential candidate Padraig O Ceidigh has refused to answer questions on any links he may have had to politics over the years.

That is despite his potential rival in the race for Aras an Uachtarain - 'Dragons' Den' star Gavin Duffy - answering similar questions last week.

The Irish Independent asked former Aer Arann boss Mr O Ceidigh whether or not he has ever been a member of a political party.

We also asked if he or any of his companies have ever made a donation to a party or individual politician.

Mr O Ceidigh replied: "I will address your questions should I become a candidate for the presidential election."

The Independent senator was appointed to the Seanad in 2016 by then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny. He was one of three Independent senators suggested by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, including Pieta House founder and fellow current presidential hopeful Joan Freeman. Mr O Ceidigh's name was among those mentioned in Fianna Fail circles as a possible candidate for the 2009 European Elections for the North-West constituency, according to reports at the time.

It was also reported he was approached by another political party about a possible bid for a European Parliament seat. Ultimately he did not run in the election.

Previously, he was listed in the programme for the 2006 Ogra Fianna Fail conference as a speaker in a session entitled 'Investing in Ireland's Future'. Mr O Ceidigh did not answer a question on whether he had spoken at any other Fianna Fail events.

The 'Sunday Independent' reported at the weekend that he is conducting a poll to see how he is perceived among the public before confirming whether he will seek a nomination to contest the presidential election.

In the interview, Mr O Ceidigh cited "energy, experience and the [background I have] outside of politics" as factors that would make him a better president than the incumbent, Michael D Higgins. He also said he was "not being negative" about Mr Higgins.

Businessman Mr Duffy last week said he had no affiliation with any political party. He said: "I have never been a member of a political party, nor have I ever donated to a party."

He confirmed that his communications company, Gavin Duffy and Associates, provided services to former Taoiseach Enda Kenny in 2011 among other work carried out for politicians.
President Michael D Higgins is refusing to comment on claims he stayed in a luxurious five-star hotel where the top suites can cost 3,000 a night.

Former presidential hopeful Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell claims he received information suggesting Mr Higgins stayed in "one of the most expensive suites" in the Beau-Rivage Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. Suites in the hotel are currently being advertised for between 2,749 and 3,095 a night.

The claim follows calls, from presidential candidates, for the Office of the President to be subjected to Freedom of Information legislation.

Mr Craughwell said he was contacted by a member of the public who was concerned about the potential cost of Mr Higgins's two-day stay in the Swiss city.

"The person who contacted me expressed deep concerns about the potential cost of the trip and my information is that the President stayed in one of the most expensive suites in the hotel," he said.

Mr Craughwell has openly called on Mr Higgins to address his claims on social media.

Expand Close The Beau-Rivage Hotel in Geneva, where suites cost up to 3,095 a night / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Beau-Rivage Hotel in Geneva, where suites cost up to 3,095 a night

The Irish Independent put several questions to The Office of the President about Mr Higgins's stay in Geneva. However, his office did not respond to the questions for more than four weeks. The office confirmed Mr Higgins travelled to Geneva to speak at an event hosted by the International Labour Organisation.

However, it refused to comment on Mr Craughwell's claim the President stayed in a top suite in a hotel that boasts a Michelin Star restaurant and 3,000-a-night rooms named after composers, actresses and French politicians.

Instead, the President's Office said: "Foreign travel by the President is made with the approval of the Government. Arrangements for the President's travel and accommodation are made by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the host country."

The Department of Foreign Affairs also refused to respond to the claim.

"We are not in a position to provide information on the costs associated with the President's travel," a spokesperson said.

The Office of the President is exempt from Freedom of Information legislation despite receiving more than 30m from taxpayers over the past seven years.

Government departments are also prevented from releasing details of money they spend on the President's Office. Presidential candidates Padraig O Ceidigh and Gavin Duffy have said the office should be covered by the legislation.
An outspoken pro-LGBT rights priest will not be 'dis-invited' from speaking during the Pope's visit to Dublin despite a petition that seeks to do so gaining almost 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.

But the organisers of the event have said that there will be no change to the current line-up.

With just over one week to go to the WMOF2018 pastoral congress in the RDS in Dublin, we are not expecting there to be any change to the line-up of speakers who have been invited to be part of the event, a spokeswoman for the event said.

We are looking forward to welcoming all 292 speakers from around Ireland and from across the world to our gathering of families in Dublin.

The petition was started by the Irish branch of Tradition, Family, Property and has reached 9881 signatures today.

They've also sent a letter to Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin asking him to stop the cleric from speaking at the event while the petition will also be sent to Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin, Bishop Raymond Field and Bishop Eamonn Walsh.

The letter states that as Fr Martin is in disagreement with the Catechism of the Catholic Churchs reference to homosexual inclination as gravely disordered, he does a disservice to those he purports to help.

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, the letter read. 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.
To the uninitiated, Caroline Webb's job may feel like a hugely difficult, almost unpleasant one. And even to Meath-based Caroline herself, the idea of returning to work as a night nurse, after years of working in other sectors, gave her slight pause for thought initially.

Caroline qualified as a nurse originally in 1991, but explored different career paths before a friend working in hospice care told her three years ago of a night nurse job available through the Irish Cancer Society.

"I first thought, 'not a hope, I couldn't go back into nursing again'," she admits. "But since I got the job, I haven't looked back. I can barely tell you how important, and how rewarding, this work is."

In fact, speak to any of the night nurses who work alongside the Irish Cancer Society, and they are unanimous on one thing. Despite working in various outposts of nursing and care, this work is among the most profound and enriching jobs they have ever had.

That's not to say that the work is easy. Night nurses tend to work an 11pm-7am shift in the home of a patient requiring end-of-life care. Everyone in the country, irrespective of location or financial circumstance, is entitled to 10 nights of care via the Irish Cancer Society (the service is accessed through the patient's palliative home care team, or GP). The night nurse then feeds information back to the palliative care team to ensure continuity in care.

Chief among the nurses' duties is to address the needs of the patient, from pain management and symptom control, and, where possible, ensure a pain-free and dignified death.

Often, the nurse on duty can end up talking with the patient on their deathbed in the quiet of nighttime.

"Usually, the same regrets keep coming up," explains Webb. "They regret not keeping up contact with family and friends, not living life in the moment, and being worried about money when they have no need to worry about money.

"Sometimes a patient will ask us if they are going to die," she adds. "We have to be quite truthful with people if they ask us. Often we say, 'what do you think yourself?' How do you feel?'

"In a lot of cases, they're either testing us, or they realise that something is going to happen. We have to say to the family too, if the person isn't already aware that they are going to die, and they ask us about it, we have to answer truthfully."

As one of the most emotionally heightened and sensitive outposts of the nursing profession, plenty of compassion, emotional intelligence and tact is required for the job at hand. Life experience - and often, prior experience with loss - might also put a nurse at an advantage.

"I honestly don't think really young people would be able for this," observes Webb. "I don't think someone in their twenties could walk into this situation and know what to say, or more importantly, what not to say.

"I've experienced the death of my own mam, and you know that people are so shocked when death finally does happen. You can relate to them and somehow tell them, without really saying it outright, that you've been though this yourself and can understand completely."

Night nurses are there to provide support, reassurance and guidance to family members in their darkest moments.

"It's an holistic, multi-faceted approach that we use," says Lucan-based Mary Kavanagh, who has been a night nurse for a year.

"If you go into a home, it's not like, 'Superwoman or Superman is here'. We are doing things their way, and while a patient in hospital might need to fall into the routine of the ward, we fall into the routine of the patient. What I hope I achieve is to take the fear of dying and death away from the family and the patient."

Though family members are only too happy to carry out the final wish of their loved one to die at home, looking after a dying patient outside of a hospital setting is daunting, and often harder than anyone could have anticipated.

"Most people want to be at home for their final days," says Kavanagh. "After all, where is our favourite place to be, only with our own family and our own animals? Still, it's a huge decision for a family, and what we offer is, they say, an invaluable service."

When Sylvia Coyle spent her final days in the family home in Kildare surrounded by loved ones, the family benefited greatly from the Irish Cancer Society Night Nurse service.

"It was mum's wish to stay at home with us and the Irish Cancer Society's Night Nurse enabled her to do that," says Sylvia's daughter, Alison.

"As well as caring for her, our night nurse Geraldine talked to mum about her worries, which was a great comfort to her. Geraldine looked after the whole family - guiding us through a very difficult situation. She was invaluable to us. This is a vital service for any cancer patient who wants to be at home during their final days - we simply couldn't have managed without it."

Only when the nurses pass the threshold of the house do they know how the shift will unfold. Sometimes, the house can be packed with extended family and neighbours. Other times, the patient might have been in discomfort for many hours.

"Very often, you'll see the sheer relief on a family member's face when you get to the door," says Louth-based Carol Adams, who has worked in nursing for 25 years. "They're just so happy that someone can care for their loved one, and they might be able to get the rest needed to function for the next few days. The families we work with are so resilient and strong for their loved one. The love of a family in this situation is truly amazing to witness. It's very special."

Many people hope for, and often expect, a peaceful death for their loved one. Unfortunately, reality can get in the way, and a person's final days can often be fraught with shock and unexpected upset. It can lead to challenging moments for everyone involved.

"One very distressing thing that can happen is what we call 'terminal agitation'," explains Webb. "It can happen with very young people when they don't want to die and they fight with everything they can. They won't settle and often have to be sedated. It can be very upsetting."

Maynooth-based night nurse Emer McGearty says that trying to encourage a peaceful and relaxing environment in the home can help with the unexpected agitation of patients.

"It can be very shocking for a family to witness that," she agrees. "You don't want their last memories to be of their loved one being so unsettled. You want their memories of them being relaxed and at ease."

"The other thing that can be challenging is when family members may not be on the same wavelength as we would be about things like medication," notes Webb.

"You might also be dealing with family dynamics and it can create a bit of tension. In this case, as a nurse, you can't take part and you can't take sides."

McGearty says that a good night nurse will need to be in the right frame of mind heading into a shift.

"You have to leave personal or family issues at the door and make yourself totally available for the family and the patient," she says. "Likewise, you need to be able to switch off after a shift and to not bring it home with you."

Yet naturally, some patients linger on in the memory.

"Every case is sad, but it's particularly sad if it's a young person, or a young person with young children," notes McGearty. "One or two people really stick in my mind - there was one young man in his twenties who had a toddler, and another lady my age with breast cancer, who had children the same ages as my own.

"You also hear a lot of people who were in good health their whole lives, and maybe put off having a holiday or travelling until retirement, but were diagnosed with cancer soon after they retired. It does put everything into perspective, and make you really appreciate what you have."

The service is funded almost entirely by public donations to the Irish Cancer Society. Boots Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society have recently launched their annual '5K Walks for Night Nurses', taking place in Dublin and Cork on August 17.

To date, Boots employees and customers have raised over 1.3m to fund the service, which adds up to over 3,715 nights of nursing care for families around the country.

In 2016, the initiative introduced Honour Tags, which are on sale in Boots stores for 2. Customers can purchase a tag in honour of someone who has passed away from or survived cancer. "The service really isn't there without the help of the public," says Kavanagh. "At the time my father passed away, I didn't know the service was available, and I really wish we had."

* For further information about the Irish Cancer Society Night Nursing service or to donate, visit cancer.ie
Airbnbs plans to offer a unique chance to spend the night at the Great Wall of China have been cancelled following backlash from local authorities.

The authorities claim the stay had never been approved, raising concerns that the temporary accommodation would risk damage to the historic Chinese landmark.

The Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission, which manages the Badaling section of the Great Wall where the room was to be built, had reportedly never been approached about the stay or approved the pop-up event, which would have seen four winners (each joined by a guest) of an online competition stay overnight at the ancient fortification.

The commission said it did not support the project as it is not in line with the Great Walls heritage conservation values, according to a statement, the South China Morning Post reports.

Airbnb claimed there was an agreement in place that formed the basis for the event announcement but did not confirm when or in what ways it had contacted local authorities for approval on the project or outline what the agreement entailed when Telegraph Travel contacted Airbnb for a comment.

But the company has cancelled the event following the feedback received.

Expand Close Great Wall of China. Photo: Airbnb / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Great Wall of China. Photo: Airbnb

We have made the decision to not move forward with this event, Airbnb announced 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, the statement said.

Airbnb is said to instead be 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.

"We remain committed to that goal and in the weeks and months ahead, we will be working closely with our hosts and guests in China as well as community leaders to highlight the culture and history that make China one of the most dynamic destinations in the world."

The company has apologised to those who have already entered the competition and said they would be contacted about other ways to "explore and discover amazing experiences in China."

The project was a collaboration between Airbnb and the state-owned Beijing Badaling Tourism Company, which claimed the two groups are still working together, the South China Morning Post reports. But it has yet to be confirmed whether the event will be resurrected in the future.

Read more:

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spy on each other in Mr and Mrs Smith

Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at The Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Brad Pitt (L) and Angelina Jolie speak onstage during the opening night gala premiere of Universal Pictures' "By the Sea" during AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on November 5, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)

Two years after shocking the world in their decision to file for divorce, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are still earning headlines with their equally dramatic ongoing divorce.

Since September 2016, when Oscar-winner Jolie began divorce proceedings against her husband of two years, whom she had been with for a total of 12, things were clearly acrimonious between from the get-go.

There was a well-documented, but still unclear, "incident" with 16-year-old son Maddox aboard a private plane which is said to have prompted her decision to file, and the Department of Child and Family Services and FBI got involved.

"There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have," a source told People at the time.

"He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed. He did not hit his child in the face in any way. He did not do that; he is emphatic about that. He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was spiraling out of control."

In an interview six months alter, he gave an interview to GQ detailing his experience, saying he was "really on my back" when child services became involved in the custody dispute, as well as an FBI investigation into child abuse, which the organisation eventually decided not to prosecute.

"No one wins in court - it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse. You spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong, and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred. I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It's just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart," he said.

In the same spread, he documented his lifelong alcohol habit, but was careful to avoid using the word addiction.

"But me, personally, I cant remember a day since I got out of college when I wasnt boozing or had a spliff, or something," he told the magazine.

"I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know - things I wasnt dealing with. I was boozing too much. Its just become a problem."

Expand Close Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with their son Maddox at the Oscars. Photo: Fred Prouser / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with their son Maddox at the Oscars. Photo: Fred Prouser

Video of the Day

In February, Jolie spoke for the first time about the divorce, describing how "difficult" it is to be a single mother.

"It was a very difficult time and we are a family; we will always be a family and we will get through this time," she told BBC World News.

"Many people find themselves in this situation... We've all been through a difficult time and my focus is my children, our children, and my focus is finding this way through... We are and forever will be a family and so that is how I am coping. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer."

Over the coming months, before court documents were filed, People would become the magazine of choice for "sources" on both sides to declare their side of the story.

At the time, he was being lambasted as an irresponsible alcoholic and Jolie was seeking full custody of their six children - Maddox (16), Pax (14), Zahara (13), Shiloh (12) and twins Knox and Vivienne (10).

She currently retains primary custody with the actor being granted visitation rights, except in the case of Maddox, who, at 16, was deemed old enough to decide for himself if he wanted to see his father.

Expand Close Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the movie-Mr. and Mrs. Smith / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the movie-Mr. and Mrs. Smith

The pair received approval to continue their divorce privately, but insiders on both sides were continually leaking information to the press. Most recently, it has been in retaliation to legal documents in which Jolie alleges that she has not received suitable child support payments, which, in Los Angeles, is 50% of any costs to the children.

Earlier this week, the Changeling star accused the Fury actor of owing child support, lodging documents which stated: "Following the incident of September 2016, Angelina and the children needed to move from the family home, which Brad chose to keep, including all of its contents."

The papers allege that he was asked to assist in purchasing a new home for his estranged wife and their children, but "instead he loaned Angelina money, for which he is charging her interest on a payment plan."

Pitt emphatically denied the claim, saying he has given estranged wife Angelina Jolie $1.3 million and lent her another $8 million since their separation two years ago.

She nearly immediately hit back through her lawyer Samantha Bley DeJean who sent a statement to - you guessed it, People - that her court filing alleging owed child support was "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."

"A loan is not, however, child support and to represent it as such is misleading and inaccurate."

"Typically a father of means would pay these expenses voluntarily without the need for a request or court order. We are hopeful that this can be resolved without further delay or posturing."

According to Page Six, her filing was a "publicity stunt" as Pitt has reportedly been preparing to lodge papers of his own, although the alleged details have not been publicised. Jolie concluded the latest drama, by stating that they can come to a meaningful agreement soon in order to "provide 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."

Expand Close Actor Brad Pitt (L) and actress Angelina Jolie arrive at the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Salt" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 19, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Actor Brad Pitt (L) and actress Angelina Jolie arrive at the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Salt" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 19, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Watch this space.
Conor McGregor had paid tribute to his other half Dee Devlin as she rings in her 30th birthday.

He is one of the worlds most successful MMA fighters and his girlfriend Dee has been by his side since the very beginning when he was struggling to make it on the fighting scene.

Conor shared a snap of himself and Dee on the beach with their arms wrapped around each other as they pair sunbathed in the ocean while their son, Conor Jnr, sat on his dads shoulders.

Happy Birthday Queen Dee from your two big beasts. We love you Mammy, he wrote.

Expand Close Dee Devlin and Conor McGregor with their son Conor McGregor Jr. Picture: Instagram / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dee Devlin and Conor McGregor with their son Conor McGregor Jr. Picture: Instagram

Conor has a large following on social media and the post, which he shared on Instagram, has already received half a million likes from fans and followers all over the world.

Many of the Crumlin mans fans wished Dee a happy birthday and also said the pair were a perfect couple and a good example of relationship goals.

Only last month, the pair celebrated Conors 30th birthday. In typical Notorious style, they spared no expense for the celebrations, with Dee sharing a snap of the fighter enjoying his birthday on a yacht.

Thank you for being you, she wrote alongside the snap. Conor and Dee have been dating for more than a decade and the UFC star has previously said she had been through it all with him.

They welcomed Conor Jnr last May and threw an extravagant christening party for the tot at Dublins Luttrellstown Castle in October.

It was recently confirmed that Dee is now pregnant with the couples second child when she spoke about her bump on Instagram.
The Duchess of Sussex arrives to attend the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 4, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Sussex. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The Duchess of Sussex (centre) talks to fellow guests as they arrive to attend the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 4, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Sussex. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The Duchess of Sussex arrives to attend the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 4, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Sussex. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrives at the wedding of Charlie Van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Frensham, in Surrey, Britain, August 4, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey, after attending the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks

The Duchess of Sussex (centre) talks to fellow guests as they arrive to attend the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday August 4, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Sussex. Photo credit should read: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey, after attending the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks

Meghan Markle had a major wardrobe malfunction while attending husband Prince Harry's best friend's wedding at the weekend and handled it like a boss.

Britain's Duchess of Sussex was double jobbing celebrations on Saturday, August 4, as she was marking her 37th birthday at the nuptials of Harry's old friend Charlie van Straubenzee to Daisy Jenks, where the prince was on best man duties. They, as expected, made an unavoidable public entrance as they made their way to St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham in Surrey over the sunny weekend, arriving arm in arm to the ceremony.

Unlike Meghan's past wedding guest attire which was universally mocked - an Oscar de la Renta printed gown and with a Marks & Spencer ill-fitting fascinator - this time around, she opted for a chicer approach more in keeping with her personal style. She chose a printed pleated skirt with leather belt and a short sleeve silk blouse, by Club Monaco, and a Philip Treacy headpiece.

But it was her blouse that caused a stir by eagle eyed royal watchers who noted that the former actress's black lace bra was on show after doing too quick a headturn to greet fellow guests. It's not unlike Kate Middleton's 'Marilyn moment' during her tour of Canada with Prince William months after their 2011 wedding (she has since adopted her Queen Elizabeth's preferred style hack of sewing weights into skirt hems to avoid flashing too much).

I see London, I see France, I see Meghan's ...well, not underpants but just as embarrassing a moment. I suppose the good news is that she did wear a lovely lace bra. pic.twitter.com/edNevO0Kly  Lady Darlene Jones Foster (@fdarlene491) August 5, 2018

According to etiquette expert Myka Meier, the malfunction wouldn't be looked at twice by the palace in the simple case that accidents happen.

"Her bra showing was not believed to be deliberate, in which case she would have not been seen to be disrespectful by the palace," she told People.

Meanwhile, it's reported that Kensington Palace has a "plan" to solve the Thomas Markle-problem, i.e., his insistence at giving interviews to the highest bidder about his thoughts on his daughter's new royal in-laws.

She is said to be working on rebuilding a relationship with her father in a bid to "get Dad on board", according to the Sunday Times, which reports she is "unfazed by her difficult dad's outbursts". A former aide added, "It's simply not a very elegant solution to cut him off and ignore him."

Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey, after attending the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex outside St Mary the Virgin Church in Frensham, Surrey, after attending the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks
A man from Essex has embarked on a summer-long quest to spell out the words stop Brexit across Europe.

Andrew Pardy, 28, quit his job as a digital transformation consultant to undertake the trip, which involves driving a van with a GPS tracker to spell each letter.

Having spent time growing up in Germany and working in Spain, Ive always valued freedom of movement, he told the Press Association.

The right to explore as well as live and work in Europe without tiresome red tape is an immense privilege and, although we dont yet know to what extent this might be affected, I wanted to highlight some of the benefits as they stand.

Andrew, who goes by the name The Rogue Consultant online, came up with the idea for the challenge while out running and using a tracking app.

I (like a lot of my friends at home) have been frustrated with the debate and how Brexit has been progressing. I wanted to do something positive and make a personal statement at the same time, he said.

Writing the message will cover a total of 30,000km and take in 32 European countries. Twenty-six of these are EU member states.

I completed the O on the weekend and have been catching up on my blog posts  Check them out on my website (link in bio). Bring on the P!



Click Live Tracking for current location - we are somewhere between Tromso & Alta (deep inside the Arctic Circle)  #stopbrexit pic.twitter.com/wQJSGo7kNS  The Rogue Consultant (@ConsultantRogue) August 7, 2018

Andrew is currently in Finland, arching over the top of the P in stop. So far he is relishing the journey.

Ive met loads of wonderful people along the way, all of whom have been supportive. Ive also received offers from kind individuals across the continent whove read about the trip and have invited me to come and stay with them.

He has kept his followers across Europe updated on Twitter and Instagram, posting stunning photography of Scandinavia.

The epic journey will finish in Spain at the end of October. Andrew plans to polish off the trip by finding a way to offset his carbon footprint from the journey.

My message to people back home in Britain is to stop, and think about Brexit from a progressive stance  acknowledge how leaving the EU is going to impact our personal ability to grow. To the politicians, I would simply say: Stop Brexit.
There are around 9,000 government-run childcare institutions and shelter homes for women/girls across India.

In the Deoria and Muzaffarpur shelters, we see bureaucratic complicity and dereliction of duty at several levels. (Photo: Youtube Screengrab)

The most shocking thing about the recent revelations of sexual abuse at state-funded shelter homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is that no lessons have been learnt. The inside story of these homes of horrors, grabbing headlines now, is part of the long catalogue of savageries on powerless children in institutions tasked to care for them. It has happened before, and it will happen again, unless we wake up.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are under attack. But make no mistake. Such savage assaults on children who have no one to speak for them arent confined to just these two states. Such cases have happened elsewhere, including Delhi. A few years ago, a post-mortem examination on an 11-year-old girl who died of vomiting and diarrhoea in a Delhi home showed she had been repeatedly sexually abused.

The latest cases prove once again that power, politics and abuse go hand in hand.

There are around 9,000 government-run childcare institutions and shelter homes for women/girls across India. In many cases, the Centre provides over half the money to run them; the state governments fork out the rest. Typically, NGOs selected by the government are tasked to run these institutions. Then there are shelters supported solely by state governments, like those now in the news. Usually, they are also run by NGOs.

How do these government-supported shelters become dens of physical, mental and sexual abuse of vulnerable children?

Anyone who has been following the skeletons tumbling out of these institutions would have gathered some basic facts  NGOs which run these institutions typically have strong backing of politicians. Though there are several levels of checks and balances on paper, in practice there is little oversight in most cases.

Everybody knows this, but its brushed aside as most children in these shelters are from poor families and perceived to be readymade for abuse. While many children are orphans, many others are from families too poor to look after them.

These children dont make up a votebank, so no one bothers. Its only when a child runs away and blows the lid or dies, does the news break out. State agencies typically do little even when there are hints of abuses as they know the abusers have powerful backers. The Bihar government had asked the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to do an audit of the short-stay and shelter homes in August 2017. The TISS report red-flagged nearly 20 short-stay homes and shelters.

The question remains: how do NGOs without any proven credentials on child protection and child rights get funds to run shelters for children?

As Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi acknowledged: There is hardly any monitoring by state agencies. I wont be surprised if more cases like Muzaffarpur and Deoria come out. The minister has ordered an investigation into the state of affairs in 9,000-odd such shelters across the country. That is welcome. If the exercise is carried out honestly and efficiently, be prepared for more skeletons tumbling out of more cupboards.

Ms Gandhis other proposed solution, of creating one large shelter directly under each state governments control, may not solve the problem as the core issue is accountability. And the State has been found wanting on that score.

In the Deoria and Muzaffarpur shelters, we see bureaucratic complicity and dereliction of duty at several levels. The State cannot simply pass the buck to the predatory NGOs which it supported for so long.

That Opposition parties will attack the government on this is predictable. But the culture of impunity isnt confined to any one state or political party, as Enakshi Ganguly, well-known child rights activist and co-founder of Haq: Centre for Child Rights, points out.

In one case of a childrens shelter just outside New Delhi, the National Council for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had flagged detailed allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse of children by the staff of the home. That shelter was forced to close. The owner was arrested. But clearly, that has not been a deterrent to other predators managing child care institutions.

India has enough laws and policies to address the sexual abuse of children. But till date, both the Central and state governments have failed to enforce the laws and safeguards, leaving children, especially those in shelters, extremely vulnerable to abuse.

Mere hand-wringing will not do. The kind of social audit that Ms Gandhi has ordered must be done regularly, in order to keep both the authorities and NGOs on their toes. In Deoria, the police kept sending children to the shelter even after it was blacklisted. This type of contempt for the law should be addressed very firmly.

Many things can be done. As Ms Ganguly points out, why not have regular visits to these homes by academics and child rights activists? Regular visits reveal tell-tale signs of abuse, she says. The NCPCR should be financially supported to monitor the effective implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Another key measure should be to expand the pool of paediatricians and gynaecologists who are trained to recognise and tackle sexual abuse of children.

Child rights commissions in states must make sure that there is proper vetting of all staff members in residential care facilities, including guards and cleaners.

Once again, whatever action is being taken is being led by the judiciary. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition on the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases, criticised both the Centre and the Bihar government; the Patna high court decided to monitor the investigation into the alleged rape of 34 minor girls in the shelter home. After that, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has sought a CBI probe into the Deoria case and a special investigation team (SIT) to ensure there is no tampering of evidence. The fact that such a team is deemed necessary speaks volumes.

Its worth remembering that this flurry of activity comes after prolonged somnolence and little is likely to change in the long run, unless early alerts are recognised and acted upon immediately.
Tetsuo Yukioka, managing director of Tokyo Medical University, has apologised for the shcool (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A Tokyo medical school has apologised after an internal investigation confirmed it systematically altered entrance exam scores to limit the number of female students.

Tokyo Medical University manipulated all entrance exam results starting in 2000 or even earlier, according to findings released by lawyers involved in the investigation.

The school said the manipulation should not have occurred and would not in the future, and it will consider retroactively admitting those who otherwise would have passed the exams.

The investigation found that last year the school reduced all applicants first-stage test scores by 20pc and then added up to 20 points for male applicants, and that similar manipulations had taken place for years.

It said the school wanted fewer female doctors because it anticipated they would shorten or halt their careers after becoming mothers.

We sincerely apologise for the serious wrongdoing involving entrance exams that has caused concern and trouble for many people and betrayed the publics trust, school managing director Tetsuo Yukioka said.

He denied any previous knowledge of the score manipulation and said he was never involved.

Expand Close Internal investigation committee members hold a press conference on an investigation on fraud into its admissions process of Tokyo Medical University (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Internal investigation committee members hold a press conference on an investigation on fraud into its admissions process of Tokyo Medical University (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

I suspect that there was a lack of sensitivity to the rules of modern society, in which women should not be treated differently because of their gender, he said.

Mr Yukioka said women were not treated differently once they were accepted, but acknowledged that some people even believed women were not allowed to become surgeons.

Nearly 50pc of Japanese women are college educated  one of the worlds highest levels  but they often face discrimination in the workforce.

Women also are considered responsible for homemaking, childrearing and elderly care, while men are expected to work long hours and outside care services are limited.
The co-leader of New Zealands Green Party repeatedly used the C-word at an anti-racism event for families last week as part of an initiative she says is aimed at reclaiming the word cunt for women.

Marama Davidson said the C-word was used against her a part of a death threat and that it had been maligned as a form of abuse for too long.

The public had a mixed response to Ms Davidsons attempted reclamation of the word and many of the countrys politicians were against it.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would not use the word herself, while opposition womens spokesperson Paula Bennet called Ms Davidsons use of language disgusting.

To do this in front of families and children is disgusting, she tweeted.

To do this in front of families and children is 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 u repeatedly say it. There is no excuse for bad manners https://t.co/Q4Zv1TECGk  Paula Bennett (@paulabennettmp) August 8, 2018

Speaking to New Zealand publication Newshub, Ms Davidson said that she stands by using that word.

I think its a word we have to disarm and reclaim, she added.

Following up her point later on twitter, Ms Davidson said that: If women get called the *C* word by men who are trying to death threat us into silence and intimidation  the least we can do is disarm the word and claim it back, *C* is for Cheers :) .

I simply reclaimed it at a rally after ir was used at me in a death threat. Thats not a campaign. Thats just me talking, she added.

Recent research by the countrys Broadcasting Standards Authority found that the C-word was still the most offensive word to Kiwi ears followed closely by the N-word.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, second right, looks at dry soil with farmers during a visit to Strathmore Farm near Trangie, 300 miles north west of Sydney. Photo: Ivan McDonnell/AP

Australia's most populous state has been declared entirely in drought - and farmers have been given authority to shoot kangaroos competing with livestock for sparse pasture during the most intense dry spell in more than 50 years.

Much of Australia's southeast is struggling but the state government said 100pc of New South Wales' more than 800,000 square kilometres was in drought.

Primary industries minister Niall Blair said farmers were enduring one of the driest winters on record.

Farmers are having to decide whether to continue the expensive and laborious task of hand-feeding cattle and sheep or sell their livestock.

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 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."

But Ray Borda, president of the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia, which represents commercial hunters 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 and it's unaudited and unchecked and that's our concern - animal welfare," Mr Borda said.

The government should have subsidised professional hunters to reduce kangaroo numbers more humanely, he said.

"This is probably the worst possible outcome for the kangaroo, but we do understand the plight farmers are in," Mr Borda added.
Thirty men and one woman will appear at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on September 5 and 6. Stock pic.

A mother helped her daughter escape a troubled arranged marriage and told her "don't ruin your life, go live it" the night before she was allegedly stabbed to death by her angry son-in-law, a jury has heard.

Muhammad Tafham, 31, is alleged to have murdered Rahman Begum, 46, at her home in Rochdale after his wife, Aysha, 25, left him to move back in with her long-term boyfriend in Bradford.

Aysha continued seeing her partner despite entering into an arranged marriage in Pakistan with Tafham, a cousin on her father's side, who joined her in the UK in September 2016.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard the couple needed to live together for three years so Tafham could stay in the country but the pair constantly argued and eventually Aysha asked him for a divorce, which he refused.

Aysha went back to her boyfriend on February 4 this year and two days later Mrs Begum helped trick the defendant into leaving their home in Clement Royds Street while Aysha returned with her boyfriend and hurriedly threw her belongings into bin bags and carrier bags before the lovers drove off.

On February 7, the mother of five was found lying on her kitchen floor with blood around her and a knife in her hand.

She was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffered three major stab wounds to the front of her body and one of them passed through her breast bone and right through her heart.

The Crown say Tafham killed Mrs Begum in anger and then placed the 12in kitchen knife in her hand to make the death appear as a suicide.

Aysha told detectives that her mother had no reason to kill herself.

She said: "She would not do something like that."

She said her father, Gulraiz Sharif, did not accept the relationship with her boyfriend, Malik, and that she only agreed to the arranged marriage with Tafham to keep her father happy.

Aysha said Tafham threatened her over the phone the day after she fled to Bradford.

She said: "I wouldn't tell him where I was staying and he said, 'I am going to come and grab you. I am going to show you who I am'.

"He always used to say, 'I have got a feeling someone is going to get killed out of your family'."

When she returned to Clement Royds Street to collect her clothes, she said her mother told her boyfriend: "Look after my daughter" and had said to her: "Don't ruin your life, go live it."

Giving evidence on Thursday, Aysha said she had fallen out with her father over living apart from Tafham but said her mother never asked her to stay with the defendant.

Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, asked her: "Did your mother ever say you were bringing shame to the family?"

Aysha replied: "No, she did not."

Mr Thomas asked: "Did she ever stop you going back to Malik?"

Aysha said: "She said wherever my daughters are happy I'm happy."

The court heard Mrs Begum complained to her GP last November that she was feeling low in mood but had no record of a formal diagnosis of depression or any other psychiatric disorder.

Pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told the jury that he thought "severe force" would have been required to inflict the stab wound which passed through her breast bone.

He added it would have been "very difficult" for Mrs Begum to inflict that wound herself but could not say it was "technically impossible".

Dairy worker Tafham denies murder.

The trial continues on Friday.
A Dublin woman and her family caught up in the Portugal wildfires during a holiday to a popular tourist destination has spoken about her ordeal.

More than a thousand firefighters supported by 19 aircrafts have been battling a major wildfire in southern Portugal for a fifth straight day.

Authorities had hoped lower temperatures overnight would allow services to finally contain the blaze, which was 95pc under control on Monday. But the fires continued to spread, and the officials blamed it on strong, gusting winds fueling the flames, which are racing through the dry and largely inaccessible woodland.

Dublin woman Andrea Hoban, and her twin sons (14), landed in Montechoro in Portugal last week for their annual vacation to the country. Ms Hoband said that the family was at the Aqualand Waterpark last week, before the fires spread badly.

However, it was yesterday, while out for a family walk in Albufeira, that the real fear struck.

It felt scary, like in a movie, Ms Hoban told Independent.ie.

The sky was scary yesterday, it was all dark and smokey.

We saw several emergency vehicles go past us, and ashes were falling on us and blowing into our eyes as we were walking.

Andreas children both reacted differently to the situation.

One of my kids was scared in case the fires would spread in our direction and my other child thought it would be a great photo.

Ms Hoban said that they are staying twenty minutes away from the fires and were afraid that the blaze would soon reach them.

We were afraid about the fire blowing or spreading towards us and where we would go in that case.

We were also scared that the airport would close, and our flight would be delayed, she said.

Yesterday, the fire came within 500 metres of the fire department in Monchique, a town of about 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 - have burned down.

The firefighting effort itself has drawn criticism, with some claiming poor organisation is hampering the operation. Monchique was identified as a high-risk area months ago.

Firefighting in Portugal is coordinated by the Civil Protection Agency, a government body overseen by the Ministry for the Interior, which oversees national defence.

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.

They have asked for a "very urgent" meeting with the Minister of the Interior.

Portugal beefed up its wildfire response over the winter after 109 people died last year in forest blazes amid a severe drought.

Vitor Vaz Pinto, the Civil Protection Agency's district commander, said the weather forecast around Monchique was "unfavourable", with a gusting wind from the north, known as a "nortada".

Temperatures were forecast to reach 35C (95F) - normal for August in southern Portugal. The Iberian Peninsula endured scorching heat last weekend, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 45C (113F).
Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson could face a formal investigation over his comments about Muslim women wearing burkas, a former Cabinet minister has suggested.

Eric Pickles, a former local government secretary, said the Conservative Party could take disciplinary action if a formal complaint is made.

"The party has various procedures," he said. "If someone has made an official complaint, then (an independent) panel would listen to the complaint."

Mr Pickles said the chance of Mr Johnson being kicked out of the party as a result is "pretty much inconceivable. Though you never know how these things develop".

Tory peer Mohamed Sheikh has called for UK Prime Minister Theresa May to suspend Mr Johnson. The Conservative Muslim Forum founder said: "Take the whip from him."

Mr Johnson has rejected calls to apologise for his comments about Muslim women wearing burkas as Mrs May said they had "offended people".

Mr Johnson accused his critics of mounting "ridiculous" attacks and attempting to "shut down" legitimate debate.

The row came after Mr Johnson said in an article for 'The Daily Telegraph' that women who wear face veils look like "bank robbers" and "letter boxes", leading to accusations that he was fuelling Islamaphobia.

He argued that while Muslim women should be free to wear niqabs and burkas if they choose to do so, the practice is "oppressive" and has no "scriptural authority" in the Koran.

Mr Pickles said Mr Johnson's comments were "misspoken" and "crass", and that "an apology would go a long way". "He's not a member of the public, a man on the street or a chap in the pub," Mr Pickles said. "Politicians have to be clever in the language they use."

Mrs May has said politicians have to be "very careful" about the language they use and told him to apologise. Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright also criticised Mr Johnson's description of burkas as "oppressive". ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
A group of migrants are seen on a rescue boat as they wait to disembark after arriving at the port of Malaga in southern Spain yesterday after crossing the Mediterranean. Photo: Jon Nazca/Reuters

Germany has announced a new agreement with Spain to return migrants who are already registered there.

The deal is an attempt to prevent migrants using the border-free Schengen Area to travel across Europe to the destination of their choice. Migrants who are already registered in Spain will be refused entry at the German border and deported within 48 hours.

"We welcome the willingness of Spain to cooperate," a spokesman for the German interior ministry said, adding that the Spanish government had asked for nothing in return.

Spain has become the new preferred route for migrants attempting to reach Europe in recent months, and there are concerns many are using it as a transit point to reach Germany and other northern European countries.

But, although Chanellor Angela Merkel's government portrayed the deal as a breakthrough in the European Union's current gridlock over migrants, an agreement with Spain has never been in doubt - she secured Spanish and Greek support for the idea at an EU summit last month.

The real test for the new German policy will be whether it can reach a similar agreement with Italy, which remains the main route for migrants seeking to reach the German border, and whose populist government has made it clear it is opposed. Negotiations are still ongoing with both the Italians and Greek governments, an interior ministry spokesman said.

The deal is the result of a compromise Ms Merkel agreed last month to head off a rebellion by her interior minister Horst Seehofer, who was threatening to resign and bring down her government if she did not agree to his demands over migrant policy.

Mr Seehofer threatened to pull his Christian Social Union party out of her coalition government and deprive her of a parliamentary majority unless she agreed to his proposals to refuse entry to migrants who are already registered elsewhere.

Threatened

Ms Merkel warned a unilateral move by Germany could end hopes of securing a EU-wide migrant policy, and Austria threatened to close its border with Italy if Germany started turning back migrants.

Under the compromise, migrants will only be returned to those countries that have agreed to accept them. Ms Merkel is to visit Spain at the weekend for talks with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

The new Spanish government was always Germany's best hope of securing a deal. Spain's interior minister Josep Borell has spoken out in praise of Ms Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy of 2015 and earlier this week called for Germany, Spain and France to form a new migrant-friendly bloc within the EU.

"If all countries do not join in, then a small coalition of countries around Germany, France and Spain must lead the way. We must not fall back into nationalism," Mr Borell told the 'Handelsblatt' newspaper.

"There are currently two different narratives in Europe: on the one hand there are countries like Hungary, Poland, Italy and Austria, who want to build new walls on their national borders, the higher the better. On the other side are France, Germany, Spain and Portugal."

Mr Borrell's remarks will not make life any easier for Mr Seehofer, who is leading negotiations to reach a similar agreement with Italy. Mr Seehofer has publicly allied himself to Italy and Austria over migrant policy, and will see the Spanish deal as his rival Ms Merkel stealing a march on him.

It remains to be seen how many migrants will be turned away under the Spanish deal. At the moment, Germany is only setting up transit centres to turn away migrants in Mr Seehofer's native Bavaria, on the border with Austria.

But that is not an obvious route for migrants coming from Spain, and some of the German regional governments on the French border have made clear their distaste for the scheme. ( Daily Telegraph, London)
The Hamas militant group has said a ceasefire has been reached to end the latest round of fighting with Israel.

Hamas Al-Aqsa TV channel reported late on Thursday that a ceasefire has taken hold on the basis of mutual calm. It said the deal was mediated by Egypt and other regional players.

A senior Hamas official said the deal would formally go into effect at midnight.

He said the agreement merely ends the latest two-day burst of violence between Israel and Hamas.

He said Egypt would continue efforts to broker a long-term ceasefire. Hamas wants an end to a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian border blockade as a condition for any long-term deal.

Expand Close An Israeli airstrike on the Said al-Mishal cultural center in Gaza City (Arafat Kareem/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp An Israeli airstrike on the Said al-Mishal cultural center in Gaza City (Arafat Kareem/AP)

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied a deal had been reached. But early on Friday, the situation in Gaza appeared quiet.

The Hamas announcement came shortly after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet ordered the army to take unspecified strong action against Gaza militants as the military reinforced units along the border.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. In this weeks fighting, the Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her one-year-old daughter, and a Hamas militant, were killed in separate airstrikes. Israeli officials said seven people were wounded by rocket or mortar fire on the Israeli side.

Air raid sirens warning of incoming rocket fire wailed in southern Israel overnight and throughout the day, sending families scrambling into bomb shelters, cancelling outdoor summer cultural events and forcing summer camps indoors. The Israeli air force, meanwhile, attacked targets across Gaza.

A Palestinian rocket struck the southern city of Beersheba late in the afternoon, landing in an open area. It was the first time a rocket had hit the city since the 2014 war.

Expand Close Rubble after an airstrike in Mughraqa, central Gaza Strip (Adel Hana/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Rubble after an airstrike in Mughraqa, central Gaza Strip (Adel Hana/AP)

Shortly after, an Israeli airstrike flattened the five-story cultural centre in the Shati refugee camp, a crowded district of Gaza City. The airstrike set off a powerful explosion and sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air, causing crowds to scream in panic. Medical officials said at least seven bystanders were wounded.

The building is home to a popular theatre and exhibits plays and other shows on a daily basis. An Egyptian-Palestinian cultural society also has an office in the building.

The deliberate targeting of a cultural centre with airstrikes and destruction is a barbaric act, said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman. He said the destruction of the Egyptian cultural office was an Israeli attempt to sabotage the Egyptian ceasefire efforts.

The Israeli military said the building served as a Palestinian military installation. Hamas interior ministry, including its secret police, has offices in an adjacent site, but those offices were not hit.

Despite the animosity, the enemies have signalled, through their contacts with Egypt, that they want to avoid another war. Reaching a deal, however, will likely require major concession on both sides.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gazas economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two Israelis believed to be alive and held by Hamas.
The nuclear deal has not exactly collapsed yet, given that none of Washingtons co-signatories followed its example.

It may have been more prudent for Donald Trump to make the overture before delivering the ballistic message in capital letters. But then, prudence is hardly a quality anyone associates with the White House incumbent.

His belligerent tweet late last month, vowing consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before if Iran dared to threaten the US, was evidently a response to remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the effect that the choice for America was between the mother of all peace and the mother of all wars, which could easily be interpreted as an overture rather than a threat.

Subsequently, Trump offered to hold unconditional talks with Rouhani. Tehran dismissed the idea, even though many Iranians seem to think it would do no harm.

The Iranian economy has been tanking for a while. It is likely to deteriorate further after US sanctions, triggered by Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, kicked in yesterday. And there will be worse to come in November, if importers of Iranian oil succumb to US pressure.

The nuclear deal has not exactly collapsed yet, given that none of Washingtons co-signatories followed its example. But, despite an attempted pushback by the European Union, most European firms appear disinclined to disregard the risk of being sanctioned by the US. Of course, to a considerable extent Irans economic woes are domestic, and Iranians see a connection between their deteriorating plight and corruption among the political and clerical elites, as well as the vast resources earmarked for Tehrans regional geopolitical agenda.

The latter is spearheaded by the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, whose warlike commander, Qassem Soleimani, responded to the US Presidents belligerent tweet with an equally unseemly diatribe, calling him Gambler Trump and declaring: You may begin a war, but it is us who will end it The Quds Force and I are your match. We dont go to sleep at night without thinking about you.

Its safe to assume sweet dreams dont come easily to Gen. Soleimani. He was instrumental, incidentally, in protecting the Al Qaeda high command and Osama bin Ladens family members who sought refuge in Iran after September 11, 2001. They were usually treated as prisoners but intermittently honoured as guests. And, absurd as it may seem given his passion for slaughtering Iraqi Shias, Abu Musab al-Zarqawis passage to Iraq was facilitated by the Quds Force.

Ironically, during the early part of this period the government of Mohammad Khatami was keen to establish a modus vivendi with Washington, and in 2001, in secret talks in Geneva between mid-level functionaries from both sides, Mohammad Javad Zarif, then a rising star in Tehrans foreign ministry, handed Ryan Crocker maps of Afghanistan pinpointing key Taliban positions. The Khatami administration was also inclined to hand over any Al Qaeda cadres that crossed over from Pakistan or Afghanistan. Long before that, there was the collusion that led to the Iran-Contra scandal.

Not long after, possibly unaware of these useful contacts, George W. Bush placed Iran in the axis of evil alongside Syria and North Korea. Crocker and other US state department employees couldnt believe their ears. The secret bridge came crashing down, and the advent of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inevitably postponed any repair work, while at the same time making life somewhat easier for Irans Al Qaeda detainees.

Similarly grievous errors are being repeated today, undermining the broadly reformist Rouhanis ability to resist the reactionary clergy and Soleimani-style radicals. Suspected dissidents face imprisonment, especially if they are dual citizens, and even the sight of women displaying their hair discombobulates the clergy presided over by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The tussle over the latters successor as supreme leader will inevitably open up another domestic battleground.

In terms of political repression, Iran has more in common with its chief neighbouring adversary, Saudi Arabia, than it would care to admit. At the same time, however, the Trump administrations affinity with the Saudi-Israeli-UAE axis makes it that much harder for Tehrans potential conciliators to reach out to Washington. Besides, one must not forget that the still popular marg bar Amreeka slogan derived not only from the enduring US romance with the Shahs brutal monarchy but from the Anglo-American role in thwarting Iranian democracy in the 1950s.

Iran may well be ripe for regime change, but obviously not one wrought by external aggression. It must come from within. Eventually it will, although the current sporadic protests against deepening economic woes are unlikely to represent a tipping point. The Iranians who revolted against the Pahlavi dynasty deserved much better than a fundamentalist dictatorship. But any change based on the malicious imprimatur of the US, Israel or Saudi Arabia would be calamitous.

By arrangement with Dawn
A Yemeni boy lies in the hospital after he was injured by an airstrike in Saada, Yemen August 9, 2018./REUTERS/Naif Rahma

Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Thursday killed dozens of people, including children travelling on a bus through a market, in Yemen's Saada province, a Yemeni health official and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The Western-backed alliance fighting the Iranian-aligned Houthi group in Yemen said in a statement that the air strikes targeted missile launchers used to attack the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday, killing a Yemeni civilian there.

It accused the Houthis of using children as human shields and said the strikes were carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the coalition showed "clear disregard for civilian life" as the attack had targeted a crowded public place in the city.

The ICRC said a strike hit the bus driving children in Dahyan market, in northern Saada.

"Our shops were open and shoppers were walking around as usual. All of those who died were residents, children and shop owners," witness Moussa Abdullah, who was being treated in hospital for wounds, told Reuters.

The ICRC said on its Twitter account that its medical team at the ICRC-supported hospital in Saada had received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. The hospital also received 48 wounded people, among them 30 children.

That was the toll at just one hospital.

Abdul-Ghani Sareeh, from Saada health department, told Reuters: "A bus carrying children was targeted today while they were coming from summer school resulting in 43 martyrs and almost 63 wounded."

White plastic body bags filled the floor of a room in the ICRC-supported hospital.

Injured children, bloodied, bandaged and screaming, lay on stretchers as doctors treated them, friends and relatives having carried some of them in their arms to be treated.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10," Johannes Bruwer, head of the delegation for the ICRC in Yemen, said earlier in a Twitter post.

It was unclear how many of the dead in total were children and how many air strikes were carried out in the area, in northern Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and Sunni Muslim allies intervened in Yemen's war in 2015 against the Houthis, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and drove the internationally recognised government into exile in 2014.

The United States and other Western powers provide arms and intelligence to the alliance, and human rights groups have criticised them over coalition air strikes that have killed hundreds of civilians at hospitals, schools and markets.

"Grotesque, shameful, indignant. Blatant disregard for rules of war when bus carrying innocent school children is fair game for attack," Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a Twitter post.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Yemen, Nevio Zagaria, said it has deployed emergency supplies. "I am extremely saddened by what happened in Saada ... The attack on civilians is not acceptable."

The alliance says it does not intentionally target civilians and has set up a committee to probe alleged mass casualty air strikes, which has mostly cleared the coalition of any blame.

"Today's attack in Saada was a legitimate military operation ... and was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law," the coalition said in the Arabic-language statement carried by SPA.

"Targeting Saudis and residents in Saudi is a red line," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki later told Al Arabiya TV.

Fragments from the Houthi missile launched at Jizan Industrial City had killed one Yemeni civilian and wounded 11, Saudi state media said earlier on Thursday.

The Houthis have launched a series of missile strikes on the kingdom, including Riyadh, over the past year.

Saada, the main stronghold of the Houthis, has mainly come under air strikes from the coalition as the mountainous province makes battles hard for pro-government ground troops.

The Yemen war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and driven the country to the verge of famine, according to the United Nations
US vice president Mike Pence has announced plans for a new, separate American Space Force as sixth military service by 2020.

Mr Pence said the service is needed to ensure Americas dominance in space amid heightened threats from China and Russia.

He added that while space was once peaceful and uncontested, it is now crowded and adversarial.

Our administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations, with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the #SpaceForce by 2020. pic.twitter.com/qQaJDAfTl7  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) August 9, 2018

President Donald Trump has called for a separate but equal space force.

American defence secretary Jim Mattis endorsed plans to reorganise the militarys space fighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching an expensive separate new service.

Any proposal to create a new service would require congressional action.

Mr Pence said: Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation.

The time has come to establish the United States Space Force.

Mr Trump marked Pences announcement with a tweet: Space Force all the way!

Mr Pence said that the US administration will work with congress on the plan, and will outline a budget next year.

A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Expand Close There are fears that satellites could be targeted by the enemies of the US (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp There are fears that satellites could be targeted by the enemies of the US (AP)

The proposal delivered to congress lays out plans to consolidate the Pentagons war fighting space forces and make organisational changes to boost the acquisition and development of cutting-edge technologies.

The Pentagons role in space has been under scrutiny because of a recognition that the United States is increasingly reliant on satellites which are difficult to protect in space.

Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the economy.

The US intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China are pursuing non-destructive and destructive anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war.

And there are growing worries about cyber attacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.
The questioning of Paul Manafort's top aide has zoned in on his personal life.

Lawyers for Mr Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, hammered Rick Gates about his own crimes.

The defence focused on an extra-marital affair and a guilty plea with prosecutors that may spare him severe punishment.

Mr Gates, who faced a bruising cross-examination, returned to the witness stand yesterday for additional questioning from a Manafort lawyer who accused the government's star witness of being immersed in "so many lies"he can't even remember them all.

Lawyers for Mr Manafort are determined to impugn the credibility of Mr Gates.

Defence attorney Kevin Downing began his cross-examination of Mr Gates, Mr Manafort's long-time deputy and fellow Trump campaign aide, by confronting him on his own lies to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, getting him to admit to an affair and pressing him about hundreds of thousands of dollars he admitted to embezzling from his former boss.

The aggressive questioning was aimed at shifting blame from Mr Manafort onto Mr Gates, who pleaded guilty in Mr Mueller's investigation and agreed to co-operate 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?" Mr Downing asked incredulously.

Mr Gates said he did, but the defence lawyer wasn't satisfied.

He scoffed at the idea Mr 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 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."

Prosecutors had braced for the tough questioning by getting Mr 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 Mr Manafort's 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.

But the grilling got more intense, and personal, when Mr Downing pressed Mr Gates about a "secret life" he said was funded by embezzlement, including an extra-marital affair that Mr Gates himself acknowledged. Mr Gates also said he may have submitted personal expenses for reimbursement by Mr Trump's inaugural committee, which he helped operate.

Mr 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 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 Manafort's 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 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 Manafort and Mr Gates were the first people indicted in Mr Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Mr Gates pleaded guilty months later and agreed to co-operate in Mr Mueller's investigation of Mr Manafort, the only American charged by the special counsel to opt for trial instead of a guilty plea.
Yulia Skripal, contaminated with the nerve agent Novichok along with her father Sergei

The Trump administration has announced new sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of a former British spy after months of discussion about how to respond to the March attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

Downing Street last night welcomed the news, stating: "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."

Although the US joined European countries in publicly blaming Moscow within days of the attack, the Trump administration never issued a formal triggering of sanctions under its decades-old US law on chemical weapons.

But the declaration brings into effect sanctions limiting exports to Russia and the financing of deals.

The biggest impact is expected to come from a ban on granting licences to export sensitive national security goods to Russia, which have included electronic devices and components, along with test and calibration equipment for avionics.

The new prohibitions, which come into effect on August 22, could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in future exports to Russia. A second, more painful round will kick in three months later unless Russia provides "reliable assurances" that it will not use chemical weapons in the future and agrees to "on-site inspections" by the UN - conditions unlikely to be accepted. This could include downgrading diplomatic relations, suspending state airline Aeroflot flights to the US, and cutting off nearly all exports and imports. Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said Russia had violated international law by using a chemical weapon.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, accused Britain of making baseless accusations over the poisonings and suggested they were driven by domestic issues in the UK.

Yesterday's announcement comes months after Congress made a formal request for Mr Trump to determine that Russia had violated international law.

Officials explained that the delay came about because the administration always took time to examine the evidence before coming to a decision.

"We are tough on Russia, and at the same time we are committed to maintaining relations because there are important things at stake here," a senior state department official said. "This has been our position all along."

The US already has sanctions in place against Russia, in retaliation for its annexation of Crimea and allegations of interference in the 2016 election.

The sanctions came as an eagerly-watched contest for a previously safe Republican seat in the US congress went to the wire, leading to speculation that voters were turning against Donald Trump and could punish the Republican Party at mid-term elections.

Troy Balderson, the Republican candidate in the traditionally conservative 12th district of Ohio, was less than a point ahead of Danny O'Connor, his Democrat rival, with some votes still to count last night.

Meanwhile, a host of celebrities have used Instagram to urge Ivanka Trump to act over the "inhumane" separation of migrant families at the US border.

Famous figures posted the same Dear Ivanka message on the social network, demanding Mr Trump's daughter calls for the resignation of homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

Comedian Amy Schumer, model and TV presenter Alexa Chung and Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso, who are all followed by Ms Trump on Instagram, were among those who made contact.

Since then, scores of other people have posted the message and tagged Ms Trump, who is a senior adviser to her father but does not have a special role regarding immigration. ( Daily Telegraph London)
The Pussy Riot punk collective said one of its members has departed for the UK, despite being banned from leaving Russia.

Maria Alekhina had said she was turned back by Russian border police on Wednesday when she tried to leave the country for a performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, based on her book.

On Thursday, the group said on Twitter that she has found a way to escape, and she is flying to Edinburgh right now!

Despite the official ban to leave Russia, Masha Alyokhina has found a way to escape, and she is flying to Edinburgh right now! Our residency with Riot Days Show at the Edinburgh Fringe begins on 10th! Until 19th daily! On stage at 8:45-9:30. Tickets: https://t.co/eEGoTXe7fM    pussyverse (@pussyrrriot) August 9, 2018

Russian authorities claimed that Ms Alekhina had failed to carry out community service.

She was given 140 hours of community service for protests outside the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service.

In December, she unfurled a banner reading Happy Birthday, Hangmen! and in April she threw paper planes to protest the agencys demand to shut the messaging service Telegram.

Ms Alekhina and Pussy Riot bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova spent nearly two years in prison for a 2012 protest inside Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
A severely disabled Georgia boy who authorities say was kidnapped by his father and marked for an exorcism was found buried at the New Mexico desert compound that has been the focus of investigators for the past week, the toddlers grandfather said.

New Mexico authorities, however, said they had yet to identify the remains, found on Monday. Prosecutors said they were awaiting word on the cause of death before deciding on any charges.

The boy, Abdul-ghani Wahhaj, would have turned four on Monday. Authorities said he was snatched from his mother in December in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta.

Expand Close The makeshift compound at Amalia, New Mexico (Morgan Lee/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The makeshift compound at Amalia, New Mexico (Morgan Lee/AP)

The search for him led authorities to New Mexico, where 11 hungry children and a youngsters remains were found in recent days at a filthy compound shielded by old tyres, wooden pallets and a wall studded with broken glass.

The missing boys grandfather, Siraj Wahhaj, a Muslim cleric who leads a well-known New York City mosque, told reporters he had learned from other family members that the remains were his grandsons.

The imam said he did not know the cause of death.

Whoever is responsible, then that person should be held accountable, Mr Wahhaj said.

Expand Close The compound site in New Mexico (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The compound site in New Mexico (AP)

A Georgia arrest warrant accused the boys father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the imams son, of kidnapping the child. Authorities said the father at some point told his wife he wanted to perform an exorcism on the boy, who cannot walk and requires constant attention because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow around the time of birth.

The childs father was among five adults arrested on suspicion of child abuse at the compound after the children were discovered. In court papers, prosecutors also said Wahhaj had been training children there to carry out school shootings.

Expand Close Siraj Ibn Wahhaj in court (Morgan Lee/AP{) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Siraj Ibn Wahhaj in court (Morgan Lee/AP{)

Speaking at his Brooklyn mosque, the elder Wahhaj said his family was trying to make arrangements to bring the childs body to Georgia.

All 11 of the children, he said, were either his biological grandchildren or members of his family through marriage.

Im very concerned with the condition of my grandchildren, he said. He said he did not understand why his son had taken the family and disappeared into the desert, but suggested a psychiatric disorder was to blame.

My son can be maybe a little bit extreme, he said, though he added that he never thought he was extreme enough to kill anyone. High-strung, he said.

The grandfather heads a mosque that has attracted radicals over the years, including a man who later helped bomb the World Trade Centre in 1993.

New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator said it was still working to identify the remains.
Migrants are led into the Migrants Reception Centre near Algerciras (AP)

A rescue boat carrying 87 African migrants and refugees saved in the Mediterranean Sea has docked at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras.

Its arrival on Thursday comes as the political mood in Spain shows signs of tension over a spike in migrant arrivals.

The boat operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms delivered what it says are mostly Sudanese war refugees it picked up off the Libyan coast on August 2.

Expand Close Migrants are led to a reception area near Algerciras (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Migrants are led to a reception area near Algerciras (AP)

Spain allowed the boat to come after other, geographically closer, European Union countries refused to let it dock amid continuing strain among governments about how to respond to the wave of migrants crossing from Africa.

Spains new centre-left Socialist government made fair treatment of migrants one of its headline policies after coming to power two months ago.

In June, it announced measures to put peoples rights first in the countrys migration policies. Among other things, it took the first steps toward extending public health care to foreigners without residence permits.

That same month, the government accepted the Aquarius rescue ship with 630 migrants on board after Malta and Italy turned it away.

Expand Close Migrants disembark from the Open Arms search and rescue vessel (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Migrants disembark from the Open Arms search and rescue vessel (AP)

Authorities gave those migrants who arrived in Valencia a special entry permit into Spain of 45 days for humanitarian reasons.

A further 60 who arrived on a rescue ship in Barcelona last month were given a 30-day permit while they decided what to do. Their paperwork was also fast-tracked.

But those who arrived in Algeciras on Thursday will receive no such special treatment.

They will be processed, the government said, like any other migrants rescued at sea: held by police for 72 hours at a migrant camp, given a medical check-up, identified and detained while they await asylum or are given an expulsion order.

Expand Close The rescue boat is operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The rescue boat is operated by Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms (AP)

The government official overseeing immigration, Magdalena Valerio, said earlier this week there would be no extra money for migrant policies before the end of the year.

The Spanish Network for Immigration and Refugee Help, a non-governmental organisation, accused ministers of abruptly changing course in its immigration policies and discriminating against the new arrivals.

Wed like Spain to remain a safe haven and be a bulwark against the populism of (Italian interior minister Matteo) Salvini and (French far-right nationalist leader Marine) Le Pen, the organisations president, Daniel Mendez, told Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Critics of the new governments perceived softer approach toward migrants said its policies had backfired, by attracting ever higher numbers, and the government is increasingly wary of that criticism.

Expand Close A migrant swims frantically towards a rescue ship off the coast of Libya (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A migrant swims frantically towards a rescue ship off the coast of Libya (AP)

The UN migration agency said almost 24,000 refugees and other migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year  nearly three times the number last year.

The agency says Spain has become the most popular European destination for Mediterranean migrants, with just over 40 percent of the total, after Libya and Italy began cracking down. Most come on overcrowded smugglers boats from Tunisia and Morocco.

Opposition leader Pablo Casado has targeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs immigration policies.

He said last month: What Spaniards are looking for is a party which says clearly that we cant give documents to everyone, and Spain cant take in millions of Africans.

Such criticism has left Mr Sanchez politically exposed when he heads a minority government with just 84 of the 350 seats in the lower house of parliament.
An explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza (AP)

The United Nations Middle East envoy has expressed his concern about the latest escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special envoy who is involved in Egyptian efforts to broker a truce, said he was deeply alarmed by multiple rockets fired toward communities in southern Israel the day before.

Mr Mladenovs statement came amid the latest surge in violence this week, in which Hamas fired over 150 rockets at Israel.

Expand Close Israel launched air strikes in retaliation for missile attacks (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Israel launched air strikes in retaliation for missile attacks (AP)

In turn, Israel carried out more than 140 air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

Mr Mladenov said that for months, he has warned the humanitarian, security and political crisis in Gaza risks a devastating conflict that nobody wants.

He added that if the current escalation however is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his Security Cabinet to discuss the latest escalation of violence with Gaza militants.

Expand Close Israeli warplanes have hit dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Israeli warplanes have hit dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip (AP)

Ahead of Thursday evenings meeting, Netanyahu and his defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, convened with top military officials at the armys headquarters in Tel Aviv.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu had instructed the army to prepare for every possibility.

Palestinian chiefs said Israeli warplanes attacked a cultural centre in Gaza City.

The Palestinian health ministry said seven bystanders were wounded in Thursday evenings airstrike in the Shati refugee camp.

Expand Close Palestinians inspect the damaged house hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed a 23-year-old pregnant mother, Enas Khamash and her 18 month-old daughter Bayan, in Deir el-Balah (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Palestinians inspect the damaged house hit by an Israeli airstrike that killed a 23-year-old pregnant mother, Enas Khamash and her 18 month-old daughter Bayan, in Deir el-Balah (AP)

Witnesses said the air force fired several warning missiles at the building before the actual strike  a tactic Israel uses to get people to evacuate buildings that are about to be targeted.

It is not immediately clear why Israel struck the building.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says air raid sirens have sounded again in southern Israel, indicating incoming rocket fire.

Earlier on Thursday, a Palestinian rocket landed in an open area near the southern city of Beersheba.
The White House has announced ambitious plans to create the US Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American publics long fascination with space but with a military focus, and faces daunting hurdles.

It requires congressional approval and has been met with scepticism from military leaders and experts who question the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Our administration will soon take action to implement these recommendations, with the objective of establishing the United States Department of the #SpaceForce by 2020. pic.twitter.com/qQaJDAfTl7  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) August 9, 2018

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has flagged in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space.

Mr Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation, said Mr Pence.

Mr Trump marked Mr Pences announcement with a tweet: Space Force all the way!

Mr Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes potential aggression rather than any offensive US military effort.

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years US adversaries have pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground.

As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge, he said.

In June, the president directed the Pentagon to create a separate but equal space force, a complicated and expensive move that could take years to gain Congress approval and become operational.

On Thursday, Mr Pence said the administration will work with Congress on the plan, and will outline a budget next year. The last time the US created a new uniformed military service was in 1947, when the Air Force was launched after the Second World War. It joined the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

.@VP Mike Pence announced today the #DoD will establish #SpaceForce as a sixth military branch by 2020. pic.twitter.com/eXc3SZ6ej7  Department of Defense  (@DeptofDefense) August 9, 2018

Defence secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganise the militarys space warfighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching an expensive new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Asked about the cost, deputy defence secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters the Pentagon does not have a number yet, but will when the legislative proposal is finished by the end of the year.

I would assume its billions, he said.

Deborah James, who served as Air Force secretary for the final three years of the Obama administration, estimated it would be five to 10 years before a separate service would be fully formed.

Eventually, itll settle out, but you will go through years of thrashing. And is that thrashing going to slow your momentum or is it going to help you achieve your goals and address the real challenges that we have on our plate? she said at Brookings Institution last week.

I dont think so. I dont. I wouldnt vote in favour of it.
The indictment came as he seeks another two year term in the upcoming polls, where Democrats hope to recapture the House of Representatives.

Republican US Rep. Christopher Collins (center) of western New York state has been indicted on charges that he used inside information about a biotechnology company to make illicit stock trades (Photo: AP)

New York: Christopher Collins, a Republican US congressman from New York who was one of President Donald Trumps earliest supporters, was criminally charged on Wednesday with taking part in an insider trading scheme involving an Australian biotechnology company on whose board he served.

The indictment came as Collins, 68, was seeking a fourth two-year term in Novembers elections, where Democrats hope to recapture the House of Representatives.

These charges are a reminder that this is a nation of laws, and that everybody stands equal before the bar of justice, US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said at a news conference in Manhattan.

Collins said the charges were baseless and he would run for re-election in November in his upstate New York district.

The charges that have been levied against me are meritless and I will mount a vigorous defence in court to clear my name, Collins told reporters in Buffalo.

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 said.

The indictment charged Collins, his son Cameron, and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron Collins fiancee, with securities fraud, wire fraud and other crimes.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty on Wednesday before US District Judge Vernon Broderick in Manhattan.

Two lawyers for Collins, Jonathan Barr and Jonathan New, said in a statement that they were confident he would be completely vindicated and exonerated.

We intend to mount a vigorous defence on behalf of our client, Tom Hanusik and Rebecca Ricigliano, lawyers for Cameron Collins, said in a statement. Amanda Bassen, a lawyer for Zarsky, declined to comment.

The case relates to Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd, where Christopher Collins sat on the board and held a 16.8 per cent stake.

Prosecutors said that in June 2017, while attending the congressional picnic at the White House, Collins learned in an email from Innates chief executive that a trial for its proposed secondary multiple sclerosis drug MIS416 had failed.

According to the indictment, Collins immediately called his son and told him the news. Cameron Collins in turn told his fiancee, her parents and a friend, and Stephen Zarsky went on to tip his brother, his sister and a friend, the indictment said.

Christopher Collins did not trade his own Innate stock, which lost millions of dollars in value, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said the congressman was virtually precluded from trading in part because he already faced a congressional ethics probe over Innate.

However, prosecutors said others used the insider information to avoid more than USD 768,000 in losses when Innates share price plunged 92 per cent on news of the drug trials failure.

Sydney-based Innate did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours.

Collins represents New Yorks solidly Republican 27th Congressional District, and nonpartisan analysts have predicted he will win re-election. The district includes areas surrounding Buffalo and Rochester.

Last October, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported that it had substantial reason to believe Collins may have used his office to help Innate.

It voted unanimously to send its case to the House Ethics Committee. Collins denied wrongdoing.
The workplace, as we know it, is changing.

In organizations across the world, the pace of digital transformation is impacting matters linked with workforce optimization, talent transformation, up-skilling and re-skilling, training, and resource development.

These concerns lie at the heart of human resource management (HRM) and necessitate a change in the traditional functioning of HR teams.

HRM in the digital era confronts challenges on two fronts  one, making company processes automated and data-driven and two, transforming the workforce and ways work is done in the organization.

In simple speak, HR functions today cover a wide remit from strategy formulation to achieve an agile workforce to employee engagement and wellness practices.

Previously, HRM was limited to utility and paper intensive functions, such as recruitment, training, and payroll administration.

In this article, we discuss key strategies for HR managers to successfully adapt their organization to the digital workplace.

What motivates your digitalization strategy

Digitalization in HRM is the use of digital technology for the day-to-day implementation of a variety of HR processes  from recruitment to leadership management.

HR managers must reshape their functionality and create the optimal digital strategy to enhance the employee-organization relationship.

The first step is to set a clear end goal  that is, what are the key motivators shaping the digitalization strategy. Common questions asked are:

How much of an organizational culture overhaul is needed to adapt the company to digital disruptions?

What is the most effective way to align the firms organizational strategy with human resource development?

Is the firm willing to be a market leader in the segment or do they work within a risk-averse business environment?

In short, HR managers must determine where the companys future lies and what are its resources at hand to formulate a relevant and effective digitalization strategy.

HR companies today have at their disposal a wide array of technology products, both software and hardware-based, that enable them to centralize and automate complete HR processes.

However, superimposing digital infrastructure changes over legacy systems and processes, alone, will not promote growth in efficiency within the workforce.

In fact, the automation of unproductive processes can institutionalize inefficiencies and destabilize the organization. This is why identifying key company variables when formulating the digitalization strategy should be a top priority for HR managers.

Finding the right digital HR strategy for your company

Companies in most Indian industries now use structured data and technology for decision-making and employee assessments based on real time feedback, intra-organizational changes, and external pressures. This is particularly important in an ever changing and competitive environment as is Indias.

Forecasts of future financial and resource data, expected business patterns and growth strategies, and impending regulatory changes help HR managers to make informed decisions on hiring and management practices.

HR managers also face stiff competition when recruiting highly skilled employees in India given that low and unskilled labor dominate the job market. A study of employee attrition data in the company can help predict future employment trends and prompt HR departments to develop strategies to improve their employee retention.

Finally, HR departments need to factor in the type of organization, its digital transition capability, and sector of operation.

For example, the negative impact of digitalization will be negligible in an Indian IT firm as employees in these organizations are already comfortable using digital tools.

On the other hand, making a substantial digital change in an organization dependent on a low to semi-skilled workforce in a labor-intensive sector like basic manufacturing  could overwhelm employees and negatively affect the business.

Using the right digital tools to serve HR functions, meet organization goals



HR departments traditionally act as the conduit between employee expectations and core organizational goals. Aligning the two is necessary, and digitalization is simply a new way of achieving this process.

This is why HR departments are increasingly adopting digital systems to achieve positive business outcomes. At the same time, their effectiveness is contingent on finding the optimal method of implementation.

A drip-feed approach, using simpler processes first and incrementally adopting more sophisticated modules, will work best for smaller organizations with either limited resources or personnel unable to absorb large scale change upfront.

HR managers can incorporate technologies that employees are already familiar with, such as e-mail, instant messaging, enterprise social media, or virtual meeting tools and mainstream them into the work environment.

Once this is achieved, more complex solutions can be adopted, such as cloud services, online employee benefits management, and tracking data performance indicators.

Larger organizations, on the other hand, can initiate a complete overhaul of their HR processes by embedding digital infrastructure in a wide variety of processes.

Digital tools can be used to fulfil several administrative and communicative functions. These include performance appraisals, incentive management, employee engagement, collaboration between different teams, and intra-organization communication.

Simple online tools such as chatbots can help manage day-to-day employee problems, freeing HR departments to focus on more important tasks.

A good digital HR strategy will be able to manage the talent base while also enabling employees to chart their career path within the organization. This creates a positive working environment, where employees feel more invested in the future and growth of the organization.

Indian startups lead the way

Opportunities for third-party technology companies are immense in the HR digitalization sphere.

For example, Belong, a predictive hiring platform, uses machine learning algorithms to help businesses engage high-impact talent. They work with leading firms such as Amazon, Reliance Jio, and Cisco as third-party HR recruiters.

Other Indian tech companies, such as the US-based Phenom People and Hired.com focus on traditional HR functionalities by providing Indian companies with HR services though app and web-based platforms.

This makes HR processes such as recruitment, performance management, benefits management, payroll, and online training easy for small businesses with limited digitalization capabilities.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts impending divorce is getting murkier every now and them. The duo has made several accusations against each other and its out there in public. Recently, Angelina Jolie accused Brad Pitt of not extending "meaningful" child support since their separation.

A day after Jolie, in a court filing, alleged that Pitt has not paid any 'meaningful' child support since their split in 2016. The latter's lawyer, Lance Spiegel called the filing "a thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage", reported People.

Spiegel gave specific sums of how much Pitt has contributed, saying, the latter "loaned" Jolie $8 million to help the actress purchase a house and also contributed over $1.3 million "in bills for Jolie's benefit and the minor children".

Jolie on Tuesday had accused Pitt of evading child support. In a two-page brief, which was filed in L.A. Superior Court and obtained by NBC News, her attorney wrote that the actress plans to request a court order for the establishment of a retroactive child support order.

Twitter

The ex-couple, who has six children together are still fighting over their children's custody. Financial documents are yet to be exchanged between the two since it is a routine for any divorce settlements around the world.

They were together since 2004 and tied the knot in August 2014.
Rajkummar Rao is a true inspiration. He kickstarted his journey with Love Sex Aur Dhoka in 2010 and after eight years he has achieved his due recognition and people consider him as an out and out entertainer. At present, Rajkummar is the busiest actor in B-town and he has back to back film releases. After Fanney Khan, he is waiting for his next release Stree which is a horror comedy.

Twitter

We met the talented actor recently where he explained why only good acting can bring you success.

1. Right before beginning the interview, Rao officially introduced himself. When asked why he felt the need to do the same, he said,

I still introduce myself to people because I dont want them to call me by another name. I am happy with the fact that people recognize me now. Earlier they used to call me the guy from Queen or the guy from Kai Po Che".

Twitter

Twitter

2. We asked him how he manages to be so grounded despite all the success, he said, From my childhood, I had this dream to become an actor in the Indian Film Industry and it has been finally fulfilled. I dont think I have done anything to be boastful about. I am just an actor, I wanted to be an actor just for myself and I am still doing it for my own self.

He further added, Also I think its my upbringing, I dont feel that I am doing something that I need to brag about. I am just doing my job, like you guys do. I think I have been the same, I just want to be myself I cant fake it.

Twitter

3. Recently, Manoj Bajpayee in an interview had said, that Rajkumar Rao and Vicky Kaushal are reaping benefits from the struggles of actors like him, Raj was asked to comment to Manojs statement. He said,

I love him, he is being very kind, I know the kind of hardships and struggle he had to go through and its huge, I havent really seen that struggle and that is something he also tells me - Achcha hai beta tum abhi aaye ho, hamare time pe rehte toh bahut papad belne padte, which I totally understand. Times have changed, cinema is going through an amazing transition, we all are experimenting with our stories, writing real characters and actors like us are benefitting from that.

4. Raj also recounted how he was looking for work a few years ago and he was advised to do networking, but he refused,

Twitter

When I was looking for work 2 years ago, couple of people told me you should go to parties, do some networking and I was like no I would rather act, this is something I could never do and I still cant do. I suck at networking, I still cant keep messaging people and say hey good morning, hey wassup, doesnt come naturally to me, I would rather work on my craft.

Twitter

5. Rajs game changer film was Bareilly Ki Barfi, that film brought him a lot of success. He was asked according to him which film was his game changer, I think there have been a couple of films, LSD definitely gave me the opening, Shahid brought all the appreciation and recognition to me and then probably Bareilly Ki Barfi, where people started taking me as an entertainer as well, that I dont only do intense films and can make them laugh too.

Twitter

6. When asked if he fears losing success, he said, I dont have the fear of losing success because I feel I haven't achieved that success yet. Success for me is to say 'Yes' when I want to and 'No' when I don't. Failure is also very important because they teach you something that success couldnt do. 

Twitter





7. Before ending the interview, he was asked if ever there is a completion between star Rajkumar Rao and actor Rajkumar Rao, he had the best reply,

Twitter

 I dont know what is star Rajkumar Rao, so there is no competition. Its very simple, I get a film, I work on that character , I do my homework, I go on set, I come back home, I eat and sleep, so I dont know how star Rajkumar Rao feels, because I feel I am just working, I am just an actor and doing what I love the most."

Twitter

"I think its up to you how you feel, I want to talk to people, I want to be peoples person because I love chatting with everyone, I want to have fun with my life, and also I am portraying these real people in films, so if I dont interact with them then how will I portray them onscreen.
Sampatrao Pawar, 77, stops for a moment, points to a tree and says, She is Pritilata Waddedar. Do you know her? There is no answer from the school students accompanying him. Sampatrao puts his hand on the shoulder of one student and says, She sacrificed her life for freedom at the age of 21. Come, I will introduce you to more martyrs who laid down their lives so that you breathe in a free country.

This is Mangal Pande. He is Chandrashekhar Azad. And do you know who this is? He is Birsa Munda. With a touching enthusiasm, Pawar takes the students of a village school around Kranti Van, a lush-green plantation in Balwadi, a tiny village in Maharashtras Sangli district, where each tree is named after a martyr of the freedom struggle.

After meeting about 700 martyrs and freedom fighters, the students and their teachers walk out of Kranti Van.

Kranti Van is a living memorial to martyrs. Martyrs never die, says Sampatrao. Most villagers dismiss him as an eccentric for wasting his life on Kranti Van. They say his dream cost him the life of his son, who died in a mishap while constructing a well on the plantation.

Pawar has faced these mocking looks and comments ever since he conceived the idea in 1992 to mark the golden jubilee of the Quit India movement which started on August 9, 1942.

Pawar, an ardent socialist, appealed to colleges and schools to join him in developing Kranti Van. They selected a barren patch of land in the village and poured layers of mud to make it cultivable. Thousands of students joined him and by 1998, more than 1,475 trees were growing on the land. Each was named after a martyr or freedom fighter. A small, open auditorium and platforms were constructed so that students could come for a day trip and learn about the freedom struggle.

The project came to a halt after the district administration slapped a notice saying the land belonged to the government and there could be no development on it. Pawar requested the district administration to take care of the trees. The forest department took over in 1998 and within a year almost all the trees were cut down.

wikimedia.org/Representational Image

Undeterred, Pawar cleared his own four-acre sugarcane tract and started planting trees. Family and friends were shocked; cane cultivation was their main source of livelihood and the land itself was worth crores. But Pawar said they could grow cane on another patch of family land. The only person who supported him was his 21-year-old son, Vaibhav.

They started digging a well to ensure water supply for the project. Vaibhav died on the spot when an aaree (a contraption meant for lifting stones) crashed on him.

After cremating Vaibhavs body, Sampatrao went back to building the memorial. Nothing  be it lack of money, mocking villagers, or the sheer labour  could deter him from his mission. Today, there are about 700 trees standing tall in Kranti Van. Not trees, Pawar is quick to correct you. They are martyrs and they are standing without governments help. Students and youths have voluntarily contributed to the project and Pawar now dreams of building a multipurpose auditorium, hostel and residential digital centre where students can come and stay.

He says that spending crores on building huge memorials is a waste of public money while planting trees is a real tribute. I dont want government aid or help. People should come forward and build this dream, he says.
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. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:





1) With Political Satires And Social Messages, Delhi's Kite Market Gets Ready For Independence Day

IndiaTimes

With less than a week to go for Independence Day celebrations, kite lovers in Delhi and neighbouring states, are thronging the famous Lal Kuan Market in great numbers to get hold of as many kites as possible. Read more

2) New Bill In Parliament Seeks To Stop Government Interference & Moral Policing In Films

Wikimedia Commons

In an effort to safeguard artistic freedom, Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor, introduced Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2018 in Lok Sabha on Friday to remove the pre-censorship power of CBFC. Read more





3) Three Youths Doing Kiki Stunt In Mumbai Local, Asked To Clean Railway Station

toi

Three young men from Virar seen in a video performing Kiki challenge have been directed by a railway court to create awareness of the dangers involving dangerous stunts and to undertake cleanliness work at a railway station for three days. Read more

4) Thailand Is Building A Grand Ram Temple With A Hope That Ayodhya Temple Will Also Be Built Soon

UNESCO

Ram Mandir in Ayodhya still remains a dream for many Indians. However, they can for now do with the grand Ram temple being constructed in Thailands Ayutthaya. Even the name sounds similar. The construction began yesterday after an elaborate bhumi poojan ceremony. Read more

5) From Mangal Pande To Birsa Munda, All 700 Trees In This Park Are Named After Freedom Fighters, Martyrs

Each was named after a martyr or freedom fighter. A small, open auditorium and platforms were constructed so that students could come for a day trip and learn about the freedom struggle. Read more
A team of seven doctors worked for over three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday evening to extricate three iron rods that pierced through the torso of a South 24-Parganas labourer after he fell 10 feet from a scaffolding.

Uday Sardar (45) travelled more than 40km from the accident site in Ghutiari Sharif in an ambulance, first to Baruipur Hospital and finally to the Chittaranjan National Medical College Hospital (CNMC) in Kolkata, making the journey in two-and-a-half hours, propped up by his friends throughout the ride.

Sardar got lucky because the iron rods missed his vital organs and the surgery was a success, although he is not out of danger yet.

It was around 11.30am that around a dozen masons and labourers heard a scream and found Sardar, who was plastering the roof of a one-storey house, impaled on the three iron rods after falling off the scaffolding . The wounds were bleeding profusely, but Sardar was conscious. After freeing him by sawing off the rods, they rushed him to Baruipuir Hospital, the rods still jutting out from both sides. At this hospital, he was given preliminary treatment: an anti-tetanus shot and saline. Doctors advised his friends to take him to a Kolkata.

When Sardar reached CNMC, the doctors were in a fix. The rods had grazed his liver, intestine and a kidney, but hadnt punctured any organ. While that was fortunate, they feared the rods were too long  each about three feet  and that could affect the surgery.

So, they asked PWD engineers to use an electric saw to cut the rods short, so that it would be easier to lay Sardar on the operating theatre bed. But the plan was soon dropped after the medics realized that the cutting machines vibration may cause irreparable damage to Sardars internal organs. A seven-member medical board was formed, which decided to go ahead with an open-surgery to take the rods out. The surgery started at 4pm, and ended in success around 7.30pm.

Reuters/Representational Image

We wasted no time in doing the surgery, said Sandip Gosh, the medical superintendent and vice-principal of CNMC, who was himself part of the surgery team. A medical board was formed with the heads of seven departments. All of them took part in the surgery. He was extremely lucky, for the rods could have split his intestine, liver or a kidney. These organs were scraped, but not injured significantly. Sardar will have to remain under observation until we can declare him out of danger.

Debi, Sardars wife, said he had left home for work around 6am. He has been working at the site for more than a week. I was preparing lunch for our daughter when a neighbour informed me about the accident. By the time I rushed to the accident spot, he had been taken to Kolkata, said the 40-year-old woman who followed her husband to CNMC with neighbours.
Swedish home furnishing brand Ikea today opened its first store in India. Some 200 eager shoppers queueing in the underground car park area were welcomed by Indian Armys Gorkha Rifles band playing Saare Jahaan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara.

The store is located in Hyderabad in Telangana and is first of the 25 outlets the Swedish giant hopes to open by 2025 across the country of 1.25 billion.

"I've come all the way from Bangalore (575 kilometres, 357 miles away). I am excited to see what's there," garment factory employee Krishna Mohan Dixit, 39, who began lining up 90 minutes before the 10 am opening, told AFP.

"We are looking forward to it. Actually, it's my wife who got me here. Her sister sends a lot Ikea stuff from Dubai. So here we are," said IT manager Nasrullah Khan, 34, another early bird.

When the doors opened the customers rushed in through the lobby onto the escalator leading to the first floor.

They were greeted by Ikea staff members in blue-and-yellow company polo shirts who had packed themselves at the stairway, waving India and Sweden flags.

Inside a Gorkha rifles band of the Indian army tried to get people in the mood, including the patriotic "Saare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara" ("Our India is better than the rest").

The occasion was graced by a number of dignitaries including Sweden's ambassador to India, Klas Molin, and KT Rama Rao, the IT minister of the state of Telangana.

Ikea, famous for its self-assembly products, faces a tough challenge in India where people are not used to having to put together assemble furniture themselves, analysts say.

Ikea has tweaked its offerings to suit Indian tastes, starting with the restaurant where its famous meatballs will be chicken or vegetarian instead of the usual beef and pork.

Alongside standard Ikea furniture like Billy bookshelves and Klippan "loveseats", the chain will offer "locally relevant products" like 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 ($2.92) to satisfy consumers whom John Achillea, store manager, says have "big aspirations for their homes and small wallets". A six-piece bowl set with cutlery for kids costs 131 rupees, for example.
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya still remains a dream for many Indians. However, they can for now do with the grand Ram temple being constructed in Thailands Ayutthaya. Even the name sounds similar. The construction began yesterday after an elaborate bhumi poojan ceremony.

The temple trust said that the temple would help spread the message of Lord Ram outside India.

UNESCO

"After performing rituals of bhumi poojan, the construction of a grand Ram temple has been started in Ayutthaya. As there is a 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 decision of the top court will come soon in our favour and we will start the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, Sharan said.

The trust believes that the temple will pave way for the temple in Ayodhaya.

Ayutthaya is a historic city in Thailand

The Ram temple is being constructed on the banks of Chao Phraya river which flows through the heart of Bangkok. It is said that in the 15th century, Thailands capital was called Ayutthaya, which is Ayodhya in the local language.
by Sandra Awad*

The costs of the conflict reach 400 billion. The Christian body has distributed thousands of food baskets and diapers to displaced people from the rebel enclave on the outskirts of Damascus. The stories of suffering and deprivation of women, men and children. The need to rebuild bridges between people to ensure a future for the country.

Damascus (AsiaNews) - The seven years of war in Syria have caused damage and devastation to the tune of nearly 388 billion dollars, according to UN experts. They were speaking at the end of a two-day meeting in Lebanon that brought together over 50 Syrian and international experts. The figure does not include "human losses resulting from death or loss of skills and skilled workers".

Caritas Syria dhas recently istributed 1480 food baskets to displaced families in eastern Ghouta, an area on the outskirts of Damascus that was long controlled by rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad. Christian activists have delivered a thousand baskets of fruit and vegetables and 600 packages containing diapers to a population in extreme need. Married mother of two, Sandra Awad, is head of Communication for Caritas Syria. Together with a group of colleagues she crossed the threshold of the reception center and gathered the desperate testimonies of men, women and children (in the pictures) ). A young malnourished mother in her eighth month of pregnancy and facing a risky birth, a man who struggles to provide some food for his children, a boy who has lost his parents and lives pervaded by anger. A common drama that does not erase the hope - and the desire - for a future of peace and coexistence for the country.

Here, below, the testimony of the Caritas officer entrusted to AsiaNews.

I stepped down off the bus and my feet touched the sandy earth of the electric institution shelter in the industrial district of Adra, which gathers thousands of displaced families who left the villages of Ghouta.

I looked around me, and I got nervous, just like all my other colleagues who accompanied me; it was a sea of humans all around us. People of tanned skin that the sun has burnt, dragging their ragged clothes, and their plastic shoes. Dust that was mixed with pain, boredom, and hopelessness was covering their faces.

Men who took the floor as beds were scattered here and there. And women, lots of women, surrounded by children, too many children, born in the depth of poverty, war and long void.

As for me, I let my feet guide me through that sea of humans which was unfamiliar to me, hoping to understand, even a little, about that fierce war that stroke us all in the deep.

A few minutes later, a very skinny woman stopped me and said: "May I ask you a question, ma'am? There is something that I am worried about and I would like your advice. I am pregnant in my 8th month. Please don't look at me like that, I know that it doesnt show, but I swear to God that it is my eighth month, which means that I am giving birth next month, and I am really worried since my belly has not pumped yet. They told me at the health center that the size of the embryo is too small for his age. What do you think? Could the baby be suffering some kind of illness? What can I do?"

I felt sad deeply and said to her: "I really don't know what to say to you. I am not an expert when it comes to medical issues.

Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice behind me saying: "And how on earth will her belly pump while she is suffering malnutrition? A piece of dry bread with a cup of tea were all she has had since the morning!

I looked at the lady who was talking, and I knew right away that she was that young woman's mother due to the resemblance of their features, so I said: "Well, then the basket that you are about to receive now shall be of great benefit to you, and shall nourish both of you and your infant for a while"

"Yes, it will", she answered

"I hope your birth goes well and that you'd have him in good health in your arms"

I looked at the young lady whose eyes were full of doubt and uneasiness, and she said: "Yes hopefully.

One of my colleagues and I carried on with our walk until we reached the place where green tents were held. Two big water tanks with the signs of the red cross and the red crescent were placed in the middle of the road leading to the tents. Men and women were drinking from them on that extremely hot day.

I contemplated the cross and the crescent that were on the two tanks, and I felt happy. They are side by side, close to each other, to quench the thirst of the center's inhabitants after a very long thirst. That view reminded me how we, a few days ago, worked hard, hand in hand at CARITAS, the Christian organization, with The Blessing Reserve Islamic Organization to prepare, with pure love, the food baskets which would be distributed to this lodging center, hoping to sate their hunger for a while, and quench the extreme thirst of their hearts to some of the attention.

I went back to the square, and at that moment, the truck that was carrying the food items bags had just arrived.

Suddenly, the sea of humans became stormy as if a storm had stroke it, and everyone rushed towards the truck pushing each other.

During all the pushing that was taking place around me, which I tried to avoid as much as possible, a man fell in front of me, and I heard him shout and curse: "To hell with this life! It is nothing but humiliation".

He stood up again on his feet and rushed towards the truck in order to get a place in the row of that crowding, carrying what was left of his dignity, in hopes to get some food for his children.

I felt someone poking me from behind, so I turned around to find a woman in her twenties holding a little boy's hand. "Ma'am", she said, "I would like to ask you: Do you distribute diapers of big size that would suit my son? He is eight years old and has poly smoothness". I looked at the boy and noticed the traces of urine on his clothes.

"I'm afraid we dont", I replied "We only brought for infants, but what happened to him? Did a doctor see him?"

"Yes", she replied, "and he said it is not organic Maybe due to the panic attacks he had during the war."

I void as much as possible, a man fell in front of me, and I heard him shout and curse: "To hell with this life! It is nothing but humiliation".

He stood up again on his feet and rushed towards the truck in order to get a place in the row of that crowding, carrying what was left of his dignity, in hopes to get some food for his children.

I felt someone poking me from behind, so I turned around to find a woman in her twenties holding a little boy's hand. "Ma'am", she said, "I would like to ask you: Do you distribute diapers of big size that would suit my son? He is eight years old and has poly smoothness". I looked at the boy and noticed the traces of urine on his clothes.

"I'm afraid we dont", I replied "We only brought for infants, but what happened to him? Did a doctor see him?"

"Yes", she replied, "and he said it is not organic Maybe due to the panic attacks he had during the war."

I continued my walk around the place, feeling helpless myself in the face of all those endless needs and sorrows. Gosh! What is all this pain?!!

The time was up, and we had to leave. My colleagues called on me, and most of them were already inside the bus in preparation to depart, so I headed towards them with an angry boy and a friend of hope, and the bereft mother whose son was stolen away from her by death and she was still looking for him in the faces of others. Before getting on the bus the woman asked me: "Are you from Damascus?", and I answered: "Yes, I am."

"Life is good in Damascus", she said, "and no one feels our suffering here"

"Believe me", I answered, "suffering has reached everyone. Do not think that the Damascenes are not in pain. We were all effected in a way or another, we are all in pain, and I think it is time for us to be hand in hand to face that pain together and heal from it"

I do not know if my words had any little impact on the woman, but I dont think it did, for her pain over her dead son has filled her being and blocked her ears.

I got on the bus and had my seat, feeling tired with a heavy heart. I remembered the scenes of destruction we saw on our way to the center Those scenes, despite of their cruelty, did not affect me, because I know that stones, sooner or later, can be rebuilt, but what about building bridges between separated hearts?

I looked from the window to find my new friend waving her hand to me and sending me kisses. I laughed I really laughed from my heart and a strong feeling took over me, a true and deep one that hope still exists There is so much hope still
A police officer from Uttar Pradesh came under fire for utilising his aerial survey to organise a rosy welcome for kanwar pilgrims on Wednesday. A video that is doing rounds on social media shows Meeruts senior police officer Prashant Kumar, accompanied by Chandra Prakash Tripathi, showering rose petals from a chopper to greet pilgrims.

Kumar tweeted the video and then removed it after the backlash it received on social media.

#WATCH Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter yesterday pic.twitter.com/SvHH64DGxr  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 9, 2018

"No religious angle should be given to this, flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals," Prashant Kumar said today, defending his "flower welcome".

People on social media were not impressed by what they largely see as a waste of public money.

"Frustrating to watch this nonsense", said one tweet. "Who is paying for this joy-ride," wondered another Twitter user commenting on the video.

The incident comes a day after Kanwars wrecked and toppled a car in Delhis Moti Nagar area, which had reportedly only brushed past them.

#WATCH: A group of 'kanwariyas' vandalise a car in Delhi's Moti Nagar after it brushed past them while driving. The people in the car got off safely. No injuries were reported. Police says no formal complaint has been filed by the victims (07.08.2018) pic.twitter.com/rKc6VJMZnh  ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2018

More than ten Kanwar pilgrims were seen in the video smashing the windows of the car with sticks and tipping it over as policemen and spectators watched without stopping them.
WhatsApp has already come under fire recently, accused of being a method for troublemakers to spread hoaxes and fake news. Now, it may have a bigger concern on its hands, as it seems a flaw lets hackers manipulate messages in group chats.

Researchers at Israel-based cybersecurity firm CheckPoint detailed the flaw on Wednesday, one these say hackers can exploit to send fake messages and modify pre-existing ones in WhatsApp group chats. According to CheckPoint, the flaw allows a hacker to intercept and manipulate messages sent by those in a group or private conversation and create and spread misinformation.

The security hole was discovered in WhatsApp's encryption process ironically, which is meant to keep your chats private from prying eyes. When the chats and photos etc are decrypted, CheckPoint realised that a hacker can actually see the encryption rules being used, allowing them to also change them to their liking.

That means a malicious actor that manages to intercept your chat can then change it to their liking before sending it on to your recipient. They could also cause other havoc like, using the reply function in a group chat to change the identity of the messages sender, and even sending a public message to a participant disguised as a private one. That way, when they reply thinking only one person can read it, everyone in the group actually can.

CheckPoint says its already alerted WhatsApp of the flaw. WhatsApp has meanwhile reviewed the exploit, likening it to changing the text in a persons email before it reaches their recipient. However, theyre not admitting to a fault. 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 company said.

So, whether the company is actually doing something about the problem is unclear, though we hope they are. If not, it could get them into more hot water with a government thats already been clamouring for the app to tighten its restrictions. This is after a spate of violent clashes earlier this year, instigated by hoax messages on WhatsApp, left a number of people dead and more injured.
Amazon gets trashed on the international stage pretty often for its inhumane work conditions in its warehouses. However, it seems the Indian arm of the company is trying to do better, at least according to the latest announcement from Country Head Amit Agarwal.

According to Business Standard, in an email to senior staff members this week, Agarwal has reportedly asked employees to leave themselves enough time to spend at home, and maintain a healthy work-life harmony. Hes told employees to stop taking calls and emails after hours, and specifically that, No business decision should be made between 6 pm and 8 am.

Its still unclear whether this decision comes from Agarwal or from the companys global leadership. Likely the latter, considering theres been no such chatter for US employees. Itll also be interesting to see how long this plan will hold, given the sheer size of the e-commerce portal.

As it stands right now, deliveries arent dispatched beyond a certain time anyway, so it may not change much for warehouse and delivery staff. As for core employees, how exactly will those liasoning with Amazon Global function work around this? Not to mention, this also means that if you dont receive your order the day it was supposed to arrive, your customer support call is going to have to wait until the next day.

This is in addition to the fact that Amazon recently put out word for 237 new work-from-home positions in and outside the US, 235 of which are full time. The way it looks, Amazon is perhaps looking to sincerely tackle its hellish work culture, and might actually succeed.
A contestant used up two of her lifelines to answer where the Great Wall of China is located on the Turkish version of the popular game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati?'.

According to Hurriyet Daily News, 26-year-old Su Ayhan was stumped when asked to name the location of the Great Wall of China. The Economics graduate from Istanbul was given four choices: China, India, South Korea, and Japan.

Talk about embarrassing!

But she was not alone in this, just 51 per cent of the audience was certain it was in China.

With no help from the audience, Su Ayhan had to a friend who was better informed and helped her with the right answer.

Phew!

"I could use my lifelines whenever I wanted," said Ms Ayhan unfazed by the mockery.

According to reports, she was eliminated after she answered the next question incorrectly. So much for using all her lifelines! Unbelievable!
Switch the Market flag

Open the menu and switch the

Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice.

for targeted data from your country of choice.
The first study of schoolchildren by the Chinese Ministry of Education draws an awful picture of fourth- and eighth- graders. Good at math and science, they have little analytical and creative skills.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Young Chinese schoolchildren are overweight, have poor eyesight, do not sleep enough, and lack creativity and analytical skills, this according to the first official study on the subject, published by the Ministry of Education.

The merciless picture emerges from a survey of about 570,000 fourth- and eighth- graders conducted from 2015 to 2017,

The study found that most students performed satisfactorily or better in language, mathematics, and science.

However, many show weaknesses in areas that require more critical thinking and creativity, like data analysis and scientific inquiry.

For researchers, to address this, schools should incorporate more activities that allow students hands-on experience with nature and society, and use more discussion- and exploration-based teaching methods in the classroom.

Chinas schools should also address the lack of well-rounded physical education.

Just over 17 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls in the fourth grade are overweight or obese, researchers said, citing statistics from the Ministry of Education. In the eighth grade, the male percentage is about the same, but the female percentage jumps to an alarming 17 per cent.

For this reason, the Ministry must improve physical education in schools, to also tackle poor eyesight and sleep deprivation among schoolchildren.

Over 53 per cent of boys and 63 per cent of girls have moderately to severely impaired eyesight by eighth grade, and a whopping 83.4 per cent of children get fewer than the nine hours of sleep a day recommended for middle schoolers by Chinas Education Ministry.
Im delighted to welcome Thomas back to AIG as CEO of our European business, commented Chris Townsend, chief executive for international general insurance. Thomas is a well-respected international insurance executive who is a strategic leader with experience growing and building teams.

Lillelund, who will be reporting to Townsend, is making the switch from Aspen Re where he has been CEO since 2016. His worldwide experience dates back to 1995 and includes time spent at Swiss Re.

Meanwhile aside from AIG Europe SA, the insurer has also set up a new UK company called American International Group UK Limited. To ensure uninterrupted client service, AIG will transfer business to the two entities and merge existing carrier AIG Europe Limited into the new European unit. AIG Europe Limited chief executive Anthony Baldwin will become CEO of the UK entity.

The great advantage of the restructuring route we have chosen is that it will give clients certainty that whatever the other unknowns of Brexit for their businesses, their European insurance coverage has been Brexit-proofed, said Baldwin earlier this year.
A woman in Oregon is taking her insurer Safeco to court to obtain a higher claim after a skunk entered her home and sprayed her dog and belongings.

According to The Oregonian Safeco only gave Katherine Schaeffer $2,000 for the incident. But Schaeffer said more than $112,000 worth of her possessions were ruined  and shes also seeking $38,000 for other costs, including cleaning and living expenses because her home was uninhabitable immediately after the incident.
Washington D.C. business owners joined Assurance on August 6, 2018, at its new office location in Arlington, Va., to celebrate the independent insurance brokerages official move into the Mid-Atlantic region.

Assurance recently moved into the region with a goal to cultivate safer and healthier workplaces that support employee health and happiness. The company plans to grow organically in the area, adding up to 30 new jobs in the next few years, according to a company press release.

During the celebration, Senior Vice President Scott Lockman welcomed Assurance partners and invited them to explore how Assurance can help them minimize risk and create healthier workplaces. Lockmans comments were followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

In the Mid-Atlantic, Assurance will work closely with new and current clients in a variety of industries, including construction, senior living services and government contracting, to develop risk management solutions that protect client assets and benefit and wellness strategies that engage and retain employees.

Source: Assurance

Topics Virginia
by Nirmala Carvalho

Police chief and local official drop flower petals from a helicopter on Kanwariyas, the pilgrims of Shiva. Traffic and security are in a mayhem as a result of acts of violence and hooliganism. Violence against Christians in Uttar Pradesh fill a list.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  Whilst acts of hooliganism and violence against Christians intensify in Uttar Pradesh, Indias secular authorities continue to show "preferences" for Hindus.

Yesterday, senior police and government officials in Meerut (62 km north-east of Delhi), threw rose petals from a helicopter to greet Kanwar pilgrims.

A video, shared on social media, shows Additional Director General of Police Prashant Kumar throwing rose petals during an aerial tour. He was accompanied by Meeruts commissioner.

Kanwar Yatra is the annual pilgrimage of devotees of the Lord Shiva. Pilgrims carry water from the Ganges River in pitchers, balanced between their shoulders at both ends of a stick. The pilgrims, called Kanwariyas, walk this way for hundreds of kilometres, barefoot.

Prashant Kumar replied today to charges posted on social media of "favouritism" for throwing rose petals. "No religious angle should be given to this, he said. Flowers are used to welcome people. The administration respects all religions and actively takes part even in Gurupurab, Eid, Bakrid* or Jain festivals."

The police official, along with other colleagues, monitored security measures and traffic, a major challenge during the pilgrimage because of the presence of thousands of pilgrims who move through cities on their way to Uttarakhand where they collect the water from the sacred river.

Despite denials, police "favouritism" towards Hindu pilgrims is clearly evinced by their nonchalant attitude towards pilgrims hooliganism.

Two days ago, in Moti Nagar, near Delhi, a group of Kanwariyas wrecked a car with sticks and iron bars because the car had tried to cross the road, swarming with pilgrims, inadvertently brushing against one of them.

In reporting the incident, The Hindustan Times wrote that "confrontations and violence [. . .] are reported every year" during Kanwar Yatra, adding that the pilgrims "outlaw" style includes refusing to travel on designated lanes and, for those riding their motorbikes, to wear a helmet.

Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christian, spoke to AsiaNews about the festival.

Noting that "the police and governmental authorities of Uttar Pradesh drop flower petals from helicopters on Kanwar Yatra devotees, dressed in saffron-coloured robes, he contrasted this with the fact that Pentecostal Christians in Uttar Pradeeh continue to endure attacks.

Added to this, there are food restrictions. Senior Police superintendent Rajesh Kumar Pandey said that all restaurants and shops not serving vegetarian food have to stay closed or serve only vegetarian food during the days of the Kanwar Yatra. Like in Moti Nagar, violence by the saffron people is ignored with police standing idly by.

"These incidents send worrying signals to minority communities in Uttar Pradesh where they live in a climate of fear. India is a secular country, which means equal treatment by the state for all religions. Unfortunately, such signs of preference for the saffron people by the police and the administration, push Christians towards greater marginalisation."

To highlight the situation, Sajan K George compiled a short list of attacks on Christians in Uttar Pradesh last month:

- 2 July: Hindu radicals attacked 150 Christians who had gathered to pray in a meeting hall in Raikashipur, a village in Pratapgarh district. More than 20 Christians were injured, some with broken limbs.

- 9 July: Pastor Sabu Thomas, who was praying with a family in their home in Lucknow, was arrested on charges of forced conversion. He was released several hours later.

- 15 July: Hindu radicals, along with police, broke up a prayer service in the village of Birne. Christians were ordered not to hold such meetings any more, nor conduct any activity without the permission of the authorities.

- 19 July, a Christian pastor and his son were beaten for driving away a stray dog from their church.

* Gurupurab is a Sikh festival; Eid and Bakrid are Islamic celebrations; Jainism is an ancient Indian religion.
Zurich Insurance Group AG got a boost from its property & casualty business, putting the company on track to meet Chief Executive Officer Mario Grecos three-year restructuring goals.

The Swiss insurers biggest unit saw higher profit and posted a lower combined ratio, a key metric for insurers. Reserve releases helped lift group profit even as competition in the commercial business weighs on the bottom line. Net income jumped 19 percent to $1.8 billion, beating analyst estimates.

Greco initiated a portfolio review when he took over as CEO in 2016 after the company posted losses related to auto claims in the U.S. The former Assicurazioni Generali SpA chief exited units across the globe and business lines while also increasing the use of reinsurance to reduce earnings volatility.

As part of its restructuring, Zurich has also made a flurry of acquisitions in recent years diversifying its business and re-balancing the weighting of corporate and retail clients.

Dividend Watch

The dividend payout is a key focus for Zurich investors. Greco boosted the payout for last year and said that the 18 francs would be the new floor for future increases. On a conference call, the CEO said he didnt want to talk about specifics ahead of the hurricane season though he suggested that its part of Zurichs strategy to increase the dividend.

Zurich shares were little changed at 299.40 francs as of 9:37 a.m. The stock is little changed this year, giving the company a market value of 45.2 billion francs ($45.5 billion).

Greco said that future cost cuts will be focused on IT spending and that the company isnt currently considering further disposals. The commercial business remains a headache for the CEO. The unit posted a combined ratio above 100 percent in the first half, according Chief Financial Officer George Quinn.

The commercial business is operating in a very competitive market, however its a bit disappointing that the combined ratio is still so high, said Baader Helvea analyst Daniel Bischof. He said that higher-than-expected reserve releases in the property & casualty business explain the results. Headline figures are good but the higher reserve releases relativize the results a bit.

The company has also struggled to boost investment income, with Chief Financial Officer George Quinn saying on a call that he hopes the result will at least be flat this year after declining previously.

Zurich has been looking outside Europe for growth, acquiring the life-insurance business of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in December. Other purchases included the life unit of Macquarie Group and Australian travel insurer Cover-More.

Main highlights from earnings:

Life H1 gross written premiums $17 billion compared to $14.4 billion [in H1 2017]

Farmers Business operating profit in H1 $808 million

P/C combined ratio 97.5 percent vs 99.5 percent.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Profit Loss Property Casualty
A former minister in the government of Barbados has been criminally charged in the United States with laundering bribes he received from a Barbadian insurance company, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

Donville Inniss, who formerly served as minister of industry in Barbados and as a member of the Caribbean nations Parliament, was arrested on Friday in Florida. He was released on bail after appearing in federal court there on Monday, prosecutors said.

Inniss was charged with money laundering and conspiracy in an indictment unsealed on Monday in Brooklyn federal court.

Adam Nate, a lawyer for Inniss, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prosecutors said in the indictment that in 2015 and 2016, Inniss engaged in a scheme to take about $36,000 in bribes from high-level executives of a unnamed Barbadian insurance company. In exchange, they said, Inniss used his position as minister of industry to help the insurer secure two government contracts.

The prosecutors said Inniss, 52, concealed the nature of the bribes by receiving them through a dental company and a bank located in Elmont, New York, under the guise of payments for consulting services.

Inniss, a legal permanent resident of the United States, lived in Florida and Barbados at the time of the payments, prosecutors said.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Topics Carriers USA Abuse Molestation
Hub International Ltd., the Chicago-based insurance broker, has acquired Canadas Blackstone Insurance, Benefits & Bonding Inc.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with an additional office in Regina, Blackstone Insurance is a Commercial Insurance and Employee Benefits brokerage firm.

Both Troy Shanks, vice president of Benefits Division, and Tim Shanks, senior vice president of Commercial Division, for Blackstone Insurance, will join Hub Manitoba reporting to Doug Trapp, Vice President of Hub Manitoba.

Source: Hub International

Related:

Topics Mergers Agencies Canada
Federal officials are reviewing cellphones, a camera and a recording device found with a duck boat that sank in a storm last month in southern Missouri, as part of investigations into the disaster that killed 17 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board provided few new details in a preliminary report issued Tuesday.

The SIM card from the video recording system on the vessel already has been examined. The agency said previously that the recordings show the captain made a reference to looking at the weather radar prior to the tour of Table Rock Lake near Branson. Forecasts at the time included thunderstorm warnings.

But the NTSB say investigators are trying to determine if there is more information on the devices hard drive. It is unclear what more it might contain.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Missouri
The Treasury Department has moved to clear up some confusion in the Trump tax cut law by proposing that the full 20 percent deduction for pass-through businesses be made available to a broad spectrum of small businesses, including insurance agents and brokers.

Many small businesses that are organized as pass-throughs such as S-corporations, limited liability corporations and partnerships, including insurance agents and brokers, have been waiting for clarification on their eligibility.

The Treasurys guidance on the tax deduction was necessary because the language of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) indicated that the full tax break would not be available to certain specified service trades or businesses but left some question whether insurance businesses were considered part of that group.

Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have now proposed that insurance agents and brokers, as well as real estate agents and brokers, not be included in the definition of the specified businesses that face limits on their eligibility.

In the words of the proposed guidance, the meaning of brokerage services not eligible for the deduction includes services provided by stock brokers and other similar professionals but does not include services provided by real estate agents and brokers, or insurance agents and brokers.

Q&A from IRS on 20% Deduction for Qualified Business Income

According to the IRS, the Trump tax law allows owners of eligible sole proprietorships, partnerships, trusts and S- corporations to deduct 20 percent of their qualified business income.

The deduction is generally available to eligible taxpayers whose 2018 taxable incomes fall below $315,000 for joint returns and $157,500 for other taxpayers.

However, the law limits deductions for taxpayers with higher incomes if they are in certain specified service trades or businesses. The IRS has now said insurance agencies and brokerages are not among the services facing limitations.

The deduction  referred to as the Section 199A deduction  is available for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017. Eligible taxpayers can claim it for the first time on the 2018 federal income tax return they file next year. Qualified business income includes domestic income from a trade or business. Employee wages, capital gain, interest and dividend income are excluded.

The 20 percent deduction was designed to target small businesses that dont benefit from the Trump tax laws reduction in the top corporate rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

While these proposals are subject to further review and could change, insurance agencies, many of which are pass-throughs, welcomed them.

Our initial read of the draft regulations is that agents and brokers are not a specified service trade. While these are draft regulations and not yet final, we see this as a very positive development, Charles Symington, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big I) senior vice president of External, Industry & Government Affairs, told Insurance Journal.

According to the association, two-thirds of its member agencies are pass-through entities.

Symington said his group has been spending a great deal of time on this issue on the Hill and with the Administration arguing that insurance agents and brokers organized as pass-throughs should receive the full benefit of the new 20 percent deduction.

Symington said that the Big I is currently reviewing the draft and will provide comments to the IRS.

Congress passed the Trump tax act in December 2017. Treasury officials had hoped to issue clarifying rules earlier this summer.

About 90 percent of U.S. businesses are organized as pass-throughs. They range from mom-and-pop stores to private equity funds.

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 T. Mnuchin. Pass-through businesses play a critical role in our economy. This 20-percent deduction will lead to more investment in U.S. companies and higher wages for hardworking Americans.

The proposed rules also set forth safeguards to prevent employees from becoming reclassified as independent contractors to qualify for the tax break.

According to the IRS, taxpayers may rely on these proposed regulations until final regulations are published in the Federal Register. The public has 45 days to comment on the proposals.

The IRS issued a Q&A on the deduction after announcing its proposals.

Related:

Topics Agencies Legislation
The Florida United Businesses Association (FUBA) is now offering workers compensation coverage to small businesses across the state through Lancer Indemnity Co. of New York.

The partnership marks FUBAs switch from the previous self-insurance model to a fully-insured and non-assessable product.

With FUBA Workers Comp, policyholders will have access to all FUBA membership benefits, as well as tailored workers comp coverage and customer service. Association benefits include compliance education, advocacy services on behalf of small businesses, monthly newsletters reporting on legislative and regulatory issues, liaison services for small businesses with state agencies, and dedicated and knowledgeable staff on call for small businesses.

FUBA is a lobbying and trade association representing over 7,000 small businesses in Florida. FUBA is both a lobbyist at the state Capitol and a source for education on state laws and regulations that affect small businesses.

Lancer Indemnity Co. is licensed in 19 states, including Florida, and is part of Lancer Financial Group. In addition to workers compensation, the insurance group offers a range of commercial insurance products, including auto rental, bus and marine license insurance, and commercial property and liability.

Topics Legislation Florida Workers' Compensation Small Business
Authorities say a large fire at a Tennessee apartment complex has displaced dozens of residents. No one was injured.

News outlets report the fire occurred Sunday morning at the Timberlake Village Apartments in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville.

Part of the building collapsed. The Nashville Fire Department said on Twitter the fire was brought under control less than two hours after it was reported.

The American Red Cross arrived to assist displaced families.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee
A Kentucky panel established to review medical malpractice claims before lawsuits can be filed is severely backlogged.

The Courier Journal obtained records through the Kentucky Open Records act that show only 11 percent of 531 claims had been assigned in the Medical Review Panel Acts first year on the books. Findings have been issued in just 3 percent of cases, with another 5 percent withdrawn, settled or dismissed.

The Republican-backed law was aimed at cutting frivolous litigation and the cost of liability insurance for providers.

Kentucky Hospital Association General Counsel Brian Brezosky says a ruling that struck down the act as unconstitutional might be affecting the panels effectiveness. The Court of Appeals has allowed the law to go into effect while the state Supreme Court decides whether it is legal.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Claims Medical Professional Liability Kentucky
Solution suite enables collision repairers, insurers, and auto manufacturers to collaborate on safe, quality repairs.

Chicago, IL, August 9, 2018  CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) announced today the availability of CCC OEM Care, a suite of solutions that support OEM certification programs and enable collision repairers, insurers, and auto manufacturers to collaborate on safe, quality repairs. Included in the suite are CCC Shop Locator (Shop Locator), CCC Network Dashboard (Network Dashboard), CCC Checklists (Checklists), as well as CCCs Recall services. Through CCC OEM Care, auto manufacturers gain tools to grow and manage the performance of their repair programs by leveraging CCCs platform services, which are in use by 24,000 repair shops to write 24 million estimates and perform 16 million repairs annually. Solutions in the suite have garnered participation from eight OEMs representing more than 73 percent of vehicles sold annually in the U.S. CCC is a leading Software as a Service provider to the automotive, insurance, and collision repair industries.

Steep increases in vehicle complexity are changing the way vehicles get repaired, leading more OEMs to pursue repair certification programs. OEM Care solutions help auto manufacturers promote their certified repair networks, encourage a consistent approach to vehicle repairs, gain insight into certified repair shop performance, and help OEMs work with any CCC shop to alert their drivers to critical product recalls. OEM Care is powered by the industry-leading CCC ONE Platform, which connects OEMs with 24,000 collision repairers and 350 auto insurers. CCCs Carwise.com website is another important tool for OEMs, as it already supports more than 5 million visits annually, helping consumers find collision repair shops and schedule repair work. Carwise displays shop qualifications and certifications and houses more than 4 million consumer repair shop reviews.

Carmakers are getting more engaged with the repair process and want efficient ways to build out, promote, and optimize the performance of their shop networks, said Andreas Hecht, SVP and GM, OEM Services Group, CCC. CCC OEM Care gives OEMs the tools they need to help achieve and scale their repair program goals and offers collision repairers tools to proactively manage their participation in these programs in real time. Were excited by the broad OEM interest in our offerings and look forward to connecting additional automakers with these solutions and our expansive network of collision repairers.

OEM Care Solutions

Shop Locator connects participating OEMs, insurers, and repair shops, making it transparent to all parties which repair shops carry OEM certification, and enabling the promotion of those shops to consumers (via Carwise) and auto insurers (via the CCC ONE platform).

connects participating OEMs, insurers, and repair shops, making it transparent to all parties which repair shops carry OEM certification, and enabling the promotion of those shops to consumers (via Carwise) and auto insurers (via the CCC ONE platform). Network Dashboards provide OEMs with a tool that provides the necessary insight to optimize the performance of their certified-shop networks across a variety of key metrics, including cycle time and customer satisfaction. These and other key performance indicators are available at the shop and industry levels.

provide OEMs with a tool that provides the necessary insight to optimize the performance of their certified-shop networks across a variety of key metrics, including cycle time and customer satisfaction. These and other key performance indicators are available at the shop and industry levels. Checklists allow OEMs to share their program parameters with shops, who can use Checklists to standardize and document the highly variable repair process, tracking quality and completeness against a dynamic set of variables.

allow OEMs to share their program parameters with shops, who can use Checklists to standardize and document the highly variable repair process, tracking quality and completeness against a dynamic set of variables. Recall services allow OEMs to share open safety-related recall data with collision repair users of the CCC ONE platform who can help identify affected vehicles as repairs are being made and deliver an OEMs custom instructions to consumers on the steps they need to take to resolve the recall.

For OEMs interested in signing up for CCC OEM Care solutions, please visit: www.cccis.com/auto-manufacturers/OEMcare.

About CCC

CCC, together with its affiliates, provides cross-industry solutions to support the vehicle lifecycle. Founded in 1980, CCCs solutions and big data insights are delivered through the CCC ONE platform to a vibrant network of 350+ insurance companies, 24,000+ repair facilities, OEMs, hundreds of parts suppliers, and dozens of third-party data and service providers. CCC processes over 24 million estimates and 16 million annual repairs in the U.S. and also provides access to car-related services for millions of consumers via carwise.com. Additionally, Auto Injury Solutions Inc  a CCC company  provides customizable, end-to-end, casualty solutions to auto insurers for the handling of first and third-party claims. The collective set of CCCs solutions inform decision-making, enhance productivity, and help customers deliver faster and better experiences for end consumers. Learn more about CCC at cccis.com.

CCC and the CCC logo are registered trademarks, and CCC ONE and Carwise are trademarks, of CCC Information Services Inc.

Media Contact

Michelle Hellyar

mhellyar@cccis.com

773.791.3675

Topics Carriers Auto Manufacturing
What Are Back-to-Back Letters of Credit?

Back-to-back letters of credit consist of two letters of credit (LoCs) used together to finance a transaction. A back-to-back letter of credit is usually used in a transaction involving an intermediary between the buyer and seller, such as a broker, or when a seller must purchase the goods it will sell from a supplier as part of the sale to his buyer.

Key Takeaways A back-to-back letter of credit involves two letters of credit to secure financing for a single transaction.

These are usually used in a transactions involving an intermediary between the buyer and seller.

Back-to-back letters of credit are used primarily in international transactions.

Understanding Back-to-Back Letters of Credit

Back-to-back letters of credit are actually made up of two distinct LoCs, one issued by the buyer's bank to the intermediary and the other issued by the intermediary's bank to the seller. With the original LC from the buyer's bank in place, the broker goes to his own bank and has a second LC issued, with the seller as the beneficiary.

The seller is thus ensured of payment upon fulfilling the terms of the contract and presenting the appropriate documentation to the intermediary's bank. In some cases, the seller may not even know who the ultimate buyer of the goods is.

As is often the case with LCs, back-to-back LCs are used primarily in international transactions, with the first LC serving as collateral for the second.

Back-to-back LCs essentially substitute the two issuing banks' credit to the buyer's and intermediary's and thus help facilitate trade between parties who may be dealing from great distances and who may not otherwise be able to verify one another's credit.

Example of a Back-to-Back Letter of Credit Transaction

For example, assume that Company A is in the U.S. and sells heavy machinery. Broker B, a trading firm based in London, has learned that Company C, which is located in China, wants to purchase heavy machinery and has managed to broker a deal between the two companies. Company A is eager to sell but does not want to take on the risk of default of payment by Company C. Broker B wants to ensure that the trade is made and that it receives its commission.

Back to back LCs can be used to make sure the transaction goes through. Company C will go to a well-known financial institution in China and get it to issue an LC with Broker B as beneficiary. In turn, Broker B will use that LC to go to its own well-known financial institution in Germany and have it issue an LC to Company A.

Company A can now ship its heavy machinery knowing that once the transaction is complete, it will be paid by the German bank. The broker is also assured of being paid. The credit risk has been removed from the transaction.
For the Foreign Minister, the White House's attempt to block the sale of crude oil "is impossible". The world is "tired" of United States unilateral policies. The idea of privileged channels with the EU to strengthen trade. British scholar: the White House policy will eventually isolate the US, not Iran.

Teheran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has responded to US President Donald Trump's threats saying that the United States will not be able to prevent the Islamic Republic from exporting oil. The reference is to the second block of US sanctions against Teheran, which is expected to come into force on November 5 and concerns the sale of hydrocarbons, one of Iran's main sources of income.

For Zarif, the White House's goal to isolate Tehran and force the rest of the world not to buy Iranian oil is "impossible". The head of diplomacy of the Islamic Republic has also joked about President Trump's use of social media, underlining that "the shouts of anger and tweets in capital letters" will not change the fact that the world is "tired of US unilateralism".

In recent days, the White House tenant has launched a harsh warning against allies and the international community: "Anyone doing business with Iran - he said - will no longer be able to do business with the United States". Words following the entry into force of the first part of the sanctions against Tehran, which were warranted following the decision to cancel the 2015 nuclear agreement (the JCPOA).

Zarif writes, "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". During the interview, the Iranian leader adds that the goal of the US administration to cancel crude oil exports is "meaningless" and "impossible". "The nations with which the United States trades - he warns - have already told Washington that they will continue to buy their oil from Iran".

In the first row between those who want to preserve business relations with Tehran there is Brussels and the block of European countries, according to which the nuclear agreement works and should not be canceled. In spite of the American sanctions, the Union intends to continue to buy oil from the Islamic Republic and to do so it is willing to "create accounts" in the Iranian Central Bank. "The result of these measures - concludes Zarif - will be US isolation".

The words of the head of Iranian diplomacy are confirmed by some experts and analysts of international politics who believe the economic and commercial war launched by the US administration against Teheran will eventually isolate the United States. In an editorial published in Strategic Culture the British scholar Finian Cunningham urges Washington to respect multilateralism as other nations do. Otherwise, the risk is "economic isolation" by the rest of the international community. In particular, Trump reinforces the course undertaken by Russia and China that intend to free themselves from the US dollar in international trade. Without the reserve currency privilege, the US economy would collapse.
Joe Dermody

Irish dairy farmers need a fodder import scheme to help offset a drought-related 800m income hit in 2018, said ICMSA president Pat McCormack.

The dairy farmer group is seeking concrete measures to boost fodder supplies and to reduce demand for fodder by boosting live exports. His figures are based on the Teagasc mid-year farm income assessment.

The Government must bring in the meat processors and agree a plan that will allow farmers reduce stock number in a financially feasible way, said Mr McCormack.

From speaking to farmers, the fodder deficits on farms, with probably three months growth at best left this year, is alarming and the Government needs to put in place effective measures now.

In addition, cashflow pressures are now also coming to the fore and the Brexit Loan scheme has to be implemented. This was announced almost a year ago and farmers cannot understand why it has not been implemented.

"This is in sharp contrast to the loan scheme for other SMEs, which has been in place for many months. Were in a cashflow crisis and this loan scheme must be rolled out now.

The Department of Agriculture has been given permission by the EU to roll out some farm payments six weeks earlier than planned.

The ICMSA said the basic payment scheme (BPS) has improved, but many farmers are still awaiting payments from the GLAS scheme.

GLAS payments must be made within the Charter commitments, otherwise, an advance payment is irrelevant, said Pat McCormack.

GLAS payments have not been made within Charter in previous years and this cannot re-occur. The GLAS conditions must be further reviewed to allow the maximum amount of fodder to be harvested from GLAS farms over the rest of this year.
Jack Stubbs

Samsungs Galaxy S7 smartphones  thousands of which have been sold to Irish customers  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 have said.

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 worlds PCs, smartphones and other computing devices.

Researchers from Austrias Graz Technical University told Reuters they have figured out a way to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability to attack Galaxy S7 handsets.

The team, which released its findings at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, is looking into Meltdowns impact on other makes and models of smartphones and expect to uncover more vulnerable devices in the near future, researcher Michael Schwarz said.

There are potentially even more phones affected that we dont 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 introduced 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.

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 devices 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 used by 30 million people, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

Reuters
In the latest Irish Examiner Farming Podcast with Noel Baker, we preview the countrys largest one-day agri event, Tullamore Show - speaking to organisers, sponsors and exhibitors ahead of the August 12 event.

Sunday's show promises to draw a crowd from all over the country and here you get all you need to know ahead of the event.
By Stephen Cadogan

Its a long hard summer for pig farmers.

In mid-June, the Polish agriculture minister briefed the EU Council on the difficult situation in the pig meat market and asked the Commission to improve the situation, with measures such as private storage aid for pig meat, financial support for farmers, and opening of new markets.

But the Commission considered it premature to introduce market management measures, saying it would continue to closely monitor the market.

There wasnt much mention of pigs at the next EU agriculture meeting in July, with drought rearing its head as the major threat to EU agriculture, and of course, nothing much happens in EU in August.

Ironically, pigs in their piggeries are probably the least profitable livestock across the EU now, even though the other livestock are running short of grass in the fields.

The grain crops across Northern Europe have also been withering in the heat wave, and that will deepen problems for pig farmers by raising the cost of feed.

How bad are things for pig farmers now?

Michael McKeon of Teagasc revealed recently that the profit margin for pig farms that Teagasc monitors is at its lowest level for about 15 years, and pig farmers are having severe financial problems at the moment.

In July 2017, the average pig price was 172c/kg and the margin over feed was 69c/kg, the highest since 2006. But the July 2018 pig price is 138c and the feed cost is 108c/kg, leaving a 43% margin of 30c/kg, before other production costs are included.

The high price and profit last year stimulated a 3% sow increase in pigmeat across the EU, which put pressure on pig prices, but the bigger issue is the slow-down in Chinese pigmeat imports, reduced 20% compared to 2016.

Meanwhile, the falling pig price coincided with wheat and barley harvest problems across Europe and Russia, heralding higher pig feed costs.

Pig farmers are somewhat used to the pork cycle of fluctuations in supply and prices, a recognised economic pattern in livestock markets for 100 years.

Hopefully the Chinese will increase pigmeat imports, or the EU will introduce relief measures, before pig farmers go out of business in this slump in the pork cycle.

As our most efficient farmers, they deserve a break.

In Ireland, the quantity of pig meat produced per sow per year has increased by 21% since 2011, according to the Teagasc e-Profit Monitoring (ePM) pig herd recording system.

Farmers have performed well, to keep Irish pigmeat competitive on the export markets.

But they have not been rewarded, instead they were paid the fifth or sixth lowest carcase prices for pigs, out of 26 EU member states, this year.

They have been struggling for seven months of loss-making prices, and pigmeat processors here are still cutting what they pay for pigs.

And farmers here pay more for pig feed than most European counterparts.

At EU level, pig farmers need looking after, not least because of the external animal health threat of African swine fever (ASF) continuing to spread from the east.

It could devastate EU exports and drastically upset a current very fragile market balance.

Its a real threat, with ASF established in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. Hungary reported its first ASF case in its wild boar population in April, and incidence is rising in Romania, with both situated next door to Ukraine, where the disease is out of control.

ASF does not affect humans or other species but is a devastating infectious disease of pigs, usually deadly, with no vaccine available.

If it gets into intensive EU pig farm areas, control will require slaughtering of all pigs.

Export bans would apply to the affected areas.

Already weakened by low profitability, the EU pig industry could be set back decades if ASF advances across Europe.
A vacant property in Dublin's north inner city is being occupied for a third night in protest over the housing crisis.

The groups involved at Summerhill Parade have accused the government of "sitting on their hands".

They are calling on the local council to use compulsory purchase orders to turn vacant sites into social housing.

Conor is with Take Back Trinity, who are one of the groups taking part, and explains what the aim of the occupation is: "So the goal is that we pressurise the council and the state into taking these properties by Compulsory Purchase to turn them into public housing to give people a place to live.

"So these sites, and everywhere else too, whether they be sites or buildings take them into public use."

Dublin Central Housing Action is one of the groups involved - and say the government isn't doing enough to address the problem.

Spokesperson Tomas Lynch wants other groups around the country to get involved: "It's not just us, we don't want to be the only ones doing this.

"We're not talking about occupying other properties, we're asking for other groups around the country to look at what's going on here and see what they can do in their own communities.

"It doesn't have to be occupying properties but see what action can be taken."

Digital Desk
In an interview on the programme PleSceal on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta today, a mother spoke of her daughters experience at an Irish-language summer course at Colaiste na Rinne in the Waterford Gaeltacht, where she said that the children had their mobile phones in their possession at all times, and that some of them were watching porn.

Jo OConnor from Blackrock, explained to reporter Fachtna O Drisceoil, that there were no limits on phone use, although that was not her understanding of the mobile phone policy before her daughter went to the college.

The children are very young, and at home my daughter doesnt have her phone all the time ... I got texts from her very late, at 11 and 12 OClock at night. The cinniri (prefects) had no control over their phone use.

They have internet access all the time if they have the phone, and thats not safe when children are together in a group ... The children are in the care of the college, they are in loco parentis, and there was no effort to control the phone use.

Jo OConnor said in the interview that some of the boys were watching porn on their phones.

The girls told me that the boys were watching porn on the phones ... and one of the girls asked her mother what porn was ... The mother of that girl phoned me to tell me, that girl had never heard of it before then. The girls told me that the boys played them pornographic sound clips on their phones.

I was very disappointed ... porn is terrible at any age, but especially for children, 13 years of age or so.

The children attending the college are aged from Sixth Class to Second Year in secondary school, theyre very young, and that they were able to access porn in an Irish summer college, thats terrible.

She also said that she was very disappointed with the amount of English she heard from the cinniri (prefects) in the college.

There was a cinnire and I spoke to her in Irish and I said I was there to take the girls out ... the cinnire spoke back to me in English, and she spoke to the girls in English, she said Girls you have to be back by 6 OClock. I spoke in Irish and she answered in English.

RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta spoke to two other families whose daughters were on the same course who had similar complaints to Ms OConnor.

In a statement to the programme, Colaiste na Rinne said they were sorry to learn that some parents were unhappy with their experience of the course, and that the parents had been in touch with the college about their concerns which were investigated and steps were taken to address them.

The statement said that the staff were watching out for the matters of concern raised, and that they got no further feedback from any source, including the Students Council, who met regularly during the course.

The interview with Jo OConnor was broadcast on PleSceal on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta on Thursday.
The Governments high-profile 10-year plan to reform the health service has been criticised for failing to provide a clear price tag on how much it will cost over the next decade.

Health Minister Simon Harris was forced to defend the project yesterday amid fears the multi-billion-euro changes will fail unless exact details are immediately put forward on how much it will cost and where the money will come from.

As part of plans put forward in response to the Slaintecare report published by the Dails committee on the future of healthcare 15 months ago, the Government yesterday recommitted to a series of vital health service reforms.

The 106 changes include:

Plans to ensure a single tier public health system within a decade;

Negotiations with GPs on a new contract which will result in universal free GP care by 2028;

Increasing hospital bed numbers by 2,600 to allow quicker access to care;

Six-month reports on the progress of the changes;

A likely 3bn transitional fund to be set up in Octobers budget to help pay for the reforms.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, Mr Harris said the changes are the light at the end of the tunnel that patients have been waiting for, after being forced to accept lengthy delays to treatment and inadequate care have been waiting for.

He was repeatedly questioned over where the money will come from to pay for the likely 6bn worth of changes.

He said new taxes will not be needed but failed to outline how funding will be made available.

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris today published the Slaintecare Implementation Strategy at Government Buildings. #Slaintecare pic.twitter.com/Kgmw3wSnVY  MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) August 8, 2018

Mr Harris said: There is one crucial reason I am not putting a global figure out here today and saying, This is the Slaintecare figure, come and get your slice of it in contract negotiations.

This will require significant contractual negotiation with many stakeholders in the health service.

It will, in some instances, require procurement and tendering and out of a duty of care for the taxpayer, there is obviously a process to go through there, Mr Harris said yesterday when asked how much the plan will cost.

Roisin Shortall, a Social Democrats TD and chairwoman of the committee on the future of healthcare

chair Roisin Shortall last night, said last night that while the plans are welcome, there is a need for clarity on how it will be funded and that the Governments commitment to the reforms must be made clear in the upcoming budget.

Mr Harris confirmed taxpayers may have to pay hospital consultants lucrative financial compensation to make them limit their work to public patients only as part of the high-profile 10-year health service reform plan.

Among the knock-on effects of the planned changes will be the need to draw up new contracts for highly paid hospital consultants who currently work for both the public and private sectors.

Slaintecare Implementation Strategy..sets out four over-arching goals and ten high-level strategic actions which will be the key focus for the first three years. #Slaintecare pic.twitter.com/wPqru7lmKW  MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) August 8, 2018

Asked if this will mean hospital consultants will need to be financially compensated for any changes to their contracts, as outlined in correspondence from the HSE to the Department in recent days, Mr Harris admitted some payouts will be needed.

In my view, it [compensation] is the wrong word. But is it true to say that if we wanted to disentangle private practice from public hospitals it would require contract negotiations from consultants? Yes, it would. Are we making those decisions today? No, we are not.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has warned that replacing a reference to women in the home in the Constitution with another wording could lead to unintended consequences similar to the abortion debacle.

Mr Flanagan says he wants the proposed referendum in October to go ahead but that the reference to women should be simply deleted as a replacement would need to be legally robust.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, he defended the Government proposal to delete Article 41.2, despite calls for a gender-neutral phrase or reference to carers to replace it.

There are doubts the referendum will go ahead because of disagreement over deleting the reference to women in the home or replacing it for something instead to replace this.

Members of the womens caucus in Leinster House want options debated while Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath, who sits at Cabinet, has said he would like a reference to carers inserted instead.

The Oireachtas justice committee is expected to scrutinise the referendum wording in a meeting early next month. It is unclear if this will allow enough time for the order for the vote to be moved and for a referendum commission to also conduct its work.

Asked if the vote would go ahead, Mr Flanagan said: My civil law priority for the autumn session will be the holding of the referendum. My preference date and that of the Government will be the last Friday in October when it is anticipated the presidential election will take place.

This is particularly timely with the 100-year anniversary of womens suffrage. I want that referendum this year. However, I acknowledge our minority-government situation.

"And I understand the justice committee is meeting on this issue. I would encourage the committee and my colleagues to facilitate this taking place on the planned date.

The attorney general has advised that any insertion around guarantees in the home or the role of someone such as a parent or carer could have unpredictable legal consequences, depending on the courts.

This has been interpreted as possibly leaving the State with financial implications. However, no such test case based on women in the home has ever been taken.

Nonetheless, Mr Flanagan has compared a replacement reference in the Constitution as having similar implications to the 1983 Eighth Amendment, which restricted abortion.

Everyone agrees that Article 41.2 is not fit for purpose , is outdated, it needs to be deleted. I am very concerned, as justice minister, the unintended consequences of replacing deleted words with another form of wording.

We have only got to look back to the 1980s and the abortion debacle since then. I dont want any unintended consequences. My preference is for straightforward deletion.

The Government instead is proposing that issues around the rights of carers or those in the home should be protected in legislation and that this should be analysed by the citizens assembly. An alternative insertion into the Constitution is not an option, says Mr Flanagan.

I accept that there is a school of thought that would like to see a form of guarantee or acknowledgement of the work of carers. It is a separate and distinct issue. It is one for the Citizens Assembly. I would like to see that Citizens Assembly up and running in parallel with the referendum campaign.

Our Constitution, as a body of law, is quite a complex document. We have seen a number of incidents where wording was inserted in the Constitution which had consequences which were different to those that were intended.

We saw, for example, the Eighth Amendment had the affect of dividing Irish society for over 30 years. Any wording that is inserted in the Constitution needs to be legally robust.

In the case of 41.2, Im not convinced that there is an appropriate level of wording that is necessary to go into the Constitution.
Gardai should be out on our streets and not stuck behind desks, according to Fianna Fail's Jack Chambers.

The Dublin TD is calling for the civilianisation of the force after the publication yesterday of two reports from the Policing Authority that raised concerns over recruitment and high rates of crime along with falling detection rates.

Mr Chambers says communities need to see Gardai back on the frontline in the fight against crime

He said: "There is a clear policy that we should promote the civilianisation within An Garda Siochana where gardai need to be moved from positions related to administration and office work back out onto the streets.

"There is a crisis of visibility across our communities and it's important that we have gardai back on to the frontline."

The party's Justice Committee member says 2,000 recruits hired as part of the confidence and supply agreement should be used to support basic policing.

Mr Chambers said: "People need to see their gardai and feel safe in their homes and during difficult times that was a crisis where people couldn't see officers or get a proper response time if there was a difficulty or issue.

"It's very important that we build on the 2,000 number. There have been some very positive successes by An Garda Siochana in terms of gangland crime, so I think we can build on them in the context of getting back to the basic issues of policing."
By Fiachra O Cionnaith and Evelyn Ring

The Government is examining new laws to directly penalise hospitals, medics, and managers for breaking strict waiting list times amid revelations that 1m people are now unable to access vital care.

The move will guarantee patients are seen within short periods of time and could be in place by next year. It is among a suite of changes being considered as part of the Slaintecare 10-year health service reform.

As part of the multibillion-euro Slaintecare implementation strategy published yesterday, the Government has outlined a series of changes it wants to introduce to the health service by 2028.

The plans seeks to put waiting list targets on a statutory legal footing, meaning there will be direct consequences for hospitals, medics, and managers deemed responsible for limits being breached.

Asked to clarify a recommendation in the report for officials to develop a policy framework for an evidence-based waiting list guarantee, incorporating consideration of legislation to support the guarantee by 2019, a spokesperson for Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed: This will include consideration of legislation and associated consequences.

While the spokesperson stressed the legal change is still being examined, Department of Health sources said fines and other penalties for hospitals, medics, and managers who breach the waiting list limits could be introduced.

The move was first suggested by the Oireachtas committee on the future of healthcare 15 months ago.

It would be partially based on similar statutory rules introduced in Scotland under the 2011 Patient Rights Act. The Scottish law guarantees no patient will wait longer than 12 weeks for hospital care, and to be given the next appointment available in any nearby hospital if this is breached.

The law allows the NHS to take action against individual hospitals or health workers, and for patients to make immediate complaints about delays to their care.

While it has been welcomed in Scotland, it has also been criticised as a de facto charter for lawyers, while the rule has had a limited impact on waiting lists.

The potential new waiting lists law is one of 106 individual reform plans outlined in the Slaintecare implementation strategy, which also calls for:

2,600 additional hospital beds by 2028;

Guarantees that a single-tier health service will be introduced;

Overarching commitments for free GP, hospital, and general healthcare;

A likely 3bn transitional fund to be set up in Octobers budget to help pay for the reforms.

Medical groups criticised a lack of clear details in the plan, with the Irish Medical Organisation saying it will mean nothing for people needing help now. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association claiming the targets have no costings and are inherently flawed.
By Olivia Kelleher

Aosdana poet Matthew Sweeney had a gift for friendship and his mischievous smile and warm bearhugs led him to be much treasured by family, friends and his peers, a ceremony celebrating his life at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork city has heard.

Sweeney, 66, who died on August 5 at Cork University Hospital, was described by his daughter Nico as a person with a remarkable mind and buckets of imagination.

She said her father was a true artist.

Her childhood in Dombey St in London with her parents Matthew and Rosemary and brother Malvin was colourful, vibrant and exciting.

She said they shared their home with a wide range of colourful friends who dropped by for her fathers legendary cooking and his gift of entertaining. She said he deserved a Michelin star for his cooking.

Our childhood was enriched with delicious meals and a delightful soundtrack, said Nico.

We are so proud of who he was as a person and of his legacy of work. Dad will continue communicating with us through his poems. There are no words to describe how immensely you will be missed.

Her daughter Nell read out a poem written for her by her grandfather when she was born.

Sweeney also wrote a second poem for his grand- child Jude, which was also featured in the ceremony.

In the poem, entitled Hey Jude, he said that if his grandchild was to think of him at all he should imagine a brown bear in an office looking for a way out. But Jude was told not to worry as the bear would have his own jar of honey and would be resplendent in a pair of blue sunglasses and a pork pie hat.

Malvin joked that one of the great joys of his father was that they shared maturity levels when he was young. He regaled family and friends with a story of how his father livened up dull dinner parties by devising a shooter to fire corks from bottles back and forth with his kids. It was similar to a game of conkers, only with corks from wine bottles.

The winning shot was the one between the eyes, Eastwood style.

He said he once got in trouble for coming into school as a teenager having failed to shave. The school contacted his father, who said that if a beard was good enough for Jesus it would work for young Malvin Sweeney.

Meanwhile, Sweeneys partner Mary said he was a man who lived lightly over the earth.

She said Sweeney was a magnetic forcefield who drew poets together. She told mourners the Co Donegal native had given himself fully to his art.

It is clear, Matthew, that your writing and your teaching had and will continue to have an impact on the life of poetry infusing it with provocative energy, disturbing playfulness and colour

Friends and fellow poets including, among others, Jo Shapcott, Gerry Murphy, Maurice Riordan, Thomas McCarthy, and Padraig Rooney, recited poems by Sweeney and shared memories of him during the ceremony. Tales were told of how poetry editors could now sleep easy in their beds with his passing. Sweeney was known for writing trenchant and spirited replies when his work wasnt to the taste of certain individuals.

Friends and relatives at the ceremony were joined by the lord mayor of Cork, Mick Finn.

The Presidents aide de camp, Cl Liam Condon, was also in attendance.

Friends and afamily gather at the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, to makr the passing of poet Matthew Sweeney

Sweeney had published numerous collections of poetry during his lifetime and had been shortlisted for and had received a number of poetry awards.

He had launched his most recent collection of poetry, My Life as a Painter, in April. During his life he lived in London, Berlin, Timisoara in Romania, and in Cork.

He was a writer in residence in a number of universities, including UCC, and taught extensively. He particularly enjoyed mentoring new poets.

Sweeney was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year. He wrote a poem three days before he died.

His burial will take place today at 2pm in Clonmany New Cemetery, Co Donegal.
Up 10% of asylum seekers have been granted work permits under a new Government system.

The Justice Minister, Charlie Flanagan, brought in stringent regulations after the Supreme Court last year ruled the ban on seeking employment was unconstitutional.

Some have been relaxed since June, but the limitations still mean the vast majority of asylum seekers cannot access the labour market.

Around 500 people in Direct Provision, out of around 5,000, are qualifying for work permits.

Also, refugees who are reunited with their families are being pushed into emergency accommodation.

The head of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive has told The Irish Times it is adding to pressures on homeless services.

Refugees who have been given the right to reside in Ireland are entitled to bring their spouse and children to join them.

Eileen Gleeson says she has no issue with the reunification scheme but it is having unintended consequences.
By Stephen Maguire

A desperate mother has invited the health minister to visit her ill son screaming in pain as he awaits an operation to fix his spine.

Jason Hanlon has required constant care since being born with health complications.

Despite being in a wheelchair, he has always been a happy and contented young man, according to his family.

However, in recent years, Jason, 26, has developed scoliosis and is now in constant pain.

Jason, from Doochary, Co Donegal, is on a list for a vital operation to fix the curvature of his spine at Tallaght Hospital.

That operation has now been put back on two occasions.

His mother Liz fears he will not be operated on until next year as he cannot undergo a procedure during the winter months due to fears of infection.

Jason has had many challenges since birth but, despite this, he has always been a happy and contented child and we always cared for him, Liz said.

But the progression of scoliosis has turned his life into a living hell for himself and for all of us.

He is in constant pain and we are feeding him painkillers which are not doing him any good. His bowels are suffering as a result and Im just not sure how long he can take this.

This will kill him in the end and time is running out.

Liz said she appreciates there are other people on the waiting list for similar operations but she simply cannot stand by and watch her son suffer.

She invited Health Minister Simon Harris to come to Donegal to see for himself the agony her son is going through on a daily basis.

If he could hear the screams of Jason then he might do something about it. Nobody should have to go through this, she said.

He is in constant pain and to hear his cries day and night is just heartbreaking for us as a family.

Perhaps if the minister heard his pain firsthand then it would prove to him how quickly Jason needs this operation.

Jason is cared for by his family, including sister Aine and brother Adrian, a former Donegal GAA star.

Aine said that seeing her brother in constant pain is something she cannot take much longer.

To sit and watch my brother scream 24/7 with tears streaming down his wee face and not being able to explain to him what is happening to his own body is, as you can imagine, heartbreaking.

We can only hope that there is an answer soon and that his suffering eases; were a very angry and upset family willing to fight every step of the way for our Jason. We will never stop fighting his corner and, as a family, we will be your voice for you, Jason.
Two prison officers were slashed with a makeshift blade yesterday, one across his forehead, in an attack carried out by an inmate with a track record of assaulting jail staff.

One of the officers was lucky to escape with his sight after he received cuts above one of this eyes and across his temple, and his arm.

A second officer suffered cuts to his hand in the incident, which occurred in the Challenging Behaviour Unit of Mountjoy Prison at 8am.

The Prison Officers Association said it was particularly concerned at the attack given that the prisoner involved had a proven track record for serious assaults on officers and other professionals.

The prisoner is also awaiting trial over a serious incident in prison. The inmate is serving multiple sentences for violent attacks, including one involving torture. According to prison sources, he had been subject to a security regime known as barrier handling. This dictates that only officers in riot gear can interact with the inmate.

It is understood that this security regime was removed six months ago following a review and cassessment of his behaviour.

Sources said the attack occurred at 8am when officers were supplying the inmate his breakfast at his cell in the CBU in C Base of Mountjoy.

He came out of his cell and slashed two prison officers with a shiv who were feeding him at the time, said one source. One was cut above the eye and across the temple and on the arm and the other was slashed on the hand.

A shiv is a makeshift weapon, often comprising a blade inserted into the likes of a toothbrush, or other sharpened implements.

The source added: The prisoner has a long history of violence and had been on barrier handling to ensure staff safety but had been removed from this regime in the last year.

A spokesman for the Prison Officers Association said: We are asking how a prisoner with a proven track record for serious violence against prison officers was taken off a regime that protected staff.

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said: We can confirm the incident occurred and we reiterate the view of the director general that any act of violence against our staff is unacceptable and that these matters will be referred to the proper authorities for action.

The prison service is due to open a Violent Disruptive Prisoner Unit next month. The national unit, in the Midlands Prison, can house up to five of the most violent of inmates. The service provides support programmes for assaulted officers.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has refused to say how many adoption records will be examined as part of the scoping exercise investigating the scale of illegal adoptions.

The audit was announced at the end of May following the discovery by Tusla of 126 cases in which births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969 in the records of St Patricks Guild. The records transferred to the agency in 2016.

It is being led by independent reviewer Marion Reynolds and will involve the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and Tusla.

Campaigners had called for the results of the scoping exercise to be based on a large sample of records.

It has now emerged that the number of records to be examined and the methodology used in the audit will not be made public and will only be revealed in Ms Reynolds final report, which is due at the end of September.

The Irish Examiner put a series of questions to the Department of Children, asking for sample size and methodology, and whether the audit will involve examining records for other forms of illegal adoption outside of those clearly marked as illegal birth registrations.

The department declined to answer the queries and stated that any information on what the audit will examine and how it will examine records will not be made public until Ms Reynolds report is published.

A number of challenges have emerged, including issues in relation to the condition and diversity of the records concerned, which are being actively addressed by the review group. Tusla and the Adoption Authority are committed to full participation in the review and significant work has been undertaken to date, stated the department. Details of the sample and the methodology will be set out in Ms Reynolds report.

When the Irish Examiner sought more details, it stated it had nothing further to add to the response.

As far back as 2015, the Irish Examiner revealed that the AAI had told the department in 2013 that St Patricks Guild was aware of several hundred illegal registrations.

Adoption campaigners have said they will not be satisfied if the audit is based on a small sample size, particularly in light of private admissions within the department that the scandal goes across multiple agencies and would require massive resources to investigate fully.

The revelation is contained in a note of an April meeting between representatives of the department and the AAI.

At the meeting, attended by department secretary general Fergal Lynch and prepared by the Department of Children adoption policy unit, there is an acknowledgment that evidence of illegal registrations was not confined to St Patricks Guild.

It was stressed that a full investigation of these issues would be onerous, requiring massive resources.

This newspaper revealed in June that Tusla had raised concerns about a further 748 cases from St Patricks Guild. These cases contain evidence of names being changed, payments being made to the agency, placements of children with no corresponding adoption order, and other irregularities.

Many of these children are believed to have been sent to the USA.
Cancer patients in Ireland are among the last in Europe to have access to certain drugs due to persistent delays approving medicines.

That is according to the representative body for the international research-based pharmaceutical industry the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, the representative body for the international research-based pharmaceutical industry.

In its second quarterly bulletin, the IPHA states that seven cancer medicines are available, on average, in 12 western European countries  but not in Ireland. This is because they still await a decision for approval for use in the Irish system. Four of these medicines are for lung cancer.

According to the National Cancer Registry, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death between 2012 and 2014, accounting for 19% of cancer deaths in women and 23% of cancer deaths in men. Each year, 2,500 people are diagnosed with lung cancer, according to the Irish Cancer Society  it is among the top five most commonly diagnosed cancers.

The latest figures for medicines awaiting approval in Ireland, against the EU14, show that 10 IPHA medicines, evaluated through the Health Technology Assessment process, are still not on the reimbursement list for approval.

These medicines are available, on average, in 12 of the 14 western EU countries, but are not routinely available and reimbursed for patients in Ireland.

Seven medicines are for cancer, two for cardiovascular disease, and one for musculoskeletal treatment. They have been in the approvals process for, on average, more than two years, which the IPHA said is an unacceptably long time.

A total of 16 innovative medicines have been approved for reimbursement since the start of the year and are available to patients.

IPHA chief executive Oliver OConnor said Irelands progress in approving innovative medicines for patients remains frustratingly slow, especially for cancer and heart disease.

In this, our second bulletin benchmarking medicines availability in Ireland against our peer EU countries, the figures show that we have made no progress since the last quarter, said Mr OConnor.

This is very frustrating, both for clinicians and patients because it shows that Ireland continues to be among the slowest countries in western Europe to be able to access and reimburse innovative medicines.

That medicines for cancer and heart disease  Irelands two biggest killer diseases  feature so prominently in the list is very concerning. The Governments National Cancer Strategy aims to place Ireland in the top quartile of European countries for cancer survival in the next decade. The persistent logjam in approving cancer medicines will make it hard for Ireland to hit that target, especially when we know that about 73% of survival gains for cancer are attributable to new treatments.

In a statement, the Department of Health said it was not in a position to comment on claims and assertions made by the IPHA without having sight of the data which substantiates these claims.

It said evidence does not support the assertion that Ireland is an outlier when it comes to reimbursement decisions.

The HSE has a very good track record in getting drugs approved and reimbursed and the number of applications that are declined or refused is very small, said the statement
By Niall Murray Education Correspondent

A planning decision on a student accommodation project near University College Cork has been delayed as a number of details have to be clarified by the applicant.

Cork City Council has asked Kevin Lynch for more information about the application to build a five-storey block containing around 120-bed spaces in 19 apartments. He submitted the plans in February for a site near Dennehys Cross at Victoria Cross Rd, previously in use by a tyre company that moved to a nearby location.

The application was revised last month in response to a request for further information from planners in April.

The councils decision should have been known this week but, instead, it has asked for a number of issues to be clarified or revised.

They include details around access to a planned river walkway and the councils view that space to accommodate a 24-hour physical staffing presence is needed in the scheme.

The further information submitted in July included an initial student accommodation management plant but said that would be revised by an operator to be selected by the developer before any construction begins.

The site is a 10-minute walk from UCC and across the road from a number of existing student accommodation developments.

Permission was granted last month for a scheme about 500m away, with beds for 145 students.

An Bord Pleanala initially upheld the decision of Cork City Council to approve the accommodation in two three-storey blocks at the site of a disused warehouse on Farranlea Rd, which is also relatively close to Cork Institute of Technologys main campus in Bishopstown.

Under changes to planning policy adopted last month by the city council, purpose-built student accommodation

(PBSA)

developments should only be permitted in areas convenient to colleges or on public transport routes connected to third-level campuses.

Planning approval must now also include a condition that a comprehensive plan is in place to show the accommodation will be professionally managed and operated year-round.

While the scope for tourism lettings out of term is allowed, permission will not be given for the use of such developments for permanent residential accommodation or as hotels, hostels, or similar uses.

The citys full-time student population has grown by over a quarter to over 25,000 in a decade, prompting a booming investor interest in purpose-built student accommodation schemes.

Permission has been granted for more than 2,000 bed spaces in purpose-built projects in over a handful of schemes in recent years.

One of the largest is a 413-bed development under construction by BAM Property on part of the city centre former Beamish & Crawford brewery site.

The city council refused permission in June for 40 extra bed spaces in that development through the proposed addition of an extra floor and other changes.

A decision is still awaited from An Bord Pleanala in relation to appeals on permission given by the council in December for a student apartment development near UCC.

The Bandon Rd site, a short walk from the university, also incorporates part of the grounds of a Catholic church and would be visible from the nearby Lough amenity walk and park.
The health reform envisaged by Slaintecare will mean nothing for many people in need of urgent treatment now, doctors believe.

The Slaintecare implementation strategy will become just another aspirational document unless significant resources are allocated immediately, according to the Irish Medical Organisation.

IMO president Peadar Gilligan said while the plan is welcome, the elephant in the room is resources.

We have huge capacity problems in our health service today and what we need is urgent and sustained investment to counteract the damage done by years of budget cuts and there is no detail on how or at what pace the Government plan to invest, said Dr Gilligan.

While Health Minister Simon Harris acknowledged the need for additional resources, the amount needed is far from agreed, said Dr Gilligan. The reality is that for many people in urgent need of treatment now, Slaintecare will mean little or nothing at all. We are dealing with a system in crisis, which needs urgent, substantial, additional resources simply to be stabilised.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation warned that unless the Government focuses on solving the recruitment and retention crisis in nursing and midwifery, the expanded services in Slaintecare would not become a reality.

Nurses and midwives inadequate pay has to be addressed, said INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha.

And while ministers are right to allocate extra capital spending for the health service, that will be money down the drain unless new facilities are properly staffed.

The National Association of General Practitioners said Slaintecare was first published 423 days ago, after securing all-party agreement, and the Governments belated response yesterday smacked of empty rhetoric.

The NAGP said there were no costings for the 106 measures, which includes a new GP contract.

The association, which represents over 2,000 general practitioners, said it received assurances from the ministers office yesterday that they would be included in the contract negotiations.

However, without proper funding for GP-led primary care and Slaintecare, the assurances were meaningless.

If contract negotiations are further stalled, the NAGP will have no alternative but to advise its members to work to contract, said the associations chief executive Chris Goodey.

The NAGP recommends that GPs who feel their practices have reached the limit of safe capacity, in terms of patient numbers, should close lists to new patients.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association believes the Slaintecare implementation strategy is inherently flawed because it fails to provide adequate solutions to capacity deficits in the countrys acute hospitals.

The IHCA said there is a critical shortage of hospital beds, consultants, other frontline staff, and equipment that is impeding the ability of their members to care for patients.

The Private Hospitals Association said patients would have to wait a decade for the new elective hospitals and that action is needed now on cutting hospital waiting lists.

It said the lack of clarity surrounding the separation of public and private healthcare is regrettable and would further frustrate the over-arching aims of the plan to reform the entirety of the health service.

The Irish Patients Association said it would be a shame if political point scoring undermined or destroyed Slaintecare.
The cost of dental treatment abroad can come in much cheaper  but its important to do your research first, writes Ailin Quinlan.

How far are you prepared to go and how much are you prepared to pay for that perfect smile?

Because if youre going to fork out significantly less for expensive treatment such as implants, crowns, veneers or bridges, expect to travel thousands of miles abroad.

Social media and the influence of the all-pervasive Hollywood smile, allied with advances in cosmetic dentistry, have made us painfully conscious of the state of our teeth.

But that flawless, icy-white smile comes with a hefty price tag. To offset the cost, Irish people are booking dental holidays as far afield as India, Dubai, Hungary, Malta, and Turkey, while Poland is becoming increasingly popular as a dental tourism destination.

In some cases, people say theyre paying a fraction of the cost of similar treatment in Ireland. The most popular treatments sought by Irish dental tourists are implants, bridges, and crowns, according to Ildiko Cservenyak, managing director at Access Smile, which has a clinic in Budapest and a sister clinic in Dublin.

The majority of the people who decide to go abroad for dental treatment will be people who may need a significant amount of work done, she explains.

Prices vary in Ireland but generally for bridges, crowns, and implants in our clinic in Budapest, a client will pay around half what theyd pay in Ireland.

Root canal treatment costs about one-third of what it would cost in Ireland so the difference can be quite significant if extensive dental work is required, she says.

Root canal treatment work usually costs from about 250-300 in Ireland, depending on the kind of tooth treated, while implants can cost between 1,000 and 2,000.

Retired civil servant Carmel Murray jetted to India for treatment after being diagnosed with gum disease in Ireland and being told it would cost over 6,000 to resolve the problem.

After hearing a radio programme which mentioned Dr Biju Thomas, a specialist implantologist and consultant maxillofacial surgeon, who trained at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin, and who now runs clinics in India and Dubai, she emailed him, describing her problem in detail.

Carmel, from Blackrock, Dublin, was told that if she was prepared to travel to India, Dr Thomas would treat her over a 10-day period: There was a lot of work involved  my gums had to be built up, there were several extractions, some crowns, and six implants, she recalls.

Carmel saw Dr Thomas in 2004 and again in 2008 to continue the treatment. Each time she went for about two weeks. Her last visit took place in 2017, when she stayed in India for a month.

The cost of the treatment was about 50% to 60% less than in Ireland, says the 76-year-old, recalling that she liked to work her annual holiday around her visit to the dentist.

I could never have afforded to get this treatment in Ireland. Im very happy with the treatment and have had no problems in all of this time.

People used to say to me what will you do if anything goes wrong? Youre thousands of miles away. But I always said I could go to a dentist in Ireland!

According to Dr Thomas, who has been in practice for nearly 20 years, patients who attend his clinics in India or Dubai can save up to 80% on the treatment cost in Ireland.

A quick Google reveals that flights to Dubai, and a weeks accommodation there can potentially add up to 1,500, a hefty sum on top of dental treatment. However, most of Dr Thomas Irish patients travel to India, he says.

Return flights to Kerala come in at between 500 and 600, and accommodation is much cheaper there than in Dubai, so, if you work your annual holiday around it, as Carmel did, the actual cost of your dental work is further reduced.

People come to me through word of mouth and because of the cost and the expertise, explains Dr Thomas.

I am a maxillofacial surgeon and can do these complex procedures very quickly and efficiently.

Most of my patients are coming for full mouth reconstruction and would be in their fifties  these would be people who have had multiple teeth extracted in the past and they want dental implant treatment which is very expensive in Ireland, he says, adding that the cost of an implant in India is about 500 compared to up to 2,000 in Ireland.

I have been carrying out complex implant treatments for the last 20 years and am very specialised.

According to Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the Irish Dental Association, its not possible to say just how many Irish people engage in dental tourism annually.

Anecdotally, its estimated that large numbers of Irish people opt to travel abroad when they discover they need a significant amount of dental treatment.

Dr Thomas sees significant numbers of Irish patients every two months at his clinic in India, while Davor Mekterovic, managing director of Dental Hungary, which has operated a clinic in Ireland since 2005, says the clinic sends an average of five people each week to its clinic in Budapest for popular treatments like crowns, veneers, and implants. Patients save up to 70% on the prices they would pay here, he claims.

They get everything done under one roof and some work a holiday around it  for example, someone might come to Budapest for five or seven or 10 days.

I was very self-conscious

When Dublin housewife Mary Vaughan, 59, was quoted nearly 5,000 by an Irish dentist to have four crowns, she decided against proceeding with treatment.

However, four years later, her condition was much worse. My jaw was shrinking, a tooth was pushing forward, I had a recurring abscess and there were cracks in my front teeth. I was very self-conscious, she recalls, adding that Dental Hungary came recommended by a number of people.

Last summer Mary had an initial consultation, at which she was told she needed an extraction, some bridging, a root canal, and 22 crowns. In November she travelled to Budapest for eight days for work costing 8,900.

I estimate the same work would have cost me about 28,000 in Ireland for all of this. My husband has now decided to get implants in, with the same company. I was very pleased with the work.

Prior to this I shied away from having photographs taken  now I can smile!

So are Irish dentists overcharging? No, says Ildiko Cservenyak, who points out that although dentists in Ireland and Hungary use the same materials and hi-tech equipment, property prices and salaries are far lower in Hungary: Its much cheaper to rent a premise there than in Dublin.

Also, salaries in the dental sector in Hungary are much lower than in Ireland at less than half, or about a third of what staff would earn.

Davor Mekterovic is not quite so sure: If its about cost of living and overheads why do Northern Ireland dentists charge 30% to 40% less than dentists in the Republic?

There may be big differences in salary and lifestyle costs between Ireland and Hungary, but I cant see much difference in the cost of living between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

I have a whole new mouth

Colette Coyle who got all her necessary dental treatment done in Budapest earlier this year. Picture: Moya Nolan

Colette Coyle, 59, a medical skin technician who lives in Dublin, travelled to the Access Smile clinic twice last March for two days each time.

In all, Colette had eight teeth treated, including an implant and two crowns.

Her treatment cost 4,000, less than half, she believes, what the same work would have cost in Ireland.

Even with the cost of accommodation and flights worked in, it was significantly less than I would have paid in Ireland, and Ive had no problems.

I have a whole new mouth, and the whole thing was stress-free. For me it was all about getting all of these teeth done and dusted  if Id had it done in Ireland, Id have been forever trying to pay for it piecemeal. Now its done and its perfect and I havent an issue in the world.

All very well  but what about aftercare when your dentist is abroad? In terms of aftercare if it is something small our clinic in Dublin will look after it, says Mekterovic. If there is need for remedial treatment, the patient will go to Budapest.

Cservenyak explains that the same Dublin clinic that carries out Access Smiles assessments is geared to provide aftercare as well as check-ups and dental hygiene treatment.

According to Dr Thomas, patients just need check-up and cleaning following their implants, which is something they can get with their local dentist.

So far so good, but, points out Fintan Hourihan, people should be aware that there is strong competition in Ireland for most everyday treatments.

He points to the findings of a survey conducted by Dental Boosters in May. The study of more than 1,200 practices found extensive competition and variation on fees for most treatment items which means, if people shop around, there is usually good value to be had.

Furthermore, while it is true that crowns and implants may be cheaper abroad than in Ireland, he emphasises, people should always be aware that the gold standard for material used in crowns, for example, is porcelain.

People should always check to ensure that plastic crowns are not being used in their treatment.

It can be a case of apples and oranges, he says, adding that, in general, the biggest difficulty for people having overseas treatment is undergoing too much dental work in too short a period of time.

If too much is done in too short a time span, complications such as infections may occur, he says.

There is no statutory protection for people if things go wrong with dental treatment abroad, he warns, adding that its important for people to check how dentists are regulated in their destination country.

Is there a fitness-to-practice procedure, for example, is there professional indemnity insurance for people?

Is there a complaints system in place? If things go wrong you need to know in advance how your complaint will be addressed and that can be very difficult if you return home and realise something is gone wrong.

There are no plans for regulation of prices within the EU, he says, adding, however, that while people like to have a bright smile, it is important to have good gum and oral health, and the best way to avoid problems is to see your dentist regularly.

Its unlikely that most of us will fly abroad for regular dental treatment  as the Dental Boosters survey shows, prices for everyday dental work are competitive. However, if extensive  and expensive  work needs to be carried out, the often very significant cost savings of having dental treatment abroad are bound to be a deciding factor.

But remember, always, always do your research first.

- Be informed about the treatment you need. Speak with your dentist beforehand, who will be able to offer advice based on your dental history.

- Research the treatment proposed, the clinic where the treatment will be carried out and the dentist who will be performing the treatment. Word of mouth is a good indicator.

- Establish if the country to which youre planning to travel has a similar regulatory body for dentists to Ireland and if it is compulsory for all dentists there to register with that regulatory body. You can find out about health regulators and professional bodies in other countries at www.healthregulation.org or, for dentists, www.fedcar.eu

- Check that your dentist has professional indemnity insurance cover.

- Think about language and cultural differences which may impede accurate interpretation of verbal and non-verbal communication.

- Consider that your lack of familiarity with the local medical system, potentially limited access to your past medical history and possible unfamiliarity with your drugs and medicines, may pose challenges if complications in treatment arise.

- Ensure that you are satisfied with arrangements for follow-up care should there be complications.

- Ensure you are clear on how financial matters will be resolved if costs escalate, such as in the case of complications, as legal recourse may be limited or difficult to obtain.

Suggested questions:

- How will I determine the qualifications and experience of the dentist who will be treating me when I am abroad?

- Will the dental team who will be treating me be able to communicate with me in a language I will understand?

- What aftercare will be provided?

- If I need any remedial work and have to return, who pays for flights, accommodation and for the additional work needed?

- Does the dentist have adequate professional indemnity cover to carry out all dental/ surgical treatment including specialised procedures?

- What are my legal rights if something goes wrong with the treatment provided or if I am unhappy with the result?

- If I need remedial work for any reason including pain, bleeding or infection and do not want to travel back to where the original treatment was carried out, can I have it done at home? How will this be organised for me? Who pays?

- Who can I contact for advice after treatment?

- Will my records be kept in my language or the local language?

- Will I be given all my records after treatment?

For more information visit the Irish Dental Council website
Don OMahony

Film is a collaborative medium, but what is the situation if the filmmaker whose footage is being used is deceased? And what if that filmmaker is also your estranged father?

The father in question is American documentary filmmaker Arthur MacCaig and the son is Dublin filmmaker Donal Foreman.

Based in Paris for much of his life, MacCaig reported extensively on the conflict in Northern Ireland. He died in Belfast in 2008, at a time when Foreman was just starting out as a filmmaker. The pair had met only once as adults, just a short time before MacCaig passed away.

Described as a film between Donal Foreman and Arthur MacCaig, The Image You Missed is a deeply layered work, which traces Foremans interest in film and filmmaking and examines his search for his father through the prism of the Troubles.

I guess I thought from the beginning of the film being a way of sort of creating a dialogue between me and Arthur and one of the things that kind of excited me about embarking on the project was, as well as the personal interest I had, it was a way of bringing something new into my own filmmaking, that by kind of engaging with his archive I could sort of

transform myself in the process, explains Foreman.

So it was the way that I could kind of deal with these questions about politics and Ireland and filmmaking that I couldnt have done with otherwise.

And I wanted to bring a bit of his filmmaking approach and his outlook on the world into my own approach and then also, vice versa, to bring my own perspective to his material.

The blurring of the lines between the two men is achieved both subtly and dramatically in the way Foremans footage cuts into MacCaigs.

But there is also a powerful scene where the only footage MacCaig films in the Republic, shot from the DART, is juxtaposed with footage Foreman shot from one of the recognisable landmarks looking back to the DART line, a poignant metaphor of ships passing in the night.

Nevertheless, Foreman feels the experience has helped him develop as a filmmaker.

In the past, I tended to really shy away from any kind of exposition or didacticism or just kind of tackling ideas or tackling political questions head-on.

"So that was one area that was definitely new. And dealing with voiceovers and these kind of various tools of the essay film style, that was totally new to me and in a way it was pushing against my own instincts, he reflects.

Foreman visited MacCaigs apartment in 2009, and as he picked through his fathers archive he began to wonder would any image of him show up, but not even a photo emerged.

Foreman filmed MacCaig when they met in Paris and he appears in the film as a somewhat stilted figure. Their conversation mostly centred around film, particularly the acclaimed French essay filmmaker Chris Marker and radical American filmmaker Robert Kramer.

I wouldnt say there was a bonding, Foreman says.

We had a good chat about filmmaking and just about different films we liked and things like that. One of the healing aspects of meeting him was realising that it wasnt like there was a father that I had missed out on, because that wasnt who he was. That wasnt something he was capable of.

The Image You Missed screens at Triskel, Cork, from Sunday to Wednesday. Donal Foreman will introduce the 9pm screening on Sunday.
Jamie Oliver returns to our TV screens with a new show about the country where food is such a major part of the culture, writes Gemma Dunn.

Jamie Oliver has made no secret of his desire to educate the masses. In the past two decades alone, the Essex boy-turned-political crusader has tackled childhood obesity, with the goal to shake up school dinners; overhauled sugar intake; revolutionised home cooking; and provided a platform to train apprentice chefs from disadvantaged backgrounds.

All the while building his own empire  worth a rumoured 300 million. Phew.

"If I had a magic wand, if I could make one wish for the planet, Id want every child, at 16, to be able to cook 10 recipes to save their life,says Oliver, 43. I want to teach them the basics of nutrition, and the basics of shopping and budgeting. If you were to gift that to children, we would be in a much happier, healthier, more sustainable place.

He halts, before adding: The structure of education in most countries is science, maths, language and they think cooking is this f***ing periphery. A romantic, middle-class luxury: Oh isnt it cute?

But if you look at public health and death, if you cant cook, then your life has a certain curve to it and youll die at a certain age, he goes on.

Of course, some people dont, but if you take 10,000 people that cant cook, theyre dying shorter than the ones that can.

The latest target of his epic anti-obesity drive is junk food advertising. A movement thats seen him call for the UK government to impose a 9pm watershed on junk food adverts. Kids are bombarded, day-in, day-out, with ads for food and drink that are high in fat, sugar and salt. Weve #AdEnough, he tweeted back in April.

Interestingly, we have all the science and data from the cleverest people you can trust, that say junk food advertising needs to [happen] after nine oclock at night, he reasons, resolute in his mission.

But the heads of the advertising organisations and these channels are saying advertising doesnt make kids eat more stuff!

He has another strategy, however: One of our suggestions is that you shouldnt be able to use cartoons on cereal [boxes] or food that is unhealthy. They should be used for good, not for bad, he explains.

And if you look at all the graphics, the animations and the Disney characters, its nearly all of it, he says. Disneys legacy should not be in getting kids iller, but getting them healthier.

Point made. But its not all campaign trails and government-penned letters for the busy father of five (Oliver shares three daughters and two sons with his wife of 18 years, Jools).

The much-loved star has written enough bestselling cookbooks to fill a small library. Not to mention fronted endless small-screen triumphs. His latest TV foray, Jamie Cooks Italy, is, in fact, the reason were sat in his plush North London office today.

Joined by his long-time friend and mentor Gennaro Contaldo, Oliver will travel to eight different regions  from Puglia in spring and the Aeolian Islands in summer, to Tuscany in autumn and Rome in winter  to experience seasonal foodie delights and show the art of traditional Italian home cooking.

Who will put them through their paces? The true masters of the Italian kitchen, of course. The nonnas and the home cooks who have perfected recipes that have been lovingly handed down over generations.

I love the Italian approach to life - it fills me with such joy! quips Oliver.

To be a foreigner in Italy is a real gift; its really nice, its very simple."

Italians, generally, are very wonderful people, and as long as youre polite and you smile, and they can tell that you love food  not because you talk about it but because they know youre a foodie  theyll constantly go Try, try, he says.

The eight-part series also means quality time spent with his best friend Contaldo, who he first met during his time as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccios Neal Street restaurant in the 1990s.

Hes 69, Im 43, I think were both feeling a little bit fragile, Oliver confides. Not because were vulnerable, but were just looking at the next 20 years, and his 20 years looks a bit different to my 20 years.

So we want time together  were good together. He looked after me when I was a baby boy, he was my boss. And now I look after him. Its a cycle.

On the recipe front? Ive got all occasions covered. Fast and slow options, simple dishes for you and a friend, family suppers, weekend treats and epic celebratory feasts, he promises, with book Jamie Cooks Italy complementing the series.

Id love everyone to take a bit of the Italian heart and soul of the nonnas approach into their cooking.

Jamie Cooks Italy starts on Channel 4 on Monday.
As in a game of chess, there are geopolitical moves through which a country can, unwittingly, checkmate itself.

Opening a debate on German nuclear weapons would be such a move. Yet this is exactly what some Germans have recently proposed.

Supporters of a nuclear-armed Germany contend that Natos nuclear umbrella has lost all credibility, because of statements made by US president, Donald Trump.

There are at least three good reasons why a nuclear option would be foolhardy for Germany. For starters, Germany has repeatedly renounced it, first in 1969 by signing (and later ratifying) the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and then in 1990, by signing the so-called Two Plus Four Treaty, which paved the way for German reunification.

Casting doubt on these commitments would severely damage Germanys reputation and reliability, worldwide. Germany would call into question the credibility of Natos nuclear deterrence, and thus the alliance itself, along with the entire nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Since its creation, in 1949, Nato has been one of the worlds most successful instruments of proliferation-prevention. Not a single Nato member state  apart from the United States, the United Kingdom, and France  has found it necessary to acquire nuclear weapons of its own.

If Germany were now to break out of its non-nuclear power status, what would keep Turkey or Poland, for instance, from following suit? Germany as a gravedigger of the international non-proliferation regime  who could want that?

Second, a German nuclear bomb would damage the strategic environment in Europe, to Germanys disadvantage.

Russia would interpret German steps toward a nuclear arsenal as a direct threat to its own national security and would likely adopt military countermeasures.

That, in turn, would make it even harder to pursue the vision of a pan-European order of peace and security, a core foreign-policy goal of all German governments since that of Konrad Adenauer.

Moreover, a German nuclear ambition might jeopardise the delicate balance of power in Europe  including between Germany and France, for example  with incalculable consequences for the long-term cohesion of the European Union.

Finally, the pursuit of nuclear weapons would draw significant public opposition, especially given that such a move would be a complete about-face for German chancellor, Angela Merkels government, which, just a few years ago, moved to phase out nuclear energy altogether.

It is difficult to imagine a greater fiasco for German foreign and security policy than proposing a nuclear strategy and then failing to obtain parliamentary approval.

There are smarter, long-term ways to bolster Europes nuclear defence than introducing a German bomb. For example, France might be willing to consider playing an extended nuclear-deterrence role, along with the US and the UK within Nato.

While this would require a fundamental reorientation and Europeanisation of Frances nuclear strategy, Germany and other European partners could offer financial contributions to such an initiative, in the context of a

future European defence union with a nuclear component. But these are, at best, long-term options.

In short, no matter what Trump says, Germany will remain dependent on the US nuclear umbrella for the foreseeable future.

The best way to maintain Natos credibility, and be taken seriously by the US, is to work assiduously toward the alliances 2% of GDP target for defence spending and to invest more heavily in conventional military capabilities  not to satisfy US demands, but to protect our own security and defence interests.

But this is not simply about spending more; it is about spending more intelligently, particularly by pooling and sharing capabilities, and by systematic joint procurement with France and other European partners, including through the recently established EU Defence Fund.

None of this will work if Germany will not start defining military strategy, security, and defence as top political priorities.

Only then will the Bundestag be able to give the Bundeswehr  often referred to as a parliamentary army  what it needs to do its job.

The alternative  considering the development of nuclear weapons  would be a game-losing move.

Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to the United States, is chairman of the Munich Security Conference and professor for security policy and diplomatic practice at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
A year on from Charlottesville, white supremacists are holding a rally at the White House as a coterie of their most vehement cohorts eye a political seat, writes Bette Browne.

On the anniversary of a white supremacist march that left one person dead in the city of Charlottesville, the US is

bracing for a white rights rally near the White House this weekend as the far-right movement catapults itself deeper into the mainstream since the election of Donald Trump.

The location of the march in the heart of the nations capital is one indication that white supremacists have long come out of the shadows. Some have become even more ambitious in the year since Charlottesville, aiming to move from the streets into the corridors of political power.

This is evidenced by the fact that a record number of white nationalists are either standing for elective office in the midterm elections in November or are championing the cause of like-minded candidates.

At least nine candidates in the midterms have ties to white nationalists or Nazi groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Centres civil rights monitor.

Thats more than in any other election in modern US history.

They are taking heart, says the group, from the fact that even though Trump sparked outrage by refusing to outrightly condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis after Charlottesville, he has since continued to exploit Americas racial divide at many of his rallies.

Indeed, the Southern Poverty Law Centre goes so far as to accuse the president of normalising racism.

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley pulled no punches when summing up the presidents reaction to last years rally.

In the annals of US history, he said, Charlottesville will be seen as [the] moment when we saw that the president was a bigot.

Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Centre, which has been monitoring hate groups for over 40 years, said: In the past, [white-power groups] saw no space for themselves in the public sphere. Youd see the Aryan Nations [neo-Nazi groups] saying, We never really thought politics was worth our time.

Both Trump and a new group of racist candidates, she contended, have had the effect of re-engaging white supremacists in the political system.

She said last years Charlottesville rally left the nation in shock and forced us to face a brutal reality  that hate and bigotry long simmering in the shadows had erupted into the mainstream.

A year later, the racist alt-right, [white supremacists] whose hate speech and actions garnered national focus, is struggling, but their violent vision remains a persistent threat.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate crimes, says anti-Semitic incidents surged by 34% in 2016

compared with the previous year and in the first quarter of 2017, the number jumped 86% compared with the same period in 2016.

Given the size of the US population of 325m, the proportion of such incidents is relatively small but is nevertheless causing fears it could grow. Indeed, the number of hate groups in the country grew by 4% in 2017 and has risen 20% since 2014, according to figures from the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

It says 2017 was the third straight year to see a rise in the number of hate groups, which it has now documented in all 50 states.

There were also 233 chapters of black nationalist hate groups, such as the Nation of Islam, in 2017, compared to 193 the previous year.

Its against this volatile background and the still raw wounds of Charlottesville that white supremacists are hoping to gain political clout in the coming elections.

One of their leaders, the self-styled white civil rights activist Jason Kessler, won approval in June from the National Parks Service to hold a rally of about 400 people in Lafayette Park, directly across from the White House.

Kessler, who organised last years demonstration, initially applied for the rally to be held in Charlottesville again but his application was turned down by the city. His subsequent efforts to sue the authorities for denying his application failed.

Meanwhile, a coalition of groups including Black Lives Matter is planning a United Against Hate counter-demonstration not far from the White House.

Some suggest the Unite the Right movement has largely been enfeebled by legal actions and bans on the use of some social media platforms after Charlottesville, and that the Washington rally could turn out to be its last stand.

They cite the fact that organisers of the 2017 Unite the Right have been embroiled in a number of lawsuits filed by victims of the violence that took place and which saw the death of one counter-protester, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, when white supremacist James Alex Fields drove his Dodge Charger into a crowd of counter- of demonstrators. Fields has since been charged with first-degree murder, as well as federal hate crimes.

While the white supremacist movement has indeed splintered since Charlottesville, what appears to be happening now is that it is simply seeking to change its modus operandi.

Many are putting away the Nazi insignia and swastikas so evident in Charlottesville last year, and aiming for political clout at local and national level under the banner of Trumps Republican Party.

The president has never endorsed their agenda but they perceive that from his incendiary rhetoric against immigrants and other vulnerable groups that he is sympathetic to their ideas.

The majority of the candidates, many of whom have been selected by winning Republican Party primaries, are either neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, or white supremacists.

They are, by their very presence, shifting the pole of what most Americans find to be acceptable political discourse, says civil rights activist Eric K Ward of the Western States Centre. Some of these candidates support Trump, while others regret having voted for him.

Take Arthur Jones, for example. He is running in Illinois 3rd congressional district and is a former leader of the American Nazi Party.

He says he voted for Trump, but now regrets it because the Jewish lobby has Donald Trump locked up. I dont think the man realises how naive he appears to the rest of the world. Hes nothing but a puppet in their hands. Im embarrassed that I voted for him. If I could take the vote back, I would in a minute.

Jones campaign website includes a section called Holocaust? in which he argues that the idea that 6m Jews, were killed by the National Socialist government of Germany, in World War II, is the biggest, blackest lie in history.

The state and national Republican Party says it wants nothing to do with Jones. Yet 20,000 people voted for his candidacy in the partys March primary when he ran uncontested and he is now on the Republican ticket in November.

Then there is John Fitzgerald, who is running in Californias 11th congressional district. Fitzgerald denies the Holocaust and has sent out robocalls to constituents declaring that Jews are taking over the world and must be stopped.

Previously, Fitzgerald ran for Congress as a Democrat in the 2010 and 2012 primaries but won only 15% and 7% of the vote, respectively. He said that while he ran as a Democrat in those elections I wasnt really a Democrat. But I was just trying to get in the system.

Fitzgerald writes on his website:

I hope all of you ask yourselves why JEWS are primarily behind the push of multiculturalism, diversity and inclusiveness throughout the United States, Europe and other once predominantly white nations of the world and WHY many of our politicians allowing them to do so has led to rape and crime epidemics in its aftermath.

Seth Grossman is on the Republican ticket in New Jerseys 2nd congressional district. He has shared articles from prominent white supremacist websites, including one that claimed black people are inferior.

He also once claimed that diversity is a bunch of crap and un-American. The Republican Party said recently it was withdrawing its support of Grossman and called on him to reconsider his candidacy. He insists he will stay on the ticket, vowing to defeat Democrat Jeff Van Drew.

Paul Nehlen, in Wisconsins 1st congressional district, is running to fill the seat of retiring US House of

Representatives speaker Paul Ryan.

He has already been banned from Twitter for racist and anti-Semitic tweets, including racist tweets about Meghan Markle.

Corey Steward, in Virginia, is running for the US senate. Steward has wrapped himself in the Confederate flag and opposed the removal of Confederate monuments in Virginia.

He embraces the idea that slavery was not the catalyst for the Civil War. He also once called fellow Republican Paul Nehlen a personal hero, and initially refused to revoke his praise before later disavowing him and claiming he was unfamiliar with Nehlens extreme beliefs.

Russell Walker, running in North Carolinas state house district 48, says God is a racist and a white supremacist and that whites are the supreme group.

According to his website, he says he believes that the Jews are not Semitic, they are satanic as they all descend from Satan.

In many of these states the Republican party has disavowed these candidates, but nevertheless many have

succeeded in winning party primaries and securing a spot in the Novembers elections.

Republican Party officials are alarmed at the prospect that even if these candidates lose, as most probably will, their very candidacies could further damage the reputation of the party by campaigning under its banner.

And they could also seriously damage America by mainstreaming intolerance and racism in the political system.

The results of these coming elections will reveal much about the state of America in the age of Trump and what, if anything, it has learned in the year since Charlottesville.
Brexit, whatever it achieves for the UK, does little for Ireland and runs the risk of deepening divisions on the island, writes Richard Humphreys.

The Good Friday Agreement, signed 20 years ago, was meant to mark a new start to relationships within these islands. But the promise of the agreement is under challenge as never before.

At least five significant areas of uncertainty may lie ahead. The most immediate uncertainty is Brexit and the challenges it may pose for relationships on the island and for the invisible border.

After Brexit, there are fears that there may be attempts in Britain to repeal the Human Rights Act.

In Northern Ireland, Stormont remains gridlocked, the key Good Friday institutions are not functioning and the rights and equality commitments have not been fully implemented.

Even if devolution is restored, there are no guarantees to prevent a future collapse.

And at the end of the process lies the debate on the ultimate constitutional uncertainty as to the final status of Northern Ireland, either in a united Ireland or a United Kingdom.

The decision by a majority of the UK electorate to leave the EU  outvoting the local majorities to remain in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Gibraltar, and Greater London  threatens many of the intangible benefits of the agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement is about co-existence, building bridges, overcoming differences, softening borders.

Brexit, whatever it achieves for the UK, does little for Ireland and certainly runs the risk of deepening divisions on the island.

For the DUP that was perhaps one of the attractions  putting blue water between themselves and the mistrusted republic. But that approach runs the risk of backfiring  Brexit has significantly changed the debate on Irish unity.

That issue is no longer a black and white clash of identities, UK vs Ireland. It is now about whether the people of Northern Ireland want to be part of what is seen as an inward-looking UK or an outward-looking EU, with all of the rights that go with that.

Whether Irish unity is a good thing or a bad thing can be left to political debate. But Brexit has transformed the terms of the discussion.

In the short term, all sides are agreed as to the need to avoid a hard border. How this will be achieved is still being discussed but strong regulatory alignment, at least within the island of Ireland if not between Ireland and the UK, seems likely to be a key element of the ultimate agreement.

Once Brexit has taken effect, from March 2019, there are concerns that the political forces that delivered British withdrawal from the EU will move on to a new agenda to endeavour to repeal the Human Rights Act.

That would be a clear breach of the Good Friday Agreement. The agreement commits Britain to incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.

Replacing it unilaterally with a purely British bill of rights, with no link to European law, would violate one of the central rights commitments of the 1998 agreement.

Making the European convention part of the law has been a huge change in mindset with the UK, and to a lesser extent in Ireland.

It means that the debate on whether laws and actions comply with European human rights law can be discussed in domestic courts, rather than just in Strasbourg. It would be a major step backwards for the protection of human rights if that link were to be broken.

In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, the gridlock in Stormont continues. Here, there is an imperative need to return to the wording of the agreement and ensure its full implementation.

On the one hand, the unique power-sharing arrangements envisaged by the agreement mean that political parties must operate it in good faith. It is a breach of the agreement for them to pull out of government merely due to political disagreements.

On the other hand, the agreement also commits all participants to upholding equality of rights between the two traditions. That is set out in the strongest possible language in the agreement. That inevitably means that some form of legal protection for the Irish language will have to be enacted.

It is totally unsustainable to have the commitments to parity of esteem side by side with minimal status for Irish  for example, take the statutory prohibition that exists at present banning any language other than English from being used in Northern Irish courts.

The commitment to parity of esteem also poses significant questions for both Ireland and the UK more broadly. To what extent is Ireland recognising the British identity? Would there be merit in reconsidering the concept of allowing British citizens to vote in referenda, as proposed in the 1980s?

Would membership of the Commonwealth be worth considering, seeing as it has now changed so completely and become so much less threatening to republican identities since Ireland left it in 1949?

And on the British side, much antiquated anti-Catholic legislation remains on the statute book. This sends an unhealthy, even destructive message to those in Northern Ireland who trade on superiority and discrimination.

Going beyond the current impasse, there will come a point when the structural weaknesses of the agreement will have to be looked at. The agreement has two clear weaknesses. First of all, it makes it far too easy for a minority to block legislation.

If Stormont was allowed to legislate on a simple majority basis (like the Dail does), a huge range of issues such as the Irish language, LGBT rights, and other matters would simply be taken off the table.

Rights-based legislation would simply be passed. Instead, a blocking mechanism which was intended to protect rights has become a means of preventing the enactment of rights. That is a recipe for gridlock and stalemate into the indefinite future.

The second, even more serious, weakness of the agreement is that it is all-too-easy for one of the major parties to simply pull down the institutions at any time and prevent them from re-starting. In such a situation, all parties other than the major ones are rendered irrelevant.

Again, what started as a protection for minorities and rights has become a mechanism for stagnation. There is no good alternative to devolution  the alternative is simply British rule with Irish advisory input, assuming the British side wants to hear that advice. On recent evidence that is not entirely obvious.

Nobody has yet come up with a better alternative to the agreement so it is certainly not time for it to be scrapped or anything like it. But at some stage there must be an opportunity to review and improve it in order to anticipate and head off problems into the future.

Finally, at the end of the road of constitutional debate lies the ultimate question  should Northern Ireland remain as is or become part of a united Ireland?

While I would stand on the neutral sidelines on that issue, it is important  indeed essential  that the debate on possible unity takes place within the terms envisaged by the agreement. Two points are noteworthy: When is unity appropriate, and what sort of unity are we talking about?

As to when unity might happen, the agreement is clear  the mechanisms for unity are the clearest parts of the agreement. A border poll happens when the UK Northern secretary so decides  and she must call one when she thinks it will pass.

The decision of a simple majority of those present and validly voting is decisive  50% plus one, subject to a similar vote in the South.

There is no requirement for a super-majority. There is no requirement for unionist consent or parallel consent.

But as to what sort of unity are we talking about, the agreement rules out the old-style, four green fields nationalism. It requires recognition of the British identity into the future, including an ongoing right to British citizenship for the people of Northern Ireland.

And above all the agreement has no termination clause. So it remains in force even if unity is achieved. That means a power-sharing executive and assembly indefinitely into the future.

If there ever was a majority for unity, life would continue as normal in Stormont. MPs would go to Dublin as TDs rather than to Westminster, but Dublins role in legislating for the North would be quite limited, much as Westminsters is now.

Whether Brexit, unity, or any other changes are a good or a bad idea can be left to political debate. But in all the change and uncertainty, the agreement must be explained and upheld.

The key to negotiating the huge challenges ahead is to keep the agreements terms firmly in mind  the protection of rights for all, equality between the traditions, and strong protective institutions that can weather constitutional change.

If Northern Ireland as a functioning entity can be allowed to bed down, if rights can be afforded to all, and if the agreement is upheld and implemented, maybe the stale deadlock of the clash of constitutional identities may not matter so much in the end.
Asia Bangladesh Demands US Embassy Withdraw Criticism Over Protests

Students shout slogans during a protest over recent traffic accidents that killed a boy and a girl in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Sunday. / Reuters

DHAKA  Bangladeshs government demanded on Wednesday that the US 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 in 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 US 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 US 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 US 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 Hasinas 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.
Asia Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka Gets Six Years' Jail in Contempt Case

Buddhist monk Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara walks toward a prison bus while accompanied by prison officers after he was sentenced by a court for threatening Sandya Eknelygoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, in Homagama, Sri Lanka, on June 14. / Reuters

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday handed a six-year jail term to a Buddhist monk accused of inciting violence against Muslims, holding him guilty of contempt just months after he was convicted of intimidating the wife of a missing journalist.

The monk, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, leads the hardline Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or Buddhist Power Force, which government ministers and Muslims have accused of stirring up violence against Muslims and Christians, allegations he has denied.

The court sentenced him to six years rigorous imprisonment over a 2016 incident when Gnanasara interrupted a court hearing on the abduction of the journalist, Prageeth Eknaligoda, in which military intelligence officials were accused.

He shouted at the judge and lawyers because the military officials had not been given bail and threatened Eknaligodas wife.

The convict intentionally committed the offence to undermine the judiciary, Preethi Padman Surasena, the president of the court of appeal, said in delivering Wednesdays judgment, adding, Found guilty of all charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The monk was convicted on four counts of contempt of court, receiving terms of four years each on the first and the second counts, six years on the third and five for the fourth, all to run concurrently.

A BBS official told Reuters the group would appeal against Wednesdays ruling.

We feel there is an attempt by interested parties to have judicial process targeting Gnanasara. Therefore, though we do not agree with the judgment, we accept the sentence and we will appeal, said Dilantha Vithanage, the groups chief executive.

Gnanasara, who is being treated in hospital for an ailment, was not in court for the ruling. He has been on bail since filing an appeal against a conviction in a separate case on June 14.

In that case, he received two concurrent jail terms of six months, a fine of 1,500 rupees ($9.39), and a compensation payment of 50,000 rupees ($313) for having threatened the journalists wife, Sandhya Eknaligoda.

Since 2014, the monk has faced accusations in cases regarding anti-Muslim violence, hate speech and defaming the Koran, the Muslim holy book.

That year Gnanasara signed a pact with Myanmars Ashin Wirathu, who once described himself as the Burmese bin Laden, in what the duo called a bid to counter regional conversion efforts by Islamists.
News Bagan Ready for UNESCO Ground Inspection

Tharapa Gate: Currently only bicycles, motorcycles and electric bikes are allowed to pass through to protect the historic landmark from potentially harmful vibrations. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Mandalay  The Bagan branch of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library said the historic site is ready to host members of the World Heritage Site Committee, which is sending a team to visit the area in September.

The International Council on Monument and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, will also do a ground inspection and offer its assessment of Bagans bid to be included on the UN agencys list of World Heritage Sites.

The requirements such as the additional reports that the council suggested we do have been completed and we are ready for the ground inspection, said U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the Bagan branch of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, which comes under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.

The ICOMOS ground inspection team will submit its findings to UNESCO, which will then deliberate on Bagans candidacy at its next World Heritage Site convention, in 2019.

Since 1994, the country has sought to register the area as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, the original application was rejected due to the sites failure to meet the requirements of World Heritage Site status, on account of alleged mismanaged development plans and sub-standard, inauthentic restoration efforts under previous governments, especially in the 1990s.

In 2014, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture again nominated Bagan for a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing and the nomination dossier was submitted in 2016.

Bagan is one of the countrys major tourist attractions, with more than 3,000 pagodas and temples dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries.

At the same time as it prepares for the UN teams visit, the ministry is holding a series of meetings with hotel owners in Bagan to find a solution to the problem of hotels built inside the archaeological zone.

We could not take a decision immediately to relocate the hotels as we need to think about the interests of both sides. However, we believe we will find a solution that will not hurt either the countrys heritage or business interests, U Aung Aung Kyaw said.

In November 2017, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture said it would negotiate with the owners of hotels built within the ancient citys archaeological vicinity to designate hotel zones or relocate them away from the ancient pagodas.

Concerns over new landscaping near ancient gateway

Meanwhile, there has been rising criticism over landscaping practices near the ancient Tharapa Gate. The department is planning to plant grass near the Tharapa Gate, and locals worry the watering system could harm the adjacent old wall.

The gate is already beautiful in its own ancient way. Manmade landscaping with planted grass will not attract visitors, but only have a bad impact on the ancient wall, said U Thura, a local environmental activist.

The locals said trenches dug for the watering system at the base of Tharapa gates wall will weaken the old structure.

Since Bagan is in a dry zone, the grass will need to be watered. Then moisture could affect the strength of the ancient wall. Weve told the authorities but they do not listen. We are afraid this could affect the UNESCO bid, too, U Thura said.

U Aung Aung Kyaw, however, played down the worries, telling The Irrawaddy that the lawn would be about 5 to 10 feet from the gate and that it would not affect the ancient wall.

We can assure everyone that it will not harm the heritage (of the structure) and that we are doing this in line with an experts recommendations, he said.

Traffic passing through Tharapa gateway has been restricted since about 8 years ago to prevent the vibrations from affecting the ancient wall. Only bicycles, motorcycles and electric bikes are currently allowed to pass through the gate.

However, the department said it would reopen the gate to small cars driven at slow speeds, to ease traffic jams in the peak tourist season.

We also received concerns over the reopening of the gate. People think we will allow big tour buses to go through. We also have concerns about the conservation of the ancient walls and we will allow only small cars and will limit the speed. This is to prevent traffic jams as the influx of visitors into Bagan is rising, U Aung Aung Kyaw said.

QR codes for easy access of information

To provide the information to visitors, the department, with the help of Computer University and Thailands National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), is installing QR code boards at 20 pagodas in Bagan.

Visitors can easily scan the QR codes on their mobile phones and obtain the history and other information about the pagodas displayed as text and audio, in both Burmese and English.

Since this is a testing period, the information is not complete yet. But we are trying our best to update the data and we will install the QR code boards at the remaining pagodas and temples very soon, U Aung Aung Kyaw said.

The QR code boards were being installed at 20 well-known pagodas in Bagan, including Sularmani Pagoda, Ananda Pagoda, Bu Phaya, Manuha Pagoda, Thatbyinnyu Pagoda, Gadawpalin Pagoda, Pyatthatgyi Pagoda, Bulaethee Pagoda and Dhammayazika Pagoda.
Burma $50.3M Grant From Japan to Help Central Bank Beef Up Financial Network

A view of a branch office of the Central Bank of Myanmar in Yangon. / MPA

YANGON  The Central Bank of Myanmar on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a grant of up to 5.59 billion yen ($50.3 million) to upgrade the banks financial network system.

CBM-NET, the Central Banks financial network system, is a centralized, real-time interbank fund and securities settlement system. It was built with a prior grant from JICA in 2013 as part of a project to develop Myanmars financial market infrastructure.

JICA said in a press release on Wednesday that there was rising demand for credit from the private sector, an expanding inflow of foreign investment, and a gradual increase in the use of financial services by individuals, resulting in a larger and growing volume of funds and data being handled by financial institutions.

Pointing to the need to improve the efficiency of payment services, speed up transaction processing times and respond to global trends, JICA said the new grant will enable CBM-NET to handle a diverse range of financial transactions and to conform to international standards.
Burma Myanmar Says It Will Not Work with ICC on the Court's Meritless Rakhine Case

Rohingya refugees are reflected in rainwater after fleeing from Myanmar into Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh on Nov. 2, 2017. / Reuters

YANGONThe Myanmar government announced on Thursday that it will not engage with the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it considers whether to open a case over the alleged deportation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh.

In June, the ICC asked Myanmar to respond by July 27 to a request made in April that the ICC exercise jurisdiction over the alleged crimes. The ICC asked Myanmar to submit its views on the courts jurisdiction and the circumstances surrounding the movement of Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh.

Around 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya, have fled to Bangladesh since the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) launched clearance operations in northern Rakhine State in response to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)s attacks on security outposts in August 2017. The government denounced ARSA as a terrorist group, while the UN has called the Tatmadaws operations ethnic cleansing.

In June, the Myanmar Presidents Office said it would not respond to the request and called the ICCs demand a deliberate attempt to increase international pressure on the government.

Myanmars official response to the courts request came in the form of a statement released on Thursday by the State Counselors Office. The statement said that in its view, the courts jurisdiction was meritless and should be dismissed. In support of this position it cited 20 points in five categories including bad faith, procedural framework irregularities and lack of transparency.

The governments first point was that Myanmar is not a State Party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

The statement goes on to say that the prosecutor appeared to have ignored the fact that the UN Security Council issued a presidential statement stressing the need for a transparent investigation into alleged human rights abuses while, at the same time, recognizing Myanmars sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Respect for Myanmars sovereignty would permit [the continuation of investigations into] violations of international humanitarian law, whether committed by [Myanmars] own forces or by elements hostile to the Government authorities such as the forces of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, it said.

Pointing to what it claimed were irregularities in the courts procedural framework, the government pointed out that the ICC prosecutor had not sought the opening of an investigation by virtue of her proprio motu powers. Proprio motu refers to an act taken at the initiative of an agency or authority, often a court, without being requested to do so by another party.

By her actions she has put the cart before the horse by approaching the pre-trial chamber for a ruling on jurisdiction before conducting a preliminary examination, the announcement said.

It added that Myanmar and Bangladesh had signed agreements to facilitate repatriation of verified residents of Rakhine State who crossed over to Bangladesh after terrorist attacks in 2016 and 2017. The announcement also mentioned other MoUs signed between the government and the UNDP and UNHCR securing UN participation in humanitarian aid and development in Rakhine, as well as the recent formation of an independent commission of enquiry into allegations of human rights violations and related issues following the attacks by ARSA.
Burma UWSA Still Open to Joining NCA in Exchange for Right to Quit, Alter Pact

The secretary of the governments Peace Commission, retired Lt-Gen. Khin Zaw Oo (left), shakes hands with UWSA external affairs chief Zhao Guo An (right) at the third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Peace Conference in Naypyitaw. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe United Wa State Army (UWSA) would consider signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) if the government and Myanmars military (Tatmadaw) gave the group a written promise that it would have the right to seek changes to and/or resign from the agreement, a UWSA official said.

We said it clearly at the third session of the 21st-Century Panglong [Peace Conference]. We would consider it if [the government and Tatmadaw] made a written promise, Nyi Rang told The Irrawaddy.

A UWSA delegation met State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar Army chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the conference in Naypyitaw in the second week of July.

Government spokesperson U Zaw Htay said that while the NCA does not explicitly address the issue of leaving the agreement, under Section 27, signatories and the government can negotiate issues not covered by the agreement.

Ethnic affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe urged the UWSA and the governments Peace Commission to hold talks on the issue.

U Zaw Htay said the signatories and the government can negotiate issues that are not covered by the NCA. So, [the peace commission] should hold formal talks with the UWSA, he told The Irrawaddy.

Nyi Rang said the UWSA and the Peace Commission are arranging a date for talks. UWSA and Tatmadaw leaders have agreed on the need for more frequent talks between two sides, he added.

The two sides need to build trust, so they need to meet more around the table. The lack of such meetings can only harm the country, Nyi Rang said.

However, a government official said on condition of anonymity that the Tatmadaw is unlikely to make such a written promise because it would set a precedent for other signatories.

U Maung Maung Soe agreed, saying, Whenever a disagreement arises, any member could resign, not only the UWSA. I dont even know if [the government and Tatmadaw] need to make such promise. There will be disputes whenever there are disagreements. And there will be resignations. It isnt necessary to make such promise.

The UWSA and the Peace Commission are likely to meet in August or September under Chinas meditation, U Maung Maung Soe said.

The UWSA signed a truce with the then military government in 1989. In 2011, during then-President U Thein Seins administration, it signed state- and Union-level ceasefires.
Burma Yangon Court Charges 10 Over 2015 Drug Bust

A suspect in a 2015 drug bust is seen at the Yangon North District Court on Thursday. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The Yangon North District Court on Thursday charged 10 suspects including Min Oo Khaing, owner of Kaladan Delta Development (KDD), in connection with what was at the time a record drug bust in Yangons Mingaladon Township three years ago.

Min Oo Khaing is the primary suspect in a drug bust on July 26, 2015, in which police found nearly 27 million methamphetamine tablets worth an estimated 133 billion kyats ($8.87 million) in the back of an abandoned truck in the Mingaladon industrial zone.

Most of the other suspects worked for KDD, according to their relatives.

One of the suspects, Tun Kyaw Zan, told reporters that he had nothing to do with the drugs. He and six other suspects charged on Thursday were sentenced to 48 years in prison in June by the Yangon East District Court in connection with drug busts in East Dagon and North Dagon townships.

Min Oo Khaing was not convicted for those busts, though police and court officials said that their investigation into his activities led to the seizures. In follow-up raids tied to the drug bust in Mingaladon, police seized 1.5 million stimulant tablets from a house in North Dagon Township on Sept. 3, 2015.

Police seized another 2 million stimulant tablets and 500 bottles of phensedyl cough syrup  an addictive substance known to be used recreationally  from a warehouse in East Dagon Township on Sept. 21.

Nearly 4 million stimulant tablets and 350 grams of crystal methamphetamine were seized at a house in East Dagon Township on Sept. 29.

Min Oo Khaing surrendered to an anti-narcotics unit of the Myanmar police force in the Thai border town of Mae Sot on Sept. 15 and extradited to Yangon.

Ma Win Nyein Khaing, who was also charged on Thursday, was previously sentenced by the Yangon East District Court to 32 years in prison; another suspect, Cho Cho Win, was acquitted.

The brother of Than Shwe, who was sentenced to 48 years in prison, said his brother had nothing to do with the drugs.

My brother is just a ferry driver [for KDD]. He only worked there for nearly two months. He quit because the company refused to give him a raise. Police arrested him at our house, he said.

The men convicted by the Yangon East District Court had pleaded not guilty and have appealed. Their relatives said the sentences were not fair and that the main perpetrators were still at large.

The trial in the Mingaladon case at the Yangon North District Court starts on Aug. 15 with witness testimony.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Thursday, August 9th, 2018 (10:39 am) - Score 1,476

UK ISP MLL Telecom has won the contract to upgrade internet connectivity infrastructure for South Ayrshire Council in Scotland with a new Wide Area Network (WAN). The aim is to completely replace the authoritys legacy wireless network infrastructure with a new a fully managed service.

Local schools and other public sector sites are also expected to benefit from the new network, which will be additionally used to cost effectively connect local infrastructure services such as traffic lights, CCTV cameras and public Wi-Fi over the new core. Enhanced bandwidth (speeds) have also been promised, although no hard figures were provided.

On top of that MLL has pledged its own support to developing new opportunities for the South Ayrshire community. This includes a commitment to improving local education, employability and developing new skills for citizens as part of its apprenticeship scheme and ongoing recruitment of local engineers. Council-nominated charities will also benefit from ongoing fundraising led by the ISP.

Cllr Peter Henderson, South Ayrshire Council, said: Were working to ensure our customers can access services reliably, and at a time that suits them. Our new contract with MLL Telecom is the first step to help achieve this ambition, as it will bring our ICT communications bang up to date with faster and more reliable voice and data connections, improved security, and systems which can adapt to changing customer needs. These improvements will also allow us to upgrade Wi-Fi access for schools, customers and Council staff, and replace outdated and costly technologies such as radio systems and hard-wired CCTV cameras.

Ross Duke, Technology Director at MLL Telecom, added: Having grown up in Ayr, I know first-hand the challenges that South Ayrshire communities face as a result of poor network infrastructure. Its time that the ageing infrastructure is brought into the future and is able to support the Councils digital transformation plans. Well be combining our experience as a managed service provider to the public sector and demonstrating our ability to provide a resilient, reliable and secure solution to upgrade a network that is no longer fit for purpose.

The contract will run for 5 years and migration onto the new network is scheduled to commence from early 2019.
It has taken less than six months for the Australian data breach legislation to be shown up as an eyewash, with the data breach at human resource company PageUp People illustrating the shortcomings of the law which some had hailed as being akin to the second coming.

PageUp People has been silent about the breach since 19 June, having announced it publicly on 6 June. The company published information about the breach on its website, and then quietly published further information on a different page without linking from the old site.

How can the public know whether it is safe to deal with the organisation or not? No company that uses PageUp's services discloses that fact when someone applies for a job. The data breach notification provisions were supposed to make the public feel safer.

A tech consultant, Ian Brightwell, informed iTWire last month about the new information, having been told about by some of the companies that had used PageUp People's services and were informing their clients about the breach.

By now, PageUp must be fully aware of any data leaks that have taken place, as it had engaged security firm Hivint to assist it with incident response co-ordination and security outfit Klein & Co to do the forensics needed.

The extent of access, the time, the destination of data, all could be ascertained by looking at logs. But the company has maintained a studious silence, probably because to speak up would damage its business.

Among PageUp's clients are the Commonwealth Bank. the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Telstra, NAB, Coles, Aldi, Medibank, Australia Post, Target, Reserve Bank of Australia, Officeworks, Kmart, Linfox, AMP, Asahi, Sony, Newcrest, the University of Tasmania, AMP and Lindt.

At least one of these, the ABC, appears to have resumed its use of the company's services, at least for positions it advertises on Seek.

As iTWire has pointed out, PageUp is treating the breach as a public relations disaster and maintaining a low profile in order to try and let the incident disappear from public memory.

But reasoning that there will be no side effect of the data leak just because nothing has happened so far has not held up in other incidents.

For example, the group Linux Australia, which serves as an umbrella organisation for all Linux user groups in the country, suffered a data breach back in 2015.

As recently as 24 July, the president of the organisation, Kathy Reid, posted a message to the group's general mailing list, saying she had received feedback from a member who had been sent a bitcoin/ransomware threat email which used a password that this member had been using circa 2015.

"Their analysis is that this information could only have come from one of two places  a large dump released in 2016 of data taken from LinkedIn, or the Linux Australia breach," Reid wrote.

There have been suggestions that the Australian authorities are aiding PageUp in its mission to play down the breach, in order to set a precedent as this is the first big breach that has received some publicity.

Playing a big role in this "nothing to see here" strategy has been Alastair MacGibbon, the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, who has been cited as describing PageUp as being effectively "victimised" as a result of having to out itself to Australian customers before it even knew for certain there was a problem.

Helaine Leggat, head of cyber law at Sladen Legal, told iTWire in response to queries last month that the Department of Home Affairs and other Australian authorities may have decided to practice "security through obscurity".

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, in its quarterly breach report, noted that only one of 242 reported during the April-June quarter had affected up to a million people. This would have to be the PageUp breach.

Though Leggat said there were reasons why this strategy was being adopted, she said that "from a trust and company risk/reputation point of view, one would think that PageUp People would want to communicate more frequently. (I recommend Crisis Communications Policies, among other things)".

One can only hope that some other organisation which requires data breach notification  like the UK Information Commissioner's Office  will ensure that PageUp tells the whole story. Else, maybe some group on the dark web will leak information, forcing PageUp to come clean.
Annual security costs for companies are much less in Australia than in Germany, the US, the UK and Singapore, the global cyber security firm Malwarebytes says in a report released on Wednesday.

The report was compiled by Osterman Research who spoke to 900 senior IT decision-makers across the five countries, asking them about the effect cyber crime was having on their businesses.

They were also asked about the IT security costs associated with remediation, hiring, recruiting and retention.

The findings covering the Australian market:

Total annual security costs for Australian organisations were the lowest among the five nations surveyed at US$861,789, far less than the global average of US$1,167,178.

Australian organisations experienced fewer security incidents over the past 12 months than the global average of the five nations surveyed, But the survey said this may be set to change with the recent data breach regulation requirements coming into effect.

Sixty-seven percent of Australian organisations were affected by some type of security threat compared to the global average of 73%.

Major events in Australia were not as common as elsewhere. The report found that Australian organisations suffered an average of only 0.6 major events during 2017.

Despite this, Australian organisations suffered their fair share of attacks, with 67% saying they had been affected by some sort of threat during the previous year. They were also more likely than the global average to experience ransomware infections.

Salaries for security professionals in Australia were the highest among the five countries surveyed.

The average starting salary for an entry-level security professional in Australia is substantially higher than the global average.

Despite this, the prevalence of black hat activity in Australia was similar to the global average of other nations surveyed at 41%.

The average security budget for Australian organisations was set to increase. The average budget was nearly US$462,000 for a 2500-employee organisation in 2017, and would increase by almost 19% in 2018, the highest among the nations surveyed.

That said, security budgets in Australia were lower than the global average by 14%, and despite increasing, were still projected to be 10% lower in 2018.

Australian organisations spent the least among the nations surveyed on remediating active compromises  7.9% of their 2017 budget  significantly lower than the global average of 12.5%.

The cost of remediating major events was the lowest among those surveyed. Australian organisations would spend the least among the nations surveyed to remediate a major event if it were to occur  an average of just under US$166,000  which is significantly lower than the global average of nearly US$290,000.

Threats were taken seriously by Australian organisations, but only to a point.

Australian organisations were less likely than the global average to treat problems like ransomware and phishing as very serious, and they were much less likely than the global average to consider problems like nation-state attacks and hacktivism as very serious problems.

Australia had the lowest level of grey hat activity with only 3.4% of security professionals indulging in such activity. This was lower than the global average of 4.6%.

As malware and cyber criminal activity advances and becomes more complex, the report highlights a growing need for Australian businesses to revisit how they identify, protect against and remediate malicious cyber activity, said Malwarebytes regional director, Australia and New Zealand, Jim Cook.It is a concern that this report indicates that Australian businesses were more likely to experience ransomware infections than their global counterparts.

"Despite the increased risk facing Australian businesses, our budgets remain the lowest of the nations surveyed. This highlights how important it is for cyber security to remain a top priority for Australian organisations, especially as they look to set their business strategies and plans in motion for 2019.

Graphic: courtesy Osterman Research
A frequent complaint about inkjet printers is the high cost of ink when purchased in the usual small cartridges. Buying ink in bottles is a lot cheaper, but traditionally this meant using third-party ink (which may or may not have given similar results to the OEM ink) and refilling the cartridges.

In 2010, Epson started selling inkjet printers with high-capacity ink tanks that could be refilled from bottles of "genuine" ink. Sales started in Indonesia, and subsequently spread to about 150 countries and regions.

The company has now sold 30 million of these printers worldwide, retaining marketshare leadership in this category.

Epson has now set itself the goal of making ink tank models the mainstream of the inkjet market, and to "promote the replacement of laser printers with high-capacity ink tank inkjet printers by enhancing its lineup with products with overwhelming cost performance and enhanced easy-of-use".

The plan is to sell 9.5 million ink tank printers in the financial year ending March 2019, which would be an increase of 20% on the previous year and approximately 55% of Epson's total inkjet printer sales.

"High-capacity ink tank inkjet printers have a low environmental footprint, have lower running costs, and allow users to print freely and with less effort compared to laser printers and ink cartridge printers," said Seiko Epson printing solutions operations division director, senior managing executive officer and chief operating officer, Koichi Kubota.

"Epson has transformed the printer business model, and will continue to provide comfortable printing environments that allow our customers around the world to demonstrate their creativity and enjoy high productivity."

Generally speaking, the choice between cartridge and ink tank inkjets comes down to how many pages will be printed. Cartridge-based printers are relatively cheap to buy, but replacement cartridges are costly. Ink tank printers are a lot more expensive, but the ink cost per page is a lot lower, so once a certain output volume is reached the total cost per page is also lower.
Malware definition

Malware, short for malicious software, is a blanket term for viruses, worms, trojans and other harmful computer programs hackers use to wreak destruction and gain access to sensitive information. As Microsoft puts it, "[malware] is a catch-all term to refer to any software designed to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network." In other words, software is identified as malware based on its intended use, rather than a particular technique or technology used to build it.

This means that the question of, say, what the difference is between malware and a virus misses the point a bit: a virus is a type of malware, so all viruses are malware (but not every piece of malware is a virus).

Types of malware

There are a number of different ways of categorizing malware; the first is by how the malicious software spreads. You've probably heard the words virus, trojan, and worm used interchangeably, but as Symantec explains, they describe three subtly different ways malware can infect target computers:

A worm is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer.

is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer. A virus is a piece of computer code that inserts itself within the code of another standalone program, then forces that program to take malicious action and spread itself.

is a piece of computer code that inserts itself within the code of another standalone program, then forces that program to take malicious action and spread itself. A trojan is a program that cannot reproduce itself but masquerades as something the user wants and tricks them into activating it so it can do its damage and spread.

Malware can also be installed on a computer "manually" by the attackers themselves, either by gaining physical access to the computer or using privilege escalation to gain remote administrator access.

Another way to categorize malware is by what it does once it has successfully infected its victim's computers. There are a wide range of potential attack techniques used by malware:

Spyware is defined by Webroot Cybersecurity as "malware used for the purpose of secretly gathering data on an unsuspecting user." In essence, it spies on your behavior as you use your computer, and on the data you send and receive, usually with the purpose of sending that information to a third party. A keylogger is a specific kind of spyware that records all the keystrokes a user makesgreat for stealing passwords.

is defined by Webroot Cybersecurity as "malware used for the purpose of secretly gathering data on an unsuspecting user." In essence, it spies on your behavior as you use your computer, and on the data you send and receive, usually with the purpose of sending that information to a third party. A is a specific kind of spyware that records all the keystrokes a user makesgreat for stealing passwords. A rootkit is, as described by TechTarget, "a program or, more often, a collection of software tools that gives a threat actor remote access to and control over a computer or other system." It gets its name because it's a kit of tools that (generally illicitly) gain root access (administrator-level control, in Unix terms) over the target system, and use that power to hide their presence.

is, as described by TechTarget, "a program or, more often, a collection of software tools that gives a threat actor remote access to and control over a computer or other system." It gets its name because it's a kit of tools that (generally illicitly) gain root access (administrator-level control, in Unix terms) over the target system, and use that power to hide their presence. Adware is malware that forces your browser to redirect to web advertisements, which often themselves seek to download further, even more malicious software. As The New York Times notes, adware often piggybacks onto tempting "free" programs like games or browser extensions.

is malware that forces your browser to redirect to web advertisements, which often themselves seek to download further, even more malicious software. As The New York Times notes, adware often piggybacks onto tempting "free" programs like games or browser extensions. Ransomware is a flavor of malware that encrypts your hard drive's files and demands a payment, usually in Bitcoin, in exchange for the decryption key. Several high-profile malware outbreaks of the last few years, such as Petya, are ransomware. Without the decryption key, it's mathematically impossible for victims to regain access to their files. So-called scareware is a sort of shadow version of ransomware; it claims to have taken control of your computer and demands a ransom, but actually is just using tricks like browser redirect loops to make it seem as if it's done more damage than it really has, and unlike ransomware can be relatively easily disabled.

is a flavor of malware that encrypts your hard drive's files and demands a payment, usually in Bitcoin, in exchange for the decryption key. Several high-profile malware outbreaks of the last few years, such as Petya, are ransomware. Without the decryption key, it's mathematically impossible for victims to regain access to their files. So-called is a sort of shadow version of ransomware; it claims to have taken control of your computer and demands a ransom, but actually is just using tricks like browser redirect loops to make it seem as if it's done more damage than it really has, and unlike ransomware can be relatively easily disabled. Cryptojacking is another way attackers can force you to supply them with Bitcoinonly it works without you necessarily knowing. The crypto mining malware infects your computer and uses your CPU cycles to mine Bitcoin for your attacker's profit. The mining software may run in the background on your operating system or even as JavaScript in a browser window.

is another way attackers can force you to supply them with Bitcoinonly it works without you necessarily knowing. The crypto mining malware infects your computer and uses your CPU cycles to mine Bitcoin for your attacker's profit. The mining software may run in the background on your operating system or even as JavaScript in a browser window. Malvertising is the use of legitimate ads or ad networks to covertly deliver malware to unsuspecting users computers. For example, a cybercriminal might pay to place an ad on a legitimate website. When a user clicks on the ad, code in the ad either redirects them to a malicious website or installs malware on their computer. In some cases, the malware embedded in an ad might execute automatically without any action from the user, a technique referred to as a drive-by download.

Any specific piece of malware has both a means of infection and a behavioral category. So, for instance, WannaCry is a ransomware worm. And a particular piece of malware might have different forms with different attack vectors: for instance, the Emotet banking malware has been spotted in the wild as both a trojan and a worm.

A look at the Center for Internet Security's top 10 malware offenders for June of 2018 gives you a good sense of the types of malware out there. By far the most common infection vector is via spam email, which tricks users into activating the malware, Trojan-style. WannaCry and Emotet are the most prevalent malware on the list, but many others, including NanoCore and Gh0st, are what's called Remote Access Trojans or RATsessentially, rootkits that propagate like Trojans. Cryptocurrency malware like CoinMiner rounds out the list.

How to prevent malware

With spam and phishing email being the primary vector by which malware infects computers, the best way to prevent malware is make sure your email systems are locked down tightand your users know how to spot danger. We recommend a combination of carefully checking attached documents and restricting potentially dangerous user behavioras well as just familiarizing your users with common phishing scams so that their common sense can kick in.

When it comes to more technical preventative measures, there are a number of steps you can take, including keeping all your systems patched and updated, keeping an inventory of hardware so you know what you need to protect, and performing continuous vulnerability assessments on your infrastructure. When it comes to ransomware attacks in particular, one way to be prepared is to always make backups of your files, ensuring that you'll never need to pay a ransom to get them back if your hard drive is encrypted.

Malware protection

Antivirus software is the most widely known product in the category of malware protection products; despite "virus" being in the name, most offerings take on all forms of malware. While high-end security pros dismiss it as obsolete, it's still the backbone of basic anti-malware defense. Today's best antivirus software is from vendors Kaspersky Lab, Symantec and Trend Micro, according to recent tests by AV-TEST.

When it comes to more advanced corporate networks, endpoint security offerings provide defense in depth against malware. They provide not only the signature-based malware detection that you expect from antivirus, but anti-spyware, personal firewall, application control and other styles of host intrusion prevention. Gartner offers a list of its top picks in this space, which include products from Cylance, CrowdStrike, and Carbon Black.

How to detect malware

It's fully possibleand perhaps even likelythat your system will be infected by malware at some point despite your best efforts. How can you tell for sure? CSO columnist Roger Grimes has written a deep dive into how to diagnose your PC for potential malware that you might find helpful.

When you get to the level of corporate IT, there are also more advanced visibility tools you can use to see what's going on in your networks and detect malware infections. Most forms of malware use the network to either spread or send information back to their controllers, so network traffic contains signals of malware infection that you might otherwise miss; there are a wide range of network monitoring tools out there, with prices ranging from a few dollars to a few thousand. There are also SIEM tools, which evolved from log management programs; these tools analyze logs from various computers and appliances across your infrastructure looking for signs of problems, including malware infection. SIEM vendors range from industry stalwarts like IBM and HP Enterprise to smaller specialists like Splunk and Alien Vault.

Malware removal

How to remove malware once you're infected is in fact the million dollar question. Malware removal is a tricky business, and the method can vary depending on the type you're dealing with. CSO has information on how to remove or otherwise recover from rootkits, ransomware, and cryptojacking. We also have a guide to auditing your Windows registry to figure out how to move forward.

If you're looking for tools for cleansing your system, Tech Radar has a good roundup of free offerings, which contains some familiar names from the antivirus world along with newcomers like Malwarebytes.

Malware examples

We've already discussed some of the current malware threats looming large today. But there is a long, storied history of malware, dating back to infected floppy disks swapped by Apple II hobbyists in the 1980s and the Morris Worm spreading across Unix machines in 1988. Some of the other high-profile malware attacks have included:

ILOVEYOU , a worm that spread like wildfire in 2000 and did more than $15 billion in damage

, a worm that spread like wildfire in 2000 and did more than $15 billion in damage SQL Slammer , which ground internet traffic to a halt within minutes of its first rapid spread in 2003

, which ground internet traffic to a halt within minutes of its first rapid spread in 2003 Conficker , a worm that exploited unpatched flaws in Windows and leveraged a variety of attack vectors  from injecting malicious code to phishing emails  to ultimately crack passwords and hijack Windows devices into a botnet.

, a worm that exploited unpatched flaws in Windows and leveraged a variety of attack vectors  from injecting malicious code to phishing emails  to ultimately crack passwords and hijack Windows devices into a botnet. Zeus , a late '00s keylogger Trojan that targeted banking information

, a late '00s keylogger Trojan that targeted banking information CryptoLocker , the first widespread ransomware attack, whose code keeps getting repurposed in similar malware projects

, the first widespread ransomware attack, whose code keeps getting repurposed in similar malware projects Stuxnet, an extremely sophisticated worm that infected computers worldwide but only did real damage in one place: the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, where it destroyed uranium-enriching centrifuges, the mission it was built for by U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies

Malware trends

You can count on cyber criminals to follow the money. They will target victims depending on likelihood of delivering their malware successfully and size of potential payout. If you look at malware trends over the past few years, you will see some fluctuation in terms of the popularity of certain types of malware and who the most common victims areall driven by what the criminals believe will have the biggest ROI.

Recent research reports indicate some interesting shifts in malware tactics and targets. Cryptominers, which had surpassed ransomware as the most common type of malware, are falling out of favor due to the decline in cryptocurrency values. Ransomware is becoming more targeted, moving away from a shotgun approach.

Malware attacks on businesses spike

Businesses saw a 79 percent increase in the amount of malware they dealt with in 2018 over 2017, according to the Malwarebytes Labs State of Malware Report 2019. What we usually see year-end or quarterly end is that there has been some sort of increase or large amounts of detections on the consumer side, says Adam Kujawa, director of Malwarebytes Labs. On the business side it might slowly grow, but certainly nothing like weve seen this last six months. By comparison, consumer detections decreased by 3 percent over the same period.

Weve observed that there is a significant push by cyber criminals to move away from consumers and put their really heavy stuff against businesses instead, Kujawa adds.

That really heavy stuff comes largely in the form of older consumer-focused malware thats been weaponized to become a bigger, more versatile threat for business. Kujawa cites Emotet as one of the most significant. Its a nasty little information stealing Trojan that also installs additional malware, spreads laterally, and acts as its own spam sender. Once it infects a system, it starts sending email and tries to infect other people.

Emotet has been around since 2014 and targeted mainly consumers. Originally, it infected a computer looking for an individuals financial or credit card information to steal. Since then, its picked up new capabilities inspired by or borrowed from other successful malware like Wannacry or EternalBlue. Now its become much more modular and we see it able to use these exploits to traverse through a corporate network whereas before they were limited to a single endpoint, says Kujawa. Even if its a small network in a small business, its more juicy than infecting Grandma.

Lateral movement of malware is increasing, according to the Global Threat Report: The Year of the Next-Gen Cyberattack from Carbon Black. Nearly 60 percent of malware attacks on business are now designed to move laterally across a network.

One reason for the spike in malware attacks on business might be the EUs General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR). Kujawa believes its possible that attackers stepped up business attacks thinking that it would be harder to steal personal and other data after the regulation went into effect. That combined with the decline of cryptocurrency values and stepped up defenses against ransomware turned attackers to what worked in the past. They always [go back to what works], he says. Cyber crime is cyclical. It always comes back around.

Cryptomining attacks decline

The Malwarebyte Labs report has seen a shift away from cryptomining starting in the second quarter of 2018, due largely to the decline in cryptocurrency values. Still, the number of cryptomining detections increased for the year by 7 percent.

Instead, cyber criminals are turning to information stealing malware like Emotet to turn a profit. Overall, it seems as though criminals have reached the consensus that sometimes stealing is better than mining, the report stated.

Ransomware becoming more targeted

Kujawa notes that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are becoming more popular targets. He attributes this to the likelihood of being paid for ransomware attacksSMBs often cant afford the downtime and see paying ransom as the fastest way to recover. They also often softer targets than larger businesses.

Ransomware detections actually declined by 26 percent worldwide in 2018, according to the Malwarebytes report. However, ransomware detections at businesses rose by 28 percent. Industries most often targeted were consulting, education, manufacturing and retail. Kujawa believes criminals focus on these industries because of opportunity and likelihood of ransoms being paid.

More on malware
People considering quitting their jobs stop supporting current colleagues because they no longer feel they need to do favours for them, research shows.

Instead of feeling obligated to current co-workers who have provided guidance, those on the hunt for a new post start to focus on other people who can help them in another job or company

However individuals who are considering quitting their jobs do make more of an effort to maintain contact with people at work they consider to be friends because they worry they will be without close colleagues when they are employed elsewhere.

Academics surveyed people in work to see how their relationships with colleagues changed when they were considering quitting. They found workers form relationships with some colleagues who are advisors, who help them perform well and make them feel they can achieve their goals. Other colleagues are friends, and provide social and emotional support, and help them feel like they "belong" at work.

Those who worked longer hours and those with higher tenure were more often sought out for advice, while those who were older were less frequently asked to provide guidance. People usually became friends with people in the same level of job or length of service, or those who were a similar age and had similar views on their job satisfaction.

Dr Andrew Parker, from the University of Exeter Business School, who carried out the study, said: "We found people who are considering quitting their jobs don't then feel the need to help or do favours for those who have given them advice over the years. They feel less obligated towards their old colleagues and begin to focus on the benefits of creating new ties."

"However they maintain existing relationships with colleagues who are friends, because they don't want to lose this relationship when they leave their job. They worry they might have less time available to create new friends."

Academics questioned 121 employees from eight healthcare organisations in the Netherlands. They were surveyed three times, through questionnaires sent four months apart, and asked to respond to how much they agreed with the comments: "I frequently think about quitting this job" and "I will probably look for a new job soon" using a five point scale. They were also asked to identify colleagues who they viewed as friends, or turned to for advice or help. They were asked: "Do you usually go to this person for help or advice on work-related matters?"
Airbnb(WASHINGTON) -- Protesters planning to participate in the "Unite the Right" rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend may have some trouble finding a place to stay.



Airbnb is warning users that if they are found to be in violation of the company's policies, they could have their reservations canceled and their accounts removed from the home sharing service.



The company is citing its community values as grounds to cut ties with participants of the rallies, which stemmed from a protest last year to protect Confederate statues -- which included neo-Nazi groups -- but exploded in violence.



"When we identify and determine that there are those who would be pursuing behavior on the Airbnb platform that would be antithetical to the Airbnb Community Commitment, we seek to take appropriate action, which may include removing them from the platform," according to a statement from Airbnb.



The company says all Airbnb users must agree to its Community Commitment, which states that the user agrees "to treat everyone in the Airbnb community  regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age  with respect, and without judgment or bias."



This isn't the first time Airbnb has singled out people supporting the white nationalist and alt-right rally.



The company canceled accounts and bookings ahead of the original "Unite the Right" rally, which occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, 2017.



"We acted in advance of last year's horrific event in Charlottesville and if we become aware of similar information we wont hesitate to do so again," according to the company's statement.



Airbnb has not released any data on the numbers of accounts or bookings that were canceled ahead of and after the Charlottesville rally in 2017.



On Aug. 7, 2017, "Unite the Right" organizer Jason Kessler said in a video posted to Twitter that Airbnb was canceling protest participant's reservations, and he told The New York Times that "hundreds of people have been put out of their accommodations."



Groups from both sides of the conflict have planned public demonstrations in Washington, D.C., this weekend on the anniversary of the Charlottesville clashes.



Permits for protests have been granted in different parts of the nation's capital, with the organizers of the original "Unite the Right" rally planning to march from a nearby Metro station to a demonstration in Lafayette Square Park, directly opposite the White House.



Organizers for counter-demonstrations, including groups like Black Lives Matter and an individual who plans to burn a Confederate flag in Lafayette Park, have also received permits.



More details about the demonstrations are expected to be released in the coming days.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Reddit Email 225 Shares

Is Robert Mueller carrying out a jihad? According to Lou Dobbs, host of Fox Business Network, he certainly is. On his show that aired on July 30, 2018, Dobbs described Mueller as being on a jihad of some sort.

In the contemporary West, jihad is in the ears and eyes of the listener and the viewer. There are those who have made up their minds that jihad is ideological warfare and brings in its wake wanton death and destruction. Isnt this after all how Islamist extremist movements like al-Qaeda and ISIS understand jihad and isnt this what their brutal activities proclaim? Such people who buy into the extremist version of jihad will therefore parse Dobbs statement in the following way  Muellers investigation must be motivated only by ideological, partisan reasons and threatens to sabotage an orderly way of life.

But that is only the popular  and presentist  understanding of jihad in these circles. Can such a view be sustained if we adopt a more historical view and look at the evidence to be found in the original Islamic sources? The answer has to be no  for the following reasons. In the original Arabic, the verb jaahada means to strive, labor, or toil; to exert oneself or ones power or efforts or endeavors or ability. Jihad, the noun derived from this verb, has the basic meaning of struggling, striving, exertion. The Quran frequently commands the faithful to: Strive with your wealth and your selves in the path of God.

Jihad in the Quran is therefore a broad concept and refers in general to the human struggle on earth to live and flourish through ones relationship with God and by doing good to ones fellow beings in multiple ways. This struggle includes making the effort to cultivate and promote what is right and good and avoid and prevent what is wrong and harmful in relation to oneself and to others in all spheres of life. The implication of this fundamental moral and ethical imperative within Islam  promoting what is good and preventing what is wrong or evil  is wide-ranging. It means that Muslims must strive to realize what is beneficial for all human beings, not narrowly for themselves and certainly not for the purpose of promoting their self-interest at the expense of others.

This kind of holistic striving in the name of jihad involves the human soul, intellect, conscience, and physical strength. Struggling to get up in the morning to earn a living in order to support oneself and ones family is part of jihad. Combatting hunger, malnutrition, disease, corruption and illiteracy is part of jihad. Fighting against the evil impulses and temptations that we all experience in the deepest recesses of our being is part of jihad. And, yes, jihad may and does also involve armed combat against a relentless enemy.

According to the Quran, if such an enemy attacks first, Muslims are permitted to defend themselves militarily but they may not initiate aggression. According to the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (known as hadith) and the classical laws of warfare developed by Muslim jurists, non-combatants  typically women, children, the elderly, monks and hermits, indentured servants  may not be harmed during battle nor may crops, property, and livestock be destroyed. If the other side ceases to fight, Muslim soldiers must also lay down their arms.

The military jihad is therefore limited and conditional; the moral and spiritual jihad continues as long as the individual is alive. The brutal destructive violence wrought by terrorist groups today in the name of Islam has nothing to do with jihad as described in the religions foundational texts. It is in fact hiraaba,  the Arabic term used by Muslim jurists for highway robbery and for other acts of violence intended to instill fear among the civilian population.

A well-known hadith reminds us of yet another very important aspect of jihad. In this report, Muhammad says that one of the best forms of jihad is to speak a word of truth to a tyrant. Undertaking a quest for truth and justice in order to combat falsehood, deception and tyranny is therefore very much a part of jihad. A majority of Americans, according to most polls, regards Robert Mueller as undertaking a legitimate probe to uncover the truth about potential Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential elections.

A substantial segment of the American population is cheering him on, regarding him as a stalwart warrior striving to uphold foundational American values of accountability and transparency so that justice may be served. So yes, Mr. Dobbs, based on this holistic understanding, Mueller is indeed carrying out jihad  just not for the reasons you thought. And it is a darned good thing for our democracy that he is doing so.

Featured Photo: YouTube screenshot under Creative Commons license.
Reddit 3 Email 176 Shares

(Informed Comment)  Seventy-three years ago, on August 6 and August 9, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This tragic act launched an arms race in nuclear weapons, now spread to nine countries.

After the first atomic blast, which killed 100,000 residents of Hiroshima immediately, the grievous radiation sickness of many thousands of survivors was not anticipated nor was it believed when reported. Without any reconsideration, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 citizens outright. The American military censored all documentation and photo images of the two bombs unparalleled human devastation, sheltering Americans from the inhumanity of Japanese women, men and children instantly reduced to ash.

Kyoko Hayashi nearly died on August 9, 1945 in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. She was fourteen years old and working at a factory less than a mile from the epicenter of the atomic explosion. For nine hours, she traveled barefoot through the ruins of Nagasaki passing many dead and dying who had been crushed, burned and wounded.

The unique tragedy of those who lost their lives to the bomb, Hayashi writes in From Trinity to Trinity is that the bomb not only deprived them of their lives but also of their own personal deaths. And for the thousands of survivors like herself, known as hibakusha, the shortening of a given life, not being able to live fullythis was the promise made between an atomic bomb and its victims. The bomb changed time for her. I could not make an appointment longer than a month ahead, given that many hibakusha friends died from unpredictable bleeding. The past is always present and the future is never countable.

American military leaders from all branches of the armed forces, among them Generals Eisenhower, Arnold, Marshall and MacArthur; and Admirals Leahy, Nimitz, and Halsey strongly dissented from the decision to use the bombs, some before August 1945, some in retrospect, for both military and moral reasons. Japan was already defeated and in peace negotiations with the Soviet Union; surrender was imminent.

Not long ago, retired William Perry, the respected former defense secretary in the Clinton Administration, offered a bleak and chilling assessment of nuclear weapons: Today, the danger of some sort of a nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War and most people are blissfully unaware of this dangerOur chief peril, he writes in My Journey at the Nuclear Brink, is that the poised nuclear doom, much of it hidden beneath the seas and in remote badlands, is too far out of global public consciousness. Passivity shows broadly. Only by dumb luck, he adds, have we escaped nuclear war thus far. Contrary to government and defense industry group think, nuclear weapons do not provide security; they only endanger it.

The passivity toward nuclear weapons, of which the former defense secretary spoke, is being defied across the world.

After a decade of global organizing by peace and social movement, 122 countries agreed on July 7, 2017 to adopt a ban on nuclear weapons. Thus far, 59 countries have signed it. At the heart of the United Nations treaty to ban nuclear weapons is an explicit ethical goal: to protect peoples of the world from the humanitarian catastrophe that would ensue if nuclear weapons were employed. Once 50 states ratify the treaty  which is expected by next year  it will enter into international law.

The United States lobbied hardest against this treaty, contending that these weapons of mass destruction keep us secure. Despite this morbid logic, we learned recently that our governments leaders have a set of fortified sites constructed to save themselves in the event of nuclear catastrophe while the rest of us fend for ourselves.

While our federal government vehemently opposes this UN treaty, communities and organizations across our country are working to support the ban on nuclear weapons locally. Sign this and participate in any community event to honor victims of our atomic bombs and to voice your support for a nuclear-weapons free world.

-

Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima | The Daily 360 | The New York Times
Reddit Email 151 Shares

Mohamed Bin Salman is at it again. The yacht-loving Renaissance art collector who tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the American elite this spring is a serial diplomatic disaster.

Bin Salmans plans for a transition of Saudi Arabia from being an oil giant to being a financial hub depend heavily on international confidence and investment. Those plans have crashed and burned, in large part because Bin Salman is like a young bearded Donald Trump, erratic and alternately angry and foolish. Foreign Direct Investment in Saudi Arabia collapsed in the past year, as Bin Salman scared investors off with his various rampages. His hopes for an IPO of the Saudi Aramco petroleum company have receded. Electric cars and renewables are coming on fast (renewables just hit a terawatt globally), and the lions share of Saudi Arabias economy depends on an increasingly worthless petroleum.

He launched a catastrophic air war on Yemen in 2015 to defeat the Houthi rebel group that took over north Yemen. Thousands of deaths and injuries later, with hundreds of thousands displaced and millions on the verge of starvation, the war grinds on.

AP has just reported that in this desperate attack on the rival Houthis of Yemen, Saudi Arabia has de facto allied with the al-Qaeda fighters who are also combating the Houthis. Since the US gives Saudi Arabia logistical and strategic support in this war, it means that Riyadh has dragged Washington into another al-Qaeda alliance, as though this were Afghanistan in the 1980s.

He kidnapped and imprisoned a whole bevy of other princes, confining them in the Ritz Carlton Riyadh until they forked over billions to him. He abducted the sitting prime minister of Lebanon and tried to force him to resign (this plot failed). He blockaded Qatar and appears to have plotted a military invasion of Doha, which was thwarted by Turkey and by Rex Tillerson who allegedly lost his job over it when the Saudis and the UAE whispered in Trumps ear. Thats right Saudi Arabia is a Trump whisperer.

I think there is increasing evidence that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were part of the plot to put Trump into office and then to manipulate him, a story the Washington press often ignores in favor of a sole fixation on Russia.

After the Canadian foreign minister (a woman) called for the release of Saudi prisoners of conscience (an atheist and a womens rights activist), the Saudi monarchy marked Canada for social death. Riyadh expelled the Canadian ambassador, recalled 16,000 Saudi students from Canadian universities, and began dumping Canadian stocks and investments. A Twitter account that has been linked to Bin Salman even briefly seemed to threaten a 9/11 style kamikaze attack on Toronto.

These boycotting steps may mildly inconvenience some specific Canadian institutions. Saudi medical school residents in hospitals had been playing an important role, and Saudi government-paid tuition for foreign students will be missed this year by some colleges and universities though Chinese and other students will be lining up to replace the Saudis relatively quickly. All those thousands of Saudi students who suddenly have to switch countries and institutions will lose out in their educations and their future may be affected. Saudi investments in Canadian securities, real estate, etc.,had not been made by Saudi Arabia out of the goodness of their hearts. Canada is a lucrative place to invest, and the Saudis were making money there. They will now face the prospect of investing elsewhere and likely not making as much. Canada will handily find other investors.

The Saudis then attempted to smear Canada for having a poor human rights record. Unfortunately for them, they were busy actually crucifying a convicted criminal at the same time, which rather detracted from the credibility of their critique of Ottawa.

A decade ago, I pointed to King Abdullahs internal reforms, his municipal elections, reaching out to the Shiite community (12-15% of the Saudi population), his invitation to Iranian officials to come to Riyadh, and his reluctance about the Iraq War to argue that the then outside image of Saudi Arabia was not balanced.

Despite his trumpeting a further move of Wahhabism away from strict puritanical regulations of public life in Saudi Arabia, Bin Salman has undone virtually all the good work of King Abdullah. He has his own Iraq War in Yemen. He has oppressed the Shiites. King Abdullahs plans for a national legislature, building on the series of municipal elections, seem to have been permanently shelved. Bin Salman plotted to undo the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and crush Iran economically. Salman and his son have taken Saudi Arabia in extremely destructive directions that are far more worrisome than the policies of King Abdullah.

-

Bonus video:

CBC: Trudeau on Saudi Arabia: We wont withdraw criticism
London, England (FSCwire) - Gabriel Resources Ltd. (Gabriel or Company) announces the appointment of Dragos Tanase as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective August 8, 2018. Mr Tanase has been the Managing Director of Gabriel subsidiary Rosia Montana Gold Corporation SA (RMGC) for 10 years, a position in which he will continue to serve. Prior to RMGC, Mr Tanase was the Chief Financial Officer of a large telecommunications company, UPC Romania, for 7 years, and management consultant and auditor for Arthur Andersen for 3 years, after starting his career within the Ministry of Finance of Romania.

"On behalf of the Board, I congratulate Dragos for being appointed CEO of Gabriel said Keith Hulley, Chairman of the Companys Board of Directors. Dragos has shown strong leadership skills in managing RMGC during the past ten years. His ability to lead in this expanded role will serve Gabriel well.

For information on this press release, please contact:

Keith R. Hulley Chairman Mobile: +1 949 637 9333 Richard Brown Chief Commercial Officer Mobile: +44 7748 760276 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Gabriel

Gabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Companys principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project in Romania (Rosia Montana Project). The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license (License) for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Rosia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company. It is anticipated that the Rosia Montana Project would bring over US$24 billion (at US$1,200/oz gold) to Romania as potential direct and indirect contribution to GDP and generate thousands of employment opportunities.

Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group (as defined below) focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Companys fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Companys current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Companys website at www.gabrielresources.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information (also referred to as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Companys operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.

In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Companys actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Companys ability to fund its operations or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Companys results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategy, goals, objectives, potential, possible or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results may, could, would, should, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

delay or extension to the duration of the Companys arbitration claim against Romania (ICSID Arbitration);

required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration;

changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent (Group);

access to funding to support the Groups continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future;

equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares;

the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities;

the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: unforeseen historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Group and political and social instability;

regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation;

volatility of currency exchange rates, metal prices and metal production;

the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Group of certain key employees and consultants; and

risks normally incident to the exploration, development and operation of mining properties.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Companys affairs since the date of this press release that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Companys website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Companys disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com.
Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / August 9, 2018 - NORTEC MINERALS CORP. (the "Company" or "Nortec") (TSXV: NVT) announces that staff have defined a new structural interpretation of the geology at the TOM 1 North gold target on the Tomboko exploration project. The Tomboko Permit is located in North Eastern Guinea, West Africa (Figure 1).



Figure 1: Location Map. Guinea, West Africa

Phase I exploration drilling at TOM 1 North produced significant results with grades of 9 m at 2.74 g/t gold from 32 m, including 3.57 m at 3.91 g/t gold from 36 m and 7 m at 3.57 g/t gold from 43 m, including one m at 17.1 g/t gold from 45 m. Phase II, follow up RAB drilling did not produce expected results Phase III trenching produced 24m @ 3.66g/t incl. 4m @ 10g/t from 18m; Starting in June of 2018 Dr Serigne Dieng and staff have worked to build a structural and lithological model to explain the broader results as well as defined vectors for expanding the high grade results obtained in drill core and trenches.

This work has resulted in a clear and coherent model for structurally-controlled gold mineralization hosted in faulted and sheared contact between volcano-clastic successions extending along a NNW-striking, NE-steeply dipping structure that is offset by a series of parallel NE-trending late fault systems (Figures 2 & 3).





Figure 2: Geological and structural map of the TOM 1 North gold target



Figure 3: Geological Cross-Section and Plan view map at TOM 1 North gold Target

Dr Dieng explains on the new model, "This new model suggests that the Tomboko gold deposit is a classical greenstone - orogenic-type gold deposit hosted in faulted and sheared contact between volcano-clastic successions. The gold mineralization is structurally-controlled and occurs in deformed zones of large and highly hydrothermally altered, NNW-striking, NE-steeply-dipping, structural corridors that contain a complex network of extensional dilation fracture systems associated with the Late Birimian tectonism that have affected the West African Shield. New outcrops discovered south and north of the drilled area indicate that the deposit could have a strike length of about 3 kilometers. All of these new insights show that the Tomboko deposit has a very high potential for hosting multi-million ounce gold mineralization. Further aggressive exploration programs including extensive RC drilling is highly recommended to define and delineate resources of the Tomboko deposit"

Dr. Dieng, Ph.D., AusIMM, has and is conducting the structural studies of all the data to date. Serigne has 20 years' experience in geological and structural interpretation, modelling and target generation in West Africa. He is a registered qualified professional geoscientist in accordance with NI 43-101 and JORC standards. He received his Ph.D. in Structural Geology, Exploration Geochemistry and Ore Deposit Genesis from Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (see News Release June 6, 2018).

Interpretation

The diamond drilling and RAB drilling programs consisting of approximately 1900 meters and 4000 meters respectively focused on the original interpretation that the mineralization was dipping to the southwest at 45 to 50 degrees.

Dr. Dieng examined the drill core in detail, carried out field work in the Tom 1 North area and carried out detailed interpretation of the structural controls of mineralization. He arrived at the following conclusions:

the gold mineralization is structurally-controlled and hosted in faulted and sheared contact between volcano-clastic successions that are composed of Ash tuffs and lapilli tuffs; the shear zone that control the gold mineralization strikes NNW (N350) and steeply dips NE at 75 , (not 45 West as previously interpreted), (Figures 2 & 3); the gold mineralization is associated with pervasive magnetite, chlorite, tourmaline, carbonate, quartz and disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite (Figure 4); several parallel late post-mineralization NE-trending fault systems offset and displace the gold bearing structure (Figure 2); the sedimentary rocks are composed of siltstone and sandstone layers; the volcanoclastic rocks consist of tuffs and pyroclastic rocks; and, on the light of this investigations, the Tomboko deposit has a very good potential for hosting an economic gold mineralization.



Figure 4: Gold mineralization in drill core associated with pyrite, chlorite, magnetite and quartz.

Conclusions & Recommendations

In view of the new interpretation of structural controls of the gold mineralization in the Tom 1 North target, an infill termite geochemical survey (Figures 5 & 6) was initiated to confirm the mineralized structure over the potential deposit area and the expected extensions. The results will be released on receipt.

Figure 5: Highly altered, sheared and gossanous rocks with pervasive magnetite and sulphide boxworks outcrop north and south of the main zone over a strike length of about 3 kilometers.



Figure 1: Infill termite mound sampling program to define the extensions of the gold zone.

For quality control, the drill cores were sawed in half and the chip samples were split in half. A duplicate, a blank and a standard were inserted every 10th sample for quality control. Samples are processed by Fire Assay with A.A. finish under the SGS FAA505 protocol. The samples were analysed by SGS Labs, an accredited laboratory in Bamako, Mali. RAB samples were also logged in detail, split into 2 kg to 3 kg samples and also analysed by SGS Labs.

Mohan R. Vulimiri, M.Sc., P.Geo, CEO, Director and Michael Collins, B.Sc (Honours), P.Geo. Director are Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Vulimiri and Mr. Collins have approved the corporate and technical content contained in this press release.

About Nortec Minerals Corp.

Nortec is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nortec earned a 51% interest in the Tomboko project.

The Company also has a 20% interest in the Tammela Lithium and Gold Project in South-West Finland. Sunstone has completed more than 3,000 meters diamond drilling on the Kietyonmaki Lithium prospect and the Satulinmaki and Riukka gold prospects that comprise the Tammela Project.

Detailed information on the Company's projects have been posted on the Company's website www.nortecminerals.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Nortec Minerals Corp.

" Mohan R. Vulimiri"

Mohan R. Vulimiri, CEO and Chairman

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept the responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This press release contains certain forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays and uncertainties not under the Company's control which may cause actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the results, performances or expectations implied by these forward looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States.
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

ST-SAUVEUR, Quebec, Aug. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genius Properties Ltd. (CSE:GNI) (CSE:GNI.CN) (CNSX:GNI) (Genius or the Corporation) is pleased to announce that that on 4 June 2018, Cerro de Pasco Resources S.A. (Cerro de Pasco), filed at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, General Directorate of Environmental Mining Affairs, the Semi-Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA-SD) of the project involving the construction of 87 drilling platforms over an area of 80.67 hectares, which the company has decided to execute on its El Metalurgista concession, located at the Simon Bolivar District, Province and Department of Pasco, Peru.

The purpose of this drilling campaign will be to confirm historical drill hole data, confirm consistency of grades from historical drill holes for better modeling and planning and to establish a compliant NI 43-101 resource estimate.

The Semi-Detailed Environmental Impact Study (EIAsd) of the "Exploration of Quiulacocha and Excelsior Deposits" project, Category II, has been prepared based on the regulations and standards issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), in compliance with the provisions of Supreme Decree No. 020-2008-EM: Environmental Regulation for Mining Exploration Activity, also in the Terms of Reference for Mining Exploration Activities established in Ministerial Resolution No. 167-2008-MEM / DM.

It is also worth noting that the district of Simon Bolivar is considered poor according to the quintile of deprivation index. Of the total population, over 50% do not have a sewer/drain and around 12% lack water and electricity services. With that said it is necessary to emphasize the importance of reprocessing the Quiulacocha and Excelsior Deposits because it is an opportunity to mitigate the environment while also encouraging the creation of new jobs and reactivation of the local economy, which is of high importance for the city of Cerro De Pasco and more specifically for the communities that are part of the area of direct influence.

Merger between Genius Properties and Cerro de Pasco Resources S.A.

Lets recall that on August 3, 2018, the shareholders approved the acquisition by Genius of all the issued and outstanding shares of Cerro de Pasco, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in a Merger Agreement dated November 9, 2017, as amended on February 28, 2018.

Genius expects to close the transaction with Cerro de Pasco on August 31, 2018 and therefore to proceed with the change of name, the spin-off and the distribution of SpinCo shares to its shareholders.

The record date for such distribution will be August 30, 2018, being one day prior to the anticipated date of closing with Cerro de Pasco.



About Genius Properties Ltd.

Genius is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on developing projects with some of the world's most critical metals and minerals.

About Cerro De Pasco Resources S.A.

Cerro De Pasco Resources S.A. is a company incorporated under the laws of Peru. Its main asset is a 100% interest in the Peruvian El Metalurgista Concession (where the Quiulacocha Tailings and Excelsior Stockpile are located). Its mission is to catalyze the revival of the local economy through an approach that will exploit existing and new resources in conjunction with an integrated closure plan that compliments the entire district of Cerro De Pasco.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimer

Certain statements in this press release may be forward-looking. Such statements include those with respect to the use of the proceeds raised under the Offering. Although the Corporation believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurances that its expectations will be achieved. Such assumptions, which may prove incorrect, include the following: (i) Genius will be successful in its efforts to pursue the activities referred to in this news release, and (ii) Genius' management will not identify and pursue other business objectives using the proceeds of the Offering. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include (i) the inability or unwillingness of the subscribers under the Offering to fulfill their contractual obligations, in whole or in part, (ii) the Corporation's failure to make effective use of the proceeds of the Offering, (iii) the Corporation's inability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for the Offering, and (iv) generally, the Corporation's inability to develop and implement a successful business plan for any reason. A description of other risks affecting Genius business and activities appears in its annual management's discussion and analysis, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information in this press release will occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Genius will derive therefrom. In particular, no assurance can be given as to the future financial performance of Genius. Genius does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable law. The reader is warned against undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contact Information

Genius Properties Ltd.

Guy Goulet

President & CEO

579-476-7000

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Work to form part of the Companys Pre-Feasibility Study Program commencing following the closing of $4 million capital raises

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Graphite One Resources Inc. (GPH: TSX-V; GPHOF: OTCQB) (Graphite One or the Company) announced today that it has commenced a summer 2018 Field Program (the 2018 Field Program) at its Graphite Creek deposit located near Nome, Alaska. The 2018 Field Program is a key step in the Companys ongoing field work in support of the Companys Graphite Creek deposit pre-feasibility study. The 2018 Field Program follows on the July 19, 2018 closing of the final tranche of private placement financing that exceeded $4 million.

Our Preliminary Economic Assessment [PEA], envisions, based on exploration results to date, a possible 40-year project life for a vertically integrated manufacturer of high-grade coated spherical graphite with mining and processing facilities near Nome, Alaska and advanced material processing at a dedicated graphite product manufacturing facility, said Anthony Huston, President and CEO of Graphite One, referencing the PEA completed in June 2017. Our 2018 Field Program is expected to add to our understanding of the value of our project as we move toward a pre-feasibility phase. With the growing demand for graphite in electric vehicle lithium ion batteries and other energy storage applications  and the inclusion of graphite on the U.S. Critical Mineral List1  we see Graphite One as a potentially significant new source of supply for decades to come. The 2018 Field Program is directed by Stan Foo, the Chief Operating Officer of the Companys US subsidiary and veteran Alaska mining executive.

The 2018 Field Program consists of:

continued discussions with the communities closest to the project;

approximately 2,000 metres of diamond core drilling to tighten drill spacing within the identified mineral resource;

collection of core samples to be used for additional metallurgical test work;

assessment of various alternative project access routes; and

reconnaissance level fish and wildlife surveys.

ABOUT GRAPHITE ONE RESOURCES INC.

GRAPHITE ONE RESOURCES INC. (GPH: TSX-V; GPHOF: OTCQB) continues to progress development of its Graphite One Project (the Project), whereby the Company could potentially become an American producer of high grade Coated Spherical Graphite (CSG) that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade CSG primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market. As set forth in the Companys Preliminary Economic Assessment, potential graphite mineralization mined from the Graphite Creek Property, is expected to be processed into concentrate at a graphite processing plant. The proposed processing plant would be located on the Graphite Creek Property situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska. CSG and other value-added graphite products, would likely be manufactured from the concentrate at the Companys proposed graphite product manufacturing facility, the location of which is the subject of further study and analysis. The Company intends to make a production decision on the Project once a feasibility study is completed.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS



"Anthony Huston (signed)

For more information on Graphite One Resources Inc. please visit the Companys website, www.GraphiteOneResources.com or contact:

Anthony Huston

CEO, President & Director

Tel: (604) 697-2862

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Investor Relations Contact

1-604-684-6730

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 release.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements.

Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as proposes, envisions, expects, or is expected, scheduled, estimates, projects, intends, assumes, believes, indicates or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the stage and progress of development of the Graphite Creek Project including the ability to actually produce spherical graphite, the ability to finish the 2018 Field Program and the outcome of the success of the 2018 Field Program to obtain core samples, the anticipated completion of a pre-feasibility study, the results of ultimate further and final additional test-work, estimated capital and sustaining costs and the availability of equipment, labour and resources required, the anticipated applications of graphite in high-tech, clean tech, energy storage and national security applications and all other anticipated applications, international demand and ability to transport and enter into such markets, are all forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: (i) volatile stock price, (ii) the results of the product development test work may not be indicative of the advancement of the project as anticipated, or at all, (iii) market prices, (iv) exploitation and exploration successes, (v) continuity of mineralization, (vi) uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, (vii) changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, (viii) competition faced in securing experienced personnel, access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities and continued availability of capital and financing, and (ix) general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

______________________________

1 Draft Critical Mineral List  Summary of Methodology and Background Information  U.S. Geological Survey Technical Input Document in Response to Secretarial Order No. 3359
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Millrock Resources Inc. (TSX-V: MRO, OTCQX: MLRKF) ("Millrock") is pleased to report that the second phase of core drilling on the La Navidad gold project has been completed. The program was designed to test geological targets identified through soil and rock sampling, geophysical surveys and trenching. The drill holes targeted the Crossover and Cobre prospects.

The Navidad project, located in Sonora State, Mexico, 100 km north of the City of Hermosillo, targets orogenic gold deposits and is being funded under an option to joint venture agreement by Centerra Gold Inc. (Centerra). In total, 2,969 meters in 14 holes were drilled. Additionally, Hole NV-010 initially drilled in the first drilling campaign was deepened. The table following on the next page indicates significant and anomalous drill intersections for gold in grams per metric tonne (g/t). Highlights of the program with two different cutoff grades are shown on the table immediately below:

Hole

Number Downhole

Intersection Gold Grade

(using 0.1 g/t cutoff) Downhole

Intersection Gold Grade

(using 0.05 g/t cutoff) NV-013 12.5 meters 1.14 g/t gold 14.0 meters 1.03 g/t gold NV-014 8.0 meters 0.46 g/t gold 20.3 meters 0.22 g/t gold NV-015 8.7 meters 0.43 g/t gold 8.7 meters 0.43 g/t gold NV-019 7.9 meters 2.34 g/t gold 10.2 meters 1.83 g/t gold NV-021 17.4 meters 1.61 g/t gold 64.2 meters 0.57 g/t gold NV-024 9.2 meters 0.71 g/t gold 15.1 meters 0.46 g/t gold

Millrock President & CEO Gregory Beischer commented: Some strong results were obtained in this program from the Crossover and Cobre prospects with anomalous gold over significant core intervals. More drilling will be necessary to determine whether there is continuity between the discrete zones of mineralization intersected.

Note: The mineralized intervals reported in the two table in this disclosure are down-hole, measured thickness. Based on initial interpretations it appears the mineralized zones intersected dip shallowly to the north at 15 degrees. However, there is not enough geologic control at this point to verify the interpretation and therefore to make an accurate estimate of true width with confidence. In particular, it is noted that hole NV-021 may have been drilled sub-parallel down the dip of several gold-mineralized structures. For the composited values reported, a 0.1 gram per tonne gold cut-off was used, and a maximum allowable internal dilution thickness of 3.0 meters was used. See note below concerning quality control  quality assurance.

Hole # From

(m) To

(m) Length

(m) Au

ppm NV-010 285.1 289.0 3.9 1.78 Including 285.1 287.0 1.9 3.21 NV-013 43.5 56.0 12.5 1.14 Including 49.8 50.6 0.8 2.76 50.6 51.5 1.0 4.78 51.5 53.5 2.0 2.73 NV-014 12.5 20.5 8.0 0.46 NV-014 29.6 35.9 6.3 0.39 NV-014 98.8 102.0 3.3 3.84 Including 100.2 102.0 1.8 6.30 NV-015 33.5 42.2 8.7 0.43 Including 35.5 37.5 2.0 1.31 NV-015 66.0 75.0 9.0 0.39 NV-015 71.5 75.0 3.5 0.52 NV-016 No significant results NV-017 98.7 104.2 5.5 0.72 NV-017 107.2 115.7 8.5 0.39 NV-018 0.4 3.0 2.6 1.73 Including 0.4 1.7 1.3 3.28 NV-018 61.0 67.2 6.3 0.43 NV-019 89.7 97.5 7.9 2.34 Including 94.9 97.5 2.7 6.68 NV-020 3.3 9.3 6.0 0.45 NV-021 17.3 34.7 17.4 1.61 Including: 17.3 18.3 1.0 12.90 21.3 22.3 1.0 6.56 30.9 32.0 1.2 1.26 NV-021 38.9 50.4 11.5 0.24 NV-021 54.8 64.7 9.9 0.21 NV-021 114.7 116.7 2.1 0.80 NV-021 170.9 183.3 12.4 0.18 NV-021 188.5 190.5 2.0 1.45 NV-022 23.3 25.0 1.7 1.03 NV-022 154.3 158.1 3.8 0.69 Including 155.6 156.9 1.3 1.69 NV-022 168.3 181.8 13.5 0.36 NV-022 193.4 195.7 2.3 0.99 NV-023 158.5 162.0 3.5 0.87 Including 158.5 159.7 1.2 1.87 NV-024 133.1 142.3 9.2 0.71 Including 135.3 137.5 2.2 1.21 NV-025 No significant results NV-026 No significant results

Since forming an option to purchase agreement with the underlying mineral right owner of La Navidad in June 2017, and a simultaneous option to joint venture agreement with Centerra, Centerra and Millrock have collaborated to execute a comprehensive exploration program. Initial surface exploration results were reported in this press release and results of the first drilling program was reported in this press release by Millrock. Centerra is funding the exploration work to earn an interest in the project.

Corporate Developments

Darryl Cardey has tendered his resignation as a Director of Millrock for personal reasons. The Company thanks Mr. Cardey for eleven years of service and guidance since the inception of Millrock in 2007.

Millrock has sold 6,450,000 shares of PolarX Mining Ltd at AUD$0.105 for gross proceeds of AUD$677,350.

Quality Control  Quality Assurance

Millrock adheres to stringent Quality Assurance  Quality Control (QA/QC) standards. Drill core is kept in a secure location at all times. Core samples are assayed at the Bureau Veritas laboratory in Hermosillo, Mexico. Preparation and analysis methods are described in further detail here. The sample preparation method code being utilized for the current rock sampling program was PRP70-250. Analysis methods used include FA430 (30 gr/Fire Assay/ICP) and AQ-200 (Aqua Regia  ICP/MS). For every 20 rock samples, a blank sample known to contain less than 3 parts per billion gold or a standard sample (Certified Reference Materials) of known gold concentration, or a duplicate sample was also analyzed. The Qualified Person is of the opinion that the results reported in this press release are reliable.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information disclosed within this document has been prepared, reviewed and approved by Gregory A. Beischer, President, CEO and a director of Millrock Resources. Mr. Beischer is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Millrock Resources Inc.

Millrock Resources Inc. is a premier project generator to the mining industry. Millrock identifies, packages and operates large-scale projects for joint venture, thereby exposing its shareholders to the benefits of mineral discovery without the usual financial risk taken on by most exploration companies. The company is active in Alaska, British Columbia, the southwest USA and Sonora State, Mexico. Funding for drilling at Millrocks exploration projects is primarily provided by its joint venture partners. Business partners of Millrock have included some of the leading names in the mining industry: Centerra Gold, First Quantum, Teck, Kinross, Vale, Inmet, Altius, and Riverside. Millrock is a major shareholder of junior explorers PolarX Limited. and Sojourn Exploration Inc.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Gregory Beischer

Gregory Beischer, President & CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Melanee Henderson, Investor Relations

(604) 638-3164

(877) 217-8978 (toll-free)

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programs on schedule and the success of exploration programs.
Vancouver / TheNewswire / August 9, 2018 - John Cumming, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stellar AfricaGold Inc., (TSX-V: SPX) ("Stellar" or the "Company") announces:

CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF AMENDED OPAWICA SALE

Further to the Company's June 28, 2018 news release, Stellar and Mosaic Minerals Inc. ("Mosaic") have amended the mineral property sale and purchase agreement for the 33 claim Opawica gold project ("Opawica"), Quebec. The amended agreement now provides for closing the transaction into escrow with final closing following shareholder approval at the next Annual General Meeting of Stellar shareholders scheduled for mid October, 2018. No other deal terms were altered.

The Opawica sale as amended (the "Opawica Transaction") has received TSX Venture Exchange conditional approval. The trans but remains subject to shareholder approval at the forthcoming AGM and final filings with the TSX-V.

ABOUT THE OPAWICA SALE

Stellar's determination to focus on gold exploration and development at its Balandougou Gold Project in Guinea also mandated that it divest of all non-core assets. To best monetize its last remaining non-core asset Stellar agreed to sell Opawica to Mosaic for $360,000 to be paid by the issuance of 7,200,000 shares of Mosaic issued at a deemed price of $0.05 per share, plus a 2% Net Smelter Return royalty ("NSR") one-half of which may be purchased by Mosaic for $1,000,000. The $0.05 share price was based upon the issue price of the Concurrent Mosaic Financing (as defined below).

The 7,200,000 shares of Mosiac to be issued to Stellar was based upon and represents a 100% recovery of Stellar's historical exploration expenditures of $360,000, while the 2% NSR provides a potential long-term upside benefit for Stellar shareholders should a discovery be made at Opawica in the future. Opawica is an early stage exploration property with no known discovery, no defined drill targets and no resource or reserve. As such it is of indeterminate or 'soft' value and not capable of formal valuation; therefore, no formal valuation of the property or fairness opinion of the Opawica Transaction was obtained.

The Opawica Transaction will be closed in two stages. The initial closing will be into escrow and is subject to: a) Mosaic completing a concurrent equity financing of not less than $200,000 at pricing equivalent to the purchase consideration shares, being $0.05 per share (the "Concurrent Mosaic Financing"), and b) TSX-V Conditional Approval of the Opawica Transaction as a 'Reviewable Disposition' which has been received. The final closing is conditional upon shareholder approval at the next Stellar Annual General Meeting scheduled for mid October, 2018 and providing closing documents to the TSX-V.

After closing of the Opawica Transaction, the 7,200,000 shares of Mosiac issued to Stellar will represent between 45.14% and 30.70% of the outstanding shares Mosaic depending upon the on the size of the Mosaic Concurrent Financing, which may vary between $200,000, the minimum amount required under the purchase agreement between Stellar and Mosaic for the Opawica Transaction, and $600,000, being the anticipated maximum financing amount to be sought by Mosaic.

Mosaic is a privately held company currently 100% owned by Maurice Giroux and John Cumming, both directors of Stellar. After completion of the Opawica Transaction and the Mosaic Concurrent Financing, Maurice Giroux and John Cumming will be minority shareholders of Mosaic.

The Opawica Transaction constitutes a related-party transaction within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 as two directors of the Company currently control Mosaic. The Company relied upon exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and (b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the fair market value of the Opawica Transaction does not exceed 25 per cent of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

ABOUT STELLAR AFRICAGOLD INC.

Stellar AfricaGold Inc. is a Canadian gold exploration company with offices in Vancouver, BC and Montreal, QC, and operations concentrated in West Africa and in Quebec.

In addition to developing its Balandougou Gold Project in Guinea including construction of 150 tonnes per day gravity mill (construction completed) to process a 15,000 tonnes bulk sample (processing in progress) to test the commercial economics of gold extraction using only gravity methods, the Company also currently owns 100% of the Opawica project in the Chibougamau mining camp, Quebec.

For further information please contact:

John Cumming, President & CEO, Stellar AfricaGold Inc., or Maurice Giroux, VP Exploration, Stellar AfricaGold Inc.,

4908 Pine Crescent, Vancouver, BC, V6M 3P6, 1035 West Laurier Street, Suite 201, Montreal, QC H2V 2L1.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.stellarafricagold.com.

On Behalf of the Board

John Cumming, LLM

President & CEO

This release contains certain "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information reflects the Company's current internal expectations or beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company. In some cases forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. Forward looking information contained in this news release includes, without limitation, statements relating to the completion of the Opawica Transaction and the exploration and development potential of the Balandougou II permit. Forward looking information are based on assumptions made by the Company. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company, and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct or accurate. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted herein include, without limitation: the failure of Stellar to obtain TSX-V approval of the Opawica Transaction, the failure of Mosaic to complete the Mosaic Concurrent Financing, that the business prospects and opportunities of the Company will not proceed as anticipated; changes in the global prices for gold or certain other commodities (such as diesel, aluminum and electricity); changes in U.S. dollar and other currency exchange rates, interest rates or gold lease rates; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; the level of liquidity and capital resources; access to capital markets, financing and interest rates; mining tax regimes; ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; legislative, political or economic developments in the jurisdictions in which the Company carries on business; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment; employee relations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of exploration and development; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; and the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business. Risks and unknowns inherent in all projects include the inaccuracy of estimated reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries, capital and operating costs of such projects, and the future prices for the relevant minerals.

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.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2018 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V: SKE, OTCQX: SKREF) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to report additional assay results for six drill holes from the Phase II underground drilling program at the Company's 100% owned Snip Gold Project ("Snip") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia.

The Phase II drilling program is now complete. A total of 9,583 metres was drilled over 48 underground drill holes and two surface drill holes. Building upon the data gathered from the Phase I campaign, the Phase II program was designed to expand newly modelled zones via widely spaced exploratory drill step-outs, further delineate known mineralization in areas of low drilling density and validate the historical data in preparation for a maiden resource estimate at Snip. A reference mine section is presented at the end of this release, and on the Company's website.

Phase II Drilling Highlights:

11.03 g/t Au over 3.00 m (UG18-101)

185.00 g/t Au over 0.60 m (UG18-101)

23.84 g/t Au over 1.50 m (UG18-103)

17.93 g/t Au over 2.00 m (UG18-103)

8.68 g/t Au over 3.90 m (UG18-103)

10.52 g/t Au over 4.10 m (UG18-104)

Eastern Twin Zone Continues to Demonstrate Continuity

Delineation drilling on the Eastern Twin Zone continues to add gold grade and confidence to areas that were not fully sampled during previous operators' historical drilling programs. The Phase II program is designed to populate this area with new drilling and analytical data in preparation for a maiden resource estimate at Snip.

2018 Phase II drillhole UG18-104, which intersected 10.52 g/t Au over 4.10 metres in the Eastern Twin Zone, is located 25 metres downdip of UG18-102 which intersected 11.14 g/t Au over 2.00 metres. These new intersections are bracketed up and down dip by previously reported 2018 drillholes UG18-093 and UG18-091 which intersected 9.14 g/t Au over 10.20 metres and 5.60 g/t over 19.85 metres respectively, for a total dip extent of 75 metres.

Additional mineralization surrounding the Eastern Twin Zone was also intersected by UG18-101 which averaged 11.03 g/t Au over 3.00 metres in the footwall. UG18-101 also intersected 185.00 g/t Au over 0.60 metres occurring 15 metres into the hangingwall to the Eastern Twin Zone, where a new zone of mineralization is beginning to be defined.

Discussion of Historical Data and Practices

Regrettably, prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 standards, reclamation of the mine in 1999 included disposal of all historical drill core, resulting in the inability to now validate any prior operators' databases to modern standards. This lack of historic drill core and supporting drilling documentation, paired with the wide spacing of historical drilling in undeveloped areas necessitates that Skeena devote a percentage of its drilling campaign to validate the historical data. This will allow for high confidence underground resources to be reported.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious and base metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company's primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Snip mine and the recently optioned Eskay Creek mine, both acquired from Barrick. In addition, the Company has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment on the GJ copper-gold porphyry project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Jr.

President & CEO

Qualified Persons

Exploration activities at the Snip Gold Project are administered on site by the Company's Exploration Managers, Colin Russell, P.Geo. and Adrian Newton, P.Geo. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration and Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities on its exploration projects.

Quality Assurance - Quality Control

Once received from the drill and processed, all drill core samples are sawn in half, labelled and bagged. The remaining drill core is subsequently securely stored on site. Numbered security tags are applied to lab shipments for chain of custody requirements. The Company inserts quality control (QC) samples at regular intervals in the sample stream, including blanks and reference materials with all sample shipments to monitor laboratory performance. The QAQC program was designed and approved by Lynda Bloom, P.Geo. of Analytical Solutions Ltd., and is overseen by the Company's Qualified Person, Paul Geddes, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and Resource Development.

Drill core samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry's analytical facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. The ALS facility is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for gold assays and all analytical methods include quality control materials at set frequencies with established data acceptance criteria. The entire sample is crushed and 250 grams is pulverized. Analysis for gold is by 50g fire assay fusion with atomic absorption (AAS) finish with a lower limit of 0.01 ppm and upper limit of 100 ppm. Samples with gold assays greater than 10 ppm are re-analyzed using a 1,000g screen metallic fire assay. A selected number of samples are also analyzed using a 48 multi-elemental geochemical package by a 4-acid digestion, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Table 1: Snip Project Phase II length weighted drillhole gold composites:

HOLE-ID FROM (M) TO (M) CORE LENGTH (M) AU (G/T) AREA UG18-099 69.00 70.50 1.50 6.25 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 72.50 73.00 0.50 16.30 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 83.00 83.50 0.50 7.76 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-100 91.50 92.00 0.50 7.65 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 67.50 70.50 3.00 11.03 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 67.50 68.00 0.50 11.55 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 68.50 69.00 0.50 33.10 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 80.00 80.50 0.50 5.15 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 85.30 87.00 1.70 11.56 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 86.50 87.00 0.50 19.40 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-101 93.00 93.60 0.60 185.00 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-102 90.00 92.00 2.00 11.14 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 90.50 91.00 0.50 33.80 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 57.00 58.50 1.50 23.84 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 57.00 57.50 0.50 48.50 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 57.50 58.00 0.50 21.30 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 68.50 70.50 2.00 17.93 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 68.50 69.00 0.50 67.60 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-103 99.10 103.00 3.90 8.68 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 101.00 102.50 1.50 19.00 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-104 79.10 83.20 4.10 10.52 EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 79.60 81.10 1.50 11.95 EASTERN TWIN ZONE AND 81.10 82.20 1.10 21.10 EASTERN TWIN ZONE UG18-104 89.90 90.90 1.00 17.16 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE INCLUDING 89.90 90.40 0.50 24.70 HW EASTERN TWIN ZONE

True widths cannot be accurately determined from the information available therefore core lengths are reported. Top cuts have not been applied to high grade assays.

Table 2: Mine grid Phase II underground drillhole locations and orientations.
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.
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.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition launched military operations in Yemen in 2015, helping the government to push back against rebels who had taken control of the capital and seized several provinces.

The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since the intervention and heaped misery on one of the poorest countries in the world.

As coalition-backed government forces on Wednesday mounted an offensive to retake the vital port city of Hodeida, in rebel control for more than three years, here is a broad overview of the conflict.

 Saudi air strikes 

The Saudi-led coalition launches air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels in March 2015, six months after they took Sanaa and with large swathes of Yemen also in their hands.

The coalition aims to prevent the fall of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and to restore his internationally-recognised government.

In July, Hadis embattled government announces it has retaken the southern province of Aden in its first success since the coalition stepped in.

The coalition supplements its air power with hundreds of ground troops, and by mid-August 2015 loyalist forces have retaken five southern provinces.

In October, government forces reclaim control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the worlds busiest shipping routes.

 Rebels kill ex-president 

Splits emerge in the rebel camp in 2017 resulting in the assassination of Hadis predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by Huthi fighters in December.

Saleh had stepped down in 2011, after ruling Yemen with an iron fist for nearly three decades, and had later allied himself with the rebels.

Rebels strengthen their grip on the capital.

 Splits in government camp 

In January 2018, fierce clashes erupt in the port city of Aden, the de facto capital after the capture of Sanaa, between southern separatists and fighters loyal to Hadi.

The separatists, supported by coalition member United Arab Emirates, seize most of the city.

 Missiles on Riyadh 

From November 2017 the rebels intensify missile attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which in turn accuses its arch-foe Iran of supplying them with weapons. Iran denies the charges.

The coalition tightens its control of Yemens borders to prevent weapons deliveries, only partly easing up after warnings of the impact on desperately needed food and humanitarian aid deliveries.

Seven missiles are fired on March 25, 2018 alone. The coalition claims the rebels are receiving Iranian arms via the Red Sea port of Hodeida.

 War crimes-

In March 2018, Amnesty International accuses Western countries of supplying Saudi Arabia and its allies with arms for attacks many of which may amount to war crimes.

In 2015, coalition planes are accused of hitting a wedding hall in the town of Mokha, killing 131 people. The alliance denies responsibility.

In October 2016, a coalition air strike at a funeral in Sanaa killed 140 people.

 Advance on aid port 

In December 2017, government forces make a breakthrough in efforts to reconquer Hodeida when they drive Huthi fighters out of a town en route called Khokha.

Hodeida  the entry point for the bulk of the countrys food and aid  has been in rebel hands since October 2014, taken without opposition from government forces soon after rebels captured Sanaa.

Government forces press their advance and in April the insurgents second-in-command, Saleh al-Sammad, dies in a coalition air raid in the city.

By early June, government fighters, backed by Saudi and Emirati forces, are just nine kilometres (six miles) from Hodeida.

 Assault begins 

As government reinforcements arrive, the UN scrambles to find a way to avoid a fullscale assault on the city, warning of a catastrophic humanitarian impact and withdrawing all its staff there.

The offensive is launched on June 13.
Key information regarding The Alteryx Analytics Revolution Summit roadshow in Australia, including dates, guest speakers, livestream information and how you can register for the roadshow closest to you.

Sponsored Post.

Everywhere you look there is another article on AI and machine learning and how everyone is now pursuing this world of analytic nirvana, but how do you even begin to scratch the surface of this with when you:

Have no time to innovate and try something new

Struggle with being overwhelmed by business as usual tasks

Trying to understand how AI and ML are going to impact you and your role

The Alteryx Analytics Revolution Summit roadshow has lined up leaders and speakers from Alteryx, Tableau, Amazon Web Services, Snowflake, Commonwealth Bank, and the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia (IAPA) to help you distill down AI, Machine Learning and new analytic innovations in a way that are pragmatic, digestible and actionable.

At this event youll:

Gain a sweeping understanding of the rapidly advancing AI landscape and practical business applications of AI and Machine learning.

Hear about new solutions and frameworks to help free your time, hear use cases and learn how you can apply them to your own projects

Save the date for this free event and spend the afternoon picking up on skills and knowledge you as an analyst need to not just survive, but thrive in the age of analytic change.

Register for the roadshow closest to you:

Melbourne : 28 August 2018  Register for Melbourne HERE

: 28 August 2018  Register for Melbourne HERE Sydney: 29 August 2018 - Register for Sydney HERE

Not close to Melbourne or Sydney? No worries! There is a livestream of the Sydney event as well. Youll be able to virtually interact and submit Q&A to the speakers as well.
The road to Tralee for Kilkenny Rose, Helena Hughes and International Rose of Tralee Escorts Alan Grincell and Paul Kelly kicked off on Saturday with a fantastic farewell party hosted by MacDonagh Junction.

The day began with Helena and the guys arriving there to be kitted out by Carrig Donn, Jack and Jones Diesel and Lifestyle Sports.

The Kilkenny trio toured the centre under the watchful eye of Donna Byrne and were greeted by this years little Rosebuds and the general public where they had the opportunity to throw some fun questions at Helena, Alan and Paul.

From there the group went to KBowl for some fun bowling with Manager Shane Murphy who is a loyal supporter of the Kilkenny Rose Centre.

We then went to Brogans bar to take in the hurling and some light refreshments before sitting down to a gorgeous meal compliments of the award-winning restaurant, Aroi.

It was a fantastic send-off for our three representatives in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors involved and wish Helena, Alan and Paul the very best. Kilkenny will be well represented in The Dome, said festival organiser, Lyn Moloney.

Helena Hughes

Helena Hughes is a big fan of the Rose of Tralee competition and believes that it is an excellent platform for young women.

The 25-year-old grew up in Kilkenny City before moving to Kells. She now lives in Dublin where she works in the make up department for Brown Thomas.

The affable young woman grew up in the postcard pretty area of Talbotsinch before moving to the historic village of Kells as a teenager.

It was brilliant - I had the best of both worlds. she said.

Helena is the daughter of Helen Hughes, a well known piano player in the city and she is no stranger to the stage having helped out veteran broadcaster, Aonghus McAnally at the Kilkenny People of the Year awards.

The 25-year-old has obviously found her niche and is now studying a Masters in Fashion Buying and Management on a part time basis.

She completed her internship with Penneys Head Office in Dublin and she has also worked alongside the Irish designer, Liz Quinn.

Helena now works in a cosmetics buying position in Brown Thomas and enjoys her role there.

It is a very positive place to work and there is a very supportive team there, she added.

Helena has always harboured hopes of being a Rose.

This year I just decided to go for it and it has been a really good experience. I think the Rose of Tralee is an excellent platform for young women and it is a celebration of real people.

It highlights how being inspirational can be within reach and you get to see different and positive qualities in all of the Roses. It is uniquely Irish and I suppose it is really a personality competition. I am massively looking forward to representing Kilkenny and I am very excited and I am going to make the very most of it.

I am very happy to be an ambassador for Kilkenny and I am very proud to be from here. I just love the friendliness of Kilkenny. It is a very creative and special city and I really hope the Abbey Site is developed well and that a third level institution comes to Kilkenny. Not everyone gets the opportunity to come back, she added.

She cites her grandmother Hannah Mulhall as being one of her biggest influences and greatest friends.

I am her biggest fan, she said.
Following last weeks article which recorded those who died as a result of the Civil War within the four corners of County Kilkenny, this weeks article attempts, for the first time, to list those Kilkenny natives who were killed in other parts of the country during the Civil War.

Surprisingly, more Kilkenny natives were killed outside the county during the conflict than inside. Although the total number of Civil War fatalities within the county was 26, just 14 of those killed were natives of Kilkenny. This was in contrast to the 15 Kilkenny men who were killed outside the county as a result of the conflict. Thus, the total number of Kilkenny natives who died as a result of the Civil War  both inside and outside the county  was 29.

It is important to note that there is a possibility of additional unregistered/undocumented deaths, especially on the anti-Treaty side which were much less likely to be recorded.

Reasons for the geographical spread of casualties

Both the Free State Army and the anti-Treaty IRA were divided into hierarchical military command structures. Although County Kilkenny was theoretically its own military Brigade, it was part of a much larger Division. From the Free State perspective, Kilkenny was part of the 2nd Southern Command or Southeast Command which eventually included Kilkenny, Waterford, South Tipperary, south Wexford and parts of Carlow. Thus, Kilkenny Free State soldiers could be stationed anywhere within the Division (and vice versa for natives of other counties). Furthermore, Kilkenny City was HQ of the whole Free State Southeast Command, led by Tipperary native Colonel-Commandant J.T. Prout. The fact that County Kilkenny, in the early stages, acted as a buffer zone between the Free State forces in Leinster and the anti-Treaty strongholds in counties Tipperary and Waterford in the Munster Republic, also adds to the complexity.

From the anti-Treaty perspective, they used the previous IRA structure known as the 2nd Southern Division, which was made up of Kilkenny, Tipperary, and parts of Limerick. As the Civil War progressed, this was of much less significance as anti-Treaty Flying Columns were required to move around the Kilkenny and Tipperary countryside, while generally using their own initiative (but remaining in communication with their commanders where possible).

Pattern of the Civil War

The Civil War, lasting from June 1922 to May 1923, can be divided into a number of stages. Besides the opening salvos that took place in Dublin, much of the focus for the summer and autumn of 1922 was directed on the Southeast Command of the Free State Army, HQed in Kilkenny. By the middle of July 1922, the Free State army had forced the anti-Treaty IRA out of the towns in Kilkenny, most notably Callan, which had been an anti-Treaty stronghold for a number of months. The big bridge in the town was unforgettably destroyed in the evacuation to impede Free State troops. The focus of the attacks then moved to Waterford City, which was assaulted from the Kilkenny side of the River Suir by Prout and his men. Once this was captured, the focus turned to Carrick-on-Suir at the beginning of August 1922. The town was attacked from the Piltown side. Clonmel and Cahir were also captured by the Free State Army subsequently, but as the tumultuous autumn of 1922 progressed, a number of Kilkenny Free State soldiers were killed during ambushes in south Tipperary. Guerrilla type tactics, which had been successful for the IRA against the Crown Forces during the previous years, were the main feature of the remainder of the war, along with the anti-Treaty attacks on the rail network.

Analysis of Kilkenny natives killed outside the county during the Civil War

As stated, 15 Kilkenny natives (at current count) were killed outside the county during the Civil War. Fourteen were Free State soldiers, and one was anti-Treaty. Two Kilkenny natives were killed in Dublin in the first two days of the Civil War, with one dying in Monaghan from illness. Eight Kilkenny men (including one anti-Treaty) were killed in County Tipperary, the majority shot on the front line in altercations and ambushes. Two Kilkenny natives were killed in Waterford from friendly-fire accidents, while two Kilkenny men  Edward Gorman (City) and Patrick Horan (Callan)  were executed in County Wexford by anti-Treaty forces in reprisal for Free State initiated executions in Wexford jail. Perhaps the most tragic death was that of Free State soldier Joseph Bergin of Skehana, Castlecomer, who was killed in an ambush in Tipperary on the very day of his 21st birthday.

One disturbing statistic of the Civil War was the amount of self-inflicted or friendly fire fatalities which amounted to nine Kilkenny men (encompassing those who died in Kilkenny and Kilkenny natives who died outside the county). All but one of these deaths were Free State soldiers. This highlights the inexperience and rudimentary training provided by the fledgling Free State Army.

In general, of the Free State soldiers who lost their lives, the majority classified their occupation prior to joining the army as labourer (usually farm labouring). As this was usually low paid, with unreliable days of employment, it is fair to assume that many of the rank-and-file joined the Free State Army for financial reasons. The average age of those Kilkenny men killed outside the county was 23.6 years. The youngest killed was aged 16, the oldest was 35.

(Kilkenny, In Times of Revolution, 1900-1923 by Eoin Swithin Walsh is published by Merrion Press and will be released on Wednesday 15th August 2018 during a lecture as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, followed by a launch in Dubrays in Market Cross Shopping Centre @6.30pm).

James Walsh (Free State, Killaloe, Callan). Died June 29, 1922 . Aged 22. Killed in Dublin during the storming of the anti-Treaty garrison lodged in the Four Courts.

Daniel Brennan (Free State, Dublin Road, Kilkenny). Died July 1, 1922. Shot dead when sniping from the Ballast Office towards the anti-Treaty IRA garrison on O'Connell Stree. 18 years of age.

Joseph Bergin (Free State, Skehana, Castlecomer). Died August 16, 1922. Killed on the very day of his 21st birthday in Woodroofe, near Clonmel, having been ambushed by an anti-treaty unit.

Richard Cantwell (Free State, Clough, Castlecomer) Died August 21, 1922. Died after being shot in an anti-Treaty IRA ambush at Redmondstown, County Tipperary.

William Purcell (Free State, Kellymount, Paulstown). Died September 30, 1922. aged 16. Shot accidently in the stomach by a comrade in Templemore Free State Barracks.

Thomas Brownrigg (Free State, Dunnamaggin) Died October 8. 1922 and Patrick Hayes (Free State, Barrack Street, Kilkenny), Died October 12. 1922. Both men died from bullet wounds received in an ambush near Woodroofe, Co Tipperary, on 2 October 1922.

James Burke (Free State, Barna, Urlingford) Died October 22, 1922. Accidentally shot himself while on sentry duty in the town of Cashel, aged 18.

James Dunne (Free State, Threecastles). Died October 26, 1922. Shot accidently by a Free State comrade in Dungarvan Military Barracks, which was situated in the local workhouse.

James Gardiner (Free State, Chatsworth Street, Castlecomer). Died December 10, 1922. Shot at Westgate, Carrick-on-Suir, during an Anti-Treaty takeover of the town.

Edward Gorman (Free State, Wellington Sq, Kilkenny) and Patrick Horan (Free State, Flag Lane, Callan). Died on March 24, 1922. Both men were executed in Adamstown, County Wexford by the anti-Treaty IRA after they had been abducted from a pub the previous night in nearby Palace East. Their executions were in reprisal for Free State executions in Wexford Jail.

Richard Duggan (Free State, Scart, Mullinavat). Died March 11, 1923. Accidently shot by a comrade he was in conversation with in Waterford City on 6 March 1923, passing a way some days later from sepsis.

Thomas Davis (Free State, Low Street, Thomastown) Died on April 8, 1923 in Clones, County Monaghan, from a suspected pneumonia infection. Prior to enlisting in the Free State Army he was employed by the Auxiliaries in Woodstock House where he helped with their searches. For this reason he was a denied a military funeral in Thomastown.

Edward Somers (Anti Treaty, Mallardstown, Callan). Died on April 16, 1923. Captain Ned Somers was a Free State officer until he defected to the anti-Treaty side in December 1922.

He was shot dead by Free State soldiers near Rosegreen, Co Tipperary, when he attempted to escape from the ruins of a castle he was resting in, which had become surrounded.
Nearly 60 visitors from the most Irish place in the world outside Ireland will arrive in Kilkenny later this month, for a now-annual festival celebrating their heritage.

The 13th Ireland Newfoundland Festival will bring together people from across the South-east of Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland. Some of the engagements planned are taking place in South Kilkenny from the August 20  23, as Kilkenny was the biggest source of migrants to Newfoundland during the period 1760-1830.

By settling in isolated coastal outports, Newfoundlanders preserved intact their Irish culture, heritage, and even some distinguishing physical characteristics. Importantly, they also kept their attachment to Ireland and its people.

Over 30 local households are preparing to open their doors to the Canadian visitors, offering them accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, during the three nights theyre here.

Main: Ireland Newfoundland Festival Working Group. Front: Norma Dunphy, Ann Crowley O Neill, Walter Kirwan, Tomas Breathnach. Rear: Deirdre Cusack, Fidelis Doherty, Mary Dalton, Pat Dalton, Sean Kelly, Tom Dalton, Katherine Grant, Paddy Daly, Richard Walsh, Eddie Synnott, Liam Fox, Pat Dunphy

Monday, August 20: At 10.30am, visitors arrive in Kilkenny City and visit to Smithwicks Experience, Rothe House, Kilkenny Castle, and Medieval Mile Museum. They will be welcomed to South Kilkenny at the Rising Sun in Mullinavat at 6.30pm when they will meet their host families. Later there will be a get-together in the Fox's Den, Kilmacow.

Tuesday, August 21: There will be a morning visit to Kildalton College, lunch in at Anthony's Inn, Piltown, In the afternoon their tour will include the some of the ancient sites and high crosses of South Kilkenny. The Aloy O' Brien Concert will be held at 8.00pm in the Parish Hall, Mooncoin. Aloy O' Brien was the last native Irish speaker in Newfoundland and was hugely instrumental to the maintenance of the connection between Newfoundland and Ireland. Featuring in the concert

are Hometown, Dun Aill, An Sraid Bhaile and Pat Dalton with Sheldon Thornhill & Sean Thornhill, Jenna Maloney and the group Tarahan from Newfoundland. Tickets cost 10. (Students and OAPs, 5).

Wednesday, August 22: The morning will include a visit to Ormonde Castle in Carrick-on-Suir. After lunch in there will be an opportunity to engage in local crafts before travelling back to Carrigeen for a visit to the farm villages by the River Suir and a visit to the local graveyard. Later on that night there will be a get-together in The Thatch at Grannagh.

READ MORE: 'YOU WOULD SWEAR YOU ARE TALKING TO IRISH PEOPLE

The festival programme aims to give the visitors from Newfoundland an interesting and enjoyable time where they will get to know and interact with host families and communities.

A working group has been meeting in Mooncoin since January, set up to organise accommodation and to oversee the programme. The group would like to acknowledge the huge interest and support locally for the festival, and also to acknowledge the funding and assistance of Kilkenny County Council.
Chris Bishop writes:

I am due to speak to the Massey University Politics Club next Wednesday. I have today written this letter to the Massey Vice-Chancellor. Her decision to ban Don Brash from speaking on campus is highly likely to be unlawful and absolutely outrageous. Below is my full letter.

Dear Professor Thomas

I am writing to you about your recent decision to ban former National Party Leader and Reserve Bank Governor Dr Don Brash from speaking at Massey Universitys Palmerston North campus at an event arranged by the Universitys Politics Club.

I have also been invited to speak to the club and my talk has been arranged for next Wednesday 15 August.

Freedom of expression in New Zealand is protected in law by section 14 of the Bill of Rights Act. As Justice Anderson, as he then was, famously put it in Hosking v Runting, Freedom of expression is the first and last trench in the protection of liberty. The right has been described by the New Zealand Court of Appeal as being as wide as human thought and imagination. These quotes encapsulate the protections long given by the common law to free speech, also now protected in international and domestic human rights instruments.

Universities have traditionally been regarded as bastions of free speech and critical thought. In particular, section 162 of the Education Act 1989 recognises the special role of universities as critic(s) and conscience(s) of society, while section 161 specifically protects:

the freedom of academic staff and students, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions.

With this background, your reported comments outlining your rationale for stopping Dr Brash from speaking give me extreme cause for concern and I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision.

Let me take each of your reported statements in turn.

First, you have stated that you support free speech on campus but the views expressed by members of Hobsons Pledge, which Dr Brash supports, came dangerously close to hate speech.

It is hard to know where to start on this somewhat nonsensical statement. Hate speech in New Zealand is traditionally regarded as being prohibited by sections 61 and 63 of the Human Rights Act 1993. If Dr Brash breaches those sections presumably he will be prosecuted under those sections. You essentially have chosen to appoint yourself as the arbiter of what speech qualifies as hate speech and what speech does not; replacing a careful objective judgment by a court with a subjective judgment by yourself.

In any event, even by your own admission you accept that Dr Brash only comes close to hate speech. If Dr Brash is not expressing hate speech (and absent a court order to that effect you have no way of knowing), then what is the rationale for his ban?

The views of the Hobsons Pledge group, which you assert Dr Brash supports, are admittedly controversial but no more controversial than many other contentious issues of debate in New Zealand society. I put it to you that they no more qualify as hate speech any more than comments by prominent politicians like two wongs dont make a white and well-publicised remarks that blame high house prices on people with Chinese-sounding names.

Secondly, you have also said that whether those views [Hobsons Pledge] would have been repeated to students in the context of a discussion about the National Party may seem unlikely, but I have no way of knowing.

Extraordinarily, by your own admission you actually have no idea what Dr Brash actually proposed to say at his address (and even admitted Hobsons Pledge-esque views seem[ed] unlikely, but have gone ahead and cancelled the speech anyway. This is akin to prior restraint on speech which liberal democracies have rightly viewed with considerable distaste. While this is not totally analogous; the courts have traditionally been extremely reluctant to restrain speech prior to publication; for the very good reason that it is a drastic interference with freedom of speech and should only be ordered where there is a substantial risk of grave injustice.

Third, you comment that Hobsons Pledge views are certainly not conducive with the University strategy of recognising the values of a Tiriti o Waitangi-led organisation. That view is certainly arguable, but most importantly I note you have made no attempt to balance the universitys commitment to the values of the Treaty of Waitangi with your obligations to protect freedom of expression under the Bill of Rights Act and your obligations under the Education Act 1989. No alleged commitment to values or cant about health and safety can trump statutory obligations.

Fourth, you claim that Mr Brashs leadership of Hobsons Pledge and views he and its supporters espoused in relation to Maori wards on councils was clearly of concern to many staff, particularly Maori staff. I appreciate and acknowledge that that is likely to be the case; but there are many instances in life in which people see and hear expression they disagree with. That is part and parcel of living in a liberal democracy. It is also worth noting that a great many New Zealanders also share Dr Brashs views around Maori wards on Councils. New Zealanders are entitled to hold those views, in the same way that Dr Brash is entitled to express them.

Fifth, you appear to have banned Dr Brash on the basis that protests against him could have led to violence. In some ways this is the most outrageous comment you have made on behalf of the university, essentially applying a thugs veto to free speech. If speeches are to be cancelled after the threat of illegal violence by protestors against that speech; then surely you must see that the incentive is for violence to be threatened in order to for speech to be banned. The right response surely from public institutions, particularly universities, in circumstances like that is not to cowardly cancel speech on the grounds of public safety but stand firm in favour of the values of pluralistic democracy and diversity of opinion. Few things, if any, are more important than those values.

Finally, your actions are highly likely to be in breach of your statutory obligations. I have already mentioned the Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Education Act 1989. Section 57, reproduced below, of the Human Rights Act 1993 is also relevant (emphasis mine).

57 Educational establishments

(1) It shall be unlawful for an educational establishment, or the authority responsible for the control of an educational establishment, or any person concerned in the management of an educational establishment or in teaching at an educational establishment,

(a) to refuse or fail to admit a person as a pupil or student; or

(b) to admit a person as a pupil or a student on less favourable terms and conditions than would otherwise be made available; or

(c) to deny or restrict access to any benefits or services provided by the establishment; or

(d) to exclude a person as a pupil or a student or subject him or her to any other detriment,

by reason of any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.

(2) In this section, educational establishment includes an establishment offering any form of training or instruction and an educational establishment under the control of an organisation or association referred to in section 40.

21 Prohibited grounds of discrimination

(1) For the purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are:

The precedent you have set with your decision is extremely worrying and I urge you to reconsider it. The widespread outrage your decision has created should give you pause for thought.

I am due to speak at the university next Wednesday. It would seem hypocritical for me to cancel a speech in protest at your universitys seeming lack of commitment to free speech, and I am loathe to do so. However I have no real desire to speak at a university that prefers to preference the views of a tiny, angry minority who wish to shut down speech they disagree with rather than stand-up for academic freedom, critical thought, and the values of pluralism and liberal democracy.

I look forward to your reply.

Chris Bishop

MP for Hutt South
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.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, August 9: The Maratha outfits have called for a state-wide bandh in Maharashtra today seeking reservation for the community in jobs and education. The call for the day-long bandh was taken after members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) held a meeting in Aurangabad on Wednesday and reached a consensus to take their agitation forward on Thursday. The pan-Maharashtra bandh will be observed from 8 am to 6 pm.

Schools, colleges and several commercials in Pune will remain closed as a precautionary measure. In view of the bandh, a majority of the commercial units in the Chakan industrial area have also decided to remain closed tomorrow. In the wake of the protest, roads are likely to be blocked as the protestors would observe a sit-in protest at may places while traffic is likely to take a hit.

Reports inform that the protesting outfits have instructed their workers not to damage public properties and observe peaceful protest across the state. According to reports, a sit-in agitation will be held at outside the office of the Mumbai suburban collector in Bandra (East) while Thane and Navi Mumbai areas will be exempted from the protest this time.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation for reservation in jobs and education, has called for the shutdown in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of all the Maratha outfits has announced peaceful protests in Mumbai.

On July 30, Morcha leader Vinod Pokharkar said, "We will hold a mega rally in Mumbai on August 9, August Kranti Din. We want to show our strength and endurance to the government". Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, has been a hugely contentious issue. In the past two years, the Maratha Kranti Morcha has held 58 mook morchas (silent protests) across the state in the wake of rape and murder of a girl in Kopardi in Ahmednagar.
Asma Al-Assad, wife of Bashar al-Assad, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, the Syrian presidents office has announced via its social media accounts.

The post included a photograph of the Syrian first lady with an intravenous line in her arm and smiling at her husband, who is sitting next to her, while apparently undergoing treatment in a hospital. With strength and confidence and faith, Mrs Asma al-Assad begins the preliminary stage of treatment for a malignant tumor in the breast that was discovered early, the statement said. From its heart, the presidency and all those who work in it wish Mrs Asma a speedy recovery.

  ..  #_         ..   ..          .. pic.twitter.com/W3vi9h1GUt  Syrian Presidency (@Presidency_Sy) August 8, 2018

A dual British-Syrian national, Asma Assad attended school and university in London before becoming an investment banker. She moved to Syria in 2000 and married former ophthalmologist Bashar al-Assad, just months after he succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad as president.

Since the Syrian civil war began, Asma has become a controversial figure. She has been sanctioned by the European Union in 2012. Asma was also outed for shopping for luxury goods while her husband was bombing his own citizens. Once dubbed by Vogue as a rose in the desert, she acknowledged that there was suffering on both sides of the war and said she had rejected offers of asylum outside the country during the crisis. During the war, she has been seen doing humanitarian work in areas controlled by the Syrian government. Her Instagram feed shows her cradling small children, sitting by the bedside of injured war victims and touring sites with local women.

The Syrian Civil War now in its seventh year has claimed at least half a million lives and more than half the countrys population has been displaced. Almost 5 million Syrians have been rendered refugees in the neighbouring countries of Jordan and Turkey.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2018 05:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Aug 9, 2018, 1:34am ET

Fiat announces facelifted 500X

It might not come to the United States.

Jeep recently introduced a facelifted Renegade on the European market. It's almost time for the Renegade's sister model, the Fiat 500X, to go under the knife. It's not guaranteed to show up in American showrooms, though.

As is often the case, the dark teaser image does a good job of hiding the updates. It looks like they're minor, however, and largely limited to new-look lights with integrated LEDs. This isn't a massive, far-reaching overhaul -- at least not when it comes to design. The rear end will likely adopt a similar treatment. All told, the updates appear to bring the 500X in line with the most recent version of the 500.

Fiat will likely update the infotainment system. And, it's safe to bet the 500X will receive the brand-new turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine also available on the Renegade. It's an engine not developed with the United States market in mind.

The updated 500X will make its world debut in September. It won't be displayed at the biennial Paris auto show because Fiat, like all of FCA's brands save for Maserati, will skip the event. Motori adds the crossover will reach showrooms across Italy before the end of the year. There's a catch: we're not certain it will be sold in the United States yet.

The American-spec 500 hasn't received the updates the European-spec model got in 2015. This might come down to the fact that they're built in two different factories; Europe gets its 500 from Poland while America sources it from Mexico. The 500X is made alongside the Renegade in Italy, and Jeep previously hinted the updates made to the European-spec model wouldn't carry over to the version sold in America.
Aug 9, 2018, 11:47am ET

NYC votes to cap Uber, Lyft licenses

The city will not issue new for-hire vehicle licenses for 12 months while it studies the industry.

The New York City Council has voted to place limits on the number of for-hire vehicle licenses, effectively capping the number of Uber and Lyft vehicles that can operate in the five boroughs.

Officials have decided to halt the issuance of new licenses for at least 12 months while the city closely studies the industry's impact. The measure has provided a few exemptions, permitting new licenses for wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Another bill that passed the council vote will set a $15 minimum wage for drivers, addressing the apparent pay gap between Uber drivers and traditional taxi drivers in the city.

New York City has long imposed an artificial cap on the number of taxis that operate throughout the city. Each must have a limited-issue medallion, which have dropped in value since Uber and Lyft came to town.

Proponents of the bills argue that more regulation is needed to ensure drivers are being paid a fair wage and city streets do not become congested with traffic from excess ride-hailing vehicles. Uber and Lyft have countered that the cap will negatively affect residents in low-income areas that have been ignored by yellow cabs in the past.

"The City's 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.

The bills now head to Mayor Bill de Blasio for final approval.
For those who don't always have the patience in dealing with the used car buying experience, a new service will allow customers to do all the purchasing from the comfort of their own home.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Carvana, a leading e-commerce platform for buying used cars since 2012, promises as-soon-as-next-day car drop-off after customers buy a used vehicle online.

The company on Wednesday launched the concept in Allentown and previously offered other Pennsylvania locations in Harrisburg, Dauphin County; Lancaster, Lancaster County; and York-Hanover, York County. There also is a Newark, New Jersey location.

The way it works is customers choose a car from their mobile device or computer after shopping more than 10,000 vehicles on Carvana's website. They then qualify for financing, receive a trade-in value, sign contracts and receive as-soon-as-next-day delivery or pickup of the vehicle from one of Carvana's proprietary automated "car vending machines."

The whole process can be done in as little as 10 minutes, said Ryan Keeton, the company's chief brand officer.

"Carvana is the new way to buy a car, putting the customer in control of the purchase process," Keeton said. "By ditching the dealership and shopping online, Carvana customers save valuable time and money."

Keeton said all the vehicles are "Carvana certified," meaning the inventory has undergone a rigorous 150-point inspection, have no frame damage and have never been in a reported accident. Features, imperfections and updated information about open safety recalls also are listed on the car's vehicle description page, he said.

Additionally, Keeton said, each comes with a seven-day return policy compared to a 10-minute test drive around a dealership block.

Since the company's Pennsylvania debut in October 2016 in Pittsburgh, Keeton said company leadership has been eager to grow more throughout the state. There are plans for additional locations, he said.

The company currently serves more than 70 cities nationally.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Three people were shot early Thursday morning in Easton's West Ward, city police report.

Women 19 and 20 years old and a 23-year-old man were wounded at 13th and Washington streets by someone they likely knew, Lt. Matthew Gerould said. The three are friends and are from Easton, Gerould added.

The shooter is believed to be a black man in his early 20s with waist-length dreadlocks and a blue do-rag, Gerould said.

Ballistic evidence as well as narcotics and personal belongings were recovered at the northeast corner of the intersection, he added. An "encounter" happened there and the victims fled toward the South Cherry Street alley, Gerould said.

Drops of blood were still evident along the sidewalk on the north side of Washington Street and the smell of bleach, used by the city fire department to clean up blood, was more clear near the mouth of the alley. The blood drops did not continue on the other side of the thin road.

When asked if a gun was recovered, Gerould said it was too early in the investigation to talk about evidence. When asked if there was gang involvement, Gerould cited the probe being in it's "infancy" for declining to answer. He wouldn't say if it was a drug transaction that went bad.

The three have not been fully cooperative with the investigation, Gerould said. It did not appear they shot back, he added.

Investigators are looking for a white Cadillac Escalade, possibly with out of state plates, that fled west on Washington, Gerould said. It's possible there were three people in the vehicle, Gerould said.

Easton police investigators return to the scene after sunrise Aug. 9, 2018, to look for evidence of a triple shooting at Washington and 13th streets in Easton. (Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com)

It's the most people wounded in a shooting in the city in nearly 11 years, by Gerould's recollection. Alphe Rene, Chanel Armour and Aleah Hamlin were murdered Nov. 29, 2007, a few blocks to the north on 13th Street.

Police were alerted at 1:26 a.m. Thursday to a gunshot victim at Easton Hospital, Gerould said. When officers arrived, they learned of a second victim at the hospital, both taken there in private vehicles, Gerould said. As the investigation proceeded, a third gunshot victim arrived, also by private vehicle, Gerould added.

The victims are expected to survive their wounds, Gerould said.

Anyone with information is asked to call city detectives at 610-250-6634 or the investigative tip line at 610-250-6635. Callers can remain anonymous.

Two women waiting for the bus about 6:15 a.m. at 13th and Washington said they didn't hear anything overnight but one of them said her son woke up at 3 a.m. to see police tape and flashing lights on 13th Street, both of which remained for sometime after. The other woman blamed overly permissive parents for the persistent violence in the neighborhood.

A man on his porch down the street said he was sleeping at 1:30 a.m., but later was told he couldn't walk through the intersection. Another neighbor, who said he also slept through the violence, when told of the number of people wounded, said, "It's unbelievable."

Investigators resumed their meticulous search for evidence as the sun lifted over the row homes on Washington Street.

This post was updated to correct the gender of one of the victims.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A member of a fire company fundraising group in Northampton County is suspected of embezzling money, officials said Wednesday.

Calling the claims "alarming," Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Wednesday he is fast-tracking his investigation to assist in finding money missing from the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fireman's Relief Association.

"I am making this audit an immediate priority after hearing from a VFRA leader about allegations of theft," DePasquale said in a statement.

A spokesman for DePasquale said the allegations concern money embezzled from the association. Jon Hammel, president of the group, confirmed it is one of the association's members who is suspected of taking the money.

"We discovered the missing funds," Hammel said. "We contacted law enforcement as well as the auditor general's office. Right now we're just working with law enforcement and the auditor general's office to try and find out all the facts and get everything straightened out."

There was no dollar amount immediately available on the missing money or timetable for the investigation.

"We do not know" how much is gone, Hammel said.

Police are also aware of the allegations and have launched a criminal investigation, DePasquale's office confirmed.

Lehigh Township police Chief Scott Fogel was not immediately available to elaborate Wednesday night on the investigation.

"My team spoke with law enforcement officials today to coordinate efforts to examine VFRA documents," DePasquale stated Wednesday.

The association is separate from the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. but supports the firefighters there, according to Hammel. The association received $72,681 in state funding in 2016, to be used to maintain and purchase fire equipment, training and insurance, in addition to other costs related to public safety, the auditor general said.

"I have heard from the leadership at the VFRA," DePasquale stated. "I share their desire to be upfront with the public and be vigilant in vetting these allegations."

DePasquale's last audit of the association was released in February and examined the years of 2014 to 2016. As of Dec. 31, 2016, the association had a cash balance of $87,283, his office said.

"This is a matter of public confidence that must be addressed quickly and swiftly," DePasquale stated. "I want to do anything possible to assist in this investigation. There must be an accounting of tax dollars.

"We must account for every penny of these funds which are used to help volunteer firefighters save lives and protect communities."

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A rally is planned this weekend in support of the South Whitehall Township police officer who is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed New Jersey man outside Dorney Park.

Sunday's demonstration will be held just a short distance away from the site of one 12 days earlier for the victim, 44-year-old Joseph "Joey" Santos, of Hasbrouck Heights.

The one in support of 33-year-old officer Jonathan Roselle is planned for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday on Hamilton Boulevard, near the Comfort Suites. It has been organized through Facebook, where an event page and discussion group have been set up. At least one post says to expect a counter-protest, as well.

"Please come and show your support for our local law enforcement!" the event page says.

Sarah Schmidt, of South Whitehall, silently protests across the street as people gather near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard in South Whitehall on Aug. 1, 2018, to protest the shooting death of Joseph Santos by a township police officer. The shooting took place on July 28, 2018, just outside the Dorney Park. (Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Charges against Roselle were announced Tuesday by the Lehigh County district attorney, who investigated the July 28 shooting. Roselle, a rookie cop, was released on $75,000 unsecured bail.

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, according to DA Jim Martin.

The day of the shooting, a Saturday, Santos went to Dorney Park with his family. Late in the afternoon, he was allegedly disrupting traffic by banging on passing cars, including Roselle's when the officer arrived. Before the shooting, Santos began to walk away, then turned around and approached the officer, ignoring orders to get on the ground.

Roselle opened fire, shooting Santos five times, killing him.

The district attorney said deadly force was unjustified because Santos was unarmed and not threatening the officer. Roselle's attorney, Gavin Holihan, on Wednesday said the officer believes he was justified.

"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," Holihan said.

(PHOTOS: Protest held for shooting victim Joseph Santos)

Protests seeking "Justice for Joey" were held Aug. 1 on Hamilton Boulevard and again Tuesday outside the Lehigh County Courthouse. Family and friends of Santos say that his actions that day did not warrant death.

On Thursday, Make the Road PA, which organized the previous rallies for Santos, announced that it will hold an interfaith service Sunday in his memory at Resurrected Life Church, 144 N. 9th St. in Allentown. It is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. -- the same time as the rally for Roselle.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Progress to build the recently announced Glanbia Cheese Ltd factory near Portlaoise is flying ahead, with a land deal now agreed with Laois County Council.

A fortnight after the factory plan was announced in mid July, Laois County Councillors signed off on the sale of 5 hectares of council land in Togher, beside the M7 motorway, to Glanbia Cheese EU Ltd.

The 130 million factory by Glanbia Cheese and US company Leprino Foods, is promised to bring 78 jobs to Laois, and 250 temporary jobs during construction.

The land is to be sold for 925,000, with an option agreed to buy another plot.

"An agreement has been entered into for an Option to Purchase a further 6 hectares at the same rate should the Purchaser require extra lands in order to expand and/or develop further enterprises," Director of Services Kieran Kehoe stated.

The council CEO John Mulholland remarked on the rapid progress at Togher.

I have to say, between the purchase and development, it has been really quick and really positive, a really rapid turnover, he said.

The role of the council in buying the Togher site and in investing in advance infrastructure was a significant factor in being chosen as the factory site he said, thanking councillors for their support.

The laying of infrastructure and services on the site is expected to start in September.

Proposing the sale of the land which is near his farm, Cllr Willie Aird recalled how Togher was first proposed as a business hub by a developer up to 12 years ago.

Unfortunately for him it didnt work out. The day it came back on the market I approached the CEO to purchase it. I am very grateful we did. Martin Keane the chairperson of Glanbia has been hugely supportive of this venture, it wasnt an easy one to get. It is about 25 years since we had an announcement like this. There are small sites too for people to start businesses. I thank Enterprise Ireland too, it shows a confidence growth in our town, he said.

Cathaoirleach Cllr John King said any time you have 230 million spent in a county its a good news story.

The funding we are acquiring will go back into developing the site, he said.

Cllr Padraig Fleming worked in Glanbia for 41 years.

Whatever task they set about, they succeed, I hope in the next two years we see massive progress and development, he said.

The Togher land is part of 70 acres bought by the council from Supermacs Ireland Ltd in 2017 for 1.7 million,

in an ambitious aim to make it a national industry hub and bring jobs to Laois. Supermacs kept another 39 acres at Togher, with plans to develop part of it as a motorway service station.

Below: The full 109 acre site set for development at Togher beside the M7 near Portlaoise.
Over one in five Portlaoise people, 22 percent, are non-Irish, twice the national average.

There are now 94 nationalities living in Laois, speaking 57 languages, according to a new local survey.

The survey was conducted as part of a new five year Laois Integration Strategy. It was answered by over 450 people and groups, including native Irish residents.

The results were given at the July meeting of Laois County Council by Aideen Roche on behalf of Laois Partnership and the Laois Integration Network.

Racism was not reported as a serious problem, she said.

Of course negative attitudes and racism exist in Laois like anywhere else, but I have been quite heartened here, we have heard less complaints or serious incidents. While prejudice is an issue nationally, it has not come up in a serious way in Laois. That was quite a positive aspect of the survey, she said.

A huge amount of very positive examples were shared with me. Non Irish residents are making a very strong contribution to life in Laois, between businesses and community events like festivals. There seems to be quite a strong sense of integration and intercultural awareness, she said.

Cllr Willie Aird told her racism is a problem.

I find the single biggest thing faced is racist remarks, I shiver when I hear them. Its not only from older people, younger people can pass very racist remarks, he said.

One in ten or 8,515 Laois people have non Irish nationalities. A third are Polish, another 18 percent from the UK.

The non nationals include about 200 asylum seekers in the Direct Provision Centre in the old Montague Hotel, and 13 Syrian war refugee families (54 people) who were resettled in Laois in 2015. Another small number are family members of people with refugee status who were later reunited here with them.

Besides 3,000 Polish speakers, other widely spoken languages include French, Lithuanian, Russian, Latvian, German, Urdu, Slovak, Romanian, Yoruba, Spanish and Arabic.
The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is looking for families in Kildare who are willing to foster guide dog puppies.

The charity needs kind families who are willing to foster a puppy from the age 7-8 weeks to 12-15 months.

"At seven weeks old our puppies begin their journey to becoming a Guide Dog for a person who is vision impaired, or an Assistance Dog for a family of a child with autism. This journey starts in the homes of our Puppy Raising Volunteers," said the organisation.

"The puppy will live with your family in your home. Under the direction of our Early Training Team puppies learn basic rules and obedience. At approximately 14 months they move into our Training Centre with our highly skilled trainers and the hard work towards graduating as a Guide Dog begins."

SEE ALSO: More rubbish dumped on Curragh yet again

Experience with obedience training dogs would be an advantage and this is a full-time volunteering role. The family will have a designated person to advise them and provide training and support to educate your puppy.

The Puppy Raising Programme is currently available in the following areas: Cork, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Waterford, Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath.

A variety of practical workshops take place for Puppy Raisers to aid their knowledge and assist them with dog handling skills.

All veterinary fees and feeding costs are covered by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Other dogs in the home are fine once they are sociable and neutered. The puppy must not be left alone for more than four hours and must have access to a secured outdoor area. Children in the home must be over five years of age.



Retired people and families with children generally make good Puppy Raisers, but anyone can apply.

Anyone who is interested is asked to complete the Volunteer Application Form on the website and a member of the Guidedog's Early Training Team will them shortly to discuss the role in more detail.

If you would like to talk to one of the team please call 1850 506 300 or email volunteer@guidedogs.ie
The 16th Annual Mac and Norman Vintage Rally will take place on August 19 at Brannockstown with all proceeds supporting the work of the Irish Cancer Society.

The committee who dedicate their whole summer to pulling this event together, have raised an amazing 435,554 for the Societys cancer research and services over the last 15 years.

SEE ALSO: Padre Pio's glove is coming back to Kildare

This years rally will start at Peter Sullys yard in Brannockstown at 1pm and will proceed through Brannockstown on to Kilcullen and finishing up at Walls of Kilgowan.

Mountain Dew will play from 3pm till 5pm followed by the charity auction at 5.15pm. Sister Act will play from 9.30pm.

Speaking on behalf of the event organisers Ann Sully said, The Vintage Rally all started because of a conversation Peter (Mac) Sully and Norman Egar had over 16 years ago. It was decided to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society as Norman had lost his mam Thelma to cancer at the age of 45. Its normally a great day and last year we had over 350 entries. We are so proud to have kept the Rally going for 15 years and to have raised so much for the work of the Society.

Funds raised from the Mac and Norman Vintage Tractor Rally will go towards supporting the Irish Cancer Societys cancer research projects and services such as Night Nursing care in the homes of terminally ill cancer patients.

Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said: We are extremely grateful to the organisers of the Annual Mac and Norman Vintage Rally for their staunch support of cancer patients in Ireland. To date they have raised a phenomenal amount of money which we have invested into lifesaving cancer research projects and support services to help those affected by cancer. Over 40,000 people get a cancer diagnosis in Ireland annually and the money raised through the Rally helps ensure they are properly supported.

This years registration fee is 20 per vehicle. For further information, posters, sponsorship cards or to donate to the raffle and auction please contact Ann Sully on 045 483700 or Dermot Fitzgerald on 086 6059898.
A glove which belonged to the famous Padre Pio, now canonised at St Pio of Pietrelcina, will be coming back to visit Kildare once more next month.

St Pios glove will be in the home of Betty Malone of Shindella, Rathangan, on Sunday, September 2 next.

The relic will be on display from 11am to 5pm, and all are welcome to visit. The house is located on the Rathangan to Monasterevin Road. Religious items of St Pio will be on sale on the day.

Mrs Malone frequently hosts St Pio relics at her home.

The Italian friar, who was born in 1887, was famous for exhibiting stigmata, or bleeding wounds, from his hands and feet during his life. During his life, Padre Pio wore fingerless mittens to protect his wounded hands. These gloves are revered as relics by devotees of the saint, and miracles have been attributed to them.

Padre Pio was made a saint by Pope John Paul in 2002.

This year marks two important commemorations in the life of St Pio, the centenary of the stigmata, and the 50th anniversary of his death. Contact Betty on 045 525094 for more information about the visit.
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
Fianna Fail TD for Sligo-Leitrim Marc Mac Sharry has called on the government to release key information regarding the Pandemrix controversy.

The drug was administered in Ireland in January 2011 as a stopgap for the normal winter flu vaccine, despite the fact that other EU countries had launched investigations into the drug and potential links to the sleep disorder narcolepsy.

Deputy Mac Sharry commented, There are serious questions to answer here, and despite my raising this issue in the Dail only last month, the answers remain outstanding. The fact that the vaccine was recalled, only weeks after it was reissued in January 2011, has never been explained. Neither the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach or the Chief Medical Officer has offered any clarification.

Photo calls and crisis commentary are no longer acceptable when the culture of deny, delay and defend is clearly the most common denominator in the mission of those charged with responsibility for patients lives.

The time has come for answers and I am calling on the Health Minister, Taoiseach and the Chief Medical Officer to clarify what was known and when. Its over 7 years since this drug was administered, at a time when investigations were underway in other EU countries. Silence is no longer acceptable  we need answers.

Also read: Boys to get HPV vaccine in 2019
A YOUNG man who deliberately targeted a residential suburb in Limerick for the purpose of stealing cars has been jailed for three years.

Dean Earls, aged 21, of Kileely Road, Thomondgate, had pleaded guilty to multiple charges relating to a crime spree which took place over a five-day period last December.

The offences included burglary, criminal damage and the stealing of a number of cars  including a Jaguar and a VW Polo.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told gardai encountered the stolen Jaguar in the Thomondgate area at around 2.15am on December 11  a number of days after it had been taken.

The vehicle was then pursued at high speed and the defendant arrested after it was crashed at Shelbourne Road.

John OSullivan BL, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe, said Earls was grossly intoxicated when apprehended.

The Jaguar was damaged as a result of the crash while the Polo was later found burned out.

The defendant made admissions during interview telling gardai he had floated into the area with the objective of stealing cars.

Yvonne Quinn BL said her client, who has a number of previous convictions, had been released from prison a number of months earlier.

She said he has had issues with substance abuse in the past and had relapsed around the time of the crime spree.

She said her clients memory of what happened is extremely limited given his level of intoxication and she said there was an element of impulsiveness in his actions.

Imposing sentence, Judge ODonnell said Earls previous record was an aggravating factor as was the fact that he had entered private homes which were occupied.

He also noted the defendant was disqualified from driving when apprehended.

While Earls cooperated with gardai and is making considerable efforts to rehabilitate himself, the judge said a custodial sentence had to be imposed.
LOCAL Ireland, the representative association for local newspapers in Ireland (including the Limerick Leader), has welcomed the publication of Fianna Fails policy document Newspaper Publishing : A Policy to Sustain High Quality Journalism in Irish Public Life.

Fianna Fail recently published a policy document, which proposes to create a 30m fund to support independent print media.

The policy document represents a welcome step forward in developing an effective national policy response to support independent journalism in this country, said Local Ireland president Frank Mulrennan.

As fake news has emerged as a national and international challenge, we welcome the documents acknowledgement of the critical role of newspapers in the democratic life of the country.

The document shows a clear understanding of the stark challenges faced by the sector, Mr Mulrennan said.

In particular we welcome the commitment to establishing a Minister for Media and the provision of funding for the development of newspaper journalism.

However, we believe much more can be done in relation to VAT than set out in the policy document, he added.

Local Ireland and Newsbrands Ireland, the representative association for national newspapers, has also launched a national campaign called Journalism Matters, to drive the change necessary to sustain independent journalism.

This includes reducing VAT to newspapers and digital products, reforming Irelands defamation laws, appointing a Minister for the Media, establishing a news publishers media fund and invest in training schemes for journalism.

Doing nothing is not an option, Mr Mulrennan said. We urge political parties to work together to forge a policy programme to deliver the required change.
AN ice-cream party will take place at the Peoples Park this weekend to help raise funds for Down Syndrome Ireland.

The free event is part of the annual HB Fundays campaign which aims to raise 350,000 nationally.

It takes place near the bandstand at the Peoples Park from 2pm on Saturday and is supported by community gardai from Roxboro Road station.

Its for Down Syndrome Ireland, its our first time holding a charity event and its about giving back to the community what the community gives to us and hopefully everybody will come out and support us and the weather will help too, said Garda Niamh Keogh.

Noreen Keane of Down Syndrome Limerick is appealing to people to come out on Saturday to support the event.

We hope people will have a lot of fun and that families will come out to support the event because all monies raised will go towards the provision of services for children and adults with Down Syndrome such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, she said.
ADARE Manor played host to an Irish property developers lavish wedding last weekend which saw popstar Ellie Goulding fly into Limerick to perform.

Wicklow developer Greg Kavanagh wed his partner Sheila Martin at the Manor, which has long been a favourite wedding destination among the rich and famous.

An event 18-months in the the making, the couples wedding was produced by Tara Fay, who shared a photo of the flower-clad venue on Instagram.

The culmination of 18 months of planning resulted in a spectacular weekend of wedding festivities for an amazing couple, Ms Fay said.

Could not have done it without our amazing in house team and incredible suppliers.

The couples wedding cake was designed by Limerick-based wedding cake designer Maya Ulej, of MM Cookies.

Bride Sheila wore a Grecian style headpiece designed by milliner Moira Walsh.

The London Essentials, who have performed for Prince Charles and George Clooney, played as the bride and the groom shared their first dance.

British pop-star Ellie Goulding, who famously performed at the reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2010, flew in to serenade guests on day two of the event.

A post shared by elliegoulding (@elliegoulding) on Aug 6, 2018 at 4:05am PDT

On Instagram, Mr Kavanagh thanked Adare Manor, in a post saying: "Thank you for making our wedding amazing. It was just out of this world. One might think Ellie Goulding May be the highlight but the whole Adare Manor and Xena Productions, GK Design Ltd were just out of this world."

"All the different ways things turned out was exceptional. Nobody there ever had experienced anything like that before," he added.

The Irish Independent reports that Mr Kavanagh formed New Generation Homes with Kerry-based Pat Crean during the financial crisis.

He left the business in 2016 in a deal understood to be worth 150m.
THERE aren't many things rarer in County Limerick than All-Ireland tickets but barley straw possibly is.

However, that hasn't stopped a farmer putting up an ad on Done Deal.

It reads: Two tickets for the All-Ireland Hurling Final, will swap for round bales of barley straw. Generous swap available.

The big Limerick hurling fan will even deliver the straw.

From speaking to one Limerick farmer this Thursday morning, they say many would gladly swap tickets for round bales of straw or silage.

Round bales of straw are even rarer than tickets. It was planted late due to the wet winter and then went straight into drought stress. A lot of crops died. Yields are way down. You can't get them for love nor money, said the farmer.

He said the price of barley straw has doubled.

Last year, you would be paying 20 to 25 per round bale and including delivery.

Lads would happily pay 40 or more now but they can't get them, he said.
MORE THAN 6,500 tickets have been booked for the massive screen at Gaelic Grounds, where the historic Limerick-Galway clash will be shown on August 19.

Despite widespread worry that all the seats had been booked, the Leader can confirm that tickets are still available.

Tickets became available on Wednesday at 1pm, and it is understood that more than 6,000 tickets were scooped within an hour and a half.

By Wednesday evening, fans were unable to book the coveted seats via www.tickets.ie. It is understood that this was the first tranche of tickets and a second lot is now available through the same website.

Limerick City and County Council is having discussions with Limerick GAA this Thursday about the free, family-friendly event.

A homecoming for the boys in green, win or lose, is imminent following Sunday weeks grand finale at Croke Park.
LIMERICK City and County Council will hold a meeting early next month to allow presidential candidates a chance to make their case for a nomination.

The next presidential election must take place no later than November, and although the incumbent Michael D Higgins is running, several people have indicated they will challenge the Limerick native.

But in order to secure a place on the ballot paper, they need the support of at least 20 Senators or TDs  or at least four local authorities in Ireland.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Mayor James Collins has confirmed members will meet in a similar fashion to their counterparts in Waterford City Council.

Every couple of days, we are getting emails requesting potential nominations, so we just feel it is best to offer an open invite to be fair to everyone and to allow whoever wants to present to us to do so, he said.

While President Higgins would be hot favourite for re-election to Aras an Uachtarain, its likely he will be challenged by a candidate from Sinn Fein.

And while Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will not field candidates, a number of Independents have expressed their interest in going forward.

These include Pieta House founder Joan Freeman, businessman Gavin Duffy, the founder of Aer Arann Padraig O Ceidigh, and Marie Goretti Moylan.

Its expected Limerick City and County Council members will hear presentations from candidates in private.

However, any formal nomination must be made in public  but this cant happen until the writ for the election has been moved.

A number of grass roots members of Fianna Fail last week suggested Galway TD Eamon O Cuiv, the grandson of former President Eamon de Valera could run as an Independent.

Mayor Collins said he backed his partys stance not to oppose President Higgins in the election.

The party has laid out its position on that, that its chosen not to run a candidate. I think some Eamon O Cuiv supporters were flying a kite. It was notable I think how silent Eamon kept on the whole issue, he said.

Sitting President Higgins, a Freeman of Limerick, secured over one million votes on his way to election in 2011.
LIMERICK Senator Kieran ODonnell has invited Start Mortgages, which took on a tranche of non-performing Permanent TSB mortgages, to discuss the matter in front of the Oireachtas finance committee.

The Fine Gael man wants the company to come to Leinster House to explain its purchase of the 10,700 of the lenders so called Project Glas group of home loans.

I want to find out what their intentions are as regards these mortgages and their customers, Fine Gaels Seanad Finance spokesperson told Leader Business.

Many of these people are under pressure. They are a mortgage firm, so I want to find out what arrangements they can put out in terms of arrears, and what their intentions are if people want to remain in their homes.

Mr ODonnell pointed out that although 10,700 loans are included in the portfolio, a huge number more than this will be affected, when you take into account families and couples.

He acknowledged that Start  based in Clonskeagh, Dublin 4  is not compelled to attend, but he believes the firm will.

Start is regulated by the Central Bank, and they are in the mortgage market as it is. So I want to explore the possibilities this could provide in terms of alleviating pressure on customers, on what their intentions are in terms of dealing with arrears, he said.

Mr ODonnell believes Start Mortgages will be more sympathetic to homeowners than other so-called Vulture Funds, as it specialises in home loans already.

My main concern is the customers. Obviously, we have to have a healthy banking system, but that cannot be in any way to the detriment of ordinary homeowners, many of whom borrowed at peak times, and perhaps overpaid for their homes, he added.

The invite to Start Mortgages is expected to issue shortly.

Of the loans sold on to the firm, a majority of 7,400 are owner-occupier mortgages.

The value of the portfolio is around 1.3bn.

Limerick renters have in the last two years been hit by the purchase of property by vulture funds.

The most high-profile example of this occurred in January 2017, when tenants at the Strand Apartments were ordered to vacate their properties by the following April.

The majority of the apartments in the complex were owned by Sova Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of Lalco Holdings Ltd.

The debts on the site were sold to Oaktree Capital Management, which then directed Sova to sell the apartments by vacant possession.

Only a fortnight ago, the Limerick Leader revealed that Ormston House was being sold by the New York City-based vulture fund Cerberus Capital Management.
Aug 9, 2018, 10 AM

Directors of the American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library met along with APS and library staff Aug. 8 in Columbus, Ohio.

By Michael Baadke

The American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library have accomplished much over the past three years, but there remain unresolved issues.

That was the message from APS executive director Scott English as he addressed the directors of both organizations in a joint board meeting held Aug. 8 in Columbus, Ohio.

The meeting took place the day before the annual four-day APS Stampshow opened at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The show is running jointly with the annual show of the American Topical Association.

During the course of the daylong meeting, the APS and APRL directors unanimously voted to approve Sacramento, Calif., as the location for the 2022 APS Stampshow, and they heard an encouraging financial report from APS treasurer Bruce Marsden and APRL treasurer Ken Nilsestuen.

For the six-month period that ended June 30, the combined APS/APRL unrestricted net assets are up $64,000, with total net assets up $44,000, and external debt now below $4 million, Marsden said.

The treasurers told the boards that the organization is financially strong, and recommended pursuing what they characterized as an opportunity to accelerate bank debt repayment.

Society attorney Kathleen Yurchak reported there are no significant conflicts awaiting resolution.

Scott Tiffney, librarian and APRL director of information services, described recent advancements such as making material available digitally on the APRL website, including archives of the societys monthly journal, The American Philatelist. Tiffney also is streamlining the process for categorizing and utilizing donations to the library.

Martin Miller, editor of The American Philatelist, reported 3,562 responses to a recent survey about the magazine. After covering specifics of the survey in detail, Miller reported the conclusion that the magazine performs well and that major course corrections are unnecessary and unwise.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

Sign up for our Newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

In his executive directors report in the morning session, English revealed that the ATA will again join the APS for next years summer show that will take place Aug. 1-4, 2019, in Omaha, Neb., and that the American First Day Cover Society is partnering with the APS for the summer show in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 20-23, 2020.

Our strength is really in the full representation of the hobby, as best we can, English said.

If we can put on display the best, the brightest, the most exciting and the most personable people we can, I think that people will come to the hobby much more energetically and enthusiastically, he added.

English also spoke at length about upcoming changes in the APS website, some of which were to be revealed two days later during the APS general membership meeting.

Miller is managing the ongoing process.

What you will see starting with Saturday is a substantial change in the way the website is set up, English said.

Additional changes will be instituted throughout the year, he added.

English provided a mid-point review of the 2015 strategic plan approved by the board early in 2016. The key goals of sustainability, education, accessibility and membership were addressed with specific attention to each point.

The societys membership stands at 28,250, a loss of 703 from the same time in 2017. English told the boards that in his next budget he will request the addition of a staff person whose sole purpose is focusing on chapters and affiliates, on evangelizing and marketing.

English compared the combined finances from when the strategic plan was approved in 2015 to today.

The APS was projected to run its fourth consecutive deficit budget in 2015, and now is in its fourth consecutive cash positive year. The mortgage debt of $5 million (with $600,000 additional financing needed for code upgrades) is projected to be $3.7 million in December 2018. And APS cash reserve has grown from $175,000 to $637,000.

Some goals of the strategic plan need to be re-evaluated, and English proposed that a small group of board members review and develop a new plan with APS management.

Over the past three years, the APS and APRL have substantially improved our financial position, English concluded.
Aug 9, 2018, 11 AM

By Molly Goad

The third and final installment of Canada Posts Birds series shows five different feathered creatures in flight, including a species that was once extremely close to extinction.

Biologist David Gray and illustrator Keith Martin teamed up again for this set of Birds stamps issued Aug. 20. Mike Savage and Kosta Tsetsekas of Signals Design Group (Vancouver, B.C.) designed the stamps.

The Birds series debuted in 2016 (Scott 2929-2934), and a second set was issued in 2017 (3017-3022).

Featured on this years set of five stamps are the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), whooping crane (Grus americana), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) and Stellers jay (Cyanocitta stelleri).

The black-capped chickadee is the smallest species of the five, measuring roughly 4.7 by 5.9 inches long. It has been described as acrobatic and prefers to take its food to go, meaning that it rarely remains at a feeder to eat.

This chickadee was named New Brunswicks provincial bird in 1983 when it won a contest run by the New Brunswick Federation of Naturalists.

The beautiful white whooping crane was included in the set at Grays suggestion. The Canadian population of the species dwindled to less than 20 in 1941, but conservation efforts have raised that number to the hundreds today. The stunning bird has a wingspan of 7 feet and height of 5 feet.

Most Canadians will never see a whooping crane, but this stamp celebrates the fact that they are still with us, Gray said. This amazing bird is one of Canadas most successful conservation stories.

Unlike the whooping crane, the Canada goose is easy to find as it lives near lakes, rivers, ponds and in yards, park lawns and fields.

According to Details, Canada Posts magazine for collectors, ... the Canada goose is an ubiquitous resident whose noisy, awe-inspiring migrations herald the arrival of winter and spring.

The snowy owl was adopted as the official bird of the province of Quebec in 1987. The beautiful fowl is white with differing amounts of brown or black markings (females tend to have more markings than males). They have yellow eyes and no ear tufts, making their heads smooth and round.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

Sign up for our Newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

The final bird in the set is the Stellers jay, the official bird of British Columbia. It can be found in coastal, southern and central parts of that province. The songbird is known for its black head and blue body and wings, and is the western counterpart to the blue jay found in eastern and central parts of the United States and southern Canada.

The Birds of Canada stamps are sold in self-adhesive booklets of 10 (Canada Post order number 414090111), and in souvenir sheets of five with moisture-activated PVA gum (404090145). The stamps measure 20 millimeters by 24mm, and the souvenir sheet is 114mm by 92mm.

On the souvenir sheet, each bird design extends through the perforations and onto the selvage between stamps, rather than fading out at the edges of the stamp design as on the booklet singles.

Canadian Bank Note printed these stamps by six-color offset lithography. A total of 400,000 booklets, and 85,000 souvenir sheets were printed.

In addition, 25,000 souvenir sheets were overprinted with the logo of the 2018 International Ornithological Congress, taking place Aug. 19-26 in Vancouver, B.C.

Canada Post is offering 7,000 first-day covers of the souvenir sheet for $5.25 each (order number 404090144).

The cachet depicts enlargements of a Canada goose, Stellers jay and black-capped chickadee. The Vancouver first-day cancel shows a single feather.

Nondenominated postal cards are being issued in sets of five (Canada Post order number 262481, $12.50 per set). Each card displays an image of the entire bird from which the stamp designs were taken.

These items are available at the Canada Post website, and by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.

Canadas stamps and stamp products also are available from many new-issue stamp dealers, and from Canada Posts agent in the United States: Interpost, Box 420, Hewlett, NY 11557.
Apr 28, 2021, 5 PM

Botanist Joseph Banks and natural history artist Sydney Parkinson are honored on nondenominated second-class and 1.45 stamps in Great Britains new Endeavour set. Illustrations by Parkinson and Tupaia (a Polynesian priest who joined the voyage as a navigator and translator) also are pictured.

The se-tenant pair of two nondenominated first-class stamps in Great Britains Aug. 16 issue honoring the 250th anniversary of Capt. James Cooks Endeavour voyage of 1768-71 show paintings of Cook and the ship, and a photograph of a sextant and a 1769 drawing of the transit of Venus.

The stamps in the souvenir sheet depict a chart of New Zealand and Australia, and scenes of the Endeavour expedition at Raiatea, New Zealand and Australia.

By Molly Goad

A set 10 stamps issued Aug. 16 by Great Britains Royal Mail celebrates the 250th anniversary of an unprecedented voyage of discovery led by British navigator and explorer Capt. James Cook.

Six of the stamps are in three se-tenant (side-by-side) pairs, and four are in a souvenir sheet.

Under the command of Cook (then a lieutenant), HMS Endeavour departed from Deptford, England, on July 30, 1768  the start of a three-year journey. Endeavour returned July 13, 1771.

Key achievements included contact with eastern Australia (a first for Europe), a detailed mapping of New Zealand and an accurate observation of the transit of Venus.

In addition to the crew, on board were a group of scientists, botanists and artist led by botanist Joseph Banks.

Bankss party brought home tens of thousands of specimens, many new to Europe, Royal Mail explained on the informational card placed inside its first-day covers for the issue. The Pacifics exotic plants, fauna, fish and customs grabbed public attention in Britain as much as Cooks extraordinarily detailed charts.

The stamp designs show a selection of the original drawings and paintings of the indigenous peoples, landscapes of the Pacific and flora and fauna, according to Royal Mail. Also pictured are Cook, Banks and two other men from the Endeavours voyage.

The stamps in two of the se-tenant pairs are nondenominated, paying the first- and second-class rates. The third pair includes two 1.45 stamps. The first-class rate is 67 pence, and the second-class rate is 58p. The 1.45 stamps are for use on international letters weighing up to 20 grams or for international economy letters up to 100 grams.

One of the nondenominated first-class stamps depicts a portrait of Cook by Nathaniel Dance in the foreground, and Robin Brooks marine painting Triumph of the Navigators in the background.

The other first-class stamp shows drawings of the observations of the transit of Venus by Charles Green and Cook (1769) and a photograph of a sextant.

The first stamp in the nondenominated second-class pair features a portrait of Banks by Joshua Reynolds and two illustrations by Sydney Parkinson, a botanical draftsman hired by Banks to sketch the plants found on the voyage.

Shown in the upper left of the design is Parkinsons drawing of a red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda). Pictured on the right is a red passion flower (Passiflora aurantia) outline by Parkinson (finished by Fred Polydore Nodder).

The second stamp in this pair shows chief mourner of Tahiti and a canoe scene, both drawn by Tupaia, a Tahitian high priest and navigator who accompanied the travelers on their way back to Britain. He died on the ship, but his knowledge was crucial to the accomplishments of the crew.

The two 1.45 stamps feature more artwork by Parkinson: the flowering plant scarlet clianthus (Clianthus puniceus) and a portrait of a Maori chief with full facial moko (the skin art form of the Maori) on one; and a blue-black grassquit and a self-portrait on the second. Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand.

Howard Brown designed the stamps, and International Security Printers printed them by lithography in sheets of 60 (sold in panes of 30 at most postal outlets). The stamps are 37 millimeters by 35mm each, perforated gauge 14 by 14.5.

The souvenir sheet includes two nondenominated first-class stamps and two 1.45 stamps with hand-colored engravings from A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, 1794, in the background.

The first-class stamp in the upper left is inscribed Charting a new course: New Zealand and Australia and shows a chart by Lt. Henry Roberts exhibiting Cooks discoveries. Roberts served with Cook on his second and third voyages.

The second stamp depicts a scene titled Life on Raiatea: boathouse and canoes from an engraving based on a drawing by Parkinson.

In the bottom left of the souvenir sheet, the first 1.45 shows another illustration by Parkinson. The inscription reads Mapping New Zealand: a Maori clifftop fort.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

Sign up for our Newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

The inscription on the final stamp explains what is pictured, Disaster Avoided: repairs on the Endeavor River.

The souvenir sheet measures 115mm by 89mm, and its stamps are 41mm by 30mm and perforated gauge 14.5 by 14. Webb & Webb Design Ltd. designed the souvenir sheet, and International Security Printers printed it by lithography.

Additional products for the set include FDCs, a presentation pack that explores the Endeavour voyage in more detail, and 11 postcards that reproduce the designs of each of the 10 stamps and the souvenir sheet.

Ordering information is available from Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB, Scotland, or visit Royal Mails internet shop.

Royal Mails agency in the United States is Interpost, Box 420, Hewlett, NY 11557.

Cook and his voyages of discovery have been honored on other stamps of Great Britain, as well as on stamps from numerous countries around the world.

Cooks earliest philatelic appearance was on a 1888 stamp from New South Wales (Scott 79). The United States issued a pair of stamps Jan. 20, 1978, to mark the 200th anniversaries of his arrival in Hawaii and in Alaska (Scott 1732-1733).
A mysterious, ancient organism with leaf-like fronds once flourished in shallow waters. Now, after decades of debate as to whether these organisms were fungi, algae, protozoa or even from a lost kingdom of life, new fossils suggest they were animals.

If true, these organisms would be among the first animals in the fossil record, dating back to at least 571 million years ago  the age of the oldest frond fossils. That's about 30 million years before the Cambrian explosion, when many of today's animal groups first burst onto the scene. The date is consistent with other evidence that suggests animals appeared more than 635 million years ago.

The mysterious frond fossils, which have been found around the world, date to the Ediacaran period, which spanned from 635 million to 542 million years ago. The fossilized imprints suggest that the organisms were soft and squishy and that some sported fronds that branched outward like seaweed, study co-author Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill, a paleobiologist at the University of Cambridge in England, wrote on The Conversation. Even 60 years after the discovery of these organisms, researchers still didn't know what these fronds were. [These Bizarre Sea Monsters Once Ruled the Ocean]

Now, in a paper published Aug. 7 in the journal Paleontology, Cuthill and Jian Han, of Northwest University in Xi'an, China, describe the discovery of 206 fossils of a different animal called Stromatoveris psygmoglena that date to about 518 million years ago, during the Cambrian period. The fossils were found in Chengjiang County in southern China, and they add to the existing collection of eight S. psygmoglena fossils first discovered in 2006.

S. psygmoglena,which also had leaf-like fronds,looked a lot like the older, mysterious Ediacaran fossils. To see how similar they were, Cuthill and Han used a computer to compare the two groups, analyzing their evolutionary relationships and physical features, based on more than 80 photographs of the fossils. They found that both sets of fossils belonged to the same group on the tree of life called Petalonamae meaning the Ediacaran organisms also had to be animals.

"This means animal species were diversifying well before the Cambrian explosion," Cuthill wrote on The Conversation.

Given that these creatures can be found across tens of millions of years of the fossil record, it's likely Petalonamae were evolutionarily successful. Because the fossil record for the Ediacaran organisms had seemed to disappear by the time the Cambrian began, researchers thought the organisms had gone extinct. But by linking them to Stromatoveris psygmoglena, the new analysis suggests they lived at least through the first 20 million years of the Cambrian.

And the fact that the researchers found more than 200 fossils means they were common. "This indicates that this species was an important member of its shallow marine ecosystem rather than a rare or marginal survivor," Cuthill said in The Conversation article.

Originally published on Live Science.
A mother in Maryland said that eating a poppy seed bagel caused her to test positive for opiates while she was giving birth, according to news reports. But how does this happen?

The woman, Elizabeth Eden, ate a poppy seed bagel the morning she gave birth to her daughter in April, according to local news station WBAL. Eden was in labor when her doctor told her she had tested positive for opiates.

"I said, 'Well, can you test me again? And I ate a poppy seed bagel this morning for breakfast,'" Eden told WBAL. But her doctor said the hospital had already reported her to the state.

After her positive test, Eden was assigned a caseworker, and her newborn daughter had to stay in the hospital without Eden for five days, WBAL reported. Eden's caseworker closed the case after realizing it was "a legitimate case of the poppy seed defense," WBAL said. [9 Weird Ways You Can Test Positive for Drugs]

Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy, a plant that produces a milky fluid from which morphine and other opiates are derived. As a result, poppy seeds can contain traces of morphine.

It is possible to test positive for opiates, or morphine, because you consumed poppy seeds, said Dr. Lewis Nelson, chairman of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who was not involved with the case. "It's not very common, but it can happen," Nelson told Live Science.

Whether you get a so-called false-positive drug test from eating poppy seeds depends on a number of things, Nelson said, including how much you ate, the concentration of morphine in the poppy seeds and the cutoff threshold used by a laboratory for a "positive" result.

In a 1987 study, five members of a lab baked cookies containing about 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) each of a poppy-seed filling that they bought from the grocery store. Two hours after eating several cookies, all of the lab members tested positive for opiates. The concentration of morphine in their urine was greater than 300 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), which was the minimum cutoff used by the test.

But it's hard to say exactly how many poppy seeds you'd have to eat to test positive, because the concentration of morphine in poppy seeds can vary quite a lot, Nelson said. In addition, labs use different cutoffs for a "positive" result, and a lower cutoff would be more likely to trigger a positive result, he said. (The amount of morphine in poppy seeds is very small, but in theory, the seeds could produce a "high" if people consume huge amounts of them.)

In fact, in 1998, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services changed the federal cutoff level for a positive result from 300 ng/mL to 2,000 ng/mL of morphine in order to avoid false-positive results from eating poppy seeds, according to a 2008 review study. However, most labs continue to use lower cutoffs, the review said. (Eden's hospital used a cutoff of 300 ng/mL, WBAL reported.)

If someone tests positive for opiates (which is a positive result for morphine), there is a way to tell if the individual has been using heroin versus morphine, Nelson said. The heroin chemical, called diacetylmorphine, will break down rapidly in the body into a compound called monoacetylmorphine and then break down further into morphine. Thus, a test for monoacetylmorphine can reveal whether a person has recently used heroin, Nelson said.

But "if you want to prove it's poppy seeds vs. morphine, it's really hard," Nelson said, because both sources would trigger a positive morphine result.

If you are expecting a drug test, it's a good idea to avoid eating poppy seeds beforehand, Nelson said. But he noted that most drug-testing places will ask you beforehand if you've taken anything that might turn up positive on the test.

Original article on Live Science.
One of six trophy heads found in the 27 funerary pits. The dry climate in southern Peru allowed for the hair of the person to be preserved despite the passage of about 1,500 years.

The nearly 1,500-year-old remains of at least 60 people and six trophy heads have been discovered in deep pits in Vitor Valley in southern Peru. Due to the arid climate, some of the remains became naturally mummified, their flesh surviving without the need for artificial mummification.

There were 27 pits in total, each dug 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters) into the ground, according to the excavation team. Dating back to around A.D. 550, a time when there was no writing system in Peru, the individuals likely belonged to what modern-day archaeologists call the La Ramada culture, according to Maria Cecilia Lozada, a research associate and lecturer of anthropology at the University of Chicago, who led the excavation team. [Photos: The Amazing Mummies of Peru and Egypt]

People of the La Ramada culture lived in the Vitor Valley and nearby valleys (one of which contains an archaeological site that the culture is named after) and shared similarities in the artifacts and textiles they used and in how they buried their dead. "We see a lot of beautiful and feathered textiles" that seem to be related to that culture, buried with these people, Lozada said.

Each pit contained several bodies, with the babies buried alongside the bodies of adult women, suggesting the babies may have been buried with their mothers, the archaeologists found.

Archaeologists discovered the skeletons and mummies in 27 funerary pits (one shown here) in the Vitor Valley in Peru. (Image credit: Maria Cecilia Lozada)

Trophy-head mystery

Inside the burial pits, archaeologists also found the trophy heads, which had been cut off from the bodies after death.

Trophy heads have been found at other sites in Peru and may be the heads of enemies killed in battle, archaeologists say. However, Lozada believes that the heads found in these pits are from people who lived in the same community and were killed in an outside battle.

"The heads may not belong to enemies, but maybe to combatants of the same group," Lozada said. Perhaps, comrades brought the heads back from the battlefield so they could be buried with people from their own community. Carrying the whole skeletons back would have been much more work, Lozada suggested, though it's just one theory.

Some beautiful textiles were buried with the people in the funerary pits. The dry climate helped to preserve many of them. (Image credit: Maria Cecilia Lozada )

Some archaeologists disagree with this interpretation of the trophy heads, she noted. Lozada's team plans to analyze DNA and certain isotopes (atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons) from the trophy heads, mummies and skeletons. Isotope analyses can reveal clues as to where people grew up. The researchers hope the tests will reveal if the trophy heads are related to the mummies and skeletons.

Lozada and other members of her team presented their findings in April at the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The research will be published in the future in a scientific journal. Excavation of the funerary pits in the Vitor Valley was carried out in 2012 and 2015.

Originally published on Live Science.
National Dog Day is Aug. 26 and the Alamo Drafthouse chain is getting in the mood with a special screening of Wes Anderson's animated tale of canine adventure, "Isle of Dogs." The showing will be followed by a recorded conversation between "Dogs" co-star Bob Balaban and Anderson.

Specialty food items that were on the Alamo menu during the original run of "Isle of Dogs" are being brought back, including the Trash Island Shake which is vanilla ice cream, peanuts, chocolate chip cookies, caramel, popcorn, Oreos, and Cocoa Puffs.
Like Bucky Barnes, the resilient character he plays in a variety of Marvel fimls, actor Sebastian Stan seemed gone, but then he made a surprise return.

Stan was scheduled to appear at the Houston stop on the Fandemic Tour -- a new roving fan convention -- in September. Then the actor's work got in the way, prompting a cancellation a week ago.

But Fandemic organizers swiftly worked to salvage the appearance. Rather than simply scratch the actor from the fan convention event, Fandemic brought Stan in for a one day appearance. In the morning. On a Thursday. Despite an appearance in the middle of a work day, fans found Stan anyway. A few thousand enthusiasts of the Marvel world visited NRG Center Thursday for the chance to meet the guy who plays Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier/White Wolf.

The event started with alarm: moments after the NRG doors opened, a fire drill cleared out the building. But by mid morning Stan was doing the photo and autograph thing for the gathered crowd, many donning Bucky shirts and the metallic sleeves in Winter Soldier costumes.

Among those in Winter Soldier gear was Merly, a border collie mix Amanda Vanderbeek adopted from the Houston SPCA. According to Vanderbeek, Merly dons one of her 40-plus costumes to 15 or 16 conventions each year.

Merly was ready for this mini-Fandemic event with her mask, plastic rifle and a silver sleeve to represent the Winter Warrior's bionic arm.

Stan's impromptu appearance is a prelude to next month's Fandemic, which brings several fan favorites to town including Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan from "The Walking Dead."

Organizer John Macaluso says Houston, despite having a big established fan fest in Comicpalooza, is a big enough market to accommodate another.

"There are so many people in Houston," he said. "Comicpalooza does a great job. But I think the city is so big there's plenty of room for both of us."
On this date in ...

1918: Former policeman Charles W. Beeten of Myrtle Avenue in Albany resigned from the force to enlist in the Marines, but before he could ship out he was in a bad car accident that landed him in the Homeopathic hospital for three weeks with serious injuries. That was enough time, however, to fall in love with his nurse, Elizabeth Katherine Miller of Castleton. They were married on a Wednesday night less than two months after first meeting, with Beeten expected to be called to service the following Saturday.

1968: A crop of marijuana planted by two people at their Burden Lake camp was harvested by state troopers. It was the second time in 10 days they were arrested on drug charges. The two were among nine people arrested July 30 when troopers found hashish in a Hudson Avenue apartment and an undercover cop arrested them when they offered to sell him hashish for $500. The state troopers plucked about a quarter of an ounce of new plants from another patch at the camp and also found utensils used in refining marijuana and hashish.

1993: While construction equipment did the necessary groundwork for the new Saratoga Street mini-mall, some city business people were worried that their customers would go to the shopping center and never come back. Before the end of the year, Cohoes should have a $3 million to $5 million, 30,000-square-foot strip plaza featuring a Rite-Aid pharmacy and a Family Dollar department store. Other establishments scheduled to be in the mall included a Subway sandwich shop, a pizza and ice cream parlor, a rental center and a beauty salon.

Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/.
School supplies have been bought, new clothes picked out, and despite a few stress-fueled arguments, most parents are geared up and ready to send their kids back to school.

More for you Send your kids back to school with the right safety supplies

The rules at home might be clearly laid out, but as the school year starts, Texas police want to make sure everyone  not just parents, students, and teachers  know the rules of the road.
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.
The painting was not an image of anything in particular, just an abstract confluence of psychedelic colors and wormlike patterns inside a perfectly round circle. Ben Taylor didn't like it much, and he said he didn't know why he painted it. But the wormlike patterns represent years of spiraling into unknown illness that had driven the 47-year-old painter and musician to depression, sometimes even thoughts of suicide.

Taylor gave up on the painting and in 2014 shelved the unfinished work he had simply called "Untitled."

He had been experiencing a litany of symptoms his doctors couldn't explain: lumps that kept appearing and disappearing, blinding pain in his eyes that lasted for a day and came back another, a small muscle in his forehead that he felt "snap." His white blood cells soared, and itchy rashes covered parts of his body. His joints ached. He was constantly hungry and he had been eating a lot, but he couldn't gain weight. There was a sinking feeling that his body had become host to unwelcome visitors, but tests showed nothing.

One morning, he noticed a faint yellowish lump protruding from underneath his left cornea. And then he felt his eye vibrate, as if something was slithering from within. He rushed to a mirror to find that the lump had disappeared, replaced by a thin line that was also protruding. He touched it, and it moved.

"Oh, I've got a worm in my eye!" Taylor recalled thinking.

At a hospital near his home in Dartmoor in southwestern England, a doctor scalped a tiny part of his eye's outer layer and pulled out the wriggling parasite while Taylor kept his head still. And there it was, an inch-long roundworm called Loa loa. The doctor placed it in a container and Taylor watched it die.

That year, 2015, Taylor was diagnosed with Loiasis, commonly known as African eye worm, a condition caused by the parasite Loa loa. He contracted it after spending several days in the jungles of Gabon, a Central African country where infections caused by Loa loa had persisted for years. Taylor, a frequent world traveler who had spent parts of his childhood in Nigeria, Kenya and India, traveled to Gabon in the summer of 2013 after developing an interest in the country's spiritual traditions.

"I suppose there was almost a sense of relief . . . just because I realized I wasn't going mad," Taylor said of his diagnosis.

Taylor was hospitalized for a week. Doctors found two other types of parasites, hookworm and a roundworm called Strongyloides, which he likely contracted during his travels and which had gone undetected for years.

Loa loa is typically passed on to a host body through bites from insects, in this case, from deer flies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When a deer fly breaks human skin to eat blood, the larva enters the wound and begins moving through the person's body, where it grows into an adult worm. Deer flies are attracted to wood smoke and open cuts on the skin. Taylor said he had spent a lot of time near a wood fire in Gabon. The parasites must have entered his body through an itchy cut he had on his leg, Taylor said. And they thrived for two years as he deteriorated.

Diagnosing Loiasis can be difficult. It can sometimes be identified only when the worm becomes visible, as in Taylor's case.

While recovering, Taylor began painting again, and while rummaging in his home studio, he came across "Untitled," the unfinished work he had shelved earlier. That day, he finally realized what it looked like, Taylor said. The perfectly round shape was the iris, and the dark, wormlike patterns converging in the darkened middle form the pupil.

He grabbed his paints and brush and began to finish it. He drew the lashes and the sclera, or the white part of the eye. He painted over the middle, so that the intricate wormlike patterns look like spiraling galaxies disappearing into the dark pupil. He added the worms -- long, white and nearly transparent images slithering from the eyelids. "Untitled" became "The Host."

"The Host" is on the August cover of Emerging Infectious Diseases, a journal published monthly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[/caption]

The painting is on this month's cover of Emerging Infectious Diseases, a monthly journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Byron Breedlove, the managing editor, contacted Taylor a few weeks ago after coming across his painting online while looking for an image that would fit the month's theme: parasites.

"You're sort of startled by this almost 3-D thread that runs around the eye. It's very arresting to look at," Breedlove said. "I realized this would make a very striking image for a cover art . . . You can't help but look at it . . . It's looking back at you."

Taylor is convinced that the parasites that inhabited his body did not only cause his health to fail; he said they also affected his mental health, even his creative process, eerily guiding what he created in his studio. Abstract, wormlike patterns were never his style, he said, but he began experimenting with them as his symptoms progressed -- before he found out he had worms.

"I definitely believe that the worms had a hand in that painting," he said, adding later: "When you kind of look into the nitty-gritty of how much of the human body actually contains your DNA versus the billions of different bacteria that live within us, you start realizing that you're an ecology of beings that live within us."

It is unclear whether there is scientific evidence for Taylor's suspicions, but parasites have been known to affect people's behavior and mental health.

For example, Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba species, burrows into its host's brain, at first causing changes in the victim's sense of taste and smell, eventually causing the person to be confused and even hallucinate.

The neurological parasite Toxoplasma gondii can radically change the behavior of its hosts, which are usually rats and cats but can also be humans. In 2016, researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center found that people with frequent bouts of impulsive anger are "more than twice as likely" to have been exposed to T. gondii.

Taylor has fully recovered and has dubbed his former squatters "creative worms." Looking back, he "wonders who the artist is, really."
President Donald Trump's seemingly off-the-cuff tweets about wildfires in California baffled experts who said the president did not seem to understand the basics about how the fires are being fought there.

Now, the Trump administration is turning those tweets into official administration policy.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross ordered the National Marine Fisheries Service to prioritize sending water to firefighters to use against the flames over other concerns - including making sure water flows to the habitats of endangered fish and other wildlife that that agency is tasked with protecting.

"American lives and property are at stake and swift action is needed," Ross said in a statement, noting that twin blazes in Northern California called the Mendocino Complex Fire has become the largest on record in the state.

California, however, says it does not need any more water. In response to the Commerce Department directive, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, otherwise known as Cal Fire, said Wednesday that there has been "no shortage of water supplies," according to spokesperson Michael Mohler.

Indeed, some of the largest wildfires in the state are burning near upstream reservoirs from which firefighters can already draw water if necessary, such as Clear Lake near the Mendocino Complex Fire and Trinity and Shasta lakes near the Carr Fire to the north.

On Twitter this week, Trump tied the historic forest fires to the debate how water should be divided between Central Valley farms and downstream habitat for fish, including protected ones like the tiny delta smelt and the winter-run Chinook salmon.

The hatchlings of the latter species need enough flow in the Sacramento River to reach the San Francisco Bay. To the chagrin of Central Valley farmers and their Republican allies, the State Water Resources Control Board is considering allocating less water to agriculture and more to the river ecosystem to sustain the fish populations.

Trump, characteristically, sided with farmers while ignoring the role higher temperatures due to man-made climate change have exacerbated the fire issues out West. "Governor Jerry Brown must allow the Free Flow of the vast amounts of water coming from the North and foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean," Trump wrote on Twitter Monday. "Can be used for fires, farming and everything else."

But modern firefighters extinguish flames with more than just water. State and federal workers in California and elsewhere in the West drop chemical fire retardants from above and clear lines of vegetation on the ground to control blazes.

Water experts in the state say the two ecological issues are entirely unrelated.

"Despite the president's tweet, there's zero connection between the fires and the amount of water that is available to fight them," said Peter Gleick, a hydrologist in the state and founder of the Pacific Institute think tank. "And yet all of the sudden, now the federal agencies are starting to actually implement policies based on this completely false idea that will end up rolling back federal environmental protections. It's weaponizing an ignorant tweet from the president."

The directive asks the National Marine Fisheries Service, which enforces the Endangered Species Act for many aquatic animals, "to make clear" to other federal agencies that "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."

A department spokesperson declined to elaborate on which agreements it has in mind, but the federal government runs the Shasta Dam in Northern California, which is built across the Sacramento and regulates its flow.

Another administration official, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, penned an op-ed Wednesday in USA Today blaming "frivolous litigation from radical environmentalists" for blocking loggers from removing from forests dying trees that easily burn.

"Radical environmentalists would have you believe forest management means clear cutting forests and national parks," Zinke wrote. "But their rhetoric could not be further from the truth."

Thinning out trees in wooded areas near homes is often supported by both forest managements and environmentalists alike. "Proactive fuels management as mentioned in his op-ed can be an effective band aid to apply in certainly regions where there is a confluence of people living in fire prone regions," said John Abatzoglou, a professor at the University of Idaho researching wildfires and climate change.

Republicans in Congress, with the administration's backing, are pushing to loosen requirements for environmental reviews on timber projects that sometimes end up in the crosshairs of environmental litigants.

Giving the public less of a voice through the environmental-review process is concerning, says Greg Aplet, a senior science director at one of those environmental groups, The Wilderness Society.

"We don't disagree with the notion that some management is appropriate," Aplet said. "What we don't want to see is people's concern about fire used to change the rules that govern environmental review for projects. What we've found is that when stakeholders get together around the table, they reach agreement fairly quickly on what to do."

Like Trump's tweet, Zinke's op-ed does not mention climate change despite research, including a 2016 study led by the University of Idaho's Abatzoglou, suggesting climate change has already made forests out West drier and easier to burn.

California's wildfire officials do make the climate connection. "There's definitely no question," Cal Fire spokesperson Mohler said. "We're just seeing, it's no longer fire season, it's fire year."
Washington

The lone military identification tag that North Korea provided with 55 boxes of human remains last month belonged to Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, an Army medic from Indiana who was killed in the opening months of the Korean War.

The Army Wednesday handed McDaniel's slightly corroded dog tag to his sons, Charles Jr. and Larry, who were so young when their father perished that they have little memory of him.

Charles, 71, told reporters he was moved to tears when he got the phone call at home in Indianapolis last week informing him that his father's dog tag had been returned.

"It's a very mixed, jumbled moment for us," he said, referring to the emotions he and his brother feel so many years after having grown up without their biological father, never knowing for sure what happened to him.

Charles Jr., of Indianapolis, told reporters he has no recollection of what his family was told when his father was reported missing in action.

Larry, 70, of Jacksonville, Fla., said he has no memory at all of his father, but "I'm proud of what he did and what he accomplished."

The dog tag is no assurance that McDaniel's remains are among those contained in the 55 boxes that the North Korean army turned over the U.S. officials at Wonsan, North Korea, on July 27. John Byrd, director of the Defense Department laboratory in Hawaii that is beginning the process of attempting to identify the remains, said the condition of the bones is judged to be "moderate to poor preservation," meaning few are whole bones and all are quite old.

No personal effects were handed over by the North Koreans aside from the McDaniel dog tag.
As cars and trucks head west out of Rose City, they cross a two-lane bridge over Bairds Bayou, swerving into the opposite lane to avoid the chunks of pavement missing on the surface.

The section of Old U.S. 90, which runs parallel to Kansas City Southern's railroad tracks, was covered with water during Tropical Storm Harvey, like most of the small Orange County city.

Starting next spring, the bridge will closed for about two years as TxDOT replaces it, building a new concrete structure in its place.

Replacing the 660-foot bridge with anew, concrete structure will cost about $5 million, spokeswoman Sarah Dupre said. The lanes will remain the same width, but 4-foot wide shoulders will be added on either side.

Dupre said the contract will go out to bid in January, with construction expected to start in April or May of 2019. Because the bridge travels over wetlands, it will be rebuilt one span at a time using end-to-end construction, without any barges or temporary haul roads beneath it.

That will extend the length of the project to about 22 months, consultant Greg Kochersperger said, but is necessary to keep a small footprint over the water.

While the bridge is closed, traffic will be detoured around the bayou, using Rose City Drive to the west of the bridge and Exit 856 and Old U.S. 90 to the west.

When the bridge reopens, trucks will be able to resume using the route, which has been load-restricted because of the damage.

TxDOT will accept public comments on the project until Aug. 22.

Richard Travis, whose home is on Rose City Drive, said he expects the bridge closure to have limited impact because there are still ways to access the area from both sides.

"The bridge has been a long time coming," he said, and questioned whether the city and county would take responsibility for the upkeep of the road after it's repaired.

Other parts of the road, which travels from the industrial sites along the river into south Vidor, also show signs of damage from the storm, including warped guardrails and crumbling pavement.

Almost every house in the city flooded, and many still sit empty, with trailers in the yards, or are works-in-progress. Travis said he and his wife and son have been back in their home for about three months, though it still isn't finished.

"It's livable," he said, but he's still working on floors, doors and the kitchen in the house, which had 7 feet of water inside. "Everybody's still working."

Next door, the house is empty, and the neighbors aren't coming back, he said.

Around the corner, the front and back door to Carroll Lee's home are wide open, its windows gone, its rooms empty. A FEMA trailer sits directly behind it.

"I was 71 when it flooded. It was paid for, I was financially set," she said. "I planned on dying in that house," she said, standing on the steps to the trailer and looking into the shell of the home, which still has plants and decorations on the front porch.

She's lived on the land for 33 years, she said, and rebuilt her home after a fire in 2001 and after Ike in 2008. But she couldn't afford a $1,200 annual flood insurance payment on the home and said she doesn't have money to repair it herself, so now she's hoping to hear about a buyout, which would allow her to move north, maybe to Buna or Evadale, where her kids live.

"I've lived in Vidor for 47 years, but I think it's time to move," Lee said. "I don't think FEMA's here to give me back my house, but I sure would appreciate some help."

Johana Schulze and her family had lived in their new double-wide home for three weeks when Harvey hit. They had just made their first payment and "I hadn't even unpacked," she said. "We were airboated out, and it all floated away."

Almost a year later, the Schulzes are living in a travel trailer on the lot, in the shadow of their new home still under construction.

Its floor is 12 feet above the ground, with a set of stairs leading up to it and a wraparound porch, like a beach cabin on Bolivar Peninsula.

Its design is inspired by the only home that didn't flood in Rose City, whose owner rebuilt on stilts after it flooded during Ike.

"He said everybody made fun of him" for elevating his home, Schulze said, "but everybody ain't laughing now."

Construction was delayed after she had problems with the first contractor and issues getting approved for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, but she's hoping to move up and in by the end of the month, before school starts.

"As long as it's before Thanksgiving," she said. "I'm not cooking out in a shed again."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
The White House is once again trying to show it's taking Russian election interference seriously. But its latest effort appears to be a largely toothless one.

My colleagues Shane Harris, Josh Dawsey and Ellen Nakashima obtained a draft of an executive order that would authorize President Donald Trump to sanction foreigners who interfere with U.S. elections. The draft is, of course, subject to change. But they report that the current version would create a new category of offense -- "election interference" which includes "Internet-based disinformation efforts" -- that could carry harsh penalties.

That may sound tough, but the draft order is unlikely to change anything about the administration's posture toward Moscow - or any other foreign adversary for that matter.

For one thing, it doesn't require sanctions for anything the Trump administration hasn't done already. As my colleagues report: "The only mandatory sanctions would be against individuals found to have taken part in an interference campaign against a U.S. election, a step that the Obama and Trump administrations have taken against Russian intelligence officers. The Trump administration also sanctioned people working for a Russian 'troll' factory, churning out divisive social media posts." They add: "So far, these steps have not prompted changes in Moscow's behavior."

Other measures in the draft order could have a bigger impact but are purely discretionary. My colleagues note: "The draft order specifies that the president may impose sanctions on '10 of the 30 largest business entities' in a country whose government has interfered in an election. That measure could be quite powerful, experts said. But its discretionary nature, combined with the administration's lack of a clear Russia policy, undermines its effectiveness, they said."

And it's up to Trump to use that power - and he's done little to indicate he would.

Michael Carpenter, a former Pentagon and White House official who worked on Russia policy for the Obama administration, told my colleagues the draft "looks much more like a cover-your-behind exercise to show the administration is doing something when in fact it doesn't oblige them to do much of anything... 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."

To be sure, the administration is engaged in an array of activities beyond sanctions designed to punish Russia for election interference and help safeguard the upcoming midterms. The Justice Department has indicted Russian government hackers and Internet trolls, and the Department of Homeland Security is helping states around the country protect their election systems. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein also recently unveiled a new Justice Department policy to alert the public to malign foreign influence operations targeting U.S. democracy.

Yet Trump's own wavering on whether Russia is responsible is hindering the administration's work to counter Moscow's cyber-aggression, experts told me in a survey The Post published this week asking whether the administration is doing enough to deter Russian cyberattacks. Some members of The Network, a panel of more than 100 cybersecurity leaders we gathered from government, academia and the private sector, were granted anonymity in exchange for their participation.

"To deter an adversary, the adversary must feel like there are serious and painful consequences for it adversarial actions," said Anup Ghosh, a former program manager at the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. "Since the president refuses to acknowledge Russia is responsible for hacking [Hillary Clinton's] campaign and social media influence ops to help him get elected, Russia will not feel there are meaningful consequences in spite of what steps other executive branch agencies or Congress may take."

"The message from the White House itself is undermining those efforts, even if only in terms of public perception," said another expert who responded under condition of anonymity. "The message to the Russian government needs to be uniform and forceful, and also needs to encourage the working part of the government, the rank and file 'doers' from the undersecretaries down, by letting them know that they are doing important work and it is recognized

Indeed, there are even parts of the draft order that analysts viewed as attempts to assuage Trump, as Shane, Josh and Ellen report. "It includes references to apparent attempts by the Soviet Union to interfere in past U.S. elections, including to 'frustrate President Nixon's election in 1968 and President Reagan's reelection in 1984,'" according to my colleagues. Another part "notes that 'there has been no evidence of a foreign power altering a single vote in a United States election,' echoing another of Trump's repeated assertions about the 2016 election."
Washington

Lawyers for President Donald Trump said Wednesday 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 Wednesday, 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 restating 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 Giuliani. "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.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the city of Charlottesville declared states of emergency Wednesday ahead of the first anniversary of last summer's white supremacist rally that turned deadly.

The declaration, which took effect Wednesday afternoon and could run through Sept. 12, will increase state and local law enforcement's capacity to respond to civil unrest that may occur as white nationalists and neo-Nazis and counterdemonstrators mark the rally's anniversary this weekend.

"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 they are needed," Northam, D, said in a statement.

The declaration also earmarks $2 million of state money to pay for the response efforts.

The city expects a large crowd for its planned commemoration of the three people who died Aug. 12 - counterdemonstrator Heather Heyer, who was killed when a man drove his car into a crowd, and two Virginia state police troopers who were killed in a helicopter crash as they monitored the day's events. But officials are preparing in case other violent clashes break out.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year ago that we had the tragic events in Charlottesville," Col. Gary Settle, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said at a news conference Wednesday. "And it's unfortunate we're here this year planning for potential violence and potential civil unrest again."

The violence at last year's rally seemingly caught the city flat-footed, raising questions about its preparedness. A scathing independent review criticized the city's response, and the fallout was widespread, leading to the police chief's resignation and leaving the city manager's contract unrenewed.

It would be irresponsible if city officials didn't plan differently, said Brian Wheeler, director of communications for the city of Charlottesville.

"We acknowledge that mistakes were made last year, and we're implementing best practices this year," he said.

At the Wednesday news conference, law enforcement officials said residents and visitors can expect a heavy police presence throughout the weekend. Officers from Charlottesville and Albemarle County, along with state troopers and the Virginia National Guard, will total well over 1,000 and constitute one of the largest deployments of law enforcement personnel in the state's history, Wheeler said.

"We hope we have a safe weekend so that healing can continue," interim city manager Mike Murphy said at the briefing. "The only acceptable outcome is that we ensure public safety."

In downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, 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.

"We still have to honor your Second Amendment rights," said Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney, who also acknowledged that guns and large, potentially volatile crowds are "not a very healthy mix."

Law enforcement has made several adjustments to its plans this year based on feedback from community members, Brackney added.

After last year's brawls and marchers' racist and homophobic chants, many residents expressed fear leading up to this weekend. Police are making extra patrols in and around those communities that may feel vulnerable because of race, religion or ideology, Brackney said.

Agencies have worked together for months to come up with their action plans, said Jeff Stern, state coordinator at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

"We are treating this as a statewide event," he said.

Many of those responsible for last year's violence have either made plans to go elsewhere or have signed consent decrees that prohibit them from returning to Charlottesville, Wheeler said.

The organizer of last year's "Unite the Right" rally, Jason Kessler, was unsuccessful in his effort to obtain a permit from the city to hold a sequel there this weekend. After a court battle, Kessler withdrew his request. Instead, he plans to hold "Unite the Right 2" in the District of Columbia, where the National Park Service has given him initial approval to hold a rally across from the White House on Sunday.
A senior Zimbabwean opposition figure who planned to seek political asylum in Zambia was handed back to authorities in his home country and will be charged with contravening its electoral law.

Tendai Biti, a former finance minister who claims Zimbabwe's July 30 election was rigged, attempted to cross to neighboring Zambia on Wednesday. Zambian authorities subsequently detained him and eventually heeded the Zimbabwean government's call for his return.

He'll be charged with public violence and contravening electoral law by announcing "unofficial or false" results, Zimbabwe police said on Twitter.

"We will not be used as a country for those who want to run away from court to appear on charges," said Zambian Information Minister Dora Siliya. There's no breakdown in law and order in Zimbabwe and citizens' lives are not in danger to warrant Biti's asylum bid, she said.

A Zambian court stayed the government's decision to return Biti, but it was after he was sent home, according to Siliya. Court documents from the order cited six national laws and a regional protocol as reasons for granting Biti a Zambian court appearance.

Biti's lawyer in Zambia, Gilbert Phiri, disputed the government's account, saying Zambian police were served with the court order at 4 a.m.

"The position of the Zambian government is not true," Phiri said by text message. "They refused to acknowledge service, but the order was posted on the door of the police offices at the border. Biti was removed from Zambia after 0600 hours in the morning."

Human rights advocate and Biti's lead lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, demanded to see her client and his return to Zambia.

"Due to the traditional torture that abductees are generally subjected to in Zimbabwe, we also request that there be immediate access to a medical team," she said. Biti was previously arrested and tortured during Zimbabwe's violent 2008 general election.

Biti, 51, was Zimbabwe's finance minister between 2009 and 2013 when former President Robert Mugabe's ruling party shared power with his political opponents after a disputed election that was marred by violence. Last month's first post-Mugabe-era vote, in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner, has also seen turmoil and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change claiming victory.

The European Union and ambassadors from the U.S., Australia and Canada issued a joint statement urging Zimbabwe's government to guarantee Biti's safety and said they were "deeply disturbed" by continuing reports of opposition supporters being the targets of security forces.

The United Nations Refugee Agency on Thursday expressed concern over the "forced return" of an unidentified "senior Zimbabwean politician" who intended to seek asylum in Zambia. "Forcibly returning refugees and asylum-seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law," it said in a statement.

Biti, who leads the opposition People's Democratic Party in an alliance with the MDC, tried to cross into Zambia at a northern Zimbabwe border post.

(Adds police charges from third paragraph.)

--With assistance from Taonga Clifford Mitimingi and Godfrey Marawanyika .

To contact the reporters on this story: Brian Latham in Harare at blatham@bloomberg.net, Matthew Hill in Johannesburg at mhill58@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Helen Nyambura

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
As a proud transgendered Latina woman living in Texas, Im extremely concerned about President Donald Trumps latest nominee to the Supreme Court. Brett Kavanaughs record and positions on the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights, and his support for religious freedom, which largely allows Christian fundamentalists to discriminate against those who dont share their beliefs, spell loss of liberty for the rest of us.

Texas is already ground zero for attacks on health care and individual rights. Since President Trumps election, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have consistently teamed up with him to roll back hard-won protections against discrimination for pre-existing conditions under the ACA. These rules ensure that LGBT people like me get fair treatment in health care.

Thanks to Abbott and Paxton, Texas is leading a legal challenge against the ACA to overturn the rules that stop insurance companies from denying coverage, charging more or placing caps and limits on anything insurers deem a pre-existing condition  thats everything from gender to high blood pressure to cancer. The case is moving quickly and is eventually expected to land in the Supreme Court. Close to 1 million Texans depend on the ACA for their health coverage.

Before the ACA, many transgender people had to lie about their gender identity to get affordable coverage since insurance companies could deny coverage or charge much higher rates based on the gender that insurers deemed as high-risk. Even with coverage, trans people often couldnt get basic services they needed during transition from one sex to another, such as hormone replacement therapy or mental health counseling to help adjust and cope with transition. Trans people who were not able to get coverage or medicines were forced underground, sometimes seeking black market solutions that carried risk of botched treatments and unintended consequences.

Today, the ACA prohibits discrimination against transgender people or denial of health services, such as reassignment treatment that can include surgery, counseling and hormone therapy.

The new tax law weakens the ACA by repealing a key provision that requires everyone to have coverage to pay for permanent tax breaks for corporations. The result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will be millions more uninsured people. That action combined with the Trump administrations refusal to make cost-sharing reduction payments and continuous attacks on the ACA exchanges have already increased premiums for many families. Rates in Texas are expected to go up by 20 percent for some enrollees.

At the same time, the president is opening up new avenues for discrimination against LGBT people. Earlier this year, he created a new office in Health and Human Services that empowers health care workers to refuse to provide any treatment or procedure  even when sanctioned by a doctor  that violates their religious views, including sexual reassignment surgery, abortion and end-of-life decisions. The Division of Religious Freedom is located in the HHS Office of Civil Rights, but rather than ensure freedom for patients, it protects those who discriminate.

Trumps recent ACA rule change on short-term junk plans also allows insurance companies to sell coverage that doesnt comply with nondiscrimination rules, putting nonconforming, LGBTQ and transgender people  and anyone else with a pre-existing condition  at risk of losing their health care.

The president has been clear that any judge he nominates to the Supreme Court must pass a litmus test: The nominee must be against the ACA. Kavanaugh clearly meets that criteria. As a lower court judge, he argued against the ACA repeatedly since its passage in 2010.

For a long time, I was a pretty private transgender person. I didnt feel the need to advertise my gender identity. Over the last two years, though, Ive stepped up as an activist because I know that for the transgender community, the right to nondiscrimination in health care is a linchpin of our civil rights and fundamental to our liberation.

Sofia Sepulveda is a trans Latina from San Antonio and is a member of the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund.
Gumaro Munoz Campos, an Atascocita shopkeeper, is facing multiple charges after two teen girls were killed in a crash while riding with a minor driver to whom Campos sold alcohol.

Details of the Atascocita Drunk Driving Accident

According to WMUR, the 29 year-old is facing one count of Sale of Alcohol Beverage to a minor, which is a misdemeanor. A conviction could see up to a year in jail, a fine of $4,000, and suspension of liquor license for up to 180 days.

Police say at 12:30 a.m. on July 25, along the 18300 block of Timber Forest, near Atascocita Road, the two teen girls were killed in a car crash. Before the crash, Jagger Smith, 17, purchased MD 20/20. He drove drunk and crashed, claiming the lives of Salma Gomez and Chloe Robinson, both 16.

Police reports say the car hit a tree so hard that the car was torn in half.

Smith could face up to 40 years in jail if convicted on two counts of intoxication manslaughter.

Drunk Driving Accidents and Arrests

A series of prosecutions involving establishments that break state liquor licensing rules or serve alcohol to teens or impaired patrons have occurred in Texas.

With 3,776 drunk-driving deaths in 2016, Texas ranks as one of the top states for drunk-driving crashes.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston saw 89 fatal drunk-driving crashes, the most fatal DUI crashes in Texas of 2016.

Contact an Experienced Automobile Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury after being involved in an auto accident, contact Thomas J. Henry immediately. Our experienced auto accident injury attorneys are available to respond to car crashes at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. We will take immediate action on your case.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
The future of services offered by the post office network and whether or not the company has been reactive instead of proactive over the last few years are two issues that were addressed by local Fine Gael representatives this week.

Cllr Michael Carrigy, a postmaster himself in Ballinalee, also told the Leader that while he was offered the redundancy package, he refused to take in on the grounds that he owed it to the people he represented to provide them with a service they needed.

Cllr Paul Ross from Legan, which is close to Carrickboy Post Office, said there were numerous business opportunities that an Post could have seized over the years, if it had been more proactive as a company.

ALSO READ: Postmasters to hold protest at GPO in opposition to Post Office closures

Cllr Carrigy did warn, however, that local people do need to start using their post office more and indicated that a use it or lose it ethos was very much the mantra of the day.

Nobody was forced to take the redundancy package that was on offer - I didnt take it and the fact is that my wage has been reduced as a postmaster because there has been a huge drop in those receiving unemployment benefits, he added, before pointing out that scenario pointed to an ever improving economy.

Going forward people need to use the post office or lose it; people need to go to their local post office and do business in it.

With regards to An Post modernising itself, Cllr Carrigy also admitted that there were areas in which the company could have taken market share and one of those areas included online shopping and courier services.

We should have been on top of the whole courier delivery - in fact An Post should be the number one parcel carrier in the country; An Post also ran a very successful banking service - Post Bank - which had 200,000 customers, but because it wasnt supported by previous governments it ceased operating, he said.

I do believe that if that service had gotten the support it needed at the time, then we would have a very different post office network now.

Cllr Ross, meanwhile says that we are now living in a cashless society and cash was and is the main business of any post office.

Payments that would have been processed in post offices traditionally are now being made through banks and into bank accounts, so that is a huge chunk of business gone , he added.

I too would feel that An Post missed the boat when it came to parcel delivery.

Couriers are doing a great business these days delivering goods and An Post was primarily placed to take advantage of that, but they missed the boat.

The very successful An Post bank is also gone this past eight years and it was a very bad idea to get rid of that service.

An Post should have been proactive, not reactive.

And, as the postmasters of the both Mullinalaghta and Carrickboy prepare to close their businesses, Cllr Carrigy took the opportunity to wish DP Finnegan well.

The local area representative in Ballinalee also said that, as a representative on the Rural Transport Scheme, he would do everything in his power to ensure that those who needed transport in Mullinalaghta to access their pensions, etc in an alternative post office would be provided with that.

I want to thank DP Finnegan and his family for the service they have given to the people of Mullinalaghta, he continued.

I will be working to ensure there is a post office box maintained in Mullinalaghta.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 09 2018

Five individuals arrested for smuggling dangerous contraband into the Correctional Center, Singas says.

Nassau DA Singas announces the arrests of (L to R) Christopher Wright, Valerie Ritchwood, Dominique Horne, Natasha Hyslop, and Julius Eatman in connection with contraband smuggling into the Nassau County Jail.

Mineola, NY - August 9, 2018 - Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the arrests of five individuals as part of a joint law enforcement investigation into the smuggling of dangerous contraband into the Nassau County Correctional Center.

DA Singas said that Operation United Front  a joint law enforcement investigation including the District Attorneys Office, Nassau County Sheriffs Department, Nassau County Police Department and United States Postal Inspection Service into prison contraband  began in the Fall of 2017 following an incident of drugs being smuggled into the Nassau County Correctional Center.

That incident, on November 13, 2017, involved a drug-sniffing dog that led jail officials to defendant Valerie Ritchwood, who was allegedly attempting to smuggle two balloons  one pink and one purple  into the jail. The balloons allegedly contained K2 synthetic marijuana, marijuana, orange colored strips believed to be Suboxone as well as match heads and striker strips. The balloons were allegedly located under several layers of clothing.

Following the November 13 incident, Operation United Front yielded four more arrests.

On November 21, 2017, a drug-sniffing dog alerted jail officials to an attempt to allegedly smuggle three balloons of Suboxone, marijuana and matches into the jail. A subsequent investigation revealed defendants Dominique Horne and Christopher Wright allegedly conspired to smuggle the contraband. At the time of this arrest, Wright was incarcerated in NCCC and allegedly conducting business with Horne, who was not incarcerated.

On February 9, while performing an inspection, Nassau County Corrections Officers discovered heroin inside an envelope. A further investigation revealed that defendant Julius Eatman allegedly instructed defendant Natasha Hyslop on how to obtain, package and mail the heroin to him inside the jail. Additionally, on February 13 and February 28, corrections officers allegedly discovered two envelopes addressed to Eatman from Hyslop, that contained Suboxone strips along the adhesive seals to the envelopes.

Additional arrests are anticipated.

Valerie Ritchwood, 38, of Roosevelt , was arraigned on November 14, 2017 before Judge Paul Meli and charged with Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree (a D felony) and Promoting Prison Contraband in the Second Degree (an A misdemeanor). The defendant was released on bail. If convicted of the top count she faces a maximum of 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.

Dominique Horne, 33, of Hempstead , was arraigned on July 19 before Judge Eileen Goggin and charged Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree (a D felony). The defendant was released on bail and is due back in court August 28. If convicted of the top count she faces a maximum of 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.

Christopher Wright, 32, of NCCC, was arraigned on August 2 before Judge Andrew Engel on charges Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree (a D felony), and Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree (an A misdemeanor). The defendant was released on bail and is due back in court October 18. If convicted of the top count he faces a maximum of 3-1/2 to seven years in prison.

Natasha Hyslop, 40, of Hempstead was arraigned on July 26 before Judge Eileen Goggin and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony) and three counts of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First degree (a D felony) and. The defendant was released on bail and is due back in court September 14. If convicted of the top count she faces a maximum of 9 years in prison.

Julius Eatman, 52, of NCCC, was arraigned on July 27 before Judge Paul Meli and charged with three counts of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First degree (a D felony). The defendant was arraigned and is due back in court August 14. If convicted of the top count he faces a maximum of 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.

These defendants allegedly tried to smuggle K2, heroin, suboxone, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia into the Nassau County Correctional Center, but were thwarted as the result of our joint investigation, DA Singas said. Smuggling drugs into a jail setting is extremely dangerous and puts the safety of corrections officers, staff, inmates and community members at risk. I am grateful to our partners at NCCC, NCPD and USPIS for their assistance with this case.

I thank Nassau County District Attorney Singas, Nassau County Sheriff Fludd, our Corrections Officers and members of the Nassau County Police Department for their partnership and coordination of the Operation United Front investigation, said County Executive Laura Curran. The safety and well-being of our officers and inmates remains a top priority of our county agencies.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, These arrests are a direct result of the hard work and tireless efforts of the men and woman from the different agencies working as one. This demonstrates that the war on drugs does not stop at the street level but continues anywhere its found in the County. We will continue our combined efforts to halt contraband from entering our facilities and keeping our jails a drug free environment.

These individuals allegedly conspired to use their association with the corrections system to operate a drug ring behind bars. While they thought their scheme would go unnoticed, Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners have repeatedly shown there is no hiding from justice; you will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for your crimes, said Postal Service Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina.

Deputy Chief Anne Donnelly and Assistant District Attorney George Smit of DA Singas Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau are prosecuting these cases. Horne, Eatman and Hyslop are represented by the Legal Aid Society, Ritchwood is represented by George Michel, Esq. and Wright is represented by Patrick Spike Kauffman, Esq.
An attorney and former district court judge wants to return to the bench as a visiting jurist.

Sheila Miller, formerly a judge at 41B District Court in Clinton Township, said she plans to wind down her criminal-defense practice by the end of the year so she can be eligible to serve as a visiting judge throughout the state.

She told Judge Carl Marlinga in Macomb County Circuit Court on Thursday that she may have to withdraw from representing a client in a murder case due to her desire to return to ruling on cases instead of arguing them.

Miller said she enjoyed the stability of being a jurist and wants to return to the bench.

I like to be doing something every day, she said.

Miller, a former assistant Macomb Prosecutor, was the first and only black judge in Macomb County, serving for four years. She was initially appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2006, won her retention election in 2008 but was defeated by Carrie Fuca in 2010.

Marlinga said Millers move will be a loss for the criminal defense field but a gain to judicial field.

He hopes if she makes the change she can let him know in time for a new attorney to prepare for the murder-case trial, which has not yet been scheduled, suggesting this case could be her last one before she makes the move.

Miller is currently representing Nicholas Riddle, 39, accused in the beating death of Jack Kitchen, 55, who was found badly beaten in a Macomb Township field last October and died 20 days later.

Riddle and co-defendant Jamel Bentley, 29, are charged with second-degree murder and unarmed robbery. Bentley is scheduled to face a Feb. 19, 2019 trial preceded by a Jan. 16 pretrial.

Marlinga on Thursday approved Millers request for a separate trial after Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Jeff Hall agreed based on case law.

Due process and fairness to the prosecution and defense means the trials should be held separately, Marlinga said.

With a joint trial, the jury will be put in a position to have to believe one or the other, Hall said.

Marlinga also granted a request to spend up to $2,500 on a private investigator, including interviewing her client.

Riddle and Bentley each remain held in lieu of a $250,000 bond.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts will honor four this year with the Order of William Pynchon, an annual award recognizing public service.

This year's class consists of Craig Carr, one of the founders of the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield; Sally Fuller, an advocate for early childhood literacy; Robert S. McCarroll, a historic preservationist; and Ronald P. Weiss, who the ad club says was instrumental in the creation of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

The club will present the awards 6 p.m. Thursday, October 18, 2018 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Event details and ticket information can be found on the club's website: adclubwm.org, or by calling 413-736-CLUB.

The club and its predecessor organization has been awarding Pynchon medals since 1915. Named in honor of Springfield's founder, the order of William Pynchon honors community service with the slogan, "They honor us whom we honor."

The recipients were chosen from a pool of nominations received earlier this year. All Pynchon medalists are chosen by unanimous decision of the Pynchon Trustees and five past presidents of the Advertising Club. Pynchon Trustees for 2018 are Barbara Perry, Jillian Gould, Teresa Utt, David Cecchi, Mary Shea, and current Advertising Club president Scott Whitney.

Craig Carr of Longmeadow was nominated by Jack Dill for her work helping to found the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield.

Since 1991, the Springfield house has hosted more than 12,500 families from around the globe.

In his letter nominating Carr for the Pynchon medal, Jack Dill, himself a 2016 Pynchon medalist, wrote "there is little doubt that, without Craig's formative and ongoing commitment, this facility (of such great importance to so many families) would neither exist nor have prospered over the past thirty years."

Carr served one term as president of the board, has been involved in every fundraising activity, the club said.

Sally C. Fuller of Wilbraham is described as a "literacy rock star," having spent more than a decade working with the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation on childhood literacy projects such as Cherish Every Child and the Read! Reading Success by 4th Grade Initiative.

Robert S. McCarroll was nominated by James Boone for his work to preserve historic buildings in Springfield.

As a member of the Springfield Planning Department, McCarroll was instrumental in the creation of five of Springfield's local historic districts, protecting more than one thousand buildings. Later, as a member of the Springfield Historical Commission, he spearheaded the creation of four additional districts. He also successfully fought to preserve several historic buildings at the site of the MGM Springfield casino, according to the club.

In recent years, he created the website ChooseSpringfieldMass.com to encourage people to move to the city.

Ronald P. Weiss was nominated by Paul Friedman for his philanthropy and his work with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

According to the nomination materials, in the 1980s Weiss noticed a "charitable giving drain" in the Pioneer Valley because large, locally owned businesses were being sold and owners who were major donors to community causes were moving.

He helped found the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts in November of 1990 to develop new donors. Since then, the foundation has grown to include total assets of more than $150 million, with nearly 2,000 contributions totaling $10.7 million in 2017. Foundation distributions in 2017 included $2.1 million in scholarships and loans to 800 students, and nearly 1,500 grants totaling $6.9 million.
A suspected drug dealer faces additional charges after he bit a Boston police officer's thumb at the station's booking desk.

James Turner, 31, of Boston was arrested after police found him in Chinatown Park - near Surface Road and Essex Street in Downtown Boston - "twirling a plastic bag" that officers thought was filled with drugs, according to a police report.

When officers initially approached Turner he stuffed "several small individually wrapped plastic bags" into his mouth. Officers believed this was heroin, according to the report. They grabbed two bags and attempted to arrest Turner.

He started to fight with the officers, but was eventually subdued and arrested, police said.

When officers brought Turner to the station to be processed he "continued to disrespect and disparage" the officers. After spitting on several people he bit the thumb of an arresting officer.

When asked to explain himself Turner said: "He got too close so I bit him."

Turner faces multiples charges including possession of heroin, resisting arrest, and trafficking crack cocaine. Officers seized 29 small plastic baggies of crack cocaine from Turner.
A Burlington daycare is under investigation after a teacher grabbed a 4-year-old boy by the arm and threw him on a cot last week.

NBC Boston reports the boy has attended the KinderCare on Cambridge Street with his 1-year-old sister since April.

The news station reports the boy's arm was bruised after a teacher assaulted him during nap time. The person who reported the incident said they saw the same teacher being aggressive with the boy two weeks ago. Now the Middlesex District Attorney's office, Burlington police, and the state's Department of Children and Families are investigating the employee for assault and battery of a child by an adult, according to DA Marian Ryan's office.

"Our office has received a report of an allegation of a potential assault and battery of a child by an adult that occurred at KinderCare in Burlington on Monday, Aug. 6.," Ryan wrote in a statement released Wednesday. "As this is an open and ongoing investigation, no additional information will be released at this time."

A KinderCare spokesperson told NBC Boston that the employee, who is not being named and has not been charged, has been placed on administrative leave.

"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 told NBC Boston.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission approved provisional licenses for retail marijuana shops in Plymouth, Easthampton, and Wareham at its meeting on Thursday.

Three business left the meeting with licenses for retail stores: Pharmacannis Massachusetts, Inc., I.N.S.A, and M3 Ventures Inc.

The CCC considered three applications from M3 Ventures, Inc., which operates medical marijuana dispensaries in Mashpee and Plymouth.

It was approved to become a Tier 2 cultivation site able to grow between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet of marijuana. They also received approval to manufacture marijuana products and open a retail shop in Plymouth.

Pharmacannis Massachusetts, Inc., which already operates a medical dispensary in Wareham, got approval for a retail shop in that town.

I.N.S.A, which has dispensaries in Springfield and Eastampton, hopes to open a retail shop in Easthampton. The Commission approved a provisional license. It will allow the business to become a Tier 7 cultivator, allowing the company to grow between 50,001 and 60,000 square feet of marijuana and manufacture marijuana products.

As of July 26, members of the Commission signed off on provisional retail licenses for Cultivate in Leicester and retail licenses for New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton and Brookline, and Alternative Therapies Group in Amesbury.

However, the board has not licensed a testing lab - which is key to legal marijuana sales because all of the products must be tested.

The Commission hoped to begin legal marijuana sales on July 1, but more than a month later retail shops have no set opening date.

In 2016 voters legalized marijuana, and made way for home-growing and gifting marijuana. Medical marijuana became legal in the state in 2012.
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is investigating an abuse allegation at the Thomas M. Menino YMCA Day Camp in Hyde Park.

A counselor "...was compelled to control the behavior of a camper who was striking her," James Morton, president and chief executive of the YMCA of Greater Boston, told The Boston Globe in a statement.

Morton told the newspaper that on July 31 a counselor grabbed a child's arm "to prevent him from striking her, and possibly causing injury to himself and others."

The YMCA called the child's parents and filed a report with the state, according to the Globe.
Massachusetts residents will be automatically registered to vote when they make transactions at the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles or with MassHealth, under a new law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker.

The transactions include a change of address, for example.

Both the RMV and MassHealth, the Medicaid program funded by both the state and federal government, are able to verify whether people registering to vote are citizens, according to the office of Bill Galvin, the state's elections chief.

Applicants have to "specifically" decline to register as voters, otherwise their names and addresses are automatically added to the list of voters in the city or town that they live in, the office said.

"We will have systems in place to begin automatically registering voters at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth on January 1, 2020, just in time for the next Presidential Primaries," Galvin said in a statement.

Voters who register through the RMV and MassHealth will be able to join a party or decline to register through their local elections officials.

Under the new voter registration law, Galvin can include other state agencies in automatically registering voters if those agencies can gather citizenship information to verify their status.

The new law was hailed by advocacy groups that had pushed for automatic voter legislation.

"Voting should be simple, accessible, and protected, especially in light of national efforts to limit access to the polls," Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement.

"With automatic voter registration, Beacon Hill has acted to engage nearly 700,000 more eligible Massachusetts voters in the democratic process," she added.

According to Common Cause Massachusetts, another advocacy group that backed the legislation, 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed similar bills.

"It is one of the strongest in the country and will make our voter registrations system more efficient, accurate, and secure while at the same time improving voter participation," Pam Wilmot, the head of Common Cause Massachusetts, said in her own statement.

The 13 other states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.
Bernadette Coughlin was fired by her employer for using marijuana while off the clock.

Now she wants to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else in Massachusetts, which in the last five years broadly legalized recreational and medical marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Coughlin is seeking to draft a new state law that puts a stop to future firings over off-hours usage.

Earlier this year Coughlin fell while walking through the kitchen at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, where she works. The 55-year-old patient services manager, who oversees staffers handling the food served to patients, was left with a broken left wrist and elbow.

She informed her direct employer, food services company Sodexo, about the injury, and they sent her for a drug test, an apparent company mandate.

The test showed marijuana was in her system, because three days before the fall, she had used her vape pen.

"I'm an occasional user," Coughlin tells MassLive. "I could relax when I got home, just a couple of puffs off the pen and that's it."

Coughlin adds: "I'm not like a big pot smoker, you know? I don't like edibles or things like that."

But Sodexo suspended her without pay, and then fired her. She's now in arbitration with the company, and while she'd like her old job back, she isn't sure that'll happen.

In the meantime, she was up at the Massachusetts State House this week and plans a trip later this year to Washington D.C. to meet with elected officials there, too, in a bid to come with a law preventing people like from getting fired for using a legal substance when they're not at work.

On Tuesday, Coughlin met with state Sen. Patricia Jehlen, the co-chair of the state Legislature's marijuana policy committee.

"We just don't want this to happen to anybody else," says her husband, Mike Coughlin, who served as the town manager of Southbridge and practiced law in Worcester and Hampden County.

He also urged employees to check their policies at their respective workplaces, saying his wife was not informed by Sodexo that they're seeking to abide by federal, instead of state, law.

"The main thing is we don't want people that use legally at home in their off-hours to be jammed up at work," he says.

If you go home and use marijuana on your own time, "it shouldn't come back to bite you," he adds.

Sodexo said in a statement to the State House News Service that they could not offer specific details about the Coughlin issue.

"Sodexo complies with the law and recognizes that this is an evolving legal and social issue," Sodexo spokesperson Enrico Dinges said in an email to the news service. "As many employers are currently doing, we are evaluating our policies in light of the changing landscape."
Workers inside a Hadley office saw an unusual sight on Wednesday: a big cat outside their windows.

In a short video recorded from inside an office on Venture Way, the large bobcat is seen strolling around the grass, wagging its tail as it stops to peer around.

The video was shared with the Hadley Police Department, who cautioned others in town about the sighting.

Bobcats are the only species of wild cat now living in Massachusetts, according to Mass Audubon. They're significantly larger than a house cat and typically weigh between 15 and 35 pounds. They vary in color, feature a short tail, facial ruff and slightly pointed ears.

There is a population of bobcats across Massachusetts, with the highest density in Central and Western Massachusetts, Mass Audubon says, and they claim large territories, traveling as much as four miles in a day.

Bobcats are an uncommon sight, Mass Audubon says, as "they are shy and elusive" and most active at night. "Bobcats prefer to avoid people rather than to interact with them. As with all wildlife, do not attempt to approach one, particularly if they have young. Bobcats are known to kill livestock or unsupervised small pets."
CHICOPEE -- The Massachusetts State Police Thursday denied a request from The Republican for a copy of a report about a motorcycle accident involving Chicopee Police Chief William R. Jebb because a staff lawyer said the investigation isn't complete.

"Please be advised that the investigation is still open and, as a result, there is not a competed report," state police counsel Dan Brunelli said in an email.

The Republican is seeking state and Chicopee police reports about Jebb's July 19 accident under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M. G. L. Chapter 66, Section 10).

Jebb was released from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield July 29 after the crash that occurred at about 10:35 p.m. at the Interstate 391 exit ramp off Grattan Street, officials said.

Officers and Chicopee Fire Department EMTs stabilized him and he was brought to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance, officials said.

He was alert and conscious at the scene. No other vehicles were involved in the crash and no one else was injured, officials said.

Jeff is smiling and wearing a sling on his left arm in a photo posted Friday on the Chicopee Police Department Facebook page beneath text by department spokesman Michael Wilk:

"CHIEF JEBB FRIDAY UPDATE

August 3rd, just 2 weeks after his crash, Chief Jebb is up, feeling better and getting out moving around more. He is determined to be back at work sooner than later. Today's task? Apple Store."

Jebb has been with the Police Department for 31 years and was appointed chief in July 2014 by Mayor Richard J. Kos.
PITTSFIELD -- A 35-year-old Pittsfield man will be arraigned in U.S. District Court Thursday after being charged with having allegedly shipped more than $1 million in marijuana from a dealer in California to Western Massachusetts.

Anthony Carnute was arrested in April, according to court records. The yearlong trafficking ring first raised authorities' suspicions when a cash courier was stopped at Boston Logan Airport in 2016 with $74,000 in her luggage, the charges state.

Following that, agents with the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tracked the delivery and distribution of the drugs to three addresses in Pittsfield, according to prosecutors.

The courier, Christina Marie Lucita Ford, of Boston, told law enforcement officials that alleged supplier, Simon Long of Ukiah, California, had a prime customer in Western Massachusetts -- Carnute, a.k.a. "Tony the Whale."

The nickname refers to the size of his purchases, according to court records.

Carnute is charged with two counts of marijuana distribution.

This story will be updated after the arraignment.
UPDATE: James Andrews has been caught in connection with the New Bedford fatal stabbing, according to authorities.

Police are searching for a 51-year-old man in connection with a killing Thursday morning in New Bedford.

The Bristol County District Attorney's office released a photograph of James Andrews of New Bedford and are asking the public's help in finding him.

Authorities warned people not to approach Andrews or try to subdue him and instead call investigators at 508-991-6300 or 508-961-4584.

New Bedford police and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the killing after officers were called to 345 Cottage St. around 5:25 for a report of a stabbing inside an apartment.

"When first responders arrived, they found the victim already deceased," authorities said.

The victim has been identified as 47-year-old Allan A. Monteiro, Sr., of New Bedford.
Massachusetts law enforcement officials on Thursday released a notice to the public stressing that the printing of 3D weapons is illegal.

"The public safety notice serves as a reminder that the creation, transfer, or possession of a weapon made with a 3D printer can subject an individual to serious criminal or civil liability under Massachusetts law," Attorney General Maura Healey's office said in a release.

Healey's office issued the notice with Gov. Charlie Baker's Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police and the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

Read the public notice below.
SPRINGFIELD - Three masked men broke into a home in Forest Park, threatened the resident and took belongings.

The break-in happened at about 12:30 p.m., Thursday, at a home on Leete St., said Ryan Walsh, Springfield Police spokesman.

A man was home at the time. Walsh did not say if he was injured but said he did not require medical attention.

Springfield Police are investigating the home invasion. Police did not give any information about the items the thieves took.
"Superman" actress Margot Kidder's death has been ruled a suicide, and her daughter said it was a relief to finally have the truth out.

Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve's Superman in four movies, was found in her Livingston, Montana home on May 13. She was 69.

Park County coroner Richard Wood determined Kidder "died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose" and that no further details would be released, according to the Billings Gazette.

Maggie McGuane, Kidder's daughter by her ex-husband Thomas McGuane, told The Associated Press she knew her mother died by suicide the moment authorities took her to Kidder's home 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, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, suffered some career setbacks after a public nervous breakdown in 1996.

In recent years, she had guest roles on "Smallville," "Brothers & Sisters," and "The L Word."
By Chris Robarge

Last week, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that the city would begin implementing a body-worn camera program for its police department. After a yearlong pilot of the police body camera program, Boston has committed a $2 million investment for the adoption of a full-scale, permanent program.

Worcester should follow suit and act to adopt a body-worn camera program that prioritizes accountability, privacy of civilians and transparency.

Earlier this summer, Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent said that plans to equip local police officers with body cameras remain a work in progress, and there is no set schedule for when it might happen.

One week later, a Worcester bystander took video of several officers punching two brothers and slamming one up against a truck during a struggle. Worcester police defended that the brothers were involved in a fight, and the brothers themselves escalated the violence when police intervened. Because the bystander's video doesn't capture the full scene, what happened in that parking lot remains unclear.

The violent incident did make one thing clear, though: it's time to act. If one or more of the police officers had been wearing body cameras, it's possible that more details would have been captured.

The truth is, Worcester's police body camera program has been a work in progress for four years. In fact, two summers ago, the ACLU of Massachusetts sent our model policy to Worcester Police Department and 39 other police departments across Massachusetts. We didn't just drop the suggested policy in the mail: We also offered to provide assistance to the police chiefs in the 40 municipalities to help develop policies that encourage accountability and protect civilian privacy. Our offer still stands.

Used correctly, with the right policies in place, body-worn cameras can advance civil rights, help build community trust, and improve safety on both sides of the badge. Boston's program announcement coincided with a new report that found that the number of complaints against Boston police officers who used body-worn cameras, as well as the officers' reported use of excessive force, dropped slightly during the one-year pilot.

Of course, body cameras are not a cure-all for police accountability - and we appreciate Chief Sargent's thoughtful approach to the development of a Worcester police body camera program that works for everyone. He's right that there are a lot of issues to consider - but our model policy was drafted expressly to help police get it right when they introduce body-worn cameras.

Take civilian privacy, for example. Body-worn cameras should not be used as a surveillance device to track or monitor people exercising their First Amendment rights, and they should not include technologies like built-in face surveillance capabilities. Police body camera programs should function as a check and balance on police power, not yet another tool of warrantless government spying.

Or consider public accountability: It's critical, for example, that the police departments implement a strict prohibition against officers reviewing body-worn camera footage before writing incident reports or giving testimony. Letting officers preview videos of an incident before giving a statement can undermine the credibility of their statements and the integrity of investigations.

Boston is just the latest city across the country to make the move to enhance police accountability, deter misconduct by officers and civilians alike, and support positive police-community relations. Worcester can't wait four more years to adopt a police body-worn camera program.

_________

Chris Robarge is the Central Massachusetts organizer for the ACLU of Massachusetts.
Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced Wednesday that it has endorsed U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's 2018 re-election bid, as well as the campaigns of several other Massachusetts Democrats.

The Springfield Democrat, who will face off against Tahirah Amatul-Wadud in Massachusetts' Sept. 4 primary, was among 10 "pro-equality candidates" across the state to win the organization's backing.

Others receiving HRC's endorsement were: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Maura Healey and U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester; Joe Kennedy III, D-Brookline; Katherine Clark, D-Melrose; Seth Moulton, D-Salem; Michael Capuano, D-Somerville; Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston; and Bill Keating, D-Bourne.

HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof said the organization was "proud to endorse Sen. Elizabeth Warren and these leaders in Massachusetts who are standing up for fairness and equality."

Noting that the organization is "working harder than ever to ensure" candidates are elected who will hold the Trump administration accountable, Winterhof said it's "absolutely crucial that fair-minded Bay Staters turn out to vote this November."

HRC gave nearly every member of the delegation perfect marks on its most recent "Congressional Scorecard," which measures lawmakers' support for specific legislation relating to LGBTQ equality.

Neal was the only member not to receive a 100 percent score, getting a 96 percent rating -- a mark which the organization attributed to his failure to support HRC's position on the Global Respect Act, a 2015 bill that sought to prevent individuals who violate LGBTQ human rights from entering the U.S.

Although Healey was not included in the "Congressional Scorecard," the organization offered that she "has been a vocal supporter of legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in public accommodations and has also been a leader in suing the federal government over discriminatory Trump-Pence administration policies, including the transgender military ban, contraceptive regulations and the Muslim ban."

Beyond endorsing a slate of candidates, HRC noted its support for a Massachusetts ballot question, which will ask voters to weigh in on upholding the state's law that protects transgender people from discrimination in public spaces.
EASTHAMPTON -- A Boston city councilor challenging William Galvin in the Democratic primary for secretary of state said that, if elected, he would advocate for electoral reform and improved access to government information.

"We shouldn't be forcing news organization to hire lawyers to gain access to public records," said Josh Zakim. "The secretary's office has a lot of discretion when it comes to ordering the release of documents to the press and the public."

Asked what that might mean on the local level, Zakim said he would support cities and towns in their efforts to make public documents more accessible.

Zakim visited Western Massachusetts Tuesday and stopped at New City Brewery in Easthampton for an evening meet-and-greet.

"I'm also pushing for electoral reform," he said. "Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have same-day voter registration, which Galvin opposes."

The state's highest court in July ruled that a 20-day registration blackout before Massachusetts elections does not violate the state's constitution. Galvin had appealed a superior court ruling that the voter cutoff is unconstitutional.

On the campaign trail, Zakim has advocated for weekend elections, changes to absentee ballot rules and other measures to increase voter turnout. Galvin has lashed out, saying Zakim has never administered an election or worked with the Legislature.

Party activists in June voted to endorse Zakim, 34, at the 2018 Democratic Convention in Worcester. Galvin, 67, defended his record, saying when he took office in 1995, "there was not a central voter registry, there was no motor voter, there was no mail-in registration."

The primary election is set for Sept. 4. The winner will face Republican Anthony Amore, security chief of the Gardner Museum.
WILLIAMSBURG -- Local firefighters will soon have access to newer, lighter air packs and other updated safety equipment thanks to a $46,000 grant the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently awarded to the Williamsburg Fire Department.

Town Administrator Charlene Nardi and Fire Chief Jason A. Connell joined U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, in announcing the $45,623 Assistance to Firefighters Grant during a Thursday morning event at the department's North Main Street station.

Nardi said the federal funds will allow fire officials to purchase six self-contained breathing apparatus units, replacements for those units and face masks for each individual firefighter.

The new equipment, she said, will enhance firefighter safety, as well as reduce the risk of contamination caused by sharing such masks.

"We are very appreciative of the grant," she said. "We are very appreciative for our fire department members, who worked very hard to get this grant. This will make a difference for us as a small department."

Connell said the grant represents a culmination of the department's five-year push to replace outdated air packs.

Deputy Chief Daryl Springman said some of the air packs set to be replaced by the grant are more than 15 years old.

"As you can imagine, firefighting technology has changed and it's very difficult for small communities like ours to keep up with the changing standards. So this new equipment is really bringing us up to the new (National Fire Protection Association) standards ... We're replacing 2001 air packs with air packs that are smaller, lighter, a little bit higher pressure, they're much easier to use and they have a lot of safety features on the air packs that we did not have in 2001 when be bought the old ones," he said.

Neal stressed the importance of ensuring firefighters have up-to-date equipment, noting that the FEMA grant program was established after six firefighters were killed in a Worcester blaze.

"The advances in technology and the advances in science have allowed now for these air packs to be much more sophisticated ... it now not only, with a new air pack, 30 percent more oxygen, but there's a warning system that's built in," he said. "I think that's important."

The Williamsburg grant is the latest FEMA award Neal and other members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation have announced in recent weeks.

Neal, who has faced criticism from some Williamsburg-based groups over his representation of the hill towns, offered that the event is similar to others he's held.

"You do your job. This is indicative of what I've tried to do. I think you want to define your career based on achievement and accomplishment. These are the regular things that I do ... across the district," he said in an interview.

Fire Departments in Gloucester, Westfield, Shrewsbury, Boston, Orange, East Longmeadow, Middlefield, Swampscott, Northborough, Walpole and South Yarmouth, among others, have also been awarded funding through the FEMA grant program.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for a portion of Massachusetts Thursday.

The warning is in effect Thursday morning for the outer Cape until 9:45 a.m. Thursday. Winds up to 60 miles per hour are possible and there's the potential for localized flooding due to heavy rain.
Puerto Vallarta's El Centro a Jalisco Cultural Heritage

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Puerto Vallarta's Historic Center is now a protected Cultural Heritage of the Mexican State of Jalisco. The declaration was made by the state's Department of Culture on July 21 via the official journal of Jalisco and makes the center of the city a protected area, with all the rights and privileges of a heritage protected by state and federal laws.

The recognition includes the area from the beginning of the Malecon - where the oldest hotel in Puerto Vallarta, the Hotel Rosita, stands - and continues to the cobblestoned Romantic Zone and up to the historic Conchas Chinas neighborhoods. Each area is of special historical significance to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and Mexico, as well as the essence of the port city, which is in the midst of celebrating its centennial.





According to the State of Jalisco, this proclamation is a step towards further preserving the architectural elements of patrimonial value and the image and essential characteristics of the typical town on the seashore, one of the unique qualities of Puerto Vallarta, known as the "Most Mexican" Beach Destination.

"Puerto Vallarta's historic center is the heart of our city and a major attraction to our visitors and, like all world heritage sites, it must be recognized as an irreplaceable part of our legacy," said Javier Aranda Pedrero, Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. "We applaud the actions taken by Jalisco's Department of Culture and welcome everyone to enjoy this iconic part of the city."

The center of Puerto Vallarta is much loved by the people of Vallarta and appreciated by visitors, as it retains authentic characteristics of a traditional Mexican town, in its cobblestone streets and colonial architecture

Of particular interest is the Church of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the city's central plaza, Los Muertos Pier and colonial homes that date back hundreds of years.

Puerto Vallarta's historic center, better known as 'El Centro,' is a place full of life, where neighbors coexist and mingle with tourists who enjoy strolls along the Malecon, a beautiful boardwalk lined with sculptures, paintings and other works of art.

At dusk, El Centro is full of locals out for a stroll, heading for church services or dinner. Mixing with them, visitors can soak in the most beautiful sunsets on the Pacific; gaze at bobbing sailboats and the emblematic Marigalante pirate ship; and dig into roasted corn, mangoes with chili, cakes, tuba water and many other traditional snacks and desserts.

All of these attractions can be found on the Malecon and streets in the downtown area, which for many reasons already was - official proclamation or not - a cultural heritage jewel of Jalisco.
Global Brain Ischemia Market  Scenario

Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is an insufficient blood flow to the brain which results in poor oxygen supply to the brain. Brain ischemia is also known as cerebral ischemia or cerebrovascular ischemia.

Get Premium Sample Report Available @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1424

Major driving factor for global brain ischemia market are increasing number of patient suffering from diabetes, obesity hypertension and other related diseases as well as increasing aging population. On other hand high cost of treatment and limited availability of effective drugs may be responsible for restraining the markets growth

The global brain ischemia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during forecasted period 2017-2023.

Global Brain Ischemia Market  Key Players

This market has numerous key players some of them are Bayer AG (Germany), H. Lundbeck A/S (Denmark), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US), Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany), ThromboGenics NV (Belgium), Vernalis Plc (UK), Neurotec Pharma SL (Spain), Johnson and Johnson (US), Covidien Plc (Ireland), Stryker Corporation (US), Abbott Laboratories (US), Penumbra, Inc. (US), Philips Healthcare (Netherland), Hitachi Ltd. (Japan), GE Healthcare (UK) and Siemens Healthcare (US).

Global Brain Ischemia Market  Segmentation

Global brain ischemia market is segmented on the basis of diagnosis which includes MRI, CT, ultrasound, angiography and other. The market is also segmented on the basis of treatment which includes angioplasty, drug treatment and other.

Drug treatment is sub segmented into anticoagulation therapy, antiplatelet and other. Anticoagulation therapy is further sub segmented into heparin and warfarin. Antiplatelet therapy is further sub segmented as aspirin and other. On the basis of end user the market is segmented as hospital, clinics and other.

Global Brain Ischemia Market  Study Objectives

Detail analysis of global brain ischemia market with respect to region specific market growth and competitive analysis on the basis of major players present in the market.

Detail analysis of market as well as different drivers and restraints affecting the growth of this market.

Detail analysis of markets past and estimated future growth based on various analyses which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc.

To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments in the global brain ischemia market.

Detail analysis on possible segments and sub segments of the market. Along with this regional analysis of the market which includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa.

Insights of major countries/regions in which this industry is flourishing including untapped regions which could be the potential market of brain ischemia in future

Global Brain Ischemia Market  Intended Audience

Research and development (R&D) companies

Pharmaceutical companies

Government and independent research laboratories

Contract research organizations (CROs)

Medical research laboratories

Academic medical institutes and universities

Global Brain Ischemia Market  Regional Analysis

On regional basis, North America has the largest market of brain ischemia. Due to the increasing diabetic and obese population in this region, these have become a major driving factor for this markets growth. Moreover increasing governments support has also lead to the growth of this market. Europe is the second largest market due to increasing aging population and technological advances here. Emerging economies like India and China in Asia-Pacific region has provided to be a fuel for the growth of this market here. Middle East and Africa contributes less to this markets growth.

MAJOR TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITION

1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY

1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITATIONS

1.2.2.1 ASSUMPTIONS

1.2.2.2 LIMITATIONS

1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE:

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 RESEARCH PROCESS:

2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH

2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH:

3 MARKET DYNAMICS

3.1 DRIVERS

3.2 RESTRAINTS

3.3 OPPORTUNITIES

3.4 MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS

4 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS

4.1 PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL

4.2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS

4.3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS

4.4 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS

Major TOC Continued!

Get Exclusive Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1424

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 Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune  411028

Maharashtra, India

Phone: +1 646 845 9312

Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Scenario

Cerebral vasospasm is a condition where blood vesicles becomes narrow due to contraction. Cerebral vasospasm further results in haemorrhage. Patient who experienced haemorrhagic stroke are in more risk to develop a cerebral vasospasm. Changing lifestyle and consumption of unhealthy food are major market driving factors.

Premium Sample Report Available @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1418

Beside this introduction of many new treatments in the market has increased this markets growth. Other high cost associated with treatment may hamper the growth of this market.

Global cerebral vasospasm market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 5.4% during the forecasted period 2017-2023.

Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Key Players

Some of the key players in this market are Headsense Medical Ltd (Israel), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), Minnetronix, Inc (US), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US), Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany) and H. Lundbeck A/S (Denmark)

Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Segmentation

Global cerebral vasospasm market is segmented on the basis of type of treatment which includes triple-H therapy, nimodipine and other. On the basis of route of administration the market is segmented into oral, intravenous and intra-arterial and on the basis of end user the market is again segmented into hospitals, clinics and others.

Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Study Objectives

Detail analysis of global cerebral vasospasm market with region specific growth and competitive analysis on the basis of major players present in the market.

Detail analysis of global cerebral vasospasm market including different drivers and restraints who are contributing in the markets growth as well restricting growth of the market

Detail analysis of past as well as estimated future market analysis including price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc.

To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments in the global cerebral vasospasm market.

Detail analysis on segments and sub segments of the market. Along with regional analysis of the market which includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, plus Middle East and Africa.

Insights on major countries regions in which this market is flourishing as well as identify untapped regions which has the potential for this markets growth in the future.

Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Regional Analysis

Geographically, North America has the largest market of cerebral vasospasm. North America cerebral vasospasm market is driven by robust research & development practices along with growing advancements in the field of neurology. Europe has the second largest market of cerebral vasospasm which is followed by Asia Pacific. In Middle East and Africa the market is least due to limited development in the healthcare sector.

The report of global cerebral vasospasm market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts and key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the markets different segments and regions.

Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market  Intended Audience

Research and development (R&D) companies

Pharmaceutical companies

Companies into cerebral vasospasm

Government and independent research laboratories

Contract research organizations (CROs)

Medical research laboratories

Academic medical institutes and universities

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITION

1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY

1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITATIONS

1.2.2.1 ASSUMPTIONS

1.2.2.2 LIMITATIONS

1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE:

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 RESEARCH PROCESS:

2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH

2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH:

3 MARKET DYNAMICS

3.1 DRIVERS

3.2 RESTRAINTS

3.3 OPPORTUNITIES

3.4 MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS

4 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS

4.1 PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL

4.2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS

4.3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS

4.4 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS

4.5 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES

4.6 INTENSITY OF RIVALRY

5. GLOBAL CEREBRAL VASOSPASM MARKET, BY TYPE OF TREATMENT

5.1 TRIPLE-H THERAPY

5.2 NIMODIPINE

5.3 OTHER

Major TOC Continued!

Get Exclusive Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1418

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 Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune  411028

Maharashtra, India

Phone: +1 646 845 9312

Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
This report studies the global Drug Discovery Outsourcing market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Drug Discovery Outsourcing market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.

Over the last two decades, the Pharmaceutical industry has seen a radical change. The unprecedented downsizing of the internal discovery of big pharmaceuticals, patent expiration, shift towards biologics have seen a surge in the externalization and outsourcing activities. As the industry is looking for new sources of discovery and innovation with limited resources, there is a growing preference to move towards externalization and willingness to embrace the concept of outsourcing.

Major pharmaceutical companies highly consider innovation and brand building as the core activity. As a result, they do not consider manufacturing as their core activity and prefer to outsource a part or all of their manufacturing activities to contract manufacturers from the contract research organization. These companies extensively focus on achieving a strong yield over the long term by enhancing their core competencies. This encourages drug makers to outsource drug discovery and use it as a popular tool to restructure internal resource deployment. This research report identifies the prioritization of core competencies to be one of the primary growth drivers for the global drug discovery outsourcing market till 2022.

The drug discovery outsourcing market appears to be highly fragmented. The industry research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the markets competitive landscape and the growth prospects for vendors in the drug development & outsourcing market. Additionally, the report provides information about the strategies adopted by companies to enhance their revenue shares in this competitive market.

This report focuses on the global top players, covered

Charles River

Domainex

EVOTEC

GenScript

GVK Biosciences

Laboratory Corporation of America

Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Southeast Asia

India

Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

Small molecules

Biologics

Market segment by Application, split into

Hospitals and Clinics

Medical Laboratories

Others

Request Sample Report at https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3329347-global-drug-discovery-outsourcing-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025

The study objectives of this report are:

To study and forecast the market size of Drug Discovery Outsourcing 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 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 Drug Discovery Outsourcing are as follows:

History Year: 2013-2017

Base Year: 2017

Estimated Year: 2018

Forecast Year 2018 to 2025

For 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 Stakeholders

Drug Discovery Outsourcing Manufacturers

Drug Discovery Outsourcing Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers

Drug Discovery Outsourcing Subcomponent Manufacturers

Industry Association

Downstream Vendors

Table of Contents

1 Industry Overview of Drug Discovery Outsourcing

2 Global Drug Discovery Outsourcing Competition Analysis by Players

3 Company (Top Players) Profiles

4 Global Drug Discovery Outsourcing Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)

5 United States Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

6 Europe Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

7 China Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

8 Japan Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

9 Southeast Asia Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

10 India Drug Discovery Outsourcing Development Status and Outlook

11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)

12 Drug Discovery Outsourcing Market Dynamics

13 Market Effect Factors Analysis

About Us:

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.

Contact Us:

NORAH TRENT

sales@wiseguyreports.com

Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US)

Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Fewer Flights from U.S. Not Affecting Mexico Tourism

While Mexico's international tourism continues to grow well beyond industry averages, a handful of U.S.-based airlines are reducing flights to the country, citing decreased demand. According to various media reports, United, Delta, American and Spirit have or will consider reducing flights from the United States to the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean.

The reductions among these carriers however, come as the country's tourism industry continues its significant growth trajectory and other airlines are increasing flights to its tourist hot spots.

Mexico is currently the sixth-most visited country in the world, hosting 39.3 million international visitors in 2017, and about 20 million of those arrivals were American visitors. Just five years ago, Mexico was ranked 15th most visited in the world.

According to the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), "This rapid climb is due to sustained, above-industry-average growth fueled by the incredible diversity of Mexico's tourism offering and close collaboration with the travel industry, government and other interested parties to develop new products and infrastructure to support this growth."





From January through May 2018, Mexico's international tourism grew 12.6 percent compared to the same period in 2017, with air arrivals increasing 5.6 percent, numbers that far exceed the industry average, said the Mexico Tourism Board.

"In regards to the recent decreased demand compared with prior years from some of the legacy U.S. airlines, the exact causes for this are not yet known," said a MTB spokesperson. "It may be related to the rapid expansion of connectivity to Mexico in the past 12 months by those airlines and by competitors in the U.S. and Mexico."

In July 2016, the United States and Mexico exchanged diplomatic notes to bring a new Air Transport Agreement into force. The landmark agreement was designed to significantly increase trade and travel between the United States and Mexico. In particular, the agreement allowed for increased market access for passenger and cargo airlines to fly between any city in Mexico and any city in the United States.

Immediately after the agreement, airlines such as Southwest, Delta, and American announced they would begin new flights, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Southwest began offering three new nonstop flights from LAX to Cancun, San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. Delta, meanwhile, launched new daily nonstop services from New York JFK to Cancun and from LAX to Los Cabos, as well as a Saturday flight from Kansas City, Missouri to Cancun. Not to be left out, American Airlines started new daily flights from LAX to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.

Before the frenzy was over, about 400 new routes between the two countries had been approved. That there is now some review and scaling back happening is only logical.

Meanwhile, Mexico continues focusing on the winning proposition it offers travelers: access to beaches, vibrant cities and magical towns, said the Mexico Tourism Board.

In addition to all of those attractions, officials are working to create new experiences to bring more visitors to Mexico, such as the Viajemos Todos Por Mexico campaign, which invites Mexican-American residents to the U.S. to reconnect with their culture.

"And, just as we have done in years past, we are hosting world-class events through the end of the year including the Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City, Formula 1, NFL, the NBA, the Los Cabos Film Festival and the Extreme Sailing Series," said the spokesperson. "We remain optimistic about Mexico's growth in 2018, including from the U.S. market."
Health4TheWorld , a Silicon Valley start-up providing education and technology solutions for resource-poor communities worldwide, has been named the 2018 Stevie Silver Award Winner by the American Business Awards for the category of Services. Created in 2002, the Stevie Awards are meant to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide.One of the competition judges described Health4TheWorld as, One of the best uses of technology to help patients with limited access to healthcare. Commenting on the recognition, Dr. Bhavya Rehani, President, CEO, and Founder of Health4TheWorld commented, This is a great acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication of the team members who have volunteered their time and effort towards our mission of bringing health to remote parts of the world via innovative technologies like machine learning, mobile health, and virtual reality.

A 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, Health4TheWorld provides a combination of education and technology solutions to support communities around the world. All services provided by Health4TheWorld are available for free. The companys Health Education Platform is touted as the largest online education platform for medical professionals. Users can search for skills and educational resources to help address the needs of their patients, sign up for educational courses, and interact with faculty and other users engaging on the platform. A new e-learning website, H4TW Academy, is also launching soon. In terms of technology, Health4TheWorlds first offering is a stroke management app for patients and families. The app helps users with post-stroke rehabilitation exercises as well as management of health parameters in order to avoid another stroke.

To learn more about the great work taking place at Health4TheWorld, Medgadget heard from its founders, Dr. Rehani, Dr. Ankur Bharija, and Dr. William Dillon. In addition to their roles at Health4TheWorld, all three founders also hold clinical positions. Dr. Rehani and Dr. Dillion are at the University of California, San Francisco and hold roles as an Assistant Professor of Neuroradiology and the Elizabeth A. Guillaumin Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, respectively, while Dr. Bharija is faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine where he specializes in Geriatric and Palliative Medicine.

Michael Batista, Medgadget: Congratulations on Health4theWorlds recognition as a Tech Startup of the Year by American Business Awards! As a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, what is Health4TheWorlds mission?

Dr. Bhavya Rehani: At Health4TheWorld, our mission is to bring health to remote communities globally through educational and technological solutions. We believe in harnessing the power of technology to empower local health providers and public, in resource-poor communities, to alleviate suffering associated with major causes of death and disability worldwide.

Medgadget: Can you share a little about the organizations design process for tackling health challenges around the world?

Dr. Ankur Bharija: While many global health solutions may be short-lived and based on a one size fits all strategy, we believe in never leaving once we commit to a site. Hence, our solutions are designed for long-term sustainability and based on local needs and capabilities. In partnership with local care providers  our local champions. we work to iterate the existing tool to be culturally and linguistically appropriate and assist in a systematic dissemination process. We are engaged with our local champions for improvement and measuring impact. For example, our stroke mobile app has been systematically improved and translated into multiple local languages.

Medgadget: Today you have a two-pronged approach of providing education and developing technology solutions. How do they work together in tandem to achieve Health4TheWorlds goals?

Dr. Rehani: Education and technology are interdependent in creating a sustainable global health solution on a scalable level. Education is what stays locally forever with empowerment of local champions while technology is how it stays and reaches remote corners of the world. As academicians and educators, we have been educating small groups of students at our local institutions and know its value in improving care and practice. With the improving access to technologies in todays world, we can not only teach in different corners of the world from here but also create educational tools that are accessible to millions globally.

Medgadget: Lets talk a little bit more about the Health Education Platform. How does it work? Can anyone, anywhere access the platform?

Dr. Dillon: Over the course of last year, we have delivered about 100+ live lectures and workshops virtually to health care professionals globally at our partnering sites. Very soon, these will be available online to anyone, anywhere at no cost by registering via email to the  Health4TheWorld Academy platform. Distinguished volunteer faculty from multiple academic medical institutions in the US have donated their time and expertise towards the curation of this content.

Medgadget: Turning to Health4TheWorlds Mobile Application, why did you decide to focus on a tool designed to support stroke patients? How was the platform developed and what kind of success has it seen to date?

Dr. Rehani: Stroke a leading cause of death and disability globally. The tool was inspired by a personal journey of my grandparents living with stroke in a village in India. The mobile application was developed in collaboration with leading stroke doctors, therapists, and technology experts. The stroke app has been disseminated in 20+ countries and translated into Spanish, French, Swahili, Nepali, Tagalog (Filipino), and Chinese. Weve received patient testimonials from Nepal, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Paraguay, and the Philippines about how the app is a useful tool in their recovery from stroke even if they are in a remote location away from a doctor. Doctors using the app have shared their experience with how the app has helped educate patients about regaining mobility, communicating if they have lost their voice, knowing about how to prevent additional strokes, and reminding them of medications as well as appointments.

Medgadget: Does the success of the stroke management app drive you towards developing other mobile solutions for different use cases? Your website mentioned virtual reality and chat bot technologies. Do those play into your mobile app strategy or represent different technology initiatives?

Dr. Rehani: Yes, we would like to expand to different use cases. Virtual reality and chatbots are emerging technologies we use to engage our users through both mobile and web based applications. Virtual reality has been used for mind exercises to help stroke patients in recovery. Virtual reality models will be used for anatomy education of organs on our education

al website. The chatbot is being used in our mobile application as an interactive tool for helping fight negative emotions and depression after stroke. Educational chatbots with step wise approaches to diagnose diseases will be a part of our educational website, Health4TheWorld Academy.

Medgadget: How is Health4TheWorld able to offer all of these capabilities to patients and healthcare providers free of charge?

Dr. William Dillon: Through the marvelous time and energy of hundreds of volunteers who give of their time and expertise to support the work, give lectures, and develop tools. If not for these wonderful people on the H4TW team, we could not accomplish nearly what has been done, or will be done, for those suffering around the world. We are also receive and are similarly thankful for our monetary support as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization and use 100% of the donations to support the site and mission of Health4TheWorld.

Medgadget: Whats next for Health4TheWorld? Are there any exciting milestones or announcements coming up for the organization?

Dr. Rehani: Yes. We are working on a learning management system to provide videos and training from top medical faculty across a range of specialties to help doctors and patients who lack access in under-resourced communities. Our aim is to create one of the largest free of cost systems where anybody in the world can access information they can use to help their patients.

Medgadget: Thank you again for taking time time to speak with us! To close, how can individuals get involved with Health4TheWorld?

Dr. Bharija: Our work and its impact thus far has only been possible because of our diverse, talented and passionate team and we hope to grow our global community further with professionals from technology and business who share our vision. For those interested in supporting Health4TheWorlds mission of bringing free-of-cost solutions to health challenges in every corner of world; may get involved as a volunteer, as an expert advisory board member or support monetarily. More at  https://health4theworld.org/get-involved/

Link: Health4TheWorld
Global Immunoassay Market  Overview

An immunoassay is a test based on biochemistry to measure the concentration of an analyte. The analytes are antibodies that are produced due to infection or small molecules. Immunoassays are highly adaptable which are designed to detect the binding of the specific antibody to the target analyte.

It is noted that the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions will push the demand for advanced immunoassay technologies. According to the statistics suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 9,421 cases of tuberculosis, 51,455 cases of salmonella, 33,461 cases of Lyme disease, and 433 cases of meningococcal disease were registered in the United States.

Various other factors such as growth in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, increasing adoption of rental immunoassay analyzers, increasing use of immunoassay in oncology, growing awareness about immunoassay, healthcare insurance coverage for various infectious diseases, unmet medical needs, improving regulatory framework, and increasing government assistance are continuously contributing to the growth of the global immunoassay market.

In March 2013, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc launched its Bio-Plex at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) annual meeting in San Antonio, USA. Bio-Rad Laboratories developed this new product in association with Myriad RBM, Inc. for early detection of kidney toxicity and injury.

Despite these drivers, there are some issues associated with the immunoassay market. The stringent FDA regulations, lack of specificity, the complex procedure of testing, and poor healthcare system in low- and middle-income countries may hamper the growth of the market to an extent.

It is estimated that the immunoassay market is expected to grow at a CAGR 8.5% during the forecast period of 20172023.

Get Exclusive Sample Copy of Immunoassay Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5841

Immunoassay Market  Leading players

Beckman Coulter, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Radiometer, Alere, Arlington Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, BioMerieux, Inc., DiaSorin, Diamedix, Dynex Technologies, Fujirebio US, Gold Standard Diagnostics, Hycor Biomedical, Inova Diagnostics, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Randox Toxicology, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Siemens Healthineers, ThermoFisher Scientific, TOSOH Bioscience, Wako Diagnostics, Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co., Ltd., Sysmex Corporation, and others.

Global Immunoassay Market  Regional Analysis

The Americas dominates the immunoassay market owing to the presence of major market players, high adoption rate, and increasing prevalence of infectious diseases. According to the statistics suggested by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, around 9,421 cases of tuberculosis, 51,455 cases of salmonella, 33,461 cases of Lyme disease, and 433 cases of meningococcal disease were registered in the United States. It is also reported that nearly 16.8 million individuals visit physician offices for infectious and parasitic diseases.

Europe holds the second position in the immunoassay market. It is expected that the funding provided by the government and private organizations towards research and development and the rising prevalence of infectious disease are likely to drive the European market.

Owing to a huge patient pool and the increasing demand and development in the healthcare technology, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing immunoassay market. Healthcare expenditure is found to be improving in various regions in Asia Pacific. According to the data suggested by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare during the year 201516, the total health expenditure was USD 170.4 billion, i.e., 3.6% higher than the expenditure of 20142015. The rising cases of bladder cancer are also propelling the market growth in the Asia Pacific region. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, nearly 12,000 patients are newly diagnosed with bladder cancer, and around 5000 patients die from the disease annually in Japan. The onset of this disease is mostly seen in the more elderly population. A multiplex urinary immunoassay is commonly used for the detection of bladder cancer.

The Middle East and Africa holds the lowest share in the global immunoassay market due to low development, lack of technical knowledge, and poor medical facilities.

Global Immunoassay  Market Segmentation

The global immunoassay market is segmented on the basis of product and service, type, and end-user.

On the basis of product and service, the market is classified as reagents and kits, analyzers, and software and services. The reagents and kits segment is classified as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) reagents and kits, rapid test reagents and kits, western blot reagents and kits, elispot reagents and kits, RIA reagents and kits, and PCR reagents and kits. The analyzers segment is classified as portable analyzers and benchtop analyzers.

On the basis of type, the market is classified as Radioimmunoassay (RIA), Counting Immunoassay (CIA), Enzyme Immunoassays (EIA) or Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA), Fluoroimmunoassay (FIA), and Chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA).

On the basis of application, the market is classified as infectious diseases, oncology, autoimmune disorders, toxicology, neonatal screening, cardiology, hematology and blood screening, bone and mineral disorders, and others.

On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, diagnostic laboratories, research and academic laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and others.

Intended Audience

Pharmaceutical Companies

Medical Device Companies

Research and Development (R&D) Companies

Diagnostic Laboratories

Government Research Institute

Academic Institutes and Universities

Get Amazing Discount on Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/5841

TOC of Immunoassay Market Research Report  Global Forecast to 2023

Report Prologue 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

Research Methodology

3.1 Research Process

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

3.5 Forecast Model

Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restraints

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Threats

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

Market Factor Analysis

TOC CONTINUED

Ask any Queries to Experts about Niche Segments, Requires Regional Data and Top Players @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/5841

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 Future

Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers

Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar,

Pune  411028

Maharashtra, India

Phone: +1 646 845 9312

Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market  Overview

Various medical companies are working hard to mollify the rising demand for ingredients and medicines that go into personal care products for the skin, hair, oral care, and various other applications. As a large, rapidly growing and increasingly diversified market, product components denote special challenges for medical manufacturing companies. Growing consumer incomes and changing lifestyles influence the global Medicated personal care products industry. Furthermore, the market is driven by an increasing middle class in the East, and growing elderly population in the West, and new opportunities such as halal beauty, mens grooming, and bio-based skin care.

The market is forecasted to demonstrate a double growth by 2017. The Global Medicated personal care products market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.30% during assessment period of 2017-2027.

Moreover, adding to the growth of the market, better standard of living along with growing disposable income of the working middle-class population in developing countries of Asia-Pacific including China, India, and Malaysia is expected to influence the growth of this market. Rising on-going R&D with technological breakthroughs in the area of processing and cost-effective products were major factors responsible for expanding industry growth over the past decade and the upcoming trend will continue further in the coming years.

Get Sample PDF Illustration @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1008

Regional Analysis for Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market

Global Medicated personal care products market is segmented on the basis of geographies or regions which mainly includes Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Americas is dominating the global market for Medicated personal care products with more than 40% share of the total market in 2016. The major factors influencing the growth of the market include due to increasing use of medical personal care products, increasing spending over cosmetic products, growing aging population, and various others.

Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market in coming future. The nations in the Asia represent to a portion of the biggest and high potential markets for export growth for the U.S. Individual Care and Cosmetics businesses. Containing more than 20% of U.S. worldwide exports in the sector, the Asian nations offer the business more than 3 billion potential consumers in the fastest growing global markets. This base incorporates customers in developed markets for U.S. products, for example, Japan, Australia and South Korea, which together represented more than $1 billion in U.S. individual care and cosmetics export trades in 2015 to China, which at an estimated USD 500 to USD 600 million in U.S. exports that same year, is anticipated to become the largest global market for cosmetics in the next two to three years agents.

Whats more, the nations incorporated into the Asia Personal Care and Cosmetics Guide give access to some of the most highest potential future marketsincluding the developing white collar class in nations crossing from Indonesia to Vietnam to Malaysia. These purchasers seek to the quality and refinement for which U.S. products are known. As of now these business sectors source the vast majority of their fundamental individual care products from mass market U.S. organizations including Procter and Bet, Johnson and Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive. Progressively these consumers are moving past the basics to premium skin and hair care and also color cosmetics opening opening the way to a wide variety of U.S. based beauty care products exporters.

The Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the global market due to limited availability of biotechnology 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.

Key Players for Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market

Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Medicated Personal Care Products Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe.

Personal Care (US) , TWASA (India), KPH Cosmos Pvt. Ltd (India), Edana, Johnson & Johnson (US), LOreal (Paris), DCC Health and Beauty Solutions LTD (UK). are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Medicated personal care products Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.

Global Medicated personal care products Market  Competitive Analysis

Characterized by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global market of Medicated personal care products appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. With well-established market in the Americas region major companies have their home in the region and generate maximum market share. These companies have expanded their operating unit in various other emerging regions as well. Moreover the other small and medium scale players are generating revenue from local market.

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 Medicated Personal Care Market By Type

Chapter 7. Global Medicated Personal Care Market By Beauty Care

Chapter 8. Global Medicated Personal Care Market By Region

Chapter 9. Competitive Landscape

Chapter 10. Company Profile

Chapter 11. Conclusion

Chapter 12. Appendix

Get Prime Discount on Report https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1008

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

Contact Us:

Market Research Future

Hadapsar, Pune  411028

Maharashtra, India

Phone: +1 646 845 9312
by Ray Schultz , August 9, 2018

Sandor Szabo, vice president of sales for the What If Media Group, died on Tuesday after being assaulted in Long Island City, New York. He was 35.

Szabo, following his stepsisters wedding, was punched by an angry SUV driver and hit his head on a curb, sustaining a brain injury. He died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell after being taken off life support.

It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that after a senseless assault over the weekend in NYC, our dear friend and colleague, Sandor Szabo, has passed away, What If Media Group says In a Facebook post. It is a devastating loss to his family, and to our What If Media Group family.

The post continues: Sandor was a well-known and well-respected leader in the digital marketing industry. He lived in Boca Raton with his brother, but spent a lot of time in our Fort Lee, NJ office.

It adds that Szabo was critical in helping our companys recent rapid growth.

advertisement advertisement

The incident occurred after 1 a.m. on Sunday when Szabo was trying to return to his hotel in Queens. He banged on the window of an SUV, possibly thinking it was a Uber, and the driver emerged and punched him, according to the New York Daily News.

The driver fled the scene. Police have released a video of the alleged assailant.

What If Media, which has 25 employees, states on its website: We create and operate a variety of web properties that attract targeted audiences with whom we interact in a variety of channels. These include websites, newsletters, outbound telemarketing, direct mail and social media, it says.
by Sara Guaglione , August 9, 2018

Cannabis-focused media company High Times is introducing an over-the-top video platform, called High Times TV, specifically for cannabis content.

High Times believes the platform will allow its community to host and monetize content around marijuana  akin to a YouTube for cannabis-specific video content.

In April, news circulated that YouTube was purging cannabis-focused channels, shutting down channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

(According to YouTube, videos showing drug abuse, underage drinking and smoking, or bomb making violate YouTubes c ommunity guidelines.)

advertisement advertisement

Some believe the move is to protect YouTube from running ads on objectionable content, after the platform received backlash for running ads on videos with violence, hate-speech and disturbing scenes.

But High Times says this is happening on other social platforms, too, like Facebook and Twitter. It claims cannabis content is being demonetized, shut down or de-prioritized on these sites.

People involved in cannabis culture say they feel censored  particularly because marijuana (medical and recreational) is legal in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

The huge demand for mobile-friendly premium video includes a real hunger for the cannabis-related content that social-media sites are all too often blocking, stated High Times CEO Adam Levin.

The new platform allows the brand to reach its audience wherever they may be, on whatever platform they use, he added. Its another way to serve our fans.

Most of the video on the OTT platform comes from High Times, but the publisher says it is welcoming other brands to contribute content.

High Times TV will be ad-supported. The publisher will sell its own ads for endemic brands, but also wants to catch the eye of brands that are not directly related to cannabis culture but see opportunity in the industry.

"It was important to us to not only help the creators monetize their efforts, but create a brand-safe environment for our industry, Levin told Publishers Daily.

In their efforts to clean up their acts, much of the adtech community jumped to blacklisting advertisers as opposed to working with them to find the right opportunities for their brands. We want to cater to those brands, those legitimate enterprises looking for premium ad inventory, in a way that no social or publishing platforms can currently offer," Levin added.

High Times has partnered with video streaming service Unreel to help develop the OTT platforms apps. High Times TV is integrated with Unreel's digital ad networks  including Roku and Google Ad Manager  in an effort to create new monetization opportunities for creators in the space.

(High Times will use Roku and Unreel for advertising, too.)

Influencers already using the platform include CustomGrow420, StrainCentral, Ruffhouse Studios, High Rise TV, Stoner Mom, The Green Market Report and That High Couple with new content from Now This Weed and Doug Bensons Getting Doug with High.

Social media doesnt want us to exist, and propaganda is ruining society's views on a harmless plant, stated Joshua Young, founder of StrainCentral. Just as High Times has done since the '70s, were here to provide a voice for the unspoken, and to champion this gift of the earth.

High Times TV (HTTV) lives on tv.hightimes.com and is available as an app for iOS, Apple TV, Android and Roku.

It features content like marijuana cultivation and extraction lessons, comedy shorts, behind-the-scenes exclusives from High Times Cannabis Cup events and vlogs from industry influencers.

High Times is gearing up to officially launch its IPO later this year.
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, August 9, 2018

Having switched from its cause-related Water.org campaign to a whimsical Joie de Biere campaign in April, Stella Artois is continuing the tongue-in-cheek tone by offering an audio mindfulness guide app.

Created with Inscape, the StellaSpace app is a 20-minute experience that blends mindfully sipping a Stella Artois, meditation techniques with beer-tasting notes, and witty personal anecdotes from narrator and actor Luke Evans, in the Belgian lager brands description.

"Joie de Biere is our take on the European sentiment of joie de vivre, and StelllaSpace is one way we're bringing this to life," Harry Lewis, Vice President, Stella Artois, notes to Marketing Daily. "Our goal was to create something that helps bring more joy to the limited time that people have to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, like a cold beer with friends."

advertisement advertisement

The experience is accessible by downloading the Inscape app on iTunes. Fans of beer and transcendent experiences can also listen to an Evans-narrated, 5-minute audio preview on YouTube.

The brand is selling a Sip & Savor limited-edition version of the Stella Artois Chalice online to enhance the experience.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 9, 2018

In September, Google will roll out responsive search ads to more advertisers in English, French, German and Spanish.

The company announced the Google Responsive Search Ads last month at Marketing Live and showed how automation and machine learning supports the ad unit.

Responsive Search Ads let markets set up one ad with multiple headlines and descriptions. For one static ad text, marketers can write up to 15 headlines and up to four descriptions. The automated platform matches the headline with the ad, based on many attributed surrounding the search.

In addition to the rollout, Google will give marketers more room to tell their message. Beginning in late August, marketers will have the ability to add a third headline and a second description to text ads, adding up to 90 characters.

advertisement advertisement

For example, if a retailer uses two headlines that show the brand name and official site, marketers can add a third headline showing shipping details or special offers.

Automation became the theme for Google Marketing Live. Company executives told attendees that automation will become the backbone for every form of campaign management, from bidding to dynamic headlines, as well as creative and targeting.

On Thursday, Google also released a one-page article on how to create more effective text ads using machine learning. It starts, as usual, with writing compelling ad copy. Crafting the message focuses on the benefits to consumers cross-device and tying in creative images to the keywords.

Marketers will also adjust to new realities as Google relies more heavily on machine learning.
When most of us were going about with our daily chores and living in the comfort of our homes, our brave soldiers were fighting the terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora on Tuesday, to ensure our safety. In this gunfight, we lost four Army personnel, one of whom is 29-year-old Major Kaustubh Rane.

Sad news 

4 bravehearts-Major KP Rane, Hav Jamie Singh,Hav Vikramjit & Rifleman Mandeep

martyred at LoC in Gurez sector while foiling a infiltration bid by Pakistani terrorists.Before going down they killed 4 terrorists.

RIP brothers ..Salute@adgpi  Maj Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) August 7, 2018

Although, no amount of words can suffice our gratitude towards the Indian Army, who risk their lives to protect the country and ensure our safety from external and internal threats; at times a small gesture is all it takes to pay our respect to these brave soldiers for their courage and selflessness.

 ANI

In an emotional gesture, Mumbaikars paid their respect to Major Kaustubh Rane from the Army's 36 Rashtriya Rifles, as the nation's hero's mortal remains arrived wrapped in the Indian flag today in Thane by showering flowers as the flower-laden Army truck took him to the crematorium.

 BCCL

Thousands of people accompanied the truck, waving flags and holding posters with his picture and chanting slogans like 'Major Kaustabh Rane, Amar Rahe', 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. The roads which led to Major Rane's home on Mira Road were covered with flower petals.

Reportedly, Major Rane's last rites were performed with full military honours, a military band played the last post and senior personnel paid their last respects as the funeral pyre was lit.

Funeral video of Late Major Kaustubh Rane at Mira Road Mumbai

who has sacrified his life for country. pic.twitter.com/rUyDnl5O7F  Mahesh Vikram Hegde (@mvmeet) August 9, 2018

One of the neighbours said, He always wanted to join the Army...it was his dream since childhood. Major Rane finished his military training from Pune and was honoured with the Sena Gallantry Medal on the 69th Republic Day celebrations by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Major Kaustubh Rane is survived by his parents, wife and two-and-half-year old son Agastya, who will never see his father again.

Source: Times Now
Puerto Vallarta Hilton Opens Adults-Only 'The Hacienda'

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  Hilton Hotels recently opened The Hacienda, a new adults-only section of its Hilton Puerto Vallarta resort dedicated to providing travelers looking to disconnect and enjoy a hard-earned vacation with a secluded "no kids allowed" zone.

The Hacienda is a playground for romance and relaxation complete with Mexican-inspired decor, all-inclusive luxuries, and exciting room features including private Jacuzzis and swim-out pools.

Hilton's commitment to innovation without sacrificing heritage or authenticity reflects in The Hacienda, a 192-suite section suiting the rising trends of adults-only trips, couples getaways, culturally oriented tourism and business travel. The Hacienda suites feature four categories outfitted in an elegant aesthetic, as designed by famed Mexican architect Ricardo Elias.

"Adult travelers today are looking to truly immerse themselves in their destination, whether it be through food, traditions or art, but they're also seeking sophisticated, photogenic surroundings. We've designed The Hacienda with this new wave of travelers in mind," said Hernan Vanegas, general manager.

The Hacienda at Hilton Puerto Vallarta boasts many features unique to the property, including the Mexican Pacific Coast's only spa flotarium therapy; Hilton Serenity Beds in every room; both a swim-up bar and a sky bar; a library; and an all-day restaurant. Butler service and Sunset Terrace lounge will be launching November 2018.
PIGEON -- Cross Lutheran School in Pigeon is hosting a free Scholarship Open House tonight.

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.
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.
The head of Air Mobility Command says he keeps asking himself what he got the U.S. Air Force into after working with the service to launch the Aviator Technical Track program.

But Gen. Carlton Everhart is betting that the experimental program will have more benefits than costs at a time when the service is dealing with a troubling pilot shortage.

The goal is to "help out the pilot shortage" anywhere the Air Force can, he told reporters last week. "We're trying to lengthen out the options [so] that you can stay on assignment for five years."

The Aviator Technical Track is seeking active-duty mobility pilots in hopes of keeping airmen in cockpits longer without assigning them additional, non-flight-related duties. Airmen will be able to stay in one job for five years in an effort to provide a better work-life balance.

Related content:

The command is currently looking for majors and majors-select for the program. It will eventually add lower ranks after it sets a foundation for future airmen, Everhart said Aug. 2 during a defense writers' group breakfast in Washington, D.C.

"I need these people with the right talents that [are] going to seed into the squadrons to be able to do mentorship, and be able to explain" proper techniques, procedures and the building blocks of what makes great pilots, he said.

He told Military.com last year that the Air Force potentially stands to lose 1,600 pilots who are eligible to separate in the next four years. The service overall is roughly 2,000 pilots short.

After fine-tuning the idea for nearly a year, the Air Force last month announced the "fly-only" track. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 17. A board should convene by the end of the month, Everhart said.

"Selectees are required to maintain all Air Force standards, including health and fitness, and readiness requirements," the service said in a release. "Participants will also compete for promotion while participating in the program."

Airmen selected for the program will be notified in September.

Everhart, who will retire soon, sifted through more than 800 requests in recent months from airmen asking for a "technical-only track."

"I think we've set it up for success," he said. "And the other [major commands] can use the same program, whether it's [Air Forces Special Operations Command] or [Air Combat Command], they can tailor it to their needs."

Failed Programs

Retired Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, who led Air Combat Command between 2014 and 2017, is hoping AMC's plan creates opportunities and benefits for the Air Force. But he said he has had conversations with allies who've tried similar programs with disappointing results.

"The British did it for a while. And they find it that it really isn't that successful," he said in a recent interview with Military.com, referring to the 1970s-era Royal Air Force Specialist Aircrew program. While Carlisle didn't specify the original program's setbacks, the Royal Air Force currently maintains a new technical track, dubbed the Professional Aviator Spine.

Both Everhart and Carlisle, now the president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association, said the Air Force has discussed the idea before.

"As for the [Air Force], we have talked about a fly-only track several times when I was in leadership positions, usually at the four-star aircrew summits that happen every September," Carlisle said. "In the past, we never went beyond talking about it."

As careers progress, the motivation behind a fly-only track for individual airmen may change, he added.

Everhart agreed, saying that, as a young captain, all he wanted to do was fly, but that can change over time.

Sometimes, "flying is a young person's game," he said.

If the Air Force is looking for flexibility, similar benefits already exist in the Guard and Reserve, Carlisle said. In the active-duty force, "sometimes the motivation ... it doesn't end up panning out the way they want."

Not Enough Cockpits

Carlisle said it's also a numbers game.

"In the Air Force, one of the problems is we don't have enough cockpits to experience people and grow them for the next positions, for leadership and Joint Staff and strategic planners and all those things you need to do," he said.

The service often reaches maximum capacity in the various pilot production stages because it lacks enough cockpits to effectively generate sorties and train airmen, Carlisle explained. "If you put people that stayed in the cockpit in the active duty, now you have even fewer cockpits to experience [more] people," he said of an aviation-only career track.

The system then bottlenecks, he said, because the experienced people stay where they are, but new pilots can't come in if fewer cockpits are available. "Those people stay there, so you can't always bring the new guys in," he said.

"We first need more cockpits. .... But I just don't see it right now," Carlisle said.

No Limits

Everhart said the strategy could shift because it's not limited in its design. Pilots could even move into another major command as the Air Force sees fit. For example, a pilot might go to Air Education and Training Command to help train new pilots, he said.

He expects pilots from the C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy communities to step up first, even though KC-135 and KC-10 tanker airmen could be looking for a much-needed break.

"If I had to guess, if you look at our tanker forces, I don't think many people will sign up from the tanker forces. I may be wrong on that, and the reason why is because they are coming and going. They are just working hard," Everhart said.

The current 1:1 deploy-to-dwell ratio for tanker airmen means they spend six months deployed and six months at home.

"I think our [air]lift force will have more people who sign up," he said.

Everhart said the program isn't intended to backlog the current promotion system or limit careers, adding that the promotion system -- largely mandated by laws such as the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act, or DOPMA -- is another piece of the puzzle that needs adjustment.

"Do we have to have the DOPMA language changed because [airmen] will cap out at so many field-grade officers? Probably," he said, explaining that includes rules set by the Air Force's personnel center.

AMC is working with Headquarters Air Force and the A1 Office for Manpower, Personnel and Services to "get at more flexibility" for the program, Everhart said. "I am OK to refine this as we go along."

He said to "check back in" around February to see how the program is shaping up. But "the good thing is it has on-ramps and off-ramps. If you want to stay in it, stay in it. Or you want to go back into the traditional track of officership, you can. It's their options," Everhart said.

Everhart said he was wide open to suggestions.

"And I don't take it personally. I take it professionally because I want the program to work, and I want the program to get better."

-- Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the Royal Air Force currently maintains a technical career track.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date.
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA -- The Marine Corps could soon be sending Marines to Alaska, one of the state's senators told reporters here this week.

The impetus, said Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, is joint operations in the Arctic.

"The Marines are looking at spending a lot more time in Alaska," he told reporters here during an Aug. 8 press conference with Army Secretary Mark Esper, who is visiting the state.

Sullivan is accompanying Esper on his tour of Alaska's Army posts, including Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely in the state's interior.

Alaska does not currently have a strong Navy or Marine Corps presence. A handful of sailors are stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, while the small contingent of Marines here are primarily assigned to a Marine Corps Reserve unit.

Esper said Alaska is important to national defense thanks to its proximity to Russia and China. It also offers a perfect spot to tackle training for cold weather environments.

"It doesn't take much to look at the map and understand Alaska's geography with regard to Russia and China and the importance of Alaska," he said. "And not just the importance of geography, but the knowing how to operate and function."

It's that cold weather training that will likely be the major draw for the Corps. Commandant Gen. Robert Neller confirmed to Military.com in an interview last year that the service is exploring ways to add training in the state to its limited cold weather training options.

"There's a lot of good training areas in Alaska," he said at the time. "There's actually some facilities and capabilities in Alaska we've been up to look at."

The Army conducts the bulk of its Alaska-based cold weather training at its Northern Warfare Training Center on Fort Greely, about 300 miles northeast of Elmendorf-Richardson.

"I think there's a lot of opportunity out there, a lot of potential, and certainly we need to know how to operate in this environment," Esper said. "And I think the more we can do that and the more we can do that as part of a joint team with our Marine Corps and Air Force partners, all the better."

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
The Navy as a whole is poised to grow in coming years -- but top brass say there's still no room for senior officers who don't carry their weight.

In a new move aimed at rooting out officers who are underperforming or causing problems at their units, the Navy on Thursday announced the creation of a new Selective Early Retirement Board, set to convene this fall.

The move was made possible by a provision in the Fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that gives military service secretaries the ability to look within subsets of paygrades to find officers who aren't making the cut, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke told reporters this week.

"We ... think that enforcing the standard with our senior officers sends a good signal, provides a necessary tone across the entire force in terms of our expectation for the entire Navy and all subordinates to emulate," Burke said.

The boards, modeled after the Senior Enlisted Continuation Boards set in place by the Navy more than a decade ago, will consider commanders and captains whose military record or performance includes items of concern.

Those eligible to be sent to the board include captains with three or more years in grade and commanders who have failed selection for promotion to captain at least twice, according to a Navy administrative message released Thursday.

The board set to convene in September will consider line and staff corps officers in more than three dozen distinct specialties and year groups, according to information provided by Navy officials. Navy leaders expect the boards to convene annually hereafter.

But time in grade and being passed over aren't enough to get someone sent to a board.

"We're not looking for [physical fitness assessment] failures, because we have an admin program that does that," Burke said. "We're not necessarily looking for a single disciplinary issue, but a disciplinary issue in the context of something else. This board may look at a disciplinary issue in the context of other issues. So an officer that's doing their job and performing just fine has nothing to worry about here."

Unlike when the Navy convened officer early retirement boards in fiscal 2012 under a mandate from Congress to reduce the number of officers in the ranks, there are no quotas associated with these boards, Burke said. Instead, he said, it's about making sure all officers are meeting Navy standards.

"Because we're looking for quality, it would be a perfectly acceptable outcome if in a given designator or given category if the board found that no officers were selected for early retirement," he said. "Our expectation is, since we're looking for underperforming officers, that the number of officers selected for early retirement will be very, very small."

Data provided by the Navy show that the number of senior enlisted sailors selected for early retirement through the existing Senior Enlisted Continuation Boards ranged from 2 to 4 percent of the eligible population for most years between fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2018.

Burke said he expects the number of officers selected for early retirement through the new boards to be even smaller, a fraction of a percent of the population.

Those selected for retirement will not face any resulting disciplinary action and will be permitted to retire at their current rank within seven months of notification of selection, officials said. If the selected individual is not yet retirement-eligible, he or she must remain on active duty until eligible, and then retire within a month.

The Navy has worked for years to secure authority from Congress to hold its officers to the same level of scrutiny as they hold their senior enlisted troops with the boarding process, according to Burke.

"My discomfort with having a senior enlisted continuation board, and not having one for officers, was palpable," he said.

The change follows a year that has seen a number of high-profile disciplinary actions within the Navy officer corps. In the most dramatic incident, senior leaders of Navy destroyers that collided with commercial ships in the Pacific were publicly fired, and some later brought up on criminal charges due to alleged command negligence leading to the deaths of sailors.

But Burke said these new boards weren't specifically designed with the intent of halting burgeoning leadership disasters in their tracks. Rather, he said, they will ensure all officers are toeing the same line, regardless of where they are in their career.

"You can't get to where you're reaching retirement age and coast," he said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef.

The export of slave labor by the North Korean government has been extensively documented in the international press. These exports represent both human rights and nuclear proliferation issues.

Not only were North Korean workers being subjected to inhumane and often barbaric living conditions, but the money they earned, 70 to 90 percent of which was being confiscated by Pyongyang, was an important source of funding for the North Korean government and, in particular, for its nuclear weapons development program.

Such labor exports have been occurring since the late 1940s. Starting in 2012, however, they began to increase dramatically. According to the U.S. Department of State, there are 100,000 North Korean workers in forced labor overseas, 80 percent of them in either Russia or China. It's estimated that as many as 60 countries have used North Korean forced labor at one time or another.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations has estimated that these workers generate between $1.2 and 2.3 billion in funds for the North Korean government. That amount is roughly equivalent to the total value of North Korean exports in 2016. Other estimates have placed the total as high as $3 billion.

The practice was specifically condemned by several UN Security Council resolutions. Use of such slave, or forced labor, was to be phased out by the end of 2019. Anyone facilitating the practice would be subject to sanctions by UN member states.

In addition, the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) also imposed mandatory sanctions on companies and individuals that employ North Korean workers under conditions of forced labor.

In an explosive new study, Dispatched: Mapping Overseas Forced Labor in North Korea's Proliferation Finance System (Dispatched), the Center for Advanced Defense Studies has concluded that the export of North Korean labor involves both high value professional and skilled workers as well as manual laborers, and that it is facilitated by and is part of a broader web of foreign companies, some of which are North Korean owned or controlled, operating outside of the DPRK.

The Center for Advanced Defense Studies is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that relies on open source information to report on global conflict and transnational security issues. The Center goes by the acronym C4ADS. Recently I spoke with Jason Arterburn, an analyst at C4ADS, and the principal author of Dispatched.

JM : In Dispatched, you cited estimates from several different organizations that placed the number of North Korean forced laborers at between 50,000 and 150,000. Based on the evidence you reviewed in your study, do you have your own estimate on the number of North Korean forced laborers overseas and the amount of revenue they are generating for Pyongyang?

JA: We do not have a conclusive estimate on the number of North Korean forced laborers overseas or the amount of revenue they generate. We focused our research and analysis on the corporate and financial networks of implicated companies.

JM: You were among the first to cite the role of highly skilled workers among North Korea forced laborers. What percentage of these workers would be considered highly skilled and do you have an estimate for the financial contribution they represent?

JA: Because we do not have a conclusive estimate for the number of North Korean forced laborers abroad, we also do not have an estimate for the proportion of workers that work in high-skilled occupations. But we do know that North Koreans who work in I.T. jobs abroad generate an outsized amount of revenue for the Kim regime, reportedly as much as $100,000 per worker per year.

JM: In your study, you gave examples of North Korean workers operating on various freelance labor websites. How pervasive is this issue? Are these workers operating from North Korea or are they laborers abroad? Are they disguising their North Korean links?

JA: In our research, I was actually surprised at how often people and companies did not hide their association to North Korea on official corporate documents. For example, in the Vietnam case you reference, we saw that a person named Kim Jong Gil listed his nationality as North Korean on a business registry filing for a company registered to the address of a DPRK restaurant in Hanoi. When we examined the broader corporate network, we also saw that Vietnamese nationals appeared to operate associated freelance profiles.

This is an important point: the Kim regime's illicit commercial activities abroad do not only rely on DPRK nationals, who nevertheless are disproportionately the targets of law enforcement and regulatory action related to North Korea. As we show in our report, regulators who take a network view of North Korea's overseas commercial activity can start from a person or business that is explicitly connected to North Korea, like a DPRK restaurant, and then identify the local commercial facilitators through which the Kim regime engages the global economy.

JM: In Dispatched, you cited the fact that many of the companies that were importing North Korean laborers in Russia and China had the same addresses and often were linked to the same people. North Korean government owned restaurants in China, for example, often functioned as a hub for other front companies. You also noted that, many times, these companies had similar names to sanctioned North Korean companies.

Do you believe that many of the companies importing North Korean labors are in fact owned or controlled by the North Korean government?

JA: Not in all cases. Our analysis found that, according to Russian business registry filings, many companies authorized to hire North Korean workers in Russia had owners or shareholders that were explicitly North Korean. But more often, we saw that implicated companies were owned and operated by locals. In that sense, Dispatched extends findings from our previous reports on North Korea showing that the Kim regime relies on networks of commercial facilitators abroad to access the global economy.

JM: Is the turnover being generated by those companies that are North Korean owned or controlled already included in the $1.2 to 2.3 billion cited by the U.S. government as the revenue that is being generated by the export of forced labor or is it in addition to it?

JA: To my knowledge, the figure represents the revenue generated by North Korea's overseas forced laborers.

JM: Do we have any estimate of what additional revenue is being funneled to Pyongyang from this network of controlled foreign companies?

JA: We did not attempt to calculate the total amount of revenue that implicated commercial networks generate for the Kim regime. We did, however, show that North Korea's overseas labor operations extend from the same networks that are involved in North Korea's broader portfolio of overseas commercial activities. For example, we show that the Dandong-based Liujing Hotel and Shenyang-based Chilbosan Hotel, both of which had DPRK restaurants, were part of the same network of people and companies as Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Co., Ltd. (DHID).

The US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned DHID in September 2016 "for acting for or on behalf of [the U.S.- and UN-designated] Korea Kwangson Banking Corporation" to provide "financial services in support of WMD proliferators." Its director, Ma Xiaohong, who is also the sole director and owner of Dandong's Liujing Hotel, was both criminally charged by the US Department of Justice and sanctioned by OFAC for assisting the DPRK in its weapons procurement operations.

JM: You paint a picture of a very broad, sophisticated network of foreign companies, many of which are owned or controlled by Pyongyang, which are being used both to generate revenues by "selling a range of products in the licit global economy," as well as being used to source materials and technology needed for North Korea's nuclear weapons development program or train personnel involved in that program. At the same time, many of these companies are employing North Korean slave laborers.

How many different companies are we talking about?

How should the US go about dismantling these business networks?

Is it even possible to do this without the support of Moscow and Beijing?

JA: I do not intend to suggest that the companies involved in DPRK overseas labor are all owned or controlled by Pyongyang. While business registry filings show that some indeed are, the majority appear to be local companies with an economic incentive to employ North Korean workers or, in some cases, abet the Kim regime in broader commercial or criminal activities. The U.S. government has broad legal authorities under CAATSA to take unilateral action against implicated companies. But the international community also has its own legal authorities to take action against implicated individuals and companies because those people and companies are often involved in other activities that violate UN sanctions, which we detail through case studies in our report.

JM: Russia and China both have economic reasons for employing North Korean workers, in addition to the role these workers play in financially supporting North Korea's government. Are you seeing any evidence that either country is moving to reduce the numbers of such workers in compliance with UN resolutions?

JA: In the fall, we saw Russian and Chinese reporting that authorities in both countries were preempting UN obligations and repatriating workers before the December 2019 deadline. But more recently, local reporting has suggested that North Korean workers may be continuing to return to Russia and China. For example, Russian media reported last week that Putin had ordered the Russian Ministry of Labor to extend employment contracts of DPRK workers, and Radio Free Asia reported that North Korean workers were returning over the border into China last April.

JM: You cited the testimony of a North Korean defector that the North Korean government operates many facilities in China that are used to train North Korean programmers and that these facilities are also used to generate hard currency through commercial I.T. work as well as stage cyber scams and offensive cyber operations.

Do you have sense of just how extensive this network is and how many people are employed by it?

Is there any evidence of similar Pyongyang organized networks in other countries?

JA: At this point in our research, we do not have a sense of how extensive I.T. networks might be, but this is an important area for future research. Non-English language media has long reported that DPRK laborers have worked in local I.T. industries across a number of jurisdictions. I.T. workers reportedly work under the same draconian conditions as their counterparts in low-skilled occupations, but they pose an outsized proliferation finance and security risk and therefore deserve renewed attention.

I.T. workers make it particularly clear that North Korea's overseas labor program is both a proliferation finance and a human rights issue, which raises a number of complex ethical questions but also empowers law enforcement and civil regulators to wield a broad range of legal authorities against target networks.

JM: Thank you.

Jason Arterburn is an analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies in Washington, DC. He received his undergraduate degree in Economics and Interdisciplinary Security Studies from the University of Alabama, and a Master's in China Studies from Peking University. He speaks Mandarin.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
The vice president of the United States set an ambitious timeline for the creation of a Department of the Space Force as an independent branch of the military Thursday, saying it would be established by 2020, ultimately with a dedicated civilian service secretary.

In an address at the Pentagon ahead of the Defense Department's rollout of a report to Congress on the feasibility of a space force, Vice President Mike Pence announced plans to invest additional billions of dollars and to stand up a dedicated U.S. combatant command for space, as well as an elite Space Operations Force, akin to the military's U.S. Special Operations Command.

These developments come some seven weeks after President Donald Trump announced his plan to create a dedicated service branch for space, ordering the Pentagon to begin planning for a space force. At that point, the subject of a service branch for space had already been the subject of hot debate within the military and Congress. Leaders of the Air Force, which currently owns existing military operations regarding space, have argued that the service does not have the resources to support a separate space service.

But with Russia and China developing weapons that threaten U.S. satellites and investing in hypersonic technology, Pence said the nation could not afford inaction.

"What was once peaceful and uncontested is now crowded and adversarial," he said. " ... As President Trump has said, in his words, it's not enough to merely have an American presence in space, we must have American dominance in space. And so we will."

The report to Congress shows the Air Force will be closely involved with elements of the development of the new space force, although the two services will ultimately have no explicit linkage and separate leadership chains. The report recommends that the new combatant command, U.S. Space Command, be created by the end of this year, with the commander of Air Force Space Command temporarily "dual-hatted" to lead both.

Ultimately, the report shows, a four-star general or flag officer will exclusively lead Space Command.

The to-be-developed Space Operations Force, described by Pence as an elite entity, will include "joint space warfighters" who will "provide space expertise to combatant commanders  and surge expertise in time of crisis to ensure that space capabilities are leveraged effectively in conflict," the report states.

The force will be composed of personnel from all services, with experts in operations, intelligence, engineering, cyber and other disciplines made available to leaders of combatant commands. The Pentagon must be prepared to deploy teams of space operators to Europe and the Pacific by next summer, ready to "surge expertise forward in time of crisis," according to the report.

In addition to a Space Operations Force, Pence described plans for a Space Development Agency that would harness innovation in the field and deter bureaucratic drag.

"Men and women of the [DoD] have pioneered the most groundbreaking discoveries that have literally revolutionized space in our hours of need," he said.

Per the document, the first step for the DoD will be the establishment of the Space Development Agency, created out of the existing Air Force Space and Missile Center.

Next will be the creation of the Space Operations Force to provide expertise and surge capabilities to the combatant commands.

Third, the Pentagon will create the structure of the Space Force, working with Congress to make necessary changes to existing law to support the new service.

Fourth and final will be the creation of U.S. Space Command, responsible for "directing the employment of the Space Force," according to the report.

Pence cited plans to ask for an additional $8 billion for investment in space, saying the president's fiscal 2020 budget proposal next February will contain resources to begin building the Department of the Space Force in earnest. The department would first come together under an assistant secretary of defense for space, Pence said, and later receive a dedicated service secretary as development matured.

Pence's remarks and the 15-page document released by the Pentagon on Thursday left certain key questions unanswered. Still unclear is the planned end strength of the new space force, the total cost to build it and how the military plans to recruit and retain its members. No mention has been made of the force's planned rank structure, training pipeline or uniforms.

Pence did make one thing clear: Meeting the ambitious timeline to create the Department of the Space Force will require an all-out effort.

"There is much work to do. Success will demand the best of each of you," he said. " ... The American people deserve our very best, and they will have it."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
The shooting of a U.S. Marine by a member of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in February does not reflect the partner force's commitment to the anti-Islamic State mission in Syria, the military said Thursday.

"We continue to work by, with and through our partners to achieve the lasting defeat of ISIS in designated parts of Iraq and Syria," Operation Inherent Resolve officials said in a statement.

The previously undisclosed insider attack was apparently the first during the anti-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria. It was first reported Wednesday by Task & Purpose, a military news website, in an account based largely on anonymous sources and award citations. It was not clear why the shooting -- a so-called green-on-blue attack -- in an undisclosed outpost in Syria, had not been divulged earlier since the Pentagon regularly reports such incidents in Afghanistan.

Central Command referred an inquiry from Stars and Stripes to Inherent Resolve, which said in an email that an investigation into the shooting had been completed but would have to be obtained by request under the Freedom of Information Act. The coalition declined to provide further comment.

"Until we have thoroughly reviewed the redacted report, we have no specific details to offer on this incident," the statement said.

The website report said Marine Sgt. Cameron Halkovich and Cpl. Kane Downey were checking perimeter security on Feb. 17, when Halkovich was shot by an SDF member who had apparently been lying in wait.

Downey shot the SDF soldier, killing him.

The Marines, a small contingent from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif., had mainly been keeping watch over a "mission support site" in eastern Syria's Deir al-Zour province.

After checking on Halkovich and finding him with two 7.62 mm bullet wounds through his left leg, Downey applied a tourniquet and fireman-carried him to an Army surgical facility, according to an award citation signed by Inherent Resolve commander Lt. Gen. Paul Funk and seen by Task & Purpose.

Halkovich was later evacuated. The Marines of 2/7 continued to live at the base side-by-side with Syrian fighters.

The Marines returned home in April, the same month Halkovich was awarded a Purple Heart for his wounds. For his part in saving Halkovich's life, Downey received a Joint Service Commendation Medal.

Though photos of Halkovich receiving the Purple Heart were posted to the Defense Department photo and video website DVIDS, details of how or where he was wounded were not provided.

There have been no other reported insider attacks in Syria during the campaign, which began in August 2014.

In the past several months, the anti-ISIS war has wound down significantly, after Syrian government forces cleared out a key terrorist enclave along the borders with Israel and Jordan. Officials have said the last ISIS pockets along the Euphrates River valley could be destroyed in the coming months.

Paul Szoldra, the writer of the Task & Purpose story, tweeted that Central Command leader Gen. Joseph Votel declined to discuss the February incident with reporters on Thursday, saying he wanted to review the details, and that he was not aware of any other insider attacks.
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA -- Adding even more active-duty, Guard and Reserve soldiers is one of the Army's top priorities for 2020, Army Secretary Mark Esper told reporters here just days before President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign a bill allowing a plus-up to the current ranks.

Esper visited the base for the first time as secretary as part of a tour of Alaska's Army assets, and is scheduled to leave the state Aug. 9. Prior to his stop on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), he visited the state's interior posts, Forts Wainwright and Greely.

Esper said his two major priorities for the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are modernization and end strength.

"For me, the big picture is continued support from Congress in regard to our modernizations initiatives, particularly the stand-up of Army Futures Command," he said. "The second is improving the capacity and capability of the Army, and that means continuing to grow end strength. ... We aim to see by 2028, and certainly sooner than that, an active-duty end strength of greater than 500,000 soldiers with associated growth in the Guard and Reserve."

Army Futures Command will be headquartered in Austin, Texas, and will support Army modernization.

The 2019 NDAA bumps Army end strength up to just under 490,000 active-duty soldiers. And Congress is open to adding even more going forward, said Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is traveling the state with Esper.

"By the way, you can't get back end strength overnight," Sullivan said. "But I would agree with the secretary that I think that number needs to be at or above a half million active-duty soldiers."

He said the 2019 NDAA, which authorizes $716 billion in defense spending, including a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops, is a good start toward that goal.

Esper is the first in a parade of high-level military officials scheduled to visit the JBER area in the coming week, Sullivan said, with Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visiting Aug. 9, followed shortly by Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and, finally, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
I spend a lot of time at job fairs and career expos these days. I am not looking for a job, but part of my current role is to help veterans, servicemembers and their families find new career opportunities. Military.com and NCOA host 45 Career Expos annually, and I have the privilege to attend many of these.

Here is a key tactic that most that most jobseekers overlook when attending a job or career fair:

Stop at every table!

One mistake we all make on occasion is to generalize. For example, people assume that health care companies are only hiring health care workers, or that insurance companies only need agents. So when they encounter these tables or displays, they typically say nothing and keep moving.

Here are three great reasons why one should visit every exhibit at a job or career fair.

1. Help Wanted  but perhaps not the jobs you think

Recently, at one of our CareerExpos, I approached the University of North Carolina Health Care System table and ask them what there were looking to hire. The representative was quick to state: "Well, our biggest need is carpenters and plumbers." I was shocked! As I began to learn what the UNC Health Care System did, it made perfect sense. As the largest health care provider in the state of North Carolina, the System owns dozens of facilities; therefore they require a large cadre of licensed trade professionals.

My point here is: How many people walked by that table, assuming the only openings would be for health-related professions? Without the "stop at every table" strategy, I know I would have. One never knows the need of an organization unless he or she asks. So, it is crucial for attendees to stop at every table, learn more about the company, and ask what they may be seeking.

2. License to Thrill  Sell yourself

Along with getting to know more about organizations and companies, I encourage attendees with this advice: "Today, you have permission to be an extrovert and your own agent! No one should be able to market YOU better than YOU CAN!"

Attendees sometimes tell us that they wait in line to talk to people at the tables, only to feel frustrated because they are told to apply online. I explain that this is an opportunity for one to make a lasting impression on that representative. True, those who are manning these tables may not be the hiring authority, but they certainly know that person very well! Would it not be great for them to return to the corporate office asking that hiring manager to find the application of a dynamic, confident applicant who really impacted them? Talk about a leg up on the competition!

3. Vocational Nirvana  Your dream career awaits

I like to get feedback on how we did at our events, so I ask people for their thoughts as they are leaving the exhibit hall. I met a veteran in San Antonio at the door. I will call him Joe. He was quick to tell me that he was disappointed because he did not find any law enforcement agencies among our exhibitors. I asked him if he talked with USAA. Why should Joe talk with an insurance agency? Because USAA's Headquarters is located on a 200 acre campus in North West San Antonio . They have, in essence, their own police force! Joe had no idea, because he did not visit every table. I was eager to take him back over to USAA, and he left that day a satisfied customer!

The heart of this matter is summarized this way: Your mission is fact finding and networking. By spending time at each table, one learns to overcome stereotypes which lead to erroneous assumptions. More importantly, that career path and perhaps dream job may never materialize all because a seeker did not take the time to investigate opportunities.

---

Dr. Randy Plunkett has used tuition assistance, the GI Bill and scholarships in his quest to obtain college and graduate education. Prior to retiring from the Air Force in 2004 as a Senior Master Sergeant (E-8), he earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Innovation and Leadership from Wilmington University in New Castle, DE. An ardent advocate for issues pertaining to service members, veterans, and their families, Dr. Plunkett is a popular speaker at conferences, graduations, and military functions.
Key

Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Dana Chemical Elements

Detailed Mineral List:  Calcite Formula: CaCO 3 Reference: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  Copper Formula: Cu Reference: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  Epidote Formula: {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Reference: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  'K Feldspar' Reference: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  Quartz Formula: SiO 2 Reference: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification Group 1 - Elements  Copper 1.AA.05 Cu Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides  Quartz 4.DA.05 SiO 2 Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates  Calcite 5.AB.05 CaCO 3 Group 9 - Silicates  Epidote 9.BG.05a {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Unclassified Minerals, Rocks, etc.  'K Feldspar' -

List of minerals arranged by Dana 8th Edition classification Group 1 - NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS Metals, other than the Platinum Group  Copper 1.1.1.3 Cu Group 14 - ANHYDROUS NORMAL CARBONATES A(XO 3 )  Calcite 14.1.1.1 CaCO 3 Group 58 - SOROSILICATES Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups with cations in [6] and higher coordination; single and double groups (n = 1, 2)  Epidote 58.2.1a.7 {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Group 75 - TECTOSILICATES Si Tetrahedral Frameworks Si Tetrahedral Frameworks - SiO 2 with [4] coordinated Si  Quartz 75.1.3.1 SiO 2 Unclassified Minerals, Mixtures, etc.  'K Feldspar' -

List of minerals for each chemical element H Hydrogen H  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) C Carbon C  Calcite CaCO 3 O Oxygen O  Quartz SiO 2 O  Calcite CaCO 3 O  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Al Aluminium Al  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Si Silicon Si  Quartz SiO 2 Si  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Ca Calcium Ca  Calcite CaCO 3 Ca  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Fe Iron Fe  Epidote {Ca 2 }{Al 2 Fe3+}(Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 )O(OH) Cu Copper Cu  Copper Cu

References

Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)

The Copper Country Rock & Mineral Club (2001) Red Gold and Tarnished Silver, 2nd edition. Self-Published. 44 pages. Butler, B.S., Burbank, W.S. (1929) The Copper Deposits of Michigan. U.S. Geological Survey. Professional Paper 144. 238 pages. Kaminski-Hamka, T. (2011) Copper Mines of Houghton County, Michigan. Copperlady Press. 120 pages. DeGood, L. (2011) Michigan Copper Mining Stocks and Bonds. Self-Published. 401 pages. Johnson, A.M., Groth, E.H. (1998) Inventory of Underground Mines, Houghton County. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Site ID No. 310025. White, W.S., Wright, J.C. (1956), Geologic Map of the South Range Quadrangle, Michigan, United States Geological Survey Map MF-48, scale 1:24,000.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North America Plate Tectonic Plate USA Michigan Keweenaw Peninsula Peninsula



This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

Commodities (Major) - CopperDeposit Type: LodeDevelopment Status: Past ProducerDeposit Model: 96: Native CuHost Rock Unit: Portage Lake VolcanicsAn underground copper mine consisting of two shafts located south of Houghton. The Globe Mining Company was organized in 1864 to explore three, one mile square tracts of land. Shortly after organization, it was discovered that the southern extensions of the Isle Royal, Portage, Pewabic, and Hancock Lodes crossed the property. The mining operation at the Globe was small with only one operating shaft throughout most of its life. In 1898, the company was sold to the Atlantic Mining Company, and again to Copper Range in 1908. Copper Range continued exploration work on the property until the outbreak of World War 2 when all operations were ceased. One large rock pile exists where copper and datolite can be found.Edit: As of 2018, all remaining rock piles have been removed from the site.
How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
UPDATE: The Bay County Health Department has now reopened the beach on Friday, Aug. 10 after subsequent testing proved it to be safe for human contact.

KAWKAWLIN TWP., MI - Brissette Beach Township Park is closed until further notice due to surface water samples exceeding water quality standards. The beach is near the Tobico Marsh Nature Area in Bay County.

The Bay County Health Department, which monitors the water, stated the beach closure on Thursday, Aug. 9, is due to high levels of E. coli found in the water, according to BeachGuard, which is part of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Joel Kwiatkowski, environmental health manager for the health department, said usually after a storm they can see spikes in the water quality levels as well.

To find out more information about the bacteria levels and closure, visit the BeachGuard website.
L. Brooks Patterson

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson apologized Thursday afternoon for a controversial comment insinuating he'd prefer to become a member of the Ku Klux Klan than join a newly formed consortium of Metro Detroit CEOs.

"Oh, hell no. I'd rather join the Klan," Patterson said earlier Thursday, Aug. 9, according to the Detroit News.

The Oakland County leader, who's been adversarial toward Detroit and Wayne County in the past, was responding to a question about whether he would consider joining a group of Metro Detroit business leaders that Patterson believes is working to divert economic opportunities from his county to Detroit.

Shortly after the comment, Patterson issued this statement:

Sometimes when I'm passionate about a topic, I choose sharp words and purposely engage in hyperbole to get my point across. Today, the words I chose offended a lot of people. I apologize for the poor choice of words.

Patterson on Thursday met with Oakland County Chamber of Commerce members to share his concerns that a group of 23 CEOs were staging a coup of sorts within the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce and creating a separate "super chamber," according to a letter Patterson wrote on July 26 that was published by the Detroit News.

"You don't have to read between the lines, it is clear what is happening; these self-appointed saviors for southeast Michigan are in the process of forming an 'economic partnership' to direct business investments to the city of Detroit," Patterson wrote. "They will have no hesitation about coming into your community and snatch business leads in the righteous cause of 'rebuilding Detroit.'"

Update: The Detroit Regional Chamber later issued a statement in response to Patterson's assertions. View it here.

Update: The NAACP later issued a statement in response to Patterson's comment.

"The comments of L. Brooks Paterson indicating, 'Oh hell no. I'd rather join the Klan' come at a very critical time," Detroit Branch NAACP President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony said in the statement. "The racial divide within our nation is stark and deep. If we are to progress as people who believe in diversity and sharing the resources for all people, this racial wall must be torn down."

View the full statement here.

Detroit-area civil rights leaders once protested Patterson in 2014 after he was quoted in a New Yorker Magazine story headlined, "Drop Dead, Detroit! The Suburban kingpin who is thriving off the city's decline." He was quoted saying: "I made a prediction a long time ago, and it's come to pass. I said, 'What we're going to do is turn Detroit into an Indian reservation, where we herd all the Indians into the city, build a fence around it, and then throw in the blankets and corn.'"

Patterson at the time said the reporter cast him in a "false light," and he regretted that something he said "30 years ago is causing such consternation today."

During the same interview, Patterson said he urges his children "to get in and get out," should they ever visit Detroit, which he said only necessary when attending a sporting event, and to never stop at a gas station for the risk of being carjacked.

In January 2016, Patterson angered many when he said the Flint water crisis may be "vastly overstated."

Patterson is serving his seventh consecutive term as Oakland County Executive since entering the office in 1992.
Abdul Wilkins grew up surrounded by friends who sold crack cocaine and their parents who smoked it. He worked his way out of that environment with the help of a fascination with Eastern medicine and ancient drugs.

Now, he's an urban shaman.

Wilkins, 39, of Boston, knew he was headed somewhere after receiving an academic scholarship to Northeastern University. But he never expected to find himself teaching people about kambo, the ingestion of unpleasant venomous Amazonian frog secretions used for purgative and some believe rejuvenating effects.

He calls it the "ancient vaccination of the jungle."

Wilkins says his life's path took a mystical turn after a friend put a birthday gift of magic mushrooms in his hand nearly 12 years ago.

Known as Brother Duli or the "Beantown ghetto shaman," Wilkins remembers how nervous he was before that first "trip." He convinced himself to eat the psychedelic mushrooms by thinking, "I put mushrooms in my spaghetti and on my pizza, so it can't be that bad."

What followed was an otherworldly experience that left him grateful, Wilkins said.

It led to further experimentation with psychedelics, like ayahuasca, a South American tea that induces intense, some say life-changing hallucinations; 5-MeO-DMT, another plant derivative said to be the most potent psychedelic on Earth, one that Wilkins says will "shake you to your core"; and salvia divinorum, a plant that induces short-lasting, but profound experiences.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, "little is known about the long-term effects of hallucinogens," but possible risks include: persistent psychosis, uncontrollable flashbacks to prior drug experiences, and in some cases, possible addiction or increased tolerance.

Drugs like ketamine, used in medicine as an anesthetic, can cause ulcers and damage to the liver or kidneys; users of psilocybin mushrooms risk the possibility of accidental poisoning; public health or law enforcement personnel intervention," the National Institute of Drug Abuse says.

"Deaths exclusively from acute overdose of LSD, magic mushrooms, and mescaline are extremely rare," the DEA says. "Deaths generally occur due to suicide, accidents, and dangerous behavior, or due to the person inadvertently eating poisonous plant material."

Wilkins believes psychedelics shouldn't be lumped in with other potentially dangerous drugs and that, when used responsibly and with purpose, mind-altering substances offer positive mental, spiritual and physical benefits.

He's not alone in his opinion.

Wilkins, a married father of two who also works as a massage therapist, natural healer and Reiki master, is one of numerous like-minded psychedelic drug enthusiasts scheduled to speak at or attend the 2018 Detroit Psychedelic Conference this weekend, a $150-per-ticket event to take place at St. Matthew's-St. Joseph's Episcopal Church in Detroit from Aug. 10 through Aug. 12.

The general public may attend a panel discussion and poetry reading for free from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10.

Over 100 people have signed up to attend the conference, according to the event's Facebook page with this description:

This conference will explore new trends and technologies in the psychedelic community. This year's conference will be bringing together diverse speakers from around the world to share there expertise in the entheogenic world. This years theme Entheogenics in urban environments.

The event's website, which features prominent photos of various mushrooms, says no illegal substances may be sold or exchanged at the conference.

"Jesus and his mushroom initiation in the pyramid," "Activating your super powers through psychedelics" and "Spirit traveler, the blessing and and trials of shrooms," are names of some of the scheduled lectures.

The #Detroit #Psychedelic Conference is one week away! Check out the schedule below and get your tickets in advance or at the door. Be sure to stop by our booth and say 'hello'. https://t.co/TxmAz1r2UK  Michigan Psychedelic Society (@MIPsychedelic) August 3, 2018

Some of the participants identify as "psychonauts," a term that combines the words "psychedelic" and "astronaut" in an effort to convey the spiritual journey associated with psychedelics.

Wilkins, who is black, says he grew up working at the metaphysical new-age book store owned by his father, a Jazz musician who attended Woodstock in 1969 and once had a Jimi Hendrix record broken over his head by attendees of a party who "weren't ready to embrace the genius."

While working in his father's store, Wilkins noticed most of the customers were middle-class white Americans taking advantage of the Eastern medicine. Similarly, psychedelic drugs are more popular with white Americans, something Wilkins says he hopes shift by exposing more people in the black community to psychedelics and mysticism.

That goal is part of the reason Detroit was selected as the site of the psychedelic conference, Wilkins says.

While psychedelics have the power to "scare the s*** out of you," they rarely, if ever, cause permanent negative effects, Wilkins said, contrasting them with alcohol, which Wilkins says is "10 times worse," yet much more socially acceptable and legal.

Wilkins believe a person can gain as much mental and emotional healing from a 4- to 6-hour mushroom experience as they can from years of psychotherapy.

While his first mushroom trip isn't as memorable, Wilkins vividly remembers his second a couple months later, which he described as a "beautiful, beautiful experience."

He was walking in a park.

"I felt the presence of some type of evil and it felt like I literally went to another dimension and I had to battle the evil," and won, he said. "I felt like I heard drumming or horns being played on a level of celebration from the heavens and a big surge of energy went through my entire body.

"And it was the middle of the winter, by the way, and after that I felt my whole body heat up."

So why are most psychedelics illegal and categorized by the federal government as Schedule I drugs, meaning they have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use? Wilkins believes it's because the government fears them, based in large part on the cultural shift surrounding psychedelic drugs that took place in the 1960s.

"When these white hippies, these young brothers and sisters, when they are waking up, they were like, 'Our children are turning their backs to the system,'" Wilkins said. "They're dropping out of school, they're questioning everything ...

"It was a new paradigm and the U.S. government had to clamp down on it."
(This story has been updated with comment from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.)

FLINT, MI -- The federal government supports the state of Michigan's proposed administrative consent order for the Flint water system, a document that points out deficiencies that must be fixed and deadlines for addressing each one.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "fully supports (the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's) primacy agency authority to issue an (administrative consent order) for all deficiencies the city has not corrected," Linda Holst, acting director of the EPA's Water Division, said in a Wednesday, Aug. 8, letter to Flint Mayor Karen Weaver.

In June, Weaver refused to sign a consent order from the state, a demand she called "unnecessary and unwarranted" state oversight.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach a spokeswoman for the mayor for comment Thursday, Aug. 9.

Weaver said in June that she would not sign a new consent order with the state and would request a hearing if the DEQ attempted to impose it without her support.

The proposed consent order points out 13 deficiencies for the city to resolve, deadlines for correcting each, and penalties of up to $500 a day for each deficiency not corrected on time.

DEQ spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said her agency "looks forward to working with the city of Flint to assist them with their responsibilities in ensuring that they continue to provide quality drinking water to the residents of Flint."

DEQ officials hope to work with the city before finalizing the consent order, includes the deadlines for achieving various tasks.

"The (existing) order will almost certainly be modified based on input from the city" before the mayor is asked to sign it again, Brown said.

That 14-page document includes an acknowledgment by the city that it is in violation of the state Safe Drinking Water Act because of unresolved problems, including not having a manager dedicated to preventing sewage from contaminating drinking water.

Other deficiencies included not having a plan to implement a sufficient rate structure that reflects the cost of adequate staffing and laboratory facilities and not having hired a full-time operator in charge of the water plant on a permanent or contractual basis.

Although Flint is already required to comply with a federal emergency order issued by the EPA in January 2016, Holst said that order "does not cover all elements MDEQ seeks to include" in its order.

"I appreciate the efforts that both sides have put into resolving the deficiencies identified in the sanitary survey," Holst said. "The city has made and continues to make good faith efforts to resolve the identified issues ...

"I hope the city and state can resolve (this) issue, so the parties can focus on resolving the rest of the sanitary survey deficiencies."

Weaver has called the proposed consent order "retaliatory and punitive" -- an attempt to punish Flint for fighting against the state's "abrupt and unilateral termination of bottled water funding" earlier this year.
FLINT TWP., MI - A Flint Township police officer serving in the Flint Area Narcotics Group admitted he was drinking alcohol before he crashed his Michigan State Police vehicle into a parked vehicle in May, according to a Durand police report.

Michigan State Police Lt. David Kaiser said Monday, Aug. 6, the crash led to the reorganization of the MSP drug task force after it revealed FANG officers were drinking at their Genesee County headquarters.

An Aug. 1 statement from the agency says an internal investigation determined several FANG members "while off-duty and after work hours, consumed alcohol, at the FANG office."

The investigation was launched after Officer Michael Schuyler was driving home around 10:30 p.m. on May 15 and hit a parked vehicle in the 600 block of West Main Street in Durand, according to a Durand police report obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Schuyler, 33, was driving a Michigan State Police-owned 2014 Dodge van when he struck and hit a parked Toyota 4-Runner, according to the police report.

He could not be reached for comment on the incident.

However, Schuyler told the responding officer that he was a Flint Township police officer assigned to FANG and he had been drinking vodka prior to the crash, according to the police report.

The police report shows the responding officer ordered him to perform field sobriety tests, including reciting the alphabet and counting from one to 10 and backward from 10 to four, and completed both tests.

The responding officer also noted in the police report he "did not notice a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."

A preliminary breath test was administered by the responding officer, but the test registered "error readings" and did not give an appropriate response, according to the report.

The test equipment was later marked defective by the responding officer and turned over to Durand police Chief Jason Hartz. The police report does not state if another PBT was administered or if a blood draw was sought from Schuyler.

Hartz declined to comment.

Schuyler was notified by the responding officer that the police report on the accident would show he had been drinking and advised him to call his supervisors, according to the police report.

He proceeded to make telephone calls and was taken from the scene back to the Durand Police Department.

A Flint Township police sergeant arrived at the police department while Schuyler was still there, was advised by the responding officer of the situation and spoke with Schuyler, the police report states.

A Michigan State Police lieutenant also was contacted by the responding officer to make arrangements to pick up equipment from the van.

The responding officer also told the state police lieutenant, per the police report, that Schuyler "would be cited on the accident report for having alcohol in his system and would be released."

The report shows the responding officer also contacted Schuyler's significant other to come to pick him up from the police department.

Shiawassee County Prosecutor Deana M. Finnegan said her office has not filed any charges against Schuyler, but she added the incident may have gone to Durand City Attorney Matthew McKone for review as it occurred within city limits.

M. Anthony Flores, a professor at Western Michigan University's Cooley Law School and former assistant Ingham County prosecuting attorney, said it isn't unusual for the case to be reviewed by the city attorney if it was Schuyler's first offense.

McKone did not respond to multiple calls for comment, and court records show no criminal charges have been filed by his office in connection with the incident.

Flint Township police Chief Kevin Salter could not be reached for comment on the incident or any disciplinary action taken against Schuyler.

The department has denied a FOIA request by MLive-The Flint Journal seeking Schuyler's disciplinary records related to the incident, claiming the public interest in non-disclosure outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

"Disclosure has the chilling effect of discouraging qualified officers from working for the Department and negatively impacts the Department's ability to hire and retain the best available officers, which would put the public safety at greater risk," the department said in justifying the denial.

Kaiser said Michigan State Police began the paperwork necessary to conduct an internal investigation within hours of the incident taking place.

Five Michigan State Police enlisted members, three of whom were FANG command officers, were reassigned to administrative duties or placed on administrative leave as part of the investigation, the agency previously confirmed.

First Lt. Shannon Sims has been reassigned from the Michigan State Police Lapeer Post to become the new FANG commander.

Schuyler was assigned to FANG after he was shot three times during a January 2015 traffic stop at the Hometown Inn off Miller Road in Flint Township while attempting to arrest a man on multiple charges.

Christopher Arren Washington was sentenced in December 2016 by now-former Genesee Circuit Judge Archie Hayman to a minimum of 25 years and maximum of 49 years in prison. He's currently lodged in the Saginaw Correctional Facility.

Schuyler was presented with a Medal of Valor and Police Heart decoration following the incident.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- About 35 people showed up in downtown Grand Rapids to protest Vice President Mike Pence's appearance at a "GOP Unity Rally."

Protesters stood at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Pearl Street, across the street from the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel where Pence spoke following Tuesday's primary election.

The protesters carried signs with slogans including "Trump Pence equals Yuck," "Stop the War on Choice," "Save Roe," "Honk if you Hate Pence," and "Can We Talk About the (picture of GOP elephant) in the Room."

The protest was organized by Planned Parenthood of Michigan and NextGen Michigan.

The rally was peaceful, although protesters shouted "shame, shame, shame" at people they believed were coming and going from the GOP event.

Several Grand Rapids police stood near the protesters as they chanted and cheered as motorists honked horns.

Janet Williamson, Michigan media manager for NextGen, said the intent of the protest was to show their disapproval for politicians they believe are out of touch with younger people on issues such as legal access to abortion, immigration reform and environmental protection.

She believes candidates like Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette and the candidate for U.S. Senate, John James, will simply further an agenda that NextGen calls "destructive."

The goal of NextGen, she said, is to get as many young people as possible registered to vote and then make sure they go to the polls in November.

"We're not going to let any politician off the hook if he or she doesn't represent the values we think are important," she said.

Erica Wisniewski, impact organizer with Planned Parenthood, said she worries that certain Republican candidates, if elected, will erode women's rights.

"We stand up for Roe v. Wade and for the rights to our own bodies," she said.
Two restaurants have been announced as tenants at the Diamond Place project on Michigan Street NE near Diamond Avenue.

Chidorii Ramen & Sushi Bar and Tropical Smoothie Cafe will occupy first-floor retail space at the four-story, $42 million development, which includes 165 one- and two-bedroom apartments and a 240-car parking ramp.

"We believe these dining concepts will be well-received along Michigan Street, especially among the hundreds of residents who will reside at Diamond Place," said David Levitt, a partner at Third Coast Development, the firm behind the project.

Diamond Place, built on a 2.8-acre site formerly used by Proos Manufacturing, is expected to be completed this fall.

Chidorii Ramen & Sushi Bar, which will offer sushi, poke bowls and ramen bowls, is expected to open in October. It's owned by cousins Dong Wen Wang and Shun Ci Chen. They also own Fuji Yama, Sakura and a sushi bar in the Downtown Market. The restaurant will be 3,500-square-feet.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a national franchise serving smoothies and food, will occupy a 1,900-square-foot space at the eastern end of the Diamond Place development. It will include a drive-thru window, and is expected to be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's expected to open at the end of 2018.

In June, Gordon Food Service announced that it would open a small-format grocery store on the ground floor of the project, which is expected to include fresh produce, meat and seafood, as well as a deli, bakery, an olive bar and a gelato bar.

Some tenants are expected to begin moving into the Diamond Place apartments this month.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - Billed as the race to watch, the battle for Ottawa County's 30th District Senate seat was front and center Tuesday night for the Republican primary election.

Before the winner, state Rep. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, announced in November he was running, there was already high interest in the race to succeed Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive.

The showdown between State Rep. Daniela Garcia, R-Holland, and former state Rep. Joe Haveman, who represented the 90th District for three terms prior to her, had created a buzz.

But Victory's entrance changed the dynamics of the race.

Haveman split off votes from Garcia or vice versa, the result being that neither candidate could accrue the necessary votes for victory. This helped Victory secure a win by a large margin in a race that was considered too close to call.

The breakdown of the 107 precincts tells the story of how things unfolded.

Victory received 41.7 percent or 16,895 votes. Garcia had 26.3 percent of the vote, Haveman 26.1 percent, and Rett DeBoer, a member of the Ottawa County Republican Party executive committee, 5.9 percent.

Victory said he was only able to capitalize on the siphoning off of votes because of his strong ground game and the connection he made with people outside of his 88th District, which he's represented for three terms.

"People responded to my message that I would continue to be a strong voice for the community and represent Ottawa County values,'' said Victory, 54, a fourth-generation farmer who owns Victory Farms.

"We knew we had to bring in voters from enough other areas outside the district to be successful. "I am not one-dimensional but a proven leader with a track-record of success and a businessman with a strong community member presence.''

Garcia came in second with 10,647 votes - 62 more than Haveman. She won over 40 precincts, including all but two in Holland and one in Holland Township, and one in the city of Zeeland.

Victory won no precincts in Holland, Holland Township or the city of Zeeland, but Haveman won in those key communities and others, highlighting how he and Garcia impacted one another.

In all, Haveman won 13 precincts, including in the townships of Park (3), Grand Haven (2), Holland (2), and Zeeland (2), as well as the cities of Holland (2), Grand Haven (1), and Zeeland (1).

As expected, Victory dominated his district, which covers Coopersville and Allendale, Georgetown, Tallmadge, Wright, Blendon, Chester, and Polkton townships.

Victory won around 14 precincts outright, including Hudsonville and Jamestown, Crockery, Robinson, and Olive townships.

Just as important, Victory also won:

Two of the six precincts in Spring Lake. Garcia won the other four.

One of four precincts in city of Grand Haven. Garcia won two and Haveman one.

One of three precincts in Zeeland Township. Haveman won the others.

Tied Garcia for one precinct (#6) in Grand Haven Township. Garcia won 4 outright and Haveman two.

Won one of the two precincts in Port Sheldon Township. Garcia won the other.

Rachael Morrison, Victory's campaign manager, said in addition to getting Victory face-to-face with people, they also had a solid social and digital media presence.

Victory raised $236,678, according to the July 27 campaign finance statements, compared to Garcia, who was the top earner with more than $258,681.

Ottawa County Clerk said interest in this race and others help drive a 31.65 percent voter turnout from 197,717 registered voters.

This was the highest since the 2010 August primary, which 32.22 percent and also featured a gubernatorial decision. In 2016, turnout was 22 percent.

An estimated 2 million Michiganders cast ballots in Tuesday's election, a new record for a Michigan August primary.
In 2010, 18,840 voters in Kent County participated in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

That number more than tripled to 64,266 on Tuesday, the first time since 2010 that Michigan has had an open governor's seat and a contested primary in both parties.

Meanwhile, the number of Republican ballots dropped 20 percent, from 85,603 in 2010 to 68,186 this week.

It was not an anomaly.

In Ottawa and Grand Traverse counties, the number of Democratic ballots quadrupled in Tuesday's gubernatorial primary compared to 2010.

The numbers tripled in Kalamazoo, Livingston, Allegan, Ionia, Midland, Emmet, Charlevoix, Branch, Wexford and St. Joseph counties.

Statewide, participation in this week's Democratic gubernatorial primary more than doubled -- up 113 percent compared to 2010 -- while the number of voters choosing a Republican ballot dropped 6 percent.

Other signs of a Democratic surge, based on voting in Tuesday's gubernatorial contests:

53 percent of ballots were cast for Democratic candidates compared to 33 percent in the 2010 August primary.

82 of Michigan's 83 counties saw an increase in the number of Democratic ballots. The only exception was Iron County in the Upper Peninsula.

Six counties who voted for President Trump in 2016 had more Democratic than Republican voters on Tuesday. Those counties: Macomb, Bay, Leelanau, Houghton, Gogebic and Alger.

"The biggest thing is this election is that it shows the Democrats are motivated and some Republicans are coming to our side," said Mark Grebner, a Democratic strategist who heads Practical Political Consulting in Lansing.

"It's been clear we've been seeing a Democratic tide across the country" in recent months, Grebner said. "Now we're seeing it here."

To be sure, the 2010 Democratic primary contest between Virg Bernero and Andy Dillon had "pathetic candidates," which depressed Democratic voting that year, Grebner said.

Still, Tuesday's numbers reflect a significant "blue shift" -- particularly in affluent, well-educated communities, he said.

Reliably Republican Kent County is "on its way" to becoming a swing county, much like Oakland, Grebner said.

"Who would have thought of East Grand Rapids as a Democratic stronghold? But that's happening," he said.

Part of that is antipathy toward President Trump, Grebner said.

But part of it, he added, is a "classic shift" that occurs in midterm elections when voters become disenchanted with the party in power -- a phenomenon seen in the 2010 election, which Michigan voters elected Republican Rick Snyder as governor to replace Democrat Jennifer Granholm.

While that creates a favorable environment for Democrats in November, Grebner said the "blue wave" isn't inevitable.

"The Democratic Party at the state and national level is so incompetent that we could blow this," he said. "But at least we have a chance."

Below is an online database that looks at county-level Democratic vs. Republican vote totals in the August gubernatorial primaries in 2010 and 2018.

Votes in August gubernatorial primary, 2010 vs. 2018

If you click on "all counties," you can see a ranking of Michigan's 83 counties based on the increase in Democratic ballots between 2010 and 2018.

To see a ranking based on the change in Republican ballots, click on the heading of the last column. Click once to create a ranking that begins with the biggest increase; click twice to see a ranking that begins with the biggest decline.

For a deeper dive into the numbers, click here to see shaded maps analyzing Tuesday's vote totals.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, it took Rashida Tlaib some time before the news of her primary election victory in the 13th Congressional District win fully sunk in.

She'd entered the race with a specific game plan in mind - getting her face and her message of sticking up for and showing up for her community in front of as many voters as possible.

"Direct connection is really what people want," she said in an interview a few weeks before the primary. "In my case, I am always that odd candidate that doesn't look like everybody else...but I grew up very similar to those voters in the 13th."

Delays in Wayne County election results dragged the waiting game on through the evening, but at 1:53 a.m., the Associated Press called it. The attorney and former state lawmaker was the winner, and with no Republican candidates currently on the general election ballot in a heavily Democratic district, Tlaib - one of 14 kids born to Palestinian immigrants - is poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress.

"A Muslim woman can be elected to Congress in the time of Trump," she said Wednesday, calling it a "historic" campaign.

Tlaib narrowly defeated Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in the primary election for the two-year term on the ballot, as well as four other candidates on the ticket: Westland Mayor Bill Wild, state Sen. Coleman Young II, state Sen. Ian Conyers and Shanelle Jackson.

But the special election to fill the remainder of the term vacated by John Conyers Jr. in December 2017 after he stepped down amid sexual harassment claims added another wrinkle to the race. Jones won the special election primary, which covers the period between the November election and the new term in January.

Tlaib said Wednesday she was deeply frustrated by Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to combine the special election with the general election as a cost savings measure. She said it equates to voter disenfranchisement - residents who were already going without Congressional representation for 11 months will now have someone different serving them for only a few weeks before she takes office, she said.

Tlaib said she's spoken with Jones and plans to work closely with her during the period she's in office, and will also continue pounding the pavement in her district, speaking with residents and using their feedback to inform her policy platforms in Congress.

"I'm not going to wait until I'm sworn in to get started," she said.

The Jones campaign has not yet responded to MLive's request for comment.

Relatives in Beit Our al-Foqa, where Tlaib's mother was born, told the Associated Press they were proud of Tlaib for her victory.

"It's a great honor for this small town. It's a great honor for the Palestinian people to have Rashida in the Congress," Mohammed Tlaib, the village's former mayor and a distant relative, told the Associated Press. "For sure she will serve Palestine, for sure she will serve the interests of her nation. She is deeply rooted here."

Her mother, Fatima, told the Associated Press Tlaib's win "is for the Arabs and Muslims all over the world," and said her daughter stood up to Trump during his campaign: "God willing, she will do it again and win."

Tlaib ran on a progressive campaign, telling voters she would fight in Congress against corporate interests and supporting progressive initiatives like single payer health care and raising the minimum wage.

Her campaign says she knocked 50,000 doors, and reports to the Federal Election Commission show her campaign raised more than $1 million.

"Rashida worked tirelessly for seven months to connect directly with the residents of this district who are hungry for a fighter who will work for real social justice and never back down," campaign manager Andy Goddeeris said in a statement.

One of the main policy initiatives Tlaib hopes to introduce in Congress is an expansion of U.S. civil rights law to fight against discrimination in areas such as housing, banking and auto insurance.

She is also passionate about protecting immigrant rights, noting in a previous interview that she would fight back against "discriminatory practices by the administration to single out immigrants."

Tlaib has been vocal against Donald Trump and his administration since he took to the campaign trail and helped stage a protest in 2016 during Trump's speech at the Detroit Economic Club.

Her main priority, though, is to be a familiar face to 13th Congressional District residents. In a previous interview, she said she'd be returning home at every opportunity if elected and working to improve the lives of constituents from the neighborhoods on up.

"I take a very different approach to public service," Tlaib said. "I'm a person that always takes it out in the streets and in the courts...the tool box that is attached to me is very diverse.

"I'm tired of just introducing legislation that's just not going to change our lives. It's going beyond that," she continued. "When I say that, a lot of residents' eyes just gleam with a bit of hope."
Vice President Mike Pence was hopeful for Republicans in Michigan, telling party faithful he predicted a "red wave" in Michigan going into the November general election.

Speaking during a post-primary election unity rally in Grand Rapids Wednesday, Pence acknowledged the difficulties the majority party generally faces during a midterm year, but said he was hopeful Republicans could build off of the party's 2016 successes.

"I think you all know what Donald Trump thinks of conventional wisdom," Pence said. "We made history in 2016, we're going to make history in 2018."

Pence was in Michigan in part to reiterate his and President Donald Trump's support for Bill Schuette and John James, the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate.

Trump and Pence weighed in ahead of Tuesday's primary election, and both of their chosen candidates prevailed - Schuette defeated opponents Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck and Jim Hines, and James defeated Sandy Pensler in the two-way primary.

On Wednesday, Pence specifically thanked Calley and Pensler for their service and also referenced Gov. Rick Snyder's work over the past eight years. He said one sign of a strong party is a competitive primary, but said Michigan voters now have "an extraordinary opportunity" to vote for Schuette and James.

"Michigan's on a roll, and the Republican party's been leading the way," he said. "The red wave is coming right through Michigan."

Pence had nothing but criticism for Gretchen Whitmer and incumbent U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, discrediting Whitmer's record in the legislature and expressing frustration with Stabenow's unwillingness to support Trump's policy positions or his Supreme Court candidates.

Both James and Schuette spoke at the rally, stressing to supporters that they would double down their efforts to win in November. James said it was significant that Pence showed up the day after the election, because it showed the Trump administration knows how critical the Michigan's general election is.

"They are here because we're on the map," he said.

Schuette said both Trump and Pence called him to congratulate him on his election win, and promised Trump would be coming to Michigan during the campaign cycle to stump for him.

In 2019, Schuette said Michigan would have "a Republican governor to welcome the President and Vice President to Michigan so we win."

Across the street from the venue, protesters organized by Planned Parenthood of Michigan and NextGen Michigan carried signs and marched during and after the Pence event.

Earlier in the day, Democrats hosted a similar rally in Detroit to show support of Whitmer and other Democratic candidates who advanced to the general election.
JACKSON, MI - A 29-year-old man pleaded guilty this week to first-degree criminal sexual conduct for assaulting two children at least 12 years ago.

Jeffery Burgett admitted on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to the crimes, which happened sometime between January 2000 and December 2005 in Jackson and victimized two relatives, girls ages 5 and 14 or 15. The assaults involved digital or other penetration, he conceded.

In exchange for his plea, the prosecutor's office agreed not to issue further charges against Burgett, according to information presented in the courtroom of District Judge Michael Klaeren.

If he had not made the admissions, the prosecutor's office had planned to present testimony from other purported victims during a preliminary examination, scheduled Wednesday, his lawyer Phillip Berkemeier said. Four witnesses were prepared to take the stand, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kelsey McKinnie told the judge.

As Burgett detailed his misdeeds, answering questions posed by Klaeren, a young woman at the back of the court had to hurriedly leave to contain her emotions. She declined outside the courtroom to comment.

"He's at a point in his life he is very remorseful those things have happened," Berkemeier said of Burgett.

He faces up to life in prison for the offenses. The new charges, however, because of the alleged victims' ages - younger than 13 - and his older age at the time, might have mandatorily put him in prison for at least 25 years.

Police also seized from his Jackson home computer and phone equipment. Though it was unclear what these electronics contain, he also will not be charged in connection with whatever authorities uncover.

Berkemeier said his client contends he was in business for himself, making repairs on such equipment, and police would not find anything elicit.

Neither Berkemeier nor Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka could specify how the allegations came to light. Burgett was jailed in May, as the result of an investigation by the Jackson Police Department, specifically Detective Brett Stiles.

Burgett's sentencing date, before Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson, had not yet been set.

Though he was a juvenile when he committed the two sexual assaults, prosecutors in Michigan can directly file adult criminal charges against young people accused of specified serious crimes, Jarzynka noted.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- After tensions boiled over at a meeting of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, two Democrats were left feeling disrespected.

Wednesday, county commissioners were scheduled to appoint residents to eight advisory boards. Appointments to the community action tripartite board and county ID card board both failed to pass, which led Chair Stephanie Moore to criticize commissioners for preventing bodies which benefit vulnerable communities from operating.

The community action tripartite board is mandated by the federal government to help the county implement a plan to assist poor, working class and minority citizens with federal funds. The county ID program advisory board was set up to provide oversight of the new county program, primarily intended for people who are homeless or undocumented.

Moore made her comments during a portion of business meetings set aside for commissioners to make comments. Moore said she was loudly interrupted several times by Commissioner Michael Seals while speaking.

Seals asked her to resolve a point of order, which indicates that he believed a rule was being violated.

Seals then made a motion to adjourn the meeting, which passed by a voice vote.

Corporate Counsel Beth White said Seals' point-of-order request was not recognized, which allowed a motion to be made from the floor.

After the meeting, Moore said she has never felt more disrespected while in office. The first African-American board chair said it is another example of commissioners ignoring issues that affect minority residents.

Seals, an African-American man, told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette that he needed to talk to his attorney before responding to questions about the incident. He declined subsequent requests for comment, but sent the following statement:

"I am very disappointed about what happened (Wednesday). I felt threatened. However, I hope the situation can be resolved."

Moore said the four community action tripartite board members, one of whom was Seals' political opponent in the Aug. 7 primary, were not reappointed because they did not interview before the Board of Commissioners. Moore said interviews were not necessary because there were no other applicants.

"There was no reason to waste our time to bring them in for an interview when there was no competition," Moore said. "We were just going to rubber stamp the interview and send them off to appointment."

It's not the first time Moore has brought forward charges of discrimination in county government. When a former county attorney said she was fired over a civil rights complaint, Moore publicly said the county has does not promote diversity and inclusion in its leadership.

She has long been at odds with Democrats as well. Moore said the party fails to elevate minorities to positions of power.

"Every black voter in Kalamazoo County should pay close attention to every person who voted no on those board appointments, because they purposely discriminated," Moore said. "We should figure out a way to let them figure out how the hell they are going to get elected come November."

One member up for reappointment Wednesday was Shequita Lewis, who came close to unseating Seals in a close District 4 Democratic primary race on Tuesday. Lewis was winning before absentee ballots were counted, but Seals ultimately won the race 1,540-1,427.

Seals was endorsed by the Kalamazoo County Democratic Party.

Moore endorsed Lewis and frequently told supporters on social media to vote for the challenger, who she felt was more committed to tackling issues of inequity. The chair said Seals "retaliated" against Lewis because she ran against him.

"(Seals) is out of touch with the average voter," Moore said.

Commissioners previously held off Lewis' reappointment after learning she pleaded guilty to a felony in 2009. Moore said the board was waiting to hear if grant funding would be jeopardized, but the state determined her conviction would not pose a problem.

Tensions between Seals and Moore appeared to reach a boiling point over the appointment issue Wednesday.

The two county officials also came into conflict over the ongoing Parchment water crisis.

Seals told the Parchment City Commission Monday that "due to a problem with a commissioner on my board," elected officials are no longer allowed to be at meetings of the emergency management staff responding to revelations of drinking water contamination in the Kalamazoo County community.

After high amounts of toxic compounds known as PFAS were found entering the Parchment water supply, residents were told not to ingest water from the tap. Parchment is located within Seals' district, and he and Moore were present during the recovery effort.

Moore disagreed, saying elected officials were not told to stay away from emergency management meetings as Seals claims.
PARCHMENT, MI -- State officials are looking for PFAS in the Kalamazoo River near Parchment, where residents are being provided bottled water after the contaminant was found in their drinking water supply.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality collected 36 surface water samples from the river from Aug. 6-7.

Samples were taken both upstream and downstream from the city of Parchment, including near a former Crown Vantage Paper Co. property where monitoring wells are being tested.

Results are expected to arrive next week, according to the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department.

The testing of river water near Parchment is part of a much larger investigation into the existence of per- and polyflouroalkyl substances in the public water systems across Michigan.

Two rounds of samples taken from Parchment's municipal drinking water system found a collection of toxic compounds, collectively known as PFAS, at levels 26 times greater than a lifetime federal health advisory.

On July 26, about 3,100 residents in Parchment and Cooper Township were told to stop ingesting water from the tap. Parchment is being provided clean water by the city of Kalamazoo while owners of private wells within a one-mile radius of the city's well field wait for results from DEQ tests of their residential wells.

Since July 28, the DEQ has took samples from 102 private residential drinking water wells in the areas of Parchment and Cooper Township. Residents are encouraged to call 1-800-662-9278 to schedule an appointment.

The Kalamazoo River runs north through Parchment, bending around a landfill used to dump paper-making waste.

(Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality)

DEQ Incident Management Specialist Mark DuCharme said the Kalamazoo River flows through a valley, which causes groundwater to flow toward the river on each side of the bank.

Beginning the night of July 26, Parchment's water system was drained into sanitary sewers, which flow into Kalamazoo's water reclamation plant and are discharged in the Kalamazoo River.

Some areas where water was flushed were not near a sanitary sewer, which caused potentially contaminated water to flow untreated into tributaries of the Kalamazoo River.

Kalamazoo Public Services Director James Baker didn't know Monday how much water made it into the river, but said the decision was made with knowledge of its potential environmental impact and with approval from the DEQ water resources division.

The flushing had to happen to protect public health, Baker said.

"I know there is a lot of excitement out there about what we did, but we trust (the DEQ) is making the right decisions and are working with us to ensure we're doing as much as we can to protect the environment as well," Baker said.

It wasn't the first time PFAS was discharged into the Kalamazoo River.

Earlier this year, the DEQ requested wastewater treatment plants across the state investigate potential sources of PFAS.

Kalamazoo's water reclamation plant has measures to treat PFAS but could not entirely remove the compound from wastewater. An analysis found 41-53 ppt of total PFOS and PFOA, two PFAS compounds, being discharged from the wastewater plant.

The amount was higher than a 2014 enforceable state standard of 12 ppt of PFOS for Michigan's surface waters. Effluent samples taken between May 21 and June 1 ranged from 29-38 ppt of PFOS and 12-15 ppt of PFOA.

Much greater concentrations of the compounds were found to be coming in wastewater from 20 industrial sources, some associated with paper manufacturing. June results showed 9,915 ppt of PFOS and PFOA in wastewater flowing into Kalamazoo's water reclamation plant.

Most came from the state-managed Production Plated Plastics site in Richland Township. Discovery of 8,000 ppt of PFOS there launched an investigation that found high levels of contamination in nearby private groundwater wells.

A landfill once used by Georgia-Pacific in Charleston Township was found to be discharging 261 ppt of PFAS. Georgia-Pacific was the last paper company to vacate the mill site in Parchment, shutting down in 2015.

Graphic Packaging International, an active paperboard mills company, was found to be discharging 150 PFOS. Director of Public Services James Baker said the company recycles paper products that already have some PFAS in them.

Smaller amounts below the 70 ppt EPA health advisory level were found coming from Green Bay Packaging Inc. and Arvco Container Corp.

PFAS contamination was also found at the site of a former Allied Paper Inc. mill, later run as the Bryant Paper Mill, in the city of Kalamazoo.

Ongoing remediation efforts at the Bryant Paper Mill was found to discharge high levels of PFAS. An analysis of samples taken on April 13 showed the site discharged 170 ppt of PFOA and 110 of PFOS.

Decades ago, a state lawsuit found paper-making processes dumped polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, waste into Portage Creek and the Kalamazoo River. A multimillion-dollar federal cleanup effort along several sections of the river continues today.

PCB contamination was traced to a number of shuttered paper mill properties and four landfills.

In the late-1980s, PCBs were being understood as an emerging health threat. Three decades later, PFAS are going through a similar period of investigation.

According to an EPA spokesperson, the federal agency conducted Superfund work at Crown Vantage in 2003. EPA drained PCB oil from seven transformers into a tanker truck. The transformers were then removed and wastes were disposed of off-site at a facility run by Clean Harbors, an environmental and industrial waste management company.

A plant dump at 411 Hercules Ave. in Parchment, just south of the paper mill, was a site identified in a 1979 congressional report on waste disposal sites.

In 1987, EPA examined the site on Hercules Avenue and completed a preliminary assessment to determine whether the dump was eligible for a Superfund cleanup. EPA decided at the time that no further Superfund remedial action was warranted.

Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co. was the first paper company in Parchment, but multiple companies have existed there since, including Sutherland Paper Co., Brown Co., James River Corp. Georgia-Pacific and Crown Vantage Corp.

Monitoring wells at the mill's former landfill, located in Cooper Township just north of the Parchment mill property, were tested last week.

DEQ officials are also testing Parchment's water system for trace amounts of PFAS. Daily samples were taken from July 30 to Aug. 2 and again this week starting on Monday, Aug. 6, through Thursday, Aug. 9.

Once results show PFAS below the health advisory, residents will be able to once again drink from their taps.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- An asylum is a place that provides protection from danger, but in the case of the Asylum Lake Preserve, advocates are trying to protect it, with concerns that a commercial development nearby could harm the natural area.

Groups of concerned citizens are speaking up to say they believe a commercial development, if not done with care, could hurt the preserve that surrounds the lake near the corner of Drake Avenue and Stadium Drive.

The approximately 17-acre tract of land, which is currently zoned residential and was sold for $2.5 million in October, had several signs advertising commercial development on it today.

The potential development is adjacent to the Asylum Lake Preserve, a 274-acre parcel of land that is owned by Western Michigan University. Asylum Lake's preservation was ensured as a condition of the development of the College of Engineering on Parkview Avenue, WMU said.

"We are deeply troubled by the potential for the degradation of the preserve by such development," the Asylum Lake Preservation Association wrote in a position statement published this week.

The association was formed in 1990 and has been the protector and advocate organization for the preserve since. Member Paul Scott said the preserve, unlike a park, is kept as close to natural as possible. Jogging and walking trails have developed over many years, though bikes are not allowed, he said.

"It's very peaceful and nice for walking," Scott said.

The preserve is a great place to see wildlife like deer and swans, he said, and he's worried a commercial development will ruin the view. Runoff from parking lot into the lake is another concern, he said.

"How much light, noise, surface and groundwater discharge, air pollution and visual impact will result from this development: on Asylum lake, the tranquility of the Preserve, and the plants and animals that live there? Unless disruption of the ground around the magnificent oak trees is avoided, they will soon die," the association wrote, in a letter describing its position and urging people to contact city officials about the project.

The company that purchased the land was DNS Stadium Drive LLC, according to Kalamazoo property records. The listed address for the company in Granger, Indiana, is owned by Drive and Shine, a company that operates multiple car washes, according to St. Joseph County, Indiana, property records.

"As of today, this development is in the preliminary stages of conversation," Callander Commercial President Matthew H. Callander said in an Aug. 1 email, "and no commitments to any prospective commercial tenants whether that be grocery, car wash, fast casual concepts, clothing, or any other users, have been made.

"Owner and his team are performing a site feasibility study to ensure there is a full understanding of market demand and as that data is collected over time, then Ownership can drive into a more specific site design over the next year."

Callander Commercial is a commercial real estate and leasing company that serves West Michigan. Signs with the company's name appeared on the property in July.

The city had not received any application for review or any request for a rezoning as of Aug. 6, Rebecca Kik said.

Once the city learned the property had changed hands, Kik said city representatives immediately met with the new owner and began talks.

The land is under a natural features protection area, a designation added to the Kalamazoo Master Plan after public input in 2017, and the land adjacent to Asylum Lake is the first potential development aimed at an area under the new zone, Kik said. The developers will have to consider things like trees and the watershed because of the zone, she said, but it is unclear exactly how the new designation will work.

Mark Hoffman, a member of the committee working to define what the designation means for the property adjacent to the preserve, said the group has made recommendations meant to keep a buffer zone on the adjacent part of the property more natural.

"Basically the idea is to keep the trees there and try to recommend some kind of natural buffer zone to provide some protection for the preserve," he said, and the group would like to see native plants in the area, not invasive species. WMU has worked to return natural plant life to the preserve, he said.

"It's a matter of protecting what's there and respecting the preserve for what it's supposed to be," he said.

Hoffman said the committee has met with the developer, and he mentioned a variety of possible uses, including leasing some of the space out.

President and CEO of Drive and Shine, Haji Tehrani, said it is premature to talk about the type of development that might go there, because the decision had not been made as of Aug. 8.

He said he has been speaking with the committee formed to make recommendations about the development.

"We have to work within those frameworks, and we want to do what's right and what makes sense," Tehrani said.

When asked if a car wash could be going on the land, he said it's too early to speculate, but said the land was purchased with a commercial development of some kind, which could include a car wash.

"We don't have that drawn up, we haven't gone for an approval for it, but that's a possibility we would consider," he said.

The company owns other properties in Michigan and elsewhere, he said, and some have medical facilities or retail developments, while others are currently undeveloped.

"We are a holding company and when we see opportunities like this, we buy the property and consider what options we have," he said, noting that no one has signed on to be a "big tenant" to go in the center of a potential development.

They bought the land because of the possibility for commercial development, he said.

"Absolutely," he said. "That's the whole reason to buy it."

"It was a good site and it was available," he said.

The city is considering a moratorium on the development, potentially delaying plans to move dirt at the corner, Kik said, because the definition of a natural features protection area has not been fully defined.

"We want to get this one right, we know it's going to set the tone for everything else," she said.

The designation was added to make sure the city looks after potential development on "special" places, she said.

"We recognize it's in a beautiful and a sensitive area," she said.

The city has received input from concerned citizens, she said.

The best-case scenario, Scott said, is for the property to be sold to the Western Michigan University Foundation or another entity that the association trusts to keep the area pristine. If not, he said, citizens are hoping their input will help ensure the development does not disturb the Asylum Lake Preserve.

Scott said he and others are unsure if the committee's recommendations will carry weight with those making the final decision.

The site also includes the historic Vermeulen house, and some citizens are hoping that the development includes a plan to preserve the house. Rodolphus Loring located the land in 1835 and purchased it from the government, with the deed recorded in 1839, and the house was likely built between 1845 and 1850, Hoffman wrote in a recent paper about the house.

Citizens concerned about the development are also complaining that the process has not been more transparent.

"We are also concerned about the fact that the planning for the property is going forward without transparency. Signs have been posted on Stadium Drive advertising commercial opportunity, when the land itself is still zoned residential and there has been no public input about changing the zoning," the association's statement reads. "While private conversations may be standard practice for an ordinary development, it does not seem appropriate for a piece of land which is visually part of a Kalamazoo natural treasure."
KALAMAZOO, MI - A man was struck then robbed at gunpoint early Thursday, Aug. 9, near South Pitcher Street and East Walnut Street.

Police said a Kalamazoo man was walking in the area around 1 a.m. when he was confronted by two men. The victim was struck by an object then robbed of his wallet, Kalamazoo police said.

The victim was treated at a local hospital for facial injuries and released.

Police set up a perimeter and used a tracking dog. Police contacted three people during the search but have not determined if any were involved.

One of the robbers, who had long braids, was armed with a silver semi-automatic handgun. The robbers were last seen fleeing on foot in the 600 block of East Walnut.

A police sketch artist drew a picture of the robber with the shoulder-length braided hair.

Police asked anyone with information to call Kalamazoo Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division at (269)337-8994 or Silent Observer at (269)343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com
MUSKEGON, MI - An 83-acre parcel in the Bluffon Neighborhood is about to be one of the last major pieces of property on Muskegon Lake to get a development plan.

The history of the property includes decades of mining the Pigeon Hill dune. From the 1930s on, Sand Products mined the dune, reducing it to a hilly landscape. Now, the same company is looking to the property's future.

Plans call for a 12-acre boat basin, main entrance over a critical dune, 27 acres of green space, about 220 residential units along with some community and commercial spaces.

The project by Sand Products' real estate arm MiCoast Properties is dubbed The Docks, referencing the local informal name, "The Sand Docks" that comes from the mining days and the boat docks that will be part of the development.

The expected overall investment is in the range of $100 million, MiCoast representatives said. The work to prepare the site for construction will cost about $10-$12 million.

MiCoast representatives will present the project to the Muskegon Planning Commission on Thursday, Aug. 16, for preliminary planned unit development approval.

"We tried to show what it can be," said Brian Papke of MiCoast of the plan summary and preliminary sketches. "It's going to change."

MiCoast plans to begin work with the DEQ and Army Corps of Engineers to obtain approval for the boat basin in September. The goal is to begin site work in 2019, and construction of the first buildings in 2020.

The project would take place over several phases, adding 30-40 structures a year, said Scott Musselman of MiCoast.

MiCoast plans to host community input meetings as the project gets going.

"(The Docks) will be open to the community - we want people to come in and mingle," said Mike Bellovich of MiCoast.

The overall project is in the same vein as Windward Pointe on the old Sappi Papermill property, which is also still in the planning process. The Docks is about two-thirds the size of the massive 120-ace Windward Pointe site. Both include community and commercial space, a mix of housing types, public waterfront access and a clear main entry.

"It's new urbanism," said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson. "It's the way a city would have been built 100 years ago. It's built like the downtown neighborhoods with single-family housing, nearby multi-family housing, nearby retail areas. ... That's the kind of development that Muskegon was built on. That's what we see as the most sustainable."

The main entry to The Docks is a road over a critical dune starting at the intersection of Wilcox Avenue and Plum Street. MiCoast has obtained approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for the crossing. Secondary entrances are proposed at the end of Edgewater Street and in the Harbour Towne development.

The Edgewater and Harbour Towne entrances are included at the city's request, Peterson said.

The Pigeon Hill Alliance environmental group and other Bluffon neighbors spoke out against the road over the critical dune during the permitting process. More recently, the Beachwood/Bluffton Neighborhood Association Facebook group members have posted and commented in opposition to the secondary entrances.

Sand Products bought about 7 acres from Muskegon Public Schools for $490,000 in 2014. The purchase was for three parcels that made up the old Bluffton School property. Those parcels make the main entrance possible.

Community aspects are expected to include a community center with a fitness center, pool and event space; boardwalks and sidewalks; kayak launches; a waterfront plaza; pocket parks; and a large community park.

Commercial spaces could include a coffee or ice cream shop and multiple live-work buildings in which a residence is located above a shop.

Attached and detached housing are included in the plan, ranging from large waterfront houses to interior cottages, townhouses and attached flats. Plans also call for one large condominium building near the basin entrance.

About 50 percent of the planned 1 mile of new shoreline would be open to the public through boardwalks and parks. The boat basin would connect to Muskegon Lake. There are no plans for a marina - the docks on the property would be attached to homes.

Other Muskegon Lake properties under development or in planning include Windward Pointe, Terrace Point Landing, Hartshorn Village and the former B.C. Cobb power plant property. Key properties still waiting for plans include four clustered parcels at the end of West Western Avenue and the Mart Dock (also owned by Sand Products) near downtown Muskegon.
GRAND HAVEN, MI -- A national movement to end gun violence is making its way to the lakeshore area.

The West Lakeshore Moms Demand Action chapter will host a kick-off meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Loutit Library in Grand Haven.

The Moms Demand Action national movement formed in 2012 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. The movement is geared toward ending gun violence.

The West Lakeshore chapter covers the lakeshore area stretching from Holland to Muskegon.

"The mission (of Moms Demand Action) is to put in place measures to reduce gun violence," said Heather Wilson, a leader with the West Lakeshore chapter. "Moms Demand Action supports the second amendment, but we believe in common sense solutions that can help decrease the growing epidemic of gun violence that kills too many kids and loved ones every day."

Wilson helped with the Grand Haven March For Our Lives rally in March, one of many held across the nation to protest gun violence and advocate for school safety. She got involved with developing a local chapter after people expressed interest following the recent movement.

Wilson said participants don't have to be mothers. She invites parents, grandparents, educators and even young people to the meetings.

The meetings will discuss what needs to be done to protect children as well as any current state legislation impacting schools and violence, including gun violence, she said.

"As gun violence increases around the nation and even in Michigan, there's strong interest in this local area on what we're doing to make things better," Wilson said. "People have really had enough and I think that goes for people here in our local area -- young and older. I think parents are asking, 'What have we done around here?' and, 'What are we doing to keep our kids safe moving forward?'"

Meetings will take place every month in locations throughout the lakeshore area, she said.

Wilson said becoming a member of the group or attending meetings doesn't have a huge obligation behind it. She understands people have full-time lives, and just encourages them to come and learn as they please.

"Being a member doesn't mean you're committed to all these hours of volunteer time. It doesn't mean you have to officially attend certain things," Wilson said. "It can just mean that you want to get involved somehow and learn more about where you want to insert yourself into the mix."

Wilson asks that people planning to attend the first meeting RSVP via Eventbrite.

More information on the group can be found here: www.facebook.com/groups.

"We are so highly motivated by keeping our kids safe, so I'm really excited for what a group of motivated parents are going to do around here," Wilson said.
Update, 2:50 p.m. Aug. 9: This story has been updated with additional details from the police chief.

MUSKEGON TWP. MI - Police and fire rescue responded to the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash on Evanston Avenue in Muskegon Township Thursday.

Muskegon Township Police Chief David Wypa said a male motorcyclist was killed when he collided with a vehicle turning into a driveway.

The crash was reported at 1:47 p.m. Aug. 9.

A female driver of a Chevrolet sedan was traveling east on Evanston when she stopped and turned on her signal before turning left in front of the westbound bike, Wypa said. He said the speed of the motorcyclist may have been a factor.

The name of the motorcyclist has not been released. He was wearing a helmet, Wypa said.

The victim ended up about 80 feet from the impact.

Evanston was to remain shut down between Shorrock and Haight streets while police investigated.

Professional Med Team ambulance also responded to the scene.
The White House outlined the plan for President Donald Trump's space force, and Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday, Aug. 9 that it will become the sixth branch of the U.S. military by 2020.

In a White House news release, Trump said he was directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon "to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces." Any proposal of this nature would require congressional action for it to become a reality.

The Associated Press reports Pence said that while space was once "peaceful and uncontested, it is now crowded and adversarial" as competition and threats from China and Russia continue to heat up.

BREAKING: Vice President Pence announces plans for new, separate US Space Force as 6th military service by 2020.  The Associated Press (@AP) August 9, 2018

The White House reports Trump ordered the DoD to begin the process of establishing the Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces back on June 18.

The department outlined five actions it could immediately start to begin forming the U.S. Space Force, which includes the acceleration of space technology, establishing a space development agency, space operations force and operating structure, and to create a U.S. Space Command to "improve, evolve, and plan space warfighting."

At the unanimous recommendation of the National Space Council, human space exploration is back at the core of America's space program. https://t.co/8I8zFOVnaF  The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 9, 2018

"With Space Force as a sixth branch of the United States military, America's interests in space will receive the focus and investment that the domain deserves," the release from the White House reads. "As the world's space development leader, the United States relies on space for everything from popular commercial systems to critical military and intelligence systems.

"Space is also invaluable to American private industry, which is developing revolutionary technologies that will utilize space for exploration, resource extraction, and tourism. Unfortunately, potential adversaries recognize the importance of space to our country and are actively developing ways to deny our use of it in a crisis."

"Very soon we're going to Mars," Trump says, as U.S. ramps up efforts for space travel. https://t.co/IECzRamgz4 pic.twitter.com/PkZpPZfCsG  CBS News (@CBSNews) March 13, 2018

--

In the past year, the Trump administration has taken an interest in NASA and space travel mainly pushing it to travel deeper while looking for more commercial opportunities. Trump signed the new space policy directive in December 2017, which called for the space agency to head back to the moon for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The goal of the White House Space Policy Directive 1 is to "make America a leader in space exploration again" and to send NASA astronauts back to the Moon, and then eventually onto Mars "and the broader solar system." Trump's budget signed soon after fell in line with this directive as it allocated money for missions to the moon at the expense of the International Space Station. Trump aims to end "direct federal government support" of the International Space Station by 2025, with calls to push for more commercial involvement.

At the second meeting of the reformed National Space Council in February, Pence also specifically called for more commercial NASA missions. The vice president said at the Kennedy Space Center that "convoluted maze of bureaucratic obstacles" and "outdated regulatory processes" were holding the space industry and our technological capabilities back.

"President Trump and our entire administration believe that America's prosperity, security, and even our national character, depend on American leadership in space," Pence said at the meeting.

"And over the past year, the world has seen the vital role that private enterprise plays to advance American leadership in outer space. We've seen the increasing number of American businesses sending experiments to the International Space Station. We've witnessed the power of commercial satellites to reconnect isolated communities in the wake of natural disasters."
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.

"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 with 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.
A group of BMW owners in South Korea filed a criminal complaint against the German automaker today over alleged delays in recalling more than 100,000 cars after a spate of engine fires, their lawyer said.

The timing of the recall, which was issued last month, is already the subject of a government probe, after more 30 BMW cars mostly the 520d sedan model caught fire this year in South Korea.

BMW apologised on Monday for the fires, blaming a faulty component that was aimed at reducing emissions from diesel engines, but that has done little to allay the concerns of angry consumers, who say the firm should have issued the recall sooner.

Johann Ebenbichler, vice head of BMW in charge of quality, told reporters the carmaker became aware of a problem with the component in 2016 but managed to identify the root cause of the fires only in June this year. He did not provide further details.

Lawyer Ha Jong-sun said he had filed a criminal complaint against six people including Ebenbichler on behalf of 20 BMW owners and one victim of a BMW vehicle-related fire.

"It is hard to believe that BMW took two years to determine the cause of the car fires.... A criminal investigation is necessary to secure evidence of a cover-up," Ha said

The offence carries a prison term of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 100 million won ($89,400) under South Korean law.

Images of BMW vehicles bursting into flames have made headlines in the South recently, with some parking lots refusing to accept the cars because of fears they could catch fire.

BMW has blamed a faulty component called the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler that generated excessive sediment and caused engines to catch fire, and said the problem was "not Korea specific".

The company also issued a recall for 323,700 cars across Europe this week due to the same problem.

Apart from the criminal complaint, the beleaguered automaker is also facing a class action lawsuit in the South, filed by 17 owners who are demanding compensation from the company, Ha said.

In South Korea, six out of 10 imported cars are from Germany.

BMW sold nearly 39,000 cars in the first six months of this year, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Engine-maker Cummins India today reported 17.56 percent decline in its net profit at Rs 183 crore for the first quarter ended June 30. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 222 crore during the same period of previous fiscal.

Sales of the company stood at Rs 1,296.49 crore for the first quarter ended June 30. Cummins had reported sales of Rs 1,387.69 crore in the April-June period of 2017-18, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"Domestic sales in the current quarter declined 7 percent over the same quarter last year. However, the same quarter last year had a strong tailwind from pre-buy on account of impending GST implementation effective July 1, 2017," Cummins India Managing Director Sandeep Sinha said.

The company is also carrying forward orders into the current quarter as few of our suppliers faced supply constraints, he added.

"We expect fulfilment of these carry forward orders in the current quarter," Sinha said.

On business outlook, he added, "We are positive on the medium to long term outlook for domestic sales as underlying demand remains positive arising from sustained investments by the government in creating infrastructure for the Indian economy."

Shares of the company today ended 4.06 percent down at Rs 651.80 on the BSE.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Aurobindo Pharma Thursday reported 12 percent decline in its June quarter net profit to Rs 455.7 crore, missing analysts' estimates. In the same quarter last year net profit was Rs 518.5 crore.

The company said its profit was impacted due to certain one-off product related provisions.

Total income rose 16 percent to Rs 4,294 crore in Q1FY19 compared to previous year's Rs 3,700 crore.

Analysts polled by Reuters saw net income of the country's second-largest drug maker at Rs 539 .5 crore and revenues at Rs 4,091.8 crore for the first quarter of FY19.

The EBITDA margin for the quarter was 18.3 percent. Research and Development (R&D) spend was at Rs 169 crore which is 4.0 percent of revenues.

Sales of formulations or generic drugs, which contribute about four-fifths of total revenue, grew 14.7 percent to Rs 3,500.8 crore in Q1FY19, compared with Rs 3,051.0 crore in the year-ago period.

Sales of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), the key raw materials that go into the production of drugs, rose 19.7 percent to Rs 748 crore.

The US formulation business contributed 45 percent to the total revenue and grew 11.5 percent to Rs 1,889.6 crore helped rupee depreciation.

On constant currency basis, sales grew by 7 percent YoY.

The company has launched 14 products, including 4 injectables during the quarter

The European Union formulations business contributed 28 percent of total revenue and grew 30.7 percent to Rs 1,199.1 crore driven by strong growth in some of the key markets.

As on June 30, Aurobindo said it had transferred manufacturing of 94 products from Europe to India to reduce costs.

Aurobindo's growth in Europe is led by inorganic expansion.

In July 2018, Aurobindo Pharma has signed a definitive agreement to acquire commercial operations and supporting infrastructure in five European countries from Canadian drug maker Apotex International.

Last year - it acquired Portugals Generis Farmaceutica from Magnum Capital Partners for 135 million. In January 2014, Aurobindo bought loss-making Western European commercial operations of Irish drug maker Actavis Plc for 30 million.

Sales from rest-of-the-world market grew 32.3 percent to Rs 256.5 crore.

The antiretroviral (ARV) business dropped 57.2 percent to Rs 155.6 crore during the quarter.

ARVs used in treatment of HIV-AIDS contributes about 5 percent of Aurobindos gross sales.

We have achieved 16 percent growth in revenues led by a healthy growth across key geographies and segments. However, profitability was impacted largely due to certain one-off product related provisions," said N Govindarajan, managing director of the company.

"With consistent focus on execution and enhancement of capabilities, we have started filing dermatology ANDAs and is on track in other speciality segments, Govindarajan added.

During the first quarter, the company filed 7 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) with USFDA.

On a cumulative basis, the company received 487 approvals from the USFDA.

The results were announced after market hours. Shares of Aurobindo rose 1.87 percent to close at Rs 605.10 on BSE, the benchmark Sensex gained 0.69 percent to end 35,165.48 points.

Shares of Aurobindo Pharma declined 1.72 percent to Rs 600.90 on BSE, while the benchmark Sensex gained 0.36 percent to end 38,024.37 points.
9 | India - 618.17 (Image source: moneycontrol)

The governments policy think tank National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog will convene a meeting on Friday to prepare an action plan for a comprehensive policy on gold.

A panel, comprising top government officials from NITI Aayog, finance ministry, commerce ministry, mines ministry, the Reserve Bank of India and department of consumer affairs, will meet to formulate a strategy to develop gold as an asset class, as announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget, 2018.

NITI Aayog member Ratan Watal had in February submitted a report titled Transforming Indias gold market comprising 84 recommendations to the government.

In the upcoming meeting, the officials from various departments will look at the feasibility of implementation of these proposals.

For instance, commerce ministry has already formed a panel comprising officials from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and will discuss the implementation of 34 out of the 84 recommendations chalked out by NITI Aayog.

Similarly, consumer affairs ministry will look into areas such as ensuring and maintaining certain quality by hallmarking gold jewellery, a a senior government official said.

Mines ministry would need to simplify auction process for gold mines to enable more domestic as well as global mining giants investing into the sector.

Every department/ministry is expected to form a sub-committee to focus on the proposals mentioned in the draft policy prepared by NITI Aayog, the official said.

Apart from setting up a gold board with statutory powers, reducing the import duty on gold from 10 percent to a lower rate such as 5 percent, the recommendations include importing gold dore  semi-pure alloy of gold  and giving incentives for refining the yellow metal and making gold monetisation scheme more attractive are some of the recommendations of the report.

According to IBEF, Indian gems and jewellery sector is one of the largest in the world, contributing around 29 percent to the global jewellery consumption, with the country being the second-biggest user of the yellow metal. The sector boasts of over 4.64 million employees and is home to more than 300,000 gems and jewellery players.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

The bulls have taken control of Dalal Street for more than a couple of weeks now, though bears tried intermittently for control. The market has consistently been hitting fresh record highs, backed by select largecaps and banks on hopes of a likely improvement in asset quality going forward.

The Sensex decisively crossed the new milestone of 38,000 on Thursday while the Nifty is just shy of the 11,500-mark. These levels seemed distant 3-4-month back and no one had predicted that it would cross these levels so soon. Experts attribute this to strong Q1 FY19 earnings, which so far have been much better than what the street expected.

The Sensex gained over 11 percent and Nifty nearly 9 percent in 2018 on top of a 28 percent rally each in 2017. Experts expect the market to hit newer highs, but are concerned it is gradually getting overvalued and appear similar to valuations like that at the start of 2018.

"The future long term outlook for Indian equity markets continues to look bright. The government's focus on financial inclusion of masses and raising farm incomes will be a positive for private banking and consumption sectors," Hemang Jani, Head - Advisory, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said. However, he sees short term concerns such as rising crude oil prices and global trade wars negatively impacting.

Nilesh Shah of Envision Capital feels if the rally breaks it would be only because of global factors (excluding crude which is not a major concern now) and not any domestic cue.

Here is a list of 10 stocks that could return up to 60% over one-year period:

Brokerage: HDFC Securities

Mphasis - Buy | Target - Rs 1,300 | Return - 13%

Mphasis posted a strong quarter (largely in-line with estimates) with revenue at $269 million, 1.7/16.4 percent QoQ/YoY (2.9/16.2 percent in constant currency terms). Direct Core (53.9 percent of revenue) and HP/DXC channel (27.4 percent of revenue) led the growth at 4.2 percent QoQ and 4.5 percent QoQ in constant currency terms, respectively. Adjusted APAT stood at Rs 258 crore supported by lower ETR.

We factored in dollar revenue growth at 10.1/12.3 percent and EBIT margin at 16.7/17.9 percent for FY19/20E, respectively. Direct core growth estimates at 3.0/3.2 percent CQGR and DXC growth at 2.8/2.9 percent CQGR for FY19-20E. Maintain Buy with target price of Rs 1,300, 20x FY20E-EPS supported by 19 percent EPS CAGR over FY18-20E and strong payout.

Brokerage: Elara Capital

Birla Corporation - Buy | Target - Rs 1,100 | Return 38%

We believe the company will gain pricing power in the central region, accounting for 56 percent of overall capacity on limited capacity addition.

Cost structure is likely to improve, as the company will cut power purchase from the grid in RCCPL by installing a WHR system.

Apart from this, a strong pipeline of capacity addition would ensure it will grow faster than the industry. Thus, we reiterate Buy with a target price of Rs 1,100 on enterprise value per tonne of $110 on FY20E capacity.

Brokerage: Motilal Oswal

NMDC - Buy | Target - Rs 178 | Return - 57%

NMDC's iron ore volumes have suffered recently due to uncompetitive pricing in Karnataka and a fall in global iron ore prices. However, it has taken corrective price actions, which drove some sequential improvement in volumes in July.

Overall volumes in July were still weak (down around 34 percent YoY) due to monsoon-related dispatch issues in Chhattisgarh, which should recover.

We expect iron ore volume CAGR of 5-6 percent over the next 4-5 years from the existing mines. The steel plant is likely to produce about 1mt in FY21 and full 3mt in FY22.

Margins in the steel business are likely to be 10,000 per tonne, as it has many advantages. Despite factoring in lower iron ore margins w.r.t. Q1FY19, we expect EBITDA CAGR of 13 percent to Rs 10,300 crore over FY18-22.

The stock is trading at attractive valuations of EV/EBITDA of 4.1x FY20E and a dividend yield of around 6 percent. We value NMDC at 5x FY20E EV/EBITDA and CWIP at book value at Rs 178 per share. Maintain Buy.

Nalco - Buy | Target - Rs 108 | Return - 60%

Nalco is likely to benefit from strong alumina prices, led by the closure of Hydro's alumina facility and shutdowns at Chinese refineries. Spot alumina prices are trading above $500 per tonne versus estimate of $450 per tonne for the remainder of FY19 and FY20.

NALCO is a key beneficiary of higher alumina prices, given its net long position and advantage of low-cost captive bauxite.

We upgrade EBITDA estimate by 13 percent to Rs 2,840 crore and PAT estimate by around 12 percent to Rs 1,760 crore on the beat in Q1.

We expect EBTIDA to increase by 71 percent to Rs 2,840 crore in FY19, considering the strong sector tailwinds. The stock is trading at attractive valuations of EV/EBITDA of 3x FY20E. We value the stock at 5.5x FY20E EV/EBITDA at Rs 108/share. Maintain Buy.

Future Consumer - Buy | Target - Rs 69 | Return - 48%

We expect revenue growth to pick up for the remainder of the year, with the momentum continuing thereafter for a few years, given the tremendous growth opportunity. We expect revenue CAGR of 35.9 percent over FY18-20 and 35.2% over FY18-22.

As Future Consumer is likely to be profitable at the consolidated net level only in FY19, we believe that the near-term P/E multiples are always likely to appear extremely expensive on a one-year forward basis.

We, thus, value the company on an EV/sales basis, assigning a multiple of 2x (around 60 percent discount to EV/sales of our coverage staple universe). This results in a target price of Rs 69, implying around 48 percent upside from current levels. Maintain Buy.

HPCL - Buy | Target - Rs 428 | Return - 51%

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have seen a sharp correction in the recent past due to fear of a price cap on auto fuel in the light of upcoming elections and rising crude oil price.

However, healthy implied marketing margins during the quarter negate the fear. Thus, we believe that this sharp correction in stock prices offers an attractive opportunity to add OMCs.

HPCL is trading at 5.5x consolidated FY20E EPS of Rs 51.8 and 5.4x FY20E EV/EBTIDA. We value refining and marketing at 6x EV/EBITDA, and pipeline at 7.5x EV/EBITDA. Reiterate Buy with a target price of Rs 428. Higher crude oil price remains the biggest risk.

AU Small Finance Bank - Buy | Target - Rs 760 | Return - 16%

AU Small Finance Bank has been reporting strong progress on business growth and is alongside making adequate investments to support the momentum for the next few years.

With the recent capital raise, the bank is well positioned to further capitalise on growth opportunities and deepen its presence across the chosen geographies.

We revise estimates to factor in strong growth and recent capital infusion, which has resulted in 12/20 percent increase in FY19/20E book value. We, thus, increase target price to Rs 760, which corresponds to 4.9x September-20E book value and 31.2x EPS.

We believe AU Small Finance Bank should continue trading at a premium, given its robust growth trajectory, high visibility on earnings improvement and accelerated SFB transition. Maintain Buy.

Indian Bank - Buy | Target - Rs 430 | Return 21%

Indian Bank reported a 44 percent YoY decline in net earnings to Rs 2,090 crore (in-line) due to elevated provisions. NII grew 24 percent YoY to Rs 1,800 crore (7 percent beat), led by 22 percent YoY loan growth and a 25bp improvement in the margins (to 3 percent) on account of Rs 145 crore recoveries recorded in interest income. Loan book grew by 22 percent YoY to Rs 1.58 lakh crore, while deposits increased 10 percent YoY to Rs 2.1 lakh crore.

Focus on balance sheet consolidation and moderation in fresh slippages/provisions will support earnings recovery. Indian Bank has a strong capital position, with tier-1 of 11.6 percent. It, thus, is well poised to grow its loan book and benefit from a further improvement in operating leverage.

We expect FY20E RoA/RoE to be the best among PSBs at around 0.8/14.2 percent. Maintain Buy with a revised target price of Rs 430 (1.2x FY20E ABV).

Sanghi Industries - Buy | Target - Rs 130 | Return - 48%

SNGI is likely to deliver EBITDA CAGR of 16 percent over FY18-20, led by healthy volume growth (driven by higher sales to Mumbai market and favourable base).

With 43 percent earnings CAGR over FY18-20 led by healthy EBITDA growth and lower interest cost, SNGI is available at attractive valuations of 6.6x FY20E EBITDA and USD63/t on FY20E capacity.

We value the stock at $83 per tonne on blended capacity of 8.2mt (valuing present capacity of 4mt at $100 per tonne and new capacity at $65 per tonne) and arrive at a target price of Rs 130 per share. Buy.

Brokerage: Centrum Wealth Research

KEC International - Buy | Target - Rs 457 | Return - 48%

For Q1FY19, KEC continued to report good operational performance (EBITDA margin of 10.3 percent), in-line with expectation, owing to forex gain, certain cost control measures and higher share of non-T&D businesses.

Current structural changes in the balance sheet have resulted in elongated working capital cycle leading to higher debt. Factoring the same, we have cut FY19E/20E profit estimate by 2.2/2.9 percent. We, however, maintain revenue CAGR of 15 percent over FY18-20E with average EBITDA margin of 10.2 percent.

We continue to be positive on the steady pace in the transmission & distribution (T&D) business and ramp up in the non-T&D businesses (railways, cables, civil and solar). We maintain Outperformer rating. We value the stock at 18x FY20E EPS giving a revised target price of Rs 457 (versus Rs 471 earlier).

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by brokerage houses on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Shares of Cipla soared over 4 percent on Thursday morning as investors cheered its results for the June quarter.

The drug-maker reported 10 percent rise in its net profit for the June quarter to Rs 451 crore, primarily due to better sales in India and South Africa, while US remained flat.

Cipla had reported a net profit of Rs 408.8 crore for the corresponding quarter a year ago.

The company's total income grew 12 percent year on year to Rs 4,109.10 crore in the quarter under review.

The EBITDA margin expanded 330 basis points to 18.4 in Q1FY19.

An average of estimates of analysts polled by Reuters pegged the company's net profit for the quarter at Rs 390.4 crore and its revenue at Rs 4,057.4 crore.

India business that constitutes around 39 percent of Cipla's revenues grew 22 percent to Rs 1,544 crore on YoY. On quarter-on-quarter, revenues rose 14 percent.

The YoY India business growth was aided by low base in Q1FY18, as business was impacted to GST rollout, in addition to strong performance in Respiratory, Urology, Cardiology, and CNS segments.

Brokerage: Macquarie | Rating: Outperform | Target: Rs 685

The global research firm believes sustained recovery from Q1 level is important for further margin expansion. It expects upcoming approvals like gToprol Xl, gWelchol to lead to ramp-up in US. It also raised EPS by 3-4 percent on higher domestic growth and lower depreciation.

Brokerage: Axis Cap | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 700

The brokerage house said that June quarters revenue growth at 12% YoY was in-line led by India & South Africa. Pivotal trials for generic of Advair are done & patient recruitment has begun, the company observed. The operating margin could also improve on ramp up in limited competition products in US.

Brokerage: CLSA | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 760

CLSA said that US ramp-up was weak but should pick up in H2FY19. It observed that profits were ahead of estimates due to higher other income.

At 10:35 hrs Cipla was quoting at Rs 642.75, up Rs 9.35, or 1.48 percent.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Shares of Ramco System added 8 percent intraday Thursday as company won multi-million-dollar software deal from Philippines' Air Freight leader AP Cargo.

AP Cargo Logistic Network Corp., Philippines' leading domestic provider of express logistics for air cargo and other goods, announced that it will implement Ramco Systems' Logistics Software to streamline its freight operations nationwide.

As part of the agreement, Ramco will implement its unified, mobile-friendly modules for transport management, hub management; warehouse management, fleet management, visibility; rating and billing, finance and accounting, integrated with end-to-end HR and Payroll compliant with Philippines' statutory requirements at AP Cargo.

Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems said, "We are pleased to announce AP Cargo as our latest customer in the logistics and shipping space. Logistics is the backbone of global trade and the Philippines has enjoyed remarkable growth in recent times."

"Our intelligent, mobile-friendly enterprise suite has won us the trust of customers throughout the Philippines, helping local enterprises optimise their operations and meet the changing demands of commerce in the region," he added.

At 10:53 hrs Ramco System was quoting at Rs 391.50, up Rs 14.45, or 3.83 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
TCI group companies - Transport Corporation of India and TCI Express - delivered a strong set of numbers in the first quarter of FY19. Both these logistic companies have gathered momentum after the rollout of Goods & Service Tax and reported a robust growth in topline as well as bottomline in the last few quarters. These players continues to gain market share over competitors and are well positioned to reap the benefits of industry reforms.

Multimodal logistics service provider TCI reported a sales increase of 17 percent year-on-year to Rs 581 crore. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 15 percent to Rs 51 crore. Profit after tax jumped 60 percent to Rs 28 crore. While operational performance was largely stable, the sharp jump in profit was due to higher other income and reduction in finance costs.

Growth in revenue and profitability was driven by strong performance across all business segments.

Freight division reported a topline of Rs 278 crore for Q1 FY19, implying a segmental revenue growth of 14 percent. Margin came in better as compared to last year as the management in focusing on large clients and key account management with value-added services. This segment continues to grow at a steady pace as organised players like TCI are witnessing uptick in demand for full truck load and less than truck load services after the rollout of GST and e-way bill.

The supply chain solutions (SCS) segment continues to witness strong demand across sectors, especially automobiles which contributes to the largest revenue share in this segment. This segment reported a revenue growth of 20 percent to Rs 237 crore. EBIT increased 38 percent on account of operating efficiencies.

Seaways division reported the strongest revenue growth across its three business verticals and reported a 23 percent jump in Q1 revenue. The revenue for this segment has been boosted by higher volumes on account of fleet expansion.

In March, TCI has added another ship to its existing fleet of five ships which operate on the east and west coast. The new ship will be deployed on the west coast and will start contributing to the topline and bottomline from Q2 onwards. Going forward, the management expects the seaways business to contribute Rs 75-80 crore of revenue on a quarterly basis with EBITDA margin of around 25 percent.

The company has planned a capital expenditure of Rs 250 crore for FY19. This capital will be used for setting up new warehouses and acquiring a new fleet of trucks and ships as the current capacities are nearing optimum utilisation. The investment will be funded through a combination of debt and internal accruals. The balance sheet remains healthy and the debt-equity ratio is expected to remain at current levels (0.6 times) as majority of the debt is required for working capital.

TCI continues to perform well on the operational front and current valuations makes the stock noteworthy at current levels.

Revenue of TCI Express (TCIX) for the quarter gone by increased 22 percent to Rs 248 crore. EBITDA came in 46 percent higher than last year at Rs 27 crore. Profit after tax rose 33 percent at Rs 16 crore. The company has started the fiscal on a solid note, continuing the momentum which gathered pace in the past few quarters. In Q3 and Q4 FY18, it delivered topline growth of 22 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

While revenue continue to be on an uptrend, TCIXs enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration with clients has resulted in cost savings. The company has also been able to generate operating efficiencies through changes in its distribution strategy. Margin continues to grow in spite of the rising fuel prices as TCIX follows fuel surcharge-based pricing mechanism to counter rise in crude and diesel prices.

These factors along with strong operating leverage on account of an asset light business model has resulted in operating margin improving from 9.1 percent in Q1 FY18 to 10.9 percent in Q1 FY19. PAT margin, however, saw lower increase from 6 percent to 6.5 percent on account of higher interest expenses and tax outgo.

The company offers express logistics services for high value products to companies operating across multiple industries. In the quarter gone by, it witnessed strong demand from pharmaceutical, automobile, retail and lifestyle sectors. Pick up in economic activity has resulted in strong demand from consumer-oriented sectors.

TCIX derives 50 percent of its revenue from the small and medium enterprises (SME). These SMEs are the engine of economic growth for India as it contributes 45-50 percent of the countrys industrial output. TCIX with its unique offering and strong business relationships remains well position to capture potential in this segment.

Aided by industry tailwinds and increased economic activity, the logistics sector is set to grow at a healthy rate in FY19.This growth will be supported by recent government initiatives such as dedicated freight corridors (DFC), Sagarmala and BharatMala as well as growing industry demand. The new axle load norms (load limits increase by 10-15 percent) is an added opportunity.

We remain optimistic on the earnings growth of both these companies and expect them to deliver strong earnings growth over the next couple of years. From a valuation standpoint, TCIX trades at 28 times one-year forward price-to-earnings multiple and appears priced to perfection considering near term growth prospects. Investors with a medium to long term view should look to accumulate TCIX on dips given its strong fundamentals, low leverage (debt-to-equity ratio of 0.1 times at FY18-end) and market share gains from competitors.

TCI trades at a significant discount to the former and offers an attractive investment opportunity at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 16 times with significant scope for re-rating. Growth in revenue and profitability will be driven by strong performance of the seaways and SCS segments. TCI continues to perform well on the operational front and the current valuations makes the stock noteworthy at current levels.
netflix

Soon after the call to censor its maiden Indian outing Sacred Games, Netflix has held two consultations with a host of stakeholders including FICCI and UNICEF India to educate people about its content by focusing on ensuring a safer online environment for children and helping them make the right viewing choices.

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), a global NGO specialising in the area of online safety hosted the forum, Connect, Create, Respect: Empowering parents and educators to guide connected children and youth, and was supported by Netflix, UNICEF India, and FICCI Arise.

The focus of the event was to enable children and youth to benefit from the advantages that the internet has to offer.

The event brought together academicians, industry, and Netflix, which is a big proprietary content provider, said Rakshit Tandon, a cybersecurity expert, who works with educating young children about the perils of the internet and associated risks.

At the event, the participants spoke about how to equip youth and their guardians to use online tools and other techniques which ensure they have a safe and age-appropriate experience online.

According to an Alphabeta report, over 80 percent of Indian video on demand consumers found online safety features useful and trustworthy in keeping themselves and their families safe.

Participants included Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI, Javier Aguilar, Chief Child Protection Officer, UNICEF; Vedant Khaitan, Trustee, Khaitan Schools; Gowri Ishwaran, CEO, The Global Education & Leadership Foundation (tGELF), Dr Ranjana Kumari, Founder of Centre for Social Research and Bengaluru-based lawyer Pratibha Jain from Nishith Desai Associates.

Online safety and the security of children are not the responsibility of any one person or body (such as schools). It has to be a shared responsibility between educators, parents and the community at large. While the Internet is the biggest enabler for empowering our future leaders and the workforce, it comes with its own set of challenges and solutions that need to be understood, appreciated and dealt with in a constructive manner for the benefit of humanity, Khaitan said.

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 empower our users to make these decisions.

This was the second such event hosted by Netflix this week. The first one took place in Mumbai and this one in New Delhi.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

FMCG company Patanjali is facing a consumer offtake slowdown after growing its turnover nearly five times to Rs 10,000 crore in FY17 from Rs 2,000 crore from FY14. But the FY18 revenue was flat.

Although the company was successful in holding sway over the market in categories like toothpaste and ghee, the incremental gains have declined, according to a Times of India report.

The reduction in incremental gains is much higher in categories where the companys products were not differentiated, the report says quoting a Credit Suisse note.

Nielsen data showed that even in categories like hair care the companys market share growth rate has dropped sharply.

Hindustan Unilever Limited launched a range of ayurvedic products, while Dabur has used strategic pricing to compete with Patanjali.

The key factors leading to the decline in Patanjali are brand fatigue setting in due to lack of renovation, inability to crack general trade distribution, dilution of the ayurvedic credentials on excessive extension, strong competitive response from large companies with their own ayurvedic offerings, and a sharp drop in advertising spends, the Credit Suisse report said.

Patanjalis household penetration had increased from 27 percent to 45 percent in 2017 but the consumers have lapsed out after the novelty factor of the products wore out, according to the report.

We believe it is a combination of internal factors which are driven by Patanjalis own strategies and external factors driven by a competitive response which is causing the slowdown in Patanjali, the report said.

Earlier, Co-Founder Ramdev had claimed the company would see 100 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth every year and eventually overtake HUL.
High-rise buildings are reflected in a building in Tokyo's Shiodome district developed by Mitsubishi Estate Co, Sumitomo Realty & Development Co, Mitsui Fudosan Co and other companies February 5, 2009. Mitsubishi Estate Co , Japan's second-biggest developer, reported a 12 percent fall in quarterly operating profit and cut its full-year outlook by nearly a quarter, as unexpectedly weak apartment sales eroded profits from office leasing. REUTERS/Toru Hanai (JAPAN) - RTXB8QS

Total investments in real estate in the first half of 2018 was recorded at Rs 24,011 crore, an overwhelming majority of which was in the IT and commercial sector says a report titled Indias Real Estate Milestones  A 20 year narrative by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with JLL.

The IT and commercial sector attracted close to Rs 13,151 crore during the period while retail recorded approximately Rs 1,898 crore, it says.

There has been a paradigm shift in the momentum of real estate witnessed in the first half of 2018. All aspects of the sector  residential, retail, office and investments, have seen a healthy increase in demand. What we note specifically is the quantum of this rise which has increased significantly, ushering a revival of the sector backed by strong fundamentals, says Ramesh Nair, Chairman, CII Realty & Infrastructure Conclave and CEO & Country Head, JLL India. The event is taking place in Mumbai.

The first half of 2018 saw the corporate leasing activity rise by 54 percent over the same period last year. This trend, driven by large technology companies, co-working, financial services and global in-house data centres is a reflection of the current thriving business environment.

Occupiers are not only inclined towards space take-up as part of their consolidation/relocation plans but also geared towards expansion-driven space strategy which is a pointer towards an upswing in the business cycle, it says.

Companies leased around 8 million square feet more space as compared to same time last year taking the total gross space leased in the first half of 2018 of the year to about 24 million sq ft. Cities that contributed the most to this growth were Bengaluru and NCR, with a share of 26 percent each in the gross leasing volumes during this period, the report says.

The first half of 2018 was significant in terms of sales velocity for the residential sector, which picked pace recording a rise of 25 per cent year-on-year (YoY). This can be attributed to two large factors, firstly returning buyers confidence on account of implementation of RERA in most states and stable capital values that have started to show an upward trend, it says.

The general consensus among buyers has been that the markets have bottomed out and capital values are now expected to move northward. These two factors have pushed many fence sitters and new home buyers to make purchase decisions. This, despite the fact that the RBI has increased its repo rate in the third monetary policymaking borrowing for home loans dearer.

In the retail sector, net absorption in the first half of 2018 for retail space has seen a rise of over 75 percent YoY recording a total absorption of 1.9 million square feet (msf) in the first half of 2018. The retail market, which has been experiencing a new lease of life with investment interest returning to the market, has also seen a growth in leasing activities from both international and domestic brands, it says.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Disposing of all the petitions and applications pending before it in the Jaypee Infratech matter, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a fresh round of bidding for the company, but barred parent Jaiprakash Associates or its promoters from participating in it.

The apex court has said that the insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech will be dealt with by the Allahabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The court also ordered the reconstitution of the companys Committee of Creditors in light of recent amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) that permit homebuyers to be a part of the resolution process.

The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and comprising of Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said that the insolvency resolution process for Jaypee Infratech will be deemed to have started afresh from today for a period of 180 days.

The National Company Law Tribunal may extend this period by up to 90 days if necessary, the bench said. The insolvency resolution professional has been ordered to invite fresh bids but both Jaiprakash Associates and Jaypee Infratech have been barred from participating.

The Rs 750 crore that Jaiprakash Associates had deposited with the Supreme Courts registry will now be transferred to the NCLT, which will dispose it off in an appropriate manner, the court said. It also allowed the Reserve Bank of India to initiate insolvency proceedings against Jaiprakash Associates.

"JIL/JAL (Jaypee Infratech/Jaiprakash Associates) and their promoters shall be ineligible to participate in the CIRP by virtue of the provisions of Section 29A. RBI is allowed, in terms of applications to this Court to direct the banks to initiate corporate insolvency resolution proceedings against JAL under IBC," the Supreme Court said.

"The amount of Rs 750 crore which has been deposited in this court by JAL/JIL shall together with the interest accrued thereon be transferred to the NCLT and continue to remain invested and shall abide by such directions as may be issued by the NCLT," it said.

Is this good for homebuyers?

While some homebuyers and lawyers argued that the Supreme Courts order on Thursday takes them back to where they started, and that the court has washed its hands off the case by transferring the matter back to NCLT, legal experts said that the fact that amendments were made to the IBC to allow homebuyers to become a part of the resolution process should not be ignored.

"It does not set the clock back. If the matter was not in the apex court, the company could have gone into liquidation as the COC had taken a decision that no resolution plan was acceptable to it. SC saved the company from liquidation and has now given it 180 days time so that now homebuyers can also participate in the process and decide on the course of action," a legal expert told Moneycontrol.

"Homebuyers were not financial creditors when the matter was brought before the apex court last year. One should not discount the fact that amendments were brought about in IBC to benefit homebuyers. Under the amended code, homebuyers will now be part of the reconstituted committee of creditors and have a say in the process," said Ramakant Rai, counsel for a group of affected homebuyers.

As for the argument that the Supreme Court was only able to make the builder deposit Rs 750 crore out of the Rs 2,000 crore it had earlier ordered, legal experts pointed to the courts order that allows RBI to move an application for insolvency against Jaiprakash Associates.

"JAL will be under the insolvency process. Only Rs 750 crore may have been deposited by the builder with the registry but that does not mean that JAL goes scot free as homebuyers can now also make a claim in the insolvency process of JAL," a legal expert said.

At an earlier hearing, JAL had said it would deposit Rs 600 crore more to refund homebuyers if it was allowed to dispose of its identified assets, including a cement plant at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.

The NCLT on August 10 last year, admitted IDBI Banks plea to initiate insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech for defaulting on a Rs 526-crore loan. While admitting the banks plea, the NCLT had appointed Anuj Jain as Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to manage the companys business.

The IRP had invited bids from investors interested in acquiring Jaypee Infratech and completing the stalled real estate projects in Noida and Greater Noida. Consequently, Lakshadweep -- a joint venture between the Sudhir Valia-led Suraksha Asset Reconstruction Company and Mumbai-based Dosti Realty -- emerged as a front-runner to acquire the company with a Rs 7,350-crore bid.

However, Jaypee Infratechs lenders had rejected Lakshadweep's bid as they found it to be inadequate.

The lenders did not consider the bid of Jaypee Group promoter Manoj Gaur either. Gaur had made an offer of over Rs 10,000 crore to revive Jaypee Infratech and had also offered 2,000 shares to every affected homebuyer.

On July 2, homebuyers stuck in Jaypee projects for almost a decade had demanded that Jaiprakash Associates should not be allowed to regain control of Jaypee Infratech, as the former neither has any intent nor any financial strength to finish constructing the remaining flats.

"Jaypee has not been able to complete construction till date nor will it be able to do so in future. A private company such as Suraksha or Kube or a government agency such as NBCC should come forward. They are only waiting for instructions from the government and the Supreme Court to complete the projects so that the projects are handed over in time. There are 20,000 units left out of 35,000 booked. These can be completed in the shortest possible time under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court and under the monitoring committee formed by the Supreme Court within a timeframe and with the involvement of homebuyers," a homebuyer had told reporters at a conference held earlier.
File picture

After raising a tiny amount of $1 million in what appeared to be a bridge round early this year, struggling e-commerce firm Shopclues has managed to ensure a significant top-up on that amount with a fresh round of funding, according to sources privy to the development.

The company has raised over $16 million additional fund this year, Sanjay Sethi, co-founder and chief executive officer, has communicated to his employees in an email sent a couple of days ago. While the email doesn't mention the name of the investors, according to one of the sources mentioned above, this money has come from existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and Tiger Global.

Moneycontrol has seen a copy of the email.

The company, which became a unicorn (firm with a valuation of $1 billion) during its 2016 funding round, has been facing tough times of late. In the last few years, it has also braved quite a turmoil with a change in the management. Reports of a potential acquisition by US-base e-commerce firm eBay were also creating speculation about the future of the company among its employees.

In the email, Sethi has addressed this issue saying that the company was targeting to break-even by November with a reduced burn rate of $0.5 million per month as against $5.5 million in January 2017.

Shopclues also has plans to expand its operations in the US, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, this month, the mail said without stressing upon the investment it plans to make across these countries.

Started in 2011, the company has raised close to $250 million in funding so far, including a $7.73 million debt round in 2017 from Innoven Capital.

Pitted against bigger rivals Flipkart and Amazon, Shopclues till date has managed to be steadfast in in its strategy  to cater to India's tier 2-3 towns.

The development comes even as the daily orders of the company have shrunk to 50,000-55,000 per day against 70,000 during good old days.

While the company spokesperson declined to comment on the funding, in a blog on its website, it claims to have acquired about 40 million of total customers. The blog says that that the growth is led by non-metro consumers.

"Today we have upwards of 60 million SKUs (stock keeping units) from more than 600,000 merchants. 70 percent of these merchants are from tier 3 and 4 locations. Our top 20 merchants contribute to less than 8 percent in terms of orders and revenue," it said in the blog.

The company has so far focused on the unstructured categories. As a result of which it now claims to have grown 300 percent in its per-order net revenue. It also claims that its contribution margin became positive in the first quarter of 2017 and is now Rs 65 per order.

Shopclues reported its revenue from operations to be $42 million during the financial year ending March 2018, against $28 million during the previous financial year. The losses too have reduced to $31 million in FY18.

According to at least two sources privy to the development, Shopclues was also in talks for a potential merger with rival Snapdeal and Paytm Mall last year. Both the deals did not materialise.

This capital is expected to give Shopclues some breather for the time being as it faces heavy competition from giants such as Amazon and Flipkart.

Generally, when such internal rounds happen, it means that existing investors want to give the company some money to go forward. This bridge round could well be a path to something bigger and it will buy some time for the company to execute their plans in in terms of reducing the cash burn.

But Sethi claims that $16 million is "more than sufficient" to get the company to profitability and its growth targets.
Around 44 Canara Bank customers based in Kolkata, victims of the ATM skimming fraud that happened last month, are a happy lot today as they have got their lost money back.

The incident took place between July 29 and 30 when the Gariahat branch customers, who frequently used the ATM machine at Golpark, complained about losing between Rs 2,000 to Rs 80,000 in multiple transactions. It was later found that the ATM machine was rigged, according to a report in The Times of India.

Since a large number of customers complained to the bank about such transactions, the cops discovered a citywide skimming racket and arrested two Romanians.

When I had lost the money, I felt hopeless. That was the amount I had borrowed from a moneylender to invest in my fish business and suddenly it was all gone. I felt like committing suicide. Now that I got my money back, I have withdrawn the entire amount and would never keep a large amount in the bank anymore, said Jugal Bar, who lost Rs 80,000.

"I had almost started crying on losing Rs 40,000 at a go. My father and I had rushed to the bank and even had a heated exchange of words with the bank officials who had failed to give us any solid assurance. But after they called me in the morning and informed me that they have already started the process of refunding the money. I am relieved," another customer Anindita Mukherjee told the paper.
HD Kumaraswamy swearing-in Vidhana Soudha

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal together ran up a bill of at least Rs 10.5 lakh, when they attended the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, according to a report by Bangalore Mirror.

As many as 42 top leaders, including chief ministers, were invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

A Right to Information (RTI) reply accessed by the tabloid has given the break-up of the cost incurred by the exchequer.

Naidu ran up a bill of Rs 8.72 lakh for his stay at the Taj West End hotel in Bengaluru. Naidu checked in on May 23 and checked out on May 24, the report suggests.

Delhi CM Kejriwal ran up a bill of Rs 1.85 lakh which included Rs 71,025 for in-room dining (food/juices) and beverages worth Rs 5,000, the report said.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati ran up bills of Rs 1.02 lakh and Rs 1.41 lakh, respectively.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot ran up bills of Rs 1.02 lakh each.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar ran up bills of Rs 64,000 each.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisis presence was billed at Rs 38,400 each.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi ran up a bill of Rs 45,952.

Overall, the seven-minute swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy cost the Karnataka government Rs 42 lakh.

According to the report, Government of Karnatakas State Hospitality Organisation did not spend any money to provide for the accommodation of guests who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah on May 13, 2013 and BS Yeddyurappa on May 17, 2018.

However, the SHO spent Rs 37.5 lakh for accommodation and food during Kumaraswamys swearing-in ceremony. Two five star hotels  Taj West End and Shangri La  were used to accommodate the guests.

As much as Rs 4.35 lakh was spent on a hi-tea buffet organised at the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall on May 23. Tea and snacks for which were supplied by Taj West End, the report mentioned.
India and the US are in touch over New Delhi's invite to President Donald Trump to visit the country, and the date, time and occasion of the possible trip are under consideration, official sources said on Thursday.

The sources indicated that India was not exclusively looking at his presence at the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest and that various other options are also being explored.

"The date, time and occasion of the visit is still being under consideration," said an official source.

India extended an invitation to the US President to visit the country and the option of his gracing the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest was explored during meetings between the two sides on the invite, it added.

Last week, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump has received an invitation to visit India, but no decision has been taken yet.

"I know that the invitation has been extended, but I do not believe that a final decision has been made," Sanders told reporters when asked whether Modi has invited Trump to be the Chief Guest at the next year's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited President Trump for a bilateral visit to India during their talks in Washington in June 2017.

If Trump accepts the invitation, it is expected to give a major boost to ties between the two strategic partners in key areas of defence, security and trade.

The Trump administration has been pushing for deeper strategic cooperation with India, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where China was expanding its influence.

Every year, India invites world leaders to attend its Republic Day celebrations.

In 2015, the then US President Barack Obama had attended it as the chief guest which was his second visit to India as American President.

This year, leaders from 10 ASEAN countries had attended the Republic Day celebrations.

In 2016, the then French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest of the parade while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebrations in 2014.

The heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.
August 09, 2018 / 06:12 PM IST

Railway authorities cancelled three passenger trains and short-terminated four other as incidents of blockade and stone pelting were reproted from Nanded division of the South Central Railway.

Train no 11014 Bengaluru-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus was halted at Lonavala station for over 15 minutes in the afternoon after close to 200 activists stopped the train.
rajya sabha PTI1_4_2018_000050B rajya sabha

The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman elections is yet another platform for the Opposition parties to exhibit their unity after the fiasco of the no-confidence motion held in the Lok Sabha last month. Not only the Opposition, but even the NDA government will get an opportunity of identifying its loyal allies from the sulking/estranged ones.

The post of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman has been vacant since the retirement of PJ Kurien in June this year. Kurien was elected to the post on a Congress ticket from Kerala.

When will the election be held?

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu announced in the House that the election will be held on August 9 at 11 am  the second last day of the Monsoon Session. He also proposed that the deputy chairman be elected by consensus.

What are the guidelines to be followed by the MPs (Members of Parliament)?

Article 89 of the Constitution of India directs that the vacancy for the post of Deputy Chairman be filled at the earliest.

In the absence of a deputy chairman in the Upper House, the Chairman may nominate not more than six vice-chairpersons from the members of the council, as per Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Rajya Sabha.

What is the procedure for this election?

For the purpose of nominating a candidate for the post of deputy chairman, any Rajya Sabha MP can submit a motion proposing the name of a colleague. The candidate nominated by a fellow colleague needs to sign a declaration stating that she/he is willing to serve as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. This declaration needs to be submitted along with the motion.

The motion is to be seconded by another MP. Each MP is allowed to move or second only one motion.

Valid motions are taken up in the House on the previous day. If there are valid motions that propose the name of more than one candidate, then the House will decide by majority as to who will be elected for the constitutional post. However, in the case political parties arrive at a consensus candidate, then the Deputy Chairman will be elected unanimously. On 14 of the 19 elections for the post since 1952, there was no contest in the election.

The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244. This implies that in case of a full house, the support of at least 123 MPs will be needed to prove majority.

Who are in line for the Deputy Chairman this time?

The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) has fielded JD(U) MP from Bihar, Harivansh Narayan Singh, for the post. Singh is a former journalist and the former editor-in chief of Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar. He was one of the three JD(U) MPs elected unopposed from Bihar in 2014.

Meanwhile, various media reports have suggested that Congress MP Hariprasad is the likely candidate of the Opposition. Earlier news reports had also suggested that NCP MP Vandana Chavan was the likely choice of the Opposition; but she had told the Press that nothing has been decided so far.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said that five sets of nomination papers (5 proposers and 5 seconders) were filed by the combined Opposition, The Indian Express has reported.

The names of DMKs Tiruchi Siva, nominated member K T S Tulsi and BJDs Prasanna Acharya was also doing the rounds.

What do the numbers indicate?

A lot depends on the fence sitters in this election. While the K Chandrashekhar Raos TRS is most likely to support the NDA, Chandrababu Naidus TDP is certain to vote against it.

The Shiv Sena and the Shiromani Akali Dal have extended their full support to the NDA candidate.

Meanwhile, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD announced this morning that it will support the NDA's candidate. In a statement, the party said, "BJD has decided to support JD(U) since the JD(U) and BJD have similar ideological origins- emerging from the Jay Prakash Narayan movement".

The NDA has claimed that it has the support of at least 129 MPs, while the Congress said that their candidate Hariprasad is expected to get at least 121 votes. The magic number is 123 in the case of a full house.

What is at stake?

The NDA which is in minority in the Upper House will be keen on having the Deputy Chairman elected from their party, for easy passage of crucial bills ahead of the Lok Sabha 2019 elections.

The Opposition, on the other hand, having faced a setback once, will traed carefully in order to retain their position. The Congress had already burnt its fingers when the JD(U) had withdrawn from the alliance in order to side with the NDA ahead of the Vice President elections.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

MRF Thursday posted 144.75 percent rise in standalone net profit to Rs 260.74 crore for the quarter ended June 2018, but still missed estimates.

The Chennai-based company that is Indias largest tyre maker had a net profit of Rs 106.53 crore in the same quarter last year.

A Reuters poll of four analysts had expected the net profit to come in at Rs 373 crore.

The company, which makes tyres under the brands Perfinza, ZLX and Wanderer, as well as home paints and toys under the brand Funskool, saw a 3 percent fall in its revenue.

The company clocked a revenue of Rs 3,855 crore for the reporting quarter as against Rs 3,972 crore clocked in the same quarter last year. The Reuters poll had expected revenues to come in at Rs 4,099 crore.
A villager stands in front of a damaged classroom after an earthquake hit Lombok island in Pamenang, Indonesia. (Photo: Reuters)

Even as a second earthquake has hit Indonesia's Lombok island today, users posting on Facebook after the first fatal earthquake were shocked to see animated balloons and confetti popping up when sharing their posts.

The word Selamat was used repeatedly in posts that translates to to survive. The word also means congratulations in some context and this prompted the appearance of balloons and confetti on the Facebook posts. On its own, the word can be used in different phrases that have significantly different meanings.

A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, This feature is widely available on Facebook globally; however we regret that it appeared in this unfortunate context and have since turned off the feature locally. He further added: Our hearts go out to the people affected by the earthquake."



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

A Twitter user Herman Saksono tweeted about the incident. The tweet read: 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.

Volunteers and rescue operators doubled their efforts to rescue people buried in the rubble. Temporary shelters were made for the tens of thousands of people who were left homeless on the Island.
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 today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21 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 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 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 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.
3. Beware of the start-stop scam. A common method pumps use to scam motorists is filling up a lower amount by mistake. For example, say you have asked for fuel worth Rs 1,500. The attendant fills up only Rs 500 worth and after being pointed out his mistake goes ahead and pretends to reset the machine and fills up to Rs 1,000. All the while, you could be under the impression that you received Rs 1,500 worth of fuel. (Representative image)

Mazda Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor Corp and Yamaha Motor Co improperly tested vehicles for fuel economy and emissions, the Japanese government said on Thursday, in the latest cases of data falsifications by the nation's manufacturers.

The government had ordered the automakers to make checks after revelations of improper testing at Subaru Corp and Nissan Motor Co last year. The growing list of improprieties has tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry, known for high-quality, efficient production.

Suzuki, Mazda and Yamaha cleared vehicles for emissions or fuel efficiency even in cases where they were tested under invalid conditions, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry looked at tests done for different periods at the three automakers, stretching back to 2012 in Suzuki's case.

The conduct of automakers globally has come under intense scrutiny after Germany's Volkswagen AG admitted in 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests, and that as many as 11 million vehicles could have similar software installed worldwide.

Suzuki, Japan's fourth-largest automaker, said that of 12,819 sample cars tested for fuel economy and emissions since June, 2012, around 50 percent had been inspected improperly.

"I deeply apologise and will lead efforts to prevent recurrence," Chief Executive Toshihiro Suzuki told a news conference. The company, however, said it did not find any significant problems with actual emissions and fuel economy performance and therefore planned no recalls.

The ministry said it found irregularities in 4 percent of similar inspections on Mazda cars, and in 2 percent of inspections on Yamaha motorbikes. Yamaha also confirmed it carried out inappropriate testing, and apologised. Mazda said it would hold a news conference later in the day.

Suzuki and Yamaha shares fell more than 5 percent by mid-afternoon and Mazda shares were down 1.3 percent, while the benchmark Nikkei was mostly flat. In July this year, Nissan admitted it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 vehicle models sold in Japan.

Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi Materials Corp and Toray Industries - all key suppliers of motor parts to global manufacturers - admitted to product data fabrication last year.

Many of the automakers, already hit by lacklustre sales, have also been under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on imported vehicles.
The Pentagon is shown with the Air Force Memorial in the foreground in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC1A2CF0C430

The US Defence Secretary James Mattis has conveyed that Pentagon is in complete agreement with US President Donald Trump about considering space as a possible war-zone in the future. Pentagon is planning to establish a combatant command until the space force is created.

Trump issued an order in June this year to kick off preparations to form the Space Force as a separate branch of the US Military along with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

As reported by the RT, Mattis was not in favour of setting up a separate war force for space, but he sees the need for it now and agrees to Trumps point of view that space is a war-fighting domain just like the land, air, and sea.

The other countries capable of attacking those assets in future, hence its necessary for the US to protect them. These latest comments from Mattis indicate that they are looking at setting up a combat command first and go ahead with forming the Space Force.
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 September 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 September 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.
As the world commemorates 73 years of twin atomic bombing on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the name of Tsutomu Yamaguchi instinctively comes to the mind. As an only recognised person to have survived both bombings, his story is a history lesson for the future.

Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, on an official visit on behalf of his employer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The day was supposed to be his last day in the city as he and his co-workers had finished the oil tanker project they were working on.

Early morning, on that day, as the sun climbed up, an American B-29 bomber also soared over the city dropping a small object. This was Little Boy, a uranium gun-type bomb which caused a blaze of light similar to the lightning of a huge magnesium flare as soon as it touched the ground.

What followed the light was a destruction unforeseen. The haze and smoke from the impact blinded the sun and the explosion almost wiped the humanity from Hiroshima.

I didnt know what had happened, Yamaguchi had later told the British newspaper The Times. I think I fainted for a while. When I opened my eyes, everything was dark, and I couldnt see much. It was like the start of a film at the cinema, before the picture has begun when the blank frames are just flashing up without any sound.

Merely three kilometres from the drop point, Yamaguchi received direct exposure to the radiations and sustained burns on his body. Source: Wikimedia Commons

As fate would have it, Yamaguchi, after resting for the night in an air raid shelter started his journey towards Nagasaki, his hometown where his wife and an infant son was waiting. He had no idea that he was to face another atomic bomb that would also be waiting for him in Nagasaki.

As he was explaining his ordeal at Mitsubishis Nagasaki office to his boss, on August 9, 1945, a more powerful plutonium implosion-type bomb named Fat Man brought devastation to the city. I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me from Hiroshima, he later told the newspaper The Independent.

His wife and the kid also somehow survived the bombing. But, the double exposure to radiation took its toll on his health and he fell seriously in the following days. Yamaguchi slowly recovered and went on to live a relatively normal life.

Yamaguchi refused to talk about the experience much of his life, opening up only in the 2000s when he wrote a memoir and spoke about nuclear disarmament before the United Nations.

A year before his death in 2010, he was officially recognised by the Japanese government as nijyuu hibakusha, or twice-bombed person. Though there are other records and testimonials which say there were up to 165 people who survived both the attack, Yamaguchi remains the only one recognised by the government.

You can watch his half-an-hour testimonial of the bombings following this link
Australian Economic News Updates Enjoy a contrarian outlook on the Australian economy  and how movements beyond our borders could affect your stocks, retirement fund or the value of your home. Go here for more.

Daily Chinese Economy News Chinas economy has been a powerhouse in recent years. But times are a changing and China, for better or worse, is a subject of heated debate. Are there investment opportunities to be still had from China, and how will they affect your wealth at home? Find out here.

US Economy News The US economy is drowning under the weight of its public and private debt. But is it too soon to call the end of this financial, military and political empire? Only time will tell. Either way, you need to make sure your investments are on the right side of the trade.

Eurozone Economy The Eurozone is in a huge mess right now. Can it hold it together or will, one-by-one, member states leave the Euro and go at it on their own? More importantly, what consequences will this have for Australia and your investments? More on that here.

Global Economy News Dont just follow the news on the global economy  get an inside peek into whats happening in developed and emerging economies around the world  and what it could mean for your investments. Go here for more.
A downtown Vancouver office tower assessed at a value of approximately $425 million a year ago is set to be sold by Telus Corp., a mere 3 years after beginning its operations in the city.

With a floor area of around 500,000 square feet, the office property will net Telus roughly $170 million from its share of the building, the company stated during the announcement of the sale late last week.

The telecoms giant explained that the move was in response to the favourable real estate opportunity presented by the citys vibrant commercial property market. Telus and Westbank Corp. jointly own the building.
More and more, were seeing baby boomers in British Columbia downsizing from a detached home to a condominium, Royal LePage Northstar Realty managing broker Michael Trites said. Increasingly, they are transitioning into condos to unlock some of the equity they have built up in their homes, while gaining more flexibility as their health and lifestyle preferences change.

Read more: Massive cohort of buyers about to enter unprepared housing market, warns study

On the other hand, 46% of Ontario boomers said that they would go for condos as their next homes. 40% expressed readiness to move to new markets in search for greater affordability, with 32% saying that they are willing to move more than an hour away from their current locations.

Boomers in Ontario are looking to reduce expenses as they approach retirement, Royal LePage Your Community Realty broker Caroline Baile explained. They are looking to transition into a lifestyle that gives them more freedom to pursue other activities without having to deal with time-consuming upkeep and unexpected repairs.

Meanwhile, Quebecs boomers are the most likely to be satisfied with their current living situation, according to the poll. Only 11% said that they are planning new home purchases in the next half-decade, and fully 62% preferred to renovate than buy a new residence. They are also the most likely to stay put in their current locations, with 77% saying that they are not planning to move to a new market upon retirement.
Median sales prices increased in 90% of measured markets, 161 of the 178 metros; while 24 (13%) saw double digit gains, down from 30% in the second quarter of 2017.

"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," said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. "With not enough homes for sale, multiple bids caused prices to rise briskly and further out of the reach of some prospective buyers."

Most, least expensive markets

The five most expensive housing markets in the second quarter were the San Jose, California metro area, where the median existing single-family price was $1,405,000; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, $1,070,000; Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, California, $830,000; urban Honolulu, $795,200; and San Diego-Carlsbad, $645,000.

The five lowest-cost metro areas in the second quarter were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio, $94,400; Cumberland, Maryland, $94,900; Decatur, Illinois, $96,900; Elmira, New York, $106,300; and Erie, Pennsylvania, at $121,700.

"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."
Delawari has revamped his style when working with clients, but his business has always been purchase-focused and hes always taken that holistic approach with his realtor partners. Figuring out what they do, what they like and dislike, what they need, and how he can deliver on that is something that they wantand dont getfrom originators.

We all are in a sense, cut from the same cloth; we all are selling the same product and doing the same thing. I think the biggest difference is the consistency on my end, where I work heavily directly with the realtors and trying to build more of a relationship with them, than just asking for business, Delawari said. Its a very long-term type of commitment where it takes a year to a year and a half to build this relationship, but once that relationships is built, its powerful, because thats where the business comes through.

Playing that kind of long game is the strategy thats going to get originators through the current market swing. Delawari says that the biggest challenge facing originators today isnt getting clients in the door; its keeping in touch and staying top of mind throughout the process thats taking much more time than it has in recent years due to low housing inventory.

Prior to the last few years, when a client was referred to us, within two or three months, they got into escrow . . . Now, that same client, you have to connect with over maybe nine months, 12 months, and then that client has now moved through two realtors, and every time theyve moved, that relationship gets diluted. Its been very challenging to maintain all that, Delawari said.

Challenging, sure. But being able to figure out what your clients need and how you can consistently provide it to them is how originators can make themselves indispensable. Delaware Pacific also operates in a market that has a significant number of entertainers and self-employed professionals who are less likely to have straightforward financials, and therefore need the one-on-one advisory services of an experienced mortgage professional.
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
Odessa Police Department

An Odessa man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a child abuse investigation, according to an Odessa Police Department press release.

The child has since died, according to OPD.
The man accused of killing his two children as they begged for their lives was released from the hospital Wednesday and sent to jail, with wounds from his suicide attempt still visible in his newly released mug shot.

Jean Pierre Ndossoka, 61, is facing two counts of capital murder in connection with the Saturday double slaying at his Houston apartment. Police picked him up early the next day in Pasadena, after he allegedly shot himself inside his car.

The killings came hours after Sabine Ntongo dropped her two children - 1-year-old Anna-Belle and 8-year-old Marcel - at their father's house for visitation. The couple had been married for six years and recently separated, police said.

While Ntongo was at work, Ndossoka called her repeatedly, telling her she needed to come by his apartment on Fondren.

'DADDY, I'M SORRY': Children cried, begged before father allegedly slit their throats

Eventually, he told her he'd killed the children and "left her a present," according to court records.

Ntongo rushed over to the home around 3:30 p.m. and let herself in. On the bed, she found the bodies of her two children, their throats slit.

When police showed up, they allegedly found a bloody knife and a hand-written note in French near the bed, telling Ntongo she would "carry the burden" of her children's souls.

Ndossoka had apparently fled, so authorities mounted a search. Early the next morning, officers located him in Pasadena, still alive but bleeding from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At first he said he didn't remember what happened, according to court records.

But under questioning at the hospital, police say he admitted he "did something bad" and claimed to have high blood pressure. First, he allegedly said he'd choked the children. Then, records show, he admitted to using a knife - and he told police his children's last words.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," his son said, according to court records. Meanwhile, his 1-year-old daughter cried.

Ndossoka was arrested and charged Sunday. If convicted, he could potentially face the death penalty.

He doesn't appear to have an assigned attorney yet and is due back in court on Wednesday.
Please enable JavaScript to experience the functionality of this website.

- MWEB
The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information.

These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community.

They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth.

In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind!
#InspiringFiftySA: Cocreating a brighter female tech future

Bonnie Horbach is a true Jill of all trades. She's been the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, based here in Cape Town, for the last five years, and spearheaded passion projects the likes of Inspiring Fifty SA, with the second round of winners announced last night. Here, she explains the importance of encouraging more females in the Stem professions and why she says, "there's something special going on in Africa"...

Bonnie Horbach, Dutch CG in Cape Town and founder of Inspiring Fifty SA.

Inspiring females are all around us in the realm of technology and innovation, but if we dont make a noise about them, we often dont notice theyre there.



For example, disclaimer: I was one of this years 276 Inspiring Fifty SA nominees (that impressive number is up from last years 250), as an industry analyst in support of the philosophy, "If she can see it, she can be it, and my passion for issues of inclusion, equality and diversity, highlighted in my weekly



#FairnessFirst: Attention! Alexa and Siri are not real-life 'women in tech'!

I didnt make the cut, but it really is such an honour to be nominated, especially when you see the calibre of entries.



Heres another fun fact: my telephonic interview with Horbach below was transcribed through Voyc, one of the many inspired innovations created by one of the inaugural Inspiring Fifty SA winners, Lethabo Motsoaledi of Motsoaledi & West.



#EntrepreneurMonth: Fast-track innovation with design-thinking methodology

But I digress. What exactly is Inspiring Fifty? I caught up with Horbach for a detailed overview, as well as a chat on the state of African innovation ahead of her transfer to Lithuania, and what lies ahead on the next rung of her personal career ladder



Share an overview of Inspiring Fiftys origins and the quality of entries. Share an overview of Inspiring Fiftys origins and the quality of entries. Inspiring females are all around us in the realm of technology and innovation, but if we dont make a noise about them, we often dont notice theyre there.For example, disclaimer: I was one of this years 276 Inspiring Fifty SA nominees (that impressive number is up from last years 250), as an industry analyst in support of the philosophy, "If she can see it, she can be it, and my passion for issues of inclusion, equality and diversity, highlighted in my weekly #FairnessFirst articles.I didnt make the cut, but it really is such an honour to be nominated, especially when you see the calibre of entries.Heres another fun fact: my telephonic interview with Horbach below was transcribed through Voyc, one of the many inspired innovations created by one of the inaugural Inspiring Fifty SA winners, Lethabo Motsoaledi of Motsoaledi & West.But I digress. What exactly is Inspiring Fifty? I caught up with Horbach for a detailed overview, as well as a chat on the state of African innovation ahead of her transfer to Lithuania, and what lies ahead on the next rung of her personal career ladder

Lets dive right into the criteria the judges look for from the nominees, to make that final 50. Lets dive right into the criteria the judges look for from the nominees, to make that final 50.

The organisational impact of the women in the companies they work in; They look at whether they have a social impact and whether they are giving back  thats very important, especially here in South Africa; They look at the innovation impact of their work; and the fourth element is that of context. Thats in terms of where the women come from, because you know better than I do that in South Africa, some have a more difficult path than others so you have to take that into account, see where they have ended up and to honour their path.

Its also very important to note that its not about race and colour, but about the different sectors, businesses, academia. Is it an area thats very male-dominated? If so, the first woman to enter that field always has a more difficult task to pave the way than the woman who follows after.

So true. Talk us through the need to bring more visibility to the achievements of women, especially in innovation and tech; and particularly in Africa. So true. Talk us through the need to bring more visibility to the achievements of women, especially in innovation and tech; and particularly in Africa.

Yes! That ties in strongly with your focus on the If she can see it, she can be it movement. Yes! That ties in strongly with your focus on the If she can see it, she can be it movement.

@UCTEBE is running a Women in Engineering campaign in the faculty to attract more females into engineering. We have some amazing female engineering students who are doing great things #WomEng #UCTNews pic.twitter.com/jOF7hXooD4  EBE Faculty (@UCTEBE) April 25, 2018

It made such a difference, not only to me, but to all of the women in the company who aspired to do the same. All of a sudden, I was seen by all the senior managers as someone with potential  normally, they would not even look at me.

Yes, I think it's actually worse there, because those big corporates are usually so entrenched in that mindset of male leadership and that thats just the way it is. Yes, I think it's actually worse there, because those big corporates are usually so entrenched in that mindset of male leadership and that thats just the way it is.

So ultimately, having a few women on the board isnt necessarily even true diversity, even though theyre different genders. Lots of food for thought in that. Jumping ahead to the fact that youre leaving SA very soon, please share a few of your highlights from your time here and what's next in your career So ultimately, having a few women on the board isnt necessarily even true diversity, even though theyre different genders. Lots of food for thought in that. Jumping ahead to the fact that youre leaving SA very soon, please share a few of your highlights from your time here and what's next in your career

Now, people are looking at the African continent from an opportunity perspective rather than from an aid perspective. Thats very important, because we need to see each other as equals. More than ever before, the African continent is in the driver's seat. People know what they want and how they want it, and we - from a first-world stance - have to start listening to them.

That's amazing. I've certainly felt your impact myself, from when we first met at a #CocreateSA design event a few years ago, where it all started. I'm sure we'll still hear from you and your future successes. Will you still be involved in Inspiring Fifty? That's amazing. I've certainly felt your impact myself, from when we first met at a #CocreateSA design event a few years ago, where it all started. I'm sure we'll still hear from you and your future successes. Will you still be involved in Inspiring Fifty?

There is something special about this continent, there is a special chemistry now and an eagerness to change the lives for the better. I am very hopeful and positive about the future of South Africa and Africa as a whole.

Read more

Leigh Andrews' articles About Leigh Andrews Leigh Andrews AKA the



Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen , is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews

Inspiring Fifty is a platform that recognises the top fifty most inspiring women working in Stem, with the network and platform proving fundamental in addressing the under-representation of women in tech.It also offers a network of role models to girls and young women aspiring to work in the sector, thereby ensuring a representative, diverse workforce in technology.It was started in the Netherlands by two women in tech. They had their own company, and noticed that they were always the only females in bigger groups. They decided they wanted to change that to benefit the field of technology, particularly by inspiring young girls to choose technology and the Stem subjects in school.That's how Inspiring Fifty Netherlands started, which snowballed to include Inspiring Fifty Nordics, Inspiring Fifty UK and France and Europe.I met one of the ladies during a visit to the Netherlands for business. She spoke about the Inspiring Fifty initiative and I said, This is so amazing, Im going to take it to Africa, I'm going to take it to South Africa.So last year, we held the first Inspiring Fifty here in Africa. Thats the first time its been held out of Europe. Now theres also Inspiring Fifty Canada, but Africa was first, so that in itself is an accomplishment!Last years Inspiring Fifty SA was already very successful, so this year we wanted to continue and build the brand.Inspiring Fifty really creates a remarkable network as each new batch of nominees is introduced. What also contributes to the strength of the network is the focus on all the women and not just the final 50. I looked over the 276 nominees and I must say I'm relieved not be a judge, it would be so difficult to choose!The standard and quality of what these women have achieved is just amazing. I honestly do not think that the Netherlands has the calibre of women that one sees here in South Africa.Last year, one of Inspiring Fifty founders was an Inspiring Fifty SA judge, and she also commented on the calibre of the countrys nominees. We could have easily made it the #Inspiring200SA, instead! When I go through those that havent made the cut, I go, Wow, this one really should have made the cut and this one, and this one! But its not for me to decide.It really is difficult, because you want to ensure they are judged on the same set of criteria. So the judges will look at:Thats exactly what Inspiring Fifty is about.If they have walked that rocky path and succeeded, the young girls that follow them will have it easier.Firstly, Its particularly important for women who have succeeded in the Stem fields to be acknowledged and showcased. We just dont hear about the brilliant females or see their stories. By doing so, they become role models for other girls and women, and by connecting them, they will find a support network.This also extends to panels at seminars and conferences. Were tired of only seeing men on these panels. By showcasing women, hopefully these brilliant will not be overlooked anymore.In any case, there should be more diversity in any leading profession. We all have different perspectives, and a diverse team with different people makes better choices so it is not only about male and female, it is about encouraging diversity.By highlighting women in these influential positions, people will hopefully not walk past and think, Oh, it's just the coffee lady. In my experience as the Consul General, often I would be in a room where people would look to me to get the coffee ready. Upon hearing who I am, the look in their eyes would be that of: It is important that we all change our perspectives, that we change our perceptions to realise that women can be whatever they can be. We need to get to a point where it is not impossible for a woman to be whatever a man can be, so that the future generation can follow in those footsteps.Yes, last year, we tried to collect inspiring women from all walks of life and from all sectors, so the mix of winners was as diverse as possible.This means that it is not only women who run their own business or have flourished in academia. We honoured a variety of women making an impact in all aspects of Stem, across sectors.For example, one of last years nominees worked for TFG, the Foschini Group.She was their first coloured, non-executive member in senior management and when we spoke to her about the impact of her nomination, she said:So Inspiring Fiftys broader purpose is also about changing the mindset of established businesses.Exactly, and the women that they do select for their core team are those who do not always represent the reality  for example, they are not single moms.Often, the women who are selected are women who stay in the office beyond the expected hours and have the same outlook as those male leaders. Thats why the men identify with them.Well, the easy answer is that Ill be the Kingdom of the Netherlands ambassador in Lithuania, but singling out just one highlight is too difficult because Ive had the best time in South Africa.There are so many events and initiatives we organised and so many different people I've met who inspired me, whether that was through Inspiring Fifty, which is definitely one of my babies and one of my highlights. Another highlight was the Changemaker dinners.I organised these dinners every six weeks around a specific theme: Women's Day, tech, history, etc. Basically, people from different walks of life who do not know each other from the outset - myself included - gathered at my residence to talk about these sometimes-difficult topics in the intimacy of my house. It is an amazing platform; I usually get so excited that I cannott sleep afterwards - its such an energising experience to really listen to each other and create a better understanding for each other's perspectives!So thats one of the things I loved working on  making connections and building the #CocreateSA brand from the very start.Hopefully, Ive also been successful in changing the perception in the Netherlands about how to look at the African continent. If I look back, five years is a long time and I think the paradigm has shifted in that time.This is also why Im also sad to leave, because the African continent has just started the journey. Things are changing and we're only at the beginning of it all.I would have loved to be part of the journey for a longer period of time.Yes, I am hoping to introduce it in Lithuania - so that will be fun. My heart lies on the African continent, so one way or the other, I will come back, and not just for a holiday!
How creative artistes are fighting against ...
TC Map Showing Some Proposed Treatment Locations June 2018 View Photos

Sonora, CA  As wildfire season rages officials share word of a multi-million dollar grant that will fund forest management plans in the Mother Lode and boost the local economy.

In an interview with Clarke Broadcasting, Tuolumne County Administrative Analyst Liz Peterson recounts that the soon to be incoming $5 million award was a major collaborative between the county and U.S. Forest Service along with other Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions (YSS) stakeholders. While YSS members represent a spectrum of interests ranging from timber industry members to environmentalists, Peterson points out, Everybody is all in together to make sure that this is successful for the industry, forest, residents and air quality.

Last December the board of supervisors signed the countys Master Stewardship Agreement under which it can conduct restoration projects on the forest. It also provides the mechanism to apply and receive receive funding for supplemental project agreements, also known as SPAs. It turned out that CAL Fires California Climate Investment Forest Health program, which is funded by cap and trade monies, was the first opportunity that presented itself for larger landscape projects. The countys original request was for $14.7 million. A total of $91 million was awarded across the state.

Stepping Out To Lead Stewardship Efforts

On a global scale, what this means is that we are going to take quite a large step towards restoring the health of the National Forest, certainly the Stanislaus National Forest, Peterson enthuses. As we are seeing now with impacts from forest fires  and they are burning at high intensity and severity with tree mortality on the landscape  fires are becoming a more serious threat every year. We get to be proactive about making a change to bring the landscape to a healthier place so that the impacts from fire are reduced.

Too, she comments, We would see increased habitat. We are hoping to do some meadow restoration projects through the Master Stewardship Agreementsome reforestation stuff. It is really a whole range of things. The goal is to restore the forests to the healthy state that we all know they need to be in.

She adds that the economy also stands to benefit as the projects will be going on for the next few years. Ideally, we are going to bring more jobs here with the work that we need to do. We are going to have more contractors, the mills could potentially add shifts, she maintains. Unlike many other counties, Tuolumne already has the industry infrastructure: two mills, two biomass plants and a wood shavings plant.

A Suite Of Activities To Consider

The submitted project list, which must now be whittled down somewhat, includes several low-hanging fruit Forest Service projects that had gotten through all the federal environmental hoops but did not have funding to begin for the next few years. Describing the groups approach, We looked at what could be completed within the March 2022 timeline when the money has to be spent, she confides.

Among the wish list activities, all focusing within the Tuolumne River watershed area around the 1987 Complex Fire footprint are fuel reduction; thinning; mastication; reforestation; biomass removal; prescribed fire preparation.

Additionally, there is also a LiDAR acquisition request to gather more data, mapping and analysis, which will help determine future projects. LiDAR radar can pick up on forest characteristics like tree mortality, water retention and vegetation density. Mapping the county then processing and validating the data, which might cost $1.5 million, would provide valuable planning tools.

News of this latest grant comes on the heels of a $178,000 USDA rural business development grant received last month, as reported here, which will study biomass removal from local forests in ways that benefit local forests and businesses.

Other Forest Health, Fire Prevention Awards

Today, CAL Fire formally announced its funding awards. Two other forest health projects in this grant cycle were awarded locally. One, for $2.1 million to Save the Redwoods League in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, will focus on increasing carbon sequestration storage potential, augmenting climate change and fire resilience, enhancing critical habitat and improving water quality in Calaveras Big Trees State Park and at Beaver Creek. The project will also begin developing a cohesive plan for managing fire and other threats.

The other, a nearly $2.7 million award to the University of Nevada-Reno, will fund a Sierra Nevada-wide silvicultural treatments and fuels reduction program involving six counties, including Tuolumne.

In addition to the forest health grants, CAL Fire also divvied up $79.7 million in prevention project awards statewide to 142 recipients. Locally, the County of Tuolumne received over $1.6 million; Highway 108 Fire Safe Council just over $250,000; State Parks and Recreation over $102,000. In Calaveras County, the Calaveras Foothills Fire Safe Council was awarded six grants totaling nearly $3 million; Calaveras Resource Conservation District received almost $101,000; Utica Water and Power Authority, $7,000.
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.
A food handler's course accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services is being offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Hale County Office.

"Food Safety: It's In Your Hands" is scheduled for Aug. 7 from 9:30 11:30 A.M. at the Hale County Extension Office - 225 Broadway, Suite 6, Plainview, Tex.

This one- to two-hour course will now be required for all food service employees to help promote the service of safe food. The certificate is good for two years and is valid anywhere in Texas. The course is a basic overview of food safety practices that are necessary to ensure that safe food is served at your establishment. Practices discussed include good personal hygiene, cross contamination and time and temperature abuse.

The "Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER)" was revised and updated and effective Oct. 11, 2015.

A major change in the revision now requires all food employees to complete an accredited food handler's training program within 60 days of employment, effective Sept. 16, 2016.

To register for the course, call the Extension office at (806)291-5270. The deadline to register is Aug. 6 by noon.

The cost is $20 per person and must be paid in full before the course begins.

The class is taught in English but Spanish handouts are available if requested in advance.

For more information about the Food Handlers Course contact Deana Sageser, CEA-FCH at (806)291-5270, e-mail dlsageser@ag.tamu.edu. or come by 225 Broadway, Suite 6 in Plainview.
The site of a former waterpark between Midland and Odessa has been sold, and the new owner plans to reopen it as a different waterpark.

Key Realty owner John Herriage on Thursday confirmed the transaction and that the redevelopment will include an event center. Herriage said the new owner will be using some of the existing infrastructure. The former water park property has been sitting vacant for about 11 years, he said.
Hi Carolyn!

My mother-in-law has spent much of her life accumulating collectibles, heirlooms and furniture with the rationale that she will give them to her children and grandchildren someday. Her four grandchildren are still in high school. She's decided that "someday" is now and is getting upset that her family isn't jumping at the chance to own figurines or her great aunt's china set, much less my husband's bedroom set from the 1970s.

The thought that none of us will take all her things even when she's gone is causing her genuine angst. Unfortunately, donating doesn't bring her joy and she's gotten very upset with me when I donate outgrown or unused items she's given us. I know this is an increasing problem for many of us, the "sandwich generation." Is there any hope for middle ground? Our house has small closets and no storage and my husband has a tenuous relationship with his parents.

-- A Loving Daughter-in-Law Who Will Never, Ever Use Christmas China

You're in a no-win position, I'm sorry.

Which you can use the figurines to depict in a room-size battle diorama!

Here is an assurance that is probably not very reassuring:

Your dilemma is underway across three entire generations right now, give or take a few outliers: an older generation of avid collectors, a younger generation of avid stuff-renouncers, and a middle generation wondering when it volunteered to play messenger between the two.

This massive demographic remodel is documented here (http://bit.ly/StuffIt1) and here (http://bit.ly/StuffIt2) and here (http://bit.ly/StuffIt3) and elsewhere.

If there's any chance that information will help your mother-in-law take things less personally, then do share it with her.



Columnist Carolyn Hax dishes out advice daily.

Email Carolyn at

Read the Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com , follow her on Facebook or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com Read the daily Carolyn Hax columns at https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/advice/

But also don't lose sight of what this is about. Her reaction says it well: It's about feelings, not stuff. As it has always been. Stuff acquisition showed everyone who you were or wanted to be, and handing things down said you lived on in people's hearts and homes in some small way. Pride and a sense of connection -- they won't be denied, even when the figurines have to be.

So, make sure that when you say no to (most of) this stuff, you're mindful of the feelings. Be kind and complimentary. Ask for stories behind things. On occasion, find some small and/or useful things to accept -- even if it means replacing something you already own just like it. And, ask her to hold certain items for when the grandchildren have homes of their own. It's OK to knick some knacks down the road.

If she asks you to hold them?: "I would, if I had the space. So do you want to store it for them, or would you rather donate it?"

Be her partner in "Kids these days ... " confidences, too, to the extent you can do so sincerely: "I know, this china was a status symbol for so long. (It's lovely, by the way.) Now status is in using less and traveling more ... and please don't kill the messenger!"

Some tokens excepted, you're still saying no to it all, of course -- which means there's a risk throughout that your mother-in-law will see through you far enough to resent you. Ultimately, though, your responsibility to her feelings is to respond to her kindly -- not to do what she wants or expects.
It's like goat yoga, but with cats. And you can adopt them.

San Antonio Pets Alive and RIIM Fitness are hosting two sessions of "kitty yoga" later this month to encourage adoptions and fostering as well as teach people about how to volunteer to help our feline friends.

"We wanted to do something, especially since it's so hot outside, for the cat lovers," SAPA director of operations Clare Callison said. "And we wanted to make this into a big cat scene adoption event."

Callison said they held a similar event earlier in the year, puppy yoga, and got a huge response. But the original idea came from the wave of goat yoga sessions sweeping through the nation.

"We don't have goats, but we have cats and dogs, and people love them," Callison said.

RELATED: Mixing goats with yoga? Not baaad

One of SAPA's board members Tracey Lammert is a yoga instructor and will be teaching the classes at RIIM, which is letting SAPA use its studio for the event.

SAPA will arrive with a mobile adoption trailer filled with cats at 10 a.m. on Aug. 25., and the two yoga classes will be held from 12-1 p.m. and 1-2 p.m.

All attendees need to do is bring a yoga mat and some water. Kittens will be running around the studio during the classes doing, well, whatever it is that kittens do. (Play with yarn? Sleep on your back? Poke your face? Might be a good time to practice planking before going.)

"People can pet them, and they will be playing and running around," Callison said. "It'll be fun."

The event is free and open to the public. RIIM Fitness is located at 11635 Huebner Rd Suite 105, San Antonio, TX 78248.

Check out the slideshow above for photos of kittens up for adoption at SAPA as well as photos from their previous event, puppy yoga. You know you want to look.

Chase Karacostas is a staff writer for mySA.com. | Chase.Karacostas@express-news.net | Twitter: @ChaseKaracostas
BRIDGEPORT - A Korean citizen who police said tracked his ex-girlfriend to Hawaii, Alaska and finally this city as she desperately tried to elude him, was arrested outside her bank here.

Kwak Kyu Dong, 61, who is charged with stalking, was brought into Superior Court here Thursday afternoon in handcuffs and leg restraints.

Judge Tracy Lee Dayton continued the case for one day so that a Korean interpreter could be located.

Senior Assistant States Attorney Stephanie Damiani told the judge she will ask for a high bond because of the seriousness of the allegations.

Police said on Wednesday officers were dispatched to the parking lot behind the Bank of America on Main Street for a woman screaming.

When officers arrived, police said they found Dong standing in front of a car staring at the female driver. Police said the woman was hysterically crying and only calmed down after they had Dong handcuffed and in the back of a police car.

Police said the woman told them she had been in an abusive relationship with Dong but had managed to escape. He had tracked her to Hawaii so she fled to Alaska and then finally to a friends home here, police said.

But Dong had managed to get the womans bank account information and police said he was waiting for her when she came out of the bank after making a withdrawal.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the past 15 months, at least 40,000 people said they were interested in attending anti-Trump rallies hosted by a group that Facebook banned last week, including a sing-along in front of the White House and a protest in Rome when the president was meeting with the pope last year, according to archived pages.

The popularity of these events highlights a weakness in Facebook's new mission to encourage users to join groups of like-minded individuals and meet up offline. "Resisters," the group Facebook removed as part of a crackdown on inauthentic accounts ahead of the 2018 midterm election, organized at least 30 events, capitalizing on one of Facebook's most powerful tools for political organizing.

The use of events to spread disinformation and further polarize the public builds on a tactic used by Russian operatives around the 2016 election. Facebook stopped short of saying who was behind the 32 pages and accounts it removed last week, but some lawmakers and academics attributed it to Russia.

Even as the 2018 midterm elections draw closer, Facebook does not appear to have increased its oversight of event listings the way it has done for posts and political ads -- other elements of the platform that have been co-opted by Russian forces seeking to stoke social and political unrest in the United States. Facebook has hired thousands of moderators and is building tools to review content. The company largely relies on existing group administrators to police those who join their groups and promote their events.

Events generated or backed by inauthentic operators could become fodder for real-world confrontations with the "potential for violence," said Laura Rosenberger, the director of the Alliance for Security Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. The United States, she said, "has a highly polarized population that is very emotional about issues, and the Russians have figured out how to tap into that."

"Security is an arms race. While we keep getting better, so do our adversaries, which is why we've come forward with what we know and are sharing information with law enforcement and other companies," said Facebook spokesman Andy Stone. "This is a challenge that affects all of us." He said that Facebook has increased scrutiny of event listings before big demonstrations, such as the upcoming far right rally Unite the Right rally in Washington, D.C., put together by the organizers of Charlottesville, Virginia.

It is unclear whether all of the events organized by Resisters took place -- or exactly who first created them. Suspected Russian agents worked side by side with legitimate liberal activists as co-administrators of the Resisters page. For some of their political events, they piggybacked on existing protests or enlisted the support of groups like MoveOn and Code Pink as co-hosts. Neither organization recalled interacting with anyone at Resisters.

The fluidity with which Resisters appeared to comprehend the real-world organizing strategies of Americans and to take advantage of tools Facebook has built to galvanize groups shows a growing sophistication, said Renee Diresta, the policy lead at Data for Democracy, a group of technology researchers dedicated to promoting integrity online.

The blurred lines between politics and propaganda also unnerved some lawmakers, who are set to question executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter about their efforts to safeguard online platforms at a September hearing.

"Activism is healthy for our democracy," said Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will hold the hearing. "But what we can't encourage are inauthentic bad actors that try to hijack and undermine the role of activism - or worse, who try to stoke violence - in our democratic society."

The number of people who checked a box saying they were "interested in attending" or had RSVP'd to show up at Resisters-linked events totaled 41,043 people, according to a tally by The Washington Post. At least 28,000 additional Facebook users received invites to attend the rallies and protests, the data show. The Digital Forensics Lab at the Atlantic Council, which received the data from Facebook, and Jonathan Albright, research director for the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, provided information and analysis for this story.

"It's vital that Facebook continue to proactively identify foreign actors engaged in manipulative behavior on their platforms, and to take the additional step of notifying users - not just the event organizers - who have been exposed to their content or expressed interest in attending an event," said Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Events and groups receive less oversight than other parts of Facebook. Any individual or group on Facebook can host an event, which appears as a separate Facebook page with its own invitee list. The creator of an event can invite other individuals or groups to host it and send out invitations.

Albright said that Resisters appeared to have recruited real-world organizers to co-host and help organize at least 10 demonstrations. One organizer, who did not want to be named to protect his privacy, said that Resisters paid him $150 to buy Facebook ads in order to promote a July 4, 2017 "flash mob" in front of the White House, where the organizer said several hundred people showed up in attire inspired by the French Revolution and sang protest songs from the musical "Les Miserables."

In January, more than 4,000 Facebook users were invited to attend a rally outside the White House about Trump's travel ban on majority-Muslim countries. A total of 7,000 people were also invited to participate in two July 2017 protests in New York City and Washington, D.C., against Trump's proposed ban on transgender troops.

In a September 21, 2017, Facebook post promoting a fall rally at Trump Tower, Resisters appealed to people disgusted by reports that Russia had spread disinformation on major social media platforms. In its call to protest, Resisters cited a Facebook page that had been linked to the Kremlin's online troll army, the Internet Research Agency, which was the subject of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's indictment for election meddling earlier this year. Facebook said last week it found two links between Resisters and the IRA.

"Please share this!" the Resisters post said. "Russian propaganda page Being Patriotic organized pro-Trump rallies promoted by the Trump campaign."

In June 2017, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg officially changed the mission statement of Facebook to emphasize how it could be used to facilitate real-life meetings and interactions. Instead of merely connecting the world and giving everyone a voice, Zuckerberg said, Facebook's purpose would be to "build community and bring the world closer together." He has set a goal of helping one billion people become part of Facebook groups within five years.

"Online communities strengthen physical communities by helping people come together online as well as offline, even across great distances," Zuckerberg said when he announced the new mission at the company's first Communities Summit, a gathering Chicago for administrators of Facebook groups, such as addiction support communities and female biking clubs.
Entrepreneur Media

By now, the business case for diversity and inclusion in the workplace is well documented. Over a third of minority professionals leave companies that are not diverse and inclusive. When new hire costs can rise to $500,000 and more, high attrition rates become a major drain on the bottom line. On the positive side, companies that are culturally inclusive outperform their competitors by 80 perform, so there are strong financial incentives to foster a more inclusive culture.

Janice Omadeke founded the Washington, D.C.-based The Mentor Method to help corporations achieve their diversity and inclusivity objectives through mentorship, something she says is critical to baking into a companys culture at every level, not just as a HR initiative. Omadeke describes The Mentor Method as the eHarmony of corporate mentoring, meaning the software uses algorithms to match emerging talent with more experienced employees to increase diversity and employee retention.
The sign on her door reportedly said, "Save the drama for your mama."

But when that message didn't appear to get across to the man masturbating on her doorstep, the 68-year-old Houston woman warned she would have to go get her pistol.

The woman, identified only as "Granny Jean" in local news, was taking out her trash about 5:15 Tuesday evening when the man riding his bicycle while masturbating approached her, according to Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson.

"She was alarmed by this," Crowson told reporters at the scene, and the woman started back toward her house.

The man followed her - still masturbating.

"Some guy pulled off his pants and pulled his pants open, playing with his thing," she told KTRK, the local ABC affiliate, "and he ran up in my yard, and I told him to get away from my door, or I will shoot him."

He didn't stop coming, Crowson said. And meanwhile, the woman's 14-year-old granddaughter was inside.

So she did what she promised and ran to grab her gun.

She said the man kept approaching, "reaching for my door," she told KTRK, "and he wouldn't stop. So, I shot him through the door."

Crowson said she struck the man with a single shot to the chest, near his shoulder.

The man then stumbled back through her front yard, wobbled onto his bicycle and attempted to pedal away, Crowson said. Then he collapsed on the sidewalk, where paramedics ultimately rushed him to the hospital.

He is expected to survive his injuries, Crowson said.

Crowson said the Harris County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case and it is not clear whether the woman will face any charges. Texas is a stand-your-ground state.

Jean's neighbors told reporters they would have done the same thing in her shoes.

"Ain't no telling what else he was gonna do," one woman said. "You don't know what he got. She was protecting her property."

As for the unidentified man, Crowson said the police are familiar with him. He was arrested a couple weeks ago while running down the street naked, he said.

"I don't bother nobody," the woman told KTRK. "I don't get in nobody's business. It's just me and him, and like I keep saying, I warned him."
WASHINGTON - A federal judge in Washington halted a deportation in progress Thursday and threatened to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt after learning that the Trump administration started to remove a woman and her daughter while a court hearing appealing their deportations was underway.

"This is pretty outrageous," U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said after being told about the removal. "That someone seeking justice in U.S. court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?"

"I'm not happy about this at all," the judge continued. "This is not acceptable."

The woman, known in court papers as Carmen, is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union. It challenges a recent policy change by the Justice Department that aims to expedite the removal of asylum seekers who fail to prove their cases and excludes domestic and gang violence as justifications for granting asylum in the United States.

Attorneys for the civil rights organization and the Justice Department had agreed to delay removal proceedings for Carmen and her child until 11:59 p.m. Thursday so they could argue the matter in court.

But lead ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell, who was participating in the court hearing via phone from her office in California, received an email during the hearing that said the mother and daughter were being deported.

During a brief recess, she told her colleagues the pair had been taken from a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, to the airport in San Antonio for a morning flight.

After being informed of the situation, Sullivan granted the ACLU's request to delay deportations for Carmen and the other plaintiffs until the lawsuit is decided, and ordered the government to "turn the plane around."

Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni said he had not been told the deportation was happening that morning and could not confirm the whereabouts of Carmen and her daughter.

The ACLU said later that government attorneys informed them after the hearing that the pair was on a flight to El Salvador.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, which implements deportations, did not respond to questions about why Carmen and her daughter were removed from the country.

"In compliance with the court's order, upon arrival in El Salvador, the plaintiffs did not disembark and were promptly returned to the United States," a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said Thursday evening.

Eunice Lee, who is co-counsel for the plaintiffs in the case and co-legal director at the University of California at Hastings' Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, said: "It must have been absolutely terrifying for them to think they would be returning to a country where they raised very credible claims of persecution and death. It's outrageous to me that while we were working around the clock, filing briefings for this case's early morning hearing, that people in the government were actively arranging for Carmen's deportation."

The Justice Department declined a request for comment.

To qualify for asylum, migrants must show that they have a fear of persecution in their native country based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a "particular social group," a category that in the past has included victims of domestic violence and other abuse.

Carmen fled El Salvador with her daughter in June, according to court records, fearing they would be killed by gang members who had demanded she pay them each month or suffer consequences. Several co-workers at the factory where Carmen worked had been murdered, and her husband is also abusive, the records state.

Under the fast-track removal system, created in 1996, asylum seekers are interviewed to determine whether they have a "credible fear" of returning home. Those who pass get a full hearing in immigration court.

In June, Sessions vacated a 2016 Board of Immigration Appeals court case that granted asylum to an abused woman from El Salvador. As part of that decision, Sessions said gang and domestic violence in most cases would no longer be grounds for receiving asylum.

"The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes - such as domestic violence or gang violence - or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim," Sessions wrote at the time.

The ACLU lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala - three of them children - all of whom failed their initial "credible fear" interviews.

Two of the children and their mothers were deported before the suit was filed. None of the adults had been separated from their children as part of President Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy.

The lawsuit says Sessions' ruling, and updated guidelines for asylum officers that the Department of Homeland Security issued a month later, subject migrants in expedited removal proceedings to an "unlawful screening standard" that deprives them of their rights under federal law.

Asylum seekers previously had to show that the government in their native country was "unable or unwilling" to protect them. But now they have to show that the government "condones" the violence or "is completely helpless" to protect them, the lawsuit says.
Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan Democrat who is on track to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress, said Thursday she is unlikely to back Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California for leader of House Democrats.

Tlaib's comments, made in a CNN interview two days after her primary win in Michigan's 13th District, make her the latest progressive insurgent to come out against the longtime leader of House Democrats.

"Probably not," Tlaib said when asked whether she plans to support Pelosi. "I think, for me, I need someone that again is connected with just the different levels of poverty that's going on, the fact that there are structures and barriers for working families in my district that need to be dismantled."

She did not offer any names of other candidates she would potentially throw her support behind, saying only she is seeking someone who understands her passion for working for the people and who will not support big banks, which she described as "troubling."

Tlaib won the Democratic primary on Tuesday in the race to succeed former Rep. John Conyers Jr. and faces no Republican opposition on the November ballot, making her the presumptive winner.

As the Democratic establishment grapples with a wave of anger among grass-root members over its response to President Donald Trump's policies and rhetoric, a growing chorus of progressive voices has called for generational change in the party's congressional leadership, with this fall's caucus vote for Democratic leader having become something of a litmus test for candidates in this year's midterms.

Among the more than a dozen Democrats who have voiced reservations about voting for Pelosi are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, Danny O'Connor in Ohio and Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania, who is viewed as having kicked off the trend in a campaign ad ahead of his special election win earlier this year.

The first step in the process of a electing a House speaker typically takes place in November, when each party holds its internal leadership elections. A candidate needs to secure the support of a majority of his or her fellow Democrats or Republicans to be elected party leader.

Pelosi, who has led House Democrats for 15 years, could face an intraparty challenge similar to the one she encountered in 2011; that year, Pelosi won but nonetheless had to contend with a rebellion among 63 Democrats who backed Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, for leader.

The second step of the process is a floor vote in January. This step typically sees fewer defections: It has been nearly 100 years since an election for House speaker in which a candidate failed to secure the 218 votes necessary for election on the first ballot. The most dramatic show of opposition in recent years came in January 2015, when 25 House Republicans voted against John Boehner, R-Ohio, for speaker; the defections nonetheless were not enough to sink Boehner's bid.

Even so, if Democrats retake the majority this year by only a few seats, Pelosi's margin for error on the House floor come January will be narrow, and the votes of newcomers such as Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez could prove pivotal.

In Thursday's CNN interview, Tlaib also fielded questions about a tweet earlier this year in which she said, "we're changing the Democratic Party, getting rid of sellout Democrats, and making sure this is a party for and by the people!" Asked whether she would consider Pelosi among those "sellout Democrats," Tlaib declined to say.

"I don't know. All I can tell you is she doesn't speak about the issues that are important to the families of the 13th Congressional District, and they are a priority for me," she said.

---

Video Embed Code

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)

Embed code:
5 1 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Chris Marquette / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5









WESTPORT  Mold remains at Coleytown Middle School, according to Elio Longo, Chief Financial Officer for the Westport Public Schools.

There are certain areas of the school that weve identified have a surface mold issue from testing as of last Friday. It is ongoing at this time, Longo told the Board of Finance at its meeting on Aug. 1 in response to BOF Commissioner Lee Caneys question of whether there is still mold at the middle school.
NEW MILFORD  After years of planning and months of work, motorists can use the new roundabout in town.

The project  at the intersections of Still River Drive and Lanesville and Pickett District roads  entered the third of four phases on Aug. 2, which meant the circle actually opened to traffic.

Concerned residents took to Facebook last week, expressing fears about how the new traffic pattern would roll out, but no accidents were reported.

The major message is dont yield when youre in the roundabout, said Daniel Stanton, the towns engineer.

Switching from a four-way stop is designed to ease congestion and make the road safer because of the lower speeds, and the circular design is meant to prevent T-bone collisions.

The Public Works Department posted advice and videos to its Facebook page on how to handle the new pattern and the Police Department had road signs and two officers to help. Theyve switched back to a regular maintenance protocol, though, based on the success last week, Stanton said.

Were all really excited for this project, he said.

He said its been a long time since New Milford had a rotary. The last one was near Bridge Street before he moved to town.

Right now, only passenger vehicles, buses and smaller trucks can use the roundabout. Stanton said the bus company has been working with its drivers and will be ready for the start of school at the end of August.

Tractor trailers can only go straight through the roundabout if they are traveling east on Still River Drive.

Tractor trailer trucks cant circumnavigate the roundabout until the granite curbs and truck aprons are in place, Stanton said.

The truck aprons add width to the circle and are needed to accommodate the rear wheels of the trailer. The lanes are already large enough for buses.

The aprons and curbs will be completed during this latest phase, which is scheduled to wrap up around Sept. 20.

Everything in construction is weather permitting, Stanton said.

Phase four will begin after that and last about a month. This work includes milling and paving Danbury Road to the Still River Drive bridge, which Stanton said hasnt been done in about 15 years.

Its overdue, he said.

The roundabout has been years in the making. It was proposed during a traffic study the town completed several years ago. That study also showed there were delays on Still River off Route 7 and on Still River by Grove Street and Pumpkin Hill Road during the morning and evening commutes.

Hopefully this will ease congestion on Still River Drive, Mayor Pete Bass said.

Guerrera Construction Co. was awarded the construction contract in April and began work the following month.

The $1.1 million project is paid for using a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program grant funded by the Western Connecticut Council of Governments and the state Department of Transportation.

Bass and Stanton said the project is on track.

Im glad the contractor is moving in a timely manner, Bass said.

kkoerting@newstimes.com
Contributed Photo / Westport Police Department / Contributed Photo

WESTPORT  A New York man was charged after he tried to cash a forged check at a town bank, police said.

Sammie Spells, 59, of Bronx, New York, was charged with third-degree identity theft, second-degree forgery, third-degree forgery, credit card theft and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appears to have moved from criticizing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to strategizing about how to blunt its impact should it imperil President Donald Trump.

The most promising instrument in this effort, he suggested in unfiltered remarks last month, is retaining a GOP-controlled Congress.

Even if he had been speaking publicly, the eight-term Republican might not have chosen his words differently. He is an adamantly pro-Trump lawmaker who in February released a memorandum accusing the intelligence community of conspiring against the president. In May, he sought documents from the Justice Department - as part of his investigation into the law enforcement officials leading the Russia inquiry - that senior intelligence officials maintained could expose a top source and endanger lives.

But it was in private, at a closed-door fundraiser for a Republican colleague, that Nunes took the new step of tying the investigation to the midterm elections this fall. In comments captured in an audio recording aired Wednesday by "The Rachel Maddow Show," Nunes laid out in stark terms the rationale for preserving the GOP majority in Congress.

"If Sessions won't unrecuse and Mueller won't clear the president, we're the only ones, which is really the danger," Nunes said at an event for Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, referring to Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, and Robert Mueller, the special counsel. Sessions said last year that he would keep his distance from inquiries related to the 2016 election owing to his role in Trump's campaign - a move that has frustrated the president, leading him to blame his own attorney general for the "Russian Witch Hunt Hoax."

"I mean, we have to keep all these seats," Nunes added. "We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away."

He seemed to suggest that congressional Republicans formed the last line of defense against potential fallout from the probe into Russian election meddling. He called this a "classic Catch-22 situation," appearing to confuse a "tough spot" - also his words - with a situation in which contradictory conditions make escape impossible.

Maddow said on her show that the tape was made by a progressive organization called Fuse Washington that paid for entrance into the fundraiser, held on July 30 in Spokane, Washington. A spokesman for Nunes didn't return a request for comment sent late Wednesday by The Washington Post.

The remarks drew immediate rebuke from Democrats. Rep. Ted Lieu, also of California, called on Nunes to resign, saying his comments ran counter to the oath of office he had taken upon entering Congress.

Others observed that the lawmaker's actions over the past year made his comments unsurprising. "After all," tweeted University of Texas Law School professor Steve Vladeck, "this has been the only explanation - for quite some time - for his ridiculous behavior on everything from the unmasking scandal" to the "Rosenstein impeachment." Nunes announced last year that he would step aside from his own committee's investigation into Russian interference after the House Ethics Committee said it was examining allegations that he "may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information." He has denied wrongdoing.

Ted Lieu tweeted "Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead.

"Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took."

Nunes made several other noteworthy statements to the audience of GOP donors, also concerning the Russia investigation and its supervision.

He blamed the Senate's schedule - and the interest in swiftly confirming Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court - for the failure of the House to take up impeachment proceedings against Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. Just days before Nunes' closed-door remarks in Washington state, a group of conservative lawmakers introduced a resolution calling for Rosenstein's impeachment, though they stopped short of forcing a vote on the matter. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., responded by saying he opposed the effort and reaffirmed his belief that Justice Department officials were acting appropriately.

But Nunes said that resistance to Rosenstein's impeachment was mostly about scheduling.

"I've said publicly Rosenstein deserves to be impeached," Nunes said. "I don't think you're gonna get any argument from most of our colleagues. The question is the timing of it right before the election."

The danger, he said, was holding up the judicial nomination, as "the Senate would have to drop everything they're doing and start to, and start with impeachment on Rosenstein, and then take the risk of not getting Kavanaugh confirmed."

"It's a matter of timing," Nunes said.

Rosenstein, who appointed and now supervises Mueller, defended the special counsel investigation when he was brought before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this summer.

The series of recordings made public by Maddow do not include every question to which Nunes was responding. But at another point during the fundraiser, he addressed the issue of collusion, considering a hypothetical situation in which a campaign received stolen emails from a foreign power and then released them, labeling this activity "criminal."

"Now if somebody thinks that my campaign or Cathy's campaign is colluding with the Chinese, or you name the country, hey, could happen, it would be a very bad thing if Cathy was getting secrets from the Portuguese, let's say, just because I'm Portuguese, my family was," Nunes said, using McMorris Rodgers as an example in his hypothetical. "But ultimately let's say the Portuguese came and brought her some stolen emails, and she decided to release those. Okay, now we have a problem, right? Because somebody stole the emails, gave them to Cathy, Cathy released them. Well, if that's the case, then that's criminal."

In the portion of his remarks played on MSNBC, Nunes neither compares nor contrasts this scenario with the release in 2016 of private Democratic communications.

The indictment last month of 12 Russian military intelligence officers shed new light on the timing and methods of Russia's penetration into email accounts associated with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president. The same day that Trump publicly urged Russia, "if you're listening," to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing," the indictment revealed, several Russian government hackers began trying to access the email accounts of staffers in Clinton's private office. The indictment further described how the Russians delivered the cache of hacked emails to WikiLeaks, the online organization led by Julian Assange. In 2016, the London-based anti-secrecy activist had contact with Roger Stone, an informal adviser to Trump, according to two of Stone's associates. (The Republican political operative denies communicating with Assange.)

Finally, Nunes, touted by the president as a "Great American Hero," revealed at the fundraiser that even he sometimes winces at the Trump's online communications. He called the president's tweets a "mixed bag."

"Like sometimes you love the president's tweets, sometimes we cringe on the president's tweets," he said, attempting to discredit Mueller's purported examination of Trump's inflammatory posts as part of his inquiry into possible obstruction of justice.

"This is all political," Nunes said.

- - -

https://youtu.be/ALHH8zPXkuk
Robert Ellis Smith, a journalist who published and edited a newspaper covering the civil rights movement in the South during the 1960s and who later became a lawyer and publisher specializing in issues of personal privacy and security, died July 25 at his home in Providence, Rhode Island. He was 77.

The cause was a heart attack, said a son, Marc Smith.

In 1965, Smith was a founder of the Southern Courier, a weekly newspaper based in Montgomery, Alabama. The paper was staffed by alumni of the Harvard Crimson student newspaper, of which Smith had been president as an undergraduate.

The aim of the Courier, which ceased publication in 1968, was to cover events of the civil rights movement that were ignored by mainstream media outlets. Smith was instrumental in commissioning articles for the paper by civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

Smith later worked as a reporter and editor at the Detroit Free Press, Trenton Times and Newsday and as a civil rights official at the old U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

He was a law student at Georgetown University, friends said, when he perceived that technology advances would spawn a cyber culture in which personal privacy would become a hot-button legal and social issue. In 1974, he began publishing "Privacy Journal," a monthly newsletter he launched from a back-alley carriage house in Washington.

A 1977 Washington Post article described Privacy Journal as "the most talked-about Washington newsletter since I.F. Stone's Weekly," the muckraking publication of iconoclastic journalist I.F. Stone.

At its peak in the 1980s, Privacy Journal had about 6,000 subscribers.

Smith was also author of at least a dozen books, including "Ben Franklin's Web Site: Privacy and Curiosity from Plymouth Rock to the Internet" (2000), in which he defined privacy as "the desire of each of us to control the time and manner of disclosures of personal information about ourselves."

In that book and others, Smith traced privacy concerns back to New England in Colonial times, when Puritan leaders monitored behavior and church attendance. He also wrote widely about such issues as wiretapping, the theft of Social Security numbers, information gathered online about individuals and various forms of government surveillance.

He criticized unreasonable requests for information on job applications and credit applications. In 1977, he told The Post about a newspaper editor in the Midwest who was repeatedly turned down for a loan because a neighbor had described his as "a hippie type" - because he drove a Volkswagen bus.

"The technology has become democratized, where it is available to a lot of just average people," he told NPR in 2001, "but it also means, I guess, that the invasion of privacy has become equalized.

In another of his books, "War Stories" (1990), Smith described how a flight attendant was arrested because her name was similar to that of a woman listed in a federal crime database and how private medical records were made public against the wishes of the patients.

Smith also published lists of organizations that could help people fight what they considered intrusions on their privacy.

Robert Ellis Smith was born Sept. 6, 1940, in Providence. He graduated from Harvard in 1962 and from Georgetown University Law School in 1975. He served in the Army in the 1960s.

As an editor at Newsday in 1968, he was essential in launching Brumsic Brandon Jr.'s "Luther," one of the country's first daily comic strip featuring black characters.

Smith moved to Washington in 1970 and served for three years as assistant director of the Office for Civil Rights in what then was the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

He served on the District of Columbia Human Rights Commission in the 1980s, helping determine cases involving discrimination based on race, gender, age and sexual orientation.

In about 1990, he moved back to Providence, where he continued to publish Privacy Journal. He taught at Harvard, Brown University, the University of Maryland and Roger Williams University law school in Rhode Island.

He was a former town commissioner of Block Island, Rhode Island, where he had a vacation home.

His marriages to Theresa Osgoode and Kathryn Ritter ended in divorce. Survivors include two sons from his first marriage, Marc Smith of Corning, New York, and David Ellis Smith of San Diego; a son from his second marriage, Benjamin Smith of Providence; and four grandchildren. A son from his second marriage, Gregor Smith, died in 2013.
The general manager of a San Antonio Taco Cabana was arrested Wednesday after a 16-year-old employee accused him of groping her and bribing her to keep quiet, according to court records.

Junior Olvera, 29, faces a charge of indecency with a child by contact. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

RELATED: Northwest Side school that trains veterans on dog-handling raided

Olvera went to the Taco Cabana where he and the victim work around 2 a.m. on July 7 with a group of friends, according to his arrest affidavit. While there, he asked the victim, who was working, if she wanted to go with him to get marijuana, police said.

She agreed, and at about 3 a.m., she took a break and left with Olvera, according to the affidavit.

He first took her to his house, then to Sugar's strip club, off Northwest Loop 410, and parked behind the business to wait for the drugs. While parked, Olvera groped her, the affidavit says.

"The victim reported that she was traumatized and was unable to speak," the affidavit says.

Later, Olvera returned the victim to work, but groped her again before she could leave the car, police said.

RELATED: SAPD looking for man accused of stealing thousands in equipment from his employer

A co-worker later told police Olvera "offered (the victim) money ($60.00) and said he would give her more hours at work if she kept quiet about the incident," the affidavit says.

The victim called police the day of the assault, authorities said. Detectives investigated and gathered evidence, including apologetic texts to the victim from Olvera, that corroborated her story, according to the affidavit.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Olvera on July 25 and booked him into jail on Wednesday. If convicted, Olvera faces up to 20 years in prison.

The teenager also told multiple co-workers and family members about the assault, and word spread to another manager at Taco Cabana, who in turn notified the company's Human Resources Department, authorities said.

A representative of Fiesta Restaurant Group, the corporation that owns Taco Cabana, was not immediately available for comment regarding Olvera's employment status.

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
"Human rights" is a phrase we don't hear much from President Donald Trump, and it's not hard to figure out why. His admiration for autocrats is by now well established. He praises Egypt's Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, China's Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and, of course, Russia's Vladimir Putin. Autocrats everywhere have got the message: The president of the United States will not consider interfering in their internal affairs (well, at least unless they're Venezuela or Iran). They can torture critics, kill journalists, crack down on protesters - and Washington won't say a word.

Here and there, we've seen attempts by other nations to pick up the banner that Trump has dropped. The latest country to do so is Canada, which last week issued a strong challenge to the government of Saudi Arabia. But the Canadians' experience soon showed why their voice - however heartfelt - doesn't carry quite as far as Washington's.

On Aug. 1, Amnesty International announced that the Saudis had placed women's rights advocate Samar Badawi, whose brother Raif Badawi has been in prison since 2012, under arrest. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called on the Saudis publicly to release both Samar and Raif. Canada has a particular interest in the case because it granted asylum and Canadian citizenship to Raif's wife and children.

The next day, Canada's official foreign ministry account echoed Freeland's message, urging the Saudis to "immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists." When the Canadian Embassy in Saudi Arabia dared to post an Arabic-language version of the demand, the kingdom responded with fury.

First the Saudi government declared the Canadian ambassador persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 24 hours. Then Riyadh announced the freezing of trade relations with Canada, ordered thousands of students studying in Canada to leave the country, and suspended flights by the Saudi state airline to Toronto. Incredibly, the kingdom even pulled Saudi patients out of Canadian hospitals.

Observers were baffled by the ferocity of the reaction, which drew increased attention to Canada's concerns and made Saudi Arabia seem a less inviting place to foreign investors at a time when it is trying to attract them. Yet the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who in other areas is indeed a daring reformer, has lately done many other perplexing things. Not least among his puzzling moves has been the recent arrest of several prominent activists for women's rights - just after accepting one of their most high-profile demands by allowing them to drive.

On social media, Saudis and their supporters tried to explain the government response. By using the words "immediately release," and by doing it so publicly, they argued, the Canadians had appeared to be dictating policy to the Saudis.

Criticizing another country, especially a friendly one, over human rights is complicated. And the question of whether to do it quietly or openly has long dogged diplomats.

The West wants the crown prince's social and economic reforms to succeed, even if they fall short on personal and political freedoms. But the Trump administration has no stomach to seriously challenge Riyadh - and the United States, arguably, is the only country with the political, economic and diplomatic clout to produce results. The United States, after all, is Saudi Arabia's most important partner. The Americans provide the kingdom with weapons, investment and crucial petroleum technology, while the Saudis and the Americans have backed each other in power disputes throughout the Middle East.

Yet the United States took a strikingly feeble, neutral stance on the Saudi-Canadian spat, saying it's a matter for the two countries to resolve. The European Union followed Washington's cue with similarly anodyne statements. If the United States isn't prepared to speak up, few others will do so. Meanwhile, the Saudis' harsh reaction showed just how little leverage Ottawa ultimately has.

Yes, it's true that the United States has often been a flawed advocate for human rights, guilty of many grievous transgressions and missteps throughout its history. Still, it has persisted in trying to support ideals that many people around the world view as worth embracing. The values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights once had a powerful defender in Washington.

That all ended when Trump arrived. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson notoriously told U.S. diplomats that promoting values "creates obstacles to our ability to advance our national security interests."

The cause of human freedom takes up little space in Trump's picture of a perfect world. During his sole State of the Union speech so far, he did not utter the phrase "human rights" a single time - though he did fulminate against North Korea's horrific treatment of its people, declaring, "No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea."

His moral indignation turned out to be entirely conditional. After Trump met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Singapore a few months later, all was forgiven. "He loves his people," Trump said of Kim, calling him "funny" and "smart."

The State Department still lobbies for rights, but the president's words have far more impact. As activists sit in prison, their families waiting, they watch countries such as Canada try to take America's place - and accomplish little. But these activists are used to working patiently against the odds. They know that sooner or later, everything changes, including the person sitting in the Oval Office.

- - -

Ghitis is a columnist for World Politics Review and a regular CNN.com opinion contributor.
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico -- During his campaign, Donald Trump called American investment in this city "an absolute disgrace." He lobbied Ford to stop building a $1.6 billion factory here, and the company acceded.

It appeared that this colonial capital, booming thanks to auto companies lured by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), could be undone by the Trump administration's efforts to gut one of the world's most profitable free-trade zones.

But after more than a year of strained NAFTA negotiations, the unemployment rate here is approaching zero. On the horizon, a sprawling BMW factory glitters, nearly completed, in the desert sun. Recruiters stalk the main plazas with pleading signs: "We are searching for talent."

Even as NAFTA talks continue, Mexican cities like San Luis Potosi continue to thrive, a sign of how deeply entrenched the U.S. automotive industry - driven primarily by low labor costs - is in Mexico.

"The feeling we are receiving from our customers is that nothing is going to change," said Jorge Luis Gonzalez, the manager at a factory owned by Samvardhana Motherson Group and producing hundreds of thousands of rearview mirrors every year for more than a dozen major automobile companies,.

Why are cities such as San Luis Potosi thriving while NAFTA's future remains unresolved? Part of the reason is that Mexico has reshaped the auto industry in ways that cannot be undone as quickly or as dramatically as Trump has suggested.

And increasingly, it appears that trade negotiators are reaching the same conclusion: U.S. officials were optimistic that an agreement with Mexico on key parts of a new North American trade deal would be announced this week and would require more manufacturing work to be done at higher wages, probably in the United States. But experts are expecting concessions for companies already operating in Mexico.

San Luis Potosi is not alone in weathering NAFTA uncertainty surprisingly well. The value of the Mexican peso has risen more than 10 percent in the past two months. The country's stock index is up more than 5 percent in that time. Those increases are due in part to the stance of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist whose support of NAFTA has quelled some concern about the future of the automobile industry.

After NAFTA took effect, it was not just big car companies that opened plants in cities like this one - it was a universe of auto parts manufacturers, whose factories now pepper central and northern Mexico. More than 90 percent of the Americas' steering wheels are produced in the city of Matamoros. The same city hosts the largest windshield wiper manufacturer in North America.

In San Luis Potosi, the Samvardhana Motherson Group produces rearview mirrors for multiple companies including Mercedes-Benz, Chevrolet and Volkswagen. In another factory, the company produces a fuel pump component used in 9 million cars annually. For perspective, Americans buy 12 million new cars annually.

"With regards to trade with the U.S., particularly in the manufacturing sector, we had record numbers in 2017, and we will have record numbers again in 2018, despite Trump's threats," said Luis de la Calle, Mexico's former undersecretary of the economy. "One reason is that the U.S. economy is strong, and the other is that we're more integrated than people think."

Still, the Trump administration has pointed to the ways NAFTA has increasingly left American companies out of the production cycle. In 1995, the average item manufactured in Mexico included 26 percent of American "value-added," according to a Department of Commerce report released last year. In 2011, that number was down to 16 percent.

"While NAFTA has achieved its goal of increasing three-way trade in absolute terms, American workers and businesses are not benefiting in a way that is fair and reciprocal," wrote commerce secretary Wilbur Ross in The Washington Post, in response to that study.

At the heart of NAFTA are low-paid Mexican workers who continue to produce American automobiles far more cheaply than Americans ever could. Over the last year, as Mexican and American NAFTA negotiators shuttled between their two capitals, business leaders in San Luis Potosi drove deeper into rural villages in search of workers.

For $1.30 an hour, Guadalupe Torres Anguyango, 21, wires the rearview mirrors of the world's newest SUVs.

For $1.25 an hour, Betzida Rivera, 21, makes a component for fuel pumps used in some of the fanciest sedans.

"Seventy percent of the people in my municipality works in the auto industry," Rivera said, on a break from her work inspecting the components.

Decades after NAFTA was introduced, entry-level wages here remain remarkably low, a product of both an enormous supply of labor and relatively toothless unions. The national minimum wage is just over $4 per day.

"Is the U.S. really willing to pay $18 an hour to do this work?" asked Rafael Villanueva, the president of San Luis Potosi's association of manufacturing companies.

The answer to that question can be seen in the evolution of San Luis Potosi's landscape. Where there was once farmland, there are now factories making tires, transmission systems and headlights. The grandchildren of miners are applying for jobs at General Motors.

While some expected Trump's trade war to slow the boom, in the suburbs of San Luis Potosi, there's now more talk of the new BMW plant than there is about NAFTA. (BMW received more than $200 million in tax breaks to open its new plant).

"BMW Group's commitment with Mexico is a long-term investment. The decision of the company to establish in the country is steady, even if one or the other trade agreement might be renegotiated," said Christine Graeber, head of corporate communication for BMW Group's plant in San Luis Potosi.

By 2019, BMW says its new billion-dollar plant will produce as many as 150,000 cars per year. Buoyed by the growing demand for auto parts, smaller companies, like Indiana-based Metal Technologies, are preparing to open their own factories here. The plazas of San Luis Potosi remain full of recruiters.

"What you see is confidence that we have a government that's going to solve this problem," said Jose Manuel Melchor Moreno, the director of economic development of the municipality of Villa de Reyes, just outside of the city of San Luis Potosi.

That confidence in the city's future in the Trump-era wasn't always a given. In 2017, when Ford canceled its plans to build a new plant here, there was a moment of deep fear.

"With a tweet, (Trump) can move our currency," said Villanueva. "Of course people were nervous."

But the tidal wave never came.

Even Ford partially reversed course on its decision to relocate jobs from Mexico to the United States, announcing last December that it would produce electric cars in the city of Cuautitlan, instead of Flat Rock, Michigan, as it had originally said. The reason? Lower labor costs.

Now, the last chapter of NAFTA negotiations will turn on the question of wages. U.S. negotiators are lobbying for a greater portion of a completed automobile to be made in "high salary zones." In other words, a new deal might require that a great portion of auto parts are produced by workers making above $15 per hour.

Companies based in Mexico would then need to decide whether to increase wages - losing their competitive labor costs - or allow jobs to float across the border. What is likely to happen, according to those familiar with negotiations, is that both sides will agree to roughly 40 percent of a vehicle being produced in the United States. One study from the Department of Commerce last year said that, in 2011, U.S. production accounted for roughly 12 percent.

But companies already operating in Mexico might be exempt, experts say. Also, economists argue that companies will likely have the option to continue exporting to the United States from Mexico under the World Trade Organization's "most favored nation" clause, allowing relatively free trade, even in the absence of NAFTA. In fact, some foreign companies in Mexico are already trading based on WTO rules.

"I don't think we'll see any auto manufacturers shutting down in Mexico any time soon," said Daniel Ujczo, an expert in trade law at the Dickinson Wright law firm. "We'll be able to get to that threshold (of U.S. production) without serious disruption to the existing supply chain."

Most experts anticipate that the auto industry's footprint in cities like San Luis Potosi would remain mostly unchanged, even if a new trade agreement requires that a larger portion of an automobile to be produced in the United States.

"The reality is that the competitiveness of the auto industry in the U.S. hinges on the competitiveness of the auto industry in Mexico," said de la Calle, the former economy undersecretary.
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico - During his campaign, Donald Trump called American investment in this city "an absolute disgrace." He lobbied Ford to stop building a $1.6 billion factory here, and the company acceded.

It appeared that this colonial capital, booming thanks to auto companies lured by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), could be undone by the Trump administration's efforts to gut one of the world's most profitable free-trade zones.

But after more than a year of strained NAFTA negotiations, the unemployment rate here is approaching zero. On the horizon, a sprawling BMW factory glitters, nearly completed, in the desert sun. Recruiters stalk the main plazas with pleading signs: "We are searching for talent."

Even as NAFTA talks continue, Mexican cities like San Luis Potosi continue to thrive, a sign of how deeply entrenched the U.S. automotive industry - driven primarily by low labor costs - is in Mexico.

"The feeling we are receiving from our customers is that nothing is going to change," said Jorge Luis Gonzalez, the manager at a factory owned by Samvardhana Motherson Group and producing hundreds of thousands of rearview mirrors every year for more than a dozen major automobile companies,.

Why are cities such as San Luis Potosi thriving while NAFTA's future remains unresolved? Part of the reason is that Mexico has reshaped the auto industry in ways that cannot be undone as quickly or as dramatically as Trump has suggested.

And increasingly, it appears that trade negotiators are reaching the same conclusion: U.S. officials were optimistic that an agreement with Mexico on key parts of a new North American trade deal would be announced this week and would require more manufacturing work to be done at higher wages, probably in the United States. But experts are expecting concessions for companies already operating in Mexico.

San Luis Potosi is not alone in weathering NAFTA uncertainty surprisingly well. The value of the Mexican peso has risen more than 10 percent in the past two months. The country's stock index is up more than 5 percent in that time. Those increases are due in part to the stance of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist whose support of NAFTA has quelled some concern about the future of the automobile industry.

After NAFTA took effect, it was not just big car companies that opened plants in cities like this one - a universe of auto parts manufacturers peppered central and northern Mexico with factories. More than 90 percent of U.S. steering wheels are produced in the city of Matamoros. The same city hosts the largest windshield wiper manufacturer in North America.

In San Luis Potosi, the Samvardhana Motherson Group produces rearview mirrors for multiple companies including Mercedes-Benz, Chevrolet and Volkswagen. In another factory, the company produces a fuel pump component used in 9 million cars annually. For perspective, Americans buy 12 million new cars annually.

"With regards to trade with the U.S., particularly in the manufacturing sector, we had record numbers in 2017, and we will have record numbers again in 2018, despite Trump's threats," said Luis de la Calle, Mexico's former undersecretary of the economy. "One reason is that the U.S. economy is strong, and the other is that we're more integrated than people think."

Still, the Trump administration has pointed to the ways NAFTA has increasingly left American companies out of the manufacturing cycle. In 1995, the average item manufactured in Mexico included 26 percent of American "value-added," according to a Department of Commerce report released last year. In 2011, the U.S. share was down to 16 percent.

"While NAFTA has achieved its goal of increasing three-way trade in absolute terms, American workers and businesses are not benefiting in a way that is fair and reciprocal," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wrote in The Washington Post, in response to that study.

At the heart of NAFTA are low-paid Mexican workers who continue to produce American automobiles far more cheaply than Americans ever could. Over the last year, as Mexican and U.S. negotiators shuttled between their two capitals for talks on NAFTA, business leaders in San Luis Potosi pushed deeper into rural regions in search of workers.

For $1.30 an hour, Guadalupe Torres Anguyango, 21, wires the rearview mirrors of the world's newest SUVs.

For $1.25 an hour, Betzida Rivera, 21, makes a component for fuel pumps used in some of the fanciest sedans.

"Seventy percent of the people in my municipality work in the auto industry," Rivera said, on a break from her work inspecting the components.

Decades after NAFTA was introduced, entry-level wages here remain remarkably low, a product of both an enormous supply of labor and relatively toothless unions. The national minimum wage is just over $4 per day.

"Is the U.S. really willing to pay $18 an hour to do this work?" asked Rafael Villanueva, the president of San Luis Potosi's association of manufacturing companies.

The answer to that question can be seen in the evolution of San Luis Potosi's landscape. Where there was farmland, there are now factories making tires, transmission systems and headlights. The grandchildren of miners are applying for jobs at General Motors.

While some expected Trump's trade war to slow the boom, in the suburbs of San Luis Potosi, there is more talk of the new BMW plant than about NAFTA. (BMW received more than $200 million in tax breaks to build the plant here).

"BMW Group's commitment with Mexico is a long-term investment. The decision of the company to establish in the country is steady, even if one or the other trade agreement might be renegotiated," said Christine Graeber, head of corporate communications for the BMW Group's plant in San Luis Potosi.

By 2019, the billion-dollar plant will produce as many as 150,000 cars per year, BMW says. Buoyed by the growing demand for auto parts, smaller companies, such as Indiana-based Metal Technologies, are preparing to open factories here. The plazas of San Luis Potosi remain full of recruiters.

"What you see is confidence that we have a government that's going to solve this problem," said Jose Manuel Melchor Moreno, the director of economic development of the municipality of Villa de Reyes, just outside of the city of San Luis Potosi.

That confidence in the city's future in the Trump-era wasn't always a given. In 2017, when Ford canceled its plans to build a new plant here, there was a moment of deep fear.

"With a tweet, (Trump) can move our currency," said Villanueva. "Of course people were nervous."

But the tidal wave never came.

Even Ford partially reversed course on its decision to relocate jobs from Mexico to the United States, announcing last December that it would produce electric cars in the city of Cuautitlan, instead of Flat Rock, Mich., as it had originally said. The reason? Lower labor costs.

Now, the last chapter of NAFTA negotiations will turn on the question of wages. U.S. negotiators are lobbying for a greater portion of a completed automobile to be made in "high salary zones." In other words, a new deal might require that a great portion of auto parts are produced by workers making above $15 per hour.

Companies based in Mexico would then need to decide whether to increase wages - losing their competitive labor costs - or allow jobs to float across the border. What is likely to happen, according to those familiar with negotiations, is that both sides will agree to roughly 40 percent of a vehicle being produced in the United States. One study from the Department of Commerce last year said that, in 2011, U.S. production accounted for roughly 12 percent.

But companies already operating in Mexico might be exempt, experts say. Also, economists argue that companies will likely have the option to continue exporting to the United States from Mexico under the World Trade Organization's "most favored nation" clause, allowing relatively free trade, even in the absence of NAFTA. In fact, some foreign companies in Mexico are already trading based on WTO rules.

"I don't think we'll see any auto manufacturers shutting down in Mexico any time soon," said Daniel D. Ujczo, an expert in trade law at the Dickinson Wright law firm. "We'll be able to get to that threshold (of U.S. production) without serious disruption to the existing supply chain."

Most experts anticipate that the auto industry's footprint in cities like San Luis Potosi would remain mostly unchanged, even if a new trade agreement requires that a larger portion of an automobile to be produced in the United States.

"The reality is that the competitiveness of the auto industry in the U.S. hinges on the competitiveness of the auto industry in Mexico," said de la Calle, the former economy undersecretary.
Houston ISD trustees are expected to vote Thursday on whether to freeze teacher salaries or mandate a modest pay increase that could result in budget cuts elsewhere in the district.

The vote pits some HISD trustees and educators, who are advocating for teacher raises, against district administrators, who have said HISD cannot afford pay increases after cutting millions from the 2018-19 budget.

The teacher pay issue unexpectedly has become a point of contention in HISD in recent days.

District administrators said they have expected for months that teachers would earn the same salary in 2018-19 that they earned in 2017-18. They have noted that trustees approved a 2018-19 budget that included no money for teacher salary raises and about $84 million in cuts. In years past, teacher salary increases have been clearly marked in budget proposal documents.

"All throughout the budget building process, which was several months long, we never discussed a raise, nor was the subject broached by any board member, 'By the way, what are we going to do about the step?'" HISD Chief Financial Officer Rene Barajas said.

However, some trustees and the Houston Federation of Teachers, the union representing the most educators in HISD, have said they expected teachers would receive "step" increases in 2018-19 that reward them with additional pay for another year of completed teaching experience.

RELATED: Trustees Santos, Lira call for teacher salary increases

HISD did not produce a proposed teacher salary schedule, which shows pay rates relative to experience levels, until last week. Many teachers and the HFT expected the schedule for 2018-19 would be identical to the schedule from 2017-18, which would result in teachers getting "step" increases. HISD administrators, however, modified the 2017-18 schedule, which was needed to ensure salaries were frozen.

Two trustees, Elizabeth Santos and Sergio Lira, said last week that they will oppose the administration's recommendation for a pay freeze. Santos and Lira both voted in favor of HISD's 2018-19 budget.

To support "step" increases, the district likely would need to trim spending in other areas or dip into its reserve funds. Trustees already approved using up to $17 million in rainy-day funds in 2018-19, though some board members were reluctant to tap any more reserves after pulling about $100 million from the fund in 2017-18.

Thursday's board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
A League City Buc-ee's customer likely saved others from becoming fraud victims after discovering a credit card skimming device on Monday, Aug. 6.

The device was removed from the ATM before three women suspected of installing it could return to collect the credit card information it had recorded, League City Police Department spokesman Kelly Williamson said Wednesday.
Four people who survived a deadly fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos have joined a lawsuit accusing the owner and managers of allowing unsafe conditions in their building.

Benjamin Munoz, Abril Cardenas, Christina Martinez and Pablo Torres, all tenants at Iconic Village, are suing San Marcos Green Investors LLC, the company that owns the apartments; Elevate Multifamily LLC, the property management company; and Deborah Jones, the manager of the complex.

They joined a suit filed in Travis County last month by Phillip Miranda, the father of James Miranda, one of five people found dead after the July 20 fire.

The suit claims the building lacked adequate safety equipment, including a fire sprinkler system, and failed to warn tenants of hidden dangers. It also claims smoke detectors did not activate when the blaze started about 4:30 a.m., failing to alert residents and guests to evacuate the apartments.

READ MORE: Victim's family sues San Marcos apartment owners after fatal fire

James Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant and the four other victims who died had been living or staying in second-floor apartments at Building 500, where the fire started. The others were Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Haley Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo; Belinda Moats, 21, of Big Wells; and David Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena.

The survivors now suing also lived in Building 500 and were injured while trying to escape the inferno.

The fire and smoke damaged two other adjacent structures  Building 300 at Iconic Village and an apartment building at Vintage Pads, another complex. More than 200 people were displaced.

Iconic Village, located two blocks from Texas State University, was heavily populated by students, and three of the five people killed were students.

A massive investigation of the fire continues. Officials say they have determined where the fire started, but haven't disclosed it.

Munoz and Cardenas, who lived together, woke up around 4:30 a.m. to find Building 500 engulfed in flames. Both had to leap out of their apartment's second-story window. Munoz shattered a bone in his foot and suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle. Cardenas was also injured.

After surviving the life-threatening ordeal, the couple got engaged while he was hospitalized.

A 2014 inspection of Iconic Village by the San Marcos Fire Marshals Office indicated there was an inadequate number of smoke detectors, noting that they are required on every floor, every bedroom and every access way to a bedroom. That problem apparently was corrected four months later, according to city records.

That inspection took place before Elevate began managing that property and Vintage Pads in June 2017, a spokesman for Elevate has said.

RELATED: Escaping the deadly San Marcos fire

After the fire, a news release from the city of San Marcos said battery-powered smoke alarms had been installed in each apartment as required by law. The property management company provided records to the city indicating the alarms had recently been inspected.

Still, a number of survivors said they did not hear smoke detectors go off in their apartments. Elevate did not respond to an email seeking comment about the lawsuit. The company previously noted it doesnt comment on litigation.

San Marcos city officials also said the complex wasnt required to have a sprinkler system because it was built in 1970, before the fire code mandated that safety equipment. Buildings only have to be retrofitted with sprinklers if they are substantially remodeled.

The surviving plaintiffs are seeking costs related to their injuries and damages, while Mirandas father, who lives in Arkansas, is seeking a wrongful death judgment. The plaintiffs are asking for more than $1 million.

The Houston-based law firm Arnold & Itkin is representing the plaintiffs.
It can be difficult to keep San Antonio students active over summer break and off their electronic devices, but a new collaboration between the San Antonio Zoo and the University Health System aims to do both while mostly in the shade and near the zoos creatures.

Kids in San Antonio generally are less active in the summer than they are in the winter, said Dr. Robert Sanders, a pediatrician and the associate medical director of PediExpress, the UHS pediatric urgent care center. Schools do provide some physical activities during the school year, as (do) other organized sports, but during the summer in San Antonio its so hot that what Ive found in talking to families and kids is that the vast majority of them ... are spending time inside.

One potential solution? The zoos newly installed fitness trail, a mile long and looping past enclosures containing all sorts of animals.

RELATED: The San Antonio Zoo is advertising a trip to the Amazon

Its a neat collaboration between the zoo and the health system for so many reasons, Sanders said. The primary one is just to get families out there together, being active and doing something thatll get them outside and get them exercising.

With its combination of shade, good views of animals and a vehicle-free walking environment, he added, the trail is a nice, safe place for families to go spend time together.

Signposts mark every quarter-mile of the path and also feature health tips on how to reduce the risk of heart disease and maintain a health body weigh, among other issues. Research shows a third of Texas children are overweight or obese, with an even higher prevalence among Hispanic children.

Jill Reed, who came to the zoo with her 4-year-old daughter Scarlett, didnt know about the trail before arriving, but it fit her needs all the same.

She gets some energy out and sees the animals, Reed said of her preschool daughter. She loves it.

Sanders said the trail also provides an alternative to that other summer-break go-to: technology.

Obviously the health benefits are huge as far as getting the exercise (and) getting out, away from electronic devices and tablets, Sanders said.

The trail gives walkers the chance to see everything from komodo dragons to flamingos, warthogs to gazelles.

READ ALSO: University Health System proposes property tax exemption for seniors

Denise Fluitt came to the zoo from La Vernia with her four grandchildren  Trae Fluitt, 10, Emma Pawlik, 8, Thomas Fluitt, 7, and Lila Pawlik, 4  and said they were having fun, even in the 97-degree heat.

Were loving (the trail), but its hot, she said as her grandkids looked at a nearby giant anteater. Everybodys out of school right now, getting ready to go back, so weve been trying to do as many things as we can.

The fitness trail is not the first collaboration between the University Health System and the San Antonio Zoo. UHS provides medical supplies for the zoos first-aid program, plus flu shots and first-aid training for zoo staff, while the zoo sometimes hosts special events for UHS patients, according to a joint press release from the two organizations.

We may have different functions, but we have shared goals, so we look for ways we can work toward those common goals, said Elizabeth Allen, public relations manager for UHS. Community health, obviously, is a big one for both of us.

Brian Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. @_B_Contreras_
Family and friends gathered at the Chinese United Methodist Church of San Antonio on Thursday to remember a San Antonio couple who dedicated their lives to sharing their faith and knowledge.

More than 160 people filled the sanctuary to celebrate the churchs pastor, Chengju Huo, 52, and his wife, Huixiang Zhang, who were killed last week in a head-on collision on a remote road in West Texas. The couple and their 17-year-old son were traveling in a 2015 Ford Escape on Texas 158 when a 2018 Chevy Cruze drifted into their lane.

Their 17-year-old son, David Newman Huo, sustained serious injuries in the crash, but is expected to make a full recovery.

The driver of the other car, Taron Gipson, 22, of Calvert died in the accident.

RELATED: Teen arrested after police discover alleged shoplifting ring at S.A. mall

The family was on vacation, heading to Yellowstone National Park.

People stood on the outside aisles of packed pews for the memorial service that was conducted in English and Mandarin.

Friends and parents from Alamo Heights High School comforted David Huo as the congregation sang hymns and read Bible passages in honor of his parents.

Before the service, the Rev. John Lee, 55, said his friends passion was to spread the Gospel and his wife shared the same enthusiasm for her mission.

She just expressed it differently as a middle school teacher, he said. She was a sweet lady. She cared for people.

RELATED: Taco Cabana manager accused of groping, bribing teen employee

In July 2016, Huo became pastor of the church that belongs to Las Misiones District of the Rio Texas Annual Conference. Lee helped Huo get his license to pastor at the church that has a congregation of 25 to 30 people.

Huo grew up in Hubei, a province of the Peoples Republic of China.

He was a reporter before he received his calling to the ministry, friends said. He practiced his faith by meeting clandestinely at peoples houses and found a way to get a visa to study at a seminary in the United States.

Lee said his friend was meticulous, bypassing past short cuts, and always insisted on doing things the right way.

Glenn Smith, a friend of the Huo family since 1998, pledged that he and his family would always be by Davids side.
In an effort to expand NASA's space exploration goals, the agency is funding 10 commercial projects such as new technologies for lunar lander propulsion and deep space rocket engines.

"NASA is going back to the moon and on to Mars in a measured, sustainable way," said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator for the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate, during a teleconference Wednesday. "It is American innovation that will lead the way ... and we're providing another opportunity to expand existing partnerships with commercial companies."

The space agency announced Wednesday that it will disperse up to $44 million across the 10 projects, chosen because they "have the potential to significantly benefit the commercial space economy and future NASA missions," according to a space agency statement.

These are projects, Reuter said, that may not have been developed without the agency's help. Six companies, including Blue Origin, were awarded funds.

This is the third year NASA has awarded funding through it's "Tipping Point" program, named this way because funding such projects "improves the company's ability to bring it to market," NASA stated.

But this year, there is a heightened focus on human exploration, with President Donald Trump pushing a return to the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars. His $19.9 billion budget proposal for NASA in the coming year -- which still must be approved by Congress -- funnels billions of dollars to human exploration. It tasks the space agency with sending Americans around the moon in 2023, while also setting aside $504.2 million in the coming year to begin working on the foundation of a $2.7 billion Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway  basically, a mini-space station orbiting the moon where astronauts could live and work. In April, NASA abruptly ended a $250 million rover mission meant to find water on the moon.

Three of the 10 projects -- being developed by Washington-based Blue Origin, Colorado-based United Launch Alliance and Pennsylvania-based Astrobotic Technology -- received $10 million each, while the rest received smaller quantities.

Blue Origin's $10 million project will "mature" cryogenic liquid propulsion through technologies in a lunar lander-scaled integrated propulsion system. ULA's will develop an Integrate Vehicle Fluids system that allows for extended duration operations for lunar landers by taking "advantage of available liquid hydrogen and oxygen on moon," Reuter said. And Astrobotic's will develop a low-cost, reliable and high-performance navigation system "designed to precisely land landers to the surface."

Astrobotic's technology "will assist NASA in dramatically improving the performance of lunar and planetary landing missions," he added.

Another project of note, Reuter said, is California-based Frontier Aerospace Corporation's project, which will receive $1.9 million. The project will advance the company's Deep Space Engine as part of their lunar lander mission (called Astrobotic Peregrine Lunar Lander) planned for 2020.

Each of the six companies are required to contribute at least 25 percent of the projects' costs. The rest of the projects are as follows:

$3 million to Blue Origin to continue development of technologies that will allow for a precise and soft landing on the moon.

$2 million to California-based Space Systems/Loral, L.L.C., (SSL) to advance technologies for robotic refueling of payloads.

$2 million to SSL to develop faster, more efficient propulsion capabilities.

$2 million to ULA to prove that a low cryogenic fuel boil off is possible on long duration missions.

$1.9 million to ULA to demonstrate mid-air retrieval on a vehicle returning to Earth from orbital velocity.

$1.6 million to Arizona-based Paragon Space Development Corporation to develop a Cryogenic Encapsulating Launch Shroud and Insulated Upper Stage (CELSIUS) that could provide enhanced insulation and protection from debris.

"While these key technologies will support NASA's science and human exploration missions in the future, these awards are yet another example of NASA's commitment to our nation's growing commercial space industry today," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
NASA has tasked 13 companies with determining the viability of a commercial economy in low Earth orbit, where the International Space Station has flown since 1998.

The companies -- which include four from Texas -- were tapped Wednesday by the agency, news that follows the announcement last week of the first nine astronauts to fly in the coming years on commercial spacecraft being built by SpaceX and Boeing.

Both announcements highlight heightened governmental efforts to increase commercial company involvement in low Earth orbit. Along with the move to use commercial companies to launch American astronauts to the space station (the U.S. currently relies on Russia to get astronauts there), there also is an effort to transition the space station to commercial operation by 2025. As stipulated in President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2019 budget for NASA, federal funding for the space station would end in 2024.

COMMERCIALIZING SPACE: NASA names first 9 astronauts to fly on commercial vehicles by Boeing, SpaceX

"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 space station division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"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 orbit," Scimemi said.

NASA expects to allocate $11 million in total toward the 13 studies. NASA's statement Wednesday says that "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 Administrator Jim Bridenstine admitted last week that ending federal funding for the space station may not be feasible given the financial burden that would place on commercial companies. Just in fiscal year 2017, NASA spent $1.45 billion on the space station  and that doesn't include the costs to transport astronauts and supplies there.

SPACE STATION: NASA chief says 2024 funding cutoff may not be possible

But commercial companies are already expressing an interest in the idea, he added, and many have submitted plans on how to take over operations, which NASA personnel are reviewing. Wednesday's announcement is just the next step in that process.

The selected companies are:

Axiom Space, LLC, of Houston

KBRWyle of Houston

The Boeing Co., of Houston

NanoRacks, LLC, of Webster, Texas

Bigelow Aerospace, LLC of Las Vegas

Blue Origin, LLC, of Kent, Wash.

Deloitte Consulting of Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Lockheed Martin Corp. of Littleton, Colo.

McKinsey & Company Inc. of Washington, D.C.

Northrop Grumman of Dulles, Va.

Sierra Nevada Co., of Louisville, Colo.

Space Adventures Inc., of Vienna, Va.

Space Systems/Loral, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
Has there ever been a president as obscene as Donald Trump  a president as obtuse, as ignorant, as base, as dishonest, as indifferent to precedent, as contemptuous of civil liberties, as critical of his own government and officials, as brutish, as cold to consequences, as hostile to the media, as casually racist and as self-centered? The answer is no. For comparisons, you have to look abroad.

Ah, but we are admonished from doing that. This is America, and it is special, and it does not swoon for demagogues. It has gone through hard times, sure  the Civil War and the Great Depression and the Red Scare following World War I and the Russian Revolution, and the McCarthy period following the onset of the Cold War. It has done terrible things to the Indians, enslaved blacks and thereafter remained exuberantly racist both in custom and law. It incarcerated Japanese-Americans and for a time was so deeply anti-Semitic that it turned its back on frantic Jews fleeing extermination. But overall  and especially when compared to lots of other countries  we have been downright marvelous. And so we insist.

But did you see Trump at his rallies in Tampa, Florida and Wilkes-Barre, Pa.? The usual litany of lies and invective and the standard slander of the press were upped a notch. This time it was more personal. Horrible, horrendous people, he said of reporters in Pennsylvania. Fake, fake, disgusting news, he said of their product. CNNs Jim Acosta was menaced by the crowd in Tampa. It stood behind him chanting CNN sucks and the president not only did not call for order  did not, in other words, act presidential  but later when his son Eric tweeted a picture of it all, Trump retweeted his approval.

There has never been anything like this in America. We have suffered the occasional regional or third-party fool running for president  the racists Strom Thurmond and George C. Wallace come to mind. No president has ever held the rallies Trump has. The outpouring of venom, the toying with violence gives them an old newsreel cast. We have seen such faces here, contorted in the ecstasy of hate. Yes, in 1957 when nine black kids enrolled in Little Rocks Central High School. Yes, nine years later when Martin Luther King Jr. took his movement to Chicago. It has taken Trump to revive the face of American hate.

The presidents party has fallen into line. His press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to say if she agrees that the media is the enemy of the people  Trumps term of deep totalitarian provenance. But from much of the GOP came cowed silence. Trump has transformed the GOP into an updated Know-Nothing Party  anti-immigrant, for sure, but anti-science as well. Few dare criticize him. Those who do face defeat in primaries, and those who dont vie for his endorsement. Northern liberals once trafficked with Southern segregationists, but this is different. This is now.

Trump has debased the presidency. He has removed America from its moral and practical leadership role in world affairs. Like a bratty kid, he has spitballed foreign leaders  Angela Merkel, Theresa May, Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron  mocking them for their principles. Yet he has nothing bad to say about Vladimir Putin, the neo-Romanov ruler of Russia and soon, maybe, of the so-called Little Russians as well. Ukraine, beware.

He has resumed the exploitation of the wilderness and the pollution of the environment. Above all, he has polluted our politics. The swamp he vowed to drain is now fetid with even more lobbyists and rancid with his lies. He said he would make America great again, but he has reduced it in influence and conducted his presidency in a manner we have never seen before.

Donald J. Trump is a new kind of American president, the sort the Founding Fathers feared. America once again has a mad king.

Richard Cohen writes a column for the Washington Post.
President Donald Trump recently claimed  in a tweet, of course  that the now infamous meeting in Trump Tower between top campaign aides, including his son Donald Jr., and a Kremlin-connected operative was totally legal. He offered the theory that this was so because opposition research is done all the time in political campaigns.

But in drawing this conclusion he is forgetting a few not-so-trivial items.

First, the source of the promised dirt  a lawyer billed, essentially, as representing Russian government interests. In other words, a person acting on behalf of a foreign power. Candidates are prohibited by U.S. election law from soliciting or knowingly receiving items of value from foreigners.

No solicitation? Donald Jr.s response to the offer of a meeting offering dirt from the Russians was, I love it, another way of saying, Bring it on.

No value received because the campaign didnt find the Russian information useful? Value is not necessarily restricted to money donated. Usable opposition research can also be valuable. And its the intent that might be key here, not whether there was actual value.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the president is worried that his son is in legal jeopardy because of the meeting. Which begs the question: If it was totally legal, why worry? The president denied the Post report in a tweet.

There are other long-standing problems with how this story has evolved  rather, devolved. After the meeting came to light, presidential aides insisted that the president had no hand in drafting the response by Trump Jr., which said the meetings agenda was Russian adoptions. It wasnt. It was dirt. And then, yes, it turned out the president dictated the response.

Now, Michael Cohen, Trumps attorney-fixer who appears to be cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller, is reportedly ready to testify that Trump knew of the meeting beforehand, which Trump denies.

Absent corroboration, its Cohens word against Trumps, not an optimum choice. But there is this sequence of events: The meeting is offered, Trump tells voters he will soon have blockbuster disclosures to make about Clinton, and then after the campaign didnt find the Russian offering useful, the blockbuster disclosure never occurs.

Heres the bottom line on the claim that the meeting was totally legal and other claims that collusion isnt illegal. Campaign finance law explicitly states candidates cannot knowingly receive help from foreign powers. Second, collusion and conspiracy are essentially the same thing, and the statutes are clear about conspiracy. Done for illegal purpose, its illegal.

And then interspersed in all this came the presidents tweet that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should shut down the special counsels investigation  which the presidents lawyers then said was an opinion, not a command.

That Sessions  who has correctly recused himself from oversight over the investigation  is not acting on it means he is, in this instance at least, putting his legal obligations before loyalty to Trump.

Trump says that the Clinton camp should be investigated for collusion, adding that the investigation into him is a witch hunt and Russian election meddling is a hoax, though his intelligence agencies say it is very real.

Trumps charge about the Clinton campaign is substantively based on the so-called Steele dossier, which a British operative, commissioned by a firm working for the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, compiled using Russian sources. Because Russian sources were involved, this is allegedly collusion.

But there is active dispute on whether hiring a firm that then hires a British citizen to compile opposition research, whatever its source, qualifies as collusion in the way that a meeting with a supposed Russian agent does.

One can argue  and people are  that it should be the same, but this amounts to whataboutism. It still doesnt absolve the presidents campaign from not knowing that the reply to the Russian representative should have been a call to the FBI  not I love it and then taking the meeting. The president, per his weekend tweet, does not seem to understand this.

The Mueller investigation is not over. That means that whether collusion  or conspiracy  and obstruction of justice occurred is unknowable to those outside the investigation. But what shouldnt escape attention is a sitting president arguing that it is totally legal to meet with someone said to represent a foreign power promising dirt on a political opponent during an election.

That is totally troubling.
This is not the very best week for political sons.

First we have Cameron Collins, the 25-year-old offspring of Rep. Chris Collins of New York, indicted with Dad on an insider-trading scheme. It is possible that theyre the first pair ever to be accused of conspiring during a congressional picnic.

Meanwhile Donald Trump Jr. is twisting slowly in the wind while the president denies hes worried that his kid will wind up in the clink.

Oh, memories. Just two years ago, Donald Jr. and Collins, a super-enthusiastic Trump evangelist, spoke on the same night of the Republican convention. Under Barack Obama we have been losing, Collins told the crowd. It wasnt exactly a highlight of the evening, but as it turned out, few people in the room had a keener understanding of the importance  and profitability  of spotting a loser.

Collins was on the board of directors of an Australian biotech company, and its largest shareholder. (We will not be diverted into a discussion of the fact that he also sat on a House committee that oversaw medical business issues. If the Republican convention didnt care, why should you?) Anyhow, the next year  at the Congressional Picnic!  he got a confidential email reporting that the firms big new drug was going to be a washout.

And urgently passed the information to young Cameron, who dumped a ton of shares.

Back to the Republican convention: After Collins finished complaining about Barack Obama, Donald Jr. took the stage and rocked the audience with his prediction that Dad was going to run an administration for average Americans  not a special class of crony elites at the top of the heap.

To be fair, you couldnt expect Junior to realize that one of his fellow speakers was going to be accused of insider trading, which is sort of the definition of special class of crony elites. Or to foresee that his fathers future Cabinet would boast an EPA head who tried to use his job to help get his wife a Chick-fil-A franchise. Or that campaign chairman Paul Manafort had been spending a rather mysterious flood of money to treat himself to ostrich-skin outerwear.

Anyway, at the time, Don Jr.'s anti-cronyism speech went over big. Politico announced that a political star may have been born. Now here we are, speculating about whether yesterdays star is on a trajectory to the slammer.

It certainly sounds as if Dad is plenty worried, although the president denied it in a recent tweet: 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.

Weve been around this president too long to buy the I did not know line. However, he could very possibly win some converts if he tried If I knew, I forgot almost instantly.

Do you find this secret meeting story a little  oblique? It really is hard to get straight. And if youre confused, imagine how Junior must feel. Try thinking about it in steps:

Step 1  Donald Jr. gets invited to meet a Russian government attorney who would give him super-good dirt on Hillary Clinton. Perhaps he remembered his fathers history of, um, doing stuff in Russia and imagined he was going to get something sexy.

Step 2  Whatever. Our boy bites. (If its what you say I love it.)

Step 3  When The New York Timesreveals the meeting took place, Dad dictates his sons response, which is that they mainly talked about adoption.

Step 4  Eventually Junior is called to testify before a Senate committee, where he swears his father didnt know anything about the meeting. Which, yeah, was actually not about adoption. The adoption story lasted approximately as long as Dads career as the enemy of crony elites.

So here we are. As things stand, the best argument for Don Jr.'s side is that everything he did was a total failure. Incompetence is, unfortunately, not a legal defense.

Meanwhile, Chris Collins lawyer noted that even the government does not allege that Congressman Collins traded a single share.  Yeah, just his kid. Finally, weve found someone who might make the Trump family saga seem heartwarming.

Don Jr.'s mounting legal troubles do seem to bring out his fathers affections. At the time the first news of the Russian meeting erupted, Trump affirmed, through a spokeswoman, that his boy was a high-quality person. This is the sort of thing youd say about someone you were recommending to a neighbor who needed his yard mowed. But this week, Juniors been promoted to wonderful son.

By the time the indictments come down, the younger Trump will probably be the best child ever. And he can trade stories with Cameron Collins in the courthouse.
As Bayer announces its plans to remove the contraceptive device Essure from the market, experts are questioning the ethics behind Bayers paying millions of dollars to doctors.

Payments Made to Essure Prescribing Doctors Looks Like a Bribe

Last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed new safety concerns about Essure, and Bayer Pharmaceuticals announced that they would be pulling the device off the market on December 31.

To make matters more alarming, a CNN analysis of federal data found that between August 2013 and December 2017, Bayer paid 11,850 doctors $2.5 million related to Essure for consulting fees and similar services. While technically legal, these payments remain very controversial.

Three doctors were paid more than $100,000 by Bayer for services linked back to Essure.

In statements to CNN, a patients who suffered adversely from side effects related to Essure noted that her doctor was very pushy when prescribing the device.

Dr. Martin Makary, a professor of surgery and patient safety expert at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said that while payments from pharmaceutical company to doctors for research are not uncommon or unethical, he doubted that the more than 11,000 doctors paid by Bayer were involved in such work.

He added, That looks like a bribe. That looks like gaming the system. That looks like the pharma company is paying of doctors.

Opinions Differ on Why Essure Was Removed from the Market

Bayer has announced that the reason they would be pulling the product is due to declining sales. adding that they completely stand by the safety of this product.

On Friday, Bayer published an "Open Letter to Patients and Providers About Essure," which states that the company's decision to stop selling Essure "was not based on concerns about the safety and efficacy of Essure. Essure has been on the market for more than 15 years and has been successfully used by hundreds of thousands of women."

According to an FDA statement put out the same day, however, the device has been associated with "serious risks including persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and fallopian tubes, and migration of the coils into the pelvis or abdomen."

So far, the FDA has received more than 20,000 adverse event reports from women using Essure, with 11,854 of those reports being filed in 2018 along.

Oddly enough, Bayer's announcement also came just days before Netflix premiered a documentary about the dangers of Essure and other medical devices, "The Bleeding Edge."

Essure Side Effects and Warnings

The FDA estimates that Essure has been used by more than 750,000 patients worldwide since it was approved on November 4, 2002. At the time, Essure was manufactured and marketed by Conceptus Inc., which Bayer acquired in June 2013.

From 2002 through 2017, the patient problems most frequently reported to the FDA were:

Pain/abdominal pain (21,215)

Heavier menses/menstrual irregularities (9,846)

Headache (7,231),

Fatigue (5,842)

Weight fluctuations (4,970)

According to the FDA, reported adverse events "cannot be interpreted or used in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity or frequency of problems associated with devices" and "confirming whether a device actually caused a specific event can be difficult based solely on information provided in a given report."

In April, the FDA restricted sales of Essure to only doctors who give patients FDA-approved patient education materials that describe the risks. The FDA also ordered a black box warning be added to product packaging in May 2016.

Have You Suffered An Injury from Essure? Call Thomas J. Henry

Defective and faulty medical devices have the potential to cause long-lasting and permanent damage in patients seeking treatment for their injuries and illnesses. In some cases, defective medical devices have caused fatal injuries, causing devastation to the victim's family. At Thomas J. Henry, we will fight vigorously on you and your family's behalf. We have the legal and financial resources necessary to properly develop your case and take on the large pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a medical device, call us today  attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
Teens may be cautious while theyre learning to drive; however, a new study suggests theyre behaviors become much more reckless once they are allowed to hit the road without an adult in the car.

Study Confirms Years of Research into Risky Behaviors Taken by Young Drivers

Plenty of previous research has shown that new drivers have a lot more accidents than people with experience.

The current study helped to identify when teen driver is at its riskiest by using cameras and sensors inside cars. These cameras were used to identify driving habits for parents and children over a period of nearly two years, starting when teens got their learners permits.

The study found that when teens first had their permits, their chance of being in a crash or nearly missing a collision as well as their odds of exhibiting risky driving behavior like speeding, swerving, and slamming the brakes were similar to the adults.

However, within the first year of getting their licenses and driving without a parent or adult present, they were more than six times more likely to crash or narrowly escape collisions than the adults, and they were also almost four times more likely to exhibit risky driving behaviors.

Adolescent drivers have always been recorded as having disproportionately higher crash rates than other driver age groups, accounting for six percent of licensed drivers in the U.S. but nine percent of fatal crashes. The study provides further insight to these high crash rates.

Breakdown of the Studys Findings

The study included 49 girls and 41 boys who were all 16 years of age on average. During the study, teens drove an average of 5,445 miles and a total of about 490,000 miles. Their parents, meanwhile, drove more than twice as many miles. As a group, teens had a total of 148 near crashes, 69 collisions, and 9 crashes that were reported to the police. This translated into an average of 2.4 incidents per driver.

By contrast, parents had a total of 84 close calls, 28 collisions, and 2 crashes that were reported to the police. This translated into an average of 1.2 incidents per driver. Teens also had a total of 18,378 incidents of risky driving, which translated into roughly 108 events per driver. The parents, meanwhile, had 5,272 incidents of risky driving, or about 59 per driver.

For young drivers, the highest rates of crashes, near misses and risky driving occurred in the months immediately after they got licenses and started hitting the road without a parent in the car.

It is also important to note that beyond its small size, the study also wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how parents presence in the car might directly improve teen driving safety. Researchers also didnt follow teens long enough to see how their driving records might change with a few more years of experience.

National Traffic Accident Statistics

According to the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

35,485 people were killed in auto accidents in the United States in 2016, marking a 5.6-percent increase from 2015.

Of those killed in auto accidents in 2016: 22,639 were occupants of passenger vehicles 5,495 were pedestrians 5,029 were motorcyclists 829 were pedalcyclists 665 were occupants of large trucks 235 were listed as other or unknown

Injury estimates for the year have not yet been made available.

Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced auto accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review  attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels.



You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us!





Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous.

Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo.

Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter for

Borderland Beat?



We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email!





WARNING:

Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised.





COMMENTS:

We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately.




MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti is reported to have been released after his arrest at the Chirundi Border Post earlier on today. Biti was apprehended when he presented himself to the Zambian immigration officials where he was heading to seek political asylum. However, as Biti had already crossed from the Zimbabwean side onto the Zambian side, he was technically on Zambian soil.

This means that Zimbabwe has no jurisdiction and after this was highlighted, Biti was released and allowed to continue on into Zambia. He is reported to be on his way to Zambias capital city, Lusaka, where he will face an asylum hearing.

Biti and other senior opposition MDC Alliance officials are on the run or in hiding after the Zimbabwe Republic Police accused them of inciting their followers to violence. This follows the death of at least six civilians who were gunned by the military last Wednesday after opposition supporters demonstrated against alleged manipulation of results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).

The international community has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration to stop the crackdown and intimidation of opposition leaders and supporters.

Exiled Prof Jonathan Moyo has also tweeted that Biti is safe and now on his way to Lusaka where hell be afforded an urgent asylum hearing, in accordance with international law.

https://twitter.com/ProfJNMoyo/status/1027146323185811456

We will update as more details come through.

 Pindula

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Controversial Harare businessman Wicknell Chivayo has approached the High Court to fight for his release from remand prison, following the dismissal of his bail application at the Harare Magistrates Courts.

Chivayo and his company  Intratek Zimbabwe (Private) Limited  are being charged with fraud, money laundering and contravening two sections of the Exchange Control Act.

His lawyer Lewis Uriri told the Daily News yesterday they will be filing an appeal at the High Court in order to secure Chivayos release.

We will be approaching the High Court today (yesterday) late afternoon to file the appeal, Uriri said.

The appeal comes after Harare magistrate Elisha Singano ruled in favour of the State, which had argued that Chivayo is facing a serious offence which could see him being handed a lengthy prison term if convicted.

Singano said Chivayo was arrested at the airport trying to flee to South Africa, adding that to release him at this stage would undermine the proper administration of justice.

He further said Chivayo was facing a serious offence which involved public funds and that the State had a strong case against him.

The jet-setting businessman had offered to surrender his passport as well as abide by terms that may have been preferred by the court.

Chivayo, came under pressure in recent months to defend the power deals that he signed with power utility Zesa Holdings and its subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).

This was after it had emerged that Intratek had failed to deliver on the contracts.

Among the deals, the burly businessman  who is often referred to by his associates as Sir Wicknell  was awarded a $200 million tender for the Gwanda Solar Project.

The State is alleging that sometime in 2012, ZPC resolved to increase its national grid.

A feasibility study was carried out and a tender was floated in August 2013 for the installation of a 100 Megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda.

The tender was awarded to a Chinese company China Jianxi at a cost of $183 million.

Chivayo participated in the tender with a bid of $248 million which was ranked third lowest but it was, however, alleged his accomplice, former Energy minister Samuel Undenge, interfered with the process and directed ZPC to award the tender to Chivayo and his company.

He reportedly won the tender at $172 848 597.

The court was told that on October 23, 2015, ZPC acted on the misrepresentation and signed a contract with Chivayo for implementation of the project.

It was alleged that ZPC released $5 607 814, 24 into Intrateks bank account for the project to take off but allegedly converted or transferred the money into various individual and company accounts.

He was also authorised by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to load $849 479 into his visa cards for the importation of earth-moving equipment in the US for construction works at Gwanda Solar Project

However, it was alleged Chivayo did not import anything.

As a result, ZPC suffered prejudice of $5 607 814.24 and nothing was recovered.

 DailyNews

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has hired international constitutional lawyers to help him with his Constitutional Court appeal case where he is accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of vote rigging in favor of the ruling party, ZanuPF, in the July 30 elections.

Briefing the media in the capital today, Chamisas lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu expressed confidence in the team hired for the court challenge saying it is composed of renowned local and internationally recognised constitutional lawyers.

We have a strong legal team of renowned constitutional lawyers to deal with the case. All the evidence we require for the case is available. We have all the V11 forms and will present them in court.

ZEC Chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba on Thursday last week declared that Emmerson Mnangagwa had won the presidential election with a 50.8 percent margin against Chamisas 44.9%.

However, this has not gone well with the opposition leader as he claims that his party won the elections and he has since gathered evidence to dispel ZECs declaration.

Mpofu said the evidence contained in the dossier reflect a total negation of the will of the people adding that it will be embarrassing on the part of Zanu PF and ZEC.

He noted his team is unmoved by the Zanu PF lawyers reported to stand ready to counter Chamisas election challenge.

If Zanu PF has hired 12 lawyers, good luck to them, we have a thousand lawyers. The evidence is not only overwhelming, its also embarrassing. We also have a secret weapon which is going to unleash through this court challenge, said Mpofu.

Mpofu expressed concern over the harassment of his clients political lieutenants while accusing the security forces of conniving to harass them in their quest for justice

We are being followed, attacked and harassed but we are not afraid. We do not fear people who fear us.

Some MDC Alliance senior members are reportedly on the run following a police crackdown in the aftermath of the post election violence which rocked Harare last week.

The police is accusing some of the senior members, including Tendai Biti and Happymore Chidziva, of inciting violence that claimed six lives after soldiers fired live bullets at protesters

Meanwhile, Biti is reported to have been harassed at the Chirundu Border post on his way to Zambia where he is alleged to be seeking an asylum.

Former cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo posted on his twitter handle assuring MDC supporters that Biti is safe in Zambia.

While the junta and its running dogs are gloating over reports of the arrest of @BitiTendai at the Chirundu Zimbabwe/Zambia border, the good news is that he is safe and now on his way to Lusaka where hell be afforded an urgent asylum hearing, in accordance with international law, said Moyo.

 263Chat

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Zimbabwes security agents failed to arrest Tendai Biti at Chirundu after hostile Zambian border guards threatened to arrest Zimbabwe CIDs if they touched the MDC official on foreign soil.. See full statement below

This memorandum serves to put on the record that-:

On 8 August 2018 at around 0600 hours, wanted person Tendai Luxton Biti no further particulars supplied arrived at Chirundu One Stop Border Post, Exit Side, Zambia. He was in a Toyota Hilux Double Cab, White in colour, registration number ADA7273 which was being driven by Tawanda Blessing Chitekwe NR 48-112236-H-48 DOB 14/01/82 and Residential address not supplied.

He was also in the company of two other male occupants whose identity has not been established.

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 official by the name Shingirai Chimedza about the issue since Zambia Immigration was aware that accused Tendai Luxton Biti was wanted in Zimbabwe.

Members of Criminal Investigation Department, Chirundu who were manning the vehicle clearance desk on the Zambian side were also notified about the issue. The team then sought for reinforcement from the station.

The information was reacted upon by police officers and Presidents Office. 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.

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.

Members of the public joined in and refrained 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.

After sometime, the Zambian authorities being led by number 10961 Detective Inspector Mwabawho 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 mandateon 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.

They also refused to have an urgent D-JOC meeting with Zimbabwe authorities.

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.

Matter is being investigated by CID Law and Order Harare under DR 16/08/18.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT CHIRUNDU

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Zambia has denied asylum to senior Zimbabwean opposition politician Tendai Biti, Foreign Minister Joe Malanji has told the BBC.

Mr Biti arrived in Zambia this morning, the minister said.

He wanted to seek asylum but his grounds are not meritorious. As it is, we are just keeping him for safe custody before he heads back to Harare, Mr Malanji told the BBC.

It is not up to us to tell when hes going back; its up to the Zimbabwean authorities, he added.

Mr Biti is a member of the opposition MDC Alliance, which lost Zimbabwes elections last week.

He preempted the official announcement of the results by saying MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa had defeated President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the poll.

 BBC

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
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 Zimbabwes 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.

 VOA

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Malanji has confirmed that opposition leader Tendai Biti is in Lusaka after he attempted to seek asylum.

Ambassador Malanji said Mr Bitis asylum request was unsuccessful because but his grounds were not sufficient.

He said Mr. Biti is being kept for safe custody awaiting his return to Harare.

Ambassador Malanji said Mr. Biti had not been arrested but was rather detained in safe custody as the Zambian authorities awaited communication from the Zimbabwean government before he could be deported.

He was attempting to seek asylum in Zambia but the grounds under which he would want to seek asylum are not meritorious. So basically he has not been arrested, all we are doing is keeping him in safe custody and waiting for the Zimbabwean authority to help him get back to Harare. The grounds do not merit asylum. He is not in danger. He is only going to answer charges to legitimate courts of law, Ambassador Malanji said.

Mr. Biti, who was finance minister in the coalition government from 2009 to 2013, is a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, which denounced Emerson Mnangagwas July 30 election victory as fraudulent and vowed to challenge it in court this week.

Mr. Biti had declared before official election results were announced Friday that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won, a claim also made by Mr. Chamisa himself.

In a normal country, Chamisa would be sworn in right now, Mr. Biti told reporters a day after the election.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has said it is illegal to release results before its own official announcement.

 Lusaka Times

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
- The wind of defection blowing across the country may have landed in Edo state

- Eight lawmakers in the state House of Assembly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have threatened to defect to other political parties

- The national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have reportedly waded into the matter

A report by This Day indicates that eight lawmakers in the Edo state House of Assembly have threatened to defect to the other political parties.

According to the report, the planned defection of the eight lawmakers, is because they were not sure of getting the APC ticket for the 2019 general elections.

A source close to the lawmakers quoted in the report, hinged the planned defection on the ban on campaign by the Edo APC leadership, which according to him, has heighten fears of the lawmakers that it might be late for them to get nomination of other parties if they fail to secure APC tickets.

READ ALSO: Ex-GEJ minister leads hundreds of supporters as he defects to APC

One of the defecting state legislators who preferred anonymity, blamed the looming mass defection partly on the lack of political patronage by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The lawmaker who told some journalists that many of their constituency projects were not funded by the governor, added that many of his colleagues do not know what they would use to campaign to their constituents even if they get the APC ticket.

APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole has, however, intervened and is scheduled to meet with all aggrieved APC leaders in the state on Thursday, August 9, to resolve all issues.

Oshiomhole had assured APC supporters who came to receive him at the Benin Airport last weekend that the party would reward all those who worked for the party.

His words: I want to assure you that the tradition of carry our people along will be sustained. You represent what I call our infantry division. You are the ones on election day who ensure that our voters come out. You are the ones who ensure that the PDP rigging machine was defeated. We must keep you as a standing point, together we will match on and will ensure that everyone who works is looked after.

I know there are people with all kinds of stories but let me assure you that after the storm the weather will settle. Trust me, as you have not abandoned me, I will never abandon you. To our youths, I want to particularly appeal to you; dont lose faith. There will be work, there will be participation; there will be involvement. We will not throw away anybody.

Nobody will be used and dumped. If yesterday has come beautiful, tomorrow will be better.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani has reacted to the gale of defections witnessed in Nigeria's political space in the last few weeks from both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The senator representing Kaduna central senatorial district, described Nigeria's politics as 'vegetarian,' while also making reference to the frosty relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government and what it portends for the polity.

News Nigeria Today: Who is Nigerias Smartest Politician? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
Love is like a magic that knows no bounds, it can break barriers, join people who have no common interest together.

A Chinese man has shown just how much of a magic love is after he embraced a religion to be with the woman he loves. The Chinese man embraced Islam to marry a young Nigerian Muslim girl.

The Chinese man came all the way from his home with a family member to marry the Muslim girl.

Legit.ng gathered that the wedding was done according to Islamic rites in Plateau state. The Chinese man was seen dressed in Nigerian male native wear designed with Guinea fabric and cap (also known by its Yoruba name fila).

Chinese man embraces Islam, marries a Muslim Nigerian girl Photo source: Rariya Facebook page

READ ALSO: Nigerian couple take pre-wedding shoot to the next level in new photos

In the photos, the Chinese man was seen rocking a white Guinea with his colourful cap. He was also spotted with his relative and a Nigerian man believed to be a family of the bride.

He allegedly accepted Islam before tying the knot Photo source: Rariya Facebook page

It was also alleged that the Chinese man accepted Islam before he tied the knot with the young Muslim girl.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News

Here in Nigeria, it is a normal thing for a woman to change religion or convert to her husband's faith, if she marries a man who believes in a religion different from the one she was born into.

It is, however, rare for a man to convert for a woman he married or plans to marry.

PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group

Can you marry an older lady or a younger man? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has warned the Catholic faithful to desist from publicly endorsing any candidate for political office

- The bishops stressed that the Catholic Church remains ever apolitical and does not endorse or subscribe to any political party

- They further urged the Catholic faithful to recite the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress; noting that these are difficult times for the country

Catholic clergy or laity (members) have been warned by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), to desist from publicly endorsing any candidate for political office.

The CBCN issued the warning in a statement issued by its president and archbishop of Benin City, Augustine Akubeze, and secretary and bishop of Ikot Ekpene, Camillus Umoh, Punch reports.

READ ALSO: How Ibori and Okowa are holding me in PDP - Uduaghan opens up

Legit.ng notes that the bishops warned that ecclesiastical properties should not be used as platforms to support any political candidate or party.

They said the decision to issue the warning was taken following the gale of defections by politicians to different political parties, and the political tension in the country at the moment.

The statement read in part: We, the members of the CBCN, as teachers of the faith and morals, do have the serious obligation to educate our faithful on their role in the political life of the country.

We have observed that the political atmosphere is very tense and also noticed the political realignments that are taking place. Some politicians are changing political parties and urging their supporters to switch over their support to their new parties as well.

Given this development, we wish to use this opportunity to make it clear that the Catholic Church remains ever apolitical and does not endorse or subscribe to any political party.

Consequently, we hereby declare that no Catholic clergy or laity should publicly endorse any candidate for political office. Liturgical ceremonies must never be used as an opportunity for political campaigns.

Similarly, ecclesiastical properties should not be used as places for support for any political candidate or party. All priests and laity should avoid giving the impression that the church favours one candidate over another or one political party over another."

The bishops further urged the Catholic faithful to say the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress; noting that these are difficult times for the country.

They continued: These are difficult times in the history of Nigeria. As people of faith, we must work hard and also pray hard for the future of Nigeria.

During the military rule, the CBCN composed the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress. Dearly beloved in Christ, Nigeria is in distress. We consequently, call on Catholics to recite this prayer at all masses and other liturgical celebrations.

We entrust Nigeria into the hands of God and implore Him to improve the situation in our country. May God intervene in the life of Nigeria once again, so that we can enjoy true peace, justice, and prosperity.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Catholic archbishop of Lagos, Dr Alfred Adewale Martins, stated that it is wrong for anyone or group to arrogate to themselves, the unwarranted role of deciding who gets what in the country, 58 years after independence.

While reiterating the call for restructuring, Martins also acknowledged that Nigeria is passing through very disturbing times, because some people have turned the nation to their play fields and fiefdoms that should be exploited and balkanized for their selfish ends.

Election-2019: (Don't) mark your calendar - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit
- A Muslim group, Muric, has called for Saraki to vacate his seat as senate president

- The group accused the senate president of heating up the polity by decamping to PDP

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the rationale for the continued retention of the post of Senate president by Senator Bukola Saraki as explained at a world press conference on Wednesday, August 8.

Saraki argued at the event that he would remain in office until the ruling party controls two-thirds of the membership of the red chamber.

Debunking Sarakis position, the group in a press statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, posited that the Senate president lost the moral right to remain in office the moment he defected to the opposition party.

Expatiating further, Akintola said: Sarakis hypothesis is only workable if there is a working agreement between the ruling party and the opposition. It will then be a coalition. Such coalition is formed in advanced democracies in the interest of the nation. But the situation is different here. The ruling party and the opposition are locked in a cut-throat struggle characteristic of a bolekaja political culture.

READ ALSO: IGP receives court order to summon Saraki over Offa robbery allegations

Saraki is heating up the polity. It is a reflection of acute poverty of statesmanship in the National Assembly (NASS). The Senate president knows very well that it is the grass that suffers when two elephants fight but he does not seem to care. Nigerians can whistle for their dinner as far as he is concerned. Our lawmakers have turned the citizenry into pawns in their political chess game.

We are not interested in party politics because the difference between the two major political parties is the difference between six and half a dozen. They can do whatever they like to themselves as individuals and as politicians. But the Nigerian ship of state is drifting courtesy of Sarakis political gymnastics. We can only single out a few individual leaders as the little choice in a whole basket of rotten apples and President Muhammadu Buhari stands out as the gem in the collection.

Development projects are being held up. 2018 budget was delayed for a monumental seven month period. It has never happened before. It appears that the intention is to shut down government and make the people suffer. The Senate president and his supporters in the red chamber are not thinking of Nigeria and the poor masses. They are holding Nigeria by the jugular.

We plead with these people to do a rethink. No country can make any progress in the absence of political stability. So where is our patriotism? Where is our sense of honour? Governments come and go but administration is a continuum. Regimes rise and fall but nations continue to develop. Leaders emerge and go into oblivion but the peoples welfare move from one level to the next. Opposition may be powerful but that must not be allowed to affect projects, programmes and policies designed to improve the welfare of the citizens.

Even the theory of separation of powers does not entertain the luxury of each arm of government working at cross-purposes. But this is what has been happening since the inception of this administration. Certain lawmakers loyal to the opposition manipulated legislative technicalities to hijack leadership positions in the legislature. This was done while pretending to belong to the ruling party.

These usurped positions were consistently used to obstruct the smooth running of government and to armtwist the executive in the past three years. These same people eventually decamped to the opposition party after sabotaging governments efforts at improving the lives of Nigerians. This is what Nigerians in particular and the international community in general needs to understand about Nigerias peculiar case at present. The world must know where the present NASS is coming from. Its leadership emerged in highly controversial and questionable circumstances.

Our concern as a human rights organization is not the promotion of any political party but to articulate the extent to which the actions or inactions of those to whom the fate of the citizenry was entrusted impacted upon the lives of our people. Lawmakers have the right to belong to political parties of their choice but they also have a duty to facilitate the drafting of policies capable of raising the standard of living among the citizens. Unfortunately for us in Nigeria the reverse has been the case in the past three years. Instead of moving the country forward, the leadership of the NASS has been a cog in the wheel of progress.

The group said it strongly believes that the Senate president has a moral obligation to resign his position since he has decamped to the opposition party. It added that the resignation is necessary because evidence has emerged showing that he cannot enjoy a smooth working relationship with the executive.

"Yesterdays siege on the NASS has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that there is no mutual trust between the executive and the legislature. In saner climes, the legislature may disagree with the executive but this is restricted to political issues and developmental projects are not truncated," the group said.

While rounding off, the group argued that the leadership of the NASS has allowed political differences to endanger the peoples welfare programmes. It therefore called on the Senate president to show some level of patriotism.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

He should allow peace to reign so that Nigeria can make progress. The only way out is for him to resign with immediate effect. We invite the international community to situate the siege on the NASS within the context of the Nigerian condition. Conscienceless power in the NASS is subjugating the executives powerless conscience via the bastardisation of the true principles of democracy."

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Senate president Bukola Saraki, arrived Minna, capital of Niger State to hold a private meeting with the former military President Ibrahim Babangida on Wednesday, August 8.

The meeting held at the Hilltop residence, of the former military ruler. Saraki landed at Minna International Airport at about 4.10 PM and drove straight to the hilltop home of the reclusive former leader.

Nigeria Latest News: Here's What Saraki and Tambuwal's Defection Means for the APC | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper
- Senator Ali Modu Sheriff says those who defected from the APC will be surprised by the outcome of the 2019 general elections

- He said his aim is to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected in 2019

- Sheriff said the APC will win convincingly in 2019; but urged the ruling party to put its house in order

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, chairman of the Presidential Support Committee (PSC), has stated that those who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be surprised by the outcome of the 2019 general elections.

He made the comment while receiving members of the PSC in Abuja, the nations capital, Daily Trust reports.

READ ALSO: 2019: N/Delta youths declare support for Buhari

Legit.ng gathers that Sheriff said his aim was to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected in 2019.

He said it was because of the love he had for the president that he refused to join issues with some persons when there was controversy over the formation of PSC and his subsequent appointment as its chairman.

He said: My aim is to see that President Buhari is re-elected in 2019. Those who left the party made a grave mistake and I believe their exit will eventually work for the good of the party.

Many of those who left the party will be disappointed after the election because APC will win convincingly.

Sheriff, however, said there is need for the APC to put its house in order to be able to win the 2019 election comfortably.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said he left the Peoples Democratic Party due to the misunderstanding he had when he was national chairman of the party.

Sheriff, who defected to the APC, said this at a meeting of the stakeholders of the party in Borno stat.

He called on all supporters of the party in the state to shun selfish interests and come together to achieve success for the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Senators, lawmakers defect from APC - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- Medical specialists listed several dangerous effects of skin bleaching

- Skin bleaching, which has become rampant in Africa, can cause cancer, deform babies, etc.,

- Medical experts also warned that skin bleaching chemicals damage respiratory, kidney and reproductive systems

In the early 70s, Fela Anikulapo Kuti ridiculed women who were addicted to skin bleaching, calling them ugly women, yeye (useless) things in one of his most popular songs Yellow Fever. Decades after, the bleaching craze appears to have hit new heights, with pills and injectables now being used to lighten skins, according to this report published by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Dr Isima Sobande was in medical school when she first heard of mothers who bleached the skin of their babies. She dismissed it as an urban myth. But it wasnt long before she saw it with her own eyes.

At a health centre in Lagos, a mother brought in a two-month-old infant who was crying in pain. He had very large boils all over his body, the soft-spoken 27-year-old Nigerian said. It seemed like they werent normal.

The babys mother explained that she had mixed a steroid cream with shea butter and slathered his skin with it in order to make it whiter.

I was very appalled. It was distressing, said Sobande.

READ ALSO: National Assembly siege: Presidency reveals fate of sacked DSS boss, Daura

Shocked, the young doctor now takes a different view on skin bleaching, also called lightening or whitening.

For many Nigerians, it is a standard procedure, a gateway to beauty and success, she said.

Its a mindset that has eaten into society. For a lot of people, its the path to getting a good job, having a relationship.

Skin lightening is popular in many parts of the world, including South Asia and the Middle East.

But medical experts say that in Africa, a continent where regulations are often lax or scorned, the widening phenomenon is laden with health risks.

Cultural watchdogs, for their part, see it as the toxic legacy of colonialism.

Africa is experiencing a massive trend of increased use (of skin bleaching), particularly in teenagers and young adults, said Lester Davids, a physiology professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

The older generation used creams  the new generation uses pills and injectables. The horror is that we do not know what these things do in high concentrations over time in the body.

Where statistics about Africas skin-bleaching industry exist, they are often old or unreliable.

Glutathione injections are the latest craze in skin bleaching

These chemicals damage respiratory, kidney and reproductive systems, an official from the Nigerian drug control agency warned. They cause cancer, affect the nervous system, deform unborn babies.

But evidence from the range of products, suppliers and services points to a continent-wide market that may number tens of millions of people and possibly more.

In Nigeria alone, 77% of women, by extrapolation, more than 60 million people, are using lightening products on a regular basis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in 2011.

Experts say the African market is rapidly expanding as companies seek to cash in on the continents booming youth population.

More clients want insight on the lightening market, said Rubab Abdoolla, a beauty analyst at market researchers Euromonitor International.

The rich tend to opt for pricier registered products which are available in standard doses.

Others are likely to buy creams, often bootleg concoctions mixed in the back streets, that may be dangerous and are blatantly sold in defiance of official bans or constraints.

Ingredients may include hydroquinone, steroids, mercury and lead  the same element that, at high doses, poisoned Elizabethan courtiers who powdered their faces ivory white.

These chemicals damage respiratory, kidney and reproductive systems, an official from the Nigerian drug control agency warned. They cause cancer, affect the nervous system, deform unborn babies.

In spite of the risks, authorities are struggling to control the bleaching innovations, which include a compound called glutathione, taken as injections or pills.

READ ALSO: How Ibori and Okowa are holding me in PDP - Uduaghan opens up

Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have all banned skin bleaching products with high amounts of hydroquinone and mercury, with the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa urging people to reject all colonial notions of beauty.

In July, Ghanas Food and Drugs Authority issued a statement telling pregnant women not to take glutathione pills to bleach their unborn babies saying that there may be serious toxic side effects such as asthma, renal failure and chest pains.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stresses that it has not given approval for any of the injections on the market today.

These products are potentially unsafe and ineffective, and might contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants.

Those who start using skin lightening say they invariably stay with the practice.

Before you know it, it has become some sort of an addiction where you want to maintain that look, said Dabota Lawson, a Lagos socialite and cosmetics entrepreneur.

Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like its never enough.

In Lagos, the creams are assembled by a legion of cosmetologists and sold at a price anywhere from N5,000 to N20,000 ($14-55, 12-47 euros), a prohibitive amount in a country where the minimum wage is just 18,000 naira ($50, 42 euros).

Instagram skincare star Pela Okiemutes Russian White body cream claims to give firmness, intense beauty and a mixed race complexion.

His Cleopatra Royal cream, whose label features Elizabeth Taylor in her famous role as the Egyptian queen, promises to lighten and radiate.

Customers should start seeing results in two weeks, says Okiemute, explaining that his creams, which include collagen, kojic acid and anti-ageing snail slime are safe, though he declined to divulge his formula.

We have a lot of customers who have used a lot of wrong products, they come to us and we give solutions, he says.

He flicked through his phone to show before-and-after photos of a client who had a problem with dark knuckles, a telltale sign of a skin bleacher.

Intravenous injections and pills of glutathione  an antioxidant naturally found in the body that has a lightening side effect  are the new frontiers of skin bleaching.

At his clinic on the outskirts of Lagos, beside an abandoned Chinese restaurant, plastic surgeon Aranmolate Ayobami charges clients 1N50,000 ($415, 350 euros) for a five-week course of glutathione injections.

Known as the Buttmaster for helping patients seeking an hourglass figure, Ayobami buys the injections from companies he trusts in the United Arab Emirates or the United States.

He only gives certain dosages for a limited amount of time, he said.

But sometimes clients will bring in their own cheaper product that they bought online and urge him to inject them. We try to discourage that, he said.

If many millions of Africans lighten their skin without regret, others are dismayed.

Skin bleaching is one manifestation of folks trying to get power and privilege aligned with whiteness, said Yaba Blay, a researcher at North Carolina Central University.

Were seeing folks attempt to be perceived as having more value because of their complexion.

Recent black movements are trying to challenge that perception.

#Melaninpoppin, a hashtag celebrating black skin, and the smash-hit movie Black Panther, which featured an almost all-black cast wearing African-inspired outfits and natural hair, are held up as testaments to a shift away from longstanding Eurocentric standards of beauty.

But whether the tide of opinion is turning in Africa itself is another question.

The truth for me was that my beauty was more accepted abroad than at home, said Ajuma Nasenyana, a model from northern Kenya, who has walked for Victorias Secret and Vivienne Westwood.

In the African industry the lighter your skin tone the more beautiful you are. Hopefully, the industry is changing and starting to appreciate darker skin.

Sobande, the doctor, said: Were living in a more positive environment than a few years before.

But its going to take a lot of effort to change the mindset.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that a group identified as the Northern Women Assembly (NWA) raised alarm over the increasing use of hard drugs, especially by women in Kano and Katsina states.

The group called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, attend to the abnormality.

The NWA said its findings showed that more women in the two states now use hard drugs due to frustration, peer influence and lack of education.

Amazing health benefits of taking cucumber - On Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
Senate president Bukola Saraki is meeting with chairmen of 45 political parties in his office at the Senate.

The Senate president disclosed this in a message on his verified Twitter handle, Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki.

I am now meeting with the National Chairmen of 45 political parties at my office in the Senate, hetweeted.

READ ALSO: You made a big mistake, you will be surprised in 2019 - Ali Modu Sheriff tells APC defectors

The meeting was streamed live on the official Facebook page of the Senate president. Watch the video below:

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Legit.ng previously reported that Saraki held a private meeting with the former military President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna, capital of Niger state, on Wednesday, August 8.

The meeting took place at the Hilltop residence of the former military ruler. Saraki landed at Minna International Airport at about 4.10pm and drove straight to the hilltop home of the reclusive former leader.

It was not clear whether Saraki discussed his presidential ambition with Babangida. At a press Conference after the meeting, he sidestepped the question. But he did not outrightly deny nursing the ambition. He said he would answer the question on another day.

Nigeria Latest News: Here's What Saraki and Tambuwal's Defection Means for the APC | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
After much social media outburst, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has finally banned Falzs controversial song This Is Nigeria. They disclosed that the song is vulgar and not worthy of airplay.

Following this, they have shared a memo to all radio stations not to play the song ever again or pay the sum of N100,000 for violating their rules. It appears that NBC is not comfortable with a particular line in the song which says, this is Nigeria look how we living now, everybody be criminal.

Also in that category was Wande Coal and the YBNL boss, Olamide. This letter was shared on Twitter by a user and radio presenter, Folaranmi Folayan (@TheFavoredWoman).

READ ALSO: I can't sleep, I'm having menstrual pain - Bobrisky cries out on Instagram (photos)

Folayan shared a copy of the letter with the caption: Apparently Falz's line 'this is Nigeria; look how we living now. everybody be criminal' has been flagged vulgar and the song is now declared unfit for radio. See why sometimes I can't blame our musicians if they choose to give social commentary a wide berth?

See post below:

See fans reaction below:

PAY ATTENTION: Join Africa Love Aid today for your daily relationship tips and advice

Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has come out for the famous rapper saying he never brought the video for licensing.

The Director of the licensing department of the NFVCB Cornell Agim disclosed that the rapper didnt bring his music video for licensing and rating before he released it to the public and unfortunately, the agencys monitoring team hasnt reported the video to the directorate.

Hmmmm!

Lets Not Blame God For Our Problems - Deyemi Okanlawon Speaks on Otedola Bridge Fire | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
It is the joy of every couple to welcome their bundle of joy nine months or a year after their wedding. Some wishes are granted while others have to wait for some years before the cry of a baby is heard in their home.

A woman identified as Ifeoma Nwaka and her husband Ogbonnaya just welcomed a set of quintuplets at Life International Hospital in Awka, Anambra state. The hospital is a health care facility set as a result of Governor Willie Obinabos clarion call.

Aside from being happy about the arrival of the babies, Ifeoma and her husband have cried out to Nigerians to please come to their aid. The woman added that she and her husband are petty traders and so not have the resources to feed the newborn children and pay hospital bills.

READ ALSO: New photos of mother who delivered 5 babies in Anambra emerge

Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) disclosed that: An Anambra woman, Mrs Ifeoma Nwaka, aged 44 from Enugwu-ukwu, married to Abia state born Mr Ogbonnaya Nwaka has given birth to a set of quintuplets. She delivered at about twenty minutes past 1pm on Wednesday, August 8. The births came after four years of delivering her daughter and first child. Mrs Nwaka delivered through Caesarian Session at Life International hospital, Awka, a new health care facility set up in Anambra state as a result of Governor Willie Obinabo's 'Aku Luo Uno' (Think Home) clarion call. The Nwaka family is having challenges feeding the babies and paying the hospital bills. The mother of six told ABS correspondent Ngozi Obileri that she and her husband are petty traders at Owerri where they are based until she was admitted into the hospital some weeks ago as the multiple conception was detected at the very early stage. They are appealing to the state government, good spirited individuals, and members of the public to come to their aid by donating cash and materials to them for the upkeep of the children.

See post below:

PAY ATTENTION: Best love tips and relationship advice on Africa Love Aid group!

It was earlier reported that Abuchi Odoh, a commercial tricyclist popularly known as keke napep rider, has welcomed five bouncing babies with his wife Ndidi. The couple welcomed their babies on Thursday, July 26.

Mom's Blog Ep 3: Does A Mom Have Weekends? | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
- The date for the National Assembly meeting has been fixed as Tuesday, August 14

- The announcement was made by the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuff Lasun, on Thursday, August 9

- Lasun said that the agenda will majorly revolve around the presidency's budget request to fund INECs operations for the 2019 polls

The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuff Lasun, on Thursday, August 9, announced that the National Assembly (NASS) will reconvene on Tuesday, August 14, Punch reports.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Saraki meets chairmen of 45 political parties

Lasun said that the agenda will primarily be the presidential budget request to fund INECs operations for the 2019 election.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet!

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, on Tuesday, August 7, claimed that the siege laid to the NASS by the officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), reached him as a surprise.

Legit.ng gathered that Idris made this known after a closed-door meeting with the acting president Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The police boss added that the NASS situation was not an attack on democracy.

It was learnt that Idris said the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was not involved in the siege. He said:Obviously, like I said, I have not got a detailed brief on that. In fact we are going to issue a press release on that.

Nigeria Latest News How Masked DSS Gunmen Stormed the National Assembly (The True Story) Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
There was pandemonium in Igarra, the headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo state on Thursday, August 9, as robbers raided two banks and killed at least 10 people.

The Punch reports that the incident was confirmed by Johnson Kokumo, the commissioner of police in the state.

READ ALSO: National Assembly siege: Presidency reveals fate of sacked DSS boss Daura

The report said the incident happened in the evening of Thusday, August 9.

The invasion on the police station, according to the report, was to demobilize the law enforcement agency and its men.

It was learnt that at the station, a policeman and two detainees were reportedly shot dead while three other persons outside the station were killed by the robbers.

The official vehicle of a newly posted area commander was also set ablaze by the robbers.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

It was after the attack on the police station that the robbers reportedly made their way to the banks.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Lagos state chapter of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) ordered the arrest and prosecution of any of its officers found around the premises of the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Lagos and its environs.

Nigeria News: How I Took the Lives of Four People - 20-Year-Old Lady Confesses | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Governor Rochas Okorocha suggests that southeast governors may join the APC

- He says Ndigbo played a dangerous politics in 2015 but we must correct that in 2019

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has said two governors from the southeast zone will be defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okorocha who made the disclosure on Thursday, August 9, said the governors from the southeast zone had unanimously agreed to move in one direction, the Nation reports.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Robbers attack police station in Edo, kill 10 in raid on 2 banks

He however, stopped short of mentioning the name of the two governors who had resolved to join the ruling party.

The insinuation that Southeast governors from other political parties will work for President Muhammadu Buhari for President and work for their candidates in the governorship election is not acceptable, you are either a member of the APC or not," Okorocha said.

"You will agree with me that Ndigbo played a dangerous politics in 2015 but we must correct that in 2019.

In a related report, Governor Rochas Okorocha has said he stands a better chance of being the first president of Nigeria from the southeast region.

Okorocha told journalist during a breakfast meeting at the government house that he wont be relying on the support of the people from the southeast to actualise his ambition.

He accused politicians from the southeast of what he called the pull-him-down attitude. He said the biggest opposition to his presidential ambition will come from the southeast zone.

Why Governors Steal? Rochas Okorocha of Imo State | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
By William G. Moseley, a professor of geography and director of the Program for Food, Agriculture and Society at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn. Follow him on Twitter @WilliamGMoseley. Originally published at TripleCrisis

While it might not seem like it now, President Donald Trump is a gift to free market-oriented economists and policymakers. His clumsy approach to protectionism has ignited a trade war that inevitably will harm the U.S. economy. When the pendulum inexorably swings the other way after the Trump fiasco, free trade ideology will return with a vengeance. This is a potential tragedy for left-leaning policy analysts who have long been concerned about the excesses of neoliberalism and argued for a more measured use of tariffs to foster local economic development. As such, it critical that we distinguish between Trumps right-wing nationalist embrace of tariffs and the more nuanced use of this tool to support infant industries.

As a development geographer and an Africanist scholar, I have long been critical of unfettered free trade because of its deleterious economic impacts on African countries. At the behest of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the majority of African countries were essentially forced, because of conditional loan and debt-refinancing requirements, to undergo free marketoriented economic reforms from the early 1980s through the mid-2000s. One by one, these countries reduced tariff barriers, eliminated subsidies, cut back on government expenditures, and emphasized commodity exports. With the possible exception of Ghana, the economy of nearly every African country undertaking these reforms was devastated.

This is not to say that there was no economic growth for African countries during this period, as there certainly was during cyclical commodity booms. The problem is that the economies of these countries were essentially underdeveloped as they returned to a colonial model focused on producing a limited number of commodities such as oil, minerals, cotton, cacao, palm oil, and timber. Economic reforms destroyed the value-added activities that helped diversify these economies and provided higher wage employment, such as the textile, milling, and food processing industries. Worse yet, millions of African farmers and workers are now increasingly ensnared in a global commodity boom-and-bust cycle. Beyond that cycle, they are experiencing an even more worrying long-term trend of declining prices for commodities.

One of the consequences of the hollowing out of African economies has been the European migration crisis. While some of this migration is clearly connected to politics, war, and insecurity in the Middle East and Africa, a nontrivial portion is related to grim economic prospects in many African countries.

After the global financial crisis of 2007, as well as the global food crisis of 2008, even mainstream economists and policy analysts began to realize that unfettered free markets were a problem for the development of African economies, not to mention other areas of the world. As a consequence, some in the development policy community began to reconsider the strategic use of limited tariffs and subsidies to protect and support infant industries. After being demonized for 30 years, import substitutionthe idea that some goods could be produced at home rather than imported from abroadwas beginning to have a renaissance.

For example, the middle-income African nation of Botswana has long mined and exported diamonds. In fact, Botswana was and continues to be the largest exporter of gem-quality diamonds in the world. Nearly all of these were exported as rough diamonds, with the actual cutting and polishing done in countries like India and the Netherlands. Beginning in 2013, Botswana made a concerted attempt to onshore some of these value-added activities by subsidizing a domestic diamond-cutting and -polishing industry. Such industries take time to develop, since you need to cultivate a highly skilled labor pool. But the payoff is more and better-paid employment for a countrys population.

While the Botswana example is still unfolding, it is worth noting that both South Korea and Taiwan also skillfully protected industries in the 1960s and 1970s before breaking onto the world stage as export-oriented manufacturers.

Now the recent Trump fiasco with tariffs is threatening to tar and feather the whole idea of fostering local economic development for decades to come unless the left pushes back with a more nuanced perspective. After the inevitable crash of the American economy, not to mention the collateral damage, the global policy community, and broader publics, will likely reembrace free-market policies because they appear to be the opposite of Trumps racist, nationalist, and nativist stance.

This potential scenario is eerily reminiscent of what unfolded in South Africa in the early 1990s. With the African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela coming to power, one would have expected that they would have adopted left-leaning, redistributive economic policies given their socialist history and the economic divisions in the country. Instead, what ensued was the full embrace of free market policies. This remarkable shift has been attributed to a global policymaking community that deftly associated any use of tariffs, subsidies, and protection with the Apartheid regime and South Africas National Party. This sleight of hand allowed them to position free-market policies as the foe of Apartheid and the friend of the rainbow nation. Sadly, while these policies initially spawned economic growth, they also deepened inequality, creating a problem that continues to plague the ANC and South Africa today.

We need to be sophisticated enough to disentangle policies that promote local economic development from the horrific antics of the Trump regime. Import substitution and the fostering of infant industries are critical aspects of economic development for many countries in the global South. These policies must not forever be associated with the right-wing nationalism of Donald Trump.
Using state of the art CGI and the latest underwater technology and working alongside divers, wreck investigators and archaeologists, Ocean Wreck Investigation tells the stories of the final moments of ships and those on board.

Thursdays from 9:30pm AEDT.
Residents of Bridgewater House Centre for Asylum Seekers & Refugees in Carrick-on-Suir visited the town's Garda Station.

Twenty-three children and six adults from countries such as Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Armenia and from sub-Saharan Africa were given a guided tour of the station, introduced to local garda officers and enjoyed some refreshments.

Gda. Pat Kelly of Carrick-on-Suir Garda Station said they organised the visit with the Friends of Bridgewater House Group as they wanted to build a positive relationship with the residents of the direct provision residential centre.

"Some of them come from countries where their experience with the police wouldn't be good and they might carry that fear with them in this country.

"We opened the doors to the Garda Station to let them feel that if they ever have any difficulty, they shouldn't be afraid to come to the Station.

"Some of the children were very cautious when they arrived but they went away a lot happier."

Martina Cronin of the Friends of Bridgewater House Group said the visit to the Garda Station was enjoyed by the residents and the children visited the local playground afterwards.

The Group plans other local outings for Bridgewater House residents to Ormond Castle and Carrick-on-Suir Library later this month.
This year's Famine 1848 Walk in Ballingarry attracted one of the largest attendances ever with Irish and international visitors.

The Walk was led by Waylon White Deer of the Choctaw First Nation in the United States to honour an extraordinary act of generosity by the Choctaws to the starving Irish during the Famine.

The Walk commemorates all those who suffered and died during the Great Famine and the 1848 Rising which took place during the Famine in Ballingarry.

The Walk also bears witness to contemporary famines in the Third World. The determination of the walkers on the Walk was striking.

There had been heavy rain right up to the start of the Walk yet this did not put off the large attendance. Neither did a heavy shower of hailstones deter the walkers as they left the 1848 monument in The Commons village for the Famine Warhouse.

Indeed for a moment as walkers took refuge from the hailstones the very elements hinted at the misery endured by the Irish during the Famine.

The national heritage site, Famine Warhouse 1848 was the location of the state national famine commemoration led by An Taoiseach last September.

On reaching their destination, Walk Leader Waylon White Deer made a moving address. He spoke of the similarities between the experiences of the Irish and the Choctaws.

The Choctaw tribe owned vast territories in the US but the government pushed them 600 miles to the west. They lost 25% of their population when they were forced to embark on this 'Trail of Tears' in the dead of winter.

Mr White Deer stated that the mass evictions of the Famine years paralleled the 'Trail of Tears' and the experiences of contemporary refugees.

He called for a moment of silence to remember those who died during the Famine and those who fell at the Famine Warhouse.

This year is the 170th anniversary of the Famine Rising of 1848 and Mr White Deer noted the coincidence that it was 170 dollars which the Choctaws raised from their own scarce resources as a donation to be sent to the starving Irish.

He commented that 'The Irish-Choctaw famine link transcends both the Irish and Choctaw peoples and speaks to a common humanity.

This is how we regard one another when we are following our better angels.

In its telling, this story of how one poor dispossessed people reached out in a remarkable moment to another poor, dispossessed people, becomes timeless.'

The organisers of the event, the voluntary Ballingarry 1848 Society are endeavouring to have Famine Warhouse 1848 developed fully as a significant educational, heritage and tourist attraction mid-way between the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny City.

The Society called on the government to make good its long made promise to renovate the final out-building as an Education Room in honour of the famine dead.

At the conclusion, the local band, the Mangled Badgers played the national anthem, and refreshments were served to all in the courtyard.

Mr White Deer commented that 'the graciousness of the people who took part in the Walk will long stay with me'.
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:
(Natural News) Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, recently put together a list of the 10 things that Democrats are promising to do if they win the midterm elections this fall  and all of them will lead to the total destruction of our country.

Heres the list, as revealed in a clip he put together for Brighteon.com:

1) Elizabeth Fauxcahontas Warren wants to raise your taxes to 50 percent of your income. They think its bad for you to keep more of your own money, warns Adams.

2) Democrats want to open up the borders of the country and flood America with illegal aliens who will be granted the right to vote, and who will also, of course, enjoy all of the entitlements that states like California want to give out to them, warns Adams, noting that they also want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Democrats literally wants anyone who shows up to become an American, he says. Why is it that Democrats believe that nobody should have to follow the rules?

3) Shutting down all of the prisons is another Democrat agenda, presumably to build their own base of voters.

This is insanity, says Adams. As much as we have a lot of prosecutorial abuse within our prison system  by and large, prisons are filled with guilty people. Prisons are created so violent people dont go running around murdering you and your children.

4) Democrats want to eliminate all private property and businesses, and convert the country in a socialist utopia. They also want to eliminate all profits, as well as the free market system at large.

This is what Venezuela did, by the way, and check out what happened to them, explains Adams. If you think starvation is awesome, vote Democrat this fall.

5) While were at it, lets get rid of all nations and convert to globalism. This is another plank of the Democratic Party, which hates national sovereignty because it precludes their efforts to control everything and everyone.

They want global gun control, global vaccinations, global psychiatric medication for children, global bans on vitamin C, massive cell phone tower radiation, global control of the gold supply, global fiat enslavement, and so much more, says Adams.

Globalism is a poison for humanity; but Democrats love globalist ideas, Adams adds, warning as well about the fake agreements and treaties about climate change that, because Congress wont approve them, are completely useless.

They literally hate America, says Adams about the Democrats.

6) Full authoritarian censorship of the internet is another Democratic plan, including the seizure of domain names.

There is not a single person on the left who has spoken out against this, says Adams about the recent pulling of conservative content from YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, and other tech platforms.

They dont believe in free speech. They dont believe in debate, he adds about the Democratic mindset.

7) President Trump will be thrown into prison if Democrats win  or worse.

Theyre saying that hes a spy now, and that hes committing treason, Adams says.

8) Democrats are eager to go to war with Russia, which means the nukes will start flying if they win.

They dont want peace; they want war with Russia, says Adams about the Left. Anyone who seeks peace with Russia is called a traitor or a treasonous betrayer of America. When did the Left start loving nukes all of a sudden?

9) Patriots, Trump supporters, and anyone who doesnt agree with the leftist agenda will become a target of violence if the Democrats win.

If you vote for Democrats, you are committing suicide, warns Adams. You are voting for the destruction of your life.

10) Finally, Democrats want to shut down the police because they hate cops, law, order, and common decency.

Be sure to watch the full video at Brighteon.com.

.



Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Despite having had his entire repository of media content scrapped from multiple major social media platforms, Alex Jones of InfoWars.com still has something that cant be taken from him by the tech tyrants  the invigorated support of people everywhere who are outraged by this blatant act of silencing and censorship.

Our own Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, offered up his full support for Jones, who has since moved his censored content to the all-new Brighteon.com platform.

So far, about 100 videos are uploaded there, with many more coming each day, says Adams. In addition, many InfoWars fans have been uploading videos to other channels on Brighteon.com.

Jones, as you may already know, is aligned with many of our own beliefs here at Natural News. Hes anti-GMO (genetically-modified organisms), anti-vaccine, anti-medical tyranny, pro-nutrition, pro-self-reliance, and pro-self-defense, among other things associated with freedom and liberty.

Paul Joseph Watson defends Alex Jones, says leftists trying to silence conservatives to bar Trumps reelection

Such positions represent the antithesis of the technocracys agenda, hence why Jones was removed from many major platforms in recent days. But his supporters are perhaps more ignited than ever to carry on the fight for free speech, recognizing that alternatives such as Brighteon.com are needed to keep the message spreading.

Paul Joseph Watson is one such supporter who during a recent interview with Jones explained how the goal is to shift whats known as the Overton window, meaning the range of tolerable ideas in public discourse. By making conservative discourse off-limits, leftists plan to hijack both the midterms and the next presidential election.

In the short term, this is about changing the Overton window  to the point where conservatives moderate their opinions, where they moderate their speech, just to ensure the survival of their platforms, says Watson. Its all a power play. Its intellectual castration. And it neutralizes [conservatives] politically before the midterms and the potential reelection of Trump.

You can watch the full interview between Jones and Watson at Brighteon.com below:

Big Tech fascism is driving conservatives to new platforms like Brighteon.com

Our own J.D. Heyes has also come to Jones defense, warning that these leftist tactics of censorship are the same ones employed by socialist and communist dictatorships  including in the former Soviet Union, which the Left so vehemently despises in conjunction with their hatred for Donald Trump.

But rather than all of the control over the media being in the hands of the government, its now in the hands of Big Tech, the fascistic arm of the American government that constantly churns out anti-American propaganda in an effort to spur Civil War 2.0, followed by the complete takeover of our Constitutional Republic.

Whats truly amazing  or frightening  is the number of establishment journalists who are supporting the social media censorship of Jones and all other conservative voices, writes Heyes.

Instead of defending Jones right to publish and the right to have a voice and a platform just like they have, these media hacks are allowing their political viewpoints to cloud their judgment. No way they would ever put up with being treated in a similar fashion.

This is why its critical for Republicans to maintain a Congressional majority, as things will only get worse  far worse  if Democratic Socialists seize lawmaking control this fall. The left-wing bullies are sure to kick things into major overdrive in the event of a blue wave victory, which would very quickly lead to conservatives having no voice whatsoever, anywhere.

For more news about the Lefts plan to silence all of its opposition, visit Censorship.news or SpeechPolice.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

Brighteon.com

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In the first large-scale survey in the United States of its kind, experts have found that around 1.24 percent of Latin American-born residents living in Los Angeles are infected with the Chagas disease. This is a parasitic infection only found in the Americas and is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening heart damage if not detected or treated early.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 percent of chronically infected Chagas disease patients develop cardiac alterations, with 10 percent eventually developing digestive or neurological complications. Unfortunately, most people do not even know they are infected until they develop severe symptoms. This has given Chagas disease the moniker of the silent killer.

The new study supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)s estimates that there are around 300,000 people currently living with the disease in North America.

A major public health concern

Authors of the the study, which was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, observed around 5,000 Latin American-born residents in Los Angeles County. Researchers coordinated with the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease (CECD) and found that 1.24 percent of tested participants showed positive results for Chagas disease. Authors of the study suggested that this could potentially translate to around 30,000 people in the Los Angeles area being infected, which supports the CDCs nationwide estimates.

Colin Forsythe, an epidemiologist from Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) and Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in an article on ScienceDaily.com, although this study concentrated on Latin American-born residents of Los Angeles, California, Chagas disease has also been in the U.S. for centuries. The bugs that transmit Chagas disease live in 27 states  the whole southern half of the country  and we know that they sometimes infect people, but we need further research to determine how often this takes place.

Forsythes statement was supported by the studys lead author, Dr. Sheba Meymandi, Director of CECD. Less than one percent with the infection are receiving treatment for Chagas disease. Without treatment, many Chagas patients are at risk of a silent death due to heart failure. Our study demonstrates the need for similar research in other states, and underscores the critical importance of early detection and treatment to tackle this public health challenge in the U.S.

What you need to know

The disease is spread through the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is more common in the rural areas of Latin America where poverty is more prevalent. The CDC estimates that there are as many as eight million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America who are infected with the disease. That being said, more people in North America are at risk of being infected due to the sudden influx of Latin American immigrants.

Chagas disease can spread in many ways. In disease-endemic areas, people get infected through vectorborne transmission. Insects get infected by biting an infected person or animal. These insects then pass the Chagas parasites in their feces. After they bite and ingest the blood, they defecate on a person. Because these vector insects like to feed on peoples faces, they are often called kissing bugs. The person becomes infected as the parasites in the bugs feces enter the body through membranes or breaks in the skin. The person may also inadvertently scratch or rub the feces into bite wounds, eyes, or mouth. Though more rare, people can also become infected through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, or accidental laboratory exposure.

As of this writing, the only drugs that successfully kill Chagas parasites are benznidazole and nifurtimox. Both drugs are more than 40 years old and have not been registered for use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Read more on how to better care for yourself and your family by reading the articles at Prevention.news and Preparedness.news.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

CDC.gov

WHO.int
(Natural News) The mask is coming off. The climate change alarmists in the mainstream media are revealing their true motives. A new report authored by Carl Zimmer of the New York Times suggests that the process of greening the Earth with CO2 is a terrible thing that must be reversed. The article claims that global greening from carbon dioxide emissions is terrible in the long run. Plants should not be allowed to grow freely with an abundant supply of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Obviously, the fight against climate change is really a deceptive plot to eradicate a necessary element so that plant life is starved and the planet becomes void of life. Climate change alarmists have made carbon dioxide out to be some kind of pollutant, even though it contains two of the most important molecules for life itself. If carbon levels were reduced to near zero, the planet would become cold and/or arid, barren, depopulated, starved of nutrients, food variety, and ultimately cut short of oxygen. This is the kind of planet that Carl Zimmer is advocating for?

Why do they try to make it a bad thing?

The fight against climate change is also a plot to engineer a reason to manipulate and change the Earths climate in ways that benefit specific industries, in ways that control the population. The natural rise in atmospheric CO2 is helpful for plant growth, which ultimately spurs food production and the return of oxygen to the atmosphere. However, Carl Zimmer of the New York Times wrote on July 30th that rising CO2 levels are making the world greener, but thats nothing to celebrate. [emphasis added] Zimmer advocates for tight controls on CO2 emissions so that climate can be manipulated and controlled. Climate change alarmist like Zimmer are actually pro climate change because they want to manipulate the Earths climate how they best deem fit.

The backwards-thinking Zimmer doesnt want to see plants thriving where they once struggled. Because of rising CO2 levels in the past century, plants grew at a faster rate than any other time in the past 54,000 years. This has brought incredible abundance of life and ecosystems. Anyone that disagrees with Zimmer is viewed as a climate denialist who is trying to impede scientific progress.

Others have embraced the idea of rising CO2 levels because it would naturally help the planet re-green. Former Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore argues that the world needs more CO2. The Earth is theoretically CO2-deficient compared to past geological periods, when plant life exploded. Moore criticized Zimmer and the New York Times for their claims. Moore writes that CO2 levels should be higher: 800-1200 ppm CO2 is optimal. It has been lower during Pleistocene than any time in Earth history. Its also a known fact that plants see tremendous growth when CO2 is pumped into a greenhouse.

Since plants synthesize their own medicines, one very important element is needed to form bonds for the production of phyto-chemicals and vitamins. Vitamin C, for example, is created from hydrogen and oxygen, all held together by carbon bonds. Carbon is so common in chemistry it is not even denoted in molecular formulas. The leaves, stems, fruit, bark, and nutritive compounds that come from plant life all depend upon the utilization of carbon dioxide from the Earths atmosphere. The nefarious war against carbon is not only a war against food diversity, independence and abundance, but it is also a war against natural medicine, nutrition, and healing super foods.



For more analysis on climate change, visit ClimateScienceNews.com.

Sources include:

DailyCaller.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) An American patriot, Gabe Zolna from ZolnaReport.com, is calling on President Donald Trump to take action against the treasonous fake news media by pulling their Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadcasting licenses.

In a recent video posted to Brighteon.com, Zolna talks about how he watched another recent video by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, in which Adams discusses how the mainstream media is an enemy of the American people.

Its fascinating to me that the left-wing media establishment is now accusing President Trump of being Orwellian for him attacking the media and saying that the media is the enemy of the people, when the media is the enemy of the people, says Adams in the video.

Thank God that he (Trump) is willing to tell the truth and go after this fake news media.

Zolna agrees with Adams assessment  but he would like to see action taken to actually stop the corporate propaganda machine from continuing to rile up the public, creating division and the groundwork for a possible second civil war.

A presidents number one job is what? To protect the American people, argues Zolna. And I agree that Mike Adams is right  the media is the enemy of the people. So why doesnt President Trump do something to protect us from the mainstream media?

You can watch the full report by Gabe Zolna at Brighteon.com below:

.



Is it time for Trump to pull the plug on CNN and The Washington Post?

Theres only so much that President Trump can do, especially considering any move he might try to make against the fake news media will be perceived by leftist zombies as a declaration of war  which will only fuel the fires of hatred against him.

At the same time, it seems like mass civil unrest is an inevitability regardless  and if the President wants to see law and order maintained, then hes going to have to take action against these domestic terrorist organizations that are trying to overthrow him and target his supporters.

What can he do? The media relies on airwaves, the Federal Communications Commission. They are controlled, they are part of the federal government, says Zolna.

With the flip of the switch, Trump can do to them what YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter do to us. With the flip of a switch, all of our information is gone. We no longer have access to the user base that we have established.

Zolna goes one step further than Adams in his assessment of the solution to this problem, calling on President Trump to very seriously consider pulling FCC licenses for some of the worst offenders. This would hopefully curb many others from parroting fake news, giving the American people time to heal and work towards unity, as opposed to the rabid division that the Left has been fostering ever since the election.

Why doesnt President Trump use the authority that he has and have the Federal Communications Commission pull the licenses of these fake news outlets? Dont you think that should happen? I sure as hell do, says Zolna.

The FCC should shut down organizations like CNN, like The Washington Post  thats what I think.

As Adams warns in another video, also available at Brighteon.com, the Democrats, should they sweep the midterm elections this fall, are already planning to target the domain names of conservative groups. This would mean the total silencing of all conservative voices online  hence Zolnas urgency in calling on President Trump to do something before its too late.

Be sure to watch the full video clip at Brighteon.com.

Sources for this article include:

ZolnaReport.com

Brighteon.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Theres a wild conspiracy theory being perpetuated by the Trump-hating mainstream media right now that claims the president is reversing an Obama-era ban on the use of pesticides and GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) in national wildlife refuges. But an in-depth Natural News investigation has revealed that this claim is just more fake news, as Obama never actually banned either of these poisons from nationally-owned land.

In fact, a 2014 memo issued by Obama about the types of chemicals and agricultural inputs that are allowed on federal land is almost identical to the one recently issued by Trump  meaning theres been virtually no change in the policy for at least the past four years. But this isnt what the liberal media is now reporting as it tries to claim that Trump is destroying the environment  which is just the latest psy-op to rile up the public against the president.

All during the Obama years, Natural News was at the forefront of reporting on such issues, seeing as how monitoring GMOs and chemical pesticides and herbicides is our forte. If you go back in our archives and search for these topics, youll see that Obama was hardly a friend of the environment, nor was he at all concerned about damaging toxins and fake food crops invading federal land.

Because it was Obama engaging in this sleight-of-hand  remember, it was Obama who lied on the campaign trail about banning the very same GMOs that he ultimately allowed in wildlife refuges  the mainstream media was nowhere to be found in condemning him. But now that Trump is basically affirming this Obama-era policy with no changes, the liberal liars would have us all believe that Trump hates the environment and is destroying the planet.

The latest assault comes from a wave of extremely deceptive, misleading stories that now claim the Trump administration has reversed an Obama-era regulatory decision that banned the use of neonics and GMOs on national wildlife refuge lands, says Mike Adams, the Health Ranger.

They claim the memo completely reverses the Obama-era pesticide ban. But a factual reading of the two memos (one from 2014, one from 2018) shows this interpretation to be highly inaccurate, if not deliberately deceptive.

You can read the two memos side by side and see for yourself the deception by visiting this link.

The fake media harms us all

Whats stunningly hypocritical about those criticizing the president over the fake news it made up about him is that its suddenly popular to oppose the deadly chemical poisons that independent media outlets like Natural News have been warning about for years. Weve faced plenty of criticism, mockery, and abuse for simply warning about the dangers of GMOs and crop chemicals, both of which are harming children by the millions, not to mention the environment.

However, now that Trump is at the helm continuing this status quo, liberal news outlets are going nuts pretending like they care about these same issues  the exception being that they only seem to care about the wildlife refuges, and not about children. Its just another sick ploy by these psychopaths to target Trump when, in fact, they couldnt care less about either planet or children.

While were in full agreement that Trump needs to stop this chemical assault on our planet and our children, the truth of the matter is that nothing has changed under his presidency, despite what the fake media is claiming. GMOs and crop chemicals are still being used just as they always were, and still need to be fought against, regardless of who the sitting president might be.

For more alerts about the fake news media and its endless assault against President Trump, visit Faked.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Corticosteroids in asthma inhalers could make women fat and increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a recent study found. Corticosteroids are widely-used anti-inflammatory agents that come in many forms  such as inhalers, nasal sprays, tablets, injections and cream  and are prescribed to ease symptoms of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of abnormalities that increase the risk of heart disease and other disorders such as diabetes and stroke.

In the study, Dutch researchers pooled data from the LifeLines Study Cohort and examined 140,879 adults. Researchers found that one in 10 participants were using corticosteroids. More than 50 percent of these patients used inhaled corticosteroids alone or in combination with other treatment forms. The participants were then checked for symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

The study showed that participants who used any form of corticoteroids were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome compared with non-users. More specifically, participants who used inhaled corticosteroids had a 1.4-fold increased risk of the condition. Researchers also found that women who used any form of corticosteroids had a 1.2-fold raised odds of suffering metabolic syndrome. However, male users did not show an increased risk of the condition.

Researchers also noted that corticosteroid users had significantly higher body mass index than those who did not take the drug. According to the study, women who used inhaled corticosteroids had a BMI increase of 0.86 kg/m2 compared with nonusers. Both genders who used other forms of corticosteroid such as cream, tablet, and injectables had a BMI increase of 0.31 kg/m2. However, the researchers were not able to determine why corticosteroids prompted weight gain in users.

Our findings suggest that inhaled corticosteroids may have greater systemic effects than recognized. This could warrant stricter monitoring of these adverse effects and potentially more restraint in prescriptions of this type of medication, especially in women at risk of the metabolic syndrome, said study author Dr Elisabeth van Rossum.

However, study co-author Dr. Mesut Savas cautioned that the results do not indicate a causal relationship between inhalers ans metabolic syndrome. Our results are suggestive for, but do not prove, causality. We need studies that will follow corticosteroid users and nonusers over time and monitor for development of the metabolic syndrome, Dr. Savas stated.

The findings were presented at the Endocrine Societys 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Asthma, metabolic syndrome by the numbers

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)s National Health Interview Survey in 2015 showed that 18.4 million adults 18 years and older currently have asthma, which equates to 7.6 percent of the total adult population. CDC data also showed that 6.2 million children have the disease, which accounts to 8.4 percent of the childrens population.

More than six percent of all visits to office-based physicians were associated with asthma, a 2013 survey revealed. Furthermore, 1.6 million emergency department visits in the U.S. were tied to asthma attacks. According to another CDC survey, there were 3,651 asthma-related deaths in 2014 alone. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the annual cost associated with the disease is about $56 billion. AAFA data also showed that direct health costs amount to nearly $50.1 billion, while indirect costs were $5.9 billion.

On the other hand, data from the International Diabetes Federation showed that 25 percent of adults worldwide suffer from metabolic syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome were three times as likely to suffer and die from heart attack or stroke than those who did not have the disease. Patients with metabolic syndrome were also five times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with their healthier counterparts.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association also revealed that nearly 35 percents of U.S. adults were estimated to have metabolic syndrome. Researchers also found an age-dependent increase in the rates of metabolic syndrome in patients. Data showed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome ranged between 18.3 percent in patients aged 20 to 39 years to 46.7 percent in patients aged 60 years and older. Furthermore, more than 50 percent of women and Hispanic patients had metabolic syndrome.

Read more about the dangers of corticosteroids at DangerousMedicine.com.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MedicalXpress.com

CDC.gov

AAFA.org
(Natural News) Antifa is being given a free pass by the mainstream media once again. This past weekend, left-wing extremists took to the streets in three different cities to incite violence of all kinds  and not a single organization within the legacy media has dared to report on it. The lawless Left continues to operate under the guise of counter-protesting against conservatives, as if that is somehow a justification for their violence.

The cities of Portland, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island and Berkeley, California were all targets of Antifas brutality this weekend. In Portland, the so-called counter-protesters arrived armed and ready to cause serious damage to members of Patriot Prayer, a conservative group that supports free speech and is against big government. The Proud Boys were also reportedly at the event. The left-wing media has, of course, smeared Patriot Prayer as a violent, far-right organization; Huffington Post even labeled them as a proto-fascist gang, a term thatd be more fitting for the Antifa brown shirts, no doubt.

Patriot Prayer is about using the power of love and prayer to fight the corruption in both the government and citizen levels that seek to gain power through division and deception, says a description on the groups Facebook page. Apparently praying in public is now a violent offense to liberals.

Antifa attacks grandmas in Portland

While the Left hastily reports on anything that can help them paint conservatives in a bad light, its almost as if Antifa was never even there. But they were  and they were rioting.

As Gateway Pundit reports, Antifa members showed up in full swing, armed and ready to fight anyone  including a pair of conservative grandmothers. Republican activists Cheryl Bowen and Lee Gayer Robbins were attacked by Antifa thugs on their way into a parking garage. Attacking two women in a dark corner is about as low as you can get, but fortunately, another Trump supporter was able to come to their rescue.

Transgender Trump supporter Edie Dixon rushed into the fray, and tried to fight off the violent protesters. In a Facebook comment, Cheryl reiterated how thankful she was for Edies bravery. You and Lee have been everything to me, I wasnt going to let anybody attack you even if it meant getting beat up myself, Edie replied.

Not everyone at the Portland protest was so lucky; one Trump supporter had his skull cracked open by a crazed Antifa member with a club. While both sides are guilty of violence, the media has not been truthful in their reporting of Antifas activities, describing them as peaceful counter-protesters. Peaceful people do not crack skulls.



Antifa attacks in Providence and Berkeley

Antifa was hellbent on shutting down the Providence Freedom Rally, and showed up ready to fight. The pro-freedom group, Resist Marxism, faced off with hundreds of radical left-wing goons. According to them, being pro-freedom makes you a Nazi that needs to be silenced.

Counter-protesters reportedly said they would not be fooled by the Freedom Rally (a confusing statement, I know).

In response, a coalition of anti-racist, anti-sexist, pro-LGBTQ, anti-fascist, socialist, labor, and community organizers has formed, calling ourselves Ocean State Against Hate. Our purpose is simple and clear: to shut down their event and make it clear that this community defend themselves from hate, a statement from the group reads.

Gateway Pundit reports that Providence police did not separate the groups, allowing Antifa to destroy property and attack Freedom Rally patrons. Army veteran Samson Racioppi was attacked by a left-wing goon, who struck him upside the head with a bike lock. Racioppi says he was approached by a group of masked men in a parking garage.

And in sunny California, things werent much better: A group of Antifa thugs destroyed a Marine recruiting office over the weekend, as well. See more coverage of the radical lefts atrocities at Antifa.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

TurnItTo10.com
(Natural News) The unceremonious purge of InfoWars and Alex Jones across Facebook, YouTube and Apple is just the beginning of a grim future for conservatives. The shift of power from government to privately held companies is just one more way for the radical left to circumvent the trappings of law and order  and operate outside the realm of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

As private companies, tech giants are under no legal obligation to uphold the First Amendment, or any other rights of the American people, for that matter. But as the world of tech increasingly becomes the only world people seem to want to live in, this raises substantial questions about the amount of power these companies hold and whether they should be held to a higher legal standard regarding free speech.

By controlling what people can and cannot see, hear or say, companies like Facebook are indirectly influencing the way people feel and think. But now, that power doesnt just extend to what people see in their newsfeed, as the tech giants of the world now see fit to flat-out silence anyone who disagrees with their views, or criticizes their lobbyists. Indeed, as Breitbart recently revealed, InfoWars wasnt censored for violating the arbitrary and inane rules of engagement for social media  InfoWars was taken down because liberal media talking heads at CNN and Democrat politicians begged them to censor the site.

In the new world of technology, politicians and left-wing journalists are lobbying Silicon Valley behind closed doors to silence their competition. To make matters worse, the Democratic politicians who call upon Big Tech to censor anyone who disagrees with them turn around and call conservatives conspiracy theorists for calling out their acts of censorship.

This is what it truly means to be Orwellian, the Left is all but calling their censorship freedom. Ultimately, Democrats and the left-leaning media are doing everything in their power to pull the rug out from under conservatives and prevent them from having a platform from which to speak.

Democrats demand censorship of conservatives

Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch was all but leading the charge at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on social media censorship. Breitbart reports that Deutch demanded Facebook leaders explain why they had decided not to ban InfoWars, calling Alex Jones a well-known conspiracy theorist whose brand is bullying.

Deutch also challenged Google, asking how many violations it would take to see the InfoWars channel deleted from YouTube. He then asked Googles representative if they thought conspiracy theories were a problem, and asked her to explain the companys planned solutions. It seems that YouTube has now come up with a solution: ban the channels that Rep. Deutch objects to, reporter Allum Bokhari writes.

In the past, Deutch has scolded tech companies for allowing vile and outrageous and offensive garbage to permeate their platforms. Deutch and other Democrats are not arbiters of morality and do not have the right to police what other people think. What constitutes offensive garbage in the minds of liberals like Deutch is far different than what a conservative might find vile.

For those who still believe in liberty and free speech, the idea that anyone would be so vehemently targeted by corporations and politicians for simply expressing their opinions is the offensive garbage in this situation.

Sadly, it wasnt just politicians demanding that Alex Jones be taken out: Multiple liberal media outlets have been putting pressure on Big Tech to silence InfoWars. CNN has been a particularly strong force in this regard, lobbying YouTube and Facebook to ban Alex Jones.

Ultimately, the Left is operating like a fascist regime: Antifa are the brown shirts, disrupting the political activities of their perceived adversaries, while liberal politicians and pundits work to remove any trace of the conservative voice from public view. Learn more at Censored.news. Also check out CNNsoFAKE.news.



Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
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.
An appeals court on Wednesday rejected a former Stanford University swimmer's bid for a new trial and upheld his sexual assault and attempted rape convictions.

The three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose ruled Wednesday that there was "substantial evidence" that Brock Turner received a fair trial.

In 2016, a jury convicted Turner of sexually assaulting an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside an on-campus fraternity party.

The case got national attention after the victim's powerful statement, which she read in court before Turner was sentenced, was shared widely online.

She recounted the assault, her treatment by investigators and the ordeal of facing questions about her sexual activity and drinking habits. It quickly went viral.

"Instead of taking time to heal, I was taking time to recall the night in excruciating detail, in order to prepare for the attorney's questions that would be invasive, aggressive and designed to steer me off course, to contradict myself, my sister, phrased in ways to manipulate my answers," she wrote. "This was a game of strategy, as if I could be tricked out of my own worth."

The Associated Press doesn't generally identify sexual abuse victims.

Judge Aaron Persky rejected a prosecutor's demand for a lengthy prison term and instead sentenced Turner to six months in jail. He was released from jail in September 2016 after serving three months.

Persky's sentence sparked nationwide outrage by those who felt it too lenient.

Voters recalled Persky in June.

The sentence was not part of the appeal and the judges didn't address it.

Turner filed an appeal in December seeking a new trial, arguing that the evidence presented at his trial didn't support his convictions. The jury convicted him of sexually assaulting an intoxicated victim, sexually assaulting an unconscious victim and attempting to rape her.

Judge Franklin Elia writing for the unanimous panel said there was "substantial evidence" to support conviction of all three charges. In particular, the judge pointed out that Turner tried to run from two graduate students who confronted him assaulting the then-22-year-old woman. The judge wrote that the victim was slurring her speech when she left a fraternity party with Turner and the graduate students testified the victim appeared unconscious when they showed up, chased Turner and held him down until police arrived. He denied running when questioned by police.

"He did not explain or defend himself to them," Elia wrote. "And he lied to police about running."

Turner could petition the California Supreme Court to consider his appeal. Turner's attorney Eric Multhaup didn't return a phone call Wednesday.

Stanford law professor Michelle Dauber, who led the judge's recall campaign, called on Turner to drop any further appeals.

"The appellate court has now rejected that idea and I think everyone, including Brock Turner, would be better served by accepting the jury's verdict and moving on," she said.

Turner lives outside Dayton, Ohio, with his parents. He is required to register as a sex offender for life.
Police have arrested the suspect of a shooting that occurred last Friday in the parking lot of a Safeway in Palo Alto.

A Nevada man, 37-year-old Christian David Poppe, was arrested after police spotted his vehicle on Wednesday near San Ramon Valley Boulevard in Danville, according to Palo Alto police.

Officers recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from Poppe's black 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, the gun he allegedly used to shoot at an unidentified man in the parking lot of Palo Alto's Safeway at 2811 Middlefield Rd., according to police.

The victim fled the area in a white Lexus SUV with a paper license plate after the shooting suspect fired multiple rounds into the vehicle.

Officers weren't able to locate the victim, who police described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, but a preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the Lexus got into a confrontation with the suspect.



Witnesses told officers that the suspect confronted the driver as he was getting into the Lexus. The vehicle appeared to have a shattered window, police said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
Another Sikh man was attacked in central California but police say they are treating the assault as an attempted robbery and not a hate crime.

The Modesto Bee reports the 71-year-old man was walking along a park in Manteca when two men attacked him Monday. One of the two people arrested in connection with the attack, 18-year-old Tyrone Keith McAllister, is the "estranged" son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, according to Union City Police Department.

McAllister and a 16-year-old boy were taken into custody and being transported to jail on attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon charges, the city of Manteca stated Wednesday.

Chief McAllister is "devastated by how much the nature of his sons actions are such a departure from everything he has stood," according to Union City police. He and his wife worked together to help Manteca police locate their son Wednesday morning.

Surveillance video shows one of the suspects kicking the victim to the ground. After the victim gets up to defend himself, the same suspect kicks him back down to the ground.

Police says that the man does not speak English and could not tell officers what the men said to him or wanted.

The victim's family on Wednesday told NBC Bay Area it is hard to watch the surveillance video.

Last week, two men beat a Sikh man in Keyes and spray-painted a neo-Nazi symbol on his truck in what police are treating as a hate crime.

Surjit Malhi says he was putting up campaign signs for local Republicans when two men ambushed him.

Here's the full statement released by the Union City Police Department:

The Union City Police Department has received inquiries about whether one of the two perpetrators of a violent robbery of an elderly Manteca man yesterday is the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister.

Chief McAllister confirmed that his estranged son, Tyrone Keith McAllister, is one of the two suspects arrested. Chief McAllisters status as a law enforcement leader has no bearing or relation to the case whatsoever, but he is devastated by how much the nature of his sons actions are such a departure from everything he has stood for in his personal life and 37 year career of compassionate, engaging police work. He and his wife worked with Manteca PD to help track down and arrest Tyrone this morning, as Tyrone has been estranged from the family and their home for some time. Chief McAllister expresses deep concern for the victim and the victims family and he remains steadfast that his son, an adult, must be accountable for his actions.

Union City Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci provided the following statement:

The City Council and I are aware of an incident that occurred in Manteca, California on Monday, August 6th where an elderly Sikh man was the victim of a physical attack by two men as he walked near a loca Park. It is my understand that one of the suspects is the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister. Our deepest empathy lies with the victim of this crime. The investigation of this incident is being handled by the Manteca Police Department, the appropriate jurisdiction at this time. While I cannot comment on the ongoing investigation, I support Police Chief McAllister, who has been an effective law enforcement leader in our community and I understand that this incident is a personal matter for him. I trust that the law enforcement and judicial systems will work to ensure that there is justice in this case. We stand in solidarity with the Sikh community of Manteca and our own Sikh community in Union City. As a compassionate city, Union City continuously works to uphold the values of safety, tolerance, and respect for one another.


Thousands of people are planning to march toward the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco and call for an end to "climate injustice."

A projected 4,000 people will gather on Sept. 8 to call for no new fossil fuel projects and a sea wall for San Francisco. If the crowd holds in the planned march, it has the potential to take over the streets as activists create urgency ahead of a global summit in the city the following week.

The coalition of climate change advocates want to paint over current environmental policy and reinforce the fact that record fire seasons and rising sea waters are not happen chance.

"There will be people from all over this state, covering all kinds of interests because this will be the largest climate march the west coast has ever seen," said Miya Yoshitani, executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

Activists worry climate inaction has already taken its toll.

"As a frontline community, we already have had our health affected," said Tere Almaguer with PODER, a San Francisco-based environmental group. "We already have really high instances of asthma, cancer and heart disease."

A new "FireLine" report from the insurance group Verisk puts 15 percent of all California homes at high or extreme risk, with Alameda one of the five most vulnerable counties in the state. The group used advanced remote sensing and digital mapping technology to determine the impact of three factors that contribute to wildfire risk: fuel, slope and access.



Verisk said it could not identify what parts of Alameda County are most at-risk, but history tells us that the Oakland Hills are an obvious high-risk area. The other top five areas are red-flagged as "most vulnerable" are all in Southern California.
Wells Fargo says a company mistake contributed to hundreds of foreclosures because it miscalculated customers eligibility for mortgage modifications.

The bank said in a filing Friday the error caused about 625 customers to be denied, or not offered, loan modifications they otherwise qualified for. Foreclosures were completed in about 400 of the cases.

The customers had been using federal programs that helped families at risk of losing homes. Spokesman Tom Goyda says theres no breakdown of where the foreclosures occurred.

The error in the banks underwriting tool lasted from 2010 until it was fixed in late 2015, an internal review found.

The bank said it set aside $8 million this year to help the affected customers.

With its main corporate office in San Francisco, the bank employs thousands in Charlotte.
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 The ballot initiative would cap the number of patients a nurse can have at one time.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association says if it passes, it would add much needed care.

On the other side of the debate, some hospitals say while it might add nurses, it would also add costs and lead to big cuts in service.

Massachusetts voters will decide on three important questions in the upcoming November election, including one that would impose stricter nurse-to-patient ratios at state hospitals.

The nurses behind the effort say this is about improving patient outcomes, but on the other side, hospitals are saying this will cost patients their care.

Donna Kelly-Williams, who has been a nurse for over 40 years, says asking voters to say yes to question one is about answering a longstanding complaint about staffing in hospitals.

This is the most important thing that I can do as a registered nurse to ensure that the very people that are entrusted to my care as a registered nurse are cared for the in absolute safest way possible, Kelly-Williams said.

The ballot initiative would cap the number of patients a nurse can have at one time. While it varies by department, the Massachusetts Nurses Association says it would add much needed care.

But Scott Barboza, director of communications for Franciscan Childrens Hospital in Brighton, has a different take.

If it were to pass it would be devastating, Barboza said.

He says the initiative might add nurses but it would also add costs and lead to big cuts in service, especially in mental health.

A new study from the states association of behavioural health systems says it would result in a loss of more than 1,000 behavioral health beds.

We are in the midst of a mental health paediatric crisis in this country and really when you look at the macro numbers, its an epidemic, he said.

But to better treat that problem in hospitals, nurses say their jobs need to change.

We can do much better and we should be doing much better, Kelly-Williams said.

A hospital like Franciscan says this would cost them about $1.6 million in added expenses, but the nurses union, which is backing the initiative, says its worth it.
After more than 65 people were shot last weekend -- there have been many ideas of what to do differently--and one Democratic state representative says the city needs President Donald Trump more now than ever.

Gov. Bruce Rauner reacts to Chicago's weekend of violence that left 12 dead, more than 50 wounded -- on the South and West sides. Calling in the National Guard--Democratic insiders and other sources insist was considered by the governor. While on a visit Wednesday to Peoria, he said that's false.

There is no truth to the rumor of the National Guard, Rauner said. The National Guard is not for neighborhood policing.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel agrees with that stance.

The National Guard is not appropriate, he said.

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat from Chicagos West Side, said the governor and mayor should forge a better relationship with President Donald Trump.

President Trump talked about bringing more people into the workforce, Ford told NBC 5. He talks all the time about the black unemployment rate, but Trump doesnt really understand the black unemployment rate because there are so many black people that have never been on the rolls because they have never had a job.

He also reacted to why Chicago police have had so much trouble making arrests in the weekend shootings.

We cannot point fingers at the community when the community feels that if I snitch, then the police will tell who told and then Ill be nextyou have to look out for yourself, he said.

Police plan to add more police officers to the areas most impacted by the violence hoping to ensure what happened last weekend is not repeated.
The owners of five Chicago restaurants are facing federal charges after they allegedly underpaid taxes by manipulating their gross sales receipts.

According to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney John Lausch, the owners of the restaurants wilfully avoided paying the full amount of federal taxes by underreporting their sales.

The owners of Katys Dumpling House in Westmont, Sushi City in Downers Grove, Human Spring in Evanston, Cesars Tacos on North Clark Street, and Cesars on Broadway were charged in the case, and have not yet been formally arraigned.

These charges send a clear message that restaurant owners who choose to illegally underreport gross receipts will be held accountable, U.S. Attorney Lausch said. Recovering funds for the federal treasury is a top priority of our office.

The Department of Justice has been cracking down on techniques used by restaurants and other establishments to avoid paying taxes, including under-reporting sales and using specialized software, according to a press release.

This is only the beginning, Special Agent-in-Charge Gabriel Grchan said. I want to warn those restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, and other establishments that are currently using or thinking of using sales suppression software, that we are on to you and your methods. If you steal from the federal government, there will be serious consequences.
The U.S. Marshals have joined Texas authorities in their search for a convicted sex offender with ties to the Chicago area.

David Sauceda Medina, who was born in Illinois and has been convicted of sex crimes against children in multiple states, is listed as one of the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders after he was accused of indecency with a child and sexual contact in Bell County, Texas earlier this year.

Medina, who is described as a transient by authorities and is considered armed and dangerous, is also wanted by Austin police after he failed to register as a sex offender in the city as part of his punishment for a prior conviction in Texas.

According to a description provided by U.S. Marshals, Medina weighs 200 pounds and stands 5-foot-9, and has tattoos on his back, left arm, left hand, and both arms.

Texas authorities are offering an $8,000 reward, and the U.S. Marshals are offering an additional $5,000 for information leading to Medinas arrest.

Those with information on Medinas whereabouts are encouraged to call Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

Medinas convictions include an attempted sexual battery of a minor in Florida in 2008 and indecency with a child and sexual contact in Texas in 2010. He was released from prison in 2016 on the latter charges, and was required to register as a sex offender for life.
What to Know The 32-year-old is a co-host of Fox News' "Fox and Friends Weekend"

Huntsman grew up in Utah and appeared as a political commentator for ABC News in 2012

"The View" is adding a second conservative voice: Abby Huntsman.

The 32-year-old is set to join the panel of the ABC daytime talk show, which has seen many cast shakeups over the years, and leave her job as a co-host of Fox News' "Fox and Friends Weekend."

She joins right-leaning Meghan McCain, who regularly debates against left-leaning veteran stars Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg as well as co-star Sunny Hostin. Huntsman's casting comes on the heels of the departures of panelist Sara Haines and part-time co-star Paula Faris from "The View."

"Abby has lots of fans at ABC and is expected to land at 'The View,'" a source told E! News.

ABC has not commented on the news. Huntsman will host "Fox and Friends Weekend" for the last time this Saturday and Sunday, a spokesperson for the news network told E! News.

Huntsman grew up in Utah and appeared as a political commentator for ABC News in 2012 during the presidential campaign of her father, Jon Huntsman, a Republican leader and former Utah governor who serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia. She joined Fox News as a reporter in 2015.

We Ranked All of The View's Co-Hosts Over the Years

Like McCain, whose father is U.S. Sen. John McCain, Huntsman is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage--a cause most Republicans oppose.

In June, Huntsman came under fire from Fox News viewers for accidentally referring on-air to the historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a meeting of "two dictators." She apologized for her words, which had spurred the hashtag #TwoDictators to trend on Twitter.

Huntsman was directly critical of Trump after his meeting last month with Vladimir Putin, during which he appeared to shy away from criticizing the Russian leader over Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections. The U.S. president later said he misspoke.

"No negotiation is worth throwing your own people and country under the bus," Huntsman tweeted.

Right-leaning "Fuller House" star Candace Cameron Bure, a panelist on "The View between 2015 and 2016," told Fox News earlier this week that she had hoped a conservative star would be added to the panel.

"I really hope that it is a conservative seat because I think it will balance out that table," she said. "They need more than one conservative so I really hope it's a conservative."

Reporting contributed by Chris Harnick.
The effects of the Trump administration's escalating trade dispute with China is rippling through the U.S. economy and putting Connecticut's lobster industry in the crosshairs.

Groton-based Garbo Lobster is one of North Americas leading exporters of lobsters.

But, according to General Manager Chris Brown, the company has lost a significant portion of its business since China doubled tariffs on live U.S. seafood in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on billions of Chinese imports.

"Last year, during the summer months, we'd be shipping these out on a daily basis, no problem," said Brown. "It has really caused us to look at our model and alter it, our volumes are much lower so we have to really reduce the amount of drivers, reduce the amount of production staff."

How Much Would a Trade War Cost Your State?

Figures released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce paint a threat of billions lost should the United States enter into a trade war with Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union. Click on the map to see how much your state could stand to lose from each.

In 2017, the U.S. exported more than $142 million worth of lobster to China, up from about $108 million in 2016, The Associated Press reported. This year, that number is expected to take a big hit as the industry's biggest international market appears to have lost its appetite for New England lobster.

"We were shipping anywhere from 100- to 150,000 pounds [of lobster] a week on a given timeframe to China," Brown said. "However, now that has dropped down to nothing."

President Trump announced in June it would slap 25 percent tariff on $34 billion of imports from China. Beijing responded by increasing taxes on the same amount of American imports.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) noted that Trump's tariffs are increasing the price of lobster by $2.50 a pound, resulting in a situation "where the government is creating an added cost."

Courtney said he is concerned that Trumps trade policies are hurting other American companies.

"Unfortunately, theyre not alone in terms of the tariff impact on dairy, on soybeans, pork producers, different parts of the country," he said.

Companies in nearby states that ship shellfish overseas are also feeling the pinch, Courtney said. Meanwhile, Canadian companies are benefiting after China lowered tariffs on lobster imports from the U.S.'s neighbor to the north.

"I would ask [President Trump] to consider more free trade opportunities and to be able to compete in the seafood industry in really markets across the board," Brown said.
A committee in Newtown, Connecticut, has chosen a design for a permanent memorial to honor the 26 pupils and educators killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The group chose a design by San Francisco-based architecture and design firm SWA that features a coiling wooded walkway leading to a sycamore tree planted in the middle of a small man-made reflecting pool.

Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission Vice Chairman Alan Martin said the design was picked from almost 200 submitted and received overwhelming approval from the victims' families.

The commission will formally vote Thursday to recommend the design to the town's board of selectmen.

Martin said plans are for the memorial, on a donated 5-acre site near the school, to be dedicated on Dec. 14, 2019, which is the seventh anniversary of the shooting.
The Connecticut Supreme Court has vacated a felony murder conviction in a case that included the first Amber Alert ever issued in the state.

The high court ruled Thursday that 24-year-old Jennifer Helmedach's lawyers should have told her about a plea offer before she testified about her role in the September 2004 slaying of 20-year-old Faye Bennett in Meriden.

Helmedach acknowledged she was in the room when Bennett, who was pregnant, was stabbed and strangled by Helmedach's boyfriend, David Bell. They fled, resulting in the Amber Alert for Helmedach's then-1-year-old daughter, who was later found safe.

Helmedach's appellate lawyer, Conrad Seifert, said she has served 11 1/2 years in prison, 18 months longer than the original plea offer.

A Chief State's Attorney's Office spokesman said prosecutors are reviewing the decision.

Helmedach's attorney said they view the decision as a success in a long battle.

"I'm thrilled that the Supreme Court has ruled in our favor. It has been a long haul," said attorney Conrad Seifert.

Seifert said the state now has 90 days to ask the courts for a new sentencing or to reinstate the old one. If the state does not fight to keep the original murder conviction and 35-year setence in place, Seifert said he and his client will go to court and plead guilty to a robbery charge, which carries a 10-year sentence. Because Helmedach has already served time, that would make her a free woman, Seifert said.
Connecticut prosecutors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's murder conviction.

The state Supreme Court in May reversed its own 2016 decision and vacated Skakel's conviction in the bludgeoning death of 15-year-old Martha Moxley in their wealthy Greenwich neighborhood in 1975, when they were teenagers.

The 4-3 majority said Skakel's trial lawyer failed to contact an alibi witness.

Prosecutors asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to hear their appeal. They argue the state court didn't properly weigh the overall performance of Skakel's defense.

The chances of this petition being heard are slim. There is no obligation, according to "Supreme Court Procedure" online to hear these cases of those dissatisfied with a lower court decision. The U.S. Supreme Court only accepts 100 to 150 of more than 7,000 cases that are submitted for review every year.

Attorneys for Michael Skakel said they are going to file a response.

Skakel is a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy. A jury convicted him in 2002 and he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He was freed in 2013 when a state judge overturned his conviction.
Police have arrested a suspect in an assault at a Hartford liquor store and said the man who was arrested admitted to the attacking the victim to rob the store.

The robbery happened at Trinity Package Store, at 219 New Britain Ave. on July 6.

Officers responded to the store at 5:04 p.m. that night and found the victim bleeding profusely. They said he had two large lacerations on his head and was transported to Hartford Hospital for emergency medical care, where he was later listed in stable condition, police said.

Investigators found the homemade weapon -- three metal rods wrapped in a cloth and tied together with a shoelace.

Major crimes detectives took over the investigation and 34-year-old Pawel Onyszczuk, of East Hartford, was identified as a person of interest, police said.

West Hartford police contacted Hartford police on July 9 and told them their person of interest was in custody in connection to a home invasion incident in town.

When Hartford investigators interviewed Onyszczuk, he confessed to his involvement in the assault and provided the detectives with a statement that said hed hit the victim twice in the head, intending to render him unconscious so he could rob the store, according to police.

But the victim yelled for help and Onyszczuk ran, fearing that police would be responding, according to a news release from police.

Police obtained a warrant charging Onyszczuk with assault in the first degree and criminal attempted robbery in the first degree. Bond was set at $150,000.

Police said Onyszczuk is incarcerated at the Hartford Correctional Center and he is being held on an accumulative bond of $310,000.
The volunteer fire departments in Bozrah and Taftville want residents to know theyre not sending out letters asking for money.

Theres been some confusion lately after letters from a non-profit have been arriving in the mail, asking people to donate or volunteer their time.

It appears to be misleading because if you look at the bold areasyour eyes are drawn to the bold areas first. With a quick scan over, it appears to be coming from the fire department, said Taftville Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Hadam.

If you look at the letter distributed in Taftville, the bold title reads Taftville Area Volunteer Firefighter Drive, the reply form, where a person can submit a donation, reads 2018 Taftville Area Volunteer Drive Reply Form.

But upon a closer read, the letter is from the Volunteer Firefighter Alliance. A 501 (c) (3) non-profit. The money is to continue their national volunteer firefighter recruitment efforts and the mail-back address is to a P.O. Box in Topeka, Kansas. The company is located in Knoxville, Tenn.

The same letter was sent out in the Bozrah area, too, but targeted to that community.

If you live in Bozrah or in the Bozrah area you know theres only one fire department and were the only volunteer fire department for the town. I think the letter was misleading and confusing, said Bozrah Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Ryan Sholes.

Sholes wants to make it clear the department will see none of the money the Volunteer Firefighter Alliance is raising.

He said theres poor timing with the distribution of that letter as well since the department is currently negotiating with the town to get some paid staff during the week to fill a void in available volunteers. He doesnt want the community to misinterpret.

Volunteer Firefighter Alliance Executive Director Alan Bohms said he thought the letter clearly stated that its a national program and theyll reach out to a local department if someone wants to volunteer.

The money goes to the production and distribution of radio and TV public service announcements, Bohms said. That information is not listed in the mail-out.

Weve stopped the mailing because of the feedback weve received about the confusion and are going to revamp the letter, according to Bohms, adding only four to five letter went to each zip code.

The entire Volunteer Firefighters Alliance staff, including himself, are volunteer firefighters, Bohms said.

Hadam said his department does all its own fundraising whether it be community breakfasts or an upcoming comedy show.

I had to read it a couple of times to get the true meaning of it. And people with their busy lives, theyre checking their mail and they look through and again, look at the bold areas and go, Oh, local fire department looking for donations, Hadam said.
In their final debate before voters head to the polls, the contrast between endorsed Democrat Mary Glassman and longtime school teacher Jahana Hayes has more to do with style and experience than it does with policy proposals.

During the hour-long debate that streamed live on NBC Connecticuts mobile app and Facebook Live, the two agreed that Congress should pursue a single-payer health insurance system, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in some capacity, and on the need to work across the aisle.

But there were numerous tense moments between the two candidates looking to replace Rep. Elizabeth Esty in the Fifth Congressional District. Esty announced she would not seek re-election after she came under scrutiny for her handling of sexual harassment allegations against her former chief of staff.

Glassman made the first attack, criticizing Hayes for having more financial support from out-of-state donors.

"I think you can tell a lot about a candidate, how they'll act in Congress and the way they'll run their campaign, Glassman said. To date, Hayes has collected about half of all of her financing from out-of-state contributions, compared to Glassman, who has received more than 80 percent of her contributions from within the state of Connecticut.

Hayes also pointed to the fact that Glassman provided a loan to her campaign worth $30,000.

"I'm also the only candidate who didn't loan myself any money, Hayes said. "I am a person who has never run for elected office who stepped into this race and has inspired a nation. Fifty percent of my money is from in state, I had to go outside of state. That's what innovators do. They make a path where there isn't one. They create footprints where there weren't any."

Hayes is a former school teacher who was named, National Teacher of the Year in 2016, which brought her a level of fame around the country. She appeared with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and she even appeared on the Ellen show.

Glassman has spent her career in government, with much of her career focused on her time running Simsbury as First Selectwoman. She also ran unsuccessfully on two occasions for lieutenant governor, most recently in 2010. Glassman won the partys endorsement for the race back in May in a controversial vote that involved vote switches. She defeated Hayes by two votes.

The winner of the Democratic Primary will face the winner of the three-way GOP primary, which features endorsed Republican Manny Santos who is the former mayor of Meriden, Ruby Corby ONeill who is a former college professor from Southbury, and Rich DuPont, a businessman from Watertown.

On the conversation about legalizing marijuana, Glassman said she supported the regulation of the drug for recreational use at the state level. Hayes said she supported it at the federal level, and even said, Im not running for statewide office, referring to Glassmans answer.

The two also differed on whether Nancy Pelosi, the California Congresswoman, should continue as the leader of the party in the event Democrats regain a majority in November.

Glassman would not rule out voting for Pelosi saying, "I made it very clear I want to see all of the candidates who are running for speaker and I'll make the decision that's best for our community and for all of the people that serve throughout the district."

Hayes was far more direct, saying, "I would not vote for Nancy Pelosi."

Finally, both candidates have different factions of the state Democratic establishment backing them. Glassman attended a fundraiser in Washington, DC organized by sitting Congressmen John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, and Joe Courtney. While Hayes was urged to run for office by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy who is seeking a second term in the Senate this fall.

Hayes downplayed her support from Murphy, saying, He's introduced me to people. But once I have to do something to make those people support me. I wouldn't give him that much credit."
What to Know Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway resigned after admitting to taking $450k in bribes, trips, gifts, and other items related to the DCS scandal.

Caraway could face up to 7 years behind bars and must pay nearly $69K in restitution to the IRS.

Camera supplier Robert Leonard also pleads guilty, faces up to 10 years behind bars for his role in the $70 million DCS scandal.

Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, the second most powerful official at city hall, is headed to federal prison after admitting to receiving nearly $500,000 in bribes and kickbacks tied to the Dallas County Schools scandal.

Download our local news and weather app for Apple or Android and sign up for alerts.

After months of speculation, and an exclusive interview with NBC 5 Investigates in which he admitted to taking money from a Louisiana businessman, Caraway resigned his position at Dallas City Hall in a letter dated Wednesday and admitted to taking money in exchange for his political influence.

Through a lot of prayer and soul searching, I have decided that I must take responsibility for my actions  I betrayed the public's trust that I worked so very hard to earn. Dwaine Caraway

US Attorney calls Dwaine Caraway guilty plea a "major victory against public corruption". @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/pJX13QR1rt  Scott Friedman (@ScottNBC5) August 9, 2018

Graphic just handed out by US Attorneys office describing Dwaine Caraway criminal conspiracy. News conference begins shortly. @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/e4HGVRmmsA  Scott Friedman (@ScottNBC5) August 9, 2018

Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District, said Thursday that Caraway and Robert Leonard, president, and owner of a camera company that did business with the now-closed Dallas County Schools, both entered guilty pleas for their roles in the scandal.

"Today is a day of both reckoning and reconciliation for the city of Dallas and its citizens. I'm pleased to announce a major victory in the battle against public corruption," Cox said, adding:

No activity to speak of at Dwaine Caraways home in Southern Dallas.



All of the blinds are closed. The only vehicle in the driveway is this campaign bus, which the US Attorneys Office says was paid for with kickbacks from the DCS scandal. #NBCDFWNow pic.twitter.com/sUm2g1PEdh  Tim Ciesco (@TimCiescoNBC5) August 9, 2018

"This morning, just a short time ago, Chief Judge Barbara Lynn accepted the guilty pleas of city council member and Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, and Robert Leonard, president, and owner of Force Multiplier Solutions."

Cox said Caraway pleaded guilty to a criminal conspiracy involving wire fraud and tax evasion. Leonard pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy involving wire fraud.

"Honest services fraud takes away from a citizen their intangible right to honest representation from their public officials," Cox said. "In this case, Caraway and Leonard, working together, with Sorrells and Swartwood, forms the basis for this conspiracy and it is this conduct that forms the basis for honest services fraud."

During a news conference Thursday, Cox outlined the case against Caraway saying, "Leonard paid him [Caraway] over $450,000 in bribes, kickbacks, and other benefits, in addition, to directly, or indirectly, contributing to his political campaign. Caraway asked for and received money from Leonard on numerous occasions. Leonard would, at times, pay Caraway with checks, which Caraway then negotiated at liquor stores in town."

Cox added that Caraway was also given expense-paid trips to New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Austin, while also being given security cameras for his home and a loan for his father.

Other gifts to Caraway included a campaign bus, casino chips and money to gamble with, and even money to cover funeral expenses for family members, according to the government.

While the positions are nonpartisan, Caraway was the second-highest-ranking Democrat on the Dallas City Council.

According to his plea deal, the "appropriate" punishment for Caraway is one "that does not exceed seven years, or 84 months, imprisonment." As part of his plea deal that was unsealed Thursday, Caraway will be ordered to also pay nearly $69,000 in restitution to the IRS.

Cox said Leonard paid $3 million in bribes and kickbacks to former DCS Superintendent Rick Sorrells, who approved purchase orders, contract agreements, and licensing deals with Leonard's company, Force Multiplier Solutions.

The deals cost taxpayers more than $70 million, the government said.

In April, Sorrells pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Leonard faces as much as 10 years in federal prison, court documents show.

Earlier this year, Caraway told NBC 5 Investigates he took money from that associate but said at the time it was for legal consulting work and had nothing to do with Dallas County Schools.

Where is Dwaine Caraway?

Caraways absence from Tuesdays City Council meeting drew questions from at least one council member. Caraways office had said hed become ill during a recent trip with a youth group to Alabama.

But Councilman Kevin Felders, often a critic of the Caraway, suggested a different reason than he was dodging the legal system.

Felders told NBC 5 Investigates that the mayor pro tem had missed several public appearances and wondered if Caraway, instead, was attempting to avoid being served court papers as a defendant in a civil lawsuit.



That litigation was filed by the special committee picked to try and recoup any of the millions of taxpayer dollars lost by DCS in its business dealings with Leonard and his camera company.



Caraway is among the people listed as defendants in the court case.

Following Caraway's resignation, the city of Dallas plans to order a special election for Nov. 6 to fill his empty seat. The filing period for the race, which will begin after the city council approves the special election, is expected to end on Aug. 23.

Legislator Lauds 'Victory Against Corruption'

Texas Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas), who led the charge in the Texas Legislature last summer to shut down Dallas County Schools, issued the following statement Thursday following Caraway's guilty plea.

"Today, the bright light we shined continues to expose the crooks who thought they could rip-off taxpayers. We struck a big victory against corruption, and my fight for taxpayers, students, and schools will continue," Huffines said. "The tentacles of this corruption run deep, and I would not be surprised to see more guilty pleas or indictments soon.

Thursday afternoon, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings released the following statement.

I learned this morning of Dwaine Caraways guilty plea and resignation, and I have not yet reviewed the public details of the case. Therefore, I will not be making any public comments today beyond this statement. As we all now know, the corruption at Dallas County Schools extended beyond the confines of that now shuttered organization. As your mayor, I am saddened by what we learned today about the actions of one of my former colleagues. I am sad for the city, especially the citizens of District 4, and for Mr. Caraways friends, family and supporters. Mr. Caraway championed much good in his time in public service, particularly for the youth of our city. I appreciate that he is admitting his crimes and sparing the city what could have been a drawn out legal battle. More than 12,000 people work for the City of Dallas. Almost every one of them serves honorably and ethically -- and never make the news. This city is so much bigger than any one politician who lost his way.

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff, Tim Ciesco and Brian Roth contributed to this report.
What to Know The dog tag belonged to Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel of Indiana

The Army on Wednesday handed McDaniel's slightly corroded dog tag to his sons, Charles Jr. and Larry

The lone military identification tag that North Korea provided with 55 boxes of human remains last month belonged to Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, an Army medic from Indiana who was killed in the openingmonths of the Korean War.

The Army on Wednesday handed McDaniel's slightly corroded dog tag to his sons, Charles Jr. and Larry, who were so young when their father perished that they have little memory of him. Charles, 71, told reporters he was moved to tears when he got the phone call at home in Indianapolis last week informing him that his father's dog tag had been returned.

"It's a very mixed, jumbled moment for us," he said, referring to the emotions he and his brother feel so many years after having grown up without their biological father, never knowing for sure what happened to him in a war many Americans have forgotten.

"At least we have this," he said, pointing to the dog tag, imprinted with the name, Charles Hobert McDaniel, and a service number.

Charles Jr., of Indianapolis, told reporters he has no recollection of what his family was told when his father was reported missing in action.

Larry, 70, of Jacksonville, Florida, said he has no memory at all of his father, but "I'm proud of what he did and what he accomplished."

The dog tag is no assurance that McDaniel's remains are among those contained in the 55 boxes that the North Korean army turned over the U.S. officials at Wonsan, North Korea, on July 27. John Byrd, director of the Defense Department laboratory in Hawaii that is beginning the process of attempting to identify the remains, said the condition of the bones is judged to be "moderate to poor preservation," meaning few are whole bones and all are quite old.

No personal effects were handed over by the North Koreans aside from the McDaniel dog tag. The boxes contained a number of U.S.-issued military items such as helmets, gloves and canteens, but none are associated with any specific individual.

North Korea returned the remains as part of an agreement reached by its leader, Kim Jong Un, at his Singapore summit with President Donald Trump in June. Kim also agreed to cooperate with the U.S. in searching for and excavating additional remains in North Korea, where an estimated 5,300 U.S. servicemen are believed to have fallen and not been recovered. Negotiations on the terms of such future operations have not yet begun, American officials said.

A key tool in identifying war remains is matching DNA extracted from the bones with DNA samples provided by family members of the missing. As part of that process, the director of a DNA laboratory in Dover, Delaware, that will be attempting to make such matches, Dr. Timothy P. McMahon, took swabs of saliva from Larry's mouth as news cameras snapped pictures.

Charles McDaniel Jr. was three years old and Larry was two when their father was sent to South Korea in August 1950 from Japan, where he was a member of the U.S. occupation forces that had been stationed there since the end of World War II. At the time, North Korean forces had driven U.S. troops almost off the Korean peninsula at Pusan before Gen. Douglas MacArthur engineered the first big U.S. victory with an amphibious landing at Inchon in September.

McDaniel was a medic with 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, which was called on to reinforce South Korean army units overrun by Chinese forces in late October 1950 at Unsan, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

In "This Savage War: MacArthur's Korea," author Arthur F. Dorie wrote that the only escape route from Unsan after the Chinese fought their way into the town was closed before the 3rd Battalion, known as "Scrappy Blue," could withdraw.

"Living up to the standard of their regimental motto, 'Honor and Courage,' the men of the 3rd Battalion organized a perimeter defense, and for four days and nights they turned back wave upon wave of Chinese commandos, infantrymen and cavalrymen," he wrote. Ultimately, hundreds of U.S. troops were killed or captured.

A Pentagon profile of McDaniel says there is no evidence that he was captured by the Chinese and held as a prisoner of war. An eyewitness interviewed after the battles at Unsan -- another medic assigned to McDaniel's battalion -- said he believed McDaniel was killed in action.

Byrd, the lab director, said it was too early to estimate how many individuals may be represented by the bones returned in the boxes. Suggesting that it might be more than 55, Byrd said that 208 boxes returned by North Korea between 1990 and 1994 turned out to contain remains from about 400 individuals, not all of whom have yet been identified.
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

New evacuations were ordered Thursday afternoon for a neighborhood near an explosive fire that grew to more than 10,000 acres as it raced through dry brush in the Cleveland National Forest and spread toward homes.

The Holy fire, which investigators said was started Monday by an arsonist, forced evacuations and cast a giant smoke plume over nearby communities. Estimated at nearly 6,100 acres Wednesday, the fire had burned through nearly 9,000 acres Thursday morning.

It is one of 12 major wildfires burning in California Thursday during what could be one of the state's most devastating years for fires. The fire have scorched more than 1,000 square miles statewide and damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 buildings.

New mandatory evacuations were ordered Thursday afternoon in Lake Elsinore for homes on the mountainside of Lake Street and southeast of Grand Avenue to Ortega Highway.

The fire has already destroyed at least 14 structures.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested Tuesday and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in connection with the Holy fire. He was charged Thursday with several arson-related counts.

The Holy fire was only 5-percent contained as of Thursday morning.

During a briefing, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Shane Sherwood said the fire began "around and near" Clark's cabin in Holy Jim Canyon. He declined to comment on specifics that led to his arrest, other than saying witness statements and "physical findings" at the scene led to the belief Clark set off the massive blaze.

"As far as exactly how it was started, we're still working through some of that evidence," Sherwood said.

Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan, who also has a cabin in the area, told the Orange County Register that Clark has long feuded with a neighbor and other cabin owners.

He ran through the area last week screaming, and sent Milligan an email warning that "this place will burn," Milligan said.

Sherwood declined to comment on that report.

The fire was reported about 1:15 p.m. Monday near Holy Jim Canyon and Trabuco Creek roads, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said.

On Tuesday, the size of the fire had been listed at more than 3,200 acres, but it increased in size near the Horsethief Canyon area, authorities said Wednesday. It later jumped the North Main Divide dirt road, burning into the Lake Elsinore area, Bommarito said.

As the fire advanced into Riverside County, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, Horsethief Canyon, Glen Eden, El Cariso Village, Sycamore Creek and Rancho Capistrano, along with the Ortega (74) Highway corridor from the Lookout restaurant to the Nichols Institute. Those areas had previously been under voluntary evacuation orders.

Caltrans ordered the complete closure of Ortega Highway because of the proximity of the brush fire to the two-lane corridor. By 3 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers had implemented the closure from Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore to the Nichols Institute entrance in San Juan Capistrano, covering about 28 miles.

Crews continued aerial and ground firefighting efforts Wednesday, with 10 helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircraft assisting ground crews, who were working to build bulldozer lines, authorities said.

With so many wildfires throughout the state, the firefighting personnel has been spread thin, Bommarito said.

"Fire will continue to spread southeast and north with only limited spread to the west," according to a Cleveland National Forest statement. "The lack of resources for direct attack will allow the fire to spread into new areas, and align for strong head-fire runs and potential for an 'Elsinore' downslope event.

Firefighters had been particularly worried about the northeast flank, where the flames were a few miles away from homes, said Kathy Kramer, a spokeswoman for the unified fire management team led by the Cleveland National Forest and the Riverside branch of Cal Fire.

Weather conditions with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and relative humidity below 15 percent lent themselves to conditions conducive to extreme fire behavior as well as heat illnesses for the firefighters, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Trabuco and Holy Jim canyons were also under mandatory evacuation orders, as well as the Blue Jay and El Cariso campgrounds. All campgrounds in the Trabuco Ranger District were closed and forest road closures were in effect for Trabuco Creek, Maple Springs, North Main Divide, Bedford and Indian Truck Trail.

A care and reception center was established at Temescal Canyon High School on El Toro Road in Lake Elsinore. An evacuation center is also open at San Juan Hills High School at 29211 Stallion Ridge in San Juan Capistrano.

Small animals can be taken to Animal Friends of the Valley at 33751 Mission Trail in Wildomar. Information is available by calling (951) 674-0618 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or (951) 506-5069 between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Two firefighters were treated for heat-related injuries Monday.

"This is a monster," Spitzer said. "Who would go out with low humidity and high winds and the highest heat temperatures this time of the year and intentionally set the forest on fire? ... He's literally destroyed our forest."

Spitzer said the Holy Fire should be more appropriately named the "Holy Hell" fire.

Humidity improved slightly Wednesday, but it was still a factor. The steep terrain makes it difficult for fire engines to get to some of the flames, so the major weapons against the blaze are the aerial water drops, officials said.

Bommarito noted that the area probably hasn't burned since about 1980.

The phone numbers for residents to call for information on the Holy Fire have changed, according to CalFire. The new numbers are 714-573-6200 and 714-573-6202.
Twenty-three French bulldog puppies found crammed inside a hot moving truck in Texas have been rescued and taken to Chicago for treatment.

The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue said 28 puppies were initially discovered last month by authorities in Texarkana, Texas, during a traffic stop. The animals were packed tightly in plastic crates inside an un-air conditioned moving van that had reached 121 degrees, the rescue said.

The puppies had no access to food or water and were in various stages of heat exhaustion, officials said. One of the puppies was found dead in a crate and four more died shortly after being rescued, according to the organization.

The Humane Society of the United States said the puppies were initially flown to Chicago on a Turkish Airlines flight from Kiev, Ukraine. Their final destination was set to be Houston, but the person who purchased them was denied entry to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport for the purpose of importing live animals.

Thats when the puppies were loaded into a moving van in Chicago and driven to Texas. They were ultimately found by state police before they made it to their destination.

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, Katie Jarl, regional director for the HSUS, said in a statement.

The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue obtained a court order for custody of the animals Monday and by Wednesday, the rescue picked up the puppies in Texarkana and flew them on a private plane to Chicago for treatment.

Right now, these dogs are sick and the vets are just overwhelmed, the rescues founder, Mary Schefke, told NBC 5 Thursday. These dogs are skinny and malnutritioned and sick.

She noted they had bloody diarrhea and were vomiting.

Theres been repercussions to them being in the heat for as long as they were, she said.

Schefke said since news of the puppies was first posted to Facebook, the rescue has been inundated with adoption requests, but she stressed the animals were in no shape to go to a home.

I dont think people understand the condition these puppies are in, she said. Right now what we need, what would help us, is for people to understand that these dogs are sick and theyre not ready for adoption. We need donations to get them the vetting they need. Its not cheap to keep one dog in isolation, let alone 23.

Donations can be made here.
What to Know Cheryl Grech said that the man, Derek Britton, has been sending her threatening letters along with spray painting her Clermont home.

Grech says she went outside to take a picture of the crimes being committed when the two got into an altercation.

A Central Florida woman says she was attacked by a masked man caught on camera defacing her home  who is also an 81-year-old man she broke up with last year.

Cheryl Grech told NBC affiliate WESH-TV that the man, Derek Britton, has been sending her threatening letters along with spray painting her Clermont home, placing water in her gas tank and other crimes.

Police continued to tell Grech that she would need to catch the crimes as they were being committed  so she installed a surveillance camera and captured Britton at her home Tuesday night attempting to spray paint her front window and the camera.

Grech says she went outside to take a picture of the crimes being committed when the two got into an altercation, leaving the woman with a black eye and scape on her face. Grech and a neighbor held Britton down until Lake County Sheriffs Office deputies arrived.

Britton, who was served an injunction last month to stay away from his ex, faces multiple charges including aggravated stalking and simple battery.
Four hours after Nikolas Cruz stopped firing his AR-15 at Stoneman Douglas High School, he had been captured, cleared medically by a physician and locked in an interrogation room where, for much of the next six hours he would confess to his crimes. The substance of the confession is redacted, under Florida law, but what follows are five notable areas of the interrogation.

GETTING THE KILLER TO CONFESS

Broward sheriffs Det. John Curcio gets the killer to begin confessing about a half hour into their interview. This is some of the exchange that preceded the killers first detailing of his actions, the details of which are redacted. (Note: Portions of this and other videos in this presentation are edited for time and clarity.)

Broward Sheriffs Det. John Curcio speaks with Nikolas Cruz about remorse.

CONTRADICTIONS ABOUT HIS WEAPON

Why did the killer buy the AR-15 rifle he used in the killings? At first he gives one reason  then, later, another.

Nikolas Cruz discusses the weapon used in the shooting, an AR-15.

THE DEMON VOICE

Just as he later blamed the gun selection on a demon, the killer tries to convince Curcio the evil voice in his head was behind his actions.

Nikolas Cruz discusses the demon in his head while being interrogated.

DETECTIVE CHALLENGES THE DEMON

Eventually, Curcio challenges the killers talk of a demon voice  and the exchange leads to a breakdown.

Det. John Curcio challenges Nikolas Cruz about the demon in his head during the interrogation.

A BROTHER BREAKS THOUGH

After Cruz invokes his right to counsel, Curcio ends the questioning, but is able to elicit signs of remorse after he brings the killers brother into the interrogation room.

Nikolas Cruz speaks with his brother in the interrogation video.
A Florida religious freedom activist and self-proclaimed Satanist who objects to prayers before government meetings has been convicted of disrupting a meeting.

The Pensacola News Journal reports that a judge found David Suhor guilty this week of trespassing and resisting arrest and sentenced him to three months of probation.

Authorities say Suhor, a member of the West Florida Chapter of The Satanic Temple, was arrested at an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority meeting in February. ECUA Chairwoman Lois Benson says the board holds a prayer before the meeting officially starts. Suhor approached the dais and continued to recite the Lord's Prayer after Benson tried to start the meeting.

Officials say a deputy and a security guard had to drag Suhor from the meeting.

Suhor drew national attention in 2016 when he delivered a Satanic prayer before the Pensacola City Council.
Rosemary Maseri was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis years ago.

"With MS, you fall and trip a lot," she said. "I really did not have a life."

Maseri, 58, says she was prescribed opioids at age 36 after breaking a leg and getting a bone infection.

She says her treatment quickly turned into addiction.

"I was waiting for those six hours to go by like this so I could have another opioid," she said. "You start liking it and seven days later, you're addicted."

For the mother of two, there were some dark moments.

"I told my children that I didn't want to live," she said while fighting tears.

Maseri says her life changed after she got her medical marijuana ID card last year.

"It's one of the things I've told my children, I cannot wait for the day for me to wake up and not have pain and my dream has come true."

She inhales marijuana daily using a vaporizer that's filled with cannabis oil. It's one of the therapeutic methods approved by the Florida Department of Health.

Maseri said she still takes prescription pills for some treatment, but not opioids.

"The opioids are gone, gone, gone," she said.

Doctor Michelle Weiner, a pain management specialist, says people like Maseri are part of a bigger trend.

"I think it's (medical marijuana) a great alternative for a lot of people that are suffering with pain or have a lot of neurological degenerative diseases," she said. "It really improves quality of life."

In Florida, medical marijuana cannot be recommended for chronic pain alone.

"We have to justify to the Department of Health why this condition is similar to one of the ten qualifying conditions and then support our decision in the literature with research and evidence to show why patients have benefited from this condition."

Weiner says patients who used opioids are turning to medical marijuana because it can be a safer option.

"The patient isn't going to abuse it to the point that they're dying or they're going through life-threatening withdrawal," she said.

Dr. Weiner currently sees 800 patients on cannabis.

Some research shows that doctors are handing out fewer opioid prescriptions in states where medical marijuana is legal. In Florida, it's too soon to tell but it's something researchers are keeping a close eye on.

On July 1st, a new state law went into effect putting a three-day limit on most opioid prescriptions. It also requires doctors to record what they're prescribing in a statewide database and cross-check what other medications the patients are taking.

"A lot of physicians are concerned about prescribing opioids for a chronic condition," said Weiner.

She says her practice has gotten more patients since the law took effect but says some still have a difficult time getting access to treatment because medical marijuana is illegal under federal law. Therefore, cannabis is not covered by insurance.

"A lot of my patients say, you know what, my Percocet is covered by Medicare and that's fine for me," said Weiner.

For now, Maseri says she's willing to pay out of pocket.

"It's not fair," she said.
What to Know Puerto Rico said there were 1,427 more deaths from September to December 2017 than the average for the same period over the last four years

In the weeks after the storm, Puerto Rican officials said the storm directly caused 64 deaths, many in landslides or flooding

Puerto Rico estimated the higher death toll in a report to Congress seeking billions to help the island recover from the devastating storm.

Puerto Rico is now estimating that Hurricane Maria may have killed more than 1,400 people, far more than the official death toll of 64, in a report to Congress seeking billions to help the island recover from the devastating storm.

The government, relying on updated statistics it first reported in June, said there were 1,427 more deaths from September to December 2017 than the average for the same time period over the previous four years "that may or may not be attributable to the hurricanes."

In the weeks after the storm, Puerto Rican officials said the storm directly caused 64 deaths, many in landslides or flooding. But they have long publicly said that far more people died due to indirect effects of the powerful storm.

The exact count has been a matter of debate and the government said it would wait to update its official tally until receiving a report it commissioned from George Washington University. That report is due in the coming weeks.

However, a draft of the report dated July 7 notes in a chart that the initial death toll of 64 was "later revised to 1,427." That figure was not included in the final version. An email request for comment about the discrepancy from Puerto Rico's Federal Affairs Administration spokesman was not immediately answered.

In a report to Congress detailing a $139 billion reconstruction plan, the territory's government said that the additional deaths resulted from the effects of a storm that led to a "cascading failures" in infrastructure across the island of 3.3 million people.

Hurricane Maria, as well as Hurricane Irma two weeks later, knocked out power and water to the island and caused widespread flooding that left many sick and elderly people unable to get medical treatment.

"The hurricanes' devastating effects on people's health and safety cannot be overstated," the government said in the report seeking assistance from Congress to help rebuild an island that was already struggling from a deep economic crisis at the time of the storm.

Most of the deaths occurred not in the initial storm on Sept. 20, but in the ensuing days and weeks when the island-wide electricity outage and roads blocked by downed power lines and other debris made it difficult to move around and emergency services were stretched beyond their capabilities.
At least 11 people were arrested at multiple locations in Miami-Dade Thursday morning during a series of raid targeting violent gang members and drug dealers, officials said.

Three locations in Liberty City, Brownsville and Little River were targeted by several law enforcement agencies including Homeland Security, DEA, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and City of Miami Police.

Officials didn't release the names of the suspects arrested.

"These individuals that were arrested are facing several federal charges and the message that we want to give to the community that were affected where these criminals were arrested is that tonight you can sleep well knowing that these individuals are behind bars," Miami Police Commander Freddie Cruz said.


What to Know Nelson, who is running for re-election, declined to identify which counties have been penetrated, saying it was classified.

Counties are using $1.9 million to purchase a network monitoring security system that provides automated alerts about threats.

The Florida Department of State said it had received "zero information" from Nelson or his staff that supports the claims.

Florida's Democratic senator said Wednesday that Russian operatives have penetrated some of his state's election systems ahead of this year's midterms, but state officials said they have no information to support the claim.

"They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about," Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times.

Nelson, who is running for re-election, declined to identify which counties have been penetrated, saying it was classified. "The threat is real and elections officials  at all levels  need to address the vulnerabilities."

Nelson, the ranking member of the cyber subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and his Republican colleague, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is on the Senate intelligence committee, wrote a letter last month to all 67 of the county election supervisors in their state.

"We were requested by the chairman and vice chairman of our intelligence committee to let the supervisors of election in Florida that the Russians are in their records," Nelson said, adding that the letter also urged the county officials to seek help from the Homeland Security Department.

"This is no-fooling time. That's why two senators  bipartisan  reached out to the apparatus in Florida to let them know that the Russians are in the records and all they (the Russians) have to do  if those election records are not protected  is to go in and start eliminating registered voters.

"You can imagine the chaos that would occur on Election Day when the voters get to the polls and they say: 'I'm sorry, Mr. Smith. I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, you're not registered.' That's exactly what the Russians want to do."

The Florida Department of State said it had received "zero information" from Nelson or his staff that supports the claims of Russian meddling  something national intelligence and homeland security officials have repeatedly warned was likely ahead of the midterms.

"Additionally, the department has received no information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that corroborates Sen. Nelson's statement and we have no evidence to support these claims," the Florida Department of State said in a statement. "If Sen. Nelson has specific information about threats to our elections, he should share it with election officials in Florida."

The department said state and local election officials have taken "significant steps to ensure the security and integrity" of Florida elections.

"We have no indication at this time that a County system, or one of our valued partners has been breached," Miami-Dade Deputy Supervisor of Elections Suzy Trutie said in a statement. "We continue to work closely with the Countys Information Technology Department to ensure the ongoing security and confidentiality of Elections systems."



Counties are using $1.9 million to purchase a network monitoring security system that provides automated alerts about threats, the department said. Moreover, counties are using $15.5 million in funding to make significant investments in election security prior to this year's midterms.

Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement Wednesday evening saying: "While we are aware of Senator Nelson's recent statements, we have not seen any new compromises by Russian actors of election infrastructure. That said, we don't need to wait for a specific threat to be ready."

The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rubio and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, declined to comment.

The ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, issued a statement, but did not confirm or deny Nelson's claims.

"Russian activities continue to pose a threat to the security of our elections, as Sens. Nelson and Rubio rightly pointed out in their letter," Warner said. "I hope all state and local elections officials, including Florida's, will take this issue seriously."

White House critics have harshly criticized President Donald Trump on the issue of election security. They say his administration lacks a clear national strategy to protect U.S. elections from foreign meddling by Russia or any other adversary. In response, top national security officials appeared together at the White House last week to insist there is a "vast, government-wide effort" to safeguard a cornerstone of American democracy.

John Bolton, the national security adviser, wrote in a letter to Senate Democrats that "President Trump has not and will not tolerate interference in America's system of representative government."

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, "We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States."

Their rare appearance during a White House briefing came weeks after Trump publicly undermined the conclusions of American intelligence agencies regarding Russian interference. After suffering a bipartisan outcry, Trump later said he accepted those findings.
Thieves made off with the Bolivian president's diamond-encrusted gold medallion and the sash it's worn on, NBC News reported.

The nearly 200-year-old regalia were swiped from a backpack that a soldier left inside a car in the red-light district of El Alto. But authorities receovered them when they were abandoned outside a church in nearby La Paz.



"We are talking about the most important national symbol," former President Carlos Mesa told local media. "It is as if they robbed the crown of Queen Elizabeth of England."

Current President Evo Morales had to appear at a military parade without the regalia Wednesday.


A student-led demonstration for tighter gun laws is taking its protest to the tri-state.

March for Our Lives, which was created by students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman opened fire killing 17 people in February.

This tour is called Road to Change and it kicked off on July 28 in Tallahassee. On Thursday, it steps off in Morristown, New Jersey.

After that, the demonstration makes it way to Manattan on Friday, Queens on Saturday and then on wraps up on Sunday in Newtown, Connecticut, where a shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, killing 27 people before killing himself.

For more information on the tour dates and how to RSVP click here.
What to Know A NY man is facing charges in connection to defrauding immigrants by posing as an Immigration Assistant Service Provider, authorities say

According to prosecutors, Vadim Alekseev, 42, filed 35 fraudulent asylum applications, charging an upfront fee of up to $3,000

Authorities say, Alekseev targeted immigrants of Eastern-European descent by presenting himself as a licensed paralegal

A New York man is facing multiple charges in connection to defrauding immigrants by posing as an Immigration Assistant Service Provider and filing dozens of alleged fraudulent asylum applications, authorities say.

Vadim Alekseev, 42, of Coney Island, Brooklyn, is charged with first-degree scheme to defraud, first-degree immigrant assistance services fraud, fourth-degree grand larceny, tampering with physical evidence and practicing or appearing as attorney-at-law without being admitted and registered, the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office announced Wednesday.

The District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez, said that, according to an investigation, between August 2014 and December 2017, the defendant allegedly filed 35 asylum applications with the Department of Homeland Security, which were flagged as fraudulent by the agency.

Authorities say Alekseev targeted immigrants of Eastern-European descent, presented himself as a licensed paralegal authorized to prepare immigration applications and advertised his services in Russian newspapers and websites.

Allegedly, Alekseev charged his victims between $1,000 and $3,000 in advance and, after filing their applications, refused to answer phone calls and text messages.

According to prosecutors, Alekseev's scheme allegedly netted $30,000. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency found that all the applications he filed were strikingly similar and deemed them to be fraudulent, authorities said, adding that none of the victims received asylum status or other benefits.

The grand larceny and immigrant assistance services fraud charges are in connection to five specific victims who all reside in Brooklyn and arrived to the United States from Eastern Europe in 2016 and 2017, prosecutors say.

As the federal government puts in place unprecedented hurdles on immigrants and asylum seekers, it is more important than ever to make sure that con men dont take advantage of the desperation and fear, Gonzalez said in a statement.

"This defendant allegedly did just that: he presented bogus credentials and charged vulnerable newcomers thousands of dollars for immigration services he never delivered, Gonzalez added while urging "everyone to be cautious and diligent when seeking immigration assistance."

USCIS New York Asylum Office Director Patricia A. Menges shared similar sentiments, saying in a statement that it "is particularly despicable when scammers prey on those in their own community, taking advantage of the trust placed in them to prepare immigration applications and petitions."

Alekseev was ordered to be held on $15,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 3.

He faces up to four years in prison if convicted on the top count.

Attorney information for Alekseev was not immediately available.
In service to the tri-state community and in support of friends and families of viewers impacted by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and by the recent earthquake in Mexico, Telemundo 47 / WNJU and NBC 4 New York / WNBC will hold a special community call-to-action anchored by a one-day telethon scheduled for September 25.

Mondays telethon is part of a concerted effort spearheaded by Telemundo stations across the country. On this day Telemundo and NBC-owned stations will host phone banks in collaboration with the American Red Cross to collect funds for victims and communities impacted by severe weather-related events.

TELEPHONE:

Viewers can call 1-800-596-6567. Press 1 for instructions in English and 2 for instructions in Spanish. Donors can designate their funds to go to the Red Cross recovery efforts of their choice.

ONLINE DONATIONS:

Donate Here

For more on how to help, the following organizations are conducting relief efforts for hurricane and earthquake victims.

Catholic Charities USA: The official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, Catholic Charities USA, is asking people to support their Maria relief efforts by donating online, by phone at +1 (800) 919-9338 or by texting CCUSADISASTER to 71777. 100 percent of donated funds go directly toward disaster efforts, according to the website.

CONPRmetidos: This Puerto Rican non-profit is raising funds to support hurricane victims. We anticipate the funds will be used first for immediate needs of food, shelter and water and then transition to long term recovery efforts, the organization says, having set a fundraising goal of $150,000. Donate here.

Dominica American Relief & Development Association, Inc.: This association, which was organized in 1979 as a way for people from the island of Dominica living in the New York area to help their homeland after Hurricane David, has started a GoFundMe page for victims of the hurricane on the island.

Global Giving: This crowdfunding network has a fundraising goal of $2 million. This fund will provide relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance to help residents recover and rebuild, the group says. Donate here.

Save the Children: Another organization dedicated to helping children in particular is asking for donations here.

Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is looking for military veterans and kickass civilians such as first responders and medical professionals to join recovery efforts. Volunteers should be prepared to "get dirty, from chainsaw operations to muck-outs," the groups says on its website. Apply to be a volunteer here.

UNICEF USA: The United Nations Childrens Fund has sent staff and humanitarian supplies such as water purification tablets, tents and hygiene kits to Caribbean islands. The program is asking for donations, saying on its website, Children are literally in the eye of the storm. The Hurricane season has forced the most vulnerable children in the Caribbean into even more danger.
What to Know Rep. Devin Nunes made the statement in an audio recording surreptitiously made by a member of a progressive group

Nunes made the comment at a Republican fundraiser on July 30 in Spokane, Washington

Hard-line conservative Republicans in the House recently hit a roadblock in their effort to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein when Speaker Paul Ryan opposed the move. But one of those conservatives, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., gave a different explanation to donors recently when asked why the impeachment effort had stalled, NBC News reported.

He said it's because an impeachment would delay the Senate's confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, made the statement in an audio recording surreptitiously made by a member of a progressive group who attended a Republican fundraiser on July 30 in Spokane, Washington. The recording was obtained by "The Rachel Maddow Show" and was played on MSNBC on Wednesday night.
Note to New Jersey's beleaguered rail commuters: Gov. Phil Murphy feels your pain and grants you your ire. There just isn't a whole lot he can do about it immediately.

Murphy returned from vacation and met Thursday with New Jersey Transit officials as the state's rail system continues to suffer rush-hour cancellations, primarily due to crew shortages. The resulting overcrowding combined with routine annoyances like non-functioning air conditioning has riders incensed.

"I don't blame commuters one bit for their anger or cynicism," Murphy said after meeting with NJ Transit's top officials. "None of us do. Let there be no doubt that the commuter is on the pedestal now and they have every right to be upset."

A higher than usual number of unexcused absences by engineers, combined with summer vacations, has been blamed for the crew shortages. One engineer could drive four or five trains in an average day, NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett said.

Murphy, Corbett and Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said Thursday they've had discussions with union leaders to address the problems.

"There's a good amount of common ground and a good amount of understanding that there's some folks, like in any population, that are in the bad apple category," Murphy said. "There's attention on both their side and on our side to try to shrink that population as much as possible and as fast as possible."

A spokesman for the union representing locomotive engineers didn't respond to a message left Thursday.

NJ Transit also is making federally required safety improvements to install an emergency braking system by the end of the year to reach a deadline for getting a two-year extension for testing the new system, a process that could tie up equipment and crews for the next several months.

Communicating information about delays or cancellations can be improved, Murphy said. Corbett added that that can be challenging when last-minute absences are factored in.

There are some signs the situation is improving, however. A handful of trains were canceled Thursday morning, well below the number for several days in the last two weeks.

"Union leadership has put a notice out to the rank and file that they really need them to step up, and I suspect the improved results we've seen are due to that effort," Corbett said.

Murphy, a Democrat, blamed the engineer shortage and the lack of progress on the required safety improvements  the latter has been known about for years  on consistent under-investment by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

"This was eight years of complete and utter negligence of the country's premier rail and bus service," he said. "I'm not passing the buck. At the end of the day we own this. And we're committed to getting this right. But I want folks who are watching out there to know the mess we are digging out of. If anything, we underestimated the mess."

In response Thursday, state Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick said, "New Jerseyans are tough, fair-minded people but they need information every morning to plan their day. Commuters have not received that information as to the status of trains and train delays. Blaming Chris Christie seven months into the new governor's term does not provide the needed information for our commuters."
What to Know A drive-by shooting in North Philadelphia Wednesday nights left 2 people dead and injured 4 others.

Police say the suspect was inside a light-colored minivan that fled the scene.

"It's absolutely, utterly ridiculous to see stuff like this on the streets of our city," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said.

Two people were killed while four others were injured following a drive-by shooting in North Philadelphia Wednesday night.



The six victims were standing on the southeast corner of 12th and Huntingdon streets around 9:50 p.m. when a gray or silver minivan drove by. At least one gunman inside the van then fired at least 11 shots before the vehicle fled the scene.

"From the evidence out here it appears to be a large caliber weapon, possibly a high-powered rifle," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said.

All six people were struck in the shooting. Niesha Cooper, 34, and Averill Davenport, 32, died a short time later at Temple University Hospital, police said.

Davenport was a local rapper who went by the name General Reezy.

Four other victims, ranging in age from 27 to 51, were taken to the hospital. A 30-year-old man was listed in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.



"We have no idea what this is about," Ross said. "All we know is this is another example of senseless violence."

Police obtained surveillance video of the shooting. They continued Thursday to search for the suspect or suspects.



"This is the United States of America. You shouldn't have this anywhere," Ross said. "It's absolutely, utterly ridiculous to see stuff like this on the streets of our city."

If you have any information on the shooting, please contact Philadelphia Police.
What to Know A man sexually assaulted a Philadelphia homeowner at gunpoint Tuesday, according to police.

The man claimed to be a landscaper prior to the sexual assault, investigators said.

Police released surveillance photos of the suspect.

Police are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a Philadelphia homeowner at gunpoint after claiming to be a landscaper.

Police say the suspect entered a home on East Johnson Street Tuesday at 5 p.m. and sexually assaulted a victim while armed with a handgun.

The suspect is described as a thin, black male in his 30s standing between 5-foot-10 and 6-feet with a beard and multiple tattoos on both arms. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt with the word winner on the front, black pants and a black hat with a red circle emblem on the front.

He also claimed he was a landscaper before he sexually assaulted the victim, police said.

If you have any information on the suspects whereabouts, please call the Special Victims Unit at 215-686-3251 or 911.


What to Know The 10th and Filbert entrance to SEPTA's Jefferson Station was closed Thursday morning after a deadly stabbing on a train platform.

The killer left a trail a blood through the station, police said.

It would take hours to get the station back to normal operations.

A trail of blood marked a killers escape route after a deadly stabbing that closed part of SEPTAs busy Jefferson Station through the Thursday morning commute.

The stabbing took place on a Regional Rail platform at the underground Center City station around 3:15 a.m., Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The victim, who had no identification on him, was rushed to nearby Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where he died about an hour later, Small said.

The entire incident was captured on SEPTA surveillance video.

You can see the perpetrator actually on top of the victim, whos laying on the platform being stabbed numerous times, Small said.

The suspect, in a white shirt, blue jeans and red high top sneakers, goes up the steps and exits the station on street level, leaving a trail of blood through the station, Small said. Its possible the suspect was also injured.

Jefferson Station remained open Thursday with the exception of Section B and the entrance from 10th and Filbert streets, SEPTA spokeswoman Heather Redfern said. Trains that normally boarded on Track 2 boarded on Track 1 instead through the morning rush until finally returning to normal around 9:40 a.m.

SEPTA didnt report any service delays during the closure but warned customers that delays could occur through the morning commute.

No word on a motive for the deadly incident.

This wasn't the only deadly incident to slow area train riders Thursday morning as a person was struck along New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor line, temporarily bringing trains to a halt between Metropark and Trenton.
Stockton Universitys board of trustees voted to roll the dice on Atlantic Citys last empty casino.

Seven members of the universitys board of trustees voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the former Atlantic Club on Wednesday. The property features 11 acres of beach, a nine-level parking garage, 50,000 square feet of office space and a 23-story hotel tower.

The site, which has been shuttered since 2014, is just two blocks from Stocktons new Atlantic City campus. University officials hope that the new purchase will give them opportunities to expand.

This property will help secure Stocktons future in Atlantic City, Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman said. We are buying our future and we are trying to make the best investment we can.

The universitys recent $21.07 million sale of the Seaview Resort gave them the needed money to pursue purchasing the Atlantic Club, according to university spokeswoman Diane DAmico. Members of the board of trustees hope it will encourage more students to stay in New Jersey for college.

The university does not have immediate plans for how it will use the land, but officials believe it will provide space for academic, residential and retail use. The parking garage will provide additional parking space for students and faculty which the university will need since it plans to enroll 10,000 students by 2020.

While the future for much of the lot is uncertain, officials do know that it wont include the 23-story hotel tower. TJM Properties, the lot's seller, agreed to demolish the tower as part of the terms of the sale, officials said.

The price of the sale will be disclosed after closing. There is not yet a timeline for when the sale will close, officials said, but it will be sometime after the university assesses the site and completes a due diligence report.


An El Cajon police officer was beaten with a hammer multiple times and rushed to the hospital, officials told Telemundo 20.

The attack happened at approximately 11:20 a.m. at Van Houten Avenue and West Main Street.

Officers were called to a fast food restaurant for a man acting irrationally. The suspect was armed with a hammer, police were told, and the man was bashing out windows and threatening people.

The man, identified by police as Robert Dille, 30, left the restaurant but was found by officers several streets away.

When officers attempted to contact Dille, they used a stun gun to subdue him, officials said.

The stun gun was not effective and Dille attacked one officer in the head, police said.

It's not clear how many times the officer was struck.

The officer was conscious when he was transported to a nearby hospital. He was treated for a head injury and released.

Dille and a woman who was with him were taken into custody, police said.

The restaurant was a Jack in the Box located south of the Interstate 8 merge with State Route 67.

An El Cajon police officer was attacked in a separate incident in July 2017 less than two miles away from Wednesday's attack.

The officer was beaten unconscious after responding to a disturbance at a fast-food restaurant.

In that incident, the officer was called following an alleged theft from the nearby Dollar Store.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
A fire broke out on a property in Rainbow Wednesday and damaged two greenhouse structures housing marijuana grow operations.

North County Fire Captain Bradshaw said the fire started in a greenhouse on a property on 5th Street at around noon and spread to a second greenhouse and surrounding vegetation.

The fire area reeked of burning marijuana and one neighbor told NBC 7 pot plants were growing in the two greenhouses.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department confirmed several marijuana plants were found in the burned greenhouses.

The DEA confirmed a Narcotics Task Force made up of local law enforcement and DEA agents seized more than 1,200 marijuana plants from surrounding greenhouses that weren't damaged by the fire.

A DEA spokesperson said that it is common for marijuana growers to use non-permitted electrical systems that can overload circuits and start fires.

No arrests were made, the spokesperson said. The task force is still investigating.

Firefighters were battling the small blaze by land and air until they were called off due to an electrical line hazard, Captain Bradshaw said.

San Diego Gas & Electric was called to the fire to depower the lines.

Firefighters were battling the small blaze by land and air until they were called off due to an electrical line hazard, North County Fire Captain Bradshaw said.

San Diego Gas & Electric was called to the fire to depower the lines.

Neighbors told NBC 7 the flames roared up to 12 feet in the air and were creeping towards their homes.

"I called 911 and told them the place was on fire," Pat Rossetti said. "I hosed it down as best I could cause it wouldn't reach the backyard."

One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
What to Know New York City has become the first major U.S. city to impose a cap on Uber and other app-based ride-hailing services

The legislation includes a one-year moratorium on new licenses for for-hire vehicles while the city studies the rapidly changing industry

Supporters said both the traditional yellow cab industry and drivers for app-based services are suffering as Uber cars flood streets

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.

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. 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 $1 million 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.

"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?" The 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 said he looks forward to signing the bills into law.

"Our city is directly confronting a crisis that is driving working New Yorkers into poverty and our streets into gridlock," he said in a statement Wednesday. "The unchecked growth of app-based for-hire vehicle companies has demanded action  and now we have it."
What to Know President Donald Trump has called for a "separate but equal" space force

Vice President Mike Pence said the force is needed to ensure America's space dominance amid heightened threats from China and Russia

Any proposal for a new service would require congressional action, and the administration aims to propose it in the 2020 fiscal year budget

Pointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military warfighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American public's long fascination with space but with a military focus, and it faces daunting hurdles. It requires congressional approval and has been met with skepticism from military leaders and experts who question the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Donald Trump has flagged in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

"Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where America's best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation," said Pence.

Trump marked Pence's announcement with a tweet: "Space Force all the way!"

Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes' potential aggression rather than any offensive U.S. military effort.

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years U.S. adversaries have "pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground."

"As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a warfighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge," he said.

In June, the president directed the Pentagon to create a "separate but equal" space force, a complicated and expensive move that could take years to gain Congress' approval and become operational. On Thursday, Pence said the administration will work with Congress on the plan, and will outline a budget next year. The last time the U.S. created a new uniformed military service was in 1947, when the Air Force was launched after World War II. It joined the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the military's space warfighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching an expensive new service. A new branch of the military would require layers of bureaucracy, military and civilian leaders, uniforms, equipment and an expansive support structure.

Asked about the cost, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters the Pentagon doesn't have a number yet but will when the legislative proposal is finished by the end of the year.

"I would assume it's billions," he said.

Deborah James, who served as Air Force secretary for the final three years of the Obama administration, estimated it would be five to 10 years before a separate service would be fully formed.

"Eventually, it'll settle out, but you will go through years of thrashing. And is that thrashing going to slow your momentum or is it going to help you achieve your goals and address the real challenges that we have on our plate?" she said at Brookings Institution last week. "I don't think so. I don't. I wouldn't vote in favor of it."

The military's role in space has been under scrutiny because the United States is increasingly reliant on orbiting satellites that are difficult to protect. Satellites provide communications, navigation, intelligence and other services vital to the military and the national economy.

U.S. intelligence agencies reported earlier this year that Russia and China were pursuing "nondestructive and destructive" anti-satellite weapons for use during a future war. And there are growing worries about cyberattacks that could target satellite technology, potentially leaving troops in combat without electronic communications or navigation abilities.

The Pentagon proposal delivered to Congress Thursday lays out plans to consolidate U.S. warfighting space forces and make organizational changes to boost the acquisition and development of technologies.

It says the department will establish a Space Command to develop warfighting operations, a Space Development Agency to more quickly identify and develop new technologies, a Space Operations Force of leaders and fighters and a new support structure. In the second phase the Pentagon would combine all the components into the new sixth branch of service.

In the meantime, the Space Command would be led by a four-star general, and Pence said a new high-level civilian post  assistant defense secretary for space  would also be created.

"We are glad that the Pentagon is finally taking these steps in enhancing our space strength," Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., leaders of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a statement. They said the Pentagon report was the start of a "multi-year process that we think will result in a safer, stronger America."

Much of the military's current space power is wielded by the Air Force Space Command, which has its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The command has about 38,000 personnel and operates 185 military satellite systems, including the Global Positioning System and communications and weather satellites. It also oversees Air Force cyberwarfare.

Under the new plan, space elements that are now scattered across the department would be gathered under one command, which Pence said would better ensure integration across the military

Associated Press Radio correspondent Sagar Meghani in Washington and writer Dan Elliott in Colorado contributed to this report.
With a few hundred white supremacist demonstrators and even more counterdemonstrators expected to turn up near the White House for Sunday's "Unite the Right" rally, police are hoping to avoid a repeat of the deadly violence that erupted one year ago at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Up to 1,000 counterdemonstraters are expected at Freedom Plaza between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday for the DC United Against Hate rally and march, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service on Wednesday afternoon. Two other permits are pending for other counterdemonstrators.

After the rally, the group plans to march about five blocks to Lafayette Square, the site where between 200 and 300 white supremacists have proposed to rally. The permit for that rally is pending, a National Park Service spokesperson says.

D.C. Chief of Police Peter Newsham says officers will do whatever is necessary to keep Unite the Right rally attendees separate from counterdemonstrators.

"I can tell you, we're gonna make sure that that happens," Newsham said. "With whatever we need to do."

Newsham and the D.C. Council agreed to close the public and press out of a meeting Wednesday where police detailed plans to avoid a scene like Charlottesville.

"Our number one goal is to make sure nobody gets hurt and no property gets destroyed," Newsham said.

When white supremacist demonstrators and counterprotesters converged on Charlottesville in 2017, brawls broke out before a driver slammed into a crowd of counterprotestors, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring more.

A report found that police departments in Charlottesville failed to coordinate between agencies and keep demonstrators separate.

This year, Charlottesville officials have declared a state of emergency ahead of the anniversary of the rally.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared that the state of emergency would be in effect Aug. 10-12. In a press conference at city hall Wednesday, he said the state of emergency was declared for the potential impact of events planned during the Unite the Right rally in D.C. and in Charlottesville.

Newsham said that D.C. police coordinate with multiple agencies on a daily basis.
Officials in Charlottesville, Virginia, declared a state of emergency ahead of the anniversary of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, where one woman was killed amid clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared that the state of emergency would be in effect Aug. 10-12. In a press conference at city hall Wednesday, he said the state of emergency was declared for the potential impact of events planned during the Unite the Right rally in D.C. and in Charlottesville.

"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 they're needed," Northam said.

Though there are no permits issued for another Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, many residents are concerned that white supremacists could still come without an official permit, News4 reported. Community events including prayer sessions and free counseling are planned for the weekend.

But officials are stepping up law enforcement efforts to ensure that any gatherings remain peaceful. The state of emergency would streamline state and local operations this weekend while also allocating $2 million in state funds. The declaration authorizes the Virginia National Guard to assist in security efforts.

Many roads will be closed around the Downtown Mall area and Market Street Park until Aug. 13, government officials said. Charlottesvilles website has a list of updated bus routes and more information on road closures.

Two security checkpoints will be set up downtown and officials plan to search the public for a number of prohibited items, including glass bottles, metal containers, BB guns, stun guns and other weapons. Anyone found carrying prohibited items could be subject to criminal charges.

Law enforcement will also be enforcing a ban on wearing masks or hoods that conceal the face. Loaded firearms are prohibited on public property.



The city refused to issue a permit for another Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville after 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed when a car slammed into a group of counterprotesters at last year's event. Two state troopers sent to monitor the rally were also killed in a helicopter crash.

Local activists are still pushing for the city to acknowledge its historical and current ties to racism and police brutality among other issues.



"I just would like people to focus on the anniversary, not on Heather, but on the issues that she died for  Black Lives Matter, overpolicing, affordable housing, for more truth and the telling of the history of Charlottesville  and to focus on where they need to go as a community," Heyers mother, Susan Bro, said.

Charlottesville denied an event permit requested by rally organizer Jason Kessler, who responded by vowing to press ahead with plans for an Aug. 12 event in D.C. Kessler had previously agreed to actively discourage paramilitary activity at any future rallies in Charlottesville.
Lisa was seriously injured when a driver slammed into a group of people protesting a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last summer.

Her forehead was cut, jaw knocked out of alignment, hand badly broken. Both of her legs were broken, too.

But nearly one year and many physical therapy sessions later, she's ready to march again. On Sunday, Lisa plans to demonstrate against the second "Unite the Right" rally in Washington, D.C.

Lisa is a longtime animal rights activist who had protested on that issue many times. On Aug. 12, 2017, she decided to join demonstrators countering white supremacists, shifting her fight to human rights.

"I wanted to go and stand up against people who are violent and oppressive," she said. Lisa linked up with a group from D.C. and marched with them.

She says she stuck close to the group and avoided the violent clashes that broke out.

By the time she turned onto 4th Street in Charlottesville, she thought the threat had passed. Then, she saw a car on a street that she says should have been closed to drivers.

James Fields Jr. hit the gas on his Dodge, driving directly toward a group of people demonstrating against white nationalists, prosecutors say.

"I had heard screaming that sounded different from the rest of the day," she remembered. As she thought to run, she heard another different sound.

"That was him hitting bodies," she said. Dozens were injured and 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed.

Lisa was sent spinning through the air and felt like she was getting swept up in a tornado. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph caught her legs extended straight up into the air.

Lisa landed on another car and fell to the ground.

"I felt very calm," she recounted. "There was all this chaos going on around me, and there was nothing I could do but lay there."

A pediatrician from Richmond, Virginia, rushed to her side while they awaited emergency responders. At the hospital, Lisa was subjected to a flurry of X-rays and scans that revealed the extent of her injures. Doctors put plates and screws in her legs. A few days later, they operated on her hand.

The pain was excruciating at times, Lisa says, and she carried a powerful fear with her.

"The first night when I tried to fall asleep, I woke up terrified the Nazis were going to try to kill me," she said. "They put a guard on my door."

But alongside the fear and pain came an outpouring of support that helped her through six weeks of in-patient rehab.

"I can do most things now," she said. "I can't dance yet. I'd like to dance, but I can now do hikes."

Daily physical therapy sessions have been part of Lisa's life since that day, but her insurance only covered a small fraction of the expensive but necessary treatments.

Fortunately, the Heal Charlottesville Fund stepped in to help her cover the rest.

Lisa asked News4 to conceal her identity because she remains fearful that white supremacists will threaten or harass her. But she follows Fields' trial in the news and says she was glad to hear he faces a federal hate crime charge.

And she's not letting fear stop her from standing up against white supremacists as they converge on the nation's capital.

"I think we should keep focusing on the people out there who still feel the way [Fields] does," Lisa said.

That is why on Sunday  the anniversary of Heyer's death and Lisa's grave injuries  Lisa says she will travel to D.C. to peacefully protest the second "Unite the Right" rally.

"I want to see a show of force of love," she said. "I think the important thing is to fight injustice wherever we are called to do it."


Officials from across the D.C. area gathered Thursday to discuss security plans as hundreds of Unite the Right demonstrators and counterprotesters prepare to descend on the region.

Local officials and law enforcement are preparing in case violence breaks out like it did when a Unite the Right rally was first held last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a counterdemonstrator was killed.

The Unite the Right group's permit application, 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.

During Thursday news conference, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser denounced the rhetoric expected from white supremacists planning to attend the rally, but she said the city still has a duty to protect the First Amendment.

"Very few of our visitors share the views that will be expressed in Layfayette Square this weekend," Bowser said. "While we opposed adamantly the message we will hear, it is our duty to protect the First Amendment."

Up to 1,000 counterdemonstrators are expected at Freedom Plaza between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday for the DC United Against Hate rally and march, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service (NPS) on Wednesday afternoon.

After the rally, the counterdemonstrators plan to march about five blocks to Lafeyette Square, the site where Jason Kessler will be holding his "white civil rights" rally.

According to the NPS, Kessler's permit is for up to 400 people.

The NPS says it has received five applications for the use of Layfayette Square for Sunday. Three, including Kessler's, have been issued, a NPS spokeswoman said at a news conference Thursday.

D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham says officers will do whatever is necessary to keep Unite the Right rally attendees separate from counterdemonstrators.

"We would ask everyone who attends not let the personal passions overcome their civility," Newsham said.

Newsham said carrying a firearm with or without a permit in and around the events will be illegal. Officers will be on high alert for anyone carrying a firearm.

He said there have been no specific threats of violence.

Large Police Presence Expected at Vienna Metro Station

Fairfax County Police said to expect "a large police presence" at the Vienna Metro station Sunday.

Demonstrators plan to take Metro from Vienna, Virginia, to Foggy Bottom and march to the White House. Fairfax County Police said to expect an increased police presence at the Vienna station between noon and 10 p.m. that day.

"The Fairfax County Police Department is working diligently with other area law enforcement agencies to maintain a safe environment for everyone to freely express their First Amendment rights," Fairfax County Police Chief Ed Roessler said in a release Thursday. "We also want to ensure the safety of our residents and those passing through our county."

Fairfax County Police encourage people to consider using other forms of transportation or other Metro stations. They will provide real-time updates on their Twitter account, @FairfaxCountyPD.

City of Charlottesville Declares State of Emergency

This year, Charlottesville officials have declared a state of emergency ahead of the anniversary of the 2017 rally.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared that the state of emergency would be in effect Aug. 10-12. In a press conference at city hall Wednesday, he said the state of emergency was declared for the potential impact of events planned during the Unite the Right rally in D.C. and in Charlottesville.

Newsham said that D.C. police coordinate with multiple agencies on a daily basis.
When a Maryland man called an Uber in The District Saturday night, he didnt expect to be kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint.

Michael, the victim, called an Uber to pick him up from Hawthorne, a restaurant on U Street, at 2:30 a.m., police documents say. When the light-colored Honda sedan with two people inside pulled up, Michael opened the door and tried to make sure he was getting into the right car.

He asked, "Is this the Uber for Mike?"

One of two the suspects in the car said yes, and Michael got inside. The driver drove off, saying they were "going for a ride." Then he demanded that Michael hand over his cellphone and wallet, according to police documents.

Realizing it wasnt his ride-share vehicle, Michael told police that he asked to be let out several times. Thats when the suspect in the rear pulled out a black handgun, and Michael gave up his items, according to police documents.

Michael told police that the two suspects drove him to a gas station and multiple ATMs, where they withdrew money from his account. As the sun was coming up, Michael jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.

Police are trying to identify the suspects, a black man and a black woman, who were caught on surveillance video on Aug. 4.

The incident may be related to other armed kidnappings that occurred on U Street earlier this summer, police say.

On July 14, a man entered a dark-colored four-door sedan near The Codmother restaurant on U Street, thinking he and the suspects would be smoking marijuana. The suspects struck him with a handgun and drove him around, police documents say, withdrawing cash from his bank accounts before throwing him out of the vehicle in Maryland.

Two weeks later on July 27, a man entered a four-door SUV on the 600 block of U Street, believing he would be buying marijuana from the three suspects in the vehicle. The suspects prevented him from getting out while they drove around, before letting him out in Virginia.

Police are asking for anyone who can identify the individuals to call 202-727-9099, or text a tip to the departments tip line at 50411. There's a $10,000 cash reward in case.

It's important to check the name of the driver, the license plate and the driver photo before accepting a ride from someone who says they are an Uber driver, the ride-share's website says. News4 talked to riders who shared their tips to verify ride share drivers before getting in.

"I always check the license plate and confirm the name and I make them tell me my name first," one rider said.
Five Virginia homes are in the path of the Interstate 66 expansion, and the residents are concerned about their relocation.

Kwong Hii doesnt use I-66 for his commute. He has a four-minute walk to the Dunn Loring Metro station.

Across the street is the Metrorail station I take to work every day, he said.

He and his wife, Siew Lee, are relying on the Virginia Department of Transportation for their next home because their house, along with the homes of their four neighbors, will be demolished for the I-66 project.

We need to be moved to a functionally equivalent home, she said.

Dolores Desjardins, 82, has lived there for 47 years. Her home is slated for demolition, too. She said VDOT wants her out by the end of the year.

It kind of puts us in limbo, you know, that we dont know whats happening, she said.

Her daughter, Noelle Vaughan, traveled from Texas to help her mother move this summer, but so far thats not happening.

Time is of the essence, Vaughan said. Shes elderly. Shes about to undergo knee surgery, that she had been putting off and thinking shed be in her new home.

Del. Mark Keam (D-Fairfax County) acknowledges the benefits to a wider highway  especially for those who live farther out and commute in  but hes concerned for residents of his district.

VDOT and its contractors are nickel-and-diming my constituents over the price of their fair market value homes that theyre going to be taking, he said.

VDOT said it is working with a private partner to work individually with each of these impacted property owners. The properties go through a fair market appraisal, VDOT said, and they work to find comparable homes for the residents.

The residents know they cannot save their houses. Their focus is finding an equally convenient and comfortable spot to make into a home.

My church is close by and my friends, Desjardins said.

VDOT has told us that theyll try to move us during the summer time so school doesnt get affected so much, but it hasnt been that way, Hii said.

Keam said he is pressing VDOT for a meeting.

We only have a matter of a few weeks, if not months, before these five families need to disrupt their lives, literally pack everything up, find a new home, get settled in, he said.
A Virginia woman accused of shooting her two daughters  killing one of them and leaving the other fighting for her life  purchased a Glock at a gun show in northern Virginia in the weeks before the shootings, sources familiar case told News4.

Veronica Youngblood, 33, shot two children inside an apartment in the 1500 block of Lincoln Circle in McLean, Virginia, Sunday night, police said. One of the children died at the scene while the other remains in life-threatening condition, police say.

Police found three spent cartridges in the apartment, two in the master bedroom and one in the guest room, according to a search warrant for the apartment. Other cartridges were found in the guest bedroom, the master bedroom, on the living room floor and on the kitchen table. A Glock gun box was found in the guest bedroom.

There were also two boxes of 9 mm cartridges and other Glock accessories, according the search warrant. And there were blood stains in the apartment.

Youngblood was arrested Sunday night in Loudoun County after she knocked on the front door of an acquaintance and that person called police. A gun was recovered at the scene when Youngblood was arrested, police said.

After her arrest, Youngblood waived her Miranda rights and confessed to the crime, police said, giving detectives a detailed account of what happened.

Inside the rental car Youngblood used after leaving the apartment, police found two Glock magazines with ammunition and identification cards, another search warrant revealed.

Police have not identified the victims due to a state law passed in Virginia in 2017. Police need written permission from the families of juveniles to release their names. Authorities have not commented on the relationship between Youngblood and the victims.

But court documents reveal Youngblood has a 5-year-old daughter named Brooklynn Youngblood and an older daughter.

A medical examiner confirmed to News4 that a Brooklynn Youngblood died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Court records reveal Veronica Youngblood has spent years in court with her ex-husband in divorce proceedings and hashing out custody issues. At one time, her ex-husband got a protective order against her, according to documents.

Although they divorced, the pair lived together at a townhouse so they could both be part of the girls' lives, court documents said.

He was retiring from the Navy this week, and under a court agreement, the entire family was relocating to Missouri so both parents could stay involved in the girls' lives. Her ex-husband agreed to pay Youngblood's rent and other expenses.

But Youngblood recently moved into the new apartment in McLean after filing court papers saying she didn't want to go to Missouri and she'd found a new job here and wanted to get primary custody of the 5-year-old daughter.

Youngblood is being held without bond, police said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18.
What to Know A group of more than a dozen women say they've been told they have to move out from Our Lady's Guild House in Boston's Fenway Park.

The Daughters of Mary, who own the building, did not return NBC10 Boston's request for comment.

An official said the city is aware many elderly women have been asked to leave apartments they have called home for many years.

A group of more than a dozen women, all over 50, exclusively tell NBC10 Boston that they've been told they have to move out from Our Lady's Guild House in the shadow of Boston's Fenway Park.

One of those women, Siobhan O'Connor, says she doesn't know what she will do after having lived there for years.

"I'm over 50, so they didn't renew my lease," she said.

Some of the women have lived in the building for years, others for decades.

"It's upsetting, it's hard to find housing and stuff, its the third most expensive city in the country for housing," she said.

According to the City Clerk's Office, the building is owned by MRR Management, LLC, with offices on Commonwealth Avenue, around the corner from the building.

Mark Roos said Wednesday he is just the real estate broker, the actual owner, The Daughters of Mary, is based in New Britain, Connecticut.

"I think it is an incredible injustice," Colleen Fitzpatrick, with the Fenway Community Development Corporation, said Wednesday. "I think it is a concentrated effort to get older women out of the building."

Calls and emails to the Daughters of Mary were not returned Wednesday. A lawyer said to represent them couldn't be reached either.

"I think it is appalling, it is a very big injustice and its been going on for some time," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick says some women have left, in fear of eviction and the nuns. According to Fitzpatrick, those rooms now popping up on AirBNB. Other rooms are being rented to students on a short-term basis.

"They have a charitable mission and I think we are asking the question, what charitable mission is being served here," she said. "It doesn't seem like this order of nuns cares that much about people who came to this building, who came here seeking shelter, safe haven."

"The City is aware that many elderly women are being asked to leave apartments that they have called home for many years," Shelia Dillon, Chief of Housing & Neighborhood Development for the City of Boston said in a statement.

"The City is assisting the tenets obtain necessary legal representation and is in communication with the nuns that own the property," Dillon said. "We are hopeful that a solution can be found in the very near future."

O'Connor hopes that solution comes sooner rather than later.

"When you are a woman of a certain age, you really don't want to room with teenagers or college students,' she said.
More than 50 Labrador retrievers are now spending their days inside a shelter as their owner awaits his day in court, charged with several counts of animal cruelty.

It's the largest dog intake the Monadnock Humane Society has ever seen, and their resources to care for the animals are running out.

The dogs have been at the shelter for the last month.

"What keeps me up at night is making sure they're getting one-on-one attention, and keeping them happy and healthy here," said Operations Director Emily Kerylow.

Prosecutors say the dogs were rescued from the Marlborough home of John Riggieri. The Cheshire County Sheriff's Office arrested the 58-year-old this week and charged him with four counts of animal neglect.

On the way to his front door, NBC10 Boston witnessed several outdoor crates and empty dog food bags. He's out of jail on personal recognizance bail, but didn't answer the door. On his Facebook page, Riggieri says the charges are "absolute rubbish" and called the case, a "witch hunt."

Kerylow says the Humane Society has spent more than $30,000 caring for the dogs  far exceeding their yearly budget in just one month.

"Not only are we maxed out space-wise, but it also limits our ability to help our community," Kerylow said.

The executive director of the humane society, Kathy Collinsworth, blames the state's poor regulations on commercial dog breeders.

"It's an example of what can happen when they don't have to be licensed," she said.

Collinsworth says if the laws don't change, these stories won't stop.

The humane society has made a plea to the Cheshire County Attorney's Office to allow the dogs to go out to foster homes while they await Riggieri's trial in September. Kerylow and Collinsworth say that will help save money while also giving the dogs the love and attention they need outside the shelter.a
A Maine county sheriff's office says the death of a man in his home is under investigation and considered suspicious.

The Penobscot County Sheriff's Office says late Tuesday morning they responded to a home in Milford for a medical call. Responding officers found the unidentified man dead on the floor.

Police say they do not know how the man died but are working to determine the cause of death.

Chief Deputy William Birch says there is no immediate threat to the public.
Rhode Island police say no further charges will be filed against a trainer involved in the death of a dog that belonged to former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo.

The 5-year-old English bulldog, called Knox, had been missing since June and was found dead inside the home of Amelia Ferreira, a Cranston, Rhode Island dog trainer. She was arrested Aug. 6.

The results of a necropsy, announced Wednesday, show inconclusive results. Ferreira is being charged in Rhode Island with one count of obstruction and will also be charged in Massachusetts.

In a recent Instagram post, Mayo writes that a trainer hid the dog in a trash bag for two months, sending his kids on "an emotional roller coaster."

An attorney for Ferreira could not be identified.
Peer-to-peer exchanges of excess bandwidth could one day be commonplace, says a firm that is attempting to monetize redundant internet capacity. It wants to create a marketplace for selling internet data throughput that has been already bought by organizations, but which is often dormant during out-of-work hours  the bandwidth is customarily just lying around then, not being used.

Dove Network wants to do to the telecom industry what Airbnb did to the hotel industry, co-founder Douglas Schwartz told me via email.

The idea is that those with excess data capacity, such as a well-provisioned office or data center, which may not be using all of its throughput capacity all of the time  such as during the weekend  allocates that spare bandwidth to Doves network. Passing-by data-users, such as Internet of Things-based sensors or an individual going about business, would then grab the data it, he, or she needs; payment is then handled seamlessly through blockchain smart contracts.

The Dove application will find the closest Dove-powered hotspot or peer node, negotiate the package deal, and connect automatically, the company says in a white paper. Dove Network says it intends to supply a 500-yard-plus-range, blockchain-based wireless router to vendors. Its also talking about longer-range access points in the future. Both solutions will allow relatively few organizations to sign up, yet still blanket urban areas with hotspots, it says.

Dove Network further says on its website that it believes internet infrastructure is broken. It reckons half of the world is not connected to the internet, yet 35 percent of paid-for data is never used.

Internet data is simultaneously one of the most used and most wasted commodities on Earth, it says.

How a peer-to-peer internet exchange would work

Initially, all kinds of Wi-Fi routers, mobile hotspots, and any Wi-Fi-enabled device could be used to anonymously provide data, the company claims. Its app will allow sellers to fix a price and amounts of bandwidth it wants to get rid of. The app then automatically connects to the person who needs the data and is prepared to pay an agreed rate.

Data users traversing a city, who need to send an email, for example, will be able to open the app and simply click on a button. The app then searches for hotspots and connects seamlessly  theres no user input, such as choosing an SSID. An IoT device could have a pre-agreed automatic connection, presumably.

Among potential problems Dove Network still has to address, it admits, is how to kick-start growth. It aims to start working with companies first, which it thinks will help it scale quickly. Also, there's the question of whether traditional ISPs or telcos will see peer-to-peer data capacity sales as a threat to their business model. Thats something Dove Network doesnt know.

A consumer market launch will occur this year, it says. However, interestingly, a machine-to-machine software developer kit (SDK) launch is planned for around Q4 2019. That IoT SDK will include neural processing artificial intelligence to allow peer-to-peer communications between robots, smart cars, and airplanes. It will be a society of machines, Dove Network says.

Our network platform will bring the internet to every human and machine on the planet. The decentralized internet is the future, the company says.
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
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has provided evidence that they hope will arm parents with knowledge about the rising level of eye strain seen among children who spend too much time on computer screens.

 Romrodphoto/Shutterstock.com

It is hoped that the study will separate fact from fiction for parents, so they can make informed decisions about their childrens eye health.

Since 1971, the incidence of eye strain or myopia has doubled in the U.S. and in Asia, up to 90% of teenagers are near-sighted. However, researchers have not yet been able to agree on precisely what is causing the problem.

The current study, which has recently published in Ophthalmology, now provides evidence that the increase in myopia incidence is at least partly due to near-work activities, whether they involve digital screens or books. The study also showed that spending time outside can slow the progression of myopia, particularly during early childhood.

While it is still not clear whether excessive screen use is responsible for the rise in near-sightedness, it is clear that the majority of computer users do develop digital eyestrain, whether they be children or adults.

The symptoms of myopia are usually temporary, although they can be frequent and persistent, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology says this does not mean children need to be prescribed computer glasses; rather it means they should take frequent breaks from the screen.

Some recommendations for parents who are concerned about their childs eye health include encouraging children to:

Set a timer to remind them to take breaks

Alternate e-book reading with traditional book reading and look up from an e-book every two chapters

Look out of the window for 20 seconds after completing a computer game level

Avoid using the screen in brightly lit areas where screen glare can cause strain

Adjust the screen brightness and contrast until it is comfortable to view

Spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, K. David Epley, advises teaching children better habits rather than supplying them with glasses that will enable them to consume even more digital media: "If you run too far and your legs start hurting, you stop. Likewise, if you've been reading too long or watching videos too long, and your eyes start hurting, you should stop."
Early results from an innovative new clinical trial led by researchers from Queen's University Belfast have shown that men with prostate cancer could benefit from radical radiotherapy that delivers treatment in just five visits instead of the usual 37.

The leading edge 'SPORT trial' (A Study Evaluating Stereotactic Prostate Radiotherapy in High-Risk Localised Prostate Cancer) is the first of its kind in the UK and uses an advanced treatment called 'SABR' (Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy). SABR is highly accurate in targeting certain cancers and delivers large doses per treatment, allowing men to have their full course of radiotherapy in only five hospital visits instead of the typical 37.

In addition, patients in the study have SpaceOAR, a minimally invasive hydrogel technology, inserted prior to radiotherapy treatment. In previous studies, SpaceOAR has been shown to significantly decrease unwanted radiotherapy side effects for patients.

The trial is led by Dr Suneil Jain, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Queen's University alongside Dr Ciaran Fairmichael, Clinical Research Fellow at Queen's University. Dr Fairmichael explains:"One of the complications from using radiotherapy is the potential damage that can be inflicted on neighboring tissues.

"In this trial, we are evaluating the performance of the SpaceOAR hydrogel which is inserted between the prostate gland and the rectum of the patient. This creates a greater distance between the prostate tumor and other tissues, which allows us to concentrate the radiotherapy dosage provided to the tumor and thus reducing the chance of radiation harming other tissues close to the tumor such as the bowel."

Mr Gordon Robinson, aged 70, took part in the trial. He said:"If it wasn't for this research, I simply would not be here. My family and I are so thankful to the doctors who have helped us. This treatment has allowed me to live my life again."

Using the new hydrogel allows clinicians to treat the prostate with a higher dose of radiation, potentially without increasing the risk of side-effects, including impotence, bowel and bladder problems.

Mr Robinson continues:"Taking part in this trial meant I was offered a high-dose five treatment course instead of enduring two months of treatment. The treatment was really successful in getting rid of my tumor.

"I knew about the side effects of treatment, and they really frightened me, but this trial meant I had very little discomfort or complications and can return to normal life, for that I am very grateful."

The preliminary results from the first patients treated in the trial with SpaceOAR and SABR have recently been published in the British Journal of Radiology.

The trial is still open and in the future there are hopes to be able to offer this treatment to a wider range of men.
Genetic information is stored in DNA and is passed on in a very stable manner from one cell to the next or from one generation to the next. On a cellular level, genetic information is transcribed from DNA into RNA (ribonucleic acid) and then mostly "translated" into proteins, which carry out cellular functions. This normally involves modifying the RNA so that this information can be "read" correctly or used appropriately - in order to adapt to changes in prevailing conditions. Researchers from the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology at MedUni Vienna have now shown that defects in this RNA modification can result in altered smooth muscle contraction, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.

The main finding of the study by lead author Mamta Jain supervised by Franz-Michael Jantsch of MedUni Vienna's Division of Cell and Developmental Biology is: if a particular RNA modification in smooth muscle is defective or inadequate in the mouse model, there is a greater likelihood of high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems developing as a result of over-contraction. Working with MedUni Vienna's Division of Anatomy, this finding was further corroborated by post-mortem tests on bodies donated to science: defective RNA modification in the aortic muscles was observed in those who had died with a hypertrophic, or enlarged, heart: This vital modification was around 50% lower than in most people. Normally, RNA modification of 90% can be read in the proteins but, in the affected individuals, it was below 40%.

"Defective RNA modification, which is also referred to as adenosine deamination, results in a decline in smooth muscle contraction," explain the MedUni Vienna researchers. Consequently, the actin-binding protein filamin A, which plays an important role in organisation of the cytoskeleton and hence muscular contraction, cannot be produced in the correct form (variant R). "At the same time, we were able to show, for the first time, that adenosine deamination plays an important role in smooth muscle, not only in the central nervous system as previously believed" says Jantsch.

It is not yet known what causes RNA modification defects in smooth muscle and this will be the focus of follow-on studies. These might potentially lead to the development of new therapeutic options for improving the treatment of high blood pressure or certain forms of cardiovascular disease that are attributable to defective RNA modification.

Smooth muscle is one of three types of muscle found in humans and animals. It occurs in the walls of all hollow organs (apart from the heart), which are able to contract. For example, these include blood vessels, organs of the digestive tract (bladder, bowel) and the respiratory tract. It is called smooth muscle because of its microscopic structure: whereas skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle exhibit visible horizontal stripes when viewed under the microscope, smooth muscle has no such stripes. Unlike skeletal muscle, it cannot be contracted at will. Instead, its contraction is controlled by muscular mechanisms and also by the nervous system, by hormones, neurotransmitters and other messenger substances.
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. 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, specialized 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.

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 recognize 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 theorize 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 program.

For the study described here, the researchers analyzed several hundred terabytes of raw data. "To analyze 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 Cancer Genome Atlas

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is a large-scale project of two U.S. national health institutes. Over the past 13 years, TCGA has compiled and analyzed genetic data from tumor tissue and normal tissue from several thousand American patients. The project came to a close at the end of last year as planned; however, the collaborating institutes announced that there will be follow-up projects building on TCGA and the insights it produced. By collecting and analyzing the numerous molecular changes that drive various forms of cancer, the project aimed to lay the foundation for their early detection, prevention and treatment.
Effective therapeutics to counteract the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes are not yet available. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now come a little bit closer to a solution: They have described a new class of designed macrocyclic peptides that are highly potent inhibitors of amyloid formation.

Amyloid plaques, which are protein deposits, play a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. Several teams of scientists around the world are working on finding ways to prevent amyloid plaque formation in the human brain.

The research team of Aphrodite Kapurniotu, Professor for Peptide Biochemistry (TUM) has been working on an idea for some time now in collaboration with the teams of Professor Martin Zacharias (TUM), Professor Gerhard Rammes (TUM Rechts der Isar Hospital) and Professor Jurgen Bernhagen (Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU)). The researchers present now macrocyclic peptides (MCIPs) as potent inhibitors of amyloid formation; they reported their results in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The work has been supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) collaborative research center SFB 1035.

New class of amyloid inhibitors

In its new study, the team presents macrocyclic peptides, developed as a new class of amyloid inhibitors. "We have discovered an MCIP that is stable in human blood plasma and can also overcome the human blood-brain barrier in an in vitro cell culture model," explains Professor Kapurniotu. She adds: "So far we were 'only' able to demonstrate these properties in the test tube - thus further research is necessary. But these are two highly desirable properties for inhibitors of Alzheimer's amyloid."

TUM has already applied for a patent for the newly developed macrocyclic peptides. "They could be a good alternative to the currently pursued antibody-based approaches as therapeutics against Alzheimer's amyloid plaque formation because they are easy to produce, have promising properties and, due to their peptidic nature, they will be significantly cheaper than antibodies," says Professor Kapurniotu.

"Therefore, further investigations are now planned to verify whether the MCIPs are also effective in in vivo models. Furthermore, the MCIPs could also be suitable as templates for the development of small molecule peptidomimetics (molecules mimicking peptide chains), which might also find application as anti-amyloid drugs in Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes.
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.
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, PhD, 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 trick - the 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, PhD, 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?"
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are developing a 3D printed implant that, when injected in a patient's body, could deliver a personalized dose of medicine to treat infections as well as ailments such as arthritis, cancer and AIDS. The project, led by Albert Zwiener of SwRI's Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division and Dr. Lyle Hood of UTSA's College of Engineering, is supported by a $125,000 grant from the 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. As a result of those limitations, someone who needs frequent doses of a specific medicine either has to take a pill each day or visit a doctor for treatment. To remedy this, the SwRI-UTSA team is working to create an implantable device that can deliver a controlled, personalized dose of medicine over several weeks.

"The implant addresses a specific patient's 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 individual's 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, as 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 SwRI-UTSA team believes that the device's 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 patient's 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, it's 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.

Source: https://www.swri.org/press-release/swri-utsa-minimally-invasive-medicinal-implant
As anyone who has experienced an annoying alternation between dry and watery eyes can confirm, tears alone aren't enough to keep the eye from drying out. A microscopically thin film of oils known as the tear film lipid layer is key to preventing the tear film from evaporating. In this month's issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, a group of Australian researchers report the structure of a key long-chain lipid in the tear film lipid layer. Their finding may be used to improve treatments for dry eye.

Although the long-chain lipids in question make up just 5% of the tear film lipid layer, they play an important role in vision. Without them, earlier studies showed, the lipid layer would resemble an oil slick atop a puddle. "This clearly wouldn't be satisfactory for you to look through," said Stephen Blanksby, a professor at the Queensland University of Technology who led the research team in this study. He saw the Langmuir trough research, carried out by others, as a prompt to determine the precise structure of the ultra-long-chain lipids of the eye.

The tear film lipid layer comes from meibum, secreted from the lower eyelid. Scientists can collect meibum samples from brave volunteers by running a small spatula gently over their lower lids, but it is difficult to obtain enough for conventional assays like NMR.

Complicating matters, the team needed to differentiate between isomers. They knew long lipid was made of two fatty acids, but not whether they were joined end-to-end or branched, a question conventional mass spectrometry couldn't answer.

Fortunately, Blanksby and colleague Todd Mitchell of the University of Wollongong have spent the last decade fine-tuning mass spectrometric techniques to characterize lipids. "We were able to bring a unique toolbox to bear," said Blanksby. "Some of these techniques may not exist outside Todd's and my laboratory."

By incorporating established approaches, such as ozonolysis, into a mass spectrometry workflow, the team determined that the most abundant of the ultra-long lipids is joined end-to-end, and pinpointed each of its double bonds. The mass spectrometers handed off the structure to chemist colleagues led by Michael Kelso, who developed a method to synthesize it.

The team is now working with industry partner Allergan, which co-funded the research with the Australian Research Council, on incorporating the new synthetic long-chain lipid as a component of drops for dry eye. While our knowledge of the lipid layer has expanded, according to Blanksby many eye drops still use mineral oil. "This type of work provides a framework to produce a product that mimics, and is based on, the actual components that are present in human tears," he said. He hopes that by creating a better match to the real tear film, blurriness and other side effects of using eye drops can be alleviated.
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."
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 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."

Source: https://www.bmc.org/
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."
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
GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Thursday was one of the "cuteness overload" day as Americans celebrate the National Puppy Day. The stars went out of their way to celebrate together with the furry member of their families as well. Not surprisingly, #NationalPuppyDay was trending the whole day on Twitter as well.

Stars like Sarah Gellar, Betty White and Drew Barrymore share photos of their beloved pets. Lori Loughlin of "Fuller House" posted a photo of how her dog takes over her spot on the bed when she gets out of bed to get a glass of water.

Mark Hamill share photos of his adopted pets Millie and Mabel. He encouraged people not to shop for dogs but instead adopt. Hamill is all for rescuing pets who will be put to sleep for various reasons. He doesn't see any sense on buying at pet shops when there's a lot of dogs who needed to be rescued at the shelters.

National Puppy Day is not only celebrated in the US but it is actually an international event. This special day is created so that people are aware that there's a lot puppies that need to be in loving homes. The movement began in 2006 and it was founded by Colleen Paige, Author and Celebrity Pet & Home Lifestyle Expert. She also began the National Cat Day and National Dog Day.

The day was celebrated all over the country with dog adoption events. Information about shelters and programs that benefited the orphaned puppies that were available for adoption. Stories about people's experiences about how they rescued their dogs from the shelter were shared all over the internet as well. Today share in their website a story of one owner who wrote that "one time a stray, starving puppy followed us on the beach and changed our lives forever. Love you Tobillo. #NationalPuppyDay," he wrote.
Blue light from digital devices and the sun transforms vital molecules in the eye's retina into cell killers, according to optical chemistry research at The University of Toledo.

The process outlined in the study, which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, leads to age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the United States.

"We are being exposed to blue light continuously, and the eye's cornea and lens cannot block or reflect it," Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said. "It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop."

Macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that results in significant vision loss starting on average in a person's 50s or 60s, is the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need molecules called retinal to sense light and trigger a cascade of signaling to the brain.

"You need a continuous supply of retinal molecules if you want to see," Karunarathne said. "Photoreceptors are useless without retinal, which is produced in the eye."

Karunarathne's lab found that blue light exposure causes retinal to trigger reactions that generate poisonous chemical molecules in photoreceptor cells.

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," Kasun Ratnayake, a PhD student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group, said. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

Karunarathne introduced retinal molecules to other cell types in the body, such as cancer cells, heart cells and neurons. When exposed to blue light, these cell types died as a result of the combination with retinal. Blue light alone or retinal without blue light had no effect on cells.

"No activity is sparked with green, yellow or red light," Karunarathne said. "The retinal-generated toxicity by blue light is universal. It can kill any cell type."

The researcher found that a molecule called alpha tocopherol, a Vitamin E derivative and a natural antioxidant in the eye and body, stops the cells from dying. However, as a person ages or the immune system is suppressed, people lose the ability to fight against the attack by retinal and blue light.

"That is when the real damage occurs," Karunarathne said. The lab currently is measuring light coming from television, cell phone and tablet screens to get a better understanding of how the cells in the eyes respond to everyday blue light exposure.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cell phone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said. "Some cell phone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

To protect your eyes from blue light, Karunarathne advises to wear sunglasses that can filter both UV and blue light outside and avoid looking at your cell phones or tablets in the dark.

"Every year more than two million new cases of age-related macular degeneration are reported in the United States," Karunarathne said. "By learning more about the mechanisms of blindness in search of a method to intercept toxic reactions caused by the combination of retinal and blue light, we hope to find a way to protect the vision of children growing up in a high-tech world."
Kolkata : The West Bengal CID on Tuesday arrested former West Midnapore district police chief Bharati Ghosh's husband M.A.V. Raju in an extortion case, after his anticipatory bail was rejected by the Calcutta High Court, a CID officer said.

The High Court had rejected Raju's bail plea in connection with the probe into a case of alleged extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold in West Midnapore district's Daspur.

The Criminal Investigation Department had earlier arrested four police officers who had worked under Ghosh and the caretaker of an apartment in south Kolkata, suspected to be owned by her, in the case.

More than Rs 2.4 crore, important government documents and sealed liquor bottles were seized during raids at a number of flats in south Kolkata's Madurdaha.

A large amount of unaccounted cash was also seized from the houses of several police officers named in the FIR.

The CID raids started following a case of extortion and criminal conspiracy was lodged in Daspur on February 1 after gold trader Chandan Majhi complained against some police officers in the district thought to be close to Ghosh.

Ghosh, once a favourite of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reportedly fell from grace and sought voluntary retirement after she was transferred as Commandant of West Bengal Armed Police's 3rd Battalion. Her application was accepted.

The CID issued arrest warrant against her on February 10 on the charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy and sent teams outside the state to look for her.
Vienna : Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda on Tuesday said that he would battle for pole position, ahead of an upcoming race in Austria.

The four-time MotoGP champion finished third at the most recent race in the Czech Republic, behind Ducati riders Andrea Dovizioso of Italy and Jorge Lorenzo of Spain, reports Efe.

"We will try to be fast from the start of the weekend and then fight up at the front," the 25-year-old said at a press conference in Vienna.

"Austria is another track where Dovizioso and Lorenzo are strong, but we were also strong there last year, so we'll see if it comes down to the last corner again!" he added.

Marquez also raised safety awareness, stating: "People sometimes forget how vital is to wear the proper gear and not drink before riding, and anytime possible I try and give my input about the importance of being fit and lucid before riding."

The race in Austria is set to take place at the Red Bull Ring from August 10-12.
New Delhi : Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday asked a visiting seven-member Nepal Armed Police Force delegation to improve coordination between security forces of the two countries.

During a meeting with the delegation, Gauba exhorted Shailendra Khanal, Inspector General of Nepal Armed Police Force, to improve the coordination between the two forces through joint patrolling, common training of armed forces officers, regular border meetings and other means, said a Home Ministry statement.

Gauba stated that India-Nepal relationship derived strength from shared history, trade, economic partnership, cultural ties and close and intense people-to-people contact. He also appreciated excellent cooperation between security forces of the two countries.

Khanal, who is heading the delegation, also appreciated the coordination between the two countries and emphasised the need for periodic coordination meetings and common training courses for armed police officers of two countries.

The delegation is on official visit here from August 7 to 10 for the 3rd India-Nepal Coordination meeting with Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal -- the 94,000 strong force mandated to guard 1,751 km India-Nepal and 699 km India-Bhutan borders.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
In South Africa, the mass murder of white people has become official government policy and Barack Obama applauds it

During a recent speech he gave at the 2018 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, Barack Obama praised current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for inspiring great hope in this country  a country that, as you may recall, is not only actively removing all white people from their rightfully-owned land, but is also killing them off as part of a secret genocide agenda.

Simon Roche, a civil defense expert with the group Suidlanders, spoke with Wait Til You Hear This, a channel on the popular new video content service Brighteon.com, about how the anti-white racism in South Africa extends far beyond just depriving white people of their right to live peacefully on their own land.

According to Roche, the so-called legacy of apartheid in South Africa has created a culture throughout the country that sees it as acceptable to discriminate against whites. Because black people had to endure apartheid in the past, in other words, they are now expected to feel some degree of vindictiveness towards white people  this being the rationale offered up by the government that Obama loves, as well as other white-hating liberals.

Watch the full interview with Roche at Brighteon.com below:

Obama supports intimidating white people off their land to steal it for blacks

If youre white and live in South Africa  even if youve been there for generations  your chances of being assaulted or even murdered by angry blacks is exceptionally high, says Roche. While being a policeman in South Africa is already extremely dangerous, its 2.02 times more dangerous to be a white farmer in South Africa than a policeman, he warns.

It is half as dangerous to be a living, breathing three-year-old white girl in South Africa as it was to be a grown man in infantry combat in Vietnam, he adds.

Using liberal, non-governmental activist organizations as a reference point, there is a consensus among them that the minimum statistic of the likelihood of a woman in South Africa to be raped  this is all women, black and white and colored and so on  is one in three. So theres about a 30 percent chance of any woman in South Africa being raped throughout the course of her lifetime.

Its all part of an anti-white agenda being perpetuated by both the government of South Africa and the mainstream media to uproot all whites from the country and give it back to blacks. And Obama supports this evil agenda, as evidenced by the glowing words he had for Ramaphosa, whos currently leading the charge in removing all whites from South Africa.

The mainstream media is controlled by what we call global capital. And it is part of the narrative of the new South Africa that global capital and the media support the new South Africa and are shown to endorse it, says Roche.

According to Dr. Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch in Washington, D.C.  the worlds leading predictor of genocide  this current trend of low-intensity intimidation is being carefully implemented to drive white people from their land. Should this approach ultimately fail, then open conflict will come next  meaning full-on genocide.

Roches organization, Suidlanders, is a conservative, Christian group thats raising money and goods to help white people in South Africa survive this assault  and theyve repeatedly been targeted by the government for this humanitarian effort. The likes of Obama is certainly trying to stamp out groups like Suidlanders that are trying to help disenfranchised whites, but the group has no plans of giving up any time soon.

Things like diesel fuel, medical supplies, and so on are among the support that Suidlanders provides.

To learn more or to donate to Suidlanders, visit Suidlanders.org. Read more about democide  death by government  at Democide.news.

Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com

Suidlanders.org
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

The Navajo weaving tradition threads its way through some of the earliest Mexican inspired Saltillo serapes to mid-century pictorial rugs. More than a dozen items of this particular art form will soon be on display at the Bruce Museum.

Culled from the museums Native American collection, some pieces have never been exhibited in public. Visitors will get a close look at the unique construction, which can be seen in the way the vertical strings are one long, continuous piece. The warp, as it is called, was placed in such a way as to not give the weaver any leeway on the size of the rug, which meant planning the pattern required precision.
H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

BROOKFIELD  The Board of Finance approved a $35,000 appropriation Wednesday evening to pay for required physicals for the towns volunteer firefighters.

Brookfield Family Medicine has provided physicals to the towns volunteer firefighters for free for the last 35 years. But Western Connecticut Health Network has purchased the office, so it can no longer offer the physicals for free.
BROOKFIELD  The town hopes to use grant money to demolish a former dry cleaners that is obstructing efforts to rejuvenate the downtown.

The condemned building at 20 Station Road  near the Mobil gas station at the Four Corners  sticks out in an area the town is trying to revitalize by adding housing, shops and restaurants. Town officials hope the property could be turned into a parking lot in a neighborhood that sorely needs it.

But chemicals from the business have seeped into the bedrock of the property, making it impossible to clean up.

The town recently spent $3.5 million to add sidewalks and other amenities downtown and is planning a similar $2 million project to extend the streetscape.

First Selectman Steve Dunn said the blight has interfered with one nearby property owners plans to sell his commercial building.

[The owner] has had three buyers say, I really dont want to be on this street with that mess there, Dunn told the Board of Finance at its recent meeting.

This is among the reasons Dunn met with state officials this week to ask permission to tear down the building using the remaining money from a grant the town received for the property.

As part of a $6.9 million wave of funding to remediate brownfields across Connecticut, the state Department of Economic and Community Development granted the town $145,000 last year to study the extent of the contamination.

But investigators found there was no method to clean up the chemicals that had bored into the ground. The chemicals are expected to dissipate over time, officials have said.

The town is waiting to hear from the the state on whether the remaining $50,000 from the grant can be used for demolition.

The local Blight Committee has the authority to demolish buildings that are unfit for human habitation under its ordinance.

The 2.3-acre property includes a 4,700-square-foot commercial and residential building, which served as a dry cleaning business during the 1960s and 1970s. The building was condemned in 2011.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection also wants the town to test surrounding properties to see whether the contaminants affected their basements or wells.

Thats usually not outrageously expensive and its probably a good thing to do, Dunn said at the meeting.

In April Dunn said the town planned to ask the property owners to tear down the building themselves. But demolition could be too expensive for the owners because of the asbestos and contamination on the property, he said.

The owners of the property would have no problem with us knocking that down for free for them and we really want to get that knocked down, he said.

Dunn hopes the land could eventually be turned into a parking lot by the owners for residents shopping or dining downtown.

It gets really complicated with all these issues, but were still pursuing that because were going to need that parking, he said.
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
There are several good reasons for state lawmakers to embrace legal adult-use marijuana -- criminal justice reform, ending mass incarceration, respect for individual rights -- but for many the most compelling reason is this number: $793.6 million.

That is the estimated 2017 total of taxes and fees raked in by five states where adult-use marijuana is legal, according to a report from the National Cannabis Industry Association. The NCIA, founded in 2010, represents about 1,500 businesses in the marijuana industry across the United States.

Much of the rhetoric advocating legal marijuana revolves around arguments such as cannabis being less dangerous than alcohol or the social justice issues surrounding the implementation of drug laws. Those are strong, valid arguments but when it comes to actually changing minds, its wise to remember that money really does change everything.

Related: Education and Employment Is High in Cannabis-Friendly States

A windfall where the law allows it.

The cannabis economy offers ambitious entrepreneurs the chance to flourish in an already competitive environment, but its the money governments are bringing in that is really turning heads in many public offices around the country. The NCIA-reported revenue for just five states. The numbers (rounded) from each are:

Washington -- $441 million

Colorado -- $234 million

Oregon -- $68.6 million

Alaska -- $6.1 million

Nevada -- $43.7 million

That Nevada number is particularly eye-catching because the state only started regulated sales of marijuana in July 2017.

For state governments, there is simply nothing else aside from a gargantuan tax increase that can generate that much additional money this fast. Many observers think the potential for a large and reliable new source of marijuana tax revenue will push more states to legalize, just as New Hampshire's legalization of a state lottery in 1964 prompted most other states to eventually follow suit. There are currenly just six states -- Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah -- without a state lottery.

Related: Jimmy Kimmel's 'Dr. Quinn Medicinal Marijuana Woman' Spoof Is Hilarious

Estimates of potential marijuana tax revenue has energized the push for legalization in other states.

This talk heated up especially in Illinois last year, with even the Chicago Tribune weighing in that legalizing marijuana could help solve the states intractable budget problems. Voters will get a chance to approve recreational marijuana sales in November. However, its just an advisory ballot question. State lawmakers would still need to act. But a majority yes vote on legal adult-use cannabis would give lawmakers on the fence the political cover they need to move forward on legalization.

Late last year, the Pennsylvania auditor general also advocated legalized marijuana to solve that states budget crisis, conservatively estimating $200 million in new revenue.

Legalizing and taxing adult-use recreational marijuana is an increasingly viable option for states. The biggest barrier, as always, is lawmakers and state executives who led these states into a budget crisis in the first place. Voters who remember the promise of those who promoted state lotteries also might be skeptical about what marijuana tax dollars can accomplish.

That said, for embattled state leaders, legalizing adult-use marijuana is a path more and more are willing to take -- or at least seriously consider.

Follow dispensaries.com on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Italy Accidentally Legalized Pot and Now the Mafia Is Losing Big Money

Marijuana Is a $794 Million Windfall for the States That Have Legalized Adult Use

5 Characteristics Essential for Success as a Cannabis Entrepreneur



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Israel has launched air strikes that hit over 140 military targets on Gaza after Hamas militants fired over 150 rockets into Israel.

The Israeli air force hit more than 140 military targets across 20 sites in Gaza. Target included a factory for manufacturing facilities, training complexes, a maritime tunnel shaft, and other sites.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said least 100 150 rockets were launched from Gaza toward Israel, with rocket alarms ringing into the early hours of the morning. Twenty rockets were intercepted by Israels Iron Dome aerial defense system, while most others landed in open fields in southern Israel.

The fighting Wednesday left three Palestinians dead in Gaza, including a mother and her young daughter, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, with injuries reported in Israel and Gaza.

Escalation seems likely

Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren urged Israel to begin another operation in Gaza.

It is inconceivable that Israeli citizens spend the night in reinforced rooms while Hamas commanders are walking freely, Oren wrote on a tweet Thursday morning.

I call for a return of Operation Protective Edge immediately!

Sirens sounded in the Eshkol Regional Council pic.twitter.com/TL3jeWjqpj  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018

A short while ago, IDF aircraft fired towards a rocket launching squad in Gaza after it launched a rocket at Israel  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018

Additionally, five training camps were targeted as well as a main warehouse and a meeting point used by the senior commanders of the Khan Yunis Brigade. Thus far, over 140 of Hamas' strategic military sites have been targeted  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018

Tonight, IDF fighter jets targeted over 20 terror sites in military compounds &in a Hamas training camp. Among the sites targeted were a weapons manufacturing &storage facility, a complex used for the Hamas' naval force, & a military compound used for rocket launching experiments  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018

Summary until now: Approx. 150 rockets launched from Gaza at Israel

Iron Dome intercepted 25 launches

We responded by targeting a cement factory used by Hamas to build terror tunnels, a maritime terror tunnel shaft, & several terror sites in military compounds  IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 9, 2018
HAMDEN  The former St. Stephens School is set to become ACES Mill Road Elementary, as Area Cooperative Educational Services has struck a lease to rent the building from Divine Mercy Parish.

The current Mill Road School in North Haven will be split in two as part of the move, with 50 students in kindergarten through third grade moving to attend the new Hamden institution, according to Evelyn Rosetti-Ryan, chief of Marketing & Outreach with ACES.

The name of the new institution is tentative, Rossetti-Ryan said, as it has not been officially approved by the ACES board of directors.

The shift will allow ACES staff to be better focus on the specific needs of this student population, she said.

We are excited about having these two Mill schools, said Rossetti-Ryan. Well be able to provide much more focused, targeted, developmentally appropriate programming.

St. Stephens School closed before the 2017-18 school year, with students moving to attend St. Rita School on Whitney Avenue.

The two parishes later merged to become the Divine Mercy Parish in June 2017.

The Rev. Joseph DiSciacca, pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, said in a statement there had been interest in the building after the merger.

With careful consideration of Divine Mercy Trustees, members of the Interim Parish Pastoral Council and a number of interested parishioners, with legal advice and conversation with the Town of Hamden, the decision was made to rent the building to ACES, he said.

This decision will make greater use of St. Stephen School, while allowing Divine Mercy Parish to hold Religious Education classes in the building and using the hall for parish events, said DiSciacca. Because of the rental agreement, there will be a financial benefit to Divine Mercy Parish that will aid in keeping maintenance costs down and an increase in revenue.

The new school is set to hold its first day of classes Aug. 27, Rossetti-Ryan said.

Open house events and tours will be held beforehand, allowing students and parents to familiarize themselves with the new space.

Cindy Ratchelous, previously the principal at Mill Road School, will shift to become the new principal at Mill Road Elementary, she said.

Financial terms of the arrangement were not immediately made available.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
ORANGE  Fourteen-year-old Madison Maddie Marcus felt such a strong drive to give back to Smilow Cancer Hospital that she baked for 20 hours, sold her goods in the lot of Chefs Emporium on the Boston Post Road and even did dances with her friends to draw customers.

Its really important for me to be able to give back to Smilow, Maddie said. Theyre keeping my mom alive  and theyve done so much for our family. Like a teen wise beyond her years, Maddie added, They are focused on the patient as a whole and not just treating the disease.

Maddie, who will be a freshman at Amity High School this fall, raised $3,500 from her baked goods and donations through Facebook.

Thats a lot of cookies, banana bread, chocolate-covered pretzels, brownies and muffins. She spent 20 hours in the kitchen and was exhausted  but the rewards were sweeter than the products.

Maddie, along with her mother , Paulette, and father , Brad, visited Smilow Wednesday to donate the money to the Phase One Clinical trial unit where Paulette Marcus has been treated for months related to stage-four cancer.

Being proud just doesnt explain it  shes a remarkable, remarkable kid, Maddiess mother said. Shes not self-involved at all and shes 14.

Paulette Marcus said her youngest daughter started planning for a bake sale in April and made posters, secured a high-profile location at Chefs Emporium (the family is friends with the owner) and enlisted friends to dance with her to attract attention  which really worked, she said. Maddies sister, Rachel, a college student, also helped at the bake sale.

Brad Marcus said his daughter made about $350 at the bake sale  many told her to keep the change or made their premium price tags  and the rest was made by the family posting about the bake sale effort on Facebook.

She loves to bake, Brad Marcus said. Im really proud of her.

Paulette Marcus said shes in her ninth cycle of treatment and has been told shes the patient whos been in the trial the longest. She also was told that Maddies donation was the first ever to the Phase One Clinical Trial unit .

Its a monster situation to go through, she said of fighting cancer. Theyve kept me stable, which is wonderful.

Paulette Marcus said she and her daughter are close and do a lot together  including baking, since Maddie developed an interest in the activity two years ago.

But this effort was all Maddie  in fact, her mother suggested keeping it simple and just baking cookies, Brad Marcus said, but instead Maddie baked her heart out.

Paulette Marcus said she was told the money would be used to improve the quality of life for patients while they are being treated, often for eight or more hours at a time in that department.

She said resources could include massage, Reiki, DVDs and other direct patient benefits. Maddie will get the chance to participate in choosing where the money goes, her mother said.

We are just so grateful for Madison to do what she did. ... This is a very challenging time for Madison and her family, said Yale New Haven Hospital Senior Development Officer Alison Marcinek. We depend heavily on philanthropy.

Marcinek said its an extraordinary amount of money that Madison was able to raise from baked goods and online donations, and that a donation that large will really make a difference to patients.

I didnt have that kind of confidence at 14, a beaming Paulette Marcus said of her youngest daughter.
WEST HAVEN  Four University of New Haven police officers are being praised for their heroic actions, which possibly saved the life of a man from an apparent opioid overdose just off-campus.

Chief of Police Tracy L. Mooney praised Sgt. Robert Milslagle and Officers Louis Cavaliere, Christina Nicolia and Lars Vallin for meritorious and heroic service in the incident, which took place on July 31.

Each of these officers played a key and heroic role in the emergency treatment of the victim, and had it not been for their quick actions, I fear the outcome would have been quite different, Mooney said.

She expects to honor them in a more formal way at some point soon.

Three of the four officers involved said Wednesday they were glad they were in a position to help.

UNH police are fully certified and have the authority to respond to off-campus incidents. The Railroad Salvage parking lot where the incident took place is across the street from campus.

Milslagle, a former officer for the Meriden Police Department, came across a motor vehicle accident about 8:15 p.m. in the Railroad Salvage parking lot on First Avenue, Mooney said.

Milslagle said later that he saw a small pickup truck that had run into a tree in the parking lot, with a woman acting wildly outside the door.

Inside the vehicle, he saw a man who appeared to be in his mid-30s slumped over in the drivers seat, with a hypodermic needle and a plastic bag with white residue in it next to him on the passenger seat. Milslagle started shaking the man and checked for a pulse, with no response, he said.

A few moments later, Cavaliere, Nicolia and Vallin arrived to assist, each in separate cars, said Mooney.

Milslagle recognized that the male may have been suffering from an opioid overdose and immediately instructed Cavaliere to retrieve his Narcan (Naloxone) kit, Mooney said. Cavaliere, a former New Haven police officer, administered a dose of Narcan to the victim, which had little or no effect.

During that time, Nicolia, a former Orange police officer, monitored the mans pulse and relayed information to the other officers, while Vallin, also a former New Haven officer, maintained the integrity and safety of the scene, she said.

Subsequently, Officer Cavaliere administered two more doses of Narcan and the victim regained consciousness and was taken, alert and conscious, to the hospital for further treatment, Mooney said.

The woman with him also was taken to the hospital.

Narcan is a nasal spray used as an emergency treatment when an individual is in known or suspected opioid overdose, she said. Each University of New Haven Police Officer is issued a Narcan Overdose Kit.

Mooney

said she was thrilled that the training the officers had undergone paid off.
MILFORD  Is that Ms. Bysiewicz? I love her.

The question came from Barbara Albecke, a waitress with a long gray braid, at the Bridgeport Flyer diner. Tucked behind the servers station, Albecke briefly watched Bysiewicz shaking hands with patrons before dashing into the kitchen to grab two steaming cups of chicken noodle for a table that decided to order soup on a 90-degree Wednesday in Milford.

Six days before the primary, Bysiewicz, the Democratic endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor, moved with assurance. She asked about a diners hamburger on grass, mentioned her Greek roots and 30-year marriage, and cornered Albecke on one of her rounds to give her a hug. At several restaurants, diners recognized Bysiewicz, 56, from her three-terms as secretary of the state  her televisions commercials help, too.

Ned (Lamont) and I are confident that with continued hard work, we will both be successful (on primary day), but we dont take anything for granted, Bysiewicz said.

But ahead of the primary, one small factor divides the happy running mates. Lamont, the Democrats endorsed candidate for governor, said unequivocally Tuesday that he would not support his challenger, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, if Ganim wins the primary.

Asked if she would support her Democratic opponent, Eva Bermudez Zimmerman, in a similar situation, Bysiewicz immediately said, certainly, and looked surprised.

I dont think that will happen, said Bysiewicz. But yes, if she were to win, absolutely. Im a Democrat.

Shes the candidate, after all, who put party unity ahead of her ambition to be governor by becoming Lamonts running mate, in Bysiewiczs words.

Bermudez Zimmerman, a 31-year-old union organizer, also affirmed that she would absolutely back Bysiewicz after the primary, if she lost.

We need to support the whole Democratic ticket, Bermudez Zimerman said when reached by phone Wednesday. In reality, whatever the outcome Tuesday, I will be there, door-knocking enthusiastically for any of the Democratic candidates.

Bysiewicz also toured the future site of Dockside, a waterfront craft brewery in Milford, with state rep. Kim Rose, D-Milford.

Bysiewicz was delighted to discuss how craft beer is a young, burgeoning arm of the Connecticut manufacturing sector, rattling off stats on how many breweries are now in the state (70), how many are in the hopper (40) and how much sales tax revenue they bring the state ($718 million, she said).

Her favorite Connecticut brewery is Stony Creek, but said its hard to pick, she said.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
"It is nothing more than discrimination against women." So said the internal investigation report released Tuesday by Tokyo Medical University, criticizing the illicit manipulation of entrance exam scores to suppress the number of female students.

Why was this discrimination allowed to happen?

"We are truly sorry for increasing the disparity between men and women," Tokyo Medical University acting president Keisuke Miyazawa said in apology, bowing deeply at a news conference Tuesday.

For the second-stage essay portion (100 points maximum) of this year's general entrance exam, the university multiplied the scores of all examinees by 0.8. It then gave 20 points to men taking the exam for the first, second or third time, and 10 points to men taking the exam for the fourth time.

Women received no extra points. Neither did men who had failed at least four times.

The scores of examinees from these groups were left lower. The manipulations were a closely guarded secret even within the university.

One of the senior officials of the university is said to have responded with unconcealed surprise when the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office told him about the manipulations.

The investigators had obtained a trove of materials from the university as part of their probe into a corruption case involving subsidies for private universities from the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry. The university was suspected of bribery. The probe discovered the discrimination against women as it was also looking into allegations that the test results of the son of a former education ministry bureau chief had been manipulated, enabling him to pass this year's general entrance exam.

The university was confronted with the evidence by the investigators, and it fully admitted the fraudulent manipulations after conducting an internal probe.

Behind the university's efforts to suppress the number of women is surely the deep-rooted culture of male supremacy in the medical world.

The number of female doctors in Japan was about 63,000, or 20.4 percent of the about 311,000 doctors, according to 2014 data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

This contrasts with an average of 44.8 percent among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, with Britain, Germany and France all being above 40 percent. Japan ranks lowest among the Group of Seven advanced nations.

A source at the university said scores were manipulated because it was claimed that "female doctors' rate of leaving the job is high. It's common knowledge that if the number of women increases, there'll be problems in the workplace. Admitting men is better for medical care in Japan."

Female doctors in Japan do in fact leave their jobs at a high rate. Women account for 34.6 percent of doctors in their 20s, but the rate drops to 15 percent among doctors in their 50s. Women tend to work in departments such as dermatology, ophthalmology and anesthesia.

Yet this tendency could also be explained by a lack of progress in creating an environment in which women can both work and raise children.

"It's assumed everyone, men and women, will do night shifts. It's hard physically and can almost crush me mentally. When I was pregnant I felt something like guilt," said a female internist who works at a university hospital in the Kanto region.

Things are different overseas. A 53-year old female surgeon who used to work in Japanese hospitals now works at a university hospital in Sweden. As the mother of 6-year-old twins, she said: "It's assumed that I can get childcare leave. If my children get sick all of a sudden, someone can take over my surgical operation, or the operation itself can be canceled."

Many people in the medical field say this is only the tip of the iceberg. Across the country, women tend to have lower pass rates than men in medical school entrance exams.

According to the education ministry's 2017 basic survey on schools, 6.6 percent of men and 5.9 percent of women who wanted to get into medical schools across the nation were admitted.

The pass rate for science faculties across Japan was about 11.6 percent for both sexes, while for engineering faculties the rate for women was 12.2 percent, more than that of men at 12 percent.

Comments on an online bulletin board for doctors indicated there is more discrimination against women in admissions.

One commenter said, "My university also suppressed the number of women." Another wrote, "Some universities are more obvious about it."

"The education ministry needs to make a thorough investigation of medical school admissions across the country. Any unfairness toward examinees needs to be rooted out immediately," said Shinji Tatsumi, a professor at the Kindai University Faculty of Medicine.
WEST HAVEN  Police arrested an employee of a West Haven landscaping company last week for alleged illegal dumping behind the former Nicks Luncheonette on First Avenue, prompting Mayor Nancy Rossi to warn Wednesday that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.

In fact, illegal dumping will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Rossi said in a news release.

Police were alerted by the mayors office and called to Nicks Aug. 1, the release said. There, officers found trash strewn across the parking lot of the recently closed restaurant. The trash included building materials, household goods and TVs, acting Public Works Commissioner Lou Esposito said.

Police determined the trash came from a home in New Haven. The house apparently is being renovated by a New Haven contractor who allegedly hired a third party to remove and dispose of the homes trash, the release said.

Later that afternoon, police arrested and charged the landscaping company employee, Roberto Vargas, 34, of Elm Street in West Haven, with two counts of illegal dumping. The infraction carries a fine of $219 per violation, bringing the total fine to $438, Esposito said.

The employee also was ordered to properly dispose of the trash from the parking lot and to clean up the site, which was broom-cleaned by the employee the following morning, Esposito said.

Rossi commended the police department for its swift investigation and apprehension of the alleged dumper.

Quick action by West Haven police is what led to a successful close in this case, Rossi said. I encourage people to report incidents like this directly to the police as soon as possible. We need to instill a zero tolerance for dumping in our city.

The former Nicks property is now owned by The Haven Group LLC and Simon Property Group, the developers of The Haven, a 235,000-square-foot luxury outlet center.

Nicks Luncheonette, which closed in April, is in the process of relocating to the former site of Pizza Hut at 255 Sawmill Road and is expected to reopen there in the near future.
The old saying is true, most of the time  all politics is local. Indeed, the government we experience directly is state and local. But we have never had a president who gobbles up so much attention. For now, the opposite might be truer, and more accurate. All politics is national.

This idea was reinforced Monday during the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislators in Los Angeles. Republican leaders in red and swing states told The Hill, a Washington, D.C., newspaper, that Donald Trumps unpopularity was bearing down on members, even those largely unknown in their own districts.

While vulnerable Republicans say they support Trump, many privately said his leadership style and polarizing nature would make their re-election bids more difficult.

The Hill report came out Tuesday morning. By Tuesday evening, we saw a clear illustration of this concern.

Thats when Democrat Danny OConnor nearly won or barely lost a special election in Ohios 12th district. (The race is still too close to call.) The district is rural and suburban, relatively affluent, and it went to Trump by double digits (11 points) in 2016.

.

Though Republican Troy Balderson declared victory, OConnor was in any event able to prove what had been suspected: the Republican Partys message of tax cuts and deregulation could not match the gravitational pull of Trumps historic unpopularity.

Connecticut isnt Ohio, of course, but I suspect were going to see our own version of all politics is national that will impact our elections in ways large and small.

Ways large: Democrats holding on to the governors office despite its occupant being nearly universally disliked.

Ways small: Democratic voters choosing between evenly matched party candidates for attorney general. One of them would have the advantage under a Democratic president. But the other has it under President Trump.

The leading Democratic candidates are state Rep. William Tong, of Stratford, and Chris Mattei, a former U.S. attorney. (Paul Doyle, a state senator from Wethersfield, is also running.) Mattei is the prosecutor who put former Gov. John Rowland behind bars for corruption and other crimes. Tong is co-chairman of the state legislatures law-writing judiciary committee. Like I said, evenly matched.

If Hillary Clinton had won the presidency, Id say Mattei would have the upper-hand in the AG race. He prosecuted successfully the man who may be most responsible for Connecticuts endless fiscal woes. But Clinton lost, and the current president has enacted immigration policies that some may consider sadistic. For that reason, Tong, the first Chinese-American to receive a major-party endorsement for statewide office, is the clear favorite.

Without Trump, a message about fighting crime and battling corruption would be a winner for Mattei. But under Trump, I dont see his story beating Tongs. Indeed, Tong is already working that angle. In April, he told the Courant: If you are like us. If you come from working people. Or if you are a person of color. A woman. Or if you just want decent health insurance. The President of the United States has declared war on you and your family.

All politics is national? This year, anyway.

Let them fight

The last debate before the Democratic primary on Aug. 14 between Ned Lamont and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim made headlines Wednesday for reasons I cant stand.

Actually, it wasnt the headline I minded. It was the reaction to it. The news was they bickered until Ganim said something so beyond the pale that Lamont ended up saying he would not support Ganim should he win.

This, according to WNPR pundits Colin McEnroe and Dan Haar (a columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media), was much too much. Lamont should not have let Ganim get under his skin. He definitely lost points for that.

Um, he punched back, and so  he loses?

I dont get it. Politics is about conflict, especially right before a primary, a time when same-party candidates must find ways of distinguishing themselves from each other, even if that means clawing each other to death. Yet, some people dont want political animals to be what they are.

Let them be high-minded after the primary.

For now, let them fight.

John Stoehr is the publisher of the Editorial Board, a newsletter about politics. He lives in Westville.
Considering the level of civic engagement in Hamden, it comes as no surprise that three of our residents are candidates for the Democratic nomination for state Senate in the 17th District. However, I feel one stands out from the others. I am supporting Valerie Horsley as our State Senator.

Valerie brings a unique perspective and voice to state politics through the sum of her life experiences. She is a single mother; an activist; a manager. But it is her training and dedication as a scientist that brings different thinking to Hartford. Scientists are proactive leaders. They develop systems and processes to efficiently meet goals. Valerie gets things done. Scientists dont waste time and Valerie is determined to raise the level of productivity in Hartford.
Atlantic City could soon have one less empty high-rise casino and hotel.

On Wednesday, the Stockton University Board of Trustees approved plans to purchase the former Atlantic Club property.

The board unanimously voted to move forward with the plan to purchase the property from Clearwater, Fla.-based TJM Properties. The terms of the potential agreement will not be released until after the sale is finally closed, university officials said.

Under the proposed deal, TJM Properties will handle the demolition of the 23-story hotel, which closed in January 2014, while Stockton will keep the land and the nearly 1,100-space nine-story parking garage. It includes about 20 acres, 11 of which are beachfront.

Stockton's early plans for the property will be to create academic and residential facilities for the growing university. The acquisition goes along with the university's new residential campus in Atlantic City that students will be moving into in late August.

The Stockton University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move forward with the plan to purchase the property that currently holds the former Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel

Stockton University Board of Trustees Chairwoman Madeleine Deininger said the process has led to an active and engaging few weeks.

"Having spent so many years in this area, it's deeply moving to me to be part of this effort right now. I have to say, without Team Stockton, which is all the people at the university, none of this would have happened without the manner as it was undertaken."

While speaking with reporters after the board meeting, Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman said the Atlantic Club has been one of the properties the school wanted to purchase for several years, but the timing was not optimal. The revenue from last week's $21.07 million sale of the Seaview Resort helped with the university's decision to make a move.

Kesselman said he believes colleges and universities should play a pivotal role in the renaissance of any city that has gone through the kind of upheaval that Atlantic City has in the recent past. The year the Atlantic Club closed, three other casinos closed their doors: Revel, Trump Plaza and Showboat.

TJM, based in Clearwater, Fla. bought the Atlantic Club for $13.5 million in 2014.

Previous deals for TJM to sell the Atlantic Club property had fallen through. One proposal would have turned the Atlantic Club into a water park.

"This is still, in my judgment, the most significant city in the state of New Jersey and it's really important for the region and state that Atlantic City is successful," Kesselman said. "We are not the panacea for all ills, but we are part of the solution."

While stressing that acquisition of the Atlantic Club is not a done deal, Kesselman said the school is exploring all possible opportunities in Atlantic City with the hope to be able to expand the campus there.

"We are in the process from an institutional perspective in building a strategic plan which includes a facilities plan," the school's president said. "It's not only what we want to do, but it's also how many students we want to recruit. We will do it in a strategic way. We are not rushed to do this. I've been fortunate to see every building built here. It could be similar to the buildout timetable as the Galloway campus took."

The enrollment at Stockton has grown quickly, with the school accepting as many as 9,600 students for the upcoming fall semester. The school believes Atlantic City would be able to help draw more out-of-state students to the college, while still being attractive to in-state students.

Kesselman also envisions the city campus could open the opportunity for Stockton to create law and medical schools down the road because a city campus could help those disciplines benefit from its location.

"One of the things that is difficult for urban institutions is many of them are landlocked," Kesselman added. "I was just up in Newark yesterday, and within a few blocks, it's wonderful. You have NJIT, Rutgers-Newark, and Essex County Community College. What we could acquire here could be even more than that, and don't lose sight -- it would be beachfront property, too. It's an extraordinary opportunity, and it allows for future growth."

One former Stockton alum, Thomas Drinkard, said he had talked to other alumni within the past 24 hours about the development happening in the area, and it has the former students excited about the prospects of the growing Atlantic City campus.

"I think this next step is huge," Drinkard said. "It's taking a building that was potentially great that has been vacant for so long. It's the last property on the boardwalk that is in need and Stockton is the force I think that will take that area of the city to the next level, economically and academically."

The school will enter into a 30-day due diligence period to check out the property before final negotiations are made.

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Q. I recently inherited an IRA from my brother who died a month ago. He lived in Maine and I live in New Jersey. What do I have to pay inheritance taxes on? I received an IRA worth about $60,000.

-- Beneficiary

A. We're sorry to hear about the loss of your brother.

In terms of taxes, we have good news.

If your brother was not a resident of New Jersey and was a resident of Maine, the estate is not subject to New Jersey inheritance tax unless he owned real or tangible property in New Jersey, said Patricia Daquila, a certified public accountant with Lassus Wherley in New Providence.

"Only estates of decedents who are residents of New Jersey or estates of decedents who own property in New Jersey may be subject to the New Jersey inheritance tax," she said. "Therefore, his IRA would not be subject to New Jersey Inheritance tax."

If your brother was a resident of Maine, then his estate could be subject to Maine estate taxes, Daquila said.

However, Maine has not yet determined what the estate tax exemption will be for 2018, she said.

"In 2017, the taxable estate would have needed to be over $5.49 million dollars to incur an estate tax in Maine," she said. "If his estate is under the $5.49 million dollars as of Jan. 1, 2017, then there would be no estate tax."

Plus, there is no inheritance tax in Maine, she said.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
These are the photos of two men who prosecutors say may have information about the shooting of two Camden County detectives who were ambushed Tuesday night while they sat in their unmarked car at a red light.

The two men in the images are people of interest in the case, and the public should not approach the them, Camden County prosecutors said Wednesday night.

The shooting occurred Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. while the officers were sitting at a red light on Broadway and Mount Vernon in Camden, police spokesman Dan Keashen said.

Two men ambushed the car and fired up to 25 rounds at the officers, according to prosecutors and Police Chief J. Scott Thomson. The detectives, a man and a woman, were hospitalized and are expected to recover from their injuries.

Their names have not been released.

The Prosecutor's office is asking anyone with information about the men in the picture contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Detective Matt McKeown at 609-820-7192 or email ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us.
A new recommendation to curb rising property taxes and make local government more efficient calls for the elimination of nearly half of the state's nearly 600 school districts.

The proposal, unveiled by state lawmakers Thursday, suggests regionalizing all of the state's elementary and middle school districts into larger K-12 districts. The plan would consolidate a total of 278 school districts serving 303 municipalities, according to an NJ Advance Media analysis.

The idea is just one aspect of a sweeping study by a panel of tax experts and economists that includes dozens of recommendations for how to improve New Jersey's fiscal stability. Top lawmakers have yet to say which of those suggestions they will support.

Regardless of whether the suggestion moves forward, it shows just how inefficient experts think New Jersey's school system is. The plan would consolidate some of the state's smallest districts but also some with thousands of students.

Many critics of New Jersey's high property taxes have long called for regionalization of school districts, saying small K-6 and K-8 districts create unnecessary layers of expensive and wasteful bureaucracy.

But suggestions to regionalize schools are often quickly dismissed by local officials unwilling to give up control over their schools, and the logistical challenges of merging school districts makes regionalization easier said than done.

The New Jersey School Boards Association said it encourages discussion of school district regionalization but believes voters in the affected communities must have the final say on the matter.

Below is the list of 278 districts that would be regionalized under the proposal. It's unclear which districts would absorb the eliminated districts.

Staff writer Samantha Marcus contributed to this report.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy's administration has halted new admissions at New Jersey's largest group home operator for people with developmental disabilities and demanded "immediate correction of all concerns" involving safety and staffing shortages uncovered in 18 months of inspections.

The state Department of Human Services intends to appoint an independent monitor and to continue random unannounced inspections at all 62 properties operated by for-profit Bellwether Behavioral Health, state Department of Human Services spokesman Tom Hester said.

The state stopped referring people to Bellwether on July 12, Hester confirmed, a decision revealed after an Aug. 3 report aired on public radio station WNYC about ongoing problems at a group home in Branchburg.

"The New Jersey Department of Human Services demands the best services for the individuals it serves. To that end, the Department -- aware of concerns regarding Bellwether -- conducted surprise inspections at Bellwether facilities last year, followed by additional re-inspections this year," Hester said in a statement.

According to the report, Bellwether homes in Branchburg in Somerset County drew 156 rescue squad calls over two years, including seven involving employees accused of assaulting residents. Police are routinely called several times a day to intervene when staffing is low, the report said.

In addition to having the largest capacity of any group home provider in New Jersey, at 494 beds, Bellwether has also recorded the largest number of allegations of abuse and neglect. According to state data from March 2017 to March 2018, the state investigated 71 complaints, and substantiated 33. Six residents were repeatedly victimized, the data said.

A spokesman for Bellwether, formerly Advoserv, said Tuesday the company is working closely with the state to rectify any problems.

"Our primary concern is to ensure the health and safety to all of the individuals entrusted to us and to provide quality care to these individuals, which is why we are working closely with state officials to address all of their concerns," Bellwether spokesman Brian Burgess said.

"The State has imposed a temporary moratorium on new admissions. We have been in constant communication with the State and we have already submitted a detailed quality improvement plan, which the State is in the process of reviewing."

Since the private equity fund Wellspring Capital Management of New York bought the group home provider in 2015, Burgess said the company has made meaningful improvements. They include spending $1.9 million for additional staffing, supervision and oversight when Bellwether phased-out the use of mechanical restraints in every home in New Jersey.

"We have also invested heavily in new training programs to improve the quality and expertise of staff and have made several new hires in the areas of compliance, quality, recruiting and retention to deliver the best possible care to our residents," he added.

Thomas Papa, formerly the deputy chief financial officer for the department's Division of Developmental Disabilities, is Bellwether's senior vice president for governmental affairs, according to state records and his social media profile.

Hundreds of pages of inspection reports from January 2017 to May 2018 reviewed by NJ Advance Media reveal a wide range of problems, from deficiencies in the physical environment such as rotting food, broken furniture and missing pillows, shower curtains and toilet paper. But there were ample instances of mistakes by management and staff: mismanaging medication, misusing physical restraints and failing to document injuries.

Bellwether's issues will be among the first tests of the new Stephen Komninos Law, fought for by families whose loved ones suffered abuse and neglect in group homes. The law, named for a man who died in the care of Bancroft in Haddonfield 11 years ago, doubles annual unannounced inspections, requires employees to undergo drug tests and mandate group home operators more quickly disclose information to families after a loved one is hurt.

In the WYNC report, one former resident of the Branchburg group home, Abdulaye Saccoh, had lost 100 pounds and suffered a broken bones and multiple cuts and bruises. He stopped attending vocational training. The family said its complaints went unheeded.

Fatou Saccoh of Trenton told NJ Advance Media her brother, who once lived at North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa before the state closed it in 2014, moved to a group home operated by Willowglen Academy in Sussex County about eight months ago and is doing much better.

She said without the help of Disability Rights New Jersey, a legal advocacy group, it would have taken much longer to convince the state that her brother was in danger in Bellwether homes, which demonstrated it was unable to manage his behavior. The Saccoh family started raising concerns about his apparent injuries and increasing anxiety in 2013.

"We said he needed to be out of that home. The state said he was too aggressive," Fatou Saccoh said. "Finally he is back to the person he was before."

Was she satisfied that the state halted admissions, after more than a year of her and her family questioning her brother's care? Fatou Saccoh, a former special education teacher, said no.

"I will not be satisified until they shut down," she said. "Or, they bring in a new team of professionals."

Bellwether operates in New Jersey, Virginia and Delaware, supervising the care of 600 clients, according to its website. Under the name Advoserv, the provider lost contracts to manage housing for disabled residents in states such as Florida, New York and Maryland after several deaths and a barrage of complaints, according to series of articles by ProPublica.

In March, the family of Susan Osborne, 58, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Superior Court in Essex County after she choked to death on a hamburger while under the care of Bellwether home last year.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The family of a Queens man detained at Hudson County's jail and scheduled for deportation on Friday is praying for a last-minute miracle.

Edisson Barros, 47, who moved to the United States from his native Ecuador in 1994, was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 16 as he was leaving a Manhattan courthouse and has been jailed in Kearny since then.

A cab driver and father of two daughters, Barros had supporters visit the jail on Saturday and protest outside for his release. The demonstration "almost caused a riot" inside the facility, according to jail director Ron Edwards.

"This is a hard-working taxi driver," Carlos Jesus Calzadilla-Palacio, the family's spokesman, told The Jersey Journal. "His daughters really need him."

Barros is one of roughly 675 immigrant detainees housed at the Kearny jail thanks to a $19 million contract between ICE and Hudson County. The contract, which freeholders renewed in July, has come under fire from liberal activists and some local Democratic officials who say the county should not have any financial agreement with ICE.

The county has defended the contract by saying if it were severed, immigrant detainees would be moved to a facility farther from their family. County officials have also defended conditions at the jail, which immigrant activists have called poor.

"They're torturing and abusing the immigrants there," Calzadilla-Palacio said. "From extremely burning hot showers to extremely cold A/C that makes people sick, denying health care ... they are treating them like animals."

Inmates who spoke to The Jersey Journal during a jail tour on Tuesday described much better conditions, which Freeholder Anthony Vainieri noted during Thursday's freeholder meeting.

"I asked them how the conditions were there and they all said conditions were good," Vainieri said. "They were happy there, they were satisfied there."

Calzadilla-Palacio said jail officials purposely led a tour in the better parts of the facility.

According to Calzadilla-Palacio, Barros was arrested by ICE after the man appeared in court to fight a disorderly persons summons. After that summons was dismissed, Calzadilla-Palacio said, Barros left the courtroom and found ICE agents waiting for him.

One of Barros' daughters  they are 20 and 21 years old  has filed paperwork to have the United States government grant Barros citizenship. The family wants his deportation put on hold to see if that application is approved, Calzadilla-Palacio said.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
The Weehawken school district has appointed an interim superintendent while it begins its search for a permanent schools chief, Board of Education President Richard Barsa announced.

Terrance R. Brennan has been hired to fill the void when Robert Zywicki leaves the post on Sept. 30. Zywicki announced his resignation earlier this week, saying he has accepted the superintentent post for the Mount Olive school district.

Brennan has 20 years of experience as an superintendent, in both full-time and interim capacities. His resume includes stints at Pompton Lakes, Middlesex Borough and High Point Regional. Brennan is also a graduate professor at Saint Peter's University in Jersey City and served as a mentor to Zywicki.

Zywicki has said he intends to work closely with Brennan to ensure that the transition is smooth.

The Weehawken Board of Education will hire a firm to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent, which is the same way they initially selected Zywicki for the position.
The Jersey City man who killed the mother of one of his children in 2014 and then jumped from a highway overpass in Newark while eluding police was sentenced to 50 years in prison Thursday.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Vincent Militello imposed the sentence that will see Nathan Williams III, 40, spend five decades behind bars.

In September, Williams was convicted of the June 17, 2014, aggravated manslaughter of Marilyn Albizu, 33, who was found strangled inside the Old Bergen Road apartment they shared, although they were no longer a couple. However, he was acquitted of murder in the case.

Defense attorney James Lisa motioned for a new trial  which was delayed because a transcript of the original trial was being made  and for an adjournment of Thursday's sentencing to look over the extensive trial transcript that they had just received. Both motions were denied.

"This is not a five-day marijuana case, this is a homicide trial," said Lisa when arguing for more time.

"It's been 10 months," the judge replied. "It's been 10 months."

Lisa asked Militello to give Williams the bare minimum -- 30 years -- which would allow his client to "at least have a life when this is over."

But Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor David Feldman rebutted, telling the court that Williams "deprived Albizu of that chance."

An aggravated manslaughter conviction carries a possible sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison. However, because of Williams' criminal record, he qualified for an extended term, which at the judge's discretion was 50 years.

The day of the killing began with Albizu telling Lenisha Murray, who also has a child with Williams, that Williams was with a third woman. Murray testified she went to the Old Bergen Road home that morning and found Williams in bed with Alicia Santana.

According to authorities and court testimony, Williams struck Albizu and then left the apartment. Officers responded to the apartment again around 6:30 p.m. for a welfare check and found Albizu dead.

Police issued an advisory to be on the lookout for Williams' vehicle, which was spotted in Newark around 11 p.m. that night, according to testimony.

A high-speed chase ensued. Williams was eventually apprehended, but not before he jumped from an overpass on Route 280 in Newark, falling between 50 and 60 feet. Williams broke both legs and a hip in the fall. A gun fell from his pocket as he plummeted, officials said.

The courtroom was completely silent as Militello sentenced Williams, adding that he couldn't imagine the psychological damage Williams has left the victim's family, as well as his own children.

"They're here, they're crying...," Militello said. "They have to relive this every time they come to court."

The family of the victim chose not to comment.

Williams is already serving an eight-year sentence on federal weapons charges and offenses out of Essex County related to the pursuit.
Firefighters pulled an elderly man from the Delaware River off Trenton on Thursday morning.

The man was submerged up to his neck when firefighters loaded him into a boat around 11 a.m. and brought him to land across from the Morrisville (Pa.) Water Works, according to the Trenton Fire Department.

"He was in a dire situation," Capt. Jonathan Little said.

When firefighters turned the man over to EMS worker, he was conscious and alert, Little said.

The rescue was a joint effort involving the Trenton and Hamilton fire departments in addition to firefighters from Bucks County, Pennsylvania and the Lower Makefield (Pa.) police.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Princeton police are getting work done on their patrol pickup truck, and while that work is in progress, an unfinished decal on the side spells "ICE," as in the end of the word POLICE.

And that has some people in town a little nervous, causing the department to clarify a few things to the public.

It's not ICE, the acronym for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the department said in a Facebook post Wednesday.

"There have apparently been some people who have mistaken our recently repaired patrol vehicle as an Immigration Customs Enforcement Vehicle," the department said in the post.

To clear things up, Princeton Police posted photos of their completed vehicles, as well as real ICE agency vehicles.

"The repaired truck in the photo will be receiving the rest of its decal this Friday," the post said.

Princeton is often referred to as a "sanctuary" community in the ongoing immigration debate.

Officially, though Princeton is a member of the "Welcoming America" movement.

ICE, the federal law enforcement agency, has made several immigration arrests in the town in the past several years, like they often do in other New Jersey communities with known immigration communities.

There have apparently been some people who have mistaken our recently repaired patrol vehicle as an Immigration Customs... Posted by Princeton Police Department on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
8:07 a.m. update: NJ Transit service along the Northeast Corridor has resumed with 60 minute delays.

New Jersey Transit service along the Northeast Corridor line is temporarily suspended Thursday morning after a person was struck and killed by a train.

Service remains suspended between Metropark and Trenton as of 7:30 a.m. after train 3701 hit someone in the area of the Metuchen station at 6:30 a.m.. NJ Transit didn't disclose the person's age or gender.

PATH is cross honoring NJ Transit train tickets at Newark, Hoboken and 33rd Street in New York City.

The train departed New York Penn Station at 5:41 and was originally scheduled to arrive at Jersey Avenue station in New Brunswick 6:33 a.m.

The train's engineer was treated for minor injuries, New Jersey Transit spokesman Nathan Rudy said. The 60 passengers aboard were removed and brought by bus to their destinations.

Amtrak trains running through the area are also affected.

NEC rail service has resumed and is subject to up to 60-minute delays in both directions following a trespasser fatality near Metuchen. NJCL service will make all local stops btwn Rahway and NY. PATH is cross-honoring NJT Rail Tickets and Passes at NWK, HOB & 33rd Street NY.  NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) August 9, 2018

NJ Transit riders have suffered through a week of cancelled trains thanks to engineers calling out of work at the last minute and the installation of a federally-mandated safety system, know as Positive Train Control.

PTC uses computers and radios to stop a train if the operator fails to obey signals or speed limits. NJ Transit and other railroads face a Dec. 31, 2018 deadline to have PTC installed.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Embattled Spring Lake Heights Borough Councilman Robert Merriken Sr. was arrested yet again on drug-related charges Wednesday, this time in Brielle, after an arrest in April had prompted fellow council members to officially call for his resignation.

A press release issued by the Brielle Police Department said Merriken was charged Wednesday with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, following a vehicle stop on Highway 71 in Brielle. It did not specify the substance or the reason for the stop.

"The investigation is ongoing," the release added. "Merriken was released on his own recognizance, and the charges were forwarded to the Monmouth County Superior Court for adjudication."

In a brief phone interview on Thursday, Merriken said he was innocent of the drug charges, which he said were issued after police pulled him over for having an expired inspection sticker. They found a needle in his car, he said.

The needle, he said, was left over from his wife's fatal bout with cancer. His wife, former Spring Lake Heights Emergency Management Coordinator Rita Murphy, died on May 24.

"I am completely innocent," said Merriken, who is 69. "I don't do drugs, I've never done drugs."

Merriken said the syringe had no drug residue inside, and had not been used by him, his wife or anyone else.

"There was nothing inside it," said Merriken, who has refused to step down from his council seat. "I think they overreacted."

Merriken said he had reached out to his lawyer about the arrest, but had not yet spoken to him.

"I think he's on vacation," Merriken said.

The lawyer, Charles Shaw, did not respond to requests for comment from NJ Advance Media.

Merriken was arrested April 4 in Neptune City, also in Monmouth County, after police said they pulled over his sport utility vehicle for running a stop sign and failing to signal a turn. Inside the SUV, police said they found a syringe, bloodied cotton swabs, a rubber band and a needle cap.

Merriken and a passenger, 39-year-old Cherice Hernandez of Lake Como, were each charged with two counts of possession of paraphernalia with intent to inject a controlled dangerous substance. Hernandez entered a guilty plea April 26 in Neptune Township Municipal Court, said James Butler, the municipal prosecutor.

Merriken's case is pending in Neptune City Municipal Court.

A dashboard video of the April 4 arrests obtained from the Neptune City Police Department captured Merriken and Hernandez blaming each other for the presence of a syringe in the SUV. At one point, Merriken is heard saying he is a diabetic.

Merriken's lawyer, Charles Shaw, has insisted that his client is not an intravenous drug user.

In May, the Spring Lake Heights Borough Council voted 4-1 to censure Merriken and call on him step down in order to "repair the damage done to our community and restore faith in the leadership of Spring Lake Heights."

Council President Chris Campion and council members Rich Diver, Joe Tompey and Jim Shuler voted in favor of the resolution, while Sara King voted no. Merriken was not at the meeting, his third straight absence.

On Thursday, Campion issued a statement reiterating the demand that Merriken step down and branding him, "an embarrassment to himself and the Borough of Spring Lake Heights," and "a disgrace to the position he holds."

Prior to his April drug arrest, Merriken was arrested in 2006 in Ocean Township and in 2015 in Neptune, both on prostitution charges that were later downgraded, Shaw has confirmed.

Merriken, who runs Bay Head Marine, a boat dealership in Point Pleasant Beach, is a Republican who was first elected to the Spring Lake Heights council in November 2015. Spring Lake Heights is a southern Monmouth County borough of just over a square mile and just under 5,000 residents, separated from the Atlantic coast by the Borough of Spring Lake.

Merriken, whose term expires on Dec. 31, was not endorsed by the local Republican organization, and he was not on the June 5 primary ballot.

Councilman Diver, who is also the Republican municipal chairman for Spring Lake Heights, was skeptical of Merriken's explanation of the syringe, particularly in light of his April arrest.

"We are clearly shocked and dismayed," Diver said. "We wish Mr. Merriken will be able to put his affairs in order and put his life in order. But Mr. Merriken has to realize that it is time for him to go."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Cow poop. That's the latest possible culprit named by federal health officials in the massive romaine-linked E. coli outbreak that swept the nation earlier this year.

The E. coli outbreak, which began in March and lasted until early June, was the worst to hit the U.S. in nearly a decade, sickening 210 in 36 states, including eight in New Jersey, and causing five deaths in the U.S.

Federal health officials had said that the outbreak was likely linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, Arizona, region. However, since then, we've yet to get a clear answer as to the root cause of what contaminated the lettuce in the first place.

Federal health officials recently took part in a task force meeting in California to share its poop theory and other information with local and state agencies and representatives from the food and growing industry to ensure a similar outbreak never happens again, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA had previously said that samples of canal water in the Yuma region near where the lettuce was grown had tested positive for the outbreak strain of E. coli. This led the agency to think that the bacteria-laced water may have come into contact with the lettuce -- "either through direct irrigation or other means" -- ultimately causing the contamination.

How did that water get contaminated?

The canal is near the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, a facility near a cluster of romaine farms in the Yuma region that can hold more than 100,000 head of cattle. And what does 100,000 head of cattle produce? A whole lot of dung.

That dung could have made its way into the canal water, the canal water contaminates the lettuce, that lettuce gets shipped out all over the country, and there goes the whole ballgame. Or, at least that's what federal health officials think may be the case at this point.

But the FDA noted that it's continuing to investigate this possible link between the cattle facility and the adjacent water as well as "other factors that may explain the contamination" and the link to the outbreak.

It plans to release a detailed final environmental assessment report once complete, the agency said.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us. nj.com/tips
A Monmouth County man admitted in federal court Thursday to filing false tax returns from 2012 to 2015, which should have shown $837,422 in consulting income.

Those tax returns, by Anthony Vestuto III, led the government to lose $307,310 in taxes, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

Federal authorities say Vestuto, 38, of Middletown, worked as an information technology director at a company in New York City those years, and gave his accountant his W-2 forms for that pay on his returns.

But he also did IT work for seven other companies, and they paid Vestuto for his consulting by writing checks made payable to him, which he deposited into his personal bank accounts.

Most of that money went unreported to the IRS.

Some did.

Court documents show that Vestuto, for example, made $183,416 as a consultant in the 2012 tax year, but only reported $63,274 of it.

And in 2015 he pulled in $316,665 working side jobs, and only reported he made $20,000 of it on his tax return.

"To build faith in our nation's tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that everyone is paying their fair share," Bryant Jackson, Acting Special Agent in charge of the IRS' criminal investigation office in New Jersey said in a statement about Vestuto.

Vestuto pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing to a false tax return, in U.S. District Court in Trenton. He's scheduled to be sentenced in Vovember.

He faces a possible prison term, and likely will be ordered to pay back the government the money that should have been on his returns, the IRS said.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
About a decade ago, a small-town reporter in Chihuahua, one of Mexico's most violent states, wrote a story about soldiers robbing a hotel. It angered the military and made Emilio Gutierrez Soto, a single father, and his son Oscar targets for assassination.



This is no idle threat in Mexico, the most dangerous place in the world to be a reporter, outside of war zones. So the two fled to the United States in 2008, and followed all the rules to legally apply for asylum.



But Gutierrez Soto also spoke freely about his views on the grueling process, including his initial detention and separation from his 15-year-old son, attracting publicity.

The U.S. promotes human rights abroad, he said in an October 2017 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., but does not defend them when it comes to its treatment of asylum seekers at home.



Suddenly, the Trump administration cracked down on him, and a federal judge agreed there is compelling evidence that it was because of his speech. This was a direct attack on free expression in America, one so brazen that the court had to step in.



Yet rather than proceed with a hearing to further examine if he was targeted for his criticism, ICE released Gutierrez Soto and his son, after seven months in custody - just hours before the judge's deadline to reveal the documents justifying their detention.



If ICE thought it could defend this, it wouldn't have let them go, says Penny Venetis, head of the Rutgers Law School International Human Rights Clinic, which stepped up to argue their case on free speech grounds.



Press club members obtained internal ICE emails that showed Gutierrez Soto was inexplicably added to a government target list for arrest, less than a month after President Trump's inauguration in 2017. This was before his asylum bid was even denied.



ICE moved to arrest him just a couple months after his speech, when he was still in the official process of appealing that decision. Gutierrez Soto and his son showed up to a routine ICE check-in, were slapped with handcuffs and immediately put into a car headed to the Mexican border, to be deported to a country where they'd been threatened with death.



Frantic phone calls from his lawyer got the agents to turn around, just in time. But the two continued to be held in detention while their asylum case was pending.



Their sudden release last month, thanks to the legal challenge from the Rutgers law clinic, means ICE will no longer have to reveal exactly why they were arrested, or why Gutierrez Soto was on a target list that his defense team says is normally reserved for criminals and fugitives.



ICE's media office in El Paso, Texas, where he was arrested, has refused to answer any of our questions about this case. That's telling. So are the simple facts of the story. And as the federal judge noted, five other immigrant activists who spoke out against ICE were arrested the very same month.



That's a red flag, given ICE's broad power to prioritize certain targets. National Press Club Executive Director Bill McCarren also declared under oath that an ICE official told him to "tone it down" when it came to his defense of Gutierrez Soto.

And Trump's frequent attacks on the press as the "enemy of the people," and Mexicans as criminals, may well have filtered down through ICE's ranks. "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," he said.



But Gutierrez Soto is one of Mexico's best. He has been offered a prestigious fellowship at the University of Michigan this fall, which he can only accept if he remains free while his asylum case is pending. The denial was overturned, and he awaits a new decision.

The "enemy of the people" is not a reporter brave enough to speak out, even when it earns him a death threat or lands him in jail, but a government that tramples on fundamental freedoms.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
I hope our governor enjoyed his vacation at his villa in the Italian hills.

Now that he's home, he's going to face a lot of angry commuters demanding explanations about his failure to keep his campaign promises about straightening out NJ Transit.

The most important such promise came in May of last year during a campaign stop at the Trenton Transit Center. Candidate Murphy promised to find a "dedicated funding source" for Transit to replace the current practice of piecing together an annual budget from whatever leftovers remain after all the other interests have taken a bite out of the budget.

"I think commuters have had it up to their eyeballs," said Murphy as he promised "an immediate overhaul and long-term vision."

Those were noble goals. But where was the money going to come from?

The question of funding came up during a debate that year. His response reminded me of what the nuns back at St. Joseph's used to say to me when I would talk my way out of some fix: "You've got an answer for everything."

So does Murphy. And when it comes to revenues, the answer is budget growth - or what I like to call "magic money" because of the way it disappears.

Murphy employed that approach after he was asked by the debate moderator where he would get the money to finish installing Positive Train Control, a federally mandated collision-avoidance system, by the deadline of Dec. 31 this year.

"First of all we have to grow the economy again," he replied. "We've left tens of billions of dollars on the table of economic growth in this administration, that's two to three billion dollars at least of state revenue annually, and that would be well enough to deal with Positive Train Control."

That had me scratching my head. The next governor would take office in January of 2018 and have to have a budget ready by March. How much economic growth could he expect to see in two months?

Positive Train Control was already covered in the capital budget. But when Murphy released his budget for this fiscal year, there was nothing about a dedicated source of revenue for Transit.

There certainly could have been. The final budget contained big hikes in both the income tax and the corporate tax.

Income-tax revenue is dedicated to property-tax relief. But if Murphy had wanted to keep his campaign promise on funding NJ Transit, he could have demanded that the Legislature put on the ballot a constitutional amendment stating that a certain amount of revenue from the corporate tax be dedicated for transportation.

That would be one way of funding Transit. State Sen. Loretta Weinberg has another way. The Bergen County Democrat, who has become a champion of commuters, told me, "I would think we should be looking at E-ZPass revenue," Weinberg said.

NJ Transit should get a big chunk of those $12.50 peak-hour bridge and tunnel tolls collected by the Port Authority from Jersey drivers, she said.

"Haven't they paved the George Washington Bridge 10 times over?" she asked. "Maybe we should be thinking about using that money for New Jersey?"

We should indeed. And I wish the governor good luck trying to pry that money loose from the Port Authority's greedy grip.

Weinberg said her fellow Democrat should also get out ahead of this current crisis by pushing for passage of a bill she sponsored that would restructure the way NJ Transit functions.

The bill, which has already passed the state Senate by a vote of 38-0, would among other things expand the board of directors to include representatives of the riding public.

"That hopefully will eliminate board meetings at 9 o'clock on a summer morning on a Wednesday," she said.

Those meetings are held in Newark during the morning commute, a time that seems to have been chosen for the specific purpose of discouraging the public from attending.

That didn't work on Wednesday. Despite the early start time, the board heard from a whole lot of commuters angry about Transit screw-ups, which include an air-conditioning failure that led to 90-degree temperatures in the busy Secaucus Junction station.

Signing that bill into law would be a good start for the governor. But when it comes to finding a source of dedicated revenue for Transit as he promised, Murphy has a bigger problem, one that he didn't face as a mere candidate.

Revenue is limited. When you dedicate a big chunk to an existing service, you can't use it to fund some new service.

The governor's got a long list of those. But unless he has some source of magic money that he's keeping secret, Murphy should concentrate on fixing current problems before he creates new ones.
WASHINGTON -- Republicans are running one of the state Legislature's most conservative lawmakers in the scrap to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen -- a seat Democrats believe they can grab from the GOP in their national effort to ruin President Donald Trump's midterms.

Now Assemblyman Jay Webber's congressional campaign is getting a boost from one of Washington's leading conservative groups.

Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the conservative policy group Heritage Foundation, has named him as one of the 12 House Republican candidates it would work to elect this fall.

Heritage Action said it would spent $2.5 million on behalf of nine incumbents and three challengers, including Webber R-Morris. The group said it has no plans to support any other candidates.

"We believe our organization is uniquely positioned to protect conservative seats in Congress and preserve the Republican majority," Executive Director Tim Chapman said.

The group emphasized its support for the Republican tax bill, which singled out New Jersey and other high-tax states, most of which send billions of dollars more to Washington than they receive in services.

Webber supports the measure, while his Democratic opponent, former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor Mikie Sherrill, has highlighted how the law's cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes slaps high property tax New Jersey.

Studies have shown that the tax bill hits New Jersey more than any other state.

The decision by Heritage Action could help Webber close the financial gap with Sherrill in the 11th district race. She entered July with $2.9 million to spend, compared to his $171,720.

The two Washington-based publications that track congressional races, the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, give Sherrill an edge.

In addition, Vice President Mike Pence is coming to north Jersey Friday to help raise money for Webber.

"I'm grateful for the support and glad to have the help spreading our message of lower taxes and economic opportunity that crosses party lines and makes America stronger, freer, and more prosperous," Webber said.

"Looking at their criteria, picking candidates who are 'in trouble' and 'need help,' it's no surprise that they want to shore up Assemblyman Webber's campaign," said Sherrill's campaign manager, Mollie Binotto.

"His ideological agenda -- support for a tax bill every north Jersey congressperson voted against, opposition to health care for those suffering from opioid addiction, opposition to equal pay for equal work -- aligns much more closely with national groups like Heritage Action than with the values of New Jersey families," she said.

Heritage Action has been influential on Capitol Hill by tracking lawmakers' votes on key issues and opposing legislation that deviates from conservative positions. Four of its five highest-scoring members belong to the Freedom Caucus of the most conservative House Republicans.

It cheered the House Republicans' refusal to pass a spending bill in September 2013 unless the measure cut off funding for the Affordable Care Act, which led to a government shutdown.

Heritage Action broke with Republican-leaning business organizations and supported the nomination of former Rep. Scott Garrett, R-5th Dist., to lead the Export-Import Bank.

Its list of endorsed candidates also includes Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., who has led the so-far unsuccessful fight to prevent the federal government from paying any share of the Gateway Tunnel project; and Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., who drew national attention when he ousted House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., in the 2014 Republican primary.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy admitted he underestimated the extent of NJ Transit's problems and promised Thursday to put commuters "on a pedestal."

The contrite-sounding Murphy spoke to reporters after an hourlong meeting with NJ Transit's top directors about train cancelations during the past few weeks that have left commuters frustrated and upset.

"We understand the frayed nerves of riders," he said. "I don't blame commuters one bit for their anger and cynicism. We can and must do a better job."

If they dont have enough employees to run a railroad and they dont have enough coming down the pipeline - ADJUST THE SERVICE, CHANGE THE SCHEDULES, give the taxpayers a functioning transit system instead of the wholly unreliable mess it is now. @GovMurphy  Rich Haskell (@architrance) August 9, 2018

Commuters have criticized Murphy for remaining on vacation in Italy instead of returning to the state to address the problem of canceled trains and severe overcrowding.

The first topic Murphy addressed was canceled trains that officials blamed on locomotive engineers who take unauthorized days off. In June 2017, 111 trains were canceled compared with 245 trains canceled in June 2018, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.

"The overwhelming majority of engineers are doing everything we want them to. ... A small population spoils it for the broader population," Murphy said.

Union leaders blamed the unexcused absences on NJ Transit policy that only allots five sick days annually. That means an employee who used those five sick days earlier in the year now can be charged with an unexcused absence if they get sick, said James P. Brown, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers general chairman.

The five-sick-day maximum was confirmed by NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett, who said it is the agency's policy. However, employees are allowed to carry over unused sick days to the next year, he said.

"We're committed to working with the union to make sure the rank and file gets the rest they need and shows up to work," Corbett said.

Union leadership also has met with the governor's staff.

"We've been talking and working together to minimize this, but the fact is we're short of engineers," Brown said in an interview Wednesday.

Union officials and the governor agreed more engineers are needed.

"The bench has thinned dramatically," Murphy said, with the loss of 47 engineers over seven years.

If they're short engineers, maybe they should hire some more. And pay them market rate.  Mommy Dearest (@MissCrawford88) August 9, 2018

What else can they do better? Provide the basic service of a train that arrives on time and takes commuters to their destinations, and to quickly communicate problems to riders, Murphy said.

"We have to dominate communication. ... There are no excuses. We must control what we can control," he said. "The goal is to return the system to national prominence."

That includes advising commuters of long-term service disruptions and train cancelations due to Positive Train Control installation, until the federally mandated safety system is installed by Dec. 31. The governor also wants commuters alerted faster to canceled trains, so they don't find out when they are waiting on the platform.

"We are taking on a war-room-like mentality, especially through Dec. 31," Murphy said.

Other improvements, including hiring more bus drivers and buying new buses and trains, are in the new budget but won't be delivered immediately, officials said. Murphy reiterated that it will take several years to fix the agency's long-term problems.

@CommutingLarry @NJTRANSIT @PANYNJ_LT Life now is leaving for work 3 hours early, and still being occasionally late. I commuted via EWR to Columbus on Monday, and I got there faster than a bus took me 9 miles from Wood-Ridge to Manhattan today. Also bus has no A/C.  Jeff Hollis (@jeffhollis) August 9, 2018

Murphy, a Democrat, saved his harshest words for Republican legislators who he says have rapped his efforts to turn around the troubled agency. A joint hearing by the Senate and Assembly transportation committees into NJ Transit's problems will be held next Thursday.

Murphy questioned why the GOP lawmakers were silent during the years that Gov. Chris Christie underfunded NJ Transit for eight years, which lead to Positive Train Control installation being put on a back burner and only 11 engineer training courses held between 2010 and 2017.

"We are digging out of a mess. If anything, we underestimated the mess," Murphy said. "This is inescapable. There have been eight years of neglect."

State Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick said commuters have not received the information they need about the status of trains and train delays to plan their day.

"Blaming Chris Christie seven months into the new governor's term does not provide the needed information for our commuters," Bramnick, R-Union, said in a statement.

Christie spokesman Pete Sheridan fired back, touting that the former governor increased NJ Transits budget 56 percent over the eight years he was in office and brokered new new labor contracts with all of the unions.

"Governor Murphy promised a comprehensive study and big improvements when he entered office. We have seen neither in seven months," Sheridan said. "We trust that now that he has returned from his Italian Villa, he will focus on delivering what he has promised to the commuters in New Jersey."

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Westfield police chief is stepping down as chief amid controversy and much criticism in the town, but officials have remained silent on why.

Mayor Shelley Brindle said Wayman's retirement comes after consultation with the Union County Prosecutor's Office and the town's labor counsel.

Westfield Police Captain Chris Battiloro will replace David Wayman as police chief effective Aug. 1. according to a press release on Westfield mayor's website,

"As with any personnel change of this magnitude, it's critical that we complete a thorough search for a Police Chief who will lead by example and instill a culture of trust and accountability," Brindle said on the website.

Brindle declined to say anything more about Wayman's exit, but told NJ Advance Media she intends to comment at the appropriate time.

Union County Prosecutor's Office's spokesman Mark Spivey said his office could not confirm nor deny any investigations into Wayman or the Westfield Police Department and would not say what the consultation with the mayor was about.

Wayman, and his department, have been involved in several controversies.

In January, the daughter of Westfield police captain John Ricerca was not ticketed until a month after a serious car accident, even though the crash report found her liable.

The daughter's tickets were then transferred to Mountainside on March 5, where they were handled by Mountainside Municipal Prosecutor James Forest, a former Westfield council member. The case was dismissed with prosecutorial discretion on April 5.

NJ Advance Media also uncovered two police accident reports with the same case numbers involving in a hit-and-run accident involving a police vehicle at Westfield Conservatory Center.

According to one police report, the incident happened on March 7. Another police report listed the same incident as happening on April 9. A community website, The Fact of the Matter, alleges that one of the reports is falsified. Both reports were filed by the same Westfield police officer, Lt. Leonard Lugo.

In 2004, when Wayman was a lieutenant with Westfield's police department, then officer Robert Riley filed charges against Wayman accusing him of being a "physical menace" during a July 14 incident. Riley later dropped the charges.

Under Wayman's reign as police chief, crime in Westfield remained stagnant and relatively low in the town of about 30,000. The latest available Uniform Crime Report from 2016 says the department had approximately 71 officers.

Wayman was sworn in to the position in 2012, since then, his salary increased from $133,697 to $169,388 according to government pension records. The former chief has over 30 years with the Westfield Police Department.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: Gulf Coast recovery czar Donald E. Powell.

The icon: Donald E. Powell.

The legacy: When Don Powell was appointed to serve as President George W. Bush's czar of Gulf Coast recovery efforts in the wake of 2005's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, locals had good reason to be skeptical. To that point, after all, the federal response to the storm -- when there finally was one to speak of -- had been defined by its glacial pace. Powell set out to change that. A Texas banker with a knack for getting things done, he quickly demonstrated his determination to smash through bureaucratic obstacles and help locals rebuild. Using his financial background and his clout with the administration, Powell secured billions in federal aid for local rebuilding efforts -- and proved to be an earnest and well-placed friend for the city when it needed it most.

The artist: Connie Kittok.

The quote: "Over time what happened to Don, he kind of got tired of toeing the corporate line. ... As he learned more about the scale of the disaster, he became as sincere and as strong an advocate as anyone in that position could be. We couldn't have asked for a more dedicated or harder working person." -- Then-Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., in 2008

Explore more of Kittok's work online at WhereYart.net and in person at the Where Y'Art gallery, 1901 Royal St.

Donald E. Powell was born May 2, 1941, in Perryton, Texas.

Source: The Times-Picayune archives; www.fdic.gov; staff research

More on 300 for 300:
Crocs, the shoe manufacturer known for its colorful, comfort-forward resin footwear, is closing the last of its company-owned manufacturing plants. The two overseas plants, one located in Mexico and one in Italy, will be closed by the end of the year.

Crocs, based in Niwot, Colorado, announced the closures Tuesday (Aug. 7) as part of its quarterly financial results, describing the move as an effort to "simplify the business and improve profitability." The Mexico plant has already closed, and the Italy plant will close later this year.

It was not immediately clear what the future of the company's manufacturing will be, though The Associated Press reports company leaders said they intend to outsource additional manufacturing.

In addition, Chief Financial Officer Carrie Teffner will step down from her role this month. Teffner, who joined Crocs in 2015, will be replaced by Anne Mehlman, who is currently the chief financial officer for online shoe retailer Zappos. Teffner steps down as CFO Aug. 24, but will remain with the company in an advisory role until April 2019.

Crocs, launched in 2002, skyrocketed in popularity thanks to restaurant, hospital and other workers who valued the comfortable rubberized slide-ons. More recently, however, sales results have been mixed. This year's efforts to roll out a new high-heeled Croc caused an online stir, though it remains to be seen how sales will perform.

Crocs reported a second-quarter profit of $30.4 million, or 35 cents per diluted share.
The internal affairs division of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office on Wednesday (Aug. 8) began looking into a complaint that a patrol deputy is part of a right-leaning organization that some have categorized as a hate group.

The Sheriff's Office received Facebook screenshots and other images purportedly showing that Deputy Brian Green is a member of the Proud Boys, a conservative, men-only group whose members describe themselves as "Western Chauvinists."

"To determine the factual and credible intentions and values of this organization, we are in contact with our federal partners to obtain reliable law enforcement intelligence that confirms or exonerates this organization as a hate or supremacy group," Sheriff Gerald A. Turlich Jr. said in a written statement released Thursday.

According to the Proud Boys' website and social media pages, the group eschews racial guilt and extolls gun rights, closed borders, minimal government and the "veneration of the housewife."

The Proud Boys, founded in 2016 by Vice Magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes, rejects the "alt-right" or white nationalist labels, claiming to be a diverse group that does not discriminate based on race or religion or sexual preference.

Despite the denial, the Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes the Proud Boys as a hate group whose members affiliate with known extremists and use white nationalist memes. The SPLC also accused the group of using anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.

Proud Boys members have attended alt- and far-right events such as last year's violent "Unite The Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., which was organized by a former Proud Boys member, according to the SPLC.

On Wednesday, a Facebook profile page under Green's name listed him as a "Deputy Sheriff, Father, Proud Boy" in the intro section. That description was scrubbed from the page by Thursday, as was a photo filter that put the phrase "The West is The Best" on the profile photo and other pictures.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Also removed was a self-recorded cell phone video in which Green appears to recite the Proud Boys oath, "I'm Brian Green and I'm a proud western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world." Making the video is the first step in joining the organization.

Green's name was also listed as one of five administrators on the "Proud Boys Louisiana Vetting Page," which was available for viewing on Wednesday but was unpublished as of Thursday morning.

Sheriff's Office Spokesman Lt. Chaun Domingue confirmed that he forwarded information contained in the complaint to the internal affairs division on Wednesday.

Domingue did not provide any details about the Sheriff's Office social media policy but said queries are handled on a case-by-case basis.

"We're not allowed to be part of any group or organization that would show negatively towards the Sheriff's Office, itself," Domingue said. "We've given it to internal affairs where they can research every aspect of it to make sure they haven't violated any of our policies."

A sheriff's department in Washington state recently fired a deputy after she posted a photo on social media of herself wearing Proud Boys-related paraphernalia. Deputy Erin Willey was released from employment following an internal investigation, according to Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins.

"Law enforcement officers are peacekeepers whose core mission is to protect and safeguard the community. My expectation is that my employees do not engage in activities or associations that undermine or diminish our role as peacekeepers," Atkins said in a statement released about Willey.
A German Shepherd is dead and a second dog is wounded after two New Orleans police officers shot them Wednesday morning (Aug. 8) while responding to call in Gentilly about dogs chasing children, the department said.

Police were dispatched about 7 a.m. Wednesday to the 5100 block of Touro Street for a call "involving three German Shepherds chasing kids," NOPD spokesman Andy Cunningham said in an email.

The officers tried to move the dogs to get them away from the children, Cunningham said. At some point, he said, "two of the dogs charged at responding officers," and both officers "fired their service weapons."

The dogs were taken to a local animal hospital in a private vehicle, the department said. None of the children were injured. The third dog was unharmed.

An early review of the circumstances shows the officers who shot the dogs "appear to have acted appropriately," according to a statement from NOPD issued by Cunningham.

NOPD policy allows officers to shoot a "potentially aggressive animal" to prevent a possible attack, the statement says, and officers are trained on that policy. The use of force is justified if the officer feels threatened and "can reasonably say they are in imminent danger," and to prevent injuries to themselves or others, the statement says.

NOPD's animal control policy was updated in December. Read the policy here.

A neighbor who lives near the scene of the shooting told WWL the dogs "didn't look aggressive. ... You don't have to kill a dog," he said.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

"In any risk of serious injury, especially involving children, officers are sometimes called upon to make split-second decisions," says NOPD's statement, issued Wednesday afternoon by Cunningham. "In this particular instance, the officer's primary concern was for the safety of the children being chased."

Cunningham said the dogs' owner could possibly face charges.

Despite the initial review findings, internal investigators from NOPD's public integrity unit will continue to probe the shooting, which is considered a "critical use of force," Cunningham said. The force investigation team, which includes members of the FBI, were also notified, Cunningham said, as well as the Louisiana SPCA, NOPD Training Academy and Independent Police Monitor's Office.

NOPD Sgt. James Young, the first supervisor to arrive on the scene of the shooting, said his squad has no plans to charge the dog owners. He noted, however, that the investigation into the shooting by the FIT team is ongoing.

"Our heart goes out to the family," Young said, referring to the owners of the dogs who were killed and wounded. The dogs who were shot were both about 2 years old or a little younger, he said.

Both of the officers who shot at the dogs are dog owners themselves, Thomas said. "This is the last they wanted to do was to have to shoot at some dogs."

About a month ago, Young said, one of the officers involved in Wednesday's dog shooting pulled over their patrol car and coaxed a limping German shepherd into their car and drove the stray to the SPCA, he added.

Alicia Haefele Vial, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana SPCA, said NOPD called the SPCA and left a voicemail Wednesday saying dogs were chasing children. Because there was no active attack or injuries, it was not considered an emergency, she said, and the SPCA did not immediately dispatch anyone to the scene. Vial said the SPCA has been assisting NOPD with their investigation since the dogs were shot, but NOPD is leading it. The organization does not plan to independently pursue any charges.
More than a year into his job riding on the back of a garbage truck, a cinderblock building on Terrell Scott's route caught his attention.

"It was a mess," covered with vines, he said. Empty, overgrown lots surrounded the building in the middle of a 7th Ward residential block.

But Scott saw potential in the old welding workshop, which had been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina. He took a break from his garbage route to knock on a nearby neighbor's door and get the landlord's contact information.

That was December 2017. Scott, a 31-year-old native of Central City, had been out of prison for about two years at the time, after serving eight-and-a-half years for armed robbery.

Now, he's leasing that cinderblock building, home to his business Flight Night Window Tinting and Auto/Body Repair. Those same neighbors love him, he said at the shop recently. He mows the neighboring abandoned lots himself, to "make it look nice" for his customers.

Scott and his little brother worked on a gold Chevrolet sedan inside as portable fans shot cool air on them from three directions. A sign reading, "My garage, my rules" hung inside the shop.

Colleagues from The First 72+ and Rising Foundations, two organizations that team up to help people released from prison re-enter society, worked with Scott to fix up the building. A childhood friend spray-painted the teal-blue mural featuring a cartoon likeness of Scott fist-pumping a wrench. The new Flight Night shop opened for business in February, a step up from the mobile "tint tent" Scott previously used to bring his services to his customers.

To finance the new venture, Rising Foundations gave Scott a zero-interest loan from its Pay it Forward Communal Loan Fund, a program that won First 72+ and Rising Foundations first place and $25,000 last year in The Greater New Orleans Foundation's Pitch It! The Innovation Challenge.

By reporting his payments on the loan to credit bureaus, Scott has been able to build a credit history. Rising Foundations co-founder and director, lawyer Kelly Orians, provided legal help to set up his LLC. And weekly training programs for Scott and other participants in Rising Foundations' small business incubator, on topics like public speaking and financial life skills, have helped hone his business acumen.

"I can guarantee our prices are lower than anywhere else," Scott said, a 10-millimeter wrench in his hand and a "Flight Night" T-shirt on his back. He also started a screen-printing business.

Flight Night is one of nine businesses started by formerly incarcerated people since 2015 with the help of Rising Foundations' small business incubator, headed up by Derrick Perique. Perique started his own business, Custom Optical, a few years after his release from Louisiana State Penitentiary, where he learned the trade by making eyeglasses for prisoners at Angola.

None of the two dozen formerly incarcerated people who started a business with Rising Foundations' help has had a new conviction on their record, Orians said. All 13 of the formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs who participated in the first small business incubator group have completed their parole.

Henry Byous, one of three formerly incarcerated men who started All Pro Maintenance Services, LLC, recently changed out about 30 lights at A.L. Davis Park in a week's time. His business, which specializes in electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning and insulation, is currently competing for a city contract.

For Byous and his co-founders, All Pro Maintenance started out as supplementary income, "trying to make ends meet on top of what we already had coming in," he said. "Now we're trying to make it grow to where we can help (other) people and provide jobs, and make sure our families are straight for life."

Rising Foundation's mission is to foster financial stability through entrepreneurship, based on the theory that low-rung jobs accessible to people with a felony record and a glaring hole in their resume rarely provide enough money on which to live. The hope is the support system provides a push to forge a new path.

The nonprofit shares office space and staff with The First 72+, an organization that provides up to six months of free housing to people who have been released from prison. Residents at First 72+ tend to be older men who have served decades in prison and are released into a much-changed world without a place to lay their head. Rising Foundations attracts mostly people in their 20s to their 40s, like Scott, who need to support their families while staying away from activities like selling drugs that could send them back to prison.

'Changed the face'

When Scott got out of prison, the first 48 hours went by and he still had no idea what he was going to do with himself, he said. He took a relative's advice on that third day, though, and got in touch with Orians, who helped him get the driver's license he needed for a job at an auto body shop.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

The Office of Motor Vehicles had not followed through on a new law that waives old fines for recently released prisoners. So Orians, Scott and others who were recently incarcerated staged a "sit-in" at the OMV that lasted several days, before they were finally able to walk away with their licenses.

By that time, the position at the body shop had been filled. Orians suggested Scott start a window tinting business, he said. Scott had never tinted a window, but she knew he liked to work on cars and that he was capable of it.

"She said, 'Go on YouTube and figure it out,'" Scott recalled. "I had to get my son to show me how. He was 8."

Scott estimated he's watched "thousands" of videos on window tinting since Orians suggested it in 2015. Flight Night window tinting started that year. Initially his customers were friends who gave him a chance. Now, Scott said, he has a "fan base," and a social media following. When Scott opened the storefront earlier this year, he quit the garbage route and started working full-time for himself.

Although he'd come a long way, the felony record followed Scott. In February, a man Scott had hired to do some work for him accused him and another man of beating him, New Orleans police said at the time. Likely because Scott is a convicted felon, said Orians, who represented Scott in the case, when New Orleans police came to arrest him on a second-degree battery charge, they sent a SWAT team to his home and shop. An NOPD news release circulated his booking photo to local media.

NOPD said at the time that the main claiming to be the victim told investigators Scott punched him after accusing him of stealing a gun. Orians said the dispute was over stolen tools, not a gun, and Scott never punched the man. The second-degree battery charge Scott faced was refused July 1, said Ken Daley, a spokesman for Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, because the man who claimed Scott beat him would not cooperate with authorities.

Scott said he takes responsibility for the armed robbery he pleaded guilty to and for which he served more than eight years in prison. He was frustrated and embarrassed, however, to be dragged through the justice system again in such a public manner for a false accusation after working hard to build a legitimate business.

"I didn't punch him," said Scott, who noted his accuser was caught on video stealing from his shop a second time while Scott was in jail for the battery charge. "I gave him a chance and he took advantage of me."

Then a few months ago, Scott and Flight Night were featured on a digital billboard at Tulane Avenue and Broad Street, a spot visible from the steps of Orleans Criminal District Courthouse. The billboard is reserved for Rising Foundations' entrepreneur of the month.

Where Scott comes from, he said, when someone's face is splashed in a public space, it's usually in front of black and white stripes in a booking photo. With his picture up on that billboard across the street from the courthouse, he said, "I really changed the face of the ghetto."

Standing in his shop, Scott pressed his wrench to the inside of his left arm to point out some of his tattoos. "That's Mike ... Giddy, Jamal," he said, moving the wrench around to point to different tattoos, each the face of a young man. All three were shot and killed.

"This happened after Katrina," Scott said, pointing the wrench at a tattoo of one his friends' heads. "This happened in '08," he said about another. He pointed to the third one, "Mike got killed in '06."

Working a legitimate job, Scott said, he's free of the stress of "the streets," referring to his former life. Before he went to prison, Scott said, he had constant worries - about police, about "getting into it with somebody," for making too much money or any number of grievances in the territorial field of selling drugs.

These days, Scott said, "I don't worry about nothing."

The only thing that stresses him, he added later, is the possibility of getting a call saying someone he knows has been killed.

Gripping a bottled water from a nearby cooler on the cement floor of his shop, Scott said, "I'm happy."

Read more about businesses started with Rising Foundations' help here.

Read more about Rising Foundations' companion organization, The First 72+, here.
A north Louisiana police officer has been accused of raping a teenager in East Carroll Parish, the Monroe News Star reported.

David Tyler Boyd, 27, of Lake Providence, was booked Monday (Aug. 6) by Louisiana State Police with second-degree rape. Boyd was an officer with the Oak Grove Police Department, the newspaper reported.

Oak Grove Mayor Adam Holland said Boyd was not on duty and was outside of West Carroll Parish when the alleged incident occurred.

In late July, the State Police Special Victims Unit received a complaint about a teenager being raped in East Carroll Parish. During an investigation, it was revealed Boyd had sexual intercourse with the teenager, the News Star reported. Boyd resigned Monday.
A woman suing a former Zulu president claims in a new court filing that she was offered $25,000 to keep her from filing a police report.

In a pleading filed Wednesday (Aug. 8), Gemell Hulbert said she was offered $10,000 and subsequently $15,000 more from Zulu members on behalf of Naaman Stewart to keep quiet.

Hulbert, a former Zulu employee, sued Stewart in June over an alleged incident that occurred in 2015, when Stewart was president of the club. She said he followed her into a club bathroom and refused to let her leave unless she showed him her breasts and had sex with him.

Stewart has asked a judge to toss the lawsuit because it was filed long after the one-year statute of limitations for sexual harassment claims allowed under Louisiana law.

Zulu attorneys Elizabeth Roussel and Alexandra Roselli could not immediately be reached for comment.

In the new filing, Hulbert added Zulu members identified only as "Mini-Cat," "Teamer" and "Bam" as defendants in the lawsuit. Attorneys Danatus King, in his official capacity as a representative for Zulu, and Kenya Rounds, Zulu's registered agent, also were added as defendants.

In the pleading filed this week, Hulbert said Stewart and other Zulu members tried on several occasions to intimidate her.

She claimed Stewart "approached and harassed" her during a meeting at Zulu headquarters in 2016. At the same event, Rounds tried to buy her a bottle of liquor to keep her from speaking out, Hulbert's lawsuit said.

In 2017, Hulbert said Stewart approached her at a bar seeking to "put things behind them." He offered her a job at his company, she said in the lawsuit, and told her she could make more money if she didn't go to police.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

More recently, on May 20, Hulbert said "Mini Cat" and other Zulu members showed up where she worked, Jokers Wyld and Mickey's Playhouse, wearing T-shirts and other "Naaman Stewart for President" paraphernalia.

Hulbert said "Mini Cat" is Stewart's roommate, and claimed he attempted to keep her from going to the police.

On June 22, she said Rounds visited her at work and also tried to keep her from going to police. Hulbert said in her lawsuit she reported the incident to Rounds in 2016, "but he was reluctant and without compassion for her or the situation and instead chose to conceal it."

Rounds' attorney, Michael Magner, said his client "unequivocally denies the allegations made against him Ms. Hulbert's court filings." He called the allegations "wholly untrue and slanderous."

"At no time did Mr. Rounds do anything to intimidate Ms. Hulbert ... or influence her claims," Magner said. "Mr. Rounds intends to pursue a claim for defamation against everyone who has made these baseless allegations."

Hulbert said frequent visits from Zulu members ultimately led her to resign from her job at Jokers Wyld.

Hulbert also claims statements King made to the media after her lawsuit was initially filed, in which King called her allegations false, defamed her character.

"Mr. King's comments were reckless, insensitive and part of a continuing conspiracy to intentionally portray false information by Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, Inc. and to conceal the truth," Hulbert's lawsuit said.

She has asked the court to require Zulu to respond to her supplemental pleading, and still is seeking damages.
Starting in mid-July, health officials began reporting cases of West Nile across southeastern Louisiana. This week chickens in Kenner tested positive for the virus and on Wednesday (Aug. 8) mosquitoes carrying the virus were reported in Lafourche Parish. So far this year, there have been six cases reported in people.

We spoke to Dr. Raoult Ratard, the state epidemiologist, for insight into the factors that can lead to an increase in West Nile cases and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

What is West Nile?

West Nile is a virus that is typically spread to people by mosquito bites. However, the virus is mainly found in birds. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat West Nile virus in people.

Fortunately, only about one in five people who contract the virus experience any symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 in 150 people infected with West Nile develop a serious illness, which could be fatal.

When did West Nile come to Louisiana?

The first West Nile case recorded in Louisiana was in 2002, Ratard said. The first case in the U.S. was first confirmed in New York City in 1999. Prior to that, the virus was seen in Uganda as early as 1937.

"There is no way to know how the virus first came to the United States. It could have been in birds or in mosquitoes," Ratard said, adding, if it were mosquitoes, it's interesting West Nile didn't appear in Louisiana sooner.

"You'd think they would have come first to Louisiana before heading to New York," he said.

Why do we see a spike in West Nile activity some years?

"There are so many factors that influence the distribution of cases, that there is no way to say there will be a pattern from year to year," Ratard said.

West Nile virus mostly infects birds. At the beginning of the year, when birds are nesting, most of the viral exchange occurs overhead in tree canopies and nests, he said. As birds emerge from their nests, they're more likely to come into contact with mosquitoes, which can transport the virus even further.

"As those birds start migrating during the hotter summer months, mosquitoes start biting people on the ground floor," he said.

Weather has a lot to do with how West Nile spreads as well. Mosquitoes will lay their eggs faster in hotter weather, which helps the virus spread faster, especially during the hot Louisiana summers. The amount of rain also dictates where mosquitoes lay their eggs. In dryer seasons, they are known to breed in stone sewers where it is damp.

What time period do we see new cases of West Nile?

Ratard said the state begins to see cases of West Nile starting around mid-July. New cases can continue to show up through October in Louisiana.

How many human cases of West Nile have there been in Louisiana?

So far this year there have been only six cases of West Nile in humans reported in Louisiana. Since 2002 there have been more than 1,000, Ratard said. These patients contracted the more serious form of the virus, a neuroinvasive disease that can cause paralysis, brain damage and, in some cases, death.

Most of the Louisiana cases were in people age 70 and older, he said.

Why is West Nile more serious for older people?

As people age the blood-brain barrier, a filtering mechanism that carries blood to the brain and spinal cord tissue, starts to degenerate. That makes it easier for viruses to get into the brain and cause neuroinvasive disease, killing brain cells, Ratard explained.

Of the more than 1,000 people who have contracted West Nile in Louisiana since 2002, about 100 were permanently paralyzed, he said.

What are ways to protect yourself?

Wear long sleeves and pants if you go out in the evening and at night, and use insect repellent. Keep an eye out for anything in the yard of your home that might lead to warm standing water, which breeds mosquitoes. Ratard said that last tip is especially important for older people.

"Mosquitoes don't travel very far. You raise your own mosquitoes. They are your neighbor," he said. "These are the ones who will give you West Nile."

--

Maria Clark writes about immigration, health, doctors, patients and health care in Louisiana for NOLA.com | The Times Picayune and NOLA Mundo. Reach her at mclark@nola.com or 504.258.5306. Or follow her on Twitter at @MariaPClark1 .
Viktor and Amalija Knavs of Slovenia, parents of first lady Melania Trump, are now U.S. citizens, having been sworn in Thursday (Aug. 9) at a ceremony in Manhattan, according to several news sources.

The Knavses held green cards as permanent residents living in New York. It's not clear when they first moved to the United States, but the Washington Post found public records from late 2007 that showed Viktor Knavs listed his address as Mar-A-Lago, President Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Fla.

Melania Trump came to New York in 1996, according to ABC News. By then, she had changed the spelling of her last name to Knauss. She married Trump in 2005.

The president and first lady, who are vacationing at a Trump property in New Jersey, have yet to comment publicly on the Knavses attaining U.S. citizenship.

It's believed the couple attained their green cards through being sponsored by their daughter, a process referred to as "chain migration" that President Trump wants to end. He has argued that immigrants who bring their families to the U.S. limit job opportunities for native Americans and create a national security risk.

Research has refuted both of Trump's claims.
The Chattanooga Hamilton County Retired Teachers Association will hold its annual picnic this Thursday at 10 a.m. at Chester Frost Park Pavilion  Hamilton County Park to honor newly retired teachers, and to introduce scholarship recipients.



The picnic is for all Chattanooga and Hamilton County retired teachers, association members, newly retired teachers and prospective members.



There will be a meeting, followed by lunch provided by the Chattanooga Area Schools Federal Credit Union, David Siatkowski, director.



Schedule of events:

10 a.m.

 Fellowship10:40 a.m.  Brief meeting, Door prizes from the Credit Union11:30 a.m.  Lunch2018-2019 scholarship winners:Micayla Rowen from Soddy Daisy High SchoolKatie LeAnn Smith from Soddy Daisy High SchoolKatelyn Davis Carver from Hixson High SchoolAmari Kalea Ratliff from Tyner High SchoolCarmen Veller - HCDE assistant principal, UTC graduate student"While employed public school teachers are enjoying their first day of classes, come join the retired teachers for fun at the picnic," officials said.
Deputy Jon Meyers stood before a fidgety group of first-graders in Ms. Eva Norris' classroom and introduced himself.

"Y'all can call me Deputy Jon,'' Meyers told the kids at Whispering Forest Elementary near Slidell. "I'm here to be your friend.''

St. Tammany Parish public schools opened their doors to thousands of students Thursday (Aug. 9), the start of a school year that will bring an increased level of campus security.

Following a directive from the St. Tammany Parish School Board, each of the district's 55 campuses will be monitored by an armed police officer - folks like Deputy Jon -- and a mental health provider.

The school district had officers, called school resource officers, on 14 campuses last year. But in the wake of a deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school in February, the School Board voted in May to put an officer, as well as a mental health provider, on each campus.

In so doing, the board committed the district to spending $4 million for the 2018-19 school year. The money is there from surplus funds to cover year one. But after that the school district is likely to come to voters for additional revenue to continue those measures.

Depending on the school location, officers will come from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office or the police departments in Slidell, Covington, Mandeville, Pearl River and Madisonville.

Sheriff Randy Smith said his office has assigned deputies full-time to 25 schools. The police departments in Mandeville, Covington and Slidell, meanwhile, for the most part are supplying officers on a paid-detail basis until they are comfortable the school district has a long-term funding source.

The newly-enacted security measures were a focus during school Superintendent Trey Folse's annual first-day classroom tours at Whispering Forest and Boyet Junior High Thursday morning.

"And it should be,'' Folse said later. "(School safety) is on everybody's mind.''

St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

The board's vote to put an officer on each campus came in May and set in motion a furious summer of work to get the needed staffing in place by the start of the year year.

"To accomplish this over one summer - it's amazing,'' Folse said, noting the hours of work put in by school administrators and the law enforcement agencies.

While the police presence has drawn much of the media attention in recent months, Folse said he's heard from a number of parents who are thankful for the additional mental health providers being brought to the school district.

"There's such a need for that,'' he said.

At Boyet, Slidell police Officer Ron Rudiger is beginning his second year on campus after several years in the department's various patrol divisions.

"I really like it,'' he said. "I think it's good for me to be here. The students get to know me and get comfortable with me being around.

"They'll even stop me outside of school to talk with me.''

Meyer will be new to Whispering Forest this year, but he's been a resource officer for the past two years at Lakeshore High School. He said he's looking forward to being with the younger kids.

"I'm a paw-paw,'' he said. "I've got 12 grandkids. I'm right in my element.''
Coming off a six weeks of rain, and coming into what appears to be the beginning of the dog days, its time to change your fishing strategy if you plan to catch fish the rest of the summer.
The exercise is as old as the Republic, but the first thing you need to understand about redistricting is that hot-water cornbread is as ubiquitous in north Louisiana as etouffee is in the south, says Rick Gallot, the Ruston Democratic representat
Few people have ever suggested that Jefferson Parish needs more signs. Instead, comments typically center on excessive business advertising and small placards that are tacked to utility poles or planted in street rights of way.

But traffic signs? Who knew there was a special committee to cut down on the number of metal notices that alert motorists to hazards or restrictions up ahead?

Turns out the panel of public officials and residents was appointed last year to review road signs with an eye toward removing some of them and beautifying streetscapes. So far, 659 signs have been pulled up and warehoused, officials said Wednesday (Aug. 8).

Here's how one spot appeared before the initiative ... :

... and how it appeared afterward:

"Traffic signs and hazard signs are extremely effective in our community. But too many of them almost reduces the effectiveness of that communication," said Parish Council Chairwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng, who organized the effort. "The unnecessary use of signs tends to breed disrespect for all signs. So less is more."

Among the signs cleared away were ones trumpeting construction that has long since ended, stops up ahead and parking restrictions. Some had been erected because of engineering policies no longer in effect.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

On state highways, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development focused attention on nine Jefferson Parish routes such as Airline Drive, Barataria Boulevard, Metairie Road and the West Bank Expressway. It eliminated 116 signs, said Scott Boyle, assistant administration for operations in the Transportation Department's Bridge City office.

For details, see state report.

On local streets, the parish Engineering Department authorized yanking 543 signs from more than 18 roads such as Carol Sue Avenue, Manhattan Boulevard and West Napoleon Avenue. West Esplanade Avenue alone saw 157 signs expunged, traffic engineering supervisor Susan Treadway said.

For details, see parish report.

Boyle said the initiative will expand to other roads in Jefferson Parish.

. . . . . . .

Drew Broach covers Jefferson Parish politics and Louisiana interests in Congress, plus other odds and ends, for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: dbroach@nola.com. Facebook: Drew Broach TP. Twitter: drewbroach1. Google+: Drew Broach.
Former "NCIS: New Orleans" actress Shalita Grant is tackling a new role: happily married woman.

On Tuesday (Aug. 8), Grant -- who decided to leave the locally shot "NCIS" spinoff during its recently concluded fourth season -- married her girlfriend, commercial director Sabrina Skau, in an intimate ceremony at San Francisco's City Hall, according to People magazine.

The ceremony, attended by about 25 people, was followed by a private celebration at a home in Palo Alto, California, that was to include a five-course dinner and lawn games.

"The most important thing for us is that it would be a day for us to connect with each other," Grant told People. "We're not a traditional couple, so it was really important for us to do something that represents us and our relationship."

Grant and Skau reportedly met through a dating app in October 2016. Skau proposed a little more than a year later, on Christmas Eve 2017.

"We're so excited," Grant told People. "I'm just so grateful to have Sabrina in my life."
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

A steady rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. High 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy with light rain developing after midnight. Low 47F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.


Viewed of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
 Two elections in the U.S. states of Ohio and Kansas are still too close to call, exposing the Republican Partys precarious position as it tries to hold on to its congressional majority. Above, Kris Kobach, a candidate for governor in Kansas. [The New York Times]

 The organization behind the Oscars announced that it would introduce a popular film category at the Academy Awards and shorten its broadcast in an attempt to win back viewers. [The New York Times]

 The Senate in Argentina, a predominantly Catholic nation, voted early Thursday against legalizing abortions for pregnancies up to 14 weeks, dealing a stinging defeat to a grass-roots movement that had galvanized womens groups throughout Latin America. [The New York Times]

 Belarus has detained at least 18 journalists, prompting an outcry from the Council of Europe and international nonprofit groups. [The New York Times]

 The Europe-wide heat wave has shriveled up barley, leading to a potential beer shortage. But fret not, the hotter weather may be great for wine. [Fortune]

 Ryanair, Europes largest budget airline, will cancel hundreds of flights on Friday as pilots in five countries stage a strike for higher salaries. [The Telegraph]
Whats really alarming about President Trumps preposterous tweets about the California wildfires is not what he gets wrong, which is plenty, but what they say about his stubborn refusal to grasp the basics of climate change and, perhaps worse, his administrations contempt for the science that is drawing an ever-tighter link between a warming globe and extreme weather events around the world.

Sunday night, Mr. Trump, in his first comments on the wildfires that have raged for weeks, said the fires had been made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which arent allowing massive amount[ s ] of readily available water to be properly utilized. A second tweet, on Monday , complained that water needed for fighting the fires was being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. In neither tweet was there mention of lives lost, the 600,000 acres of woodland so far consumed and the 1,100, and counting, homes destroyed.

Dumbfounded state officials dismissed the presidents remarks as nonsense. Daniel Berlant, assistant deputy director of Cal Fire, the states fire agency, said, We have plenty of water to fight these wildfires. The most generous interpretation of Mr. Trumps remarks was that he had been confused by complaints from California Republicans that state law, which seeks to allocate water among farmers, urban users and the environment, had unfairly favored fish over farmers. But even if that were true, which it is not, that ancient dispute has nothing to do with the availability of water for firefighting, which comes largely from lakes and ponds.

Mr. Berlant made one other comment. Lets be clear, he said, its our changing climate that is leading to more severe and destructive fires . Here, too, he was very much on point. Numerous studies that have sought to weigh the effects of climate change on the environment by teasing them out from other factors have concluded that human-influenced warming is increasingly a major player in a variety of natural disasters. An authoritative paper published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016 looked specifically at forest fires in the Western United States and concluded that rising temperatures linked to climate change had been heavily responsible for the greatly increased range of these fires, mainly by intensifying droughts.
So its somewhat odd for Mr. Dorsey to be lecturing the rest of us about principles at this moment of high agitation, brought on in no small part by the twitchy, meaner-than-ever screamfest of Twitter itself.

While principles and rules will help in an open platform, it is values that Mr. Dorsey should really be talking about. By values, I mean a code that requires making hard choices  curating your offerings, which was something Apple got made fun of for doing, back when it launched the App Store, by the open-is-best crowd.

Let me say that I have nothing but admiration for the long-suffering trust and safety team at Twitter, which has been tasked with the Sisyphean job of controlling humanity and scaling civility, armed only with some easily gamed and capriciously enforced rules. How are these people supposed to do that when the company has provided them with no firm set of values?

Values would require that Twitter make tough calls on high-profile and obviously malevolent figures, including tossing them off as a signal of its intent to keep it civil.

And Mr. Jones is not even an edge case: His bilious lies, including that the murders of the Sandy Hook Elementary children were synthetic, completely fake, with actors, clearly sully the platform. Besides, lets be clear: Twitter can change its rules to ban whoever it wants anytime, because it is not a public trust but a for-profit company.

Twitter has certainly appeared to have adjusted the rules for Donald Trump. While the president has not descended down the same demented rabbit hole as Alex Jones, many argue that he has violated various Twitter rules, by threatening violence (he did so against North Korea and later Iran) and by systematic harassment of people (the list is too long).

You can have whatever opinion you want on that, even as Mr. Trump still continues to play the medium like a virtuoso plays a Stradivarius violin. I mean this as no compliment, but he remains the most epic troll in Twitters pantheon. And, while it pains me to say this, he is a true tweet savant, however awful and deceitful his utterances sometimes are.
Its really tragic that things had to come to this point, said Vonda Dyer, who once led the churchs vocal ministry and accused Mr. Hybels of luring her to his hotel room in Sweden in 1998, touching her stomach and kissing her unexpectedly.

[Read more about the church employee who accused the Rev. Bill Hybels of groping her repeatedly]

This is not the outcome I would have ever wanted. My hope was that Bill Hybels would have admitted his sins, and that Willow Creek leaders would have come to repentance voluntarily, not through pressure from the national media, Ms. Dyer said, crying in a telephone interview. This is a sad day for Willow and for me personally.

Mr. Hybels, the two pastors he chose as his successors and his board of elders have all been brought down by a gathering storm of allegations that ended in a thunderclap. It began more than four years ago, when the elders were told privately about a woman who said she had had a lengthy affair with Mr. Hybels. But Mr. Hybels denied it, and when the elders questioned her, she insisted she had been lying.

Then the elders learned that several women employed by the church, including Ms. Dyer, had accused Mr. Hybels of making inappropriate comments about their appearance, giving them uncomfortably long hugs and in one case an unwelcome kiss, and inviting some of them to his hotel room for a drink. The elders conducted their own investigation and commissioned another by an outside lawyer, all of which cleared Mr. Hybels.

The congregation learned of the allegations only after some of the women told their stories to The Chicago Tribune and Christianity Today last spring. The elders and the churchs two pastors stood by Mr. Hybels in March as he appeared before the congregation and said that the women were lying, and that their advocates, former Willow Creek staff members, were colluding to bring him down. However, he stepped down in April, six months ahead of his planned retirement, saying it was for the good of the church. He denies all the accusations against him.

Finally, on Sunday, Mr. Hybelss former executive assistant Pat Baranowski alleged in an article in The New York Times that Mr. Hybels had broken her down emotionally, groped her repeatedly and once insisted on oral sex while she worked for him and lived in his home in the 1980s. Ms. Baranowski left her job and spent more than 25 years struggling with depression, unemployment and homelessness.
The Qassam Brigades are ready and well prepared to confront the aggression and defend their people, Issam Daalees, a Hamas leader, said in a statement, referring to Hamass armed wing. The enemy must understand that it cannot unilaterally impose the rules of confrontation and it must bear the consequences of its stupidity.

In Sderot, a piece of a rocket penetrated the roof of a house and crashed into the living room.

Albert Hofi, the owner of the house, told an Israeli television reporter that moments before it was hit he had moved his disabled wife, Shula, to the safety of the basement. The rocket shard left a round hole in the ceiling and broke floor tiles, but the rest of the living room was intact.

Unfortunately we have gotten used to the situation, Mr. Hofi told the reporter, explaining his calm demeanor. A rocket alert sounded as they spoke, and Mr. Hofi and the television crew headed to the basement.

The week began with a rare sense of possible progress. A high-level delegation of Hamas officials, including some living in exile, convened in Gaza to discuss Egyptian and United Nations proposals to stabilize the cease-fire with Israel in return for an easing of the Israeli and Egyptian-imposed blockade of Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu postponed a visit to Colombia and met with his security cabinet last Sunday for a strategic discussion about the situation.

Yet there were no signs that a broad deal was imminent. At the end of the hourslong cabinet meeting, Israel released a terse statement saying the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, had updated the security cabinet on the situation regarding Gaza and that the military was prepared for any scenario.

A senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, suggested earlier Wednesday that Hamas was open to a deal, but he accused Israel of violating the cease-fire agreement and added that Hamas would not allow Israel to impose new equations or rules of engagement on the ground.
Our guide to dance performances happening this weekend and in the week ahead.

BATTERY DANCE FESTIVAL at Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park (Aug. 11, 8 p.m.; Aug. 12-17, 7 p.m.; Aug. 18, 6 p.m.). With a breathtaking backdrop of the New York Harbor, this festival returns to Battery Park City (the closing event on Aug. 18 will be at the Schimmel Center) with eclectic programming by the artistic director of Battery Dance, Jonathan Hollander. Along with his company, participants include Ariel Rivka Dance and Douglas Dunn & Dancers, as well as out-of-town groups like Damir Tasmagambetov (Kazakhstan), Skopje Dance Theater (Macedonia) and Mophato Dance Theater (Botswana). The breeze is nice, too.

212-219-3910, batterydance.org

DRIVE EAST at La MaMa (Aug. 13-19). This annual festival, now in its sixth year and presented by the performing arts organization Navatman, returns to the East Village with its typically rich assortment of Indian music and dance. As for some highlights? The rising star Arushi Mudgal from New Delhi in a classical Odissi solo, the North Indian vocalist Rattan Mohan Sharma and a new program: Dualities in Dance featuring Mesma Belsare and Kiran Rajagopalan. It will be followed by a panel discussion on gender binaries in Indian dance. Drive East is admirable for many reasons  not least of all because it changes with the times.

732-580-2093, driveeastnyc.org
It flies and flows and creeps. You measure it, spend it, waste it. Its on your side, or its not. Were talking about time, and so is the Rubin Museum of Art, one of the biggest-thinking small museums in Manhattan. The Rubin is devoting its entire 2018 season and all six floors of galleries in Chelsea to time as a theme, with an accent on the future, a future which is making some of us nervous these days.

If youre a Buddhist  and much of the historical art at the Rubin is Buddhist, from the Himalayas  time is an especially complex subject because its not linear. Its layered and cyclical, with past, present and future snarled up together. And thats the way the Rubin presents it. So where to begin?

I started at the admissions desk where, along with my ticket, I was handed a letter handwritten by an earlier visitor. (Youre invited to write a Letter to a Future Visitor of your own before you leave.) Mine was from someone named Bill who suggested I start my time-travel on the sixth floor with the exhibition called The Second Buddha: Master of Time.
BIG HEART MACHINE at the Jazz Gallery (Aug. 16, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). Led by the versatile reedist Brian Krock and conducted by Miho Hazama, this 18-piece ensemble works by stealth and swarm and accrual. The suspenseful, layered music can sound like migration in motion or a wisp of twisting smoke. And if youre looking for musical-historical references, there are plenty  from progressive metal to Carnatic music to late-20th-century Western classical. At this show, Big Heart Machine celebrates the release of a self-titled debut album, which was produced by the esteemed big-band leader Darcy James Argue.

646-494-3625, jazzgallery.nyc

URI CAINE, MARK HELIAS AND CLARENCE PENN at Mezzrow (Aug. 15, 8 and 9:30 p.m.). Heres the upside of the August slump: Some artists who might otherwise be busily touring abroad or gigging as side musicians have a bit of time to kill at home in New York. This week you can chase your late-summer luck down to Mezzrow, a tight Greenwich Village basement, where the pianist Mr. Caine, the bassist Mr. Helias and the drummer Mr. Penn will be playing together. They recorded a strong album in 2016, Calibrated Thickness, but dont reunite often enough. All three are improvisers with a stony command and a silvery spill of constant new ideas; theyre well suited to one another but never seem to get too comfortable.

646-476-4346, mezzrow.com

SHEILA JORDAN at the Birdland Theater (Aug. 14, 7 and 9:45 p.m.). This theater opened quietly over the summer, a spare but elegant downstairs performance space directly underneath the historic Birdland jazz club. A grand opening hasnt been announced, but the theater is already hosting concerts nearly every night. At this show, Ms. Jordan  the lively, undiminished 89-year-old vocalist and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master  performs with Alan Broadbent on piano and Harvie S on bass.

212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com

KIRK KNUFFKE TRIO AND MICHAEL FORMANEK QUARTET at Nublu 151 (Aug. 15, 9 p.m.). The chipper and discursive playing of Mr. Knuffke, a cornetist, has never sounded more alive than it did on Cherryco, a record out last year celebrating Don Cherrys legacy. Another recent highlight was Lamplighter, from 2015, featuring a different small group. Hell appear here with a version of that band: Stomu Takeishi on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums. Also on the bill is the expert avant-garde bassist Michael Formanek, leading a quartet.

nublu.net

JULIAN LAGE at the Stone (Aug. 14-18, 8:30 p.m.). Mr. Lage seeks communion freely and easily; his playing is elegant and refined, but hes also happy in the company of rougher improvisers. He starts a five-night run at the Stone on Tuesday, in duet with the spiky guitarist Mary Halvorson. On Wednesday he is joined by the vocalist Margaret Glaspy; on Thursday he appears with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums; on Aug. 17, the saxophonist and Stone proprietor John Zorn joins that trio; then on Aug. 18, Mr. Lage closes with a trio featuring Mr. King on drums and Kris Davis on piano.

thestonenyc.com

ALICIA OLATUJA at Jazz Standard (through Aug. 12, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). Ms. Olatuja has a big and clear voice, and she usually seems to be aiming squarely at you. An auspicious young talent, she comes to jazz via the church and performed for years in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. That history is always evident, whether shes collaborating with her Nigerian-born husband, Michael, in the Olatuja Project, or guesting with the storied organist Dr. Lonnie Smith. At Jazz Standard, Ms. Olatuja appears as the lone headliner, fronting a band that includes Schadrack Pierre and Rasul A-Salaam on backup vocals, Sullivan Fortner on piano, David Rosenthal on guitar, Richie Goods on bass and Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums.

212-576-2232, jazzstandard.com

GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

Editors Pick

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR at the Prospect Park Bandshell (Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m.). In the beginning, this Montreal noise collective started small  with the nucleus of Efrim Menuck, Mike Moya and Mauro Pezzente  then within a short time tripled in size to add layers of rhythm, guitar and strings. (In 2010, returning from a seven-year hiatus, they even added a projectionist and video artist, Karl Lemieux, to their ranks.) Much of the music they have created over the past 20-plus years mirrors their origin story: A song will start with a single element  be it a smattering of background noise, a lone note or a snippet of rhythm  emerging slowly from silence, tickling your interest. As this element strengthens, it is bolstered by continually erupting peels of melody, harmony and percussion, building upon one another until the entirety is a dazzling behemoth that inundates you with its mellifluence or cacophony or both. Listen carefully to last years Luciferian Towers and a wordless message comes through  one of fear and longing and hope and glory. The Tunisian vocalist Emel Mathlouthi, who was absolutely mesmerizing at last years Basilica SoundScape, opens this free BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! show.

718-683-5600, bricartsmedia.org

DANIELLE DOWLING
But Bee saved her sharpest spears for Donald Trump Jr., who could be on thin legal ice over his June 2016 meeting with Russians at Trump Tower. President Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that the meeting was held to get information on an opponent.

Bee said there were other dealings in which Trump Jr. had failed to cover his tracks, including the Trump SoHo, a luxury condominium-hotel in Lower Manhattan that struggled to attract guests and buyers.

The Trump family got sued for lying to buyers about the buildings sales figures, and Donnie wrote in his emails that nobody would ever find out about the scam because only people on the email chain or in the Trump Organization knew about it. Aw. This is about one step above writing a note that says, Dear crime: I am guilty of you.  SAMANTHA BEE Donnie even met alleged Russian agent Maria Butina at an N.R.A. dinner before the election. Any time there was collusion going on, Donnie was there. He shows up everywhere. Hes like the Forrest Gump of collusion!  SAMANTHA BEE

Bee summed up the segment with a characteristically brutal jab.

This sad, sticky wad of congealed hair gel has spent his whole life seeking his dads approval and failing at it, and now he might be the one to bring down Trumps presidency.  SAMANTHA BEE

Changes at the Oscars

The Oscars on Wednesday announced a slate of changes, including shortening the broadcast and, more controversially, adding a category for best popular film. Jimmy Kimmel wants to know: Did he do something wrong?

Its really kind of interesting: Apparently I did such a good job hosting the Oscars this year, theyve decided to change everything about them.  JIMMY KIMMEL

As for the new category, count Kimmel in favor.

I guess someone over there had an idea. They said, What if we honored some movies that people have actually seen? And everybody went, Yeah, thats great, we should do that.  JIMMY KIMMEL This is exciting. You know what this means? One day we may very well hear the words, And the Oscar goes to: The Fast and the Furious 18: Never Stop Fasting, Never Stop Furiousing.  JIMMY KIMMEL

The Punchiest Punchlines (Insider Trading Edition)
Theres simply no shortage of opportunities to make a party out of a museum visit.

One of those comes Wednesday at Uptown Bounce, the last in a series of East Harlem block parties co-hosted by the Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio. (See that word last? No more excuses!)

At the City Museum, the theme this time is A Space Odyssey, based on the film by the master moviemaker Stanley Kubrick. An exhibit of his little-known photographs of New York City is on display on the third floor.

You can start your night on a guided tour of that exhibit at 6:30, and then at 7:15 do the same in the Future City Lab. This exhibit imagines the New York of the future, using interactive maps and cityscapes. Its especially cool after reading an era-by-era history of the city in the NY at Its Core exhibit down the hall.

Then hit the terrace, where the New York City D.J. Operator Emz will be spinning space-age icons like David Bowie until the Illustrious Blacks, who promise futuristic funk and cosmic pop, take over. (Last week, when I arrived at 6:15, folks were already grooving hard.)

Meanwhile, at El Museos cafe across the street, the community dance troupe KR3TS plans to perform at 6 p.m. An hour later, partygoers can hit the floor and dance to the local D.J.s MUSEAM and Oyasound. Perhaps you might pause for talks or an exhibition from the 111! Collective called East Harlem Live.
This is Buenos Aires. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets as the Senate prepared to vote on a proposed law to legalize abortion. Argentines are starkly divided. Supporters of the bill wear green scarves, the color of the feminist movement. Opponents wear blue, the color of the national flag. After 16 hours of deliberations in the Senate, the bill was narrowly rejected. Still, the fact that the discussion came this far signals a real shift in public opinion. Activists like Marta Dillon say its progress that cannot be undone. Marta is a leader of Ni una menos, a feminist campaign that started three years ago and has grown into a nationwide movement. Feminist organizations pushed to legalize abortion, and against all odds, nearly succeeded. But Argentinas overwhelmingly Catholic and conservative. Even among people who are not religious, many reject abortion on moral grounds. The persistence of the abortion rights movement has forced its opponents, including church officials, to confront an uncomfortable reality: Criminalizing the issue does not make it disappear. In the slums of Buenos Aires, Hernan Martin is helping to start maternity houses for pregnant women to curb the number number of abortions in poor neighborhoods. Abortion is illegal here, except in cases of rape or when a pregnancy threatens a womans health. According to the government, there are nearly 350,000 clandestine abortions per year. And they are the principal cause of maternal death in Argentina. But many women still take the risk. We met this patient at a clinic in Buenos Aires. She was unemployed with two children when she got pregnant and started looking for a way to have an abortion. It took her 20 weeks. The go-to method for abortion in Argentina is misoprostol, a drug that was originally developed to treat stomach ulcers. Helping women access this drug are so-called socorristas, or first responders, like Diana. Diana is part of an expansive network of doctors, hospitals and activists  some working covertly  to help women get around legal obstacles. But outside of metropolitan areas, it becomes more difficult for women to access these groups. We went to Salta, a region in the northwestern corner of Argentina, where life is more traditional. Monica Gelsi worked for 30 years as a gynecologist here and never once considered performing an abortion. Abortion laws in Latin America remain some of the most restrictive in the world. But the drama of the vote here reveals a broader cultural struggle unfolding in Argentina and across the region.
Mr. Ruddy saw Tribunes decision to pull out of the deal as a personal victory. I like taking on hopeless causes, especially when I believe the facts and good sense argue for such a cause, he said. Opposition to this merger brought together members of both parties in Congress, as well as groups and individuals across the political spectrum.

The agreement between Sinclair, which is led by David D. Smith, and Tribune had allowed either to walk away if the deal did not close by Wednesday. Tribune said in its statement that it would seek compensation for all losses incurred from what it called Sinclairs breach of the agreement, an amount it pegged at more than $1 billion.

The lawsuit details a litany of combative exchanges between Sinclair and the Justice Department. In November, the agency informed Sinclair it would need to sell off stations in at least 10 markets to obtain approval, but Sinclair refused, deciding instead to antagonize D.O.J. officials, the suit read. Meetings became so contentious, it said, that Sinclair effectively threatened the department to sue me.

Sinclair required approval from the Justice Department and the F.C.C., a process typically undertaken at the same time. But Sinclair preferred to broker an agreement first with the Justice Department, as it considered the F.C.C., and Mr. Pai, to be more friendly to mergers.

In a December letter addressed to the head of the Justice Departments Antitrust Division, Makan Delrahim, Sinclair contrasted his position to that of Mr. Pai. It was so refreshing to see the F.C.C., under Ajit Pais leadership, undertake a fundamental reform of its media ownership rules to relax regulations, the letter read. It continued, we have been surprised, therefore, by the extent to which the Division has thus far appeared unwilling to recognize how completely the world has changed, referring to the Justice Department.

To satisfy rules that prohibit one company from owning the airwaves on such a dominant scale, Sinclair had proposed selling 23 television stations after the deal was completed. But under the proposal, several of the stations would still have effectively fallen within Sinclairs operational control  a fact that the F.C.C. said raised significant questions as to whether those proposed divestitures were in fact sham transactions.
Good Thursday. Want this in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.

Everyone wants to know where Teslas cash will come from

Elon Musks declaration that hes (potentially) taking his electric carmaker off the public markets has everyones attention, from Wall Street to regulators. The big question: How will he pay for it?

Bankers at Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and elsewhere on Wall Street are feverishly trying to figure out how to make the plan work  and secure an advisory role  despite being in the dark on Mr. Musks efforts.

Their current thinking, according to the NYT: A full buyout is probably a nonstarter, but buying out enough shareholders to let the company delist its stock is more possible, and could be worth up to $20 billion.

Meanwhile, the S.E.C. is investigating whether Mr. Musk just violated securities laws. Its the last two words of his tweet that count here: funding secured. If theyre not entirely true, hes probably in trouble.
Given the leftward tilt of the progressive groups that have sprung up across Central New York in the wake of the Trump presidency, Anthony Brindisi would seem an imperfect choice as their Democratic candidate for Congress.

After all, Mr. Brindisi has an A rating from the National Rifle Association. He has already forsworn his support for Representative Nancy Pelosis leadership, should Democrats flip the house in November. And he devotes more airtime to burnishing his bipartisan credentials than he does to criticizing President Trump.

But those qualities  in a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats by 30,000 voters  are precisely why many progressive groups upstate have given their stamp of approval to Mr. Brindisi, 39.

They believe he is the kind of moderate Democrat who can unseat the Republican congresswoman, Claudia Tenney, an unabashed supporter of President Trump whose fiery rhetoric has become both a lightning rod locally and a late-night television punch line nationally.
With the big institutions saving their heavies for fall, things get pretty informal and democratic: free concerts in parks, chamber groups at outdoor weddings, young performers or composers getting their chance in the spotlight. Though you cannot get into the Met Opera House, you can watch past performances on a screen outside. Theres even the occasional massive spectacle, like this Saturdays world premiere of John Luther Adamss In the Name of the Earth, a choral work for nearly 800 professional and amateur singers. (Originally planned to take place in Central Park, just south of Harlem Meer, the 3 p.m. concert was recently moved to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, at 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, because of possible inclement weather). When the sun shines on outdoor events like this one, however, you can bring a picnic and your kids, which is the sort of move they frown upon at the Met. And did we mention that its free?
Mr. Tauranacs revelatory narrative is accompanied by Kathryn Gerhardts illuminating photographs.

As the author of a book about the Empire State Building and as a map designer, Mr. Tauranac is typically more consumed by the concrete than the abstract.

He acknowledges, though, that the city is also organic, morphing so rapidly that some of its little secrets that he had decided to single out were obliterated before he had finished the book (others, he writes, could not be photographed because they were shrouded in the ubiquitous scaffolding that defines New York as a work in progress).

Why, among the global seafaring figures atop the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, across from Battery Park in Manhattan, is there one representing Belgium (whose coast is only about 40 miles long and was not known predominantly as a maritime nation)? Which building in the city features a frieze of Karl Marx?

Can you identify that former tourist attraction depicted in a subway tile mosaic at the Christopher Street station? Which pediment on the building that housed a late 19th century puckish humor magazine celebrates Wit and Humor? Which statue stood on the now-empty plinth atop the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court building in Madison Square? Whatever happened to the clock where Holden Caulfield met his date at the Biltmore Hotel?

No spoilers here. Youll have to read Manhattans Little Secrets or uncover them yourself.
Nisha James, 34, a nanny from Brooklyn, said she felt the cap on the ride-hail services had been a Manhattan-centric decision without regard for what it will mean for riders in the other boroughs. I dont think they were thinking about anywhere else, she said, adding that the cap will likely send her and other Uber riders back to public transit when they cannot get a car.

In the Bronx, Jeff Gutierrez, 26, said that he only takes Uber now to commute to his job in media sales for a cable news station across the borough. Uber takes 15 minutes. The bus takes 1 hour and 30 minutes and is so crowded he cannot always get a seat. There is no contest. We should not be stuffed like sardines in a bus, he said. Uber is so affordable and convenient. I will never ride the bus or train again as long I work in the city.

Uber officials said that they planned to recruit drivers who already hold for-hire vehicle licenses in the city to work for Uber, a group that represents as many as 35,000 potential new drivers. Moreover, since the moratorium is on new vehicles  not new drivers  they also hoped to maximize the use of existing vehicles by encouraging their owners to allow other drivers to use them when they are sitting idle.

Though the cap would apply citywide, the ride-hail companies have warned that it could lead to fewer cars and worse service with longer wait times and higher prices, particularly in the boroughs outside Manhattan. With a limited supply of vehicles, too many drivers could opt to remain in Manhattan picking up well-heeled tourists and business workers, leaving too few drivers in the other boroughs where ridership has been growing the fastest. Yellow taxis, which are similarly limited in number, have traditionally been concentrated in Manhattans business districts, though they can legally operate anywhere in the city.

Mr. Schaller acknowledged such concerns, but added that unlike taxis, the ride-hail cars are dispatched with technology that allows the drivers to see exactly where the calls are coming in. He said that if they see more calls coming from, say, Queens, they will go there. Water doesnt bunch up at one end of the lake, it levels off across the whole lake, he said. The drivers chase the money  and if the money is all over the city  they go all over the city.

Not all fans of the ride-hail services were disappointed by the regulations. Shiri Wolf, 38, a lawyer who recently moved back to the Upper West Side, said that even though she has come to rely on the ride-hail services, something needed to be done about the horrendous traffic on city streets.

In the five years Ive been gone, I think traffic must have doubled, she said. Its fair to have cabbies earn a decent living, and they may have some efficiencies to gain, to learn from Lyft and Uber, but on the whole theyre more expensive because theyre regulated and I think regulation is a way to keep things fair for everybody.
TOKYO  Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa and an outspoken critic of United States military bases in Japans southern archipelago, died on Wednesday in Urasoe, on the main island. He was 67.

Kiichiro Jahana, Okinawas vice governor, said the cause was complications of pancreatic cancer, which Mr. Onaga discovered he had in April. He had undergone surgery for the cancer four months ago and was readmitted to the hospital on July 30.

Just before then, he vowed to renew a legal fight to stop the relocation of a Marine air base from central Okinawa to a less-populated coastal area. Echoing public protests in the region, he said the base, currently in Futenma, should be moved out of Okinawa Prefecture altogether.

Mr. Onaga was a rare conservative politician willing to stand up to leaders of Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In opposing the relocation of the base, he put himself at odds with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who supports keeping the bases in Okinawa, more than 650 miles from the Japanese mainland.
Bredesens primary night victory speech on Aug. 2 stands in sharp contrast to the one Abrams delivered in May:

Weve just turned into a country where everybody stands on opposite sides of the room and shouts at each other. Id like to be part of the fix for that, to start bringing us back together to find some solutions and to do some things together.

Tennessee is 73.9 percent white.

In his latest digital ad, What Republicans Are Saying About Phil Bredesen, the campaign cites favorable comments from prominent Republicans, including Sen. Bob Corker and Representative Chuck Fleischmann.

In an earlier television ad, Bredesen  a Harvard graduate with a degree in physics and a business executive who founded HealthAmerica Corporation  made his opposition to polarization explicit: Im not running against Donald Trump. There are a lot of things I personally dont like about Donald Trump, Bredesen says,

but he is the president of the United States and if he has an idea or is pushing something that is going to be good for Tennessee, Im going to be for it no matter where it came from. And likewise, if I think its not going to be good for Tennessee Im going to be against it.

On Tuesday, Democratic primary voters demonstrated a strong preference for centrist candidates; in May and June, they chose progressives. Looking toward the general election in November, there is evidence in support of both the Abrams and the Bredesen strategies.

The Third Way  a leading Democratic think tank that pushes for centrist, pro-business policies  conducted a poll June 14-15 designed to test the strength of two competing messages.

The first message expressed support for positions best described as non-adversarial and focused on expanding economic opportunity:

Its getting harder and harder for people to earn the life they want. Thats because the economy has changed dramatically, but government is stuck in the past. To solve this, we need an opportunity agenda for the Digital Age so that everyone everywhere has the opportunity to earn a better life.

The second message takes a decidedly adversarial stance toward the rich and illustrates an approach based on economic populism:

The American people must make a fundamental decision. Are we prepared to take on the enormous economic and political power of the billionaire class, or do we continue to slide into economic and political oligarchy? This is the most important question of our time, and how we answer it will determine the future of our country.

For all intents and purposes, the result was a draw. The first message  similar to Bredesens approach  got slightly more support from respondents (75 agree, 17 disagree), compared with 69-19 for the second message. But a higher percentage, 36 percent, strongly agreed with the more assertive populist message  similar to the Abrams approach  than the 32 percent for the message focused on opportunity.

A paper called Who Punishes Extremist Nominees? Candidate Ideology and Turning Out the Base in US Elections, by Andrew B. Hall and Daniel M. Thompson, political scientists at Stanford, arguably helps make the case for the moderate Bredesen-type, non-polarizing strategy.
TEL AVIV  I first met Col. Erran Morad 25 years ago. Well, sort of.

Morad is the fictional brainchild of Sacha Baron Cohen, the famous prankster and comedian, who has been stirring controversy with his new show Who Is America? The colonel, one of several of Mr. Cohens new alter egos, is an ultra-macho ex-Mossad agent who travels around the United States duping Israel-loving conservatives into embarrassing themselves, for example by pulling down their pants to fight terrorists.

So of course I didnt meet the real Morad. But I met a Morad. Or someone resembling him.

My wife and I were young Israeli volunteers in a small North American Jewish community. One day, we got an invitation to a lecture by a retired Israeli military officer. He was in America trying to boost Israels image. And his tools were his thick Israeli accent, his brash manner, and his captivatingly dry observations. You know, the retired lieutenant colonel told his crowd of mostly elderly Canadian Jews, we could throw all the Arabs into the Jordan. But the world wont let. I assume he meant Jordan the country, not Jordan the river, but who knows.

This lieutenant colonel became a part of my familys folklore to this day. We use his phrase as an absurd excuse for our simple failures. I truly tried to convince the pigeons to get off the balcony, I might say to my wife, but the world wont let.

We found so much humor in our Morad (and in case you wonder, yes, I do remember his real name) because he seemed outdated even then, in the mid-1990s. Like an effigy from the 50s or maybe the 60s, back when Israel was still thought of as a land of camels and Uzis. But we werent that country any more two decades ago  and we are certainly not that country today. Today, the military is not as dominant in Israels culture as it used to be, and Israel is more Westernized, more capitalist, more focused on trade and high-tech innovation, and less rugged, than it was in its early years. Morad is a caricature of our past, not our present.
To the Editor:

Re Trump Will Have Blood on His Hands (column, Aug. 4):

Bret Stephens addresses the very real danger of President Trumps hateful rhetoric toward the media after Mr. Stephens himself was threatened in a voice-mail message. The caller said that the press is the enemy of the United States people and, you know what, rather than me shoot you, I hope a Mexican and, even better yet, I hope a n shoots you in the head, dead .

The three-plus years of Mr. Trump demeaning the press and calling it the enemy of the people should remind everyone of the long tirades of Glenn Beck on Fox News, in which he called liberals a danger to our nation. In July 2010 that rhetoric led Byron Williams to load his car with rifles and ammunition in a failed attempt to kill liberals at the American Civil Liberties Union and the Tides Foundation in San Francisco.

Speech may be protected by our Constitution, but it is not free. It can have a cost, including bloodletting, as Mr. Stephens rightly points out. While the vast majority of Trump supporters would never take lethal action against reporters, it takes only one like Byron Williams.

Richard Haas

Sunnyvale, Calif.

To the Editor:

Most Americans do not believe that the press is the enemy of the people. Insisting that this administration threatens a free press is just one more means of browbeating it.
NEW HAVEN  For five years, Nelson Pinos, my father, went to regular check-ins with immigration officials. Each time, the officials approved his requests to stay in this country. But last October, everything changed. They want me to leave by November 30, he told me. They want me to show them a one-way plane ticket to Ecuador.

I couldnt believe it. My father, who came here more than two decades ago and is undocumented, has no criminal record, has always paid his taxes and has three children who are American citizens  me, my 13-year-old sister and my 5-year-old brother. Two weeks later, I watched as an officer snapped a monitor onto my fathers right ankle. When we got home, we wept in each others arms.

Going to Ecuador would be devastating for our family. My siblings and I were born in New Haven and our entire life is here. Were a close family doing exactly what most other American families do: working and studying hard, having fun. My little brother and sister hardly know how to speak Spanish. In two years Ill be able to go to college, and my father didnt want to ruin all that by taking us back to Ecuador.

But neither did he want to leave us and our mother in Connecticut. So on Nov. 30, the day of his scheduled deportation, we drove to the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church in downtown New Haven and my father claimed sanctuary. He still has his ankle bracelet, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement knows exactly where he is. But so long as he does not step outside, he is safe.
When the British musician Tirzah Mastin talks about the act of creating, she makes it sound as easy as inviting a few friends to hang out and seeing what happens. Skyping from her flat in South London, the 30-year-old seems surprisingly relaxed ahead of the release of her first full album, Devotion, due out Aug. 10. Its a bunch of decisions about what you want, she says with an easy shrug when asked how the 11-track lineup came to be. At the end we tried to go for songs that we thought were strong enough on their own, instead of fixating too much on the entire body.

Over the past five years, Mastin has made a name for herself  as Tirzah  in the London music scene with the seductively off-kilter pop that she makes with her close friend, the composer Mica Levi. Mastin (Taz, to friends) takes on vocals while Levi (a.k.a. Meeks), who is known for her cerebral, boundary-pushing film scores (including those for Jackie and Under the Skin), produces the loops and beats. The pair met as young students at the prestigious Purcell School for Young Musicians, in Watford, England, where Mastin was studying, of all things, the harp. I went to a concert with my mum once and she said, Do you want to try that? So I was like, Yeah, why not?  she recalls with a big laugh. She soon left her home county of Essex to devote herself to musical studies, at age 13. When youre a kid, you dont really think about or question things too much, she says.

Image The 11-track-long Devotion, out Aug. 10, is Tirzahs first full-length album.

Mastin and Levi, a fellow Purcell boarder studying violin and viola, started experimenting outside their schoolwork, with Mastin singing vocals over various beats that Levi conceived. When Mastin eventually enrolled in the London College of Fashion to focus on fashion and textile design, the pairs friendship and musical collaboration remained as strong as ever. Their tracks began popping up in London clubs, but there was never any plan to put out a record. It was this thing that we did, like a ritual, Mastin says. Meeting up, making music, catching up, and that was it.
Apple recently became a $1 trillion company, fueled partly by the growth from its iPhone. In contrast, its top competitor in smartphones, Samsung, has been dealing with slowing revenue from its signature Galaxy S9 smartphone.

To prompt more sales, Samsung on Thursday unveiled the Galaxy Note9, its latest big-screen smartphone (also known as a phablet), which comes equipped with a digital pen. Like Apples top-selling iPhone X, the Galaxy Note9 costs about $1,000. It arrives in stores on Aug. 24.

Samsung introduced the new Note a few weeks earlier than it normally would, as a way to drum up awareness for the device.

For a phone this pricey, the new features of the Note9 are hardly cutting edge. Samsung highlighted the Galaxy Note9s exceptionally large battery, which it said would let people talk, text and play games all day. The company also emphasized faster speeds and the devices larger 6.4-inch screen (the last Galaxy Note measured 6.3 diagonal inches).
Pioneer joins a growing number of efforts by foundations, nonprofits and some companies to address the opportunity gap in America and worldwide. They all begin with the recognition that skills and talent are far more evenly distributed than opportunity. Talented people suffer  one study called them lost Einsteins  but so does the economy from the loss of ideas and wealth they could have produced.

Image Were trying to build a kind of search engine for finding great people with talent, ambition and potential, Mr. Gross said. Credit... Jason Henry for The New York Times

Selecting pioneers will begin with a monthlong online tournament. Candidates will submit their project ideas. Each week, the projects will be updated. The candidates will vote on each others projects, points will be awarded and there will be leader board. Subject experts will also vote, with their votes counting somewhat more than the candidates.

The initiative is inspired partly by Mr. Grosss personal experience.

When he was an 18-year-old student at a military prep school in Israel, Mr. Gross, on a whim, sent in an idea to Y Combinator, the prominent start-up incubator. To his surprise, he was accepted and departed for Silicon Valley. That changed my life, Mr. Gross recalled.

In 2013, Apple bought his fledgling company, Cue, a predictive search start-up. Mr. Gross spent four years at Apple, leading several projects and departed last year to join Y Combinator.

Mr. Gross will retain a link to Y Combinator, but his main commitment now is to Pioneer, he said.

Many of the proposals coming into Pioneer will likely be for technology and start-up ideas. But Pioneer is looking for innovators broadly. So far, it has lined up advisers to act as online or in-person mentors in nine categories including the arts and humanities, diversity, economics, music and philosophy. Pioneer is seeking more expert advisers.
In late 2014, the group interviewed and endorsed four Republican candidates for the State Legislature who opposed affirmative action. It enlisted dozens of volunteers to campaign for them. All four candidates, none of them incumbents, won.

They were a constant presence in my campaign office, said Young Kim, a Republican who unseated an incumbent Democratic assemblywoman and is now running for Congress. This was the first time that I knew that there were very active Chinese-American parents that were organizing this movement, specifically to fight against S.C.A. 5.

Even after winning the fight in California, Mr. Li and other activists remain wary. Mr. Li said it was important to prevent Democrats in the California Legislature from gaining a supermajority that could allow them to pass a bill reinstating affirmative action. He said he was still worried about what the future held for his 13-year-old son, despite his strong academic performance.

I think for him its going to be really, really tough if nothing is changed in current college admissions system policies and practice, he said. As an Asian male, its going to be very tough for him to get admitted to a top, elite school.

His daughter is entering her senior year pursuing environmental studies at the University of California, Berkeley  a college Mr. Li said he did not think she would have gotten into if affirmative action had returned to California.

For many Chinese families, a focus on education is deeply rooted in the tradition they came from.

The civil service exam was a staple of Chinese governance for more than 1,000 years, leading to the rise of a gentry class of bureaucrats who supplanted aristocrats with inherited privileges. The test was a powerful engine of social mobility. The exam was abandoned in 1911, when the Qing imperial dynasty was overthrown.

Later, under Mao and during the massive upheaval of the Cultural Revolution, most schools were closed. When they reopened after the movement ended in 1976, it was clear just how much the country yearned for education. More than 11 million students flocked to take the college entrance exams over the next two years.
The judge overseeing the lawsuit in Washington, Judge John D. Bates of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, went even further on Friday by reaffirming an earlier ruling that essentially tells the government to reinstate DACA and start taking new applications from anyone who is eligible for the temporary status. But that does not mean young immigrants can start submitting their applications; the government has until Aug. 23 to appeal, and has signaled that it intends to fight.

Even before that date comes around, however, the fourth lawsuit, the one heard in Texas on Wednesday, could complicate matters even further. A group of nine states led by Texas sued to end the program permanently in May, after the California and New York judges had ruled in favor of the program. That lawsuit landed in front of Judge Hanen, who previously made his tough-on-immigration views clear when he ruled in 2015 against another immigration program the Obama administration had created as a companion to DACA. That program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, which was intended to shield some parents of American citizens and legal residents from deportation, never went into effect; the Supreme Court deadlocked over it in 2016, leaving Judge Hanens decision in place.

What happened this week in the Texas case?

In Wednesdays court hearing, lawyers for Texas said that the judge should issue a preliminary injunction ending the program. (The Trump administration refused to defend the program against Texas lawsuit, leaving the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund to intervene on behalf of 22 DACA recipients.)

Texas is arguing that DACA is little different from the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program, and therefore deserves the same treatment from Judge Hanen. But lawyers for Maldef pointed out one big difference: DACA, unlike DAPA, has already been in effect for years, they argued in court, and Texas has not been able to show that the program has harmed the state.

Texas was not able to point to evidence that DACA recipients are costing the state anything, and in fact the evidence in the case is that by being able to work and live and participate in civic society and the economy, that Texas over all is better with DACA recipients, said Nina Perales, the groups lawyer.

But Todd Lawrence Disher, the Texas special counsel, said in court, No amount of economic activity makes lawful what is otherwise unlawful.

What does the future hold for the program?

There is more uncertainty ahead.

If Judge Hanen does issue an injunction forcing the government to freeze DACA, it could set up a clash between his ruling and those of the three other judges: The Trump administration could be under conflicting orders to end the program; to resurrect the program and allow new applications; and to keep the program but only for those already enrolled, allowing them to renew their two-year work permits. An appeals court is already considering the California case, and Judge Hanens ruling, whatever it is, will probably be appealed to another appeals court. But those two appeals courts could rule differently.
The soldiers were recruited mainly for their language skills or medical training. Many speak strategically important languages like Chinese, Korean or Russian. Many have college degrees, and some are medical doctors. More than 10,000 troops have joined the military through the program since it began in 2008, almost all of them serving in the Army.

In recent years, though, the Defense Department has tightened its vetting of immigrant recruits. Now, soldiers joining up to be clerks, mechanics and surgeons face the kinds of extensive background checks that were formerly conducted for troops who needed top secret clearance. The added layers of scrutiny include screenings by the C.I.A. and F.B.I., a review of at least a decades worth of personal finances, an exhaustive questionnaire and numerous lengthy interviews.

The new requirements made processing each recruit take much longer, and the backlog of reviews piled up into the thousands. Many recruits have been waiting for years to get the clearances they need to advance in their military careers, and in some cases, Ms. Cutler said, the process has dragged on so long that screenings done at the beginning have since expired and must be done over again. Then the Army started pushing the recruits out.

They were being discharged even if there was not a security concern, she said. These are often highly skilled individuals, many have masters degrees.

In a court filing in July, government lawyers called the Mavni program an elevated security risk, and said that some recruits had provided false information to obtain student visas and that others had friends who were associated with foreign intelligence organizations.

However, a 2017 report by the RAND Corporation found no evidence that the Mavni program had caused any security problems. The report, which has not been officially released, found that the programs recruits were generally better educated and performed better than the average enlisted soldier, and had not been involved in terrorism or espionage.

The military may want to curtail the Mavni program simply because it has become an administrative headache, clogged with too many regulations, said Margaret D. Stock, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve who helped create the program and is now an immigration lawyer representing some Mavni soldiers.
Whatever criticism he has faced does not seem to have fazed Judge Ellis at all in his conduct of Mr. Manaforts trial, the first to consider charges stemming from the investigation led by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel.

I am a Caesar in my own Rome, he said at one point, discussing why he refused to allow defendants to plead no contest instead of guilty. Its a pretty small Rome, he added.

Some lawyers who have been in his courtroom say its better to allow him to have the last word rather than engage in what are essentially contests over who has more intellectual firepower.

Away from the courthouse, lawyers and former clerks said, there is a softer side to the judge not always visible from the bench. The first judge to preside over a naturalization ceremony in Arlington Cemetery, Judge Ellis is known for growing emotional every time he administers the oath of citizenship.

To the jurors, the judge could not be more solicitous, joking about the plain lunch menu (You wont find baked alaska). At least the meal is free, he told the jurors on opening day, saying he hoped no one had a fleeting urge to slit their wrists because they had been unfortunate enough to be picked from the jury pool.

He has clearly reveled in his captive audience. My hearing is not what it once was, he said last week, pausing for a beat with comic effect. Nothing is what it once was. Born in Bogota, Colombia, he took the opportunity during a sentencing to display his fluency in Spanish, questioning the defendant himself while an interpreter stood by.

Even if the spectators had come only for the Manafort case, he said, he was glad they got a chance to see the criminal justice system at work. He has weighed in on a variety of issues outside the courtroom, criticizing conditions at a Virginia prison and questioning whether sentencing laws are too harsh.
WASHINGTON  Senior American national security officials, seeking to prevent President Trump from upending a formal policy agreement at last months NATO meeting, pushed the military alliances ambassadors to complete it before the forum even began.

The work to preserve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreement, which is usually subject to intense 11th-hour negotiations, came just weeks after Mr. Trump refused to sign off on a communique from the June meeting of the Group of 7 in Canada.

The rushed machinations to get the policy done, as demanded by John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, have not been previously reported. Described by European diplomats and American officials, the efforts are a sign of the lengths to which the presidents top advisers will go to protect a key and longstanding international alliance from Mr. Trumps unpredictable antipathy.

Allied ambassadors said the American officials plan worked  to a degree.

Mr. Trump did almost blow up the two-day meeting in Brussels that began on July 11. He issued a vague threat that the United States could go its own way if allies resisted his demands for additional military spending. After the gathering, he also questioned a pillar of the alliance: that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all.
Rusal has been struggling to operate with the American sanctions in place and has appealed to the Treasury Department for relief. The United States has said it will consider lifting the ban if Mr. Deripaska cedes control of the company, and Rusal has begun the process for that to occur. In an interview with Reuters last month, the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said he was open to easing the sanctions on Rusal, which the company has said pose a threat to its operations. Our objective is not to put Rusal out of business, he said.

Despite the cloud of sanctions, Rusal filed more than 100 requests for exclusions that would allow it to import aluminum products from its Russian parent company to produce furniture, portable ladders and other goods. An American aluminum titan, Century Aluminum, filed objections to all but a few of those requests.

Rusals first 19 requests were denied by Commerce Department officials. In late July, its 20th request was granted. To date, Commerce Department officials say they have never approved a request that another company objected to properly.

Democrats in Congress who noticed the exclusion were prepared to protest what they called suspicious timing, given that the exemption coincided with Mr. Trumps summit meeting with Mr. Putin in Finland.

Commerce Department officials dismissed that criticism last week, saying they had coordinated with the Treasury Department unit that oversees sanctions in considering the Rusal application. The officials said that unit, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, was ultimately the decider on whether sanctions should prevent approval of an exclusion.

Treasury officials, however, denied that they had played a role in the exclusion request.

The Commerce Department implements authorities that are separate and distinct from sanctions implemented by Treasurys O.F.A.C., a Treasury spokesman said in an email. This was a Commerce Department decision, and we were not specifically consulted.

The Commerce Department said that the approval review lasted 12 weeks, and that there were no objections posted by American companies for the approved request during the monthlong comment period.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Mike Pence promoted a proposed Space Command on Thursday as an idea whose time has come in comments at the Pentagon to unveil a few more details about President Trumps plan to create another military force, this one for outer space, and for it to be in operation by 2020.

Mr. Trumps space dreams still have to go through a divided Congress to come true, but initially reluctant Pentagon officials have lined up behind the proposal and now say that they will do what they can to bring it to fruition.

The time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation, Mr. Pence told an audience at the Pentagon. He called for Congress to allocate an additional $8 billion for space security systems over the next five years.

Mr. Trump, for his part, posted on Twitter on Thursday: Space Force all the way!

But that may be a tall order. The administration cannot just create a Space Force on its own; it has to go through Congress, where critics abound.
It was not clear whether Tyrone McAllister, who was being held in the San Joaquin County Jail, or the other teenager, who was being held in the countys juvenile detention center, had hired lawyers. Mr. McAllister was sentenced to three months in jail in April for misdemeanor assault and theft, according to court records.

While the Manteca police did not label the assault a hate crime, Sikhs in the United States have often been targets of discrimination, particularly after the Sept. 11 attacks. In some assaults, Sikh men have been wrongly assumed to be Muslims.

There are more than 25 million Sikhs worldwide, including about 500,000 in the United States, according to the Sikh Coalition in New York. Sikhism is about 500 years old, making it one of the youngest religions in the world, and was founded in the Indian state of Punjab. The monotheistic religion promotes self-reliance and individual responsibility. Worshipers follow the teachings of the 10 Sikh gurus.

The religion is full of symbolism. Sikh men wear distinctive turbans, which represent the courage to fight injustice, and keep their beards uncut, which signals an acceptance of Gods will.

Not long after the first Sikhs arrived in the United States in the late 1800s, they were victims in racist attacks. The most notable was in 1907 in Bellingham, Wash., where white workers accused South Asian immigrants of stealing their jobs in lumber mills and started to riot. They destroyed the immigrants property, stole their goods and forced them out of town.

There have been several high-profile episodes since 2001, including immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. On Sept. 15 of that year, an Arizona man fatally shot the Sikh owner of a gas station in Mesa after mistaking him for an Arab.
HARARE, Zimbabwe  A senior leader of Zimbabwes main opposition party was arrested on Thursday after Zambia rejected his request for asylum and deported him, escalating fears of a government crackdown following a disputed presidential election.

The politician, Tendai Biti, was handed to the Zimbabwean authorities at the border. He was later taken before a magistrate in Zimbabwes capital, Harare, and charged with inciting public violence and with violating election law by announcing unofficial results.

The magistrate, Francis Mapfumo, released Mr. Biti on $5,000 bail, and ordered him to return to court on Friday. The bail conditions also required Mr. Biti to surrender the title deeds to one of his Harare homes and to leave his passport with the clerk of court.

The events come as Mr. Bitis party, the Movement for Democratic Change, prepares a legal challenge to the results of the July 30 election, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa won narrowly.
JERUSALEM  After a lull in the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas on Thursday, militants in Gaza fired a rocket toward the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, a major population center about 25 miles away, for the first time since the last war in 2014.

In response, Israeli missiles flattened a five-story building in western Gaza City, injuring 18 people, according to Gaza health officials. Israel said the building was used by Hamass security forces for military purposes. The Palestinians said it was a center for the arts, housing a theater and a library, as well as an office serving Egyptians residing in Gaza.

The sharp blows left many wondering if these were the final shots ushering in a new, if fragile, cease-fire, or the opening shots of the next war.

Officials in Gaza said late Thursday that a cease-fire brokered by Egypt and the United Nations envoy to the region, Nickolay Mladenov, would begin at midnight. They described it as a limited understanding of calm for calm. But it was not likely to be any more stable than the cease-fires that came before.
IBB, Yemen  An airstrike from the Saudi-led coalition struck a school bus in northern Yemen on Thursday and killed dozens of people, many of them children, local medical officials and international aid groups said.

The attack sent a flood of victims to overwhelmed hospitals struggling to cope in what the United Nations considers one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises.

The coalition said it had hit missile launchers and called the attack a legitimate military operation, but the attack and the justification for it were condemned and drew new attention to the tremendous human toll of the war in Yemen, especially on children.

No excuses anymore! Geert Cappelaere, Unicefs regional director in the Middle East and North Africa, said on Twitter. Does the world really need more innocent childrens lives to stop the cruel war on children in Yemen?
Question 2 What percent of people who voted for Trump report having warm or very warm feelings toward him in 2018?

I dont want to play; just tell me the answer.

Warm or very warm feelings represent ratings of 51 or higher, in a feeling thermometer from 0 (coldest) to 100 (warmest), among validated voters in 2016 who reported voting for Mr. Trump. Data for previous Republican presidential nominees are estimates based on pre-election surveys, census data and election results; 2016 data are Pew Research Center estimates.

Share of Trump voters who reported having warm or very warm feelings toward him

These questions reveal two overlooked aspects of the Trump electorate.

Yes, white voters without a college degree shifted decisively from Barack Obama to Donald J. Trump in 2016. But these voters actually made up only a slightly larger share of Mr. Trumps coalition than they did of the previous three Republican nominees coalitions.

And while Mr. Trump has a large and resilient base of supporters, a sizable share had reservations when they cast their ballots for him and continue to have reservations about him today. A small but meaningful number of his voters, particularly women, appear to have soured on him since the election.

Understanding the breadth of Mr. Trumps coalition is important to understanding the Republican Partys position heading into the 2018 midterms. Mr. Trumps most enthusiastic supporters were vital to his victory in the primary, and Obama-Trump voters in old industrial towns were decisive in the general election. But the midterms could be decided by voters at the edge of Mr. Trumps coalition and of the public's imagination: stereotype-defying female, college-educated or nonwhite Trump supporters, who are somewhat likelier to harbor reservations about the president. They may have been reluctant to back him, but they were still essential to his 2016 victory and are essential to the G.O.P.s chances today.

This more nuanced picture emerges from a survey of validated voters on Pews American Trends Panel, a representative sample of American adults who agreed to take Pew surveys every month. The panel allows a rare, direct measurement of how voters have shifted over time.

Pew asked panelists how they voted in November 2016, and the responses were matched to voter records that indicate whether a panelist actually cast a ballot. Its a big advantage over typical polls, which struggle to distinguish shifts in public opinion from the effect of a new set of respondents in each poll. It offers perhaps the clearest picture yet of who supported Mr. Trump and how his voters feel about him today.

Trumps voters are demographically similar to Mitt Romneys

If you want to understand why Mr. Trump won the presidency, theres one big reason: white voters without a college degree. They put Mr. Trump over the top in disproportionately white working-class battleground states where Mr. Obama fared relatively well, like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

But Mr. Trumps supporters arent monolithic. Nor is his coalition necessarily dominated by the groups that broke most strongly for him.

Just 33 percent of Mr. Trumps supporters were white men without a college degree. A majority of Mr. Trumps supporters defy the stereotype: They were either women, nonwhite or college graduates (or some combination of those).

Over all, 47 percent of Mr. Trumps voters were women. And though he struggled among affluent college-educated whites for a Republican, he still won 44 percent of voters making more than $150,000 per year, according to the Pew data, and nearly 40 percent of college-educated white voters.

Perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Trumps voters were about as likely as the supporters of other recent Republican nominees to hold a college degree.

How did the number of white working-class Republican voters stay so constant? Republicans have been winning a progressively larger share of white voters without a degree, but the group is shrinking over all. The result is that the two trends have basically canceled each other out.

White, non-college voters did break strongly for Mr. Trump ... Margin of victory ...but those voters make up an ever-decreasing share of the electorate. Share of all voters Data for previous presidential elections are estimates based on pre-election surveys, census data and election results; 2016 data based on Pew Research Center estimates.

At the same time, Republicans have lost ground among college-educated and nonwhite voters, but those groups have been growing as a share of the electorate. So oddly, a room full of Trump voters would be similar to a room full of George W. Bush voters, at least based on their race and education.

A room full of Democrats, on the other hand, would look a lot different. The party is doing increasingly well among growing portions of the electorate, and worse among the shrinking number of white working-class voters. Over all for Democrats, white voters without a degree have fallen from 43 percent of John Kerrys voters to 26 percent of Hillary Clintons.

Composition of Democratic Presidential Coalitions White, no college degree White, college degree Nonwhite Kerry 2004 Obama 2008 Obama 2012 Clinton 2016 43% 26 31 39 25 36 34 25 41 26 34 40 White without a college degree White with a college degree Nonwhite Kerry 2004 Obama 2008 Obama 2012 Clinton 2016 43% 26 31 39 25 36 34 25 41 26 34 40 Data for previous presidential elections are estimates based on pre-election surveys, census data and election results; 2016 data based on Pew Research Center estimates.

The shift among college-educated white voters was particularly sharp, and the Pew data is one of the strongest pieces of evidence indicating that Mrs. Clinton did far better among this group than initially believed. In the Pew data, she carried college-educated white voters by 17 percentage points, a huge shift from 2012, when Mitt Romney won that group.

Its a very different story from the exit polls, which showed Mr. Trump winning college-educated white voters. Theres little doubt that the exit polls were wrong. Virtually all other survey data, along with the precinct-level election results, suggest that Mrs. Clinton won college-educated white voters and probably by a big margin.

The Trump voters most likely to stop supporting him: Women and the college-educated

There has been little change in President Trumps approval rating in the last 18 months, and so its often assumed that nothing can erode his base of support. The Pew data suggests its not so simple.

Yes, nearly half of Mr. Trumps voters have exceptionally warm views toward him: 45 percent rated their feeling toward him as a 90 or higher out of 100, a figure that is virtually unchanged since his election. But a meaningful number of his voters had reservations about him in November 2016, and even more Trump voters held a neutral or negative view of him in March.

Over all, 18 percent of Mr. Trumps voters gave him a rating of 50 or less, on a scale of 0 (coldest) to 100 (warmest), up from 13 percent in November 2016.

It is worth noting that the November 2016 Pew survey was taken after Mr. Trump won the presidency, at the height of his post-election honeymoon. But even when you consider the slightly lower ratings voters gave him in the months before the election, the big picture is the same: A modest number of Mr. Trumps voters didnt like him that much then, and dont like him much now.

Women, and especially college-educated women, are the likeliest Trump voters to have serious reservations about him in 2018: A striking 14 percent of the college-educated women who voted for him hold a very cold impression of him, up from just 1 percent in November 2016.

How Voters for Trump Have Changed Their Feelings Toward Him Neutral or somewhat cold Very cold Very warm or warm Men without a college degree Post-election 86% 12 March 2018 89 7 4 38% of Trumps voters Men with a college degree Post-election 89 11 March 2018 83 12 5 15% of Trumps voters Women without a college degree Post-election 90 8 March 2018 77 18 6 33% of Trumps voters Women with a college degree Post-election 83 16 14% of Trumps voters March 2018 74 12 14 Men without a college degree 38% of Trumps voters Very warm or warm Neutral or somewhat cold Very cold Post-election 86% 12 March 2018 89 7 4 Men with a college degree 15% of Trumps voters Very warm or warm Neutral or somewhat cold Very cold Post-election 89 11 March 2018 83 12 5 Women without a college degree 33% of Trumps voters Very warm or warm Neutral or somewhat cold Very cold Post-election 90 8 March 2018 77 18 6 Women with a college degree 14% of Trumps voters Very warm or warm Neutral or somewhat cold Very cold Post-election 83 16 March 2018 74 12 14 Source: Pew Research Center | Warm feelings represent ratings of 51 or higher on a feeling thermometer from 0 (coldest) to 100 (warmest), among validated voters in 2016 who reported voting for Mr. Trump. Neutral or somewhat cold feelings represent ratings of 25 to 50, and very cold feelings represent ratings below 25. Numbers may not add up to 100 because of rounding.

Will the Trump coalition show up in 2018?

The resilience of Mr. Trumps winning coalition gives Republicans a chance to hold Congress, even in a midterm election year when the presidents overall approval rating is well beneath 50 percent. It helps explain why he has retained almost unified support from Republican members of Congress despite his unorthodox stances on trade and Russia.

But while its clear that most of Mr. Trumps supporters stand by him, there are big questions about whether theyll be as helpful to Republicans in 2018 as they were to him in 2016.

Mr. Trumps coalition was enough to win a presidential election in large part because white working-class voters were overrepresented in the presidential battleground states. Thats not so true in the most vulnerable Republican-held House districts.

At the same time, white voters without a college degree typically turn out in smaller numbers in midterm elections. And turnout among college-educated voters has been unusually high in special and general elections held since Mr. Trump won the presidency.

If the patterns hold, the combination of a better-educated battleground and lower turnout among less educated voters could mean that House control is decided in districts where college-educated voters make up around 47 percent of voters, rather than the 34 percent share of such voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in 2016, according to Upshot estimates based on census data.

Mr. Trumps most fervent supports might stick with him through November and beyond. But in the midterms, Republicans will have the burden of fighting in many districts where the base might not be enough.
The former inspector general of police, Gen Kale Kayihura is being handled in line with military procedures, prime minister Ruhakana Rugunda has said.



Rugunda was responding to a question raised by Kawempe North member of parliament, Latif Ssebaggala during the prime minister's question time on when government plans to present Kayihura before court.



In his response, Rugunda said there was no need for worry, saying Kayihura is a senior army officer who is being handled under military procedures.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda

"Is a very senior officer of the UPDF and is being handled in accordance with laid down procedures of handling such an officer," said Rugunda.

The former police chief hasn't appeared in court since his arrest of June 13 and subsequent detention at Makindye Military barracks. Kayihura was picked up together with several police officers who worked with him during his tenure as IGP.



During a closed door meeting with members of parliament on security matters recently, President Yoweri Museveni is reported to have told legislators that the jailed former police boss side-stepped formal police structures and chose to work with civilians effectively crippling professionalism of the force.



Museveni allegedly blamed Kayihura for leaping to the defense of his juniors even when they had broken the law.
President Trumps PR campaign to delegitimize the media as the enemy of the people" appears to have gained traction among his supporters. That's the sad finding from an Ipsos survey released Aug. 7.

Nearly half (48 percent) of Republicans strongly or somewhat agree with the presidents enemy of the people rant, compared to 12 percent of Democrats. A mere 29 percent of them totally agree that most news outlets try their best to produce honest reporting.

Eight-in-ten Republicans say most news outlets have a liberal bias, and 79 percent agree with our over-sensitive tweeter-in-chief's view that the press treats him unfairly.

Though 83 percent of Republicans claim freedom of the press is essential for American democracy, an amazing 43 percent of GOPers are willing to grant the president dictatorial power to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.

TrumpLand, of course, defines bad behavior as just about anything reported from his fake news outlets CNN, MSNBC, New York Times and Washington Post.

At 55 percent, CNN ranked No. 2 in the GOP total unfavorable rankings, trailing only president Obama who weighed in with a healthy 75 percent score. MSNBC (55 percent), NYT (53 percent) and WaPo (50 percent) trailed CNN.

A silver lining for CNN, WaPo and NYT: less than a quarter of Republicans (23 percent) agree (for now) that Trump should close them down.

Ipsos confirmed the love-fest between Republicans and Trumps favorite cable channel, Fox News, which scored a sturdy 79 percent net favorable rating.

At 43 percent, Fox is the No. 1 source of TV news for Republicans. ABC, CNN and CBS follow with eight percent each. CNN (20 percent) is the top TV news source for Democrats.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents have one thing in common. They give The Weather Channel at least a 90 percent trustworthy grade.

Ipsos noted that while a large majority of Americans support the First Amendment, there are worrying signs that freedom of the press might be conditional to many people.

Trump has another two years to work on that.
The four major trade groups representing the U.S. marketing industry are pushing back against the Trump Administrations proposal to add a question regarding citizenship to the 2020 Census.

An August 7 memo sent to the Commerce Department  which was jointly signed by the CEOs of the Association of National Advertisers, the American Advertising Federation, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Advertising Research Foundation  laid out these groups criticisms of the proposed plan, which they believe could harm the decennial procedures data, which allocates both federal funds as well as seats of the U.S. House of Representatives based on states populations.

We are concerned that the addition of a citizenship question would depress response among both citizens and their families (even if family members are indeed citizens), the letter read, in part. That runs the risk of non-respondent bias by significantly undercounting immigrant, minority, and low-income populations. If immigrants and others avoid the national head-count, the census results will be flawed.

The Trumps administrations plan presents a challenge to the marketing world, whose continuous research efforts could be damaged as a result of potentially flawed U.S. population data that many believe would result from this decision.

Since the census is the foundation for population estimates that support the marketing industry, inaccurate census data would lead to misallocated marketing resources, which could have particularly negative impact on media that server multicultural marketers, the letter continues.

The Trump administration in late March announced that it plans to include a question in the 2020 Census regarding how many of a households members are U.S. citizens. The U.S. Justice Department said that data is critical for its enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, which is designed to prevent discriminatory voting practices.

The announcement was met with immediate pushback from civil rights groups such as the Urban League and the ACLU, among other critics who said the decision would instill fear in immigrant communities and could potentially deter people from participating in the census, resulting in an underrepresentation of both the national population as well as citizens representation in Congress in areas with large minority and immigrant populations.

Several states have since filed lawsuits, alleging the proposal violates the U.S. Constitution and federal laws. Questions regarding U.S. citizenship have appeared in censuses throughout the ages, the last time appearing in 1950.

The Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, had until yesterday been soliciting public comments on the controversial addition in preparation for the upcoming count.

The Association of National Advertisers in July retained D.C.-based legal and lobbying firm Venable to advocate on Capitol Hill on data protection and data security issues, among other matters.


Rich Myers

Profile Advisors handles the largest creditor group in Puerto Rico that agreed yesterday on a financial deal that Governor Ricardo Rossello hailed as a significant step in restructuring Puerto Ricos debt and reaffirms once again the credibility of our efforts.

The COFINA Senior Bondholders Coalition said restructuring of an estimated $18B in debt lays the groundwork for future capital market access and equitable recoveries and resumption of cash interest for bondholders.

It also reduces the islands debt by $7B.

The Wall Street Journal reported the restructuring, which requires court approval, would mark the largest consensual debt settlement with creditors since Puerto Rico entered bankruptcy last year.

Edelman Financial veterans Rich Myers and Greg Marose launched Profile Advisors in April with support from Prosek Partners.

They exited Edelman in March.
Tribune Media has terminated its merger agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group and sued Sinclair for breach of contract. The $3.9 billion deal would have added Tribunes 42 TV stations in 33 markets to Sinclairs 192 current stations. Last month, the FCC voted to refer the proposed merger to an administrative law judge to review questions about the amount of control Sinclair would maintain over several stations it was divesting in order to comply with FCC regulations. To maintain control over stations it was obligated to sell, Sinclair engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the Department of Justice and the FCC over regulatory requirements, Tribune said. Wednesday was the first-day Tribune was allowed to pull out of the deal, per the merger agreement. Tribune is expected to look for another buyer. One source inside Sinclair told CNN that a possible buyer could be Fox.

HBO is teaming up with news and information website Axios for a documentary series of news-oriented specials set to debut in time for the midterm elections. Matthew ONeill and Perri Peltz, both of whom have won Emmys for their work at HBO, will collaborate with Axios journalists on the programs, which are expected to combine breaking news content, exclusive interviews and short profiles. The new series will join Vice News Tonight and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in HBOs lineup of programs covering news and politics. Axios was started in 2016 by Politico co-founder Jim VanderHei, Politico's former chief White House correspondent Mike Allen and former Politico chief revenue officer Roy Schwartz. We see this combination of HBO, Axios and award-winning storytellers as a powerful way of bringing clarity and meaning to the most consequential topics, said VanderHei.



Kate Lewis

Kate Lewis is stepping into the chief content officer role at Hearst that was vacated by Joanna Coles on Monday. Lewis has been with Hearst Magazines Digital Media since 2014, most recently as senior vice president and editorial director. In that position, she managed content groups across the companys 21 websites for such brands as Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire. Before that she was senior vp, editorial director & content operations at digital publisher Say Media. Her resume also includes considerable print experience, including a 10-year stint as managing editor at Self. Kate has built a team of first-rate editorial talent that is focused on publishing exceptional feature and service journalism in words, images and video, Young said in a company statement announcing Lewis hire. She has played an integral role in growing our digital organization into the fast-moving, profitable business it is today.
Submitted logo.

OBU to Co-Sponsor Institute on Church Excellence Conference Oct. 26-27 August 9, 2018

St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City is partnering with Oklahoma Baptist University to host the 2018 Institute on Church Excellence (ICE) Conference Friday, Oct. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 27. The conference theme is Building better bridges: Moving Ministry from Maintenance to Excellence.

Designed to help small churches grow in the areas of leadership development, administration, millennial issues and technology, the event will feature engaging workshops, keynote speakers and practical discussion on various relevant topics. Additionally, the conference will provide practical tools and skill development opportunities for participants while sharing with and learning from others who are doing similar things successfully.

Todays churches are facing fierce challenges including financial crises, social/cultural shifts and demographic changes. With limited resources, small churches need assistance. The ICE Conference addresses these needs.

Dr. Major Jemison, who is the conference founder and senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, explains the critical need for this type of conference.

The Institute on Church Excellence provides small churches and remote located churches with the necessary tools to be successful in a changing world, Jemison said. Areas to be covered include administration, finances, worship, youth programs and other pertinent topics. Workshop leaders are considered experts in their field and have a love for God and humanity.

The conference will feature Dr. Joel C. Gregory, George W. Truett endowed chair in preaching and evangelism at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, as the keynote speaker. Other workshop leaders include Dr. Major Jemison, senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Heath Thomas, dean of the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry at OBU; Dr. Daryl Green, assistant professor of business and Dickinson Chair of Business at OBU; Dr. Ray Owens, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Tulsa; Dr. Lawrence Kirk, director of education at St. John Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Sandra Thompson, professor of music and undergraduate coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma; and Terry Buxton Sr., senior pastor of Agape Bible Fellowship in Tulsa.

Gregory serves as the George W. Truett endowed chair in preaching and evangelism at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University. Last year alone, he spoke or taught more than 170 times in churches and conferences across the world. As well as holding several pastorates, Gregory also served for two terms as the president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. For years, he was the preacher on the International Baptist Hour radio program heard on more than 500 stations across the nation, and in 1988, Gregory delivered the annual sermon at the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio. He also delivered the concluding message at the Baptist World Congress in Durban, South Africa. He is the author of five books, editor of three anthologies and the subject of a nationally performed play, Gods Man in Texas. Gregory and his wife, Joanne Michele, have four adult children.

Jemison serves as the senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and provides spiritual leadership and pastoral care for a congregation of about 2,500 members. He also functions as the churchs chief executive and chief operating officer, with administrative and fiscal responsibility for seven full-time staff, 13 part-time staff, numerous committed volunteers, an annual budget in excess of $3.5 million and property holdings valued at around $9 million. In 2006, Dr. Jemison completed a four-year term as president and chief executive officer of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., where he provided leadership related to the conventions involvement in and advocacy and support of a number of civic issues and concerns, especially those directly related to the plight of African Americans and other nations.

Thomas was installed as dean of the Hobbs College for Theology and Ministry in December 2015. He also serves as associate vice president for church relations and professor of Old Testament at OBU. He holds degrees from OBU, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Gloucestershire (UK). Prior to serving at OBU, he was the director of Ph.D. Studies and associate professor of Old Testament at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has pastored or served on staff at churches in Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina and in the United Kingdom. Passionate about opening the scriptures for today, he preaches and teaches regularly and serves as interim pastor when he is able.

Green is the Dickinson Chair of Business at Oklahoma Baptist University. In 2016, he retired from the Department of Energy, where he worked in the energy management program for more than 27 years. His primary research areas are leadership, management, culture and decision-making. Green regularly contributes to the scholarly research within his discipline with more than 15 articles published in well-known academic journals. Additionally, he is a member of editorial boards in several academic journals, including Strategic Leadership Review and Management and Economics Research Journal.

Owens became the senior pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in 2006. Since then, the church has more than tripled its membership base, weekly attendance and annual operating budget. As a result, he is now overseeing the construction of a new facility to accommodate the growing congregation. In addition to his pastoral duties, Owens has taught courses at Oklahoma State University and Texas Christian University. He currently serves as the affiliate assistant professor of ethics and black church studies at Phillips Theological Seminary.

Kirk graduated from OBU in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in religion. He then earned a Master of Divinity in theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002. Kirk earned his Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. He and his wife, Beverly, are noted seminar leaders and marriage counselors across the nation.

Thompson has been a member of the UCO faculty since 1989, where she serves as a professor of music and undergraduate coordinator. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with numerous directors, musicians and conductors on projects receiving national acclaim. Thompson is currently the artistic director of the Ambassadors Concert Choir, an internationally recognized community choir of more than 80 voices from the greater Oklahoma City area, and actively serves as an adjudicator and clinician for various contests and workshops.

Buxton serves as founder and senior pastor of Agape Bible Fellowship. He formerly served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church North Tulsa, associate pastor of childrens ministry at Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas and as childrens church minister at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. He is a graduate of Langston University, where he earned a bachelors degree in elementary education. He earned his masters degree in practical theology from Oral Roberts University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in church ministries and leadership at Oral Roberts University.

The Institute on Church Excellence Conference will be held at the St. John Missionary Baptist Church Conference Center at 5700 N. Kelley Ave. in Oklahoma City. The cost of the event is $75 per participant and areas to be covered during the event include administration, finance, worship, youth programs and other pertinent topics. To register for the event, visit http://www.stjohnokc.org/ice-conference.
In this current market, simply finding the right home for buyers can be a struggle. Even with the help of a Realtor, the process can be daunting. You find the home you like, you make an offer, and its accepted! The home of your dreams is within sight, and its smooth sailing, right? Not so fast. The National Association of Realtors most recent Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers ... (click for more)
No bag day: Shivamogga implements, rest of the state yet to

Bengaluru

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Bengaluru, Aug 9: School kids having to carry heavy bags has emerged as one of major concerns for the parents in recent times. Carrying bags as heavy as 7-8 kgs daily is nothing but cruelty which not only effects their spine but also leaves them totally exhausted by the end of the day.

The Department of Public Instruction of Karnataka, in January this year, had decided to implement no-bag day to ease the load on students from the 2018-19 academic year. The Block Education Officers have also issued directions to all the schools in this regard.

But barring Shivamogga, no other district in the state seems to have implemented this. In Shivamogga, the students from class 1 to 10 would be attending schools without bags every Saturday starting August 11.

On Saturdays, the schools in Shivamogga would be encouraging the students to take part in host of extra curricular activities such as classical dance, aerobics, yoga, martial arts and sessions on theatre among others.

Furthermore, to regulate the weight of the school bags on normal days, the Department of Public Instruction is looking at fixing the total weight of the bag within 10-15% of the body weight as per recommendations made by doctors.

Apart from relieving the students from the burden of carrying heavy bags, the aim of the entire exercise is also to ensure that learning does not remain textbook-centered.

According to a survey by the Department of State Educational Research and Training, in association with the Centre for Child and the Law, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, the highest burden of school bags was in unaided schools. The average weight of the bag from classes 1 to 10 was 5.6 kg. The heaviest bag of 8.3 kg was carried by a Kendriya Vidyalaya class 12 student. The survey also stated that notebooks constituted the maximum weight, reported the Hindu.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 14:23 [IST]
Kalinga Literary Festival, British Council Come Together For 5 Films for Freedom' In Bhubaneswar

Religious institutions in Bhubaneswar to reopen for devotees from this date

Postmaster gunned down by Maoists in Odisha

Bhubaneswar

pti-PTI

Malkangiri (Odisha), Aug 9: A postmaster in Odisha's Malkangiri district was abducted and killed allegedly by Maoists on suspicion that he was a police informer, a senior police official said today.

Around 20 armed ultras stormed Kamalapada village last night and abducted the postmaster of Papular post office, Narayan Palashi (45), Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said.

The body of Palashi, with gunshot wounds, was found by his family members and villagers on a road on the village outskirts, he said. On being informed about the incident, a team from Chitrakonda police station rushed to the site and launched an investigation, the SP said.

A handwritten note in Odia, which was found near the body, stated that the postmaster was "eliminated as he was operating as a police informer", police said, adding the note, which had CPI (Maoist) mentioned on the letter-head, also warned that "anyone found assisting the police in anti-naxal operations would be punished in a similar manner".

Combing operations and patrolling in the area have been intensified by the security forces in the aftermath of the killing, the SP said.

A high alert was sounded in Malkangiri district on August 7 to prevent possible influx of Maoists from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, where security forces gunned down 15 ultras on Monday.

PTI
Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination

Concerns on terrorist safe havens in Pakistan an honest one: US

TRF terrorist involved in killing of civilians in J&K gunned down

Terrorist who was going to kill shopkeeper in J&K gunned down

4 days after being killed in an encounter, this terrorist was shortlisted for J&K police

India

oi-Madhuri

Srinagar, Aug 9: 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.

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday released the shortlist of 2,060 candidates and at serial number 1913 is Khurshid Ahmad Malik, a resident of Arabal village of Pulwama district.

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.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 11:27 [IST]
'Leave India to God'

In May 1942, Mahatma Gandhi called on Britain to "Leave India to God. If this is too much then leave her to anarchy". In July 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and a resolution was passed which was termed The Wardha Resolution. It is also known as Quit India Resolution which demanded, "The British Rule in India must end immediately.

karo ya Maro(Do or die)

The resolution was ratified in the AICC with minor amendments and a non-violent mass struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi was sanctioned. The session began on the August 7 and concluded post midnight of August 8, 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay. In a speech entitled, "Do or Die (Karo ya Maro)," given on by Mahatma Gandhi, he urged the masses to act as an independent nation and not to follow the orders of the British.

Gandhi's speech

During this politically charged time, it is important to remember Mahatma Gandhi's words on 8 August, 1942 in Bombay ahead of the Quit India Movement, in which he asked people to adopt ahimsa (non-violence) during the struggle for India's independence.

Here are the excerpts from Gandhi's speech:

"Let me, however, hasten to assure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not changed in any fundamental respect. I attach the same importance to non-violence that I did then. If at all, my emphasis on it has grown stronger. There is no real contradiction between the present resolution and my previous writings and utterances. The proposal for the withdrawal of British power did not come out of anger. It came to enable India to play its due part at the present critical juncture. But it is my conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they failed to realise the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence."

Gandhi, Nehru and many other leaders arrested

Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during the announcement rally of Quit India Resolution. In 1942, in a fiery speech, Mahatma Gandhi gave a 'do or die' call to the people of India in a final push to make the British quit. The next day, Gandhi, Nehru and many other leaders of the Indian National Congress were arrested by the British Government. Disorderly and non-violent demonstrations took place throughout the country in the following days. The 'Quit India' movement, more than anything, united the Indian people against British rule. In 1944, Gandhi continued his resistance and went on a 21-day fast. By the end of the Second World War, Britain's place in the world had changed dramatically and the demand for independence could no longer be ignored.
7th Pay Commission: Latest news today, 5 days to go, outgo on pension to exceed expenditure

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 9: There are five more days to go and there is immense speculation that good news on the 7th Pay Commission would be announced on August 15.

Central Government employees are waiting for an announcement on a pay hike beyond the recommendations of the pay panel. As pointed out earlier, the only possibility is an announcement and the modalities of a pay hike or rise in fitment factor, if any are still being worked out.

Government sources say that the CG employees are advised not to believe the speculation doing the rounds in the media. However, I can confirm that the issue is not dead and work on it is underway. It is not a simple issue and the financial implications if, the basic pay is raised to Rs 26,000 are still under consideration, an officer said.

The question now is will Modi announce a pay hike on August 15, Independence Day.

7th Pay Commission: Latest news, big announcement for this state, salary upto Rs 1.82 lakh

Sources say that the possibility is remote. However, the Prime Minister is most likely to raise the issue and this would provide an insight into what the government is thinking on the issue. There have also been demands that the retirement age be increased as was originally proposed by the Madhya Pradesh government. This is a decision that is likely to go through faster when compared to the issue related to the 7th Pay Commission, sources also say.

Meanwhile the government's outgo on pension will exceed the expenditure on salaries by nearly Rs 10,000 crore in the current financial year, and the trend will continue for two more years till March 2021, a Finance Ministry document said.

As per the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, tabled in the Lok Sabha, the outgo towards subsidies and interest payment too will witness substantial increase in the coming years.

7th Pay Commission: This is the reason why CG employees are not getting a pay hike

However, on the positive side, the government will be able to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3 per cent of GDP by 2020-21, from a projected 3.3 per cent in the current fiscal and 3.1 per cent in 2019-20.

As per the projections, the salary bill of the government will go up from Rs 1.50 lakh crore in last fiscal to Rs 1.58 lakh crore this year. It will further rise to Rs 1.66 lakh crore in 2019-20 and Rs 1.74 lakh crore in 2020-21.

However, the pension outgo with outpace the salary expenditure going up from Rs 1.45 lakh crore in last fiscal to Rs 1.68 lakh crore in current fiscal, Rs 1.79 lakh crore in 2019-20 and Rs 1.84 lakh crore in 2020-21.

The capital expenditure, a reflection of asset creation, is likely to rise from budgeted Rs 3 lakh crore in the current fiscal to Rs 3.27 lakh crore in 2019-20 and further to Rs 3.76 lakh crore.

The MTEF, which sets out a three-year rolling target for expenditure, has assumed that GDP growth of 7.3 per cent in current fiscal, going up to 7.5 per cent in 2019-20 and going up to 7.8 per cent in 2020-21. The pension spend by the government to beat salary payment could be a result of the 7th Pay Commission.
Congress trying to copy us: TMC on decision to field 40 per cent women candidates for UP polls

Have never seen such chaos, anarchy as what is playing out in Punjab Cong: Manish Tewari

Captain Singh set to resign from Congress: New party may be named The Punjab Lok Congress

RS dy. chairman poll: Cong biggest hurdle in Oppn unity says AAP as it abstains from voting

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Rajya Sabha members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stayed away from voting for the election of the deputy chairman of the Upper House today, slamming the Congress as the "biggest" hurdle in the way of opposition unity.

"We stayed away from voting for the deputy chairman's election. We attended the House proceedings after that," AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told PTI.

The party has three MPs in the Rajya Sabha from Delhi.

Bitter over not being asked by the Congress to vote in favour of Opposition candidate B K Hariprasad, Singh said, "The Congress is the biggest hurdle to opposition unity. How will he (Congress chief Rahul Gandhi) ensure the victory of his candidate, if he cannot ask for votes."

The AAP had yesterday said its MPs would vote for Hariprasad if Gandhi asked party chief Arvind Kejriwal for it.

Singh lashed out at the Congress for keeping a distance from the AAP, saying they had unconditionally supported the Gandhi-led party in the elections of president, vice-president and on several other occasions.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had called Kejriwal yesterday, seeking support for NDA candidate and JD(U) MP Harivansh, he said, adding that the AAP supremo refused to oblige.

"If Nitish could ask for support for his candidate, why not Rahul," Singh wondered.

He also alleged that the Congress wanted to weaken the AAP in Delhi.

PTI
Arun Jaitley framed bill on Art 370 nullification that can withstand legal challenge, says his wife

After Arun Jaitley, none in BJP understands psyche of Punjab: Naresh Gujral

Jaitley statue at Kotla: Angry Bedi asks DDCA to remove his name from stands, quits membership

Arun Jaitley attends Rajya Sabha for first time after kidney transplant

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 9: Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who is recuperating after a renal transplant attended Parliament on Thursday, after a long gap.

Jaitley, the leader of the Rajya Sabha, participated in the vote for the post of Deputy Chairman of the house.

Speaking in the House following the election, Jaitley congratulated Singh and wished him well.

Jaitley, despite being out of office, has been vocal on social media. In blog posts, he has recently commented on GST, the Rafale deal and the economy, among other issues.

Jaitley, 65, stopped attending office in April for a renal transplant operation on May 14.

In his absence, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been given additional charge of the Finance Ministry for the last three months.

Jaitley had a bariatric surgery soon after the BJP-led coalition came to power in 2014. The surgery was to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition, according to the Press Trust of India.

He is expected to start work in the Finance Ministry from August 16.

Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh was today elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, securing 125 votes as against 105 polled by opposition candidate BK Hariprasad. The post of the deputy chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 14:26 [IST]
One year on, BJP has big plans for triple talaq anniversary

No bar on granting anticipatory bail for offence under 2019 Triple Talaq law: SC

Bail clause amendment in Triple Talaq approved by Cabinet

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved amendment in the Triple Talaq Bill. ANI reported that although the offence continues to remain non-bailable, but magistrate can give bail.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was originally drafted in 2017 following a Supreme Court verdict. This Bill makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a punishable offence.

The opposition had opposed a particular section in the bill which made it a non bailable offence. Some Congress leaders had then asked who will take care of the family if the breadwinner goes to prison.

This original bill also makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat a non-bailable offence.

Clause 4 of the Bill states, "Whoever pronounces talaq referred to in section 3 upon his wife shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and fine."

Clause 7 says, "an offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable within the meaning of the Code." (The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973)
Lawyer without brief is like Tendulkar without his bat on cricket ground: SC

Can a politician charged with murder uphold the Constitution, SC asks

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Supreme Court has asked how a politician charged with murder with uphold the Constitution. The observations were made while hearing a petition which seeks to disqualify politicians under the Representation of Peoples Act against whom charges have been framed by the trial court in heinous offences.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra asked if a person charged with a heinous offence will uphold the Constitution as per his oath of affirmation to be a legislator under the Third Schedule.

Attorney General, K K Venugopal responded by saying that a person is presumed innocent until found guilty. There is nothing wrong in taking oath until proven guilty, he also said. The court however pointed out to the petitioner that there is a 'Lakshmanrekha' here. We only declare the law, the legislature makes the law, the court further said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 13:35 [IST]
Here is why Dalai Lama called Nehru self-centred

India

oi-Madhuri

Panjim, Aug 8: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centered 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 Panaji.

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.

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.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 11:16 [IST]
How India beat Pakistan in Thailand to secure Dawoods aide Munna Jhingada

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 9: India scored a major diplomatic victory on Wednesday after a Thailand court ruled that Muzakkir Muddassar Hussain alias Munna Jhingada, a close aide of Chhota Shakeel and Dawood Ibrahim is an Indian citizen.

Jhingada, a sharp-shooter who was tasked with killing Chhota Rajan, has been in a Thailand jail for 18 years. India had sought his extradition as he is wanted in several cases. Moreover with India trying to crackdown on the Dawood gang, Jhingada becomes an important link.

As India made the extradition request, Pakistan made a claim that he was their national. This led to the case dragging on for 18 years, before a decision was finally made.

The first step was to prove the nationality and Pakistan had readied several documents to this effect. During the hearing, Pakistan produced the address proof of his wife. Pakistan also was allowed to produce 41 witnesses. All these persons deposed stating that his wife lived in Pakistan. However this was Jhingada's second wife that they were referring to.

In addition to this, Pakistan all through the hearing claimed that the man in question was Mohammad Saleem. Pakistan produced several documents including a passport, which was in fact fake.

For India, to prove his nationality, his DNA samples became important. The Mumbai crime branch played a vital role in this exercise. His family in Mumbai had to be convinced to give their DNA samples. It took some convincing as they did not want Jhingada to return to India and face trial. Prior to this, the crime branch also had an uphill task in locating his family. It was widely suspected that they may have fled India.

Once the samples were obtained from the family, it was sent to Thailand and then matched. This proved to a vital part of the case, which ultimately led to him being declared as an Indian national.

In addition to this, India through the Mumbai crime branch produced several dossiers, which detailed his crimes in India, which included extortions and threats. With the nationality being proven, the dossiers would aide India further to get him extradited sooner.

An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that this is a big diplomatic victory. Had we not obtained the DNA samples, the case would have gone the other way. His extradition and trial in India would be helpful to close pending cases. However, the officer expressed doubts over the fresh information he may be having on the D-syndicate, since he had been jail for the past 18 years.

The officer noted that Pakistan, which has been denying the presence of Dawood Ibrahim on their soil went the extra mile in this case. Pakistan did its best to get his sentence reduced and even succeeded in getting four royal pardons, as a result of which his sentence was reduced to 18 years. In 2016, he was released after spending 16 years in jail owing to a pardon. However he was immediately arrested under the Extradition Act.

Jhingada had fled India in 1997 and landed in Dubai first. He then fled to Karachi in 1999 to join Dawood Ibrahim. Always a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, he was given an important assignment to kill Chhota Rajan. He was arrested in 2002 and charged with attempt to murder by the Bangkok police.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 16:03 [IST]
Karnataka: SIT arrests 12th suspect in Gauri Lankesh murder case

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Bengaluru, Aug 9: The Special Investigating Team (SIT) investigating the journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case has arrested one more person from Belgavi, Karnataka, in connection with the murder. The person arrested is said to be a hotel owner from Belgavi.

Also, the SIT has taken in 2 more people in for the interrogation.

Prime accused Parashuram Waghmare is believed to have undergone firearms training in the forests of this north Karnataka district (Belgavi). With one more arrest, the total number of people arrested so far in connection with the murder is 12.

The 11th suspect, suspected to have provided shelter to the man who shot Gauri Lankesh, had been arrested on July 25 in Tumakuru.

Sources in the SIT claimed that Suresh had provided shelter to Parashuram Waghmare, who allegedly pulled the trigger, killing Lankesh outside her house in Bengaluru, reported PTI.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 8:47 [IST]
Katheria to write UGC asking how an institution violating constitutional norms gets govt funding

India

oi-Vinod

By Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 9: Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission plans to go to Supreme Court after looking into every document provided by Aligarh Muslim University that it had asked for in support of the minority status of AMU. The concern of the commission has been that AMU is not providing reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs just for self-proclaimed minority status. The commission also plans to write to University Grant Commission about Rs 1,000 crore fund that it gets per annam despite not following the constitutional provisions.

Chairman of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission Ram Shamkar Katheria told One India that the university officials were not able to give any answer to the commission on why they are not providing reservation to Scs/STs despite getting funds from the government. They just repeated that the matter is in the Supreme Court.

The Commission on Thursday summoned not only officials of the AMU but also HRD secretary, minority secretary, social justice secretary and UGC officials. Katheria said that the HRD ministry clearly said that it has furnished the document to the court that AMU is not a minority institution. This was ruled by the court first in 1968, 2005 and 2006. The HRD ministry has given an affidavit that AMU is not a minority university. The Commission will writ to the UGC that how can such an institution be given central funding that violates constitutional provisions?

Interestingly Union HRD ministry clearly said that it had furnished an affidavit to the Supreme Court while Union minority ministry official said that the AMU did not ask for minority status for it. On the other hand secretary to the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association Mudassir Hayat told One India that AMU was very much a minority institution and for that Rs 36 lakh was paid in 1905 and all these things are documented. He further said that if these institutions will not be spared, where will 20 crore Muslims of the country go who are already educationally backward.

Katheria said that AMU was given 30 days time to come with documents supporting minority status but it failed to come up with any document and was rather repeating that the matter is in court. They further said that one amendment was made in 1981 giving minority status but that too was struck down in 2005 by the court.

The SC/ST chairman said that Jamia Milia Islamia has also been asked to respond on the same subject of not providing reservation to Muslims. On being asked, vice chancellor of AMU refused to say anything and was just parroting that the matter is in the court and he asked media person to speak to SC/ST commission's chair on the issue.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 18:14 [IST]
Kerala TET result 2020 declared: Here is how you check

Kerala floods: Red Alert for Idukki and Wayanad till Aug 14

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of the state with the leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. They were supposed to land at Kattappana in Idukki but were forced to move to Wayanad due to bad weather conditions.

By 10:30 AM, CM and team will land at St Mary's College, Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad.

Meanwhile, Operation "Madad" has been launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi since 09 Aug 2018 for assisting the state administration and undertaking disaster relief operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many parts of the state.

Ten districts have been put on red alert due to the possibility of more water being released from the Idukki Reservoir.

These are: Wayanad, Idukki, Alappuzha,Kottayam, Ernakulam,Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kollam and Pathanamthitta.

At least 29 people have died in Kerala due to heavy rains and landslides, the Home Ministry said.

Districtwise helpline numbers:

District Telephone No. Thiruvananthapuram 0471 - 2322303, 2328652,8547638181 Thrissur 0487 - 2333070 Palakkad 0491 - 2546632 Kollam 0474 - 2742993 Kottayam 0481 - 2563701 Idukki 0486 - 2222812 Pathanamthitta 0468 - 2222670 Kasaragod 0499 - 4255544 Malappuram 0483 - 2734857 Wayanad 0495 - 2370095 Kozhikode 0495 - 2370095 Kannur 0497 - 2707080 Ernakulam 0484 - 2361369 Alappuzha 0477 - 2242073 Muvattupuzha 0485 - 2832252

Five members of a family lost their lives in Idukki's Adimali town. Two persons were pulled out alive from the debris by the local people and police.

Around 600 cusecs of water were discharged from the Idamalayar dam this morning, with the water level rising to 169.95 metres against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 169m. The water level at Idukki dam was 2,398 at 8 am, 50 feet against the FRL of 2,403 feet. The administration has been put on high-alert.

Stay tuned for live updates on Kerala floods:

Heavy rains for the past two days and release of water from the Idamalayar dam yesterday, resulted into localised flooding in low-lying areas in the northern districts of Kerala. The flood water also triggered landslides at some places.
Amit Shah spends night at CRPF camp in Pulwama; says will see a peaceful J&K 'in our lifetime'

'Look at facts when free from winking', says Amit Shah to Rahul Gandhi's anti-Dalit accusation

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, three days after the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha overturning the Supreme Court ruling in March.

Shah hurled a jibe at Gandhi by asking him to look at facts when "free from winking" and alleging that it is the opposition party who had a legacy of insulting Dalits.

In a series of tweets, Shah said Gandhi's father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had opposed the Mandal Commission recommendations "tooth and nail" and when his mother Sonia Gandhi joined Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions.

Claiming that the Congress, for years, has insulted Dalit aspirations, Shah said, "Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his Party's treatment towards Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending."

"Is it a co-incidence that the year Mrs Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress Government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission! Anti-backward mindset visible," he further added.

Shah's series of scathing tweets came after a sharp attack on the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the Congress chief at a rally in the national capital today.

The Congress had alleged that the government has passed the bill now thinking about next year's Lok Sabha elections. The remark came after the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha on Monday.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, August 10, 2018, 0:37 [IST]
SC refuses to stay decision on Maratha quota, says no retrospective effect on decision

Maharashtra bandh: Protesters disrupt road traffic in state, schools shut

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Mumbai, Aug 9: Maratha agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of Maharashtra today as part of their statewide protests over reservation demand, while Internet services were suspended in seven rural tehsils of Pune district to prevent rumour-mongering.

Despite an appeal from Maratha community leaders to observe a peaceful bandh, protesters blocked roads and burnt tyres in some places, a police official said.

Two groups of protesters clashed when someone allegedly shouted slogans against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at Kranti Chowk in Aurangabad district, a police official said.

According to him, a group led by Sena district chief Ambadas Danve objected to the slogans, following which members of both the sides beat up each other.

"One person was injured in the incident but we brought the situation under control. We separated the two groups and dispersed their members," the police official said.

Agitators attacked the gate and a cabin at the Pune district collector's office and damaged some light bulbs in the premises, a police official said.

The ongoing agitation in front of the District Collector's office in Pune took a violent turn as some of the protesters went on rampage at the office premises around 2 pm. Some window glasses of the building were broken and few protesters tried to climb up the compound wall.

State-run buses did not ply in Pune and other places as a precautionary measure. In the Maratha protests between 18-27 July, both public and private property worth more than Rs 4.5 crore was damaged, with vehicles vandalised and buses set afire.

News18 reported incidents of stone pelting from Somwar Peth in Pune and Solapur on Thursday. Protesters also blocked roads in Budhgaon in Sangli, while in Mumbai, shops remained closed in Ghatkopar.

Meanwhile, Internet services have been suspended in 7 tehsils of Pune district- Shirur, Khed, Baramati, Junnar, Maval, Daund and Bhor, as a precautionary measure.

Though Navi Mumbai has been excluded from the bandh, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the densely populated township has decided to remain shut today.

Even as Maratha groups have excluded essential services from the bandh purview, the supply of vegetables was affected in some parts of the state, including Mumbai, APMC officials said.

A vegetable seller in Mumbai's Dadar area said the 'bandh' was not forced on them, but they had voluntarily shut down business for the day in support of the cause.

In Satara, no state transport buses were running today and all vehicles were parked at the central bus stand. All petrol pumps and vegetable markets were also closed in Satara. The pro-reservation agitators have decided to take out a bike rally in Pune district today.

A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted the vehicular movement. There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said.

The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month.

During the violence on July 30 in Chakan area, 70 to 80 vehicles were torched and damaged.

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.
Dont be nervous says Chandrababu Naidu after four of his MPs join BJP

Immoral and un-democratic says TDP after four of its MPs join BJP

Monsoon Session 2018: TDP MP dresses up as Adolf Hitler

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

New Delhi, Aug 9: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Naramalli Sivaprasad will never disappoint camera lenses on the premises of Parliament. Well-known for his unique way of protest against the Centre, Naramalli Sivaprasad has dressed up in different roles from mythological characters to political figures.

Three days after dressing up as Lord Rama, Naramalli Sivaprasad dressed up as Adolf Hitler during protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. For the first time, the TDP MP chose a foreign personality for emulation.

Naramalli Sivaprasad is an Indian film actor turned politician from Andhra Pradesh. In the 2009 election he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Chittoor constituency in Andhra Pradesh.

He was also one of the MPs who are suspended for protesting in Indian Parliament against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He also held protest by dressing himself up as BR. Ambedkar, farmer priest, fisherman etc. demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

He has acted in over 20 Telugu films and directed four.
Muzaffarpur Shelter Home: Education min Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma gets additional charge

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 9: Bihar Education Minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma has been given the additional charge of Welfare Department after Manju Verma's resignation as the minister over the Muzaffarpur Shelter Home scandal, said ANI on Thursday.

Verma had stepped down yesterday following the alleged involvement of her husband Chandeshwar Verma in the scandal. While Verma continued to deny the charges, she said she was resigning because of the hue and cry the Opposition had made.

Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken all documents (such as FIR copy, chargesheet copy, case diary) related to Muzaffarpur Shelter Home case from the court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also demanded detailed medical report of Brajesh Thakur, the key accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, from Muzaffarpur jail's doctor.

Thakur, who was arrested on 2 June by the Bihar police in the case, has been resting at a hospital ward inside the Muzaffarpur jail. He reportedly complained of a backache, severe diabetes and heart problem.

An FIR was registered against him on 31 May. He is on a judicial custody as the POCSO court reportedly denied to grant his custody to the police.

On 8 August, the CBI froze the bank accounts of Thakur for further investigation into the matter.

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.
No Bharat Bandh today: Dalit group calls off Aug 9 protest

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Bharat Bandh call given by the Dalit groups has been called off. The decision to call of the bandh scheduled for today was taken after the Lok Sabha passed the SC/ST amendment bill which overturned the SC ruling which had diluted certain provisions of the original legislation.

"Our major demand regarding the restoration of the SC\ST Act has been fulfilled" a written statement issued by the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM) said on Wednesday.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale had on Wednesday appealed to the public not to take part in the August 9 bandh. He also urged the people to maintain peace and brotherhood in the country.

The AIAM thanked the various political parties for lending their support to the cause. It said that it had successfully achieved its first milestone in protecting the law. The dalit groups have postponed the "bandh" and given the government more time to meet their other demands, including the release of jailed dalit leaders, the group also said. The new deadline will be decided in due course of time, the group further said.
Now everything 'Hari-Kripa' in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi on Harivansh Singh

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 9: "With Harivansh ji in the Rajya Sabha, ab sab Hari bharose, Hari Kripa (Everything is up to god, god's mercy)," this is how Prime Minister Narendra Modi quipped as the house congratulated Harivansh.

The PM was full of praise for the new RS deputy chairman - a former journalist - and also said he was a favourite of former PM Chandra Shekhar.

"I congratulate Harivansh ji on behalf of the whole house. He has been blessed with the talent of writing. He was also a favourite of former PM Chandra Shekhar ji," said PM Modi.

"Today we mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. Harivansh ji hails from Ballia, a land linked with freedom fighters. He has been inspired by Loknayak JP," PM Modi said.

PM Modi lauded Harivansh Singh's "talent of writing" as a journalist and said that he was a generous soul. He said he hoped the new deputy chairperson would bring these values to the House as well.

"Harivansh ji is well read and has written a lot. He has served society for years," he said.

Ruling NDA candidate and JD(U) member Harivansh was today elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, securing 125 votes as against 105 polled by opposition candidate BK Hariprasad. The post of the deputy chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of P J Kurien on July 1.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 14:51 [IST]
Rajasthan CM to cover 165 seats on road while 35 seats along with Central leadership

India

oi-Vinod

By Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 9: Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje will cover 165 Assembly constituencies by road out of the total 200 constituencies in the state Assembly. The remaining 35 constituencies will either be covered by chopper along with the central leadership of the party or with party president or the Prime Minister.

Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Vimal Katiyar told One India that around 27 seats of the Jaipur region (sambhag) and around 7-8 seats of the Ajmer (sambhag) region will be covered by chopper by the chief minister along with the Central BJP leadership. Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra launched in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah in its attempt by the BJP leadership to retain power in the state once again. Raje will be covering more than 6,000 km during the 40-day-long Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra by road.

The yatra was started from Charbhuja Nath temple in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district in the presence of party president where too she had a huge rally.

Katiyar said that besides relying on the work done by the state government and the Centre, the BJP leadership is also capitalising on the infighting of the Congress that is resurfacing time gain and again. The BJP has already organised one big rally of the PM and also one by the party president but the Congress has not been able to put up a joint show of even the state leadership making things difficult for the Congress and easy for the BJP.

"We are working out programmes of the central leadership but that will be done as the elections will come closure. Not only the PM and party president but chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from other BJP-ruled states will campaign for the BJP in Rajasthan.

Participation of Gujarat chief minister is crucial for Rajasthan," said a BJP leader. State Congress president Sachin Pilot had said that they would ask the CM one question every day during her 40-day tour of the state.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 11:10 [IST]
EC declares bypolls to seven Rajya Sabha seats in six states

PM Modi to launch Sansad TV on September 15, say sources

'Immense Pride': PM Modi as BJP gets 1st Rajya Sabha MP from Puducherry

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Election: NDA's Harivansh wins with 125 votes

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, Aug 9: A post mostly held by the Congress was taken away by the NDA today after its candidate, Harivansh Narayan Singh won the elections to the post of deputy chairman, Rajya Sabha.

Singh bagged the support of 125 MPs in the Upper House, while his opponent B K Hariprasad fielded by a joint option secured 105 vote.

To see how the election unfolded check out our updates:

Newest First Oldest First Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm. Singh said that he hopes that all members will work together with cooperation and tread on Gandhian principles for a smooth run of the Upper House going forward. JDU's Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected on Thursday as the new Rajya Sabha dy chairman. YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy congratulates Harivansh Singh Narayan. YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy congratulates Harivansh Singh Narayan. The opposition camp had the support of TMC, DMK, Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, NCP and TDP. Besides Arvind Kejriwal's party, the YSR Congress and PDP abstained from voting. The majority mark in the 244-member Rajya Sabha is 123, but abstentions pulled down the majority mark to 119. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose: Sonia Gandhi on NDA Candidate Harivansh elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. Harivansh Singh bagged 125 votes, while his opponent, B K Hariprasad secured 105.2 members have abstained from voting. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar congratulates Harivansh Narayan Singh who was elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. JD(U) leader Harivansh has taken his seat next to Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad after being elected as the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. Jaitley expressed confidence that Singh will uphold the integrity of the post. Arun Jaitley congratulates NDA Candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh who was elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. There were 'Hari's at both sides, but I hope that with Harivansh Narayan Singh's win, Rajya Sabha will have 'harikripa', says PM. Harivansh Ji is well read and has written a lot. He has served society for years, PM Modi says. Working closely with Chandra Shekhar Ji, Harivansh Ji knew in advance that Chandra Shekhar Ji would resign. However, he did not let his own paper have access to this news. This shows his commitment to ethics and public service. He has been inspired by Loknayak JP. He also spent time in Varanasi. Here is a leader who worked with a statesman like Chandra Shekhar J, says the prime minister. Today we mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. Harivansh Ji hails from Ballia, a land linked with freedom fighters, says PM Modi. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad congratulated Harivansh Singh for winning the election. In elections, some on wins and someone loses. But the Deputy Chairman is no longer a part of any single party. He belongs to the country now. In fact, I believe that Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House should in-fact support the Opposition as they are more undernourished than that of the ruling party, he also said. PM Narendra Modi is now speaking in the Rajya Sabha. PM Narendra Modi congratulates NDA Candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh who was elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. Harivansh Singh bagged 125 votes, while his opponent, B K Hariprasad secured 105 Harivansh Singh of the NDA has been elected as the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha. NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh secured 122 votes. The voting was undertaken for the second time after few MPs complained that they could not register their. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has accepted the motions moved for both the candidates and the members will now vote. Looking at Congress's attitude we have decided to abstain from voting for Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, Congress is the biggest obstacle in Opposition's unity: AAP MP Sanjay Singh. TRS confirms that it will vote for NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan. Proceedings for electing the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman have begun inside the House. The Rajya Sabha has started has proceedings for the day as Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu addressed the Upper House members. The Shiv Sena which has decided to back the NDA. We will back the NDA candidate, Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai, said. The TRS too is likely to back the NDA. The TRS took this call after the Congress decided to field its candidate. Had it been a candidate from the NCP or DMK, the TRS would have found itself in a tricky position. The AAP and Trinamool Congress are missing from the notices backing B K Hariprasad. TMC leader, Derek O Brien, however said that his party would back Hariprasad. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, if they call and ask for our support, we will back the Congress. It is meaningless to vote compulsively, if they dont need it. If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cant he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support, he also said. Meanwhile Nitish Kumar has reached out to the AAP and sought support. Party whips are not allowed in this election. All eyes would be on the four DMK MPs ahead of the polls. All four rushed to Chennai, following the demise of their leader, M Karunanidhi. Sources tell OneIndia that only three may return to Delhi, to cast their vote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have reach out to allies and friendly parties outside the alliance to ensure a win. Naveen Patnaik led BJD will support the NDA candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. NDA, despite lacking the numbers in the Upper House, seems pretty confident of pulling off a surprise. A meeting of senior leaders is likely to take place ahead of the polls. Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as finance minister in May to undergo a kidney transplant, is likely to attend the House to participate in the election for the Deputy Chairman's post. This will be the first appearance in the Parliament during the ongoing monsoon session. We are very confident that we have the required numbers, opposition is united: BK Hariprasad,Congress Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman candidate MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel has said that the NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has numbers in his favour. "Harivanshji will comfortably win the election. It would have been better if the Deputy Chairman was elected unanimously." NDA MPs and those supporting the ruling alliance nominee Harivansh Narayan Singh, are schedule to meet in the Parliamentary Library Building before the voting at 11 am. A BJP source tells OneIndia that the NDA candidate, Harivansh will get the support of 126 members in the Rajya Sabha. The strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 as one seat lies vacant. Going by the current numbers, it looks as though the NDA candidate will get 124 seats, while the UPAs Hariprasad may end up with 114. All eyes would be on the strength of the House. The post of Rajya Sabha chairman is lying vacant since July 1, following P J Kuriens retirement. Effective strength of Rajya Sabha down to 237, 8 MPs absent from House. BJP national chief Amit Shah, Sanjay Raut, leader of BJPs restive ally Shiv Sena, Akali Dals S S Dhindsa and JD (U)s RCP Singh submitted four sets of papers in support of Harivansh. The Congress is the largest party in the RS with 50 seats. The magic number is 123 in the 244 member House, provided there is a full strength today. If Congress can retain the post, it would be a big boost. The Congress has fielded B K Hariprasad. The BJP-led NDA's nominee is Harivansh Narayan Singh of the JD(U). Before voting begins, here is a quick round up of the election and some interesting things you must know: The BJP has issued a three line whip directing all its members to be present in the Rajya Sabha. We can't side with BJP as they have not stood with Andhra Pradesh, says YSR Congress. The YSR Congress of Jaganmohan Reddy has decided to abstain from the Rajya Sabha at the time of voting, a tv report said. The YSR Congress has 2 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. We are confident of our win and election result is a foregone conclusion: Harivansh Narayan Singh, NDA's candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh has said that he will vote in favour of the NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh.

Rajya Sabha dy. chairman poll: It is Harivansh vs Hariprasad

Dy. Chairman polls: Rajya Sabha numbers, party wise
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman poll: These parties are backing the NDA

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 9: The NDA appears to be completely united ahead of the elections to the post of deputy chairman, Rajya Sabha. The list of notices suggest that the NDA the NDA has put its complete weight behind the JD(U)'s Harivansh.

The list of notices suggest that these parties are backing the NDA candidate:

Bharatiya Janata Party

Janata Dal (United)

Republican Party of India (RPI)

Shiv Sena

Akali Dal

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)

The TRS and the BJD too are most likely to back the NDA in this election.

Dy. Chairman polls: Rajya Sabha numbers, party wise

The AAP appears to be clearly upset and complained that it had not been approached by the Congress. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, if they call and ask for our support, we will back the Congress. It is meaningless to vote compulsively, if they don't need it. If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why can't he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support, he also said.

It is however yet to be seen if the four DMK MPs would be present during the voting. The

MPs had rushed to Chennai following the demise of M Karunanidhi. The opposition expects at least 3 of them would return to Delhi to vote. The YSRCP is most likely to abstain. It may not back the Congress, especially in an open ballot voting.

The TDP on the other hand has made it clear that it would back the Congress candidate.
Rajya Sabha dy. chairman poll: It is Harivansh vs Hariprasad

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 9: The numbers appear to be tilted clearly in favour of the NDA in the elections to the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman. However the Congress has refused to leave the arena and fielded B K Hariprasad for the post, who will be taking on the NDA's Harivansh.

The election is scheduled for today at 11 am. Anand Sharma of the Congress said that the joint opposition decided to field a candidate and not go in for a consensus as it was opposed to the Modi sarkar. Sharma in a statement said that the opposition is not happy with the present state of affairs and prevailing environment in the country. This contest must be taken in that spirit, he said.

Dy. Chairman polls: Rajya Sabha numbers, party wise

With the BJP, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and RCP submitting papers of support in favour of Harivansh, it appears that the NDA's victory is a done deal. On the other hand the candidature of Hariprasad was backed by the BSP, NCP, Congress, RJD and Samajwadi Party.

The NDA is believed to have mustered the support of 120 MPs in the Upper House where the magic mark is 123. The opposition on the other hand believes it can muster the support of 118 MPs.
RS dy. chairman poll: TRS to throw its weight behind NDA

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Hyderabad, Aug 9: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi will throw its weight behind the NDA candidate for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman elections to be held today. The NDA has fielded the JD(U)'s Harivansh against B K Hariprasad of the Congress.

The TRS would not vote for Hariprasad as he is a Congress candidate. The TRS MPs would meet today ahead of the voting and finalise the decision to back the NDA.

Rajya Sabha dy. chairman poll: It is Harivansh vs Hariprasad

The TRS has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. It may be recalled that Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar had called on Telangana CM, K Chandrasekhar Rao and requested him to support Harivansh.

Dy. Chairman polls: Rajya Sabha numbers, party wise

At first the opposition had decided on fielding either Vandana Rao of the NCP or Tiruchi Siva of the DMK. Had these candidatures gone through, Rao would have found himself in a dilemma on whom to support. However with the Congress deciding to field its candidate, the decision to back the NDA was made easier for Rao.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 6:54 [IST]
Centre renames 2 prominent institutes after Sushma Swaraj on the eve of her birth anniversary

"I will have to consult the volcano": Sushma Swaraj's hilarious reply

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Aug 9: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday gave hilarious reply to a query by an Indian national who is planning a trip to Bali in Indonesia.

Mount Agung in Bali is one of the most active volcanos in the world. In the last two months it has been very active and erupted several time. On July 2, a series of eruptions in Mount Agung saw ash plumes stretching almost 2,000 mts high because of which Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali had to be closed.

One Sushil Rai (@sushilkrrai) took to twitter and asked Swaraj, "is it safe to travel bali. We have a bali trip on 11.08.18 to 17.08.18. Is it safe? Is their ny advisory has been issued by our govt. Kindly guide us soon."

Responding to this, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) wrote, "I will have to consult the volcano there."

I will have to consult the volcano there. https://t.co/bv2atzWtZg  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) August 8, 2018

The Indonesian archipelago is located on the so-called Ring of Fire in the Pacific, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity, that records thousands of mostly small to moderate tremors every year.

Even after recent earthquake in Indonesia's Lombok island, it was being speculated that the tremours may lead to Mount Agung erupting.
Uttar Pradesh police showers flowers on Kawaria from chopper

India

oi-Vinod

By Vinod

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Uttar Pradesh government has spent Rs 14 lakh to give flower shower to Kawariyas from the chopper in Meerut and adjoining areas. However, the chopper was hired to keep a watch on the Kawar Yatra.

One India has the letter that was issues by the home ministry of the Uttar of Pradesh government in which it was clearly stated that between August 7 and August 9 a chopper will be hired to keep a watch on Kawaria in Meerut and surrounding areas from where the rout of Kawar Yatra passes through. As per the order, the UP government hired this chopper from Chopper Air Charter Services Private Limited and the government paid Rs 14.31 lakh for this service.

Pictures and videos of additional director general of police Meerut zone Prashant Kumar had gone viral in which he was shown showering rose petals on Kawariyas. However, there was no any such order to shower flowers on them.

Uttar Pradesh police clarified by saying that showing flower is part of Indian culture and tradition so there is nothing wrong in it. This is an indication that the government and administration welcomes Kawarias. The administration called it a symbolic gesture of welcoming them. The police said that they are working for them as an add not that they are controlling Kawad Yatra. This was the intention behind this move so there is no rule break in it.

State home ministry in its order on July 27 said that a chopper will be hired from August 4 to August 9 to keep a watch on Kawarias in the Meerut Zone. A budget of Rs 21.64 was fixed for Pawan Hans Limited to hire chopper from them. But Air Charter Services Ltd agreed for less money. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered to take services of a chopper to keep a watch on Kawarias on July 18 meeting.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 21:24 [IST]
Uttar Pradesh top cop showers rose petals on kanwariyas

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Meerut, Aug 9: A day before Kanwar Yatra comes to close Uttar Pradesh Police went a step ahead to make the journey memorable once for the "kanwariyas". In a video that surfaced online, Uttar Pradesh Police showered rose petals on yatris from a helicopter while on surveillance duty.

Prashant Kumar,ADG (Meerut Zone), said, "No religious angle should be given to this, flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab,Eid, Bakrid or Jain festivals."

As per the tradition, millions of saffron-clad devotees, popularly known as "kanwariyas", collect the Ganga Jal from Hindu pilgrimage centres and proceed to the temples of Lord Shiva to offer the holy water.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took an aerial survey of the Yatra route during the first half of the Shrawan month that began on July 28. He also showered flower petals from his chopper on the Kanwarias.

ADGP (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar in chopper A top cop from Uttar Pradesh Police was seen showering rose petal on kanwariya yatris. The video footage surfaced on Wednesday has sparked debate about the police deviating from their duty. Courtesy: @UPpolice Showering rose petals Along with ADGP (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar, Meerut Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials were seen showering rose petals on Kanwariyas from a helicopter while on the surveillance of the deployment of troops kanwariya yatris. Courtesy: @UPpolice All schools and colleges closed All schools and colleges of Ghazia bad in Delhi NCR will be closed from August 6 to 9 due to the journey of Kannur. Along with schools, wine shops falling on the Kaward road will be closed from August 7 to 9. @UPpolice First aid by police The police depolyed along kanwar yatra route offered medical aid to injured yatris. The Uttar Pradesh police shared the picture on the Twitter account.

Courtesy: @muzafarnagarpol
Lawyer without brief is like Tendulkar without his bat on cricket ground: SC

We will make you homeless, dont act smart, SC tells builder Amrapali

India

oi-Madhuri

New Delhi, Aug 9: The Supreme Court has 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. 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.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 5:53 [IST]
Terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam

Militants with bigoted vision wont be allowed to take country hostage: Imran Khan

644 militants of eight banned outfits surrender in Assam along with 177 arms, says police chief

J&K: Two militants killed in encounter after abducting police constable in Kulgam

Security forces gun down three terrorists in J&K

Youth dies after being tortured by terrorists

India

oi-Madhuri

Srinagar, Aug 9: A youth, who was allegedly abducted and tortured by unidentified militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, succumbed to injuries at a hospital, police said today.

Two youths -- identified as Mehraj Ahmad and Arif Ahmad -- were abducted by unidentified militants yesterday, a police spokesperson said.

Arif was later "retrieved" in an injured condition and his body "bore visible torture marks". The youth was immediately shifted to a hospital here where he breathed his last, the officer said.

Police have registered a case and an investigation is on, he said.

Youth dies after being tortured by terrorists

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 12:55 [IST]
Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

UP: Two groups of Kanwariyas clash in Bulandshahr

Lucknow

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Lucknow, Aug 9: Two groups of Kanwariyas in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr on Thursday morning. It is not yet known if people are injured in the violence or not yet.

A group of kanwariyas went on rampage, vandalising a car in Delhi's Moti Nagar after it allegedly brushed past one of them. The incident took place 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 following which the Kanwariyas damaged the vehicle with sticks, Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vijay Kumar reportedly said.

Recently, videos were put up on facebook showing Kanwar Yatris openly destroying cars by hitting it repeatedly with a stick and even overturning it.

Kanwariyas are devotees of Lord Shiva who complete a journey to Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri to fetch the waters of the Ganges.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 9:38 [IST]
Norman Finance Limited, a Papua New Guinean owned company, is aiming to provide quality services to the people of Fiji. Launched in Suva on June 14, the company director, Gabriel Andandi says his finance company has 26 branches in all the 22 provinces in PNG and has the reputation of providing quality services and will do the same in Fiji.In PNG, Norman Finance Ltd is a nationwide finance company and we have the reputation. We wish to do the same to our Melanesian brothers and sisters in Fiji, he said.As Melanesians we live in a cash economy and our financial needs are unexpected and similar. My company aims to meet those needs with our one days service.He said finance company has met all government regulations to comply with Fiji laws.Norman Finance wishes to be a new player in Fiji to help in the development of Fiji. We are not here to compete with the existing finance companies but wish to provide options to clients, he said.I have the resources and capital base to expand to all other provinces in Fiji within a year or two. This means creating new employment opportunities for Fijians and paying tax to the Fiji government.Norman Finance is currently giving out soft loans to clients, both private and public ranging from $200 to $2000 but flexible to increase upon clients requests and capabilities to re-pay from one to six fortnights.Slowly we would like to extend our client base as much as possible in Fiji as a Melanesian brother and we are very excited about the possibilities here, he said.
A revision to the water tariff will have to be made shortly, City Planning and Water Supply State Minister Lucky Jayawardena told Parliament yesterday.

He said the National Water Supply and Drainage Board is facing financial difficulties as its expenditure on water purification, distribution, new water supply connections, payments of salaries to employees and debt servicing has increased significantly.

He however said the tariff on the first 15 units of water distributed to low income families (Samurdhi category) will not be increased.

He said the date and amount of water tariff revision are yet to be finalised. He said water tariffs had not been revised since 2015.

The tariff for one unit of water (1,000 litres) now is Rs 5 for domestic users under the Samurdhi category, Rs 8 for domestic estate community and Rs 12 for other domestic consumers.

He noted as at December 31, 2017 the Water Board had an accumulated debt of Rs 178,637 million out of which Rs 54,434 million had been obtained from local banks. He noted the profits of the Board alone are insufficient to service this debt.

In addition the Board is also burdened with price hikes of electricity, chemicals and other materials needed, he noted.

He added the Water Board has recorded a profit of Rs 1,737 million last year. The State Minister was responding to a question raised by UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara.

Jayasekara brought the attention of the state minister towards a foreign funded water project with bloated estimates, in which Rs 2 million each has been estimated to remove 27 trees to facilitate the project.

The State Minister promised to look into the said allegation.

(Source: Daily News  By Disna Mudalige and Amali Mallawaarachchi)
Kyiv is the Place to Be for Blockchainers in Just Over A Month

Published August 9, 2018 by Lee R

A wealth of insights about the local region and emerging technology will be exclusively available at Blockchain and Bitcoin Kyiv in September.

We are reaching the last month before Tech hotbed Ukraine hosts the sixth Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference Kyiv.

Crypto Expertise

Set for September 19th, the event will serve in the nations capital as a platform for crypto-experts to share insights with the audience based on professional expertise and local experience.

Location

The event will take place September 19th at Parkovy CEC16a Parkova road, Kyiv. The site is located opposite Mariyinsky Park, near Dnipro Embankment.

Themes

On display for the business audience visitors can expect to find the latest crypto industry novelties, with event organiser Smile-Expo implementing a dual focus of educational and practical aspects of the blockchain.

Smile-Expo Leader Speaks

Event Coordinator Ivan Sukhomlyn advised all attendees of the opportunities for learning that are available exclusively at this years conference:

Besides case studies of the application of blockchain and cryptocurrency assets, the conference will also feature presentations on the development of decentralized technologies and trends in the legislative area. You wont find such information on the Internet.

The Layout

The conference will be broken down into two parallel sections of a Main Hall dedicated to blockchain in businesses and cryptocurrencies and a Tech Hall featuring talks on assets tokenization, ICOs, and trading.

The Main Hall topics will include blockchain technological development, security, and cross-industrial application. Speakers will discuss the interaction between crypto assets and conventional finances, as well as predict the regulation of cryptocurrency market in Ukraine and other countries.

The Tech Hall section will be dedicated to token sales and real use of tokenized assets, with speakers relating best practices for trading those assets on the crypto market and prognosticating on what the growth of decentralized technologies will result in.

Speakers

Scheduled speakers include leading Ukraine and global crypto experts, along with financial analysts, entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, government officials, startup founders, traders, and marketing specialists.

Exhibition Area

The exhibition area will appeal to all blockchain stakeholders, offering a specifically equipped area for key market players to introduce their most recent innovations in achievement areas such as mining software and hardware; financial, legal, technical, and consulting services across multiple industries.

Outlook

The conference in Kyiv will surprise and enlighten with all it has to offer in an emerging hotbed of blockchain technological development.
D. Baron Media RelationsGabrielle Union will be a special guest of Michael Jacksons family when they celebrate what would have been Michaels 60th birthday on August 29 in Las Vegas.

The estate of the King of Pop and Sony Music are hosting the Michael Jackson Diamond Birthday Celebration at Mandalay Bay. As previously reported, Michaels children, Paris and Prince, and his brothers Jackie, Marlon and Tito are expected to attend the two-part event. A performance of Michael Jackson One by Cirque du Soleil will be followed by an after-party at the Daylight Beach Club.

Mark Ronson, who won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2016 for Uptown Funk" featuring Bruno Mars, will be the DJ for the party. There will also be a "surprise superstar performance."

At the party, Paris, who is an Ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, and Prince, will accept the 2018 Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award for Humanitarian Service on behalf of her late father. The Michael Jackson Estate is working with the foundation to bring health care to the African country of Malawi.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The Hamilton County Highway Department reports they will close Aslinger Road in the 1900 block for road maintenance on Friday.



This area will be closed from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.



Detours will be posted onto Andy Thomas Road.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

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!
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

In early August, Facebook and other social media services banned content from radio/Internet shock jock Alex Jones. Surprising? No. Jones's number was due to come up. The big players in Internet media have spent the last few years attempting to appease the perpetually outraged (and therefore unappeasable) by banning and blocking a continuous parade of Most Despised Persons of the Week.

Wikipedia describes Jones's "INFOWARS" (yes, in all-caps) site as "a far right American conspiracy theorist and fake news website and media platform." He's continuously embroiled in litigation with plaintiffs ranging from the makers of Chobani yogurt to the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims. Definitely despised. So now it's his turn.

The apparent end game: Turning the Internet into the same bland, homogeneous goop we got from network TV circa the 1950s -- content without any rough edges that might spook advertisers. And they're using pretty much the same justifications as movie and TV studios did with that era's McCarthyist "blacklists." To paraphrase Henry Ford, you can have any color Internet you want, so long as it's beige.

Facebook's statement on Jones: "We believe in giving people a voice, but we also want everyone using Facebook to feel safe."

Really?

Why on Earth would Facebook's users require protection from Alex Jones? He's loud and red-faced and nuts, but it's not like he can pop out of the screen and grab us. We don't have to watch him. We don't have to press the play button, we don't have to turn the volume up from mute, and we can even block other users who try to push him at us.

Business note to Facebook: These "I don't feel safe" people will never "feel safe" enough to stop demanding that you reduce the content options other Facebook users enjoy. It's not about their actual safety. It's about their compulsion to run everyone else's lives.

Presumably there are more people in the "other Facebook users" category than in the "make anything that might conceivably cause me mental discomfort go away" category. For now, anyway. Keep this kind of thing up and sooner or later people who want more out of social media than finger-painting and group rounds of "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore" will leave Facebook and go looking for that mythical Wild West Internet the "Poor Me! What About My Feelz?" crowd is always whining about.

Facebook is plenty big enough for "live and let live" to work just fine. We choose our Facebook friends. We control what we share with them and we don't have to look at what they share with us unless we want to.

Please, stop letting those who WON'T live and let live control your content policies.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

From Reader Supported News

Dispatch: Campus Police, recorded line.



Reporting Caller: I was just walking through here in the front foyer of [REDACTED] and we have a person sitting there laying down in the living room area over here. I didn't approach her or anything but um he seems to be out of place ... umm ... I don't see anybody in the building at this point and uh I don't know what he's doing in there just laying on the couch.



Dispatch: Can I have your last name please?



Reporting Caller: [REDACTED]



Dispatch: I'll send someone over and check it out.



Reporting Caller: Alright. I'll wait over here.

-- Campus Police call transcript, July 31, 2018, as released by Smith College on August 3

It's very hard to see this call by a white Smith College employee as anything but a racist reaction once you know the person on the couch is a black woman, even though the caller doesn't reference race. The dispatch officer doesn't ask about that. The Smith employee isn't even sure what gender the person is but complains to the police, "I don't know what he's doing in there just laying on the couch." The police dispatcher is remarkably uncurious about why anyone should care about a person lying on a couch, much less why the police should investigate at all. Why are these supposedly security-conscious people so casual about such a non-offense offense? Are the redactions in the transcript more substantive than they appear?

Smith College should provide the full, unredacted transcript.

The white employee waits for the campus police to arrive. A second white person of the opposite gender joins the first. The second person has not been identified either.

The "out of place person" turns out to be nothing of the kind, not even close. She turns out to be a black woman with very short black hair. She is Oumou Kanoute, 21, 5'2" tall, an academically gifted Smith College sophomore working for the summer teaching chemistry to high school students in the college's STEM program. She is also a member of Smith's cross-country team. To get into the student common room in the first place she had to use her college-issued keycard. The white Smith employees weren't likely to have known who this person was, but they almost surely knew it took a keycard to get into the room, and they should have considered that along with the absence of any sign of forced entry.

While a uniformed police officer talked briefly to Kanoute, the white employees apparently waited in the foyer, possibly with a second police officer. The record is incomplete.

None of the parties have said what happened next. Presumably the police officer left Kanoute to carry on. But if the white employee was still there, did the officer explain what happened? Why didn't the white employee own the mistake and apologize on the spot? Why didn't the police officer facilitate such an opportunity? All this should be just obvious institutional behavior in an institution actually serious about promoting harmony, never mind racial harmony. Failing to resolve it in the moment is a form of institutional negligence, and it could have been avoided had either the white Smith employee or the white campus cop acted with reasonable human decency.

Oumou Kanoute grew up in New York City and is the first member of her family to go to college. She speaks four languages. She was an outstanding student at Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut, class of 2017. She worked hard, against long odds, to get into Smith College (roughly 5% black) in Northampton, Massachusetts (4% black). As the college describes itself: "one of the largest of the prestigious Seven Sisters women's colleges, Smith educates women of promise for lives of distinction." Smith is notoriously difficult to get into.

The casual, mindless cruelty of a still-anonymous Smith employee set off a sequence of events that continues to unfold. That same evening, Oumou Kanoute posted on Facebook:

"I am blown away at the fact that I cannot even sit down and eat lunch peacefully. Today someone felt the need to call the police on me while I was sitting down reading, and eating in a common room at Smith College. This person didn't try to bring their concerns forward to me, but instead decided to call the police. I did nothing wrong, I wasn't making any noise or bothering anyone. All I did was be black. It's outrageous that some people question my being at Smith College, and my existence overall as a women of color. I was very nervous, and had a complete meltdown after this incident. It's just wrong and uncalled for. No students of color should have to explain why they belong at prestigious white institutions. I worked my hardest to get into Smith, and I deserve to feel safe on my campus."

Beneath that, Kanoute posted a video she made of her police interview. The picture quality is weak and the audio is poor. Over the video she wrote: "So I'm sitting down minding my damn business and someone calls the cops on me while I'm just chilling. This is why being black in America is scary." The police officer's tone in the video is mild. Kanoute adds: "Now he is apologizing on behalf of the racist punk who called the police on me for absolutely nothing." Later that same evening, Kanoute posted again on Facebook, this time asking readers to forward her story to their followers: "I demanded that the administration share the name of the person who made the [campus police] call so that they can confront and acknowledge the harm done to me as a student." I'd appreciate any message you could send to your followers in order to put pressure on the administration..." Kanoute's Facebook posts went viral.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

From Consortium News

By Dennis J. Bernstein and *Randy Credico



Julian Assange

(Image by YouTube, Channel: cijournalism) Details DMCA





John Pilger

(Image by YouTube, Channel: POLITICS IN THE PUB) Details DMCA





Pilger talks about Assange's deteriorating health and the physical dangers he faces during this period of virtual isolation. Pilger also excoriates the western media for their silence and pro-government stand on the marginalizing and potential prosecution of Assange, even after they collaborated with WikiLeaks and major high-profile breaking stories. The interview is part of a continuing national radio series -- Assange: Countdown to Freedom. Pilger was interviewed on August 3rd, 2018.

___________________

DB: John, what is the latest we know about how Julian Assange is being treated and his current state?

John Pilger: His state of health is just about the same, as I understand it. He needs medical attention, the kind of treatment you get only in a hospital. But it has been made clear to him that if he attempts to go to a hospital he will not be given free passage and he will be arrested. Since he was arrested in 2010, Assange has not been charged with a single crime. His treatment amounts to the most unprecedented persecution. Julian could leave the embassy if his own government, the government of his homeland, Australia, applied legitimate diplomatic pressure on behalf of its citizen. We must ask ourselves why this hasn't happened.

My own feeling is that there is a great deal of collusion between the Australian, the British and the US governments -- meant to close down WikiLeaks completely and/or deliver Julian Assange to the Americans. Recently the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, traveled with senior officials to London and to Washington and raised the whole matter of Julian. But they raised it in a way that didn't support the idea that a government should represent its citizens. These people listened to the more powerful governments. In Washington they met Mr. Pompeo, who refused to discuss Assange altogether. I think there is collusion which amounts to an attempt to try to do a deal with Assange whereby he might be allowed free passage of return to Australia if he shuts down WikiLeaks. I think that is very, very likely.

As I understand Julian, this is something he would not even contemplate. But that might be one of the so-called "wretched deals" that are being offered Assange. Some very strange things are being said by senior members of these two governments. The new foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Hunt, said sarcastically that the British police would offer Julian "a warm welcome" when he came out, when he would face serious charges. There are no serious charges. He hasn't been charged with anything.

Was Hunt referring to a deal which has already been done with the United States on extradition? I don't know. But this is the milieu of machination around someone who has the right of natural justice concerning his freedom. Putting aside freedom of speech, the persecution of this man has been something that should horrify all free-thinking people. If it doesn't horrify us, then we have surrendered something very valuable.

DB: Among those who should be especially horrified are those of us in the journalistic community. John, I would like you to explain once again why Julian Assange is such a significant journalist, why so many journalistic institutions have collaborated with him based on the information he provided. We are talking about a publisher and reporter who has changed history.

JP: Nothing in my time as a journalist has equaled the rise of WikiLeaks and its extraordinary impact on journalism. It is probably the only journalistic organization that has a 100% record of accuracy and authenticity! All of WikiLeaks' revelations have been authentic. And it has been done "without fear or favor." Although there has been a concentration on, say, the release of the Hillary Clinton/Podesta emails, or the Iraq and Afghan war logs, WikiLeaks has released information that people have a right to know across the spectrum. It has released something like 800,000 documents from Russia, and now WikiLeaks is accused of being an agent of Russia!

WikiLeaks' journalism has covered a universal space and that is the first time this has happened. In Tunisia, the release of WikiLeaks documents foretold the Arab Spring. The people at the forefront of the uprising in Tunisia credit WikiLeaks for informing them of what their repressive government was doing behind their backs. In Venezuela, WikiLeaks released cables which described in great detail how the United States intended to subvert the government of Hugo Chavez. Some of this was published in the mainstream media, when there was still a collaboration with WikiLeaks.

The Clinton/Podesta emails, which appear to have made a number of people resentful, were published in the New York Times. These emails showed the close role that Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation played in support of extreme jihadism in the Middle East. That was a very important piece of information for people to know and understand. By doing that, WikiLeaks performed an extraordinary public service, while at the same time making some very serious enemies.

Randy Credico: People sometimes forget that, apart from being a journalist, Julian Assange is a human being. You have known him a long time. Could you give us a feel for the kind of person Julian Assange is?

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

From Strategic Culture

The Trump administration re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran this week, but the move risks further isolating Washington, not Tehran, in the eyes of the world.

President Donald Trump issued a statement to accompany the sweeping sanctions reinstated by Washington. "The Iranian regime faces a choice," he said. "Either change its threatening, destabilizing behavior and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation."

Ironically, the same words uttered by Trump could apply more so to the United States.

This increasingly unhinged US regime needs to back off its "threatening, destabilizing behavior" and begin to respect multilateral rules like other nations. Otherwise, the US and its unilateral bullying is leading to its "continuing down the path of economic isolation."

Trump also warned this week that, "Anybody doing business with Iran won't be doing business with the US." Careful what you wish for Donald! That very warning over Iran could end up much worse for your country.

The American president is in danger of recklessly overplaying his hand. His truculent demands that the rest of the world join in US efforts to isolate Iran economically are likely to backfire badly.

In particular, Trump is reinforcing the historic direction underway by Russia, China and others to shift their international trading relations away from relying on the US dollar as reserve currency. Without that privileged status as reserve currency, the US dollar would tank, and so would the entire American economy, based as it is on endless, unaccountable printing of greenbacks.

Russia, China and India are understood to be not willing to comply with Washington's high-handed demands that they cut business ties with Iran.

Both China and India -- Iran's biggest export markets for its oil industry -- have said they are not going to defer to Trump's sanctions.

The resistance to American diktat is inevitably leading to the rest of the world coming up with new financing mechanisms for conducting trade. That, in turn, is hastening the demise of the US dollar's international status.

Even the European Union this week pushed back against Trump's policy to unduly antagonize Iran by trashing the international nuclear accord.

"We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran," said the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, in a statement co-signed by the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany.

The 28-member EU is introducing a Blocking Statute which will afford legal protection to its commercial ties with Iran from so-called "secondary sanctions" planned by the Trump administration to hit nations continuing to do business with Tehran.

Washington's sanctions reimposed this week are aimed at cutting off Iran's ability to conduct international trade using US dollar payments. But if other nations hold firm to commercial ties with Iran, they will circumvent the American restrictions by necessarily using bilateral currency deals transacted with euro, renminbi, rupee or ruble.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

See original here

Memorandum for: The US Embassies of Ecuador and the United Kingdom, and the U.S. State Department

From: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

Subject: Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange

For six years, Wikileaks editor Julian Assange has been effectively imprisoned without charges at Ecuador's London embassy. In that time, two international courts and dozens of respected legal and human rights organizations have decried actions of the UK, US and Swedish governments that confine the journalist in what now amounts to torturous isolation, deprived of space, sunlight, visitors, communication with the outside and necessary medical care.

The catalyst was an arcane effort by the Swedish government to extradite Assange for questioning about claims of sexual improprieties.1 The UK government subsequently arrested Assange and released him on bail.2 Ecuador granted Assange asylum at its embassy based on concerns he could be extradited to the US where he would not receive a fair trial and could receive a death sentence.3 (Former Obama DOJ spokesperson Matthew Miller has acknowledged that US officials intended to arrest Julian Assange but decided against it because of the expected impacts on press freedom.)4

The UK government threatens to arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy for "not surrendering at bail" and refuses to rule out extradition to the US.5 Under a new president, Ecuador has cut off Assange's communications with the outside world.

Experts Criticize Treatment of Assange

In June, 2014, The National Lawyers Guild and 59 human rights and legal organizations petitioned the United Nations to act on violations of Assange's "fundamental human rights." In addition, "33 union, human rights, media and civil society organizations" petitioned the Human Rights Commission in Geneva on behalf of freedom for Assange. Reports submitted by the groups identified "numerous systematic deficiencies in Swedish pre-trial procedures like the routine placement of persons who have not been charged with any crime in indefinite, isolated, or unexplained pre-charge detention."6

In February 2016, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concluded that Assange's situation constitutes "arbitrary detention" and violates both the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.7 Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, told The Guardian, 4 Feb 2016, "If he is regarded as detained, that means he has served his time, so I see no other option for Sweden but to close the case."8

Another year would pass, however, before Sweden dropped its investigation, after finally consenting to interview Assange at the embassy.9 Recently obtained emails show that Sweden would have dropped the case years earlier but for pressure from UK authorities.10 In summary, Assange has been confined for six years over allegations that never resulted in charges, much less a criminal conviction.

On July 12, 2018, the Organization of American States' (OAS) Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) sent out a ruling11 that was virtually unnoticed by US news media. The IACHR found "it is the duty of nations to allow for the passage of successful asylum seekers from embassies to the mainland territory of the state that has granted an individual asylum."

For Julian Assange, this would mean that, according to the Court's decision, Britain has a legal obligation to allow Julian Assange to exit the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in peace and allow for his safe transit to an airport from which he would be able to fly to Ecuador, the country that has granted Assange asylum and where he now also holds formal citizenship.12

"[I]t is imperative," the ruling states, "that Assange is allowed to make the safe passage to Ecuador demanded by the Court as his physical and mental health conditions have been described as deteriorating rapidly. If, nevertheless, UK authorities insist on arresting Assange, "the British government will have wantonly failed to uphold Assange's rights as a legitimate receiver of asylum by Ecuador."13

The IACHR ruling suggests further that outright abuses occurred when Ecuador removed security assigned for Assange;14 when the UK rejected Ecuador's request for safe passage of Assange to Ecuador15; and when the US obstructed efforts to end Assange's virtual imprisonment.16

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

I was asked the question "What Does Veterans for Peace Stand For?" when I received that question forwarded as a part of the ongoing discussion in the American Psychological Association about changing the definitions of torture and the role of psychologists in interrogations:

From a Navy Lieutenant Commander Psychologist:

"I had not heard of Veteran's for Peace and that says a little something since I am pretty active on social media on military and veterans issues. I looked them up and they are not even included in the VA's list of VSOs. They have a minuscule profile on the internet and based on their website appear to be a small organization. Whoever wrote their Wikipedia page said they are 'generally reviled as treasonous by mainline veteran's groups like the American Legion ('The Legion'), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Amvets and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).' I hope we can all infer from this that their views cannot be generalized to all, or even most, veterans.



"There is clear bias against military psychologists in the opening paragraph. The author states, 'We are also acutely aware of the military psychological industry's deleterious impacts on our lives [his personally?] and the lives of Peoples around the world.' Doesn't that sound a bit of an over-generalization? Jeez he makes it sound like all military psychologists are evil-doers waiting for the cops to go away so as to continue the plunder of humanity. Based on the author's arguments that it is impossible to stave off 'military toxicity,' shouldn't all professionals ban themselves from GTMO (including all physicians, and lawyers)?



"For something more balanced please see this. Or please read this article in Division 49's Journal of Peace and Conflict refuting the work of Stephen Soldz.



"No one is arguing that working at GTMO is free of ethical challenges, but come on, let's raise to the occasion and use our expertise (with consultation and supervision) to make detainees' lives better."

My response to this email is:

I served 29 years in the US Army/Army Reserves and retired as a Colonel. I was in the US Department of State for 16 years and served in US Embassies in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Mongolia. I was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in December 2001. I was the Deputy Chief of Mission, or Deputy Ambassador in the last four Embassies. I resigned from the US government in March 2003 in opposition to Bush's war on Iraq.

Veterans for Peace (VFP) is definitely a small group of veterans when compared with American Legion and Veterans for Foreign Wars -- mainly because VFP advocates for peace, while the others are war supporters. "Peace" by conquering other lands and killing lots of people is NOT VFP. We challenge all the administrations -- Democrat and Republican -- on their war mongering policies.

And we challenge torture and psychologists who have condoned it and even worse helped rationale it and participate in it as have some military psychologists who have worked in Guantanamo and civilian psychologists who work for the CIA in the black prison sites.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

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.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"One of the primary means of human communication, internal and external, is storytelling. Here, in Bottom-Up, Rob Kall is challenging humanity to tell itself a new story, one designed to free us from hierarchicalism to a more egalitarian, interconnected web of meaning."



Steven Barnes, television writer (Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Stargate) and author of LION'S BLOOD"
Progressive Content Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing.



To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

North America is subsisting beneath the bars of a publicly bailed-out "free-market" dictatorship that is killing us all.

The system requires lies to survive, since it only (temporarily) benefits a tiny, parasitical oligarch class, to the detriment of global Life itself.

The supremacy of the falsely-labelled "free market" is made palpable by its remnants. Huge swaths of society -- disappeared by monopoly media -- are increasingly thirdworldized. This is the "freedom" of the "market".

It is a mindless political economy wherein people operating its levers claim ignorance of or blindly extol the virtues of, its impacts.

It is a driver beneath the destruction of national sovereignties and the rule of international law in its constant search for new "free" markets. Sovereign countries such as Syria, that resist this external dictatorship, feel the heel of Empire's jackboots, most visibly in the form of Western-supported ISIS and al Qaeda terrorists who lay siege to the country, protected by their benefactors both militarily and politically.

The expanding free market of "neoliberal" predatory capitalism destroys the freedom of "prey" countries to determine their own political economy. Hence, Syria, which is defeating Empire's terrorists and restoring the rule of international law, as it regains its sovereignty and territorial integrity, is more free and self-determining than a country like Canada.

Syria's Children: "Condemned to Live", Shackled by the Scars of US-NATO Terrorism

Canada's servitude to transnational policymakers couldn't be more palpable than it is now, with the announcement that the Trudeau government intends to welcome White Helmets terrorists to our shores.

We are the dustbin for Empire's failed project in Syria -- and most Canadians are, and will likely remain, blissfully unaware.

One of the few remaining beacons of hope stands defiantly on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, where Christianity and civilizations were born, where civilizing forces are re-emerging with every victory over the West's hideous foot soldiers.

Empire's anti-Life, megalomaniacal designs for a totalitarian "World Order" of chaos, death, and poverty, are being frustrated on ancient Syrian soils. Thank God.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

An astounding 10,000 2- and 3-year-olds in the U.S. are on drugs like Ritalin and Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder it was reported in 2014. Pediatric "psychopharmacology" treating conduct disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and more has become a gold mine for Pharma. Pre-school kids are even "diagnosed" with schizophrenia. Fifty percent of pediatricians prescribe kids insomnia drugs. Children are ideal patients because they have to do what their parents, teachers and doctors tell them.



Alleged Childhood Psych Disorders Continue to Enrich Pharma

(Image by Martha Rosenberg) Details DMCA



Few indeed are the children dosed early with drugs who go on to lead normal, drug-free lives. They have no "normal" to return to----nor can it be known if they ever really needed the psychiatric drugs. Instead, pediatric "psychopharmacology" patients have their drugs increased, switched and supplemented and become lifelong drug customers. Side effects are treated with more drugs and many experience obesity and even diabetes from extreme antipsychotic drugs like Zyprexa.

The widespread overmedication of children with psychiatric drugs like Zyprexa has contributed to an epidemic of non-psychiatric drugs. Since 2001, high blood pressure meds for kids have risen 17 percent, diabetes meds 150 percent and heartburn/GERD meds 147 percent. Twenty-five percent of children and 30 percent of adolescents now take at least one prescription for a chronic condition.

In July the New York Times Science section defends the drugging of our children with quotes from doctors paid by Pharma to, well, drug children. When confronted with parents who do not want to drug their children Dr. Doris Greenberg, a developmental pediatrician in Savannah, Ga., who is associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Mercer University School of Medicine says she asks them, "What are you worried about, what horror stories have you heard?"

Maybe Greenberg does not read the horror stories. For example, did she read the editorial earlier this year in JAMA Psychiatry titled "The Urgent Need for Optimal Monitoring of Metabolic Adverse Effects in Children and Youngsters Who Take On-label or Off-label Antipsychotic Medication" citing cardiometabolic abnormalities linked to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus? The warnings about the most popular drugs with which children are dosed may conflict with Greenberg's stock holdings. A Shire-funded 2015 medical course she taught entitled "Reconsidering Adult ADHD" says Greenberg "has disclosed that she is a stock shareholder (directly purchased) in Abbott; AbbVie Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline; Johnson & Johnson; Novartis; and Novo Nordisk."

In the Times apologism, both Greenberg and another doctor actually contend that dosing children on ADHD drugs lessens their chances of "substance abuse later on." Is that a joke? How are they defining substance abuse----no prescription? ADHD meds are popular street drugs and also sold on campus. I have interviewed many parents whose children are full-fledged drugs addicts beginning with doctor-prescribed ADHD drugs.

Dr. Timothy Wilens, the second doc quoted in the Times article, is chief of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He readily admits his "ties" to pharmaceutical companies and actually, shockingly, says he has "an academic obligation to work with the industry." What? Wilens fits well into today's government in which both the FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and head of HHS Alex Azar are shamelessly former Pharma operative s.

(Article changed on August 10, 2018 at 23:36)

(Article changed on August 11, 2018 at 00:31)
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.



Health Care Witness Hearing

(Image by Medill DC) Details DMCA



It painful to say it but Trump's tweet and campaign stop in the much-watched special election in Ohio's 12th District gave GOP candidate Troy Balderson the win. The tweet was vintage Trump. It was blunt, crude, with the usual tinge of name calling. The name he called out was House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Trump flatly said, Vote for O'Connor and you're voting for Pelosi. He doubled down on that in his campaign pitch in the district for Balderson.

So, there it is, plain for all to see. In any and every district in the coming November mid-terms where a GOP candidate or incumbent is even remotely in danger of defeat, the scream to GOP voters will be, "Do you want Pelosi."

In Ohio the scream worked, and it will work in the other close run up districts. The ploy of using Pelosi to scare the devil out of GOP voters is not new. She been a made-in-Hollywood casting call political mannequin for that for a while. She's been in the House seemingly forever. She's an unabashed, old line-traditional, California liberal. She has been on the top Democratic watch during an almost unprecedented losing cycle of Democratic incumbents and candidates in too many districts to count. The losses haven't just been for congressional seats. They've been state and local offices that have resulted in state after state now being run by GOP governors and GOP controlled state legislatures. One other thing makes her the perfect political punching bag, she's a she. This was the hidden, not-polite-to-say, but very real factor in Hillary's flame out in 2016.

A big pack of Democratic incumbents and candidates in November know that Pelosi is toxic. They have cut bait from her. They tap dance around any mention of her, and when asked about their party tie to her pretend that she's on the far side of the moon. That hasn't stopped GOP opponents and party leaders from their attack. They still demand that Democratic congressional candidates say whether they will back Pelosi for House Speaker if they win office and the Democrats seize the House in November. This question triggers more panic and sweat attacks among Democratic candidates.

Democratic party leaders have tried to a good face on the Pelosi liability by claiming that they're getting closer and closer in the special elections to edging GOP incumbents and candidates in rock solid red districts. They are but this isn't a game of horse shoes. A congressional race is a winner take all race. The brutal reality is that the GOP continues to rack up the wins in these districts. The even grimmer reality is that Trump's intervention has been a tipping point in some of the races--and he is ever ready to crow that as he did in the Ohio race.

The GOP's waving Pelosi around to rack up wins points to another hard-political truth. An odious name can make a difference--for better or worse. Trump proved that. His name and all the negatives that go with it hurt and helped him at the same time in the initial run-up to the GOP presidential race. He got few endorsements, no big donor contributions, and almost total scorn from the GOP party establishment. This helped him for the exact reasons it hurt him. It made him appear to be the consummate political outlier, the proverbial man on the white horse who will cleanse the corrupt, deal making beltway Washington swamp.

That was a lie. But combined with a big healthy dose of his naked race, immigrant and Muslim baiting it was more than enough to convince just enough disgusted white rural blue collar, less educated voters that he was what he said he was. Pelosi is in the same spot with her name. The difference is that it's not just one office, the presidency, that's at stake, but dozens of offices that the Democrats are desperate to win. There's absolutely no upside to a bad name when the opposition welds that as a hammer against you.

What can be done? Pelosi has tried mightily to push back by bowing to the wishes of many Democrats to stay out of their districts, by low keying her presence in the media, and low keying even more her position as House Minority Leader. What she hasn't done is what more than a few Democrats want her to do. That's make a public pledge that if the Democrats take back the House in November she will not be the party's majority leader.

This is a pledge that Pelosi isn't likely to make. There's absolutely no sign that Democratic Party leaders will demand that she stand down either. The you wash my hand, I wash yours MO, is simply too deeply entrenched in the way the two parties do business. The brute truth is that it will take another notch in November on Pelosi's disastrous losing streak to finally budge the party to demand that she go. But go, she must, or the Democrats risk losing the House in November--Again.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is the author of the forthcoming Why Black Lives Do Matter (Middle Passage Press). He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

(This is a reprint from NewsBred).



Dalai Lama: spare us your history lessons

(Image by newsbred.com) Details DMCA



It's such a humbug from the 14th Dalai Lama to suggest that the 1947 Partition could've been avoided had Pt Jawaharlal Nehru accepted Mahatama Gandhi's offer to Make Mohammad Ali Jinnah as Prime Minister, the offer which was made to Viceroy Lord Mountbatten on April 1, 1947.

Gandhi's offer to Jinnah was a non-starter from the word go. Gandhi had made such proposals previously too--and it had been rejected by the Muslim League and Jinnah himself. There is no reason to believe Jinnah would've accepted so on this occasion. Nehru only saved him the trouble.

Why Jinnah would've brushed aside the offer? Because the Central Legislative Assembly would've still been dominated by Congress members who would've rendered his Prime Ministership impossible. Besides, how would've Jinnah looked to his supporters and Muslim League after harping "Pakistan-and-nothing-else," all these years?

Look at the issue from the Congress' perspective. It still, by far, was the largest nationalist party, representing majority of Indians, including Muslims. Forget Hindus, how Congress would've appeared to millions of nationalist Muslisms still on their side? What was the guarantee that Jinnah would've stopped at his original demand of six states only? (Punjab, Bengal, Sylhet, Sind, Balochistan and NWFP). And what about one-third of India which was still run "independently" by hundreds of princes and their fiefdoms?

Above everything else, nobody believed Gandhi was serious on his offer. This is what Lord Mountbatten has written in his memoirs on the offer:

"I (Mountbatten) need not say that this solution coming at this time staggered me. I asked: "What would Mr Jinnah say to such a proposal"? The reply was, "if you tell him I am the author, he will reply "Wily Gandhi."

Still, Lord Mountbatten did put Gandhi's proposal to Pt. Nehru. The latter pointed out that Gandhi had made a similar proposal during the Cabinet Mission of 1946. The proposal was all the less realistic a year hence now because of the policy of Direct Action by the Muslim League which has caused bloodshed and bitterness. Nehru also wondered if Sikhs and Hindus in districts of Punjab where they dominated, would accept the proposal.

As per VP Menon, the Constitutional Advisor to the Viceroy (know more about him, he is the one who actually solved the knotty Partition issue), "the assurance of cooperation by the Congress (to Gandhi's proposal on Jinnah) is more a wishful thinking"this is perhaps not un-intended by Gandhi.

"According to Gandhi's proposal, Jinnah is at liberty to plan for Pakistan and even to put his plans into effect provided he is successful in appealing to reason and does not use force. This is asking for the impossible.

"If Jinnah could persuade the Sikhs and Hindus of the Punjab and Hindus of Bengal to join Pakistan, he would automatically get his Pakistan without joining the Interim Government on dubious terms. On the other hand, if Jinnah still persists in his scheme of separation, he will be giving his case away by entering the Central Government.

"It is Gandhi's habit to make propositions, leaving many of their implications unsaid"for example, there is no reference here to the Muslim League participation in the Constituent Assembly. If Jinnah were to accept his proposal, Gandhi probably takes it for granted that the Muslim League would enter the Constituent Assembly."

So, His Holiness, please spare us the false history. As it is we have many historians of dubious claims and agendas who manipulate the truth. Yours' might be an innocent one but no less grievous.
Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

From Reader Supported News

Censorship has become such a normal part of daily American life that most people either don't pay attention to it or don't care. But it's taken on a life of its own, and it's beginning to spin out of control. We must take back our constitutional right to freedom of speech and our civil liberties.

Many Americans laughed this week when Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube suspended the accounts of Alex Jones and InfoWars. Jones is well-known for his bombastic, conspiracy-laden, often offensive views on just about everything from the Sandy Hook massacre (no children were killed; they were all "crisis actors") to the United Nations (it's a hostile foreign power that maintains a secret army and will launch a war to install a one-world government) to so-called "chemtrails" and space aliens. (In the interest of transparency, I have appeared three times on InfoWars' The Real News with David Knight. David is a mainstream Libertarian and a great supporter of whistleblowers.)

But the decision to ban Jones was not funny at all. You don't have to agree with a single thing the man says to believe that he has the same fundamental right to freedom of speech that you and I have. When news of the ban broke on August 6, I was surprised at how few of my friends objected to it. Indeed, many gloated over it. I felt exactly the opposite. I was infuriated. And the next day, on August 7, Twitter permanently banned my friend Peter Van Buren from the site.

Van Buren is a renowned State Department whistleblower and 24-year Foreign Service veteran who also led a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. He has written extensively about waste, fraud, and abuse at the State Department, and he published a well-received memoir in 2012 entitled, "We Meant Well: How I Helped to Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People." As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton tried mightily to fire Van Buren for that memoir, even though the State Department's publications review staff approved its release. She tried to confiscate his pension. Only after a lawsuit on his behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Government Accountability Project was he allowed to retire and to keep his pension.

Twitter, however, doesn't have to answer to anybody. It's a private company and it can do what it wants. Last week, Van Buren got involved in an acrimonious exchange about government lying with mainstream journalist Jonathan Katz, a freelancer who writes primarily for The New York Times, Politico, and Slate. Katz apparently reported Van Buren to Twitter, which quickly banned him for life, saying he had "harassed, intimidated, or used fear to silence" Katz. No such thing ever took place. Because of the permanent nature of the ban, every one of Van Buren's tweets from the past seven years has been deleted.

Twitter's action turns out to not have been limited to Alex Jones and a buddy of mine. The company went on yesterday to suspend the accounts of Scott Horton, a prominent radio host, director of Antiwar.com, and great friend of whistleblowers; and Dan McAdams, a highly-respected former congressional staff member and executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. I know both of these men well and I would stake my reputation on their decency, honesty, and integrity. Twitter suspended them because they came to Van Buren's aid.

There's an even worse result from Twitter's actions. InfoWars this week had promoted a petition asking President Trump to pardon Julian Assange. In just 48 hours, the petition was signed by nearly 40,000 people. It was all but killed when removed from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

There's a very serious issue at play here. Put aside your feelings about Alex Jones, about crisis actors, and about chemtrails. This is an issue of free speech. It's an issue of corporate censorship. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other tech mega-companies are telling us that they get to decide what we see and don't see. They get to decide what we say and don't say.

I won't live like that. Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), a group of retired intelligence officers, diplomats, military officers, and FBI agents, is writing a letter to Twitter's leadership to protest these heavy-handed, anti-democratic actions. I'm proud to be a member of VIPS and I think that our collective voice will be heard. But VIPS can't do it alone. Twitter and the others must be called to account.

I, for one, don't want to live like a North Korean, an Iranian, or even an Israeli or a Brit, where my government or a company tells me what to think or to say. I will boycott Twitter and speak out against it everywhere until it remedies these egregious attacks on civil liberties.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Smart City Business Analytics Software Size, Share, Emerging Trends, Worldwide| Key Players: IBM, SAP, Microsoft, SAS, Oracle and Others

Smart City Business Analytics Software

https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=197335

https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=197335

https://www.researchnreports.com/checkout?id=197335

www.researchnreports.com

The Report highlights key market dynamics of sector. Various definitions and classification of the industry, applications of the industry and chain structure are given. The current market scenario and future prospects of the sector also have been studied. Additionally, prime strategically activities in the market, which includes product developments, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, etc., are discussed.Download sample report copy of Global Smart City Business Analytics Software Market 2018 @This Report Focuses on the Top 10 Players:IBMSAPMicrosoftSASOracleTableauSalesforceIntelAnd OthersTo Avail 20% Discount On:Global Smart City Business Analytics Software Market study objectives are1) To study and analyze the Smart City Business Analytics Software industry sales, value, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2022).2) Main Focus on the worlds major Smart City Business Analytics Software industry players, to study the sales, value, industry size and future expansions plans.3) Main Focus on the worlds key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the industry competition landscape, SWOT analysis for Smart City Business Analytics Software industry.4) To study important trends and segments driving or inhibiting the worlds Smart City Business Analytics Software industry growth.Purchase report at $ 2900 (Single User Licence) @Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com ,
Clearwaters United for Human Rights Center Spotlights Womens Issues at Forum on August 11

www.humanrights.com

CLEARWATER, FL: United for Human Rights, Florida Chapter, is hosting a forum highlighting womens rights issues on Saturday August 11th at their center in downtown Clearwater. Starting at 2pm, guests will learn about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how these rights relate to the protection and survival of women internationally.The keynote speaker is attorney Carmen Miller, a minority woman who has served almost nine years representing clients who had no where else to turn. In this light, she won several pro bono service awards and was named Felony Attorney of the year by her office in 2009. She is branching out into family and elder law, with a strong interest in Baker Act misuse.Ms. Miller will tackle the idea that Womens Rights are Human Rights and show attendees how the 30 rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to problems faced by women every day.It is estimated that in the United States, nearly every day, three women are killed by an intimate partner, said Sanna Hedden, the Director of the Human Rights Center. That is in violation of human right number three which guarantees the right to life. But there are others, including the right to a fair wage, the right to education and the right to a family.These arent just words on a page, said Ms. Hedden, these are rights guaranteed for all by the United Nations.Attendees will receive their own copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The center is located at 29 N. Fort Harrison Ave., and there is no cost to attend.United for Human Rights and its programs are based on principles expressed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who in 1969 observed, It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments sweeping reforms in the field of human rights.For nearly five decades, Scientologists have worked to overcome any and all obstacles to champion those inalienable rights. The Church sponsors one of the worlds broadest human rights education and public information campaigns under the banner of United for Human Rights.In fact, United for Human Rights of Florida helped educate more than 50,000 people on their human rights in the Clearwater and Tampa areas during the past year alone. United for Human Rights Clearwater consistently works with some 60 civil and human rights groups to accomplish that goal.For more information about the Forum, please call 727-467-6960ABOUT UNITED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: United for Human Rights is a non-profit, non-religious, educational program dedicated to teaching the community their human rights, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to inspire them to become advocates for peace and tolerance. The United for Human Rights Florida team hosts a variety of events to combat all forms of human rights violations, and provides free educational material and seminars to educators and activists. To learn more, please go to503 Cleveland StreetClearwater FL 33755
AmpSync- The fastest email extractor for LinkedIn lead generation launched successfully by Ampliz

Singapore 07/08/2018- Ampliz, the self serve database management and prospecting platform has launched a free and ready to use LinkedIn email extractor called AmpSync. It is designed to make prospecting easy and fast. It adds directly to your Chrome browser and allows you to sync up with LinkedIn seamlessly to extract vital verified email addresses.AmpSync LinkedIn email extractorWith the need to ramp up prospecting and get verified email addresses quickly, tapping into big resources such as LinkedIn for lead generation is the best way forward. Ampliz has designed and launched the AmpSync LinkedIn email extractor. It directly syncs up with LinkedIn from your browser and you are able to get the email address of the profile you are looking at.All you need to do is go to the Chrome app store from your Chrome browser, search for AMPSYNC and add the extension to your browser. Login to your LinkedIn account, search for the profile you want the email address for and run the AMPSYNC extension in your browser. If you are already logged into your Ampliz account, click on AmpSync icon on the LinkedIn page, you will get the profiles email address in a new tab. Start sending mails!AmpSync is free and all you need is a free trial login account with Ampliz.About AmplizAmpliz is a self serve web based database management and discovery platform that works on a subscription model. It is designed to improve the value of your marketing plans. It has 36 million verified files available for download via 25+ search filters. You can run email verification of contacts seamlessly.Data hosting on Ampliz allows you to sort, segment, and search and find the right contacts you need to run marketing campaigns through predetermined or custom search filters attached to them. These are again downloadable. Looking to add net new data to your counts? Upload and match with our master database and get only new counts. It integrates seamlessly with top of the line marketing automation software and CRMs currently available.Level 39, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 2, 10 Marina Boulevard, Singapore-018983
Insurance IT Spending 2018 Global Industry Key Players - Accenture ,CSC , Fiserv, Guidewire Software Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3322935-global-insurance-it-spending-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3322935-global-insurance-it-spending-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025

Global Insurance IT Spending MarketThis report studies the global Insurance IT Spending market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Insurance IT Spending market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Insurance firms in the US are deploying several big data and analytics technologies for effective risk and compliance management. Analytics solutions help insurance firms to increase their profitability and competitiveness in both domestic and global insurance markets.The increased application of advanced analytical tools such as descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytical solutions has helped insurance firms to obtain accurate estimation of the highly demanded products. Increased adoption of social media monitoring and analytical tools in the insurance sector will result in the elevated sale of insurance products in the coming years.Request a Sample Report @This report focuses on the global top players, coveredAccentureCSCFiservGuidewire SoftwareOracleAndesaCognizantEXL ServiceFISGenpactMajescoMicrosoftPegasystemsSAPStoneRiverMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoSoftware spendingHardware spendingIT services spendingMarket segment by Application, split intoCommercial P&C insurancePersonal P&C insuranceHealth and medical insuranceLife and accident insuranceInsurance administration and risk consultingAnnuitiesThe study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Insurance IT Spending 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 Insurance IT Spending 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 StakeholdersInsurance IT Spending ManufacturersInsurance IT Spending Distributors/Traders/WholesalersInsurance IT Spending Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, Researcher offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Insurance IT Spending market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Insurance IT Spending Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Insurance IT Spending1.1 Insurance IT Spending Market Overview1.1.1 Insurance IT Spending Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Insurance IT Spending Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 Europe1.2.3 China1.2.4 Japan1.2.5 Southeast Asia1.2.6 India1.3 Insurance IT Spending Market by Type1.3.1 Software spending1.3.2 Hardware spending1.3.3 IT services spending1.4 Insurance IT Spending Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Commercial P&C insurance1.4.2 Personal P&C insurance1.4.3 Health and medical insurance1.4.4 Life and accident insurance1.4.5 Insurance administration and risk consulting1.4.6 Annuities2 Global Insurance IT Spending Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Insurance IT Spending Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Accenture3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Insurance IT Spending Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2 CSC3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Insurance IT Spending Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3 Fiserv3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Insurance IT Spending Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4 Guidewire Software3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Insurance IT Spending Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5 Oracle3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Insurance IT Spending Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)Continued.Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Melbourne plumbers warn residents to dangers of faulty gas heaters LOCAL plumbers are calling for householders to be diligent when it comes to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as a state-wide gas safety education program is introduced for plumbers.



The program run by Master Plumbers in conjunction with the Victorian Building Authority and Energy Safe Victoria is aimed to update their knowledge and skills with the installation and servicing of gas heaters.



Plumber Dean Nourdean of The 24 Hour Melbourne Plumber says that he has noticed customers rarely clean or maintain their gas heaters.



Residents should start servicing their heaters every one to two years, he said.



Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Any appliance that burns gas and has a heat exchanger can crack at any time.



More than 20 thousand registered plumbers and gasfitters across Victoria have been invited to the events which will teach plumbers how to conduct a carbon monoxide spillage test and understand the effect of negative air pressure on the safe operation of gas appliances.



Faulty and poorly maintained gas heaters run the risk of leaking carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which can cause death or chronic illness.



Open-flued heaters are the most common to leak, however all heaters including central heating units, wall units and space heaters should be maintained by a qualified plumber or gasfitter.



The next session available for plumbers in Melbourne is on Monday, August 27 & 28 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.



24 Hour Melbourne Plumbers are your go-to guys when you have a plumbing crisis. We will come to your home or business quickly, do a professional job and all at a competitive rate. Our goal is to do such a good job that if you ever need a plumber in the future, you wont think twice about which company youll be calling!



Affordable plumbing services for residents across Melbourne are just a phone call away.



A simple phone call to 24Hour Melbourne Plumbers will immediately grant you access to experienced and knowledgeable professionals, whose main goal is to help you. We are providing an extensive array of services ranging from basic maintenance and installations, to emergency services such as pipe and burst repairs.



Brett Barfoot

C/O Xugar Design

level 1, 51-65 Clarke St,

Southbank

VIC 3006



This release was published on openPR.



Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.
Automated Weapon System - Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3326849-automated-weapon-system-market-research-report-global-forecast-to-2023

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3326849-automated-weapon-system-market-research-report-global-forecast-to-2023

www.linkedin.com/company/4828928

https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports

https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts

Report DescriptionThis report analyzes the automated weapon system market by type (radar-guided, homing missiles, stationary sentry guns, combat drone), platform (autonomous, semi-autonomous), application (airborne, naval, and ground based), and region; it also studies the top manufacturers in the market.The automated weapon system market is expected to grow a CAGR of approximately 5% during the forecast period 2018 to 2023.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The major players in automated weapon system market include: Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S.) Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.) Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (Israel) Boston Dynamics (U.S.) Aerovironment, Inc. (U.S.) BAE Systems, Inc. (U.K) Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (Turkey) General Dynamics Corporation (U.S.) Saab AB (Sweden) Thales Group (France)The market revenue and share have been analyzed with respect to the following regions and countries:AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.KGermanyFranceItalyRest of EuropeAsia pacificChinaJapanIndiaRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaSouth AmericaOn the basis of type, the automated weapon system market has been categorized into the following segments: Radar-guided Homing Missiles Stationary Sentry Guns Combat DroneOn the basis of platform, the automated weapon system market has been categorized into the following segments: Autonomous Semi-AutonomousOn the basis of application, the automated weapon system market has been categorized into the following segments: Airborne Naval Ground BasedOn the basis of regions, the automated weapon system market has been categorized into the following segments: North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa South AmericaResearch Methodologyanalysis is conducted by industry experts who offer insight into industry structure, market segmentation, technology assessment, competitive landscape (CL), and market penetration, as well as on emerging trends. Besides primary interviews (~80%) and secondary research (~20%), their analysis is based on years of professional expertise in their respective industries. Our analysts also predict where the market will be headed in the next five to 10 years, by analyzing historical trends and current market positions. Furthermore, the varying trends of segments and categories in different regions are estimated based on primary and secondary research.Both the top-down and bottom-up approaches were used to estimate and validate the size of the market and to estimate the size of various other dependent sub-markets. The key players in the market were identified through secondary research, and their market contributions in the respective regions were determined through primary and secondary research. This entire process included the study of the annual and financial reports of the top market players and extensive interviews for key insights with industry leaders such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and marketing executives. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns were determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources. All the possible parameters that affect the market covered in this research study have been accounted for, viewed in extensive detail, verified through primary research, and analyzed to arrive at the final quantitative and qualitative data.Table of Content: Key Points1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report3 Market Landscape4 Market Dynamics5 Global Automated Weapon System Market, By Type6 Global Automated Weapon System Market, By Platform7 Global Automated Weapon System Market, By ApplicationContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook: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. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market Growth Overview with Topmost Players Novartis, Acetelion, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited and More - Outlook to 2023

Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2347

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/anti-hypertensive-drugs-market-2347

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2347

Market Research Future has a Half-Cooked Research Report on Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market. The global anti-hypertensive drugs market was valued at USD 32.2 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 38.9 billion by 2022.Market Scenario for Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market:Anti-hypertensive drugs are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension is a state of chronic elevated arterial blood pressure at or greater than 140/90 mm Hg for adults.Premium Sample Report Available @The global anti-hypertensive drugs market was valued at $32.2 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach $ 38.9 billion by 2022. Thus the market is expected to perform sluggish growth at a CAGR of 2.73% from 2018 to 2022.The constraints however are overwhelming and include patent expiries such as Actelion's Tracleer (2015), and United Therapeutic's Remodulin (2014). Other blockbusters such as Novartis's Diovan and Exforge, Sanofi Aventis's Avapro (2012) etc are also off-patent.Key Players for Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market:Novartis AG, Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, Acetelion Ltd, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi S.A., Astra Zeneca plc, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited, Pfizer Inc.Study Objectives Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market:To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global anti-hypertensive drugs marketTo provide insights about factors affecting the market growthTo analyze the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc.To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.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 and sub-segments.To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketTo track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments globally.Browse Complete Report @Segments Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market:Global anti-hypertensive drugs market has been segmented on the basis of pharmacological class, hypertension type, disease source and Region.Intended Audience Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market: Global anti-hypertensive drugs manufacturers Global anti-hypertensive drugs suppliers Research and development Laboratories Market Research and Consulting Service ProvidersRegional Analysis Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market:Globally North America is the largest market for global anti-hypertensive drugs. Europe is the second-largest market for global anti-hypertensive drugs. The near future market for anti-hypertensive drugs will be dominated by the developed regions with developing regions providing a supporting role only. However the developing regions market particularly Asia Pacific will be the fastest growing and is likely to be the key to the future.Major Table Of Contents1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of Study1.3 Research Objective1.4 Assumptions & Limitations1.5 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Challenges3.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers4.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Customer4.1.3 Intensity Of Competitors4.1.4 Threat Of New Entrants5 Global Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Market, By Pharmacological Class5.1 Introduction5.1.2 DiureticsMajor TOC Continued!Get Exclusive Discount @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Air Compressor Market 2018 Top Industry Players Atlas Copco, Sullair, Gardner Denver, Kaeser Kompressoren, Ingersoll-Rand, Rolair Systems, Doosan Portable Power, Sullivan-Palatek.

Air Compressor Market

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/377

https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/377

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/air-compressor-market

https://www.gminsights.com/

Oil Free Air Compressor Market size will surpass a revenue collection of USD 13 billion by 2023. Outstanding user amenability, reliability, portability, and minimum maintenance requirement are some of the strong grounds making oil free air compressor market a lucrative investment area for the business players.Oil-free air compressor industry is scoring a competitive edge with the modernization of air compression tools and introduction of specific processes which require exclusively air. Stringent mandatory roll outs implemented by governmental bodies with regards to sound pollution is somehow acting as a major hurdle in air compressor market growth, subject to the fact the operation of conventional air compressors involve high level noise.Sample copy of this Report @However, the aggressive efforts by the industry players to come up with noise proof technologically advanced solutions is expected to combat the growth hurdles in the coming years. Some of the renowned names include Kaeser Kompressoren, Vanair, Atlas Copco, VMAC Company, AireTex Compressors, Zen Air, Belaire Compressors, Quincy Compressor, Ciasons Industrial, Sullivan-Palatek, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, and Oasis Manufacturing.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:Atlas CopcoSullair, LLCGardner Denver, Inc.Kaeser Kompressoren SEIngersoll-Rand plcRolair SystemsDoosan Portable PowerHubei Teweite Power Technology Company LimitedElgi Compressors USA, Inc.Heyner UK Ltd.Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co LtdCiasons Industrial, Inc.Mat Holdings, Inc.Oasis ManufacturingAerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH (Aerzen)Quincy CompressorVanair Manufacturing, Inc.VMAC Company (VMAC Global Technology, Inc.)Zen Air Tech Pvt. Ltd.AireTex Compressors LLCBauer Compressors, Inc.Belaire CompressorsEmerson Climate Technologies, Inc.Frank TechnologiesMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @The debut of a breakthrough compressed air technology by Ingersoll Rand unrefutably adds up an extra feather to air compressor market growth. Ingersoll Rand, one of the leading names in air compressor industry is reported to unveil the advanced R-series oil flooded screw compressors (RS200 to RS250) and enriched CARE Suite service programs at ComVac 2017, Germany, this year. As claimed by the global leader, this next generation R-series compressors is almost 15% more energy competent when compared to conventional products. Speaking of CARE suit service, the company affirmed that by far it is the most comprehensive maintenance offering available in the market, with an improved reliability and cost competitiveness.Spanning the gigantic expanse of industrial sector, air compressor market is on its way of becoming one of the fastest growing business spaces of recent times, given the widespread product deployment across food & beverage, electronics, oil & gas, and manufacturing domains. The year 2016 has attained a profitable quotient for the overall industry, procuring a significant revenue of USD 35 billion and the trend is likely to continue with a projected market share of over USD 40 billion by 2024. One of the principal reasons why air compressor industry has gained an enviable popularity is the robust industrialization across APAC belt over the recent years. Macro-economic development along with increased disposable incomes across major economies like India, China, Japan has remarkably stimulated APAC automotive sector, another factor that has boosted air compressor market demand.Browse Report Summery @In fact, as per the reliable statistics, APAC automotive market is probably the fastest emerging business space, bearing a record of almost 51.5 million units automotive sales in 2016. In addition, this region is a profound investment destination for various European auto makers who have already initiated establishment of capitally intensive manufacturing units in Asia Pacific belt. Air compressor industry is essentially defined as a business arena which is closely linked with automotive sector proliferation, subject to the fact that air compressors find extensive application in vehicle air conditioning system, air breaks, and engines. Statistics further affirming the correlation- Asia Pacific covered almost 50% of the overall air compressor industry share in 2016.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:
Contact Lenses Market 2018 Global Analysis By key Players  Cooper Vision, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Blanchard, Contamac, Hoya, Essilor, Conforma, Bausch & Lomb, Menicon and Wesley Jessen

gmi

www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2095

www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/contact-lenses-market

www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2095

www.gminsights.com

Global contact lenses market share, as per analysts, is partially consolidated, with a select few players such as Bausch & Lomb, Novartis International AG, ZEISS, and Hoya Corporation predominantly covering a major portion of the industry share via product innovations and strategic alliances. The business sphere has been forecast to reach commendable heights in the ensuing years, given the projected demand for these lenses across the developing and established economies. According to Global Market Insights, Inc., contact lenses market is set to hit a targeted revenue margin of over USD 18 billion by 2024.Request for a sample copy of this report @The evolution of contact lenses market can be primarily attributed to the rising incidences of myopia, presbyopia, hyperopia, and nearsightedness across the globe. It would also be noteworthy to mention that the advent of new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality have indeed revolutionized this business space. It has been observed that the younger populace, spending quite some time within the confines of their homes, glued to smartphone and laptop screens, are more prone to loss of distant vision than the yesteryear generation, thereby necessitating the requirement of contact lenses over eyeglasses or vision surgery. In consequence, this demand has had quite a proportional impact on contact lenses industry size, which was pegged at USD 9.5 billion in 2016. Reliable sources have quoted that over 40 million of the U.S. population wear contact lenses with most of them being soft lenses made from hydrogels.According to authentic estimates, nearly half of the Asian youth populace has been suffering from nearsightedness. It has been witnessed that the majority of the global population affected due to vision problems reside in the developing regions. As per the current global rankings, India and China have the highest population with poor vision problems. Researchers have estimated that negligence towards eye-care has resulted in the global costs amounting to nearly USD 3 trillion dollars annually. This has undeniably created global awareness toward the use of eyewear such as contact lenses, thereby accelerating contact lenses market trends.Browse Complete Report Summary @New product developments taking place taking across the eyewear sector are also predicted to provide rapid momentum to the expansion of contact lenses industry. Researchers at Oregon State University have recently introduced contact lenses for diabetes patients with implanted indium gallium Zinc Oxide biosensors to determine their glucose levels. Alongside, Google Inc. is also expected to penetrate contact lenses market with the development of smart contact lenses comprising wireless chips as well as the tiny glucose sensor devices. Researchers have claimed that these lenses have the ability to transfer monitored information to external instrument. Reputed firms such as Bausch + Lomb are not that far behind either, when it comes to making appreciable contributions to the contact lenses industry. The firm has in fact, launched the all-new Biotrue ONEday across twenty countries in Europe. The new products unique dehydration barrier feature helps in restoring 98% of moisture till 16 hours, and it is exclusively designed to meet the needs of astigmatic patients.Speaking in terms of geographical trends, a research study has demonstrated that a drastic shift in the lifestyles of the APAC population and rising eye health awareness among the populace will generate lucrative growth prospects for contact lenses market in the region. It is anticipated that the Asia Pacific contact lenses industry will grow at a rate of more than 4% over 2017-2024, having accounted for a revenue of over USD 2 billion in 2016. In North America, on the other hand, the rise in the aging population and introduction of new technologies across the eye care sector are expected to help augment the regional contact lenses market. As per estimates, North America contact lenses industry is expected to record a CAGR of 3.2% over 2017-2024.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Cooper Vision2. Johnson Johnson3. Novartis4. Valeant Pharmaceuticals5. Blanchard Contact Lenses6. Zeiss International7. Conforma8. Contamac9. Essilor10. Hoya11. Menicon12. Wesley Jessen13. UltraVision14. Synergeyes15. Bausch LombAbout 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:
Industrial Exposure at SIRT College for Engineering,Pharmacy and Management Students

http://www.sirtbhopal.ac.in

Sagar Institute of Research & Technology, Bhopal was established in the year 2003. SIRT is recognized as one of the best engineering colleges in Bhopal, M.P. It is rated as top Engineering college in Bhopal MP in infrastructure. SIRT college allows a student to indulge themselves in various industry oriented interaction.some of the name of the in the industry where students get industry interaction are, airtel Gwalior, bsnl bhopal, mtnl Mumbai, cipet Bhopal, tata infotech Bhopal and many more. these industry interactions allow industry-sponsored projects to attract and encourage better response. for more details of the industry exposures and details of the companies kindly visit our websiteSagar Institute of Research & Technology, Bhopal was established in the year 2003. SIRT is recognized as one of the best engineering colleges in Bhopal, M.P. It is rated as top Engineering college in Bhopal MP in infrastructure. It is the best college in various courses.Ayodhya Bypass Road, Opposite Minal Residency, Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India, 462041
Nasal Spray 2018 Global Market Key Players : Teva, Allergan PLC, Sun Pharma (Ranbaxy), Beximco Pharma, Apotex

Global Nasal Spray Market

http://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3321190-global-nasal-spray-market-status-and-outlook-2018-2025

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3321190-global-nasal-spray-market-status-and-outlook-2018-2025

Global Nasal Spray MarketDescription:-Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Global Nasal Spray Market 2018: Global Analysis, Industry Size, Share, Trends, Application Analysis and Growth Opportunities Forecast to 2025 To Its Research DatabaseKey Content of ChaptersPart 1:Terminology Definition, Industry Chain, Industry Dynamics & Regulations and Global Market OverviewPart 2:Upstream (Raw Materials / Components) & Manufacturing (Procurement Methods & Channels and Cost),Major Regional Production Overview and Trade FlowPart 3:Product Segment Overview and Market StatusPart 4:Application / End-User Segment Overview and Market StatusPart 5:Region Segment Overview and Market StatusPart 6:Product & Application Segment Production & Demand by RegionPart 7:Market Forecast by Product, Application & RegionPart 8:Company information, Products & Services and Business Operation (Sales, Cost, Margin etc.)Part 9:Market Competition and Environment for New EntrantsPart 10:ConclusionRequest a sample copy @Market Segment as follows:Key CompaniesTevaSandoz (Novartis AG)MylanAllergan PLCCiplaAkornApotexSun Pharma (Ranbaxy)Nephron PharmaBeximco PharmaHikma (Roxane)XIANJU PHARMAMarket by TypeCorticosteroidsBronchodilatorsCombinationsDecongestant SpraysOthersMarket by ApplicationAsthmaCOPDAllergic RhinitisOthersTable of ContentPart 1 Industry Overview (200 USD)1.1 Nasal Spray Industry1.1.1 Market Development1.1.2 Terminology Definition in the Report1.1.2.1 Production1.1.2.2 Demand1.1.2.3 Sales Revenue1.1.2.4 Ex-factory Price & Sales Price1.1.2.5 Cost1.1.2.6 Gross Margin1.2 Products & Services Scope1.3 Industry Chain1.4 Industry Dynamics & Regulations1.5 Global Market OverviewPart 2 Upstream & Production (200 USD)2.1 Raw Materials / Components2.2 Procurement Methods & Channels2.3 Cost Structure & Manufacturing2.4 Industry Capacity2.5 Production Distribution by Geography2.5.1 Production in Major Regions / Countries2.5.2 Trade Flow OverviewPart 3 Product Segment (400 USD)3.1 Introduction by Type3.1.1 Corticosteroids3.1.2 Bronchodilators3.1.3 Combinations3.1.4 Decongestant Sprays3.1.5 Others3.2 Market StatusPart 4 Application / End-User Segment (400 USD)4.1 Introduction by Application4.1.1 Asthma4.1.2 COPD4.1.3 Allergic Rhinitis4.1.4 Others4.2 Market StatusPart 5 Regional Market (600 USD)5.1 Market Overview5.2 by Region5.2.1 North America5.2.1.1 United States Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.1.2 Canada Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.1.3 Mexico Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2 Europe5.2.2.1 Germany Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.2 UK Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.3 France Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.4 Italy Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.5 Spain Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.6 Netherlands Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.7 Poland Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.8 Belgium Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.9 Sweden Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.10 Austria Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.11 Denmark Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.12 Switzerland Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.2.13 Russia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3 Asia-Pacific5.2.3.1 China Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.2 India Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.3 Japan Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.4 Korea Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.5 Australia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.6 Indonesia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.7 Thailand Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.8 Malaysia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.9 Singapore Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.3.10 Philippines Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4 South America5.2.4.1 Brazil Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.2 Argentina Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.3 Columbia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.4 Chile Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.5 Peru Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.6 Puerto Rico Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.4.7 Ecuador Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5 Middle East5.2.5.1 Saudi Arabia Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.2 Iran Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.3 UAE Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.4 Oman Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.5 Kuwait Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.6 Iraq Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.5.7 Turkey Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6 Africa5.2.6.1 South Africa Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.2 Egypt Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.3 Nigeria Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.4 Algeria Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.5 Angola Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.6 Morocco Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)5.2.6.7 Sudan Market Size and Growth (2015-2018E)Part 6 Market Subdivision (800 USD)6.1 Regional Production6.1.1 Production by Type6.1.1.1 Corticosteroids Production by Region6.1.1.2 Bronchodilators Production by Region6.1.1.3 Combinations Production by Region6.1.1.4 Decongestant Sprays Production by Region6.1.1.5 Others Production by Region6.1.2 Production by Application6.1.2.1 Asthma Production by Region6.1.2.2 COPD Production by Region6.1.2.3 Allergic Rhinitis Production by Region6.1.2.4 Others Production by Region6.2 Regional Demand6.2.1 Demand by Type6.2.1.1 Corticosteroids Demand by Region6.2.1.2 Bronchodilators Demand by Region6.2.1.3 Combinations Demand by Region6.2.1.4 Decongestant Sprays Demand by Region6.2.1.5 Others Demand by Region6.2.2 Demand by Application6.2.2.1 Asthma Demand by Region6.2.2.2 COPD Demand by Region6.2.2.3 Allergic Rhinitis Demand by Region6.2.2.4 Others Demand by RegionPart 7 Market Forecast (200 USD)7.1 Global Forecast7.2 Forecast by Type7.3 Forecast by Application7.4 Forecast by RegionContinued.Browse full Report @About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Contact Us:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltdsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Maharashtra, Pune  411028
Worldwide Baby Gourmet Food Market Projected to Witness a Rapid Growth by 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1737

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/baby-gourmet-food-market-1737

Market Overview:The baby gourmet foods are prepared by combining the purees of a variety of fruits, vegetables and other whole food ingredients. The high nutritive value to these foods makes them very significant during the initiation of babys solid food consumption. The increasing demand for high-quality baby foods in the global market is driving the expansion of the global baby gourmet food market.The increasing demand for ready-to-feed baby formula and increasing expenditure on quality food for infants are majorly fueling the growth of the global baby gourmet food market. The rapidly increasing population in the developed and developing regions and the increasing disposable incomes are playing a vital role in the expansion of the global baby gourmet food market.The availability of baby gourmet foods with creative combinations of complex flavors, inclusion of organic ingredients, and no added preservatives are generating a surge in demand for baby gourmet food in the global market. The innovative approaches by the baby gourmet food manufacturing companies such as availability of re-sealable, recyclable and bio-degradable packaging are impacting positively on the expansion of the global baby gourmet food market.However, the high cost, increasing concerns regarding the quality of ingredients and lack of awareness regarding the availability of such products in developing and underdeveloped region are likely to impose restraints on the growth of the global baby gourmet food market during the forecast period.Get a Sample Report @Major Key Players Analysis:The increasing investments in research and developing for introducing new flavors and innovative products with unique combinations are strengthening the competition among the players of the global baby gourmet food market. The market for baby gourmet food is an emerging market; hence there are multiple opportunities for the global baby gourmet food market to flourish with the entry of new players. The existing players are planning the expansion of their businesses through strategic mergers and acquisitions in order to sustain the highly competitive environment of the global baby gourmet food market.In June 2018, Nestle, the leading food company of the world, has announced the development of vegan baby formula and has filed a patent for this product. The product is specially designed for the babies with milk allergies and is made from potato protein microparticles, which makes it cost effective yet highly-nutritive for babies.Some of the prominent payers of the global baby gourmet food market are Kuhne Gourmet Selection, Fig, Baby Gourmet Foods Inc, Parent's Choice, Squoosh, Crockery Gourmet, Grocery & Gourmet Food, Fresh Gourmet, Yogourmet, Taffy Town and Folgers.Segmental Analysis:The global baby gourmet food market has been segmented on the basis of ingredients and product type. Based on ingredients, the baby gourmet food market is segmented into fruits, vegetables, grains and cereals, dairy, and others. Based on product type, the baby gourmet food market is segmented into pro-biotic cereal, baby meals, snacks, starting solids, and others.Access Report Details @Regional Analysis:Geographically, the global baby gourmet food market has been segmented into four major regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. The baby gourmet food market in the North America region is projecting significant growth due to the increased expenditure on high-quality food, rise in demand for ready-to-feed baby formula and the presence of leading players of the global baby gourmet food market in this region.The Europe region is growing at a noteworthy pace in the global market for baby gourmet food owing to the increasing inclination towards ready-to-feed organic baby foods and increase in disposable incomes in this region. The market in the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to expand significantly due to the increasing awareness regarding the high nutritive value of baby gourmet foods in the emerging economies and rapidly increasing population in this region.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
SGS Reminds Brands and Retailers that Shandong Province, China, has Updated its Fire Safety Implementation Regulations

www.sgs.com/en/sustainability/social-sustainability]

https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2018/08/safeguards-10918-responsibility-regulation-of-fire-safety-implementation-in-shandong-province]

www.sgs.com/subscribesg,

www.sgs.com/sustainability

The Chinese province of Shandong issued The Responsibility Regulation of Fire Safety Implementation in Shandong Province on February 2, 2018, updating and strengthening the previous regulations in several ways.The new regulations are stricter than previous requirements, and include changes such as: Addition of nine articles about the responsibility of the unit Clear requirements that the unit must prepare a firefighting and emergency evacuation plan Organization of at least two fire-drills annually, up from one in previous regulations Clear statement that a procedure shall be established for the fire control room, with dedicated staff (at least two) on duty at all times. The operators shall have a certificate of Fire Fighting QualificationThe enforcing of the regulation on April 1, 2018, has changed the regulatory landscape as preceding this there were no specific requirements relating to firefighting responsibility for the unit during the supervision process. The only relevant document that could be referred to was 61st order of The Ministry of Public Security, issued in 2002, but this had largely become unsuitable due to the passage of time and the subsequent issuing of articles.The new regulation also specifies the various governmental departments responsibilities and authorities, but this does not impact social responsibility in the supply chain.Brands and retailers across the world should be aware of the impact this change will have on their supply chains social responsibility and ensure that the economic operatives in their supply chains are compliant.SGS Social Sustainability ServicesSGS has been involved in social accountability since its inception and has been offering tailored auditing services since 1996. SGS supports the worlds largest network of trained auditors, each with extensive experience of reviewing operations, and with a particular emphasis on factory capabilities, firefighting standards, labour standards, environmental compliance and business integrity. Learn more about SGSs Social Sustainability Services. [SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full New Responsibility Regulation of Fire Safety Implementation in Shandong Province Came into Force SafeGuardS. [Subscribe here,to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.For further information contact:Olina CaiMarketing ExecutiveSupply Chain Assessments & SolutionsTel: +86 (0)755-2532 8137Email: crs.media@sgs.comWebsite:About SGSSGS is the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 95,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,400 offices and laboratories around the world.1, Mons CalpeChitcombe RoadBroad OakRyeEast SussexTN31 6EU
Blue Biotechnology Market 2023 Top Key Players are Aker BioMarine, Marinova, New England Biolabs, PML Applications Ltd., Sea Run Holdings, Inc., PICES, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and More

Blue Biotechnology Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/713

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/713

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/713

Namely Blue Biotechnology Market Report has Been Published by Market Research Future Which Covers All the Geographical Locations with Demand, Trend Analysis with near about Forecasted results and Also Covers the Market Expectations.Market Synopsis:Blue biotechnology deals with the application of biotechnology to marine or aquatic sources at a molecular level to extract active new ingredients for development of new drugs and other purposes. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published a report asserting that the Global Blue Biotechnology Market is anticipated to expand at a strong CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period of 2017-2023.Competitive Analysis:The major players of the Global Blue Biotechnology Market that are profiled in the report by MRFR are Aker BioMarine (Norway), Marinova (Australia), New England Biolabs (the U.S), PML Applications Ltd. (the U.K), Sea Run Holdings, Inc.(the U.S), PICES (Canada), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (the U.S), Shell Marine Products (the U.S), GeoMarine Biotechnologies (India), GlycoMar (Scotland), Cellgen Biologicals Pvt Ltd. (India), Nurture Aqua Technology Pvt. Ltd. (India), Samudra Biopharma Pvt.Ltd (India) and Sanosil Biotech (India).Get PDF Sample Copy @Market Latest Update:The rapidly increasing research and development expenditure by the players for innovative product launch in medical, cosmetics, food and other industries is triggering competition in the global blue biotechnology market. The nascent stage of blue biotechnology has created huge opportunities for the product manufacturers and research institutes to explore higher verticals in the global blue biotechnology market.In June 2018, Hilton Lifestyle, LLC, a skincare manufacturer in the U.S., has announced the launch of its first full skincare line under the Paris Hilton brand called ProD.N.A. These skin care products are manufactured with the use of enzymes sourced from marine microalgae.Market Driver and Restraints:Oceans and Seas consist of large biodiversity and the development in the field of biotechnology has made it possible to utilize the marine and aquatic sources for obtaining various products that are useful for mankind. The availability of large market for blue biotech products in the various sectors is majorly driving the Global Blue Biotechnology Market.The increasing demand for blue biotech products in the pharmaceutical industry for production of various medicines and drugs is fueling the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. The flexibility, adaptivity and constant development of blue biotechnology are widening its application range in various industries.The vital application of blue biotech products in cosmetics, food and feed industries is impacting positively on the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. The increasing consumer demand for biologics over the conventional synthetic products is one of the major factors driving the growth of the global blue biotechnology market.The rapid development in the field of biotechnology owing to the increasing research and development expenditure is resulting in the significant expansion of the global blue biotechnology market. However, the strict regulatory framework for conservation of marine ecosystem is likely to act as a restraint on the expansion of the global blue biotechnology market.Market Segmentation:The global blue biotechnology market has been segmented on the basis of product, application and end-users. Based on products, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into enzymes, pharma products, bulk chemicals, biopolymers and other products. Based on application, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into bio-engineering, genomics, vaccine development, drug discovery and others. Based on end-users, the blue biotechnology market is segmented into hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, research institutes, laboratories, and others.Get Discount @Regional Analysis:The global blue biotechnology market has been segmented into five major regions such as North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and Africa. The North America region is dominating the global blue biotechnology market owing to the rapid development in the field of biotechnology and large number of players focusing on development of blue biotechnology in this region. The Europe region is the second largest market in the global blue biotechnology market due to the increasing consumer demand for biotech products in this region. The Asia Pacific region accounts for the steady growth in global blue biotechnology market as the blue biotechnology is still at a nascent stage in this region. Lack of awareness and less technological penetration in the underdeveloped area is resulting in the slow growth of blue biotechnology market in the Middle East and Africa region.Table of Content1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3. Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Threats4.5 Macroeconomic IndicatorsContinuedEnquiry Form @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
Marine Propulsion Engine Market 2018 Top Key Players Rolls Royce, Sinopec, Mitsubishi, Wartsila, Yamaha, Caterpillar, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Hydraulic Marine Systems, Cummins, Volvo Penta

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/791

https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/791

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/marine-propulsion-engine-market

http://freeautomotivenews.com

www.gminsights.com/

Market Overview:-Global Marine Propulsion Engine Market is set to be over USD 13 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of more than 4%. Increasing the efficiency of ships by using renewable resources is forecast to enable modernization and reduce the impact on diesel engines. Next generation tankers capability to carry large loads will augment marine propulsion engine market.Request For Sample Copy Of This Report @Diesel propulsion engine sector will grow at CAGR estimation of around 4% and was around USD 6 billion in 2015 owing to technological developments such as break mean effective pressure, firing pressures, turbo-charging efficiency and fuel injection technology. Increase in electric transmission installations will boost the use of fuel cell.Top Key Players:-The key players of global Marine Propulsion Engine Market are Volvo Penta, Rolls Royce, Sinopec, Mitsubishi, Wartsila, Yamaha, Caterpillar, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Hydraulic Marine Systems, and Cummins.Regional Segmentations:-Asia Pacific contributed to over half of the total revenue generated in 2015 due to China and Korea marine propulsion engine market growth. U.S. may witness high adoption rate of LNG during the forecast period.Make an inquiry before buying this report @Major Points of Table Of Content:-3. Marine Propulsion Engine Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry Size and forecast, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.4. Technological landscape3.5. Industry Impact forces3.5.1 Growth drivers3.5.1.1 Rising demand for operationally-dependable and efficient ships3.5.1.2 Introdution of nuclear propulsion engines3.5.1.3 Rising LNG prominence3.5.1.4 Growing prefrence for non-conventional energy sources3.5.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges3.5.2.1 Strict emission standards3.5.2.2 Renewable energy sources limitations for primary propulsion3.6. Growth potential analysis3.7. Porters analysis3.8. Key competitor landscape3.9. PESTEL analysisBrowse Full Report @In 2015, gas turbines segment was valued at more than USD 900 million owing to advanced technical features. Military and navy sector hugely contributes to this industry growth. Lowering the impact on the environment through the use of wind and solar energy will spur the industry thereby having governmental support.Importance of advanced technologies and increasing awareness for environmental conservation has led government to take severe actions in emissions. Instances such as oil spills, exhaust gases, chemical spills, air pollution and sewage waste leads to water contamination. Marine Pollution Convention (MARPOL) guidelines supports in environment protection from locomotive exhaust gases. Stringent emission standards and non-compliance to rules will lead to huge penalties for various organizations. Environmental regulations posed by government for reducing CO2 emissions will certainly have impact on marine propulsion engine market.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: 1-888-689-0688Auto Blog:Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Emu Oil Global Market 2018: Key Players  Talyala Emu Farm, Emu Tracks, Emu Fire, Only Emu Products, Baramul Tech Australia Emu Oil Industry



Description



Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Emu Oil -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023 To Its Research Database



The Asia-Pacific Emu Oil market will reach xxx Million USD in 2018 and CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The report begins from overview of Industry Chain structure, and describes industry environment, then analyses market size and forecast of Emu Oil by product, region and application, in addition, this report introduces market competition situation among the vendors and company profile, besides, market price analysis and value chain features are covered in this report.



Company Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.):



Talyala Emu Farm

Emu Tracks

Emu Fire

Only Emu Products

Baramul Tech Australia



Request for Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3095074-asia-pacific-emu-oil-market-analysis-2012-2017-and-forecast-2018-2023



Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):

Regular Emu Oil

Ultra Clear Emu Oil



Application Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.):

Online

Health Food Stores

Pharmacies



Region Coverage (Regional Production, Demand & Forecast by Regions etc.):

China

Japan & Korea

India

Southeast Asia

Oceania



Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3095074-asia-pacific-emu-oil-market-analysis-2012-2017-and-forecast-2018-2023



Table of Content

1 Industry Overview

1.1 Emu Oil Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Development of Emu Oil

1.2 Market Segment

1.2.1 By Product Type

1.2.2 By Application

1.3 Asia-Pacific Overview

2 Major Companies List

2.1 Talyala Emu Farm (Company Profile, Products & Services, Sales Data etc.)

2.2 Emu Tracks (Company Profile, Products & Services, Sales Data etc.)

2.3 Emu Fire (Company Profile, Products & Services, Sales Data etc.)

2.4 Only Emu Products (Company Profile, Products & Services, Sales Data etc.)

2.5 Baramul Tech Australia (Company Profile, Products & Services, Sales Data etc.)

3 Market Competition

3.1 Company Competition

3.2 Regional Market by Company

4 Emu Oil Market by Type

4.1 By Type

4.1.1 Regular Emu Oil

4.1.2 Ultra Clear Emu Oil

4.2 Market Size

4.3 Market Forecast

5 Market Demand

5.1 Demand Situation

5.1.1 Demand in Online

5.1.2 Demand in Health Food Stores

5.1.3 Demand in Pharmacies

5.2 Regional Demand Comparison

5.3 Demand Forecast

6 Region Operation

6.1 Regional Production

6.2 Regional Market

6.3 by Region

6.3.1 China

6.3.1.1 By Type

6.3.1.2 By Application

6.3.2 Japan & Korea

6.3.2.1 By Type

6.3.2.2 By Application

6.3.3 India

6.3.3.1 By Type

6.3.3.2 By Application

6.3.4 Southeast Asia

6.3.4.1 By Type

6.3.4.2 By Application

6.3.5 Oceania

6.3.5.1 By Type

6.3.5.2 By Application

6.4 Regional Forecast

7 Marketing & Price

7.1 Price and Margin

7.1.1 Price Trends

7.1.2 Factors of Price Change

7.1.3 Manufacturers Gross Margin Analysis

7.2 Marketing Channel

8 Upstream & Cost

8.1 Upstream

8.2 Cost

9 Industry Environment

9.1 Policy

9.2 Economics

9.3 Sociology

9.4 Technology

10 Research Conclusion



Buy Now @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=3095074



Continued...







Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)



841 198 5042

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, Global

Ph: +91 841 198 5042

https://www.wiseguyreports.com



This release was published on openPR.



Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.
Organic Spice Market Worth USD 40 billion by 2024; Assert Global Market Insights

Organic Spice Market

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2517

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/organic-spice-market

https://www.gminsights.com

http://algosonline.com/news

Global Organic Spice Market size is estimated to exceed USD 40 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising awareness among consumers regarding the medicinal properties and health advantages of natural spices consumption will primarily drive the industry growth. Shifting preference towards chemical free ingredients owing to their notable health benefits including anti-inflammation and pain-relieving properties is expected to propel the organic spice market growth.Request Sample Copy of This Report @The increasing preference for international cuisines and gourmet products have enhanced the natural ingredients demand particularly for flavoring applications. Since the product is usually sold at premium prices, its demand can boost the export revenue in the countries with its high production over the coming years. However, higher price trend and low shelf life may hamper the organic spice market growth.The industry has witnessed huge investments from the government as well as private investors that paves opportunistic ways for the market participants to increase profitability. Various countries are making various efforts to increase the consumption of naturally grown food by expanding land for its cultivation and enabling favorable regulations.Garlic is expected to showcase dominance in organic spice market, generating more than 2.5 million tons by 2024. High revenue generation is attributed to rising demand for flavoring agents in numerous domestic and international dishes across the globe. Proliferating demand for various applications such as culinary, RTE and savory foods will further support the industry dominance.Ginger will exhibit over 6% CAGR from 2018 to 2024 owing to its high usage in processed food industry. High consumer preference due to its indigenous medicinal properties coupled with high rising demand from numerous variants including ginger bread and premium sauces will drive the organic spice market growth.Culinary contributed for dominating share accounting for over 30% of the organic spice market in 2017. Regular usage of ingredients including garlic, ginger, coriander, and chilli for preparing numerous cuisines along with their benefits will contribute significantly towards the revenue generation. Snacks and convenience foods will witness notable gains in forecast period owing to their rising consumption, especially among millennials across the globe.Browse Full Report Details @Asia Pacific organic spice market is expected to value more than USD 15 billion by 2024. Substantial production across the region, particularly in Vietnam, India, and China will support the industry demand. The region witnesses presence of established and high-yielding agricultural practices, that result in high quality products, further driving the industry growth. Europe will exhibit growth over 5.5% from 2018 to 2024 owing to rising production across the region owing to the increasing consumer preference towards the product.The competitors continuously focus on engaging in R&D and implementing strong promotional events to spread alertness among the consumers. Some key participants in the industry include Sapthsathi Agriculture Project, Earthen delight, Organic Spices, Rapid Organic, Frontier Natural Products, Plantrich and Yogi Botanicals Private Limited. They are focused on producing premium quality products by using modern technologies. This helps in retaining the quality of the product and food safety standards.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:Explore Our Blog @
Cyber Security Market will be Valued at $242.57 Billion by 2023 - IBM, Cisco, Dell, Rapid7, Intel Security, Symantec

Cyber Security Market

https://www.marketprognosis.com/sample-request/15703

https://www.marketprognosis.com/buyReport/15703

https://www.marketprognosis.com/enquiry/15703

https://www.marketprognosis.com

Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On Cyber Security Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2018  2023) which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the Global Cyber Security Market:The Global Cyber Security Market was valued at USD 103.84 Billion in 2017 and is expected to reach a value of USD 242.57 Billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 15.19% over the forecast period of 20182023.Cyber threats are internet-based attempts to damage or disrupt information systems and hack critical information using spyware, malware, and phishing. Cybersecurity solutions help an organization to monitor, detect, report, and counter cyber threats to maintain data confidentiality.The adoption of cybersecurity solutions is expected to grow with the increasing penetration of internet among developing and developed countries. Also, the expanding wireless network for mobile devices has increased data vulnerability making cybersecurity an integral part of every single organization across the world.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @North America is expected to retain its position as the largest market for cybersecurity solutions, over the forecast period. The strong presences of several market incumbents, coupled with recent security threats in the region, are expected to drive the adoption of these solutions further. According to the recent annual budget plans of Trump government, the United States government has earmarked more than USD 19 billion for cybersecurity-related initiatives. This was majorly due to the increasing number of cyber-attacks in the nation.The total number of cybersecurity incidents reported by federal agencies in the United States has drastically increased from 5,503 in 2006, to 77,183 in 2015. In 2016, the United States businesses sector was estimated to have recorded the highest number of data breaches ever, constituting about 45% of the total data breach incidents reported in the country, followed by medical/healthcare sector at 35%, and education sector at 10%. Such high levels of data breach activities are forcing the North American countries to strengthen their security systems, allowing huge opportunities to the cybersecurity market.Purchase this report online with Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @Major Key Players:1 IBM Corporation2 Cisco Systems, Inc.3 Dell Technologies, Inc.4 Rapid7, Inc.5 Intel Security6 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd7 Symantec Corporation and MoreThis 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 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?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 Cyber Security Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Executive Summary3 Cyber Security Market Overview4 Market Dynamics5 Cyber Security Market Segmentation6 Vendor market Share Analysis7 Cyber Security Market Company Profiles8 Cyber Security Market Investment Analysis9 Cyber Security Market Future OutlookAbout 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




The residents of Morning Pointe of Chattanooga  Shallowford brought the fun of the ocean to the Tennessee Valley with some beautiful seashell canvas art. When a volunteer returned from the beach with a bag full of seashells, the residents of the assisted living community knew they had to turn these shells into works of art.Holly Holcomb, the Life Enrichment director at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga  Shallowford explains how the residents created their canvases, After painting the shells in several shades of blue and purple, they [the residents] painted their canvas with watercolor to make a sheer, pale color for the background.Then they glued on each shell in a pattern of their choosing and added small beads to fill in the gaps. The residents were very proud of the resulting creations, Ms. Holcomb said, [The residents] artwork turned out beautiful, and now we are waiting for our volunteer to head to the beach again soon so we can find new things to do with her next contribution."The majority of our communities include spaces dedicated to creating art. Residents can initiate a project on their own, join in on instructive sessions or watch local artists at work. Art is a recognized form of therapy, no matter a persons level or ability, and often these projects are on display in the community," officials said.
Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Projected to Grow Radiantly By 2023 | MRFR - News and Updates

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/940

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/multiple-sclerosis-treatment-market-940

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/940

World Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market report titled Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023 is an expert analysis report explores the market by Research Methodology, Segmentation, Key Players, and Major Region in-depth.Overview for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market -Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, specifically the communication between the brain and other parts of the body. The disease is characterised by damage to the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure to multiple sclerosis. Its treatment focusses on speeding recovery from damages slowing the progression of diseases and management of symptoms of the disease. The global multiple sclerosis treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Request Sample with New Market Trends @Global multiple sclerosis treatment market is expecting a steady growth in the near future. Increasing prevalence of muscle weakness related problems and increasing elderly population has driven the growth of the market. However, the growth of the market is restrained by high of cost of treatment of multiple sclerosis.The most preferred drug classes used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis includeImmunosuppressant (Zinbryta Lemtrada, Ocrelizumab, and Aubagio,)Immunomodulators (Ampyra, Avonex, Gilneya, Betaseron, Tysabri, Rebif, Tecifidera, and Copaxone)Have emerged as and its associated symptoms. Researchers expect this scenario to remain so over the next few years. According to a research, the drugs for multiple sclerosis in US are nearly five times higher than drugs price in European countries for multiple sclerosis.Competitive Analysis for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market -Teva pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Isreal), Bayer (Germany), Biogen Idec (U.S.), Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Sanofi (France), Merck (US), Novartis (Switzerland), AbbVie (U.S.) are are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global multiple sclerosis treatment market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Obtain Report Details with TOC @Industry Updates for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market-August, 2016 Teva pharmaceutical Industries Ltd announced the completion of its acquisitionof Allergans generics business Actavis Generics. Achieving synergies from the Actavis Generics acquisition and driving efficiency and effectiveness throughout our organization so as to extract the greatest benefit from the Actavis Generics acquisition is the key focus of the company.May, 2014 Bayer AG acquired Merck & Co., Inc.s non-prescription business to become the OTC leader in North America and Latin America & achieve top global positions in key OTC product categories.Regional Analysis for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market-Geographically, the regional market is segmented into America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The North America dominated the global multiple sclerosis treatment market with the U.S. holding the largest market share owing to numerous developments in the medical sector, and rising numbers of research institutes for better treatment of this diseases.Additionally, the increasing number of hospitalization procedures due to high penetration of healthcare in the U.S. and Canada drives the multiple sclerosis market. In Europe, the market for multiple sclerosis is expected to exhibit positive growth during the forecast period. Increasing prevalence of multiple sclerosis in European countries, and availability of funds for research and development activities for diagnosis and treatment of various autoimmune disease are key factors driving the market.Major Key Players for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Teva Pharmaceuticals (Isreal)Bayer Healthcare (Germany)Biogen Idec (US)Pfizer Inc. (US)Sanofi Aventis (France)Merck (US)Novartis (Switzerland)AbbVie (US)Get Excusive Discount @Major Points form TOC for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By TreatmentChapter 8 Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Market, By RegionChapter 10 Company LandscapeChapter 11 Company ProfilesChapter 12 MRFR ConclusionChapter 13 AppendixAbout 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
Variable valve Timing Market 2018 Global Leading Players: Delphi, Denso, Aisin Seiki, Eaton, Hitachi, Perodua, Metaldyne, HUSCO, Continental, Hilite, Johnson, Mitsubishi, And Robert Bosch

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5054

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/variable-valve-timing-market-5054

Variable valve timing Market Research Report 2018 - Global Forecast to 2023, is latest Global Variable valve timing Market Analysis Report, published by Market Research Future. Global Variable valve timing (VVT) industry will register 7% growth during the forecast period 2018 to 2023. Report provides comprehensive information on Variable valve timing (VVT) Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth, and Regional forecast, historic, and current industry statistics with key country outlook.Key Company in Variable valve timing (VVT) Market Analyzed Are:Delphi Automotive System Inc (U.S.), Denso Corporation (Japan), Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd (Japan), Eaton Corporation Plc (Republic of Ireland), Hitachi (Japan), Perodua (Malaysia), Metaldyne Performance Group Inc. (U.S.), HUSCO International (U.S.), Continental AG (Germany), Hilite International, Inc. (U.S.), Johnson Controls, Inc. (Ireland), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) and others.Get Sample Copy Of Variable valve timing Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 at:Market Highlights:The global variable valve timing market is very dynamic and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Variable Valve Timing System facilitates change of lift, or timing of the intake or exhaust valves, while the engine is in operation. The use of variable valve timing systems has a significant impact on engine performance and emissions. Variable valve timing is one of the most important parts of a vehicle, which is gradually gaining a lot of attention from vehicle manufacturers as it improves fuel efficiency. The market is largely influenced by the increased sales in automotive industry and is, thus, majorly driven by the increase in the production of automobiles. The market is also driven by other factors such as VVT systems lowering emissions, technological advancements, and emerging economies.The automobile manufacturers are investing heavily in research and development for computerizing the process for varying the valve timing for infinite number of times and for better engine output. The increase in investment by OEMs for manufacturing advanced emission control equipment, is driving the growth of the market. With the increasing completion, the automotive manufacturers are focusing on the manufacture of compact engines that are lightweight, have higher fuel economy and greater power output. The size of the vehicle engines is reduced to decrease the overall weight of the vehicle and reduce emissions. However, there would be various challenges in manufacturing variable valve timing systems, in terms of technological developments.Market Segmentation:Based on engine size, the market has been segmented as compact size, full-size and mid-size. The mid-size segment is expected to contribute the most in the growth of the variable valve market owing to factors such as increase in disposable income of the people in the developing nations. This will increase the demand for automobiles. The increasing demand for automobiles is driving the growth for the variable valve timing systems.Based on applications, the market has been segmented as passenger cars, commercial vehicles and others. The passenger vehicles segment is expected to grow with highest CAGR over the forecast period. The original equipment manufacturers are equipping the passenger cars with variable valve timing for improving fuel efficiency and increasing the output of the engine power. The increasing competition in automotive industry is leading the original equipment manufacturers in the region to upgrade to new models of passenger cars with performance boosting equipment.Regional Analysis:Geographically, the global variable valve timing market has been divided into four major regions as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. North America region is expected to dominate the global variable valve timing market over the forecast period. However, the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow with the highest CAGR owing to the boom in the automobile industry in the region. In the region, the variable valve timing technology has very high adoption rate due to the increased emission norms majorly in countries such as China and Japan.This study provides an overview of the global variable valve timing (VVT) market, tracking four market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a six-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 Variable valve timing (VVT) market by technology type, fuel type, engine size, application and regions.Major Table of Content:1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Definition2.2.2 Research Objective2.2.3 Assumptions2.2.4 Limitations2.3 Research Process2.3.1 Primary Research2.3.2 Secondary Research2.4 Market Size Estimation2.5 Forecast Model3 Market Landscape3.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis3.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants3.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers3.1.3 Threat Of Substitutes3.1.4 Segment Rivalry3.1.5 Bargaining Power Of Buyers3.2 Value Chain/Supply Chain AnalysisContinued...Browse more details on report at:About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Healthcare IT Integration Market Growth Strategies, Industry Key Growth Factor Analysis & Research Study 2013-2023

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/healthcare-it-integration-market/report-sample

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/healthcare-it-integration-market

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=healthcare-it-integration-market

https://www.psmarketresearch.com

Healthcare IT integration is a consortium of IT and healthcare sector and involves the application of latest IT solutions to monitor peoples health, perform secured exchange of their electronic data and provide economical healthcare solutions. The application of IT in other domains has presented positive outcomes and the same is expected in terms of healthcare. The global healthcare IT integration market is estimated to witness a considerable growth during the forecast period.Request to Get the Sample Report@The healthcare IT integration market has been categorized on the basis of product and services, and application. The products in healthcare IT integration market include interface/integration engines, media integration solutions, medical device integration software, and other integration tools. Based on the services provided, the market is segmented into implementation services, support and maintenance services, and training services. In the services segment, support and maintenance services hold the largest healthcare IT Integration market share and is expected to hold its position during the forecast period 2013-2023.Explore Full Report Description At@Globally, North America leads the healthcare IT integration market followed by Europe. The reasons for the growth of North America healthcare IT integration industry are technologically advanced environment in the region, increased government intervention to provide better healthcare facilities and favorable reimbursement policies that aid in lowering the rising healthcare cost and the growing demand of integrating IT into the healthcare system. Additionally, as per the World Bank statistics, North America aging population (>65) has witnessed a considerable growth from 12% in 2013 to 15% in 2016, consequently increase in prevalence of age related diseases is also expected, which requires focus on the overall health condition of the individual. Further, the presence of large players in the North America market also adds to their subsequent growth in the global market.Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing healthcare IT integration market in the forecast period. The rise in awareness with respect to various health conditions and the consequent increase in expenditure for a better healthcare infrastructure, thereby providing quality healthcare facilities at lower cost are some of the drivers for the regions fastest growth. Further, the regulatory bodies in this region are rather less stringent as compared to the rest of the world which will further boost the growth of the healthcare IT integration market.Make Enquiry Before Buying the Report@key players in the global healthcare IT integration market are Quality Systems Inc., Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Orion Health, Oracle Corporation, Qualcomm Life, Inc., IBM Corporation, Corepoint Health LLC, GE Healthcare, Siemens Health, Epic Systems Corporation, Summit Healthcare Services, Inc.About P&S IntelligenceP&S Intelligence, a brand of P&S Market Research, is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.Contact:P&S IntelligenceToll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)International: +1-347-960-6455Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Indias Leading Online Analytics Institute Launched its new Centre of Data Excellence

https://www.jigsawacademy.com

Bengaluru: Jigsaw Academy, Ranked No. 1 for analytics training in India by Analytics India Magazine, recently announced the launch of its Centre of Data Excellence (C.O.D.E), an undertaking that aims to promote collaboration and innovation within the citys flourishing Data Science community.The centre will serve as the ideal networking space for industry professionals to catch up on the latest trends in AI, IOT, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and more. It is currently Bengalurus only dedicated knowledge hub for specialists in Machine Learning and AI to meet, learn and exchange new ideas on their specialist subjects. To enable this confluence of ideas, Jigsaw Academy will be hosting a series of workshops, lectures and seminars on the latest advancements in data technology at the centre. They will be conducted by Jigsaws resident faculty, as well as a number of other high profile data experts from the community.Jigsaw Academy inaugurated the centre with the launch of the 5th batch of the PGPDM course (Postgraduate Program in Data Science and Machine Learning). A collaborative effort with the University of Chicago and IBM, PGPDM is considered to be one of Indias premium programs for Data Science, Machine Learning and AI. The program has been conducted in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi in the past. The latest batch of students comes with a significant amount of work experience, and almost 70% of the students have been building their careers for 5 years or more.C.O.D.E is located in the same premises as Jigsaw Academys head office, providing visitors with unparalleled access to the companys expert faculty. The centre has also been designed to create a professional environment of the highest quality. Jigsaw Academy will release details of the events at C.O.D.E, as and when they are scheduled.Centre Of Data Excellence4th Floor, Site No. 308Above Dominos Pizza100ft Road, IndiranagarBengaluru - 560038About Jigsaw AcademyJigsaw Academy is a global award-winning online analytics and Big Data training provider, headquartered in Bengaluru, India. Founded by the duo of Gaurav Vohra and Sarita Digumarti, Jigsaw Academy has helped over 45,000 students in 30+ countries build a successful career in analytics with their specialized industry oriented courses. 45,000+ students trained in over 30+ countries 400+ years of combined faculty experience 450 leading employers of analytics professionals Largest digital content library for analytics and Big Data in the world 15,000+ hours of learning content viewed in a monthMedia ContactName: Sushma BharathContact Number: 9663522511Address: 308, First Floor, 100ft Main Road, Indiranagar, 1st Stage, Bangalore-560038
Ashampoo Backup Pro 12  Intelligent backup mechanism for uninterrupted work

Ashampoo Backup Pro 12

https://www.ashampoo.com

https://www.ashampoo.com/en/eur/pin/0959/security-software/backup-pro-12

https://www.ashampoo.com/en/eur/media/0959

http://www.ashampoo.com

With Backup Pro 12, German software developer Ashampoo released their easy to use yet powerful backup solution. Saving, rescuing or restoring even bootable system disks is now easier than ever before and viruses, ransomware or total system failures just lost their terror. For the first time, Ashampoo Backup Pro 12 now covers all aspects of data backups in a single program. While the handy hard disk checker is light on resources and analyzes disks in the background based on SMART values, it can also perform deep surface scans and repair smaller defects or warn against impending data loss. Files, folders or entire partitions can be backed up to any storage device including cloud-based storage systems to prevent data loss with OneDrive Business / Office 365, Owncloud and Nextcloud joining the list of supported providers.Easy to create backup plans specify which data is to be backed up at what intervals to ensure that backups are always up to date without requiring user intervention. Efficient compression and encryption keeps file sizes small and data secure. There are virtually no noticeable system slowdowns since the program only becomes active when system loads fall below a specific threshold. The new Backup Viewer gives users instant access to files and folders without having to restore affected backups while preserving data integrity. Restoring backups is possible either through the program itself or Windows Explorer. This way, even entire operating systems can be restored quickly. The integrated rescue system can be run from USB or DVD to perform data restoration in the event of a total system failure or when systems are compromised by malware like viruses or ransomware.Highlights: Restore individual files with ease Backup and restore entire operating systems Secure encryption to protect your privacy Hassle-free backups through various cloud services Easy data recovery through program or Windows Explorer NEW: Backup Viewer for instant access to backed up files NEW: OneDrive Business / Office 365, Owncloud and Nextcloud support NEW: Powerful disk checking for 100% reliable backupsHandy hard disk checkerReliable backups depend on error-free hard disks which is why Backup Pro 12 features disk health scans. SMART parameters are scanned to determine hard disk health and warn users against impending data loss. Additional in-depth surface scans find and fix errors for both internal and external hard disks to prevent nasty surprises!Easy cloud backupsStoring backups in the cloud is a comfortable way to access data from anywhere. The new Ashampoo Backup Pro supports a near limitless number of cloud storage providers like Dropbox, Deutsche Telekom, Google Drive, OneDrive, Strato, 1&1 and many others with version 12 adding support for OneDrive Business / Office 365, Owncloud and Nextcloud. This not only includes file backups but also entire disk drives for easy access from any location.Instant file access with Backup ViewerAshampoo Backup Pro 12 provides a dedicated viewer to access your files without having to restore them first. File access happens in a secure container to prevent unwanted modifications and preserve the integrity of your backups!No more fear of updatesNo computer should go without updates and this is especially true for Windows PCs. But Windows updates are frequently broken and can even shut down your PC or cause data loss. That's when users wish for a time machine to go back to when everything was working fine. Ashampoo Backup Pro 12 makes this wish come true by reverting PCs to their previous states. As of today, there's no more need to fear security software or Windows updates!Intelligent backup mechanism for uninterrupted workMany backup solutions are resource-intensive and cause performance drops that make PCs feel sluggish. Not so Ashampoo Backup Pro 12! Thanks to smart load balancing and background operation, users won't even notice when backups are created or updated. Backup Pro 12 constantly monitors system usage and only becomes active when enough resources are available without hurting user workflows. It's like an invisible helper that gets the job done quickly and discreetly.Meta description:With Backup Pro 12, German software developer Ashampoo released their easy to use yet powerful backup solution. Saving, rescuing or restoring even bootable system disks is now easier than ever before and viruses, ransomware or total system failures just lost their terror.Meta keywords:Ashampoo Backup Pro 12, data backup, system restore, backup software, hard disk check, data loss, backup plans, encryption, privacy, Backup Viewer, rescue system, system failure, security software, system loadHomepage:Product page:Product sheet:Ashampoo is one of the leading Internet-based companies worldwide in the field of software development, sales and web portal sites. Ashampoo's innovative software products set technological standards right from the start and are known for their advanced, mature technology and usability.Press Contact:Jan-Gerrit DickebohmBOHMerangPRJanGerrit@BohmerangPR.netAshampoo GmbH & Co. KGFelix-Wankel-Str. 1626125 Oldenburg / GermanyE-Mail: press@ashampoo.comWebsiteFon: +49 441 93379-0Fax: +49 441 93379-79
High Performance Films Market 2024 : Key Players Dow Chemical, Bernis, Evonik, Du Pont, Covestro (Bayer Material Science) and Eastman

High Performance Films Market

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/715

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/high-performance-films-market-report

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/715

www.gminsights.com

The extensive commercialization of the packaging sector will lead High Performance Films Market to carve a rather profitable roadmap for itself. This can be attributed to the excellent mechanical and aesthetic properties that high performance films possess, owing to which they are used for durable and lightweight packaging applications. Flexible packaging market, slated to grow at a rate of 5% over 2016-2024, will also contribute toward high performance films industry share.These films are endowed with the characteristics of durability, high chemical resistance, high tensile strength, UV ray protection, and temperature and light control, owing to which they find applications in the food & beverage, interior decoration, and construction sectors, thereby propelling the business trends.Request for a sample of this research report@Surging demand for coating windows and doors for the purposes of safety and security will increase the product demand. In addition, the requirement for easy-to-dispose and lightweight packaging from the F&B sector will propel high performance films market, slated to cross USD 54 billion by 2024, with a CAGR estimation of 6% over 2016-2024. These films find extensive applications across the personal care, packaging, and electronic sectors. As per estimates, high performance films industry share from packaging applications was worth USD 20 billion in 2015 and is slated to register considerable revenue over 2016-2024.Packaging applications are forecast to be one of the most lucrative end-use segments across North America and the Middle East. North America high performance films market was worth USD 4 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to register a revenue of USD 16 billion in 2024, primarily due to the escalating demand for lightweight and convenient packaging in the food & beverage sector. In addition, the barrier high performance films industry will observe excellent growth across this region, pertaining to the increasing product demand from the solar cell manufacturing and semiconductor companies, due to its excellent feature of moisture resistance. Speaking of which, barrier high performance films market was worth USD 15 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to carve out a lucrative growth path aheadThe application spectrum of high performance films industry is indeed appreciable. Subject to the product properties of chemical inertness and low moisture absorption coupled with its dielectric and low friction co-efficient properties, these films find applications across microphone, photovoltaic devices, and cable insulation, thereby propelling high performance films market trends.Browse complete summary of this report@In addition, these films are utilized for vacuum packaging, low oxygen technologies, and oxygen scavenging in the meat processing companies. The vast application of these films in numerous end-use sectors will help high performance films industry experience excellent growth prospects over the coming years.Microporous films are defined by the properties of low moisture absorbing, water repellence, and air penetration, pertaining to which they are extensively used for waterproofing application across the constructions sector. On these grounds, microporous high performance films market will grow at a rate of 4% over 2016-2024.Polycarbonate products, endowed with the properties of high glass transition temperature, excellent impact resistance, and durability, are used in the manufacturing of automotive, & aircraft components, construction material, data storage discs (DVDs, BluRay discs, and CDs), and other electronic components. On these grounds, polycarbonate high performance films industry size will surpass 500 kilo tons by 2024, in terms of volumes.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Pertaining to their widespread usage in the electronics sector, this segment will register excellent growth across Europe, subject to the highly developed electronics market in this continent. In addition, owing to the surging demand from the packaging sector, Europe high performance films industry will grow significantly over the next few years, having accounted for 28% of the overall share in 2015.About Global Market InsightsGlobal 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:
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Market | Industry Key Players - Genesis Genetics (U.S.), Genea Limited (Australia), Illumina, Inc. (U.S.), Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (U.S.), Natera, Inc. (U.S.)

MRRSE

https://www.mrrse.com/sample/1674

https://www.mrrse.com/asia-preimplantation-genetic-diagnosis-market

https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/1674

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the inspection of an embryo in vitro in order to eliminate a genetic condition in case a high risk of that condition is known. PGD is an evolving technique that provides a practical alternative to prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy for couples who are at substantial risk of transmitting a serious genetic disorder to their offspring. Growing incidence of infertility across the world is the major driver of the PGD market. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis plays an important role in the detection and determination of genetic disorders, sex-linked diseases, and chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo before IVF can be performed. Rising incidence of infertility coupled with growing awareness about IVF and PGD is the major factor driving the PGD market in Asia.Get Sample Report on Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Market for More Information @The preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) market in Asia has been segmented based on test type, end-user, and geography. Based on test type, the market has been segmented into aneuploidy screening, chromosomal aberrations, gender selection, HLA typing, single gene disorder, and X-linked diseases. The market analysis is based on market size and forecast in terms of US$ Mn for the period 2013 to 2023 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the period 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. The aneuploidy screening segment accounted for the largest share of 35% of the PGD market in Asia in 2014. Based on end-user, the market has been segmented into fertility clinics, health care facilities (including hospitals, diagnostic centers, and health care facilities), and academic institutes and research centers.The market overview section of the report demonstrates major market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current and future status of the industry. The market overview section includes Porters Five Forces Analysis, overview of PGD, Regulatory Policies and Legality Framework for PGD, Heat Map Analysis for key market players, and country-wise number of PGD Centers in Asia. The report provides a detailed industry analysis of the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Market in Asia with the help of market attractiveness analysis, by geography, for the year 2014.The market has been analyzed for Asia covering South Eastern Asia, Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Central Asia, and Western Asia. The market size and forecast of the regional and country-wise markets is provided for the period 2013 to 2023. CAGR (%) for each region is also estimated for the period 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. South Eastern Asia includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Rest of SEA. Eastern Asia comprises China, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Eastern Asia. Southern Asia constitutes India, Sri Lanka, and Rest of Southern Asia. Western Asia includes Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Rest of Western Asia. Eastern Asia accounted for the largest share of the PGD market in Asia.View Complete Research Report with Industry Key Players and List of Tables and Key Features @The report also provides recommendations for market players and new entrants. These recommendations would enable existing market players to expand their market shares and help new companies to establish their presence in the PGD market in Asia. The report concludes with the company profiles section, which includes key information about major players in the market such as financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments. Major players in this market are Genesis Genetics (U.S.), Genea Limited (Australia), Illumina, Inc. (U.S.), Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (U.S.), Natera, Inc. (U.S.), PerkinElmer, Inc.(U.S.), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (U.S.), Reprogenetics (U.S.), and Reproductive Genetics Innovations LLC (U.S.). The market share analysis of key players involved the study of company products or services portfolio, post sales services and maintenance, sales revenue, and its geographical presence.The PGD market in Asia has been segmented as follows:Asia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Market, by Test TypePGD for Aneuploidy ScreeningPGD for Chromosomal AberrationsPGD for Gender SelectionPGD for HLA TypingPGD for Single Gene DisorderPGD for X-linked diseasesAsia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Market, by End-userFertility ClinicsHealth Care Facilities (including hospitals, diagnostic centers, and health care facilities)Academic Institutes and Research CentersAsia Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Market, by GeographySouth Eastern AsiaIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeThailandRest of SEAEastern AsiaChinaJapanSouth KoreaRest of Eastern AsiaSouthern AsiaIndiaSri LankaRest of Southern AsiaCentral AsiaWestern AsiaIsraelTurkeyJordanSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesRest of Western AsiaTO Explore More Place a Query to Our Researcher @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.com
Taiwan Will Attract More Than 12 Million International Travelers And Generated USD 16 Billion Revenues By 2024

www.qurateresearch.com/report/sample/AnT/QBI-DPI-AnT-3145

www.qurateresearch.com/report/enquiry/AnT/QBI-DPI-AnT-3145

https://www.qurateresearch.com/

The report Taiwan International Travelers Visitation, Spending Analysis 2012  2017 and Future Forecast 2018 - 2024 offers the most up-to-date industry data on the actual market situation and future outlook for Taiwan inbound tourism market. The report uses data and analysis to discuss future trends related to international travelers arrivals, spending, purpose of visits and main destination markets. The report provides clear insight into current and future tourism developments in the region. Furthermore, this report uses regional and country focused analysis to explore inbound tourist markets in Taiwan.A detailed country-wise analysis of the market is provided, covering a total of 15 nations and 5 regions. The research study limelight growth drivers and investigates market inhibitors of Taiwan travel & tourism.Get Free Sample Report@The countries included in this report are Hong Kong & Macao, Mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Canada, United States, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South AfricaThe regions included in this report areAsia,North America,Oceania,EuropeAfricaKey Findings: Mainland China is the largest source market for Taiwan tourism, but its share will decline in the forecast period Hong Kong and Macau will be leading source market with nearly 20% share by 2024 International tourists most commonly travel to the Taiwan for pleasure purposesEnquiry about Report@The Latest Industry Data Included in this Report: Total International Travelers in Taiwan & Forecast (2012 - 2024) Total International Travelers Spending in Taiwan & Forecast (2012  2024) Total International Travelers Spending Share & Forecast (2012  2024) By Region Travelers Spending Share & Forecast (2012  2024) 5 Region Travelers Visitation, Spending & Forecast (2012  2024) 5 Region Travelers Purpose of Visit & Forecast (2012  2024) 15 Countries Travelers Visitation & Forecast (2012 - 2024) 15 Countries Travelers Purpose of Visit & Forecast (2012 - 2024) 15 Countries Travelers Spending & Forecast (2012 - 2024) Identification of Key Drivers and Inhibitors of the Taiwan Travel & TourismQurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.com
Japan Proton Therapy Market is Likely to Reach More Than USD 3 Billion by 2025

www.qurateresearch.com/report/sample/HnM/QBI-DPI-HnM-3149

www.qurateresearch.com/report/enquiry/HnM/QBI-DPI-HnM-3149

www.qurateresearch.com/report/buy/HnM/QBI-DPI-HnM-3149/

https://www.qurateresearch.com/

The report titled Japan Proton Therapy Market Research Report 2018 examines the market dynamics, competitive landscape and discusses major trends. The report offers the most up-to-date industry data on the actual and potential market situation, and future outlook for proton therapy in Japan. The research includes historic data from 2012 to 2017 and forecasts until 2025.Longterm Growth Projection: Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric Agree to Integrate Proton Therapy System Business Japan is anticipated to be the most attractive market in the proton therapyindustry. The potential Japan proton therapy market is likely to reach more than USD 3 Billion by 2025 Mitsubishi Electric is a technology leader in the field of proton therapy in Japan. Hitachi has thesecond highest share in the treatment rooms segment.Get Free Sample Report@The report contains a granular analysis of the present industry situations, market demands, reveal facts on the market size, volume, revenues and provides forecasts through 2025. A comprehensive analysis has been done on market share of Japan proton therapy center (installed base) and treatment room by company. The report also provides information on the proton therapy current applications and comparative analysis with more focused on pros and cons of proton therapy and competitive analysis of eight companies.The report further sheds light on the number of treatment rooms, current and upcoming proton therapy centers. In addition, the report also provides essential insights on number of patients treated at Japan proton therapy centers from 2008 to 2016.The report also includes assessment of Japan reimbursement scenario, proton therapy clinical trials and offers a clear view of the proton therapy center component analysis. Key trends in terms of venture capital investment, collaborations, partnerships, licensing and development agreements are analyzed with details. The report also explores detailed description of growth drivers and inhibitors of the Japan proton therapy market.Enquiry about Report@The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the Japan proton therapy market. The key market players are evaluated on various parameters such as company overview, product portfolio, Japan proton therapy centers developed by the companies and recent development & trends of the proton therapy market.The Major Companies Dominating this Market for its Products, Services and Continuous Product Developments are:Mitsubishi Electric,Hitachi,Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.Ion Beam Applications(IBA)The Latest Industry Data Included in this Report: Proton Therapy Current Applications Pros and Cons of Proton Therapy, Radiotherapy and Carbon Ion Therapy Proton Therapy Competitive Analysis: By Company Market Size & Analysis: Japan Proton Therapy (2012  2025) Market Opportunity Assessment: Japan Proton Therapy (2012  2025) Japan Number of Treatment Rooms and Forecast (2012  2025) Japan Proton Therapy Center (Installed Base) and Treatment Room Market Share: By CompanyJapan Proton Therapy Center Infrastructure Analysis: Treatment Rooms & Proton TherapyAccelerator Japan Number of Patients Treated at Proton Therapy Centers (2008  2016) Japan Proton Therapy Reimbursement Scenario Proton Therapy Center Component Analysis Proton Therapy Clinical Trail Insight by Phase, Institute & Country Proton Therapy Market  Major Deals Key Market Drivers and Inhibitors of the Japan Proton Therapy Market Major Companies AnalysisBuy This Report@About Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.com
Bioelectric Medicine Market Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2026

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1757

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1757

Bioelectric medicine is a new and innovative approach to diagnose and treat injuries and diseases. All major organs of the body are connected to the nerves, which allows the brain to monitor and regulate the functions of the organs. Bioelectric medicine refers to the usage of a device to modulate and read the electrical activity within the bodys nervous systems. Nerve blocking devices or nerve stimulating devices that are held against the skin or implanted on a nerve have the potential to regulate specific nerve activity, make specific changes in organ function, and also restore health, without much complicated side effects of pharmaceutical agents. Bioelectric medicine technology is used to record, block, and stimulate neural signals to change the way diseases and injuries are treated. It is also used for the treatment of conditions such as cancer, paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. Electroceuticals are alternatives to drug based remedies.Request Sample Copy of this Business Report @Bioelectric Medicine Market Drivers:Mergers and acquisitions, advancements in technology, and innovations such as non-invasive devices in the field of bioelectric medicines are the major factors driving growth of the bioelectric medicine market. For instance, in 2016, GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (GSK) merged with Googles parent company Alphabet to set up a new bioelectric company called Galvani Bioelectronics, which will benefit over 2 billion people who are suffering from chronic diseases. GSK invested around US$ 615 million for the development of Galvani Bioelectronics. In 2015, Synapse Electroceutical Technology, a UK-based company launched a new product Accel-Heal, which is a non-invasive class 2A medical device. The device also promotes healing of leg ulcers by using electrical energy. Accel-Heal delivers a sequence of low level, pre-programmed and sub sensory electrical energy through surface of the skin. Synapse Electroceutical Technology has a product for venous leg ulcer management in the pipeline, which is expected to fuel growth of the bioelectric medicine market over the forecast period. Other factors that boost growth of the bioelectric medicine market include increasing number of diseases in geriatric population such as cardiac arrhythmias, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, epilepsy, and depression, and rise in chronic diseases such as neurological and cardiac disorders. According to a study conducted by Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in 2017, four major chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases were the major cause for 82% deaths in India. According to a study conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017, non-communicable diseases are expected to contribute to death of 52 million people by 2030 globally.However, high cost of devices and lack of skilled technicians to use these devices are expected to hamper growth of the bioelectric medicine market.Bioelectric Medicine Market Regional Analysis:Europe is expected to witness significant growth in the global bioelectric medicine market due to mergers and acquisitions and advancements in R&D. For instance, in 2015, GSK had over 50 research collaborations in the field of bioelectric medicine. In 2013, GSK invested in a start-up company called Set Point, who is involved in the development of implantable devices that would stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck with electrical impulses. North America is also expected to witness significant growth in the bioelectric medicine market due to advancements in research and development.For instance, Electro Core, a U.S.-based company is working on a device to treat headaches related to migraines by stimulating vagus nerve on the neck with electrical impulses. In 2017, Reshape Lifesciences launched minimally invasive medical devices ReShape Balloon, ReShape VBloc, and ReShape Vest to treat obesity and metabolic diseases. In 2014, the U.S. FDA approved Inspire Medical Systems Sleep Apnea Treatment to treat sleep apnea by implanting a device that stimulates air way muscles. Asia Pacific is also expected to exhibit significant growth in the bioelectric medicine market, owing to the rising number of people diagnosed with chronic diseases. According to a survey conducted by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) in 2017, prevalence of hypertension in adults in China was 25.2% and diabetes was 9.7%.Ask for customization:Bioelectric Medicine Market Key Players:Key players operating in the global bioelectric medicine market include Medtronic PLC, Sonava, Boston Scientific Corporation, St Jude Medical, Liva Nova PLC, Biotronic, Second Sight Medical Products, Nevro Corp, and Electrocare among others.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.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Cell Cryopreservation Market - Global Industry Insights, 2026

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1698

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1698

Cryopreservation is a technique used to preserve various cells, tissue, organelles, and other biological products by cooling them at very low temperatures. Cryopreservation uses very low temperatures to preserve structurally intact living cells and tissues for a prolonged time period. Stem cells and various valuable tissues used in research studies and many other medical application are preserved by cryopreservation, as they cannot be stored by simple cooling for a long time. The cryopreservation procedure involves mixing of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) with cells or tissues before cooling, then the cells or tissues are cooled at very low temperature and stored. Cryopreservation has a wide application in preservation of stem cells, oocytes, embryos sperm, semen, testicular tissue, and hepatocytes.Request Sample Copy of this Business Report @Cell Cryopreservation Market DriversLaunches of novel cryopreservation systems are expected to be major driver for growth of global cell cryopreservation market. For instance, in 2015, AMS Biotechnology Limited launched its new Stem-Cellbanker, a GMP grade cell cryopreservation media. Stem-Cellbanker is a freezing solution, used for preservation of stem cell, iPS cell and other cells. In 2014, Asymptote Ltd, a Cambridge-based cryopreservation specialists launched its unique range of liquid nitrogen free controlled rate freezers especially designed for the needs of regenerative medicine at the annual meeting of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) held in Paris. In 2013, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation launched its latest CryoLibrary (CAPS-i3000), a fully-automated cryopreservation system for cryopreservation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPS).Moreover, this field has gained significant traction from funding agencies such as venture capitals and startups, which have successfully raised funding for development of novel cell cryopreservation systems. For instance, in January 2018, VitriCell SA, a biotech company providing innovative cryopreservation solutions closed a series A round funding of US$ 1.2 million from various investors. VitriCell SA will use this fund to launch the first products based on aseptic vitrification, a new cell cryopreservation method. Furthermore, the approval of cryopreserved cells by regulatory bodies is also expected to increase demand for cell cryopreservation system. For instance, in 2017, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ReNeuron Group Plc. cryopreserved formulation of Human Retinal Progenitor Cell (hRPC).Cell Cryopreservation Market Regional AnalysisNorth America is expected to hold a dominant position in global cell cryopreservation market, owing to presence of key players in the region and frequent launches of latest cryopreservation media. For instance, in 2014, irvine scientific a U.S.-based innovator and manufacturer of cell culture media expanded its cell cryopreservation media product portfolio with the launch of PRIME-XV FreezIS DMSO-Free, a Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) and animal-derived components free cryopreservation solution for Human Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs). Furthermore, the Europe is expected to witness a significant growth in global cell cryopreservation market over the forecast period, owing to strategic collaborations and acquisition by the key players in the region. For instance, in 2017, U.K.-based GE healthcare acquired Asymptote Ltd., with this strategic acquisition GE healthcare has expanded its product portfolio with the Asymptote Ltds cell cryopreservation system.Cell Cryopreservation Market RestraintLaunch of alternative cell cryopreservation methods is expected to be the major factor hindering growth of global cell cryopreservation market in near future. For instance, in 2017, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. launched new Prestige Lyotechnology, a novel method for preservation of living cells and tissues. Launches of such alternative of cell cryopreservation can hinder the growth of market.Table of Content (ToC) at a glance @Cell Cryopreservation Market Key PlayersKey players operating in cell cryopreservation market include Merck KGaA, GE Healthcare, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., AMS Biotechnology Limited, Nippon Genetics, VitriCell SA, Miltenyi Biotec, Mediatech, Inc., BioLifeSolutions, Inc., HiMedia Laboratories, and PromoCell GmbH. Key players operating in the market are involved in strategic mergers and collaboration to expand their product portfolio and increase its product presence in key geography. For instance, in 2013, Nippon Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd and Takara Bio Inc. entered into a distribution agreement. As per the agreement Takara Bio Inc. will market Zenoaq's Cellbanker series of cell cryopreservation media exclusively in Japan and non-exclusively in Europe and North America.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
HPV and Pap Testing Market Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2026

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1733

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1733

HPV stands for human papillomavirus, which constitutes a group of more than 150 related viruses. Every HPV virus has a number or a type. HPVs are attracted to only a specific cell type known as squamous epithelial cells and the viruses can live only in these cells. Some of the human papillomavirus can cause non-cancerous tumors while others can lead to cancer, which includes cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, and parts of mouth and throat that comprises mostly of the moist skin in the body. These types of HPVs are considered to be mucosal, as they invade in the living cells on mucosal surfaces. Diagnosis and treatment of the abnormal cells developing in the cervix help in the prevention of cervical cancer. The two most common tests employed to check the behavior of cervical cells are HPV and Pap tests. The Pap test is a simple smear test, which provides an effective screening measure to determine whether the cervical cells are normal or abnormal. HPV testing is performed to screen for human papillomavirus in the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. A person observed with abnormal cells through Pap test is recommended to opt for HPV testing for further evaluation of cervical cancer.Market DynamicsThe rising incidence of chronic diseases such as cervical and vaginal cancer are expected to drive growth of HPV testing and Pap test market. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition 2017, around 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer per year in the U.S. Moreover, the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) suggests that cervical cancer is amongst one of the most preventable types of cancer. These cancers can be prevented through early detection and treatment of abnormal cell changes that occurs in the cervix prior to the development of cervical cancer cells.Request Sample Copy of this Business Report @Moreover, technological advancements in improving the existing accuracy of HPV testing is also expected to drive growth of global HPV testing and Pap test market. For instance, in April 2014, Roche Molecular Systems received FDA approval for Cobas HPV test as a primary screening test that would facilitate mitigation of late-stage survival cancer. However, the inaccuracy of smear based Pap test leading to low reliability is expected to hamper growth of the global HPV and Pap testing market.Regional InsightsOn the basis of region, the global HPV testing and Pap test market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds a dominant position in the global HPV testing and Pap test market and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. This attributes to the increasing number of cases of cervical cancer in the U.S. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 12,578 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. in 2015. Moreover, rising awareness regarding the benefits of early detection of cancer among female population through conduction of various awareness campaigns and government initiatives is fueling growth of the market. For instance, in January 2016, UAB comprehensive care center along with various other non-profit organizations conducted an awareness program that promoted the use of preventive HPV vaccine by explaining the health and precaution benefits achieved from the vaccine to the women in the U.S.Furthermore, Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the market over the forecast period, owing to developments in healthcare infrastructure and launch of HPV test kits by regional players in the region to diagnose cervical cancer. For instance, in March 2012, Delphi Bioscience Asia Pvt Ltd introduced a home based HPV test kit for making the detection procedure of cervical cancer more convenient for the women in Singapore and other Asian economies.Download PDF Brochure @Competitive LandscapeKey players operating in the global HPV testing and Pap test market include Qiagen N.V., Abbott Laboratories, Becton, Dickinson & Company, Hologic, Inc., Quest Diagnostics, Femasys, Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Arbor Vita Corporation, Onco Health Corporation, Seegene, Inc., and others. Market players are focused towards providing efficient and accurate tests at low prices to sustain their presence in the market. For instance, in February 2018, Becton, Dickinson and Company received FDA approval for the BD Onclarity HPV assay, which detects and identifies HPV genotypes that put women at high risk for cervical cancer.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.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Opportunity Analysis 2018-2026

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1640

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1640

Anesthesia monitoring devices are type of patient monitoring devices used during surgery to track vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature of patients under sedation in the operation theater. Anesthesia monitoring devices play an important role during surgery, to reduce the risk involved in anesthesia. According to British Journal of Anaesthesia article 2013 survey, the estimated annual number of general anesthesia were 2,766,600 whereas sedation were given in 308,800 cases in U.K. Modern anesthesia monitoring devices are integrated as a part of workstation with other patient monitoring devices. For example, GE Healthcares Aisys Carestation or Draeger Medical India Pvt. Ltd.s Draeger Primus is integrated in the workstation. Factors such as new product launches and increasing number of surgeries are expected to be the major driver for growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market.Download PDF Brochure @Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market DriversIncreasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases, chronic diseases, and cancer are expected to increase the number of surgical procedures, which in turn is expected to fuel growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market during the forecast period. For instance, according to Cancer Research U.K., 359,960 new cancer cases were diagnosed in U.K. in 2015 and 45% of these patients underwent cancer surgery. Increasing incidence of spinal disorders related to old age is also expected to boost growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market. For instance, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), in 2007, the global incidence of spinal cord injury was estimated to be 170,312 cases, which increased up to 250,000 to 500,000 cases in 2013. Furthermore, growing number of hospitals is also expected to drive growth of the market. According to American Hospital Association (AHA), an annual survey of hospitals recorded 5,534 total number of registered hospitals in 2017, which increased to 5,564 in 2018, in the U.S.Market players are also focusing on launching new and advanced data integration systems, which in turn, is expected to contribute to growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market. For instance, in April 2018, Masimoa company involved in non-invasive patient monitoring technology-based device manufacturinglaunched UniView systeman integrated display of real-time data and alarmsto help data sharing and team coordination between multiple clinics. UniView retrieves information from patient monitors, ventilators, anesthesia gas machines, and IV pumps that can be viewed on central monitors.Launch of new workstations with novel technology is expected to drive market growth. For instance, according to an article published in Indian Journal of Anesthesia, 2013, new workstations such as Felix Dual anaesthesia workstation by Air Liquide Medical system, Venar Xenon workstation by Chirana Medical, and Tangens 2C by EKU Electronics are integrated with technology that can recycle xenon and reuse it, thus making anesthesia procedure cost-effective.Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market RestrainThe high cost associated with anesthesia monitoring devices is expected to hinder growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market. Moreover, increasing number of product recalls are expected to hamper market growth. For instance, in 2017, Mindray DS USA, Inc. recalled its product A-Series A3/A5 Anesthesia Delivery System due to software issues.Ask for customization @Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market - Regional AnalysisRegional segmentation of anesthesia monitoring devices market by Coherent Market Insights includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds a dominant position in the anesthesia monitoring devices market, owing to rampant advancements in technology in this region. For instance, in 2016, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., introduced expanded Optimizer suite for A7 Anesthesia workstation in the market in North America. Asia Pacific is expected to witness fastest growth in the global anesthesia monitoring devices market due to increasing patient pool and growing medical tourism in the region. For instance, according to Directorate-General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics of India, in 2015-2016, hospitals in India recorded 460,000 international patients. Moreover, according to Indian Medical Travel Journal, the top five hospital namely, Apollo, Fortis, Narayana Health, Manipal Hospital, and Max Healthcare generated revenue of around US$ 155 million by international patients.Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market  Competitive AnalysisKey players involved in the anesthesia monitoring devices market include Masimo, Fukuda Denshi, Infinium Medical, Covidien PLC (a subsidiary of Medtronic plc), GE Healthcare, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Philips Healthcare, Mindray Medical International Limited, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGAA, Schiller AG, Criticare Systems, Inc., and Heyer Medical AG.Market strategies employed by the market players are adopting inorganic growth strategies such as partnerships and mergers and acquisitions, thus boosting growth of the anesthesia monitoring devices market. For instance, in September 2017, Intuitive Surgical signed MoU with GE Healthcare for offering clinical applications of robotic-assisted surgery, as a part of which GE Healthcare provides the CS600 anesthesia machine.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.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Sugar-based Excipients Market - Global Industry Insights, 2018-2026

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1653

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1653

An excipient is an inactive substance formulated with the active ingredient of a medication for the purpose of bulking-up Route of Administration that contain potent active ingredients. These substances improve bulkiness and dissolution rate of the drug and are crucial in drug delivery within the body. A sugar-based excipient is required if the conventional tablet contains a bitter drug substance or, more importantly, if the tablet is chewable. Sweeteners are added in tablets to impart sweetness to the drugs. Sucrose is the standard against, which all sweeteners, both artificial and natural, are measured. Apart from being sweeter than sucrose, artificial sweeteners have the advantage of not disturbing blood sugar levels of pre-diabetic or diabetic patients, and they are considered to be non-cariogenic. Sugar-based excipients are widely used as ingredients in pharmaceutical tableting. They are used for taste masking of bitter drugs and as bulking agents. Dextrose, fructose, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol are few examples of sugar-based excipients that are mainly used.Download PDF Brochure @Sugar-based Excipients Market DynamicsIncreasing use of co-processed excipients and rising development of orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are major factors that are expected to boost growth of sugar-based excipients market over the forecast period. ODTs are solid dosage forms containing medicinal substances, which disintegrate rapidly, generally in few seconds, when placed on the tongue. Research on delivering biological molecules through the oral route have widened the scope of ODT technology, which further drive growth of the market. According to the American Pharmaceutical Review 2016, over 35 products have been launched using Zydis ODT technology in over 60 countries worldwide. Furthermore, rising use of sugar alcohols such as mannitol in a wide range of oral dosage and high adaptability in formulation technologies such as ODTs are expected to drive the sugar-based excipients market growth over the forecast period. Sugar alcohol is granular and white like sugar, and is used as a sugar alternative. The sugar alcohols differ in calorie content and sweetness level. Their sweetness level ranges from 50% to 100% that of sugar.Demand for oral Route of Administration due to increased use of tablets, capsules, solutions, and emulsions for various therapeutic areas is anticipated to drive market growth. Oral route of administration form the largest category of pharmaceutical dosage. Although an excipient is pharmacologically inactive and does not interact with the active drug ingredients or other excipients, few excipients meet the criteria. Some sugar-based excipients can cause side effects and therefore should be avoided. For instance, Aspartame, which is used as a sweetener in drugs are not prescribed to patients with phenylketonuria.However, all sugar-based products do not have fast dissolution rate and good compatibility or compressibility. Incompatibility with stringent government regulations for drug manufacturing and excipient usage are expected to hinder sugar-based excipient market growth. For instance, as per the European Medicines Agency, the usage of an excipient should be well reasoned, explaining its role and justification for inclusion of the amount used.Sugar-based Excipients Market Regional InsightsOn the basis of region, the global sugar-based excipients market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America sugar-based excipients market is expected to hold a dominant position over the forecast period, owing to increased usage for generic drugs in the region. Increasing investments in drug development and rising production of generic drugs will drive growth of sugar-based excipient market in Europe. Significant growth in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, favorable government policies, low-cost manufacturing, and increasing demand for generic drugs, especially in emerging economies directly contributes to the market growth. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data, in 2017, Indian firms received around 40% of the new U.S. approvals for generics with a wider base of companies.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report @Sugar-based Excipients Market Competitive LandscapeSome of the key players operating in the global sugar-based excipients market include Ashland Inc., Associated British Foods Plc, BASF SE, Colorcon, Inc., Cargill, Inc., DFE Pharma, FMC Corporation, MEGGLE AG, Roquette Group, and The Lubrizol Corporation.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.Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Small-Scale Power Generation Market Size Projected to Rise Lucratively during 2025

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/small-scale-power-generation-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=25859

www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Presently, energy systems are undergoing significant and extensive changes. The world is moving away from centralized fossil fuel and nuclear-based large power systems toward a more distributed or decentralized system. The drivers driving these changes are regulations to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, to increase the share of renewable energy sources in energy mix, to enhance energy efficiency, and also the need of energy security. These distributed systems majorly rely on renewables and combined heat and power (CHP) systems for power generation, which enable the consumers to become producers of their own power.View Report Preview:The conventional power systems have been primarily centralized with power generation at bigger and larger power plants and generated power flowing through voltage chain; however, this trend is expected to change with an increase in small scale power generation capacity at local level either due to local energy sources or due to increase in local energy demands. The policies and incentives offered by various governments for renewables across the world is estimated to give a vital boost to the small-scale power generation market, and the same is anticipated to expand at a healthy rate during the forecast period due to increase in demand for standby power and better power quality by the end-user markets.In terms of source of energy, the small-scale power generation market can be segmented into renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. The renewable sources comprise small-scale solar power plants and wind turbines, small-scale hydro plants, biogas, and biomass. The renewable sources segment is projected to increase at a substantial rate during the forecast period due to reduced carbon footprint from these sources of energy for small-scale power generation. The non-renewable sources of energy include oil and natural gas for small-scale power generation from reciprocating internal combustion engines, gas turbines, small steam turbines or micro turbines. The efficiency of these systems can be improved by employing combined heat and power (CHP) system, which recovers wasted thermal energy in order to utilize it for various purposes such as water heating or space heating. The non-renewable segment is likely to dominate the small-scale power generation market by source of energy during the forecasted period.In terms of end-user industry, the small-scale power generation market can be segmented into residential, commercial, and industrial. The industrial segment is projected to have significant share in the small-scale power generation market. While the commercial segment is predicted to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period.In terms of region, the small-scale power generation market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America is estimated to dominate the small-scale power generation market with the U.S. holding major share in the region. While the market in Asia Pacific is predicted to expand at a rapid growth rate during the forecast period primarily due to the emerging markets, increasing power demands and expanding infrastructure in developing economies of India and China. Middle East and Africa is projected to follow the lead of Asia Pacific in terms of growth rate for the small-scale power generation market.Key players operating in the small-scale power generation market are Siemens AG, Ansaldo Energia, First Solar, FuelCell Energy Inc., Canyon Industries Inc., Capstone Turbine Corporation, Bloom Energy, Ballard Power Systems, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas Inc., and Yingli Solar.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:
Fleet Management Solution Market Growth To Be Stimulated By Brisk Technological Expansions

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=24092

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fleet-management-solution-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Fleet management is a process or an approach that enables companies to systemize and co-ordinate work vehicles with the aim to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and provide compliance to government regulations. Solutions such as driver management, vehicle management and operations management are encompassed in the scope of fleet management solutions. The rising adoption of fleet management analytics and a shift towards smaller fleets are some of the reason that are expected to drive the fleet management solution market in the next few years.The market is also expected to benefit from the vast technological advancements recently observed in the field of automatic vehicles. Transparency Market Research estimates that the global fleet management solutions market will exhibit an exponential CAGR of 22.6% during the period between 2017 and 2025, rising from a valuation of US$12.57 bn in 2015 to US$91.94 bn in 2025.Get PDF Sample of This Report @Cloud-based Deployment to Contribute Massive Share in RevenueOn the basis of deployment, the global fleet management solution market is segmented into cloud and on-premise. The cloud-based deployment segment is anticipated to contribute major share in the global fleet management solution market. With the increased demand and adoption of Software as a Service model, the cloud deployment segment is anticipated to witness rapid and steady growth throughout the forecast period. The on-premise deployment segment is expected to hold a comparatively smaller share of the global fleet management solution market.On the basis of type, the global fleet management solution market has been segmented in the report into vehicle management, driver management, and operations management. Of these, the segment of operations management solutions is expected to hold the dominant share of the global market throughout the forecast period. The segment is expected to be followed by the segment of vehicle management solutions in terms of market share. Moreover, the vehicle management solutions segment is also projected to be the segment with the most promising growth opportunities owing to high rate of growth. This segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.7% during the period from 2017 to 2025. This growth is primarily attributable to increased demand for green fleets.The global fleet management solution market is expected to be led by North America throughout the forecast period. The North America market for fleet management solutions is estimated to contribute a massive share in the global market over the forecast period, with the U.S. providing most of the revenue. The presence of key industry players along with support from OEMs is expected to drive the market in the region.View Our Report @Europe is expected to follow North America in terms of market revenue. The presence of several local industry players, increasing trade through Pan-European corridor and the growing awareness about technology and solutions is expected to drive the market in the region. Favorable regulatory initiatives in the region are also expected to add to the market growth. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to be lead in terms of growth rate over the reports forecast period. This growth is expected to be driven by demand across countries such as China, Japan, and India, while South East Asian countries with their superior infrastructure and impressive communication network are also expected to contribute substantially to the regions growth.Some of the leading players operating in the global fleet management solution market are Trimble Inc., Element Fleet Management Corp., Daimler Fleet Management GmbH, JDA Software Group, Inc., Wheels, Inc., MiX Telematics Ltd., TomTom Telematics BV. , Magellan Navigation, Inc., Emkay, Inc., and Telogis, Inc.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:
Harrows Market Growth To Be Affected By Consolidation Of Leading Vendors

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13805

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/harrows-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Harrows are basically the agricultural tools which are used for smoothing out and breaking up the surface of soil. Harrowing is always carried out on the agricultural field to track the rough finish left by ploughing operations. The purpose of harrowing is generally to breakup lumps of soil, thereby providing a good tilth, finer finish soil structure that are suitable for seedbed use. Harrowing are also used to remove cover seed and weeds after sowing.The rising demand for agricultural farm machinery is one of the prominent factors which is driving the harrows market demand worldwide. This is majorly supported by the growing demand for food which is expected to rise substantially owing to the significant increase in global population during the forecast period. Rising food demand has encouraged the adoption of advanced farming practices to increase crop yields which is further resulting in the demand for agricultural machinery globally. The global harrows market is driven by increasing adoption of farm machinery for mechanization of farming operations which resulted in increased production and profitability by achieving timeliness in farming operations. This in turn helps farmers in optimum utilization of costly inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, and irrigation among others. Farm mechanization also helps in the preservation of the farm produce, which further improves profitability and cost effectiveness by reducing post-harvest losses.Get PDF Sample of This Report @Similarly, increasing awareness about the importance of technology in agriculture is also an important factor which is fueling the growth of the harrows market globally. This increasing awareness can be attributed to rising adoption of farm tractors and other agricultural machinery which yields high productivity gains.Moreover, Low purchasing power and high cost with low technology adoption is currently challenging the wide-scale adoption of farm machinery tools including harrows. The market growth is also inhibited by growing urbanization and decreasing farmlands. In order to counter this restraint, governments worldwide are promoting and encouraging the adoption of farm machinery tools by providing subsidies on this equipment, thereby allowing manufacturers to offer the equipment at lower rates.The global harrows market can be segmented on the basis of types, and various geographical regions. Based on different harrows types, the market has been segmented into disc harrow, chain harrow, tine harrow, and chain disk harrows. Based on various geographical regions, the market is classified into North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. In Asia Pacific, countries such as India and China are witnessing the shift in overall population. Growing population is responsible for increasing food demand in Asia Pacific, which in turn will fuel the demand for harrows for effective farm production in this region.View Our Report @In North America, rising need for enhanced productivity is also one of the major factors that are triggering the market growth. Likewise, in European countries such as Germany, governments are offering subsidies on agriculture and farm machinery, to promote the use of technology in farm production. This is further reinforced by increasing technical expertise, intense competition, and the presence of a large domestic market is expected to boost the harrows sales in Europe.Some of the key players in the global harrows market include S.P. Industries, Deere & Company, AGCO Corporation, Iseki & Co., Ltd., HARROWS DARTS, Kelly Engineering, and Agroking Implements Industries, among others.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:
Esterquats Market by Forecast Key Players: AkzoNobel, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Chemelco International, Solvay Group, Evonik Industries, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Dow Chemicals, Italmatch Chemicals, Kao Chemicals

https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/2527

http://www.gminsights.com/roc/2527

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/esterquats-market

https://www.gminsights.com

Esterquats Market major applications include fabric softeners, in personal care products and in various other industrial applications such as dyeing and antistatic activities. Approximately one-third of all cationic surfactants are used to produce fabric softeners. Modern textiles need modern treatments and esterquats in fabric softeners delivers best softening performance, outstanding stability and a constant level of high quality. Cationic surfactants adhere well to natural fibers such as wool, cotton etc. but less for synthetic fibers.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) the current global clothing market is worth USD 1.7 trillion. EU, USA & China are the worlds largest apparel markets with a combined share of approximately 54%. This upward trend of the clothing market will propel the esterquats market size globally by 2024.Esterquats Market size is expected to grow at a considerable rate of CAGR in the forecast period owing to the growing awareness for the use of fabric softeners globally.Esterquats, are quaternary ammonium compounds with two long fatty acid chains and two weak ester bonds. These are new generation substitutes for dialkyldimethylammonium (DHTDMAC) salts which increases the longevity, durability and the quality of the fabric.Growing consumer awareness and increased per capita income of the consumers is propelling the esterquats market size globally. Developments in technology and requirements for high-performance and minimal-cost products have led to the acceptance of esterquats for fabric softeners manufacturing. The creation of the product has almost replaced the use of DHTDMAC in fabric softeners due to its toxicity and high exposure levels. The eco-friendly properties of esterquat will also positively drive the product market size to an upward trend.Request for customization of this report @The product can cause skin irritations and allergies in a person if touched directly. Proper safety measures are required to be taken before the esterquats usage or it may cause harmful skin diseases which might prove to be a hindrance for the esterquats market size in the projected timeframe.However, growing youth population in emerging economies, employment rate, urbanization and improving per capita income are expected to endorse the use of hair care products over the forecast period. Therefore, mounting hair care market is one of the major opportunity for the industry. Rising awareness regarding the use of health & beauty care products is expected to enhance the product demand by 2024.Asia-Pacific is projected to boom continuously in the near future owing to the increasing income and standard of living of the people in the region will continue to endure as the rapid expanding as well as the largest market for esterquats, due to the increased use of fabric softeners driven majorly by rising awareness among customers regarding the use of environment-friendly products such as esterquats in manufacturing of fabric care and personal care products. North America is the biggest market for esterquats due to its high penetration in the fabric market. The presence of large players in the region has led to the expansion of esterquats market size over the previous years.Browse Full Report:Major esterquats market size contributors present are and AkzoNobel, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Chemelco International, Solvay Group, Evonik Industries, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Dow Chemicals, Italmatch Chemicals, Kao Chemicals etc. Organisations such as AzkoNobel is involved in the capacity increment for catering swiftly growing demand for esterquats in industrial applications.Market share calculation in this report is not done based on companies covered in it. The calculation of esterquats market share is done based on a regional approach and countries covered. On request, additional companies can be covered as well as regional data for particular country / countries can be provided.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:
Quantum Computing Market Growth To Be Stimulated By Brisk Technological Expansions

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=36212

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/quantum-computing-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Quantum computing make use of significant subatomic particle capability to be present in more than one state at any given point of time. Due to the peculiar behavior of these particles, processing can be done in a faster manner and with minimal power requirement than traditional computers. Traditional computers encode information in bits with the values 1 or 0. These values act as on/off switches that eventually drive computer functions. On the other hand, quantum computing uses quantum bits i.e. qubit. However, they can store more information than 1s or 0s. It works on the two very important principles of quantum physics i.e. entanglement and superposition. When each qubit can represent both a 1 and a 0 at the same time, it is known as superposition. Furthermore, if the state of one bit (whether it is a 0 or a 1) can depend on the state of another bit, it is known as entanglement. Quantum computers are significantly powerful and processes information in a novel way.Increasing cybercrimes across the globe and growing implementation of quantum computing technology across the banking & finance, defense, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and healthcare markets is expected to drive the global quantum computing market. Governments of various countries are investing in quantum computing technology to expand their knowledge base related to quantum computing technologies. The increasing government investment to develop quantum computing solutions is projected to support the growth of the global quantum computing market. For instance, the European Commission plans to launch a US$ 1.1 billion initiative in 2018 on quantum technologies.Get PDF Sample of This Report @This will help Europe to be at the forefront of the second quantum revolution. Furthermore, in 2017, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba disclosed that it is planning a US$ 15 billion investment in R&D projects. This investment is part of the companys DAMO (Discovery, Adventure, Momentum, and Outlook) Academy, and will include the opening of new labs, to be located in different places such as Singapore, Moscow, Seattle, China, and California.Shortage of desired skillsets for quantum computing can hamper the growth of this market globally. However, with rising government investment and intervention, quantum computing is expected to overcome this restraint. For instance, the New South Wales (NSW) government announced funds of US$ 26 million for the development of quantum computing and this is anticipated to help NSW become a global hub for innovative training in the field of quantum computing.The quantum computing market can be segmented based on components, end-use industry, and regions. On the basis of component, the market can be segmented into hardware, software, and services. In terms of end-use industry, the market can be segmented into banking & finance, defense, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and others.Geographically, the quantum computing market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America and Europe are expected to lead due to the growing government investment in the field of quantum computing. However, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a significant pace due to the increasing research and development activities across emerging economies such as China, India, and Japan.View Our Report @Some of the key players in the quantum computing market are IBM Corporation, D-Wave Systems Inc., Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd., QbitLogic, Alibaba Group Holding Limited, SPARROW QUANTUM, Qubitekk, Inc., Tokyo Quantum Computing, Cambridge Quantum Computing Ltd, Anyon Systems Inc., 1QB Information Technologies Inc., Rigetti & Co, Inc., and moreTransparency 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:
Hydraulic Fluids Market Size Observe Significant Surge during 2025

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hydraulic-fluids-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=26798

www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Hydraulic oils, hydraulic liquids, or hydraulic fluids is a major part of hydraulic systems, through which power is conveyed in hydraulic equipment. Hydraulic liquids are primarily used in conveying kinetic and potential energy in a hydraulic system. Hydraulic liquids generally provide a flow of volume in hydrostatic motors and pumps. Hydraulic fluids also help in decreasing the wear and tear of parts involved in friction in the piston assembly. Hydraulic fluids also protect the internal systems from corrosion and erosion caused by external environments. Functions of hydraulic fluids have changed by a great magnitude in the last few years. Hydraulic systems are designed to function optimally during the operations at high temperatures, high pressures, and different complex circumstances. Ordinary hydraulic fluids are primarily made of mineral oils and water, which offer very less compressibility and flexibility of usage.View Report Preview:Demand for various types of hydraulic systems is increasing constantly, as the modern industry requires high speed and efficiency at higher operating pressures and temperatures. Hydraulic fluids are developed to perform tasks such as lubrication, energy transmission, and removal of heat from parts of the machinery. Selection of an optimum hydraulic fluid highly depends on basic properties and the technicality of grade of hydraulic fluid with respect to the hydraulic machinery. An ideal hydraulic fluid should be selected on the basis of the following properties: hydrolytic stability, thermal stability, low tendency to cavitate, low chemical corrosiveness, high anti-wear characteristics, constant viscosity, long life, total water rejection regardless of temperature, and low cost. Major functions served by hydraulic fluids include efficient transmission of power and protection of intrinsic hydraulic components from wear and tear. A majority of hydraulic fluids are used in large machines for various purposes.Increasing demand for rapid construction, growing infrastructure, and increased use of heavy machinery in civil engineering projects are factors projected to drive the global market for hydraulic fluids during the forecast period. Most of the hydraulic fluids are based on hydrocarbons and mineral oil, which are considered toxic and hazardous for the environment. Hydraulic fluids need to comply with several environmental and regulatory obligations for their disposal. Manufacturers provide special guidelines and specifications for safe handling and storage of hydraulic fluids. Splashed or spilt hydraulic fluids need to be properly absorbed with specified absorbents so as to avoid the contamination of groundwater and sewerage systems. High toxicity, stringent environmental regulations, and growing popularity of organic hydraulic fluids are the major restraints for the hydraulic fluids market.The market for hydraulic fluids in Asia Pacific (APAC) is likely to expand at a significant rate during the forecast period, due to high demand for hydraulic fluids and their increased consumption in heavy construction equipment used for construction and civil engineering projects. Risen demand for hydraulic fluids in APAC is also attributable to rapid infrastructure development, rapid industrialization, growth of the economy, and high capital investments by major industrial players in the region. APAC is anticipated to witness high growth in the consumption of hydraulic fluids. The market in the country is estimated to expand at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of consumption and production of hydraulic fluids, North America follows APAC. The market for hydraulic fluids in North America is anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period, led by rising demand from sectors such as infrastructure and heavy engineering in the region. Growth of the hydraulic fluids market in Europe is likely to remain consistent during the forecast period. Growth of industrial and infrastructure sectors in Middle East & Africa and the rising demand from the oil & gas industry in the region are factors projected to propel the hydraulic fluids market in MEA during the forecast period.Major players in the global hydraulic fluids market are Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corporation, British Petroleum Plc, Process Oil Inc., Renkert Oil Inc., Sasol, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, and Castrol Limited. Manufacturers of hydraulic fluids around the globe are strengthening their market position by acquiring new technologies; expanding the product portfolio; and developing an improved and robust distribution network all over the work.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:
Refinery Process Additives Market Size to Expand Significantly by the End of 2025

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/refinery-process-additives-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28133

www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Refinery process additives are chemicals that are used to improve the fuel performance by meeting the fuel specification enacted by government authorities. Each refinery has its own set of requirements. These are governed by the regulatory specifications of the geographical area for which the oil products are intended, the origin of the crude oil for processing, and their particular refining scheme. All refineries faces the same challenge: increase production to make it as competitive as possible. Refining additives are used to achieve this particular goal. Refinery process additives are added during the refining process. They can also be used to convalesce the performance of particular end-product specification such as diesel or gasoline. Refinery process additives can be used or added in various refinery processes such as distillation process, reformer system, cracker, coker, filling plant process, catalytic reforming, desulfurization, and vacuum distillation. The use of refinery process additives is limited to the oil & gas industry. Challenges faced by refiners owing to increasing demand for diesel, stringent environmental legislation for transportation fuels, and changing fossil energy resources are factors driving the demand for refinery process additives. However, high price of refinery process additives, especially in developing economies where price sensitivity is higher for consumers, may limit the market growth.View Report Preview:Depending upon the type, the market for refinery process additives can be segmented into stabilizers, defoamers, antioxidants, antifoulants, catalyst regenerators, biocides, octane booster, cold flow properties, amine solution, cetane number improver, metal deactivators, and lubricity improvers. Antifoulants are capable of reducing the cleaning cost in the refinery and optimizing profitability. Antifoulants offered by Clariant AG, one of the prime manufacturers of refinery process additives, are a combination of dispersants, antioxidants, metal deactivators/coordinators, and corrosion Inhibitors. These are capable of treating all the aspects of fouling in the industry. In order to enforce a cleaner fuel program, environmental regulators such as the EPA in the U.S. and Euro IV in the European Union have lowered the permissible levels of sulfur in diesel. Emerging economies such as China and India have already implemented diesel sulfur levels standards. This, in turn, has significantly boosted the demand for refinery process additives such as lubricity improvers to restore natural lubricating properties of low-sulfur fuel.In comparison, regulations against higher emissions in Latin America and Asia Pacific are lenient. This situation is expected to change in the near future, as emission standards are being consolidated due to climate control issues and the reduction in air quality. As a result, the penetration of manufacturers of fuel additives in these regions is anticipated to prove highly beneficial to the market. North America accounted for the major share of the refinery process additives market in 2016. Recovering oil and gas sector in the region is expected to propel the demand for refinery process additives. It was the leading consumer of refinery process additives in the year. Key reasons facilitating this high consumption rate are higher level of awareness and stringent emission standards and regulations in the region. Increasing consumption of ultra-low-sulfur diesel is a key market indicator driving the demand for refinery process additives.Prominent players operating in the refinery process additives market include BASF, Nalco Company, GE Water, Cestoil, Dorf Ketal Chemicals, Clariant, Arkema, Baker Hughes, Albemarle, The Lubrizol Corporation, Chevron Corporation, and Total.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:
Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market New Business Opportunities and Investment Research Report 2018-2026

Cancer supportive care is associated with care given to the patients suffering from various types of cancer.

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2013

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/cancer-supportive-care-drugs-market-2013

Cancer supportive care is associated with care given to the patients suffering from various types of cancer. Supportive care is intended for relieving suffering of the patients and improving their quality of life. These treatments are not intended to cure the disease itself, however, to treat the side effects and symptoms such as pain and stress. The main aim of supportive care is to improve the quality of life of the patient. Cancer supportive care has become an important part of cancer treatment since the recent past.Government organizations and institutions are focusing on promoting better palliative/supportive care to improve patients quality of life. For instance, the American Cancer Society has collaborated with various institutions such as National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) (in 2007) to improve cancer supportive care and to promote palliative care. Moreover, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is working to improve access to palliative care services for adults and children that are severely suffering from various types of cancer.Request Sample:Commercially available cancer supportive care drugs include, Granocyte, Neupogen, Zarzio, Pegfilgrastim, Longquex, Aranesp, Epogen, and other categories such as antiemetics, NSAIDs, and opioids.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market DriversHigh prevalence of various types of cancer is a key factor supporting growth of the global cancer supportive care drugs market. Cancer is one of the most prevalent fatal chronic disorders with a high mortality rate due to its invasive nature and prolonged duration of disease. According to National Cancer Institute, around 1,735,350 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2018. The most common cancers are lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, and others.Cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and others. These therapies have their own advantages and side effects. Cancer supportive care drugs are primarily used to aid in treatment of side effects associated with various cancer treatments. Increasing demand for various cancer therapies, owing to high prevalence of the disease is expected to boost the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period. According to American Cancer Society, in 2017, around 222,500 new cases of lung cancer were registered and around 155,870 deaths recorded due to lung cancer in the U.S.Moreover, drugs such as erythropoietin stimulating agents are on the World Health Organizations (WHO) essential medicine list, indicated for the treatment of anemia due to chemotherapy and other treatments. Effectiveness of biopharmaceutical drugs such as erythropoietin stimulating agents and g-colony stimulating factors in the treatment of cancer induced side effects (anemia) is expected to propel the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period.However, biosimilar launches (as biosimilars are cheaper) in categories such as erythropoietin stimulating agents and g-colony stimulating factors is expected to restrain the global cancer supportive care drugs market growth over the forecast period. For instance, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of Hospiras Epogen biosimilar in 2017. Sandoz launched Zarxio (Filgrastim-sndz), a biosimilar of Filgrastim in 2015.Browse Research Report:Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market Regional InsightsNorth America and Europe are expected to witness significant growth in the cancer supportive care drugs market over the forecast period. New product launches of cancer supportive care drugs and increasing demand for such drugs, owing to high prevalence of the disease is expected to facilitate growth of the cancer supportive care drugs market, in the U.S. For instance, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2017, around 225,000 cases of lung cancer were registered in the U.S. Furthermore, presence of leading manufacturers such as Amgen, Inc. in North America that are focused on research and development of new cancer supportive care drugs is a key factor promoting growth of the market in the region over the forecast period.Moreover, competition to global manufacturers from generic manufacturers in India and China is expected to negatively impact growth of the global cancer supportive care drugs market over the forecast period.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market Key PlayerKey players operating in the cancer supportive care drugs market include Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, F.Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd., Amgen, Inc., Baxter International, Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Acacia Pharma Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Helsinn Healthcare SA, and Heron Therapeutics.Cancer Supportive Care Drugs Market TaxonomyThe global cancer supportive care drugs market is segmented on the basis of drug type, cancer type, distribution channel, and region.By Drug Type -AntiemeticBisphosphonatesOpioidsNSAIDsG-Colony Stimulating FactorsErythropoietin Stimulating AgentsOthersBy Cancer Type -Lung CancerBreast CancerProstate CancerLiver CancerMelanomaBladder CancerLeukemiaOvarian CancerOthersBy Distribution Channel -Hospital PharmaciesRetail PharmaciesOnline PharmaciesBy Region -North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle EastAfricaAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +12067016702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Game Controllers Market to Witness Huge Growth by 2023 | GEAR, HORI, Logitech, Mad Catz, Microsoft

https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1276441-europe-game-controllers-market-3

https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1276441-europe-game-controllers-market-3

https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1276441

https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1276441-europe-game-controllers-market-3

HTF MI recently introduced Europe Game Controllers 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 dream GEAR, HORI, Logitech, Mad Catz, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nyko, PDP, Razer, Retro-Bit, Saitek, Sony & Thrustmaster etc.Request Sample of Europe Game Controllers Market Report 2018 @:This report studies the Europe Game Controllers market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the Europe Game Controllers market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.Browse 100+ market data Tables and Figures spread through Pages and in-depth TOC on " Game Controllers Market by Type (Type I & Type II), by End-Users/Application (Application 1 & Application 2), 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 dreamGEAR, HORI, Logitech, Mad Catz, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nyko, PDP, Razer, Retro-Bit, Saitek, Sony & Thrustmaster 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 Game Controllers Market has been divided into type, application, and region.On The Basis Of Type: Type I & Type II.On The Basis Of Application: Application 1 & Application 2On The Basis Of Region, this report is segmented into following key geographies, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share, growth rate of Game Controllers 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 Game Controllers Market Report 2018 @Have a look at some extracts from Table of ContentIntroduction about Europe Game ControllersEurope Game Controllers Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2017Game Controllers Market by Application/End UsersEurope Game Controllers Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications(2013-2023) table defined for each application/end-users like [Application 1 & Application 2]Europe Game Controllers Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2023)Game Controllers Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and ApplicationGame Controllers (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined.Europe Game Controllers 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 Type I & Type IIGame Controllers Manufacturing Cost AnalysisGame Controllers Key Raw Materials AnalysisGame Controllers 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.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.com
An Interview with the Acting Chief of the Continental Movement Coordination Centre has been released ahead of the next Military Airlift and Air-to-Air Refuelling Conference

http://www.military-airlift.com/openpr

http://www.military-airlift.com/openpr

http://www.smi-online.co.uk

The 19th annual Military Airlift and Air-to-Air Refuelling conference and exhibition () will commence in Rome on the 4th and 5th December 2018.In the run up to the event, SMi Group have released an exclusive interview with Group Captain David Akrong, Acting Chief of the Continental Movement Coordination Centre, who will be presenting at the conference on:How the Continental Movement Coordination Centre Is Building the Logistic Capability of African Air Forces, covering: An introduction to the work of the Continental Movement Coordination Centre and its role and scope How African nations have taken the lead on UN-backed peacekeeping missions in the region and what this means for logistical demands on military forces How the CMCC feeds into the wider African Standby Force concept and key timelines for implementation Exploiting both commercial and military airlift capability and roadmap for an African led airlift exercise Training plans for utilisation of effective C2 within African-led airlift operations Future priorities for the centre and working with key international partners as part of this approachThe complimentary interview is now available to download from the websites download centre at:As the largest bespoke military airlift conference in Europe, this event will offer an unrivalled platform for defence forces to hear from some of the worlds leading airlift operators and manufacturers.This years conference will cover: forward basing and expeditionary operations, international operability, training, airlift platform acquisition, air-to-air refuelling, medevac, pooling and sharing, tactical, humanitarian and strategic airlift, and much more.Plus, new for 2018, a brand-new Air-Air Refuelling Focus Day on the 3rd December, along with fantastic opportunities to meet new and old contacts, at two networking receptions hosted by Boeing on the 4th December and Airbus on the 5th December.Bookings made by 28th September will be eligible for a 300 early bird discount. Registrations can be made on the event.For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Sadia Malick at: smalick@smi-online.co.ukFor delegate enquiries, please contact James Hitchen at: jhitchen@smi-online.co.uk19th Annual Military Airlift and Air-To-Air RefuellingConference: 4th and 5th December 2018Focus Day: 3rd December 2018Rome, ItalyGold Sponsor: Airbus and BoeingSponsored by: IRVINGQ, JBTC, Jetex, Leonardo, SHZ Aviation, TLD Group and Viasat* To be confirmed-- END About SMi Group: Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the worlds most forward-thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found atGround & First Floor 1 Westminster Bridge Road
Contrast Media Market to Record Sturdy Growth by 2026

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=876

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=876

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-contrast-media-contrast-agents.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, Contrast Media Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026. According to the report, the global contrast media market was valued at US$ 4,600 Mn in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4% from 2018 to 2026. The report suggests that rise in awareness among people about pre-diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular is expected to drive the global market during the forecast period.North America and Europe are anticipated to dominate the global contrast media market in the next few years owing to increase in installed base of imaging equipment and high health care spending. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market by 2026. This is attributed to increase in geriatric population and rise in awareness about benefits of pre-diagnosis in developed countries such as Japan and Australia. Development of novel contrast media and advanced contrast media injectors is likely to fuel the growth of the global market. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3% to 4% from 2018 to 2026.Request to View Sample of Report -High Prevalence of Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases to Drive Global MarketHigh prevalence of cancers such as breast cancer is a major factor fueling the growth of the global contrast media market. Increase in popularity of pre-diagnosis of breast cancer and colorectal cancer using imaging equipment is another factor anticipated to drive the global market during the forecast period. Rise in cardiovascular diseases that require identification of high risk patients and implementation of disease management made possible through medical imaging are the other factors expected to boost the growth of the global market from 2018 to 2026. Furthermore, strong R&D, upcoming pipeline imaging drugs, and increase in health care spending are the factors likely to augment the global market during the forecast period. Stringent regulatory scenarios and adverse effects of contrast media in large number of patients are projected to restrain the global contrast media market from 2018 to 2026.Iodine-based Compounds and Intravenous/Intra-arterial Segments to Dominate Global MarketThe report offers detailed segmentation of the global contrast media market based on type, route of administration, imaging modality, and application. In terms of type, the iodine-based compounds segment is poised to account for leading share of the global market during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. Factors attributed to the higher share of the segment include early detection of diseases including cancer, detection of asymptomatic heart diseases, and low osmolality of the compounds. The iodine based compound segment accounted for over 30% share of the global market in terms of revenue in 2017. Based on route of administration, the global market has been classified into oral, rectal, intravenous/intra-arterial, and others. The intravenous/intra-arterial segment dominated the global market, accounting for over 30% share in 2017. The oral segment is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period due to increase in usage of oral contrast agents for gastrointestinal tract imaging.Request to View Brochure of Report -CT / X-ray and Cardiology Segments to Dominate the MarketIn terms of imaging modality, the global contrast media market has been categorized into CT/X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, and others. The CT/X-ray segment is projected to account for the largest share of the global market in 2017 due to increase in installed base of CT scanners. Based on application, the global market has been divided into oncology, cardiology, neurology, and others. The cardiology segment is expected to capture the largest share of the global market due to high prevalence of cardiac diseases and increase in awareness about early detection. The segment held nearly 30% share of the global market in 2017. The others segment held the second largest share of the market in 2017, owing to rise in prevalence of other diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders and renal disorders.Asia Pacific to be Fastest Growing MarketIn terms of region, the global contrast media market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America held the largest share of the global market in 2017 and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. The market in the region is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3% to 4% from 2018 to 2026. Well-established health care infrastructure and strong support from public and private sector in terms of reimbursements are expected to contribute to North Americas high market share. Rise in awareness about prevention of diseases has led to improvements in diagnosis. This is likely to drive the market in the region during the forecast period. Europe is projected to account for the second largest share of the global contrast media market by 2026. The market is the region is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4% from 2018 to 2026. The market in Europe has matured due to introduction of new technologies. However, contrast agents such as MRI-based agents are witnessing significant growth in the region in terms of revenue.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for contrast media. The market in the region is likely to expand at a CAGR of 4% to 5% during the forecast period. Increase in population, rise in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, and surge in musculoskeletal problems are the major factors fueling the growth of the market in the region. Australia, Japan, India, and China are the potential markets for contrast media in Asia Pacific. The market in China is expected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to rise in disposable income and increase in funding for R&D. The contrast media market in Middle East & Africa is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3% to 4% from 2018 to 2026. Investment by major players in the region is anticipated to propel the market.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Market to Expand with Significant CAGR by 2026

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=20828

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20828

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/coronary-artery-bypass-grafts-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Market Growth, Trends and Forecast up to 2026Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026. According to the report, the global coronary artery bypass graft market was valued at US$ 104.0 Mn in 2017 is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2018 to 2026. Increase in cardiovascular diseases, rise in awareness about endoscopic surgeries, surge in geriatric population, and technological advancements are the major factors anticipated to fuel the growth of the market from 2018 to 2026. Improved hospital infrastructure in the developed markets such a North America and Europe, rise in medical tourism in Asia Pacific, and advantages of endoscopic surgeries are expected to drive the market during the forecast period.Increase in Adoption of Endoscopic Surgeries to Propel MarketEndoscopic surgeries offer advantages such as short hospital stay and minimal incision at the surgery site. Endoscopic surgery is used to diagnose or treat diseases. Advantages associated with endoscopic surgeries include minimal blood loss, no requirement of general anesthesia, outpatient surgical procedure, small incision, less bleeding, and quick discharge within 2 to 4 days. These factors have increased demand for endoscopic surgeries across the globe.Request to View Sample of Report -Rise in Number of Cardiovascular Diseases Leading to Multiple Blockages to Boost Off-Pump CABG SegmentCardiovascular diseases is a leading cause of premature deaths among the geriatric population or even among the younger population. Globally, the number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases has increased in the last decade. There was 41% increase in deaths due to cardiovascular diseases from 12.3 million in 1993 to 17.3 million 2013. According to European Heart Network statistics, CVD accounts for nearly 3.9 million deaths in Europe each year and around 1.8 million deaths in the European Union. Advantages of off-pump CABG such as reduced hospital stay, minimal blood loss, lower post-operative complications, and useful in treating multiple blocks are expected to fuel the growth of the segment.Rise in Cardiac Complications and Pricing Pressure to Restrain MarketAn article published on Medicine Net stated that the overall mortality rate for CABG is approximately 3% to 4%. Heart attack after CABG procedure is quite common in 5% to 10% cases and stroke in 1% to 2% of patients. Around 5% of the cases require exploration due to significant blood loss. In cases where second surgery is required, there are high chances of infection in chest and lungs. Increase in prices of CABG procedures in developed countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. is a key factor restraining the global coronary artery bypass graft market. The cost of CABG procedure in the U.S. ranges from US$ 70,000 to US$ 200,000 and it costs US$ 28,000 in the U.K., US$ 32,000 to US$ 42,130 in Australia, and US$ 16,247 to US$ 23,600 in Spain.Request to View Brochure of Report -Asia Pacific to Register Exponential GrowthIn terms of revenue, the coronary artery bypass graft market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. Rise in medical tourism in India due to low cost of surgery is projected to boost the growth of the market in the region. The cost of CABG surgery in India ranges from US$ 1,500 to US$ 5,400. According to Assocham (2015), India's medical tourism sector more than doubled between 2011 and 2015, i.e., US$ 980.0 Mn to US$ 1.8 Bn. Cost of medication and surgeries in developed countries in Asia Pacific is comparatively lower than in countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. Moreover, up-to-date treatment facilities, skilled doctors, and consultants will attract the western population to the region for extensive treatments.Medtronic, Terumo Corporation, Ethicon, Neograft, and Boston Scientific to Lead the MarketThe report also provides profiles of leading players operating in the global coronary artery bypass graft market such as Medtronic, Terumo Corporation, KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG, Boston Scientific, Ethicon (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), Neograft, Sorin Group, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG, Edwards Lifesciences, Vitalitec International, Inc., Novadaq Technologies, Inc., and Genesee Biomedical, Inc.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Levant Power Cable Market Worth over 6 Billion By 2024

Levant Power Cable Market

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1618

https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1618

Refurbishment of aging electrical networks and rising demand for advanced energy matrix has significantly fueled Levant Power Cable Market growth in the recent years. Growing investments toward the infrastructure development among the war-torn regions such as Iraq and Syria has positively driven the business outlook of Levant power cable industry. For the uninitiated, Levant is the imprecisely defined areas of Middle East which includes Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. The current civil-war condition of these Levant countries has strongly affected the public and private infrastructural assets and has thus encouraged the government to pour in a colossal trillion-dollar investment in these regions. This has strongly uplifted Levant power cable market demand across the regions, primarily to deliver effective transmission and distribution of electricity. A report by Global Market Insights, Inc., predicts Levant power cable market to register a CAGR of 8% over 2017-2024, exceeding a valuation of USD 6 Billion over 2017-2024.Request for a sample of this research report Taking into account the governmental investments on energy infrastructure, Iraq in 2016, invested around USD 358 billion in strengthening and upgrading the countrys infrastructure post the civil wars. In addition, the Iraq government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 with Siemens to develop and modernize the countrys energy setup, which has further stimulated the growth of Levant power cable market. Another instance is of Egypt government investing USD 1.6 billion for transmission corridor projects. To meet the rising demand for electricity, the transmission corridor project was initiated by Egypt with an aim to extend its electricity line with the Saudi Arabian grid network. Development of such projects to rebuild the countrys economy to pre-war levels have prominently spurred the growth of Levant power cable industry. As per the estimates given by the United Nation, a projected investment of worth USD 180 billion is required to reconstruct the Syria economy to pre-war levels. Likewise, Iraq is also one of the most affected regions, in which the Anbar province alone is projected to require investment of USD 22 billion for its refurbishment.Levant power cable industry is also gaining a significant prominence over the concerns regarding global climatic conditions. The rising impact of GHG and global warming has encouraged the government of these counties to reduce their dependency on conventional energy sources. The encouragement by the regional governments to adopt clean energy generating sources has further fostered Levant power cable industry size. Several governments are seen instigating projects and investments for harnessing renewable energy for their countrys development. For instance,Government of Israel, in 2017, announced the development of solar power generation project to meet the rising electricity demand in the region. This plan is recorded as the countrys largest solar power generation project with a capacity of 310 MW. The Israel government has further supported the growth of Levant power cable industry by announcing its aim to meet 10% of its electricity demand from renewable sources over the coming three years.In 2016, the Government of Jordan sanctioned its third renewable energy tender to add 100 MW of wind and 200 MW of solar energy generating projects in the country. Currently, 96% of regions energy demand is satisfied from import activities, but the regions growing renewable energy projects are foreseen to make positive impact on Levant power cable market shares.In 2017, the Government of Iraq signed a contract with ABB to deploy new energy transmission systems with a projected investment of over USD 500 million.Request for Enquiry of this report @By 2024, Levant power cable market from Turkey is set to record a valuation of over USD 2 billion, subject to Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announcement to develop Dardanelles Strait Submarine Cable Project with 4GW capacity. Because of the regions appropriate geographical location and promising regulatory frame work, Turkey is also one of the most lucrative investment grounds pertaining to Levant power cable industry.The above-mentioned data clearly depicts the fact that countries including Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey are emphasizing more on deploying clean energy systems. Thus, the growing demand for efficient transmission and distribution network of high capacity has majorly propelled the expansion of Levant power cable market. These countries are also focusing on facilitating the inter-regional transmission of electricity, which is further complementing the business of high voltage wires & cables in Levant power cable industry. The global industry players are seen collaborating to expand their global presence. One such instance is of the 2016 merger of Middle East Specialized Cables Co (MESC) with an Egyptian company Al-Mousa Cables. The two companies collaborated to enhance their product penetration in Levant and North African countries. Other renowned Levant power cable market players include Saudi Cables, The Okonite Company, DUCAB Cables, Bahra Advanced Cable Manufacture, and Southwire Company.Global Market Insights Inc. is a global market research and management consulting company catering to leading corporations, non-profit organizations, universities and government institutions. Our main goal is to assist and partner organizations to make lasting strategic improvements and realize growth targets. Our industry research reports are designed to provide granular quantitative information, combined with key industry insights, aimed at assisting sustainable organizational development.Global Market Insights, Inc.4 North Main StreetSelbyville, Delaware 19975 USAPhone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email:sales@gminsights.com
Data Center Infrastructure Market 2024 Global Analysis of Key Players  Vertiv Group Corporation, Schneider Electric S.E., Eaton Corporation PLC, Rittal GmbH & Co., KG, Panduit Corporation, Degree Controls, Inc.

Data Center Infrastructure, Data Center Infrastructure Market, Data Center Infrastructure Market Size

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1130974/

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1130974/

http://www.openpr.com/news/archive/144590/marketstudyreport-com.html

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/data-center-infrastructure-market

https://www.marketstudyreport.com

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/

This global Data Center Infrastructure market report studies the industry based on one or more segments covering key players, types, applications, products, technology, end-users, and regions for historical data as well as provides forecasts for next few years.Data Center Infrastructure market is expected to exceed USD 90 billion by 2024. The growth can be attributed to the rising trend of cloud computing and virtualization. The rise in the demand for cloud storage has resulted in a global increase in the number of data centers. The growing reliance of end users on online transactions has led to a fast rise in the amount of data generated, driving the data center infrastructure market. Small and medium enterprises are often tending to adopt online channels to stay connected with their customers. Several businesses are adapting to the changes in their value chain by implementing digital technologies to create customer-centric and digitally-enhanced business models.Increasing use of the facilities across several industrial sectors, such as healthcare, manufacturing, IT & telecom, and BFSI, to store the growing amount of data generated will drive the data center infrastructure market growth. The rise in the demand for the storage of a high volume of data coupled with improving efficiency across the business operations is providing several growth opportunities to the industry. The BFSI sector is making huge investments in the deployment and installation of the facilities, to keep pace with the competitors owing to the agility and cost-effectiveness offered by these facilities. Growing need for data processing and information security across several sectors will fuel the data center infrastructure market growth. Moreover, to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance business performance, several industries are focusing on the deployment of these facilities.Request a sample of this premium Data Center Infrastructure market Research Report @Colocation providers operating in the data center infrastructure market are offering enhanced maintenance and services to businesses to maximize their productivity, which enables enterprises to focus on their core business with efficient data management. The requirement for exclusively-owned infrastructure has reduced owing to the growing trend of cloud adoption. Moreover, with the increasing amount of data, the expansion of existing facilities takes up plenty of space on the premises. Several companies are focusing on reducing the capital and operational expenditure by outsourcing their data storage needs to colocation providers, thereby driving the colocation data center infrastructure market growth.The increasing adoption of IoT, cloud, and big data analytics along with the increasing consumption of online audio and video content is driving the data center infrastructure market growth in North America. There is a rise in the number of users switching to streaming video OTT, leading to a rise in the movement toward video-on-demand solutions and services. Netflix is dominating the streaming services in the U.S. The U.S. is witnessing a fast growth in the number of Youtube, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon users. With the increase in cloud and online activity, OTT providers are utilizing these facilities for the delivery, storage, encoding, and decoding of video content through broadcast, cable or telecom networks, thereby providing an impetus to the data center infrastructure market growth.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium Data Center Infrastructure market Research Report atMajor players operating in the data center infrastructure market include Vertiv Group Corporation, Schneider Electric S.E., Eaton Corporation PLC, Rittal GmbH & Co., KG, Panduit Corporation, Degree Controls, Inc., ClimateWorx International, Black Box Corporation, Asetek, and Airedale International Air Conditioning Ltd., among others. Manufacturers operating in the data center infrastructure market are focusing on launching new solutions and expanding their distributor network across the globe. They are signing product development contracts for launching new products. Companies, such as Rittal and Schneider Electric, are stressing on the manufacturing of innovative solutions, to serve a wider area.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 Definition and forecast parameters1.1.4.1 Definitions1.1.4.2 Methodology and forecast parameters1.2 Data Sources1.2.1 Secondary1.2.2 PrimaryChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Data center infrastructure industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1 Business trends2.1.2 Regional trends2.1.3 Product trends2.1.4 Component trends2.1.5 Application trendsFor 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
Medical Imaging Equipment Services Market Projected to Witness Vigorous Expansion by 2025

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=14789

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14789

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-imaging-equipment-services-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global medical imaging equipment services market was valued at approximately US$ 19.9 Bn in 2016 and is projected to register a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 3.0% from 2017 to 2025, according to a new report titled, Medical Imaging Equipment Services Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20172025, published by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The report projects that availability of multiplexed and integrated modalities with high throughput is likely to spur the demand for medical imaging equipment services in the upcoming years (2017 to 2025).Rise in the trend of budgeted healthcare systems with improved patient comfort and increase in the demand for higher uptime in the developed markets such a North America and Europe are likely to fuel the growth of the medical imaging equipment services market in these regions. Growing market penetration of refurbished systems to cater to the demand for affordable care and early diagnosis of diseases are expected to boost the growth of the medical imaging equipment services market in Asia Pacific, registering a CAGR of above 4.0% from 2017 to 2025.Request to View Sample of Report -Changing Dynamics towards Value-Based Offerings Causing Intensifies Competition among Service Providers Operating In the MarketAccording to investor presentation by Alliance HealthCare Services (Tahoe Investment Group Co., Ltd.), more than 98% of the hospitals across the globe outsourced one or more of their clinical services in 2016. Technological upgrades in service offerings are projected to fuel the growth of the medical imaging equipment services market during the forecast period. However, emergence of independent service providers with innovation in technology and solutions and competitive pricing has intensified the competition. By the end of 2017, GE Healthcare registered a nominal increase in its profits as compared to 2016. However, it was partially offset by the pricing pressure on healthcare systems, especially in imaging modalities. These factors are estimated to restrain the growth of the medical imaging equipment services market by the end of 2025.Original Equipment Manufacturers to Witness Consistent Growth during the Forecast PeriodThe report offers a detailed segmentation of the global medical imaging equipment services market based on service type, modality, service provider, and end-user. Growth of the original equipment manufacturers segment can be ascribed to the investment made by various OEMs toward expanding their service offerings and also to the increasing demand for higher uptime of imaging equipment.Equipment Repair & Maintenance to Account for Maximum Revenue during the Forecast PeriodTypes of service available in the medical imaging equipment services market are equipment removal and relocation, equipment repair & maintenance, refurbished systems, technical training, and software upgrades. Out of these, the equipment repair & maintenance segment accounted for the leading share of the market in 2016, and is anticipated to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. Equipment generally require timely repair and maintenance in order to avert patients from unnecessary radiation exposures. This is projected to fuel the growth of the segment during the forecast period.Request to View Brochure of Report -Computed Tomography to be Highly Promising Modality for InvestmentIn terms of modality, the global medical imaging equipment services market has been segmented into magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, ultrasound, x-ray, and others. The computed tomography segment held the dominant share of the market in 2016. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Data, in Australia, the installed base of CT per 1,000,000 population increased from 43.07 in 2010 to 63.17 in 2016.Diagnostic Centers Register Significant CAGR by the end of 2025Hospitals generated the highest revenue in 2016 owing to the availability of skilled workforce and high penetration of leading providers of medical imaging equipment in the established as well as emerging markets. However, increasing penetration of private service providers and growing preference of patients for outpatient settings are estimated to boost the demand for diagnostic centers with a significant CAGR during the forecast period.Asia Pacific to Offer Maximum Incremental Opportunity in Global Medical Imaging Equipment Services MarketIn terms of value, North America was the leading contributor to the global medical imaging equipment services market in 2016. Increase in preference for early diagnostic scans among the geriatric population is directly proportional to the rise in usage and servicing frequency of imaging equipment, thereby driving the medical imaging equipment services market in North America. However, technological innovations such as cloud-based monitoring and remote monitoring technology are attracting new players to Asia Pacific. The growing installed base of high-end refurbished modalities in China and India is boosting the business of independent service providers are estimated to augment the growth of the medical imaging equipment services market in Asia Pacific with the maximum CAGR during the forecast period.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Combustion Chamber Market Size & Key Trends in Terms of Volume & Value 2018-2023

Combustion Chamber

http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/contact/17213?ref=Sample-and-Brouchure&toccode=SDMREQ17213

http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/toc_publisher/17213?code=SDMREQ17213

http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/contact/17213?ref=Discount&toccode=SDMREQ17213

www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com

The statistical surveying depicts the expert data and inside and out study on the present condition of the around the World Combustion Chamber alongside competitive analysis. This report investigates the market estimate, pattern, income and conjectures up to 2023. The report is a profitable wellspring of direction for organizations and people offering Industry Chain Structure, Business Strategies, and Proposals for New Project Investments.Get the Sample Copy @Region Coverage:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaReasons for Buying this Report:This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsExplore the full Report @Table of ContentsChapter 1: Global Market OverviewChapter 2: Global Economic Impact on Global Combustion Chamber IndustryChapter 3: Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4: Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Chapter 5: Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2013-2018)Chapter 6: Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7: Global Market Analysis by ApplicationTABLES AND FIGURESFigure Picture of Combustion ChamberFigure Global Production Market Share of Combustion Chamber by Type 2016Figure Product Picture of Type ITable Major Manufacturers of Type IFigure Product Picture of Type IITable Major Manufacturers of Type IIFigure Product Picture of Type IIITable Major Manufacturers of Type IIITable Combustion Chamber Consumption Market Share by Application in 2016Avail the Discount @Contact Us:Website:Contact: +1-778-686-7521Email: sales@supplydemandmarketresearch.comWe have a strong network of high powered and experienced global consultants who have about 10+ years of experience in the specific industry to deliver quality research and analysis. Having such an experienced network, our services not only cater to the client who wants the basic reference of market numbers and related high growth areas in the demand side, but also we provide detailed and granular information using which the client can definitely plan the strategies with respect to both supply and demand side.302-20 Misssisauga Valley, Missisauga, L5A 3S1, Toronto
Super Capacitor Market to Register an Impressive CAGR of 19.88% During 2018  2023 | Global Key Players (MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, PANASONIC CORPORATION, NESSCAP, NEC-TOKIN CORPORATION, SKELETON TECHNOLOGIES)

https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/15683

https://marketprognosis.com/discount-request/15683

https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/15683

The super capacitor market was valued at USD 0.76 billion in 2017, and is expected to reach a value of USD 2.25 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 19.88%, over the forecast period (2018 - 2023). The scope of the report is limited to segmentation by type, including double layer, pseudo, and hybrid, by end users, like aerospace & defense, industrial, utilities, consumer electronics, healthcare, and transportation. The regions considered in the scope of the report include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Key Developments in the MarketJune 2017: Panasonic Corporation bridged the gap between batteries and super-capacitors with its newly developed Energy Polymer Capacitor reaching energy densities comparable to lead acid batteries while keeping the high power density of super capacitors. Panasonic Energy Polymer Capacitor will enable new solutions for backup power, peak power assist and regenerative storage applications.February 2017: Maxwell technologies announced that it has entered into an agreement with Nesscap Energy Inc to acquire the whole business assets of the company. The company expects to capitalize on synergies between the two companies that will accelerate growth, increase the innovation rate, and create an expanded and strengthened product portfolio. With a strengthened sales channel, increased R&D capabilities, and improved manufacturing efficiencies, Maxwell is expecting to be able to deliver more products, faster into target markets thereby benefitting customers and other technology adopters.Major players:MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, PANASONIC CORPORATION, NESSCAP CO LTD, NEC-TOKIN CORPORATION, SKELETON TECHNOLOGIES amongst others.Growing Adoption of Hybrid Electric Vehicles is Driving the MarketAlternative energy storage solutions are imperative for reducing dependency on depleting natural resources. Despite government support for alternative energy storage solutions, lithium batteries are widely used for a variety of hybrid vehicles. However, trying to achieve high power density in an energy-dense battery, like lithium-ion, results in shortened life and increased stress. The super capacitor is a perfect fit for a range of vehicles from light to heavy hybrids, in which it can process the power of start-stop operations and braking which drives the market in the coming years.Request Discount on this repots @Pseudo Capacitor has A Major Market Share among Others Types of Super CapacitorsPseudo capacitor was estimated to dominate the market in terms of market share in 2016, as it found many applications in portable and handheld products. The consumer electronics industry registered a very high rate of adoption of pseudo capacitors, substituting typical batteries. The use of pseudo capacitors to optimize power usage and recently developed fast-charging concepts has further augmented the growth of the pseudo capacitors in the market. Pseudo capacitors have been identified as the ideal charge storage device in less heavy-duty products, such as the laptops, devices, and others.China Has the Largest Market Share over the Forecast PeriodIn annual sales of electric vehicles, China overtook both the European and the US markets. China is already using super capacitors in hybrid buses; these buses are equipped with stop-start engines where the super capacitors reduce the load on the battery itself, which will likely increase the lifetime of the batteries. When it comes to the consumer electronics industry, China is racing first in the sales of smart gadgets and other devices. These are few dynamics that are boosting the growth of the super capacitors market in China.Enquiry Before Buying @About Market PrognosisWe 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.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.com
High Purity Iron Powder Market Profound Impact on the Market over 2018 to 2027

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=705

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=705

https://www.factmr.com/

Persistent Demand from End-Users and Manufacturers Focus on Quality Delivery in Global HPI Powder MarketHigh purity iron (HPI) powder is highly sought after in an array of industries including metallurgy, food and beverage, food packaging, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Different grades of high purity iron (HPI) powder include 99.9, 99.99%, and 99.999%. According to method of production iron powder is broadly classified into reduced iron powder, atomized iron powder and others. These different grades of iron powders find applications in metallurgy industry to manufacture high-density structural parts, magnetic alloys, food packaging, food ingredient, pharmaceutical industry, coated welding electrodes, and to remove sulfur impurity from gasified fuels.Steady Demand for Soft Magnetic Materials to Bolster the DemandIn soft magnetic applications, high purity iron powder is specifically used in ignition system components, electric motor components, solenoids, and inductors. The automotive industry is undergoing rapid electrification. And demand for electrical operating systems and electric power devices has increased as they are indispensable components of EVs and hybrid electric vehicles (hEVs). Electromagnetic coils found in motors and transformers contain an iron core and a copper winding. Manufacturers are focusing on developing soft magnetic iron powder that can deliver higher AC magnetic qualities.Preference for Fortified Foods Fueling HPI Powder UtilizationIron deficiency is the most prevalent and widespread nutritional disorder and is the only nutrient deficiency that is significantly present in the industrialized countries. Food grade high purity iron powder approved by FCC has high bio-availability and is a primary ingredient in food fortification. As the global population is rising with the estimations to reach approximately 9.7 billion by 2050, food industry is evolving dramatically to accommodate the increasing demand. A novel application for high purity iron powder is found in animal feed industry whose growth remains under the influence of increased productivity yield and affordable animal protein demand. Valued at US$ 4.3 Mn in 2018, the global food grade iron is estimated to reach US$ 6.9 Mn by the end of 2026. On account of rising iron deficiency and availability of iron rich food varieties, demand for food grade high purity iron powder is set to rise in the future.Request for Brochure @Increased Iron Supplement Prescriptions to Boost Demand in Pharma IndustryWith the aim to address global health concern of iron deficiency, high purity iron powder are used in biotechnology as well as pharmaceutical industry for the preparation of iron salts as well as iron supplement drugs. Infant formulas and other nutritional supplement medicines are highly prescribed by medical professionals. These clinically approved medical products contain iron as one of the important ingredients. High purity iron powder is utilized to manufacture iron salts such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ammonium ferrous citrate, iron pallets, iron gluconate, Ferric Chloride and more. In addition, rising government initiatives to address iron deficiency has increased iron supplement production by pharma companies where HPI powder is highly sought after.Key Company DevelopmentsAs gestation period to establish a fully functional high purity iron powder plant is about 12 months, expansion activities are highly infrequent in the market. However, sustained demand from the end-user industry is gradually widening the supply-demand gap in the market. With the aim of filling this gap, manufacturers are engaged in enhancing product quality to deliver highly pure metal for different applications.Hoganas, a world leader in the production of powdered metals will be introducing its new center of excellence at PCIM Europe 2018. The new facility will focus on producing small, compact, and light-weight inductors made from Hoganas High magnetic performance iron powder.Japans third largest steel maker, Kobe Steel is facing investigation charges for proposed violations of misrepresenting inspection data and providing false information about the strength and durability of its products. In addition, 140 tons of Iron powder supplied by Kobe in 2016, did not meet customer satisfaction. The incidence provides a prime example of stringent regulations affecting high purity metal manufacturing.Further, companies are less likely to go for expansion, equating to moderate increase in demand over short term forecast period. Nevertheless, established players need to have defense strategy in place against new entrants in the market, albeit the trace element content in high purity iron powder is supplied by tier II supplier, predominantly companies based out of Far East Asia.Key Companies in the global high purity iron market include Hoganas, Rio Tinto Metal Powders, Laiwu Iron & Steel Group, Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt. Ltd., Jiande Yitong Metal Powder Co., Ltd., JFE Steel Corporation, Pometon Powder, BaZhou HongSheng, Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Corp., Anshan Iron & Steel Group Corp., and Masteel UK Limited among others.Visit For TOC @This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report onMarket DynamicsMarket SizeMarket SegmentsDemand & Supply TrendsCurrent Issues and ChallengesCompanies and Competitor LandscapeValue ChainTechnologyRegional Segments Analyzed IncludeNorth America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report.Highlights from the ReportElaborated scenario of the parent marketTransformations in the market dynamicsDetailed segmentation of the target marketHistorical, current and forecast market size based on value and volumeLatest industry developments and trendsCompetition landscapeStrategies adopted by the market players and product developments madePotential and niche segments, along with their regional analysisUnbiased analysis on performance of the marketUp-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitivenessAbout 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:
AI Image Recognition Market is trending with CAGR of 24.1% by 2023, Key Players- Amazon Web Services, Google, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology

https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/15699

https://marketprognosis.com/discount-request/15699

https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/15699

AI Image Recognition Market SizeThe AI image recognition market was valued at USD 1.13 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach a market value of USD 5.48 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 24.1%, over the forecast period (2018 - 2023). The scope of the report includes insights on the solutions offered by major players including providers of hardware, software, services, and associated solutions. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa regions are covered in the scope of this study. The study offers insights on various end user such as automotive, BFSI, healthcare, retail, security, etc.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @AI Image Recognition Market Positioning AnalysisAmong the ten market players profiled for their presence in the global AI image recognition market, AWS, Google, IBM, Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Intel are the players who are among the top investor in R&D. AWS, in April 2018, has made their image recognition services available in new locations in Asia-Pacific, in Sydney. IBM already has begun implementing the usage of AI in image recognition and offers a stock of images to train the system.Key Market Players Profiled Amazon Web Services (AWS), Inc. Google LLC IBM Corporation Intel Corporation Micron Technology Inc. Microsoft Corporation NVIDIA Corporation Qualcomm Corporation Samsung Electronics Xilinx, Inc.Image Recognition and AIImage recognition technologies comprise voice, iris, palm, hand vein pattern, fingerprints, retina, hand geometry, facial pattern recognition, object identification, etc. Image recognition based on these indications can be applied across various fields such as vehicular safety, advertising, security and surveillance, biometric scanning machines, pedestrian recognition, and e-commerce.According to Eirik Thorsnes at UNI Research in Bergen, Norway, There has been enormous development in the recent years, and we are now surpassing the human level regarding image recognition and analysis. Computers never get tired of looking and visualizing at near-identical images and may be capable of noticing even the tiniest nuances that we humans cannot see or may ignore. Also, as it gets easier to analyze large volumes of images and video, many processes in society can be improved and optimized,"One such example is applying machine learning to the electronic medical record. An artificial intelligence analysis could help providers uncover patterns that identify disease subtypes, predict resistance to specific treatments or give a prognosis. With various sectors quickly understanding the impact of AI in image recognition tasks, organizations are now looking.The Decline of Hardware Cost is Driving The AI Image Recognition MarketWith declining costs of hardware, the infrastructure costs associated with development and deployment of technology have come down drastically. This is enabling companies to pursue the AI technology and develop solutions that cater industry-specific needs.Smartphone makers account for almost one-third of global memory chip demand. Due to robust growth of smartphones and cloud services that require more powerful chips that can store more data, there has been a boom in the memory chip industry. With the introduction of AI focused chips and companies such as Facebook developing their hardware, which is expected to be available at moderate costs, the technology is expected to receive a boost in the market. Hardware manufacturers are also in the AI research race, for instance, in 2017 Intel invested approximately USD 1 billion in fueling product innovationsRequest Discount on this repots @Healthcare End User Vertical Segment is expected to Achieve Fastest Growth in the Forecast PeriodIn the next approaching 5 to 10 years, artificial intelligence is likely to fundamentally transform diagnostic imaging. This is expected to help in meeting the rising demand for imaging examinations, prevent diagnostic errors, and enable sustained productivity increases. There are several factors simultaneously driving integration of AI in radiology.For example, the radiology consultant workforce in England went up to 5% between 2012 and 2015, while in the same period the count of CT and MR scans increased by 29% and 26%, respectively. This extreme gap between supply and demand has led to excessive work pressure on the average radiologist who is expected to interpret an image every three to four seconds, for eight hours a day.Being able to recognize patterns at large scales has immense interdisciplinary value. Oncologists have trained machine learning systems on images of breast cancer cells so that they can spot the disease during its early stages. Images are more than pictures; they are data points that can be interpreted to gain insight into the patients behavior and health patterns, which are of ultimate importance in the healthcare sector. However, this transformation requires automated procedures, at least some of which will come under the field of AI.Hardware Segment is projected to be the Second Largest regarding Revenue in segmentation by TypeHardware refers to cameras, custom AI processors, memory devices, and advanced computational systems that are required for the working of AI image recognition tools. Hardware is one of the critical components of this technology, with most of the traditional computation infrastructure being non-reliable for AI applications. While AI image recognition can use existing technologies, limited capabilities and performance issues are pushing companies to pursue AI-focused hardware development.Companies in the AI market have already developed custom chips for AI, with Google and Amazon announcing beta testing for their tools; and companies, such as Apple and Facebook, looking to build their own AI chips. Apart from AI chips, computational devices designed for AI image recognition and custom cameras focused on aiding AI systems are expected to witness increased demand over the forecast period. It is estimated that around USD 1.5 billion was invested in AI chip startups in 2017.Currently, Europe is the Second Biggest Market regarding Revenue and is Expected to be overtaken by Asia-Pacific by the End of Forecast Period.Startups in east Europe are leading in the development and adoption of AI-based solutions, and hence, the image recognition market is expected to be dominant in eastern Europe. As per the report of Asgard Capital Verwaltung GmbH, 2017, there were around 27 European artificial intelligence industry segments, deploying image recognition technologies.Recently, about 25 European countries signed a deal to form a European approach to artificial intelligence, to compete with the American and Asian tech giants. Representatives made a pact to work together on some of the most critical issues raised by AI related research, deployment, and social, economic, ethical, and legal questions. This development is expected to provide a necessary push to the region for the development and implementation of Al-based solutions, which, in turn, provide the needed booster in image recognition.Enquiry Before Buying @About Market PrognosisWe 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.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.com
MIAMI  (March 10, 2019)  Commercial Direct, a division of Silver Hill Funding, LLC, a commercial mortgage lender, has recently demonstrated great success with Illinois investors who were having a difficult time acquiring the funding needed for their investment properties. These stories are documented in full on their educational website, https://InvestmentProperty.Loans. Illinois ranks as the 5th most populous state in the country, and as such offers plenty of opportunity 
Clearwater, FL - On April 6th, the Manager of the Scientology Information Center, Amber Skjelset, announced that the Center surpassed its first milestone since its ribbon cutting ceremony on July 11th, 2015. As of this past week, the number of the Centers guests, who come from all over Tampa Bay and the world, surpassed the 11,000 mark. Since the ribbon fell nearly two years ago at its grand opening, the 
READY FOR HALLOWEEN READY FOR HALLOWEEN  Zombies are popping out of the ground ahead of Halloween at a Henning Road residence. Oops! A Free Account is required to view this content. Please Login...

Orchard Park prepares for historic election with control of the town board on the line The path to Orchard Park embarking on one of its most significant elections in town history this year was paved with another landmark vote in 2019. In 2019, a group...

NEW RESTAURANT NEW RESTAURANT  On Oct. 13, Flaco held its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new restaurant, located at 4211 N. Buffalo St. Flaco is owned and operated by Fattey...
Updated 1:25 p.m.

A Washington teen is recovering from near-fatal injuries after a woman shoved her Tuesday off a bridge that spans a popular swimming area in Clark County, the sheriff's office said.

The 50-foot-plunge near Moulton Falls shattered Jordan Holgerson's ribs, punctured her lung and bruised her esophagus, the girl and her mother said.

Jordan Holgerson, 16, is speaking to press at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. The teen is recovering from a 50-foot-plunge near Moulton Falls. She shattered her ribs, punctured her lung and bruised her esophagus, the girl and her mother said. Posted by The Oregonian on Thursday, August 9, 2018

The Kalama teen and a group of friends had decided to beat the afternoon heat by going swimming at Moulton Falls Regional Park.

Just before 2:45 p.m., the friends climbed the bridge that spans the Lewis River near the falls, which is a popular spot among swimmers.

As Holgerson stood at the open side of the railing, she appeared to have second thoughts about jumping, video of the incident shows.

A woman behind Holgerson suddenly pushes her. The girl screams and her arms windmill through the air.

Holgerson's face and chest strike the water first.

The woman had apparently grown impatient with Jordan's hesitation, Genelle Holgerson, her mother, told The Daily News of Longview.

"She could have killed my daughter," Genelle Holgerson said, adding the woman and her daughter knew one another.

Sgt. Brent Waddell, a spokesman for the Clark County Sheriff's Office, told The Oregonian/OregonLive the incident is under investigation.

Jordan Holgerson said she might have drowned had someone not swum out to save her. Emergency personnel rushed her to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver.

"We're lucky she is going to recover and not have permanent injuries," Genelle Holgerson said.

Jordan previously told KATU (2) that a friend had pushed her off the bridge, but during a Wednesday afternoon news conference organized by PeaceHealth, she declined to talk about what happened or who was on the bridge.

She did say, however, that she felt like "I could have died easily. ... I'm happy I'm OK."

Jordan said she was "awake and aware" when she hit the water and during the fall was thinking about what she should do.

"In the air I was trying to push myself forward so I could be straight up so my feet hit first, but that didn't work," she said during the news conference. "I went under and I thought I was swimming fine, but I don't know. I couldn't breathe, so that's all I could really think about."

Trauma surgeon MaryClare Sarff, speaking at the news conference, said Jordan was fortunate it wasn't worse.

"When you fall three times your height, 50 percent of people will die. That's usually about 25 feet," Sarff said. Even on water, "when you're falling from (60 feet), that's like falling on concrete. She could have broken her neck, she could have been a quadriplegic."

As far as the attention coming from her story going viral, Jordan said: "I don't really like it. There's too many notifications on my phone. I can't keep up."

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh

Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Sarah Verschoor contributed to this story.
Human remains were found Wednesday amid rubble from a southwest Washington house fire, an official said.

The remains are believed to be those of a 23-year-old woman, said Clark County Fire & Rescue Fire Chief John Nohr. Two men escaped the Ridgefield blaze, which was extinguished and remains under investigation.

Nohr said Firefighters who responded to the house, 29305 N.W. 41st Ave., early Wednesday found heavy fire coming from its first and second floors and a man lying outside. That man said he had jumped from the second floor and that his girlfriend was still inside, Nohr said.

Firefighters went inside to search but didn't find anyone, he said. Dangerous conditions forced them back before they searched the whole house.

It was reported the woman had been at a window, that her boyfriend had encouraged her to jump and that she went to search for dogs, Nohr said. He said three dogs lived at the home: a pair of pug mixes and a black Labrador.

Authorities haven't been able to find one of the pugs, Nohr said.

He said the blaze has been extinguished and that fire officials would remain on scene into the early evening to get rid of hot spots. The house is a total loss.

Nohr said two men jumped from the second floor and that one of them suffered a broken leg. The other wasn't hurt.

One of them said he didn't remember hearing a smoke alarm and didn't know if the house had one, Nohr said.

Nohr stressed that people who smell smoke in their houses should leave immediately and call 911.

-- Jim Ryan
Graham Jonson has more than 37,000 followers on SoundCloud. He averages more than 600,000 monthly plays on Spotify. Since January, he's put out a new album and an EP under his stage name: Quickly, Quickly. He's garnered more than 2.3 million plays on the latter service.

Jonson, 18, also just graduated from Riverdale High School.

The Portland-area musician will be one of four local artists taking the stage at Peter's Room at the Roseland Theater Saturday night. They're featured in the inaugural Up Next PDX showcase, an event that promoter Grady MacMillan concocted to give some of the Rose City's younger up-and-comers a platform.

"It's always been difficult for Portland artists to get exposure," MacMillan said. "It's especially difficult when you're a younger act."

Although Portland hosts a number of all-ages shows each week, the city's share of all-ages music venues has been on the decline for some time. Local and regional acts like Small Millions, Crazy 8's and Blitzen Trapper have played or scheduled shows for crowds of 21 and older.

The Thesis, a hip-hop and R&B showcase that takes place the first Thursday of each month at Kelly's Olympian, also has an age requirement.

"The venues aren't there right now" for younger artists, MacMillan said.

The Oregon Episcopal School graduate argues the audience for those acts is out there.

MacMillan has worked with Everett Pearson and Dylan Jones -- who go by Pearson and Spit Infinity -- two other artists on the bill for Up Next. At 20, both men command a small but curious fanbase.

Anthony Warren, known as RC $pitta onstage, has collaborated with local hip-hop tastemaker TYuS. One of his tracks, "WWIII," has amassed more than 317,000 plays on SoundCloud.

All of the artists scheduled to play Saturday have worked their way up on the streaming service, which has turned out its fair share of young stars. But digital streams only get an act so far. MacMillan said live performances help boost an artist's confidence and give audiences a taste of their personalities.

"It's really nice to have the show be all ages because there are times there are fans that are excluded. We don't want to do that," MacMillan said.

Here's a brief overview of the acts playing Up Next at Peter's Room Saturday.

Quickly, Quickly

Jonson specializes in lo-fi, instrumental mood music. He's landed on Spotify's Jazz Vibes, Chill Hop and Study Beats playlists to audiences in the hundreds of thousands.

RC $pitta

The 25-year-old MC dropped "The Definition of Versatility," a seven-song collection hosted on SoundCloud, late last year. He's worked with TYus as well as producers Posse and Bentley Haze.

Pearson

Everett Pearson, 20, specializes in original electronic compositions and has his fair share of remixes on SoundCloud. The ethereal "Night Flows" is one of his most streamed songs, with more than 15,000 plays.

Spit Infinity

At 20, the Riverdale High School graduate and MC already has a SoundCloud track that's topped the 500,000-play threshold: "One Ohana."

If you go: Up Next PDX starts at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11 at Peter's Room in the Roseland Theater. All ages. Tickets: $15. roselandpdx.com

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
Did you read the Aug. 3 Wall Street Journal commentary "Anarchy breaks out in Portland with the mayor's blessing"? Too sad, now the whole world knows our once beautiful city is now an unsafe hotbed of radicalism. Fortunately, there were no pictures of the ugly mess. When we moved here in 1984, Portland was a lovely and beautiful city. Downtown was safe and clean. We were proud to call it home and readily took our out-of-state visitors around town to show it off. Not anymore -- it is not safe downtown. The homeless are everywhere. It is a shame. Can't we do better than this?

-- Marlena Flores, Milwaukie

Share your opinion

Fired up?

! Submit 250 words or less and please include your first and last name, hometown and a phone number for verification.
We usually plan a fall vacation to Oregon from our home on Vancouver Island, but we won't be doing so this year and we would like to explain why.

We are very uncomfortable with the idea of traveling to a country whose elected government has so little respect for its Canadian neighbor and trading partner. We regret having to make this decision as Oregon is a wonderful place to visit and has many people who are friendly and generous to its visitors. We will be sorry to miss this welcoming atmosphere (and your great Rogue ales), but we feel compelled to do what we can to show our objection to the recent U.S. trade and tariff policies in one of the few ways that we can.

Your president calls his trade tariffs "protecting the American economic" or "America first." We see these as the initiation of a trade war - a conflict that is in neither the U.S. or Canadian interest and serves to undermine a hundred years of friendship and mutually beneficial trade between our two nations. In response to your president's tariff imposition, our prime minister stated what all Canadians feel: We won't be pushed around, especially by a U.S. administration whose tariffs are based on false allegations of unfairness on Canada's pat and that Canada is somehow a security threat.

Obviously we cannot vote in your country, but we can protest in our own way by curtailing our travel plans to your wonderful state.

We hope that we will one day again feel comfortable about visiting Oregon, but this probably won't happen until there is more truthful and respectful leadership from your White House.

-- Ross Peterson and Rosemarie Davenport, Nanoose Bay, British Columbia

Share your opinion
A southern Oregon woman and her two young daughters reported to be barefoot and missing Wednesday were found safe 2 miles from their Jackson County home on Thursday, authorities say.

A resident in the 8400 block of Ramsey Road in Gold Hill found Tanda Christiansen, 28; Lily Bloom, 6; and Alexandria Bloom, 7, hiding in a brushy area on his property near a creek, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. He reported finding them around 1:05 p.m.

Christiansen and the girls were hungry and thirsty but otherwise appeared unharmed, the sheriff's office said. The family was taken to Rogue Regional Medical Center for evaluation.

The sheriff's office said Christiansen left home with her kids Wednesday morning and were found on another resident's property about a half-mile away carrying water and not wearing shoes. The resident drove them off her property, but the family never made it home, weren't found by deputies looking for them and a relative later reported them missing.

Christiansen's relatives were concerned that she was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to the sheriff's office.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
A 52-year-old man was rescued by helicopter Wednesday evening after reportedly jumping 60 feet from the top of a Washington state waterfall.

The man jumped from a waterfall at Rock Creek Falls in Skamania County and landed in a gulch at the bottom of the falls, according to a Coast Guard news release. An emergency medical service crew pulled him from the water. A Skamania high-angle rope rescue team determined it was unsafe to transport the man because of the steep terrain and requested assistance.

An Astoria aircrew flew in to help. He was transported to OHSU Hospital in Portland, according to the release. He reportedly had no feeling below his waist.

--Hannah Boufford

hboufford@oregonian.com / @hannahboufford
SEATTLE  An endangered orca is still clinging to her dead calf more than two weeks after her newborn died.



Michael Milstein, a spokesman with NOAA Fisheries, says researchers on Wednesday spotted the 20-year-old whale known as J35 carrying her dead young off the tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula.



The calf died July 24 and the image of the mother whale clinging to the dead calf has struck an emotional chord worldwide.

"It's almost like a parable, the damndest thing I ever saw," Jason Colby, a historian at the University of Victoria and author of a new book about killer whales, told The Seattle Times.



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 Associated Press
A Vancouver Marine who lost his home to foreclosure while on active duty waited too long to sue his mortgage and trustee companies, a federal appeals court has ruled.

It's another setback for veteran Jacob McGreevey. He contends that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which shields servicemembers from foreclosure and other collections efforts, should have prevented PHH Mortgage and Washington-based Northwest Trustee Services from seizing his home in August 2010, between his third and fourth deployment to the Middle East.

McGreevey has 30 days from the July 26 ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to pursue another appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. He said he's conflicted on what to do next.

Another appeal could potentially extend the case a couple more years, McGreevey noted. But should the high court agree to take on the case, he said, it might set a precedent to protect active servicemembers and veterans from going through what he faced.

"I still feel our case has a strong argument," McGreevey told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

McGreevey, who has acknowledged missing his payments, wasn't surprised when the companies foreclosed on his home in 2010. It wasn't until later, when he was studying business at Portland State University, that he learned about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

The World War I-era law protects members of the military from foreclosure and other collections efforts while on active duty or within their first 12 months back.

When McGreevey suspected his foreclosure might have been illegal, he turned to Sean Riddell, his former commanding officer who had become a lawyer.

Riddell took the case, he said, hoping to bring retribution for McGreevey and secure broader rights for all servicemembers and veterans.

"It's a cause I care passionately about," Riddell said.

In 2016, Riddell filed a lawsuit against PHH Mortgage and Northwest Trustee Services in federal court. The suit claimed the companies violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act when they foreclosed on McGreevey's house two months after his third tour of duty.

The defense didn't address whether the home seizure violated the law. Instead, it focused on the time McGreevey took to file the lawsuit.

There was no official statute of limitations for this issue under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, so most courts looked to the most comparable state law to determine the deadline for filing a complaint. McGreevey's side believed it had six years to file, but the lender argued it was four years.

The courts have sided with the mortgage company to date.

This may be due, in part, to an amicus brief from the U.S. Department of Justice that supported a four-year statute of limitations, McGreevey and Riddell said. They believe the department contradicted its own policy, which should have given preference to McGreevey as a veteran.

"The SCRA should generally be read in favor of the servicemembers it is intended to protect," the Department of Justice website says.

McGreevey said he also blames U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for not helping veterans.

"He gladly aligned himself with big business," McGreevey said.

Since the beginning of this fight, however, the government has accused Northwest Trustee Services, the largest foreclosure trustee in the Pacific Northwest, of illegally foreclosing on at least 28 military members or veterans. No case has been made against PHH Mortgage.

Riddell said the companies should not be allowed to avoid prosecution on a technicality.

"They broke the law," Riddell said. "I think there needs to be a legislative change."

McGreevey has at least one supporter in Congress who is trying to make that change happen.

U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, introduced the Halting of Mortgage Exploitation of Servicemembers, or HOMES, Act in 2017. If passed, it would set a 10-year statute of limitations on such foreclosures.

A representative from Schrader's office said it has been introduced twice as a potential amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, but it has never made it to a vote.

McGreevey, meanwhile, will learn everything he can before his 30-day Supreme Court deadline to decide whether the case is worth pursuing one last time.

Even if he drops it at this point, he said the fight taught him about how life really works.

"Good guys don't always win, bad guys don't always pay, and life isn't always fair," McGreevey said.
Eric Winquist

Jama Software is remaking its executive ranks after a blockbuster $200 million investment announced in June.

The Portland company on Thursday said founder and former chief executive Eric Winquist is leaving. Winquist founded Jama 11 years ago and ran the business until 2016, when Jama hired Scott Roth to take over. Winquist moved to Amsterdam last year to open Jama's European headquarters.

"I think he just needs some time off for a while to process and figure out what's next," Roth said Thursday. He said Winquist officially leaves Jama at the end of the month and will no longer serve on its board. Roth declined to say whether Winquist will retain an ownership stake in the company.

After more than 11 years running Jama, Roth said Winquist, 48, has discussed a number of possibilities for his next chapter but will likely take a break before choosing a specific path.

"He's been going petty darn hard the entire time" he has been at Jama, Roth said. Winquist, who is traveling in Europe, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his plans.

Separately, Chief Financial Officer Barry Allen quietly left the company in July after four years. He came to Jama from photo licensing agency Corbis.

"Jama is seeking a new CFO to help guide our next phase of growth," Roth wrote in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive last month. He said Allen's departure "was mutually agreed-upon."

Colleen Yeager, vice president of finance, will fill Allen's role on an interim basis, Roth said Thursday.

Also, Jama said it has promoted Jennifer Jaffe to vice president for products and strategy and promoted Jonathan Cogan to vice president for worldwide sales.

Jama in June said it will use its $200 million investment, among the biggest rounds ever for a young Oregon tech company, to cash out some early investors and finance growth.

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. Low 49F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

I have this friend who lives close but I haven't seen in months. No one in our group of friends has seen her recently. Every time we make plans, she cancels, saying she is too sad or has been crying all day.

I'm really worried. She moved here more than a year ago to be closer to people she knows but has been unable to get out of the apartment consistently. We live in a big city, there's lots to do. But it all seems to scare her.

I've mentioned therapy but she doesn't want to go. And I don't know how hard to push her to see a professional. I don't know whether to just drop by her place and say hi, or if she is looking for me to insist she come out when she cancels. Sometimes I think maybe I'm being dense and she is ghosting me, but our other friends are having the same experience. What is the best way to help her?

-- Friends?

She sounds dangerously depressed. If her family isn't part of the problem, then please tip them off as soon as possible to what you've experienced with her lately.

Also, yes, drop by her apartment. Be prepared to be rebuffed -- but also be prepared to make an appointment for her to get medical attention, and to take her to that appointment yourself. An internist or general practitioner is often more accessible than a therapist, so start there if that's what it comes to. Depression can be paralyzing and sometimes it takes someone willing to walk her to a source of help, literally.

And: Rally your group of friends to reach out to her in a non-intrusive way on a daily basis.Coordinate it as you would visits to a person in the hospital. Whether it's to leave a voicemail, send a text, post something where you know she's likely to see it, make sure it's a reminder that you care and it doesn't come with any obligation for her to do anything.

So, for example, send/post a photo of something: "Hey, I just saw this and I thought of you. Miss you! No need to write back." These little lifelines push back against the voices of depression. Depression tells people they're unlovable, that no one cares, that no one would miss them if they were gone -- all kinds of awful lies that feed and deepen the depression. Friends who check in and ask nothing are an essential counterargument that your friend probably needs to hear.

Read "Hyperbole and a Half" by Allie Brosh to understand that aspect of depression. She really nails it.







Columnist Carolyn Hax dishes out advice daily.

Email Carolyn at

Read the Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com , follow her on Facebook or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com Read the daily Carolyn Hax columns at https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/advice/

Re: Depression:

I called friends crying while I was depressed, and they turned around from their drive to upstate New York and came to me in D.C. I actually rallied to make dinner that night (but didn't have to leave my house!). It's been almost 10 years and I remember that like it was yesterday. If they had asked me if they could come, I might have said no, but they said, "We are coming," and it's probably the brightest moment in the time I was depressed by far.

-- Please Drop In
A new way to respond to drug abuse has been met with open arms by law enforcement and people are beginning to take the opportunity offered by Hope Not Handcuffs.

Midland Police and the Midland County Sheriff's Office are among the local agencies participating in the program, which is a project of the Great Lakes Bay Region Families Against Narcotics. Anyone who wants help with their addiction is welcome to come to the Midland Law Enforcement Center, 2727 Rodd St., 24/7. Once there, arrangements will be made for an angel to meet with that person.

Angels, volunteers who are on duty for four-hour shifts, head to the police department to assist the person get into treatment and arrange transportation.

The program was launched in the Great Lakes Bay Region on July 24, and Midland Police report the first person seeking help came to the Law Enforcement Center last Thursday. "Very excited and happy for the future of this new program," the post stated.

Community Relations Sgt. Chris Wenzell said a Facebook live session conducted by himself and Terry Hanley of For a Brighter Tomorrow last week reached nearly 20,000 people.

"This is a great new program," Hanley said of Hope Not Handcuffs in the broadcast. "There's no questions asked. ... Come in, get the help you need."

Both Wenzell and Hanley said the idea of the video was to help spread the word about the program to help those with opiate addiction.

Wenzell acknowledged the program is a different mindset for not only law enforcement, but addicts as well.

"It will take trust building," he said.

"This is a great program; for those of you struggling, you don't have to be afraid of this program," Hanley said, addressing those with drug addictions. "We don't wanna bury people. We're tired of seeing people lose their lives to this."

Agencies including Saginaw Police, Saginaw Township Police, the Bay and Saginaw county sheriff's offices, Bay City Police, Essexville Public Safety, Pinconning Police and Hampton Police also are participating in the program.

For more information about the program, go to www.familiesagainstnarcotics.org/hopenothandcuffs.

For A Brighter Tomorrow helps addicts with various aspects of recovery. For more information, go to forabrightertomorrow.org
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Tuesday, Aug. 7

8:50 a.m. - Police were sent to a retail fraud in the 2000 block of South Saginaw Road.

9:04 a.m. - Deputies assisted Child Protective Services at a Jerome Township home to check a report of a person living in a tent with a child.

1:45 p.m. - Gasoline, valued at $25, was stolen from a Greendale Township gas station.

3:50 p.m. - A motorist was arrested at West Main and Jerome streets for driving while license suspended.

4:37 p.m. - Property was stolen from the 1700 block of West St. Andrews Road.

8:18 p.m. - Deputies were sent to a report of a 33-year-old man overdosing at a Jerome Township home. The man was taken to the emergency room by ambulance.

9:51 p.m. - Police were called to a retail fraud and trespassing in the 900 block of Joe Mann Boulevard.

10:29 p.m. - A deputy was assigned to a security detail for an event in Midland.

11:29 p.m. - A Geneva Township man, 31, was stopped for an equipment violation in Lee Township and was found to be in possession of marijuana. The man was not arrested due to a medical condition and a warrant is being requested. A verbal warning was issued for the equipment violation.
We here at Paste have something of a reputation for being dissatisfied with the Democratic Party. That is not the case here. I am extremely satisfied with one Democrat in particular. Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is taking some heat for her comments about spineless libertarian cosplayer and full-time GOP bootlicker, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. We are here to say that she should not back down, as her joke was (*Eric Cartman voice*) awesome and kewl. The money quote from Grimes comes via audio obtained by the Courier Journal:

Rand Paul, he wont be there either cause, you know, he is in Russia right now. Hes in Moscow looking for a campaign venture. Many folks think that Rand Paul cant be beat, theyre worried he might be too well-liked. I dont buy that. Just ask his neighbor. He can be beaten.

Heres what happens when you convert that audio into video.

via GIPHY

For the uninitiated, Grimes is referring to the time that Rand Paul got into a physical altercation with his neighbor in the culmination of an ongoing feud over their lawns. Paul suffered five fractured ribs and a lung contusion from the fight. Some may think its in poor taste to joke about this, but were talking about a guy who happily votes to take health care away from poor people while hemming and hawing about libertarian principles he never abides by, so we should be allowed to laugh at his need for health care. Grimes is taking heat for this joke, but we here at Paste would like to say that we stand behind herand every single Democrat should tooas humiliating Rand Paul as often as possible should be considered a public service, given the outright fraud he has been peddling for years.

Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

Just about any day now, Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office is expected to drop a bombshell report on clergy sex abuse within Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses that will have repercussions for years to come.

Pennsylvania's two candidates for United States Senate, Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Lou Barletta, both Roman Catholics, had very different reactions when a Pittsburgh television station asked them about the report's imminent release.

The station specifically asked the two candidates for their reaction to the abuse report and, critically, the role of government in handling the cases.

Barletta, the former mayor of Hazleton in Luzerne County, and a two-term congressman from the 11th Congressional District, told a reporter from WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that the report wasn't a "federal matter" and offered no condemnation or criticism of the church for decades of sexual abuse against hundreds of children.

"It's not a federal issue, so my opinion doesn't really matter very much," Barletta told WTAE-TV. "I'm a Roman Catholic, 100 percent pro-life, man of strong faith. And I believe in my religion. And, you know, as far as that, it has nothing to do with the federal government."

Casey, while not directly addressing the question about the role of government, faulted the church for "what's been a cover-up for too long," and that he was "glad we're seeing to be seeing a lot more disclosure."

"Whether as a Catholic or not, as a citizen and a public official, I'm glad that we're going to be seeing a lot more disclosure," Casey told the station. "The kinds of abuses that took place over decades should be the subject of scrutiny, review and transparency. And I think that's finally what we're going to get.

"It never should have taken this long. And church leadership, not only here, but around the world, but especially here, bears a lot of responsibility for the abuse, obviously, but also, frankly, for what's been a cover up for too long," he said.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

The Koch Brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity is parachuting into the 2018 race for governor. In an email, the group told PennLive that it "will be mobilizing its permanent grassroots infrastructure (phone banking, canvassing, + paid media to supplement those efforts) to call for the defeat of [Democratic Gov. Tom] Wolf and [to] support [Republican Scott] Wagner in the race for governor.

A spokesman declined to say how much AFP might be spending in that effort. But he did note that the group knocked on 135,000 doors and called 2.4 million voters in the push to defeat Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty in 2016.

In case you missed it, Democratic LG candidate

John Fetterman

and

DNC Chairman Tom Perez

barnstormed in Reading on Wednesday night.

Democratic LG candidate John Fetterman and DNC chair Tom Perez address party loyalists in Reading. Posted by PennLive.com on Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Wolf and Wagner, meanwhile, are hitting each other in a pair of new ads.

Here's Wolf:

And here's Wagner:

And now you're up to date.
This year the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

That calls for one big Pennsylvania party.

On Aug. 12, a block party will be held at the residence at 2035 N. Front St. in Harrisburg with food trucks and members of the Philadelphia 76ers "Dunk Squad."

The event is free to the public and will run from 1-4 p.m. A portion of Second Street, from Reilly to Maclay, will be closed during the event.

The Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion 10 Gallery: The Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion

Vendors will include PA Dairymen's Association milkshakes, MAD Sandwiches, Mad Dash Concessions, Up In Smoke BBQ, Sugar Whipped, Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg (root beer and birch beer) and bottled water from Giant Food Stores.

The first 1,500 people will receive vouchers for a free food item.

The 76ers "Dunk Squad" will perform and host contests. ZooAmerica North American Wildlife park in Hershey will bring small animals visitors can pet, while Speranza Animal Rescue will bring famous rescue dog, Libre.

In 1966, the state began the $2.5 million project, under the direction of architect George Ewing, to replace a smaller governor's residence in Fort Indiantown Gap that's now home to Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor.

It was decorated with fine antique furniture and artwork, split between public spaces downstairs and the governor's private quarters upstairs.

Today, Gov. Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf continue to live in York County but use the residence for functions, meetings and events.

Free parking will be available 1/2 block north of the residence in the Governor's Plaza North lot on North Second Street. Security measures will be in place with all visitors subject to searches of their belongings.
A couple walking along the beach in West Ocean City, Md., found what they thought was a suitcase Tuesday morning containing bones and personal items that might have been burned.

While a mystery, the container near Homer Gudelsky Park did not lead to a murder mystery.

UPDATE TO BONE RECOVERED IN WATER OFF HOMER GUDELSKY PARK:

The Office of the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner has determined that the bone recovered on Tuesday from the barrel that was submerged it the water, was that of an animal. It is NOT human remains.  Worcester Co Sheriff (@WorCOSO) August 9, 2018

From Delmarvanow.com:

With the object buried in the sand 20 feet off the low-tide shoreline ... investigators requested the assistance of Maryland State Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police dive teams because it could not be easily removed.

Divers attempted to remove the barrel by digging around it, but were unsuccessful due to its condition.

Instead, they dug out its contents for identification, according to the sheriff's office, recovering sand, clams, mussels and the scapula of a deer that was found nearby.

Items the couple had pulled out of the barrel included parts of a woman's shoe, pottery and the non-human bone, according to WBAL-TV in Baltimore.
Shoe retailer Crocs is closing stores, shutting down manufacturing facilities and getting new leadership.

Crocs, based in Colorado, said it's closing company-owned manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Italy as part of "ongoing efforts to simplify the business and improve profitability."

It's not the end of Crocs; the beloved/maligned foam shoes are still made by contract manufacturers.

From the Denver Business Journal: In the latest quarter, Crocs said it closed 28 retail sales locations, leaving it with less than 400 around the world. Last March, Crocs said it will close about 160 of its 558 retail stores by the end of 2018.

CNBC reports: Carrie Teffner, executive vice president and chief financial officer of the casual footwear brand is leaving the company in April. Teffner will be succeeded as CFO by Anne Mehlman, a former vice president of corporate finance for the shoemaker and the current CFO of Zappos.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Authorities say a 14-year-old youth has been arrested in an alleged carjacking spree in western Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh police say a 66-year-old man reported being assaulted and dragged from his sport utility vehicle by three teenagers Tuesday afternoon in the Point Breeze neighborhood.

The vehicle was seen heading to the Homewood section of the city, and investigators notified construction crews to keep an eye out for it.

A construction worker flagged down officers who were able to catch up to the vehicle. Five teens -- four male and one female -- fled on foot but were arrested.

Police say the 14-year-old was identified as the driver and also faces charges in two alleged carjackings Monday, both involving victims at least 70 years old.
An advocacy group for victims of child sex abuse and a watchdog group on Wednesday jointly filed an amicus brief urging the state's highest court to reject the arguments of clergy seeking to have their names redacted from the upcoming report.

In their filing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, CHILD USA and BishopAccountability.org noted that as a result of the state's narrowly defined statute of limitations, victims have limited avenues for publicly exposing predators.

"Parents deserve to know who is endangering their children and how. Pennsylvanians only know about the child sex abuse in the Philadelphia and Johnstown/Altoona dioceses, at Penn State, and at the Solebury School, because prosecutors took the lead and issued grand jury reports detailing the dangers that children had suffered," said Marci Hamilton, CEO and a director of CHILD USA.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioning clergy.

The lawyers argued that the lower court had failed to consider whether the grand jury report fell within statutorily approved purposes.

"The grand jury's historic function is to stand between the lone citizen and the state's monopoly power to deprive a citizen of reputation, property and liberty via a properly lodged charge of criminal conduct," the attorneys argued in their brief. "The process leading to this investigating grand jury report stood that function on its head."

The petitioners in Wednesday's amicus brief argued that as long as Pennsylvania civil and criminal statutes of limitations for child sex abuse were not reformed, grand jury reports would remain the only means of learning about predators and their abuse.

"Suppressing the identities of the alleged perpetrators -- particularly where they are not indicted simply due to the expiration of the criminal statute of limitations-- re-victimizes the victims and disserves the public," Hamilton said.

The Commonwealth is, by court order, poised to release the 900-page report at any given moment. The deadline for its release if Aug. 14.

The report, which remains under seal, is expected to be one of the most scathing and comprehensive investigations into the worldwide scandal embroiling the 1.2-billion member church.

The 18-month-long investigation looked into allegations of child sex crimes across the dioceses of Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton. Together, the dioceses are home to more than 1.7 million Catholics.

According to unsealed excerpts of the grand jury report, more than 300 "predator priests" identified by name are accused of committing criminal or morally reprehensible conduct. The vast majority of those named will be publicly identified in the report.

About two dozen members of the clergy have tied the release of the report up in court with challenges that the report as written violates their constitutional rights.

Already, sitting bishops have taken bold measures ahead of the report to hold former church officials accountable.

The high court last month ruled that a redacted report could be released. The court has agreed to hear the arguments of the petitioners ahead of releasing the full and unredacted report later this year.

PennLive is among a cadre of news organizations that has petitioned the Supreme Court to release the report and make public the names of individuals fighting to derail its release. The news outlets include The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Associated Press.

The amicus brief filed Wednesday urges the court to reject the arguments of the clergy who have petitioned the court to redact their names or the manner in which the report portrays them.

The PACDL is an association of attorneys admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

BishopAccountability.org maintains an online database of more than 4,000 accused clergy, bishops, brothers and nuns in the U.S.

CHILD USA is a nonprofit located at the University of Pennsylvania and works to end child abuse and neglect.
Ephrata police said Thursday that they have charged a man with lying about how he was shot in the hand.

They said they also charged a woman who vouched for his allegedly fabricated tale.

Trejean Strickland, 20, of Denver, went to Wellspan-Ephrata Hospital with the gunshot wound on July 4. He claimed he was shot by a Hispanic man during an altercation near the rail-trail in Ephrata, police said. They said Kristina Claiborne, 36, also of Denver, backed Strickland's account.

However, investigators said they determined Strickland was accidentally shot at a home in East Cocalico Township. Police charged Strickland and Claiborne with making false reports to law enforcement.
One of the Catholic dioceses at the center of a long-awaited report on predatory priests in Pennsylvania on Thursday announced it had placed on leave a priest accused of child sexual abuse.

In a lengthy report released Thursday, the Diocese of Greensburg said it has removed the Rev. James W. Clark from his ministry post back in June amid allegations dating back 50 years.

The diocese made the announcement about Clark in the release of a report updating its youth protection policies, and it pledged to release the names of priests accused of child sexual abuse on the day the report is made public.

"The same day the grand jury report is made public, we will release a list of clergy in our Diocese with credible allegations against them on our website," the Diocese of Greensburg stated in its report, entitled "2018 Progress Update on Protection of Children: Higher Standards of Today's Catholic Church."

The diocese pledged continued transparency with regards to any allegations of child sexual abuse and aggressiveness towards reporting predatory priests to law enforcement. The Greensburg Diocese also apologizes for past mishandling of abusive priests and allegations from victims.

"We are sorry. A sincere and open apology to the survivors of sexual abuse and to all those impacted by the grievous failures of the Catholic Church," the report states.

The diocese is one of six at the center of an impending grand jury report into clergy sex abuse across six of the state's eight Catholic dioceses. The report, which was completed in April, remains under seal while the state Supreme Court addresses the last challenges to the report.

According to the report, the diocese received allegations of child sex crimes involving Clark on June 28. The allegations involve crimes dating back five decades, prior to the priest's entrance into the seminary and ordination. At the time, he was working as a janitor at the former St. James School in Apollo.

The Greensburg Diocese

The diocese states it reported the allegations immediately to PA ChildLine and to the district attorneys of Westmoreland and Armstrong Counties. The allegation was determined to be credible and substantiated less than 24 hours later. Clark was immediately removed from his assignments as a parochial vicar and hospital chaplain in Uniontown.

In July, another Greensburg priest, Father John Sweeney, who faced charges of child sex crimes, pleaded guilty to those charges. Sweeney, 75, is the first priest convicted as a result of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury probe.

The Commonwealth has until Aug. 14 to release the grand jury report.

The court is considering last-minute challenges filed by an unspecified number of clergy, who are seeking to have their names redacted from the report. The petitioners claim that their constitutional right to protect their good reputation would otherwise be violated.

In its report Thursday, the Greensburg Diocese states it has improved its youth protection policies over the years, adding that it is vigilant, responsive and constantly improving its "zero tolerance" policies.

The Diocese of Greensburg requires that every report of suspected abuse of a child, young person or vulnerable adult -- sexual, physical or emotional -- that is made to the Diocese, its parishes or schools be immediately reported to PA ChildLine and law enforcement, including the appropriate District Attorney.

Since becoming bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg in July of 2015, Bishop Edward C. Malesic has overseen two separate, independent reviews of diocesan clergy personnel files in order to ensure that no credibly accused clergy or personnel is actively in service in the diocese, according to the report.

The Diocese of Harrisburg last week released its own list of accused priests.

The Diocese of Greensburg covers the counties of Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Westmoreland. It has 78 parishes and 51 active priests.
As legal wrangling continues over release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, a former altar boy has fired a legal shot across the bow of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.

He is claiming in a lawsuit filed in Dauphin County Court that diocese leaders, right up to former Bishop William Keeler, didn't prevent a priest with known child-sex abuse tendencies from molesting him.

That abuse by former priest John Allen occurred repeatedly at the St. Margaret Mary Alacoque parish in Penbrook in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the now 29-year-old Maryland man contends. The suit identifies the former altar boy by the pseudonym John Doe.

Allen was defrocked in 2006, four years after the diocese received a "credible allegation" that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor in 1979. He is among 72 priests and personnel the Harrisburg diocese has reported as being accused of child sexual abuse. Some of those on that list are dead.

"We are still reviewing a copy of the lawsuit, so it would not be appropriate for us to comment on it at this time," said Mike Barley, a spokesman for the diocese. "The Diocese of Harrisburg would again pass on our most sincere apologies to the survivors of child sexual abuse, the Catholic faithful, and the general public for any abuses that occurred."

READ MORE:

John Doe claims in the suit, filed by attorney Benjamin D. Andreozzi, that from 1999 to 2002 Allen "lasciviously leered at, groped and sexually molested (him) approximately a dozen times in different rooms at the church."

While John Doe didn't report the abuse and "suffered in silence," another victim came forward and accused Allen in 2002, triggering his eventual removal from ministry, the suit states.

Allen was ordained in 1970, and by the mid-1980s was the subject of other child-sex accusations while serving at the St. Pius X parish in Selinsgrove. John Doe claims a seminarian under Allen's supervision complained to diocese leaders that Allen was using the rectory there to engage in "inappropriate behavior" with boys. Despite that report, Bishop Keeler "failed to take any meaningful action to prevent Allen from having access to children," John Doe insists.

In 1992, Allen, then 48, was reported to have had a nervous breakdown while serving at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lancaster, then was sent to what the diocese described as a retirement home for priests in Downingtown, the suit states. John Doe contends that home was actually a facility for treating priests who were sex offenders.

Three years later, Allen was assigned to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, where the abuse against him occurred, John Doe claims.

He is seeking unspecified financial damages against Allen and the Harrisburg diocese for psychological injuries he says have at times manifested as suicidal thoughts. John Doe accuses Allen of assault and battery and the diocese of gross negligence and recklessness for "affirmatively hiding Allen's known history of sexual misconduct and child sexual abuse."
A tractor trailer crash at exit 37 of Interstate 81 northbound has been cleared, according to 511pa.com

The crash was listed as cleared at 4:56 p.m., with residual delays remaining.

Earlier Wednesday, Pennsylvania State Police said the crash occurred between two commercial vehicles, with one jackknifed across the interstate.

The northbound lanes of the interstate were closed for about 3.5 hours.

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
Consumers can now be alerted about potential scams through a new text alert system.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Thursday his Bureau of Consumer Protection launched the new text alert system.

The text alerts will be sent at least twice a month, and will give consumers tips to avoid scams, warnings about new scams, or updates on consumer protection issues.

The service is free, but mobile carrier rates may apply.

LIVE: Attorney General Josh Shapiro announces statewide consumer alert text system. Posted by PennLive.com on Thursday, August 9, 2018

"It's important for Pennsylvanians to know what schemes are out there so they can avoid getting scammed," Shapiro said. "Our next text alert system provides real-time updates and practical tips to empower Pennsylvanians to protect themselves from these schemes."

You can sign up for the text alert service by visiting its section on the Attorney General's website. Shapiro said information provided by those who sign up will remain private.

The Bureau of Consumer Protection handled 21,942 complaints for fraudulent complaints in 2017, saving Pennsylvanians a total of $3,032,770 in returned money.

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling 800-441-2555 or emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
Cases of Lyme disease have spiked significantly between 2016 and 2017, and according to a new report, the tick-borne illness has now been detected in all 50 states.

And topping the list for the most positive cases in 2017 is Pennsylvania.

Quest Diagnostics released its new report recently, finding cases are on the rise, even in regions outside of the northeastern United States, where it has been historically prevalent.

"Lyme disease is a bigger risk to more people in the United States than ever before," Harvey W. Kaufman, senior medical director for Quest Diagnostics and head of the company's Health Trends research program, said in a press release. "Our data show that positive results for Lyme are both increasing in number and occurring in geographic areas not historically associated with the disease. We hypothesize that these significant rates of increase may reinforce other research suggesting changing climate conditions that allow ticks to live longer and in more regions may factor into disease risk."

Pennsylvania tops the nation in Lyme disease cases with 10,001 last year. That's nearly as many cases as the New England states combined, which have 11,549, according to the report.

Pennsylvania and New England make up 60.6 percent of the total number of positive Lyme disease test results in 2017.

Outside of the northeast, California and Florida saw the largest increases of positive test results. Notable increases were reported in Georgia, Arizona, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia, as well, according to the report.

Quest Diagnostics' findings are based on more than 6 million laboratory test results over the last seven years. You can read the full report here.

Lyme disease is spread through bites from infected blacklegged and deer ticks. Common signs of potential Lyme exposure include a "bullseye" shaped mark on the skin at the bite location.

The Centers for Disease Control says this rash may appear between three and 30 days before the onset of a symptoms, the most common of which include fever, chills aches and pains. If left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system.

Ticks live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas and on some animals, and spending time outdoors increases your chances for exposure, according to the CDC, which recommends:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The ex-president of a suspended Temple University fraternity has been charged with rape in connection with a second alleged sexual assault.

A spokesman for Philadelphia's district attorney says 21-year-old Ari Goldstein was arraigned Wednesday on charges of rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Bail was set at $1.5 million.

Goldstein's attorney says he was involved in a "sustained" sexual relationship with the woman who says she was raped in November.

Goldstein is facing separate charges including attempted sexual assault for a February encounter in which a woman says he tried to force her to have oral sex.

Temple University officials suspended Alpha Epsilon Pi in April after at least three women said they were sexually assaulted at the fraternity house. The reports also included allegations of underage drinking and drug use.
End of the long road for Petoskey comes in Division 2 regional championship
Chattanoogas Kids on the Block adds three new educational programs which will include introducing two new Kids on the Block puppets and revised current program offerings for the upcoming school year.

The new educational programs include:

Making the Right Choices  Alcohol/Tobacco/Prescription Drug Awareness targeted to fifth grade students. The program focuses on the negative effects of alcohol, tobacco (including vaping) and prescription drug use. It provides information to help young people make healthier, sensible and more responsible decisions. Making the Right Choices will introduce new puppet kid Eric Van Aart. Eric is a 12-year-old boy who is ordered to go see an alcohol and drug counselor after throwing a party where his best friend is diagnosed with alcohol poisoning. Eric is now on a mission to help those around him make better choices for themselves.

Two new programs have been added to the general audience performances and are appropriate for all ages.

Vehicle Safety  The program focuses on how drivers and passengers play a role in making any vehicle trip safe. It discusses problem solving, following rules, and effective communication with peers and adults.

Bereavement  The program focuses on managing emotions when dealing with the loss of a loved one. It highlights that it is okay to feel many different ways about a situation, and that it is always helpful to talk to someone. The Bereavement program will introduce new puppet kid Jamie Higgins, who lost her mom to cancer. Jamie misses her mom terribly and sometimes feels guilty enjoying activities shes enjoyed in the past because she feels she should always be sad. Jamies friends help her by encouraging her to enjoy life by getting back to some of her favorite past activities.

"Our educational programs are unique and encourage open communication between children and parents and provide age appropriate information to children on difficult and sensitive topics and concerns, said Kelly Williams, CKOB executive director.

Despite unexpected and severe funding cuts over the last three years, the requests for the non-threatening and unique educational programs provided by CKOB continue to increase. During the 2017-2018 school year, CKOB performed a record breaking number of 500 educational programs and workshops, serving over 64,000 children and adults in its 16 county service area in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama free of charge.

CKOB is able to provide programs free of charge to the schools through individual donations, fundraisers, sponsorships and grants. For the 2018-2019 school year CKOB has been awarded a grant through the city of Chattanooga to partially fund programs to all Hamilton County schools. Mrs. Williams says she is hoping that the county commissioners will match the citys funding to successfully continue to provide these educational programs free of charge to schools in the area. Mrs. Williams also added that CKOB performed educational programs in 62 percent of the Hamilton County elementary schools last year.

Chattanooga's Kids on the Block provides educational programs to children in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth, using the art of Bunraku puppetry. Through scripted puppet presentations and follow up with student and puppet interaction, children are able to open up and ask questions as if the puppets were trusted friends, said officials.

CKOB is one of the oldest, most active and most respected troupes in the United States. CKOB is licensed to perform all 45 nationally researched educational programs available to Kids on the Block troupes, using the nationally known Kids on the Block puppets, and have developed three new programs including Cyberbullying, How Do I Look  Positive Body Image, and Financial Literacy.

To schedule an educational program in a school or for a community event, or to make a financial contribution, please contact www.kidsontheblock.net or call 757-5259.






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...
The Intrigue Advanced is Liv's new trail/all-mountain bike that slots neatly between the XC-oriented Pique and the Enduro-capable Hail. Liv Global Product Marketing Lead Erin Lamb says that the bike was designed to be that one go-to bike that you won't hesitate to bring on a road trip, no matter what trails you're planning on riding.



Liv had an aluminum-framed Intrigue in their range between 2014 and 2016, but it disappeared when the Hail and the Pique were introduced. Since then, the product team determined that there was a gap in the line-up, and will again be offering the Intrigue in a 140/150mm-travel version for 2019.



The latest version has a women's specific frame,

Liv Intrigue Advanced Details

 Intended use: Trail/All-Mountain

 Wheel size: 27.5"

 Head tube angle: 66.5

 Rear-wheel travel: 140mm

 Boost 15x110mm (Front), Boost 12x148 (Rear)

 2x compatible

 Carbon frame only

 Size: XS - L

 Price: $3,700 - $8,000 USD

 www.liv-cycling.com  Intended use: Trail/All-Mountain Wheel size: 27.5" Head tube angle: 66.5 Rear-wheel travel: 140mm Boost 15x110mm (Front), Boost 12x148 (Rear) 2x compatible Carbon frame only Size: XS - L Price: $3,700 - $8,000 USD

Frame Details

Maestro Suspension with Trunnion Mount:

Updated Advanced Forged Composite Upper Rocker Arm:

Womens-Specific Advanced Composite Frame:

3F Design Philosophy:

Frame Options & Build Kits

Intrigue Advanced 2 Intrigue Advanced 1

Intrigue Advanced 0

Geometry

The frame geometry on the Intrigue now has a longer top tube and a shorter stem for improved handling. The slacker head tube angle, at 66.5 degrees, enhances the bikes descending performance compared to the previous version, and a steeper seat tube angle, at 74.5 degrees, improves its climbing finesse.



Liv's research shows them that a frame designed for, and a bike built for women plays a big role in womens comfort on the bike.



Within Livs 3F design philosophy, they collected data that shows that when comparing women and men who are both 5'7" tall, women's torsos are on average 1.2% shorter, women's arms are 0.2% longer, women's inseam are 1.8% longer, and women's legs are 1.4% longer. They also found that, as heights get smaller, the average body dimension differences between men and women become more





Suspension

Rae Morrison helped optimize the suspension on the Liv Intrigue Advanced. Rae Morrison racing a prototype version of the Intrigue Advanced at the Sea Otter Classic.

This bike is super capable on many different types of terrain  truly nimble and fun. I was thrilled to give feedback during the tuning process and noticed a big difference in shock performance once we dialed it in.  Rae Morrison

First Impressions Photo by Reuben Krabbe

Liv launched the bike in Pinkbike's backyard on the trails in Squamish, BC. They hired local guides from Ride BC to find the best trails for global media to ride the new trail/all-mountain bike on. I'm coming off a recent injury, so I wasn't able to push the bike as hard as I wished, but on the test lap I was pleased with how roomy the size medium bike's 432mm top tube felt, and how comfortable the cockpit was with the 20mm-rise TruVativ carbon bar and 35mm stem.



While I didn't do any serious technical descending on the bike, my one concern with the spec is the short dropper post - only 100mm on the Medium-sized frame I rode, the same as the dropper post that comes on the Small bike. The XS comes with a 75mm dropper. The Large size gets a more useful, 125mm dropper, but it's hard to feel confident descending when you have four inches of extra post sticking out of the frame, and your saddle is pushing you forward on steep descents.

Sarah Moore

Location: Squamish, BC

Age: 28

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 160lbs

Industry affiliations / sponsors: None

Instagram: @smooresmoore

Squamish, BC285'7"160lbsNone

Photo by Reuben Krabbe

engineered using Liv's 3F Design Philosophy, that uses the Maestro suspension platform to deliver 140mm of travel, tuned for female riders. It accommodates wider tires than the previous generation of the Intrigue (up to 2.6"), and the updated geometry gives it a longer top tube, shorter stem, steeper seat tube angle, and a slacker head tube angle.Four pivot points and two linkages work together to create a single floating pivot for active, efficient and independent suspension system on the trail. The Intrigue Advanced features 140mm of travel using Giants Maestro suspension technology. More than just setting the rebound and air pressure, Liv has optimized the internals of their shocks with optimal oil weights and air-spring volumes for women, with the goal of having a bike that maintains sensitivity on small bumps, and feels bottomless on big hits, while feeling smooth and supportive throughout the entire stroke.The Intrigue Advanced has an updated "forged carbon fiber" upper rocker arm. It is no longer a solid piece, but instead has a cutout in the middle for maximum lightness, without sacrificing stiffness and strength.The Intrigue is fully women's-specific, meaning that it has a frame geometry, composite layup and shock tuning created for women (more about this later). The frame has internal cable routing and is 2x-compatible for a side-pull front derailleur.3F stands for Fit, Form and Function. Liv has analyzed body dimensions, muscular activity and strength patterns, including thousands of data points about womens anatomy, sizing variations, muscle energy and outputs. As with all Liv bikes, this data was used to engineer their frames and complete bikes to build the series from the ground up for women. Prototypes of the Intrigue were fine-tuned with feedback from Liv global athletes, including pro enduro rider Rae Morrison.The Liv Intrigue is available in three different build kit options, all with their "Advanced-Grade" composite front triangle and using an "ALUXX SL-Grade" aluminum rear triangle.The top of the line Intrigue Advanced 0 comes with a DVO custom-tuned Diamond fork, DVO custom-tuned Topaz 2 shock, a SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain, Guide RSC brakes, a 780mm x 35mm TruVativ carbon handlebar, and Giant's TRX 0 carbon wheels. It sells for $8,000 USD.The Intrigue Advanced 1 has a Fox 34 Float Performance Elite fork, Fox Float DPX2 shock, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, Guide RS brakes, a Giant Contact Switch dropper post, 780mm x 35mm Giant Contact SL handlebars, and Giant TRX 1 carbon wheels. It retails for $5,300.The Intrigue Advanced 2 is $3,700 USD and has a Fox 34 Rythm fork, Float DPS shock, SRAM NX Eagle 1x12 drivetrain, Guide RS brakes, a 780mm x 35mm Giant Contact TR35 handlebars, Giant Contact Switch dropper post, and Giant's AM 27.5 aluminum wheels.pronounced. Additionally, they found that women activate their quad muscles differently, so they put female riders in a position to accommodate that lower body strength.Within Livs 3F design philosophy, they used a variety of different womens body types and riding styles to find what they believe is the best suspension feel for women. Theyve refined the suspension's shim stacks, volume spacers, and air pressures to match the female rider based on extensive testing with their female athletes and ambassadors. Select Liv riders including Rae Morrison, and Liv Canada Brand Manager Amalie Gunn also tested multiple frame sizes alongside Livs design and suspension team to optimize the suspension function and ride feel for each.Rae Morrison helped tune the suspension over the winter in secret in New Zealand, after getting delivery of the bike at the Giant Factory Off-Road team camp in Sedona last fall. Working closely with the team's new partner, DVO Suspension, she helped set up the fork and shock so that they have optimal oil weights and air spring volumes for female riders, right out of the box. The model that we tested at the Liv Intrigue launch was the Liv Intrigue Advanced 0, with DVO suspension.Rae's usual race bike is the 160mm Liv Hail, but she said the Intrigue's shorter amount of travel is very capable and excels on a wide range of greens, blues, and blacks, but she can find its limits on rougher, more technical double black and downhill tracks.I asked Liv's Global Product Marketing Lead Erin Lamb about it, and she said that they put what they consider the longest possible droppers on each bike per size and that they look short because the bike has such a low stand-over height.I was impressed with the spec on the bike, and I'd have to say, this is the first Liv bike that nails it with the graphics - across all three spec levels. Giant Canada is based just down the road in North Vancouver, so I'm looking forward to spending more time on this bike in the coming months.
Ex-head of regulator which ignored police info on deaths joins College

Jackie Smith, who apologised for the actions of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, is now on the board of the College of Policing.

Jackie Smith was in charge of the regulator during part of the period a damning report covered

Date - 9th August 2018

By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle - 9th August 2018

0203 119 3303

or alternatively get in touch via the Do you have an interesting news story? Contact the newsdesk onor alternatively get in touch via the contact form

The former head of a healthcare regulator, which ignored police information about care in a hospital, has been appointed to the board of the College of Policing. Jackie Smith resigned from the Nursing and Midwifery Council in May, just before the...
6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rachel Maddow dropped a bombshell on the political world on Wednesday by sharing audio footage of California Rep. Devin Nunes that was taken during a private fundraiser.

In the damning clip, Trumps favorite lapdog can be heard actually admitting that, yeah, its criminal for a political campaign to help a foreign adversary release stolen emails.

If thats the case, thats criminal, Rep. Nunes said.

Video:

Maddow explained the explosive nature of Rep. Nunes private remarks:

Again, substantively, it is hard to argue with the idea that it is bluntly criminal for anybody to have been involved in the dissemination of stolen e-mails as part of a political campaign. Substantively, we agree, right? But with federal prosecutors now claiming in a federal indictment that WikiLeaks and D.C. Leaks and Guccifer 2.0 were the means by which stolen e-mails were actually disseminated during the presidential election and with lots of still accruing evidence that people associated with the Trump campaign and the presidents family and the president himself helped in that dissemination during the campaign, it cannot help that the lead opponent of the Russia investigation privately concedes, when he thinks nobody is recording him, that that sort of activity, if proven, that would definitely be criminal. Now, we have a problem, right? Because if somebody stole the e-mails, gave them to Cathy, Cathy released them, well, if thats the case, then thats criminal. How does that line up with the Trump campaign and what they did with Wikileaks and Guccifer 2.0. and D.C. Leaks?

Devin Nunes was essentially describing crimes committed by the Trump campaign

In the audio clip, Rep. Devin Nunes was essentially, though unintentionally, describing the criminal activity that took place between the Russians and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.

As Rachel Maddow pointed out, not only did a foreign government, Russia, help steal Hillary Clintons emails, but it increasingly looks like the Trump campaign played a role in disseminating that stolen material.

If thats the case, then thats criminal, Nunes said on the recording. Finally, something we can all agree on.
1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Floridas Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson dropped a major warning on Wednesday, saying that Russian operatives have penetrated Floridas election systems ahead of the 2018 elections.

Nelson told The Tampa Bay Times, They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about.

The report notes that the Florida Democrat said something similar a day earlier in Tallahassee but declined to elaborate.

Thats classified, he said at the time.

The Times also reports that its not just the Democratic senator who is raising a red flag. His fellow Florida Republican senator, Marco Rubio, is also concerned about election meddling.

Rubio, a member of the Intelligence Committee, has raised alarms and continues to express concern, the report noted. Like Rubio, Nelson outlined a scenario in which hackers could delete people from voter rolls.

Of course, bipartisan concern over Russian election interference seems to die the second it reaches the White House as Donald Trump has repeatedly understated or flat out denied Russian involvement in attacks on U.S. democracy.

Russia is targeting vulnerable Democrats

Whats even more chilling about Nelsons warning is that he is in the midst of a hotly contested re-election campaign in Florida.

According to the RealClearPolitics average, the race between Nelson and Florida Gov. Rick Scott is neck-and-neck, with the Republican leading by just over a single percentage point.

The Florida news comes two weeks after it was reported that Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is running for re-election in Missouri, was also targeted by Russa.

As The Daily Beast reported at the time, The Russian intelligence agency behind the 2016 election cyberattacks targeted Sen. Claire McCaskill as she began her 2018 re-election campaign in earnest.

McCaskill leads her GOP opponent Josh Hawley by a single percentage point in the race to keep her Senate seat in Missouri.

Keep in mind: These are just the threats we know about. Its an open question whether more Democratic candidates in close races are facing similar attacks without even being aware of them.

These threats are doubly disturbing given the fact that, despite widespread concern within in his own party and the U.S. intelligence apparatus, Donald Trump is asleep at the wheel on this issue.
8.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The insider trading scandal that led to Wednesdays arrest of Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York might turn out to be a party-wide controversy that could bring down more than a half-dozen other GOP lawmakers.

In an interview on MSNBCs Hardball, political commentator Jason Johnson explained how the Collins arrest comes at the worst possible time for Republicans.

In the process of this investigation, this may connect to four, five, six, seven other members of Congress that he may have delivered this information to, Johnson said. It could take all of them out.

Video:

Johnson told MSNBCs Steve Kornacki:

Individual members of Congress can get in trouble all the time. It doesnt necessarily matter, that becomes a local issue. But Collins is not only caught for being sort of a swamp creature and using insider trading to make himself rich. Hes connected to Trump and he told several other members. So in the process of this investigation, this may connect to four, five, six, seven other members of Congress that he may have delivered this information to. It could take all of them out. And this is the sort of party-wide scandal that is going to have an impact this fall. This is just manna from heaven for the Democrats right now and Republicans need to really concerned and many of them are probably calling their broker right now.

The timing couldnt be worse for Republicans

The timing of Rep. Collins arrest comes at a time when Republicans are already struggling to retain their grip on Congress. In a way, the revelation is like a trifecta of awful news for the party.

First, it pushes Collins deep-red congressional seat toward the Democrats at a time when they have no seats to spare. Second, the New York Republican has a connection to Trump, further solidifying the narrative that the president surrounds himself with criminals. Third, it makes the GOP promise of draining the swamp an even bigger joke than it already was.

Tuesdays results were bad enough for Republicans. The arrest of a key member of the GOP on Wednesday put gasoline on the dumpster fire  and it could get even worse in the weeks to come.

For Trump, it could give new meaning to his phrase, Drain the swamp.
1.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

While Donald Trump doesnt say so publicly, a new report indicates that he is privately spinning himself into a frenzy over the growing possibility that his son could be thrown in jail.

According to The Associated Press, the president views the ongoing Paul Manafort trial as a warning shot from special counsel Robert Mueller.

While Mueller has his way with Trumps former campaign chairman, the president fears that Donald Trump Jr. might be his next target.

More from the report:

The president has stewed over the media coverage of the federal trial of Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, who has been charged with financial fraud as part of the Mueller probe. Though the trial is not connected to Russian election interference, Trump has seethed to confidants that he views the Manafort charges as a warning shot from Mueller. He has told those close to him that as he watches the courtroom proceedings, he fears that Donald Trump Jr. could at some point be the one on trial, according to two people familiar with his thinking but not authorized to discuss private conversations.

The irony is that Trumps public behavior only makes it more likely that his private concerns will be realized.

As the AP added on Wednesday: Despite his behind-closed-doors concerns, the president publicly denies that he is worried about his son. While doing so on Twitter in recent days, he offered a new  and potentially legally damaging  explanation of why his son is under such legal scrutiny.

Trump has only made it more likely that Don Jr. will go to prison

If Donald Trump is so concerned about his sons wellbeing, he has a funny way of showing it.

As we reported on Monday, Trump essentially confessed  for all the world to see  that a crime was committed by his son. In a tweet, he flatly said, This was a meeting to get information on an opponent.

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!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

As lawyer and legal scholar Laurence Tribe pointed out on Twitter this week, Trumps tweet is essentially an admission that his son, and possibly he himself, committed crimes.

52 USC 30121(a)(2) outlaws what POTUS has tweeted Don Jr did in soliciting campaign help from Russian nationals. 18 USC 371 makes all who agreed to this unlawful act guilty of a felony punishable by 5 years in prison if any conspirator did anything overt to further the plot. QED.  Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 6, 2018

The presidents own public admissions have greatly increased the likelihood that Donald Trump Jr. will face legal consequences for taking a meeting with Russia to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. We now know the intent of the meeting, and its too late for Trump to put the cat back in the bag.

But if the president is so privately concerned about the fate of his son, he should stop talking.
3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Democrat Danny OConnors bid for an upset victory in the heavily-Republican 12th Congressional District of Ohio is not done, as election officials found late Wednesday 588 previously uncounted votes.

Ohio race narrows as election officials find hundreds of uncounted votes in district previously won by Trump.

Ohio race narrows as election officials find hundreds of uncounted votes in district previously won by Trump https://t.co/bJtZQUZxn3 pic.twitter.com/LXd0fM1ugS  The Hill (@thehill) August 9, 2018

The votes from a portion of one voting location had not been processed into the tabulation system, the Franklin County Board of Elections said in a news release obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Franklin County Officials found the uncounted votes in a Columbus suburb, according to the Enquirer, netting Democratic candidate Danny OConnor 190 more votes and narrowing his race against Republican Troy Balderson to 1,564 votes.

6:05 PM UPDATE  We just netted 190 VOTES from Franklin County!

Were confident DANNY WILL WIN once ALL the votes are counted, but we spent EVERYTHING we had on the Special Election.

 6:05 PM UPDATE  We just netted 190 VOTES from Franklin County! We're confident DANNY WILL WIN once ALL the votes are counted, but we spent EVERYTHING we had on the Special Election. Please donate $5 to make sure EVERY LAST VOTE is counted fairly.https://t.co/c4xUZd1ngr  Danny O'Connor (@dannyoconnor1) August 8, 2018

Republic Balderson was supported by President Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich both of whom visited the district to help him during his campaign. He announced Tuesday night that he had won the close race, thinking he had kept the district in Republican hands. Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016 and it has been held by a Republican 90 out of the past 100 years.

But OConnor has said he will not concede the contest until all votes have been counted. He believes that it is too close to call one way or another. And, according to the Enquirer, 8,483 ballots (3,435 provisional ballots and 5,048 absentee ballots) still have to be counted. Its not clear when these ballots will be counted but there is an Ohio legal deadline of August 24th.

State election officials will issue an automatic recount if the races final results show a margin of 0.5 percent or less.

Republicans had hoped to win the special election easily, but they were clearly worried as they spend nearly $5 million of national money to keep the seat in GOP hands. They knew they were facing a very high level of Democratic voter enthusiasm ahead just three months before the midterm elections in November.

Democrats need to flip just 23 House seats in order to take over control of the lower chamber of Congress. They are expected to do well in suburban districts similar to Ohios 12th District where there are a large number of college educated voters who have been turned off by the behavior and policies of President Trump.

Dannys victory is still a long shot even with the extra votes, but his supporters have not given up hope, since there are so many uncounted ballots and since a swing in his favor could trigger a recount of the entire election. And if that happens, it is possible  though not likely  that OConnor may still ultimately be found the winner of this tight race that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
900 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Fox News host Laura Ingraham clearly proved herself to be a racist on Wednesday when she lamented that immigration has resulted in demographic changes she doesnt like. She said that the America we know and love doesnt exist anymore.

WATCH: Laura Ingraham: America we love doesnt exist anymore due to demographic changes and immigration

WATCH: Laura Ingraham: America we love doesnt exist anymore due to "demographic changes" and immigration https://t.co/kM5xZkXTzQ pic.twitter.com/lI9rAGoXlL  The Hill (@thehill) August 9, 2018

What Ingraham was really saying is that both illegal and legal immigration have resulted in an American population that is less white and more diverse. To her, this is a tragedy because having people of color in the United States is a bad thing.

Ingrahams comments were widely lambasted on social media. Democratic Representative Ted Lieu of California tweeted that as someone who served in the U.S. military, he defended people like her who make racist comments. He also pointed out that even though he is of Asian descent he is just as much an American as she is:

Dear Laura Ingraham: I served on active duty to defend your right to make racist statements. America is not a race or demographic. Its a beautiful & bold idea, based on life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. You @IngrahamAngle are no more American than I am or others are.

Dear Laura Ingraham: I served on active duty to defend your right to make racist statements. America is not a race or demographic. It's a beautiful & bold idea, based on life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. You @IngrahamAngle are no more American than I am or others are. https://t.co/Op7rnjak5o  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 9, 2018

Ingrahams revealing comments about race and immigration came during a segment when she was talking about the newly-famous House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The young Latina politician from New York City recently said in a podcast interview that the United States had changed drastically over the past few decades, and there has been a decline of the American upper-middle class.

Shes kind of right in a general sense, Ingraham said after mocking Ocasio-Cortez for her comments. Then she added:

In some parts of the country it does seem like the America we know and love doesnt exist anymore. Massive demographic changes have been foisted upon the American people. And theyre changes that none of us ever voted for and most of us dont like.

Now much of this is related to both illegal, and in some cases, legal immigration that of course progressives love, the controversial Fox News host added.

Ingraham then went on to claim irrationally that Democrats oppose enforcing immigration laws, saying that this is harming the country. Parroting the president, she then said the U.S. needs better border security, an end to sanctuary cities and the closure of loopholes in immigration laws that are on the books.

One thing refreshing (and also disturbing) about Laura Ingraham is that she is open and honest about being a racist. Her latest comments also have led many people to claim she is a white nationalist which may very well be true.

What old white racists like Laura Ingraham (and Donald Trump) need to understand is that they represent the past. They represent an America that was never that great and certainly wont be made great again by people like them. They need to understand that the future of America is diverse, and it belongs to people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
229 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Sarah N. Lynch, Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters)  President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is on trial on tax and bank fraud charges, had $16.5 million in unreported taxable business income between 2010 and 2014, a U.S. Internal Revenue Service agent testified on Wednesday.

IRS agent Michael Welch told a jury that Manaforts unreported income includes foreign wire transfers to U.S. vendors like landscapers and clothiers, wire transfers to buy property, and income improperly reclassified as loans.

Welchs testimony came as prosecutors sought to refocus the courtrooms attention on Manaforts alleged financial crimes after his defense attorneys spent hours trying to undermine the credibility of their star witness, former Manafort business partner Rick Gates.

Welch said he arrived at the $16.5 million figure based on an accounting method used by Manafort.

During his review, he said, he discovered that many of the foreign wire transfers did not appear on general ledgers for Manaforts political consultancy and therefore, I was not able to trace it into the tax return.

Gates ended three days of testimony earlier on Wednesday, the trials seventh day, after admitting he lied, stole money and cheated on his wife, as lawyers for Manafort attacked his character.

Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing got in a final shot in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, raising the possibility Gates had not one, but four extramarital affairs. Prosecutors objected and Gates never answered the question.

In cross-examination on Tuesday and Wednesday, Downing fired questions at Gates for several hours as he sought to portray him as an inveterate liar and thief to undermine his credibility with the jury.

Meanwhile, Downing on Wednesday afternoon tried to draw the jurys attention back to admissions by Gates that he had embezzled funds from Manafort, asking Welch if his client could claim a business embezzlement deduction.

While businesses can deduct losses from theft, Welch said on redirect by one of the prosecutors: If money is stolen from money that is untaxed, there is no deduction.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. According to trial testimony, he used the accounts to receive millions of dollars in payments from Ukrainian oligarchs.

Manafort, a longtime Republican political consultant, is the first person to be tried on charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Manafort made millions of dollars working for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians before he took an unpaid position with the Trump campaign that lasted five months.

Gates, who worked as Manaforts right-hand man for a decade, served as deputy chairman of the Trump campaign. He pleaded guilty to charges in February and is cooperating for the possibility of a reduced sentence.

He testified at length about how he and Manafort doctored and backdated financial documents, hid foreign income and falsified tax returns. He said he engaged in the wrongdoing at Manaforts direction.

He also admitted to leading a secret life, embezzling funds from his former boss Manafort, and getting involved in other shady dealings. And the defense has tried to pin much of the blame for the financial crimes on him.

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

After Gates left the stand on Wednesday, the jury heard from Morgan Magionos, a forensic accountant with the FBI.

She said she had identified 31 accounts located in Cyprus, the Grenadines and the United Kingdom belonging to Manafort. She explained how she traced payments for luxury items back to those hidden bank accounts, describing documents from banks and corporations and how the corporate entities and offshore accounts were linked to Manafort.

Prosecutors also introduced emails from Manafort to vendors of luxury items he bought in which he promises payment via wire transfers from my account, citing some of the offshore entities he is accused of using to hide his wealth.

A conviction of Manafort would undermine efforts by Trump and some Republican lawmakers to paint Muellers inquiry as a political witch hunt, while an acquittal would be a setback for the special counsel.

Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Trump, on Wednesday again called for Mueller to end his inquiry without further delay.

Prosecutors have said they hope to finish presenting their case by the end of the week. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis has repeatedly prodded them to move swiftly while seemingly giving the defense more latitude. He also has repeatedly made comments that some legal experts say may prejudice the jury against the prosecution.

The judge has belittled and yelled at prosecutors in front of the jury and made comments that could undercut the prosecutors case and help the defense.

Washington attorney Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor in Virginia who has appeared before Ellis hundreds of times, said the comment was classic Judge Ellis injecting his views into the courtroom.

If he is too tough, Rossi said, the jury might start to feel sorry for the prosecution.

Although questions tied to the Trump campaign have been severely limited at trial, Manafort remains a central figure in the broader inquiry into the Trump campaigns dealings with Russia, including a 2016 Trump Tower meeting at which Russians promised dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and his role in watering down the 2016 Republican Party platform position on Ukraine.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Warren Strobel; Editing by Grant McCool and Lisa Shumaker)
1.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The comments made by California Rep. Devin Nunes provide proof that the Republican Party is corrupt and Nunes is a traitor to his country. And they also may prove something else that is even more shocking and important: that Donald Trump is doomed and is going down because of the Mueller investigation.

At a closed-door fundraiser for a Republican colleague Nunes said that Muellers Russia investigation is directly tied to the midterm elections this fall. In comments captured in an audio recording aired Wednesday by The Rachel Maddow Show, Nunes explained very clearly his rationale for keeping the GOP majority in Congress.

If Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president, were the only ones, which is really the danger, Nunes said at an event for Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington.

I mean, we have to keep all these seats, Nunes added. We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.

Nunes made clear that he believes congressional Republicans are the last line of defense for the president against fallout from the special counsel probe into Russian election meddling.

Well, we know for sure that Sessions wont unrecuse and Mueller wont clear the president. Therefore, based on what Nunes said, it looks like Trump is doomed.

According to Nunes the GOP must stay in charge of the House of Representatives to prevent Trump from being indicted and/or impeached. But it doesnt seem likely that the GOP will keep its majority after the November elections. Everybody is expecting a Blue Wave to sweep Republicans out of power this fall.

In other words, Devin Nunes knows that Donald Trump is going down, and he just provided the evidence to the entire world through the leaked tape.

His shocking comments also led to calls for him to resign:

Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead.

Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took.

Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead. Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took. https://t.co/ugc7CBgG39  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 9, 2018

Conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin also pointed out that the tape is very embarrassing for the GOP. She said that its time to get rid of the Republican Party.

Its like all these Republicans went to the same bad law school and they never picked up the constitution and they know nothing about their laws because what they say is essentially nonsense, Rubin said.

These people look like stooges for having indulged a character like Devin Nunes. If there ever was a better reason to get rid of Paul Ryans party, its this, Rubin said. They exercise no responsibility, it is always about the party, always about protecting the president, never about doing their constitutional obligation.

These people really are irredeemable, she added.
407 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Tribune Media has called off its proposed $3.9 billion merger with Sinclair Broadcast Group and announced that it will soon file a significant lawsuit against the conservative broadcasting giant for allegedly breaching their merger agreement. The merger had been promoted by President Donald Trump since Sinclair Broadcasting is one of his most prominent media supporters and has been known to force all of its television stations to broadcast the same company-prepared pro-Trump messages.

JUST IN: Tribune Media backs out of merger with Sinclair, will sue conservative broadcaster https://t.co/PinanrrPyu pic.twitter.com/AvemUE7za5  The Hill (@thehill) August 9, 2018

In the announcement made early Thursday morning, Tribune blamed Sinclair for the many roadblocks that the deal has faced at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Just last month, the FCC voted unanimously to make the merger subject to an administrative law proceeding, which is a very time-consuming process that was expected to sidetrack the deal.

In light of the FCCs unanimous decision, referring the issue of Sinclairs conduct for a hearing before an administrative law judge, our merger cannot be completed within an acceptable timeframe, if ever, Tribune CEO Peter Kern said in a prepared public announcement.

This uncertainty and delay would be detrimental to our company and our shareholders. Accordingly, we have exercised our right to terminate the Merger Agreement, and, by way of our lawsuit, intend to hold Sinclair accountable, he added.

The news from Tribune Media brings to a conclusion the attempted merger of two major media companies that was widely attacked throughout the industry. It was, however, believed to have had a supporter in Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who has been known for his deregulatory agenda, leading to fewer restrictions against consolidation in the media industry.

The proposed mergers chances of being approved were lowered last month when Pai made the announcement that he had serious concerns about the merger. He then sent it before an administrative law judge for review, which only happens when deals are not going to be approved. A problem for the regulators at the FCC and the Justice Department was that there were several side deals that Sinclair wanted done to bring the newly merged entity into compliance with federal regulations concerning the number of local television stations that can be owned by one company.

The proposed side deals were shady in that they involved selling highly valuable stations to buyers with business ties to Sinclair for below-market prices, the FCC alleged. Plus these proposed insider sales also had strings attached that would give Sinclair significant control over the operations and programming of the stations it had supposedly sold. In other words, the side deals were scams designed to get regulatory approval but not to make any real changes to comply with the laws.

It was these bogus sidecar deals that Tribune said destroyed the mergers chances of approval and led to its decision to back out of the deal and file the lawsuit announced today.

In the Merger Agreement, Sinclair committed to use its reasonable best efforts to obtain regulatory approval as promptly as possible, including agreeing in advance to divest stations in certain markets as necessary or advisable for regulatory approval, Tribune said.

Instead, in an effort to maintain control over stations it was obligated to sell, Sinclair engaged in unnecessarily aggressive and protracted negotiations with the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC) over regulatory requirements, refused to sell stations in the markets as required to obtain approval, and proposed aggressive divestment structures and related-party sales that were either rejected outright or posed a high risk of rejection and delayall in derogation of Sinclairs contractual obligations.

The failure of this proposed merger was a defeat for Sinclair, but a victory for freedom of the press. A right-wing propaganda machine like Sinclair should not be allowed to control news access to 80% of the country. Hopefully they will be content with what they have and not try to subvert any more laws in their attempts to promote their pro-Trump agenda.
149 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Nathan Layne, Sarah N. Lynch and Karen Freifeld

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters)  The trial of Paul Manafort, U.S. President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, is expected to shift focus on Thursday from his alleged tax evasion to bank fraud as the prosecutions case heads into its final two days.

Prosecutors are expected to call a series of bankers to the stand to question them about Manaforts alleged efforts to mislead them with doctored financial statements in a scramble in 2015 and 2016 to borrow against real estate.

Of the 18 felony charges Manafort faces, nine relate to bank fraud and involve mortgages from Citizens Bank, Banc of California, Genesis Capital, and the Federal Savings Bank, a small Chicago lender whose chief executive was named to an economic advisory panel to the Trump campaign.

Greg Andres, a prosecutor working for U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, told the court on Wednesday that the prosecution would call eight more witnesses, question each for roughly an hour, and was on track to wrap up its case by weeks end.

Manaforts lawyers have not yet indicated whether they plan to call witnesses as part of his defense. Their legal strategy so far has hinged on attacking the credibility of the prosecutions star witness, former Manafort business partner Rick Gates.

The trial in federal court, which finished its seventh day on Wednesday, is the first stemming from Muellers probe into Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. According to trial testimony, he used the accounts to receive millions of dollars in payments for his work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.

Prosecutors allege that the Federal Savings Bank lent Manafort money based on fraudulent documents. As part of a quid pro quo, they allege bank Chief Executive Steve Calk was named an adviser to Trumps 2016 campaign and that Manafort pushed for him to get a senior post once Trump was elected.

During questioning by prosecutors on Tuesday, Gates said that Manafort had emailed him in late 2016 asking for the incoming Trump administration to consider tapping Calk for Secretary of the Army.

Calk and Federal have not replied to requests for comment.

Manaforts defense attorneys have attempted to pin responsibility on Gates for the wrongdoing Manafort is charged with.

Gates, in turn, has said he engaged in financial maneuverings involving their business activities at Manaforts direction.

Gates ended three days of testimony on Wednesday, after admitting he lied, stole money and cheated on his wife.

Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing got in a final shot, raising the possibility Gates had not one, but four extramarital affairs. Prosecutors objected and Gates never answered the question.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld; Writing by Warren Strobel; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
296 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

United States Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke believes that radical environmentalists are to blame for the unprecedented number of out-of-control wildfires that continue to burn in California and other states.

Zinke published a USA Today opinion piece on Wednesday and wrote that active forest management such as logging, prescribed burns and clearing brush is the way to reduce the number of wildfires on federal forested property.

But according to the Interior Secretary, environmentally green groups bring lawsuits against the federal government to stop such management practices, which makes the problems much worse.

Every year we watch our forests burn, and every year there is a call for action, Zinke said. Yet, when action comes, and we 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.

Zinke and President Trump have both been calling for more active forest management recently as a response to the raging wildfires, some of the largest seen since wildfire record keeping began.

On Sunday Trump posted a tweet claiming that California is running out of water to fight the fires because Democratic Governor Jerry Brown and other state officials are diverting needed water and letting it run out to the Pacific Ocean.

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!

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

Even though both state and federal governments are currently spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year on forest management and fire prevention, Republicans now say they want even more to be spent.

Radical environmentalists would have you believe forest management means clear cutting forests and national parks. But their rhetoric could not be further from the truth. They make outdated and unscientific arguments, void of facts, because they cannot defend the merits of their policy preferences year after year as our forests and homes burn to the ground, Zinke wrote.

Ive visited too many fire camps and spoken with too many experts to know that those who perished fighting these fires could have been saved, he added.

Concerning Trumps claims about diverting water, the Los Angeles Times published an article claiming that In a strikingly ignorant tweet, Trump gets almost everything about California wildfires wrong.
August 7 marks the 10-year anniversary of what would come to be known as the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. The war began with an offensive by Georgian government forces toward the capital of South Ossetia, a separatist territory propped up by Russia since the early 1990s. Over the next five days, Russias military responded, driving the Georgian military away from South Ossetia and Abkhazia (another Russian-backed separatist territory located on coast of the Black Sea), and invading Georgian government controlled territory north of the capital of Tbilisi before a ceasefire agreement was brokered.

To mark the anniversary of that short conflict, Andrey Kots wrote about how the war affected Russias military in an article for the state-run RIA Novosti. The basic thesis of Kots article that the war exposed many deficiencies in the Russian armed forces, which would later be addressed in a huge modernization project  is essentially true. However, Kots seems to portray the Russian army as the underdog in the conflict when he writes about its material deficiencies compared to Georgias high-tech weaponry and NATO-standard training.

While it is true that Georgia received some weapons and equipment (such as M4 carbines and Humvee light-wheeled vehicles), as well as U.S. training up to NATO standards, given the vast difference in manpower and equipment between the two nations, the outcome of the war was never in doubt and the Georgians were always at a serious disadvantage.

A paper by Koba Liklikadze published by the Jamestown Foundation helps shed light on the disposition of forces in the region in August 2008. It notes that the Russian 58th army, which did most of the fighting during the conflict, had a strength of 70,000 men  twice the size of the entire Georgian armed forces. The 58th had also just completed a military exercise called Caucasus 2008, in which it trained to respond to a Georgian threat in South Ossetia. As such, it was well prepared for war.

The paper also points out that Georgias best troops were deployed in Iraq at the time, and they were unable to return until after the conflict had ended. An attempt to call up 10,000 reservists also failed.

A more thorough study by the Strategic Studies Institute summarizes the comparison between the two opponents:

The Russian and Georgian performances in the war were in many ways mirror images of each other. Russian strategy was well-thought-out and properly resourced, giving Russia significant advantages at the operational level of war and allowing it to overcome shortcomings at the tactical level. The Georgian military, by contrast, was reasonably well-trained and well-equipped at the small-unit level and fought well in tactical engagements, but the reactive nature of Georgian strategic and operational planning and the often haphazard way in which plans were conceived and implemented undercut the tactical advantages the Georgians enjoyed, thus undermining their entire effort.

As alluded to earlier, one thing Kots gets right is that the war exposed many shortcomings in the Russian armed forces, and this led to a major effort to reform and modernize Russias military. But, while bragging about that modernizations success, the author makes an amusing admission.

The world first saw Russias new army in late February 2014, Kots writes.

Grown men in digital camouflage and balaclava masks appeared in the Crimea as if from out of nowhere and within a few days took control of the entire peninsula with an area of 27,000 square kilometers, Kots continued.

This is interesting because at the time of the Crimean annexation, which Kots is clearly describing, President Vladimir Putin initially denied that Russian soldiers were occupying strategic locations around the peninsula. Despite being equipped with the latest Russian gear, all provided by the military modernization program, Putin claimed that the armed men seen deploying throughout Crimea were local self-defense units formed by local pro-Russian residents. He explained that the uniforms and equipment could be bought in any military surplus store.

While Putin would later admit that the so-called Little Green Men occupying Crimea were in fact Russian soldiers the whole time, since then the Kremlin has insisted that the Crimean people conducted a referendum to separate from Ukraine and join Russia on their own. In fact, this narrative has become an essential element of Vladimir Putins public speeches.

But here Kots lets the truth slip out. His words are a testimony, that it was a military annexation carried out by Russian soldiers in their new modern uniforms and equipment.
By VOA News

(Moscow) - The deaths of three Russian journalists investigating their countrys military presence in the Central African Republic last week has cast renewed attention on a shadowy group of private mercenaries with alleged ties to the Kremlin.

The bodies of war correspondent Orkhan Dzhemal, documentary filmmaker Alexander Rastorguyev and cameraman Kirill Radchenko were delivered to Moscow Sunday morning  nearly a week after unknown gunmen ambushed their vehicle as the men traveled by night on a road 180 kilometers (112 miles) north of the capital of Bangui.

Only their locally hired driver escaped the attack unharmed, later telling CAR officials men turbaned and speaking only Arabic had killed the journalists at a checkpoint.

Yet questions as to the reason for the attack abound:

Was it robbery, as Russian and CAR government officials have suggested? The journalists were carrying about $8,000 in cash. The CAR is known as one of Africas poorest countries, long mired in a simmering civil war between Muslim and Christian factions.

Or was the killing related to the three mens work? The journalists traveled to the Central African Republic to film a documentary for a Kremlin-exiled oligarch about "the Wagner Group," a secret army of Russian mercenaries who -- mounting evidence shows -- have played an important role in Russias military ambitions.

Ukraine and Syria

Indeed, the Wagner Groups roots date back to Russias proxy war in Ukraine in 2014, when Russian soldiers and mercenaries blended in with what the Kremlin insisted were merely passionate "volunteers" providing support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's east.

While Moscow has long insisted Russia is not formally part of the conflict, Russian fighters have routinely taken part in battles  lured, say journalists, by both idealism, propaganda and money.

A huge number of people went to work for Wagner with pleasure, explained journalist Denis Korotov of Fontanka.ru, an online publication in Saint Petersburg who first broke news of the Wagner mercenaries.

"Russia has more than enough people who know how to shoot a gun, and these people cant make anything close to this kind of money working in the civilian sector, he added in an interview with VOA last January.

Wagner links soon emerged in Syria, where the Kremlin launched a military campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the fall of 2015.

Although President Vladimir Putin insisted at the outset that Russias military role would be limited, Wagner became the Kremlins main tactical group in Syria. Because the Syrian army cant do the job on their own, said Ruslan Leviev of the Conflict Intelligence Team, a group of researchers who have also tracked Wagners movements using online forensics.

An air campaign cant win the war and a ground invasion meant big losses, he added.

The casualty debate

Wagner casualty figures have long been a source of dispute  with journalists regularly tracking mercenary deaths amid government denials of the groups very existence.

Take Deir el-Zour. An oil-rich region in eastern Syria held by U.S. coalition forces, Deir el-Zour came under attack last February by troops loyal to the Syrian leadership. The U.S. response, according to both American and Syrian officials, was overwhelming and lethal.

Later reports surfaced that Russians  perhaps as few as five, perhaps as many as 200  were among the dead. U.S. officials eventually confirmed the outlines of the story, saying a couple hundred Russians had been killed in the attack.

Moscow has scoffed at those numbers, insisting its own troops had suffered no losses.

Enter Africa

In the Central African Republic, some contend Wagners mission has shifted once again  this time, to protect economic as well as political interests.

Media reports suggest Wagnerites are there to flush out  or, perhaps, blend in with  175 Russian civilian and military instructors tasked within a larger United Nations mission aimed at shoring up the CARs government amid a civil war. The Kremlin has also openly worked with CAR to develop its diamond and mineral industries.

We conclude that the Russian civilian instructors in CAR are in fact Russian mercenaries from Wagner, says Conflict Intelligence Teams Ruslan Leviev.

Russian officials, in turn, stress the Russian presence is there with U.N. backing.

There is nothing sensational about the presence of Russian instructors in the Central African Republic, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. No one has been concealing anything.

Investigations, state media taboos

Attention has now turned to competing investigations -- both official and journalistic -- into the Russian journalists slayings.

Yet the sensitive nature of the Wagner story within Russia has long been clear.

Russian state media has largely ignored the story -- including allegations Wagners sponsor is Evgeny Prigozhin, a restaurateur whose ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have earned him the nickname Putins Chef -- and a place on U.S. sanctions lists.

State media reporting has instead argued the slain journalists were duped into shooting a documentary film for the Investigation Control Center, an outlet funded by the exiled oligarch-turned-Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The suggestion of political motivations is clear.

Meanwhile, independent observers argue that -- in the wake of Russian deaths in Syria and now the Central African Republic  its long past time for the Kremlin to lift the veil on Wagner.

The government's secrecy, they note, is largely due to Russian law that declares private mercenary groups illegal.

Second tragic call after the Deir-el-Zor incident last February, wrote the Moscow Carnegie Center analyst Dmitry Trenin in a post to Twitter (LINK) https://twitter.com/DmitriTrenin/status/1024603398480519168

The killing of three Russian investigative journalists in the Central African Republic makes it imperative that Russian private military/security companies are given proper status under Russian law."
  ,  Cookies        .          cookies.




Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Clearing skies after some morning rain. High near 70F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 50F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
At least eight out of every 10 local eaters who profess deep affection for Far Eastern flavors have yet to discover some of the Charleston areas most satisfying Southeast Asian snacks.

Thats a heck of a statistic as it stands, but the actual number of people missing out is probably even higher. AJ and Terry Hung of Tapio estimate food sales account for about 15 percent of revenue at their exuberant bubble tea cafe on Coming Street. Since food items cost roughly twice as much as Tapios popular beverages, that means a startling share of customers are slipping out without so much as sampling a popcorn chicken nugget.

We are still slowly building up our food side of the business, says Terry Hung, a former tech worker whos 10 years out of college. We understand that the foods that we sell are not typically seen in the South, so we want to slowly introduce it and get as much feedback as possible.

Interestingly, perhaps the biggest hindrance to Tapio being recognized as one of the peninsulas foremost interpreters of Thai and Taiwanese street foods is not the South in which its situated: Its the South it represents.

At this months Association for the Study of Food and Society conference in Madison, Wisconsin, a food educator presented her research on how Yelpers perceive restaurants specializing in immigrant cuisine. After analyzing 20,000 online reviews, Sara Kay concluded that diners record different impressions of restaurants featuring food from the Global North and those serving food from the Global South.

(If you havent spent time in a liberal arts classroom lately, Global South is the current favored term for places that used to be categorized as the third, or developing, world. It encompasses formerly colonized nations that continue to cope with severe income inequalities, regardless of where theyre located in relation to the Equator. India, Syria and Alabama are all in the Global South.)

What Kay found is that when Yelpers describe restaurants associated with the Global North, they use terms like cute or hidden gem. By contrast, when theyre writing positively about Mexican or Thai restaurants, theyre apt to characterize the setting as unpolished, and the cooking as untrained.

In other words, many Americans have a narrow-minded set of low and gritty expectations for authentic Asian restaurants. And Tapio, notably, exceeds them. This hypothesis remains unproven, but folks may well have overlooked Tapios contributions to the local steamed dumpling scene because the restaurant is what a Yelper would call cheek-squeezingly cute.

First opened in 2014 in a snug Spring Street venue, Tapio moved to its current address after Apartment A, a Tex-Mex extension of the now-defunct Taco Spot, moved out. As its predecessors name implies, the first-floor cluster of rooms is still recognizably residential, with wooden floors and a closed-up fireplace. But the hygge doesnt spring from architecture alone: The Hungs have bedecked their walls with artistic renditions of upbeat messages and stocked board games for visitors who fancy Jenga in the afternoon. (For customers more interested in work than play, Tapio has a remarkably strong wi-fi signal and usually at least one quiet nook.)

None of the above will come as news to downtown tweens, who are already firmly in Tapios camp. Almost without exception, they come for the tea drinks, including traditional milk tea in seven varieties; fruit tea; and frozen tea concoctions, such as honeydew and coconut taro.

Tapio also has started serving cheese tea, which involves a float of salty white cheese foam atop Thai coffee, or another sweetened tea of the customers choosing.

In boba-obsessed Taiwan, recognized as birthplace of the cheese tea trend, that combination of flavors registers as fairly radical. Its a different story in the U.S., where beat cops and brunch hostesses are well-acquainted with the taste of black coffee and a cheese Danish. Still, its fun to think that it only takes one year for an idea to find its way from a Taipei night market stall to a Charleston cafe.

As for the other teas, theyre excellent. Bubble tea is among those menu items often wrongly dismissed as about-the-same-everywhere, much like ranch dressing or diner gyros. But it only takes one encounter with listless tapioca balls, weak tea or flavorless popping boba (the fruit juice counterpart to traditional starchy pearls) to fact-check that fable. At Tapio, the tea and accoutrements are admirably fresh.

Like the drinks, the dishes at Tapio are borne of popular culture, not hallowed cooking traditions. Theyre supposed to be whimsical: Its OK if you dont spend hours contemplating the exact composition of their sauces or their place in Charlestons culinary culture. When taro fries show up with double-fried chicken tucked into steamed buns, thats not so much an insult to intelligence as a gift to the id.

Other than the buns, which also serve as pleasantly pliable holders for fried tofu wedges and sauteed mushrooms, the menu includes a scant five items. The pad Thai skews slightly sweet, along the lines of ketchup-laced Japanese spaghetti, but the super skinny rice noodles are a nice touch. Theyre also a nod to AJ Hungs hometown in Thailand, where a street vendor swore by the unorthodox width: He believed the noodles didnt tear as easily as the thicker, chewier kind.

Still, Tapios dumplings have a slight edge over the noodles, in part because the pork concealed within them is vividly seasoned. Whether steamed or fried, the dumplings are accompanied by a soy-rich dipping sauce that also performs nicely when applied to the aforementioned taro fries.

Sauce also plays a critical role in Tapios single best creation: A scallion pancake, wrapped around a glimmering slowly stewed beef shank, green onions and cucumber slivers. The Hungs had to give up making the pancake from scratch, because their kitchen wasnt correctly equipped to produce it, but the outsourced flatbread still has a terrific oniony resonance with its stuffing.

Yet what vaults the sandwich into the pantheon of umami greatness is its assertive soy-based sauce, another artifact of AJ Hungs personal food history. Her grandmother developed the recipe incorporating fish sauce, sesame oil and dried spices that draw out the twin sensations of sweetness and heat.

As much as I love the beef wrap, I possibly loved Tapios punchy yellow curry even more. But theres no point in elaborating on it, because the Hungs last week took it off the menu to make room for a new curry theyve developed.

We go through a pretty extensive process, when coming up with new dishes, Terry Hung tells me. Only items that the Hungs have sampled in Asia are eligible for consideration, and everything has to be approved by their taste-testing team prior to release. In short, there's a better than nine out of 10 chance that the forthcoming curry, along with a series of noodle soups now in the evaluation phase, is going to be worth adding to your boba order.
A veteran family law attorney in North Charleston received a three-year suspension Wednesday after the S.C. Supreme Court determined he had withheld services and payments from several clients whom he had left in the lurch.

Frampton Durban, who once served as the state Department of Social Services' chief attorney in Charleston County, was accused of deserting five clients by packing up his West Montague Avenue office, leaving town with no forwarding address and ignoring their calls.

He later blew off a summons to appear before the state court system's disciplinary office and ignored a subpoena for several case files, according to a court order.

Durban had been placed on an interim suspension when the complaints surfaced in 2016, and the Supreme Court credited that down time toward the three-year penalty imposed on him Wednesday. The former Mount Pleasant resident could not immediately be reached for comment on the decision.

Durban, a lawyer since 1975, went into private practice in 2012 after DSS fired him from his $78,000 a-year job. He had been accused of double-dipping by teaching courses at Trident Technical College on state time. The agency also said he lied to his superiors, engaged in forgery and improperly used his state vehicle and other resources.

Durban denied those allegations and insisted he had been targeted for criticizing agency policies.

The most recent allegations accuse Durban of ignoring calls and emails from clients who had hired him to represent them in cases involving divorce, child custody, abuse allegations and other matters. Durban disappeared in the midst of one divorce proceeding, failed to turn over key paperwork and a refund to another client, and performed no work at all for a third client who had paid him $1,500, the order stated.

When finally reached by the court system's Office of Disciplinary Counsel in the spring of 2016, Durban defended some of his actions and pledged to cooperate with investigators. But he failed to show for a meeting in which he was to answer questions under oath and surrender documents. He then ignored follow-up attempts to reach him, the order stated.

In addition his suspension, Durban has been ordered to pay $7,633 owed to clients within 30 days, and he must compensate the state for the unspecified cost of the investigation and disciplinary proceeding stemming from his actions. He also must complete classes on legal ethics, trust accounts and law office management.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Even before the specter of a trade war with China and other countries threatened to cost them billions of dollars, American farmers were feeling the squeeze from fluctuating crop prices and other factors that have halved their overall income in recent years.

The threat of counter-tariffs on U.S. farm goods and the impact of President Donald Trumps other policies on immigration and biofuels, though, have some farmers more worried than ever about their ability to continue eking out an existence in agriculture.

"No matter where you look in ag right now, you see storm clouds on the horizon and some of those are a lot closer overhead than wed care for," said Chad Hart, an agricultural economist with Iowa State University.

Trumps tariff threats earlier this year against China, Mexico, Canada and European Union elicited quick retaliatory measures that depressed the prices of certain U.S. agricultural products, including corn, soybeans, pork. When $34 billion worth of tariffs against China took effect July 6 and China responded with tariffs of its own, U.S. farmers were already feeling the squeeze from lower crop prices, higher land prices and other factors.

The Department of Agriculture predicted before the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs that U.S. farm income would drop this year to $60 billion, or half the $120 billion of five years ago. That projection is likely high, given whats transpired since.

Don Bloss, who grows corn, soybeans, sorghum and wheat on his farm in the southeastern Nebraska community of Pawnee City, said hes already seen a few neighbors quit farming as they struggled to make a profit even before the tariff battle began this year.

"They arent making money. One has said the banker is giving up on them," said Bloss.

John Weber, who raises pigs and grows corn and soybeans with his son about 100 miles northeast of Des Moines, near Dysart, said many farmers budgets were already tight going into this growing season and the impact of tariffs has made it worse.

"Some were given the go-ahead for another year, but boy, you start looking at these lower prices and the extra costs that are out there now it gets tough. It just doesnt work," he said.

Per-bushel soybean prices have fallen 19 percent since early May to a 10-year low and corn is down more than 15 percent. At current prices, most farmers lose money on corn, soybeans and pigs.

U.S. pork producers stand to lose more than $2 billion per year because of plunging hog futures prices, the result of the Chinese retaliatory tariffs, according to Iowa State University economists projections.

"That means less income for pork producers and, ultimately, some of them going out of business," said Jim Heimerl, a pig farmer from Johnstown, Ohio, and president of the National Pork Producers Council, an industry trade group.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has promised that Trump will restore farmer profitability but he hasnt specified how and some economists are skeptical that the administration can come up with the billions of dollars necessary to cover losses.

"If this continues and the USDA does not discover a way to helicopter in and drop buckets of cash into the corn belt this fall, then I would not be surprised if there are tractor parades going to DC at some point in the next year," said Scott Irwin, University of Illinois agricultural economist.

Theres no sign of a quick resolution to the trade dispute. The U.S. and China have threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs next week on $16 billion of each others goods. And on Tuesday, Trump announced plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports by the end of August. China said it would retaliate, leaving even more U.S. farm products at risk.

Meanwhile, Trumps hardline immigration policies have been making it even harder to recruit workers for pork producers, who have historically relied on immigrants for a third of their workforce. The industry had been planning a rapid expansion due to growing export demand from China and Mexico, but the trade dispute and raids spring immigration raids on a Tennessee meatpacking plant and an Iowa concrete plant have worried pork producers.

"Skilled and unskilled foreign workers have been crucial to maintaining and growing the workforce and revitalizing rural communities across the United States. We need more of them, not less," Heimerl said.

The Trump administrations willingness to issue waivers exempting petroleum refineries from having to blend ethanol into their fuels has led to an estimated 250 million bushels of corn going unused, which contributed to lower corn prices.

"Theres potential here for this to turn into the worst farm financial crisis since the 1980s," Irwin said.
Music lovers will be on cloud nine  one for each local band  at this years Foster Fest . Pure Rock Studios, Breakthrough, The Lonely Knees, Booker and Friends, Push and Turn, Hair of the Dog, Jae Havoc, Loud Mouth Brass, and Sterling and the Silver Lining are all on the bill representing everything from hip hop to bluegrass, so youll be sure to find tunes you dig.

In its second year, the fest takes place this Saturday. Area musicians Oliver Books (26), Clay Ebertowski (21) , and Coltan Ebertowski (28) founded and organized the fest last year using music as a way to foster positive change in our community.

The "fostering" on this musical cake is that it raises funds and awareness for Mission 21, a local group founded to "provide resource and restoration to victims of human trafficking." Ultimately, Mission 21 hopes to help victims of sexual exploitation re-enter society as survivors.

Last year, Foster Fest raised more than $6,000 for the organization. Coltan thinks its important to support this cause because human trafficking, especially here in our own community, is a difficult problem to see, let alone to help. Mission 21 is trying to bridge that gap. Though there arent any specific fundraising goals this year, Clays hoping the fest will raise even more money than last year.

This year, the event has expanded. "We have totally revamped the festival, last year was a big learning experience" says Oliver. "We have grown in pretty much every aspect. There will be more stuff to do, cooler prizes, radical t-shirts, and outstanding local bands."

The three organizers have big plans for the future. "We are looking forward to making Foster Fest an annual event that brings the community together each summer for this great cause," says Coltan. "In the coming years, we are aiming to add regional and national bands, fireworks at the end of the night, and possibly even expanding to have the stage down on the beach."

In addition to a full day of live music, the fest will also offer food vendors, arts vendors, a bounce house, raffles, and more. Water Parks of Minnesota, the new inflatable water park at Foster Arend beach, will donate $5 of every wristband purchased during the event to Mission 21, so bring your sunblock.

The positivity demonstrated by three young area musicians is infections. Theyre making their own opportunities to promote the arts while strengthening community bonds and supporting an initiative to assist those negatively affected by trafficking. "This is an incredible town filled with incredible people, so lets all get together for a day of fun!" says Oliver.
RED WING  Many people roll their eyes at the thought of attending a play written by Henrik Ibsen. Works by the great Norwegian storyteller have a reputation for being dark, moody, plodding, and heavy.

But theyre also surprisingly timeless and relevant. Ibsens "An Enemy of the People," which opens Friday in Red Wing, is particularly applicable to the times were in now.

The production, by Twin Cities-based Sod House Theater, will be presented through Sunday in Red Wings historic Colvill Park. And to spruce up the Norwegian woods setting of the play, the show will be accompanied by live bluegrass music.

All of that should put a new shine on Ibsens classic about a communitys reaction when a local doctor threatens to reveal that the water on which the town relies to attract tourists is tainted. How far will the townspeople go to protect their secret and avoid financial ruin?

Sod House Theater was founded to present works that are relevant to smaller communities and perform them in venues that are historically important to the area.

Red Wings Colvill Park is located on the Mississippi River and is a popular spot for viewing eagles, especially during the late-winter months. The park is named for Col. William Colvill, who led the First Minnesota regiment at the battle of Gettysburg. A show about water performed near a river. It doesnt get more relevant than that.
Dive shop business Axe Murderer Tours Guam has filed a lawsuit to seek records from the Air Force involving a diving service contract, bid offers and other related documents.

The dive shop filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the federal District Court of Guam after it didn't receive documents it had requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Axe Murderer sought memos, emails and records of meetings, phone calls and investigations associated with a 2012 dive service contract.

In addition, the dive shop sought documents related to requests for proposals, contract awards and other documents that, according to the business, may have changed or influenced the outcome of the award of the dive service contract.

The lawsuit states the business is entitled to an order compelling the Department of Defense to produce the records being sought.

The suit was filed on behalf of Trent Scheibe, president of Axe Murderer Tours Guam. The plaintiff is represented by attorney Jeffrey Cook.

The company stated on its website it was awarded a contract for Andersen Air Force Base's Dive Center on Jan. 1, 2013. Within the first two years of being open at Andersen, the company stated it had certified more than 3,500 divers. Its Andersen contract ended after five years.
Italian national Nicola Marinelli, the 27-year-old man arrested and charged in connection with the installation of skimming devices on certain ATM machines on Guam, told authorities he was recruited to conduct the alleged scheme by a person with possible ties to organized crime in Italy.

This information from the defendant is stated in a magistrate's complaint filed against in the Superior Court of Guam.

Through an interpreter, the defendant admitted to police he had been having financial difficulties, the court document states.

The "defendant further admitted that a male known to him only as 'Michelle' approached him in Italy and asked if he could place skimming devices on Guam. Defendant indicated to police that 'Michele' might have connections to organized crime in Italy," the court document states.

The defendant told authorities he arrived on Guam on Aug. 1, 2018, with three skimming devices, which he intended to place on various ATM locations.

The defendant confessed to installing one skimming device at a "big building with a lot of shopping places" and another skimming device at a Subway restaurant "far away from [his] hotel," the court document states. He stayed in a Tamuning hotel, the court document states.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

Skimming devices used to steal credit and debit card numbers were found in a Bank of Guam ATM at the Micronesia Mall and at another ATM at Subway in Agat.

The defendant appeared in court this afternoon but without an interpreter, the proceeding had to be rescheduled.

Marinelli was arrested Monday after a Bank of Guam manger picking up pizza for his family noticed a familiar looking man in front of him. The man matched the description of an ATM skimming suspect whose photos had circulated on social media with surveillance footage released by the FBI.

Police were notified and responded to the Tamuning Pizza Hut where they took Marinelli into custody. His gray Mazda rental car was impounded and later searched after police obtained a search warrant.

Marinelli was jailed on suspicion of violating the Anti-Skimming Act and charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, theft by deception, identity theft, theft of property, criminal mischief and conspiracy for both of the criminal cases.
Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association President Mary Rhodes told Rotary Club of Guam members that the island is the most expensive destination when compared to its Southeast Asian competitors.

Rhodes spoke Thursday at the Pacific Star Resort & Spa about recent efforts by certain lawmakers to impose new taxes and fees on the island's struggling tourism industry.

"Pricing is our biggest complaint," Rhodes said. "Guam is becoming less competitive."

For Japanese travelers, it's more expensive to fly to Guam than it is to fly to mainland China, Vietnam or Hong Kong, she said.

During her presentation, she showed current prices for round-trip flights from Japan's Narita airport. It costs $246 to fly to Shanghai, $688 to fly to Hawaii and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam costs $500. A flight to Guam is the highest at $765.

Spending habits have changed, she said, and visitors are being a lot more economical.

The average visitor spending per person, per trip, has fallen 24 percent over the past 12 years, tourism industry data show.

"They used to spend $666 in 2006, now they're only spending $438," Rhodes said.

"We're talking about loss of revenue, lower margins."

'A really bad bill'

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

The bill introduced this week by Sens. Wil Castro and Joe San Agustin would make the island an even more expensive destination, Rhodes said, by adding a $50 head tax onto each arriving visitor for a medical insurance program.

"It's been tried before," without success, she said, adding that federal regulations would prevent the airport from collecting the kind of fee proposed.

"It's pork-barreling at its best," said Rhodes, who pointed out that the bill proposes funding for many different agencies, and only 25 percent would go to Guam Memorial Hospital, despite the claims of its authors.

"It's a really bad bill," she said.

The industry is trying to get back on track to make sure the island is attracting the right customers who will spend money on Guam, she said.

Privatize GVB?

The recent attempt to raise the hotel occupancy tax was another misguided effort, she said. The money collected from the hotel tax is deposited into the Tourist Attraction Fund.

Funds from the TAF are meant to support the Guam Visitors Bureau's efforts to grow the tourism industry, she said, not to make up for shortfalls in GovGuam's budget.

Rhodes suggested that it may be time to start thinking about making GVB "an independent agency like it is in Hawaii and a lot of other places where it's privatized," she said.
Members of Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian and the Haya Foundation gathered for a peaceful ceremony Thursday in solidarity with environmental and preservation groups hoping to win their case at the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The two nonprofits held the joint event just after sunrise at the Guma Yo'amte (House of Traditional Healing) in the Sagan Kotturan CHamoru Cultural Center.

The goal was to set forth positive intentions and peaceful prayers before oral arguments began in a federal case that involves the Tinian Women Association, Guardians of Gani, PaganWatch and the Center for Biological Diversity, and their legal representative, Earthjustice.

The CNMI-based groups are suing the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense for violating the National Environmental Policy Act and Administrative Procedure Act, stating that they failed to consider the impact of the military's planned relocation efforts and the potential construction of live-fire training ranges on Tinian and Pagan, according to Prutehi Litekyan.

Their lawsuit asks the federal court to toss the military's 2010 and 2015 records of decision for buildup in the CNMI.

Impact on Tinian, Pagan

Tinian would be subjected to high-decibel noise and restricted access to fishing grounds, cultural sites and recreational beaches, the lawsuit states, adding that Pagan faces ship-to-shore naval bombardment and the destruction of native forests, coral reefs and prime farmland.

In response to the lawsuit, the military in a statement asked for the case to be dismissed, arguing that the court does not have authority to "direct an executive branch agency to reconsider a course of executive action that is the subject of a binding international agreement."

If the case is won and the records of decision are thrown out, however, military plans could come to a halt on Guam, as well. As many as 5,000 Marines are poised to relocate to Guam from a military base in Okinawa, Japan, between 2024 and 2027, according to Daily Post files, as part of an $8 billion realignment strategy.

"Obviously, there are indigenous people in these groups who feel strongly about the harmful impacts of the buildup in the Marianas. For the Department of Defense to say that there is no case (is) a complete slap in the face to these various groups, who are really just trying to protect their home," said Maria Hernandez, an active member of Prutehi Litekyan.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

'Tears of joy, pain, sorrow, hope and love'

Forming a circle at the cultural center, community members and group representatives observed a traditional CHamoru chant performed by practitioners, and then blew kulu (conch shells) before each participant had a chance to offer their hopes for the federal case.

"The presence was based on love, and how powerful is that?" said Zita Pangelinan, president of the Haya Foundation. "It was beautiful. There were tears of joy, pain, sorrow, hope and love."

Prutehi Litekyan members believe the case ruling will have an indefinite effect on Guam's military buildup and the way environmental impact studies are conducted in the future.

"If the judge rules in favor of Earthjustice, then it could change the way things are moving (on Guam). ... It could take them back to the drawing board," Hernandez said.

Regardless of the ruling, however, the case brings into question whether environmental impact studies are conducted correctly at all, according to Kelly Marsh-Taitano, an original member of Prutehi Litekyan, who is running for a seat in the 35th Guam Legislature.

She said the court ruling may put pressure on future impact studies, including on Guam's military buildup.

"When we look at environmental impact studies, we see some real problems and we want to make sure that, at the very least, the studies are done correctly before anything that cannot be replaced is removed," said Marsh-Taitano, who also is an adjunct professor at the University of Guam.

The senatorial candidate added that when environmental impact studies are conducted by organizations such as the Department of Defense, the decisions made following the results might not always be in the best interest of the environment and community.

"People think that once the study is done, that means the best course of action has to be chosen. That's not really the case," Marsh-Taitano said. "It doesn't mean that they have to choose the one that is the best for everybody."
The Associated Press has a relatively anodyne story, given the sensational facts:

The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday. 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.

Siraj Ibn Wahhaj. Huh. No reference to Islam or Muslims in the AP story. No surprise there. To learn more, we have to go to other sources, like the Daily Caller:

The son of a prominent Brooklyn-based imam was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit schools shootings, prosecutors said in court documents released Wednesday. Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 39, was training 11 children at a compound north of Taos, New Mexico, according to The Associated Press. Authorities raided the compound Friday and arrested Wahhaj, two of his siblings and two other men during a search for Wahhajs son, who had been abducted from Georgia late in 2017.

***

Residents in Amalia, New Mexico, near the Colorado border, had complained for months about the squalid conditions of the makeshift compound before Fridays raid, according to news reports. Authorities recovered multiple firearms as well as an AR-15.

***

Wahhajs father, also named Siraj, is a controversial cleric with close ties to Muslim rights groups like the Islamic Circle of North American, the Muslim American Society and the Center for American Islamic Relations. The elder Wahhaj was also an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case. He was a character witness for Omar Abdel Rahman, the so-called Blind Sheikh.

A character witness for the Blind Sheikhwhat a wonderful concept! The son evidently is following in the fathers Islamist footsteps, trying to murder as many Americans as possible. Lets just hope that President Trump can re-orient the federal government away from the Obama administrations promotion of pro-terrorist organizations like CAIR, and toward self-preservation.
Byron York reports:

Emails in 2016 between former British spy Christopher Steele and Justice Department official Bruce Ohr suggest Steele was deeply concerned about the legal status of a Putin-linked Russian oligarch, and at times seemed to be advocating on the oligarchs behalf, in the same time period Steele worked on collecting the Russia-related allegations against Donald Trump that came to be known as the Trump dossier. The emails show Steele and Ohr were in frequent contact, that they intermingled talk about Steeles research and the oligarchs affairs, and that Glenn Simpson, head of the dirt-digging group Fusion GPS that hired Steele to compile the dossier, was also part of the ongoing conversation.

(Emphasis added)

The Russian oligarch in question, Oleg Deripaska, is quite a guy. Years ago, the U.S. revoked Deripaskas visa, reportedly on the basis of suspected involvement with Russian organized crime. In addition, Deripaska was close to Paul Manafort.

Most significantly, Deripaska is one of the Russians sanctioned this year by the Trump administration due to Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election. Yet, as Byrons report shows, Christoper Steele, author of the anti-Trump dossier, was Deripaskas advocate before an apparently sympathetic Bruce Ohr, the number four person in the Obama Justice Department.

Byron concludes:

The emails raise a clear question of whether Steele was working, directly or indirectly, with Oleg Deripaska at the same time Steele was compiling the dossier  and whether the Justice Department, along with Simpson and Fusion GPS, was part of the project.

I agree.
According to Goldstein Research, global automotive drive shaft market is estimated at USD 5.6 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to reach USD 9.4 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period 2016-2024.

Automotive Drive Shaft Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 11:53:46

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/





# 443 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, global automotive drive shaft market is estimated at USD 5.6 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to reach USD 9.4 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period 2016-2024.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-automotive-drive-shaft-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 The rise in production & sales of automotive across the world is driving the growth of the market. Global automotive drive shaft market segmentation has been done on the basis of product type, vehicle type and geography. Geographically, global automotive drive shaft industry is dominated by Asia Pacific region, due to high sales of automobiles in the region, with major revenue contribution from China & India. Asia Pacific is closely followed by Europe, owing to presence of large automotive industry and top manufacturers in the region.Market SegmentationGlobal Automotive Drive Shaft Market can be segmented as follows:By Product Types Flexible Drive-Shaft Torque Tube Drive-Shaft Hotchkiss Drive-ShaftBy Vehicle Type Passenger Cars LCV (Light Commercial vehicles) HCV (Heavy Commercial vehicles)By Region North America Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Europe Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Middle East And Africa Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Latin America Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Asia Pacific Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Rest Of The World Automotive Drive Shaft Market Analysis, 2016-2024Get Some More Information About Automotive Drive Shaft MarketGlobal Automotive Drive Shaft Market Outlook 2024 contains detailed overview of the global automotive drive shaft market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by product type, vehicle type and geography.The Global Automotive Drive Shaft Market Report highlights the competitive outlook of key players in the industry and the company profiling includes analysis of business strategies, revenue distribution by different segments, financial reports, investments by the company and other information to provide business outlook.Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/global-automotive-drive-shaft-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 Key players of the global automotive drive shaft market discussed in the report are: GKN PLC, NTN, Dana Holding Corporation, Nexteer, Hyundai-Wia, Yamada Manufacturing, American Axle Manufacturing Inc., JTEKT, Neapco, Meritor, Showa, SDS, Yuandong, Wanxiang, Guansheng, Lingyun, Hengli, Danchuan, IFA Rotorion, etc.Further, Global Automotive Drive Shaft Market Report encompasses the analysis of market drivers, opportunities, trends, challenges, risk analysis, SWOT analysis, market attractiveness, Porters five force model and BPS analysis. The report also includes the automotive drive shaft market share, market size and annual growth rate, forecast on basis of estimated market size, market growth rate and ongoing & future anticipated trends in the market.Browse Similar Report:
Blood Collection,

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 14:48:26

Press Information

worldwidemarketreports

Worldwide Market Reports 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154, U.S



mr shah

CEO

4158710703

email

https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/





# 866 Words

Worldwide Market Reports 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154, U.SCEO4158710703

Blood Collection is used in venous blood and arterial blood collection process.Scope of the Report:This report studies the Blood Collection 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 Blood Collection market by product type and applications/end industries.The classification of blood collection includes serum separating tubes, EDTA tubes, plasma separation tube and other. The proportion of EDTA tubes in 2015 is about 42.3%, and the proportion of serum separating tubes in 2015 is about 39.4%. They are the most popular blood bolection tubes.Blood collection is widely used in venous blood collection and capillary blood collection. The most proportion of blood collection is used in venous blood collection, and the market share in 2015 is about 64.8%.Request Sample of Copy of the Business Report: https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/198153 Market competition is intense between the giant. Becton Dickinson, Terumo, Greiner Bio One, Medtronic, SEKISUI Medical, Sarstedt, etc. are the leaders of the industry, and they hold key technologies and patents, with high-end customers; have been formed in the monopoly position in the industry.The global Blood Collection market is valued at 3590 million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach 5500 million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 7.3% 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.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Blood Collection.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 covers:Becton Dickinson,Terumo,Greiner Bio One,Medtronic,SEKISUI Medical,Sarstedt,Narang Medical,F.L. Medical,Improve-medical,Hongyu Medical,TUD,SanLI,Gong Dong,CDRICH,SZBOONMarket 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, covers:Serum Separating Tubes,EDTA Tubes,Plasma Separation Tube ,OthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Venous Blood Collection,Capillary Blood CollectionChapters Covered In This Report:There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Blood Collection Market market.Chapter 1, to describe Blood Collection Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Blood Collection Market, with sales, revenue, and price of Blood Collection Market, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Blood Collection Market, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Blood Collection Market market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Blood Collection Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceImportant Points From TOC Covered In Report:1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Blood Collection Market Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 Global Blood Collection Market Market Analysis by Regions5 North America Blood Collection Market by Countries, Type, Application and Manufacturers6 Europe Blood Collection Market by Countries, Type, Application and Manufacturers7 Asia-Pacific Blood Collection Market by Countries, Type, Application and Manufacturers8 South America Blood Collection Market by Countries, Type, Application and Manufacturers9 Middle East and Africa Blood Collection Market by Countries, Type, Application and Manufacturers10 Global Blood Collection Market Market Segment by Type11 Global Blood Collection Market Market Segment by Application12 Blood Collection Market Market Forecast (2018-2023)13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 Appendix** 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 0703
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 08:02:02

Box Moves Into New Tokyo Office as It Continues International Expansion

Box

Titus Thomson, 44(0)7598029952

titus@box.com

Box, Inc. (NYSE: BOX), a leader in cloud content management, today announced the opening of its new Tokyo office. Based in the heart of the city, Box has moved into the 15th floor of the Tekko Building beside Tokyo Station, to provide room to grow while remaining close to its customers.

Were on a rapid international growth trajectory, said Stephanie Carullo, COO of Box. Japan is an important market for us and weve seen continued growth since our launch there in 2013. Were committed to investing in the country as we help Japanese enterprises make the shift to the cloud for content management. As we move into a new, larger office space we will expand our presence in Tokyo and across Japan.

Were growing quickly in Japan thanks to the increasing demand for work style reform, said Katsunori Furuichi, K.K. Box Japan president and managing director. Organizations across all sectors are looking for ways to digitize their businesses and become more flexible around content and their working styles. Tokyo is a strategic hub for serving large multinational Japanese businesses, and were thrilled to move to this new location in the city.

Since Box opened its first office in Tokyo in 2013, it has continued to forge partnerships and attract customers from multiple sectors. Today it employs almost 100 people in Tokyo with plans to continue to expand in the next 12 months. The launch of Box Zones, Box Governance, and its Binding Corporate Rules approval have all contributed to Boxs success in Japan, by allowing even the most security-conscious companies to choose Box for cloud content management.

The new office is 21,000 square feet and has capacity for nearly 200 employees. The space has been designed with collaboration in mind. In addition to the many meeting rooms and collaborative workspaces, there is a Zen Room to promote well-being, a Mother's Room for new parents, and a large communal space to encourage a healthy work environment.

Box makes it easy for more than 85,000 organisations around the world to share, access, and collaborate on files securely. The new Tokyo office joins Boxs recent international expansion including newly opened offices in London, Sydney and Toronto.

About Box

Box (NYSE:BOX) is the cloud content management company that empowers enterprises to revolutionize how they work by securely connecting their people, information and applications. Founded in 2005, Box powers more than 85,000 businesses globally and 69% of the Fortune 500, including AstraZeneca, General Electric, P&G, and The GAP. Box is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with offices across the United States, Europe and Asia. To learn more about Box, visit http://www.box.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180808005

.@BoxHQ Moves Into New Tokyo Office as it Continues International Expansion
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 10:09:01

Press Information

InvestmentProperty.Loans

4425 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Ste. 250, Coral Gables, FL 33146



Zack North

Owner

3058175106

email

https://www.investmentproperty.loans/





# 609 Words

4425 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Ste. 250, Coral Gables, FL 33146Owner3058175106

MIAMI  (August XX, 2018) Commercial Direct, a new division of Silver Hill Funding, a commercial mortgage lender, has enjoyed great recent success with helping investors living in Florida to achieve their investment goals. Commercial Directs mortgage experts are now sharing these success stories on their educational website, InvestmentProperty.Loans The state of Florida has long been a popular place for investors to start new businesses. With year-long sunshine, a strong tourism market, and an ever-growing state population, it is no wonder so many investors flock to Florida.Still, Florida investors often have difficulty securing financing with traditional lending sources. In response to this, Commercial Direct is highlighting several examples of closed loans in Florida to give prospective borrowers a better idea of how they can succeed with their investment strategy.One such recent success story involved a retail strip mall in Hialeah, Florida. Stabilization issues prevented the borrower from working with banks, even though they possessed a high credit score. The mortgage experts at Commercial Direct were able to overcome this hurdle and help the borrower secure a long-term financing solution that met the borrowers needs.A more complicated situation took place in Lake Worth, Florida,and involved bank seasoning requirements. In this case, an investor sought to refinance their retail property less than two years after they made the initial purchase. Banks typically will not approve a loan request unless the borrower has owned the property for a longer period of time, so the investor had to look for an alternative solution. Thankfully, Commercial Direct was able to connect the investor with a loan solution that did not include any seasoning requirement. The investor was also able to get approved for the loan without having to provide tax returns.The final success story took place in St. Augustine, Florida. An investor wanted to purchase a retail property but struggled to work with banks because of the propertys occupancy issues. This made life difficult for the investor because they were trying to meet the sellers tight deadline. Commercial Direct was able to help this investor achieve their goals by working fast to help them obtain the commercial loan they needed.Potential investors can read more about the Florida success stories here: https://www.investmentproperty.loans/commercial-investment-opportunities-in-florida/ About Commercial DirectCommercial Direct is a division of Silver Hill Funding, LLC, a direct commercial mortgage lender that provides investors and small business owners with customizable commercial mortgages tailored to fit their unique needs. Commercial Directs online loan customizer enables borrowers to adjust numerous aspects of their loans to finance commercial real estate or multi-unit properties starting at $250,000. More information and online Commercial Direct mortgage loans are available at www.CommercialDirect.com ###Silver Hill Funding, LLC is the proposed lender. Commercial Direct is a division of Silver Hill Funding, LLC.The information provided herein is intended for business users only, and is not intended for use by the general public or individual consumers. Programs may be cancelled or modified at any time without prior notice. Programs may not be available in all jurisdictions. These materials are intended to provide general information to the reader. This information is made available with the understanding Commercial Direct, a division of Silver Hill Funding, LLC, is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Commercial Direct uses reasonable care in providing information but cannot guarantee accuracy or completeness. Information is provided with no warranty, express or implied, any and all such warranties are expressly disclaimed. Commercial Direct assumes no liability for any loss, damage, or expense from errors or omissions in these materials, whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise.
According to Goldstein Research, global connected gym equipment market is expected to cross USD 900 million by 2024 from estimated market size of USD 135.0 million in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 26.7% over the forecast period 2016-2024.

Connected Gym Equipment Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 12:01:56

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/





# 413 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, global connected gym equipment market is expected to cross USD 900 million by 2024 from estimated market size of USD 135.0 million in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 26.7% over the forecast period 2016-2024.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-connected-gym-equipment-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 The growth in the adoption of smart fitness wears and increasing health awareness among the people is driving the growth of the market. Global connected gym equipment market segmentation has been done on the basis of product type, distribution channel and geography. Geographically, global connected gym equipment industry is dominated by North America with a market share of 33.0% in 2016 due to high adoption of smart wearable technology in North America.Market SegmentationGlobal Connected Gym Equipment Market can be segmented as follows:By Product Type Cardiovascular Training Equipment Treadmills Elliptical Stationary bike Rowing machine Others Strength Training Equipment Squat Rack. Barbells Bench Press. Incline bench press Dumbbells Other Other EquipmentBy Distribution Channels Offline Channels Online ChannelsBy Region North America Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Europe Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Middle East And Africa Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Latin America Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Asia Pacific Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Rest Of The World Connected Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/global-connected-gym-equipment-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 Global Connected Gym Equipment Market Outlook 2024 contains detailed overview of the global connected gym equipment market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by product type, distribution channel and geography.The Global Connected Gym Equipment Market Report includes the competitive outlook of major players in the market and the company profiling highlights the analysis of business strategies, revenue distribution, financial analysis, investments & new technologies adoption by the company and other information to provide business outlook.Key players of the global connected gym equipment market discussed in the report are: Brunswick Corporation, eGym, Les Mills International, Life Fitness, Precor, Technogym, Draper, Includefitness, Johnson Health Tech, Nautilu, etc.Further, Global Connected Gym Equipment Market Report encompasses the forecast market growth rate, market size and market share based on the market trends and estimated market data. The report also includes the analysis of dynamic factors such as growth drivers, market trends, market opportunities, market challenges, risk analysis, market attractiveness, SWOT analysis, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-sun-protection-products-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024
GCC Construction Chemicals Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 06:59:57

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/





# 665 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, huge construction industry of GCC region is majorly driving the growth of construction chemicals market by manufacturing, demand and supply. Construction materials are the building block of the construction industry and construction chemicals is one of them. Continuous advancements in the construction chemicals are witnessed in order to improve the strength, longevity, durability and holding and joining features such as adhesives and construction chemicals and concrete admixture.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/gcc-construction-chemicals-market According to Goldstein Research, huge construction industry of GCC region is majorly driving the growth of construction chemicals market by manufacturing, demand and supply. Construction materials are the building block of the construction industry and construction chemicals is one of them. Continuous advancements in the construction chemicals are witnessed in order to improve the strength, longevity, durability and holding and joining features such as adhesives and construction chemicals and concrete admixture. GCC construction chemicals market 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, there are certain challenges faced by the construction chemicals industry related to adverse environmental impacts. Chemicals used in the construction activities react with the environmental gasses which is harmful for the living beings over the long period of time.Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/gcc-construction-chemicals-market Market SegmentationOn the basis of our in-depth analysis, GCC construction chemicals market can be segmented as follows:By Construction chemicals Type Polyethylene (PE) Polypropylene (PP) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polystyrene (PS) Others (XLPE, EVA, etc.)By Construction chemicals Categories Thermoplastic polymers ThermosetsBy Application Film & Sheet Injection Molding Blow Molding FibersBy End-User Food and Beverages Industry Automotive Industry Healthcare Industry Consumer Goods Electronics Industry Others (Agriculture Industry, etc.)By Geography Saudi Arabia Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)} Qatar Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)} UAE Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)} Oman Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)} Kuwait Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)} Bahrain Construction chemicals Market {Market Share (%), Market Size (USD Billion)}GCC Construction chemicals Market Outlook 2025 contains detailed overview of the GCC Construction chemicals market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by polymers type, by polymers category, by applications and by end users.Further, for the in-depth analysis, GCC Construction chemicals Market Analysis encompasses the market 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. 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 embodies the GCC construction chemicals market trends along with market estimates that will aid market consultants, technology providers, existing players and new market players probing for opportunities and other stakeholders to positions their market centred strategies according to the evolving and expected trends in the future.Key queries answered in this GCC construction chemicals market report What is the GCC construction chemicals market size by 2025 and what would be the expected growth rate of the market? 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 construction chemicals market trends? What are the factors which are driving this market? What are the major barriers to construction chemicals market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market 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/gcc-sealants-market
According to Goldstein Research, global gym equipment market is expected to reach USD 12.1 billion by 2024 from an estimated market size of USD 8.7 billion in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period 2016-2024.

Global Gym Equipment Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 12:32:57

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/





# 412 Words

99 Wall Street ,Suite No- 527, New York, NY 10005Global Sales Head6465687747

According to Goldstein Research, global gym equipment market is expected to reach USD 12.1 billion by 2024 from an estimated market size of USD 8.7 billion in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period 2016-2024. The rising concerns over health and increasing demand for professional fitness services is driving the growth of gym equipment market. Global gym equipment market segmentation has been done on the basis of product type, distribution channel and geography. Geographically, global gym equipment industry is dominated by North America with a market share of 35.0% in 2016, owing to high personal disposable income and rising health & fitness awareness of people.Browse Full Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-gym-equipment-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 Market SegmentationGlobal Gym Equipment Market can be segmented as follows:By Product Type Cardiovascular Training Equipment Treadmills Elliptical Stationary bike Rowing machine Others Strength Training Equipment Squat Rack. Barbells Bench Press. Incline bench press Dumbbells Other Other EquipmentBy Distribution Channels Offline Channels Online ChannelsBy Region North America Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Europe Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Middle East And Africa Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Latin America Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Asia Pacific Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024 Rest Of The World Gym Equipment Market Analysis, 2016-2024Download Exclusive Sample Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/request-sample/global-gym-equipment-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024 Global Gym Equipment Market Outlook 2024 contains detailed overview of the global gym equipment market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by product type, distribution channel and geography.The Global Gym Equipment Market Report highlights the competitive analysis of major players and their company profiling discusses the business strategies analysis, revenue distribution by geography & business segments, financial analysis and investments by the company.Get More Information About Goldstein ResearchKey players of the global gym equipment market discussed in the report are: Amcor Limited, Mondi plc, DS Smith, DuPont, Ball Corporation, Georgia-Pacific LLC, International Paper Company, Evergym equipment, Tetra Laval Corporation, BioMass Packaging, Airlite Plastics, Cascades, Graham Packaging Company, etc.Further, Global Gym Equipment Market Report encompasses the analysis of market drivers, opportunities, trends, risk analysis, challenges, market attractiveness, Porters five force model, SWOT analysis and BPS analysis. The report also includes the market share, market size, growth rate, and relevant statistics to provide market insights to the stakeholders in the market in order to formulate business strategies.Browse Similar Report: https://www.goldsteinresearch.com/report/global-connected-gym-equipment-market-outlook-2024-global-opportunity-and-demand-analysis-market-forecast-2016-2024
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 19:29:15

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 370 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Ivrnet Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Calgary, Alberta (FSCWire) - Ivrnet Inc. (TSX Venture:IVI). has issued a press release with the following headline:Revamped NexText Sales Team Accelerates Product GrowthTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Ivrnet Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Ivrnet Inc.Source: Ivrnet Inc. (TSX Venture: IVI)Date: August 09, 2018Time: 1:27 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Ivrnet Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 16:28:44

Press Information





Published by

ACN Newswire

+65 6304 8926

e-mail

https://www.acnnewswire.com/







# 471 Words

ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926

SYDNEY, Aug 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia-Pacific specialist CRO Novotech has been awarded the "Exceeded Customer Expectations" Award by Life Science Leader magazine based on findings from sponsor companies that utilise outsourcing services. In particular, Novotech was recognised for its local market/regulatory knowledge and for meeting timelines. https://www.croleadershipawards.com/ As part of a 2018 review of the CRO industry from the biopharma perspective, Life Science Leader selected Novotech as a leader in a number of key categories including:- Local market/regulatory knowledge- Operational Excellence- Scientific knowledge- Therapeutic experience- Study design expertise- Responsiveness- Data quality- Meeting overall project timelinesAccording to Life Science Leader:"The vetting process for selecting outsourcing partners is time consuming and complex.To support the process, Life Science Leader developed the CRO Leadership Awards in 2012.We think sponsor company opinions are important and credible - that's why the awards are based on customer feedback.Winning CROs are chosen through impartial market research based on feedback from sponsor companies that utilize outsourcing services.Primary market research by Industry Standard Research (ISR) is the basis of the awards.Sponsors provide ratings of CROs based on recent outsourced projects. This experiential feedback is analyzed by sponsor company size to reveal leading CROs in different performance categories." Novotech CEO Dr John Moller said he was pleased Novotech was recognised by the industry for its expertise, especially for Asia-Pacific local market/regulatory knowledge."Novotech, known as the Asia-Pacific CRO, has offices and teams on the ground as well as MOUs and long-term relationships with major hospitals that directly benefit our clients." "Our in-country relationships enable a more comprehensive understanding of local regulatory changes, access to leading PIs, strong site connections, and productive patient populations to deliver success for our clients within timelines and budgets." Novotech was established in 1996, headquartered in Australia with offices in 11 countries across the region, and MOUs with major health providers.About Novotech - https://novotech-cro.com/welcome Headquartered in Sydney, Novotech is internationally recognised as the leading regional full-service contract research organisation (CRO). With a focus on clinical monitoring, Novotech has been instrumental in the success of hundreds of Phase I - IV clinical trials in the Asia Pacific region.Novotech provides clinical development services across all clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas including: feasibility assessments; ethics committee and regulatory submissions, data management, statistical analysis, medical monitoring, safety services, central lab services, report write-up to ICH requirements, project and vendor management. Novotech's strong Asia Pacific presence includes running clinical trials in all key regional markets. Novotech also has worldwide reach through the company's network of strategic partners.For RFP enquiries: Please fill out the form available at www.novotech-cro.com/contact-us-0 Media ContactSusan Fitzpatrick-Napier, communications@ novotech-cro.com , AU: +61 2 8218 2144, USA: +1 415 951 3228, Asia: +65 3159 3427
PR-Inside.com: 2018-08-09 11:10:57

Press Information





Published by

ACN Newswire

+65 6304 8926

e-mail

https://www.acnnewswire.com/







# 443 Words

ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926

Invites hackers to attack cybersecurity platform during Black Hat 2018 / DEFCON26Las Vegas-DEFCON, Aug 8, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Trillium Secure, Inc. (Trillium) the global leader in cybersecurity protection and secure data lifecycle management for vehicles and fleets, today puts out a challenge to the world's top security researchers to hack Trillium SecureGO(TM) in-vehicle network cybersecurity defense.SecureGO is one component of the company's multi-layered Trillium Secure(TM) subscription service that defends against cyber-attacks and ensures the safety, privacy and integrity of vehicular data throughout its lifecycle. Trillium Secure includes SecureGO (in-vehicle defense), SecureIXS(TM) (firewall defense), SecureOTA(TM) (over-the-air defense) and SecureSKYE(TM) (cloud-based machine learning defense and remote management). Learn more at: https://trilliumsecure.com "Our engineers and penetration testers attack SecureGO, SecureIXS, SecureOTA and SecureSKYE daily. It is time, once again, to challenge the world's top hackers to penetrate SecureGO's cyber-defense," said David M. Uze, Trillium Secure founder and CEO. "The 'DEFCON26 Pass-GO Challenge' kicks off our quarterly challenge to hack SecureGO. For the latest 'Pass-GO Challenge' instructions, terms and conditions please visit: https://trilliumsecure.com/hackme/ If any security researcher successfully hacks all three layers of the 'DEFCON26 Pass-GO Challenge', Trillium is offering a one week, expenses paid trip to Tokyo. Second and third runners-up will receive cash bounties.Next quarter's Trillium Pass-GO Hacking Challenge will be announced on October 3, 2018 at https://trilliumsecure.com/media/#blog About Trillium Secure, Inc.Trillium delivers comprehensive cybersecurity protection and secure data lifecycle management for vehicles and fleets. Its Trillium Secure subscription service utilizes multi-layered cybersecurity technology that hardens connected and autonomous vehicles and fleets against cyber-attacks. Trillium also offers an authenticated operational and threat management data solution for fleet vehicles that preserves privacy, confidentiality and anonymity of data while at rest and in motion. Trillium serves fleet operators, rideshare services, automotive manufacturers, aerospace and defense organizations, insurance companies, mobile carriers and telematics integrators with its proprietary multi-layered, patented & patent pending solutions and services. Value-added service providers trust secure, authentic data from Trillium for car sharing, digital forensics, preventive maintenance, telematics, usage-based insurance and other services. Trillium design centers and fleet security operation sites are located in Sunnyvale, Ann Arbor, Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo. Trillium will open a European design center in the third quarter of this year. For more information visit www.trilliumsecure.com and follow us on LinkedIn.Press Contact: Howard LeydaEmail: Howard.Leyda@TrilliumSecure.com Topic: New Security IssueSectors: Electronics, Daily Finance, Security/Biometrics, Automotive, Engineering, FinTech/Chains, Venture Capital, DigitalFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright  2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Wednesday revealed one of the secrets for his closeness to God.

Noted by members of the church and others for signs, wonders and miracles, he said, the reason people have noticed that God answers my prayers quickly is because I am an incurable soul winner, which is one of the requirements for having dominion.

If you invite me to your function and hand me the microphone to make remarks you must be sure that I will use the opportunity to win souls, he said.

He was preaching the first sermon at the churchs 66th annual convention, holding at the Redemption Camp, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The theme of the weeklong convention is Dominion.

He identified the other two other major requirements for having spiritual, physical, economic, marital and other forms of dominion as the readiness to go after backslidden people to bring them back to Christ; and having faith.

Mr Adeboye also noted holiness, which God does not compromise.

In a relatively short and straightforward sermon, devoid uncharacteristically of testimonies or illustrations, he took the thousands of worshippers in the auditorium of the Camp and those at viewing centres around the world through a compelling case for people to depart from sinful life to embrace Jesus Christ in order to become a new creature.

Reading from 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new) he said God wants people who are new creatures to enjoy dominion because they become brand new and old things about them have passed away.

He broke the term new creature down for clarity: From the verse above, we have two words new creature worthy of consideration.New and Creature New: is the opposite of something old or stale.

Creature: Something made from scratch, not refurbished, not repainted or copied  it is like an original work of art.

Therefore, he said, a new creature in Christ is not the former man patched up or reformed; he is somebody completely new.

Using the example of Paul, he recalled that he used to be confused by the Apostles claim that he had wronged no man, because of his involvement in the persecution of followers of Christ.

However, Mr Adeboye recalled how he later got the revelation that by his conversion, Paul became a new creature  all his atrocities wiped out, a new slate.

A new creature in Christ has no old history, he stressed. The moment you say I do to Jesus and surrendered, you become a new creature.

Such people dump their old selves and all the burdens they carried:

Pointing out that old self was under the dominion of sin, he listed the burdens that went with it:

Those under the dominion of sin are subject to sickness, as was the case of the paralytic, who Jesus healed by merely forgiving his sins.

Those under dominion of sin are also:

 subjected to hardship (Proverbs 13:6 way of transgressor is hard)

 subjected to forces of darkness (1 John 3:8)

 subjected to sorrows (Psalm 32:10;Psalm 16:4)

 subjected to constant divine anger (Psalm 7:11)

 subjected to fear of an uncertain future (Isaiah 3:11)

 All manner of terrible things occur to a sinner.

Conversely, he said happily, the new creature has dominion over sin and that is what makes the change wonderful.

Other benefits are that:

 As a new creature you are dead to sin.

 Christ liveth in me.

 You become a terror to Satan by resisting him.

 Hardship is no more your portion (Matthew 11:28-30)

 Failure can no longer have dominion over you (Philippians 4:13)

 Sorrow can no longer have dominion over you (Psalm 32:11). It is replaced by joy. Joy is not the same as happiness because happiness is due to happenings, while joy is like a spring and comes from the Lord

 Your dominion as a new creature is recognized in heaven because you become a member of the family of God(John 1:11-12)

 From the moment you surrender to Jesus, the family of God rejoices with you (2 Peter 1:4)

 You are a royal priesthood, you are a king.

 And your dominion over Satan is recognized in hell. He illustrated this with the testimony of an elderly member of the church, who went straight to his estranged wife after giving his life to Christ at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.

The woman, whose demonic nature had caused the split, looked at him and said she knew he had given his life to Christ  without the man telling her what happened at Sheraton Hotel.

 Angels recognize your dominion and are servants to you. (Hebrews 1:14)

As he rounded up the sermon, Mr Adeboye identified the three basic things to do for one to have dominion as: Soul winning; going after backsliders; having faith to believe Him.

When he made an altar call before the congregational prayers, a large number of people streamed out to form a pool of over 600 people at the altar.

The congregational prayer, which he said was for people to start practicing their dominion, was intense. The prayer points were as follows:

 Father, if you are giving dominion to two people only during this convention please let me be one of them.

 Father, from now the anointing for dominion please release unto us today.

 Father, make me an incurable soul winner.

 Father, in the mighty name of Jesus I command every mountain or obstruction to my dominion to move right now.

The evening had started beautifully on a bright note as children of the church welcomed the congregation with singing, dancing, Bible recitals, and drama. Coordinated by the wife of Pastor Adeboye, Pastor Folu, who is the Director Children Education and also called the Mother of Israel, the Children Parade was spectacular.

And when after the performance they presented gifts to Pastor Adeboye, he thanked and blessed them.

After the opening ceremony, he welcomed the congregation: You are all welcome, in Jesus Mighty Name. I have it on the authority of God that this Convention will never be forgotten.

He said he could confirm the assurance with the birth of 37 babies that had been born at the medical facility of the church by the second day of the Convention.
A criminal court in Bangkok on Thursday sentenced a former Thai Buddhist monk who provoked outrage with his lavish lifestyle to 114 years in prison for fraud, money laundering and computer crimes.

Wirapol Sukphol, who was seen in a YouTube video in 2013 holding wads of cash on a private jet, returned to Thailand in July 2017 after being extradited from the U.S. where he had fled.

Mr Sukphol, formerly known by his monastic name Luang Pu Nenkham, was expelled from the monkhood in 2013 after the video surfaced.

He was accused of having sexual intercourse  a grave offense for monks  with an underage girl, among other charges.

He later fled to the U.S.

Mr Sukphol, though, will only serve 20 years because Thai law stipulates that is the maximum for someone found guilty of multiple counts of the same offense.

He committed fraud by claiming to have special power to lure in people and he also bought many luxury cars which is considered a money-laundering offense, an official at the Department of Special Litigation told Reuters.

The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The court found him guilty of multiple offences which resulted in a 114-year jail term when combined, which means he will actually serve 20 years in jail, he said.

Neither Mr Sukphol nor his lawyer was available for comment.

He faces separate charges of child molestation and child abduction. A verdict in that case is expected in October.

Mr Sukphols high-profile case highlighted a series of sex and money scandals that have rocked Thailands Buddhist clergy in recent years, resulting in calls for reforms of religious institutions.

The military government that came to power after a 2014 coup has stepped up efforts to clean up Buddhism by arresting monks involved in corruption scandals.

The military also introduced a bill that reduces the influence of Buddhisms Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body of Buddhist monks.

(Reuters/NAN)
Cross-border fire between Israel and Hamas continued late Wednesday into Thursday with three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, her one-year-old child and a Hamas militant, killed in the Israeli strikes.

The Israeli army said it launched the attack, targeting over 140 Hamas military sites, in response to more than 150 rockets and mortars being fired into Israel and gunfire earlier on Wednesday that targeted civilian construction workers on the Gaza border.

Army spokesman Jonathan Conricus, would not comment on the incident that killed the mother and child.

We targeted by definition only military targets that were clearly used by Hamas, Mr Conricus told reporters on Thursday.

Israel is reinforcing its brigades along the Gaza border, the spokesman said, adding that the army is ready for any scenario.

The flare-up comes despite Egyptian-mediated efforts to broker a ceasefire between Gazas rulers, the Islamist Hamas organisation, and Israel.

Another 12 Palestinians were wounded in the violence, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ahsraf al-Qedra, who also confirmed the death toll of three.

At least four Israelis and a Thai citizen were injured from the rocket fire, according to emergency medical services. (dpa/NAN)
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran told North Koreas foreign minister that the U.S. cannot be trusted, Tehrans state media said, as Washington seeks a deal to rein in the Norths nuclear and missile programmes.

Iran dismissed a last-minute offer from Washington for talks on Monday, saying it could not negotiate after the Trump administration reneged on a 2015 deal to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Irans own nuclear programme.

North Koreas top diplomat, Ri Yong Ho, visited Iran as the U.S. reintroduced sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. administration performance in these years has led the country to be considered untrustworthy and unreliable around the world which does not meet any of its obligations, Mr Rouhani was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as telling Mr Ri.

In the current situation, friendly countries should develop their relations and cooperation in (the) international community, he said, adding Iran and North Korea have always had close views on many issues.

Mr Ri traveled to Tehran after attending a security forum in Singapore, where he and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sparred over an agreement made at Junes landmark summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The two sides vowed to work toward North Koreas denuclearisation at the summit, but have since struggled to reach a deal to meet that goal. North Korea has been pursuing its weapons programmes in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions.

Mr Ri told Mr Rouhani that Washingtons pullout from the 2015 pact and restoration of sanctions was an action against international rules and regulations, IRNA said.

North Koreas strategic policy is to deepen relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and confront unilateralism, he said.

Mr Trump decided to restore sanctions against Iran despite pleas from other world powers that had co-sponsored the deal, including Washingtons main European allies, Britain, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China.

The sanctions 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 U. S., Mr Trump said on Tuesday.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, said the country had nothing to be concerned about, his official website reported.

With regard to our situation do not be worried at all. Nobody can do anything, Mr Khamenei said, the website reported.

They can be sure. There is no doubt about this.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Philippine Navy on Thursday successfully tested its first ever missile system, acquired from an Israeli weapons manufacturer, Officials said.

The Spike Extended Range missile system, fitted on a multipurpose attack craft, accurately hit a metal plate target six kilometres away, Navy Spokesman, Commander Jonathan Zata, said.

The target was hit dead centre even if the sea state condition was moderately rough with waves of at least 1 metre high, but within the normal firing conditions of the missile, Zata said in a statement.

The test was conducted off the port of Lamao in Bataan province, 43 kilometres west of Manila.

The missile system was delivered to the Philippines in April by Israeli manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd.

It has a range of eight kilometres and has been installed in three Philippine navy attack ships.

Zata said a second test would be conducted to allow President Rodrigo Duterte to witness the demonstration.

Defence department spokesman, Arsenio Andolong, said the missile system would greatly enhance the navys capability to secure (the countrys) littoral areas against terrorism and in support of maritime law enforcement operations.

The Philippines has been building up its defence capabilities amid a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.

Aside from the Philippines and China, parts of the sea, which is a key shipping lane believed to be rich in mineral and marine resources, are also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

(dpa/NAN)
Zambia has deported senior Zimbabwean politician Tendai Biti.

Mr Biti is being accused of unlawfully announcing opposition candidate, Nelson Chamisa, as winner of the recent presidential election.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliances supporters are demanding that Mr Chamisa be declared the winner.

BBC reports that Mr Bitis arrest warrant says he unlawfully announced that Mr Chamisa had won the election.

About six people have been killed few days after the vote.

On Wednesday, Mr Bitis appeal for safe protection in Zambia was rejected.

There was a lot of hope that the elections would bring real change after the end of Robert Mugabes 37-year rule last November.

Gilbert Phiri, lawyer to Mr Biti, said Zambias High Court ruled on Wednesday night that Mr Biti should not be deported until a judicial review of the governments decision to reject his asylum application.

However, Zambian immigration and police officers refused to accept the court papers, and surrendered him to Zimbabwean law enforcement officers at the Chirundu border post.

The Zambian government has probably taken its revenge on Mr Biti by deporting him to Zimbabwe, Mr Phiri said.

Mr Biti came to Zambia last year to show solidarity with opposition leader, Hakaide Hichilema, after he was arrested on treason charges.

He was scathing in his criticism of Zambias President Edgar Lungu, accusing him of behaving like then-President Mugabe by targeting Mr Hichilema. So, it is not surprising that Zambia has deported him.
One Yemeni resident was killed and 11 civilians were injured in a fresh ballistic missile attack by Yemens Houthi militias on Saudi Arabias border city of Jazan, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The spokesperson of Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen, Col. Turki Al-Malki, said in a statement that the attack took place on Aug 8 at 20:34 p.m. local time (1734 GMT).

Saudi air forces intercepted the missile launched from Northern Amran in Yemen.

The interception resulted in the projection of fragments throughout some residential areas, which caused the death of the Yemeni resident and injured 11 civilians.

This hostile act carried out by the Houthi rebels proves that the Iranian regime is still providing them with advanced capabilities, in flagrant defiance of the UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231, with the main objective of threatening Saudi Arabian, regional and international security, he said.

The spokesperson warned that the coalition would take all deterring measures against such barbaric, frivolous launches in conformity with international humanitarian law.

Saudi cities, mainly those at the border, are the main targets of such attacks, but most of the missiles were intercepted and destroyed without reporting any injury among civilians.

The attacks have been the responses of the Houthis against the coalition airstrikes on areas dominated by them in Yemen. (Xinhua/NAN)
The U.S., EU, AU and UN mission to Congo all commended President Joseph Kabila on Thursday for agreeing not to seek a third term in an election, a decision that has calmed fears of the country sliding into chaos.

After years of speculation over his intentions, Mr Kabila consented to obey the two-term limit imposed by Democratic Republic of Congos constitution on Wednesday, by not entering his name into a poll set for December 23.

As a parting shot, he picked a hard-core former interior minister, who has been placed under EU sanctions, to stand instead.

But whatever concerns Western powers might have over Mr Kabilas favoured successor, Emmanuel Shadary  who is under sanctions for his alleged role in the suppression of protests with live bullets, killing scores of demonstrators  this wasnt the time to voice them.

We applaud the decision by President Joseph Kabila to respect the Congolese constitution, said the statement, also signed by Canada and Switzerland.

It added that this constitutes a key stage on the path toward the first peaceful change of power in DRC.

Congo is Africas top producer of copper and the worlds leading miner of cobalt, which is prized for its use in electric car batteries.

Mr Kabila has been in power for 17 years, since his father and predecessor as president, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001.

The only two previous changes of power in Congo have been at the barrel of a gun.

The U.S. State Department had earlier described Kabilas move as a significant step forward for Congolese democracy.

But State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert added: Government, opposition, and civil society leaders, along with the heads of the security services share with President Kabila the responsibility of ensuring full respect for democratic norms.

The joint statement called for transparent, peaceful and inclusive elections.

Mr Kabila was due to step down in 2016 at the end of his constitutional mandate. But he stayed on while the election was repeatedly delayed, stoking militia violence and sparking protests in which the security forces killed dozens of people.

Mr Kabila had come under strong pressure from regional allies such as Angola, as well as the U.S. and EU, to stand down.

The AU hailed the progress in the DRC towards presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 23, and August 8 had been set as the closing date of the submission of candidatures for the elections.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, noted in a statement with satisfaction the key milestone attained on Wednesday in the electoral process in the country.

Mr Faki welcomed the fact that Kabila Kabange has honoured his commitment to abide by the relevant provisions of the Congolese Constitution and those of the New Years Eve Political Agreement on eligibility for the presidency of the republic.

Mr Kabila has made a gesture of high political value in the best interests of his country, said Mr Faki.

He urged all actors concerned to work together, in good faith, to hold peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections.

It is imperative that the Congolese people can freely, and in full sovereignty, decide on their fate, the Chairperson said, reiterating the 55-member Unions commitment to supporting the electoral process.

(Reuters/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 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.

The meeting is part of the continuous efforts towards attaining the objectives of Nigerias Strategy for Immunisation and Primary Health care system strengthening, (NSIPSS) 2018  2028.

This is expected to address some of the challenges facing routine immunisation in the country. Effective routine immunisation is a key challenge facing the health sector. Many children under the age of five often miss some vital vaccines which is meant to immunise them against some deadly diseases such as polio, yellow fever, tetanus, measles among others.

This has been a major source of concern for health experts, development partners and the international community.

The dialogue, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is set to to explore the mechanisms for civil society engagement and to examine and create an understanding of the new roles and expectations for states under the NSIPSS project.

PREMIUM TIMES will bring you live updates from the event.

9: 19 a.m.  Its a cloudy morning in Abuja metropolis, the temperature is about 22 degrees celsius.

The event is being held at the Blu Cabana restaurant in Mabushi area of the Nigerian capital.

Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization. Participants at the one day dRPC high strategic dialogue on routine immunization.

9:26 am- Participants are just arriving the venue

The meeting is yet to begin, participants in the hall are still exchanging greetings.

One of the lead speakers and senior technical advisor at dRPC, Emmanuel Abanida, is already at the venue.

9:40 am- Arriving now is Judith-Ann Walker, the Executive Director, dRPC.

Currently in the hall are Ibrahim Yisa, European Union  Support to immunisation Governance to Nigeria (EUSIGN); Paul Bassi, John Snow International (a USAID group); and Femi Oyewole JSI.

9: 50 am  More participants are still entering the hall. Registration is ongoing for participants while some are seated in groups discussing.

The programme is divided into two sessions.

The MC apologised to the participants saying the event is yet to start because they are waiting for the representative of the ES, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) Faisal Shuaib.

Media men setting up their cameras.

Topics to be discussed include: Building dynamics in advocacy to support Routine Immunisation (RI) in Nigeria: dRPC-PAS Model; by Mr Abanida

The keynote address is expected to be delivered by Mr Shuaib of the NPHCDA

10: 02 am  Just entering the hall is the representative of the NPHCDA chief, Abdullahi Bulama, who is the Director, Planning Research Statistics.

Judith Ann Walker, ED dRPC; Abdullahi Bulama, Director planning and research; and Emmanuel Abanida, Senior technical advisor, dRPC.

The event has been declared open by the facilitator of the dialogue, Umar Kawu

On the high table is Ms Walker, Mr Bulama and Mr Abanida

10:10 am  The event commences with participants introducing themselves. In the hall are participants from Lagos, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna among other states .

Participants at the event. Participants at the event.

10:26am

The welcome address is given by Ms Walker. She specially welcomed the delegates from Niger, Kano, Lagos and Kaduna.

She said the organisation would have loved to have participants from all over the country but unfortunately they can not.

She said the delegates and participants are repository of knowledge which will guide the Routine Immunisation (RI) discussion.

Ms Walker said they are here to address the gaps in RI in Nigeria.

She said though the gaps are not anyones making, there is much still to be done.

These are to be done in terms of policy making, implementation and funding.

Ms Walker said the government will be needing $3.6 billion in the next ten years for immunisation and the federal government will be contributing $2 billion.

She said state governments are meant to contribute the remaining fund.

We are speaking of accountability, it is our mission, our mandate. To understand the accountability it is the responsibility of CSOs, media and civil servants.

The CAPs have a critical role to play and the framework is implemented in this document, she said.

She wished the participants a fruitful deliberation.

10:46 The representative of the ES, NPHCDA. Mr Balama, declared the meeting open.

He apologised for coming late and said the ES could not come because he had to be in Kaduna.

There are over four million unimmunised children in Nigeria. NPCHDA has introduced mechanisms & innovations to improve coverage  Keynote speech by Abdullahi Garba, Director, Research & Planning

Mr Bulama said RI is very important for the country. He said the Director General of the WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, emphasised the importance of RI and the work to be done during the meeting in Geneva.

Mr Bulama said CSOs have the opportunity to talk because they do not work for the government and as such cannot be compared to civil servants who are gagged by their job.

Abdullahi Bulama, the representative of the E of the NPHCDA giving his keynote speech and declaring the meeting open.

He said the resources does not always maters but the rule of the game does. The MICS reports makes it clears that the resources do not match the result, he said.

He said part of the effort the agency has been taking in improving RI is that every department in NPHCDA conduct meetings every week

10: 50 am Bulama said the agency is also working on how the nation can start local vaccine production.

We are looking at how we can be on our own feet. Tis we are doing by seeing how we can start local vaccine production. But with vaccine creation, the resources is limited. This is why GAVI has extented the date for vaccine funding in the country.

GAVI has some concerns that is why they are giving us additional support at the this time till the next ten years, hopefully our economy and resources might have improved, he said.

He said the PHCs are also being given funds to run their facilities to make it more functional to attract more clients

He said the agency is doing everything to reduce the large noise of Nigeria having the largest number of unimmunised children.

The agency is doing everything possible to reach all children with immunisation, he said.

Mr Bulama said the emergency of RI is aimed at ensuring that we prioritise immunisation in our homes so that we can close the gaps.

We will do everything to ensure that it reaches at least 80 per cent of children in the country.

He also acknowledged the importance of accountability in the federal and state level saying it would ensure that RI goes a long way to reaching all Nigerians.

He said some of the problems facing RI is that some states do not know how many facilities they have.

He said states like Jigawa, Kebbi, FCT among others do not have an accurate record of the PHCs in the states. He said in the north-central, there is no facility that is five star, meaning having a doctor, nurses, CHEW, J-CHEW and working laboratories.

He said the agency is trying to correlate all these data and have a score card for every state governor on their facilties and how they fare.

The agency expects to have a geo-location of every PHC facility in the country, he said.

Mr Bulama said his agency admits that there is a problem.

He said a recent report by the agency that shows routine immunisation was not effectively covered across Nigeria was an example of them admitting a lot still needed to be done.

11:00 am Mr Abanida in his presentation titled Building dynamics in advocacy to support RI in Nigeria; dRPC-PAS Model gave an insight into what dRPC has been doing in the health sector especially in routine immunisation and capacity building

Mr Abanida said said the organsation is a non-governmental organisation and as such what they do is advocacy especially in RI, family planning and capacity development.

He said RI is very important and needs revival. He said dRPC is not working in vacuum. We are an organisation that has gotten a grant and are working in the country, he said.

Mr Abanida said one of the problems facing the PHCs is the lack of manpower.

He said there are 86 training institutions in the country for community health workers and so far over 200,000 workers have been trained between 1997 and 2017, while only 122,000 are engaged either in private or public facilities.

The question now is why are the rest not engaged? Is it that the government does not have enough money to do so?

11:20 am  We are now at the question and answer session.

A delegate from Kaduna State asked the NPHCDA who monitors the PHCs in the states. She cited a case of a newly renovated PHC in Jere, Kaduna State which she said is very small. Yet there is a bigger and empty facility belonging to the federal government around the area, she said.

Mr Bulama said state governments are in charge of most PHCs in their states. He said unfortunately, most states do not have an accurate record of facilities in their states. He said there are about 900 health facilities across Nigeria which are yet to be completed.

Mr Bulama said most of the health facilities that are not completed are part of the constituency projects by lawmakers. He said some are still at foundation level, some at construction level, while some have gotten to roofing stages but not completed or handed over to the agency.

He said the agency would need about N10 billion to complete these facilities.

We have informed the president that we will be needing about N10 billion to complete these facilities. Most of the money allocated for the facilities were returned to the government after the end of the fiscal budget year when the facilities were budgeted because they did not finish building. We do not pay contractors for unfinished projects. Most of the scattered unfinished facilities are so because most of the lawmakers who proposed the project did not follow up or were not voted back to power.

Mr Bulama answering question of manpower from Kano State said he knows that manpower for the PHCs is still a challenge.

He said this remains difficult because most midwives and community health extension workers are not willing to be transferred to rural areas where their services are needed most.

He said the agency has been trying to solve the problem and they are expecting funding to do so, but they are yet to take off. This, he said is because they are still doing an understudy of the problem and how to address it

12: 00 pm A halt in the dialogue as participants go for tea break; to reconvene in 30 minutes.

Photo session of some of the Participants during the tea break

Others on the panel are Ibrahim Yisa, European Union- Support to immunisation Governance in Nigeria; Paul Bassi, JSI; Muyi Aina, Solina Health

The first speaker, Ahmed Garb, speaks on the NSIPSS document saying the document is a road map of what the government intends to achieve in the next ten years as regards immunisation in Nigeria.

He said the document was drawn up by the federal government, state governments, GAVi and other developmental partners working in immunisation sector.

Mr Garba said for the agenda stated in the document to be achievable and fully implemented, state governments need to get involved and take it as their own.

He said the government would be needing at least $ 3.6 billion Nigeria for routine immunisation in the next ten years. About $2 billion of the fund will be provided by the federal government and $1 billion by GAVI.

He said what is delaying the take off is some issues the country had with GAVI in terms of misappropriation of funds and non-eligibility of some issues.

We have that under control. Some of the issues such as misappropriation, the FG has assured that they will return the funds. But this is not the case, we need to be able to show visible progress during the implementation.

Aside this, Nigeria is ready to implement the document. Nigeria is ready to work and in a short time this will be done and there will be a proper rollout. NPHCDA will be engaging all its partners soon, he said.

Mr Garba however emphasised that state governments will take ownership of routine immunisation to be able to have a sustainable outcome.

He said the states need to step up their games. We want to see them take full responsibility and ownership of the PHCs, he submitted.

1: 00 pm- The second panelist, Muyi Aina, a public health practitioner of 20 years and working with Solina Health is speaking on the possible advocacy ASKS in RI services.

Mr Aina, founder and managing partner with Solina Health, said there is a need for CSOs to help the government especially the states understand where the problem is; because most times the increase and release of funds are not the major problems in achieving effective routine immunisation.

Mr Aina said there is a need for advocacy to the federal, state and local governments in order to make them understand the importance of Immunisation.

He said the biggest elephant in the room is funding.

The federal government is trying its best to provide vaccine procurement. Even if we have GAVI agreement to continue to fund routine immunization, we still need to put in more pressure to ensure that we can afford and fund vaccine procurement without external help.

Mr Aina said there is a need for the government to put immunisation at the top of the agenda.

There is also a need for the maximisation of the value for money. He said the current advocacy is aimed at pushing accountability at all levels of government. The accountability will also cover how the vaccine will be distributed if they are bought, he said. Data and performance management is another aspect that the advocacy needs to challenge, he said. Mr Aina said the data will tell us where we are so we can pick up from there. There is a need to work with the state to prioritise workers salaries. Transparency and implementing accountability frame work is easier than we think. We just need people to keep knocking on the door, he said.

1:30 pm

The two panelists have finished presenting and the facilitator has opened the floor for questions and answers from the participants.

1: 35 pm

Some of the questions raised was on how to involve beneficiaries in the advocacy programme.

How can advocates get politicians to understand and imbibe some of the health projects knowing full well that most of them want to campaign with visible projects such as roads which can be seen and used for campaigning and win them a re-election?

Another question raised was how advocates can ensure funds are released for immunisation?

Why is it difficult to compel partners to buy into government project? a participant asked.

1: 40 pm _ In answering some of the questions, Mr Garba said there is no crime involving beneficiaries in advocacy of immunisation, but that is only if the people involve understand the issue at stake.

He said the release of funds at times is not often the problem of the state but executing the project for which the funds was budgeted.

Mr Garba gave an example of Bayelsa State where he said fund was released for immunisation. But three months after the fund was released, it was not utilised, he said.

He said further investigation revealed that the money had been released by the government but was kept in a private account of one of the officials in the state.

So the release of funding might not necessarily be the issue; but monitoring how the money is being disbursed and used. This is where accountability comes in. Every Nigeria needs to be accountable and not just the politicians.

Mr Aina while answering some of the questions said the advocates in the health sector need to learn the act of advocating because every other sector seems to understand the act more than the people in the health sector.

He said the advocates need to learn how to present their issues to the politicians in an appealing manner that they can also use for their campaign. This he said will make it appealing to them to key into the programme.

Mr Aina condemned the act of not being able to get donors or partners to key into the goals of the government.

This, he said, has been difficult because there is really no agreed leadership in intervention agenda.

1: 50 PM

He said because Nigeria loves Awoof, it does not say no to any intervention programme proposed by development partners.

Mr Aina said there is a need for the government to prioritise intervention agenda to be able to get maximum results and not just take on everything available without a direction.

We have gotten to a stage in Nigeria where we tell people to hold their money. We also need to gather ourselves and elect smart people who know how to generate resources, he added.

1:55 PM  The facilitator has closed the question and answer session

He starts the second session by introducing the next panelist/presenter, Ibrahim Yisa.

Mr Yisa, an health economist, is discussing fresh perspectived from stakeholder on governance/ accountability for RI.

Mr Yisa said Nigerians should not think about financing and funding health care in monetary terms alone, but should always try to analyse the implication of what the money will translate to within the country.

He said the funds should be interpreted in terms of the quality of care and what it would stand to change in the space at which it was released.

He said when advocating with the politicians, more appeal should be done to the conscience and this is a way of looking at accountability to the health sector. because this will be more effective than waiting for the outcome of the governments non-releast of funds.

When we talk about government we mean accountability, transparency and responsibility.

He said there is a need to also educate the populace to know what their leaders promised and to make them know if they have delivered on it or not. He encouraged the CSOs to know how to focus their advocacy.

As stakeholders, there are new perspective we should look at when talking about accountability.

RI is the fist opportunity for survival for a little born. Immunisation contributes significantly to the economic growth; as such we need to make sure the funds released for it are maximised fully. Before we talk about politicising issues, we need to think about the children.

2:00 pm  Speaking now is Paul Bassi, a professor of public health, Bingham University and Director Child Health and Special Duties JSI . He said there is a need for CSOs to do more in the implementation stage of routine immunisation as this will help reduce the wastage of vaccines at community level.

What i am advocating is to allow CSOs to be at every levels across the states and levels of implementation.

Mr Bassi said CSOs need to also factor in local community based professionals in their advocacy and also listen to them and not always rely on the knowledge of foreign partners or donors to solve immunisation and other health issues.

Mr Bassi said CSOs are meant to agree on how to solve problems and how to contribute their quota and improve the quality of lives. Every child that is vaccinated is protected and becomes a better child, he said.

He tasked each participant from different states to think back to when they were formulating their programmes, look for their objectives and re-strategise. He said it is time to start thinking of the vulnerable population.

He said routine immunisation is an entry point of the primary health care. He said whatever is achieved at the immunization point will translate to the quality of the primary health care.

Giving an example, he said they were able to get cooperation from barbers in Bauchi State which assisted in identifying newborns for vaccine coverage. He said they had been having problems identifying them, but the barbers who were not considered to be CSOs came in to save the day.

Mr Bassi said for a long time, the voices of the CSOs in Nigeria have been neglected, but thanks to the polio disaster, it forced the Nigerian government to listen to the CSOs.

CSOs need to monitor what is being done, how policies evolve from creation to implementation. This will translate to how polices are formulated from the state and then translated to the LGA and the LGAs to the wards and the communities.

 There is a need to engage private organisations. We have religious bodies, education bodies to work to create a milestone, he added.

Speaking now is the third panelist for this session, Abdul Garba, from Save the Children .

He is speaking on advocacy and roles of non-state actors in options for funding RI in Nigeria.

Mr Garba said all CSOs need to work on individual monitoring of LGAs outside the purview of the government.

Giving an example of Polio eradication in Nigeria, he said the NPHCDA is doing so much on polio eradication and implementation on the RI programme, but much still needs to be done.

He said the CSOs should be seen as partners and should be allowed to contribute to whatever the government is doing. The NPHCDA needs to encourage and include CSOs, NGOs in their agenda, he said.

Mr Garba said there is a need to bring everyone together to make progress in the health sector.

He said this is the only way there can be an effective implementation of policies in the sector

2: 45 pm  we have come to the end of the panel.

The facilitator has opened the floor for questions from participants.

Some of the questions raised are on accountability for RI in practical terms.

How can we encourage adequate data collection? a participant said.

Responding to some of the question is Dorothy Nwodo, Director Disease Control and Immunisation, NPHCDA. She said she wants states to participate more in vaccine implementation and contribute to buying of vaccines.

Ms Nwodo who is one of the authors of the document, NSIPSS, said the states and some CSOs were engaged while drafting the document.

She explained that after the first draft which was done in September was submitted to GAVI, some CSOs complained that they were not engaged in the process and as such GAVI said they should go re-convene and engage them.

We had to engage them and the engagement was sponsored by GAVI and the federal government.

Explaining how they carried out the engagement, she said they engaged through the the governors forums, the 36 speakers of the states and the National Assembly before they submitted the document.

We have submitted the final document and we have already gotten a provisional approval and we are waiting for GAVI on how to implement.

Ms Nwodo said Nigeria had to beg GAVI not to pull out. because the nation only has 33 per cent immunisation coverage and this is very low.

We need to get more children covered and the economy of Nigeria is still not buoyant to do it alone. I am happy that this session is taking place because we need to engage CSOs to know what to do and how to go about it.

GAVI has a platform for CSOs. And they fund it because they said if you galvanise all the effort of the CSOs, we know where your strength lies. So that as the exit Nigeria, We can know how to work together to achieve our goal.

Immunisation financing is a big issue that we need to look into. We need to understand where is the private sectors stand in this. The private sector has been doing a lot especially in the north were we have Dangote and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the state governments to set immunisation moving.

The document is all about how to use the vaccine to strengthen the primary health care and the health system

3: 30 pm  The session has gone on launch break.

It would be re-convened at 4:10 pm

4: 20 PM : The session has re-convened. There is a break-out session, the participants have been divided into four groups.

They are to discuss options for CSOs building in and support accountability in states immunisation within the context of the NSIPSS: Advocacy for leadership/governance,Funding and policy implementation.

The group will re-convene after 30 minutes of deliberation.

The groups are meant to report back and present to the house.

5:02 pm  The groups have been suspended and everyone has re-convened.

The facilitator has called on the first group to present what they deliberated  the group deliberated on leadership and governance

The presenter for group A said there is a need for the mapping out of CSOs and to develop terms of references.

CSOs were also suggested to be made members of local government health agencies and state primary health care development agencies.

They also proposed that CSOs should monitor budget performance and preparation

5 : 10 pm  Group one also advocated strong advocacy for the implementation of RI strategies to the state executive, house of assembly and local government executives.

Encourage traditional and religious debates to be strong advocates by giving them information on budgeting and implementation.

Help ensure TSA is deployed for the disbursement of funds.

They also asked for publicising erring government officials and reward impactful officials.

 Group Two while presenting on policy implementation said there is a need for the state to make its commitment towards the RI financing strategy.

They agreed that there is also need for a sharing formula for RI financing prior to the end of the transition plan to be divided among the federal government, state and local governments.

They said the deduction should be based on the sharing formula to be done from source.

The group also said there should be a legislation centred on RI financing to be captured in the National Health Act. This will improve awareness in the community and promote community participation.

This will also increase demand for policy implementation by CSOs for continuous advocacy.

CSOs should advocate for states to sign into Open Government Partnership .

CSOs should also engage their government through the open partnership state steering committee on RI accountability.

5: 20 pm  Groups three and four said there should be an RI strategy plan for five years and the government should provide a a robust disbursement, expenditure plan

5:20 pm- The presenters have finished presenting and Ms Walker has taken over the stage.

She thanked all the participant for coming.

She noted that the participants from Lagos seem to be distant in the discussion as much references were not made to Lagos as compared to the northern states.

She asked if it was because Lagos seems to be doing better in RI programmes than states in the north.

Ms Walker also said the Lagos State participants will be having a bi-lateral meeting with the NPHCDA so that they can have an in depth understanding of the issue.

Ms Walker noted that most of the participants seem not to have seen the document before coming to the meeting. This she observed because of their level of interaction with the panel while discussing.

She advised CSOs to make use of the opportunity and send in their proposals. She said dRPC is ready to support CSOs.

5:36pm  The meeting was brought to an end.
The Federal Ministry of Health says in spite of the health and economic benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to mother and child, only 24 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in Nigeria.

Chimay Thompson, the Assistant Director, Nutrition Division, Family Health Department in the ministry disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Mrs Thompson said exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life without water, infant formula, liquid or food has proven to save lives, improve women and childrens health and boots lifelong productivity.

However, Thompson said millions of mothers and infants were now losing the benefits as only about 23.7 per cent of infants less than six months were exclusively being breastfed.

The nationally accepted document which is the multiple indicator cluster survey states that we are presently at 23.7 per cent on exclusive breastfeeding in the country.

This is not encouraging and if we have to achieve the National Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition by the health sector plan, we are supposed to achieve 50 per cent in 2018.

However, we are partnering with development partners such as Save the Children, Alive and Thrive and we will achieve our goal, she said.

Further highlighting the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, Thompson said it creates a psychological and emotional bond between the mother and baby.

The baby gets the perfect nutrients needed from the breasts milk, which is the first immunisation given to the child, the vaccine anti-gene rich in vitamin A, comes from the breast milk.

There are also anti-effective and growth factors which are contained in the breast milk and cannot be got from breast milk substitute or any source of animal milk such as goat or cow.

It is proven that exclusive breastfeeding prevents most breast and ovarian cancers women experience today.
A former assistant to the sacked director general of State Security Service, Lawal Daura, has accused his former principal of extensive corruption, and has portrayed him as a man who serially betrayed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, for money.

The assistant, Abdulwahab Abdulrahman, a retired senior SSS official, said he left the agency because of the scale of corruption and abuse there.

I didnt want my children to see news of my eventual arrest on TV, he told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Daura, who led Nigerias domestic spy agency since 2015, was abruptly fired on Tuesday by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo after he ordered a siege on the National Assembly.

The siege, which many Nigerians have characterised as a coup detat, startled a nation that has struggled in the past two weeks to keep pace with rapidly unfolding political stunts ahead of next years general elections.

The cordon saw gun-wielding masked men blockading the federal parliament building in central Abuja, denying access to lawmakers and legislative staff. It was lifted several hours later, but only after Mr Daura was summoned by Mr Osinbajo and summarily dismissed. The acting president said the exercise did not receive authorisation.

Many Nigerians believe the move was to facilitate the removal of Bukola Saraki as senate president as punishment for his leaving the ruling APC last week.

But while such plot failed, it helped further galvanise public outrage against Mr Daura, a controversial figure who in the past three years managed to create for himself a notorious label as an official responsible for illegal detention, clampdown on dissent and disobedience of court orders.

Now, his former associate, Mr Abdulrahman, whom some described as Mr Dauras former right-hand man, has spoken out exclusively to PREMIUM TIMES on what he said was Mr Dauras darker side Nigerians never knew. Mr Abdulrahman served as special assistant to Mr Daura until 2016.

Besides corruption, he said Mr Daura repeatedly betrayed President Buhari.

President Muhammadu Buhari

Messrs Abdulrahman and Daura were members of the Buhari campaigns security committee in the buildup to 2015 election. The committee was led by the current Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau.

Mr Abdulrahman said he served as the secretary of the 25-member committee.

I noticed immediately we started work that for Lawal Daura it is simply about the money, he said. In one of earlier meetings he suggested that we should request for one billion to start work. Where will Buhari see one billion to give us?

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the claim. Mr Daura could not also be reached as he remained in detention Wednesday.

Some of Mr Dauras aides told PREMIUM TIMES Mr Abdulrahaman was bitter after being sacked by Mr Daura, and cautioned his claims be treated with restraint. Mr Abdulrahman denied being sacked; he told this newspaper he left of his own volition.

But while several other sources in the security agency confirmed most of the allegations against Mr Daura, they told PREMIUM TIMES both men worked together for years either for good or for bad till they parted ways in 2016.

Still, they said, the revelations, especially with Mr Abdulrahman waiving any claim to anonymity, provide a rare opportunity for Nigerians to get a glimpse of the illicit practices at a security agency that should be one of the nations most revered, and how corruption and partisanship have stunted the departments potential.

Before, After 2015 Election

Mr Abdulrahman said in the course of their work and as part of the transition team after Mr Buhari won the election, Mr Daura kept producing fake reports about (Ita) Ekpenyong (his predecessor), but we never knew what he was targeting, until late.

He said Mr Daura soon developed the habit of going to Mr Buharis influential cousin, Mamman Daura, to report Mr Ekpenyong and give details of what the election committee was doing.

That way, he said, Lawal Daura warmed his way into Mamman Dauras heart. He also said despite coming from the same neighbourhood in Katsina State, Mr Buhari never knew Lawal Daura until 2015.

He was introduced to the president by the late Senator Mustapha Bukar, he said.

He also said Mr Daura was never a favourite of President Buhari because of his antecedents, suggesting he was somehow imposed on him by Mamman Daura and others close to him.

When he was appointed, he kept putting pressure on me and Maikano, the current AO (admin officer) at the presidential villa, to come and work with him as SA. He assured me that what I will get under him, I cannot get even as a minister, Mr Abdulrahman said.

Mr Maikano could not be reached to comment on the claim.

Mr Abdulrahman said Mr Daura feared the DG job may not be very easy since he had never worked at the headquarters and was not an operational staff.

He said he wants the two of us to stabilise the service for him, the ex-official said. Mr Abdulrahman said he eventually agreed to the offer after much pressure.

He claimed as the work commenced, Daura was receiving money from everyone including the presidents enemies.

Mr Abdulrahman said when they resumed, they always closed late at work, often at about 2 a.m. What are we doing was mostly: receiving Ghana must go filled with cash brought by enemies of government to him, he said, somewhat confirming he was part of whatever happened at the time.

The rate of corruption on that fourth floor was too much and the president doesnt deserve this, he said. He will go and get information on plans for (Senate president) Bukola (Saraki) and then leak it to him, he said.

Similar allegation emerged Tuesday after Mr Dauras removal, with many administration supporters accusing him of working for Mr Saraki against the government. On Wednesday, Mr Saraki said claims he compromised Mr Daura in respect of the National Assembly siege constituted an insult on the intelligence of Nigerians.

Suspended EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu

But the two institutions under Messrs Saraki and Daura clearly enjoyed cooperation in the past. In the heated days of the National Assemblys standoff with the executive over the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, it was mostly memos from the SSS that the lawmakers referenced as basis for rejecting Mr Magu.

Brazen Corruption

At the SSS, Mr Abdulrahman said Mr Daura operated a repressive administration that stamped on staff rights just as it did on Nigerians. In all, he said, the scale of corruption at the agency was shocking.

Such revelations, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, have already sent ripples across the agency and its sister organisations, with senior officials shuddering at the prospect of investigations after Mr Dauras dismissal.

In the course of his interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abdulrahman received multiple phone calls apparently from people appealing he should not yet go public. Im sorry sir, I will speak, he told one caller.

Mr Abdulrahman told this newspaper that at some point, agents working for Mr Daura stopped going to the bureau de change to carry out transactions on his behalf. Rather, they invite the secretary of the bureau de change at that Sheraton (Hotel) gate to come to the office late at night with their counting machines, counting dollars, he said.

When I had too much I decided to leave and I swore to the directors who wanted me to stay because of their personal interest that Daura will leave office in handcuffs because of what I saw.

I was preaching to him that he needs to help Mr President. because you know you dont deserve this office and he appointed you, because of that he stopped my pension for two years until I threatened to go to court, he said.

On Mr Dauras career history, Mr Abdulrahman said the former DG was sacked from the SSS originally, before his reappointment by Mr Buhari, because he was caught siphoning diesel from the SSS Academy in Kaduna.

Before then, he was almost sacked when he was State Director in Lagos. Tinubu, who was governor donated 20 vehicles to aid the work of the service in the state; Fashola, who is minister now, was the Chief of Staff at the time, Lawal Daura took all the vehicles to Kano and sold them off, he claimed.

He also said Mr Daura had to be secretly removed in Edo State because of how he was misusing staff stipends.

Just like today, how they had to use the back door to ferry him away, dont you wonder why he was not taken back to the service facility? He wouldnt have survived it. I have been receiving calls all day from some of our top directors and staff, everyone is in a joyous mood today.

In fact, a director told me that all his life, he never drank beer, but today, he will drink to celebrate how this service is finally saved from destruction, he said.

This newspaper did not also independently verify those claims.

Arrogance, Disrespect To Constituted Authority

Mr Abdulrahman also said Mr Daura was too arrogant as DG of SSS.

He said he had no respect for the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, whom he should be reporting to. He also said he never had any respect for the vice president, Mr Osinbajo.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo

Whenever the Vice President calls for a meeting for 2 oclock Daura will cone by 3 and will not apologise. There was a time they had serious shouting match with Magu over the disrespect shown to the VP and the VP had to ask Magu to keep quiet, he said.

Asked what the real issue was between Mr Magu and the DG SSS, Mr Abdulrahman said Mr Daura wanted Mr Magu to share information on high profile cases with him

Magu is a smart officer and he knew Daura wanted to use such information to extract money from people. He told Daura to his face that I cant report to you, I only report to the president who appointed me, he said.

Mr Magu could not be reached Wednesday for comments.

The former SSS official recalled an interesting conversation between a former NSA Sambo Dasuki (who is still in SSS captivity despite court orders) and Mr Daura.

Sambo Dasuki told Daura to be careful with this world, he said, adding, I was one of the most powerful NSA, see me today. If you are not careful, you may replace me in this room one day.
Anti-graft operatives have raided the residence of Ita Ekpeyong, a former director-general of the State Security Service (SSS).

The officers, believed to be from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived Mr Ekpeyongs home just before noon on Thursday, in an anti-corruption raid that was reportedly sanctioned by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Mr Ekpeyong led the SSS between 2010 and 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari replaced him with Lawal Daura, himself now removed from office.

The property being raided is located in Asokoro, Abuja. An attempt was previously made to search it in November 2017, but Mr Daura prevented it, sparking a stand-off that nearly turned fatal between SSS and EFCC operatives.

The EFCC then accused Mr Ekpeyong of being culpable in the arms purchase scandal that rocked the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan. Scores of individuals and firms have been identified as allegedly sharing in the mismanaged funds, which were earmarked for the war against Boko Haram.

It was not immediately clear whether todays raid at Mr Ekpeyongs home, which government gave to him after his exit as DG of SSS, was a continuation of the botched search from last year.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the house, there was a heavy presence of armed police officers on both entrances to the street as well as by the house. Hilux security vehicles were also parked close to the house.

The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not return calls and an sms sent to him about the raid.

Details shortly
Despite yet-to-be controverted evidence showing that Nigerias finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, forged her National Youth Service Corps scheme exemption certificate, the Nigeria Police Force is yet to begin investigation into the scandal.

The officers, however, have swiftly commenced investigations into a similar scandal involving Ademola Adeleke, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Osun State.

Mr Adeleke, the senator currently representing Osun West in the National Assembly, is alleged to have forged his secondary school certificate.

The senator is also alleged to have falsified his certificate of graduation from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, United States of America.

Last week, the police invited Abass Khalib, the principal of Ede Muslim High School 1 where Mr Adeleke finished from, for investigation over the issuance of the alleged forged statement of result and testimonial to the senator.

On Sunday, Mr Adeleke said the principals arrest was politically-motivated and demanded his release.

But while the drama continued to play out in Osun State ahead of the September gubernatorial election, nothing has happened at the federal level where the finance minister is accused of a similar scandal but has chosen to ignore Nigerians.

It is still unclear why the police have yet to act on Mrs Adeosuns alleged certificate forgery allegations.

Days after the scandal broke, Jimoh Moshood, the Nigeria police spokesperson, speaking on Channels Televisions breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, said the police were not aware of the scandal.

When contacted on Monday, Mr Moshood said he would return the call later. He did not and subsequent phone calls to his line were not answered.

Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun (Photo Credit: adelove.com)

On July 7, PREMIUM TIMES exposed how Mrs Adeosun, who was appointed a federal minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, skipped the mandatory NYSC scheme after graduating at age 22.

The NYSC scheme is compulsory for all Nigerians who obtain their first degrees under the age of 30.

The corps only response to the scandal was a statement saying that Mrs Adeosun did apply for the document but that it would investigate the origin of the purported Exemption Certificate in question.

The Nigerian governments silence in the aftermath of the scandal has continued to generate a heated public reaction with civil society organisations calling for an investigation into the matter as well as the ministers reaction.

Last month, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda petitioned the Inspector General of Police demanding an investigation into the scandal.

Last week, another organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project sent a Freedom of Information request to Sule Kazaure, the NYSC Director-General, asking him to urgently provide information on specific details and documents on the purported exemption certificate granted to Mrs Adeosun within seven days.

The seven-day ultimatum expires on today, August 9.
The ruling All Progressives Congress has launched a scathing attack on the senate president, Bukola Saraki, accusing him of serial crimes and urging senators to do all they could to sack him.

The party has been loud in its call for Mr Sarakis removal since his defection last week to the PDP. It insists the position is for the party with majority members  a position it says it continues to hold despite a string of losses to the PDP.

On Wednesday, Mr Saraki vowed to keep his seat, saying he would only step down if he loses the support of majority of senators.

In what seems its most ascerbic comment on the matter yet, the APC, through its new spokesperson on Thursday, Yekini Nabena, said Mr Saraki was a traitor who betrayed even his new party, PDP, in 2014.

A man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), his party PDP in 2014, the APC in 2015 by conspiring with opposition PDP senators to emerge Senate President, APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP in 2018 has no character, principles, values and integrity, it said.

Read the full statement below:

Bukola Saraki Not Fit For the Senate Presidency

In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain. It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.

In terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of the current Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has been a dismal failure and has been involved in one controversy or the other  budget padding, filibustering, legislative rascality, sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.

Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Saraki will go down in our countrys history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have. Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another  the Code of Conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack. It is alleged that some of the robbery suspects were his political thugs used to rig elections; a common adage says: Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.

Dr. Saraki is definitely not our good example for political leadership.

All over the world, the leadership of the legislature is provided by the political party with majority members. But Dr. Saraki would in the absence of many members of his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), connive and conspire with members of the opposition PDP to emerge Senate President, and in the process tradeoff the Deputy Senate President position to the opposition PDP  a political betrayal and treachery even the devil would be envious of.

Even at this time he has defected to the opposition PDP, and with APC still in the majority in the Senate, Dr. Saraki still has the impudence to present himself as the Senate President. Political ambition should be made of nobler stuff.

One is of course not surprised as Dr. Sarakis greed, selfishness, treachery, disregard for protocol and constituted authority is well-reported. In terms of treachery, Dr. Sarakis public humiliation of his late father and sister comes readily to mind.

A traitor will always be a traitor, however the time and place. The Senate must do everything possible to put Dr. Saraki where he rightly belongs  the back seat. He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the countrys upper and revered legislative house.

A man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), his party PDP in 2014, the APC in 2015 by conspiring with opposition PDP senators to emerge Senate President, APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP in 2018 has no character, principles, values and integrity. His only interest is Bukola Saraki, Bukola Saraki and Bukola Saraki. The question is not IF he will defect again from PDP if Bukola Sarakis interest is not served, but WHEN he will do so. Such mean men are not interested in the Nigeria of our dreams.

SIGNED:

Mr. Yekini Nabena

Ag. National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Ita Ekpeyong, the former director-general of the State Security Service (SSS).

Mr Ekpeyong was arrested on Thursday afternoon following a raid of his Abuja home by anti-graft detectives.

He was moved to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for questioning, multiple sources said. He was subsequently released a few hours later.

A spokesperson for the EFCC declined comments on the development Thursday night.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Ekpeyong was released after the EFCC agents realised he was unable yo provide much information about the controversial former director of the SSS, Lawal Daura.

Mr Daura was himself arrested after being sacked by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday afternoon.

He was immediately taken into custody by federal authorities, but was freed on administrative grounds and his passports confiscated on Wednesday night, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported on Thursday morning.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has accused Lawal Daura of gross violation of Nigerian Constitution in Tuesdays barricade of the National Assembly by State Security Service operatives.

In a preliminary report on the controversial incident prepared for Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday, Mr Idris said Mr Daura was working for some politicians for selfish interest, but did not name the accomplices.

He said Mr Daura did not consult with other security agencies before ordering the siege, and questioned the validity of a security report that allegedly anticipated a violence at the parliament.

Mr Daura was sacked by Mr Osinbajo on Tuesday afternoon. He was immediately handed over to the police for further interrogation, after unathorised deployment of SSS officers that sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation.

Mr Idris said the police have been interrogating Mr Daura in Garki, Abuja, since he was arrested.

The report, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, was signed by Mr Idris on August 8, but it was not immediately clear whether Mr Osinbajo has received it.

For your information

For the most part, the report did not seem to have uncovered much details that were not already known to the Nigerian public within the first few hours of the siege. It was prepared by Garba Umar, the police commissioner in Anambra State.

Mr Idris told Mr Osinbajo the submission was only for the Acting-Presidents immediate information as findings into the matter would continue, although he concluded that Mr Daura is a prime suspect and sought permission to search his properties and those of other unnamed suspects already identified.

It was unclear whether Mr Osinbajo has authorised the raids. Neither the presidency nor the police had publicly commented on the report since it was first reported Friday night, despite requests for clarifications from PREMIUM TIMES.

IGP Idris submits report on SSS National Assembly siege to Osinbajo

PREMIUM TIMES has also reported that Mr Daura was no longer in custody of the police as at Wednesday night. He was released with his mobile telephones, but his international passport was confiscated.

Mr Idris said Mr Daura sdid not inform other security agencies before authorising the blockade. He said it is clear that he did so for selfish political reasons and to whip up sentiment towards the National Assembly.

IGP Idris submits report on SSS National Assembly siege to Osinbajo

It is crystal clear that the principal suspect Lawal Daura may be acting the script of some highly placed politicians to achieve selfish political goals, hence his unilateral and unlawful decision to invade the National Assembly complex, Mr Idris said.

Mr Daura reportedly justified the blockade of the National Assembly to forestall violence following claims that All Progressives Congress lawmakers might clash with their counterparts in the Peoples Democratic Party if any attempt was made to actualise alleged plot to remove Mr Saraki as Senate President on Tuesday.

IGP Idris submits report on SSS National Assembly siege to Osinbajo

The senators loyal to Mr Saraki said Mr Daura sent his men to allow only APC lawmakers access into the premises to purportedly remove Mr Saraki; while denying PDP lawmakers access.

An emergency meeting of parliaments leaders had been called by Mr Saraki on Monday night, but lawmakers who trooped to the complex, mostly non-executive members, arrived as early as 6:30 a.m. They all accused the SSS of plotting an overthrow of Nigerias democracy, and reprimanded Mr Osinbajo for alleged complicity or complacency.

IGP Idris submits report on SSS National Assembly siege to Osinbajo

The ruling APC defended Mr Dauras action, saying its findings strongly indicated that the disgraced spy chief was trying to prevent violence which PDP lawmakers allegedly planned at the National Assembly.

But Mr Idris rejected this claim, saying Mr Daura sent SSS personnel who acted like mercenaries, hired to carry out executions.

His suggestion of political collusion buttresses earlier claims by presidency sources who informed PREMIUM TIMES and Sahara Reporters in separate exchanges on the day that Mr Dauras potentially compromising relationship with Senate President Bukola Saraki was one of the major bases for Mr Osinbajos decision to fire him and hand him over to federal authorities.

Mr Saraki pushed back against the allegations at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, describing it as an insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians. He said it was baffling that he leaders of the parliament could be accused of being in bed with someone like Mr Daura, even when the parliament was also at the receiving end of the former spy chiefs unchecked recklessness.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for immediate unfreezing of the official accounts of Akwa Ibom and Benue states blocked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Wednesday in Abuja called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to immediately order the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts.

He described the action of the anti-graft agency as a direct attack on innocent Nigerians in the two states.

The two states are governed by the PDP.

Mr Ologbondiyan described the action as illegal, unconstitutional, overtly wicked and unjustifiable under any laws and practice of Nigeria.

He advised the presidency not to hide under the EFCC to unleash punishment and hardship on the people in states perceived to be opposed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 re-election bid.

Nigerians are all aware that no section of our constitution or any law in Nigeria for that matter confers any agency of the federal government with powers to interfere or put any restrictions on funds belonging or accruable to states as federating units of our nation.

Apart from its state assembly, no other government body or institution has the powers of appropriation or restrictions on any funds belonging to the state.

The two states had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES their accounts had been frozen by the EFCC. The anti-graft agency has, however, yet to speak in the reasons for its decision.
The Not Too Young To Run Movement on Wednesday said political parties must give opportunities to young people and women with disabilities to run for office.

The group also asked political parties to reduce the cost for running for office and cost for nomination, adding that Nigerian youth want a democratic and a direct primary election.

At the rally, the convener, Not Too Young To Run Movement, Samson Itodo, said any party that seeks the support of the youth in 2019 must do three things.

According to him, they must take intentional steps to assist young people and women with disability who are seeking to run.

Political parties party must also reduce the cost for ruining for office and cost for nomination

And finally, Nigerian youth want democratic and direct primaries, he said.

According to Mr Itodo, direct primaries would enhance the opportunity and the chances for young people and women with disabilities to run for political positions.

He further said that there should not be imposition of candidates and automatic tickets to candidates, adding that it limits the chances of young people and women, as well as persons with disabilities

The All Progressive Congress national treasurer, Adamu Panda, said the party has already met with 75 per cent of the demands of the group.

He said the APC is the only political party which has not only given people with disabilities opportunity to contest elections at all levels but has also made their nomination free of charge.

Nothing says what a sixty year old can do an eighteen year old can not do better. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

Any nation that discards the youth is doing so at is own peril.

As the party in power that sought the bill and signed the bill and it has now become a law in this country.

A member of the movement and founder of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, also highlighted that 2019 is centred around young people.

Presently in Nigeria, we have 68 political parties that do not create any enabling environment for youth in this country.

The youth would not vote for any party that does not accommodate the young men and women in Nigeria and we would mobilise over 50 million Nigerian youth to not vote for them.
A 29-year-old teacher, David Ikejiobi, is to cool his heels in prison for allegedly raping one of his students, an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court ruled on Thursday.

The Chief Magistrate, P. E Nwaka, had refused to take the plea of the accused and remanded him in Kirikiri Prison.

The accused, who resides at 13, Kekereowo St., Ilasamaja, Lagos, is being tried for rape.

Earlier, police prosecutor, Christopher John, told the court that the offence was committed sometime in March at 25, Abiola Alao St., Ijeshatedo, Lagos.

Mr John said the accused always followed the 13 year-old girl to her home after school.

The girls guardian used to come home in the evening and the girl gets home before them and opens the door with the extra key

with her.

The accused knew about the arrangement and follows her to her house. He raped the girl on three different occasions

and warned the girl not to tell anyone, he said.

Mr John added that the girls grandmother saw some changes in her behaviour when she went to spend her holidays with her and the

woman asked some questions.

It was then the girl opened up to the grandmother and told her about the accused.

The offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which attracts life imprisonment.

The case has been adjourned until Sept. 3 for mention.

(NAN)
The Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Chile Igbawua, says that paucity of funds is hindering the investigation and resolution of cases reported in 2018.

Mr Igbawua said this at a news briefing after a plenary session of the commissions reports from its commissioners from all the 36 states of the federation on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the commission was facing a major challenge in mobility due to lack of vehicles.

We are currently faced with difficulty in mobility, due to lack of vehicles, because our job requires officers to go round and carry out investigations.

Commissioners also need to go and supervise offices located in the local government areas of their various states, so a lot of mobility is required.

Presently, there is gross shortage of vehicles, particularly in the states that will facilitate the functions of commissioners and funding is grossly inadequate as funds available to state commissioners are very meagre.

We believe that when the budget for 2018 is implemented there will be improvement so that the work will be made easier, he said.

Mr Igabwua, however, commended the commissioners for progress made in the last two months after assuming office, in spite of working under very difficult circumstances.

He described their reports as impressive, stating that not less than 500 cases were reported in each of the states since January but most of them have been resolved.

According to him, issues from the public sector dominated the cases reported to the commission but that the private sector also had a lot of issues too that had to do with termination of appointments.

He explained that cases were treated through written letters and where letters fail to resolve a case conference was called, where parties involved resolve their cases before the commissioners.

He reiterated the need for the amendment of the Act establishing the commission to ensure stricter sanctions for those who treat the invitation of the commission with levity.

The chief commissioner also said that the plenary agreed that the Public Investigation Department and the Private Investigation Department that operated as a single department would now operate as independent departments.

He noted that from 2019 plenary would be rotated among the six geo-political zones so that its effect can be felt outside Abuja and would henceforth be held every two months.

Mr Igbawua said five committees were approved to work and prepare issues for deliberations and conclusions at plenary namely Committees of Finance, Establishment, Publicity, Ethics and Welfare.

He said the nomenclature Coordinating Director for Head of Administration, PCC, was now changed to `Secretary to the Commission.

(NAN)
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development said on Thursday that it had so far remitted about N3billion to the federation account, this year.

Abubakar Bwari, Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, disclosed this at the 2018 Steel Summit at Ikeja, Lagos.

The theme of the summit was: Diversification of the Nigerian Economy: The Indispensable Role of the Steel Industry.

He said in the last three years, the revenue generated by the ministry had improved drastically.

When we came in, in 2015, our contribution to the federation account was just merely N700million, in terms of royalties, but today we can proudly say we have gone above N3billion.

The National Bureau of Statistics says it was the attention that has been given to the steel sector that has kept it growing. Even under recession, we are not there yet but we believe we will get there, he said.

According to him, the increase is as a result of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration that has implemented appropriate policies and the required political will.

Before the Buhari administration, the ministry was remitting about N700million because the then administration had no political will to implement policies that would drive infrastructural development to boost the ministrys operation and revenue.

These policies were there, the raw materials were there but no political will; we now have a government that has the political will and wanted to diversify and we have realised that we have only depended on oil all along.

Mr Bwari commended the federal government for focusing on the steel industry, adding that it would generate revenue and create employment for youths.

For any country to industrialise, you need to develop the steel sector. Nigeria is now focusing on diversification and in its agenda, solid minerals is one of the key areas the government is paying attention to.

In solid minerals, you have the steel sector and for us to have called for this summit underscores governments commitment to develop the steel sector.

Nigeria has the market, unfortunately we are spending a lot of money bringing in related materials, and currently, we are importing about 4.6 billion worth of steel materials into the country.

Considering the availability of the raw materials we have in iron ore and others, Nigeria should not be importing steel products as the nation is now refocusing on these key sectors to create jobs for our youths and to generate more revenue, he said.

The minister, who said that one of the challenges the ministry was facing was transportation, noted that when it is effectively tacked, it would ease the costs of transporting the materials.

Our challenges are more of infrastructure, we need railways we need ports that can accommodate the kind of volume that will make a meaningful impact.

We need better roads that can accommodate the kind of traffic that will come with this kind of development.

We need power, and we are trying to look at our coal sector to see how we can work together, he said.

Mr Bwari said the country was blessed with minerals like Lead, Zinc and Lithium, which are used to produce electric cars.

We now have electric cars and there are some minerals that will contribute, especially lead, zinc and lithium.

Lithium can play a very significant role in the new technology for cars and we have it in Nigeria, so all we need now is to do more of its exploration.

That is why government has committed N4.2 billion into exploration and we are going to also do exploration in lithium, iron ore, gold and other minerals that will help us develop our country, he said.

Umar Hassan, Director-General, National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Kaduna, said that most of our steel plants rely in their design on imported materials.

Mr Hassan, who spoke on: Local Steel Raw Materials as a Sustainable Means of Crude Steel Production, said that when these steel materials are sourced locally, we will ensure sustainability.

Due to the fact that most steel producers purchase raw materials from the global market means competition for raw materials.

Our steel industries have yet to pick up fully, if we go into the global market to source for materials, suppliers will preferentially want to supply established customers who have regular activities, he said.

The two-day summit was attended by stakeholders in the Steel and Solid Minerals sector from nationwide.

(NAN)
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), says federal government will soon repatriate over 50 Nigerian girls trapped in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The DirectorGeneral NAPTIP, Julie OkahDonli, said this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, on the outcome of the investigation on Nigerian girls trafficked to Saudi Arabia.

The director general who came along with one of the victims said the team was set up by the minister after a complaint was lodged by NAPTIP on the nations youth being innocently trafficked to Saudi.

We came here complaining to you about the rate at which our young ones are being taken out of the country to Saudi Arabia under the guise of getting jobs for them.

There were calls from victims who were being trapped in Saudi, who are suffering and you graciously set up a team comprising NAPTIP officials and the ministry to go to Saudi and investigate.

When the team visited Saudi Arabia, we met with more than 50 girls who were interviewed and we were told that there were many more girls who were stranded in various part of Saudi Arabia.

One of the victims was brought back and she is here to recount her ordeal, she said.

She said there were a lot of Nigerian girls who were stranded in Saudi working under slave-like conditions in peoples home.

According to her, most of them are raped while others are made to work 18 hours out of 24 hours.

She said many were made to sleep in very poor condition and not paid in accordance with what the fraudulent trafficking agencies promised them.

There is a very big cartel that works with embassies, who secured visas for the victims because those who have genuine businesses dont easily get visas but the trafficked, she said.

The minister described the situation as pathetic and said that the federal government was going to deal with the issue holistically and see the end of the menace.

Mr Onyeama said there was a report that had a serious and a very negative impact on the country and the people, which made the ministry to set up an investigation team on it.

The report showed that this is a real scourge and it is just too pervasive now in our society and a lot of work is being done by the NAPTIP which is commendable.

Human trafficking is about trafficking beyond our border and this concerns the ministry of foreign affairs; we are also very much worried.

We need to sensitise our country and our people and to bring the issues closer to home through a personal experience, he said.

He said the ministry was in the process of having inter-ministerial meetings with all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to really address the problem and tackle the issue once and for all.

We want to put in place mechanism to tackle this issue, it is a crime against humanity, our youths are suffering and it is not something we can tolerate.

And, every effort would be made, that nothing would be spared toward eradicating this menace from this country and from the face of the earth, he said.

The victim who was veiled while narrating her ordeal in Saudi Arabia said she was lured by a friend living in Dubai who connected her with a woman in Bannex Plaza in Abuja.

The girl who spoke in English fluently but didnt reveal her identities, said she left for Saudi Arabia with other girls on December 30, 2017 before being rescued by NAPTIP through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It all started through a friend who claimed she was living in Dubai; she introduced me to a woman agent in Abuja, I was living in Lagos and latter invited me to meet her in Abuja

When I came, I was taken for a medical check-up in Dr Wadas Hospital.

The agent promised that I would go to Saudi Arabia as a sales girl and that I would be earning equivalent of N150, 000 there.

Everything was processed through her and when we got to Saudi Arabia it was a different thing entirely, my passport was seized and I ended working as a house help.

She said when the condition was unbearable she called the woman and said she could no longer cope but the agent said she could not leave.

According to her, the agent said she must pay N1.7 million before she could be released

And if I could not pay I would have to work for two years, so I contacted a journalist friend who contacted NAPTIP that contacted the Nigerian Embassy through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said.

The girl, who said she almost committed suicide before help came for her called on the federal government to come to the rescue of thousands of Nigerian girls trapped in Saudi Arabia.

I want government to assist those other girls that are stranded because it is not easy, Nigerian girls are passing through hell in Saudi Arabia , there may not be work in Nigeria but it is better to stay back.

I went through physical torture because my boss and her children beat me when I said that I wanted to go back to Nigeria.

(NAN)
The former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, has said he is not interested in being senate president now.

The position of Bukola Saraki as senate president is threatened as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its lawmakers have asked him to resign his position or be removed having defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Saraki, however, says he would not resign as he believes he still enjoys the support of majority senators.

The APC says it still has a slight majority of 53 of Nigerias 109 senators. However, two-thirds is constitutionally required to remove Mr Saraki, which means the ruling party would need the support of many opposition senators to achieve that feat, something it is unlikely to get as the race for 2019 heats up.

Mr Akpabio, the former PDP leader in the Senate, on Wednesday formally defected to the APC amidst rumours he was promised the senate presidents seat by the ruling party.

However, in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, the ex-Akwa Ibom governor said he was not interested in the position now. He, however, indicated he could be interested in the future.

No I dont have any intention of becoming senate president today, he said. But I have every intention to become what God wants me to be. My name is Godswill and I believe in the will of God.

When asked what would be his fate if APC does not win the 2019 general elections, the lawmaker said,

The problem you people have in Nigeria is to always think of winning. Its not about winning election, it is about participation. And as far as I am concerned, anybody who goes to election with the view to win election is somebody who must get it by all means and those are the election riggers.

Mr Akpabio, who was referred to as an uncommon defector by the APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole at Wednesdays rally to welcome him to the party in Uyo, said most politicians are concerned about the next election rather than the next generation. He said he wants to be part of those who are concerned about the next generation.
Skin Cancer & Cosmetic Dermatology Center relocated its Hixson skin care clinic to an expanded new location, 2177 Northpoint Blvd., Suite 111 on Monday, July 23.



Being proactive about your skins health is essential to your overall well-being, but if traveling to an appointment is inconvenient, it could sometimes deter someone from seeking the care they need, said Board Certified Dermatologist and Mohs Surgeon John Chung, MD, FAAD, FACMS, the clinics medical director.



The Hixson office is one of 13 locations in Skin Cancer & Cosmetic Dermatology Centers family of skin care clinics serving Chattanooga, southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. Accepting patients at the Hixson office with Dr. Chung are: Luis Gomez. MD; Ashley Thurman, DCNP; Kevin Tawzer, PA-C; Brittany Ryder, FNP-BC; Lana Goodman, NP-C and Becky Potts, LMA, aesthetician.



It is such a privilege to offer the very best dermatology care in our region, and we are so blessed with a modern new location that will give our Hixson patients convenient access to complete dermatology care and skin cancer screenings, including general, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Chung said.



Our extraordinary medical team has decades of experience in treating a broad range of skin conditions and bringing professional expertise to even the most difficult cases, said Kelley Finnell, executive director. We care deeply about our patients and our communities, and part of our commitment is putting the needs of our patients first.



About the staff:

John Chung, MD, FAAD, FACMS is a Board Certified Dermatologist and Mohs surgeon. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Pacific Union College in Angwin, Ca. He received his postgraduate medical training at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California, graduating with honors and an invitation into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Dr. Chung completed a Family Practice residency at Florida Hospital in Orlando, where he received the Family Practice Academic Excellence award, Resident Teacher of the Year award and the Family Physician of the Year award. Subsequently, he pursued a Dermatology Residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he served as chief resident and scored in the top one percent on his national board exam. Dr. Chung pursued advanced fellowship training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation in La Jolla, Ca. Dr. Chung is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. He has been in private practice since 1996.



Luis Gomez, MD, who is accepting patients in Athens, Cleveland and Hixson, graduated First in Class from the Latin University of Panama. His two-year internship focused on plastic surgery. Dr. Gomez, a fluent Spanish speaker, works with Dr. Chung performing surgeries. He possesses a great passion for ensuring that each of his patients are treated as if they were family, ensuring a good cosmetic outcome, accurate diagnosis and successful treatment.



Ashley Thurman is a dermatology certified nurse practitioner. After completing nursing school at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she graduated with honors from Southern Adventist University. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, as well as a member of Dermatology Nurses Association. Ashley has been with the Skin Cancer & Cosmetic Dermatology Center since 2010.



Kevin Tawzer is a board certified physician assistant by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. He graduated from Lincoln Memorial Universitys DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine Physician Assistant Program and received a masters of medical science degree.



Lana Goodman is a board certified family nurse practitioner. Having graduated from the University of TN at Chattanooga in 2002 with a bachelor of science in nursing, Lana practiced as a critical care nurse for over 14 years. During that time, she served in the position as the clinical coordinator of Surgical ICU.



Brittany Ryder is a family nurse practitioner, and she is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She joined the practice in April 2017 after seven years of working as a nurse practitioner in Primary Care and Womens Health. She completed her masters of science in nursing at Southern Adventist University.



Becky Potts is a licensed aesthetician who joined the practice in 2012. After facing her own issues with extremely sensitive skin, she attended and graduated from International College of Arts and Beauty in 2008.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the suspension of investigation into the alleged involvement of Senate President Bukola Saraki in the Offa Bank robbery, pending further hearing on the matter.

Over 30 people were killed in the robbery of banks in Offa, Kwara State, earlier in the year.

The court made the order following an ex-parte application filed by 10 lawyers asking the court to suspend the interrogation of Mr Saraki pending the determination of the motion brought before it.

The motion dated July 30 contained a request for the court to restrain the police or their agents from arresting, interrogating, harassing or attempting to detain Mr Saraki or infringe upon what they called his fundamental rights.

In a ruling on Wednesday, the judge, M. A. Nasir, allowed the application, ordering the police to suspend further action on issues relating to the suit pending the determination of the substantive matter on August 16.

The respondents are directed to stay all further actions related to the suit, pending the determination of the originating motion, which is hereby fixed for hearing on August 16, the court ruled.

Mr Saraki has been invited several times for questioning by the police since the April 5 robbery in Kwara State.

According to the police, information provided by some arrested suspects indicted Mr Saraki, resulting in a need for the senate president to explain his role in the fatal robbery.

Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders, namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel), the police said in its first letter to Mr Saraki in June.

Following the failure of the senate president to honour the invitation, the police issued another statement asking Mr Saraki to make himself available or be arrested. Mr Saraki was later questioned by police officers at his office, after a siege at the National Assembly by security operatives prevented him from honouring the July 23 invitation.

The Senate President has denied any involvement with the suspects, describing the investigation as a plot to intimidate him.

Mr Saraki also linked the police action to his and other senators planned defection from Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress. He has since left the party for the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, questioned the evidence the police have against Mr Saraki and asked that more investigation be done.
The European Union on Thursday expressed serious concerns over the controversial sealing of National Assembly by the State Security Service, warning law enforcement agencies against partisan use of state resources.

The EU Heads of Missions have noted with concern recent examples of interference in the democratic process by law enforcement services  the most recent case being the barring of access to the National Assembly on August 7, the organisation said in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday morning.

The EU is fully committed to supporting democracy in Nigeria, and it commends the Federal Governments swift action to protect the independence of the National Assembly as a critical pillar of democracy, it added in the statement distributed by Modestus Chukwulaka, its press officer in Abuja.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo fired Lawal Daura as the director-general of the SSS on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the siege drew nationwide uproar.

Mr Osinbajo said the action was unauthorised and restated the administrations commitment to the rule of law and respect for independent authorities.

The acting president has been commended for his prompt intervention, including by opposition politicians and even lawmakers who initially criticised him for being complacent with Mr Dauras apparent recklessness.

The British High Commission also condemned the siege in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday afternoon, saying it would not tolerate any disregard for democratic norms.

While weighing in on Thursday, the EU emphasised that security agencies must be fair and professional in their conduct, especially against the backdrop of upcoming elections.

The sacked director general of State Security Service, Lawal Daura.

The EU reiterates the importance of all law enforcement services staying neutral and ensuring that independent institutions can operate in line with their constitutional mandates, free from interference and intimidation.

The upcoming general elections in 2019 are vital in ensuring national stability, peace and prosperity for all Nigerians. It is for the Nigerian people to decide the outcome of the elections, and the EU calls upon all stakeholders in Nigeria to play their part so that voters can make their decision through a free, fair, credible and peaceful election process, the EU said.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday arrived Daura in Katsina state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally for Saturdays Katsina North Senatorial District bye-election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Osinbajo arrived at about 12.45 p.m. in the company of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.

Others, who came with the vice president, were Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu and an APC national leader, Bola Tinibu, among others.

The acting president was received by the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, commissioners and heads of agencies and parastatals.

NAN also reports that the popular Kangiwa square, venue of the event was thronged by thousands of people and party loyalists, praising the acting president.
The senator representing Bauchi Central, Isah Misau, has said that senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have no plans of impeaching President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said this while responding to claims made by a national leader of the All Progressives Party (APC), Bola Tinubu.

Mr Tinubu on Wednesday alleged that some members of the National Assembly were planning to impeach President Buhari. He warned the alleged plotters to drop their sinister move, saying it was not possible for a lizard to wrestle an antelope.

He made the claim at the formal defection of ex-Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, in Uyo where he also accused members of the opposition party of only having interest in looting money.

We say Nigerian money belongs to Nigerians. We say Nigerians must be given development. We believe in investing in the people. But they believe in sharing and looting the money.

Today, we are aspiring in our vision, but the Peoples Democratic Party has no vision. They believe in sharing and looting the treasury, he said.

However, in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Misau who recently defected from the APC, urged Nigerians to disregard such empty talk by the APC chieftain.

He described Mr Tinubus claim as a mere partisan rhethoric aimed at catching the attention of the crowd.

I am surprised that a politician of Tinubus calibre will be playing politics with a serious issue like the impeachment of the president of the country just because he wanted to catch the attention of a crowd. Politicians at his level should not be engaging in unnecessary saber-rattling and empty speculation.

We, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Senate, have no plan to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari. There is no need for that process and we are not contemplating it.

Our focus right now is to defend democracy and its institutions, fight for enthronement of rule of law, independence of the legislature and the judiciary and ensuring good governance, he said.

The lawmaker further challenged Mr Tinubu to come forward with concrete, reliable and verifiable evidence to the contrary and prove it. He also advised Mr Tinubu not to get carried away by the crowd and make claims that have no basis.

Mr Misau, thereafter, urged all Nigerians and members of the international community to ignore Mr Tinubus claim.

There is no basis for anybody to make such claim. It is a mere fabrication and a stunt pulled to please the partisan crowd to which it was uttered, he said.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, says the National Assembly will reconvene Tuesday next week to consider matters of public interest.

Mr. Lasun made this announcement on Thursday shortly after a meeting of the All Progressives Congress caucus in the National Assembly.

First, let me make one thing very clear that we are on a lawful break. We didnt just adjourn in order to run away from our duties, but went on recess at the time we normally have our annual recess.

But based on the presidents request and the meeting we held with INEC Chairman on Wednesday, we are convinced on the need to reconvene and address them, he said.

Issues expected to be considered are supplementary budget, as well as approval of funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable it prepare for the elections.

Rising from the meeting that lasted for about three hours, the Caucus called for urgent and thorough investigation of the invasion of the parliament by armed men from the State Security Services (SSS) on Tuesday.

Mr Lasun frowned at the formation of various groups within the APC caucus.

Apparently referring to the Abdulmumin Jibrin-led Parliamentary Support Group, a pro-Buhari group in the House, he insisted that nobody, no matter the group he/she belongs to can say that they like and support President Buhari more that the APC Caucus, adding that the Caucus remains one united body.

The deputy speaker said President Buhari will run for re-election as a consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Before he emerged in 2015, I was already campaigning for Buhari in 2014, and the partys national leadership and all its organs had agreed in principle that the President will be our consensus candidate in 2019.

Mark my words, I said this on principle. And when the time for primaries reaches for candidates to be elected, we are all going to adopt President Buhari as a consensus candidate of the APC, so let nobody come to deceive anyone that they love the President or Nigeria more than some of us, he said.

Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, did not attend the meeting.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has lifted restrictions on bank accounts run by two state governments.

Authorities in Benue and Akwa Ibom States recently raised alarm that their accounts had been frozen, trapping workers salaries, pensions and crippling public activities.

But while Benue officials have confirmed unblocking of all the accounts affected, Akwa Ibom was only able to confirm a partial relaxing of limited access imposed on its accounts in commercial banks.

Some of them have been unfrozen, not all of them, Akwa Ibom information commissioner Charles Udoh told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night.

The confirmation comes hours after Governor Samuel Ortom confirmed in a statement that Benue States accounts are now fully active.

Mr Ortom expressed his gratitude to Nigerians for helping ramp up pressure on the EFCC, reiterating his position that the EFCC was out to victimise him for leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The state raised an alarm on Tuesday that its bank accounts were frozen without any explanation. The Vanguard reported that the accounts were held in GTBank, Fidelity Bank and First Bank.

Terver Akase, a spokesperson for Mr Ortom, said the banks did not cite any reason for freezing the accounts, saying they only told the states attorneys general that documents relating to the measure were confidential.

Mr Akase also said the accounts were holding salaries of thousands of workers, as well as pensions.

Mr Akase quoted Mr Ortom as describing the action of the EFCC as an impunity.

Condemnation of EFCCs freezing of the states accounts and general outcry led to the restrictions being lifted, Mr Akase said, adding that Mr Ortom also thanked the presidency for intervening to end impunity and the siege on the legislature.

A spokesperson for the EFCC did not return requests for comments on the restrictions in the two states.

The EFCC said recently it was investigating Mr Ortom for his use of security earmarks, saying up to N22 billion had not been accounted for.

Mr Ortom denied the allegations.

The agency has also investigated Akwa Ibom finances, and the residence of its finance commissioner was said to have been raided by anti-graft agents a few weeks ago.

Mr Udoh, however, insisted to PREMIUM TIMES that the state had non prior indications that it was under the radar.
The Bauchi State Police Command on Thursday announced restriction of movement from 12 midnight of Friday, August 10, to 8 pm of Saturday, August 11, across the seven Local Government Areas of Bauchi South Senatorial District.

A by-election to fill a vacant senatorial seat is scheduled to take place on August 11, and the Local Government Areas affected are Bauchi, Toro, Alkaleri, Bogoro, Tafawa Balewa, Dass and Kirfi.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kamal Abubakar, a deputy superintendent of police, the command said the restriction did not affect those on essential duties, who must however carry their valid identification cards.

The command said the decision to restrict movement for that period was taken after due consultation with relevant stakeholders, adding that the measure was aimed at ensuring a hitch-free by-election.

It also reminded important personalities and politicians that they had been barred from moving to any polling unit with their security details.

It assured that adequate security personnel would be deployed on election day to ensure safety of lives and property at polling units, collation centres and all flash-points.

Meanwhile, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, has called on all political parties in the state, to conduct their activities within the confines of the law.

Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of stakeholders, Mr Abdullahi also appealed to politicians to prevail on their supporters to conduct themselves in orderly manner.

He also called on political parties to ensure that their representatives came to the polling units on election day on schedule, adding that in most cases, their late arrival had caused delay in commencement of voting.

(NAN)
The Niger State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 11 persons have died in an accident along Maje junction in Suleja Local Government Area of the state.

The Sector Commander, Yusuf Garba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Thursday.

According to Mr Garba, a trailer, with registration No. KTG 100 ZZ, convening animals at about 5.30 a.m. was involved in the fatal crash along Maje-Dikko road km 6, at NNPC Sharp corner, killing 11 persons, while 14 others sustained injuries.

The probable cause of the accident was the rusted plate that made the body to be detached from the articulated trailer tractor, he said.

The bodies of the victims were deposited at the Sabon Wuse General Hospital, while the injured ones are receiving treatment at the same hospital.

Mr Garba explained that the Lambata office would continue to effectively monitor the conduct and behaviour of road-users, especially those of articulated vehicles.

He said officers and men of the FRSC in the outpost would continue to monitor drivers and discourage them against indiscriminate parking on the highway.

He advised drivers of articulated vehicles to ensure that their trucks were roadworthy and to adhere to traffic rules and regulations to avoid road crashes.

We will intensify 24-hour patrol on all the federal highways and enforce traffic rules and regulations to ensure safety of road users, he said.

(NAN)
Hundreds of youthful supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday defied an early morning rain in Kaduna to hold a protest march to call for the resignation of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The youth stormed the partys state headquarters along Ali Akilu Road as early as 9 a.m. railing against Mr Saraki.

Many of the protesters held up placards with inscriptions such as Saraki Must Go, Enough of Sarakis Incompetence and We Reject Senate War Against Buhari.

Other inscriptions include We Say No To Budget Padding,  Saraki Has No Business Being Senate President , and Lets Give Akpabio A Chance.

Convener of the protest and Chairman of Arewa Solidarity Front,  Haruna Maikano, handed a letter containing their demands to the APC State Secretary, Mohammed Shuaibu.

He said the protesters would not fold their arms and watch a few politicians trying to truncate democracy in Nigeria. He urged the APC to find a way to replace Mr Saraki with another competent senator as Senate President.

Mr Maikano said as northerners, they were disappointed with the poor leadership of the Senate under Mr Saraki.

We resolved to formally write to you and intimate you on the position of the mass majority of northerners regarding the conduct and performance of Senator Bukola Saraki, he said after prsenting the letter to the APC state scribe.

We call on the APC National leadership to prevail on senators to restore the glory of the Senate by replacing Saraki who has so far built the image of a leader with too many pending court cases. We make bold to say that it is unacceptable to allow the incumbent Senate President to continue to ridicule the President and the countrys image with avoidable controversies over budgets and clearance of federal governments political appointees.

We urge the party national leadership to prevail on the senate to take appropriate democratic steps by pushing for the emergence of a more competent, articulate Senate President who is familiar with the laws of our land and to join President Buhari to move this country forward, he said.

The protesters also expressed support for Godswill Akpabios defection to the APC, describing the former Peoples Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader as a nationalist with strong democratic goodwill across both north and southern parts of the nation.

We therefore wish to recommend him ( Akpabio) as a replacement for Senator Saraki to end the three years of stagnation and tiresome controversies over clear constitutional issues, Mr Maikano said.

The protesters said they planned to meet with senators from their immediate constituencies in Northern Nigeria to drum up support for the replacement of Mr Saraki.

Mr Maikano further added that their protest letter had been copied to all senators from the north as well as all members of the House of Representatives from the region.

In his remarks shortly after receiving the letter, Mr Shuaibu commended the youth for their peaceful protest and assured them the letter would be channel to the national leadership of the party in Abuja.

 After receiving your letter and hearing your comment, I wish to assure you that APC is a party of justice and fair play and we very much believe in rule of law.

 The party at the national level is doing it best to ensure that it follows the right channel constitutionally to do the right thing on those who are trying to bring impediment to the current democracy in Nigeria.

We really appreciate the concern by youth in your calibre of watching how things are happening at the National Assembly chamber. The state chairman is happy with you and your message will be conveyed to the national chairman as well as Mr President, he said.

He urged them to remain calm, saying any action to be taken will be based on the constitution of the party and country.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has confirmed the passing on of his mother, Gold Coast Dickson. She was 72 years old.

The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo, said she died of cancer early hours of Thursday at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas where she had been receiving treatment.

Mr Dickson expressed appreciation to the Centre especially the team of medical professionals who did their best to save the life of his mother.

Mr Dickson also thanked family members, friends, political associates and Nigerians generally for their prayers and support in the most trying times for the Dickson family.

Until her last breathe, she was a quintessential mother, devout Christian and community leader who devoted her lifetime to the service of God and humanity, the spokesperson said.

Condolence registers have been opened in Government House, Yenagoa, the governors residences in Opolo, Yenagoa and Toru-Orua Community in Sagbama LGA, Bayelsa State Liaison Office (IZON Warri) in Abuja and Governors Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

Funeral details will be announced by the family at a later date, he said.
The police command in Cross River has arrested 12 suspected cult members in Obudu Local Government Area of the state ahead of the August 11 bye-election for Obudu State Constituency.

Presenting the suspects to journalists on Thursday in Calabar, the Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa, said the suspects were arrested for parading themselves in Obudu with the intention to disrupt the election.

Mr Inuwa said the suspects were arrested with dangerous weapons by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command.

These hoodlums are cult members. They were arrested irrespective of party affiliation because they were in Obudu to foment trouble.

From our investigation, the 12 of them are cult members. Two of them are very notorious cult members who have been on our wanted list.

Mcslow is a very dreaded Viking member and Ubong is a dreaded skylo member.

We knew that they were going to Obudu to commit crime because their voters registration centre is not in Obudu.

They were arrested with three live cartridges; one revolver pistol and a locally made one. They were ostensibly going to Obudu to commit crime.

Any miscreant, political party or individuals with the intention of causing trouble to thwart the peaceful conduct of this election will be arrested and prosecuted, he warned.

He further said that the command had earlier arrested 10 persons in Obudu who were also disrupting the peace of residents in that area ahead of the election.

The commissioner said that the police would create a peaceful atmosphere for the electorate to come out en masse and cast their votes.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy also says it has arrested four suspected members of a notorious cult group, Debam, said to have been robbing sea travellers of their valuables.

Ikenna Okoloagu, the Base Operation Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder (NNS), Port Harcourt, paraded the four suspected cultists to reporters on Thursday.

He said the suspects were arrested by a naval patrol team deployed to end killings and other criminal activities in its host community of Rumuolumeni.

This decision to heighten our security patrol follows the recent spate of reported killings in Rumuolumeni community and other forms criminality in the state.

The patrol team was tasked with the responsibility to ensure a safe, secure and peaceful atmosphere within the state.

So, in the course of the patrols, on August 8 at about 0845 hours, the base patrol element arrested four suspected sea robbers and members of the dreaded Debam cult group, he said.

The officer said that the suspects were apprehended at their hideout at Iwofe waterfront with a locally made pistol and four live cartridges found in their possession.

Additionally, controlled and banned substances such as cannabis (Indian hemp) and tramadol were found in their possession.

The suspects were immediately brought in for questioning and they later confessed to being members of the Debam cult group.

They are hereby being handed over to the police, he said.

Mr Okoloagu, a commander said the hand over to the police was done in line with the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures that spelled out roles for security agencies in combating illegalities in the oil and gas sector.

One of the suspects, who admitted to the crime and pleaded for leniency, said he was recruited into Debam cult by a friend when he was 19 years.

I joined the group when I was in my Senior Secondary Three level at Community Secondary School, Rumuolumeni, in 2015.

Immediately, I joined Debam, I started saving money and later bought the gun (locally made pistol) for N15,000 for my protection. The gun is mine but I have not shot or killed anybody with it, the 22-year-old said.
The Police Command in Cross River says it has deployed over 1,000 officers and men to maintain law and order in the August 11 Obudu State Constituency bye-election.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hafiz Inuwa, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.

Mr Inuwa told NAN that every polling unit in the area would be protected by eight policemen in order to protect the electorate during and after voting.

There will be nothing less than eight policemen in every polling unit.

The idea is to provide enough security for all eligible voters because we dont want any harassment of any form from anybody.

We urge members of the public to leave the polling unit as soon as they finish voting. We dont want every polling unit to get congested.

The representatives from all political parties will be there representing them and they will report what will happen to them.

The police and other security organisations will never partake in either counting or voting. Our own is to provide security, he said.

The commissioner told NAN that the police would only come in when any miscreant or criminal had the intent to harass or intimidate voters at the polling unit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Obudu State Constituency in the House of Assembly became vacant following the death of the lawmaker, Mr Stephen Ukpukpen, on May 30.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked the federal government to provide its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as part of preconditions for reconciliation between it and the Nigerian government.

The group met Wednesday with a delegation of Igbo leaders in Enugu in continuation of their deliberation on peaceful reconciliation between them and the federal government as well as governments of the South-east zone according to Daily Trust Newspaper.

Mr Kanu is wanted by the Nigerian government for alleged treason. He has not been seen in public since September 2017 when the army raided his residence in Abia state.

The army denies knowing his whereabouts.

The fate of our brother Nnamdi Kanu must be addressed. If the witch cried at night and the baby died in the morning, the witch must have killed the baby. Nnamdi Kanu did not rise and disappear. He is not the biblical prophet Elijah that got transfigured to heaven alive, Aloy Ejimakor, German-based lawyer, who led the IPOB delegation said after the closed door meeting.

Something happened; some people came to his house and those people are the men of the Nigerian Armed Forces. They (military) should speak to Nigerians and say, we went there, shot at people. Maybe we shot at him or wounded him. Let them say that much, then we know that the reconciliation has begun.

So I recommend that if it is the truth and reconciliation commission that the federal government wants to constitute, let them do that. But some of these things need to be ventilated well. You cannot just come to Igboland or any other part of the country and take their dignity away, and behave as if nothing happened.

The dignity of the Igboland and Biafra has been taken away since 2017 in the incident that took place at Afaraukwu, Umuahia. It shouldnt happen. It needs some explanation, an apology is warranted.

He further restated the demand for punishment of those who killed members of the group during the military exercise last year.

Mr Kanu has been at the vanguard of the call for an independent Biafra Republic from the Nigerian state through referendum.

Mr Kanu, who is facing charges of treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja, had called for a boycott of elections in Anambra last November if government failed to set a date for referendum. The call for boycott failed.

Clashes occurred between IPOB members and soldiers when the military commenced an operation in the South-east states last September.

Since then, Mr Kanus whereabouts has remained unknown.

While the army denies knowing his whereabouts, Mr Kanus lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, inisists that his client was kidnapped by the military after the clash on September 14 last year.

Also, speaking in an interview on BBC in February, Mr Kanus wife, Uche, maintained that the Nigerian Army should tell the world what happened to her husband, saying nobody in his family knows whether he was dead or alive.

While the federal government proscribed IPOB and labelled it a terrorist organisation in the wake of the clash, the U.S. government, however, said it does not see IPOB as a terrorist organisation, a position described as unfortunate by the Nigerian government.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Adeniyi Olowofela, has reacted to the agitations of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the commencement of a strike action by the non-academic workers of the institution on Wednesday.

Adeniyi Olowofela, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES tasked the governing council of the school to take responsibility for the striking workers.

The question of how to sort the NASU members is not for the state government but for the governing council of the institution, he said.

He highlighted the roles and the intervention of the state government in the school so far.

From April 2016, the government of Oyo State is giving The Polytechnic Ibadan N55 million monthly.

We held a meeting with the management and governing council a month ago and we told them about the intention of the government in line with the KPMG report to increase the subventions of tertiary institutions relatively to their needs and abilities.

The government has increased the subventions to N83 million monthly.

Apart from that, the schools are also charging school fees and government is not demanding anything from them.

They are also generating other forms of IGR (internal revenue) on their own and the government has never bothered them on what they are doing with the funds.

Its our expectation that they should be able to manage their resources.

The commissioner, when asked about the non-payment of over eight months arrears by the state government, which is one of the yearnings of the protesting workers, said,

The government is not owing anybody. When we are talking about autonomy, the institution is independent as far as autonomy is concerned. And that is why the government is not taking anything from the school fees they are charging.

It is very wrong to abdicate responsibilities and expect government to respond to everything.l

People can be so mysterious in this political era that we are now. They didnt go on strike when the subvention was increased from 55 million to 83 million naira.

However, the spokesperson of the institution, Soladoye Adewole, absolved the authorities of the school of responsibility.

He stated that the strike is between the union and the state government.

They (the state government) are owing them arrears and normally there should be negotiations. So, negotiations are on.

Mr. Soladoye also spoke on the threat by the union members to disrupt academic activities in the school, if their demands are not met.

Lets see what comes up in the future, negotiations are on and it has not broken down.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the schools NASU Chairman, Yomi Akande, on the comment of the state government, were unsuccessful . His telephone was switched off as at the time PREMIUM TIMES contacted.

We are not going to call off the strike until they pay the arrears, he earlier said in an interview with this reporter.
A member of the House of Representatives, Abiodun Olasupo (ADC- Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa) says members of his Unity Forum in the Oyo State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) were forced to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Mr Olasupo, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on legislative compliance, said this at Iwere-Ile in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State at a town hall meeting with constituents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Olasupo, alongside other members of the Unity Forum, a splinter group of the APC in the state, recently defected to ADC.

The group had accused Governor Abiola Ajimobi of disrespect for party supremacy.

The lawmaker, however, argued that the recent defections across political parties were good for democracy, adding that the development would enhance good governance.

Democracy is about tyranny of the majority. There wont be a strong political party when the interest of minority overrides that of the majority.

As long as there is no strong political party, there wont be a stable government and without a stable government, there wont be the much-desired development, he said.

Mr Olasupo stated that political participation and membership were about free entry and exit to allow participants the choice of desired political ideology and direction.

When the tenets of a political party do not give power to the people to elect who leads them, then free exit is guaranteed.

People will have to move to another party where they are warmly welcomed and where internal democracy is much sacrosanct.

We defected to ADC where we found an abode. This is an abode where party supremacy and internal democracy is highly valued.

In this party, the tyranny of majority works and the minority have their say, he said.

The lawmaker said that politics globally was about personal interest, adding that participants needed to be where they were wanted in accordance with the choice of supporters.

Mr Olasupo said his ambition to seek re-election was driven by the support and aspirations of his supporters.

When I was elected in 2015, I saw so many possibilities and made many promises. By the grace of God and the support of my people, I have delivered, but not on all.

There are so many things beyond my weight as a first timer in the House of Representatives.

My re-election in 2019 God willing is going to be a project of consolidation.

I am going to consolidate on all I have done including educational support, infrastructure, economic emancipation, women empowerment, securing of jobs for constituents as well as physical and human development, he said.

The lawmaker also condemned the siege laid to the National Assembly by the SSS, describing it as sad in a democracy.

Some community leaders in the council area, Abu Gbadamosi, Saka Kareem and Alhaji Kazeem Olalekan, described Olasupo as a tested representative of the constituency. (NAN)
The Deputy Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Musah Abdulwasiu (APC-Saki West), has described his purported expulsion from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as laughable and undemocratic.

Mr Abdulwasiu, spoke through his media aide, Yemi Azeez, on Thursday in Ibadan.

I am still a financial member of the party till date.

I have not committed any act of insubordination or perform any action as spelt out by the partys Constitution in Article 21 to warrant the laughable decision, he said in a statement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman and Secretary of APC, Saki West, Tiamiyu Ayinla and S.A. Adeniji respectively, had on Wednesday announced the expulsion of the deputy speaker.

They accused him of anti-party activities.

Mr Abdulwasiu said that the expulsion was null and void owing to the fact that it negated all principles of democratic doctrine.

According to him, the procedures to discipline any party member are well spelt out in Article 21 of the partys constitution.

Article 21 (A) of the partys constitution, Sub Article B (2) B (3) clearly states what constitutes an offence and series of steps to be strictly adhered to before any member of the party can be either suspended or expelled.

It is recommended that the signatories to the purported letter of expulsion endeavour to study relevant sections of our partys Constitution in making future decisions, as they are to be exemplary to other party members.

This decision is null and void, therefore, to the extent that it falls short of the minimum requirements of the laws, the deputy speaker said.

Also, the Saki Movement for Good Governance, a Community-based Organisation (CBO), condemned what it termed a childlike decision to expel Mr Abdulwasiu from APC.

Its chairman, Salami Nefiu, described the deputy speaker as instrumental to the unity being enjoyed by the party in Saki West and Oke-Ogun area of the state.

The CBO gave the signatories a seven-day ultimatum to reverse and rescind their decision.

We wish to inform the general public that the suspension did not reflect the wish of our people in Saki West Constituency and Oke-Ogun in general.

For the record, it is imperative for us to remind the signatories that the partys success in Saki in the 2015 general was largely due to the acceptability of the deputy speaker among youth elders and other stakeholders in Saki and its environs.

We remain committed to the government, owing to our belief and trust in our golden son, Musah Abdulwasiu, Mr Nefiu said.
The Prince William 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.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Leystone Insurance & Financial, Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 2001, Leystone Insurance & Financial offers employee benefits and retirement consulting services, specializing in individual life insurance and investment strategies, for clients across the province of Ontario. David McCulloch, Darryl Phippen and their associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Leslie Lemenager, head of Gallagher's international employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

"Leystone Financial is a well-regarded firm with similar core values that will strengthen Gallagher's footprint in Ottawa, Canada's capital," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am happy to welcome David, Darryl and their associates to our growing Gallagher family of professionals."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 34 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP  Investor Relations VP  Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

https://www.ajg.com


DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashford Inc. (NYSE American: AINC) (the "Company") today announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Remington Holdings, L.P.'s ("Remington") Project Management business. The transaction represents a significant milestone in Ashford's strategy, adding scale, diversification and an enhanced competitive position in the hospitality industry by expanding the breadth of services the Company offers to its advised REITs and other hospitality companies. Also, the income from the Project Management business is a crucial component of the Company's recently announced Enhanced Return Funding Program ("ERFP") with Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT) ("Ashford Trust") and the ERFP was contingent upon the closing of the Project Management transaction.

Ashford also announced the final results of the Special Meeting of Stockholders held August 7, 2018, during which Ashford stockholders overwhelmingly approved the proposal in connection with the transaction. Holders of over 87% of Ashford shares present and voting at the meeting, representing over 78% of outstanding shares, voted in favor of the proposal, and a majority of shares, excluding shares owned by Ashford Trust, Braemar Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: BHR) ("Braemar"), and insiders and related parties, present and voting at the meeting voted in favor of the proposal.

"We are excited to complete the strategic acquisition of Remington's project management business," commented Monty J. Bennett, Ashford's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "With deep industry experience and long-term contracts in place, this transaction is a compelling opportunity for Ashford to rapidly build our operating scale as well as increase the breadth of services provided to our advised REITs and other hospitality companies. We are also extremely pleased that Ashford shareholders recognized the strategic and financial merits of the transaction and I'm confident the acquisition will increase our earnings potential and create significant long-term shareholder value. The closing of this transaction is a crucial piece of our ERFP Program, which we believe will give Ashford Trust a significant competitive advantage when bidding on hotel acquisitions and should ultimately result in growth in assets under management and attractive returns to our shareholders."

Ashford provides global asset management, investment management and related services to the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Follow Chairman and CEO Monty Bennett on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBennettAshford or @MBennettAshford.

Ashford has created an Ashford App for the hospitality REIT investor community. The Ashford App is available for free download at Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store by searching "Ashford."

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon "forward-looking" information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. When we use the words "will likely result," "may," "can," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's control.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation: adverse litigation or regulatory developments; our success in implementing our business development plans of integrating the Company's and Remington's Project Management business and realizing the expected benefits of the transaction; general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock; changes in our business or investment strategy; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the market in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise.

SOURCE Ashford Inc.

Related Links

http://ashfordinc.com


LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) and Baidu ABC Institute (ABCI) have reached a strategic partnership and jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Global Partner Program (GPP) in an effort to promote long-term, extensive, and in-depth cooperation between the two organizations.

On 23 July the "MoU Signing Ceremony between IEEE Computer Society and Baidu ABC Institute" was held at the Green Computing Systems Research and Development Center at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. IEEE Fellow and IEEE-CS President Hironori Kasahara and Vice President Dai Haizhu of ABCI signed the MoU on behalf of both parties.

Said Haizhu at the signing ceremony, "I hope to jointly promote the deep cooperation between the two sides in big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and more." Kasahara added, "The signing ceremony is only the beginning of cooperation, and we look forward to more in-depth cooperation and exchanges between the two sides."

The achievement of this strategic cooperation signifies that the two organizations will conduct comprehensive cooperation in academic exchanges, expert invitations, educational training and certification, and resource sharing in the future; will accelerate the promotion of cutting-edge technological innovation and personnel training; and will deliver more for the development of global AI technology and innovation energy.

As an important part of academic exchanges, IEEE-CS will recommend well-known international experts to ABCI to communicate with the technical team and explore cooperation, and IEEE-CS will jointly launch a certification with ABCI.

Jun HuanBaidu's senior expert in machine learning, IEEE ICDM 2020 Program Co-Chair, and ABCI Honorary Advisorpresented an academic report entitled "Baidu Artificial Intelligence Technology" and exchanged ideas with the teachers and students of Waseda University. Representatives from IEEE-CS, IEEE Japan Office, ABCI, and teachers and students from the Green Computing System Research and Development Center witnessed the signing and listened to the academic report.

Kasahara gave a presentation based on his latest scientific research results and led Baidu personnel to visit the Center for Green Computing Systems Research and Development at Waseda University.

Based on the ABC strategy of Baidu Cloud, Baidu ABC Institute helps students grasp the basic knowledge of cutting-edge technologies such as cloud computing, virtualization, big data and artificial intelligence with the great advantage of Baidu in the field of artificial intelligence. Baidu improves the employment competitiveness of students, and will improve the R&D capability of cooperative enterprises.

About IEEE Computer Society

The IEEE Computer Society, a not-for-profit organization, is the world's home for computer science, engineering, and technology. A global leader in providing access to computer science research, analysis, and information, the IEEE Computer Society offers a comprehensive array of unmatched products, services, and opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional career. Known as the premier organization that empowers the people who drive technology, its unparalleled resources include membership, international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, a unique digital library, standards, and training programs. Visit www.computer.org for more information.

SOURCE IEEE Computer Society

Related Links

http://www.computer.org


Established in 2006, Plug and Play brings together the best startups and the biggest corporations around the world through a series of industry-specific accelerator programs. Due to growing demand from their current partners, Plug and Play Real Estate Tech launched earlier this year as a spin out from one of their oldest and most successful programs focused on the Internet of Things. BI Group plans to build partnerships with startups and collaborate with the other corporations in the program.

"We are very excited to have the BI Group join us as one of our newest partners in the Real Estate Tech program. Their innovation initiatives are well thought out and have the support of their executives. We feel these are important steps to help ensure success and we look forward to building a strong relationship in the years to come," said Miles Tabibian, Director of Plug and Play Real Estate Tech.

"BI Group is adapting to attract tech startups that will make disruption and bring Kazakh technological solutions to Silicon Valley. Our partnership with Plug and Play is a huge milestone towards driving global innovation within construction and real estate," said Bagdat Mussin, Chief Technology Officer of BI Group.

For their first year of participation in the partnership, BI Group will focus on the construction industry including commercial property, energy infrastructure, educational institutions, and more.

About BI Group

BI Group is the construction holding and the recognized leader in the real estate market of Kazakhstan. The holding has been operating since 1995 and during this time it has earned a reputation as a professional and reliable partner. BI Group today is a multi-business holding, the structure of which consists of divisions and directorates in various spheres of construction, development and engineering. For more information, visit www.bi-group.org/en

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

Plug and Play Contact

Miles Tabibian

[email protected]

SOURCE Plug and Play

Related Links

http://plugandplaytechcenter.com


MONTREAL, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - BioAmber Inc. (OTCPK: BIOAQ) announces that following a court order issued on July 31, 2018, the company, along with its monitor, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), has initiated a liquidation process pursuant to which offers will be solicited from liquidators and/or strategic buyers to proceed with the liquidation of the company's assets or a recapitalization transaction with the goal of realizing the greatest value on behalf of the company's creditors.

Binding offers from the liquidators or strategic buyers must be received by 9 a.m. on August 21st, 2018, and if acceptable offers are received, the company will seek to obtain court approval of the retained offer on August 28th, 2018 and close the transaction on August 31st, 2018.

Potential investors can contact Claudio Filippone or Christian Bourque from PWC, or Richard Eno, the company's CEO, in order to express interest in acquiring the assets or investing in the business.

Note that there can be no guarantee that the company will be successful in securing an acceptable offer in connection with the liquidation of its assets, and if an acceptable offer is received, the liquidation of the company's assets will almost certainly result in no residual value for non-secured creditors and equity investors.

About BioAmber

BioAmber (OTCPK: BIOAQ) is a renewable materials company. Its innovative technology platform combines biotechnology and catalysis to convert renewable feedstock into building block materials that are used in a wide variety of everyday products including plastics, paints, textiles, food additives and personal care products. For more information visit www.bio-amber.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve significant risks and uncertainties about BioAmber. BioAmber may use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," "would," "plan," "projected" or the negative of such words or other similar words or phrases to identify such forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are risks relating to, among other things, whether BioAmber will be able to obtain an acceptable offer related to the liquidation of its assets. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by BioAmber, see disclosures contained in BioAmber's public filings with the SEC, including the risks discussed under the heading "Item 1.A Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, and under the heading "Risk Factors" of the recently filed prospectus supplement. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included in this press release and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and BioAmber undertakes no obligation to update such statements as a result of new information.

SOURCE BioAmber Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bio-amber.com/


"We are growing our team to meet the needs of clients in key markets," says Jeff Ganthner, regional office manager. "These experienced professionals bring years of experience in the commercial, manufacturing, industrial, mission critical, land planning and design and construction/design-build sectors. Adding to the depth of our team will help us be better partners and provide a higher level of service to clients. They know what our clients expect and how we can best tackle their challenges."

New team member located in the Arlington, Virginia, office:

Michael Hathorne, PE, CxA, associate mechanical engineer

Hathorne has more than 23 years of experience as a mechanical engineer working with federal and commercial design contracts. Hathorne's project experience includes mechanical systems design of mission critical facility building and site infrastructure for new, renovated and expanded facilities requiring constant reliable operation.

New team members located in the Norfolk-Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Virginia) office include:

Eric Venable, PE, project manager

Venable brings more than 22 years of experience, primarily in the maritime industrial markets. With a focus on port and ship facility design and construction, Venable excels at program management for maritime and industrial clients. In his role, Venable leads a team providing architectural and engineering design and construction of marine manufacturing and ship facilities.

Nick Thornsbury, PE, construction project manager

Thornsbury's more than 20 years of experience brings a diverse set of skills through his role as a contractor and consulting engineer in the construction industry. Thornsbury leads a team providing a robust suite of construction services focused on alternative construction delivery, including design-build, engineer procure construct (EPC), and program and construction management services.

Scott Chewning, PE, LEED AP, project manager

Chewning has 20 years of experience in managing detailed design for a variety of federal, commercial, industrial, higher education, retail, housing authority and residential projects located primarily in central Virginia and the greater Hampton Roads area. Chewning, a civil engineer, leads a design team providing master planning and land development services for a diverse set of clients.

For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 6,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune's 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com.

Contact: Mary Young, Burns & McDonnell

816-822-4369

[email protected]

SOURCE Burns & McDonnell

Related Links

http://www.burnsmcd.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) today reported sales of $56.7 million for the four weeks ended August 4, 2018, up 1% to sales of $56.1 million for the four weeks ended July 29, 2017. Same-store sales for the four weeks ended August 4, 2018 was up 2% compared to the four weeks ended August 5, 2017. July 2018 same-store sales are compared to the four week period ended August 5, 2017 due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2017.

Sales for the second quarter ended August 4, 2018 were $206.9 million, up 1% to sales of $205.0 million for the second quarter ended July 29, 2017. Second quarter same-store sales were up 4% compared to the thirteen weeks ended August 5, 2017.

Sales for the first half were $442.9 million, flat to the prior year's first half sales of $442.7 million. Same-store sales for the first half were up 1% compared to the twenty-six weeks ended August 5, 2017.

"Due to strong merchandise margins, as a result of much lower markdown sales versus last year, we expect the second quarter and year-to-date earnings to be significantly above 2017," commented John Cato, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. "However, we expect the second half merchandise margins to be more in line with last year as markdown sales were not as significant in the second half of 2017."

The Company will release second quarter results on Thursday, August 23, 2018.

As of August 4 2018, The Cato Corporation operated 1,350 stores in 33 states, compared to 1,374 stores in 33 states as of July 29, 2017.

The Cato Corporation is a leading specialty retailer of value-priced fashion apparel and accessories operating three concepts, "Cato", "Versona" and "It's Fashion". The Company's Cato stores offer exclusive merchandise with fashion and quality comparable to mall specialty stores at low prices every day. The Company also offers exclusive merchandise found in its Cato stores at www.catofashions.com. Versona is a unique fashion destination offering apparel and accessories including jewelry, handbags and shoes at exceptional prices every day. Select Versona merchandise can also be found at www.shopversona.com. It's Fashion offers fashion with a focus on the latest trendy styles for the entire family at low prices every day. Additional information on The Cato Corporation is available at www.catocorp.com.

Statements in this press release not historical in nature including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's expected or estimated operational and financial results are considered "forward-looking" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: any actual or perceived deterioration in the conditions that drive consumer confidence and spending, including, but not limited to, levels of unemployment, fuel, energy and food costs, wage rates, tax rates, home values, consumer net worth and the availability of credit; uncertainties regarding the impact of any governmental responses to the foregoing conditions; competitive factors and pricing pressures; our ability to predict and respond to rapidly changing fashion trends and consumer demands; adverse weather or similar conditions that may affect our sales or operations; inventory risks due to shifts in market demand, including the ability to liquidate excess inventory at anticipated margins; and other factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of the Company's most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K and in other reports the Company files with or furnishes to the SEC from time to time. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise the forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that the projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. The Company is not responsible for any changes made to this press release by wire or Internet services.

SOURCE The Cato Corporation

Related Links

http://www.catocorp.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


SAINT PAUL, Minn., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Collective Fruitions today announced that it is holding The Emerging Technology Conference on Oct. 2-3 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The conference will be the first of its kind to cover both the business and technical elements of emerging technology.

Collective Fruitions

"Now more than ever, technology has the potential to revolutionize the world as we experience it," said Corey Ganser, CEO of Collective Fruitions. "In order to properly harness emerging technologies for a better future, technical experts must understand the business opportunity of their innovations, while in turn business leaders must have deep knowledge of the mechanics they will bring to market. This conference will bridge this gap with presentations from the foremost minds in both fields."

Over the two-day conference, attendees will convene at St. Paul's Union Depot to learn from leaders sharing their expertise on a variety of emerging technologies and concepts, including Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Security, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Biotech. Current speakers include Bill Le Voir-Barry, CTO for IBM Esports, Matthew O'Keefe, VP and Corporate Technologist of the Cloud Business Group for Oracle, and Dr. Fedinand Kongnso, Senior Manager at Accenture. Future speakers are to be announced.

"We are excited about the potential that these nascent technologies represent for the future of businesses and consumers," continued Ganser. "It is our hope that by creating space for these conversations to take place, we can help shape a future that is more safe, resourceful and fulfilling."

To learn more about The 2018 Emerging Technology Conference, please visit: https://www.emerging.events

About Collective Fruitions

Collective Fruitions is a technology consulting firm specializing in agile development, project management and product ownership. It helps clients make tech development more human for extraordinary results.

About The 2018 Emerging Technology Conference

The 2018 Emerging Technology Conference is a premier convention covering business and technical elements of emerging technology, taking place on Oct. 2-3 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sponsors of the 2018 Emerging Technology Conference include Accenture, among others. To register, please visit: https://emerging.events/products/full-conference-pass

For additional information, please contact:

Corey Ganser, CEO of Collective Fruitions

619-365-5764

[email protected]

https://www.emerging.events

Related Images

emerging-technology-conference-icon.jpg

Emerging Technology Conference Icon

emerging-technology-conference.png

Emerging Technology Conference Banner

Related Links

2018 Emerging Technology Conference Website

Collective Fruitions Website (Conference Host)

SOURCE Collective Fruitions

Related Links

http://https://www.emerging.events


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Experienced marketing strategist and technology professional Matt Robson has joined digital communications agency Lumentus. Robson has vast experience working with clients to develop and manage their communications campaigns across a range of industries and will serve as Manager of Search Marketing Strategy.

Robson will lead client initiatives that focus on paid search, display, and promoted social media campaigns. With more than a decade of experience, Robson will play an integral role in creating overall digital marketing strategies, SEO analysis, and SEM engagement. He will work with clients to develop actionable campaign models with a focus on ROI.

Robson's experience includes managing paid search management for high-profile life science clients such as AstraZeneca and Alexion Pharmaceuticals while at McCann RCW. At Converseon, Robson worked on SEO for companies including PayPal, Coldwell Banker, and Hitachi. He also served as an SEO Brand Manager for Hearst Magazines, directing strategy for ELLE, Woman's Day, and Car & Driver.

Lumentus, based in New York, is a full-service integrated digital communications agency that helps clients build and manage brands while simultaneously protecting and improving perceptions. The agency represents a roster of corporations, public policy organizations, financial services firms, life sciences companies, and executives from across the spectrum.

"Matt's digital marketing expertise meets what our clients are increasingly seeking," said Laurence Moskowitz, Lumentus managing partner and chief executive. "His diverse experience brings a different perspective that will further strengthen our menu of services."

"Lumentus looks at digital marketing from an entirely integrated perspective, knowing that compelling content is crucial to standing out in today's crowded media landscape," said Robson. "I look forward to further developing and distributing engaging content to the right audiences at the right time for our clients. Lumentus provides a highly collaborative environment and is a great firm to take on new challenges."

Robson holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.

He is the latest addition as Lumentus continues to further complement its suite of service offerings to clients.

Connect with Lumentus on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Lumentus

Related Links

http://www.lumentus.com


BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL;NYSE: EC) ("Ecopetrol" or the "Company) announces that on August 14, 2018 after market close, it will release its financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2018. On Wednesday, August 15th, Ecopetrol's senior management will host two conference calls to review the results. Please find below the timing, dial-in and links to access the conferences:

Spanish Conference Call English Conference Call



08:00 a.m. Col Time 09:30 a.m. Col Time



US Dial-in #: 1 (847) 585-4405 US Dial-in #: 1 (847) 585-4405 US Dial-in # (Toll Free): 1 (888) 771-4371 US Dial-in # (Toll Free): 1 (888) 771-4371 Local Colombia Dial-in #: 57 1 380 8041 Local Colombia Dial-in #: : 57 1 380 8041 Local Colombia Dial-in # (Free Toll): 01 800 9 156 924 Local Colombia Dial-in # (Free Toll): 01 800 9 156 924 Passcode: 47353235 Passcode: 47353240

Participants from different countries may look for different international numbers to the ones mentioned above by consulting the following link:

http://web.meetme.net/r.aspx?p=12&a=UXzQuWKCgSyMQL

The earnings release, slide presentation and live webcast of the conference calls will be available on Ecopetrol's website: www.ecopetrol.com.co and at the following links:

http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/wcc/r/1806327-1/E934C8DEA7B6C6E444887579EE01B359 (Spanish)

http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/wcc/r/1806354-1/B163754F8BF385987B8E2BFC078C5A8F (English)

Please verify in advance proper operation of the webcast in your browser. We recommend the usage of the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

The replay of the calls will be available on Ecopetrol's website (www.ecopetrol.com.co).

-----------------------------------------

This release contains statements that may be considered forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Capital Markets Manager

Fernando Alexander Suarez (e)

Phone: (+571) 234 5190

E-mail: [email protected]

Media Relations (Colombia)

Jorge Mauricio Tellez

Phone: (+ 571) 234 4329

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.

Related Links

http://www.ecopetrol.com.co


HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EP Energy Corporation (NYSE:EPE) today reported second quarter 2018 financial and operational results.

2Q'18 Updates - Executing Strategy to Drive Long-Term Value Creation

Equivalent production of 82.5 MBoe/d

Oil production of 47.2 MBbls/d

Net Loss of $58MM

Adjusted EBITDAX of $215MM

Oil and Gas Expenditures of $203MM

Completed (based on wells fracture stimulated or frac'd) 37 gross wells

Lease Operating Expense of $4.95 per Boe

per Boe New completion designs generating ~20% improvement in F&D costs versus pre-2018 wells

Eagle Ford enhanced oil recovery (EOR) pilot project in second injection cycle and expanding to three pilot projects this year

Drilled two horizontal wells in Altamont 2Q'18 and expect to complete in 3Q'18 - two additional horizontal wells to be drilled and completed in 3Q'18

Amended Reserve-Based Loan Facility (RBL Facility) and extended the maturity to November 2021

Issued $1 billion senior secured notes and used proceeds to fully repay RBL Facility borrowings

senior secured notes and used proceeds to fully repay RBL Facility borrowings Ended the quarter with $708MM of liquidity, $98MM of cash and 100% undrawn RBL Facility capacity

Redirecting second half capital to the Eagle Ford from the Permian to benefit higher margin basin

Updating full year capital and production guidance

2Q'18 Results Continue to Show Positive Change With New Leadership Team

The second quarter results continue to demonstrate improvement in operational and financial metrics. The company has increased oil production and Adjusted EBITDAX, while continuing to reduce lease operating and general and administrative costs. Below is a summary of second quarter 2018 results compared to the last three quarters.



3Q'17 4Q'17 1Q'18 2Q'18 2Q'18 vs. 3Q'17 Oil Production (MBbls/d) 45.1 43.6 45.4 47.2 +5% Equivalent Production (MBoe/d) 81.0 80.6 80.1 82.5 +2% Percent Oil (%) 55.7 54.1 56.7 57.2 +3% LOE per Unit ($/Boe) 5.66 5.60 5.48 4.95 -13% Lease Operating Expense ($MM) 42.2 41.5 39.5 37.6 -11% Boe/d per G&A Headcount 229 238 253 321 +40% Net (Loss) Income ($MM) (72) (72) 18 (58) -19% Adjusted EBITDAX ($MM)1 159 181 189 215 +35%







1 See Disclosure of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for applicable definitions and reconciliations to GAAP terms.

Eagle Ford: Increase in Oil Production and Improvement in Capital Efficiency

The company produced 39.2 MBoe/d, including 25.8 MBbls/d of oil in the second quarter of 2018, a nine percent and eight percent increase from the first quarter of 2018, respectively. Production in the second quarter benefited from the increase in activities in early 2018, improved production results from new well designs and completion techniques, and acquisition properties. EP Energy averaged three drilling rigs, invested $122 million and completed (frac'd) 17 gross and net wells in the second quarter of 2018 in its Eagle Ford program.

EP Energy continues to make great progress on its EOR pilot project. In the second quarter of 2018, EP Energy initialized its second injection cycle and plans for two more pilot projects to be operational by year end. Due to the promising long-term value creation potential of the project, the company has decided to accelerate the timing, allocate incremental capital, and increase the number of pilot projects above what was originally planned. The expansion of the EOR pilot projects will allow the company to accelerate the delineation of the EOR applicability across the company's Eagle Ford position.

The company continues to optimize completion designs for each pad to maximize returns and minimize finding and development costs. Based on new wells completed during 1Q'18, the company estimates an approximately 20% improvement in recoverable reserves per drilling and completion capital invested versus offset wells completed prior to 2018.

In July, the company drilled two 16,000 foot lateral wells, which are the longest laterals in company history. This is an important step forward in the Eagle Ford asset as the company looks to develop remaining acreage in the most capitally efficient manner going forward. The company believes 15,000 foot laterals will be the future of development for a large portion of the remaining acreage. The step change from 7,500 foot laterals creates a significant savings in total infrastructure costs. The company expects the average lateral length for the second half of 2018 to be 16% greater than the first half of 2018. In the second half of 2018, the company plans to reallocate capital from the Permian to the Eagle Ford to take advantage of the improved returns and capital efficiency driven by the favorable LLS and Brent pricing.

Permian: Reducing Operating Costs

In the second quarter of 2018, the company produced 26.5 MBoe/d, including 9.7 MBbls/d of oil, effectively flat compared to the first quarter of 2018. In the second quarter of 2018, the company averaged approximately one drilling rig, invested $48 million in capital and completed (frac'd) 13 gross and nine net wells.

In the second quarter of 2018, the company constructed and operationalized its first produced water pond for recycle use. The facility became operational in April and is lowering operating costs by approximately $1.54/Bbl of water. In addition, the facility lowers completion costs by providing a low-cost direct source of water for completion operations instead of trucking in fresh water saving approximately $0.45/Bbl of water.

The company maintains ample take-away capacity out of the basin through contractual agreements with third-party processors and marketing companies. In addition, EP Energy has 100% of its Midland to Cushing basis exposure hedged in 2018 at -$1.02 per barrel.

Altamont: Two Horizontal Wells Drilled and First Quarter Recompletion Record Broken

In the second quarter of 2018, the company produced 16.8 MBoe/d, including 11.7 MBbls/d of oil, effectively flat compared to the first quarter of 2018. The gas production was impacted by downtime related to unexpected plant maintenance during May 2018.

EP Energy operated two joint venture drilling rigs and completed (frac'd) seven gross wells and two net wells in the second quarter of 2018. Total capital invested in the Altamont program in the second quarter of 2018 was $33 million. The company also accelerated its high-return recompletion program, successfully recompleting 29 wells during the quarter, which broke the company's all-time record from the first quarter of 2018.

The company spud and rig released its first two horizontal wells during the quarter. The two horizontal wells have an average lateral length of 9,000 feet. The company has commenced completion operations and expects to initialize flowback on both wells over the next 30-60 days. In addition, the company expects to drill two incremental horizontal wells in the third quarter to accelerate the delineation of the horizontal potential of the field.

Multi-year Commodity Hedge Program: Well Positioned in 2018 and ~51 Percent Hedged in 20191

EP Energy maintains a solid hedge program, which provides continued commodity price protection. A summary of the company's current open hedge positions is listed below:





2018

2019 Total Fixed Price Hedges







Oil volumes (MMBbls)2

7.6



8.6

Average ceiling price ($/Bbl)

$ 63.96



$ 66.60

Average floor price ($/Bbl)

$ 58.45



$ 57.63











Natural Gas volumes (TBtu)

12.9



7.3

Average price ($/MMBtu)

$ 3.04



$ 2.97





Note: Positions are as of August 7, 2018 (Contract months: June 30, 2018 - Forward)

1 Percentage based on mid-point of 2018 production guidance 2 2018 and 2019 positions include WTI three way collars of 4.5 MMBbls and 6.6 MMBbls, respectively, and WTI collars of 0.6 MMBbls in 2018 and 1.3 MMBbls in 2019.

Liquidity - Financial Flexibility Significantly Improved

The company ended the quarter with $708 million of available liquidity and $4.3 billion of net debt (total debt of $4.4 billion less cash of $98 million). In May 2018, the company issued $1 billion of senior secured notes and used the proceeds to fully repay the RBL Facility. In addition, the company amended its RBL Facility agreement by extending the maturity date from May 2019 to November 2021. The maintenance covenant was also amended to a maximum ratio of first-lien debt to EBITDAX of 2.25 to 1.00 through maturity.

2018 Outlook Updated to Reflect Reallocation of Capital For Long-Term Value Creation

The table below summarizes the company's current operational and financial guidance for the second half of 2018. The company has increased the full year 2018 Oil & Gas Expenditures midpoint, excluding acquisitions, to $650 million. The increase is driven by incremental activity during the second half of the year that will result in incremental 2019 EBITDAX growth. The company expects to increase gross completions six percent from the original guidance, add a third EOR pilot, and two incremental Altamont horizontal wells. The company has increased the full year Eagle Ford capital allocation from ~50% to ~65%.

Due to the acceleration of activities in the Eagle Ford, and changing the development approach, the company expects to temporarily shut-in more recently completed offset wells than planned during the second half of 2018. These intentional shut-ins will temporarily lower near-term production, but will reduce the future impact of offset frac interference and provide greater long-term value over the life of the field benefiting 2019 and beyond production and cash flow. In addition, the company's original guidance was based on $55 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude. Given the rise in current commodity prices, the company expects higher cash flows. However, the company will experience an increased burden in the Permian sliding scale royalty agreement, resulting in approximately 500 Bbls/d lower volumes during 2Q'18 to 4Q'18.





1H'18

Actuals 2H'18

Estimate FY 2018

Estimate









Production Volumes







Oil production (MBbls/d)

46.3 45 - 47 45  47 Total production (MBoe/d)

81.3 79  82 79  82









Oil & Gas Expenditures ($ million)

$411 $220  $260 $630  $6701 Eagle Ford

$257

~65% Permian

$91

~15% Altamont

$63

~20%2









Average Gross Drilling Rigs







Eagle Ford

3

3 Permian

0.6

- Altamont

2

2









Operating Costs







Lease operating expense ($/Boe)

$5.21

$5.00  $5.70 Reported G&A expense ($/Boe)

$3.17

$2.90  $3.25 Adjusted G&A expense ($/Boe)3

$2.47

$2.30  $2.60 Transportation and commodity purchases ($/Boe)

$3.46

$3.15  $3.45 Taxes, other than income ($/Boe)4

$2.78

$2.75  $2.85









DD&A ($/Boe)

$16.95

$17.00  $17.50





1 Full year 2018 includes ~$120 million non-drill capital including: ~$55 million for general equipment, ~$20 million for capitalized G&A and interest, ~$20 million for enhanced facility projects, ~$15 million for EOR projects, and ~$10 million for leasing and seismic, and does not include acquisition costs. 2 Full year 2018 Altamont capital includes ~81 recompletions for $47 million. 3 Adjusted G&A represents G&A expense less approximately $0.30 per Boe of non-cash compensation expense and $0.40 per Boe in transition, restructuring and other costs in 1H'18 reported G&A and $0.60 - $0.65 per Boe of non-cash compensation expense in FY 2018 Estimate. 4 Severance taxes estimates are based on current WTI prices.

Webcast Information

EP Energy has scheduled a webcast at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 9:00 a.m. Central Time, on August 10, 2018, to discuss its second quarter financial and operational results. The webcast may be accessed online through the company's website at epenergy.com in the Investor Center. Materials relating to the webcast will be available in the Investor Center. A limited number of telephone lines will be available to participants by dialing 888-317-6003 (conference ID#6173767) 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast. A replay of the webcast will be available through September 14, 2018 on the company's website in the Investor Center or by dialing 877-344-7529 (conference ID#10122575).

About EP Energy

The EP Energy team is driven to deliver superior returns for our investors by developing the oil and natural gas that feeds America's growing energy needs. The company focuses on enhancing the value of its high quality asset portfolio, increasing capital efficiency, maintaining financial flexibility, and pursuing accretive acquisitions and divestitures. EP Energy is working to set the standard for efficient development of hydrocarbons in the U.S. Learn more at epenergy.com.

The following table provides the company's production results, average realized prices, results of operations and certain non-GAAP financial measures for the periods presented.



Quarter ended

June 30,

2018

March 31,

2018

September 30,

2017 Oil Sales Volumes (MBbls/d)









Eagle Ford 25.8



24.0



20.0

Permian 9.7



9.8



12.6

Altamont 11.7



11.6



12.5

Total Oil Sales Volumes 47.2



45.4



45.1

Natural Gas Sales Volumes (MMcf/d)









Eagle Ford 40



36



37

Permian 54



56



55

Altamont 30



34



34

Total Natural Gas Sales Volumes 124



126



126

NGLs Sales Volumes (MBbls/d)









Eagle Ford 6.8



5.9



6.7

Permian 7.8



7.8



8.2

Altamont 









Total NGLs Sales Volumes 14.6 -



13.7



14.9

Equivalent Sales Volumes (MBoe/d)









Eagle Ford 39.2



35.9



32.9

Permian 26.5



27.0



29.9

Altamont 16.8



17.2



18.2

Total Equivalent Sales Volumes 82.5



80.1



81.0













Net (loss) income ($ in millions) (58)



18



(72)

Adjusted EBITDAX ($ in millions) 215



189



159

Basic and diluted net (loss) income per common share ($) (0.23)



0.07



(0.29)

Adjusted EPS ($) (0.01)



(0.07)



(0.12)

Capital Expenditures ($ in millions)(1) 203



208



162

Total Operating Expenses ($/Boe) 32.20



31.11



31.79

Adjusted Cash Operating Costs ($/Boe) 13.85



13.97



14.73

Depreciation, depletion and amortization rate ($/Boe) 17.20



16.69



15.92

Average realized prices(2)









Oil price on physical sales ($/Bbl) 65.53



61.56



45.49

Oil, including financial derivatives ($/Bbl)(3) 62.30



58.86



51.75

Natural gas price on physical sales ($/Mcf) 1.58



1.94



2.26

Natural gas, including financial derivatives ($/Mcf)(3) 1.96



2.03



2.49

NGLs price on physical sales ($/Bbl) 22.65



20.93



18.98

NGLs, including financial derivatives ($Bbl)(3) 22.07



20.91



18.45



































(1) The quarters ended June 30, 2018 and March 31, 2018 do not include $16 million and $248 million, respectively, of acquisition capital. (2) Oil and natural gas prices on physical sales reflect operating revenues for oil and natural gas reduced by oil and natural gas purchases associated with managing our physical sales. (3) Prices per unit are calculated using total financial derivative cash settlements.

EP ENERGY CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In millions) (Unaudited)





Quarter ended

June 30,

2018

March 31,

2018

September 30,

2017 Operating revenues









Oil $ 281



$ 252



189

Natural gas 18



22



27

NGLs 30



26



26

Financial derivatives (64)



(14)



(23)

Total operating revenues 265



286



219













Operating expenses









Oil and natural gas purchases 









Transportation costs 26



25



29

Lease operating expense 38



39



42

General and administrative 28



19



25

Depreciation, depletion and amortization 129



120



118

Impairment charges 







1

Exploration and other expense 



1



6

Taxes, other than income taxes 21



20



16

Total operating expenses 242



224



237













Operating income (loss) 23



62



(18)

Gain on extinguishment/modification of debt 7



41



24

Interest expense (88)



(85)



(80)

(Loss) income before income taxes (58)



18



(74)

Income tax benefit 







2

Net (loss) income $ (58)



$ 18



$ (72)



























EP ENERGY CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In millions) (Unaudited)













June 30, 2018

March 31, 2018

December 31, 2017 ASSETS









Current assets(1) $ 329



$ 237



$ 466

Property, plant and equipment, net(2) 4,832



4,741



4,422

Other non-current assets

13





11





12

Total assets $ 5,174



$ 4,989



$ 4,900













LIABILITIES AND EQUITY









Current liabilities $ 479



$ 436



$ 448

Long-term debt, net of debt issue costs 4,291



4,104



4,022

Other non-current liabilities 49



39



38

Total stockholders' equity 355



410



392

Total liabilities and equity $ 5,174



$ 4,989



$ 4,900





















(1) Balance as of December 31, 2017 includes $172 million of assets held for sale. (2) Balance is net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of $3,424 million, $3,307 million and $3,179 million as of June 30, 2018, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

EP ENERGY CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In millions) (Unaudited)





Six months ended June 30,

2018

2017 Net loss $ (40)



$ (50)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities





Non-cash expenses 214



305

Asset and liability changes 43



(74)

Net cash provided by operating activities 217



181

Net cash used in investing activities (454)



(266)

Net cash provided by financing activities 291



109









Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 54



24









Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash - beginning of period 45



20

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash - end of period $ 99



$ 44



Disclosure of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation G applies to any public disclosure or release of material information that includes a non-GAAP financial measure. In the event of such a disclosure or release, Regulation G requires (i) the presentation of the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP and (ii) a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure presented and the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Non-GAAP Terms

Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted earnings per share adjusted for certain items that EP Energy considers to be significant to understanding our underlying performance for a given period. Adjusted EPS is useful in analyzing the company's ongoing earnings potential and understanding certain significant items impacting the comparability of EP Energy's results. Adjusted EPS is calculated as net income (loss) per common share adjusted for the impact of financial derivatives (mark-to-market effects of financial derivatives, net of cash settlements and cash premiums related to these derivatives), gains and losses on extinguishment/modification of debt, impairment charges, other costs that affect comparability, including transition, severance and other costs and changes in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

Below is a reconciliation of consolidated diluted net income (loss) per share to Adjusted EPS:



Quarter ended June 30, 2018

Pre Tax

After Tax

Diluted EPS(1)

($ in millions, except earnings per share amounts) Net loss



$ (58)



$ (0.23)











Adjustments(2)









Impact of financial derivatives(3) $ 54



$ 42



$ 0.17 Transition, severance and other costs 6



5



0.02 Gain on extinguishment/modification of debt (7)



(5)



(0.02) Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets



13



0.05 Total adjustments $ 53



$ 55



$ 0.22











Adjusted EPS







$ (0.01)











Diluted weighted average shares







248













Quarter ended March 31, 2018

Pre Tax

After Tax

Diluted EPS(1)

($ in millions, except earnings per share amounts) Net income



$ 18



$ 0.07











Adjustments(2)









Impact of financial derivatives(3) $ 4



$ 3



$ 0.01 Gain on extinguishment/modification of debt (41)



(32)



(0.13) Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets



(5)



(0.02) Total adjustments $ (37)



$ (34)



$ (0.14)











Adjusted EPS







$ (0.07)











Diluted weighted average shares







247













Quarter ended September 30, 2017

Pre Tax

After Tax

Diluted EPS(1)

($ in millions, except earnings per share amounts) Net loss



$ (72)



$ (0.29)











Adjustments(2)









Impact of financial derivatives(3) $ 50



$ 32



$ 0.13 Gain on extinguishment of debt (24)



(15)



(0.06) Impairment charges 1







 Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets



24



0.10 Total adjustments $ 27



$ 41



$ 0.17











Adjusted EPS







$ (0.12)











Diluted weighted average shares







246













(1) Diluted per share amounts are based on actual amounts rather than the rounded totals presented. (2) All individual adjustments for all periods presented assume a statutory federal and blended state tax rate, as well as any other income tax effects specifically attributable to that item. (3) Represents mark-to-market impact net of cash settlements and cash premiums related to financial derivatives. There were no cash premiums received or paid for the periods presented.

EBITDAX is defined as net income (loss) plus interest and debt expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization and exploration expense. Adjusted EBITDAX is defined as EBITDAX, adjusted as applicable in the relevant period for the net change in the fair value of derivatives (mark-to-market effects of financial derivatives, net of cash settlements and cash premiums related to these derivatives), the non-cash portion of compensation expense (which represents non-cash compensation expense under our long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments made under these plans), transition, severance and other costs that affect comparability, fees paid to the Sponsors, gains and losses on extinguishment/modification of debt and impairment charges.

Below is a reconciliation of our consolidated net income (loss) to EBITDAX and Adjusted EBITDAX:





Quarter ended



September 30, December 31,

March 31, June 30,



2017

2018



($ in millions) Net (loss) income

$ (72)

(72)



$ 18

$ (58)

Income tax benefit

(2)

(2)







Interest expense, net of capitalized interest

80

81



85

88

Depreciation, depletion and amortization

118

119



120

129

Exploration expense

3

2



1

1

EBITDAX

127

128



224

160

Mark-to-market on financial derivatives(1)

23

51



14

64

Cash settlements and cash premiums on financial derivatives(2)

27

7



(10)

(10)

Non-cash portion of compensation expense(3)

5

(29)



2

2

Transition, severance and other costs(4)



19





6

Fees paid to Sponsors(5)



5







Gain on extinguishment/modification of debt

(24)





(41)

(7)

Impairment charges

1









Adjusted EBITDAX

$ 159

181



$ 189

$ 215















(1) Represents the income statement impact of financial derivatives. (2) Represents actual cash settlements related to financial derivatives. There were no cash premiums received or paid for the periods presented. (3) Non-cash portion of compensation expense represents compensation expense (net of forfeitures) under long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments made under these plans. (4) Reflects transition and severance costs related to workforce reductions. (5) Represents fees paid in connection with the release of members of the new leadership team from a portfolio company of funds managed by Apollo Global Management LLC and payment of certain legal expenses.

Adjusted cash operating costs is a non-GAAP measure that is defined as total operating expenses, excluding depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, exploration expense, impairment charges, the non-cash portion of compensation expense (which represents compensation expense under our long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments made under these plans) and transition, severance and other costs that affect comparability. We use this measure to describe the costs required to directly or indirectly operate our existing assets and produce and sell our oil and natural gas, including the costs associated with the delivery and purchases and sales of produced commodities. Accordingly, we exclude depreciation, depletion, and amortization and impairment charges as such costs are non-cash in nature. We exclude exploration expense from our measure as it is substantially non-cash in nature and is not related to the costs to operate our existing assets. We exclude the non-cash portion of compensation expense as well as transition, severance and other costs that affect comparability, as we believe such adjustments allow investors to evaluate our costs against others in our industry and this item can vary across companies due to different ownership structures, compensation objectives or the occurrence of transactions.

Below is a reconciliation of our GAAP operating expenses to non-GAAP adjusted cash operating costs:





Quarter ended



June 30, 2018

March 31, 2018

September 30, 2017



Total

Per-Unit(1)

Total

Per-Unit(1)

Total

Per-Unit(1)



($ in millions, except per unit costs) Oil and natural gas purchases

$ 



$ 



$ 



$ 



$ 



$ 

Transportation costs

26



3.49



25



3.43



29



3.91

Lease operating expense

38



4.95



39



5.48



42



5.66

General and administrative

28



3.74



19



2.58



25



3.28

Depreciation, depletion and amortization

129



17.20



120



16.69



118



15.92

Impairment charges

















1



0.09

Exploration and other expense









1



0.18



6



0.83

Taxes, other than income taxes

21



2.82



20



2.75



16



2.10

Total operating expenses

$ 242



$ 32.20



$ 224



$ 31.11



$ 237



$ 31.79

Adjustments:























Depreciation, depletion and amortization

$ (129)



$ (17.20)



$ (120)



$ (16.69)



$ (118)



$ (15.92)

Impairment charges

















(1)



(0.09)

Exploration expense









(1)



(0.18)



(3)



(0.40)

Non-cash portion of compensation expense(2)

(2)



(0.38)



(2)



(0.27)



(5)



(0.65)

Transition, severance and other costs(2)

(6)



(0.77)

















Adjusted cash operating costs and per-unit adjusted cash costs

$ 105



$ 13.85



$ 101



$ 13.97



$ 110



$ 14.73



























Total consolidated equivalent volumes (MBoe)





7,512







7,208







7,456









































(1) Per unit costs are based on actual total amounts rather than the rounded totals presented. (2) Amounts are excluded in the calculation of adjusted general and administrative expense.

Adjusted general and administrative expenses are defined as general and administrative expenses excluding the non-cash portion of compensation expense which represents compensation expense (net of forfeitures) under our long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments under these plans and transition, severance and other costs.

Below is a reconciliation of our GAAP general and administrative expense to non-GAAP adjusted general and administrative expense:



Actuals

FY 2018 Estimate





Quarter ended



June 30,

2018

March 31,

2018

September 30,

2017

Low

High

Total

($/Boe)

Total

($/Boe)

Total

($/Boe)

($/Boe)

($/Boe)

($ in millions, except per Boe costs) GAAP general and administrative expense $ 28



$ 3.74



$ 19



$ 2.58



$ 25



$ 3.28



$ 2.90



$ 3.25

Less non-cash compensation expense 2



0.38



2



0.27



5



0.65



0.60



0.65

Less transition, severance and other costs 6



0.77

























Adjusted general and administrative expense $ 20



$ 2.59



$ 17



$ 2.31



$ 20



$ 2.63



$ 2.30



$ 2.60









(1) Per unit costs are based on actual total amounts rather than the rounded totals presented.

Net Debt is a non-GAAP measure defined as long-term debt less cash and cash equivalents.

EBITDAX and Adjusted EBITDAX are used by management and we believe provide investors with additional information (i) to evaluate our ability to service debt adjusting for items required or permitted in calculating covenant compliance under our debt agreements, (ii) to provide an important supplemental indicator of the operational performance of our business without regard to financing methods and capital structure, (iii) for evaluating our performance relative to our peers, (iv) to measure our liquidity (before cash capital requirements and working capital needs) and (v) to provide supplemental information about certain material non-cash and/or other items that may not continue at the same level in the future. Adjusted EPS is used by management and we believe is a valuable measure of operating performance. Adjusted Cash Operating Costs per unit is used by management as a performance measure, and we believe provides investors valuable information related to our operating performance and our operating efficiency relative to other industry participants and comparatively over time across our historical results. Adjusted General and Administrative expense is used by management and investors as additional information. Net Debt is used by management for analysis of the company's financial position and/or liquidity. In addition, the company believes that these measures are 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.

Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted Cash Operating Costs, Adjusted General and Administrative expense and Net Debt have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EPS should not be used as an alternative to earnings (loss) per share or other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDAX and Adjusted EBITDAX should not be used as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss), operating cash flows or other measures of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted Cash Operating Costs should not be used as an alternative to operating expenses, operating cash flows or other measures of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted General and Administrative expense should not be used as an alternative to GAAP general and administrative expense. Our presentation of Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted Cash Operating Costs, Adjusted General and Administrative expense and Net Debt may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies in our industry. Furthermore, our presentation of Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted Cash Operating Costs, Adjusted General and Administrative expense and Net Debt should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by the items noted above or what we believe to be other unusual items, or that in the future we may not incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes certain forward-looking statements and projections of EP Energy. We have made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed, including, without limitation, the volatility of and potential for sustained low oil, natural gas and NGL prices; the supply and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs; the company's ability to meet production volume targets; changes in commodity prices and basis differentials for oil and natural gas; the uncertainty of estimating proved reserves and unproved resources; the future level of operating and capital costs; the availability and cost of financing to fund future exploration and production operations; the success of drilling programs with regard to proved undeveloped reserves and unproved resources; the company's ability to comply with the covenants in various financing documents; the company's ability to obtain necessary governmental approvals for proposed E&P projects and to successfully construct and operate such projects; actions by the credit rating agencies; credit and performance risk of our lenders, trading counterparties, customers, vendors, suppliers and third party operators; general economic and weather conditions in geographic regions or markets served by the company, or where operations of the company are located, including the risk of a global recession and negative impact on oil and natural gas demand; the uncertainties associated with governmental regulation, including any potential changes in federal and state tax laws and regulations; competition; and other factors described in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference must be made to those filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results. EP Energy assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by EP Energy, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact

Investor and Media Relations

Jordan Strauss

713-997-6791

[email protected]

SOURCE EP Energy Corporation

Related Links

http://www.epenergy.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Management (AOM), the largest global organization devoted to management and organization research, today announced new research that will be presented at its 78th Annual Meeting titled "Narcissism, Charisma and Performance: Perceptions about the Presidential Leadership of Donald Trump."

The research was produced by Ethlyn Anne Williams, Florida Atlantic University; Kate Marie McCombs, Florida Atlantic University; Rajnandini Pillai, California State University, San Marcos; Bryan Joab Deptula, Nova Southeastern University; and Kevin B. Lowe, University of Sydney.

The study examines evaluations of how the U.S. President's narcissistic leadership style influenced perceptions of his performance roughly 150 days into his presidency. The research delves into both "bright" and "dark" narcissism associated with charismatic leadership thought to be associated with both positive and negative outcomes.

"Because narcissists are attracted to and tend to emerge in leadership roles, it is important to understand if they are good leaders and the factors that influence evaluations of their leadership," said the authors. "Narcissistic individuals may be able to inspire followers to reach their fullest potential and achieve large scale change. Given the unique context of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the interest Donald Trump has generated on the world stage, we thought it was important to take an empirical approach to understand how President Trump's narcissistic leadership has influenced perceptions of his job performance in the early days of his presidency."

The research will be presented during the session "What's on the Inside Counts: Leader Personality" on Tuesday, August 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Chicago in the Sheraton Ballroom II.

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 research 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


FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Higginbotham announced today the acquisition of the business of Colt Risk Management Services (CRMS). CRMS's personnel moved to Higginbotham's office in Friendswood, Texas, giving it a combined staff of nearly 40 insurance and employee benefit professionals serving businesses and individuals.

CRMS is an independent commercial insurance broker specializing in aviation risk. It came to Higginbotham from Colt International where it provided insurance services to aviation companies worldwide.

Higginbotham is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and ranked by revenue as the largest independent insurance broker based in the state. It operates 29 offices in Texas and Oklahoma City and entered Friendswood in 2010 through a merger. The firm is fulfilling its mission to provide a single source solution for insurance by uniting with brokers that have industry expertise so it can serve a broad range of business sectors. Higginbotham has practice groups for more than 20 industries.

"Aviation is a high-stakes industry that requires experience to properly cover its exposures," said Ryan Moss, managing partner of Higginbotham in Friendswood. "The experience CRMS brings to Higginbotham opens the door to a new market for us, and CRMS's reputation is notable in the aviation industry."

John Springrose, president of CRMS, said, "Higginbotham's team atmosphere was especially appealing to me. Everyone supports each other to achieve the highest customer satisfaction. Our clients will continue doing business with us, but now we have teams dedicated to risk management and employee benefits that expand what we can do for them."

CRMS will operate under the Higginbotham name at 306 W. Parkwood Ave. with Moss as managing partner and Springrose as vice president.

About Colt Risk Management Services

Colt Risk Management Services is an independent commercial property/casualty insurance broker serving the aviation industry. It opened in 2010 with representatives in Houston and Atlanta. CRMS serves more than 400 aviation companies globally and was the exclusive insurance services provider for Colt International from 2010 to 2018.

About Higginbotham

Higginbotham is a single source for insurance and financial services that brokers business insurance, employee benefits, retirement plans, executive benefits, life insurance and home/auto insurance from more than 250 regional and national carriers. It supplements coverage with in-house risk management and benefit plan administration services. The firm was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with 28 additional offices serving domestic and international customers. Higginbotham ranks by revenue as the nation's 27th largest independent insurance brokerage firm, making it the largest Texas-based broker (Business Insurance, July 2017). Visit www.higginbotham.net for more information.

SOURCE Higginbotham

Related Links

http://higginbotham.net


WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard University Hospital (HUH) and Unity Health Care, (Unity) today announced that Unity will open a new East of the River Health Center in early 2019. The joint collaboration will bring a multitude of specialty healthcare services to the city's most vulnerable and underserved areas of Ward's 7 and 8.

"Howard University is honored to be a part of Unity's new health center in Ward 7, which will help eliminate barriers to treatment and provide local residents with equitable access to high-quality, specialized services and care," says Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. "Unity's partnership firmly aligns with our strategic mission to eradicate healthcare disparities and improve the health outcomes of D.C.'s underserved populations. I am confident that the new center will serve the diverse healthcare needs of the community in innovative new ways."

Located at the Conway Center (4430 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C.), Unity's new health center will be a two-level, state-of-the-art facility that features 43 exam rooms, which greatly expands access to medical services for local residents who normally travel outside of their community for specialty care. The mixed-use center developed by the non-profit organization, So Others Might Eat (SOME), will include low-cost housing, and a job training program.

"We are grateful to build upon our partnership with Howard University Hospital to offer specialty medical services to our patients at our new East of the River Health Center," says Vincent Keane, President and CEO, Unity Health Care. "Howard remains a steadfast partner in helping Unity transform the patient experience for patients who have in the past, felt left out."

Historically, D.C., residents in Ward's 7 and 8 have lacked full access to a diversity of specialty healthcare providers. Last Fall, on the heels of United Medical Center and Providence Health System closing their obstetric units, HUH and Unity signed an agreement to expand obstetric services to address the gaps in care caused by the closures.

Today's announcement is part of a continued commitment that allows both organizations to widen their reach and bring access to quality care to city residents east of the river. The new health center is an innovative approach that leverages Howard's strength in specialty care and Unity's robust primary care presence in the community.

For media inquiries contact: Sholnn Freeman, [email protected].

SOURCE Howard University

Related Links

http://www.howard.edu


SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As America prepares for the 2018 hurricane season, Operation Homefront, thanks to generous support from the Walmart Foundation and others, are ensuring that military families in Florida and other locations impacted by the devastating series of natural disasters in 2017 are not forgotten. The need to assist these families continues, as temporary federal programs and moratoriums that were implemented to support the victims of these disasters are now expiring.

Military families from Puerto Rico who were displaced by these disasters and are now living in Florida and other locations on the U.S. mainland are eligible for assistance.

Military families residing in "Declared Disaster" areas who sustained damage from 2017 natural disasters throughout the U.S., including Puerto Rico and the USVI, are also encouraged to apply for assistance through the organization's Critical Financial Assistance program.

Operation Homefront can provide military and veteran families in need of assistance with hotel and temporary residence payments, mortgage/rent payments, utilities, auto payments/repairs, auto insurance, and food assistance. All needs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Critical Financial Assistance is available to support families of sick, ill or injured military veterans who left military service with an honorable discharge within seven years (or after September 11, 2001 for home repair assistance); as well as those actively drilling National Guard and Reserve personnel. To qualify, families must show a critical need for assistance. Detailed information on eligibility criteria is available at the Operation Homefront's website, visit OperationHomefront.org. Military families may call 877-264-3968 to receive assistance from an English- or Spanish-speaking caseworker who can help them complete their application.

About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

SOURCE Operation Homefront

Related Links

http://www.operationhomefront.net


BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- i2 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on next generation discovery and development of therapeutics with a focus on personalized cancer treatment, announced the appointment of David Stover, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2018. Dr. Stover brings to i2 over 25 years of experience in both small-molecule and biologics drug discovery and development.

"Dave is an accomplished pharmaceutical researcher and scientist with considerable experience in the development of novel antibody-based therapeutics," stated Bruce Eaton, Ph.D., i2's Chairman of the Board. "We are extremely pleased to have Dave at the helm of the Company as we enter a strategic growth-phase driving our new business opportunities in antibody therapeutics."

Dr. Stover commented, "I am excited for this opportunity and look forward to working with the i2 team, Board members and advisors as we seek to optimize the value of the Company's unique and proprietary suite of transformative technologies and assets. Our goal at i2 is to leverage the breadth of i2's cutting edge discovery technologies to develop new novel-antibody based therapeutics."

Prior to joining i2 Pharma, Dr. Stover was most recently head of Agensys, Inc., an Astellas Pharma affiliate focused on antibody and antibody drug conjugate development, where he led a team of 240 employees in the research, clinical manufacturing and development of five investigational new drugs and four clinical proof of concepts during a 5-year period. Dr. Stover also founded the Oncology Biologics department at Novartis, where he served as its director, developing three clinical product candidates. Previously, he held the position of vice president of drug discovery at MDS Proteomics, where he managed research sites in Cambridge, MA, Charlottesville, VA and Toronto. Earlier in his career, Dr. Stover was the first employee and director of biochemistry at Kinetix Pharmaceuticals, a small-molecule kinase inhibitor company that was acquired by Amgen in 2000.

Dr. Stover earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Duke University.

About i2 Pharmaceuticals

i2 Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on next generation discovery and development of therapeutics with a focus on cancer treatment. i2 is unique in that it generates its pipeline of product candidates from its proprietary suite of transformative technologies particularly in antibody discovery and engineering approaches. We are innovators coupling the power of cutting edge discovery technologies, proprietary Ab formats, and a deep understanding of molecular oncology and Immuno-oncology to accelerate the development of more effective and safer therapeutics. For more information please visit i2pharma.com.

SOURCE i2 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Related Links

http://i2pharma.com


BOSTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Advisers, LLC today announced an update to the portfolio management team for the John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the "Adviser") and subadvised by Wellington Management Company LLP (the "Subadviser").

Today, Kent Stahl announced his intention to retire on December 31, 2018. Over the coming months he will continue to manage the portfolio and work closely with the investment team to ensure a smooth transition of management responsibility. Upon Mr. Stahl's retirement, Gregg Thomas will remain portfolio manager of the Fund.

Gregg Thomas is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Thomas leads the oversight process on investment strategies, analyzes key trends, and investment risks over equity, fixed income, and asset allocations. With twenty-five years of experience, Mr. Thomas has been a portfolio manager on the Fund since 2011.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond a Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Investments

John Hancock Investments provides asset management services to individuals and institutions through a unique manager-of-managers approach. A wealth management business of John Hancock Financial, we managed more than $154 billion in assets as of June 30, 2018 across mutual funds, college savings plans, and retirement plans.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife Financial, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$1.1 trillion (US$850 billion) as of March 31, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Investments
SEATTLE, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 15th Annual International Business Awards announced today that MTRNL was awarded "Start-up of the Year" and its founder, Blair Fillingham was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year."

Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 270 executives worldwide who participated on 12 juries.

Blair Fillingham: Founder & Chief Yogini at MTRNL was born in Australia, and lives in Carnation, WA. MTRNL is a virtual yoga studio serving thousands of mothers around the world.

According to one judge: "I do not have much to say about this nomination other than 'wonderful.' Their story is very meaningful, impressive, and well-supported. I really appreciate the Corporate Social Responsibility of MTRNL. Their ideas are exciting, innovative and beneficial."

"This year's Stevie Award winners in the IBAs are the most distinguished group of winners we've had yet," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. "We raised the minimum average score from the judges required to qualify as a Stevie winner, so 2018 winners should be especially proud of their achievements."

From Blair, Founder and Chief Yogini at MTRNL: "I hope that winning these awards will inspire more mothers to listen to their heart and find a way to earn a living, that involves creating something meaningful, while raising their family and devoting attention to their health and wellbeing. Mamas  you can have it all (and get a trophy for it!)"

"Namaste is a word we use in yoga classes that means 'the light in me sees the light in you'  and I feel so honored to share the shine of this Stevie trophy with as many women as possible. Namaste!"

MTRNL earned a Gold "Stevie" Trophy in the 'Consumer Services' category and a Bronze Medal in the 'Health Products & Services' category.

About MTRNL

MTRNL is the world's first and only virtual prenatal yoga studio offering live, interactive video classes and a library of every class recording. Students who pay a monthly subscription fee can attend live video classes each week, or watch the replay on-demand when they have time. A portion of revenue is donated to a maternal health charity/initiative each month; benefiting organizations that serve mothers in crisis.

Currently serving thousands of mothers around the world, MTRNL intends to scale sustainably and serve millions. More information at www.MTRNL.com

About Blair Fillingham

Blair Fillingham launched MTRNL in March 2017, after 17 years working for the world's leading technology brands in global communications and business planning. When her previous company retrenched 7,000 employees on her first day of maternity leave  which included her business group  Blair decided to become an advocate for maternal health. Through integrating her technology, marketing, global communications and yoga talents, Blair has quickly established a company with strong momentum, a sustainable growth strategy, impressive endorsements, customers in multiple markets, an exciting vision, tangible societal impact and a growing team of inspired millennials. https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairfil/

About the Stevie  Awards

Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com

Contact:

BLAIR FILLINGHAM

+1 206 306 6655; [email protected]

SOURCE MTRNL

Related Links

http://www.mtrnl.com


BILLINGS, Mont., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Material handlers of Matheson Flight Extenders' Billings, MT location recently experienced a significant new wage increase effective August 1st. Current employees will see an over 20% uptick on their paychecks beginning August 10th.

Matheson Flight Extenders provides superior service in aircraft ground support, terminal handling, and transportation services for large mail carrier customers such as the United States Postal Service. The company is one of four different companies owned and operated under the Matheson brand, which is known for excellent service and 99.9% on-time capability despite nearly impossible deadlines.

The wage increase in Billings is a testament to significant growth the company is experiencing. Since 2016, Matheson Flight Extenders has increased from 23 to 31 locations. Recent sites acquired in 2018 include Philadelphia at (PHL) and Indianapolis (IND).

"We are thrilled to be able to offer more pay to our employees," says Tim Noel, Vice President of Flight Operations at Matheson Flight Extenders. "Each of our team members works hard and it shows in the level of service we provide."

Chief Operating Officer Charles Mellor says, "They are each such valuable assets to our team. Their contribution is a major reason our customers choose us first. This new wage increase demonstrates that."

Additional benefits offered by Matheson Flight Extenders include weekly pay, a team environment, growth potential, and opportunity for physical fitness. Job seekers interested in joining this growing company in its success can contact Cali Snedigar at [email protected] or (406) 671-0150.

About Matheson Companies

Matheson Companies is a transportation and logistics services provider committed to excellence in safe, efficient, on-time transportation and material handling solutions for customers. Founded with a single water truck under the name R.B. Matheson Trucking Inc. by Robert and Carole Matheson in 1962, the company is now a leading transportation and logistics provider for USPS and other commercial carriers. Its goal is to exceed customer expectations for regional trucking, mail transport, and aircraft ground support services. Specific services Matheson, Inc. provides include quality long-haul and short-haul transportation, underwing operations, terminal handling and ground handling. Matheson, Inc.'s dedicated truck drivers, cargo handlers, forklift drivers, and material handlers are thoroughly trained to consistently complete jobs within specified customer-centric time frames. This is accomplished via Matheson's two divisions with locations across the United States: Matheson Flight Extenders, Inc., with 31 locations and Matheson Postal Services, with 9 locations. Visit www.mathesoninc.com for more information.

SOURCE Matheson Companies

Related Links

http://www.mathesoninc.com


PALO ALTO, California, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Next Insurance, the leading digital insurance company for small businesses, today published its H1 2018 Report, detailing exponential growth in premiums sold, record-breaking venture capital investment, increased insurance offerings across multiple new lines of business, and more.

Next Insurance recently announced its Series B funding round of $83 million - bringing its total raised to transform the US small business insurance marketplace to $131 million in just two years.

Key Highlights from the Report:

Annual Premium Run Rate Grows 8x: In June 2017 , the Next Insurance annual written premium run rate was just under $3 million . As of June 2018 , the company's annual written premium run rate is over $22 million .



Record Time to Sell $1 Million in Premiums: While it took Next Insurance 400 days to sell their first million dollars in premiums, the number of days required to sell one million dollars in insurance premiums has dropped significantly. Most recently, the company sold one million dollars in written premiums in just 14 days .



Over 40 Classes of Business Served: One year ago, Next Insurance served 10 classes of business. By the end of 2017, that number was up to 18. Today, Next Insurance offers tailored policies to over 40 different types of businesses, including contractors, cleaners, fitness professionals, beauty professionals, entertainers, and more.



Mobile & Digital Engagement Soars: 50% of customers bought their policies on mobile browsers from their cell phones in the last six months--and 53% in June. 11% of Next Insurance's customers buy their policies on weekends. 21% of customers buy policies during the night ( 9pm-9am EST ). 90%+ of customers buy their policies without ever speaking to Next Insurance's Customer Support team (or as we call them, "the A-Team").



In May 2018, Next Insurance became a licensed insurance carrier, enabling it to begin writing policies independently, with more freedom over underwriting, setting prices, and configuring policies. The company is currently licensed in eight states, including Delaware, Oklahoma, Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, New Mexico, Maryland, Utah, and the District of Columbia, and is rapidly expanding to become a carrier in all 50 states.

To view the full report, please click here.

About Next Insurance:

Next Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, affordable coverage, tailored to the needs of each class of business. Next Insurance offers policies that are easy-to-buy with instant, 24/7, online access to services such as Live Certificates of Insurance, Additional Insured, and more with absolutely no extra fees. Revolutionizing traditional insurance processes, Next Insurance is utilizing advanced technology to offer the industry's most innovative small business insurance policies. Founded in 2016 by a team of serial entrepreneurs, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto and has received a total of $131 million in venture capital funding from Redpoint Ventures, Nationwide, Munich Re, Markel, American Express Ventures, Ribbit Capital, TLV Partners, SGVC, and Zeev Ventures. To see how Next Insurance performed in 2017, click here. To learn more about Next Insurance becoming a carrier, please click here. For more information about the company, visit Next-Insurance.com.

Contact Information:

Brandon Weinstock

Headline Media

[email protected]

+1-914-336-3878





SOURCE Next Insurance
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Brookdale Senior Living announces nine nominations for the Second Annual Celebrate Aging Film Festival. Determined to change the perception of aging, Brookdale uses the film festival as a platform to celebrate the creativity and wisdom of our elders.

Brookdale's Second Annual Celebrate Aging Film Festival

The nine nominated films will be honored during the Second Annual Celebrate Aging Film Festival, which will be held Oct. 3, 2018 at the historic Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee. Residents from the nine communities with nominated films, accompanied by a Brookdale associate, will travel across the country to attend the festival. These "movie stars" will receive the celebrity treatment; including a red carpet walk with photographs and a special screening and awards show.

Brookdale communities had until July 1 to submit their film. From there, the 62 submitted films were narrowed to nine in the Best Writing, Best Technical Design, Best Acting, and Best Picture categories. The nine finalists are all eligible for the Ecolab's People Choice Award, with voting soon to be open to the public. In addition to these awards, one film will claim the Courage Award. This category highlights the true stories of courageous older adults who are living life to the fullest.

Brookdale's Celebrate Aging Film Festival was created to help change the perception of aging and gives residents and associates the opportunity to work together to develop a compelling story. Using only iPads provided by Brookdale, residents and associates shot, directed and edited a five-minute movie that celebrates aging.

"It's simply amazing to see the creativity, thought and passion our communities put into these films," said Carol Cummings, senior director of Optimum Life Engagement. "Last year's films were so inspiring, and this year's nominated films really capture the spirit of our festival. There are some really great stories and touching moments that will make the audience think. That's the whole point of the film festival. We want to change how people think about aging."

Brookdale associates in Chicago, Milwaukee and Nashville will view all nominated films by August 23 and cast votes as part of the voting "academy."

Ecolab, Brookdale's trusted partner in providing clean, safe and healthy environments for its residents, generously sponsors the Celebrate Aging Film Festival.

Nominated Films:





Title: Reflections Title: Cat's Outta the Bag Community: Brookdale Greenville Community: Brookdale Colonial Heights Location: Greenville, S.C. Location: Kingsport, Tenn.



Title: Tempest in a Teapot Title: Life is a Soundtrack Community: Brookdale Meridian Westland Community: Brookdale North Austin Location: Lakewood, Colo. Location: Austin, Texas



Title: Old or Older? Title: All These Moments Community: Freedom Pointe at the Villages Community: The Solana at Vintage Park Location: The Villages, Fla. Location: Houston, Texas



Title: You Don't Know Mr. Hall At All Title: Determination Becoming Inspiration Community: Brookdale Dogwood Creek Community: Brookdale Oklahoma City Southwest Location: Germantown, Tenn. Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.



Title: Don't Let Life Fly By

Community: Freedom Village at Bradenton

Location: Bradenton, Fla.



About Brookdale

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the leading operator of senior living communities throughout the United States. The Company is committed to providing senior living solutions primarily within properties that are designed, purpose-built and operated to provide the highest-quality service, care and living accommodations for residents. Brookdale operates independent living, assisted living, and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers, with approximately 988 communities in 46 states and the ability to serve approximately 95,000 residents as of June 30, 2018. Through its ancillary services program, the Company also offers a range of home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services. For more Brookdale news, go to brookdalenews.com

About Ecolab

A trusted partner at more than one million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With annual sales of $14 billion and 47,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

Follow on Twitter @ecolab or Facebook at facebook.com/ecolab.

Contact: Mitch Kline, (615) 564-8788, [email protected]

SOURCE Brookdale Senior Living

Related Links

http://www.brookdaleliving.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Riviera Resources, Inc. (OTCQX: RVRA), an independent oil and natural gas company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market.

Riviera Resources began trading on OTCQX under the symbol "RVRA" on August 8, 2018. U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

"Trading on the OTCQX Best Market will enable Riviera Resources to efficiently provide their investors with current information and transparency," said Jason Paltrowitz, Executive Vice President of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "We are pleased to welcome Riviera Resources to OTCQX and look forward to supporting the company as it builds long-term shareholder value."

Riviera Resources was sponsored for OTCQX by Northland Capital Markets, a qualified third-party firm responsible for providing guidance on OTCQX requirements and recommending membership.

About Riviera Resources, Inc.

Riviera Resources 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 shareholders. Riviera's assets consist of properties located in the Hugoton Basin, East Texas, North Louisiana, Michigan/Illinois, the Uinta Basin and Mid-Continent regions; and Blue Mountain Midstream LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary 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 Company's website, www.RivieraResourcesInc.com.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com .

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC and SEC regulated ATS.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.otcmarkets.com


"Although the production capacity of China's construction machinery enterprises has been greatly promoted, it is still hard to meet the market's demands," said Wang Jinxing, deputy secretary general of China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA). As China increases the investment in the infrastructure construction, construction machinery enterprises see more market opportunities. How to enhance the capacity to manufacture more machines to meet the market's needs is a challenge that Chinese construction machinery enterprises need to face.

SANY, as the leading enterprise in the industry, also faces the same situation.

Pu Mingjun, a director of the assembly line for SANY's truck-mounted concrete pump, said that SANY has operated two assembly lines for concrete pump machinery manufacturing to meet clients' purchasing demands, but it still has 360 ordered machines waiting for delivery. "Our monthly production capacity is up to 450 machines, which is still far behind to meet clients' needs," he added.

Chen Jing, a SANY's senior executive noted that SANY's revenue increased by 30 percent in the first quarter of the year 2018 and the profit doubled, which is an outcome of the improvements of per capita benefit and internal management dividend. SANY will take more efforts in the improvements of informatization and efficiency, especially in clients' customization, flexible production and information upgrading for research and development.

Intelligent manufacturing is a trend in construction machinery industry. Advanced manufacturing technology and high-end products have become SANY's core competitiveness when it faces the global competition.

According to the statistics of CCMA, from January to June of 2018, China has sold 8,895 excavators to overseas countries, a year-on-year growth of 110.5 percent. In June, the export sales of excavators was 1,723 units, an increase of 143.7 percent over the same period of last year. With the recovery of the construction machinery industry, SANY's global strategy has showed encouraging signs that the company may usher in a turning point of its global business in 2018.

"SANY's overseas business has been growing steadily. The company's overseas sales of last year was about 15 billion yuan, and it will be over 20 billion yuan this year. Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, nearly 70 percent of SANY's overseas sales come from the Belt and Road related countries," Chen said.

For more details, global clients please call: +86-731-8583-5199

Australian clients please call: 1800 GO SANY (1800 467 269)

Official website: www.sanyglobal.com

Email: [email protected]

Follow us on:

Facebook: SANY Group

WeChat: SanyWorldwide

SOURCE SANY

Related Links

http://www.sanyglobal.com


SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Felder Homes continues to make its mark on the San Antonio homebuilding industry. The Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) awarded Scott Felder with the prestigious "2018 Builder of the Year" award at the Summit Awards, which took place on Saturday, July 28 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade.

Scott Felder Homes was previously awarded the "Builder of the Year" honor from the GSABA in 2015 and is also a four-time winner of the "Volume Builder of the Year" award from the Texas Association of Builders.

"To receive this amazing accolade from the Greater San Antonio Builders Association yet again is both humbling and rewarding," said Steve Krasoff, president of Scott Felder Homes. "The dedication of our hardworking employees makes it possible for us to be a top builder in San Antonio. We are incredibly grateful to be recognized in this industry."

Scott Felder Homes was honored in several Summit Award categories, including accolades for the following employee:

Corinne Wall , Online Sales Person of the Year

Additional awards were presented for:

Best Master Suite

Grove at Vintage Oaks Model Home

Best Interior Merchandising

Homestead Model Home

Best Product Design

Homestead Model Home

Grove at Vintage Oaks Model Home

Best Specialty Room

Grove at Vintage Oaks Flex Room

Best Kitchen

Homestead Model

Best Promotion

Radio Ad

Sales Brochure

About the Greater San Antonio Builders Association and the Summit Awards

The Summit Awards were created in 1985 by the Sales and Marketing Council of the Greater San Antonio Home Builders Association. The prestigious Summit Award is given to builders, remodelers, developers and associate members who have achieved excellence in the home building industry. For more than 70 years, the GSABA has served as the leading not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to residential construction and remodeling in South Central Texas.

About Scott Felder Homes

Scott Felder Homes is one of the premier home builders of Central Texas, with a reputation for integrity, diversity, outstanding customer service and attention to detail. Scott Felder Homes has been honored with the "Volume Builder of the Year" award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 by the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin, with the "Volume Builder of the Year" award in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 by the Texas Association of Builders, with the "Grand Award Volume Builder" in 2015 and 2018 by the Greater San Antonio Builders Association, and with the "Production Builder of the Year" award in 2014 by the Austin Business Journal. Model homes are open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.scottfelderhomes.com or www.facebook.com/ScottFelderHomes .

SOURCE Scott Felder Homes

Related Links

http://www.scottfelderhomes.com


IRVING, Texas, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 22nd, 2018 President Donald Trump asked OPEC to increase its daily oil output by 1 million barrels. Industry experts would agree that OPEC is at or near its full production capacity. OPEC can't just increase production. As demand continues to grow the world is set to outpace oil production by more than 500,000 barrels by 2020. When you consider the current situation in several oil contributing countries like Venezuela, Africa and Iran it becomes a perfect storm for oil prices potentially above $110 per barrel. Based on the data, its not a matter of if we see $110 prices but when. ShaleWolf Capital analysts believe that now is a perfect opportunity to acquire oil and gas assets as part of its overall strategy.

ShaleWolf Capital agrees to partner with NCE on the developmental drilling of its Cotton Valley reserves located in Harrison County, Texas. This formation is considered a long term income asset by the likes of British Petroleum (BP), Samson, Chesapeake Energy and XTO Energy. Based on 3rd party reserve evaluations the upside potential could equal over 684,000 BOE and 55BCFG in oil and natural gas reserves. There is also a strong potential of condensate reserves being on target with oil reserve estimates. In this area it would not be outrageous to potentially see condensate prices match current WTI oil prices. SWC has carefully reviewed surrounding fields in conjunction with Cotton Valley reserves and production. In more than 76 wells drilled into the Cotton Valley Sands in this area there are ZERO dry holes. This is prolific and could prove to be similar to formations like those found in the Permian Basin, Eagleford Shale, Austin Chalk and other blanket formations.

ShaleWolf Capital executives also anticipate acquiring 3-4 additional acreage positions in areas that include the Permian Basin, Austin Chalk, Bone Springs and Eagleford Shale oil and gas reserves in 2018. No capital contributions will be required from current partners to complete said acquisitions. This purchase is anticipated to close in Q3 or Q4 of 2018 utilizing cash reserves on hand. Due to strong demand driven by current potential partners ShaleWolf Capital has elected to restrict new partners from acreage participation in the foreseeable future.

ShaleWolf Capital is an asset allocation firm with a dedicated focus in the energy, cannabis and real estate sectors. ShaleWolf focuses large capital allocations to industries and assets that offer a substantial sustained income potential. These vehicles are carefully considered to give large investment fund managers, asset directors and accredited investors the opportunity to participate in proven assets outside of traditional markets. No investment vehicle, industry or asset should be considered void of risks. Oil and gas investments involve substantial risks and could include total loss of capital invested.

CONTACT: Steve Moore, (972) 719-2588, ShaleWolf.com

SOURCE ShaleWolf Capital

Related Links

http://www.shalewolf.com


SAN BRUNO, Calif., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) has been awarded a $3,000,000 grant to support Skyline College's Promise Scholars Program (PSP), and the implementation of the program at five colleges across the state, including the College of San Mateo and Canada College. The grant was awarded by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors as part of $20 million distributed to 11 districts and colleges as part of the Chancellor's Innovation Awards in Higher Education. SMCCCD was awarded the largest individual grant.

"The work the San Mateo County Community College District will be able to do as a result of this grant will be a game-changer for so many of our students," said Ron Galatolo, SMCCCD Chancellor. "Creating clearly defined pathways from college entry to completion and providing comprehensive advising and wrap-around support services for students will allow them to be successful inside and outside the classroom."

The Promise Scholars Program (PSP) at Skyline College is based on the City University of New York's Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (CUNY ASAP) which has demonstrated the ability to dramatically increase completion and help eliminate equity gaps in student success based on rigorous evaluation and experimental research. The grant funds will support the replication of that program to five colleges across California in order to increase graduation rates.

"This significant grant award validates and underscores the critical importance of the work Skyline College has done through its Promise Scholars Program," said Regina Stanback Stroud, Ed.D, president of Skyline College. "We are now presented with an incredible opportunity to share this proven model with our sister colleges in the district and with other college's throughout the state, ensuring that this comprehensive and conscientious work can transform lives and improve student success beyond the bounds of our campus."

Skyline College is the only California community college that is recognized as a CUNY ASAP replication site, having received technical assistance from CUNY ASAP's National Replication team since February 2017, as supported by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

"We are proud to continue and build upon our partnership with Skyline College, supporting their vision to expand the Promise Scholars Program so that San Mateo County Community College District realizes the unprecedented completion impact that ASAP has had across CUNY," remarks CUNY's Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and ASAP Executive Director Donna Linderman.

Skyline College will serve as the lead for the scaling of the PSP, first within the district, and subsequently throughout the state. A cohort of five colleges will receive structured technical assistance from CUNY ASAP and Skyline College for the implementation of the PSP model. Additional statewide workshops will be offered by the SMCCCD in partnership with the state Chancellor's Office to disseminate the PSP model and its ability to achieve student success, equity, and completion outcomes.

About the Chancellor's Higher Education Innovation Awards

The 2017-18 Budget Act included $20 million for the Chancellor's Higher Education Innovation Awards to be awarded by the board of governors. The awards recognize innovations that improve student success, and are sustainable and capable of being scaled across the state, with a particular focus on all of the following:

Programs and frameworks that support students from groups that are underrepresented in higher education, such as low-income students, students from underrepresented schools and neighborhoods, first-generation students, students who are current or former foster youth, and students with disabilities.

Targeted services and programs for students who are current or former members of the Armed Forces of the United States .

. Programs and frameworks that support adults who have been displaced from the workforce, and adults who are underemployed, so as to obtain the necessary training for gainful employment.

Programs that support incarcerated adults in prisons and jails, including formerly incarcerated adults.

Programs that incorporate technology to improve instruction and support services with a plan to ensure student success in these types of programs.

A review committee, comprised of the chancellor's executive staff and board members Connie Conway and Bill Rawlings, reviewed the readers' findings and recommended the awardees and award amounts to the chancellor and board of governors. Those applicants receiving the highest scores are recommended for an Innovation Award.

The committee selected the following award winners:

Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District ( Shasta College ) - $1,500,000

) - Foothill-De Anza Community College District ( De Anza College ) - $1,900,000

) - Laney College - $1,100,000

- Glendale Community College - $1,900,000

- San Mateo Community College District ( Skyline College , Canada College and College of San Mateo ) - $3,000,00

College District ( , Canada College and ) - Santa Rosa Junior College - $1,600,000

- College of the Redwoods - $1,200,000

- Imperial Valley College - $2,500,000

- Chaffey Community College - $1,000,000

- Kern Community College District ( Bakersfield College ) - $2,300,000

College District ( ) - Irvine Valley College - $2,000,000

A list of all applications and more information can be found on the Chancellor's Higher Education Innovation Awards website.

Skyline College is an accredited, comprehensive California community college serving more than 16,000 students annually, offering 100 Associate Degree and Certificate programs. Located on a 111-acre campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Skyline College has offered world-class educational opportunities to residents from North San Mateo County and beyond since 1969. Part of the San Mateo Community College District, Skyline College strives to inspire a global and diverse community of learners to achieve intellectual, cultural, social, economic and personal fulfillment.

SOURCE Skyline College
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartBug Media, a leading intelligent inbound marketing agency that assists businesses in generating leads, increasing awareness, and building brand loyalty through inbound marketing, digital strategy, design, marketing automation, and public relations  today announced that HubSpot has recognized the agency as the North American Q2 Impact Award winner of the Inbound Growth Story Award and the Graphic Design Award.

The HubSpot awards are announced quarterly and include five areas: Sales Enablement, Integrations Innovation, Inbound Growth Story, Website Design, and Graphic Design. SmartBug Media is a HubSpot Diamond partner, their highest-rated agency, and the winner of 10 additional HubSpot Impact Awards, including Happiest Customers in North America, Best Growth Story and Best New Client Onboarding.

The Inbound Growth Story Award "celebrates agencies' inbound marketing success by highlighting a client's rapid growth with inbound marketing practices." SmartBug Media was the North America 2018 Q2 winner, as they helped The Arbor Company "transform its marketing and digital presence with HubSpot and become a trailblazer for using inbound marketing in the senior living industry." The winning strategy included inbound marketing, paid media, GDD and HubSpot implementation that resulted in a revenue ROI of 971 percent.

The Graphic Design Award recognizes an agency for creating stunning graphic design work for a client. SmartBug was the North America 2018 Q2 winner, creating new website designs for American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA) that included custom templates within HubSpot CMS and a sample course offer for their Health & Wellness certification. The design focused on maximizing the conversion rate and resulted in a 140 percent increase in purchases.

The HubSpot Agency Partner Client Impact Awards represent the "best inbound work" across the five categories. "It is always an honor for our agency to win a HubSpot Impact Award  a real proud moment," said Ryan Malone, Founder and CEO of SmartBug Media. "Being a best-in-class showcases the amazing work that our teams deliver and the amount of attention that is given to our client's campaigns. We are lucky to have such amazing employees and clients and we look forward to what the rest of 2018 will bring."

About SmartBug Media

For 10 years, SmartBug Media has been helping businesses increase sales leads, close more customers, and enhance the reach of their brands. SmartBug Media is one of a handful of HubSpot Diamond partners in the world and is the highest-rated agency in the history of the HubSpot ecosystem. SmartBug Media also boasts the highest ROI documented from any HubSpot partner: 3,558 percent and 14,500 percent ROI on a six-month and three-year campaign, respectively. SmartBug Media is also a certified Great Place to work, Inc. 5000 company, and the winner of 36 MarCom Awards in 2017, 32 AVA Digital Awards in 2018 and named by Comparably as a Best Company in Los Angeles and as having a Best CEO in Los Angeles.

SOURCE SmartBug Media

Related Links

http://www.smartbugmedia.com


OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint will introduce the next generation of the popular Samsung Galaxy Note series, Galaxy Note9, in all Sprint retail channels on Aug. 24. There will be two dynamic color options  Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple.

Preorder begins Friday, Aug. 10, at www.sprint.com/samsung with devices expected to be delivered as early as Aug. 22. Galaxy Note9 pre-order customers can take advantage of the following limited time offers:

Get the super-powerful new Galaxy Note9 at 50 percent off with Sprint Flex Lease  that's just $20.83 per month. 1

with Sprint Flex Lease  that's just per month. Galaxy Forever allows upgrades any time to the latest Galaxy after just 12 Sprint Flex payments, exclusively from Sprint.

allows upgrades any time to the latest Galaxy after just 12 Sprint Flex payments, exclusively from Sprint. Galaxy Note9 is the ultimate gaming smartphone. Through Aug. 23 , take your pick of AKG noise-cancelling headphones or the Fortnite Galaxy skin with 15,000 V-bucks for FREE  or choose both for $99 .2

Sprint recently introduced several Unlimited plans that offer more choice and features for an incredible price. The new Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Basic, Unlimited Military, and Unlimited 55+ plans are available to new and existing customers and are examples of Sprint's initiative to tailor plans so customers can get the best choice for them  all at a great value.

Sprint Network Keeps Getting Better

Only Sprint pairs LTE Advanced capabilities with HPUE (High Performance User Equipment) on Galaxy Note9 for an improved network experience. And with more mobile broadband spectrum capacity than any U.S. carrier, Sprint's network is built to meet customers' growing demand for data.

Sprint's 4G LTE network is the most improved in the U.S. according to Ookla as shown in Speedtest Intelligence data3, and PCMag's 2018 Fastest Mobile Networks. In both, the company's year-over-year increase in national average download speeds outpaced the competitors, including an 87 percent lift reported in PCMag's annual tests.

Looking ahead, Sprint is making its largest network investment in years, and its Next-Gen Network build is well underway. Customers across the country are experiencing better coverage, reliability and speed than before as Sprint upgrades cell sites to triband service using 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz, adds new cell sites, fills in the network with more small cells, and prepares to launch mobile 5G in the first half of 2019.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served 54.6 million connections as of June 30, 2018, and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Today, Sprint's legacy of innovation and service continues with an increased investment to dramatically improve coverage, reliability, and speed across its nationwide network and commitment to launching the first 5G mobile network in the U.S. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

1 $20.83/mo. after $20.84/mo. credit, applied within two bills. With approved credit, 18-month lease & new line of service. If you cancel early, remaining balance due. 2 Offer ends 08/23/18. Requires online registration on the Shop Samsung application. Visit www.samsungpromotions.com/workplay for more information. Ships from Samsung. While supplies last. Restrictions apply. See in-store materials for details. AKG Headphones ($299 RP) Game Bundle ($150 RP) Both ($449 RP).  2018 Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Samsung and Galaxy Note are both trademarks of Samsung  Electronics Co, Ltd. 3 Based on analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data for average download speeds from June 2017 to June 2018 for all mobile results. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

SOURCE Sprint

Related Links

https://www.sprint.com


WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you and your kids ready for the new school year? Back to school season can be a busy and challenging time  start the year off right with these eight tips.

Don't skip the shots. Your pediatrician can tell you which vaccinations your kids need each year. Check if your family qualifies for low-cost or free vaccines. Shop the sales. Some states have sales tax holidays in August for clothes and school supplies. Take advantage of the deals and save money. Get smart about smart phones. Talk to your kids about cyberbullying, appropriate phone behavior, and staying safe online. Be on track for college. Advise your middle or high schooler to prepare for higher education through their classes, extracurricular activities, and even chores at home. Beat the after-school blues. Encourage your kids to get involved in extracurricular activities at school or in the community. Learn how to find quality after-school child care in your area. Discuss drug abuse. While painkiller use is down among teens, vaping has become popular. Talk about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and other drugs with your children. Nurture nutritious eating. Your children may be entitled to free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at school. Find out if they're eligible and how to apply. Ditch the stress. Students can worry about grades, friends, bullying, or changing schools. Help your kids respond to stress in healthy ways.

USAGov is a federal program that guides you to tips and tools in English and in Spanish from hundreds of government agencies, departments, and programs. We make it easier for you to find answers you can trust about government information and services--online, by phone, e-mail or chat, and in print.

SOURCE USAGov

Related Links

http://www.usa.gov


GREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fresh Market, Inc., a leading specialty grocer, has appointed Oded Shein as Chief Financial Officer. Shein will serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, providing leadership and direction to the organization to profitably execute on the corporate growth strategy.

"Oded will be an essential contributor to the strategic direction of the company and ensure that the organization is aligned with our business objectives," says Larry Appel, Chief Executive Officer. "The combination of Oded's broad business experience and deep finance expertise will enable The Fresh Market to solidify our position in the marketplace as a unique, specialty retailer."

Shein brings more than 25 years of financial experience from a variety of retail stores, including serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Stage Stores, Inc., a Houston-based retailer that operates in 42 states through 764 specialty department stores and 59 off-price stores. In addition, he has held senior financial leadership positions at Belk, Inc. in Charlotte, NC and Charming Shoppes, Inc. in Bensalem, PA.

Shein holds a BBA in Information Systems from Baruch College and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School. As well as providing financial expertise as an active board member for Conn's Inc., a specialty retailer with over 100 stores in 12 states, he has also been nominated for, and received, an array of industry awards.

About The Fresh Market, Inc.

Since 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. has helped guests make every day eating extraordinary with time-saving meal solutions, unique ingredients and delicious food for any occasion. From fresh produce and exceptional meat and seafood, to signature baked goods and thousands of organic options, this specialty grocery retailer has something to please every palate. The Fresh Market currently operates 161 stores in 22 states across the U.S., inspiring guests to discover new flavors and cook with confidence. For more information, please visit www.thefreshmarket.com or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Media Contacts:

Meghan Flynn ([email protected]; 336-389-3793)

Nicole Chabot ([email protected]; 336-389-5769)

SOURCE The Fresh Market, Inc

Related Links

http://www.thefreshmarket.com


SAN DIEGO, Calif., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Becker's Hospital Review recently recognized three leaders from Aya Healthcare, the company transforming healthcare staffing and workforce solutions nationally. Bret D'Vincent, VP of Recruitment, April Hansen, VP of Clinical Services and Sophia Morris, VP of Account Management were included on the "90 healthcare leaders under 40" list, which recognizes rising stars in the healthcare industry.

"I'm proud to work with such strong leaders," said Alan Braynin, President and CEO of Aya Healthcare. "Their ongoing leadership initiatives and unique approaches to facing the challenges of the ever-changing healthcare landscape help Aya continue to provide the best service to both our clients and clinicians."

This recognition will be added to Aya's already-extensive list of regional and national awards as a best place to work by a variety of publications, including Modern Healthcare and Staffing Industry Analysts. Time and again, employee feedback shows that they trust the company's senior leadership and feel valued as individuals.

"Bret, April and Sophia epitomize the leadership that we value at Aya," adds Braynin. "They empower employees, encourage them to think creatively and help them grow in their careers."

Aya's corporate headquarters are in San Diego, Calif. with additional offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento, Calif., Palm Beach, Fla., Marshall, Mich., Omaha, Neb., Atlanta, Ga. and Virginia Beach, Va. If you'd like to join the Aya Healthcare team, visit www.ayahealthcare.com/careers today!

About Aya Healthcare

Aya Healthcare is reimagining healthcare staffing and workforce solutions across the United States. We are the largest privately held travel nurse and workforce solutions provider and deliver solutions for all aspects of healthcare staffing including locums, allied health and just-in-time local staff. The company continues to experience rapid growth as it reshapes the healthcare workforce landscape through its transformative use of technology including its cloud-based MSP solution and real-time Shifts app for per diem clinicians. Aya's platform provides access to one of the largest sources of contract clinicians in the country, which improves efficiency, increases quality and reduces costs for healthcare systems. To learn more about Aya Healthcare, visit www.ayahealthcare.com.

Media Contact:

Heidi Everly

Corporate Communications Manager

Aya Healthcare

[email protected]

Mobile: 619.917.9167

SOURCE Aya Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.ayahealthcare.com


NORTH HILLS, N.Y., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Long-standing proprietary research1 shows vehicles holding a title are nearly two times more likely to sell off auction lots on first pass than vehicles without titles. To help both dealers and lenders take advantage of this trend, Dealertrack's breakthrough Accelerated Title solution creates cost savings through faster, electronic payments to lenders, which enables title release to dealers as quickly as four to six days, significantly speeding the standard payoff and title release process by up to 70%2.

In a post-sales peak automotive retail climate, in which it's reported dealers pay approximately $32 per day on average in holding costs3 for vehicles that sit on lots, dealers simply cannot afford to let time kill their bottomline.

"Identifying profit opportunities for dealers and lenders through our network continues to be top-of-mind for Dealertrack," said Todd Hutto, Vice President and General Manager, Lender DDS/CMS Solutions, Dealertrack. "We've seen titled vehicles sell at a faster clip in our current environment, creating a clear opportunity for dealers looking to move inventory faster, ultimately reducing holding costs to boost profitability."

"Time is money for dealerships today more than ever before," explained Heather Webster, Controller of Yark Automotive Group, Toledo, Ohio. "Having a vehicle's title in hand can make all the difference as to whether I win, lose or draw on a piece of inventory. Having a turn-key solution that ensures speed and accuracy to secure a title puts the odds of turning a profit more squarely in my favor."

Underscoring its industry leadership, Dealertrack's lender network now can support approximately one in every four title trade-in transactions with an outstanding loan in the U.S.

For more information on Accelerated Title, please visit our website here.

1 Source: 2014 (2X) & 2018 (1.6X) Manheim Auction "Impact of Delayed Titles at Auction"

2 Based on average industry timeframe for vehicle title release and vehicle payoff process of 12-18+ days, as determined by Dealertrack data.

3 Manheim Online Dealer Community survey 2016.

About Dealertrack

Dealertrack provides industry-leading software solutions that give dealerships and lenders the confidence to thrive in an ever-changing automotive market. The company's integrated suite of powerful but easy-to-use products helps dealerships and their lending partners grow by increasing efficiency and improving decision-making. Dealertrack is part of the Cox Automotive family, a company that is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars. Dealertrackalong with its unmatched network of dealership and lending partnersis improving the car buying experience by embracing the technologies that will shape the future of automotive retail. For more information about Dealertrack, visit www.dealertrack.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com

SOURCE Dealertrack

Related Links

https://us.dealertrack.com/


ISNES, Belgium, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) ("Volition") today announced that the 3-year sample collection has been completed in the prospective study undertaken in collaboration with the University of Oxford, England to assess Volition's proprietary Nu.Q platform technology for the diagnosis of endometriosis through a simple blood test. Volition has now commenced running its discovery grade assays through the cohorts and expects to report preliminary data over the coming months.

Dr. Jake Micallef, Volition's Chief Scientific Officer, commented "Endometriosis is a potentially debilitating inflammatory condition in which the endometrial tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside the uterus, typically damaging the ovaries, fallopian tubes or other tissues of the pelvic cavity. Volition owns patents in the detection of endometriosis using nucleosome assays and we look forward to investigating the use of Nu.QTM technology in this large patient cohort."

Early detection and diagnosis of endometriosis remains one of the most important unaddressed medical needs in women's health. Endometriosis is the leading cause of female infertility, is extremely painful and affects huge numbers of women  up to 10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis is still currently diagnosed surgically by laparoscopy and the time from presentation to diagnosis is typically 8-10 years. Volition believes that the existing methodology for detection demonstrates a clear need for a reliable non-invasive diagnostic.

Collection of the samples was led by Professors Christian Becker and Krina Zondervan of the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, who are also co-Directors of the Oxford Endometriosis Care and Research Centre (CaRe). Blood samples were collected prospectively from 350 patients over a period of more than 3 years following the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project (EPHect) guidelines supported by the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF). Differences in circulating nucleosomes will be evaluated between women and across the menstrual cycle using Volition's Nu.QTM technology platform.

Professor Becker said: "We are looking forward to the results of this study which very much complements our ongoing efforts at the Oxford Endometriosis CaRe Centre of identifying non-invasive biomarkers for endometriosis which we believe will be an essential step towards improved patient diagnosis and care."

Cameron Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer of Volition, commented "We are delighted to be working with the Oxford Endometriosis CaRe Centre. We hope to build on our ongoing Nu.QTM work in cancer screening by exploring important disease applications beyond cancer to demonstrate the breadth of our Nu.QTM technology with our newly improved assays."

About Volition

Volition is a multi-national life sciences company focused on developing simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests designed to help diagnose a range of cancers. The tests are based on the technology platform of Nucleosomics, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid - an indication that disease is present.

As cancer screening programs become more widespread, Volition's products aim to help to diagnose a range of cancers quickly, simply, accurately and cost effectively. Early diagnosis has the potential to not only prolong the life of patients, but also to improve their quality of life.

Volition intends to expand the application of its technology beyond cancer by exploring other disease applications. The company's research and development activities are currently centered in Belgium, with additional offices in London, Texas and Singapore, as it focuses on bringing its diagnostic products to market first in Europe, then in the U.S. and ultimately, worldwide.

For more information about Volition, visit Volition's website https://volitionrx.com/

or connect with us via:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/volitionrx

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/volitionrx

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VolitionRx/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VolitionRx

The contents found at Volition's website address, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. The addresses for Volition's website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are included in this document as inactive textual references only.

Media/Investor Contacts

Louise Day, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

[email protected]

+44 (0)7557 774620

Scott Powell, Executive Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

+1 (646) 650 1351

Joseph Green, Edison Advisors

[email protected]

+1 (646) 653 7030

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release may be "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, that concern matters that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "aims," "targets," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "optimizing," "potential," "goal," "suggests," "could," "would," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to the effectiveness of Volition's bodily-fluid-based diagnostic tests as well as Volition's ability to develop and successfully commercialize such test platforms for early detection of cancer and/or other disease applications. Volition's actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties. For instance, if Volition fails to develop and commercialize diagnostic products, it may be unable to execute its plan of operations. Other risks and uncertainties include Volition's failure to obtain necessary regulatory clearances or approvals to distribute and market future products in the clinical IVD market; a failure by the marketplace to accept the products in Volition's development pipeline or any other diagnostic products Volition might develop; Volition will face fierce competition and Volition's intended products may become obsolete due to the highly competitive nature of the diagnostics market and its rapid technological change; and other risks identified in Volition's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents that Volition files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Volition's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and, except as required by law, Volition does not undertake an obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

Nucleosomics, NuQ, Nu.QTM and Hypergenomics and their respective logos are trademarks and/or service marks of VolitionRx Limited and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this press release are the property of their respective owners. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, all references to "$" refer to the legal currency of the United States of America.

SOURCE VolitionRx Ltd
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog's President Jamie Court spoke today at a rally of wildfire survivors and urged legislators not to give in to PG&E and the other utilities' demands to take victims' rights to hold the companies legally accountable for damage caused by their equipment.

He pointed to two contributions totaling $110,000 by PG&E to the Democratic party a few days ago (8/3), and asked for the money to be returned along with all other utility contributions in 2018. PG&E has given $185,000 to the party this year. Edison has contributed $177,000 and SEMPRA has donated $250,000 in 2018 for a total of $612,000 from the three utilities lobbying for a bailout.

"It's unseemly for PG&E to be delivering six figure checks to Democrats as it asks them to take the constitutional rights of wildfire survivors to hold utilities accountable for the fires," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "People who lost their homes deserve a debate that is free from the type of cash register politics PG&E is engaging in. All utility money this year should be returned and that includes contributions from the utilities' lobbying firms."

Consumer Watchdog noted as well that state records show Governor Brown has received more than $627,000 from the state's three investor-owned utilities since 2009, when he started running for Governor. The total includes more than one quarter of a million dollars that Brown requested and received from PG&E for favorite charitable causes, two Oakland schools.

New disclosure reports also show that PG&E paid Brown's top consultants nearly $400,000 this year as it lobbied for removing its legal accountability to fire victims. The firm of SCN, headed by Ace Smith received $395,750 from PG&E in the second quarter of 2018.

The three utilities gave $3.9 million to sitting lawmakers since 2011 when Brown took office, according to Consumer Watchdog's analysis of state disclosure reports. Among top recipients are legislative leaders and chairs of powerful committees that shape laws relating to utilities, confirm utility regulators, or control government purse strings.

The three utilities donated $8.7 million to the two state parties since 2011 with the lion's share of $5.7 million going to the California Democratic Party. PG&E was the largest of the three donors to the state parties.

"If the debate is about policy not utility campaign cash, then all utility money during 2018 since they lobbied for a bailout should be returned," said Court. "Governor Brown, who is retiring with an eleven-figure war chest, should give back every dime he took."

Major Investor-Owned Utility Contributions To Brown From 2009-2018 UTILITY CONTRIBUTIONS PG&E SEMPRA EDISON TOTAL Brown 2010 Campaign $112,145 $25,900 $40,500 $178,545 Brown 2014 Campaign $54,200 $53,200 $54,400 $161,800 Brown Behested Donations $262,500



$262,500 Brown Prop 30 Campaign $25,000



$25,000 GRAND TOTAL





$627,845

SOURCE: CA Secretary of State Office filings, Consumer Watchdog report Brown's Dirty Hands pp. 25-32

A report by Consumer Watchdog in August 2016, Brown's Dirty Hands, identified a pattern of Brown Administration intervention in regulatory and legislative decisions favorable to utilities and other companies in close proximity to large donations to the Democratic party. The party gave large contributions to Brown's candidate committee.

Read the report at http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/BrownsDirtyHands.pdf

A few months later, the Democratic Party swore off political contributions from Big Oil. But lawmakers continue to accept their campaign donations and 125 fundraisers are scheduled in the next four weeks.

Consumer Watchdog said the Democratic Party swore off oil money in the wake of the exposure of possible money laundering to Governor Brown's 2014 re-election campaign by the energy industry two years ago. The group said the same should be done with all utility donations going forward.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Related Links

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org


| BY Ricki Green |

The owners of East 9th Brewing, Josh Lefers, Stephen Wools and Benjamin Cairns, will paint their fingernails blue in a bid to help raise awareness and $50,000 for the Polished Man Campaign from August until the end of October 2018.

Polished Man is an organisation that seeks to end violence against children globally through supporting those impacted by violence or at risk of violence here in Australia and around the world. Being part of the campaign means painting one fingernail blue to represent the one child who dies every 5 minutes because of violence. That blue fingernail starts conversations that drive awareness and raises funds.

Along with their fingernails, the three forward-thinking owners of East 9th are colouring over 100,000 of their iconic Doss Blockos brown-paper bags blue.

Says Cairns: Were pretty excited that our Polished Man blue bags will be available in bars, clubs, restaurants and retailers across the country. Its a huge job, but well worth it to help raise awareness of this important issue.

The three owners of one of Australias bigger independent brewing companies are joining other Polished Men like Chris Hemsworth and Michael Klim. The Doss Blockos brand itself will be joining other brands like Grilld and Bank Australia in being part of a national campaign that helps end violence against children.

Says Wools: It all started as a bet. We had raised money to build a school in Bangladesh with YGAP ten years ago. Elliot Costello (founder of YGAP, the not-for-profit behind Polished Man) and Kylie Wallace (the campaign manager of Polished Man) challenged us to go bigger than just the three owners of East 9th this year. They wanted us to get the entire hospitality community involved to help raise awareness and $50,000 for Polished Man.

Says Wallace: We couldnt believe it when they said they wanted to help raise $50k. We are so pleased to have the support of the hospitality community through the involvement of Josh, Steve and Benjamin. The real power is in the breadth of influential people raising awareness and money together as a community.

In the companys usual innovative style, the Doss Blockos team is giving away trips to New York City for key Polished Men or Women to join them for the North American wrap party.

Says Lefers: Supporting Polished Man is the completion of a long-term dream we have had to be the sort of company that can be commercial as well as have a positive impact on society.

The Polished Man fundraising campaign runs during October but the Doss Blockos Polished Man campaign begins two months earlier to give venues and outlets and the hospitality community time to participate.
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Vision Technologies (dba of Web Vision Centers Group, LLC) was recently awarded two grants from Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine to develop vision-testing devices for National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) to be used on the International Space Station (ISS). These devices will allow NASA scientists to detect, monitor progression, and guide medical interventions for vision issues astronauts are experiencing on long-duration deep space missions.

Background information - For years now, scientists have known that the human body suffers in the microgravity environment of space. The term "Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome" (SANS) has been adopted to describe the vision related issues that happen to astronauts on long-duration spaceflight. NASA views the SANS issue as a significant problem and needs to be further studied/understood and a solution needs to be found before sending astronauts on deep space exploration missions.

Vision Technology Web Vision Technologies is developing - To help find solutions to these issues, NASA has asked Web Vision to develop two different specialized vision testing devices:

The first device (in its second phase of development) is a very compact, self-imaging retinal camera that will allow astronauts to take an image of their retina so doctors on the ground can look for signs of SANS and monitor its progression.

The second device is a specially designed goggle-based headset that will allow astronauts to test the functionality of their visual field, along with other vision tests that can be performed with the same device.

Both technologies will provide NASA scientists with the information they need to detect, monitor SANS progression, and guide medical interventions for astronauts while still in space.

Grant Funding by TRISH - NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) partners with external entities in researching and developing innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions, including NASA's Journey to Mars. One of these partnerships is the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH). The mission of the TRISH is to lead a national effort in translating cutting edge emerging terrestrial biomedical research and technology development into applied space flight human risk mitigation strategies for human exploration missions.

Web Vision is partnering with Nidek Technologies - the Italian R&D subsidiary of NIDEK Co. Ltd, a global leader in vision care instrumentation for the eye care industry - to help with the development, design, and prototyping of the two devices.

"We are excited to be working with NASA on these two very important vision testing devices," states Bob Main, CEO Web Vision Technologies. "We are passionate about helping the space program achieve their goal of returning to the moon and putting humans on Mars and we are confident that the team we have put together will be able to deliver the technology that NASA needs to help monitor and find a solution to the SANS vision issue affecting astronauts on long duration flights. We are also grateful to TRISH for supplying the funding necessary to develop this technology and many more in the future."

Related Links: To learn more about Web Vision Technologies or the projects currently in development, visit www.WebVisionTechnologies.net. Additional related graphics and more detailed information is available at http://bit.ly/WebVisionPressReleaseInfo

Contact info: Bob Main - CEO Web Vision Technologies

Phone: 801.253.4868

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Web Vision Technologies

Related Links

http://webvisiontechnologies.net/


HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WebpageFX, a full-service Internet marketing company headquartered in Central Pennsylvania, announced it's rebranding from WebpageFX to WebFX. The new name demonstrates the company's growth, as well as evolution into the world's top performance-driven digital marketing agency for mid-sized businesses.

"When we started WebpageFX in 1996, websites were literally one page. We also focused heavily on web design and web development at the time. That made WebpageFX a fitting name for the company," said Bill Craig, President and co-founder of WebFX.

The company, which began in Craig's dorm room at Shippensburg University, started as a passion project and a way to earn a few extra dollars during the semester. That passion led to a big investment later, when Craig and Karie Shearer, CEO and co-founder of WebFX, invested everything into WebpageFX.

"At the time, we dreamed of when we would have five team members. Now, we have more than 200. With how we've grown in the past twenty years, from our number of team members to our variety of services, our transition from WebpageFX to WebFX makes sense and reflects our focus on driving meaningful results for businesses using digital marketing," said Craig.

Now headquartered on Front St. in Harrisburg, Pa., WebFX features a growing team of 200 digital marketing, social media, and web design experts that partner with over 800 companies from across the globe. The passion brought by the WebFX team is why the company's received more than four dozen awards for its work.

"WebFX signals a new chapter for WebpageFX, but it keeps the qualities that made WebpageFX unique, like our commitment to becoming one percent better every day in all we do, from providing our clients with personalized solutions that deliver real results to giving our team a work environment that's more than just a place to work," said Shearer.

It also continues the WebpageFX commitment to giving back to communities around the world. In 2014, the company started its #FXBuilds program, which aims to improve the lives of 5,000 people and to donate more than $400,000 to building and community improvements by 2024. The company funds the program through team accomplishments.

"We're passionate about living our company values, and one of those is to accept responsibility, work with integrity and give back to others. With #FXBuilds, we can help people from across the globe, such as by creating wells in Kenya and schools in Guatemala. It's an exciting initiative that we're looking forward to continuing as WebFX," said Shearer.

Another initiative that WebpageFX is excited to continue as WebFX is its unprecedented winning streak for the Best Places to Work in PA. The initiative highlights the best small, midsized and large companies to work for in Pennsylvania. In 2017, WebFX made history when it won the award for the third year in a row  it previously won in 2015 and 2016.

"It's something we're extremely proud of, as we're committed to creating a workplace that gives our team members the opportunity to grow and embrace their passion for digital marketing. Their passion is something our clients notice too, which has set WebpageFX apart from other agencies for years," said Craig.

In the digital marketing sector, WebFX maintains a high client satisfaction and retention rate. Their client retention rate exceeds 90 percent, while their client recommendation score is 488 percent higher than the industry average. As a result, WebFX expects to become the leading performance-driven digital marketing agency for mid-sized businesses.

"As a performance-driven agency, we differ from a lot of other digital marketing companies. Our focus is on those real, tangible results that our clients can see in their day-to-day. That may mean more store foot traffic, more online product orders or even more subscribers to a company's blog. It's those results that drive a company's growth," said Craig.

Over it's more than twenty-year history as WebpageFX, the company's generated more than three million leads for its clients. That's provided many of these businesses the opportunity to permanently expand their teams, as well as grow their services or service area. It's a positive trend that the company plans to continue as WebFX.

"We're excited for our future as WebFX. A lot of time and planning went into it, but the reception by our clients, as well as the friends and family of our team, has made it well worth the effort. Their response also makes the rebranding even more exhilarating for our team," said Craig.

The rebranding of WebpageFX to WebFX is effective immediately.

Media Contact:

Trevin Shirey

Phone: 717.609.1625

Email: [email protected]

Related Images

webpagefx-webfx-logo.png

WebpageFX WebFX Logo

New logo

webfx-team.jpg

WebFX Team

Related Links

WebpageFX History Video

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyAt9uxisFs

SOURCE WebpageFX
HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yuma Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: YUMA) (the "Company" or "Yuma") today provided information related to its liquidity and operations. The Company also reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Liquidity

As previously reported, the Company initiated several strategic alternatives to remedy its limited liquidity (defined as cash on hand and undrawn borrowing base), its financial covenant compliance issues, and to provide it with additional working capital to develop its existing assets. During the second quarter, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement on May 21, 2018 regarding its Kern County, California properties, including the sale of all of the Company's oil and gas properties, fee properties, land, buildings, other property and equipment in consideration of $4.7 million in gross proceeds and the buyer's assumption of certain plugging and abandonment liabilities. The transaction is scheduled to close by August 31, 2018. Upon the closing of the transaction, it is anticipated that the majority of the proceeds will be applied to the repayment of borrowings under the Company's credit facility. In addition, the Company has reduced its personnel by eight employees since December 31, 2017, a 24% decrease, including five positions that were eliminated on June 30, 2018. This brings the Company's headcount to 26 employees as of June 30, 2018. It should also be noted that, during the second quarter of 2018, the Company took additional steps to further reduce its general and administrative costs by reducing subscriptions, consultants and other non-essential services, as well as eliminating certain of its capital expenditures planned for 2018.

Additionally, the Company plans to take further steps to remedy its limited liquidity which may include, but are not limited to, further reducing or eliminating capital expenditures; entering into additional commodity derivatives for a portion of the Company's anticipated production; further reducing general and administrative expenses; selling certain non-core assets; seeking merger and acquisition related opportunities; and potentially raising proceeds from capital markets transactions, including the sale of debt or equity securities. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction or otherwise remedy the Company's limited liquidity.

The Company has borrowings under its credit facility which require, among other things, compliance with certain financial ratios and covenants. Due to operating losses the Company sustained during recent quarters, at June 30, 2018 the Company was not in compliance under the credit facility with its (i) total debt to EBITDAX covenant for the trailing four quarter period, (ii) current ratio covenant, (iii) EBITDAX to interest expense covenant for the trailing four quarter period, and (iv) the liquidity covenant requiring the Company to maintain unrestricted cash and borrowing base availability of at least $4.0 million. In addition, due to this non-compliance, the Company classified its entire bank debt as a current liability in its financial statements as of June 30, 2018. On July 31, 2018, the Borrowers entered into the Waiver and Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the "Third Amendment") with the Lender. Pursuant to the Third Amendment, effective as of June 30, 2018, the Borrowers were granted a waiver for non-compliance from the liquidity covenant to have cash and cash equivalent investments together with borrowing base availability under the Credit Agreement of at least $4.0 million. In addition, as part of the Third Amendment, the Lenders requested that the Borrowers provide weekly cash flow forecasts and a monthly accounts payable report to the Lenders. The Third Amendment also provides for a redetermination of the borrowing base on August 15, 2018.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had outstanding borrowings of $35.0 million under its credit facility, and its total borrowing base was $35.0 million, leaving no undrawn borrowing base. Due to drilling activities and other factors, the Company had a working capital deficit of $40.93 million (inclusive of the Company's outstanding debt under its credit facility) and a loss from operations of $2.90 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

These breaches of the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement could result in acceleration of the Company's indebtedness, in which case the debt would become immediately due and payable thereby giving its lenders various rights and remedies, including foreclosure.

The significant risks and uncertainties described above raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis of accounting, which contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets, and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of the going concern uncertainty.

Operations Update

In 2017, the Company entered the Permian Basin through a joint venture with two privately held energy companies and established an Area of Mutual Interest ("AMI") covering approximately 33,280 acres in Yoakum County, Texas, located in the Northwest Shelf of the Permian Basin. The primary target within the AMI is the San Andres formation, which has been one of the largest producing formations in Texas to date. As of June 30, 2018, the Company held a 62.5% working interest in approximately 4,823 gross acres (3,014 net acres) within the AMI. In November 2017, the Company drilled a salt water disposal well, the Jameson SWD #1. In December 2017, the Company spudded the State 320 #1H horizontal San Andres well, which was subsequently completed in February 2018. The Company opened the well on March 1, 2018 and placed the well on production. As of July 17, 2018, the well has produced a total of 1,708 barrels of oil, 12,748 Mcf of gas, and 421,603 barrels of water. The well is currently shut-in pending evaluation of the commerciality and future development of the prospect area. Given the well performance to date, the ability to establish commercial production in the prospect area is uncertain at this time.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Production

The following table presents the net quantities of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids produced and sold by the Company for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, and the average sales price per unit sold.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Production volumes:













Crude oil and condensate (Bbls) 47,322

66,242

94,479

142,640 Natural gas (Mcf) 538,241

786,111

1,171,681

1,685,538 Natural gas liquids (Bbls) 28,974

35,092

54,217

68,566 Total (Boe) (1) 166,003

232,353

343,976

492,129 Average prices realized:













Crude oil and condensate (per Bbl) $67.69

$47.14

$66.36

$48.65 Natural gas (per Mcf) $3.30

$3.29

$3.04

$3.05 Natural gas liquids (per Bbl) $29.11

$24.05

$30.09

$23.61





(1) Barrels of oil equivalent have been calculated on the basis of six thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas equal to one barrel of oil equivalent (Boe).

Revenues

The following table presents the Company's revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Sales of natural gas and crude oil:













Crude oil and condensate $ 3,203,260

$ 3,122,848

$ 6,269,517

$ 6,938,780 Natural gas 1,775,919

2,587,968

3,567,170

5,141,410 Natural gas liquids 843,398

843,888

1,631,426

1,618,938 Total revenues $ 5,822,577

$ 6,554,704

$ 11,468,113

$ 13,699,128

Expenses

The Company's lease operating expenses ("LOE") and LOE per Boe for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, are set forth below:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017 Lease operating expenses $1,890,809

$1,844,896

$3,556,129

$3,542,804 Severance, ad valorem taxes and marketing 905,016

1,214,228

1,865,464

2,177,584 Total LOE $2,795,825

$3,059,124

$5,421,593

$5,720,388















LOE per Boe $16.84

$13.17

$15.76

$11.62 LOE per Boe without severance, ad valorem taxes and marketing $11.39

$7.94

$10.34

$7.20

Commodity Derivative Instruments

Commodity derivative instruments open as of June 30, 2018 are provided below. Natural gas prices are NYMEX Henry Hub prices, and crude oil prices are NYMEX West Texas Intermediate.





2018

2019

2020



Settlement

Settlement

Settlement NATURAL GAS (MMBtu):











Swaps











Volume

887,533

1,660,297

1,095,430 Price

$2.97

$2.75

$2.68













CRUDE OIL (Bbls):











Swaps











Volume

89,995

156,320



Price

$53.17

$53.77





About Yuma Energy, Inc.

Yuma Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is an independent Houston-based exploration and production company focused on acquiring, developing and exploring for conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas resources. Historically, the Company's operations have focused on onshore properties located in central and southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas where it has a long history of drilling, developing and producing both oil and natural gas assets. In addition, during 2017 the Company began acquiring acreage in Yoakum County, Texas, with plans to explore and develop oil and natural gas assets in the Permian Basin. Finally, the Company has operated positions in Kern County, California, and non-operated positions in the East Texas Woodbine and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota. Its common stock is listed on the NYSE American under the trading symbol "YUMA."

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as "expects," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "potential," "possible," or "probable" or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "will," "should," or "could" be taken, occur or be achieved. The forward-looking statements include statements about future operations, and estimates of reserve and production volumes. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: our limited liquidity and the Company's ability to repay outstanding loans when due; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; reduction in the borrowing base of the Company's credit facility; the risks of the oil and natural gas industry (for example, operational risks in exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas); risks and uncertainties involving geology of oil and natural gas deposits; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; revisions to reserve estimates as a result of changes in commodity prices; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to future production, costs and expenses; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; health, safety and environmental risks and risks related to weather; declines in oil and natural gas prices; inability of management to execute its plans to meet its goals, shortages of drilling equipment, oil field personnel and services, unavailability of gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities and the possibility that government policies may change. The Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, recent current reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings discuss some of the important risk factors identified that may affect its business, results of operations, and financial condition. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Yuma Energy, Inc.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)









June 30,

December 31,

2018

2017







ASSETS













CURRENT ASSETS:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,348,627

$ 137,363 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts:





Trade 3,522,107

4,496,316 Officer and employees 7,781

53,979 Other 441,795

1,004,479 Prepayments 622,843

976,462 Other deferred charges 387,108

347,490







Total current assets 7,330,261

7,016,089







OIL AND GAS PROPERTIES (full cost method):





Proved properties 504,060,185

494,216,531 Unproved properties - not subject to amortization 534,627

6,794,372









504,594,812

501,010,903 Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization (425,547,424)

(421,165,400)







Net oil and gas properties 79,047,388

79,845,503







OTHER PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:





Assets held for sale 2,309,243

- Land, buildings and improvements -

1,600,000 Other property and equipment 1,793,397

2,845,459

4,102,640

4,445,459 Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization (1,324,152)

(1,409,535)







Net other property and equipment 2,778,488

3,035,924







OTHER ASSETS AND DEFERRED CHARGES:





Deposits 467,592

467,592 Other noncurrent assets 79,997

270,842







Total other assets and deferred charges 547,589

738,434







TOTAL ASSETS $ 89,703,726

$ 90,635,950

Yuma Energy, Inc.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS  CONTINUED (Unaudited)



June 30,

December 31,

2018

2017







LIABILITIES AND EQUITY













CURRENT LIABILITIES:





Current maturities of debt $ 35,094,226

$ 651,124 Accounts payable, principally trade 8,904,037

11,931,218 Commodity derivative instruments 2,613,690

903,003 Asset retirement obligations 88,722

277,355 Other accrued liabilities 1,555,117

2,295,438







Total current liabilities 48,255,792

16,058,138







LONG-TERM DEBT -

27,700,000







OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES:





Asset retirement obligations 10,492,311

10,189,058 Commodity derivative instruments 783,338

336,406 Deferred rent 272,506

290,566 Employee stock awards 143,961

191,110







Total other noncurrent liabilities 11,692,116

11,007,140







COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Notes 2 and 15)













EQUITY





Series D convertible preferred stock





($0.001 par value, 7,000,000 authorized, 1,971,072 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2018, and 1,904,391 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017) 1,971

1,904 Common stock





($0.001 par value, 100 million shares authorized, 23,242,969 outstanding as of June 30, 2018 and 22,661,758 outstanding as of December 31, 2017) 23,243

22,662 Additional paid-in capital 57,304,534

55,064,685 Treasury stock at cost (380,069 shares as of June 30, 2018 and 13,343 shares as of December 31, 2017) (438,890)

(25,278) Accumulated earnings (deficit) (27,135,040)

(19,193,301)







Total equity 29,755,818

35,870,672







TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 89,703,726

$ 90,635,950

Yuma Energy, Inc.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017

2018

2017















REVENUES:













Sales of natural gas and crude oil $ 5,822,577

$ 6,554,704

$ 11,468,113

$ 13,699,128















EXPENSES:













Lease operating and production costs 2,795,825

3,059,124

5,421,593

5,720,388 General and administrative  stock-based compensation 64,230

385,097

360,524

436,832 General and administrative  other 1,587,628

1,906,629

3,336,866

4,082,631 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 2,245,170

2,763,444

4,462,491

5,904,384 Asset retirement obligation accretion expense 140,161

141,454

283,101

280,023 Impairment of long lived assets 176,968

-

176,968

- Bad debt expense 261,659

73,513

327,467

73,513 Total expenses 7,271,641

8,329,261

14,369,010

16,497,771















LOSS FROM OPERATIONS (1,449,064)

(1,774,557)

(2,900,897)

(2,798,643)















OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):













Net gains (losses) from commodity derivatives (2,095,570)

2,138,080

(3,346,830)

5,694,863 Interest expense (567,635)

(482,285)

(1,033,927)

(978,376) Gain (loss) on other property and equipment -

(70,874)

-

484,768 Other, net 81,884

5,659

78,348

42,067 Total other income (expense) (2,581,321)

1,590,580

(4,302,409)

5,243,322















INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES (4,030,385)

(183,977)

(7,203,306)

2,444,679















Income tax expense (benefit) -

(20,581)

-

5,950















NET INCOME (LOSS) (4,030,385)

(163,396)

(7,203,306)

2,438,729















PREFERRED STOCK:













Dividends paid in kind 374,416

349,300

738,433

688,910















NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS $ (4,404,801)

$ (512,696)

$ (7,941,739)

$ 1,749,819















INCOME (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:













Basic ($0.19)

($0.04)

($0.35)

$0.14 Diluted ($0.19)

($0.04)

($0.35)

$0.14















WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:













Basic 23,082,334

12,235,286

22,948,475

12,223,337 Diluted 23,082,334

12,235,286

22,948,475

12,407,996

Yuma Energy, Inc.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)



Six Months Ended June 30,

2018

2017 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:





Reconciliation of net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:





Net income (loss) $ (7,203,306)

$ 2,438,729 Depreciation, depletion and amortization of property and equipment 4,462,491

5,904,384 Impairment of long lived assets 176,968

- Amortization of debt issuance costs 260,803

172,826 Deferred rent liability, net 25,668

- Stock-based compensation expense 360,524

436,832 Settlement of asset retirement obligations (575,817)

(227,346) Asset retirement obligation accretion expense 283,101

280,023 Bad debt expense 327,467

73,513 Net (gains) losses from commodity derivatives 3,346,830

(5,694,863) Gain on sales of fixed assets -

(556,141) Loss on write-off of abandoned facilities -

71,373 (Gain) loss on write-off of liabilities net of assets (103,045)

(34,835) Changes in assets and liabilities:





(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable 1,339,227

426,945 Decrease in prepaids, deposits and other assets 297,321

521,167 (Decrease) increase in accounts payable and other current and non-current liabilities 65,487

(923,200) NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES 3,063,719

2,889,407







CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:





Capital expenditures for oil and gas properties (6,928,684)

(4,526,587) Proceeds from sale of oil and gas properties 1,000,000

5,400,563 Proceeds from sale of other fixed assets -

641,556 Derivative settlements (1,189,211)

550,675 NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES (7,117,895)

2,066,207







CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:





Proceeds from borrowings on senior credit facility 14,300,000

- Repayment of borrowings on senior credit facility (7,000,000)

(7,500,000) Repayments of borrowings - insurance financing (556,898)

(512,783) Debt issuance costs -

(2,152) Shelf registration costs (64,050)

- Treasury stock repurchases (413,612)

(23,270) NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES 6,265,440

(8,038,205)







CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 2,211,264

(3,082,591)







CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD 137,363

3,625,686







CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD $ 2,348,627

$ 543,095







Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:





Interest payments (net of interest capitalized) $ 773,150

$ 811,042 Interest capitalized $ 133,772

$ 112,136 Supplemental disclosure of significant non-cash activity:





(Increase) decrease in capital expenditures financed by accounts payable $ 3,252,112

$ (386,337)

SOURCE Yuma Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.yumaenergyinc.com


PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: FAX) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, today announced that it will pay on August 28, 2018, a distribution of US $0.035 per share to all shareholders of record as of August 20, 2018.

Your Fund's distribution policy is to provide investors with a stable monthly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for the distribution to be paid on August 28, 2018 as well as the estimated cumulative distributions declared fiscal year to date (11/01/2017 - 07/31/2018), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from month to month because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.



Estimated

Amounts of

Current

Monthly

Distribution

per share ($) Estimated

Amounts of

Current Monthly

Distribution per

share (%) Estimated

Amounts of Fiscal

Year to Date

Cumulative

Distributions per

share ($) Estimated

Amounts of Fiscal

Year to Date

Cumulative

Distributions per

share (%) Net Investment

Income $0.0154 44% $0.1540 44% Net Realized Short-

Term Capital Gains* $0.0017 5% $0.0174 5% Net Realized Long-

Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.0179 51% $0.1786 51% Total (per common

share) $0.0350 100% $0.3500 100%

*includes currency gains

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

As of July 31, 2018, after giving effect to this payment, the Fund estimates it has a net deficit of $143,873,000. A net deficit results when the Fund has net unrealized losses that are in excess of any net realized gains that have not yet been distributed.

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2018 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 07/31/20181 1.89% Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 8.52% Fiscal Year to Date (11/01/2017 to 07/31/2018) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 (2.89%) Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 6.39%

1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2018

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2010, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is a brand of the investment businesses of Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments. In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Asset Management Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Asset Management Ltd., Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd., Aberdeen Asset Capital Management, LLC, Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Ltd., and Standard Life Investments (USA) Ltd.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact [email protected]

aberdeenfax.com

SOURCE Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aberdeenfax.com


WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Larry Klayman announced the filing of a $60 million dollar lawsuit against federal prosecutors Steven Myhre, Daniel Schiess and Nadia Ahmed of the U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") Neil Kornze, the FBI, and BLM, who are alleged to have entrapped, manufactured, and used false evidence to indict peaceful protesters Rick Lovelien and Steven Stewart in the criminal prosecutions stemming from the 2014 successful standoff at the Bundy Ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada.

Lovelien and Stewart were charged for allegedly conspiring with Cliven Bundy and his sons to threaten federal agents at gunpoint during the armed standoff. The plaintiffs' complaint, which was filed in D.C. federal court (case no. 18-cv-01869) alleges that the prosecutors, without any evidence, falsely entrapped, charged and then maliciously prosecuted Lovelien and Stewart for obstruction of justice, along with several other demonstrably false charges.

Lovelien and Stewart were then denied bail by a Senator Harry Reid and Obama appointed federal Judge Gloria Navarro and were left to "rot" in prison for two years before they were finally tried. During this time, the plaintiffs allegedly suffered great emotional distress, physical harm, and financial damage. The complaint also seeks punitive damages.

The jury ultimately acquitted both Lovelien and Stewart based on the complete lack of any evidence that they had committed any crime, much less conspired with Cliven Bundy and his sons.

Later, at the subsequent trial of Cliven Bundy and his sons, which not coincidentally resulted in a dismissal of their indictment, it was also revealed that the prosecutors had hidden exculpatory evidence and their witnesses from the FBI and BLM had lied, under oath, both at the Lovelien /Stewart trial and the Bundys' trial. Judge Navarro was thus forced to dismiss the supersedeas indictment against the Bundys. To this date, Attorney General Sessions has protected his prosecutors and taken no action to even discipline them. Recently, Sessions outrageously authorized them to appeal the Bundy dismissal.

Klayman had this to say:

"The politically motived malicious prosecutions against my clients and resulting cover-up (which also includes Cliven Bundy and his sons) violated every norm of due process and equal justice. I am confident that the defendants will be made to pay dearly by the jury. This punishment will help deter government prosecutorial misconduct, which has now been sanctioned even by our current Attorney General!"

For more information contact [email protected] or (424) 274-2579. The complaint can be found at www.larryklayman.com.

Media contact: Adrienne Mazzone 561-750-9800 x2270; [email protected].

SOURCE Larry Klayman

Related Links

http://www.larryklayman.com


WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) will award $6.2 million in General Henry Hap Arnold education grants and AFAS merit scholarships to the dependents of active duty and retired Airmen.

"Our daughter will receive the grant in her upcoming year at Coe College," said Liz Brazeau. "Thank you for the generosity of the Air Force Aid Society. It has meant more to us than we can ever express."

A total of 2,556 college and university students will receive the education grants and merit-based scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 during the 2018-2019 academic year.

The General Henry Hap Arnold education grants are awarded based on financial need and take into consideration a family's income and the student's educational costs. Each year, named grants are awarded to students in honor of individuals or organizations that have exemplified extraordinary service to the U.S. Air Force. For a full listing, visit named General Hap Arnold education grants.

"Providing ongoing educational support to the families of Airmen is the generational impact that our founders General Henry Hap and Mrs. Bee Arnold envisioned when AFAS was established over 76 years ago," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. and AFAS Board President Judge William A. Moorman. "We are excited to continue their legacy in recognizing the academic excellence of these students with these awards."

A select group of incoming college and university freshmen who completed the General Henry Hap Arnold education grant application with a 4.0 GPA were invited to apply for the AFAS merit-based, achievement scholarships. Applications were evaluated based on cumulative GPA scores, high school transcripts and written essays. Each year, topics focus on issues that adversely affect school and college campuses. This year, students were asked to submit essays on sexual assault, bullying and school shootings.

"Our Airmen and their families rely on the financial support we provide each year through the educational grants and scholarships," said AFAS CEO and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John D. Hopper Jr. "It means a great deal that we are able to provide financial relief to help offset rising college tuition costs for so many Air Force families."

Students who applied for the Henry Hap Arnold education grants are also eligible to receive an additional $1,000, no-interest AFAS supplemental education loan for the upcoming academic year to cover incidental college expenses.

Since launching the education program, AFAS has awarded over $167 million in Henry Hap Arnold education grants to 109,499 students and 229 merit scholarships totaling nearly $1 million. Henry Hap Arnold education grant applications for the 2019-2020 academic year will be available beginning January 2019. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit www.afas.org.

Hopper added, "Thank you to our generous donors, who make what we do possible. We are all connected and must support each other as a family. No one soars to victory or achievement alone."

About Air Force Aid Society

The Air Force Aid Society is a four-star Charity Navigator-rated private, non-profit organization. Founded in 1942, the Air Force Aid Society's mission is to help relieve financial distress of Air Force members and their families and assist them in achieving their educational goals and improving their quality of life by providing proactive programs. In 2017 alone, the Air Force Aid Society provided over $15 million to more than 45,000 Airmen and their families through emergency assistance, educational and community programs. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the Air Force Aid Society administers assistance through Airman and Family Readiness Centers around the world and maintains cross-servicing agreements with the Army Emergency Relief, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief, the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and the American Red Cross to offer emergency assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To learn more about the Air Force Aid Society, please visit www.afas.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Latoya Crowe

Director of Communications & Development

[email protected]

SOURCE Air Force Aid Society

Related Links

http://www.afas.org


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today that Scott Tozier, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, David Ryan, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations and Sharon McGee, Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations, will attend Seaport Global Chemicals & Basic Materials Conference in Boston on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Tozier, Ryan and McGee will all be available for one-on-one meetings.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers.

Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 5,400 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com


Third Quarter 2018 Common Share Dividend of U.S. $0.1282 (C$0.1673)

OAKVILLE, ON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("APUC") (TSX/NYSE: AQN) announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a dividend of U.S.$0.1282 per share on its common shares, payable on October 12, 2018, to the shareholders of record on September 28, 2018, for the period from July 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018. Shareholders receiving dividends in cash can elect to receive the dividend in Canadian dollars in the amount of C$0.1673.

The common share dividend will be paid in cash or, if a shareholder has enrolled in the shareholder dividend reinvestment plan (the "Plan"), dividends will be reinvested in additional shares ("Plan Shares") of APUC as per the Plan. Plan Shares will be acquired by way of a Treasury Purchase at the average market price as defined in the Plan less a 5% discount.

Pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation, APUC hereby notifies its common shareholders that such dividends declared qualify as eligible dividends.

The quarterly dividends payable on common shares are declared in U.S. dollars. Beneficial shareholders (those who hold common shares through a financial intermediary) who are resident in Canada or the United States may request to receive their dividends in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent by contacting the financial intermediary with whom the common shares are held. Unless the Canadian dollar equivalent is requested, shareholders will receive dividends in U.S. dollars, which, as is often the case, the financial intermediary may convert to Canadian dollars. Registered shareholders receive dividend payments in the currency of residency. Registered shareholders may opt to change the payment currency by contacting AST Trust Company (Canada) at 1-800-387-0825 prior to the record date of the dividend.

The Canadian dollar equivalent of the quarterly dividend is based on the Bank of Canada daily average exchange rate on the day before the declaration date.

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

APUC is a diversified generation, transmission and distribution utility with U.S.$9 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, APUC provides rate regulated natural gas, water, and electricity generation, transmission, and distribution utility services to over 750,000 customers in the United States, and is committed to being a global leader in the generation of clean energy through its portfolio of long term contracted wind, solar and hydroelectric generating facilities representing more than 1,600 MW of installed capacity. APUC delivers continuing growth through an expanding pipeline of renewable energy development projects, organic growth within its rate regulated generation, distribution and transmission businesses, and the pursuit of accretive acquisitions. Common shares and preferred shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D. APUC's common shares are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AQN.

Visit APUC at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Related Links

http://www.algonquinpower.com


McLEAN, Virginia, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Newgen Software Inc., a provider of banking software solutions, announced the American National Bank of Texas (ANBTX) has selected its consumer loan origination solution to digitize and automate its retail lending process. This will enable ANBTX to offer a more proactive and comprehensive end-to-end solution while delivering an enhanced customer experience.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676258/Newgen_Logo.jpg )



"Today's consumers need a fast, efficient loan process from start to finish-whether they're buying a car or having to finance unexpected expenses. That's why we're focused on adopting a platform that's both agile and adaptable," said Sharon Lee, Senior Executive Vice President of Client Services for ANBTX. "Not only are we automating our consumer lending process, but we're providing effective risk management across all our channels," continued Lee.



"There is a need for dynamic and evolving applications to help banks keep up with changing market conditions, competition, and regulatory compliance. Newgen solutions are based on Business Process Management and Enterprise Content Management platforms and can offer ANBTX a configurable unified platform for rapid automation of their core lending processes," said Mr. Diwakar Nigam, Chairman and Managing Director, Newgen Software.

ANBTX will leverage Newgen's comprehensive retail lending solution to optimize its consumer loan processes-from pre-screening and application processing to underwriting, closing, and funding-across a range of loan products. The solution is flexible and responsive allowing ANBTX to independently run most of the changes in a paperless and electronically-driven workflow environment. The solution drives straight-through processing and delivers intelligent automation, reducing funding time and improving the customer's experience.

About American National Bank of Texas:

American National Bank of Texas (ANBTX), founded in 1875 in Terrell, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independently-owned banks in the state. With assets of $2 billion, the bank has more than 28 locations throughout North Texas serving Collin, Dallas, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Van Zandt Counties. As a community bank, American National Bank of Texas offers traditional banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and municipal governments. They also provide individual and corporate trust, investment and estate planning services through their Wealth Management Group as well as personal and commercial insurance and risk management services through ANBTX Insurance Services. ANBTX has consistently been ranked one of the Top 100 Places to Work by the Dallas Morning News. Visit American National Bank of Texas online at http://www.anbtx.com. Member FDIC.

For more information, please visit https://www.anbtx.com

About Newgen Software Inc.:

Newgen Software Inc. (subsidiary of Newgen Software Technologies Limited) is a global provider in banking process automation with more than 200+ banks and financial services institutions as its clients. Newgen's banking process management framework automates critical business processes for banking institutions across commercial lending, consumer lending, customer on-boarding, online account opening, trade finance, digital and mobile customer experience strategy. Newgen offers flexible on premise and cloud-based solutions to its banking customers.

For more information, please visit https://newgensoft.com/

Connect with us:

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Watch our videos on YouTube

Media Contact:

Asif Khan

[email protected]



SOURCE Newgen Software Inc.
ATLANTA, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As parents who rent are making their last scramble to get moved and settled before school starts, Apartment Guide announces its series of online articles highlighting affordable apartments for rent near top-rated public schools across the United States. The series consists of dozens of city-specific articles researched and written specifically to help American renters who have school-age children at home. The goal is to offer a helpful time-saver for parents looking to provide the best possible education for their children at the lowest possible price.

To create each article in the series, the editorial team at Apartment Guide researched school ratings, neighborhoods near top-ranked schools and rent prices in those neighborhoods, relevant to major cities around the country (see full list below). The resulting data shaves hours off the research time parents would have to invest to learn the relationship between school quality and rent prices in their area  time that parents rarely find without sacrifice.

Methodology

Apartment Guide created this series of articles by charting the best public schools (only those with a score between 8 and 10 using GreatSchools 1-10 scale ratings) within selected cities. Next, it located the best areas with close proximity to top schools at every level of education (elementary, middle and high school) and then analyzed which neighborhoods are most desireable to apartment hunters wanting to be near those top schools.

Finally, Apartment Guide broke down the data to reveal which specific apartment communities in those neighborhoods offer access to the best schools for the lowest average monthly rental cost, using its own proprietary data on current rental rates.

Cities Covered

To date, Apartment Guide has published "The Least Expensive Apartments Near the Best Schools" articles for the following cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Virginia Beach and Washington D.C.

Other articles in the same series are underway. To find a link to each article, click here, or email [email protected] to inquire when your city's data will be published.

About Apartment Guide

Apartment Guide was a rental industry leader long before its website debut 20 years ago. This trusted legacy brand - now part of the RentPath family of digital brands - has a team of editors and experts who help make every stage of the rental journey easier. From hot tips and cool hacks to helpful articles and videos, Apartment Guide creates content that empowers renters by boosting their knowledge and confidence.

About RentPath

RentPath is a leading digital marketing solutions company, that empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Through its brands, RentPath continues to simplify the apartment search experience while driving quality advertiser leads that result in occupancies and a high return on investment. With powerful online and mobile solutions that provide prospective renters with the information and tools they need, RentPath connects consumers with a home that reflects their personal lifestyles.

RentPath helps people navigate the rental journey by providing a delightful, stress-free experience so that all renters find and enjoy their ideal home.

CONTACT: Misty Skedgell, [email protected], 404-229-5655

SOURCE Apartment Guide

Related Links

http://www.apartmentguide.com


| BY Ricki Green |

The One Club for Creativity, the worlds foremost non-profit organization recognizing creative excellence in advertising and design, today launched a teaser to a humorous new Win Pencil, Draw Respect campaign developed by Toronto agency Zulu Alpha Kilo to announce the call for entries for the prestigious 2019 One Show awards.

The One Show entries can be submitted now at http://www.oneshow.org. First deadline is September 30, 2018, followed by November 30 and final deadline for entry of January 31, 2019. One Show juries will be announced shortly.

The campaign is being teased now with posters, banners and simple animated videos, to be followed by a series of online videos in the fall. The work uses before-and-after scenarios to depict how the life of a creative person improves dramatically once they win a coveted One Show Pencil: bosses put more faith in you, you get to work on better briefs and maybe even get a raise and better office. But most of all, you get respect.

One very timely poster shows four vertically stacked One Show Pencils on a dark background. The caption for the top spot featuring the Gold Pencil reads You Make Bogusky Want To Come Back, followed by the Silver Pencil with the caption You Make Recruiters Call and the Bronze Pencil with You Make Peers Jealous. The bottom spot on the poster shows the empty outline of a One Show Pencil, implying no Pencil has been won, with the caption You Make Grande Soy Macchiatos.

One animated video entitled Not Hiring starts with Were Not Hiring Anyone, and is then expanded to read Were Not Hiring Anyone But You, with the words But and You superimposed on two Gold Pencils and inserted into the original sentence.

The video Recruiters begins with Recruiters Stop Calling, then expands to read Recruiters Wont Stop Calling with the addition of a Gold Pencil. All teaser videos end with the Win Pencil, Draw Respect tagline.

Says Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity: Weve heard many stories from creatives over the years about how winning a One Show Pencil propelled their career to the next level. So while this campaign from Zulu Alpha Kilo is tongue-in-cheek, it hits home because the message rings true.

Says Zak Mroueh, chief creative officer and founder, Zulu Alpha Kilo: Ive always been a fan of the One Shows high creative standards, so it was really an honor to be asked by The One Club to develop this work. In developing this campaign, we tapped into the ultimate outcome of gaining industry recognition by winning one of the worlds most highly coveted accolades: respect.

Category changes

A number of changes are being announced to this years One Show categories in order to keep ahead of the industry.

New disciplines this year include Creative Effectiveness, Creative Use of Data, Digital Craft (formerly UX/UI, includes all craft categories in Interactive and Mobile), Experiential & Immersive (replaces Responsive Environments and includes all immersive work previously in Cross-Platform), Integrated (previously Cross-Platform), Interactive & Online (previously just Interactive) and Radio & Audio (previously just Radio).

In addition, The One Show will now for the first time accept submissions for the coveted Green Pencil, recognizing excellence in environmentally-conscious advertising and design. In past years, Green Pencil entries were based on nominations.

This marks the second year the One Show will have a standalone discipline for Health, Wellness & Pharmaceutical, judged by a dedicated jury of healthcare advertising professionals for brands and agencies to recognize the best work in the field from around the world.

Its also the second year for the One Show Mobile-First Video Advertising category, sponsored by Facebook. The category was established for video that is specifically created for use on mobile devices. Entries must be in vertical format, comprehensible with and without sound and created to promote a brand product or service. New this year, the Mobile First is split into two categories: one for videos over 15 seconds in length, and one for video 15 seconds long and under.

Swanepoel adds that entering work in the One Show also helps the industry overall because The One Club is a global non-profit organization that uses awards revenue to give back to the industry through nearly two dozen education, professional development, gender equality and inclusion and diversity programs for creatives around the world at all levels.
Nathan Hanson, President and CEO of Apothecary Products, stated, "We are very excited to bring these two complementary companies together. This strategic acquisition enhances APL's go forward branded plans to help moms with young families take care of themselves. This acquisition joins the talent and capabilities of both organizations which significantly improves our ability to best serve our customers and consumers with innovative branded solutions. Through our increased scale, expanded portfolio and combined expertise in delivering consumer preferred solutions world-wide, we can provide a platform for future innovation, growth and increased value. I have great admiration for the SOFT Style team and their ability to nimbly deliver meaningful innovation that helps breastfeeding moms. I would like to personally thank Kerry Gilmartin, former owner and CEO of SOFT Style, for her leadership and vision in building a truly insightful brand." Ms. Gilmartin will continue to support brand growth as a key strategic advisor to Mr. Hanson.

Kerry Gilmartin, SOFT Style's founder and CEO, stated, "We are incredibly excited to partner with Apothecary as we enter our next phase of growth. The bamboobies brand will leverage their consumer products expertise and their financial and operational strength to scale more swiftly and gracefully. The bamboobies brand promise of supporting new mothers, babies and their world will be continued as innovation grounded in high quality and eco-friendly design are shared values."

About SOFT Style:

SOFT Style, under the bamboobies brand, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of top-rated, eco-friendly breastfeeding support products. The portfolio includes nursing shawls, nursing tanks and bras, disposable and washable nursing pads, and organic nipple balm. bamboobies mission is to ensure that new mothers and babies are happier and healthier, and so is their world. Founded in 2010 and based in Boulder, Colorado. Visit www.bamboobies.com to learn more.

About Apothecary Products:

Apothecary Products, LLC is a leading innovator, manufacturer, marketer, and supplier of simple self-care solutions, pharmacy supplies and wellness aids. Headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota, the company has several strategic manufacturing partners in the U.S. and internationally.

Private Equity-backed by Norwest Equity Partners: a leading private equity investment firm with global presence and Midwest roots

Fully integrated infrastructure with significant scale and world-class management team

Strong market share in several product categories, many pioneered by Apothecary Products

Domestic and international presence  Apothecary Products can be found in 50+ countries.

Significant presence in top retailers

Innovation driven

Visit www.apothecaryproducts.com to learn more.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Meg Heitlinger

VP - Marketing & Sales

SOFT Style, LLC.

makers of bamboobies

800.560.7131

Jean Roskam

Senior VP of Marketing

Apothecary Products

952.808.8301

[email protected]

SOURCE Apothecary Products, LLC

Related Links

http://www.apothecaryproducts.com


HERNDON, Va., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AtWork Systems will launch their integrated Shared Services solution, OneLynk, at a Department of Defense (DoD) conference in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 14 - 16. The conference hosts small and medium-sized businesses that participate in the Mentor Protege Program at the DoD, and provides an opportunity for those businesses to network with government subject matter experts and large prime contractors. The OneLynk back office software solution was built to address the unique government market space requirements such as project cost accounting and compliance, all while being affordable.

At Work Systems Inc.

AtWork Systems is a Herndon, Virginia based software development company. Its principals have three decades of federal, state and local government experience. We have developed a configurable and scalable platform that digitizes and optimizes business processes while providing just in time business intelligence for decision making. OneLynk contains a suite of easily reconfigurable web applications for automating and monitoring business transactions, including human capital management, finance, timekeeping and expense management, procurement, contracts and project management, and payroll services. OneLynk provides the enterprise level capabilities every Mentor Protege Program participant deserves to allow them to perform their mission and mitigate risk while delivering world-class performance.

AtWork's founder, Ronald Lewis, is a serial entrepreneur with decades of experience winning and successfully overseeing large-scale government contracts while he was an executive at various Fortune 100 companies. In 2016, Ron founded AtWork Systems, which leverages his experience implementing large-scale ERP systems such as SAP and Deltek. He realized that there was an unserved market for these integrated back office systems for small to mid-sized businesses, and the growing acceptance and pervasive use of several key technologies had provided an opportunity for an affordable platform to fill that gap.

"OneLynk was developed from the ground up with activity-based cost accounting standards and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations as our guiding principles. It is the only end-to-end fully integrated solution available providing back office capabilities at an affordable price point," said Ron.

Please don't hesitate to stop by the AtWork booth if you'll be in attendance at the conference. For more information or to schedule an interview with Ron Lewis, please contact Victor Rhoder at [email protected].

Related Images

image1.png

image2.png

Related Links

AtWork Systems Website

SOURCE AtWork Systems Inc.

Related Links

http://www.atworksys.com


DALLAS, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Laser tattoo removal is the safest, most effective method for removing unwanted ink. Millions of Americans seek a solution for their tattoo regret each year, and with tattoo popularity on the rise, the demand for laser tattoo removal shows no signs of slowing down. To celebrate this advanced procedure, August 14 has officially been registered as National Tattoo Removal Day.

National Tattoo Removal Day was founded to bring awareness to the laser tattoo removal industry, support individuals interested in removing their unwanted ink, and recognize the businesses and practitioners that provide and perform laser tattoo removal. National Tattoo Removal Day is recognized on August 14 because it is six months prior to Valentine's Day, which is typically how long it takes to remove an unwanted name tattoo. Most medium, black ink script tattoos, like an ex-partner's name, can start laser tattoo removal treatment on August 14 and be completely removed by Valentine's Day.

"Laser tattoo removal is one of the most popular aesthetic procedures we offer," said Tyffanie Rogers, owner of Blacklist Laser & Cosmetics in Joplin, MO. "It's exciting to have a day of recognition for this innovative procedure."

People from various professional backgrounds now offer laser tattoo removal due to the growing demand, including physicians, tattoo artists, medical spas, and even licensed entrepreneurs. Patients of all skin types, genders, and ages get laser tattoo removal for a number of motivations unique to their tattoo.

"Laser tattoo removal is an exciting procedure that has positively impacted many of my patients," said Dr. Robert Burke, owner of Michigan Center for Cosmetic Surgery in Ann Arbor, MI. "I'm glad national attention is being brought to this innovative procedure and the superior removal results it delivers."

National Tattoo Removal Day is the perfect opportunity for individuals to finally remove their unwanted ink and for laser tattoo removal providers to offer special promotions. Laser tattoo removal can also be celebrated by patients that have already removed an unwanted tattoo by posting their before and after photos.

Everyone is encouraged to celebrate National Tattoo Removal Day by sharing their laser tattoo removal experiences with the hashtag #NationalTattooRemovalDay. You can also like National Tattoo Removal Day on Facebook and visit the official website for more information.

About Astanza Laser

Astanza is the leader in lasers for tattoo removal, hair removal, and additional aesthetic procedures and the official sponsor of National Tattoo Removal Day. In addition to developing cutting-edge medical laser devices such as the Duality, Trinity, and ReSmooth systems, Astanza offers its customers a complete range of training, marketing, and business consulting services specific to achieving success in this growing field.

Astanza Laser is headquartered in Dallas, TX with customers throughout North America and Europe. For product, investor, or press information, call (800) 364-9010, or visit http://www.astanzalaser.com/.

SOURCE Astanza Laser

Related Links

http://www.AstanzaLaser.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Barings Global Short Duration High Yield Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: BGH) announced its monthly dividend for August 2018 of $0.1482 per share, payable on September 4, 2018. Based on the Fund's July 31, 2018 share price of $18.67 per share, the distribution represents an annualized yield of 9.53% per share. Based on current projections through the payable date, the Fund expects that this distribution will be comprised of net investment income.

In addition, the Fund announced estimated monthly distributions of $0.1482 per share for September 2018 and October 2018. The distribution schedule appears below:

Month Ex-Date Record Date Payable Date Amount [1] August 08/22/2018 08/23/2018 09/04/2018 $0.1482 September 09/19/2018 09/20/2018 10/01/2018 $0.1482 October 10/22/2018 10/23/2018 11/01/2018 $0.1482

The Fund seeks to pay a distribution at a rate that reflects net investment income actually earned. A portion of each distribution may be treated as paid from sources other than net investment income, including but not limited to short-term capital gain, long-term capital gain or return of capital. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of these distributions will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and will be made after the Fund's year end. The Fund will send to investors a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will define how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that is managed by Barings LLC. The Fund invests primarily in short-duration, global high yield bonds with the objective of seeking as high a level of current income as Barings determines is consistent with capital preservation, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund expects to maintain a weighted average portfolio duration, including the effects of leverage, of 3 years or less.

Cautionary Notice: Certain statements contained in this press release may be "forward looking" statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date in which they are made and which reflect management's current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs, and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of the fund's trading intent. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of the fund's current or future investments. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Because the Fund is newly organized, its shares have a limited history of public trading. Investors should read the Fund's prospectus and consider carefully the risks, investment objectives, charges and expenses associated with an investment in the Fund's common shares. For a copy of the prospectus, please contact your securities representative.

About Barings

Barings is a $306+ billion* global financial services firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. Part of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,800 associates and offices in 16 countries. Learn more, at www.barings.com.

Contact: Brian Whelan, Barings, (980) 417-7700, [email protected]

*As of June 30, 2018.

18-566258

[1] Amounts represent estimates for September and October.

SOURCE Barings

Related Links

http://www.barings.com


JUPITER, Fla., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Big Picture Solutions, Inc, (BPS Inc) a custom integration company specializing in complex commercial and luxury residential projects, announced that they will not be disclosing any information to the public regarding their involvement in the case of the United States v. Paul Manafort.

Unfortunately, BPS was connected to the federal case held in Alexandria, Virginia. The company founder and COO, Joel Maxwell, was compelled to appear by subpoena to testify on behalf of the prosecution (on August 2, 2018). While this was an unexpected event, BPS is committed to protecting the privacy of its clients. BPS Inc is recognized and known to perform various Audio Visual projects throughout the United States on behalf of many high-profile clients who wish to retain their privacy.

In response to recent recurring requests from various news outlets, BPS Inc CEO, Elisabeth Maxwell, said, "We do not comment on, or discuss, client names or project details, privately or publicly. This has served us well over the last 14 years, as we have built our business on word-of-mouth from satisfied customers. They value their privacy and we value the opportunity to serve them." We do everything possible to ensure our clients' privacy. Exceptions to the company's disclosure policy are only made upon agreement by BPS and the client for industry awards and specific marketing purposes. Big Picture Solutions, Inc (BPS Inc), like every other corporation/business, is required to comply with State and Federal laws, such as when a subpoena is issued, as was the case in the Manafort prosecution.

SOURCE BPS Inc

Related Links

http://bpsinc.com/


SMITHS FALLS, ON and SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) is pleased to announce the acquisition of all remaining outstanding shares of its Chilean in-market entity, Spectrum Cannabis Chile SpA ("Spectrum Cannabis Chile").

This transaction brings Spectrum Cannabis Chile fully under the Canopy Growth umbrella and directly supports the Company's plans for development within the LATAM region which is home to more than 600 million people. Thanks to progressive regulations and Government support, Chile is known throughout Latin America as an ideal location for medical and pharmaceutical research. The country has more clinical studies per resident than any other in Latin America.

In line with the Company's strategy of leveraging the strengths of each country, Chile will continue as Canopy LATAM's regional research and development hub. Currently, Spectrum Cannabis Chile has a pain management focused clinical trial underway. The trial which has been approved at both Phase I and Phase II was designed by Dr. Sergio Sanchez, a Chilean doctor, medical cannabis pioneer, and the founder of NGO Latinoamerica Reforma, one of the country's leading cannabis advocacy groups.

In addition to advancing this clinical trial, Dr. Sanchez has joined the leadership team of Spectrum Cannabis Chile and will bring his extensive experience to the organization by serving as the Chilean medical lead. He will also serve on the Medical Board for Canopy LATAM, the company's regional headquarters. Having treated over 5000 patients with medical cannabis, Dr. Sanchez has a wealth of experience in evaluating and advancing the recognition as well as use of cannabis-based medicines.

"Chile is an important part of our strategy for this region and completing this acquisition marks another successful step forward in our plan," said Mark Zekulin, President and Co-CEO, Canopy Growth. "Spectrum Cannabis Chile, working closely with the team at Canopy Health Innovations in Canada, will continue to lead regional research activities with a focus on developing additional evidence to support the use of cannabis-based medicines across Latin America and the world."

This transaction also builds on the recent acquisition of Spectrum Cannabis Colombia which, leveraging the unique growing conditions and favourable regulatory climate in Colombia, will serve as a regional production and export hub for Canopy Growth across Latin America.

As countries across the region update their legislation and further define their domestic medical cannabis markets, Canopy LATAM will continue to pursue market access and a position of leadership, ensuring that patients have access to high quality, regulated medical cannabis.

In exchange for Cannagrow SpA's 15 percent interest in Spectrum Cannabis Chile SpA, Canopy Growth paid cash consideration of US$750,000. Prior to the acquisition, the Company controlled 85 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Spectrum Cannabis Chile SpA.

Spectrum Cannabis: Medical Cannabis. Simplified.

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 licensed cannabis production sites with over 2.4 million square feet of production capacity, including over 500,000 square feet of GMP-certified production space. The Company has operations in 11 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 partly 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, the Company is providing resources and investment to new market entrants and building a portfolio of stable investments in the sector. From our historic public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange 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 Spectrum Cannabis

Spectrum Cannabis, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canopy Growth, is dedicated to simplifying medical cannabis for patients and healthcare practitioners. Spectrum Cannabis is an international medical business which interfaces with healthcare professionals and patients around the world. Founded in Canada, Spectrum Cannabis operates in Australia, South America, Africa and across Europe. Spectrum Cannabis products are available in a wide range of potencies and formats designed to simplify the dialogue around strength and dosage by applying a colour-coded Spectrum to categorize medical cannabis according to THC and CBD levels. Its product lineup includes whole flower cannabis, oils and new innovations such as Softgels. Through product simplification, easy dosing formats, in addition to ongoing education of healthcare professionals, Spectrum is committed to improving the lives of medical cannabis patients around the globe.

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 statements with respect to the Company's focus on Latin America, the Company's position in the market, the advancement of medical cannabis internationally, capturing market share, leveraging the clinical and market access work in Chile, the Company's global growth strategy. 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, including the updating of regulations in individual nations; the ability to integrate the acquired businesses into the Company's operations; the time and resources of management devoted to integration and expansion efforts; and such risks contained in the Company's annual information form dated June 28, 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/


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Castle Brands Inc. (NYSE American: ROX), a developer and international marketer of premium and super-premium drinks brands, today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2018.

Operating highlights for the quarter ended June 30, 2018:

Net sales increased 10.8% to $23.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, as compared to $20.9 million for the comparable prior-year period.





for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, as compared to for the comparable prior-year period. Gross profit increased 7.9% to $9.3 million from $8.6 million for the comparable prior-year period.





from for the comparable prior-year period. Income from operations increased to $0.6 million , as compared to $0.1 million for the comparable prior year period.





, as compared to for the comparable prior year period. Sales of Jefferson's bourbons increased 48.0% to $7.8 million , as compared to $5.3 million in the comparable prior-year period.





bourbons increased 48.0% to , as compared to in the comparable prior-year period. During the first quarter, the Company continued its new-fill bourbon programs to support future growth of the Jefferson's brands and its Irish whiskey portfolio.

"Continued strong growth of our more profitable brands, such as Jefferson's and our Irish whiskeys, resulted in solid growth in revenue, gross profit, income from operations and EBITDA, as adjusted, which grew 88.5% to $1.5 million. We expect that these growth trends and improving financial performance will continue," stated Richard J. Lampen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Brands.

"To support continued aggressive growth of our Jefferson's bourbons, we continued our new-fill programs. During the first quarter we purchased an additional $4.1 million of bourbon and expect to continue to increase our stock of aging bourbon through open market purchases and our two new-fill programs," Mr. Lampen added.

"We used our aged bourbon reserves to support increased sales of Jefferson's and its more expensive brand extensions, such as Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea and wine finishes. We also continue to add innovative expressions to increase sales and enhance the Jefferson's brand. Jefferson's, with trailing twelve month sales exceeding 80,000 cases, is one of the top five selling premium small batch bourbons. Moreover, Jefferson's is the only leading small batch brand to sell more than 50,000 cases annually at an average price greater than $50 per bottle and the only leading small batch bourbon not owned by a major spirits company," said John Glover, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Castle Brands.

"Additional aged offerings and the barrel program for Knappogue Castle Whiskey contributed to strong Irish whiskey sales in the period. We expect strong growth in Irish whiskey sales to continue as we continue to apply the successful programs that we use to market Jefferson's to our Irish whiskey portfolio. Our access to aged Irish whiskey supplies allowed us to produce Knappogue 14 Year Old, 16 Year Old and 21 Year Old to augment sales of our core Knappogue 12 Year Old. Much as with the higher end expressions of Jefferson's, this is allowing us to raise the average price of our Knappogue whiskeys. We continued our new fill program to supplement our overall Irish whiskey supplies to support future growth," Mr. Glover added.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company had net sales of $23.1 million, a 10.8% increase from net sales of $20.9 million in the comparable prior-year period. Net loss attributable to common shareholders was ($0.8) million, or ($0.00) per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, as compared to a loss of ($0.9) million, or ($0.1) per basic and diluted share, in the prior-year period.

EBITDA, as adjusted, for the first quarter of fiscal 2019 was $1.5 million as compared to $0.8 million for the comparable prior-year period.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Within the information above, Castle Brands provides information regarding EBITDA, as adjusted, which is not a recognized term under GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and does not purport to be an alternative to income (loss) from operations or net income (loss) as a measure of operating performance. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, adjusted for allowances for doubtful accounts and obsolete inventory, stock-based compensation expense, transaction fees, other expense (income), net, income from equity investment in non-consolidated affiliate, foreign exchange loss (gain) and net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is a key metric the Company uses in evaluating its financial performance on a consistent basis across various periods. EBITDA, as adjusted, is considered a non-GAAP financial measure as defined by Regulation G promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Due to the significance of non-cash and non-recurring items, EBITDA, as adjusted, enables the Company's Board of Directors and management to monitor and evaluate the business on a consistent basis. The Company uses EBITDA, as adjusted, as a primary measure, among others, to analyze and evaluate financial and strategic planning decisions regarding future operating investments and allocation of capital resources. The Company believes that EBITDA, as adjusted, eliminates items that are not indicative of its core operating performance or are based on management's estimates, such as allowance accounts, are due to changes in valuation, such as the effects of changes in foreign exchange, or do not involve a cash outlay, such as stock-based compensation expense. EBITDA, as adjusted, should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, income from operations, net income and cash flows from operating activities. A reconciliation of net loss attributable to common shareholders to EBITDA, as adjusted, is presented below.

About Castle Brands

Castle Brands is a developer and international marketer of premium and super-premium brands including: Jefferson's, Jefferson's Presidential SelectTM, Jefferson's Reserve, Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon, Jefferson's Wine Finish Collection and Jefferson's Wood Experiments, Goslings Rums, Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer, Knappogue Castle Whiskey, Clontarf Irish Whiskey, Pallini Limoncello, Boru Vodka, Brady's Irish Cream, The Arran Malt Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Robert Burns Scotch Whisky and Machrie Moor Scotch Whisky Additional information concerning the Company is available on the Company's website, www.castlebrandsinc.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that 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 and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, sales, new products and brands, potential joint ventures, potential acquisitions, expenses, profitability, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. You can identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of such words as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "thinks," "estimates," "seeks," "predicts," "could," "projects," "potential" and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. These forward looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward looking statements. These risks include our history of losses and expectation of further losses, our ability to expand our operations in both new and existing markets, our ability to develop or acquire new brands, our relationships with distributors, the success of our marketing activities, the effect of competition in our industry and economic and political conditions generally, including the current economic environment and markets. More information about these and other factors are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Castle Brands' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2018 and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. When considering these forward looking statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this press release and the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict those events or how they may affect us. We assume no obligation to update any forward looking statements after the date of this press release as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by the federal securities laws.

CASTLE BRANDS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)





Three months ended June 30,





2018



2017

Sales, net*

$ 23,104,388



$ 20,852,287

Cost of sales*



13,844,836





12,273,668



















Gross profit



9,259,552





8,578,619



















Selling expense



5,821,890





6,056,199

General and administrative expense



2,517,266





2,262,997

Depreciation and amortization



235,792





204,952



















Income from operations



684,604





54,471



















Other expense, net



(405)







Income from equity investment in non-consolidated affiliate



34,028





41,749

Foreign exchange gain (loss)



44,464





(51,161)

Interest expense, net



(1,051,942)





(891,864)



















Loss before provision for income taxes



(289,251)





(846,805)

Income tax expense, net



(18,115)





(18,413)



















Net loss



(307,366)





(865,218)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests



(383,341)





(81,177)



















Net loss attributable to common shareholders

$ (690,707)



$ (946,395)



















Net loss per common share, basic and diluted, attributable to common

shareholders

$ (0.00)



$ (0.01)



















Weighted average shares used in computation, basic and diluted, attributable to

common shareholders



165,520,314





163,072,642



* Sales, net and Cost of sales include excise taxes of $1,834,254 and $1,639,755 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

CASTLE BRANDS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of net loss attributable to common shareholders to EBITDA, as adjusted (Unaudited)





Three months ended

June 30,





2018



2017

Net loss attributable to common shareholders

$ (690,707)



$ (946,395)

Adjustments:















Interest expense, net



1,051,942





891,864

Income tax expense, net



18,115





18,413

Depreciation and amortization



235,792





204,952

EBITDA



615,142





168,834

Allowance for doubtful accounts



14,559





14,100

Allowance for obsolete inventory



80,000





50,000

Stock-based compensation expense



490,485





475,326

Other expense, net



405







Income from equity investment in non-consolidated affiliate



(34,028)





(41,749)

Foreign exchange (gain) loss



(44,464)





51,161

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests



383,341





81,177

EBITDA, as adjusted

$ 1,505,440



$ 798,849



Castle Brands Inc.

Investor Relations, 646-356-0200

[email protected]

www.castlebrandsinc.com

SOURCE Castle Brands Inc.

Related Links

http://www.castlebrandsinc.com


KALISPELL, Mont., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassOne, the premier supplier of new electroplating and wet process tools to the 200mm and smaller semiconductor manufacturing industry, today announced the sale of its flagship Solstice S8 CopperMax electroplating tool to i3 of Binghamton, NY. i3 is rapidly expanding its St. Petersburg, FL facility to accommodate volume production work, and they need an automated plating tool with the ability to grow in tandem. CopperMax has been chosen to cost-effectively automate the facility's wet-bench electroplating processes, with flexibility to easily add related downstream processes.

Solstice CopperMax electroplating system from ClassOne Technology

"i3 has selected CopperMax for several excellent reasons," said ClassOne CEO Byron Exarcos. "Our proprietary CopperMax cation exchange membrane technology is simply unrivaled in this market. The plating chamber has been designed to dramatically reduce consumables cost while maintaining extremely high levels of feature qualityeven for challenging deposition processes such as TSV. CopperMax customers routinely see reductions in additive consumables cost approaching 95%. What's more, our Solstice platform is engineered for easy expansion, and is designed to support multiple independent processes simultaneously. It's a perfect fit for facilities that want to grow beyond wet bench work."

The Solstice S8 CopperMax platform can be configured with from 2 to 8 entirely independent, field-retrofittable process chambers. CopperMax also supports multiple wafer sizes simultaneously, allowing i3 to easily migrate from 4- to 6-inch wafers as their production requirements change. i3 will be working with ClassOne to add Solvent and UBM processing chambers to the same CopperMax tool in the coming months.

"CopperMax is a perfect fit for our needs," said Neal Driver, VP-General Manager of i3 Microsystems. "The tool is incredibly flexible and will grow with us as we expand our production environment. We have also been impressed by ClassOne's outstanding commitment to helping us develop and perfect our deposition processes. They've made a serious corporate commitment to customer service, and it shows."

i3 is a highly-secure, vertically-integrated semiconductor supplier to the defense and aerospace industries. With Solstice platforms now in production at several of the world's foremost defense contractors, ClassOne has emerged as the supplier of choice for the exacting requirements of the defense and aerospace industries.

About ClassOne

ClassOne, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, provides highly affordable new wet process and refurbished major-brand semiconductor processing tools, with thousands of tools installed worldwide at the industry's leading semiconductor manufacturers.

ClassOne's Technology division (www.classone.com), headquartered in Kalispell, Montana, develops and provides innovative new wet-chemical equipment solutions, including electroplaters, spin-rinse-dryers, spray solvent tools, and more. These tools are specifically designed for budget-conscious users of 200mm substrates, many of whom are in emerging markets underserved by the larger equipment manufacturers. With decades of experience from industry veterans dedicated to the tradition of delivering advanced performance and quality for much less, ClassOne Technology delivers "Advanced Wet Processing for the Rest of Us."

ClassOne's Equipment division (www.classoneequipment.com), is long respected as the industry's premier provider of refurbished major-brand processing tools. ClassOne Equipment supplies turnkey equipment solutions that include state-of-the-art refurbishment, warranty, installation, service, support and spare parts.

For more information, contact:

Byron Exarcos

ClassOne

109 Cooperative Way

Kalispell, MT 59901

tel: +1 (678) 772-9086

email: [email protected]

Solstice and CopperMax are trademarks of ClassOne Technology.

SOURCE ClassOne Technology

Related Links

http://www.classone.com


TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML) (NYSE MKT: DNN) (NYSE American: DNN) is pleased to announce that David Cates, Jack Lundin, Moo Hwan Seo, and Patricia Volker have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company. In connection with, and in order to facilitate, the appointment of the new Directors, the Company has accepted the resignation of Kwang-Hee Jeong and Lukas Lundin. View PDF Version.

Lukas Lundin, the Company's outgoing Executive Chairman, commented "I am pleased to welcome several new Directors to the Company's Board, including Denison's President and CEO, David Cates. Under David's leadership, the Company has executed on its strategic plan to divest its non-core international assets and position itself as the leading junior developer in the eastern Athabasca Basin. Denison is the Lundin Group of Companies' flagship uranium investment, and we are expecting tremendous growth ahead in this sector  especially now that we are seeing significant supply cuts from the largest uranium producers, which should fundamentally improve the oversupply situation that has plagued the commodity for the last several years.

With that view in mind, as I step down from my formal duties as Chairman, I am delighted that one of my sons, Jack Lundin, will be joining the Company at such an exciting time  serving as a Director and representing the Lundin family interest at the Board level. Jack brings significant technical and project development experience to the Company and will be a great asset to Denison as the Company moves towards the development of its high-grade Wheeler River project."

In addition to the changes in the members of the Company's Board of Directors, Catherine J.G. Stefan, previously serving as the Company's Lead Independent Director, has been appointed non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors.

Newly Appointed Directors

Mr. David Cates

Mr. Cates was appointed President & CEO of Denison in 2015 and has served as both Vice President Finance, Tax & Chief Financial Officer, and Director, Taxation during his tenure with the Company, which began in 2008. Mr. Cates is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds Master of Accounting (MAcc) and Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees from the University of Waterloo. Mr. Cates also sits on the board of directors of GoviEx Uranium Inc. (TSX-V: GXU), Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH), and the Canadian Nuclear Association (www.cna.ca).

Mr. Jack Lundin

Mr. Lundin has been involved in the natural resource industry his entire life through exposure to the various Lundin Group companies and mentorship under Messrs. Lukas, Ian and the late Adolf Lundin. He began his career in the sector working prospecting jobs and as a field technician on projects around the world. Since 2016, Mr. Lundin has been employed with Lundin Gold Inc. (TSX: LUG), and currently holds the position of Senior Mine Project Engineer, working on the construction of the Fruta del Norte gold project in Ecuador. Mr. Lundin received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chapman University, and a Master of Engineering degree in Mineral Resource Engineering from the University of Arizona. Mr. Lundin also sits on the board of directors of NGEx Resources Inc. (TSX: NGQ).

Mr. Moo Hwan Seo

Based in South Korea, Mr. Seo is currently General Manager of the Global Business Division in the Global Nuclear Business Department at Korea Hydro Nuclear Power ("KHNP"), a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation ("KEPCO"), with responsibility for coordinating KHNP's overseas nuclear power plant business. Mr. Seo started his career with KEPCO in 1992, and has held a variety of senior positions involved in the commissioning of the Hanul and Shin-Hanul nuclear power plants and both the Overseas Nuclear Business Team and International Cooperation Team. Mr. Seo has a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering from Young Nam University. Under the terms of the amended and restated strategic relationship agreement between Denison and KHNP, Mr. Seo has replaced Mr. Jeong as the KHNP nominee to sit on the Board of Directors of the Company.

Ms. Patricia M. Volker

Ms. Volker's experience is highlighted by over ten years of experience with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, the self-regulating body for Ontario's Chartered Professional Accountants, including the role of Director of Standards Enforcement and the role of Director, Public Accounting, which she held until her retirement on December 31, 2015. Ms. Volker served in various capacities in the accounting profession during her 30+ year career, and brings a wealth of advisory, public accounting, banking, and regulatory expertise to the Denison Board. Ms. Volker also sits on the board and chairs the audit committee of Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation (TSX: LIF), as well as serves on the boards of other private company and organization boards, including the volunteer board of directors of Ornge. Ms. Volker is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA, CMA) and holds a B.Sc. from the

University of Toronto.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 63.3% owned Wheeler River project, which ranks as the largest undeveloped high-grade uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, Denison's Athabasca Basin exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 357,000 hectares. Denison's interests in Athabasca Basin also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV"), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest and Midwest A deposits, and a 65.45% interest in the J Zone deposit and Huskie discovery on the Waterbury Lake property. Each of Midwest, Midwest A, J Zone and Huskie are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the Company's expectations regarding the uranium industry and the actions of other developers and producers in the sector and other market participants; plans and objectives for the Company's projects, including development of the Wheeler River Project; Denison's percentage interest in its properties and its plans and agreements with its joint venture partners, as applicable; and the directors' role on and contribution to the board and other board appointments, including Mr. Cates' role on the CNA Board and Executive Committee and expectations with respect to the membership thereof.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2018 under the heading "Risk Factors". These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.

Related Links

www.denisonmines.com


TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (DML: TSX, DNN: NYSE MKT) today filed its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Both documents can be found on the Company's website at www.denisonmines.com or on SEDAR (at www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). The highlights provided below are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. All amounts in this release are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. View PDF Version.

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison commented, "The recently announced indefinite suspension of operations at Cameco's McArthur River mine and Key Lake mill complex remind us of just how challenging the current uranium market is for producers. Denison made a strategic decision in 2012 to divest from its former producing assets in the United States and reduce staff levels, and has spent the last several years positioning our business for the future with a focus on minimizing dilution to shareholders. Our strategy is ambitious and involves the advancement of our flagship Wheeler River project towards development and production  intending to claim the "pole position" as the next new uranium mine to be built in Canada. The project is already the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich Eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin, and we are nearing the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study following over two years of both exploration and project development successes.

Our exploration team delivered with an 88% increase in estimated indicated mineral resources for Wheeler River earlier this year, and our project development team has been diligently working away at optimizing operating costs, capital costs, and timelines to production, from our previously released Preliminary Economic Assessment. A new mining method has been selected for the Phoenix deposit, intending to unlock the value of what is the world's highest grade undeveloped uranium deposit, and additional mineral resources are being incorporated into our plans for the Gryphon deposit.

With the market beginning to recognize that current uranium prices are both cyclically and irrationally low, we are delighted with the prospect of being able to showcase the economic potential of the Wheeler River project with the planned release of the PFS in September."

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Wheeler River Pre-Feasibility Study ('PFS') remains on track for completion during the third quarter of 2018



Engineering designs, laboratory analyses, cost estimation and economic modelling, environmental baseline data collection and modelling, as well as community consultation relating to the Wheeler River project PFS are continuing on schedule. The Company has completed an extensive analysis of different mining methods for the Phoenix deposit, including the completion of a trade-off study of the final two options, and has selected the mining method to be included in the PFS. It is expected that the PFS will be completed in the third quarter of 2018.





Engineering designs, laboratory analyses, cost estimation and economic modelling, environmental baseline data collection and modelling, as well as community consultation relating to the Wheeler River project PFS are continuing on schedule. The Company has completed an extensive analysis of different mining methods for the deposit, including the completion of a trade-off study of the final two options, and has selected the mining method to be included in the PFS. It is expected that the PFS will be completed in the third quarter of 2018. Wheeler River assay results from winter 2018 exploration confirms the potential for further resource growth



Assay results received during the second quarter of 2018 returned high-grade uranium intercepts from reconnaissance drill holes completed to the northeast of the Gryphon deposit, and on 50 to 100 metre step outs from the currently defined boundaries of the Gryphon deposit.



Results from reconnaissance drill holes targeting the sub- Athabasca unconformity to the northeast of Gryphon, along the K-North trend, were highlighted by assays from drill hole WR-704, which included 1.4% U 3 O 8 over 5.5 metres, located 600 metres northeast of Gryphon and drill hole WR-710D1, which included 1.1% U 3 O 8 over 3.0 metres, located 1 kilometre northeast of Gryphon. The results confirm the continuation of the Gryphon mineralizing system to the northeast, and highlight the potential for the discovery of an additional high-grade uranium deposit within the basement, or at the unconformity, along strike of Gryphon.



Results from step-out drilling on 50 to 100 metre centres, immediately along strike to the northeast of the Gryphon deposit, were highlighted by assays from drill holes WR-696 (2.9% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres) and WR-709 (1.2% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres). These results occur in the upper basement and are interpreted to extend the mineralization from the E series lenses to the northeast. Additionally, drill hole WR-698 successfully intercepted high-grade mineralization (0.85% U 3 O 8 over 5.0 metres, including 2.6% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metre) to the northeast of the previous down-plunge extent of A series mineralization of the Gryphon deposit. The results confirm the potential for further expansion of the estimated mineral resources for the Gryphon deposit.





Assay results received during the second quarter of 2018 returned high-grade uranium intercepts from reconnaissance drill holes completed to the northeast of the Gryphon deposit, and on 50 to 100 metre step outs from the currently defined boundaries of the Gryphon deposit. Results from reconnaissance drill holes targeting the sub- unconformity to the northeast of Gryphon, along the K-North trend, were highlighted by assays from drill hole WR-704, which included 1.4% U O over 5.5 metres, located 600 metres northeast of Gryphon and drill hole WR-710D1, which included 1.1% U O over 3.0 metres, located 1 kilometre northeast of Gryphon. The results confirm the continuation of the Gryphon mineralizing system to the northeast, and highlight the potential for the discovery of an additional high-grade uranium deposit within the basement, or at the unconformity, along strike of Gryphon. Results from step-out drilling on 50 to 100 metre centres, immediately along strike to the northeast of the Gryphon deposit, were highlighted by assays from drill holes WR-696 (2.9% U O over 1.5 metres) and WR-709 (1.2% U O over 1.5 metres). These results occur in the upper basement and are interpreted to extend the mineralization from the E series lenses to the northeast. Additionally, drill hole WR-698 successfully intercepted high-grade mineralization (0.85% U O over 5.0 metres, including 2.6% U O over 1.0 metre) to the northeast of the previous down-plunge extent of A series mineralization of the Gryphon deposit. The results confirm the potential for further expansion of the estimated mineral resources for the Gryphon deposit. New target areas developed on exploration pipeline properties



At Hook-Carter, Denison completed its summer 2018 drilling program in late June 2018 . The inaugural 2018 drilling programs at Hook-Carter, which included a winter program (four holes) and summer program (five holes), were designed to test an initial set of geophysical targets on a regional scale along 7.5 kilometres of the 15 kilometres of Patterson Corridor strike length at Hook-Carter. The nine reconnaissance holes completed to date have successfully identified multiple prospective trends with geological features commonly associated with Athabasca Basin uranium deposits, including hydrothermal alteration in both the sandstone and the basement lithologies associated with graphitic basement structures. The drill holes completed to date are widely-spaced and future drilling will likely include follow-up in areas of hydrothermal alteration and/or geochemical anomalism, as well as the testing of additional high-priority geophysical targets.



At Waterbury Lake, results from the winter 2018 drilling program at the Huskie zone suggest the high-grade basement-hosted mineralization is controlled by northeast striking faults, which are interpreted to be part of the regional Midwest structure. The summer 2018 drilling program, which commenced in late July 2018 , will focus on additional step-out drilling at the Huskie zone, and testing of high-priority targets, approximately 2.5 kilometres to the northeast, where the regionally interpreted Midwest structure is projected to intersect the geologically favourable Oban trend. The Oban trend has produced previous drill intercepts of uranium mineralization, but has not previously been tested at the interpreted intersection of the Midwest regional structure. The summer program is expected to include approximately 3,400 metres of diamond drilling in 7 holes.

CHANGE IN PRESENTATION CURRENCY

Effective January 1, 2018, Denison changed its presentation currency to Canadian dollars ('CAD') from US dollars ('USD'). This change in presentation currency was made to better reflect the Company's business activities, which, following the divestiture of the Mongolian and African mining divisions in 2015 and 2016, are now solely focused in Canada, with the majority of the Company's entities, including all of its operating entities, having the Canadian dollar as their functional currency. The consolidated financial statements, for all periods presented, are shown in the new presentation currency.

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION











(in thousands, except for per share amounts)

Q2 2018

Q2 2017









Total revenues $ 4,104 $ 4,043 Net loss $ (5,583) $ (8,870) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.01) $ (0.02)



















(in thousands)

As at June 30, 2018

As at December 31, 2017









Financial Position:







Cash and cash equivalents $ 29,539 $ 3,636 Investments in debt instruments (GICs) $ - $ 37,807 Cash, cash equivalents and GIC's $ 29,539 $ 41,443









Working capital $ 27,731 $ 38,065 Property, plant and equipment $ 247,828 $ 249,002 Total assets $ 309,120 $ 326,300 Total long-term liabilities(1) $ 81,757 $ 84,252





(1) Predominantly comprised of the non-current portion of deferred revenue, non-current reclamation obligations, and deferred income taxes.

RESULTS OF CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Revenues

On February 13, 2017, Denison closed an arrangement with Anglo Pacific Group PLC and one of its wholly owned subsidiaries (the 'APG Transaction') under which Denison received an upfront payment of $43,500,000 in exchange for its right to receive future toll milling cash receipts from the MLJV under the current toll milling agreement with the Cigar Lake Joint Venture ('CLJV') from July 1, 2016 onwards. The APG Transaction represents a contractual obligation of Denison to forward to APG any cash proceeds of toll milling revenue earned by the Company, after July 1, 2016, related to the processing of specified Cigar Lake ore through the McClean Lake mill, and as such, the upfront payment has been accounted for as deferred revenue.

Effective January 1, 2018, upon adoption of IFRS 15, the accounting policy applicable to the toll milling deferred revenue arrangement has changed and the comparative period has been restated to reflect this change. Refer to the Company's unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and related notes for more details on the accounting for the APG Transaction related revenue.

During Q2 2018, the McClean Lake mill processed 5.8 million pounds U 3 O 8 for the CLJV. The Company recorded toll milling revenue of $1,465,000 and related accretion expense of $828,000.

Revenue from the Company's DES division was $2,140,000 and revenue from the Company's management contract with UPC was $499,000 during Q2 2018.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses in the Canadian mining segment include depreciation, mining and other development costs, as well as adjustments, where applicable, to the estimates of future reclamation costs in relation to the companies mining properties. Operating expenses during Q2 2018 were $1,989,000, including $1,027,000 of depreciation from the McClean Lake mill, which is associated with the processing and packaging of U 3 O 8 for the CLJV.

Operating expenses at DES during Q2 2018 totaled $1,896,000 and relate primarily to care and maintenance, and environmental consulting services provided to clients, and includes labour and other costs.

Exploration and evaluation

During Q2 2018, the Company continued to focus on its highest priority projects in the Athabasca Basin region in Saskatchewan. Denison's share of exploration and evaluation expenditures in the quarter was $3,870,000. The Company's Athabasca land package increased during the first quarter from 353,007 hectares (270 claims) to 356,713 hectares (305 claims) owing to selective staking contiguous with Denison's Hook-Carter claims.

Wheeler River

Project Highlights:

Updated resource estimate confirms Wheeler River as the largest undeveloped high-grade uranium project in the eastern Athabasca



On January 31, 2018 , Denison announced an updated mineral resource estimate for the Gryphon deposit following drilling results from a further 144 drill holes completed during 2016 and 2017. The updated mineral resource estimate for Gryphon, above a cut-off grade of 0.2% U 3 O 8 , includes 61.9 million pounds of U 3 O 8 (1,643,000 tonnes at 1.71% U 3 O 8 ) in Indicated Mineral Resources, and 1.9 million pounds of U 3 O 8 (73,000 tonnes at 1.18% U 3 O 8 ) in Inferred Mineral Resources.



The Phoenix deposit, located approximately three kilometres southeast of Gryphon, is estimated to include Indicated Mineral Resources of 70.2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U 3 O 8 (166,000 tonnes at 19.1% U 3 O 8 ). The mineral resource estimates are, as disclosed in the Technical Report with an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Wheeler River Property, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada with an effective date of March 9, 2018 and prepared by Mark Mathisen , C.P.G. of Rosco Postle Associates Inc. and Ken Reipas , P.Eng of SRK Consulting ( Canada ) Inc. ('SRK Consulting') (the 'Wheeler Technical Report').



With the update to the Gryphon deposit resource estimate, the combined Indicated Mineral Resources estimated for Wheeler River have increased by 88% to 132.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 .





On , Denison announced an updated mineral resource estimate for the Gryphon deposit following drilling results from a further 144 drill holes completed during 2016 and 2017. The updated mineral resource estimate for Gryphon, above a cut-off grade of 0.2% U O , includes 61.9 million pounds of U O (1,643,000 tonnes at 1.71% U O ) in Indicated Mineral Resources, and 1.9 million pounds of U O (73,000 tonnes at 1.18% U O ) in Inferred Mineral Resources. The deposit, located approximately three kilometres southeast of Gryphon, is estimated to include Indicated Mineral Resources of 70.2 million pounds of U O above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U O (166,000 tonnes at 19.1% U O ). The mineral resource estimates are, as disclosed in the Technical Report with an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Wheeler River Property, with an effective date of and prepared by , C.P.G. of Rosco Postle Associates Inc. and , P.Eng of SRK Consulting ( ) Inc. ('SRK Consulting') (the 'Wheeler Technical Report'). With the update to the Gryphon deposit resource estimate, the combined Indicated Mineral Resources estimated for Wheeler River have increased by 88% to 132.1 million pounds U O . PFS in progress with expected completion in September 2018



The project team is progressing with the PFS, which will include the updated resource estimates for the Gryphon deposit and the incorporation of an alternative mining method for the Phoenix deposit.



In Q2 2018, engineering designs, laboratory analysis, trade off studies, cost estimation and economic modelling, and environmental baseline data collection and modelling as well as community consultation activities continued to progress the PFS, which is expected to be finalized in September 2018 .





The project team is progressing with the PFS, which will include the updated resource estimates for the Gryphon deposit and the incorporation of an alternative mining method for the deposit. In Q2 2018, engineering designs, laboratory analysis, trade off studies, cost estimation and economic modelling, and environmental baseline data collection and modelling as well as community consultation activities continued to progress the PFS, which is expected to be finalized in . Proximal to existing uranium mining and milling infrastructure



The property is located in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin, which is host to existing uranium mining and milling infrastructure, including the 22.5% Denison owned McClean Lake mill. The Wheeler River property lies alongside provincial highway 914 and a provincial powerline.





The property is located in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Basin, which is host to existing uranium mining and milling infrastructure, including the 22.5% Denison owned McClean Lake mill. The Wheeler River property lies alongside provincial highway 914 and a provincial powerline. Increasing Denison ownership



As previously announced on January 10, 2017 , Denison entered into an agreement with its Wheeler River Joint Venture partners, Cameco Corp ('Cameco') and JCU ( Canada ) Exploration Company, Limited ('JCU'), to fund 75% of Joint Venture expenses in 2017 and 2018 (ordinarily 60%) in exchange for an increase in Denison's interest in the project up to approximately 66%. Under the terms of the agreement, Cameco is funding 50% of its ordinary 30% share in 2017 and 2018, and JCU continues to fund based on its 10% interest in the project. On January 31, 2018 , Denison announced it had increased its interest in the Wheeler River project during 2017 from 60% to 63.3%, in accordance with this agreement.





As previously announced on , Denison entered into an agreement with its Wheeler River Joint Venture partners, Cameco Corp ('Cameco') and JCU ( ) Exploration Company, Limited ('JCU'), to fund 75% of Joint Venture expenses in 2017 and 2018 (ordinarily 60%) in exchange for an increase in Denison's interest in the project up to approximately 66%. Under the terms of the agreement, Cameco is funding 50% of its ordinary 30% share in 2017 and 2018, and JCU continues to fund based on its 10% interest in the project. On , Denison announced it had increased its interest in the Wheeler River project during 2017 from 60% to 63.3%, in accordance with this agreement. Significant potential for resource growth



The Gryphon deposit is a growing, high-grade uranium deposit that belongs to a select group of large basement-hosted uranium deposits in the eastern Athabasca Basin, which includes Cameco's Eagle Point mine and Millennium deposit, and Rio Tinto's Roughrider deposit. The Gryphon deposit remains open in numerous areas with significant potential for future resource growth. Priority target areas include down plunge of the A and B series lenses, and within the currently defined D series lenses, where additional high-grade shoots may exist.



In addition, very little regional exploration has taken place on the property in recent years, with drilling efforts focussed on Phoenix and Gryphon, which were discovered in 2008 and 2014 respectively. The property is host to numerous uranium-bearing lithostructural corridors, which are under- or unexplored and have the potential for additional large, high-grade unconformity or basement hosted deposits. Exploration drilling is warranted along these corridors to follow-up on previous mineralized drill results, or to test geophysical targets identified from past surveys.

Evaluation Program:

During Q2 2018, Denison's share of evaluation costs at Wheeler River amounted to $943,000, which related to work on PFS engineering and environmental activities.

PFS activities include:

The advancement of engineering activities, including: design of Wheeler surface facilities; Phoenix mine design; Gryphon mine design; radiological assessments; water treatment plant design; and metallurgical analysis and milling capacity assessment.





design of Wheeler surface facilities; mine design; Gryphon mine design; radiological assessments; water treatment plant design; and metallurgical analysis and milling capacity assessment. The continuation of environmental and sustainability activities: including the community consultation and engagement process; data collection and assessment of aquatic environment, terrestrial environment and atmospheric environment; and waste rock geochemical testing.

Exploration Program:

Denison's share of exploration costs at Wheeler River amounted to $1,434,000 during Q2 2018. The summer 2018 diamond drilling program for Wheeler River commenced in early June 2018 and is expected to include approximately 20,500 metres in 28 drill holes.

The 2018 summer drilling program is planned to focus on the following target areas:

K-North: follow-up of high-grade uranium mineralization discovered during the winter 2018 drilling program at 600 metres and 1 kilometre to the northeast of the Gryphon uranium deposit;

follow-up of high-grade uranium mineralization discovered during the winter 2018 drilling program at 600 metres and 1 kilometre to the northeast of the Gryphon uranium deposit; High-priority regional targets: testing of high-priority targets along known fertile trends (Q Central, K-West) and reconnaissance exploration of high-priority targets generated from previous ground geophysical surveys (K-South and Q South); and

testing of high-priority targets along known fertile trends (Q Central, K-West) and reconnaissance exploration of high-priority targets generated from previous ground geophysical surveys (K-South and Q South); and Gryphon unconformity: testing of targets immediately along strike of the Gryphon deposit at the sub- Athabasca unconformity, including extensions of the E series lenses to the northeast and the up-plunge extents of the D series lenses to the southwest.

During the second quarter of 2018, chemical assay ('U 3 O 8 ') results were received for the Wheeler River winter 2018 drilling program, which included 21,153 metres of drilling in 29 diamond drill holes. The program was focused on step-out drilling from the Gryphon deposit and regional exploration along the K-North and K-West trend. Highlights from the winter 2018 drilling program were reported in Denison's press release dated June 6, 2018

Exploration Pipeline Properties

While spending on exploration pipeline projects has been reduced from prior year levels, exploration activities continue to deliver encouraging results generally warranting follow-up.

At Hook Carter (Denison 80% interest and operator), the summer 2018 program consisted of 3,898 metres of diamond drilling in five completed holes, for a cumulative 2018 total of 6,960 metres in nine holes. The summer drilling program was a continuation of the Company's winter 2018 drilling program, and focused on continued testing of high-priority geophysical targets identified from the resistivity and moving loop EM surveys carried out in 2017. The nine reconnaissance holes completed to date have successfully identified multiple prospective trends with geological features commonly associated with Athabasca Basin uranium deposits, including hydrothermal alteration in both the sandstone and the basement lithologies associated with graphitic basement structures. Drill data collected from the 2018 drilling programs will be used to refine geological interpretation and to establish any geochemical and hydrothermal alteration vectors toward mineralization.

At South Dufferin, a summer 2018 diamond drilling program was completed in mid-July 2018, which included 1,331 metres of diamond drilling in nine holes. The reconnaissance program was designed to test targets developed across the property from recent soil geochemical and ground electromagnetic surveys. The drill holes successfully intersected graphitic rocks, often associated with faulting, however no radioactivity was encountered and only minor hydrothermal alteration was noted in two of the holes.

At Waterbury Lake (Denison 65.45% interest and operator), the summer drilling program is in progress and is expected to include approximately 3,400 metres of diamond drilling in 7 holes, and commenced in late July 2018.

At McClean Lake, operated by Orano Canada (22.5% Denison), a DCIP resistivity survey is expected to be completed by mid-August. The survey, comprising six lines (30 kilometres), is designed to define basement targets primarily along the Tent-Seal Fault which is known to host uranium mineralization. A diamond drilling program, comprised of approximately 2,650 metres in six to eight holes, is planned as follow-up to the resistivity survey with a tentative start date in mid-September 2018.

General and administrative expenses

Total general and administrative expenses were $1,889,000 during Q2 2018. These costs are mainly comprised of head office salaries and benefits, office costs in multiple regions, audit and regulatory costs, legal fees, investor relations expenses, project costs, and all other costs related to operating a public company with listings in Canada and the United States, as well as non-recurring project or legal costs.

Other income and expenses

During Q2 2018, the Company recognized a gain of $138,000 in other income. The gain is predominantly due to net gains on investments carried at fair value.

Equity share of income from associates

During Q2 2018, the Company recognized a gain of $433,000 from its 16.84% equity share of its associate GoviEx Uranium Inc. ("GoviEx"), owing largely to a dilution gain recognized following a recent equity financing by GoviEx in which the Company did not participate.

Liquidity and capital resources

Cash and cash equivalents were $29,539,000 at June 30, 2018.

Outlook for 2018

Refer to the Company's annual MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2017 for a detailed discussion of the previously disclosed 2018 budget.

During the current quarter, the Company has decreased its 2018 outlook for mineral property exploration and evaluation expense by $560,000, primarily because of a reduction in the summer exploration drilling program at the South Dufferin project as well as the cancellation of the summer exploration program at the Hatchet Lake project. The Company increased its 2018 outlook for management services fees from UPC by $460,000 in order to reflect increased commissions earned as well as to reflect increased variable fees due to increased uranium spot prices. Finally, the Company has reduced the net cost of corporate administration and other, in its 2018 outlook, by $350,000. The change to the outlook for corporate administration and other is due an increase in expected interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents, offset by an increase in legal fees related to ongoing disputes.









(in thousands) 2018 Budget CURRENT 2018

OUTLOOK Actual to June 30, 2018(2) Canada





Development & Operations (5,230) (5,230) (1,988) Mineral Property Exploration & Evaluation (16,760) (16,200) (10,841)

(21,990) (21,430) (12,829) Other





UPC Management Services 1,230 1,690 757 DES Environmental Services 1,330 1,330 688 Corporate Administration & Other (4,760) (4,410) (2,351)

(2,220) (1,390) (906) Total(1) $ (24,190) $ (22,820) $ (13,735)

(1) Only material operations shown. (2) The Company budgets on a cash basis and as a result, actual amounts represent a non-GAAP measure. Compared to segment loss as presented in the Company's unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, actual amounts reported above includes $953,000 in capital additions and excludes and excludes $883,000 net impact of non-cash items and other adjustments.

ABOUT DENISON

Denison was formed under the laws of Ontario and is a reporting issuer in all Canadian provinces. Denison's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the 'TSX') under the symbol 'DML' and on the NYSE American exchange (formerly 'NYSE MKT') under the symbol 'DNN'.

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 63.3% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 357,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region, including 332,000 hectares in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ('MLJV'), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit and a 65.45% interest in the J Zone deposit and newly discovered Huskie zone on the Waterbury Lake property. Both the Midwest and J Zone deposits, as well as the Huskie zone, are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Denison is engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services ('DES') division, which manages Denison's Elliot Lake reclamation projects and provides post-closure mine care and maintenance services as well as environmental consulting services to a variety of industry and government clients.

Denison is also the manager of Uranium Participation Corporation ('UPC'), a publicly traded company listed on the TSX under the symbol 'U', which invests in uranium oxide in concentrates ('U 3 O 8 ') and uranium hexafluoride ('UF 6 ').

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'target', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential'.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: exploration, development and expansion plans and objectives, including the results of the PEA, the work being performed in connection with, and the completion of the PFS, and the anticipated results and conclusions therefrom; the estimates of Denison's mineral reserves and mineral resources; statements regarding anticipated budgets, fees and expenditures; capital expenditure programs and reclamation costs and Denison's share of same; expectations regarding Denison's joint venture ownership and other contractual interests in its properties and projects and the continuity of its agreements with its partners and other counterparties; expectations regarding adding to its mineral reserves and resources through acquisitions and exploration; expectations regarding the toll milling of Cigar Lake ores; expectations regarding revenues and expenditures from operations at DES; expectations regarding revenues from the UPC management contract; expectations regarding the uranium market and the actions of other market participants; and expectations of the impacts of changes in accounting policies. Statements relating to 'mineral reserves' or 'mineral resources' are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral reserves and mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2018 under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement expressly qualifies the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This news release may use the terms 'measured', 'indicated' and 'inferred' mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. 'Inferred mineral resources' have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.

Related Links

www.denisonmines.com


Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the United Way will hold a mentoring fair and panel on Thursday, Aug. 23 at Waterhouse Pavilion, 850 Market St. from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.The fair and panel is in correlation with Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors, by Marian Wright Edelman -- the second selection in the Mayors Books with Berke citywide book club program., Lanterns pays tribute to the mentors who helped light Ms. Edelmans way, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F.Kennedy, Fannie Lou Hamer and her parents. Ms. Edelman, an activist and social justice advocate, is the founder and CEO of the Childrens Defense Fund.Mentors have played a huge role in shaping who I am today, Mayor Berke said. Because of their generosity and commitment, Ive found joy in returning that and being a mentor as well. This event will be a way for more members of our community to draw inspiration from Ms. Edelmans stories and learn about how they can give back in this way. The mentor fair will kickoff at 11:30 a.m., with organizations onsite like United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga and Father to the Fatherless to discuss their programs and help attendees find the right volunteer or mentorship opportunities for themselves.A panel discussing Lanterns and the mentorship will kickoff at noon and will include: Mayor Berke; Jermaine Freeman, economic development officer at the City of Chattanooga; Troy Rogers, public safety coordinator at the City of Chattanooga; Dr. Edna Varner of PEF Chattanooga; Dr. Elaine Swafford of Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy and Chattanooga Preparatory School; and will be moderated by Smita Donthamsetty of United Way of Chattanooga.Attendees can RSVP for the event here
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (NYSE: DNB) ("Dun & Bradstreet") breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to an investor group (the "Investor Group") led by CC Capital, Cannae Holdings and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P., along with a group of other investors.

On August 8, 2018, Dun & Bradstreet announced that it had signed a definitive merger agreement with the Investor Group. Under the terms of the agreement, Dun & Bradstreet shareholders will receive $145.00 in cash for each share of common stock they own.

The investigation concerns whether the Dun & Bradstreet board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Dun & Bradstreet shares of common stock.

If you are a shareholder of Dun & Bradstreet and believe the proposed buyout price is too low or you're interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number.

Additionally, you can [click here to join this action].There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Johnson Fistel, LLP:

Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Contact:

Johnson Fistel, LLP

Jim Baker, 619-814-4471

[email protected]

[click here to join this action]

SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP

Related Links

http://www.johnsonfistel.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover Fueling Solutions ("DFS"), a part of Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV) that delivers advanced fuel dispensing equipment, electronic systems and payment, fleet systems, automatic tank gauging and wetstock management, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to provide wetstock management services to Petroleum Wholesale L.P., headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Founded in 1973, Petroleum Wholesale is a full-service petroleum company, offering retail-branded and wholesale gasoline, diesel, biodiesel and services to retail locations across nine states in the USA.

Petroleum Wholesale signed a three-year contract to receive the ClearViewTM solution powered by Dover Fueling Solutions, in order to combat issues of fuel inventory shrinkage and help them to increase forecourt operational efficiencies. Through careful monitoring of fuel inventory, the ClearView solution is able to determine fuel loss caused by a wide variety of factors, including those caused by tank and line leaks, delivery shortages, theft or fraud and fuel meter error. In addition, the solution is also able to identify preventative maintenance issues, such as slow flow rates or blocked filters, helping retailers to improve the service provided to their customers.

Ryan Edone, Petroleum Wholesale's CFO, stated, "The ClearView solution has clearly demonstrated superior abilities to detect fuel shrink that previously we would have not been able to see. The ClearView dashboard gives us a real-time 'mission control' advantage for taking care of flow rate filter changing issues, offline dispensers and theft, and a better ability to completely reconcile our fuel deliveries when compared to the bill of lading provided upon fuel delivery."

John P. Nesbit, Dover Fueling Solutions Director, Business Development, noted, "We are extremely happy to have Petroleum Wholesale as a new customer benefitting from the ClearView solution. At DFS, our mission is to provide great products that have fast return on investment and provide considerable value for our customers and the ClearView solution is one of the many solutions that does just that."

For more information about DFS's products and solutions, visit www.doverfuelingsolutions.com.

About Dover Fueling Solutions:

Dover Fueling Solutions ("DFS"), part of Dover Corporation, is comprised of the product brands of ClearView, Fairbanks, ProGauge, Tokheim, Wayne Fueling Systems and OPW's Fuel Management Systems, and delivers advanced fuel dispensing equipment, electronic systems and payment, automatic tank gauging and wetstock management solutions to customers worldwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DFS has a significant manufacturing presence around the world, including facilities in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, France, India, China, and Brazil. For more information about DFS, visit www.doverfuelingsolutions.com.

About Dover:

Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenues of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, consumable supplies, software and digital solutions, and support services through three operating segments: Engineered Systems, Fluids, and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of 26,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at www.dovercorporation.com.

SOURCE Dover Corporation

Related Links

http://www.dovercorporation.com


SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveScale, the leader in delivering Software Composable Infrastructure (SCI) for modern workloads and a 2018 Cool Vendor in Cloud Infrastructure by Gartner, today announced it has opened an international office in Japan and appointed Toshiharu Gomi as country manager to support growth in the region. This latest expansion comes largely as a result of the company's engagements with a number of leading Japanese and Chinese companies in the manufacturing, automotive, retail and consumer electronics industries. DriveScale is enabling them to build more productive, responsive and easy-to-manage data centers.

"It was clear very early on that Japan was an ideal location for one of DriveScale's first international locations due to the high level of IT innovation I have experienced first hand during my career," said Gene Banman, CEO at DriveScale. "By bringing Drivescale's SCI solution directly to many of the world's largest international organizations headquartered in Japan and building a strong presence in the country, we will be able to greatly increase the global impact of DriveScale's game-changing technology."

DriveScale's elite team of industry veterans has been instrumental in shaping the computer and networking industry over the past four decades. Banman's experience in expanding into Asia stems from his time at Sun Microsystems, where he led Sun Microsystem's Japan presence as President of Nihon-Sun for five years.

Toshiharu Gomi will head up the new office in Japan as its country manager. He comes to DriveScale with over 30 years of IT business experience in Japan subsidiary management, enterprise storage business development and partner relationship management. Toshiharu joins DriveScale from HGST, where he served as the Senior Director for Enterprise Sales in Japan following the company's acquisition of Virident. In his role at Virident and HGST, he was instrumental in several of the company's largest regional accounts, including Yahoo! Japan. Prior to his role at HGST, he also held management positions at 3PAR (acquired by HP) and at Nihon Sun Microsystems, where he generated $1.7 billion in revenue for the company.

"Software Composable Infrastructure is the future of the data center," said Toshiharu. "There is huge potential for this technology here in Japan, and it's the reason I am eager to join the company. I look forward to working directly with the team to accelerate DriveScale's international growth."

"Having previously worked with Gomi-san at Sun Microsystems, I can attest to the level of commitment, enthusiasm and strategy that he will bring to this role," said Banman. "I am excited to see him build out the team and accelerate sales in Japan as we begin this next phase of our growth."

DriveScale's SCI technology is the key to unlocking the promise of big data for mainstream enterprises, especially those delivering cloud services as a core part of their business. It is the only solution that allows data center managers to disaggregate compute and storage resources into separate pools and flexibly recombine them together as needed under software control. Its newest innovation announced earlier this month, SCI for Flash, helps solve the over-provisioning, flexibility and lifecycle management issues that plague IT teams using flash-based NoSQL databases and similar cloud-native applications. DriveScale's unique composable architecture ensures the optimal ratio of compute and storage resources while providing public cloud-like elasticity and speed of change at a fraction of the cost, ultimately improving overall utilization of resources and responsiveness to user needs in real-time.

About DriveScale

DriveScale is the leader in Software Composable Infrastructure for modern workloads. Our innovative data center solution empowers IT to disaggregate compute and storage resources and quickly and easily recompose them to meet the needs of the business. Enterprises can respond faster to changing application environments, maximize the efficiency of their assets, and save on equipment and operating expenses. DriveScale supports modern workloads such as Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, NoSQL, Cassandra, Docker, Kubernetes and other distributed applications at a fraction of the cost of alternative platforms. DriveScale, based in Sunnyvale, CA, is founded by technologists with deep roots in IT architecture that built enterprise-class systems for Cisco and Sun Microsystems. Investors include Pelion Venture Partners, Nautilus Venture Partners and Ingrasys, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foxconn. Visit www.drivescale.com or follow us on Twitter at @DriveScale_Inc.

Media Contact:

Jocelynn Stidham

Bhava Communications

(703) 863-1277

[email protected]

SOURCE DriveScale

Related Links

http://www.drivescale.com


HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Easter Seals Greater Houston, announced that its national award winning BridgingApps program received a $10,000 grant from the Comcast Foundation as part of the Comcast NBCUniversal Assistive Technology Grant Fund. This support will expand the available equipment used in its community technology labs. BridgingApps provides a bridge between low-cost, readily available technology and people with disabilities. In addition, the program provides training for teachers, doctors, therapists, family members, and caregivers of the person with a disability.

Easter Seals Greater Houston is one of ten Easterseals affiliates across the country selected to receive a grant from the Comcast Foundation as part of the Comcast NBCUniversal Assistive Technology Grant Fund. Established in 2011, this fund supports technology programs and services that benefit children and adults, including veterans, living with disabilities. These technologies can vary from braille-equipped handheld computer systems to augmentative communication devices and everything in between.

"This is an exciting and extremely important initiative for Comcast and the Comcast Foundation," said Ray Purser, Vice President of External Affairs for Comcast's Houston Region. "The Internet is a great equalizer and a life-changing technology. The BridgingApps project strengthens the path toward equality and together we can help children and adults gain more independence, unlock new opportunities, and achieve great things."

"We thank Comcast NBCUniversal for its continued support of people with disabilities through investment in assistive technology solutions," said Elise Hough, Easter Seals Houston CEO. "This grant fund gives us the ability to offer additional life-changing, innovative solutions to veterans and individuals with disabilities and families."

Since 2011, the Comcast NBCUniversal Assistive Technology Grant Fund has empowered an estimated 50,000 Americans living with disabilities by providing expanded assistive technology training and services. To date, Comcast NBCUniversal has provided nearly $35 million in cash and in-kind support to help Easterseals and to advance assistive technology solutions nationwide.

Assistive technology such as speech generating devices can assist individuals with disabilities to express themselves, have social interactions, and participate in their community to enhance their quality of life. Recently, an Easter Seals Houston client was effectively using technology to communicate. However, the school she attended did not support this device and the child was given a substitute unavailable to her speech therapist. With Comcast's generous grant, Easter Seals will be able to purchase the communication device for the lab to continue to support this child as well as others--as she grows, develops and becomes more independent.

About Easter Seals Greater Houston

Easter Seals Greater Houston, Inc. is a non-profit corporation established to provide comprehensive services to veterans, children and adults with all types of disabilities and their family members. For more information, please visit www.eastersealshouston.org or on Facebook and Twitter (@eastersealshou).

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation's primary mission is to empower communities to thrive by providing access to technology, relevant digital skills and training, and inspiring volunteerism, service and leadership. The Foundation invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on the communities we serve. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated $220 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about how Comcast supports the communities it serves is available at www.comcast.com/community.

SOURCE Easter Seals Greater Houston

Related Links

http://www.eastersealshouston.org


CHICAGO, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Easterseals, a national leading provider of services for people with disabilities, announced it has received $230,000 in grants from the Comcast Foundation as part of the Comcast NBCUniversal Assistive Technology Grant Fund, established in 2011. This fund supports technology programs and services that benefit children and adults, including veterans, living with disabilities. These technologies can vary from braille-equipped handheld computer systems to augmentative communication devices and everything in between.

Ten Easterseals affiliates, along with the Easterseals national office, are among the recipients selected through a competitive process. The chosen affiliates excel in programs that provide support and services for people with disabilities.

"For their continued support of Easterseals and people with disabilities, we thank Comcast for their investment in assistive technology solutions," said Angela F. Williams, President and CEO, Easterseals. "These grants give Easterseals the ability to offer additional creative and innovative solutions to individuals and families living with disabilities so they can live, learn, work and play in their communities."

"We believe in the power of technology and are proud to support Easterseals in its mission to use assistive technology to help ensure that people with disabilities have every opportunity to be active participants in their lives and communities," said Fred Maahs, Vice President of the Comcast Foundation and 1st Vice Chairman of the Board at Easterseals. "We are confident that together we can help children and adults gain more independence, unlock new opportunities, and achieve great things."

Comcast has awarded $50,000 to the Easterseals national office for the development of a PSA for use during Easterseals' 100th Anniversary in 2019, as well as for other support delivered by the national office to its network of 73 affiliates. The remaining $180,000 in grant funds will be split across 10 Easterseals affiliates to support assistive technology programs as outlined below:

Easterseals Serving DC, Maryland , and Virginia will provide support to a wide range of clients with disabilities in order to improve their functional capabilities, ability to fully participate in their communities, and ultimately their quality of life. They are expanding to form a partnership with the State of Maryland to open a state-of-the art Assistive Technology Demonstration Center that will offer individuals with a range of disabilities the opportunity to try devices that will help improve their quality of life and increase their independence and ability to participate in daily activities.

will provide support to a wide range of clients with disabilities in order to improve their functional capabilities, ability to fully participate in their communities, and ultimately their quality of life. They are expanding to form a partnership with the to open a state-of-the art Assistive Technology Demonstration Center that will offer individuals with a range of disabilities the opportunity to try devices that will help improve their quality of life and increase their independence and ability to participate in daily activities. Easterseals Massachusetts will continue its Assistive Technology Vocational Rehabilitation program, which provides assistive technology and training from specialists to help disabled individuals successfully obtain and maintain education, increase career opportunities and maximize their ability to perform essential skills.

will continue its Assistive Technology Vocational Rehabilitation program, which provides assistive technology and training from specialists to help disabled individuals successfully obtain and maintain education, increase career opportunities and maximize their ability to perform essential skills. Easterseals Southeastern Pennsylvania will expand access to assistive technology solutions that increase an individual's independence, empower staff and individuals/families to create and utilize assistive technology, and increase functional skills of people with disabilities through the use of "maker spaces"  collaborative work spaces utilizing 3D printers for learning, exploring and making and sharing this high tech tool to solve everyday challenges.

will expand access to assistive technology solutions that increase an individual's independence, empower staff and individuals/families to create and utilize assistive technology, and increase functional skills of people with disabilities through the use of "maker spaces"  collaborative work spaces utilizing 3D printers for learning, exploring and making and sharing this high tech tool to solve everyday challenges. Easterseals South Florida will partner with University Of Miami's Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) on the design and delivery of a best-practice elementary school classroom for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through this collaboration, university faculty members, researchers, and professionals within the University of Miami's School of Psychology and CARD will design, guide, and assess the delivery of best-practice, evidence-based strategies for the use of technology to prompt elementary-aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to initiate and complete academic and daily life skills that are essential for their ongoing growth and development.

will partner with Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) on the design and delivery of a best-practice elementary school classroom for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through this collaboration, university faculty members, researchers, and professionals within the School of Psychology and CARD will design, guide, and assess the delivery of best-practice, evidence-based strategies for the use of technology to prompt elementary-aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to initiate and complete academic and daily life skills that are essential for their ongoing growth and development. Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Rockford and The Catalyst Data Collection and Assessment System Project will leverage the documented efficacy of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) in the autism classroom by empowering teachers to continuously collect data on targeted, socially-significant behaviors (academics, social skills, communication, adaptive living skills, etc.) in order to identify and employ specific interventions that are working best for each student.

and The Catalyst Data Collection and Assessment System Project will leverage the documented efficacy of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) in the autism classroom by empowering teachers to continuously collect data on targeted, socially-significant behaviors (academics, social skills, communication, adaptive living skills, etc.) in order to identify and employ specific interventions that are working best for each student. Easterseals North Georgia will develop and pilot STEM curriculum through research within 24 of their classrooms. This assistive technology grant will supply the iStartSmart supplements for five classrooms, impacting a total of 100 children.

will develop and pilot STEM curriculum through research within 24 of their classrooms. This assistive technology grant will supply the iStartSmart supplements for five classrooms, impacting a total of 100 children. Easterseals Washington will expand its Technology Achievement Center (TAC) initiatives for adults and older adults with disabilities, including autism and Alzheimer's Disease. They will open two new TAC's in King and Kitsap counties, which will provide hundreds of adults and seniors with limited mobility, memory challenges and intellectual disabilities with support and services.

will expand its Technology Achievement Center (TAC) initiatives for adults and older adults with disabilities, including autism and Alzheimer's Disease. They will open two new TAC's in King and Kitsap counties, which will provide hundreds of adults and seniors with limited mobility, memory challenges and intellectual disabilities with support and services. Easterseals Colorado will expand the Comcast Employment and Technology Center, which provides training and support to address participants' short- and long-term technology needs and their efforts to be more self-reliant and to integrate into society and the workforce.

will expand the Comcast Employment and Technology Center, which provides training and support to address participants' short- and long-term technology needs and their efforts to be more self-reliant and to integrate into society and the workforce. Easterseals Oregon will expand their Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in 18 counties in Oregon . SCSEP is the nation's oldest program to help employ low-income adults aged 55+. With this grant, they will provide additional assistive technology support to build their digital literacy skills by giving them the opportunity to improve their computer skills and ultimately secure permanent employment.

will expand their Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in 18 counties in . SCSEP is the nation's oldest program to help employ low-income adults aged 55+. With this grant, they will provide additional assistive technology support to build their digital literacy skills by giving them the opportunity to improve their computer skills and ultimately secure permanent employment. Easterseals Greater Houston and BridgingApps will expand the available equipment used in its community technology labs. BridgingApps provides a bridge between low-cost, readily available technology and people with disabilities. In addition, the program provides training for teachers, doctors, therapists, family members, and caregivers of the person with a disability.

Since 2011, the Comcast NBCUniversal Assistive Technology Grant Fund has empowered an estimated 50,000 Americans living with disabilities by providing expanded assistive technology training and services. For example, in Indianapolis the grant fund led to the launch of BITES (Brain Injury Technology Education and Support), which meets every month at Easterseals Crossroads to explore a variety of assistive technology devices and coping strategies for individuals with brain injuries. BITES introduces its members to an ever-expanding world of assistive technology, including everything from voice recorders and vibrating alarms to mobile apps featuring memory games, meditation methods, mood tracking and more. Although BITES focuses largely on technology, it also provides social and emotional support  not only for people with brain injuries but for their families and caregivers as well.

To date, Comcast NBCUniversal has provided nearly $35 million in cash and in-kind support to help Easterseals and to advance assistive technology solutions nationwide.

About Easterseals

For nearly 100 years, Easterseals has been the indispensable resource for people and families facing disability. Through the work we do in communities across America, Easterseals is changing the way the world defines and views disability by making positive, profound differences in people's lives every day. For more information visit www.easterseals.com.

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation's primary mission is to empower communities to thrive by providing access to technology, relevant digital skills and training, and inspiring volunteerism, service and leadership. The Foundation invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on the communities we serve. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated $220 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about how Comcast supports the communities it serves is available at www.comcast.com/community.

SOURCE Easterseals

Related Links

http://www.easterseals.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Engagement Labs (TSXV: EL) (OTCQB: ELBSF), an industry-leading data and analytics firm that focuses on the entire social ecosystem and its impact on business, today released its TotalSocial ranking of the top food brands in the U.S. based on social influence.

The analysis is unique in that it combines offline and online consumer conversations and is based on Engagement Labs' proprietary TotalSocial data and analytics, which continuously measures the most important drivers of brand performance in both face-to-face (offline) and social media (online) conversations. The brands in the top ten have earned the highest TotalSocial scores in the category for the last six months, compared to the Company's previous ranking in September 2017.

Top 10 TotalSocial

Food Brands Rank Change 1. Betty Crocker +1 2. Goya +5 3. Hershey's +6 4. Perdue Chicken No change 5. Pillsbury +8 6. Oreo -3 7. Quaker Oats -6 8. Doritos +7 9. Cheerios +2 10. Frito-Lay +8 Source: Engagement Labs TotalSocial Top 10 Food Brands 6

months ending June 2018 compared to 6 months ending July

2017.

According to Engagement Labs' report, Goya climbed up five spots in the ranking to the number two spot due to an increase in online sentiment and offline influence  revealing that consumers are talking positively about the brand via social media, while an influential group of consumers are spreading the word about the brand in face-to-face conversations. For example, the company's Goya Gives initiative donated 1 billion pounds of supplies to the people of Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, which resonated positively with consumers. The company also successfully engaged with bloggers to help generate buzz for meat-free recipes as part of its "Can Do" program with Meatless Monday, which donates food to Feeding America with every purchase.

Pillsbury, another company which saw a significant jump in the rankings, moved into the top ten into fifth place from its previous spot at number 13, due to its overall success in sparking face-to-face conversations among consumers. The company successfully engaged with consumers in February when they announced a winner for its "Pillsbury Bake-Off," an iconic baking competition that partnered with celebrity chef and Food Network star Ree Drummond after a four-year hiatus.

"When consumers make purchases, they care about how that brand makes a difference and takes a stand on social responsibility," said Ed Keller, CEO of Engagement Labs. "With so many competing food products available to shoppers today, it is imperative for brand marketers to understand what values resonate with consumers and are driving conversations. For most of the brands in our ranking, these conversations may serve as the determining factor as to whether or not their product lands into shopping carts."

With all of the ingredients for success, Betty Crocker earned top leaderboard status at number one, up from its previous ranking in second place. However, while the brand climbed in the ranking, its parent company, General Mills saw the steepest decline in its category, falling out of the top ten entirely due to a significant drop in offline influence as well as offline brand sharing, which measures the extent to which consumers are talking about a brand's marketing campaigns in face-to-face conversations. General Mills has reported a continued slide in sales due to its inability to keep up with changing consumer tastes, as customers opt for healthier breakfast options to replace sugary cereals.

The declining consumer interest in sugary breakfast items also had an impact on Quaker Oats, which experienced a drop down to seventh place from its number one spot due to a fall in offline influence and in both offline and online brand sharing, or the amount of consumers sharing the brands' marketing campaigns via social media.

To learn more about Engagement Labs and how to increase your brand's word of mouth in real life and online, reach out at: [email protected].

About Engagement Labs

Engagement Labs (TSXV: EL) (OTCQB: ELBSF) is an industry-leading data and analytics firm that provides social intelligence for Fortune 500 brands and companies. The Company's TotalSocial platform focuses on the entire social ecosystem by combining powerful online (social media) and offline (word of mouth) data with predictive analytics. Engagement Labs has a proprietary ten-year database of unique brand, industry and competitive intelligence, matched with its cutting-edge predictive analytics that use machine learning and artificial intelligence to reveal the social metrics that increase marketing ROI and top line revenue for its diverse group of clients.

To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com / www.totalsocial.com.

About TotalSocial

TotalSocial is a premier data and analytics platform that provides brands with unique insights, improved marketing ROI and strategies to grow revenue. Fueled by actionable online and offline data, TotalSocial is the only platform that encompasses and listens to the entire social ecosystem. TotalSocial offers unique, proprietary data about brands, its industry and competitors. With cutting-edge diagnostics, patent-pending predictive analytics and machine learning, TotalSocial identifies business opportunities and provides recommendations and a roadmap to grow revenue and achieve business and marketing goals.

For media inquiries please contact:

Vanessa Lontoc / Brad Fay

Engagement Labs

732-846-6800

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Engagement Labs

Related Links

https://www.engagementlabs.com


BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As college students arrive on campus this fall, it's a time of new experiences, new friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately for many, it is also a time of harmful and underage drinking and dealing with its aftermathfrom vandalism and sexual aggression and other forms of violence to injuries and death.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health. Visit https://www.CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov for more information. (PRNewsfoto/National Institute on Alcohol A)

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 57.2 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month; 38.0 percent engaged in binge drinking (5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women) in the past month; and 10.5 percent engaged in heavy alcohol use (binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month). These rates are higher than those for their non-college-attending peers.

The consequences of harmful and underage drinking by college students are more significant, more destructive, and more costly than many parents realize. And these consequences affect students whether or not they drink. The most recent statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) indicate that drinking by college students ages 18 to 24 contributes to an estimated 1,519 student deaths each year. In addition, there are an estimated 696,000 assaults by another student who has been drinking and 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year.

Early Weeks Are Critical

Although the majority of students come to college already having some experience with alcohol, certain aspects of college life, such as unstructured time, the widespread availability of alcohol, inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws, and limited interactions with parents and other adults, can intensify the problem.

The first 6 weeks of freshman year are a vulnerable time for harmful and underage college drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.

Parents Can Help

An often-overlooked protective factor involves the continuing influence of parents. Research shows that students who abstain from drinking often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them. During these crucial early weeks, parents can do a number of things to stay involved.

Parents can help by:

Talking with students about the dangers of harmful and underage college drinkingsuch as the penalties for underage drinking, and how alcohol use can lead to sexual and other violence, as well as academic failure and other adverse consequences.

Reaching out periodically and keeping the lines of communication open, while staying alert for possible alcohol-related problems.

Reminding students to feel free to reach out to them to share information about their daily activities, and to ask for help if needed.

Learning about the school's alcohol prevention and emergency intervention efforts.

Making sure students know the signs of alcohol overdose or an alcohol-related problem, and how to help.

Resources Are Available

For parents who want to discuss the consequences of college drinking with their sons and daughters, a variety of helpful resources are available from NIAAA at https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

These resources include a parents' guide that offers research-based information plus helpful advice on choosing the right college, staying involved during the freshman year, and getting assistance if faced with an alcohol-related crisis. The website also provides links to alcohol policies at colleges across the country, an interactive diagram of how alcohol affects the human body, and an interactive alcohol cost calculator.

Additionally, NIAAA's CollegeAIMthe College Alcohol Intervention Matrix, available at https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/collegeaimis a tool that helps schools and parents address harmful and underage student drinking by identifying effective alcohol interventions.

For more information, visit: https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

SOURCE National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Related Links

https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov


FELTON, California, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Fiberglass Market is anticipated to reach USD 21.27 billion by 2025. Fiberglass implies fiber-reinforced plastic where reinforcement fiber is mainly glass fiber. It is developed by pouring molten glass via superfine holes. The factors that drive the growth of the fiberglass industry include an increasing number of wind turbine installations, use of fiberglass composites by the automotive industry for enhanced performance, and extensive use of fiberglass in the construction industry. On the other hand, there are factors that may hamper the growth of the market including high manufacture cost of fiberglass. Fiberglass Market is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR of 5.9% in the upcoming period as the scope, product types, and its applications are increasing across the globe.

The market may be explored by type, application, end user, and geography. The key applications that could be explored in the market include Composites, and Insulation. The "Composites" segment led the Fiberglass industry in 2016 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2025. The market could be explored based on Type as Yarn, Glass Wool, Chopped Strands, and Roving. The "Wool" segment led the Fiberglass Market in 2016 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2025 owing to increasing use of glass wool in construction sector for insulation. The rising construction expenditure in emerging countries is an important factor expected to drive the demand for glass wool in the forecast period. "Wool" segment is followed by "Chopped" segment.

Browse 146 page research report with TOC on "Global Fiberglass Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/fiberglass-market-size

Fiberglass industry may be analyzed by end user as Building and Construction, Automobiles, Wind Energy, and Aerospace. The "Automotive" segment led the market in 2016 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2025 due to the fact that fiberglass is mainly used in manufacturing of automobile parts such as body panels, decks, load floors, wheelhouse assemblies, dash panel assemblies, battery boxes, and front fascia.

Asia-Pacific accounted for the major share of the Fiberglass Market and will continue to lead in the forecast period. The increasing disposable revenue in Asia Pacific is expected to propel the regional market over the forthcoming period. Furthermore, the rising automobile and construction segments in the region, particularly in India and China is estimated to drive the market.

Some of the key players that fuel the growth of the Fiberglass industry comprise Jushi Group Co. Ltd., Corning, Taishan Fiberglass Inc., Zibo Zhuoyi Fiberglass Material Co. Ltd., Chongqing Polycomp International Corp., Johns Manville, Shandong Fiberglass Group Co. Ltd., XingtaiJinniu Fiberglass Co. Ltd., CPIC Abahsain Fiberglass M.E., W.L.L., and Glasstex Fiberglass Materials Corp. The leading companies are taking up mergers, and acquisitions, partnerships, and joint ventures in order to boost the inorganic growth of the industry.

Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights:

Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion; 2014 - 2025)

 Insulation

 Composites

Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion; 2014 - 2025)

 Glass Wool

 Yarn

 Roving

 Chopped Strands

End-use Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion; 2014 - 2025)

 Automobiles

 Building and Construction

 Aerospace

 Wind Energy

Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion; 2014 - 2025)

 North America

 U.S.

 Europe

 Germany

 UK

 France

 Asia Pacific

 China

 Japan

 India

 South Korea

 Central & South America

 Middle East & Africa

About Million Insights:

Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.

Contact:

Ryan Manuel

Research Support Specialist, USA

Million Insights

Phone: +1-408-610-2300

Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085

Email: [email protected]



Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/

Blog: https://millioninsights.blogspot.com

SOURCE Million Insights
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HRadvocate, the leading Recruiting and Human Capital Management (HCM) platform from Neudesic, is a finalist in the 2018 Software-as-a-Service Awards, created by the International Software Program which is in its third year of recognizing and celebrating innovation in software. Over 300 organizations entered, with international entries coming from North America, Australia, UK, Europe and the Middle East. HRadvocate is shortlisted as 1 of 12 finalists in the category for Best SaaS Product for HR or Recruitment.

The organizations chosen for the Best SaaS Product for HR or Recruitment shortlist have proven innovation and successes in the global marketplace for SaaS-based solutions. HRadvocate's Recruiting platform is the result of 11+ years of innovating and evolving the original solution to meet customers' digital transformation needs. It was one of the first full-suite, hire-to-retire products that offered HR and Recruiting leaders the functionality they require for actionable data, automation, and predictive costs. HRadvocate saw the Cloud as the ultimate performance enhancer for innovation, growth, performance and engagement, and it is embracing this digital revolution to stay forward-looking and effective.

HRadvocate's Recruiting platform is designed for HR and Recruiting leaders across multiple industry verticals. With powerful functionality built with the end-user in mind, Recruiters can manage the entire recruitment and applicant tracking process from a single interface. Its Applicant Tracking System eliminates manual data entry, streamlines the recruiting process and enables HR teams with real-time analytics to work smarter and faster. HRadvocate customers, on average, see a 25% decrease in time-to-fill open positions.

"To be a finalist in the 2018 SaaS Awards Programs proves our dedication and achievement towards not only innovation in HR and Recruiting but to the opportunities and challenges of today's Fourth Industrial Revolution," said Shantanu Sarkar, Vice President of Solutions and Innovation at Neudesic. "HRadvocate envisions the future of HR recruitment to be augmented by game-changing tools and technologies. We will continue to stay ahead of the dynamic nature of the Cloud and offer customers a relevant, modernized HCM platform."

"All entrants demonstrated considerable commitment to innovation in software solutions, and to make the shortlist itself is a huge achievement," said Larry Johnson, SaaS Awards and Cloud Awards organizer. "With such a concentrated level of success in the shortlist, our judges have a significant task ahead of them to arrive at our final award winners."

Final SaaS Awards winners will be announced Tuesday August 28th, 2018. To view the full shortlist, visit the 2018 SaaS Awards Shortlist.

About HRadvocate

HRadvocate, created by Neudesic, is the modernized Human Capital Management platform designed to make HR easier for everyone. HRadvocate can be licensed on-premises or subscribed as SaaS. HRadvocate enables organizations to streamline global HR processes and improve critical information workflows to better recruit, hire, retain and engage employees. Employees, managers and HR get real-time access to critical information and insights, anywhere, anytime. To learn more, visit www.hra.neudesic.com.

About the SaaS Awards

The SaaS Awards is a sister program to the Cloud Awards, which was founded in 2011. The SaaS Awards focuses on recognizing excellence and innovation in software solutions.

Media Contact: Thu Vu, Product Marketing Manager Email: [email protected] Mobile: (512) 299-5689

SOURCE HRadvocate

Related Links

http://www.hra.neudesic.com


TEL AVIV, Israel and BETHESDA, Maryland, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: CNBX), a leader in personalized cannabinoid medicine focused on cancer and its side effects, announced today that its CEO, Mr. Eyal Barad, will be attending the MJBizCon Conference and Expo, to be held in the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, on August 14th-16th 2018, and will be available for one-on-one meetings.

The MJBizCon, held three times a year, is the largest event of its kind. The event brings together over 2,000 leaders from around the globe focusing on the role of the cannabis global marketplace in the industry today.

Eyal Barad, CEO of the company, said: "We are excited to be able to meet and network with fellow companies in the Cannabis sector. We see collaboration and cooperation with partners as a cornerstone to realizing our vision moving forward, which is to introduce cannabinoids into modern, precision medicine."

Mr. Barad will be accepting one-on-one meetings. Please email [email protected]

About Cannabics Pharmaceuticals

Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNBX) is a United States-based public company that is developing cannabinoid diagnostic tests for the personalized treatment of cancer. Cannabics is developing a blood test that allows practitioners to precisely tailor medical cannabinoid-based therapies to an individual patient's profile and cancer. Cannabics' approach can also be used to develop cannabinoid-based therapies as preventive or primary cancer treatments  not just palliative, the way it's being used now. By developing tools to assess effectiveness on a personalized basis, Cannabics is helping to move medical cannabinoids into the mainstream of cancer therapies. The company's R&D is based in Israel, where it is licensed to conduct scientific and clinical research on harnessing the therapeutic properties of cannabinoid formulations.

For more information, please visit www.cannabics.com.

Disclaimer:

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and/or other studies, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, the effect of any competitive products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and/or regulation, potential litigation by or against us, any governmental review of our products or practices, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our latest 10-Q Report filed on April 6th, 2018. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement or any information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time. Finally, the investing public is reminded that the only announcements or information about Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. which are condoned by the Company must emanate from the Company itself and bear our name as its Source.

For further information, please contact:

Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc.

+1-877-424-2429

[email protected]

http://www.Cannabics.com

SOURCE Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Related Links

http://cannabics.com


SAN FRANCISCO, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global kaolin market size is projected to reach USD 9.83 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period. Growth of ceramics and paints industries, owing to rapid infrastructural development, is anticipated to drive the market. Rising government spending in emerging economies such as India and China, has resulted in expansion of construction industry. This is expected to contribute toward an increased demand for kaolin.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg )

Kaolin is extracted from open-pit mines. Ore processing consists of enhancing certain properties through chemical and thermal treatment, removing impurities, and engineering particle size and shape. Prices of kaolin are expected to have a significant impact on application industries. Key manufacturers are mining kaolin for use in rubber, plastics, and paper industries. Growth of rubber and paints and coatings industries is expected to further propel demand for kaolin over the forecast years.

Several regulations such as European Union (EU's) Regulation 1169/2011, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) Food Labeling Guide, and India's Food Safety & Standards (Packaging and Labeling) make it mandatory to print food-related information on packaging. These regulations have promoted market expansion of paper-packaging materials. From marketing and branding perspective, it is very important for companies to print their logos and trademarks on packaging materials. This is expected to positively impact demand for kaolin in paper applications.

Increasing number of ceramic manufacturing companies in China has contributed to kaolin market growth over the past few years. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The Middle East is expected to be a potential market, owing to on-going and upcoming construction projects, which, in turn, is expected to augment product demand in near future. Economic slowdown in Europe has had a negative impact on regional manufacturing and construction industries. This may hamper product growth in the region over the forecast period.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Kaolin Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Paper, Ceramics, Paint, Fiberglass, Rubber, Metakaolin), By Region (North America, CSA, Europe, APAC, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/kaolin-market

Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:

In terms of revenue, the ceramics application segment is anticipated to reach USD 3.82 billion by 2025

by 2025 The paper application segment is anticipated to continue dominating the market in terms of revenue in the forthcoming years. Ability of kaolin coating to add gloss, smoothness, brightness, opacity, and printability to paper is expected to bode well for the market

The U.S. kaolin market is anticipated to exceed USD 1.22 billion by 2025 owing to presence of various kaolin mines in the country

by 2025 owing to presence of various kaolin mines in the country The market for kaolin is competitive with presence of a number of multinational companies with wide product portfolios

Some of the key companies present in the market are LB Minerals s.r.o., BASF SE, Kaolin AD, AKW Ukrainian Kaolin Company, Sibelco N.V., KaMin LLC, and Thiele Kaolin Company

Market players are increasing prices of kaolin due to continued rise in labor, fuel, energy, and freight/logistics costs.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Glass Scintillator Market - The global glass scintillator market size was valued at USD 21.14 million in 2016. Increasing demand from nuclear industry is expected to be a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period.

The global glass scintillator market size was valued at in 2016. Increasing demand from nuclear industry is expected to be a key factor driving the global market growth over the forecast period. Depth Filtration Market - The global depth filtration market size was valued at USD 1.52 billion in 2016. Growing applications in healthcare, medical, and food & beverages sector are expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period.

The global depth filtration market size was valued at in 2016. Growing applications in healthcare, medical, and food & beverages sector are expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period. Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Market - The global cerium oxide nanoparticles market volume was estimated at 9.1 kilotons in 2016.

The global cerium oxide nanoparticles market volume was estimated at 9.1 kilotons in 2016. Industrial Insulation Market - The global industrial insulation market size was valued at USD 11.49 billion in 2016. Application of thermal insulation materials help in increasing process efficiency, condensation control, noise reduction, freeze protection, and reduction in environmental pollution.

Grand View Research has segmented the global kaolin market on the basis of application and region:

Kaolin Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Paper Ceramics Paint Fiber Glass Rubber Metakaolin Others

Kaolin Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Europe Germany U.K. Russia Turkey Asia Pacific China India Japan Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa UAE



Explore the BI enabled intuitive market research database, The Grand Library, by Grand View Research, Inc.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company 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, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]



Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark and ARMONK, N.Y., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a follow up to their January announcement, A.P. Moller Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the creation of TradeLens, jointly developed by the two companies to apply blockchain to the world's global supply chain. TradeLens is the result of a collaboration agreement between Maersk and IBM, a blockchain-enabled shipping solution designed to promote more efficient and secure global trade, bringing together various parties to support information sharing and transparency, and spur industry-wide innovation.

As part of the TradeLens early adopter program, IBM and Maersk also announced that 94 organizations are actively involved or have agreed to participate on the TradeLens platform built on open standards. The TradeLens ecosystem currently includes:

More than 20 port and terminal operators across the globe, including PSA Singapore, International Container Terminal Services Inc, Patrick Terminals, Modern Terminals in Hong Kong , Port of Halifax , Port of Rotterdam , Port of Bilbao , PortConnect, PortBase, and terminal operators Holt Logistics at the Port of Philadelphia , join the global APM Terminals' network in piloting the solution. This accounts for approximately 234 marine gateways worldwide that have or will be actively participating on TradeLens.

, Port of , Port of , Port of , PortConnect, PortBase, and terminal operators Holt Logistics at the Port of , join the global APM Terminals' network in piloting the solution. This accounts for approximately 234 marine gateways worldwide that have or will be actively participating on TradeLens. Pacific International Lines (PIL) have joined Maersk Line and Hamburg Sud as global container carriers participating in the solution.

Customs authorities in the Netherlands , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , Australia and Peru are participating, along with customs brokers Ransa and Guler & Dinamik.

, , , and are participating, along with customs brokers Ransa and Guler & Dinamik. Participation among beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) has grown to include Torre Blanca / Camposol and Umit Bisiklet.

/ Camposol and Umit Bisiklet. Freight forwarders, transportation and logistics companies including Agility, CEVA Logistics, DAMCO, Kotahi, PLH Trucking Company, Ancotrans and WorldWide Alliance are also currently participating.

TradeLens uses IBM Blockchain technology as the foundation for digital supply chains, empowering multiple trading partners to collaborate by establishing a single shared view of a transaction without compromising details, privacy or confidentiality. Shippers, shipping lines, freight forwarders, port and terminal operators, inland transportation and customs authorities can interact more efficiently through real-time access to shipping data and shipping documents, including IoT and sensor data ranging from temperature control to container weight.

Using blockchain smart contracts, TradeLens enables digital collaboration across the multiple parties involved in international trade. The trade document module, released under a beta program and called ClearWay, enables importers/exporters, customs brokers, trusted third parties such as Customs, other government agencies, and NGOs to collaborate in cross-organizational business processes and information exchanges, all backed by a secure, non-repudiable audit trail.

During the 12-month trial, Maersk and IBM worked with dozens of ecosystem partners to identify opportunities to prevent delays caused by documentation errors, information delays, and other impediments. One example demonstrated how TradeLens can reduce the transit time of a shipment of packaging materials to a production line in the United States by 40 percent, avoiding thousands of dollars in cost. Through better visibility and more efficient means of communicating, some supply chain participants estimate they could reduce the steps taken to answer basic operational questions such as "where is my container" from 10 steps and five people to, with TradeLens, one step and one person.

More than 154 million shipping events have been captured on the platform, including data such as arrival times of vessels and container "gate-in", and documents such as customs releases, commercial invoices and bills of lading. This data is growing at a rate of close to one million events per day. Traditionally, some of this data can be shared through the EDI systems commonly used in the supply chain industry but these systems are inflexible, complex, and can't share data in real-time. Too often, companies must still share documents via email attachment, fax and courier. TradeLens can track critical data about every shipment in a supply chain, and offers an immutable record among all parties involved.

"TradeLens uses blockchain technology to create an industry standard for the secure digitization and transmission of supply chain documents around the world," commented Peter Levesque, CEO of Modern Terminals. "This initiative will generate tremendous savings for our industry over time while enhancing global supply chain security. Modern Terminals is pleased to participate as a Network Member in testing this exciting shipping industry innovation."

"As a global logistics provider, CEVA sees a unique opportunity in TradeLens, joining forces with IBM, Maersk and other actors from our industry to promote global standards around an open and neutral solution, delivering on the promise of blockchain. It is an important step in our relentless journey to deliver increased value to all our customers and making business flow," said Christophe Cachat, CIO of CEVA Logistics.

"We believe blockchain can play an important role in digitizing global shipping, an area of the global economy that moves four trillion dollars of goods every year. However, success with the technology rests on a single factor bringing the entire ecosystem together around a common approach that benefits all participants equally," said Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president, IBM Global Industries, Solutions and Blockchain. "Our work with Maersk and other enterprises in the shipping ecosystem has shown that blockchain can be used to form a strong, connected network in which all members gain by sharing important data and that together we can transform a vital part of how global trade is conducted."

Joint collaboration model to maximize industry adoption

Since announcing the jointly developed solution to digitize global trade in January 2018, and based on feedback from various members of the global supply chain ecosystem who would like to adopt the technology, IBM and Maersk have modified the go to market model and will now deliver their solution through an extension of their pre-existing collaboration agreement instead of a joint venture.

"Our joint collaboration model allows us to better address key feedback from ecosystem participants while ensuring TradeLens interoperability and data protection among Maersk, IBM and all ecosystem participants," said Mike White, TradeLens leader for Maersk. "We strongly believe this will maximize industry adoption."

Standards discussions are actively underway with openshipping.org and work to align the TradeLens APIs with UN/CEFACT standards is in progress. The TradeLens APIs are open and available for developer access and feedback from participants in the platform.

The TradeLens solution is available today through the Early Adopter Program. TradeLens is expected to be fully commercially available by the end of this year.

For more information about TradeLens and what ecosystem participants are saying about this solution, please visit: www.tradelens.com

About Maersk

A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers' supply chains. As the global leader in shipping services, the company operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 76,000 people.For more information about Maersk, visit https://maersk.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @maersk.

About IBM

IBM is the leader in open-source blockchain solutions built for the enterprise. As an early member of Hyperledger and active contributor to the Hyperledger Fabric and Stellar blockchain projects, IBM is dedicated to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies supporting the development of openly-governed transactional business networks. IBM has worked with more than 400 clients across financial services, supply chains, IoT, risk management, digital rights management and healthcare to implement blockchain applications. For more information about IBM Blockchain, visit https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/.

Media Contacts

Maersk

Mikkel Elbek Linnet

+45 3363 8515

[email protected]

Signe Wagner

+45 336 1901

[email protected]

IBM

Holli Haswell

720-396-5485

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

http://www.ibm.com


As the main on-board computer, the Psyche Compute Element acts as the brain of the spacecraft, functioning as the coordinating center for command and data handling activity. As previously announced , SSL is working together with Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the first mission to explore what is believed to be an asteroid made of metal rather than rock or ice. In addition to the Psyche Compute Element, SSL is providing a high power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis based on the SSL 1300 satellite platform. Using SSL's standard commercial spacecraft design helps NASA reduce cost and ensure reliability for this mission to the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter.

"SSL is proud to be playing a major role in NASA's Psyche mission, which will deepen humanity's knowledge of our solar system and accelerate innovation for future exploration missions," said Richard White, president of SSL Government Systems. "The spacecraft's design has been proven on more than 100 missions, and leverages our extensive experience in solar electric propulsion which dates back to 2004. With 87 spacecraft currently on orbit today, SSL is a trusted partner for the most ambitious missions being undertaken in the new space economy."

Scheduled to launch in 2022, the Psyche mission was selected over four other NASA Discovery Mission candidates. The spacecraft recently completed a comprehensive NASA mission systems review and is on track to meet its next development milestone, called the Preliminary Design Review. For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/psyche and https://psyche.asu.edu/.

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


CHICAGO and ATLANTA, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Your social media posts might win over or make you lose friends, but according to a recent CareerBuilder survey, they could also have a big impact on prospective employers. Seventy percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates (on par with last year), while seven percent plan to start. And that review matters: Of those that do social research, 57 percent have found content that caused them not to hire candidates.

The national survey was conducted online on behalf of CareerBuilder by The Harris Poll between April 4 and May 1, 2018. It included a representative sample of more than 1,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes in the private sector.

Who's Checking and Why?

Broken down by industry, those in IT* (74 percent) and manufacturing (73 percent) are more likely than those in retail/non-retail sales* (59 percent) to do social networking digging on potential job candidates. But it's not just the social sites that are fair game  66 percent of employers say they use search engines to conduct their research on potential job candidates.

Nearly half of employers (47 percent) say that if they can't find a job candidate online, they are less likely to call that person in for an interview  28 percent say that is because they like to gather more information before calling in a candidate for an interview; 20 percent say they expect candidates to have an online presence.

According to employers who use social networking sites to research potential job candidates, what they're looking for when researching candidates is:

Information that supports their qualifications for the job: 58 percent

If the candidate has a professional online persona: 50 percent

What other people are posting about the candidate: 34 percent

A reason not to hire the candidate: 22 percent

Content to be Careful About

As social media permeates all aspects of our personal and professional lives, what you post online can have serious and lasting consequences. Employers who found content on a social networking site that caused them not to hire a job candidate said these were the primary reasons:

Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 40 percent

Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 36 percent

Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.: 31 percent

Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 30 percent

Job candidate lied about qualifications: 27 percent

Job candidate had poor communication skills: 27 percent

Job candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee: 25 percent

Job candidate's screen name was unprofessional: 22 percent

Job candidate shared confidential information from previous employers: 20 percent

Job candidate lied about an absence: 16 percent

Job candidate posted too frequently: 12 percent

On the other hand, those that found content that led them to hire a candidate said it was because they saw:

Job candidate's background information supported their professional qualifications for the job: 37 percent

Job candidate was creative: 34 percent

Job candidate's site conveyed a professional image: 33 percent

Job candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests: 31 percent

Got a good feel for the job candidate's personality, could see a good fit within the company culture: 31 percent

Job candidate had great communications skills: 28 percent

Job candidate received awards and accolades: 26 percent

Other people posted great references about the job candidate: 23 percent

Job candidate had interacted with company's social media accounts: 22 percent

Job candidate posted compelling video or other content: 21 percent

Job candidate had a large number of followers or subscribers: 18 percent

The Monitoring Doesn't Stop Once on the Job

Employers continue to monitor employees' online presence even after they're hired. Nearly half of employers (48 percent) say they use social networking sites to research current employees10 percent do it daily. Further, a third of employers (34 percent) have found content online that caused them to reprimand or fire an employee.

Research Method

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 1,012 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between April 4 and May 1, 2018. Data for employers were weighted where necessary by company size and job level to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

* indicates small base size (less than 100); results should be viewed as directional

About CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact

Ladan Nikravan Hayes

312.698.0538

[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder

Related Links

https://www.careerbuilder.com


HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will make his first official visit to NASA's rocket factory, the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Monday, Aug. 13, for tours and briefings on progress building NASA's new deep space rocket, the Space Launch System, and its Orion spacecraft.

Media are invited to tour Michoud with the administrator, where they will see progress on SLS and Orion hardware. Following brief remarks from NASA leadership, the tour will begin at 1:10 p.m. CDT and last approximately 90 minutes. Immediately following the tour, Bridenstine will be available for a question-and-answer session with attending media.

Interested media should contact Janet Anderson at [email protected] no later than noon, Friday, Aug. 10, and report at 11:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 13, to Michoud's Gate 7. Participating media must be U.S. citizens with valid media credentials and a government-issued photo ID. Long pants and closed-toe shoes with heels smaller than two inches are required.

Michoud is manufacturing and assembling some of the largest and most complex parts of SLS that will send Orion and its crew on bold exploration missions to the Moon and beyond. Many of the rocket's major parts are finished or nearing completion for Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated test of Orion, SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

For downloadable video and more information about Michoud, which is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/administrator-visit/presskit

Learn more about Orion and SLS at:

https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars/getting-there

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Russian cosmonauts living and working on the International Space Station will venture outside Wednesday, Aug. 15, for a spacewalk expected to last about six hours. Live coverage of the excursion will air on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Expedition 56 Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos are scheduled to exit the Pirs airlock at 11:58 a.m. EDT. Live coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 11:15 a.m.

Artemyev and Prokopyev will manually launch four small technology satellites, retrieve material science samples from the hull of the Zvezda service module, and install an experiment called Icarus onto the Russian segment of the space station.

Icarus is a collaborative environmental experiment between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Roscosmos to study the migratory patterns of small animals on Earth. It consists of an antenna and GPS hardware to track the movements of animals that have been tagged with small GPS receivers. The experiment may provide data about how animals move from one location to another, how animal population density shifts over time, and how diseases spread.

The spacewalk will be the 212th in support of station assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the third in Artemyev's career and the first for Prokopyev. Artemyev will be designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV1) for the spacewalk, while Prokopyev will be extravehicular crew member 2 (EV2).

Keep up with the International Space Station, its research and crew, at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on social media at:

https://instagram.com/iss

and

https://www.twitter.com/Space_Station

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) announced today that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share of common stock will be payable on September 14, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 31, 2018.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation

National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high quality client service and committed to shareholder results. Through its bank subsidiary, NBH Bank, National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 104 banking centers, serving individual consumers, small, medium and large businesses, and government and non-profit entities. Its banking centers are located in its core footprint of Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, Texas and New Mexico. Its comprehensive residential banking group primarily serves the bank's core footprint with additional offices in Arizona, Nevada and Utah. NBH Bank operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado and Hillcrest Bank in Texas and New Mexico. It also operates as Community Banks Mortgage, a division of NBH Bank, in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Additional information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: bankmw.com, cobnks.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites:

Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw;

Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks;

Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank;

NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank;

or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "would," "should," "could," "may," "predict," "seek," "potential," "will," "estimate," "target," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "intend" or similar expressions that relate to the Company's strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve certain important risks, uncertainties and other factors, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the "Risk Factors" referenced in the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC. The Company can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not intend, and assumes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE National Bank Holdings Corporation

Related Links

http://www.nationalbankholdings.com


LONDON, August 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- INTRODUCTION

Cancer therapeutics continues to be one of the most active segments, in terms of drug development efforts, within the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, in the past five years, USFDA has approved more than 70 drugs for the treatment of different types of cancer. However, there is still a pressing need to develop more specific and potent therapeutics to combat this complex, life threatening clinical condition. According to the National Institutes of Health, the economic burden of cancer care in the US was estimated to be over USD 147 billion in 2017. As the global population continues to increase, the number of cancer patients is likely to rise as well; by 2030, it is estimated that about 21.6 million people are likely to be newly diagnosed with the disease. Thereby, the overall global economic burden related to the disease is anticipated to increase significantly in the foreseen future.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5483271



Conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are associated with several side effects. Their non-specific nature has been shown to have severe detrimental effects on patients' quality of life. Current drug development initiatives are focused on targeted therapies against specific oncogenic mutations that are responsible for disease development and / or progression. Over the years, several targeted drugs have been designed against specific proteins, such as human epidermal growth factor (HER2), BCR-ABL protein kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, certain biological targets have long eluded drug development efforts and, for a considerable period of time, have been reported to be undruggable. One such target is Ras family, which has been identified to a play critical role in oncogenesis. Scientific literature suggests that the RAS gene is mutated across about 30% of cancer types; the mutation is known to be present in about 90% of pancreatic cancers, over 50% of colorectal cancers and 35% of lung cancers. Likewise, there are several other targets that have not yet been successfully drugged and researchers are making significant efforts to identify novel approaches to target them.



Advances in drug discovery and development technologies / platforms have increased the likelihood of targeting a number of the abovementioned types of biological targets. As a result, novel product development opportunities have emerged and are likely to benefit both drug developers and investors alike. Ongoing R&D is focused on the development of treatment modalities that can also combat complications, such as off target toxicities and disease relapse, which are associated with the current standard of care therapies. As various clinical stage candidates progress towards advanced stages of development, we expect the market to witness aggressive growth over the coming years.



SCOPE OF THE REPORT

The 'New Frontiers in Cancer Therapies: Focus on Transcription Factors, GTPases, Phosphatases and GPCRs, 2018-2030' report provides a comprehensive study on the current market and therapeutic potential of the various pharmacological interventions designed against difficult-to-modulate cancer targets. It features an elaborate discussion on the future potential of this evolving domain, focusing on phosphatases, transcription factors, small GTPases (specifically Ras family) and undruggable G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). One of the key objectives of the study was to review and quantify the future opportunity for the ongoing product development programs of both small and big pharmaceutical firms.



Amongst other elements, the report features:

 A detailed assessment of the current market landscape of drugs being developed against various undruggable cancer targets, featuring information on the developer, phase of development (clinical, preclinical or discovery stage) of product candidate(s), information on type of molecule(s), biological target(s), mechanism of action, route of administration, and key therapeutic indication(s).

 Elaborate profiles of key companies (selected based on pipeline strength); each profile features an overview of the company, details on it product portfolio, technology overview (wherever applicable), detailed information on advanced stage pipeline candidates (featuring a drug overview, clinical trial information and recent developments) and a comprehensive future outlook.

 A section on emerging technologies and platforms that are aiding the development of therapies capable of targeting biological molecules which were previously considered as undruggable.

 A detailed publication analysis on more than 70 research articles that have been published between January 2014 and March 2018, highlighting the key focus areas (biological targets and indications) of the ongoing research activity in this field.

 An analysis of the partnerships that have been established in this domain in the recent past, covering R&D agreements, license agreements, clinical trial collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and other relevant agreements.

 An analysis of the investments made at various stages of development in companies that are focused in this area, including seed financing, venture capital financing, debt financing, grants, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings.

 A compilation of key insights derived based on various parameters; these include [A] a bull's eye analysis highlighting the distribution of pipeline candidates in terms of phase of development, type of target family and type of molecule [B] a three-dimensional and five-dimensional spider web analyses of candidate therapeutics based on different parameters, namely number of publications, grants awarded to promote development, active clinical trials, current phase of development and the number of companies developing drugs against various undruggable targets, and [C] a world map representation, depicting the most active geographies in terms of the presence of companies developing drug candidates against difficult-to-modulate cancer targets.



One of the key objective of the report was to understand the primary growth drivers and estimate the future size of the market. Based on parameters, such as target consumer segments, likely adoption rates and expected pricing, we have provided an informed estimate of the likely evolution of the market in the short to long-term, for the period 2018 to 2030. To account for the uncertainties associated with the development of cancer therapeutics and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three forecast scenarios, portraying the conservative, base and optimistic tracks of the market's evolution.



The research, analysis and insights presented in this report is backed by a deep understanding of insights gathered both from secondary and primary sources. The opinions and insights presented in this study were influenced by discussions conducted with several key players in this domain. The report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with Amotz Shemi (CEO, Silenseed), Brian Frenzel (President and CEO, Tosk), Miguel Vega (CEO, Allinky Biopharma) and Stephen Franklin (CEO, Evgen Pharma). All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.



RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The data presented in this report has been gathered via secondary and primary research. For all our projects, we conduct interviews with experts in the area (academia, industry, medical practice and other associations) to solicit their opinions on emerging trends in the market. This is primarily useful for us to draw out our own opinion on how the market will evolve across different regions and technology segments. Where possible, the available data has been checked for accuracy from multiple sources of information.



The secondary sources of information include

 Annual reports

 Investor presentations

 SEC filings

 Industry databases

 News releases from company websites

 Government policy documents

 Industry analysts' views



While the focus has been on forecasting the market over the coming twelve years, the report also provides our independent view on various technological and non-commercial trends emerging in the industry. This opinion is solely based on our knowledge, research and understanding of the relevant market gathered from various secondary and primary sources of information.



CHAPTER OUTLINES

Chapter 2 provides an executive summary of the insights captured during our research. It offers a high-level view on the likely evolution of the drugs against difficult-to-modulate targets to treat various cancer indications in the mid to long term.



Chapter 3 provides a general overview of certain biological targets (along with descriptions of the broader target families) that are considered as undruggable and associated with various cancers. In addition, it features information on the currently available treatment modalities that are used to treat cancers. The chapter also highlights the key benefits offered by various targeted anti-cancer therapies. The focus of the report is on difficult-to-modulate phosphatases, transcription factors, small GTPases (specifically Ras family) and GPCRs.



Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of therapies against difficult-to-modulate cancer targets. It includes information on over 100 drug candidates that are currently in various stages of (clinical / preclinical) development. It features a comprehensive analysis of the various pipeline molecules, highlighting affiliated drug developers, phase(s) of development, type of molecule, biological target, target protein family, target therapeutic indication(s), mechanism of action and route of administration.



Chapter 5 contains detailed profiles of active players (selected based on pipeline strength) that are involved in developing therapeutics against difficult-to-modulate targets. Each profile includes an overview of the company, its technology (wherever available) and details of its product portfolio. In addition, we have profiled the advanced phase drugs (phase II and above) that are in the pipeline of each of the companies included in this section. Drug profiles contain information on clinical development status, clinical trial details and recent developments.



Chapter 6 provides a list of technologies / platforms that have been developed to discover and / or develop therapeutics against various difficult-to-modulate cancer targets. It features a comparative analysis of the technologies, based on ongoing development activity related to a specific technology (in terms of number of drugs across different phases of development), number of partnerships established related to the technology and the size of the company. In addition, the chapter features a detailed logo landscape of various types of technology providers, distributed on the basis of their respective geographical locations.



Chapter 7 features a publication analysis highlighting the recent trends related to undruggable cancer targets in published literature. The chapter provides details on novel methods, as well as the attempts that are being made to add value to ongoing research efforts within this domain. In addition, it provides details on the various grants received by different organizations between 2017 to 2018.



Chapter 8 presents details on investments made into companies that are engaged in this domain. It includes a detailed analysis of the various funding instances that have taken place in the period between January 2014 to April 2018, highlighting the growing interest of the venture capital community and other strategic investors in this market.



Chapter 9 features an elaborate discussion and analysis of the various collaborations and partnerships that have been inked amongst stakeholders in this market. In this section, we have also described the different partnership models (including R&D agreements, technology / product licensing agreements, product development and commercialization agreements, clinical trial collaborations and merger / acquisitions) adopted by collaborating entities, highlighting the most common forms of deals / agreements that have been established in the period between 2014 to 2018.



Chapter 10 presents a comprehensive market forecast analysis, highlighting the future potential of the market till the year 2030. It includes sales projections of therapies against difficult-to-modulate cancer targets that have progressed to advanced clinical stages of development (phase I/II and above). The projections take into consideration the target patient population, likely adoption rates, existing / future competition from competing drug classes and the likely price of products. The chapter also presents a detailed market segmentation on the basis of target family, type of molecule, key therapeutic indications and geographical distribution. In addition, it provides information on the net present value of the aforementioned drug candidates.



Chapter 11 is a compilation of key insights derived from the study. It presents a review of the regional landscape of companies engaged in developing therapeutics for undruggable targets, based on their location and cumulative pipeline strength. The chapter also features a bull's eye analysis, representing the distribution of drug candidates on the basis of their phase of development, target protein family and type of molecule. Additionally, the chapter features a spider-web analysis and bubble analysis, which highlight the activity of difficult-to-modulate targets. The parameters considered for these analyses include number of drug candidates, active clinical trials, publications, target indications and the companies that are involved in this domain.



Chapter 12 is a summary of the overall report. In this chapter, we have provided a list of key takeaways from the report, and expressed our independent opinion related to the research and analysis described in the previous chapters.



Chapter 13 is a collection of interview transcripts of the discussions that were held with key stakeholders in this market. The chapter provides details of interviews held with Amotz Shemi (CEO, Silenseed), Brian Frenzel (President and CEO, Tosk) Miguel Vega (CEO, Allinky Biopharma) and Stephen Franklin (CEO, Evgen Pharma).



Chapter 14 is an appendix, which provides tabulated data and numbers for all the figures included in the report.



Chapter 15 is an appendix, which provides the list of companies and organizations mentioned in the report.



EXAMPLE HIGHLIGHTS

1. Over 100 product candidates are currently under various stages of development against difficult-to-modulate cancer targets. Of these, 75% of the candidates are in preclinical / discovery stages. Amongst the drugs that are under clinical development, 2 are in phase III, 5 in phase II, 5 in phase I/II and 12 in phase I. Drugs in advanced clinical evaluation (phase II and above) are napabucasin (phase III), Rigosertib (phase III), BL-8040 (phase II), CX-01 (phase II), danvatirsen (phase II), GI-6301 (phase II) and siG12D LODER (phase II).

2. A significant portion (~38%) of the drug candidates are being developed to target transcription factors, which play a critical role in a vast array of cellular processes and have been shown to be associated with several disease pathways. Prominent examples of transcription factors that have been shown to play a role in tumorigenesis include brachyury, Myc and STAT proteins. Another important target family is GTPases, primarily mutant Ras proteins, that are being targeted by about 28% of the pipeline candidates. Other key target families that are being investigated include GPCRs (such as CXCR4), phosphatases (such as SHP2 and PP2A) and certain complexes resulting from protein-protein interactions.

3. Small molecules, representing 48% of the present pipeline candidates, have emerged as one of the prominent drug classes being evaluated against difficult-to-modulate targets. Other important types of therapeutic molecules under development include peptides (12%), oligonucleotides (10%), proteins (9%) and antibodies (7%).

4. About 70% of the product candidates are being developed to treat solid tumors. Of these, pancreatic cancer (23%) is the most common; other popular indications include breast cancer (21%), lung cancer (19%) and colorectal cancer (16%). Further, about 30% of drugs are being developed for the treatment of hematological malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia, Burkitt lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

5. The market landscape is characterized by the presence of large (7), mid-sized (34) and small-sized companies (63), most of which are located in North America. The large companies involved in this domain include (in alphabetical order) AstraZeneca, BMS, Eli Lilly, Novartis and Pfizer. Similarly, mid-sized companies that are actively contributing to the development of these therapies include (with at least one molecule in the clinical phase of development) AndroScience, Boston Biomedical, Heptares Therapeutics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Polyphor, Silenseed and Taiho Oncology. In addition, small companies, such as (in alphabetical order) A2A Pharmaceuticals, FIMECS, Janpix, Navire Pharma, Oncternal Therapeutics, Orum Therapeutics, Ractigen Therapeutics, Sanoosa, SyntheX, TheraPten Biosciences and Zelluna Immunotherapy, are actively involved in this domain as well.

6. In order to advance the development efforts, stakeholders in the industry have forged several strategic partnerships. Over 50% of the agreements that have been signed since 2014 were related to the conduct of R&D activities. These were followed by licensing agreements (26%), clinical trial collaborations (9%), and product development (6%) and commercialization agreements (6%). Examples of recently inked deals include collaborations between FIMECS and Takeda Pharmaceutical (April 2018), Moleculin Biotech and University of Warsaw (March 2018), Onconova Therapeutics and Pint Pharma (March 2018), Moleculin Biotech and Emory University (March 2018), and Arvinas and Pfizer (January 2018).

7. More than 80 funding instances, amounting to USD 915 million worth of capital, have taken place in order to support R&D in this space since 2014. Alexandria Venture Investment and Fidelity Management & Research Company have emerged as some of the most prominent investors (in terms of number of financing instances). It is noteworthy to highlight that the NIH has provided financial support, in the form grants, to over 40 research projects in the past two years.

8. Close to 70 players have designed and developed novel proprietary technology platforms to advance R&D efforts. Prominent examples of companies with technology platforms include (in alphabetical order) Allinky Biopharma, Aelin Therapeutics, Bio-Path Holdings, Captor Therapeutics, Eureka Therapeutics, FogPharma, InterAx, MiNA Therapeutics, Nuevolution, PHusis Therapeutics, Phylogica, Sanoosa, Silicon Therapeutics and SyntheX.

9. With several ongoing research initiatives and the likely approval of multiple late stage clinical candidates, the market is expected to witness an accelerated growth and be worth USD 11-12 billion over the coming decade. Specifically, by 2030, close to 70% of the market is likely to be driven by drugs targeting transcription factors, followed by GPCRs (~18%). The market, in the long term, is likely to be driven by five indications, namely pancreatic cancer (36%), colorectal cancer (14%), glioblastoma (12%), MDS (10%) and leukemia (10%). In terms of the geographical distribution, North America and the EU5 are expected to account for over 80% of the market.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5483271



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


DUBLIN, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with a subsidiary of Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA for the exclusive rights in the United States to pursue regulatory approval for a non-prescription, over-the-counter ("OTC") Nasonex (mometasone furoate monohydrate) Nasal Spray.

Under the terms of the agreement, Perrigo holds exclusive rights to market, sell, and distribute a non-prescription version of Nasonex OTC in the United States following Perrigo's receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

Nasonex is currently available by prescription only. Annual prescription brand and generic market sales for the 12 months ending June 2018 were approximately $214 million as measured by IQVIA.

Perrigo President and CEO Uwe Roehrhoff commented, "We are excited to enter into this agreement with Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. This announcement exemplifies inorganic opportunities to expand the OTC self-care market while enhancing long-term growth in our U.S. consumer business. Leveraging our innovative product development capabilities and efficient supply chain enables us to enhance our durable OTC portfolio by establishing a framework to actively participate in future switch opportunities. Perrigo is well positioned to provide quality affordable healthcare solutions to patients and families."

Perrigo Executive Vice President and President, Consumer Healthcare Americas Jeff Needham stated, "This product in-license is the first of its kind for Perrigo. As other similar products that have previously switched from prescription to OTC status, we are working diligently to bring this important product to consumers and customers more quickly than the average 5-year OTC switch timeframe. This strategic investment into the OTC category creates an innovative product offering for Perrigo. We expect to execute the Rx-OTC-switch, fully penetrate this market with a branded offering and provide a future store brand alternative."

About Perrigo

Perrigo Company plc, a leading global healthcare company, delivers value to its customers and consumers by providing Quality Affordable Healthcare Products. Founded in 1887 as a packager of home remedies, Perrigo has built a unique business model that is best described as the convergence of a fast-moving consumer goods company, a high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing organization and a world-class supply chain network. Perrigo is one of the world's largest manufacturers of over-the-counter ("OTC") healthcare products and suppliers of infant formulas for the store brand market. The Company also is a leading provider of branded OTC products throughout Europe and the U.S., as well as a leading producer of "extended topical" prescription drugs. Perrigo, headquartered in Ireland, sells its products primarily in North America and Europe, as well as in other markets, including Australia, Israel and China. Visit Perrigo online at (http://www.perrigo.com).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements relate to future events, in particular the Company's ability to obtain regulatory approval for OTC Nasonex and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "forecast," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, Important factors, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as well as the Company's subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Perrigo Company plc

Related Links

http://www.perrigo.com


BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal Judge Brett Kavanaugh is "highly qualified" to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Second Amendment Foundation said today, expressing hopes that the Senate will swiftly confirm the 53-year-old jurist to the high court bench.

"We have looked at Judge Kavanaugh's record, as a White House associate under President George W. Bush, and as a clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Kennedy, and can find no fault with his background," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "It's our opinion that President Donald Trump has made an excellent choice in his nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, and he would have a difficult time finding another candidate with his experience."

Judge Kavanaugh was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Maryland. Gottlieb noted Judge Kavanaugh's 11 years of service in the D.C. Circuit have definitely prepared him for a seat on the nation's highest court, should his nomination be confirmed.

"One simply does not find a legal mind of such experience on every street corner," Gottlieb observed. "He must be quickly confirmed so Judge Kavanaugh can 'hit the ground running' when the Supreme Court begins its next session on the first Monday in October.

"We think Second Amendment advocates and scholars in particular should appreciate what appears to be Judge Kavanaugh's keen understanding of that enumerated right," he continued. "We are confident that he wouldn't be inventing new interpretations of any tenet of the Bill of Rights, and that he will look with fairness and objectivity at every case that comes before the court.

"Earlier we applauded President Trump's nomination of Judge Kavanaugh," Gottlieb concluded. "Today, we offer the president our congratulations on finding, and sticking with, a superb candidate for one of the toughest and most important jobs in the United States."

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation

Related Links

http://www.saf.org


Mexican roots run deep in San Antonio (which is a previous colonial capital of New Spain and state capital of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas). The city is a three-hour drive from the U.S.-Mexico border, and more than 60 percent of the city's population is of Mexican descent. This cultural heritage is evident through San Antonio's unwavering celebratory spirit -- the city hosts a seemingly endless roster of festivals and events each year, including the 10-day-long Fiesta San Antonio in April -- and also is distinctly felt when it comes to Dia de Los Muertos.

This year's events run the gamut, from small gatherings with traditional altars and face painting to multiple-day festivals featuring live music, stilt walkers, Mexican cuisine and festive parades. In addition to official celebrations, restaurants and cafes across San Antonio will showcase altars, customary decor and fresh-baked pan de muerto, a popular type of sweet bread that is also used as an offering to loved ones who have passed. This collective spirit offers an unforgettable way to experience the city, as well as to gain insight into this unique, historic holiday which views death with lightness and humor rather than fear. Most events are family friendly, allowing children to learn about the rich traditions of the holiday, helping it continue for generations to come.

For a calendar of events, visit here.

For more information, please visit: www.visitsanantonio.com

About Visit San Antonio:

Visit San Antonio is a 501(c)6, and serves as the sales and marketing arm of San Antonio as a leading leisure and meetings destination. San Antonio welcomes 20.9 million overnight leisure visitors annually. Hospitality is one of the top five industries in the city, contributing $13.6 billion into the local economy and employing more than 130,000. More information about Visit San Antonio can be found at visitsanantonio.com.

SOURCE Visit San Antonio

Related Links

http://www.visitsanantonio.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Steward Partners Holdings, LLC (Steward), the holding company for Steward Partners Global Advisory, announced today that Charles D. Johnston has joined the company as the tenth member of the firm's Board of Directors.

Johnston is an established industry veteran with more than thirty-five years of experience working in the wealth management and financial advisory space, and brings extensive executive leadership and board of director experience to his new role. Previously, Johnston served as President and CEO of Smith Barney from 2004 until 2009, when he was named President and COO of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, the firm's joint venture with Morgan Stanley and the largest-ever merger in the brokerage business. As President of the combined business, Johnston oversaw $1.7 trillion in assets under management before retiring in 2011, and was well-known and respected by his peers and employees as an advisor advocate.

"Our board is comprised of some of the most well-known leaders in their industries, each of whom brings their own unique expertise and insight to the firm," said Jim Gold, Steward Partners' CEO. "Charlie's extremely admired and respected within the wealth management space and he's the exact type of industry leader to complement our already esteemed board. We couldn't be more grateful to welcome someone with the influence, accomplishments and contributions to the industry that Charlie has."

"Since our inception, our team has been focused on building Steward Partners into something truly special, with a model and offering that is unlike so many others in the industry," added Hy Saporta, Steward Partners' President. "As our firm continues to grow and evolve, it's exciting to welcome a leader like Charlie who not only understands the industry and where it's heading, but our firm's own vision for the future as well."

"Steward Partners' model stands apart from the pack in an industry known for its adherence to traditions and hesitancy to evolve," stated Johnston. "I'm thrilled to be joining a team with such strong results, client-focused service and commitment to their advisors."

"The last year alone has shown just how much Steward's model and philosophy resonates with the industry's best financial advisors," said Michael McMahon, Steward Partners' chairman of the board. "In this time of growth, we are excited to welcome a leader like Charlie to help expand Steward's vision across all levels of the industry."

Currently, Johnston serves as the chairman of the board for Bank Leumi US, the largest Israeli bank in the United States, and serves on the board of Pzena Investment Management, a deep value equity manager. He is the tenth member of Steward Partners' board, following most recently Stuart McFarland, who joined the board in January of this year.

Johnston joined Smith Barney in 1998, holding various roles before being named President and CEO in 2004. He came to Smith Barney from Lehman, Kuhn, Loeb where he served a number of roles after beginning his career in 1978 with Merrill Lynch as a financial consultant. He holds a B.S. in Marketing and Finance from Purdue University.

About Steward Partners Global Advisory

With offices in Albany, N.Y., Andover and Boston, Mass., Baltimore and Bethesda, Md., Clearwater, Fla., Houston, Tex., Keene, Manchester and Portsmouth, N.H., Paramus, N.J., Richmond, Va., New York City, Washington, D.C., and Newtown, CT, Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC, is an employee-owned, full-service independent partnership catering to family, institutional and multigenerational wealth.

For more information, visit us at www.stewardpartners.com.

About Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.

Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a financial services firm supporting more than 4,300 independent financial advisors nationwide. Since 1974, Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, has provided a wide range of investment and wealth planning related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 7,600 financial advisors in 3,000 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $754 billion. Charlie Johnston and Michael McMahon are not affiliated with Raymond James.

Steward Partners Holdings and Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC, maintain a separate professional business relationship with, and our registered professionals offer securities through, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, 1776 I Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006. Toll Free: (844) 801-8268.

Media Contact:

Jesse Chen  Water & Wall Group

212-625-2365

[email protected]

SOURCE Steward Partners Holdings LLC

Related Links

http://www.stewardpartners.com


GATLINBURG, Tenn., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarlands Distilling Company, producers of award-winning whiskey, moonshine and rum, announced a new partnership with country music rising superstar Cole Swindell.

Swindell will be releasing his own Sugarlands Spirits flavors starting with a Peppermint Moonshine hitting shelves in liquor stores across America, online and in Sugarlands' Gatlinburg distillery in October 2018. Swindell is working with Sugarlands' head distiller Greg Eidam to create a unique recipe that will be released in January 2019.

"The entire Sugarlands Distilling Co. team is excited to work with Cole through this new partnership. We are a company who believes in having fun while creating award-winning spirits. Cole is a perfect fit for the Sugarlands' family and we're excited for him to help us share the mountain spirit," said Edward Vickers, president of Sugarlands Distilling Co.

"I am honored to partner with a quality company like Sugarlands Distilling Company," said Cole Swindell. "I look forward to working with them on creating some of my own flavors of their award-winning spirits. It's going to be a fun new venture for me."

As Swindell hits the road to promote his newest album, 'All of It', being released on Friday, August 17th, Sugarlands is giving fans a unique opportunity to travel to an upcoming performance, meet Cole Swindell and enjoy the concert as a VIP. Throughout the duration of the sweepstakes, there will be weekly and monthly prizes as well as a grand prize awarded. Fans can enter the sweepstakes daily at Sugarlands.com/ColeSwindell.

About Sugarlands Distilling Company:

Sugarlands Distilling Company, located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a craft-distillery producing award-winning moonshine, rum, cream liqueurs and rye whiskey.

Sugarlands distributes their spirits in 24 states nationwide and is available for home delivery in 26 states via Caskers.com.

To learn more about Sugarlands Distilling Company, visit www.Sugarlands.com.

About Cole Swindell:

Swindell has a record-breaking SEVEN No. 1 singles and 10 No. 1 singles as a songwriter. His SONGWRITING credits include his own No. 1 hits as well as No. 1s for Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line. His Reason To DrinkAnother Tour launches in October with Dustin Lynch and Lauren Alaina.

SOURCE Sugarlands Distilling Company

Related Links

http://sugarlandsdistilling.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies trying to digitally transform their business processes are challenged by a rising tide of information chaos and confusion. This scenario is creating a demand for new information management practices that extend beyond traditional enterprise content management.

These and other trends are presenting business leaders with complex challenges, according to a new AIIM Industry Watch survey report sponsored by Canon Business Process Services (Canon). The report, "Digitalizing" Core Business Processes, was designed to examine how organizations view process automation and to determine whether their current efforts are enough to achieve true digital transformation. The term "digitalizing" according to the report suggests going beyond digitizing the steps in a workflow. It is more about redesigning the business as a digital business, not just improving processes that the enterprise currently has in place.

AIIM's research led to three core findings:

True digital transformation requires more than just digitizing back end processes. Many enterprises have yet to do the very basic work of process automation, putting them at a severe disadvantage in their efforts to embrace digital transformation. New technologies like robotic process automation, blockchain technology and intelligent capture open up new opportunities to improve processes as well as totally rethink them.

In one finding, respondents were asked to rank the importance of process automation to their organization. A majority (75%) specified that process automation was important (17%) or very important (58%), making it more of a requirement than a "nice-to-have."

Besides providing insight on these and other findings, the survey report sheds light on how four key information management practices are critical to digital transformation success. These practices include: digitalizing core organizational processes; modernizing the information toolkit; automating compliance and governance; and leveraging analytics and machine learning.

About Canon Business Process Services (Canon)

Canon helps clients enable business agility, digital transformation and lead an increasingly evolving workforce. We solve these challenges by leveraging our experienced team backed by Six Sigma expertise and best-in-class technology. With professionals across the US and in the Philippines, we have been named a Global Outsourcing 100 Leader in 2018 by IAOP for the twelfth straight year. Canon Business Process Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. Learn more at cbps.canon.com and follow us on Twitter @CanonBPO.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contact: Ken Neal, [email protected]

Canon Business Process Services  2018

SOURCE Canon Business Process Services

Related Links

http://www.cbps.canon.com


THC.CSE

THCBF - OTC

TFHC.F

VANCOUVER, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - THC BioMed Intl Ltd. ("THC" or the "Company") (CSE:THC) announces that it has developed a cannabis beverage that mimics alcohol in that the uplifting and energizing effects of the cannabis is felt by the consumer in a short period of time. THC believes that this beverage is a solution to a major problem with cannabis beverages and edibles, as current products cause fatigue and drowsiness.



John Miller CEO comments "THC has conducted extensive research on cannabis edibles and beverages and I have found our product to be exclusive in its category. Our product is absolutely unique in contrast to other products in the industry that simply cannot deliver the expected experience, especially if you are a frequent cannabis user. We are thrilled to have formulated a cannabis beverage that is purely organic, works in a recreational setting and can offer even the most seasoned consumers an entirely new and invigorating experience."

Furthermore, it is the first cannabis beverage known to THC that delivers both mental and body highs through ingestion. THC intends to patent this formula and the Company is confident its beverage, to be named "THC KISS", when legally allowed, will bring a fresh experience to the adult use recreational cannabis market.

Although production and sale of the beverage is not currently legal in Canada, it may become legal at a later date.

About THC

THC is an ACMPR Licensed Producer and Canada's largest supplier of legal Cannabis Genetics. THC also produces and sells dried and fresh marijuana and cannabis oil for medical purposes. THC is on the leading edge of scientific research and the development of products and services related to the medical cannabis industry. Management believes THC is well-positioned to be in the forefront of this rapidly growing industry.

Please visit our website for a more detailed description of our business and services available. www.thcbiomed.com

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of THC. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of THC. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "will," "may," "would," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "could" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Although THC 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 because THC can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and include that (a) THC will patent the formula for its newly developed cannabis beverage, to be called "THC KISS" and (b) that the production and sale of such cannabis beverages will become legalized at a later date in Canada. THC 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.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

SOURCE THC BioMed

Related Links

www.thcbiomed.com


PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Peacock Inn, an iconic Princeton landmark, is pleased to introduce George Parkinson as sommelier of The Peacock Inn Restaurant & Bar. The only boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Princeton is having a renaissance under new ownership by the Genesis Hospitality Group, which began with its upscale fine dining restaurant and continues with the evolution of their wine program.

Genesis Hospitality

George is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, which sets the global standard of excellence and elevates the quality of beverage service throughout the hospitality industry. A wine writer and educator, George is known for his long-running wine column in the Bucks County Women's Journal, a bi-monthly publication with a readership of 50,000.

Under George, the wine program at The Peacock Inn complements executive chef Mark Valenza's "American mosaic" philosophy, globally-influenced cuisine that highlights fresh, seasonal ingredients including locally-farmed produce and aquaculture. "We seek out special places on earth noted for particular expressions of varietal wines or blends," he says. "The multicultural approach to our food opens up an opportunity to include all wine regions of the world," including Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, Pinot Noir from Central Otago New Zealand, Torrontes from Argentina's Mendoza Region, Shiraz from Mac Laren Vale, Australia and many others, alongside extensive by-the-glass options.

He joins the Peacock Inn family with over 35 years of experience in the hospitality and wine industries. George began his professional training at Johnson & Wales College in Culinary Arts and continued his academic education at Diablo Valley College & U.C. Davis in California. George's well-rounded industry background includes sales and marketing experience in organizations such as Cain Cellars Winery and Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. His operational experiences include Club Corp of America which operate over 2,500 Fine Dining venues across North America; The St. Francis Hotel (San Francisco, CA); Domaine Chandon (Napa Valley, CA) among others. His most recent position was Sommelier at Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar (Radnor, PA).

The Peacock Inn's popular fine dining restaurant features an extensive, well-curated wine list and sparkling champagne bar with a Zagat rating of 26 for food, ambiance and service, and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence three years in a row. George's passion for sparkling wine shines through, no matter the occasion. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinnerchampagne is the one wine that can be paired with all foods," he says. The Peacock Inn Restaurant is now open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This fall, champagne-friendly tea time will come to Princeton with dedicated Afternoon Tea seating's.

The Peacock Inn has a storied history as a gathering place for great minds, including Albert Einstein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Awarded Four Diamonds by AAA two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018, The Peacock Inn Hotel is a member of Choice Hotels Ascend Collection, a group of upscale independent hotels providing experiential, individualized travel with local flavor.

About The Peacock Inn

The Peacock Inn, which has been in operation since 1911, blends a rich history with traditional and modern style to create a sophisticated, intimate atmosphere. Dedicated to the highest standards of gracious hospitality and culinary excellence, The Peacock Inn Restaurant & Bar features American Mosaic dining at its finest. The Peacock Inn is located at 20 Bayard Lane in Princeton, New Jersey.

About Genesis Hospitality

Genesis Hospitality provides a comprehensive approach to integrated management, administrative and operational support services in the hospitality and restaurant industry. They deliver integrated solutions through partnerships with member properties to provide a superior dining and service experience.

To find out more, please visit www.peacockinn.com .

Contact:

Name: Alex Bielanski, Managing Director

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (609) 924-1707

www.peacockinn.com

SOURCE The Peacock Inn

Related Links

http://www.peacockinn.com


While at The Prego Expo, Swabbies had over 300 persons visit the booth. They received a live demonstration of how the disposable patented pre-filled applicator worked and received a free sample. As a result, there was a sellout of inventory brought to the show. "The Prego Expo was a huge success," stated Campbell. "Every person that visited the booth seemed genuinely interested and most expressed a desire to be sent links, so they could make online purchases of the product."

There was even a Facebook Live visit of Mrs. Campbell mid-day by another exhibitor from Spray Pal.

And she stated she had been waiting all morning for the crowd to die down around the Swabbies booth to see what all the interest was about. Feel free to visit the Spray Pal Facebook page to see the interview first hand.

Swabbies plans to attend another trade show in a few weeks called the Florida Kids and Family Expo in Orlando to be held on August 18 and 19th. According to The Daddy Company, Swabbies was the buzzword of the show, in fact they came over after the show to congratulate Campbell on having one of the hottest new products featured at the show.

Swabbies has also seen a huge increase in interest from big box retailers as well as medical distributors and small hospitals. "The product is already available online through Amazon and should be on big retail shelves soon. We hope by year end," says Campbell. While Swabbies was originally developed out of a necessity for an alternative way of applying messy diaper creams. "The company has also been approached by other companies whom expressed interest in using the Swabbies patented sanitary applicator to apply other products because of the ease of application and reducing the applier chances of direct contact with a patient potentially reducing the exposure to and unwanted spread of staph and other infection," Mrs. Campbell further explained. The unique design of the Swabbies applicator will allow caregivers to administer the all-natural supreme diaper cream safely and with ease using only a single hand allowing the other to securely hold the child, or patient. Furthermore, the used applicator can then be disposed of properly, with minimum waste of the cream, while reducing the potential spread of harmful infections.

On July 23, 2018 the mompreneur company based in Dunellon Florida released their past public relations firm. They decided to move their public relations in house for a more personal touch and to communicate more effectively with their shareholders and customers. Carman Campbell stated they wanted to give their company a more personal touch, so they have built an in-house team to handle all inquiries about the product, and the company's business activities. The new team consist of persons handpicked by Campbell whom will fully embrace Campbell's vision of how to treat their customers. "I feel this will be a big boost to the Swabbies brand and its product line and building an in-house team will give us a more hands-on approach. It is also more cost-efficient so that we may utilize the saved funds for the expansion notoriety and popularity of the brand. This will be extended to our retailers," explains Swabbies CEO and inventor Carman Campbell. "I am confident of the company's ability to expand the presence both in the US and globally by utilizing this new approach."

Carman and Swabbies were interviewed on Mommy Talk Live hosted by Christy McGlothlin from Wendell, NC you can watch here at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/MommyTalkLive/videos/1843371085968880

About Swabbies Technologies, Inc.:

Carman Campbell, inventor of Swabbies, is a momprenuer whom found that necessity is truly the mother of invention. Wanting to have a free hand and a clean hand when applying the diaper rash cream and changing her squirmy baby's diapers was the first inspiration behind her invention. Swabbies is a patented single hand, single use applicator with a specialized cream made from organic ingredients that is manufactured and assembled in the United States. Swabbies Technologies mission is to make products that are easier and safer for busy parents, their babies, and caregivers to use.

Contact: Mark 1-877-479-2224 ext. 701

SOURCE Swabbies Technologies, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Health Care (Unity), the largest network of community health centers in Washington, D.C., launched a new brand campaign to highlight its dedication to inclusion and innovation. Unity is also taking this opportunity to highlight partnerships with local teaching hospitals like Howard University Hospital. After the closure of important services like labor and delivery at local hospitals, Unity is collaborating with other institutions to fill the void, especially residents in Wards 7 and 8. The new working partnerships bring together primary care and specialty services and academic medical centers to improve the health of Washington, D.C.'s underserved residents.

The campaign illustrates Unity's dynamic approach to treat and care for its medically underserved population through a comprehensive continuum of care and network of services offered by Unity and its affiliates. Unity will unveil its new logo and campaign along with details of its partnership with Howard University Hospital to provide specialty medical services at the new East of the River Health Center, which will be located at the Conway Center, a mixed-use development that includes low-cost housing and job training program developed by So Others Might Eat (SOME).

"This branding change is part of a larger transformation of our organization and aims to highlight our role in the future of health care," said Vincent A. Keane, Unity's President and CEO. "I hope the community is as excited as I am as we continue to strive for equitable health care access for our patients and become more accessible to the community we serve."

As part of the new campaign, Unity has launched a series of broadcast, print, and transit advertising and community-based activities. It is fresh and bold to represent a new approach to care that is more patient focused. The campaign also includes a new logo and tagline: Healthier You. Healthier Communities. Unity's rebrand highlights growth and change within the organization, which now serves more than 100,000 patients annually with more than 20 traditional and non-traditional health care sites.

Other investments in the community include electronic medical records, telemedicine visits with specialists and on-site pharmacies. The new 37,000 square foot health center at Conway will boast 43 exam rooms and greatly expand medical services to residents.

Contact: Nedra Davis

(202) 715-7986

[email protected]

SOURCE Unity Health Care

Related Links

http://www.unityhealthcare.org


Check out October 29, 2021 horoscope. Could it be your lucky day today? 

Feeling lucky? Here's what's in store in today's horoscope.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Aries Horoscope

Aries Horoscope: Breaking down stereotypes is something you have been meaning to work on. Risk-taking tendencies need to be dialed down today. While passion is a good thing, being over-zealous and losing sight of your goal is something you need to be mindful of.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Taurus Horoscope

Taurus Horoscope: At all costs, avoid clashes and conflicts. Take the high road and choose to ignore instead of getting into petty arguments. Reflecting on your past experiments may really open your eyes to how much you have grown as a person. This will not just be an eye-opening experience but one that boosts your confidence.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Gemini Horoscope

Gemini Horoscope: Your temper may fray today and you will really want to speak your mind. Get through such situations, biting your tongue. Your words have a great ability to soothe hurting hearts and minds. Make a deliberate attempt to speak words that dont pave way for heated arguments.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Cancer Horoscope

Cancer Horoscope: You have some really lovely ideas that you want to bring to the table. You cant though, because of your insecurities tying you down. Listen to your heart and just go for it today. You have a lot of people who got your back. Youd regret this, if you dont!

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Leo Horoscope

Leo Horoscope: Keep your distraction to a minimum. Social media has done nothing good for you except increase your anxiety and FOMO. Restrict your social media habits and stick to it, come what may. Make sure you apologize to those whom you hurt with your harsh words. This time, vow not to repeat it again.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Virgo Horoscope

Virgo Horoscope: You have been tooting your own horn, much to the displeasure of people around you. You havent done it consciously. If it was me scenarios have filled your conversations making you appear a tad domineering. Dial it down if you dont want to ruin your chances of getting that new opportunity that you have been vying for.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Libra Horoscope

Libra Horoscope: You have had a few of your exceptional ideas blow up in your face. This has certainly caused you to be less confident because you are so used to your winning streak. You have a bone to pick with someone and this is playing on your mind for quite some time. Better have a cordial discussion instead of a rash one.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Scorpio Horoscope

Scorpio Horoscope: Your sweetness has been mistaken for gullibility. This has made you a target for those who are experts at deception. Show them who is the boss today. Your nervous tension is off the charts and you need to do something to bring it down. Be sure to practice deep breathing exercises or meditation to help you unwind.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Sagittarius Horoscope

Sagittarius Horoscope: Love is not just merely a bunch of amorous activities for you. It is a very spiritual thing for you. Your quest for true love will be a difficult one, because of this. You need to pay a little more attention to a learned person in your group. Take this as a learning experience for you to broaden your horizons.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Capricorn Horoscope

Capricorn Horoscope: You are a ball of fire today. This does not give you the right to lash out on sluggish people. Remember that not everyone is having a great day like you. There maybe things that need your desperate attention at home or in your personal life. Neglecting such important things will surely come to bite you.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Aquarius Horoscope

Aquarius Horoscope: There is no smoke without fire, you keep telling yourself. You are no fool to believe the stories that people have cooked up in an attempt to convince you. You have been meaning to do that new thing that you decided on a while back. Now you realize that this is not as easy as you thought it would be. Take heart practice makes perfect.

Image Source: Prokerala.com Daily Pisces Horoscope

Pisces Horoscope: Fighting fire with fire is not a great idea today. Sweet words are a better way of getting across what you want. Plus, this will not only stale the whole atmosphere but will also dampen the spirits of those around you. Your reckless spending habits are breaking your budget and you must put an end to it.

Did we pique your curiosity about your future? Read your detailed Horoscope and Rashifal to know more,
Caracas, Aug 9 : Venezuela's Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of opposition leader and former congressional speaker Julio Borges in connection with the failed attempt on the life of President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday said Borges is also responsible for the attempted homicide of seven army officers who were injured in last Saturday's attacks, Efe news reported.

The lawmaker was also charged with "terrorism, funding terrorism, and conspiracy to commit crimes".

Borges, who remains a member of congress, is currently in neighbouring Colombia.

The order to arrest Borges comes as the National Constituent Assembly debates lifting the immunity of various legislators accused of links to the attack on the president.

Maduro was presiding over a military ceremony last Saturday when attackers launched two drones carrying explosives toward the president, his wife and other dignitaries.

Electronic counter-measures diverted one drone and the second hit an apartment building several blocks away.

The ceremony was being aired live on television and viewers could see images of Maduro and the first lady looking upward before security officers gathered around the president to shield him.

Six alleged perpetrators are in custody.

On Tuesday night, Maduro accused Borges and another lawmaker, Juan Requesens, of being involved in the attack.

Primero Justicia, the party to which both lawmakers belong, denounced that Requesens was arrested in his home by the Sebin intelligence service.

Borges condemned the arrest of his colleague.

"You are the only person who is responsible for the tragedy in the country," Borges wrote on Twitter from Colombia, addressing Maduro.
Caracas, Aug 9 : Venezuela's Foreign Minister has met the top US diplomat in the country to present evidence linking a Venezuelan living in the US with last weekend's failed attempt on the life of President Nicolas Maduro.

Jorge Arreaza said on Wednesday here after the meeting that he had delivered the US charge d'affaires James Story "a preliminary report" that details the involvement of Venezuelan national Osman Delgado in the attack with explosives against Maduro last Saturday, Efe news reported.

"Venezuela will request the extradition of this citizen and we will carry out the request through the official channels," Arreaza told reporters.

The minister also said that Story had expressed "his concern regarding the events" as well as the willingness of the US "to cooperate" in the investigation.

"For many years, the US has considered the fight against terrorism as one of its main goals. We want to see this in practice by means of cooperation with Venezuela," the foreign minister added.

Also present for the meeting was Attorney General Tarek Saab, who told Globovision television that the conversation was "very cordial."

Saab said that his office had already started the procedures to request the extradition of Delgado, who he associated with the theft of hundreds of firearms and several grenade launchers from a military headquarters last year.
United Nations, Aug 9 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has nominated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to succeed the controversial Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her nomination was sent by Guterres on Wednesday to the UN General Assembly which must approve the appointment.

Zeid's four-year term ends this month and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak had convened a session on August 3 to consider her nomination.

Zeid decided not seek a second term for which he was eligible.

Bachelet, who completed a second term as Chile's President in March, personally experienced human rights violations during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

A doctor, she also has done advanced studies in defence in the US and served as health and defence minister -- unique qualifications for a human rights chief who must confront military organisations involved in human rights violations that inflict physical and mental harm.

Bachelet now faces a task of reestablishing the credibility of her office and of the UN Human Rights Council, which have come under attack during Zeid's stormy tenure.

India had accused Zeid of being biased after he had issued a report on human rights violations in Kashmir and called for a Security Council investigation.

India slammed the report and Deputy Permanent Representative Tanmaya Lal said it reflected "the clear bias of an official who was acting without any mandate whatsoever and relied on unverified sources of information".

The US pulled out of the Human Rights Council in June with Permanent Representative Nikki Haley calling it a "hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights".

Bachelet's father, Air Force Brigadier General Alberto Arturo Miguel Bachelet Martinez, died in custody after being tortured following his arrest by Pinochet who overthrew the democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973.

She herself was detained and tortured before being exiled to Australia.

She moved to what was then East Germany before being allowed to return to Chile in 1979 and resume her medical studies.

After Pinochet's defeat in a referendum in 1988 and the restoration of democracy, she received a scholarship to study at the Inter-American Defense College in Washington.

She was first elected President in 2005 but could not seek re-election as the constitution prohibits the head of state from holding two consecutive terms.

Bachelet joined the UN in 2010 as the executive director of UN Women, the office for empowering women and for gender equality.

She was again elected president in 2013.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
San Francisco, Aug 9 : An elderly Sikh man was viciously attacked in California, leading to fears among the community that he may have been a victim of hate crime, the media reported.

On Wednesday, two teenagers aged 16 and 18, were arrested in connection with the assault on Sahib Singh Natt, 71, in Manteca which took place on Monday morning, reports CNN.

The incident caught on a resident's surveillance camera shows Natt walking around a park, when two men confronted him, kicked him several times and spat on him, police in Manteca said.

In the video, the suspects appear to walk away, and then one of them returns, kicking the man several more times while he is still on the ground, reports ABC News.

Hundreds of people gathered on Tuesday night at Greystone Park in Manteca, just feet away from where Natt was beaten.

Supporters, community leaders and neighbours of the victim voiced their concerns about the attacks.

"It's not an attack on an individual, it's an attack on an entire community," said one speaker.

Natt was at the community event with his family by his side. His daughter, Rupinder Kaur, told the media that Natt is paralysed on the left side of his body because of previous medical issues and could barely speak.

The assault on Natt was the second recent attack on a member of the Sikh community, reports CNN.

On July 31, Surjit Singh Malhi, 50, was attacked as he was putting out political signs in Stanislaus County, 25 miles south of Manteca.

Malhi said the two attackers yelled, "Go back to your country", and then began beating him.

The Sikh Coalition released a statement on Wednesday for others to remain vigilant.

"This is the second violent assault of a Sikh man in California's Central Valley within the last week and we strongly encourage the Sikh sangat in California to remain vigilant."
Washington, Aug 9 : The US is set to impose more sanctions on Moscow over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter using a Soviet-era nerve agent in the UK earlier this year, the State Department announced here.

In a statement on Wednesday, Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US had made this decision on Monday and accused Russia of violating international law, reports CNN.

The statement anticipated that the sanctions would go into effect around August 22 in line with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

Sanctions under this Act have been applied in the past against Syria for its 2013 use of chemical weapons and against North Korea for its use of VX nerve agent during the assassination of Kim Jong-un's half brother in Malaysia.

Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia were hospitalised and treated for the nerve-agent attack in March. Yulia was discharged from the hospital in April, and her father in May.

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law.

Unless Russia takes certain steps, a second set of penalties -- more stringent than this first round -- must follow, according to the law.

The first set of sanctions target certain items the US exports to Russia that could have military uses -- so-called dual use technologies. These are sensitive goods that normally would go through a case-by-case review before they are exported.

With these sanctions, the exports will be presumptively denied.

The items to be included in the second tranche are yet to be confirmed.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, dismissed the sanctions in a tweet late Wednesday responding to the news, CNN reported.

"The theater of absurd continues. No proofs, no clues, no logic, no presumption of innocense, just highly-liklies. Only one rule: blame everything on Russia, no matter how absurd and fake it is. Let us welcome the United Sanctions of America!" Polyanskiy tweeted.

The UK welcomed the move.

In a short statement, a government spokesperson said: "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."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously denied that Russia was behind the Skripals' poisonings, saying in March that it was "unthinkable that we would do such a thing".

Later that month, Trump ordered 60 more Russian diplomats expelled from the US as part of a global response to the attack.
Thane (Maharashtra), Aug 9 : Thousands of people, including grieving family members and friends, here on Thursday received the mortal remains of Major Kaustubh P. Rane who was killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rane was among the four Army personnel killed in a gunfight with terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC) in Bandipura district on Tuesday.

His body reached his home in Mira Road town here early on Thursday, an official said.

Late on Wednesday, the coffin, draped in the national Tricolour, arrived in Mumbai where it was solemnly received by Rane's grieving family members, Army and civilian officials.

Early on Thursday, decked with flowers the coffin was brought to his hometown in a military truck for the last rites which will be performed with full military honours later in the day.

Thousands of emotional onlookers lined the roads on both sides or from building tops and terraces as they showered flowers on the coffin, raising slogans of "Major Kaustubh Rane, Amar Rahe" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", waving the Indian flag. Many women could be seen weeping.

Since Tuesday, the Mira Road township has been in mourning over the death of their hero, who lived over 25 years in Sheetal Nagar area, barely five km north of Mumbai.

Rane, 29, is survived by his aged parents Prakash and Jyoti Rane, sister Kashyapi, wife Kanika and a two-and-half-year old son Agastya.

His father had retired from a Tata Group company, while his mother is a former Assistant Headmistress of Utkarsh Mandir High School in Malad here.

The only son of his parents, Rane fulfilled his childhood dreams of joining 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.

The Major had visited Mira Road town in April for a brief period before returning to the front.

It was a proud moment for the family when Rane was decorated with the Sena Gallantry Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on the 69th Republic Day celebrations this year.
New Delhi : Book: The Wind In My Hair; Author: Masih Alinejad; Publisher: Little Brown UK/Hachette India; Price: Rs 699; Pages: 394 A courageous woman, driven by nothing but her insistence on living life the way she wanted to, untied her hair and let the beautiful curls flow over her shoulder. And all hell broke loose -- she had defied the local law that stated women must wear a veil or hijab over their hair while in public.

Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad's incredible story of fighting for what she believed in and how she founded a major movement for women around the world with the simple removal of her hijab, is captured in her aptly titled memoir, "The Wind In My Hair", out this month in India.

She recalls that as a young girl she travelled from her small village of Ghomikola to the city of Babol to attend high school. Here she saw that most young women did not wear the "chador", a large cloak that leaves only a woman's face visible, and thus decided to stop wearing one herself.

But her father became furious. "You make the devil blush with your sinning. You have brought shame on me, brought shame on your mother. You have ruined our reputation," he said, scolding her. Ironically, when she was being scolded she was clad in a hijab.

Many years later, when Alinejad was a reporter covering the Iranian parliament and was accompanying a commission on a pilgrimage to Mecca, she along with two other female reporters decided not to wear the chador as it was very hot. But she was dressed in a hijab, a dress, trousers, and a long jacket.

"You are shameless -- you have no morality. You have brought shame on the Iranian delegation," a male reporter shouted at her.

Alinejad was very young when the 1979 Islamic Revolution swept across the country. What followed was a diktat that required all women in Iran, including visitors from other countries, to wear the hijab.

"I was taught that women's bodies encouraged men to commit sin," Alinejad writes. She also points out that female members of her family even slept wearing the hijab.

In her teens, she was sent behind bars and was subjected to what she calls "intense interrogation" as she had sided with a political group critical of the Iranian government. But the series of unfortunate events had just begun as, several years later, her husband would leave Alinejad for another woman. However, the courts granted him full custody of their three-year-old son.

All of these events, one after the other, sparked anger and outrage and gradually shaped Alinejad into somebody who defied rules and called for freedom. She went on to write scathing articles that exposed corruption and targeted the supporters of the then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. She was forced to leave the country.

First in London and currently in New York, she lives in exile and has little hope of returning to her native Iran. But after her ouster from the country, she has been actively campaigning against the compulsory hijab law and policing of women's bodies back home.

The turning point came in 2014 when she posted a photograph of herself in London -- without a hijab -- on Facebook. This was followed by another similar picture, but this one was taken while she was still in Iran. Both the pictures communicated strong messages as her hair was blowing freely in the wind.

She then called on the women from Iran to post similar pictures of themselves without the hijab in public places and this became a movement of sorts. Across Iran, women started posting pictures of their uncovered hair on Alinejad's page in open defiance of the strict religious beliefs of their country (and often, their families) while also sharing their personal stories about this powerful mode of expression.

She titled her campaign as "My Stealthy Freedom" and states in the memoir that it celebrates "the moments of small rebellion, the tiny acts of defiance that allow us to breathe, the guilty pleasure of breaking unjust rules". The page now has more than a million followers on Facebook.

She points out that she is not against the hijab but against compulsion, insisting that women in Iran should be allowed to choose what they wear and how they wear it.

In its totality, the memoir tells a compelling story with courage. But the almost-400-page book is often repetitive and could have become a more pleasurable read with some editing.

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
San Francisco, Aug 9 : Apple has announced that the mobile app of US consipiracy theorist Alex Jones', Infowars Official, will continue to be available on its App Store because the application in particular has not violated any of the company's guidelines, the media reported.

Recently, Apple, along with Facebook and Google-owned YouTube took down and banned videos and podcasts by Jones put on pages identified as Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page and the Infowars Nightly News Page, for violating the hate speech, bullying and extremist behaviours rules, making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming.

The content that got banned on Apple reportedly includes "defamatory, discriminatory or mean-spirited content, including references or commentary about religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, national/ethnic origin, or other targeted groups, particularly if the app is likely to humiliate, intimidate, or place a targeted individual or group in harm's way," BuzzFeedNews reported on Wednesday.

But the company believes that the "Infowars Official" app has yet to violate any of those standards.

"We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store, as long as the apps are respectful to users with differing opinions, and follow our clear guidelines, ensuring the App Store is a safe marketplace for all," the report quoted Apple as saying.

An Android version of the app remains in Google's app store as well.

"We carefully review content on our platforms and products for violations of our terms and conditions, or our content policies. If an app or user violates these, we take action," BuzzFeed News quoted a Google spokesperson as saying.

Jones was banned from posting violating content on his Facebook pages for a period of 30 days because his content contained "dehumanising language to describe people who are transgenders, Muslims and immigrants," which violates the social networking giant's hate speech policies, as per previous reports.
Buenos Aires, Aug 9 : The Argentine Senate has narrowly rejected a bill to legalize abortion, dashing hopes of pro-abortion rights advocates in the predominantly Catholic country and the homeland of Pope Francis.

The legislation, which had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies on June 14, would have allowed abortions during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, reports Efe news.

The Senate vote on Wednesday night counted 31 in favour, 38 against and two abstentions out of the total 72 seats.

"Those of us who work on human rights know these are long-term fights. There is a momentum now that we haven't had in Argentina in the past," Tamara Taraciuk Broner, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CNN before the vote.

"If it doesn't move forward, then we'll have to continue pushing for it."

As senators debated the bill late into Wednesday night, pro-abortion rights activists rallied and the Catholic Church held a "Mass for Life" in the capital Buenos Aires.

The bill has ignited passions and sparked widespread protests in Argentina, with anti-abortion campaigners protesting in the streets under blue "save both lives" banners and members of the opposing side in the debate donning green bandanas.

Supporters of the bill rallied across the region on Wednesday in Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Peru as well as across the Atlantic in Spain.

While Pope Francis hasn't addressed the legislation directly, he did speak out strongly against abortion just days after the bill was approved by the lower house - comparing abortion to avoid birth defects to Nazi eugenics, CNN reported.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : The Maratha-sponsored shutdown demanding employment and education quotas started on a peaceful note in most parts of Maharashtra, barring Mumbai Metropolitan Region, officials said on Thursday.

The organisers - Sakal Maratha Samaj and Maratha Kranti Morcha besides other affiliated groups - have appealed to all supporters to ensure a violence-free shutdown and cooperate with the police among others things.

In Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, only token protests were held, the suburban trains on the Western Railway and Central Railway operated normally.

However, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corp (MSRTC) decided to suspend its services in most parts of the state to avoid being the target of the activists.

In Latur, Sholapur, Kolhapur, Palghar and several other places, activists blocked road traffic while Pune, Ahmednagar, Washim, Dhule, Buldhana, Nanded, Akola, Parbhani, Jalna, Hingoli, Aurangabad woke up to a total shutdown.

Although Nashik was normal, there were roadblocks, processions and sit-ins and similar agitations in Nagpur, where activists performed prayers to a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In Yavatmal, a bike rally was taken out.

Internet services were snapped as a precaution in several districts like Aurangabad, Osmanabad and Ahmednagar while protestors staged a sit-in outside the Baramati (Pune district) home of Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar.

There were road blocks on the Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Nashik Highway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, which remained practically traffic-free due to the shutdown.

In Sindhudurg district, Marathas staged a 'jail-bharo' agitation in all sub-districts. They were later let off.

Though exempt from the shutdown, many schools and colleges in the state remained shut as students and teachers could not reach on time owing to the agitation.
Jakarta, Aug 9 : An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia's Lombok Island on Thursday, less than a week after a major earthquake in the region left at least 168 people dead, more than 1,500 injured and 156,000 affected.

The US Geological Survey said the hypocentre was located at a depth of 10 km and 23 km from Mataram, the capital of the province, reports Efe news.

The quake caused people to rush out of their houses and damaged some buildings, National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

In an earlier tweet, Sutopo had raised the death toll from the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck the island on Sunday to 168, adding that official data on casualties was slow due to the verification process.

He referred to informal figures provided by other entities, which in one case put the number of deaths at 381.

The agency also reported that 1,467 people have been hospitalised and more than 156,000 displaced.

The search and rescue teams on Thursday continue to try to locate victims or survivors under the rubble of thousands of demolished buildings.

The Sunday quake occurred a week after another 6.4-magnitude tremor struck Lombok and left 16 people dead, 355 injured and 1,500 buildings destroyed.

The Indonesian archipelago is situated along the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area known for its intense seismic and volcanic activity, which produce about 7,000 earthquakes each year, most of which are of moderate magnitude.
Damascus, Aug 9 : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is being treated for an early-stage malignant tumour, the office of the Syrian Presidency announced.

Born and raised in London, 42-year-old Asma al-Assad has been a highly controversial figure. She was one of 12 people placed under EU sanctions in 2012 over the Syrian government's violent response to the civil war.

A photograph of the First Lady and Assad was posted on Twitter on Wednesday with the President's office saying: "With strength, trust and faith... Asma al-Assad begins her preliminary treatment of a malignant breast tumour that was discovered early.

"From the heart, the presidency and the staff wish Asma a speedy recovery," it read.

Asma al-Assad, a dual British-Syrian national, attended school and university in London before becoming an investment banker.

She shifted to Syria in 2000 and married former ophthalmologist Assad, just months after he succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad as President, the BBC reported.

She has been in the news for standing by Assad throughout Syria's seven-year civil war.

In her first comments about the bloodshed in Syria, Asma al-Assad said in 2012: "The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role."

The same year, activists released thousands of private emails purportedly from Assad and his wife apparently showing that the latter continued to buy luxury goods even after the uprising had begun. She was also personally sanctioned by the EU.

Asma al-Assad also rose to prominence on social media during the Syrian war. Her Instagram feed showed images of her cradling children, sitting by the bedside of injured war victims and touring sites with local women.

She did not speak to foreign media again till 2016 when she told Russian state-backed television that she had previously rejected offers of asylum abroad.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Delhi Police has busted a module of illegal arms suppliers and arrested two persons here with 50 pistols that were to be supplied to a gangster, police said on Thursday.

Police said that the accused persons, identified as Ajeem and Aash, are natives of Uttar Pradesh.

The accused were arrested on Wednesday night from North Delhi's Sant Nagar by a team of the Special Cell following a tip-off. They were caught red-handed when they were supplying the consignment to their contact, a senior police officer said.

"We are questioning them to know more details and their routes. Further investigation is underway," he said.
Jaipur, Aug 9 : With the aim of taking ceramic art into the larger contemporary art world, India's first ceramic triennale will present projects by Indian and international artists at the Jawahar Kala Kendra here from August 31.

"Indian Ceramics Triennale: Breaking Ground", being held in collaboration with the Contemporary Clay Foundation, will engage participating artists and the audience in the discourse around clay as an existing and emerging medium.

Highlighting the need for a ceramics event, Advisory Committee member Peter Nagy said in a statement that although 21st century ceramics have been relegated to a secondary status in the world of art, they have taken on a new relevance now.

"Primordial earth, dirt and clay speak to the very core of our beings and can spark our most fundamental creative energies," he added.

The nearly 3-month-long triennale, which will conclude on November 18, will feature projects from 35 Indian artists who have been described as those "breaking ground around the world for long" by festival Advisor Ray Meeker.

"In India, traditional uses of clay, from village potter to architectural material and ritual art are gradually getting recognized and documented, while the contemporary art world is beginning to utilize the potential and versatility of this material," the organisers said.

The triennale will also see participation of 12 international artists, who will set up studios at the Kendra to exhibit their work.

A book "Building with Fire" by Ray Meeker, who also founded the ceramic initiative Golden Bridge Pottery in Puducherry, will be launched at the event.

Films, masterclasses and workshops, along with talks and an open clay playground will be the major highlights of the event, which will also house projects exploring themes of scale, site specificity and concept through installation, interaction, technology and performance.
Riyadh, Aug 9 : Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that its oil supply to Canada will not be affected despite an escalating diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid Al-Falih, said that the current crisis will not, in any way, impact the state-owned Armco oil company's relations with its customers in Canada, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The minister said that oil supplies will not be subjected to political considerations.

Khalid Al-Falih stressed that the Kingdom continued to invest in its production capacity, considered a key factor in protecting from market volatility that is damaging to the interests of producers and consumers alike and the global economy at large.

Saudi-Canadian ties deteriorated earlier this week over statements made by Canadian Foreign Minister and Canadian Embassy in Riyadh demanding the release of Saudi civil society and women's rights activists.

The jailed activists included Saudi-American human rights campaigner Samar Badawi, sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.

Saudi Arabia considered the Canadian announcements as an "interference" in its affairs and took various measures, mainly cutting the diplomatic ties and freezing new investments between the two countries.

The Middle Eastern nation on Wednesday announced halting of all medical treatment programmes for Saudi citizens in Canada and was coordinating their transfer to medical facilities outside of the country.

Before that, it decided to suspend all training and scholarship programmes in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September. Also, Saudi Arabia's state airline suspended its direct flights to Toronto.

Canada responded to the action by saying it "will continue to advocate for human rights".
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta on Thursday urged the police to file an FIR against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and three other AAP ministers for "forcible occupation" of the Lt. Governor's (LG) Office in June.

Kejriwal with his deputy Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai camped in Raj Niwas, the official accommodation-cum-office of Lt. Governor Anil Baijal from June 11 to 19 to press for acceptance of their demands.

Calling the sit-in a "criminal conspiracy" and "forcible occupation", Gupta, in his complaint to the Deputy Police Commissioner, Civil Lines, said that the four ministers were "guilty of criminal dereliction of their constitutional duties which they were bound to perform as the senior most Delhi Government functionaries".

"The probe must investigate as to how the Chief Minister and his ministers stayed away from discharging their duties and responsibilities in the most demanding times including water, environment crisis, and pre-monsoon desiliting of drains," Gupta said in his complaint.

He said that the "illegal and deceitful dharna" was an "attack on constitutional authorities and democratic principles".

"The LG occupies a constitutional post. He represents the President of India. Any attack on him is an attack on our Constitution and democracy values," Gupta asserted.

"... It was illegal and unauthorised to pressurise the LG to bow to their illegal demands."

On Wednesday, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government had lodged an FIR with the Delhi Police against a counter protest staged by Bharatiya Janata Party members outside Kejriwal's office at the Delhi Secretariat.

The protest was led by Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Taiwanese electronics giant BenQ on Thursday launched "EL2870U" -- the first 4K UHD monitor which is especially designed for eye care.

The monitor is available for Rs 35,000 on Amazon India.

BenQ "EL2870U" eye care monitor features High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology to increase the overall dynamic range between true black and bright white to duplicate what users' eyes see in the natural world.

"We at BenQ bring the most innovative, latest technology to our customers without compromising on the quality. 'EL2870U' has all the features, accuracy, performance and usability offering extremely vibrant and realistic images," Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ, said in a statement.

"We are delighted to introduce 'EL2870U', the first 4K UHD monitor that will cater to the wider audience base in India," Singh added.

The device has fast 1ms Gray-To-Gray (GTG) response time, which ensures a much more responsive and fluent in-game experience than a traditional 4K television.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : A large number of farmers, ex-serviceman and representatives of Left-affiliated organisations on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading and providing wrong information to the nation on MSP and other policies of his government.

Converging at Parliament Street here to protest on "Quit India Day", farmers demanded that the Central government write off crop loans taken from banks and implement the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report which recommends that minimum support price (MSP) be raised to 1.5 times the input cost.

All major farmer outfits from Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh participated in the protest.

All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah said: "He (Modi) is a 100 per cent liar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misleading and providing wrong information to farmers saying they have raised the MSP for the Khariff crops by 50 per cent. It's not true."

Mollah said the present hike only factors in the cost of farm labour and investment on fertiliser and seeds.

"Effective hike is only 13 per cent and PM Modi has failed to honour his promise," he said.

The general secretary said around 20 lakh people in 400 districts of 25 states in the country are protesting against "false promises" made by the Narendra Modi government.

United Front of Ex-Servicemen also protested against what they called faulty implementation of the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme, saying continuous degradation and ill-treatment to the defence forces is taking place in the country.

Colonel R.D. Sharma (retd) said: "After the BJP came to power, it promised to implement the OROP within 100 days. But now it is ignoring our cause and has changed the actual definition of OROP."

Sharma said now he receives less pension compared to his juniors and urged the government to pay uniform pension to all armed forces personnel.
Jhargram (West Bengal), Aug 9 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of misguiding the tribal and scheduled caste communities in the state and trying to buy their votes by giving them cash before the elections.

Without naming BJP, the Trinamool Congress supremo also hinted that the saffron outfit was orchestrating the infiltration of Maoists into Bengal's Jangalmahal (western districts having large forest tracts) from neighbouring Jharkhand to cause unrest in the area.

"There is a political party that misguides the people here before the elections and asks for their votes by giving Rs.1000 in cash to each villager. Do not believe them. They will you give money for two-three days and then disappear," Banerjee said at a public meeting in Jhargram on occasion of 'Adivasi Dibas' (Tribal's Day).

"We have not allowed any tension in this region for the last seven years. We haven't allowed the Maoists to foment trouble. But now some parties are helping the Maoists from Jharkhand to infiltrate here. They are trying to bring back the days of bloodshed and violence in Jangalmahal," she claimed.

She urged the locals of Jhargram not to let the Maoist guerillas enter their area and also stop those who are influencing the Maoists.

The BJP had performed well and picked up a significant number of seats in Bengal's Jangalmahal area comprising Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts in the recent state rural body elections.

Referring to the incidents of lynching in the country, Banerjee said the BJP was not interested in people's welfare and was always trying to divide people along communal lines.

"We do not divide Hindus and Muslims, Sikhs and Chirstians. BJP, the ruling party in Delhi, does these things... They are not interested in the welfare of people. See how the dalits, tribals and minorities are being lynched across the country," Banerjee said.

"Let us take an oath to stop the communal forces. There is no room for communalism, fundamentalism, hatred, conspiracy and propaganda," she said.

Giving out a detailed list of her government's welfare schemes in the backward districts, Banerjee said the state Backward Classes Welfare Department (BCW) has provided caste certificates, reservation in the government sector and higher education, educational loans and scholarships, educational and job opportunities, healthcare facilities, and training in different skills.

She also laid the foundation stone of a new University in Jhargram.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Delhi Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday told the Assembly that no FIR has been filed against opposition MLAs who held a protest inside the Secretariat here in June.

In his written reply, Rai also said that no permission was sought to hold a protest inside the Secretariat.

Replying to a question by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, he said that the General Administration Department is looking into the matter and studying the CCTV footage to identify unauthorised persons present in the Secretariat during the protest.

"Apart from the MLAs, unauthorised persons also entered the Secretariat complex during the protest. I want that FIR should be filed against those found breaking rules," he said.

He also shared a report of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Security) on the issue.

"The Delhi Police has been assigned external security at the Secretariat, that is, entry access control, whereas internal security is looked after by private security firm," it said.

The report said that all locks and keys at the Secretariat are "under the jurisdiction of private security".

In June, BJP MP Parvesh Verma along with BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta, Jagdish Pradhan, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra staged a dharna outside the Chief Minister's office at the Secretariat and put banners across the building when Arvind Kejriwal and three of his Cabinet colleagues were protesting at the Lt Governor's office.

The report said that there is no restriction on the movement of Members of Parliament and Assembly inside the Secretariat.

"They have free movement inside the building as no instructions have been issued to restrict their movements. There is no lapse on the part of Delhi Police staff," it added.
Sana'a, Aug 9 : Dozens of people were killed and injured as an airstrike hit buses carrying children in northern Yemen on Thursday, according to the Yemeni branch of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

The school buses was targeted as they were was passing through a market in the rebel-held province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

"Scores killed, even more injured, most under the age of 10. @ICRC_ye sending additional supplies to hospitals to cope with the influx," Johannes Bruwer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, wrote on Twitter.

The humanitarian organization said that the victims had been taken to one of the hospitals it supports in Sa'ada, located 230 kilometres to the north of the capital.

A spokesman for the Health Ministry of the Houthi rebel-controlled government, Yusef al-Hadari, said that the children were on their way to an educational summer camp organized by the Ministry for Islamic Affairs and that three buses had been targeted in the bombing.

Houthi media aired gruesome footage appearing to show the bodies of children. Other footage showed a young boy being escorted to a hospital, with blood all over his face.

CNN quoted witnesses as saying that the attack could be heard from neighbouring districts.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes since 2015 against Houthi positions -- causing thousands of civilian deaths in the process, according to war monitors -- in an attempt to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The UN, the EU and numerous humanitarian organizations warned that the consequences of the Saudi-led intervention, such as a famine threatening almost 18 million people or a cholera outbreak infecting hundreds of thousands, reached the level of a humanitarian "catastrophe".
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared amendments to the triple talaq bill with the fresh version allowing a magistrate to give bail to the men found instantly divorcing their wives.

According to the new provisions of the bill which is pending in the Rajya Sabha, instant divorce will continue to be illegal and void, attracting a jail term of three years for the guilty.

"The offence has been made compoundable. If the wife and the husband desire to settle their differences, then the magistrate can compound the offence on appropriate terms and conditions. Magistrate can grant bail after hearing the wife," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

He was speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister said the cabinet approved three changes in the bill which has been stuck in the Upper House due to opposition demands on making the offence bailable.

He said if a husband instantly divorces his wife and breaks the marriage, then an FIR can become cognisable even if a blood relative or relative by marriage of the victim files the case.

The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in December last year that made the practice a criminal offence for which a police officer may arrest an accused without warrant.

The practice allows Muslim men to call off their marriage by saying "talaq" thrice.

The bill proposes that a man who pronounces triple talaq shall be punished with a three year jail term and a fine.

The woman will be entitled to maintenance for her and her children. A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 : The Congress-led opposition in Kerala on Thursday objected to the possible re-induction of CPI-M leader E.P. Jayarajan into the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet.

On October 14, 2016, just four months after becoming a Minister, he had to quit following charges that he appointed close relatives in a top post in a state-run PSU.

After he resigned, the vigilance department launched a probe. Last year the court cleared him of all the charges. Since then he and his supporters have been rooting for his return to the ministry.

A special meeting of the CPI-M state committee is scheduled for Friday. This has sparked speculation that Jayarajan will be brought back to the cabinet as part of a ministerial reshuffle.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the re-induction of Jayarajan as a Minister would be immoral.

With Jayarajan being the senior most among CPI-M ministers, his re-induction, if it takes place, could make him the acting head of the government when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan goes abroad.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : A Muslim husband wants to perform a ritual for his dead Hindu wife and a temple society in a New Delhi Bengali-dominated neighbourhood has not allowed because they believe the woman was no longer a Hindu after her marriage even as she hadnt given up her faith.

Imtiazur Rahman, who is based in Kolkata, lost her wife Nivedita Ghatak in the capital after she suffered from multi-ogran failure last week -- 20 years after the couple married in accordance with the Special Marriages Act that allows inter-faith wedding of couples irrespective of their individual faith.

Ghatak was cremated as per Hindu rites at Delhi's Nigam Bodh Ghat but the family could not perform shradh -- a set of Hindu rituals performed for the deceased.

Rahman, who works as assistant commissioner, commercial taxes in the West Bengal government, said he had booked an August 12 slot at Kali Mandir Society in the Bengali-dominated Chittaranjan Park after paying Rs 1,300 for the ceremony on Aug 6. But he was later told by the temple society that his booking has been cancelled "for obvious reasons".

Ashitava Bhowmik, the president of the temple society, told IANS that Rahman's request could not be taken up for "more than one reason".

He alleged that Rahman "concealed his identity" and made the booking in his daughter Ihini Ambreen's name "which doesn't sound like Arabic or Muslim".

Bhowmik said "we got to know about his religious identity when a priest got suspicious and asked him about gotra" -- the lineage which forms an important factor in determining Hindu ancestry.

"Obviously, he had no answers. Muslims don't follow gotra system. His wife can no longer be considered a Hindu after marrying the Muslim because a woman adopts the surname and belief system of her in-laws and becomes a part of that society," Bhowmik told IANS.

Unapologetically, he said, "It was done in keeping with and respecting the Hindu traditions and rites."

Asked since it was the last wish of the woman, who followed the Hindu belief system, Bhowmik said "who knows the man has some ulterior motive and could bring in 50-100 of his relatives inside the temple and start praying Namaz" there.

"What will we do in that case? Should we allow that?" he asked.

Being probed further that it was only the temple society's hypothetical fear, Bhowmik said if Rahman was too keen on performing the ritual of his wife he should do that at his home.

"Why insist on a temple in Delhi? Why doesn't he do it at his home in Kolkata?"

But Rahman countered the allegations saying faith was a personal matter for him and it had never hurt his relationship with his "practising Hindu wife" as she would perform any ritual the way she wanted and he would do it his way.

"This time I wanted to do it her way because she would have wanted to me do it like that. But am not being allowed." He has not been able to hold the shradh ritual till now.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved the construction of the 6.93 km-long four-lane bridge at Phulaut in Bihar that would cut down the distance between Phulaut to Bihpur from 72 km to 12 km.

"The CCEA, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the project for construction of 6.930 km-long four-lane bridge at Phulaut in Bihar," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media here.

He said currently there is a 10 km-long missing link between Phulaut and Bihpur on NH-106 and falling in the catchment area of the Kosi river.

"Presently, the traffic from Phulaut to Bihpur requires to take a detour of approximately 72 km. On construction of the new four-Lane bridge across the Kosi river under this project, the distance between Phulaut and Bihpur shall be reduced to only 12 km," he said.

He said that the new bridge will generate direct employment of about 2.19 lakh man-days during the construction.

The construction of this bridge would fill the existing 30 km-long gap between Udakishanganj and Bihpur on National Highway Number 106 in Bihar, which will provide through connectivity between Nepal/North Bihar/East-West Corridor (passing through NH-57) and South Bihar/Jharkhand/Golden Quadrilateral (passing through NH-2), besides full utilization of National Highway Number-31.

The Minister said the CCEA also cleared the decks for rehabilitation and upgradation of the existing Birpur-Bihpur section of National Highway-106 from Km 106 to Km 136 to 'Two-lane with Paved Shoulder' in Bihar at a capital cost of Rs 1,478.40 crore.

"The construction period for the project is three years and is likely to be completed by June, 2022," he said.

Highlighting the requirement of the two-lane road, Prasad said presently the existing NH is having single or intermediate lane configuration with poor road geometry, and therefore the average speed on the highway is below 20 km per hour.

"With the upgradation of the highway to two-lane with paved shoulder configuration and construction of bridge on the missing link, the travel speed would increase to the design speed of about 100 km per hour," he added.
Kolkata, Aug 9 : West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh's vehicle was attacked by miscreants in Bankura district on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, adding that an FIR in the case has been lodged.

Ghosh's car was allegedly attacked by miscreants when he was returning to his hotel in Khatra after having dinner at a party worker's house in Jaldoba.

Though the leader was unharmed in the attack, some party workers accompanying him were allegedly beaten up and sustained injuries. The back screen of Ghosh's car was damaged by stone pelting, a BJP leader said.

"An FIR has been lodged in the case on the basis of the complaints received from Ghosh and local BJP unit leader Mrinmoy Mahato. Police is talking to the locals and eyewitnesses to trace the accused," an officer from Khatra police station said.

In his complaint, Mahato said six known locals and a few unidentified miscreants allegedly tried to heckle Ghosh and vandalised his car at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday when they were leaving from a party worker's house.

"They also attacked me and some of the fellow party workers with iron rods and threw stones and bricks at us when we tried to protect Ghosh. I was severely injured in the incident," he said.

Meanwhile, the car of another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samik Bhattacharya, a former MLA, was also attacked by miscreants on Wednesday afternoon while he was on his way to attend a meeting in Nadia district's Chakdah.

BJP National General Secretary P. Murlidhar Rao on Thursday strongly condemned the incident and accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of orchestrating the attacks and also accused state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not taking any action against the offenders.

"Our party President from Bengal was attacked by goons of Trinamool Congress yesterday (Wednesday). Another leader Shamik Bhattacharya's vehicle was vandalised by state ruling party workers in Chakdah on the same day. BJYM Tripura President Tinku Roy was also attacked by Trinamool workers in that state. Three such incidents in one day... One must understand the gravity of the situation," Rao, also the in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha (BJYM) said here.

"The Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo never condemned such incidents and never took action against the offenders. It is not just the BJP but there have been constant attacks on other opposition parties in Bengal," he alleged.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Korea on trade remedy cooperation.

Signed in July during the visit of the South Korean President to India, the MoU will promote cooperation between the two countries in areas like anti-dumping, subsidy and countervailing and safeguard measures.

The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jaipur, Aug 9 : A man reported missing from Jaipur for the past 36 years has been found in a Pakistani jail and will be released on August 13, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra said on Thursday.

He said Gajendra Sharma was traced in May in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.

Bohra, accompanied by Sharma's wife, their son and local BJP leaders, met Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on Thursday and sought Sharma's early release.

The MP said the Minister assured him that Sharma would be released on August 13 from the Lahore jail.

Bohra said Gajendra Sharma was initially jailed for two months, but due to lack of consular access, he had to spend over three decades behind bars in the Pakistani jail.

Sharma's family says he had disappeared in 1982 and that they were clueless about his whereabouts till May 4, 2018 when they received a letter from the local police.

The Superintendent of Police (Rural), Jaipur, had received a few papers from Pakistan asking for Sharma's citizenship.

The documents were forwarded to the Samod police station for further verification as Sharma's original address came under the jurisdiction of that police station.

The documents were enough to confirm Sharma's presence in the Lahore Central Jail, Bohra said.

Sharma's wife said her husband worked as a labourer and had left home without informing anybody. Since his disappearance, she had started working as a peon in a private hospital.

It is not known how Sharma ended up in the Pakistani jail.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Antigua and Barbuda government is examining India's request for the extradition of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud and who has now taken citizenship in that Caribbean nation, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

"We have submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda a request for extradition on August 3," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing here.

"There is an extradition arrangement between India and Antigua and Barbuda pursuant to our respective Extradition Acts," Kumar said.

"As per the provisions of Extradition Act 1993 of Antigua and Barbuda, a person can be extradited to a designated Commonwealth country or a state with which there are general or special arrangements or a bilateral treaty."

According to Kumar, the Antigua and Barbuda government notified India as a designated Commonwealth country in 2001 while New Delhi issued a gazette notification on August 3 which directs that the provisions of its own Extradition Act of 1962 shall apply with respect to Antigua and Barbuda with effect from 2001.

"Now, since the submission of the extradition request, we have been told that they are examining the request," he said.

"So, it is little bit premature to react at this stage as to what their formal response is."

Regarding Nirav Modi, the other accused in the massive scam, the spokesperson said the request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his extradition, was forwarded by the External Affairs Ministry to British central authority on August 3.

Acknowledging that this was based on the two red corner notices issued by the ED, he said: "Now, we of course wait for the response of the British government on this matter."

As for absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in the over Rs 9,000-crore bank fraud case, Kumar said following India's extradition request sent in February 2017, the matter is pending adjudication with the Westminster Magistrate's Court in London.

"The extradition hearing began in December 2017 and the last hearing was held on July 31," he said.

"We understand that the matter again will be heard on September 12, 2018."
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPAC).

The Cabinet's nod has been granted to the ex-post facto approval of the MoU signed in 2011, and approval for signing of MoU between ICAI and CPAC, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference.

"The MoU envisages arrangements for reciprocal membership that will apply to the respective members of both the Institutes subject to specified criteria. It also includes further collaboration on the definition, learning, and evaluation of the professional qualities and skills and competencies of entry-level chartered accountants," said the Minister.

Prasad said the aim is to work together to develop a mutually beneficial relationship in the best interest of ICAI members, students and their organizations. "The MoU will provide an opportunity to the ICAI members to expand their professional horizon and simultaneously the institute will become an entity to aid strengthen brand building of local nations. It will foster strong working relations between the ICAI and CPAC."

As per Cabinet statement, the MoU would help encourage more and more young Indian chartered accountants to take up the recognition of CPAC professional designation to further help them pursue opportunities in Canada.

A number of Indian chartered accountants are holding top level positions in Canadian companies and with the recognition from CPAC, the Canadian corporates would trust Indian talent and skills more and proceed to hire them, said the statement.

"The MoU will apply to members of good standing who have gained membership in the ICAI or one of the Canadian Provincial CPA bodies by meeting the education, examination and practical experience requirements of the ICAI or the Canadian Provincial CPA bodies respectively. This agreement does not automatically apply to individuals who have gained membership of the ICAI or the Canadian Provincial CPA Bodies through another agreement with a third party," it said.

ICAI is a statutory body established by an act of Parliament of India, The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949', to regulate the profession of chartered accountancy in India. CPAC Institute is the national organization established to support a unified Canadian accounting profession.
Colombo, Aug 9 : Global hospitality services provider Airbnb has signed-up with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to provide tourists with local and traditional experiences in the country through the "Airbnb Experiences" platform.

On Thursday, the global hospitality services provider signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SLTDA.

Travellers can choose from more than 40 "Airbnb Experiences" in Sri Lanka designed and led by local experts, Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb's Country Manager for India and Sri Lanka said at the MoU signing event.

"Our Sri Lankan hosts offer a wide range of experiences, from heritage trails in Galle to surfing experiences in Mirissa, and adventure walks in Sri Lanka's national parks to discovering the best local food spots in Colombo," Bajaj said.

The experiences on offer would include local cuisines, water sports, walk around heritage monuments and tours of wildlife sanctuaries among others, all arranged by local people who are partners with Airbnb.

The company further said, under its "Social Impact" category of experience, it would facilitate tourists experiences such as visit to a traditional small scale industry such as a handloom industry, adding that Airbnb would charge any commission on such experiences.

"We are excited to work with Airbnb to promote experiences in Sri Lanka and we are of the view that an engagement of this nature would be of great value to the tourism industry of Sri Lanka," Kavan Ratnayaka, Chairman, SLTDA.

Airbnb's APAC Head of Strategic Partnerships, Thao Nguyen said: "Through the partnership announced today, we're excited to work with the Sri Lankan government to promote tourism that is local, authentic and sustainable."

The "Airbnb Experiences" platform was launched in 2016 with 500 experiences across 12 cities globally and now the platform offers over 15,000 experiences in over 800 cities, Bajaj said. In India, he said, the platform has been launched in Delhi and Goa so far.

"By the end of this year, we will have expanded into at least a thousand around the world," he added.

(Rituraj Baruah is in Colombo on an invitation from Airbnb. He can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in)
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Lok Sabha on Thursday referred to the standing committee a bill that seeks to protect depositors' interest by providing a comprehensive mechanism to ban unregulated deposit schemes.

The decision was taken after BJP member Nishikant Dubey demanded that the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 be sent to the standing committee for a detailed examination.

Dubey made the demand soon after the Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla got up to move the bill for passage in the House.

Deputy Speaker M. Thambidruai said the bill will be sent to the standing committee as suggested by members.

The bill aims to prevent unregulated deposit schemes or arrangements at their inception and at the same time makes soliciting, inviting or accepting deposits pursuant to an unregulated deposit scheme as a punishable offence.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : Despite appeals by the organisers, the Maratha-sponsored Maharashtra shutdown turned violent in many parts of the state with incidents of arson, road blocks and clashes with police before it ended on Thursday evening, officials said.

Though the shutdown got on to a peaceful start in the morning, within hours there were many incidents of violence, especially in Pune district. A dozen public and private vehicles were damaged in other parts of the state.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakala Maratha Samaj had issued a 'code of conduct' to the supporters to ensure a violence-free shutdown but it remained on paper.

In Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, only token protests were held, the suburban trains services on the Western Railway, Central Railway and Metro Railway operated normally and traffic was unhindered.

Attempts were made to block the railways in Nagpur, Pune and Nanded. The Umri railway station was attacked and damaged, leading to delays or cancellations of several long-distance trains on various routes.

As a precaution, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corp (MSRTC) suspended its services in most parts of the state to avoid being targetted by activists. Lakhs of travellers in rural areas were badly hit.

There were road blocks on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Nashik Highway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway which remained practically traffic-free due to the shutdown.

In Pune, protestors staged a sit-in outside the Baramati (Pune district) home of Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar and in Latur, Congress legislator Triambak Bhise's vehicle was stoned and he was roughed up before the security officials came to his rescue.

Activists climbed on the walls of the Pune Collectorate building, induled in stone-pelting and attempted to stop mediapersons from reporting the protests.

Internet services were snapped as a precaution in Navi Mumbai and several districts like Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Aurangabad, Osmanabad, Yavatmal and Ahmednagar.

In Latur, Sholapur, Jalna, Hingoli and Ahmednagar, tyres were burnt on roads. In Kolhapur, Palghar and several other places, roads were blocked while most districts like Pune, Ahmednagar, Washim, Dhule, Buldhana, Nanded, Akola, Parbhani witnessed near total shutdown.

Although Nashik city remained normal, the situation elsewhere in the district was different with roadblocks, processions and sit-ins. Similar agitations were reported in Nagpur, where activists performed prayers to a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

In Yavatmal, a bike rally was taken out and a bullock cart procession hit the roads in Nanded.

A group of activists went to the Aurangabad MIDC and indulged in stone-pelting at several companies. Police responded by firing in the air.

In Mumbai, Shiv Sena legislator Prakash Ambitkar attempted to enter the Maharashtra legislature building but was prevented by the security, and he sat on a dharna opposite the gates.

In Sindhudurg district, Marathas staged a 'jail-bharo' agitation in all sub-districts. They were later let off.

Though exempt from the shutdown, many schools and colleges in the state remained shut as students and teachers could not reach on time owing to the agitation.

The shutdown was called off at 5 p.m., in some places by singing the National Anthem.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday gave its approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Indonesia on scientific and technological cooperation.

Signing of the MoU will open a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries as both sides will now leverage complementary strengths spurred by a significant convergence of mutual interests in science and technology, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at a press conference here.

"The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation in the fields of science and technology between India and Indonesia on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. The stake-holders will include researchers from scientific organisations, academia, Research and Development laboratories and companies from India and Indonesia.

"Information and Communication Technology; Marine Science and Technology; Life Sciences (including Biotechnology, Agriculture and Biomedical Sciences); Energy Research; Water Technologies; Disaster Management; Space Sciences, Technology and Applications; Geospatial Information and Applied Chemistry were identified as potential areas for immediate collaboration," Prasad said.

The Minister further said the MoU was signed in May by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan and Mohamad Nasir, Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education, Indonesia.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : Foreign fund inflows, along with domestic political developments, lifted the Indian equity indices to new record highs on Thursday with the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex crossing the 38,000 points mark.

Similarly, the the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) made a fresh intra-day record high of 11,495.20 points.

Even the broader market indices like the BSE MidCap and SmallCap made gains. They rose 0.59 per cent and 0.29 per cent respectively.

Sector-wise, PSU banks, realty and metal stocks led the northward trajectory of the two key indices.

According to market observers, fresh highs came on the back of renewed confidence in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government as the Janata Dal-United's Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He was fielded by the BJP-led NDA.

Also, broadly positive global cues such as low crude oil prices and better-than-expected quarterly results pushed the key indices higher.

Consequently, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex closed at a new record high of 38,024.37 points, higher by 136.81 points or 0.36 per cent from its previous close.

The barometer index touched a fresh record high of 38,076.23 points and a low of 37,939.28 points during the day's trade.

Besides, the wider NSE Nifty50 made a new closing high of 11,470.70 points, higher by 20.70 points or 0.18 per cent.

"Technically, the underlying trend of the Nifty remains up. Further upsides are likely once the immediate resistance of 11,493 points is taken out," HDFC Securities' Retail Research Head Deepak Jasani, told IANS.

"Crucial supports to watch for any weakness are at 11,415 points."

Geojit Financial Services' Head of Research Vinod Nair said: "Green shoots in earnings and growth prospects of domestic economy overrode global headwinds caused by trade tensions."

"On the other hand, oil price hovering near the recent low and increasing exposure of FIIs in domestic equity, bodes well for the market direction."

Investment-wise, provisional data with exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors bought scrip worth Rs 370.68 crore, while the domestic institutional investors sold stocks worth Rs 85.39 crore.

On the currency front, the rupee weakened by 6 paise to 68.68 against the US dollar from its previous close of 68.62.

Sectorally, the S&P BSE banking index rose 415.77 points, the metal index was up 179.90 points and the realty index ended higher by 49.27 points.

In contrast, the S&P BSE consumer durable index declined by 191.98 points, followed by the healthcare index, which was down 99.41 points and the capital goods index which ended lower by 51.77 points.

The major gainers on the Sensex were ICICI Bank, up 4.64 per cent at Rs 332.95; Axis Bank, up 3.86 per cent at Rs 619.45; Vedanta, up 2.56 per cent at Rs 230.50; State Bank of India, up 2.53 per cent at Rs 316.45; and PowerGrid up 1.69 per cent from Rs 192.75 per share.

The major losers were Bharti Airtel, down 4.64 per cent at Rs 366.75; ONGC, down 1.75 per cent at Rs 168.90; Kotak Mahindra Bank, down 0.98 per cent at Rs 1,277.70; L&T, down 0.88 per cent at Rs 1,286.35; and IndusInd Bank, down 0.86 per cent at Rs 1,985.05 per share.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday granted permission to operate wide-bodied aircraft at Calicut airport that will see Saudi Arabian airlines operate direct flights to the Kingdom from the city in Kerala, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said.

The operation of international flights from Calicut would also likely lead to its becoming an embarkation point from Haj pilgrims, Prabhu told reporters here at a briefing. He was accompanied by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha and Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam.

"The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has today decided to start operations from Calicut, which will facilitate a large number of people from Kerala who are living abroad," Prabhu said.

Sinha said that the Saudi Arabian national carrier plans to fly aircraft like A330 and Boeing 777 to Calicut and technical clearance had been given for these wide-bodied planes.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had suspended wide-bodied aircraft operations at Calicut airport in May 2015 following a directive from the DGCA, citing safety concerns.

"Safety and passenger convenience are our primary concern and we have to ensure that these are not compromised," Prabhu said.

"AAI has informed us that all mitigation measures (to enable wide-bodied flights) will be in place by August 20," he said.

Ministry officials said the Saudi Airlines had not intimated a date for starting operations from Calicut.

Work is underway to construct a new international terminal at Calicut which will increase its current passenger handling capacity of 3.5 million people per annum to 5 million when completed, officials said.

"Calicut is likely to be an embarkation point for the Haj pilgrimage from next year," Sinha said.

It was also announced that Kerala's fourth international airport at Kannur will start commercial flight operations in October.

"It is rare that a new greenfleld airport like Kannur starts with operating international flights," Prabhu said.

Kerala will also soon start twin-engine sea-plane operations following the DGCA's issuing of the regulatory framework for such aircraft and the waterdrome certification, the Minister announced.

"Operators can now apply for the licence to ply sea-planes on specified routes. Other possible destinations for such services can be island areas like Lakshadweep and Andamans," Sinha said.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking a CBI inquiry into the killing of 15 alleged Maoists by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on August 6.

The plea was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra which posted it for hearing on August 13.

An NGO, Civil Liberty Committee, approached the apex court seeking investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or constitute a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the killings.

It sought direction to constitute a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of high hourt.

On August 6, 11 alleged Maoists were killed and two others, including a senior cadre and an injured woman rebel, were held after a gun battle with security forces in Sukma district.

The police had said that operation was based on an intelligence input about the presence of a large number of Maoists in the area and they were killed as they retaliated with firing when the police asked them to surrender.

Eight Maoists, including four women, were gunned down in a similar operation conducted by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on July 19.

In April, eight Maoists -- six of them women -- were killed in a joint operation by Chhattisgarh and Telangana security personnel near the inter-state boundary in Bijapur.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that amends the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 and provides for setting up of a Central Council of Homoeopathy which regulates homoeopathic education and practice.

The Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill.

The Bill replaces the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 that was promulgated on May 18 this year.

The Bill amends the 1973 Act to provide for the supersession of the Central Council. The Central Council will be reconstituted within one year from the date of its supersession. In the interim period, the central government will constitute a Board of Governors, which will exercise the powers of the Central Council.

The Board of Governors will consist of up to seven members including persons of eminence in the field of homoeopathy education besides "eminent administrators" appointed by the central government. The central government will select one of these members as the Chairperson of the Board.

As per the Bill, if any person has established a homoeopathy medical college, or if an established homoeopathy medical college has opened new courses or increased its admission capacity before the passage of the Bill, it will have to seek permission from the central government within one year.

If such a permission is not taken, the medical qualification granted to a student from such medical colleges will not be recognised under the Act.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : On the 76th anniversary of the historic Quit India Movement, the Maharashtra Congress on Thursday said the "the time has come to say 'Chale Jao' (go away) to the Bharatiya Janata Party government" at the Centre.

The main opposition party gave a call to Congress activists to "prepare" for a battle against those who sided with the British to oppose the freedom struggle and are now attempting to bring in dictatorship in the country.

Addressing a large meeting of Congress workers at the August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai, Maharashtra party President Ashok Chavan said it was from this venue and this day (August 9) that Mahatma Gandhi had issued the clarion call of Quit India in 1942.

"People from all walks of life, including caste, creed and religion, forget their difference and wholeheartedly participated in the Quit India Movement. It laid the foundations for national values like secularism and democracy," Chavan said.

Today, he said, those who had sided with the British to oppose the Independence movement, are now ruling the country and attempting to erase those very values, and this needs to be challenged.

Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said the time has come to issue a 'Chale Jao' call to the present BJP regime to free the country from growing atrocities against its own people.

"We have to unitedly fight against the BJP to re-establish the atmosphere of peace, progress, social justice and communal harmony," Nirupam said.

Both Chavan and Nirupam cited how over 45,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state so far, there are ongoing agitations by farmers and different communities for their rights, a huge rise in violence against women, the minorities and the oppressed sections of society.

"There are restrictions on what the people should eat, what they should wear, innocents are being lynched by violent mobs and injustice is being meted out to Dalits and minority communities all over," Chavan said.

Nirupam said the freedom of media, which is one of the pillars of democracy, is being curbed, those speaking out against the government and its scandals are dubbed as 'anti-nationals'.

"There is a growing sense of discontent among the people everywhere. They do not feel secure anymore under the government. There cannot be peace and harmony in the country till the BJP government is overthrown in 2019," said Nirupam.

Earlier, Chavan and Nirupam led the Congress and Seva Dal activists to pay homage at the August Kranti Memorial with top leaders joining them.

The gathering also paid respects to the slain Indian Army Major K.P. Rane, whose last rites were performed in Mira Road, Thane, earlier this afternoon.

Later, they took out a large procession from August Kranti Maidan to the famous Mani Bhavan in Girgaum, where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked for several years.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The government is undertaking over 1,800 road projects across the country with a total length of over 60,000 km in order to resolve the problem of traffic jams on national highways, Parliament was told on Thursday.

Out of these, around 295 major projects including bridges and roads were likely to get completed by March next year, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

"To resolve the problem of traffic jams in the country the government has undertaken the work of constructing new underpasses, over-bridges and widening of roads.

"Around 1,837 projects amounting to Rs 6.45 lakh crore having length of 61,164 km are ongoing for the development and resolving the problem of traffic jams on national highways in the whole country," an official statement said.

It added that provisions of over bridges and underpasses, along with widening of roads, have been made an integral part of the highway development project for the safety of road users.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that proposes to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to enable the overseas electors to appoint proxies to cast their votes in the elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Replying to the debate on the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Law Minister Ravi Shankar said it was a "momentous event" and a big opportunity was being given to non-resident Indians (NRIs).

He said the constitution makers had given the right to vote to all Indians and as such the NRIs also had the right. "Let us not deride the contribution of NRIs. They have made a place for themselves by their hard work. Their commitment to India is truly remarkable," he said.

Responding to the apprehension of some members that the proxy provision can be misused, he said rules will be made in such a way that if law is flouted, it will lead to cancellation of the mandate.

Responding to members' concerns about migrant workers, Prasad said the Election Commission was already working on it.

"Our sympathy is with them. They should be given the right to vote," he said.

Prasad said migrant workers can at present vote from their original place of living or by satisfying the Election Commission that they were ordinary residents of their place of work.

Referring to the concerns of members about the word "proxy", Prasad said it is not a dirty word.

"It is a properly defined legal word. Armed forces are also given right of proxy voting," he said.

About the suggestion for introducing e-voting, Prasad said there were a lot of difficulties in it and more advancement in technology will be needed to make a secure architecture.

Pointing to opposition benches, he said they should not have any objection if NRIs want to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he travels abroad.

He said India is seen as a global power.

The Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides for allocation of seats and delimitation of constituencies for elections, qualifications of voters, and preparation of electoral rolls.

The Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides for the conduct of elections and offences and disputes related to elections.

The statement of objects and reasons of the bill states that the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 provide that the overseas electors can register themselves in the electoral rolls and exercise their franchise in person on production of original passport.

"The existing rules stipulate the physical presence of the overseas electors in the respective polling station in India on the day of polling. This causes hardship to the overseas electors in exercising their franchise by being present in India on the day of polling.

"In view of the above difficulty faced by the overseas electors, the Government has considered the feasibility of facilitating external mode of voting i.e. voting by proxy, whereby such electors can exercise their franchise from their place of residence abroad," the statement said.

The bill proposes to amend section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to enable the overseas electors to appoint a proxy to cast the vote in an election on their behalf, subject to certain conditions to be laid down.

According to a UN survey, India's diaspora population is the largest in the world with 16 million people from the country living in 2015.

The bill also proposes changes in the Acts to make provisions gender neutral and replace the term wife with spouse.
Sana'a, Aug 9 : At least 43 people, mostly children believed to be under the age of 10, were killed and several injured when Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit buses in northern Yemen on Thursday, officials said.

The buses were targeted as they were passing through Dahyan market in the rebel-held province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

"A total of 43 people, mostly pupils under the age of 10, were killed and 64 were injured when two Saudi-led airstrikes hit passenger buses in Dahyan popular market," Yahya Shayem, head of Saada Health Office, told Xinhua news agency.

"The victims were mostly pupils who were on their way to attend a summer school in Dahyan," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a hospital it supported in Saada had received dozens of casualties after the attack.

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television quoted a statement by the Saudi-led coalition as saying that "Thursday's airstrikes targeted Iranian-allied Houthi rebels who fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday at the Saudi commercial city in border Jazan region."

The coalition, backing Yemen's government in a war with the Houthis, said its actions were "legitimate", according to the BBC.

In response, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam called the coalition statement "absolutely ridiculous".

"They killed pupils driving to school ... this is a war crime," Abdulsalam tweeted.

The Houthi spokesman's comments came at the same time the coalition warplanes hit the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa 11 times, with no reports of casualties yet. The airstrikes targeted Sabeen Square and two military camps.

Houthi media aired gruesome footage appearing to show the bodies of children in school uniform. Other footage showed a young boy being escorted to a hospital, with blood all over his face.

The ICRC stressed that "under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict", while the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland called it a "grotesque, shameful" attack that showed "blatant disregard for rules of war".

It was not immediately clear whether the bus was the target of airstrikes, but coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki said the attack was "a legitimate military action, conducted in conformity with international humanitarian law".

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes since 2015 against Houthi positions -- causing thousands of civilian deaths in the process, according to war monitors -- in an attempt to restore the internationally-recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Last week, the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes struck the gate of al-Thawra hospital and adjacent fish market in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, killing 52 civilians and wounding 102 others.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of being anti-Dalit. BJP President Amit Shah hit back saying the Congress must stop treating Dalits with a "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"If Modiji had space for Dalits in his heart, then the policies for Dalits would have been different," Gandhi told a protest rally by Dalits at Jantar Mantar here.

He said when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister he wrote in a book that "Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai" (Dalits feel happy when they do cleaning work). "This is his (Modi's) ideology."

Gandhi said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was brought by the Congress when his father Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

"But that was allowed to be diluted by Modiji. And the judge who diluted the act was given a promotion," he said, referring to the appointment of Justice A.K. Goel as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman Justices Goel and U.U. Lalit had in a March 20 ruling laid down stringent safeguards, including provisions for anticipatory bail and a "preliminary enquiry" before registration of a case under the act, citing instances of its abuse for political or personal reasons.

The ruling angered Dalits. On July 6, Justice Goel retired from the Supreme Court. On the same day, he was appointed the NGT chairman.

The government, however, made an amendment to the 1989 act that overturned the Supreme Court ruling and restored the provision for immediate arrest of an accused. The amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Gandhi said whereever the BJP was in power, Dalits were being "beaten up and suppressed".

Pointing out the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a University of Hyderabad PhD student, the Congress leader said Dalits were crushed if they tried to advance in life.

"We don't want an India where Dalits are suppressed. We want an India where everyone grows. His (Modi's) thinking is anti-Dalit... The entire country will stand up against him, the BJP and the RSS."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief advised Gandhi to give "some time to facts", accusing his party of treating Dalits with "patronising and condescending" attitude.

"Rahulji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well. The NDA government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament, ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Why are you protesting that?" Shah said in a series of tweets.

"Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his party's treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronizing and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah alleged.

The Rajya Sabha MP also said: "Is it a co-incidence that the year Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress, the Third Front-Congress government opposed reservations in promotions and the year Rahul Gandhi becomes Congress President, they oppose a tough SC/ST Act and OBC Commission!"
Ranchi, Aug 9 : The Jharkhand government will soon make physical verification of land by government officials mandatory before registry, said an official on Thursday.

"We have prepared a draft which will be sent for Cabinet's approval. The draft has been prepared after studying the land registry process in some states.

"Once the draft is cleared by the state, registry of land will be done only after physical verification," a Land and Revenue Department official told IANS.

He said: "The Registry Department officials will visit the land and they will take selfie there which will be part of the land verification record."

The move has been initiated to stop illegal sale of the land, the official said, adding that some cases of sale of particular pieces of land to more than one person, which creates land dispute.

In Jharkhand, scores of murders have taken place over land-related disputes. The state government's move is likely to minimise such killings.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the jammers in the Tihar Central Jail in Janakpuri will be improved so that people living in nearby areas will not suffer because of it.

Jain made the statement during the Monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly when Aam Aadmi Party MLA Rajesh Rishi complained that jammers installed in the Tihar are not working inside the jail but is affecting the people living nearby.

"The jammers installed in the jail are not affecting the signals of phones used inside the jails. But the people living nearby are affected. They are not able to use their phones," Rishi, the Janakpuri MLA, said.

Responding to his complaint, Jain directed the officials to look into the matter.

"I will also try to improve the quality of the jammers soon so that it will have strong jamming power but only for a smaller area so that people will not be affected," Jain informed the House.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed a heated exchange between interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge with the minister challenging Kharge to fight an election against him from Mumbai.

Goyal, who was speaking on the four GST bills taken up by the House for passage, targeted Congress and said it will be reduced to a single digit in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Kharge hit back saying the minister had not even won an election.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar sought an aplogy from Kharge over his remarks.

Congress members were near the Speaker's podium and raising slogans in favour of their demand for a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Rafale fighter jet deal during Goyal's speech.

Kharge said the Goods and Services Tax has been implemented in a flawed manner by the Modi government.

He said the minister had never fought an election but was saying that "the Congress will not win even four seats."

"I want to remind you that you were two members once, and you are talking about us," he said.

As members of treasury benches protested, Kumar said the Kharge was a senior member but was ignorant of rules of procedure.

"Piyush Goyal Ji is elected to the other House. He has been elected by the States. He knows that, in the constitutional scheme made by Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, anybody can be elected to either of the two Houses of Parliament. Therefore, if this basic knowledge is not with Kharge Ji, then, he should apologize to the entire House. He should apologize to Piyush Goyal Ji," Kumar said.

The minister said senior former prime minister Manmohan Singh was also a Rajya Sabha member.

"They should remember Dr Manmohan Singh, who is six-time MP from Assam, is still in the other House. We respect him for he became the Prime Minister of this country twice. The same question which Mallikarjun Kharge Ji is asking our friend Piyush Goyal should be posed to Dr. Manmohan Singh also," he said.

Kumar also targeted Congress over not conferring Bharat Ratna on B.R. Ambedkar and putting up a candidate against him in the Lok Sabha elections.

Kumar said Ambedkar was conferred Bharat Ratna by V.P. Singh government which was supported by the BJP.

Goyal said he spoke at some length as the House was considering four GST bills.

"I did not say anything derogatory. I never imagined he would be so frustrated that he would start making personal allegations. I challenge you to come and fight an election against me in Mumbai," Goyal said.

Congress member K.C. Venugopal said Kharge had been forced to respond as Goyal had targeted Congress several times during his 45-minute speech.

"Congress brought democracy to the country, that is why you are here," he said.

The Congress leader also referred to the Rafale deal and said a joint parliamentary committee should be formed to look into it.

He asked the government why it was not disclosing the price of the fighter jet.

Goyal responded by stating that the agreement was in the country's interest and the allegations were unfounded.
New Delh, Aug 9 : The alleged incident of an Indian passenger and his family being asked to de-board a British Airways flight in the UK is under investigation, the airline said on Thursday.

"We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer," the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seatbelt fastened for take-off."

The investigation has been started after the Indian passenger, identified as A.P. Pathak a Joint Secretary level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, complained that he and his family were discriminated against on racial lines.

The alleged incident took place on July 23, when the family was travelling from London to Berlin on a British Airways flight.

Pathak has also informed the Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj about the incident.

"After the security announcement was made my wife tied my child to the window seat but he started crying as he was feeling awkward and was a little hungry," he told a news channel.

"Crew member shouted at my child and said I will throw you and your family out of the window."

According to Pathak, another Indian family seated behind them "who tried to console the child" was also asked to de-board.

"The plane returned to the airport and the security personnel threatened us, "If you don't come out, we will handcuff you. We were thrown out of the airport."

"I have contacted my lawyers in India and London, he is working on it. If we don't get an apology from the British Airways, and the compensation for the same we will sue British Airways."

"It was totally a racist behaviour."
Chandigarh, Aug 9 : With its Punjab unit's infighting coming to the fore in recent days, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday admitted that certain leaders were making "efforts to break the party".

Following recent developments in the highly factionalised Punjab unit, the group owing allegiance to the AAP central leadership in Delhi on Thursday announced that the meeting of state party leaders with AAP Punjab in-charge and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, slated for August 13, has been postponed.

This was decided at a meeting of the AAP district presidents, 'halqa' presidents and other wing presidents here on Thursday. AAP Punjab co-president Balbir Singh, MP Bhagwant Mann, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema and legislator Meet Hayer attended the meeting.

"The problems being faced by the party at present and possible solutions for same were discussed during the meeting. A majority of office-bearers suggested to take action against Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Kanwar Sandhu (both AAP legislators) for their efforts to break the party, but Bhagwant Mann said he will try to reach out to the leaders and to convince them.

"Mann said that MLAs are in touch with him and he is sure that they will fall in the line soon and work to strengthen the party," a press release issued from the party headquarters here said.

Mann said that he will be meeting the people throughout the state in coming days and hold meetings in Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa, Moga and Muktsar.

He said that he will not let the people from other parties to break the AAP.

"This is a testing time for the party workers and I am sure that the workers would not let me down. I have asked the NRIs to make people aware about mischievous ideas of few people to break the party," Mann said addressing AAP office-bearers.

Not showing any signs of bowing down, the rebel AAP leadership on Tuesday announced its eight-member ad hoc Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for Punjab. The move was in line with the earlier announcement of the rebel camp, led by former LoP Sukhpal Singh Khaira, dissolving the organisational structure of the AAP Punjab unit at a rebel convention held in Bathinda last week.

Khaira, who was was removed by the AAP central leadership as the LoP recently, had said on Monday that he and his camp are not trying to break the AAP in Punjab.

Khaira and six other AAP lawmakers had attended the convention, where different resolutions were adopted. The AAP rebels moved and passed resolutions which gave "autonomy" to the AAP's Punjab unit, dissolved the organisational structure of the state unit and rejected the unceremonious removal of Khaira as LoP.

With its Punjab unit facing a crisis, the AAP has blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bains brothers for trying to split the party.

The AAP became the main opposition in Punjab Assembly after the elections in March last year, winning 20 seats in the 117-member House.
Srinagar, Aug 9 : General Officer Commanding In chief (GoC-in-C), Northern Command, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on Thursday arrived in Srinagar for a two-day visit to review the overall security.

General Singh's visit follows the recent counter-infiltration and counter- terrorist operations which led to the killing of at least five terrorists.

Accompanied by Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, the Army Commander visited the hinterland formations in South Kashmir and was briefed by commanders about the current situation, according to Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

The Army Commander complimented the troops for their recent successes and commended them for their dedication to duty and high standards of professionalism, the spokesman said.

He was appreciative of the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations to minimise civilian causalities, he said.

"Lauding the excellent synergy among all elements of security forces, he exhorted all ranks to maintain a safe, secure and peaceful environment for the people of Kashmir," the sokesman said.

Later in the day, the Army Commander called on Governor N.N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan and also attended a security review meeting chaired by the Governor.

He also interacted with officials from other security agencies and the civil administration, the spokesman added.
Shimla, Aug 9 : Heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh led to an abnormal rise in the level of the silt content in the Satluj river, forcing the authorities to keep the operation of three mega hydropower plants shut on the third day, officials said on Thursday.

The closure of the projects disrupted power supply to the northern states, including Delhi.

"The 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri plant and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Electric Project has been closed since August 7 as the silt content in the river rose more than the permissible limit," an official with the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) told IANS.

The company operates both the hydro projects.

The company runs the Nathpa Jhakri hydropower project in Kinnaur district, while the Rampur plant is located in Shimla district.

Likewise, the 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project, also located in Kinnaur district, has been closed, officials said in Shimla.

The projects are likely to resume operation on Friday, an official said.

The closure of the hydro plants has led to a power crisis in the northern region. The northern power grid came under strain as the states procuring power from the projects were forced to overdraw from the grid.

The projects supply power mainly to Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

These outages have resulted in shortage of power by 800-1,000 MW in the state, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd Chief Engineer (System Operations) Suneel Grover told IANS.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Delhi Police on Thursday arrested a youth, who was part of the Kanwariyas, on the charges of vandalizing a car after it brushed one of them, police said.

The police identified the accused as Rahul, a resident of west Delhi's Uttam Nagar. "He was clearly seen in a CCTV camera footage on Tuesday while he and over 20 kanwariyas were damaging a car in west Delhi's Moti Nagar," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.

Police teams scanned over 20 CCTV footages installed in nearby shops. "Rahul was arrested and has confessed to his involvement in vandalism. He works as a labourer and was earlier arrested in a theft case," Kumar said.

"On the day of crime, one of the Kanwariyas got pushed by the vehicle, which resulted in heated arguments. One of occupants, a man and a woman, slapped a kanwariya, infuriating the entire group. They started damaging the car," the officer said.

The occupants of the car, he said, immediately left the spot and later refused to make a written complaint.

"On the basis of inquiries conducted by the police and the CCTV footage, a case has been registered," said Kumar, adding efforts are on to nab others.

A video clipping showing the pilgrims damaging the vehicle with sticks has gone viral on social media.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 9:49PM

If youre still holding out hope that Insomniac Games will release another Resistance game, unfortunately, youre out of luck. The developer has no plans to make another version of the shooter series. James Stevenson, community director for Insomniac told Finder, Oh wow, if I was a betting man? It feels like its a longshot to me. But I have learned over the years to never say never. I think there are a lot of people out there that have fond memories of a Resistance game from the PS3 era, but yeah, never say never, its just that we have no plans to make another Resistance game in the future.

The last Resistance game came out in 2011. But while Insomniac doesnt have any plans, Stevenson points out that Sony owns the IP and if they wanted, they could return to the series. Its actually Sony that owns the IP and owns that universe. So I guess if they were really passionate about making Resistance 4 and we couldnt or didnt want to do it, Sony could totally engage another developer. But that would be up to Sony, not us.
Bengaluru, Aug 9 : Indian aerospace and defence manufacturers should indigenise more to help achieve self-reliance in arms production for the three armed forces, an official said on Thursday.

"As the government is keen on self-reliance in the defence sector, the manufacturers -- especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups -- should strive for greater indigenisation in arms production," Defence Production Secretary Ajay Kumar said at an event here.

Addressing the fifth 'Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Show', Kumar said that the MSMEs and start-ups should make the best use of opportunities in the sector as the government had liberalised the procurement process and simplified procedures.

"The MSMEs and start-ups should meet the needs of state-run defence units and the armed forces with greater indigenisation," asserted Kumar.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Chairman T. Suvarna Raju, speaking at the inaugural session, said that MSMEs and start-ups have huge potential to reduce imports in the defence and aerospace sectors.

"As defence units like HAL depend on private suppliers for critical components and systems, MSMEs and start-ups should ensure high standards and quality of the parts they make and supply to the original equipment manufacturers," said Raju.

Inaugurating the two-day event at the HAL Convention Centre, Karnataka Industries Minister K.J. George said it will give an opportunity to the MSMEs and start-ups to showcase their capabilities and manufacturing prowess to the state-run defence units, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the armed forces.

"The event highlights Karnataka's leadership in the aerospace and defence sectors. Many state-run defence units and OEMs across the country will find suppliers of components and systems at the show," said George.

Organised by the city-based Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI), the trade show saw the participation of over 70 exhibitors from both public and private sectors.

The exhibitors included HAL, Defence Research Development Organisation labs, Indian Army, Navy and Indian Air Force, Blaser SwissLube, Siemens and Alpha Design Technologies.

The second day of the trade show on Friday will include sessions on indigenisation of IAF and Navy, and opportunities for the industry.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The government on Thursday said that the Indian Railways spent Rs 3,256 crore this year against the Rs 20,000 crore from the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) and Rs 16,091 crore last year.

"In 2017-18, out of the outlay of Rs 20,000 crore, expenditure of Rs 16,091 crore has been incurred out of RRSK. And in the current year Rs 3,256 crore has been spent till end of June," Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The Minister said the RRSK has been introduced, as announced by Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech 2017-18, for works related to renewal, replacement and upgradation of critical safety assets.

According to the Railway Ministry, the fund has a corpus of Rs one lakh crore over a period of five years, having an assured annual outlay of Rs 20,000 crore with Rs 15,000 crore as contribution from Gross Budgetary Support and Rs 5,000 crore from internal resources of the Railways.

Gohain said that the fund under RRSK is being utilized to finance safety-related works under plan-heads track renewals, bridge works, signalling and telecommunication works, road safety works of level crossings and road over or under bridges, rolling stock, traffic facilities, electrical works, machinery and plant, workshops, passenger amenities and training or HRD.
Patna, Aug 9 : An absconding official of a shelter home for girls in Bihar's Madhubani district was arrested on Thursday after a minor girl -- witness in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case -- went missing from there, police said.

"Sobha Devi, an official of the shelter home in Madhubani, who was absconding for days, has been arrested," a police official said.

According to the police, a 13-year-old girl -- who was a witness in the Muzaffarpur case in which 34 minor girls were allegedly raped -- and was among the 44 inmates shifted from that transit home to a similar facility in Madhubani, was traceless.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Thursday could not adopt the draft report on Doklam issue due to lack of quorum as most of the BJP members stayed away from the meeting.

According to sources, only one BJP member was present in the meeting and there was no quorum to adopt the draft report on Doklam issue and India-China relations, which was prepared by the Standing Committee on External Affairs headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also the member of the committee but was not present in the meeting on Thursday, said one of the members.

"The report could not be adopted because there was no quorum," said the member.

It also met on Tuesday to adopt the report but a few members objected to it and said that they had not received the draft report.

The 73-day standoff at Doklam plateau in the Sikkim sector of the border ended in August last year after India and China agreed to disengage their troops.

There has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on August 1.

The members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs had gone to the border areas in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to take stock of ground situation.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 : The Kerala government on Thursday sought the Army's help as the death toll in the rain-related incidents rose to 24 with large-scale damage reported from various parts of the state.

A team of the Army's Military Engineering Group is set to arrive at Kozhikode and Ernakulam, officials said, adding that some Army officers from Kannur had already reached the flooded Wayanad.

The worst affected districts include Idukki, Malappuram, Palghat, Kozhikode, Wayanad and parts of Kannur.

Following the opening of the Idamalayar dam gates, the flood water from the Periyar river entered the Cochin International Airport compound, forcing the authorities to temporarily shut operations in the afternoon. The airport reopened after the water receded at 3 p.m.

A Home Ministry statement said 22 persons died in overnight rains and landslides on August 8-9. Idukki alone accounted for 11 deaths.

Two Class 12 students who ventured out for fishing in the flooded waters near Kochi were also swept away. Their bodies were found, officials said.

Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force have left Chennai for Kerala. An inter-ministerial Central team is visiting the flood-ravaged area and Army support is also being mobilized from Bengaluru, the statement said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said rains have caused extensive damage to life and property across the state. "The Centre has agreed to extend all help," he said.

Since more rains are forecast, as a matter of abundant caution, it has been decided to postpone the upcoming Nehru boat race on the Punnamada lake, he said.

"We call upon all to donate to the Chief Minister's Fund," Vijayan said.

Power Minister M.M. Mani, who is from Idukki, said the situation in the district was "pretty bad".

"The shutters of the Idamalyar dam were opened. We will open a shutter of the Idukki dam also," he said.

The capacity of the Idukki dam is 2,403 meters. At 12.30 p.m., when the water level crossed 2,399 meters after a gap of 26 years, one shutter of the dam was opened.

"At the moment everything is under control," said Idukki legislator Roshy Augustine.

The Malampuzha dam, which was opened a few days, sent out waters which have created havoc in certain areas of Palghat, which borders Tamil Nadu.

Water has entered houses in many low-lying areas of the district.

Earlier, Vijayan held an emergency meeting and appointed senior official P.H. Kurien to lead the rescue and relief operations.
Hyderabad, Aug 9 : Canadian health informatics player Pulsus plans to add 2,000 jobs through expansion of health informatics regional language translation activities in its India facilities.

The new jobs will be created by setting up a new facility in Chhattisgarh to provide access to healthcare and scientific knowledge in native Indian languages, the company said in a statement.

Pulsus healthcare and scientific information centres at the Chennai SEZ and in Gurugram in Haryana are already operational and employ 1,000 persons.

The objective is to expand the firm into a 3,500-employee outfit in India from the present 1,500 working out of the Technology Hub in Hyderabad and other two centers.

The company will soon send its proposal to the Chhattisgarh government to set up its facility.

With the support and speedy approvals from state government and the Software Technology Parks of India, Pulsus expects to commercialise the facility in 12 months.

This move is part of Pulsus strategy to tap the growing importance for scientific content translation in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati and Bengali.

Srinibabu Gedela, the Chief Executive Officer of Pulsus, said that a meeting has been held with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, who assured Pulsus that all possible support would be given to the plan.

The Pulsus Group, with revenues of $9 million and 50 journals, has offices in London, Ontario and Hyderabad, besides facilities in Chennai and Gurugram.
Shillong, Aug 9 : A Bangladeshi national, working with Jamat-e-Islami foundation of Bangladesh, was arrested by troopers of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in Meghalaya, officials said on Thursday.

Md Jaharul Islam, 26, was arrested on Wednesday from the Zero Line of the India-Bangladesh border at Baghmara in South Garo Hills district.

During questioning, a BSF statement said, Islam revealed that he worked for Jamat-e-Islami foundation and wanted to become a Jihadi. He works for an international forum called SEBDA Children Denmark.

"Islam was not satisfied with the policy of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League government. He revealed that he wanted to become Jihadi due to torture inflicted upon him by some Awami League members. He is a supporter of Bangladesh Nationalist Party," the statement said.

Islam confessed that he knew that he would die but "will kill all 'kafir' (Non-believers) who do not respect Islam and the Holy Quran".
New Delhi, Aug 9 : More than 31 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers have benefited under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on Thursday.

"More than 21 lakh beneficiaries were enrolled under PMMVY - Common Application Software (PMMVY-CAS) for receiving maternity benefits under the scheme during the financial year 2017-18," she said.

Under the scheme, pregnant woman and lactating mother apart from regular government employees are entitled to receive Rs 5,000 and the remaining cash incentive of Rs 1,000 for maternity benefit is given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery.

The scheme aims at providing partial compensation for wage loss in terms of cash incentives so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first living child.
Shillong, Aug 9 : The Meghalaya government's coalition partners on Thursday urged it to take steps to prevent influx of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, excluded from the draft NRC in Assam, into the eastern state.

"The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) partners held a meeting and discussed the National Register of Citizens. They advised the state government to take steps to check infiltration, including identification of areas in Meghalaya to set up more checkposts," Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told journalists after the meeting.

The MDA meet chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was attended by representatives of the National People's Party, United Democratic Party, People's Democratic Front, Hill State People's Democratic Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Congress Party, besides three Independents.

Tynsong said the coalition partners also unanimously supported the candidature of NPP supremo Conrad Sangma in the August 23 by-elections to South Tura Assembly seat.

The coalition partners also stressed the need to strengthen existing laws and to revisit the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016.

The MDA partners, however, are divided over support in Ranikor by-election, wherein former Assembly Speaker and five-time legislator Martin M. Danggo of the NPP is facing opposition from certain MDA partners.
New Delhi : Vishwaroopam 2: Starring Kamal Haasan, Waheeda Rehman, Shekhar Kapoor, Anand Mahadevan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jermiah; Directed by Kamal Haasan: Rating: *** A (3 and a half stars).

The best thing about this lengthy lumbering but never uninteresting ode to anti-terrorism is the lovely wizened Waheeda Rehman. But we have to wait till after interval point for her to show up.

The veteran actress is cast as the protagonist's mother who suffers a memory loss and can only remember her son as a dancer not a nationalist fighter.

If you've seen the first Vishwaroopam film 5 years ago you'd remember what the lady has forgotten. Kamal Haasan's Kathak recital in the film resonated rather quaintly with all the macho desh bhakti/jihadi stuff as he had infiltrated into a Jihadi camp as an Islamic insurgent.

Those scenes of snarling militancy return in the sequel as flashy flashbacks, meant to flesh out the tale as it plods along from London to Delhi via Pakistan.

In the sequel, our hero Wisam Kashmiri (no room for subtlety here) is still being sneered at by his colleague Anant Mahdevan at RAW.

"At the end of it all you are what you are," Mahadevan smirks. "Jo tum ho woh ho."

Kamal Haasn being Kamal Haasan sneers right back with the kind of taunting rhetoric that sounds a little phoney when translated from the Tamil original. But his two heroines clap and cheer the performance.

"Maybe I am a good actor," he wonders after a session of cerebral pow-wow maybe.

Throughout its ruminative running-time Vishwaroopam 2 moves a little off-beam. It is somewhat breathless and out of sorts in parts specially when all the espionage stuff with Shekhkar Kapoor (looking suave still at 70), Anant Mahdevan and of all people Rajendra Gupta (who as a RAW boss seems... well, a little raw) comes to a standstill, while Kamal Haasan playing a RAW double-agent banters, flirts and romances with his female associates played by Pooja Kumar and Andrea Jeremiah.

Is he sleeping with both or only the one who is Kashmiri's legally wedded wife. As we are told, he is not very good with societal rules.

It is hard to say which of the two our hero Wisam is married to. He behaves exactly the same way with both. The antics of the mAnage a trois somehow never achieve any of the seductive peaks they are meant to hit. Perhaps the flirty dialogues lose their edge in translation. Both the ladies are annoying in their servitude and thraldom to the Kamal Haasan School Of Hero Worship.

What gives this sequel its spin and spell are the bouts of action shot with the dizzying urgency one witnesses in the war zone. There are two lengthy fights in public restrooms, a la Mission Impossible Fallout.

But let's not even go there.As long as we don't compare the action sequences with their firangi counterparts things appear pretty engaging in Vishwaroopam.

This is not a dumbed-down militancy movie. Yes, this is a learned view of terrorism filled with sly references to Obama and 9/11. The unintiated may find the narrative hard to keep up with.

As Kamal Haasan if he cares. But those who enjoy watching a good wack on the back of militancy, Vishwaroopam 2 is an engaging if somewhat choppy ride through the terror terrain.

At times one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at the coiling-recoiling plot. At one point a RAW senior colleague tells Kamal Haasan that he would like to stare his killer in the eye whenever it happens.

A little later he is dead. Our hero, not one to let go the chance for poetic justice, drags the killer to his dying colleague's range of vision.

"Here he is," pants our hero. Here indeed.
Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 11:00AM

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Brooklyn, NY - Samsung just took the wraps off its much heralded (and leaked) Galaxy Note 9 flagship. The device, which looks nearly identical to last years Note 8, proves that innovation is not just skin deep.

Samsung took to Brooklyns Barclays Centre, home of the Brooklyn Nets and NY Islanders, to unveils its biggest and most powerful smartphone yet, kicking off 2018s rush of premium smartphone releases heading into the fall.

This years Note 9 brings a new Bluetooth-powered S Pen stylus with expanded functionality including the ability to play and pause music playback, access specific apps and improved inking and drawing precision. The S Pen remains the big differentiator for the Note line and continues being improved in this generation.

Another standout feature is the 4,000 mAh battery. Two years after the devastating battery issues faced by the recalled Note 7, Samsung has managed to make great strides in battery capacity while presumably ensuring safer large capacity batteries in its devices. Similarly, the recently released Galaxy Tab S4, which we reviewed here, also boasts a much improved battery life for a tablet.

Increase in storage space is another huge feature this year. Note 9 users will have a choice of 128 GB, 256 GB and an industry-leading 512 GB of onboard storage which can be doubled thanks to the microSD card expansion. Why you would need so much storage in a smartphone is puzzling, but Samsung has also made leaps in its SSD and storage products, so this could be an extension of their dominance in this market.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 features a larger and tall 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1440 x2960 resolution. Like the Galaxy S9+, the companys other flagship, the Note 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor with 6GB of RAM. Samsung has tweaked the Note 9 to squeeze out even more performance despite having the same specs of the slightly smaller Galaxy S9.

We are also seeing a similar dual 12-MP camera, 8 MP rear camera array as the S9 line but this time some A.I. elements will enhance photo and video taking on these devices.

Samsung will release the Note 9 by August 24, pre-orders are available through various carriers.

In Canada, Galaxy Note9 will be offered in Midnight Black with matching S Pen and in Ocean Blue with a yellow S Pen. At launch, the Note9 will be available for $1,299.99 (MSRP) for the 128GB option and $1,629.99 (MSRP) for the 512GB model.
Mumbai, Aug 9 : Engines and generators manufacturer Cummins India on Thursday reported a 17.62 per cent decline in its net standalone profit for the first quarter (Q1) of 2018-19.

According to the company, the net profit during the period under review fell to Rs 183 crore from Rs 222.16 crore during the Q1 of the previous fiscal.

Besides, the total sales from operation declined to Rs 1,296.49 crore from Rs 1,387.69 crore during the like period of 2017-18.

"Domestic sales in the current quarter declined 7 per cent over the same quarter last year. However, the same quarter last year had a strong tailwind from pre-buy on account of impending GST implementation effective July 01, 2017," Cummins India Managing Director Sandeep Sinha said in a statement.

"We are positive on the medium to long term outlook for domestic sales as underlying demand remains positive arising from sustained investments by the government in creating infrastructure for the Indian economy," he added.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP governments at the Centre and Gujarat of trying to sweep under the carpet the Rs. 4,000-crore groundnut scam in the state and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into it.

"The BJP governments are trying to bury the Rs 4,000-crore groundnut scam in the state," Congress MP and AICC in-charge of Gujarat Rajeev Satav said at a press conference.

He was accompanied by legislature party leader Paresh Dhanani.

Dhanani alleged the groundnut scam was linked to the Chief Minister's office.

He said officials of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Gujarat State Co-Operative Cotton Federation Limited (GUJCOT) along with local politicians and middlemen allegedly stole and sold off the groundnut procured from farmers to oil millers.

"The stocks of groundnut were then adulterated with sand and pebbles to show that there was no loss of weight in the stocks after groundnut was illegally sold off to millers," Dhanani said.

He also said there have been four instances of fires in the last six months in warehouses where these groundnut stocks were stored.

According to the Congress leaders, in October last year, just ahead of the assembly polls, the Gujarat government announced that it will purchase groundnut from farmers at Rs 4,500 per quintal, even as the existing prices of groundnut at that time was around Rs 3,750 per quintal. He said the state government purchased 10.46 lakh metric tonne of groundnut worth Rs 4,000 crore through 139 purchase centres across the Saurashtra region.

The Centre had appointed NAFED to procure groundnut from farmers of Gujarat at an MSP of Rs. 4,450 a quintal and the State government had announced Rs 50 bonus over and above the MSP.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : A delegation of opposition parties on Thursday met President Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to ensure that no Indian citizen is left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

In a memorandum submitted to the President, the opposition parties accused the BJP-led Central government of "deliberately attempting to undermine the nation's democratic and secular values".

"The aftermath of the NRC 2018 is one example of the ruling dispensation threatening and attempting to ruin the nation's great Institutions like the Constitution, the Parliament, the judiciary and the media.

"As the custodian of these great institutions, we appeal and urge upon you to ensure that not a single Indian citizen is excluded from the NRC list in Assam," it said.

Among other leaders in the delegation were former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, Anand Sharma from Congress, Farooq Abdullah from National Conference and Ram Gopal Yadav from Samajwadi Party.

The memorandum said the NRC had resulted in the exclusion of over 40 lakh Indian citizens including Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gorkhas, Punjabis, many tribals and Indian citizens from the four southern states who are residents of Assam for a very long time.

"This NRC list has not even spared excluding some brave soldiers, ex-Rashtrapati-Ji's families, a former Chief Minister and other elected representatives, prominent members of civil society as well as the poor and marginalised," it said.

"Serious anomalies in the preparation of the list have torn several families apart, destroying our social fabric," it added.
Kolkata, Aug 9 : A number of CPI-M activists sustained injuries in clashes with police at different places in West Bengal on Thursday as Leftists protested in all state districts against the Centre's "imperialist-driven and pro-corporate" economic policies.

The clashes occurred in districts like Hoogly, Howrah, North Dinajpur, West Midnapore and North 24 Parganas, leaving some CPI-M cadres injured.

The agitation was in response to a countrywide call for a "jail bhoro" (fill prisons) struggle given by the Communist Party of India-Marxist's peasants arm All India Kisan Sabha to highlight various issues, including central government's failure to secure minimum support price for agricultural produce.

The AIKS also demanded foolproof implementation of farmers' loan waiver scheme in the state.

In Kolkata, CPI-M trade union wing Centre of Trade Unions organised a protest rally in the city heart, with protesters jostling with security forces after breaking two barricades. No one was injured.

Participating in the protests in Kolkata, CPI-M State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep his word on the promises made ahead of the 2014 general elections.

The AIKS had announced it would collect 10 crore signatures and send these to Modi through the District Collectors.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : The Supreme Court on Thursday said that apparently "total moral policing" is going on in Maharashtra and sought to know from the state why it has not allowed a single dance bar to operate.

A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan asked the Maharashtra government why it has not issued a single licence to dance bars even after court's repetitive orders.

The apex court observed that with the changing times, the definition of obscenity has also changed and now even the law and society have recognised live-in like relationships, which earlier were not acceptable.

Earlier, filmmakers used to show two flowers or two birds chirping instead of showing kiss or love-making scenes in movies but now the time has changed, Justice Sikri said.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the state argued that even today society at large has not changed as far as perception is concerned. No traditional families would allow their children to visit places like dance bars, he added.

The court was hearing a batch of plea filed by hotel and restaurant owners, bar girls and others challenging the new law of the state imposing new restrictions on licensing and functioning of dance bars there.

The new law is Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016.

As the hearing remained inconclusive, the court has now posted the case for August 23.
New Delhi, Aug 9 : Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma released three books, including one on "secret broadcasts" during the Quit India movement, at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here on Thursday.

The books are titled "Jewellery: A Scientific Study of Social Tradition", "Ghats of Banaras" and "Untold Story of Broadcasting".

"Untold Story of Broadcasting" has been authored by historian Gautam Chatterjee.

This book, the organisers said in a statement, is about hidden developments during the 1942 Quit India movement -- the "secret broadcasts" of the time -- and the contribution of political leader Ram Manohar Lohia in the movement.

"Chatterjee dug out archival material to rewrite the history of Quit India in a new light, and with new information.

"It's about day-to-day broadcasts and reporting from various parts of then-India", IGNCA Member Secretary Sachidanand Joshi said at the launch.

The second book, "Jewellery", written by author-journalist Gulab Kothari, examines a ritualistic use of jewellery worn on occasions, and the meaning of possessing jewellery in an Indian context.

Calling jewellery-making a traditional occupation, Sharma said that now it is also being studied as a specialised stream of knowledge.

Another book, "Ghats of Banaras" has been co-authored by IGNCA Cultural Informatics Director Pratapanand Jha and Sachidanand Joshi.

It is a monograph highlighting the importance of ghats, and is derived out of a documentation conducted at Varanasi, the organisers said.
Chennai, Aug 9 : TVS Motor Company Limited Chairman Venu Srinivasan has moved the Madras High Court for anticipatory bail in a missing idol case, informed sources said on Thursday.

In his bail application, Srinivasan referred to a writ petition filed by one Elephant Rajendran. Srinivasan said that in paragraph 12 of an affidavit submitted in support of his petition, Rajendran had mentioned that an FIR has been filed against him.

Srinivasan said he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Srirangam Temple and that he had spent Rs 25 crore from his own pocket for the renovation of the entire holy complex.

He said that Rs 70 lakh was spent by him on painting works at Sri Kabaleeswarar Temple here.

The industrialist also claimed that a private trust funded by him and his company has undertaken renovation of over 100 temples in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Bengaluru, Aug 10 : Karnataka is rushing Rs 10 crore worth relief materials to the neighbouring flood-hit Kerala following heavy monsoon rains, said an official statement on Thursday.

"Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy directed state Chief Secretary T.M. Vijaya Bhaskar to rush relief materials and a team of doctors to Kerala, reeling under heavy rains and flash floods," said the statement.

On Kerala's request, the state government has also agreed to release 75,000 cusecs of water from Kabini reservoir in Mysuru districts to tackle the flash floods caused by excessive backwaters across the border in Kerala.

As one of the tributaries, Kabini originates in the Waynad district and flows eastward to join the Cauvery river at T. Narasipura in Karnataka.

"Kumaraswamy also called on his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the flood situation in that state. He also offered more relief material and aid to the affected people across the state," added the statement.

Toll in the rain-related incidents rose to 24, with large-scale damage reported from various parts of the southern state.

Idukki, Malappuram, Palghat, Kozhikode, Wayanad and parts of Kannur are the worst-affected districts in coastal and north-eastern areas of Kerala.
New Delhi, Aug 10 : Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the aviation regulator to obtain a detailed report from British Airways over an alleged incident of an Indian passenger and his family being asked to de-board the airline's flight in the UK.

"I have directed the DGCA to obtain detailed report from British Airways on the issue," Prabhu tweeted.

The development comes after an Indian passenger, identified as A.P. Pathak a Joint Secretary level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, complained that he and his family were discriminated against on racial lines.

The alleged incident took place on July 23, when the family was travelling from London to Berlin on a British Airways flight.

Pathak has also informed the Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj about the incident.

"After the security announcement was made my wife tied my child to the window seat but he started crying as he was feeling awkward and was a little hungry," he told a news channel.

"Crew member shouted at my child and said I will throw you and your family out of the window."

According to Pathak, another Indian family seated behind them "who tried to console the child" was also asked to de-board.

"The plane returned to the airport and the security personnel threatened us, "If you don't come out, we will handcuff you. We were thrown out of the airport."

"I have contacted my lawyers in India and London, he is working on it. If we don't get an apology from the British Airways, and the compensation for the same we will sue British Airways."

"It was totally a racist behaviour."

On its part, the airline said that the alleged incident is under investigation.

"We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer," the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seat belt fastened for take-off."
Ankara, Aug 10 : Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sent his special envoy to Turkey to discuss the US sanctions on Tehran.

Rouhani's special envoy Mahmoud Vaezi had a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevut Cavusoglu on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We discussed the issues on the common agenda of Turkey-Iran with Mahmoud Vaezi, head of the Iranian Presidential Office," Cavusoglu said on his official Twitter account.

Vaezi visited Ankara amid ongoing talks between Turkey and the US over the latter's sanctions on Iran, a neighbour and a major energy supplier of Turkey.

As result of the US pullout from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the first round of the US sanctions on Iran were restored on Tuesday.

The second round of sanctions, which include an oil trade ban, will take effect in early November and will directly impact Turkey's import of crude oil from Iran.

The Turkish foreign minister has repeatedly said that Ankara will refuse to comply with the US sanctions.
The Tennessee Historical Commission on Thursday announced the addition of four properties to the National Register of Historic Places. They include a 20th century municipal building, a farmstead, an insurance company building and a 1799 house.

Tennessees unique heritage is exemplified by these recent National Register nominations. Ranging from a late 18 th century residence to a Mid-Century Modern commercial building, the listed properties depict the diversity of the states history, said Executive Director and State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick McIntyre.



The sites recently added to the National Register of Historic Places are:



Tullahoma Municipal Building (Tullahoma  Coffee County)



The opening of Arnold Engineering Development Center outside of Tullahoma in 1951 resulted in ancillary businesses moving into Tullahoma, with a resulting increase in population and the need for more city services. In 1954 the city constructed a Mid-Century Modern municipal building to house city offices and the offices of the Tullahoma Power System. The steel frame structure of the building is sheathed in Georgia marble and brick with many sizable windows on the public facades. The Chattanooga firm of Bianculli, Palm and Purnell was chosen to design the building. Mario Bianculli was a widely-known architect who had worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority. His firm was familiar with designing multi-use government buildings like the one planned for Tullahoma. The building served as the center for government and electric power until 1977, when the power company outgrew its space and relocated.



Travellers Rest (Nashville  Davidson County)



Travellers Rest was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 for its statewide importance in early settlement, particularly for the property being the home of Judge John Overton, a significant figure in Tennessees history. In January 2018, an expanded nomination became the first nomination in the state to include all four National Register criteria  events, person, architecture, archaeology.



Event. In 1864 the house was the headquarters of Confederate General John Bell Hood during the Battle of Nashville and the grounds were used as an encampment for Confederate troops.

Person. The updated documentation clarified Overtons importance as a political leader due to his work as a federal revenue commissioner, Indian agent, judge and recorder of Tennessees laws.

Architecture. The house was constructed in 1799 and added onto for nearly 100 years. The two-story weatherboarded building is a fine example of a Federal style house with an 1828 Greek Revival expansion. This updating and expanding of the house reflects the prosperity of Travellers Rest as it moved from the early settlement period of the state into a plantation.

Archaeology. Travellers Rest also has importance as an archaeological site. The property includes prehistoric and historic/non-aboriginal remains that continue to reveal critical information about the early history and prehistory of the area.

Carverdale Farms (Granville  Jackson County)

The 210-acres of Carverdale Farms include the main farmhouse, barns, a store, cemetery, church, two secondary houses and assorted outbuildings. Although settled in the early 19th century as seen in a circa 1830 log building, this and other buildings were adapted for re-use during later the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1890 the farm was sold to Samuel Carver who continued to maintain the self-sustaining nature of the agricultural enterprise. The main farmhouse was begun in 1850 and the Carver family continued to live in, update and renovate the house through the early 1960s. Samuel Carvers great grandson, Joe Moore, continued the familys agrarian heritage and was awarded the Star Farmer of America by the Future Farmers of America in 1955 for his leadership in agriculture. On October 24, 1955, Moore and the farm were the front cover of Time magazine, further recognizing the prominence of Carverdale Farms.



National Trust Life Insurance Company Building (Memphis  Shelby County)



The National Trust Life Insurance Company was started in 1931 by Alvin Wunderlich, Sr. as a burial insurance company. By the time the current building was completed in 1963 the company had expanded into an important commercial business that included both burial and life insurance; they had also expanded their market outside of Memphis. The unique design of the building was by Memphis architect Charles Jen of Martin and Jen. Set on a raised plaza, the 5-story building was constructed using a variety of materials such as concrete, marble, metal and glass. Rooms had their own controlled heating and cooling capabilities, which was unusual in the city at that time. A special five-zone system counteracted for the sun heating elevations during the summers and windows had a defrost system for the winter. Today the building is awaiting redevelopment.



The National Register of Historic Places is the nations official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. It is part of a nationwide program that coordinates and supports efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic resources. The Tennessee Historical Commission, as the State Historic Preservation Office, administers the program in Tennessee.


EXPERT OBSERVER

Total seasonally adjusted housing finance resumed its slowdown in declining by 1.6 per cent to $31.23 billion in June 2018, with slower mortgage processing times and tighter lending procedures biting.

You might argue the toss over the classification of loans between investors and owner-occupiers, but the smoothed trend figures for total housing finance confirmed a continuing decline for an 11th consecutive month.

Housing finance tends to have a fairly good correlation with dwelling price action, though economists try a bit too hard on this point, curve-fitting charts with warped y-axes trying to prove a faultless correlation that doesn't quite exist.

There are more factors at play, of course, as the residents of Hobart, Geelong, or indeed many suburbs of Brisbane would attest.



The share of the stock of outstanding loans pertaining to investors continued to decline on the ABS numbers, broadly mirroring what has been reported by the Reserve Bank.

State versus state (macropru hurts WA)

New South Wales has seen an ongoing trend decline in the number of owner-occupier commitments, with Queensland the only state to record an increase in the month of June (up 2.1 per cent).

Sydney's housing market downturn has now spanned 12 months, the same length of time as the 2008-9 downturn, and already longer than those seen in 1985, 1994-95 and 2015-16 respectively (hat tip to Cameron Kusher of CoreLogic for the stats).

One of the consequences of macroprudential measures has been to hinder markets that are already struggling.

In Western Australia the number of home loans dropped to 4,602 in June, the lowest figure since May 1995 (when the population of the state was 1.7 million, compared to 2.6 million today, as highlighted by Shane Wright of the West Australian).

While some applications are clearly being knocked back, for borrowers of sound credit quality, there is robust competition from lenders.

Indeed, the average loan size remains 5.6 per cent higher than a year earlier.

First homebuyers accounted for more than 18 per cent of owner-occupier commitments, a 6-year high, with the average loan size at $349,800 the highest figure recorded for any month to date.



There was a sharp 4.9 per cent drop in the number of commitments for new dwellings.



Non-banks emerge

A final point for today: Commonwealth Bank's release noted a loss of market share, a trend which is being echoed across the major banks.

The trend in non-bank lending on the other hand is benefitting entities such as Liberty Financial, Pepper, Firstmac, RESIMAC, and others.

The wrap



Soft housing finance result for June, and more softness is certainly expected for July.



How long the tightness in lending persists is unclear, but it's all pointing down at the moment.

PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and blogger.
The New Iran supports the Trump administrations new sanctions and condemns the European countries who wish to continue doing business with a regime whose track record includes the support of terrorism, jailing, torture and killing its own people, and destabilizing the Middle East.

Immediately following the implementation of new US sanctions against Iran on Monday night (8/6), a coalition of underground anti-regime activists within Iran and prominent Iranian exiles have unveiled a Roadmap to be used by an interim government to transition from the Islamic Regime in Iran (IRI) to a democratic government.

The underground in Iran is hopeful that this time around the collapse of the regime will be final, says Dr. Iman Foroutan, but they are looking for more signs of support from outside Iran.

Over the last 18 years, Dr. Foroutan and his volunteer colleagues have built up a vast support network of underground cells inside Iran and advocates of Iranian democracy exiled from their homeland. Their organization is a 501(c)4 non-profit within the United States that goes by the moniker of The New Iran (TNI).

The New Iran helps coordinate the Iranian Underground by facilitating secure communications for them via technological aid including the use of American Internet servers and firewalls, and also serves as a think tank that brings together some of the greatest Iranian minds in exile from their homeland with those advocating for freedom from within the country.

The announcement of President Trumps withdrawing the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  the agreement struck by President Barack Obamas administration in 2015 with the P5+1  was met with high praise by the pro-democracy group.

The New Iran supports the Trump administrations new sanctions against the regime and officially condemns the European countries who wish to continue doing business with a regime whose track record includes the support of terrorism, jailing, torture and killing its own people, and destabilizing the Middle East.

Despite continued European relations with Iran, the downfall of the government has perhaps never been closer to a reality, say the underground cells in communication with their American activist counterparts. This is why The New Iran has chosen this time to resurrect and update the Roadmap which was first developed and published 15 years ago by Dr. Foroutan and more than 100 Iranian experts within Iran and outside the country.

The 2018 Roadmap entitled The First 100 Days deals with the changes that need to be immediately implemented after the downfall of the Islamic regime in order to minimize the potential chaos transitioning from rule by the mullahs to a democratic government. The creators of the plan use sensitive information covertly received by underground cells within Iran to update the plan.

The areas covered by The First 100 Days Roadmap prioritizes the socio-economic and political issues that will need the immediate attention of Iran's new interim government, including:



Security

Laws

Banking and Financial Activities

Planning for Payment of Salaries to Government Employees

Key Government Departments & Positions

Immediate Release of Political & Ideological Prisoners

Imports, Exports, Ports & Customs

Media

Factories

Public Transportation

Department of Justice

Food, Medicine, Fuel

National Budget

Embassies and International Relations

Government Contracts

Education

Information Technology

Environment

Public Health

Social Psychology

National Reconciliation

The New Iran coalition of those fighting for freedom within Iran and exiled Iranians working to peacefully encourage regime change from outside the country are now standing ready to enact The First 100 Days as they feel regime change is near.

Dr. Iman Foroutan hopes to use the time before major escalations in violence rocks Iran to communicate the messages The New Iran has been receiving from pro-democracy cells within Iran who are now more than ever in need of support from the international community to fulfill their longed-for dream of a truly democratic Iran.

###

Dr. Foroutan has over 35 years of experience in Information Technology and over 18 years as an Iran analyst and advocate. In addition to running his personal businesses, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Executive Director of The New Iran, a global non-profit that advocates for peaceful regime change within Iran. Dr. Foroutan was also the founder of Iran of Tomorrow Project (IOTP) and one of the founding members of Iran of Tomorrow Movement (IOTM) and S.O.S. Iran. Prior to his commercial entrepreneurial ventures Dr. Foroutan served as a consultant to the US Armed Forces and defense contractors. He is a graduate of University of California in Electrical and Computer Engineering, invented the system and method for online voting resulting in multiple US patents, and has designed many related complex online applications. Dr. Foroutan has been interviewed on many media outlets including CNN, Fox News, Le Monde, and Newsweek.
The chapter written by Dr. Powers, Mobile Communication in the Bateyes of the Dominican Republic, is just one of the case studies featured in this new book. Edited by leading communication scholar Alexander Laskin, PhD, this textbook is described on Amazon as an edited collection of cutting-edge research on the practical applications of diverse types of emerging media technologies in a variety of industries and in many different regions of the worldThis edited collection analyzes the influence of emerging media technologies on governments, global organizations, non-profits, corporations, museums, restaurants, first responders, sports, medicine, television, and free speech. It studies such new media phenomena as brandjacking, crowd-funding, crowd-mapping, augmented reality, mHealth, and transmedia, focusing specifically on new media platforms like Facebook and Facebook Live, Twitter, Sina Weibo, Yelp, and other mobile apps.

Dr. Powers has worked in various communication and leadership roles within the Acara Partners business family (including Acara Partners, Reach Beyond Marketing, ABI and Reach Digital Summits) since joining the company in March of 2014. During this time, he has also presented on digital communication topics at a number of regional and national conferences and events.

John has done an incredible job supporting the launch of the Aesthetic Business Institute, said Francis X. Acunzo, ABIs chairman of the board and CEO of Acara Partners. His industry knowledge paired with technical expertise has allowed us to launch a very robust platform.

In addition to his work with ABI and Reach Beyond Marketing, Dr. Powers has been an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac Universitys School of Communication and School of Health Sciences for the past ten years. Prior to working with the Acara family of businesses, he served as director of public affairs at Yale University School of Nursing, director of communications at Adelbrook Behavioral Services (formerly The Childrens Home), and media specialist at Midstate Medical Center (formerly Meriden-Wallingford Hospital).

About Acara Partners

Francis and Colleen Acunzo are recognized pioneers in the medical aesthetics industry. Driven by their passion for success, this entrepreneurial husband-and-wife team applied their years of experience when they co-founded Acara Partners in 2003. Their dedication has established the firm as the industrys quintessential, comprehensive business advisory, marketing, advertising and digital agency.

Acaras team of experts integrates knowledge of strategic planning, digital marketing, web development, graphic design and social media management to drive growth, revenue and profits for their clients. With an impressive roster of over 165 current and past clients in major cities throughout most of the 50 states and around the world, Acara Partners is known for helping to lead the impressive medical aesthetics industry growth spurt, as well their ability to double the revenue of many of the businesses they work with. To learn more, please visit acarapartners.com.

About Aesthetic Business Institute

The Aesthetic Business Institute will officially launch in the late fall of 2018 with an educational platform designed to provide industry intelligence to the aesthetic medical industry. Membership in ABI will provide online education, published research, master classes, trends reports, and events for physicians, practice managers, practice owners, providers and aesthetic industry executive. For more information on Aesthetic Business Institute, please visit aestheticbusinessinstitute.com.

About Reach Beyond Marketing

Reach Beyond Marketing is a full-service marketing and digital agency assisting clients in the medical aesthetic, health, wellness and other industries to reach beyond growth, revenue and profit goals. The agency boasts experts with extensive experience in digital and traditional marketing and communications, including web development, content creation, branding and graphic design, social media strategy, video and photographic production, and much more. For more information on Reach Beyond Marketing, please visit reachbeyondmarketing.com.
This durable and technologically advanced luggage is designed to simplify packing for busy travelers, and we anticipate more travelers will take advantage of our early-bird crowdfunding discounts still available on Indiegogo over the next few weeks.

After raising more than $320,000 on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, crowdfunding for the new Plevo smart luggage continues on Indiegogo InDemand.

Plevo smart luggage, which features the worlds first patented garment hanger system, ensures travelers garments will be wrinkle-free when they arrive at their destination, also makes packing and un-packing for trips much easier, as well.

Were ecstatic with the response from backers on Kickstarter, who drove presales of Plevo luggage five times higher than our initial campaign goal, said Plevo Founder and CEO Federico Pelatti. This durable and technologically advanced luggage is designed to simplify packing for busy travelers, and we anticipate more travelers will take advantage of our early-bird crowdfunding discounts still available on Indiegogo over the next few weeks.

With Plevo, travelers no longer need to worry whether their bags will make the weight limit  or where their bags go if the airline loses them.

With its smart dashboard, Plevo is the first suitcase designed to solve both problems  offering a digital scale to let travelers know immediately whether their bags will make the weight limits. And featuring GPS location tracking so travelers can track their bag no matter where it winds up during transit.

Additional tech features include a charging port for gadgets, a removable USB battery pack, a Smart Lock feature (with Face ID, Touch ID or Morse Code), connectivity with Plevos Android and iOS app, removable 360-degree wheels and lightweight, durable, water-resistant materials.

Created for both business or leisure travel, Plevo suitcases are available in three featured-models during crowdfunding  one for carry-on and two for checked luggage  and each model comes with a 100 percent lifetime guarantee.

The largest Plevo model, the UP, contains a patented garment hanger to keep a travelers best business wear vertical and wrinkle-free during transport. The UP model is 31.4 inches by 19.7 inches by 11 inches, large enough to bring all the essentials and help busy travelers save time packing and unpacking. It also has removable 360-degree wheels, which means no more fumbling with a garment bag in one hand and a suitcase in the other when loading it into overhead airline storage.

The Infinite model is also designed to be checked-in and is a bit smaller than the UP for maximum mobility  measuring 28.3 inches by 17.9 inches by 11 inches (with an expandable textile option that makes the depth 12.5 inches).

The Runner model combines Plevos best features with the most portability. Measuring 22 by 13.9 by 9 inches, the Runner is small enough to be a carry-on bag. And, again thanks to the removable wheels, its even more compatible for overhead storage bins.

All three Plevo models are available in silver, red, blue or pink gold, and all offer these features:



Removable USB Battery pack

Smart Lock (Face ID, Touch ID, Morse Code)

Built-in digital scale

Android and iOS app

Distance alerts

Removable 360-degree wheels with separate packaging

Battery with 8.000 mAh

The UP model also includes:



Garment hanger

GPS location tracking

Dimensions in inches: 31.4x19.7x11

The Infinite model also includes:



GPS location tracking

Expandable textile

Dimensions in inches: 28.3x17.9x11 (depth up to 12.5 inches with the textile expansion)

Runner model also includes:



Removable sleeve (for storing device and personal items)

Dimensions in inches: 22x13.9x9, meeting airline carry-on specifications

All Plevo models comply with TSA, DOT, FAA and IATA (International Air Transport Association) regulations, and international airline regulators have confirmed Plevo smart luggage is compliant with all travel regulations. Also, its removable battery makes moving through security checkpoints with Plevo luggage super easy.

For more information and to pre-order Plevo, visit the Plevo Campaign Page on Indiegogo InDemand.

ABOUT PLEVO

The team behind the Plevo line of suitcases  including founder and CEO Federico Pelatti, co-founder and product designer Ivan Nieto and co-founder Federico Guyet  have delivered on solving a need that they experienced as prolific travelers. They wanted to produce the worlds first vertical luggage using smart technology. The idea came about in 2015 and the Plevo team spent three years designing and testing the product, then began the manufacturing process in 2018. Visit plevo.co and engage with Plevo on facebook.com/PlevoTravel/, instagram.com/plevo and twitter.com/plevo.
AHT Insurance announces the acquisition of R.A. Saul & Associates, effective August 1, 2018. R.A. Saul & Associates was based in northeastern Pennsylvania and maintained a sales office in Leesburg, Virginia, where AHT is headquartered.

As AHT approaches its 100th year in business, leveraging new opportunities is essential to maintaining sustained year-over-year growth and managing the unprecedented transformation within the insurance and risk management industry. For more than 50 years, R.A. Saul & Associates focused on insurance and risk management solutions for construction risks with a special emphasis on surety bonds  a natural complement to AHTs existing bond operations.

This acquisition will provide a valuable addition to AHTs existing and robust surety capabilities to support current clients and offer resources for growth in the construction risk management and surety bond space.

AHT is steadfast in its commitment to innovation and expansion that will enable us to offer the most comprehensive solutions for our clients. Saul & Associates was an accretive acquisition supporting that commitment by bringing a valuable pool of relationships, clients and talent to AHT, says David Schaefer, AHT President and CEO.

All R.A. Saul & Associates team members, from production and client relationship to client service and operational professionals, have now joined AHT and will continue to work from their Pennsylvania and Leesburg, VA offices.

For more information about AHT Insurance, please visit https://www.ahtins.com/.

Media Contact:

AHT Insurance

Jennifer Junda, Director of Marketing and Communications

Email: jjunda(at)ahtins.com

Phone: 703.554.6284

AHT Insurance is a full-service brokerage and consulting firm offering property and casualty, employee benefits, retirement, personal and international services for a wide range of industries  boasting national recognition for our practices in areas including technology, manufacturing, government contracting and nonprofits.
Brands are seeking out a more personalized, consumer-friendly approach to mobileexactly what we're enabling through our moment marketing methodologyand we've continued to grow to meet that demand.

Aki Technologies, the moment marketing science company that predicts when and how a mobile consumer is most likely to respond to a marketing message, today announced its continued momentum with the hiring of a key sales personnel. Cassandra Farris-Murray is now Sales Director based in Bentonville, Arkansas; Steve Kelly is Sales Director in the new Boston office; and William Mulligan will serve as Senior Director of Data Strategy, a newly created role, working from the Chicago office.

"Brands are seeking out a more personalized, consumer-friendly approach to mobileexactly what we're enabling through our moment marketing methodologyand we've continued to grow to meet that demand," said CEO Scott Swanson. "I'm excited to welcome Cassie, Bill and Steve as the newest additions to this incredibly talented and dedicated team."

The new members of the sales team bring notable expertise to Aki. Bill was previously director of Data Strategy at Verve, where he connected consumer behavior with point of sale conversions. Before Verve, he specialized in digital targeting at Acxiom. Steve was director of sales for Gamut, smart media from Cox, where he helped agencies and publishers with programmatic and direct sales; Cassie previously specialized in shopper marketing for Unilever.

Delivering outstanding insights about consumer receptivity has always been the mission of Aki Technologies. The company continues to refine its AI-powered moment marketing science methodology to help brands deliver more precise and personalized messaging, and has bolstered other teams, including its data science unit, to help brands craft more effective, data-driven mobile strategies.

These hires follow a period of continued growth for the company. Since its inception in 2015, the company has grown organically. After raising an initial seed round of $3.75 million, Aki has been self-sustaining. Earlier this year, Aki revealed that it had tripled revenue from 2016 to 2017. The company, which now counts 83 employees, expects to double revenue from 2017 to 2018.

About Aki Technologies

Aki is a marketing intelligence company that helps brands personalize advertising through the power of mobile moments. Through its unique methodology, Aki uncovers patterns in mobile behavior to give brands an unprecedented view of consumer needs and wants as people move through their days. Leading brands use Aki's moment marketing science to inform strategy and drive meaningful impact on campaign metrics like awareness, engagement, foot traffic and sales. The company has offices in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. To learn more about the company visit https://www.a.ki.
Chilean bank uses intuitive Speedlane Slide to protect employees and assets at Santiago headquarters. Besides the capability of integrating with our existing equipment, the reason for choosing Boon Edam solutions was based on the banks need to modernize its corporate image which included renewal and improvement of access points.

BancoEstado has been operating for more than 160 years, and is established as the most important financial institution in Chile. With more than 400 branches, it supports over 12 million customers in different regions of the country and has branch offices in Santiago City, Valparaiso, Maule, Biobio and Araucania.

The bank offers a wide range of products, such as taxpayer ID accounts, checking and savings accounts, insurance, investment options, as well as financial solutions for Chilean people residing overseas. BancoEstado is recognized as an excellent financial services provider due to its consistency in project development and innovation while also focusing on improving the quality of life for the community.

BancoEstado has consistently maintained a spirit of innovation by focusing on the constant improvement of their service offering and the underlying security of customer information.

Enhanced Security and Identity Verification

To upgrade security at the main headquarters building in Santiago and comply with the strict security measures required by an institution its size, BancoEstado deployed a comprehensive access control strategy that included using three of Boon Edams Speedlane Slide optical turnstiles to prevent tailgating by unauthorized pedestrians.

The turnstiles were integrated with a Kantech access control system to validate who is authorized to enter the secure area. In addition, a special MorphoWave Tower was installed in front of each turnstile to house the MorphoWave technology by IDEMIA (previously Safran), a state-of-the-art, touchless fingerprint identification technology. This technology assures the identity of the user matches credentials prior to entering through the turnstile.

Besides the capability of integrating with our existing equipment, the reason for choosing Boon Edam solutions was based on the banks need to modernize its corporate image which included renewal and improvement of access points, explained Alvaro Abarca, Project Coordinator at ACCEDER, the security integrator responsible for the project. According to Abarca, the aesthetic aspect was decisive when choosing the type of turnstile to be installed since they would be placed in one of the main entrances of the bank. Undoubtedly, the quality and architecture of Boon Edam products made them ideal for BancoEstado, said Abarca.

Abarca was also pleased to say the installation was performed seamlessly in a single weekend. At the end of the process, everyone could appreciate how the solution not only blended in with the beautiful architecture but provided the benefits of enhanced security and identity verification.

Increased Responsiveness and Aesthetics

The Speedlane Slide is part of the Lifeline Series of optical turnstiles, which are unique in the market due to their intuitive and responsive light display system. The turnstile sleeps to save energy and awakens when a user approaches. A band of light defines the front of the cabinet and an arrow signal points to the lane that is ready for the user. Once the user is authorized, the barriers open, and as the user moves through the lane a trail of light leads the way.

The Lifeline Series is also distinctive for its sleek design that features curved tops, tapered cabinets and a minimal footprint, features that complement Class A interiors. Each turnstile is also made of premium materials like stainless steel and glass making them a durable and practical investment in physical security. Overall the turnstiles are ergonomic, functional and comfortable.

Results

According to the representative of ACCEDER, the new, modern entrance system had a very positive impact on the banks security profile. In addition, the intuitive design and architectural specifications provided the best solution for BancoEstado.

We completed the project seamlessly, and the turnstiles are already working. Undoubtedly, we recommend Boon Edam solutions because they are the best option to address high traffic issues, and they are top-rated in terms of quality and design, concluded Abarca.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Tracie Thomas, Boon Edam

Vice President of Marketing

T 910 814 8238

E tracie.thomas(at)boonedam.com

For Media Queries, Please Contact:

Sara Chaput, LRG

Public Relations

T 845 358 1801

E schaput(at)lrgmarketing.com

About Royal Boon Edam

With work environments becoming increasingly global and dynamic, the smart, safe entry has become the center of activity in and around many buildings. Royal Boon Edam is a global market leader in reliable entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with 140 years of experience in engineering quality, we have gained extensive expertise in managing the transit of people through office buildings, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels and many other types of buildings. We are focused on providing an optimal, sustainable experience for our clients and their clients. By working together with you, our client, we help determine the exact requirements for the entry point in and around your building. Follow Boon Edam Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our blog and read the latest news at http://www.boonedam.us/news.
BizPlanComplete.com is pleased to announce that it is now offering a free business planning toolkit that can be used for capital raising or general business planning purposes.

Our website now has more than 550 different business plans available among 100 different industries. All of our products are current through 2018.
Bob Carney Earns Broker's License I know the company is in very capable hands with the transition to Bob Carney becoming the Broker of record for Taylor-Made, and we are excited to be on the path to an even brighter future.

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales is pleased to announce that Bob Carney, Sales Manager, has obtained his brokers license and is now the Broker of Record for the companys real estate division.

In order to obtain this distinguished designation, Carney successfully completed the required educational hours and the exam as outlined by the Maryland Real Estate Commission.

Taylor-Made co-owner and sales agent, Jay Ferguson, previously held this role since 2014 when the real estate division was originally launched. The company has grown rapidly in four short years, and he is pleased to pass the torch so that he can fully focus on his strengths  real estate sales and serving Deep Creek Lake area buyers and sellers.

Jay was our founding partner of the Taylor-Made real estate division and was initially the only salesperson in the entire company. With Jay serving as our Broker, we grew tremendously and continued to add pieces and new agents to become the company we are today, said Chad Taylor, Owner.

In his role as Sales Manager, Bob has handled the day to day operations of the company since he joined in the summer of 2016. Its been an awesome adventure for the last two years since Taylor-Made purchased Long & Foster. I couldnt be happier to be associated with a locally owned company that has a reputation for accelerated growth and a family atmosphere. Stepping into the broker shoes will be a lot of responsibility as Jay created some big shoes to fill. I look forward to continuing our success and building one of the most knowledgeable and customer-centric real estate offices in Garrett County, he stated.

With more than a decade of real estate experience, his professional achievements include serving as Vice President and President of the Garrett County Board of REALTORS. He is known for his strong commitment to community as well. In 2012, he was named the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.

Currently, he leads the companys team of 45 agents who are on track to produce nearly $100 million in sales volume.

I know the company is in very capable hands with the transition to Bob Carney becoming the Broker of Record for Taylor-Made, and we are excited to be on the path to an even brighter future, said Jay Ferguson.

About Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales is a leader in Deep Creek Lake vacation rentals, real estate and property services. Taylor-Made rental homes and sales listings are conveniently located within a few hours drive from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.
In under a year, NeQter Labs has worked with hundreds of companies across the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain, fulfilling the companies NIST SP 800-171 compliance requirements and ensuring protection of their existing contracts  and giving them a competitive edge to win new DoD work.

The U.S. defense industry is supported by thousands of highly specialized subcontractors  small businesses with engineering expertise and volumes of highly sensitive documentation. These businesses are especially vulnerable to both insider threats like uninformed employees and foreign threat actors mounting thousands of malicious attacks per day.

Understanding this vulnerability, the DoD issued a requirement for any company in the defense ecosystem to be compliant with the NIST-SP 800-171 guidelines.

Yet most small business owners play many roles in their organizations; their IT resources are stretched thin with just keeping all systems running. Its a major challenge to find the time or budget to interpret and implement the complicated requirements of NIST SP 800-171.

By achieving compliance for McLaughlin Research, our former parent company, we realized we created a tool that would help our entire community, said Christopher Michaud, founder and CTO of NeQter Labs. Our product takes the cost and complexity out of compliance allowing even the smallest businesses to address the mandate without breaking the bank.

An Integrated Cybersecurity Protection and Network Visibility Appliance

The NeQter Labs Compliance Engine is a single unified solution designed to address the 14 families of NIST compliance. Implemented in under an hour, it visualizes, summarizes, and interprets a companys entire data trail in accordance with the NIST SP 800-171 standards and also detects and alerts on security events and vulnerabilities for an actionable risk mitigation process.

Impact on the companys IT operations is minimal. NeQters plug-and-play ability works with a companys existing infrastructure, systems and hardware  providing visibility and real-time vulnerability scanning of the network, along with all critical elements of network cybersecurity including planning, monitoring, management and audits, authentication and maintenance in accordance with DFARS 252.204-7008, DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171 requirements.

Small & Midsize Suppliers: Constant Unwitting Targets of Brute Force Hack Attempts

Many smaller DoD suppliers wrongly believe they already have adequate protection against potential breaches, or that theyre too small to be targeted. In fact, hackers around the globe regularly target thousands of small DoD suppliers with persistent  and usually undetected  network intrusion attempts. Some companies find that theyve been exposed and breached for many months.

DoD subcontractors -- often within minutes of implementing NeQters compliance engine -- can identify and react to anomalies in real-time and gain access to actionable data about the nature of potential threats. With this depth of detail, companies can make informed decisions about how to better protect data, create new policies, train or manage staff, or shore up vulnerabilities.

Product Availability & Pricing

The NeQter Compliance Engine is available today directly through NeQter Labs or through qualified NeQter Labs Partners for as little as $250 per month.

About NeQter Labs

NeQter Labs, the NIST SP 800-171 expert, was conceived when a mid-sized defense contractor in Rhode Island set out to become NIST compliant. Shocked by how complex, confusing, costly and fragmented the current cybersecurity compliance offerings were  and knowing that there must be hundreds of other DoD suppliers struggling with the same problem  the team decided to combine its engineering pros with cybersecurity experts and create what didnt exist in the market at all: A best-in-class, comprehensive, simplified and inexpensive NIST compliance solution. NeQter Labs was born.

Developed, incubated, tested and proven in a true defense environment, and widely recognized as the only solution of its kind, the NeQter Labs Compliance Engine is now protecting companies across the DoD supply chain.

Contacts:

NeQter Labs, LLC

http://www.neqterlabs.com

info(at)neqterlabs.com / sales(at)neqterlabs.com

(401) 608-6522

Media Contact:

Megan Boyaval, Bowstring Group

mboyaval(at)bowstringgroup.com

(617) 921-2982
Tyler and his family are fighters. We could never imagine the horror of going through the battle that Tyler is fighting emotionally and physically, and we are doing everything we can to ensure his swift recovery

Brad Tank, managing agent of the Brad Tank Insurance Agency in Florence, Alabama, is releasing details on a charity campaign he and his agency are undertaking to provide support to Tyler Ressor, a local 33 year old man diagnosed a year ago with a brain tumor between his left temporal lobe, amygdala, and hippocampus.

Tyler and his family are fighters. We could never imagine the horror of going through the battle that Tyler is fighting emotionally and physically, and we are doing everything we can to ensure his swift recovery, said Tank.

To bring in support for Ressor, the Brad Tank Agency is launching a referral program. Brad Tank has pledged to make a donation to Ressors recovery in the name of anyone in the area who sends in a referral to receive a no obligation policy appraisal. This appraisal is complimentary, and the agency will cover all donations.

Further details on how to help generate area support for the campaign has been provided here: http://bradtankinsurance.com/rewards/.

About the Brad Tank Insurance Agency

As a Personal Insurance Representative in Florence, agency owner Brad Tank knows many local families. His knowledge and understanding of the people in his community ensures that clients of the Brad Tank Insurance Agency are provided with an outstanding level of service. Brad and his team look forward to helping families protect the things that are most important  family, home, car and more. The Brad Tank Insurance Agency also offers clients a preparation strategy for achieving their financial goals. To contact an expert at the Brad Tank Insurance Agency, visit http://bradtankinsurance.com/ or call (256) 757-6100.
Bruce Nilles has extensive experience reducing overreliance on coal and securing investments into clean energy, and Uday Varadarajans experience developing data analytics will significantly bolster our efforts to secure a low-carbon future said RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst.

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is pleased to announce the addition to the organizations team of Bruce Nilles as a Senior Fellow and Uday Varadarajan as a Principal.

RMI is excited to have two respected experts join our team to bolster our ability to secure a low-carbon future. Bruce Nilles has extensive experience reducing overreliance on coal and securing investments into clean energy, and Uday Varadarajans experience developing data analytics will significantly bolster our efforts to secure a low-carbon future, said RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst.

Prior to joining RMI, Nilles was the Senior Campaign Director for the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal Campaign, which he helped launch and led for the past 15 years. This campaign played an important role in securing the retirement and replacement of more than half of the nations coal plants, which in turn slashed air pollution across the United States and saved thousands of lives annually.

I am thrilled to be joining the amazing team at RMI, where I will be focusing on helping to accelerate our progress equitably replacing fossil fuels with clean energy. This includes exploring how we take the lessons we have learned slashing dangerous carbon pollution in the electric sector and applying them to other sectors, including the buildings and industrial sectors, said Bruce Nilles.

Varadarajan joins from the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and will bring his expertise in the intersection of policy and finance to RMIs electricity work. At CPI, he led their US Energy Finance team, identifying innovative financing and regulatory solutions to drive the clean energy transition. In addition, Varadarajan has prior experience working in the White House Office of Management and Budget overseeing approval of advanced vehicle manufacturing loans.

I'm also very excited to be able to contribute to ongoing efforts at RMI and add a financial and policy lens to the great technical and economic work that RMI is known for, said Uday Varadarajan.

Varadarajan started with RMI on July 1, 2018 and Nilles started on August 6, 2018.

###

Media inquiries please contact:

Nick Steel, Senior Media Associate, T: +1 347.574.0887, E: nsteel(at)rmi.org.

Alexandra Chin, Media Associate, T: +1 973.262.0002, E: achin(at)rmi.org

Notes to Editors

About Rocky Mountain Institute

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)an independent nonprofit founded in 1982transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

More information on RMI can be found at http://www.rmi.org or follow us on Twitter @RockyMtnInst.
When we heard Crystals story, and how shes been fighting against brain cancer for almost 20 years while working on behalf of others, our entire agency immediately knew we had to help her

Cody Coffey, the founder and acting manager of Coffey Agencies with locations in Georgia and Alabama, is embarking on a regional charity campaign to provide assistance and community support to Crystal, a local mother of three and grandmother who is struggling with brain cancer. Crystal is 44 years old, works as a care-taker, and has fought against brain cancer since she was 27. However, she recently suffered a stroke and requires critical medical care.

When we heard Crystals story, and how shes been fighting against brain cancer for almost 20 years while working on behalf of others, our entire agency immediately knew we had to help her, said Coffey.

Coffey and his team are organizing assistance for Crystal by encouraging local community involvement with a referral and rewards program. For each person who refers a friend or loved one into their nearest Coffey Agencies location for a complimentary insurance appraisal, the Coffey team will make a $10 contribution to Crystals care fund.

Additional details on how to help generate support for the campaign have been provided here: http://coffeyagencies.com/rewards/.

About The Coffey Agencies

As a 28 year resident of Fort Payne Alabama with his wife and two children, Personal Insurance Representative Cody Coffey knows many local families. A special knowledge and understanding of the people in his community ensures that Coffey and his team can provide clients with an outstanding level of service. Coffey Agencies are here to help families like yours protect the things that are important  your family, home, car and more. Coffey and his associates can also help you prepare a strategy to achieve your financial goals. To speak with a helpful and knowledgeable expert from Coffey Agencies, please visit http://www.coffeyagencies.com/ or call (256) 845-3637.
Danny Cruz, Business Development, North American Title, Katy, Texas His passion for this work and for learning the nuances of real estate transactions make him a great resource for our customers.

Danny Cruz has joined North American Title Co.s Katy office as business development representative. He brings a wide range of skills in customer service, accounting, marketing, sales and management.

Cruz comes to the Katy branch from Colorado, where he worked for North American Titles Colorado Springs Branch, as well as spending some time as a real estate agent, working for a range of buyer and seller clients.

Danny was well-liked and well-respected by the customers he served in our Colorado Springs office, and when he decided to move his family to Texas, we were delighted that he agreed to join our Katy office, said Claudia Huerta, managing escrow officer for NATCs Katy Branch. His passion for this work and for learning the nuances of real estate transactions make him a great resource for our customers.

Born in Houston, Cruz grew up in Colorado Springs. He is located at the North American Title office at 1575 West Grand Parkway South, Suite 100, Katy, TX, 77494 and can be reached at telephone number (281) 665-2226.

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
DataXoom logo Samsungs partnership with DataXoom is an exciting opportunity for enterprise customers across many different industries to benefit from custom connected wearable solutions to meet the needs of their businesses.

DataXoom, the nations first mobile broadband service provider built specifically for the enterprise, is proud to announce its partnership with Samsung SDS America to provide LTE data coverage for leading-edge wearable enterprise solutions.

This initiative utilizes the Samsung smartwatch and custom developed applications to transform a consumer-based device into a purpose-built tool for the enterprise. These wearable-based solutions for enterprise require dependable 4G LTE connectivity. DataXoom was selected to partner with Samsung SDS America to provide LTE data connectivity.

Providing access to reliable LTE data connectivity is what we do, explains Chris Hill, CEO of DataXoom. When Samsung SDS America approached us about an enterprise wearable-based project, we knew our extensive partnerships with the nations leading wireless carriers combined with our flexible mobile data solutions would be the perfect combination to successfully deploy this program. Our ability to seamlessly activate and deactivate devices across multiple networks and effectively manage the customer need for rolling activations allowed us to provide a unique business solution."

The Samsung smartwatches are pre-loaded with custom applications, tailored to the requirements of our customers. Samsung SDS Wearable Enterprise Mobility Management software additionally creates a device user experience that is simple for the end user to navigate, and for administrators to control.

Samsungs partnership with DataXoom is an exciting opportunity for enterprise customers across many different industries to benefit from custom connected wearable solutions to meet the needs of their businesses, said Mingu Lee, Senior Vice President of Mobile B2B, Samsung SDS America.

About DataXoom

DataXoom Corp. connects businesses to the mobile internet. DataXoom provides LTE and 4G data network connectivity for tablets, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, USB modems, and specialty devices used by the mobile workforce. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA, DataXoom is partnered with the with the major wireless providers in the US and Canada to deliver mobile data services and solutions designed to meet and exceed the requirements of an enterprise. For more information, please visit http://www.dataxoom.com or call 855-533-2829. Follow us on Twitter @DataXoom.

About Samsung SDS America, Inc.

Samsung SDS America (SDSA) is the U.S. subsidiary of Samsung SDS, a global software solutions and IT services company. Samsung SDSA provides purpose-built technology solutions for enterprise mobility, security and advanced analytics. We enable our customers in government, financial services, retail, healthcare, hospitality and other industries to drive business in a hyper-connected economy by helping them increase productivity, safeguard assets, and make smarter decisions. SDSA is headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, with offices in Herndon, VA, and San Jose, CA. For more information on Samsung SDS America, please email bd.sdsa@samsung.com.
Our Boot Camp in July was a SOLD-OUT EVENT. Because so many people couldnt be accommodated, we are holding this ENCORE event due to demand. " - Grant Cardone

Social media sensation and New York Times bestselling author, Grant Cardone, will host an ENCORE exclusive three-day sales and marketing training workshop the weekend of October 5 -7 in South Florida. This ultra-exclusive event is geared for business owners who want to increase sales and scale their business.

The interactive experience will include small group sessions, live question and answer opportunities, role play, and hands-on curriculum designed to show individuals how to build their business and income.

Our Boot Camp in July was a SOLD-OUT EVENT. Because so many people couldnt be accommodated, we are holding this ENCORE event due to demand. This three-day workshop will give you insights and knowledge to grow your business. I will be presenting material that grew my business MASSIVELY and shows participants how to do it for themselves with actionable and instantly implementable methods and strategies every minute of the conference.  Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone has developed a multi-million-dollar online sales training platform called Cardone University which provides sales organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, with sales training, sales motivation, and sales solutions. This proprietary material will be made available to 10X Business Boot Camp attendees.

The event will be held at the Diplomat Beach Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida. Seating is extremely limited but still available. All details and booking information can be found at https://grantcardonebootcamp.com/

Click the link to see a recap of 10X Business Boot Camp 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkJWylMNr4E

About Grant Cardone: Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, international social media influencer, the number one sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate, investing, entrepreneurship, social media, and finance. He owns five companies with annual revenues exceeding $100 million. He is a regular guest on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC. He also is a contributing writer for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, Entrepreneur.com and the Huffington Post.
easyMedicare.com does an excellent job of addressing the most important information and topics related to Medicares Annual Enrollment Period. We hope that families and individuals alike, will find the information to be very useful." - Anthony P. Solazzo, CEO of e-TeleQuote

easyMedicare.com (https://www.easyMedicare.com), an affiliate of e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc., has made more information available to help educate people on the 2019 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This information gives a complete breakdown on everything a person needs to know about Medicares Annual Enrollment Period, also known as AEP. Some of the information on the site includes but is not limited to enrollment dates, Medicare eligibility, how to enroll in Medicare, and how the licensed insurance agents at easyMedicare.com can help.

Medicares Annual Enrollment Period happens once every year from October 15th to December 7th. It is during that time when people have the opportunity to change their Medicare plan, including evaluating the cost of their plans, evaluating their access to providers and even their prescription drug plans. For most individuals enrolling during the Annual Enrollment Period, their coverage will commence on January 1 of the upcoming year.

The Annual Enrollment Period is an exciting time in the Medicare world says Anthony P. Solazzo, CEO of e-TeleQuote. easyMedicare.com does an excellent job of addressing the most important information and topics related to Medicares Annual Enrollment Period. We hope that families and individuals alike, will find the information to be very useful. And when the Annual Enrollment Period begins, our licensed agents will be able to effectively assist people with finding a Medicare plan that meets their individual needs.

Information on the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period can also be found on easyMedicare.coms YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. easyMedicare.com highly encourages people to continue to share videos and/or posts with family and friends who currently have, or are in need of a Medicare plan.

To learn more about the 2019 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, go to: https://easymedicare.com/medicare-annual-enrollment

About e-TeleQuote and easyMedicare.com

e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc. the owner and operator of easyMedicare.com, is an independent digital insurance agency providing consumers the ability to purchase Medicare insurance from the comfort of their homes. The company diligently researches available plan options from multiple insurance carriers, helping consumers choose a plan that best suits their needs. e-TeleQuote provides consumers personal consultation through experienced licensed insurance agents who suggest plan coverage options based on a customers particular needs. The company has proudly served tens of thousands of consumers across the United States.
GraphicBomb, a publisher of travel-focused price comparison sites, has partnered with http://www.Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, to provide accommodation inventory for http://www.BeachDeals.com, a new entrant in the vacation rental market designed to help beachgoers find their perfect rental within walking distance to the beach.

Through the new integration, BeachDeals.com pulls content from Booking.coms vast global inventory, making it instantly available to its customers, including more than 5.5 million listings alone in homes, apartments and other unique places to stay.

BeachDeals.coms new Walk to the Beach filter is uniquely tailored to beachgoers needs, making it easy to browse and compare vacation rentals with beach access or within a short walk.

BeachDeals.com helps beachgoers:



Compare the walking time from the rentals to the beach

See clearly outlined beaches on the map

 Access millions of listings from top sites such as Booking.com



Have quick facts about the beaches within easy reach

Filter down to must-have features and amenities

Whether theyre looking for a beautiful vacation home right on the beach or a cozy apartment just a short walk away, were constantly looking to explore partnerships that enable us to connect new audiences of travellers with the amazing choice of great places to stay on Booking.com, said Ripsy Bandourian, Senior Director of Partnerships at Booking.com. Were very pleased with this new partnership with GraphicBomb and BeachDeals.com, and look forward to helping even more customers find the vacation stay thats just right for them.

The new beach-focused features, especially the Walk to the Beach filter, really set BeachDeals.com apart, said Dave Boehl, CEO of GraphicBomb, which publishes BeachDeals.com. Since proximity to the beach is a key amenity travelers look for when choosing a place to stay, we wanted to provide tools to help vacationers figure out how long it will take them to get their toes in the sand.

Currently, the Walk to the Beach filter, beach outline and quick facts are available for more than 150 beaches in dozens of the most popular destinations for American and Canadian travelers. These hot spots include Los Angeles, San Diego, the Tampa Bay area, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, Cancun, the Riviera Maya and various Caribbean islands. More shorelines are being added to the site every week.

Additional details on BeachDeals.com:

1. Walking time from the rentals to the beach

Turn on the Walk to the Beach feature to narrow down search results to only those within walking distance to the beach (30 minutes or less). Itll show an estimate of how many minutes itll take, or whether the property has beach access or is beachfront.

2. Outlined beaches on the map

The beaches are outlined on the map, so the distance from each vacation rental listing to the beach is clear. Zoom out to see more beaches in the area, or zoom in to focus a search around a particular beach.

3. Access millions of listings from top sites

BeachDeals.com rounds up rental options scattered along each coastal hot spot featured on the site. Vacation rentals available to book include cute cottages, modern ocean-view condos, high-rise apartment units and more. After finding that perfect vacation rental, comparison shoppers will be sent over to the listing site to book.

4. Have quick facts about the beaches within easy reach

See details alongside rental listings on the map, including potential entry costs, sand color, sand quality, water quality and the areas high season.

5. Filter down to must-have features and amenities

A variety of filters lets vacationers find exactly what theyre looking for. See only properties with beach access, swimming pools, Wi-Fi or laundry facilities, or find rentals that are pet-friendly or offer disabled access.

About us:

BeachDeals is run by a group of passionate travelers. We build tools to help travelers compare prices across top travel sites so they can book their dream beach vacations. The site was launched in 2015 to help Americans and Canadians save money on trips to top beach destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States.

BeachDeals.com is a sister site to GoLastMinute.com, which has garnered more than 5 million subscribers since it launched in 2011. Both sites are published by GraphicBomb, named to Inc. 5000s list of the fastest-growing companies in America for 2016 and 2017.
Hacker Halted - September 13th & 14th in Atlanta, GA We are so thrilled to have IBMs support once again in making sure that Hacker Halted is accessible to as many women as possible. Removing the barrier of the attendee fee has gone a long way in making our event one of the best as far as attendance by women.

Today EC-Council and IBM announced that IBM will once again fund a scholarship program for women to attend EC-Councils Hacker Halted security conference free of charge. Funded by IBM Security, the scholarship is designed to help address the underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity and help women further their skills and expertise in this high-demand field. Hacker Halted 2017 conference saw a large increase in female attendees due to the support of IBM and the sponsorship. In fact, approximately 34% of last years registrants were women  a huge number for information security conferences.

The cybersecurity industry is facing a talent shortage that is anticipated to reach 1.8 million open and unfilled information security jobs within the next several years. With women representing only 11 percent of the information security workforce1, creating more opportunities for women in security is a critical part of improving the talent pool in the fight against cybercrime.

Hacker Halted will take place September 13 & 14 in Atlanta, Georgia and is hosted by EC-Council, creators of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification. IBM has sponsored the Hacker Halted conference and Global Cyberlympics for the past 4 years. This year, for the second time, IBM will fund a scholarship that allows all women who are interested in attending the show to do so without cost.

The theme for Hacker Halted 2018 is the The Ethical Hackers Guide to the Galaxy and EC-Council hopes to highlight through the conference that ethics include working toward inclusivity in the tech industry. Eric Lopez, EC-Council VP, said, We are so thrilled to have IBMs support once again in making sure that Hacker Halted is accessible to as many women as possible. Removing the barrier of the attendee fee has gone a long way in making our event one of the best as far as attendance by women, as we had a huge response to this initiative last year. IBMs support is one of the ways we continue to separate Hacker Halted from the rest of the security conferences.

"At IBM, we take diversity seriously, because we firmly believe in the value of a diverse workforce," said Heather Ricciuto, Leader of IBM Security's Academic Outreach Programs. "It is for this reason that we are pleased to provide scholarships once again in 2018 for women to attend Hacker Halted free of charge. The success of our 2017 scholarship program, with 34% of attendees being women who took advantage of our scholarship, is a testament to the number of women interested in cybersecurity." Diane Delaney, Worldwide Talent Manager at IBM Security, added, Through conferences like Hacker Halted and scholarships for women, IBM Security aims to encourage more women to join the exciting field of cybersecurity and help make the world a safer place."

Hacker Halteds agenda showcases several prominent women in cyber including Marcelle Lee, Threat Researcher at LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, Inc; Masha Sedova, Co-Founder of Elevate Security; Catherine Ullman, Senior Information Security Analyst at the University of Buffalo; Tyler Cohen Wood, Executive Director, Cyber Risk and Workforce Development at CyberVista; Sharon Smith, Cybersecurity Strategy and Advisory Parter at ITPG Secure Compliance; among others.

Women who wish to register for Hacker Halted under the IBM scholarship should register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hacker-halted-atlanta-ga-it-security-training-and-conference-2018-tickets-38704039825?discount=IBM2018Women for free entry.

About EC-Council

EC-Council has been the worlds 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. EC-Council Foundation, the non-profit branch of EC-Council, created Global CyberLympics, the worlds first global hacking competition. EC-Council Foundation also hosts a suite of conferences across the US and around the world including Hacker Halted, Global CISO Forum, TakeDownCon, and CISO Summit.

For more information about EC-Council, please see http://www.eccouncil.org.
I remain committed to refining my skills and surpassing expectations, so to know that patients feel confident about the outcome of their surgery at my practice is a true mark of success, says Dr. Ben Talei.

Though not a new procedure, hairline and forehead lowering, reduction and shortening have found many individuals feeling apprehensive in years passed, whether due to the lack of experienced doctors or worries about scarring and unnatural results, as explained by Dr. Ben Talei in a recent interview with The Aesthetic Channel.

I remain committed to refining my skills and surpassing expectations, so to know that patients feel confident about the outcome of their surgery at my Beverly Hills practice is a true mark of success, says Dr. Ben Talei.

Yet, his modifications in technique and overall approach mean that most candidates can now expect a very natural outcome. Having performed over 200 forehead-lowering procedures over the past five years, all of them women or transgender patients between the ages of 20 and 60, Dr. Taleis experience and elite surgical skill allows those with taller, more prominent foreheads to feel confident about their surgery.

Dr. Talei releases more of a patients scalp, which allows it to move forward with less tension and without damaging the scalp. To anchor the patients new hairline, he opts for temporary dissolvable sutures that are placed in tiny holes within the patients bone. This technique represents a shift from previously used anchors, which were noticeable beneath the skin, and caused pain and potential hair loss. Furthermore, the precise placement of the incision coupled with Dr. Taleis anchoring technique dramatically reduces discomfort associated with previous forehead re-positioning and allows hair to grow back through the incision. While results are permanent, Dr. Talei explains that a small percentage of patients may seek further enhancement through a facelift, hair transplant procedure or a series of injections such as platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), nano fat or emulsified fat to soften the hairline and promote hair growth.

More About Dr. Ben Talei:

A native of California, Dr. Benjamin Talei graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles with a degree in Physiological Sciences. He received his medical degree at the University of CaliforniaSan Diego School of Medicine (UCSD). Subsequently, Dr. Talei completed his residency training at Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University and Cornell University Medical Centers at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Following his residency program, Dr. Talei became one of the only surgeons in the country to complete two separate fellowships in Facial & Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, including a fellowship at the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York. Dr. Talei is a respected author, speaker and humanitarian, and has contributed to publications in medical journals and textbooks. He has also been featured extensively in the news media, including Cosmopolitan magazine, Readers Digest and CBS-TVs The Doctors for his dedicated expertise in facial aesthetics and surgery.

For more information about Dr. Ben Talei or forehead repositioning surgery at his Beverly Hills practice, please visit http://www.beverlyhillscenter.com or call (310) 288-0641.
Photography fans will soon have a free top-notch resource for expanding their skills in this competitive industry: an up-and-coming photography blog by industry expert Jim Feldkamp.

Feldkamps new photography website recently underwent a closed beta phase that lasted one month. Due to the large amount of traffic and attention the site received during the closed beta phase, the website will be 100 percent free, contrary to the original idea of putting the website behind a paywall.

Feldkamp created the website due to his love of photography and his passion to share his photography expertise with the masses. Feldkamp especially loves the photography subject of nature. According to Feldkamp, a photographer cannot take a photo of a landscape twice and expect the same result. After all, multiple photos of a single landscape or nature scene will always provide unique pictures. In Feldkamps opinion, a single spot always offers something new for a photographer to capture.

On the website, users can find five pages. In addition to featuring a landing page, Feldkamps website contains pages dedicated to background information on him, photography news, photography technology and a blog that addresses various photography topics of interest.

For instance, the blog provides a glimpse at Feldkamps personal experiences while photographing nature, photo-taking tips and even the national parks he most enjoys photographing in the United States. One of Feldkamps favorite national parks is Biscayne National Park in Florida, which features breathtaking marine life below the sea as well as its striking landscapes.

When it comes to photography news, Feldkamp has shared information about the 2017 National Geographic Photographer of the Year (Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan). Other news that Jim Feldkamp plans to cover includes the latest styles and trends related to photography, particularly nature photography. Through his website, photography enthusiasts can receive the information and inspiration they need to perfect their craft and deepen their passion for this artistic field.
Its a very exciting and dynamic time in the financial advice and wealth management industry with technology focused on improving the customer experience giving them more choice, lower pricing, higher levels of transparency, and ultimately better outcomes. Pefin is uniquely positioned to bring very

Pefin, the worlds first artificial intelligence (AI) financial advisor, welcomes John R. Crittenden, CAIA, as Director of Business Development and Investment Strategy.

Crittenden will guide Pefin through white label and customized partnerships with banks, RIAs, wealth management firms, asset managers, and other opportunities reporting to Pefin CEO, Catherine Flax. In addition, hell be working internally on investment product strategy solutions led by Viju Joseph, Pefins president and CIO.

Crittenden is an entrepreneur with broad experience across asset management, sales and marketing, consumer financial brands, and digital wealth management platforms. He also founded, Mondigi, a startup which provides a consumer portal to all things digital finance where individuals can search, learn, compare, and find the right solution for their financial situation. Prior to Mondigi, he was one of the earliest executives as Director of Institutional Services at Acorns, one of the first and most successful robo-advisor platforms focused on wealth management, where he also served as Chair of the Investment Policy Committee. His extensive background includes HNW retail and Institutional asset management roles at Morgan Stanley, Proctor Investment Managers, and Crowell, Weedon/D.A. Davidson. He is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), and has a Certificate in Wealth Management from NYIF.

Crittenden explains, Its a very exciting and dynamic time in the financial advice and wealth management industry with technology focused on improving the customer experience giving them more choice, lower pricing, higher levels of transparency, and ultimately better outcomes. Pefin is uniquely positioned to bring very powerful solutions to market across the spectrum from banks to asset managers to RIAs, and the employee benefits channel as well. They have an incredible team and I look forward to contributing to their growth and bring a world class financial advice and wealth management experience to millions. 

Pefin CEO, Catherine Flax, is elated to have Crittenden on board, John's vast experience and commercial insights focused on wealth management and the digital advice space are second to none. We are thrilled to have John join the Pefin team!"

About Pefin

Pefins proprietary, AI technology analyzes all of the data that describes an individual's financial life, and incorporates markets, tax and regulatory details, to craft personalized and affordable financial advice, available 24/7.

Established in 2011, Pefin, is a financial technology company based in New York City. Pefin, which stands for PErsonal Financial INtelligence, uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide fiduciary financial advice at the fraction of a cost of a traditional financial advisor. Pefins proprietary, patent-pending AI technology factors individual financial situations and personal financial priorities in addition to markets and regulations to craft highly tailored financial advice, available 24/7. Pefin Advisors, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, under Section 203(c) of the Investment Adviser Act of 1940.

For more information, visit http://www.pefin.com

Request free press access to Pefin: https://www.pefin.com/press
Kolache Factory logo I am honored and humbled to receive these awards in honor of two beloved women who I lost. -COO Dawn Nielsen

For Immediate Release:

August 8, 2018

Media contacts:

Jennifer Williams jwilliams@919marketing.com 919.459.3592

Sue Yannello syannello@919marketing.com 919.459.8162

Kolache Factory Awarded Prestigious Honor by Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

COO Dawn Nielsen Earns Special Recognition Award

for Personal Passion to Beat the Disease

HOUSTON, Tx.  (August 7, 2018)  Houston-based Kolache Factory and its Chief Operating Officer Dawn Nielsen have earned top awards from the Texas Gulf Coast chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for contributions and dedication to fighting blood cancer. Over the past decade, the bakery-cafe franchise has raised close to half a million dollars for the organization. Its a personal crusade for Nielsen, who lost her grandmother to multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, and her mom to lung and brain cancer.

Nielsen won the Chairmans Special Recognition Award. The Kolache Factory, the unique bakery-cafe franchise Nielsens parents founded, was awarded the Partners Against Blood Cancer Silver Level Award. The awards were presented at the chapters 2018 Light The Night Kick-Off before family, friends and dozens of Houston-based corporate sponsors.

I am honored and humbled to receive these awards in honor of two beloved women who I lost, says Nielsen, who has worked at the Kolache Factory since her parents started it with one Houston store back in 1982. I miss my mother and grandmothers guidance and love and only wish I could have done more while they were still here. I urge people to give because donations go to fund blood cancer research and treatments for patients who are suffering from all forms of blood cancer.

This is the Kolache Factorys thirteenth year of involvement with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, raising 460 thousand dollars with hopes of raising half a million dollars by years end. The company contributes by asking customers and employees to donate. Plus, it sponsors the groups annual Light The Night Walk, a glowing tribute with a festival and a walk with lanterns, to honor patients, survivors and those who have died from blood cancer.

Dawn is passionate and dedicated and has been instrumental to our growth over the past decade, says Ashlee Valavala, senior campaign manager of the Texas Gulf Coast chapter of the LLS. With her personal and corporate contributions, she has taken the darkest moments of her familys life and brought light to all the patients who struggle with and survive this disease.

The awards were presented August 9 at the Light The Night Kick Off event at the Royal Sonesta Hotel at 2222 West Loop South in Houston.

About the Kolache Factory

Kolache Factory was founded in 1982 in Houston, Texas, by John and Jerri Banks, who identified a need for a fresh, high-quality breakfast that could be eaten on the run. The Banks encouraged consumers to try the high-quality, fresh pastries filled with fruits, meat and cheeses and soon they were in high demand for business meetings, family breakfasts, on-the-go lunches and afternoon snacks. Kolache Factory has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Drive-Thrus in America by Food Network, one of the fastest growing companies in Houston and one of the top 50 food service bakeries in the United States by Modern Baking magazine. In addition, Franchise Times magazine recently named Kolache Factory one of the 300 biggest brands in franchising by worldwide sales in 2017. In addition, Entrepreneur magazine named it among the top 200 food-based franchises in 2017. Kolache Factory is privately owned and operated and headquartered in Katy, Texas. For more information please visit http://www.kolachefactory.com.
We are committed to helping these worthy students with financial aid and extend our sincere appreciation to LECMPA for partnering with the BLET Auxiliary Scholarship Program.

LECMPA, provider of wage loss protection for railroad and transportation workers, announced today that the BLET Auxiliary and LECMPA have chosen a total of 17 students to receive financial support for the 2018-2019 school year.

LECMPA funds two $2,500 scholarships as well as $1000 and $500 awards for students attending an accredited university, college, trade school of other institution of higher learning. Eleven of the 17 students receiving scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year are provided financial support from LECMPA. The students, all related to a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), are chosen for scholarships based on academic record, leadership, character and personal achievement.

LECMPA has protected union transportation workers with wage loss insurance protection since its founding in 1910. Enabling compensation to continue while workers are out of service due to job discipline, it brings confidence and fiscal certitude to workers and their families.

We wish to extend our congratulations and best wishes to all of the recipients of this years scholarship awards as they tackle their academic goals, stated BLET Auxiliary National President Sereena Hogan. We are committed to helping these worthy students with financial aid and extend our sincere appreciation to LECMPA for partnering with the BLET Auxiliary Scholarship Program. It is definitely a win-win situation for both organizations as well as for the students!

We are proud of all of the scholarship recipients and delighted to provide financial assistance to help students from BLET families realize their dreams at our countrys academic institutions, said LECMPA President Susan Tukel. The caliber of students applying for the BLET Auxiliary Scholarship was impressive and a testament to the quality of BLET families.

For a list of current BLET Auxiliary Scholarship recipients click here.

BLET students can access information about the program and its requirements here.

About LECMPA

LECMPA, founded in 1910 as a cooperative assessment insurer for railroad workers, provides wage loss protection to unionized transportation workers in all crafts and industries throughout the United States. LECMPA is a nonprofit, member-owned company with approximately 27,000 members nationwide. LECMPA headquarters are in in Southfield, Michigan. More information is available at http://www.lecmpa.org.
Dr. Afrooz Delivers Smiles in Paraguay

Dr. Bobby Afrooz, Lead Dentist at Bright Now! Dental in Burbank, CA, recently traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay for a week-long international outpost trip to deliver dental care in impoverished communities. Along with a team of fellow Smile Brands Inc. affiliated colleagues and support staff, Dr. Afrooz volunteered his time to help deliver care to over 550 individuals in need.

This outreach was hosted by Smiles for Everyone Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission to deliver smiles for everyone by providing free dental care to those in need, both at home in the US and around the world. In partnership with Diaconia, a local NGO with the mission to empower those living in poverty to live with dignity and freedom, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has supported year-round dental outreaches in Paraguay since 2011.

Outreaches were held at orphanages, community centers and schools in the communities surrounding Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Local Paraguayan dentists partnered with the team throughout the week, working side by side to deliver care late into each night. During the six days of outreaches, the local dentists were also trained on complex dental procedures and working with the portable dental equipment so they can continue to deliver smiles in their communities throughout the year.

Dr. Bobby Afrooz is dedicated to giving back to his community, and also partnered with Smiles for Everyone Foundation to host a Day of Giving at his office earlier this year, providing nearly $50,000 in donated dentistry to the local Burbank community.

For further information on the Paraguay trip and other outreach efforts, please visit the Foundations blog at https://www.smilesforeveryone.org/smile-stories/.

About Bright Now! Dental

Bright Now! Dental provides general dentistry, childrens dentistry and, in select locations, specialty care services such as orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and endodontics at over 150 offices across Colorado, California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Bright Now! Dentals Southern California offices are operated by Sahawneh Dental Corporation (the Group). The Group is affiliated with Smile Brands Inc., one of the largest providers of business support services to dental groups in the United States. Smile Brands Inc. provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long term service agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors (Gryphon), a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit smilebrands.com.

About the Smiles For Everyone Foundation

The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of delivering smiles for everyone by providing free dental care for those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has delivered over 16,000 smiles and $12.5 million in donated dentistry. The foundation currently supports programs which provide free dental care to those in need in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Thailand and the United States. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org.

Contacts:

Bright Now! Dental

Jody Martin

PR@smilebrands.com

714.427.1299

Smiles for Everyone Foundation

Crystal Strait

crystal.strait@smilesforeveryone.org

714.824.5037

###
Dr. Gonzalez Delivers Smiles in Paraguay

Dr. Edgardo Gonzalez, Lead Dentist at Monarch Dental in San Antonio, TX recently traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay for a week-long international outpost trip to deliver dental care in impoverished communities. Along with a team of fellow Smile Brands Inc. affiliated colleagues and support staff, Dr. Gonzalez volunteered his time to help deliver care to over 550 individuals in need.

This outreach was hosted by Smiles for Everyone Foundation (SFEF), a nonprofit with the mission to deliver smiles for everyone by providing free dental care to those in need, both at home in the US and around the world. In partnership with Diaconia, a local NGO with the mission to empower those living in poverty to live with dignity and freedom, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has supported year-round dental outreaches in Paraguay since 2011.

Outreaches were held at orphanages, community centers and schools in the communities surrounding Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Local Paraguayan dentists partnered with the team throughout the week, working side by side to deliver care late into each night. During the six days of outreaches, the local dentists were also trained on complex dental procedures and working with the portable dental equipment so they can continue to deliver smiles in their communities throughout the year.

Dr. Gonzalez serves as a Board Member and Paraguay International Ambassador for Smiles for Everyone Foundation. He also recently hosted a Day of Giving at his office, providing care for over 70 underserved individuals in the San Antonio community, and will be participating in another SFEF Day of Giving in Austin next month.

For further information on the Paraguay trip and other outreach efforts, please visit the Foundations blog at https://www.smilesforeveryone.org/smile-stories/.

About Monarch Dental

Monarch Dental provides general dentistry, childrens dentistry and specialty care services such as orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and endodontics at 89 locations throughout Texas, Arkansas and Utah. Monarch Dental affiliated practices make it easy and affordable for individuals and families to get the dental care they need with convenient locations, extended hours and same-day appointments. The Monarch Dental mission is to create healthier smiles by making dental visits easy and enjoyable. Learn more at http://www.monarchdental.com.

About the Smiles For Everyone Foundation

The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of delivering smiles for everyone by providing free dental care for those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has delivered over 16,000 smiles and $12.5 million in donated dentistry. The foundation currently supports programs which provide free dental care to those in need in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Thailand and the United States. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org.

Contacts:

Monarch Dental

Jody Martin

PR(at)smilebrands.com

714.427.1299

Smiles for Everyone Foundation

Crystal Strait

crystal.strait(at)smilesforeveryone.org

714.824.5037
Dr. Loiseau Delivers Smiles in Paraguay

Dr. Wilner Loiseau, Lead Dentist and Periodontist at Monarch Dental in Plano, TX recently traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay for a week-long international outpost trip to deliver dental care in impoverished communities. Along with a team of fellow Smile Brands Inc. affiliated colleagues and support staff, Dr. Loiseau volunteered his time to help deliver care to over 550 individuals in need.

This outreach was hosted by Smiles for Everyone Foundation (SFEF), a nonprofit with the mission to deliver smiles for everyone by providing free dental care to those in need, both at home in the US and around the world. In partnership with Diaconia, a local NGO with the mission to empower those living in poverty to live with dignity and freedom, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has supported year-round dental outreaches in Paraguay since 2011.

Outreaches were held at orphanages, community centers and schools in the communities surrounding Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Local Paraguayan dentists partnered with the team throughout the week, working side by side to deliver care late into each night. During the six days of outreaches, the local dentists were also trained on complex dental procedures and working with the portable dental equipment so they can continue to deliver smiles in their communities throughout the year.

For further information on the Paraguay trip and other outreach efforts, please visit the Foundations blog at https://www.smilesforeveryone.org/smile-stories/.

About Monarch Dental

Monarch Dental provides general dentistry, childrens dentistry and specialty care services such as orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and endodontics at 89 locations throughout Texas, Arkansas and Utah. Monarch Dental affiliated practices make it easy and affordable for individuals and families to get the dental care they need with convenient locations, extended hours and same-day appointments. The Monarch Dental mission is to create healthier smiles by making dental visits easy and enjoyable. Learn more at http://www.monarchdental.com.

About the Smiles For Everyone Foundation

The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of delivering smiles for everyone by providing free dental care for those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has delivered over 16,000 smiles and $12.5 million in donated dentistry. The foundation currently supports programs which provide free dental care to those in need in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Thailand and the United States. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org.

Contacts:

Monarch Dental

Jody Martin

PR@smilebrands.com

714.427.1299

Smiles for Everyone Foundation

Crystal Strait

crystal.strait@smilesforeveryone.org

714.824.5037

###
Local Wellington Injury attorney, Michael Elstein, Esq. of the Elstein Law Firm made two major contributions over the course of the past year to support the new magnate program, the Pre-Engineering Gateway to Technology Program at Polo Park Middle School which commences in the Fall of 2018.

Initially, the Elstein Law Firm inquired with the school as to what type of assistance would benefit this program so that it could be fully funded for the 2018  2019 school year thereby enabling, among other things, the teachers to complete the required training for this program.

Elstein Law Firm made a $3,000.00 donation to the program in December 2017 and matched his initial donation with a second payment of $3,000.00 this month thereby making a total contribution of $6,000 to benefit the school, and more importantly, the students who are dreaming of careers in engineering and related fields.

A Commitment to Community Service

The Elstein Law Firm, has a long history of supporting the community and related community organizations and has made substantial financial contributions over the past several years to Panther Park Elementary, Polo Park Middle School, Wellington Parks and Recreation, as well as the Allfed.org (delivering food to various shelters in Palm Beach County) and the I Care, I Cure Foundation.

Wellington Injury Lawyer, Michael S. Elstein, Esq. of The Elstein Law Firm recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary marking years of trusted personal service to his clients with an aggressive and dedicated approach which not only has benefited the clients of his law firm, but the surrounding members of the community where he has lived and practiced law since 2003.

About the Gateway to Technology Program

The Gateway to Technology program is designed to provide hands-on experiences for children to spark interest in the processes and possibilities involved in the engineering field. Students are encouraged to explore engineering technologies and to use their imagination to identify new ways to use these technologies to solve problems and resolve issues. By supporting the Gateway to Technology program financially, the Elstein Law Firm can make a positive difference in the lives of children in our community and the financial support helped to ensure that the teachers involved in this program will have the required training for the 2018-2019 school year.

About the Elstein Law Firm

Michael S. Elstein, Esq. is an injury trial attorney who offers experienced and aggressive representation primarily involving cases where people have been injured as a result of serious auto accidents, work injuries, slip and fall, and wrongful death matters. Additionally, the Elstein Law Firm represents victims of medical negligence and nursing home abuse and has a limited focus on certain employment matters.

Recently, the law firm expanded its practice areas to property damage claims against homeowners insurance carriers as a result of storms and flooding to better serve the local Wellington community. Mr. Elstein has over twenty (20) years of litigation experience and can provide personal representation that you can trust in any of the aforementioned legal areas.

We proudly serve the Wellington and surrounding communities and South Florida.
Manuka Health New Zealand New Zealands Manuka honey is a rare and special, premium product which can only be produced by bees collecting the nectar of the flowers of the Manuka tree, which is native to New Zealand. So rare in fact, the bees produce the honey during a six-week flowering window of the year.

Theres no denying that the world is buzzing about New Zealands Manuka honey and its incredible healing properties: international demand is so high, it is currently outpacing supply. But as brands rush to meet demand, not all are as sweet as they seem, according to a recent in-depth report conducted by Good Morning America that aims to investigate five of the most popular brands (including Manuka Health New Zealand) currently on the market in the United States.

For its test, GMA Investigates purchased the same five brands of Manuka honey in four separate regional markets, and sent samples of each to two international laboratories for industry standard authentication tests. These tests were designed to measure each honeys MGO levels. Unlike your more common GMO labeling, MGO is actually a good thing  MGO or methylglyoxal is a naturally occurring compound in Manuka honey that gives it its special properties. James Gawenis, Chief Chemist of Sweetwater Science Labs explains, if it doesnt have the MGO value, you might as well be buying sweet clover honey for less than a tenth the price.

What GMA Investigates found it its research was eye-opening:

Of the five total sampled brands, just two of the five met industry standards for MGO levels, and one of the two verified brands told GMA Investigates that it plans to discontinue its current supplier when stores run out. This means that of all the brands sampled, only Manuka Health New Zealand has passed.

This commitment to the highest quality is the core of Manuka Healths brand. Manuka Health recommends that consumers look for three important qualities when evaluating different brands of Manuka honey:

1. Make sure every jar of Manuka honey is actually from New Zealand.

Some jars of honey claim to be NZ Manuka honey has been potted overseas  look for pots of honey that are marked to be processed and potted in New Zealand.

2. Make sure there is a transparent rating system on your label that grades the potency of your honey.

The two leading rating systems are MGO (by Manuka Health New Zealand) that measures methylglyoxal and UMF  an independant rating system that also incorporates MGO as one of its measures; Manuka Health is also a member of the UMF Honey Association. The higher the MGO, the higher the MGO potency.

3. Buy from a brand that keeps control of the honey from the beekeeper to the jar.

There are few companies that harvest honey, extract honey, process, filter, and thoroughly test the honey throughout the process  look for brands that have integrity in their supply chain.

Manuka Health works hard to make sure that every jar of its Manuka honey passes these three important tests through its state-of-the-art honey facilities and a team of experts based in New Zealand.

Manuka Healths Kate Kember explains:

New Zealands Manuka honey is a rare and special, premium product which can only be produced by bees collecting the nectar of the flowers of the Manuka tree, which is native to New Zealand. So rare in fact, the bees produce the honey during a six-week flowering window of the year. Manuka Health have a team of experts from the beekeepers, to the honey technicians, to the quality team who are all carefully nurturing our Manuka honey to the pot our consumers trust. Its great to see that interest in Manuka honey and its properties continues to grow in America; as pointed out in the Good Morning America item, ensuring consumers are getting the real deal is critical.

Additional Links:

Original GMA Investigates Segment

The Edge Podcast with Mark Thompson Investigative Special Episode on Manuka Honey

More About Manuka Health New Zealand:

Manuka Health New Zealand was founded in 2006 in Te Awamutu and has grown to become a leading natural healthcare company. With over $100 million in sales, the majority of Manuka Healths products are exported to 45 countries (holding #1 position in 22 of these markets) and includes core markets of North America, China, Germany, Japan, Australia, and the Middle East.

Manuka Health has been a leader in the Manuka honey industry over the past decade, bringing high quality premium New Zealand Manuka honey to consumers around the world, pioneering Methylglyoxal (MGO) as a significant compound in Manuka honey and building strong science credentials behind the brand. Manuka Health produces high quality Manuka honey and other bee-related productsManuka honey, New Zealand floral honeys, Propolis, Royal Jelly, Wound Care, Skincare and natural wellness products.

http://www.manukahealth.co.nz
Lynda Fernandez, MIAMIs senior vice president of public relations & international. Exhibiting and presenting at Colombias largest showcase will further promote Miamis global brand and our incredible live, work and play lifestyle, said Lynda Fernandez, MIAMIs senior vice president of public relations & international.

The MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) will again promote South Floridas lifestyle and real estate market at Colombias largest property showcase, El XII Gran Salon Inmobiliario  Feria Internacional, starting today through Sunday, Aug. 12 in Bogota, Colombia. MIAMI will make a South Florida market presentation at the 13th annual expo, which is expected to attract 30,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors.

Exhibiting and presenting at Colombias largest showcase will further promote Miamis global brand and our incredible live, work and play lifestyle, said Lynda Fernandez, MIAMIs senior vice president of public relations & international.

Exhibiting at El Gran Salon Inmobiliario

Fernandez will lead the MIAMI exhibit and make a South Florida market presentation. Exhibiting and presenting at El Gran Salon Inmobiliario is part of MIAMIs efforts to promote South Florida real estate worldwide.

Colombia: A Major Market for Miami Real Estate

Colombian home buyers tied with Canada in making the third-most international purchases in South Florida, according to the 2017 Profile of International Home Buyers of MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) Members. Colombia had a 9 percent share of all international purchases in South Florida. Argentina (15 percent) and Venezuela (11 percent) had the most and second-most purchases, respectively.

Miami-Dade County has the largest concentration of Colombian natives in the country, with 114,701 living in the area, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Broward County (66,517) and Palm Beach County (22,980) rank third and fifth, respectively.

About the MIAMI Association of REALTORS

The MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 98 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents 47,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., and has official partnerships with 168 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.MiamiRealtors.com

###
Milgard Donates to TAF Milgard is so pleased to contribute to this educational youth program, said Lisa Ridgeway, Manager of Recruiting & Talent Management at Milgard. Supporting and strengthening our local communities is a core value for Milgard, and youth education aligns perfectly.

Milgard Windows & Doors donated $25,000 to Technology Access Fund (TAF), a Seattle, Washington based nonprofit to support their participation in Lego League, a national robotics competition for middle school and high school age students.

Seattle-based non-profit entity, TAF, is committed to providing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, internships, and career opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students of color.

Milgard is so pleased to contribute to this educational youth program, said Lisa Ridgeway, Manager of Recruiting & Talent Management at Milgard. Supporting and strengthening our local communities is a core value for Milgard, and youth education aligns perfectly.

TAF uses STEM as a tool for realizing social change and educational equality in communities of color and those with low income, focusing primarily on individuals from underrepresented communities. Their targeted approach leverages in-school and out-of-school learning to address longstanding historical inequities for students of color, while also cultivating leadership and citizenship.

Our goal is to remove obstacles to success in employment and education, said Sherry Williams, the Director of Operations for TAF. Were especially excited to receive the donation so that our students can participate in their first ever Lego League, where they will learn both robotics and practical problem solving skills.

The grant is part of the #MascoMillionDifferences campaign, an initiative in which Masco Corporation, through its business units, is allocating $1,000,000 of its philanthropic funding in 2018 to support organizations across the country that are working to break down barriers to diversity and inclusion in Americas corporate workforce through education or career resources.

About Milgard Windows & Doors

Milgard Windows & Doors, a Masco company based in Tacoma, Washington, offers a full line of vinyl, wood, fiberglass and aluminum windows and patio doors for builders, dealers and homeowners, backed by a Full Lifetime Warranty, including parts and labor. The company has been recognized as Builders Choice for vinyl and fiberglass windows in the Western United States, in a yearly survey sponsored by Hanley-Wood Inc., publishers of BUILDER Magazine. Milgard is the highest online rated window and patio door brand, as measured by the 2017 NRS consumer sentiment study conducted by MetrixLab and commissioned by Masco. Milgard has approximately 3,800 dealer locations nationwide. For more information, visit milgard.com or call 1.800.MILGARD.

About Masco Corporation

Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), parent company of Milgard Windows & Doors, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Our portfolio of industry-leading brands includes Behr paint; Delta and Hansgrohe faucets, bath and shower fixtures; KraftMaid and Merillat cabinets; Milgard windows and doors; Kichler decorative and outdoor lighting; and Hot Spring spas. We leverage our powerful brands across product categories, sales channels and geographies to create value for our customers and shareholders. For more information about Masco Corporation, visit Masco.com.

About TAF

TAF aims to equip students of color for success in college and in life through the power of an interdisciplinary STEM education and supportive relationships. TAF is a thought leader and valuable asset to students and teachers in the public school system. In their 20+ year history they have delivered direct educational services to over 5,000 students resulting in a 95% on-time high school graduation rate and a 95% college entrance rate. Their goal is to scale their programs throughout Washington State. Learn more at techaccess.org.
It is a thrill to bring art and music together for such a festive event!

The Music Conservatory of Westchester invites the entire Westchester County community for a free outdoor Mural Unveiling Party on Sunday, September 30, 2018 from 1pm-4pm on the Conservatorys campus at 216 Central Avenue in White Plains! The community music school is celebrating the unveiling of the full-scale painted mural designed by local Westchester County students in collaboration with professional mural artist Jonathan Villoch as part of the Colors of Music Student Mural Contest. This will be a family-friendly afternoon event with food trucks, live music, face-painting, outdoor activities, and more!

We are very excited to unveil the finished mural, celebrate and share it with the entire community, Executive Director Jean Newton said. It is a thrill to bring art and music together for such a festive event.

The mural will be unveiled to the community at 2pm with community leaders in attendance and the support of local sponsors Faust Harrison Pianos and Thomsons Art Supply. Cuisine from a variety of local mobile food vendors as well as live music performed by Conservatory students and faculty, outdoor games and fun activities will entertain attendees of all ages throughout the party.

The Colors of Music Student Mural Contest, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for artistic youth in Westchester County to create their vision of what the theme of Multi-Cultural Music means to them in a large-scale mural form. Numerous entries were submitted by middle and high school students around Westchester County with the hope that their artwork would be chosen as the basis for a mural to be painted on the Music Conservatory of Westchesters building on Central Avenue in White Plains.

"This mural project will reflect the Conservatorys wonderful musical community, the rich diversity of our greater Westchester community, and the vital role music plays in all our lives, Newton added.

Over the summer, the winning students participated in a week-long collaborative mural art workshop led by Cuban American artist and New York City-based art educator Jonathan Villoch, to develop the final design based on the students artwork. Elements of artwork submissions by the contest finalists will also be incorporated into the mural design. In a tie, based on scores from all eight members of the adjudication panel, two students were chosen as winners of the contest.

Winning students:



Mya Madison Davis, 9th grader from Pelham Memorial High School

Ciara Sergi, 9th grader from White Plains High School

Finalist students:



Emma Farley of New Rochelle, 7th grader at Albert Leonard Middle School

Lucy Schwartzreich of Chappaqua, 11th grader at Horace Greely High School

An adjudication panel of art experts from Westchester County and New York City, as well as creative community leaders decided the winning mural artwork concepts:



Margaret Adasko, Curator of Education, Katonah Museum of Art

Samantha De Tillio, Assistant Curator, Museum of Arts and Design

Michael Dweck, Treasurer and Board Trustee, Museum of Arts and Design

Jimmy Fink, Radio Personality and Producer at 107.1 The Peak

Lynn Honeysett, Former Executive Director of the Pelham Art Center

Kimberlyn V. McKoy, Gallery Associate, ArtsWestchester

Amy R. Paulin, Assemblymember for the 88th District

Jonathan Villoch, Professional Mural Artist, Collaborating Artist for Colors of Music Student Mural Contest

Mya Madison Davis described her winning contest submission titled Rainbow Rhapsody as, The bright colors represent diversity of people. The instruments I used are from all over the world it shows everyone from all different cultural backgrounds coming together, united in one harmony, all with a common goal.

Ciara Sergi described her worldly entry titled Musical Pangea: I drew the characteristic instruments from each of the continents as a product of their traditional culture, and used their instruments to depict each continent.

I was happy to nurture the artwork that these students put so much effort into creating, Jonathan Villoch said. We will have to wait and see the final painted mural.

Recently, the City of White Plains has embraced public art projects in the community representing the vibrant diversity of the city and Westchester County. White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach mentioned in a public statement that this community public art project will not only beautify the city; it will also benefit an important community partner, which is the Conservatory.

Join the Music Conservatory of Westchester from 1pm-4pm on Sunday, September 30th for an exciting mural unveiling and fun outdoor community party to celebrate how art and music bring people together like nothing else!

In the event of inclement weather, the Mural Unveiling Party will have a rain date on Sunday, October 7th from 1pm-4pm at the Music Conservatory of Westchester.

Mural Unveiling Party

Date: Sunday, September 30, 2018 (Rain Date: Sunday, October 7, 2018)

Time: 1-4pm

Free Admission

Location: Music Conservatory of Westchester

216 Central Avenue

White Plains, NY 10606

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1353030631499711/

For more information about this event and the Music Conservatory of Westchester, please contact Adriana Rivera, Communications and Development Assistant, at Adriana@musiced.org or 914-761-3900 x135.

About the Music Conservatory of Westchester:

The Music Conservatory of Westchester was founded in 1929 by a group of community members and renowned artists. Today, the Conservatory provides the extraordinary benefits of music to all in our community, from absolute beginners to advanced artists, with one-on-one instruction, performing ensembles, theory, composition, early childhood classes, lifelong learning for adults, and free community performances, serving 2,900 students each year from 4 months to over 80 years old. As a not-for-profit organization, the Conservatory is dedicated to serving the community and reaching out to those who would not otherwise have access. Our Scholarship Program provides tuition assistance for financially deserving students. The Music Therapy Institute brings music into the lives of 1,900 children and adults with disabilities each year through on-site and outreach programs. Healing Our Heroes offers military veterans a specialized music therapy program to help with recovery after their service. The Conservatory has inspired generations of students, and contributed to a vibrant musical life in the county, the region, and beyond. http://www.musicconservatory.org
NES Financial

NES Financial, the leading provider of administration solutions to the EB-5 industry, will host a seminar next month titled H-1B to EB-5: Stay Permanently, Work Anywhere. The event will be aimed at educating current H-1B visa holders  in particular, Indian nationals  who wish to pursue U.S. permanent residency and employment freedom under the EB-5 visa program.

This seminar will take place on Wednesday, September 5, at the Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose, CA, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The event will educate attendees on the requirements, process, and realistic timeline to obtain a green card through the EB-5 program. The seminars speakers will discuss the advantages of the EB-5 program, common mistakes investors make, different types of investments, proper source of funds reporting, and how to identify worthwhile EB-5 projects to invest in.

NES Financial will be joined by fellow EB-5 industry leaders CanAm Enterprises and Klasko Immigration Law Partners in presenting this program.

Indian nationals who want to live and work in the United States face a multitude of coordinated roadblocks when trying to plan a long-term future, said Ron Klasko, one of the founding attorneys at Klasko Immigration Law Partners. With new restrictions on H-1Bs and unprecedentedly long EB-2/3 quota waiting lists, there is one option that is still available to Indians seeking to obtain permanent resident status: EB-5. We look forward to meeting with H-1B visa holders who want to take the next step in their immigration journey.

CanAm President and CEO Tom Rosenfeld also expressed enthusiasm for the event: CanAm is more than able to help H-1B holders and highly skilled Indian nationals who are now realizing that EB-5 is not just an alternative way, but rather a preferable route, to get green cards for their entire family, he said. With our proven experience in assisting more than 5,300 investor families to pursue their EB-5 visas to date, we are pleased to join two of our industrys leading organizations, NES Financial and Klasko Immigration Law Partners, to share what we know and help H-1B holders make the right decision.

For more information on this seminar, or to register, please click here to visit the event page.

About NES Financial

NES Financial is a Silicon Valley financial technology (FinTech) company providing technology-enabled solutions and services for the efficient back- and middle-office administration of complex financial transactions. Serving private equity, commercial real estate, and Fortune 1000 clientele, NES Financial offers industry-leading fund administration, loan servicing, specialized EB-5 administration, and 1031 tax-deferred exchange services. Our unwavering commitment to data security, operational redundancy, and compliance reporting is evidenced by 12 consecutive years of successful independent audits of our technology, processes, and financial controls. Today, NES Financial services over 190 funds, administers over $20B annually, and has worked with over 675 EB-5 projects. For more information, visit nesfinancial.com.

About CanAm Enterprises

Located in New York City's financial district, CanAm Enterprises (CanAm) is one of the leading sponsors of immigration-linked investment funds in the United States. With three decades of experience, CanAm has a long and established track record and is dedicated to connecting accredited foreign investors with qualifying investments. CanAm has financed over 55 project loans and raised more than $2.6 billion in EB-5 financing. CanAm exclusively manages seven USCIS-designated Regional Centers that are located in the city of Philadelphia, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the county of Los Angeles, the metropolitan region of New York, and the states of Hawaii, Florida and Texas. For more information, please visit canamenterprises.com.

About Klasko Immigration Law Partners

Klasko Immigration Law Partners 24-member EB-5 Team is one of the largest and most respected EB-5 practices in the world. The firms EB-5 team files hundreds of I-526 petitions for investors each year and has substantial experience with I-829 filings for investor clients. The firms EB-5 blog is considered a must read for cutting edge EB-5 information, and its website serves as one of the most expansive and trusted sources on EB-5 law. The firm is regularly ranked in Chambers and Partners Global and recognized in U.S. News and World Reports Best Law Firms. Klasko attorneys have been recognized for many years in Best Lawyers in America and as top EB-5 lawyers by EB5 Investors Magazine.

Ron Klasko has served as chair of the EB-5 Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association for 5 years. He is widely recognized as an industry leader on EB-5.

Anu Nair has a growing reputation in the EB-5 industry. In 2018, she was included on Philadelphia Business Journals 40 Under 40 list, and won the IIUSA Industry Achievement Award for Rising Star.

For more information, visit klaskolaw.com.
As a core tenet of our business philosophy, we believe in transparency, openness and fair access... we are always looking for areas of inefficiency where we can realize savings for our customers.

New Continuum Holdings Corporation, which operates New Continuum Data Centers (New Continuum) (http://www.newcontinuum.net) and United Internet Exchange, LLC (United IX) (http://www.unitedix.net) is pleased to announce it has joined The Open19 Foundation. The Open19 Foundation was established to build a community for a new generation of open data centers and edge solutions, by creating project-based open hardware and software solutions for the greater data center industry. Initial hardware contributions to the foundation are the Open19 Platform industry specification that defines a common server form factor, creating a flexible and economical data center and edge solution for operators of all sizes.

New Continuum has established itself as a leader in defining next generation, multi-tenant data center services. Its flagship data center is engineered for maximum flexibility in power redundancy and density, and it enjoys rich connectivity options and optimal traffic routing due to its partnership with United Internet Exchange. Joining The Open19 Foundation further underscores this commitment to next generation infrastructure services.

As a core tenet of our business philosophy, we believe in transparency, openness and fair access, said New Continuum Chairman and CEO, Eli D. Scher. Further, we are always looking for areas of inefficiency where we can realize savings for our customers, or create environments where they can realize savings themselves. Scher added, The objectives of The Open19 Foundation align perfectly with our values and business principles, and we are excited to integrate this new technology into our service capabilities.

Yuval Bachar, President of the Open19 Foundation, welcomed New Continuum to its community of solution providers. "We are excited by the continued interest in adopting Open19 standards, and welcome New Continuum to the organization.

About New Continuum

New Continuum Data Centers (NCDC) is a multi-tenant data center operator in the western Chicago suburbs. NCDC operates an 80,000 square foot, purpose-built, concurrently maintainable facility in West Chicago, IL. NCDC offers highly flexible wholesale and retail colocation services to enterprises and small businesses. New Continuums products range from basic colocation to private cages, private suites and secured data halls. Additionally, NCDC offers unique connectivity and peering solutions through its partnership with United IX (http://www.unitedix.net). New Continuums 2N power design can accommodate some of the highest density cabinet footprints, and with its efficient technologies and robust cooling infrastructure it can deliver leading edge PUEs. To learn more, please visit http://www.newcontinuum.net, or call 877-432-2656.

About Open19 Foundation, Inc.

Open19 Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 by Flex, GE Digital, HP Enterprise, LinkedIn and Vapor IO. Its mission is to establish new open industry specifications for servers based on a common form factor. http://www.open19.org/
525 GUI Take the 5 decades of expertise in timing we tap into at Berkeley Nucleonics, and squeeze it into a compact module about the size of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and you have an exciting alternative to benchtop DDGs, says Junior Choe

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (San Rafael, CA) has launched the latest design in a growing family of USB-Driven instrumentation. The new multi-channel pulse/delay generator offers 6 channels of delay and width control in a compact design. The new DDG introduces a host of updated operating modes, output features and mechanical versatility. Intuitive front and rear panel controls allow start and stop, active indicators and trigger options. This enables users to orient outputs on either the front (benchtop) or rear of the unit (rackmount).

The Model 525 Pulse / Delay Generator addresses a growing need for space saving designs, less mechanical components and cost reduction. The instrument is powered by USB and measures just 2.5x6.5x7.0 with Gate/Trigger and Output Connectors. As a growing number of timing and gating applications demand PC-controlled devices, the Model 525 introduces 6 timing channels at an affordable price. "Take the 5 decades of expertise in timing we tap into at Berkeley Nucleonics, and squeeze it into a compact module about the size of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and you have an exciting alternative to benchtop DDGs, says Junior Choe.

Berkeley Nucleonics provides a simple software GUI to control the delay generator from any PC. Front the software GUI, parameters like delay from trigger, pulse width, when to trigger, or how many pulses to burst can be quickly set up. Using the new Clock-Divider, you can adjust pulse rates for each channel even when using a common trigger. (Ch1, 20 MHz; Ch2, 5 MHz, Ch3, 50Hz...etc). Another new option allows external triggering of selected channels.

The Model 525 Pulse/Delay Generator boasts 2ns timing resolution and 1ppm accuracy, excellent timing characteristics for synchronizing multiple instruments in an experiment or gating high speed device imaging devices. Other applications in this time domain include triggering lasers and laser drivers, gating sensors, detectors and DAQ, or simulation in RADAR and LIDAR test stations. In celebration of 55 years in business, the company is offering introductory pricing of $1963 / unit in small quantities. For a quote or additional details, call the factory at 800-234-7858 or Engineer Live Chat @ http://www.berkeleynucleonics.com - we are happy to discuss your application.

Press Contact:

Matteo Kraftsow, Marketing Manager

matteo(at)berkeleynucleonics.com

Technical Contact:

Junior Choe, Product Manager

junior(at)berkeleynucleonics.com

About Berkeley Nucleonics

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC) was founded in 1963 and has developed the most comprehensive line of signal sources and analysers. The company offers signal generators with Light Outputs (450-1550nm), TTL outputs (fS timing), High Voltage Outputs (up to 800V), NIM Tail Pulses, RF & Microwave Signals (up to 40GHz), Arb/Function Generators and Ultra-Fast Rise Time Pulsers (70pS Tr). The company also offers signal analysis and phase noise testing instrumentation with ranges up to 40GHz and Time-to-Digital Convertors with 40ps resolution. BNC offers custom packaging and software tools, ultra low jitter designs (2ps) and OEM design services.
Andrew Schneider Nervous / System The inaugural season of MIT Performing, a presenting and prototyping series, approaches theater as a dynamic and vital platform for research-based performance practices, says Jay Scheib.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announces the new performing arts series MIT Performing, signaling a new destination in the performing arts scene in Boston/Cambridge. Curated by Professor Jay Scheib, the series launches with performance artist Adrienne Truscotts celebrated solo work THIS, Andrew Schneiders new production NERVOUS/SYSTEM and Ayesha Jordans one-woman sci-fi telenovela Shasta Geaux Pop, developed in collaboration with Charlotte Brathwaite, MIT Assistant Professor of Theater Arts. MIT Performing envisions an array of productions, lectures and new performance idioms throughout the year. Following on these three productions, internationally renowned solo performer Lisa Dwan will present her lecture/demonstration A Body of Beckett, followed by a new theater work to be developed by director Jay Scheib with an international cast of collaborators.

Known for genre-defying works of daring physicality and the integration of new (and used) technologies in performance, curator Jay Scheibs recent staging of Naama Zissers new opera Mamzer/Bastard for the Royal Opera House in London played to packed houses at the Hackney Empire Theater. His new hit musical Bat Out of Hell is currently running in Londons West End at the Dominion Theater and in the fall will begin a North American tour with extended runs at the Ahmanson Theater in L.A., the Wang in Boston and New Yorks City Center Theater. A Professor of Theater Arts at MIT for more than a decade, Professor Scheib is delighted to announce this collaboration with the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST) to present a series of innovative performances in MITs recently completed theater arts facility.

Developed as the new home for the program in Theater Arts at MIT, W97 was opened in 2017, with a mandate to enhance its curricular offerings by providing students with the opportunity to engage in professional presentations, lectures and prototyping residencies with innovative artists from around the world.

The series is presented by MIT CAST with support from the MIT Council for the Arts. MIT Performing will present works by performers who have had a significant impact in the field, many of them having graced stages at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Royal Court Theater, Barbican, Festival DAutomne, the Public Theater, the Kitchen and more. All events welcome the public to this new destination for exciting, innovative performance in the Boston/Cambridge area.

The inaugural season of MIT Performing, a presenting and prototyping series, approaches theater as a dynamic and vital platform for research-based performance practices, says Jay Scheib. The program in Theater Arts in recent years at MIT has experienced a tremendous surge in enrollments and engagement from both the MIT community and the greater New England live arts scene. It is a thrilling moment and the perfect opportunity to welcome artists and audiences to this extraordinary new facility.

Andrew Schneiders play NERVOUS/SYSTEM will be presented at MIT November 911, 2018, before it premieres at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). NERVOUS/SYSTEM is a live theater performance integrating projection, innovative lighting and staging, and 3D sound spatialization to tell everyday human narratives hidden in plain sight. Schneider will have a Visiting Artist residency through the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology in which he will visit MIT Theater Arts classes and engage with students and faculty working in lighting design, set design and other areas of theater production. Schneider is an OBIE Award-winning, Drama Desknominated performer, writer and interactive-electronics artist who has created original works for theater, video and installation since 2003. Rooted at the intersection of performance and technology, Schneiders work critically investigates our overdependence on being perpetually connected in an always-on world.

Adrienne Truscott will present her latest solo performance art piece entitled THIS February 79, 2019. A brash nonlinear confessional, the work bounces from 2017 feminism to the presidency to unconventional urban living. THIS is an ever-evolving work that writes, in real time, the libretto of the performance the artist is attempting to do, which changes with each iteration to reflect new contexts brought by the performance at hand. Truscott is a choreographer, circus acrobat, dancer, writer, storyteller and comedian. She has been making genre-straddling performances in New York City and abroad for more than 20 years.

Ayesha Jordan is a New York City-based multidisciplinary performer and creator. She and her collaborator, Charlotte Brathwaite, will be bringing Shasta Geaux Pop to MIT on February 15, 2019. Shasta Geaux Pop was recently presented at the Under the Radar Festival 2018 and the Right About Now Festival in Amsterdam, and in Orange County, CA, for the Off Center Festival at the Segerstrom Arts Center, and last year at the La Jolla Playhouses 2017 Without Walls (WOW) Festival, the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, the Under the Radar Festival (January 2017) and at the Bushwick Starr (September 2016). Jordan was part of the Broadway production of Eclipsed at the John Golden Theatre and reprised her role of The Girl at the Curran in San Francisco (March 2017). She was also in the dance theater company Cakefaces production of Stairway to Stardom. In 2015, she created Come See My Double Ds at JACK (NY). She has performed abroad in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Japan. Other projects created and developed by Jordan include Enter & Exit: Family Reunion, Enter & Exit: Playing House, Inter 1-to-1, video project Living Room Dance Breaks and a plethora of videos featuring her friends and family.

Director Charlotte Brathwaite is known for her unique approach to staging classical and unconventional texts, video, film, dance, visual art, multimedia, site-specific installation, performance art, plays and music events. Her work has been seen in the Americas, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. It ranges in subject matter from the historical past to the distant future, illuminating issues of race, sex, power and the complexities of the human condition.

Named as one of the up-and-coming women in theatre to watch by Playbill, Brathwaite is the recipient of several awards and citations, including the Prelude Festival Franky Award, the Princess Grace Award, the Julian Milton Kaufman Prize (Yale), a Rockefeller Residency and the National Performing Network Creation Fund. She received her MFA at Yale School of Drama and her BA in Physical Theater at the Amsterdam School for the Arts (the Netherlands). She has been a Visiting Professor at Amherst College and a Visiting Artist at Williams College. Currently, Brathwaite is a freelance director and Assistant Professor of Music and Theater Arts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lisa Dwan is an Irish performer, director and writer, who will present the lecture/demonstration A Body of Beckett on February 21, 2019. Having originally trained in the UK as a ballet dancer, including dancing with Rudolf Nureyev in Coppelia in Dublin, and with the London Lewis Ballet Company, she has also worked extensively in theater, film and television, both internationally and in her native Ireland. She is currently starring in the new Netflix series Top Boy. Dwan was last seen on the US stage starring in Harold Pinters The Lover & The Collection at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. In 2019, she will perform the world premiere of Pale Sister, an adaptation of the Antigone myth written for her by the Irish writer Colm Toibin. Dwan writes, presents, lectures and teaches regularly on theater, culture, gender and Beckett, and is currently a fellow at the School of Art and Ballet at New York University and a 20172018 distinguished artist in residence at Columbia University. Next year, she will continue her position at Columbia, teaching at the Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality and developing a new theater piece with Margaret Atwood based on Medea.

Jay Scheibs recent stagings include Naama Zissers new opera Mamzer/Bastard for the Royal Opera House in London at the Hackney Empire Theater and the Evening Standard Musical of the Year winner, Bat Out of Hell, after the albums by Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, which is currently playing at the Dominion Theater. Other music theater works include a new opera based on Ingmar Bergmans film Persona, which was produced by Beth Morrison Projects and premiered at National Sawdust in New York, followed by performances at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and LA Opera at RedCat. Surrogate Cities/Gotterdammerung reframed Wagners 19th-century masterpiece through the lush conflicts of Heiner Goebbelss renowned song cycle. With the full orchestra on stage and the action filmed live and projected onto a massive screen, Surrogate Cities/Gotterdammerung played to rave reviews at the Opernhaus Wuppertal, Germany. Named Best New York Theater Director by Time Out New York in 2009, and one of the 25 theater artists shaping the next 25 years of American theater by American Theater Magazine, Scheib is a recipient of the MIT Edgerton Award, the Richard Sherwood Award, a National Endowment for the Arts/TCG fellowship, an OBIE Award for Best Direction and the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a Professor of Music and Theater Arts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the Program for Theater Arts  his classes include Motion Theater, Live Cinema Performance, Performance Media and Performance Scenography.

About the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology

The MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST) creates new opportunities for art, science and technology to thrive as interrelated, mutually informing modes of exploration, knowledge and discovery. CASTs multidisciplinary platform presents performing and visual arts programs, supports research projects for artists working with science and engineering labs, and sponsors symposia, classes, workshops, design studios, lectures and publications. The Center is funded in part by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. CAST's Faculty Director is Evan Ziporyn and Executive Director is Leila W. Kinney. For more information, visit arts.mit.edu/cast

About the Arts at MIT

70 percent of incoming freshmen have prior training in the arts, and nearly 50 percent of all MIT undergraduates enroll in arts courses each year. The arts strengthen MITs commitment to the aesthetic, human, and social dimensions of research and innovation. Artistic knowledge and creation exemplify MITs mottomens et manus, mind and hand. The arts are essential to MITs mission to build a better society and meet the challenges of the 21st century. For more information, visit arts.mit.edu.

MIT Performing Event Schedule

Andrew Schneider

NERVOUS/SYSTEM

November 9-11, 2018

Adrienne Truscott

THIS

February 7-9, 2019

Ayesha Jordan

Shasta Geaux Pop

February 15, 2019

Lisa Dwan

A Body of Beckett

February 21, 2019

Jay Scheib, with an international cast of collaborators

Spring 2019

Visitor Information

All events will take place in MIT's new theater arts building ( MIT Building W97 ) located on MIT's campus at 345 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA.

Transportation and parking: Take the MBTA's CT2 bus to the Amesbury St @ Vassar St stop, the MIT shuttle, or use metered street parking on Vassar Street.

Ticket information and more details will be posted at performing.mit.edu

Press images available on request.

Media Contact

Leah Talatinian

Arts at MIT

+1.617.253.5351

leaht(at)mit(dot)edu
Our panel of judges were impressed with a new approach to In-Situ processing with a solution that can address game changing performance and lower total cost of ownership in addressing big data applications..." - Jay Kramer, Chairman of the Awards Program; President of Network Storage Advisors Inc.

NGD Systems, Inc., the leader in computational storage, today announced that it has been recognized as a Best of Show winner at the 2018 Flash Memory Summit (FMS) show. NGD Systems was recognized for their leadership in developing computational storage solutions to address the next generation of petabyte-scale data analytics problems, which include real-time analytics, big data and edge computing applications.

Our panel of judges were impressed with a new approach to In-Situ processing with a solution that can address game changing performance and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) in addressing big data applications, said Jay Kramer, Chairman of the Awards Program and President of Network Storage Advisors Inc. We are proud to select NGD Systems for the Best of Show Innovation Award as it has the capability to process massive amounts of data with a next generation intelligent SSD solution.

The concept of computational storage aims to solve the huge issues associated with moving petabytes of data from storage devices into server RAM for processing. The movement of a petabyte of data can take significant amounts of time, gating results and solutions. By embedding processing capabilities within storage devices such as SSDs, computational storage can eliminate the need for this data movement. The result can reduce the time to process a petabyte of data to a few second for highly parallel, read-intensive analytic applications.

NGD Systems is honored to be recognized by the industry for our contributions to innovations in storage, said Scott Shadley, Vice President of Marketing, NGD Systems. Computational storage represents a paradigm shift in analytics for petabyte-scale data sets. This award testifies to the importance the industry sees in the solution of this problem for a variety of applications.

NGD Systems has been showcasing the Newport platform and computational storage solutions at Flash Memory Summit, Aug 7-9, in Santa Clara at the Santa Clara Convention Center. These solutions can be found on the show floor in booth 618. NGD Systems will also showcase their solutions in a session on Thursday August 9th (COMP-301-1), as well as NGD Systems CTO, Dr. Vladimir Alves, in an Emerging Technology Keynote with special guest, Dr. Jae Young Do highlighting the results of the partnership with Microsoft Research, on Thursday August 9th at 11:40am.

About NGD Systems

Founded in 2013 with its headquarters in Irvine, California, NGD Systems is a venture-funded company focused on creation of new category of storage devices that brings computation to data. NGD has designed its advanced proprietary NVMe controller technology which deploys patented Elastic FTL algorithm and Advanced LDPC Engines to provide industry leading capacity and scalability. The platform also deploys the patented In-Situ Processing technology to enable Computational Storage capability. The company is led by an executive team that helped drive and shape the flash storage industry, with decades in leadership positions with storage companies such as Western Digital, STEC, Memtech, and Micron. For more information please visit https://www.ngdsystems.com.

About Flash Memory Summit

Flash Memory Summit, produced by Conference ConCepts, showcases the mainstream applications, key technologies, and leading vendors that are driving the multibillion dollar non-volatile memory and SSD markets. Now in its 13th year, FMS is the worlds largest event featuring the trends, innovations, and influencers driving the adoption of flash memory in demanding enterprise storage applications, as well as in smartphones, tablets, and mobile and embedded systems.

Press/Media/Analyst Contact:

kimber(at)smithfidler(dot)com

Telephone: 775-298-5260

pr(at)ngdsystems(dot)com

Telephone: 949-870-9148
Todays ITA recognition is more validation that NuCurrent continues to be at the forefront of innovation, working on the toughest challenges in wireless power, and helping product teams bring products with superior wireless charging performance to market quickly.

NuCurrent, an industry leader in wireless power systems and technology development, announces that the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) has named NuCurrent a finalist for two 2018 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards. NuCurrent is a finalist for the Industry Disrupter Award and CEO and co-founder Jacob Babcock is a finalist for the 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 Industry Disrupter Award is presented to the company that has developed or introduced an ingenious, non-traditional, and innovative product or service that has significantly disrupted its industry. 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 scores and public voting in all categories except the Industry Champion, which is determined solely 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.

Im extremely honored to be named a finalist alongside this group of outstanding leaders and have NuCurrent recognized again by the ITA as one of the top industry disrupters driving growth in the technology industry, said Babcock. Since 2009, weve been developing breakthrough wireless charging technologies and delivering wireless power systems to engineers and product managers looking to build advanced wireless charging capabilities into their products. Todays ITA recognition is more validation that NuCurrent continues to be at the forefront of innovation, working on the toughest challenges in wireless power, and helping product teams bring products with superior wireless charging performance to market quickly.

NuCurrent was recently named a 2018 IoT Global Awards Finalist (Connected Consumer and Smart Home, and Connected Health or Wearable Tech), 2017 IoT Breakthrough Awards winner (Machine-to-Machine Embedded Hardware Company of the Year) for the second consecutive year, a 2017 FLEXI Award winner (Product Innovation Award), and a 2017 Fourth Revolution Awards Finalist (Product Design of the Year). The wireless power company was also named a 2017 Timmy Awards Finalist (Best Technology Work Culture), 2017 Chicago Innovation Awards Finalist, and a Chicago Inno 2016 50 on Fire winner. NuCurrent was also named No. 1 on the 2015 Crains Chicago Business Eureka Index with the highest per-capita patent output of any company in Illinois. The company was also listed in the top 10 percent overall in patent quality score, which considers the uniqueness of the invention covered by a patent and other important factors.

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 NuCurrent

NuCurrent delivers breakthrough wireless power solutions to product teams through its expertise in wireless power technologies and full-system integration. The companys NuIQ Technology Platform includes its patented MLMT antennas  which are the industrys thinnest and most efficient (highest Q)  along with proprietary software that accelerates successful wireless power solution development through advanced hardware simulation and firmware control. NuCurrents engineering team applies these core technologies in partnership with client product teams to produce complete wireless power solutions on the Qi and Airfuel Standards and within closed, proprietary systems. Founded in 2009, the venture-backed, Chicago-based company has over 85 patents granted or pending worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.nucurrent.com and follow us on Twitter at @NuCurrentTweets.
Our continued growth and prosperity is attributed to our loyal customers, strong vendor relationships, and our dedicated employees.

This year, Oakworks Solutions is proud to announce its 40 year anniversary. Our Mission, Innovating Health and Wellness Within Your World, has been rewarded by becoming a trusted provider of massage, spa and medical equipment. Founded in 1978 by Jeff and Linda Riach, Oakworks has grown from a small family owned business to a business with a world-wide reputation that continues to manufacture all Oakworks products in the USA.

Our design philosophy is simple - build beautiful products that support the professionals ergonomic health and the clients comfort. Throughout Oakworks 40 years, the company has experienced multiple milestones, achieved decades of innovation, and steady growth.



Most recently, STUDIO was launched to deliver an innovative, powerful and robust online solution for designers, dealers and spa owners, to design custom tables to uniquely fit their spa facilitys design space.

In 2017, we extended our medical product offering to include Surgical Tables. Establishing iNSPIRIT Medical Solutions (iMS) - an American brand that brings European Designed Medical Equipment to both the U.S. and Canadian Markets, in partnership with Famed Medical Solutions, one of the largest European manufacturer of Operating tables.

And, we continue to innovate the Oakworks Medical Line, maintaining the #1 share position in Imaging tables and a leading share in Ultrasound Tables within the U.S. Medical Market (1).

As we execute our Mission, we will continue to be guided by our Vision: To bring reward (wealth & relationship) to our employees, suppliers, distributors and customers, while utilizing our resources to the best of our ability to protect our local environment and world resources.

Rich Shuman, President of Oakworks said, Our continued growth and prosperity is attributed to our loyal customers, strong vendor relationships, and our dedicated employees. We are thrilled to celebrate this 40 year anniversary milestone. And we acknowledge and thank all who have made these past 40 years possible. To learn more about how our Integrity, Creativity and Can-do Commitment to creating Win-Win relationships will benefit your business - we invite you to contact us for solutions for your wellness & medical product needs.  COME CELEBRATE WTH US!

Oakworks Solutions: Innovating Health and Wellness Within Your World

Oakworks Solutions offers four unique brands; iNSPIRIT Medical Solutions, Oakworks Medical, Oakworks Spa, and Oakworks Massage. All brands are supported by the US-based customer service team, and product service solutions are offered world-wide to support the products offered. For more information, visit http://www.oakworks.com

About Oakworks: OAKWORKS is the premier manufacturer of spa, massage, and medical equipment with over 40 years of precision manufacturing experience and the best quality control in the industry. Known for design innovation, sophisticated engineering, quick turnaround time, and a unique commitment to U.S. manufacturing and environmental wellness, OAKWORKS is setting the global standard in the markets it serves.

For additional information on OAKWORKS and products offered by OAKWORKS Solutions:

Email: info(at)OAKWORKS.com

Phone: 717.235.6807

(1) Ref: Transparency Market Research: 2018 Examination Operating Tables Market; U.S. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, & Forecast, 2018-2026.
On October 16, 2018 Perrin Conferences will host its annual Food & Beverage Litigation Conference: A Look at Hospitality, Liquor, and Food Liability Litigation Conference at The Omni Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. As the leading provider of national joint plaintiff and defense litigation conferences, Perrin will deliver a comprehensive agenda assembled to provide the audience with updates and perspectives on the current issues facing the hospitality and food and beverage industries.

The conference will be chaired by Michael L. Martinez, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Dispute Resolution Marriott International, Inc., Bethesda, MD, Jan E. Simonsen, Esq., Carr Maloney P.C., Washington, DC, and Gabriel S. Slominski, Assistant Vice President, Liability/Property Claims, Crum & Forster, Chicago, IL. The conference offers CLE accreditation for qualified candidates.

This one day conference will feature thought-provoking panels that will highlight current regulations and liability in the hospitality and food and beverage industries. Panels will cover topics such as Recent Developments in Food Class Action Litigation, Dram Shop/Liquor Liability, Ethical Issues in the F&B Litigation, Blockchain, Food Safety, In-House Counsel Perspectives, Recent & Future Trends in the Food & Beverage Industry, and much more.

In addition to the educational benefits received from attending, the conference agenda will offer numerous opportunities to network and meet with potential clients and peers.

For more information about the agenda and registration, please visit http://www.perrinconferences.com.

***

About Perrin Conferences

As the leading national provider of joint plaintiff/defendant litigation conferences, Perrin Conferences offers comprehensive and specialized continuing legal education (CE/CLE) in an atmosphere of learning, networking and sharing. The companys conferences attract influential leaders and foremost talent in the legal industry to discuss current topics in litigation through mock trials, presentations and webinars, setting the standard in professional litigation education and networking.

# # #

Contact:

Bethany Corio

Perrin Conferences

T. 610-220-1817

bcorio(at)perrinconferences(dot)com

http://www.perrinconferences.com
Rackspace has set the standard for innovation and relationship building on social media, scoring an all-time high.

The annual Top 50 Inbound Marketing Excellence Report, released by Fifty Five and Five, a London-based digital marketing agency, analyses the marketing of Microsoft Partners around the world.

Rackspace has set the standard for innovation and relationship building on social media, scoring an all-time high, said Elise Cannon, Lead Analyst at Fifty Five and Five. Winning first place is a testament to the incredibly high standards for customer service Rackspace are known for, as well as their loyal following on Facebook and Twitter.

With over 17 years experience, Rackspace is one of the worlds leading managed cloud providers. With 3,000+ dedicated hosting engineers and 1000+ Microsoft certifications worldwide, Rackspace has worked closely with Microsoft since 2001, offering unparalleled expertise in todays multi-cloud world.

On Rackspaces position in the report, Mark Green, VP of Marketing EMEA at Rackspace, said:

Rackspace is truly honoured to be named as the number one Microsoft Partner in the 2018 Inbound Marketing Excellence Report. We are highly committed to delivering fanatical experiences and unrivalled expertise to our customers  whether thats in person or reaching out with insightful and engaging content on social media. Rackspace has worked in close partnership with Microsoft for many years and, as a five-time Partner of the Year winner, we are delighted to accept this new accolade.

About the Top 50 Inbound Marketing Excellence report 2018

Honouring excellence in digital marketing, previous winners have included cybersecurity giant, Nuix, and cloud migration experts, Sharegate. The report provides in-depth analysis of each partners individual marketing channels, contains a forward from Microsofts Gavriella Schuster and highlights partner success stories.

The full report, including the Top 250 ranking, interviews, infographics, and best practice advice, is available to download on the Fifty Five and Five website.

The report was launched at Microsoft Inspire in Las Vegas, NV, July 16th.

Find the Inbound Marketing Excellence Report online:

Website: https://www.fiftyfiveandfive.com/inbound-marketing-excellence

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiftyfiveandfive

Twitter: @takefiftyfive

About Fifty Five and Five

Fifty Five and Five is a full service digital and content marketing agency based in London. Working exclusively with Microsoft Partners, they help companies communicate more effectively, reach new audiences and drive leads. Their services include SEO, social media management, web design and build, email marketing/automation, analytics, marketing strategy, PPC, video, design and more.

Email: hello@fiftyfiveandfive.com

Phone: +442037437897
RiverGlade Capital (RiverGlade), is pleased to announce that Jim Hudak has been engaged as an Operating Partner and will have an exclusive relationship with the firm. As an Operating Partner, Mr. Hudak will play a key role in the firms strategic planning, human capital sourcing, and deal origination, evaluation and diligence. He brings a wealth of healthcare industry knowledge and executive operating experience to RiverGlade, having spent the last six years as Chief Executive Officer of Paradigm Outcomes before moving into the Executive Chairman role in late 2017. Prior to Paradigm, Mr. Hudak was Chief Administrative Officer at CRC Health Group, where he oversaw several functions including human resources, IT, risk management and finance and spent a number of years at Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), ultimately becoming the Global Managing Partner of the Healthcare Practice. Additionally, he was Executive Vice President of UnitedHealth Group and Corporate Chief Information Officer and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary United Behavioral Health. Mr. Hudak received his Bachelors in economics at Yale University and a Masters of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (the Ford School) at the University of Michigan. Mr. Hudak also chairs the Ford School Committee, which provides volunteer leadership in fundraising and reviews the goals, programs and plans of the school.

The RiverGlade investment team has added Dan Skowronski as Vice President. Mr. Skowronski has eight years of experience investing in and advising middle market companies. Prior to joining RiverGlade, Mr. Skowronski was a Senior Associate at The Edgewater Funds and prior to that was an Associate at Swander Pace Capital. During his time at Edgewater and Swander Pace, Mr. Skowronski was involved in all aspects of each firms investment process including deal origination and execution, debt financing and refinancing transactions, portfolio company sales, add-on acquisitions, and restructurings, as well as monitoring of portfolio companies in the healthcare, consumer and industrials sectors. Previously, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at William Blair & Company, where he executed sell-side and buy-side transactions for private equity firms, publicly-traded companies and privately-held and family-owned businesses in the consumer & retail sector. Mr. Skowronski began his career as a Financial Advisory Services Analyst at Houlihan Lokey, where he provided fairness opinions, solvency opinions and valuations for privately-held and publicly-traded companies across a variety of industries. Mr. Skowronski holds a BBA in Finance from University of Michigans Ross School of Business and an MBA from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.

About RiverGlade Capital

RiverGlade Capital is a healthcare services focused private equity firm that targets founder-owned, high-quality, differentiated businesses. RiverGlade partners with companies that have proven historical organic growth where value can be accelerated through human capital investments, operational improvements, strategic planning, and dynamic organic and inorganic growth initiatives. For more information, visit http://www.rivergladecapital.com.
"By emphasizing the appropriate role polyclonal antibodies may play in conducting life science research, our efforts here should improve upon the use of antibodies, the collection of reproducible data, and the expansion of antibody-based technologies."

Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. announced today that Dr. Carl Ascoli, Chief Science Officer at Rockland, and Dr. Birte Aggeler, Director of Antibody Development at Bio-Techne, composed a peer-reviewed article using their combined experience of more than 50 years. The review article was published online on August 9, 2018 and will be printed in the September 2018 issue by the journal BioTechniques. The review article, entitled "The Overlooked Benefits of Polyclonal Antibodies, discusses the pros and cons of polyclonal, conventional monoclonal, and recombinant monoclonal antibodies, while presenting procedures for experimental design, the inclusion of relevant controls, and validation strategies for polyclonal antibodies.

Antibodies are critical reagents most often used by life science and translational medicine researchers and are transformative tools used to diagnose and treat disease. Many 21st century medical breakthroughs were successful in part to antibody technology. Yet antibodies, especially polyclonal antibodies, are caught in a firestorm of controversary concerning data reproducibility. Ascoli stated by emphasizing the appropriate role polyclonal antibodies may play in conducting life science research, our efforts here should improve upon the use of antibodies, the collection of reproducible data, and the expansion of antibody-based technologies.

Thoughtful antibody design and development allows for polyclonal antibodies to be used in many different applications, techniques, and instrumentation. Ascoli explained that while some have called for polyclonal antibodies to be phased out of research entirely, we believe in using the right tool for the job which includes using all forms of antibodies, polyclonal, conventional monclonal, and recombinant monoclonal, in the appropriate context and according to the manufacturers recommendations. When using polyclonal antibodies, it is particularly important to use appropriate positive and negative controls and to assure immunoassay-specific antibody validation on a lot-to-lot basis. This review article presents the value of polyclonal antibodies for research, discusses strategies to minimize their disadvantages, and suggests when other forms of antibodies are more appropriate.

To read the full peer-reviewed article, please visit: https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2018-0065

# # #

TO THE EDITOR:

Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc., (Rockland) provides the highest quality antibodies and antibody-based life science tools and services to the academic, biopharma, and diagnostic industries for use in basic research, assay development, preclinical and clinical studies, and bioprocessing. With facilities in Pennsylvania for over 55 years, Rockland manufactures products ideally suited for integration into critical assays such as western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence microscopy (IF), ELISA, flow cytometry, and 2D imaging.

Additional information about Rocklands life science tools and services can be found on Rocklands website at http://www.rockland-inc.com.

Christina Rowley

Marketing Communications Manager

Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc.

Phone: 484.791.3823

Email: christina.rowley(at)rockland-inc.com
Most recently, STRmix was used to provide DNA evidence which led to the convictions of a Brooklyn, NY man accused of murdering his estranged wife and two Florida men accused in the fatal drive-by shooting of a toddler, explains Martin Riegel, CEO of STRmix Ltd.

On the heels of its approval for use by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department and Washington State Patrol, STRmix  the sophisticated forensic software used to resolve mixed DNA profiles previously thought to be too complex to interpret  has been approved for use by Signature Science and the San Francisco Police Department.

A subsidiary of the Southwest Research Institute based in Austin, TX, Signature Science is a scientific and technical consulting firm, providing multi-disciplinary applied research, technology design and development, and scientific, technical, and operational services to government and industry.

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the city police department for both the City and County of San Francisco, CA. The 11th largest police department in the U.S., SFPD serves an estimated population of 1.2 million, including the daytime-commuter population and thousands of other tourists and visitors.

Thirty-six federal, state, and local agencies throughout the U.S. now routinely use STRmix to resolve DNA profiles, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). STRmix is also in use in 14 labs in Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand, and in various stages of installation, validation, and training in more than 50 other U.S. labs.

Since its introduction in 2011, STRmix has gone from being regarded as an experimental technology to the broadly accepted norm in cases in which forensic DNA software is required to resolve mixed DNA profiles, says John Buckleton DSc, FRSNZ, Forensic Scientist at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). Dr. Buckleton developed STRmix in collaboration with ESRs Jo-Anne Bright and Duncan Taylor from Forensic Science South Australia (FSSA).

STRmix works by using standard, well-established statistical methods to build up a picture of DNA genotypes that, when added together, best explain an observed mixed DNA profile. STRmix then enables users to compare the results against a person or persons of interest and calculate a statistic, or likelihood ratio, of the strength of the match.

To date, STRmix has been used successfully in numerous U.S. court cases  including 22 successful admissibility hearings  and about 100,000 cases internationally. Most recently, STRmix was used to provide DNA evidence which led to the convictions of a Brooklyn, NY man accused of murdering his estranged wife and two Florida men accused in the fatal drive-by shooting of a toddler, explains Martin Riegel, Chief Executive Officer of STRmix Ltd., the newly formed subsidiary of ESR.

According to Riegel, a new version of STRmix, containing a completely redeveloped and refreshed user interface, is scheduled for release later this year. The last version of STRmix to be introduced, STRmix v2.5, was launched in mid-2017 and featured improved functionality, speed, memory, and ease-of-use, including multi-kit functionality and a likelihood ratio (LR) batcher tool.

I expect STRmix will continue adding new features and functionality as its use in criminal cases continues to grow and new applications come into play, Riegel concludes.

For more information about STRmix visit http://www.esr.cri.nz/ or http://strmix.esr.cri.nz/.
Thousands of US women with FDA-approved silicone gel implants do not realize their implants have ruptured, according to cross-referenced data from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and silicone gel implant rupture rates monitored by the FDA. As an MRI is recommended by FDA after the first three years then every two years to detect silicone gel implant rupture, conservative estimates point to over 150,000 women across the country living daily with silent rupture and sticky silicone gel in contact with their tissues.

Replacing ruptured silicone gel implants has been a very common surgery for plastic surgeons, due to the rates of rupture and capsule contracture, explains Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Larry Nichter, This is driving demand for new technology advancements like the structured IDEAL IMPLANT. Its internal baffling structure provides a similar natural look and feel to silicone gel implants, it has a very low rupture risk, easy rupture detection by looking at the breast, and only saline coming into contact with body tissue if the implant shell is compromised. So its clear why more women are choosing this third option.

ASPS reports that 4.93% of the 158.3 million women in the United States have undergone breast augmentation surgery. As the top cosmetic surgery procedure in the US for over a decade, procedures are up 40% since 2000, with over half of patients choosing silicone gel or gummy bear implants since the FDA allowed them back on the market in 2006. With rupture risk ranging from 8.7% to 24.2% over ten years, and no way to easily detect rupture without a potentially costly MRI, tens of thousands of women with ruptured silicone gel implants are unaware of what is happening inside their body. (https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/plastic-surgery-statistics)

Even if many women are in the dark about whether their silicone gel implants are intact, this doesnt mean they arent worried. According to survey results of 1,143 women presented at the March 2018 ASPS meeting, 97% said they would want to know if their silicone gel implants were ruptured, with 95% wanting the faulty implant replaced, even if it was not causing symptoms. Anxiety about potential rupture also ran high, with most women reporting they would be very or constantly concerned of silicone gel silent rupture (73%), including 68% of women who already had silicone gel implants. (https://www.surgery.org/media/news-releases/statistics-surveys-and-trends)

After years of struggling with ruptured silicone gel implants in my practice and hearing countless patient concerns, I felt women shouldnt have to choose between the natural look and feel of a silicone gel implant and the peace of mind of saline in their body, explains Robert S. Hamas, MD, President and CEO of Ideal Implant, the maker of the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant approved by both FDA and Health Canada in 2014. We all expect technology advancements in every aspect of our lives, and it was time to develop a third option that provided the benefits of both of the earlier implant choices without the drawbackstruly an ideal solution.

For more information please visit https://idealimplant.com/.
In the 1950s, Jackie Gleason built a series of spaceship houses in New York. Where Real Estate Is Never Boring

Jackie Gleason's UFO House & Frank Lloyd Wrights Schoolhouse

In the 1950s and 60s, one of television's most popular shows was the Jackie Gleason Show, broadcast live from Studio 50 in New York City. Jackie's former home in the New York City suburb of Westchester County, shaped and named for the UFOs that he was sure were real, was recently for sale at $12 million.

A man of diversified interests with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in The Hustler, producer of mood music albums that stayed at the top of the charts for months, and over 40 years in radio, stage and television, there was another side to Gleason that wasnt widely known and which he did not discuss publicly. He had a strong belief in UFOs and the paranormal. It was so strong that in addition to his salary and royalties while under contract to CBS in the mid 1950s, the studio gave him six acres of land and a house in Peekskill, New York, which he was free to design and build to his own specifications. He built a series of spaceship houses - a main house, which he called the Mother Ship, a guest house named the Scout Ship, a round storage building and two swimming pools, all of which were completed in 1959. It was part studio, part home and part party house. It was also where he housed his ever growing library on UFOs, parapsychology and the paranormal. The compound was recently for sale at $12 million.

Frank Lloyd Wrights Schoolhouse

One of Frank Lloyd Wrights most unique designs was also a testing ground for new architectural ideas. Wrights original preschool commissioned in 1912 as the The Cottage School and later turned residence in the Riverside bedroom community outside of Chicago is on the market for the first time in 40 years - priced at $800,000.

Designing a school was a new creative adventure for Wright. It was the first time his design theme would revolve around children, which allowed for a touch of whimsy to be included. The architecture displays Wrights first use of the flat roof, and the first shift from the squares and rectangles in his previous art glass windows to colorful circles, representing balloons. Tiny, grouped mosaic-like pieces of glass create the impression of movement and the windows are the only time he also incorporated the American flag. Several of the original windows still exist and the others have been replaced with impeccable replicas. The Art Institute of Chicago is now home to the original triptych window that has been viewed by Wright students and aficionados around the world.

Whether referred to as The Cottage School, the Avery Coonley School or the Avery Coonley Playhouse, Wrights design was a practical and cheerful design that was successfully repurposed into a single-family residence by his assistant. Now for sale for the first time in 40 years, the listing agent is Mike McCurry of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Chicago, Riverside, Illinois.

Visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com for more historic, spectacular and celebrity homes and real estate news.
"Its rewarding to see that our more intensive, relationship-centered approach gets results that are not only pleasing to the client, but also well-received by the industry.

Orange Countys top marketing agency Twelve12 has secured a number of awards for work recently completed for Southern California clients. The awards offer a glimpse into the wide range of work that the trend-setting agency is capable of. In total, Twelve12 took away three total awards for different work, including one award for commercial video production, and two for web design and development. Awards came from IAC, the Internet Advertising Competition, Muse Creative Awards, and Hermes Creative Awards. It will be the third year in a row receiving an award from IAC, the second year in a row winning for Muse, and the first year receiving recognition from Hermes.

The agencys work for Green Flag, a compliance company that certifies industrial rope access teams, won a web design and development award from Muse. The full website and web-based client registration app were both designed and coded by the Twelve12 team to be supremely user-friendly, and built around a design that is at once rugged, simple, and elegant.

The web design for Auro Wealth Management, which won the corporate website award from Hermes, was built around a radical redesign of what a financial management website could be. The totally new approach gives a unique and beautiful web experience, all while putting everything the user needs at their fingertips.

Ike Elimsa, Director of Twelve12, had this to say about the work Twelve12 does, and what a successful year in awards means for the agency: Where a lot of creative agencies focus on just a handful of specializations and outsource other work externally, we see the value of taking a client from A to Z ourselves. Twelve12 prides ourselves on the ability to be truly path breaking in the work that we do, from crafting a visual identity, to web design, and much more. Its rewarding to see that a more intensive, relationship-centered approach gets results that are not only pleasing to the client, but also well-received by the industry.

About Twelve12

Specializing in strategic planning, branding and marketing, Twelve12 was founded in Orange County with the mission to help small to mid-size companies grow. Twelve12 regularly assists companies develop across a wide spectrum of traditional and non-traditional marketing venues, producing advertising, websites, video content and apps, and more to ensure a strong, unified message.

For more information about Twelve12, visit https://www.twelve12.com/

For more information about the Muse Creative Awards, visit http://museaward.com/.

For more information about the Hermes Creative Awards, visit https://hermesawards.com/.

For more information about IAC awards, visit http://www.iacaward.org/iac/
Yotpo, the leading customer content marketing platform, today announced its first acquisition: Swell Rewards, a Boston-based provider of premium incentive marketing solutions for eCommerce and omnichannel brands. The move expands Yotpos suite of commerce marketing technology solutions preferred by top direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Glossier, 1-800-Flowers, and Away Travel. Brands will be able to manage reviews, visual marketing, consumer insights, rewards, and referrals from a single platform uniquely designed to meet their customer content, advocacy, engagement, and retention needs.

Yotpo and Swell Rewards have a pre-existing integration that enables commerce brands to reward customers for submitting and sharing user-generated content. The acquisition will enhance those capabilities and set the stage for new solutions that drive business growth. Yotpos proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) enginewhich facilitates smarter and faster solutions for collecting, managing, displaying, and analyzing high-quality customer contentwill be extended to optimize Swells existing product line and drive future innovation.

The current commerce marketing stack is bloatedtoo many disparate point solutions are making brands less agile, efficient, and competitive than they could be, said Tomer Tagrin, Co-founder and CEO, Yotpo. By acquiring Swell Rewards, Yotpo will be able to offer a one-stop destination for activating customer advocacy and brand loyalty. And, using our AI, well be able to unlock product and data synergies that will improve acquisition, increase sales, and maximize customer lifetime value. Were thrilled to forge the next chapter of eCommerce with Swell Rewards, whose team, culture, priorities, and vision are a true complement to Yotpos.

Like Yotpo, Swell Rewards is a provider of cutting-edge technology that supported the rise of D2C brands and surge in eCommerce sales (now reaching upward of $450B according to Mary Meeker and Kleiner Perkins), boasting rewards and referrals programs that deliver an average 9x ROI. Since it was founded in 2015, the company has experienced an average year-over-year growth of 313% and serves thousands of brands including mutual Yotpo customers UNTUCKit, Third Love, Tomboy X, Soko Glam, and Quay Australia. Swell Rewards Co-founder and CEO Josh Enzer and Co-founder and CTO James Peerless will join Yotpo to lead strategy and product development for incentive marketing solutions.

Swell Rewards and Yotpo are on an accelerated path to deliver some truly amazing products for brands at the scale and speed that todays commerce marketplace demands, commented Enzer and Peerless. We are committed to redefining the way brands and consumers unite around loyalty and user-generated content, while advancing AI-driven client solutions.

"MVMTs tremendous growth really speaks to our passionate customer community, and we owe them an experience that celebrates as well as rewards them, said MVMT Director of eCommerce Alicia Radabaugh. Weve leveraged integrations with Yotpo and Swell Rewards to create those kinds of experiences, but with the acquisition, were excited to see new features and solutions that will help us build deeper, more meaningful relationships with our customers.

The acquisition marks another milestone for Yotpo, which over the last three years has experienced an explosive period of growth--an 823% increase in annual recurring revenue, a 200% increase in annual contract value on average, and 487% increase in brand customers. For additional information on the acquisition, visit the Yotpo blog.

# # #

About Yotpo

Yotpo provides brands with everything they need to win in a customer-centric world. Yotpos suite of integrated solutions for user-generated content marketing, loyalty and referrals helps commerce companies accelerate growth by enabling advocacy and maximizing customer lifetime value. With Yotpo, brands can effectively leverage social proof to increase trust and sales, cultivate loyal customer advocates, and make better business decisions based on customer feedback. Yotpo proudly serves thousands of brands including Patagonia, Away Travel, Glossier, and MVMT Watches. An official partner to Google, Facebook and Shopify, Yotpo has raised $101 million in funding and has over 300 employees globally. Visit http://www.yotpo.com for details.

About Swell Rewards

Swell Rewards, a Yotpo company, is an "incentive marketing" platform; their highly-customizable software has helped thousands of e-commerce and omnichannel merchants administer beautifully on-brand rewards, referral, and influencer marketing programs. Swell was founded in 2015, and is headquartered in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.swellrewards.com.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.
Since 1992, Mary Pope Osbornes Magic Tree House series has transported siblings Jack and Annieand young readersto a wide variety of historical eras and locales throughout the globe, and has sold more than 143 million copies worldwide. In Magic Tree House #30: Hurricane Heroes in Texas, Jack and Annie are whisked back to Galveston, Tex., in 1900. Due out simultaneously is a nonfiction companion book, Magic Tree House Fact Checker: Texas by Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. PW spoke with Osborne about the latest installment of the series, and what lies ahead for her intrepid characters.

What inspired Jack and Annies most recent mission?

I had read several years ago that the biggest natural disaster in American history was the 1900 hurricane that completely washed over Galveston and claimed the lives of between 8,000 and 12,000 people. I asked kids and adults if they knew about the hurricane, and no one outside of Texas seemed to have heard the story. As I researched it, what I found most amazing was the courage demonstrated by the people of Galveston, including a nun, Mother Mary Joseph Dallmer, who sheltered more than 1,000 residents in her convent and school. It was such a devastating hurricane that it was a difficult story to tell, but by focusing on the bravery of the people and their willingness to help others I was able to make it palpable for kids, parents, and teachers.

As I was writing my final draft of the novel in September 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, and I once again was amazed by the spirit and courage of Texans in the face of adversity. At the time, the book had the working title, Stormy Time in Texas, but I changed the title so that it highlighted the hero angle of the story and I tweaked the plot to emphasize the fact that Jack and Annie were there to helpnot just to survive. They rescue a toddler and two dogs, and stay up all night helping Mother Mary Joseph. I wanted to underscore the extraordinary heroism of the people of Galveston in 1900, and to see it happening again 117 years later during Hurricane Harvey, just as I was finishing the book, was stunning and very inspiring.

Earlier Magic Tree House titles have sent Jack and Annie into the midst of a twister, a volcano, a tsunami, an earthquakeand now a hurricane. Why do you think natural disasters are of such intrinsic appeal to children?

If Im writing an exciting drama, I prefer to write about a natural rather than a human disaster. I want my characters and readers to be able to experience the devastation, but feel stronger coming out of it, since these are stories of escaping, helping others, and surviving. I want to educate readers about the dangers of natural disasters, but I also want them to realize the healing potential of bad situations. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I want my books to empower kids and let them know they dont have to be victims of disastersthey can emerge as heroes.

In every Magic Tree House book, Jack and Annie have the opportunity to help others, and I try to tie that into their adventure without being didactic. In Hurricane Heroes in Texas, they know the hurricane is coming, and they have trouble making others believe they are in danger, yet they persist. Kids have it in their nature to be heroes, and I want to amplify that as much as I can.

Where will the magic tree house next transport Jack and Annie?

I just finished Warriors in Winter, which will come out next January. Jack and Annie find themselves in a Roman camp in the early 100s AD, and their mission is to act like warriors. I know that kids love to read about warriors, so I decided to tell a story about a Roman legion, and I snuck in a fun bit about the kids encountering Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations. The idea of a seven-year-old becoming acquainted with that work gives me great pleasure!

And Ive started to draft To the Future, Ben Franklin!, set during the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Franklin was 82, but played a huge role in getting delegates with differing opinions to compromise on the Constitution. In the book, Jack and Annie urge Ben to encourage compromise, and they bring him back with them to the present daywhich is the first time in the series that theyve done that. They take him to a public library, where they Google the United States and Ben learns how the country has grown, and recalling e pluribus unum, he realizes that Americans have forgotten how to be one. That was a learning piece of the story as I tried to answer the question, What would Benjamin Franklin do and say today? I did have some fun with the storywhen he sees and hears an airplane, he freaks out and runs to hide behind a tree!

Do you ever worry about running out of ideas for Magic Tree House plots, and are you gratified that your books have been embraced by children and adults for more than a quarter century?

Well, Ive been doing this for 26 years, and so far I havent run out of ideas. Truly, it all starts with the kids. For many years I went all over the country, visiting schools, and I always urged students to share their suggestions for book ideas, and had them vote on their favorites. Id say that the first 28 Magic Tree House books were inspired by kids. Theyve taught me a whole lot, and teachers have also been instrumental, suggesting subjects that tie into their curricula. We started Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures, providing free online lesson plans to tie into each book and other material for teachers, and weve given away many thousands of books to underserved communities. That brings me great joy!

And another thing that makes me joyful now is meeting former Magic Tree House readers who are young adults, and who are very nostalgic about who they were at seven or eight. They share their memories of reading my books, and usually those memories involve parents, siblings, and favorite teachers. That age is such an important and formative time for readers. The letters kids send me today are essentially the same as the letters I received 26 years agothey are perennial and universal, and I find that very endearing. I feel very blessed.

Magic Tree House #30: Hurricane Heroes in Texas by Mary Pope Osborne, illus. by AG Ford. Random House, $13.99 Aug. ISBN 978-1-524-71312-6

Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Texas by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. Random House, $6.99 paper Aug. ISBN 978-1-101-93648-1
Author Ali Benjamins first middle grade novel, The Thing About Jellyfish (Little, Brown, 2015), was a National Book Award finalist, a New York Times Notable, and a fall 2015 PW Flying Start. If Benjamins fiction debut sounds like a tough act to follow, her sophomore novel is in some ways about the very challenge of coming on the heels of a fan favorite. PW spoke with Benjamin about the creative catalyst for her new book, The Next Great Paulie Fink, the cover of which is revealed here exclusively for the first time.

It took a long time for me to write this book and then feel like it was something that I was comfortable bringing out into the world, Benjamin said of the project. Right from the start, its a pretty complicated story, in that its told through 13 or 14 voices. The core narrative centers on a girl named Caitlyn who has moved with her mother to a small town in Vermont, where she joins a tight-knit seventh grade class. Her class is so small that there are only 10 other kids in the grade, Benjamin explained. On the first day of school, her fellow classmates learn that one of the kids who had been in their class, Paulie Fink, is not coming back, and theyre not sure why. Paulie was a bit of a prankster, a clown, and was always getting into interesting kinds of trouble.

The reserved Caitlyn cant help but feel overshadowed by Paulie. Benjamin noted, The class keeps telling stories about this kid who Caitlyn is not, until they reach the point where they decide to fill the hole left in their class: they will hold a reality-style competition to replace him, and Caitlyn will be the judge. Her job is to literally fill the shoes of a kid she doesnt know. Through running the competition, she learns a lot about herself and her classmates, while trying to construct an idea of this person who has reached a legendary status among her peers.

While the action unfolds in a small classroom, the story evokes larger issues, Benjamin said. As the kids are doing all of this, theyre studying ancient Greece and the Allegory of Platos Cave, which is the story of unlearning our assumptions and learning that we can be wrong.

Seeking the Next Great Story

Landing on the idea for her second novel did not come easily to Benjamin. I think it would be fair to say I failed at writing two other follow-ups, very different projects, she said. The story that would become The Next Great Paulie Fink was influenced, in part, by current events. A few different things fed into it. Its hard for me to separate the outside world from my interior writing experience. I just felt like the world around us turned upside down; it got very distracting, Benjamin said. Suddenly we were living in this crazy reality-TV world. I saw people picking their stories, some of which had more truth than others. I was looking at the world around me, the way people were constructing meaning. People could be looking at the exact same thing or moment in time and experience it in completely different ways. It was incredibly jarring, and something I wanted to think about.

Another source of inspiration came in the form of her familys personal brush with internet fame. I had a weird experience years ago: when my younger daughter, Charlotte, was seven, she wrote a letter to the Lego company that went viral. And Im a pretty private person. It was originally posted on a sociology blog, and within a week it had gone around the world several times. It was the number one story on Yahoo at one point. The letter, which called out the gender stereotyping in the companys toys, drew a wide range of reactions. Some of the comments on the article were like, Charlotte for president! and some were horrible. So many people would read the story and project whatever they wanted onto it. At the heart of The Next Great Paulie Fink, Benjamin said, is a story about whom we elevate and what stories we share about them. How do we use stories to construct meaningand are they true?

Benjamin acknowledged the supportive role that her editor, Andrea Spooner, v-p and editorial director at Little, Brown, has played throughout the books development. Shes literally the most patient person on the planet, she said. Im certain that Im not an easy writer to work with in that I have lots of stops and starts. She saw a very fledgling version of this book and was able to see through it to more of a finished product than I could. She was so encouraging. The whole team at Little, Brown was unbelievably patient.

On her passion for writing books for young readers, Benjamin said, I love middle grade readers. I would say that was one of the great surprises of becoming an adult, because I didnt like middle school when I was that age. I had a diary in seventh and eighth grade that Ive kept, and when I read it I think, I dont like who I was then! I love how they are wrestling with the big questions, how excited they are to talk about big ideas, and how theyre figuring out who they are separate from the adults in their lives.

The Next Great Paulie Fink is due out from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on April 16, 2019. Though the details of her book tour are still in the works, Benjamin said, I really look forward to it. I love talking to large groups of kids. I also love when I have a chance to sit in a room with a few of them and have a conversationI get so much out of that. Benjamin recounted a recent visit to a summer camp in Maine: We were in a cabin in the middle of the woods, with no electricity, and we sat around and talked about books. It was a really lovely moment of connection with kids from all different walks of life. Kids are really open to that connection. Theyre hungry for it.

Benjamin also described the optimism she derives from the childrens book community. Writing The Thing About Jellyfish showed me the quality human beings out there who are sharing stories and are actively engaged in kids lives. Its something that, when I get down about the way things are, makes me feel so much hope. Im incredibly grateful to kid lit in general for being so full of heart, and a depth and breadth of caring people. Its such a rewarding thing.
African telecommunication giant, MTN Group, has recorded an improved financial report for the first half of 2018 led by growth in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

MTN Group made this known in its half-year financial statement released on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

The Group said growth in service revenue accelerated, margins on earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased while voice, data and digital revenue continued to expand.

The growth in the period under review was largely from the second quarter review of its EBITDA in Nigeria (up by 38.6%), Ghana (13.6%) and South Africa (8.6%).

Rob Shuter, MTN Group president and CEO, said, MTN had an encouraging first half of 2018, with an acceleration in the second quarter, supported by an improved operational performance across many markets. This was led by Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Service revenue growth increased, driven by robust voice revenue growth and the continued expansion of data and digital revenue.

Here's how the MTN group performed across African markets in the 6 months:

MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria performed ahead of expectations, with double-digit growth in voice revenue driving accelerated service revenue growth and the further widening of the EBITDA margin.

Some of the highlights below:

- Increased usage and growth in data subscribers supported data revenue growth.

- Digital revenue declined as a result of further optimisation of VAS business.

- The subscriber base expanded by 5.6% from December 2017 to 55.2 million.

MTN Ghana

MTN Group said it has a strong performance in the first half due to buoyant Ghana economy. Highlights of the report include:

- Growth in voice, data and digital revenue drove a 27.9% increase in service revenue and widening in the EBITDA margin to 39.2%.

- Subscribers grew by 5.5% from December 2017 to 16.5 million.

- Active data subscribers increased by 6.1% in the same period to 6.9 million and a 6.7% increase in data revenue.

MTN South Africa

- Subscriber base increased by 2.2% from December 2017 to 30.2 million

- Service revenue increased by 2.9%

- Data revenue increased by 13.5%

- Digital revenue increased by 17.9%

- EBITDA grew 5.7% to R7 450 million

MTN Uganda

- Service revenue up by 8.8%

- Increase in digital revenue by 19.7%

- Data revenue increased by 13.6%

MTN Cameroon

- Subscriber base declined by 5.9% from December 2017 to 6.6 million largely due to frequent data shut down by the government and weak economic activity.

- Service revenue decreased by 7.0%

MTN Ivory Coast

- Service revenue declined by 6.6% on weaker voice revenue

- Data revenue expand by 15.4%

- The subscriber base grew by 3.1% from December 2017 to 11.3 million.
Social media felt the presidents priorities were misplaced after he took to Twitter to launch a new pan-African challenge that will drive and reward African innovation targeted at achieving the SDGs.

According to the president, Africa Innovates for the SDGs will award 10 outstanding African innovators who present exceptional solutions that contribute to achieving the SDGs!

Majority of the reactions expected the president to place premium on the recent energy brouhaha, issues in the country's banking system as well as the country's bid to introduce a double track system in its educataion.
In 2014, the University of Ghana entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus.

The project was to a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.

After Prof Aryeetey handed over, the new university leadership questioned the deal and the cost of the project.

However, Prof. Aryeetey insisted the processes leading up to the signing of the agreement with Integras were transparent, with all relevant stakeholders being kept informed of all developments.

There is no scandal at all in relation to the $64.4 million contract. Africa Integras signed an agreement that they were supposed to spend that money. As far as I know, by the time the project stopped, they had spent about $28 million. How does a phony company come and spend $28 million? You can see the buildings coming up and yet it has been written that I have signed an agreement with a phony company. Professor Aryeetey said.

The argument of UG was not accepted by the arbitrator.

The Arbitrator found nothing wrong with the process followed in preparing the Concession Agreement.
Four years ago, the University entered into a contract with Africa Integras, a private investment company headquarterrd in New York, to construct five buildings for the school on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

The project was to consist of the construction of an expanded facility for the College of Humanities, a complex for the new College of Education, a new building complex for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, a complex to house the Institute of Technology and Applied Science and a building for the College of Health Sciences to aid the university in relocating the medical school to the UG campus from its present location in the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The new Vice Chancellor, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, sanctioned the project, citing issues with viability and favorableness with the project contract.

As a result of the disagreement between the current Vice-Chancellor (VC) and his predecessor over the viability, the construction of the $64 million infrastructure project was halted.

The standoff led to the matter being sent to a court in London to ensure a resolution was reached.

However, it has now emerged that the University of Ghana has lost the arbitration and has been ordered to pay a whopping $160 million to Africa Integras as termination costs.

The Graphic Online reports that the Arbitrator in the dispute came out with a definitive and binding ruling in London on August 2, 2018.

The Arbitrator is said to have rejected the UG argument that the Concession Agreement signed by the two parties was not enforceable.

Also, the Arbitrator is said to have found nothing wrong with the process followed in preparing the Concession Agreement.
Shatta Wale hasn't performed at any major event since the year begun (6 months in 2018).

This makes him the only one out of the top 4 Ghanaian artists who have failed to appear on any major stage in 206 days.

The top 4 artistes include Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Kuami Eugene and KiDi.

The 'Ayoo' hitmaker has never found himself in this situation in the last 3 years of his career.

Kuame Eugene

Since surfacing into the limelight, there is evidence that the energetic Eugene Kuami is a talent to reckon with. Being young and talented means a lot and has gotten attention from the many people he has performed to at major events. he was in London to perform at Gh party in the park, Ghana meets Naija and Ghana music awards - Nominees Jam/Main Event/Celebration Jam all in Ghana.

Sarkodie

Rapper Sarkodie in 2018 has been on bigger platforms like one Africa Music Fest, London,Ghana music awards - Main Event/ Celebration Jam and Soundcity MVP Awards, Nigeria.he is currently married and on a honeymoon.

Stonebwoy

Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy is on a tour for his album but has been on a major event to perform which includes Germany Summer jam festival,Ghana meets Naija, Ghana, one Africa Music Fest, London and Ghana music awards - Main Event/Celebration Jam Raggae Summerfest 2018 Reggae Geel

KiDi
According to early Thursday reports, the PRO of Charterhouse Ghana Limited  the organisers of the annual Ghana Music Awards  has been appointed by Nana Appiah Mensah, the CEO of MenzGold, to steer its communication affairs.

His appointment comes at the back of recent Bank of Ghana public warning and Economic and Organised Crime Offices (EOCO) invitation.

READ MORE: Shatta Wale liaises with key stakeholders to empower youth

Reports said George Quaye was heard executing his first official duty for the gold dealing firm on Accra-based Joy FM when the station was discussing the issues surrounding Bank of Ghana and MenzGold Ghana Wednesday.

The appointment comes as a surprise to many Ghanaians as he still reports to Charterhouse Ghana Limited office.

But, in an interview with Pulse.com.gh, George refused to confirm his new appointment, adding that he is still with Charterhouse and will make the confirmation at the appropriate time.

At the moment, yes, when asked if he is still with Charterhouse Ghana Limited.

READ MORE:5 things you need to know about late showbiz critic Nana Turkson

His appointment means the current PRO of MenzGold, musician Becca, may be sacked or might work under George.

Both MenzGold and Beccas label Zylofon Music refused to comment on her current position when contacted by Pulse.com.gh
I hooked up with someone 10 years younger.

"My hottest rebound, without a doubt, was with a 23-year-old after I got divorced at age 33. We did everything I ever fantasized about. He was gorgeous, fun, and exactly what I needed to remind myself I was still me beyond the wife and mother titles I carried for 10 years." -Liza, 33

He went down on me for an hour.

"My college boyfriend broke up with me when I was a freshman because he 'couldn't commit'-even though he pressured me into the relationship and introduced me to his mother on our third date.

"As I left his apartment and closed the door, my f-buddy who I kept on retainer, texted me and we hooked up no less than an hour after I got dumped (and he ate me out for like an hour! Thank the lord cuz my ex refused to...asshole).

"Then the next morning my ex showed up outside my apartment and begged to get back together. I think not!" -Nina, 24

"I hooked up with my new co-worker."

"It happened after I moved to a new city for a fresh start. After flirting with my job supervisor for a couple weeks, we went to dinner. By the time we got back to his car we were all over each other.

"My dad was still at my apartment after helping me move, so we had to sneak in. Once we finally made it to the bed it was mind-blowing! Knowing my ex was in the D league sexually definitely helped me get over him." - Kelly, 38

I had a hot hookup on my train home.

"I actually hooked up with my high school sweetheart in the days right after my divorce. He and I were on the same train together (traveling toward what had been our mutual hometown growing up) and ended up hooking up in the Amtrak quiet car! To be honest, it gave me a little bit of a train fetish even to this day." -Stefani, 39

We had sex all night long...literally.

"After finally ending a toxic and abusive relationship, I invited a sweet co-worker out to dinner knowing we had always enjoyed harmlessly flirting. After a few drinks, I told him I was single, and we ended up naked in my bed, completely uninhibited and having sex on and off until the sun came up. I will never forget the relief I felt, and how his face looked while he went down on me and held eye contact." -Esther*, 29

It went down in a movie theater...

"When I was 45, I hooked up with a beautiful 29-year-old. On our first date we went to the movies and he gave me an orgasm in the theater! We saw each other a few more times before we petered out. We are still friends." -Providence, 51

I had the best sex of my life.

After my long-term relationship ended, I wasnt sure what to do. I wasnt feeling particularly sexual. I started talking to this one guy from my past. We decided to have a sex date. I was nervous, but when I got there, everything just felt so easy. We wound up having some of the best sex of my life. He wanted to make it a regular thing, but I just needed that one night to know there were other things out there for me." -Julie*, 28
Commissioner of the GRA Kofi Nti argued that the move was necessary because such activities fall out of the legal remit of the churches' operation across the country.

He said the Authority will soon conduct investigations into activities of all churches in the country with the view to taxing them based on their level of business transactions.

READ MORE: Bank of Ghana accused of deliberately collapsing local banks

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has backed calls for churches in the country to be taxed.

According to him, the debate on taxing churches came up because of the affluence being displayed by some members of the clergy.

He said "The public looks on as some of the churches appear to forget about the poor and venerable in society and concentrate on being outrageous.

READ ALSO: Here is how much you will pay for luxury vehicle tax
This comes after the government announced that it will allow two foreign-owned automobile companies establish assembling plants in Ghana.

Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, revealed that government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two automobile companies to establish assembling plants in the country.

He said it will complement governments industrialisation agenda.

However, Kwadwo Safo said this was a wrong move.

If you hear a Senior Minister say that they are going to have two more automobile plants in the country, while there is an automobile plant already in Ghana that you havent supported, I mean you clearly dont even understand industrialisation or the automobile industry.

READ ALSO: Employees of Consolidated Bank to know their status after 60 days

You need to support what we already have here that employs Ghanaian citizens; why do you have to go out there, get a foreign company, bring them here to compete with your local industry and kill them off?
In August 2018, the Bank of Ghana announced the creation of Consolidated Bank to take over 5 struggling local banks.

The 5 five banks are Beige Bank, Sovereign Bank, Construction Bank, The Royal Bank and Unibank.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, said that some banks presented fake documents that made it seem they could meet the new capital requirement.

Meanwhile, it has also emerged that the defunct Capital Bank squandered GHC610 million given to them as liquidity support by the Central Bank.

The same investigative report also indicated that the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of defunct UT Bank Mr P.K Amoabeng received payments from a loan defaulting entity, Kofi Jobs Limited.

The loans which amounted to GHC 5m were never disclosed to the Board of the UT Bank.

Members of the general public have asked what the authorities including the auditors of the various defunct banks did before they collapsed.

READ ALSO: BoG Governor says bank closures cost him lifetime friends

They argue that auditors, are to give economy confidence in the operations of firms. Third parties relied on the work of those auditors to make decisions and the compromised nature of such accounts left much to be desired.

Here are the auditing firms that were acting as auditors of the collapsed banks

 Beige Bank  Morrison and Associates

 UT and Sovereign Banks  Ernst & Young

 Capital Bank  PKF

 Construction Bank  J. Mills Lamptey and co
Managing Director of PMMC Opare Hammond is claiming Menzgold is not licensed to buy and sell gold as suggested by the company.

According to him, Menzgold earlier license granted by the PMMC in 2014 has long been revoked.

The Minerals Commission would usually give you the license and there is a small clause that says you buy gold for export and I dont know if that is what they[Menzgold] are relying on to do this. If that is what they are relying on, then they are doing the wrong thing. One is supposed to buy and package the raw gold before exporting it, the PMMCs boss told Accra-based Joy FM.

But Menzgold is challenging the claim.

READ ALSO: undefined

Speaking to Starr News, Lawyer for Menzgold, Kwame Akuffo rubbished the claims of the PMMC as untenable.

According to him, the Association of Gold Exporters of Ghana took up an arbitration against the Bank of Ghana and the PMMC and it was that the arbitrator held that the parties have agreed that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources shall then nominate the PMMC as the governments independent at-sale-laboratory.

So immediately this occurred in 2015 there was no need to renew the license with the PMMC, Lawyer Akuffo told Starr News Kwaku Obeng Adjei Thursday, August 9.

Subsequently, he continued we moved on to the Minerals Commission to obtain an export license. There has never been a singular instance, or a plural instance or multiple instances where the PMMC revoked the licence of Menzgold or MenzBank Ghana Limited. Its never occurred.

So when Mr Opare Hammond does so, hes engaged in economic defamation, hes engaged in undermining the in tegrity and reputation of Menzgold.

READ ALSO:
Addressing the media, Regional Revenue Protection Manager, Kow Ampah, said the amount was realised as a result of customers who were surcharged for engaging in illegal connections.

He said the ECG is currently on a mission to check the premises on residents who are suspected to being involved in illegal connections.

This exercise, he said, is geared towards ensuring that illegal connections are reduced to the barest minimum.

In all, a total of 4,678 metres were visited and screened in the Kasoa North and South Districts by staff of ECG.

The exercise led to the realization that 202 residential and 78 commercial customers were involved in various forms of illegalities.

Some customers were found to be engaged in metre tampering, unauthorised service connections, metre by-passing, among others.

The Company recovered 212,337kWh of energy during the period and this forms part of steps to reduce system losses, Mr. Ampah disclosed.

The Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Dr. Kwabena Adomah, also added customers who have been caught engaging in illegalities will be duly prosecuted.
He said, "Let me assure that this government has no plans to change the law on same-sex marriage. We have no authority and we will not seek any authority to do so".

There have been an intensified calls for the legalisation of same-sex freedom in the country by pro gay individuals and some foreign leaders in Ghana recently.

The outgoing United States of America Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson had said in an interview that Ghana is slow getting to the point where it will be difficult not to make the rights of gays legal.
He said there will be no hesitation to deal with officers who exhibit unprofessional behaviours in line of duty, adding that recalcitrant police personnel will be made to face the full rigours of the law.

The attitudes of some personnel in Ghana have attracted negative reportage. It brings into the focus, the training of our personnel. The plenary processes initiated must be pursued to their logical conclusions, and the appropriate sanctions imposed, Mr. Quartey said at the opening ceremony of the Ministrys midyear review.

His comments come following a series of high-profile cases of misconduct perpetuated by some officers in recent times.

A month ago, a team of Policemen shot and killed seven suspected armed robbers in Asawase in the Ashanti region, sparking uproar among the public.

Some weeks ago, another officer was captured on camera brutally assaulting a woman at a Midland Savings and Loans branch at Shiashie.

Three months ago, 46 Ghanaian police personnel on UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan were also brought back homefor alleged sexual assault.

The Deputy Minister said officers identified to be indiscipline or involved in any unprofessional acts will not be spared.

He stressed that the Interior Ministry is working with the Police Service to amend its current Constitutional Instrument (CI) to cater for sexual violations.
Lance Corporal Godzi Frederick Amanor was bailed in the sum GH60,000 with two sureties by an Accra Circuit court presided over by Mrs Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye.

Three other staff of the bank Joycelyn Kukua, the operations manager of the company, Shirley Portia Anaman, customer care officer and Prince Ayensu, a driver of the company who were also charged for abetment were also granted bail.

The police officer has been charged with assault for allegedly beating customer of the bank, Patience Safo.

They were granted bail on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

The victim, Patience Safo was ruthlessly assaulted by by the policeman after ordering her to walk out of the banking hall because they have closed.

His action angered social media users after the video went viral.

READ ALSO: Akua Donkor to defend police officer for assaulting nursing mother
Akufo-Addo caused a stir last year when he named a monumental 110 Ministers and deputies to help him make Ghana work again.

The number of Ministers caused an uproar from civil society organisations with many arguing that it will cause a drain on the state coffers.

Though speculations are indicating some Ministers whom the President will kick out of his government, we explain why these 4 Ministers are more than likely to be shown the door by the President.

Joseph Kofi Adda - Minister of Sanitation: The Navrongo Central Member of Parliament has been one of the most criticised under this government for his portfolio. Many Ghanaians have been on his neck for what they deem as underperformance. Accra and other major cities across the country are engulfed in filth with the Sanitation Ministry sitting idly by.

Though he has complained of his Ministry being under resourced in various interviews, Ghanaians expect him to deliver and he has so far failed.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto - Minister of Agriculture: Dr. Akoto has weathered a lot of calls by stakeholders under his Ministry to be fired by the President. The Ghana National Poultry Farmers Association said this about him in May: "Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is an arrogant minister who does not listen to advice from us concerning the welfare of the ministry and our jobs

He has also been chastised over government's flagship "Planting for Food and Jobs" initiative which many believe he hasn't coordinated it well. Just this week, there were reports that fertilizers worth GHS 600,000 for the initiative have been stolen in the Brong Ahafo Region. These developments are not good for Dr. Akoto's stay in government.

Mustapha Hamid - Minister of Information: Having managed communication for the then candidate Akufo-Addo for close to a decade, many thought Dr. Mustapha Hamid will find his portfolio easy. However, it has been turbulent so far for him and rumours are rife that he will be replaced. He has been tagged as "Misinformation Minister" by the opposition and he has struggled to explain effectively some key government policies.

Kweku Agyeman Manu - Minister of Health: This year has been very turbulent for the Health Ministry in terms of the couple of "no bed syndrome" at some of the nation's top hospitals that have resulted in deaths. Also the non-operation of the newly built University of Ghana Hospital put the Health Minister in the limelight.

Reports are that he is likely to head out of the Akufo-Addo government due to ill-health, however his performance since he was appointed was surely going to get him out anyways.
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 their attitudes are similar to the appointees that served under former President John Mahama.

Owusu Bempah said this in an interview on Okay FM which was monitored by Pulse Ghana.

There are some people who have gathered around Nana Addo, theyve formed gangsIf he notices that anyone isnt going about his duties as expected, he should not hesitate to expel the person from his administration, he said.

This was the same thing some people did when Mahama and the NDC were in power that brought about their defeat".

He has consequently charged the President to boot out all incompetent people within his administration else they will bring shame to his administration. He said that the Flag Staff House should be the starting point if Nana Addo wants to do a reshuffling.

I dont know what has entered into some people within the NPP, they are chasing after moneythere are things going on within the NPP which will not help them2020 is not far away, he fired.

To this, he said: No one should think that I need any money from any NPP man, or I need money from the NPPI dont need a dime from themI speak the mind of God; whatever God tells me is what I say Im neither for the NPP or the NDC, he added.

He, however, said that he doesnt mind when these party folks abandon him, but he feels the sentiments and the pain these grass root members are currently going through.
Addressing the media in Ho, the group said Ghana needs a leader who understands the NDC's true vision and history of the party,which are hinged on probity and accountability.

READ MORE: NDC opens presidential nomination

They added that Goosie Tanoh, who is a true party man, has experience in mass mobilization and party building at all levels, adding that their choice of candidate is incorruptible.

They explained that in 1998 and 1999, Goosie Tanoh led a campaign against the undemocratic practices in the NDC, such as the imposition of parliamentary candidates on delegates by senior state officials.

Since 2009, Goosie Tanoh has stayed focused on the development of critical infrastructure that supports the economic integration and wealth of West Africa.

And to the group, Goosie Tanoh should stand in the contest so that when he wins, Ghanaians will vote him as their new president, who is devoted to seeing the projects that he has incubated, bear fruits.

The group called on him to answer their call to contest the presidential race.
He said they are engaged in fruitless action which will not yield any positive result.

In a Facebook post, he wrote: "To those who are sending chiefs and men of God to the Special Prosecutor to intervene on behalf, to try, to dissuade Martin Amidu from conducting his investigations, from the little I know of the man, they are engaged in a fruitless venture."

His comments come at the back of Martin Amidu who has reported the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central constituency, Mahama Ayariga to the Economic and Organized Crime Organization (EOCO) for attempting to block his investigations on him.

According to Amidu, the lawmaker has gone to the extent of contacting pastors and chiefs to plead on his behalf.

According to a report by Accra-based Citi FM, the Special Prosecutor has reported Ayariga to the EOCO for attempting to block his investigations on him.

The former Attorney General is reported to have said in his statement that Ayariga sent personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, pastors among others, to beg him to stop the investigations.

The office of the Special Prosecutor is currently investigating Ayariga on suspicion of commission of corruption and abusing his office by importing three Toyota Land Cruiser V8s into the country.

Amidu said he wrote to the Speaker of Parliament and copied to Mahama Ayariga himself to request for his presence, but the latter never showed up.

He explained that rather than honour the invitation, Ayariga resorted to contacting influential persons to come and beg him to back down on the investigations.

According to him, the EOCO even invited the MP over the matter, but he still refused to show up.

"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 20 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 26June 2018 to release the suspect to report to the EOCO on 3 July, 2018," Martin Amidu said.

"When the suspect, Honourable Mahama Ayariga receive 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," he 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 3 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," the Special Prosecutors statement added.
The West African country of Ghana has been cracking down on expressions of homosexuality recently. In Nigeria, there is a 14-year jail term for anyone caught in homosexual activity.

Ghanas speaker of parliament has threatened to leave his office if gay rights are promoted. Even the president has weighed in, stating that his government will never legalise homosexuality.

On the back of Ghanas position of making love a crime we take a look at countries where homosexual activities are legal, and if such referendum should be held LGBT campaigners are most likely to win.

Rwanda

In Rwanda, homosexual activities have been made legal since 1980. Also, the country has a robust system for protection of individuals engaging in the act.

Lesotho

Female sexual activities have been legal for a long period due to cultural acceptance, but male involvements were only legal in 2012.

Guinea Bissau

Just like other countries with constitutional recognition of LGBT activities in their countries, Guinea Bissau has given legal backing to the acts since 1993.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde is only the country that has a law protecting discrimination against homosexual in Africa. All homosexual activities and their rights have been legal in the country since 2004.

The country has one of the most comprehensive laws detailing relationship with LGBT and also offering them decent living chances among other people.

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea has one of the oldest laws legalising homosexual acts in Africa. The activities of LGBT has been made lawful since 1968. However, there is no law-based protection for homosexuals in the country.

Sao Tome and Principe

The island nation of Sao Tome and Principe has legalized homosexual acts since 2012. Also, there is limited protection for LGBT in the country.

Mozambique

LGBT activities in Mozambique have been declared legal by law since 2015. In the Southern African country, being a homosexual is not a crime, but the union between practising partners has not been legalized by the law while it is however silent on it.

South Africa
I do not hesitate to state openly that I am a Christian in politics and will continue to be so and a politician who is deeply influenced by Christian values. I know that the church can be very influential in making a dramatic difference in education, health, and sanitation. Let me assure that this government has no plans to change the law on same-sex marriage, we have no authority, and we will not seek any authority to do so, it is well within our reach, he said.

The west African country can boast of being a beacon of democracy on the African continent, yet it finds it hard to come to terms with the legalisation of homosexuality. This gesture has been questioned by some sections of the international community and even met by indirect threats.

Anti-gay activists continuously call on the government to resist moves by advocates campaigning for gay rights.

The Church and other religious groups have been one of the vociferous anti-gay campaigners in Ghana, thus pushing politicians to reiterate their commitment to maintaining homosexuality as a crime.

Under Ghanaian criminal law, same-sex sexual activity is illegal, owing to the criminal codes stance on unnatural carnal knowledge.
The partnership, the first of its kind between Ringier Africa Digital Publishing on behalf of Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa by Pulse and Andela Kenya, gives BISSA the rights to use and share content jointly generated by the two parties across its digital markets spread across Africa.

Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa editor, David Adeleke expressed pleasure in the signing of the partnership and said it signals the beginning of an exciting journey of celebrating African changemakers and a great opportunity to inform, educate and entertain BISSA audience across the world.

There are so many great stories to tell within the African tech ecosystem. We are proud to be a part of this, said Adeleke.

Andela communications manager for East Africa, Rehema Kahurananga echoed Davids sentiments and said the time is ripe for recognising and celebrating African developers by owning and telling the African story.

We are very excited to begin this journey with Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa and we look forward to putting Africa on the world map through this first of kind partnership.

Advance human potential

Under the partnerships, Andela Kenya working closely with BISSA will come up with tech content in the form of articles, videos, and images sourced for and produced by both parties on Thursday which BISSA has aptly named Tech Thursday.

Once published, Andela will promote the content within Andela network across Africa (Nairobi, Lagos, and Kampala), including on Andela social media accounts.

This series will be hosted exclusively on the Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa by Pulse platforms.

Andela envisions a future where talented technologists from around the world can collaborate across borders to advance human potential a dream BISSA shares and as result the two parties have joined hands to make it happen.
In the last 6 months, MTN Group increased its subscriber base in Nigeria by 5.6% to hit 55.2 million, the highest in Africa.

The group's financial report posted by the Johannesburg telecommunication company on Wednesday, August 9, 2018, also indicated that its Nigerian subsidiary performed ahead other markets and above expectations with double-digit growth.

The company said its service revenue accelerated for the period under review.

Increase usage and growth in data subscribers supported data revenue growth, according to report.

Rob Shuter, Group president and CEO while commenting on the report, said Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa led the encouraging first half of 2018, with an acceleration in the second quarter, supported by an improved operational performance across many markets.

We made good progress on our plans to list MTN Nigeria on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. We do not expect any material cash inflows to the group from the IPO, the report stated.

Here is how MTN stands in subscriber base across five African markets

1. Nigeria 55.2 million

2. South Africa 30.2 million

3. Ghana 16.5 million

4. Cameroon 6.6 million

5. Ivory Coast 11.3 million
During a programme on Hitz FM, Punch reports that Pastor Dan Owusu-Asiamah of the Church of Christ alleged that tithing is simply a tool for some pastors to defraud their church members. He added that these pastors are the same as "corrupt" politicians.

Hence, he encouraged believers to stop enriching their pastors' pockets by paying their tithe. The preacher backed his statement with a verse from the book of Deuteronomy that forbids pastors from extorting worshippers.

In his words, "Tithe-paying is fraud. Under no circumstance was anyone asked to pay tithe in the Bible. Tithing has to do with foodstuffs. Everything they are doing now is wrong. We speak about corruption and talk about politicians. Corruption begins in the church. The church is actively doing these things. In Deuteronomy 14:25, it tells you, tithe isn't about money"

He continued,"There is a difference between offertory and tithing, Malaika chapter 3: 810 says Tithing has nothing to do with money but offering does. I challenge every clergyman to open a passage that says we should pay tithe on a monthly basis. No apostle asked a Christian to give one-tenth. Now it's more like a law that some churches even collect the tithe before they bury the dead. How do you mark those who pay tithe in church?"

ALSO READ: How Daddy Freeze and Bible made Nigerian pastor stop collecting tithes

Tithing in Nigeria

Unlike this Ghanaian cleric, most Nigerian pastors say otherwise. Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), for instance, believes that tithing is the key to Heaven.

In an Instagram video shared on April 11, 2018, the RCCG G.O says, "Make it clear to them. Anyone who is not paying his tithe is not going to heaven. Full stop."

In 2017, he stressed the importance of giving this 10% saying, "Please do not let anybody get you into trouble by attracting God's curse to yourself, please pay your tithe."

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and head of Word Of Life Eagles also agrees that tithing is mandatory.

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, he warned that the penalty for not tithing is death saying, "There is always something that God will give you, that he wants you to take care of, that you mustn't take as yours, that you must leave dedicated to and return to Him. That thing is the acknowledgment that God is the source of all things that you have, and it is known as tithe.

"Now, just to make sure that there is no ambiguity and confusion as to what the thing is, God made it simple. The tithe is ten percent of anything God gives you as increase to what you already have or as addition to what you already have. In Adam's case, not eating the tree of knowledge was his tithe. And if he dared to eat it, he would die."

It is important to add that there are some preachers who disagree with this very popular notion.

Earlier this year, Pastor Sam Adeyemi of the Daystar Christian Center caused a major controversy by declaring that the 10% requirement has expired because Jesus Christ has freed Christians from the practice.

"So I say again, tithing as practiced under the Law of Moses as a regulation has expired. No Christian should feel guilty for not paying tithes. No Christian should be made to feel guilty for not paying tithes," he said.

He has a supporter in Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly who told BBC Yoruba, "Tithing is not compulsory. No-one should feel compelled to pay - no-one is holding a gun to their head.

He added, "Churches, where pastors are becoming fat and the members, are growing lean, God will judge them."
According to Premium Times, the secretary of the union, Toyin Abegunrin confirmed the development saying the university lecturers are embarking on a two-week warning strike to express their displeasure with the non-payment of salaries and poor facilities in the institutions.

He said, The matter is in public domain. Yes we commenced warning strike today,''

On Saturday, August 4, Pulse reported that LAUTECH students might suffer another academic upse soon due to the threats coming from the academic and non-academic staff of the tech-based university.

ASUU threatens to go on strike

According to Punch, the Joint Action Committee of the university on Friday, July 3, 2018, held a press conference where it announced that it could resolve to indefinite strike.

The committee, comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, accused Osun and Oyo states, which own the institution of deliberately trying to incapacitate the school so that their state individual universities could survive, Punch reports.

ALSO READ:

Alesinloye Muraina who is the SSANU chairman in an address he read at the event said both Oyo and Osun state governments starve LAUTECH of funds.
The film which comes months after McDermott's directorial debut, "Christmas is Coming," will arrive in cinemas on September 14, 2018.

About "What Just Happened"

In "What Just Happened," A one hour journey to Ibadan turns into a long day of disaster when a returnee professor's superior attitude is tested.

During her testimony in a church, as the professor recounts her experience before an impatient crowd, more commotion ensues.

Meet the cast of "What Just Happened"

1. Orhorha Jude is Leke

This character is a nice and helpful young man, who is a bit perplexed at how people from the city live. Nevertheless, he is happy to Nonetheless he is happy to help for something in return.

2. Funnybone is the Choirmaster

He is impatient and does not 'suffer fools.' Very spontaneous, he cares about his choir members. The professor's testimony rubs him the wrong way and leaves him completely irritated.

3. Saka is Baba Oti

A long time serving driver to Efe Irikefe, he is a fraudulent hypocrite, and also a gambling addict. He doesn't understand why Prof doesn't have an accent after 20 years abroad.

4. Toyin Aimakhu is the Usher

Probably the most erratic usher ever, she genuinely wants to serve but always finds herself being extra. As an usher, she has to deal with different attitudes from the congregation, especially Prof.

4. Segun Arinze is Efe Irikefe

Efe Irikefe is a doctor at the University of Ibadan, who invites his sister to take up a visiting lecturer position available.Patriotic and kind, he has to deal with the silliness of his driver after his sister goes missing.

5. MC Abbey is Pastor

He is a new generation, charismatic and generous Pastor. He is also funny, patient and witty. But when his patience is put to the test by the annoying Prof Oghogho, Pastor digs deep to bring out a not so pastoral character.

6. Mike Ezuruonye is Dele Lawson

Caring and humble, Dele is a good Samaritan who got a dose of "evil" in return. He is loyal and knowledgeable about how things are done and tries in his little way to make things right.

7. Ufuoma McDermott is Prof Oghogho

A professor of Mathematics who agrees to return home to avoid further humiliation of finding a man, Oghogho is Intelligent yet arrogant.

She is extremely disciplined and holds on to her principles, even when they put her and others around her into trouble.
The deceased, whose body was found hanging near a footpath, has been identified as Shupikai Chikuvira, a Zimbabwean from Mashonaland East.

According to a report by Bulawayo 24, Chikuviras lifeless body was found in Mutawatawa, Zimbabwe, by villagers.

Confirming the death of Chikuvira, the police narrated how the deceased visited his girlfriend, on August 4, 2018 and proposed that she elopes with him.

It was further reported that the lady had turned down Chikuvira's proposal.

Her reasons for turning Chikuvira's proposal down, according to the report, is because her parents are yet to approve of their relationship.

Following his girlfriend's refusal to elope with him, the late Chikuvira had reportedly left the scene threatening to commit suicide after which his lifeless body was later found hanging from a tree.

Speaking on the incident, the acting spokesperson of Mashonaland East provincial police, Inspector Tendai Mwanza, said, We are investigating the case of a man who hanged himself in Mutawatawa on August 4 after he allegedly had a misunderstanding with his lover. We urge people to exercise restraint and solve their misunderstandings amicably. It is, therefore, regrettable that a life was lost.

ALSO READ: 65-year-old found not guilty of killing lover with manhood

Boyfriend bans his babe from posting on Snapchat

Until a court gave a verdict restraining an abusive boyfriend from her, Molly Cunliffe, a personal care assistant from Bolton, Greater Manchester, had an issue with the lover who wants her to stay off Snapchat.

According to the UK Telegraph, the abuse she suffered happened in about a month of dating the boyfriend Matthew Bailey who has been jailed for psychological abuse.

The convict who is 24 years old is to spend six months in jail.
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, Folorunsho Olawale, who is one of the alleged killers of late Miss Oluboyo, attacked officials at the Neuro Psychiatric Specialist Hospital in Akure where he is currently being treated for mental illness.

In the report, the alleged killer beat up the hospital's Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Akinwumi Akinloye, into a coma aside damaging equipments at the hospital.

Olawale was also reported to have attacked some nurses and another doctor after he went hysterical during examination.

How it alleged killer attacked doctor and nurses

Trouble started when Olawale became aggressive on the bed during examination and some of the nurses had tried to calm his nerves by administering injection on him.

ALSO READ: Ghost of ex Deputy Govs daughter shows way to killer

It was reported that Olawale charged at the medical officers and over-powered the nurses and doctors before he embarked on the destruction of the facilities in the medical institution.

Four nurses, including a consultant, Dr. Sunday Sajo, and medical workers at the hospital, were not only overpowered by Olawale but were also injured during the rampage.

Why Police registered alleged killer in psychiatric hospital

According to SaharaReporters, Olawale was found mentally-ill and was registered into the Neuro Psychiatric Specialist Hospital in Akure, Ondo state.

Olawale had allegedly walked into a police station in Akure to confess being among those who murdered Khadijat Oluboyo, daughter of ex-Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lasisi Oluboyo.

As part of the ongoing investigation by police in the murder of Khadijat, Olawale was moved into the hospital.

He was reportedly checked into the psychiatric hospital for re-examination two weeks before he attacked the medical staff.

The spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, reportedly confirmed the attack saying, "We moved him to the psychiatric hospital to under study him after he showed up at the police station to report himself as being involved in the killing of late Khadijat.

ALSO READ: Timely arrival of police prevents student's killer from disposing corpse

Boyfriend charged with murder of ex-dep gov of Ondo's daughter

Alao Adeyemi, who reportedly used his ex-girlfriend, Khadijat for money ritual has been charged for murder and conspiracy.

He was reportedly arraigned Akure Magistrates Court on Monday, July 16, 2018.

The deceased is the daughter of former Ondo State DeputyGovernor Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo.
According to New Vision newspaper, the angry politician has been revealed as Patrick Okumu-Ringa, Ugandan's former public service state minister.

Reacting angrily to a defeat in a recent parliamentary by-election, Okumu-Ringa had reportedly embarked on the dismantling of the boreholes in his constituency for three days.

The former lawmaker had contested in the Nebbi municipality parliamentary poll and lost after a by-election.

It was also reported that Okumu-Ringa, who had once represented Padyere County as a member of the parliament, had sunk the boreholes, which have supplied water to the residents, free of charge, for over 20 years.

I'm hurt, let them look for water somewhere else - Okumu-Ringa

Okumu-Ringa confirmed the dismantling of the boreholes while expressing his anger at the people of his constituency for refusing to vote him as their representative at the parliament.

ALSO READ: Ugandan President intends to ban oral sex

He said, I am hurt, but I will reconcile with residents and assemble the boreholes.

For now, let them look for water elsewhere. Our people are not appreciative; all I wanted from them was votes. I have educated so many children, but all they tell me is that I have done nothing.

I dont think the government should be offended. I used my money to sink the boreholes, and in any case, even National Water and Sewerage Corporation doesnt supply free water.
According to a report by Vanguard published on Thursday, August 9, 2018, George Osagie and Makinde Kudus, were caught by the law and have confessed to the crimes as a means of their livelihood.

The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, confirmed this saying, On July 28, information was received from members of the public that there was a group of persons going round the metropolis, defrauding innocent citizens off their hard earned money, promising to double it through magical means."

He continues that, "Based on the information, operatives from the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS Ikeja and the Command operatives swung into action and arrested the suspected fraudsters at Nglasia Hotel, Ilasa. On interrogation, it was discovered that the suspects defrauded victims of huge sums of money.

Also, one of the members, Osaro, a father of three, who plays 'beneficiary' to unsuspecting victims who think he is evidence that the scheme works says that he joined the gang last year after he also fell victim and joined the gang to retrieve his money.

He says, "I found myself following them to a house where they showed me a breifcase containing various foreign currencies. They succeeded in convincing me to part with N300,000. The money was meant to purchase more chemicals to wash more money. I later realised that I had been defrauded. To retrieve my money, I was asked to join the gang."

Describing his role to Vanguard, he says, "My role is to act as a beneficiary in front of any would be victim. This is to convince the victim that the deal is genuine and not fake. I get a percentage in any successful deal."
The campaign which was launched in celebration of the beer brands presence in a staggering 192 countries has now racked up 780 million impressions since the bottles were launched 7 weeks ago.

Social media analysis (via Keyhole) show that over 10,000 users have put out tweets and Instagram posts about the bottles and the movement has racked up engagements in the hundreds of thousands.

Centred around Heinekens interactive limited edition bottles which allows users Shazam the bottle label and experience one of the countries Heineken is present in, users can also view their position on the leaderboard based on how many countries unlocked.

At the end of the campaign, the top performers on the leaderboard stand a chance to win an all expense paid trip to Amsterdam and 3 other cities courtesy of Heineken Nigeria and KLM.

Why The Campaign Has Enjoyed So Much Virality

Shazam

Heineken Nigeria hit a home-run by choosing the popular mobile app -Shazam, to drive this campaign. Known for its ability to Identify media playing around you, the app has quickly become one of the most popular mobile apps worldwide.

The feature of being able to scan a bottle, which is powered by the app, has made the campaign unique and very engaging as thousands of people have been quick to scan the bottles and share their experiences.

Tourism

The timing of this campaign has also been spot on. The Summer bliss is very much in the air and the chance to enjoy a vacation courtesy of Heineken Nigeria and KLM has been a major conversation starter.

The short videos which are displayed after unlocking each country has also helped provide further excitement around this campaign, as these videos often highlight the top tourist destinations in these countries.

User generated content

Arguably, the biggest reason the campaign has become such a viral success is how much user generated content has been created by both Heineken and social media enthusiast. As the hashtags #192countries and #Samegreattastein192countries continue to dominate the trend table in Nigeria, more people are excited to jump on the trend and create funny, witty content themed around the competition.

Audience Demographic

The theme of the campaign, the manner of its execution and its interactive nature is clearly targeted at at the younger audience demographic (18 -35) which are often tech and social media savvy. While the campaign is by no means a social media campaign, the social media virality is indicative of how these target audience find expression for this highly engaging campaign.

With so many young people interacting with the bottles via an app on their phone, it makes perfect sense to share these experiences on social media.

Competition

The leaderboard and the competitive nature of the campaign has been a major highlight of the campaign, with celebrities even getting in on the action. This past week, ex BBN reality show housemate Tobi joined the the campaign by posting a video in response to Uti Nwachukwu, another Ex BBNaija Housemates challenge.

However, it isnt only Big Brother housemates who have joined the race to #192countries, as more people continue to dare each other to rack up points on the leaderboard, thus adding to the virality of the campaign.

Heineken Nigeria is clearly setting a standard for other brands to learn from. The beer brand is known for its viral campaigns and has once again struck gold with its #192countries campaign.

This simple, yet highly engaging campaign is testament to the brands ability to continually innovate, and provides further credence to their claims of being the biggest beer brand in the world

The 192countries campaign will run till the end of August and 8 lucky winners will stand a chance to experience a trip of a lifetime by visiting the birthplace of Heineken - Amsterdam and 3 other European cities.
This horrific act has been revealed by a Twitter user @MarleneDejumo.

In her Twitter thread on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, she expressed her pain on why an adult male would decide to physically violate a minor.

The lady also says that the child molester is allegedly trying to buy his way out of it.

The girl has been taken to the hospital  which was comforting, but not refreshing.

Another organization called OPD Lagos also stepped up.
The promo which is open for the month of August will be showering shoppers with a new car and over 750 gifts items. This was announced by the Head of Marketing, SPAR Nigeria, John Goldsmith in Lagos.

In the statement of the Head of Marketing, John Goldsmith, We are delighted to have been in Nigeria for thirty years. We have enjoyed the support and the patronage of Nigerians and we are reciprocating this good gestures through this Scratch and Get Free Gifts Promo.

In his words, The promo which will run throughout the month of August at all SPAR outlets nationwide guarantees a gift for every shopper whose spend in any of our stores is 5,000 and above. There are over 750 different types of products as giveaway, these includes Nissan Almera Saloon car, Televisions, washing machines, Gas cookers, Fridges, Laptops, Perfumes, Wines & Spirits, Bags, SPAR Gift cards and so much more.

SPAR Nigeria is a part of the global retail chain originating from Holland. SPAR international has given the Master Franchise of the SPAR brand to Artee Industries Limited for its operations in Nigeria. The hypermarket brand takes cognizance of the various kinds of shopping missions and adapts its products and services in respect of Choice, Quality, Service and Value to translate the entire shopping experience for Nigerians.

About SPAR Nigeria

SPAR Nigeria has grown from one retail store to 12 major outlets nationwide. The store specializes in a wide spread of products, ranging from Grocery, Bakery, Butchery, Fruits & Vegetables, Hot Meals, Wine & Spirits, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Consumer Electronics, Large and Small Home Appliances, Mobile Phones, Laptops & Tablets, Perfumes, Watches & Jewellery.

About SPAR International

SPAR, a Dutch multinational retail chain has global presence in 48 countries across 4 continents with over 12,750 stores. Apart from Nigeria, SPAR boast of its presence in Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mozambique. Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe to name a few.

For more information about SPAR Nigeria visit www.sparnigeria.com

Social media handles

Twitter: @SPARNigeria

Instagram: @spar_nigeria
Tolu Erogbogbo, popularly known as Chef Eros, started by selling seasoned chicken to his schoolmates while pursuing a degree in International Business Management.

In an interview with CNN, he describes food in the most interesting way:

"Food is my own language, it's a way of communicating. For me putting those ingredients together, the textures, the flavors, and someone putting it in their mouth, even if you don't understand the flavor, your reaction is what I love the most. I just love to see their faces. That's food enough for me, so most times when I cook I don't eat. That's because I'm eating so much already by just watching them enjoy it. It really is a true passion."

Food as a Business

After his degree, he started off working as a sous chef, then moved back to Lagos to open his first restaurant La Saison Cafe and Restaurant, Ikoyi. He is one of the chefs bringing heat to Nigeria's gourmet food scene. He runs an artisanal bakery Cookie Jar and has cooked for some of the world's biggest names, including Lauryn Hill.

His passion for the culinary world and creativity, amongst others, set him apart from other chefs, hence the announcement as the first ever brand ambassador for Shoprite Nigeria.

His degree in Business Management enabled his to carve out a career from his passion and turn it into a full blown organization.

Following the Shoprite announcement, Chef Eros said: "Our country has much to offer in terms of tastes and variety. It is up to us to let the rest of the world know this."
In a recent Pulse article in which the opinions of 20 young Nigerians was collated and recorded, men have been known to say that the perfect woman for them, the one they can take home to their mummies, has to be a woman who honestly loves me even with all my imperfections; a woman that makes me laugh especially when Ive had tough, bad days; a woman with whom I share a powerful sexual connection; and a woman with high self-confidence, among many others.

To these men, any woman who possesses the characters listed would be perfect. It is such woman that would be introduced to their folks, and it is her that they would love to marry.

The truth is you can have every form of ideal in your mind and you could meet a woman who possesses all these features and more, but that does not make her the perfect type of woman to marry.

For you, yes. For every other man, a big, big no.

This is the most important part of this discourse and this is what many men fail to realise - there is no universally-accepted concept of what a good woman is.

For the deeply religious, a chaste scarf-wearing woman is the definition of good. A woman can be everything, if not religious, shes not good enough. For a club-going, hard-partying guy, this may not be the kind of woman he fancies.

The reality, which we hope every man will learn, is that a woman is as good as the person judging her. And of course, you could be so grossly misinformed about her that your judgement will be very wide off the mark.

While we all agree and have to mention here that there are traits that are vastly-accepted and must [always] be present in a woman as far as men are concerned, the truth remains that the perfection or goodness of a woman is not something that has a universal definition.

Men judge women differently, they view them from their personal prisms - which, according to experience, are always tainted by a lot of conditions personal to them.

So if shes great to Man A, she may be an oddball of imperfection to Man B.
The General Secretary of the union, Mr Olayinka Abioye, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

Abioye said that if the NAHCO management did not begin the process, the union would be forced to shutdown NAHCO operations across the country.

He said that the conditions of service had not been reviewed for the past 10 years.

The general secretary said the management had been using delay tactics, and had failed to respond to the workers proposal for a review since struggle began two years ago.

However, we are still hoping that the management will come to terms with the realities on ground and do justice to the demands of workers, Abioye said.
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.
Fari who spoke in Minna in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said Nigerians should offer prayers to God for peaceful political atmosphere for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

What we require at this material time was for all Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic and political affiliations, to pray for successful implementation of government programmes.

He also urged the intending pilgrims to use the opportunity of the pilgrimage to pray for the nations peace, progress and stability.

The cleric said that it was only by so doing that the desired rapid socio-economic and political change would become a reality.

He urged the intending pilgrims to seek clarifications from the Islamic scholars over issues they did not understand during the exercise to enable them to perform an acceptable hajj.

He called on eligible Nigerians who had registered but yet to collect their permanent voter cards to do so immediately.
Latest news reaching our desk says after the raid of Ekpeyong's apartment located on 46 Maman Nasir Street, Asokoro, the EFCC operatives went on to arrest Ekpeyong.

reports that the EFCC men arrived the premises in three buses and some patrol vehicles accompanied by over 20 armed policemen. The operatives then searched the mansion for over two hours before leaving at 3.20pm, the newspaper adds.

No cash was recovered from the apartment, Pulse has learnt.

Ekpeyong served as DG of the DSS from 2010 to 2015 under the administration of former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2017, the EFCC accused Ekpeyong of complicity in the arms purchase scandal that became public knowledge after Jonathans exit.

Billions of Naira appropriated to purchase arms for the battle with Boko Haram, were allegedly squandered by top government officials in the Jonathan era. Former NSA Sambo Dasuki is still in prison custody for the corruption linked to arms purchase.

Fight between DSS and EFCC

Daura and EFCC boss Magu have endured a frosty relationship. Daura twice wrote the senate to deny Magu confirmation as substantive EFCC boss.

It is believed that paved the way for the EFCC's latest raid of Ekpeyong's apartment.
The Scenic City Womens Network Marketplace Luncheon will be held on Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Mountain City Club, featuring speaker, Lynda Hawks, president of Hawks Property Management.

Ms. Hawks was a single mother working two jobs while raising her two children. She began her career in accounting in the early 80s at The Leader in downtown Chattanooga. Later she was employed as the sole bookkeeper for approximately 2.5 million square feet of real estate for Bob Corker. By 2005, Ms. Hawks was made a corporate officer in the company. The next January Mr. Corker sold most of his real estate to Henry Luken. In 2008, Ms. Hawks was promoted to chief financial officer of Luken Holdings, Inc. and in 2009 was promoted to president/CEO. Today, Ms. Hawks is the chief operating officer for Corker Properties, and has a business, The Hawks Group, LLC with her husband, Jim Hawks. Together they manage several properties for various businesses in the Chattanooga area, along with several Family Trusts.

Ms. Hawks currently serves as treasurer for the Board of Directors for Volunteers in Medicine and The Miracle League of Chattanooga but said her passion in life is Jesus Christ.

Ms. Hawks will speak on "God's Unfathomable Riches."

The registration deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 21. To make reservations go online: www.scwn.org or call 698-6262. Cost for the luncheon is $20.

The luncheon will be held at Mountain City Club, 729 Chestnut St. Networking and registration will be from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and the program and lunch will be from 12-1 p.m.


Chief Press Secretary to Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue state, Terve Akase, stated this on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

The accounts were frozen following investigations by the EFCC on the alleged abuse of security votes for the state.

The state government had described the action as an alleged political witch-hunt aimed at frustrating Governor Ortoms efforts after he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The action of EFCC is already having a negative impact on the running of government in Benue State, the state government said.

It is a move that will affect salaries, pensions and other sundry payments. The question we are asking is; why did EFCC not investigate the Governors security votes when he was still a member of APC? the government asked.

Zamfara state governor, AbdulAziz Yari, who chairs the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the PDP had also condemned the EFCCs action.

Yari had described the freezing the accounts of the government as unconstitutional.

The PDP faulted the EFCC for the action, as well as for freezing the accounts of Akwa Ibom State.

In a series of tweets, the PDP said the action of the EFCC could not be justified under any guise within the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution.

The PDP consequently asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts, warning that the action was capable of unleashing hardship on the people in the states.
Abdulrahman made the allegations in an exclusive chat with Premium Times.

Daura was sacked as DG of the DSS by acting President Yemi Osinbajo after operatives of the spy agency barricaded the entrance to the national assembly on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 and stopped lawmakers from gaining access to the complex.

Daura was receiving money from everyone, including the presidents enemies, Abdulrahman told Premium Times. I noticed immediately we started work that for Lawal Daura it is simply about the money.

Abdulrahman and Daura were members of the Buhari campaign security committee in the run up to the 2015 general elections. The committee was led by the current Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau.

In one of the earlier meetings, he suggested that we should request for one billion to start work. Where will Buhari see one billion to give us? Abdulrahman said of their 2015 campaign strategy days.

How Abdulrahman and Daura began working together

He added that in the course of their pre-election work and as part of the transition team after Buhari won the election, the sacked Daura kept producing fake reports about (Ita) Ekpenyong (his predecessor), but we never knew what he was targeting, until late.

Abdulrahman said Daura was introduced to the president by the late Senator Mustapha Bukar.

He also said Daura was never a favourite of Buhari because of his antecedents, but was somehow imposed on the president by Mamman Daura, the influential cousin of the president.

When he was appointed, he kept putting pressure on me and Maikano, the current AO (Admin Officer) at the presidential villa to come and work with him as SA. He assured me that what I will get under him, I cannot get even as a Minister, Abdulrahman told Premium Times.

Ghana-must-go bags of bribe money

Abdulrahman disclosed how Daura and he would stay late at work till around 2am. What are we doing? Mostly receiving Ghana must go filled with cash brought by enemies of government to him.

Abdulrahman told Premium Times that at some point, agents working for Daura stopped going to the Bureau de change for cash transactions on his behalf. Rather, they invite the secretary of the Bureau de Change at that Sheraton (Hotel) gate to come to the office late at night with their counting machines, counting dollars, he disclosed.

The prophecy that came to pass

Before Abdulrahman left the secret service in anger and frustration, he prophesied that Daura would leave the agency in disgrace.

When I had too much, I decided to leave and I swore to the directors who wanted me to stay because of their personal interest, that Daura will leave office in handcuffs because of what I saw.

I was preaching to him that he needs to help Mr President because you know, you dont deserve this office and he appointed you, because of that he stopped my pension for two years until I threatened to go to court, he said.

Daura was arrested immediately after his sack.

A history of theft

Abdulrahman told Premium Times that Daura was sacked from the DSS before his reappointment by Buhari, after he was caught siphoning diesel from the DSS Academy in Kaduna.

Before then, he was almost sacked when he was State Director in Lagos. Tinubu, who was governor donated 20 vehicles to aid the work of the service in the state; Fashola, who is Minister now, was the Chief of Staff at the time, Lawal Daura took all the vehicles to Kano and sold them off, Abdulrahman claimed.

He also said Daura had to be secretly taken away in Edo State because of how he was misusing staff stipends.

Just like today, how they had to use the back door to ferry him away, dont you wonder why he was not taken back to the service facility? He wouldnt have survived it. I have been receiving calls all day from some of our top directors and staff, everyone is in a joyous mood today.

In fact a director told me that all his life, he never drank beer, but today, he will drink to celebrate how this service is finally saved from destruction, he said.

'Daura had no respect for Osinbajo'

Before his sack, Daura and EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, endured a frosty relationship. Dauras recommendation letters were what the Bukola Saraki led senate relied on to deny Magu confirmation as substantive EFCC boss.

The presidency and acting President Osinbajo defied the senates rejection of Magu and vowed to keep the embattled anti-graft czar on as acting EFCC chairman in perpetuity.

Abdulrahman told Premium Times that Daura often disrespected and undermined acting President Osinbajo during meetings.

Once, Abdulrahman revealed, Daura and Magu engaged themselves in a shouting match over the formers lack of respect for the office and person of Osinbajo.

Whenever the Vice President calls for a meeting for 2 oclock, Daura will come by 3 and will not apologise. There was a time they had serious shouting match with Magu over the disrespect shown to the VP and the VP had to ask Magu to keep quiet, Abdulrahman said.

Asked what the real issue was between Mr Magu and the DG DSS, Mr Abdulrahman said Daura wanted Magu to share information on high profile cases with him

Magu is a smart officer and he knew Daura wanted to use such information to extract money from people. He told Daura to his face that I cant report to you, I only report to the president who appointed me, he said.

Abdulrahman also said Daura had no regard for National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, whom he should be reporting to.

Daura is still in custody of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) following his sack and subsequent arrest, and wasnt available for a reaction when this story was filed.
The Governor confirmed the passing on of his mother on Thursday, August 9, 2018. She was 72 years old.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, the Governor said the late GoldCoast died of cancer at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas where she had been receiving treatment.

Governor Dickson expressed appreciation to the Centre especially the team of medical professionals who did their best to save the life of his mother.

Governor Dickson also thanked family members, friends, political associates and Nigerians generally for their prayers and support in the most trying times for the Dickson family.

"Until her last breathe, she was a quintessential mother, devout Christian and community leader who devoted her lifetime to the service of God and humanity," the statement said.

Condolence registers have been opened in Government House, Yenagoa, the Governor's residences in Opolo, Yenagoa and Toru-Orua Community in Sagbama LGA, Bayelsa State Liaison Office (IZON Warri) in Abuja and Governor's Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
A statement by the commissions Head, Press and Public Relations, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, said Idris made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the PSC, Mr Musiliu Smith, on Thursday in Abuja.

Idris also pledged the loyalty of the force to Smith and also requested for his support and assistance to move the Nigeria Police Force forward.

Responding, Smith assured Idris that the commission under his administration would do its best to assist the police.

He noted that there was a need for the two government agencies to work closely so as to quickly put structures in place to reposition the police.

The chairman who expressed dissatisfaction with the public image of the police, added that the commission would work with the police to change this negative perception.

I want a positive perception for the police, lets work closely, I assure you that the commission will assist you,he said.

Smith also made a case for the training and retraining of personnel of the force to enable them to give their best.

The chairman called for closer supervision in the police to ensure that officers worked within the dictates of the law.

He recommended the setting up of the I-G s Monitoring Team specifically for checking the conduct of police personnel especially those working on the nations highways.

He said that the commission was preparing for the monitoring of police conduct during the forthcoming Osun governorship election and the 2019 general elections.
Misau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Navy stated this in a reaction to claims by the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

Speaking during a rally held to welcome Senator Godswill Akpabio to the APC, Tinubu accused members of the National Assembly of plotting to impeach President Buhari.

But, in a statement made available to on Thursday, August 9, 2018, Misau described the allegation as an empty talk, mare stunt and partisan rhetoric.

I want to urge Nigerians to disregard such empty talk by the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain. It is a mere partisan rhetoric aimed at catching the attention of the crowd at the rally planned for the declaration of Senator Godswill Akpabio into the party, Misau said.

"I am surprised that a politician of Tinubu's caliber will be playing politics with a serious issue like the impeachment of the President of the country just because he wanted to catch the attention of a crowd. Politicians at his level should not be engaging in unnecessary saber-rattling and empty speculation.

"We, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Senate, have no plan to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari. There is no need for that process and we are not contemplating it. Our focus right now is to defend democracy and its institutions, fight for enthronement of rule of law, independence of the legislature and the judiciary and ensuring good governance.

"If Tinubu has any concrete, reliable and verifiable evidence to the contrary, he should come forward and prove it. A man like him should not be getting carried away by the crowd and making claims that have no basis.

"We therefore urge all Nigerians and members of the international community to ignore that claim. There is no basis for anybody to make such claim. It is a mere fabrication and a stunt pulled to please the partisan crowd to which it was uttered", Misau stated.
Kanu disappeared during an invasion of his residence in Abia state by some uniform personnel believed to be members of the Nigerian Army. The Army has since denied visiting Kanus house on the said day.

At a meeting with a delegation of Igbo leaders in Enugu on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, the IPOB said Kanu did not transfigure into heave alive.

The group says the precondition for reconciliation between it and the government would be Kanus emergence and an apology.

The fate of our brother Nnamdi Kanu must be addressed. If the witch cried at night and the baby died in the morning, the witch must have killed the baby. Nnamdi Kanu did not rise and disappear. He is not the biblical prophet Elijah that got transfigured to heaven alive, Aloy Ejimakor, German-based lawyer, who led the IPOB delegation said after the closed door meeting.

Something happened; some people came to his house and those people are the men of the Nigerian Armed Forces. They (military) should speak to Nigerians and say, we went there, shot at people. Maybe we shot at him or wounded him. Let them say that much, then we know that the reconciliation has begun.

So I recommend that if it is the truth and reconciliation commission that the federal government wants to constitute, let them do that. But some of these things need to be ventilated well. You cannot just come to Igboland or any other part of the country and take their dignity away, and behave as if nothing happened.

The dignity of the Igboland and Biafra has been taken away since 2017 in the incident that took place at Afaraukwu, Umuahia. It shouldnt happen. It needs some explanation; an apology is warranted, he added.

Nnamdi Kanu's offence

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB was arrested in 2015 and charged to court for treasonable felony.

He was released in April 2017 on strict bail conditions.

Nnamdi Kanu would break the conditions chanting anti-government slogans and addressing huge crowds.

The period coincides with the military operation, Operation Python Dance II, in the region.

Clash between the Army and members of the group allegedly led to Kanus disappearance.

The Federal government soon declared IPOB a terrorist organization banning public gatherings, protests and orders by the group.

But, the United States thinks IPOB has not reached that status, yet.

While Kanu whereabouts remains unknown, some sources alleged the IPOB leader was spotted in Ghana.

The IPOB leaders wife, Uche, has been asking the Federal government to provide her husband.

Meanwhile, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has been under pressure by the courts to produce Kanu.
Okorocha, who gave the advice in Owerri on Thursday during a news briefing, decried the poor response of Imo residents to the call for PVC collection.

He said that Imo had the least number of registered voters and number of PVCs collected when compared to other states of the federation.

He said that failure to collect PVCs would result in low number of votes that would be generated from the state, which he said, might deny the people key positions at the federal level.

To drive home his point, the governor declared Aug. 15 and Aug. 16 work-free, to enable eligible voters in the state to register and also collect their PVCs

Okorocha further directed that markets be closed on those days to ensure full compliance and good results.

He maintained that there was no longer coalition in Imo All Progressives Congress (APC), adding coalition has ended and APC is moving forward in Imo.

He added that a peace and reconciliation committee had been set up to re-unite the party in the state, noting that all but six members of the coalition would not be re-admitted into the party.

On the recent spate of defections from APC, he said the defectors left to further their political interest and not because of loss of faith in the party.

According to him, the party remains a sound and united party and believes that President Muhammadu Buhari remains the right candidate for now.

The defections took place two years ago is just materialising now. We knew some of our members would leave and those who left are those who should have left.

They left mostly because of their political interests not because they feel that the APC is not the best.

As such, I dont see it as a spite but a means for them to achieve what they might be unable to achieve here.

Reacting to the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor, Mr Eze Madumere, Okorocha said that the action followed constitutional guidelines.

He said the new deputy governor, Mr Callistus Ekenze, would assume office as soon as the court injunction restraining him was vacated.

Okorocha said that plans were under way to invite Buhari to commission a lot of projects in the state including the Airforce Hospital, Community Development Council building, the Imo traditional rulers building, Okigwe International Stadium and three fly overs.

He reiterated his determination to support his Chief of Staff, Mr Uche Nwosu, to contest in the Imo gubernatorial race, saying he is a Nigerian and qualified for the position.

He said that he had also harmonised the salary structure of civil servants in the state apart, thereby improving the salary of the workers.

Salary of workers has been regular. I have cautioned the accountants. July salary will be delayed but workers will recieve both July and August salaries at the same time.

According to the governor, APC primaries will be conducted soon through direct voting as demanded by the party national.

He expressed dismay that his free education policy was being taken for granted.

The governor said that students who engaged in cultism and other vices or who very low grade points would have his or her scholarship withdrawn.
In a statement signed by its acting publicity secretary, Yekini, Nabena, on Thursday, August 9, 2018, the APC described Saraki as selfish politician.

The APC noted that Saraki was not the a good example for the number three position in the land.

The statement reads:

In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain. It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.

In terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of the current Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has been a dismal failure and has been involved in one controversy or the other - budget padding, filibustering, legislative rascality, sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.

Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Saraki will go down in our countrys history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have. Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another  the Code of Conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack.

It is alleged that some of the robbery suspects were his political thugs used to rig elections; a common adage says: Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Dr. Saraki is definitely not our good example for political leadership.

All over the world, the leadership of the legislature is provided by the political party with majority members. But Dr. Saraki would in the absence of many members of his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), connive and conspire with members of the opposition PDP to emerge Senate President, and in the process tradeoff the Deputy Senate President position to the opposition PDP  a political betrayal and treachery even the devil would be envious of.

Even at this time he has defected to the opposition PDP, and with APC still in the majority in the Senate, Dr. Saraki still has the impudence to present himself as the Senate President. Political ambition should be made of nobler stuff.

One is of course not surprised as Dr. Sarakis greed, selfishness, treachery, disregard for protocol and constituted authority is well-reported. In terms of treachery, Dr. Sarakis public humiliation of his late father and sister comes readily to mind.

A traitor will always be a traitor, however the time and place. The Senate must do everything possible to put Dr. Saraki where he rightly belongs  the back seat. He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the countrys upper and revered legislative house.

A man who betrayed his father, sister (many times), his party PDP in 2014, the APC in 2015 by conspiring with opposition PDP senators to emerge Senate President, APC administration by sabotaging the executive and defecting to the PDP in 2018 has no character, principles, values and integrity. His only interest is Bukola Saraki, Bukola Saraki and Bukola Saraki. The question is not IF he will defect again from PDP if Bukola Sarakis interest is not served, but WHEN he will do so. Such mean men are not interested in the Nigeria of our dreams.

I wont go to the gutters with you - Saraki

Saraki who recently dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says he "wont go into the gutters with these characters.

Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to the President of the Senate, Yusuph Olaniyanu, says the APC has not recovered from the shock of their Tuesday's failed attempt to subvert democracy.

At a world press conference on Wednesday, August 8, 2019, Saraki had described Tuesday, August 7, 2018, "invasion" at the National Assembly by masked operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as an act of cowardice.

Earlier, Saraki met with chairmen of 45 parties at his office.
According to a report by New York Times, the soldiers and the NEMA official were killed during an ambush by the insurgents.

The death of the soldiers, according to the report, is coming weeks after 20 troops allegedly went missing in an attack.

It was further reported that the ambush and eventual death of the soldiers and NEMA official occurred on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 in Damask area of Borno.

Military sources confirms soldiers' death

In the report, military sources confirmed to New York Times that 15 soldiers and NEMA officials were killed in the ambush on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

ALSO READ: Troops arrest wanted Boko Haram member in Borno IDP camp

"We lost 15 troops. Our men were carrying out digging of trenches at Damasak yesterday when the Boko Haram terrorists opened fire on them," the report quoted a military personel.

In a statement by NEMA , the death of an official in the attack was confirmed.

"The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja and the management staff have been thrown into mourning following a death of a staff who was killed by Boko Haram yesterday in Damasak, Borno state," the statement said.

2 suicide bombers kill selves, injure 3 in Maiduguri

Two suspected Boko Haram bombers were killed when they detonated their explosive vests in a neighbourhood in Maiduguri, Borno State on Sunday, August 5, 2018, injuring three residents.

According to a report by Premium Times, the twin explosions rocked the Borno State capital around 7pm in Kaleri which is located behind the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
However, Akpabio has been assailed with corruption allegations since he left Akwa Ibom government house for the senate in 2015.

Cases against Akpabio

Akpabio entered the EFCC's books for allegedly looting the sum of N108.1 billion from the coffers of Akwa Ibom during his stint as governor.

Akpabio has also been accused of acquiring choice property across the country, namely: Plot 5 Okogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In September of 2017, the EFCC revealed that it was investigating Akpabio over a N1.4billion gift to a bank.

At the grand defection rally last Wednesday, Akpabio said the anti-graft agency has cleared him of all corruption charges.

Not so fast, EFCC says

Those petitions to the EFCC have been sorted out. As I stand today, I have not been charged to court because nothing was found against me, Akpabio said.

However, responding to a text message sent by Punch, EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren said the cases against Akpabio havent been closed.

When asked if Akpabio was still under probe, the EFCC spokesperson said, EFCC does not close cases or give clearance to anybody.
UPDATE 4:20 P.M.

West Kelowna firefighters were able to quickly knock down a fire at a bed and breakfast in Casa Loma but it's a pair of Good Samaritans who are being applauded for entering the smoke filled home to save a couple of pets.

Dwight Unrau, on vacation at nearby Casa Loma Resort drove to the scene after seeing smoke coming from the Casa Loma Bed and Breakfast.

"I figured it didn't look that bad so I went in and started yelling. There was a dog barking and I tried to get the dog out of the house."

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe Saved from the flames

He says the dog came out but kept running in and out.

"It was panicking," he says.

Unrau says they were able to get a cat out and put it in a cage but couldn't get the dog to come back out.

Shelly-Lynn Mazur, a neighbour of the B & B says she and another neighbour were hosing down the house trying to keep the fire at bay when the fire department arrived.

"When the fire department came I went into the back yard and broke into their house while they (firefighters) were in the front and got him (dog) out," says Mazur.

"He wouldn't come out for the longest time because that was his house. But I think pure instinct...he finally came and we got him out."

Neither Unrau or Mazur gave a second thought to going into the smoky home in search of the pets.

"You look at the situation...it isn't too smoky. I knew my way in and knew my way out," says Unrau.

"If someone is in this house that's in distress, even it we couldn't get up there we could report to someone that had oxygen."

Mazur also says she felt safe.

"The fire department was already here. They had the foam retardant going," says Mazur.

There was no sign of flames and none in the basement where I broke in and where he finally went in."

As for being a hero.

"I didn't think it was much of a rescue. Everyone was busy and you knew it (dog) was in there because we all saw it go back in there.

I felt it was safe. I just didn't think about it. I would want my dog saved."

The home itself suffered extensive damage.

Firefighters had to rip apart portions of the roof to put out hot spots and look for fire extensions.

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe

West Kelowna fire crews have a house fire in Casa Loma knocked down.

The fire, at the Casa Loma Bed and Breakfast on Benedick Road, broke out sometime after 2 p.m. Friday.

A neighbour noticed smoke coming from the house and banged on the front door.

They entered the home, discovered no one was home at the time but were able to rescue a cat and a dog.

They were forced to leave as the home continued to fill up with black smoke.

Fire crews were able to quickly knock down the fire and are presently ripping apart the roof looking for hot spots.

The home suffered extensive damage as a result.
Igini stated this in an interview with newsmen in Uyo, on Thursday.

He said that as an umpire entrusted with the responsibility to midwife the election process, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not matter as much as validly votes cast of the people.

According to him, what must matter is the electorate in the state that will cast the votes that must be counted and taken into account to determine who occupies any elective public office.

I want to be clear, no external forces within and outside the state will determine or influence the process and outcome of 2019 general elections in this state except the validly cast votes of the people, he said.

The REC said that the commission would ensure that election materials would be delivered and audited in the 2,980 polling units across the state for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

We are committed to ensuring that elections are best opportunity for the people to make a periodic leadership choice in a democracy, he said.

He explained that INEC had developed an Election Project Plan (EPP) that would guide and track all planned activities leading to the conduct of the elections.

Igini said that the states EPP document was aimed at guiding the process, activities and events that would take place before, during and after the elections within the guidelines of the commission.

He said that many electoral tools had been developed that would certainly change the complexion of elections from what you are familiar with to something a lot different.

He said that there were nine days to the commencement of party primaries across the country as the exercise would commence on Aug. 18.

We are going to provide a level-playing field for all political parties in the state, Igini assured.

He said there was need for all political parties to conduct themselves well by ensuring that the code of conduct signed under Article 8, and strict observance of Section 130 of the Electoral Act were fully heeded.

We have developed election monitoring centre which is basically designed to track all activities before and during elections, particularly with respect to delivery of materials.

Result sheets, ballot papers at the moment are under the platform to be tracked in every state of Nigeria, he said.

The REC added that elections materials would be delivered in every polling unit and audited and that there would be no room for any form of fraud by way of whether pre-writing of results.

According to him, that era is gone.
In a statement by Saraki's Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, the leaders of the political parties had paid the Senate President a solidarity visit at the National Assembly.

The Chairmen and leaders of 45 registered political parties were led by the National Chairman of the Democratic United Party (DUP), Chief Perry Okpara.

ALSO READ: Saraki meets with chairmen of 45 political parties

During their meeting, Saraki said as direct representatives of the people, lawmakers will continue to play their role to ensure that the rule of law is followed and that human rights are respected in the country.

The Senate President also reiterated the resolve and commitment of the 8th Senate and indeed the National Assembly, to continue to protect and defend the nations fledgling democracy.

Leaders of 45 political parties declare solidarity for Saraki

Okpara, who led the leaders of 45 political parties that visited Saraki told the Senate President that the visit was to show their solidarity with the leadership of the National Assembly for standing up in defence of democracy in the face of the recent siege in the complex by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Okpara also condemned the DSS siege on the National Assembly and declared that as national leaders of political parties in the country, we cannot sit by and watch our country slide into the Hobbesian state of anarchy, where life has become short, brutish and lawless.

This is what Saraki told leaders of 45 political parties

Saraki had the leaders of the 45 political parties that visited him that the perpetrators of the recent siege on the National Assembly have learnt their lesson from the wide condemnation that has continued to trail the anti-democratic action.

He said: I thank you for taking out time to be with us here today. Thank you for the solidarity message and we truly appreciate it as it encourages us to further do what we are doing to defend democracy in our great country.

The big thank you goes to all Nigerians that stood with us and have come to support us here in the National Assembly because in supporting us, you are supporting our democracy.

We will continue to defend it. We will continue to ensure that there is respect for the rule of law and that due process is followed across the country, he stated.

Continuing, the Kwara representative said: It is our hope that those anti-democratic forces have leant their lesson in the last few days, to listen to the voice of Nigerians - men, women, boys and girls - all across the country, who stood firmly to reject their unconstitutional and anti-democratic action.

Their voice is loud and clear. I believe we must respect it. We must respect those that have made sacrifices for us to be here.
The meeting comes on the heels of Saraki's visit to the hilltop Minna mansion of former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.

After the meeting, Saraki referred to IBB as "a father and leader". IBB is one of a handful of powerful kingmakers in Nigeria's patronage based political system.

Saraki recently defected from the APC to the PDP and it is widely believed that he is nursing a presidential run ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Saraki's PDP recently entered a coalition with about 38 political parties, with the sole aim of prising the center from the governing APC in 2019.
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.
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.
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.
Kideros clash with the EACC has been going on over the past two years when the anti-corruption body started investigating the former Nairobi city boss.

Interestingly, Kidero fell into the radar of the EACC by a mistake committed by his son, Ronald Ron Odhiambo Kidero.

Kidero Foundation

Ron, who is an expert in finance auditing, runs the Evans Kidero Foundation together with other trustees, while his father serves as patron and is not involved in the day-to-day operations.

He oversees the finances as the foundation's treasurer, and had failed to file the relevant returns for three years, attracting the eyes of the EACC.

In 2016, the EACC moved to court seeking to freeze, and investigate accounts of Evans Kidero Foundation, which allegedly held Sh2.7 billion that was suspected to be proceeds of corruption.

The foundation has since moved to court and successfully managed to delay the EACCs audit of its bank accounts.
What is 3GPP? An overview 3GPP, 3rd Generation Partnership Project is the organisation that manages the cellular standards: GSM, 3G UMTS, LTE; and now 5G.

3GPP overview includes:

What is 3GPP Standards/ Releases 3GPP groups

3GPP, 3rd Generation Partnership Project is an industry collaboration that manages the standards for the on-going mobile communications systems.

The name implies that it was an organisation focussed in 3G UMTS technology, and this was how it started. Since its inception, 3GPP has also taken on the GSM standards as well as those for 4G LTE, and now 5G.

3GPP scope

3GPP, 3rd Generation Partnership Project manages a variety of standards, and essentially it looks after the standards that have come out of GSM and UMTS. These include:

GSM and related 2G / 2.5G standards including GPRS and EDGE.

UMTS and related 3G standards including HSPA

LTE and related 4G standards

An evolved IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) developed in an access independent manner

5G standards

3GPP location

Although 3GPP is effectively a summation of a large number of organisations, it does have a headquarters and some permanent staff.

The 3GPP support team which is more correctly known as the Mobile Competence Centre is located within the offices of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, ETSI which is Sophia-Antipolis, near Nice in Southern France.

3GPP organisational partners

3GPP has a set of what are termed organisational partners. These are essentially regional standards institutions.

These organisational partners determine the general policy and strategy of 3GPP as well as undertaking a number of other specific tasks.

3GPP Organizational Partners

Organization Originating region ARIB Association of Radio Industries and Businesses Japan ATIS Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions USA CCSA China Communications Standards Association China ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute Europe TSDI Telecommunications Standards Development Society India India TTA Telecommunications Technology Association Korea TTC Telecommunication Technology Committee Japan

3GPP Market Representation Partners

In addition to the 3GPP Organizational Partners, there is also a set of 3GPP Market Representation Partners who can be invited by the Organizational Partners to take part in 3GPP activities.

The 3GPP Market Representation Partners provide a valuable service on topics including market consensus for requirements. With assembling and assessing the requirements being a major area of developing a new standard like 5G, looking at what is required is a very important element of the function of 3GPP.

However these 3GPP Market Representation Partners do not have the capability and authority to define or publish standards within the 3GPP scope.

These 3GPP Market Representation Partners include:

3GPP Market Representation Partners

Organization IMS Forum TD-Forum GSA GSM Association IPV6 Forum UMTS Forum 4G Americas TD SCDMA Industry Alliance InfoCommunication Union Small Cell Forum (formerly Femto Forum) CDMA Development Group Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) TETRA and Critical Communications Association (TCCA)

In order to represent industry and to have the ability to represent those developing further mobile communications standards, 3GPP needs to have links with many areas of industry. It takes representation from the major industry organisations as well as from the major companies developing the technology as well as user groups and the like.

At its inception, 3GPP was very European-centric, but over the years, 3GPP has grown in stature and recognition and is now recognised as the main body for the development of further mobile telecommunications standards as demonstrated by the fact that it is responsible for the 5G standards.

Wireless & Wired Connectivity Topics:

Mobile Communications basics 2G GSM 3G UMTS 4G LTE 5G WiFi IEEE 802.15.4 DECT cordless phones NFC- Near Field Communication Networking fundamentals What is the Cloud Ethernet Serial data USB SigFox LoRa VoIP SDN NFV SD-WAN

Return to Wireless & Wired Connectivity
An accidental wombat mural has become the subject of what is arguably the internets best new video.

A video produced by the ABC has seen Australian artist Jimmi Buscombe become an unexpected global hit, with 10 million views on Facebook and counting.

The popular pastel drawing on a railway bridge in Warrnambool, South West Victoria shows a wombat emerging from a cavernous hole in the bridge.

It took two hours to complete, Mr Buscombe says.

But the artwork was never planned to be a permanent feature of the bridge.

I was commissioned to do a temporary art piece in pastels, and I hadnt worked with pastels onto concrete so I thought Id have a play on the bridge, Mr Buscombe told RadioLIVEs Wendyl Nissen.

I thought it was cute, but I didnt really put a lot of effort into it. I hadnt got permission from the local council or VicTrack, who own the actual bridge, so for me it was a bit of a naughty piece in that way, he says.

Mr Buscombe says the artwork was intended to be a test run that would wash off in the rain.

Thats where Phil Hoy, a former graffiti removalist who lives nearby, comes into the story.

"I went and had a squiz and then once I saw what I saw I thought 'yeah, this is [awesome]', he told ABC News.

Mr Hoy, armed with a high-viz vest and a spray can of clear coat in hand, decided to make the artwork permanent.

"I thought 'well, it's gonna rain and it'll be gone'," he said.

When Mr Buscombe went back to scrub off the drawing the next day, he noticed something wasnt quite right.

"It was shiny and normally the pastel is quite matte. I thought 'oh my god somethings happened to it, he told RadioLIVE.

"And I went up to wash it off and it just wouldnt come off. Nothing would get it off.

Mr Buscombe says he got word through the grapevine that Mr Hoy was the man who saved his drawing.

He says the feedback hes since received is extraordinary.

Its funny that this piece that Ive spent the least amount of time on has been thing thats known around the country, and around  seemingly  the world now.

He told RadioLIVE the response to the video has been overwhelming  even the local ABC network, who produced the video, cant believe the reaction.

[The video] was done for a local audience and it just, for some reason, tickled peoples fancies and went crazy.

Its the biggest video that the local ABC has ever put up, Mr Buscombe says.

Listen to the full interview with Jimmi Buscombe above.

The Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.
Photo: Contributed

Social media, in particular Twitter, has become an increasingly powerful force for political communication as we hear almost daily media reports on tweets from the president of the United States.



Last year, here in Canada, a tweet came from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that stated:

To those fleeing persecution, terror & war Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada

This tweet has been frequently referenced as a catalyst for a large increase in illegal immigration across Canada's borders.



More recently, a tweet from Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called out Saudi Arabia for imprisoning human rights activists resulting in a significant reaction from Saudi Arabia.



Within days of the tweet, Saudi Arabia announced intentions to withdraw roughly 16,000 students from Canadian post-secondary institutions, expelled the Canadian ambassador from Saudi Arabia and withdrew its ambassador from Canada.



In addition, Saudi Arabia placed a freeze on all new trade and investment transactions with Canada, suspended all flights to and from Toronto and Saudi Arabia and is transferring all Saudi nationals receiving paid medical treatment in Canada to hospitals in other countries.



It has also been reported that the Saudi Central Bank is selling off and divesting all Canadian related equities, bond, and cash holdings. There are also reports that Canadian agricultural products will no longer be purchased along with other actions



The total cost financially is unknown to date.



It is estimated that Saudi Arabia has invested close to $6 billion in Canada and that the loss of Saudi students may account for roughly $500 million in lost revenue annually to Canadian post-secondary institutions.



It is difficult to comprehend that Canadas relations with Saudi Arabia could become so stressed over the use of social media and Twitter, however Minister Freeland and the Liberal government stands by the tweet calling out Saudi Arabia for serious human rights concerns.



Perhaps the most telling aspect of this situation is that to date none of our allies, including the United States, has stood by Canada.



Countries such as Egypt and Jordan have stated they are siding with Saudi Arabia in what they view as an intrusion by Canada into domestic affairs.



My thoughts?



I do not believe the Liberal government intended to provoke this reaction from Saudi Arabia, as very few could have predicted this level of response. Likewise I believe it is a long standing tradition of current and previous Canadian governments to raise human rights concerns when and where they exist.



Where I will fault the Liberal government is using Twitter as the tool to convey these concerns.



Canada has a long standing history of having a world class diplomatic sector and using the services of skilled diplomats offers many benefits.



There is a growing concern where the Liberal government has used tweets that have helped to create situations that adversely impact others as this current situation with Saudi Arabia demonstrates.



My question this week;

Are you concerned with the growing reliance of using Twitter diplomacy as opposed to traditional diplomacy by the Liberal government?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.
Night talk - Mitch Harris opening comments, Thursday 9th August 2018.

Tonight: Should New Zealand help New South Wales with their current drought after how Australia has treated us recently?

Australia is in the currently in the middle of its worst drought in decades, and farmers have been given authority to shoot kangaroos competing with livestock for drinking water.

The conditions in New South Wales this year have been the driest and most widespread since 1965.

Australias PM Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled a package of measures to assist farmers coping with the drought.

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.
The Department for Transport has awarded 23 projects a total of 700 000 in Transport Technology Research Innovation Grants under the December 2017 call for proposals. In the rail sector this includes 30 000 for a Heriot-Watt University project to develop a prototype flat panel antenna to provide reliable broadband ...
Youku  one of Chinas largest online streaming video platforms with over 580 million unique subscribers  is aiming to tap into what it says is explosive growth and increasing demand for premium content from a new generation of affluent consumers.It calculates that in 2018, OTT services in China will draw over 229 million viewers and then triple in size within the next five years. In order to take advantage of this, Youku says that it needs to continually innovate its premium offerings and secure those investments to maintain a competitive edge. In doing so it will implement Irdeto Rights for ChinaDRM  claimed to be the first government-approved DRM solution in China that is fully compliant with the standards set by Hollywood studios for premium 4K UHD and early release content  and Irdeto TraceMark forensic watermarking to provide premium, early release content and fight redistribution piracy for the operators mobile, PC and OTT VOD. The technology will see use within Youkus paid subscription service to detect and combat content theft and redistribution piracy. Youku says that with Irdeto as a strategic security partner, it has the confidence and control to securely deliver early release and premium OTT content to its customers.As demand for mobile, PC and OTT STBs continues to grow, it is crucial for Youku to deploy the right mix of content protection solutions to enhance our customers viewing experience, said Xin Shi, head of engineering, Youku. With Irdeto , Youku is able to accelerate the release of new content in China, including premium 4K UHD content, while detecting and fighting against redistribution piracy. By meeting the standards set by Hollywood studios, Irdetos solutions secure premium video delivery with ChinaDRM so that we are able to focus on expanding our market potential.
The Day of the Drone Assassin Has Arrived

An attack on Venezuelas president marks the first time a drone strike has been attempted against a head of state. And it wont be the last.
The media narrative from Tuesday night's special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District is that even a loss is good news for Democrats. What's been under-reported is that Republicans won the vast majority of the 11 special elections for U.S. House and Senate seats held since the 2016 election.

One of the races, in Californias 34th Congressional District, was won by a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. In the remaining 10 special elections, where Republicans were defending seats, eight were won by Republicans.

The media narrative is that Democrats success in making some of these races close has broader implications for the November midterms. Not so. Only in Alabama, where Doug Jones beat flawed candidate Roy Moore, and in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, where Conor Lamb beat Rick Saccone, can Democrats claim true victories.

Special elections are a minority party's dream come true. They are all about turnout, which poses a challenge given that they are held at off-cycle times, and involve open seats. Incumbents usually have enormous advantages of money, name identification and organization. However, since the 2016 election, the advantage was negated in five of the 11 special elections. These were held to replace Cabinet appointees in the Trump administration, all of whom had strong support in their home states and districts: Jeff Sessions, Mick Mulvaney, Tom Price, Mike Pompeo and Ryan Zinke.

Another factor in the closeness of some of the 11 special elections stems from the typically low turnout, which gives third-party candidates more influence. In the PA-18 race, for example, Lambs surprise victory was partially due to a right-of-center Libertarian candidate who got 1,379 votes -- a potentially pivotal number since Saccone lost by just 627 votes. In Tuesdays OH-12 election, Green Party candidate Joe Manchik drew 1,127 votes, a total that may have prevented the mandatory recount for Democrat Danny O'Connor, who trails Troy Balderson by fewer than 2,000 votes.

The numbers tell a different story than the one proffered by many in the media. Spotlighting them supplies a valuable counterweight, which President Trump himself provided Wednesday. In a tweet, he said that 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.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh empowered numerous pro-choice Democratic women political candidates, helping them raise hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Now, he is being denounced by those same women as unfit to be a public servant.

In 2005, Emilys List, an advocacy group that claims to have raised over $500 million exclusively to support female Democratic politicians who favor abortion rights, sued the Federal Election Commission challenging new regulations limiting how non-profit groups raise money and spend it to advance the causes and candidates they believe in. The regulations at issue in Emilys List v. Federal Election Commission had the effect of substantially restricting the ability of non-profits to spend money for election-related activities such as advertisements, get-out-the-vote efforts and voter registration drives. Emilys List argued that these regulations violated the First Amendment of the Constitution.

The case reached the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 2009. In a sweeping opinion whose significance is often obscured by the fame accorded other campaign finance cases like Citizens United (decided by the Supreme Court the following year), Judge Kavanaugh wrote for the court that non-profit groups, like individuals, have the right to spend unlimited amounts of money promoting issues or candidates of their choice.

In his opinion, Judge Kavanaugh summarized some of the ironclad principles of the First Amendment as it has been applied to political spending. One such principle is that campaign expenditures constitute protected speech as defined by the First Amendment. Another is that the government is not permitted to restrict the spending of some individuals in the interest of greater equality. Judge Kavanaugh deemed this statement from the Supreme Courts seminal 1970s ruling in the case of Buckley v. Valeo, to be perhaps the most important sentence in the Courts entire campaign finance jurisprudence:

[T]he concept that government may restrict the speech of some elements of society in order to enhance the relative voice of others is wholly foreign to the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court had long made itself clear, according to Judge Kavanaugh: Individuals have the right to spend whatever amounts they desire to advance their views on issues and political candidates. To place any limit on a group of individuals who choose to work together in common cause with like-minded citizens by forming a non-profit group such as Emilys List is clearly a restraint on the right of association and Constitutionally impermissible.

Judge Kavanaughs concern was the principle of free expression, not the identity, agenda or relative voice of the speaker, which his opinion scarcely mentions. One wonders if it crossed his mind that the liberty to spend which he so strongly affirmed and championed in this case would, nine years later, be used directly and personally against him by the very plaintiff for whom he had favorably ruled?

Shortly after Judge Kavanaughs nomination last month, Emilys List issued a statement declaring that because he was approved by right-wing groups like the Federalist Society, and because of what Emilys List presumes to be his views on abortion rights, among other issues, he is unfit to serve the American people; full stop. Unfit to serve. Talk about ingratitude! In its statement, Emilys List was not moved even to acknowledge Judge Kavanaughs pivotal role in enabling its own activities and expenditures against him, let alone that he did so despite his alleged hostility to abortion rights. That an organization could believe that the fitness of a judge should be determined solely by a speculative presumption about how he might rule on a single issue, even as its own efficacy was vastly expanded by that same judges evident impartiality, lays bare two conflicting visions of the proper role of the courts. One believes that political outcomes are all that matter. The other defers to the law, regardless of a plaintiffs identity or political consequences.

It is a great irony that Judge Kavanaugh played an indirect role in the election of numerous Democratic women Senators who will almost certainly vote against his confirmation. Such unpredictable irony is the nature of the free political process ensured by the Constitution, even if some citizens wont recognize how theyve been blessed by it. Thankfully, there are judges who do.
It is a dangerous time to be a person of faith.

These were the sobering words of Callista Gingrich, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, at an event sponsored by the Religious Freedom Institute during the first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom sponsored by the State Department. But she went further, observing that women and girls are uniquely vulnerable.

Religious liberty has long been a second-class citizen in the human rights arena. Increasingly, its opponents at home place the term in air quotes, as if it were an invented concept. The consequences of this have been borne disproportionately by women, who suffer the most when religious liberty is violated and stand to gain in a particular way when it is safeguarded.

Recent atrocities committed in the name of religion  and at the expense of freedom of religion  make this abundantly clear. Nigerian girls continue to be vulnerable to being kidnapped by Boko Haram, a militant Islamic group in the north of the country. Those whose freedom was achieved by government rescue missions and the few schoolgirls who have escaped on their own, often carrying their newborns in their arms, recount terror beyond comprehension.

The kidnapping and enslavement of Yazidi women (pictured) and other female prisoners by ISIS in the Middle East has allowed for the terrorist groups entry into the dirty business of human trafficking. Ashley Binetti, a scholar at Georgetown Universitys Institute for Women, Peace and Security, has also noted that the tactics of traffickers are used by ISIS in its recruitment of young women from the West to serve as female jihadists.

In contrast to the violence women and girls experience where religious freedom is thwarted, countries protecting this freedom are countries where women and girls thrive. Countries that do not force women to convert to their spouses or fathers religion are countries that allow more space for womens rights.

And religious pluralism has been a proven antidote to the radicalization that often justifies enslavement, rape, and the trafficking of women. Just as scholars are increasingly noting that religious liberty is positively correlated with economic freedom, it is increasingly clear that the same correlation exists for the legal safeguarding of the dignity of women.

It only makes sense, given that the philosophical roots of religious freedom originate in the dignity of the individual. As the Catholic Church made clear in its Declaration on Religious Freedom, The right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person. Or as Kristina Arriaga, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, noted recently, It is the person who is the right-holder.

A nation that nurtures a strong sense of religious liberty then adds another layer of protection for its women; laws that give greater deference to the most profound rights for all people by nature bolster the status of women.

Further, women of faith are often powerful advocates for change and human dignity. Look no further than Cubas Damas de Blanco, who are frequently arrested on their way home from church. Founded in 2003 by wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents, they protest unjust imprisonments by attending Mass each Sunday wearing white dresses, a universally recognized color signifying peace. Their public witness of faith is a powerful voice against oppression, even though they walk home each Sunday in silence.

Here in the United States, it was strong women of faith who led the opposition to the Health and Human Services mandate that resulted in the largest class-action religious liberty lawsuit in American history. Where religious liberty is protected, women of faith flourish, and those women go on to reinforce a range of other rights that elevate the status of all women.

In the Catholic tradition, this dates to the beginnings of the church, which played a transformational role in uplifting women. Long before society fully recognized women, the church was canonizing women and making them doctors of the faith. Saints Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila were important voices for internal reform. Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and Katharine Drexel shaped the educational systems of their day. And the selfless charity and compassion of Saint Teresa of Calcutta continues to inspire attention to and care for the poor and suffering.

Religion nurtures strong women who change the world for the better. Advancing the cause of religious freedom advances the cause of women across the globe. And as such, women are in a particularly important position to pressure governments to more fully defend the freedom to believe.

Ashley McGuire is a senior fellow with The Catholic Association and the author of Sex Scandal: The Drive to Abolish Male and Female.


Rudy Giuliani, attorney for President Trump, appeared on Hannity Wednesday night to explain why the legal team rejected special counsel Robert Mueller's term for an interview.



Giuliani said the "real story" is that the case isn't going to fizzle, "it's going to blow up on them," referring to the Mueller team.



"The reality is, the real story is not that this case isnt going to fizzle," he said to host Sean Hannity. "It's going to blow up on them. The real question is, what we talked about before, there's 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," Giuliani added.



"I know some of it," Hannity revealed.



Giuliani said the only collusion involved in this case is the intel community using the Steele dossier to obtain "several fraudulent FISA wires."



"Can it get any worse? I mean, what do we need to know that this is a totally illegitimate investigation based on a report, a dossier that was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats -- probably the biggest illegality so far, the biggest collusion so far. Completely made up. Completely made up. Led to nothing except several fraudulent FISA wires," Giuliani said.



Well, may be if Mueller and his band of whatever they are, Democrats, right, were fair-minded, maybe theyd investigate -- maybe that's the collusion. Maybe that's the collusion," he said of the infamous dossier.



Giuliani said what is going on by the Mueller investigative team is a "different kind of Watergate," calling them corrupt "through and through."



"And I believe that when this plays out over the next year or two, it's not going to be about President Trump. It's going to get over with. Its going to be about all the things they did," he said of Mueller's team.



"You know how sometimes the cover-up is worse than the crime? In this case, the investigation was much worse than the no-crime," the former NYC mayor said.



"I think it's going to lead to some very strict -- very big reforms, just like Watergate," he said. "Its a different kind of Watergate. Its on the side of the investigator."



Hannity said when we get to the bottom of the investigation, it will "shock the heart, the soul, and the mind" of fair-minded Americans.



"My sources are telling me that when the American people get to the bottom of all of this, it will shock the heart, the soul, and the mind of any fair-minded American," the host said.



Transcript, via FOX News:





SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right. Joining us now in studio responding to all this breaking news, it is President Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani.



Mr. Mayor, good to see you, sir. How are you?



RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good to see you, Sean.



HANNITY: All right. Lets start with tonights breaking news. So, you got Ohr, Steele, Nellie Ohr. We got Russian lies.



GIULIANI: Can it get any worse? I mean, what do we need to know that this is a totally illegitimate investigation based on a report, a dossier that was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats -- probably the biggest illegality so far, the biggest collusion so far.



HANNITY: Or conspiracy.



GIULIANI: Completely made up. Completely made up. Led to nothing except several fraudulent FISA wires.



And now, we have Mueller, who doesn't seem to care that he's sitting on top of a totally illegitimate investigation.



HANNITY: But the dossier, thinking about the dossier that she paid for and the fact that the FBI paid Steele, it was designed to misinform the American people with Russian lies to influence the election.



GIULIANI: Yes.



HANNITY: There's a great irony here, if it wasnt --



GIULIANI: Well, may be if Mueller and his band of whatever they are, Democrats, right, were fair-minded, maybe theyd investigate -- maybe that's the collusion. Maybe that's the collusion.



HANNITY: Did you ever hear the Adam Schiff tape that we played?



GIULIANI: Yes.



HANNITY: Adam Schiff, hes just dying to get naked pictures of Trump with a Russian on tape. Theres your evidence, Mueller. You can't make it up. If it wasn't so seriously -- not only did they try to lie to the American people with Russian lies, now we know after the election, they tried to destroy the president with lies.



And now, they are connected to Mueller perhaps?



GIULIANI: Yes, Ive never been involved in an investigation on either side that's more illegitimate than this one, that is so obviously more illegitimate. And I wonder where is the sense of justice on the part of Mueller, on the part of the Justice Department.



After all, the Justice Department -- this is a Justice Department investigation. He is working for Rosenstein. And at some point, you've got to say the irregularities, the unethical conduct --



HANNITY: Double standard.



GIULIANI: -- the double standard, the way in which people who hate Trump will put into primary positions of power has completely tainted this investigation.



HANNITY: My family is families from law enforcement, my mom was a prison guard, you know, my dad, New York City, family court probation, so many cops in my family, FBI agents. I cannot believe this is such -- these are -- the rank-and-file are so good.



Here's the thing, you responded today to Mueller's latest request and you think this could be over by September. Let's start with the request.



GIULIANI: Well, I think of it isn't over by September, then we have a very, very serious violation of the Justice Department rules that you shouldn't be conducting one of these investigations in the 60-day period.



Look, he's got plenty of time to either decide -- we offered him an opportunity to do a form of questioning. He can say yes or no. We can do it. If he doesn't want to do it, he knows the answers to every question that he wants to ask. He's going to ask them, did you tell Comey to go easy on Flynn? The president will say no I didn't.



Hey, Bob, you know it. Why do you want to get him under oath? Do you think were fools?



You want to get him under oath because you want to trap him into perjury. Well, were not going to let you do that.



HANNITY: Its -- there's two separate issues: collusion and so-called obstruction. There's a report today that you said no questions on obstruction. Am I assuming here that your -- that your response to him was maybe a couple of written answers only?



GIULIANI: No, I can't tell you what it is yet because we havent -- no, I can't. I can't. Jay will get very angry at me. My co-counsel --



HANNITY: I understood.



GIULIANI: -- is much stricter about this than I am. So, hell get very angry and Jay (ph) will -- Id love to tell you.



But the reality is, the reality is he doesn't need to ask a single question on obstruction, he has all the answers. They are not going to change. The president is not going to change his testimony.



So, stop the nonsense. You are trying to trap him into perjury because you don't have a case.



HANNITY: Mr. Mayor, the Constitution as our good friend Mark says, Mark Levin, is on the president's side. I agree it's illegitimate, has been, the double standard is so glaring. We have been pointing it out now every night and with new details every night.



My question is, I wouldn't give him a thing. You don't owe him a thing and if he wants a fight, then there's going to be a fight.



GIULIANI: Well, we don't like to fight, you know that.



(LAUGHTER)



HANNITY: Mr. Mayor, I used to watch your press conferences, I disagree with that.



GIULIANI: The reality is, the real story is not that this case isnt going to fizzle. It's going to blow up on them. The real question is, what we talked about before, there's a lot more to what they did that nobody knows about yet.



HANNITY: I know some of it.



GIULIANI: A lot more -- a lot more to the obstruction of justice, to the collusion, to the fake dossier.



HANNITY: Oh, I know a lot.



GIULIANI: Theyre trying to bring Steele back in after he was completely discredited.



HANNITY: And then feed it to Mueller.



GIULIANI: Yes. And Mueller is going to have a lot to answer for.



HANNITY: Mr. Mayor --



GIULIANI: I said a long time ago, the investigation here has to be of the investigators, because we can't let this happen again in American history. We may not have a president as strong as President Trump. A lesser president could have really been cracked by this.



HANNITY: Mueller, then you got Jeanie Rhee, you got Andrew Weissmann.



Here's my question: we know the Department of Justice has absolutely denied congressional subpoenas. Now, I dont -- as great a lawyer as you are, I don't think youd get me out of trouble if I was ignoring a subpoena.



GIULIANI: No, I don't think I could.



HANNITY: But the president has the power to go through these documents through FISA and unre -- make it unredacted and let the American people see that the bulk of information was what Christopher Steele himself said wasn't verified.



GIULIANI: Well, thats something -- that something that as his private lawyers -- that he has to deal with and his government lawyers. And hes going to do it right now.



HANNITY: Would you suggest he should?



GIULIANI: I can't tell you what I suggest. It's privileged.



(LAUGHTER)



HANNITY: OK. Let me ask you about the FISA lies. The bulk of information, the Grassley-Graham memo says, came from the phony dossier that Hillary paid for. That turns out to be a lie. The author of it says he can't corroborate it.



GIULIANI: Right.



HANNITY: Now, here's my question: so, they used it four separate times, to spy on an American citizen, an opposition party candidate campaign associate, in the lead-up to the election, after the election. Again, what if I lied to a judge? I wouldn't think of lying to a judge without getting my life in jail afterwards.



GIULIANI: Youd be investigated for perjury. Youd be investigated for contempt. Your career would be ruined. Your life would be ruined.



And I believe that when this plays out over the next year or two, it's not going to be about President Trump. It's going to get over with. Its going to be about all the things they did.



This -- you know how sometimes the cover-up is worse than the crime? In this case, the investigation was much worse than the no-crime.



HANNITY: Mr. Mayor --



GIULIANI: The president did nothing wrong.



HANNITY: My sources are telling me that when the American people get to the bottom of all of this, it will shock the heart, the soul, and the mind of any fair-minded American.



GIULIANI: I think it's going to lead to some very strict -- very big reforms, just like Watergate. Its a different kind of Watergate. Its on the side of the investigator.



HANNITY: OK.



GIULIANI: Corrupt investigations through and through.



HANNITY: Why would you even consider a counterproposal?



GIULIANI: When it's over with, I will explain it to you.



(LAUGHTER)



HANNITY: Boy, Im not getting anything out of you tonight. Good to see you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you.
Alanna Kelly

Thirty-two horses with the RCMP's Musical Ride have arrived in Kelowna and are staying at the Curling Club until their performances on Thursday.

Massive tractor-trailers pulled into town on Wednesday with the talented black beauties and police officers ready to trot their way through Prospera Place.

Const. Steve James is taking part in the Musical Ride for the third year and is especially looking forward to riding in Kelowna.

My first posting out of depot was here in Kelowna, he said. I was one of the lucky ones.

James spent seven years working in town on general duty and bike patrol.

This is exciting, Ive really been looking forward to the show  he said.

The horses and officers dress in ceremonial uniform and conduct cavalry drills to music.

Before James joined the Musical Ride, he said he had only rode a horse a handful of times.

I was pretty much learning from scratch, he said.

Riders live in Ottawa and go through extensive testing to be part of the ride. Once chosen, they spend about six months riding the horse, followed by five months of training to learn the Musical Ride.

It is a challenge, for sure, but along the way we take so many small steps so that you are able to do a show, he said.

Maryse Quesnel, officer in-charge of the Musical Ride, says this year the event is touring through Ontario and British Columbia.

Next year will be Quebec and Alberta, she said. We have a rotation every four years."

Quesnel says the stables are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., for people to meet the riders and horses.

The best part of the show for James is meeting all the people in the different communities.

As a police officer, it is not always the same reaction when we meet people in the field, he said. They are always happy to see us when we are doing this, which is nice.

Tickets are still available for the performances on Thursday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and can be purchased online here.
U.S. President Donald Trumps method of operation is to aggressively create a crisis and then solve it on the surface for the cameras and therefore his domestic political base.

Trump recently pulled this stunt by imposing tariffs on the European Union and then triumphantly negotiating a papering over of differences with Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission. He appears to be doing the same on trade with Mexico, Canada, and China. Similarly, he blustered against North Korea, threatening a cataclysmic war with that nuclear-armed nation, but then basked in the pageantry of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reaching a vague agreement on denuclearization and then disingenuously declaring that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat.

Now Trump is at it with Iran. He reneged on U.S. participation in the multilateral deal on Irans nuclear program -- a deal that at least delayed Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, while Tehran won relief from multilateral economic sanctions. Washington withdrew from the deal and resumed U.S. sanctions, with more to come in November of this year. The United States has banned any economic transactions with Iran involving U.S. bank notes, gold, precious metals, coal, steel, aluminum, and passenger aircraft. The sanctions also terminate U.S. imports of Iranian foods and carpets -- prestige items for the Iranians.

The United States has not only reimposed sanctions on its commerce with Iran, but it is attempting to coerce the companies from other signatory nations to submit to the U.S. embargo. In other words, European, Russian, and Chinese companies would have to choose between the smaller Iranian market or the larger American market.

Understandably, every other signatory to the agreement has opposed Trumps actions, because they fear that when Iran is cut off from sanctions relief, it will have little incentive not to rapidly resume its nuclear program, which it believes is needed to deter attacks from hostile Arab neighbors and a nuclear-armed Israel. Under the agreement, Iran is prohibited until 2030 from enriching enough nuclear fuel to build a bomb.

Trump feels that by making threats of war against Iran and welshing on the existing agreement, he can get a better deal than his predecessor, Barack Obama, who could never seem to get anything right. Even though international inspectors concluded that the Iranians were complying with the agreement, Trump wanted more. He made the outrageous claim that Iran was not complying with the spirit of the pact by continuing its development of missiles and supporting autocratic governments and anti-Israeli groups in the Middle East. However, one cannot violate the spirit of an agreement by doing things that were never included in the pact to begin with.

Instead of backing out of the agreement, if Trump believed it was inadequate, he could have used his negotiating prowess to make the agreement permanent or add Irans other objectionable behaviors to it. In other words, establish trust with the Iranians by honoring the U.S. commitment, then build on the agreement rather than torch it. But bluster and threats prior to negotiation is Trumps style. And Trump, who revels in the pageantry of summits, has already offered to meet with an Iranian leader in another mano-a-mano high-stakes negotiation like the one conducted with the North Korean leader.

But the Iranians are not the North Koreans. They seem to have no need for a photo op with the leader of the Great Satan. In addition, no matter what coercion the Trump administration uses on the other treaty signatories, unilateral sanctions are never as economically effective as multilateral ones. Even under normal circumstances multilateral sanctions are always rife with evasion, despite countries pledging to live up to their commitments. In this case, the other signatories dont even need to pretend that they are committed to U.S. sanctions. In fact, the Europeans have already updated their blocking law to penalize their own companies for abiding by U.S. sanctions on Iran. Thus, European, Chinese, and Russian governments may not only look the other way on cheating on American financial and other sanctions, but actively encourage it. More important, even biting multilateral sanctions havent been all that great at achieving ambitious political goalsfor example, the most comprehensive, universal sanctions in history did not compel Saddam Hussein to withdraw from his invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. Unilateral sanctions are even less likely to achieve the ambitious goals Trump fantasizes about unlocking against Iran.
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
Photo: B'nai Brith

A professor accused of espousing anti-Semitic views is retiring from the University of Lethbridge in Southern Alberta.

In a brief statement, the university says Anthony Hall will be retiring in the fall and will not be teaching any classes during the 2018 academic semester.

Hall was suspended without pay in October 2016 following comments he made in online articles and videos suggesting that Israeli and U.S. Jews staged the 9/11 attacks and that the events of the Holocaust should be up for debate.

Hall, a tenured professor who has taught Native American studies, liberal education and globalization over his 26 years at the university, was reinstated last November, but officials didn't say why.

At one point the university filed a complaint against Hall with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Michael Mostyn, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada, applauded news of Hall's departure.

"This is a monumental and precedent-setting victory for human rights in Canada," Mostyn said Wednesday in a release.

"Students should not be subjected to Hall's brand of hatred and xenophobia, which clearly have no place in an academic setting."
Kim Kardashian says son Saint and daughter Chicago are "inseparable."

ADVERTISEMENT

The 37-year-old "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star shared a sweet picture of 2-year-old Saint and 6-month-old Chicago Tuesday on Instagram.

The snapshot shows Saint sitting next to his baby sister as they look off-camera. Kardashian is parent to Saint, Chicago and 5-year-old daughter North West with her husband, rapper Kanye West.

"These two are inseparable #Chi #Saint," she captioned the post.

Kardashian told People in July that Saint is "obsessed" with having a younger sister.

She said the toddler also loves his cousins, including Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian 's daughters, Stormi Webster and True Thompson.

"Saint, every time he sees Stormi and True, he's like 'I have a baby! Do you want to see my baby?!' He is so obsessed with having a little sister. It is really, really cute," the star said.

"They are all so good together, but I think Saint is probably most excited about all of the babies," she added.

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!

Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!

West appears on the September cover of Harper's Bazaar with North and Saint.

He said in the cover story that he hopes his children "never lose their confidence to society."
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/09/2018



ADVERTISEMENT

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!

Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!

ADVERTISEMENT

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

's experts were willing to fly to Dallas, TX, to meet with Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally in their time of need, and there was apparently no hesitation to hop on a plane.After hearing the shocking news about Mia's arrest, experts -- psychologist Dr. Jessica Griffin, sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and marriage counselor Pastor Calvin Roberson -- flew to Dallas as soon as possible to sit down with Tristan and Mia in person."Pastor Cal, why was it so important to you guys... to physically be with Tristan and Mia?" Jamie Otis asked the expert during Tuesday night's episode of : Unfiltered."We were going to fly in but then Tristan and Mia said they wanted to spend some time together. So what we did is, we waited," Pastor Cal began.Mia was detained in a Texas airport while she and Tristan were traveling to Cancun, Mexico for their honeymoon. Mia was pulled away for questioning and spent two days in custody due to a warrant that had been issued for her arrest back in February.Once Mia was released without bail and returned home to her husband in Dallas, Tristan asked whether the stalking claims he had read in the warrant were true and if she knew or had any type of relationship with the accuser.Mia denied knowing her accuser and insisted all claims against her, including unauthorized use of a man's credit card, were "100 percent false" and someone had stolen her identity.Although Mia's story didn't really make sense , Tristan had no reason not to trust his new wife, so he hugged his wife and dropped the topic.However, Mia "came clean" to Tristan off-camera days later that she did, in fact, have a brief relationship with the man who had filed the arrest warrant."When we found out that she hadn't told the entire truth, that there had been some dishonesty early in the relationship -- which is never, ever good -- we felt that it was important for us to go in immediately and sort of walk them through this process so that they could use this to heal," Pastor Cal explained on Unfiltered."This doesn't sound great, but it's much easier to be untruthful to someone you don't really know than to tell the truth to someone you're really committed to. And as the relationship grew, she felt she had to come out with more of the truth."The arrest warrant had been issued after Mia's alleged ex-boyfriend, Jared Evans, claimed she had stalked him on multiple occasions in the 13 months that followed their December 2016 break-up and also made an unauthorized purchase of an Apple iPhone on his credit card a year after their split.Tristan was upset when he realized Mia had lied to him and betrayed him , but he decided to stand by his wife when she needed him most and continue to make their marriage work."I think any situation can be worked through," MAFS star Danielle Bergman said on Unfiltered. "I think the toughest out of that is being dishonest. At that point, I feel my guard would go up."Since fellow star Dave Flaherty appeared on the special as well, he also gave his two cents on the topic."It would be tough to completely forget. You know, I think, like Danielle said, the hardest part is not what they went through, it's the lack of honesty, because then you just question everything," Dave admitted.When Jamie asked Calvin if he believes Mia and Tristan could genuinely get past this in their marriage, the pastor replied, "Yeah, I believe so -- if they can be completely honest and completely open and she has to put everything on the table."He continued, "She has to spill her guts and tell everything about that situation. If they can do that and that's what's being done now, they can use that. And it can work. So, time will tell."Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group
Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 58F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable.
File photo

TORRINGTON  As life expectancy increases, greater numbers of individuals need new services and resources to help them age well. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2060, 92 million Americans will be 65 or older.

To connect families and their older loved ones with resources and support systems to achieve the optimum quality of life, Hartford HealthCare developed a groundbreaking Center for Healthy Aging model in 2004. Fourteen years later, Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging opened its tenth location Aug. 6 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH), 540 Litchfield St., Torrington.
Photo: The Canadian Press School shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz arrives at a Broward County courtroom for a hearing 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.

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 behaviour 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 Cruz's fluctuating behaviour 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 behavioural 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 behavioural problems. "He had some really bad low times but at times he was without behavioural 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."
Photo: The Canadian Press Workers transfer Lithium-ion batteries in a factory in Taizhou in east China's Jiangsu province.

China's exports to the United States surged last month, shrugging off President Trump's tariff hike in a dispute over technology.

Shipments to the United States climbed 13.3 per cent from a year earlier, to $41.5 billion, after a roughly similar rise in June, customs data show.

At the same time, Beijing's trade surplus with the United States  a frequent source of anger and threats from Trump  widened by 11 per cent from a year ago to $28 billion.

The rise in exports defied expectations of a slump after merchants rushed to fill orders the previous month before Washington imposed 25 per cent duties on $34 billion of Chinese goods on July 6 in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

The trade war between the world's 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's trade penalties. Beijing has retaliated 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.

A Commerce Ministry statement labeled Trump's decision to go ahead with the latest U.S. tariffs "very unreasonable." Beijing's 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.)

In July, China's 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.
Tuesday was another Election Day in the United States, and the marquee showdown was a special election in Ohio's 12th congressional district. At the time of writing, the race was still too close to call . But the theme of the results was clear, no matter the winner.

The district, which covers a swath of suburbs and rural areas near the state capital, Columbus, has been solidly Republican for more than three decades. It went decisively for President Donald Trump in 2016. But this year, turnout surged in suburban areas and propelled Democratic challenger Danny O'Connor to a virtual tie with his GOP opponent, Troy Balderson.

That glaring gap in enthusiasm between the more urban parts of the district and its less-populated rural areas underscored the challenge facing Trump and his party. "Republicans will need to find a way to win back suburbanites or better galvanize rural voters," wrote the New York Times. "If they do not, their House majority will slip away."

Dave Wasserman tweeted "It's hard to lose $$ betting on a widening urban/rural divide this year"

Geography, as the saying goes, is destiny - even more so in an era of deepening political polarization. And Trump's America is hardly alone in this phenomenon.

When Trump went to Poland last year and delivered a speech in Warsaw's Krasinski Square, the jubilant crowd cheering his blood-and-soil rhetoric was by and large not from the capital. The ruling Law and Justice Party had bused in thousands of supporters from outlying parts of the country, including towns and villages along Poland's border with Slovakia. Warsaw residents are far more likely to protest the PiS, as the illiberal party is known, as they did last month during massive demonstrations against government moves to Poland's judiciary.

In Turkey, a similar dynamic has long been at work. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan counts on pious conservative voters in the Anatolian hinterland to overwhelm his secular and left-leaning opponents, who live disproportionately in the country's coastal cities. Hungary's right-wing prime minister, Viktor Orban, at the helm of Europe's nationalist vanguard, is far less popular in Budapest than elsewhere in his country. The push for Brexit and the electoral gains of the far right in France and Germany all required the mobilization of voters living outside major urban centers.

"The anti-Trump, anti-Brexit, anti-Erdogan, anti-Orban city dwellers tend to be richer and better educated than their political opponents," wrote Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman. "By contrast, the rallying cry that unites fans of Mr Trump, Brexit, Mr Erdogan or Mr Orban is some version of a promise to make their countries 'great again.' Urbanites are also more likely to have travelled or studied abroad, or to be recent immigrants. More than one-third of the populations of New York and London, for example, were born overseas."

On one hand, there's nothing particularly new about the urban-rural divide. Modern politics have been historically shaped by the tensions between the dynamism of cities and the relative stasis of the provinces, hidebound by feudalism and poverty. Town and country divisions - and the cultural enmities they foster - stretch back to antiquity.

But the inexorable urbanization of the world means that cities are, more than ever, the center of gravity in global politics, culture and the economy. In many democratic European societies that shift has bred marginalization and resentment.

"To those who have stayed in rural areas, a feeling of being left behind has replaced the pride of having grown up outside big cities and away from all the problems that are associated with them," my colleague Rick Noack wrote following Trump's election victory.

In the United States, a major survey conducted by Pew this year found that where you live shapes how you see the world. Residents of diverse cities naturally embrace different positions than those in more homogeneous parts of the country.

"When asked, for instance, whether immigrants had a positive impact on their community," wrote CNN's Ronald Brownstein in an analysis of the Pew findings, "in urban areas 62 percent of college-educated whites and 51 percent of non-whites, compared to only 36 percent of non-college whites said yes. In suburban areas, 56 percent of college-educated whites and 50 percent of non-whites, compared to just 32 percent of blue-collar whites, saw a positive impact. In rural areas, about 40 percent of both college whites and non-whites saw a positive impact, compared to only about one-fourth of non-college whites."

In European parliamentary democracies, the segment of the population animated chiefly by anti-immigrant fears usually gets relegated to a junior seat at the table. But in America's antiquated system of gerrymandered districts and the electoral college, less-densely populated parts of the country are favored over denser ones - a political reality crucial to Trump's victory.

"The logic of our electoral institutions has always sorted the bulk of American voters into one of two major parties. What's new is that the sorting dynamic of urbanization now accounts for partisan sorting, too," wrote William Wilkinson, vice president for research at the Niskanen Center, a Washington think tank. "Democrats have become the party of the multicultural city, Republicans the party of the monocultural country - the party of urbanization-resistant white people."

It's a dynamic, Wilkinson argues, that is toxic for American democracy in the long run. The skewed political map explains how Trump - a poster child for gilded metropolitan privilege - can gain traction by launching nativist attacks on cities as abodes of both immigrant crime and globalist excess. And it masks the extent to which the collective story of America - of both its glories and its inequities - is an increasingly urban one.

Of course, the story can also be markedly different. The vast urban, middle-class support behind India's right-wing nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, shows that cities aren't always crucibles of liberalism. Rachman also points to moments when the urban middle-classes in countries like Egypt, Brazil and Thailand have backed military coups over populist democratic politics.

"It is tempting to describe cities as bastions of liberalism and the hinterlands as reactionary," he wrote. "While that might be true when it comes to social values, there is also an incipient tendency for outvoted urbanites to sour on democracy."
A bucket list of 50+ things to do in the Nutmeg State.
Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan are holding an outspoken artist who supported a woman sent to a psychiatric hospital for splashing a poster of President Xi Jinping with ink, RFA has learned.



Beijing-based artist Hua Yong was detained for questioning after the protest in Shanghai by Dong Yaoqiong, after which she was incarcerated in the Zhuzhou No. 3 Hospital, a psychiatric unit in the central province of Hunan.



Though later released from police detention, he is now being held under residential surveillance and is unable to contact anyone, a friend of Hua's who gave only his surname Guo told RFA.



"After he was detained, then released, by the local police station, he didn't regain his freedom," Guo said. "He is under house arrest. I haven't been in contact with him for a long time now."



"His sister runs an inn in Yubeng village, [in Hunan's] Deqin county, and three police officers took him there for a while, but then they left a few days later," he said. "We haven't had any news of him since."



Guo said Hua is currently being held in a mountainous region on the border between Yunnan and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and his friends and family don't know the exact address.



"He has people with him round the clock, and he can't contact anyone outside," he said.



Taken by police



Hua's sister confirmed Guo's account.



"He stayed here with me for a few days last month, but the police had him under house arrest and wouldn't let him go out ... and they wouldn't let me see him," she said. "Then the police took him away again. I think that was on July 23."



"I asked where they were going but they wouldn't tell me, and I haven't had any contact with him since," she said.



An officer who answered the phone at the Diqing prefecture police department in Yunnan declined to comment when contacted by RFA.



Hua's friend Ji Feng said he had received a text message from Hua saying that he is currently safe.



The message appeared to have been sent from a device carried by one of Hua's guards, Ji said.



'Brain control'



Dong, who hails from the central province of Hunan and used the Twitter handle @feefeefly, had streamed the live video of herself splashing ink on the ruling Chinese Communist Party propaganda poster in protest at "authoritarian tyranny."



In the video, Dong splatters ink across Xi's image on the poster and shouts slogans protesting "persecutory brain control," an allegation some activists have said could be linked to attempts to disorient her through psychiatric medication or technology.



Dong disappeared after reporting a number of uniformed men via her Twitter account, which was later shut down and the video deleted. She was later committed to the psychiatric hospital by her mother, who "didn't fully understand the situation," her father Dong Jianbiao told RFA.



Dong Jianbiao was later detained by state security police after he tried to visit her in hospital, where she is closely guarded by state security police.



Reported by Wong Siu-san and Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Photo: The Canadian Press Wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest, near El Cariso, Calif.

Firefighters said for the first time Wednesday they have made good progress battling California'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.

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 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.

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.

Fourteen thousand firefighters 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.

A total of 1,916 prisoners are paid $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're joined by 53 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand. Meanwhile, 200 soldiers are undergoing four days of training to join the fight.
Authorities in the Chinese capital have revoked the student visa of a German national after he filmed the activities of human rights lawyers as part of an academic assignment.



David Missal, a postgraduate student of journalism at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, was approaching the second year of a two-year scholarship run by a German academic exchange body, the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.



His first-year student visa was up for renewal, so Missal put in an application to the Entry and Exit bureau of the Beijing police department, expecting it to be processed in around 10 days.



Instead, his visa was canceled, and a temporary visa issued until Aug. 12, giving him just 10 days to leave the country, according to photos posted to Missal's Twitter account.



"About two months ago, I needed to renew my visa, and I waited a couple of months," Missal told RFA in a recent interview. "I kept calling them, and they kept saying it wasn't ready yet, and that they were looking into it."



, Missal got a phone call from the bureau telling him it wouldn't be renewed at all.



"They said I had to leave China within the next 10 days, because my activities weren't compatible with a student visa," he said. "I asked them what activities, and they said I should know very well."



"I'm so disappointed," Missal said. "China has been trying to create a positive international image lately, but based on this, I really don't think that's achievable."



Documentary on imperiled rights lawyers

Missal said his Tsinghua University professor had gone with him to the entry and exit bureau to protest at the move, but to no avail.



An employee who answered the phone at the Tsinghua International Students and Scholars Center declined to comment on Missal's case, saying everyone was currently on vacation.



An official who answered the phone at the Beijing Entry and Exits Bureau declined to respond to questions from RFA about the case.



On , Missal was detained by police in Wuhan while shooting video footage for a short documentary about human rights lawyers in China, according to his blog.



Missal had accompanied rights lawyer Lin Qilei, who has been a prominent campaigner in the case of detained rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang and veteran democracy activist Qin Yongmin, who was jailed for 13 years on by the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court, which convicted him of "incitement to subvert state power."



China's embattled legal profession continues to be targeted in the wake of a nationwide police operation that has detained, questioned and otherwise restricted the freedom of more than 300 rights lawyers, law firm staff and rights activists and their family members since.



Video footage posted to his blog shows around eight police officers stopping Missal and asking him to come with them, repeatedly telling him to stop filming and promising that "we will look after your rights and interests." Eventually one officer makes a gesture, and the video ends.



"He pulled my shoulder," Missal wrote after the incident. "I told him: 'Dont touch me. Otherwise, I will call my embassy.' After saying this a couple of times, he finally stopped pushing me."



Ordered to delete phone footage

Missal was told to leave Wuhan after a long wait and requests by police for him to delete his mobile phone footage, which he refused to do.



Missal's expulsion comes as China's Ministry of Education ordered joint-venture colleges run by Chinese and overseas universities to set up committees of the ruling Chinese Communist Party as an integral part of their operations.



Li Xiaobing, director of the Western Pacific Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma, said the move is part of a bid to strengthen ideological control over all forms of academic activity.



"[They want to] promote a socialist direction in education, publicize Xi Jinping Thought and strengthen political education, as well as reducing the influence of the West," Li told RFA. "But more important is the party's leadership role in education."



"Chinese universities have long been led by party committees ... which are in charge of ideology, including political reviews and project approval," he said. "They have a great deal of power, because they are responsible for orientation and control, so they play a huge role in the management of a university."



Hu Ping, editor-in-chief of the Chinese political magazine "Beijing Spring", agreed.



"It is not usually necessary to give a specific brief to the [party committee]," he said. "They can just leave it there, and when the time comes, they can make it work for them in the name of party organization."



"For example, [it can exert control over] teaching content, teacher salaries and training, as well as organizing events."



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Han Jie for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
South Korean electric rice cookers seized illegally by North Korea after the Kaesong joint industrial complex was shut down two years ago are being smuggled for sale to China by a North Korean trading firm run by the sanctions-hit countrys powerful military, North Korean sources say.



The cookware, left behind by South Korean manufacturing firms when North Korean expelled them from the complex in 2016, was moved little by little, at first by the trading firm during the last year, a source in North Pyongan province, bordering China, told RFAs Korean Service.



However, in recent weeks they sent around a thousand rice cookers at once to the Chinese port city of Dandong to earn foreign currency, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



The smuggled rice cookers were then transported by truck to southern China where they were sold to a store specializing in selling South Korean products at wholesale prices, the source said, adding that a large shipment of cookers was also smuggled into China in May.



The North Korean trading company doing the smuggling operates under the control of the military, and the military backs them up so they can get their hands on the goods to be sold, RFAs source said.



The trading company has been looking for Chinese merchants who can pay them in cash for thousands of Cuckoo brand rice cookers, and they have been able to smuggle the cookers with the help of an ethnic Korean broker based in China, he said.



However, I dont know the name of the company in China that bought the cookers, or the name of the company that smuggled them out, he said.



Prompted by reports that Kaesong may soon reopen in the wake of North-South summit meetings and a thaw in ties, with stocks seized by North Korea possibly returned to South Korean control, powerful North Korean trading firms are now rushing to sell South Korean products left behind at Kaesong, the source said.



Smuggling common at Kaesong



Also speaking to RFA, a source in North Koreas South Pyongan province said that smuggling at Kaesong was common even when the industrial park was formerly in operation.



South Korean products such as clothing and shoes were smuggled out of Kaesong and sold in markets in the city of Pyongsong, where they sold quickly because of their high quality, he said.



Cutting boards made in the Kaesong complex are still a popular item in local markets, he said, adding that Cuckoo-brand rice cookers can now be sold in Pyongsong for more than U.S. $200 each, a price as much as four times higher than the price charged for cookers made in China.



Formerly viewed as a symbol of cooperation between the two halves of the divided Korean peninsula, Kaesong was closed in February 2016 after North Korea ordered all South Koreans out of the complex, seized South Korean assets there, and declared the area under military control.



The move came a day after South Korea announced it was pulling out of Kaesong in retaliation for North Korean nuclear and long-range missile tests earlier in the year.



Reports have frequently circulated during the last two years that South Korean-manufactured products left behind in Kaesong are being traded inside North Korea or sold abroad to raise cash for the countrys sanctions-hit regime.



North Korea has also operated textile factories in the officially shuttered complex, with 19 factories reported in October 2017 to be producing clothing in Kaesong for the domestic market and for sale to neighboring China, sources told RFA in earlier reports.



Reported by Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
An armed Myanmar border guard policeman mans an outpost overlooking a Rohingya refugee settlement in a "no-man's land" between Myanmar and Bangladesh, as seen from Maungdaw district, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, June 29, 2018.

Myanmar on Thursday called a prosecutors request for a ruling on whether the International Criminal Court can exercise jurisdiction over the countrys expulsion of Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh meritless and said it should be dismissed.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyis office issued a statement on Thursday repeating the governments stance that the court has no jurisdiction over Myanmar whatsoever because the country is not a party to the Rome Statute which established the international tribunal.

Myanmar, as a non-state party, is under no obligation to enter into litigation with the prosecutor at the ICC, the 21-point statement said.

Myanmar categorically rejects the proposition that the court has jurisdiction as proposed by the prosecutor in the request, it said. Myanmar also disagrees with the prosecutors assertion that population displacement across a national boundary is an essential objective element of the crime of deportation

The ICC had given Myanmar a deadline of July 27 to submit a written response to chief prosecutor Fatou Bensoudas request for a jurisdiction ruling on what she called the alleged deportation of more than 700,000 Rohingya from Rakhine during a crackdown by security forces that began on Aug. 25, 2017.

After Bensouda requested the ruling in April, Aung San Suu Kyis office accused her of trying to override principles of national sovereignty and noninterference in the internal affairs of other states enshrined in the United Nations charter and recalled in the ICCs charter.

Myanmar also cited what it called procedural framework irregularities with Bensoudas request and said it was concerned with a lack of fairness and transparency in the courts proceedings.

The country said that there is no formal policy for proving crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute and offered an agreement it signed with Bangladesh in November 2017 to repatriate refugees verified as eligible for return as proof to the contrary.

The repatriation plan has failed to overcome Rohingya fears of returning to places where many were killed and their villages burned last year.

The U.N., rights groups, and other members of the international community have said that the crackdown amounted to ethnic cleansing, if not genocide.

The Myanmar government has largely denied the national militarys involvement in atrocities, including indiscriminate killings, rape, and arson, against the Rohingya during the crackdown and has defended its activities as part of a legitimate counterinsurgency operation against a militant Muslim group that carried out deadly attacks on police outposts in Rakhine.

Rights groups have called for the ICC to prosecute military and police officials, including Myanmars military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, for ordering the crackdown.

The ICC, which can prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, has not issued a response to Myanmars failure to comply with the July 27 deadline.

In response to international condemnation over the campaign of violence targeting the Rohingya, Myanmar in late July set up a four-person commission of inquiry comprised of two local and two international members to probe reported atrocities in Rakhine state.

Travel authorizations issued

Also on Thursday, Myanmars foreign affairs ministry issued a brief statement saying that the government had issued travel authorizations to staffers from the U.N.s development (UNDP) and refugee (UNHCR) agencies to conduct assessment surveys in northern Rakhine state where the 2017 crackdown took place.

The agencies signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar in June 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.

The announcement came a day after the agencies issued a statement calling on the government to permit their staff to consult freely and independently on a daily basis with communities in Rakhine state, under flexible travel authorization procedures.

The UNHCR and UNDP said they 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 were still waiting for government approval.

Myanmar said the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population informed the UNDP and UNHCR on Tuesday that the travel authorizations had been approved for those conducting field assessments.

Myint Thu, permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry, said Thursday that the government hopes that Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile who is the U.N.s new human rights chief, will demonstrate more impartiality toward Myanmars situation than did her predecessor, who pointedly called the army campaign to drive out the Rohingya ethnic cleansing.

As she is a former president, we believe she will work with impartiality on the U.N.s human rights issues and will understand and accept the situation in developing countries, he told RFAs Myanmar Service, adding that the government would work with her on rights issues.

Current U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, a Jordanian whose term expires in August, has been an outspoken critic of Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya and has said that the possibility that acts of genocide have been committed cannot be ruled out.

In March, he asked the U.N. General Assembly to refer those in Myanmar responsible for the atrocities against the Rohingya to the ICC for prosecution and called on the Myanmar government to allow independent investigators into northern Rakhine to probe suspected acts of genocide.

That same month, the Myanmar government refused to grant visas to a U.N. Security Council-appointed fact-finding mission to investigate abuses against the Rohingya.

During his final global update to the U.N. Human Rights Council in June, Zeid said that widespread violations had continued against the Rohingya with clear indications of well-organized, widespread and systematic attacks ... amounting possibly to acts of genocide.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
More than 45,000 residents of a mostly Uyghur-populated county in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) are being held in three main political re-education camps, according to a local official, who said the facilities are guarded by armed personnel.



Beginning in April 2017, Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas have been jailed or detained in political re-education camps throughout the XUAR, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.



A staffer at the Kuchar (in Chinese, Kuche) county police department in the XUARs Aksu (Akesu) prefecture recently told RFAs Uyghur Service that three camps housing most of the countys detainees are located in the Yengisher district of the county seatabout 10 kilometers (six miles) from Kuchar city center.



I believe it is more than 45,000  [or] slightly less than 10 percent [of the population], the staffer said, speaking on condition of anonymity, when asked how many residents of Kuchar county are currently held in the camps.



No.3 Re-Education Campthe largest of the threeholds detainees accused of minor offenses, he said, adding that the facility is mostly used to teach inmates Mandarin Chinese.



[The camp holds] more than 10,000 [detainees], though it could be 15,000, he said.



The most serious offenders are sent to the No. 1 and No. 2 re-education camps  I have heard they also built a fourth camp, but no one has been sent there yet.



The staffer told RFA that camp No. 1 holds about 5,000 or 6,000 people who have been accused of listening to unsanctioned religious teachings, made the holy Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca or studied abroad in countries blacklisted by Chinas government because of the threat of religious extremism.



Camp No. 2 holds between 5,000 and 10,000 detainees, he said, without providing details about the alleged offenses committed by people interned at the facility.



The staffer was unable to provide an estimate of the number of people who are forced to attend open re-education camps, where students are permitted to return to their homes at night after daily indoctrination classes.



He said all four camps were accessible from downtown Kuchar via Fu Yang Road, through the village of Dong Da Gou, and were well fortified.



[No. 2 Re-Education Camp] was a prison and was expanded before being turned into a re-education campboth No.1 and No. 2 were prisons originally, the staffer said, while No. 3 camp had been newly built.



They built the walls higher  more than three meters (10 feet), he said of the camps.



You can only see the second or third floors, and nothing below that, but there are armed guards on top of the buildings, inside the gates, and outside the gates.



A staffer at Haniqatam townships No. 7 village police station, in Kuchar county, recently told RFA that as many as 6,000 residents of the township have been held in re-education camps for as long as two years.



Camp network



An editorial in Chinas official Global Times newspaper recently dismissed international coverage of the re-education camps in the XUAR, which it labeled training institutes, saying western media outlets were incorrectly referring to them as detention sites and baselessly criticizing Chinas human rights.



Aside from the brief mention in the article, China's central government authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of political re-education camps in the XUAR, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret. But local officials in many parts of the region have in RFA telephone interviews forthrightly described sending significant numbers of Uyghurs to the camps and even described overcrowding in some facilities.



Citing credible reports, U.S. lawmakers Marco Rubio and Chris Smith, who head the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said recently that as many as 500,000 to a million people are or have been detained in the re-education camps, calling it the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today.



Adrian Zenz, a lecturer in social research methods at the Germany-based European School of Culture and Theology, said the number could be closer to 1.1 million, which equates to 10-11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the region.



Last week, China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) and a partner NGO, Equal Rights Initiative, said they had found through interviews with people in the region that up to 3 million residents of the XUAR, especially ethnic Uyghurs, may have been detained in the political re-education camps or forced to attend education sessions for de-radicalization as of June this year.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The Twitter account MeTooChina reported on that the #MeToo sexual harassment and sexual assault reporting campaign is gaining traction among China's army of migrant factory workers. It said workers at Foxconn, which assembles iPhones, had recently sent open letters to management demanding that it set up an anti-sexual harassment mechanism in partnership with female workers. It also noted a report that TooTopia, a Guangdong-based NGO that had been following the #MeTooChina campaign among female factory workers, had its account on the social media platform WeChat suspended after tweeting about the letters. Xiong Jing, social media editor of the Feminist Voices website, which was itself targeted by state censors earlier this year, said the movement continues to gather pace in China in spite of attempts by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to suppress it:



The complaints people are making reflect an universal problem, which is sexual harassment. The fact that so many people are making criminal complaints, and telling their stories, shows that this really is a very serious and widespread problem in China, and one that needs a resolution.



Telling one's story is only the first step, and I think it's definitely very important to do that openly and freely. So I don't think it's going to resolve this issue, for these stories to be shut down and for public opinion to be censored in that way.



The #MeToo movement in China has given people hope, and it just keeps coming, wave upon wave. It has never really stopped. Otherwise we wouldn't have so many people speaking out about their own stories. And those who are willing to tell their stories are only a small proportion of cases.



Students at higher education institutions have come under huge pressure from the authorities since the anti-sexual harassment campaign began in academia at the beginning of this year. This has included college officials and campus police talking to their parents, and having their posts deleted. The police probably think they will be able to find the instigators behind the scenes of this movement, but this movement is very decentralized. There are no "black hands" behind the scenes. Everyone is acting on their own initiative.



This is a case of a raising of collective awareness, including everyone's anger. So many of these incidents happened many years ago, but the conditions weren't right for them to be spoken about. So we can see how important [external] conditions are for the victims. And now the victims have a lot more issues to deal with that aren't just about the original abuse; when they do tell the truth, sometimes they aren't believed.



One of the characteristics of the #MeToo movement is its justice. Sexual harassment is against the law, so it's unreasonable to blame the victims of sexual harassment and abuse for speaking out, and the Chinese government wouldn't behave in an obviously politically incorrect way. And yet posts using the #MeToo hastag are being deleted on [social media platform] Weibo. I also heard there had been a directive to the media telling them not to report on it. But it's the fundamental legality of the #MeToo movement that lends it a little space to operate.



The #MeToo movement in China has been targeted for persecution, with students who wrote and signed open letters threatened by the authorities. They basically paid all of the people who signed those letters a visit, and threatened their families. That's why the movement has become much more low-key on university campuses now.



Some people have criticize the #MeToo movement, asking why the victims didn't report the incidents to the police, through legal channels. But what does reporting it to the police achieve? The five feminists [Wu Rongrong, Li Tingting, Wei Tingting, Wang Man, and Zheng Churan] were detained two years ago when they ran an anti-sexual harassment and domestic violence campaign. Things haven't improved since then. Our bank account has been frozen [at Feminist Voices]. I don't think the government has thought through its methods in dealing with such a huge issue as the #MeToo movement, which wasn't initiated by a single person. They never know when someone's going to stand up and speak out.



That's why I think the #MeToo movement will continue for as long as there are perpetrators and victims willing to stand up. This isn't the same as the feminist five, who were the deliberate instigators of a campaign. In the #MeToo campaign, everyone is an instigator. I don't think the government will be able to detain everyone, just to stop them from getting involved.



Reported by Han Qing for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lau Siu-fung for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Valentina Karavyankova and her daughter were at their weekend cottage outside the Belarus capital of Minsk on August 7 when a loud commotion shattered the countryside calm.

A car from the Investigative Committee stood outside the house in Zhodishki and agents were approaching the gate, which was locked. But that didn't deter them.

"At seven in the morning we heard a loud rumble on the street. It turned out the [Investigative Committee] officers had broken down the locked gate. They had only knocked once," Karavyankova told RFE/RL.

Her daughter, Tatsyana, a journalist at the BelaPAN news agency, then let them in the house.

"Tanya opened the door and they showed us a search warrant. They took telephones -- mine and Tanya's -- a notebook, flash drives, a dictaphone. They also searched the car," Valentina recounted.

Her daughter was then taken into custody by the officers.

Tatsyana Karavyankova was one of five female reporters rounded up by security forces in Belarus that day. All were charged with illegally accessing dispatches of the government news agency BelTA and held in detention.

Since then, more journalists and even a chief editor have been detained in Belarus amid growing international concern.

Analysts say the detentions show Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has perhaps launched his boldest effort yet to silence the few independent voices that remain in the tightly controlled Eastern European state of some 9.5 million.

It comes after the country's parliament -- which regularly approves the legislation the government proposes -- adopted a more draconian media law in April.

Silencing Belarus's Last Independent Voices?

Most of the journalists detained by the Investigative Committee work for either Tut.by, which is the most-popular Internet news portal in Belarus, or BelaPAN, the country's only privately run news agency.

The media outlets' Minsk offices were also searched by Investigative Committee officers on August 7 in connection with what has been dubbed the "BelTA case."

"This is something new...and very dangerous. I see everything that has recently happened in Belarus as signs of the 'Azerbaijanization' of Belarus. They are trying to gradually limit the space for freedom," said Andrey Dynko, editor in chief of the Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva, referring to energy-rich Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea state ruled autocratically by Ilham Aliyev.

"We see that the government is extending its control over the media space in Belarus and the Internet," Dynko said. "And of course, when control is extended over the Internet, how can Tut.by and BelaPAN avoid that?"

In a dramatic turn of events, BelaPAN editor in chief Iryna Lewshyna was taken into custody in Minsk on August 9 in connection with the BelTA case, according to an Investigative Committee statement.

And, in a sign the Belarusian authorities may be casting their nets even further, local journalist Paulyuk Bykouski, who worked for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, was detained on August 8.

Bykouski's wife, Volha Bykouskaya, told RFE/RL her husband was detained by Investigative Committee officers after they confiscated his computers and credit cards.

Later on the same day as the official raid on their cottage, Valentina and Tatsyana Karavyankova were driven back to Minsk. "Tanya was taken to the Investigative Committee and I was taken to our apartment, which was to be searched," Valentina said. "But as we approached the entrance [to our apartment] there were journalists."

Apparently caught off-guard by the gaggle of reporters waiting outside the apartment, the officers instead drove Valentina to the Investigative Committee headquarters where her daughter was.

She sat there for the next seven hours, until 9 p.m., without anything to eat or drink. Finally, two officers appeared.

"Maybe they were lazy, maybe because it was too late, but they talked for a long time and then called a taxi, saying they would come back tomorrow for the hard-drive disk from the computer," Valentina said. "And Tanya would be brought back for questioning since she had refused to talk without a lawyer."

What Are The Charges?

According to the Investigative Committee, those either charged or suspected in the BelTA case are accused of illegally accessing news reports by BelTA by using a subscriber's account and password. Access to BelTA's dispatches are reserved for subscribers for the first 15 minutes after being posted online.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website that computers from within the Tut.by and BelaPan offices, as well as those from a third outlet, Belarusskaya Nauka, used an account and password other than their own to access the paid-subscriber section of BelTA.

The charges carry a possible two-year jail sentence.

"The 'crime' based on which the Investigative Committee has launched a probe is really nothing more than a business dispute," said Andrey Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Yelena Tonkacheva, a leading Belarusian human rights lawyer, noted other flaws in the charges. "If BelTA was so worried about protecting its information, why didn't they change passwords, for example every other month? Why in the terms of use weren't there restrictions and guarantees that these passwords can be transferred?" she asked.

Tonkacheva, like other analysts, believe the charges are merely a smokescreen for the crackdown on the diminishing number of independent voices in Belarus. "These charges really don't matter. I think what has taken place was a planned, targeted action against these two news sources," she explained.

Independent journalism has long carried its risks in Belarus, but passage of a draconian media law earlier this year has made it harder, Bastunets explained. "Tut.by may have earlier felt sort of free," he said. "I know that it was under great pressure, but these actions which were undertaken [on August 7] show that the government or a definite part of the government has shifted from threats to action."

A month after parliament passed the new media law, Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Halko was sentenced to four years of forced labor after being convicted of assaulting two police officers, charges he said stemmed from his critical coverage of Lukashenka and his government.

Also in July, Natallya Radzina, the Poland-based chief editor of Charter97, another independent news site that is critical of Lukashenka, reported receiving death threats, which she believes is related to her work.

Other journalists and bloggers have been harassed and detained in recent months, according to the Committee to Project Journalists.

Even more have been fined -- nearly 50 -- according to the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). RSF ranked Belarus 155th in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the level of press freedom in 180 countries each year.

In the current instance, 16 journalists have been detained for questioning in the BelTA case with eight being released.

"I knew what a shock it must have been for them," Radzina said in comments to RFE/RL. "But when you're a journalist and you don't work for government media you should still always be ready, even though it's hard to comprehend that you can be arrested for just being a journalist simply reporting what is going on, reporting reality."
Belarusian writer and Nobel Literature Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich says she has canceled her meeting with readers in the Ukrainian city of Odesa amid threats.

Alexievich said in a video statement on August 8 that she learned about threats against her and the organizers of the meeting and therefore decided to cancel the event planned at the Green Theater in the Black Sea port city.

The Green Theater wrote on Facebook that Alexievich's name was added to a list of "enemies of Ukraine" by the Ukrainian nationalist website Myrotvorets (Peacekeeper) four hours before Alexievich's scheduled meeting with readers on August 8.

The Myrotvorets site accused Alexievich of "propagating interethnic discord and manipulating information important for society" in a speech she delivered in Brooklyn, New York, in 2016.

Although the site removed Alexievich's name from the list several hours later, the writer and the theater decided to cancel the event "to avoid possible risks for Alexievich and the audience in the theater."

In her video statement, Alexievich called Myrotvorets' statement about her anti-Ukrainian stance "absolutely far-fetched."

"My mother is Ukrainian. I was born in Ukraine and I have always felt my Ukrainian blood... It is always important for me to meet with Ukraine," said Alexievich, who grew up in Belarus and has Belarusian citizenship.

In her very first public statement after she was announced the Nobel Prize winner in literature in 2015, Alexievich condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, calling it an armed intervention.


MINSK -- Two more journalists have been detained in Belarus on suspicion of obtaining information illegally from the state-run news agency, BelTA, amid what appears to be a widening crackdown on independent media.

The Investigative Committee of Belarus said on August 9 that the chief editor of the independent BelaPAN information agency, Iryna Leushyna was detained "in the criminal case on unsanctioned access to computer information."

Earlier on August 8, the Investigative Committee said that a local correspondent of Germany's Deutsche Welle international broadcaster, Paulyuk Bykouski, and an editor of Belarusians and the Market website, Alyaksey Zhukau had been detained in the same case.

Bykouski's wife, Volha Bykouskaya, told RFE/RL that her husband was detained by the Investigative Committee's officers after they confiscated all his computers and credit cards.

The detentions mark the latest moves in a broad crackdown on media that report critically of strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his government.

Deutsche Welle reported on August 8 that it lodged a protest with the Belarusian ambassador in Berlin, Dzyanis Sidarenka, and demanded Bykouski's immediate release. The broadcaster stressed that the rule of law must apply to accredited journalists.

The U.S. Helsinki Commission Chair Senator Roger Wicker, in a statement on August 9, condemned the journalists' detainment, calling on Belarusian authorities to immediately release them.

"...[Belarusian] President [Alyaksandr] Lukashenkas deliberate targeting of independent news outlets is an affront to the rights of the whole population. The Belarusian authorities should release the journalists they have detained and cease harassing those who dedicate their lives to uncovering and sharing the truth," Wicker's statement said.

'An Attempt To Intimidate'

Earlier on August 8, Uladzislau Kuletski, chief editor of the Realt.by website, which offers free classified advertising to those interested in renting or purchasing real estate property, and three of the site's journalists, Ihar Khmara, Maryya Saroka, and Alena Maslouskaya were detained for questioning by the Investigative Committee after police confiscated their computers.

Colleagues of the four journalists told RFE/RL that Kuletski and his reporters were told that they will be questioned regarding the BelTA case.

"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 offering 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.

The Council of Europe human rights body expressed "great concern" on August 7 over the raid and detentions, while Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Belarusian authorities to stop the "harassment of critical journalists."


Photo: The Canadian Press Doves fly around the Peace Memorial Statue during a ceremony in Nagasaki, Thursday.

Nagasaki marked the anniversary of the world's second atomic bombing Thursday with the United Nations chief and the city's mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the first United Nations chief to visit Nagasaki, said fears of nuclear war are still present 73 years after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings and that the attacks should never be repeated. He raised concerns about slowing efforts to denuclearize, saying existing nuclear states are modernizing their arsenals.

"Disarmament processes have slowed and even come to a halt," Guterres told the audience at the Nagasaki peace park. "Here in Nagasaki, I call on all countries to commit to nuclear disarmament and to start making visible progress as a matter of urgency." Guterres added that nuclear weapons states should take the lead. "Let us all commit to making Nagasaki the last place on Earth to suffer nuclear devastation," he said.

More than 5,000 citizens, including Nagasaki atom bomb survivors, and representatives of about 70 countries remembered the victims as they observed a minute of silence at 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb Fatman hit the city.

Emperor Akihito joined a silent prayer from Tokyo with his wife Michiko as they monitored the ceremony on TV, marking the last Nagasaki commemoration before his planned abdication next April, Kyodo News reported.

The U.S. bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed an estimated 70,000 people three days after a bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000. They were followed by Japan's surrender, ending World War II.
The bodies of dozens of Afghan soldiers have been found at a base that Taliban fighters attacked last week in the southern province of Uruzgan, military officials say.

"We have discovered and transported 40 bodies from the area so far," Chinartu district Governor Faiz Mohammad said on August 9.

He added that a number of Afghan security personnel from the base remain missing following the Taliban attack on the base on August 3.

News of the attack was not immediately reported, and details have surfaced only in the past two days.

On August 9, Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said 27 Afghan soldiers were killed and five wounded in the assault. He said the base was back under government control but had suffered significant damage and loss of weapons.

Radmanish said at least 60 Taliban fighters were also killed in clashes at the base and elsewhere in the district.

A local official said some Afghan soldiers appeared to have been shot after they were captured by the Taliban, but the claim could not be independently confirmed.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, asserted that 46 Afghan soldiers died in the clashes at the base and a number of checkpoints and "not killed in Taliban detention centers."

The Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

Taliban leaders have ignored an offer by the government of direct peace negotiations.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Four members of a notorious gang convicted of highway killings and robberies in Moscow have been sentenced to life in prison.

The August 9 sentences against the four men from Central Asia -- Sherjon Qodirov, Umar Hasanov, Anvar Ulugmuradov, and Hazrathon Dadahonov -- were given by Moscow's Regional Court.

A fifth man, Zafarjon Gulyamov, received 20 years in prison.

The five were found guilty of 17 murders, two attempted murders, robbery, banditry, the illegal manufacture and possession of weapons, and theft.

Media dubbed the group the GTA gang after the video game Grand Theft Auto.

Residents of Moscow and districts around the Russian capital were on alert in 2014 after the media reported on a gang that carried out a series of murders on local highways in which its members robbed and killed motorists after using caltrops to bring their cars to a halt.

The leader of the group, Ubaidullo Subhanov, was killed during a police operation which resulted in the arrest of the remaining gang members in 2014.

In August last year, the gang members made headlines after they tried to escape from the Moscow Regional Court building overpowering guards.

Four members of the group were killed and one injured in what was described as a botched escape attempt.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Dozhd


The Moscow office of the Open Russia civic movement established by exiled former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was searched by the police on August 9, the group has said.

The coordinator of Open Russia's human rights department, Polina Nemirovskaya said a large number of police officers entered the group's office in Moscow and searched the premises.

The Investigative Committees spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said the searches were linked to a longstanding case against Yukos, once Russia's largest oil company, founded by Khodorkovsky.



Yukos was dismantled after the 2003 arrest of Khodorkovsky, who was later convicted of financial crimes in two trials his supporters say were engineered by the Kremlin to thwart his funding of opposition parties, punish him for challenging President Vladimir Putin, and justify the transfer of his oil company's main production assets to state hands.

Khodorkovsky spent 10 years in prison and left Russia upon his release after being pardoned by Putin in 2013. He lives in Western Europe.

In April last year, the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office declared Open Russia "undesirable and accused the NGO of conducting antigovernment activities.

Under a law signed by Putin in 2015 and widely criticized by rights groups, the government can brand foreign and international groups "undesirable organizations."

Rights watchdog Amnesty International has said Russian authorities are attempting to impose a full ban on the group.

Based on reporting by Mediazona and TASS
It has taken more than 20 years. But on August 12, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan will meet in the Kazakh port city of Aqtau, reportedly to sign a new convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

An 18-page draft of the agreement, posted briefly on Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's website in June and obtained by RFE/RL, lists 24 articles, including territorial waters, maritime borders, rules for navigation, fishing rights, environmental matters, and, importantly, use of the sea's resources.

The Caspian seabed hides some 50 billion barrels of oil and nearly 9 trillion cubic meters of gas in proven or probable reserves. At current market prices, that is several trillion dollars' worth of energy resources; with further exploration, it could turn out to be much more.

So it is perhaps unsurprising that it has taken this long to reach a deal on the Caspian's legal status.

Debate has always hinged on whether the Caspian is a "sea" or a "lake." It is an inland body of water, with no exits to any seas or oceans. The draft suggests the five littoral states will agree in Aqtau that the Caspian is a sea.

Classifying it as a lake would mean the resources of the Caspian should be divided equally among those five countries. The sea designation means the five countries should draw lines extending from their shores to the midway point with littoral neighbors.

Iran is arguably the loser under such an arrangement, as it would get only about 13 percent of the Caspian -- and the deepest and saltiest part at that. That has seemingly led Tehran to resist any deal recognizing the Caspian as a sea.

Kazakhstan is seemingly the biggest winner under the "sea" definition, since more than half of the Caspian's hydrocarbon wealth is said to lie in what would be Kazakhstan's sector.

The absence of an agreement has not stopped Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan from exploring and developing sections of the Caspian they have always believed to be their sectors. In that sense, the convention will formalize what was de facto already decided by those four countries years ago.

Last TCP Hurdle Cleared?

The intriguing part of the convention is Article 14, which according to the draft text states that "the parties can lay underwater pipelines along the Caspian floor" (Section 2) "according to consent by the parties through whose sector the cable or pipeline should be built" (Section 3).

Turkmenistan has wanted for more than 20 years to build a gas pipeline to ship its gas across the Caspian to Azerbaijan, where it would be pumped into pipelines leading west to Turkey or the Black Sea and, ultimately, to Europe.

Some felt that under international law, there was no obstacle to this Trans-Caspian Pipeline (TCP) being built -- even without an agreement on the Caspian's legal status from all five states -- so long as Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, through whose territories the pipeline would pass, approved the deal.

Russia and Iran have opposed the TCP on the grounds that it poses a potential environmental hazard to the Caspian's unique biosphere. The claim seemed especially suspect from Russia, since Russia's Gazprom has laid gas pipelines along the Black Sea to Turkey (Blue Stream) and is planning to build another one (TurkStream), and has also completed one pipeline across the Gulf of Finland to Germany (Nord Stream) and is hoping to build another pipeline to Germany (Nord Stream 2).

All those pipelines are said to be more technically challenging than construction of the TCP, and appear to face greater obstacles -- the best example being unexploded bombs from World War II in parts of the Gulf of Finland.

Some felt Tehran and Moscow's environmental concerns were actually economic concerns, stemming from the desire of each to hinder gas-exporting competitors, in this case Turkmenistan, from selling to markets in Europe. The European Union supports construction of the TCP and has included it as a potential part of the EU's Southern Gas Corridor strategy.

Environmental Concerns

While Article 24, Section 2, of the draft allows littoral states to lay pipelines, it goes on to stipulate that such activities hinge on "the condition of the accordance of their projects with ecological demands and standards."

It appears to be the same loophole that has held up construction of the TCP for all these years, though it is unclear whether this would represent an effective veto that other littoral states could employ to halt projects.

Other parts of the agreement hold individual countries responsible for any damage they cause to the sea through exploration, development of sites, or construction of platforms or pipelines, which seems to place the responsibility for safety on the parties involved in future hydrocarbon development or export projects.

There is a precedent for pipeline accidents in the Caspian. Two pipelines (one oil, one gas) leading from Kazakhstan's offshore Kashagan site ruptured and leaked shortly after production started in September 2013. The other littoral states did not take any action, or even voice any criticism of Kazakhstan on that occasion.

However, it should be remembered that the Caspian Sea is home to sturgeon that produce the world's finest caviar. Iranian Almas caviar, for example, is the most expensive in the world, selling for more than $30,000 per kilogram.

Turkmenistan has anticipated concerns about potential environmental damage to the Caspian and has hosted several recent conferences on ecological safety and publicly touted the efficient and thorough work of the country's environmental organizations.

A report on August 8 on the Caspian Environmental Service (CaspEcoControl) in Turkmenistan "monitoring the environment, surface seawater and bottom sediments, groundwater of coastline, atmospheric air [and] analyzing the hydro-chemical regime in the sea at the stations located in Turkmenbashi Bay, Kiyanly Bay, Garabogaz, and Avaza."

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan also have plans to build the Kazakhstan Caspian Transportation System (KCTS) oil pipeline to bring Kazakh oil across the Caspian from the Kazakh port town of Quryq to Baku. If construction of that pipeline goes ahead, it is difficult to imagine that the TCP would not be built.

The agreement also forbids the presence on the Caspian of any military forces except those of the five littoral states. This part of the document would appear to favor Russia, which has by far the largest and most advanced naval force in the region.

The signing of the convention on the legal status of the Caspian would draw to a close nearly 22 years of work to reach an agreement. The document appears to resolve many of the problems that have given the littoral states, and potential foreign investors, pause when considering whether to go ahead with projects. But given the Caspian's oil and gas wealth, it is unlikely this single document will settle all the differences that exist over the sea's division and use of its resources.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL
WASHINGTON -- RFE/RL and Human Rights Watch (HRW) on August 9 welcomed a finding by the UN Human Rights Committee (OHCHR) that the government of Turkmenistan was responsible for the 2006 death in custody of a human rights activist.

In an opinion issued in May and made public this month, the OHCHR said that Ogulsapar Muradova, who was also a regular contributor to RFE/RL, was arrested and detained by the government of then-President Saparmurat Niyazov "for her journalistic and human rights work."

The committee also said the Turkmen government must conduct an impartial investigation into Muradovas death, compensate her family, and rehabilitate her name.

In a statement, RFE/RL President Thomas Kent said the UN finding "confirms what rights groups have long contended: that the death of Ogulsapar Muradova was a politically motivated crime by Turkmen authorities because of her human rights advocacy and reporting."

Kent added that the finding was "particularly significant because of continuing government actions against the news services correspondents."

"Finally, theres an authoritative [UN] acknowledgment of the Turkmen governments responsibility for the monstrous torture and death" of Muradova, Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, said in a statement.

The Turkmen government should now identify all those responsible for Muradovas death and hold them to account, Denber said, adding, "Its been 12 years, but its never too late for justice."

Along with being an RFE/RL contributor, Muradova was co-founder of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation, an independent rights group that works on issues regarding Turkmenistan from exile in Bulgaria. She reported on several hundred dissidents she identified as being imprisoned by Niyazovs government in the Central Asian nation that has been subject to much international criticism over rights issues.

Muradova was arrested in June 2006 by police in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, and later convicted with two other activists -- including her brother Annadurdy Khadzhiyev -- on what the rights groups called "bogus charges" in a closed trial that lasted just two hours.

Muradova was sentenced to six years in prison. However, on September 13, 2006, her family was informed she had died in custody.

A government autopsy, the results of which were never released, reportedly found that Muradova died from blows to the back of her head.

After diplomatic intervention, Muradova's family was allowed to see her body. A family member reported seeing a deep cut in on her forehead, a dark mark around her neck that could indicate strangulation, open wounds on her hands, and severe bruising on her legs.

Rights groups cited unconfirmed information from a law enforcement official stating that Muradova died from torture during an interrogation. Another person told activists that a "suicide" was staged to cover the truth.

The government claimed Muradova died of natural causes and did not investigate her death.

In 2013, lawyers with the Open Society Justice Initiative filed a complaint to the OHCHR on behalf of Khadzhiyev. It alleged acts by the Turkmen government, including retaliation for her journalism and torture leading to her death in custody, that constitute violations of the state's obligations under the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

In a response to the complaint issued on May 24 this year, the committee condemned the governments conduct, drawing attention to its responsibility "to care for [the] life" of individuals who are arrested and detained; its failure to properly investigate allegations of torture and the cause of her death in custody, including its failure to release the results of an autopsy; and numerous violations of Muradova's due process rights.

The rights committee also called on the current government of Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov to "take all steps necessary to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future."

Journalists associated with RFE/RL and their family members have suffered harassment, violence, and imprisonment for decades in Turkmenistan, a country that ties with North Korea for the worlds worst record on press freedom, according to Freedom Houses Freedom of the Press 2017 survey.

In 2014-15, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service lost half of its reporting network to a systematic, government-sponsored intimidation campaign, RFE/RL officials said.

The targeted campaign has continued into 2018, with veteran correspondent Soltan Achilova suffering at least eight physical assaults over the past 15 months, officials said.

Known locally as Azatlyk Radiosy, RFE/RLs Turkmen Service has for 65 years provided audiences with accurate and uncensored news and information as an alternative to the state-run media monopoly.
Russia has come out in support of Saudi Arabia in its dispute with Canada over Riyadh's arrest of women's rights activists, saying it was "unacceptable" for Ottawa to lecture the kingdom on human rights.

Saudi Arabia froze new trade and investment with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador this week after Ottawa publicly called for the release of arrested human rights activists.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on August 8 that human rights should be promoted, but with respect for specific national customs and traditions.

"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," she said.

"We have always said that the politicization of human rights matters is unacceptable," Zakharova said.

"What one probably needs in this situation is constructive advice and assistance rather than criticism from a 'moral superior,'" she said.

The Saudis have announced an array of sanctions against Canada, from suspending all flights to and from Toronto, to ordering home over 15,000 Saudi students studying in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on August 8 that Ottawa would not back down from its criticism or apologize, despite demands from Riyadh to do so.

Canada will continue "to speak strongly, firmly, clearly, and politely about the need to respect human rights at home and around the world," he told reporters in Montreal.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and Reuters


Russia says it is preparing "countermeasures" to what it calls "categorically unacceptable" new sanctions being imposed by the United States over the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in England.

Moscow's angry reaction came on August 9, the day after the State Department announced new sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for the March poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the town of Salisbury with a military nerve agent.

The announcement followed earlier moves by the United States, Britain, and about 20 other countries to expel dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning, which a British investigation blamed on Russia. Moscow denies any involvement.

Reacting to the latest round of U.S. penalties at a news briefing in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of trying to "demonize" Russia and said Moscow would be preparing a response to "this unfriendly act." She did not elaborate.

"We consider categorically unacceptable the linking of new restrictions, which we as before consider illegal, to the case in Salisbury," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier.

A senior U.S. State Department official said the new sanctions targeted export licenses of sensitive U.S. technologies and industrial equipment, such as electronics, calibration equipment, and gas turbine engines. Requests for licenses to export such goods to Russia would now be "presumptively denied," the official added.

The official also said that the first tranche of sanctions, being imposed under a 1991 U.S. law concerning chemical and biological weapons, would take effect on August 22.

Russia will also be given 90 days to comply with other demands, including allowing international inspectors into the country to ensure that no chemical or biological weapons exist there.

If Moscow does not comply, a second round of sanctions could further downgrade diplomatic relations with Russia, including ones that could affect the national airline, Aeroflot, although not directly.

The sanctions could hit the airline to "the degree that [if] anyone applies for an export license to supply goods that are controlled under that system to Aeroflot, then I suppose these would fall under the presumption of denial," the senior official said.

Shares in Aeroflot fell to two-year lows on August 9, extending earlier losses after the sanctions announcement. The overall Russian RTS stock index continued to decline, although it recovered somewhat later in the day. The ruble also fell to a two-year low against the dollar.

Meanwhile, Russia's delegation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) accused the West of acting as "a prosecutor, judge, and hangman at the same time."

"Why should [Russia] prove its innocence and not the other way round?" the delegation wrote on its official Twitter account.

The Russian Embassy in Washington in a statement late on August 8 called the allegations that Russia poisoned the Skripals with a highly toxic agent known as Novichok "far-fetched," and said neither Washington nor the British government had produced evidence supporting those allegations.

"This whole accusatory pyramid is being built in the absence of any legal substantiation, but they're still telling us about international law and respect for legal obligations," Zakharova told the Moscow news briefing.

She also claimed that U.S. officials were "knowingly presenting demands that are unacceptable to us" as conditions for the sanctions to be lifted.

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.

On March 4, Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury. They were seriously ill but later made a full recovery after spending several weeks in hospital.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and Interfax
Russian operatives have penetrated the election system of one of the largest U.S. states, and could delete voters' registration documents ahead of the November elections if the systems are not adequately protected, the state's U.S. senators are warning.

"They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about," Florida Senator Bill Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times on August 8.

"We were requested by the chairman and vice chairman of the [Senate] Intelligence Committee to let supervisors of [the] election in Florida know that the Russians are in their records," Nelson said.

The southern state of Florida is not only one of the most populous states, but it has also played a critical role as a swing state, helping determine the outcome of recent nationwide elections.

Nelson, a Democrat, and Florida's other senator, Republican Marco Rubio, wrote a letter last month telling the state's 67 county election supervisors about the Russian threat, the newspaper said.

But the state department that oversees elections on August 8 said that it has received "zero information" from Nelson, federal, or state agencies to support the Russian infiltration claim.

"If Senator Nelson has specific information about threats to our elections, he should share it with election officials in Florida, said Sarah Revell, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of State, adding that state and local officials have already received federal funding to strengthen the security of the state's election systems.

Nelson told the Times that "the threat is real and elections officials -- at all levels -- need to address the vulnerabilities."

"This is no fooling time. That's why two senators, bipartisan, reached out to the election apparatus of Florida to let them know the Russians are in your records and all they have to do, if those election records are not protected, is to go in and start eliminating registered voters," Nelson said.

"You can imagine the chaos that would occur on election day when the voters get to the polls" and discover they are no longer registered to vote, he said. Creating such confusion is "exactly what the Russians want to do," he said.

Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement late on August 8 saying: "While we are aware of Senator Nelson's recent statements, we have not seen any new compromises by Russian actors of election infrastructure."

The Senate Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat, Senator Mark Warner, said Florida and all other U.S. states need to take the Russian interference threat "seriously."

"Russian activities continue to pose a threat to the security of our elections, as Senators Nelson and Rubio rightly pointed out." Warner said.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian operatives targeted the 2016 presidential race with a hacking and social media disinformation campaign to try to tilt the election in President Donald Trump's favor.

They said they found no evidence that vote tallies were changed in the 2016 election, but they have since warned that Russian agents have continued their efforts to interfere and are now targeting the November 6 congressional elections.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Tampa Times
The U.S. announcement of new sanctions against Moscow over its alleged use of a chemical weapon against a Russian ex-spy has roiled global markets and helped send the Russian ruble, bonds, and stocks plummeting.

The Russian currency dropped 3.1 percent to 65.55 per dollar, the lowest level since November 2016, after the announcement late on August 8, and the currency's downward spiral continued in Asian trading early on August 9.

Russia's RTS stock index lost nearly 3 percent of its value, while at a bond auction on August 8 the Russian government was only able to sell half the amount it had planned as borrowing costs jumped to the highest level in more than a year.

The ruble and Russian stocks and bonds had already been hit by a Russian media report providing details of "crushing sanctions" that some legislators in Washington have proposed over Moscow's alleged meddling in U.S. elections.

The legislation includes a provision to sanction Russia's sovereign debt -- a move that could pack a major blow to Russia's economy but which financial analysts said is unlikely to pass the U.S. Congress or be signed into law by President Donald Trump.

"Sanctioning sovereign debt will be a last resort. Corporate debt and individuals are a more likely target" in any new round of sanctions against Russia considered by Congress, Shamaila Khan, a director of emerging-market debt at AllianceBernstein, told Bloomberg.

Investors Worried

Markets were so unsettled by the details in the U.S. legislative proposal that the Russian Finance Ministry on August 8 sought to allay market fears with a statement saying the measure might not be enacted into law, Russian news agency Ria-Novosti reported.

U.S. officials said the sanctions over Russia's alleged chemical weapons use will take effect on August 22, barring sales of sensitive technologies to Russia.

A second round of broader sanctions could be imposed later if Russia fails to allow international inspectors into the country to determine whether it has chemical or biological weapons.

Analysts said global investors are worried not only about a possible U.S. ban on Russia's sovereign debt, but a provision of the congressional bill that would clamp down on Russian banks, which they said could also seriously stifle Russia's economy.

If you start crushing Russia by causing the banking system to collapse as a result of sanctions, it could actually lead to worse political outcomes than what you have right now, Khan told Bloomberg.

He said investors learned not to take the threat of U.S. sanctions lightly after penalties introduced in April against Russian billionaires with connections to the Kremlin sent global markets into a nosedive.

With reporting by Bloomberg, Reuters, AFP, and TASS
Three human rights organizations have urged Iranian authorities to stop "harassing and threatening" the families of activists and journalists as a tactic to silence dissent and criticism.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), and Justice for Iran made the appeal on August 9, after Iranian state TV last month broadcast an interview in which a woman denounced her sister for her advocacy against Iran's compulsory hijab laws.

During the interview, Mina Alinejad said she was appearing on television of her own free will but her sister Masih later said that Iranian authorities had pressured her family to denounce her on state TV.

Masih Alinejad, an exiled journalist, founded in 2014 a popular online campaign called My Stealthy Freedom against women being forced to wear the compulsory hijab in public in Iran.

In a statement, HRW and the two other human rights watchdogs said Iran's government-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) had a "long history of parading Iran's critics and their family members on national TV, where they are forced to make so-called 'confessions' or public statements meant to discredit them and their causes."

"A government that preys on the bonds of family in order to lash out at its critics is a government that has no respect for the rights of its citizens -- or common decency," CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi said.

Maedeh Hojabri, a teenager briefly detained earlier this year for posting videos of herself dancing on Instagram, last month appeared in a program on state-controlled Iranian TV in which she acknowledged breaking moral norms.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The federal government is announcing today that major credit card companies have agreed to lower the fees they charge businesses.

A government source tells The Canadian Press that Ottawa has reached voluntary, five-year deals with Visa, Mastercard and American Express that the feds expect will help small and medium-sized companies save a total of $250 million per year.

Starting in 2020, Visa and Mastercard will reduce the fees they collect from businesses to an average annual effective rate of 1.4 per cent  down from 1.5 per cent  and narrow the gap between the highest and lowest rates they charge retailers.

American Express has agreed to provide more fairness and transparency as part of a separate voluntary commitment that recognizes its unique business model.

The changes, which are also expected to help consumers, are being unveiled at an Ottawa grocery store later today by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Mary Ng, the new minister for small business and export promotion.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet public, says the reductions could help smaller businesses save thousands of dollars over the five-year period  and the government is hoping the extra funds will encourage owners to invest, expand and create jobs.

Ottawa expects the lower interchange rates will enable smaller firms to avoid being at a big competitive disadvantage compared to larger companies, which have more leverage in negotiating with credit card firms for reduced fees.

The government also expects consumers to benefit from the changes because the lower costs to businesses will enable them to keep prices lower.

In November 2014, Visa and Mastercard voluntarily agreed to reduce their average effective fees to 1.5 per cent over five years  a period that began in April 2015.

Morneau announced in September 2016 that an independent audit found that the companies had met their respective commitments. At the time, the government also said it would conduct a review to ensure there was adequate competition and transparency for businesses and consumers when it comes to credit card fees.
Two inmates have been found dead in a penal colony in Russia's Siberian region of Zabaikalye, where guards have been previously accused of torturing inmates.

The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) says the two men were found dead on August 7 "without traces of violence on their bodies" in the Corrective Colony No 5 in the city of Chita.

In recent days, three inmates in the same colony complained that guards beat and tortured them and other inmates using electric shocks.

The allegations followed the release of a video showing at least 17 guards severely beating an inmate at another Russian prison, in the city of Yaroslavl, that caused a public outcry.

Last month a local court ordered the arrest of 11 prison guards at Yaroslavl's Corrective Colony No. 1 and put one guard under house arrest for alleged involvement in the beating of Yevgeny Makarov.

Video footage of the abuse was published online last month by Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper and circulated widely on social media and other websites.

The Public Verdict rights organization said it was shot at the penitentiary last year.

Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service announced on July 24 that it will investigate all complaints from 2017 of violence by authorities at prisons across Russia.

United Nations human rights experts have urged the Russian authorities to prosecute cases of torture in prisons and labor camps -- including beatings, electric shocks, and suffocation.
The bipartisan U.S. Congressional Press Freedom Caucus has called for the immediate release of a Ukrainian journalist and blogger said to have been imprisoned on spying charges for more than a year in eastern Ukraine.

"We are deeply concerned by reports that Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev continues to be held by Russia-backed separatist militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic," said a statement released on August 8 by U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (Democrat-California) and Republican Steve Chabot (Republican-Ohio), the co-chairs of the House Freedom of the Press Caucus.

Aseyev, who has reported for various Ukrainian media outlets, also contributes to RFE/RL's Ukraine Service and writes under the name Stanislav Vasin.

He disappeared in Donetsk on June 2, 2017, and weeks later, Amnesty International said it had received information from sources in the Donetsk region saying that Aseyev was being held by the self-styled security organs of the separatists.

A friend of Aseyev's and a former lawmaker, Yehor Firsov, in July said the prisoner had declared a hunger strike and was being "kept in a damp room, sick, but does not receive the necessary medications" while under separatist custody.

Firsov said the separatists had accused Aseyev of espionage and threatened him with up to 14 years in prison.

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has been unable to contact him since his disappearance and his current condition is unknown.

More than 10,300 people have been killed since April 2014 in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and the Russia-backed separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Schiff and Cabot described Aseyev as "one of the few independent journalists to remain in the region under separatist control to provide objective reporting."

"He has been denied visitation and there have been reports that he may be charged with spying -- an accusation international observers say is politically motivated because of his reporting."

The statement noted that Aseyev had reportedly gone on hunger strike and that his "situation is becoming dire."

Human rights groups have expressed concerns over Aseyev's whereabouts and said the separatists must release him immediately if they are holding him.
Vice President Mike Pence, citing threats from Russia and China, has presented details of plans to create a U.S. Space Force by 2020 that would become the sixth branch of the military.

"Time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces and to prepare for "the next battlefield," Pence told an audience at the Pentagon on August 9.

He said a Space Force was a crucial element to countering Russia and China, which he said were "aggressively" working to develop antisatellite capabilities.

"China and Russia have been conducting highly sophisticated on-orbit activities that could enable them to maneuver their satellites into close proximity of ours, posing unprecedented new dangers to our space systems," the vice president said.

"We must have American dominance in space, and so we will," Pence added.

President Donald Trump tweeted, "Space Force all the way!"

The U.S. military currently consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps.

Trump in June ordered the creation of a Space Force as a way for the military to address vulnerabilities in space and press U.S. dominance in space.

"My administration is reclaiming America's heritage as the world's greatest space-faring nation," Trump said. "We don't want China and Russia and other countries leading us. We've always led."

At the time, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed alarm over the U.S. plan, accusing Washington of "nurturing plans to bring out weapons into space with the aim of possibly staging military action there."

The creation of a Space Force would still need to be approved by the U.S. Congress, where some members have expressed concerns about the additional costs.

Pence said the initial request to Congress would be for $8 billion for five years and that the administration was working with lawmakers to construct the needed legislation.

Most space-based defense activities are currently under the control of the Air Force, and some officers have said that an independent branch would create unnecessary expenses and, ultimately, turf wars.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa
An Iranian naval exercise involving dozens of small boats around the Strait of Hormuz last week was intended as a message to the United States for reimposing economic sanctions on Tehran, a top U.S. commander has said.

General Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told Pentagon reporters on August 8 that Iran was showcasing its military capabilities, amid recent threats by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to close off the strait.

"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 for the sanctions here, they had some capabilities," said Votel.

He said the message back to Iran from U.S. Central Command is: "We are aware of what's going on and we remain ready to protect ourselves."

Votel condemned Iran for what he said were efforts to destabilize other countries in the region, including Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Iran routinely operates small boats in the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding area, and has often threatened to shut down the strategically important waterway, where about a third of the world's oil exports pass through.

In recent weeks, Iran's military renewed the threat, saying that, if sanctions threatened Iran's crude oil exports, the rest of the Middle East's exports would be threatened as well.

Votel said Iran has the ability to plant mines and explosive boats in the waterway, as well as use missiles and radar along the coast. But he said the United States and its allies routinely train for that possibility and are prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation and commerce continues in those waters.

Votel said much of Iran's "destabilizing" activity in the strait and in the region is being directed by General Qassem Soleimani, who heads the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard.

"Wherever you see Iranian activity, you see Qassem Soleimani," said Votel, calling the Quds Force the principle threat in the region.

U.S. sanctions that had been eased by the Obama administration under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal took effect again on August 7, following President Donald Trump's decision in May to withdraw from the accord.

Renewed sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry and banking sector are due to take effect on November 4.

With reporting by AP and AFP
The all local lineup for the 2018 Noontunes season is here. Sponsored by Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, TVFCU, and happening Wednesdays at noon from Sept. 19-Nov. 28, Noontunes home for 2018 will be the brand new Miller Park, 928 Market St., which reopens to the public on Sept. 14.

The 2018 Noontunes lineup is as follows:

Dr. B and the Ease, Funk, Sept. 19

Spinster, Alternative Folk, Sept. 26

Karla Felecia Scaife, Inspirational Soul, Oct. 3

Stringer's Ridge, Celtic / Folk, Oct. 10

Mary Loves Jazz, Swing, Blues, Jazz, Oct. 17

Floami Fly, Rap, Oct. 24

9th Street Stompers, Jazz, Oct. 31

Jesse Jungkurth and the Patron Haints, Folk / Rock, Nov. 7

Over Easy, Indie Pop / Post Punk, Nov. 14

No Show for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Chattanooga Girls Rock Stars, Rock, Nov. 28

We are excited to help River City Company provide quality, free community programming for the renovated Miller Park, said Todd Fortner, president and CEO of Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union. Noontunes is a great opportunity for downtown employees to take a fun, relaxing mid-Wednesday break  while also giving local artists an outlet to perform.

Each live performance has a host who will discuss with the artist his or her background and song selection providing insight not normally gathered from a standard show. Also, the musicians get the opportunity to perform to a unique crowd during a rare, lunchtime performance slot.

Over the last two seasons, Noontunes has grown both in attendance and in the impressive selection of local musicians, said Meagan Shinn, program director at River City Company. Were especially looking forward to the 2018 season with the move to Miller Park which will accommodate even more attendees and support growth for downtown businesses.

Each performance will be open to the general public free of charge, live streamed and recorded and aired later on WUTC. This River City Company program sponsored by TVFCU is made possible through partners at SoundCorps, Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jazzanooga, WUTC and River City Sessions. For more information about Noontunes, visit www.NoontunesCHA.com.
Photo: Contributed Victor Cumming

Victor Cumming wants to take another shot at the mayor's chair.

Cumming entered politics for the first time four years ago and finished behind current Mayor Akbal Mund by a few hundred votes.

Cumming said based on the results of the last election and the encouragement he has received to run this year, he decided to throw his hat into the political ring once again.

I have a passion for integrated community development. It's been my profession, it's been my practice and I would really like to focus my energies here near the end of my career on my own region and community, said Cumming, adding over the years he has worked with communities across Canada.

Cumming said there are three areas that need more effort and creativity. There are a lot of people doing some really good things already and what I would like to see is some enhancement of lots of those activities.

Attainable housing is at the top of his political platform.

That is something that needs continued municipal focus, he said. Second is a whole bunch of things that would be put under public safety.

Cumming said like many communities, there is a cross-section of issues in Vernon that will be addressed.

Third on his platform is ongoing business and economic development.

For communities to continue to thrive in this very changing international scene, you have got to keep your eye on that. Vernon has always committed to putting resources and efforts into supporting economic development and that has to continue, he said.

Cumming is the third candidate to officially announce they are seeking the mayor's job.

Political newcomer Art Gourley and former mayor Wayne Lippert have both jumped into the political arena.

Mund said he will make an announcement the first week of September as to his future political aspirations.
American woman arrested after defrauding group out of Cancun trip

Livonia, New York  An American woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies in relation to her travel business.

According to Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty, Crystal F. Dragone, 64, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of grand larceny and one count of scheme to defraud after Dragone allegedly took money for a trip she never booked.

The group used her travel agency, Dragone Travel, for their vacation, paying her $26,275 USD for a trip to Cancun that she allegedly never booked. The group says she did not book the hotel or the airfare.

Crystal F. Dragone

Dragone has also been charged with two additional counts of grand larceny for allegedly taking money from two other customers and not booking their trips nor their air fare.

After her arrest, Dragone was sent to Central Booking Deputies at the Livingston County Jail for pre-arraignment detention and processing. Although the district attorney recommended bail at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond, she was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

The investigation was a joint effort between Sheriffs Investigator Brad Schneider and the District Attorneys Office. She is being investigated for additional charges.
Ecuadors Minister of Tourism visits Cancun to learn success strategies

Cancun, Q.R.  The regional delegate of the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (Fonatur), Juan Emanuel Gonzalez Castelan, was visited by the Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, Enrique Ponce de Leon in Cancun Wednesday to exchange ideas.

Through a statement, the federal official said that during their meeting, the Ecuadorian diplomat was interested in learning the operating model of the Centro Integralmente Planeado (CIP) Cancun. He explained that due to the tourism success of the city, they want to apply similar strategies in the development of their Riviera del Pacifico.

During the visit they also toured the Cancun Hotel Zone, the beaches and parks, which are all managed by the Nacional de Fomento al Turismo.

Ponce de Leon said that the global success of Cancun is a reference for the creation of new tourism developments, hence his interest to learn about the planning, operation and experience of Fonatur at CIP Cancun.

Gonzalez Castelan reiterated the commitment of the federal agency to continue with the promotion of tourism while attracting new investments to the region, which contribute to its development.
Guadalajara police find cocaine stuffed bread buns bound for the US

Guadalajara, Jalisco  An package inspection at the Guadalajara airport led to the finding of cocaine-stuffed bread buns bound for the United States.

During a routine inspection, members of the federal police located several packages of cocaine hidden inside bread buns which were marked destined for the US.

According to a statement, the discovery was made in the docking area inside the Tapatia Air Terminal at Guadalajara where the regional security division of the federal police performed a routine inspection.

Photo: Policia Federal de Guadalajara

The found a large bag of bread buns from Guadalajara destined for Huntington Park, California. Police were tipped off since the bread buns, which are traditional Mexican buns, were in a nonconventional wrap.

When they opened the bag, they found 15 bread buns, four of which were perforated and stuffed with bags of cocaine. The total find was 120 grams.

The buns and packages of cocaine were confiscated and sent to f the Agent of the Public Ministry of the Federation for further investigation.
Isla Mujeres islanders say finback whale rescue changed their lives

Isla Mujeres, Q.R.  A group that helped to save an endangered finback whale stranded in shallow waters off Isla Contoy recently say it positively affected their lives.

The group that came from Isla Mujeres, say that it was an opportunity to do something different, and that it was an opportunity that will likely come only once. The group are workers from the company Caribbean Connection, that worked as a team to rescue a giant.

They say the experience has made them proud islanders noting that it positively changed their lives to perform such an action as the rescue of a rare whale in Mexican Caribbean waters. They say that although the rescue was coordinate perfectly, they had never done anything similar.

Those part of the rescue in the boats were Gilberto Avalos Solis, Miguel Valdez Palma, Jesus Valdez Palma, Arturo Garrido Poot, Brisa Croce Ojeda, Martha Luisa Zapata Calderon, Omar Alejandro Nunez Maldonado, Miguel Alkaid Ojeda Briceno, Raul Gurubel, Francisco Canche, Luis Efrain Dzib Euan, Luis Armando Maldonado, Angel Rosado Polanco, Victor Castro Martinez and Gilmer Ojeda Canche.

In water were Pablo Valdez Palma, Eulogio Marin Nunez Maldonado, Ixchel Valdez Palma and Arturo Martinez Martinez, with Aldo Jose Alvarez Chaviano in charge of the rescue.

They said that when they learned of the stranded mammal, they felt both excitement and fear because they had never seen anything of that size in such a situation.

We threw ourselves into the water without thinking about how he would react, but when we saw his condition we surround it. We saw that it had blood underneath its body, explained Ixchel Valdez Palma.

He added that people who dove into the water put their hands under the whale and found that it was completely stuck. He explained that they passed the ends of the rope under the whale and protected its fins with life vests to prevent him from being injured.

It took them between 40 and 60 minutes, and once they managed to pull it completely forward, the whale was able to swim quickly.

Another member of the rescue group, Luis Armando Maldonado, acknowledged that the whale, by its own weight, made him think that the rescue might not work, but he says, it did not turn out that way.

When we began to dislodge it and saw it start to come free, we escorted it. We made like a guide as it went out into deeper waters, explained Eulogio, another of the rescuers.

The 18-meter finback whale was discovered stranded off Faro Beach at Isla Contoy during the morning of August 2. Volunteer rescue teams arrived and managed to pull the mammal out to sea where it was able to swim away.

The finback whale is on the global endangered species list.
At least eight men have accused Ravi Karkara, a senior adviser for United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, of sexual misconduct.

An investigation is currently underway against the official, and the United Nations has a job of work to do to reform its culture and restore trust, a spokesperson of the organisation said, reported News Week.

Karkara is the senior adviser to Lakshmi Puri, former Deputy Executive Director, Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

A civil servant at the United Nations, Karkara is not an Indian diplomat.

According to Newsweek, multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation said that Karkara has been accused of using his prestige and position to sexually harass them. He is yet to comment on the matter.

In December 2017, the United Nations informed that it had been investigating, since June 2017, a case of sexual misconduct without identifying the subject by name. No charges have been filed in the 13-month ongoing investigation.

On July 26, a spokesperson for the United Nations entity, also known as UN-Women, said that the probes subject remains on administrative leave. While still on UN payroll, the person is not currently performing any active function, the spokesperson added.

An official from the organisation confirmed on August 1 that an investigation is ongoing, but they declined to comment on whether Karkara was the subject of the probe.

The UN-Women is the youngest division of the United Nations, becoming a distinct branch in 2011. Aimed at setting global standards for seeking gender equality, UN-Women helps member countries turn those standards into laws, policies and programs.

Mandy Sanghera and Kerry Gibson, international human rights activists and U.N. Women Planet 50-50 Champions, have confirmed that Karkara, who is currently on "administrative leave" from UN-Women, is the subject of the investigation.

Along with an alleged victim, Gibson filed complaints that started the investigation, while Sanghera learned of it through a former United Nations official and confirmed it with several alleged victims.

Meanwhile, two other former staffers with knowledge of the investigation have confirmed that Karkara is the subject of the probe, as did one of his alleged victims whom the investigators from the organisation interviewed 13 months ago.

Calling Karkara a predator, Sanghera told News Week: Whats finally coming to light is a long pattern of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Sanghera, Gibson and Steve Lee (an alleged victim) said the sexual misconduct accusations against Karkara include touching or grabbing a subordinates genitals in a hotel room, using work devices to send pornography and follow-up questions to male subordinates, creating a climate of sexual innuendo and obscene gestures in the workplace, and using his position and access as leverage to initiate sexual encounters.

They claim that Karkara is also accused of nonsexual harassment and abuse of power for his conduct with subordinates in and out of the workplace.

According to the US publication, the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) Office of Audit and Investigation is running the investigation and will ultimately submit its report to the development programs Legal Support Office to determine whether disciplinary proceedings, administrative actions or a public reporting of findings are warranted.

Even if charged locally in state or federal court, Karkara could avoid punishment if he has diplomatic immunity.

--ANI
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.
Fintech startup Carats.io and online diamond-trading platform IDEX - International Diamond Exchange, have announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), says a press note from both the organizations.





Image credit: Carats.io





According to the statement, the two will cooperate in the areas of data analysis and the development of new financial vehicles for both the diamond industry and general public. These will be based on Carats.io's Diamond Financial index (DFX) and its CARAT coin. IDEX will serve as an escrow company, supporting Carats.io in its acquisition of diamonds to back the digital CARAT coins that it issues, providing diamond-buying and logistics services from sourcing to vaulting.

Eli Avidar President of Carats.io said, We are delighted to announce our cooperation with IDEX. Its worldwide reach, excellent international position, and its exceptional strength in Antwerp will enhance our business operations, especially since Carats.io is UK registered."

"We are pleased to be cooperating with Carats.io, and to be able take advantage, on behalf of the diamond industry, of the synergies created by our two organizations working together," said Ehud D. Cohen, IDEX's Chairman.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
China threatens to impose new tariffs on Americas gem and jewellery imports

09 august 2018 News

In the context of the so called tariff battle between the USA and China, Beijing threatens to impose duties of 25% on the US imports of gems and jewellery, including watches, says South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The Chinese move followed Americas announcement about the implementation of further tariffs on another $200 bn of Chinese products.

Chinese duties will affect luxury products including watches and jewellery, and the gem stones used to make them, such as diamonds, rubies, crystals and pearls, according to the report.

Beijing also proposes to impose 20% tariff on the imports of gold accessories.



Victoria Quiri, Rough&Polished




Ex-CEO takes BlueRock Diamonds to court

09 august 2018 News

BlueRock Diamonds, which owns and operates the Kareevlei diamond mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa, said its former chief executive Riaan Visser, has taken the company to court.

It said in a brief statement that a court hearing had been scheduled for this Friday to consider a provisional liquidation application against Kareevlei Mining.

The diamond junior said the provisional liquidation application instituted by its erstwhile chief executive was without merit.

Kareevlei Mining holds the mining right over the Kareevlei diamond mine.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough&Polished
Mountain Province Diamonds said it has decided to declare a dividend of 4 cents per share following a good performance of the mine and cash reserves that stood at C$33.5 million as at June 30, 2018, a C$4.8 million increase from the prior quarter balance of C$28.7 million.





Image credit: Mountain Province





The company's policy is to manage down the debt levels and to pay reasonable dividends based on available cashflows, said Mountain Province chief executive Stuart Brown.

The level of future dividends may go up or down dependent on these cashflows which are strongly linked to realised diamond prices as well as the covenants relating to dividend declarations under the revolving credit facility and the secured notes payable conditions. "

The company was also set to generate significant positive cash flows for the second half of the year as cash funding commitments for the Gahcho Kue Mine were heavily weighted to the first half of the year for winter road supply and capital commitments.

Meanwhile, a record 1.9 million carats were recovered at an average grade of approximately 2.15 carats per tonne in the second quarter of 2018.

The first half output was 3,6 million carats compared with 2.5 million carats, a year earlier.

The increase in output was as a result of ongoing improvements and optimisation work since commercial production began in early 2017.

Mountain Province was targeting to produce between of 6.3 and 6.6 million carats this year.

Its sales during the second quarter of 2018 was the highest achieved to date in the company's history with C$99.1 million ($76.8 million) recognised as revenue.

This excludes about C$10.7 million ($8.1 million) in revenue from 43,000 carats in Sale 5 which was not received until July 2018.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough&Polished
Image credit: ALROSA

DIAMONDS ALROSA, the cutting and polishing division of ALROSA, held a tender for the sale of polished diamonds in the USA this July. This is the first tender for polished diamonds after the reopening of ALROSAs office in New York.In total, 111 stones of standard color with total weight of 308.97 carats were sold. The total revenue from sales amounted to $1.5 million. Companies from the largest centers of diamond trade, including Belgium, India, Israel and the US, participated in the tender.We brought to New York polished diamonds of various cuts, weighing from 2 to 6 carats. We were pleased to see great interest from American buyers, especially given the fact that this was our first tender in the US after a long break. We also succeeded in attracting new clients, and by the end of this year, we hope to hold one more tender, where we will bring a more interesting assortment", - Pavel Vinikhin, director of DIAMONDS ALROSA, commented on the results.The United States is the world's largest market for the consumption of diamond jewelry. The ALROSA office in New York was opened in 2006, but since 2016, it has not been operating for organizational reasons. It resumed work in spring 2018.ALROSA's trading offices are also located in the world's major centers of diamond trade: Antwerp, Hong Kong, Dubai, Ramat Gan. There is also a representative office in Mumbai.DIAMONDS ALROSA is ALROSAs own cutting and polishing division and one of Russias largest diamond manufacturers. It works with large rough diamonds over 1.8 carats, including special size rough diamonds and those with unique color specifications. The division is engaged not only in the manufacture of polished diamonds, but in their sale as well. The bulk of products are sold by wholesale lots at monthly trading sessions, both for export and in the domestic market.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US had made this decision on Monday, and accused Russia of violating international law. The statement anticipated the sanctions would go into effect around Aug. 22 in line with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991. The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of the first of two potential tranches of sanctions required under the 1991 law. Firms affected account for 70 percent of the Russian economy and 40 percent of its workforce, or hundreds of millions of dollars. Possibly a second set of penalties must follow, according to the law. It could include a downgrade of diplomatic relations. The first set of sanctions targets certain items the US exports to Russia that could have military uses, the so-called dual use technologies. The US would then require Russia to assure over the next 90 days that it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons and will not do so in the future, even requering on-site inspectors to be allowed to ensure compliance.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, dismissed the sanctions in a tweet on Wednesday. The United Kingdom welcomed the move from the US on Wednesday in a short statement. Putin has previously denied that Russia was behind the Novichok poisonings, saying in March that it was unthinkable that we would do such a thing.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today nominated Chile's twice-serving president and prominent women's rights advocate Michelle Bachelet to be the global body's next human rights chief. Bachelet, 66, will succeed Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who had been one of the most outspoken critics of abuses by the governments in many countries. Following consultations with the Chairs of the regional groups of Member States, Guterres informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Bachelet as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Her name now goes forward for consideration and approval by the 193-member UN General Assembly. Bachelet, a women's rights champion, ended her second four-year term as President earlier this year, having already held the post between 2006 and 2010. She was the first woman to be elected to Chile's highest office. After her first term, she came to New York as the first-ever Executive Director of the UN gender equality office, UN-Women. She also held ministerial portfolios in the Chilean Government as Minister of Defence (2002-2004) and Minister of Health (2000-2002).

Advertisement

Michelle Bachelet

The UN Human Rights High Commissioner is the principle official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system, strengthening human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality; fighting discrimination in all its forms; strengthening accountability and the rule of law; widening the democratic space and protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuses. Al-Hussein will step down from his role at the end of this month. He served a single term, beginning in 2014.

During his tenure, al-hussein had been outspoken in his criticism of abuses in dozens of countries from Myanmar and Hungary to the US. At a farewell news conference at UN headquarters this month, he had said he does not regret speaking out against human rights abuses as "silence does not earn you any respect none." In June, he released a first-ever report on Kashmir in which he called for a commission of inquiry by the Human Rights Council to conduct an independent, international investigation into the human rights situation.

Advertisement

Guterres taps Chile's 1st woman prez to be UN rights chief

India had rejected that report, terming it as "fallacious, tendentious and motivated" and a selective compilation of largely unverified information. In a strong reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the report is "overtly prejudiced", seeks to build a "false narrative" and violates the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Headquartered in Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is mandated to promote and protect the universal exercise and full realisation of human rights across the world as established in the UN Charter.

Bachelet's nomination received cautious reactions from diplomats and human rights organisations. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the US had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council in part because of the Council's consistent failure to address extreme human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere, in Venezuela and Cuba in particular. "The failures of the Human Rights Council make the Secretary-General's selection of a new High Commissioner for Human Rights all the more important," she said.

Advertisement

Bachelet's nomination received cautious reactions

Haley said that the Human Rights Commissioner can have a strong voice on these critical issues, even when the Human Rights Council fails to live up to its name. It is incumbent on the Secretary-General's choice, 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. The United States will," she said.

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth said that 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. "As a victim herself, she brings a unique perspective to the role on the importance of a vigorous defence of human rights. People worldwide will depend on her to be a public and forceful champion, especially where offenders are powerful," he said.

Advertisement

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth

The Trump administration withdrew from the Human Rights Council in June. Haley had called the Council a "cesspool of political bias" that disproportionately takes aim at Israel and protects many rights abusers. Al-Hussein's office had also criticised the White House over the separation of young children from parents at the country's borders amid a government crackdown on illegal immigration. He had cited remarks by president of the American Association of Pediatrics that locking the children up separately from their parents constituted "government-sanctioned child abuse.
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?

advertisement

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.

advertisement

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.

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.
Uncovering the expansion processes of human habitats in the past is of great importance for understanding the origins and establishment of present-day populations and the acquisition of genetic characteristics of individuals as well as for investigating mechanisms of resistance against diseases and pathogens. Previous genetic/genomic studies aimed to uncover the expansion processes using present-day human genomes of different individuals and locations. However, it is not always possible to elucidate the expansion processes based on the genomic similarity of present-day populations due to the possibility of migrations of populations between regions in various periods. It is therefore impossible to uncover the precise expansion processes of populations in the past without knowledge of the genomic information existing in a designated region and period. Thus, expansion processes hypothesized so far were nothing but speculations based on assumptions about present-day genomes.

Recent developments of DNA analysis technology have made it possible to obtain whole genome information from ultratrace amounts of DNA; we are now in an era where whole genome information can be obtained directly from ancient human skeletons discovered at archaeological sites. There remain, however, technical problems for obtaining whole genome information of ancient human skeletons. In particular, there are two main problems: first, genomic analyses*1) of poorly-preserved ancient remains in hot and humid regions of the world have up until now failed. Secondly, there is the risk of contamination of present-day human DNA in the DNA samples of ultratrace amounts from prehistoric remains. To evaluate objectively the possibility of such contamination, several different research groups must cross-check*2) one another in order to achieve exact genome sequencing; in other words, establishment of a collaborative research system is a prerequisite for attaining the highest level of scientific authenticity.

In order to cope with these problems, the present international research team, led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen with the participation of three researchers from Kanazawa University has established technologies to efficiently extract human DNA from skeletons discovered at prehistoric remains even under very poor conditions for DNA preservation. At the same time, an international system of research collaboration has been established for objectively evaluating the effects of contamination by present-day human DNA. Thanks to these efforts, the team has uncovered the expansion processes of human habitats and genetic interactions in hot and wet Southeast Asia, which was not possible previously with conventional technologies and research systems.

Worthy of special mention, the present study has been successful in determining the "whole genome" sequence of an individual with typical Jomon culture, while previous studies were only able to show a very limited "partial genome" sequence of two Jomon individuals. Thus, the present study is the first successful example to show the possibility of whole genome sequencing of prehistoric individuals in regions like Japan where preservation conditions are quite poor, possibly leading to further major progress in prehistoric genome studies.

In the present study, the international research team succeeded in extracting and sequencing DNA from 25 ancient individuals' skeletons from Southeast Asian remains, where the condition of DNA preservation is very poor, and from one Japanese Jomon female skeleton. Upon comparison of the genomic data of ancient human skeletons with those of present-day human skeletons, it has become clear that those prehistoric populations in Southeast Asia can be classified into six groups.

Group 1 contains Hoabinhians from Pha Faen, Laos, hunter-gatherers (~8000 years ago), and prehistoric populations discovered from Gua Cha, Malaysia (~4000 years ago), being genetically close to present-day Onge and Jarawa from the Andaman Islands and Jehai from the Peninsular Malaysia. To our surprise, group 1 has higher genetic affinities with Ikawazu*3) Jomon individual (Tahara, Aichi), a female adult*4), than other present-day Southeast Asians. In addition, the Ikawazu Jomon genome*5) is best modelled contributing genetically present-day Japanese.

advertisement

On the other hand, Groups 2-6 consist of ancient skeletons from the Neolithic Age, when farming started, until ~500 years ago. It is now found that they are genetically much different from Hoabinhians, each group having histories of migration and genetic interaction, i.e., inter-population mixture. Group 2 is found to be genetically close to the present-day Austroasiatic language-speaking groups such as Mlabri, but to have few genetic components common with the present-day East Asian populations. Group 3 is found to be genetically close to Kradai, Thailand, in the present-day Southeast Asian populations and to the Austronesian language-speaking groups. Group 4 is found to be genetically close to the present-day populations in South China. Group 5 is genetically close to the present-day populations in the western part of Indonesia. Group 6 is most closely related to present day Austronesian populations, with one individual showing slightly elevated Denisovan ancestry, an archaic hominin which is classified as a sister group of Neanderthals.

As above, Neolithic Southeast Asians are found to have been partially genetically influenced by ethnic groups in South China and to have had a genetic connection with populations in Taiwan; Neolithic Southeast Asians are found not to have been indigenous hunter-gatherers passively accepting farming but to have accepted farming gradually in the process of migrations of populations between the continent and islands. Conventional archaeology proposed the two-layer hypothesis that, in those periods, a large population with farming culture with rice and millet migrated into Southeast Asia and that they replaced the indigenous population. Additionally, the present study indicates that the genetic influence from South China with rice farming was only partial and that the migrating population did not replace the indigenous population completely. The present analysis shows that there were at least four big migration waves; migrations of Southeast Asians should be investigated with a new "complex model" framework.

The present study successfully elucidates for the first time the expansion/migration of prehistoric populations by genome analysis of skeletons discovered in Southeast Asia; conventionally, it was thought that such population expansion/migration could only be investigated using archaeological artifacts. An important outcome of the present study is that the same or analogous analyses could be applied to various regions to evaluate the history of population expansion/migration in much more detail and in a more scientific manner.

The genomic data obtained from ancient skeletons in Southeast Asia and from a Ikawazu Jomon individual provides an important basis for investigations on the origins of populations in wider East Asia. The whole genome information of a Jomon individual will be useful for direct comparison of genomic similarity with ancient East Asians of the corresponding period to Jomon in present-day Korea, China, Russia and others in the vicinity of the Japanese archipelago. More comparative studies are in progress on populations in wider areas. Note that the whole genome sequence obtained in this study for a Jomon individual corresponds to the Draft Genome Sequence in the Human Genome Project for the present-day humans. We aim at Complete Genome Sequence with higher accuracy.

This study is an interdisciplinary undertaking combining anthropology and archaeology in a close collaboration, allowing us to establish ourselves at the starting point for research on the origin of Jomon and its diversity. By more genome analyses of more Jomon skeletons from different Jomon sites, genetic diversity of Jomon populations will be explored over the Japanese archipelago. It is expected through such studies that various interactions among Jomon groups should be revealed together with migrations of archaeological artifacts such as potteries and stone tools as well as migrations of populations. Based on the outcome of the present study, novel anthropological and archaeological approaches would be further developed.

advertisement

[Glossary]

*1) Genomic Analysis Analysis of whole genome of a species.

*2) Cross-check analysis Cross-check analysis is an analytical method that evaluates whether the same result will be produced irrespective of different research institutions, different analytical methods, and so on. It is an important scientific index in research on ancient DNA.

*3) Ikawazu kaizuka (shellmound) A kaizuka (shellmound) site at Tahara city, Aichi prefecture, dating back to late and final Jomon period. One of the best known archaeological site of Jomon period, where more than 200 individual skeletons have been discovered from Meiji era till today. A number of anthropologists like Profs. Yoshikiyo Koganei and Hisashi Suzuki performed morphological research on prehistoric skeletons from this site. There are also other kaizuka sites in Tahara city, such as Yoshigo kaizuka and Hobi kaizuka, representative Jomon sites. Those sites have been well studied and many skeletons have been excavated.

*4) A female skeleton dating back to late Jomon period, ~2500 years ago. A Jomon skeleton discovered from Ikawazu kaizuka site in 2010. Recent studies indicate the beginning of Yayoi period to be ~3000 years ago, but the arrival of Yayoi culture differed depending on regions. The female adult skeleton from Ikawazu kaizuka site is accompanied with a pottery that is validated to date back to the period of Gokanmori type pottery, indicating that the period was still Jomon at those sites in Atsumi peninsula, Aichi prefecture. In addition, the female skeleton analyzed here shows typical Jomon morphology.

*5) Whole genome sequence Whole genome sequence is the total DNA sequence of a species covering not only DNA sequences for genes but also DNA sequences for non-gene regions.
Whale sharks, the world's largest fish, roam less than previously thought. Local and regional actions are vital for the conservation of this globally endangered species moving forward, according to a new study by researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, University of Southampton, and Sharkwatch Arabia. Their findings are published today in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Previously, genetic research indicated that whale sharks mixed within distinct populations in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, respectively. This new study used stable isotope analysis, a biochemical technique, to demonstrate that whale sharks feeding at three disparate sites in the Western Indian Ocean (Mozambique and Tanzania) and the Arabian Gulf (Qatar) rarely swim more than a few hundred kilometres north or south from these areas.

"Whale sharks are amazing swimmers, often moving over 10000 km each year, and they can dive to around 2000 meters in depth. Biochemical studies tell us more about where they go and what they do when they're out of our sight," said Dr Clare Prebble, who led the research as part of her PhD project at the University of Southampton.

The researchers used isotopes of nitrogen and carbon that have similar chemical properties, but vary in their atomic mass. Ratios between the heavier and lighter isotopes of these elements vary naturally across different habitats in the marine environment. For example, more of the heavier isotopes are found in near-shore environments than offshore. These ratios stay consistent as they are passed up through the food web, from tiny marine plants to top predators, and therefore provide a record of the animal's feeding and movement behaviours. Stable isotope analysis thereby provides a 'biological passport' for whale sharks.

Electronic tags are commonly used with marine animals to record their movements and diving behaviours. However, the challenge of keeping them attached to a large shark, while minimizing disturbance, has meant that only short-term deployments (weeks to months) have been possible. This study used tiny samples of skin tissue from wild, free-swimming whale sharks. These small pieces of skin, collected over 2-3 years at each location, were sufficient to reconstruct the sharks' movements and feeding preferences over the weeks and months prior to sampling.

Values of both carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes differentiated at each site. To complement the biochemical analysis, the researchers also took photographs of the natural markings on each whale shark to identify and track individuals over a 10-year timeframe. Every whale shark has a unique spot pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. The team recorded 4197 encounters with 1240 individual whale sharks within these three countries.

Only two sharks moved between sites, both swimming around 2000 km north from Mozambique to Tanzania. Taken together, these findings indicate that there are limited movements between these major aggregation sites over months to years. These results have implications for the conservation of this endangered species.

"The best data available suggests that more than half of the world's whale sharks have been killed since the 1980s. Although the Western Indian Ocean remains a global hotspot for the species, even the largest feeding areas only host a few hundred sharks. Our results show that we need to treat each site separately, and ensure good conservation management is in place, as the sharks may not re-populate if they're impacted by people's activities," Prebble added.

The study stresses the need to protect these filter-feeding sharks at the areas where they come together in numbers, particularly where human pressures are also present. Whale sharks are an incidental catch in coastal gillnets, which are frequently used in Mozambique and Tanzania. The Arabian Gulf is a huge oil shipping area where vessel strikes pose a major threat to the sharks when they are feeding near the surface.

"Whale sharks are fully capable of swimming across oceans, but it seems like the juveniles, at least, are choosing not to," commented Dr Simon Pierce, Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation and a co-author on this study. "They like coming back to the same sites each year to take advantage of predictable feeding opportunities. Looking on the bright side, that emphasises that local protection can have a major benefit for the recovery of this endangered species. The rewards can also be felt locally, with whale shark tourism now worth over $100 million each year around the world."

Earlier this year, colleagues reported that whale sharks regularly visit Madagascar to feed, which has led to a growing ecotourism industry between the months of September and December. To date, none of the sharks identified in Madagascar have been seen outside that country, further reinforcing the results from this new study.

Dr Clive Trueman from the University of Southampton concluded: "Interestingly, most sharks found at these feeding sites are juvenile males of less than nine meters. To truly assess how populations are globally structured and distributed, we need to learn more about where the sharks go once they reach adulthood. They may well move out of our sight to feed and breed in deeper offshore waters."
Biological markers responsible for extreme exhaustion in patients with cancer have now been linked to fatigue in those with Parkinson's disease, according to new research from Rice University.

"Inflammation and fatigue in early, untreated Parkinson's disease" will appear in an upcoming edition of Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. It is one of the first studies to link the biomarkers responsible for fatigue in patients with cancer and patients with Parkinson's.

The researchers examined blood samples from 47 patients with Parkinson's disease, half of whom experienced high levels of fatigue, which is characterized by feeling severely tired and unable to engage in usual activities and is disruptive to one's work and social life and daily routines.

Chris Fagundes, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice and one of the study's lead authors, said that although Parkinson's disease is not fatal, patients often complain that fatigue is one of the most common and disabling side effects and a contributor to reduced quality of life.

"The No. 1 complaint among Parkinson's disease sufferers is chronic fatigue," Fagundes said.

The researchers found that individuals with Parkinson's disease who suffered from fatigue had elevated levels of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) inflammatory biomarkers. Interestingly, elevated levels of inflammatory markers such as these are also linked to fatigue in patients with cancer.

advertisement

This is the one of the first times these biomarkers has been linked to fatigue in patients with Parkinson's, Fagundes said. His previous research has focused on the link between specific biomarkers and cancer-related fatigue, and he said this study was a great opportunity to take work from one area and help a separate population.

"This opportunity came about in an unexpected way," Fagundes said. "I was invited to a symposium with a panel of world-renowned experts on Parkinson's disease in Chicago. Although I had no expert knowledge related to this disease, I was invited because I have published on the biobehavioral mechanisms that underlie cancer-related fatigue. The panel was interested in my perspective."

"After presenting data related to what we know about cancer-related fatigue, we surmised it was possible that the mechanisms were similar. In collaboration with Karen Herlofson, a physician who treats patients with Parkinson's in Western Europe, we carried out a study examining fatigue and inflammation in patients with Parkinson's thanks to a grant from the Parkinson's Foundation."

The researchers hope the discovery will allow health care providers to target specific treatments that can lower the levels of the inflammatory biomarkers and in turn improve the quality of life for the patients impacted.

"This discovery may help health professionals to develop treatments that target the biological mechanisms underlying fatigue," Fagundes said. "By targeting the biological mechanism rather than simply teaching patients how to cope with the symptoms, we could potentially alleviate fatigue in these patients."

Herlofson of the department of neurology at Sorlandet Hospital in Norway, Cobi Heijnen of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Johannes Lange and Guido Alves of the Norwegian Centre for Movement Disorders and Stavanger University Hospital in Norway, Ole-Bjorn Tysnes of the departments of neurology and clinical medicine at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, and Joseph Friedman of Brown University Medical School and Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I., were co-authors of the paper.

The research was funded by the Parkinson's Foundation.
New therapies could be on the horizon for people living with epilepsy or anxiety, thanks to a breakthrough discovery by UNLV, Tufts University School of Medicine, and an international team of researchers studying how proteins interact to control the firing of brain cells.

The study, published in Nature Communications, provides new insight into ways to regulate a specialized "compartment" of cells in the brain that controls their signaling. If scientists and doctors can influence that compartment, they can control the firing of brain cells, which may in turn stop or prevent seizures, among other things.

UNLV neuroscientist and lead author Rochelle Hines said controlling patterns of activity are very important to the brain's function.

"If we can better understand how the brain patterns activity, we can understand how it might go wrong in a disorder like epilepsy, where brain activity becomes uncontrolled," Hines said. "And if we can understand what is important for this control, we can come up with better strategies for treating and improving the quality of life for people with epileptic seizures and maybe other types of disorders as well, such as anxiety or sleep disorders."

The six-year project moved one step closer to answering decades-old questions about brain wave control, by quantitatively defining how two key proteins -- the GABAA receptor a2 subunit and collybistin -- interact. When the interaction was disrupted in rodent models, EEG tests showed brain waves moving out of control, mimicking patterns seen in humans with epilepsy and anxiety.

"That's the piece that could potentially change textbooks: Previously, we had questions about how these pieces fit together and thought that maybe a group of three or more proteins interacted," Hines said. "But our team's research strongly suggests that there's a very specific interaction between two of them, and this has implications for how neuroscientists might be able to regulate this area."

Coordinating the research effort was Stephen Moss, professor of neuroscience at Tufts and director of the AstraZeneca Laboratory for Basic and Translational Neuroscience in Boston. Moss said that the study results should stimulate the development of drugs that target the GABAA receptor a2 subunit as new, more effective treatments for epilepsy.

Hines and her husband, UNLV psychology professor Dustin Hines, collaborated on the project with researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston USA, where Rochelle was a post-doctoral fellow with Moss; and also the University of Wurzburg in Germany; University of Turin in Italy; University of Zurich in Switzerland; University College London in the UK; and the IMED Biotech Unit of AstraZeneca, Boston USA.

The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the German Excellence Initiative.
Women hold just 26 percent of executive-level positions in S&P 500 companies -- and sadly that is no accident, according to a new study by researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The study, which was made available online in March ahead of publication in the August print edition of Personnel Psychology, found that, on average, men are more likely than women to emerge as leaders.

The research team -- led by doctoral student Katie Badura and Emily Grijalva, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management -- aggregated 59 years of research, encompassing more than 19,000 participants and 136 studies from lab, business and classroom settings.

They discovered that although the gender gap has narrowed in recent decades, it still persists.

"As a society, we've made progress toward gender equality, but clearly we're not quite there," Badura says. "Our results are consistent with the struggle many organizations face today to increase diversity in their leadership teams."

The researchers primarily attribute the gender gap to societal pressures that contribute to gender differences in personality traits. For example, men tend to be more assertive and dominant, whereas women tend to be more communal, cooperative and nurturing. As a result, men are more likely to participate and voice their opinions during group discussions, and be perceived by others as leaderlike.

advertisement

"We found showing sensitivity and concern for others -- stereotypically feminine traits -- made someone less likely to be seen as a leader," Grijalva says. "However, it's those same characteristics that make leaders effective. Thus, because of this unconscious bias against communal traits, organizations may unintentionally select the wrong people for leadership roles, choosing individuals who are loud and confident but lack the ability to support their followers' development and success."

While group size and participants' ages did not affect the gender gap, the study found the length of time participants spent together was an important factor in whether men or women emerged as leaders. The longer a group spent together, the less gender influenced who emerged as the group's leader.

"The gender gap was strongest during the first 20 minutes people were together, similar to an initial job interview, but weakened after more than one interaction," Grijalva says. "During the hiring process, organizations should conduct multiple interviews to reduce gender bias and ensure they're hiring the best applicant."

For managers, the researchers suggest promoting the value of communal behaviors in performance evaluations, prompting quieter individuals to share their ideas and being mindful of any unconscious biases you or your staff may have.

"In the Obama White House, female staffers adopted a strategy of amplifying one another's comments during meetings and giving credit to the individual who said it first, to ensure that women's voices were being heard," Badura says. "Tactics like this help the most qualified individuals stand out and emerge into leadership roles -- regardless of gender."

The project was partially supported through a grant from the University at Buffalo Gender Institute.

Badura and Grijalva conducted the study with Daniel A. Newman, professor of psychology and labor and employment relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Thomas Taiyi Yan, PhD student, University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business; and Gahyun Jeon, postdoctoral research associate, Northwestern University.
The SECs Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors of risks associated with self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts (self-directed IRAs).

Self-directed IRAs allow investment in a broaderand potentially riskierportfolio of assets than other types of IRAs. While a broader set of investment options may have appeal, investors should be mindful that investments in self-directed IRAs raise risks including fraudulent schemes, high fees, and volatile performance.

Investing through Self-Directed IRAs

An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) provides investors with certain tax benefits for retirement savings. Some common examples of IRAs include the traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA, and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA. All IRA accounts are held for investors by custodians. Custodians may include banks, trust companies, or any other entity approved by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to act as an IRA custodian. Most IRA custodians limit the holdings in IRA accounts to firm-approved stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and CDs.

A self-directed IRA is an IRA held by a custodian that allows investment in a broader set of assets than is permitted by most IRA custodians. Custodians for self-directed IRAs disclaim most duties to investors, and may allow investors to invest retirement funds in alternative assets such as real estate, promissory notes, tax lien certificates, and private placement securities. Investments in these kinds of assets may have unique risks that investors should consider. Those risks can include a lack of disclosure and liquidity -- as well as the risk of fraud.

Certain self-directed IRAs allow investment in so-called digital assets, which include crypto-currencies, coins, and tokens, such as those offered in so-called initial coin offerings (ICOs). Fraudsters may use the allure associated with ICOs and other digital assets to entice self-directed IRA investors with the promise of high returns. While it is possible that digital assets may provide fair and lawful investment opportunities, they may also be conducted without SEC registration or a valid exemption from registration, and may not provide complete or accurate information to aid investors in making informed decisions. In addition, many of the trading platforms for these digital assets refer to themselves as exchanges, which may give investors the misimpression that they are regulated by the SEC. For more information on the risks associated with ICOs and other digital assets, please check out our Spotlight Page on Initial Coin Offerings and Digital Assets. For more information on the risks associated with trading platforms for digital assets, please check out the Divisions of Enforcement and Trading Markets Statement on Potentially Unlawful Online Platforms for Trading Digital Assets.

Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud

Fraudsters may be more likely to exploit self-directed IRAs because custodians or trustees of these accounts may offer only limited protections. Custodians and trustees typically have only limited duties to investigate the assets or the background of the promoter.

There are a number of ways that fraudsters may try to use self-directed IRAs to perpetrate a fraud on unsuspecting investors. For example:

Misrepresentations Regarding Custodial Responsibilities  Fraudsters may misrepresent the duties of self-directed IRA custodians to deceive investors into believing that their investments are legitimate or protected against losses. For example, fraudsters often claim or suggest that self-directed IRA custodians investigate and validate any investment in a self-directed IRA. However, unlike custodians for other types of IRAs, self-directed IRA custodians are responsible only for holding and administering the assets in a self-directed IRA. Self-directed IRA custodians generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment in the self-directed IRA or its promoters. Furthermore, most custodial agreements between a self-directed IRA custodian and an investor explicitly state that the self-directed IRA custodian has no responsibility for investment performance.

Fraudsters may misrepresent the duties of self-directed IRA custodians to deceive investors into believing that their investments are legitimate or protected against losses. For example, fraudsters often claim or suggest that self-directed IRA custodians investigate and validate any investment in a self-directed IRA. However, unlike custodians for other types of IRAs, self-directed IRA custodians are responsible only for holding and administering the assets in a self-directed IRA. Self-directed IRA custodians generally do not evaluate the quality or legitimacy of any investment in the self-directed IRA or its promoters. Furthermore, most custodial agreements between a self-directed IRA custodian and an investor explicitly state that the self-directed IRA custodian has no responsibility for investment performance. Exploitation of Tax-Deferred Account Characteristics  Self-directed IRAs are tax-deferred accounts that carry a financial penalty for prematurely withdrawing money before a certain age. The prospect of an early withdrawal penalty may encourage an investor to take a passive approach to managing the account, which may result in a lesser degree of oversight than a managed account might receive, allowing a fraudster to perpetrate his fraud longer.

 Self-directed IRAs are tax-deferred accounts that carry a financial penalty for prematurely withdrawing money before a certain age. The prospect of an early withdrawal penalty may encourage an investor to take a passive approach to managing the account, which may result in a lesser degree of oversight than a managed account might receive, allowing a fraudster to perpetrate his fraud longer. Lack of Information About Alternative Investments  Self-directed IRAs allow investors to hold alternative investments that, unlike publicly traded securities, may have limited financial and other information available. Even when financial information for these alternative investments is available, it may not be audited by a public accounting firm. Furthermore, as noted above, self-directed IRA custodians usually do not investigate the accuracy of any financial information that is provided.

Ways to Avoid Fraud with Self-Directed IRAs

Despite the risks presented by self-directed IRAs, there are a number of steps that investors can take to reduce the risk of fraud.

Verify information in self-directed IRA account statements. Alternative investments may be illiquid and difficult to value. As a result, self-directed IRA custodians often list the value of the investment as the original purchase price, the original purchase price plus returns reported by the promoter, or a price provided by the promoter. If possible, take steps to independently verify informationsuch as prices and asset valuesprovided in account statements.

Alternative investments may be illiquid and difficult to value. As a result, self-directed IRA custodians often list the value of the investment as the original purchase price, the original purchase price plus returns reported by the promoter, or a price provided by the promoter. If possible, take steps to independently verify informationsuch as prices and asset valuesprovided in account statements. Avoid unsolicited investment offers. Investors should exercise extreme caution before investing in an unsolicited investment offer that promotes the use of a self-directed IRA. Fraudsters may attempt to lure investors into transferring money from traditional IRAs and other retirement accounts into new self-directed IRAs.

Investors should exercise extreme caution before investing in an unsolicited investment offer that promotes the use of a self-directed IRA. Fraudsters may attempt to lure investors into transferring money from traditional IRAs and other retirement accounts into new self-directed IRAs. Ask questions. Always ask if the person offering the investment is registered or licensed, and if the investment itself is registered. Then check out the answers with an unbiased source, such as the SEC or your state securities regulator. The SEC has a short publication called Ask Questions that discusses many of the other questions investors should ask of anyone who wants them to make an investment, including about the background and history of the promoter. Please take a look at it before making any investment decisions.

Always ask if the person offering the investment is registered or licensed, and if the investment itself is registered. Then check out the answers with an unbiased source, such as the SEC or your state securities regulator. The SEC has a short publication called Ask Questions that discusses many of the other questions investors should ask of anyone who wants them to make an investment, including about the background and history of the promoter. Please take a look at it before making any investment decisions. Be wary of guaranteed returns. Every investment carries some degree of risk, and the level of risk typically correlates with the return an investor can expect to receive. Lower risks generally correspond to lower yields (or returns). By contrast, higher yields typically involve higher risk. Fraudsters often spend a lot of time trying to convince investors that extremely high returns are low risk by calling them guaranteed or can't miss opportunities. Be extremely wary of such claims. High returns typically represent potential rewards for investors who are willing and financially able to take big risks.

Every investment carries some degree of risk, and the level of risk typically correlates with the return an investor can expect to receive. Lower risks generally correspond to lower yields (or returns). By contrast, higher yields typically involve higher risk. Fraudsters often spend a lot of time trying to convince investors that extremely high returns are low risk by calling them guaranteed or can't miss opportunities. Be extremely wary of such claims. High returns typically represent potential rewards for investors who are willing and financially able to take big risks. Consult a professional. For investment opportunities like alternative assets in self-directed IRAs, investors should consider getting a second opinion from a licensed, unbiased investment professional or an attorney. This is especially important if an investor is opening or creating a new account outside a traditional financial institution or well-recognized broker-dealer.

Recourse for Fraud Victims

If you have lost money in a fraudulent investment or scheme involving a self-directed IRA or a third-party custodian, or have information about one of these scams, you should:

You also can read our Investor Bulletin: How Harmed Investors May Recover Money for general information on ways victims may recover money from fraudulent scams.

Additional Information

For additional educational information for investors, see the SECs Investor.gov website. For additional information related to avoiding fraud, also see:

For additional information regarding IRAs, please see the Internal Revenue Services IRA Online Resource Guide.

The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has provided this information as a service to investors. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of SEC policy. If you have questions concerning the meaning or application of a particular law or rule, please consult with an attorney who specializes in securities law.
The bombardment of fire that turned large portions of California into a smoking pyre prompted state fire officials Wednesday to ban outdoor burning over much of the Bay Area and parts of the Central Valley.

Citing extreme fire danger, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as 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.

Residents in Morgan Hill and those covered by the South Santa Clara County Fire District, which both have firefighting contracts with Cal Fire, must also comply with the restrictions.

It is one of the few times in recent memory  the Santa Clara unit also issued a ban in 2015  that burning has been banned in the Bay Area, said Pam Temmermand, the spokeswoman for the unit.

Its not common to have a burn ban across the board, Temmermand said. Weve got 17 fires burning across the state of California  many of them extremely large fires  and we have critical conditions, including high temperatures, low humidity, extremely dry fuels and winds. Its a combination of all those factors and thats why the ban has been put in place.

The restrictions cover any kind of open fire, including campfires and charcoal fires. Smoking is also prohibited except in enclosed vehicles, buildings or open spaces clear of flammable material.

Lanterns, portable gas stoves, propane, liquid fuel or gas fire pits will be allowed in campgrounds, but all flammable material must be cleared at least 10 feet around the camp stove and a shovel must be available, according to the regulations.

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.

The ban does not cover private property, but Temmermand urged people to be careful wherever they are.

We would ask people to not burn even on private property, she said. Folks have to remember in regards to open burning on private property, that if a fire gets out of control they could be held civilly responsible and potentially criminally responsible. Lets just try and avoid burning anything right now.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite
Beneath the art-bedecked terrazzo floor of San Franciscos Salesforce Transit Center is an enormous concrete box waiting to be filled.

Its an end point for bullet trains that may someday zip in from Los Angeles, and commuter Caltrain locomotives chugging up the Peninsula to the South of Market district.

But when the center opens Sunday, that concourse will remain empty. It will likely stay that way for years.

There is no firm timeline or funding source for the long-promised train service. While transportation officials seek to build momentum for this next phase, San Francisco City Hall is touting a new approach that could raise the cost to $6 billion from an already expensive $4 billion.

Thats caused some politicians and transit enthusiasts to worry, even as they remain adamant that the rail extension will happen. Because it must happen, said state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco.

Every major transformational transit project ever has been more expensive than we thought, had taken more time than we thought, Wiener said. Well find a way.

For now, whats about to open Sunday is little more than an immense bus station, served by Muni, AC Transit and other agencies. The underground rail service will be included as a second phase with the addition of bullet trains from Southern California and Caltrain commuter trains from the South Bay.

Most San Francisco officials and planners agree on the advantages of rail and its extension into downtown. South Bay commuters who are now dropped off at the edge of Mission Bay would step right onto Mission Street. Businesspeople would be whisked from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours. The concept of a transit hub shaped the dense high-rise neighborhood thats risen around the Salesforce Transit Center, with its sleek sidewalks and cylindrical apartment towers.

Yet the mile-and-a half path from the transit center to Fourth and Townsend streets, Caltrains current terminus, is not virgin territory. Its crisscrossed by busy streets and ramps to Interstate 280. Caltrain tracks that now are above ground cross 16th Street, a major entrance to the blossoming Mission Bay neighborhood.

The challenge of picking a route for the trains that would work for decades to come defies easy solutions. And its eluded City Hall and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority  the independent government agency in charge of the transit center and rail extension  for years.

Were building a 100-year system, at least, said former San Francisco Planning Commission President Ron Miguel, who participated in a citizen working group to help conceive the new route. So we have to think, What do we want this to look like in 2070  or beyond?

Under the authoritys current scenario, track would be laid underground from Seventh and Townsend streets to the transit center on Mission Street, leaving street-level rail crossings at 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and at Seventh Street and Mission Bay Drive.

The city now wants to alter that idea because it would create huge snarls at the crossings, with longer electrified Caltrains and new bullet trains clogging the intersections for 25 minutes of every hour in neighborhoods that are rapidly growing.

If you consider all the new housing and the new hospital coming into Mission Bay, that creates not only a traffic problem, but a safety problem, said city Planning Director John Rahaim.

So, the Planning Department released a study in May recommending an alternate route that would start the tunnel at Pennsylvania Avenue and 25th Street, about a mile south of Seventh and Townsend, raising the projects cost by $2 billion. City planners also called for tunnel-boring  mining deep beneath the street  instead of the cheaper construction method of tearing up roadway surfaces.

The proposed Pennsylvania Avenue extension quickly caught on at City Hall, finding favor with supervisors and other officials who have to agree on the route before the Joint Powers Authority can pursue it. After publishing the study in May, city planners presented it to neighborhood groups, the Planning Commission, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and the Caltrain Board of Directors, among other bodies. In all cases it was overwhelmingly well-received, Rahaim said.

But the revision leaves out how to finance the project. So far the city has identified only $1 billion in funding from a mix of sources, including sales taxes and bridge toll money from Regional Measure 3 approved by voters in June. Much of the rest would come from federal and state funds that would need approval.

Serving the center As of Sunday, the following transit agencies will serve the center: AC Transit Golden Gate Transit Greyhound Muni Western Contra Costa Transit Authority Looking ahead Amtrak is in talks to run buses from its train stations in the East Bay, Sacramento and San Jose. Plans call for eventual use by Caltrain and a high-speed rail service from Southern California. See More Collapse

Mark Zabaneh, the authoritys executive director, is resolutely optimistic.

He aims to have the rail line ready for construction by 2020, meaning all environmental reviews would need to be complete, and the right-of-way acquired to lay the original 1.3 miles of track from Seventh and Townsend streets to Second and Howard streets. He said the authority can start digging that route while it gets approvals for the Pennsylvania Avenue extension.

The money will follow, Zabaneh said, and if everything goes smoothly, the rail extension will be complete by 2029.

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.

I can tell you my glass is always half full, he said. When you look at all these megaprojects, funding is always the big challenge. You always have to believe that if you develop a funding plan and get your partners and the region behind it, then in due time, the funding will come.

Still, skeptics and even some supporters worry about the escalating costs. Some note that the increase comes at an uncertain time for federal and state funding: The GOP-led federal government may be reluctant to shower funds on progressive San Francisco, Wiener said, and state officials are fighting to protect the newly enacted gas tax  a key source of revenue for the proposed rail line and other transit projects  from a ballot measure to repeal it this November.

We probably have enough money to engineer everything, but do we have enough money to put a shovel in the ground? I dont know, said Greg Harper, who represents AC Transit on the Joint Powers Authoritys Board of Directors.

Further complicating matters, Californias high-speed rail system  which is already under construction  is beset by delays, ballooning costs and opposition from prominent Republicans, including President Trump. Its most powerful advocate, Gov. Jerry Brown, will leave office in January.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who chairs the boards Transportation Authority, views the rail extension as a test of San Franciscos ability to deliver major transit infrastructure. But it wont work unless all the pieces come together, he said.

If we dont get Caltrain, and eventually high-speed rail, into Transbay Terminal it will go down as the most expensive bus terminal in the history of humankind, he said.

Miguel, the former Planning Commission president, said the rail extension is too important to let that happen.

This rail line, its as necessary to San Franciscos transit vision for 2050 as BART was to regional transit in the 1960s, he said.

Zabaneh said he looks forward to the day when trains will dash at blistering rates from Los Angeles Union Station, cutting a path through the Central Valley and into downtown San Francisco.

But during a recent presentation to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority board, he described the financing for the rail extension as hand-to-mouth.

He offered a wan smile. And I expect we will continue that way, he said.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @rachelswan
What was supposed to be an ordinary news conference Wednesday highlighting the citys investment of $5.8 million over the next two years to provide legal services to anyone facing eviction turned into a verbal tussle over who deserved credit for the project.

Mayor London Breed took to the steps of City Hall alongside newly appointed District Five Supervisor Vallie Brown and tenants rights advocates to herald the funding as essential to preventing illegal evictions and displacement.

The city already sends around $2 million annually to nonprofits that provide legal services for people facing eviction. The money will be used to pay for a legal defense program created by the passage of Proposition F in June.

But conspicuously absent from the City Hall steps Wednesday were key players responsible for creating Prop. F and getting it passed.

Dean Preston, a tenants rights activist who wrote the measure, and the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which collected signatures and championed it in the run-up to election day, say they werent invited and learned of the event only through word of mouth.

Some DSA members, gathered in the crowd below Breed, took to a bullhorn, occasionally drowning out Breeds remarks. They also handed out flyers that read: We and our tenant allies put Prop. F on the ballot to win a universal right to eviction counsel. Even if that means not getting an invite to mayors party.

Mia Lehrer, vice chair of the San Francisco DSA, said the group is thrilled voters approved the measure. But whats troubling to her, she said, was the misrepresentation of who was responsible for it. Thats dishonest to voters.

Breed, along with former District Eight Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, introduced legislation last November that would have created a similar eviction-defense program for tenants. Breed, then the District Five supervisor, was critical of Prop. F, preferring to create the program legislatively, where it could be fine-tuned, rather than at the ballot box.

But Prop. Fs supporters said officials had talked about creating the program for years, and they decided to force the issue with a citizens initiative.

Im really not interested in credit, but I do belive the mayor should recognize organizations ... who did so much work to win this historic measure, said Preston, who lost the 2016 District Five supervisor race to Breed.

Now, Preston is lined up to run against Brown, Breeds handpicked successor for the seat, raising questions about whether the news conference was intended to elevate Brown at Prestons expense.

The only organizations not being invited to this were the ones Dean Preston is associated with, Lehrer said.

Youve got to love San Francisco, Breed said. Only in San Francisco can you present $5.8 million to tenants for a right to counsel and have protesters.

 Dominic Fracassa and Kevin Fagan

Chamber parody: A website mocking an effort by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to defeat a November ballot measure popped up anonymously Tuesday, highlighting the tension over how the city should raise extra money for homeless services.

The ballot measure, dubbed Our City, Our Home, would levy an average 0.5 percent gross receipts tax on companies that have more than $50 million in annual revenue. The extra money would roughly double the citys funding for housing and homeless services.

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.

Supporters say businesses that would qualify could shoulder what would amount to a modest tax increase. But a recent memo by the citys Office of Economic and Workforce Development said the extra tax would disproportionately impact the citys middle class because those companies may move certain types of jobs out of town.

In response to the memo, the chamber created an opposition campaign called Right Priority, Wrong Approach. A person involved in creating the parody site  who declined to be identified  said by email they were not part of the Our City, Our Home campaign.

The website features fabricated quotes from chamber Vice President Jim Lazarus, Supervisors Catherine Stefani and Ahsha Safai and Alan Auerbach, director of UC Berkeleys tax policy center.

It also says the chamber launched its campaign with a favorable story in The Chronicle and has prioritized the interests of the citys largest corporations over the needs of our residents. Hearst Communications, owner of The Chronicle, would be subject to the tax.

Christin Evans, one of the original petitioners of the ballot measure, said she was unaware of the website until a reporter pointed it out to her but agrees that the chamber is putting the needs of businesses over residents.

She called the idea that the tax would impact middle-class jobs a scare tactic, and said companies that would pay it have likely benefited from the recent corporate tax cut and the gross receipts tax is a fraction of the tax breaks they received.

 Trisha Thadani

Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com, tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @dominicfracassa @trishathadani
Gumps, a 157-year-old San Francisco retailer, is seeking court approval for a store closing sale that would end by Dec. 31, according to bankruptcy filings this week.

A Gumps spokesman said the company was still seeking a buyer to continue business operations, but its store at 135 Post St. near Union Square will close by the end of this year if a buyer isnt found.

Gumps filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday and hired Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers to liquidate its merchandise.

The company, which was founded in 1861 and sells home decor and furnishings, apparel and jewelry, has been seeking financing or a sale since May. Gumps hired financial adviser Lincoln International and signed nondisclosure agreements with 40 prospective investors and 10 prospective lenders, according to a court filing by Tony Lopez, Gumps chief operating officer.

No sale has been completed to date because of the stores lack of liquidity and overburdened capital structure, Lopez wrote. Gumps lost $5 million in 2016 and $5.6 million in 2017, requiring loans to stay in business. All prospective sales to date are also contingent upon raising additional capital, whether as debt or equity, Lopez wrote.

Gumps survival as a retail store is highly unlikely, said Gary Kaplan, a bankruptcy lawyer at Farella Braun + Martel, which isnt involved in the Gumps case. He said the companys failure to reach a deal in the past few months and its plans to liquidate merchandise is a sign of its desperate financial situation.

Once you get to the level that youre bringing in the Gordon Brothers of the world ... that means youre done, Kaplan said, referring to the liquidator Gumps hired. It would be very difficult for them to turn it around.

The company listed assets that included store and catalog inventory worth $25.5 million at retail value, but with a lower liquidation value of $8.6 million. Other assets included store furniture and intellectual property estimated at a value of $1.3 million to $1.6 million. Debts to three major lenders totaled $16 million.

Cate Murphy remembers visiting Gumps in the 1950s and 1960s. Murphy, 71, who was born in San Francisco and grew up in Napa, would save up to buy exotic, high-end furnishings. Her friends did, too, especially when they got married.

Everyone used to register for their china and crystal, she said. I spent my hard-earned salary on Christofle silver.

Murphy remembers buying a bowl shaped like a lotus petal and a Chinese dowry wooden chest.

I splurged, she said.

Gumps would also host puppies and kittens in the store for adoption through a partnership with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

But now Murphy rarely shops at Gumps. Her most recent purchase at Gumps came last Christmas, when she bought an ornament for under $10.

I blew all my money on art and jewelry, she said. I dont need any more junk.

Her niece doesnt want to inherit her Gumps porcelain, Murphy said, because of the hassle of dusting.

Helen Bulwik, a retail consultant and former Gumps board member in the 1990s, blamed Gumps outdated merchandise for its struggles.

They have focused on a much older customer. That makes it very difficult as opposed to evolving with current home furnishings trends, she said. That has hurt them for many years.

In contrast, other luxury retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Restoration Hardware have appealed more to modern tastes and benefited, said Bulwik. Consulting firm Bain & Co. expects the global luxury goods market to grow by 6 to 8 percent this year to $318 billion to $324 billion in sales, thanks to growing demand in China.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Gumps also faced fierce competition for wedding registry business from Macys, Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma. Bulwik doesnt think Amazon had a major impact on Gumps business, and noted that Gumps gets 75 percent of its sales from catalog and online sales.

Gumps view is not so much that the products are outdated, because in fact they do sell well to existing customers. The issue is broadening the customer base with new, additional merchandise to appeal to a broader demographic than the companys traditional core, said William Noall of Garman Turner Gordon LLP, Gumps bankruptcy lawyer. That involves risk and takes capital, which the company simply didnt have.

Gumps has expanded to jewelry at lower price points and a broader gift assortment to appeal to men, Noall said.

But Bulwik said those efforts havent been enough.

Im not so sure anybody under the age of 50 has set foot in Gumps at this point, which is unfortunate, Bulwik said. The reality is, who buys jade today? Who buys pearl today?

Most shoppers at Gumps on Thursday appeared to fit Bulwiks description. But Sarah Wadhar, 35, was browsing through items on the third floor. The high prices, she said, deter her from putting down money.

I think its definitely super-aspirational. Everythings very pricey, but its also classic, said Wadhar, a San Francisco resident. Things here are truly one of a kind. Its not like an everyday-use item.

Wadhar hopes the retail space survives.

I hope it hangs on, at least until January. Where else will I get my Christmas ornaments? she said.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
A Foster City man was sentenced Wednesday to more than nine years in prison for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old child in the pool of a Jamaican resort in June 2017, officials said.

Douglas Peacock, 44, pleaded guilty in April to molesting a child from the United States in a family-friendly pool at a resort in Jamaica on June 20, 2017, just one day after traveling to the country from the United States, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California.

He was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2017 with one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Peacock has been in federal custody since he returned to the United States on Nov. 10, 2017.

On Wednesday, Peacock was sentenced to exactly 115 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer. He will begin his sentence immediately, officials said.

At the completion of his sentence, Peacock will be under supervision for 10 years and is required to register as a sex offender in the United States, officials said.

Today, the Court imposed a sentence commensurate with the egregiousness of the crime committed, sad United States Attorney Alex Tse. This case demonstrates the borderless nature of crimes against children and this Offices dedication to prosecute those crimes, protect the community, and bring justice to child victims and their families.

The sentencing was a result of collaboration with officials from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, said Ryan Spradlin, a special agent in charge of Northern California and Northern Nevada investigations.

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.

Thanks to our work with our attache in Jamaica, we were able to ensure this child molester was not only held accountable in a foreign country, but that he was prosecuted, will serve time, and be registered as a sex offender here in the U.S. to help keep others safe from potential threat, Spradlin said.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
/

Authorities searched for an armed subject Thursday morning at Oaklands MacArthur BART station, prompting delays for trains in all directions, officials said.

Officers responded to the 4000 block of Telegraph at about 8:47 a.m., on a report of a male with a gun who went into the BART station, said Officer Felicia Aisthorpe , an Oakland police spokeswoman.
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.

Now Playing: Surveillance video of Sahib Singh, a 71-year-old Sikh man who doesn't speak English, being attacked by two men in Manteca around 6 a.m. on from Aug. 6, 2018. Tyrone McAllister, 18, and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested on charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the police department. Video: Manteca Police Department

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.

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.

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
Maura McCoy arrived on Olompali, a lush 700-acre plot of land in Marin County, when she was 10 years old. It was the end of 1967, and her father, Don McCoy, had brought Maura and her two younger sisters, along with a gang of like-minded hippie friends and families, to start a new way of life.

Months earlier, San Francisco had experienced the Summer of Love, as the Haight-Ashbury was flooded with young people traveling nationwide to partake of the counterculture ethos and see shows like the Monterey International Pop Festival to the south.

But the true spirit of the hippie movement lived up north on Olompali, north of Novato. The new documentary, Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey  narrated by Peter Coyote and showing on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center  chronicles the history of Olompali (now a state park), most notably focusing on the rise and fall of the commune founded by Don McCoy and his so-called Chosen Family of hippies.

In 1966, the Grateful Dead moved into the parks mansion for the summer, throwing parties and operating the land as an open house. Some remember it as the true Summer of Love.

Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey: 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9. With Filmmakers Gregg Gibbs and Maura McCoy. 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9. With filmmakers and Peter Coyote. $10-$15. Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org See More Collapse

The city was just inundated with all these runaways and hippie wannabes, director Gregg Gibbs says, referring to the pushback against the newcomers in 1967. Many felt that the ideals of the hippie movement were lost among the crowds. At summers end, the Diggers, the Haights anarchist community-action collective, conducted a mock funeral signaling the death of hippie.

Yet in Olompali, the hippie movement lived on. A young, recently divorced businessman and father of three, Don McCoy had received a sizable inheritance, which he used to rent the land. He wanted Olompali to serve as a new model for society, where money didnt matter and the community could enjoy life unaffected by the countrys political and cultural upheaval.

My memories are that it was quite a sense of freedom. And that was really what my father was going for  that people would have that sense of personal freedom, says Maura McCoy, who produced the film.

Don McCoy, who died in 2004 but whose audio recordings guide the film, had no desire to be a strict leader, only to use his fortune to allow for a formless way of community living.

There were no cultish aspects to Olompali, says Gibbs. It was very, very open-ended, and it was pure in that way.

On the serene, open land, the Chosen Family wandered naked and experimented with drugs. The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane would come to play music, while the commune, dubbed the White House of Hippiedom in the local press, operated a discarded bakery oven to make bread for the Diggers, who would distribute the loaves in San Francisco for free.

Led by a former school principal, the McCoy sisters and the other children who lived there formed their own school and largely dictated their own education. They also encountered the drugs being passed around. For Maura McCoy, the commune provided fond memories, though the younger children would ultimately struggle to reconcile the experience with what they were exposed to.

I felt well taken care of and loved. I had a lot of friends, she says, before pausing. When things went downhill, it was somewhat distressing as a child.

By 1969, the idealistic vision would be abruptly shaken into reality with a sequence of disasters, and ultimately tragedy. The same year of the deadly Altamont Festival  the concert east of the Bay Area that often is considered the symbolic end to the optimistic spirit of the late 60s  the Chosen Familys stint on Olompali ended.

Its a great microcosm of that whole movement, both the ups and the downs, Maura McCoy says. We have that kind of arc, where things are going so well and it seems to be working, but the outside forces and the establishment, if you will, come in to do away with it.

Now Maura McCoy struggles to find the exact words to characterize her fathers utopian dream, which was ultimately being built for her and the children at Olompali. He had everyones best interests at heart, she says.

As a child, I didnt have the intellectual capacity to really understand what the overarching vision that my father had was, she says. Looking back on it, I think it was kind of a beautiful way of looking at the world.

Brandon Yu is a Bay Area freelance writer.
Matt Haber

Join dancers and choreographers from Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Chile, Costa Rica and around the United States for the sixth annual San Francisco International Deaf Dance Festival, running Friday-Sunday, Aug. 10-12.

Producer Antoine Hunter, a deaf dancer and choreographer who also heads Oaklands Urban Jazz Dance Company, received a special 2017 Isadora Duncan Dance Award for the festival, which builds artistic bridges between the deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing communities. All are welcome at every event, and interpretation in Mexican, Turkish, German, American and other sign languages is available.
We trotted over to the Harvey Milk Recreation Center for National Night Out festivities Tuesday, Aug. 7, a fiesta that spreads goodwill, celebrating the bonds between law enforcement entities (SFPD, Park Service and sheriffs among them), civic institutions and nonprofits (City College, violence prevention and emergency management groups, SPCA and Muttville among them), politicians (newbie supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Vallie Brown) and we, the people of the Park Station police district.

There was lots of information, and lots of giveaway pens. By the time we left, Id filled my Sheriffs Department mini-backpack with enough writing materials to hand-copy the entire municipal code for San Francisco. (Unfortunately, having walked home carrying the pack upside down, the supply was somewhat diminished.)

Anyway, in the park there were kids activities, free tickets for tacos and burritos at a food truck, a dog contest  turned out our neighborhood seems to be a particular haven for golden retrievers  and at least one cultural debut:

The San Francisco Police Department Jazz Band made its first public appearance in uniform. The band has been playing around town for a while, said bassoonist Rufus Olivier and sax man Riley Bandy, but never while on duty. The music  identified as Monk by someone watching/listening to my Facebook Live broadcast  was well received by all, including Choco, a chocolate Lab bomb sniffer having an otherwise quiet night.

There was also, I am bound to report, a #MeToo moment. Although my husband was standing just a few feet away, a Park Service horse started biting my green sweater. Its true, I had been stroking his face, but that doesnt mean Id given permission for a sweater bite. One nearby officer speculated that maybe the horse thought I was a pile of alfalfa. Not exactly the best compliment Ive ever received, but it was a grand night anyway.

The artist Ai Weiwei made the announcement on Instagram: Farewell. Today, they started to demolish my studio Zuo You in Beijing, with no precaution. Which I have as my main studio since 2006. As of Tuesday, the building was gone, either a victim of urban development (sounds familiar) or government disapproval of the artist.

The artist, who was under house arrest for four years in Beijing, lives in Berlin nowadays. He is represented in San Francisco by his friend Cheryl Haines, whose For-Site Foundation produced the @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz installation that was on the island in 2014 and 2015. Haines said on Tuesday that she had been in touch with him over the weekend, going back and forth, been doing a lot of social media posts about the circumstance. Was art lost? Were not certain what works have been lost, said Haines, because there was very little warning of the demolition. Although the artist lives in Europe, he does still have an office and home in Beijing.

Ai told NPR that loss of the works, compared to the memories which have been lost, compared to a society which has never established trust in the social order, a trust in the rule of law or a trust in any kind of unity in defending the rights of its people, what has been lost at my studio is insignificant and I dont even care.

As to the artists state of mind, You know, Weiwei seems like hes handling it very calmly. And although it saddens him, said Haines, he always remains very positive, and looking forward to continuing his work wherever he can.

Ai, whose documentary about the global refugee crisis, Human Flow, showed in San Francisco last year, linked that issue with the demolition. Since last year, he told NPR, a policy was enacted to clear out migrant workers from Beijing. It is gentrification, but this is also a society which exploits the rights of its migrant workers. ... This is not simply the demolition of a studio, but rather the demolition of human rights.

Haines and Ai have been in constant touch, working diligently, she said, on the Yours Truly film, a documentary about the artists request, at the Alcatraz exhibition, that viewers send postcards to prisoners of conscience around the world.

PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING

There was a time when we used to close down the bars. Now we open the diners.

Man to man, overheard at Toast in outer Noe Valley by Ted Weinstein

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik
Even Americas psychologists  the people tasked with knitting peoples psyches back together  are fighting over politics. And the battlefield is their role in the nations war on terrorism.

Meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, a leadership group of the American Psychological Association, the industrys largest professional organization, voted 105 to 57 to continue to ban military psychologists from treating prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, where the U.S. is holding foreigners it suspects of being terrorists.

The organization imposed the ban in 2015 to prevent military psychologists from working in settings where persons are held outside of, or in violation of, either international law  or the U.S. Constitution.

The association imposed the ban on military psychologists after a report it commissioned found that some had helped torture detainees to try to obtain information on terrorist operations.

The association has continued to allow psychologists to work at Guantanamo if they are brought in by detainees lawyers or a third party, such as the International Red Cross. But proponents of allowing military psychologists to resume treating detainees say none has visited the prison since the ban went into effect, depriving inmates of mental health care. They argued that military psychologists would be able to provide ongoing treatment that currently isnt happening.

Sally Harvey, a retired military psychologist who supported lifting the ban, said Wednesday that this is about providing detainees access to psychological treatment. Nothing more, nothing less.

The organizations decision Wednesday means that detainees wont get care, Harvey said.

But Jeanne LeBlanc, a neuropsychologist who supported keeping the Guantanamo ban celebrated Wednesdays vote by the APAs Council of Representatives, its governing body.

The message that the APA sent is that it is on the side of positive social change, LeBlanc said.

The organizations president Jessica Henderson Daniel declined to comment Wednesday on the decision.

Only 525 of the organizations 115,700-members identify themselves as military psychologists who work for a branch of the armed services. The organization has been debating the ethical questions of working at Guantanamo for more than a decade, but the issue took on greater urgency after President Trump gave indications he would reverse the U.S. decision to back away from torture as a tactic in interrogations of terrorism suspects.

In January, Trump signed an executive order that promised to keep Guantanamo Bay open. He pledged to load it up with some bad dudes. At the height of the George W. Bush administrations military operations against terrorism, hundreds of inmates were imprisoned at Guantanamo. Even though no prisoners have been sent there in more than a decade, 40 remain in captivity.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said he would bring back waterboarding, and Id bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.

Earlier this year, Trump named Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. She was involved in the agencys program of torturing terrorism suspects and oversaw sites in Thailand where detainees were held. Later, she supported destroying video footage of torture sessions.

Some opponents of the psychological groups proposed policy change suspected the move was rooted in the fact that the Pentagon is the nations largest employer of psychologists. The military services employ 8,000 mental health experts in staff and consulting roles, according to the association.

The military has a lot of power and influence in our culture, said Stephen Soldz, a professor at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis who began lobbying the psychological association 12 years ago to bar members from being involved at Guantanamo.

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.

Changing the policy will be seen as a validation for Guantanamo and the position of this administration, Soldz said before the vote.

A group of psychologists who opposed dropping the ban called the idea especially troubling ... insofar as the administration has signaled its desire to return to and enhance Guantanamos worst abuses.

The group, Alliance for an Ethical APA, mounted a political campaign-style operation aimed at derailing the change. It circulated a video to members that featured somber images of detainees, and secured letters of support from nine human rights organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union.

Supporters of the change said they dont support torture. They want to make sure detainees have access to a psychologist. Currently, detainees have access to psychiatrists for their mental health needs.

But typically, psychiatrists focus on pharmacology and dont do talk therapy or behavioral therapy, said Mark Staal, a retired Air Force military psychologist who supported lifting the ban.

Backers of the change conceded that Trumps outspoken positions have clouded the issue.

Its not about torture. Its not about President Trump, said Harvey, the retired military psychologist. Lost in all the politics is that this is about the detainees.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
MICK LASALLES MOVIE PICK

More Information "High Noon": 4:10 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12. $5-$7. The Stanford Theatre, 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. www.stanfordtheatre.org See More Collapse

Fred Zinnemanns 1952 classic has Gary Cooper in the premiere showcase of his later years, as a sheriff who has to face down the bad guys all by himself  at high noon. Its rightly famous as a classic of film editing, because basically the audience sits around waiting for noon, while the frequent shots of the clock, as 12 oclock gets closer and closer, build the tension. In the time leading up to the big confrontation, the sheriff tries to find volunteers who will help him.
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
A federal judge indicated Wednesday he is likely to dismiss a lawsuit by Jewish students at San Francisco State University who accuse school administrators of allowing and encouraging anti-Semitism on campus.

The suit, filed last year, claimed university policies were responsible for a protest that shut down a campus speech by the mayor of Jerusalem in 2016 and for excluding the Jewish group Hillel from a Know Your Rights student fair. The plaintiffs also said anti-Semitic name-calling, graffiti and other slurs on campus over several decades had made Jewish students feel fearful and unwelcome.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick III had dismissed an earlier version of the suit in March, saying the plaintiffs had offered no evidence of religious hostility by school administrators, but gave the plaintiffs a chance to present more evidence before making a final ruling. At the outset of Tuesdays hearing, Orrick said he was inclined to dismiss the current suit as well.

Even if other San Francisco State students shouted down the mayors speech and excluded Hillel from the fair because of its Zionist views, Orrick said, the lawsuit presents no plausible allegation that the administration discriminated against, or encouraged others to discriminate against the plaintiffs because of their religion or viewpoint.

He said allegations of an anti-Semitic atmosphere on campus, and the anti-Zionist views of a faculty adviser to the schools Arab and Muslim studies program, appeared to fall short of establishing that university officials were responsible for an allegedly hostile environment that damaged the students educational experience.

Orrick did not issue a final ruling and said he would consider arguments presented at Wednesdays hearing. Seth Weisburst, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told him that Jewish students and Zionists are told that they are not welcome here, and argued that school officials were responsible for failing to intervene.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Birkat, an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke at San Francisco State in April 2016. Warned of protests, school officials moved his talk away from the center of campus. Six minutes into the speech, about 20 students stood and shouted, Israel is an apartheid state, then took a microphone and effectively silenced Birkat, according to a report commissioned by the university.

The plaintiffs accused the school of discriminating by choosing a remote location and by allegedly ordering campus police to stand down and not interfere with the protest. Weisburst also alleged that the faculty adviser, Rabah Ibrahim Abdulhadi, had directed the (protesters) to disrupt and shut down the speech.

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.

But Orrick said the plaintiffs might not be able to show that university officials were deliberately indifferent to their rights, as required for a constitutional violation, because the school had commissioned an independent investigation of the incident. He said they had presented no evidence that other controversial campus speakers were treated differently, and even if Abdulhadi was partly responsible for the shutdown, which she has denied, its not clear that she was acting as a supervisor of the protesters, Orrick said.

Weisburst dismissed the schools investigation as a joke that resulted in no discipline for anyone.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
ARSAL, Lebanon  The mayor was tired. Asleep-at-3, awake-at-6 tired. Tired the way you cannot help but be after years of the Islamic State group squatting in your town, killing your citizens and forcing the army to quarantine you from the rest of the country.

Tired of Syrian refugees from just across the border growing so numerous that they eclipse your actual constituents  and of your constituents growing so sick of the refugees that they mutter about taking the town back by force.

All this fell to the mayor of Arsal, Lebanon: checkpoints to negotiate, refugees to manage, townspeople to appease. And now even his wife complained that he was neglecting her.

At night, I go back home and I listen to peoples problems again, said Mayor Bassil Hujeiri. Its not like my shift ends and I get to close the door.

And yet the mayor has recently had cause to believe that the arc of his towns ordeal was at last bending toward a little less misery  if only for the Arsalis. The refugees, for their part, were still living a nightmare.

Seven years of war in Syria has displaced more than half the countrys population, leaving millions of refugees shipwrecked between the wasteland of home and the void of exile. Among the many Lebanese and Jordanian towns that received them was Arsal, where rented rooms and tent cities overflowed at one point with 120,000 Syrians  quadruple its Lebanese population.

But with the Syrian government closing in on victory, President Bashar Assad declaring the country safe for Syrians again and their reluctant Lebanese hosts pressing them to leave, the Syrian refugees are now beginning to set out on the fraught road home.

Over the past month, convoys carrying nearly 2,000 Syrians have crossed the border, returning families to the homes they had abandoned years ago  though few knew whether those homes had survived the bombs and shells.

But many may be stuck in Lebanon. Thousands of Syrians in Arsal have applied to return, only to be rejected by Assads government. Many more say they believe that if Assad remains in power, the outcome tacitly accepted by the global powers haggling over Syrias future, they have only arrest, torture, death or forced conscription to return to.

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.

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.

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.

Much like populists across Europe and the United States fulminating against immigrants, Lebanese politicians blame Syrians for dragging down wages, dialing up crime and overtaxing infrastructure. Across the country, Syrian refugees have been evicted, deported, beaten and even killed by Lebanese.

Vivian Yee is a New York Times writer.
Nicole Boliaux / The Chronicle

Some of the innovation that Silicon Valley sorts like to blather on about comprises creative approaches to shortchanging the workforce. The gig economy is in large part a euphemism for reclassifying droves of tech sector serfs as independent contractors to avoid such supposedly outmoded paradigms as minimum wages, overtime and health care.

Hence Uber, Lyft and other prominent beneficiaries of this end run around employment law are pleading pathetically for dispensation from a court ruling that was rude enough to point it out. The companies have been lobbying Gov. Jerry Brown, gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom and legislators to undo a California Supreme Court decision challenging the independent-contractor fiction, Bloomberg reported this week. Joined by DoorDash, Postmates, TaskRabbit, Instacart and others, the ride-sharing companies argue in a letter to state cabinet officials that letting the courts decision stand would decimate businesses while stifling innovation and threatening the livelihoods of millions of working Californians.
Type in topics such as democracy, religion or human rights on a Chinese smartphone and you wont get far. Beijings censors work hard to control what 750 million-plus internet users see.

That handcuff situation led Google to leave China in 2010, but the tech giant is reportedly readying a return. Its testing a censored version of its mobile search app that complies with government muzzling. Websites and terms judged offensive to Chinese overlords would be blacklisted.

Googles tentative move to knuckle under would be a major mistake. It mocks the firms famous Dont Be Evil credo, undercuts notions of freedom and access that gird the digital world, and tempts other autocratic nations to expect the same fawning treatment.

Because of its size and structure, China is a special test. The country has gone to extra lengths to accommodate digital access to fuel its economy but on its own police-state terms. A vast overlay of controls and censors keep watch on what users can see. Dont expect to find a description of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 or religious dissent. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked along with the BBC and major foreign newspapers. Online access is strictly on government terms.

Google rightly exited China, citing the overbearing restrictions. Since then its maintained ties, staffing research work on artificial intelligence and offering file management apps and online games. A search app, featuring paid advertising, is a more tempting market that Google is ceding Chinese firms that bow to the censorship firewalls. Googles chief executive Sundar Pichai has spoken about expanding the firms activities in China and met with top Beijing officials.

Google isnt talking about its plans, first detailed in The Intercept, which received a leaked outline. At best it may take months of refinement and Beijing approvals for the censor-compliant app to be released.

Shelving the project would be a better idea if China is in charge of the final product. Concocting a search engine that doesnt actually search is folly. Google would be shoring up a police state for the sake of a fresh financial world. The beckoning promise of free-flowing information and personal liberty will be shredded if the company gives in.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
After being blamed for allowing criminals and fare jumpers to ride the regional trains, officials announced Monday that the Bay Area Rapid Transit system will ramp up security in an attempt to prevent attacks like the one that killed Nia Wilson and injured her sister.

Wilsons death was caused by a system failure but the system wasnt BART security; it was our criminal court system. Wilson died because weve criminalized mental illness, expecting prisons to take the place of community health care.

Its true that Wilsons assailant, John Lee Cowell, had a criminal record. In May, he had been paroled on a two-year sentence for second-degree robbery, part of which was served at a state mental facility. From news reports and family statements, it seems he left with inadequate treatment plans and support for his diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Its well known that mentally ill people populate our prisons. Alisa Roth, author of Insane: Americas Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness, estimates that more than half of the nations 2.2 million prisoners are mentally ill. One study found that as many as 75 percent of incarcerated women are ill.

Approximately 650,000 convicts leave custody every year as Cowell did. Even though departing inmates arent guaranteed transitional care, many prisons provide referrals and medications to departing prisoners.

Its unclear whether these transitional methods are effective, because any assistance they provide is threatened by the challenges of re-entering society  finding employment, housing, transportation and medical and mental health care.

This raises the question of whether incarceration was the proper correction for Cowell. Unquestionably, committing a robbery was violent and unlawful, but a mental health court (a separate, problem-solving tribunal that diverts defendants from incarceration by supervising them in the community where they receive comprehensive mental health treatment and other support) might have saved Wilson by handling her killers actions in such a way that he wasnt exposed to the violence of modern incarceration and was treated.

The problem is that mental health courts are underfunded and handle tiny percentages of the mentally ill defendants in any given jurisdiction.

Selecting people for mental health court is far from standardized, but typically people accused of low-level, nonviolent crimes are favored. While some mental health courts handle defendants accused of violent felonies like Cowell, the people whose recidivism is most important to prevent are often left out of these programs.

Instead, those defendants are sentenced to prison where they are immersed in more violence. BART police couldnt find the why for Cowells attack on the Wilsons but they know what it was; the police chief called it a prison yard assault. We know where Cowell learned that.

Statistically, mentally ill people are less likely to perpetrate violence than to be victims of it so simply expanding mental health courts wont eradicate violence. But incarcerating Cowell may have exacerbated his illness while costing the state almost $150,000 to keep him in custody, money thats better invested in, say, the California Department of Public Healths nascent Violence Prevention Initiative. To stop violent crime, we must understand that it isnt strictly a law enforcement matter but also a public health issue.

Temporarily stationing more cops throughout the BART system has limited potential to stop a cycle of violence emerging on the transit system; it certainly wont address the source of our public safety issues writ large. We need to re-examine our criminal justice system and expand mental health courts to do that.

Chandra Bozelko and Joseph P. Calderon are 2018 Leading with Conviction fellows with JustLeadershipUSA, an organization that aims to reduce prison populations by half by 2030.
After devoting decades of my life to holding PG&E accountable for its many misdeeds, it is incredible to me that following the October wildfires PG&E has been able to portray itself as the victim, in need of a bailout from California. We must understand PG&Es long history of malfeasance while our legislators consider the governors recent proposal, which would weaken California law, permit PG&E to shift the costs of its disasters, and allow PG&E to avoid scrutiny from its regulator, the state Public Utilities Commission.

Beginning in 1952, PG&E dumped 370 million gallons of wastewater laced with chromium-6 into unlined waste ponds near several Central Valley towns, including Hinkley and Kettleman City. PG&E lied to the residents and failed to inform the local water board of the contamination until Dec. 7, 1987. The chromium-6 caused cancer, birth defects, and other health problems for the residents of these small towns. PG&E blamed everything but its own behavior for the poisoning and its health consequences. In 1996, after years of expensive litigation, PG&E finally agreed to pay $333 million to 665 people it had harmed by this malfeasance.

In 1994, while still fighting the Hinkley and Kettleman City victims, PG&E sparked a devastating wildfire in the Sierra. On June 19, 1997, a Nevada County jury found PG&E guilty of 739 counts of criminal negligence for failing to trim trees near its power lines.

At Christmas in 2008, a PG&E gas line exploded in Rancho Cordova (Sacramento County), leaving one dead and five injured. PG&E paid a $38 million fine for this explosion, but this fine was not sufficient to prevent further explosions because, in June 2009, a PG&E vault exploded in downtown San Francisco, leaving thousands without power.

The following year, in 2010, a PG&E gas line exploded in San Bruno, killing eight. The pipeline was at least 54 years old. PG&E paid a $1.6 billion fine. PG&E was subsequently convicted of six felony counts.

In December 2011, the nonpartisan organization Public Campaign criticized PG&E for spending $79 million on lobbying and not paying any taxes during 2008 to 2010, despite making a profit of $4.8 billion and increasing executive pay by 94 percent to $8.5 million in 2010 for its top five executives. PG&E received $1 billion in tax rebates.

In 2014, PG&E power lines burned down much of Butte County.

In 2015, a California Pubic Utilities Commission audit showed PG&E was years behind on its vegetation management on the North Coast. PG&E appears to have done nothing to change its behavior as a result of this audit.

In October 2017, while PG&E was serving criminal probation for its convictions arising out of the San Bruno explosion, PG&E power lines and other equipments ignited numerous fires throughout much of Northern California. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention has found PG&E responsible for 16 of these fires. The public continues to await the release of CalFires report regarding the Tubbs Fire. CalFire has referred many of these fires to law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation and possible prosecution.

In 2017, PG&Es Chief Executive Officer Geisha Williams was awarded $8.6 million in total direct compensation, according to a PG&E filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Her 2017 pay package was increased by 106 percent more than the $4.2 million in total pay she received in 2016.

Every year, PG&E pays $1 billion in profit to its stockholders.

PG&E is not a victim here. The victims are the thousands of people who lost their loved ones, their homes, their cars, their possessions, and their pets, and whose lives have been forever changed. The victims are the communities destroyed by PG&E, which will never again be the same. PG&E should be brought to justice, not provided a bailout.

Erin Brockovich is a legal assistant and environmental activist who was the subject of a 2000 film starring Julia Roberts that depicted her legal battle with PG&E on the behalf of residents whose drinking water had been contaminated by the utilitys negligence.
SACRAMENTO  The president of the California NAACP has long resisted criticism that she melds the groups interests with those of her political consulting firm, which takes in large fees for working on campaigns that the civil rights organization backs.

Critics say Alice Huffman is doing it again on what is shaping up to be one of the most bitterly contested measures on the November ballot  Proposition 10, which would repeal a state law that limits cities ability to impose rent control.

The state NAACPs 28-member executive committee voted in May to oppose Prop. 10. Huffman said the group agreed with arguments that allowing stricter forms of rent control would discourage housing construction and therefore hurt low-income tenants.

A month after the NAACP voted, Huffman said, her AC Public Affairs political consulting firm in Sacramento signed a deal to be a lead consultant on the oppositions $800,000 campaign targeting African American voters through mailers and workers who will go door-to-door.

Huffman said her firm is being paid a $25,000 monthly retainer. Through July, AC Public Affairs had been paid $66,000, according to the No on Prop. 10 campaign, one of four ballot measure committees working against the initiative.

Prop. 10 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which banned local rent control on multiunit housing built after that date and on all single-family homes. In some cities that already had rent control, the cutoff date for price caps is earlier  in San Francisco, for example, all housing built after 1979 is exempt from controls.

In addition to repealing those restrictions, Prop. 10 would allow price caps on units when a tenant moves out, known as vacancy control.

The initiative would not impose rent control itself  instead, it would allow cities and their voters to do so.

Proponents say Prop. 10 will help low-income communities counteract skyrocketing rents, which disproportionally affect minorities. Black and Hispanic households are about twice as likely as white households to rent, according to a nationwide Pew Research Center analysis. And, in California, black and Hispanic households are far more likely to be rent-burdened, meaning they spend 30 percent or more of their income on rent, according to a report last year by the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Black leaders have been calling for the repeal of Costa-Hawkins for years, because we know that rent control is essential to ensuring that we still have space in our changing cities, said Damien Goodmon, a Los Angeles activist who is directing the pro-Prop. 10 campaign.

Huffman, however, said she and the state NAACPs other board members dont believe Prop. 10 will help anyone, let alone people of color.

I see this initiative as misleading, Huffman said. I looked at it and I had my executive committee look at it, and we said its not going to do anything to create more affordable housing. If anything, its going to squeeze the market.

Huffman said the state NAACP required a majority vote of its board to take a position on Prop. 10. The groups No. 2 official, former Assemblywoman Gwen Moore, did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment. Its No. 3 official, Rick Callender, emailed that he was out of the country and could not comment.

Two other executive committee members did not respond to requests for comment, and efforts to reach other members were unsuccessful.

Huffman said she does not accept a contract as a political consultant until the state NAACP takes a position, and that she works only on campaigns that align with the groups stands.

She said that means the firm loses out on many contracts.

I cant get the contracts I could get before I was president of the NAACP, said Huffman, 82, who started her firm in 1988 and has headed the civil rights organization since 1999. I never take a contract that is different from the NAACPs position.

Goodmon said Huffman has led the state NAACP away from causes that would benefit African Americans.

Alice Huffman, who has for years been known for taking money from industries that do harm to the black community, is at it again, said Goodmon, who is African American. Shes been doing this for years.

Huffman heard similar accusations when her firm was paid $200,000 in 2006 by a campaign funded by Philip Morris to work against a $2.60-per-pack cigarette tax on the state ballot to fund health services. The state NAACP had sided with the tobacco giant in opposing the tax, which was defeated.

In 2016, the state NAACP reversed course and supported a ballot measure to increase cigarette taxes by $2 a pack, again to fund health-related services. Huffmans firm was hired by proponents for $80,000.

Her firm also was paid consulting fees in 2005 by campaigns run by pharmaceutical companies. That year, two competing measures were on the state ballot aimed at lowering prescription drugs costs  one pushed by labor and consumer groups and another by the pharmaceutical industry.

The California NAACP sided with the drug companies campaigns. Huffman worked on behalf of the pharmaceutical industrys ballot measure and against the labor-backed proposition. Both measures failed.

The rent control measure isnt the only one on which Huffmans political consulting firm is working during this years campaign. AC Public Affairs has also been paid $35,000 in consulting fees by opponents of Proposition 8, which would cap charges at kidney dialysis clinics. The state NAACP is opposed to Prop. 8.

Jessica Levinson, who teaches campaign ethics and political law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the setup appears to be a symbiotic relationship that benefits Huffman, but thats not necessarily morally bereft.

Levinson said her concern is whether those who look to the NAACP to help them form opinions on ballot measures know about the arrangement.

They should know that some of the decisions that are being made are by hired guns for those ballot measures, Levinson said.

Goodmon said the NAACP is not working in African Americans best interests in opposing Prop. 10.

They (Huffman and the state NAACP) are the outliers on this, Goodmon said. No other civil rights group, no other black housing groups are opposing this measure.

Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio, who is running a different ballot measure committee that is opposing the rent control measure, said the dividing lines on Prop. 10 arent as clear-cut as Goodmon and other proponents make them out to be.

The California Democratic Party voted to support the measure, but Gavin Newsom, the Democrat who is running to replace Gov. Jerry Brown, is against it.

There are a lot of progressives that think it is the worst possible thing you can do because it stops housing construction, Maviglio said. There are many philosophical, racial and income levels that are split on this. It affects many people. Everyone is weighing in.

Fifteen California cities have some form of rent control. Legislative hearings this year to consider a measure that would have allowed expanded rent control brought hundreds of people to Sacramento, both in support and opposition.

The state NAACP did not take a position on the bill, which was worded similarly to Prop. 10. The measure died in January.

The Prop. 10 race is expected to be one of the costliest on the November ballot, with much of the spending coming from opponents. San Mateo real estate investment company Essex Property Trust and Orange County developer Michael Hayde have accounted for much of the nearly $21 million raised so far by opponents.

By comparison, proponents have raised just over $2.5 million, primarily from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and its president, Michael Weinstein, according to filings from the secretary of states office. On Wednesday, Weinstein announced another $10 million would be added to the campaign.

Huffman said she supports rent control, but does not believe a full repeal of Costa-Hawkins is the answer. She said that if Prop. 10 passes, wealthy corporate landlords will turn rent-controlled apartments into condominiums or short-term rentals to bypass new caps on rents.

Landlords are funding the campaign that is paying Huffman to help defeat Prop. 10. Huffman said she was approached by two of the campaigns opposing the initiative after the NAACP voted to oppose it. She said she went with the campaign that offered the most because it allows her to have the biggest impact.

I took the highest bidder on the no side, to be honest, Huffman said. I dont make any apologies. Im a woman in business, and if I can get business I go after it.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration Thursday to ban the widely used farm pesticide chlorpyrifos within 60 days, citing long-standing evidence that its presence on food can harm children.

The Environmental Protection Agency has known for many years that scientific studies show lasting damage to children who had been exposed to low doses of chlorpyrifos before birth, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. It said the EPA finally announced plans to ban the chemical in 2015 under President Barack Obama, a plan that was abruptly withdrawn in March 2017 by then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who said further study was needed.

The court said the agency, in response to a lawsuit by environmental organizations and advocates for farm workers, offered no evidence in support of its decision but merely argued that, for now at least, the courts lacked authority to review it. That is a formula for indefinite delay, endangering public health and flouting federal law, the court said.

There remains no justification for the EPAs continued failure to respond to the pressing health concerns presented by chlorpyrifos, the panel said. The 2-1 ruling was written by Jed Rakoff, a federal judge from New York temporarily assigned to the appeals court, and joined by Judge Jacqueline Nguyen.

Judge Ferdinand Fernandez dissented, agreeing with the Trump administration that the court could not review the issue while the EPA was still considering it. The ruling invites premature attacks on matters committed to the expertise of the agency, he said.

Attorney Kristen Boyles of Earthjustice, representing organizations that have asked since 2007 that the government outlaw chlorpyrifos, said the ruling will finally put an end to the EPAs shameful delay and ban this toxic pesticide.

California was one of seven states along with Washington, D.C., that joined the legal challenge, and Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the case showed how Pruitt skirted the law and endangered the health of our children.

EPA spokesman Michael Abboud said the agency was reviewing the ruling, which it could appeal to the full appellate court or to the Supreme Court. He said key scientific information on the safety of chlorpyrifos remains inaccessible and has hindered the agencys ongoing process to fully evaluate the pesticide.

Chlorpyrifos, first developed as a nerve gas in World War II, has been in commercial use since 1965 to kill insects on more than 80 crops, including apples, strawberries, corn and soybeans. Research showing that the pesticide caused brain damage in rats prompted the EPA to ban its use as a household product in 1998, with the consent of manufacturers. But chlorpyrifos is still used in agriculture.

The 2007 lawsuit seeking a total ban was accompanied by scientific studies showing long-lasting harm from prenatal exposure to the pesticide. The court said the EPAs internal studies, from at least 2008 onward, indicated that the chemical was a likely cause of low birth weight, delays in mental development, and attention and behavior problems.

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.

Obamas EPA took no action until November 2015, when it proposed to withdraw federal registration for the pesticide. The agency put off final action until March 2017, when Pruitt canceled the ban and said scientific assessments of chlorpyrifos effects remain unresolved, with no further action scheduled until at least 2022.

But the appeals court said that under federal law, once the EPA has found that a pesticide is potentially harmful to children, it must ban all uses of the substance on food products unless there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from repeated exposure to the pesticide. The agency has flouted that law under both Trump and Obama, the court said.

The EPA for nearly two decides has documented the likely adverse effects of foods containing the residue of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on the physical and mental development of American infants and children, often lasting into adulthood, Rakoff said in the majority opinion. Yet over the past decade or more, the EPA has stalled on banning chlorpyrifos. ... If Congress statutory mandates are to mean anything, the time has come to put a stop to this patent evasion.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
AHIHUD, Israel  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 Israels 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.

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 dont think its good for the Jewish people. Its not good for the state of Israel, he said 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 Netanyahus Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the countrys 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 states existing character and upholds the rights of minority groups in a democratic society. But critics say it turned the countrys 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.

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.

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, Israels 130,000 Druze carry outsized influence in the country.

They have risen to senior military positions and have served as senior ministers and diplomats.

Ilan Ben Zion is an Associated Press writer.
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.

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.

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.

Andi Jatmiko is an Associated Press writer.
Dozens of parents and children filed excitedly behind a glass enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo on Thursday to watch two snow leopard cubs discover the world outside their den  for the first time since they were born nine weeks ago.

Leading up to the noon reveal, toddlers pressed their palms and noses against the glass enclosure, looking for any signs of movement from the cubs among the grassy landscape.

Where are the kitties? one child asked.

Other children quietly chanted kitty under their breath in anticipation, lowering their voices only after zoo staff members pressed their index fingers against their lips.

At 12:10, the snow leopard mama, Dawa, stepped out from the den and into the sunlit enclosure, which was shaded by leafy trees. Soon, the white, spotted back of one of her cubs rolled from behind the cover of shrubs, and dozens of visitors let out a chorus of hushed awwwwws.

The cubs cautiously crept across their grassy enclosure and sniffed tree bark and dirt, and their mother watched closely as one of the cubs dashed toward the corner of the glass enclosure. The two cubs, a male and female, were born on June 7.

Over the past 50 years, roughly 30 snow leopards have been born at the San Francisco Zoo, and zoo staff were thrilled to welcome two more cubs to the family. The zoo has had an active snow leopard breeding program since 1958.

Ron Whitfield, curator of carnivores for the zoo, said staff were hooting and hollering just as visitors were at the first sight of the cubs exploring their enclosure for the first time.

Dawa has been a fantastic mom. Shes taken care of them, shes reared them, and even with a little separation now, she wants to bring them back in the den and care for them, Whitfield said. We plan on having all three out right now, but today we wanted to monitor them outside to make sure they dont get into trouble.

Dawa watched nervously near the den as her cubs explored the enclosure for roughly 45 minutes Thursday afternoon. When she became stressed, zookeepers helped usher the trio back into the den.

Staff plans to let the trio outside once a day around the same time so they can become accustomed to their new home.

Dawa and the cubs father, Jimmy G, arrived at the zoo in November from two separate zoos in Canada. The pair were fast friends and socialized before they started breeding in January.

For the past few months, zoo staff have fed Dawa twice a day with a mixture of chunks of horse meat, beef and chicken. Once a week, she gets a rabbit for a treat.

Over the course of her pregnancy, staff kept a close eye on Dawas condition through four monitors in the den. Staff switched to 24-hour-a-day monitoring when she got closer to giving birth.

When the cubs were born, Whitfield said she immediately started cleaning them and nursing them.

Kristalin Zouzounis, 37, and her two children Khloe, 3, and Clayton, 5, have followed Dawa throughout her entire pregnancy. On Thursday, the trio watched as the cubs trekked out of the den.

Zouzounis brings her children to the zoo once a month to see the animals, and wants to teach her children the importance of protecting animals like snow leopards that are vulnerable to poaching.

Snow leopards, which hail from mountain ranges in South and Central Asia, are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Its something special as a mother to be able to experience this with my children, Zouzounis said. It makes it even more special to be able to teach the kids the importance of breeding species that are at risk.

When the cubs first left the den, Zouzounis took turns raising each of her children up to get a better view of the cats.

Whitfield said that while the cubs are still nursing, theyve shown interest in transitioning to meat. After Dawa eats her twice-daily meals of meat, the cubs lick remnants of meat off her lips and face.

Theyre getting onto it, but it may take a while for them to transition into meat completely, Whitfield said.

The cubs are expected to stay close with their mother for roughly a year. By that time, Whitfield said, zoo staff may reintroduce the cubs to their father, Jimmy G, as theyll be larger and older.

Until then, Jimmy G is off-site right now and is scheduled to join a new exhibit sometime in December.

As the cubs continue to grow, zoo staff are socializing with the cubs for a couple hours a day so they get used to human contact. Socializing the cubs to humans is important as the cats need to receive vaccinations for distemper, just as domestic cats receive.

Dawa did all the raising, and we do all the socializing with them, Whitfield said. We pet them so we can pick them up anytime they need a medical procedure, so its easier on the cubs and on vet staff.

The cubs and their mother dont have a permanent schedule for public display. Whitfield said zoo staff hope to establish an enclosure where the cubs and Dawa can be on display in the future.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
The death toll in what was already the most lethal year for firefighters in California since 2008 increased to five Thursday, when a heavy equipment mechanic was killed after falling asleep at the wheel on his way to the fire lines near Redding, a family member told The Chronicle.

Andrew Brake, 40, of Chico died in a single-car crash on his way to work on the Carr Fire, which had already claimed the lives of two firefighters and five other people, including a woman and her two great-grandchildren, and a PG&E lineman, who died trying to restore power to the area.

Brake was a six-year veteran of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, working out of the Butte unit in Oroville. The crash occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Highway 99 south of Los Molinos in Tehama County, officials and relatives said.

His mother, Teresa Brake of Chico, said he had been working almost nonstop fighting fires since May and was obviously tired at the time of the accident.

Ive had nightmares about him having something like this happen, she said, adding that they barely had time to text one another after his exhausting days at work.

Cal Fire would not say how many hours Andrew Brake had been working in the days leading up to his death, but fire experts have expressed concern about worker fatigue as fires have relentlessly burned across the state this summer. California had 18 active conflagrations Thursday.

I think those guys need to come home for a while, Teresa Brake said. Its not the fire departments fault. He should have been in his hotel resting.

Andrew Brake grew up in Chico and is survived by his parents, Melvin and Teresa; sister Lyndsay Barrett; daughters Marissa, 20, and Miranda, 16; and their mother, Liberte.

Brake was the third firefighter killed in the battle to contain the Carr Fire, which has burned 178,752 acres in three weeks, ravaging the area around Redding and destroying 1,077 homes. It continues to scorch steep, dry uninhabited land and has no projected date for containment.

Two firefighters died in the early days of the fire as flames roared into Redding: Don Ray Smith, 81, a contract bulldozer operator from Pollock Pines (El Dorado County); and Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector for the Redding Fire Department.

Stoke, whose memorial service was held Thursday, died while assisting with evacuations. Smith was overtaken by flames while clearing protective lines.

With the deaths of a Cal Fire bulldozer operator and a leader of a hotshot crew on the Ferguson Fire west of Yosemite National Park, five firefighters have died in California battling wildfires in 2018, more than any year since 2008.

According to figures released by Cal Fire, 22 fire service workers have died on duty since 2008, not including this year. Thirteen of those deaths came in 2008, including nine firefighters killed in a helicopter crash in Trinity County while fighting the Iron Complex Fire.

Since then, fire service deaths have been relatively few. Just one firefighter died in last years devastating Wine Country fires. Three firefighters died in 2009 and 2016, and one firefighter died in each of the years 2014 and 2015.

What were seeing are conditions that are off the charts as far as fire behavior, said Jonathan Cox, a Cal Fire battalion chief. And unfortunately, the risks are also off the charts.

More than 4,700 firefighters from around the country have been sent to Shasta and Trinity counties to battle the Carr Fire.

Brake was described as a quiet, hard-working man who was very proud of his work at Cal Fire.

Working for the fire department gave him a sense of pride, said his mother. He just loved it with all the men and the comradery and the closeness. This was his way to shine.

A mechanic for 20 years, Brake studied fire science and became a seasonal firefighter at the age of 33, working for five years in Humboldt County before he took a job as the fire crew mechanic in Monterey, said his mother.

The divorced father of two transferred to Butte County in March to be closer to his daughters, with whom he loved to camp and dirt bike, and had been living at his parents house trying to save enough money to buy a house. She said his beloved rat terrier, Mike, waits every day at the front door for him to return.

He wanted to have a stable home where his daughters could come and they could all be together, Teresa Brake said. Its really tough. My one granddaughter is only 16. There is a lot of stuff shes going to miss with him.

Northern Californias three biggest wildfires are growing more slowly and mostly away from communities, but they continue to elude containment.

The Mendocino Complex, considered the largest wildfire in state history, grew by about 4,000 acres Wednesday to 305,152 acres total. Most of the growth was on the northern edge of the Ranch Fire, the larger of two fires that make up the complex. The Ranch Fire has consumed 256,232 acres and is 49 percent contained. The River Fire remained steady at 87 percent contained.

The moderate spread of the flames allowed fire crews to strengthen lines around the fire, and firefighters continued to patrol the southwest boundaries of the blaze and bolster fire lines on the north.

In and around Yosemite National Park, firefighters battling the Ferguson Fire took advantage of humid weather to increase containment of the 95,104-acre blaze to 80 percent as of Thursday evening. Crews are burning off fuel in some areas to prevent the fire from reaching further into the park.

While the park remains open, its most popular attractions  Yosemite Valley, the Mariposa and Merced groves of giant sequoias  remain closed, as does the entrance on Highway 140. Highway 41 is open only to residents of Yosemite West (Mariposa County), a residential community just outside the park boundaries.

Michael Cabanatuan and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan, @pfimrite
How is it possible to separate organizations campaign contributions from their lobbying activities? It may not ever be possible. Political Action Committee is a term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Numerous groups that have a PAC do not have a lobbyist, and many groups that have a lobbyist do not have a PAC. Perhaps it should be an either/or option and get the political donations completely out of policy issues.

The prevailing opinion is that campaign contributions are integral to lobbying efforts and buying access to elected officials. Have we really sunk to that level in America? Nashville? Lobbying and contributing to political candidates should be completely unrelated activities. Perhaps the state comptroller should investigate the relationship between PAC donations to specific legislators and the amount of time their lobbyists spent with those legislators. It should reveal interesting findings. It should also be clear how much lobbying effort was directed at the legislative branch and how much was directed at the executive branch, and those political donations as well. This would be the only way to measure the extent to which contributions really affect the way that policymakers allocate their time, and whether money as a political resource magnifies and perpetuates political inequalities.

Even though it is an ugly secret, there is little doubt that some organizations obtain votes by making campaign contributions. Thus, lobbying strategies become dependent upon campaign donation strategies. What transpires in the meetings between legislators and interest groups with PACs can be a matter of inference and speculation. However, what is not supposition is that legislation favored by those who contribute political donations succeed on a regular basis. Many politicians also form PACs as a way of raising money to help fund other candidates' campaigns. A common occurrence is money gets funneled to Candidate A via Candidate B, by other special interests or PACS through this method. Follow the money.

In reality, groups that command non-monetary resources valued by policymakers policy expertise, access to voters, and influence may be more important than a campaign check. As labor unions have seen their influence decline, they could likely discover it to the fact they are spending less on lobbying, and more on political giving. There are smaller victories, and they are having to write bigger checks to secure even those. It will only escalate and union dues will increase. The lesson here is obvious.

Clearly, we believe issue advocacy is good, and it is a First Amendment right to express an opinion to policymakers. We also have no problem with people making political contributions to the candidates of their choice. What we would like to see is a clearer separation between these two activities, with better monitoring. Are political campaigns on behalf of candidates engaging in illegally coordinated activities with PACS? Nobody can be certain. Should PACs be forced to immediately disclose their donors and campaign expenditures? Should people who have PACS be required to register to lobby? It is essential that citizens know who is financing policymakers elections.

Professional Educators of Tennessee will continue to lobby for public education. However, we will never endorse political parties or candidates as an organization on behalf of our members. We also do not have a PAC, nor do we plan to ever start one. It would harm our effectiveness. We must advance public education without the divisive tribalism of partisan politics, and we will only get involved in education related issues.

J.C. Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Yosemite spokesperson Scott Gediman returned to his office in the valley Wednesday for the first time since the national park was socked in with smoke from the Ferguson Fire and evacuated for firefighting operations on July 27.

"It looks blue," Gediman said. "It's still a little hazy and smoky but definitely clearer. I can see Yosemite Falls from the office. It's still very quiet.

"There are no visitors here. I saw two bears this morning and some deer, which was cool. There's definitely a lot of animals around."

Gediman says while the park reopened to employees, Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona, Mariposa Grove, and Glacier Point remain closed until further notice.

"That's the proverbial $64,000 question," Gediman says. "When will the park open? I have a bunch of meetings this morning. I might know more today. We might have a ballpark date."

In the meantime, Highway 120 (Tioga Road) running across the park is open, and Tuolumne Meadows and most of the trails and campgrounds along this route are accessible from the west and east. The High Sierra Camps and the Tuolumne Meadows Campground and Store are open.

ALSO, 'It's a ghost town': Photos show an unrecognizable Yosemite

The popular destination, typically packed in summer with tourists taking selfies against a Half Dome backdrop, turned into a no man's land when large areas of the park were closed on July 27.

The Ferguson Fire started on July 13 is now 79 percent contained and has chewed through 95,104 acres between the town of Mariposa and the steep terrain just outside the border of the park's western edge. Officials say they hope to have the fire fully contained by August 15th.

The blaze has destroyed 10 structures and two firefighters were killed and 14 injured.

The last time the valley was closed because of a wildfire was 1990.

For more information on the more than dozen blazes around California, check out SFGATE's wildfire page.
A suspicious fire in Vallejo that killed a mother and her twin teenage daughters on Sunday is now being treated as a murder-suicide, Vallejo police said Thursday.

Authorities believe the mother, 47-year-old Mau Dao, set herself on fire at the Georgia Street residence, resulting in a blaze that killed her 14-year-old daughters, Trinh and Tram Tran.

A third daughter, who is 11, was injured but managed to escape the flames. The girl is expected to make a full recovery and is now in the care of her father.

Vallejo police Capt. Lee Horton said in a statement that the agencys detectives and Vallejo Fire Department investigators had been working on the case nonstop since Sunday. He said physical and electronic evidence, along with victim and witness statements, traced the fire back to Dao.

This was a tragic event for all involved, Horton said in the statement. Incidents of this nature are exceedingly difficult for the family, but also for the community and its first responders.

A GoFundMe page set up for the family had raised nearly $8,500 by Thursday evening. The page said the donations will help fund three funerals, and support recently widowed Tuan Tran and 11-year-old Vy Tran.

To get Tuan and Vy back on their feet, they will need the everyday basics needs  new clothes, socks, undergarment(s), and toiletries before they can begin rebuilding the roof over the heads, the page said.

At 2:45 a.m. Sunday, an officer patrolling the area discovered an 11-year-old girl standing outside a burning house at 2932 Georgia St. She let him know that there were three more people inside the home.

Vallejo firefighters were able to put out the blaze and remove three female victims from the house. One of the victims was dead, and the two others died at a hospital.

Later in the day, the modest 750-square-foot, two-bedroom structure showed little outward damage other than a burned-out back window. Officials had cordoned off the home with police tape.

A Wednesday update to the familys GoFundMe page provided a glimmer of good news amid the horrific tragedy, reporting that Milo, the girls dog, had been located a few days after the fire.

Milo reportedly escaped with only minor burns, and the dogs treatment was fully covered by donations.

Vy, the 11 year old who survived the accident, was so excited that she screamed! the post said.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Two sisters died Wednesday evening from stab wounds in an apparent murder-suicide in San Franciscos Tenderloin, authorities said.

The slaying occurred about 5:25 p.m. at Tenderloin Family Housing, at 201 Turk St., said Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.

Officers responded to reports of two people found dead in an apartment on the sixth floor of the building. A property manager unlocked the doors and officers found two women, ages 51 and 56, with fatal stab wounds, Andraychak said.

Paramedics responded and pronounced the two women, who were sisters and lived together in the apartment, dead at the scene. They were identified by the the San Francisco medical examiner as Julie Nhan, 51, and Phung Nhan, 56.

There were no other occupants in the apartment.

Police are investigating the unusual incident as a murder-suicide, and there are no outstanding suspects.

I dont think Ive seen too many suicides by a cutting instrument, Andraychak said.

On Thursday, the morning hustle and bustle of Turk Street continued as usual on the block surrounding the building. Neighboring store owners and residents hadnt heard about the homicide from the prior evening

Tenderloin Family Housing offers affordable apartments to families through the Chinatown Community Development Center, a nonprofit that aims to build community and enhance the quality of life for San Francisco residents.

The building has 12 studios and 81 one-bedroom, 45 two-bedroom and 37 three-bedroom apartments. The ground floor consists of commercial space.

Malcolm Yeung, the deputy director for Chinatown CDC, declined to comment on the deaths pending a police investigation.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Canned meat is getting a major makeover at one San Francisco food truck.

808 Poke Shack has taken the Spam musubi to the next level by embellishing the classic Hawaiian snack with edible gold leaf  but itll set you back $100.

I thought about this idea for a while, Cijay Phakeovilay, owner of 808 Poke Shack, says. I wanted something unique and different and for customers that love taking pictures.

The item certainly draws attention on many levels. Not only does the item practically beg for a photoshoot, but the juxtaposition of Spam, often the butt of a joke in the culinary world, with gold leaf is as confounding as it is intriguing.

Phakeovilay says the snack starts with Spam marinated for a full 24 hours before its grilled to its rosy, brown hue. Rice is separately seasoned for flavoring and, as a bonus, is garnished with a dash of gold flakes for gleam.

RELATED VIDEO: Must Have Bay Area Food Experiences

Once the ingredients are prepared, the rice is transferred over to a rectangular box that gives the musubi its iconic, snackable shape. Spam is placed atop the rice mound before the musubis center is wrapped with nori.

Now for the fun part. Gold leaf is carefully draped over the musubis midpoint, in a move that upgrades the typical on-the-go snack and offers an offbeat sense of luxury. It's finished off with one more nori wrap.

The gold leaf is flavorless, but Phakeovilay says the item is nevertheless meant to be enjoyed for the experience of consuming gold.

Garnishing the musubi with gold leaf is time-consuming due to its fragility, Phakeovilay admits. It can take up to 20 minutes to complete the item from start to finish, which is why customers should order the item in advance, either through email or phone.

808 Poke Shack certainly isnt the only business thats presented gold-plated food around the Bay. In 2016, Tonys Pizza Napoletana sold limited edition Super Gold Pizza in honor of the 50th Super Bowl.

Coincidentally, the pie was also priced at $100, though portion-wise it seemed customers got more bang for their buck.

It's unclear whether the item has been a hit yet. Phakeovilay says some people have been taken aback by the items cost, considering a 12 ounce can of Spam costs less than $3, but thats something Phakeovilay expected.

The unlikely combo will be offered through the end of the month and Phakeovilay says if the item does well it might be added to their secret menu.

Follow Susana Guerrero on Twitter and email her at sguerrero@sfchronicle.com
A kiteboarder in San Francisco Bay was coasting along when he hit a humpback whale. Or, depending on how you look at it, the whale hit him.

Andrei Grigoriev posted video of the encounter to his Facebook page. The whale seems to appear out of nowhere, sending Grigoriev and his kiteboard into the air before the kiteboarder regains his balance and looks over his shoulder at what just happened.

The collision happened on June 18 off Crissy Field Beach, according to Australia's 9News. Humpbacks have been repeatedly spotted in the area and hanging out underneath the Golden Gate Bridge over the past several weeks.

READ MORE: Boat collides with humpback whale in SF Bay

"I was going straight out from the beach when something touched my board from below," Grigoriev told 9News. "For another 15 seconds, I had a feeling there was something around me, until the whale jumped out of the water right in front of me."

Grigoriev said the collision was "completely accidental."

WATCH: Humpback breaches right in front of boat in San Francisco Bay

With whale sightings on the rise this year, many people have been getting too close to the marine mammals. On June 28, a boat was seen striking a humpback whale in San Francisco Bay.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spokesperson Jim Milbury confirmed the agency is looking into that case.

However, policing these sort of wildlife encounters can be difficult. In some parts of the country, such as Puget Sound in Washington or off the coast of Hawaii, there are strict rules about how close people are allowed to get to orcas and humpbacks (200 yards and 100 yards, respectively). The California coast is regulated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits feeding or harassing marine mammals.

PHOTOS: The most spectacular whale watching photos of spring 2017 (story continues below)

What constitutes harassment can be hard to define, but according to NOAA's website, it means "any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to injure a marine mammal" or something that causes "disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering."

"People getting close to marine animals is not good for the animals and it's against federal law," Milbury said. "But more importantly, or as importantly, people can get hurt."

ALSO: Why we're seeing some of the best whale watching in history

The penalty for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act could include a fine of up to $11,000, up to one year in prison and forfeiture of the vessel involved. NOAA's law enforcement branch considers whether the act was intentional, unintentional or negligent when determining the punishment.
After more than a decade of catching rogue cyclists and carpool cheats, Stanley Roberts is leaving the Bay Area. The beloved (and occasionally reviled) host of KRON4's "People Behaving Badly" heads to KPHO-5, the Meredith-owned CBS affiliate in Phoenix, at the end of the month.

"Honestly, the Bay Area has become too expensive," he said by phone Thursday, hours after announcing his departure on social media.

Having spent years in a cramped Bay Area rental, and faced with college tuition for his two daughters, Roberts decided the time has finally come to say farewell to the region in which he made his reputation.

It won't be easy to leave. Roberts said he'll miss the water, the trees and the weather  though "Karl the Fog and Stanley Roberts don't like each other"  but most of all, he'll miss the people who tuned into his segment week after week, who "made me who I am."

RELATED: KRON4 reporter calls out worst Bay Area driving he's ever seen

"This is all I've known for 20 years," he said. "I got here in the 80s from Philly. I walked into the KRON, and all of a sudden, the whole world changed."

It'll change again when Roberts gets to KPHO in Arizona, but not too much. Besides a new name, the segment will remain altogether the same (only with a desert backdrop).

The reporter said he's uncertain what will happen to his old KRON4 segment, though he wishes the news station the "best of luck." He seems to share the sentiments of many commenters on his farewell Facebook post: "Nobody can replace Stanley!"

Regardless of location, Roberts will always have a knack for spotting bad behavior. It's a talent the well-behaved denizens of the Bay Area will miss. Fans and nearly a dozen local law enforcement agencies took to social media to express their gratitude for Roberts' many years of catching miscreants.

NEW STUDY: Services like Uberpool making traffic worse

"Our big loss and their gain," wrote Joni Dillane.

"Say it ain't so. Stanley, it has been an honor to work with you," said the Alameda Police Department.

"You were a cameraman with a vision," said Bob E. Neitro, "and you made it so interesting that we had no choice but to watch and also learn."

Many followers expressed their disappointment at Roberts' departure, but promised to, as Cortne Bui wrote, "follow you wherever you are."

Roberts assures viewers there will be plenty of misbehavior in Phoenix's 517-square-miles. He said within five minutes of a recent visit to Phoenix, he spied a motorcyclist attempting to "beat" an oncoming train.

Bad behavior, unlike the cost of living, transcends time and place.

"I'm gonna take all I've learned to Arizona," he said, and added in true form: "But I'm still not gonna give people a break."

"You gotta follow the rules."

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.
WASHINGTON  Pointing to growing threats and competition from Russia and China, the White House on Thursday announced ambitious plans to create the U.S. Space Force as a sixth, separate military war-fighting service by 2020.

The proposal taps into the American publics long fascination with space but with a military focus, and it faces daunting hurdles. It requires congressional approval and has been met with skepticism from military leaders and experts who question the wisdom of launching an expensive, bureaucratic new service branch.

Vice President Mike Pence announced the new force during a Pentagon speech, fleshing out an idea that President Trump has flagged in recent months as he vowed to ensure American dominance in space. Pence described space as a domain that was once peaceful and uncontested but has now become crowded and adversarial.

Now the time has come to write the next great chapter in the history of our armed forces, to prepare for the next battlefield where Americas best and bravest will be called to deter and defeat a new generation of threats to our people, to our nation, said Pence.

Trump marked Pences announcement with a tweet: Space Force all the way!

Pence portrayed the change as a response to foes potential aggression rather than any offensive U.S. military effort.

Citing Russia and China, he said that for years U.S. adversaries have pursued weapons to jam, blind and disable our navigation and communication satellites via electronic attacks from the ground.

As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a war-fighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge, he said.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has endorsed steps to reorganize the militarys space war-fighting forces and create a new command, but has previously opposed launching an expensive new service.

Lolita C. Baldor is an Associated Press writer.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico  The government of Puerto Rico has quietly acknowledged in a report posted online that in all likelihood more than 1,400 people died in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria  a figure that is more than 20 times the official death toll.

Hurricane Maria cut through the island on Sept. 20, knocking out power and initially killing about a dozen people. The governments official count eventually swelled to 64, as more people died from suicide, lack of access to health care and other factors. The number has not changed despite several academic assessments that official death certificates did not come close to tallying the storms fatal toll.

But in a draft of a report to Congress requesting $139 billion in recovery funds, scheduled for official release Thursday, the Puerto Rican government admits that 1,427 people died in the last four months of 2017 compared with the same time frame in the previous year. The figures came from death registry statistics that were released in June, but which were never publicly acknowledged by officials on the island.

Although the official death count from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety was initially 64, the toll appears to be much higher, said the report, titled Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation.

In another section, it said: According to initial reports, 64 lives were lost. That estimate was later revised to 1,427.

The government was widely criticized for undercounting the number of people who died on the island as the power outage stretched for months, causing deaths from diabetes and sepsis to soar. Many people died from lack of access to hospitals, or because there was no power to run the machines they used to breathe.

After a New York Times analysis in December showed that even the preliminary data from the Demographic Registry of Puerto Rico indicated that hurricane-related deaths may have risen to 1,052, Gov. Ricardo Rossello commissioned a study from George Washington Universitys school of public health. The report is expected to be released this month.

We definitely acknowledge this is a realistic estimate, Pedro Cerame, a spokesman for the Puerto Rican governments Federal Affairs Administration, said of the numbers in the upcoming report to Congress. We dont want to say it out loud or publicize it as an official number. The official number will come, and it could be close. But until we see the study, and have the accuracy, we wont be able to recognize the number as official.

Cerame acknowledged that the final version of the report hedges the language to say that the additional deaths may or may not be attributable to the storm; the 1,427 figure was also deleted from a chart.

Researchers at Penn State University had reached an estimate very similar to The Times assessment. A much-publicized study from Harvard University showed the deaths could have ranged from 800 to 8,500.

Frances Robles is a New York Times writer.
ALBANY, N.Y.  Robert 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.

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.

He also developed a busy second career as a public speaker for community, business and academic groups.

He is survived by his wife, Dianne Evans, five children and 10 grandchildren.

Rex Smith is an Albany Times Union writer.
WASHINGTON  The lone military identification tag that North Korea provided with 55 boxes of human remains last month belonged to Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, an Army medic from Indiana who was killed in the opening months of the Korean War.

The Army on Wednesday handed McDaniels slightly corroded dog tag to his sons, Charles Jr. and Larry, who were so young when their father perished that they have little memory of him. Charles, 71, told reporters he was moved to tears when he got the phone call at home in Indianapolis last week informing him that his fathers dog tag had been returned.

Its a very mixed, jumbled moment for us, he said, referring to the emotions he and his brother feel so many years after having grown up without their biological father, never knowing for sure what happened to him in a war many Americans have forgotten.

At least we have this, he said, pointing to the dog tag, imprinted with the name, Charles Hobert McDaniel, and a service number.

Charles Jr., of Indianapolis, told reporters he has no recollection of what his family was told when his father was reported missing in action.

Larry, 70, of Jacksonville, Fla., said he has no memory at all of his father, but Im proud of what he did and what he accomplished.

The dog tag is no assurance that McDaniels remains are among those contained in the 55 boxes that the North Korean army turned over the U.S. officials at Wonsan, North Korea, on July 27. John Byrd, director of the Defense Department laboratory in Hawaii that is beginning the process of attempting to identify the remains, said the condition of the bones is judged to be moderate to poor preservation, meaning few are whole bones and all are quite old.

No personal effects were handed over by the North Koreans aside from the McDaniel dog tag. The boxes contained a number of U.S.-issued military items such as helmets, gloves and canteens, but none are associated with any specific individual.

North Korea returned the remains as part of an agreement reached by its leader, Kim Jong Un, at his Singapore summit with President Trump in June. Kim also agreed to cooperate with the U.S. in searching for and excavating additional remains in North Korea, where an estimated 5,300 U.S. servicemen are believed to have fallen and not been recovered. Negotiations on the terms of such future operations have not yet begun, American officials said.

Robert Burns is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday released about 5,700 pages of documents involving Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaughs time as an associate White House counsel in the George W. Bush administration, as Democrats complained that the vast majority of such files remained hidden from public view.

It was not immediately clear whether the newly released files contained any significant revelations about Kavanaugh, whom President Trump has nominated to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy. Journalists and outside advocates from both sides have begun scouring them.

Many of the files appeared to be emails in which White House staff members were circulating news and opinion articles or setting up meetings.

The public release of the 5,700 pages was a first trickle from a larger trove of about 125,000 pages that a Republican lawyer working for Bush, William Burck, had turned over to the committee late last week.

Democrats have complained that Burck should not be involved in providing any historical government documents to the committee, and that only the National Archives and Records Administration, or NARA, should be deciding which files make it to the committee.

The archives is separately working through Bush-era White House documents to decide what to turn over, but has said it would take months for it to complete the review. Bush, who as the former president has a right to access files from his administration that are not yet public, has voluntarily begun providing some to the Senate in a parallel process.

In a letter Wednesday, Burck said that the National Archives staff members were too busy working on the official committee request to consult on which pages from the files he had processed could be made public. So, he said, his team had determined that it was appropriate to make the 5,700 pages public, suggesting that they contain little sensitive information.

The Senate has been fighting over the speed of Kavanaughs confirmation process, a struggle that for now is playing out as two debates over access to documents.

Charlie Savage and Michael D. Shear are New York Times writers.
A 20-minute delay exists this evening on BART's Warm Springs line due to an equipment problem on a train, BART officials said.



An advisory about the delay was issued at 5:51 p.m. and is affecting trains headed to Dublin/Pleasanton, Warm Springs and Fremont.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN JOSE (BCN)



A state appellate court today denied an appeal from the attorney of a former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexual assault, upholding the jury's verdict from 2016.



On July 24, Brock Turner's attorney Eric Multhaup argued there wasn't enough factual evidence to convict Turner of three charges: assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person with a foreign object and sexual penetration of an unconscious person with a foreign object.



He said Turner was only engaged in "sexual outercourse," or "safe sex," and that he did not intend to rape the victim, Jane Doe, outside of a fraternity party near Stanford in January 2015.



A panel of the state's Sixth District Court of Appeal said in its decision today that Multhaup's argument "lacks merit."



"The fact that defendant was engaging in a different sexual act at the time the encounter was interrupted (namely, "dry humping") does not foreclose the inference that he intended, ultimately, to rape [the victim]," the court wrote.



Justices Frank Elia, Adrienne Grover and Wendy Clark Duffy handed down the decision. Multhaup could not be reached for comment.









Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A Foster City man has been sentenced in federal court in San Francisco to nine years and seven months in prison for molesting a 6-year-old girl at a swimming pool at a resort in Jamaica.



Douglas Peacock, 44, was given the prison term on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer.



Peacock pleaded guilty before Breyer in April to one count of engaging in illicit conduct with a minor in a foreign location.



The molestation took place on June 21, 2017, the day after Peacock arrived at a family-friendly resort in Jamaica. The victim was an American citizen visiting the resort with her family.



According to court documents, the pool was configured as a "lazy river" and Peacock accosted the victim in a secluded area of the pool underneath a bridge.



Peacock pleaded guilty in Jamaica to a charge of indecent assault, served five months in prison there, and then was transferred to San Francisco to face the U.S. charges.



Defense attorney Joel DeFabio said in a sentencing brief that Peacock feels "sincere remorse," accepts responsibility and wants to have therapy for his misconduct while in prison.



Acting U.S. Attorney Alex Tse of San Francisco said in a statement, "The court imposed a sentence commensurate with the egregiousness of the crime committed."



Peacock had a history of allegedly molesting girls while swimming.



He previously pleaded guilty in 2001 to a state court misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a minor. He allegedly inappropriately touched four girls who were swimming off of a beach in Stockton, according to a prosecution document.



Peacock underwent therapy for 12 years but then stopped, according to court documents. In 2015, he was accused of molesting a girl who was swimming at South Lake Tahoe. That charge is pending in state court.



Breyer ordered that Peacock's federal sentence should be served concurrently with any sentence he receives in the South Lake Tahoe case. He also ordered Peacock to serve 10 years on supervised release after completing the prison term and to register as a sex offender.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
At least two lanes of northbound Interstate Highway 880 just south of South Fremont Boulevard in Fremont are currently blocked following a traffic collision early this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.



The CHP said the collision was first reported at 5:29 a.m. and one motorist may be trapped in their vehicle down an embankment. There is no estimated time of reopening.

No further information is immediately available.
PALO ALTO (BCN)



A 37-year-old man from Nevada was arrested Wednesday night for allegedly shooting into a vehicle at a Palo Alto Safeway last Friday.



The shooting happened at about 9:15 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the grocery store at 2811 Middlefield Road. Police responded to find a Lexus with paper license plates and a shattered window leaving the scene.



They began pursuing the vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 but ended the chase because the car was driving erratically, according to police. The driver turned out to be the victim of the shooting, but police said they haven't identified him and don't know if he was injured.



According to police, the Lexus driver got into an argument with the suspect in the parking lot and the suspect fired multiple rounds into the Lexus before the victim sped away.



An investigation led police to identify the suspect as Christian David Poppe, of Henderson, Nevada, and officers issued a warrant for his arrest.



Poppe was arrested without incident at 6:22 p.m. Wednesday after officers found him driving a black 2013 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in the 500 block of San Ramon Valley Boulevard in Danville, according to police.



He was booked on suspicion of three felonies: assault with a deadly weapon involving a firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle.



Police said they found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside his car that was allegedly used during the shooting.



Officers are still searching for the victim to find out if he was injured and to determine the events leading up to the shooting. Police said they don't yet know if the victim and the suspect knew each other.



329-2413





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
PETALUMA (BCN)



Petaluma police are asking for the public's help identifying two vandalism suspects, police said.



The male suspects were caught on video around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday vandalizing fencing around a business in the 200 block of F Street.



The business had been repeatedly vandalized with graffiti, the owner said.



Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to contact the Petaluma police community service officer at (707) 781-1217.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
The 18-year-old son of an East Bay police chief was arrested this morning on suspicion of assaulting a 71-year-old Sikh man in a case that the Manteca Police Department is investigating as a possible hate crime.



Around 6 a.m. Monday, the victim was walking in the vicinity of Graystone Park, listed at 810 Agate Ave. in Manteca, when he was confronted by two suspects.



One of them kicked him repeatedly and spat on the victim, who fell down and hit his head on the ground. They may have also waived a gun around before they left.



The incident was initially investigated as an attempted robbery, but now detectives are looking into whether the assault meets the legal requirements to be charged as a hate crime, according to Manteca police.



Tyrone McAllister, son of Union City police Chief Darryl McAllister, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Another suspect identified only as a 16-year-old juvenile was also arrested.



Union City police spokesman Lt. Steve Mendez said in a statement that Tyrone has become estranged from his father, and that the chief worked with police in Manteca to track down and arrest Tyrone this morning.



"Chief McAllister expresses deep concern for the victim and the victim's family and he remains steadfast that his son, an adult, must be accountable for his actions," Mendez said.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SANTA ROSA (BCN)



Santa Rosa Junior College District police arrested a 19-year-old man Wednesday on suspicion of peeping in a woman's bathroom on campus.



Police received a call around 5:30 p.m. about a male in the women's bathroom in Maggini Hall. A woman said she was using the restroom when a male looked at her from an adjacent stall.



The woman gave a detailed description of the suspect and within minutes police located a man matching her description sitting in a parked car nearby. He was identified as 19-year-old Ian Mumbi of Santa Rosa.



Mumbi was arrested for loitering in a public toilet for the purpose of engaging in a lewd act. He was booked in the Sonoma County Jail but is no longer listed as being in custody.



Police said because Mumbi disturbed campus operations he is not authorized to be on the SRJC property for 14 days under a section of the California Penal Code.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SANTA ROSA (BCN)



The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved nearly $500,000 for a fire camera pilot project in the Lake Sonoma watershed.



The network of cameras will be modeled after existing fire camera networks currently in operation in the Lake Tahoe region, state of Nevada, and San Diego and Orange counties.



The state of the art system uses near-infrared technology for night vision and allows fire officials to take control of the cameras during wildfire emergencies to monitor fire and weather conditions.



The cameras will be mounted on mountaintops and high visibility locations and will locate fire ignition spots by using triangulation.



The Sonoma County Water Agency will contribute $477,037 for the installation, maintenance and operation of the cameras for the first year. The Board of Supervisors, acting as the Directors of the Water Agency, approved the nearly-half-million dollar investment in the cameras.



"We learned a painful lesson last October about what these extreme weather events can produce in terms of wildfires and we're seeing already this year that it is the new normal. I look forward to building on this effort and developing a regional network," Board Chair James Gore said.



Each camera site will include a microwave tower that provides sufficient bandwidth to transmit the high-definition fire camera data. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's microwave communications network has the bandwidth to support the project and will incorporate some of the cameras at existing microwave tower sites.



The final locations of the eight cameras have not been determined, but locating them at existing microwave sites will reduce implementation costs, county officials said.



Healdsburg Fire Department Chief Jason Boaz said the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association supports the pilot project.



REDCOM, the Sonoma County fire and emergency dispatch center and Cal Fire dispatch centers have agreed to add the fire camera operations to their dispatch protocols and procedures.



When 911 calls about smoke and potential fires are received from the public, the dispatch centers will use the cameras to verify a fire, its location and magnitude to tailor a response.



The Sonoma County Water Agency anticipates the cameras will be installed and working by the end of September.



Protection of the Lake Sonoma watershed is critical in supplying drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties.



The pilot project is regarded as the first phase of a larger, regional network of fire cameras in Sonoma, Marin, Lake, Napa and Mendocino counties, with four of those counties experiencing wildfires in the past few years.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
What's expected to be an emotional two-day sentencing hearing for Ghost Ship warehouse master tenant Derick Almena and creative director Max Harris for the fire at the warehouse in December 2016 that killed 36 people will begin this morning.



Almena, 48, and Harris, 28, avoided a lengthy trial by pleading no contest on July 3 to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for their roles in the fire during a music party at the two-story warehouse at 1309 31st Ave. in Oakland's Fruitvale district on Dec. 2, 2016.



Almena and Harris lived at the warehouse with about 20 other people, including Almena's wife and their young children.



At a lengthy preliminary hearing late last year, prosecutors said guests and residents were endangered by the warehouse's makeshift electrical system and floor-to-ceiling load of pianos, wooden sculptures, pallets, motor campers, rugs, benches, tree limbs and tapestries.



In filing the charges against Almena and Harris last year after a long investigation, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said the warehouse had no city permits for residency or for the concerts and shows that were held there.







A state appellate court has denied an appeal from the attorney of a former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexual assault, upholding the jury's verdict from 2016.



On July 24, Brock Turner's attorney Eric Multhaup argued there wasn't enough factual evidence to convict Turner of three charges: assault with intent to commit rape, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person with a foreign object and sexual penetration of an unconscious person with a foreign object.



He said Turner was only engaged in "sexual outercourse," or "safe sex," and that he did not intend to rape the victim, Jane Doe, outside of a fraternity party near Stanford in January 2015.



A panel of the state's Sixth District Court of Appeal said in its decision Wednesday that Multhaup's argument "lacks merit."



"The fact that defendant was engaging in a different sexual act at the time the encounter was interrupted (namely, "dry humping") does not foreclose the inference that he intended, ultimately, to rape [the victim]," the court wrote.







The 18-year-old son of an East Bay police chief has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a 71-year-old Sikh man in a case that the Manteca Police Department is investigating as a possible hate crime.



Around 6 a.m. Monday, the victim was walking in the vicinity of Graystone Park, listed at 810 Agate Ave. in Manteca, when he was confronted by two suspects.



One of them kicked him repeatedly and spat on the victim, who fell down and hit his head on the ground. They may have also waived a gun around before they left.



The incident was initially investigated as an attempted robbery, but now detectives are looking into whether the assault meets the legal requirements to be charged as a hate crime, according to Manteca police.



Tyrone McAllister, son of Union City police Chief Darryl McAllister, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Another suspect identified only as a 16-year-old juvenile was also arrested.







San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced additional funds that will help pay for legal services for tenants in the city who are facing eviction.



Breed made the announcement Wednesday.



After voters in June passed Proposition F to provide city-funded legal representation to tenants facing eviction, Breed worked with the Board of Supervisors to set aside $1.9 million in fiscal year 2018-19 and $3.9 million in fiscal year 2019-20 for that purpose.



In all, the city will be spending more than $10 million annually on tenant protections, including about $6.3 million for legal services.



San Francisco is the first city in the state and the second nationwide to provide full-scope legal defense services for tenants facing eviction, according to the mayor's office.



"One of the most important things we can do to prevent displacement and homelessness is keep people housed in the first place," Breed said in a statement.







Two people have been found dead in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood and the Police Department's homicide unit is investigating, police said.



Police discovered the bodies around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after relatives of the victims called police to ask officers to conduct a well-being check at a home in the 200 block of Turk Street, Officer Joseph Tomlinson said.



Police did not have any more information tonight about the deaths.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A federal judge in San Francisco today said he is inclined to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses San Francisco State University of discriminating against Jewish and Israeli students.



U.S. District Judge William Orrick said the allegations in the lawsuit by five present and former Jewish students and two campus visitors didn't appear to meet the legal standards for showing a specific intent to discriminate.



"There are no facts alleged by plaintiffs to suggest the policy they allege exists. Therefore, I don't see liability," Orrick said at a hearing in his San Francisco courtroom.



The judge did not make a final decision on the university's motion for dismissal of the 2017 lawsuit and said he will issue a written ruling later.



The lawsuit includes claims of violations of the constitutional rights of free speech and equal protection and of the U.S. Civil Rights Act.



The defendants are the California State University trustees, San Francisco State University, University President Leslie Wong, eight other administrators and College of Ethnic Studies Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, who is the faculty advisor for the General Union of Palestine Students.



The current version of the suit is the third to be filed by the plaintiffs; Orrick dismissed the previous version in March on grounds of lack of factual allegations sufficient to support a plausible claim.



The lawsuit centers on two events at the campus. The first is a speech by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on April 6, 2016. The suit claims campus administrators failed to stop pro-Palestinian demonstrators from drowning out Barkat's words.



The second was a campus "Know Your Rights" fair held on Feb. 18, 2017. The plaintiffs allege the local branch of Hillel, a nationwide Jewish students' group, was unfairly excluded.



Seth Weisburst, a lawyer for the students, argued today, "The vast majority of Jews believe in the Jewish homeland's right to exist.



"Our plaintiffs are told in every possible way, 'You're not welcome here, not just that we disagree, but that you're not welcome on campus,'" the attorney said.



Lawyers for the university contend the current lawsuit adds little to the version Orrick already dismissed and that there is no evidence the defendants were deliberately indifferent to the concerns of Jewish students.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
BCN15)



OAKLAND (BCN)



Family members and friends of the 36 people who died in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland in December 2016 expressed grief for their loss at the sentencing hearing today for two men who entered pleas last month for their roles in the fire.



The family members and friends also expressed outrage about the short jail terms that Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena, 48, and creative director Max Harris, 28, are getting for their no contest pleas to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the fire during a music party at the building at 1308 31st Ave. on Dec. 2, 2016.



The plea agreement reached on July 3 calls for Almena to serve 9 years in jail and Harris to serve 6 years. But their attorneys say that because of the credits the two men have already accumulated since being arrested in June 2017 they expect Almena to be released in three and a half years and Harris to be released in about 22 months.



Linda Regan, the mother of victim Amanda Allen Kershaw, 34, of San Francisco, said the terms mean that Almena will only serve 3 months for each of the 36 victims and Harris will only serve two months per victim.



Regan said, "I'm a church-going person and have been taught to forgive and turn the other cheek" but said she's not yet ready to forgive Almena and Harris and said their negligence was "despicable."



Almena and Harris lived at the warehouse with about 20 other people, including Almena's wife and their young children.



At a lengthy preliminary hearing late last year, prosecutors said guests and residents were endangered by the warehouse's makeshift electrical system and floor-to-ceiling load of pianos, wooden sculptures, pallets, motor campers, rugs, benches, tree limbs and tapestries.



Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said when she filed charges against the two men last year that the warehouse had no city permits for residency or for the concerts and shows that were held there.



The victims, who were between the ages of 17 and 61, died of smoke inhalation.



Chris Allen, Kershaw's brother, said, "We feel betrayed and don't feel that justice is being served here."



Grace Kim, the mother of victim Ara Jo, 29, said she calculated that Jo should have lived at least another 50 years based on the average life expectancy of 79 years. Kim said she also calculated that the victims should have lived a total of another 1,800 years based on their ages and life expectancies.



Kim said Almena and Harris were "grossly negligent" and their short sentences don't reflect "the magnitude of our pain, suffering and loss."



Terry Ewing, Jo's boyfriend, said he was upset that Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson, who facilitated the plea agreement, wasn't at the sentencing hearing because he's no vacation. Judge James Cramer is substituting at the hearing, which is expected to last two days.



Ewing said, "It's morally bankrupt that you, Judge Jacobson, would grant such short sentences."



Ewing said Almena and Harris made "a very long series of choices" in failing to make the warehouse safe and alleged that their attorneys "engaged in despicable behavior" by downplaying their roles in the fire and instead shifting the blame to city and state officials who they said failed to warn Almena and Harris that the building was unsafe.



Almena and Harris are expected to speak later in the lengthy sentencing hearing.





Copyright  2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions
In the United States, a building 25 years or older becomes a prime candidate for being razed, to be replaced by something shinier, sleeker and, well, newer. Not in Italy, or much of Europe for that matter, as I had the pleasant opportunity to observe. One reason for my recent blog sabbatical was that my wife and I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a group tour of Italy. As a result, I can now attest theres a lot of old stuff there  REALLY old stuff.

Unlike in the USA, where were quick to demolish domed stadiums, retail stores, hotels and all sorts of other structures the moment they start to exhibit the first signs of age, things in the old country were built to last. Perhaps, even as they were being constructed, architects and builders were considering how these grand facilities would present themselves years later in what we could term, the pasta tense.



Take the Roman Colosseum, for example. The revered amphitheater was built in the first century A.D. Even though it has taken a beating over the years, it remains a stately icon of history. No ones booking the Colosseum for sporting events these days, but neither is anyone in Rome contemplating tearing it down and replacing it with a shopping mall or condominiums.



The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, known best for Michelangelos wondrous ceiling paintings, is young by comparison, dating back only to the 15th century. But more than 600 years later, it still mesmerizes many thousands of visitors daily, not only for its artistic beauty but also for the compelling spiritual messages captured by each work of art. The imagery  and truths  throughout the Vatican have endured the passing of time.



This built to last philosophy was evident everywhere we went, whether it was ancient Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis; the ruins of Pompeii, reminders of the once-prospering Roman city buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius; the hillside city of Montefiascone, or picturesque seaside communities like Positano and Sorrento.

The imposing faraglioni rock formations off the island of Capri, which have adorned travelogues as well as theatrical films set in that area, leave their own lasting impressions  not of human imagination and construction, but of natural wonder.

During our 12-day travels across what the natives know as Italia, I found much to take note of and ponder. But the enduring qualities of what we saw firsthand ranked right at the top of the list.

Pride of workmanship, perseverance and creativity were represented in each, but in many cases, we could see another quality on display: devotion to the Creator God. In my view, it was a manifestation of the admonition from Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

Renaissance painters, not only Michelangelo but also masters like Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli, labored countless hours on frescos and draperies to create scenes that depicted biblical characters and stories. Even if these artists were commissioned and compensated for their work, there is something exquisite and timeless about their work that could only have come through labors of love for their God.

Everywhere we visited in Italy we found churches and chapels boasting a level of craftsmanship rarely seen in our contemporary world. In fact, you might say in some respects they have an otherworldly quality to them, work undertaken as a form of worship.

I suspect undergirding some of these projects was King Solomons declaration in Ecclesiastes 9:10, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. If only we could see more people pursuing their work with that sort of passion and motivation today.

- - - -



Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net.






It wasn't long ago that filmmaker, author and self-styled D.B. Cooper sleuth Tom Colbert released his latest find: A sixth letter from the famed hijacker that reportedly contained a coded confession.

A member of Colbert's cold case team -- comprised of 40 former law enforcement and military personnel -- was retired U.S. Army code breaker, Rick Sherwood, and when he saw the alleged fifth letter sent by Cooper to newspapers, he wondered if the odd numbers in it could be a code.

Sherwood spent two weeks with that letter, eventually coming up with a translation of the odd numbers to old Army units -- three units, to be specific -- that happened to also be the three units of a man Colbert believes to be the real Cooper.

Then Colbert got another letter back -- the sixth letter -- in the FBI's response to longstanding public records requests. In that letter, Sherwood decoded what he and Colbert said is a confession.

RELATED: D.B. Cooper: A sixth letter, a reportedly coded confession, and the end of J. Edgar Hoover

"I'm Lt. Robert Rackstraw," read one part of the coded message, according to Colbert and Sherwood. Rackstraw, a retired U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, was considered and then dismissed as a Cooper suspect by the FBI in the late 1970s, but Colbert and his team's investigation says otherwise.

The mystery of D.B. Cooper The mystery began on Nov. 24, 1971 when a man calling himself Dan Cooper bought a one-way ticket on Northwest Orient Airlines from Portland to Seattle. Once aboard the Boeing 727, he slipped a note to the flight attendant saying he had a bomb and that he wanted $200,000 and four parachutes, as well as a refueling truck ready when they landed in Seattle. In Seattle, the man exchanged the passengers for the ransom money and the plane took off, headed for Mexico. Somewhere over southwest Washington, Cooper jumped out the rear stair door of the plane and was never heard from again. The only verifiable evidence ever found was a small cache of $20 bills found near the Columbia River in 1980. The FBI officially stopped pursuing the case in 2016 but said it would review any physical evidence of the parachutes or the money that turned up. It remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in the U.S. In 2016, Colbert's team of former law enforcement officers, including retired FBI agents, used a lead about where Cooper landed to track down some bits of fabric they believed to be part of the parachute. They handed those over to the FBI and and haven't heard back since. That story, relayed by an old pilot named Wally to another pilot, told of three accomplices using a small plane and a ground vehicle to pick Cooper up after his jump and then help him escape. The four had plotted and practiced in advance, the story goes. But there's much, much more. Colbert said his team found old officers who served with Rackstraw in the military who said he was involved in secret units and even the CIA, a reason Colbert gives for him being let off the hook even after FBI questioning in 1979. Another part of the narrative has Cooper tossing $50,000 of his ransom money into Vancouver Lake as part of an elaborate scheme to suggest he died in the jump. But the money didn't wash up as planned, so a second effort planted the money at the Columbia River beach where it was found in 1980. See More Collapse

"We know it's Rackstraw," Colbert previously told SeattlePI. Pointing to the unit names allegedly coded into the fifth letter, he said there could be little doubt. "He was the only man in the whole American army with those three units."

On Wednesday, Colbert released the details of how Sherwood decoded the messages.

The code itself is relatively simple. A number is assigned to each letter of the alphabet in order (A=1, B=2, etc.). But it's not a only matter of spelling words out with numbers. Instead, the values are added up and then decoded by finding other words that add up to the same value.

For example, "D.B. Cooper" tallies up to 78. One could decode that to read "A wrong."

Numbers can also be added up along with the values from letters, as Sherwood did with the combos of letters and numbers in the fifth letter.

Coded messages in the six letters allegedly sent by Cooper to newspapers included statements that indicated he was a CIA operative, that he was trained by the U.S. government, the statement that he was Rackstraw and more, according to Colbert.

RELATED: New on D.B. Cooper: Private investigators say he was CIA

The simplicity of the code meant that one could come up with any number of different messages out of the text decoded by Sherwood, but understanding the context and the language of the era helped guide him, he told Colbert.

Sherwood had previously put together a collection of words and language used in the late 1960s among Vietnam-serving military personnel. That, along with other aspects of the letters, including indications in the sixth that Cooper was trying to tell who he was or wasn't, helped him determine what he might uncover, Colbert said.

"So he (Sherwood) was looking for a reveal," Colbert said. "So that put him in the mind of who he was looking for."

Who he found was Rackstraw, a man who hasn't made a clear denial of the claim, but who also hasn't been revisited as a suspect by the FBI. The FBI officially stopped pursuing the case in 2016, saying it would only return to it if physical evidence of either the money or the parachute turned up again.

In 2017, Rackstraw told SeattlePI that its reporter should verify Colbert's claims, but didn't deny anything outright. At the time, he expressed frustration with Colbert's pursuits.

The codes may mark the end of Colbert's constant pursuit of the case, he said. He has been following the case for seven years, amassing a case that at least on its face appears more in-depth and credible than most of the dozens of other amateur theories on what became of the hijacker.

Last year, Colbert and his team followed tips to a remote location in the Cascade foothills to dig up pieces of fabric that they said were part of Cooper's parachute. They turned over the evidence and the location to the FBI, but haven't heard anything further since.

The story that led them there came secondhand from an old pilot who claimed to have been one of several men involved in helping Cooper in an escape that involved throwing $50,000 out of an airplane and later orchestrating a find of some money along the Columbia River. Add to that Colbert's claims that Cooper was CIA and that the FBI has worked actively to cover up evidence since the late 1970s, and the story becomes even more incredible than the few facts that are known and provable.

The FBI, for its part, has only repeated its statement that it will pursue physical evidence.

Colbert also worked with the History channel to produce a documentary on the case that came out in 2016, and it seems likely another film on the topic may be in the cards.

For now, Colbert is convinced he's found the genuine Cooper, but the internet is full of Cooperites (the nickname for followers and theorists of the case) who say otherwise.

The mystery of the polite man who hijacked an airliner and got away with it will remain just that for now: A mystery.

Senior editor Daniel DeMay can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.
SANAA, Yemen An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels hit a bus driving in a busy market in northern Yemen on Thursday, killing least 50 people including children and wounding 77, Yemens rebel-run Al Masirah TV said citing rebel Health Ministry figures.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it targeted the rebels, known as Houthis, who had fired a missile at the kingdoms south on Wednesday, killing one person who was a Yemeni resident in the area.

Al Masirah TV aired dramatic images of wounded children, their clothes and schoolbags covered with blood as they lay on hospital stretchers. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter that its team at an ICRC-supported hospital in Saada received the bodies of 29 children, all under 15 years old. It also received 48 wounded people, including 30 children, it said.

The attack took place in the Dahyan market in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. The province lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The bus was ferrying local civilians, including many children, according to Yemeni tribal leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

There was no breakdown in the casualties and it was not immediately clear how many of the victims were on the bus itself and how many were pedestrians in the immediate area around it. It was also unclear if there were other air strikes in the area.

Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the attack in Saada targeted the rebels who had fired a missile at the kingdoms south, killing one person and wounding 11 others. The coalition said Wednesdays projectile, fired toward the southwestern Saudi city of Jizan, was intercepted and destroyed but its fragments caused the casualties.

The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, also said the missile was launched deliberately to target residential and populated areas.

Al-Malki insisted Thursdays attack carried out in Saada is a legitimate military action and is in accordance with international humanitarian law and customs. He also accused the Houthis of recruiting children and using them in the battlefields to cover for their actions.

Later on Thursday, air strikes hit the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and sounds of the blasts reverberated across the citys southern and western neighborhoods.

Ahmed Al-Haj is an Associated Press writer.
JERUSALEM  Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip and three people were reported killed there, while Palestinian militants from the territory fired scores of rockets into Israel in a fierce burst of violence overnight and into Thursday morning.

The flare-up comes as Egypt is trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the two sides. At least three Palestinians died  a pregnant woman, her 1-year-old daughter and a Hamas militant, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

On the Israeli side, at least seven people were wounded.

Israeli and Hamas officials both threatened a further intensification of hostilities. The U.N.s Mideast envoy appealed for calm.

It was not clear if the escalation, the latest in a series of intense exchanges of fire in recent months, would derail the indirect negotiations between Israel and Gazas Hamas militant rulers.

Air raid sirens signaling incoming rocket fire wailed across southern Israel throughout Thursday, with warnings going off in the southern city of Beersheba for the first time since the 2014 war.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Despite the animosity, the bitter enemies appear to be working through Egyptian mediators to avoid another war.

Hamas is demanding the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade that has devastated Gazas economy, while Israel wants an end to rocket fire, as well as recent border protests and launches of incendiary balloons, and the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and two live Israelis believed to be held by Hamas.

But the continued outbursts of fire have jeopardized those cease-fire efforts.

Ilan Ben Zion is an Associated Press writer.
Page Content

As of Oct. 15, New York City employers with four or more employees will be required to engage in a "cooperative dialogue" with a person who may be entitled to a workplace accommodation. The cooperative dialogue resembles the "interactive process" that most employers are familiar with under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the city's law applies to more than disability-related accommodations and, importantly, requires employers to document the cooperative dialogue process. We have prepared this short Q&A to help employers understand their obligations under the new law.

What triggers the obligation?

The employee requests an accommodation.



The employer is on notice that the employee may require an accommodation (e.g., need for accommodation is apparent; request is made by a surrogate).



What types of accommodation requests are subject to the new requirements?

Religious accommodations.



Disability accommodations.



Accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions.



Accommodations for the needs of a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking.



What constitutes a cooperative dialogue?

Written or oral communications concerning:



The employee's accommodation needs.



Potential accommodations that may address those needs (including alternatives).



Any difficulties the potential accommodations may pose for employer.



What documentation is required?

An employer must provide the employee with a "written final determination identifying any accommodation granted or denied."



A determination that there is no reasonable accommodation that will enable the employee to satisfy essential requisites of their job may only be made after engaging in a cooperative dialogue and must be put in writing to the employee.



What are the risks of noncompliance?

Failure to engage in a cooperative dialogue (including the documentation obligation) is an unlawful discriminatory practice under the New York City Human Rights Law.



Employees can file administrative charges with the New York City Commission on Human Rights or a lawsuit. The commission itself can also initiate a "commissioner's charge."



Remedies include compensatory, punitive, equitable and injunctive relief, as well as civil penalties (up to $125,000 per violation and up to $250,000 for a violation that is willful, wanton or malicious) and/or attorneys' fees in a lawsuit.



How can employers best prepare?

Update reasonable accommodation policies.



Consider establishingand communicating to employeesa standard procedure for requesting accommodations.



Consider establishing a standard procedure for responding to accommodation requests in writing.



Train HR and managers on the cooperative dialogue obligation and requesting/responding procedures and document the training to reduce risk of civil penalties. HR and managers should understand that all accommodation requests now require a written response.



Danielle Thompson and Christopher Collins are attorneys with Sheppard Mullin in New York City.  2018 Sheppard Mullin. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- High school reunions and alumni gatherings are always a fun and fab way to reconnect with old friends and reminisce about shared pasts.

Members of the Curtis High School class of 1968 will have a chance to renew friendships and acquaintances at their 50th annual reunion at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at LiGreci's Staaten, West Brighton. Reservation deadline: Sept. 4.

When members of the class received their diplomas five decades ago, they found themselves in an America torn apart by domestic and international challenges.

The Vietnam War was raging -- as were protests in Washington, D.C. -- impacting the decisions made by many new high school graduates.

Sen. Bobby Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated, and there were riots at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Meanwhile, women's liberation groups emerged.

But for Curtis High School seniors, it was also the best of times.

*Check out a glimpse of the nostalgic good times in the gallery above.*

"For the most part, we weren't thinking about the challenges the country and the world were facing -- our challenge was to pass the Regents exams and graduate. At least for that moment, it was a time to celebrate." said Brock Austin, a reunion committee member.

"We had great teachers at Curtis, and they gave us the tools to succeed in whatever endeavor we chose. We may not have appreciated them enough at the time, but looking back, we owe them so much."

Class of '68 graduates may have approached their futures with some fear, but each found their own way. It was a time to embrace life and realize their potential. Careers, military service, college, work, and independence were all ahead for them. And now, each classmate has a unique story to tell.

Classmates will have the opportunity to reconnect and tell their stories (both happy and sad) at their 2018 reunion

.

"We want to make sure our 50th is a special event - a blast from the past," Austin said. "Our reunion website, Curtis1968reunion.com, has been a great way to share our memories and plans. We encourage all of our classmates to visit the site."

Leslie Wilson Stafford, Curtis Class of 1968, added: "I will always believe that my time at Curtis gave me the foundation to meet the challenges of life. My family left Staten Island a few days after graduation. I'm so looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with classmates and Staten Island."

More information: Contact Leslie at staffordsf@gmail.com or 415-518-1939; or Brock Austin at brockjayaustin@gmail.com or 952-470-1831.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The beloved 67-year-old woman who was shot on Jersey Street after a gang-related melee by the courthouse last month has died, the Advance has learned.

Frances E. Williams, of New Brighton, died Aug. 2 at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, according to an obituary posted by the Stradford Funeral Home.

"Frances was a great family woman and a loving sister," said the obituary. "Her family and friends will remember her as a loving and caring person."

At around 12:30 p.m. on July 10, Williams was shot in the face while standing near the intersection of Jersey and Pauw streets in New Brighton.

The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, police said. A few days after the incident, she was put on life support, according to Advance records.

Police said Thursday there have been no arrests in the case.

Known affectionately on Jersey Street as "Ms. Franny," the New Brighton resident was caught in the crossfire amid what law enforcement sources described as a gang-related feud that boiled over at multiple locations across the North Shore.

Shortly after the incident, a large crowd holding white balloons gathered by the bus stop where Williams was struck to honor her, according to a Facebook post.

"Ms. Fran," they yelled while releasing the balloons in the air and cheering.

 Ms Fran = New Brighton #True2Life Posted by Malcolm Penn on Friday, July 13, 2018

Williams was born on Staten Island and worked as a home health aide at the Richmond Terrace Houses for more than 30 years, said the obituary.

She is survived by her sister Jessica Allen; brother Ronald Williams; and several nieces and nephews.

The wake is 2 p.m. Thursday, followed by the funeral at 4 p.m. at the Stradford Funeral Home at 1241 Castleton Ave. in West Brighton.
Vice President Mike Pence announced a plan to create a new branch of the military dedicated to conflicts in space. The Space Force would become the sixth branch of the military, and the first new branch since the creation of the Air Force in 1947. The White House is seeking to have the new military branch established within the year. President Donald Trump responded to the announcement by tweeting "Space Force all the way!" But some experts argue a new branch of military isn't necessary. Does the U.S. need a Space Force, or is this the wrong step for our country?

PERSPECTIVES

In 2007, China successfully tested an anti-satellite missile, destroying a dead weather satellite. Wired writes:

While countries around the world have dramatically improved their technological capabilities in space, the U.S. has largely stagnated. Wired quotes retired U.S. Air Force major general William Shelton:

The same Wired article delineates some of the problems with embarking on an arms race in space:

Slate raises similar issues.

Proponents of Space Force within the government have hinted that foreign entities currently have the capabilities to cripple aspects of the U.S. According to The Atlantic:

Some experts within the military believe that even though the United States' lack of readiness in space is an issue and that this needs to be addressed, creating an entirely new brand of the military is not the answer. Slate writes of Secretary of Defense James Mattis' reservations with the plan.

In his speech, Pence put the idea for the Space Force within the context of the United States' military history. According to the Washington Post:

Some within the government believe the creation of a Space Force is a ridiculous idea all around.

The VP just announced a new military branch - a Space Force, because no R is willing to tell POTUS its a dumb idea. Although Space Force wont happen, its dangerous to have a leader who cannot be talked out of crazy ideas. Elect Ds to check POTUS power.  Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) August 9, 2018

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There's a new invasive tick species spreading across the United States, and it has now been discovered in the southern section of Staten Island.

The Asian longhorned tick, or haemaphysalis longicornis, is a recently recognized invasive species usually found in areas of east Asia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The single tick found is the first of the species to be spotted in New York City, according to the city Department of Health (DOH).

From 2012 to 2016, Staten Island saw a 250 percent rise in cases of Lyme disease - the sharpest jump in the disease of the five boroughs over the last five years, according to data the Advance compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Here's what you need to know about the Asian longhorned tick.

DOESN'T TRANSMIT DISEASES

Tests on the ticks found in the United States show they aren't positive for any foreign or local germ or diseases, according to Dr. Thomas Mather, a professor of public health entomology and director of the TickEncounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island.

"While it has been reported that the longhorned tick has transmitted disease to humans in other parts of the world such as China, it has not been shown to transmit diseases in the United States," said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, health commissioner for the DOH.

Both the DOH and Mather said the ticks favor livestock, wild animals and dogs.

But residents should continue to take precautions, Mather said.

Staten Islanders should continue to follow procedures to prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases, and use effective tick-repellent products.

"They could still be a threat," he said. "Just because we have found out this information, we don't know the whole scope and scale of what is happening and what could happen."

The tick expert explained that the CDC is beginning to make a colony of the Asian longhorned ticks to document their "vector competence testing."

During testing, the CDC places ticks on animal hosts to learn if the tick is capable of becoming infected and transmitting the germ or disease.

RECENTLY IDENTIFIED

While this tick has been recently identified, Mather said the presence of the longhorned tick can be traced back to 2010.

"It may have been here a lot longer than we thought and we didn't look for it or misidentified it," Mather said.

He explained that the tick could have been mistaken as a rabbit tick, which looks similar to the longhorned tick.

He credited the recent recognition of the species to the increased tick awareness and tick-borne diseases in the last five years.

More people are sending photos of ticks to the

program

to help identify ticks and determine if they carry a disease. The program also tracks how many ticks have been reported in different locations.

CITY TACKLES TICK PROBLEM

The DOH identified the Asian longhorned tick species and worked with Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology to confirm the identification.

"As more research is done, the department will continue to aggressively monitor and control ticks on Staten Island and throughout the city and urge all New Yorkers to take the necessary precautions against tick bites," Bassett said.

Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city's plan to increase spending by $600,000 annually to tackle the tick problem on Staten Island.

The mayor called the future efforts the most "aggressive tick control policy of the history of New York City."

The efforts include disinfecting mice, stepping up tick surveillance at city parks and doubling the number of surveillance sites on Staten Island from 14 to 28.

The most prevalent tick in New York is the blacklegged or deer tick in the nymph stage -- the stage just before a tick becomes an adult.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
The EPA announced it could allow companies to find "new uses" for asbestos, a known carcinogen, in construction. The United States is currently one of the few countries without a full ban on asbestos and critics of the EPA's new plan worry it could result in dramatically relaxed regulations. According to some studies, asbestos exposure is responsible for 12,000 to 15,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Should the EPA merely regulate asbestos or should it move to a full ban?

PERSPECTIVES

James Hewitt, an EPA spokesman, told NBC News the new policy would not deregulate the use of asbestos, despite some reports to the contrary. According to Hewitt, these new rules would actually give the EPA more oversight on the use of the carcinogenic material.

Many experts on asbestos and its use say that regulations are not enough and the U.S. needs to move to a full ban, per NBC News:

President Trump has long stated his unreserved support for asbestos use, despite the scientific community's consensus on the dangers it poses. Rolling Stone writes:

The fact that Russia could benefit the most from the United States increasing its use of asbestos has also raised many eyebrows, per the Washington Post:

When the EPA first announced it could be relaxing restrictions on some chemicals, the Washington Post reported that a Russian company with ties to Vladimir Putin posted a note of gratitude to President Trump.

Per Newsweek:

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.
The White House is working on a new proposal that would make it much harder for legal immigrants to become U.S. citizens. The proposal, part of Stephen Miller's immigration plan, would make it more difficult to obtain citizenship if legal immigrants have ever used social services, like Obamacare. The White House would not need Congressional approval to enact the plan, despite its wide-reaching implications. Do you think that's fair?

PERSPECTIVES

NBC News reports the White House is still working on the proposal, but the current draft could have dramatic results on people currently living in the United States.

Stephen Miller, the plan's architect, is not an elected official and should not be able to enact policy that will effect the country without approval from Congress.

According to NBC News, there is a precedent to changing immigration policy without seeking Congressional approval.

The Washington Post expanded on this idea in a piece from March 2018:

Historically, the executive branch has been able to change the definition of "public charge" without Congressional approval. Why should that rule change now?

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An apparent heart attack caused a 51-year-old man to lose control of his car and crash in Arden Heights Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The man was driving near the intersection of Arthur Kill Road and Arden Avenue at around 1:30 p.m. when he lost control of his blue Hyundai sedan, and crashed into a pole, a spokesman for the NYPD said.

He suffered injuries to his head and body, and was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Prince's Bay, the spokesman said.

The spokesman could not provide the man's condition. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Beauty professionals Donna Ivackovic and Anjali Wrenn know the morning of a bride's wedding is anything but calm.

In fact, the tradition of getting ready at the bride's parents' home can often be a lot of work. From being tasked with decorating, to allowing an entourage of bridesmaids, stylists and make-up artists to trek through the house, the scene can become somewhat chaotic.

"We recognized that there were so many gaps in the bridal beauty industry with regards to how and where women were getting ready for their wedding. The salon experience lacked intimacy and personalization," said Ivackovic, who has been in the beauty industry for more than 16 years, holding various positions at L'Oreal and Estee Lauder.

"Hotels are expensive and typically not designed for a seamless beauty experience. Then, you have the most traditional way women get ready -- the parents' house. Although there is personalization and intimacy, many homes are missing space [and] decor," she added.

That's why the pair opened The Beauty Suite New York -- a luxury studio in Richmond Valley where brides are pampered on the morning of their wedding -- in May.

"We always knew we wanted our business to be a game-changer. When we started

brainstorming ideas we realized that there was so much potential to transform the way women experience beauty," said Wrenn, who has held various makeup artistry positions, including at MAC Cosmetics.

HOW IT WORKS

Brides rent out The Beauty Suite NY -- a high-end space with blush and white accents, high ceilings and crystal chandeliers -- for the morning of their wedding. It becomes their own personal space where they receive the "royal treatment" from a host of beauty professionals.

"We give them the celebrity, luxury experience. ...We make them feel like a star for the day. They get a robe, a glass of champagne and we handle the rest," said Ivackovic.

Brides get dressed in the suite's boudoir, where processional photographers can take advantage of the chic yet homey design of the space.

"With hair and makeup styling, morning catering and champagne service, beautifully staged photography and everything in between, we have invented a luxury experience that completely revolutionizes the way in which brides prepare for their wedding day," she added.

When the two aren't pampering brides, they use the studio to host makeup classes, trunk shows, pop-up shops, bridal showcases and do-it-yourself workshops.

FRIENDS FIRST

They say their strong friendship has built a foundation for a successful business partnership.

"We are cousins by marriage. ...I think we always thought our life was a business together. We are super close. ...We always think we have the next big invention," said Ivackovic.

Said Wrenn: "We are both very similar when it comes to our ambitions. We are very resourceful, and will do whatever it takes to make our business work."

"The irony is that while we both worked in the industry, we have very different backgrounds and skill sets. [I'm] on the client side and Donna is on the corporate side. We joined forces to create a business model that combines all the things we love and leverages our strengths in the best possible ways," added Wrenn.

THE BEAUTY SUITE AT A GLANCE

Address: 245 Richmond Valley Rd.

Website: www.thebeautysuiteny.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeautysuite_ny/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/The-Beauty-Suite-NY-541843949507682/

New Businesses in Focus is a weekly column that relates the stories of new Staten Island businesses owners.

If you have a new business on Staten Island, e-mail porpora@siadvance.com.

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER
Last week, following approval by Pope Francis in May, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a new draft of paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Quoting from a speech given by Francis on Oct. 11, 2017, the provision states, in part, "The Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, 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."



Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Prefect of the CDF, argued in a letter to bishops that the church's now categorical opposition to capital punishment is not really inconsistent with prior teaching but, rather, a natural consequence of it. To support that claim, he cited language in Pope St. John Paul II's 1995 encyclical "Evangelium Vitae," subsequently incorporated into the church's catechism, that the death penalty, while not intrinsically wrong, may be employed when it is "the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively." The new paragraph released last week maintains that such circumstances no longer exist because "more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens."



Papal conflict



Francis didn't leave it at that, however, asserting primarily that the death penalty is an "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person." That puts him at odds fundamentally with Pope St. John Paul II who, in "Evangelium Vitae," "The Gospel of Life," expressly condoned it, albeit sparingly. The split is especially dramatic given that this encyclical was specifically written "to proclaim the good news of the value and dignity of each human life."



Francis's departure from traditional Catholic teaching on capital punishment is much more fundamental, however, when considered against the contrary pronouncements of a broad array of church titans through the ages, including numerous popes. Beginning with Pope Innocent I in 405, through Pope Pius XII in 1952, many pontiffs have expressly approved the death penalty as an instrument of just punishment. For instance, Pope Pius XII, speaking to the First International Congress of Histopathology of the Nervous System on Sept. 14, 1952, said, "Even when there is question of the execution of a condemned man, the State does not dispose of the individual's right to life ... by his crime, he has already dispossessed himself of his right to life."



Two of the foremost Doctors of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, in his "Summa Theologiae," and St. Augustine, in his "City of God," both expressly declared the death penalty to be morally justifiable. So, too, did St. Paul, considered by many to be the most influential of all Catholic saints, in his Letter to the Romans, written within 30 years of the death of Jesus Christ.



Sowing confusion



None of this is lost on Francis, of course, as the following introductory language of the new catechism paragraph makes crystal clear: "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." Nevertheless, he presumes to change over 2000 years of consistent teaching, embraced by scholars, saints and both, simply because he thinks otherwise. And in the process, he implicitly accuses those same scholars, saints and both, of endorsing "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."



Francis has consistently displayed a penchant for controversial actions and eyebrow-raising, impromptu comments, which he then defiantly refuses to explain, even when called upon to do so by bewildered theologians within the church. This, in turn, has sown seeds of confusion among many faithful Catholics who embrace a compendium of truths that the church has consistently labeled objective and immutable. It also generates speculation -- baseless, in all probability -- that Francis will change church teaching on such things as same-sex marriage, a male-only priesthood, and even abortion. His revolutionary death-penalty stance amplifies this troubling aspect of his pontificate.



In a lengthy article appearing in the Catholic publication "First Things" in May 2002, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a deeply-faithful Catholic, expressed his disagreement with Pope St. John Paul II's restrictive view of the death penalty's legitimacy in "Evangelium Vitae." He then explained in detail why, in good conscience, he would not follow it.



Faithful Catholics today have even more reason not to consider themselves bound by Francis's absolute condemnation of the death penalty.

Email Daniel Leddy at column@danielleddylaw.com. Follow him on Twitter @LegalHotShots.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Specialty chemicals group LANXESS plans to sell its remaining 50 percent stake in ARLANXEO to its joint venture partner Saudi Aramco. The two companies, that founded ARLANXEO in 2016 as a 50:50 joint venture for synthetic rubber, signed a respective agreement.

The transaction is still subject to approval of the relevant antitrust authorities. At the same time, information or consultation of the competent employee representative bodies will take place. The parties expect to complete the envisaged transaction by the end of 2018.

The total joint venture ARLANXEO is valued at EUR 3.0 billion. LANXESS expects to receive approximately EUR 1.4 billion in cash after deducting debt and other financial liabilities for its 50 percent share.

LANXESS plans to use the proceeds to strengthen its financial basis and reduce net financial debt.

Originally, LANXESS and Saudi Aramco agreed on a lock-up period until 2021 for both partners. 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. At the same time, we increase the resilience of our business, strengthen our financial basis and gain additional strategic flexibility for further growth.

Headquartered in Maastricht/Netherlands, ARLANXEO generated sales of around EUR 3.2 billion in 2017 and employs about 3,800 people at 20 production sites in nine countries. The company produces high-performance rubber for use in, for example, the automotive and tire industries, the construction industry, and the oil and gas industries.

Back in 2016, the transfer of the business with synthetic rubber into the joint venture ARLANXEO was the foundation for LANXESS strategic realignment. Since then LANXESS has been focusing on growth in mid-sized specialty chemicals markets and made various acquisitions in this area  with the takeover of the U.S. chemical company Chemtura in 2017 as the biggest one.
Rice University's new platform technology can selectively filter contaminants from wastewater, drinking water and industrial fluids. In tests, an engineered coating of resin, polymer and activated carbon removed and trapped harmful sulfate ions, and other coatings can be used in the same platform to target other contaminants.

In Rice University's new water-treatment platform, electrode coatings can be swapped out to allow the device to selectively remove a range of contaminants from wastewater, drinking water and industrial fluids. In tests, an engineered coating of resin, polymer and activated carbon removed and trapped harmful sulfate ions and allow most common salt ions to pass by.

Contaminants can be removed from fluids that traverse a maze-like path between electrodes in a technology developed by Rice University engineers. The photo shows Rice postdoctoral researcher Kuichang Zuo placing a separator that channels water through the system.

Rice University scientists are developing technology to remove contaminants from water - but only as many as necessary.

The Rice lab of engineer Qilin Li is building a treatment system that can be tuned to selectively pull toxins from drinking water and wastewater from factories, sewage systems and oil and gas wells. The researchers said their technology will cut costs and save energy compared to conventional systems.

"Traditional methods to remove everything, such as reverse osmosis, are expensive and energy intensive," said Li, the lead scientist and co-author of a study about the new technology. "If we figure out a way to just fish out these minor components, we can save a lot of energy."

The heart of Rice's system is a set of novel composite electrodes that enable capacitive deionization. The charged, porous electrodes selectively pull target ions from fluids passing through the maze-like system. When the pores get filled with toxins, the electrodes can be cleaned, restored to their original capacity and reused.

"This is part of a broad scope of research to figure out ways to selectively remove ionic contaminants," said Li, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering. "There are a lot of ions in water. Not everything is toxic. For example, sodium chloride (salt) is perfectly benign. We don't have to remove it unless the concentration gets too high.

"For many applications, we can leave non-hazardous ions behind, but there are certain ions that we need to remove," she said. "For example, in some drinking water wells, there's arsenic. In our drinking water pipes, there could be lead or copper. And in industrial applications, there are calcium and sulfate ions that form scale, a buildup of mineral deposits that foul and clog pipes."

The proof-of-principal system developed by Li's team removed sulfate ions, a scale-forming mineral that can give water a bitter taste and act as a laxative. The system's electrodes were coated with activated carbon, which was in turn coated by a thin film of tiny resin particles held together by quaternized polyvinyl alcohol. When sulfate-contaminated water flowed through a channel between the charged electrodes, sulfate ions were attracted by the electrodes, passed through the resin coating and stuck to the carbon.

Tests in the Rice lab showed the positively charged coating on the cathode preferentially captured sulfate ions over salt at a ratio of more than 20 to 1.

The electrodes retained their properties over 50 cycles. "But in fact, in the lab, we've run the system for several hundred cycles and I don't see any breaking or peeling of the material," said Kuichang Zuo, lead author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher in Li's lab. "It's very robust."

Li said the system is intended to work with current commercial water-treatment systems. "The true merit of this work is not that we were able to selectively remove sulfate, because there are many other contaminants that are perhaps more important," she said. "The merit is that we developed a technology platform that we can use to target other contaminants as well by varying the composition of the electrode coating."

The Rice team is developing coatings for other contaminants and working with labs at the University of Texas at El Paso and Arizona State University on large-scale test systems. Zuo said it should also be possible to scale systems down for in-home water purification.
Diversified real estate group Mirvac has reported a profit statutory net profit after tax of $1.1 billion, marking the third consecutive year Mirvac has achieved a statutory profit of more than $1 billion.

But with the softening in the residential cycle, the group is now shifting its focus to more ''passive'' investments that generate recurring income from mangement fees through its club funds.

While it is not a determined shift in strategy, the new approach will mark a change in direction for some aspects of the group's business.

Mirvac's first build to rent property at Indigo Pavilions, Sydney Olympic Park in NSW,

The earnings were boosted by $490 million lift in property value from the strong office market of Sydney and Melbourne.
We said back then, we now have a plan. It has certainty, as best we can in this day and age, and it promises that prices will fall. We want and need to confront reality now and implement the plan.

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia welcomed the Powering Forward energy plan when it was announced by the government last year. We saw it as a pragmatic plan that addresses the need for small businesses to have reliable and affordable energy, at the same time as gradually reducing Australias greenhouse gas emissions in line with international obligations.

The uncertainty over energy prices and supply is another business pressure that our sector cant afford. We want to see action and decision, not talk and delay.

Since then we havent changed our view. If anything, we are now even more concerned that the plan has not been endorsed by COAG and once again we have inertia  not action. Once again, we have missed the opportunity. Once again, the nay-sayers and ideologues have achieved absolutely nothing.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg speaks during a COAG Energy Council meeting in Brisbane. Credit:AAP

While the new plan may not be perfect, it is clearly achievable. Therefore, rather than delaying its finalisation, the states and territories should put the need for certainty above their ideological or political interests and endorse it as a good solid plan of action. A key question amongst both the large and small business communities is will they diddle and daddleor be decisive?

The uncertainty in the small business community around access to power and the impact of increased power costs that has forced some to shed staff, increase prices or close businesses. Many of our members have raised concerns about energy costs in the short term, but they are also fully aware that agreeing to a well-thought out plan is better than doing nothing.

People in business know about managing change. We know there has to be a good comprehensive plan, and the ability to implement it. We know that plan must be reviewed regularly and checked for efficacy and continuing relevance. On top of this, the recent ACCC report provides further impetus for action and certainty  particularly for more than a million small business energy consumers who have clearly been treated like mushrooms by energy retailers.
Poorer performances in grammar and punctuation by students who sat NAPLAN online are among the problems worrying education officials as they desperately try to resolve a stand-off that is delaying the release of this year's results.

The agency in charge of NAPLAN, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), held an emergency meeting on Thursday ahead of another discussion between state education officials via teleconference on Friday aimed at finding a resolution.

Loading

Almost 200,000 Australian students sat NAPLAN online this year and the rest did a pen-and-paper version, but state education ministers and directors general are concerned the two sets of results are not statistically comparable.

Ministers in two states said they were considering withdrawing from NAPLAN online until their confidence was restored.
Remember how Tony Abbott's promise to scrap the carbon tax was going to save the average Australian household $550 a year?

In a coincidence befitting the deja-vuness of so much of our climate policy, annual savings to be generated from the Turnbull government's National Energy Guarantee are miraculously $550.

Few may remember pocketing the promised savings in 2014 as soaring power bills swallowed whatever dividend followed the carbon tax's demise.

Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull launch the National Energy Guarantee last October. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Likewise, households would be wise not to bank promises flowing from the latest "guarantee" - and not just because COAG energy ministers meeting in Sydney on Friday might veto it anyway.
But as we sat in our little pocket of green down Victoria's south-west coast a week and a half ago, scrolling through our Facebook feeds with rain falling outside and trying not to think of the waterless north, something new happened. Facebook was barely used in Australia during the last great dry, known as the Millennium Drought, a national suffering that began in the late 1990s and continued all the way to 2010, when it was doused in floods. Facebook didnt even have a like button until 2009. Allansford Hotel owner Dianna McLean and staff member Jordy Muller with some of the donations for a Drought Relief Fundraiser on August 18. Credit:Christine Ansorge Here, these years later, a Facebook chat site for members in far south-west Victoria popped up with two messages that confirmed social media wasnt just for social catch-ups and pictures of doggies and vanity selfies and rants.

The first informed that a company named Tober Fish, from the city of Portland, wanted to fill its large refrigerated truck with household goods and take it to drought-stricken families up north. Owner Daniel Hogan later said hed been out to sea, fishing, when he started thinking about how he, a primary producer on the water, could help primary producers in crisis on the land. And so was born Fill the Truck: a call for donations that soon was being shared across Facebook, and which hit the front page of the local newspaper. Within days, collection points were groaning with packaged foods, pantry requirements, treats, kids toys, gift vouchers and just about anything anyone could think might be useful for country families in need. Amanda Kinross, the woman behind the "parma for a farmer" campaign. A few days later came an even more intriguing post.

It was a simple message: what if pubs and clubs were to donate $1 to the drought effort for every parmigiana they served their customers? A parma to help a farmer! The idea, as just about everyone knows now, went viral. It came from a young mother who runs a cake business in Bendigo, Amanda Kinross. She was, she said, wondering during a sleepless night what on earth she could do to help those brought low by drought, and began playing with the word farmer. Canberra Demons player Alex Paech with his parma for a farmer at the Eastlakes club in Gungahlin. Credit:Jamila Toderas And somehow, I came up with this rhyming thing, parma for a farmer, and I posted it on the local Facebook chat group called Bendigo Have Your Say, she said.

I thought it would be seen by about 15 people. Just a chatty thing. But it went absolutely crazy. Within minutes there were hundreds of responses, including from three pubs saying they were on board. A local radio DJ on Triple M, a guy called Cogho, read my post and asked if he could use it on his show. Within a week there seemed barely a pub or licensed club in Australia that hadnt signed up to Parma for a Farmer, and pizza parlours and retailers of all manner had joined in, donating a dollar or two (and some as much as $10) for each item they sold. Drought aid concerts were organised, and social groups all over took to organising parma outings. Kinross found herself overwhelmed. Loading
If you work in an office, the chances are there are some colleagues you would rather sit next to than others. But were not just talking personality likes or dislikes here  what can also be a factor is how clean they keep their desk.

The average office desk is said to contain 400 times more germs than a toilet seat  meaning that many office workers could be at risk of sickness due to dirty desks.

What could be lurking on your desk? Credit:Stocksy

Research by the University of Arizona found that humans are the most common source of bacteria and that, compared to women, men have three to four times the number of bacteria in, on and around their desks, phones, computers, keyboards, drawers and personal items. Theories as to why this might be include men having bigger desks, meaning an increased surface area available for depositing, as well as having on average, lower standards of personal grooming.

As microbiologists, when we look at offices we are looking at what is called the built environment. It is thought that the built environment micro-flora (all the bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes detected) is far less varied than the outside world.
Braidwood farmer Mark Horan walks through one of the 20 dried dams on his property. As a NSW farmer, he is eligible for transport subsidies, but nearby farmers in the ACT are not. Credit:Karleen Minney

Whether you're sailing into the weekend with a smile or dragging yourself bleary-eyed over the finish line, we're almost there. Today we're in for a relatively balmy 17 degrees, but it's likely to sink down to minus two before then. And there's also some rain on the way tomorrow which could stick around until Sunday.

Officially, the drought is over the border, but farmers in the ACT are being forced to fork out thousands of dollars trucking in feed from as far afield as South Australia to keep their livestock alive in punishing conditions.

While NSW farmers can apply for a 50 per cent subsidy on transport costs, the ACT government won't commit to financial support.

Blake Foden has more from farmers on the ground.

Daughter charged over murder of Canberra researcher
Two Zero. QL2. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. August 9 to 11 at 7pm and August 11 at 2pm. Tickets: canberratheatrecentre.com.au or phone 0262752700.

QL2 Dance (Canberra) is celebrating 20 years of the Quantum Leap ensemble project with Two Zero. It was formed in 1999 when the then director of The Choreographic Centre, Mark Gordon, brought Ruth Osborne - whose achievements included establishing the Choreographic Dance Centre in Perth and teaching at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts - to Canberra.

QL2's Two Zero in rehearsal Credit:Lorna Sim

Osborne, the artistic director of what is now QL Dance, says, "I was initially brought over from Perth to establish a youth dance program in The Choreographic Centre ...It grew quickly becauese there was so much interest and so much talent in Canberra."

Over time the organisation changed its name to QL2 Centre for Youth Dance and later QL2 Dance, focusing all its attention on young people. The dancers audition annually to work on a project with some remaining for more than one year and others going off to study at tertiary institutions.
He will next appear in Sydney Supreme Court on September 7 where he will be arraigned and formally plead not guilty to murder. Mr Newson's co-accused, James Anthony Cunneen, now 27, had the murder charge against him dropped on Wednesday. In its place, prosecutors laid a charge of accessory after the fact to murder. Detectives had alleged Mr Cunneen engaged in a joint criminal enterprise with Mr Newson to murder Ms McBride, but now say her former boyfriend is solely responsible for her murder while Mr Cunneen helped dump Ms McBride's body. Mr Newson, Ms McBride and Mr Cunneen all met at Dooralong Transformation Centre, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre west of Wyong, in September and October, 2013.

Sayle Kenneth Newson is arrested by police over the death of Carly McBride. They all left the centre at different times and for different reasons, but in early August, 2014, Ms McBride and Mr Newson, a Muay Thai kickboxer who bragged to police about having a 20-0 record, began a relationship. Between that time and Ms McBride's death, Mr Newson would drive her to visit her daughter at her ex-partner's house in Calgaroo Avenue, Muswellbrook on at least five occasions. This was the location she was last seen leaving about 2pm on September 30, 2014. But on September 28, 2014, two days before the couple made their final trip from the Central Coast to Muswellbrook, they allegedly argued about Ms McBride communicating with other men via Facebook. Divers search for Ms McBride's remains in a dam on in Muswellbrook in February, 2015. Credit:Peter Stoop

Detectives allege Mr Newson became "jealous and angry" at Ms McBride and late on September 29, a number of searches were made from Mr Newson's laptop, looking for instructions on how to delete a Facebook account. At 11.52pm, Ms McBride's Facebook account vanished. At midday on September 30, the day she disappeared, and during the drive to Muswellbrook, Mr Newson allegedly took a number of photographs of Ms McBride, seated in the front passenger seat of his car. An examination of Mr Newson's phone later allegedly revealed that between 5.17pm and 5.23pm that day, before Ms McBride had been discovered "missing", one of those photographs was rotated into a portrait shape and edited to remove Mr Newson's arm. Steve McBride and Lorraine Williams, the parents of Carly McBride, front a public appeal in 2016. Credit:Simone De Peak That photograph would later be used in Mr Newson's Facebook appeals for information. Mr Newson dropped Ms McBride off to visit her daughter at the house in Calgaroo Avenue about 12.30pm. By about 2pm she had left and was walking to meet Mr Newson at Muswellbrook McDonald's.

But detectives allege that Mr Newson "intercepted" Ms McBride before she got there and murdered her between 2pm and 5pm, dumping her body in a remote area of bushland near Bunnan Road at Owens Gap, about 17 kilometres north-west of Scone. Detectives say that at about 5pm on September 30, 2014, Mr Newson told someone that Ms McBride was missing. But when he spoke to police he said it wasn't until 6pm, when he drove back to Ms McBride's ex-partner's home, that he first discovered she had disappeared. Police execute one of two crime scene warrants in the Hunter Valley area. Credit:NSW Police From there he launched a full-scale search for Ms McBride; contacted her family and the police, knocked on doors along the path she would have taken to McDonald's, searched businesses, canvassed for CCTV, printed missing person's posters, created the 'Held Find Carly McBride' Facebook page, spoke with the media and announced a $10,000 reward.

At one point Mr Newson said he hoped to gain further publicity by making a joint appeal with the family of missing boy William Tyrell. Police labelled it a "gross and immediate public overreaction" by Mr Newson and said he couldn't afford to pay the $10,000 reward and made the offer knowing he would never have to. And all the while he professed his love and devotion to Ms McBride. He was the distraught boyfriend who would do anything to have his girlfriend return safe and sound. But after searching through his online history, police say the public grief and torment was a lie and that, almost immediately after Ms McBride disappeared, Mr Newson began contacting women online for sex. Carly McBride. After extensive searches, Ms McBride's remains were found on August 7, 2016, nearly two years after her disappearance and death.

A post-mortem examination identified significant blunt force trauma to her face and back of her head, which was consistent with at least two blows to the skull and two to her back.

Her phone and handbag have never been recovered. When police publicly revealed four days later that Ms McBride's body had been found, Mr Newson contacted a number of people and allegedly "expressed a belief that he would be imminently arrested", detectives say. He also called Ms McBride's father, Steve, allegedly disclosing a piece of information that detectives say only someone with "actual knowledge of the crime scene" would know. Police did arrest and charge Mr Newson. But it wasn't until June 19, 2017. The case against him is entirely circumstantial.
Chicago signed Ellis on the eve of the teams MLS season opener after being waived by Sporting Kansas City. He started 19 games and made 23 total appearances with the Fire, scoring two goals and providing three assists across all competitions.
With the Sydney basin water levels heading south to 50 per cent and ensuing panic stations, there, at least, are two good reasons for reintroducing the water restrictions from the last drought right now. Firstly, because it is a good habit that should become the norm, and secondly, for urbanites to show empathy with farmers and towns with no water. - Gill Green, Waverley The Tony Abbott solution for farmers driven off the land by drought? Have them build our coal-fired power stations. - James Bennett-Levy, Bangalow Given that last month many parts of the state had their "lowest ... rainfall on record", perhaps we should give Dry July a miss next year. - Charles Hargrave, Elizabeth Bay The current climate situation is alarming for us all. Instead of the woe is me attitude could we draw a breath for a minute and have a look at the current state of solutions research. Are we having a look at some of the innovative solutions the hard-working engineers and chemists may have come up with to draw us back from this tipping point?

Could humanity actually claw back some time and solve this crisis using a combination of natural biological processes and technology? - Liz Reynolds, Earlwood Husar denied natural justice by her enemies Emma Husar, single mother of three, has been pushed out of her job by a constant stream of allegations ("Embattled MP: 'My enemies are more powerful", August 9). I am still wondering why former staffers didn't go to Fair Work Australia and lodge an unfair dismissal claim, rather than confide in the media. My heartfelt sympathies are with her kids. That is their much loved mum and she has been denied natural justice by many. - Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill

I surmise that even if Labor's internal report were to exonerate her, Husar will not recontest the federal seat of Lindsay ("Sigh of relief for Labor as Husar quits", August 9). She has made the decision to protect her party's chances at the next election, because "some of the mud always sticks". No complaint against her was ever brought to the Fair Work Commission and from what was reported in the media many of these allegations against her seem quite tenuous. Under these circumstances, it seems a shame to lose a hard-working talented member of Parliament who was also a strong voice against domestic violence, particularly when women are under-represented in government. - Leo Sorbello, Leichhardt How hypocritical of Turnbull saying that it's not credible that Bill Shorten had not heard the rumours regarding Emma Hussar. Who can forget that he claimed to be the only one in the Coalition to not be aware about the Barnaby Joyce stories. - Jerry Stiel, Lilyfield The self-righteous resignation of Husar and the insular treatment of the attacks within the Labor Party are in stark contrast to Labor's public position on misuse of parliamentary funds and workplace bullying and sexual harassment.

Take its stance on Barnaby Joyce, who to this day has not been proven guilty of any of these claims. Abuse of parliamentary entitlements is a matter that should be investigated by the Department of Finance. Sexual harassment and workplace bullying are both matters for the Fair Work Commission or the civil courts to determine. The really disturbing part of this affair is the secrecy with which Labor has proceeded. For a party supposedly the champion of the worker this is a despicable chain of events. The Coalition must now pursue these matters being heard through the appropriate channels. The Husar affair is far from over. - Gary Bigelow, Oatlands The Boys' Club strikes again: a female MP is hounded from Parliament.

It has become obvious that we have had a put-up job aimed at reminding women once again that they should not have the temerity to offer themselves for election. So will the candidate the ALP puts forward for Lindsay at the next federal election reflect our community's diversity or just be more of the same "male, pale and stale" offered in most electorates? - Michael McMullan, Five Dock Husar is resigning. Good. After having four straight days where her photo has been on the front page of the Herald, maybe we can now address far more important issues. - Michael Walsh, Ashfield Size is not the measure of a country's success The success or otherwise of any particular country is not tied to its size or the median age of its population, contrary to what Philip Lowe might have said ("We are young and better off: RBA governor", August 9).

The five most prosperous countries in the world, according to the Legatum Prosperity Index, have fewer than 10 million people. The GDP of Norway, the most prosperous country in the world, has fallen over the last few years. The GDP per capita of Germany and Japan has increased while their population growth has decreased. The old-age dependency ratio might well be a red herring when one considers the health status of a country's population. For example, 15 per cent of Australians are over the age of 65. In Japan it's 25 per cent, but their health costs per capita are lower than ours. Japan, along with a number of other developed nations, has had a falling or stable population in recent times. We need to look past the idea that bigger is better. One thing is for certain, the sooner we develop a population policy the better. - Chris O'Rourke, Bathurst A bit like pick-pocketing

If I took money from someone without telling them we were doing it, without asking if we could and without them even knowing we had, that would be a criminal offence ("Hayne bombshell raises prospect of criminal charges", August 9). Bit like pick-pocketing you'd think. Looks like Commissioner Hayne has a point, I'd say. - John Gavaghan, Cammeray The banks got caught ,whoopee, but their profits are now down, our super returns go down and we get done over again, all while the bank execs still get their exorbitant multimillion-dollar fat salaries. So you and I lose  again. - Con Feltrin, Naremburn A major oversight Nikki Stamp's plea for more "lady surgeons" reminded me of my mum's story from her days at Concord Military Hospital ("Operating theatre of the absurd female absence", August 9). She was the first woman in the Royal Australian Medical Corp. She held the rank of major and was the officer commanding the Medical Company. Her specialty was thoracic medicine.

Not only was she called "sir" but was often mistaken as a nurse or administrative assistant because she was female. During a visit to the hospital by the governor-general she stepped forward to greet him only to be told that he was waiting for Major Lusby, the doctor. Her reply. "I am the doctor". Things don't change much do they? - Judith Fleming, Sawtell Politicians want to play God I agree with Michael Scammell that our politicians need to "do God" ("Thou shalt not put politics before religion", August 9). However, it seems they want to play God. - Graham Lum, North Rocks I suggest to the 80 per cent of Australians who believe in the individual right of assisted dying that they identify the politicians "doing God" and vote for someone else. - Lou Collier, Surry Hills

There is no complexity or inconsistency to Penny Wong's Christian beliefs and support for gay marriage rights. Rather she is following the golden rule of doing unto others what you would have them do unto you. If there is any inconsistency, it is with those politicians who purport to hold Christian values yet show little compassion, kindness and charity towards others. - Jennifer McKay, Ashbury No one cares whether our politicians are religious or not; voters respect honest brokers who do good for people with all sincerity. Fake politicians have an art of using religion or otherwise to further their own careers, particularly when they winning from blue ribbon seats, coming across as holier than thou. - Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Unreliable test needs to go NAPLAN is being further discredited ("NAPLAN hit by new controversy", August 9).

The test has quite a margin of error so is not a reliable source of information for students. Parents can easily get an accurate knowledge of their child's progress and results if they pay attention to what they are doing, work with them and visit the school and classroom. No test can replace that. It is time that this unreliable test disappeared and a more consistent method of assessment is used and that teacher based assessment is trusted. - Augusta Monro, Dural Isn't it high time Simon Birmingham acknowledged the groundswell of concern among education specialists, teachers, parents and students over the stress, unnecessary reinforcement of poor self-esteem for a number of failing students and the lack of improvement NAPLAN has produced. Remove these tests now before further damage is done. - Malcolm Cato, Westleigh Once more, nice and slowly, just for Simon Birmingham: it isn't just this year that NAPLAN will fail to make valid comparisons. - Debra Miniutti, Ashbury University abuse no surprise

It is not surprising that university staff are subjected to abuse by students ("'This woman is so old': Insults hurled at academics spur survey rethink", August 9). Universities are the only level of education that permit staff to teach without first completing a formal qualification in education. Academics are recruited primarily on the basis of their research output, but are then expected to teach. Committees of educationally unqualified people make and enforce policies on instructional and assessment practices. Advice from experts is often ignored or misunderstood. The traditional lecture has been found to be one of the least effective forms of instruction. It is ironic that universities have conducted years of research on teaching and learning in higher education but fail to implement policies and practices that are based on this research. And students, the victims of this comedy of errors, focus their anger on the most visible people in the system, the academics. - George Rosier, Carlingford Energy policy lacks aspiration

The main problem I have with the NEG is that emission reductions are currently running at 24 per cent (Letters, August 9). The ridiculously modest target of 26 per cent will be reached either before or soon after planned implementation. Where's the aspiration in that, Mr Turnbull? - Bruce Hulbert, Lilyfield Surely someone, a marketing intern at least, warned the government it would be tough to sell anything called NEG as something positive ("NEG talks: regulator calls time on warring ministers", August 9). - Ross Duncan, Potts Point Our city's growing uglier I'm on Clover Moore's side (Letters, August 9). Most new development in Sydney is ugly, intrusive and unnecessary. - Ashley Berry, Toolijooa
An international dark web drug syndicate based in Sydneys eastern suburbs was brought down by a 22-year-old "self-admitted fraudster high on drugs for the duration of his interactions with the ringleader, a court has heard.

Police documents tendered to Waverley Local Court on Wednesday allege that a witness, who cannot be named, detailed how the syndicate bought massive amounts of cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy in the Netherlands via the dark web.

Alleged ringleader Dov Tenenboim (left) and Chaim Goldstein.

Photos: Supplied

The syndicate then allegedly sent the drugs to a number of European countries, before the massive quantities of drugs arrived at addresses in Vaucluse, Bondi, Randwick, Potts Point and Bellvue Hill via the postal system.

When the unnamed informant told police about the syndicates alleged operations, a five-month-long investigation by Strike Force Bergmark began.
James Packer would not need to sue the state to prevent the construction of towers blocking his hotel and casino views if he was simply allowed to build on the Harbour Bridge.

Unfortunately, Gladys Berejiklian understands nothing of such innovation, so it looks like we might be stuck in the courts.

For many observers of the history of the Barangaroo development, the launch of litigation by Packer's Crown and Lendlease against the government on Thursday for potentially impeding their views represents another farcical punctuation to what long ago became a farcical process.

A view from Pyrmont of Crown Casino being constructed at Barangaroo in Sydney on Thursday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Consider, for instance, what it would mean if Crown and Lendlease are proved correct. If they are right, it means that in 2015 the Baird government signed a contract which, as Greens MP David Shoebridge put it, "prioritised the views of a casino over the public needs of Sydney."
A man has been charged over an alleged spree of sexual assaults that spanned more than two decades and involved 14 female victims, some as young as 14.

The 51-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning, following an extensive investigation by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.

Investigators also executed three search warrants at properties in Epping and Berrilee, and seized items including handcuffs.

The detectives, as part of Strike Force Petit, were re-investigating historic sexual assaults that occurred between 1989 and 2013 in the Ryde and Hornsby areas, involving female victims aged between 14 and 40.
Harbour visitors and residents in Sydney's north and east have been confronted with thick smoke, haze and visible flames as hazard reduction burns were carried out on the city's northern beaches.

Fire and Rescue NSW and National Parks carried out a scheduled burn at Dobroyd Head, near Balgowlah Heights on the north side of the harbour on Thursday afternoon.

Visitors on a cruise ship catch a glimpse of burning bush at Dobroyd Point. Credit:Nick Andrews

A spokesman for FRNSW said the eight-hour burn commenced around 10.30am on Thursday, and "the whole thing went to plan"  despite possibly alarming some tourists.

"The whole area is a grassy scrubland, which can flare up quite easily with fire," he said.
The controversy over the Turnbull governments $444 million grant to the mysterious Great Barrier Reef Foundation has mostly focused on the lack of probity and transparency in the grant process.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation board members (from left) John Schubert, Geoff Healy, Steve McCann, Anna Marsden, Russell Reichelt and Ove Hoegh-Guldberg at Lady Elliot Island.

That is hardly surprising, since really there was no process.

The biggest handover of public funds to a private foundation in Australias history was made when the Prime Minister met the chairman of the foundation, Dr John Schubert, and told him the news.

The foundation had not applied for the grant, there had been no call for tenders and no public servants were present at the meeting.
Qantas has pledged to raise $3 million - with as much as $2 million in cash coming directly from the airline - for drought-stricken farmers across Australia.

Its employees will also provide direct help to farms that could see aviation engineers fly in to fix a tractor or ground crew volunteer to repair fencing.

John and Zanthe Atkinson know first-hand how hard it is during a drought. Credit:Brent Winstone

Under a new drought relief package that was announced early Friday morning, Qantas will give $1 million in cash immediately to Rural Aid.

Under the next stage of the campaign, Qantas and its subsidiary, Jetstar, will hold fundraising initiatives to encourage some of its millions of passengers to give another $1 million.
Human rights, medical and legal experts have called on the Queensland government to increase the minimum age children convicted of criminality can be imprisoned.

Amnesty International says 150 children aged 10-13 are incarcerated in Queensland's children's prisons each year, the highest number of all states and territories.

Campaigner Belinda Lowe said children imprisoned at a young age were more likely to offend as adults.

"It's critical to raise the age  too many childhoods are being lost in detention centres in Queensland," Ms Lowe told reporters on Thursday.

"We're not only taking away the lives of children now, we're taking away their futures."
A Queensland man accused of raping a woman shortly after they met at an Australia Day party on the Gold Coast last year has been acquitted.

Harley Gene Lewis was found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting with the circumstance of aggravation in the Southport District Court on Thursday.

Mr Lewis' barrister Anthony Kimmins said his client agreed a sexual encounter occurred but it had been consensual.

He said his client had "honestly and reasonably" believed the woman had consented.

The court was told the couple met for the first time at a party at Mermaid Beach on Australia Day last year.
Weve done everything we could to assist Sinclair in getting through the regulatory process, and its been a huge undertaking for our company to manage through this prolonged exercise, while also keeping our business running strong, Tribune Media CEO Peter Kern said during an earnings call Thursday. Unfortunately, Sinclair chose to follow a regulatory strategy reflecting its own self-interest, rather than its contractual obligations.
As I looked at the panel on The Drum, I recognised Marcia Langton, seasoned by decades of tireless struggle to secure recognition and dignity for the original custodians of this land. Hers has been a long twilight trudge down a boulevard of broken dreams, in the footsteps of Charles Perkins, Pat and Mick Dodson, Noel Pearson and Lowitja ODonoghue, to name just some of the more prominent and recent fighters for the rights of the original Australians. As Mark McKenna poignantly wrote in his Quarterly Essay ,"Moment of Truth" , they were the heirs to John Noble and Jimmy Clements, two Wiradjuri elders who walked 150 kilometres to Canberra for the opening of Parliament in 1927 to claim their "sovereign rights".

He has been peddling this overwrought drivel for as long as he has had a column at News Corp. It is terrific clickbait for his febrile constituency and I have no doubt reflects his own narrow ahistorical view of Australias authentic past and the intellectual history of the West. He modestly conceives himself as a noble centurion on the ramparts of this besieged society. Only he and a handful of other people like him see the dire threat of multiculturalism and racial dilution. He is to some a visionary. I think he is a limited parochial bore with a middling intellect and a malleable conscience.

The contrast between dignity and obscenity could not have been greater. The contrast between moderation and fanaticism could not have been starker. Last Friday on the ABC, Julia Baird broadcast a panel discussion comprising Indigenous Australians from the annual Garma Festival in Northern Australia. The day before Andrew Bolt had regurgitated his standard column about the Barbarians now being inside the gates of Australia. We have been invaded by people insufficiently like him who want to undermine our institutions and social cohesion.

To have a tabloid incendiary blithely bleat about an invasion at the same time as the Garma Festival, as though he is a victim, rather than a beneficiary of invasion, is utterly reprehensible and a true measure of the man. He has a heart of stone and grovels to power while exploiting the powerless for cheap applause from the fringes of society. But his lack of empathy is not his greatest limitation. Rather it is his total lack of optimism for an expansive Australia, capable of living to its boundless potential and its most generous qualities. His other employer covered itself with even more glory providing a forum for Nazi Blair Cottrell, whose contributions on race capped off a fine week for defenders of the status quo. (Presumably, we can resolve the right-wing panic over unregulated population growth by renouncing further territorial claims in Europe.)

Garma tells us it is time for Australia to become home to those whose ancestors have been here for 65,000 years and to those who came later. But first there must be an acknowledgment that the land was taken by force. There was war, genocide and atrocities from both sides. To heal, there must be recognition of war, loss and grief followed by a treaty, a makarrata. That need not undermine the sovereignty of the Australian nation if couched correctly. Surely, it is not beyond the wit and wisdom of our best lawyers, conservative and progressive alike, to achieve that.

What the original custodians of this land have been requesting for almost two centuries (since the the passage of the Australian Courts Act 1828) is to have their prior occupation and forced dispossession properly recognised. This is not just about them. It is about all of us. The internal dignity and external reputation of a decent liberal democracy is derived from how it treats its most vulnerable minorities. This is not identity politics. It is the fair go of our parlance.

Mutitjulu elder Rolley Mintuma joins Pat Anderson as she carries the Uluru Statement from the Heart last year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It is rudimentary civic justice among the nations with whom we are fond of comparing ourselves. The Uluru Statement from The Heart deserved vastly more considered treatment from the Turnbull government than it received. It was buried in the same news cycle as the seven MPs found to have breached the citizenship provisions of the constitution. Those who drafted it deserved more respect than that. This nation deserved better.
A rescue mission is in train to free a young southern right whale entangled in rope near Portland in Victoria's south-west.

Officers from the department of environment, land, water and planning (DELWP) have been called to the scene at Cape Bridgewater, 360 kilometres west of Melbourne.

A young southern right whale entangled in rope off Bridgewater in south-west Victoria. Credit:Bridgewater Cafe/Facebook

DELWP regional agency commander David Mifsud confirmed a whale had been entangled in rope with two buoys attached.

The situation has been declared an emergency, and an Incident Control Centre has been established at Heywood, he said.
Victorian Education Minister James Merlino has raised the alarm about NAPLAN online being expanded to more schools and is calling for an urgent review.

As Australian education officials desperately try to resolve a stand-off that has delayed the release of NAPLAN results, Mr Merlino said confidence in the online tests had eroded.

Education Minister James Merlino Credit:Wayne Taylor

Unless we can have confidence in NAPLAN online, I have serious concerns about continuing the transfer from paper tests to online tests," he said.

The stoush centres on concerns that data from the online literacy and numeracy test is not statistically comparable with the pen-and-paper test, particularly when it comes to grammar and punctuation.
Dangerous family violence perpetrators should be put on a high-risk watchlist so they can be monitored to reduce the risk of danger to victims, in the same way police monitor terrorism suspects to avert potential attacks, says a family violence security specialist.

And a dedicated unit with the same intelligence-gathering powers as counter-terrorism operatives should be established to monitor activity of high-risk family violence perpetrators and stop them before they offend.

This proactive policing has worked to stop terror incidents in the past and could well work to stop this ongoing, continuing violence which is unfortunately our own homegrown, domestic terrorism issue, says Steve Wilson, a founder of Protective Group, one of a handful of Australian security companies that specialise in family violence risk management.

This scrutiny would apply in the most high-risk cases: perpetrators who had repeatedly breached intervention orders, threatened to kill their victims, and had access to firearms, for example. Other red flag behaviours include violence towards pregnant women and cruelty to animals.
The last five years have been hell for Martyn Tann's family, ever since the adventurous young man with distinctive dreadlocks went missing from a Perth beach in 2013.

But his family still remain hopeful their son and brother - known affectionately as 'Marty' - might come home one day.

Marty Tann went missing in Perth in 2013. Credit:Facebook

A spirited and adventurous soul according to his close mates and family, Marty - a marine biologist - was last seen at Mullaloo Beach on April 2, 2013.

Witnesses reported seeing him just north of the surf lifesaving tower between 1pm-3pm that day.
I can understand some people feeling a little cynical about a strategy, Ms McGurk said. It just sounds so bureaucratic, and I get that. I absolutely get that. But weve got an obligation, when we do something, to make sure were doing it in a strategic way  an effective and sustained way. Its public money. Theres never been a long-term strategy developed like this before. Its an issue that just never seems to go away, but the minister is absolutely confident homelessness could one day be a thing of the past.

We just have to get it right. Theres a lot of good work being done now, Ms McGurk said. With the right interventions, with the right support, we can actually get people into good, stable accommodation and they can be healthy. Weve got such wealth and capacity in this state  how can we still have people sleeping rough? People are rightly concerned and appalled by that.

An advocate for the housing first approach, Ms McGurk said there was no reason Western Australia couldnt replicate successful models from the United States or Finland, where strategies to address homelessness had returned positive outcomes. Im very convinced by the housing first approach, she said. You get people the right sort of accommodation by asking them what they want, then you build supports around them. [But] if you just have bricks and mortar without support, I dont think its sustainable for a big part of the cohort. I think we need the right sort of supports, with the right sort of accommodation.

A strategy such as the one Ms McGurk is touting costs money, and the State Government, along with Federal funding, already spends $85 million each year on the homelessness problem. But what is the option? Ms McGurk takes a walk through Northbridge while discussing a planned strategy to combat homelessness. Credit:Cameron Myles. The cost of not providing services and effective interventions for these people is not only expensive in dollar terms, according to the Minister, but its also very expensive in human terms. The reality is we spend quite a bit on this already, Ms McGurk said.

We need to make sure theres emergency accommodation so people have a safe place at night, but we need to link them in with services and help. Some people, with all the good intentions in the world, say shouldnt we give them swags? Cant we give them tents? We really want to give them help in the longer term. We want to give them a future. On a personal level, Ms McGurk said she was hugely ambitious about ending homelessness.

But the journey towards helping to house so many people in WA is a massive job, and it can be an emotional one. I absolutely hear some shocking stories and some heartbreaking stories, she said. Loading But I also hear stories where people do come through it, where people are back on their feet. As the Member for Fremantle I see this. I get to know them.

Ive also got to know people and theyve since passed on. Theyve died too young because of the cards that have been dealt to them. A big advocate for getting out and meeting people affected by homelessness, Ms McGurk said it was so important to listen to what they said they needed, and for people wanting to help to do so in a coordinated way. Weve got to get better, we have to do more, the Minister said. Do I think [homelessness] is solvable?
Liberal senator Eric Abetz has defended former public service commissioner John Lloyd, and blasted an inquiry that found he breached a code of conduct governing federal officials as "farcical".

Senator Abetz, who was the minister overseeing the public service when Mr Lloyd was appointed to his role, said the inquiry process run by the office investigating allegations of misconduct by the public service commission head lacked procedural fairness.

Senator Eric Abetz has defended retired public service commissioner John Lloyd. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He questioned merit protection commissioner Linda Waugh's finding that Mr Lloyd breached the Australian Public Service code of conduct by emailing research completed by his agency to a right wing think tank.

It is entirely unremarkable for information to be shared with third parties. Indeed, during my time as a minister there was information and data provided by my department to trade unions that was not placed on the public record," Senator Abetz said.
Five terrorists who travelled overseas to fight with Islamic State have been stripped of their Australian citizenship and will never be allowed back into the country.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the five dual-nationals had turned their backs on Australia by joining the notorious terrorist group in the Middle East.

Five dual-Australian nationals have been stripped of their citizenship for joining Islamic State. Credit:AP

"I don't want these people coming back, I want them to stay as far from our shores as possible," Mr Dutton told 2GB radio on Thursday.

"Our country is safer because these people aren't returning."